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Home , Against All Odds (2019), Charlie Manuel, Citizens Bank Park, Clearwater Threshers, Cody Asche, Drew Anderson (pitcher)

DELRAN HIGH SCHOOL The Bear Facts

result of having Monday the 14th off from have won their homecoming game. Homecoming 2013 school, there were only four spirit days as op- Saturday morning marked the last By Kacey Engel posed to the usual five. Tuesday was Color day of homecoming, but also the most highly What is the first thing that comes to Day; therefore Freshmen wore blue, Sopho- anticipated day of the week. Everyone in town mind when you hear the name, “Delran”? mores gathered on the streets of Delran at 11:00 a.m. Aside from our school mascot, the bear, most wore to watch the floats for each class parade to the people say it is the extravagant homecoming white, high school with the students dressed in cos- event that takes place each October. Students, Juniors tumes and passing candy to children. After teachers, administration, and alumni all look wore they arrived and were getting settled before forward to this tradition year round. This black, and presenta- year‟s homecoming took place during the Seniors tions were week of October 14th-19th. It kicked off with wore yel- to begin at the selection of the general theme, which low. approxi- turned out to be a literary/motion picture se- Wednesday was College Logo Day. Thursday mately ries, and from there each class‟s student coun- was Theme Day where each class dressed in 12:00 p.m., cil chose a particular costumes appropriate for their theme, homecom- theme within that and Friday was Freaky Friday for the ing King category. This underclassmen and Toga Day for the Troy Ma- year‟s Freshman Seniors. Also taking place on Friday rino and Queen Kelsey Goodwin accepted class chose “Star afternoon was the pep rally. Each their crowns. All smiles, they posed for a Wars,” the Sopho- class got fired up and full of school quick picture and then dashed off to change mores chose “Back spirit to compete head-to-head in into costume for their skit. Shortly after, each to the Future,” the charity races, games, and show just class descended upon the field, beginning with Juniors chose how loud and full the Freshmen, and everyone joined “Shrek,” and the of spirit they could in the singing of the Alma Mater. Seniors chose “Toy Story”. After everything be. All of these activities Students continued to wow the had been officially settled, each class met at were scored and the points crowd with a dance that told a sto- their designated work site within the town and counted towards the tally to ry related to their movie. Once initiated the building of a float, choreo- find the overall winner of each class had finished, everyone graphing a skit presentation, and working on the pep rally. The gym was anxiously awaited for the judges to various other components to be competitively filled with boisterous cheer- announce the winners of each cate- scored throughout the week, such as hallway ing and chants that were gory for the week. When seniors banner, parade banner, and spirit strategies for created by each of the classes. Newer teachers were declared the overall winners of - pep rally. on staff were amazed at just how wild and full coming 2013, the field erupted with cheerful During the school week, each day of energy their students could actually be at screams and even some tears from some stu- was assigned a different clothing theme. Stu- school. Later that night was the annual home- dents who were sad to see it end for the last dents who participated were counted in their coming football game, which had been re- time. grade level homerooms, and whichever class scheduled from the normal Saturday after- Homecoming 2013 was as successful had the most points won for that day. As a noon. It was another category in Spirit Week, as ever, and most DHS students can hardly measured by wait until next year‟s festivities begin all over FRESHMEN SOPHOMORES JUNIORS SENIORS which class had again.

th nd rd st the greatest at- SPIRIT WEEK 4 Place 2 Place 3 Place 1 Place tendance at the INSIDE THIS ISSUE: PEP RALLY 4th Place 2nd Place 3rd Place 1st Place game, so the stands were FLOAT 4th Place 3rd Place 2nd Place 1st Place packed. The game News 2-3 was held at 7:00 th rd nd st SKIT 4 Place 3 Place 2 Place 1 Place p.m. and the Bears Features 4-6 rd th rd nd dominated the HALLWAY BANNER 3 Place 4 Place 3 Place 2 Place field against Flor- Sports 7-12 ence with a final rd nd th st PARADE BANNER 3 Place 2 Place 4 Place 1 Place score of 27-2. The Op-Eds 13-15 team and crowd FOOTBALL GAME 1st Place 2nd Place 3rd Place 4th Place were ecstatic to Advertisements 16 ATTENDANCE DELRAN HIGH SCHOOL The Bear Facts

The Government Shutdown istration stated that a private charity would Amendment which prevents Congress from pick up the costs and payments for military changing its own pay. By Fiona McLoughlin families during the shutdown. Many service members also take college courses during off- The government shutdown ended on The government shutdown that began duty hours, but the military has also stopped October 16, 2013, and many people were very on October 1, 2013, and ended on October providing tuition assistance to these men and grateful for it reopening. Jobs resumed and 16,2013, in Washington D.C., left many peo- women. As a result, these service members benefits began being paid again. This shut- ple in difficult situations. Problems ranging who are seeking an education have no way of down flipped many people‟s worlds upside from small business loans not being paid out paying for it. down by changing what they had once ex- and passport requests not being processed, left pected and depended on. Thankfully for most, people helpless without ideas about what to Along with these veterans and mili- things have once again gone back to normal. do. Millions of people were affected by the tary families, more that 800,000 federal work- shutdown, but veterans and military families ers‟ paychecks were in jeopardy. While all were hit the hardest. these people were not receiving paychecks and their promised death The shutdown of the government benefits, President prohibited these dedicated citizens from being Obama was still collect- able to do many things that they were able to ing the 400,000 dollars do before and kept them from certain benefits he receives because it is that had been promised to them. While the considered “mandatory shutdown was in effect, the Defense Depart- spending.” Along with ment didn‟t have the power to pay death bene- the president, Congress fits to the families of service members killed also continued to receive in action. Furthermore, they weren‟t able to their paychecks. Their fly family members out to funerals or provide continued paycheck is money to plan the funeral. The Obama admin- protected by the 27th

The TPP Crisis only five of the twenty-nine chapters of the that if these changes came into effect, future agreement are related to trade. advancement of the Internet would be diffi- By Zoria Wood cult to achieve. As reported by eff.com, the TPP Government leaders from across the threatens to criminalize standard online ac- Under the TPP, food safety could world, including Barack Obama, were sched- tivity such as blogging or the use of social change as well. Food that doesn‟t meet our uled to meet in early October to discuss the networking sites. Copyright laws would ex- country‟s food safety qualifications could be Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP). This free- tend so that copyrighted images or any other transferred to the U.S. for consumption. As trade agreement is currently in the process of type of media used for only a small amount stated by alternet.org, trade expansion could being finalized. Obama of time, increase the importation of tainted seafood, wasn‟t able to attend the without chicken, and beef. meeting held in Indone- the per- sia due to the shutdown, mission of Although more than 100,000 people but his absence didn‟t the person have shown that they‟re against this by sign- prevent the deal from it original- ing petitions online, any resistance at this further progressing. The ly came point might be futile. The TPP is being fast- TPP is a prodigiously from, tracked; meaning Congress members will secretive trade agreement would be have to vote on the agreement without any that‟s being contracted considered chance of discussing it with fellow members. by representatives from a violation. With such urgency, the TPP may very well the following twelve People be completed by the end of October. If so, countries: Australia, Bru- have used the Internet we‟ve grown so accustomed to, nei, Canada, Japan, Chile, Malaysia, New content from the web harmlessly for years, along with the quality of our food, could be Zealand, Peru, Singapore, Mexico, Vietnam, making this new proposition somewhat unre- subject to drastic changes. and the . The agreement re- alistic. Government officials would be able mains so secretive that not even members of to legally force Internet service providers to Congress have a concrete idea of the topics release a person‟s confidential information if being discussed. In fact, the only information they‟re accused of copyright infringement. being released to the public are from leaked Internet content could be taken down or even documents that prove the TPP is about more whole websites altogether, and the risk of than just international trade. Ac- being fined would also heighten. Some argue cording to democracynow.org, Page 2 DELRAN HIGH SCHOOL The Bear Facts

