One summer day between eighth and ninth grade, I went to the mall with my sisters and their friends. Both of my sisters wear the hijab, a traditional Muslim headscarf. One of my sister’s friends asked me if I was going to start wearing it, and I said yes, when the summer was over and high school was starting. She agreed that it would be a good idea and rejoined my sister ahead of me.
Behind me, I heard my sister say, “Yeah, she’s not going to wear it.”
I wanted nothing more than to prove her wrong and show her that I was just as strong as she was. Her comment fueled my determination to wear the scarf. In my head, it was a win-win situation: I made my parents happy and defied my sister. I never took into account what I actually felt about wearing hijab.
Rebelling against something that is being forced upon me has always been easy. All I have to do is create a scene with my parents. I tell them that I am my own person and I can make decisions for myself. If they don’t agree, I find a way to do what I want, which usually involves lying and sneaking out.
But there are always those moments when I have a choice—those moments where my parents tell me I am my own person. They tell me that they raised me to know right from wrong and they will support whatever decision I make, even though they have preferences. But most of the time, the decisions aren’t about what’s right and what’s wrong. They are about who I want to be, and those are the hardest choices to make.
I had my first encounter with one of those choices when I was fourteen years old. It was the weekend of my sister’s engagement party, and I became a woman. This was an especially big deal for me because I’m Muslim, and when a girl starts her menstrual cycle for the first time, the hijab (a headscarf) is mandatory. In my community, you are not looked down upon for not wearing the hijab, but you are praised for wearing it.
All of my siblings attended private Islamic Schools for a portion of our elementary school education, so we were educated on at least the basic knowledge of what is religiously acceptable. I knew that hijab was mandatory and that my family wanted me to wear it, but I wasn’t ready to wear one just yet. I announced to the family that I would wear one when I started high school.
The end of the wedding festivities brought the beginning of high school, and the start of my wearing hijab. I was the only person at my high school to wear hijab, but it didn’t seem to matter. Instead of being victim to racism, as I expected, I encountered ignorance. Nobody seemed to know what Islam was and instead thought I was making a fashion statement, which was not uncommon at my high school.
Soon enough, news of my decision reached my community. Every time I went to MCA, my mosque, new people would congratulate me on my courageous choice. They would all say, “Mashallah. Your parents raised you right.” Each time someone complimented me, I found myself feeling uncomfortable instead of proud.
My freshman year came and went, and sophomore year brought about significant changes. All of my friends seemed to be having the time of their lives—getting their first boyfriends, dancing in the Homecoming and Battle of the Classes skits, and starting to get creative with clothing choices. I couldn’t do any of that. I was a hijabi, and I was therefore held up to a higher standard of modesty than they were.
I started to withdraw from everyone around me. My relationship with my parents went down the drain because I started looking at everything my parents said as a trap. I felt that they weren’t giving me any options, and were boxing me in and molding me into what they wanted me to be. Most of all, I felt my faith slipping. I had never been as religious as my family, but my faith decreased even more when I started wearing hijab. Even though people that wear hijab are supposed to represent modesty and devotion to God, I started to stray away from my religious duties. I stopped praying, reading in the holy book the Qur’an, and I started to question everything I learned in Islamic school. The hijab was bringing me further from God instead of closer to Him.
I felt an overflow of emotion and I finally decided to write it all down. The words came out like word vomit. I started writing about feeling hypocritical because I put on the façade of being religious by wearing the hijab, but on the inside I was a worse Muslim than many that didn’t wear it. I decided to talk to my mom about it because she was the one who would understand the most, being the only woman in our family to not wear a hijab.
I initially decided to wait until the end of the year to talk to my mom, but with mother’s intuition, she knew something was wrong and questioned me about it. Tears and words came pouring out. Instead of yelling at me, she took me into her arms and told me that it was okay. She said that she always knew I had doubts and all she wanted was for me to be happy. She added that the entire family shared her views and would accept my choice to stop wearing hijab.
She was right. With her help, I told each family member. Even though they had questions, they were ultimately accepting. I decided that the first day I would leave the house without a hijab would be the last day of school—also the last day of high school. I would be joining the ACCEL Middle College program at the local junior college that fall: a fresh start in a new place where nobody knew about my past.
The morning of that last day of school, my best friends came to pick me up. They held my hand as I walked on to campus, shaking with both excitement and nerves. When I was saying good-bye to all of my friends, they had to do a double take to recognize me. I felt like a celebrity with cameras flashing all around me. Most people were just shocked that I was showing my hair and said that I looked beautiful. But a few of my close friends came up to me, gave me a hug, and told me that they were proud of me.
Life after taking the hijab off has been completely different. There are negative aspects—like I gradually became more comfortable with showing a little bit more skin in public. I am more comfortable using profanity. I am also more comfortable getting a little bit closer to boys. I’m not happy with the changes, but I trust myself to know where the line is.
The positives outweigh the negatives for me. I no longer feel that people look at me and see a lie. I am more able to practice the religion in the way I want to practice it, and not the way I am expected to practice it. I’m generally comfortable with who I am, even though there are always improvements to be made. My relationship with my family has also vastly improved because I now realize how willing they are to listen.
The biggest lesson I learned through this experience is to make decisions for myself, not for my family. Even though I love them, sometimes what they want is not what I want, and it’s important to recognize that fact instead of mold my own thoughts into theirs. Being yourself takes more courage than being what other people want you to be because it involves actually thinking for yourself, which is especially scary for a teenager. But however scary that is, it’s necessary to be an individual and an adult.
-Samah Pirzada
Thursday, July 29, 2010
Phil Jackson's Coaching Legacy
Following the Lakers 2010 NBA championship, many focused on head coach Phil Jackson’s decision to return or retire.
Now that Jackson has decided to return a new question presents itself: is Phil Jackson the best coach in NBA history?
After shattering Red Auerbach’s seemingly untouchable record of nine NBA championships last year, Jackson did not waste any time padding his record in 2010.
Jackson has now coached 11 NBA championship teams.
Jackson began his NBA head-coaching career with the Chicago Bulls in 1989, after many years as a player in the NBA. The Bulls relied heavily on the “triangle offense”, which Jackson had learned from former NBA coach Tex Winter.
With iconic players such as Michael Jordan and Scottie Pippen, Jackson helped create a dynasty.
In his nine years as Chicago’s head coach, Jackson’s Bulls won six championships. The Bulls made the playoffs each year and “three-peated” twice.
Jackson retired in 1998, after the final championship in the “Jordan Era” and vowed never to return to coaching. However, when the Lakers offered Jackson a head-coaching job in 1999, Jackson decided to return.
Jackson’s Lakers immediately delivered in his first year, earning the best record in the NBA at 67-15. The Lakers reached the NBA finals after defeating the Portland Trailblazers in the decisive seventh game of the Western Conference Finals.
The Lakers went on to defeat the Indiana Pacers in the finals. The Lakers won the title the following two years, marking Jackson’s third “three-peat” as an NBA head coach.
After the 2001-2002 championship season, tension mounted between superstars Kobe Bryant and Shaquille O’Neal. What began as minor remarks about each other’s leadership, self-centeredness, and work ethic, turned into a full-blown public feud.
The conflict led to a divided team and uncertainty in the Lakers front office. Bryant, who was scheduled to become a free agent at season’s end, continued to add to the heated dispute.
“I ain’t going nowhere,” O’Neal said during a post-game press conference.
O’Neal insisted that the Lakers were his team and said that if Bryant objected to what he said, that Bryant should opt for free agency.
After a demoralizing loss to the Detroit Pistons in the 2004 NBA Finals, the feud came to an end. O’Neal was traded to the Miami Heat for three players, including Lamar Odom.
Consequently, the Lakers did not pick up the option of Jackson’s expiring contract. The Lakers went 34-38 the following season, missing the playoffs for the first time in 11 years.
The Lakers’ dismal coaching and lackluster performance in the 2004-2005 season lead to immediate speculation of Jackson’s return. In June of 2005, the Lakers rehired Jackson.
The Lakers managed to bounce back in the 2005-2006 season, making the playoffs, but ultimately losing in seven games to the Phoenix Suns. The following season the Lakers made the playoffs, but again fell short against the Suns in the first round.
The 2007-2008 season marked a significant improvement for Jackson’s Lakers. With the help of a hot start and a mid-season trade for Pau Gasol, the Lakers once again finished atop the Western Conference.
The Lakers advanced through the Western Conference playoffs to face the Boston Celtics. The Lakers played well, but lost in a crushing sixth game by 39 points.
The Lakers bounced back in the 2008-2009 season, reclaiming the best record in the Western Conference and again advancing to the NBA Finals. The Lakers defeated the Orlando Magic by a convincing four games to one margin. With the championship, Jackson was in the NBA record books, tying Red Auerbach’s 10 NBA championships as a head coach.
In 2009, the Lakers yet again claimed the best record in the Western Conference and advanced to the NBA Finals for a third straight year. This time the Lakers had a chance for redemption: a chance to defeat the team that blew them out of the 2008 NBA finals.
The series was an instant classic, going back and forth between two of the greatest teams in NBA history. Two teams with Hall of Fame caliber coaches and players battled to a deciding seventh game. The Lakers, down at one time by 13 points, came back and won the game.
With 11 coaching titles under his belt, Jackson has a shot at a fourth “three-peat”.
Many credit much of Jackson’s success as a coach to his superstar players, including Michael Jordan, Scottie Pippen, Kobe Bryant, and Shaquille O’Neal. Many don’t realize that any coach that wins a championship needs good players.
“Love is the force that ignites the spirit and binds teams together,” Jackson once said.
Great players don’t win championships on their own; there needs to be discipline and companionship on a team. How effectively a team combines the two can often determine their success.
What makes coaches great is their ability to get their players to translate their skills, knowledge, and emotions onto the court to the best of their abilities.
In over 50 years of experience, Jackson has acquired great knowledge and understanding for the game. Jackson has learned many strategies and techniques from great coaches that he still uses today.
He is well known for using Tex Winter’s triangle offense: an offensive strategy that relies on good spacing between players, allowing for more passing lanes.
Jackson is known as the “Zen Master” because of the way he incorporates Eastern philosophy into his coaching. His unorthodox coaching style distinguishes Jackson from the traditional NBA coach.
Jackson’s interpretation of Eastern Philosophy stresses a team-first attitude. This creates a family atmosphere in his team’s locker room. Many argue that this philosophy led to his constant success and numerous titles as a head coach.
Many coaches are known for their courtside blow-ups when a player makes a mistake. When a coach screams at a player for messing up, it can often frustrate a player more. However, Jackson maintains a calm and cool approach on the court.
For example, in this year’s Western Conference Finals the Lakers were playing in a pivotal Game 5 against the Phoenix Suns. With the Lakers up three points in the fourth quarter, Ron Artest took a questionable 3-point shot with 1:00 remaining. Artest missed, leaving many people scratching their heads in disbelief. Instead of yelling at Artest, Jackson brought him aside and quietly talked with him. Artest who after the shot was 1-8 shooting, was clearly frustrated with himself. Jackson was able to keep Artest calm and was confident enough to have him on the court with 3.5 seconds remaining with the game tied.
Kobe Bryant cleared the inbound pass and shot immediately, but missed. Artest surged under the basket and hoisted a fall-away lay-up with 1 second remaining.
The Lakers won the game thanks to Artest’s amazing bucket, and eventually went on to take the series and advance to the finals. Jackson gave Artest a shot at redemption and he relished it.
"He has an uncanny knack of doing things, and sometimes it just works out," Jackson said. "He just has a knack for being around crucial plays."
Jackson is not just successful as a coach; he also had a successful NBA career. In 1967, Jackson was drafted by the New York Knicks. Jackson established himself as a key reserve on the Knicks squad. The Knicks won championships in 1970 and 1973, when Jackson was in the prime of his career. Jackson spent the final three years of his career with the New Jersey Nets, retiring in 1980.
Jackson is the ultimate winner, as a coach and a player. The combination of a calm approach to the game and incredible basketball strategies make Phil Jackson the greatest coach in NBA history.
-Nicolas O'Connor
Now that Jackson has decided to return a new question presents itself: is Phil Jackson the best coach in NBA history?
After shattering Red Auerbach’s seemingly untouchable record of nine NBA championships last year, Jackson did not waste any time padding his record in 2010.
Jackson has now coached 11 NBA championship teams.
Jackson began his NBA head-coaching career with the Chicago Bulls in 1989, after many years as a player in the NBA. The Bulls relied heavily on the “triangle offense”, which Jackson had learned from former NBA coach Tex Winter.
With iconic players such as Michael Jordan and Scottie Pippen, Jackson helped create a dynasty.
In his nine years as Chicago’s head coach, Jackson’s Bulls won six championships. The Bulls made the playoffs each year and “three-peated” twice.
Jackson retired in 1998, after the final championship in the “Jordan Era” and vowed never to return to coaching. However, when the Lakers offered Jackson a head-coaching job in 1999, Jackson decided to return.
Jackson’s Lakers immediately delivered in his first year, earning the best record in the NBA at 67-15. The Lakers reached the NBA finals after defeating the Portland Trailblazers in the decisive seventh game of the Western Conference Finals.
The Lakers went on to defeat the Indiana Pacers in the finals. The Lakers won the title the following two years, marking Jackson’s third “three-peat” as an NBA head coach.
After the 2001-2002 championship season, tension mounted between superstars Kobe Bryant and Shaquille O’Neal. What began as minor remarks about each other’s leadership, self-centeredness, and work ethic, turned into a full-blown public feud.
The conflict led to a divided team and uncertainty in the Lakers front office. Bryant, who was scheduled to become a free agent at season’s end, continued to add to the heated dispute.
“I ain’t going nowhere,” O’Neal said during a post-game press conference.
O’Neal insisted that the Lakers were his team and said that if Bryant objected to what he said, that Bryant should opt for free agency.
After a demoralizing loss to the Detroit Pistons in the 2004 NBA Finals, the feud came to an end. O’Neal was traded to the Miami Heat for three players, including Lamar Odom.
Consequently, the Lakers did not pick up the option of Jackson’s expiring contract. The Lakers went 34-38 the following season, missing the playoffs for the first time in 11 years.
The Lakers’ dismal coaching and lackluster performance in the 2004-2005 season lead to immediate speculation of Jackson’s return. In June of 2005, the Lakers rehired Jackson.
The Lakers managed to bounce back in the 2005-2006 season, making the playoffs, but ultimately losing in seven games to the Phoenix Suns. The following season the Lakers made the playoffs, but again fell short against the Suns in the first round.
The 2007-2008 season marked a significant improvement for Jackson’s Lakers. With the help of a hot start and a mid-season trade for Pau Gasol, the Lakers once again finished atop the Western Conference.
The Lakers advanced through the Western Conference playoffs to face the Boston Celtics. The Lakers played well, but lost in a crushing sixth game by 39 points.
The Lakers bounced back in the 2008-2009 season, reclaiming the best record in the Western Conference and again advancing to the NBA Finals. The Lakers defeated the Orlando Magic by a convincing four games to one margin. With the championship, Jackson was in the NBA record books, tying Red Auerbach’s 10 NBA championships as a head coach.
In 2009, the Lakers yet again claimed the best record in the Western Conference and advanced to the NBA Finals for a third straight year. This time the Lakers had a chance for redemption: a chance to defeat the team that blew them out of the 2008 NBA finals.
The series was an instant classic, going back and forth between two of the greatest teams in NBA history. Two teams with Hall of Fame caliber coaches and players battled to a deciding seventh game. The Lakers, down at one time by 13 points, came back and won the game.
With 11 coaching titles under his belt, Jackson has a shot at a fourth “three-peat”.
Many credit much of Jackson’s success as a coach to his superstar players, including Michael Jordan, Scottie Pippen, Kobe Bryant, and Shaquille O’Neal. Many don’t realize that any coach that wins a championship needs good players.
“Love is the force that ignites the spirit and binds teams together,” Jackson once said.
Great players don’t win championships on their own; there needs to be discipline and companionship on a team. How effectively a team combines the two can often determine their success.
What makes coaches great is their ability to get their players to translate their skills, knowledge, and emotions onto the court to the best of their abilities.
In over 50 years of experience, Jackson has acquired great knowledge and understanding for the game. Jackson has learned many strategies and techniques from great coaches that he still uses today.
He is well known for using Tex Winter’s triangle offense: an offensive strategy that relies on good spacing between players, allowing for more passing lanes.
Jackson is known as the “Zen Master” because of the way he incorporates Eastern philosophy into his coaching. His unorthodox coaching style distinguishes Jackson from the traditional NBA coach.
Jackson’s interpretation of Eastern Philosophy stresses a team-first attitude. This creates a family atmosphere in his team’s locker room. Many argue that this philosophy led to his constant success and numerous titles as a head coach.
Many coaches are known for their courtside blow-ups when a player makes a mistake. When a coach screams at a player for messing up, it can often frustrate a player more. However, Jackson maintains a calm and cool approach on the court.
For example, in this year’s Western Conference Finals the Lakers were playing in a pivotal Game 5 against the Phoenix Suns. With the Lakers up three points in the fourth quarter, Ron Artest took a questionable 3-point shot with 1:00 remaining. Artest missed, leaving many people scratching their heads in disbelief. Instead of yelling at Artest, Jackson brought him aside and quietly talked with him. Artest who after the shot was 1-8 shooting, was clearly frustrated with himself. Jackson was able to keep Artest calm and was confident enough to have him on the court with 3.5 seconds remaining with the game tied.
Kobe Bryant cleared the inbound pass and shot immediately, but missed. Artest surged under the basket and hoisted a fall-away lay-up with 1 second remaining.
The Lakers won the game thanks to Artest’s amazing bucket, and eventually went on to take the series and advance to the finals. Jackson gave Artest a shot at redemption and he relished it.
"He has an uncanny knack of doing things, and sometimes it just works out," Jackson said. "He just has a knack for being around crucial plays."
Jackson is not just successful as a coach; he also had a successful NBA career. In 1967, Jackson was drafted by the New York Knicks. Jackson established himself as a key reserve on the Knicks squad. The Knicks won championships in 1970 and 1973, when Jackson was in the prime of his career. Jackson spent the final three years of his career with the New Jersey Nets, retiring in 1980.
Jackson is the ultimate winner, as a coach and a player. The combination of a calm approach to the game and incredible basketball strategies make Phil Jackson the greatest coach in NBA history.
-Nicolas O'Connor
Academic Connections
It was a Saturday morning when my informative family told me to check my Yahoo e-mail. As I clicked, I read summer opportunity program in bold words, sent from Travis Kemntiz, an Instructor from Ocean Discover Institute.
Never would I imagine receiving this e-mail.
I read more and as I scrolled down, the charge for the program at UCSD Academic Connections was 3,500. My eyes opened wide. Immediately I felt like exiting the page. My first thought was my parents not being able to pay.
That same moment, I called Travis and he said, “Everything is paid, I just need you to fill out the application and send it A.S.A.P to Academic Connections. You’ve earned it.”
When I told my parents about this scholarship, they were the happiest parents on earth. Not only they were proud but also knowing that their youngest daughter was attending one of the top ten universities of California for free was what kept them with a smile on their face.
