Bare-ing it all!!! by Talon

Talon

ISSUE 89 / SPRING / 2017

BARE-ING IT ALL

INSIDE: FEATURE

INTERNATIONAL

SPORTS

HOMETOWN PLAYGROUND

WHO I REALLY AM

SWEET, SWEET VICTORY

PAGE 14

PAGE 26

PAGE 44

INSIDE

Photo From Jessica Albina

LIFESTYLE

INTERNATIONAL

Want to read more content? Visit us online at Talonnews.360.net, or see our interactive side of the magazine online at Talon.tv. Here you can find videos, interviews, and other special content!

CONTRIBUTORS EDITOR IN-CHIEF GRACYN REED MANAGING EDITOR BRIANNA PERALTA SPORTS EDITOR RYAN MEYER INTERNATIONAL EDITOR MOHAMMED ALABDULLAH PHOTOGRAPHY EDITORS JESSICA ALBINA JOY BRANCH ADVISOR DR. J ANTHONY SNORGRASS

TALON TEAM JOY BRANCH LEXI CLARY JESSICA ALBINA LEXI YANEZ CORY DYE TREY BALES BRIANNA PERALTA MACI HODGES CASEY LEE HANAE ISHIKAWA MOHAMMED BAGHDADI ABDULAZIZ ALOTAIBI AJ OVIEDO CHRIS GRISSOM RYAN MEYER DYLAN DOSS GRACYN REED ZACH HOEFLICKER YESSICA RAMIREZ UGO OSUALA ANA SAINT

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ON THE COVER & BACK: FRONT AND BACK COVER: Photos From Jessica Albina; Edited by Gracyn Reed

ISSUE 89 |

Dance FEARless a

in g

& FREE

Dance classes for ages 3 to 17 will be held the ďŹ rst Saturday of every month starting in June. 10:00am - 12:00pm at FEARless Dance Center located in Raymore, Missouri

June: Jazz

July: Ballet/Contemporary August: Tap September: Tumbling October: Hip Hop

Email macihodges12@yahoo.com to sign up. 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 writerâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;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.

If you’d like to become a contributor, we’d love to hear from you! (Photos, articles, poems, etc. We accept it all!)

talonnewsmagazine@gmail.com

FROM THE EDITOR I want to say congratulations to all the students who made it through this semester. It seemed to be quite a toughie but you did it! The Talon and its staff is very excited to announce that we made another issue happen this semester! It’s been a great semester being the Editor-in-Chief and I’m excited for my last two semesters continuing to manage the Talon. This issue is themed Bare-ing It All, as it was voted on by the writing staff. We used the mural, that is being finished very soon, as our muse for this issue. Sike Styles has been working since the fall semester to get the mural done so the students and faculty of Avila have something beautiful to enjoy. He took a very plain, blank space and made it something very unique to Avila and Kansas City and we greatly appreciate that. So we thought, “What if your life was a blank canvas, what would you do with it?” This inspired our writers to create content above and beyond what I could have imagined. I hope you continue to enjoy every page of this issue. It has been a joy working with this semesters group of writers. Thank you guys for making it such an easy task as your Editor-in-Chief! Don’t forget to check out other content on our social media pages. We love to interact with our readers!

UNTIL NEXT TIME Gracyn Reed Editor-in-Chief

ISSUE 89 |

WHAT SIDE ARE YOU ON?

The truth about photoshop

Jessica Albina Looking back at my awkward tween years, I recall sitting in my room, flipping through the newest issue of Seventeen Magazine, and looking at all of the b e a u t i f u l , flawless women on each page. I thought to myself, “Wow I can’t wait to grow up and look like that!” To no surprise, that clearly was not the case. I grew up and matured but so did the idea that my imperfection and flaws were the case. I wish that someone would’ve told awkward, little tween Jessica that these women that I looked up to weren’t actually perfect. That their images were created with the intention to project what someone viewed as beautiful. Over the years I have come to realize, as cheesy as it sounds, that nobody’s perfect. However, I never expected to be in the position where I’m the one creating these same images. Photo From Jessica Albina

During my first years of college I realized my life’s passion was visual medium of photography. With the help of Photoshop came endless possibilities and options to alter my images; whether it’s adjusting the brightness and contrast, fixing the colors, or retouching. Recently, I began taking self-portraits but I was very hesistant to do this at first bcause of my horrible acne. In the end, I decided to take the photos anyways because I knew that photoshop gave me the option to make all of the acne and imperfections disappear like magic. I;m not perfect, yet I chose to create images of myself with a flawless face even though that’s not really me. How much photoshopping is too much? Are the changes and alterations made to these images solely for the sake of art or are we stuck in an endless cycle that constantly craves perfection?

A MOVEMENT FOR CHANGE The fight against climate change

Lexi Yanez By the end of Obama’s Presidency still moving forward in the fight against those of us who are environmentalists climate change. were finally feeling On April 29, 2017 a sense of optimism there is a People’s when it came to Climate Movement making positive March happening changes against in Washington, D.C. and all around the climate change. country, including President Obama had put a stop to here in Kansas City. According to the Dakota Access Pipeline, Keystone XL, peoplesclimate. drilling in the Arctic, org the march “...is a and more. He’d moment to bring the also signed laws range of progressive social change protecting certain movements together. lands, protecting Photo From Jessica Albina Pushing back against endangered species, limiting carbon emissions, protecting the Trump agenda and at the same time our clean water, and so much more. It’s pushing forward on our vision of a clean, safe to say there are more and more safe world where the rights of all people people in the world who are pushing are protected and expanded means for changes like the ones he made. We we all must work together.” This is a moment where we can all want to do more for our planet and for the generations to come. It finally felt like stand up for our right to be protected by there was a leader on our side; someone our government. Our voices should be heard and the lives of future generations who saw things the way we saw them. Now, here it is, just a few months into should come before money. It is past the Donald Trump’s Presidency, and he has point of denial - if we don’t start making signed an executive order to roll back drastic changes now, it’ll be too late. Join the Obama Administration’s Clean in the march to prove to Congress and Power Plan. I’m not writing this article to our President that climate change is real wag my finger at everything Donald and we demand that laws be changed Trump as done wrong; I’m actually writing so we can start saving our planet. this article to show that even in the ISSUE 89 | 7 midst of all these setbacks, people are

HOW TO GET YOUR SH*T TOGET HER Adulting 101 Brianna Peralta and Gracyn Reed We all have problems keeping it together sometimes. If you’re a college student I know this is true. I think of myself as a very organized person and sometimes I still need to take time to get my sh*t together. If you’re anything like I am, a busy college student who has a job and responsibilities and likes sleep, this article is for you. Here are some tips on how to get it together. Put the Phone Away In a world where the only thing keeping us connected is our phone, it’s natural for us to not want to put them down. In order to get work done in an efficient manner though, you are going to have to disconnect from the electronic world and get to work. Don’t worry that world will welcome you back with open arms and lots of emojis when you’re done. Stop Procrastinating Do you find yourself putting things off, saying that you will “do it later”, and eventually wait until the last minute to do anything. I’ll admit that procrastinating is the easy thing to do but it’s not the best thing. It puts your brain in a bad state and training yourself to do things at the last minute is never the answer. Schedule Inspiration This is something we just learned about from Mother of YouTube and Queen Unicorn Lilly Singh is that in times of a creative lull you will have to “Schedule Inspiration”. Instead of freaking out, use that time to get inspired, whether that means watching your favorite show on Netflix or picking up a magazine you love, find something that inspires you and learn from it? Figure out your priorities… And work on those: forget everything else. Figure out what things deserve most of your attention at the moment and get that done. Commit to your Decisions If you sign up to do some extra work outside of class, because I know we all do, don’t forget about it. Continue to remind yourself that you HAVE to get this done because you promised someone. Breaking trust is not something you need in your life. Surround Yourself With the Right People There is a saying that you are an average of the 5 people you hang out with the most. So, take that into consideration when looking at your goals. Are these the

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people that are going to motivate you and inspire you do better? If you answered no then you need to find new people to surround yourself with. Having a good support system is everything. Make a Vision Board Visualize exactly what success looks like to you, then map it out on a vision board. Don’t be afraid to get specific. If you know what you want your life to look like it may be easier to work for those goals now that you have them. Hold yourself accountable You and I both know that actions speak louder than words, so if you’re going to talk the talk, make sure that you can walk the walk. If you find yourself slacking, talk about it with yourself and make a plan to get back on track. The only person who can change things in your life is you. These are just a few of some great ways for you to get back on the track of life. It’s important that whatever you chose to do in life you have a plan. Don’t just wing it because we all know that creates more anxiety than any given activity ever should. Have a plan and stick to it because you don’t need any negativity or added stress in your life.

