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<Table oF Contents>
The Voice Staff Editors in Chief Disha Gupta Hope Braue
Good Luck Charlie: First Disney Show With A Gay Couple
Hope Braue - Page 3
Bridgegate Scandal
Drew Braue - Page 4
Polar Vortex
Kelly Staples - Page 4-5
Maryland Mall Shooting
Hannah Geldzahler - Page 5
Google Glass
Devon Kaiser - Page 5-6
3D Printing
Mike Petrilli - Page 6-7
Super Bowl XLVIII
Liz Todd - Page 6~11
The Grammys
Martine Didomenico - Page 7-8
Juan Pablo: The Worst Bachelor
Disha Gupta - Page 8-9
Sundance Film Festival
Olivia Salama - Page 9
Violet Returning To Broadway
Sandy Gooen - Page 9-10
The Girl Who Fell From The Sky
Ted Rosenthal - Page 10-11
Fake Arrest Marriage Proposal
Amanda Wu - Page 11
Olivia Salama
Justin Bieber’s Valentine’s Day Court Date
Max Burrows - Paeg 12
Sandy Gooen
Technical Editor Will Metzler
Contributors Drew Braue Kelly Staples Hannah Geldzahler Devon Kaiser Mike Petrilli
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Liz Todd Martine Didomenico
Ted Rosenthal Amanda Wu Max Burrows
Faculty Advisor Mrs. Burke
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Good Luck Charlie: First Disney Show With A Gay Couple
Hope Braue
This past week, Disney introduced its first gay couple on the last episode of the popular kids’ TV show, Good Luck Charlie. The episode was centered on Charlie’s friend, and subsequently her friends’ parents, coming over for a play date. Charlie’s parents proceeded to get in an argument on whether or not Charlie’s friend’s mom was named Cheryl or Susan. They soon realize, though, that Charlie’s friend has two moms, Cheryl and Susan. In the episode, this realization is treated very casually; Disney clearly wants to normalize being gay in the eye of its young viewers. Disney has been planning this episode for about a year now, and released a statement saying, “This particular story line…was developed to be relevant to kids and families around the world and to reflect themes of diversity and inclusiveness.” Many have voiced their support for the episode, like former Disney star, Miley Cyrus, who called it “inspiring.” On the other hand, some have reacted negatively to the episode, claiming that children won’t understand the message Disney is trying to get across. People predict that this is only the beginning for Disney getting involved in the LGBT community. Other TV networks have already expressed LGBTfriendly shows, like Fox’s Glee or USA’s Modern Family. Disney is one of the only children’s networks, though, to take this sizeable step. With Disney’s official support, hopefully many other companies and networks will follow in their footsteps.
Bridgegate Scandal
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Drew Braue By now, we all probably know about the Bridgegate scandal that occurred earlier this year. There are many different speculations to why something like this could have happened, but here is the real story. In September of 2013, the Port Authority unexpectedly shut down two lanes on the George Washington Bridge connecting Fort Lee, New Jersey to Manhattan, New York. As a result of this, there were massive traffic jams that lasted for a whole week. Since officers of law in the surrounding areas were given no instructions on the matter, busses, first responders, and daily commuters were delayed from getting to where they needed to be. The Port Authority at the time said that it was just a “traffic study.” This was soon found not to be the case Shortly after, it was uncovered that the jam might have been the result of an act of revenge for Governor Christie on Fort Lee’s Mayor Mark Sokolich, a democrat. It was said that the reason for Christie’s rage was because of the fact that Mayor Sokolich voted against him in the 2013 Gubernatorial Campaign to elect a new governor. Then, something huge was revealed. Christie was tied to two Port Authority officials, by the names of Bill Baroni and David Wilden-
is, will it affect his presidential campaign in 2016? Some say yes, others say no. But one thing is for sure. Nobody will ever forget about the inconsiderate and carless act that Christie was accused of committing, and that is something that could destroy the reputation of a possible candidate.
