March Madness

Volume 27, Issue 07 Purcellville, VA FRIDAY, March 16th 2018 By Kyle Ziemnick My dad and I, avid Michigan fans, just had to make a free throw, and the Copy Editor watched in dismay with the rest of our game would be nearly out of reach. It was March 29, 2013, and the family as the Wolverines failed to put The free throw clanked off the rim. top-seeded Kansas Jayhawks were well up enough of a fight. All seemed lost. The clock started moving. on their way to the Elite Eight—the But Michigan rallied. Sophomore Tim Hardaway Jr. rebounded the quarterfinals of the NCAA basketball star Trey Burke led the Wolverines shot and swung the ball to Burke. tournament. With two and a half min- back into the contest. Despite his best Burke received a screen five feet be- utes left, they led the fourth-seeded efforts, though, Kansas led by three hind the three-point line. He pulled up Michigan Wolverines by 10. with 12.6 seconds left. A Kansas player to shoot. continued on page 2 March Madness Photo by Tyler Nix Sports | continued from cover I’ll never forget what hap- rie of bracket groups doesn’t pened next. As we all held our look like it’s going away any breath, the ball flew through time soon. Even the freshmen the air of Cowboys Stadium— are already getting involved. and swished through the bas- CJ Fellenbaum said that he ket. With four seconds left. Tie and a few of his friends will be game. starting a group as well. NEWS My mom, who never “I know almost nothing watches sports, jumped off the about college basketball.” Fel- community: Assassin page 4 couch screaming. I screamed. lenbaum said. “People like me We all screamed. who know nothing have just series: Friendship page 5 That’s the beauty of March as much a chance of winning events: Sadies page 6 Madness. as people who follow it reli- Every spring, on Selection g i ou s l y.” essay: High School Dances page 8 Sunday, 68 college basketball For regular fans, the tour- community: Revival page 9 teams enter the bracket, re- nament provides some mem- ceiving a seed, an opponent, orable moments. Last year, contributors page 10 and a dream. In response, the Oregon Ducks played the art & poetry page 11 millions of people around the UNC Tar Heels in a thrilling world fill out their own brack- national semifinal before a ets, trying to predict who will packed D5 lounge. Every bas- emerge victorious. Bracket ket and stop drew frantic ap- STAFF mania sweeps through work- plause and dismayed silence. places, families, and colleges. “The beauty of a sin- Editor PHC is no exception. gle-elimination tournament Vienna Jacobson Junior Cooper Millhouse is that anyone can be lucky took over the PHC bracket enough to win,” Millhouse Assistant Editor group last year. Currently, it said. Marjorie Pratt includes 21 entries from stu- In 2013, the Wolverines dents all hoping to claim the were lucky enough—almost. Staff glory of top bracketologist. They rode the momentum “It’s a great way to connect from Burke’s shot to an over- Carrie Durning with other students through time victory and all the way Kara Brown just a little bit of trash talk,” to the national championship, Kyle Ziemnick Millhouse said. “You don’t where they lost to the Louis- have to know what’s going on.” ville Cardinals. I won’t forget Leah Greenwood Exhibit A? Senior Daniel that night either, but it wasn't Fierer, who won our wing’s a joyful one. bracket competition last year. But even the sad moments “Growing up, I never re- remind me of why we love the CONTACT ally watched basketball, so NCAA tournament. For three March Madness wasn't really a action-packed weeks, casual Interested in submitting an editorial? big deal to me. I'd just sort of fans, bracket lovers, and die- Notice an error? check in to see who won at the hard supporters will live and end and that's it,” Fierer said. die with every final score. And He doesn’t think he watched in the end, one team will stand If so, contact Vienna Jacobson at: a single game during the tour- above the rest. [email protected] nament. But he emerged with It’s incredible God-given free pizza and bragging rights talent on display to the world. for the rest of the year, much It’s the thrill of victory and the to the dismay of real fans in agony of defeat. the wing such as myself. It’s the insanity that we call The competitive camarade- sports. u Forensics "There's no way my buddy's going to jail!" PHC qualifies for mock trial Nationals after winning the Opening Round Championship Series By Kara Brown