Photo From Gracyn Reed

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FINDING MYSELF IN COLLEGE The fight continues Joy Branch There was a time in my life, when I was not confident in myself. I found my identity in other places. I’ve been a daughter, the new kid, a cheerleader, an employee, and a student. I never saw myself as “Joy.” I was something, not someone. My lack of self-confidence was at its worse when graduating high school. It affected my college decision. I was unsure of what I wanted to do and where I wanted to go. This led me to decide on Avila University. I was still cheerleading, I found a major that I relatively cared about and was close enough to home to feel comfortable in my environment. At the time, I thought of it as settling. I was holding on to as many “things” as I could, that I associated my identity with. In my freshmen year, I crashed. I was so unhappy with my life and with myself. I desperately wanted to fit in with the groups of people I was involved with. The “things” no longer identified me. I was lost. Even thought this was an incredibly difficult time for me, it eventually led to me finding myself. Being so unhappy helped me reevaluate all of the things I gave my time to. I started spending time with people who I shared genuine interests with. I found passion in my hobbies. I re-fell-in-love with photography. I started caring about school and valuing my time at Avila. I met my best friend and eventually my current boyfriend. “Finding yourself” may seem so vague. For me, it was the time when I became more than a cheerleader, a daughter or a student. Instead, I am caring, fun and passionate. I am Joy.

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Photo From Joy Branch

UNDECLARED STUDENT

Don’t stress about not knowing Lexi Clary Photo From Lexi Clary

Here in the United States more times than not we are expected to figure out what we want to do with our lives eventually. However, being a student who has an undeclared major can be a scary thing, especially when you aren’t exactly sure as to what you want your career to be. I think that it is totally normal not to have a clue as to what you want to do, I personally know people in their junior year still switching majors and trying to decide what career path to take. According to an article written by Gianna Sen Gupta, about 20 – 50 % of students start out as undeclared. I think figuring out what you want to do is something that you learn as you get your general education credits out of the way. As we make our journey through the grueling hours of course work, it is only helping develop the passion that we can use out in the real world.

Pay attention to what motivates you to do better in a class and learn to harness that energy into a passion that could possibly propel you into a career. Sometimes its good to reflect on past experiences: jobs in the past, subjects you love, to help determine a career path. It’s also good to evaluate some of your core beliefs, for example, do you like helping people? Are you good at speaking in public? The decision on your career path is ultimately up to you, but its never a bad idea to get input from advisors, professors, and the academic affairs. “Find teachers that inspire, motivate, and encourage you to work hard and be passionate about your academic experience,” says Timothy O’Donnell, who is a professor at the University of Mary Washington in Virginia. ISSUE 89 | 11

FUN IN THE SUN

4 day trips to take this summer Ryan Meyer Summer is right around the corner, and with it comes a time to relax and enjoy yourself before school starts again in August. Here are five day trips you can take with your friends or family this summer from Kansas City to escape the monotony of the work week. If you have a long weekend or just a day off of work here are some ideas of places to visit. 1. Omaha- Omaha is just under a 3 hour drive from Kansas City and offers an array of things to do. The College World Series will be held there this June, which is always a main attraction for folks all over the United States. The Omaha Zoo is also another place to check out, for only 19.95 a day you can check out all of the animals the Omaha Zoo has to offer. 2. St. Louis- St. Louis is just over a 3 hour drive from Kansas City and offers so many great attractions. Busch Stadium is home to the St. Louis Cardinals and a day at the ballpark is always a good choice. The Gateway Arch is another

Photo From Ryan Meyer

attraction you can see, as well as the only free zoo in the United States. 4. Lake of the Ozarks- The Lake of the Ozarks offers a home away from home for all of those water lovers out there. The trip from Kansas City takes about 2 and half hours, but the trip is well worth it when you get to relax by the water for a weekend. Lake of the Ozarks offers a large selection of nightlife, as well as relaxing pools to enjoy a hot summer day. 5. Columbia, Mo - Columbia, Missouri, which is the home of the university of Missouri is one of the largest college towns in the midwest and is only a two hour drive from Kansas City. Columbia is one of the best towns to visit when youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re in college as it is home to many bars, and has a tremendous nightlife in the downtown area. For those who never attended a large school, Columbia offers you a great experience of what college would be like at a school of 20,000 students.

PHOTO FROM GRACYN REED

THE RESET BUTTON

How to get over a toxic companionship Jessica Albina Humans need interaction to survive, but finding the right people to let you into your life is crucial to on’es happiness. From my experience, I’ve found that the best part about life is enjoying it with the people you care about most. Sometimes those same people can make you feel the worst pain imaginable: a broken heart. Remember that feeling of when your heart falls out of your chest and hits the floor like a brick and you can’t even breath because the weight of the world is too strong? Those feelings fade over time but I still remember how the end of a relationship, or friendship, can feel like the end of the world, especially if it wasn’t a picture perfect ending. So here are a few tips on how to reset your life and move on from that toxic person. Step one, take some time and gather

all of the personal items that remind you of the person and get them out of sight and out of mind. This is a very important step because seeing these items or photos of that person can hinder your healing process. Step two, scheduletime for yourself to partake in activities that make you happy. Whether that’s going to the movies with friend or enjoying some time alone and taking a walk in the park. It’s important to stay busy to keep your mind off that person. Finally step three, now that you have begun to move on from that toxic person it’s the perfect time to open yourself up and allow someone new into your life. Just because one chapter in the book that is your life ended badly doesn’t mean that you won’t ever find happiness somewhere else.

ISSUE 89 | Photo From Jessica Albina

HOMETOWN PLAYGROUND

5 Fun things to do in Kansas City Gracyn Reed

Photo From Gracyn Reed Not all of my friends have summer jobs, and not all of my friends have parents that are willing to dish out money left and right for road trips and concerts all summer long. Living in the Kansas City metro area all my life, I’ve found some great places that are cheap and are always a good time. Kansas City Zoo The zoo isn’t just for little kids, and it isn’t boring. They have animal shows, zoo rides, and more. Who wouldn’t want to spend a nice day outside getting great exercise, hanging with friends, and seeing cool animals? At the KC Zoo, they have all kinds of animals, ranging from cranes and swans to cheetahs to otters. The Kansas City Zoo also has sponsored events that occur throughout