Seaside Boardwalk Fire southeast fueled the flames and allowed year in order to recover from Super- them to consume approximately nine- storm Sandy. Ten million dollars is ex- By Emily Duff teen structures in the first fifteen pected from the state and insurance A Hurricane Sandy-damaged minutes. Less than an hour later, a con- companies in order to reconstruct both boardwalk was faced with yet another dominium development was engulfed the businesses and boardwalk. and many inland homes and businesses devastating tragedy on September 12th, Seaside is now in the process of were threatened by the fire. About 400 2013, as a massive fire tore through four recovery, but no one will ever be able to firefighters were called to the scene blocks in two different towns. The forget the horrific events that have oc- from thirty different towns throughout boardwalk curred to this area in this past year. Ocean County. It blaze spread However, many are looking at the fire as was not until through Sea- a blessing in disguise. Owner of the eight o‟clock side Heights iconic Funtown Pier, whose roller coast- that night that and Seaside er could be seen washed out to sea after the inferno ap- Park, de- Sandy, is optimistic about the recreation peared to be stroying of the amusement park. “We want to contained, but over fifty keep in character with what we had, just this was no easy businesses better,” Bill Major explains to NJ.com that were task. A fifty foot still in the trench had to be The businesses in Seaside process of created and new- Heights and Seaside Park can never ful- recovering ly- constructed ly recover the image and character they from the Su- boardwalk was once had, but they will now have a clean perstorm that majorly impacted this area forced to be removed. “It breaks your slate to improve. less than a year ago. The fire began mid- heart. Everything along the Boardwalk day at a Kohr‟s Frozen Custard stand was closed. We were just happy due to faulty wiring. However, Sandy to be open this summer and have still appears to be the cause of Seaside‟s some business. We were all problems. Due to the flooding in the ar- struggling this summer,” re- ea a year ago, water damage caused marked local businessman Mi- wires to spark in the ice cream shop, chael Popek to the New York leading to many blocks to going up in Times. flames. Another $4.7 million has It‟s astonishing to witness how been granted for the demolition much devastation can occur in as short and removal of the remains of as eight hours. Strong winds from the the boardwalk after over eight million dollars was given last

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Looking Forward watches. These devices allow the user to live the fantasy of how communicator watches have been used in fictional media. By Sam Taylor The most famous of the Smartwatches is the Samsung Galaxy Gear, which provides the user with a picture and video cam- Technological advances have had a huge cultural im- era, as well as a touch screen that can tell the time, make calls, pact in recent years. More than ever, teens and adults alike schedule events, and use social media. The Gear has received have begun embracing technology as a part of their lives and, mixed reviews as excessive, and not necessary. Boston Globe often, are depending on devices in their personal lives and writer Hiawatha Bray, reviewed the Gear and said, “… the work. In our own high school we‟ve seen technology in the Gear will never play a major role in anybody‟s life; its just not form of cell phones go from taboo to something welcomed in very useful.” The Samsung Galaxy Note III (which is the only the classroom for activities when permitted by the teachers. phone compatible to the watch, and must be purchased to use Not only has it become a part of some lessons but many teach- it, produces the same features and more on a faster processor ers are also beginning to use programs like Edmodo to give with a better camera. However, with more and more compa- assignments and receive feedback from students. Outside of nies making products like this (Apple is currently working on school, technology for recreational use continues to expand a wristwatch-like device that can perform tasks similar to the past its already wide borders. iPhone, according to TechRadar.com) it seems that the Smart- Our craving for having more technology integrated watch may be here to stay and join our personal arsenals of into our lives has also led to new products being designed to gadgets. address our needs. Two new products, Next-Generation Con- It is said that the best kind of technology can blend soles like the PS4 and XBOX One, are set to launch soon and into our daily lives without our even knowing it. Our current will feature more than just video games. Theses consoles are day infatuation with technology cannot possibly be described to be full-fledged entertainment systems. From socializing and any better, as everyday we grow more and more attached exercise, to TV and Internet, these consoles have truly multi- without even knowing it. ple uses, that are all very appealing to anyone from novice consumer to dedicated gamer. Another intriguing item on the market are Smart-

Seal Team Six: The Brave and Nonexistent By Chris Matera When a person hears the words Seal Team Six they often think of the men who risked their lives to eradicate the most wanted ter- rorist in the world at the time, Osama Bin Laden. Bin Laden, the founder of al-Qaeda, was responsible for the 9/11 attacks on the Twin Tow- ers, the attacks on the Pentagon, and the planned attack targeting the Capitol Building which ended in a plane crashing in after American civilian heroes stepped in. The team put a ten -year manhunt to an abrupt end. Little is known about how the team was formed, how a person gets inducted into the team, or what other roles they have played in military actions. Many people don't understand what these patriots do to protect our country day in and day out. Seal Team Six was created in response to the 1979 Iran hostage crisis. On November 4, 1979, Iranian militants stormed the United States Embassy in Tehran and took approximately seventy Americans captive. Richard Marcinko was Joint Chief of Staff of a terrorist action team during the hostage crisis. A decision was made by the United States Navy to create a full time Counter Terrorist Unit and Marcinko was made in charge of the design and development. Richard Marcinko named this new unit “Mobility Six,” which was later renamed “Seal Team Six.” The name Seal Team Six itself was a trick. In reality, there were only two other units like the team at the time, but it was used to confuse Soviet enemies about just how many task forces were out there. Today, there is no current Seal Team Six. It was disbanded in 1989 and then Devgru, otherwise known as The United States Naval Special Warfare Development Group, was formed to carry out the same duties, however it is still called Seal C Team Six by the media. Team Six gets their recruits from other Seal teams and the CIA recruits from them. The team has five levels of members ranging in level of expertise. Officially there is no team and people that have done work are not allowed to talk about anything they have seen or heard about the group. Globalpost.com reported that when a former Navy SEAL was called for a comment about Team Six all the could say was: "You know I'd love help you out man, but I can't say a word about Team Six. There is no Team Six.” Seal Team Six may not “officially” exist and we may not know exactly what they do every day, but all you have to know is that they risk their lives for this great country and deserve the highest amount of recognition, but do not demand it. These people are true patriots.

