Worst Sports Jerseys,Jake Bugg: This Generation`s Prodigal

American Sniper Continues
Unneccessary Tension
Sniper Chris Kyle has 150 confirmed kills, an American record
by 41. Not including unconfirmed ones. American Sniper is a
movie based on his experiences as a soldier in Iraq and at
home- his difficulty was not only on the battlefield, but when
he was at home trying to connect to normal life again.
The movie was intense to say the least; it was emotionally
charged and painted a picture of exactly what it must have
been like for this man. The way the soldiers talk is gritty,
they are abrasive with the people they meet, and yes, they
actually kill people. This film did not gloss over the
violence encountered in war; when he killed a child, it was
shown. When a man pushed a screwdriver through a boy’s leg,
the audience saw it in full gore. When two of his comrades
were killed,the full depiction shown.
It is unsettling that, despite these awful scenes, people seem
encouraged to join the military to fight. I’m not saying
that’s bad; going into the military is a noble pursuit. It’s a
grand thing that people are willing to lay down their lives to
defend their country, and those who do deserve respect.
However, if people are inspired by this man’s story and this
film to become a Marine, there is something not right.
This movie and this man’s story, if anything, should
discourage people from joining the military. It shows the
mental and physical trauma experienced by soldiers, and how
they are changed irreversibly by their time on the war front.
It is difficult to watch the main character struggle to cope
with a normal setting at home, when he was feeling fine in an
area of great conflict.
Also, some people seem to have their Islamophobic feelings
enforced by this film because all of the sniper’s enemies
seemed to be Muslim. With the relatively recent attacks on
Paris by Muslim extremists, tension and fear has been up.
However, we must not adopt this soldier’s view toward those he
was fighting as our own. This is one man’s story, and at many
points Chris Kyle refers to Iraqis as “savages.” Even though
this generalization isn’t right, because not all Muslims are
extremists, not all Iraqis want to kill Americans (it is very
small percentages) – it is understandable that in a stressful
war environment soldiers would adopt this view. That does not
make it okay for us civilians to have this viewpoint –
irrational hatred of a people is never right, and I don’t
think I need to provide an explanation for why.
Other soldiers probably had different experiences than he did,
met people in Iraq that just wanted to live in peace and
create good lives for their families – just like most people
here want to live.
Overall, this movie is only representative of one soldier’s
story. His opinions and experiences are not representative of
all soldiers in Iraq. This movie does, however, show some
gruesome acts of violence experienced during war, and the
effects on the soldiers that lived them. His story is not one
that should be taken lightly, or encouraging people to join
the military to fight blindly against a “no. 1 enemy.” Joining
the military is a serious decision, that has lasting effects
on the people who serve.
Best Nicknames of the Senior
Class
Remembering names is hard. Everyone has trouble remembering
who’s who, is that Jack or is that John? Just the other day my
English teacher failed to remember not one but two people’s
names. He seemed unphased that it is a full six months since
the beginning of school. However, this is a clear example of
just how hard remembering names can be. But wait, there is a
solution to this problem, nicknames. Instead of trying to
remember hard names like “Jack” and “John,” it is much easier
to just remember a simple, yet catchy nickname. Here are the
top five nicknames in the senior class at Miramonte:
Kfenn:
A classic. Short for Kaitlin Fenn. Has become so popular that
people don’t even say Kaitlin anymore. Even teachers call her
Kfenn. Also sometimes called sloth or fennel?
Lofo:
Incorrect spelling because Lauren is La not Lo so it should be
Lafo not Lofo but who really cares – it is catchy. Also
sometimes called Loaf.
Obeez:
Short for Ovenbird101. Story goes that Evan Pauletich was
cooking a bird in the oven at 101 degrees and then the name
was created. Can be added to Obeez the bagger, since Pauletich
is a bagger at Diablo Foods. My personal favorite.
Carp:
Caroline Tague’s nickname. Created when imessage autocorrected
“Caro” to “Carp.”
Prius:
Star offensive lineman Alex Schnier’s nickname. At 6’5” and
250 pounds, Shnier is indeed as big as a prius.
Mats Baseball Preview
The
Miramonte
Baseball team claimed its first season win against Albany High
School last Friday in a 6-4 come from behind win. The Mats
went down early 0-2 in the first inning but slowly battled
back by tallying a run in the 4th inning and then gaining the
lead in the 6th.