Personally, I was totally shocked. Later, Travis informed me that every year, ODI selects one student and sends them to UCSD to take a course and everything is paid.
ODI is a science program that deals with youth and helps them through school. It has helped me as a high school student to keep my grades up and find opportunities that will help me succeed in life.
I have been working hard ever since I began freshman year at Herbert Hoover High School. This school has meant a lot to me because teachers and councilors help students find opportunities. My grades have always been between a 3.5 to a 4.0 GPA. It feels sweet to get a reward like the one I received for my high achievement.
Back in Mexico, my dad would wake up early in the morning to work in the field instead of going school. He couldn’t afford to have an education. He didn’t have the money to pay for books and materials needed. Now, I’m taking good advantage of the education he never had. And this is why he is so proud of me.
“You got it all here Isabel,” he said. “You are a very lucky girl that gets this education for free. Take advantage and get the highest grades as you can. If I were in your place, I would be just like you because good grades are what will help you now and in the future. Be somebody in life. Do something good that I couldn’t when I was your age.”
Being at UCSD learning new different things has made me a smarter person. I selected the class “Writing and Reporting the News.” This class has been one of the most helpful courses I’ve taken, including my teachers Sam and Erin. My teachers would always find a way to make writing and reporting interesting. At first, when I would hear about news I would say, “boring.”
But live news and reporting kept me taking good notes to prepare for the news writing and I found out it was fascinating. Some of the most fun things I did were the press conferences. A bunch of crazy characters came to our class and pretended a lot of crimes had happened to them. As we asked them questions we became reporters.
Always work hard and have faith that good things will come. Be prepared for good opportunities and be amazed when they come to you just like they came to me.
-Isabel Herrera (:
Never would I imagine receiving this e-mail.
I read more and as I scrolled down, the charge for the program at UCSD Academic Connections was 3,500. My eyes opened wide. Immediately I felt like exiting the page. My first thought was my parents not being able to pay.
That same moment, I called Travis and he said, “Everything is paid, I just need you to fill out the application and send it A.S.A.P to Academic Connections. You’ve earned it.”
When I told my parents about this scholarship, they were the happiest parents on earth. Not only they were proud but also knowing that their youngest daughter was attending one of the top ten universities of California for free was what kept them with a smile on their face.
Personally, I was totally shocked. Later, Travis informed me that every year, ODI selects one student and sends them to UCSD to take a course and everything is paid.
ODI is a science program that deals with youth and helps them through school. It has helped me as a high school student to keep my grades up and find opportunities that will help me succeed in life.
I have been working hard ever since I began freshman year at Herbert Hoover High School. This school has meant a lot to me because teachers and councilors help students find opportunities. My grades have always been between a 3.5 to a 4.0 GPA. It feels sweet to get a reward like the one I received for my high achievement.
Back in Mexico, my dad would wake up early in the morning to work in the field instead of going school. He couldn’t afford to have an education. He didn’t have the money to pay for books and materials needed. Now, I’m taking good advantage of the education he never had. And this is why he is so proud of me.
“You got it all here Isabel,” he said. “You are a very lucky girl that gets this education for free. Take advantage and get the highest grades as you can. If I were in your place, I would be just like you because good grades are what will help you now and in the future. Be somebody in life. Do something good that I couldn’t when I was your age.”
Being at UCSD learning new different things has made me a smarter person. I selected the class “Writing and Reporting the News.” This class has been one of the most helpful courses I’ve taken, including my teachers Sam and Erin. My teachers would always find a way to make writing and reporting interesting. At first, when I would hear about news I would say, “boring.”
But live news and reporting kept me taking good notes to prepare for the news writing and I found out it was fascinating. Some of the most fun things I did were the press conferences. A bunch of crazy characters came to our class and pretended a lot of crimes had happened to them. As we asked them questions we became reporters.
Always work hard and have faith that good things will come. Be prepared for good opportunities and be amazed when they come to you just like they came to me.
-Isabel Herrera (:
Learning the Value of Friendship
Before every soccer game, my teammates and I huddle to talk about beating the other team. Then we show our dedication working our hardest on the field. Most games we win but when we don’t, we come together and analyze the game. Off the field, we are a family. We joke around always finding ways to hang out. They are my closest friends and the ones I can completely be myself around. I never really understood the value of friendships until I started playing sports.
My parents first signed me up for basketball when I was nine. They wanted me to break free from my shyness and brought me to my first basketball practice. I was so upset when I realized I was the only girl on my team and the shortest one. Practice was hard because I had no idea what I was doing. I didn’t talk to anyone during breaks and anxiously waited for practice to end. When practice did end, I headed straight for the car until I heard someone call my name. A boy on my team, Zane, was having a birthday party and wanted to invite me.
At that birthday party, all my teammates were there and I started talking to them. I became friends with them that day. Practice changed as I unexpectedly started to enjoy the company of others.
That season quickly ended. I missed playing on a team, so my parents signed me up for softball. Softball was just as fun as basketball and I became a little friendlier. When softball season ended, I begged my parents to sign me up for soccer.
I felt different playing this sport. I was eager to learn how to become a better player. After weeks of practice, my coach told us about the first game of the season. We were going to play the hardest team.
Before the game, my coach was telling the team who would play and in what position. Butterflies filled my stomach when my name was called as left defender. The game started and I tried my best to defend every ball that came my way. My best wasn’t enough, though, when a player on the other team dribbled the ball past me and scored in the last minute of the game.
My heart sank as the girl who scored ran back to her team with the biggest smile on her face. I just stood by the goal holding back my tears replaying that moment in my head over and over again. I was about to break down when the referee blew his whistle a moment later. All my teammates one by one walked over to me and gave me the biggest hugs. I was constantly reminded how great I played and that it was just a game. My tears were gone as soon as my coach came over with the happiest expression on his face. He told us how proud he was and how we played greater than he ever expected.
As a team, we went out for ice cream. My teammates and I ordered our favorite flavors and sat at a table. We talked about the most random things and the laughter did not stop. That day, I learned so much about friendship and being myself. I realized why I was so shy before. I never wanted to be the person people didn’t like so I was the person no one really knew.
I continue to play soccer today. If my parents had not signed me up for basketball years ago, I would not have started playing soccer or learned so much about friendship.
-Courtney Thornton
My parents first signed me up for basketball when I was nine. They wanted me to break free from my shyness and brought me to my first basketball practice. I was so upset when I realized I was the only girl on my team and the shortest one. Practice was hard because I had no idea what I was doing. I didn’t talk to anyone during breaks and anxiously waited for practice to end. When practice did end, I headed straight for the car until I heard someone call my name. A boy on my team, Zane, was having a birthday party and wanted to invite me.
At that birthday party, all my teammates were there and I started talking to them. I became friends with them that day. Practice changed as I unexpectedly started to enjoy the company of others.
That season quickly ended. I missed playing on a team, so my parents signed me up for softball. Softball was just as fun as basketball and I became a little friendlier. When softball season ended, I begged my parents to sign me up for soccer.
I felt different playing this sport. I was eager to learn how to become a better player. After weeks of practice, my coach told us about the first game of the season. We were going to play the hardest team.
Before the game, my coach was telling the team who would play and in what position. Butterflies filled my stomach when my name was called as left defender. The game started and I tried my best to defend every ball that came my way. My best wasn’t enough, though, when a player on the other team dribbled the ball past me and scored in the last minute of the game.
My heart sank as the girl who scored ran back to her team with the biggest smile on her face. I just stood by the goal holding back my tears replaying that moment in my head over and over again. I was about to break down when the referee blew his whistle a moment later. All my teammates one by one walked over to me and gave me the biggest hugs. I was constantly reminded how great I played and that it was just a game. My tears were gone as soon as my coach came over with the happiest expression on his face. He told us how proud he was and how we played greater than he ever expected.
As a team, we went out for ice cream. My teammates and I ordered our favorite flavors and sat at a table. We talked about the most random things and the laughter did not stop. That day, I learned so much about friendship and being myself. I realized why I was so shy before. I never wanted to be the person people didn’t like so I was the person no one really knew.
I continue to play soccer today. If my parents had not signed me up for basketball years ago, I would not have started playing soccer or learned so much about friendship.
-Courtney Thornton
The three weeks in Academic Connections was one of the best parts in my life. It was my first time to live in the dorm, to study in a university; to make friends with people from many different places, to play beach volleyball. I tried so many new stuffs in these three weeks, but the most memorable thing was my writing class.
Sam, the coolest teacher I have never seen in my life. The first day I saw her, I thought she must be a harsh teacher; she has a really short golden hair, very skinny; wearing a T-shirt, blue jeans. Erin, the other teacher, seems a lot nicer than her. But after the first class, I knew I was totally wrong.
In the first class, Sam led us to the grassland and sit down in a circle. She told us to say our name and one thing about ourselves. We have to memorize what the people said before us and to repeat what they said. She told us that to be a reporter, must focusing on everything that your subject told you.”
“I am wearing a striped underpants,” that’s the first thing Sam told us, and it blown me away. How would a teacher told this thing to her student? After this game, I changed my mind; Sam was the craziest teacher in the world.
Sam was very nice and kind. The first time I wrote in this class, I wrote about Samah, one of my classmates. But when Sam told us to read our best sentence in our paragraph, I couldn’t find one. She walked to me, sat on the seat beside me, looked my paragraph, and said, “Keep working.” I knew I screw it up, but she didn’t say any thing bad to me, any thing, only “Keep working”.
While we were in the lab, we working on our essay, a watching video, see Sam dancing and singing. When there was music, most of the time she would start dancing, even dancing on a chair! But sometime she distracted me so I could hardly hand in my work on time.
Sometimes Sam would go crazy, and it seems like Erin was the only one who could stop her. Unlike Sam, my first impression to Erin have not changed after this three weeks, she was always nice, and always smiling.
Erin has a short hair too, but not as short as Sam. She has a rose tattoo on her left arm, always wearing jeans, and sometimes with a red boots. She always has a smile on her face; it made her looked very kind.
Erin helped me a lot when I was writing my essays. She walked beside be and looked at my essay, and correct my mistakes in the paragraphs, made the sentence became better. I really thank her for helping me to improve my writing; even my writing was so immature.
Sam and Erin were very good friends. They would make jokes of each other, but they never got mad. At the beginning of each class, they told us about some interesting things happened to them, or some news happened this morning.
There were eight people in the class, and only have two guys. That guy has became my good friHis name was Nicolas. The first time we met, he was quiet, but after few minutes he started to chat with the girls. When he was talking to me, he kept telling me how he liked Chinese food and something about his family.
Samah, Keana, Kirsten and Stephanie were just like a group. They eat together, walk together; work together, hang out together. They were really talkative, always chatting during the class. But because of them, I had so much fun in the class.
Isabel and Courtney were another group. They were both very quiet in the class, and sometimes they seemed had been separated from the class. We had two rows of computers in the lab, six of us sat in a row, Isabel and Courtney always sat in another row. Although there were three groups in our class, we still have a good relationship with each other.
In these three weeks, although the only subject I was studying was writing, I haven’t got bored, because I was studying with the coolest teacher Sam, the nicest teacher Erin and the best classmates Keana, Samah, Isabel, Kirsten, Courtney, Stephanie and Nicolas.
I would miss them a lot after I got back to China, because I was not able to see them again. Although they have Face book in America, Chinese government has banned it. I had so many first times in this program; I would have nostalgia for this campus life.
Charles Yang
Sam, the coolest teacher I have never seen in my life. The first day I saw her, I thought she must be a harsh teacher; she has a really short golden hair, very skinny; wearing a T-shirt, blue jeans. Erin, the other teacher, seems a lot nicer than her. But after the first class, I knew I was totally wrong.
In the first class, Sam led us to the grassland and sit down in a circle. She told us to say our name and one thing about ourselves. We have to memorize what the people said before us and to repeat what they said. She told us that to be a reporter, must focusing on everything that your subject told you.”
“I am wearing a striped underpants,” that’s the first thing Sam told us, and it blown me away. How would a teacher told this thing to her student? After this game, I changed my mind; Sam was the craziest teacher in the world.
Sam was very nice and kind. The first time I wrote in this class, I wrote about Samah, one of my classmates. But when Sam told us to read our best sentence in our paragraph, I couldn’t find one. She walked to me, sat on the seat beside me, looked my paragraph, and said, “Keep working.” I knew I screw it up, but she didn’t say any thing bad to me, any thing, only “Keep working”.
While we were in the lab, we working on our essay, a watching video, see Sam dancing and singing. When there was music, most of the time she would start dancing, even dancing on a chair! But sometime she distracted me so I could hardly hand in my work on time.
Sometimes Sam would go crazy, and it seems like Erin was the only one who could stop her. Unlike Sam, my first impression to Erin have not changed after this three weeks, she was always nice, and always smiling.
Erin has a short hair too, but not as short as Sam. She has a rose tattoo on her left arm, always wearing jeans, and sometimes with a red boots. She always has a smile on her face; it made her looked very kind.
Erin helped me a lot when I was writing my essays. She walked beside be and looked at my essay, and correct my mistakes in the paragraphs, made the sentence became better. I really thank her for helping me to improve my writing; even my writing was so immature.
Sam and Erin were very good friends. They would make jokes of each other, but they never got mad. At the beginning of each class, they told us about some interesting things happened to them, or some news happened this morning.
There were eight people in the class, and only have two guys. That guy has became my good friHis name was Nicolas. The first time we met, he was quiet, but after few minutes he started to chat with the girls. When he was talking to me, he kept telling me how he liked Chinese food and something about his family.
Samah, Keana, Kirsten and Stephanie were just like a group. They eat together, walk together; work together, hang out together. They were really talkative, always chatting during the class. But because of them, I had so much fun in the class.
Isabel and Courtney were another group. They were both very quiet in the class, and sometimes they seemed had been separated from the class. We had two rows of computers in the lab, six of us sat in a row, Isabel and Courtney always sat in another row. Although there were three groups in our class, we still have a good relationship with each other.
In these three weeks, although the only subject I was studying was writing, I haven’t got bored, because I was studying with the coolest teacher Sam, the nicest teacher Erin and the best classmates Keana, Samah, Isabel, Kirsten, Courtney, Stephanie and Nicolas.
I would miss them a lot after I got back to China, because I was not able to see them again. Although they have Face book in America, Chinese government has banned it. I had so many first times in this program; I would have nostalgia for this campus life.
Charles Yang
Life From The Sideline
I felt my knee pop when I hit the ground. It wouldn’t bend or straighten. The crowd was screaming excitedly about the goal I just sacrificed my knee for. But I couldn’t move.
The trainers carried me off the field and put me down on the sideline. As I cried they went to get some ice. All I could think about was the pain shooting up my leg from my knee. I knew this injury was going to be more than just a sprain.
While I sat on the sideline, my team began losing. I knew we needed to win this game to make the play-offs. Painfully, I got up and tried to stand, then began to walk, then to run. We won, but at the cost of further hurting my knee. At the end of the game I had to use crutches to get off the field.
Two days later my mom called me when I was at school. She had the doctor’s results for my knee. I had torn my ACL, MCL and Meniscus. I was going to need surgery.
The surgery was scheduled for three weeks later. It took an hour for the nurses to hook me up to an I.V. and get me ready to go into surgery. The doctor put a mask over my face and told me to count to ten. So I counted: one, two… blackness.
The first couple of weeks after the surgery were a pain-filled nightmare. The pain never stopped and the medications only made me feel nauseous. I couldn’t walk, bend or straighten my leg. I felt like I was in prison, and the cell was my living room couch.
After two weeks I was able to leave the house. I began going to lacrosse practices to watch and cheer on my team. The hardest part of having the hurt knee wasn’t dealing with the pain; it was not being able to play lacrosse.
Three months post-surgery I had to start rehabilitation. Working on straightening and bending my knee was the most painful experience of my life. Just four months earlier I could run three miles, now I couldn’t even bend my knee enough to walk properly.
I wanted to quit, and just give up on sports. The pain made me feel like doing something else with my life.
It seemed like my knee would never get better. The trainer would add more weight every time the exercise stopped hurting. I spent all my time either at the rehab center or on the couch icing my knee. It felt boring and pointless.
My thinking changed when I met an elderly lady in the rehab center who was having hip problems. She too had been through a serious injury in high school. The difference was she did quit. She decided the rehab wasn’t worth the sports. She said it was the worst decision of her life.
As she talked to me, she was strung up in a contraption to help her hips. Her lower torso was in a swing device, and her upper back was on the table. The woman’s rehab machine looked as painful as what I was going through. She told me about her high school injury. She said that she had loved sports, but the pain of that injury was too much for her. She gave up on rehab and never played another sport again. She also said if she could go back, she would have pushed through the pain.
I felt as though she knew what I was going through. It seemed that if she helped me to push through, she would feel as if she had pushed through as well.
After hearing her story, I decided I would not make the same mistake. I began to work harder. I asked the doctors to add more weight to my leg. At the end of six months, I was ready to play sports again. My doctor said he had never seen someone bounce back from surgery so fast.
This injury showed me that if you really love something you have to fight for it, no matter how painful. It will be worth in the end.
My first game back in lacrosse was the one of the best games of my life. I played terribly, but it was the most fun game I had ever played. That game was for me, not for my coach or my team or for the win. For the first time I played purely for the love of the game. It was then that I knew if I had given up, I would have lost something I really loved in my life.
-Kirsten Yocke
The trainers carried me off the field and put me down on the sideline. As I cried they went to get some ice. All I could think about was the pain shooting up my leg from my knee. I knew this injury was going to be more than just a sprain.
While I sat on the sideline, my team began losing. I knew we needed to win this game to make the play-offs. Painfully, I got up and tried to stand, then began to walk, then to run. We won, but at the cost of further hurting my knee. At the end of the game I had to use crutches to get off the field.
Two days later my mom called me when I was at school. She had the doctor’s results for my knee. I had torn my ACL, MCL and Meniscus. I was going to need surgery.
The surgery was scheduled for three weeks later. It took an hour for the nurses to hook me up to an I.V. and get me ready to go into surgery. The doctor put a mask over my face and told me to count to ten. So I counted: one, two… blackness.
The first couple of weeks after the surgery were a pain-filled nightmare. The pain never stopped and the medications only made me feel nauseous. I couldn’t walk, bend or straighten my leg. I felt like I was in prison, and the cell was my living room couch.
After two weeks I was able to leave the house. I began going to lacrosse practices to watch and cheer on my team. The hardest part of having the hurt knee wasn’t dealing with the pain; it was not being able to play lacrosse.
Three months post-surgery I had to start rehabilitation. Working on straightening and bending my knee was the most painful experience of my life. Just four months earlier I could run three miles, now I couldn’t even bend my knee enough to walk properly.
I wanted to quit, and just give up on sports. The pain made me feel like doing something else with my life.
It seemed like my knee would never get better. The trainer would add more weight every time the exercise stopped hurting. I spent all my time either at the rehab center or on the couch icing my knee. It felt boring and pointless.
My thinking changed when I met an elderly lady in the rehab center who was having hip problems. She too had been through a serious injury in high school. The difference was she did quit. She decided the rehab wasn’t worth the sports. She said it was the worst decision of her life.