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to the Caribbean, notably Haiti. This is where Ops Zombies mode. An event popular among Zombies; From Brains to Big Screens a more modern concept of the undead creature zombie enthusiasts is the “zombie run.” The By Cameron Cascio would develop. Rather than being seen as an victim (the runner) participates in a nighttime accepted tradition among people, it evolved to trot that includes dodging undead hordes of The plague is coming. It may not indicate a darker art. At this time the religion flesh-eating zombies who are craving their arrive today, perhaps not tomorrow, but soon changed the name from Vodou, to a body to suppress their hunger. In it will be upon us all. It‟s so vile; not even more phonetically spelled Voodoo. reality, the zombies are fellow enthu- death can save you, for death only infects you. During this period, classic characteris- siasts painted like the undead whose This terror-inducing apocalypse has been a tics of zombies also developed. The job is to stop you from completing staple in pop culture during recent years and purpose of these new zombies was to the race, usually a 5k. In addition to has spawned numerous successful franchises rise from the grave in order to feed on these zombie-themed running races, such as, The Walking Dead, Left for Dead and live humans and sustain themselves media has significantly been impact- The Last of Us. The term „„zombie‟‟ has and to propagate their race. The char- ed by the age-old undead creatures. evolved throughout the acterization of these creatures changed into More recently, the latest zombie movie hit, years, and they‟ve never the classic “hand reaching out of the grave” “World War Z,” starring Brad Pitt has grossed been as hungry as they are depiction shown in movies. 500 million dollars when it was released ac- now. cording to deadline.com. In comparison, ac- Throughout the past few decades, cording to the-numbers.com, “Night of the The origin of zom- the zombie genre has grown to be a popular bies can be traced back to Living Dead” grossed nearly 12 million dol- topic of interest amongst many teens and lars at the time of its release. Furthermore, Africa, circa the 17th centu- young adults. Zombies hit mainstream me- ry. The creature was in- AMC's popular zombie-themed series, The dia in 1968 with the release of George A. Walking Dead, averages approximately 12.3 spired by the Voodoo reli- Romero‟s classic horror film, “Night of The gion through the practice of resurrecting the million viewers every Sunday evening, ac- Living Dead.” The depiction of these creatures cording to deadline.com dead. Originally named “zombi”, they were as being flesh-eating corpses originated in this supposedly controlled by a witch doctor in a movie. The black and white film was based on The zombie apocalypse is upon us local village. A zombi possessed no soul, and a plot that centered on zombies who came and while there are many doomsday prep- was instead an empty vessel, as it was be- back from the dead to eat and kill humans. pers attempting to ready themselves for sur- lieved that God had taken the soul once the These creatures are also depicted in popular person died. vival, there are only few that will survive. A video games. “Zombies are the blue collared few tips on how to survive this madness: During the years of the slave trade, monsters of our century and in our horror trust no one, stay hydrated, and always aims the belief of the existence of zombies spread movies,” stated Romero in Call of Duty: Black for the brain. Top Jobs By Joe Verratti Ever since you were young, a question has loomed over you. There is no right or wrong answer, yet it defines you as a person. Throughout your growth, it has evolved alongside of you and will continue to do so until you finally answer the ques- tion: What do you want to be when you grow up? By this point, you may have already considered what your future profession may be, but have you ever wondered where your dream job ranks among the top jobs in America? Currently, according to usnews.com, the top profession in the United States is dentistry. There are currently 27,600 jobs in the field of dentis- try, and this number is projected to grow 21.6% by the year 2020. The current starting salary in the field is $74,490, with the potential to make up to $188,000. The current unemployment rate is under 1%. Second to the field of dentistry is becoming a registered nurse. There are currently 711,900 jobs in the field and it is projected to grow 26% by 2020. Though the unemployment rate is currently 2%, the number of jobs in the field is so high that the number currently out of work is relatively small in comparison, 14,238. Although the starting salary for registered nurses is relatively low at $44,970, the profession has the potential to generate as much as $96,630 per year. Finishing the list of top jobs in America is that of a pharmacist. Currently there are 69,700 jobs available in the field and is projected to grow at least 25.4% by 2020. The starting salary is a whopping $84,490 and can reach $144,090 after years of experience. Currently unemployment is at 3.1%, which is why this profession ranks third in the top jobs list. It‟s time to be blunt. While the jobs above are solid professions, you will not be making an overall breathtaking amount of money. The jobs above are based on various qualities, focusing more on availability of jobs, projected field growth and unemployment rate rather than the amount of income generated. However, according to Forbes.com, an anesthesiologist is paid the most money for his or her services in the nation. The starting salary in the field is about $257,690, with the potential to generate as much as $427,830 a year. The current median salary, accord- ing to salary.com, is $344,930. However, there are few available jobs in the field, approximately 35,000, which is why the profes- sion did not make the list. In comparison, the average person working at minimum wage, $7.25, will make approximately $14,500 per year, prior to taxation. The medical field is dominating the top job spots in America. However, this should not discourage you from selecting a different profession. A job is tailored to an individual and should not be selected based primarily on the views of an article. As Confucius once said, “Choose a job you love, and you‟ll never have to work a day in your life.” Page 5 DELRAN HIGH SCHOOL The Bear Facts

National Honor Society ra Belin, Brian Berkoff, Tyler Burell, 2,632 consecutive games, a record in the Parika Chauhan, Denny Chung, Megan sport. Ripken covered playoff By Mike Wszolek Deschaine, Shelby Dukes, Darren Fera, this past postseason as a broadcaster for Being inducted into the National Courtney Fitzpatrick, Gena Gizzi, Maris- TBS. Who can forget Meryl Streep? Honor Society is one of the most prestig- sa Green, Mackenzie Groark, Amelia Streep is also a member, as well as one of ious awards given to high school students Groman, Jared Hamlin, Miguel Isaga, the most talented actresses of our time. for high academic success and achieve- Connor Johnson, Joshua Johnson, Mark Streep has won three Academy Awards as ment in the catego- well as eight Golden Globe Awards. ries of scholarship, Gloria Estefan is also another National leadership, charac- Honor Society member. Estefan has sold ter, and service in over thirty-one million albums in the their community. United States but the total number of al- bums sold is over one hundred million. The society Last but not least, Diane Sawyer is also a was established member of the National Honor Society. over ninety years Sawyer was a co-anchor on Good Morn- ago and acceptance ing America for over ten years. She cur- is a rite of passage rently works for ABC hosting World considering the many requirements. Jukic, Morgan Kaelin, Roger Lambersky, News Tonight. First, the high school student needs to Christina Leib, Ryan Marrazzo, Robin have a grade point average of 4.3 or McAnally, Angela McGraw, Shiv Patel, Working hard gets people far in equivalent to a point average of eighty Tristan Rafanello, Rachel Sharpley, Mark life, as does volunteering. Scholarship, five percent. A student who fits this cate- Tattory, and Gloria Wowolo. character, and leadership also play a big gory can receive an application packet part in being a member of the National The junior inductees from Delran and fill it out in order to be considered for Honor Society. As James Monroe once include Diana Almeida, Nicholas Bishop, acceptance. The application is reviewed said, “National honor is the national prop- Ryan Bogie, Samantha Booth, Joseph by a National Honor Society acceptance erty of the highest value.” Codispoti, Nicole DeLizzio, Ian Graham, committee at the student‟s high school. Shane Doherty, Thomas Flanagan, Col- These categories include: past experience leen, Grzyminski, Kaitlyn Hancock, Troy in a leadership position, service or volun- Hunter, Blaine Kendall, NajdaKljuco, teer hours in school as well as outside of Jada Lamptey, Mallory Larkin, Jessica school, previous work history, and Larson, Kara Leclair, Sarah Loring, Aly- awards received while in high school. son Magann, Alyson March, Jillian Nark, The decision is then made by the commit- Thomas O‟Donnell, Kelsey Prem, Aman- tee in the school. da Ralff, Diego Rojas, Brennan Ryan, On October 10, 2013, Delran Mark Schneider, Ellie Segan, Lauren High School held its thirty-seventh Na- Williams, Amanda Workman, Michael tional Honor Society ceremony at the Per- Wszolek, and Kevin Zataveski. forming Arts Center. Each inductee was Many well known celebrities introduced alphabetically and his or her have been inducted into the National accomplishments were read aloud to par- Honor Society. Troy Aikman was induct- ents, family, and friends. Following the ed into the National Honor Society. Ai- ceremony, a dinner was hosted by the kman played for the Cowboys Board of Education for senior members from 1989-2000. Another famous Na- as well as the new junior inductees. The tional Honor Society member is Katie new inductees had the opportunity to Couric. Couric currently hosts her own bring a favorite teacher who had a posi- television show on channel six where she tive influence in their academic success in discusses current day issues often with the Delran school system. The teachers in guest speakers. In addition to Aikman attendance ranged from kindergarten and Couric, Cal Ripken Jr. is another fa- teachers to retired favorites. mous National Honor Society Inductee. The senior members from Delran Ripken Jr. played in the MLB for twenty- High School include Paige Bartello, Cier- one years, and is famous for playing

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new head , Jason Kidd, who was are some teams in the west that we will NBA Season Preview known as the franchise‟s best player be watching all year, as they are major By Sam Taylor ever. Although Kidd was a vocal lead- threats to win the title. These include The start to the 2013-2014 er, playmaker, and coach on the court the San Antonio Spurs who reached the NBA season is almost upon us along in his playing days, there are concerns finals last year and took the Heat to with the storylines it includes. This about the forty year old's experience seven games. There is also the young year‟s season is certainly going to be due to the fact that just last season he and talented Golden State Warriors one to remember as its been talked was on the court as a player. Then, af- who feature the newly acquired Andre about since the end of last year. The ter the Nets there is the annual threat of Iguodala. The Los Angeles Clippers situations that oc- the New York look to be the best team heading in the cur this season Knicks who walk Western Conference as they feature the could have long- the line between same stars from last year along with term implications elite and medio- veterans J.J. Reddick and Jared Dudley. on the NBA for cre. This year the Along with these new players is a new seasons to come. organization head coach, NBA Champion and should feel some Coach of the Year, Doc Rivers, who As Miami pressure to win has the task of getting the consistent Heat begins their as Carmelo An- dominance the Clippers have been NBA title defense, thony has stated lacking. their first hurdle he wants to be a There is no lack of excitement will be improving free agent, which for this year. There are many stories to from last season. means there‟s a They were ex- follow whether or not they concern possibly he your favorite team, but it is sure to be posed many times might leave the exciting. throughout the Knicks if they playoffs as weak have another ear- on the interior ly playoff exit. against teams with However, the better big men team that down low. They many thankfully had think to LeBron James carry the team on his be the number one threat to the back as fellow teammates Dwayne Heat is the Chicago Bulls, who Wade and Chris Bosh faced problems made some noise last season with injuries and poor shooting. Greg with a mostly injured roster. Oden was brought in to help their inte- Now all their players will return, rior defense and rebounding, but after including the former MVP, Der- years of injuries many wonder what rick Rose. version of the twenty-five year old we will see, rejuvenated and ready or a In the Western Confer- liability due to injury concern. The ence there is also a story of res- Heat will also face new competition in urrection as the Lakers are de- the East, like the conference runner-up pending on a Kobe Bryant re- Indiana Pacers, who will feature new turn soon enough to keep them faces such as Luis Scola, CJ Watson in the playoff picture. Along and Danny Granger, who will return with them is the Oklahoma City from injury. The Brooklyn Nets was Thunder. The team is waiting on the most talked about team all summer the return of Russell Westbrook, who after the acquisition of future Hall of was injured in a playoff game last year. Famers Paul Pierce, Kevin Garnett, and Thunder fans are hoping he comes back Jason Terry. The Nets will also boast a to avoid another semifinals exit. There

