THE EAGLE R O B E R T
ISSUE
M O R R I S
U N I V E R S I T Y
No 18.02
SPRING II 2014
ARLINGTON HEIGHTS • BENSENVILLE • CHICAGO • DUPAGE • ELGIN • LAKE COUNTY • ORLAND PARK • PEORIA • SCHAUMBURG • SPRINGFIELD
Est. 1996
LEAGUE CHAMPIONS
FULL ARTICLE ON PAGE 14 Photo by: Amanda Hamilton
If you are not interested in the weather, this issue of the Eagle has plenty to talk about, like whether student housing is owrth it or not. Editor Tyson Bosco and I talk it out in this issue's He Says//She Says. Also check out the reviews for the top albums released this past month of March. In RMU news, get all the details on the upcoming Portfolio Practices: Design Symposium or about the VITA program and how you can get your income taxes done for free! There are only a few more weeks left until tax day. The end of this quarter also marks the completion of freshmen year for all the students that started this past fall. Dolores Contreras reflects on Freshmen year on page 7. Sincerely,
LETTER FROM THE EDITOR Spring is officially here! Well, at least the calendar says it's spring as of March 21st, but somebody forgot to tell Mother Nature. We had a few teaser days in the 60s, but we mostly continue to hover around our good friend freezing. Ok, you caught me. I am talking about the weather, because I can't think of anything else to write about. I am going to keep writing though, because my former screenwriting instructor at Second City doesn't believe in writer's block. I never quite understood that, but I am giving his theory a try. According to him, writer's block is only an excuse that writer's use to postpone work they are afraid to finish. Even if we aren't feeling as creative as we think we should be, the writing still has to get done, I have to meet this deadline, he has to finish a pilot, and y'all have homework. Getting things done on time is such a huge part of the finished product. So, just start writing. Whether it's a marketing plan, an about me for your website, or a paper on a spice for culinary, it has to get done. And of the muse never comes you can still write, ramble, and sometimes something great comes out. Even the stuff that doesn't come out great can be good, or not. Then you can learn from it, because the only way to get better at anything is to keep practicing it. Now about that weather...
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CONTENTS IN THIS ISSUE:
Eagle News: Pages 4-7 -New Masters Program -Design Symposium -Nursing Pinning Ceremony -RMU Free Tax Preparations -ICenter Coalition -Data Analytics Conference -Freshman Year Ending Arts & Culture: Pages 8-9 -Top March Album Reviews -App in Review
Editor-in-Chief
MISSION STATEMENT
The Eagle is the student-centered news source of Robert Morris University (IL) and does not necessarily represent the views of Robert Morris Univeristy administrators, faculty, or students. The Eagle provides a venue for the exchange of ideas and information pertinent to the students of RMU. Visit our publication page at robertmorris.edu/publications/ eagle Like us! RMU Eagle News Follow us! @RMUEagle
Eat & Drink: Pages 10-11 -Zapatista Review -Drinks With Tyson Perspective: Pages 12-13 -He Say She Says -The Chicago Walker Sports & Health Pages 14-15 -Hockey Team Champions -Impact of a Gay Athlete -Walking Among Us Exit to the Right: Page 16 -Sudoku -Numbrix -Top Charts -Comic
THE EAGLE CONTENT TEAM Blake Whitmore Editor-in-Chief Tyson Bosco Editor Dan Ciaglia Editor Heather D. Alexander Editor Mariaha Gluszek Writer Jessi Bahena Writer Kevin Morales Writer Dolores Contreras Contributor Jessie Yao Contributor Carolyn PavelkisContributor DESIGN TEAM Austin Huette Art Director Tyson Bosco Designer Kyle Ashley Illustrator PUBLIC RELATIONS TEAM Mason Riley Social Media Manager Xavier Cordova Advertising Manager
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Contact
eagleadvertising@robertmorris.edu EAGLE ADVISOR Paul Gaszak pgaszak@robertmorris.edu ADVISORY BOARD David Pyle Mick McMahon CAMPUS FACULTY David Belotti - Lake County dbelotti@robertmorris.edu Beth Gainer - Bensenville bgainer@robertmorris.edu Nicole Hager - Springfield nhager@robertmorris.edu Gerard Wozek - Dupage gwozek@robertmorris.edu Jane Wendorff-Craps - Peoria jwendorff-craps@robertmorris.edu
Portfolio Practices DESIGN SYMPOSIUM 2014 10:30 – 2 • April 11 • 6th floor • Chicago Campus
Put Some Thunder In Your Thinking The Art of Brainstorming
CHRIS CAMP
Get Noticed
DUSTIN WYSE-FISHER
Portfolio Reviews with industry professionals
Chicago Shorts Festival Preview
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MASTER OF SCIENCE IN PHYSICIAN ASSISTANT PRACTICES COULD BE AT RMU BY 2015 HEATHER ALEXANDER
MU is currently in the process of becoming accredited to offer a Masters of Science in Physician Assitant Practices. A Physician Assistant is an individual who is licensed to practice medicine, and diagnose and treat patients under the auspices of a Physician. Before the University could decide if the program would be offered, there were many questions that needed to be answered, such as whether the program fit with the University’s mission and strategic plan of where the University needs to be within the next five to ten years. Dr. Caroline Nawara will be managing the program, as well as teaching courses. “The program put a lot of things going into it, such as an Advisory Board, comprised of people internally and externally to give insight into this process and to guide us, to lead us—the Advisory Board has been wonderful in this process of getting off the ground,” said Nawara. “We have programs that have been around for a while and the Medical Assistant Program has been there. What the experience has been in the Business School, and our Graduate program there, is that it helps our students who
