Celebrity 101 - Be Error Proof by Talon

Talon

ISSUE 92 / SPRING / 2018

CELEBRITY ISSUE

FEATURE

INTERNATIONAL

SPORTS

LINDA STRELLUF

MISS DREAMER

MISTER KICK IN THE...

PAGE 13

PAGE 24

PAGE 33

INSIDE

Photo From Gracyn Reed

SPORTS

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CONTRIBUTORS EDITOR IN-CHIEF GRACYN REED MANAGING EDITOR BRIANNA PERALTA SPORTS EDITOR RYAN MEYER CO-INTERNATIONAL EDITORS YESSICA RAMIREZ HESHAM ALBADR PHOTOGRAPHY EDITOR MICHAEL PORTER

TALON TEAM KATIE MOONEYHAM DYLAN DOSS GRACYN REED UGO OSUALA PENNY FENN RYAN MEYER YESSICA RAMIREZ HESHAM ALBADR ABDULAZIZ ALMOHIMEED KYLEIGH ZOLTEK ERIKA VALLONE REGGIE DAVID SAVANNAH PARRIS TAYLOR POTTER

ADVISOR DR. J ANTHONY SNORGRASS

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ON THE COVER & BACK: FRONT COVER: Photo From Gracyn Reed of Brianna Peralta BACK COVER: Photo From Gracyn Reed of Aaron Rodgers ISSUE 92 |

Little Shop of

Book and Lyrics by

Howard Ashman Music by

Alan Menken

Based on the film by Roger Corman Screenplay by Charles Griffith

STUDENTS FREE! 816.501.3699 avila.edu/tickets

APR 2018

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APR 2018

29 AT 2:00 PM

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FROM THE EDITOR

Wow y’all. We are almost to spring break, the half way point in the semester. I am shocked. I can’t believe that this semester, my last semester of college, is almost over. It has truely been one for the books. I have somehow managed to continue to turn my assignments in on time all while still remaining sain; I clearly have no idea how. This issue is called “Celebrity Issue”. For this version of the Talon I wanted to foccus more on the people that are involved in the issues of today rather than the issues themselves. The staff did a phenomenal job of writing and keeping on top of the issues in today’s world. Between the start of college softball season, Roll Tide, and spring training begining, go Royals, and March Madness about to begin, Rock Chalk, the spring time is one of the greatest times of the year. This issue will you keep you up to date on everything you need to know from The Kardashians to Mrs. Ollie. We only have so many pages to print so don’t forget to check out our unpublished stories on our blog at talonnewsonline.blogspot.com.

UNTIL NEXT TIME, Gracyn Reed Editor-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.

ELLEN POMPEO Becoming TV’s highest paid actress Taylor Potter Grey’s Anatomy star, Ellen Pompeo, commonly known as Meredith Grey, recently opened up about being the highest paid actress on TV. Bringing $20 million a year puts the 14+ year actress at the top. Pompeo states in a recent interview with the Hollywood Reporter that Shonda Rhimes, creator of Grey’s Anatomy, was the main inspiration behind asking for a pay raise. Pompeo says that Rhimes became more confident in her role and more comfortable with her power, she empowered her to demand what she deserves. She was encouraged to decide what she felt she was worth and demand just that considering each episode of Grey’s alone brings $575,000. Along with her new contract comes a seven-figure signing bonus and two full backend equity points on the series, which are estimated to add up to an additional $6 million to $7 million, according to a RollingStone’s article

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from January 17th. As of now Grey’s has aired 14 seasons all of which contain 19 or more episodes. Pompeo’s expansive pact, making her the highest paid actress, also covers seasons 15 and 16 of the show. She goes on to say in the interview that things weren’t always good. “On the outside, we were a massive sucess, but there was all of this turmult on the inside: it was a lot of rivalry, a lot of competition.” The movement #MeToo was also a huge inspiration for the actress. She believes all women should be compensated the same and in the acting world this is a big porblem today. This movement empowered her to go for what she knew she deserved. I doubt she stops here, as she continues her career we can only assume Pompeo will continue advocating for other women and impressing us with her big paychecks.

Photo From ABC Go

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Photo From Savannah Parris

WEINSTEIN MOVEMENT An outbreak of sexual assult alligations Savannah Parris Every 98 seconds an American is sexually assaulted. If that doesn’t get under your skin, think of that as over 570 people a day. Around 13% of these people will attempt suicide. In October, the New York Times published an article calling out Harvey Weinstein for mass amounts of sexual assaults on actresses dating back to the 1990s. Actresses like Gwyneth Paltrow in 1994, Angelina Jolie in 1998, Lupita Nyong’o in 2011, and even model Cara Delevingne in 2014. Harvey was removed from the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences because of the multiple allegations; he is only the second member to ever be removed. Weinstein denied every allegation that came his way even when there was proof and there is now talk of when and what Weinstein will be charged with. After the news of Weinstein, accusations spread like wildfire all over on the celebrity world. Over 50 men have been accused now including Kevin Spacey, Dustin Hoffman, James Franco, Russell Simmons, and ever Harvey’s brother Bob Weinstein. Sexual assault seems so “normal” because of the pop culture today such as movies and TV shows, but when it is brought to light as a real problem in the world not everyone was willing to take a stand. Even the president of the United States has been accused of such things

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and he was elected to run this country. It takes so much courage to stand up for yourself and voice the issue out loud, you shouldn’t be dragged down because of the truth. The outbreak isn’t only in the celebrity world, it’s around us too. One in five high school girls have been sexually assaulted, along with one in eight being raped. At Truman High School on Independence, a senior was assaulted and tried to go to administration about the problem. When told, administrations did the littlest to help and gave her the option to change her schedule, as if it were some joke. When the situation was brought to social media, and received a following, the school joined together to support the senior and push for the right thing to be done. This isn’t the only school in our community to have sexual assault issues like this. As a student attending Avila, you are required to take the Haven courses that teach us about things like sexual assault and harassment and how to react when we see or are involved in such acts. I strongly stand by the idea of more schools providing some sort of course about sexual assault so those students don’t hide in the dark when things happen to them and they can get the help they need. If you have ever been a victim, find your peace: you are strong. ISSUE 92 |

LADY GAGA The life of a legend

Erika Vallone Do you know an artist who is an extraordinary singer, an incredible songwriter and an amazing actress? All of these characteristics describe one person: Lady Gaga. She is a charismatic and energetic 31 years old woman with a strong passion for music and an innate talent that conquered the international entertainment world. By being one of the most known singers around the world and by pushing the limits of style in a society in which conformity is the key word, millions, if not billions of people showed their admiration toward her by defining her as one of the most powerful and influential icons of the 21st century. No wonder why Lady Gaga received numerous awards, including a Golden Globe in 2016 for the best performance by an actress in a limited series of motion pictures for television, for her role in the series “American Horror Story.” This series was able to scare, excite and fascinate countless people around the world. It is worthy to underline that Lady Gaga has an active vice that incites for social changes. A perfect example of her contribution to solve social issues is the fact that she decided to co-write “Til It Happens to You,” a song that talks about rape on college campuses and about the effects of sexual violence. Part of the sales’ profits has been donated to organizations to prevent sexual assault in college campuses. Lady Gaga had the possibility to perform this strong and touching song during the 2018 Academy Awards, where numerous sexual assault survivors stood beside her to send a message to the entire world, to make a change that needed to be done.

