Dominance

Over his last 24 starts, there has not been a better pitcher in the MLB than Jake Arrieta. Actually over his last 24 starts there has never been a better pitcher than Jake Arrieta. It is startling just how good the Cubs ace has been since last June. Just listen to these stats: over his last 24 starts he is 20-1, he has a 0.86 era (Earned Run Average-amount of runs per game), a 0.70 WHIP (Walks and Hits per Inning Pitched), he has 2 no hitters and every single one of those 24 starts has been a quality start (at least 6 innings pitched and fewer than 3 runs allowed). To put that in perspective only 1 man has achieved those numbers over a 24 game stretch since stats were first recorded: Hall of Famer Bob Gibson. It’s just crazy to think that he has thrown more no hitters than he has lost games. Well it didn’t always look and feel this good for Arrieta. Arrieta was drafted by the Baltimore Orioles back in 2007 and made his MLB debut in 2010. Over the next three seasons Arrieta would boast a 5.33 era which was the worst in the entire MLB among pitchers with the same innings as Jake. In 2013 he started off horribly, giving up 14 runs in 19 innings with a 6.63 era. Right before the trade deadline however, the Orioles sent Arrieta and relief pitcher Pedro Strop to the Cubs in exchange for pitcher Scott Feldman and catcher Steve Clevenger. This trade was thought of as a terrible deal for the Cubs for a while because while Feldman was great he was certainly better than a guy who was last in era over the 3 previous years. The Cubs sent Jake directly to the minor leagues to work on his techniques. After some impressing starts Jake finally came back to the majors and has just flat out dominated. His first season he finished 4-2, followed by 10-5 the next year and last year he went 22-6 with a 1.77 era and 236 strikeouts to win the NL Cy Young award. To give you some perspective on this kind of a run, over his last 15 starts, he has pitched 119 innings and has given up only, get this, 7 runs! That’s just insane how you can just baffle MLB starting lineups like this. Regardless, Jake Arrieta is a complete stud and it doesn’t look like he’s slowing down.

Written by Kenny Quinn

The Wonders of Coconut Oil

Coconut oil is an essential in any girl’s life, boys can use it too but I wouldnt know why other than for food? Anyways, most people will use coconut oil as a healthy alternative to the fatty and sodium consumed products to add to food. I have found many other helpful uses for coconut oil. These applications may not be useful to everyone, but these slight changes have helped my life tremendously.

1. For Soft and Beautiful Hair - My hair is breaking-brushes thick, tight-as-a-poodle’s curly, and why-do-I-even-bother frizzy. One solution that I have been able to use is coconut oil. Before I go to bed, I apply copious amounts to my long, dry, and big hair. I don’t use a comb to spread it, but rather just run my fingers through my hair until the oil is spread out. Then I wrap my hair in a bun and go to bed. The next morning in the shower, I wash my hair and conditioner it like normal. I comb my hair after the shower and watch as the frizz is contained and the curls are gorgeous ALL DAY! Now, different people have different hair. Because of the way my hair is so obnoxious, I only apply coconut oil once a week. For your hair, research if coconut oil is good for it and how much and how often you should apply it.
2. Soft Skin - Coconut oil on your legs and arms (if you do that) after a shave is great for your skin. The natural qualities of the oil is great for your skin. To avoid the greasy hands and grease marks on my phone, I apply it at night before bed.
3. Yummy Stir Fry - Using coconut oil as the cooking oil for stir fry is a healthy and yummy alternative to other oils.

Written by Keira Zirkle

What is it With 24???