Social Media Editor After a 7-1 win-loss record at the Opening Round Championship Series (ORCS) tournament, PHC’s mock trial A Team is advancing to Nationals. De- termined to not be left out of the national championship like the previous year, the team battled top squads like Rutgers University, the University of Virginia, and the College of William and Mary to win the tournament. “Some people probably think it’s ‘just recalled. Many students have the misconcep- another tournament,’” Ashlyn Roberts If they lost the next two ballots they tion that mock trial is only for experi- commented on the way students unfa- would be cut out of the national cham- enced debaters or those who run in the miliar with mock trial might feel about pionship, but if they won the two, they debater crowd. “But that’s just wrong,” hearing of the win. “But these guys would win the entire tournament. Roberts said. “I had never done mock work really hard and they can never as- Baldacci, playing the defendant, trial before I came to PHC and I was sume that it will be another win.” looked like “the most innocent looking, downright bad at it for my first few Shane Roberts, a four-year mock sheepish human being in the world— rounds.” trial veteran, described the tourna- and he did it brilliantly,” Roberts said. The team is now awaiting the release ment’s defining moment between In his closing speech, Roberts ex- of the updated case. The champion- the third and fourth round when his plained to the judge that life goes on ship competitors are yet to be deter- coach, Frank Guliuzza, called him into for everyone in the courtroom… ex- mined, but Stanford University and the a room. Guliuzza told him teams were cept Baldacci. University of California-Los Angeles splitting ballots (winning some rounds “After I said that line, I paused and (UCLA) will most likely be in the tour- and losing others). looked back at our table. Everybody nament. “[Guliuzza] said that most every had a little smile on their face and So, how can PHC bring home the team had either a 3-3 or 4-2 record, Chris had tears welling up in his eyes,” national title? "The simple answer is and then he paused, looked up and Roberts said. “For that brief moment, it just to beat everybody that we hit," said, ‘except one team who has a 5-1 re- didn’t feel like a mock trial—it felt real. Guliuzza said. cord.’ Then he winked and said, ‘I’ll let In my head I was like, ‘Shoot, there’s no Championships will take place mid- you guess who that team is,’” Roberts way my buddy’s going to jail!’” April in Minneapolis, Minnesota. u Photos Courtesy of Communications Community Risks of Being an Assassin By Rachel Grove roommate, Susannah Shaifer. But Shai- contact before Hoffman’s eyes dropped Contributing Writer fer never got the chance to kill Hoffman to a pointed object in his hand. “Oh because she was swiftly dispatched by no,” Hoffman thought, and stood to "David, I have a question," Susanna Alejandro Ortiz. Ortiz's new target: sprint around the couches and out the Hoffman said while walking up to Da- Hoffman. door, flashbacks of Ortiz’s brutal mur- vid Slaughter, who immediately bolt- On the night of the US History ex- der flooding her mind. ed in the opposite direction. There is tra credit movie, Hoffman found out Hoffman was miles ahead of a simple explanation for that kind of she was in trouble when Karnes texted Karnes. She could have gotten away bizarre behavior on campus lately: As- her a warning about Ortiz. With this in unscathed… well, should have gotten sassin. So far, no student has leapt from mind, she kept her eyes open for her en- away, but at the bottom of the BHC the BHC roof to ambush an unsuspect- emy as she walked into the classroom. stairs, Hoffman turned a sharp right ing classmate, but some have taken Suddenly, Karnes made his move and and her knee turned left. Hoffman, who pretty drastic measures to kill or avoid assassinated his own target, Ortiz, with has a history of knee problems, knew being killed in the role-playing game. a knitting needle. “Watching [Karnes] she’d injured something as she fell and Weapons for Assassin include, but kill Alejandro put the fear of God in rolled down the hill. She’d later find out certainly aren’t limited to, nerf guns, me. It was so scary because he put him that she tore her meniscus, but Karnes pens, rubber band guns, rubber knives in a choke hold and did this,” Hoffman appeared at that moment, ready to dis- and Dr.

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