Photo From Erika Vallone

REBECCA NICHOLS No Becky, no library Reggie David

Rebecca Nichols, also known as Becky, is the Circulation Manager for Avila’s library. Becky handles all major issues in the library and plays a pivotal role in its success. She currently resides in Kansas City, Missouri; but is originally from Woodburn, Oregon. As a child Becky had trouble with reading and was inspired by Evelyn Fender who was a children’s pastor at her church, and also by Phillis Grew, who was the public children’s librarian. The person that helped Rebecca most was Ms. Macinte, her 4th grade teacher; who was the first to recognize Becky’s reading problem and she recommended her to a different teacher to help strengthen her skills. Becky started from the bottom working at Avila; she was taking classes to earn her master’s degree here at Avila and she needed a part time job in 2005 so she started working one night a week and weekends for about 5 years. Then after years of hard work, she finally got hired for the full time position and she’s been here ever since. Surprisingly, Becky never wanted to be a librarian, but her love for learning was what

Photo From Reggie Davis

pushed her to this remarkable career; so subconsciously she placed herself in a place where she can continue to learn on an everyday basis. One of her favorite memories here at Avila was the summer when they were renovating the library and was forced to work in Wylie Hall (a dorm on Avila’s campus). They were very limited as far as space and the resources they had; to now seeing how far the library has come and the transformation the library went through. Rebecca believes the importance of the library to Avila is having the library as not only a place where students can get together but also a group study place, a place where they get to learn and a place where they help people find the impossible and providing numerous resources for students. Rebecca focuses on helping kids succeed in school through the resources they have in the library. She is a very important asset to Avila and we at Avila University are really honored to have a good role model for our students.

LINDA STRELLUF She’s taking the candy bowl with her Ugo Osuala At every school there is always a professor that genuinely wants to see their students do well and those professors are usually the favorite among students. Here at Avila, we are grateful to have many of those types of professors. One of the favorites of them all, Linda Strelluf aka Linda, has decided to retire after 18 years here at Avila. She started here as an adjunct when her kids got older. Teaching one class turned into two, and before she knew it she was a full-time p r o f e s s o r. While at Avila, she has taught numerous class and her students have earned many local, regional, national and international awards for various projects. Students have nothing but good to say about her: “Thank you for everything you have done for me while I’ve been at Avila. It’s been a pleasure and I’m really going to miss you.” – Michael Porter, Junior “I just wanted to let you know that you’ve impacted my life.” – Yessica Ramirez, Senior “Linda is a wonderful professor – one of the best I have ever had and one of the best people I have ever met. Thank you for everything you’ve done for me and to many other people.” – Atsushi Hida, Senior Her plans for retirement include going visit her son for extended periods of time in England, vising the Gulf of Mexico and working on her photography. She says “[There] will always be things I want to do. Other than that, sleep and read.” ISSUE 92 |

MR & MRS. IMPORTANT Why are celebrities so important to us? Kyleigh Zoltek Celebrities can play an important role in our lives. We can like a specific celebrity based on their music, their movie productions, how they dress, how they act – and in doing so, we start to place them into a role of importance in our daily lives. Of course, the lives of celebrities tend to be much more lavish, expensive, and at times unattainable for most of us. We can’t easily achieve and have everything they have. So that begs the question: Why do we put celebrities on a pedestal? They’re just like anyone else, aren’t they? We tend to put celebrities on a pedestal for various reasons. The first is the tendency to view them as role models; we may like the way a certain celebrity styles their hair, their makeup, or their outfits. If what they wear becomes a popularized trend, and if we look up to that individual, then we can attempt to copy that trend in order to fit in or to feel important. We want to feel as if we are as influential as our idolized celebrity. In addition, some want to learn how to act and live in this world, so turning to celebrities as role models might be one of the ways they feel they can fit in. Celebrities are accepted, in most cases,

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by the culture in what they do and say. If someone models himself/herself off a well-liked celebrity, wouldn’t he/she be well-liked too? Secondly, we place celebrities on a pedestal because we want to feel as if we are important. Celebrities are well-liked and they matter in (almost) any industry they participate in. To the world, they are important. To the world, it seems as if they cannot be ignored. If a certain celebrity holds a meaningful place in our lives, then it can only follow that we will attempt to think and/or act in ways that make us feel just as influential as our idol. Thirdly, we place celebrities on a pedestal because we want to escape the reality of our own lives. Compared to the lavish, exciting lives of celebrities, our own lives can be quite dull. So we tend to immerse ourselves into a world much different from ours, in order to escape the problems that many celebrities don’t seem to have. We want to immerse ourselves into lives where problems don’t seem to exist, and where we can fantasize about a reality that seems so carefree, compared to our own.

MRS. DEBBIE THORNTON The essence of Avila University

Erika Vallone Generally speaking, when someone hears the word “celebrity,” it is common to think about a movie star, an actress like Jennifer Lawrence, or a well-known person in the entertainment world like Oprah Winfrey. They are recognized for their talent, physical features and attitude, and they are known worldwide. There are other situations in which this word is utilized to describe people with a great reputation and prestige in a specific environment, group, or community. They might go unnoticed to the rest of the world, but for the people who have the opportunity to know them, they are considered irreplaceable and unforgettable for countless reasons. This is the case for Mrs. Debbie Stewart Thornton, the assistant Vice President of the Student Development and Success department and the administrative assistant to the dean of students’ office manager - campus life at Avila University in Kansas City. Considered by her peers and colleagues a strong, hard-working woman with extraordinary attitude, charisma and a great heart and by the students as “a second mom” since her arrival 13 years ago, Mrs. Thornton has been able to create a prestige that will last beyond her retirement on January 31th, 2018. She wanted to spend more time with her family, especially her two grandchildren. With positive attitude and the will to see every student walking through her office door succeed, she worked non-stop to create a safe learning environment to help her beloved students achieve their goals the best way possible. During her permanence at Avila, her efforts and passion didn’t go unnoticed, and she received a number of awards, including the “Avila Medal of Honor” in 2016, to show the appreciation that the whole Avila community feels toward her. “Enjoy life to the fullest; every day is a gift. And if you think that you are going to the wrong path, just turn around and try to find the right path,” says Mrs. Thornton. She decided to leave her beloved students with these words on which she based her entire life, with the knowledge that from the moment she will step out of Avila University, more adventures will be there waiting for her to be experienced with joy, energy and enthusiasm.

