The NBA Playoffs Round 1

By Vernon Williams 

This year, the NBA playoffs are going to be one of the most exciting in a long time.  Some of the world’s most famous players are playing, such as Allen Iverson and Carmello Anthony of the Denver nuggets, Lebron James of the Cavaliers, Dwayne Wade and Shaquile O’neal of the Miami Heat, and Steve Nash of the Phoenix Suns.

With teams that had a poor record in the past such as the Orlando magic, the Toronto raptors, the Utah Jazz and the Golden State warriors in the playoffs, this should make this year one to remember.  Some of the “cant miss match ups” are Suns vs. Lakers, Denver vs. San Antonio, Chicago vs. Miami and Cleveland vs.Washington. The leaders of round one are the Chicago Bulls, the Detroit Pistons, and the Cleveland Cavaliers in the east and the Houston Rockets and the Phoenix Suns in the west. So far the first two games have been upsets for the wizards and the heat, who lost both of their playoff games.

Click here to learn more about the NBA Playoffs

Back to April 26, 2007

I Love New York

By Mia Saunders

If you missed the “I love New York” reunion special, you missed a drama filled, exciting hour where once again Tiffany Pollard a.k.a “ New York” was once again left heart broken. The episode aired on Sunday April 15, 2007. All the guys came back except a few who were either in jail, recovery, or therapy whose names you would have to find out by watching the show.

The surprise ending leaves you somewhat surprised because no one expected Tango to leave and embarrass New York the way he did after proposing to her the previous show. Every man got a chance to say his last piece to New York, sometimes getting yelled at or having her out right disrespect them and everything they were about. On the other hand what else could you expect from the drama filled New York?

Back to April 26 home

How Much Technology Do We Need?

By Parvin Sahraei 

Cell phones, iPods, Myspace, factories that make our food, and the list goes on and on. I’m talking about all the technology we use these days.

 

Technology can save us but it can also hurt us. Why doesn’t the world slow down and just take a break? Why can’t people go back to living a real life instead of a life filled with technology?

You walk down the street and see kids listening to their iPod or talking on their cell phones like they have some kind of business or something. People are so caught up in all these new technologies that they forget about the meaning of life.

And it’s not just technologies, but also factories that contribute to global warming because of the carbon monoxide they produce.

Most people don’t even have enough time to eat breakfast anymore so they grab “go bars” and eat it in a hurry.

The cable companies produce 500 or more channels for their companies combined with the dangerous snack foods we eat everyday. Why do you think there are so many obese people these days? People have forgotten about everything.

I mean 50 year old women go to have cosmetic surgery so they can look young again. It’s like people are trying to stop nature’s process. It’s just crazy. Aren’t we the ones who are contributing to global warming with all of our toxic chemicals and carbon monoxides?

Don’t forget about the coal mines and tobacco companies. I mean America is a free country but it seems that freedom comes at a huge price. More people die from smoking here than anywhere because of all the chemicals in the cigarette. If you go to Iran or somewhere else in the
Middle East their cigarettes only have tobacco leaves but the ones here have over 4000 chemicals!

Everywhere you go there are stores and restaurants and buildings that there’s no more room to play or exercise and you have to pay if you want to go just about anywhere.

And the places we can walk are filled with cigarette butts and soda cans. Now if this is all happening now, imagine the future. We have to do something about this.

If you have a question or comment please email me at peachgurl_517@yahoo.com.

Back to April 26, 2007

Surfing Headlines

By James Armstrong 

Today almost anything you read in a newspaper can be found online.  Major newspapers like the Washington Post, the New York Times, and the USA Today all have online editions which include every article from the print version, as well as many more.  In addition to the articles there are more features as well.  What before limited news to just words and still photos, now can be expanded to online videos, audio clips, slideshows and more.

In the last weeks, the South Lakes Sentinel has gone a dramatic change as you must know if you are reading this article.  The Sentinel Online has followed the trend as room for articles and pictures is limited on the twelve-page Sentinel distributed monthly, and extra pictures, articles, and various clips can be seen online.

This change can be interesting.  Are print newspapers becoming useless?  With all articles from most newspapers online and available at your fingertips for free, why pay money for a bias newspaper like the Washington Post, when you can read the same article, listen to audio and see videos on your computer, PDA, or a fully equipped phone like the Blackberry or Blackjack?  There’s isn’t a real good reason.  If the internet becomes accessible to more people everyday then won’t there be a time that everyone has internet access?  When the internet grows and newspapers throughout the world go online, then there may be a time in the near future that print newspapers as we all know may go extinct.

