I Am Here, Where Are You? by Talon

Talon

ISSUE 90 / FALL / 2017

FEATURE

INTERNATIONAL

SPORTS

WATER WATER EVERYWHERE

SPECIAL HOLIDAY TO ALL

HAPPY DANCES & HAIL MARYS

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PAGE 26

PAGE 40

INSIDE

Photo From Jessica Albina

LIFESTYLE

INTERNATIONAL

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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 JESSICA ALBINA ADVISOR DR. J ANTHONY SNORGRASS

TALON TEAM MAKENZIE MUSGROVE KATIE MOONEYHAM SARAI JORGENSON GRACYN REED BRELANDE EDMOND BRIANNA PERALTA HERNAN PULIDO YESSICA RAMIREZ MOHAMMED ALBDER RYO ISHIKAWA SULAIMAN ALJURAYYAD RYAN MEYER JESSICA ALBINA MICHAEL PORTER CORINNE BOLDRIDGE ZACH HOEFLICKER

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ON THE COVER & BACK: FRONT AND BACK COVER: Photos From Jessica Albina ISSUE 90 |

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FROM THE EDITOR Here we are. Another issue of the Talon is in your hands and another semester is in the works. By the time you read this, we will be about two months into the semester and I actually can’t believe how fast it’s flying. Whether you’re a senior like I am, or a freshman like some of our writers, this semester will be in the books before you know it. This issue is themed “I am here, where are you?” The play on words comes from an advertisement I saw while on my way to school and I thought it was definitely something the Talon and staff could accomplish. This theme focuses not only on where we are physically in the world, like the cover, but also mentally. There are a lot of things going on in today’s society that seem to have drawn a lot of attention; between the hurricanes and President Trump, the news is never dull. In this issue you will learn about new technology, new school programs, and new sports records. Life is always entertaining so make it what you can while you’re here.

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.

BIG NEWS FOR A SMALL SCHOOL Avila Promise is revealed Makenzie Musgrove

Photo From Makenzie Musgrove For weeks Avila University had been promising a positive announcement for current and future students. On September 5th, Avila’s students filed into Mabee Fieldhouse filled with anticipation wondering what it could be. Avila announced that it is introducing the “Avila Promise.” The Avila Promise includes a 33% tuition reduction, fouryear graduation guarantee, internship or research experience guarantee, up to $1,000 travel award for international study, tuition protection, and books and campus fees included in tuition. Students had a very positive reaction when President Splepitza announced tuition would be lowered 33%, which is as much as $10,000. However, students grew weary when he also announced that scholarship amounts would be reset starting Fall 2018. Many students found that their scholarship percentages stayed approximately the

same. Freshman Avila student said that her favorite part of the Avila Promise is the four-year graduation guarantee because she can’t afford to spend any more time in college than she already must. After the announcement concluded, personal information packets were available for every student. The packets contained a breakdown of the student’s current payments and forecasted what their payments would be next fall. Many students found that their savings only reached $200. Mia Moreno said, “Yes, I save the $200, but that doesn’t help me right now.” Another popular theme among students on campus is that the reduction in tuition was only made to attract future students and that it doesn’t benefit current students due to scholarships being reduced. Hopefully Avila can fully deliver on all their promises and that future student enrollment increases.

T HE HEART BEATS ON New medical technology is discovered Katie Mooneyham Researchers have developed a new technology; a patch made of beating heart cells. This new discovery has changed the game for people who have common heart attacks, or just have a troubled heart in general. These patches that scientists are creating are made of beating heart cells; therefore, it is like you have a normal heart like everyone else. These patches are grown in a lab from patientsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; own cells and then implanted. This is inserted in the human body by having open heart surgery then placing the patch over your heart and stitching it in. A single patch is usually enough for people, but for some, multiple patches are needed for multiple areas of scarring. This patch is now being tested on mice and pigs at Duke University, Sanford University, and the University of Wisconsin. Predictions

have been made that this patch can be tested on humans in about five years. Because heart transplants are very seldom, this new patch is going to help a lot of people. Dyllon Williams, a junior at Drury University, was curious to hear more about the patch. Dyllon was diagnosed with prinzmetal angina over the summer. Prinzmetal Angina is a syndrome consisting of cardiac chest pains at rest and occurs in cycles; this is caused by the narrowing of the coronary arteries. This patch will be able to help Dyllon if his syndrome gets worse, by regulating his heart beat and lessening the work load on his narrowed arteries making the chest pains less severe. Dyllon is very anxious to hear more about this is in the next couple of years. This discovery is the future. This is the patch that makes the heartbeat.

Photo From News Atlas ISSUE 90 |

STUDENT FAIR SCORED SUCCESS Avila University Kickoff Event Sarai Jorgenson On Thursday August 31st the Avila University Kickoff was set up at the Quad and was organized by students and staff in order to kickoff the school year. I was able to attend the event for a short time and I really liked how well it was put together. There was a free picnic and tons of booths and activities. There was definitely something for everyone. Some activities included airbrush t-shirts and tattoos, and emoji pillow giveaway, message therapists, a balloon artist, caricatures, and different carnival games. I was able to get an emoji pillow and it was one to stuff yourself, which I thought was really cool. I also received an airbrushed t-shirt, and I was lucky to get on too, since the line was always so long. It was a very popular booth. The event made me feel like I was at an

| ISSUE 90Jorgenson Photo From Saria

actual carnival but without the rides. I had interviewed two Avila students who did attend the event to get their intake on what they did and what they thought of it. “I thought the event was pretty cool,” freshman Shyrelle Yates said. “I didn’t expect there to be that many things to do. I got a massage, I ate a lot of food and I signed up for clubs.” Another freshman Kieto Sugasaki said she looks forward to the events on campus, “If I’m always studying it can be tiring, but these events are very refreshing to go to when I have [free] time.” Both agreed that the fair was a good way to meet new people as they both made some new friends. The kickoff was an overall success, without a doubt, and I’m sure it’s an event everyone looks forward too; I know I do.

