The Phoenix

Check out the Phoenix online at:

phsphoenix.weebly.com

Issue 4
Volume X
Mar. 23, 2016

Recipe:
Rainbow
Spring Rolls
and Duck
Sauce!
P. 10

Make a
Difference:
Pie and PI
P. 11

Math Feature:
Herons
Shortest
Distance
P. 7

Volume X Issue 4

The Phoenix
Founded in 2007 by Ethan Rodriguez-Torrent
VOLUME X, ISSUE 4 STAFF
Editor-in-chief: Sarah Hill
Tech and Formatting Associate Editor: Henry Hu
Worldly Associate Editor: Samantha DePalma
Writers: Sarah Hill, Henry Hu, Samantha DePalma, Erin
Dorsey, Matthew Wisnefsky, Shefkije Dani, Tanishq
Kancharla, Courtney McLin, Abigail Dwight, Andrew Kelbley

Photography, Artwork, and Image Credits

Phoenix (p. 1, 2, 3, 16): Ben Yacavone
Easter Egg (p.4): Game FAQs (gamefaqs.com)
Earth (p.4): Wikipedia Commons (commons.wikipedia.org)
Vitamin Wheel (p.5): Sharratt (sharrattchiropractic.com)
Bunny Spring (p.5): Maugans (netdna-ssl.com)
Problem Diagram (p.7): A. Bogomolny (cut-the-knot.org)
Solution Diagram (p.7): History of Math (hom.wikidot.com)
Jerusalem Hummus (p.9): NOLA (nola.com)
Spring Rolls and Sauce (p.10): Dana (minimalist-baker.com)
Anything goes (p.13): Shefkije Dani

All content is the sole property of the

Phoenix.
The Phoenix is an independent
publication; we are neither endorsed by
nor affiliated with Pomperaug High
School staff or administrators.
Although each article or letter to the editor expresses only the opinion of its author, final responsibility for the nature and
type of all content that appears in the
Phoenix lies with the editor under whom
such content is published.

The Phoenix

Legal Notice: Because of high production costs, readers are permitted to one copy per person. Newspaper
theft is a crime. Those who violate the single copy rule may be subject to civil and criminal prosecution.

In this issue of the Phoenix. . .

Credits and General Information......................................................................2
FAQ..............................................................................................................................3
Calendar....................................................................................................................4
Word of the edition................................................................................................5
Crash Course Current Events...........................................................................6
Math Feature: Herons Shortest Distance Problem...................................7
Throwback: Corrections to Block-Scheduling Article............................8
Whats Going On?: AIPAC And Activism.......................................................9-10
Recipe: Spring Rolls and Sauce.......................................................................10
Make A Difference: Pie and PI............................................................................11
Worst Players to Ever Make the HOF Ballot 2.................................12-13
Fiction: Anything Goes 3...........................................................................13-14
Springtime Word Search....................................................................................15
Sudoku Corner......................................................................................................15
How to Contribute/Get Published.................................................................16

Phoenix FAQ
What is the Phoenix anyway?

Starbucks (Southbury Green): After you walk

The Phoenix is an independent news magazine for

the PHS community. We are entirely student-run,
without the schools official approval or backing
each issue is a compilation of news, editorials, information, games, artistic endeavors, and even more.

inside, look on the counter behind you and to

your left.
Southbury Public Library: After walking inside,
turn left; straight ahead, several non-profit publications will be lying on top of a shelf three rows
down. (Or ask at the front desk about free publications.)

How often does the Phoenix come out?

A new issue of the Phoenix is released every
monthif we had more writers, we could release
them even faster! We want you to write for us
about anything you are passionate about!

Where can I get my copy of the Phoenix?

The Phoenix is always available online at
phsphoenix.weebly.com. Paper copies are available
at the following locations:
PHS: in the cafeteria, AP room, library, or advisory,
usually before school hours or during free blocks;
look for an editor/writer (listed on page 1)!

Is there anything else I should know?

Visit our website

(phsphoenix.weebly.com)
to vote in our polls and read our issues in color! If
you or anyone you know wants to write about
something you are passionate about, e-mail us at

(phsphoenixnews@gmail.com)
And feel free to share with your friends the joy of
free speech! Enjoy!

