The Seminole Scribe Issue No. 5
Seminole State College of Florida
November 19 , 2012
Altamonte Campus To Expand by 1.4 Million Square Feet By Sabira Mawji @SabiraMawji Students complaining of overcrowded classrooms and a congested parking lot at Seminole State’s Altamonte campus prompted school officials to consider adding 1.4 million square feet to the existing one-building facility. A sketch for a Starbucks, shopping center and a quasitown center for the Altamonte community was projected by Orlando-based HuntonBrady Architects on October 15.
Renderings and master plan developed by Orlando’s Hunton Brady Architects
That’s when the College’s Board of Trustees proposed the Altamonte campus expansion along State Road 434, becoming larger than all Seminole State campuses combined. The process for expansion started back in 2010 when the Board of Trustees approved the purchase of 28.57 acres adjacent to the Altamonte campus, including three dealerships worth $22.5 million. This opened up possibilities for an additional 950,000 square feet of classrooms and 1,400 parking spots. Now, with the rendering in place, the school has to approve the plan at the December 3 meeting. However, the extension will be too late for some students like Latoya Jackson who said she was very disappointed to find out that the Altamonte campus was expanding after her graduation day. “I wish I was finishing three to four years from now instead of this semester,” she said. “I would love to take classes at the Altamonte campus with new classrooms and go shopping in between my classes.” The reason for expanding the
Altamonte campus now is because it’s one of the most important endeavors in the area, according to Frank Martz, the Community Redevelopment Agency and Planning Services Director for the City of Altamonte. Mr. Martz said Seminole State College is an asset to the city’s community and that’s why the city of Altamonte chose to be private partners with college. “Seminole State Colleges are the best state colleges in Florida,” he said in a phone interview with The Scribe. “Any community is benefited for having high quality schools.” Once news about the Altamonte campus reached other Seminole State campuses, students were predicting what the expansion could possibly include and
said they wanted it would be beneficial for the student body. Nursing student Fatimah Jaffer, who attends her University of Central Florida nursing classes at the Altamonte campus, said when she found out about the expansion, she hoped the plans would include extra facilities for the students to use. “Since Altamonte campus is a regional UCF campus,” Ms. Jaffer said, “an expansion project that many of the students would really benefit from would be the creation of a Student Government Association, a student lounge and printing center similar to the one at Sanford/Lake Mary. It would be a huge asset to our student body at the Altamonte Campus.”
home base for all of Seminole State’s healthcare programs, which are offered as a joint program with the University of Central Florida and give students who live in Seminole County an option to take classes closer to home.
More than 4,300 students like Ms. Jaffer currently attend the Atlamonte campus, making it the
Jay Davis, director of communications and media at Seminole State College, said the
expansion will be beneficial for all students, especially for students in the healthcare program. “Expanding the campus would allow the College’s healthcare programs to expand,” Mr. Davis said. “However, it would also open up more opportunities for all students.”
Birds Flock to Seminole State their home.
The cranes, a threatened species of fowl, are at risk for becoming extinct, Mary Keim, biological sciences professor at Seminole State College, said. In the winter, Ms. Keim said, another subspecies, the Greater Sandhill Crane, flies down from the northern United States and Canada in large numbers. Both species of crane feed on seeds,
By Michael Tennant @mtennant71
berries and insects.
Seminole State student Corey Kouba walked across campus recently when it happened: birds started chasing him “for about five minutes,” he said, after he came too close to one of their young.
The Sandhill Cranes are classified as a protected species in Florida.
“They are very beautiful birds,” Mr. Kouba said, “just very foul tempered.” Some mornings, Seminole State College brings to mind Alfred Hitchcock’s 1963 film ‘The Birds” as the Florida Sandhill cranes seem to overrun the campus wandering around the buildings and gathering by the Student Center; the campus is
“You cannot feed them, harass them or harm them,” George Milwee, grounds maintenance supervisor at Seminole State, said. But occasionally the cranes cause problems, Mr. Milwee said, tearing up the athletic fields while looking for food. And some of the birds have become tame and walk right up to people looking for food having been fed before. BIRDS continued on page 3
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Local Hangout: Meridian Hookah Lounge
More than Banned Books at the Library: Redux In a previous edition of The Seminole Scribe, the following article was printed incorrectly and the word “literature” was used where “leisure” should have been. by Ambar Wessin/Editor
While some students at Seminole State College are required to check out library books to get homework done, other students are checking out books for a completely different reason: to read for pleasure and personal interest. Students like Phon Angwarawong have checked out books for both reasons.