SIGNED, SIKE

The mural dedication ceremony Gracyn Reed Sike Style Industries is the man behind the mural. He has worked for over a year on the beautiful piece of concrete that is outside the bookstore. Avila University lightened up the dull space by adding tables with umbrellas but Sike stole the show. Sike has done many other murals around the Kansas City area but the one he finished for Avila is definitely his favorite. At the student fair, Sike organization signed his work of art and was able to say a few words at the dedication of his artwork. He notes that, “I have to say that this [is piece I’ve my favorite done] only because you really let me be free, as an artist. It’s free of advertising. It’s full of ideas about the city... it’s got a lot of color, just a lot of vibrancy which often times I don’t get the chance to put in [my work].” In Sikes work at Avila, he notes that the canvas we gave him was phonomenal due to the smoothness of the concrete. Sike also has added quite a lot of symbolism in his mural; he wanted it to relate to every Avila student and all the faculty and staff so they would want to sit around the mural and enjoy their time at Avila. Sike notes that his biggest struggle while working on the mural was the oak mites. Last spring, we had one of the worst seasons of oak mites and right over the section that the mural is located, is a huge oak tree. Sike also wanted to give some of his credit to his sidekick Kristen, who could not be there for the dedication day but helped him every step of the journey until he finished the mural. If you haven’t had a chance to check out the Avila mural by SIke Styles, go find it. Hangout outside while it’s still barable, and just enjoy the sight Sike has created just for you.

Photo From Gracyn Reed

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THE FRESHMAN FIFTEEN: STITCHES The story of a new adventure

Brelande Edmond Sunday night, three days before the semester began, on campus there was a sort of s’more social that allowed incoming freshman, like myself, to get to know my fellow classmates. When we all arrived to the pit from which the marshmallows were roasted, which can be located behind the library, we hung out for a while when after about twenty minutes the three people I rode with decided to go to the Eagles Nest. While they left I decided to stay outside a n d associate w i t h the other students. I found a familiar face and started a conversation. As we were talking, another person that I met through SSS had approached us, she asked if we wanted to play a game called ‘manhunt’ which I have never heard of before. I accepted the invitation while Kelly politely declined. Jaysha explained the rules to me and I was ready to play. We walked to the fountain where the game was being explained to others. The rules were once again explained and the game began. My team was chosen to hide first. Mallory and I hid in the perfect spot where we couldn’t be seen. It got down to one minute and I came up with the idea to head back to base where the others may be because the running had stopped around us. As soon I left my spot, I was off running as fast as I could back to base. But in the midst of running, I was stopped; not by a person, but by an unseen object on the ground. It was also around 9:30 p.m., in August, so I couldn’t see anything in front of me. I was flung forward onto to the concrete path and slid. I popped back up with ease and checked my phone to see if it was cracked. Once I was realized it wasn’t, I was off again. But this time as I was running, I felt a pain in the lower part of my right leg. I stopped under the Ridgeway lights where I looked down to see something I’ve only seen in movies. My sock already soaked with blood, a piece of my skin right below my knee

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and I was given two options: either wait for campus to get permission to take me to the hospital or get a ride from a student. I wasn’t in the mood for waiting, so I asked the nursing student who accompanied me if she could give me a ride to St. Joseph Medical Center. She said yes and her and her boyfriend helped me into their car. Pain? I felt none as bad as the pictures look. I was in too much shock plus my adrenaline was through the roof. So I felt nothing for the thirty minutes I was in the waiting room or the three hours I waited to see the doctor. The only pain I felt was the numbing medicine. I felt it each time it pierced my skin which felt like over a hundred times. It wasn’t until around 1:00 a.m. the next morning when I left the hospital. I left with twenty five dissolvable stitches inside of my leg along with eighteen stitches outside of my leg. And to top it all off, I was sent home in a leg immobilizer which kept my leg straight so that I wouldn’t bust my stitches open. This thing I had to wear 24/7, even in my sleep. The only exception was when I took a shower which was the best part of the day. What did I learn from this? Well not to run in the dark… at Avila.

Photos From Brelande Edmond ISSUE 90 |

EARLY BIRD GETS THE COFFEE Avila University opens new coffee shop Saria Jorgenson

Photo From Gracyn Reed

The coffee shop, Beak & Bean, recently opened in the Marian Center the first week of September and business has been booming. The shop is a place to get coffee, smoothies, baked goods, sandwiches, salads, and more at reasonably good prices. Your ID card can be used to purchase these delectable goodies or with your own money. I stopped by when it first opened to try out a vanilla iced coffee and it was amazing. The bitterness of the coffee mixed with the sweetness of the vanilla and the milk was a great flavor combination. The staff is nice and patient which is always good, especially at a place you have never been to before. With every coffee shop, there needs to be someone in charge, and that person at Beak & Bean is Kasey Fink, the head barista. “The hours are from 7:30

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A.M. to 2:30 P. M., but those are subject to change, it depends on the demand,” she said. “Some students have night classes, so we’re thinking on having hours between 5 P. M. to 7:30 or 8, so that will be an option for students.” So if you have a night class, get ready to take on the night with a visit to the coffee shop! I was also informed that for fall, the shop has pumpkin pie syrup to make pumpkin flavored drinks. Come winter, there will be s’mores flavored drink options as well. With the coffee shop on campus, it’s agreed that it’s very convenient for students and staff who live on campus or are on campus all day long, so there’s no need to drive elsewhere. So if you have a craving for coffee in the future, need something to perk you up, or just want something good and homemade, stop by Beak & Bean!