Volume X Issue 4

March-April 2016 Calendar

Sunday

Monday

20 MARCH 21
First day of
Spring!

27
Easter
Sunday!

10

Tuesday

22

Wednesday

23

24

31

APRIL 1

*Teen
Improv with
Chris & Carly
(6-7:30pm)

-NHS
Dodgeball for
Diabetes
(7-10pm)
-April Fools
Day

14

15

16

...

SPRING
BREAK
ends

22

23

-Earth Day!

*Princeton
Review New
SAT Practice
(10am-2pm)

28

29

30

*Cheesy
Movie Night
(6-7:30pm)

-District Wide

-District Wide
Art Show @
PHS
(10am-2pm)

*Art in the
Afternoon
(4pm-5pm)

*Teen
Advisory
Board
(6pm-7pm)

-End of 3rd
Marking
Period!

-French Honor
Society
Induction
(4:30pm7:30pm)

12

13

*Teen
Improv with
Chris & Carly
(6-7:30pm)

SPRING
BREAK
starts.. .. ..... ...

24

19

25

26

20

21

*Doctor Who *Harry Potter

Club
Club (6pm(6pm-8pm)
7pm)

*Teen
Advisory
Board
(6pm-7pm)

26

30

29

18
Back to
school:
Day B2

25

Saturday

No School
Good Friday

*BFF High
School Book
Club
(6pm-7pm)

17

Friday

*Harry Potter *Cheesy

Club (6-7pm) Movie Night
(6-7:30pm)

28

11

Thursday

27

Art Show @
PHS
(6pm-9pm)

*Indicates an event at the Southbury Public Library. Please note that most library events require
registration. You can email sbyprograms@yahoo.com or call 203-262-0626 to register.

The Phoenix

The Word of the Edition

Henry Hu
Hey readers! Although the weather may not
have been perfect for the past few days, the
overwhelming trend is toward sunshine and
warmth! With the vernal equinox behind us, we are
about to enter a whole new season of production.
Just as the rebirth of nature happens every year, the
words in the language that we use were reborn
from their older incarnations repeatedly throughout
human history. In the spirit of the spring season, the
words of the edition are vitamin and spring.

Vitamin, much like the word gas (featured in

Issue 3), is an artificial word. However, its origin has
an important and revealing distinction from that of
gas: while gas was created in the 1500s
spontaneously, vitamin was created in the 1900s,
where scientific word synthesis was already
becoming standardized due to globalization. But
what makes the word vitamin interesting in
particular, and not, say, methylisothiazolinone? Well,
the origin of the word vitamin was the coinage of
vitamine in 1912 by the Polish biochemist Casimir
Funk, from the morphemes (quanta of meaning)
vita-, meaning life, and -amine, meaning amino
acid. If you will recall from school, however,
vitamins do not contain amino acids! This is why the
final -e was eventually dropped to leave -in, a
scientifically acceptable ending for any neutral
compound. The motto easy come, easy go applies
cleanly to inaccurate fabricated words such as this.

Spring is a classic example of the way words

shift meaning over time. The word started off as
strictly referring to only the action of leaping or
burstingto spring is from Old English, a cognate
with German springen. In the early stages of springs
development, springtime was referred to as Lent,
which comes from Len- long(er) + -ten days. In
the 14th century, this usage of Lent was supplanted
by the phrase springing time, referring to the
springing of the year, which quickly was
shortened to become springtime or just spring (in
the same way that sunrise was referred to as spring
of dai). Strangely, the English word spring for
springtime has no cognates, partly because of its
unlikely derivation. In French, for example, the word
for springtime is printempsfrom Latin tempus
primum first season, this word was imported into
English in the 15th century as prime-temps, which,
as you may have noticed, never gained support. In
Germanic languages, the name for the season
commonly alludes to earliness, as in Dutch voorjaar,
from voor fore + jaar year. But no language quite
captures the energy and vital spirit found in the
English spring.
Good luck trying to find these words in this
issueand in your daily lives! Happy reading!
Yours Truly,
Henry Hu, Tech Co-editor