By Austin Rogers
Meridian hookah lounge is one of the most popular hangout spots for University of Central Florida students but not a lot of Seminole State students know about it. Smoking hookah is a common activity in the Middle East, but recently smoking hookah and hookah lounges have become much more popular in America. I had never heard about this place before, but my friend Trent Coleman, a student at Seminole state, invited me to come along one day and I was very impressed. “It’s a blast.” Mr. Coleman said. “Meridian is by far one of the best places to chill and smoke. It’s just great.” Meridian Hookah Lounge, located by the Seminole State Oviedo campus, is only 20 minutes away from Seminole State’s Lake Mary/Sanford campus. The lounge offers a relaxed and calming environment and is set up as a walkway between two rows of halfmoon shaped couches that line the walls. There is a rest room in the back and a stage on the right hand side. Meridian always has some kind of music playing for people to listen to and
requests are encouraged. Also, they have an open mic night for anybody to come up and play on the stage alongside other musicians. It is a warm and judgment free environment, so patrons don’t have to be the best in order to play. Another great thing is that all of this is also for only $12 and $11 with a student or military ID. The customer service at Meridian is incredible and the waiters and waitresses are very welcoming and take really good care of their customers. “I love my job,” Amanda Carroll, a waitress at Meridian, said. “It’s such an amazing place with the coolest and most relaxed people. I really look forward to coming to work every day.” Meridian Hookah Lounge is an all-around fantastic place to not only hangout, but to smoke great hookah with friends. “I’m in love with Meridian!” Jackson Henderson, a regular patron of Meridian, said “I try to go every Thursday if I can.” See for yourself at 3050 Alafaya Trail in Oviedo, Fla. or visit meridianhookah.com.
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“This semester, I checked out three books already for my reading class,” she said. Other students like freshman Nick Anema have never checked out books other than for personal use. “I haven’t checked out any books for classes,” he said. “I’m such a nerd; I have read about ten books in two semesters.” Whether students read because it is mandatory for a class or because of their personal interest, one thing a few librarians at the Sanford/ Lake Mary campus agreed on is the books that get checked out the most are the ones that are required for class. And there are more resource books than leisure books, anyway. Librarian Michael Schau said about 90 percent of the books at the library are resource books. “Here we have maybe five to six columns of fiction books,” Mr. Schau said. “The rest is nonfiction, which is completely the opposite of public libraries, for which I worked before, where the majority of the books are fiction and the rest in non-fiction, cause’ that’s what people want.” The reason why Seminole State College libraries, including the Altamonte, Heathrow and Oviedo campuses, have more books that support courses than books for pleasure, according to Librarian Karen Kaufmann, is because academic libraries have a different purpose than public libraries. “But you have to understand,” Ms. Kaufmann said, “we are not a public library. We are an academic library, so the reason for our resources is to primarily support their curriculum. People are coming here for specific information, for specific research and often times it is pretty narrow.” Ms. Kaufmann said the reason for the library is to help students succeed with their curriculum and assignments. Seminole State College libraries are also different from the tutoring center at the college when it comes to assisting students. “There’s a difference,” she said. “We librarians are ready to assist in your research process, which is different than the actual writing of a
document, finding sources, narrowing your topic, assisting with using keywords so that you can get good results, so you can have the information you need to create that paper.” According to David Spencer, a technical assistant at the library, the library not only offers help with research and books that support courses, the library also offers a collection of popular leisure books. “We have leisure best seller books, like the ‘Hunger Games’, ‘Fifty Shades of Grey’, ‘Harry Potter’,” he said. “They are never in. They are always out.” The displays are a good place to find leisure books, he said, and are based on popularity, attracting covers, best sellers, along with a calendar, where he looks at holidays and what is going on in that month like Black Heritage Month and Halloween. Sometimes, the displays include banned books, which are books that have been questioned whether they should be open to the public or have a restricted use because of their content or personal perspective, Mr. Spencer said. “The banned books display this past month was probably the display we’ve got most feedback on,” he said. “Some people thought we were banning books. Others just told us they loved the display. And these are books like ‘The Bible,’ ‘Harry Potter,’ ‘Huckleberry Finn’ that have been challenged. These banned books we have here at the library will be here forever on.” There is only one copy of leisure books, according to Mr. Spencer. And this may be disappointing when students find out that the book they want to read is not available. However, according to Leona Jones, the library provides a large collection of E-books and DVDs.
