In the Spirit of the Season by Talon

TALON

ISSUE 97 / FALL / 2018

Spirit of The Season

INSIDE

Inside this special issue there is a variety of holiday traditions told by all spectrums of ethnicities, genders, and races. We combined the positive light of the season with important international and sports stories as well in the media. It’s a very vital issue with a lot to offer. Turn the page and read the words of those around you.

LIFESTYLE

Photo by Hesham Albadr

INTERNATIONAL

P 23 PUSH COMES TO SHOVE | P 24 WORLD REFORM | P 26 POLITICS, SPORTS, AND MEDIA

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 SAVANNAH PARRIS CO-EDITOR IN-CHIEF HESHAM ALBADR MANAGING EDITOR KYLEIGH ZOLTEK SPORTS EDITOR SARAI JORGENSON INTERNATIONAL EDITOR HESHAM ALBADR DESIGN EDITOR HESHAM ALBADR EMME MOOREHOUSE PHOTOGRAPHERS MARLON JONES TALAL ALASSEERI

TALON TEAM EMME MOOREHOUSE SARAI JORGENSON KYLEIGH ZOLTEK JOSHUA DYSON SAUD ALOTAIBI BRANDON PHILLIPS MEGAN DUFFY DANIA GOMEZ FARID ALUTAIBI THOMAS BLOOD IBRAHIM ALMUTAWA

INSTRUCTOR CODY TAPP ADVISOR DR. J ANTHONY SNORGRASS

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ON THE COVER & BACK: Front Photo By Emme Moorehouse Back Photo By Hesham Albadr

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GRAPHIC DESIGN EDITOR!!

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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 This is it. The last issue of the semester. By the time this is published, students will be taking on finals week. Being the most stressful week of the year, this issue is all about lifting your spirits as the holidays head in. This semester has flown by and I just want to thank all the writers that participated this semester. I hope everyone has an eventful, relaxing, and most of all, FUN break. When you come back next semester, it’ll be a new year. Bring on 2019! The Talon has a lot in store for all who reads next year. Enjoy the break, and happy holidays!

Sincerely, Savannah Parris 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.

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89 Years

Kansas City Plaza Lights

Emme Moorehouse Kansas City celebrated 89 years of the annual Plaza Lighting. To a few, it may seem like a minuscule event, but to many Kansas City natives it is a tradition. A celebration of why Kansas City stands strong with their culture. The arts, the atmosphere, and the individuals that all encompass this long lasting tradition. This event started with just a single strand of lights outside of a small business, and has now gravitated 15 blocks throughout the heart of Kansas City. At the strike of 6:54 PM on Thanksgiving night a switch is pulled and the waves of tiny sparks ignite the city walls. The whistles, yelps, and claps make it all worth it. A festivity of the season and an everlasting feeling of joy. Then, the sound of fireworks blast the night skies and the whole area is awaken for just a few minutes of pure bliss. The sound of Christmas music blares through speakers, and dancers, children, parents, and animals stand in awe. This is what the spirit of the season is all about and Kansas City always delivers. Each year gets better and better. This year it was broadcasted on 41 Action News. They had singers, dancers, and hot cocoa gracing the streets of the plaza. A large stage with a wreath overlooking the eyes of those attending this major ceremony. A Voice star named Casi Joy performed new songs from her Christmas album and her presence was a graceful addition to this bash of wonder. Everything went smoothly and everyone seemed so overjoyed adding to the staggering presence Kansas City illuminates. Everything went smoothly and everyone seemed so overjoyed adding to the stagger-

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ing presence Kansas City illuminates. This lights shine daily from 5 P. M. to 3 A.M until January 13th. I recommend to see them once during the holiday season, it may awaken warmth during the cold winter nights that lie ahead.

