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“..It’s Getting dark” PAGE 6

umbrella academy PAGE 14

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Photo By: Marlon Jones From Etiquette Dinner At Avila University

INSIDE LIFESTYLE

ENTERTAINMENT

P 14 UMBRELLA ACADEMY | P 15 MURDER WAS THE CRIME | P 16 | P. 18 ROBERT KRAFT | P. 21 SAD ENDING FOR HAMISI

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CONTRIBUTORS CO-EDITOR IN-CHIEF SAVANNAH PARRIS HESHAM ALBADR MANAGING EDITOR KYLEIGH ZOLTEK COPY EDITOR BRELANDE EDMOND SOCIAL MEDIA EDITOR SARAI JORGENSON DESIGN EDITOR EMME MOOREHOUSE SPORT EDITOR JOSH DYSON PHOTOGRAPHERS MARLON JONES TALAL ALASSEERI

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ON THE COVER & BACK: Hesham Albadr ISSUE 99 |

STUDENTS FREE!

Music and lyrics by Meredith Wilson and book by Richard Morris 2019 • APRIL 25, 26, 27 • 7:30 p.m. & APRIL 28 • 2 p.m. Goppert Theatre at Avila University The Bill and Jean Buchanan Stage 11901 Wornall Road • Kansas City, Mo. 64145

816.501.3699 • Avila.edu/Tickets

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FROM THE EDITORS May we have your @tention please! Finally, no more snowy days! It’s spring and we’re in the middle of the semester. This’s our second issue for this long semester. In this issue we have lots of stories from our student writers who thought those topics should be heard about. Please, look around and enjoy reading this issue.

Sincerely, Hesham Albadr Savannah Parris Co-Editors-in-Chief

EDITORIAL POLICY The Talon News Magazine is produced by students of Avila University. Opinions expressed are those of the writers and do not necessarily reflect those of the Talon News Staff, the Trustees, administration, faculty, or staff of the University. The Talon News Magazine encourages letters to the editor. These may be submitted electronically or in writing and should include the writer’s name, address, and telephone numbers for verification purposes. Letters can be mailed to the Talon News Magazine Editor, Avila University, 11901 Wornall Road, Kansas City, MO 64145. The Talon reserves the right to edit letters for reasons of space, clarity, or inappropriate language. Copies of the Talon News Network Operational Guidelines may be requested by writing to the above referenced address.

“..It’s Getting Dark” Mars Rover Ends Its Journey Austen Cummings

After 15 years on the Red Planet, the Opportunity Rover Mission came to an end. The Opportunity rover was designed to only last 90 Martian days and travel around 1,100 yards, but that was the case in 2004. Opportunity quickly surpassed expectations in its endurance, scientific value, and longevity. The little rover travelled more than 28 miles until it reached its final resting spot. The Perseverance Valley was a fitting name for the Opportunity rover’s last track on Mars. This mission came to an end after a massive, planet-wide dust storm completely blanketed the rover’s location in June of 2018. Though the dust storm eliminated any physical traces of the rover, its mission paves the way for the brave men and women that will soon walk Mars’ surface, like they did so many years before. Engineers from NASA’s Space Flight Operations sent thousands of commands to revive the Opportunity, but had little success. The final communication attempt from the rover was received on June 10. The final message sent back to Earth gave the rover a personality that made the internet fall in love with it: “My Battery is low and it’s getting dark.” This quote has been used throughout social media as a way to pay tribute to the rover that unknowingly did so much for its home planet. The next Mars rover is scheduled to be sent in 2020, with the hopes of finding a new sustainable home. Photo from Wikipedia 6 | ISSUE 99