may not be ready to commit to being a Physician Assistant, or nurse, but it gives them something to gravitate towards. Having a higher level degree helps everyone in that group, because more is expected.” The Physician Assistant Program will also bring more science- based curricula to the University as a way for students to lean towards becoming involved in the program. The program that RMU will offer will be 2 years in length. The first year will be strictly course- and lab work, and the second year will be clinical rotations. First-year classes will consist of Anatomy and Physiology, training on how to give physical exams, Bio Chemistry, and many other higher learning courses. The main goal is that the University is offering applied clinical science courses. “We have an expectation that people are coming in with a college background in anatomy and physiology, organic and inorganic chemistry.” There will be a total of thirty students admitted into the program during the first time it is offered. These students will go through the entire program together encountering several steps until they have earned their degree. “It is very
intimate and very intense. This group will be like a mash unit, like a family where they will learn to like each other. It is very lock-step and there is no way to accelerate it. It’s almost like mini med school.” The application process will be very extensive for students wishing to pursue the Physician Assistant Program. Students must take the GRE and achieve a certain score, submit a standard application for Physician Assistants, submit the University’s application for the program—which will require a personal statement, and students will also have to endure an interview process. Dr. Nawara also mentioned that between 2015-2022 there will be a 39% increase in need for Physician Assistants. Even though there are neighboring universities who have medical schools, such as Rush and Northwestern, by RMU offering the program, it will create more opportunities for more students. That being said, the program will also change and diversify the demographic of students that are currently attending the University, which is also a positive influence. As of now, the University is preparing for a site visit by the Accreditation Review Commission on Education
Portfolio Practices: Design Symposium - 2014 CAROLYN PAVELKIS
Date: April 11, 2014 Time: 10:30am - 2:00pm Location: Chicago Campus, Gallery and 6th floor he Institute of Art & Design is pleased to announce Portfolio Practices: Design Symposium – 2014. This year, the annual design symposium will bring together students and faculty from all campuses and industry professionals for portfolio reviews and workshops themed around the practice of
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developing a design portfolio. In the morning, IAD welcomes Chris Camp, a freelance graphic designer and entertainer with nearly twenty years of professional experience in the business of creativity. Guests will participate in Camp’s workshop, “Put Some Thunder In Your Thinking: The Art of Brainstorming and Creative Thinking,” in the Gallery. Later, while upper classmen present portfolios to a team of design industry professionals, freshmen are invited to attend, “Get Noticed,” a workshop with designer, web services and social media
manager, and former RMU professor Dustin Wyse-Fisher. In addition, select graduating seniors will have portfolios and personal branding packages on display during an open viewing session, and a selection of videos from the upcoming Chicago Shorts Fest will be screened throughout the afternoon. With Adobe, Aquent, and selection of design professionals on campus, Portfolio Practices is a day not to be missed. E
for the Physician Assistant (ARC-PA), which has very specific guidelines, in May of this year. Prior to this, the University applied for the Illinois Board of Higher Education to have a Masters degree for this program, which was achieved in August of 2013. “We’re really excited about where we are in the process. If everything goes well and we get approved after the site visit, we will be admitting students in February of 2015.” E
NURSING
PINNING CEREMONY HEATHER ALEXANDER
n February 12th, in the 8th floor auditorium, the College of Nursing and Health Studies honored its graduating nursing students with a pinning ceremony. University Provost, Mablene Krueger, as well as Dean Lora Timmons, were in attendance as nine students were recognized for the completion of their nursing studies. The nursing program takes three years to complete, and at the end, students take their licensure exam. In addition to students receiving their pins, they also received a parting gift from Nursing Program Director Denise Gray. The gift was a battery operated Florence Nightingale lamp, also known as the lamp of knowledge. If students would like to get involved in the Nursing Program they must possess a 2.5 high school GPA or higher, a 21 composite and 21 in math on the ACT, maintain a 2.0 GPA in the University, and pass every class with a C or higher. E
RMU Accounting Students Provides FREE Tax Preparations JESSI BAHENA very tax season (usually February – mid-April), Robert Morris University students participate in the Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA) Program, which is providing free tax preparations to anyone from strangers on the street to students, staff, and
Chicago RMU senior Edith Navarro said, “this is my 1st time participating in this program. It’s been a very educational experience that is preparing me for the future. It’ll also look remarkable on my resume. I recommend other accounting majors to participate in this great program if they get the opportunity to
faculty of RMU. Tax season is back, so get your taxes, receipts, or anything else that may help you with your tax return this year. This program has been up and running for 12 years now at the Orland Park and Chicago campuses. It is also open to members of the surrounding communities. Most of the taxpayers make less than $50,000 a year, but people that make more are not turned down. Accounting students will be preparing federal and state tax returns every Monday and Tuesday from the hours of 1-5pm at the Chicago campus this year in the ICenter. In order to participate in the VITA Program, Accounting students have to successfully complete the Individual Taxation course (ACC 305). Students, however, don’t have to be accounting majors to volunteer for the VITA Program, but they must take Accounting 305. As part of the course, students must pass 2 IRS certification exams, basic and advanced, and had to have received an 80% or higher on the exams. Most of these students are in their senior year, and the VITA Program is both a class and an internship for these students (BUS 356).