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ISSUE 92 / SPRING / 2018

INTERNATIONAL SECTION

FEATURE JANELLE MONAE PAGE 18

FEATURE MRS. OLLIE PAGE 20

FEATURE MR. TAXES PAGE 22

Contents

BRINGING THE WORLD TO AVILA AND AVILA TO THE WORLD

18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25

JANELLE MONAE THE ELECTRIC LADY FROM THE HEARTLAND ARABIC TRANSLATION ARABIC TRANSLATION MRS. OLLIE EVERYONE’S FAVORITE PERSON SRA. OLLIE LA PERSONA FAVORITA DE TODOS MR. TAXES SAUDI ARABIA VALUE-ADDED TAX ARABIC TRANSLATION ARABIC TRANSLATION MISS DREAMER TRUMP ADMINISTRATION DECIDES ON DACA & TPS SEÑORITA SOÑADORA LA ADMINISTRATIÓN DE TRUMP DECIDE EN DACA Y TPS

ON THE COVER: Photo From Yessica Ramirez of Tayler Severance LETTER FROM THE EDITORS

“I believe my purpose is to share my culture, traditions, and positivity with the world through film, photography and journalism.” Yessica Ramirez,

International Editor

“A news story should be like a mini skirt on a pretty woman: long enough to cover the subject, but short enough to be interesting.” Hesham Albadr, International Editor

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JANELLE MONAE The Electric Lady from the heartland Abdulaziz Almohimeed

Janelle Monae is an awardwinning R&B artist, owner of the record label Wondaland Arts Society, and actress in award winning films such as Hidden Figures and Moonlight. Monae is well known for her presence in the Afrofuturism movement, which reimagines the African tradition in the framework of science fiction. However, despite becoming an immense success, Monae has humble routes. She was born in Kansas City, Kansas, Dorothy Gale from the Wizard of Oz becoming a childhood source of inspiration. Monae attended F.L. Schlagle High School before being awarded a scholarship to the American Musical and Dramatic Academy in New York City. Her mother was a janitor and her father a truck driver for Deffenbaugh. Although Janelle moved on from Kansas City to escape poverty, she has roots here – Photo From Abdulaziz Almohimeed

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family members, friends, and even an old band, The Weirdos. Although the Midwest is often considered ‘flyover country’ – a black hole of culture and art, Monae stands out as a unique and exquisitely strange artist. Her style was cultivated by the thrift shops of Westport and the music and acting scene at the time had a profound effect on her. She even attended the playwriting seminars by the Coterie, a well-known children’s theatre in Crown Center. Monae shows Midwesterners that we too have interesting perspectives that the world wants to see. Avila students can take inspiration from her, both as someone from this area and from someone who came from absolutely nothing. There is worth in the perspectives of people from Kansas City, and from people who come from poor neighborhoods.