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the summer that can be fun for the whole family! The Legends Outlet Mall The Legends is a bit of a drive depending on where you’re coming from, but it never disappoints! The mall is full of outlet stores like Nike, Under Armour, Charming Charlie, American Eagle, and more! I love going to The Legends because everything is cheaper since it’s an outlet mall, but they always have tons of good sales. My family loves to go out there and eat a nice lunch and shop around all day. And don’t forget to check out the movie theater while you’re there! Adventure Oasis Adventure Oasis is a water park located in Independence, Missouri. It’s

the best way to spend a hot summer day. The adult admissions are only $9, and if you live in Independence you receive a discount. They have three water slides, a great lazy river, and even a free swim pool. The kid’s area is a great place to take your little ones, and even the concession stand is pretty good. The Nelson-Atkins Museum The Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art is never a disappointment. I love spending time on the courtyard and inside. There is no entry fee, and you can bring a picnic and have lunch on the yard. The Nelson is a local favorite any time of the year, but during the summer it’s nice to have somewhere you can go and just enjoy the amazing city we live in. Kauffman Stadium

What better way to spend summer than watching your 2015 World Champions? Kauffman Stadium—home of the Royals—is a great place to spend any night or day in KC. They have promotions based on different nights, T-shirt Tuesday’s, Wednesday is student night, Thursday Buck Night and Gordo Nation, as well as the promotions they run with bobble heads, BBQ spatulas, and much more. Royals’ games are great for the whole family as they have activities for kids and the hall of fame. Ticket prices can range anywhere from $10 all the way up to the thousands, depending on where you chose to sit. I wouldn’t want to spend summer in any other place besides Kansas City.

Photo From Cory Dye

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THE FUTURE Anxiety about the unknwon Joy Branch

Photo From Joy Branch Are you ever anxious about the future? If the answer is yes, know you are not alone. Many Avila students become overwhelmed when thinking about their future plans or careers. We find ourselves wondering “what if” more often than not. In college we are expected to get our life together. We’re supposed to find our dream career, maybe even meet our future spouse. The pressure of friends, family, and society ways down on us: day after day. Everyone has dreams for themselves. As children, we look into the future with hope; we dream of being veterinarians or astronauts. Our parents tell us we can be the President of the United States if we want to. Then one day, the realization of how much work our dreams take hit us. In our 4-hour night class we wonder where those childhood dreams disappeared to. We question our future. As young adults, we know that dreams can be crushed and our future is often unknown. The anxiety that comes with worrying about the future can be represented by a blurry photograph. Only the present is in focus. The future is there, but there is no definitive way to know exactly what the subject is until the day comes. What may seem terrifying eventually becomes beautiful and mesmerizing. No matter how much we prepare, work or study, the blurry photo might not turn out to be the image we exactly had in mind. It’s important to remember that nothing is set in stone. Expecting the unexpected helps lessen the stress we have when pondering the future.

THE END IS NEAR Or is it?

Lexi Yanez About two months ago I was positive I’d finally be graduating from college. I had jam packed as many classes as I could into my final semester and had big plans for after I graduated. I knew it wouldn’t be fun, or easy, taking 18 credit hours all while planning a wedding, but crossing that finish line in May is what kept me going. As long as I could cross that finish line it would all be worth it. Like I said, that was before. When I had transferred to Avila University I was coming in with an Associates Degree from Maple Woods Community College. As I made my schedule for my first semester here I was told that because I had my Associates Degree all of the credits I needed for IS courses had been satisfied. Now, fast forward to February when I was contacted by my advisor to inform me that the registrar’s office had reached out to him to tell him that I was unable to graduate because I had been switched to the new core. With the new core, to my understanding, my associates degree only covered two of the now three IS courses I need to take before I

Photo From Jessica Albina

am allowed to graduate. This is now my fourth semester at Avila and I had never been told this before - neither had my advisor, who was probably just about as mad as I was at this point. We drafted letters, we printed all kinds of emails, my advisor even went on his own and fought the registrar’s office about their decision to not allow me to graduate. How is it that in four semesters neither one of us had been informed that I was switched to the new core? Lucky for me, we won the fight, and I get to graduate - but I know that’s not the case for everyone. If you ask me, the new core is a joke. From what I’ve been told from multiple students who’ve had the same issue as me, not even their advisors can understand how it works and now it’s even harder to get into the courses you need to graduate. They say they want us to make a plan so we can graduate in 4 years (or two if you come in with your associates) but how is that actually going to be possible when the classes that we have to have are filling up on the first day of enrollment? As far as I can tell, this new core isn’t helping anyone.

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TO BE A CHILD OF AN OFFICER What it’s really like to be a police officers kid Brianna Peralta I’m lucky. I grew up with a parent who is my best friend, has been my coach, my mentor, my right hand man, and my favorite person. In the world we live in though, he is someone who is not respected. My dad is a police officer. As a kid I used to brag about how cool my dad’s job is. I used to say how awesome it was that he keeps the bad guys off the streets. In today’s world, though, it isn’t a good thing to be an officer. Let me be one of the first people to tell you what its like to be a child of someone who works in law enforcement. It’s not being able to tell people that my parent is a cop in fear of retaliation. It’s listening to people that you hang out with consistently say, “F**k the police” or “All cops are the same; they are all just pigs” and not being able to defend him. It’s getting so angry when people say such hateful things about the police because you know your parent is better than that. It’s knowing that your parent works hard and is dedicated to their job, but knowing that they may never be recognized for the good things they do because the public only sees the bad. It’s seeing my dad come home from work after a long hard day of harassment and knowing that it was because of the job he does. It’s sometimes having a different opinion than the one of the general public because of my dad. But it’s also understanding that sometimes there are just bad cops out there who ruin their reputation for the whole police force. It’s posting something about law enforcement on social media and getting multiple negative comments. It’s having to avoid the news some days because there is so much hate for what he does. It’s not wanting my parent to leave for work because you don’t know what’s going to happen. It’s knowing that every time my parent walks out the door that might be the last time I see him. It’s knowing that every goodbye with them might be my last. It’s knowing that he is hated my many and feared by most. It’s knowing that some people want my parent to die because they think of it as a life for a life. It’s seeing the pain in my parent’s eyes when he finds out that an officer was shot on duty. It’s seeing events, like the shooting in Dallas, and imagining your parent in that situation. Most importantly it’s being grateful that they go into work every day and put on the uniform so that other people don’t have to. I am the child of a police officer. It’s a hard job that they have, but I know that my dad is committed to protect and serve our country, and really that’s all I could ever ask for. Thank you, Dad, for taking a stand to continuously protect and serve.

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ISSUE 89 |

JUST WING IT

Your spring guide to everything saucy Zach Hoeflicker

Photo from Zach Hoeflicker When spring comes around people want to renew themselves and look for the next best thing. A KC based restaurant called Wings Cafe is a place that just may be the answer for you. Just around twenty minutes away from Avila University in the heart of Westport, this may be the new hot spot for students to get a great bite to eat. The atmosphere is relaxed and comfortable while offering you a wide selection of wing flavors, sides, and drinks and topping it off with some of the best people around. Yes the food is fantastic and Wings Cafe is successful, but this business is always working on new ideas and flavors to keep the customers on edge and happy, because that’s what defines their brand. The food itself is insane. When talking about flavors for wings then this is your spot. Not only are the wings big but they offer both sauce and dry rubs to coat your wings in. “Slap” being one of their best sellers is just one of the many you can choose from. I interviewed two Avila University students that are fans of Wings Cafe and asked them what they were excited about coming into this spring. Tyler Burrow said “I love the people and how the business is always looking to make things better. I already love the place but each time I come in I enjoy it more.” Jessica Frost stated “I usually come with my boyfriend because it’s his favorite place but after I while I started to like it as well