Photo By Emme Moorehouse of The Plaza Lights

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Walking With Style The Life Of A Sneakershead

Brandon Phillips, Savannah Parris and Hesham Albadr A formal definition of a sneaker head is a person who collects, trades, and/or admires sneakers as a form of hobby. Sneaker heads, like most collectors, are passionate and dedicated to their subject. Many are very knowledgeable about the origins and history of sneakers. Now Jalen Dinkins doesn’t collect shoes as a hobby but he’s still a sneaker head by heart. Being a basketball player naturally, Michael Jordan’s shoes has a gravitational pull towards you and we see this with Jalen. “ My favorite shoes are the Jordan 11s, Jordan 8s and 13s, and retro Jordans are my favorite shoe brand.” Jalen says he first started collecting shoes when he first started making his own money. He realized that shoes can really complete an outfit, especially shoes nobody else has. Jalen now owns over thirty pairs of ISSUE 97 |

shoes, all fresh and ready for day to day rotation. Jalen says the best way to keep up with new shoes and sneaker release dates are through apps and websites such as Kicks on Fire, Sneaker Crush, Flight Club, etc. To be more involved in the sneakerhead community, there are events you can attend to get started such as Sneaker Con. If you don’t know what Sneaker Con is, it is the world’s premier sneaker show, providing a huge space for vendors and attendees to buy, sell, and trade some of the most sought after footwear in the game. The show travels to several metropolitan areas on a yearly basis, including New York City, Washington DC, Chicago, Los Angeles, and Miami. From a girl perspective, we talked to Matti Morgan. She said her obsession with sneakers started when she was in high school.

left photo by Dr. J, top right by Savannah, bottom right by Emme

Comfort is a big factor, but if they were cool enough comfort wouldn’t matter too much. “ I don’t have a meaning behind any of my shoes, other than the fact that I think they express my personality pretty well.” Matti goes for the fun and bright colors when it comes to shoes. She uses

certain sprays to prevent them from getting dirty along with putting the stuffing back in them and concealing them in their box to protect them. Sneakerheads are all over and pretty easy to point out. You can find them all over campus.

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Tis’ The Holiday Season Christmas Tradition Tommy Blood It’s the most wonderful time of the year! The snow is falling, finals will be coming to an end and the best part is we get to spend time with our loved ones for the holiday season. But the question is, what does that mean to some? Well, for starters, every family or group of loved ones celebrates and has different traditions. You may have a certain meal that is eaten especially in this time of year or have certain activities--it’s different for everyone. In my family, when it comes to the holiday season, you can count on two things being with us no matter where we are: great food and yes, the ornament exchange. Now, the ornament exchange has been in my family for as long as I can

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remember and has grown every year with originally being 8 ornaments to now 22. Here’s how it goes: you get 3 chances at one ornament and then the ornament is on lock. You have the choice to open an ornament in the wrapped boxes or choose an ornament that has already been opened. What we do to start the game is everyone draws a number from the hat and we go in order from 1-22. The first person opens the first box and brings out the ornament and it’s usually really pretty. The goal with the exchange is to get your favorite looking ornament in the end. This is a tradition that brings a lot of happiness to the family and it’s an event that everybody looks forward to every year.

Photo from negativespace.co

Not So Secret Santa Family Tradition Doesn’t Go As Planned

Megan Duffy The holiday season is upon us and that means gift buying and spending time with family. Every year my family does a Secret Santa. For as long as I can remember, on Thanksgiving day we would write down 2-3 gifts that we wanted and put them in a bowl. Children would have their own drawing and adults would have a separate one. For kids, the price limit is about thirty dollars and for adults, it’s about fifty dollars. Of course, traditions change as time goes on, and this is true. This year’s Secret Santa drawing didn’t go the way it normally does. This year it was decided to take away the kids drawing and put everyone

into one big drawing. After all the names had been picked it is realized that one person doesn’t have a name to buy for. Many people sit down and try to figure out what went wrong. With nine family members that live out of state it can become difficult to keep track of drawing for those people. People then had to go around and figure out who everyone had drawn from the bowl to figure out how the drawing got so messed up.In the end it was pretty much spoiled, and everyone knew who everyone had. It was only a matter of time for this to happen so this years “Secret Santa” wasn’t very secret after all.