As she talked to me, she was strung up in a contraption to help her hips. Her lower torso was in a swing device, and her upper back was on the table. The woman’s rehab machine looked as painful as what I was going through. She told me about her high school injury. She said that she had loved sports, but the pain of that injury was too much for her. She gave up on rehab and never played another sport again. She also said if she could go back, she would have pushed through the pain.
I felt as though she knew what I was going through. It seemed that if she helped me to push through, she would feel as if she had pushed through as well.
After hearing her story, I decided I would not make the same mistake. I began to work harder. I asked the doctors to add more weight to my leg. At the end of six months, I was ready to play sports again. My doctor said he had never seen someone bounce back from surgery so fast.
This injury showed me that if you really love something you have to fight for it, no matter how painful. It will be worth in the end.
My first game back in lacrosse was the one of the best games of my life. I played terribly, but it was the most fun game I had ever played. That game was for me, not for my coach or my team or for the win. For the first time I played purely for the love of the game. It was then that I knew if I had given up, I would have lost something I really loved in my life.
-Kirsten Yocke
An Introverted Dilemma
There are few things I find more intimidating than making new friends. As I stood in a crowd of about three hundred other high school students, I realized I was going to have to confront my fear head on for three weeks straight.
“Now, we’re all going to get into groups by our birthdays!” an overly enthusiastic college student yelled into the megaphone. My forehead wrinkled into the I’m-confused-and-going-to-look-rude-about-it look I’ve tried to get rid of lately. Games like this are not my specialty. This one was an orientation icebreaker for Academic Connections, a summer program for high school students in San Diego. I started to take a step towards a girl standing by my left in an attempt to introduce myself, but quickly changed my mind and stopped before she or anyone else could realize what I had just tried to do.
These types of situations have always stumped me. Are you supposed to adopt that annoying, enthusiastic persona in hopes of meeting people? In a high school where everyone’s place seems set in stone, enthusiastic, extroverted tendencies are generally looked down upon. But at something like this, they seem to be embraced a little more. As I looked around for the other June birthdays, it dawned on me that all of these people were probably really similar to me; we were all the same age and here we were signed up for the same program, yet they were the people I wanted to talk to the least.
Stick me in a room with a dozen adults and I’ll find someway to strike up a conversation. Stick me in a room with a dozen toddlers and I’ll manage to have fun while playing and talking to them. Stick me in a room with a dozen teenagers though, and more often than not I’ll find a bathroom to hide in or back door to sneak out of before any one even has the chance to ask my name. It seems strange as the people I spend the most time with are teenagers and so I should be the best at relating to them. Not the case.
I’m not sure at what point it changed. On the playground in elementary school I remember talking just as much as the next kid and socializing with just as much of the class. Now I seem to be behind. Maybe everyone struggles as much as I and is just able to hide it, but it seems everyone else has mastered small talk at parties with classmates they don’t know too well, while I have not. It would make things easier if I had, but at a certain point the supposed benefits of stepping out of your comfort zone don’t seem to come close to being worth the discomfort that comes along with trying to be someone you are not.
Events like this summer program, where socializing with people other than my immediate circle of friends is pretty much required, seem to be appearing in my life more frequently lately. And honestly, I’m not really sure how to get better at it. Some say I just need more practice at it, others have said it’s fine to live an introverted existence, but I don’t want to do either one. I know I’ll never be the girl who offers to sing the song in front of the whole group representing June birthdays, but maybe, one day, I could stop being the one who hides in the grocery store at the sight of any one her own age.
-Stephanie Thornton
“Now, we’re all going to get into groups by our birthdays!” an overly enthusiastic college student yelled into the megaphone. My forehead wrinkled into the I’m-confused-and-going-to-look-rude-about-it look I’ve tried to get rid of lately. Games like this are not my specialty. This one was an orientation icebreaker for Academic Connections, a summer program for high school students in San Diego. I started to take a step towards a girl standing by my left in an attempt to introduce myself, but quickly changed my mind and stopped before she or anyone else could realize what I had just tried to do.
These types of situations have always stumped me. Are you supposed to adopt that annoying, enthusiastic persona in hopes of meeting people? In a high school where everyone’s place seems set in stone, enthusiastic, extroverted tendencies are generally looked down upon. But at something like this, they seem to be embraced a little more. As I looked around for the other June birthdays, it dawned on me that all of these people were probably really similar to me; we were all the same age and here we were signed up for the same program, yet they were the people I wanted to talk to the least.
Stick me in a room with a dozen adults and I’ll find someway to strike up a conversation. Stick me in a room with a dozen toddlers and I’ll manage to have fun while playing and talking to them. Stick me in a room with a dozen teenagers though, and more often than not I’ll find a bathroom to hide in or back door to sneak out of before any one even has the chance to ask my name. It seems strange as the people I spend the most time with are teenagers and so I should be the best at relating to them. Not the case.
I’m not sure at what point it changed. On the playground in elementary school I remember talking just as much as the next kid and socializing with just as much of the class. Now I seem to be behind. Maybe everyone struggles as much as I and is just able to hide it, but it seems everyone else has mastered small talk at parties with classmates they don’t know too well, while I have not. It would make things easier if I had, but at a certain point the supposed benefits of stepping out of your comfort zone don’t seem to come close to being worth the discomfort that comes along with trying to be someone you are not.
Events like this summer program, where socializing with people other than my immediate circle of friends is pretty much required, seem to be appearing in my life more frequently lately. And honestly, I’m not really sure how to get better at it. Some say I just need more practice at it, others have said it’s fine to live an introverted existence, but I don’t want to do either one. I know I’ll never be the girl who offers to sing the song in front of the whole group representing June birthdays, but maybe, one day, I could stop being the one who hides in the grocery store at the sight of any one her own age.
-Stephanie Thornton
The Lazy Days
I was running in circles on hot red Astroturf until my feet felt like they were on fire. The stands were packed and I felt as though every pair of eyes was on me. I was inching ahead of the middle of the pack, but there was no joy for me in the race. Instead, a jolt of terror forced me to tighten my abdominal muscles as my breath quickened. Now terror isn’t usually a word you associate with a track athlete. Adrenaline, maybe excitement? Not terror. I am a different kind of track athlete. The kind that isn’t excited until after I cross the finish line and my nightmare is over. Which is the strange juxtaposition—when it comes to track, the running is the part I don’t like. I like being on the team, and track isn’t even a team sport.
I’m not sure I ever would have found out how much I liked being part of the track team if it weren’t for my best friend, who makes everything about track fun. He never judges me when I make a stupid comment or when I am my weird awkward self. He even cheers me on during my races. Unlike me, he is a superstar who ran a few varsity races freshman year but otherwise dominated the frosh-soph team. He is a big part of why I get up on race day and rush my parents to the car, because I know as soon as we arrive at the track, he’s there.
There’s also something about wearing the team uniform and being identified as an athlete that I love. The strange tan lines are just a perk. I love listening to speakers blasting Jason Mraz’s “I’m Yours” the entire meet and getting a chance to talk to people outside of my regular group of friends. People change at track meets, they are more approachable than they are in school. Even the shyest freshmen come out to talk to the upperclassmen of the team. We have developed a sort of family on the team.
Before I joined the team I didn’t know there was so much to do at track meets that doesn’t involve running. My friends and I have the time of our lives. We cheer on our tired teammates when they cross the finish line, eat wheat thins and listen to our iPods under the team tarp. Occasionally we walk past one of the coaches at the wrong time and are recruited to move hurdles in the hot sun. We’re all tired and take numerous naps before and after races, huddled together with friends. When the day winds down and the sun begins to set, I realize that the best day of my week is almost up. But instead of feeling sad, I get excited and anxious, already gearing up for the next track meet.
I will continue to run track and field, and I’ve noticed that each year is getting better than the last. I even started running in the 800 meter this year and I really like it. There’s nothing like being at a track meet with friends, where minutes seem like hours and the day is gone in a flash.
-Keana Cowden
I’m not sure I ever would have found out how much I liked being part of the track team if it weren’t for my best friend, who makes everything about track fun. He never judges me when I make a stupid comment or when I am my weird awkward self. He even cheers me on during my races. Unlike me, he is a superstar who ran a few varsity races freshman year but otherwise dominated the frosh-soph team. He is a big part of why I get up on race day and rush my parents to the car, because I know as soon as we arrive at the track, he’s there.
There’s also something about wearing the team uniform and being identified as an athlete that I love. The strange tan lines are just a perk. I love listening to speakers blasting Jason Mraz’s “I’m Yours” the entire meet and getting a chance to talk to people outside of my regular group of friends. People change at track meets, they are more approachable than they are in school. Even the shyest freshmen come out to talk to the upperclassmen of the team. We have developed a sort of family on the team.
Before I joined the team I didn’t know there was so much to do at track meets that doesn’t involve running. My friends and I have the time of our lives. We cheer on our tired teammates when they cross the finish line, eat wheat thins and listen to our iPods under the team tarp. Occasionally we walk past one of the coaches at the wrong time and are recruited to move hurdles in the hot sun. We’re all tired and take numerous naps before and after races, huddled together with friends. When the day winds down and the sun begins to set, I realize that the best day of my week is almost up. But instead of feeling sad, I get excited and anxious, already gearing up for the next track meet.
I will continue to run track and field, and I’ve noticed that each year is getting better than the last. I even started running in the 800 meter this year and I really like it. There’s nothing like being at a track meet with friends, where minutes seem like hours and the day is gone in a flash.
-Keana Cowden
Tuesday, July 27, 2010
Queen Of Pop Pulls out Amazing Tour
The Queen Of Pop ended her Platinum Tour singing to a sold out crowd in NYC’s Madison Square Garden last Friday Night.
The Platinum Tour, Madonna’s final run in show business, opened with Lady Gaga. She performed hits like “Telephone” and “ Alejandro” to pump up the audience for Madge.
The 50,000 in attendance cheered, as the lights dimmed and the live band began to play the intro to her legendary hit “ Material Girl”. The multi colored lights flashed as Madonna made her grand entrance with two back-up singers, covered in fluffy robes and curlers.
But fans were confused when she opened her mouth.
30 year-old Samantha Sommerson of Los Angeles said, “If I wasn’t looking at Madonna, I wouldn’t have known it was her singing.” Madge’s accent was an out of tune mixture of a nagging New York housewife with Cyndi Lauper’s pitch. The Queen of Pop baffled the audience, who at this point seemed completely uninterested in her ‘Broadway’ style rendition of the classic song. Small sections of choreographed dancing followed Madge’s awkward vocals along with a quick change into a fuzzy pink dress. Needless to say, the supposedly red hot tour began to look like it was going down in flames.
After a five-minute blackout Madonna returned to the stage in a provocative black number. High top boots accompanied a sensual underwear set, with a one piece fish net to top it off. The short intro music to her song “Four Minutes” played as the pop icon danced atop a platform.
Madonna’s 1990 hit “Vogue” followed the remixed intro. Audience members wondered if Madge would continue to disappoint, and were happy to hear the Pop Queen that they know and love. Clapping and singing erupted from the crowd and the energy between the first and second song changed completely. Erotic dancers surrounded Madge as she gyrated to the beat. She ended the song with a strut on the catwalk and the signature “Vogue” choreography.
By far the showstopper of the night was the finale, triple platinum song “ Music”. The Pop Diva appeared in a simple black tank and pants. Dancers with headphones performed acrobatic stunts as the techno intro blared. Pictures of Madonna flashed across multiple screens and she sang her final song. Picture a rave with pink lights and sexy dancers and you’ve got the performance. She didn’t dance crazily, and most of the performance was devoted to the vocals of the song. The audience showed their appreciation with colorful posters and booming applause.
Madonna stayed onstage for around ten minutes after her song, feeding off of the crowd’s energy and interacting with them. “Everyone was singing along and having a blast, celebrating a true artist.” says 21 year-old Jackie Marks.
Near the end of the concert, Madonna addressed the audience saying that it had been a “fun run,” but she was ready to step out of the limelight and make room for her successor Lady Gaga. The tour could be a way to show fans the similarities but also the differences in the two pop icons. Madge brought Gaga onstage for the finale, and they shared a hug accompanied by a round of applause. Though the tour had its flaws, it mostly lived up to the crazy hype.
Now the King of Pop is dead and the Queen has retired, so it’s up to the princes and princesses of the music industry to wow the next generation as Madonna has wowed us.
-Keana Cowden
The Platinum Tour, Madonna’s final run in show business, opened with Lady Gaga. She performed hits like “Telephone” and “ Alejandro” to pump up the audience for Madge.
The 50,000 in attendance cheered, as the lights dimmed and the live band began to play the intro to her legendary hit “ Material Girl”. The multi colored lights flashed as Madonna made her grand entrance with two back-up singers, covered in fluffy robes and curlers.
But fans were confused when she opened her mouth.
30 year-old Samantha Sommerson of Los Angeles said, “If I wasn’t looking at Madonna, I wouldn’t have known it was her singing.” Madge’s accent was an out of tune mixture of a nagging New York housewife with Cyndi Lauper’s pitch. The Queen of Pop baffled the audience, who at this point seemed completely uninterested in her ‘Broadway’ style rendition of the classic song. Small sections of choreographed dancing followed Madge’s awkward vocals along with a quick change into a fuzzy pink dress. Needless to say, the supposedly red hot tour began to look like it was going down in flames.
After a five-minute blackout Madonna returned to the stage in a provocative black number. High top boots accompanied a sensual underwear set, with a one piece fish net to top it off. The short intro music to her song “Four Minutes” played as the pop icon danced atop a platform.
Madonna’s 1990 hit “Vogue” followed the remixed intro. Audience members wondered if Madge would continue to disappoint, and were happy to hear the Pop Queen that they know and love. Clapping and singing erupted from the crowd and the energy between the first and second song changed completely. Erotic dancers surrounded Madge as she gyrated to the beat. She ended the song with a strut on the catwalk and the signature “Vogue” choreography.
By far the showstopper of the night was the finale, triple platinum song “ Music”. The Pop Diva appeared in a simple black tank and pants. Dancers with headphones performed acrobatic stunts as the techno intro blared. Pictures of Madonna flashed across multiple screens and she sang her final song. Picture a rave with pink lights and sexy dancers and you’ve got the performance. She didn’t dance crazily, and most of the performance was devoted to the vocals of the song. The audience showed their appreciation with colorful posters and booming applause.
Madonna stayed onstage for around ten minutes after her song, feeding off of the crowd’s energy and interacting with them. “Everyone was singing along and having a blast, celebrating a true artist.” says 21 year-old Jackie Marks.
Near the end of the concert, Madonna addressed the audience saying that it had been a “fun run,” but she was ready to step out of the limelight and make room for her successor Lady Gaga. The tour could be a way to show fans the similarities but also the differences in the two pop icons. Madge brought Gaga onstage for the finale, and they shared a hug accompanied by a round of applause. Though the tour had its flaws, it mostly lived up to the crazy hype.
Now the King of Pop is dead and the Queen has retired, so it’s up to the princes and princesses of the music industry to wow the next generation as Madonna has wowed us.
-Keana Cowden
Madonna Ends Career With Sold-Out Show at Madison Square Garden
Madonna proved she’s still got it Friday night, performing a stunning show despite a rocky start, for a sold-out crowd at Madison Square Garden. The show was her last ever, wrapping up her worldwide Platinum Tour.
The show opened with a performance by Lady Gaga, somewhat fitting as she has extensively been compared to early Madonna. With an array of flashy costumes and set designs, Lady Gaga warmed up the stage with her recent mega-hits ‘Telephone”, “Alejandro”, and “Just Dance.” Despite the crowd’s enthrallment with the Gaga spectacle, it seemed obvious they were much more concerned with what Madge would offer up for the night.
The atmosphere seemed to drastically change when dancers cloaked in white appeared on stage for the opening bars of 1985’s“Material Girl.” As the Material Girl herself began to sing, the audience fell quiet. The stage had a cheesy nostalgic feel as she was dressed in a bathrobe and hair curlers, sitting in beauty salon-like chairs. Adopting an accent somewhat close to a nasal-y New Yorker, she seemed to channel a Cyndi Lauper-esque persona that disappointed many of her fans.
“I’m not sure what she was doing out there,” said Hannah Wilson, 27, of Trenton, New Jersey. “That’s not how she sings that song, it’s like she was trying to make a joke or something. And it didn’t work, it just didn’t.”
Luckily for the 50,000 fans in attendance, the rest of the show was far less of a disappointment. Madonna began the next number, the 1990 hit “Vogue”, dressed in a black lace and mesh leotard and knee-high shiny leather boots dancing on a raised platform. The mood couldn’t have differed more from her first song, as the crowd screamed, clapped, and danced along with Madonna and her scantily clad dancers.
As images of eyes and clocks flashed on the screen behind her, she sensuously strutted up and down a catwalk as the electronic sounds of “Vogue” mixed with parts of her newer hip-hop song “4 Minutes”. The show was clearly back on track at this point, as the number offered up the classic Madonna costumes, set designs, and dance moves dedicated fans have come to expect from the Queen of Pop.
The show closed with the 2000 triple-platinum hit “Music”. Taking the stage in plain black pants and a black top with the word “Mother” written on the front and “F****r” on the back, she appeared in the middle of a group of gyrating dancers, clad in all black.
As the crowd belted out “music makes the people come together”, Madonna could not have seemed happier wrapping up the last show of her decades-long career.
“She delivered out there,” said Kelley Lewis, 29, of New York. “I wasn’t sure how it would turn out after the ‘Material Girl’ thing at the beginning but she really made up for it.”
Madonna will certainly be missed as she heads in to retirement; evident by the number of crying fans leaving the arena Friday night.
“I’ve grown up with Madonna,” continued Lewis’ friend Chelsea Lee, also of New York. “She defined my teenage years and it’s hard to think of it ending. I’m just so glad I got to witness this tonight, she is the definition of an icon.”
-Stephanie Thornton
The show opened with a performance by Lady Gaga, somewhat fitting as she has extensively been compared to early Madonna. With an array of flashy costumes and set designs, Lady Gaga warmed up the stage with her recent mega-hits ‘Telephone”, “Alejandro”, and “Just Dance.” Despite the crowd’s enthrallment with the Gaga spectacle, it seemed obvious they were much more concerned with what Madge would offer up for the night.
The atmosphere seemed to drastically change when dancers cloaked in white appeared on stage for the opening bars of 1985’s“Material Girl.” As the Material Girl herself began to sing, the audience fell quiet. The stage had a cheesy nostalgic feel as she was dressed in a bathrobe and hair curlers, sitting in beauty salon-like chairs. Adopting an accent somewhat close to a nasal-y New Yorker, she seemed to channel a Cyndi Lauper-esque persona that disappointed many of her fans.
“I’m not sure what she was doing out there,” said Hannah Wilson, 27, of Trenton, New Jersey. “That’s not how she sings that song, it’s like she was trying to make a joke or something. And it didn’t work, it just didn’t.”
