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A-Roid: The Fall of a Legend- Sports Talk with the Straight Shuter

January 15, 2014 by lpahomov Leave a Comment

A-Roid: The Fall of a Legend- Sports Talk with the Straight Shuter

by Jesse Shuter

Staff Writer

Photo courtesy of http://www.silive.com/sports/index.ssf/2009/02/more_details_of_alex_rodriguez.html

The Controversy surrounding ex-star baseball player Alex “A-Rod” Rodriguez of the New York Yankees has been one of the most talked about issues in all of sports.

The controversy began a while ago when Alex Rodriguez was first rumored to be using steroids along with other form of performance enhancing drugs (PEDs). Last time Rodriguez was caught, he admitted to it and many people forgave him for it. This past summer, of 2013, Rodriguez was yet again discovered taking many kinds of PEDs, when an alleged nutrition clinic in Coral Gables, Florida called Biogenesis of America came out with a list of professional baseball players using their PEDs.

Every other player thus far has taken their suspension without much issue. At least not much issue compared to Rodriguez. Rodriguez is now planning to challenge the suspension for the second time to try and get it taken away.

Rodriguez first tried to appeal the suspension by taking it to arbitration. His suspension was shorted from the original 211 games to 162 games and the postseason if the Yankees go to the playoffs. While Rodriguez technically “won” by getting the suspension shortened, it was clearly a win for the MLB since the suspension was not overturned, and it was only shorted by 50 games.

Now Rodriguez is still unhappy with the unpaid suspension and is looking to get it completely taken away. He is taking his case to federal court.

In an interview with 60 Minutes, Anthony Bosch founder and head of Biogenesis of America not only admitted to having given drugs to Rodriguez himself, but admitted to getting a bribe from Rodriguez to not tell anyone about the PEDs. When Bosch turned it down, he claimed that he received death threats from a man who was revealed to be a known accomplice of Rodriguez.

When asking the question “Is Rodriguez using illegal substances?”, all signs point to yes. However I would like to raise a point that no one seems believe to be true, is Alex Rodriguez telling the truth?

The 1% Chance

At this point there is probably a 99% chance that Alex Rodriguez is lying and that his career should be over and his name ripped from the record books.

That being said, there is always a chance that Rodriguez is the one telling the truth and the MLB is working with Bosch to make an example of someone expendable so as to scare other baseball players away from using drugs.

The most important key to this story is that Alex Rodriguez never tested positive for PEDs. This entire suspension is based solely on a testimony by Anthony Bosch. That is why Rodriguez is so adamant that he is innocent. This is the first time that the MLB is punishing a player only based on what someone says that they are doing, not because of them taking a drug test and failing.

Let’s take a look at what Rodriguez must be feeling in a scenario where he is telling the truth.

Before the Scandal:

-He was on pace to be a hall of fame baseball player.

-He was one of the most beloved and respected players in the game

-He was making approximately a whopping 30,000,000 per year.

-He was the owner of two records, he was the youngest player to hit both 500 and 600 home runs.

After the Scandal:

-He will most likely not go to the hall of fame.

-He has lost all respect and love from fans and peers.

-He lost his contract for as long as the suspension continue, and his career is most likely over after his current contract.

-He will still own the records officially but people will no longer unofficially think of him as a record setter.

If this were a man that were telling the truth, would that be fair? And consider this, now that the MLB is punishing player without a drug test, are any star players safe from accusations and by extensions suspensions?

Inside the NFL Draft:

With the football season over we are going to take a look into the NFL Draft. You’ve heard of Mel Kiper and Todd McShay but here is Jesse Shuter’s Mock Draft 1.0. This week is pick 1-5.

1. Houston Texans- Jadeveon Clowney DE

If I were a head coach, this is what I would do. You already have J.J. Watt, so now you could have the best pass rush in football, and then pull a Indianapolis Colts and get Jameis Winston next year. This is especially true since in my opinion their are no high caliber quarterbacks in the draft.

2. St. Louis Rams (From Washington Redskins)- Jake Matthews OT

The Rams are a team on the rise and Matthews would be a great compliment to Jake Long.

3. Jacksonville Jaguars- Johnny Manziel QB

Manziel may not be their answer at quarterback, but I’ll tell you what, they need someone. Manziel is a hit or miss option talent wise, but even if it doesn’t work out, he will definitely bring some fans to the games.

4. Cleveland Browns- Teddy Bridgewater/Blake Bortles QB

I don’t know who the coach is going to be, so I don’t know what system they are going to run. Both of these guys have the potential to be great, but they are different so it is up to the unnamed coach.

5. Oakland Raiders- Anthony Barr OLB/DE

This team need A LOT, but Barr is a very solid, possibly star defensive player and he could be just the place to start on a road back on track for the Raiders.

The Rise of 7/11

January 15, 2014 by lpahomov Leave a Comment

711Logo

The Rise of 7/11

By Nicholas Murray

Many teenagers have one common trait with one another. Most of us love to eat. This reason alone makes the arrival of the new 7/11 so much more appealing. The store opened up right before we left for winter break, which actually caught many people off guard who thought it wouldn’t open for another few months. Me included.

After its opening, numerous students have going there as opposed their former source of food, Arch Gourmet, which is located directly across the street. I asked several students what they thought about the two stores and received some colorful answers.

Senior Ryan shaw said his reason was that, “I think archgormet is pricey and 7/11 is a nice change”

Another senior, Jonathan Spencer, replied, “I mean come one its 7/11. And when I get some money I might start making it a morning ritual. Like showers.”

I decided to get an opinion from someone who had not fallen in love with 7/11, and got a neutral response. Senior Teige Dougherty replied, “I think the 7/11 is great because it drives up competition which gives us opportunities when it comes to food and different prices. Capitalism at its best.”