PHOTO FROM GRACYN REED

GOAL SETTING FOR DUMMIES Adulting 101 Brianna Peralta and Gracyn Reed Goal setting is a very important part it really works. SMART means your of being an adult. It’s also not really goals should be Specific, Measurable, something that is taught in any school Attainable, Realistic, and Time sensitive. setting—if you find a class on goal Tell Someone Accountability is a big reason why setting, let us know because we would love to take it. But have no fear, we are people don’t achieve their goals. here to help you learn how to set goals, Having an accountability partner is reach your goals, and feel good about important because it involves placing a certain amount of pressure on you to your goals. get things done. Break the Big Picture Take your big goal, and break it Believe down into smaller and more specific You have to have absolute belief goals. This allows you to break down and faith in the process. If you don’t exactly what you need to do to in order believe you can get what you want, to reach your big goal. Pro tip: Turn Your then you might as well forget about goal Goals into a Game make each small setting and do something else. If you have any questions, comments, tasks worth a small amount of points and reward yourself for hitting big milestones. or concerns about goal setting feel free to let us know. If you’re looking for an It makes it fun and a competition! accountability partner, we are here for Make your goals S.M.A.R.T. Arguably the most common acronym you. In any instance, set your goals high that is used when setting goals is the and aim for the clouds. SMART acronym and that’s because

Photo From Gracyn Reed

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WATER WATER EVERYWHERE VisCom student stuck in Hurricane Harvey Hernan Pulido On From Saturday August 26th I was going Photos Chiefs.com from Bogotá, Colombia to Kansas City from a long 3-month summer. Classes had already started and I needed to rush and get to KC to catch up on all my classes. I got in the plane and started my trip, which had a connection in Houston. At around 11 A.M. as I get closer to Houston, the pilot of the plane announces severe turbulence and for everyone to sit tight. This has been the scariest flight I’ve ever experienced! When we were 20 minutes away from the Houston airport the plain started moving very hard and didn’t stop until we arrived. I thought something bad was going to happen. When I arrived, there were a lot of people in the lines to claim their bags and pass them through security, and the security guard was telling everyone that all flights had been cancelled. So, they redirect us all to the counters to reschedule the flights that were completely full! The line for re-scheduling took more than 2 hours. When I got to the front, the representative told me that United didn’t cover any expense, and that all he could do was give me a discount voucher for a hotel and re-schedule me for the next Monday. When I told the assistant that I had no extra money to

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pay for any hotel, he told me that the chairs downstairs could be comfortable. I got so worried and called my father. My father called a friend that lived in Houston and he directed to me so I talked to him and arrange to stay at his house those 2 days while the airport had flights again. When he came to get me, everything was really quiet and there were barely cars on the road. No signs of floods or damage, just a very dark sky and a lonely, quiet city at that point. We got to his house and 30 minutes after that we hear the announcement that all the main streets were closing and that people couldn’t go out after 7 P .M. I was lucky he managed to pick me up before the closure. That Saturday night it rained but nothing crazy. Stores were open still and people were still driving in their neighborhoods. Then Sunday came and it was incredible! I’ve never seen anything like it. 24 hours of pure, hard rain and that magnitude with those winds. By 1 P .M. Sunday, all Monday and Tuesdays flights were cancelled already and it only got worst. Monday the terrible flooding’s begun to really show up and the streets and downtown started to suffer damages for the rain. By Tuesday morning, everything was

flooded. There were no streets and many people were affected. I couldn’t sleep Sunday or Monday because the wind and rain were so strong that they made a noise that was compared to someone hitting the windows and doors. By 4 P .M. on Tuesday water had already covered all of downtown and it was getting on the house I was staying at. A neighbor who was 5 foot 11 went outside to check if it was flooding. He walked all the way to where the street would have been—which looked like a river at that point— and the water made it to his belly. I was scared, and amused, to see how bad it was. We then had to grab all the furniture from the first floor and put it on the second so the water, which was already coming in, didn’t damage everything. Flights were cancelled until

Thursday at that point. Tuesday night and Wednesday morning was a bit better. The city of Houston did a very good job at draining the water and helping everyone. By Wednesday night the water receded to half of its level. By Thursday at 3 P .M. water was drained and stores started to open. It was incredible how many cars were in the middle of the street. So, at that point they re-schedule my flight for Friday afternoon and I made it to Kansas City finally. It was for sure an unforgivable experience. It was scary, amusing, and very nerve racking. I hope the best for all the ones that were affected by the hurricane and congratulate the city of Houston for such a good draining system. It was unbelievable.

Photo From Hernan Pulido ISSUE 90 |

TWO DAYS: ONE FILM Avila students prevail in local film contest Yessica Ramirez Two groups of Avila students competed in the 48 Hour Film Project a couple weeks ago. Outer Road Productions, led by Jerry Manan and Keegun Selley and The Flamingo Wranglers, led by Jessica Albina made two hilarious films that made it into the top eight out of twenty-two films that were submitted for the festival. The 48 Hour Film Project is a weekend that consists of making a film with your team in 48 hours. The team writes, shoots, and edits everything in those 48 hours. They are given certain guidelines that they have to follow and create their own idea within those guidelines. In this case, they were given a character, prop and a line that had to be included in the film. When finished, the movies are submitted,

Photo From Yessica Ramirez

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watched and judged. The films are then screened at a local theater, some receiving awards! Outer Road Productions’ film, “The Audition: an Adult Film,” is about this guy who doesn’t have a job and has to provide for his pregnant girlfriend so he auditions for an adult film. Outer Road’s film placed third for this year’s 48 Hour Film Project! They also received an award for the “Best Original Score.” This was their first time entering and competing in a festival. Congratulations to them! Check out both of our Avila students’ films, “The Audition: an Adult Film” by Keegun Selley and “Best Foot Forward” by Jessica Albina on YouTube!

