With the end to a very entertaining NFL season, I’ll be ranking my top 7 quarterbacks of the 22-23 season. This list is based strictly off of this season only. Honorable mentions go to Tom Brady, Brock Purdy and Jared Goff.
1.
Coming in at number 1 is 2x MVP, 2x Super Bowl champion, Patrick Mahomes. Mahomes display of pure athleticism and quick decision making puts him at the top of this list. Mahomes has demonstrated this season exactly why he deserves to be at the top of this list including winning the Super Bowl on a bad ankle. Throughout the season Mahomes has been a great leader on the field and led his team to Super Bowl victory. Mahomes has also had amazing stats this season. He threw for 5,250 yards with 41 touchdowns and 12 interceptions, and rushed for 358 yards and 4 touchdowns.
2.
At close second is Joe Burrow. Joe Burrow has been starting in NFL games for only 3 seasons but took the Cincinnati Bengals to the Super Bowl last year all though they did not win. Burrow showed the league what he has with an arm that can throw both quick darts and deep passes. Burrow’s stats can also speak for themselves. Burrow threw for 4,475 yards and 35 touchdowns (second only to Mahomes) and rushed for 257 yards and 5 touchdowns.
3.
Coming in at number 3 is the quarterback for the Philadelphia Eagles who happened to lose the Super Bowl this year. Jalen Hurts is an insanely talented quarterback who can throw with amazing accuracy to his very talented wide receivers. Jalen Hurts played at a different level this season, not to mention his amazing story of getting benched during the college football championship then a couple years down the road leading his team to the Super Bowl. Hurts threw for 3,701 yards and 22 touchdowns and rushed for 760 yards and 13 touchdowns.
4.
Although he has fallen just short of the Super Bowl for two years straight, Josh Allen still deserves to be put at the number 4 spot. His flashy, yet effective, throws give him just the confidence he needs. When he’s playing at his best, his passing and rushing is unreal. But his red zone interceptions are what slow him down. Although he didn’t have his best season, Josh Allen still had some great stats to back up his effectiveness at the quarterback position. Allen threw for 4,283 yards and 35 touchdowns. He also rushed for 762 yards and 7 touchdowns.
5.
And at number 5, who happens to be my favorite on this list, is Justin Herbert. A team riddled with injuries, Herbert still makes do. With no top 10 WRs and no top 10 running backs Justin Herbert still put on a show. He also had the highest completion percentage when outside the pocket which goes to show his ability to scan the field and make changes when needed. Herbert has the arm of a beast and took the Los Angeles Chargers to their first playoffs since 2018, despite their terrible loss. All in all Herbert is really a threat and I think we can expect to see him holding the Lombardi trophy within the next 5 years. Herbert threw for 4,739 yards and 25 touchdowns. While having 147 rushing yards and 0 rushing touchdowns
6.
Coming in at number 6 is the Jacksonville Jaguars quarterback Trevor Lawrence. Not much needs to be said about Trevor besides that he took a dying, poverty, franchise to the 2nd round of the NFL playoffs along with overcoming a 27 point deficit to the Chargers. Lawrence has really proved himself, and with more consistency, he really will be a force to be reckoned with. Lawrence had 4,113 passing yards and 25 touchdowns along with 291 rushing yards and 5 rushing touchdowns.
7.
And at my number 7 spot, I have the controversial QB Justin Fields. I think what Fields has done this season with no wide receivers, no running backs and no good coaching staff is impressive. Although his stats might not show it, and his record doesn’t either, Justin Fields is a very dynamic quarterback with an amazing show of situational awareness. Fields isn’t scared to use his legs when he feels the pocket collapsing. Fields had 2,242 passing yards, 17 touchdowns, 1,143 rushing yards and 8 rushing touchdowns.
In 2002, an English woman named Jennifer Worth published a book of memoirs titled ‘Call the Midwife,’ telling the story of her life as a young midwife working in London’s East End beginning in the 1950s. The book was later reissued as ‘Call the Midwife: A True Story of the East End in the 1950’ and became a bestseller.