The Mats were up 3-2 going into the bottom of the 6th inning
when Albany started a rally and reclaimed the lead in a tworun inning to put the Cougars up 4-3. The clutch hitting for
the Mats came alive in the top of the 7th inning. With one out
and no runners on, James Vaccaro ‘16 reached first on a walk
and later advanced to second on a single by Andrew Deaver ‘16.
The bases were then loaded after Connor Jackson ‘15 reached
first on an infield single. The Mats clutch hitting continued
with a big hit by Will McConnell ‘16 that brought in two runs.
They picked up another insurance run on a perfectly executed
suicide squeeze by Jack Kovalik ‘16 to score McConnell and put
the Matadors up 6-4. Jackson closed the bottom of the 7th
inning to get the win.
The Mats are already battling with adversity as star starting
pitcher Vaccaro is unable to throw for at least a month with a
slightly torn lat. However, Vaccaro’s hot bat is still
available as well as his agility on the basepaths. The Mats
will look to their pitching staff to step up for these
upcoming games.
The team will take on San Marin this Thursday, Feb. 27 at San
Marin.
NBA Trade Deadline Aftermath
The NBA season is entering its latter stages and that
means…trade deadline. The trade deadline is a highlighted
point in the NBA season where teams can either make moves to
get key players or stock up on draft picks for the next
season.
There was a total of 10 transactions last Thursday, Feb. 19:
The Portland Trail Blazers gained rights to veteran SG
Arron Afflalo and SF Alonzo Gee from the Nuggets. The
Nuggets ended up getting a 2016 lottery pick along with
a second round pick, PF Thomas Robinson, SG Will Barton,
and SG Victor Claver.
The Denver Nuggets gave away a first round draft pick
and JaVale McGee and a 2015 first round draft pick for
overseas prospect Cenk Akyol.
The Washington Wizards swapped their PG Andre Miller for
Sacramento Kings’ PG Ramon Sessions.
PG K.J. McDaniels was transferred from the Philadelphia
76ers to the Houston Rockets for PG Isaiah Canaan and a
second round draft pick.
The Brooklyn Nets shipped PF Kevin Garnett back to the
Minnesota Timberwolves for PF Thaddeus Young.
In a three-team trade, the Boston Celtics received PG
Isaiah Thomas, SF Luigi Datome, and PF Jonas Jerebko.
The Phoenix Suns acquired SG Marcus Thornton and a 2016
first round draft pick, and the Detroit Pistons reacquired SF Tayshaun Prince.
In another three-team trade, the Detroit Pistons got PG
Reggie Jackson, the Oklahoma City Thunder collected C
Enes Kanter, SF Steve Novak, PG D.J. Augustine, and SF
Kyle Singler, and the Utah Jazz acquired C Kendrick
Perkins, PF Grant Jerrett, and an undecided draft pick.
Another multiple team transaction; the Phoenix Suns
gained rights to PG Brandon Knight, the Milwaukee Bucks
received PG Michael-Carter Williams, C Miles Plumlee,
and PG Tyler Ennis, and the Philadelphia 76ers obtained
two draft picks.
The Miami Heat received PGs Goran and Zoran Dragic, and
the New Orleans Pelicans got PG Norris Cole, C Justin
Hamilton, and SF Shawne Williams. Meanwhile, the Phoenix
Suns sealed two first round draft picks along with SF
Danny Granger and SF John Salmons.
Winners & Losers of the 2015 Trade Deadline
Winner- Miami Heat: The Miami Heat are having a season with
many ups and downs along with many hardships, and acquiring PG
Goran Dragic was a glimpse of light. Controversy struck this
talented European guard when the organization told Dragic
about wanting to ship him off because of their overwhelming
number of point guards. Now that the situation is cleared up
and the deal is over, the Heat are ready to move on.
Winner- Portland Trail Blazers: The Portland Trail Blazers
received veteran SF Arron Afflalo from the Denver Nuggets.
Afflalo has wanted out of Denver for a while because of the
team’s struggles and now he has a fresh start with a potential
playoff team. The Blazers have added one more piece to the
puzzle on their path to success.