Luckily for the 50,000 fans in attendance, the rest of the show was far less of a disappointment. Madonna began the next number, the 1990 hit “Vogue”, dressed in a black lace and mesh leotard and knee-high shiny leather boots dancing on a raised platform. The mood couldn’t have differed more from her first song, as the crowd screamed, clapped, and danced along with Madonna and her scantily clad dancers.
As images of eyes and clocks flashed on the screen behind her, she sensuously strutted up and down a catwalk as the electronic sounds of “Vogue” mixed with parts of her newer hip-hop song “4 Minutes”. The show was clearly back on track at this point, as the number offered up the classic Madonna costumes, set designs, and dance moves dedicated fans have come to expect from the Queen of Pop.
The show closed with the 2000 triple-platinum hit “Music”. Taking the stage in plain black pants and a black top with the word “Mother” written on the front and “F****r” on the back, she appeared in the middle of a group of gyrating dancers, clad in all black.
As the crowd belted out “music makes the people come together”, Madonna could not have seemed happier wrapping up the last show of her decades-long career.
“She delivered out there,” said Kelley Lewis, 29, of New York. “I wasn’t sure how it would turn out after the ‘Material Girl’ thing at the beginning but she really made up for it.”
Madonna will certainly be missed as she heads in to retirement; evident by the number of crying fans leaving the arena Friday night.
“I’ve grown up with Madonna,” continued Lewis’ friend Chelsea Lee, also of New York. “She defined my teenage years and it’s hard to think of it ending. I’m just so glad I got to witness this tonight, she is the definition of an icon.”
-Stephanie Thornton
Madonna's Last Concert
Madonna had her final concert Friday, July 23rd, at the Madison Square Gardens in New York City. She performed to a sold out audience of 50,000 gradually showing more enthusiasm with every song.
This last show of Madonna’s Platinum tour opened with Lady Gaga singing her hit song, “Alejandro”. The audience sang along as Lady Gaga crowd surfed her way off stage in an astronaut suit. The crowd later grew impatient as the crew took over 45 minutes to set up for Madonna.
Madonna came onto stage singing “Material Girl” from her 1985 album, Like a Virgin. Madge and her back up singers began dancing dressed in robes wearing hair curlers in front of a hair dryer. The audience clapped along confused as she began singing in a mixture of accents. Her performance of “Material Girl” could not compare to Lady Gaga’s opening act. The loss of energy from opening act to Madge showed obvious lack of energy on Madonna’s behalf. Even her change from a robe into a pink dress as she went down the stairs was not enough to change the audience’s enthusiasm.
“I was so excited to come see Madonna but I am now so disappointed. That was not the Queen of Pop on stage. Who has taken my Madonna’s voice?” said Melissa Curt, a longtime fan.
Madonna switched things up when she changed into a lacy black leotard with knee high boots beginning to sing, “Vogue”. “Vogue” from her I’m Breathless album used in the 1990 movie Dick Tracy engaged the audience. The dancers danced around her in similar outfits as a portion of the stage began to rotate. Madge then walked onto a runway still dancing as smoke surrounded her while clips of the original music video appeared on the television behind her. The audience could be heard from the stage showing their love for the Material Girl.
Madonna’s last song was “Music” off her triple platinum 2000 album, Music. The song began with flashing lights as dancers dressed in all black wearing silver studded earphones made slow movements across stage. By this time, the crowd was wildly screaming, as Madonna appeared onstage with a black tank top and jeans. The Queen of Pop pranced across the stage showing the most energy of the night. She went near the end of the stage to pump up the audience ending the song with better vocals than “Material Girl”.
“Madonna was nothing short of amazing. Wow, I am still in shock that she even touched my hand. I will not wash it. It was touched by a legend.” said Carla Jones, a fan who sat in the front row.
-Courtney Thornton
This last show of Madonna’s Platinum tour opened with Lady Gaga singing her hit song, “Alejandro”. The audience sang along as Lady Gaga crowd surfed her way off stage in an astronaut suit. The crowd later grew impatient as the crew took over 45 minutes to set up for Madonna.
Madonna came onto stage singing “Material Girl” from her 1985 album, Like a Virgin. Madge and her back up singers began dancing dressed in robes wearing hair curlers in front of a hair dryer. The audience clapped along confused as she began singing in a mixture of accents. Her performance of “Material Girl” could not compare to Lady Gaga’s opening act. The loss of energy from opening act to Madge showed obvious lack of energy on Madonna’s behalf. Even her change from a robe into a pink dress as she went down the stairs was not enough to change the audience’s enthusiasm.
“I was so excited to come see Madonna but I am now so disappointed. That was not the Queen of Pop on stage. Who has taken my Madonna’s voice?” said Melissa Curt, a longtime fan.
Madonna switched things up when she changed into a lacy black leotard with knee high boots beginning to sing, “Vogue”. “Vogue” from her I’m Breathless album used in the 1990 movie Dick Tracy engaged the audience. The dancers danced around her in similar outfits as a portion of the stage began to rotate. Madge then walked onto a runway still dancing as smoke surrounded her while clips of the original music video appeared on the television behind her. The audience could be heard from the stage showing their love for the Material Girl.
Madonna’s last song was “Music” off her triple platinum 2000 album, Music. The song began with flashing lights as dancers dressed in all black wearing silver studded earphones made slow movements across stage. By this time, the crowd was wildly screaming, as Madonna appeared onstage with a black tank top and jeans. The Queen of Pop pranced across the stage showing the most energy of the night. She went near the end of the stage to pump up the audience ending the song with better vocals than “Material Girl”.
“Madonna was nothing short of amazing. Wow, I am still in shock that she even touched my hand. I will not wash it. It was touched by a legend.” said Carla Jones, a fan who sat in the front row.
-Courtney Thornton
Madonna’s Final Performance
Madonna performed last Friday, July 23rd, at Madison Square Garden in New York City for the last time.
Lady Gaga opened that Friday at 8pm to her final show of Madonna’s Platinum tour singing the song “Alejandro", "Telephone", and "Just dance.”
Madonna sang her first song from her 1985 album, “Material Girl,” leaving 50,000 people in attendance stunned with her wonky voice. She had several different accents in her first song that made her seem she was playing a character and not necessarily Madonna. The blonde singer seemed to be out of tune.
“ I thought Madonna was an awesome singer that would never put me down, but that was terrible singing I heard,” said Amanda Florence, one audience.
The song “Vogue” came from the album “I’m Breathless”, soundtrack to Dick Tracy in 1990. Madonna performed this song on stage with black panties, fish net piece, and black bra when being surrounded by warriors. The audience was screaming while she was cat walking and doing the vogue. Stage lights were flashing all over Madonna and a TV screen behind the performance had fashion black and white pictures.
The last song Madonna sang was “Music,” from the 2000 album “Music.” Madonna was wearing a tank top with a MOTHER logo and black pants. Madonna was swirling on stage with a background of people moving as well too. This made the crowd excited and loud as all of them came together and gathered to start dancing.
Madonna performed these songs in several different ways that made the fans ponder the way she was ending her final show of Madonna’s Platinum tour.
“Unbelievable,” said another fan as the show ended.
-Isabel Herrera
Lady Gaga opened that Friday at 8pm to her final show of Madonna’s Platinum tour singing the song “Alejandro", "Telephone", and "Just dance.”
Madonna sang her first song from her 1985 album, “Material Girl,” leaving 50,000 people in attendance stunned with her wonky voice. She had several different accents in her first song that made her seem she was playing a character and not necessarily Madonna. The blonde singer seemed to be out of tune.
“ I thought Madonna was an awesome singer that would never put me down, but that was terrible singing I heard,” said Amanda Florence, one audience.
The song “Vogue” came from the album “I’m Breathless”, soundtrack to Dick Tracy in 1990. Madonna performed this song on stage with black panties, fish net piece, and black bra when being surrounded by warriors. The audience was screaming while she was cat walking and doing the vogue. Stage lights were flashing all over Madonna and a TV screen behind the performance had fashion black and white pictures.
The last song Madonna sang was “Music,” from the 2000 album “Music.” Madonna was wearing a tank top with a MOTHER logo and black pants. Madonna was swirling on stage with a background of people moving as well too. This made the crowd excited and loud as all of them came together and gathered to start dancing.
Madonna performed these songs in several different ways that made the fans ponder the way she was ending her final show of Madonna’s Platinum tour.
“Unbelievable,” said another fan as the show ended.
-Isabel Herrera
Queen of Pop Retires Her Crown
Madonna sang to a sold out audience of 50,000 on July 23rd in Madison Square Garden. The concert was the last of her Platinum Tour, the last of her career.
Lady Gaga opened the show for Madonna. Gaga sang “Telephone”, “Alejandro”, and “Just Dance”. She has been compared to Madonna many times for many reasons. It only seemed fitting that as one star steps out of the limelight a modern Madonna would take her spot.
“Although Madonna’s retirement is upsetting and sad, the fact that we have a new up and coming Madonna makes the heartbreak easier,” said one fan nearly in tears over Madonna’s retirement.
The Queen of Pop’s first number was “Material Girl”, off of her 1985 “Like A Virgin” album. Madonna appeared on stage wearing a white bathrobe with pink curlers in her hair. The hair salon scene did not excite the fans, who seemed bored with the slow dance routine and lack of special effects. Madonna took on a nasally New Yorker accent and sang out of tune. The new vocal style of the song was not what the crowd wanted to hear. The concert seemed headed for disaster.
One fan exclaimed, “I didn’t know what to make of it. I love Madonna, but her final performance of “Material Girl” did not make her seem like the ultimate material girl. It was just… disappointing.”
Mothers gasped as Madonna took the stage once more, this time in black leather boots, black lacey lingerie and a black bra. Her second number, “Vogue”, was a radical change from her first act. It included rapid, sensual dance moves, and masked back up dancers in leather underwear. The dance routine seemed like a sexualized jazzercise routine. Strobe lights flashed against a spread of fashion pictures on the backdrop. The young crowd loved the provocative act. Mothers, however, were offended. “I was ready to take my girls and leave. I don’t even show that much skin in front of my husband!” cried one mother.
When Madonna performed her third number, “Music”, off of her 8th studio album “Music”, the crowd was screaming with excitement. She wore a sophisticated outfit of a black tank top with black slacks. The flashy strobe lights and quick, athletic dance moves created an excited atmosphere. The fans were singing along with Madonna in between screams of approval of the act. She rocked the last song she ever performed for a crowed.
Though the concert started off as a giant train wreck, Madonna had reclaimed her title as Queen of Pop by her final song. Fans will miss her but her songs will remain favorites for generations to come.
-Kirsten Yocke
Lady Gaga opened the show for Madonna. Gaga sang “Telephone”, “Alejandro”, and “Just Dance”. She has been compared to Madonna many times for many reasons. It only seemed fitting that as one star steps out of the limelight a modern Madonna would take her spot.
“Although Madonna’s retirement is upsetting and sad, the fact that we have a new up and coming Madonna makes the heartbreak easier,” said one fan nearly in tears over Madonna’s retirement.
The Queen of Pop’s first number was “Material Girl”, off of her 1985 “Like A Virgin” album. Madonna appeared on stage wearing a white bathrobe with pink curlers in her hair. The hair salon scene did not excite the fans, who seemed bored with the slow dance routine and lack of special effects. Madonna took on a nasally New Yorker accent and sang out of tune. The new vocal style of the song was not what the crowd wanted to hear. The concert seemed headed for disaster.
One fan exclaimed, “I didn’t know what to make of it. I love Madonna, but her final performance of “Material Girl” did not make her seem like the ultimate material girl. It was just… disappointing.”
Mothers gasped as Madonna took the stage once more, this time in black leather boots, black lacey lingerie and a black bra. Her second number, “Vogue”, was a radical change from her first act. It included rapid, sensual dance moves, and masked back up dancers in leather underwear. The dance routine seemed like a sexualized jazzercise routine. Strobe lights flashed against a spread of fashion pictures on the backdrop. The young crowd loved the provocative act. Mothers, however, were offended. “I was ready to take my girls and leave. I don’t even show that much skin in front of my husband!” cried one mother.
When Madonna performed her third number, “Music”, off of her 8th studio album “Music”, the crowd was screaming with excitement. She wore a sophisticated outfit of a black tank top with black slacks. The flashy strobe lights and quick, athletic dance moves created an excited atmosphere. The fans were singing along with Madonna in between screams of approval of the act. She rocked the last song she ever performed for a crowed.
Though the concert started off as a giant train wreck, Madonna had reclaimed her title as Queen of Pop by her final song. Fans will miss her but her songs will remain favorites for generations to come.
-Kirsten Yocke
Madonna's last tournement
Madonna played to a sold out audience Friday night at Madison Square Garden in New York.
The open act was Lady Gaga with her popular song “Telephone”, “Alejandro”, and “Just Dance”.
Madonna performed her first song “Material Girl”, which in her album “Like a virgin” published in 1985. She was sitting on a chair and wearing a bathrobe. 50,000 fans were very excited, but when she started to sing by using the New Yorker accent, people were shocked and immediately went into silence, because she was out of tone.
While she was singing, she took off her bathrobe and showed her clothes under it, but this action did not make the audience exciting, people were still in a great silence. Till the very end of this song, there were only few people starting to get excited.
“What the hell is she doing,” said Martin Summerville, 24, “she really upset all the audience in this venue. I love this song, but while she was singing, she was out of tone. I am really mad that she rude this song.”
But when Madonna started to sing her second song “Vogue”, people totally changed their mind. They were blow away by her voice. “Vogue” was published in 1990 in the album “I am breathless”. She was wearing a black leotard with knee high leather boots. While she was doing the catwalk and the dance, she riled up the 50,000 fans in the venue.
“I guess I have to take my words back,” said Martin, “she looked totally hot and sexy tonight, especially when she was doing the catwalk.”
The last song “Music”, which was published in 1990 in the album “Music”, pushed the excitement in the venue to the peak. People were shouting and screaming, jumping up and down, waving their hands in the air. The strobe light and the change of the light’s color made Madonna looked wild. In the venue, she was like a lion standing on a highest rock, looking down to all the living things under itself. Madonna proved her she was still the “Queen of Pop”.
Charles Yang
The open act was Lady Gaga with her popular song “Telephone”, “Alejandro”, and “Just Dance”.
Madonna performed her first song “Material Girl”, which in her album “Like a virgin” published in 1985. She was sitting on a chair and wearing a bathrobe. 50,000 fans were very excited, but when she started to sing by using the New Yorker accent, people were shocked and immediately went into silence, because she was out of tone.
While she was singing, she took off her bathrobe and showed her clothes under it, but this action did not make the audience exciting, people were still in a great silence. Till the very end of this song, there were only few people starting to get excited.
“What the hell is she doing,” said Martin Summerville, 24, “she really upset all the audience in this venue. I love this song, but while she was singing, she was out of tone. I am really mad that she rude this song.”
But when Madonna started to sing her second song “Vogue”, people totally changed their mind. They were blow away by her voice. “Vogue” was published in 1990 in the album “I am breathless”. She was wearing a black leotard with knee high leather boots. While she was doing the catwalk and the dance, she riled up the 50,000 fans in the venue.
“I guess I have to take my words back,” said Martin, “she looked totally hot and sexy tonight, especially when she was doing the catwalk.”
The last song “Music”, which was published in 1990 in the album “Music”, pushed the excitement in the venue to the peak. People were shouting and screaming, jumping up and down, waving their hands in the air. The strobe light and the change of the light’s color made Madonna looked wild. In the venue, she was like a lion standing on a highest rock, looking down to all the living things under itself. Madonna proved her she was still the “Queen of Pop”.
Charles Yang
Madonna Finishes Her Career at Madison Square Garden
Madonna performed her final concert before retirement Friday evening at Madison Square Garden in New York.
Lady Gaga opened the concert by performing her signature songs: “Telephone”, “Alejandro”, and “Just Dance”.
Madonna opened with “Material Girl” and the crowd erupted with excitement. However, when she began to sing, the 50,000 fans in attendance grew immediately silent. Madonna’s signature voice was replaced by a bizarre accent.
“I was really stoked to see her perform,” long-time fan Matt Jones said. “But when that earsplitting crap came out of her mouth I began to question myself if Madonna was actually on the stage.”
In her second act, Madonna nearly redeemed herself with her classic hit “Vogue”.
“I was still shocked by her painful rendition of “Material Girl,” long-time fan Sarah Parker said. “But when she began the second song with more intensity and a better voice, I almost forgot what had just happened moments before.”
The catchy beat was backed by an incredible show of strobe lights. Madonna was in a black leotard with knee high leather boots. Her voice carried throughout the venue and triggered a more enthusiastic mood in her fans. As the crowd cheered for more, Madonna and her dancers strutted onto the catwalk. Her walk on the catwalk added a fashion show dimension to the performance.
The final song, “Music”, created an electrifying mood that permeated through the crowd. The fans bounced to the electronic beat. The sparkling lights helped for a smooth transition into the song. Madonna came out sporting a tank top that read “Mother F***er.” Madonna steady voice continued as she began to dance. Her dancers continued their elaborate flips and turns, adding to the excitement. As confetti floated down from the ceiling, the song ended with a large bang.
Many thought Madonna went out with an amazing performance, but is it really about her music? Or is it about the image she creates on stage?
-Nick O'Connor
Lady Gaga opened the concert by performing her signature songs: “Telephone”, “Alejandro”, and “Just Dance”.
Madonna opened with “Material Girl” and the crowd erupted with excitement. However, when she began to sing, the 50,000 fans in attendance grew immediately silent. Madonna’s signature voice was replaced by a bizarre accent.
“I was really stoked to see her perform,” long-time fan Matt Jones said. “But when that earsplitting crap came out of her mouth I began to question myself if Madonna was actually on the stage.”
In her second act, Madonna nearly redeemed herself with her classic hit “Vogue”.
“I was still shocked by her painful rendition of “Material Girl,” long-time fan Sarah Parker said. “But when she began the second song with more intensity and a better voice, I almost forgot what had just happened moments before.”
The catchy beat was backed by an incredible show of strobe lights. Madonna was in a black leotard with knee high leather boots. Her voice carried throughout the venue and triggered a more enthusiastic mood in her fans. As the crowd cheered for more, Madonna and her dancers strutted onto the catwalk. Her walk on the catwalk added a fashion show dimension to the performance.
The final song, “Music”, created an electrifying mood that permeated through the crowd. The fans bounced to the electronic beat. The sparkling lights helped for a smooth transition into the song. Madonna came out sporting a tank top that read “Mother F***er.” Madonna steady voice continued as she began to dance. Her dancers continued their elaborate flips and turns, adding to the excitement. As confetti floated down from the ceiling, the song ended with a large bang.
Many thought Madonna went out with an amazing performance, but is it really about her music? Or is it about the image she creates on stage?
-Nick O'Connor
Madonna Disappoints In Her Last Performance
The Big Apple’s Madison Square Garden has seen its fair share of crazy performances, but never had the sold out audience of 50,000 fans seen anything like the final show of Madonna’s Platinum Tour. The show took place last Friday at 8:00 PM. The show was expected to be over-the-top and out-of-control because of Madonna’s reputation as being one of the most theatrical and creative performers known to the music industry.