The Sentinel is being surfed, and so are other, very popular newspapers.  Soon there may be a time when all newsprint editors decide to stop wasting ink and paper and go global. 

Back to April 26, 2007

Cricket

By Talha Fayyaz 

Cricket is a bat and ball sport, played between two teams of eleven players each. A cricket match is played on a grass field (which is usually roughly oval), in the center of which is a flat strip of ground 22 yards long, called a pitch. At each end of the pitch is a set of wooden stumps, called a wicket. A player from the fielding team (the bowler) throws a hard, fist-sized cork-centered leather ball from one wicket towards the other. The ball usually bounces once before reaching a player from the opposing team (the batsman), who defends the wicket from the ball with a wooden cricket bat (the batsman), if he or she does not get out, may then run between the wickets, exchanging ends with the other batsman, who then runs when he sees the chance to score a point, to score runs. The other members of the bowler’s team stand in various positions around the field as fielders.

The match is won by the team that scores more runs. Cricket has been an established team sport for hundreds of years. It originated in its modern form in England and is popular mainly in the present and former members of the Commonwealth. In the countries of South Asia, including India, Pakistan, and Bangladesh, and Sri Lanka, cricket is the most popular sport. It is also a major sport in places such as England and Wales, Australia, New Zealand, South Africa, Zimbabwe, Bermuda, and the English-speaking countries of the Caribbean.

Cricket is the second most popular sport in the world after soccer. Cricket is really much like baseball but there are minor differences which change the whole game. Before a game the two captains, one from each team do a coin toss. The team who wins the toss gets to choose if they want to bat first or not. After they have made the decision, the game starts. They send two batsmen from the bating to play. They get as much as they can by running and scoring or hitting a 6 or a 4 before getting out by the bowler.

There are three ways the get the bater. One way is to try to hit the knee pad with the ball which is called lbw. The second way is to catch the ball when the bater swings and tries to catch it before it hits the ground. The third way is to hit the three wickets behind the bater which are dogged in the ground. The wickets are the main goal for the bowlers. The bowling team has to get all 11 players out from the opposite before the 50 overs are done. Each over contains 6 balls.

The match can take from 12 to 16 hours. Just like any other sport cricket has its own world cup, but it comes after a 4 year marking period. The finals are the best time of the years for the fans. Since it takes a long time to see the final two team’s battle against each other, the fans do their best to enjoy it.

Back to April 26, 2007

Later School Openings Feasible, Says Fairfax Study

By Nicholas C. Delos 

Delaying the Fairfax County High School opening bell by an hour is feasible, despite a predicted nine million dollar cost, according to a recent study.  Any change, however, would require an overhaul of the current school transportation system which could take up to three years to fully take effect.

The organization, SLEEP (Start Later for Excellence in Education), had been calling for the School Board to delay class start times in Fairfax high schools by at least an hour later than their current start at 7:20 a.m..  The group points to studies that indicate that a delayed school start would allow students to perform better scholastically, as well as making an improvement in their fitness.  These improvements predicted by the studies are due to an increase in the amount of sleep predicted or demonstrated under later school openings.

The Fairfax School Board hired two consultants, Platt and Forsyth, from Management Partnership Services to determine if and how the transportation system could be adapted to between an 8 and 9:35 a.m. high school start time.  Their study found that any change what so ever could have a “significant negative impact” on school transportation services but it would also present an opportunity to improve running cost efficiency by 4 to 12 percent. Their cost estimate for these time models ran from $5.9 to $9.2 million.  They found that it would be impossible to make minor adjustments to the transportation schedule without changing the entire system, which would be “very difficult to implement”.  Additionally, if a postponement of just 40 minutes was made, students in elementary school would be going home at dusk during some parts of the year.

According to the consultants, the transportation system is now at a maximum in efficiency.  The inevitable expansions and changes of the expanding school system would require and increase in the amount of resources allocated and such expansions are predicted, by the study, to become necessary in the next few years.  To this effect, earlier this year, the Fairfax County School Board passed a $300,000 budget placeholder for the purpose of reengineering the transportation system.