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Talks Around Michael Jordan’s according to tucky guard. Potential Comeback www.bleacherreport.com, NBA Ana- This lead to an uproar at the lyst Jalen Rose has predicted that with Jordan vs. LeBron match-up and a By RJ Guarino his trash-talk and work ethic, the leg- heated debate about which superstar is end will make a one game comeback As a young child, many are superior between the two after Jordan told to live life without regrets. For to the NBA with talked about all of his Bobcats. An- Hall of Fame guard Michael Jordan, the NBA stars other analyst, Hor- could it be too late to regret retiring? he‟d want to play ace Grant, wrote The fifty-year old “Best Player of All- against, saying at Time” has been surrounded by come- an article saying the end, “I don‟t that in today‟s back talks after he trash-talked other think I‟d lose, NBA, vintage MJ NBA players when being interviewed other than to Ko- could score forty- during the release of the new video be Bryant because five points per game, NBA 2K14. On October 29th, a he steals all of my game, while the new season dawned on the team he moves.” In fact, average number owns, the Charlotte Bobcats, who a the pandemonium one scoring title few seasons ago broke the record for has grown so in- winner would av- the worst record in NBA history with tense that it led to a record of 7-59 erage around thir- a stabbing at a ty points per (www.nbauniverse.com). Although it Ba‟Runi Hotel & may seem preposterous to even think game. Grille in Pitts- of it, there have been many rumors A few burgh, Pennsylva- about the legend‟s comeback to the years ago, MJ‟s nia, between two NBA to show that he still has the skills Bobcats drafted arguers, accord- to play at a competitive level against Kentucky guard Michael Kidd- ing to www.slamonline.com. today‟s best superstars. Gilchrist with the 2nd overall pick in Michael Jordan has proven to the NBA draft. While While many that age isn‟t an issue. He could many question many may think be compared to the “Uncle Drew” Michael‟s ability to go that a person at character in Kyrie Irving‟s Pepsi com- one-on-one against the the age of fifty mercials. The character, “Uncle wouldn‟t be good quickest players in the Drew,” arrives at the court, appearing league at age fifty, competition to be a weathered, elderly man who Jordan decided to take against the agile can barely keep his balance. However, on Kidd-Gilchrist in a twenty-year-old he is soon called into a pick-up game rookies of the one-on-one during against young teens. While the teens practice. Rising to the league, there are judge him due to his age, “Uncle occasion, Jordan took some things be- Drew” then makes the young ones eat on the nineteen-year- yond his age that their words as he embarrasses them old defensive phenom people may over- with his skills while being disguised as and obliterated look about Jor- a helpless elder. Similarly, Jordan has Gilchrist in the pro- dan‟s potential shown many that paying attention to cess, according to comeback. Jor- your health can do wonderful things NBA Universe. Alt- dan wants to for a person, as he continues to amaze achieve his play- hough MKG is a very the world with some of his athletic limited offensive player, he excels on ing weight by working out and playing feats. The six-time NBA Champion the defensive side of his game, and his the sport he loves and has been mak- will be very unlikely to lace „em up performance proved that MJ still has ing appearances at practice for a few this year, but his actions have sports years now. Although it is Jordan‟s de- some moves in order for him to get enthusiasts thinking to themselves, past the 6‟7, 232 pound, prized Ken- cision whether he wants to play or not, “Just maybe.”

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believes, “A successful wrestler must have discipline, heart, and

A Peek at Winter Sports determination. There are only 25-35 people that go out for wrestling By Katie Hearn each year. This number is a lot lower than the numbers that go out for other sports. You‟re beating yourself up every day. You are Winter sports season is right around the corner, and many watching your weight, watching what you eat, watching what you teams have begun preparing for some heated competition! drink; it‟s not for everybody.” The Boys team has lost many outstanding play- The team may have lost senior Captain Bobby Fisher last year, but ers due to graduation, but also gained many new promising pro- that's not going to stop them anytime soon. Mr. Marter said, “There spects. Mr. Frisella is now the JV coach of the boy's basketball team, and Mr. Adams is now the freshman coach. “Both coaches bring are many returning varsity athletes that we‟re looking at to make a knowledge to the courts and that helps the program a lot,” head big impact, as well as quite a few newcomers who we‟re looking for coach Mr. Harding states. Mr. Harding is ready for a great season big things out of.”Mr. Marter states, “I‟m looking forward to the and wants to make the basketball playoffs. All three coaches explain opportunity to continue to build upon the tradition of Delran wres- that they enjoy teaching outside tling.” He is only one of two head coaches in Delran history. He was the classroom and love seeing the the second coach after Mr. Dennis Smith. Mr. Smith was the head students improve their game coach from ‟75-‟13, Mr. Marter states, “There‟s a winning tradition throughout the season. Coach Ad- at Delran. They‟ve only had two losing seasons in thirty-eight ams has specific goals for this season. He hopes to teach kids the years.” Delran wrestlers are looking towards winning season, espe- fundamentals of basketball, pre- cially against their rival, Cinnaminson. With hard work, discipline, pare players to be able to play at and respect, the wrestlers are in for an outstanding season. Junior Varsity and Varsity level, Mr. Romanik, a physics teacher at Delran High School and and, of course, to have fun! All of coach of the bowling team, is prepared for another fun bowling sea- the basketball teams have serious son. They‟re about twenty boys and girls who compete on the Delran rivalry with Holy Cross High High School bowling team. The bowling team‟s biggest rival is Cin- School, as well as Cinnaminson naminson High School, and they are looking forward to meeting High School. Go get 'em boys! them on the lanes this year for some tough competition. Mr. Roman- The girl‟s basketball sea- ik enjoys teaching kids who have never bowled before how to play son is starting up quickly. Mr. the game. He states, “When they‟re done with high school, they may Miles, the girl's basketball coach, is excited to start the season. As never play football again, but they will bowl.” Good luck this season you may already know, Alliyah Murray graduated from DHS last Bears! year. She was a huge asset to the girl's basketball team scoring an The Delran swim team is diving into the season with a average of twenty points or more per game. Coach Miles stated, splash! Mr. Cristella is the head coach and Mrs. McGonigle, a lan- “The whole team will need to step up, on stealing, rebounds, and guage arts teacher at Delran Middle School, is the assistant coach. shooting in general.” They have lost a great player but still have a Mrs. McGonigle states, “Motivation comes from the swimmer's ex- powerful team. The girls‟ basketball team has the same rivals as the citement, watching a swimmer improve in their technique and me- boys, Holy Cross High School and Cinnaminson High School. “I chanics, seeing a swimmer drop time and excel in the sport. Swim- enjoy teaching the students outside the classroom; I love seeing them ming is an individual sport, as well as a sport that requires team improve on the courts; and, overall, it‟s just a great experience,” work. Swimmers are developing everlasting friendships, supporting Coach Miles told us. This season is going to be interesting; let's see one another and working together to achieve victory.” The swim what our girls are made of! team has strong competition this year, and, as always, their biggest Our Delran High School cheerleaders are looking forward rivals are Cinnaminson and Holy Cross. “Both of these schools pro- to a competitive and fun season. Mrs. Olah, a Delran High School vide strong competition,” Mrs. McGonigle informed us. Similar to special education teacher, and coach of Delran High School cheer- the basketball team, the swim team lost many valuable seniors last leading, reported, “My goals for this season are the same as every year due to graduation, but Mrs. McGonigle reassures us, ““This year: to challenge and encourage my squad to do the very best that year, we have a solid group of seniors. This year‟s proves to be a they can do,” Mrs. Olah says, “Regional competitions (UCA, NCA) positive, competitive year for Delran High School Swimming.” are always the most fun.” She loves seeing the girls get excited for Good luck swimmers! competition. Cheerleading is a huge part of the Delran High Every sport requires an athlete‟s time, effort and School sprit; they bring out the best in us. Mrs. Olah looks dedication. It is a huge commitment and students work very forward to seeing her girls improve in tumbling. She is hard to compete at a competitive level. Be sure to check out ready for a great season. Good luck, ladies. our fine teams and cheer them on to victory. Go Bears! The wrestling team is looking forward to another competitive season in 2013-2014. Mr. Marter explains that it takes a special type of person to go out for the sport. He Page 9 DELRAN HIGH SCHOOL The Bear Facts