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THE BEST YOU CAN BE How to be a good ally Brianna Peralta This semester one of the things I wanted to do was volunteer for a nonprofit to really give to a community that needed help. I then came across the organization GLAAD an organization that rewrites the script for LGBTQ acceptance. I am proud to say that I am one of the 2017-2018 GLAAD Campus Ambassadors. As someone who isn’t a part of the LGBT community itself, being an ally to the LGBTQ community is something I have always been passionate about. Here are some of the best advice I have been given about how to be a better ally. Listen It is important to listen to as many voices of those we’re allying ourselves with as possible. By listening to a diversity of voices can help you understand the core of an issue. Educate Yourself We need to educate ourselves on the issues facing the community as well as know the history behind the community. Do your homework so you can get caught up on the issues that

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are important to the community. Be okay with being wrong Even the most well-intentioned people are wrong sometimes. Were only human we make mistakes, so be sure you accept correction, apologize, and learn from it. Show and Offer Support This mean expressing support in more personal ways through the language we use, conversations we choose to have, and signals that we send. Call Your Elected Officials Your district representatives want to hear from their constituents. Call them and tell them your stance on the issues. Don’t know who your representative is? Head over to whoismyrepresentative. com and you can find who represents you in Congress. Practice What you Preach Saying you’re an ally isn’t enough anymore, you have to be an activist. Being an ally is a verb, not a noun. While these are just a few things to keep in mind, there are so many things you can do to be a good ally.

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ISSUE 90 / FALL / 2017

INTERNATIONAL SECTION

FEATURE

#DEFENDDACA

SPECIAL HOLIDAY TO ALL

SOUTH KC UNDER WATER

PAGE 22

PAGE 26

PAGE 30

Contents

BRINGING THE WORLD TO AVILA AND AVILA TO THE WORLD

22 23 25 26 27 28 29 30 31

#DEFEND DACA THE DEFINITION OF DACA SPANISH TRANSLATION SPANISH TRANSLATION STATEMENT FROM PRESIDENT RON SLEPITZA DACA PRESS RELEASE SPECIAL HOLIDAY TO ALL EID AL-ADHA ARABIC TRANSLATION ARABIC TRANSLATION DRIVING 101 GETTING YOUR JAPANESE DRIVERS LICENSE JAPANESE TRANSLATION JAPANESE TRANSLATION SOUTH KC UNDER WATER LOCAL BUSINESSES HIT HARD BY RAIN ARABIC TRANSLATION ARABIC TRANSLATION

ON THE COVER: Photo From People Magazine 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 ISSUE 90 |

#DEFENDDACA The definition of DACA Yessica Ramirez

Avila University President Ronald Slepitza, Ph.D., CSJA, has released a statement about the decision to end the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) Program. The Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) is an American program that began in June of 2012 by the Obama administration that allows certain undocumented immigrants, who were brought to this country as children, to receive a work permit and the opportunity to stay for a period of two-years. DACA also allows many of the youth to receive their driver’s licenses and have the opportunity to attend college with in-state tuition. Despite the program expiring every two years, it can be renewed after those two years. DACA continues to be an ongoing issue today. However, under the Trump administration, DACA has been paused as of September 5th, 2017. According to USCIS.GOV, they are “no longer accepting initial requests for DACA,” but will examine initial requests for DACA accepted by September 5. Since DACA began, there has been an estimated 800,000 people

sign up. Many of who didn’t have the same opportunities they had after they were a part of DACA. The purpose of DACA is to protect immigrant children from being deported. More than 90% of the youth that are being protected under DACA are now over the age #DEFEND DACAof 25. Most of them are employed and do as much as every American in this country does. If the program gets revoked, those 800,000 people will lose their home—in this case being, the United States—and could be sent to a country that is not their own. Given that the decision of phasing out DACA began on Tuesday, many people of Kansas City decided to speak out against that that afternoon at the JC Nichols Memorial Fountain to defend DACA. Supported by the Cosecha KC and KS/MO DREAM Alliance, there were DACA recipients that shared their testimonies and how the program has impacted their life to the many individuals who gathered around to support each other. Kansas City is #DefendDACA.

#DEFEN

#DEFENDDACA

La definición de DACA Yessica Ramirez

El presidente de la Universidad de Avila Ronald Slepitza, Ph.D., CSJA, ha emitido una declaración sobre la decisión del Martes de poner fin al Programa de Acción Diferida para las Llegadas de la Niñez (DACA). La Acción Diferida por Llegadas de la Niñez (DACA) es un programa estadounidense que comenzó en junio de 2012 por la administración Obama, que permite a ciertos inmigrantes indocumentados, que fueron traídos a este país como niños, recibir un permiso de trabajo y la oportunidad de permanecer por un período de dos años. DACA también permite que muchos de los jóvenes reciban sus licencias de conducir y tengan la oportunidad de asistir a la universidad con matrícula en el estado. A pesar de que el programa expira cada dos años, puede renovarse después de los dos años. DACA sigue siendo una cuestión en curso hoy en el 2017. Sin embargo, bajo la administración Trump, DACA se ha detenido a partir del 5 de septiembre de 2017. Según USCIS.GOV, “ya no aceptan las solicitudes iniciales de DACA” pero las solicitudes de DACA aceptadas para el 5 de septiembre

