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Senator Rob Portman Has A Change of Heart

A once strong advocate against gay marriage is now revaluating the issue "from a new perspective". He announced his new stance on the issue Thursday and even revealed a personal reason as to what made him change his mind. His son, Will, came out to his parents during his freshman year at Yale University and told them that “he was gay and it was not a choice". Portman was also on the list to be Mitt Romney's running mate last year. He said that when he informed Romney during the selection process that he had a gay son, that the issue was not a deal breaker for Romney. This revelation made the Senator feel torn but he later gained comfort after finding support from Mitt Romney and former Vice President Dick Cheney (who has a gay daughter). Cheney's advice to Senator Portman was simple and precise "follow your heart" which Senator Portman did. Senator Portman described this time as difficult but he learned to accept his son's preference because after all, he will always love him so he felt it was only right to support him. He wants his son to gain the same benefits as his siblings and as the rest of the straight population in our nation which is why he is now putting forth his efforts to fight for gay rights. His announcement was clearly strategic because of its timely manner. His announcement is just a week before the U.S. Supreme Court is to hear oral arguments on the Defense of Marriage Act, which disallows federal recognition of same-sex marriage, an issue that Partman once co-sponsored as a member of the House in 1996. This is certainly a drastic change of heart and one that no one expected from Senator Portman. My only response to this is that everything happens for a reason, and this just might help advocate the fight for gay rights.

By: Simona Hentsa

SimCity a Bust?

               SimCity is a widely loved game from kids to adults. So when news started about how it was going to be rebooted for 2013, people went nuts. It had been almost been 10 years since SimCity 4, which was also very popular during its time. It features building a city and basically trying to make it as awesome as possible. Collect taxes, build schools, police stations, hospitals, and stuff like that. A new addition to the reboot is the online connection; it allows a person to interact with other people but the problem is that it is always needed. There is no way to actually play the game offline unless one was to pirate the game or EA fixes the issue.

            Gamers, nerds, and geeks from all over are furious with EA because of this issue. It causes many problems for people to play because 1) some have terrible internet connection so it will either lag them out and crash, 2) most people do not want to play with others when the all of the other Sims game require no online connection, and 3) you pay, you get to do what you want. But recently, a SimCity modder has found a way to play the game offline. Although they will not say how, EA just got a huge slap on the face. The online version has a very limited size as to how big the city can be built but when played offline; the size was able to expand much more. This proves that EA is as greedy to their games as Apple is with their products. So has EA and Maxis responded to this discovery? Not yet, but how long can they keep up their house of lies until the consumers join in together and break it down? How long until the companies decide to fix this issue and make everybody happy?

Welcome Back Baseball

   It is that time of year again folks, Americas pastime is just around the corner. Pitchers and catchers reported back in mid-February, kicking off the start of spring training. You can currently find the major league ball clubs at their spring locations in either Florida or Arizona. At this point, they are finishing off their last few spring training games, as the coaches of each team look for their final rosters. When watching a spring training game, you are less likely to spot your big name ball players, rather you are more likely to hear of Joe Random, a hot new position player out of who knows where. With the season approaching, there is much speculation out of which teams will thrive and which teams will disappoint. Being a home town fan, I have the upmost amount confidence in the local Washington Nationals, your last season National League East champions. The Nats found themselves in the playoffs for the first time last season, where they posted their best record since coming to the Nations Capital. With some key offseason acquisitions, the Nationals are looking to be the favored team to come away with the World Series title. Which as a fan of theirs has me very excited. Twenty-two days until the regular season goes underway, so make sure as a fan you have your April 1st free, so that you are able to watch some good old fashioned baseball. While on the topic of baseball, don't forget to support your own Falls Church High School varsity baseball team, as their regular season is also nearing. Go Jags, and Go Nats !
By: Michael Barnes

Spring Break Ideas

Spring Break is just around the corner and if you do not have a plan quite yet, don't panic! Haven't you always dreamed of going somewhere tropical and warm when we face all this cold, early March weather? Cancun, Mexico is a tropical southeastern city on the Yucatan peninsula. Cancun boasts some of the greatest weather in early March with sunny skies and warm breezes surrounded by crystal blue water. Sounds perfect, right? Another top spring break city has to be Puerto Vallarta in Mexico. A lot like Cancun, there just is not a bad time to visit, meaning it is great weather all the time. Puerto Vallarta is often called the Friendliest City in the World because of its tourist-friendly atmosphere. The white sand beaches, city history, and killer sunsets are truly unbeatable. Now if you are looking to stay in the U.S. and relatively close to home, consider the Outer Banks in North Carolina, Virginia Beach, or even Ocean City in Maryland. These are all great beach destinations pretty close to Northern Virginia for a quick week-long getaway.

James Dickemann
Sports Editor