The Boston Celtics have been extremely inconsistent since the All Star Break, going 4-5 with some bad losses to teams like the Phoenix Suns and Denver Nuggets. But the strangest thing is that during this stretch, the Celtics have managed to beat the two best teams in the NBA, the Cleveland Cavaliers and the Golden State Warriors.
The losing streak included a long and poor West Coast road trip. It started off with one of the best wins of the season as the Celtics defeated the Los Angeles Lakers, scoring 70 points in the first half. But then they collapsed, losing to one of the worst teams in the league, the Phoenix Suns, who are only 22-44. The Celtics lost on a buzzer-beater three -pointer by Suns point guard Tyler Ulis, who had stolen an inbound pass from Isaiah Thomas. The next night, the Celtics fell to the Los Angeles Clippers. It looked as if the Celtics would lose three straight because the were playing the Golden State Warriors the next game, the best team in the NBA. But the Celtics held the Warriors’ high-powered offense to a low 86 points. This was the least the Warriors had scored in two seasons and the Celtics won by 13 points. But then the very next game, they ended their road trip by losing to an average Denver Nuggets team by 20 points.
While all this was going on the Washington Wizards continued their winning ways, sneaking into second place ahead of the Celtics. With Boston’s inconsistent play, it begins to concern me how long they will be able to last in the playoffs. Hopefully head coach Brad Stevens can figure out the problems and fix them in the remaining games of the regular season.
When Kathi Sullivan addressed Hanover High School students last week on the dangers of alcohol, she was speaking from heartbreaking personal experience. Mrs. Sullivan’s daughter Taylor Meyer died in 2008 at just 17 years old because of excessive underage drinking that clouded her judgement one night. Mrs. Sullivan described how Taylor had been drinking with friends, got into an argument while walking in the dark to a campfire in the woods, and then wandered off on her own. Her friends did not follow her, and a few days later, Taylor was found to have drowned in two feet of water nearby. Mrs. Sullivan described how the experience impelled her to become a public speaker and advocate for awareness about alcohol and being a responsible friend and parent. Since her daughter’s death, she has talked at many schools across Massachusetts and influenced her audience in hundreds of ways. Not only has Mrs. Sullivan received emails and personal remarks from students and parents about how helpful her message has been, she also met her current husband at one of her talks. Today, Mrs. Sullivan finds purpose in sharing what she has termed “Taylor’s Message” in the hope of preventing more teenagers and families from suffering because of underaged binge drinking.
Mrs. Sullivan’s speech was eye-opening and startling, bringing many listeners in the auditorium to tears as they grasped the reality of how one of their friends could share Taylor’s fate if they made poor decisions with alcohol. The trauma and sadness that Mrs. Sullivan and her family underwent after Taylor’s death was clear in the slideshow she showed as she spoke. One of the most incredible parts of the presentation was Mrs. Sullivan’s ability to talk openly and publicly about her daughter’s death. After her daughter died, Mrs. Sullivan had the option to either sink into sadness or to stand up again and find purpose in her daughter’s short life. Mrs. Sullivan chose the latter and today is enthusiastic and friendly to as many students as possible. She holds onto Taylor’s memory, wearing a tattoo of Taylor on her arm and speaking to her in the car after her talks. She also keeps the faith that her daughter’s story can help and protect others as she continues to speak to students and their parents every year.
At the end of her presentation, Mrs. Sullivan let each student take a bracelet in memory of her daughter as a reminder that they have a purpose and must make good decisions. That night, Mrs. Sullivan spoke to parents about her daughter’s story. Though Taylor’s life was far too short and ended in tragedy, it continues to hold meaning for her family, her friends, and the thousands that her mother has inspired by sharing “Taylor’s Message.”
The Boston Celtics have had a very good run entering the All Star Break of the NBA season, winning 11 of their last 13 games. What is even more impressive is that they are doing this without their star shooting guard Avery Bradley. Bradley was on the First Team All-Defensive last year and gained a very efficient offensive game over the off-season, but has missed more than 20 games due to an Achilles injury.
