John Green

Trystan Hurst

John Green, New York Times Bestselling Author, began writing young adult novels in 2005 when he published his first novel Looking for Alaska. Green is currently well known for his book to film adaptation of his novel The Fault in Our Stars debuting this summer. Before the success of this novel which created his mainstream status, Green was well known on the Internet and praised for his writing and sense of humor. He has other published novels that new readers have yet to discover such as: An Abundance of Katherines; Will Grayson, Will Grayson; Paper Towns; Looking for Alaska and Let it Snow. Green's books have won several prestigious awards such as the Michael L. Printz Award, Teen Book of the Year from the Children’s Choice Book Awards, and Edgar Award for Best Young Adult Mystery. Green collaborated with other authors on books as well such as his book, Will Grayson, Will Grayson with David Levithan. Green also wrote a long short story called “A Cheertastic Christmas Miracle” in the book Let It Snow, featuring other stories from Maureen Johnson and Lauren Myracle. Greens books are focused more on a young-adult audience but enjoyable for all ages. Just prepare for a tear-jerking journey.

                                                               Trystan Hurst 

Back-up Your Data!

        As the school year ends, the school-issued Mac Books have to be turned in for the summer months. Weather you’re graduating or returning in August, you still need to back up your files and important information. The Mac Books will be re-imaged and any data not backed up will be lost. You have plenty of options depending on how much data you have to back-up.

        The school has suggested the use of Dropbox to store your important data. If you only have some papers and photos to back up, Dropbox could be your best option. Because it is pre-installed on the Mac Books and it has the ability to access your files from any computer, Dropbox has an advantage over other services such as Google Drive and SkyDrive. However, 2GB is the maximum amount of data that can be stored for free.

        If you have more than 2GB of data to store, SkyDrive is a handy alternative. SkyDrive works in a similar fashion to DropBox in that allows you to sync and share files between computers seamlessly. SkyDrive allows you to store up to 7GB of data for free.

        If you’re not a fan of cloud storage and would prefer a more solid way to store back-up your data, consider external storage. Whether you back-up the data on a USB Flash Drive, an external hard drive or burn it to a CD, there are plenty of ways to back-up your data. The only downside to backing-up your data externally is that flash drives are easy to misplace, hard drives always run the risk of failing, and CDs get scratched and become unusable. So whatever you choose to back-up your data with, make sure you feel comfortable about your choice.

Kara Melvin

NFL Draft Predictions: Weir's Take

1^st Pick: The Texans own the first round pick and I think the decision has been narrowed down to two players; Jadeveon Clowney and Johnny Manziel.

Clowney, an athletic wonder, is said to be a once in a lifetime talent. His 6’4 frame paired with his deadly speed off the edge can be a nightmare to any QB. However, Clowney’s effort and work ethic is questioned due to his performance last year with the South Carolina Gamecocks.

Johnny Manziel could be the most heavily debated draft prospect in this year’s class. Manziel’s freshman year proved to be one for the ages, winning him a Heisman Trophy. However, his mechanics and QB abilities are questioned. Manziel is a big risk for the Texans, but could be a big reward.

When the time comes for the Texans to make a decision, I think they will go with Manziel. Clowney is an amazing talent, but the Texans need a QB, not a defensive lineman. Last year, the Texans could not function without a QB heading their offense. Plus, I’m sure the marketing team could have a field day with Manziel playing for the Texans.

Best NFL Career: When former Clemson WR Sammy Watkins’s name is called, the team who selects him will not be disappointed.

            Watkins’s time spent at Clemson allowed him to earn a reputation as not only a reliable WR, but also a playmaker. Watkins caught 240 passes and garnered 3,391 total receiving yards, averaging 14.2 yards per catch. In his junior year, he also led the ACC in receiving yards with 1,464 and finished second in total receptions with 101.

With his incredible work ethic and willingness to get better, he will strive to get better no matter where he goes. I foresee defenses struggling to keep him contained on Sundays.

Most Buzz: Jadeveon Clowney has this category on lock down. Sure, Johnny Manziel is up there with him in talks of potential, but Clowney can separate any sports bar in a heartbeat. The capabilities he demonstrated in his sophomore year with South Carolina were astounding.

Along with the stellar year, no one will forget the train-like tackle of his in the 2012-13 Outback Bowl, forcing the Michigan RB to lose possession of the ball and his helmet.

After his sophomore year, the critics began to ring in. Clowney was facing hustling issues, not finishing plays and overall lacking his prior explosiveness. Granted, Clowney was suffering from a foot injury that prevented him in several games, but Clowney simply was not the same.

Depending on which side of Clowney you want to see, Clowney could be the next defensive monster or potentially a bust.

Potential Bust: Former UCF QB Blake Bortles might be the biggest bust in this year’s draft. His passing stats are not bad, but the defenses he went up against were not the greatest. UCF’s strength of schedule was ranked at 98 last year, proving to be nothing compared to former Georgia QB Aaron Murray’s strength of schedule at 31.

Steal of the Draft: Former Auburn RB Tre Mason will make any team he goes to happy with their decision. Mason was a key component in Auburn’s deadly option attack last year as he ran for 1,816 rushing yards on 317 attempts. His small stature and speed can be compared to a Ray Rice or Darren Sproles. Mason’s flexibility and potential will help any team in the NFL.

Versatile: Sammy Watkins will once again appear on this list as the most versatile player in the draft this year. Watkin’s abilities and size allows him to play any position in which he can catch the ball. The sharp break off the line of scrimmage mixed with his fluid hip movements can leave many defenders in the dust.