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The atmosphere is nice and the workers make you feel comfortable.” Wings Cafe is strong in its pursuit to satisfy their customers but consistently are working to try new things and take chances. The best part is that the flavor menu is always being added to. From the time they opened to now, they are still adding new flavors and rubs. The options keep growing and the business prides themselves on trying new things. When I sat down to interview Lee Redwood, owner of Wings Cafe, I asked what made Wings Cafe unique and this is what he had to say. “Our daringness to go out and try new flavors… so we take it upon ourselves to try and create sauces and seasonings that complement that whole way of thinking to be unique, flavorful, and tasty. We have several different sauces that we have been playing with for years that we would like to start putting on the menu, even if that’s testing it out as a sauce of the month.” He stated that this spring going into the summer will give them a good chance to start thinking about some outdoor events that Wings Cafe can be apart of. Lee was very passionate in saying that Wings Cafe is working on news things and hopes that they are successful in the future. It’s the time of year where people start going out and enjoying the day and Wings Cafe wants to be apart of it. Not just for the great service and food but the feeling you get when you step in the door. He also said that they are trying to target college students that want to come in and get a quick snack or lunch but also don’t want to slack off with what they eat. Explaining that they can be a place to get a fast and easy meal but it will not lack in flavor or quantity. This spring gives them the chance to meet new people and let them in on one of the most overlooked places in Kansas City. The wide array of food offered on the menu can be a huge hit for college students looking for something new. The prices are also reasonable for the amount of food you get. Avila students are able to find a place decently close to campus that can give them great food for a reasonable price with outstanding service. They are different than typical restaurants and that’s what will keep individuals coming back. So now you have a spring guide to everything saucy. As Wings Cafe has said before, “Just Wing It and Come On In!”

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ISSUE 89 / SPRING / 2017

INTERNATIONAL SECTION

INSIDE: FEATURE

FEATURE

FIND YOUR PREFERENCE

MORE AIRPLANE DRAMA?

ARE YOU STILL TEXTING AND DRIVING?

PAGE 24

PAGE 28

PAGE 34

Contents

BRINGING THE WORLD TO AVILA AND AVILA TO THE WORLD

24 25 26 27 28 29 30 32 34 35

FIND YOUR PREFERENCE SMALL SCHOOLS V LARGE SCHOOLS ARABIC TRANSLATION ARABIC TRANSLATION WHO I REALLY AM FINDING YOUR ARTISTIC STYLE SPANISH TRANSLATION SPANISH TRANSLATION MORE AIRPLANE DRAMA? COMPUTERS BANNED ON SOME FLIGHTS ARABIC TRANSLATION ARABIC TRANSLATION IT’S TIME TO GRADUATE WHAT’S NEXT? JAPANESE TRANSLATION JAPANESE TRANSLATION ARE YOU STILL TEXTING AND DRIVING? THE DANGERS OF TEXTING AND DRIVING ARABIC TRANSLATION ARABIC TRANSLATION

ON THE COVER: Photo From Jessica Albina LETTER FROM THE EDITOR

What if is a big question; it could change your whole thought about something. One inch means the difference between winning or losing. From another angle, what if our life decisions were different? If we know what’s going to happen, we might have changed it for a better outcome. Each one of us is living hisor her own time, place, and age. You will get to your goal each one of us is living in their own time. Mohammed Alabdullah, ISSUE 89 | International Editor

FIND YOUR PREFERENCE Small schools v large schools Mohammed Baghdadi

Choosing between large and small schools is an important decision for the freshmen students. There are those who prefer small schools that have fewer students with specific majors. There are also students who prefer large schools because there are more options and majors. This subject varies according to the views of students and depends very much on student personality and academic goals. In addition, payment fees are often expensive in large schools and on the contrary in the small one. The large schools have advantages that cannot be denied: a wide range of majors, new libraries, state-of-the-art technology, sports fields, sports clubs, various student activities, distinguished teaching staff, and more. Moreover, some students prefer this type of school because the classroom includes a large number of students and this reduces the focus of the teacher on the student. The student can make many friends in any classroom and

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teach new cultures among students. On the other hand, there are disadvantages for this kind of school, reduce the interaction between the teachers and the students in the large classrooms. A department can also ask its students to register and attend a course that is not part of your specialty. As mentioned previously, this type of school is very expensive in tuition fees and might have require fees to reserve a seat before starting the semester. On the other hand, the small schools have fewer students and fewer majors. Certainly, this type of school has many advantages: small classroom sizes, few students, great interaction between students and their professors, professors â&#x20AC;&#x153;not teaching assistantsâ&#x20AC;?, making friends easily and others. However, this type of school is not preferred for most students because there are not many specializations available, also fill the classes in a short time so students can not register all classes easily.

‫الفرق بين الجامعات الكبيرة والصغيرة‬ ‫بقلم‪ :‬محمد بغدادي‬ ‫الجامعات الكبيرة والصغيرة قرار مهم للطالب الجامعي الجديد‪ .‬فهناك من يفضل الجامعات الصغيرة التي تضم عدد طالب اقل‬ ‫وتخصصات محددة‪ .‬ايضا هناك طالب يفضلون جامعات كبيرة لوجود خيارات وتخصصات اكثر‪ .‬فيختلف هذا الموضوع‬ ‫على حسب وجهات نظر الطالب و يعتمد كثيرا على شخصيه الطالب واألهداف األكاديمية‪ .‬بالضافة الى ذلك فان رسوم الدفع‬ ‫غالبا ماتكون غاليه في الجامعات الكبيرة وعلى العكس في الجامعات الصغيرة‪.‬‬ ‫الجامعات الكبيرة لها مميزات ال يمكن ان ننكرها من اهمها‪ :‬مجموعه واسعه من التخصصات‪ ,‬مكتبات جديدة وبها احدث‬ ‫التقنيات‪ ,‬مالعب رياضية ونادي رياضي‪ ,‬انشطة طالبية مختلفة ‪ ,‬اعضاء هيئة تدريس مميزين وغيرها‪ .‬باالضافة الى ذلك‬ ‫ان بعض الطالب يفضلون هذا النوع من الجامعات الن الفصول الدراسية تضم عدد كبير من الطالب وهذا يقلل من تركيز‬ ‫المدرس على الطالب‪ .‬ايضا يستطيع الطالب تكوين صداقات كثيرة في اي فصل دراسي وتعليم ثقافات جديدة بين الطالب‪.‬‬ ‫من ناحية اخرى فهناك سلبيات للجامعات الكبيرة قله التفاعل بين المدرس والطالب في الفصول الدراسية الكبيرة‪ .‬ايضا‬ ‫يمكن إلدارة قسم ما ان تطلب من طالبها في التسجيل والحضور في دورة ليست جزءا من تخصصك‪ .‬وكما ذكرنا سابقا ان‬ ‫هذا النوع من الجامعات غالي جدا في الرسوم الدراسية ومن الممكن ان يتطلب رسوم لحجز مقعد قبل البدء في الفصل‬ ‫الدراسي‪.‬‬ ‫ك ما ذكرنا سابقا الجامعات الصغيرة هي التي تضم عدد طالب اقل وتخصصات اقل ‪ .‬بالتاكيد هذا النوع من الجامعات له‬ ‫مميزات عديدة‪ :‬احجام الفصول الصغيره ‪ ,‬عدد الطالب قليل ‪ ,‬التفاعل بين الطالب والمدرسين‪ ,‬بروفيسورز‪" ،‬وليس‬ ‫المساعدين التدريس"‪ ,‬تكوين صداقات بسهوله وغيرها ‪ .‬من ناحية اخرى ‪ ,‬هذا النوع من الجامعات غير مفضل لمعظم‬ ‫الطالب لعدم وجود تخصصات كثيرة متاحة ‪ ,‬ايضا ملئ الكالسات في وقت قصير فال يمكن للطالب تسجيل جميع المواد‬ ‫بسهوله‪.‬‬

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‫‪Photo From Mohammed Baghdadi‬‬