The Power Of Words Michelle Carter Finally Charged For Boyfriend’s Suicide Gerson Sterling Our words have a powerful effect on others. Michelle Carter, a 17 year old girl, pushed her boyfriend to commit suicide by text messages. Conrad Roy III was going through hard times. His girlfriend, instead of helping him, pushed him to his death with only words of encouragement to end his life. She texted: “No, you’re not, Conrad. Last night was it. You kept pushing it off and you say you’ll do it, but you never do. It’s always going to be that way if you don’t take action. You’re just making it harder on yourself by pushing it off. You just have to do it. Do you want to do it now?” Conrad Roy III committed suicide by a compression pump that had filled the vehicle with carbon monoxide, in a Kmart parking lot in Fairhaven, Massachusetts. His death was

deemed a suicide, but a US court decided Carter was to blame in 2014. I don’t really know how to describe my feelings when reading the text messages. In this case, I will say when more than one person can listen to another, especially in a relationship, it’s impressive. In my opinion, she should go to jail. It is a crime indirectly, but it is still a crime. Scientists say the written word is a powerful psychological tool. Words have a much broader, deeper reach than simple communication. They affect our behavior at a profound, fundamental level. As people, we should understand the power that we hold in our words and we should be responsible for them. This story has proven it. Let’s learn a lesson from this story and better ourselves. ISSUE 99 |

FAME TO FUEL FASHION Pat Mahomes uses fame to start up a brand beyond football Connor Wytko Patrick Mahomes has made many headlines for his play on the field. Now, he is using his MVPat slogan as well as the â&#x20AC;&#x153;Showtime Mahomesâ&#x20AC;? mantra to create his own online clothing brand. After winning both the NFL MVP and the Pro Bowl MVP awards, Mahomes is taking his amazing talent to create ways to expand the brand behind his amazing 2018 season. Mahomes is a person who always remembers where he came from, which is why you will not find this brand in your local Dickâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Sporting Goods. For the online platform, creating an authentic experience for fans to get the apparel directly from the player they love is key. Many large companies sell the NFL licensed merchandise in their stores for an inflated price. This is often outside of the price range for many fans. Mahomes and his representatives have chosen to take the approach of an online store, where there will be no licensing restrictions, creating a more authentic brand. Mahomes recently tweeted the link, Mahomes15.com, where the fans can buy signature tee shirts and hoodies. They can even create accounts to book personal appearances. By ditching the traditional business model, Mahomes is using his brand to give fans a better and more authentic way to wear the name of their favorite quarterback. Coming off of a 5,000 yard and 50 touchdown MVP season, it should not be very hard for Mahomes to get his brand recognized and also give the fans a quality shopping experience for a very reasonable price.

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Photo From: Mahomes15.com

MBS Involvement with Asia

Economic and diplomatic progress

Mohammed Albader This year, the Crown Prince has shown less activity beyond the Middle East. However, the setback does not deter Saudi Arabia from the achievement of its vision for 2030. Asia is an important component of the vision and this has been proved by Mohamed bin Salmanâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s (MBS) visit three Asian regions, namely Pakistan, India, and China. The trip is the first major multi-destination tour away from the Photo by: Mohammed Albader Middle East in 2019. The Asian region is a good hub for ensuring diversification in the oil-dependent kingdom of Saudi Arabia. It also provides the exposure needed to bring the necessities of economic realities for the 21st century. There are conflicting factors between the nations that Saudi seeks to establish good relations. There is a conflict between India and Pakistan and the trade war between China and the US. The four nations have their ties with Saudi Arabia, even though they are in conflicting terms with each other. On the other hand, MBS sees the potential opportunity to act as a peace-broker, which suggests that the Crown Prince is a peaceful leader. The current deals signed between the Asian nations will see to it that economic progress is achieved in Saudi Arabia without the dependence on oil. It is very likely that the Saudis will have more involvement in Chinaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Belt and Road infrastructure, as well as other investments. The moves by MBS bring both diplomatic and economic strengths to Saudi. The bold move to attach with rivaling nations suggests a high likelihood of Saudi Arabia mending its relationship with all its rivaling countries for peaceful coexistence.

Shot Dead in Sleep 20-year-old California native shot and killed while sleeping in his car Alexander Caldwell When we get ready to close our eyes and rest, we don’t think that something tragic may happen to us or the people we love. On February 9th, 20-year old Willie McCoy had fallen asleep in his car at a Taco Bell parking lot. His car was approached by the Vallejo Police Department, where they stated that they noticed a handgun in McCoy’s lap, and they proceeded to call backup. They also stated that McCoy’s car was not in fact in park, so they set up another police car in front of and behind his vehicle. While doing so, McCoy woke and that’s when officers opened fire, shooting him. There an outrage between his family, the police department, and the community. Many residents questioned if they could get shot by the very people placed here to protect them, even when going to grab something to eat. Who are they safe from? The brother of the victim stated that McCoy “was shot for no reason.” Was the unloading of all the officers’ weapons necessary? Could they have de-escalated the situation without violence? We may never know. That’s the problem. In this day and age, it seems like cops are so quick to shoot first and ask questions later.