Photo by dtock.tookapic.com

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The Cameo King Stan Lee Passes Away Brandon Phillips Growing up, I always watched the superhero movies, and I mean who didn’t? All the action, the great stories behind the characters, the comics and toys that followed, and we have one person to thank for all of that, and that’s Stan Lee. Stanley Lieber was just seventeen when he got his first job at Timely Comics in 1939. Since then, the man now known as Stan Lee has launched a comic book empire, made Marvel Comics a household name, and created iconic superheroes such as Iron Man, Spider-Man, and the Fantastic Four. Unfortunately the iconic Lee died at the age of 95 at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles, California, on November 12, 2018, after being rushed there in a medical emergency earlier that day. This news is devastating to people all over the world, not because they’ll miss the cameos… well maybe a little, but mostly because Stan Lee could make a make believe character seem real. A lot of kids may say their role model is Captain America or Spiderman, and that’d be ok because Stan Lee made his comic book characters differently than everybody else. Lee stated, “I didn’t want my superheroes to be bigger and stronger and beat the bad guys, I wanted something original,” he continued on by explaining how he would instill values in the characters. Yeah, they were superheroes, but they were human, too. What did they value? What did they believe in?

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What helped guide them through life? Parents? Family? Stan Lee was a genius, and by doing this he made a lot of kids believe that they, too, could be superheroes, even without powers. Personally, my favorite Stan Lee cameo was in Spider-Man 3 (2007), and it’s when Stan Lee chats with Tobey Maguire’s character, Peter Parker, as they stop on a Times Square street to read news that the web slinger will soon receive the key to the city. “You know,” he says, “I guess one person can make a difference … ‘nuff said.”

Spiderman, one of Lee’s creations. Photo by Pam Delashmit ISSUE 97 |

The Season of Giving Back Get Involved in Community Service Kyleigh Zoltek The Christmas season – or the holiday season in general – seems to be all about getting gifts. You hear it in the Christmas radio ads and TV ads – everything seems to be about getting things, buying things for yourself. Those ads are whispering in your ears: “Buy, buy, buy! Make sure you get everything you want!” Feels like that same underlying phrase is repeated – doesn’t it? Well, even though it’s completely fine to get gifts this Christmas season, let’s not forget about giving, either. Community service is a great way to give back to those in need and to your community. It also helps you to be thankful for what you have, and to remember, I think, not to take advantage of what you’ve been given. I can say from experience, being involved in community service for a number of years (whether it’s at church or through events at Avila), that it has helped me to be so much more thankful for what I have, and to count my blessings. My church has a large food pantry called Hope Network, where dozens of church members pitch in to give to those in need. They give everything from food to other smaller items, like toiletries, to those in need. The main goal of Hope Network is to provide for those living below the federal poverty line. My family and I have been involved in Hope Network for a number of years, and it’s been great to help out both the church and those in need every single time. So, if you’re not busy over Christmas break, and need something to do, consider getting involved in community service. Give back. Remember – the Christmas season isn’t all about getting! It’s about so much more.

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Exposure to Charity Freshman Experience at Harvesters Marlon Jones Avila University instills many positive things into its students from the very beginning. An example of this would be the annual freshman trip to Harvesters. Harvesters is a nonprofit food shelter that caters to America and it also serves as a regional disaster relief site for Feeding America. This trip humbles the freshman class as they enter the world of college by introducing them to the everyday struggles and challenges of our country. After a tour, good lunch, and small informational session, students are put to work and begin to work in the many different areas of food packaging and processing. This food that is packaged gets shipped to local food pantries and shelters to help feed the thousands of hungry people in that area. In a way, the students are being exposed to a form of charity. The Harvesters organization actually acts as a charity by giving goods away to the less fortunate and helping to sustain the people of nearby communities. This trip showed many students that although charity is mostly thought of during the holidays, it can be done at any time of the year. Many people go to food shelters and offer their time during the holidays by working at soup kitchens, homeless shelters, food pantries, etc. This holiday season, or any season for that matter, make an attempt to donate to a nearby charity and help out someone who may be struggling to get by.