do so”. All returns are prepared with the highest level of confidentiality. Once the students have prepared the tax returns, qualified instructors review them before they are electronically filed, assuring that taxes are done with the utmost accuracy. Dr. David Knutsen said “students, staff, faculty, and people with low income should take advantage of this program. It’s a great way to get your taxes done for free and you are helping these students gain some real life experience by letting them take the opportunity to prepare your taxes.” To take part in this opportunity, stop in with the appropriate tax papers and anything that will help with your tax preparation to the 1st floor in the ICenter of the Chicago Campus. This FREE service is only offered Monday and Tuesday from 1-5 pm, and will be available through April 8th. If you have any additional questions or concerns regarding this spectacular free opportunity, feel free to contact Mr. James Coughlin at jcoughlin@ robertmorris.edu or Dr. David Knutsen at dknutsen@robertmorris.edu. E
ICENTER PREPARES FOR ‘YES WE MUST COALITION’ KEVIN MORALES n April 23-25, Robert Morris will be participating in the Yes We Must Coalition’s first national conference. The conference is set to take place at the Renaissance Chicago North Shore Hotel in Northbrook, IL. The ‘Yes We Must Coalition’ was established back in 2010 to help lowincome or first generation students obtain a college degree. There are a total of 34 members in the coalition, including Robert Morris University in Chicago. These institutions are ones that have been successful in helping this specific group of students. During the conference, representatives from institutes of higher education, various organizations, researchers, and several others will meet to discuss the progress of this mission and to share ideas that will aid in increasing the number of students achieving college degrees. Also among the invited are policy makers from Washington D.C. who are looking for ways to help other institutions achieve the same success as those in the coalition. At this conference, Robert Morris will be showcasing its ICenter, which will be presented by Dean of Experiential Technology Jill McGinty during the event’s poster session. “Schools put together a poster, that demonstrate something they do that’s unique, that’s targeted directly towards this student group,” McGinty said. “And for Robert Morris it’s the ICenter and our experiential learning.” The poster will feature various successful ICenter projects that students have worked on for clients since its opening. The session will provide the chance to explain how Robert Morris assesses the success of these projects as well as the impact it has on the students who participate in them.
McGinty wants to highlight on the experiential learning the ICenter offers and how important of a role it can play in a student’s future. “Take a student who is maybe from a low-income environment and hasn’t had exposure to certain things, but now they’ve had some classes with iCenter and that can make an impact not only on themselves but make an impact on organizations and give them that leveled playing field.” The conference is a good opportunity for the ICenter to receive additional feedback on its work from outside sources as well as the chance to find more potential clients among the other institutions. McGinty also thinks the conference will help bring awareness to the ICenter’s purpose and Robert Morris’ students overall. “A lot of people don’t know what ICenter is. Employers know what an internship is, once they hear about ICenter they think it’s cool, they know the value of the projects,” McGinty said. “If something like this becomes better known, then that gives our students more credibility when they go out there in the work place.” Currently there are no plans for any students to accompany McGinty to the conference, but she would like to bring a group of students with her to the event. In years to come, McGinty said Robert Morris could showcase other programs such as travel abroad, publications such as the Eagle newspaper, Performing Arts, and many others at future conferences. E
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RMU HOSTS BIG DATA ANALYTICS CONFERENCE JESSIE YAO
obert Morris University, along with University of Illinois at Chicago and Northwestern University, hosted its first Big Data Analytics conference on March 1, 2014 as one of the many opportunities that have been made available to the University’s graduate students. The conference’s lead organizer was Dr. Faisal Akkawi under the initiative of Dr. Kayed Akkawi, the Dean for the Morris Graduate School of Management. The full day event began at 8:00 AM and featured various keynotes, workshops, and networking opportunities that have given students a glimpse into their prospective sources of employment. Dean of the Institute of Technology and Media school Mr. Basim Khartabil said, “Students [were given] firsthand experience interacting with wellrecognized industry professionals in live conversations and hands-on implementations.” All these experiences were provided by organizations with international acclaim. The conference featured keynote speaker Stefan Groschupf, CEO of Data Analysis firm Datameer, and other leading industry giants such as CISCO, IBM, SAP and more.