Worth published several other books, including ‘Shadows of the Workhouse’ and ‘Farewell to the East End’ to complete the Midwife trilogy, before her death in 2011.
‘Call the Midwife,’ the television drama series, premiered its first episode to the United Kingdom via BBC One on January 15, 2012. Since then, the show has expanded to eleven seasons with over 90 episodes, and is currently in the midst of its twelfth season. The series was created by Heidi Thomas, who is also the show’s writer and executive producer (along with Pippa Harris), and is inspired by, and partially based on, the memoirs by Jennifer Worth. Past and present stars include Jessica Raine, Jenny Agutter, Miranda Hart, Helen George, Laura Main, Stephen McGann, and Leonie Elliott.
Season one follows the story of midwife Jenny Lee (the character based on Worth), who arrives at Nonnatus House—run by the Order of St. Raymond Nonnatus, an order of nursing nuns—unprepared for the poverty and terrible living conditions of London’s East End, in a neighborhood called ‘Poplar.’ Unprepared, too, however, is she for the warmth and sense of community she feels from both her colleagues and those they care for.
At Nonnatus, Jenny meets the diversely-characterized group of midwives and nuns, who despite coming from various socio-economic and geographic backgrounds, and having extremely different personality types, all have one thing in common—the desire to do the best they can for their patients.
Jenny departs at the end of season three to pursue work at a cancer hospice, but ‘Call the Midwife’ continues. We learn about the trials and tribulations of nurse-midwives such as Trixie, Cynthia, Phyllis, Barbara, Sister Julienne, Sister Monica Joan, and Shelagh. There are also the outside forces of Dr. Turner and Fred Buckle, who aid Nonnatus House in whatever ways they can.
And, of course, there are the patients. As the show’s name suggests, Nonnatus mainly serves the pregnant women of Poplar, helping them from conception to birth. They also provide care for outbreaks of disease, mysterious illnesses, and complex injuries. The community trusts them, often more than they do any hospital.
Nonnatus House’s occupants are constantly changing, welcoming new nurses and bidding others goodbye. As the cast changes, so do the times; the series progresses through times of thalidomide, tuberculosis, and the novelty of the contraceptive pill.
‘Call the Midwife’ is not afraid to show the gritty parts of childbirth, nor does it shy away from difficult and even controversial topics. We see women who suffer domestic violence, as well as those who desperately seek abortions despite the dangers and illegality. Racism, discrimination, and homophobia are all portrayed. Characters struggle with matters of adoption, addiction, and crises of faith.
‘Call the Midwife’ is not a grim show by any means, but it does not gloss over the realities of those who lived during the times.
I have been a fan of ‘Call the Midwife’ for many years; I’m not sure what it is that draws me in. Perhaps it’s because I find the characters vibrant or the dialogue realistic. Maybe it’s because, as Heidi Thomas put it, “[‘Call the Midwife’ is] telling stories about the human condition, and you can really engage with that, not just matters of society or medicine, but matters of human existence, life, death and birth.” Whatever the case, I would highly recommend the series.
You can watch ‘Call the Midwife’ on Netflix and PBS.
The 2023 NFL playoffs are upon us, starting with the highly anticipated Wild Card weekend. After adding a 7th team to the NFL playoffs, 12 teams will compete in Wild Card weekend, and 2 teams will watch with a first-round bye.
The Philadelphia Eagles and the Kansas City Chiefs entered the postseason with the best record in their respective conferences. These 2 teams have a first-round bye and wait patiently to see their matchups in the divisional round.
The other 12 teams that made the playoffs will go head-to-head this weekend. This is just the fifth time that every Wild Card game will feature a regular-season rematch. Here are my predictions for this weekend and my analysis of the team’s seasons thus far.
AFC:
Miami Dolphins at Buffalo Bills (Sunday 1/15 – 12:00 CT)
The Buffalo Bills have some of the highest expectations from fans coming into the playoffs. They finished the regular season 13-3 and won the AFC East by a wide margin. They played in one of the best games in NFL history in last season’s divisional-round game, just barely losing to the Kansas City Chiefs. The Bills are red hot and are looking to take their momentum into this divisional matchup.