Often thought of as a mini-Madonna herself, Lady Gaga delivered when she opened the show with her greatest hits, including “Telephone”, “Alejandro”, and “Just Dance”. The audience was warmed up and ready for the main act, but grew impatient during the half hour break. They all chanted Madonna’s name and shouted things like “Bring her out!” and “We want the Material Girl!”
Madonna finally graced the audience with her presence with her iconic song “Material Girl”. The stage set resembled an ice castle with blue and silver lights. The confusion started when what appeared to be mad scientists started chanting and running around the stage. The tackiness was only added to when Madonna appeared with two back-up singers in bathrobes and rollers. When she opened her mouth, instead of the voice we all know and love, a whiny, unrecognizable, accented voice came out. The audience was stunned.
“When Madonna started to sing, it was just plain weird. I didn’t know what to do because everyone around me was just silent. It kind of felt like we were being cheated because a song we loved so much was wasted on that performance,” said 17-year-old Rogue Logan.
In the second song, “Vogue” mixed with “Four Minutes”, Madonna somewhat redeemed herself. Screens lit up the back of the stage as Madonna performed her classic “Vogue” dance move. Her costume choice was a typical Madonna outfit: black panties and a black bra with a fishnet one piece over it and long black leather boots. Her back-up dancers wore leather underwear, spandex, and masks. The choreography was not impressive because it seemed to be recycled moves with no fresh twist. But, at least it stayed true to the song. There was also a catwalk portion where Madge and the dancers Vogued their way down the ramp.
“The last performance of “Music” made the show worth watching,” said long time fan Gene Green.
Strobe lights flashed while dancers onstage doubled-over in pain while gripping their headphones. Although the song had an alien robotic vibe, Madonna came out looking more human than usual in a black tank top that said “Mother F***er” on it and plain black pants. The dancers were doing flips all around her, but Madonna kept it simple by only dancing with them at the end of the song. The screens on the back of the stage were lit up with random flashing images, which added a sense of chaos to the performance. The crowd was wild with excitement because the Queen of Pop finally delivered.
All in all, Madonna’s last show ever was a disappointment. Her song selection was perfect as it epitomized Madonna’s career, but the problem was with her performance of those iconic songs. Usually, Madge’s performances are weird but entertaining. In this case, they were just weird. It took her too long to entice the audience and because there were only three songs, she wasted too much time.
“I really hope this isn’t Madonna’s last performance. I know she can do better than that. She needs to leave show business with a bang, not a flop,” said die-hard Madonna fan Kitty Storm.
-Samah Pirzada
Often thought of as a mini-Madonna herself, Lady Gaga delivered when she opened the show with her greatest hits, including “Telephone”, “Alejandro”, and “Just Dance”. The audience was warmed up and ready for the main act, but grew impatient during the half hour break. They all chanted Madonna’s name and shouted things like “Bring her out!” and “We want the Material Girl!”
Madonna finally graced the audience with her presence with her iconic song “Material Girl”. The stage set resembled an ice castle with blue and silver lights. The confusion started when what appeared to be mad scientists started chanting and running around the stage. The tackiness was only added to when Madonna appeared with two back-up singers in bathrobes and rollers. When she opened her mouth, instead of the voice we all know and love, a whiny, unrecognizable, accented voice came out. The audience was stunned.
“When Madonna started to sing, it was just plain weird. I didn’t know what to do because everyone around me was just silent. It kind of felt like we were being cheated because a song we loved so much was wasted on that performance,” said 17-year-old Rogue Logan.
In the second song, “Vogue” mixed with “Four Minutes”, Madonna somewhat redeemed herself. Screens lit up the back of the stage as Madonna performed her classic “Vogue” dance move. Her costume choice was a typical Madonna outfit: black panties and a black bra with a fishnet one piece over it and long black leather boots. Her back-up dancers wore leather underwear, spandex, and masks. The choreography was not impressive because it seemed to be recycled moves with no fresh twist. But, at least it stayed true to the song. There was also a catwalk portion where Madge and the dancers Vogued their way down the ramp.
“The last performance of “Music” made the show worth watching,” said long time fan Gene Green.
Strobe lights flashed while dancers onstage doubled-over in pain while gripping their headphones. Although the song had an alien robotic vibe, Madonna came out looking more human than usual in a black tank top that said “Mother F***er” on it and plain black pants. The dancers were doing flips all around her, but Madonna kept it simple by only dancing with them at the end of the song. The screens on the back of the stage were lit up with random flashing images, which added a sense of chaos to the performance. The crowd was wild with excitement because the Queen of Pop finally delivered.
All in all, Madonna’s last show ever was a disappointment. Her song selection was perfect as it epitomized Madonna’s career, but the problem was with her performance of those iconic songs. Usually, Madge’s performances are weird but entertaining. In this case, they were just weird. It took her too long to entice the audience and because there were only three songs, she wasted too much time.
“I really hope this isn’t Madonna’s last performance. I know she can do better than that. She needs to leave show business with a bang, not a flop,” said die-hard Madonna fan Kitty Storm.
-Samah Pirzada
Monday, July 26, 2010
Who Says The Underdogs Never Come Out On Top?
The question of ‘Can the little dog run with the big dog’ was presented at the 36th annual Tostitos Fiesta Bowl, when the season’s underdogs, Boise State University, bested Oklahoma University on Monday January 1st.
Boise State played a miraculous game, beating the Big 12 Conference champion school, Oklahoma, 43-42 in overtime. Hope for Boise State was low when Oklahoma opened overtime with a touchdown on the first play. The University of Phoenix Stadium was full of screaming OU fans, when the exhausted Broncos pulled out a retired play called The Statue of Liberty. It was all or nothing for Boise State, QB Jared Zabransky faked the throw to the right, then handed off behind his back to RB Ian Johnson, who then ran the ball in for the final touchdown, giving the Broncos the win.
Oklahoma believed the game would be an easy victory. Boise State won the opening toss, but deferred kicking until the second half. Personal fouls were handed to both teams in the first half, as they both came out with a physical start. Drisan James scored the first touchdown of the game with a 49 yard pass from Zabransky. Boise held their own through the first quarter, ending with a score of 14-7. The lead signaled that the Broncos weren’t going down without a fight.
The second quarter got interesting when OU’s Garrett Hartley scored a 31-yard field goal, putting OU back in the game with a score of 14-10. The referees were calling offsides, penalties, and fouls left and right. By the 3-minute mark, OU had used all of their time outs while BSU still had all three. Tensions were high when BSU’s Drisan James fired back with another touchdown 33 seconds before the half.
Boise’s fast start put Oklahoma back 11 points at the beginning of the first half. BSU opened the third quarter with a sloppy throw, allowing Sooners running back Adrian Peterson to swoop in for the interception. The Bronco’s regained themselves and safety Marty Tadman scored on a 27 yard interception return, putting Boise up 28-10 after a field goal by Anthony Montgomery. Oklahoma fans felt hopeless as the clock wound down. Oklahoma’s wide receiver Jermaine Hardison threw an incomplete pass with 6:15 left but luckily regained possession after the ball hit a BSU’s leg on a punt. The Sooners slowly made their way 10 yards from the goal as they weakened the Broncos defense, giving Adrian Peterson a chance to take it in for the final touchdown of the quarter with a field goal, making the score 28-20.
With BSU on edge and OU only one touchdown away from a tie, the fans wondered if Oklahoma would be able to completely wear down Boise State. Jared Zabransky made another bad pass that led to an interception by Oklahoma. Hope seems low for Boise fans, but with one sustained drive Boise can win. Boise made their first turnover of the game at 8:30 in the fourth, when Heisman trophy candidate, Ian Johnson let the ball slip from his fingers. More bad news for Boise came when OU gained momentum with a pass interference leading to a touchdown for Oklahoma, tying up the game with a score of 28-28. Oklahoma brings it home with a 33 yard interception touchdown by Marcus Walker. Boise needed a miracle to tie up the game, and with a 36 yard gain and 30 seconds left, Boise runs the circus play. Zabransky throws the ball to Drisan James who switch played to Jerard Rabb bringing in a final touchdown for Boise State. The quarter comes to an end and the game goes into overtime!
Boise wins the toss and opt to go second in overtime. Oklahoma manages to score on their first play with a 25 yard run down the line by Peterson, leaving no room for error on the Bronco’s side. By this point the score is 35-42 and Boise State is exhausted, the need to score is inevitable. The Broncos get the first down and almost lost possession to a fumble. The Boise crowd got excited when wide receiver Vinny Perretta threw a beautiful 5 yard pass to Derek Schouman, giving the Broncos the confidence to go for a final 2 point conversion. They ended the game with the Statue of Liberty play, when Ian Johnson ran the ball home. OU put up a good fight with a final score of 43-42. Fans cheered and celebrated the victory, with a proposal from Boise’s RB Ian Johnson to girlfriend, Broncos cheerleader Chrissy Popadics, moments later. This dream team proves that ‘ It’s not the size of the dog in the fight, it’s the size of the fight in the dog.’ GO BRONCOS!!
- Keana Cowden
Boise State played a miraculous game, beating the Big 12 Conference champion school, Oklahoma, 43-42 in overtime. Hope for Boise State was low when Oklahoma opened overtime with a touchdown on the first play. The University of Phoenix Stadium was full of screaming OU fans, when the exhausted Broncos pulled out a retired play called The Statue of Liberty. It was all or nothing for Boise State, QB Jared Zabransky faked the throw to the right, then handed off behind his back to RB Ian Johnson, who then ran the ball in for the final touchdown, giving the Broncos the win.
Oklahoma believed the game would be an easy victory. Boise State won the opening toss, but deferred kicking until the second half. Personal fouls were handed to both teams in the first half, as they both came out with a physical start. Drisan James scored the first touchdown of the game with a 49 yard pass from Zabransky. Boise held their own through the first quarter, ending with a score of 14-7. The lead signaled that the Broncos weren’t going down without a fight.
The second quarter got interesting when OU’s Garrett Hartley scored a 31-yard field goal, putting OU back in the game with a score of 14-10. The referees were calling offsides, penalties, and fouls left and right. By the 3-minute mark, OU had used all of their time outs while BSU still had all three. Tensions were high when BSU’s Drisan James fired back with another touchdown 33 seconds before the half.
Boise’s fast start put Oklahoma back 11 points at the beginning of the first half. BSU opened the third quarter with a sloppy throw, allowing Sooners running back Adrian Peterson to swoop in for the interception. The Bronco’s regained themselves and safety Marty Tadman scored on a 27 yard interception return, putting Boise up 28-10 after a field goal by Anthony Montgomery. Oklahoma fans felt hopeless as the clock wound down. Oklahoma’s wide receiver Jermaine Hardison threw an incomplete pass with 6:15 left but luckily regained possession after the ball hit a BSU’s leg on a punt. The Sooners slowly made their way 10 yards from the goal as they weakened the Broncos defense, giving Adrian Peterson a chance to take it in for the final touchdown of the quarter with a field goal, making the score 28-20.
With BSU on edge and OU only one touchdown away from a tie, the fans wondered if Oklahoma would be able to completely wear down Boise State. Jared Zabransky made another bad pass that led to an interception by Oklahoma. Hope seems low for Boise fans, but with one sustained drive Boise can win. Boise made their first turnover of the game at 8:30 in the fourth, when Heisman trophy candidate, Ian Johnson let the ball slip from his fingers. More bad news for Boise came when OU gained momentum with a pass interference leading to a touchdown for Oklahoma, tying up the game with a score of 28-28. Oklahoma brings it home with a 33 yard interception touchdown by Marcus Walker. Boise needed a miracle to tie up the game, and with a 36 yard gain and 30 seconds left, Boise runs the circus play. Zabransky throws the ball to Drisan James who switch played to Jerard Rabb bringing in a final touchdown for Boise State. The quarter comes to an end and the game goes into overtime!
Boise wins the toss and opt to go second in overtime. Oklahoma manages to score on their first play with a 25 yard run down the line by Peterson, leaving no room for error on the Bronco’s side. By this point the score is 35-42 and Boise State is exhausted, the need to score is inevitable. The Broncos get the first down and almost lost possession to a fumble. The Boise crowd got excited when wide receiver Vinny Perretta threw a beautiful 5 yard pass to Derek Schouman, giving the Broncos the confidence to go for a final 2 point conversion. They ended the game with the Statue of Liberty play, when Ian Johnson ran the ball home. OU put up a good fight with a final score of 43-42. Fans cheered and celebrated the victory, with a proposal from Boise’s RB Ian Johnson to girlfriend, Broncos cheerleader Chrissy Popadics, moments later. This dream team proves that ‘ It’s not the size of the dog in the fight, it’s the size of the fight in the dog.’ GO BRONCOS!!
- Keana Cowden
Boise State Broncos Win 2007 Fiesta Bowl in Dramatic Upset
Boise State University defeated Oklahoma University in overtime Monday night to win the 2007 Tostitos Fiesta Bowl in one of the biggest upsets in college football history.
Leading up to the game in Glendale, AZ, Boise State was continuously reminded just how little chance they had against football powerhouse Oklahoma. Having won more games than any other college football team in history, Oklahoma was heavily favored to win. The Boise State Broncos, under matched in size and strength by the much bigger Sooners, proved they had what it took to run with the big dogs in their stunning 43-42 victory.
Boise State showed just how far they were willing to go in their dramatic overtime finish. The Broncos came out firing early on, with wide receiver Drisan James scoring the first touchdown off a 49 yard pass from quarterback Jared Zabransky six minutes into the first quarter. They were able to quickly follow with another by running back Ian Johnson. The OU Sooners countered shortly before the end of the first quarter with a touchdown of their own by Manuel Johnson.
The first half finished with the Broncos up 21-10, although the Sooners led in possession time. Yellow flags were thrown again and again by the referees as the game became more physical and rough by the minute. The Sooners seemed surprised as they fell behind and by the third quarter already had three interceptions against them. The Broncos were able to convert one of these interceptions, as safety Marty Tadman returned for a 27-yard touchdown halfway through the third quarter.
Oklahoma soon gained momentum as a punt by the Broncos became live after bouncing off the leg of a Boise State player but into the hands of running back Adrian Peterson. Peterson, playing in his first game since breaking his collarbone in October, ran the ball 8 yards to make the Sooners’ second touchdown with 4:29 left in the third.
Tension rose as Oklahoma started the fourth quarter with a 28-yard field goal by Garrett Hartley. Oklahoma, after trailing for almost the entire game, was now only eight points behind. For the first time, Oklahoma’s presence as Goliath seemed to dawn on the Boise State team and fans.
The Broncos seemed tired as the fourth quarter progressed, losing yardage on lateral passes and simply trying to run the clock by limiting their passing. The Sooners were then able to tie the game with a touchdown by wide receiver Quentin Chaney.
Zebransky moments later then seemed to crush the dreams of Bronco fans everywhere when, for the third year in a row, he threw an interception to put the opposing team ahead. Oklahoma center back Marcus Walker was then able to return the interception for a 33-yard touchdown to put the Sooners up 35-28 with two minutes left in the game.
The Broncos got a break that then seemed to make all the difference as Oklahoma was forced to use their last time out when twelve players ended up on the field by mistake. With Oklahoma unable to stop play, Zabransky was given the opportunity to redeem himself. Zabransky then passed to James, who threw to wide receiver Jerard Rabb who ran it into the end zone with seven seconds left in regulation play.
The miraculous game was not over as the two teams headed into overtime. After Boise State opted to begin on defense after winning the toss, Oklahoma began the period with an air of dominance. In their first play, Peterson ran for 25 yards to score the first touchdown of the overtime. The Broncos, however, needed six plays to score.
After tight end Derek Schouman scored off a five-yard pass from wide receiver Vinny Perretta, Ian Johnson took the chance of a lifetime and rushed into the end zone to win the game in the first overtime period. The play was a response to the Sooners’ overtime touchdown, which came off a 25 yard run by Peterson in the first play of the period.
As the stadium exploded in celebration, Johnson capped off the dramatic win by proposing to his Bronco cheerleader girlfriend. For Johnson, the win was a statement to all of Boise State’s doubters.
“Just because you don’t look like a football player doesn’t mean you might not be a great football player,” Johnson said.
-Courtney Thornton and Stephanie Thornton
Leading up to the game in Glendale, AZ, Boise State was continuously reminded just how little chance they had against football powerhouse Oklahoma. Having won more games than any other college football team in history, Oklahoma was heavily favored to win. The Boise State Broncos, under matched in size and strength by the much bigger Sooners, proved they had what it took to run with the big dogs in their stunning 43-42 victory.
Boise State showed just how far they were willing to go in their dramatic overtime finish. The Broncos came out firing early on, with wide receiver Drisan James scoring the first touchdown off a 49 yard pass from quarterback Jared Zabransky six minutes into the first quarter. They were able to quickly follow with another by running back Ian Johnson. The OU Sooners countered shortly before the end of the first quarter with a touchdown of their own by Manuel Johnson.
The first half finished with the Broncos up 21-10, although the Sooners led in possession time. Yellow flags were thrown again and again by the referees as the game became more physical and rough by the minute. The Sooners seemed surprised as they fell behind and by the third quarter already had three interceptions against them. The Broncos were able to convert one of these interceptions, as safety Marty Tadman returned for a 27-yard touchdown halfway through the third quarter.
Oklahoma soon gained momentum as a punt by the Broncos became live after bouncing off the leg of a Boise State player but into the hands of running back Adrian Peterson. Peterson, playing in his first game since breaking his collarbone in October, ran the ball 8 yards to make the Sooners’ second touchdown with 4:29 left in the third.
Tension rose as Oklahoma started the fourth quarter with a 28-yard field goal by Garrett Hartley. Oklahoma, after trailing for almost the entire game, was now only eight points behind. For the first time, Oklahoma’s presence as Goliath seemed to dawn on the Boise State team and fans.
The Broncos seemed tired as the fourth quarter progressed, losing yardage on lateral passes and simply trying to run the clock by limiting their passing. The Sooners were then able to tie the game with a touchdown by wide receiver Quentin Chaney.
Zebransky moments later then seemed to crush the dreams of Bronco fans everywhere when, for the third year in a row, he threw an interception to put the opposing team ahead. Oklahoma center back Marcus Walker was then able to return the interception for a 33-yard touchdown to put the Sooners up 35-28 with two minutes left in the game.
The Broncos got a break that then seemed to make all the difference as Oklahoma was forced to use their last time out when twelve players ended up on the field by mistake. With Oklahoma unable to stop play, Zabransky was given the opportunity to redeem himself. Zabransky then passed to James, who threw to wide receiver Jerard Rabb who ran it into the end zone with seven seconds left in regulation play.
The miraculous game was not over as the two teams headed into overtime. After Boise State opted to begin on defense after winning the toss, Oklahoma began the period with an air of dominance. In their first play, Peterson ran for 25 yards to score the first touchdown of the overtime. The Broncos, however, needed six plays to score.
After tight end Derek Schouman scored off a five-yard pass from wide receiver Vinny Perretta, Ian Johnson took the chance of a lifetime and rushed into the end zone to win the game in the first overtime period. The play was a response to the Sooners’ overtime touchdown, which came off a 25 yard run by Peterson in the first play of the period.