WHO I REALLY AM

Finding your artistic style Yessica Ramirez

In photography, there are people taking some of the most stunning photographs they literally take my breath away. However, the main thought I had was my wish to be them. I often asked myself a million questions on how they managed to shoot and edit their work, that I blocked myself from my own creativity. I didn’t allow my imagination take over. I was too focused on other people that I lost track of myself. When I began doing photography, I was unaware of my “style.” I was busy searching for it in other photographers. I realized that when I would shoot something, I would see their work in my photographs instead of mine. It appeared as if I was copying them and that bothered me. We aim towards difference not cloning ourselves. I find it perfectly normal to find inspiration in others but you have to allow your own mind to wander off. The way I allowed myself to do

Photo From Yessica Ramirez

that was by asking my photography teacher how she found her style in photography. We spoke about how we are allowed to find inspiration in anything and take a little of what we like and use it in our own way. However, my problem was that I used to save photos from social media so I can have and use them as an example while shooting. Don’t do that. That way you won’t memorize their photograph. You’ll then only remember a bit of what you saw then when you shoot, you’ll shoot in your way and not an exact copy. Another tip would be if you imagine a photo in your head, draw what you envision. Throughout time, you and everyone else will notice certain things in your photographs that will eventually lead to your unique style. I hadn’t noticed the fact that I constantly shot with the mentality of promoting self-love and body positivity. I had found my artistic style all along without even realizing that I did.

En la fotografía, hay personas que toman fotografías bien impresionantes que literalmente me quitan el aliento. Sin embargo, el principal pensamiento que tuve fue mi deseo de ser ellos. Me preguntaba un millón de preguntas sobre cómo tomaban y editaban su trabajo, que me bloqueaba de mi propia creatividad. No permití que mi imaginación se hiciera cargo. Estaba demasiado concentrado en otras personas que perdí la noción de mí mismo. Cuando comencé a hacer la fotografía, no estaba al tanto de mi “estilo”. Estaba ocupado en buscarlo en otros fotógrafos. Me di cuenta de que cuando iba a tomar un foto, veia el trabajo de otors en mis fotografías en vez de la mía. Parecía como si los estuviera copiando y eso me molestaba. Apuntamos hacia la diferencia no clonando nosotros mismos. Me parece perfectamente normal encontrar inspiración en los demás, pero tienes que permitir que tu propia mente divague. La forma en que me permitió hacer eso fue preguntando a mi profesor de

fotografía cómo encontró su estilo en la fotografía. Hablamos de que esta bien encontrar inspiración en cualquier cosa y tomar un poco de lo que nos gusta y usarlo a nuestra manera. Sin embargo, mi problema era que yo guardaba fotos de medios sociales para que pueda tener y utilizarlos como un ejemplo durante el rodaje. No lo hagas. De esa manera no te memorizará su fotografía. A continuación, sólo te recordars un poco de lo que viste entonces cuando estas lista para tomar una foto, tomas en tu manera y no una copia exacta. Otro consejo sería si te imaginas una foto en tu cabeza, dibuja lo que imaginas. A lo largo del tiempo, usted y todos los demás notarán ciertas cosas en sus fotografías que eventualmente conducirán a su estilo único. Yo no había prestado atención al hecho de que constantemente tiro con la mentalidad de promover el amor propio y la positividad del cuerpo. Había encontrado mi estilo artístico sin ni siquiera darse cuenta de que lo hice.

ISSUE 89 |

MORE AIRPLANE DRAMA? Computers banned on some flights Abdulaziz Alotaibi

The United States had announced on March 21st a ban on bringing a tablet or a laptop to the cabin for all passengers on flights of nine airlines from eight countries in the Middle East. The US authorities allege a risk of “terrorist” attacks. These following companies are among the ones concerned by the ban. Royal Jordanian, Egypt Air, Turkish Airlines, Saudi Airlines, Kuwait Airways, Royal Air Maroc, Qatar Airways, Emirates and Etihad Airways. The ban was to be applied immediately until an indeterminate date. Following this ban, we have attempted to collect opinions from students at Avila, who are native from the countries on the ban list. Demba is a sophomore at Avila University who studies Computer Science. He last went to his native country Iran in 2014. We also interviewed Omar, senior at the School of Business. Demba said, “The ban is very regrettable because it prevents us from enjoying [our] flights, which are

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not affordable anymore. Flying has been very difficult for us in the last ten years. First, we are check[ed] very thoroughly; a lot of my items I travel with are not accepted anymore. I end up having to throw them away. We need our laptops to do our assignments during the flights, listen to music or simply relax in the plane.” Omar said, “I understand that computers are banned for security purposes but the people in charge of those airlines need to give us discounts on the tickets since we are not enjoying fully what we paid for. I pray for better days because since the election of Trump, we are more and more targeted. If they ban computers, it should be generalized to all airlines, not a few.” The people interviewed show how a majority of people rejects the ban because it is unethical and discriminating. If the United States chooses to ban computers and tablets, they should extend it to all devices including cellphones.

Photo From Jessica Albina

‫حظر الكمبيوتر الشخصي‬ ‫بقلم‪ :‬عبدالعزيز العتيبي‬ ‫ولقد اعلنت الواليات المتحدة في يوم الثالثاء (‪ 21‬مارس) حظرا كمبيوتر محمول الى المقصورة لجميع الركاب على متن‬ ‫رحالت تسع شركات طيران من ثمان دول فى الشرق االوسط‪ .‬وتزعم السلطات األمريكية خطر وقوع هجمات "إرهابية"‪.‬‬ ‫وهذه الشركات التالية هي من بين الشركات المعنية بالحظر‪ .‬الملكية األردنية‪ ،‬مصر للطيران‪ ،‬الخطوط الجوية التركية‪،‬‬ ‫الخطوط الجوية السعودية‪ ،‬الخطوط الجوية الكويتية‪ ،‬الخطوط الملكية المغربية‪ ،‬الخطوط الجوية القطرية‪ ،‬طيران اإلمارات‬ ‫و االتحاد للطيران‪ .‬وكان من المقرر تطبيق الحظر فورا حتى تاريخ غير محدد‪.‬‬ ‫بعد هذا الحظر‪ ،‬حاولنا جمع اآلراء من الطالب في أفيال‪ ،‬الذين هم من البلدان المدرجة في قائمة الحظر‪ .‬ديمبا هو طالبة في‬ ‫جامعة أفيال الذي يدرس علوم الحاسب اآللي‪ .‬ذهب آخر مرة إلى وطنه في إيران في عام ‪ .2014‬كما قابلنا عمر‪ ،‬وهو كبير‬ ‫في كلية إدارة األعمال‪ .‬ديمبا‪" :‬هذا الحظر مؤسف للغاية ألنه يمنعنا من التمتع برحالتها الجوية التي ال يمكن تحملها بعد‬ ‫اآلن‪ .‬كان الطائر صعبا للغاية بالنسبة لنا في السنوات العشر الماضية‪ .‬األول؛ نحن تحقق جيدا جدا‪ ،‬والكثير من البنود‬ ‫السفر مع ال يتم قبول بعد اآلن‪ .‬أنا في نهاية المطاف الحاجة إلى رميها بعيدا‪ .‬نحن بحاجة إلى أجهزة الكمبيوتر المحمولة‬ ‫لدينا للقيام بمهامنا خالل الرحالت‪ ،‬واالستماع إلى الموسيقى أو ببساطة االسترخاء في الطائرة "‪ .‬عمر‪ ":‬أنا أفهم أن‬ ‫أجهزة الكمبيوتر محظورة ألغراض أمنية ولكن الناس المسؤولين عن تلك الخطوط الجوية تحتاج إلى تعطينا تخفيضات‬ ‫على تذاكر ألننا ال تتمتع تماما ما دفعنا ‪ .‬أدعو من أجل أيام أفضل ألنه منذ انتخاب ترامب‪ ،‬نحن أكثر وأكثر استهدافا‪ ،‬وصم‪.‬‬ ‫وإذا حظروا أجهزة الكمبيوتر‪ ،‬فينبغي تعميمها على جميع شركات الطيران‪ ،‬وليس على سبيل المثال ال الحصر‪".‬‬ ‫ويظهر األشخاص الذين تمت مقابلتهم فقط كيف أن أغلبية الناس يرفضون الحظر ألنه غير أخالقي وتمييز‪ .‬إذا اختارت‬ ‫الواليات المتحدة حظر أجهزة الكمبيوتر واألجهزة اللوحية‪ ،‬فإنها يجب أن تمتد إلى جميع األجهزة بما في ذلك الهواتف‬ ‫المحمولة‪.‬‬

‫ ‪Photo From Gracyn Reed‬‬

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I T 'S T IME T O GRADUATE! What’s next?