Photo courtesy of @avilaactivities

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Let’s Celebrate! Holidays and Traditions in Japan Sarai Jorgenson Everyone around the world celebrates holidays differently and have different holidays along with traditions. Japan does not have Thanksgiving like the United States, but students from Japan who can’t go home kind of celebrate it here on campus. They celebrate Christmas and New Year’s, but the traditions are a bit different than ours. On the second Monday in January (in 2019 it will be the 14th), there comes the Coming of Age Day where individuals have a ceremony to celebrate the passage into adulthood at the age of twenty. I was able to interview two students from Japan, Keito Sugasaki and Kota Hiraaki, about these holidays and traditions. For Thanksgiving, Hiraaki stays on campus and cooks food for himself, but he’s also able to leave and drive around so he’s not cooped up the whole week. Sugasaki went to her first Thanksgiving dinner last November and was able to feast on turkey, sweet potatoes, stuffing, green bean casserole, and pumpkin pie. Christmas in Japan is different than that of the U.S. by not really celebrating it with family, but with significant others. Christmas is a couples holiday there, but people can still be with their families if they’re not in a relationship. Both of Hiraaki’s and Sugasaki’s families eat KFC for Christmas dinner―which is a Japanese tradition―and they both have cake for dessert. Sugasaki has a family tradition of going to the shopping mall and looking at all the Christmas lights. New Year’s Eve and Day in Japan is the same as in the U.S., like being with family, except it’s over the span of three days. Sugasaki also explained the concept of ‘lucky money’ where “you get money from parents and relatives.” But since ISSUE 97 |

she’s the oldest cousin and sibling in her family, she will have to start paying the younger cousins and her sister once she graduates and starts working. When Keito Sugasaki returns home to Japan, she will celebrate her coming of age ceremony in her city of Fukuoka, Japan. As explained by Kota Hiraaki, “it’s a big event held by the local governor. It’s a one or two hour party and you also meet with friends and teachers from junior high and high school.” Sugasaki explained that “the governor will give a speech, and at the reunion, some classmate or someone will also give a speech.” For Sugasaki’s coming of age ceremony, she will wear a kimono which is a traditional robe usually worn for formal occasions. Unfortunately, she will not be able to attend the reception after the ceremony because she will have to get on a plane back to the U.S. early morning the next day. However, Hiraaki has already has his coming of age celebration, and he explained, “after the ceremony, we’ll move to a hotel, restaurant, bar [twenty is the legal drinking age in Japan], anywhere else. There’s Japanese food or Chinese food.” There’s no specific foods at these parties. Before the ceremony involving everyone in the city, the family celebrates the birthday first, and Sugasaki hopes her mother will make her favorite food which is Ramen noodles―the authentic kind. Her family will also go to a Hot Pot restaurant where food like meat and vegetables are cooked in a pot for everyone to share. It’s so neat learning about what students from Japan experience during the holidays here in the U.S., like Thanksgiving, and also how and what they celebrate back home. ISSUE 97 |

Raging Fires Californiaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Worst Fire Season Yet Sarai Jorgenson

The most destructive and the most deadliest fire season California has ever had started on November 8th, 2018. The Camp Fire started in Northern California in Butte County on Camp Creek Road. Some people think the fire was caused by power lines falling onto the grass, although the cause is still under investigation, but itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s not impossible due to the grass being extremely dry due to no rain for the last few months. You mix sparks lighting up the grass with up to 70 mph winds, and you have one of the most destructive fires in the United States. Immediately, there were calls for evacuation, and the people of Northern California fled for their lives to shelters or family memberâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s homes out of the way of the devastating fires. The Camp Fire destroyed over 150,000 acres and more than 18,000 buildings. The fire burned for about 17 days, until finally some rain came in and washed out the remaining fires, and finally was contained by the 25th of November. The heavy rain was predicted to bring mudslides to the area, but fortunately, it did not. Another fire that started the same day as the Camp Fire was the Woolsey Fire in Southern California near Los Angeles and Ventura counties. This fire is also incredibly devastating due to the fact it ignited the day after the shooting in Thousand Oaks. This fire burned through over 95,000 acres and 1,600 buildings. Many houses and residents in the Malibu area burned down as well. This fire burned for about 13 days until it was fully contained by the 21st of November.

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Photo from Pixabay.com. Reminents of a house on fire Between both of these fires, the smoke brought the worst air quality in the San Francisco area and as well in Northern California. Also between the two fires, there were a total of 91 people reported dead and as of late November/early December, there are 25 missing people. Hopefully those people missing will find their way back home now that the Camp Fire and the Woolsey Fire are out. Hopefully the people of California know that we are praying that their towns and cities will be full and vibrant again when people and animals are found safe and living in their homes.