The number 24 was pretty much retired this year in the sports world. We lost 4 great athletes who wore the number proudly during the course of their career. Jeff Gordon, Marshawn Lynch, Charles Woodson and Kobe Bryant all retired this year leaving a huge hole to fill in for each of their spots. Jeff Gordon is a 4 time NASCAR champion and is 3rd all-time in wins behind only David Pearson and Richard Petty. Gordon’s career began in 1992 and was concluded in 2015, putting an end to a great 23 year career. Marshawn Lynch has been given the lovely nickname of “beast-mode.” It really is a shame that Lynch had to drop out this year because he honestly still is one of the best running backs in the league. Marshawn was always one of the hardest players to play against because of his aggression and his strength to push forward. Lynch will go down in history as one of the great power rushers of his era. If you don’t believe me, just ask the 2012 Saints if he was a great power rusher. Charles Woodson is just plain awesome to me. This guy is 39 years old and he retired the year after he finishes in the top 5 for interceptions. Woodson was in the 1998 draft along with another guy who retired this year (Peyton Manning). Woodson baffles me because he is ancient to most NFL safeties today, but he is still better than most of them. The moment I realized Woodson would go down as a legend was this past season. So Antonio Brown (27) catches the ball and takes off down the sideline. I couldn’t see any other player on my screen but him and then all of a sudden I see a guy in a Raiders jersey come out of nowhere and run him down. I’m thinking this is some young guy in his mid 20’s, but no it’s 39 year old Charles Woodson running down a 27 year old stud like Antonio Brown. Of course there’s still 1 guy that needs to be named and that man is the black mamba, Kobe Bryant. I wrote a tribute to Kobe Bryant yesterday so I’ll try to condense that article into a few sentences. The mamba is what I like to call Jordan 2.0, meaning he is not quite as good as Michael Jordan, but he is the closest thing we have ever seen to it, which is one of the best compliments you can receive. He holds numerous records and titles that would take too long to name, but he is in fact a legend.

Another 24 that will be retired this year is Ken Griffey Jr.’s jersey in Safeco Field. In august the Mariners legend will be the first player in franchise history to have his number retired.

So as you can see it was a sad year for all the 24’s, but I would like to say thank you for all the memories that you gave us.

Written by Kenny Quinn

KOBE!

I guarantee you that if you walk to any basketball court in America, you will hear some small kid or even an adult taking a fade-away jump shot and screaming KOBE! to their fellow players. Why is this? Well Kobe Bryant has become a master of basketball and kids everywhere want to model their game after the black mamba. Kobe finished his career last Wednesday with a 60 point gunslinger-like mentality after wrapping up his 20 year NBA career. Kobe Bryant will go down as one of the best players in NBA history because of his ridiculous work ethic, cold blooded finishing skills and pure desire to play the game. So how good is the Black Mamba? Here’s a list of his impressive accomplishments:

1. Most All-NBA First Team honors won, career: 11 (tied with Karl Malone)

2. Most Seasons played for a single NBA Franchise: 20

3. Most All-NBA Total Selections won, career: 16

4. Most All-Defensive First Team honors won, career: 9 (tied with Michael Jordan, Gary Payton, and Kevin Garnett)

5. Only player in NBA history with more than 30,000 points, 6,000 assists and 6,000 rebounds

6. Most points scored in one arena, career: 16,161 (as of April 14, 2016, at Staples Center, Los Angeles)

7. Most games played at one arena, career: 599 (as of April 14, 2016, at Staples Center, Los Angeles

8. Highest Score against rest of teams in the league above 40 (share with Bob Pettit)

9. 5× NBA champion (2000–2002, 2009–2010)

10. 2× NBA Finals MVP (2009–2010)

11. NBA Most Valuable Player (2008)

12. 18× NBA All-Star (1998, 2000–2016)

13. 4× NBA All-Star Game MVP (2002, 2007, 2009, 2011)

14. 11× All-NBA First Team (2002–2004, 2006–2013)

15. 2× All-NBA Second Team (2000–2001)

16. 2× All-NBA Third Team (1999, 2005)

17. 9× NBA All-Defensive First Team (2000, 2003–2004, 2006–2011)

18. 3× NBA All-Defensive Second Team (2001–2002, 2012)

19. 2× NBA scoring champion (2006–2007)