Hanae Ishikawa

I’ve been at Avila for five years now, and I’m writing this story in the Mac Lab in Dallavis and thinking, “These five years passed so fast!!” I still can’t believe I’m a senior and it is about to be coming to an end. Honestly going to Avila wasn’t easy for me. Learning things in a second language was struggle in the beginning and still is sometimes; not being able to see friends and family is difficult too. I’ve missed so many important family occasions, but I knew I had to keep focusing on school for my future. Everything I did was for my future, but I have to admit that I really didn’t know what to do after graduation up until quite recently. I knew I wanted to work in the fashion or beauty industry but I didn’t know where to start. In my head, I knew I should stay in the United States after the graduation to pursue my dreams,

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however, I kept thinking how easy my life would be if I could go back to Japan. At this point in college, I feel like most of people don’t really know what exactly they are going to do after the graduation. For me, one book helped me to think about the future again. It’s “The Defining Decade” by Meg Jay, PhD. She told me that my 20s is the most important decade in my life and there is no time to waste. If you are interested in something, go for it. If you have a certain dream, find a way to make it come true. Because if you wait for dreams, nothing is going to happen. The book made me realized that I have to live my dream. In order to live dreams, if I had to stay far from my family, I have to do that. It hurts though. I don’t want to depend on an easy way out. I’ll do my best to make the most of my 20s, and we’ll see what’s going to happen next.

Photos From Hanae Ishikawa

ISSUE 89 |

石川花絵もし仮に… 全ての決断は重要だ。私はいつも「もしこうだったら？」と考える。私は 25 歳で、人生で多くの決断してきた。最初に何かを決断したのは 7 歳のときだった。正式にクラシックバレエの練習を始めることを決めたのだ。12 歳のとき、女子校に行くことを決めた。15 歳のとき、合格通知を受け取ったにもかかわらず、ブルガリアにバレエ留学に行かないことを決めた。16 歳の時、ダンスをやめることにした。18 歳のとき、カナダに 4 ヶ月間留学することを決めた。幸いにも私の両親は「クール」で、私がやりたいことを何でもやらせてくれた。私が新しいことに挑戦したかった時に私を止めることをしなかったのだ。中でもアメリカに来るというのは、私が今までに下した中で最大の決断の 1 つだった。アメリカに来るのは、子供時代から計画していたものではない。完全に直感だった。高校に通っていた時、英語は上手くなかったし興味もなかった。カナダに行ったとき、他の国の人と話すと思っていたよりも難しかったが、私の壊れた英語でも外国の人たちとコミュニケーションが取れたのがすごく気持ち良く感じた。それがアメリカに行き、大学に通うことを決めた理由だ。もしアメリカに来ずに日本に滞在していたらどうなっていただろう？きっと友人や家族と幸せに過ごし、日本の大学を卒業し、他の人と同じように仕事をし、勤務時間後に会社や同僚の愚痴を友達に言っていたのだろう。そんな生活にそれなりに満足していただろうが、今のようにワクワク出来ていただろうか？昨年の夏、日本の大学時代の友人たちと会ったとき、大学に戻って何でもやり直すことができたら何をしたいかと聞

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ISSUE 89 |

ARE YOU STILL TEXTING AND DRIVING? The dangers of texting and driving Abdulaziz Alotaibi Young people are now more likely to die driving while writing texts than being drunk. This is the conclusion of the recent study of the Cohen Children’s Medical Center in New York. More than 3,000 young Americans die each year by writing text messages while driving, 300 more than with alcohol, according to CBS New York. Hardly a permit in their pockets, their thumbs itch beyond the risks: half of high school students confess to texting when they are driving. If alcohol is more casual, addiction to their phone is daily. Christian, a freshman at Avila University is very conscious when it comes to driving under the influence and the risks associated with it. Trevor, one of Christian’s friends, thinks that the use of Bluetooth technology can remedy to the situation. Christian states, ”My friends encourage me to drive all the time but it is up to me to be rational in my head. Is it really worth it? I have people behind me who count on me and want me to achieve my goals; I am not willing to jeopardize my future by using my phone while driving; plus most of my friends carpool with me. I do not want to ever be responsible if something happens to them. Trevor adds, “Ever since I got Bluetooth equipment in my car, I do not have to worry about texting and driving. My app is able to read all the messages for me. In addition, I can also send voice recordings instead of sending texts, which does not requiring any form of typing. It is important that phone manufacturers on their end help consumers reduce fatalities by introducing new tools to make their interactions while driving easier.” The battle against fatalities caused by texting while driving is far from won. More and more teenagers succumb to those fatalities because of their “addiction” to texting while driving. It is worth noting that Bluetooth technology, which allows voice control, is one of the remedies to the situation.

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‫‪Photo From hiffingtonpost.com‬‬

‫الرسائل النصية والقيادة‬ ‫بقلم‪ :‬عبدالعزيز العتيبي‬ ‫سيكون الشباب اآلن أكثر عرضة للموت القيادة أثناء كتابة من أن يكون في حالة سكر‪ .‬هذا هو استنتاج الدراسة األخيرة‬ ‫لمركز كوهين الطبي لألطفال في نيويورك‪ .‬يذكر ان اكثر من ‪ 3‬االف شاب امريكى يموتون كل عام من خالل كتابة رسائل‬ ‫نصية بينما يقودون ‪ 300‬شخص اكثر من الكحول‪.‬‬ ‫ال يكاد يكون هناك تصريح في جيوبهم‪ ،‬والحكم االبهام وراء المخاطر‪ :‬نصف طالب المدارس الثانوية يعترفون بالرسائل‬ ‫النصية عندما يقودون‪ .‬إذا الكحول هو أكثر عارضة‪ ،‬واإلدمان على هواتفهم يوميا‪ ، .‬طالبة في جامعة أفيال واعية جدا عندما‬ ‫يتعلق األمر القيادة تحت تأثير والمخاطر المرتبطة به‪ .‬تريفور‪ ،‬واحدة من أصدقاء كريستيان يعتقد أن استخدام تقنية بلوتوث‬ ‫يمكن عالج للوضع‪.‬‬ ‫المسيحي‪" :‬أصدقائي يشجعوني على القيادة في كل وقت ولكن األمر متروك لي أن تكون عقالنية في رأسي‪ .‬هل حقا يستحق‬ ‫كل هذا العناء؟ لدي الناس وراء لي الذين يعتمدون علي و تريد مني تحقيق أهدافي‪ .‬أنا لست على استعداد لخطر مستقبلي‬ ‫باستخدام هاتفي أثناء القيادة‪ .‬باإلضافة إلى معظم أصدقائي مرافقي معي‪ .‬ال أريد أن أكون مسؤوال إذا حدث شيء ما‪ .‬تريفور‪:‬‬ ‫"منذ أن كان لدي أجهزة بلوتوث في سيارتي‪ ،‬أنا ال داعي للقلق حول الرسائل النصية والقيادة‪ .‬التطبيق هو قادرا على قراءة‬ ‫جميع الرسائل بالنسبة لي‪ .‬وباإلضافة إلى ذلك‪ ،‬يمكنني أيضا إرسال التسجيالت الصوتية بدال من إرسال النصوص‪ ،‬والتي ال‬ ‫تتطلب أي شكل من أشكال الكتابة‪ .‬من المهم أن تساعد مصنعي الهواتف في نهاية المطاف المستهلكين على تقليل الوفيات‬ ‫من خالل إدخال أدوات جديدة لجعل تفاعالتهم أثناء القيادة أسهل"‬ ‫المعركة ضد الوفيات الناجمة عن الرسائل النصية أثناء القيادة بعيدة عن الفوز‪ .‬المزيد والمزيد من المراهقين يستسلم لهؤالء‬ ‫القتلى ب سبب "إدمان" على الرسائل النصية أثناء القيادة‪ .‬ومن الجدير بالذكر أن تقنية بلوتوث التي تسمح التحكم الصوتي‬ ‫هو واحد من عالج للوضع‪.‬‬