siguen adelante. Desde que se inició la DACA, se han registrado 800.000 personas. Muchos de ellos no tenían las mismas oportunidades que tenían después de formar parte de DACA. El objetivo de DACA es proteger a los niños inmigrantes de ser deportados. Más del 90% de los jóvenes que están siendo protegidos bajo DACA son ahora mayores de 25 años. La mayoría de ellos están empleados y hacen tanto como todos los estadounidenses en este país. Si el programa se revoca, esas 800.000 personas perderán su hogar. En este caso ser, los Estado Unidos, y ser enviado a un país que no es el suyo propio. Dado que la decisión de eliminar el DACA comenzó el martes, mucha gente de Kansas City decidió hablar en contra de eso, esa tarde en la JC Nichols Memorial Fountain a para defender. Con el apoyo de Cosecha KC y KS / MO DREAM Alliance, hubo recipientes de DACA que compartieron sus testimonios y cómo el programa ha impactado su vida a las muchas personas que se reunieron para apoyarse mutuamente. Kansas City es #DefendDACA

NDDACA

Photo From Iliana Ramirez

| ISSUE 90 Photo From Crystal Guzman

Statement from Avila President Ronald Slepitza, Ph.D., CSJA on the Decision to End DACA.

(September 5, 2017) KANSAS CITY, MO – Avila University President Ronald Slepitza, Ph.D., CSJA, today joined other college and university presidents and others in releasing a statement about today’s decision to end the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) Program. “The core mission of higher education is the advancement of knowledge, people, and society. As a Catholic institution, founded by the Sisters of St. Joseph of Carondelet, we are committed to their guiding principles of serving the dear neighbor without distinction. The president’s decision to end DACA today goes against all that we believe in as a university. “Our long-standing belief in the worth, dignity and potential of every human being means we will continue to stand with families, regardless of immigration status, to ensure that the dignity of all is fully protected. “These individuals covered by DACA are talented, productive, members of our communities and our country. They represent part of our hopes for the future. We join with our colleagues and other leaders across the business, civic, religious, and non-profit sectors in urging the U.S. Congress to enact the DREAM Act of 2017.” Avila University, a Catholic University sponsored by the Sisters of St. Joseph of Carondelet, is a values-based community of learning providing liberal arts, professional, undergraduate and graduate education to prepare students for responsible, lifelong contributions to the global community. Our approach to education brings out the best in our students, so they can bring out the best in others. Contact: James Wright | Marketing and Communications Coordinator | 816-501-3716 (Office), 816304-7490 (Mobile) | james.wright@avila.edu | www.avila.edu ###

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SPECIAL HOLIDAY TO ALL

Eid al-Adha

Mohammed Albder

Recently there was an important holiday that happened for the Arabic world. It is called Eid alAdha and this year it started on Thursday, August 31 and ended on the evening of Friday, September 1st. Eid al-Adha means Feast of the Sacrifice or also the Sacrifice Feast. It is the second of two Muslim holidays celebrated worldwide each year, and considered the holier of the two. It honors the willingness of Ibrahim (Abraham) to sacrifice his son, as an act of obedience to Godâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s command. Before Abraham sacrificed his son, God provided a male goat to sacrifice instead. In commemoration of this, an animal is sacrificed and divided into three parts: one third of the share is given

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to the poor and needy, another third is given to relatives, friends and neighbors, and the remaining third is retained by the family. Arabic people here in Kansas City can go out to the Amish communities nearby and purchase a sheep. On the Amish farm they are allowed to kill the sheep in a halal way and make a small fire to cook the meat. It is a real celebration there because many different friends and groups come together to eat and celebrate together. We are all far from home and this day makes it possible for us to pay our respects and honor our traditions. Eid al-Adha is a big feast with a lot of food to eat. It is an honored tradition that is looked forward to every year.

Photo From Cousin Mo

‫محمد البدر‬ ‫‪2017/09/07‬‬

‫عيد األضحى‬

‫في اآلونة األخيرة كان هناك عطلة هامة التي حدثت للعالم العربي‪ .‬ويطلق عليه عيد األضحى‪ ،‬وهذا العام بدأ يوم‬ ‫الخميس ‪ 31‬أغسطس وانتهت مساء يوم الجمعة ‪ 1‬سبتمبر‪ .‬عيد األضحى يعني عيد التضحية أو أيضا عيد التضحية‪.‬‬ ‫وهي ثاني عطلتني مسلمني يحتفل بهما العالم في كل عام‪ ،‬ويعتبران األكثر حداثة‪ .‬وهو يكرم استعداد إبراهيم‬ ‫)إبراهيم( للتضحية ابنه‪ ،‬كفعل من طاعة ألمر اهلل‪ .‬قبل أن يضحي إبراهيم ابنه‪ ،‬قدم اهلل ماعز ذكر للتضحية بدال من‬ ‫ذلك‪ .‬وفي ذكرى ذلك‪ ،‬يتم التضحية بالحيوان وتنقسم إلى ثالثة أجزاء‪ :‬ثلث الحصة تعطى للفقراء واملحتاجني؛ ويعطى‬ ‫ثلث آخر لألقارب واألصدقاء والجيران؛ بينما تحتفظ األسرة بالثالث املتبقي‪ .‬يمكن للشعب العربي هنا في كانساس‬ ‫سيتي الخروج إلى مجتمعات األميش القريبة وشراء األغنام‪ .‬في مزرعة األميش يسمح لهم بقتل األغنام بطريقة حالل‬ ‫وإطالق حريق صغير لطهي اللحم‪ .‬وهو احتفال حقيقي هناك ألن العديد من األصدقاء واملجموعات املختلفة تأتي معا‬ ‫لتناول الطعام واالحتفال معا‪ .‬نحن جميعا بعيدون عن الوطن‪ ،‬وهذا اليوم يجعل من املمكن لنا أن نتقدم باحترامنا‬ ‫ونحترم تقاليدنا‪ .‬عيد األضحى هو عيد كبير مع الكثير من الطعام لتناول الطعام‪ .‬وهو تقليد شرف الذي يتطلع إلى كل‬ ‫‪.‬عام‬