Loser- Denver Nuggets: The Denver Nuggets gave away one of
their best players and simply didn’t get much in return.
Although they were awarded with a lottery draft pick, they
lost an overlooked Arron Afflalo.
Loser- Utah Jazz: PF Enes Kanter was shipped out to the
Oklahoma City Thunder for C Kendrick Perkins. So far this
season Perkins has averaged 4.0 points per game and 5.5
rebounds per game, while Kanter is averaging nearly a doubledouble. All the Jazz can do is look forward to this season’s
upcoming draft.
ASB President
Next year, junior Elizabeth Hofinga will lead Miramonte as our
ASB President. Hofinga won the election unopposed and is
excited about this upcoming year.
Hofinga has gained a lot of experience from her three years in
leadership. She has served in the positions of freshman class
VP, head of spirit and publicity commission, and junior class
VP.
“From leadership, I have gained confidence as well as the
ability to find a silver lining in everything. I am very
grateful for these past three years in leadership and what
they have taught me as a person. I hope not only to lead by my
words but also by my actions.”
Hofinga has many plans to improve the environment here at
Miramonte. “My biggest goal for next year is to create more
school-wide activities that will increase participation and
school spirit. I want to reach out to those who don’t normally
get to participate in lunchtime activities or activities held
by leadership,” Hofinga said.
To achieve this goal Hofinga plans on making the spirit days
more creative and original to increase school spirit and unify
the student body. “We are all bound by the same struggle for
high academic achievement as well as social achievement;
therefore I think that most of the student body has goals of
success which is healthy for the high school environment.”
One thing Hofinga admires about Miramonte is the work ethic
and dedication of the student body. She believes the students
are brought together by the level of difficulty in the school
work and through helping others when they are struggling
academically or socially.
If You’re Reading This It’s
Too Late Review
Back in the day, I hated Drake. When he first popped onto the
scene, he just
the easy jokes
‘Got Me Missin
the release of
influence Drake
seemed like such a whiney baby. You can make
about Drake, the whiner, the momma’s boy, the
My Ex’ meme. But, after five plus years since
“Best I Ever Had,” you can no longer deny the
has had on the game.
Drake has had hit after hit and has crossed into the
mainstream with ease. Even with Drake’s faults, you can’t deny
his songs are catchy and clever. Ever since Drake released
“0-100/ The Catch Up,” and announced his next album title,
“Views from the 6,”Drake has been tight lipped. Then all of a
sudden, Drake pulls a Beyonce and drops this new mixtape/album
out of the blue. Though Drake considers it a mixtape, Drake
released it on iTunes, completing a four-album deal he had
with Cash Money Records.
This mixtape is classic Drizzy. Every other song is either
Drake crooning about his lifestyle, clothes and girls to him
rapping hard about his lifestyle, clothes and girls. The
production is very catered to Drake, having his OVO Sound
members Noah “40” Shebib and Boi-1da producing most of the
songs, and features from up and coming singer PARTYNEXTDOOR.
His flow is a bit choppy, but always on point, as shown with
songs “6 God” and “10 Bands,” and his singing is great as
shown with “Legend” and “Jungle.” While I personally preferred
the album “Nothing Was The Same,” “If You’re Reading This Too
Late” is more or less the same as always, but as the past five
years have shown, that isn’t entirely a bad thing.
OPI 2015: Photo Gallery
Olympic Park Institute: a quaint, idyllic collection on cabins
nestled in the perpetually wet mountains of Washington’s
northwestern peninsula. Right on the shore of the historically
deep and stunning Lake Crescent, the hidden gem of Washington
captured Franklin D. Roosevelt’s heart in 1937, and continues
to capture the hearts of Miramonte seniors every year.
While only 60 seniors are able to attend the week-long trip
each year, along with seven teachers, everyone should have the
chance to get a taste of what makes the trip so special. With
nature hikes, backpacking, bonding, and zero-ort successes
galore, catch a glimpse of the Class of 2015’s OPI experience.
50 Shades of Why You Should
Not See This Movie
Now before anyone freaks out, you should realize I’m not
referencing any sort of disgust towards BDSM (Bondage,
Discipline/Dominance, Submission/Sadism, and Masochism),
erotic literature, or fanfiction. What people do in the
bedroom and whatever kinks they have is none of my business.
