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“Marley and Me”
Two Thumbs Up!
by Savanah Eve Stewart, 12
During my Christmas break from school I went to go and see the movie “Marley and Me.” It is about a man named John and his wife Jenny adopting the world’s worst dog and having to live through his mess making ability to turn everything into pieces. From the first day they got Marley until the end of the story their lives were filled with laughter and tears. It is an amazing family movie and I give two thumbs up for the message that it leaves for dog lovers.
This movie reminded me of my new lab puppy, Shadow. He truly is the “world’s worst dog” but he still loves you no matter what you do. For example, we have a place in our backyard where we used to have a fish pond. When it rains the old fish pond fills up with dark, muddy water that is about a foot deep. Shadow somehow always ends up in it and he will be covered from head to tail with mud. If you try to stop him he will jump in anyway with a big smile on his face! You just can’t resist him!
Towards the end of the movie I cried because it reminded me a lot about the life and love that my old lab Bishop shared with my family and me before he passed away.
“Marley and Me” is an awesome movie for dog lovers. Anyone who has ever loved a dog and lost a dog will throughly enjoy this. I hope that you and your family will go and see this movie and that you enjoy it as much as I did.
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Opelika Middle School 6th grader Paxton Moeller is a champion Sport Stacker with the US Record for 11- year-olds. Paxton, like many 11-year-olds, likes pepperoni pizza, High School Musical 3 and playing soccer, baseball and basketball.
Sport stacking was founded in 1985 at a Southern California Boys and Girl’s Club. In 1990, Johnny Carson featured a stacking segment on the Late Show. Since then, competitive Sport Stacking has
become an national rage with over 12,000 schools participating.
Would you like to try Sport Stacking? Bob Fox, a former elementary school teacher, founded Speed Stacks to supply regulation speed stacking cups to growing fans of the sport. To get your first set of Speed Cups go to www.speedstacks.com
Glossary of Speed Stacking Terms from SpeedStacks.com
Ambidexterity
Using your left and right hands with the same ease and skill; very handy when it comes to dribbling and shooting a basketball, using the computer, playing the piano, sport stacking and much more. Michelangelo, Ben Franklin, Einstein, and more, were ambidextrous.
Bilateral proficiency
Equal performance on both sides of the body - to be able to use both hands equally well. It requires practice. Become ambidextrous and along with physiological brain growth, a more balanced integration of your two brain hemispheres will be achieved. Studies have shown that ambidextrous people are more emotionally independent, more determined, more adaptable to new situations and more apt to handle problems without giving up.
Cup
A specially designed plastic cup specifically made for sport stacking and approved by the WSSA and used in a sport stacking competition or event.
Cycle stack
This is a sequence of stacks combining a 3-6-3 stack, a 6-6 and a 1-10-1 stack, in that order. Stackers conclude the Cycle with cups in a 3-6-3 “down stacked” position.
Division
A Stacker’s division for individual or team relay competition is based on his/her grade level.
Down stacking
Term used for “unstacking” or putting cups down. (Hands may not be on two stacks simultaneously either in the Up Stacking or Down Stacking phase.) Down Stacking must follow the same direction as the Up Stacking phase (i.e. if you “up stack” from left to right, you must also “down stack” from left to right).
False start
There are three types of false starts that can occur in the Team Relay Competition:
A lead stacker’s hand(s) leave the touch pads of the StackMat™ Competition Timer before the command of “Go” by the official.
A subsequent stacker’s foot crosses the starting line before the hand tag.
A missed hand tag.
False stop
A false stop occurs if during the Individual Timed Competition, a Stacker accidentally or intentionally stops the StackMat Competition Timer before the sequence is complete. (All cups must be down stacked and upright before the timer is stopped.) OR In the Team Relay Competition, the StackMat™ Competition Timer is stopped prior to the fourth and final Stacker completing his or her sequence.
Focus
The ability to concentrate.
Forfeit
A loss of a race and/or a match in a Team Relay Competition for interference and/or unsportsmanlike conduct. (This includes “unintentional” interference.)
Fumble
The term used when cups fall during the process of Up Stacking or Down Stacking. (More about the three types of fumbles.) Fumbles must be corrected properly. When a stacker fumbles a cup, only the stacker can retrieve it.
Hand-eye coordination
Hand-eye coordination - Having your brain tell your hands what to do and having them actually do it, like catching a ball or stacking cups.
Individual timed stack
Term used to time or measure a person’s performance in an individual event.
Penalty points
This term is for points taken away for mistakes made in the Team Relay Competition, such as false starts and improperly corrected fumbles.
Ready position
The Ready Position: knees bent, swivel at wrist.
Record
The fastest time associated with a Stacker within a division utilizing the WSSA official timing device (StackMat).
Sport
A game or some kind of active play done for exercise or pleasure. Speed Stacks exercises our brains along with our bodies - allowing both to grow.
Sportsmanship
The practice of honorable conduct in sport events.
Stack
An individual group of cups either up stacked or down stacked such as a 3 stack, 6 stack or 10 stack. OR A specific stacking sequence, or pattern, involving a combination of individual stacks (e.g. 3-3-3 stack, 3-6-3 stack, Cycle stack).
Stacking sequence
The term used to describe the order in which cups are upstacked and downstacked. 3-3-3: Cups are “up stacked” and “down stacked” from left to right or right to left (individual preference) in three stacks made up of three cups in each stack (3-3-3). 3-6-3: Cups are “up stacked” and “down stacked” from left to right or right to left (individual preference) in three stacks made up of three cups on the left, six cups in the center, and three cups on the right (3-6-3).
StackMat™ Competition Timer
The official WSSA sport stacking timer and stacking surface. A StackMat is activated when both hands are flat on the touch pads which will illuminate the red and green lights indicating that the timing device is ready. The clock starts when a Stacker lifts one or both hands to stack and stops when the Stacker places both hands on the touch pads.
Stacking surface
The stacking surface is defined as the top surface of the StackMat (including the mat, touch pad area and timing device).
Team relay races
Four (or five) member teams assembled to participate in one-after-the-other stacking for a combined total time.
Teamwork
The ability to work toward and accomplish a common goal as a group.
Up stacking
Term used for stacking the cups “up.“ (Hands may not be on two stacks simultaneously either in the Up Stacking or Down Stacking phase.)
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Stackology (stacking history)
December 2006
Received first set of cups for Christmas.
January 2007: Florida State Sport Stacking Championship
1st place in 9 yr old 3-6-3
January 2008: Pensacola Sport Stacking Championship
1st place- 11 yr old division- 3-3-3; 3-6-3; Cycle; doubles cycle; and 3-6-3 relay
February 2008: Georgia Sport Stacking State Championship
1st place- 10 yr old 3-3-3; 3-6-3; and head to head cycle relay
2nd place-timed 3-6-3 relay;
Overall Champion-3-3-3 and 3-6-3
April 2008: World Championship, Denver Colorado
1st place-11 & Under 3-6-3 timed relay
2nd place-11U cycle relay
7th place-10 yr old 3-3-3
10th place overall (entire tournament)-timed 3-6-3 relay
May 2008-Florida Sunshine State Championships
1st place-10 yr old 3-3-3; 3-6-3; and cycle
1st overall-3-6-3
2nd overall-3-3-3; and cycle
Overall Champion (best combined times for all three events in the finals)
November 2008-Tennessee State Stacking Championship
1st place-11 yr old 3-6-3; cycle; doubles 3-6-3 and doubles cycle
2nd place-11 yr old 3-3-3
Cycle time in the finals is unofficially a United States record for 11 yr olds (under official review)