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Photo By: Hesham Albadr

Selective criticism Kaepernick makes agreement Jamad Thomas Recently, there has been drama with NFL superstar Colin Kaepernick and the NFL. This dispute has led to Colin being released from the San Francisco 49ers. His release led to many protest and talks, because they made an example out of him. Eric Reid, a former teammate who was also very active in this type of protest, also had to deal with similar issues. However, he was put back on the team after free agency. Finally, Colin Kaepernick and Eric Reid have reached a settlement regarding their case with the NFL. This has made the NFL release a statement where they said, according to the Business Insider article, “They were unaware of the settlement but they support their decision.” Just based on this quote, you can tell that the NFL really doesn’t like this decision, but has to go with the flow. They had to take so much criticism from the world about the example they made out of Colin. Even though a deal was never made for Colin Kaepernick, there was a deal made for Eric Reid and he is still playing football. Eric is lucky, because Colin Kaepernick is still looking for a football team. Since he hasn’t been signed yet, he still actively protests and stands for the rights of African American males who have been killed by policemen.

ISSUE 99 |

ISSUE 99 / SPRING / 2019

Entertainment Section

INSIDE: FEATURE:

FEATURE:

UMBERLLA ACADEMY

JUSSIE SMOLLETT

ROBERT KRAFT

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Contents

INTERACT WITH US ON OUR SOCIAL MEDIA ACCOUNTS!

14 15 16 18 20

UMBERLLA ACADEMY MURDER WAS THE CRIME JUSSIE SMOLLETT ROBERT KRAFT SAD ENDING FOR HAMISI

PHOTO ON THE COVER BY: Photo By: Hesham Albadr LETTER FROM THE EDITOR

Check out all of our social medias for all things with the Talon located in the front of the issue! Sarai Jorgenson, Social Media Editor ISSUE 99 |

Umbrella Academy Netflix makes their own X-Men Gerson Sterling The Umbrella Academy has received a lot of attention from people that watch a lot of TV. A comic book and now a series in Netflix, The Umbrella Academy is about a team of misfits with strange powers, brought together by an aloof genius for the betterment of humanity. Umbrella Academy fans can’t wait for Season 2, since there are a lot of questions and mysteries that Season 1 has to answer. For example, what is Hargreeves and where did he come from? The Umbrella Academy has become the biggest series in the USA. It could be one of the biggest hits in TV series. Although it sounds like the series is being compared to X-Men, it has a great rating from the Polygon website. People are predicting that it will win a lot of awards in the Oscars, with the producer, cast, and others. This TV series is going to be really interesting and it is worth spending time on. I am going to start watching it. There are a lot mysteries, which is why it’s being compared to X-Men. Yet, now that you know about The Umbrella Academy, what people like about it, and its audience, doesn’t that make you want to watch it?

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Photo By: Hesham Albadr

Murder was the Crime

Rapper Confesses Murder in hit single Adrian Guzman Nineteen year old rapper YNW Melly (Jamell Maurice Demons) is charged with two counts of premeditated murder. The young man is known for hit single, “Murder On My Mind,” which has skyrocketed in the charts soon after these charges were brought up about him. Sadly, the two victims were aspiring rappers and best friends of Melly. Their names were Anthony Williams and Christopher Thomas Jr. These men were a part of the You’re Not Welcome Group, hence the name “YNW.” Melly denies all charges that are brought against him. The police report states that YNW Melly had an accomplice. It was his other best friend, YNW Bortland. The police pleaded that Melly and Bortland staged the whole shooting to look like a drive by. Bortland drove both the men to the hospital. Unfortunately, both were dead upon arrival. Bortland told authorities that a car rolled up next to them and opened fire. Furthermore, detectives found new evidence, which reveals the shots were fired from the inside of the car. This led them to suspect that Melly was the shooter. After this incident, fans started dissecting his hit single, “Murder On My Mind,” which is the strangest part of the story. The single seems to be his murder confession, in some weird way. In a part of the song, Melly says, “He grabbed me by my hands and said he was afraid to die. I told ‘em it’s too late my friend, it’s time to say Goodbye. And he died inside my arms, blood all on my shirt.” This could have easily been what happened that day of the shooting. Rappers snitching on themselves in their music has been a thing for quite some time. For example, Bobby Schmurder and TayK both got caught and tried because of their lyrics. Unfortunately, Melly could very well be following their footsteps. ISSUE 99 |