20. NBA Slam Dunk Contest champion (1997)

21. NBA All-Rookie Second Team (1997)

22. Los Angeles Lakers all-time leading scorer
Impressed yet? Well those are all amazing statistics that just prove that the mamba is one of the greatest players in the history of the NBA. Of the 22 records that are listed above, I honestly think the most impressive is being the Lakers all-time leading scorer. With such a stout list of NBA talent that has ever played on the Lakers, that is a record to be proud of. Some of the former greats on the Lakers include Wilt Chamberlain, Jerry West, Magic Johnson, Shaquille O’ Neal, James Worthy and even Kareem Abdul-Jabbar. To rank above these legends in scoring is amazing and Kobe deserves to go out as a legend. So this tribute is dedicated to the guy who made saying KOBE during a fade-away jump shot cool, Kobe Bryant.

Farewell Mamba.

Easy/Off Brand S'Mores

Here is the easiest Sweet-Craving Satisfier. Yes, it only has three ingredients needed, but you can add another.

1. Crescent rolls
2. Chocolate Chips
3. Marshmallows
4. And if you really need it, melted butter

First, preheat the oven 375 degrees. Take a metal pan and cover it with tinfoil. Spray the tinfoil with Pam spray. Lay a sliced crescent roll on the pan. Space out the chocolate chips and marshmallows along the slice of the crescent roll. Roll up the slice and coat the outside with a little bit of butter to make it slightly more flaky. Finish the crescent roll can in the same way and space out the rolled up slices within 2 inches of each one. Stick in the heated oven and allow it to cook. The crescent rolls should have a time limit on the can but if not, cook for 10 mins or until slightly golden and not black. Take out the rolls, turn off the oven, and Enjoy!

Written by Keira Zirkle

Zoo Worker Mauled by Tiger

Imagine seeing a tiger walking in a local neighborhood as you're driving down the road. People in Houston, Texas been a witness to that exact experience recently. When the beautiful animal was first spotted, officials had no clue where she had come from. Thankfully within 24 hours of spotting her, they discovered where she had come from. 

The female tiger had escaped from Harris County rescue club due to flooding. When the farm was evacuated, the owners somehow lost track of her. She even had a leash and collar attached around her neck and her front claws had been clipped. A local couple by the names of Erin Poole and Jonathan Gessner got out of their car when they saw the tiger. Jonathan Gessner wanted to catch the tiger and when he approached the wild animal, it got in position to jump on him. Instead of being viciously attacked, the tiger jumped on him and began licking his face. This took both Poole and Gessner by complete surprise. The animals has not been relocated yet but it is in the process of being moved. 

by Emily Taylor

Poem of the Week

Poem of the Week

By: Keira Zirkle

The Current Isolation Related Poem Content Details

BY CAMILLE RANKINE

In the half-light, I am most

at home, my shadow

as company.

When I feel hot, I push a button

to make it stop. I mean this stain on my mind

I can’t get out. How human

I seem. Like modern man,

I traffic in extinction. I have a gift.

Like an animal, I sustain.

A flock of birds

when touched, I scatter. I won’t approach

until the back is turned.

My heart betrays. I confess: I am afraid.

How selfish of me.

When there’s no one here, I halve

the distance between

our bodies infinitesimally.

In this long passageway, I pose

against the wallpaper, dig

my heels in, catch the light.

In my vision, the back door opens

on a garden that is always

in bloom. The dogs

are chained so they can’t attack like I know

they want to. In the next yard

over, honeybees swarm

and their sound is huge.

Camille Rankine is a poet and essayist that works on several poet committees. Her poetry has been featured in O: The Oprah Magazine in 2011 and other magazines. She published her own anthology, Incorrect Merciful Impulses, earlier this year. Camille currently “serves on the Executive Committee of VIDA: Women in Literary Arts and the Board of Trustees of The Poetry Project, and co-chairs the Brooklyn Book Festival Poetry Committee. She is a visiting professor at University of Massachusetts Amherst's MFA for Poets and Writers, and lives in New York City.”