eron Rupp as he was the 57th Blueclaw to go Biddle stated that his favorite game was Take Me Out to the Ballgame “From the Shore to the Show.” This means that the start right after his sixteen perfor- By Mike Wszolek fifty-seven players that appeared on the Blueclaws mance. On April 28, 2013, Biddle went six in- roster at one time in their career have played at nings giving up one hit, no runs, three walks, ten This song can be heard by fans during least one game. Pitching and throwing ninety-three pitches (fifty- the seventh stretch at most ballgames in was definitely the biggest problem for the Claws nine for strikes). Reading won the ballgame in North America. In addition to the seventh inning by far in 2013. Miguel Nunez was Lakewood‟s twelve after the New Hampshire Fisher stretch, every fan loves to see their team win the best and had an ERA of 4.22, leading the Cats scored one in the top of the twelfth. game in the ninth inning. This year was tough for team. In addition to his ERA, he posted a record many Phillies fans to watch his or her own team, of ten wins, eight losses, and a total of eighty Biddle commented on the game and said as well as the teams in their farm system- the mi- strikeouts. it was “really a great game.” nor league teams for the Phillies. The Phillies Biddle had to overcome adversity minor league teams include; the Williamsport The didn‟t have an outstanding season, but didn‟t have a terrible sea- throughout the season as he had a whopping cough Crosscutters (Phillies Short Affiliate), the and plantar fasciitis. Lakewood Blueclaws (Phillies Class A Affiliate), son either. Clearwater plays at Bright House Field the Clearwater Threshers (Phillies Class A Ad- which is also home to the Phillies during Spring “Battling through whooping cough and vanced Affiliate), the Reading Fightin‟ Phils Training in February and March. The Threshers plantar fasciitis made this year feel that much (Phillies A Affiliate), and the Lehigh Val- finished with sixty-seven wins and sixty-eight longer. I would never use my illness as an excuse ley Iron Pigs (Phillies AA Affiliate). The losses. pitched marvelously for as to why I struggled at times, but it definitely teams combined had a record of three hundred Clearwater posting twelve wins and seven losses didn't help,” Biddle added. sixty-seven wins and four hundred twenty- with an ERA of seven losses. Out of all six teams, none of 3.83 and one hun- Although Biddle had to battle through them had a winning record and the closest dred eight these roadblocks, he still received two major hon- team to a winning season was the Lehigh Val- strikeouts. Carlos ors. Biddle received the honor to be on the Eastern ley Iron Pigs with a record of seventy-two Alonso crossed the League All Star roster in July. He also pitched in wins and seventy-two losses. plate the most with the MLB Futures Game, a game of all stars from seventy runs, but the country. He struck out his teammate, Mikel The Williamsport Crosscutters fin- Mikel Franco, who Franco swinging. ished the season with a record of thirty-seven currently plays for wins and thirty- eight losses. Williamsport Double A Reading, “The futures game was one of the best plays at historic Bowman Field which is the led the Threshers in experiences of my baseball career,” Biddle also second oldest ballpark in the United States today. home runs with sixteen. had sixty- went on to explain that this opportunity was a big The Crosscutters‟ season starts in June which is nine runs batted in which led the team and current- motivator for him. “Pitching in a stadium like that different compared to the five other teams starting ly plays for the , an off-season () made me want to get to the big leagues even more than I did before. I can't wait for my in April. The Crosscutters start so late because the league in Arizona. team is the Phillies Short A Affiliate which means opportunity,” he stated excitedly. a shorter season. Williamsport finished fourth in The Reading Fightin‟ Phils had a horrific season finishing with sixty-two wins and eighty , along with many other the Pinckney Division finishing eleven games back , don‟t have amazing batting averages and of State College. Drew Anderson had an impres- losses. Reading plays at First Energy Stadium in Reading, PA which opened in 1951. The Fightin‟s usually don‟t pinch hit. Jesse Biddle is a pitcher sive season going 6-3 with an ERA of just 2.00. that pitches like and bats like him as The nineteen-year-old also posted fifty-four finished last in the Eastern League after making it into the playoffs the past two years. Reading had well. On May 22, 2013, Biddle pinch hit which is strikeouts during his time in Williamsport. Alt- uncommon among pitchers. hough Anderson recorded fifty-four strikeouts, a two amazing prospects but still didn‟t have win twenty-three-year-old by the name of Julio Reyes production. The Phillies number one prospect is a He explained how he felt when he was at recorded four more. The righty pitched to a record pitcher named Jesse Biddle. Biddle finished the the plate: “It felt pretty cool to pinch hit. It was of three wins and two losses and an ERA of 3.14. season with five wins fourteen losses and posted more nerve racking to go up and hit in that situa- Pitching is just half of the game though as batting an ERA of 3.64. tion than it was to pitch.” Biddle struck out on the is how teams win games. , the third “My season went alright. It was long and and stated that he wished he could‟ve gotten baseman for the Cutters‟, led the team in runs difficult with a lot of ups and a whole lot of a hit. scored with fifty-two, thirteen homers, and forty- downs. But I grew up exponentially and couldn't The coaches for the Fightins‟ are manag- one runs batted in. be happier with the lessons I learned,” Biddle stat- er , pitching coach Davis Lundquist, The Lakewood Blueclaws had a disap- ed. and hitting Coach Frank Cacciatore. All coaches pointing season going 56-80. First Energy Park is Jesse had an outstanding game that many are influential for baseball players, but Wathan and home to Lakewood and opened up in 2001. Alt- pitchers don‟t accomplish. On April 22, 2013, Lundquist especially helped Biddle improve hough the win percentage was terrible, there were Biddle struck out sixteen batters and carried a throughout the season. many bright spots during Lakewood‟s season. perfect game into the seventh inning. Biddle fin- “I loved playing for Dusty and Lundy First of all, Lakewood had the number one attend- ished with seven innings, one hit, two walks, and this year. You can tell that they really love to ance in the with a total of sixteen strikeouts. teach and coach which makes it that much more 400,299 fans that came to the ballpark during the 2013 season. , the Phillies number “The game on April 22nd was one of fun to play the game every day,” Biddle remarked. three prospect, had a high total of thirty-two stolen those games that is impossible to describe. I was in Continued on page 11, see Ballgame. bases, five home runs, and thirty-two runs batted control and felt unhittable. My goal is to figure out in. Art Charles led the team with eleven home how I was able to get into that zone and recreate it runs and also led the team with seventy-two runs as best I can,” said Biddle. batted in. The Blueclaws also congratulated Cam-