Librarian Karen Kaufman said some students use the college library to relax, study, check out books for a class, read leisure books, get help with research from librarians, check out DVDs and E-books, while others just use the library for computing because of the technology offered. Still, some students are not aware of these resources. Edgardo Hernandez said he did not know that the library offered netbooks and laptops for two hours to use. “I didn’t know they had laptops,” he said. “I could have used one to do my PowerPoint because all the other computers were occupied.”
THE SEMINOLE SCRIBE The Seminole Scribe is the student newspaper of Seminole State College of Florida. MISSION STATEMENT
We are a student-run newspaper that aims to construct a publication of professionalism. Through each individual staffer’s utmost potential, we write for the interest of the school and its student body to deliver a quality news and entertainment source that uphold traditional journalism values.
STAFF Editor Ambar Wessin Layout Designer Ashley Crooke Photo Editors Ashley Crooke Danielle Wiebe Reporters Joseph Chalbaud Sabira Mawji Kimberley Lewis Taryn Martin Austin Rogers Michael Santagata Michael Tennant Ashley Vazquez Colon Cindy Villalobos Kyle Yeoman Faculty Adviser Jennifer Sheppard PUBLIC FORUM The Seminole Scribe is a “designated public forum.” Student editors have authority to make all content decisions without censorship or advance approval.
COPYRIGHT ©2012 The Seminole Scribe. All rights reserved. All content is property of The Seminole Scribe and may not be reproduced or transmitted without consent. The Scribe is a member of the Associated Collegiate Press, Florida Community College Press Association and College Media Advisers, Inc.
EDITORIAL POLICY Viewpoints expressed in columns and letters to the editor are the opinion of the author and do not necessarily reflect those of The Seminole Scribe or Seminole State College. Letters or columns can be emailed or dropped off at the office. Please limit letters to 500 words, and include phone number, name and area of study or affiliation. Letters will not be printed anonymously. We reserve the right to reject letters. CONTACT US Room J-112 Sanford/Lake Mary Campus thescribe@seminolestate.edu
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NEWS
THE SEMINOLE SCRIBE Birds
November 15 , 2012
3
'Pre-drinking' or 'Pre-funking':
Continued from page 1
Common Among Young Alcohol Users By Monte Morin Los Angeles Times/(MCT)
Birds roaming free around campus (Photo by Michael Tennant)
Yet, Mr. Milwee said, if the birds are causing damage, “you are allowed to clap your hands or make noise or sprinkle them with the water hose,” to chase them off. Kyra Nickell, a Seminole State student, said she enjoys seeing the birds around campus. “I feel like it makes it more full of nature,” she said. “A little bit more of a beautiful feel to it. I don’t mind the birds at all.” The cranes may be beautiful to look at; however, the birds are still at risk. Without help, the feathered friends may not survive. For More Information about Florida Wildlife,
Visit: myfwc.com
Looking to Get in Shape? By: Kyle Yeoman Young college students who are looking to get in shape or learn self-defense should consider joining Hero Academy, a mixed martial arts school founded by Michael Hornback (pictured below), located in Longwood.
She said that she would recommend other college students who want to learn selfdefense and get in shape. Michael Hornback began practicing martial arts in 1987 at the age 13, and it has changed his life.
Hero Academy has no set routine, meaning that every day brings a different workout, and classes are offered for kids, teens, and adults with four instructors. Will Jayne, has been a part of Hero’s Academy’s Fight-Fit program and is enjoying it.
“I’ve been a part of Hero Academy for three months now,” Ms. Alexis said. “Before I joined Hero Academy I was
Distributed by MCT Information Services
never athletic. Now I have more confidence about myself and I’m in better shape.”