Jussie Smollett TV Star Staged Attack on Himself? Jamaal Durity Jussie Smollett is a gay actor from the highly acclaimed show, Empire. His name has been in conversations on social media and major news outlets for the past few weeks. Talks of his staged attack have taken many of his celebrities and fans by surprise. Recently, Smollett has been charged with filing a false police report, in which he just posted $100,000 bail and also gave up his passport to the Chicago court system. According to Jussie Smollett, he was attacked while walking on a street near his Chicago apartment on January 29. While walking, he claims two men wearing President Donald Trump’s “MAGA” hats attacked him, poured bleach on him, and tied a noose around his neck. While committing these attacks, his alleged attackers also shouted homophobic and racist remarks. When the story first appeared, many were outraged about the series of events that occurred.With further investigation by the Chicago police, elements about Smollett’s story just didn’t add up. To add to the skepticism, Smollett refuses to let the Chicago police search his phone. He still proclaims his innocence and claims he had nothing to do with what happened. But police evidence suggests otherwise. According to the Chicago police department, this whole “attack” was staged. Police reports say Smollett was dissatisfied with his salary and he staged this attack to increase his fame. In fact, police records show that Smollett knew his attackers -- they even worked with him on the set of Empire. One of them is said to be his trainer. According to police evidence, his attackers were two African brothers, Ola and Abel Osundairo. The brothers claim that the “attack” was staged, and that they are not anti-Trump or homophobic at all. They said they were raised in Chicago and are citizens of America. ABC news obtained a $3,500 check written by Jussie Smollett to one of the brothers. According to Smollett, that $3,500 check was $600 per-week for the workout plan and $100 per week for the nutrition plan.

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Smollett said that he was training for an upcoming music video. This whole story started off as sympathy for Jussie Smollett, but it has switched quickly to rage at the fact he would lie about being a victim of a hate crime. As of now, Smollett is out on bond and Empire has taken him off the rest of the seasonâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s episodes. The evidence against him seems to be building up more and more. Many are waiting to see what awaits Smollett. Currently, we know one thing: Hate crimes will never be treated the same, no matter how real or fake they seem. There will always be a sense of doubt as to which is a problemâ&#x20AC;ŚWelcome To America. Photo By: Jamaal Durity

ISSUE 99 |

Robert Kraft

Extracurricular activities come to light Josh Dyson On February 22, 2019, news revealed that Patriots owner Robert Kraft was charged with solicitation of prostitution. He was an owner of, arguably, the greatest football dynasty the NFL has ever seen. Kraft just won his sixth Super Bowl, with the age defying and greatest quarterback returning for at least one more season with the Patriots. Kraft is highly respected by his peers. He also showed his support for criminal justice reform and wrongfully convicted rapper Meek Mill. According to court documents, on the morning of Jan 19th, Kraft paid for a threesome with two women. After the two women were done, Kraft paid the two women $100 dollars each. That was the first incident. The second incident occurred the

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next morning, on Jan 20th, the same day of the AFC championship game against the Chiefs. Kraft visited an Asian massage parlor, where an employee escorted Kraft to a room. In that room, he received sexual favors, and afterwards gave the employee $100 and another unidentifiable bill. Kraft was only at the massage parlor for a total of 14 minutes, according to officials. Cops say Kraft was wearing a blue baseball cap, blue shorts, and a dark longsleeved shirt. He then flew to Kansas City to watch his Patriots defeat the Chiefs. A spokesperson for Kraft said they “categorically deny that Mr. Kraft engaged in any illegal activity.” Robert Kraft’s court date for 1st-degree misdemeanor solicitation charges is set for April 24.

