Cp3 is the Best Point Guard in the NBA

        Have you ever watched a Clippers game on TV? Most of the time, all the attention is set on Chris Paul because of the number of assists he has. First of all, he can handle the ball excellently, so he can control the pace of the game. Also, he is not selfish with the ball, meaning he assists his team-mates very often.  Some people will argue that Stephen Curry is the best point guard because of his famous 4 point plays, but being a point guard (PG) is not always about how many points you score in a game. Chris Paul (Cp3) is the best point guard in the NBA.

        Chris Paul is famous for his sick handles. He is able to cross you up and break your ankles when he needs to. Cp3 has this move called the Spin Cycle where he does a spin move to the hoop to get a bucket, (score a point), while you're defending him, hence the name Spin Cycle. Anytime he needs space to make a shot, he creates it. He will do a crossover, then take a step back and shoot a fade away. He did that move in Game 7 against the defending NBA champions, San Antonio Spurs, when Kawhi Leonard, the league's MVP in 2014, was defending Cp3. Also, Cp3 uses his sick handles to get by his defense. For example, he threw the ball between Jason Terry's legs to assist his team mate for a dunk. Sometimes, Cp3 doesn't get all the credit he deserves (Raymond).

       Another thing Cp3 is well known for is for his high percentage of assists. Cp3 is part of the "Starting Five State Farm Assistance" because of his sick assists on court. Cp3 is so unselfish with the ball, that he gives up good shots for better shots. Cp3's assists per game is very high. His average for this season is 10.2 assists per game! Chris Paul's passing is so phenomenally accurate. His lob passes (alley-oops) to Blake Griffin and Deandre Jordan are the most exciting passes he makes so accurately. Cp3's passing over all is so great that his passing assists his high percentage of assists!

       A lot of people out there would argue that Cp3 isn't the best PG and Stephen Curry is, but CP is twice as good as Stephen Curry at being a PG. People would say that just because he got voted as NBA's 2015 MVP (Amick), he is better than CP, but that is not the case. Like I said before, Cp3 doesn't always get the credit he deserves. Steph Curry gets crossed over so many times. The offense always gets by his defense, but when Chris Paul plays defense, the only thing that comes out of it is a steal and a fast break for his team, which brings me to my next point. Chris Paul has way more steals than Stephen Curry. Being a point guard is all about handling the ball and Cp3 can do that on either side of the court. Stephen Curry may be the NBA's MVP, but Cp3 is still the best PG.

       Chris Paul is the best point guard in the NBA, not only because of his 10 year experience, but also because he can handle the ball very well. He also averages 10.3 assists per game, which means he is not selfish with the ball. He is also a better point guard than Stephen Curry because being a point guard is not always about your points per game. Who do you think will win between Golden State Warriors, with Stephen Curry as PG, and Los Angeles Clippers, with Chris Paul as PG if they both make it to the Western Semi-Finals?

Cp3 & Curry Picture: Martin, Ben. "Warriors Rout Clippers to Even Playoff Series 2-2."Sfexaminer.com. N.p., n.d. Web.
Spin Cycle Video: "CP3 Puts Fournier in the Spin Cycle for the Score." YouTube. YouTube, n.d. Web. 08 May 2015.
Dunk Video: "Chris Paul Throws It Through Jason Terry's Legs." YouTube. YouTube, n.d. Web. 08 May 2015.
Raymond: Raymond, Adam K. "Chris Paul Was Great Even Before He Slayed the Spurs."Chris Paul Was Great Even Before He Slayed the Spurs. N.p., n.d. Web. 08 May 2015.
State Farm Commercial: "State Farm® Commercial - "Best of the Assist" :60." YouTube. YouTube, n.d. Web. 08 May 2015.
Curry Named MVP: Sports, Sam Amick. "Stephen Curry Named NBA MVP." USA Today. Gannett, 04 May 2015. Web. 08 May 2015.
Chris Paul Steals: "Chris Paul - Lockdown." YouTube. YouTube, n.d. Web. 08 May 2015.

All About That Bass!