“Martial arts gave me a sense of self-worth,” Mr. Hornback said at his studio. “Through martial arts, I found that I love teaching, and to see people grow and develop. Hero Academy is not strict, but we have high expectations. We have five classes a week with a flexible schedule. Learning should be enjoyable for everyone. Young adults could develop focus and discipline for their academic and personal lives.” Thomie Alexis, a student from University of Central Florida, is a member at Hero Academy, and it has changed her both mentally and physically.
They call it "pre-drinking," "pre-partying" or "pre-funking," and it usually involves chugging cheap alcoholic drinks before heading out to a bar, club or sporting event. While addiction experts estimate that 65 percent to 75 percent of college-age youths engage in such boozy behavior, a Swiss study concludes that such "preloaded" evenings are far more likely to end in blackouts, unprotected sex, unplanned drug use or injury. "Pre-drinking is a pernicious drinking pattern," said coauthor Florian Labhart, a researcher at Addiction Info Switzerland, in Lausanne. "Excessive consumption and adverse consequences are not simply related to the type of people who pre-drink, but rather to the practice of pre-drinking itself." The study, to be published in an upcoming issue of Alcoholism: Clinical & Experimental Research, examined the drinking habits of more than 250 Swiss students. For five weeks, the test subjects were surveyed via Internet and cellphone text messages. Each Thursday, Friday and Saturday night, the students were questioned hourly about how many drinks they had just consumed. Researchers found that when students drank prior to going to a bar or club, they drank more than they would otherwise. On average, pre-drinking students consumed seven drinks, and students who drank only at a bar or event consumed just over four drinks. This increased drinking was associated with a greater likelihood of blackouts, hangovers, absences from work or school or alcohol poisoning. Pre-drinkers
were also found to engage more often in unintended drug use, unsafe sex, drunken driving or violent behavior. The study found that while students who drank only at a bar or club stood an 18 percent chance of experiencing negative consequences, students who drank beforehand stood a 24 percent chance of seeing their evening end in mishap. Study authors cited several motivations for pre-drinking, which practitioners also called "pre-gaming," "pre-loading" or "frontloading." "Reasons given for pre-drinking include saving money, getting in the mood for partying, becoming intoxicated and socializing with friends or facilitating contacts with potential sexual partners," the authors wrote. Shannon R. Kenney, a sociology professor at Loyola Marymount University in Los Angeles, said pre-drinking behavior was likely as prevalent, or more so, in the United States, where the legal drinking age was much higher. In Switzerland, youths can legally purchase alcohol at age 16. Kenney, who did not participate in the study, said the concept of pre-drinking has only recently been studied by addiction experts. Because of its risky nature and prevalence, she said, it warranted closer examination. Study authors noted several possible shortcomings in their study. Among them was that only students with Internet capable cellphones could participate. Also, the study questions were extremely short, so that they could be read on a small cellphone screen or answered by someone in an intoxicated state.
easing stress.”
“It’s been a month since I’ve joined Hero Academy and I’m feeling healthier than before,” Mr. Jayne said. “Their FightFit program has helped me with
He said that at Hero Academy people would not get bored
Researchers found that when students drank prior to going to a bar or club, they drank more than they would otherwise Photo By Danielle Wiebe because the workouts are never the same. “Different workouts each day gives people more to enjoy while getting in shape,” Mr. Jayne said. James Anderson (pictured left), a Seminole State College student, is currently a member at Hero Academy. “I’ve been a part of the Fight-Fit program for three years now,” Mr. Anderson said. “I’ve been in martial arts for four years. Hero Academy’s workout builds selfconfidence, and gets you in good shape. Hero Academy is laid back, with a friendly atmosphere.”
For more information visit: www.heroacademy.com
THE SEMINOLE SCRIBE
FEATURES
November 15 , 2012
4
Scrounging for Gas Money? Filling up is hard to do By: Cindy Villalobos
Students reported spending more on gas lately.
When the gas tank is empty, pulling over to a gas station and trying to decide whether to put regular, mid-grade or premium can be confusing. Gas prices are higher than before according to fueleconomy.gov, and there’s not much people can do without having to ride a bus or bike everyday.