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ISSUE 97 / FALL / 2018

INTERNATIONAL SECTION

INSIDE: PUSH COMES TO SHOVE

PAGE 23 ISSUE 97 |

WORLD REFORM

POLITICS, SPORTS, AND MEDIA

PAGE 24

PAGE 26

Contents

BRING ING THE WORLD TO AVILA AND AVILA TO THE WORLD

22 23 24 25 26 27

ARABIC TRANSLATION PUSH COMES TO SHOVE WORLD REFORM ARABIC TRANSLATION POLITICS, SPORTS, AND MEDIA ARABIC TRANSLATION

PHOTO ON THE COVER BY: Porapak Apichodilok, Pexels.com LETTER FROM THE EDITOR

They say, the less you know the more you believe, but I believe knowledge is power. Hesham Albadr, International Editor

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Push Comes to Shove Medical Marijuana Legalized in Missouri Ibrahim Almutawa

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Missouri recently legalized the use of medical marijuana. This comes after the state decriminalized possession of marijuana for first time offences. There has been a huge push by physicians and patients for the use of marijuana in the treatment and pain management for patients with serious conditions such as cancer. Patients with their physician’s approval and prescriptions will receive identification from the state which will allow them or their caregivers to grow and possess certain amounts of marijuana (Angel, 2018). This amendment has been passed in the midst of two other amendments. It allows patients to have marijuana prescribed for them by a physician for any condition that the physician sees fit. This law allows patients to use marijuana without the perception of breaking the law creating an effective method for patients with terminal conditions and other diseases that require its use to buy or grow so that creating access to it whenever they need it. In addition to this, the four percent tax on marijuana will be earmarked for war veterans after it covers the law’s implementation costs. However, this seemingly favorable law does not come without limitations. The patients permitted to use medical marijuana will not be allowed to use or possess firearms. This is because the passed amendment on the Missouri Constitution does not apply to federal law. In accordance with federal law, any person permitted to use medical marijuana will not be allowed to possess or use firearms regardless of the state’s law (Roger, 2017). This has created a dilemma for patients living with conditions that need the use of the drug for pain management or otherwise: should they prioritize marijuana of their personal protection? This is stirring discussions in the infringement of patients’ second amendment rights. Some have spoken against this requirement of federal law and promise to fight for their ability to own and protect themselves using personal firearms. Besides, those that used drugs such as antidepressants do not have such limits. Nonetheless, the state has come a long way from the early 1900s where the state enforced the death penalty as punishment for anyone charged and found guilty of selling of the drug to minors. Photo from Yash Lucid at Pexels.com

World Reform Key Outcomes at the G20 Summit Farid Alutaibi The G20 summit in Argentina hosted the leaders of the worldâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s largest economic powers. Some of the reasons they meet together are to talk about trade disputes and climate change. It looks like everyone is in agreement about things like climate change. Everyone except for Donald Trump that is. All G20 leaders called for reforming the World Trade Organization (WTO) and they will continue to discuss it in the next summit in Japan in June. One of the relationships that benefitted from the meeting was that between Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping. Trump had been threatening a tariff increase that would take place on January 1, 2019. This would be a tariff of 200 billion dollars in Chinese goods. Instead of this happening, the two agreed that China would do more to buy things like agriculture, energy and industrial products to reduce the huge trade deficit. Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman received criticism over the kingdomâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s role in denying the horrible murder of newspaper columnist Jamal Khashoggi. He said it had not been proven but others at the summit were offered by this lack of taking responsibility and said it was unbelievable. The prince was not alone in being an outcast. Vladimir Putin was also at the summit and he is not very popular with the other world leaders because of his aggressive actions in the Ukraine. At the end of the summit, there was a final communique signed by all 20 member nations. Only one, the US, would not reaffirm their commitment to the Paris climate accord. Although this shows that Trump is alone in his reasoning, it also showed there is a lot of strength and power in the other 19 leaders who can see the truth of our changing planet. ISSUE 97 |