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Some of the technologies covered by this conference include data visualization, cloud computing, and predictive analytics – all of which have seen increased focus in the technological sector. Apple’s iCloud, a service that offers seamless backup of data from iOS devices, has seen an increase of 150 million users in 2013 alone. IBM has also released press releases confirming a shift of their resources towards the cloud-computing division in upcoming quarters. Alongside the wide span of technologies introduced at the conference, exists also a highly competitive market between individual technologies. Dr. Faisal Akkawi, a professor within the MIS program, describes the conference as a showing of true democratization. “There are hundreds of tools to do the same thing… Students have the ability to choose their own tools to accomplish their tasks,” said Akkawi. “We allowed companies to come in and present their tools and students were allowed to pick their tools and select which ones they wanted to learn.” Such a great opportunity has been embraced by the many of the student attendees as well. MIS student Cris Afante said, “It was just a great
networking opportunity for us. We’re very lucky that such a comprehensive conference was held at our school.” Afante continues to elaborate by expressing that it was interesting to see classroom philosophies come to life. “Not all MIS students have the chance to attend events like this. It was just a really engaging experience.” Dr. Akkawi speaks very highly of the convention as well. “Learning by doing is an extension to Robert Morris University’s mission. RMU’s mission is applied education – we learn by applying, by sending students into the environment and having them learn from the industry.” This conference was a significant learning experience, not only for the students that participated in the various workshops, but also for professors who wish to continually close the gap between what is being taught in school, and what is being calculated in the real world. When asked whether or not this conference would be available to future MIS students, Mr. Khartabil answered, “The overwhelming demand and attendance was quite encouraging, I am certain similar opportunities if not the same will be offered to our students
along with our industry partners, and academic community.” The influence of information technologies in the modern era is a matter of rapidly increasing significance. With the utilization of technology increasing from business to business, school to school, and community to community, it is clear that this technology’s support structure must develop as well. Robert Morris’ position at the forefront of education has allowed for a similar improvement of its Masters of Informational Systems program. The program has experienced rapid growth and increased rates of enrollment since the $3 million Title VII grant by the United States Department of Education in 2009. In addition to increased enrollment, the MIS program has experienced similar advances in capital equipment, technology, and career-centered opportunities. The grant has allowed the program to develop a curriculum that can utilize industry-standard smart board and computer workstation to construct an educational program most similar to that of the professional realm. E
FRESHMAN YEAR COMING TO AN END DOLORES CONTRERAS
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and opportunities are endless. RMU’s accelerated program is one way it separates itself from other universities. With this program, RMU students have the possibility to finish school earlier than their peers in different schools. “It’s nice to know that soon you’ll be getting your degree thanks to the quarter system at Robert Morris,” Rodriguez said. “By now, you should know we are all here to help you succeed,” Keck mentioned as she advices all future sophomores to stay focused, since it’s so easy to fall behind. E
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She shared how it’s easy to meet new people at the UC, since multiple schools in the downtown area stay there as well. “RMU Chicago has become my home away from home,” Reinke said. So now that freshman year is coming to an end, what are some goals for sophomore year? “I want to continue on the Dean’s List and explore new things to get involved in at school,” Rodriguez said. As she reflects on her freshman experience, Reinke shares how “RMU has already given me so many opportunities.” “Each student gets to decide what experiences they have at RMU,” Keck said, as she explains how the support
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Elite Dance Team at RMU. She explains how being an athlete and maintaining her class work was difficult, but she still managed to make it to the Dean’s List. Business student and football player, Sean Doherty, said his biggest struggle was getting all his work done during football season. “It was tough, especially having to go to Arlington [Heights] everyday, but I managed it.” Some students decided to start their college education away from home. “I really love Chicago so being away from home was fun!” said Julie Reinke, also a Business student, is from Bay City, Michigan, but stays in the University Center (UC) a block away from the Chicago campus.
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n September, RMU Freshmen began a new chapter in their lives. With RMU’s accelerated program, Spring quarter will soon be over and their freshman year will come to an end. “Your time here goes by fast!” said Amy Keck, Student Director of the School of Business. For many students, juggling the 10-week quarter system was pretty difficult. It became more challenging for others when they had to juggle schoolwork and being an athlete. “I had to make sure I got everything done whether I had time or not,” said Cindy Rodriguez, Accounting student. Rodriguez is a member of the Eagle
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JESSI BAHENA
TOP MARCH ALBUM REVIEWS Pharrell Williams
GIRL
Ava Luna Ghost Beach Electric Balloon
Blonde
311 Stereolithic
March 3, 2014 G I R L is an upbeat pop/R&B album. “Happy” was on the Despicable Me 2 album, Which topped the Hot 100, and is shooting for number 1 on the Billboard Hot 100. According to Billboad, Pharrell Williams stated, “G I R L is festive and urgent.” The album features duets and collaborations with Justin Timberlake, Miley Cyrus, Daft Punk, JoJo, and Alicia Keys. This album is very upbeat, and is good enough to make one want to get up and dance through the entire album. Pharrell Williams has been busy ever since his last album release of My Mind in 2006. He accepted a Grammy in 2013 for his role in Frank Ocean’s Channel Orange. Robin Thicke’s “Blurred Lines” topped the Hot 100, which was a Pharrell production. Shortly after, Daft Punk’s “Get Lucky” was the #2 hit on Billboard 200 from June through December, and Top Five on Billboard 200, which featured 10 albums he was involved with in one way or another.