“The amount of gas I put in my car is not the same as it used to be,” Stacy Rivera, a student at Seminole State College, said. Buying a more gas efficient car is becoming a top priority, Ms. Rivera said.
“I’ve been very affected by the gas prices,” Jancy Parrilla, a student at Seminole State College, said. “I’m wasting a lot more money than before.”
Faculty members said they purchased fuel efficient cars recently to help offset the rising cost of fuel. Even though there is nothing the public can do to change the prices of gas, there are ways people can save gas money whether it’s driving smarter, turning off the car while waiting for someone, carpooling or even buying a more economic car. Until gas prices drop the best way to save on gas is walking, taking the bus or riding a bike. Gas stations around town have been fluctuating close to $3.50 a gallon.
(Photo by Danielle Wiebe)
Some students and faculty have been affected by the recent gas price spike and Students reported spending more money on gas due to are finding it more difficult to high gas prices and gas-guzzling vehicles. (Photo by Danielle Wiebe) fill up the gas tank every time. As a result, more people are buying electrical or hybrid cars as well as carpooling. Combining and planning trips ahead of time can save money. Leaving and arriving to a destination on time can save money as well by saving the gas a person would use in order to speed. Several short trips taken from a cold start can use twice as much fuel as a longer multipurpose trip covering the same distance when the engine is warm, according to fueleconomy.gov. Trip planning ensures that traveling is done when the engine is warmed-up and efficient, and it can reduce the distance traveled. “I carpool when I come to school, it helps me save money,” Ms. Parrilla said. Taking advantage of carpools and ride-share programs can help save gas and cut weekly fuel costs in half while saving wear on a car if people take turns driving with others to school or to work. Driving a more fuel efficient vehicle can help save money, too. Regardless if the car is new or used, one of the most important things is the car’s miles per gallon. According to fueleconomy.gov, the difference between a car that gets 20 MPG and one that gets 30 MPG can cost $958 per year.
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CAMPUS LIFE
November 19, 2012 5
Talented Teachers: Faculty Art Exhibit Sure to Impress
By Taryn Martin The Seminole State College of Florida Fine Arts Faculty Exhibition, which opened Nov. 8, showcases the work of Seminole State’s talented art professors, which include genres such as painting, photography, ceramics and sculpture. The exhibition is located in the Sanford-Lake Mary Fine Arts Building G, Room 101. In a recent interview with The Seminole Scribe, Italian painter Guiseppe Corazzina said he prefers traditional fresco painting, which involves mixing color pigment with wet plaster, but has learned to work in acrylic on canvas. “Fresco painting is the best medium,” Mr. Corazzina said, referring to Michelangelo’s Cistine Chapel, which is considered as beautiful today as when he painted it 600 years ago. Born in Padua, Italy, just outside of Venice, Mr. Corazzina spent six years studying at the Art Institute of Padua, four years at the Art Institute of Venice and one year restoring fresco paiuntings, before moving to the United States more than 16 years ago. He is one of four painters included in the Fine Arts Faculty Exhibition, which also consists of sculptor Jay Spalding and photographer Jennifer Bronwynn Copp. All of the art in the exhibition is for sale. Pricing information, as well as the artist’s name and materials used can be found on the plaque beside each frame or pedestal. Anyone interested in purchasing a piece of art should contact gallery curator Megan Stepe at stepem@seminolestate.edu. Ms. Stepe earned her bachelor of arts in art history/theory & criticism from the University of Central Florida, and her master of arts in art history at Florida State University. “I’ve wanted to work in the arts for as long as I can remember and I engage in a few activities in addition to curating, including art-conservation, teaching, and making artwork,” she said.
The Fine Arts Faculty Exhibition will remain on display until Thursday, Dec. 13 at noon. Then, the fine arts gallery will be closed over the holidays and will not reopen until January with a jewelry exhibit by Paul Martrildonno on Thursday, Jan. 17, from 5 to 7 p.m.
