THE GRYPHON TIMES Friday, April 5, 2019 Volume 11 Issue 7 Earth Day Raises Hot Topics UA Baseball is By Marnae Lawrence It's that time of the year Putting an end to bad in Full Swing where hot topics include saving habits such as dumping energy, recycling, picking up waste would make saving By Eriana Townes trash and taking care of plants. the earth a little easier. All these activities are related Other issues need to be ad- University Academy‟s baseball team‟s season is un- to Earth Day, which is on April dressed, as well. According derway. 22. Protecting the environment to Mr. A, many of those UA hired a new head coach this season, Coach has become something that issues deal with people's Martez Gardner. Coach Gardner has been volunteer many people believe isn't taken selfishness. He sees it as a coaching in various sports for at least 10 years from grade very seriously. battle between Team Earth school to high school at UA. Earth Day was first created and “Team I-Don't-Care.” His son, UA alum Martez Gardner Jr., played base- by Senator Gaylord Nelson on “Team Earth is constantly ball at UA in high school, and Coach Gardner often at- April 22, 1970. What made him fighting for clean water, tended practice. After his son graduated, Coach Gardner Ms. Hammond’s beautiful art van displays nature. interested in the earth's safety renewable energy, wildlife, was approached by the coaching staff and asked to apply was the fact that environmental issues were not being men- marshes and forests,” he said. “„Team I-Don't-Care‟ is for the head coaching seat this season. tioned in politics. pushing back for plastic bags, and packaging, single-use Although this is his first head coaching job, he is well Lower School art teacher Mr. Troy Alldaffer, known to materials and meat.” experienced most students as Mr. A, believes that as a country, the Over all, Mr. A enjoys living on earth to breathe the and qualified United States should be making decisions that protect and fresh air and clean water, which is why Earth Day is impor- for the posi- preserve the planet. tant to him. tion. “I have watched for half a century the depletion of our University Academy‟s Middle and Upper School art Coach resources and the pollution of our air, water and environ- teacher, Ms. Kathleen Hammond feels that Earth Day is a Gardner first ments,” he said. “We all die if the earth dies.” day when people should think about their actions when it started play- When it comes to keeping the earth clean, most people comes to damaging the earth. ing baseball would say not littering is the hardest part, but to Mr. A, “Do one small thing to repair her in some way and as a 7-year- complacency and indifference pose the biggest challenge. make a commitment to do that same thing everyday for the old, when “I see groups throw balloons to the wind to remember rest of your life,” said Ms. Hammond. someone Coach Gardner posed with his baseball our loved ones, without a care in the world where those When it comes to saving the earth, Ms. Hammond picked him up team for team pictures. balloons end up, or their impacts,” Mr. A said. takes the time to recycle. to be a bat Mr. A also thinks that the government plays a part in She also thinks getting the community involved would boy. From there, he started playing as a second and third pollution, simply because the government chooses low help some of the issues we face when it comes to helping baseman. prices, which pollute water and the environment. the earth. He attended Lincoln College Preparatory Academy and received all-state recognition in baseball his junior and senior years. After high school, he attended Grambling State Uni- Who Will be the 2019 NBA Champs? versity on a baseball scholarship. Although that didn‟t last long, he transferred to Maplewood Community College By Wayne Sellers and continued his baseball career there. Following his college career in baseball, he was signed by the Seattle The last day of the 2018- The Warriors still have Mariners to a minor league contract. He played in the 2019 NBA regular season is Kevin Durant, who was the April 10, and then the play- Finals MVP last season. This minor leagues from 1989-1991. Coach Gardner didn‟t take the UA job opportunity offs and the road to the season he is averaging 27.4 solely because of his skills, but he also said he has a championship begins. points and 6.7 rebounds per “passion for teaching.” The NBA playoffs are a game. Casey said Durant is Someone else who has a passion for baseball is senior series of games that lead up the best player going into the Jaylin Whitelaw. to the Finals. The playoff postseason since “no one can Whitelaw has been playing baseball for seven years. series go in this order: Round guard him, and he can score It all started from playing in Kansas City‟s RBI youth One, Conference Semifinals, when he wants to.” league. He has been playing the game ever since. He Conference Finals and Fi- This year the playoffs plays third base and pitches for the Gryphons, but third nals. Each series has a mini- will not have “King James,” base is his favorite position. mum of four games. Which- as LeBron and his team did “It shows how tough you are, and it‟s the hardest ever team gets to four wins not make the playoffs. To throw to first base in the field,” Whitelaw said. “It also first wins the series. some fans, this is a surprise The Golden State Warriors have won three of the last shows how strong your arm is.” The top eight teams since James has been to the four NBA championships. Since he‟s been playing baseball for so long, White- from the Western and the Finals for eight consecutive law has been Eastern Conferences make it to the playoffs. seasons. The Los Angeles Lakers currently have a 35-43 through many This year, the playoff-eligible teams for the Western record. of the coaches Conference are: Golden State Warriors, Oklahoma City Junior DaMarion Young said he thinks the Lakers UA has hired. Thunder, Denver Nuggets, Portland Trail Blazers, Houston should have made the playoffs since they have James on the Therefore, Rockets, Utah Jazz, Los Angeles Clippers and San Antonio team. Lakers fans had been excited about James coming to having a new Spurs. Los Angeles. The Lakers have not been to the playoffs coaching staff For the Eastern Conference, the teams are: Milwaukee since 2013 with Kobe Bryant leading the way. for baseball is Bucks, Toronto Raptors, Boston Celtics, Miami Heat, Many playoff teams have showed why they are in the Philadelphia 76ers, Indiana Pacers, Detroit Pistons and playoffs this season. not new to him. Brooklyn Nets. The Denver Nuggets are second in the Western Confer- However, In the 2017-2018 NBA season, the Warriors won the ence with a 52-26 record. This is a drastic change from last his opinion Senior Jaylin Whitelaw plays third base championship against the LeBron James and the Cleveland season, when the Nuggets were ninth in the Western Con- about Coach for the Gryphons. Cavaliers in a 4-0 sweep. The Warriors still have the same ference with a 46-36 record. They have Nikola Jokic, an Gardner and roster as they had last season, so they are expected to go MVP candidate, averaging 20.4 points per game, along with his assistant, Coach Mason Anthony, is something new. back to the Finals for the fourth straight year. They lead the other players like Jamal Murray, who is averaging 18.2 He feels great about the new coaches. “They are really West with 53-24. points per game. about the game and are giving us all the tools we need [to Junior DAnthony Casey said he thinks the Warriors are The Bucks have had a surprising season this year, as succeed],” said Whitelaw. the best team going into the postseason because “nobody well. They were the first team in the NBA to reach 50 wins. Whitelaw believes the coaches are very invested in can beat them in a seven-game series.” Young thinks they are the best team going into the the players, and so the upcoming season should show the postseason since “they have Giannis, and he can‟t be result of this. Similarly, Coach Gardner believes the win guarded.” total from last season should be doubled. The Bucks have Giannis Antetokounmpo, an MVP Nevertheless, the season has just begun, so come candidate, who is averaging 27.4 points and 12.6 rebounds cheer on the team at their next home game at Satchel per game. Last season they lost to the Celtics 4-3 in the first Paige field against East on April 12. round. They look to go further in the playoffs this season, as they are playing well. And if you decide to come, keep in mind these words of wisdom from Whitelaw: “Baseball might look boring, Remember, the playoffs begin April 10. Don‟t miss out but if you know the game or actually play it, it‟s the on who is going to become the new NBA champion. best sport EVER!” 1 Taking a Look into the Life of UA’s Mr. Persley By Yhani Abbott Mr.