Photos By: Josh Dyson

ISSUE 98 |

Photos By: Turk Jaloud

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Sad Ending For Hamisi

“Tragic Accident” kills Kansas City’s Zoo’s Giraffe Turk Jaloud

Hamisi, a giraffe who had been in the Kansas City City since 2016, died from an acute spinal cord injury in its own bedroom, the zoo announced on their Facebook page on Friday. Officials told The Wichita Eagle that Hamisi apparently got its head stuck in an area of the giraffe barn and panicked. The entire Zoo and the staff are heartbroken and grieving this loss. Officials said 9 year old Hamisi fathered two calves, Dixie and Maxwell, both born last year. Hamisi lived in the giraffe barn, which was built in 1995. Officials stated that they were reviewing the giraffe area and will make immediate modification to the area as needed, and will share any findings with other (Association of Zoos and Aquariums) accredited facilities in hopes of preventing any future incidents. Their post on Facebook also stated that “Zoo staff has taken every step to ensure the safety and wellbeing of the rest of the giraffe herd. Hamisi is the second animal at Kansas City Zoo to die this week. Bam Bam, a 31 year old polar bear, was euthanized after zoo veterinarians found that she had untreatable liver cancer.

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ISSUE 97 / FALL / 2018

SPORTS SECTION

INSIDE: Let the Chaos Begin...Again

Plan to be the Best

PAGE 24

PAGE 28

March Madness PAGE 32

Contents

CAPTURING THE LIVES AND INTERESTS OF AVILA’S STUDENT ATHLETES

24 26 27 28 30 31 32 34 35

LET THE CHAOS BEGIN...AGAIN SWING ROOKIE SWING EMILIANO SALA PLAN TO BE THE BEST NIKE JUST DID IT WHEN WILL BRYCE HARPER SIGN MARCH MADNESS ALL-STAR CHARLOTTE LAKER’S LAST HOPE

ON THE COVER: Photo From Talal Alaseeri LETTER FROM THE EDITOR

We have so many great stories for this issue in sports, so be sure to check out all things relating to Avila and the Kansas City Chiefs on the next few pages!

-Josh Dyson ISSUE 99 |

Let The Chaos Begin.. Again Drama Meets Sports Michael Porter Jr. 2018 was an amazing year of soccer. The very solid but very underrated Croatia team went up against the giants, Les Bleus (France National Team), in an amazing final of the FIFA World Cup. At the 2018 FIFA World Cup, Kylian Mbappé became the world’s newest soccer darling at the tender age of twenty. To the world, it was an amazing display of the beautiful game, but of course, in the United States of America, the game might not be as big as other sports. If you wanted drama, Major League Soccer was the soap opera that every soccer fan could ask for. From the first ever Los Angeles derby, with the Galaxy taking on LAFC and the debut of the icon Zlatan Ibrahimović, we turned around a 3-1 depict for the Galaxy into a 4-3 win, scoring one of the most beautiful goals of the years. All season, Josef Martinez, Atlanta FC striker, proved why he was chosen to be the league’s Most Valuable Player, as he took them on a run of dreams to the MLS Cup. You also had the intensity behind the Western Conference Final in Kansas

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City, which had a trip to the MLS Cup on the line. Eventually, Kansas City was ousted by the Portland Timbers. A lot of eyes outside of the United States started to focus on what the league could become, because it was seen as a â&#x20AC;&#x153;Retirement Leagueâ&#x20AC;? for aging stars. This is starting to change for the better. The MLS are beginning to develop starts that are going to play in bigger league, like Miguel Almiron, who moved from the reigning champs to Newcastle United in the Premier League in England. Soccer in the US is The MLS are beginning to develop starts that are going to play in bigger league, like Miguel Almiron, who moved from the reigning champs to Newcastle United in the Premier League in England. Soccer in the US is becoming bigger and bigger every year and I am excited for what this season will bring. Will Atlanta repeat? Will Kansas City reign supreme once again? Will Philly be able to make that big step forward? Will Zlatan be Zlatan? I guess you will just have to watch and see.

Photos By: Michael Porter Jr.

