A Cure for the quarantine blues

By Daniel McQuerry

Being “quarantined” has sent a wave of the blues across our beloved country. Personally, I have found comfort in binge watching numerous television shows and movies on streaming services that most of us have access to. If you are looking to spend some free time with family or friends, I am going to give you some guidance on some of the best shows and movies on Netflix. 

“Tiger King” is a limited documentary series with only seven episodes and should be a top priority on your watch list. This series details some of the most skin-crawling facts about the big cat industry in the United States. 

“Tiger King” has drawn national attention and Kentucky Sports Radio has dedicated a whole episode of their radio show to talking through the accusations and facts brought up in the series. I highly recommend you immediately sit down and begin watching this documentary so you can discuss with your friends and maybe even call into Kentucky Sports Radio. 

Netflix has recently produced one of the best movies of the year. “The Two Popes” was nominated for numerous filmography awards because of its inspiring storyline. The movie depicted the relationship formed between Pope Benedict XVI and Pope Francis. No matter your religion, this film will open your eyes to a world of love for your fellow man. I hope you can find the time to sit down and enjoy this Oscar nominated film. series. 

Staying on movies that have been nominated for many awards, “Marriage Story” is a must watch. This movie portrays some hard times for a fictional family going through a divorce, which does not seem like such a good storyline, but the directing done by Noah Baumbach was phenomenal. The actors and actresses in this movie are some of the best in the business. 

From Scarlett Johansson to Adam Driver, you don’t want to miss out on the phenomenal acting in this movie. Life throws curveballs and “Marriage Story” shows us all that it’s normal to struggle, but a silver lining can always be found. 

I really have used some of these shows and movies to pass some of the free time that we have all been given without a choice. Watch these with family and friends and make sure to cherish all the time you spend together. Hope you enjoy these great films!

 

Beat boredom with these thrills

By Alaysia Ortiz

Many people, including many teenagers and pre-teens, often enjoy going to see movies with their friends. However, because of social distancing and the closing of theaters in this tough time of self-quarantine, this has become impossible. 

Though we cannot go out and see movies at this time, reading some very interesting books can create mental movies for us. Two of these interesting books might just have you on the edge of your seat, your hairs standing up on end. You might even get goosebumps while searching each page for an answer. 

“The Cabin” was written by Natasha Preston and begins like many good thriller movies. A group of friends visits a cabin in the woods for a weekend of fun and partying, promising each other a “killer weekend.” What they didn’t know was how literal that would turn out to be. After recovering from the initial shock of the death of two of their friends, the rest of the group begins their own investigation. 

As more and more of her friends begin disappearing, the main character, Mackenzie, joins forces with the outcast and brother of the deceased, Blake. With so many twists and turns, this book is sure to keep you entertained for days as you try to unravel this mystery. 

The second book, another written by Natasha Preston, will remind those who’ve seen it of the hit 2017 thriller movie, “Split.” Normal English teenager Summer is on a late night walk to meet a friend when she’s seemingly mistaken for a girl named Lily and kidnapped, taken away by a man who takes her belongings and forces her into a cellar with a few other girls. Unfortunately, there is a lot more to this man than Summer ever could have predicted. 

As she is forced to live under the villain Clover’s rule to survive in the cellar, Summer immediately notices his OCD and many other tendencies. Reading this book is sure to get your heart racing and your mind working while trying to guess whether Summer will escape the clutches of Clover and her new life or not. But be aware — the end is never what you think with Natasha Preston’s books. 

Either one of these amazing stories are great opportunities to occupy your time over this long period of waiting and definitely will not disappoint. After all, thrillers have scientific benefits for your health. We could all use a bit of that right now. 

 

 No-bake cookies can cure your boredom

By Riley Coulter

During this time of quarantine and social distancing, many people are finding it harder and harder to fill their free time with activities. Most people have already cleaned their houses from top to bottom, watched every movie and television series on Netflix, but are still searching for other activities to fill their free time. 