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March 4, 2014 New York based Ava Luna is set to release their fourth album. Their last album, Ice Level, has futuristic funk sound in contrast to the new album, Electric Balloon, which is more upbeat, eccentric and organized. Most of their songs have variety of influence ranging from funk, doo-wop, R&B, and a bit of dance punk. Since Ice Level, Ava Luna has lost a couple of members, going from a seven-person band to just five members, which may have influenced their sound, hopefully for the better.
March 11, 2014
March 4, 2014 Ghost Beach is another New York based “tropical grit pop” duo. They are a fairly new band, forming in 2013. Ghost Beach is set to release their debut album Blonde. The anticipated album delivers a mix of highly danceable tunes with some experimental 80’s pop and electro- rock.
Omaha rockers 311 are set to release their 11th independent album on March 11th (how ironically cute). Their last album, Universal Pulse, was released in 2011; it debuted at #7 on Billboard’s Top 200. 311 have been embracing us with their combination of rock, rap, and reggae for over 25 years. Stereolithic stays true to their rock sound, with them venturing into new territories with a much more laid back, mellow sound.
App in REVIEW f you are a graphic design student, faculty, or just a lover of typography then Type:Rider is the next game to replace Candy Crush during your morning commute. Published by BulkyPix and developed by Ex Nihilo in association with ARTE France, Type:Rider is the latest indie phenomenon. Type:Rider is available on the iTunes app store for the iPhone, iPad, and iPod touch for just $2.99. Type:Rider is a puzzle platform game as well as an interactive learning experience. It casts you in the role of two twin orbs, very similar to a colon, traveling through a shadowy world. With Type:Rider, those aren't just ran-
dom shapes you are rolling over and collecting. They are typefaces, each taken from some of the most recognizable fonts throughout history. As you head through each level, you will relive that journey one unlockable manuscript at a time. And you might actually learn something cool along the way! Type:Rider's controls are pretty simple for a mobile game. You have three options: tilt, virtual buttons, and the more intuitive default option. With default, tap the left side of the screen to move left, the right side to move right, and both sides simultaneously to jump. You'll use these basic abilities to traverse long and
varied landscapes, most of which are basic black shapes hovering in front of gorgeous pieces of contextual artwork. Grab letters, move blocks around, and bring the glowing orb to the goal so you can take off for some more font fact finding. Type:Rider's main gimmick, the inclusion of typeface history, is strangely divorced from the game itself. You collect letters and look at fonts while you play, but the real learning aspect takes place via paragraphs of text you unlock and read, stopping the gameplay entirely while you squint at the words. That lack of integration prevents Type:Rider from
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becoming a truly innovative experience, but the game itself is still surprisingly atmospheric and entertaining. There's no denying it's a gorgeous game, and it'll definitely bring some awareness to the worlds of typography and the history of written communication. Type:Rider is available as a mobile game for iOS and Android, as well as a social experience via Facebook, a browser release, a game on Steam, and a physical art installation. Find out more at http://typerider.arte.tv/#/. E
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Zapatista Satisfies Taste Buds of the South Loop HEATHER ALEXANDER apatista, located at 1307 S. Wabash, offers an extensive menu filled with tantalizing entrees, appetizers, desserts, and of course beverages. The prices vary, but a satisfying meal could come as cheap as $9.00 (drink not included)! One of their many specialties includes their house guacamole, which is made to taste right at your table. The waiter of the evening rolls an entire cart full of avocados, tomatoes, cilantro, chilies, onions, and much more to your table and asks what will satisfy you for the evening. He then uses a mortar and pestle to create the per-
fect texture of guacamole. Although the guacamole is simply amazing, their Thursday night margarita special is even better. On Thursdays margaritas are only $5! And they are not stingy with their servings either—a meal for one can easily feed two people. The ambience makes Zapatista a perfect date option, creating an intimate setting that will certainly have your date in awe. The staff is very friendly and always smiling. During the summer months, they open their sidewalk patio for customers to enjoy the fresh, lakefront air. E
DRINKS WITH TYSON THE SPITFIRE TYSON BOSCO here are a few things that make the Spitfire a grand drink to enjoy in the colder recesses of the winter season. For one, the drink is made predominantly of whiskey; this causes the really warm feeling everyone loves and enjoys. Besides the therapeutic heat that comes out of the
drink, there is also plenty of flavor in it as well. In fact, the sweetness that comes from the drink comes from the whiskey rather than the ginger ale. If anything, the ginger ale was only thrown in so the person ordering the drink does not have to worry about their own sanity while ordering the drink. E
INGREDIENTS:
-1 part Fireball Whiskey
ROBERT MORRIS STUDENTS: 10% OFF BRUNCH WITH A VALID RMU STUDENT ID WWW.AZZURRACHICAGO.COM
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Directions:
-1 part Reg Stag Whiskey
-Mix ingredients
-1 part Jameson Whiskey
-Add Ice
-2 parts Ginger Ale
-Enjoy Responsibly
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HE SAYS SHE SAYS LIVING WITH STRANGERS
TYSON BOSCO