ISSUE 99 |

Swing Rookie Swing

Royals see some new and old faces as 2019 spring training begins Connor Wytko After a dismal season, where they finished at the bottom of Major League Baseball, the Royals begin another spring training. With a team of young players such as Adalberto Mondesi, Brad Keller, and Ryan Oâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;Hearn preparing to have big second years in the big leagues, the Royals are putting their efforts behind having a young and projectable team in 2019. Along with their young nucleus of players, the Royals have signed veterans such as Billy Hamilton and former ace Homer Bailey to assist the current veteran leadership of Danny Duffy, Salvador Perez and Alex Gordon. The current veterans have been with the team for a long time, and have seen them go deep into the playoffs. With the mix of new players, it appears the Royalsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; front office is taking the rebuilding approach. They did not go after huge name free agents, but guys who can be brought in for relatively low contracts and have been tenured Major League players. Billy Hamilton comes by way of free agency and had back to back subpar years with the Cincinnati Reds, after being heralded as a prospect and young rookie for his blazing speed. Despite the deficiencies on the offensive side of the baseball, Hamilton still brings the great speed and above average defense in centerfield. The Royals are hoping he can revitalize his career at age twenty eight. Homer Bailey is a more heralded acquisition, as he saw a lot of success early in his career for the Cincinnati Reds, which earned him a 6 year $105 million dollar contract. Bailey was signed to a minor league deal, so the Royals are taking in a pitcher who had a very poor 2017 and 2018 season. They are looking for him to revamp his career in a pitcher friendly ballpark, and revamp a fastball that still averages a sizzling 93.8 miles per hour.

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Emiliano Sala

The Skilled Fox in the Box Mohammed Albader At the beginning of his career maturity, a fateful crash ended his life. Emiliano Sala was a sensational player the locals loved and the international fans adored. His sporting career began at a young age and he progressed gracefully to the point of sparking interest in the English premier league. He was born in Argentina on 30th October 1990 and went by the name Emiliano Raul Sala Taffarel. He played youth football in Argentina, then joined Portugal’s regional leagues for a short period. Sala later began professional football in France with Bordeaux. He joined Nantes in 2015, which was his first permanent club. Nantes made him popular, as he made over 100 appearances in Ligue 1 and a successful goalscoring record. He appeared as the Nantes top goal scorer for 3 consecutive seasons. Sala’s play was energetic and confrontational. Sala often talked of Gabriel Batistuta, whom he considered as his idol in the world of football. Sala copied Batistuta’s style of play, which earned him the praise of “the skilled fox in the box.” The media equates Sala to Jamie Verdy, saying that he would have performed in a similar manner if he were an English player. Sala was known to play in wide spaces, a technique that earned him the name “the local Carlos Tevez” as he played for club Niort. Sala was a lively and light player whose resilience and reliability was unpeaceable. Looking at his matches, one cannot overlook the finishing ability portrayed with his head, hence showing perfect timing. Sala was showing progress and would have conquered his way to the top in the English premier league. However, nature is so cruel and had to take his life on the onset of a breakthrough. Sala’s dreadful crash on a light plane happened on 21st January 2019 as he was leaving Nantes to attend the first training session in Cardiff. 27 ISSUE 99|

Plan To Be The Best Spring Training For Avila Football Brittany Freeman Avila University started a new tradition in Fall 2018. The university entered a new conference by partaking in the Kansas Collegiate Athletic Conference (KCAC). Changing from The Heart to the KCAC, multiple sports teams became successful. Starting with football, the boys started a trend by ending on one of the best records within the past couple years. Not knowing how successful the football team would be, it was too great achievement to acknowledge Coach Benavidez who started a new era. He became head coach at the start of the new fall season, and has succeeded in every aspect. Head Coach Benavidez, he stated, “Something that I have known for a while, but last season really showed to everyone is that the game isn’t about the X’s and O’s. You can have the best plays in the world, but at the end of the day, your success as a team revolves around people and relationships.” With spring training ramping up, it is no surprise that Benavidez is more than ready to achieve his set goals and outcomes. He noted that the development of each player will be huge during this time, along with building strength and power. “I could care less about overall ‘conditioning’ in February or March. We need a team that can peak physically by 6pm on September 7th and be able to maintain that until December,” Coach Benavidez stated. When asked about main goals, the head coach remarked, “Our biggest goal is to build a team chemistry that will keep us on the right track during the entire season. A foot-

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ball season is very demanding, not just physically, but mentally. We must be able to maintain our focus and do what we can to accomplish our 2019 team goals.â&#x20AC;? Though they lost some talented players last year, there is no doubt that the team can come together. The current players can improve and grow to meet the high expectations. Not only did they improve this past season, they continued to grow into a new era for Avila history. They have embarked into a new style of playing and can only go up from here. They are striving to become better and better each day, as they step into spring training.