4 Reasons Why I'm NOT Seeing "Hardcore Henry"

1. I'm really really really not about the shaky cam. I can just picture myself trying to enjoy this cool concept and getting a headache from all the movement that's happening on screen.
2. The action/fight scenes just seem very fake when being viewed from the character’s point of view. It kind of takes away from the movie. We all know action scenes are fake but this is not a good thing.
3. The plot line of the story is confusing and kind of bland. Henry’s “wife?” “girlfriend?” “fiance?” (I have no idea) gets taken by some unknown enemy for some unclear reason and he has to save her. I think they forgot that the point of a movie preview is so we can be informed on what we are seeing.
4. I really see no point in pretending to be a grown man searching for his woman. Which is what I would be doing since I'm seeing the movie as Henry. (Basically you are Hardcore Henry)

Who knows maybe this movie will be really good and successful. People seem excited for something new. I wouldnt want a lot of movies to be like this though…

Written by Jasmine Bonner

Easy Smoothie

As the days get warmer, my food gets cooler. Smoothies are a great way to do that. I'm not into complicated smoothies with veggies, honey, and yogurt though. This simple smoothie is one my favorites, because it tastes great and it's so easy to make.

Prep Time - 5 minTotal

Ingredients
- I large Orange, peeled
- I Banana, peeled
- 1/2 cup Frozen Pineapple
- 1/2 cup Almond Milk

Instructions
Combine all ingredients into your blender. The frozen pineapple (or whatever frozen ingredient you go with) should be the last one added.
Blend on high until completely smooth, about one minute.
Pour into a glass and enjoy.

Written by Keira Zirkle

Beachfront Bargain Hunt

What's something really amazing that I'd love to own but can certainly not afford? (A lot of things) A beach house. Since this is simply a dream, I watch shows about luxurious beach houses.

This show in particular is on HGTV and shows “bargain” beach houses. It basically means they show beach houses that are still expensive to us regular people. The real estate agent asks a couple/ or single person what they desire and tries to fulfill their wishes.

Some of the houses they find meet all the persons demands but are out of their budget or they find a house in their budget that does not have everything they want.

I've seen some really beautiful houses. Personally I love houses with a view and huge kitchens, but that's just me. Now if this kind of show isn't your thing then i'm sorry you wasted your time.

But to all my house hunter friends, this is definitely the show for you.

Written by Jasmine Bonner

Gun Control and the US

Gun control, love it or hate it, guns will always be apart of the American society. Our country was developed around guns, but a lot has changed since then. Our founding fathers could not have anticipated the amount of people we were going to have. In addition to the large number of people, we also have a society that has a strong desire for gun ownership. There are many pros and cons to gun ownership, but overall it is naive to think we would ever turn our backs on arms. After all, it is in one of our amendments. In the following paragraph I want to give a couple of suggestions that could help tighten up gun laws, and no to all you conservatives who think I wanna take away guns.

First, there should be psych evaluations for each legal gun owner. Although these tests would be tedious, they would show us how that gun owner would possibly perform in a high stress, fast reaction setting. In doing that, we would weed out a lot of gun owners who are more gung  ho with their weapons. Secondly, there are cases of people getting legal fire arms without the proper background screening. If that screening had been a little more in depth authorities could have seen the violent patterns that were overlooked as simple misdemeanors. I am all for guns in houses as long as they are kept responsibly and never left unattended around a child.

Written by Josh Lewis

Woman With Down's Syndrome Stars in Beauty Campaign

A woman from England became the first woman with Down's syndrome to star in a beauty campaign. She tells everybody that people with disabilities can have abilities, like she does. Thirty-two-year-old Katie was born with heart problems. She had to fight her heart problems as well as bullying, but she managed to compete in the Special Olympics and now she is a beauty icon. The company that chose her says it didn’t choose Katie because of her health problems, but because of her attitude. Her motto is that beauty belongs to everybody.

