Lion Pride Newspaper
2nd Edition Friday, November 15, 2019
School Section The Tornado A tornado ripped through Dallas on Sunday, October 20th and caused massive destruction to homes, businesses, and schools like our own. The tornado was an EF-3, and touched down close to the Love Field Airport, and continued to take its path to the Northeast. No lives were taken by the storm, but a few injuries were sustained. In addition to the injuries, many houses and businesses were mauled and deprived of power. According to NBCDFW, as of Monday at 4:30 pm, 65,000 people’s homes remained without power. A Home Depot was severely affected by the tornado, having its roof collapse. Walnut Hill school was completely wrecked by the tornado. St. Mark’s, while taking much damage, was super lucky. This is a photo taken of Walnut Hill Elementary School on Midway Road. → The campus sustained severe damage and was expected to be totaled. Richardson ISD also canceled classes on the Monday following the storm at all of its schools. The tornado is estimated to have left an impact, of approximately
two billion dollars, due to homes, businesses, and schools left in ruins. To the left, are two of the hundreds of houses that sustained flagrant damage. While the material losses have been significant, Dallas has been so fortunate to not lose a single life. In addition to the damage to these houses, the Home Depot on Forest Lane got absolutely clobbered. If it wasn’t for a worker of Home Depot evacuating the warehouse-like store as soon as the weather warnings came in, lives most likely would have been lost.
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St. Mark’s was hit hard as well, causing the school to be canceled for a total of seven days. The gym has been hit on two sides, while the other two remain standing. The basketball team now boards a bus every day to attend practice facilities. The choir loft was hit minorly by the tornado, but sustained water damage due to the persistent rain afterward, flowing into the hole. The chapel, got close to taking
major damage, but only took damage similar to that of the choir loft, and is back and running. The Decherd Fine Arts Building is expected to return after the Thanksgiving holiday break. Meanwhile, Drama is having classes in the science lecture hall. Marilyn Monroe stated, “Sometimes good things fall apart so better things could fall together.” St. Marks Strong.
New Librarian There is a new librarian this year, and her name is Mrs. Back. We didn’t know much about her, so we interviewed her. She is a big wildlife supporter and is a STEM teacher. Q: Can you give us some basic background about you (does not have to be personal)? A: I grew up in Arkansas, but my parents lived in Florida. I went to the University of Texas and received a graduate degree from SMU. I have a rescued cat, and she is 17 years old. I am a Panda Ambassador and representative of the Dallas World Wildlife Fund. I help endangered animals around the world. Q: What do you mostly teach or focus on? A: I am a science librarian, so I work with science classes. I have taught science classes in grades 5-7 so far in St. Marks. Q: How much experience do you have about working a library, or teaching experiences? A: I have probably taught around 10-15 years. I previously taught at ESD. Q: What books would you recommend to a middle school student? A: I recommend Wonder, Echo, and Because of Mr. Terupt. Q: What is the best genre of books for someone of our age? A: It depends on the reader. I would love to work with the reader to find the perfect book! Q: From a teacher’s point of view, what are some things we can improve on? A: Teachers and librarians are here to help you. We want to be here for you, so please ask questions or let us know if you need anything.
Q: How many books do you think you have ever read? A: Hundreds but probably not thousands. Hopefully one day I will have read a thousand books. Q: What is something you enjoy about reading? A: Reading is relaxing, and it takes me somewhere where I can’t go and it also shows another one's perspective. Q: What are some goals you hope to accomplish at St.Mark’s School of Texas? A: I look forward to meeting new students and learn who they are, and help the science class, and lead the world wildlife club. Speaking of the wildlife club, we will be hosting an animal photo contest.
Sports Section Mavs Off To Hot Start The Dallas Mavericks have started 6-5 and have played 4 championship-quality teams: Portland, Denver, Los Angeles(Lakers), and the Boston Celtics. They only beat Denver out of those teams but have gone 5-2 against all other opponents. All five losses have been under 10 points, and Dallas has shown that they can stay with any team in the league. The most exciting and awe-inspiring game has to be when the Los Angeles Lakers came to town, led by global superstars Lebron James and Anthony Davis. The young Mavericks showed no fear, and with 5 seconds left in regulation, the Mavericks were up by 3. Lebron then passed to Danny Green who hit a three at the buzzer, and Lebron went off in OT to help the Lakers beat Dallas. The Lakers are the favorite to win the NBA, and although the Mavericks lost, it is as good as a loss can be for the Dallas Mavericks. Second-year star Luka Doncic has started in an unbelievable fashion, averaging 28 points, 10 rebounds, and 9 assists. This makes many people ask the question: Can Luka Doncic average a triple-double this season? If he can, he will
be the third ever to do so and the youngest by far. Other star Kristaps Porzingis is off to a slow start coming back from a long-term injury but has shown signs of the great player that he can be for the Mavs. The biggest questions about the Mavericks this season were about their depth, but everyone on the Mavericks has risen to the challenge. In a really tough game in Denver against the Nuggets, Luka Doncic and Kristaps scored only 22 points combined. 7 other players(9 in total) all had 10+ points: Dorian Finney-Smith, Seth Curry, Delon Wright, Tim Haradway Jr., Justin Jackson, Jalen Brunson, and Maxi Kleber. Kleber was MVP of the game, scoring 14, grabbing 7 boards, and getting a crucial block late to win the game. The Mavs’ bench playing well is huge for them and makes their championship hopes that much more realistic.