The Dolphins took a different route into the playoffs. They finished the regular season 9-8, finished 2nd in the AFC east, and didn’t clinch a playoff spot until the last day of the regular season.
With a brand new head coaching staff, it’s understandable that a team would struggle as the Dolphins did, but injuries and concussions are what plagued the team all season. Starting QB Tua Tagovailoa suffered 3 different concussions throughout the season and has missed at least 4 games because of it. Tua is still suffering from his 3rd concussion, and will not play in this game. Miami’s backup QB Teddy Bridgewater is also likely to not play as he is dealing with a fractured pinky.
It is likely that rookie Skylar Thompson will suit up to try and upset the Bills.
Because both of these teams are in the AFC East, they have played each other twice this season. Both games were close and came down to the last minute, with Miami coming out on top 21-19 in week 3, and Buffalo taking the win 32-29 in week 14.
The Dolphins have been struggling as of late, losing 5 of their last 6 games. The Bills, on the other hand, have won their last 7 straight (excluding the canceled matchup in week 17 versus Cincinnati). The Bills offense led by Josh Allen and Stefon Diggs is hard to stop, and I don’t think Miami’s average-level defense and rookie QB are up to the task.
My prediction: Bills 27-Dolphins 16
Baltimore Ravens at Cincinnati Bengals (Sunday 1/15 – 7:15 CT)
Much like the Bills-Dolphins matchup, this game is between the 1st and 2nd place teams in the AFC North. The Ravens took a 19-17 win over Cincinnati in week 5, and the Bengals took a 27-16 victory over Baltimore in week 18.
Both teams should be well prepared for this matchup, as the Bengals and Ravens faced each other in week 18, exactly 7 days before this game. Back-to-back matchups between these teams should provide an interesting watch.
The Ravens starting QB Lamar Jackson has missed the last 5 games with a sprained PCL, and it is likely that he won’t be able to return in time for the first playoff game. In this scenario, third-string Anthony Brown could suit up, given backup Tyler Huntley misses another game with injuries.
TheBengals have won their last 8 in a row (excluding the canceled matchup in week 17 versus Buffalo), and are looking for a Super Bowl do-over, after losing to the Rams in Super Bowl LVI.
Cincinnati is on fire, and Joe Burrow is looking better than ever at quarterback. Offensive weapons like Ja’Maar Chase and Joe Mixon are hard to stop and the Bengals have one of the better defenses of teams in the playoffs. Baltimore is struggling with offensive injuries and has lost 3 of their last 4 games. Because of this, Baltimore will struggle to keep up, and Cincinnati will take the victory.
My prediction: Bengals 23-Ravens 14
Los Angeles Chargers at Jacksonville Jaguars (Saturday 1/14 – 7:15 CT)
Young quarterbacks play a huge role in the future of the NFL, and this matchup is between 2 of the best up-and-coming quarterbacks. Trevor Lawrence and Justin Herbert are both making their playoff debuts this weekend.
It’s not exactly clear how the Jaguars ended up turning their season around enough to make the playoffs. Jacksonville won the AFC South with a 9-8 record. In the first half of the season, the Jaguars lost to some of the worst teams in the league, including the Colts, Texans, and Broncos. They turned it around quickly, however, beating teams like the Cowboys, Chiefs, and Ravens in the second half of the season.
The Chargers finished just 1 game higher than the Jaguars, at 10-7, and 2nd in the AFC West. Both teams have had one of the easiest schedules in the NFL this season, with both teams playing only 6 opponents above .500.
While I don’t believe either team will make it beyond the second round, I think the Jaguars will pull off a first-round upset. Jacksonville has won 6 of their last 7, with Trevor Lawrence having multiple games with 300+ passing yards. The Jaguars defense has been on fire, holding their last 3 opponents to an average of 7.3 points. In my opinion, this should be enough to hold Justin Herbert, Austin Ekeler, and Mike Williams to a minimal number of points, despite their success this season.