As the stadium exploded in celebration, Johnson capped off the dramatic win by proposing to his Bronco cheerleader girlfriend. For Johnson, the win was a statement to all of Boise State’s doubters.
“Just because you don’t look like a football player doesn’t mean you might not be a great football player,” Johnson said.
-Courtney Thornton and Stephanie Thornton
Boise knock off Oklahoma
People thought Boise State even don’t have a chance to beat Oklahoma, but in the 36th Annual Tostitos Fiesta Bowl, Boise State proved people were wrong, and they started a new football history.
The Big 12 Conference champion Oklahoma, was upset by the series of trick plays showed by Boise State, 43-42, in overtime in the final college football game at the University of Phoenix Stadium.
No matter you believed in miracle or not, but miracles does happened on the Fiesta Bowl. The Broncos and Sooners combined for 22 points in the last 86 seconds and send the game to overtime. Oklahoma just use one play to take the lead in the overtime, but Boise needs six plays to have a touchdown.
Boise State had a great start. They lead at the beginning of the game, 14-0, and held a 28-10 lead midway through the third quarter. The tide started to turn when Adrian Peterson went in for a touchdown, followed by Garrett Hartley’s 28-yard field goal.
The momentum of Oklahoma to catch up had became greater when Quentin Chaney got a 5 yard pass from Paul Thompson and did another touchdown, the score now was 28-28. Oklahoma did not want to slow down their attack, so Marcus Walker just intercept the ball and did a 33 yard return, the score was 28-35.
When most of the people thought the Oklahoma was the winner of the Fiesta Bowl, Gerard Rabb got a 35 yard pass from Jared Zabransky and did a touchdown, send the game to overtime.
Oklahoma scored a touchdown in the first play of overtime. It took Boise six plays to score a touchdown on a halfback pass on fourth-down from Vinny Perretta to Derek Schoumen. The score was 41-42.
Boise coach Chris Peterson decided to go for the victory. He chose a rare trick play called the “Statue of Liberty”, and it was executed perfectly by quarterback Jared Zabansk and the running back Ian Johnson. The final score was 43-42, Boise has won, and created the whole new football history.
“Just because you don’t look like a football player, it doesn’t mean you can’t be a great football player.” Said Ian Johnson.
Charles Yang
The Big 12 Conference champion Oklahoma, was upset by the series of trick plays showed by Boise State, 43-42, in overtime in the final college football game at the University of Phoenix Stadium.
No matter you believed in miracle or not, but miracles does happened on the Fiesta Bowl. The Broncos and Sooners combined for 22 points in the last 86 seconds and send the game to overtime. Oklahoma just use one play to take the lead in the overtime, but Boise needs six plays to have a touchdown.
Boise State had a great start. They lead at the beginning of the game, 14-0, and held a 28-10 lead midway through the third quarter. The tide started to turn when Adrian Peterson went in for a touchdown, followed by Garrett Hartley’s 28-yard field goal.
The momentum of Oklahoma to catch up had became greater when Quentin Chaney got a 5 yard pass from Paul Thompson and did another touchdown, the score now was 28-28. Oklahoma did not want to slow down their attack, so Marcus Walker just intercept the ball and did a 33 yard return, the score was 28-35.
When most of the people thought the Oklahoma was the winner of the Fiesta Bowl, Gerard Rabb got a 35 yard pass from Jared Zabransky and did a touchdown, send the game to overtime.
Oklahoma scored a touchdown in the first play of overtime. It took Boise six plays to score a touchdown on a halfback pass on fourth-down from Vinny Perretta to Derek Schoumen. The score was 41-42.
Boise coach Chris Peterson decided to go for the victory. He chose a rare trick play called the “Statue of Liberty”, and it was executed perfectly by quarterback Jared Zabansk and the running back Ian Johnson. The final score was 43-42, Boise has won, and created the whole new football history.
“Just because you don’t look like a football player, it doesn’t mean you can’t be a great football player.” Said Ian Johnson.
Charles Yang
Boise State Upsets Oklahoma in OT at Fiesta Bowl
Glendale, AZ
Boise State proved it belonged in the BCS after an improbable victory over the Oklahoma Sooners Monday night in the 36th annual Fiesta Bowl.
The ninth-ranked Broncos completed a perfect 13-0 season after their 43-42 overtime win to raise another question: does the mid-major from the WAC deserve a chance to play for the national championship?
Many people didn’t give Boise State a chance in what seemed to be an unfair matchup: the winningest team in Division 1-A college football history against an uprising small conference team. But the match up didn’t intimidate Boise State.
“Football is not about size and strength, it’s about heart and desire,” starting running back Ian Johnson said. “Just because you don’t look like a football player doesn’t mean you can’t be a great football player.”
The game proved to be tough and physical with many momentum swings and several lead changes down the stretch.
The Broncos stunned Oklahoma by jumping out to a 14-0 lead in the early going. Boise State showed that they were able to play with the big boys.
Boise State continued to wear down the Sooners by forcing turnovers and capitalizing them on offense.
Boise State looked to have a comfortable 28-10 lead midway through the third quarter when a punt from Oklahoma hit off of a Bronco blocker.
Oklahoma recovered the fumble and had great field position inside the Boise State 20 yard line. The drive ended when Adrian Peterson scored on a 10-yard run to cut the Oklahoma deficit to 28-17.
The Sooners rally culminated when Paul Thompson threw a 5-yard strike to Quentin Chaney with 1:26 remaining in the fourth quarter. After multiple penalties on their two-point conversions, Oklahoma finally converted when Thompson found Jaquin Iglesias in the back of the endzone.
Moments later, Bronco quarterback Jared Zabransky appeared to throw away Boise State’s chances of victory when he was intercepted by Marcus Walker, who returned the interception 33 yards for a touchdown with 1:02 remaining.
With a final chance to score on a fourth-and-18 from midfield, Zabransky hit Drisan James over the middle, and James lateralled the ball to Jerard Rabb who raced into the endzone. The touchdown tied the score with seven seconds to go, forcing overtime.
In overtime, Boise State won the toss and deferred. Oklahoma scored on its first play when Adrian Peterson scored on a 25-yard run.
The Broncos struggled to reach a first down on their drive, but eventually converted on fourth-and-two from the six-yard line for a touchdown.
The final outcome of the game was in Boise State head coach Chris Peterson’s hands when he elected to go for the win. With three receivers split out to the right, Zabransky pumped right and handed the ball back to Johnson, who trotted into the endzone for the game-winning touchdown.
To add to the drama, Johnson proposed to his girlfriend, Broncos cheerleader Chrissy Popadics.
Jared Zabransky was named offensive player of the game, while Boise States Marty Tadman earned defensive player honors for his two interceptions.
-Nicolas O'Connor
Boise State proved it belonged in the BCS after an improbable victory over the Oklahoma Sooners Monday night in the 36th annual Fiesta Bowl.
The ninth-ranked Broncos completed a perfect 13-0 season after their 43-42 overtime win to raise another question: does the mid-major from the WAC deserve a chance to play for the national championship?
Many people didn’t give Boise State a chance in what seemed to be an unfair matchup: the winningest team in Division 1-A college football history against an uprising small conference team. But the match up didn’t intimidate Boise State.
“Football is not about size and strength, it’s about heart and desire,” starting running back Ian Johnson said. “Just because you don’t look like a football player doesn’t mean you can’t be a great football player.”
The game proved to be tough and physical with many momentum swings and several lead changes down the stretch.
The Broncos stunned Oklahoma by jumping out to a 14-0 lead in the early going. Boise State showed that they were able to play with the big boys.
Boise State continued to wear down the Sooners by forcing turnovers and capitalizing them on offense.
Boise State looked to have a comfortable 28-10 lead midway through the third quarter when a punt from Oklahoma hit off of a Bronco blocker.
Oklahoma recovered the fumble and had great field position inside the Boise State 20 yard line. The drive ended when Adrian Peterson scored on a 10-yard run to cut the Oklahoma deficit to 28-17.
The Sooners rally culminated when Paul Thompson threw a 5-yard strike to Quentin Chaney with 1:26 remaining in the fourth quarter. After multiple penalties on their two-point conversions, Oklahoma finally converted when Thompson found Jaquin Iglesias in the back of the endzone.
Moments later, Bronco quarterback Jared Zabransky appeared to throw away Boise State’s chances of victory when he was intercepted by Marcus Walker, who returned the interception 33 yards for a touchdown with 1:02 remaining.
With a final chance to score on a fourth-and-18 from midfield, Zabransky hit Drisan James over the middle, and James lateralled the ball to Jerard Rabb who raced into the endzone. The touchdown tied the score with seven seconds to go, forcing overtime.
In overtime, Boise State won the toss and deferred. Oklahoma scored on its first play when Adrian Peterson scored on a 25-yard run.
The Broncos struggled to reach a first down on their drive, but eventually converted on fourth-and-two from the six-yard line for a touchdown.
The final outcome of the game was in Boise State head coach Chris Peterson’s hands when he elected to go for the win. With three receivers split out to the right, Zabransky pumped right and handed the ball back to Johnson, who trotted into the endzone for the game-winning touchdown.
To add to the drama, Johnson proposed to his girlfriend, Broncos cheerleader Chrissy Popadics.
Jared Zabransky was named offensive player of the game, while Boise States Marty Tadman earned defensive player honors for his two interceptions.
-Nicolas O'Connor
Boise State Takes the Win Against Oklahoma in a Cinderella Story
The classic David versus Goliath story shows up in books and movies all the time, but we rarely see it in real life. But it happened on Monday night when Boise State faced off against Oklahoma in the 36th Annual Tostitos Fiesta Bowl at the University of Phoenix Stadium.
Boise State pulled out the rarely seen Statue of Liberty play during overtime to score their final touchdown leaving the score at 43-42, and used all kinds of other tricks along the way to seal the victory.
In the first quarter of the game, the Broncos stunned the Sooners with two quick touchdowns to take a 14-0 lead. Oklahoma made mistake after mistake and Boise State was quick to take advantage and possession of the ball.
The Sooners jumped back in the game in the second quarter when Marcus Walker scored a touchdown after an interception, followed by a kick by Garret Hartley to bring the Sooners’ score up to 10 points.
With a mere 33 seconds left on the clock before halftime, Drisan James scored his second touchdown of the night, putting the Broncos up by 11 going into the break.
Tensions ran high on the field during the game as penalty after penalty was called on both teams. Boise State started to lose energy, as Oklahoma channeled their frustration into the game. After the ball ricocheted off of a Boise player’s leg, Oklahoma took possession of the ball and Adrian Peterson scored a touchdown. This left the Sooners down by only one touchdown going into the fourth quarter.
This score stood until late in the fourth quarter. With 2:40 to go, Oklahoma had the ball deep in its own territory with no timeouts. It seemed like their final chance. They managed to sustain drive, culminating in a five yard pass from quarterback Quentin Chaney to Paul Thompson with 1:26 to go. The score was 28-28.
On the first play from scrimmage after the kick-off, Zabransky threw across his body to the right. Marcus Walker stepping into the flat and intercepted the pass for a 30-yard touchdown, breaking Bronco hearts everywhere.
But the story wasn’t over yet.
Zabransky returned to the field and this time immediately completed a 30-yard pass. He was sacked for a loss of ten on the next play. The next two plays were lost to incomplete passes. It was fourth and ten, 30 seconds to go, and Boise State coach Chris Petersen called timeout.
When play resumed, Zabransky threw a pass over the middle to Gerard Rabb, who immediately lateralled it right to Drisan James. James snagged the ball and scampered all the way into the end zone. With the extra point, the game was tied, with only seven seconds left on the clock.
The game went into overtime. The Sooners’ Adrian Peterson needed only one play to score a touchdown. The Broncos were forced to work longer for their touchdown, but, eventually, Derek Schouman scored. BSU Coach Chris Petersen decided to take a risk and go for the victory rather than extra overtime. Their trick play allowed Ian Johnson to race into the end zone.
After the winning touchdown, Johnson proposed to his girlfriend, cheerleader Chrissy Popadics on national television.
“It would have been easy to give up on us with a minute left, but we had a lot of magic left,” said Zabransky.
-Samah Pirzada and Isabel Herrera
Boise State pulled out the rarely seen Statue of Liberty play during overtime to score their final touchdown leaving the score at 43-42, and used all kinds of other tricks along the way to seal the victory.
In the first quarter of the game, the Broncos stunned the Sooners with two quick touchdowns to take a 14-0 lead. Oklahoma made mistake after mistake and Boise State was quick to take advantage and possession of the ball.
The Sooners jumped back in the game in the second quarter when Marcus Walker scored a touchdown after an interception, followed by a kick by Garret Hartley to bring the Sooners’ score up to 10 points.
With a mere 33 seconds left on the clock before halftime, Drisan James scored his second touchdown of the night, putting the Broncos up by 11 going into the break.
Tensions ran high on the field during the game as penalty after penalty was called on both teams. Boise State started to lose energy, as Oklahoma channeled their frustration into the game. After the ball ricocheted off of a Boise player’s leg, Oklahoma took possession of the ball and Adrian Peterson scored a touchdown. This left the Sooners down by only one touchdown going into the fourth quarter.
This score stood until late in the fourth quarter. With 2:40 to go, Oklahoma had the ball deep in its own territory with no timeouts. It seemed like their final chance. They managed to sustain drive, culminating in a five yard pass from quarterback Quentin Chaney to Paul Thompson with 1:26 to go. The score was 28-28.
On the first play from scrimmage after the kick-off, Zabransky threw across his body to the right. Marcus Walker stepping into the flat and intercepted the pass for a 30-yard touchdown, breaking Bronco hearts everywhere.
But the story wasn’t over yet.
Zabransky returned to the field and this time immediately completed a 30-yard pass. He was sacked for a loss of ten on the next play. The next two plays were lost to incomplete passes. It was fourth and ten, 30 seconds to go, and Boise State coach Chris Petersen called timeout.
When play resumed, Zabransky threw a pass over the middle to Gerard Rabb, who immediately lateralled it right to Drisan James. James snagged the ball and scampered all the way into the end zone. With the extra point, the game was tied, with only seven seconds left on the clock.
The game went into overtime. The Sooners’ Adrian Peterson needed only one play to score a touchdown. The Broncos were forced to work longer for their touchdown, but, eventually, Derek Schouman scored. BSU Coach Chris Petersen decided to take a risk and go for the victory rather than extra overtime. Their trick play allowed Ian Johnson to race into the end zone.
After the winning touchdown, Johnson proposed to his girlfriend, cheerleader Chrissy Popadics on national television.
“It would have been easy to give up on us with a minute left, but we had a lot of magic left,” said Zabransky.
-Samah Pirzada and Isabel Herrera
Football Fairy Tale
Sometimes it seems like the underdog only prevails over the powerhouse in the movies. The Boise State Broncos got their fairy tale in real life.
Boise State University didn’t seem to have a chance against the Oklahoma University Sooners – the winningest football program in history. “Everyone else out there who think we may not have a chance. Were playing for everyone.” Said Chris Peterson before the game began.
OU went into the game believing it would be a cakewalk. They soon found themselves in a scramble to catch up with the quick paced scoring of the Broncos. BSU was up 14-0 in the first quarter, sending a message to OU that they would have to fight for the win.
The game had a tough, physical feel with many personal fouls against both teams. The difference was the sloppy passing by the Sooner’s offense that allowed the Broncos to utilize their speedy defensive players.
BSU had a 21-10 lead at the end of the first half. But the question of whether they could hold on to the lead and finish the game still lingered in fans and player’s heads.
The tension in the arena was palpable when OU scored and tied the game at 28-28 with 1:26 left in the fourth quarter. There was still hope for BSU, until Marcus Walker intercepted Jared Zabransky and returned the pass for a touch down. OU took its first lead of the game at 35-28. Only 1:02 remained to play.
On the first play from scrimmage after kick off, the Broncos gained 30 yards. On the next play Zabransky was sacked. The following two plays were incomplete passes leaving the Broncos with one down and 30 seconds to go.
In what seemed like the final play of the game, Zabransky threw a pass to Drisan James, who lateralled the ball back to Jerard Rabb. Rabb then ran it, leaped over an oncoming tackle and rolling into the end zone. BSU had tied the game with only seconds left.
The game went into overtime.
OU had the ball first in overtime and Adrian Peterson needed only one down to score. The Sooners had a 42 – 35 lead.
BSU had a far more difficult time with their overtime period. They struggled toward the end zone; at one point almost losing the ball to an Ian Johnson fumble. On fourth and two the Broncos split quarterback Jared Zabrabsky wide left and snapped the ball to wide receiver Vinney Peretta. Peretta then found tight end Derek Schuman in the right back of the end zone for a touchdown. Fearing the second over time, the Broncos decided to go for two. BSU ran a play that has been in the playbooks since what seems like the beginning of football, “The Statue of Liberty”.
With an added fake by quarter back Jared Zaransky, the ball was handed off to Ian Johnson who ran it into the end zone. The “blue collar” Boise State Broncos had beaten the “blue chip” Oklahoma Sooners in the Tostitos Fiesta Bowl.
“We wanted to show them how we played ball and we showed them. It came down to who had more heart,” said Ian Johnson.
Johnson then proposed to his girlfriend on national television. She said yes.
-Kirsten Yocke
Boise State University didn’t seem to have a chance against the Oklahoma University Sooners – the winningest football program in history. “Everyone else out there who think we may not have a chance. Were playing for everyone.” Said Chris Peterson before the game began.
OU went into the game believing it would be a cakewalk. They soon found themselves in a scramble to catch up with the quick paced scoring of the Broncos. BSU was up 14-0 in the first quarter, sending a message to OU that they would have to fight for the win.
The game had a tough, physical feel with many personal fouls against both teams. The difference was the sloppy passing by the Sooner’s offense that allowed the Broncos to utilize their speedy defensive players.
BSU had a 21-10 lead at the end of the first half. But the question of whether they could hold on to the lead and finish the game still lingered in fans and player’s heads.
The tension in the arena was palpable when OU scored and tied the game at 28-28 with 1:26 left in the fourth quarter. There was still hope for BSU, until Marcus Walker intercepted Jared Zabransky and returned the pass for a touch down. OU took its first lead of the game at 35-28. Only 1:02 remained to play.
On the first play from scrimmage after kick off, the Broncos gained 30 yards. On the next play Zabransky was sacked. The following two plays were incomplete passes leaving the Broncos with one down and 30 seconds to go.
In what seemed like the final play of the game, Zabransky threw a pass to Drisan James, who lateralled the ball back to Jerard Rabb. Rabb then ran it, leaped over an oncoming tackle and rolling into the end zone. BSU had tied the game with only seconds left.
The game went into overtime.
OU had the ball first in overtime and Adrian Peterson needed only one down to score. The Sooners had a 42 – 35 lead.
BSU had a far more difficult time with their overtime period. They struggled toward the end zone; at one point almost losing the ball to an Ian Johnson fumble. On fourth and two the Broncos split quarterback Jared Zabrabsky wide left and snapped the ball to wide receiver Vinney Peretta. Peretta then found tight end Derek Schuman in the right back of the end zone for a touchdown. Fearing the second over time, the Broncos decided to go for two. BSU ran a play that has been in the playbooks since what seems like the beginning of football, “The Statue of Liberty”.