LUNCH FAVORITE: 2 slices and a drink: ONLY $4.50
"I mean, oh my God, how could this be? How could this be? On the street, when the kids are using...they're using, they're using. But this is a doctor. My son saw a doctor," Kelle Stavron said. Kelle and her husband, Bruce, lost their son, Matthew, to a prescription drug overdose. Matthew had been battling pill addiction for many years. Along with other drugs, Tseng prescribed 80 mg of OxyContin -- the maximum strength -- intended for people in extreme pain and favored by addicts. Of the 30 tablets Tseng prescribed, four remained when Matthew died two days later. (Liz O. Baylen/Los Angeles Times/MCT)
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SPORTS
6 November 19, 2012
THE SEMINOLE SCRIBE
The Fans May Define This NBA Season By Joseph Chalbaud Many story lines hover over the 2012/13 NBA season. Each July, through either free agency or draft, championship contenders try to position themselves for a run at history while other teams try to put themselves in the best position to rebuild or make the leap into the playoffs. Turnover is common in all sports, but perhaps not as prevalent as it is in the NBA. This summer, sixty rookies were drafted by NBA teams, all competing for few elite spots on active rosters. Veterans, meanwhile, are looking to put their family and career in the best position moving forward, while those at the tail end also would like to give themselves an opportunity to contend for a championship before their playing days are done. This is where fans can sometimes get confused as to what exactly the NBA is and what is required of these athletes. Last season, as the defending champion Dallas Mavericks were struggling and watching younger, faster teams like the Miami Heat and Oklahoma City Thunder, Mavs sparkplug guard Jason Terry made comments about the possibility of him signing with the Heat when he became a free agent in the summer of 2012. Fans didn’t like a player commenting on his future after his current team, thinking it was rude to the team. At the same time in Boston, all-time record holding three-point shooter Ray Allen was in constant trade discussions as the Celtics looked for younger, fresher scorers for the playoffs. Once July rolled around Allen decided to take less money and go play with the Boston Celtics rivals down in Miami, while Terry left Dallas to fill Ray Allen’s position in Boston. Boston fans were outraged. Furious that the player they cheered on for five seasons would leave them for less money and go play for their bitterest rival, fans expressed their
distaste on twitter and sports blogs and radio shows. Fans never complained when Celtic management put Ray Allen on the market, only to take him off when they couldn’t find a juicy enough deal. This summer, more than most, showed that the NBA is a business and these players aren’t subscribed to an illogical sense of loyalty to a franchise that is also making business decisions. Though the summer was dramatic, the two biggest storylines of the NBA season have nothing to do with veterans spurning their old clubs, the return of 2011 league MVP Derrick Rose, or even young players, like Kyrie Irving, Anthony Davis, and Clay Thompson emerging into superstars in front of the world. The two biggest storylines reside on opposite coasts and will serve to cement legacies, shape history, and define this generation of NBA greatness. First we have the Los Angeles Lakers, putting together a Hall of Fame starting lineup with the additions of three time defensive player of the year, and former Center for the Orlando Magic, Dwight Howard and two time league MVP, point guard Steve Nash. The accolades go on for days, giving this team the opportunity to be one of the best ever. There is more to it than talent though, and the Lakers know that. These stars need to learn to play together and get the most out of each of their abilities. “The camaraderie won’t be there naturally,” local basketball coach Chris Suris said recently, in the gym of Lake Mary Preparatory School. “These individuals have been ‘the man’ everywhere they’ve played and to put all that talent and personality in one lineup, is going to be a challenge. The coach especially has a tough job making this work.” Michael Ross, a student at Seminole State and avid fan of the Boston Celtics, storied
Letter to the Editor: Hello Scribe, While I agree nobody should suffer second-hand smoke exposure I believe completely banning smoking on campus will simply cause smokers to light up in random places and actually increase the amount of second hand smoke people are exposed to. Banning something doesn’t mean it will go away. We’re not supposed to eat or drink in class but that rule has never been enforced to my knowledge as even the professors do it despite a sign in every classroom prohibiting food and drinks. By having designated smoking areas everyone knows exactly which spots on campus to avoid. I can’t speak for the SLM campus because I attend the ALT campus which has perhaps the perfect designated smoking location and seems incredibly inexpensive to maintain. The ALT campus smoking area is simply two metal benches way off to the edge of the building far away from the main entrance and perhaps appropriately near the main trash collection area. It seems to me the SLM campus misplaced the designated smoking area in a central area where people can’t easily avoid it and invested too much money in what appears to be a high maintenance gazebo. On the ALT campus one would have to make an extra effort to pass through the designated smoking zone. John Rahn (via email)
Lakers rivals, spoke highly of the Lakers big offseason moves, “Both additions are huge and the biggest task will be seeing if they can correlate their talents and be able to use them to aid Kobe Bryant,” he said.
game he ever played without any moments of failure or weakness. Sometime in the last decade or so Jordan went from being the greatest superstar in the sports history to the only superstar in the sport’s history.