My prediction: Jaguars 17-Chargers 14
NFC:
Seattle Seahawks at San Francisco 49ers (Saturday 1/14 – 3:30 CT)
It’s not often that a brand-new rookie quarterback is so highly favored over a veteran quarterback, but 49ers QB Brock Purdy has led the team to a remarkable end of the season and deserves all the praise he’s getting. The 49ers won the NFC West and the second seed with a record of 13-4.
Brock Purdy didn’t start for the 49ers until week 14 against the Buccaneers, but hasn’t lost a game yet. The rookie “Mr. Irrelevant” stepped up as third-string after multiple QB injuries, and is making the 49ers offense look better than ever. Another thing helping the 49ers offense excel was the trade for Christian McCaffery after week 6. McCaffery has 736 rushing yards since he joined San Francisco.
On top of the rising offense, the 49ers are widely viewed to have the best defense in the NFL. Defensive end Nick Bosa is leading the defense to one of their best seasons and leading the NFL in sacks with 18.5 this season.
On the other side of this game, the Seahawks sit at 9-8, second in the NFC West. After trading Russell Wilson in the offseason, many projected the Seahawks to win very few games and be one of, if not the worst team in the league.
Veteran backup QB Geno Smith stepped up this season, however, and led the Seahawks to the 7th seed. This season, Smith threw for 4,282 yards, which is more than ⅓ of his total passing yards in his 9-year NFL career.
Geno Smith’s career season won’t be enough to take the Seahawks any farther this season. The 49ers combination of stellar offense and defense makes them the NFC team to beat in the playoffs, and the Seahawks will fall in yet another division matchup.
My prediction: 49ers 33-Seahawks 14
New York Giants at Minnesota Vikings (Sunday 1/15 – 3:30 CT)
At 13-4, nobody is quite sure what to think of the Minnesota Vikings this season. The offense has some of the biggest stars in the league, including star wide receiver Justin Jefferson and top-ranked tight end TJ Hockensen, and yet the Vikings have just 2 wins by more than one score.
The Vikings season has been full of painfully close, heart attack inducing games for Minnesota fans, and yet the Vikings are 11-0 in one-score games.
With games like week 14 against the Colts, where the Vikings completed the largest comeback in NFL history, and week 9 against the Bills with one of the most shocking endings to a game ever, it’s hard not to think of Minnesota as a true contender. Minnesota’s losses, however, put doubt in many NFL fans. With only 4 losses, the Vikings will finish the season with a point differential of -4.
The Giants are the third team from the NFC East to make the playoffs, sitting with a record of 9-7-1. First-year head coach Brian Daboll has led this New York team to a season beyond expectations, and Giants fans are more than satisfied with the season they’ve had thus far.
Minnesota and New York competed on Christmas eve at US Bank Stadium, and Minnesota pulled off a 27-24 win with a game-winning 61-yard field goal.
I believe the Vikings will come out of this game with a victory, as Minnesota has more playoff experience, veteran experience, and a record that shows they know how to win, no matter how close the games may be.
My prediction: Vikings 24-Giants 22
Dallas Cowboys at Tampa Bay Buccaneers (Monday 1/16 – 7:15 CT)
The Dallas Cowboys have the 4th best record in the NFC, and yet they find themselves in a wildcard position as the 5th seed, while the Buccaneers have the 9th-best record in the NFC, and have home-field advantage as the 4th seed.
Tom Brady in the playoffs is not an unfamiliar sight, but Tom Brady leading a team to an 8-9 record definitely is. Brady has a stellar 22-year NFL career with 7 Super Bowl victories and 3 MVP awards. This, combined with the Cowboys performance in week 18, is a slight glimpse of hope for Bucs fans when it comes to advancing past this round.
Tampa Bay’s 8-9 record does not bode well for them in the playoffs, however, the Cowboys have shown signs of weakness as the season comes to an end. Losing to the commanders 26-6 in week 18 what not a positive sign for Dallas fans entering the postseason, and Dak Prescot has struggled. In week 18, Prescot completed 14/37 for a 37% completion rate.
I have struggled to pick a winner of this game more than any other, despite the vast difference in records this season. Because of the Cowboys’ performances against the Commanders in week 18, I do not have faith that Dallas will be able to turn things around, and Tampa Bay will win in a major upset.
