Author: Charlie Rosen

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Magazine News Sport Volume 69, Issue 9

MLB Update

Graphic by Yiying Zhang

The MLB season was only 2 weeks away from beginning until COVID-19 ended spring training and delayed the start of the 2020 regular season. It wasn’t much of a surprise as all other sports cancelled their seasons as well. Rob Manfred, the commissioner of the MLB, initially thought they would be able to resume in May, only one month after it was originally scheduled to start. Fast forward to the beginning of May and Manfred soon realized this was not a possibility. Things are looking bright though as the owners have agreed on a plan to start a second spring training in June with their eyes set on a July 1st opening day. However, the league would have a few changed rules though. Both the NL and AL would have DH’s for the whole season. As well as teams in the west (like the Giants or A’s) would only play teams in the west division either AL or NL.

The playoffs would be changed too from 2 wild card teams per league to 4. Making 2 Wild Card games instead of one for this year. Rosters are also expanding from 45 to 50 players per team. All this change in the season has also caused the cancelling of the World Baseball Classic in 2021. Teams are unable to play the qualifiers and therefore cannot enter the classic. Expect some baseball soon as it seems any day now we could get an official announcement as to when exactly spring training and opening day should be arriving.

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Magazine News Volume 69, Issue 7

Seniors’ Shopping Options

Like many other places in the world, the Bay Area is currently in a shelter in place, telling everyone that they must stay inside except for essential activities like food, exercise, and doctors’ appointments. All restaurants are only providing take out and local businesses are losing money fast, making it extremely difficult for the elderly to get groceries or day-to-day supplies like toilet paper. Officials recommend all people over 65 are highly recommended stay inside and not leave their house under any circumstance. This directly affects Rossmoor and other elderly living homes. How are the elderly supposed to get food when they aren’t allowed to leave their houses? Elderly homes are also not letting people inside that are not currently living there.

However, some groups seek to help the elderly during this time. For example, Zanotto’s Markets in the Bay Area committed itself to helping the elderly in this time by creating a “senior hour” at 8 AM to 9 AM, reserved to seniors only.  This act may inspire bigger markets and stores in Walnut Creek like Safeway, Trader Joe’s, Costco, and Whole Foods to do the same. 

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Entertainment Magazine News Volume 69, Issue 6

Eternal Atake Album

Photography by Joseph Peters

Lil Uzi Vert finally released his long awaited album Eternal Atake on Friday, March 6th. After years of teases, videos, tweets, and broken promises to his fans, he kept his word and dropped the album a week earlier than it was scheduled to release.  Plenty of celebrities such as Trippie Redd, Da Baby, Big Sean, and DeAndre Hopkins were happy to see him finally release this long awaited project and showed their appreciation on Instagram. Before dropping the album, Uzi released a teaser trailer for the album that showed him in an office, being abducted by a spaceship, but that wasn’t all he revealed. He also gave his fans an opportunity to choose the cover art for the album, by letting them pick between three choices. . Although his fans were ecstatic to finally listen to Eternal Atake, many were disappointed that the songs “Rollie,” “Of Course,” and “Myron” were not on the album, after being leaked before the release.

 Uzi recently tweeted that a deluxe version of the album should be coming sometime this week and will include at least 8 songs and will feature “Rollie” and “Myron.” Even though Uzi confirmed this, it is far from definite. As fans know, Uzi can be tough to trust. Last December, Uzi said he was finished with the album, but then a month later announced he was quitting music on his Instagram. To his fans’ surprise, Uzi  said that 2020 will be non-stop drops from “Baby Pluto” despite his statements on social media. It was shocking to see that Uzi only had one other artist featured on Eternal Atake, but it’s suspected that won’t be the case with the deluxe.Future, Da Baby, Young Thug, and other artists are supposedly included..

The success for the album has been jaw dropping to say the least. Eternal Atake currently has 15 of the top 17 songs on the Apple Music charts, and it is also the first time since Christmas that Roddy Rich’s “The Box” is not number one. Eternal Atake is also on pace to go platinum in a week, which is often unheard of in the music industry. Uzi is certainly cementing his legacy as one of the best rappers around today. With over 6 million followers on Twitter and almost 12 million on Instagram, there is no question on how big of an influence Lil Uzi Vert  has become. It is a great time to be an Uzi fan, as it looks like this year will be filled with new music from “Renji.”