Volume X Issue 4

Crash Course Current Events

Erin Dorsey
From supreme court nominees to ceasefires, this is
what you missed in world news:

Apple Refuses to Unlock

Terrorists iPhone
Following terrorist attacks in San Bernadino,
California, the FBI has demanded through court
order that tech giant Apple unlock an encrypted
iPhone belonging to one of the shooters. The FBI
argues that shooter Syed Farooks phone could
contain vital information concerning possible
accomplishes or connections to ISIS. Theyve
requested that Apple disable the feature that wipes
all data from the phone after 10 incorrect password
attempts. Apple CEO Tim Cook refused, claiming
that decryption would require the company to write
new code to serve as a key that could undermine
the security of all iPhones. President Obama
recently advocated that law enforcement should be
able to view phone data, but declined to comment
specifically on Apples refusal.

Concerns Raised over

Brazil Summer Olympics
With the 2016 Summer Olympics in Rio de Janeiro
barely 6 months away, world leaders are concerned
whether Brazil is safe and prepared to host athletes
from all across the world. Brazil was chosen to host
the 2016 Summer Olympics back in 2009, when
morale was high and the economy was booming.
Since then, however, Brazils GDP began to contract
rapidly, causing the worst recession the countrys
experienced in 100 years. To make the problem
worse, this was followed by corruption scandals of
both the previous and current presidents. Currently,
Brazil is also experiencing a health care crisis, a
result of government bankruptcy made worse by
the outbreak of Zika virus. Regardless of issues in
the healthcare system, Brazils polluted waterways

and infected mosquitos could put athletes at risk.

With money and time in short supply, several
projects, including a subway extension, most likely
will not be completed before August, when the
games start.

Partial
Syria

Ceasefire

in

This February, world powers, including the US and

Russia, agreed to seek a cessation of hostilities
across Syria. The peace effort comes soon before
the 5th anniversary of the uprising against President
Bashar al-Assad that developed into the bloody and
turbulent Syrian civil war. United Nations officials
are eager to extend the ceasefire, which originally
was planned to last two weeks. Though the
armistice does not apply to the fight against radical
groups such as the Islamic State, the death toll has
significantly decreased as airstrikes subside. Still,
world leaders are concerned that the agreement has
not done enough, as bombardment continues in
some parts of the nation.

Death of US
Court Justice

Supreme

US Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia died of

natural causes this February at the age of 79. Scalia
was appointed by Ronald Reagan in 1986, and
quickly became a leading conservative voice in the
judicial branch. He is well known for his decisions in
Bush v. Gore, which stopped a vote recount in
Florida in the 2000 election, as well as Burwell v.
Hobby Lobby, which mandated that companies do
not have to provide certain services if they have
religious objections. Following Scalias death,
President Obama nominated Judge Merrick Garland
as a successor despite Republican demands that the
appointment should be the responsibility of the
president to be chosen in this years election.

The Phoenix

Math Feature: Herons Shortest

Distance Problem
Tanishq Kancharla
Many of you may recognize Heron from geometry
class as the one who discovered the famed Herons
formula: a way to find the area of a triangle given
its 3 sides.

The trick is to reflect point B across the line:

However, Heron was a brilliant mathematician

during his time and he explored several other
concepts. We show one of his explored questions
below:

Problem:
Given a line and two points A and B on the
same side of a line, find the point M on the line
such that the distance AM+BM is minimized.
For ease of visualization, the following diagram
shows two possible points on the line.

At first, it may not seem clear where exactly to

place the point to minimize the sum AM+BM.
However, there is a simple trick to make it obvious!
See if you can figure out what it is before you read
the solution!