Luckily, there is another activity that you can do, where the end result is always delicious, baking together. Baking recipes are simple and easy to follow, and everyone in the family can enjoy pitching in. There are thousands of online recipes you can follow so do not be afraid to try!

Here is a fun and easy recipe to start with provided by the Food Network.

Peanut Butter and Chocolate No-Bake Cookies:

Ingredients:

2 cups sugar 

8 tbsp unsalted butter

½ cup milk

3 cups old-fashioned rolled oats

1 cup smooth peanut butter

¼ cup unsweetened cocoa powder 

1 tbsp pure vanilla extract 

Large pinch kosher salt

Directions:

Mix together the sugar, butter, milk, and cocoa powder into a saucepan and place over high heat, while stirring occasionally. Continue to stir while waiting for mixture to come to a boil, then allow 1 minute of boiling time.

Remove saucepan from heat, then mix in your oats, peanut butter, vanilla, and salt, and stir to combine.

Line a baking sheet with wax paper. With a tablespoon, scoop mixture from saucepan into any desired size and place on the lined cookie sheet equal distance from each other. Place the cookie sheet in the refrigerator for about 30 mins or until firm

Have fun making this recipe together while turning your boredom into something sweet!  

 

Review of ‘Brother Bear’

By Sidnee Slone

In 2003, Disney came out with a movie called “Brother Bear”. While this movie was highly loved by kids and families all over from that time, it seems as though many have forgotten it. 

The animated movie starts out with three brothers of a native Alaskan tribe, the youngest of which, Kenai, undergoes a ceremony of “manhood.” He is given a totem that represents what he must do to become a man. However, he realizes that his totem is not what he is expecting when he is given “the bear of love”.

After the ceremony, Kenai gets into an argument with one of his brothers. He goes off on his own to retrieve a basket that was taken by a bear. He gets himself into a situation that he cannot get himself back out of and his two older brothers come to save him. 

After a struggle with the bear, Kenai’s oldest brother, Sitka, is killed by the bear. After returning home with his other brother, Denahi, Kenai decides to get his revenge and go after the bear one more time. This time he achieves his goal, but the spirit of his brother transforms him into a bear. 

The rest of the movie goes on to show Kenai’s journey in his new form. Along this journey, Kenai learns more about love, viewing things from the perspective of others, and even accepting change which seems impossible to him.

This movie is a great family movie. The animated style is quite beautiful, especially when the Northern Lights are shown. While it seems that most people have forgotten about this movie, or even have never seen it at all, it still holds a 6.8 out of 10 rating on IMDb.com. 

While this is not exceptionally high, it is still a good rating and perhaps more people should watch the movie to give it an opinion of their own. “Brother Bear” has also been nominated for 24 awards, winning two in music. 

All in all, “Brother Bear” is a very cute, heartwarming, classic Disney movie that some would say deserves more recognition than it gets. 

 

Don’t let COVID-19 derail your fitness goals

By Madison Cornelius

Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear has taken many actions to try to protect Kentuckians from the COVID-19 virus. On March 17, he announced that only essential businesses would be permitted to continue operations. This excludes businesses such as salons, movie theaters, and gyms. 

This news was obviously disappointing and surprising to most people. However, moving forward, it is important that we all be patient while we wait for these businesses to reopen after the health and safety crisis subsides. We also must remain positive and make the best of our situations to stay as stress free as possible.

 Exercise is one way to keep stress at a minimum. With gyms closing, being creative and adaptable with your workout is the new normal. Here are some simple exercises that can be done right at home to keep you active. 

Cardio:

1. Walk or run outside in a safe area, or do stationary runs in your own home, adding high knees and butt kicks for increased difficulty.
2. Mountain Climbers: On the floor, assume a push-up position and begin by pulling one knee towards the chest. Then alternate legs quickly, pulling your knee as high as possible to your chest each time.
3. Jumping rope. If you do not have a jump rope, mimic the motion with your hands. Add some creativity to your footwork to increase heart activity.