Football NCAAF As the season has gone on, upsets have occurred and teams have had signature wins. Oklahoma beat Texas in a big game, but later lost to Kansas St. LSU has cruised through their competition, including Alabama, Florida, and Auburn. Georgia is still very much in the playoff race, but a very unexpected OT loss to South Carolina forces the Dawgs to leave no room for error. In the Big 10, PJ Fleck’s Minnesota has surprised many after beating previously #4 Penn St. to keep their perfect season alive. Baylor is also still undefeated, although they had to have 3OT to beat Texas Tech, 2OT to beat TCU, and only beat West Virginia by 3. In the Group of Five race, Cincinnati is in the lead, with their only loss coming to undefeated #2 Ohio State. Memphis, Boise State, SMU, Navy, and Appalachian State are all in the mix as well. SMU plays Navy tomorrow and could play in a very big AAC championship game against Cincinnati. Here are the paths for the 11 teams with realistic shots to make the College Football Playoff : 1. LSU-They are virtually a lock, with their hardest regular-season game being at home against 6-3 Texas A&M. If they win out, then lose the SEC Championship, they will still almost definitely make the CFP.
2. Ohio State-If they win out they’re in, but they have to play a tough Penn State team, then either Minnesota or Wisconsin in the Big 10 Championship. Even if they win at least one of those games (and win out otherwise), they should be pretty safe to make it. 3. Clemson-If they win out they’re in, but a loss would put them on the bubble. They play in the very weak ACC, so losing a game in that schedule would put them in a dangerous situation, especially because they already had a close call in North Carolina. 4. Georgia-They had a tough loss against South Carolina, but if they win out, it’s very unlikely that the committee would leave out a 1-loss SEC Champ. If they lose another game, they probably won’t make it, but would still have a small chance. 5. Alabama-They have had a fairly weak schedule, and after losing to LSU, they have no margin for error. If they win out, they still will have a good chance to make it, but their resumé would only have one win over a Top 25 team, and not have won a conference championship. 6. Oregon-With a loss they would be out of the race, and winning out would put them right on the bubble. They should root for LSU and Ohio State to win out to try to keep the other SEC and Big 10 teams out of it, and hope that the committee chooses them over OU/Baylor. 7. Utah-They are in the exact same position as Oregon^ 8. Minnesota-They might be able to afford a loss, but should win out to be sure. A loss would put them on the bubble, but if they lose to Wisconsin, then win the Big 10, they should be in a fairly good position. 9. Penn State-They need to beat Ohio State, and beat Minnesota in the Big 10 Championship. If they do, they’ll look very good, as a Big 10 champ who avenged their only loss. 10. Oklahoma-A loss and they’re out, but if they win out, they would be right on the bubble. They also want LSU and Ohio State to win out and keep the other SEC and Big 10 teams out of it, as they might get in over the two Pac-12 teams, though it would be close. 13. Baylor-Win and they’re in, expect if the top teams win out, then Georgia HOWObeats LSU in the SEC Championship, which would make it a tricky
HOWOsituation. Lose and they have virtually no chance with their weak HOWOschedule and close games.