Polar Vortex Kelly Staples With record setting cold temperatures this winter, American families are left wondering, why is this winter so cold? The answer to that is simple: it’s the polar vortex. A polar vortex is essentially a cyclone made of cold winds usually coming from the North or South poles. The vortex lies far north in the upper and middle troposphere and stratosphere. However, this year the vortex has moved south, expanding all the way into the American northeast, Midwest, and mid-Atlantic regions. Some places, such as states in the Midwest, have experienced temperatures lower than the average daily temperatures found in the North Pole. The cold weather is so
Have an OPinion You Want to Share? SubMIt to the VOIce! unbearable that hundreds of families nationwide are in deep anticipation for the upcoming spring.
stein. This would explain the connections between the shutdown and Governor Christie. The Christie Administration went on to deny the allegations, but it is clear that they were lying. An email was uncovered between a Christie aide and David Wildenstein, Christie’s port authority pal. The aide, otherwise known as Bridget Anne Kelley, stated, “Time for some traffic problems in Fort Lee.” Wildenstein replied, “Got it.” Obviously Governor Christie had some part in the scandal, there is no denying it. The real question
However, the vortex is expected to stay around for some time. Meteorologists have intensely studied the strange vortex and realized two notable changes in the vortex this year in comparison to past years. The most striking distinction is the alteration in the composition of the jet stream. This year, the warm air from the south had a significant difference in pressure in comparison to the cold air from the north. This extreme difference in pressure overpowered the jet stream, bringing cold air into the south. The other change in the vortex is caused by malfunctions in the movement of air around the globe. The cold air from the north was caused by a sudden stratospheric warming; this occurs when the polar vortex
either slows or changes direction for a few days. The combination of the sudden stratospheric warming this year and changing jet stream is meteorologically the reason for the freezing cold temperatures this winter. Yet, what does this weather mean for the American population’s lifestyles? The extreme cold weather and massive amount of snowfall has impacted thousands across the nation. Schools are being forced to close for a record number of days and issues with transpiration are becoming more and more serious. About 5 billion dollars have been lost nationwide because of the weather. Airplane companies, who in total have had to cancel 20,000 flights since January 2nd, lost 50 to 100 million dollars alone. Overall, the polar vortex has produced major issues across America, Canada, and other places around the world. With record-setting cold temperatures, the vortex has caused thousands of transportation delays and cancelations, snows days, etc. In addition, the vortex has changed the meteorological composition of the world because of changes in the jet stream and a sudden stratospheric warming occurrence. So try to keep warm, because these cold temperatures are here to stay.
Maryland Mall Shooting Hannah Geldzahler Hearing about public shootings in the news has become way too familiar to everyone. So in the middle of January when another shooting was being reported on our TV screens, it was not surprising. Although it is never easy to see the horrific outcomes of shootings, it is important that the public is aware of what is going on. A shooting occurred at a popular mall in the heart of Maryland on January 25, 2014. The shooting resulted in the death of two mall employees, both under the age of 30. At 11:15 AM, the Howard County police were called when shots were first fired, and the victims were found on the upper level in a store called Zumiez.
Being a very popular mall, with over 200 shops, it was lucky that only two people were killed. When the police arrived, they tried to clear the mall of all shoppers, which was completed by 4pm; afterwards, they began to investigate. It was found that the shooter had been acting alone, and committed suicide after the event. In addition to the two fatal
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injuries, 5 people were treated at a nearby hospital for minor injuries. Although there have been much worse public shootings than this one, the incident should not be set on the back burner. It is crucial that American citizens are aware of the horrors that are going on amongst us. The fact that someone can just walk into a movie theater, or a mall, or a school and start shooting people is wrong, and Americans need to see that this is happening. Although some may watch the news and think this could never happen in their lives, it could. So if you are seeing what is happening in Maryland, or in Connecticut, it is important that you make a difference. Make people aware of what is going on. Watch the news with your family and friends, and talk to people about what is going on in the world. I hope that everyone is aware of the events that happened in Maryland and are continuing to keep themselves updated on current events.