       It was a sunny, summer, May day in Sitka, Alaska. The air was filled with excitement because as of that day, there was less than a month left in school, which meant I was moving up to 7th grade at the common age of 12. I was in Mr. Kernin's office, about to take our final test of the year for band. It was during period 4b, just after lunch in band. After waiting for my fellow percussionists to finish their major scales on the xylophone, It was finally my turn. 
        
       "Okay. Tiff, you're up," Mr. Kernin said. I waited for him to finish writing things down on paper.
       
       "Alrighty, then."
      
 I inhaled a deep breath of air, then started hitting the black keys, that were aligned perfectly, with my wooden yarn mallets. i was slightly shaking as my nerves started to build up and demanded to be noticed. I, feeling afraid, was hoping that i wouldn't hit the wrong note, or make a horrific sound by hitting things other than the keys. There was a pause as the last note rang in my ears.
       
       "Good job, Tiff." exclaimed Mr. Kernin. I let out a breath of relief, not realizing that i was holding one in.
       
       "I have a question for the 3 of you," Mr. Kernin started. He looked at each of us, creating eye contact one after another, before taking a seat in his office chair. He leaned forward, elbows on knees, and hands clasped together as he thought of what he was going to say.
     
       "You all know what Jazz Band I is, right?" asked Mr.Kernin.
      
       "Oh, yeah! I've always wanted to be in Jazz Band!" I excitedly responded. Cora and Romy nodded in unison as they furrowed their eyebrows together, confused. Mr. Kernin paused, giving us time to process his words.
      
       "Well, we need some percussionists and I thought the three of you would be perfect for the spots. Cora can play the piano, right, Cora?" he glanced at Cora as he asked.
      
       "Yes, I'd love to!" exclaimed Cora with a smile on her face.
       Mr. Kernin chuckled at Cora's reaction and turned his attention to Romy.
      
       "Romy, you can play the vibraphone, and Tiff," he paused and looked at me.
      
       "Would you be willing to learn how to play the bass guitar? Mr. Schmidt, Anja's dad and a great trombone player, could give you lessons on it."
         
       I stared at him for a few seconds, still in shock, then said, "Yes! I love guitars!"
     
     "The bass guitar only has four strings, so it's not exactly a guitar," he added.
       
       I just nodded, a smile creeping onto my face. It took everything for me not to start jumping up and down like a kangaroo in the Australian Outback.
        
       "Practices start at 7:30 in the morning on Mondays and Tuesdays." he started to explain.
      
       "Is it on the first day of school?" I asked.
      
       "No, I'm going to announce when rehearsals start next school year." he answered.
     
       "OK." Cora said.
      
       "Who's playing the drums?" I asked Mr. Kernin.
      
       "Avery Veron." I felt my face light up as he said that.
       
       "I'm trying to get you three and Avery in 1st period band, so it'll be a girls crew!" he added. He tried to imitate a girl by flicking his wrist and looking to his left with a smile. We all laughed at his childish behavior for a moment, then the air was ringing with silence as I started to daydream about being a rock star, rocking the night away. Suddenly, something popped up in my head.
     
      "Wait, Mr. K?" I started.
      
      I waited until I got his attention. 
       
      "Yeah, what's up?" he asked.
      
      "Does that mean I passed the test?" I asked enthusiastically.
      
      He chuckled, then said, "You all passed the test!"
      
      The three of us girls ran out the door, screaming our heads off as we startled some of our classmates. 
     
       I ran to the closest person around and screamed, "OMG! I'm going to play the bass in Jazz Band!"
      
       Mr. Kernin popped up behind the door, silencing everyone with his presence.
     
       He opened his mouth and screamed, "NEXT!"

       It was the start of 7th grade and it was about a month into the school year. I had to sit in a practice room for about three weeks, practicing and learning the basics on the bass, before I could play with the whole group in Jazz Band I rehearsals. Playing bass was really fun, but it was a bit hard because I had to wake up earlier than usual on Mondays and Thursdays for rehearsal. That was one of the circumstances of being in the band. Members of the band were not allowed to quit until they performed at least once with the crew. 
       
       The new  music was getting harder for me, and I started thinking about quitting after the winter concert. I informed Mr. Kernin on my thoughts about it, but he talked me out of it by lecturing me about giving up. 
      
        "Mr. K, I was thinking about stopping with the bass after winter break." I informed him.
      
