Baseball Weightlifting

Since the early fall, HHS baseball players can be found in the weight room after school Mondays and Wednesdays pumping iron. Preseason lifting is often times one of the more important parts of the year, and with pre-season baseball, athletes are taking advantage of this opportunity. Preseason can be used for scouting and training, finding the new star athletes or improving the veterans. It is a time for injury recovery, rehabilitation and to get back into the rhythm of athletics. It allows the coaches to have a glimpse of the upcoming season and gets the school and team hyped for what is coming.

Sophomore Cade Templeton wants weightlifting to get everyone on the team bigger and stronger in order to help them on the team.

“We’ll be able to throw harder, hit harder too and just be better overall athletes,” Templeton said.

Junior baseball player Chase Berkshire wishes to start on the varsity team this upcoming season and believes that weight training in the offseason can help him achieve his goal.

“[Working in the weightroom] makes you a lot bigger, stronger and improves how you play,” said Berkshire.

Freshman Tyler Kump knows that weight lifting will help him get stronger and faster once the season comes around. When asked about his goals, “[My goals are] to provide as much as I can for the team to win,” said Kump. It all starts in the weight room.

According to Templeton, pre-season lifting is getting bigger, stronger, faster and more explosive. It is getting back into the grind and becoming a better athlete as a team.

“As a team, for baseball lifting, we want to get everyone stronger so it helps us on the field,” Templeton said.

For the team, It shows what an athlete is made of and how determined they are to getting better.

“It also tests dedication, to people coming, shows who is really committed and who isn’t,” said Berkshire.

Domino’s Wings

The strong aroma that crept through the edges of the cardboard box was promising, but when the cardboard box was opened and the foil unwrapped the wings just weren’t up to par.

My first impression was the difference in initial size of an individual wing compared to that of the all popular wing of Buffalo WIld Wings. To the naked eye these wings from Domino’s, a well known pizza establishment, were a good 25% smaller than that of Buffalo Wild Wings. For about seven dollars, eight wings didn’t seem like too bad of a deal, but considering the size of these little guys, it was quite the disappointment. Not only were the wings small, but the first look just wasn’t anywhere close to what they were on the website. In the website they looked like big, juicy and lathered in delectable sauce, but in reality they were unskillfully covered in a sauce that was just oddly unappealing to the eye.

After a quick transfer to another plate, lines of oil could be seen ruining from the wings at the bottom, as I picked up the first piece, the underside started to fall apart and an oily brown surface was exposed, I decided to start with a more appealing wing, but to no surprise, it wasn’t any better than expected. The sauce left a grainy film around my mouth and the chicken didn’t feel or taste like chicken. After a quick sip of water in order to remove the film of sauce and other contents of the chicken, I went for another and it produced no different results.

After disposing of the remaining wings and eating some other food to get the taste out of my mouth, I found a lingering aftertaste that required some mouthwash to get rid of. When Domino’s pizza was lacking they devised their garlic crust, these wings need their own figurative garlic crust, or they need to get taken off the menu. I don’t plan on getting the wings again, but the pizza is always a reliable option.

     

Staying Safe When Hiking

Having the ability to stay safe in the wild can be the difference between life and death, eating the wrong food, getting caught in a storm, or losing your footing on a waterfall. Safety is crucial for all, from the average joe to the avid hiker.

Having the right knowledge can make it just as fun as it is safe.

Sophomore Tyler Rodriguez has a long history out in the woods and battling the elements. He can be found hiking in the mountains and just about anywhere challenging. “Just know your limits and don’t do anything that you really don’t feel comfortable with,” Rodriguez said.

Wearing the right clothing can be the first step in hiking safety. When traveling through rocky terrain filled with thorn bushes and high grass stuffed with ticks and bugs, close toed shoes and long pants are essential.

Life long hiker Andrew Rath has been hiking even before he could walk. “I started off hiking in a backpack with my dad.” Wet, rocky terrain can be treacherous. “You need to make sure you wear closed toed shoes with a sturdy sole,” Rath said.

If you find yourself hiking in high altitude or during the colder seasons many layers and cold gear may be needed. On the other hand, in warmer climate short sleeved shirts and cool clothes would be better.

Being knowledgeable of the plants and animals in the area is very important. Whenever you’re out in the wild you should never eat a plant that you aren’t sure is safe to eat. Two plants could look similar and one could be perfectly safe while the other could kill you.

Whenever encountering a potentially dangerous animal you should try to get away without startling or frighten it which could provoke a fight. If it does happen to charge, depending on the animal, you should stand your ground, throw your hand in the air, look as big and menacing as possible and scream as loud as you can.

Getting caught out in inclement weather can be life threatening. Planning is another step to a safe hiking trip. Make sure you tell family and friends where and when you’re going. The more you plan, the less likely you are to end up in a bad situation.

Being prepared can keep you safe while hiking. Knowing and being familiar with first aid can always come in handy.  Going alone is not a safe way to hike, so going with friends is a good solution. Stay aware of the weather, know the land, know your equipment, and know your limits.