Google Glass Devon Kaiser Google is designing new, innovative ways for technology in the future. The first step: Google Glass. Although they look like glasses, Google Glass is not for people who wear prescription eye glasses. Google Glass is a headset with a chip in it, virtually a hands-free smartphone. Developed by Google X, Google Glass was created in February 2013 and now, in 2014 it’s available for customers. Google Glass uses a display in the upper right corner of the glasses. With this app, it is possible to take a picture, take a video, look at the weather, and get directions by either using voice commands or touching the side of the headset. Google Glass uses a version of an Android so it is easier to use your phone with the headset and get apps. The headset is light, flexible, and durable. The glasses come in five different colors: charcoal, tangerine, shale, cotton, and sky. In addition to colors for Google Glass, there are also different styles. They are curve, thin, bold, and split. There is a rechargeable battery that lasts for approximately one day. It is also possible to hook up the headset to a Google Drive to download the pictures and videos that were taken. So far, there is only 12GB of storage, but that is hopefully going to change. (continued on page 6 bottom left)
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Super Bowl XLVIII Liz Todd For every dedicated football fan, the Super Bowl is the apogee of the season. The Super Bowl XLVIII was projected to be a clash for the history books! After a thrilling postseason battle, two teams came out on top: the Denver Broncos and the Seattle Seahawks. The Seattle Seahawks were coming off an amazing season, going 13 and 3 in the NFC West, a commendable achievement. Their defense, headed by the controversial Richard Sherman, was considered the best in all of the NFL, known as the self-proclaimed Legion of Boom! Their quarterback, Russell Wilson, was having a great season, stepping up in the pocket, utilizing the read option and more importantly controlling the long ball. Meanwhile, the Broncos had had an amazing season; quarterback, Peyton Manning, had recovered from a potentially career-ending neck surgery to throw an NFL record 55 touchdowns. The Broncos were averaging 37.1 points a game and looked to be unstoppable!
When Super Bowl XLVIII rolled around, avid fans knew they were in for an epic matchup! The odds were slightly in Seattle’s favor; the best defense and a very good quarterback had made them a threat to be reckoned with. They were a well-balanced and well-oiled machine that had few chinks in its amour. This combined with the indomitable spirit and their hunger to prove themselves made them the, albeit slight, favorite. However, the Broncos were also looking to be a formidable opponent. They were the nation’s best offense and were playing like it. Unfortunately, their defense was worn down and had suffered many season-ending injuries, most crushing being Von Miller’s ACL tear. (continued on page 11 right) There are many other companies that are making products similar to Google Glass. Apple, Microsoft, Sony, and Samsung are other competitors that Google has. All of these companies are working on their own versions of Google Glass. There is also much controversy over Google Glass. People are worried that customers will misuse the product. There is a huge question of privacy with the use of the glasses. Many people are uneasy with the possibility of taking pictures or videos without anyone knowing. Google has released information about how to tell when someone is taking a video through the device and has decided to remove some facial recognition apps. There is also speculation about the use of Google Glass. Already, one person has gotten arrested because they were distracted by their headset while driving. On the other hand though, Google Glass can help the government and police. One person filmed an arrest with his Google Glass which could help with jurisdictions.
Last year, when Google Glass was new and
only a select amount of people could get one, it cost over one-thousand dollars. Now, in January 2014 it was announced that Google Glass was adding prescription glasses that cost 225 dollars each. In the future, Google Glass hopes to make some improvements, like making the glasses lighter. Google is trying to team up with Ray Ban and other glasses companies so they can add sunglasses and lenses with the Google Glass headset. Google Glass will be available for the public in mid-2014. Although there are many controversies and speculation about Google Glass, one thing is for sure, this product is the start of a new technological change.
3D Printing Mike Petrilli Although it may seem fairly new, threedimensional printing has been around since the early 80s, when an MIT department called 3D Systems developed the process. Since then, three-dimensional
printing has grown, and the materials and processes used have changed. The general procedure of threedimensional printing is usually the same no matter what process is used. The first step is using CAD (computer aided design) software to create a three dimensional object. Popular CAD software includes Google’s SketchUp, SolidWorks, and Inventor. The next step is converting the 3-D model into an STL (standard tessellation language) format that describes the geometric area of the object. The STL format was created by 3D Systems in 1987 and is used by most 3-D printers today. Next, the machine pushes filament through nozzles to build the object. The filament binds to itself to create the layers, each 0.1 mm thick, that make up the object. This process can take hours or even days depending on the machine and the size of the object. The filament used is usually a polymer that binds to itself, but metals, glass, ceramics, food, and even human tissue have been used as printing “ink.” Once the printing is done, the object is ready to be used. The process 3D Systems used is called binder 3-D printing and uses two substances, a powder and a liquid, that bind to form the layers of the object. The substances are pushed through a nozzle that moves around building the object from the bottom up in a series of cross sections. Another approach called direct 3-D printing has a group of nozzles that move back and forth across the printer to form the object, much like 2-D printers. The difference is that in direct 3-D printing, the nozzles also move up and down. The problem with these methods is that they are too slow. Rapid prototyping uses multiple nozzles that work simultaneously, pushing out thick wax mixed with plastic polymers to create an object in the fastest time. Three-dimensional printing is growing rapidly, with many industries finding ways to use 3-D printing in their own fields. Most universities across the US have picked up on the trend and have their own 3-D printers on campus. The biggest use of 3-D printing is modeling and creating prototype parts. The aerospace industry is looking to build an entire wing from 3-D printing that will reduce the weight of the airplane and thus reduce the fuel usage. The automobile industry uses 3-D printing to quickly prototype new auto part designs. Currently, experiments are being performed to see if whole prosthetic body parts can be printed and used because they would be cheaper and
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more convenient than traditional prosthetics. A gun was successfully built and used from 3-D printed parts. Even a modeled kidney and a bionic ear were made from using human tissue and skin cells. The future of 3-D printing looks promising; but don’t be fooled, it comes with a cost. 3-D printing is expensive. It will cost around $1,500 for a small printer to $80,000 for a large precise printer. The filament isn’t cheap either, costing around $65 for a small spool to $800 for a gallon of liquid plastic. But do not fear, the popularity of 3-D printing means that prices are lowering as new companies come up with ways to make cheaper material for the printers. It is speculated that in ten years, most people will have a 3-D printer in their home. But until then, you might want to check out the closest campus to get a glimpse at one of the most promising inventions of the century.