Photo from Pixabay.com ISSUE 97 |

Politics, Sports and Media Hearing our Mentors Speak Ibrahim Almutawa

The Center for Digital Advocacy at Avila University held a conversation on 17th of November at the Thornhill Art gallery involving varied panelists with different experiences as well as knowledge on politics, sports and the media. The discussion involved NBC’s documentary on the 1968 Olympics held in Mexico City. The documentary was first screened, then the panel discussed matters relevant to politics and sports inspired by the events of the 1968 Mexico City Olympics and then there was questions asked to the panel from the audience. In addition and more precisely, the panel discussed matters pertaining black power and the political stances expressed by athletes in the Olympics. The panel included Bob Kendrick, the president of the Negro Leagues Baseball Museum which is popularly known for its acknowledgement and celebration of the history of African- American Baseball. Michele Watley, named as one of the greatest campaign professionals, as well as a campaign and election rising star was also a part of the panel. Dr. J. Anthony Snorgrass, professor of communication and director of the Center for Digital Advocacy was a panelist, along with Katie LaForge, a soccer coach at Avila University, and Cody Tapp, renowned sports radio personality. Finally, Dr. Gerald Larson, professor at Avila and a program director of Kinesiology. These panelists hold special capacities that make them ideal candidates to have a discussion on the political statements and their implications by various players. In light of the center’s mission, this documentary provides a unique foundation used by the panel to elaborate on the influence of each topic on today’s world. ISSUE 97 |

In the documentary, athletes John Carlos and Tommie Smith stood up in protest while receiving their medals. They raised one hand and bowed their heads as the Star Spangled Banner was played. The hand that each raised had a black glove symbolic to the black power salute. They also did not wear shoes but instead wore black socks representing black poverty. This sparked outrage from those that did not support them while those that were in support cheered on. Being interpreted by many as anti-American, they later defended their actions saying that they were pro-human rights. This event became a significant event in the fight for civil and human rights for African Americans in the U.S.

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ISSUE 97 / FALL / 2018

SPORTS SECTION

INSIDE: AVILA ATHLETES AT AGAIN PAGE 30

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EAGLES SOAR TO NEW HEIGHTS PAGE 32

STAR PLAYRS PAGE 39

Contents

CAPTURING THE LIVES AND INTERESTS OF AVILAâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;S STUDENT ATHLETES

30 31 32 34 36 39

AVILA ATHLETES AT IT AGAIN KAREEM HUNT DISMISSED EAGLES SOAR TO NEW HEIGHTS MAHOMES SNAGS THE COVER GAMBLING FOR KETCHUP STAR PLAYERS

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

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

Sarai Jorgenson, Sports Editor ISSUE 97 |

Avila Athletes At It Again Basketball Season is in the works

Tommy Blood It is that time of the year for winter sports which means Men’s and Women’s basketball has come underway. The Men’s team is coming in to the new year after finishing in the Heart of America Conference with a 13-15 record and losing in the first round of the Heart of America Conference Tournament. This year the Eagles have had a struggle starting off 0-5 this season. However, the Women’s team finished with a 10-15 record also being eliminated in the first round of the Heart of America Conference Tournament. This year they have a 2-1 record to start off the year in the new Kansas Collegiate Athletic Conference. Both the men and women basketball teams play Bethany College on November 29, 2018. The women play at 6pm and the men play at 8pm. For the men, let’s see them make a turn in this season starting with this game and continuously growing from here on out. For the women, let’s see them continue to play well and keep teams on their toes as they march down the court making baskets and stopping the opposition from sinking them. For the men’s game, the player to watch is Shandon Boone who is averaging 25 points per game and for the women’s team the leading scorers are Paige Bunn who is averaging 18 points a game and Taylor Faulkner who is averaging 16.3 points a game. Let’s see our teams compete as the season is picking up and as we continue to move forward.