A few weeks ago, the University of Virginia’s women’s swim team was ranked the top team in the nation. They have built up a strong team for the last few years and proved their speed in 2021 and 2022 when they won the NCAA championships.
The women’s team is stacked with Olympians and record-holders. However, Virginia is still one-step ahead and planning for the future. This fall, they have recruited five top-20 girls from the class of 2024—more recruits than their competitors, the University of Texas and Stanford.
Earlier this season, the Cavaliers took on the Florida Gators and shocked people with some insane times. The sophomore Gretchen Walsh was truly the star of the meet. She started the meet with a 21.91 50 fly in the medley relay, which out-splits her teammate Kate Douglas who had the fastest split in history.
Walsh wasn’t done there; she pulled out a 50.53 in the 100 fly, which became the fastest unsuited time in history. She whipped out some speedy 50 and 100 freestyles as well. Gretchen, Douglass, and their teammates Alex Walsh and Maxine Parker went a speedy 3:11.37 in the 400 free relay to finish off the meet.
On November 4th and 5th, the Cavaliers took on the second-ranked women’s team, the Texas Longhorns. Both women and men’s teams competed against each other down in Texas.
The Cavalier women won six events, according to Virginia Sports. Gretchen Walsh had a phenomenal meet, three times being the fastest in the country this season. Walsh also went the fastest time ever in 100-yard IM (the 100 IM is not an NCAA event, nor is it competed at any world championship meets, but it is sometimes added to meets as an extra fun event).
The meet was a fun showdown with music and a light show to add to the energy and excitement, according to Swim Swam News. This dual meet was unlike any other dual meet with the amount of technology and energy put into making it a fun and competitive environment.
Although the meet was exciting and full of great swims for the Cavaliers, they, unfortunately, lost to Texas with a final score of 95-91 for the women.
The team is not yet finished; they are heading to the Tennessee Invitational on November 17-19, and they still have an NCAA championship title to defend.
Saquon came into the season coming off a poor 2021 season that saw him play in only 13 games while injuring his ankle and getting placed into the NFL’s COVID protocol. He averaged a career-low 3.7 yards per carry and only scored 2 touchdowns in 13 regular season games. He also lost his first NFL fumble.
This season he has looked like he’s back into his first two seasons’ form when he had back-to-back 1,000-yard rushing seasons. So far, in 2022, he is averaging a career-best 5.1 ypc and 104 rushing yards per game.
His ADP (average draft position) on ESPN this season was 22, as the RB8 overall. Through 7 weeks he has scored 137 fantasy points, good for RB2 on the year, only trailing Chargers RB Austin Ekeler. According to oddsmakers, Barkley is the current favorite to take home the NFL’s Comeback Player of the Year award.
Jonathan Taylor was largely the consensus No.1 pick in most fantasy drafts this season. Coming off a monster year where he was the best player in fantasy, he has disappointed a lot of managers this year. Last year he played in all 17 regular season games, rushing for over 1,800 yards and 18 touchdowns. He scored 369 fantasy points on the year, good for an average of 21.7ppg.
Because of his scarce injury history, and the Colts’ willingness to run the ball, he was considered the consensus No. 1 pick this year. An ankle injury has forced him to miss two weeks this year, but even before that, he was underperforming. He currently sits with 62 fantasy points, as the overall RB31.
Josh Jacobs has certainly surprised owners this year, finally breaking out, as he is sitting at RB4 on the year. Throughout his 4-year NFL career, he has been a solid, but not an overly spectacular choice for fantasy managers. Coming into this season there were questions around a timeshare with backup running backs Kenyan Drake, Ameer Abdullah, and rookie Zamir White. Jacobs has proven that he is the superior back and the Raiders with continue to feed him the ball.
Jacobs has been red hot the past 3 weeks, averaging over 30 points per game. Jacobs just became the third player in Raiders franchise history to record 150 scrimmage yards and score a TD in three consecutive games, joining Marcus Allen from 1985, and Clem Daniels from 1966. Jacobs is a locked and loaded RB1 for the rest of the season.