The Grammys Martine Didomenico Many artists’ dream of winning a Grammy so they can feel like they have accomplished so much more than just writing a song or an album. On January 26, many artist’s dreams came true on this day. For Beyonce, being nominated for best rap song collaboration with her husband, Jay Z, was a huge award, even though they didn’t win, since it was the first time that they had ever been nominated for something together. Although they didn’t win, they were the opening act for the night which was spectacular, and adorable, but it did cause controversy since it was a little risque. When Macklemore was nominated for seven grammys and winning four of them, no one was genuinely surprised since he made numerous headlines in 2013. Another major winner was Justin Timberlake, who also won many in 2013. This year, Justin took home an award for best music video, best rap song collaboration, and best R&B song. With a highly talked about performance from Lorde and two awards being handed to her, she made headlines, as well. Her performance was described as “awkward”, “an exorcism”, etc. This performance presented a lot of occasional spazzing from Lorde which scared many viewers. For the fashion of the evening, the Grammy’s are always known to have artists’ dress much more eccentrically and not as classy as the Oscars or SAG awards, per se. Starting with Katy Perry, she wore a Valentine couture dress, with music notes bordering
the dress. Taylor Swift looked all grown up in a Gucci gown with her hair pulled back into a high ponytail and bold eye makeup. Madonna showed up in a Ralph Lauren suit with her matching adopted son. Not only did her masculine outfit catch many eyes, but her gold teeth did as well. Colbie Calliat didn’t stand out too much on the red carpet wearing a red lace dress that came up above her neck, but her flawless makeup was able to draw attention to her. For the men, Pharrallel Williams wore a tall fedora like hat with a track suit to fit the casual, yet strange, look. Daft Punk, the dymanic duo, came in sleek helmets that are shown in their very popular album from 2013: Random Access Memories. Miguel wore very shiny leather pants with shiny leather boots which definitely stood out compared to the rest of the men. Macklemore and Ryan Lewis clashed with Ryan wearing a light blue houndstooth suit and Macklemore wearing a teal velvet suit with tan loafers. Not only did they stand out on stage with their heart gushing performance of their famous and controversial song, Same Love, but their outfits on the red carpets also made loud statements.
Juan Pablo: The Worst Bachelor Disha Gupta In just under three months, Juan Pablo Galavis was able to enrage The Bachelor viewers all around the world. Juan Pablo, a former pro soccer player and the first Latino Bachelor, started off the show by being adored by fans across the nation. He was thought to be a sexy, romantic single father who was searching for a love that would last him a lifetime. But as the show progressed, Juan Pablo started to become known as ABC’s worst Bachelor ever. It all started off when he made an offensive comment about gay marriage. Juan Pablo had been
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asked at a network party if he thought it would be a good idea to have a gay or bisexual bachelor, to which he responded: “I don’t think it is a good example for kids to watch that on TV.” Obviously, this statement offended a majority of the shows viewers. Juan Pablo tried to apologize by explaining he wasn’t able to say what he really meant because of his language barrier, but the damage was done. So by the third episode of his season, he had already lost a number of his adoring fans.
love you,” to Nikki. At the end of it all, Juan Pablo left his viewers confused and outraged, and since the season ended he has been dubbed, “The Worst Bachelor” to date.
