Predators, Canucks, Sharks? No Problem!
If you haven’t yet, it’s time to jump on the hockey bandwagon because the Chicago Blackhawks are going to the Stanley Cup Finals.
The Hawks clinched the Western Conference Finals in a clean sweep of the San Jose Sharks this past Sunday at home. They were virtually unstoppable for the past four games, which is why they are going to the Championship.
The series and Game One started off shaky. Fans were worried at the start of the game when Jason Demers wrist shot scored from the blue line to give the Sharks a 1-0 lead. The goal never flustered the Hawks though. Midway through the second period Patrick Sharp’s wrist shot from just inside the blue line tied the game up at 1-1. Midway through the third period, Dustin Byfuglien’s slap shot from the slot was the game wining goal. The Hawks won Game One 2-1.
Game Two was all Blackhawks. Midway through the first period, Andrew Ladd beats Evgeni Nabokov to give the Hawks the early lead. Dustin Byfuglien got the second goal early in the second period off the redirect from Patrick Kane to give the Blackhawks a 2-0 lead. Jonathon Toews got the third goal off the redirect from Duncan Keith. It wasn’t until late second period when Patrick Marleau got the Sharks their first goal. Another redirect goal for the Hawks came in the third period by Troy Brouwer from Niklas Hjalmarsson. Brouwer’s goal was followed by another goal by Patrick Marleau. Game Two ended up scoring 4-2 in favor of the Hawks.
Game Three was a nail-biter with a thrilling overtime decider. Patrick Marleau was on fire for the Sharks, scoring another two goals. He scored one goal in the second period, and one in the third. Marleau’s first goal was matched with a one timer goal from Jonathon Toews to Patrick Sharp on a power play. The Hawks took the lead late in the third thanks to a break away goal from Dave Bolland. Who else would tie the game up at the end of the third to send it into overtime but Patrick Marleau? The overtime goal came from Dustin Byfuglien off a one timer from Dave Bolland which gave them the win. Game Three ended up 3-2 in favor of the Hawks and they now lead the series 3-0.
Game Four looked like the Hawks could’ve found themselves in the same fate as the Boston Bruins. The Sharks controlled all of the first period and most of the second. The first two Shark’s goal, one from Logan Couture and the other from Patrick Marleau, would have flustered any other team but the Blackhawks. Brent Seabrook answered with a five-hole goal that went under review for a few minutes, but ended up counting. Dave Bolland tied the game late in the second period with a shot that floated over the glove of Nabokov. Dustin Byfuglien scored off a one timer from Patrick Kane late in the third to give the Hawks the lead. The Sharks pulled Nabokov to give them an extra skater, but their strategy proved ineffective. Kris Versteeg scored on the empty net to clinch the game and the series for the Blackhawks. With the 4-2 victory, the Hawks are now preparing for the finals.
The Hawks played with a lot of intensity and their physical presence was unmatched. Ben Eager, Dustin Byfuglien, and the rest of the team delivered hit after hit to the Shark’s in attempt to give the Hawks a confidence boost and help them win all four games. Duncan Keith even sacrificed 7 teeth after getting hit in the mouth to stop a puck.
The MVP was undoubtedly the Blackhawks goalie Antti Niemi. He only allowed seven goals all series and had the games of his life. Niemi had 44 saves in game one, 27 in game two, 46 in game 3, and 18 in game four. Hopefully Niemi can put up these numbers in the finals.
The Stanley Cup Finals start this Saturday at 7 p.m. where the Blackhawks will play the Philadelphia Flyers.
Prom 2010: A Night to Forget
Ideally, Prom should be the greatest night of a high school student’s life. It’s full of friends, dancing, and good music. It could be the last time you and all of your friends are together having a good time.
Everything should be perfect. However, many students aren’t anticipating this year’s prom to live up to that standard.
After a lot of rumors going around the school, the announcement was finally made that Riverside Brookfield’s Prom will be held at the Carlisle Banquet Hall, not on the party boat like last year. The Student Association Prom Committee, which is made up of the junior class, has decided that a banquet hall is the best fit.
Many students’ faces were struck with disappointment after hearing this. Senior Paul Beckett said, “The Carlisle is the kind of place you just want to get married in, not have a high school prom.” Beckett’s comment is not unwarranted. Looking at the pictures of the Carlisle, it is apparent that weddings are their specialty.
Most of the prom uproar is coming from the senior class. This may be because seniors have virtually no control over this very important night, and they feel disappointed that their senior prom night is all that it could have been.