‫بقلم‪ :‬عبدالعزيز املحيميد‬ ‫ﺟﺎﻧﯿﻞ ﻣﻮﻧﻲ‪،‬‬ ‫ﺟـﺎﻧـﯿﻞ ﻣـﻮﻧـﻲ‪ ،‬ﻣـﻐﻨﯿﺔ آر اﻣـﺪ ﺑـﻲ ﺣـﺎﺻـﻠﺔ ﻋـﻠﻰ ﺟـﻮاﺋـﺰ ﻋـﺪة ‪ .‬وھـﻲ ﻣـﺎﻟـﻜﺔ ﻟـﻮﺛـﯿﻘﺔ ﺗـﺴﺠﯿﻞ وﻧـﺪاﻻﻧـﺪ آرﺗـﺲ ﺳـﻮﺳـﯿﺘﻲ‪ .‬ﺟـﺎﻧـﯿﺎ أﯾـﻀﺎ ﻣـﻤﺜﻠﺔ ﻓـﻲ أﻓـﻼم‬ ‫ﺣـﺎﺋـﺰة ﻋـﻠﻰ ﺟـﻮاﺋـﺰ ﻣـﻘﻞ اﻷرﻗـﺎم اﻟـﻤﺨﯿﻔﺔ وﺿـﻮء اﻟـﻘﻤﺮ‪ .‬وﺗﺸـﺘﮭﺮ ﻣـﻮﻧـﻲ ﻓـﻲ ﺣـﻀﻮرھـﺎ ﻓـﻲ اﻟﺤـﺮﻛـﺔ اﻻﻓـﺮوﺗـﯿﺔ اﻟـﺘﻲ ﺗـﻌﯿﺪ اﻟـﺘﻘﺎﻟـﯿﺪ اﻻﻓـﺮﯾـﻘﯿﺔ ﻓـﻲ‬ ‫اﯾـﻄﺎر اﻟـﺨﯿﺎل اﻟـﻌﻠﻤﻲ‪ .‬وﻣـﻊ ذاﻟـﻚ ﻋـﻠﻰ اﻟـﺮﻏـﻢ ﻣـﻦ اﻧـﮭﺎ ﺣـﺎﺻـﻠﺔ ﻋـﻠﻰ ﻛـﻞ ھـﺬي اﻟـﺠﻮاز وھـﺬا اﻟـﻨﺠﺎح اﻟـﮭﺎﺋـﻞ اﻟـﻰ اﻧـﮭﺎ أﺗـﺖ ﻣـﻦ طـﺮﯾـﻖ ﻓـﻘﯿﺮ‬ ‫وﻣـﺘﻮاﺿـﻊ وﺻـﻌﺐ‪ .‬ﺟـﺎﻧـﺒﺎ وﻟـﺪت ﻓـﻲ ﻛـﺎﻧـﺴﺎس ﺳـﯿﺘﻲ‪ ،‬وﻻﯾـﺔ ﻛـﺎﻧـﺴﺎس وﻛـﺎن ﻣـﺼﺪر اﻹﻟـﮭﺎم ﻟـﮭﺎ اﻟـﺸﺨﺼﯿﺔ دوروﺗـﻲ ﻏـﯿﻞ‪ .‬ﺟـﺎﻧـﯿﻞ درﺳـﺖ ﻓـﻲ ‪F.L‬‬ ‫ﺳـﻜﻼﺟـﻞ اﻟـﺜﺎﻧـﻮﯾـﺔ ﻗـﺒﻞ ان ﺗـﺤﺼﻞ ﻋـﻠﻰ اﻟـﻤﻨﺤﺔ اﻟـﺪراﺳـﯿﺔ ﻓـﻲ اﻷﻛـﺎدﯾـﻤﯿﺔ اﻟـﻤﻮﺳـﯿﻘﯿﺔ واﻟـﺪراﻣـﯿﺔ اﻻﻣـﺮﯾـﻜﯿﺔ ﻓـﻲ ﻣـﺪﯾـﻨﺔ ﻧـﯿﻮﯾـﻮرك‪ .‬ﻛـﺎﻧـﺖ أﻣـﮭﺎ ﻣـﻮظـﻔﺔ‬ ‫ﻛـﺒﻮاﺑـﺔ وواﻟـﺪھـﺎ ﺳـﺎﺋـﻖ ﺷـﺎﺣـﻨﺔ ﻟـﺪا دﯾـﻔﯿﻨﯿﻮ‪ .‬ﻋـﻠﻰ اﻟـﺮﻏـﻢ ﻣـﻦ اﻧـﺘﻘﺎل ﺟـﺎﻧـﯿﻞ ﻣـﻦ ﻛـﺎﻧـﺴﺎس ﻟﻠﮭـﺮوب ﻣـﻦ اﻟـﻔﻘﺮ اﻟـﻰ ان ﻻ ﯾـﺰال ﻟـﺪﯾـﮭﺎ ﺟـﺬور ھـﻨﺎ ﻣـﻦ‬ ‫اَﺳﺮﺗﮭﺎ وأﺻﺪﻗﺎﺋﮭﺎ وﻓﺮﻗﺘﮭﺎ اﻟﻘﺪﯾﻤﺔ اﻟﻤﺴﻤﺎة وﯾﺮدوس‪.‬‬ ‫ﻋـﻠﻰ اﻟـﺮﻏـﻢ ﻣـﻦ ان اﻟـﻐﺮب اﻷوﺳـﻂ ﯾـﻌﺘﺒﺮ ﻓـﻲ ﻛـﺜﯿﺮ ﻣـﻦ اﻷﺣـﯿﺎن ﺑـﻠﺪ اﻟﺠـﻠﯿﺪ وﺛـﻘﺐ اﺳـﻮد ﻣـﻦ اﻟـﺜﻘﺎﻓـﺔ اﻟـﻰ ان ﺟـﺎﻧـﯿﻞ ﻣـﻮﻧـﻲ ﺗـﺒﺮز ﻛـﻔﻨﺎﻧـﺔ ﻓـﺮﯾـﺪة ﻣـﻦ‬ ‫ﻧـﻮﻋـﮭﺎ ﺑـﺸﻜﻞ ﻗـﻮي‪ .‬اﺳـﻠﻮﺑـﮭﺎ واﻟـﻤﻮﺳـﯿﻘﻰ اﻟـﺘﻲ ﺗـﻘﺪﻣـﮭﺎ واﻟـﺘﻤﺜﯿﻞ اﻟـﺘﻲ ﻛـﺎﻧـﺖ ﺗـﻘﺪﻣـﮭﺎ ﻣـﻦ ﻗـﺒﻞ اﺛـﺮت ﻋـﻠﯿﮭﺎ ﺗـﺄﺛـﯿﺮ ﻋـﻤﯿﻖ ﺣـﺘﻰ اﻧـﮭﺎ ﺣـﻀﺮت ﺑـﻌﺪ‬ ‫اﻟـﻨﺪوات اﻟﻤﺴـﺮﺣـﯿﺔ ﻣـﻦ ﻗـﺒﻞ ﻛـﻮﺗـﯿﺮي‪ ،‬ﻣﺴـﺮح اﻷطـﻔﺎل اﻟـﻤﻌﺮوف ﻓـﻲ ﻣـﺮﻛـﺰ اﻟـﻜﺮاون‪ .‬ﺟـﺎﻧـﯿﻞ اﺛـﺒﺘﺖ ﻟـﻸﺷـﺨﺎص ﻣـﻦ ھـﻢ ﻣـﻦ اﻟﺸـﺮق اﻷوﺳـﻂ ان‬ ‫ﻟـﺪﯾـﮭﻢ أﯾـﻀﺎ ﻣـﻮاھـﺐ وﺷـﺨﺼﯿﺎت ﻣـﮭﻤﺔ ﯾـﺮﯾـﺪ ان ﯾـﺮاھـﺎ اﻟـﻌﺎﻟـﻢ‪ .‬ﯾـﻤﻜﻦ ﻟـﻄﻼب ﺟـﺎﻣـﻌﺔ اﻓـﯿﻼ ان ﯾـﺄﺧـﺬوا اﻹﻟـﮭﺎم ﻣـﻨﮭﺎ‪ ،‬ﻋـﻠﻰ ﺣـ ٍﺪ ﺳـﻮاء ﻛـﺸﺨﺺ ﻣـﻦ‬ ‫ھـﺬه اﻟـﻤﻨﻄﻘﺔ وﻛـﺸﺨﺺ أﺗـﻰ ﻣـﻦ ﻻ ﺷـﻲ ﻋـﻠﻰ اﻹطـﻼق‪ .‬وﻓِـﻲ اﻟـﺨﺘﺎم ھـﻨﺎك وﺟـﮭﺎت ﻧـﻈﺮ ﻗـﯿﻤﺔ وﺷـﺨﺼﯿﺎت ﻣـﮭﻤﺔ ِﻣـﻦ ﻣـﻦ ھـﻢ ﻣـﻦ ﻣـﺪﯾـﻨﺔ ﻛـﺎﻧـﺴﺎس‬ ‫واﯾﻀﺎ ً ﻣﻦ اﻷﺷﺨﺎص اﻟﺬﯾﻦ ﯾﺄﺗﻮن ﻣﻦ اﺣﯿﺎء ﻓﻘﯿﺮة‪.‬‬

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‫‪Photo From Abdulaziz Almohimeed of‬‬ ‫‪Janelle Monae’s High School in KC.‬‬ ‫| ‪ISSUE 92‬‬

MRS.OLLIE Everyone’s favorite person Yessica Ramirez

If you’ve been in the caf at Avila at least once in your life you’ve seen the wonderful lady at the front of the caf, smiling at the students and scanning their IDs to get lunch. That is Ms. Ollie. She is a celebrity on campus. Ms. Ollie has been working at Avila for the longest time. I remember my first day at Avila, I thought she was the sweetest person. She always greets every student and remembers their name. Let me tell you, there’s so many students, how on earth does she remember not only a student’s name but everything about them as well? When I asked her she said, “It’s easy!” A little bit about Ms. Ollie. Ms. Ollie

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always dresses to impress. Let’s not forget her cute poppin’ lipstick! She has two wonderful kids. She works at Avila and she loves her job. Well, the students at least. She says that the best part of her job is the students. We can all agree on that Ms. Ollie warms our hearts with her smile and the fact that she remembers each of our names is special to us. Avila would not be the same without her kind-hearted soul. I would just like to thank Ms. Ollie for always making my day when I pass by the caf or simply when I see her. On behalf of the students, we love and truly appreciate you, Ms. Ollie!

Photos From Yessica Ramirez

SRA. OLLIE La persona favorita de todos Yessica Ramirez

Estoy seguro de que has estado en la cafetería de Ávila al menos una vez en tu vida. Si es así, estoy seguro de que has visto a la maravillosa dama en el frente del café, sonriendo a los estudiantes y escaneando sus identificaciones para almorzar. Esa es la Srta. Ollie. Ella es una celebridad en el campus. La Sra. Ollie ha estado trabajando en Ávila por mucho tiempo. Recuerdo mi primer día en Ávila, pensé que ella era la persona más dulce. Ella siempre saluda a cada estudiante y recuerda su nombre. Déjame decirte, hay tantos estudiantes, ¿cómo diablos recuerda ella no solo el nombre de un estudiante sino también todo sobre ellos? Cuando le pregunté ella dijo: “¡Es fácil!” Un poco sobre la Sra. Ollie.