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ISSUE 89 / SPRING / 2017

SPORTS SECTION

INSIDE: FEATURE

FEATURE

MANZIEL-MANIA RETURNS

ROAD TO OMAHA

AM I STARTING OVER?

PAGE 38

PAGE 42

PAGE 47

Contents

CAPTURING THE LIVES AND INTERESTS OF AVILA’S STUDENT ATHLETES

38 41 42 43 44 46 47

MANZIEL-MANIA RETURNS WILL JOHNNY STRIKE AGAIN? A FRESH START A LIFE WITHOUT AVILA ROAD TO OMAHA COLLEGE WORLD SERIES PREDICTIONS READY FOR LIFTOFF AVILA FOOTBALL KICKS OFF SPRING SEASON SWEET, SWEET VICTORY THE MADNESS RESTS FOR NOW DID SOMEONE SAY PLAYOFFS? NBA’S TURN FOR THE MADNESS AM I STARTING OVER? LIFE AFTER AN INJURY

ON THE COVER: Photo From Jessica Albina LETTER FROM THE EDITOR

The end of the school year represents so much. Seniors being sent off into the real world, underclassmen working to support themselves during the school year and a new wave of freshman coming in to a new setting in the fall. Summer means the grind of the major league baseball season, the college world series as well as crowning a stanley cup winner and NBA Finals winner. 88 | Ryan Meyer, Sports Editor ISSUE 89

MANZIEL-MANIA

Will Johnny strike again? AJ Oviedo Photos From Johnny-Manziel.com

Johnny Manziel is attempting to make a comeback to professional football, the troubled QB is in the process of cleaning his act up with the hopes that he can put his personal hopes behind him in order to, yet again, chase the dream of being a starting QB in the NFL. Manziel will undoubtedly go down as one of the most polarizing figures in sports & American pop culture of this generation in addition to being greatest college quarterbacks of all-time. The then 19-year-old Manziel, captured the nationâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s attention first in his freshman season at Texas A&M with an unforgettable upset against the then undefeated number one ranked Alabama Crimson Tide in Tuscaloosa. Later on that year Manziel would become the first freshman to ever capture college footballs most prestigious honor, the Heisman Trophy. The success that resulted from the 2012 season catapulted Manziel into superstardom. Manziel, while still the starting quarterback and a student at Texas A&M, would go on to make appearances on late night TV shows like Late Night with David Letterman & The Tonight Show. In the offseason leading up to his sophomore campaign, Manziel made small headlines when he was spotted out partying while on break from Texas A&M. Many critics were quick to judge the young quarterback, however many simply brushed off the story as simply a 20-year-old college student enjoying his free time.

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While the partying story was easily dismissed by the fans, media, and Texas A&M Head Coach Kevin Sumlin and the NCAA, a story that could not be ignored is the accusation that Manziel was paid to do autograph sessions for merchandise reps. The subsequent investigation that followed would only result in the quarterback missing a half in meaningless season opening game to Rice however the quarterback would now have to answer to a large amount of scrutiny from the press. Questions about Manziel off the field continued to persist and began to concern some NFL executives. Manziel, once a possible top 10 pick, slid marginally in the Draft. Manziel was still a first-round pick of the Cleveland Browns in the 2014 NFL draft, and made eight starts in two seasons. He threw seven touchdowns and seven interceptions, but checked into a treatment program after his rookie season and had a seemingly never-ending list of off-field problems before he was released in March 2016. Manziel, 24, is still facing a misdemeanor assault charge stemming from a domestic dispute last January with his then-girlfriend and spent a day in a Dallas County court. This year he reached an agreement with the court to drop the charge if Manziel could meet certain conditions, which include the completion of a substance-abuse program. One can hope that Johnny Manziel is able to learn from the mistakes of a troubled youth & go on to be someone that can be looked at as a story of redemption and not a story of failure. Manziel may even be able to use his status as a recognizable figure to promote others to learn from his mistakes. Certainly there are many people who may not share this view due to his previous actions; however, it can only be a positive thing if Manziel is able to turn his life around in order to become a successful and productive person both on & off the field.

Photos From Johnny-Manziel.com

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A FRESH START A life without Avila Chris Grissom Avila University is a small private college located in south Kansas City, Missouri. It is home to more than 2000 students. It offers over 16 sports for men and women and a various number of undergraduate programs including the well-known nursing program. Overall, Avila is a decent school, and that’s from the outside looking in as well as the other way around. But what if there

“...One thing is for sure: Avila is here...” was nothing in the place of this 50acre campus? Anyone could tell you I would be somewhere else, at another school, trying to get my degree; maybe in a different state further from home—or maybe one right in your backyard. We

never think about some of the interesting things that people can and would do: especially the ones whose sole purpose and reasoning for coming to the school from the beginning was for athletics. Now with no sports teams the number of enrolled students drops drastically. About 75% of people that live on campus are athletes so it would be quiet weekdays and even quieter weekends. A large part of that 75% is the football team. You might find that one player on the team who was just looking to go to school close to home and continue his career in football. Most of the players I asked said they would either be in the military or technical school. The others said they would probably be back at home in the work force. School really isn’t much of an option for some men. Some athletes can barely get into a school any way because of their grades. One thing is for sure—Avila is here. You have to enjoy it while you can.