The reasons for having prom at the Carlisle are justified. The tickets are only 55 dollars which is a significant price drop from last year’s tickets. However, I think it’s safe to say that most students would pay a few extra dollars to be on a party boat again.
All in all, the down payment has been placed and seniors will have to ‘play the cards they have been dealt’ so to speak.
Top 10 Classic Games
March 15, 2010 by arvisv
Filed under Entertainment, Reviews
1. Pacman
What: Guide Pacman through mazes while eating dots, avoiding ghosts, eating fruit, and racking up a high score.
Why: There are no words to describe it. Play it and you’ll know what I mean.
Where: freepacman.org
2. Super Mario Bros.
What: Play as Mario and move from world to world while jumping gaps, avoiding the dreaded koopa turtles, defeating Bowser, all the while rescuing the princess.
Why: Simply classic.
Where: mariobrothersonline.net
3. Tetris
What: Stack mis-shaped blocks neatly together to eliminate lines and earn a high score.
Why: It’s always good to get a mental sweat going.
Where: freetetris.org
4. Pokémon (Red/Blue)
What: Train Pokémon to reach super levels and earn badges to become a Pokémon master.
Why: Gotta catch ‘em all!
Where: Get the game for Game Boy color.
5. Pong
What: Simply play ping pong.
Why: First video game ever invented. You have to play it before you die.
Where: gamegum.com
6. Sonic the Hedgehog
What: Play as a hedgehog and collect coins all the while traveling at “supersonic” speeds.
Why: Who wouldn’t want to play as a hedgehog with superpowers?
Where: freesonic.org
7. Galaga
What: Control a spaceship and destroy insect-like enemies.
Why: Nothing like destroying space bugs.
Where: onlinearcadegames.com
8. Frogger
What: Become a frog and make your way across a busy street, floating logs, to find a lily pad to call home.
Why: It’s a good change to be a determined amphibian.
Where: happyhopper.org
9. Asteroids
What: Control a spaceship and destroy the asteroids and spaceships that are flying at you.
Why: It’s the quintessential game for blowing stuff up.
Where: freeasteroids.org
10. Donkey Kong Country
What: Play as Donkey and Diddy Kong and travel across countries battling all sorts of creatures.
Why: Come on, controlling monkeys? You can’t beat that.
Where: Super Nintendo
The unsung heroes: The Sixth Man
Football season is now over. This means that it’s time for RB to focus on its next big sports craze, basketball! The 2009-2010 basketball season is quickly approaching and hoops fever is high.
The team this year will be led by future Brown University superstar and senior, Sean McGonagill and returning junior, Ryan Jackson, who came off a sensational sophomore year. With these two players returning this year, the team looks better than ever.
Possibly more important than these two stars, however, is the RB basketball cheering section, The Sixth Man. At home games, more than 100 spirit-filled RB students yell, scream, and cheer on the Bulldogs.
“The goal of The Sixth Man is to give the team a confidence boost during the game and also get in the heads of the other team’s players, and psyche them out,” said senior Ian Robertson, who plans to lead The Sixth Man this upcoming season.
Over the years, The Sixth Man has helped the Bulldogs prevail against many difficult opponents by making their presence known.
“The Sixth Man definitely gives us a home court advantage,” said senior Forward/Guard Mark McDonagh, “every team that comes into our house knows that The Sixth Man is going to be relentless, so they start the game off with a disadvantage.”
Another thing The Sixth Man wants to bring to the table this year is not only going to home games, but games on the road too.
“Playing on the road is one of the hardest things our team has to do. Having The Sixth Man there will definitely make us feel at home,” said senior Shooting Guard Mike Hansa.
The Sixth Man has some big plans for the upcoming season. “We are going to try a lot of new and different things this season to help get our team win a state championship,” said Robertson, “we are going to use black outs, rally towels, and different costumes. Be ready for anything!”
The RB Basketball Season tips off on November 25th at RB. The team will be there, The Sixth Man will be there…will you?
To speak or not to speak, that is the question
This past week at RB, two days of action were carried out. One of them was the Day of Silence for Pro-Life which occurred October 20th. Few students chose not to talk to try to make their point and support the pro-life cause. Minimal results happened. The second day, Day of Service, which took place October 17th, had much better results. More than 500 students participated in the Day of Service doing random acts of service to help benefit the community.
For hundreds of years, people have been trying to get their points across in many different ways. One of the fastest growing methods is simply not talking. Days of silence are occurring in more and more schools each year, and are showing no signs of slowing down. But where are the results?