La Sra. Ollie siempre se viste para impresionar. ¡No olvidemos su lindo lápiz labial poppin ‘! Ella tiene dos hijos maravillosos. Ella trabaja en Ávila y ama su trabajo. Bueno, los estudiantes al menos. Ella dice que la mejor parte de su trabajo son los estudiantes. Todos podemos estar de acuerdo en que la Sra. Ollie calienta nuestros corazones con su sonrisa y el hecho de que ella recuerde cada uno de nuestros nombres es especial para nosotros. Ávila no sería lo mismo sin su alma bondadosa. Me gustaría agradecerle a la Sra. Ollie por siempre hacer mi día cuando paso por el café o simplemente cuando la veo. En nombre de los estudiantes, ¡te queremos y realmente te apreciamos, Srta. Ollie!

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MR. TAXES Saudi Arabia Value-Added Tax Hesham Albadr

The United Arab Emirates and Saudi Arabia, where residents had long enjoyed a taxfree and heavily subsidized existence, introduced International Monetary Fund (IMF)backed value-added tax (VAT) on January 1 of 2018, following an oil slump. A 5% levy is imposed on most goods and services to boost revenue as the collapse in crude prices since 2014 sparked cutbacks. The VAT will apply to a range of items like food, clothes, electronics and gasoline, as well as phone, water, electricity bills, and hotel reservations. The IMF Mideast director Jihad Azour said VAT is part of a long-term tax reform to help Gulf states reduce their dependence on oil revenues. “We believe VAT is an important component of the fiscal adjustment and revenue diversification plans of

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GCC countries and these measure are necessary for long-term fiscal sustainability,” he said. Saudi Arabia and the UAE last summer imposed a 100% tax on tobacco products and energy drinks, and a 50% tax on soft drinks. On the other hand, at the beginning, the citizens of Saudi Arabia were not that happy to hear about the VAT. The Saudis have lived all their lives without having to pay taxes. But when the Saudis faced reality, they know now it’s for their own good and their children. In Saudi Arabia, there is a big trust between the Saudi government and the Saudi Arabia people. People in Saudi Arabia love the King and the Crown prince and believe in them and the changes they’re making in Saudi Arabia too.

‫ﺿﺮﯾﺒﺔ اﻟﻘﯿﻤﺔ اﻟﻤﻀﺎﻓﺔ ﻓﻲ اﻟﻤﻤﻠﻜﺔ اﻟﻌﺮﺑﯿﺔ اﻟﺴﻌﻮدﯾﺔ‬ ‫ﺑﻘﻠﻢ ھﺸﺎم اﻟﺒﺪر‬ ‫دوﻟﺔ اﻹﻣﺎرات اﻟﻌﺮﺑﯿﺔ اﻟﻤﺘﺤﺪة واﻟﻤﻤﻠﻜﺔ اﻟﻌﺮﺑﯿﺔ اﻟﺴﻌﻮدﯾﺔ‪ ،‬ﺣﯿﺚ ﻛﺎن اﻟﺴﻜﺎن ﯾﺘﻤﺘﻌﻮن ﻣﻨﺬ ﻓﺘﺮة طﻮﯾﻠﺔ ﯾﻌﺪم وﺟﻮد اﻟﻀﺮاﺋﺐ‬ ‫وﺑﺪﻋﻢ ﻛﺒﯿﺮ‪ ،‬ﻗﺪ أدﺧﻠﺖ ﺿﺮﯾﺒﺔ اﻟﻘﯿﻤﺔ اﻟﻤﻀﺎﻓﺔ ﻋﻠﻰ ﺻﻨﺪوق اﻟﻨﻘﺪ اﻟﺪوﻟﻲ ﻓﻲ ‪ 1‬ﯾﻨﺎﯾﺮ ‪ /‬ﻛﺎﻧﻮن اﻟﺜﺎﻧﻲ ‪ ،2018‬ﺑﻌﺪ ﺗﺮاﺟﻊ اﻟﻨﻔﻂ‪.‬‬ ‫ﺗﻔﺮض ﺿﺮﯾﺒﺔ ﺑﻨﺴﺒﺔ ‪ ٪5‬ﻋﻠﻰ ﻣﻌﻈﻢ اﻟﺴﻠﻊ واﻟﺨﺪﻣﺎت ﻟﺰﯾﺎدة اﻹﯾﺮادات ﺣﯿﺚ أدى اﻻﻧﮭﯿﺎر ﻓﻲ أﺳﻌﺎر اﻟﻨﻔﻂ اﻟﺨﺎم ﻣﻨﺬ ﻋﺎم ‪2014‬‬ ‫إﻟﻰ ﺣﺪوث اﻧﺨﻔﺎﺿﺎت‪ .‬وﺳﻮف ﺗﻄﺒﻖ ﺿﺮﯾﺒﺔ اﻟﻘﯿﻤﺔ اﻟﻤﻀﺎﻓﺔ ﻋﻠﻰ ﻣﺠﻤﻮﻋﺔ ﻣﻦ اﻟﻤﻮاد ﻣﺜﻞ اﻟﻤﻮاد اﻟﻐﺬاﺋﯿﺔ واﻟﻤﻼﺑﺲ‬ ‫واﻻﻟﻜﺘﺮوﻧﯿﺎت واﻟﺒﻨﺰﯾﻦ‪ ،‬واﯾﻀﺎ ً ﻋﻦ اﻟﮭﺎﺗﻒ‪ ،‬واﻟﻤﯿﺎه‪ ،‬وﻓﻮاﺗﯿﺮ اﻟﻜﮭﺮﺑﺎء‪ ،‬وﺣﺠﻮزات اﻟﻔﻨﺎدق‪.‬‬ ‫وﻗﺎل ﻣﺪﯾﺮ ﺻﻨﺪوق اﻟﻨﻘﺪ اﻟﺪوﻟﻲ ﻓﻲ اﻟﺸﺮق اﻻوﺳﻂ ﺟﮭﺎد ﻋﺰور ان ﺿﺮﯾﺒﺔ اﻟﻘﯿﻤﺔ اﻟﻤﻀﺎﻓﺔ ھﻲ ﺟﺰء ﻣﻦ اﺻﻼح ﺿﺮﯾﺒﻲ طﻮﯾﻞ‬ ‫اﻻﺟﻞ ﻟﻤﺴﺎﻋﺪة دول اﻟﺨﻠﯿﺞ ﻋﻠﻰ اﻟﺤﺪ ﻣﻦ اﻋﺘﻤﺎدھﺎ ﻋﻠﻰ ﻋﺎﺋﺪات اﻟﻨﻔﻂ‪ .‬وﻗﺎل "ﻧﻌﺘﻘﺪ ان ﺿﺮﯾﺒﺔ اﻟﻘﯿﻤﺔ اﻟﻤﻀﺎﻓﺔ ﺗﻌﺪ ﻋﻨﺼﺮا ھﺎﻣﺎ‬ ‫ﻣﻦ ﻋﻨﺎﺻﺮ ﺗﻌﺪﯾﻞ اﻟﻤﺎﻟﯿﺔ اﻟﻌﺎﻣﺔ وﺧﻄﻂ ﺗﻨﻮﯾﻊ اﻟﻌﺎﺋﺪات ﻟﺪول ﻣﺠﻠﺲ اﻟﺘﻌﺎون اﻟﺨﻠﯿﺠﻲ‪ ،‬وھﺬه اﻟﺘﺪاﺑﯿﺮ ﺿﺮورﯾﺔ ﻟﻼﺳﺘﺪاﻣﺔ اﻟﻤﺎﻟﯿﺔ‬ ‫ﻋﻠﻰ اﻟﻤﺪى اﻟﻄﻮﯾﻞ"‪ .‬ﻓﺮﺿﺖ اﻟﻤﻤﻠﻜﺔ اﻟﻌﺮﺑﯿﺔ اﻟﺴﻌﻮدﯾﺔ ودوﻟﺔ اﻹﻣﺎرات اﻟﻌﺮﺑﯿﺔ اﻟﻤﺘﺤﺪة اﻟﺼﯿﻒ اﻟﻤﺎﺿﻲ ﺿﺮﯾﺒﺔ ﺑﻨﺴﺒﺔ ‪٪100‬‬ ‫ﻋﻠﻰ ﻣﻨﺘﺠﺎت اﻟﺘﺒﻎ وﻣﺸﺮوﺑﺎت اﻟﻄﺎﻗﺔ‪ ،‬و ‪ ٪50‬ﺿﺮﯾﺒﺔ ﻋﻠﻰ اﻟﻤﺸﺮوﺑﺎت اﻟﻐﺎزﯾﺔ‪.‬‬ ‫ﻣﻦ ﻧﺎﺣﯿﺔ أﺧﺮى‪ ،‬ﻓﻲ اﻟﺒﺪاﯾﺔ‪ ،‬ﻟﻢ ﯾﻜﻦ ﻣﻮاطﻨﻮ اﻟﻤﻤﻠﻜﺔ اﻟﻌﺮﺑﯿﺔ اﻟﺴﻌﻮدﯾﺔ ﺳﻌﺪاء ﺑﺎﻟﺴﻤﺎع ﻋﻦ ﺿﺮﯾﺒﺔ اﻟﻘﯿﻤﺔ اﻟﻤﻀﺎﻓﺔ‪ .‬وﻗﺪ ﻋﺎش‬ ‫اﻟﺴﻌﻮدﯾﻮن ﻛﻞ ﺣﯿﺎﺗﮭﻢ دون اﻟﺤﺎﺟﺔ ﻟﺪﻓﻊ اﻟﻀﺮاﺋﺐ‪ .‬وﻟﻜﻦ ﻋﻨﺪﻣﺎ واﺟﮫ اﻟﺴﻌﻮدﯾﻮن أﻧﮭﻢ ﻓﻲ اﻟﻮاﻗﻊ‪ ،‬وھﻢ ﯾﻌﺮﻓﻮن اﻵن أﻧﮫ ﻣﻦ أﺟﻞ‬ ‫ﻣﺼﻠﺤﺘﮭﻢ اﻟﺨﺎﺻﺔ وﻣﺼﻠﺤﻠﺔ أطﻔﺎﻟﮭﻢ‪ .‬ﻓﻲ اﻟﻤﻤﻠﻜﺔ اﻟﻌﺮﺑﯿﺔ اﻟﺴﻌﻮدﯾﺔ‪ ،‬ھﻨﺎك ﺛﻘﺔ ﻛﺒﯿﺮة ﺑﯿﻦ اﻟﺤﻜﻮﻣﺔ اﻟﺴﻌﻮدﯾﺔ واﻟﺸﻌﺐ اﻟﺴﻌﻮدي‪.‬‬ ‫اﻟﻨﺎس ﻓﻲ اﻟﻤﻤﻠﻜﺔ اﻟﻌﺮﺑﯿﺔ اﻟﺴﻌﻮدﯾﺔ ﯾﺤﺒﻮن اﻟﻤﻠﻚ ووﻟﻲ اﻟﻌﮭﺪ و ﯾﺆﻣﻨﻮن ﺑﮭﺎ و اﻟﺘﻐﯿﯿﺮات اﻟﺘﻲ ﯾﻘﻮﻣﻮن ﺑﮭﺎ ﻓﻲ اﻟﻤﻤﻠﻜﺔ اﻟﻌﺮﺑﯿﺔ‬ ‫اﻟﺴﻌﻮدﯾﺔ أﯾﻀﺎ‪.‬‬