I think the whole fantasy community can agree that Pitts is one of the biggest busts that hurts this fantasy season. Coming into the season, he was being thought of and drafted as the TE3 behind only Mark Andrews and Travis Kelce. On average, he was being drafted around the 3rd/4th round turn in 12-team PPR (point per reception) leagues.
After becoming only the second rookie TE ever in NFL history to have a 1,000-yard season, expectations were high. However, it is clear that the Falcons are a run-first team right now and that head coach Arthur Smith does not trust his starting QB, Marcus Mariota, to throw the ball many times per game.
The Falcons are currently 2nd to last in the league in passing yards per game with only 1,062 yards on the year for an average of 152 yards per game. Pitts is borderline droppable at this point except for perhaps deeper leagues, and only because of his uber talent and upside at the weak TE position.
Since school is coming to end, homework will no longer keep you occupied. There are many new hobbies to try this summer!
The first hobby to try is reading. Reading for pleasure can be very refreshing. According to Markham Public Library, some benefits to reading include exercise for the brain, concentration and focus ability, and general knowledge. While reading a book, we have to remember the details of the book and it is a workout for the brain that helps improve our memory. Books are filled with many interesting facts and by reading a variety of topics and genres, we gain more knowledge. The materials for this simple hobby are easy, you’ll just need a book.
The second hobby to try this summer is scrapbooking. Scrapbooking is a way to preserve any memories. This is done by arraigning it in a certain way with different materials such as pictures, artwork, and construction paper. According to DigiDesign Resort the benefits to scrapbooking include relaxation, a sense of accomplishment, and it helps you communicate your feelings. Scrapbooking has been proven to reduce anxiety and lower stress levels. This activity can also be done with friends and family. A simple scrapbook accomplishment can help boost your self-esteem. Scrapbooking can help you remember all of your goals and accomplishments throughout the years. With scrapbooking, it helps you communicate feelings through pictures and drawings.
The third hobby is making jewelry. Making handmade jewelry can hold an emotional significance to the one who creates it or the one who receives it. According to Marla Trudine, the benefits of hand making your own jewelry is that it will never be like any other jewelry you see at stores. Another benefit is that you won’t use machines, it adds more care, hardship, and attention to detail to each piece that you create.
The fourth hobby is journaling. Journaling is writing down your feelings, thoughts, goals, etc. Journaling is different for everybody. There are many benefits to journaling, which include reducing stress and anxiety, keeping track of your personal growth and goals, writing down memories so you’ll never forget them, and it can also strengthen your memory. Journaling can be entertaining, especially to those who like writing. It can be relaxing to others. The materials can range depending on the different styles of journaling, some prefer just a notebook and pen while others like to use colored pens/markers, stickers, colorful tape, etc. All journals are unique and there is no one specific way of journaling.
The fifth hobby is painting. Painting is the act of adding paint or pigment to a solid surface such as a canvas, paper, wall, table, etc. There are benefits to painting such as reducing stress and anxiety by painting out your emotions, helps with muscle control, you can make a profit off of paintings, and you can create decorations for your walls. Many people find painting entertaining because it allows a person to release creativity onto a solid surface. The materials needed for painting are any solid surface such as paper, canvas, a wall, etc. Any solid surface that you are willing to paint on. You will also need paint; there’s all kinds of various paints such as oil paint, watercolor, acrylic, and gouache. Lastly, you’ll need paintbrushes and your creativity.
The last hobby is gardening. Gardening is tending or cultivating a garden. The benefits of gardening are reduced stress, spending time outside which can boost health by boosting your Vitamin D, and can improve hand strength. Gardening can be entertaining to those who like taking care of things, especially plants. It can give someone motivation to get out of the house and go tend to their gardens. It can also be fun for someone to pick which plants or flowers they want to add to their garden, even vegetables. Some basic materials you need for gardening are soil, gardening tools (shovel, trowel, gloves, garden rake, etc.), and pick what you want to grow, which could include green plants, flowers (tulips, roses, lilies, etc.), or even vegetables.
Spring is known for bringing in new life. It has the smell of fresh flowers and sounds of chirping birds. Spring can occur during different times of the year depending on the location of the country. There are many different ways that people celebrate spring. Two of the many festivals are Holi and May Day.