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ly back to . Cody Overbeck led the On August 24, 2013, history was made at Continued from page 10, Ballgame Pigs‟ in homers with nineteen while . The Phillies were playing the Jesse Biddle doesn‟t play baseball year- led the team in RBI‟s with sixty eight. Cody Asche and what a game it was. round as well as other pitchers. When Biddle isn‟t was called up to Philadelphia on July 30, 2013. The D-backs were up seven to three in the eighth playing baseball, he enjoys coaching baseball and , the Phillies starting , inning, but the Phillies had life. The Phils scored playing the guitar. Jesse also does something inspi- was traded on August 31, 2013 just hours before four in the eighth to tie the game and there would- rational as he volunteers at the Children‟s Hospital the trade deadline. It‟s not surprising that Iron Pig n‟t be any scoring until ten innings later. Starter of Philadelphia. leaders have been promoted to Philadelphia. Ethan Martin was pulled in the first inning after throwing a number of pitches and giving up three Mikel Franco is also another key prospect in the The Phillies didn‟t improve drastically as runs. Martin was one of eleven pitchers used that Phillies organization. Franco started the season a team when these two players joined, but, individ- night. The others were; Luis Garcia, Zach Miner, with Clearwater where he played in sixty five ually, Martin and Asche improved. The Phillies , Cesar Jimenez, Jonathan Papel- games. He hit sixteen home runs and batted in finished the season 73-89. On September 21, 2013, bon, , Tyler Cloyd, B.J Rosenberg, fifty-two. Then got promoted to Reading where he the Phillies were defeated by the infielder/ Casper Wells, and infielder played four more games and hit fifteen home runs securing their first losing season since 2002 drop- John McDonald. Wells unfortunately gave up five and fifty- one runs batted in. Franco is the Phillies ping to 71-82. At the All Star Break, things were runs in the eighteenth as he was one strike away number three prospect, two behind Biddle. looking good for the Phillies. They had a record of from giving up none. The Phillies ended up losing forty eight wins and forty eight losses and then the game by a final of 12-7. The game was played The Iron Pigs finished the winning their first game back from the All Star in front of 34,637 fans and took seven hours and best out of all the teams. The Iron Pigs play at Break raising their record over .500. After that six minutes to play. Many stuck around for a game Coca Cola Park in Allentown, PA, which opened in game, Phillies fans didn‟t like what happened. The that ended past two o‟ clock in the morning. 2008. Ethan Martin finished as the top pitcher in Phillies lost eight in a row and lost thirteen out of ERA, strikeouts, and wins. Martin finished with an their next fourteen games. On August 16, 2013, the The Phillies have some adjustments to ERA of 4.12, eleven wins and one hundred and Phillies , , was fired. Many make in the offseason as they look to get back to seven strikeouts. Martin got called up to the Phil- fans hated the firing of Manuel and thought that the the postseason and reach another . lies on August 1, 2013.Cesar Hernandez was the real person that should have gotten fired was Phil- They definitely don‟t want to have a performance leader in runs scored, stolen bases and overall aver- lies General Manager Ruben Amaro Jr. The firing like they did in 2013. That statement would be true age. Hernandez got called up to Philadelphia on came right after Charlie Manuel picked up his for the teams in the Phillies minor league system as May 29, 2013. He was sent down after a little 1000th win in his career. At the next home game well as they look to rebound and play some hard while to Lehigh Valley and then sent down to for the Phils, the team was supposed to honor Ma- fought winning baseball. Phillies fans will keep Reading. Cesar was sent to Reading because the nuel on the field but that was all erased by Amaro. faith in their team and stay with them until they die, Phillies wanted to change his position from second Assistant Coach was promoted to but almost every fan wants their team to win a base to center field. He got more experience in the managerial job. He won twenty games and lost world championship and that is exactly what they center field and built up his confidence. Hernandez twenty-one and that was good enough for the Phil- want in 2014. was then sent to Lehigh Valley again and eventual- lies to give him a contract and become the Phillies real manager.

By RJ Guarino As the list of champions is rewritten, so is history. No matter how strongly the odds are against you, and no matter how much you want to give up, will you, or will you do everything in your power to prove history wrong? In this year‟s regular season, many teams chose to prove history wrong as they found themselves on baseball‟s biggest stage: the playoffs. Ten teams rose to the occasion, placing them in a spot to contend for the World Series, but only two will survive. It is an elite group that consists of the , , Pirates, , , Bos- ton Red Sox, , St. Louis Cardinals, and the . Let‟s turn our focus to how these teams got to this point, admire the stories that unfolded along the way, and explore how teams made a name for themselves in this year‟s race to the playoffs. Clearly, the wildest ride of them all was with the Los Angeles Dodgers. As the Dodgers started off the season in last place, you could tell that the injury of their best player, All-Star Matt Kemp, wasn‟t going to bode well for the Dodgers. To make matters worse, the Dodgers invested lots of money in pitcher Zach Greinke only to have him hurt as a result of a bench-clearing brawl against the Arizona D-Backs. As the plane continued to spiral out of control, Dodgers manager Don Mattingly stated at a press conference with the team, “You take it personal that your team is not playing well but you under- stand it's a business. I understand that's the way it is. If the team doesn't play well, the manager usually gets it, and when the team is going good the guys are playing great.” (www..com) However, it was the electric twenty-two year old, Yasiel Puig, who came to Mattingly‟s rescue. As the team sparked a win- ning streak with the guidance of Puig, Mattingly saw another chance. With the aid of Puig, not only did Mattingly keep his job, but has also secured it for years with what happened next. Puig electrified the Dodgers from their grave and helped them come back to life, meanwhile going on a run in which he put up Hall of Fame type numbers for and hits in a month, coming up four hits shy of MLB legend Joe DiMaggio for hits in one month. The team jumped like a kangaroo to first place without looking back and were able to secure a spot in the playoffs, proving to the whole league they weren‟t a team to mess with, and that with the help of one player‟s positive attitude they were able to turn their season into a script that even Hollywood couldn‟t pull off. With drive, passion, and determination, they made a comeback season possible and finished with a record of 92-70, placing first in their division. The Tampa Bay Rays told a similar story, but with the worst payroll of any team in this year‟s playoffs. Unfortunately for them, they had the to contend with in the division. Boston‟s drive and accomplishments were fueled by the motivation received from the support of fans after the tragic bombing at the Boston Marathon months before the end of the season. With a record of 97-65, the Red Sox placed first in the majors tied with the NL Cen- tral‟s St. Louis Cardinals who continue to improve. The Rays started slow out of the gates, but come June exploded from fourth to first in the gritty AL East division, as all but one of the five teams in the division finished with a record winning more than 50% of their games. Toward the end of the season the Rays boat slowly started tilting and almost flipped over in the team‟s final games. The Rays were then forced into a must win duel against the to force a playoff to make it into the team‟s next challenge. The Rays started off scorching, scoring six in the first inning of play. Some late game heroics by the Blue Jays made it interesting, although for Rays Fernando Rodney, that didn‟t seem to be too much of a problem, Continued on page 12, see MLB. Page 11 DELRAN HIGH SCHOOL The Bear Facts