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DRIVING 101

Getting your Japanese drivers license Ryo Ishikawa

I went back to Japan this Summer, and one of the reasons I went back to Japan was so that I could practice my driving skills and then take the test to get my driver’s license. In Japan, a person can get their driver’s license when they turn 18 years old. They only have to be 16 to get their ordinary motorcycle license. There are two different ways that people to commute to school from their homes. During school, students learn how to drive and then can practice driving. This first way can take 3-6 months to complete, however students must make their own schedule which determines how long they go to school. The second way is called “Gasshuku” in Japanese, which is a training camp to take the driver’s license test. During training camp, students live in a dorm while they are taking classes. This training camp takes up to 2-3 weeks to finish. By staying in the dorms, students are able to focus more on studying the driving rules and improving driving

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skills. I chose to get my license in a shorter amount of time. It was also too hard for me to schedule everything myself. In driving school in Japan, students spend time doing different things each week. In the first week, or stage, students learn basic driving skills and practice driving at school. During the second week, students learn more detailed driving skills such as highway rules.They also practice driving, but outside of school. After the first stage, students then must take a written exam at school. Students must take another written examination after the second week or stage, but this time at a place outside of school. My driving school teachers were strict and very tough on students. In my hometown of saitama prefecture, there are many car accidents. I thought that the exams were very difficult, but I understand that the exam questions and hard to help students learn and become better drivers. Photo From Jessica Albina

日本の運転免許日本でどのようにして運転免許を取るのか今年の夏は日本に帰国しました。理由としては運転免許を取得する為です。日本では18 歳から普通自動車を取得できます。しかし、普通自動二輪車は16歳からできます。教習所に通う方法は二つあります。一つは家から通う方法です。だいたい三ヶ月から六ヶ月ぐらい通います。ですが、教習生は自分でスケジュールを組まなければなりません。二つ目は日本語で言うと合宿と言うものです。合宿中は寮に泊まって自動車学校で授業を受けます。それは約２週間から３週間です。教習生は交通ルールと運転技能を集中して勉強できます。実際、私は教習合宿にしました。一つの理由として私は短い期間で運転免許を取得したかったからです。ですが、教習合宿はとても厳しいスケジュールでした。スケジュールは二週間で構成されていました。一週間目は基本的な運転ルールを勉強して学校構内で運転練習しました。二週間目は細かいルールと高速道路でのルールを学びます。しかし、運転練習は路上で行います。第一段階が終わると教習生は筆記試験と修了試験を受けなければなりません。第二段階でも教習生は筆記試験と卒業検定を受けますが筆記試験は免許センターで受けます。教官はとても厳しく指導してくれました。私の住む埼玉県は交通事故がもっとも多いです。だから、技能テストと筆記テストはとても難しいと思いました。ですが、教官は教習生をより良いドライバーにするために指導してくれたと感じました。

Photo From Ryo Ishikawa ISSUE 90 |

SOUTH KC UNDER WATER Local businesses hit hard by rain Sulaiman Aljurayyad

We all want to be safe and happy so that we are able to focus on our life goals from school to work etc. When we look for a house or an apartment or even a store or a business we think about the price, quality and community. However, there is something else that is very important to look at and that is the geographic location of the place. I lived on 97th Street on Holmes road by the Indian River. I was so glad to have such fabulous, friendly neighbors. I had gotten to know most of my neighbors, especially my next door neighbor. When I first met him I asked some questions about the area and if the river can affect our house; according to him it was a great area with great people as well and they have never had a bad experience with the nearby river. I was happy that I had found a good place to live in a perfect

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neighborhood. Recently, we have had a lot of rain in Kansas City during the last three months. We soon realized that the river water level was increasing. The last time we had a storm it was going for almost a whole day, starting since late that night. My two dogs woke me up at around 4 A.M. and I saw that our basement had flooded. I ran out to check the river and it was so high it almost hit my neighborâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s house; I thank God that we were all safe. I watched the news and saw that 103rd Street was flooded. There were more than seven stores that had to close due to the flooding. It was so hard to see those stores and services in the area having to close. According to the businesses owners it will take approximately about a year to repair all the damages caused by the floods.