Solution:

Reflect point B across the line to point B. Now

simply draw the line from A to B. Where it
intersects the line is the minimal point! The
intersection point (C in the diagram) minimizes the
sum AC+BC because it creates a straight line
between the two points B and A. The shortest
distance between any two points is a straight line.
However, since BC=BC, this means we have also
minimized the distance AC+BC.
If you had looked carefully in the diagram, you
would have noticed some key angles marked 1, 2
and 3. Angles 2 and 3 are obviously equal because B
is the reflection of B. But angles 3 and 1 are equal
because they are vertical angles (they share a line
with the same angle). Therefore, angles 1 and 2 are
equal because they are both equal to angle 3. To
minimize the distance AC+BC, we have to pick the
point C such that angles 1 and 2 are equal!
This reveals the mathematical basis of a law of
nature. Whenever a beam of light is shot at a mirror
(lets say from point A shot at point C in the
diagram), the angle of incidence (angle 1) is equal to
the angle of reflection (angle 2). This guarantees
that light always takes the shortest path to
wherever it goes (along line CB). This law is called
Euclids Law of Reflection.

Volume X Issue 4

Throwback: Block Scheduling

Footnotes of Corrections suggested by Mr. Lungarini
Hannah Beilinson
Last issue (Issue 3), I printed an article about
the block schedule and opinions on it from around
the school community. After we printed the issue,
one of our interviewees, Mr. Lungarini, let me know
of a couple details that were printed incorrectly.
These corrections, as suggested by Mr. Lungarini,
are as follows:
1. The PE requirement is remaining at 1.5
credits for graduation, and seniors who
cannot fit a gym class into their
schedules can replace it with AP Biology,
Psychology, or Anatomy and Physiology.
I had previously printed that the gym
requirement was changed to 2 credits:
After listening to all of this, I was
able to determine that though many
people blame advisory for the
inability to take eight classes, a more
direct cause of the problem is an
increase in time spent in P.E. The
previous requirement for P.E. was 1.5
credits, while the new requirement is
2.0 credits. This understandably
decreases the time available for other
courses.INCORRECT!

The PE Requirement
Is remaining at
1.5 Credits...
2. The most credits an average student
could take last year was 6.25 (technically,
it was possible to take moreI know of
several people who didbut 6.25 would
be the maximum for an average student
who was not in multiple science classes).
This year, a student can fit 7.25 credits,

according to Mr. Lungarini, so there is a

legitimate improvement to the amount
of classes students can take. I had
previously printed that there was not any
significant increase to the number of
classes a student could take:
But under the block schedule, gym is
a complete half-year course. It
therefore cannot overlap with science
seminar (the equivalent of last years
science lab), and so students lose two
periods between seminar and lab.
This virtually prevents the majority of
students from taking eight courses.
We are left with the same number of
periods to fill with non-gym classes
that we had under the previous
schedule, approximately six.
INCORRECT!
I apologize for these mistakes and any confusion
they may have caused.

...legitimate improvement
To the amount of classes
Students can take...
Note from the Co-Editor:
As a trusted news-magazine source, we are terribly
sorry for any misunderstandings involved with our
articles. Remember, if you suspect that there is an
issue with the integrity of an article, please do not
hesitate to contact us at
phsphoenixnews@gmail.com or through our
website at phsphoenix.weebly.com/contact-us.
The original, incorrect version of the article can be
found at phsphoenix.weebly.com/past-issues.

The Phoenix

Whats going on?: AIPAC and Activism

Sarah Hill
Over the past 3 days, I was lucky enough to attend
the AIPAC conference. Previously, I had little
knowledge about this organization, but after being
offered a scholarship to go to it from my temples
rabbi I could not turn down the offer.
AIPAC is an organization that supports
American-Israeli relationships and the 2-statesolution to the Israeli-Palestine conflict. They are
active activists and send lobbyists to both senators
and representatives to encourage them to support
Israel. On the other hand, there are many who do
not support Israel and have been a number of
protestors, including the Westborough Baptist
Church, each day outside of the buildings hosting
the conference. In fact, there was one woman from
my temple who got caught up in a fight of
protestors who were chasing a man from the
conference who must have angered them with
some rude gesture or word. She was pushed and
shoved out of the crowd of people but remained
unharmed and the situation was kept under control
by a number of DC police.

This conference has been an amazing

experience for me and, I assume, for all those who
have attended it. I have gone to sessions about
environmental issues and solutions, my personal
passion; viewing Israel through an organization
about educating others about Israel; the falling
price of oil; Israel cuisine (Jerusalem-hummus
[above]is AMAZING); and the history of Israel.
While all of these sessions were thoroughly
engaging and held my attention even through the

sleepier parts of the day, I found it especially

amazing how half of the speakers we saw were not,
in fact, Jewish. What I have taken away from this is
that people are capable of overcoming religious
differences , of supporting each other and finding
common ground. This is a message people in our
school would do good learning from!