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t is a pretty well known fact that many students that go to a university are relatively new to living by themselves. Because of this, schools like Robert Morris University cater to those students through a housing program. In living at the University Center, the housing complex down the street that RMU shares with several other colleges, students are given the opportunity to live close to their school. In living at the UC, one can learn responsibility, fitting in, understanding boundaries, and even sharing limited-sized living spaces. One has to wonder though, is this route best for the students? One problem many dorm dwellers face, in high scrutiny, is the almost guaranteed weight gain. Dormitories like the UC offer all-you-can-eat buffets to students at usually reasonable times. Although this does make it so students never have to worry about going hungry, sometimes giving such limitless options can have it’s own drawbacks. "This is the first time that 18-year-olds are on their own and really independently making their own food choices," said Lisa Cimperman, a registered dietitian at University Hospitals Case Medical Center in Cleveland. "If there is not a conscious effort made to eat a healthy diet, I think it is really easy to eat a poor diet in college, unfortunately" (ABC News). Obviously, the reason for this outcome is because of the choices students make, but is this not the time when students should be learning about making responsible choices? The blame should not go solely to the institution that makes the meals, but when the term “the freshman fifteen”(called such because students starting college have a high rate of gaining an average of 10 to 20 pounds within their first year of schooling) is a unanimously known phrase, it is difficult not to wonder if things can be different.
College is an experience. It is four years, not only to study and expand your education, but also to grow as a piece of the social puzzle of humanity. Throughout high school, and before, most individuals lived with their parents or other guardians. Many were provided roofs over their heads and food on their plates. The transition from being provided for to providing for one’s self is a difficult and sometimes stressful experience. Being a full time student can be a full time job in its self, so picking up another job to pay the bills can be overwhelming. This can be like a third job for a college athlete. With all the stress and responsibility that comes with college there is also freedom. The freedom to set your own curfew and decide your own dinners of pop-tarts and ramen is finally ours. Living in a college dorm is one way to help with all the worries and fears of freshmen year. College dorms or residence halls, like the University Center, provide meal plans and a community to help a college student adjust to life on their own. Most dormitories are also located conveniently close to campus, eliminating time-consuming commutes. In the city even a commute can be a stressor. Robert Morris University’s main campus is located in downtown Chicago, which is both pricey and worrisome to most parents and guardians. Dorms in Chicago have excellent security measures for the peace of mind of parents and the safety of young college students. Many first time college students are weary of the idea of living with roommates that they have never met, but this is an experience that can lead itself well to life lessons worthwhile. Living with other people is no easy task, but in many cases roommates become friends
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Another section of dorm life deals with learning to get along with others. To some, being forced to share a room with a total stranger while also sharing a bathroom with three strangers may seem to some like a grand way of helping students cope with being unfamiliar with surroundings as well as people, sometimes it is the environment that creates the adverse results. As with most things, there is no one-way to solve a problem. Because of that, it is difficult to say for certain whether total strangers are going to get along. A known problem from this is that students may not know exactly what rights they have towards how their interactions with their roommate should be. In fact, most students that have problems with their roommates never fix these problems because of how unsure they are in this new environment. The bottom line is dorms are an essential part of a college. Otherwise, every single student going to class would have to commute from whatever distance they were originally at. The other option is getting an apartment, figuring out their expenses on their own, and hope for the best. Although that does not sound like the ideal situation for most younger people, it is a journey that student has direct control of. On top of that, no apartment in the city costs $270 a week to live in. E
or sometimes acquaintances. There will always be horror stories, but chances are if you live off campus there are plenty of horror stories also. For example, if you get locked out of your house you may have to wait an hour or two for a maintenance worker, while at a dorm security or your RA can let you in in just moments. Food is provided, security and safety is never an issue, and a college community of new experiences awaits students in college dorms. Don’t get me wrong, after the first two years of undergrad you are over living in the dorm and want to have your own place, but the dorms were full of memories and a helpful and healthy environment to learn and transition to being an independent adult. E