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‫‪Photo From Hesham Albadr‬‬

MISS DREAMER

Trump administration decides on DACA & TPS Yessica Ramirez

The Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) is a program that protects certain undocumented immigrants who came to the United States when they were just children, from deportation. Despite the program expiring every two years, it can be renewed after those two years. The program was paused back in September of 2017 because it was considered an “illegal circumvention of immigration law enacted by the Obama administration” (USA Today). As of January of 2018. U.S. District Judge William Alsup temporarily blocked the Trump administration’s decision to end with the DACA program (TIME). He ordered the Trump administration to resume the program. This is another good step to protect our fellow Hispanics/ Latinos in the U.S.; however, even though there has been no change in DACA, we have another program

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on hold. This similar program to the DACA program is called TPS, which stands for “Temporary Protected Status.” According to USCIS, TPS allows individuals to be under U.S. protection due to ongoing armed conflict that poses a danger to people, an environmental disaster or other dangerous conditions in their country. TPS has allowed Salvadorans to live in the U.S under protection. About 200,000 Salvadorans have been living in the U.S. since 2001 (The Washington Post). The Trump administration has said that it would give Salvadorans until September 9 of 2019 to leave the U.S. All we can do now is stand and fight with for undocumented “immigrants” for their stay in the United States.

SEÑORITA SOÑADORA La administratión de Trump deicde en DACA y TPS Yessica Ramirez

La Acción Diferida para los Llegados en la Infancia (DACA) es un programa que protege a ciertos inmigrantes indocumentados que llegaron a los Estados Unidos cuando eran niños, de la deportación. A pesar de que el programa se expira cada dos años, puede renovarse después de esos dos años. El programa se detuvo en septiembre de 2017 porque se consideraba una “elusión ilegal de la ley de inmigración promulgada por la administración Obama” (USA Today). A partir de enero de 2018, el Juez de Distrito de los EE. UU., William Alsup, bloqueó temporalmente la decisión de la administración Trump de terminar con el programa DACA (TIME). Él ordenó a la administración Trump que reanudara el programa. Este es otro buen paso para proteger a nuestros compañeros hispanos / latinos en los EE. UU. Sin embargo, aunque no ha habido

cambios en DACA, tenemos otro programa en espera. Este programa similar al programa DACA se llama TPS, que significa “Estatus de Protección Temporal.” Según USCIS, TPS permite a las personas estar bajo la protección de los EE. UU.. debido a un conflicto armado en curso que representa un peligro para las personas, un desastre ambiental o otras condiciones peligrosas en su país. TPS ha permitido que los salvadoreños vivan en los Estados Unidos bajo la protección. Cerca de 200,000 salvadoreños han estado viviendo en los EE. UU. Desde el 2001 (The Washington Post). La administración de Trump ha dicho que les daría a los salvadoreños hasta el 9 de septiembre de 2019 para abandonar los Estados Unidos. Todo lo que podemos hacer ahora es luchar y luchar por los “inmigrantes” indocumentados por su estadía en los Estados Unidos. ISSUE 92 |