            Not only can he be a threat on the offense, Watkins also has the speed to return punts and kicks on special teams. 

Harris' Take on the 2014 NFL Draft

       Beginning on Thursday, the 2014 NFL Draft will be on its way. The 32 NFL teams will be on the clock and the NFL prospects will be waiting impatiently for their name to be called. The Houston Texans possess the first draft pick in this year’s draft. The question on most minds of fans and football analysts is who will be taken with that first pick. Will it the Texans go the defensive rout and draft South Carolina’s defensive end Jadeveon Clowney? Or will the Texans focus on the offensive side of the ball by drafting Texas A&M’s quarterback Johnny Manziel or Buffalo’s offensive linebacker Khalil Mack? We will find out Thursday, but until then let’s talk about the potential stars and busts in this year’s draft.

        

1^st Pick Overall: Jadeveon Clowney

         South Carolina’s 6-foot-5, 266 pound defensive end Jadeveon Clowney caught the eye of most people after his hit heard around the world on Michigan’s Vincent Smith. Draft analysts were in awe of Clowney’s speed and explosiveness for a guy his size. For a player to possess these qualities is a rare occurrence in the NFL today. The only potential weaknesses analysts see from Clowney are that he will not live up to the hype built around him and that he tends to disappear for stretches of games (at least he did in his final season at USC). Clowney is projected to possibly be the number overall pick going to a Houston Texans team that fell apart last year. The addition of Clowney, along side Pro-Bowler J.J. Watt, would make the Texans’ defense much more formidable than it was last season.

        

Most Buzz: Johnny Manziel

         Without a doubt the player with the most buzz in this year’s draft is quarterback Johnny Manziel from Texas A&M. Manziel has been considered one of the most dynamic college football players in recent memory. Manziel impressed analysts and fans with his intangibles as a quarterback along being a very mobile as well. The biggest questions about Manziel are his size and durability. Manziel is only 6-foot and is considered undersized compared to most quarterbacks in the NFL. The durability question goes back into the size aspect and how NFL defenses are much, much bigger and physical compared to the college defenses Manziel went up against. Draft experts predict Manziel to be the first quarterback to be selected in this draft going possibly number one overall to the Texans or falling to at least the fifth overall pick to the Oakland Raiders.

        

Most Versatile: Sammy Watkins or Mike Evans

         The most versatile player in this year’s draft was a hard choice so I picked two players that caught my eye the most based on size and skill. Those two players are Sammy Watkins from Clemson and Mike Evans from Texas A&M. Both play at the wide receiver position and are the top two for that position in this year’s draft class. Watkins, the smaller of the two receivers, is 6-foot-1, 211 pounds and plays at wide receiver. Watkins’ size plus his speed would resemble more of a running back or a kickoff/punt returner than a receiver. While Evans measures in at 6-foot-5, 231 pounds and has been said to look taller than he appears. If Evans were to gain more strength and put on more muscle than he already has then he could definitely play at tight end as well as wide receiver. Both are projected to be first round picks and both would fit in as go-to receivers for teams looking for that type of receiver such as the St. Louis Rams or the Cleveland Browns (both teams have two first-round picks).

        

Potential Bust: Teddy Bridgewater

         Draft experts have Louisville’s Teddy Bridgewater as their third best quarterback in this year’s draft class behind Texas A&M’s Johnny Manziel and Central Florida’s Blake Bortles. Once the 2013-2014 college football season ended, Bridgewater was seen as the not only the best quarterback in this draft class, but also as the number one overall pick. Bridgewater’s draft stock has dropped due to his lack of accuracy with his throws during his pro day. This along with other concerns such as durability and lack of a physical frame has made Bridgewater drop from an early first round pick to a late first round pick; possibly even an early second round pick. Bridgewater’s game has not really jumped out at me at all; the only exception being his Sugar Bowl performance against the Florida Gators following the 2012 season. Bridgewater was too hyped for his own good in my opinion.

        

Draft Steal: AJ McCarron, Marquise Lee, or Aaron Murray

         Alabama quarterback AJ McCarron has not had as much buzz as a Johnny Manziel. It’s hard to overlook what McCarron did in his time at Alabama under head coach Nick Saban. McCarron and the Crimson Tide won back-to-back BCS National Championships (2011, 2012). McCarron is not a mobile quarterback like Manziel, but makes up for it with his arm strength and intangibles.

         USC wide receiver Marquise Lee was a highly touted prospect throughout his three years with the Trojans. Despite being on an overhyped team and struggling with injury, Lee stood out for his speed and ability to catch the ball especially on straight-line routs.

         Georgia quarterback Aaron Murray would be one of the top quarterbacks in this draft class if he did not suffer a torn ACL in his senior season. Murray performed in front of 23 NFL teams with no issues other than wearing a knee brace. The size and durability of Murray are still a question.

         Most Longevity in the NFL: Eric Ebron

         Tight ends have proven to be needed and have much longevity in the NFL. Two of the best examples in my opinion are New England’s Rob Gronkowski and the New York Jets’ Eric Decker. North Carolina’s Eric Ebron has not only the size, but also the athleticism to have a bright future in the NFL. The main weakness with Ebron is that he is still developing his body and building his strength. Draft experts have Ebron going late in the first round to Eli Manning and the New York Giants where he will be a great addition/weapon for Manning. 

Twitter: @OddKingz