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THE CHICAGO WALKER PUTTING ON HEAVY SHOES TCW ometimes people need a reason to do things. I walk around all night as much to tire myself out as to get all the thoughts in my head out into one string of consciousness. Sometimes it feels like these articles all blend into each other, as there has been an article about destiny already. The point to this is that sometimes everything connects more than people realize. Everyone feels pressure in life. One thing I always wonder about is why? Is it because of how dishearteningly big the world is and how ever so insignificant that makes us? Some say that humans feel pressure and pain because of self-awareness. What if the two of those things connect? Being aware of who we are is as much of a gift as it is a curse at times. Because a person knows who they are as well as the underlying knowledge of who and what others are, it creates a tension wondering if you should be more. It becomes a center of self-doubt to see others do better. They say knowledge can be a dangerous thing. If one has the feeling that their own self-worth is spent and tossed out because of how another person has strived in life, imagine how that feeling goes when one multiplies that by all the people on the ridiculously vast planet we occupy; feeling down is pretty understandable. In fact, it is knowing that
there are so many others out there that causes this feeling to begin with. How can one feel special when he/she makes up less than .01% of the population? What if there is more to all of this than even that though? As a species, an animal has one main objective; the animal must do everything in it’s power to reproduce. It is not about sex; it is about being fueled by the knowledge that this animal is in a constant struggle to show superiority over the rest of the clan. Even animals, in their lack of culture, language, and historical documentation, have a strive to be the best of their kind. Every creature wants to be the center of their own universe. This is something humans also feel. Humans, like animals, look to promote their own lineage. It may not seem to be in precisely the same ballpark, but none the less, mankind fights a rat race of it’s own. The only difference in this one is that the creatures you fight against are also the ones you call friends. You also call them family. Humans live in a place between nature and artificiality. Much of the world we occupy is a world we have created. With that being said, it is also because of building our foundation that we find ourselves fighting to keep it together. Stress is like erosion; it is the true natural order of things. E
Indiana Tech Law School’s fresh academic curriculum includes teachings relevant to everyday legal practice and will provide me with the preparation to be a successful attorney. - Kyle Noone Charter Class member
855.TECH.LAW Law.IndianaTech.edu
Spring I 2014 | 13
Men’s Gold Hockey Wins First Ever League Championship DEREK DIAZ n Sunday February 23, 2014 the Robert Morris Men’s Gold hockey team won their first ever Central States Collegiate Hockey League playoff championship. The game also marked their 30th win of the season, which is the most wins in school history. After clinching their first ever CSCHL regular season title for having the leagues best record just two weeks earlier, the #3 nationally ranked men's gold hockey team added another championship to the spectacular 2013-14 campaign. They first beat the host, Lindenwood University Lions 6-2, and then went on to win an electrifying 3-2 game in overtime against the league's second place Ohio University Bobcats in the CSCHL Playoff championship. How they got there: Robert Morris university first joined the CSCHL in the 2004-05 season. After several very disappointing seasons, the Eagles desperately needed to turn their hockey program
14 | The Eagle
around and begin a winning tradition. That started with hiring a coach who knows how to win. The hiring of current head coach Tom “Chico” Adrahtas, in the summer of 2008, did exactly that. Chico has a very extensive winning background, which includes two national championships while coaching the highly respected Team Illinois 18U AAA program. He also coached a winning record at the highest level of American Junior hockey as well. “When we took the program over we knew it was going to be a long time before we were able to get where we wanted to be.” Chico explains the difficulties of his first two years with the program which saw the Eagles put up a below average record of 9 wins 23 losses and 2 ties in CSCHL regular season play. It wasn’t until the 2010-11 season, with a large and talented freshman class which included the likes of Rookie of the Year, Gehrett Sargis, and future MVP Christo-
pher Cimoch, that the Eagles would post their first winning record with Chico as head coach. Each season after that the Men’s Gold team would post the most wins in school history with 26 wins during the 2011-12 and 28 wins during the 2012-13 season. In that time, the team still did not manage to win a championship. “We took a big step last year and got close, so we came into this year feeling that it was well within our reach.” When asked how it feels to finally win a championship after so many years coming up short Chico goes on to say, “It feels like the culmination of the last 5 years of work. It is tremendously gratifying and now we are at a level we want to stay!” The Eagles assistant coach Chad Berman was ecstatic about the win. Chad joined the team at the start of the 2010-11 hockey season, which is also the same time that this year’s seniors had started their freshman year at RMU. “It feels great. It seems like 4 years of working
towards this goal.” Chad explains some of his thoughts on winning. “We would get close and get knocked down, get close and get knocked down again. This being my fourth year here, the resilience that this team has showed, especially from the seniors and me coming in with them, I was particularly happy for them.” Team captain and recently announced CSCHL MVP, Christopher Cimoch could not have been more excited about finally winning a championship in his fourth and final season with the Eagles. “It’s been great, first time in school history for both the regular season and playoffs, it feels great to finally get both of those.” Now that the Eagles have been crowned league champions, they have made it clear that the only direction they are headed is up and the only thing left for them to win now is a national title.