Photo By: Tola ISSUE 99 |

Nike Just Did It

Young basketball star suffers injury due to Nike shoe quality Trey Heinrich When Duke and North Carolina faced off on February 20th, no one could have imagined what was going to happen in the first minute of the game. On the first possession of the game, Zion Williamson, star forward for Duke and regarded by many as the number 1 draft pick in this year, drove to the basket, planted his foot, and fell to the ground. After falling to the ground, he immediately grabbed his leg and looked to be in some serious pain. The bottom of his shoe ripped open completely, causing him to sprain his knee. He was wearing the Nike PG 2.5 shoes. After this event, many people took to social media to question the stability of Nike’s basketball shoes. As a result of this, Nike’s stock the following day was down 1.37%. Although this sounds like such a small percentage, this drop equalled out to almost 3 BILLION dollars. Nike, who fully sponsors Duke’s basketball team with shoes and other gear, issued a statement on the incident. “The quality and performance of our products are of utmost importance,” the company said. “While this is an isolated occurrence, we are working to identify the issue.” In comparison to Nike’s declining stocks, a few other rival companies increased in value. Puma increased by 1.96% and Adidas went up by 0.64%. Although their stock is down now, experts don’t foresee it having a big impact on Nike going forward. It was an isolated incident that involved a player, over 260 pounds, who a very hard move. Given the amount of hours that the team has played without an accident like this, I think that this will turn out to be pretty minuscule in the long run.

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photo from: www.store.nike.com

When Will Bryce Harper Sign?

As Spring Training Continues, Harper Has Yet to Sign Free Agency Contract Makenzie Musgrove Much of the Major League Baseball offseason has been spent wondering where some of the top free agents will sign. Bryce Harper has headlined this group of individuals, along with Manny Machado. Machado agreed to a deal with the San Diego Padres worth $300 million over 10 years. Teams in the discussion to sign Harper have been the Washington Nationals, the Philadelphia Phillies, San Diego Padres, Los Angeles Dodgers, New York Yankees, and many other “mystery” teams offering Harper. From the beginning of the offseason, it seemed that the Phillies were the frontrunners to sign the all-star. However, it seems that if that were the case, the deal would’ve taken place by now. It has been reported that ever since Machado signed his contract, that Harper has turned down offers reportedly over $300 million. Also, after Arenado signed an extension with the Colorado Rockies for eight years worth $260 million, Harper will look to cash in on a huge contract. Harper joined the MLB in 2012 at just 19 years old. The hype for Harper to join the league was huge. He was nicknamed “Baseball’s Chosen One” as he appeared on the cover of Sports Illustrated at just 16 years old. Harper has since then lived up the expectations that come along with having the nickname of “Baseball’s Chosen One” as he was named NL Rookie of the Year in 2012, six all-star game appearances, and 2015 NL MVP. Will it pay off for one of baseball’s biggest stars to play the waiting game? Only time will tell. ISSUE 99 |

March Madness March has 2 holidays: St. Patrick’s Day, and March Madness

Jamaal Durity March Madness is the month where people crowd into sports taverns, gyms, and homes of loved ones to watch college basketball at its finest. March Madness consists of 68 Division 1 basketball teams battling for the end goal: A national championship. You get an automatic bid to the tournament if you win your conference tournament. From there, anyone else that makes it is dependent on record and strength of schedule, among other things. March Madness consists of many buzzer beaters and mind-blowing upset losses. The only downside is that if your team loses once, they’re done. The March Madness bracket consists of all 68 teams and their ranking in the tournament. From first seed 32 | ISSUE 99

to last seed, each of the teams involved are present. Bracket predictions, or “Bracketology,” as ESPN calls it, are popular during March Madness. People all over the world try to pick and choose which teams they think will win certain games. The odds of someone getting every pick right is slim to none. Even Barack Obama took place in his own March Madness bracket prediction during his presidency. The final four is arguably the arguably most known/watched part of March Madness. Four teams play against each other for a bid to the national championship game. During the final four, anything is bound to happen. Your favorite team may lose to a 5th seed, but they might lose in the national championship game. The final four puts everyone

