World Series Predictions

The 2015 World Series will showcase the New York Mets against the Kansas City Royals. The last time the Mets won the World Series was in 1986 against the Boston Red Sox. The Royals last trip to the World Series was in 1985 when they beat the St. Louis Cardinals. This 2015 Fall Classic is a battle between two extremely powerful teams

The Royals won an exciting game one in extra innings. They were able to gain a 5-4 victory over the Mets in 14 innings off a walk off sacrifice fly from 1st baseman, Eric Hosmer. The Royals held off the Mets with fantastic bullpen pitching from Wade Davis, Kelvin Herrera, and Chris Young. The highlight of the night was a game tying home run in the bottom of the 9th  by Alex Gordon off of one of the best closers in the Majors, Jeurys Familia.

The Royals also won game two over the Mets and star pitcher, Jacob DeGrom, 7-1 in 9 innings. Johnny Cueto pitched a complete game and gave up only 2 hits and 1 run. The Royals offense was led by 1st baseman Eric Hosmer, who set the Royals all-time RBI record by passing Hall of Famer, George Brett, with 25.

Going forward into game 3 the match up will be between Noah Syndergard of the Mets and Yordano Ventura of the Royals. I predict that as the Series moves to Citi Field in the Big Apple, the Mets will win at least two of the three games taking place at their home field.  I think Syndergard will pitch very well in game three as well as Steve Matz, who will take the mound in game 4. My prediction is that the Mets will win the next two games with Syndergard and Matz on the mound due to the fact that Syndergard has pitched masterfully this postseason. Also,  Matz’s opponent, Chris Young, has already pitched once this World Series and his arm will most likely be “gassed” and he won’t be on top of his game. From then on, I’m not sure who will win. These are two fantastic teams offensively; however, I give the Defensive advantage to the Royals who have shined defensive this year. If I had to pick, at this point,  I think that the Royals will win the Series 4-2 due to the fact that the Royals have advantages in base running, defense, and bullpen, while I believe the Mets’ advantages lie in starting pitching and power. The World Series is really heating up and we are witnessing a series that is “knocking it out of the park”. I hope this series really goes well and that it’s not a swing and a miss. What are your predictions? Comment below!

Written by  Kenny Quinn

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Artist Watch: Jose Parla

   

                              

       Jose Parla is an amazing artist. He’s one of the top 25 young painters you really should get to know. Parla is a Brooklyn based artist who is known for his paintings, architectural collaborations, sculptures and photography. His work has received critical acclaim and lies between the boundary of abstraction and calligraphy. Basically, his work is awesome. He even recently hit Cuba with the brilliant street artist JR for a series of murals at the Havana Biennial.

Parla was born in Miami to Cuban parents. His early work heavily involved graffitti. As a teen, he hit Miami regularly using the name Ease.  His current art incorporates calligraphy and build up to resemble distressed walls.  When asked about his influences Parla said, “Historically, walls have exhibited the voice of the people. My earliest painting were made on walls at night. My thought and impulse behind the gesture was as primitive as that of cavemen marking and drawing in their dwellings to assert their existence in a place and time.” Jose Parla is an amazing artist that should definitely gain more recognition.

Here’s a couple more examples of some of his work.

 

What do you think? Have another artist you think should we should cover? Comment below!

Written by Justin Poston

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Song of the Week: Hello by Adele

After years without any music, Adele has released a new song and its video within a span of two days. Despite the short notice and absolutely miniscule warning, “Hello,” her new track, not only stayed number one on the charts but broke both Taylor Swift’s youtube record for most views in 24 hours and Miley Cyrus’ fastest VEVO certified status. Featuring Adele’s signature voice and a heartbreaking chorus, "Hello" has only confirmed Adele’s status as a true legend. The song will debut on Adele's new album 25, which is available November 20th. Haven’t heard it ? Watch the video and decide for yourself.


Written by Dustin Jones


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The Power of Life Groups

    For those of you who have been living under a rock for the past nine weeks of school, chapel is definitely a little bit different this year. Instead of having chapel every Friday, the students of HCA are split up into “life groups” which meet every other week instead of chapel. Life groups have been a really healthy outlet for me. They allow my classmates and I a chance to express ourselves in a safe space. I think that we don't have enough life groups. I find the small group experience easier to relate to for a variety of reasons. Being in a setting with other girls with similar backgrounds and perspectives makes for a more meaningful spiritual experience. All of our discussions and interactions feel organic in nature and there's no pressure to respond to anything in a certain way.