What I am referring to is the blatantly abusive, unhealthy
relationship that readers and viewers of both the 50 Shades of
Grey book and movie have passed off as “romantic” and even
desirable. The interactions between the two main characters,
Anastasia Steele and Christian Grey, is anything but. The idea
of 12 year old girls walking out of a movie theater saying “I
want to be with someone like Christian Grey!” is absolutely
horrifying to me. No, you do not.
The biggest issue with 50 Shades of Grey, which film hit
theaters last Friday, is the portrayal of an abusive
relationship as sexy, alluring, and even idealistic. E.L.
James, the author of the bestselling 50 Shades series,
glorifies abuse and other seriously concerning issues.
Apparently, being stalked by someone you have just met,
contracts dictating sleeping, exercise, and eating habits, as
well as jealous and overbearing men are swoon-worthy.
There are several reasons why Anastasia and Christian’s
relationship is unhealthy. First off, Christian is aggressive,
short-tempered, and displays alarmingly stalker-like
qualities. After knowing Ana (her nickname in the series) for
only three days, he uses her cell phone to track her down,
supposedly to keep her “safe.” When she wakes up the next
morning, hungover, she finds out that while she was passed out
he stripped her down to underwear and a shirt and slept next
to her. This is NOT okay. Young girls, or anyone in general,
should not see this as normal. What knight in shining armor
undresses you when you’re knocked out from drinking too much?
Christian’s intense need for control of all things around him
leads him to propose a contract to Anastasia that dictates how
often she needs to sleep, what she can wear and eat, where she
has to shave, what birth control she must use, as well as what
kinds of substances she is allowed to use. As the story
continues, Christian shows his extensive knowledge of where
she and some of her relatives live, despite the fact that she
never revealed this information to him. Ana is unalarmed by
this, but remind me again why is this is considered romantic?
Another one of Christian’s most “charming” qualities is how
possessive and overprotective he is. When photos of Ana taken
by her friend are put up for sale, Christian buys all of them.
Not because he likes the pictures, but because he can’t stand
the idea of anyone else looking at her. When Ana doesn’t reply
to one of his emails, he calls and texts her several times.
After realizing this, she says “With a deep dread uncurling in
my stomach, I scroll down to his number and press dial. My
heart is in my mouth as I wait for him to answer. He’d
probably like to beat seven shades of shit out of me. The
thought is depressing.” If this were a healthy relationship,
Ana wouldn’t have to worry about being abused. Later on, when
Anastasia gets a job at a publishing house, one of the only
independent things she does in the entire series, Christian
buys the entire company to keep her “safe.” 50 Shades of Grey
normalizes these possessive, aggressive behaviors and displays
them as “romantic.”
Christian isn’t the only character in the novel at fault.
Anastasia places Christian and his needs above her own at
almost every single juncture in the book. Every time he is
angry, she assumes it’s something she has done. Everything she
does is to please him, and she suffers through emotional and
physical abuse to ensure his love for her. When discussing
their boundaries for the bedroom, Ana says “‘I’d never do
anything I didn’t want to, Christian.’ And as I say the words,
I don’t quite feel their conviction because at this moment in
time – I’d probably do anything for this man seated beside
me.” Although Anastasia is incredibly uncomfortable being
Christian’s submissive, she agrees to it out of fear that
he’ll never love her if she doesn’t. She endangers her mental
health as she repeatedly participates in BDSM encounters that
terrify her. Her deep rooted insecurities allow Christian to
exploit and manipulate her.
In addition to their individual issues, the co-dependant
relationship between the two has a Romeo and Juliet-esque vibe
to it. Not the romantic kind, but the “I will kill myself if I
can’t be with you” kind. Anastasia feels as though she can’t
live without him. This in itself is unhealthy, not to mention
the fact that she develops serious eating disorders in the
period when they are no longer together. Throughout the
series, Ana is drawn to the idea that she can “fix” Christian
with love alone, despite the fact he had some serious issues
as a child. This is both unrealistic and unhealthy. Later on
in the series, to ensure that she will never leave him,
Christian proposes to Anastasia, so now they can be trapped in
an abusive relationship ‘til death do them part!