The Day of Silence, which is now in its 13th year, is a national, student led event that brings attention to all lesbian, gay, bi-sexual, and transgender people that have been silenced due to discrimination.
Senior Emily Chapman, who has been involved with Riverside Brookfield’s Day of Silence, said, “The goal of the Day of Silence is to get people to recognize how hard it is to be who you really are, especially if you are constantly being judged or made fun of.”
In an ideal world, people would see this day, take it to heart, and do their part to help. Realistically, people do not change their opinion very easily. Just because people choose not to talk for a day does not mean it is going to change people’s minds on the topic.
Some people agree with the goal of the Day of Silence, but they do not participate because they simply don’t believe in not talking.
“I strongly believe in what the Day of Silence stands for, but I have never participated in it, and I don’t plan on it either,” Senior Ian Robertson said.
The Day of Silence’s website states that more than 8,000 schools and 100,000 students participated by not talking for a whole day. But visual results are not there. Especially since more and more acts of violence are occurring due to discrimination and harassment every year.
I would like to make it clear I have nothing against what the Day of Silence stands for. The point I’m trying to make is that I feel like there are more effective ways of getting a point across than not talking.
Get out and do something for your cause. Don’t just walk around all day and not talk.
Too Soon for Tebow?
University of Florida quarterback Tim Tebow returned to the field this past Saturday after suffering a concussion two weeks ago in the game against Kentucky. Tebow was cleared to play a few hours before kickoff, and looked just like his old self. He completed 11 of 16 passes for 134 yards with a touchdown and an interception, and ran 17 times for 38 yards. The Florida Gators prevailed with a 13-3 victory over the Tigers of Louisiana State University, thus proving that Tebow’s injury did not affect his performance.
Much of the drama leading up to the game was whether or not it was too early for Tebow to return to play. He was immediately rushed to the hospital after suffering the concussion during the game on September 26. Tebow returned to practice on October 6, after sitting out a week and a half. He played well, but what risk was taken in letting him play?
Concussions are bruises to the brain due to an intense blow to the head. They are a serious injury and can be fatal if not taken care of properly. Concussions are common in contact sports such as football and basketball, and should be taken care of by a professional. Depending on how severe the concussion is, effects can last anywhere from a few days to several weeks.
The danger comes in when an athlete returns to play before the concussion is fully healed. Once a person suffers a concussion, the chance is higher that he/she will suffer another one. If athletes return to play before the first concussion is fully healed and they suffer another one, the results could be fatal. This condition is called Second Impact Syndrome. This causes rapid swelling of the brain and can end in permanent injury or death. Although this condition is rare, it should be taken seriously.
Tebow ran the risk of getting Second Impact Syndrome by playing in the game last Saturday. Although he was cleared by a doctor to play, it didn’t mean he was invincible. If Tebow suffered another concussion, he and the Gators would be in some serious trouble.
Concussions are an injury that should not be overlooked by any means. If you think you might have one, see a doctor as soon as possible.
Man behind the mic, RB’s new voice
First he was a Speech Champion, now he is the voice of Riverside Brookfield’s morning announcements. Zeyne Guzeldereli greets the student population over RB’s intercom every morning to deliver the morning announcements. Everything from a good morning greeting, to where the chess club will meet after school, Guzeldereli gives students the low down about what’s what at RB.
In 2009, Guzeldereli, a junior at the time, added a new honor to his resume. He wrote and performed his own piece to perform as part of the speech team. Guzeldereli practiced and perfected his speech to the point where he was able to qualify for the state tournament. Guzeldereli not only participated in the competition, he came in first and earned the IHSA Speech State Championship title, Best Original Comedy.
The news of the new state Champion spread quickly around the school. Both students and teachers were all impressed by this incredible feat. No one was more impressed than RB Social Studies teacher John Fields. Fields was the one who recommended Guzeldereli for the job. “He’s a state speech champion and he’s the Director of Communications here at RB. He’s more than qualified for the position,” said Fields.
Fields was the one suggested to John Passarella, Assistant Principal at RB, that Guzeldereli be the new morning announcer. Passarella and many other teachers jumped at the opportunity. They thought that it would be pleasant to hear a student’s voice deliver the morning news. Without another thought, Guzeldereli was hired for the job. “I love my job,” Guzeldereli said, “My background in speech has definitely helped me feel more confident doing what I do.”
You can listen to Guzeldereli every morning at 8:01 a.m. throughout the RB classes and hallways. Remember, it’s great to be a bulldog!
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