The school board is continuing its consideration of rescheduling with different school time models. Additionally, most board members already agree upon the necessity of revamping the transportation system.

Back to April 26, 2007

SL Girls LAX vs. TJ

By Alex Tudor 

Monday April 23, 2007 South Lakes JV Girls Lacrosse team went to Thomas Jefferson for the fourth to last game. The JV girl’s lax team has not won any games yet, the team has had two ties though. The girl’s lacrosse season is coming to a quick end with only three games remaining.

The score of the game was 7-1. The one point scored was by Jasmine Le. This is Jasmine Le’s first year playing lacrosse and she has been showing great improvement. One of the main players Jody Jindal had gotten sick during the school day and was unable to play in the game. Jindal, during every game lifts the spirits of the other players and scores most of the goals so her absence was very unfortunate for the team.

 

Back to April 26, 2007

Riddle-Me-Not

By Alexander Crowder

Most parents find the effects of Ritalin beneficial to their children who have been diagnosed with ADD. Doctors prescribe it to children who may not even have it, and are merely children whose mind has not been fully developed to multitask. Still, they prescribe this medicine to make those with this mental disability concentrate. But what of the side effects of this drug?

While the drug allows for longer concentration, there are still many effects that it can have on children, or any other age group taking it. The most common one of them, being the loss of appetite, making those who take the pills either not feel the sensation of hunger, or feel the intense sensation of nausea when faced with a meal. This leads to disturbing amounts of anorexia in most Ritalin takers. Other side effects that have negative impacts are insomnia, and nervousness. These effects keep the subject up to the early morning hours, depending on how long the medicine lasts on the person.

Withdrawal is also common, as those who are taken off the medicine have come to depend on them. The drug is not addicting, though it does cause a few medical conditions if those on them are suddenly forced to stop.

A common negative trait, that is purely non-medical, is that children will pretend to have this ailment in order to get their hands on the drugs for substance abuse, and for overnight studying for exams. Ritalin can also be found in the hallways of schools for sale for those who have enough money to pay for them.

Back to April 26, 2007

Changing Districts for the Best?

By Lisa Andariese 

Parents are raging at the school district because they are changing the district lines at the beginning of the 2008-2009 school year. Oakton students living in Fox Mill will be switched to South Lakes because they are changing the border line between Herndon and Reston.  The new border line of Reston will go through Fox Mill, and parents are upset about it.

Parents are mad that their children have to go to South Lakes because of all the “bad things” that they hear about it. For instance, South Lakes High School is the most diverse school in the district, and that makes parents scared of sending their children there.

They need to realize that any school they send their children to could be a risk. South Lakes is not a bad school, it has a great IB program, a great faculty, and the students who attend are great as well. Students here at South Lakes actually have “great spirit” and are proud to say they go to South Lakes.

Parents are just afraid of what they have heard, but they have not actually seen it for themselves. If they saw what South Lakes High School was really like inside, they would probably not hesitate to send their children.

Caroline Murphy, a junior at South Lakes, says “It won’t be that bad, parents just have to get over the fact that you can send your child anywhere and there will still be a risk of something happening to them.  Just because South Lakes has a more diverse student population doesn’t mean that we are a dangerous school.”  Many students at South Lakes agree with Murphy’s opinion.  No matter what, the lines in the districts will be changed, and some parents will be upset.  Hopefully, they will calm down after they see what a great school South Lakes is.

Back to April 26, 2007

Elections: Democracy at Work or an Overrated Popularity Contest?

By Katie Busch 

It’s almost the end of the year which means, class and SGA elections are amongst us. These elections are a time to vote for those willing to serve their class and their school. But will these candidates be chosen for their competence or character?

 

It’s no big secret that many candidates are voted for based on popularity and likeability. Students are more likely to vote for their friend (which is understandable) over a student who they don’t know but are clearly more competent for the job. Should the kid who is more competent for office be elected or the kid who is most liked by their class? It’s hard to give a clear answer on that.

 

For one thing, more popular students should be elected because they know their class and would represent them well. On the other hand if we voted based on competence alone the class would be assured someone who will get things done.

The voter must then choose between loyalty to their friend or the more qualified candidate. Unfortunately for the more competent, we already know the answer: loyalty beats qualifications every time. 

Back to April 26, 2007