But the main story of the first half of the season has to be the play of All Star Isaiah Thomas. Standing at only 5’8,” Thomas has carried the Boston Celtics on the offensive side all season long. He is second in the NBA in scoring at 29.9 PPG, behind only Oklahoma City Thunder’s Russell Westbrook, and is currently listed 5th in MVP rankings. Thomas’ success is something no one could have seen coming into the season.
But you cannot talk about the Celtics without talking about their defense. Marcus Smart, a candidate for Defensive Player of the Year, is in the league’s top ten for steals per game at 1.72, collecting eight of those Wednesday night against the 76ers. At 6’4″, he is a dynamic defender, able to guard both on the perimeter and in the post. Jae Crowder is also a major key in the defense as he averages about one steal per game. But the paint is shut down by Al Horford, who averages 1.53 blocks per game. It seems that the only liability at defense on this team is Thomas, and with the way he’s scoring, I’m sure Head Coach Brad Stevens is fine with keeping him on the court.
A lot of the credit for this Celtics team has to go to Stevens. At only 40 years old, he has taken the team from a rebuilding stage into a contendor for the conference championship. With his efforts, Stevens and his staff were named the Eastern Conference coaching staff for the All Star Game.
The Celtics are only three games behind the defending champions Cleveland Cavaliers, maintaining a decent lead over the third place Washington Wizards. With the trade deadline coming up on February 23rd, many wonder if Celtics GM Danny Ainge will make a blockbuster deal to get that one last superstar into Boston. Some names that have been discussed include Jimmy Butler, Carmelo Anthony, Demarcus Cousins, and Andre Drummond.
During last week’s blizzard, you were probably more concerned with the weather forecast than the news. But a lot of important things happened. So here’s everything you need to know, that you might have missed during the three days we had off from the snowstorm.
Kellyanne Conway, Fox & Friends, Ethics Rules, Nordstrom, and Ivanka Trump— What Happened
When featured on Fox & Friends last Sunday, President Trump’s adviser Kellyanne Conway responded to Trump’s criticism that daughter Ivanka and her clothing line were treated “unfairly” by Nordstrom when the store dropping her line. Nordstrom responded, issuing a statement that they have a great relationship with Ivanka, and only ceased to sell her line for business reasons (most likely poor sales). Conway refused to believe that, and argued the company is doing this to irritate President Trump. What she did wrong was suggest that viewers “go out and buy Ivanka’s stuff,” which she was scolded for, as it breaks government ethics rules. These rules say that officials shouldn’t use their position to advertise. TJ Maxx, Marshall’s and Burlington Coat Factory’s website followed Nordstrom’s direction and stopped selling Ivanka’s clothes as well.
Trump Meets With More World Leaders
Trump had talks with Japanese Prime Minister Shinzō Abe in Palm Beach, Fla., and Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau at the White House. He told Abe that “We [The U.S.] are committed to the security of Japan” and that the relationship between the United States and Japan is “very crucial.” Trump spent his time with Trudeau talking about the importance of women in the workplace and the need for a good relationship between the two countries. Trump also met with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, when they talked about the ideas of a two-state and one-state solution for Israel. All his meetings seemed to go smoothly, but the media seems to be more concerned with his talks with Putin after the election, and the strange handshake between him and Trudeau.
Trump’s strange handshake between him and Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau at the White House Sunday afternoon
Adele Wins Four Awards At the 59th Annual Grammy Awards
The 59th annual Grammy Awards show was an especially good night for Adele. She won Record of the Year, Album of The Year, Song of the Year, and Best Pop Vocal Album, all for her song “Hello” and its respective album, 25. The controversy surrounding the event seems to be that Beyoncé was overlooked for Album of the Year. But Beyoncé didn’t go home empty -handed, winning Best Music Video for her song “Formation,” and Best Urban Contemporary Album for Lemonade. She even got half a Grammy from Adele, who broke hers in half and said she wanted to share it and that she is a “major Beyoncé fan.” Other notable wins include Drake’s “Hotline Bling” for Best Rap/Sung Performance, and Best Rap Song; Twenty One Pilots’ “Stressed Out” for Best Pop Duo/Group Performance; and The Chainsmokers’ and Daya’s “Don’t Let Me Down” for Best Dance Recording. Both Adele and Beyoncé preformed at the show, Adele running into some technical difficulties when she had to restart her tribute to George Michael, who died in December. Not surprisingly, throughout the night many of the stars got political in their performances—which is a shame, because it should be a fun night.