People are capable of...

Supporting each other &
Finding common ground.
While I have already seen all these amazing
sessions and presentations, and even missed out on
the bigger events where guests including vicepresident Joe Biden, candidate Hillary Clinton,
candidate Donald Trump, Israeli president Benjamin
Netanyahu, and many others have spoken, I still
have one last part of my experience with AIPAC to
finish as of this writing. Tomorrow, Tuesday March
22nd, I will be lobbying our representative, Elizabeth
Esty, about supporting Israel and specifically about
supporting them with security. While I know there
are some of you who do not agree with this
message and may not support AIPAC, you must
realize what an amazing opportunity this is. This is
what I have recently been learning about in Practical
Law classlobbyingand the ability to actually do
this is beyond belief.

lobbying...the ability
To actually DO this
Is beyond belief.
This experience is also why I did not write a Letter
for this issue, and while I have the chance, what I
would say is: we need to get underclassmen
involved in The Phoenix! While I do have one more
year at Pomperaug and will be happy to carry on
this magazine through my busy senior year, if we do
Continued on next page (10).

10

Volume X Issue 4

(AIPAC, continued from page 9) ...not get Note: To get involved with the Phoenix, see the
underclassmen involved, The Phoenix will not be able back cover of this issue!
to live on! This takes your support and help! If you are
an underclassman who reads our news magazine, if This takes your support
you know an underclassman who could become
and Help!...
interested, or if you know someone who just wants
to add something to their list of extracurricular
Get them Involved!
activities, GET THEM INVOLVED!

Recipe: Rainbow *Spring* Rolls

With Healthy, Homemade *Duck* Sauce
Andrew Kelbley
Spring is a time when many fresh, vibrant
vegetables are in season. A great way to use these
delicious treats is to wrap them all up in a spring roll
and dip them in a fruity, corn-syrup-free duck sauce.
Also, the word spring is included in the name of
the dish, and baby ducks (as in duck sauce, which,
ironically, is often found with ducks that are deepfried) are commonly associated with this season.
This dish is a very good source of vitamins A and C,
and is very colorful, just like my large, kind heart.

1 teaspoon gingerroot, peeled and minced

12 teaspoon soy sauce
1 teaspoon chili powder

Materials Spring Rolls:

7-8 rice spring roll papers

1 beet, peeled
1 cup carrots, thinly sliced
1 mango, cubed
1 bunch mint leaves
1 bunch cilantro, cut
yellow pepper and red pepper, thinly sliced

Procedure:
1. Put all sauce ingredients into a blender and
blend until smooth Then, pour into a small glass
dish. Now it is ready to receive a dip! Yum!
2. Cut beet, carrots, pepper, mango, and cilantro.
Use a mandolin (with a handguard), if you have
one and are not going to hurt yourself.
3. Boil three cups of water and let cool (until no
longer boiling). Move this hot water to a large,
shallow pan or dish and submerge each rice
paper wrapper for 10-18 seconds to cook.

Materials Sauce:

4. Place the wrappers on a flat surface and smooth

out into a circle. Add filling(s) on top.

5. Fold bottom over the fillings, then gently roll

over once, fold in the side, roll until completely
sealed, and place on a plate (see figure). Enjoy!

34 cup apricot jam (or peach jam...)

2 tablespoons plum jam (or other fruity jam...)
3 garlic cloves
5 tablespoons rice vinegar

The Phoenix

11

Make a Difference: Pie for PI

Abigail Dwight and Courtney McLin
Maddies Herd
13 March 2016
PRESS RELEASE
Teen Advocate with Rare Disease
Attempts to Break World Record
Pie for PI will be a literal shaving-cream pie fight
hosted by Maddies Herd. The battle takes place on
May 14th at Quassy Amusement Park in
Middlebury, CT. The event will give participants the
opportunity to raise funds and increase awareness
for Primary Immune Deficiency Disorders (PI), and
earn bragging rights as a Guinness Book World
Record holder.