With an added fake by quarter back Jared Zaransky, the ball was handed off to Ian Johnson who ran it into the end zone. The “blue collar” Boise State Broncos had beaten the “blue chip” Oklahoma Sooners in the Tostitos Fiesta Bowl.
“We wanted to show them how we played ball and we showed them. It came down to who had more heart,” said Ian Johnson.
Johnson then proposed to his girlfriend on national television. She said yes.
-Kirsten Yocke
Friday, July 23, 2010
The disappearance of a Bonita Flamingo
A dispute broke out Friday morning when a Bonita woman accused one of her neighbors of stealing a pink flamingo that was sitting in her front yard.
Penelo-p Pinknstink claims she had more than 50 flamingos and one was stolen by the only Mexican neighbor, Jose Curvo. Curvo was getting ready before the Mexico vs. Germany soccer game when all this occurred at 11:31 am. The missing flamingo was the one with the Mexican flag.
“I’m sure this Mexican stole my pink flamingo because Mexicans steal, and I want to press charges!” said Pinknstink.
Sheriff Jessie was called from 123 Wagonwheel Way to be notified about the crime. Still, there has been no evidence that Curvo went in Pinknstink’s yard and ran away with the plastic flamingo on his hand. Pinknstink wants to press charges but there’s insufficient evidence.
Pinknstink had been collecting her pink flamingos ever since she was a little girl and can’t believe the tragedy that just happened. She hopes to get her flamingo back.
-Isabel Herrera
Penelo-p Pinknstink claims she had more than 50 flamingos and one was stolen by the only Mexican neighbor, Jose Curvo. Curvo was getting ready before the Mexico vs. Germany soccer game when all this occurred at 11:31 am. The missing flamingo was the one with the Mexican flag.
“I’m sure this Mexican stole my pink flamingo because Mexicans steal, and I want to press charges!” said Pinknstink.
Sheriff Jessie was called from 123 Wagonwheel Way to be notified about the crime. Still, there has been no evidence that Curvo went in Pinknstink’s yard and ran away with the plastic flamingo on his hand. Pinknstink wants to press charges but there’s insufficient evidence.
Pinknstink had been collecting her pink flamingos ever since she was a little girl and can’t believe the tragedy that just happened. She hopes to get her flamingo back.
-Isabel Herrera
Crazy Woman Goes Racist on Her Neighbor and Trips Out Over Lost Flamingo
A dispute broke out Friday morning when a Bonita woman accused her neighbor of stealing a pink flamingo from her yard.
Penelo-p Pinknstink was counting her pink flamingos when she realized the flamingo with a Mexican flag was missing. She immediately called the sheriff.
Sheriff Jessie arrived at 123 Wagon Wheel Way at 11:31 a.m. and found no evidence of a criminal. Pinknstink insisted that the burglar was her Mexican neighbor, Jose Curvo.
Pinkstink believes that Curvo stole the pink flamingo because he wanted to decorate his house for a women’s soccer match. Curvo was about to watch the under-20 women’s soccer World Cup match between Mexico and Germany when Sheriff Jessie arrived at the scene.
No witnesses were present during the incident. Although Pinkstink did not see Curvo during the theft she insisted he committed the crime. Pinkstink said the area of the missing flamingo had small footprints around it that continued from the yard to the street and towards Curvo’s house.
Sheriff Jessie saw no such footprints and said there was not enough evidence to issue a search warrant of Curvo’s house.
Pinkstink plans to press for charges to be filed despite limited evidence.
-Nicolas Galarreta
Penelo-p Pinknstink was counting her pink flamingos when she realized the flamingo with a Mexican flag was missing. She immediately called the sheriff.
Sheriff Jessie arrived at 123 Wagon Wheel Way at 11:31 a.m. and found no evidence of a criminal. Pinknstink insisted that the burglar was her Mexican neighbor, Jose Curvo.
Pinkstink believes that Curvo stole the pink flamingo because he wanted to decorate his house for a women’s soccer match. Curvo was about to watch the under-20 women’s soccer World Cup match between Mexico and Germany when Sheriff Jessie arrived at the scene.
No witnesses were present during the incident. Although Pinkstink did not see Curvo during the theft she insisted he committed the crime. Pinkstink said the area of the missing flamingo had small footprints around it that continued from the yard to the street and towards Curvo’s house.
Sheriff Jessie saw no such footprints and said there was not enough evidence to issue a search warrant of Curvo’s house.
Pinkstink plans to press for charges to be filed despite limited evidence.
-Nicolas Galarreta
Lonely Crazy Pinknstink Goes Crazier
A dispute broke out when a Bonita woman accused her Mexican neighbor of stealing a pink flamingo from her front lawn Friday morning.
Penelo-p Pinknstink , a resident of 123 Wagonwheel Way, claims that her neighbor, Jose Curvo, stole a Mexican themed pink flamingo from her collection of over 50. Pinknstink called Sheriff Jessie, who arrived on the scene at 11:31 AM. The sheriff said that if more evidence is found a search warrant will be issued on Mr. Curvo’s house. Pinknstink hopes Sheriff Jessie will press charges against Curvo.
Pinknstink was getting ready to leave her house when she went outside to do her routine head count of the flamingos. She noticed that her Mexican-themed pink flamingo was missing and saw that the thief had left little flamingo footprints in the lawn, suggesting that the flamingo had been played with before the thief left the premises. Sheriff Jessie, however, did not see any footprints.
During a press conference later that day Pinknstink admitted to not seeing Curvo on her lawn with the flamingo. “No one else would have taken it, ”said Pinknstink. Curvo is a soccer fanatic and the under 20 Women’s World Cup match of Mexico Vs. Germany was starting at noon, so he would have had time to steal the flamingo. Though he claims he was at his house on Wagon Circle, preparing for the game. “ I would never steal a pink chicken,” said Curvo. “It probably went back to the zoo.”
Pinknstink was very distraught and practically in tears when she arrived at the press confrence. She has been collecting pink flamingos since she was 3. “I love pink.” says Pinknstink, who was dressed in entirely pink attire. “People think I’m crazy.”
- Keana Cowden
Penelo-p Pinknstink , a resident of 123 Wagonwheel Way, claims that her neighbor, Jose Curvo, stole a Mexican themed pink flamingo from her collection of over 50. Pinknstink called Sheriff Jessie, who arrived on the scene at 11:31 AM. The sheriff said that if more evidence is found a search warrant will be issued on Mr. Curvo’s house. Pinknstink hopes Sheriff Jessie will press charges against Curvo.
Pinknstink was getting ready to leave her house when she went outside to do her routine head count of the flamingos. She noticed that her Mexican-themed pink flamingo was missing and saw that the thief had left little flamingo footprints in the lawn, suggesting that the flamingo had been played with before the thief left the premises. Sheriff Jessie, however, did not see any footprints.
During a press conference later that day Pinknstink admitted to not seeing Curvo on her lawn with the flamingo. “No one else would have taken it, ”said Pinknstink. Curvo is a soccer fanatic and the under 20 Women’s World Cup match of Mexico Vs. Germany was starting at noon, so he would have had time to steal the flamingo. Though he claims he was at his house on Wagon Circle, preparing for the game. “ I would never steal a pink chicken,” said Curvo. “It probably went back to the zoo.”
Pinknstink was very distraught and practically in tears when she arrived at the press confrence. She has been collecting pink flamingos since she was 3. “I love pink.” says Pinknstink, who was dressed in entirely pink attire. “People think I’m crazy.”
- Keana Cowden
Argument over Pink Flamingos
Argument over Pink Flamingos
A dispute broke out Friday morning when a Bonita woman accused her neighbor of stealing her Mexican themed pink flamingo.
Penelo-p Pinkinstink walked outside Friday morning to count her flamingos and discovered her Mexican themed flamingo was missing. She noticed flamingo footprints leading from her front yard to the street and called the police. Pinkinstink assumed her neighbor Jose Curvo, a soccer fanatic, took her flamingo in preparation for the world cup game later that day.
Sheriff Jessi arrived at 123 Wagonwheel Way at 11:31 a.m. but did not find any evidence linking Jose Curvo to the crime. Curvo was preparing to watch the Under-20 Women’s World Cup Mexico-Germany game when he heard accusations against him. Curvo denies any involvement.
Pinkinstink has been collecting flamingos since the age of three. She has collected over fifty flamingos. Pinkinstink did not see Curvo take her flamingo. She believes he did because he is a dedicated fan of the Mexican team who had a game shortly after the crime took place.
Sheriff Jessi would not issue a search warrant and will not press charges on Curvo citing lack of evidence. This angered the already emotional Penelo-p who will continue to fight until she gets her Mexican themed pink flamingo back.
-Courtney Thornton
A dispute broke out Friday morning when a Bonita woman accused her neighbor of stealing her Mexican themed pink flamingo.
Penelo-p Pinkinstink walked outside Friday morning to count her flamingos and discovered her Mexican themed flamingo was missing. She noticed flamingo footprints leading from her front yard to the street and called the police. Pinkinstink assumed her neighbor Jose Curvo, a soccer fanatic, took her flamingo in preparation for the world cup game later that day.
Sheriff Jessi arrived at 123 Wagonwheel Way at 11:31 a.m. but did not find any evidence linking Jose Curvo to the crime. Curvo was preparing to watch the Under-20 Women’s World Cup Mexico-Germany game when he heard accusations against him. Curvo denies any involvement.
Pinkinstink has been collecting flamingos since the age of three. She has collected over fifty flamingos. Pinkinstink did not see Curvo take her flamingo. She believes he did because he is a dedicated fan of the Mexican team who had a game shortly after the crime took place.
Sheriff Jessi would not issue a search warrant and will not press charges on Curvo citing lack of evidence. This angered the already emotional Penelo-p who will continue to fight until she gets her Mexican themed pink flamingo back.
-Courtney Thornton
Crazy Pinknstink Sobs Over Stolen Flamingo
A dispute broke out when a Bonita woman accused her neighbor of stealing a Mexican-themed flamingo from her collection on Friday morning.
Penelo-p Pinknstink claimed that her neighbor, Jose Curvo, stole the flamingo from her collection of more than fifty. She realized it was missing while conducting her daily count of the flamingos.
Even though Pinknstink didn’t see Curvo stealing the flamingo, she insisted he was guilty because the flamingo had a Mexican flag on it and he was the only Mexican she ever saw in the neighborhood. Pinknstink said that Curvo stole it in preparation for the Under 20 Women’s World cup game that was starting at noon because he was a big fan of the Mexican team. Pinknstink insists that she found flamingo footprints that went from her yard to across the street. The Sherriff found no such footprints.
Curvo claimed that there are other Mexicans living the neighborhood, as well. He also didn’t know why anyone would want to steal a “pink chicken,” he said, suggesting that Pinknstink should check the zoo for the missing flamingo. Curvo was at home on Wagon Circle at the time of the alleged crime, he said.
Despite limited evidence, Pinknstink hopes Sherriff Jesse will press charges against Curvo.
-Samah Pirzada
Penelo-p Pinknstink claimed that her neighbor, Jose Curvo, stole the flamingo from her collection of more than fifty. She realized it was missing while conducting her daily count of the flamingos.
Even though Pinknstink didn’t see Curvo stealing the flamingo, she insisted he was guilty because the flamingo had a Mexican flag on it and he was the only Mexican she ever saw in the neighborhood. Pinknstink said that Curvo stole it in preparation for the Under 20 Women’s World cup game that was starting at noon because he was a big fan of the Mexican team. Pinknstink insists that she found flamingo footprints that went from her yard to across the street. The Sherriff found no such footprints.
Curvo claimed that there are other Mexicans living the neighborhood, as well. He also didn’t know why anyone would want to steal a “pink chicken,” he said, suggesting that Pinknstink should check the zoo for the missing flamingo. Curvo was at home on Wagon Circle at the time of the alleged crime, he said.
Despite limited evidence, Pinknstink hopes Sherriff Jesse will press charges against Curvo.
-Samah Pirzada
A woman accuses her neighbor of stealing her flamingo
A dispute broke out Friday morning when a Bonita woman accused a Mexican man stole her plastic pink flamingo.
On Friday morning, Penelo-p Pinknstina was counting her pink flamingos in the front yard, and found out a flamingo with a Mexican flag was missing.
She accused Josecurbo stole the flamingo because the time was just before the under-20 women’s world cup and he was the only Mexican in her neighborhood.
The sheriff, Jessie, arrived at 123 Wagon Wheel Way at 11:31 A.M. Although Penelo-p said there were flamingo footprints on the street towards Josecurbo’ house, neither Josecurbo nor Jessie saw any footprints.
There were no witnesses saw this happened.
Jessie could not charge Josecurbo because there was only limited evidence.
Charles Yang
On Friday morning, Penelo-p Pinknstina was counting her pink flamingos in the front yard, and found out a flamingo with a Mexican flag was missing.
She accused Josecurbo stole the flamingo because the time was just before the under-20 women’s world cup and he was the only Mexican in her neighborhood.
The sheriff, Jessie, arrived at 123 Wagon Wheel Way at 11:31 A.M. Although Penelo-p said there were flamingo footprints on the street towards Josecurbo’ house, neither Josecurbo nor Jessie saw any footprints.
There were no witnesses saw this happened.
Jessie could not charge Josecurbo because there was only limited evidence.
Charles Yang
Dispute Erupts Over Plastic Flamingo
A dispute broke out Friday when a Bonita woman accused one of her neighbors of stealing a plastic flamingo.
Penelo-P Pinknstink, of 123 Wagonwheel Way, phoned the sheriff Friday morning to report the missing flamingo. Pinknstink, who decorates her front lawn with more than fifty flamingos, claimed she exited her house Friday morning and noticed flamingo footprints across her lawn and into the street. After realizing a Mexican-themed flamingo was missing, she accused neighbor Jose Curvo of the burglary.
Pinkstink claimed Jose Curvo stole the flamingo from her yard in preparation for Friday’s Mexico-Germany women’s world cup soccer match and mockingly walked the flamingo across her lawn. While Pinknstink admitted she did not see Curvo near her house Friday morning, she claimed he must have been the culprit as he is an avid fan of the Mexican soccer team.
“That’s what Mexicans do- they steal,” Pinknstink asserted in a press conference Friday afternoon.
Sheriff Jessie, who responded to Pinknstink’s call, claims she did not find any footprints at the scene like the ones Pinknstink had described.
Curvo denied any involvement in the case. He referred to Pinknstink as “loca,” further stating that, “We don’t even have flamingos in Mexico.” He claims he was at his house at the time of the incident, preparing to watch the soccer match.
No other witnesses have been found in the case. The whereabouts of the Mexican-themed flamingo are still unknown.
Despite the limited evidence, Pinknstink hopes charges will be pressed.
-Stephanie Thornton
Penelo-P Pinknstink, of 123 Wagonwheel Way, phoned the sheriff Friday morning to report the missing flamingo. Pinknstink, who decorates her front lawn with more than fifty flamingos, claimed she exited her house Friday morning and noticed flamingo footprints across her lawn and into the street. After realizing a Mexican-themed flamingo was missing, she accused neighbor Jose Curvo of the burglary.
Pinkstink claimed Jose Curvo stole the flamingo from her yard in preparation for Friday’s Mexico-Germany women’s world cup soccer match and mockingly walked the flamingo across her lawn. While Pinknstink admitted she did not see Curvo near her house Friday morning, she claimed he must have been the culprit as he is an avid fan of the Mexican soccer team.
“That’s what Mexicans do- they steal,” Pinknstink asserted in a press conference Friday afternoon.
Sheriff Jessie, who responded to Pinknstink’s call, claims she did not find any footprints at the scene like the ones Pinknstink had described.
Curvo denied any involvement in the case. He referred to Pinknstink as “loca,” further stating that, “We don’t even have flamingos in Mexico.” He claims he was at his house at the time of the incident, preparing to watch the soccer match.
No other witnesses have been found in the case. The whereabouts of the Mexican-themed flamingo are still unknown.
Despite the limited evidence, Pinknstink hopes charges will be pressed.
-Stephanie Thornton
Dispute Over Pink Flamingo Breaks Out
A dispute broke out Friday morning when a Bonita woman accused her neighbor of stealing her pink flamingo.
Penelo-p Pinknstink was leaving her home when she noticed one of her flamingos was missing. She claims to have more than 50, which she likes to decorate with flags of various countries. The missing flamingo had a Mexican flag on it.
Pinknstink is accusing her Mexican neighbor, Jose Curvo, of stealing the flamingo. She claims he stole the flamingo because he is a Mexican soccer fan, and the Mexico team was playing Germany in the under 20 Women’s World Cup soccer game that day. Curvo denies having stolen the flamingo.
Pinknstink says she saw muddy flamingo prints leading from her front lawn on Wagon Wheel Way, to Curvo’s house on Wagon Circle. She believes that the thief picked up the flamingo and used it to make the footprints as a way to taunt her.
Sheriff Jessie arrived at the scene at 11:31 AM, and saw no footprints. Pinknstink admits she did not see Curvo take the flamingo and that there were no witnesses. There is not enough evidence to search Curvo’s home, authorities said.
Curvo said that he was home getting ready for the game when the flamingo was taken. There is no evidence linking Curvo to the crime, Sheriff Jessie confirmed.
Nonetheless, Pinknstink plans to press for charges to be filed against Curvo, despite limited evidence.
-Kirsten Yocke
Penelo-p Pinknstink was leaving her home when she noticed one of her flamingos was missing. She claims to have more than 50, which she likes to decorate with flags of various countries. The missing flamingo had a Mexican flag on it.
Pinknstink is accusing her Mexican neighbor, Jose Curvo, of stealing the flamingo. She claims he stole the flamingo because he is a Mexican soccer fan, and the Mexico team was playing Germany in the under 20 Women’s World Cup soccer game that day. Curvo denies having stolen the flamingo.
Pinknstink says she saw muddy flamingo prints leading from her front lawn on Wagon Wheel Way, to Curvo’s house on Wagon Circle. She believes that the thief picked up the flamingo and used it to make the footprints as a way to taunt her.
Sheriff Jessie arrived at the scene at 11:31 AM, and saw no footprints. Pinknstink admits she did not see Curvo take the flamingo and that there were no witnesses. There is not enough evidence to search Curvo’s home, authorities said.
Curvo said that he was home getting ready for the game when the flamingo was taken. There is no evidence linking Curvo to the crime, Sheriff Jessie confirmed.
Nonetheless, Pinknstink plans to press for charges to be filed against Curvo, despite limited evidence.
-Kirsten Yocke
Wednesday, July 21, 2010
High School Student in Critical Solution After Car Accident
Two teens were injured Sunday morning at 1:30 while “car surfing” on top of a car.
Jon Johnson, 18, was driving a 1998 Honda Civic while Brigid Murphy and Lisa Smith rode on the vehicle. Johnson accelerated to 40 miles per hour and made a sharp turn onto Hill Crest Lane.
Murphy, 17, was riding on the rear of the car and was unable to hold on. She toppled off the car and was unconscious. Smith, 13, was able to hold on to the windshield wipers.