        "Why do you want to stop?" he questioned. 
      
        "The music is getting a bit hard and I'm getting really frustrated with myself on the bass." I explained.
       
        "Well, If you stop playing the bass, that means you're just giving up. If you give up on something as simple as band, what would happen in the real world?"
     
        His words got me thinking of my future, so I decided not to be a quitter and kept playing the bass.
       
       Those conversations were months ago and I'm still here, jamming out with the drums and guitar in our middle school Jazz Band. What playing the bass taught me was that just because things start to get difficult, you can't just give up. It taught me to face the challenges in life and not just run away from them because in the real world, you can never avoid a challenge. The things that our teachers make us face are just making us physically and mentally stronger for the near future. 

I got the picture from: http://www.hqslapbass.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/12/improve_bass_playing.jpg
I got the video from: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4xKJAoE5WOI
       

Book Review 3: The False Prince

        The False Prince is a young adult novel by Jennifer Nielsen which revolves around a plot to put an impostor of the throne to save the kingdom of Carthya. Sage is a fourteen year-old orphan who stole a roast from a local butcher, but is saved by a nobleman named Belvin Conner. Conner is visiting different orphanages and buying teenage boys who resemble the missing prince Jaron, heir to the throne of the kingdom of Carthya. Conner is a minor regent of those who work for and with the king. The queen and their oldest son were murdered by pirates. Conner is trying to stop Carthya from falling into a civil war. He, therefore, creates a plan by using one out of the four orphans he bought so that they could stop the path heading to war. Jaron has been missing for years and everyone thinks that he, too, was murdered along with his mother and older brother. Over the next two weeks, Sage and 2 other orphans compete against each other to become Conner's choice as the "prince". There were only 3 because 1 was killed by one of Conner's servants. By the end of the two weeks, Sage is chosen to be the impostor, but Sage prevents Conner from killing his other 2 opponents. Sage reveals that he is the real prince, not just an impostor, stunning everyone around him, including Conner and those who work for/with the king. Later, it is revealed that Conner was the reason of the death of the royal family and lead the pirate attack to killing Sage, or Prince Jaron. Conner is arrested and Jaron takes his rightful place to the throne as the KING of the kingdom of Carthya.
        
        One of the main themes in this book is to never trust anyone, good or bad. In this novel, Latamer, an orphan that was bought by Conner, is killed because he trusted Conner, Latamer making his way to the wagon that brought them to where they were, but Conner had one of his servants hidden behind a bush, ready to take his life away. "An arrow whooshed passed me and pierced his chest. Latamer yelped like a wounded dog and fell backward on the ground, dead." (22) Another example is when Conner had a plan that could get the chosen orphan killed for treason. Chosen or not, they could get killed. The orphans that weren't chosen were most likely to get killed because they knew too much of Conner's plan. If the chosen "prince" were to get caught as a fake, they would also be killed. "Two weeks, boys. Pray you're the one i choose," (39) was all Conner had said when one of the boys asked what were to happen to the two other boys that weren't chosen. "He would choose his winner in the two weeks, and most likely, the other two boys would follow Latamer's fate at the same time." (39) My last example is that Conner turned out to be the one responsible for the royal family's death. He tried to kill Prince Jaron and yet, Sage went along with his plan knowing what Conner did. Immediately after Jaron announced Conner's crimes, taking Conner by surprise, Conner intended to kill him, but Jaron was too clever for his traps. "Conner shook his head, then his eyes darted left, and he thrusts his hand inside his jacket. "As I always said, Sage, If i go down, so do you!" (337) "I released the cuff of my sleeve, and a knife he had hidden in his jacket fell into my hands." (337) Conner and Sage both made mistakes for trusting each other. If you trust people easily, they might take it for granted, so you have to make them earn it, not just give it away. As quoted by Stephen King, "the trust of the innocent is the liar's most useful tool".
        