Photo From Suliaman Aljurayyad

ISSUE 90 |

ISSUE 90 / FALL / 2017

SPORTS SECTION

FEATURE

REIGN TRAIN

TTHE CHANGE OF HEART

HAPPY DANCES & HAIL MARYS

PAGE 34

PAGE 37

PAGE 40

Contents

CAPTURING THE LIVES AND INTERESTS OF AVILA’S STUDENT ATHLETES

34 36 37 38 39 40 42

REIGN TRAIN WORLD SERIES PREDICTIONS AND PREVIEWS EAGLES EARN THEIR NATIONALS BID SOFTBALL’S HISTORIC SEASON THE CHANGE OF HEART AVILA UNIVERSITY CHANGES CONFERENCES THE RACE TO THE CUP SPORTING KC’S PLAYOFF RUN I’LL TRADE YOU HIM FOR HIM? NBA MAKES BIG MOVES HAPPY DANCES & HAIL MARYS THE 2017 NFL SEASON IS HERE DEAL OF A LIFETIME SPAIN SOCCER PLAYER MAKES NEW DEAL

ON THE COVER: Photo From Gracyn Reed LETTER FROM THE EDITOR

As fall approaches, we reflect on the phenomenal baseball season that occurred. The hometown team finds themselves in a sticky situation as they elected to keep their soon to be free agents and won’t find themselves in the playoffs. College football is well underway as well as the start of NFL football. The Kansas City Chiefs look to take the AFC west from familiar foes, Los Angeles Chargers and Oakland Raiders. The World Series is right around the corner, and with football season in full force, the Fall season is looking like a special time for sports fans in 2017. Ryan Meyer, Sports Editor ISSUE 90 |

REIGN TRAIN World Series predictions and previews Ryan Meyer The 2017 Major League Baseball season has been one for the ages. With two of the games prominent starts facing significant time on the disabled list, a new store arose in the Bronx. Aaron Judge took the league by storm with his powerful home runs and notable lastname. Down south in Miami, Giancarlo Stanton continued his power trek leading the league in home runs. The Cleveland Indians have achieved one of the longest win streaks in baseball, and the world series defending Chicago Cubs had trouble finding their identity coming off of a historic year. This season, the Los Angeles Dodgers and Cleveland Indians have had the two best overall runs. However, the Houston Astros, Washington Nationals, Chicago Cubs and Boston Red Sox have had notable 2017 campaigns. Pitching has been incredible yet again this year, and the playoffs look to add many former CY Young winners to the list. The playoffs will see the likes of Clayton Kershaw, Corey Kluber, Max Scherzer, Dallas Keuchel, David Price, Justin Verlander and Jake Arrieta. Usually, defense and pitching will win you championships and all of the playoff teams excel in both of those categories. Although last yearâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s World Series was an exception, with the game seven deciding game tallying a total of 15 runs, we should expect these playoffs to be low scoring. My 2017 world series prediction: Houston Astros defeat Washington Nationals in six games.

Photo From Gracyn Reed

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Photos From Gracyn Reed

Photo From Brianna Peralta

ISSUE 90 |

EAGLES EARN THEIR NATIONALS BID Softball’s historic season Jessica Albina

Playing a sport in college requires more than skill of the game. College athletes devote their time, energy, and spirit to their teammates and coaches. That dedication to the sport and teamwork is what lead the Avila Eagles Women’s Softball team to their record-breaking season last year. Saturday May 6th, at Bill McKinney Heritage Park in St. Joseph Missouri, the Eagles won three games in one day thus winning the 2017 Heart Softball Tournament Championship. The girls ended up playing Central Methodist first and defeated them by a large margin going into extra innings each game that day. Within the next week, the girls made

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historic plays earning them their NAIA Opening Round bid in Costa Mesa, California earning their first ever win, but ultimately lost to Oregon Tech in semi finals ending their season. Head Coach Samantha Honeycutt reassures that this past season’s success has enabled the team to set their goal even higher for the 20172018 season. After 115 victories the girls ended their season on a high note and returning players are looking forward to what this next year brings. The team has five returning seniors and has already begun team conditioning. Honeycutt was excited to announce that the girls are set to play a mini season in mid September.

Photo From Jessica Albina

THE CHANGE OF HEART Avila University changes conferences Michael Porter Graphic From Michael Porter

Former politician and presidential candidate once said, “Few will have the greatness to bend history itself; but each of us can work to change a small portion of events, and in the total; of all those acts will be written the history of this generation”. The whole goal behind Avila as a whole athletic program is pushing to the ability to not only compete but also put banners up inside Mabee Fieldhouse for traveling teams to look up in awe and know they are in store for a battle. Softball, Baseball, Women’s and Men’s Basketball, Cheer and Dance have had great success in the past few years with other sport’s like Women’s and Men’s Soccer pushing to start traditions of winning along with Football. As an entire staff, our Avila Athletic leaders

have decided to and have been accepted to switch into the Kansas Collegiate Athletic Conference from the Heart of American Athletic Conference. This marks a major turn point into the future for the programs that are held at Avila. With the Men’s Soccer Team going 3-0 so far in their 2017 campaign playing against all the KCAC teams they will eventually face in a year’s time in their non-conference schedule. There seems to be a “big deal” type of atmosphere going in with the excitement as a whole of what can ultimately be a decision that could affect Avila University not only for the short term but as a university, forever. Will the eagles soar? Now, all we can do is wait and see. ISSUE 90 |

THE RACE TO THE CUP Sporting KC’s playoff run Michael Porter Photo From MIchael Porter

It’s human nature to have a love for dramatics. Sporting KC is very familiar in dealing with the type of pressure that can give you a headache thinking about it. Penalty kick shootouts have provided us with some of the best memories and images within the history of soccer: either the joy of victory or the agony of defeat. These occasions create a pocket in that moment of time that is unmatched in any sport. It’s something about stepping up to that line, knowing there are two people between getting the ball in the net. One is the Goalkeeper for the opposing team; he is trying to become the hero and not a meme for the internet to eventually crucifix. The other is yourself. “Don’t miss high. Keep it on frame!” are just a couple of the thoughts that are going through your head as you step to the spot. Sporting KC, ranked 4th in the Western Conference within Major League Soccer, are now pushing for a playoff to try to capture their third MLS Cup. The playoffs will begin in another month, October 25-26, where the journey to raise the cup will become reality. First, Sporting KC will face The New York Red Bulls for the U.S Open Cup Final on September 20th. Their last three major championships have been decided by the penalty shootout—the 2012 US Open Cup, 2013 MLS Cup and 2015 Open Cup, after 1-1 draws. This might be a leading factor to what could ultimately take place, which is another amazing moment in the history of Sporting KC. With a win here, they will be able to use this momentum going into the MLS Cup playoffs to add to the recent success that Kansas City sports have been having. Bleed Blue and Believe!