Saturday Night Live Continues to Mock Trump and White House
In his 17th time hosting Saturday Night Live, Alec Baldwin played his most well-known character, Donald Trump. The show also included a reappearance of Melissa McCarthy as White House Press Secretary Sean Spicer. Before the show Rosie O’Donnell offered to play the role of Steve Bannon, the White House’s Chief Strategist, and changed her Twitter profile picture to one of her made up as Bannon. But SNL chose to use a grim reaper for the part. This episode mostly focused on Trump’s travel ban and Spicer’s ‘passive aggressive’ press conferences.
One skit was based on Trump going on a TV court show to fight the judges who overturned his travel ban. (Remember his tweet “See you in court” after the decision.) The show criticized him for being a “TV President,” and had the judge in the courtroom wishing for one day without “a CNN report scaring the hell” out of her.
Trump’s Cabinet- Adds 5 and Subtracts 1
Trump’s cabinet has slowly started taking form. He has filled five positions including Secretary of Education Betsy DeVos, Attorney General Jeff Sessions, Secretary of Health and Human Services Tom Price, Secretary of the Treasury Steve Mnuchin, and Secretary Veteran Affairs David Shulkin. The most controversial in the Senate seemed to be DeVos, whose vote resulted in a tie that had to be broken by Vice President Mike Pence. (Although Senator Elizabeth Warren had her own controversy when fellow senators silenced her in Congress when opposing Sessions.)
The one who is definitely getting the most attention from the media is Michael Flynn, who was President Trump’s National Security Adviser, until he resigned . Sean Spicer, the White House Press Secretary, said Flynn resigned because of a trust issue, after lying to Vice President Mike Pence about talks with Russian officials about lifting sanctions. Spicer also said that Trump had known about the issue for two weeks before insisting that Flynn resign. Pence had only recently been made aware of the issue. Flynn also had other ties to Russia, strong enough that critics argued they could result in him being blackmailed by the country. This is the latest event to unfold in the “Trump-Russia Conspiracy” saga. Flynn’s replacement is now Keith Kellogg, a person who had served as a part of Trump’s transition team for defense, and before that, a foreign policy adviser for his campaign. The media is still questioning Trump and his administration’s ties with Russia.
On Tuesday, Feb. 7, I went to the Patriots Super Bowl Parade along with hundreds of other Hanover High School students and thousands of area fans. I woke up at 6:30 am just like any other school day, but instead of getting ready for school, I bundled up and put on my Gronk jersey. It definitely was not the greatest weather -freezing icy rain and howling wind – but it was certainly a day I will never forget. There was no better feeling than arriving at the Braintree T station to see hundreds of devoted Patriots fans in their gear, ready to watch the greatest football team of all time cruise by on the Duck Boats.
When my friends and I got to Boston, we decided to head to City Hall Plaza, which is where Tom Brady and the rest of the Pats would finish the parade and say a few words to the fans. As thousands of people packed Tremont Street, we saw some pretty interesting stuff. I had to have seen around a hundred signs making fun of NFL Commissioner, Roger Goodell, hundreds of “Roger That” and “Drive for 5” posters, fans who may have had a little too much fun, and even two moms getting into a fistfight. I’m going to have to say seeing Gronkowski hanging off the side of a duck boat, shirtless, with the Lombardi trophy in one hand, was one of the top 5 coolest things I’ve ever seen in my life.