Holi is a spring festival that is celebrated in India. In 2023, it will be celebrated on March 8. It is also known as the festival of color and is celebrated over two days. It is based on Hindu mythology, telling the story of Lord Vishnu and the triumph over the evil king.
Holi is a celebration of spring, family, and friendship. People gather in streets to splash colored powder on each other with colored water. Each color has its own meaning: red symbolizes love and fertility, yellow is the color for turmeric and is a natural remedy that is used in India, blue symbolizes the Hindu god Krishna, and green symbolizes new and fresh beginnings.
Families decorate their homes and share delicious treats with each other. Foods that are commonly eaten during Holi are: thandai, dahi bhalle, puran poli, malpua, rasmalai, badan phirni, coconut milk murukku, and bhang pakora.
May Day is celebrated on May 1st, right before the beginning of summer. This holiday is a celebration of ancient origins. It started in Roman Britain where soldiers danced around decorated trees to celebrate the coming of spring while thanking their goddess, Flora. Flora is the goddess of flowering plants, and bringing in new life. She is often correlated with being the goddess of the budding of youth.
The Maypole dance is usually done during the celebration of May Day. There is a pole in the middle with colorful bright ribbons that people hold on to when they dance. When the dance is done correctly, the ribbons create a beautiful pattern around the pole. After they do the dance the other way, they undo the ribbons around the pole which symbolizes the longer days as summer approaches.
There are different ways to celebrate May Day. In Austria and Germany, the pole is painted with blue and white stripes and is put in the middle of a village. This is then followed by a procession. Another tradition is that people try to climb to the top of the Maypole.
Spring connects the end of hibernation to the beginning of growth and summer. People around the world all celebrate this wonderful season in many different ways. Regardless of where people live, festivals and celebrations of spring are something that everyone has in common.
Justice Breyer has announced that he will be retiring from the Supreme Court and President Biden has nominated Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson to replace him. In a statement, Biden said, “I select a nominee worthy of Justice Breyer’s legacy of excellence and decency someone extremely qualified, with a brilliant legal mind, with the utmost character and integrity, which are equally as important.”
Ketanji Brown Jackson was born in Washington D.C. but grew up in Miami. During her childhood her father attended law school and her mom was a teacher. Her love for the law traced back to when she sat next to her father in their apartment as he tackled his law school homework – reading cases and preparing for Socratic questioning.
In high school, she was a speech and debate star. When she told her guidance counselor that she wanted to attend Harvard law school, they told her not to set her “Sights so high.” Despite their warning, she went to Harvard University, and then later attended Harvard Law School, where she graduated Cum Laude and was an editor of the ‘Harvard Law Review’.
After law school she served as a Judge in the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit. Then, President Obama nominated her to serve on the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia. She again was nominated by President Obama to serve as the Vice-Chair of the U.S. Sentencing Commission, and she also served as a public defender for those who couldn’t pay for a lawyer. She also was a Supreme Court clerk under Justice Breyer.
Her confirmation hearing lasted four days; she was asked questions from Republicans and Democrats about her qualifications. Most Republicans questioned her on critical race theory, cultural issues, and children’s books. Few Republicans brought up her intelligence and qualifications for the job. Democrats brought up how she is making history. At the end of the hearing, Judge Jackson said that “She hopes to inspire people to try to follow this path.”
The Senate will vote on her confirmation, on April 4, and after that, the full Senate will hold a vote.
Almost all the students here at Highland that I talked to, feel that Kentaji Brown Jackson is the most qualified out of all the Supreme Court judges because of her outstanding resume of being a public defender, serving as vice-chair, and serving on the District Court. They also feel it is time for the African American community to be more represented on the Supreme court, and that by her being confirmed she would be historical and inspire young girls around the world to be whatever they want to be.
The Vikings and the 49ers faced off in a game with the playoffs on the line
The Vikings and 49ers both started week 12 with matching 5-5 records, both looking to sneak their way into a wildcard spot.
The 49ers, with the win, have now won 3 in a row, putting their early season struggles behind them, for now. The Vikings, coming off a win from the 9-3 Packers, came up short in a highly entertaining game.
