TCSV Tornado Girls Basketball rocked the Clinton Turkey Tussle Tournament. Over the past few days, the girls have been hard at work opening the season in style. 

On Monday, we played Riverton and won 48-35. We got off to a slow start but quickly turned it up in the 2nd quarter. Ashlyn Sturdy led all scorers with 27 points and 9 rebounds. Anna Sagle added 15 points. Rebecca Moxley had 8 rebounds and 4 blocks and Jordan Closs added 2 points. This momentum pushed us into game 2 when we played Porta. 
 
The second game against Ports ended in a win 41-36. This game was close all the way until the end with it being tied at 30 going into the 4th, but TCSV outscored PORTA 11-6 in the 4th quarter to pull out another win. It was a knock out drag out brawl of a game with little fouls being called and bodies flying everywhere. Sagle led all scorers with 19 points, including 5 3's. Sturdy added 17 points, 11 rebounds, and 6 assists. Moxley contributed 8 rebounds and 5 blocks.
 
This brought us to game 3 vs. Mt. Pulaski on Thursday. We won 55-36 despite TCSV trailing 17-21 going into the half and as much as 7 in the 3rd.  But, we didn't lose sight of the end game. Towards the middle of the 3rd quarter, the girls started a push that led us straight to the championship round. Ashlyn Sturdy scored a career high 32 points, not missing a single field goal or free throw in the 2nd half. Anna Sagle tallied 20 points, including 6 3's which sets a TCSV record for 3's in a game.
 
The championship game was played Saturday vs. the Clinton Maroons. We pulled off a huge win that evening with a 57-39 score. TCSV got off to a hot start, outscoring the Maroons 24-8 in the first quarter, including 16 first quarter points from Sturdy. The Tornadoes would coast the rest of the game on the way to the title in their first year in the tournament. Sturdy led all scorers with 32 points, 7 rebounds, 6 assists, and 6 steals. Sagle netted 11 points and Allison Campbell scored 8.
 
Ashlyn Sturdy and Anna Sagle received All-Tournament Team Honors for their performances. Ashlyn Sturdy set a tournament record for points by scoring 108 points and dominating the games. Anna Sagle had an incredible tournaments, making 16 3's during the 4 game tournament. Great work girls! Let's keep it up as the season gets underway. 

In this day and age of heightened rhetoric, toxic political discourse, and living in constant fear of this or that, the American public wrestles with the idea of "how do we prevent these evils in our society?" Our nation was founded on the principle of freedom: freedom of speech, religion, press etc. But, at what point has freedom go too far?

Every year in late September, the country celebrates Banned Books Week to highlight the great literature and voices of those who have been silenced, both currently and in years past. In Mr. Brian Hansbrough's English classroom, reading the novel Fahrenheit 451 during Banned Books Week struck an interesting accord with our students. For Mr. Hansbrough's class, students were motivated to make Banned Book Posters that highlighted some of the books that are banned or deemed wildly inappropriate for students. 

Below are some examples of the creative talents that his students put forward and their passion for the visual arts, but we think it's even more surprising that some of these books are even on the list, especially the ones that are taught in school curriculums across the country. 

Some states have state-wide banned book lists and other lists are more community/school specific. It can be hard to believe that in this age of information and free press, books are still banned and highly recommended not to read because of their content, despite the fact that many classics that have shaped our national ethos and moral fabric of how we as Americans run our society are now listed on the banned books list. 

As a society developed around the concept of free will, Rene Descartes would be rolling around in his grave if he knew that a modern society has returned to the dark ages in hopes of limiting free thinking and independent ideas (in the name of safety of course). Much like the storyline in Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury, dangerous consequence arise when a governmental body dictates what is and is not an acceptable idea for the people to consume, in print form or out loud. The only true way a modern society can continue to adapt and learn is to actually adapt and learn. Even though we have replaced a paperback book with a computer screen, the only true way to make real progress is to consume and contemplate. That ability should be the cornerstone of any democracy and citizens should have the innate ability to "think" and "therefore be."