The biggest story line is somehow not about Kobe Bryant, Dwight Howard, or the Lakers. The main story of this NBA season will be written just 2700 miles down the road from Staples Center, where the Lakers are trying to make history:
Lebron’s 2012 calendar year is not even over and already it includes his third League MVP award, a dominate playoff run with a 30-10-6 line every night, a barrage of jumpers against his kryptonite Boston Celtics to send the series to a game seven, and a comeback in the last three series on his way to an championship and Finals MVP honors. This all before July rolled around and he lead a USA Olympic team to a second consecutive gold medal. The only other player to ever accomplish all of that in a single year? Yes, Michael Jordan.
“At the relatively tender age of 28, he stands alone on the mountaintop, unquestionably the most famous athlete on the planet and one of its most famous citizens of any kind. We’ve heard it so often that it’s now a cliche, though nonetheless accurate: He transcends sports.” – Sports Illustrated What athlete could that quote be about? LeBron James, right? Wrong. That was written in the winter of 1991 about one Michael Jeffrey Jordan. That’s what LeBron James is though. As the best basketball player in two decades, the only thing keeping that quote from being about LeBron James is that “relatively tender age of 28” part. LeBron is only 27. After nine years of picking him apart and micromanaging our feelings toward him, LeBron has flipped the script on us. Up to this point, Michael Jordan is the best basketball to ever live. There is though, a backlash among many sportswriters to even the thought of comparing a player to Jordan. It’s considered blasphemous to talk about a player’s potential to reach or surpass Jordan’s legacy. As more years separate the present from Jordan’s retirement, there is an increase in his perceived greatness. Sometime in the last decade or so, Jordan has stopped being the greatest basketball player alive and become some all-perfect athlete that hit every big shot in every
Lebron just created a new position, defended the best scorer alive, and did it all in an age where success is much more difficult than when Jordan was around. Yet none of this is worthy of putting Lebron in the same discussion as Jordan? What about Lebron’s invention of a new position, Point Forward/Center, and the accompanying offense it allows his team to play? Lebron’s “pace and space” offense is revolutionary and nearly unstoppable. Still not enough to let him breathe Jordan’s air? Okay then let’s look at something larger: The life these players lead and the worlds that they lead them in. When The Jordan Rules was released, Jordan was upset that stories about his life were made public. He claimed it was a violation of privacy. Imagine Jordan in this instant information age that Lebron overcame? Revisit The Jordan Rules and see how tame these stories were compared to what athletes deal with today. The first year Lebron made the NBA playoffs, 2006, we already had huge sports blog networks, Facebook, and Twitter. As Lebron’s career
has progressed he’s become the first huge sports star in this live-blogging, instant information, instant judgement, instant backlash, and instant backlash to the backlash age. After Jordan won a championship you could see him lying on the floor hugging the trophy, all the emotion rushing out of him, just as you did when Ali beat Frazier or the US Men’s Hockey Team beat the Soviet’s in the Miracle on Ice. In 2012 when Lebron won his first championship? ESPN crews quickly cleared the court, setting up stages as confetti fell around the American Airline Arena. Within five minutes, Lebron and his teammates were to be presented formally with the trophy, interviewed, then judged on every answer by millions of anonymous experts on the internet. Perhaps the biggest storyline of this NBA season will be about Lebron James but he may have no part in writing it. Maybe Lebron wins a fourth League MVP award and second Finals MVP award? Maybe he becomes the first NBA triple crown winner(MVP, DPOY, Finals MVP). Maybe he never reaches Jordan’s six championships. Maybe he gets four, while creating a new position and offense? Again, he’ll write his own legacy, but he won’t write the story. The story will be of the sports world’s ability or inability to accept that not all greatness is of the same template. Michael Jordan was great, but Lebron James can be too. That’s the storyline, through everything else. Veterans can leave their team to chase championships with rivals, Kyrie Irving can become the league’s youngest superstar and release a new commercial every week, and the Lakers can start to fine tune their super team. All of these teams and players will shape this NBA season, but only our acceptance, or refusal, of Lebron James will define it.