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Whether or not Juan Pablo is “The Worst Bachelor” ever, is a matter of opinion. But he did make a mockery of the entire Bachelor process and he managed to leave most, if not all, of his viewers thinking of him as an awful human being.
Sundance Film Festival Olivia Salama
Throughout the rest of the season he showed everyone that he is an unromantic, ignorant, narcissistic disappointment. Juan Pablo was never able to articulate his feelings; when the women would confess their love for him or tell him they felt sad and rejected, the only thing he was ever able to say was, “ess okay.” When Andi Dorfman, the new Bachelorette, told Juan Pablo that she “wasn’t in love” and that she “wasn’t going to be” any time soon, all Juan Pablo had to say was, “ess okay.” Of course Juan Pablo’s response to Andi enraged her, but it also made viewers realize that Juan Pablo never declared his feelings for any of the women. He barely asked the women about themselves, and if they ever brought up relationship issues he would change the subject immediately. Viewers regard Andi as the smartest contestant on this past season because she was able to see through Juan Pablo’s caring and sweet facade. By the time the season finale came around, Juan Pablo had already lost most of his fans; and nothing he did during the finale made his situation better. He managed to enrage whatever fans he had left by not proposing to Nikki Ferrell, the women he chose, and by never telling her that he loved her. Juan Pablo is the first person on the show who chose not to propose, and it shocked everyone, even the producers. But what was even more shocking was that he refused to say “I
The 2014 Sundance Film Festival began on January 16th and ended on January 26th. The festival mainly took place in Park City, Utah with other screenings in Salt Lake City, Ogden. This was the 30th anniversary of the Sundance Film Festival. This year’s festival was in honor of Roger Ebert, a famous film critic who died in April 2013. To honor Ebert, they premiered a film called Life Itself by Steve James. This was created off of Egbert’s 2011 biography called Life Itself: A Memoir. This year, they added a new category called Sundance Kids, with the intention of familiarizing the next generation with independent films. This is also the first category to contain kids’ movies. This year held the record for the most submitted films, which totaled to 12, 218. About 4, 057 feature-films were submitted: 2,014 came from the U.S and the rest of them (about 2,043) were international. There were 8,161 short films submitted and only about sixty-six were selected, which was 59 more than last year’s selection. Around fifty-four directors made their debut, thirty-five of which had submitted chosen films. Sixteen films were chosen for both the Dramatic and U.S Documentary, while twelve films were chosen for the
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World Cinema Dramatic and World Cinema Documentary sections. Since it was the festival’s 30th anniversary, the most popular and revolutionary films from the past 30 years were shown. These movies include: Beasts of the Southern Wild, Fruitvale Station, Little Miss Sunshine, An Education, Sex, Lies, and Videotape, Reservoir Dogs, The Cove, Hedwig and the Angry Itch, An Inconvenient Truth, Precious, and Napoleon Dynamite. Another perk was something called An Artist at the Table event, which was attended by many Festival board members, patrons, and celebrities, such as Mark Ruffalo, Katie Couric, and Doug Aitken. Another big part of this year’s festival was music, since many of the chosen films were musicals or had a lot of music in them. The first night, a movie called Whiplash premiered, which had to do with discovering human nature and uniqueness. Another popular musical that was premiered was called God Help the Girl, which was a coming of age musical drama. Many other movies were about musicians or music; some examples are Low Down, One Lovers Left Alive, Alive Inside: A Story of Music and Memory, Frank, 20,000 Days on Earth, and Rudderless. There were many awards given out for each category, generally split by a U.S film category and a world wide or foreign category. This year’s Sundance Film Festival was incredibly successful and will hopefully continue this way for years to come.
Violet Comes to Broadway Sandy Gooen Violet was an off-Broadway musical that premiered in 1997, starring Matilda’s Lauren Ward as the title character. Violet was composed by Jeanine Tesori (Shrek, Thoroughly Modern Millie, Caroline or Change, Fun Home) and written by Brian Crawley. It is based on Doris Betts’s story, “The Ugliest Pilgrim.” The story of Violet follows a young woman of the same name in 1964 as she goes on a spiritual journey from North Carolina to Oklahoma to heal her disfigured face. On her way, she meets two young soldiers, Flick and Monty, who both have feelings for her. Does she fall for Monty, who is superficial, or Flick, who is African-American (a stigma at the time),
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but is in love with her inner beauty? You’ll have to see the show to find out, but I must say, the story is an excellent model for the way things should be today.