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Uncategorized

A Season of Improvement

Te Las Lomas girls basketball team ended up falling just short of NCS. The team is led by Junior Rose Morse who is averaging 23 points which is the most on the team, and scoring efficiently as she is shooting an absurd 40% from three and 52% inside the arc. Along Rose, the Knights have Isabella Dela Cruz averaging almost 18 points a game. The team finished the year with a 10-14 record finishing below an even 500 record by four games. Although the Knights did not make the NCS tournament, there are plenty of things to look ahead to for this team. This team is very young only having two seniors on the team. Even though the season did not go exactly according to plan and ultimately did not reach their goal of NCS, this team has such a bright future and should be competing for many more years to come with still such a talented team returning next year.

 The seniors that are graduating are Cristina Ruiz and  Ayana Aichele.These two have been mentors for the younger players on this team knowing what it takes to get to NCS and perhaps showing them the way for next year. Although they came up short, it was a remarkable season improving on their win total by six games and almost cutting their total losses in half. It takes time for players to gel and get used to a new coach which could explain the rough season for the team as a whole and for their first time Head Coach Marvin De Los Santos. Although the first season was tough, Santos made sure to have a better season this year and he did exactly that. Teams they were getting blown out by last year are now turning into close games. Players are hitting more shots,  and their defense has improved, along with their rebounding.  A team that has improved instrumentally in almost every asset is all you can ask for, especially  for a team that is as young as this Knights team is. The Knights are still searching for their first NCS appearance since they faced a tough opponent in Cardinal Newman unfortunately losing in the first round in the 2017-2018 season. Hopefully next year is the year the Knights get back into the NCS tournament and perhaps even win a game or two. 

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Magazine Sport Volume 69, Issue 5

Homerun for Baseball

The Knights are coming into the 2020 season after ending the previous year with a 20-4 record, which includes a 6-2 record in the league putting them behind Alhambra for a respectable second-place finish. The Knights year came up short in the NCS semi-finals with a 2-1 loss to Bishop O’Dowd, who ended up losing in the final to Alhambra. The Knights certainly had the talent to go all the way, as they split the season series against the NCS and league winners Alhambra. This year, the Knights have to find a way to replace the seven seniors they lost including the former league MVP Jack McCullar. Along with McCullar, they also lost  Dylan Graham (OF), Josh Gregson (Pitcher), and Brad Braker who all graduated. These four are leaving some pretty big shoes to fill but the Knights are hoping they can continue their recent run of success and have another great season. Pitchers Jake Kermoian and Andrew LaCour are looking to hold down the pitching staff while Seniors Aaron Winer and Matthew Hershey are leading the way with their batting. Coach Jon Stephens is also trying to find a way to replace all the seniors that left. The team is not short on pitching though because they still have LaCour, Avidor, Kermoian, and Pearce. If the offense does well this year, there is no reason why this team can’t win 20+ games again and get a top seed in the NCS playoffs.

The Knights start their season with a home league game against tough rival Acalanes. Senior Kirk Lawrus, who both pitches and plays in the field explained to me how even though many players left, this team will still be tough to stop. “We have great players ready to work hard, just like last year and even some new faces, we have a transfer Nehemiah who has incredible power and will be a great addition to our lineup.” Hopefully, Nehemiah can replace the power that is much needed on this Knights team. Kirk also commented on the difference between last year and this year’s team. We have a completely different look this year, obviously losing all those guys is tough, and winning 23 games again will be tough to do, but I have faith in our guys to work hard and if we do that then anything is possible.

This year should be a fun one and hopefully, our Knights can continue the recent success of the baseball team. Even though they lost many teammates, they have plenty of capable guys that are ready for more batting and time in the field. 

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Entertainment Volume 69, Issue 4

2010s Music

This past decade influenced many artists, who have released amazing songs that are still being played in 2020. Songs like “Party Rock Anthem” by LMFAO and “Firework” by Katy Perry were both #1 songs on the Billboard Top 100 in the early decade. Taylor Swift saw her career take a surprising turn, switching from a country artist to an instant pop celebrity with hit songs like “Shake it Off” and “22”. Other pop stars that rose to fame include Bruno Mars, Maroon 5, Rihanna, Justin Bieber, and Lady Gaga. Pop has become one of the most popular genres in music, mainly targeting the younger generation, but can appeal to all ages.

Country music artists like Kacey Musgraves, Tim McGraw, Luke Combs, and Luke Bryan were some of the most popular of the decade. The top country songs of the decade included “Cruise” by Florida Georgia Line, a country band that is now one of the most popular bands around the world, “Humble and Kind” by Tim Mcgraw, which both made Taste of Country’s Top 50 Songs of the Decade at number 4 and 15, respectively.