The battle takes place

On May 14th at
Quassy amusement park...
The green stretch near the Wooden Warrior will be
painted white as PI-Fighters hurl plates of shaving
cream at one-another and some recognizable faces
of Region 15 staff, state and community leaders,
and Miss Connecticut.
Maddies Herd aims to snag a spot on the pages of
the Guinness World Book of Records for hosting the
worlds largest shaving cream pie fight. 1400
registrations are needed to shatter the current
record.
Quassy Amusement Park is situated on Lake
Quassapaug and offers family-oriented activities
such as swimming, picnicking, and amusement park
attractions (including the award-winning Wooden
Warrior Rollercoaster). Come summer, Quassys
Splash Away Bay water park will be open for visitors

to cool off. For now, George Franztis is excited to

host the event.

...George Franctis
Is Excited
To host the event.
Pie for PI is the brainchild of teen advocate and PI
patient, Maddie Shaw. Maddie, now a junior at
Pomperaug High School, founded Maddies Herd
during the 8th grade. Through Maddies Herd, she
hopes to spread awareness, raise funds, and
ultimately improve the lives of those living with PI
disorders. Maddie has succeeded in raising $30,000
for the Immune Deficiency Foundation and needs
your contributions and attendance to reach her
overall goal of $50,000 before her high school
graduation.

Maddie...needs your
Contributions...to reach
her...goal of $50,000!
Earn Your Stripes on May 14th--break a world
record and support a great cause!
For
further
information,
please
contact
MaddiesHerd@gmail.com
or
visit
www.MaddiesHerd.com
(website
will
be
functioning by Monday, 3/28).
Register at https://www.crowdrise.com/PieFight4PI
starting Monday, 3/28!

Break a world Record

And
Support a great cause!

12

Volume X Issue 4

Worst Players Ever on HOF Ballot2

Matthew Wisnefsky
(This is continued from an article in Issue 3. You can
find it at phsphoenix.weebly.com/past-issues.)
Starting Pitcher: Jim Deshaies 2001
Jim Deshaies was just not that great of a pitcher. He
had a few good seasons where he had ERA's around
3 or so but his FIP which is more telling of a pitchers
performance than ERA was about half a run higher.
He was also an extreme fly ball pitcher, so much so
that in 1994 a strike shortened season, he managed
to allow 30 homeruns and have an ERA above 7.
St. Pitcher: Terry Mulholland 2012
Terry Mulholland pitched in the major leagues from
1986-2006, while he started off his career pretty
well, he only had 3 seasons with an ERA under 4
after 1994. He had a career ERA of almost 4.50
which won't even get you the 5th starter spot in a
quality rotation. He only had one career all star
appearance, and only had 3 seasons with 100 K's. He
also was a horrible fielding pitcher, consistently
finishing in the top 5 in errors for pitchers.
St. Pitcher: Todd Stottlemyre 2008
Todd Stottlemyre in a good season was a solid 3
starter, however he was very inconsistent. While he
could strike out batters, as he had multiple seasons
with 200 K's, but he was prone to the homerun ball
and did allow 30+ in some seasons. He also was
wild, as he lead the league in wild pitches once, and
consistently finished in the top 5 in hit batsman.
Starting Pitcher: Aaron Sele 2013
Aaron Sele is a great example of why wins are
overvalued as a statistic. He had 148 career wins,
which isn't great but solid, and he was a 2 time all
star and came in 5th in the Cy Young Award once. In
his all star seasons he had 17 and 19 wins, which
usually are deserving of all star seasons, and in his
5th place Cy Young season he had 18 wins. The
problem is that in those 3 seasons he had at least an
ERA of 4.20, and in his 5th place Cy Young season
his ERA was 4.79 which is not good at all.