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THE IMPACT OF AN OPENLY GAY ATHLETE DAN CIAGLIA his past February has been quite a historical moment in professional sports. On February 8, Michael Sam, defensive end from the University of Missouri, announced in an interview with ESPN that he is gay. On February 23, Jason Collins signed a 10-day contract with the NBA’s Brooklyn Nets and, later that night, became the first openly gay athlete to compete in America’s four major sports (football, baseball, basketball, and hockey) after he came out as gay in an interview with Sports Illustrated in May 2013. These are without a doubt two groundbreaking moments in LGBT history, but from a sporting perspective, it really should not matter at all what a player’s sexual orientation is. In fact, had these two men kept their personal lives private, the vast majority of sports fan probably would not even know or care about who they are. Collins has been in professional basketball since 2001 when he was drafted by the then New Jersey Nets. He played there until 2008 and enjoyed moderate success as a starter, but if you really take a closer look at his career, he has only averaged 3.6 points per game and 3.8 rebounds per game. To put it bluntly, those are terrible career statistics. However, after Brooklyn signed him on February 23, Collins had the #1 most sales for NBA jerseys online and is the only player in NBA history to have jerseys available for sale on a 10-day contract. Michael Sam, on the other hand, hasn’t had a chance to prove himself in a professional setting and was actually a great player for Mizzou this past season. He was named the Southeastern Conference Defensive Player of the Year, but outside of his school, the SEC, and die-hard college football fans, the probability that you actually knew the name Michael Sam is really low. NFL draft experts say he is a Day 3 prospect at best, but he is all any professional football analysts talk about because of his sexual orientation.
These two men are only relevant because they are openly gay, not because of their skills and ability. He is projected to be a third to fourth round draft pick in the NFL has never received this much media attention, but as soon as he comes out as gay, his name is at the top of every headline. It is fantastic that they have the courage to be a role model for the LGBT community, but if you focus on what they bring to the sport, Collins and Sam are near irrelevant. To understand the scope of that, two RMU student-athletes (who will remain anonymous), were asked their thoughts on this growing story. Their responses hit it exactly on the head: “From a teammate perspective, being a member of the team is what really matters; if they do their work and give what they can to help our team win, then it wouldn’t matter to me if they were gay or not.” “Knowing one of my teammates is gay wouldn’t change any way I look at or feel about them. We spend so much time around each other as a team that we form a brotherhood and care about each other, so whether or not one of us is gay doesn’t really change anything. If our team is better because of their presence, then I would want them on the team.” Thank you to the two student-athletes that provided insight to this story and proving that the only thing that matters when it comes to sports is a person’s contribution to the team. If what matters most from a player and team perspective is making the team better, then why does the media focus so much attention the fact that Collins and Sam are gay? How come they are not just athletes, but the openly gay athletes? Actors who are gay are not labeled as the gay actors. Businesses do not have titles beginning with “openly gay,” so why do these two men need to be subjected to such labels? Let them play their game and judge them on that, not who they choose to love. E
Walking Among Us: Mizael Carrera DAN CIAGLIA n February 23rd, Mizael Carrera, a 22-year old Robert Morris graduate student and cross country runner, finished the World’s Best 10k race in 15th place with a time of 30 minutes and 47 seconds. Carrera’s time was fast enough to earn him the honor of being the Puerto Rican champion, finishing first among all the Puerto Rican runners in the race that was held in San Juan. Carrera said that “being the top Puerto Rican finisher means that I am the national champion, which puts me at the forefront to be selected to represent Puerto Rico at the Central American and Caribbean Games.” Carrera has lived in Chicago his whole life, but his family is from Aguas Buenas, which allows him to compete on an international level for Puerto Rico, which will ultimately result in a trip to the 2016 Olympics in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Carrera’s coach, Paul Zavala, said of Carrera’s place in the World’s Best that “our plan was to show Puerto Rico that Mizael was serious about competing for Puerto Rico in the near future. We look forward to seeing him finish his last cross country season with Robert Morris and moving on to the Olympic level.”
Carrera began competitive running when he was a sophomore at West Leyden High School in Northlake, IL. “I always felt like it was within my ability to get to a high level with a lot of work, but within the last year I’ve really seen that I could make this a career,” said Carrera. Mizael transferred to Robert Morris from the University of Illinois-Chicago after attending a recruiting visit with a friend. Since his transfer, he has won the NAIA Great Lakes Challenge 2 years in a row and received the Chicagoland Collegiate Athletic Conference Runner of the Year Award for the 2013 season. This past season also earned Mizael NAIA All-American honors after he placed 3rd in the Cross Country Nationals this past November. He has no plans at stopping there, though, as he said “I am looking to come back for my last cross country season and go for the first Cross Country National Championship Title in RMU history.” Mizael studies Sports Management in the Morris Graduate School of Management. The 2014 cross country season will begin in September, where Mizael will begin his attempt to bring home RMU’s first National Championship. E
Spring I 2014 | 15
Sudoku Numbrix Fill the grid with numbers so each INSTRUCTIONS row, column, and 3x3 block has every number from 1 to 9.
5
1
9
7
7 9
9
6
2
4
3
1
8
40
29 6 8
61
9
2
33
53
48
7
44
55
72
56
27 59
64
2 50
66 5
1
49
45
1
4
36
52 30
1 4
35
41
8
5
1
37
1
8 1
Fill the grid with numbers 1 to 81 in such that they connect either horizontally, vertically, or diagonally.
2
7
3
INSTRUCTIONS
25
5
70
68
69 23
81
73
76
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17
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77
13 67
78
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No Class by Kyle Ashley I found your friend’s phone.
The one on your message board, writing you right now. Just let him know I have it.
Which friend? Oh, okay.
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Hey, some guy has your phone.