The plot deals with self-esteem, race, and religious belief. This past summer, Encores! at City Center did a concert production starring Sutton Foster, and my camp, French Woods Festival of the Performing Arts, did a production starring a 16-year-old starin-the-making, Olivia Dei Cicchi. Both productions were incredibly successful and led to buzz of a revival. Ms. Foster is leading the production currently in its Washington DC tryout, with Broadway previews starting in March 2014. This tale of inner value is one that I think should be relatable for people in high school, because though not all differences are as visible as a face-splitting scar, they still mark us different. The juxtaposition between the racial discrimination in the South and Violet’s personal struggle is meant to share the idea that beauty is only skin deep. The bus ride itself is another crucial point in the story, as it symbolizes Violet’s ongoing journey. The first song on the bus, “On My Way,” starts out with Violet telling the woman sitting next to her that she wasn’t born with her scar, and that she wants to get rid of it by meeting a preacher that she had seen on television. We quickly see that the other passengers have dreams and journeys of their own. The lesson learned isn’t really that Violet loses her scar. There are some fans of the show that debate the scar may have completely healed before the show started and that it was all her imagination. Most can agree, though, that what Violet needs is higher selfesteem. As long as she feels ugly and damaged, she is. There is a quote that hits the hardest: “Act ugly, do ugly, be ugly.” What this quote means is that the ugliest people are those who think they’re ugly, and are also those who are ugly on the inside. In reality, Violet isn’t ugly; she has just experienced ugly things. I highly recommend this show to everyone. The music has a very soul/gospel/country background, and the show itself isn’t very long. I’ve already bought my ticket, so should you.
The Girl Who Fell From The Sky Ted Rosenthal Have you ever thought about skydiving? Ever wanted to get the rush of adrenaline while falling from thousands of feet in the air? Well, if you have considered it, you might want to think again. On Saturday, January 25, 2014, Mackenzie Wethington wanted to do something exciting for her sixteenth birthday. Falling under the category of things she would want to do was skydiving. It was supposed to be a fun filled day for her, but things went in the complete opposite direction. Mackenzie was given permission to skydive from her parents for her birthday. Her dad had previously promised to take her on this adventure when she turned sixteen. “It was her dream,” Mackenzie’s sister, Meagan said. Well, unfortunately this day was anything but a dream. After jumping out of the plane at approximately 3,500 feet in the air, Mackenzie was having the time of her life. That is, until her parachute failed to open when she tried to deploy it. She spun downwards to the ground, landing very harshly. She broke her vertebrae, lumbar in her lower back, a shoulder blade, several ribs, a tooth, shattered her pelvis, hurt her liver, and suffered from internal bleeding. Mackenzie was immediately rushed to an Oklahoma City hospital, where she was treated. Bob Swainson, the owner of Pegasus Air Sport, stated that Mackenzie’s parachute did open properly, but there was a malfunction. Mackenzie, however, believes that she is to blame. “She just thinks it was her fault because she couldn’t reach up and pull the chute,” Meagan said. Swainson also stated that Mackenzie did not follow the training on how to activate her secondary parachute, given to her before her jump. The Wethington family has hired an attorney to help them investigate the actual cause of the accident. Meagan has claimed that the parachute became tangled and failed to open properly during the jump. While the real cause is still being investigated, the family is extremely grateful that Macken-
zie is still alive.
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Mackenzie’s doctor, Dr. Bender, has said, “I don’t know the particulars of the accident, as I wasn’t there. But if she truly fell 3,000 feet, I have no idea how she survived.” It truly is a miracle that she lived through that gruesome fall. Whether you have already been skydiving or are planning to in the future, this story will send chills down your spine at the thought of it. While Mackenzie is alive and recovering, she will always be known as the girl who fell from the sky.