The weather made it a little tough to enjoy the parade but we made the best of it. New England fans are tough and that wasn’t going to stop us from spending the day celebrating the greatest Super Bowl comeback of all time. Being 5’2” made seeing over the crowd a little difficult, but I found a way.
Once the parade was over, we headed home. Trying to get on the train was one of the most difficult things I’ve ever had to do. Cold and soaking wet, we waited on the Downtown Crossing platform and had to let four trains pass because they were too crowded. Finally, we found a way to squeeze on. The train smelled awful and I think everyone at that point just wanted to get home.
Spending my day in Boston watching the parade was a great experience. Being a Boston sports fan is something I definitely do not hate. Tom Brady is a savage and I wish Robert Kraft was my grandpa.
As technology has rapidly evolved in recent years, some districts have begun to provide their students with laptops to facilitate the learning process. This program is called a 1–to-1 laptop program, and it grants each student a laptop to be used in the classroom and for homework for the entire school year.
Based on my experience over the past few years at Hanover High, computers are crucial tools to many teachers’ class plans. Whether needed for a project, webquest, research assignment, or study period, computers are often in demand. The school currently uses Chromebook carts or the computer labs when typing or using the Internet is required. Though I find this system is useful and effective, I do think that if each student had their own laptop there would be less energy spent on tracking down and organizing the Chromebook carts and relocating to the computer labs. This might be one helpful benefit of developing such a laptop program here in Hanover.
Using this program might also help teachers assign work to students. Currently, teachers cannot completely assume that each student has access to a home computer, and they therefore might be hesitant to give out assignments predominantly online through a program like Google Classroom. If each student had their own school-distributed laptop, however, the teacher could feel confident that the student would have the resources at home to complete their work without having to go to extra efforts like using a computer at the town library.
If I were in charge of deciding whether or not this school should take up the program, I would probably be ambivalent about just how much more smooth the laptops would make learning. Though they would surely provide quick access to an infinite amount of learning materials right in the classroom, a weak Wi-Fi connection can make the learning process take double or triple the amount of time it normally would. I have experienced poor network connections in school with the Chromebooks, making my projects take longer than they would using a physical textbook, so I would be worried about technological mishaps like this if the school were to develop the program.
One high school teacher in La Junta, Colorado, tried out this laptop program and had interesting things to say about it to the George Lucas Educational Foundation (Edutopia). The teacher, Chris Ludwig, said that the program was helpful to teacher-student communication because it allowed for his students to get in touch with and submit work to him whenever they needed. Ludwig also stated that the laptops allowed the students to participate in the collective classroom learning experience by introducing information or resources they found online to others in the class. Moreover, he found that students getting distracted with other websites and programs on the computer while they were supposed to be working was not a major issue: Ludwig could use Apple Remote Desktop to regulate what the students were doing, and he could lock each student computer when he needed to.
Though using a 1-to-1 laptop program would be a big shift from the paper-based learning style that largely still exists at Hanover High School, I think that it could solve many problems at the school involving efficiency of attaining online resources and ease of assigning Internet work. Technology can be less reliable at times due to issues like poor wireless connections or computer malfunctions, but the world at large is increasingly relying on materials online for information. It might, in fact, prepare students well for future jobs or daily life if schools adopted a computer-based curriculum.
Since the Chicago Cubs won the 2016 World Series, many teams have made moves to try and make their teams better. The first task of many teams in the offseason is try and get that big-name free agent. This year, that would be either Toronto’s first baseman/designated hitter Edwin Encarnacion or Chicago Cubs closer Aroldis Chapman. Both changed teams and both received huge contracts.
Encarnacion signed a three year, $60 million deal with the Cleveland Indians, the Cubs’ Series opponent. This is a player that many teams had interest in, including the Red Sox because of the hole left by the retirement of David Ortiz. But the Sox were unable to get a deal done. This addition will really help the Indians, adding more power to their roster and keeping them in World Series contention next season.