49ers defensive end Nick Bosa said, “We’re all excited to be back in the mix and have the season in our control.”
This matchup was fast moving, with 4 touchdowns in the 1st half, and 6 scores in the 3rd quarter alone, propelled by Kene Nwangwu’s 99 yard kickoff return. This is Nwangwu’s 2nd kickoff return for a touchdown this season.
With 18 seconds left in the first half, the 49ers ended an 87 yard drive with a touchdown pass, tying the game. The Vikings are the team with the most points allowed, in the final 2 minutes, of the first half, since 2000. The Vikings have given up 66 points in the last 2 minutes, of the first half, this season.
Late in the 3rd quarter, the 49ers were gifted a turnover in Vikings’ territory when Dalvin Cook fumbled the ball after going down with a shoulder injury. Cook left the game and had an MRI on Monday. Coach Zimmer is not stating what exactly the MRI showed. Cook has already been playing with a torn labrum, and he is now day to day, with his next week status unknown. Anthony Barr also left the game in the 3rd quarter with a hamstring injury.
The 49ers did just enough to come away with a win over Minnesota, with a game saving 4th down stop on the goal line in the 4th quarter.
The Vikings played short of what we’ve seen them do earlier this season. The defense allowed 208 yards rushing on 39 carries, allowing the 49ers run game to dominate the field. “They came with it,” said Vikings linebacker Erick Kendricks. “We knew that their run game was really good. Very complex, very confusing. They have a lot of people to block and open up for it. It was about eliminating that and we didn’t do it.”
The Vikings offense had only 67 rushing yards, and 262 receiving yards, with Cousins completing 20/32 with 238 yards, 2 touchdowns, and 1 interception, ending his streak of 212 straight passes without an interception. Thielen had 2 receiving touchdowns, and Mattison rushed for 1.
The Vikings schedule is easing up for the next 3 weeks with matchups against Detroit, Pittsburgh, and Chicago. Hopefully, 3 wins straight will help the Vikings find their way into a wildcard spot, potentially alongside San Francisco.
Note: Since the writing of this article, the Vikings lost to the winless Lions. It is this writer’s opinion that the Vikings tend to play down to their competition, and it showed against Detroit.
In another nail biting affair the Minnesota Vikings have squeezed out another close victory. In true Vikings’ fashion it took a game ending rally to finally finish off the Aaron Rodgers led Packers.
Rodgers had another game where he continued to fuel his MVP candidacy, but his attempts proved futile and he was outshone by the budding superstar Justin Jefferson who hauled in 8 catches for 169 yards and 2 touchdowns. The young receiver was a scourge to the opposing secondary and continued to torch anyone who lined up across from him.
Jaire Alexander’s absence was sorely felt with Kirk Cousins seeming to complete passes at will.
A long-standing rivalry between these 2 teams has resulted in some truly incredible games, and this one was no different. With both teams combining for 65 points and 911 yards, and another surprisingly good performance by a coaching staff who have been lackluster at times throughout the season.
During some games this season, the play calling has been downright pathetic, with many fans calling for Zimmer to be fired. His continued insistence on running the ball, even though he has such a star-studded receiver corps, has turned much of the fanbase on him. Continued last gasp wins are unsustainable, shown by the Vikings losing many close games throughout the season.
However, there are glimpses of hope within, with the emergence of many young stars and a multitude of draft picks in the coming draft, the Vikings are set up for success.
Continued success from last week’s impressive performance against the Los Angeles Chargers has some Vikings fans hoping for a deep playoff run. One hopeful Vikings fan says, “It’s very doable, Captain Kirk can take us to the promised land.”
Many others are hoping the inevitable close game losses are a thing of the past. With a hot and cold 49ers team on the horizon, the Vikings can hope to finally break the .500 mark. The 49ers hold the same record as the Vikings and are coming off a victory over the Super Bowl contending Rams, and the bottom of the barrel Jaguars. With a potent offense on both sides the game is shaping up to be another thriller. With a make or break attitude and a very volatile game plan, this game is supremely important to the Vikings.
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