 

Core:

1. Crunches. Lying on the floor with your knees bent and hands lightly touching the back of your neck, find a spot on the ceiling and slowly lift your shoulders towards that target and then gently drop to the starting position. Hold in the air for several seconds for an added challenge. 
2. Butterfly Kicks. Lying on your back, raise your legs six inches from the floor. Then, in an alternating motion, quickly kick your feet one or two inches higher. Make kicks higher to add difficulty.
3. Alternating Toe Reaches. Lying on your back with your legs extended to the ceiling, alternate reaches to the outside of the toes using the opposite hand. Holding hand weights will increase the challenge).

As we continue into this unchartered territory in history, I hope you are able to keep moving forward and appreciate each day. A new day can help motivate us to embark on a healthier lifestyle. Take advantage of this time at home to reach the personal fitness goals you have never had time to achieve before.

 

More than a senior season 

By Reiley Colwick

For senior baseball player Grant Hotchkiss, this season meant more to him than all the others. Despite being one of the best players and leaders on the team his whole career, he has battled with injury after injury. Hotchkiss says, “Injuries have really taken a toll on me during my high school career, not only in baseball but all the other sports, too.”

 Hotchkiss not only excels in baseball but also in football and basketball. During his junior year, he had to quit football due to a shoulder injury but continued to play both basketball and baseball. “Out of all the sports I’ve played throughout the years, I’d have to say that baseball is the one I enjoy the most,” states Hotchkiss. 

In his junior year of baseball, Hotchkiss only got to participate in a minimal amount of games before re-injuring his shoulder. And now, due to the recent COVID-19 outbreak, he may be missing more than half, if not all, of his senior year in baseball. “When I first heard the news that I won’t get to enjoy my last year playing baseball here at Boyle County, I was so devastated that it brought me to tears,” Hotchkiss states. 

Even though he is going to get to play baseball at the next level with teammate Drew Baker at Wright State, Hotchkiss is still upset that he might not get a chance to play with all of his friends that he grew up with for the past four of five years ever again. Hotchkiss stated, “I really thought that we had a really good chance at competing for a state championship this year.” 

Hotchkiss left with this, “The only thing we can do now is hope and pray that the COVID-19 outbreak will slow down fast enough for me and my teammates to enjoy our last year playing baseball together.”

 

Quarantine retro style

By Joshua Luttrell

Everyone knows what is going on in the world right now and no matter if you are being quarantined or self quarantined we are all looking for ways to pass the time. The way I intend to pass the time in my free time is playing video games with family. Today I plan to review a couple of throwback games that I still enjoy. 

The first game I would like to share with you is called Ninja Gaiden. It was created by Tecmo and released on the Nintendo Entertainment System on December ninth 1988. In the game, you play as Ryu Hayabusa seeking vengeance for his father’s mysterious death. It is a side-scrolling game in which you battle several enemies and bosses until you reach the main boss, the Jaquio.

 This entertaining game is full of many interesting twists and turns and is also dubbed one of the hardest games on the NES to complete. Being as difficult as it is the game always seems to pull the player in deeper. In my personal experience, I have yet to defeat the Jaquio but I will continue trying because I am one of those players who continue to get pulled deeper into the game every time I play it. 

The next game I would like to mention involves characters everyone on the planet will easily recognize the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles. The game I am going to talk about is called Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Turtles In Time. 

It started as an arcade smash and was released on the Super Nintendo in March 1991 and instantly became one of the most popular games on the SNES platform. It also is a side-scroller where you battle many enemies from the shows and movies we all grew up on until you face the evil shredder. 

This was one of the first games that makes you feel like you were actually there because of its new stellar graphics which was perfect for the SNES. Turtles in time has always and will always be one of my favorite games that I will always love to revisit because of its amazing storyline and its popularity.

 

Pictures of games

 

CUTLINE:

If you are looking for a way to pass the time, plugin and give these awesome games a try.