ISSUE 92 / FALL / 2017

SPORTS SECTION

FEATURE

ERIC HICKS

LEBRON CURRY

CASE KEENUM

PAGE 29

PAGE 32

PAGE 35

Contents

CAPTURING THE LIVES AND INTERESTS OF AVILA’S STUDENT ATHLETES

28 29 30 32 33 34 35

HENRY MORPHEW AU BASEBALL’S NEW LEADOFF HITTER ERIC HICKS FORMER NFL PLAYER LANDS AT AVILA UNIVERSITY DEAR ALEX SMITH A HEART-TO-HEART WITH MY [FORMER] QB LEBRON CURRY WAR CONTINUES BETWEEN RIVALS MISTER KICK IN THE... USA SOCCER FAILS TO QUALIFY FOR RUSSIA 2018 NICK FOLES SUPERBOWL LII RECAP & REFLECTION CASE KEENUM THE QB NOBODY WANTED

ON THE COVER: Photo From Gracyn Reed of Madison Preston & Dad LETTER FROM THE EDITOR

As basketball season winds down and march madness begins, baseball season has, almost, officially, begun. The highs and lows of the baseball season has almost started and it will be interesting to see where all the teams put their old, and new, players. The big 12 basketball tournament, minus usual contender Iowa, begins soon so don’t forget to check our facebook page for more basketball updates!

Ryan Meyer, Sports Editor ISSUE 92 |

HENRY MORPHEW AU baseball’s new leadoff hitter Penny Fenn After losing 10 seniors last season, the Avila Baseball team will see young faces taking on big roles this spring, one of these is Sophomore Henry Morphew. Morphew played 48 of 55 games last season and stole the second most bases on the Avila squad at 14. His speed makes him the perfect athlete to have at the beginning of the order, he expects to leadoff or bat second in the Avila Batting Order. Last season he learned how to hit left handed pitchers which will make him even more valuable this season. Henry also had one of the best On Base Percentages on the team with .427%;for those who don`t know baseball that well, that’s pretty good. Some of Henry`s biggest highlights from last season was homerun at conference that gave them the lead

and a walk off sac, also in a conference game. Henry is from Olathe, Kansas and came to Avila because of the strong baseball program and to be close to family. He is studying management and hopefully starts his MBA after he graduates in a couple years. When I asked him what he does outside of baseball his face lit up and said “I play a lot of Fortnite and I got some pet turtles”. Morphew really started to hit his stride at the end of last season, Morphew is anxious to start off this season strong. His focus this season is to do what he needs to play as good as he can to help the team and put himself in situations that will help the team succeed.

Photo From Penny Fenn | ISSUE 92

ERIC HICKS

Former NFL player lands at Avila University

Katie Mooneyham A seven-year-old boy who had a dream once wrote a letter to his mother saying he would play for the Pittsburgh Steelers and take care of her. That little boy grew up to be ranked fourth in Kansas City Chiefs franchise history for sacks. Eric Hicks grew up in Northwestern Pennsylvania where football was “king”. Living in the snow capital of the world didn’t stop that little boy from reaching his dream to play in the NFL. Hicks made an appearance on the Kansas City Chief’s roster in 1998 coming in as a rookie free agent. Starting 90 of 96 games, Hicks earned his teammates respect by being one of the biggest team players in the locker room. From leading by example, Hicks was forced to never let up and give 110% every day in practice. Hicks came a long way from where he started coming in as a free agent. Walking in those first few days of practice Hicks had to make a statement to grab the attention of his coaches. He had a successful career in Kansas City and was a part of two other teams before his 11 year NFL career came to an end. Eric Hicks is now the head football coach at Avila University. Derrick Alexander, wide receivers coach at Avila, contacted his former KC Chiefs teammate about an open assistant coaching position. Starting as an assistant and moving his way up to head coach, Eric Hicks has turned around this football team for the better. With hopes of a conference championship, Hicks plans to do everything in his power to help his team accomplish their dream.

Photo From Getty Images

ISSUE 92 |

DEAR ALEX SMITH A heart-to-heart with my [former] QB Ugo Osuala

Dear Alex Smith, This is Ugo, your biggest supporter. Without you, I seemed lost and didn’t know what to do, who to turn to. That all changed when I found you. Before you, I dealt with trash that didn’t care about me like Matt Cassel, but in 2013, we started 9-0 with you leading us and I felt like you’d never break my heart. I felt the love that fan bases such as New England’s feel every year. In January of 2014 my heart was broken once again. We blew a 38-10 lead in the playoffs to the Colts, but I didn’t blame it on you, I blamed everyone else. The most important thing to me

40 Photo From The Kansas City Star

was that I had finally found love, so I dealt with it. In 2014, my heart began to give me warning signs after we went through a 3-game losing streak late in the season, but I ignored it once again. We ended up missing the playoffs, finishing 9-7. Again, the most important thing to me was that I felt love for the first time in a long time, so I dealt with it some more. In 2015, after starting the season 1-5, we pulled off 10 straight victories and were headed back to the playoffs. On January 9th, 2016 we won our first playoff game in my

Photo From Sports Illustrated

we won our first playoff game in my lifetime before losing to New England the next week. This season did nothing but make my love for you stronger. With you, I had seen the most success ever and it seemed to not be going anywhere any time soon. In 2016, everything came together. We finished the season 12-4 and were primed to make a legit Super Bowl run until we ran into Pittsburgh. Our defense did their job at the end of the day, but the offense pretty much did nothing. The offense was led by you Like anyone else that has been in love, you continue to give chances. More chances for heartbreak. More chances for pain. This past season, 2017, started off with you leading us into New England and knocking off the defending champs. You had your best season as a pro, and I probably had the

most fun this year as a fan, but once again, another playoff collapse. We lost to the Tennessee Titans 22-21, after taking a 21-3 lead into halftime. Our offense barely had the ball in the second half, but when we did, we looked like garbage. The offense was led by you. This latest loss in the playoffs caps off 5 years of heartbreak at the hands of not just you, but everyone on the team, and I think its time for a change. I’ve seen the worst and I’ve seen the best, but at the end of the day it has resulted in heartbreak and it is time to move on. [The Chiefs felt so too, as you left and were traded to the Washington Redskins.] I wish things could’ve ended differently. Its been a great ride and I’ll never forget you, but when it’s time… It’s time Sincerely, Ugo ISSUE 92 |