Starting Pitcher: Jim Colborn 1984

Jim Colborn had one great season in 1973, he went
20-12 with a 3.18 ERA and came in 6th in Cy Young
voting. Take that season out and he has a career
record of 63-76. He had one or two decent seasons
besides 1973, but otherwise most of his 10 year
career was mostly spent in the back end of the
rotation or in the bullpen. His WHIP was also
extremely high at 1.31.
Bullpen: Bobby Locke 1981
At the beginning of this article, I mentioned how
Mike Ryan was the worst player ever to make the
Hall of Fame ballot, I was wrong that award goes to
Bobby Locke. Bobby Locke played for 10 seasons,
the minimum for the HOF ballot, he had a career
ERA of 4.02 and a record of 16-15. The problem was
that he only pitched in 165 games. 165 games that is
an average of less than 17 games per season. That
was basically his career too, in 6 of his 10 seasons he
appeared in less than 17 games.Why should
someone be considered for the HOF if they don't
play?
Bullpen: Morrie Martin 1966
Morrie Martin was a very inconsistent pitcher, while
he actually played more than Locke did, it wasn't by
much. He would have some seasons with an ERA
under 3 and then he had some in the upper 5's or
6's. He also had more career walks than strikeouts
which isn't something you want in your Hall of Fame
candidates.
Bullpen: Lew Krausse 1980
Lew Krausse was also a very inconsistent pitcher,
while he was mostly used as a starter he pitched in
the bullpen sometimes so he will be this team's long
man. While he did have a few good seasons with
ERA's in the 2's or 3's. He also had some in the upper
4's. However, he was an extreme ground ball
pitcher which led the league in HR/9 once.
Bullpen: Lynn McGlothen 1988
Lynn McGlothen had two halves of his career from
1972-1978 he was a pretty good pitcher,
Continued on next page (13).

The Phoenix
consistently having
(Continued from page 12.)
ERA's in upper 3's. However, after 1978 his ERA
bloated and it was consistently in upper 4's and he
didn't have a winning season the rest of his career.
Bullpen: Mark Davis 2003
Outside of the extremely improbable Cy Young
season in 1989 which he should not have won. Mark
Davis did not have a very Hall of fame caliber
career. He only had 96 career saves, and 44 were in
his Cy Young season. He had a career record of 5184, and after his Cy Young season his ERA went
above 5, and had only one season below 4 the rest
of his career.
Bullpen: Mike Stanton 2013
Mike Stanton was a reliever who pitched over 1000
games, with a career ERA of almost 4.00 so he had

13
some talent, however he was named in the Mitchell
Report so we don't know if his career was helped
artificially. He was very inconsistent had multiple
seasons of ERA's of below 4, however he had
multiple seasons with an ERA above 5 and two
above 6. He also was not a very high strikeout
pitcher.
Bullpen: Eddie Guardado 2015
When people think of Eddie Guardado, they think
of "Everyday Eddie" the solid RP who had ERA's
below 4 every season from 2000-2006. However
ERA is not the end all be all of statistics, FIP is a
better statistic and in most of those seasons he had
an FIP a full run higher than his ERA. While he was a
solid relief pitcher, I think people relied on basic
statistics when looking at him and not statistics that
accurately portray his career.

Story: Anything Goes 3 (p.1)

Shefkije Dani

Chapter 3: Explanations
and Abandonners
Hey Andrew,
First, I want to say thanks for writing back, I
never really expected you to, so it was pretty nice.
Second, I think this might be a little fun. I'll be
spending two years with these dweebs I call friends,
so I think it would be nice to have someone to write to
that I dont have to be forced to spend every day
with.
What if there was a game? A horrible, nasty
sometimes calmlittle game. A game where there
were lives at stake and prizes far more important
than money or fame. What if there was a game
where absolutely anything goes/went?
In the last issue, we met Andrew through a letter she
wrote to Kacey. Visit our website at
phsphoenix.weebly.com/past-issues to read the
whole chapter!

So in my first letter to you I told you a little bit

about my town and a very minuscule amount about
me. So I guess I'll make up for it now. I'm Kacey River.
I'm probably way shorter than you because everybody
is taller than me, and I have straight auburn/brown
hair. My eyes are a dark brown and I would consider
myself average-not like Angel who most call 'dropdead-gorgeous'- and love sports. Up until last year I
was the biggest girl jock in my school-probably my
entire town- because I did almost every sport. I played
soccer, basketball, tennis, football, lacrosse, baseball,
Continued on next page (14).