Chapman signed with the Yankees for five years worth $86 million. After being a mid-season trade to the Cubs to help them win their first World Series since 1908, Chapman decided to go back to the Yankees because he loves playing in the city. The Yankees are a young team with a lot of talent and could be very good in a few years. This deal is massive for a closer — I think the Yankees paid too much for him — but, then again, he’s the best closer in baseball. He throws the ball harder than anyone in the league and it’s almost an automatic save for him every time he enters the game.
But I think the biggest offseason move was the Red Sox trading for starting pitcher Chris Sale. Boston, who lost in the first round of the playoffs to Cleveland, was missing that third starting pitcher that can dominate a game and help them win. Sale was on the the Sox radar all of last year but Boston was unwilling to give up its top prospect Yoan Moncada for Sale during the season. In early December, President of Baseball Operations Dave Dombrowski agreed to give up Moncado and other players to close the deal. Adding Sale to the Red Sox rotation will be very good. The trio of Price, Porcello and Sale will be tough on opposing teams. Along with Boston’s high-powered offense, this team could be early World Series contenders.
With spring training right around the corner, things should start to get more interesting in the baseball world.
So, it’s February, we are halfway through the year, third term has started and we have not had one snow day. Not one! I don’t know about you, but I’m bummed. Not only am I annoyed because in years past we’ve had massive amounts of snow, but this is the one year I wouldn’t have to make up any snow days. It’s my senior year and whether we have no snow days or 20, my last day of school will be May 19 either way.
I don’t care how much you hate shoveling your driveway; EVERYONE loves a day off from school to play in the snow. There is nothing more satisfying than sleeping in, then getting wrapped up in a nice fuzzy blanket with a cup of hot chocolate and a going on a nice Netflix binge. If you’re lucky, maybe you can even get together with your buds and get snowed in before the roads are too rough to drive on.
Some may think the opposite though. I know lots of kids that hop right in their cars when they find out snow’s coming and head out to do donuts in as many parking lots as they can. Of course, if you do choose to spend your snow day in a car, ALWAYS make sure you buckle up because roads do tend to get really icy. This has been my first winter with my license and I will say it is not easy driving when the roads get icy.
Another fun way to spend a snow day is to hit the slopes. I never got the chance to learn how to ski or snowboard, but I wish I had when I was younger so that I could go now. I like going tubing and sledding though!
So if and when we FINALLY get a snow day this winter, make the best of it and be sure to enjoy it. Come the end of June, when seniors are long gone but the rest of HHS is facing makeup days, you’re going to be wishing you had.
I believe that technology has altered the way our generation works. Today, you see almost everyone on their phones, no matter what age they are. With kids in our generation, it’s hard to find someone sitting down and enjoying a good book. Nowadays, you rarely see kids playing outside and enjoying their surroundings. Technology has changed the way our generation views life.
Personally, I am always on my phone and I know it’s bad, but it’s an addiction. Sometimes I look at my phone for the time and I end up looking to see if I have any notifications and have to look again because I paid no attention to the actual time. If I am not doing anything, I am absolutely glued to my phone. The only time I am off my phone is when I am driving. Besides that, sadly, I am almost always on my phone and I hate myself for it.
I even have a niece that is almost five years old who quickly learned how to use an iPhone when she was two or three. Today, she has her very own iPad and knows exactly how to use it. She is able to FaceTime with her mom when they are apart. I can see how that could be good for her mental development, but back in the day, you didn’t see five year olds with a phone in their hand. Now, I’m not saying she doesn’t go outside at all, because I would be lying — she goes outside a lot and runs around in the yard when it’s nice out –but it’s strange to see how the generations have changed over the years.
I still like to go on walks and sit outside and take photographs, but for the most part, I’d rather be inside watching Grey’s Anatomy on Netflix. Photography is my ticket to being outside and enjoying nature. It’s a way for me to communicate with other people. While looking at pictures, everyone has a different way of viewing. Say you’re looking at a picture of a sunset, some people take a long look at it and start to think about what nature means to them, and others might just admire the beauty of it. For me, photography brings out the side of me that loves the nature and seeing the true beauty behind this world. When I’m not enjoying my photography, I am again, glued to my phone and I miss out on what is right there in front of me.