Personally, I think that Arch Gourmet is indeed pricey, but it is also true that 7/11 may cause it to drop its prices.

Also, and this may not apply to others, but I think that the people who work there are easier to talk too. The first day that went into 7/11 I chose to buy a pack a gum and the Cashier gave me a warning, “Be careful, when you open that pack of gum, everyone will want to be your friend.”

It may not have been the best joke ever, but it was nice gesture and anytime I go there there are always willing to help out. So, if you ever feel hungry, or just want a quick laugh, try and drop by the 7/11.

An Invitation to Cyberbullying?

January 13, 2014 by lpahomov Leave a Comment

By Zoe Schwingel-Sauer

Many teens have been a victim of cyberbullying. AskFM is a somewhat new website that indirectly encourages this form of abuse. People continuously get threats, insults, and even sexual messages.

AskFM is a social media website where people can either ask questions from their own account or anonymously ask questions to users. The users receive these questions and the point of the website is to see their reply. If you click on an account you can see all of the person’s questions, answers, and how many people like their answers.

However, there is a debate about who is at fault for the cyberbullying. Is is the person who accepts and answers the anonymous messages? Or is it the person sending these messages?

Sophomore Nashay Day says, “Both. The person who sends the message is at fault for bullying. The person who accepts the messages enables the person to ask more questions.”

On the other side of the argument is sophomore Mali Fenning. She says, “The person who asks the question. There shouldn’t be excuses for mean people. They’re open to what people say, not they’re open to bullying.”

All of the five sophomores that were interviewed did agree on the fact the website is a form of cyberbullying.

When asked if the website was good or bad, sophomore Jasmin Gilliam gave an interesting insight. She said, “Both. Depends on your social status. People who are more popular, get more everything. Good and bad.”

Currently the hype around AskFM has died down a bit, with many users disabling their account. Having said that there are still multiple posts on Facebook and Twitter asking people to use the site and send anonymous messages to users that are advertised by the users themselves.

There is no other purpose to the site other than to supposedly ask questions. Unfortunately more often than not, there are no questions, just hurtful remarks. If there are questions they are mean spirited and very intrusive.

What will you be? A victim, bully, or bystander of AskFM?

The Polar Vortex by Soledad Alfaro

January 13, 2014 by lpahomov Leave a Comment

Polar Vortex

The polar vortex has become a trending topic among SLA’s youth, staff and faculty. However the majority of us were at a loss as to how we could explain this natural phenomenon. So in this predicament we call on one of SLA’s very knowledgable and nerdy teacher Matthew Vankowenberg to explain the logic and science behind this mystery.

“ The usual reaction of those who don’t understand global warming is “WOW IT’S REALLY COLD GLOBAL WARMING MUST NOT BE HAPPENING!” and those people are stupid. What is the first word in global warming?” The class does not fail to answer in unison with “GLOBAL” “Exactly! Meaning that in most parts of the globe it is getting warmer, Not just AMERICA! This cold weather actually shows a variation. A few days ago in Australia the temperatures reached about roughly 130 degrees fahrenheit! and what happens to things when they heat up? They expand, and when as things get cooler they contract meaning they are more dense. As the earth revolves the poles do not move at all in terms of miles. The top and bottom a sphere you find barley move from position at all! However the different seeds of rotations with the densities creates what we call the jet stream. So the warm air is separating from the cold air because of the differences in density. Then you have the components of direct sunlight energy and direct heat energy, and we also know that there has to be some heat trapped between the two. The equator gets more direct sunlight so the poles rely more on the trapped sunlight and heat energy. So the poles are warming up. So if the poles started lower and increased more in terms of temperature how is there a temperature difference? No there is not as much of a temperature difference meaning there os not as much of a density difference so there is a huge weakness between the poles. So in addition to being weak, it’s all over the place. So the air is traveling. So now there’s too much air up above and therefore it forced cold air down.

Locker Talk: What did you do during the Polar Vortex?

January 9, 2014 by lpahomov Leave a Comment

By Staff Writer Isabella Mezzaroba

Junior Amy Chen: " I had on boxers, leggings. pajamas and jeans. Then, on top. I had a tank top, two t shirts, a long sleeve shirt, a sweater and a hoodie. Later on, I fainted because of the combination of the cold and donating blood earlier that day." — Junior Amy Chen: ” I had on boxers, leggings. pajamas and jeans. Then, on top. I had a tank top, two t shirts, a long sleeve shirt, a sweater and a hoodie. Later on, I fainted because of the combination of the cold and donating blood earlier that day.”

Freshmen Felix Schafroth Doty: I wore a lot of layers. We also had just started winter conditioning for frisbee and I started wearing thermal tights. — Freshmen Felix Schafroth Doty: “I wore a lot of layers. We also had just started winter conditioning for frisbee and I started wearing thermal tights.”

Sophomore Nagee Graves: "I wore pants, thick socks, a tank top, a t shirt, a shirt, a cardigan, a hoodie, a peacoat, a hat, thick gloves and hand warmers. Then I ate cookies and hot chocolate when I got home." — Sophomore Nagee Graves: “I wore pants, thick socks, a tank top, a t shirt, a shirt, a cardigan, a hoodie, a peacoat, a hat, thick gloves and hand warmers. Then I ate cookies and hot chocolate when I got home.”

Sophomore Jaview Peraza: "There wasn't much worry on my part. I get driven to school so it didn't effect me much but I felt worried for the students who have to walk or wait for public transportation." — Sophomore Javier Peraza: “There wasn’t much worry on my part. I get driven to school so it didn’t effect me much but I felt worried for the students who have to walk or wait for public transportation.”