Photo By: Jamaal Durity a step closer to the national championship game. In college sports, anything is liable to happen, which is why the â&#x20AC;&#x153;Cinderella Storyâ&#x20AC;? is always a factor when it comes to March Madness. The Cinderella Story consists of a underdog team or even a overlooked player. They either do much better than expected, or they win it all. Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s always exciting to watch the underdog rise to the occasion when it really counts and when the competition is at a high level. March Madness generates

billions of dollars and gains national attention from almost every news outlet. During March Madness, many celebrities and professional athletes show up at games. For instance, LeBron James showed up to a March Madness event when Steph Curry played at Davidson college. This is the pinnacle of college basketball. Legends are made and stories are written in March. If you love action-packed college basketball games, then March Madness is for you. ISSUE 99 | 33

All-Star Charlotte

Gender Neutral Not a Problem…Anymore Justin Starks Back in 2016, the NBA All-Star weekend was supposed to be in Charlotte, NC. Hundreds of people were excited, especially the sensational Steph Curry, who was born and raised in Charlotte. But things back-lashed when the public found out they had a gender neutral bathrooms law. North Carolina has a controversial law that bans transgender people from using bathrooms to go with their new gender identity. The NBA doesn’t discriminate against their fans. They want everyone and anyone to come to games to watch their favorite team or player. Unfortunately, the city and state lost millions of dollars due to this law. Now three years later, the HB2 law (House Bill 2) banning transgender’s from using gender neutral bathrooms has been diminished. The state and the people have seemed to have come to peace with it. All-Star weekend 2019 is back in Charlotte and the fans, organization, and players couldn’t be happier. Team owner, Michael Jordan, was thrilled to have it there. Jordan, who also is born and raised in North Carolina and also played for the University of North Carolina, was excited. He explained, during a press conference before the weekend had started, that he was excited but had also put in a lot of hard work for it to be there. He explained how it is different being on the other end of the game as a GM instead of player but said it is just as satisfying being able to bring the All-Star weekend back to Charlotte. Hopefully everything goes smoothly for everyone this year. No discrimination against any gender, no injuries among players. Hopefully, all fans arrive and get back home safely. This year will be interesting. There’s a lot of anticipation leading up to this year’s All-Star weekend, so I hope it lives up to the hype.

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Laker’s Last Hope What team will be next? Trey Heinrich 14 years ago, College sensation Zion Williamson was just 5 years old. Hurricane Katrina had just struck Louisiana, Mississippi, and Alabama. Youtube was just created. This was the last time that the NBA playoffs didn’t feature LeBron James. With the Cleveland Cavaliers and the Miami Heat, LeBron has been a force to be reckoned with in the playoffs and has even made it to 8 straight NBA Finals.Now, LeBron is in uncharted territory in his first season withthe Los Angeles Lakers. As of right now, the Lakers have a record of 29 wins and 31 losses with 22 games remaining. They are 3 games behind the San Antonio Spurs, who currently hold the last playoff spot. Throughout the season, the Lakers have had to deal with a bunch of injuries that have not allowed the team to build any chemistry. LeBron strained his groin on December 26th, when the Lakers were in 4th place in the conference. They were playing well and the team was clicking on all cylinders. Then, in the 18 games that LeBron missed, the Lakers only managed to win 6 games. Then, to make matters worse, starting point guard Lonzo Ball sprained his ankle on January 18th and has been sidelined ever since. Without Ball, the Lakers are just 4-9 in their last 13 games and have lost to some of the bottom tier teams in the league. It hasn’t helped that the Lakers offered a trade package for Anthony Davis, that included Kyle Kuzma, Brandon Ingram, Ball, and many other players. If the Lakers can’t get everyone healthy and figure out their internal issues, then LeBron is in serious jeopardy of missing his first playoffs in 14 years. ISSUE 99 |

THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN SOMETHING GOOD AND SOMETHING GREAT IS ATTENTION TO DETAIL. - CHARLES R. SWINDOLL

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Articles inside

Robert Kraft

MBS Involvement with Asia

\"...It's Getting Dark\"

Umbrella Academy

ASPN Part 3

ASPN Part 2

ASPN Part 1