Written by Billy Coles

Updating the Currency to Match the Times

It has been announced by the Treasury Secretary that Andrew Johnson, the face on the $20 bill will be replaced by Harriet Tubman. The Treasury announced at the end of last year the plan to change the $10 bill from Alexander Hamilton to a different face, preferably a prominent woman's face. This was met with opposition. Treasury workers listened to the opposition and have instead decided to change the $20 bill instead. The bill has President Jackson’s face. He was not a widely known President, and his only memorable acts were crimes against Native Americans. Today, the Treasury announced that Alexander Hamilton, the Father of the American financial system, would remain on the $10 bill. The change to Harriet Tubman will occur before the end of 2020.

Written by Keira Zirkle

Adventure Time

Cartoon Network has had a lot of flops recently when it comes to good shows. They rely heavily on gross humor and stupidity.

Adventure Time is a show about a human named Finn and a dog named Jake who go on adventures together.

Adventure Time started off as kind of a cutesy funny random show. But as it progressed it became this emotional and interesting. The characters developed background stories and real personalities. Of course it's still fun  and it has a child likeness about it. But an older person can enjoy it and will be singing along with the songs.

Written by Jasmine Bonner

38 Cuban Immigrants Adrift at Sea Rescued

38 Cuban immigrants were found adrift at sea. A United States coastguard saw all of them floating in a small raft. The waters have a dangerous reputation and 38 people floating in a raft is very life threatening. Over 3,000 Cubans have attempted to escape the country since October. 

All of the 38 Cubans were fed and hydrated before they were returned back to Cuba. So many people attempt to travel from Cuba this way and it's extremely sad because most of them don't make it. They either starve, are killed by harsh weather, or drown. The people who do make it to America seek asylum and may become a resident after a year of staying. 

-Emily Taylor

Human Trafficking

In Lao Cai, Vietnam, a girl was preparing to go to college and earn her education when her life was changed. Lan was drugged up, knocked out and smuggled all the way to china to be sold into marriage. Chinese men will pay good money for a wife in China and it's very sickening and sad because the women have no say in the matter. Lan was meeting up with a group of friends for dinner that night when she was taken away. 

The strip of villages that Lan lives in are often searched for "eligible" brides. Sadly, a huge amount of human trafficking takes place in the Vietnamese villages. The vietnamese police are sometimes able to retrieve the captured girls once they are taken away from the country. Human trafficking is a huge issues in countries like this and it's sad women are forced into it everyday.

-Emily Taylor

Man Recieves Successful Face Transplant

The second person in the world to have a face transplant tells his story fifteen years later. Mitchell Hunter was in a car accident when he was 21 resulting in the loss of his leg and face. Five years after the accident he decided to get a face transplant and became the first person in the United States to get an entirely full, new face. He is very thankful that he no longer gets a ton of stares when he goes out in public. 

As far as everyone else is concerned he's now just another normal face in a crowd of people. He feels completely healthy, almost as healthy as he felt before the accident. He was shocked with 10,000 volts of electricity which took his face and leg. He's now thirty five and looks back on the situation as something that made him a stronger person. 

-Emily Taylor 

Democracy Spring Campaigning

The group from Democracy Spring are campaigning against the influence of big money in American politics and have vowed to stage protests like this every day for a week.
At the first of the planned protests on Monday, 400 of the group were arrested at what was a mostly calm and orderly demonstration. However, the US Capitol Police say the protest was "unlawful demonstration activity".
Footage from yesterday appears to show protesters calmly accepting colourful wristbands – signifying they've been arrested – before being led away by police, with many of the protesters holding up their wristbands to cheering crowds.
The protesters all rally at Columbus Circle in the morning, before marching on the US Capitol, where the sit-ins begin. On the third day, the tourist area of the US Capitol was cordoned off from the protesters.
On Democracy Spring's website, they explain they want to end the corruption of big money in politics and ensure free and fair elections. Actor Mark Ruffalo is listed as one of their endorsers – it follows on from his support of Democratic Presidential candidate Bernie Sanders.
Both Sanders and Republican Presidential candidate Donald Trump have spoken out against the influence of campaign contributions on politicians.