        The False Prince is a very interesting book that i would recommend to my friends because of its unique plot. A person who loves clever thinking, kings, queens, palace's, kingdoms, or anything from the medieval times would enjoy this novel. This book is book one in the trilogy. The book is filled with danger, deceit, and hidden identities. It is a very adventurous story that includes dangerous actions, lies, and deadly truths revealed that are unexpected. The sequence of the trilogy, Ascendance Trilogy, goes The False Prince, The Runaway King, and The Shadow Throne. Underworld Chronicles is another trilogy by the same author that may be of interest for readers who like books such as Lord of the Rings or Harry Potter. The books included in this trilogy are Elliot and the Goblin War, Elliot and the Pixie Plot, and Elliot and the Last Underworld War. I recommend that you read this novel (The False Prince) and join in on the excitement of learning how to be a prince though out the story!

Should Discover Your Potential (DYP) Happen Every Year?

     

     Last week in Blatchley Middle School (BMS), we had a Discover Your Potential (DYP) week. DYP is where you do classes that are out of the ordinary. The week is where students get a break from classes that you normally go to, such as math, language arts, P.E., etc. In DYP, you get to choose 4 classes out of very many options. In these classes, you can learn with students in other grades. There are many very unique classes to choose from. Due to the School District's budget, we can only have it once every other year. Because you only stay in BMS for three years, some students only get to discover their potential once. BMS should have DYP every year!

     Students need to learn more than just the general things you learn in school. DYP helps students decide what they want to do for the future. The school could start fundraisers for it. Students have been asking teachers about having DYP next year, but because we have money issues, some kids suggested fundraisers. The students in Blatchley love DYP so much that they are willing to go out of their way to raise money for the school.

     DYP is a very inspiring week for almost every student and a lot of teachers in BMS. Because of the performances in the assembly for DYP, some students wanted to try other classes. We should have DYP every year so that kids can have more opportunities to try something new. 

     Regular school classes and DYP classes are very different in a variety of ways. In regular school, we do different units in P.E., such as football, swimming, basketball, etc. In DYP, we get into more of the details in the sports. During swimming unit, we play water polo. We play in the shallow end so that everyone can participate, but in DYP, you play water polo in the deep end for the more advanced players/swimmers. To participate in the DYP water polo class, you'd need permission from the teacher to join, but in regular school, you have to participate to get good grades. In DYP, you don't receive grades! There are many differences between DYP classes and regular classes.

     DYP needs to happen every year because during this time, EVERYONE gets to discover their potential (pun intended). Don't let money take your happiness away, step up and tell your teachers to make DYP happen!

Getting Rid of Pets Can be a Good Thing

        Have you ever gotten a pet, and they were too much to handle? That's why giving pets up for adoption should stay legal in the U.S.A. Because dogs can give birth up to five or six puppies, the owner would have to let others adopt puppies. Pets might not behave the way they are expected to. Also, owners might not be able to afford having a pet anymore. That is why being able to get rid of pets should stay legal.
       If pets give birth to pups, kittens, or any type of baby, the owners would get very tired of taking care of so many pets. If the owners have their own kids, the house would get very messy, meaning lots of cleaning for parents. If owners plan on hiring a babysitter, the sitter would want to receive a large amount of money for taking care of so many puppies. It's important to be able to give away or sell puppies.
      If owners get fired from their jobs or if they have a low salary, they wouldn't be able to afford keeping their pets healthy, or maybe even keeping them alive. If pets get sick and the owners cant pay for their medication, how are they supposed to keep it alive? They could find a different suitable home for the pet. Also, having a pet when you have a low salary will make your life harder.
      Lastly, pets with bad behaviors can be problematic. Cats and dogs do bite, and bites hurt a lot. Owners with kids have to watch out for these kinds of actions from pets. Not only is it dangerous, but there's little that can be done to retrain an older animal. Training, either yourself, or with professional help can cost a lot of money, and can take up a lot of your time. If pets have bad behaviors, they could ruin your couches or other furniture. If they do ruin your furniture, you would need to buy more. That means spending more money. Pets with bad behaviors will eat up your wallet and your furniture.
     Putting any breed of dog, or any species of cat, or any type of pet up for adoption should stay legal in the U.S.A. Pups or kittens can be too much to handle, especially because they can give birth to a lot of pups. Owners might not be able to afford keeping pets anymore, and they might have bad behaviors. I'm so glad I convinced myself to get rid of animals because I just sold my dog, and now my house smells a lot better!
http://home.allergicchild.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/07/group-of-pets.jpg