Fake Arrest Marriage Proposal Amanda Wu Most girls spend their childhood dreaming about the day they get married. The only day more romantic than the actual wedding day itself, is the day her boyfriend proposes. Many women expect some huge grand gesture where firecrackers are exploding in the background, bystanders are applauding for the happy couple, and a symphony is playing their song. As each year passes these gestures grow bigger and it gets harder for men to come up with an idea that will blow their girlfriends away. For a few years now marriage proposals have been published for other people to watch; there have been planned flash mobs and dance routines galore. However, there is a breaking point where these grand gestures just become some ridiculous antic such as Matt Van Vliet’s proposal to his girlfriend Samantha Labo. The couple are both twenty-two year olds and previously attended Colby-Sawyer College located in New London, New Hampshire. This couple’s story on how they met had pretty much reflected Vliet’s choice of proposal ideas. The two met freshmen year after being cleared of underage drinking that night. So to rehash the memory of how they first met, it was only natural for Vliet to want to incorporate the cops in a scheme to win over his girlfriend. The plan was set. Vliet and Labo were driving down to a big celebratory dinner party that night with their friends right before leaving town. A police car pulls up behind them with their dash cam catching all
the action. Blaring their lights, the cops stop the car and approach the nervous couple shaking in their boots. Labo was fearing what Vliet might have done wrong, while Vliet preys his proposal runs smoothly. The cops rudely ask the two if they would step out of the vehicle because there is “warrant” for Vliet’s arrest. Finally, the big moment comes as Vliet gets on one knee and says the four words every women can’t wait to hear, “will you marry me?” Suddenly a crowd of their closest friends come out applauding and cheering as Labo accepts her marriage proposal. It’s safe to say that Vliet’s marriage proposal gone viral is unlike any other marriage proposal video out there. (continued from page 6 top left) Gone was their key defensive player and with the offensive threat of returning Seahawk, Percy Harvin, it did not look good for the Broncos. The day of Super Bowl XLVIII dawned clear, and warmer than the projected freezing temperatures at MetLife Stadium in New Jersey. The game was on and the excitement was tangible in the in the air! Sadly, the game did not live up to its hype. The Broncos came out flat and on the very first snap of the game gave up a point safely in Seattle’s favor. This very play set the tone for the game and was the beginning of a 43-8 domination of the Broncos. The Seahawks played an amazing game, their defense made key blocks all game and completely shut down the Bronco’s offensive quadruple threat of Moreno, Thomas, Decker, and Welker. Montee Ball was also ineffective, unable to continue his stellar 4.7 rushing yard average per carry. To summarize Super Bowl XLVIII, the Seahawks played impeccable football. Rarely did they make a mistake and when they did, they hustled to right their error. They were more motivated than the Broncos, and it showed on the scoreboard. Much of this is a result of Malcolm Smith, the MVP of the game. He forced or was involved with two of Seattle’s three, game changing, turnovers. Percy Harvin had an amazing post-injury game and wowed the crowd with his fast feet and lightning returns. On the Bronco’s side, not much can be said; there wasn’t a whole lot of good, although
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be said; there wasn’t a whole lot of good, although one thing stood out. Demarius Thomas broke the record for most carries in a Super Bowl. He had 12 carries and one touchdown, a record for him but still not enough to lift the Broncos to victory. All in all, Seattle dominated the game and deserved to win; the Broncos played flat, and it was apparent that their heart wasn’t in it! What is apparent though, is that younger, more motivated teams are quickly proving that they can hold their own with the veterans and are more flamboyant polarizing in the close-minded football culture. Furthermore, the Legion of Boom is here to stay and should be an integral part of the Seahawks success next season!
Justin Bieber’s Valentine’s Day Court Date Max Burrows Recently Justin Bieber has been caught in a plethora of compromising situations concerning drugs, alcohol, and drag racing. This is a surprising change in the young pop star who recently turned nineteen years old. However, there have been signs that Bieber has been attempting to change his image from an innocent star to a more rebellious teenager. Recently he was caught drag racing a lamborghini while under the influence of Marijuana and alcohol. He was taken into police custody where he had his mugshot taken. Seemingly as a sign of rebellion, he smiled at the camera, almost mocking those who had him under arrest. These actions raise the question, is he a challenged star or a spoiled brat? Many speculate that the child star may have let the fame and attention go to his head. Many argue that his reckless behavior sets a bad example for teens who look up to him. There is an opposite reaction by others also, who believe that celebrities shouldn’t be placed on a pedestal, but treated like normal people. While neither of these views are certain, one thing is for sure: Bieber is, at the moment, following in the footsteps of Miley Cyrus. Miley was once a teen starlet that was the image of innocence. Over the past few years, however, her image has changed dramatically to become a much more raw, provocative figure. Miley may have changed enormously, but people must give her credit for her bangerz, they are money. With the
possibility of Justin going down this track of life, many are anticipating a new sound to Bieber, possibly containing some bangerz.