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Photo by Tola

Kareem Hunt Dismissed Violent Video of Hunt Released Farid Alutaibi In a quick and efficient move by the Kansas City Chiefs, Kareem Hunt was released from the team after a video involving an altercation with a woman in his hotel was released. Earlier this year, the team was made aware that a violent incident had occurred involving Hunt who is a running back for the Chiefs. When questioned about the incident, Hunt lied to members of the teamâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s management staff. This resulted in no mercy for Hunt when the video came out. In the video, Hunt was seen shoving and kicking a woman once she had fallen to the ground. This was an incredibly violent altercation and some people think the Chiefs did the right thing by dismissing him immediately. It only took the team one hour after the video was released to make the decision to let Hunt go. Even after the altercation happened. The evidence didnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t come out right away. The NFL made several attempts to try to obtain the video but were denied. The hotel said they had a policy that the only people they would turn the video over to were the police. However, TMZ somehow got the video and published it anyway. Hunt is very sorry for the incident and has apologized saying that he just wants to move on and focus on football. Unfortunately that is not really an option for Hunt because he used such poor decision making that night earlier this year at the hotel. This is a very serious situation and the team handled it correctly. The Chiefs cannot have a player who is violent toward women on their team. That is not good for publicity or the sport to condone violence even if it is in their free time.

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Eagles Soar to New Heights The Record Breaking Year of The Avila Eagles Joshua Dyson

We were all separated thousands of miles apart. All stuck in the summer grind. You are either working all day, working out all day, or in most cases, both. With high hopes for the season and everything looking good, little did we know everything was about to change. The phone buzzed with another annual Hudl message from coach, only this one read that he was stepping down. As the days passed, we received another message, then another message, coach after coach, in shock and many more emotions. We, the players, called each other and decided it was on us, it always has been. We were going write how this story ended. In camp, we came together closer and pushed each other harder than ever. The first game has arrived, and we had every intention of walking out of the game upsetting a ranked opponent. It was a hard game that we almost lost but fought to the end and won, something this program has never done. The breeze in the air was different this year. Before we knew it, we were 4-0 just coming off beating a supposedly tough opponent, Saint Maryâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s on ESPN 3, and we beat them by 39 points. We felt like we could do it-- we could get a ring this year. Then we got hit with something we did not account for; the injury bug. In a game against Southwestern, another opponent that wanted to give us our first loss and they did just that. Many things played a part in that loss, but we took it as a lesson and humbled ourselves. We accepted that loss and it just added fuel to the fire. We went on to win the next 3 games straight, including the most exciting homecoming game this school has ever seen in a last second score by our defense. We beat another ranked opponent. Frustration built up more because of the low rank still being given to us. ISSUE 97 |

Photo courtesy of Josh

We knew nobody would like the new kid on the block coming in and beating teams that we were not supposed to beat. Still humbled, but hungry, we set our eyes on Kansas Wesleyan, ranked number 7th team in the nation. We knew if we wanted any type of respect and if we wanted a ring, we had to beat the team that has been blowing every opponent out by 30 points or more. We got up on them early in the game with the feeling that we were going to upset another ranked team. We lost by 3 points that day, in a game filled with many missed calls and plays. We knew our playoff chances were gone. The pain carried on into the next and at the last week of practice, mixed with bad weather and a tough opponent, it did not go well. We lost our last game to Tabor College in what felt like an ice bowl. We ended the season 7-3, that being Avilaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s first winning season ever with countless other records being broken. The adversity we faced from the summer and throughout the season that will never be seen by the masses is just a test to the student athletes that risk everything they have for the brother next to them and the program we play for. Although the goal was not obtained, and no rings were won, the future looks bright. On behalf of the football team, we want to thank everyone that came out and supported us.

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Mahomes Snags the Cover Patrick Mahomes on the Cover Of Sports Illustrated Megan Duffy Kansas City Chiefs quarterback, Patrick Mahomes graced the cover of Sports Illustrated at the end of October. He is talked about in an article about the future of football being created by Andy Reid and that Mahomes is living it. However, the article isnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t the most exciting thing about this. Over the past twenty years, Chiefsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; players have only been on the cover twice. The last time being more recent in September of 2017. The Chiefs have had a successful season so far, going 9-2 in their first eleven games, putting them at the top of the AFC East. The Chiefs are also holding the third best record throughout the entire NFL, behind the Los Angeles Rams and the New Orleans Saints. Since Mahomes has been on the cover fans have been worrisome of him getting injured or tanking their, so far, successful season. It is an urban legend that whenever a team graces the cover of Sports Illustrated that something bad happens to the team or the player that is on the cover. Since the issue of Sports Illustrated came out the Chiefs have continued their successful season, winning two of their three games since the cover came out. The lone loss coming against the Rams losing only by four points. The Chiefs show no sign of slowing down and fans are hopeful the Chiefs can continue their success as they approach the end of the season and push for a playoff berth.