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November 19, 2012 7
Muscle car restoration: The best project cars to invest in By Mike Santagata Restoring or flipping classic American muscle cars is a hobby favored by many Americans, but the age old questions remains: Which is the best manufacturer brand to invest in? Manny Garcia, a proud Mustang owner, said Ford is best. “I have owned many classic cars, ranging from Chevy’s El Camino, to Ford’s Maverick,” he said, “And I must admit, my favorite of them all is my 1982 Ford Mustang. It’s not only a nice car, but it’s worth a pretty penny these days.” Mr. Garcia purchased his mustang in August of 1982 and has kept it ever since. “I wouldn’t trade it for any other car on the market.” While Ford remains as one of the bestselling car companies in America, some feel that Ford’s cars will never match up to those of General Motors vehicles, such as Oldsmobile’s 442 Cutlass. For some, a classic car can be one’s most prized possession. “The 442 Cutlass is a beautiful car, created by General Motors Oldsmobile division,” J.R. Piers, a local car salesman, said. “A real 442 can be worth a ton of money, especially if it has matching numbers, and a good restore job,” he said. J.R. said that originally, in 1964, Oldsmobile’s “442” stood for ‘four barrel carburetor,’ ‘four speed
manual transmission’ and ‘dual exhaust.’ “By the time the ‘90s rolled around, ‘442’ stood for ‘four cylinder engine,’‘four valves per cylinder’ and ‘two camshafts,’ ” Mr. Piers. said and many fakes were produced over the years, as restorers would take a basic Cutlass Supreme and try to dub it as a legitimate 442. “Regardless,” Mr. Piers said, “Find and properly restore a real 442 Cutlass, and every guy and girl will offer the homes in trade for that car.” Another General Motors vehicle that has caught the eyes of restorers is Chevrolet’s Corvette, a classic two-door sports car still being made today to compete with Ford’s Mustang. “Chevrolet’s cars are my favorite to invest restoration in,” Chris Hael, a professional antique car mechanic, said. “Ford is the poor man’s project car. Compared to muscle cars from General Motors, Ford cars are cheap, and common, and don’t produce much profit after restoration.” Mr. Hael said. “In my experience, my best investment was a 1969 Corvette, which I purchased for $7,000, tossed another $4,000 into restoring the car, and eventually sold the car for well over $30,000.” “I can’t really tell you which manufacturer model is a better investment,” he said, “ because the truth is, classic cars are like baseball cards…They’re worth whatever the buyer is willing to pay for it.”
It’s official: Obama wins Florida By Melanie Mason Tribune Washington Bureau (MCT) WASHINGTON _ The final piece of the electoral map is now in place. After a four-day count, President Barack Obama has won Florida’s 29 electoral votes with a squeaker of a margin. With nearly 100 percent of the votes in, the Associated Press reports Obama had 50 percent to GOP challenger Mitt Romney’s 49.1 percent. The difference, according to the Florida secretary of state, was nearly 740,000 votes. Only a few military and overseas ballots are believed to be uncounted. Florida’s outcome was not crucial to putting Obama over the Electoral College edge - he had already secured 303 votes on Election Day, well above the 270 needed to win the presidency. But it can now be written in the history books: The final electoral tally for 2012 was 332 votes for Obama, 206 for Romney.
The four-day delay pales in comparison to the weeks-long drama in the state in 2000, when Florida’s razor-thin margin unleashed an army of lawyers, a media frenzy and, ultimately, intervention from the U.S. Supreme Court. But residents in the state this week were nevertheless chagrined over the state’s voting dysfunction, spurred in part this year by hours-long waits at polling sites and confusion over voting rules after the state passed a sweeping election law overhaul in 2011.
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