thirty-four homers and stole thirty-nine ba- improve their team and win the division. Continued from page 11, MLB ses. His performance helped lead the team to a 96-66 record making the playoffs just as The , who were also Rodney took down the Blue Jays for the the underdogs of their division, found a way final three outs and preserved a Rays 7-6 they did in 2013, only twenty-one years apart. They proved that even with a team to win ninety-six games while losing sixty- victory, as Rays starting pitcher six and making their way to the number two jumped to a career best 17-4 on the season. with such raw talent has a chance in this league, and the ability to rewrite the history seed in the big dance. To the AL, the Detroit As a result, the Rays had to travel from Can- Tigers put together another great season at ada to Texas to face the Rangers, who were of the franchise. Even with ninety-four wins, the team still needed to beat the Cincinnati 93-69, behind the Cy Young season put to- on fire with a seven-game winning streak the gether by explosive starting pitcher Max next night. That game Reds in the one game Wild Playoff who were right Scherzer. According to www.mlb.com, didn‟t seem to be a Scherzer who put together a record of 21-3 problem with the behind them with a record of 90-72. (1st), with a 2.90 (5th), Rays‟ Cy Young and 240 strikeouts (2nd), it is clear who de- Award Winner, Da- As the game in Pittsburgh unfold- serves the Cy Young award. Even with vid Price, on the Scherzer and Triple Crown Winner Miguel mound as he led the ed, the crowd was very loud as fans Cabrera, they only finished a game ahead of Rays to a complete the Indians who went 92-70. Lastly, the game win over the would not give Reds starting Oakland Athletics, led by their superior GM Rangers 5-2. This Billy Beane, made the playoffs again, win- allowed the Rays to pitcher Johnny Cueto a break. In ning their division at 96-66. They won it play another must- with the power of believing, and going win game against the the second inning, the loud chant “Cue-to!” broke out among , as they received help from flaming hot Cleveland Indians (92-70), who their whole team, in an effort to win the di- were on a tem-game winning streak in the the fans, which was no doubt getting under Cueto‟s skin as he stepped onto the mound vision over the . The A‟s also one game Wild Card Playoff to see who had one of the league‟s smallest payrolls. would advance to the American League Di- to face Pirates , Russell Martin. As he vision Series against the Red Sox. Yet again, stepped onto the mound, the crowd roared In the end, it doesn‟t matter how the Rays refused to go down without a fight, into Cueto‟s ears so loudly that he showed a your team is projected to finish, how much holding the red hot momentary lack of talent is on your team, or how much money Indians scoreless in a focus and dropped you have at your disposal. What matters is 4-0 gem pitched by “As he stepped onto the the ball! Retrieving how you want to finish, and how much work Rays Starting Pitcher mound, the crowd roared into his train of thought you are willing to put toward being the best. Alex Cobb. It was and sharing a laugh Money can‟t buy you everything and from proven at that moment Cueto‟s ears so loudly that he with the batter, he this season, you can see that teams didn‟t let that the Rays wanted showed a momentary lack of walked back to the critics‟ words get in the way of their perfor- more than just a focus and dropped the ball!” hill to throw the mance. It just shows how hard work can pay playoff birth, placing next pitch. With the off if you have the will and determination to themselves against a crowd screaming, reach the top without letting anyone or any- familiar foe, the Boston Red Sox, in which the location of the pitch was missed, giving thing hold you back. would be a five game series. Martin a meatball right over the plate in which For the Pirates, it‟s been twenty-one he belted for a solo long years since the team last won 50% of homer, giving the Pirates their games. For their MVP Candidate center a 1-0 lead early. With the fielder, Andrew McCutchen, things needed fans not letting up, the to change. Last season, the Pirates started off night only got worse for their season with a fire and finished with a Cueto and the Reds as record of only 79-83, missing the 50% mark they ended up losing the again. This year, their fire didn‟t only come game 2-6. That meant back, but it spread through the entire ball that the Pirates would club as their pitching emerged as some of then move on to face the the best in the league with All-Star Rookie St. Louis Cardinals who starter John Locke leading the way. They were the #1 seed at 97- also had an offense led by center fielder, 65 three teams in the NL Andrew McCutchen, who was electric. The Central made the team fought their way to an elite 94-68 rec- playoffs this year as it ord, which is their best record in twenty-one was a battle for suprema- years according to www.mlb.com, when cy in the division. Fortu- King, , hit nately for St. Louis, they found a way to Page 12 DELRAN HIGH SCHOOL The Bear Facts

Studies Show that the Media about this, but, ugh. And so, without fur- Duty” around to give him some much ther ado, let me dive right in and explain needed “training”? Gasp! Similar to rock Violence Debate Correlates why media violence isn‟t the topic we „n roll and comic books in the 50‟s, it With… (Rubbish) should be complaining about. seems that some elders are just naturally cynical of new trends and nostalgic for the By Brendan Suszynski Did you know that the deadliest older ones. Is it merely a basic generation school attack was in 1927? It was an ele- One of the fastest selling enter- gap? Regardless, I believe that‟s no ex- mentary school bombing in Bath, Michi- tainment products of all time might also cuse for some people to be hilariously and gan, that killed forty-five people and be the fastest psychosis and bloodlust in- horribly out of touch with the ridiculous wounded fifty-eight more. Yet, it‟s not ducer, depending on whom you ask. With notion that fiction is at fault for turning really mentioned in the news nor was I the need to fill the void in my soul left by people into psychopaths. taught about it in school. I‟m no conspira- the hit series “Breaking Bad” cy theorist, The big scene that people are get- but isn‟t it ting fired up over in “GTA” is actually ending, “Grand Theft Auto 5” has odd how the meant to be a social commentary and sat- become one of my deadliest at- ire of the torture allegations at places like tack occurred Guantanamo, and provide commentary newest addictions, ahem, I mean hob- decades be- about just how awful it is. Basically, some fore video thinly veiled parody of a certain govern- bies. And, like death, taxes, and games exist- ment agency (it‟s not too hard to see the Miley Cyrus, ed, and before inspiration for the game‟s organization movies be- named FIB) forces you to torture a man “GTA” has inevita- bly and predictably came what for information on an assassination target. they are today? Wait, you mean to tell me I find it interesting that you can skip most become the newest target in the iron sights of famous scapegoats everywhere. And that these culprits that supposedly provoke sections in the game if you fail them whenever I see those sensationalized violent attacks on innocents weren‟t enough times, but from my gameplay ex- around for the deadliest of them all? periences, it seems that you can‟t skip this headlines, I can‟t help but think “really?” and sigh and force out a face palm. Just, You‟re telling me that Aaron Alexis still particular scene. Continued on page 14, would‟ve gone ballistic without “Call of why? I‟ll try to be as rational as I can see GTA.

who use 130 as a part of their route? The answer is, unfortunately, that it “130 Crackdown” does not help at all! An action that could be taken to benefit the walkers By Alyson Miraglia would be to use the forty thousand dollars to build crosswalks over the Route 130 in New Jersey has been labeled a variety of disgrace- road so walkers could completely avoid route 130 altogether. ful names. From being described as “New Jersey‟s deadliest road for The ideas behind the actions that are currently being taken to pedestrians” by Tri-State Transportation Campaign to being known as improve the situation are undoubtedly designed for a good purpose, but “Bloody 130” in Philly. com, there is no doubt that this roadway has a bad here is the real question: Are those actions really benefitting our society? reputation. According to www.nj.com, in just four years, from 2007 If your answer is no, go to change.org where you can sign a petition to through 2011, forty pedestrian-involved accidents occurred with thirteen support the construction of a bridge crosswalk and help play a part in a resulting in fatalities. Death on this road is absolutely no joke. But why life changing movement. does this happen? Maybe one reason could be a lack of safe and effective crossing areas, or the fact that red lights are commonly ignored by rushing drivers. Along with that, the speed limit of fifty miles per hour is excep- tionally high where the road cuts through small towns that have children walking to parks, fields, or even to and from school. Regardless of the way one looks at it or feels, the fact is that Route 130 is clearly a cause of daily roadway issues. So what has been done about this problem? The answer to that is what I like to refer to as the “130 Crackdown.” This phrase seems ap- propriate considering that I learned that close to forty thousand dollars were spent on hiring officers for different positions between the town lines of Cinnaminson and Bordentown. Although in theory this sounds effective, the hiring of officers and an increased police presence often means that higher quotas need to be met by catching the “speed demons.” My question is, how specifically does a police officer speeding after driv- ers promote safety to protect the hundreds, if not thousands, of walkers Page 13 DELRAN HIGH SCHOOL The Bear Facts