It truly makes me sad that technology has taken over our creative minds. Even in school, we rely too much on technology. For projects, instead of making eye-catching posters and having fun being creative, we spend time making PowerPoints that no one wants to look at. Creativity is a part of our lives that should be prominent, but it’s not. We should use our creativity to express ourselves instead of hiding behind a computer screen. I believe that our creativity is suppressed by the dominance of phones and computers.
The internet has ruined our society. It has destroyed our self images. Many people, females and males, feel low self-esteem because of the way the internet perceives the “perfect” human. There is no such thing as a “perfect” human, but because of the internet, everyone looks at these images of what we are supposed to be and we compare ourselves to them. The internet has made it difficult to love ourselves for who we are.
Today, when you go out to dinner, a lot of the times you see people on their phones instead of talking with the people around them. Personally when I go out to dinner, I try to leave my phone in my bag and have conversations with whoever I’m with. For our generation, I find that it’s harder for people to communicate in person because we have gotten so used to hiding behind a screen. We’ve gotten so used to relying on technology that we have forgotten how to live life in the real world. I believe that technology has changed us, and not entirely for the better.
After a long season, last week’s NFL Conference championships determined which teams were still standing, which would be headed to Super Bowl LI in Houston. The Atlanta Falcons and New England Patriots earned their trips to the big game with blowout victories.
The 2nd-seeded Falcons hosted the Green Bay Packers in the NFC Championship. The Falcons owned this game from the very beginning, scoring on two straight possessions to start the game while the Packers missed a field goal and fumbled in the red zone. After this, the Falcons never lost control of the game, defeating the Packers 44-21. Falcons QB Matt Ryan threw for 392 yards and four TDs and Falcons WR Julio Jones received for 180 yards and two TDs in a dominating victory.
In the AFC Championship, the Patriots hosted the Pittsburgh Steelers in another blowout game. But this game was much closer in the first half with a score of the Pats up 17-9 at halftime after a crucial goal line stand from the Patriots defense to end the half. The second half was all Patriots as they won the game 36-17 behind their veteran QB Tom Brady who threw for 384 yards and 3 TDs and an unexpected WR in Chris Hogan who received for 180 yards and 2 Tds.
Divisional Championships
There were only eight teams left, four from the AFC and four from the NFC. The top-seeded Dallas Cowboys faced off against the 4th seeded Green Bay Packers while the Falcons played against the 3rd seeded Seattle Seahawks in the NFC. In the AFC, the Patriots played against the 4th-seeded Houston Texans. The 2nd seeded Kansas City Chiefs played against the 3rd seeded Pittsburgh Steelers in the AFC. This round had one close game and one blowout from each conference.
In the AFC, the Patriots crushed the Texans 34-16. The Texans kept it close in the first half thanks to a couple of turnovers from the Patriots. Dion Lewis, Pats RB, starred in the win by getting 1 rushing TD, 1 receiving TD, and 1 kick return TD.
The second game in the AFC was much closer. The Steelers defeated the Chiefs 18-16. The Steelers, who are known for their high-powered offense, were unable to score a touchdown, but their kicker, Chris Boswell was 6 for 6 on field goal attempts. He was helped by Steelers RB Le’Veon Bell who rushed for 170 yards.
In the NFC, the Falcons controlled the game against the Seahawks, winning 36-20. Falcons QB Matt Ryan threw for 338 yards and three TDs, tearing apart what was supposed to be a very strong Seattle defense. Seattle also coughed up two crucial turnovers that seemed to have change momentum in the game.
The Packers defeated the Dallas Cowboys in a nailbiter game that went down to the wire, 34-31. Packers QB Aaron Rodgers threw for 356 yards and two TDs including a very important 36-yard pass with two seconds left to put them in field goal range to win the game. Packers kicker Mason Crosby kicked 2 go-ahead field goals from 50+ yards within the final two minutes of the game.
The Hawk 