The Rider Chronicle » dani adams

Track team makes it to state after successful year

DaniAdams — Thu, 26 May 2011 14:31:37 +0000

Both the girls and boys track teams both had successful seasons that for some athletes is still going.
Six girls and five boys advanced to regionals with both Taylor Stolt and Dylan McDorman advancing to the State Track Meet in Austin on May 13.
“The Boys Track Team had a really successful 2011 track season,”Boys Track Team Coach Bill Mercer said. “The Team won three meets that included the Burk Medaly Relays, The Mustang Relays in City View and The Hawk relays in Iowa Park. The team had an overall 4th place finish at The District Meet.”
The girls track team also had a very successful season, resulting in them placing 3rd in district.
“Advancing 6 kids to regionals is a highlight to me,” Girls Track Coach Lounette Decker said. “Anytime in the season a kid has a personal best, it means they meet goals they’ve set.”
With one member per team going to the State Track Meet both coaches have high hopes for the outcome.
“Taylor advanced to state,” Coach Decker said. “Hopefully she will bring home a medal.”

Senior spends time with homeless

DaniAdams — Mon, 22 Nov 2010 19:52:08 +0000

He walks into a room full of lonely faces, people struggling day to day. He jumps behind the counter and starts serving food. As soon as everyone has a plate, he takes a seat beside a young man and says hello, simply starting a conversation with someone he has never met, something he does every week.
Blaine Townsend, this year’s Mr. Raider believes in helping others.
“Me and my friends go every week downtown to the homeless shelter,” Townsend said. “We pass out food and just hang out with them. We aren’t trying to preach to them, just try to love them, be the hands and feet of God.”
Townsend doesn’t waste time at the homeless shelter, he gets to know the people there like he would anyone else.
“They’re really cool and inspirational to me,” Townsend said.
This ministry of reaching out to the homeless came from Blaine himself, with, he says, a great deal of inspiration coming from God.
“In the summer one day I felt God want me to do something,” Townsend said. “Some friends and I got 100 water bottles and passed them out. We talked and prayed with people by the mission.”
Often times Blaine has the opportunity to do more than just talk and pray.
“[One time] We fixed this guy’s wheelchair,” Townsend said. “It was a pretty fun day and after that it kept growing. Got one shot on earth, live it up.”
The homeless ministry isn’t Blaine’s only place to serve.
“[I] talked to the orphanage,” Townsend said. “Felt like helping with the kids. After playoffs I’m going to go up there and help out with the kids. Play some sports with them.”
After high school, Blaine hopes to pursue athletics in college.
“Lots of colleges are looking at me,” Townsend said. “[I’ll] look into being a football coach or a minister. We’ll see what happens.”

Bullying causes unnessecary harm

DaniAdams — Mon, 22 Nov 2010 19:29:37 +0000

Rude remarks, ugly names, hateful text messages. Facebook posts and videos on the web have become a prime source of bullying and are now causing teenagers and young adults to take their own lives to escape the serious emotional scars that bullying leaves.
It is absolutely appalling that people are capable of doing such heartless things to others. What good comes from bullying? A little self-esteem boost, maybe. But that is not enough of a reason to cause someone to take their own life.
Teenagers in particular do not think of the repercussions of the things they say and do. Someone might make a comment intended to be funny, but hurting people isn’t funny. Ever.
High school is only four years of someone’s life. It shouldn’t be someone’s defining moment, nor should it matter who someone is, what they wear, how they act or talk or what their sexual orientation is. Those four years certainly shouldn’t end early because of suicide brought on by constant peer criticism, rudeness and overall nastiness.
It is not fair, right, or just to continuously beat down on someone for who they are. It is ridiculous that bullying hasn’t stopped already after the last month when suicides brought on by bullying made national news for weeks. Bullying needs to stop. There is no doubt about that. It is wrong in every way possible and if the bullies were the bullied, they would feel the same way.
People are bullied every day and with that comes fear, hurt, pain, hating themselves and ultimately taking their own life to escape from the emotional scars they bear everyday. Stand up for the bullied and don’t become the bully. You don’t want to be the reason someone takes their own life.

Blockbuster Takes a Bow

DaniAdams — Wed, 20 Jan 2010 19:57:08 +0000

Americans were recently shocked to learn that Blockbuster is planning to close over 800 of its nationwide stores including the one just a block from Rider.

“My friends were talking about how they went and bought bunches of movies,” sophomore Sarah Harmer said. “Apparently it was [closing] because Blockbuster is trying to get rid of them before they close.”

Many “all-in-one” stores are beating out Blockbuster for the top movie stop spot.

“I don’t go to Blockbuster anyway because Hastings has everything,” sophomore Hope Fiser said. “I always go to Hastings. Hastings is till open and has bomb coffee.”

Blockbuster chose to close after a lack of business greatly reduced their income.

“I watch movies on youtube more often then I rent them,” Harmer said. “I don’t really feel like I’m missing out on much. Movies aren’t my big thing.”