NFL The NFL season is already more than halfway done, and it has gone by in a flash. San Francisco, New England, Baltimore, New Orleans, Green Bay, and Seattle are all in a jumble at the top, with a combined record of 39-8. At the bottom, Cincinnati, Washington, both New York teams, Miami, and Atlanta have a combined record of 9-48, all “fighting” for the top spot in the draft next year. Somehow, in probably the biggest NFL upset of the year, the previously 1-7 Falcons beat the previously 7-1 Saints by 17 in New Orleans! Meanwhile, the Cowboys have had a worse go of it after winning their first three games, but won a huge game at home against Philadelphia, and are now 5-4 with a 4-0 division record and a win over the also 5-4 Eagles. The Cowboys have lost a few tiebreaker games to other NFC teams, so their chances of making the wild-card in a loaded NFC are pretty low, so they are focused on winning the NFC East. Here are my division by division predictions: AFC East: Although the Bills have played well, the Patriots have this division locked up, while the Dolphins and Jets are the bottom-feeders, both at 2-7. AFC North: The Ravens are having one of their best seasons in a while, and it looks like this is their division this year. The Steelers won 4 in a row, but then lost to Cleveland to drop to 5-5. The Browns have underperformed, but can still make the playoffs with their talented roster, and the hapless Bengals are 0-9. AFC West: It looked like the Chiefs would runaway with the division early, but now they are only a game ahead of the Raiders. The Chiefs are probably better and own the tiebreaker, but are struggling, so this might be close. The 4-6 Chargers and 3-6 Broncos have disappointed, and are having lackluster years. AFC South: This has the most equal division in the NFL, with only two games separating the top (Texans) from the bottom (Jaguars). The Texans are the favorites, but the Colts are still pretty good, and the Titans have been hot lately. NFC East: This has been a pretty lackluster division, but still boasts two teams with enough talent to make the Super Bowl. The Cowboys and Eagles haven’t
played well overall, but have shown flashes of greatness from time to time. The Giants and Redskins are two of the worst teams in the NFL. NFC North: The 8-2 Packers have played extremely well, but the 7-3 Vikings are nipping at their heels. The Bears were expected to contend, but have had a very disappointing season. The Lions have taken strides from last year, at 3-5-1. NFC West: The 8-2 Seahawks are in a weird position, with the 4th best record in the NFL, but don’t lead their division. The 8-1 49ers were overlooked prior to the season, but were undefeated midway through. Many are still picking Seattle to win the division, but the 49ers will remain a force to be reckoned with. The Rams have underperformed, and the Cardinals have had a solid year with Kyler Murray. NFC South: The Saints, who have been heartbroken the last two years in the playoffs, but once again look very good at 7-2. Carolina, led by MVP contender Cristian McCaffrey is 5-4 and trying to make a run at the playoffs, and the Buccaneers and Falcons have both done pretty bad as expected.
Jokes, Riddles, and Comics Section Comics
Jokes and Riddles Q: Why did the pig have ink all over its face? A: Because it came out of the pen. Q: What did the grandma cat say to her grandson when she saw him slouching? A: You need to pay more attention to your pawsture.
Q. What does a cat have that no other animal has? A. Kittens.
Q: What would you get if you crossed a turkey with a ghost? A: A poultrygeist!
Q: What is the hardest shape to get out of? A: Tell me. Q: The trap-azoid
Knock! Knock! Who’s there? Candice. Candice who? Candice door open, or am I stuck out here?
Did you see the movie about the hot dog? It was an Oscar wiener.
Q. Which is closer, Florida or the moon? A. The moon. You can’t see Florida from here.
I ate a clock yesterday, it was very time-consuming.
Q. You find me in December, but not in any other month. What am I? A. The letter D!
Technology and Entertainment Section Fortnite Chapter Two Fortnite Chapter Two released on October 15, 2019. Epic gamesowner/creator completely revamped the game. From the map, to the format, and even more. After you update your game and load in you are immediately put into a game of solo battle royale. One of the main new things that came out with Fortnite Chapter Two is the addition of AI’s or bots that make the game easier to win since they are worse than real players. Secondly they have made it much easier to rank up your battle pass and level, so you don’t have to spend an absurd amount of time to complete your battle pass, this makes the game more enjoyable. Epic games has taken out a lot of different guns and added a wider range of gun rarities. Like the new green (uncommen) rocket launcher. You can also upgrade your weapons at an upgrade bench using materials such as wood, brick and metal. They have removed all vehicles and added the new boat vehicle. Now onto the map which has had a lot of changes. When you first play the game you have a map with “clouds” covering it so you cannot see any of the locations. Speaking of the locations there are only four original named locations. Some of the new things you can do in game with your character include swimming and even fishing.
Credits We could not have done this without our sponsor, Mr. Mank, and our writers and editors. Ben Adams: benjamin.adams06@gmail.com Daniel Deng: 25dengd@smtexas.org Surya Dinesh: 25dineshs@smtexas.org Griffin Goodno: 24goodnog@smtexas.org Henry Hoak: 24hoakh@smtexas.org Asa McCaleb: 24mccaleba@smtexas.org Nathan Meyer: 24meyern@smtexas.org Peyton Militello: 24militellop@smtexas.org Zach Olyan: 24olyanz@smtexas.org Jaden Ouyang: jadenouyang@gmail.com Vivek Patel: 24patelv@smtexas.org Reed Sussman: 24sussmanr@smtexas.org Thomas Whitehurst: 24whitehurstt@smtexas.org Neil Yepuri: 25yepurin@smtexas.org