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I’LL TRADE YOU HIM FOR HIM? NBA makes big moves

Corinne Boldridge Just a few weeks ago, on August 22nd, the Cleveland Cavaliers announced that they are trading star point guard Kyrie Irving to the Boston Celtics for players Isaiah Thomas, Jae Crowder, Ante Zizic and a 2018 first round draft pick. There has been much speculation as to where Kyrie Irving was going to end up, as he requested a trade earlier this offseason. Kyrie Irving has been along side superstar LeBron James for the past three seasons in Cleveland, and contributed to the Cavalier’s first NBA championship in 2016. Both the Cavaliers and the Celtics were expected to make big moves this offseason in hopes to make it back to the conference finals and ultimately to the finals and knock off the Golden State Warriors. This trade is especially interesting to me because not only are both teams in the Eastern Conference, but they are the top two teams in the conference. I’m excited to watch both teams compete with their new additions and see how each team gels now that they each have a different point guard leading their offense. It will be interesting too see both Irving and Thomas complete in their new uniforms, and bittersweet at the same time.

Photo From Sports Illustrated ISSUE 90 |

HAPPY DANCES & HAIL MARYS The 2017 NFL Season is here Zach Hoeflicker Week one of the 2017 NFL season is in the books. Just like the beginning of every year, fans across the nation spilled into stadiums to watch their favorite team play. Of course there were many changes to the game that fans were excited for. Teams made blockbuster trades, picked up new rookies, and are now allowed to celebrate touchdowns in a variety of ways. Many things outside of the game also impacted week one in the NFL. Here’s what you need to know. You will no longer see a player get penalized for celebrating. Some celebrations are still not allowed for instance acting like you have a weapon or something explicit. The good news though is that you won’t see a flag for a guy spinning a football on the grass. Those days are far gone, and many players made sure of that this week. There were basketball jump shots, milly rocks, and even a punt into the stands. Finally these athletes are allowed to show their personality through how they celebrate. No more potential flags for too many hugs to your teammates. As much as they probably would like to, Roger Goodell and the upper management of the NFL have no control over the weather. They can sit and have hopeful thoughts, but mother nature will

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take its path. Unfortunately, over the past two to three weeks, the southern United States has been swamped with hurricanes. People across a variety of states have been affected from the strong winds and persistent flooding. Just like many other businesses impacted, the NFL teams located in these areas had

“...YOU WON’T SEE A FLAG FOR A GUY SPINNING A FOOTBALL ON THE GRASS...” to deal with the storms as well. Many fans and players found themselves leaving the area and evacuating north to safer places. With the severity of the potential damage that could be coming, the NFL decided to cancel the games and reschedule down the road. The devastation from the storms are not over and still could impact future games on the schedule. While the weather in Kansas City was

While the weather in Kansas City was normal, the Kansas City Chiefs were not. The red, white, and gold headed up to New England to take on the reigning Super Bowl champs. To beat the Patriots lead by veteran quarterback Tom Brady may seem like a hail mary, but that didnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t slow down the Chiefs. Spectacular performances from a variety of players led to a Kansas City victory. Alex Smith went off throwing for 368 yards and four touchdowns. As if that wasnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t good enough, the rookie running back for the Chiefs, Kareem Hunt, collected a total 246 yards of total offense and set a record for most by an NFL rookie. He also had three touchdowns as well to top it off. The Chiefs looked great all around. The only down side of the win was that Eric Berry, veteran and Pro Bowl safety, went out with an injury that later determined his season would come to an end. This will be a big blow for the Chiefs moving forward but hopefully they can keep the momentum and find the playoffs.

Photos From Jacob Pond ISSUE 90 |

DEAL OF A LIFETIME

Spain soccer player makes new deal Sulaiman Aljurayyad One of the most popular sports in Spain is soccer. They are known for having the largest and most powerful teams in the world. Sports fans always have an affect on their teams’ performance. For instance, when a team has a match, they have hundreds of thousands of fans that come to motivate them, both physically and emotionally. In addition, the team’s players should respect the love and support they get from their fans. Famous team players can have a strong influence on their fans, which could have both positive and negative effects. Neymar, Spain Club player, being a forward player is a topic that every Barcelona sport fan discusses. On August 4, 2017 Neymar shocked millions of his worldwide fans. During the time his fans were all waiting for the new contract extension Neymar made the biggest

deal in soccer history of 222 million EUR. However, the deal did not renew his contract, which was the good news his Barcelona fans wanted. It was a new contract that joined him to PSG Paris Saint-germane, a French sports club. Neymar left his team right after SportPro named him the most marketable athlete in the world. His fans were very disappointed due to his unacceptable act of transferring to PSG Club. Barcelona Club has prosecuted the former team player after releasing statements about FC Club saying that “No one deserves to be there and they aren’t capable of managing the team”. Spain Club asked Neymar to pay 8.5 Million EUR that he had received from the club as a reward for signing the last contract with them.

Photo From Sulaiman Aljurayyad | ISSUE 90

“you’ll turn out ordinary if you’re not careful.” ANN BRASHARES | ISSUE 90