Rap, since 2015, has been the most popular genre in music amongst audiences varying from ages 13 through 25. Rap not only had its best decade since the 90’s, but it the increased audience is because  Lil Uzi Vert, Lil Wayne, Eminem, Kanye West, and many other artists created some of the most popular music of the decade. Eminem and Lil Wayne dominated the early decade with albums Recovery and I Am Not a Human Being. Lil Uzi Vert was one of the only artists to go quadruple platinum with his hit album Luv is Rage 2 in 2017. He joins an elite company that features both Post Malone and Future. Lil Uzi Vert also had another quadruple  platinum record with his hit “Bad and Boujee” featuring Migos. Not only that, but the group Migos achieved  massive success this decade with popular hits like “Stir Fry”, “Motor Sport”, and “Walk It Like I Talk It”. Rap is especially popular among our current generation, with most of its listeners being college and high school-age. 

Music is a way for people to cope with problems such as pressure, difficult home lives, relationships and more. Music brings life to parties, helps students stay focused while studying, and empowers people who work out. The songs that this decade brought put many smiles on people’s faces and created many more role models for kids to look up to. Every genre has its own unique style and that is what makes music so great and popular.

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Magazine Sport Volume 69, Issue 3

Girls Soccer Kicks Into A New Season

The Knights currently have their first game scheduled for December 4th versus Miramonte. Coming into the season, the Knights had a number of players leave the team because they have nine seniors to replace, including three of their four previous captains. Their only captain left from last year’s team is senior Uki Fujiwara, who recently commited to San Francisco State University, a division two school. Las Lomas is looking to continue their success on the field; In the past they have had six straight winning seasons dating back to the 2012-2013 season. Last year the Knights finished with a record of 10-6-1, after starting the year 2-4 they pulled together five wins in a row including tough opponents such as Berean Christian and Ygnacio Valley. Narrowly beating both teams with a final score of 1-0. This year brings a whole new challenge because the team is younger than it has been in previous years. 

With all the success this program has had in recent years it might be difficult for such a young team to live up to such high expectations. Northgate, who went undefeated last year, also has high expectations after finishing the year with an impressive record of 11-0-1 in league play. Las Lomas finished the year with an even .500 record 4-4-1 finishing sixth in league play. Las Lomas only allowed 12 goals in league and 18 goals in total on the year. On the other side the Knights have scored 26 goals in league play and 37 in total. The Knights coach is Jeremy Hull, who has coached the team since the 2012-2013 season. Hull is experienced and was also the coach of the team when the Knights went on their historic run and won NCS in the 2015-2016 season. Hopefully Hull can bring the Knights back into title consideration both in League and possibly NCS.

Even with nine seniors leaving the team this year and losing three of their four captains, the Knights still have high expectations and are expecting an even better season this year. The Knights schedule has yet to be released on MaxPreps, but we can still look forward to the Battle of the Creek game. The Knights are looking for revenge against Northgate after losing 4-1 to them last year. Some other big games will include facing off against Miramonte, Campolindo, College Park, and Clayton Valley. All these teams finished in front of Las Lomas in league last year and all seem likely to be close and important matches. Make sure to follow along with the Knights season and attend somegames. Go Knights!

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Magazine Sport Volume 69, Issue 2

Stellar Start to the Season

We are nearing the end of the Knights regular season play and looking towards the playoffs. Before Friday, the Knights were rolling with three straight league victories winning by over 21 points each game blowing out Miramonte, Acalanes, and Alhambra. The Knights were firing on both sides of the ball scoring a total of 146 points between the three games while only allowing 34 points. before ultimately losing to the Cougars on friday. Your Knights are currently holding a solid record of 8-1 in regular season play and 3-1 in league play. On friday Las Lomas came into their second league game still undefeated facing off against a very hungry Campolindo team who just came off a recent loss to Acalanes the week before. 

Unfortunately, friday was not Las Lomas’ day as they fell in the game 31-14. Their two scores both came on the ground with Elijah Lash scoring the first touchdown of the game and Isaiah Newell scoring the final one with only seconds remaining, making the score a little more respectable. Las Lomas are now tied for second place in league with Acalanes(LL holds the tiebreaker).It was the first time the Knights have been held to under three scores all year, as well as the most points the defense has allowed all year.It  was a rough game for sure but Las Lomas has to forget about it and focus on the next game up which is on Friday November 1 against Northgate.Las Lomas has dominated this matchup in the past most recently having obliterated them just last year by a score of 63-0. This is also one of the most anticipated games of the year not just because of our history with Northgate, but because of Northgate’s improvement from last year after they only won a total of one game last year. The Broncos are 6-3 so far this year having already surpassed their win total from last year. It figures to be one of the tightest Battle of the Creek’s in recent years. 