Photo From Chris Grissom

ROAD TO OMAHA

College world series predictions Ryan Meyer The NCAA division 1 college world series is just around the corner. Here are my predictions for this years college world series. 1. Oregon State 32-3 - Oregon State has dominated not only the Pac 12, but the entire NCAA division one slate. Oregon State has only lost one game at home this year, which is key as they will probably play host to a regional and super regional. 2. Louisville 33-6 - Louisville has been one of the most dominant forces in college baseball this year, as they started off the season 19-0. Louisville looks to continue their dominating play into the postseason. 3. North Carolina 31-9- North Carolina dominated early, only losing a series to Long Beach State, college world series hopeful. The Tar Heel’s sit comfortably atop the ACC conference and will likely pull out the ACC regular season title. 4. Long Beach State 25-13The Dirtbags have accomplished alot so far in 2017, playing well against non conference opponents and has pretty much dominated the BIg West conference. Long Beach State has been led on the mound by Darren McCaughan who has pitched 74.2 innings with an ERA of 2.53 5. LSU 27-14- A dominant SEC

powerhouse, LSU has had an up and down season but the Tigers look to make some noise this postseason. LSU has been led by Jared Poche on the mound with a 3.28 ERA in 60.1 innings. Greg Deichmann has led the Tigers offensively, with a .338 batting average with 13 home runs. 6. Arizona 26-12- One of the top pac 12 teams, Arizona has battled top teams Oregon State and Oregon for top reigns in the conference. Arizona has relied on JJ Matijevic for offense, hitting .401 with 22 doubles and 6 home runs. JC Cloney has led the Wildcats on the mound, with a 2.05 ERA through 52.2 innings. 7. St. John’s 29-5 - The Big East powerhouse has had a solid 2017 campaign which has probably come as a shock to most. St John’s started off the season 12-1 and has maintained that hot streak all season. The Red Storm has relied on junior infielder Jesse Berardi, who is hitting .409 with four home runs and sports a % .512 on base percentage. 8. San Diego 27-11- West Coast Conference leader has had a solid 2017 slate as they proved themselves early as they split a early season series with Vanderbilt. The College world series will open Saturday, June 17 in Omaha, Nebraska. Photo From sportslogos.net

READY FOR LIFTOFF

Avila football kicks off spring season Chris Grissom Avila football kicks off spring football with fundraiser. The 2016 football season saw the Avila Eagles struggling down a hard, slippery road that led them to a 0-11 season. Changes have been made and new people have been added to the Avila Eagles family. To prepare for the 2017 season the football team began during the annual Avila liftoff. At the lift off players compete against each other to see who can lift the most. That lift will be combined with the others that they did earlier in the week and added up all together to see how much weight was lifted. Then after multiplying the number times the playerâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s weight, the one with the smallest number is declared the pound for pound strongest lifter. One of the other parts that fans benefit Photo From Chris Grissom

from is the Eagle Liftoff raffle, which offers attendees a chance at some great prizes from companies and individuals from all a r o u n d Kansas City. The football team gets a variety of different and interesting items to give away to the fans. The final and most important part of the liftoff is the use of the f u n d r a i s e r. Fans and Alumni, and anyone else who wants to donate, can so in two ways. They can do a donation: you would give a certain amount of cents times the total weight a person lifts. Or they can just do a fixed amount and give a certain amount of money. With the liftoff over and spring ball starting on April 10, look to the eagles to continue making strides to be a competitor in the HAAC. ISSUE 89 |

SWEET, SWEET VICTORY

Will Avila switch conferences? Trey Bales A year after walking off the floor hanging their heads in disbelief and agony from losing the National Championship to Villanova at the buzzer, North Carolina finished off their redemption tour on top of the college basketball world once again. My pick to win it all was North Carolina, and they did not disappoint. They undoubtedly had the toughest road to the title, so nobody can say they didn’t deserve to be on top. North Carolina’s 5th national title capped off a very exciting March Madness that was filled with great games and upsets busting brackets and fans hearts everywhere. North Carolina wasn’t the only Carolina that made some noise in this tourney. South Carolina made an improbable run to the Final Four, upsetting the tournament favorite Duke in the second round before just falling short to Gonzaga. Speaking of the Zags, although they ultimately came up just short of taking home a national championship, they had the best season in program history. They finished the season 37-2, making it to the school’s first ever Final Four. Oregon was the fourth team to join North Carolina, South

Carolina, and Gonzaga in Phoenix. Before this year, the Ducks hadn’t been to the Final Four since the tournament started in 1939. A few teams woke up from their title dreams a little earlier than they would have liked. Like I predicte, Duke, UCLA, Kentucky, and Kansas all lost early before making it to the Final Four. Duke, who was the favorite to win it in Vegas, lost in the second round to Cinderella South Carolina. UCLA was sent packing by Kentucky in the Sweet 16, and then a round later both Kentucky and Kansas lost to North Carolina and Oregon, respectively. This year’s tournament was exactly what March Madness is all about. Just about every game was exciting and fun to watch. South Carolina’s run to the Final Four proves that anything is possible when it comes to March. But in the end, March always tells us what teams are really about. It always exposes coaches and teams, like Bill Self and KU, who just can’t quite seem to get it done in the big dance. On the positive side of that, it always highlights the best team in the nation. This year that team was none other than my Carolina Tar Heels. Hail to the Heels! Photo From Trey Bales

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DID SOMEONE SAY P LAYOFFS? NBA’s turn for the madness Trey Bales March Madness has passed and it is now April and that means one thing, the NBA Playoffs are almost here. If you have paid attention to the NBA the last couple years, you know that the past two years have featured the Golden State Warriors vs. the Cleveland Cavaliers and this year looks to promising that they make it a round three. Both the have gotten the best of each other in The Finals with the Warriors topping the Cavs in 2015, and the Cavs coming back from an improbable 3-1 deficit to bring Cleveland its first pro sports title in 52 years. The Warriors have already clinched the 1 seed in the west for the third consecutive year. Cleveland is currently fighting off Boston for the 1 seed in the east. In the west, Kwahi Leonard and the Spurs are looking like strong contenders, per usual, to upset the Warriors and make it to The Finals. Meanwhile MVP candidates, James Harden and Russell Westbrook are busy racking up tripledoubles trying to lead their teams to an NBA Finals. As to who will make it out of

| ISSUE 89 Photo From Cripticimages.com

the wild, wild west alive and make it to The Finals, I’m taking the popular choice of Golden State. They will just be too much to handle with Steph, Klay, and KD leading the way. In the east, Isiah Thomas and the Celtics are making their case to come out of the east on top. The Raptors and the Wizards are also strong contenders to be able to knock off the defending champs and make it to The Finals. With the return of Kyle Lowry and the alwaysdangerous DeMar DeRozan, The Toronto Raptors are my choice to upset LeBron and the Cavs to make it out of the east. When it’s all said and done, I believe that the Golden State Warriors have too much firepower with Steph, Klay, and Kevin Durant. Another x-factor will be Draymond Green; he will be a big reason that the Warriors will come away with their 2nd title in three years regardless of who they play. So, there you have it, the Warriors are my pick to win the 2017 NBA Finals.

Photo From Dylan Doss

AM I STARTING OVER? Life after an injury Dylan Doss After one occurs an injury, it can be a long road back to recovery or possibly the injury could even alter or change the way someone does specific tasks. No reward without risk, right? It’s safe to assume that many people can relate with an injury that, afterwards, noticeably caused a change in their range of motion around that injury. For example: A friend of mine, Logan, fractured his foot while playing basketball during his freshman year of college. While sitting down with Logan, he talked about what it was like coming back from his foot injury. Logan added, “Even after I fractured my foot, I still felt pain and stiffness that affected the way I played”. Afterwards, his foot still bothered him post recovery that dramatically affected his play in sports. After the injury, Logan’s ability to sharply cut while running during sports would most the time lead to uncomfortable pain. This is one circumstance of course. Ultimately, injuries can lead to short term

or long term effects, depending on its severity, that alters or changes the quality of motion within that area. My own injury has lead to drawbacks as well. The first injury that took me by surprise was when I got “turf toe” while playing indoor soccer and another time after due to a slide tackle that sprained my big toe backwards. Turf toe is generally a sprain of ligaments around the big toe. Almost a year after the injury, I still notice a difference in the motion of my toe versus its function before the injury. Injuries like these will sometimes lead to a lot of physical therapy to ease the pain and fasten the recovery with power or flexibility exercises amongst other treatments. Life after an injury can be rough and that is why it is very important to treat your injury first before you further your sport or activity and also understand your limits when it comes to what you choose to pursue. ISSUE 89 |

“I ALWAYS SHOOT FOR THE MOON IN MY WORK, SO THAT I’M HAPPY WHEN I LAND ON THE ROOF.” DARREN CRISS | ISSUE 89