Studies of the series and how it influences young women reveal
some disturbing connections. A study published in the Women’s
Journal of Health in Volume 23, Issue 9 showed that “In ageand race-adjusted models, compared with nonreaders, females
who read at least the first novel (but not all three) were
more likely than nonreaders to have had, during their
lifetime, a partner who shouted, yelled, or swore at them and
who delivered unwanted calls/text messages; they were also
more likely to report fasting and using diet aids at some
point during their lifetime. Compared with nonreaders, females
who read all three novels were more likely to report binge
drinking in the last month and to report using diet aids and
having five or more intercourse partners during their
lifetime.”
And in case you don’t believe my assertions in this article
thus far, another study published in the the Journal of
Women’s Health, Volume 22, on Number 9, 2013 compared the
Center for the Control and Prevention of Disease’s standards
for sexual violence and the abuse suffered by Anastasia in the
novel found that her treatment does qualify as intimate
partner violence. Their report states: “Emotional abuse is
present in nearly every interaction, including: stalking;
intimidation;
and
isolation.
Sexual
violence
is
pervasive—including using alcohol to compromise Anastasia’s
consent, as well as intimidation. Anastasia experiences
reactions typical of abused women, including: constant
perceived threat; altered identity; and stress managing.
Anastasia becomes disempowered and entrapped in the
relationship as her behaviors become mechanized in response to
Christian’s abuse.” They cited examples from the book as
evidence.
Studies aside, the book and movie are both readily available
to almost anyone who wants to see or read them. The book is
available in stores and libraries as well as online. The
movie, which is rated R, is playing in theaters in the US and
abroad. Despite the fact that minors cannot get into R-rated
movies without an adult present, many underage kids just buy
tickets to a different movie and sneak into the showroom.
Ironically, trailers for the movie advertised the release date
as Valentine’s Day, when in actuality it came out on Friday
the 13th. Coincidence? Although it got awful reviews,
27
percent rotten tomatoes and 4.1/10 IMDb, people continue to
buy tickets to see it. The film, which has already made $400
million worldwide, prompted over two million angry twitter
users to begin the hashtag #50DollarsNot50Shades. Users
encouraged people to boycott the 50 Shades of Grey film and
instead donate $50, or simply the price of a movie ticket, to
a local domestic abuse shelter. I heartily agree with them.
So please, do not go out and buy a ticket to see 50 Shades of
Grey, or read any of the books in the series. It’s
glorification and romantification of intimate partner violence
tell people that abuse is okay—and it most definitely is not.
The book has already sold over 100 million copies, been
printed in 52 languages, placed on the New York Times best
seller list for over 50 weeks, and become the fastest selling
paperback of all time in Great Britain. It doesn’t need any
more help spreading it’s messages of abuse.
ASB Rally Recap
Yesterday Miramonte had a rally for the students running for
ASB positions. The rally started with the Miramonte
cheerleaders doing a routine for the school. Then the four ASB
candidates, Liz Hofinga, Patrick Hallahan, Anna Casey and
Corrine Whitsett, spoke about why they want to be the ASB
Board members.
After the speeches, rally leaders Ray Barry Kivel and Jack
Conner brought out the winter sports captains to congratulate
and recognize them.
The festivities continued with each class singing a song. The
freshman got “Ain’t No Mountain High Enough” by Marvin Gaye
and Tammi Terrell. The sophomores got “Blank Space” by Taylor
Swift. The juniors got “Billie Jean” by Michael Jackson and
the seniors got “Party In The U.S.A” by Miley Cyrus.
The rally ended with the classic class cheers.
Voting for the uncontested ASB officers took place today in
4th period classes.
Miramonte Men’s Soccer Wrap
Up
Junior Coleman Fine
Junior Clark Jordan
Sophomore Daniel Konstantino
The Miramonte Matadors men’s soccer team made history this
year by making NCS for the first time in eight years. Last
week the Matadors clenched their playoff position by trouncing
Las Lomas in a 4-0 rout. The Mats obtained a record of five
wins, four losses and six ties. Yesterday the Matadors played
De Anza High School in the first round of the NCS playoffs and
fell 2-0 at the end of regulation. The Matadors were one of
two teams to tie De Anza this season. The Dons had a record of
20 wins, two ties and no losses. Though the Mats may have lost
the game, they won the competition of best haircuts.