Book Review 1: Touching Spirit Bear

           

               Touching Spirit Bear, by Ben Mikaelsen, is a book about a boy who's made pretty bad choices in life. Because of his most recent crimes, robbing a store, and smashing Peter Driscal's head into the sidewalk until he was pulled away by 4-5 kids, Cole Matthews has to live on a remote island in Alaska for 1 whole year. During his first few days on the island, he faces a spirit bear. Cole tries to eliminate it, but instead of him killing the bear, the bear almost brings him to death. While Cole is fighting for his life, he realizes that he is not a bad person, he just made some bad decisions. After about six months of rehabilitation in the hospital, he is sent back to the island, but this time, he has to buy his own supplies by selling his most of his outdoor stuff, and build his own shelter. Garvey, his parole officer, and Edwin, a Tlingit elder, stayed with Cole until he finished building his cabin, which would be his new home for one whole year. After about 9 months, Edwin visits Cole, but he has some terrible news to deliver to Cole. Apparently, Peter has tried to commit suicide. A few weeks go by, and Peter tries to kill himself, again. Cole suggests to Edwin that Peter should come to the island, where he can learn to forgive, just like Cole. In about 2 weeks of trying to convince Peters parents, and Peter himself to come, they finally arrive on the island. Peter’s parents decided to stay until they were convinced that Cole has changed. Peter didn't like the idea of living on an island with Cole, so he didn't say a word to Cole after 2 full weeks since he arrived. The first time he talked to Cole was when Cole was forced to sleep in the rain in a tent because Peter didn't trust him. Day after day, when Garvey left the cabin, Peter would try to mess with Cole to get back at him. On one particular day, Peter wrecks Cole's bear carving on his totem pole. Cole suggested that Peter should make his own totem pole because he was great at carving. Then, one day as summer arrived, Peter asked Garvey if he and Cole could soak in the pond alone. On the way there, Peter tries to beat Cole up, but Cole didn't find back. Peter and Cole end up seeing the spirit bear because they forgave each other. They became part of the circle. When they get back to camp, Peter carves the bear he wrecked on Cole's totem pole, and they figure out what to carve to represent healing.

  A very important theme in Touching Spirit Bear is that you have to forgive to be able to let go of anger. While Cole was in the hospital, he forgave his mom for when she didn’t try to stop his dad from beating Cole up. "Cole felt embarrassed, but did not push away. Instead, he placed his hand on her shoulders until she released him" (118). Also, when Peter forgave Cole for smashing his head into the sidewalk by letting go of his anger. He beat Cole up, but Cole didn’t fight back. "This morning, we forgave each other, we forgave ourselves" (239). Because he forgave his mom, Peter, and himself, he is now happy. "I learned to forgive, not just others, but also myself" (214). 

   I would recommend Touching Spirit Bear by Ben Mikaelsen to a friend because it's a very interesting story. A person with a lot of attitude would enjoy this book because they have the same personality. The sequel to this book is called Ghost of Spirit Bear. In the beginning, Peter and Cole become best friends, and they get into trouble in an abandoned hotel. Another novel that I would recommend by the same author is Petey. When Petey was born, his parents don’t want him because he has a physical disability called Cerebral Palsy. He only had 2 human friends named Trevor and Calvin. Some of his friends were mice in the mental asylum he was sent to. This book is very sad, so beware of the tears. Touching Spirit Bear is a very interesting story by Ben Mikaelsen who also wrote the novel, Petey, that I would recommend to my friends. 

  The Spirit Bear, also known as "Kermode Bear," is a subspecies of Black Bears. Kermode Bear was named after Francis Kermode who researched the subspecies of these Spirit Bears. Most of the Bears live in the coast of British Columbia. A male bear can weigh up to 225 kg (500 lbs.) or more. Females are much smaller than males. They can reach up to 135 kg (300 lbs.). There are about 400, or fewer, that live in the coast of Southeast Alaska that stretches out to Vancouver, British Columbia. Spirit Bears are majestic species of black bears, but they are not albinos, and they are also called Kermode Bears. 

The Spirit Bear by: The Nature Conservancy 

http://img1.imagesbn.com/p/9780756910990_p0_v1_s260x420.JPG