14

Volume X Issue 4

Story: Anything Goes 2 (p.2)

Shefkije Dani
(Continued from page 13.)
and swam for the
school team. We won most, if not all, the games we
played, even became state champions a few times.
Okay, I can actually explain why the sport
thing probably makes no sense to you. Technically we
arent allowed off the island for now but the only high
school in Misty Brook is allowed to play in New York
under a private schools name. Its kind of weird I
know but the school is not your typical athletic school
so we just take over that part of the deal and play for
them. Theyre the only ones in the world who
actually know a lot about our town and what goes on
in it.
Now since most of the girls in Misty Brook are
like girly-girls, we dont have girls teams so I usually
play with the guys, which means I am tougher than
most girls. It has helped us a lot these past few days.
You see, you are kind of right, my friends and I were
chosen to be like scavengers for the town. Except,
now you're gonna laugh, we also have to find our
biological parent in the process. The elders just spoke
about it so easily, yet all they managed to really do
was scare the shit out of us because who knows
where those abandoners have actually run off to.

Everybody is super nice in Misty Brook, its like one of

those really bad and crappy sitcoms where the
neighbors are always happy to see you. I find it really
creepy when I am with people other than my friends.
To be honest I kinda wish I had your life,
Andrew... I mean not having to worry about this or
that and having fun with my friends. Yea....
So now we're in Maine, but by the time you
get this, we might be in Massachusetts or farther
south. From there we plan to take a plane overseas, or
a boat since most of us have never actually flown on a
plane before. There on its anyone's call. Maine is so
pretty and colorful except for this shitty motel we
checked into today. How hard is it to find a cleaning
lady again? I mean it really shouldnt be that hard.
Anyway I hope the rest of the world is this pretty and
natural, I like nature.
Well, I should get some sleep another big day
ahead of us tomorrow.
Love Kacey.
Oh! PS I thought I should send you a picture of
me since we'll be talking/writing often.

As for what our town's like and what we do for

fun, nothing can truly compare to our town. When
you live in Misty Brook, your life is like a game. A
beautiful, uncontrollable game, where everything is
for you by you. The streets are like a maze, you
literally have to know your destination when you step
out of your house. It's like a never ending labyrinth.

I reread her letter over and look at the

picture. This girl must be totally insecure because
this picture would have every guy at school drooling
pools! She was gorgeous, her eyes carried wisdom
beyond her years and he 'I kinda wish I had your
life...' more like the other way around!

But when in Misty Brook, anything goes. It's a

game from birth and all and any rules are up to you,
except for what goes on between your parents and
you. It seems crazy, I know. Hell, even I find it crazy!
But it's like a when-in-Rome situation. You have to go
with the flow.

I dont think she really realizes how lucky she

is to see all the sites and places around the world
that not many people ever get to visit in one
lifetime. Sure, its not a trip for recreational
purposes, but at least she gets to go see the world
right?

As for how Misty Brook would look, a

picturesque little town would fit in perfectly. It seems
as if the trees sigh when a cool breeze comes by in the
summer and the lakes shiver in the cold winters.

I pull over my notebook and take out my

headphones. I guess now it's my turn to write back
Kacey.....
Read more in the next issue!

The Phoenix

15

Springtime Word Search!

W
L
T
G
H
T
R
A
E
S
G
G
S
Y
E

G
J
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A
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V
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V
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Anticipating the warm

Spring Season, warm up for
your classes with this
mirthful lexical activity!
Word List:
APRIL

RAIN

BLOOM

SHOWER

EARTH

SPROUT

GROWTH

SUN

MARCH

TULIP

MAY

WARM

NICEWEATHER

Bonus: The
two Words of
the Edition!

PICNIC

Sudoku Corner
3
7

6 7

4
6 9

4 1

8
4 2

9
9

6
7 3 5
2

5 6

3 7 2

<Easy
Hard>

1
7

6 4
1

2 3
4 6 9

7 9

Solutions to last issues Sudoku and Word Search are on the Website:
phsphoenix.weebly.com under Past Issues!

16

Volume X Issue 4

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