The Knights, after Northgate game, will be looking ahead to the playoffs hopefully getting a top seed in NCS. Las Lomas is looking to go far again this year in NCS after a heartbreaker last year in the final in brutal conditions. The team needs everyone’s support for this big game on Friday so please come out and cheer on your Knights as they face our rival Broncos in an important game for both teams. Go Knights!

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Issue 6 Magazine Sport

Updates on Spring Sports

It’s spring time and spring sports: baseball, golf, lacrosse, and track and field are in the middle of their seasons. Boy’s Lacrosse has started off the season well with a record of 4-2 and are looking ahead to a possible NCS tournament spot. This would be an amazing accomplishment for a team that went just 3-13 last season. Led by Coach Andrew Kolasa, the Knights have already amassed their win total from last season just 6 games into their young season. 

Baseball has gotten off to a hot start, starting the year undefeated holding an 8-0 record. Las Lomas is looking to get a top seed in NCS and perhaps even win the tournament. Jack McCullar and Dylan Graham are two seniors who are leading the Knights on the offensive side, while the Knights are also getting strong pitching from Josh Gregson. 

Track and field has many different events like the 100 meter, one mile, pole vault, and discus. In the 100 meter, Mehdi Aziz has had a stellar start to the year running a 12.37 a at the 6th annual Hart Invitational. Charlie Kislyia and Cooper Wise both are running the 1600 (or the mile), and have both been around 5 minutes with Charlie running a 4:44 and Cooper running a 5 flat. Ameerah Hameed ran a 12.87a and Sophia Pardo ran a 13.44a in the women’s 100 meters. Track has had a wonderful start to their season and look to keep it up at their next meet at the Stanford Invitational. The Tennis team is led by Matteo Rojas, Siddarth Sandhu, and Andre Grenville. The Knights currently hold a 1-2 record and are looking to get back to 500 with a game against Acalanes on Thursday.

The golf team like baseball, has also started undefeated and are currently holding a 6-0 record with notable wins coming against Acalanes and Campolindo. Jake Cox and Eric Kwak have both played very well to start the year. Cox shot a 72 at meadow club which was good enough to help Las Lomas finish 2nd out of 23 teams. Even with Princeton golfer Max Holm graduating, the Knights have been able to stay dominant and keep winning on the course. All of these programs are entering the midpoint to their season and are trying to end it strong. Baseball is looking to make a deep NCS run as well as Golf, and Track and Field is looking to keep finishing on top at events. Lacrosse is fighting for a spot in NCS and looking to make a push. Make sure to cheer on your fellow athletes as they enter the last stretch of the athletic season at Las Lomas.

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Issue 6 Magazine Sport

March Madness

It is finally March and time for the craziest collegiate sporting event of the year, known as March Madness. 64 of college basketball’s best teams compete in a month long tournament to decide who is officially the best team in the country. What makes this tournament so popular is the number of upsets that occur each year. An upset is when a smaller school or a team with a worse record beats a team that is larger or  favored to win. No other sporting event has had as many upsets as March Madness does. Loyola Marymount an unheard of school before last year made it all the way to the Final 4. Even UMBC a 16 seed beat the number one team Virginia in the first round. Any team can win any game which is why it generated a total of 5.6 million people watching each game last year. Another reason why it is so popular is because filling out a prediction of the bracket has become normal for many americans. Over 70 million people fill out a bracket each year, but never has someone recorded a perfect bracket. The odds of getting a perfect bracket are 1 in 9.2 quintillion, significantly lower than the lottery. Why not test your luck and fill out a bracket today for free?

The favorites to win this year are Duke, North Carolina, Gonzaga, and Kentucky. Duke won the ACC and finally have Zion Williamson back and are looking to make a deep run in the tournament. Like Duke, North Carolina has been great all year as they finished the year ranked third in the country good enough for a one seed in the tournament. The Tar Heels are lead by senior Luke Maye and Coby White. It was an almost perfect year for the Gonzaga Bulldogs as they cruised through the regular season with a 30-3 record and an undefeated record in their conference. Which is why it was so shocking to see St. Mary’s defeat them in the West Coast Conference title game. The Gaels stole a spot in the tourney and look to keep it going as they play the defending champions Villanova in the first round. Their are also some lower seeded teams that can make a sweet 16 run like: Murray State, Liberty, and Belmont. All three of these schools have impressed during their conference tournaments and seem poised to make a run.