Smith immediately told Johnson to stop. Smith rushed to Murphy’s side as Johnson called 911. Murphy was rushed to the Centreville Hospital, where her status remains uncertain. Paramedics evaluated Smith on site and determined she had minor injuries. Murphy was treated on the scene.
When asked if the driver had anything to drink Smith had no comment. No charges have been filed against Johnson.
The three teens had been at a party earlier Sunday morning. Murphy and Smith had been “car surfing” for about 10 minutes before the accident occurred.
Murphy and Smith had been best friends since 1st grade. They participated in school athletics such as tennis and track together. The two often spent time with each other after school and on weekends. Smith was shocked by what happened to her friend.
“They were like Bella and Edward from Twighlight,” Smith said.
-Nicolas Galarreta
Jon Johnson, 18, was driving a 1998 Honda Civic while Brigid Murphy and Lisa Smith rode on the vehicle. Johnson accelerated to 40 miles per hour and made a sharp turn onto Hill Crest Lane.
Murphy, 17, was riding on the rear of the car and was unable to hold on. She toppled off the car and was unconscious. Smith, 13, was able to hold on to the windshield wipers.
Smith immediately told Johnson to stop. Smith rushed to Murphy’s side as Johnson called 911. Murphy was rushed to the Centreville Hospital, where her status remains uncertain. Paramedics evaluated Smith on site and determined she had minor injuries. Murphy was treated on the scene.
When asked if the driver had anything to drink Smith had no comment. No charges have been filed against Johnson.
The three teens had been at a party earlier Sunday morning. Murphy and Smith had been “car surfing” for about 10 minutes before the accident occurred.
Murphy and Smith had been best friends since 1st grade. They participated in school athletics such as tennis and track together. The two often spent time with each other after school and on weekends. Smith was shocked by what happened to her friend.
“They were like Bella and Edward from Twighlight,” Smith said.
-Nicolas Galarreta
Teenage Accident
Three teenagers were heading back from a party Sunday at 1:30 am when they got into a car crash while car surfing. Jon Johnson who was driving took a sharp curve on a Hill Crest lane.
Jon was driving a 1998 Honda Civic heading North. Jon Johnson, 18, was driving at a 40 mph speed when instantly Brigid Murphy,17, fell into the road and injured her head and neck. She was immediately sent to Centreville Memorial hospital. Lisa Smythe, 17, suffered minor injuries because she held on to the windshield while being at the trunk of the car.
Right after the party, 10 minutes after, the incident occurred. Still, there has been no investigation whether the teenagers were drunk or not. Lisa feels terrible and scared because she hasn’t talked to any of her friends. Her leg hurts and she can’t imagine such thing happened.
“We were just having fun, we didn’t know anybody would get hurt,” cried Lisa while getting interviewed from the police officer, Arun Govil.
Brigid and Lisa had been real close ever since first grade. They played tennis and track together. The couple, Jon and British, love each other and had been dating for an extremely long time. They are students from Centreville high school and plan to attend Ohio State next year together.
-Isabel Herrera
Jon was driving a 1998 Honda Civic heading North. Jon Johnson, 18, was driving at a 40 mph speed when instantly Brigid Murphy,17, fell into the road and injured her head and neck. She was immediately sent to Centreville Memorial hospital. Lisa Smythe, 17, suffered minor injuries because she held on to the windshield while being at the trunk of the car.
Right after the party, 10 minutes after, the incident occurred. Still, there has been no investigation whether the teenagers were drunk or not. Lisa feels terrible and scared because she hasn’t talked to any of her friends. Her leg hurts and she can’t imagine such thing happened.
“We were just having fun, we didn’t know anybody would get hurt,” cried Lisa while getting interviewed from the police officer, Arun Govil.
Brigid and Lisa had been real close ever since first grade. They played tennis and track together. The couple, Jon and British, love each other and had been dating for an extremely long time. They are students from Centreville high school and plan to attend Ohio State next year together.
-Isabel Herrera
A terrible car accident happened at Hill Crest Lane on Sunday morning.
This accident happened at 1:30am. The driver, Jon Johnson, was driving a 1998 Honda Civic and was play “car surfing” at the Hill Crest Lane with his friends Brigid Murphy and Lisa Smythe.
The speed of the car was 40 mph, and John suddenly made a sharp turn without decreasing the speed.Lisa was holding on the windshield wipers, but Brigid was holding nothing.
Brigid was deeply injured during the “car surfing”, and John didn’t know she was injured so he still didn’t slow down the car till Lisa called him to stop.
They immediately called the police after they saw Brigid was harshly injured. The police rushed there and took her to the central Memorial Hospital. Right now Brigid was still in the hospital.
Charles
This accident happened at 1:30am. The driver, Jon Johnson, was driving a 1998 Honda Civic and was play “car surfing” at the Hill Crest Lane with his friends Brigid Murphy and Lisa Smythe.
The speed of the car was 40 mph, and John suddenly made a sharp turn without decreasing the speed.Lisa was holding on the windshield wipers, but Brigid was holding nothing.
Brigid was deeply injured during the “car surfing”, and John didn’t know she was injured so he still didn’t slow down the car till Lisa called him to stop.
They immediately called the police after they saw Brigid was harshly injured. The police rushed there and took her to the central Memorial Hospital. Right now Brigid was still in the hospital.
Charles
Girl in Critical Condition After Car Accident
17 year-old Centreville high school student was thrown off the back of a car trunk, Sunday when her boyfriend who was driving made a sharp right turn onto Hill Crest Lane.
Brigid Murphy, is in critical condition, at Centreville Memorial Hospital with head and neck injuries while Lisa Smythe, also 17,was able to grab onto the windshield, she only injured her wrist and leg and was treated on the scene. Driver Jon Johnson,18, was uninjured.
It is still unknown as to whether there was alcohol at the party but the police have decided not to press charges, says Arun Govil of the Centreville Police Department.
The three high school seniors were leaving a friends party at 1:30 AM when Brigid decided that they should car surf. This was a common activity for them, “ We went car surfing all the time, practically every week” says Smythe.
Brigid sat on the trunk of the car and Lisa lay down on the hood. Jon Johnson drove the 1998 Honda Civic at speeds of about 40 mph as the girls shouted at him to slow down. Johnson took it as a joke but then the immediate turn at Hill Crest Lane came up, and Brigid was flung off of the car. Lisa however grabbed onto a windshield and was able to remain on the hood. Lisa shouted for John to stop when she noticed her friend was no longer on the car. The two ran to Brigid and found her unconscious, Jon immediately called 911 and Brigid was rushed to the hospital.
All three teens attend Centreville High School. Jon and Brigid were dating, says Smith. They were inseparable and had planned to go to the same college, Ohio state, “They were like Edward and Bella from Twilight.”
Lisa and Brigid have been best friends since first grade. Lisa’s parents are very worried for Brigid and will be there to support their daughter while her friend recovers. Lisa is very shaken up about the incident, “To think that she might die is so scary.” She plans to go to Centreville Memorial and visit Brigid as soon as possible.
- Keana Cowden
Brigid Murphy, is in critical condition, at Centreville Memorial Hospital with head and neck injuries while Lisa Smythe, also 17,was able to grab onto the windshield, she only injured her wrist and leg and was treated on the scene. Driver Jon Johnson,18, was uninjured.
It is still unknown as to whether there was alcohol at the party but the police have decided not to press charges, says Arun Govil of the Centreville Police Department.
The three high school seniors were leaving a friends party at 1:30 AM when Brigid decided that they should car surf. This was a common activity for them, “ We went car surfing all the time, practically every week” says Smythe.
Brigid sat on the trunk of the car and Lisa lay down on the hood. Jon Johnson drove the 1998 Honda Civic at speeds of about 40 mph as the girls shouted at him to slow down. Johnson took it as a joke but then the immediate turn at Hill Crest Lane came up, and Brigid was flung off of the car. Lisa however grabbed onto a windshield and was able to remain on the hood. Lisa shouted for John to stop when she noticed her friend was no longer on the car. The two ran to Brigid and found her unconscious, Jon immediately called 911 and Brigid was rushed to the hospital.
All three teens attend Centreville High School. Jon and Brigid were dating, says Smith. They were inseparable and had planned to go to the same college, Ohio state, “They were like Edward and Bella from Twilight.”
Lisa and Brigid have been best friends since first grade. Lisa’s parents are very worried for Brigid and will be there to support their daughter while her friend recovers. Lisa is very shaken up about the incident, “To think that she might die is so scary.” She plans to go to Centreville Memorial and visit Brigid as soon as possible.
- Keana Cowden
Car Accident
Three teenage students were involved in a car accident on Sunday morning on Hill Crest Lane in Centreville while playing a game of car surfing. One student is left in critical condition while the other two sustain minor injuries.
Brigid Murphy, Lisa Smythe and Jon Johnson, all attending the local Centreville High School, were coming home from a party when the idea of car surfing came around. Car surfing is when you ride on top of a moving vehicle.
They all decided to participate with Brigid Murphy riding on the trunk, Lisa Smythe riding on the hood and Jon Johnson, 18, driving the 1998 Honda Civic. Jon Johnson was driving about 40 miles per hour, according to Sergeant Arun Govil, for about ten minutes and turned a corner when Lisa Smythe and Brigid Murphy slid off. Lisa Smythe held onto the windshield sustaining minor injuries while Brigid on the trunk had nothing to hold onto and fell off.
John Johnson immediately got out of the car and call for an ambulance. Brigid Murphy was taken to Centerville Memorial Hospital and remains there in critical condition. Lisa Smythe’s injuries are far more mental than physical. She retains minimal pain in her wrist and right leg but is emotionally struck whenever mentioning Brigid Murphy, her best friend since 1st grade.
They participated in tennis and track at their local high school. Lisa exclaimed “I don’t know what I would do if Brigid died.” Lisa is even sadder when mentioning the type of relationship Jon and Brigid had comparing them to Edward and Bella of the Twilight Saga. Lisa went on to describe their future, they planned to go to Idaho State together.
Lisa has talked to her parents about the tragedy as they were upset and worried about her but the one person she wants to talk to most is Brigid who still remains unconscious.
A lesson may not have been learned from this tragic accident as Lisa Smythe continues to want to car surf depending on the life of Brittany Murphy. She used to car surf quite often never realizing the potential dangers of sitting on top of a car unrestrained until now.
Lisa continues to blame the speed and Jon Johnson for the accident. The party at a friend of the local high school student’s house was the last place many friends of Brigid Murphy saw the friendly girl and it could possibly be the last memory they have left of her.
The parents of Brigid Murphy remain in the hospital hoping that their daughter will be able to live. Brigid Murphy had big plans for the future hoping to attend college with her boyfriend and maintain her friendship with Lisa Smythe.
-Courtney Thornton
Brigid Murphy, Lisa Smythe and Jon Johnson, all attending the local Centreville High School, were coming home from a party when the idea of car surfing came around. Car surfing is when you ride on top of a moving vehicle.
They all decided to participate with Brigid Murphy riding on the trunk, Lisa Smythe riding on the hood and Jon Johnson, 18, driving the 1998 Honda Civic. Jon Johnson was driving about 40 miles per hour, according to Sergeant Arun Govil, for about ten minutes and turned a corner when Lisa Smythe and Brigid Murphy slid off. Lisa Smythe held onto the windshield sustaining minor injuries while Brigid on the trunk had nothing to hold onto and fell off.
John Johnson immediately got out of the car and call for an ambulance. Brigid Murphy was taken to Centerville Memorial Hospital and remains there in critical condition. Lisa Smythe’s injuries are far more mental than physical. She retains minimal pain in her wrist and right leg but is emotionally struck whenever mentioning Brigid Murphy, her best friend since 1st grade.
They participated in tennis and track at their local high school. Lisa exclaimed “I don’t know what I would do if Brigid died.” Lisa is even sadder when mentioning the type of relationship Jon and Brigid had comparing them to Edward and Bella of the Twilight Saga. Lisa went on to describe their future, they planned to go to Idaho State together.
Lisa has talked to her parents about the tragedy as they were upset and worried about her but the one person she wants to talk to most is Brigid who still remains unconscious.
A lesson may not have been learned from this tragic accident as Lisa Smythe continues to want to car surf depending on the life of Brittany Murphy. She used to car surf quite often never realizing the potential dangers of sitting on top of a car unrestrained until now.
Lisa continues to blame the speed and Jon Johnson for the accident. The party at a friend of the local high school student’s house was the last place many friends of Brigid Murphy saw the friendly girl and it could possibly be the last memory they have left of her.
The parents of Brigid Murphy remain in the hospital hoping that their daughter will be able to live. Brigid Murphy had big plans for the future hoping to attend college with her boyfriend and maintain her friendship with Lisa Smythe.
-Courtney Thornton
Teen In Critical Condition After "Car Surfing" Accident
Three teens got into a “car surfing” accident in Centreville Sunday night at 1:30 AM, according to police official Arun Govil.
Brigid Murphy, 17, was riding on the trunk of the car and sustained injuries to the head and neck. She is now in critical condition at Centreville Memorial Hospital. Lisa Smythe, 17, was riding on the hood of the moving car, but only sustained minor injuries to the wrist and leg. Jon Johnson, 18, was driving the 1998 Honda Civic and sustained no injuries.
Murphy, along with boyfriend Johnson, and best friend Smythe, decided to go “car surfing” on the way back from a friend’s party, which is described as riding on top of a moving car. They were surfing for ten minutes when Johnson hit a sharp turn to the left on Hill Crest Lane while driving at 40 mph. Smythe was able to grab on to the windshield wiper, but Murphy was thrown from the rear. Johnson immediately stopped the car. Smythe and Johnson found Murphy lying unconscious on the ground and called 911 right away. The police arrived on the scene shortly. No charges have been pressed.
“I can’t believe this happened,” Smythe says. Smythe describes her and Murphy as being best friends since the first grade. “We didn’t think anybody would get hurt. […] To think that she might die, it’s very scary.” Smythe is not sure if they will continue to car surf after this incident, depending on Murphy’s condition.
All three teens attended Centreville High School. Johnson and Murphy, a couple described by Smythe as being “like Edward and Bella from Twilight,” were planning to attend Ohio State University in the fall.
--Samah Pirzada
Brigid Murphy, 17, was riding on the trunk of the car and sustained injuries to the head and neck. She is now in critical condition at Centreville Memorial Hospital. Lisa Smythe, 17, was riding on the hood of the moving car, but only sustained minor injuries to the wrist and leg. Jon Johnson, 18, was driving the 1998 Honda Civic and sustained no injuries.
Murphy, along with boyfriend Johnson, and best friend Smythe, decided to go “car surfing” on the way back from a friend’s party, which is described as riding on top of a moving car. They were surfing for ten minutes when Johnson hit a sharp turn to the left on Hill Crest Lane while driving at 40 mph. Smythe was able to grab on to the windshield wiper, but Murphy was thrown from the rear. Johnson immediately stopped the car. Smythe and Johnson found Murphy lying unconscious on the ground and called 911 right away. The police arrived on the scene shortly. No charges have been pressed.
“I can’t believe this happened,” Smythe says. Smythe describes her and Murphy as being best friends since the first grade. “We didn’t think anybody would get hurt. […] To think that she might die, it’s very scary.” Smythe is not sure if they will continue to car surf after this incident, depending on Murphy’s condition.
All three teens attended Centreville High School. Johnson and Murphy, a couple described by Smythe as being “like Edward and Bella from Twilight,” were planning to attend Ohio State University in the fall.
--Samah Pirzada
Two Teens Injured in Car Accident
One teen is in critical condition and another sustained minor injuries after they were injured while riding on top of a moving car early Sunday morning.
The teenagers, identified as Lisa Smythe and Brigid Murphy, are both students at Centreville High School. Smith and Murphy were sitting on the hood and trunk of a 1998 Honda Civic driven by 18-year old Jon Johnson when Murphy fell onto the road and Smythe onto the windshield. They were coming home from a friend’s party.
Police received a 911 call around 1:30 am Sunday morning from Johnson reporting the accident.
Centerville Police Sergeant Arun Govil reported that the car was going approximately 40 miles per hour around a turn on Hill Crest Lane when the girl was thrown from atop the trunk. She was unconscious when found at the scene, and transported to Centreville Memorial Hospital with head and neck injuries.
Smythe, in a press conference earlier today, said the two were “car surfing.” Car surfing, she reported, is where someone drives a car while others sit or lie on top of the car. She said they and other teenagers engage in the activity, which they found out about on YouTube, almost on a weekly basis.
“We were just having fun,” a shaken up Smythe said, “we didn’t think anyone would get hurt.”
The two had been car surfing for about ten minutes before the accident, she reported. She claims to have been yelling to Johnson to slow down, but he did not hear her. When they rounded the corner, Smythe was able to grab on to a windshield wiper and keep herself on the car as Murphy, unable to grab a hold of anything, flew off the back. Smith suffered minor wrist and leg injuries, but was cleared by paramedics at the scene.
The two girls had been close friends since they were young, and had competed on tennis and track teams together. “She’s been my best friend forever,” Smythe said. “And to think she might die is just very scary.”
Johnson, the driver of the car, is Murphy’s longtime boyfriend. The two, who Smythe compares to “Edward and Bella from Twilight,” are supposed to attend Ohio State University together next year.
No charges have been filed but police are continuing to investigate the incident, including whether or not alcohol or any other foul play was involved.
-Stephanie Thornton
The teenagers, identified as Lisa Smythe and Brigid Murphy, are both students at Centreville High School. Smith and Murphy were sitting on the hood and trunk of a 1998 Honda Civic driven by 18-year old Jon Johnson when Murphy fell onto the road and Smythe onto the windshield. They were coming home from a friend’s party.
Police received a 911 call around 1:30 am Sunday morning from Johnson reporting the accident.
Centerville Police Sergeant Arun Govil reported that the car was going approximately 40 miles per hour around a turn on Hill Crest Lane when the girl was thrown from atop the trunk. She was unconscious when found at the scene, and transported to Centreville Memorial Hospital with head and neck injuries.
Smythe, in a press conference earlier today, said the two were “car surfing.” Car surfing, she reported, is where someone drives a car while others sit or lie on top of the car. She said they and other teenagers engage in the activity, which they found out about on YouTube, almost on a weekly basis.
“We were just having fun,” a shaken up Smythe said, “we didn’t think anyone would get hurt.”
The two had been car surfing for about ten minutes before the accident, she reported. She claims to have been yelling to Johnson to slow down, but he did not hear her. When they rounded the corner, Smythe was able to grab on to a windshield wiper and keep herself on the car as Murphy, unable to grab a hold of anything, flew off the back. Smith suffered minor wrist and leg injuries, but was cleared by paramedics at the scene.
The two girls had been close friends since they were young, and had competed on tennis and track teams together. “She’s been my best friend forever,” Smythe said. “And to think she might die is just very scary.”
Johnson, the driver of the car, is Murphy’s longtime boyfriend. The two, who Smythe compares to “Edward and Bella from Twilight,” are supposed to attend Ohio State University together next year.
No charges have been filed but police are continuing to investigate the incident, including whether or not alcohol or any other foul play was involved.
-Stephanie Thornton
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