Riker’s Block

  • Players, teams gearing up for seismic NBA free agency period

    Kawhi. Kyrie. Kemba. Klay. There’s a common denominator between these superstar players (and not only that their names all start with “K”)- all are free agents that will shape the NBA landscape this summer. Whether it’s discussion about a player’s legacy, or the chance for a fresh start, or the chase for championships, there are…

    Read more

  • Winners and Losers from the Raptors’ Rapturous Finals Victory

    We can officially say it now- Jeremy Lin is an NBA champion. Yes, he watched the entirety of Game Six from his seat on the Toronto bench, but he’s still adding a ring to his memorable career resume. Aside from Lin getting the championship he deserved, this year’s NBA Finals was filled with wild storylines…

    Read more

  • Organized Chaos: My Wild College Application Experience in 12 Stages

    In most stories, there is a pit so deep that the protagonist of the story sees all hope as being lost. My college process was no different. And on one February evening, I had reached the exact point that I made it my goal to avoid. Yet there I was, late at night, on the…

    Read more

  • SIP: Lone Star- Jerry Jones’ Impact on the Dallas Cowboys and NFL

    The following paper is my Senior Independent Project (SIP) from my senior year in my school’s Humanities and Arts program. The paper focuses on the career and impact of Dallas Cowboys’ general manager and owner Jerry Jones and was awarded the meritorious designation by the H&A judges/panel. Given the nature of this project as a…

    Read more

  • Varsity Letter: Swan Song

    The following column was published in Wootton’s Common Sense newspaper as the final in the Varsity Letter series. The most impactful moment of my high school athletic career came in the least likely of places and the least extraordinary of days. After a nondescript road run for track practice during my junior year, all of…

    Read more

  • Golden Era: Ranking the best ballers of the 2000s and 2010s

    The 2000s have been a special time for basketball. The game has evolved through offensive revolutions and rule changes, dynasties have risen and fallen and some of the best players to ever grace the court have captivated the attention of the sports world. These two decades hold a special place in my heart, as I…

    Read more

  • Varsity Letter: Presence of mind essential to success

    Time is a crucial, if convoluted, element in the majority of our school’s sports (I say majority because, well, golf). Without time, there wouldn’t be the thrill of a buzzer-beater, the magnitude of a broken record in track or swimming or the display of skill required to react to a speeding tennis ball or baseball.…

    Read more

  • Varsity Letter: Spectator experience worth price of admission

    This year’s ice hockey state championship game, featuring our Patriots against the rival Churchill Bulldogs, was a special experience. The high stakes and fierce rivalry built a tense and exciting atmosphere, but a description of the game would not be complete without including another noteworthy element – the nearly 1,000 screaming fans who packed into…

    Read more

  • Star Wars IX trailer gives glimpse of greatness

    With new titles such as Us capturing the attention of viewers at the box office and others like Avengers: Endgame leaving fans bristling in anticipation for their releases, one prominent movie franchise has faded from the forefront of the public consciousness, Star Wars. That changed today when Disney, fresh off the heels of announcing their…

    Read more

  • Us provides audiences doses of thrill, imagination, and reality

    Note: This is a spoiler-free review. In a recent interview with MTV that I saw on YouTube, Jordan Peele, the director of the horror film Us, was posed the question of whether he’s received any offers to direct movies for popular franchises. His response was perfect. “I did get a lot of amazing opportunities. In…

    Read more