try? I admit that the trip to the range was a lot of fun, and I think full- Continued from page 13. GTA blown gun control is unconstitutional, but at the same time, when would Does this fact imply that Rockstar Games (its developer) really wants to the average person need a military grade arsenal to defend himself? In make a statement about how immoral torture is? But hey, it‟s “Grand most states you can own a flamethrower, a homemade jury-rigged gun, or Theft Auto,” what do you expect- the characters to talk it out over some even a full-blown machine gun like Slide Fire‟s SFS Belt Fed Rifle (BFR tea? If you pay attention to the plot, you will notice how the game doesn‟t for short), which is legal through an ATF loophole. Basically, the ATF paint the characters in the scene as being in the right. Perhaps the reason considers a machine gun a weapon with a frame or receiver that can shoot why politicians are so fired up could be because of the way media and "more than one shot without manual reloading, by a single function of the games like “GTA” get a little too close to the truth. As the voice actor who trigger." The BFR uses the natural recoil of the gun for its rate of fire ra- plays one of the most violent main characters (Trevor), Stephen Ogg said ther than any actual modifications on the receiver. Sprays bullets like a fire in an interview with PC Advisor, “The hypocrisy drives me crazy. It just hose? Yeah. Machine gun? Nope. It‟s also worth noting that Slide Fire sets the wrong focus!” He went on to mention “Breaking Bad” as an ex- also sells kits that let you legally convert semiautomatic civilian rifles to ample, which got some flak for an episode that featured the same deadly full auto. Again, I‟m not for full on gun control, but at the very least, we material that was found in an envelope that was sent to the White House a should have stricter regulations and better background checks for the high- few months back, but got er end stuff and put an end to loopholes like the one I mentioned nowhere near as much target- before. ing for this violent content. Look, the Interestingly, the game also media isn‟t the real generated controversy for issue, neglectful having real ex-gang members parenting, flawed Journalists voice act roles for certain laws, lack of mental characters in the game. Most illness treatment, notably is voice actor Shawn Fonteno, who voice acts for the character of and just plain old deep-rooted . Editor-in-Chief Franklin, a reluctant young gangster named who wants to leave the vicious hatred are what cause vio- cycle of gang life, and well, move on to bigger and grander heists. Yeah, lence. It‟s sad that some high Kristen Kerstetter “GTA” characters aren‟t exactly the perfect model citizens. Though, is it school kid has to point this really that bad to let the real gang members go from rags to riches? Some out to certain people in  Sports Editor people go to crime as a desperate way to earn money and provide. Why charge, but isn‟t it obvious? not give them a second chance to emerge out of their impoverished up- Have you ever watched an Mike Wszolek bringing and make an honest living? episode of “Hannibal” or Why is it that video games get most of the flak? Does being more “The Walking Dead” and had  Staff interactive make it worse? Can it “train” you as people like Jack Thomp- a sudden craving for flesh? son would claim? Well in that case, I should be an acrobatic elite marks- Have you ever played a Cameron Cascio man ninja assassin with twelve-pack abs by now. Look, you can show shooter and thought, “Gee, believable stuff in games and movies, but not always totally realistic ones. are headshots this bloody in Emily Duff Most games and movies don‟t take into account the recoil, jamming, and real life? I should test it out!” Have you ever listened to the the overall awkwardness of first firing a weapon. When I went to a range Kacey Engel last summer, I was really in for a surprise. Claiming the shooters got their song “I Don‟t Care” and felt like literally crashing a car on skills from movies and games alone would be like calling yourself a mar- Katie Hearn tial arts master because you saw all three “Karate Kid” movies. It‟s a the Tacony-Palmyra? No, of vague dramatization of the real, much more complex thing. course not. No sane, rational human being has ever been RJ Guarino There‟s a saying in network news: “If it bleeds, it leads.” Why possessed to do that. So why does it have to be that way? Why do we have to sensationalize terrorists can‟t we debate over an issue Chris Matera and psychotic shooters and give them the infamy they want? Why do we sanely and rationally, one that bow over for them and give them attention? I was a bit disappointed when should have a clear and con- Fiona Mcloughlin they pulled an episode of NBC‟s new show “Hannibal” in response to the cise answer? Why blame fic- Boston Marathon Bombing. Ironically enough, the replaced episode was tion as the root when it‟s not? Alyson Miraglia more disturbing than the one pulled one (I don‟t see how angel sculptures Why should “Counter Strike” made of murder victims are any improvement over kids who kill.) I notice or “Call of Duty” deserve Brendan Suszynski this hypocritical trend where we pull “insensitive” works of fiction, yet more blame than the insane, continue to obsess over real-life psychopaths like Tsarnaev and Adam untreated monster that easily Sam Taylor Lanza on the news. The point of terrorism is striking fear, and whenever gained access to an ACTUAL we do things like the above example, all we do is just send the message gun from their oblivious par- Joe Verratti that we‟re scared. Why give them the satisfaction? We should just let them ents and misused it? If violent fade into nothing like they deserve. games and movies really are . Advisor: Ms. Turse Why not we put a focus on the real, more credible issues, what sets these killers off, like the lack of adequate mental health treatments, or neglect- then most of the population Page 14 ful parenting, or the flawed gun control system in our coun- would be psychopaths. But that‟s obviously not true, so quit veering off toward fiction so we can finally focus on reality. DELRAN HIGH SCHOOL The Bear Facts

Heaven Gained a Star Lea Michele. One month after his death, loved without the drugs and that‟s how we By Kristen Kerstetter Lea received an award at the 2013 Teen always want to remember her; it just hurts Tall, awkward, Canadian, actor, Choice Awards for her role in “Glee.” She knowing a substance could take over.” drummer, person; these are the words that dedicated her award to Cory in honor of As mentioned earlier, Cory had a former “Glee” star, Cory Monteith, used to him. history with drugs. He entered rehab when describe himself on his Twitter account. Being a Gleek myself, a title given he was nineteen and again this past spring. Monteith played the main character, Finn to die-hard “Glee” fans, Cory‟s death really Cory knew he had a problem so he tried Hudson, on the hit television show “Glee.” hit home for me. When I heard tell of the getting help. My guess is that since he was This past July 13th Monteith died in Van- news, I didn‟t know what to do with my- so addicted as a teenager he just couldn‟t couver, CA, of mixed drug self. At first, I beat it. The drugs won in Cory‟s battle, but toxicity. He overdosed on didn‟t believe it. I they don‟t have to win another. The DHS heroin and champagne figured it was just student says, “For anyone who has a prob- while alone in a hotel on a celebrity rumor lem with drugs, get help. Not only do you July 13, 2013. Growing that wasn‟t true. have your life to live, but you have to live up, Cory became an addict But when I found for your family as well. For anyone who at a very young age and out it was official, has a family member or a loved one with a struggled throughout his my heart was bro- problem, try to get him or her help but at teen years. By age nine- ken. I only knew the very least, just support. All I have to teen, his family staged an Finn Hudson, the say from my personal experience is that it intervention and he soon dorky character is just pure pain to lose someone to an realized it was time to turn on television, not overdose. It‟s wrong in every aspect and no his life around. He entered the person behind one should ever have to go through it.” rehab for treatment and the role. That Sat- Cory Monteith is going to be was sober for several urday in July, I missed by Gleeks, average teens, and any- years. At that point in felt like I lost my one who has lost someone to an overdose. time, Cory didn‟t know best friend. Even though it‟s already been over three what he wanted to do with his life; then he Since Cory died of a drug over- months since his death, I still miss him discovered “Glee.” During the casting pro- dose, I find it necessary to mention the everyday. Ryan Murphy described my cess Monteith said, "I was like a lot of kids, dangers of drugs. According to Teen thoughts perfectly on Cory‟s sudden death, looking for something to be interested in. Vogue, in 2012 and 2013 many teens‟ “People are still not over it.” The world Something to be passionate about. All you deaths were linked to heroin in certain are- lost a true talent this year, but heaven need is permission. Not only for Glee, but as of the United States. In today‟s society, gained an angel. for anything in life." heroin can cost as little as ten dollars and Unfortunately, Cory passed away can found almost anywhere. Heroin is while “Glee” was filming its fifth season. much more powerful today than it was a In honor of Cory they aired a tribute epi- decade ago, but it‟s like any other drug; the sode on October 10, 2013. The executive more someone takes, the more he or she producer of the television program, Ryan wants. It is a very strong substance that has Murphy, said in an interview to dailyn- the power to take over one‟s life. ews.com about recording the tribute epi- A student here at Delran High sode, “It was very hard, and I struggled School told me about her late family mem- even working on it.” Throughout the re- ber‟s past with heroin: “It was extremely cording of the tribute, the cast frequently difficult knowing somebody on drugs be- cried so they had to stop recording often. cause the person always had a different “Almost everything in that episode is from mood. It was hard not knowing which side the first take of every performance because of the person was going to show every the actors and the crew had a really hard day.” Heroin doesn‟t only affect the person time shooting it,” Ryan Murphy added in taking it; it affects everyone around them. an interview. The person who seemed to The DHS student claims, “When she was struggle the most while filming was Lea alive it affected us because we just wished Michele. She plays Rachel Berry in “Glee” the problems would go away so we could and was Cory‟s real-life girlfriend. Murphy have the person we loved living normally. said the experience was “very rough” for After her death, we knew the person we

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