LEBRON CURRY War continues between rivals Katie Mooneyham Meeting in the finals more than once, LeBron James and Stephen Curry have developed a bit of a rivalry. This rivalry has been defined as nothing personal, but strictly basketball related. This feud will be evident on February 18th at 7:00 p.m. located at the Staples Center in Los Angeles, California. This exciting weekend starts on Friday, February 16, with the Mountain Dew Kickstart Rising Stars Practice on NBA TV. This is followed by the All-Star Celebrity game at 7:00 p.m. Saturday kicks off with the hall of fame announcement closely followed by the NBA All-Star media day. As Sunday rolls around the corner the day is started off with an NBA legends brunch at 3:00 p.m. At 7:00 p.m. it all goes down at the 67th annual NBA All-Star game. Starting for the East team at point guard is Kyrie Irving from the Boston Celtics. At shooting guard, they have DeMar DeRozan from the Toronto Raptors. At forward they have Giannis Antetokounmpo of the Milwaukee Bucks and LeBron James of the Cleveland Cavaliers. Finishing up the starting lineup is center Joel Embiid from the Philadelphia 76ers. Now for the

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West starters, at point guard is Stephen Curry from the Golden State Warriors. At shooting guard, they have James Harden coming from the Houston Rockets. At forward they have Kevin Durant from

...Team Lebron won the feud by 3 points over team curry... the Golden State Warriors and Anthony Davis from the New Orleans Pelicans. Finishing off the starting lineup for the West was center DeMarcus Cousins of the New Orleans Pelicans, but due to a season-ending left Achilles tear, Paul George of the OKC Thunder will be taking his place. In the end, Team LeBron won the feud by 3 points over Team Curry with the score 148-145.

Photo From Logopedia

MISTER KICK IN THE... USA Soccer fails to qualify for Russia 2018

Dylan Doss The first FIFA World Cup was introduced in 1930. Every 4 years following, a new country steps up to host the World Cup. In short, and translated in English, FIFA stands for international association football competition. This year, Russia is hosting the 2018 World Cup after being awarded hosting rights Dec 2, 2010. The 2018 FIFA World Cup Russia will take place June 14 – July 15. The first match will be Russia v. Saudi Arabia on the first day of the tournament. To qualify, 209 teams are grouped within their confederation, or region, to endure a series of rounds, 10 matches total, that leave 32 teams standing. The number of teams qualified per confederation are: Africa (5); Asia (5); Europe (14); North America, Central America, and Caribbean (3); Oceania (0); and South America (5). USA was able to qualify through the fourth round, of Group C, that included Guatemala, Trinidad and Tobago, and St. Vincent / Grenadines. USA, group winner, and Trinidad and Tobago, runner-up, advanced through group C along with Mexico and Honduras, from Group A, and Costa Rica and Panama, from Group B continuing to the fifth and final round before qualifying for the 2018 World Cup. The fifth round, taken place Nov 2016 – Oct 2017, consisted of these 6 teams placed into a one round-robin leaving only 3 remaining. In the fifth round, USA was eliminated by the runner-up of Round 4/Group C, Trinidad and Tobago with a final score of 2-1. Since Panama and Honduras won their games, USA was passed by both in the CONCACAF standings by 1 point. Mexico (21), Costa Rica (16), and Panama (13) were the final 3 teams to qualify from the N.A., C.A., and Caribbean confederation. Since USA didn’t qualify for the first time since 1986, which of the 32 teams will you root for now?

Photo From Dylan Doss

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NICK FOLES Superbowl LII recap & reflection Ryan Meyer Super Bowl LII was one for the books. Offense was the story of the night, with 1,151 total years of offense between the Eagles and the Patriots. Going along with that, only one punt was needed in the scoring fest, and it was by the winning team: the Philidelphia Eagles. Four field goals or extra points ended up not resulting in adding points the the scoreboard, and arguably the best defensive player on the Patriots was benched. The story of the game had to have been Philadelphia’s third down conversion rate of 10-16. Head Coach Doug Peterson’s agressive play calls were evident all night, with a touchdown throw to QB Nick Foles on a fourth and goal. This game should serve as lessons for many; but, most importantly head coach of the Kansas City Chiefs, Andy Reid. Andy Reid who is notorious

Photo From | ISSUE 92 USA Today

for being a successful regular season coach, seems to lose his major touch in the postseason with what many attribute to conservative play calling. Andy Reid has an extensive wake up call to make to the play caller. Agressive play calling is necessary to beat the best on the biggest stage. Tom Brady’s legacy should not be tarnished as the Super Bowl LII loss brings his win-loss record in super bowls to 5-3 as a starting QB; however, Bill Belichick should be forced to answer questions on the benching of starting cornerback Malcolm Butler who did not play one snap in the big game. Belichick cited “a personnel decision” when asked about Butler’s absence from the game. Of course it’s easy to argue against that call in the game where New England’s defense gave up 41 points.

CASE KEENUM The QB nobody wanted

Gracyn Reed Case Keenum has moved three times in the last three years; three different teams, three different cities. This season he landed in Minnesota with the Vikings as backup quarterback. After Sam Bradford went out this season due to complications with his knee, it was Keenum’s turn to shine. He began this season in week 2 with a loss and everyone wasn’t quite sure about him yet. Week three came with hope after a win over Tampa Bay. The rest of the season Keenum held the Vikings to only 2 more losses. He made the Vikings almost invincible. The post season was reachable and Minnesota had a hope for the first ever home Super Bowl. The post season began with a week 1 bye-week. The Vikings practiced hard perfecting their strategies and plays for the rest of the post season. Week two they were up against the Saints and one of the greatest QB’s to ever play in the league: Drew Brees. Drew currently holds five NFL record with as many as 40 records within the Saints organization. As the game began you could tell Keenum wasn’t feeling the pressure at all. On the field Keenum looked like a season QB who had reached the playoffs many times. The Vikings lead the Saints 17-0 at the end of the first half. Keenum had completed half the game ahead, all he needed was to finish the second half strong and he would be 1 win away from a home Super Bowl. The second half was tough on the Vikings and the Saints scored 14 unanswered points before the Vikings finally made a field goal. This is what it comes down to; 10 seconds left on the clock and the Vikings are down 1 point. In this moment everyone in that stadium is rooting for a Minnesota Miracle. I watched the game live and at this moment I was terrified. I had honestly given up hope here at that moment. The next play was the one last. Keenum had 1 chance left to continue the playoffs for his team and his fans. And then it happened. Keenum launched the ball downfield to Stefon Diggs and it was indeed a Minnesota Miracle. Diggs caught the ball, used his had to stabilize himself from falling and then ran it in for the touchdown. Minnesota wins 29-24. In the end, the Vikings playoff run comes one win short of reaching Super Bowl LII but they still hold the unsaid record for the best play in NFL History. Case Keenum prevailed as the Quarterback who no one wanted and is possibly going to sign another contract with Minnesota for the following years to come because you should never count out the underdog. ISSUE 92 | 35 Photo From FatHead

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