In life group I have a chance to express how I really feel about God and other topics in my life. As a girl I finally feel like I have a place where people relate to my emotions. We only seem to have life groups once a month I think more life groups would be beneficial. I, along with other students, need more life groups where we could get more individual help instead of chapels it is sometimes difficult to address personal issues. What do you think? Write your comments below!

Written by Jasmine Bonner

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The Perfect Season

Heading into week 7 of the 2015-2016 NFL regular season there are 5 undefeated teams. The Packers, Broncos, Panthers and Bengals are all 6-0, while the Patriots currently sit at 5-0 due to their bye week. In week 6, the Broncos had a 26-23 overtime victory over the Browns. The Packers also had a 27-20 victory over the Chargers, while the Panthers moved to 6-0 after a 27-23 fourth quarter comeback victory over the Seahawks. The Bengals moved to 6-0 in a 34-21 victory over the Bills, and the Patriots remained undefeated after beating the Colts 34-27 on Sunday Night Football.

So who will remain undefeated the longest?

If you ask me, the Patriots will keep their perfect season the longest. The Patriots are playing fantastic football and have remained healthy so far. Besides decimating weaker teams like the Jaguars, they have also beaten very skilled teams such as the Steelers and Colts. The Patriots are led by MVP candidate, Tom Brady, who only had one turnover through his entire first five games. The Bengals have played strong defense; however, they will have lost by week 10 to either the Steelers, Texans or the Cardinals. The Panthers have ranked towards the top of the league in rushing and are 5th in total defense; however with a tough schedule coming up they will probably lose by week nine to either the Colts or the Packers, who both have spectacular offenses. The Packers will lose their next game 2 weeks from now against the Broncos due to the fact that they have been injury plagued on both sides of the ball and have snuck wins in the last 2 weeks. The Broncos have played spectacular defense, but their offense has struggled. Quarterback Peyton Manning has thrown a league leading 10 interceptions and only 7 touchdowns. The Broncos will most likely beat the injury plagued Packers in week 8, but will probably lose to the Colts the next week because of their great offense.

I believe the Patriots have a legitimate shot at going undefeated. They are currently on pace to have a more productive offense and a more lockdowned defense than they did in their 2007 perfect regular season. I can only see them struggling in their two games against the Jets and their home games against the Bills and the Broncos. The Jets rank number one in total defense this year and Broncos aren’t far behind at number four. The Bills lost to the Patriots 32-40 earlier this year in Buffalo, so they are going to be seeking revenge in their rematch in Foxborough. The Jets and Broncos are both allowing less than 20 points per game, while the Patriots lead the NFL with 36 points per game. So, while there are many undefeated teams, they are going to “pass” on a perfect season. Looks like all 5 teams are going to have to work hard to “defend” their perfect season in the coming weeks. What do you think? Do you agree that the Patriots are going to claim the title of undefeated? Comment below!

Written by Kenny Quinn

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L.A Flash Flood

On October 20, California’s city of Los Angeles declared itself under a state of local emergency because of the flash floods and mud slides.Happening only weeks after North Carolina’s record flooding, the flooding in Los Angeles caused extreme amounts of damage.  By declaring the emergency, the city was able to receive federal and state relief for the families affected by the natural disaster. The flooding and mudslides were caused by the surrounding lakes’ heightened water levels from the thunderstorms. Roads have been closed down due to the high amounts of mud and dirt that can cake the tires and bumpers of cars. City buildings and private properties were also heavily laden with dirt and debris that is still getting cleared out. Relief has been sent, but the flooding has caused severe enough damage that families are still seeking relief and shelter away from their homes.

Written by Keira Zirkle

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Song of the Week

Let’s be honest. Christian music has a tendency to be, frankly, pretty boring. We’re stuck with two options: slow boring hymns, or cringe-worthy country/pop disasters. As normal teenagers with opinions and our own thoughts;  those two choices don’t really appeal to us and we have a tendency to shun the label of “Christian.” This weekly post is here to prove that Christian music can be so much more!

This week's song: Worn by Tenth Avenue North

This week’s song is somewhat of a throwback. We all remember the awesome band Tenth Avenue North, who have established their reputation as a great Christian band with interesting and powerful original songs.

We all feel tired sometimes. Instead of glossing that over, this powerful song admits the struggle. It’s ok to just feel tired. Tenth Avenue North uses simple chords and poignant lyrics to admit their feelings and still manage to cry out to God. I would suggest giving it a listen. Have any suggestions about the song of the week? Comment them below?

Written by Zoe Jones

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