Written by Justin Phillips

Major Earthquakes In Japan

Southwestern Japan has been hit by two major earthquakes, killing at least 9 people and injuring hundreds more.
The initial magnitude 6.0 tremor struck 7 miles east of the city of Kumamoto at around 9:30 p.m. Another 6.4 magnitude quake hit the same place slightly after midnight.
More than 44,000 people have been evacuated to schools and community centres. Many chose to spend the night outdoors despite the cold, waking up to cracked roads, crumbled houses and fallen roof tiles.
While the magnitude was much lower than that of the 2011 quake that triggered a tsunami and nuclear meltdowns at Fukushima, the intensity was similar because the quake struck on land and at a much shallower depth.
In this case, the absence of a tsunami and Japan's strict building codes helped keep the death toll down. Many iconic buildings like this one, Kumamoto castle, were badly damaged in the earthquake. Parts of the castle's signature stone walls collapsed in the aftermath.
More than 3,000 troops, police and firemen were dispatched to the area from around Japan. Experts have warned more aftershocks could occur over the next week.

Written by Justin Phillips

Adult Coloring Books

Remember when you were a kid and you’d get out your crayons and fill in your coloring book. Well apparently you don't have to grow up as quickly as you think.

They make the most beautiful coloring books now for adults. The one in the picture is the one I have. It has the most amazing oceanic scenes with all kinds of marine life.

They also make ones with flowers or animals or any other random designs. If you need something to keep your mind off things or just something fun to do I definitely recommend getting one of these coloring books.

Written by Jasmine Bonner

Top 10 Memories - Keria

1. Giving Ashworth a Pie in the face - If anyone went to the Fall Festival in October, they remember the few minutes that available to pie the principal in the face. It was satisfying and hilarious.
2. Volleyball Banquet - After every sport season, the team has a banquet for awards to be handed out. Since it was my last volleyball season, it was memorable and slightly tear-jerking. Also the food was fantastic because the team went to Dino’s Pizza.
3. My Birthday Party - My birthday is right on January 1st, so while only a few friends came to the party a week later, it was still fun. The triple dog dare to fit through my house’s doggy door was accomplished by both my 6’9” friend and another boy. I think the funniest part about it was watching them both try to fit their shoulders through the rectangle.
4. Making a small snowman - When it snowed during the weekend with Valentine’s Day, instead of eat chocolate and watch movies with Jasmine, we went outside. Since there was not even a full inch of snow, we made a small snowman and froze because of a snowball fight.
5. Swimming with Seniors - During my Senior Vacation, a lot of the seniors and I went to the resort pool. We hooked up some music on Jasmine’s speaker and had fun wrestling and talking, and a lot of dancing.
6. Relaxing in the Hot Tub - Also during senior vacation, there was a hot tub where we all relaxed in the bubbles and heat.
7. Catfish Marathon - During the senior vacation, there were times where several seniors and I had to wait for everyone to get ready before we went anywhere. The TV would go on and the show Catfish would be watched by half of the class. Gasps and side comments are now hilarious in retrospect.
8. Hayashi - One night, the seniors all went to Hayashi for dinner. We had a dinner made with the fire grill and a hilarious chef show us his tricks and laugh at amazement.
9. The True Test of Resolve - After Hayashi, all the seniors except Josh Lewis and Casey Vick stayed up until 6:30/7:00 AM. That night was a struggle to keep myself awake and other people awake too. Lesson learned: never do an all nighter if you have nothing to do but watch TV and talk.
10. Easter dinner - My family has major feasts for Thanksgiving and Easter. At each feast, friends are welcome as well as family. Good friends stay for games after the dinner, which in itself is a feat since I love to sleep after eating. Playing Egyptian Ratscrew (card game) and Spoons with 6 other people is hilarious and terrifying.