Teachers in Detriot Continue "Sickout"

This past Monday, May 2nd, teachers in Detroit once again had a sickout. Ninety-four of the Ninety-seven public schools were closed due to protesting by the teachers. The educators are upset because they found out they might not be paid after the 30th of June. The district is in major trouble financially; it is about $515 million debt.

Teachers are refusing to work without pay and about 46,000 students are being affected by this. Back in January, teachers also called in sick because they were fed up with their hazardous working conditions. Now the teachers are protesting because they are being told they might not be paid. School was canceled this past Monday because all the teachers rallied together and called in "sick."

Written by Emily Taylor

Zero to Hero

There have been many many many adaptations of Hercules but none of them are as good as this one.

Disney found a way to take the legend of Hercules and make it child friendly but still awesome.

They make Hercules a relatable character by making him an awkward teenager who can't seem to do anything right or fit in anywhere. He has to figure out who he is and whether ornot his lineage dictates who he is.

Meanwhile he starts falling for a sarcastic girl named Meg. She's a really funny character and her quick wit makes the movie hilarious. And let's not forget all the mythical creatures and Greek mythology thrown into the mix. Centaurs and fauns and angry gods, oh my!

Hercules must fight his way through obstacles in order to prove that he truly understands what it means to be a hero.

It's a fantastic kid's movie but there are some gross parts. I used to watch it on repeat as a kid. There’s singing of course because this is a Disney movie. The songs are catchy and memorable. If you haven’t seen Hercules, I would suggest watching it. It’s a great film.

Written by Jasmine Bonner

Sport Stacking

People first played a Sport Stacking in the early 1980s. The aim of the game is to stack a set of 12 plastic cups into a pyramid in as little time as possible. Athletes from the Taiwanese World Sport Stacking Association won 11 gold medals at the World Championship. A 15-year-old girl won four of the medals herself. Her best time is 5.615 seconds. She says that this is the high point in her career. She says that she is under a lot of pressure, but she is trying to keep calm and get even better. The young athletes practise together once a month. For the rest of the time, they practise on their own. One seven-year-old girl says that she spends an hour a day practicing. Taiwan will host the next World Championship in Cowshung City.

Written by Billy Coles

Poem of the Week

The moment when, after many years

of hard work and a long voyage

you stand in the centre of your room,

house, half-acre, square mile, island, country,

knowing at last how you got there,

and say, I own this,

is the same moment when the trees unloose

their soft arms from around you,

the birds take back their language,

the cliffs fissure and collapse,

the air moves back from you like a wave

and you can't breathe.

No, they whisper. You own nothing.

You were a visitor, time after time

climbing the hill, planting the flag, proclaiming.

We never belonged to you.

You never found us.

It was always the other way round.

~ Margaret Atwood

Margaret Atwood is a Canadian poet and essayist. She has written 15 anthologies and at least 6 novels throughout her life. She is also a social and environmental activist that uses her novels to write about the social injustices towards women and people of color. She has won six literary awards and was “inducted to the Canada’s Walk of Fame in 2001.” She invented the LongPen, a device that “...allows a person to remotely write in ink anywhere in the world via tablet PC and the internet. It also allows for an audio and video conversation between the endpoints, such as a fan and author, while a book is being signed.” She currently speaks at various universities throughout the United States and Canada.   

Poem of the Week

By: Keira Zirkle

The Spring Musical

"Warring In Christ" was performed Friday night by Hampton Christian Academy students. The play was awesome. There were several human skits, dance routines, and musical performances. The play itself was a roller coaster that started with a hype fight song and slight technical malfunctions, but ended with a hype cast bow out. The play centered around the 5 trials a Christian can face, the battles against the Mind, Fear, Isolation, Stereotypes, Pride, and Understanding God’s Intention.  Noteworthy performances were by Katelyn Savell and Brandon Blair, who both did a performance of poetry. Most of the cast had solos throughout the play that were sung beautifully. Some of the soloists had never sung in public, but their performances were as if they sang in shows every week. I might be biased, but the play was fantastic.

Luke Walton Contracted to Lakers

Luke Walton just signed a contract to coach the Lakers. I'm excited to see what he does as a Lakers head coach. He has proven that he is a good coach while coaching the Warriors, but a question to ask is was it his coaching, the talent of the team, or was it both. Luke acquired a record of 39-4 during his tenure as head coach. In all honesty it's hard to judge how well he will do as a coach, because he was coaching a reigning championship team. That is exactly the opposite team that he will have this upcoming year. Only time will tell, but I can say he is getting a lot of young raw talent next year.

Written by Josh Lewis

Olympic Torch Lighted

On Thursday, the Olympic torch began its journey from the site of the ancient games to Rio de Janeiro. It will travel six days around Greece before going to Brazil on May 3rd. There, it will travel around 329 cities before ending at the opening of the Olympics in Rio on August 5th. This is the 80th time people carry the torch from Greece. The first one took place ahead of the 1936 Olympic Games held in Berlin. Brazil is going through difficult times. The Brazilian President Dilma Rousseff is fighting for her political survival, and the country could not bring back its economy. Also, there are a lot of problems with preparations for the Olympic Games and there is not enough money. However, the International Olympic Committee president is optimistic. He says that the torch is a symbol of peace and harmony, and the power of people to come together.

Written by Billy Coles