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Photo of Patrick Mahomes in pre-game training, taken by Cody Tapp

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Gambling for Ketchup Mahomesâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; Ketchup Challenge Saud Alotaibi

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Patrick Mahomes, better known as Pat Mahomes, is an American football player who plays as a quarterback for the Kansas City Chiefs of the National Football League. Pat has managed to spark an outrage on social media, or better yet a frenzy, after it was discovered that he uses ketchup on steak. Twitter rants have gone crazy and even people have started the Mahomes challenge where they put ketchup on foods that should definitely not have ketchup, like cereals, and the crazy is growing time after time. This apparently is such a big deal that he was asked at a news conference about the matter. He said that he doesnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t think putting ketchup on steak is weird. He further said that he even puts ketchup in his macaroni and cheese which most people thought was disgusting. The situation unfolded when Patâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s mom asked for ketchup in a restaurant and Pat was eating steak, and this is where the whole thing started. People have gone to Twitter to show love and supports for Patâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s allegedly weird habit and others went on to rant about their disgust. People find steak as a meal that is full of flavor and good enough to stand enough on its own without other additives like ketchup; they think that adding ketchup to steak is ruining it. While it might seem like people are busy attacking Pat for his preference, popular ketchup manufacturer Heinz have even promised to give him a lifetime supply of ketchup if he scores 57 touchdowns. This is just 24 more touchdowns for the rest of the season for him to get a supply of ketchup that he will use on all his dishes for a lifetime. People however are still trying to beat each other putting ketchup on meals that are perfectly delicious without ketchup just to ruin them. Just like many social media fads, maybe this one will come to pass, or until someone gets food poisoning from a God-awful concoction of ketchup and something else just to beat the challenge. Photo by: Cody Tapp Design by: Emme Moorehouse

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Photos by Hesham Photos of some of Avila playersâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; that made it to the All-KCAC. #7 Ryon Holmes #2 Theo Berry #8 Malik Dungee ISSUE 97 | 38

Star Players

Several Avila Eagles made themselves known in the KCAC Saud Alotaibi Avila University football team, the Avila Eagles, have done well this time. During the Kansas Athletic Conference, 19 Eagles were on the All-KCAC football selection list. This number is higher than any in the recent years and the team has proved to be a strong football force to make such many entries on the list. Of the 19 picked, six Eagles made to the first team honors while three more got into the second team. The rest were on the Honorable Mentions list. On top of that two more Eagle players won two more awards totaling the received awards to twenty. Landen Nealy won the Champion of Character award, while Malik Dungee, who is now Eagle of the Month, got selected as a first-team punt returner as well as an honorable mention as a wide receiver. Overall, Avila has had a very good season and these awards show how far the team has actually come. The season has been characterized by these awards and on top of that, the team has been voted into the NAIA coachesâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; poll for the first time in a very long time. In comparison to other teams in the league, the Kansas Wesleyan School has dominated the charts with most of the first-team offense. Eight of the first team offense were from the Kansas Wesleyan. Two were from Avila. The other one was from Tabor, Ottawa and the remaining two from Southwestern. On the first team defense, three were from Kansas Wesleyan, two from Ottawa and the rest were from different schools including Avila. Generally, this has been a good season for Avila football and we hope that it is an upward trend. It is our hope that our players will do well in the games and get exposure as well as skills that will help our Eagles to win even more games, secure more slots and do better generally and amass more trophies for the school. Even if the season ended with a loss to Tabor it was a good season and we hope to do better next time. ISSUE 97 |

Happy Holidays! ISSUE 97 |

Talon Team

In the Spirit of the Season

Articles inside

This is ASPN, not ESPN!

Celebrations and Traditions make the Season

Sneakerheads Take it to the Feet!

...Been Doing this for 89 Years ?, WOW!