Let's Get Serious by Talon

TALON

ISSUE 102 / FALL / 2019

LET’S GET SERIOUS

SCHOOL FIGHTS BACK AGAINST JUUL PAGE 6

LET’S GET SPOOKY PAGE 16

A LEAGUE AGAINST DRUGS PAGE 20

Photo of Je’Kel Smith and Miss Stacy by Marlon Jones

INSIDE FEATURE

LIFESTYLE

P 6 SCHOOL FIGHTS BACK AGAINST JUUL| P 8 MARIO KART MOBILE| P 9 BROKEN DOWN BOYS| P 10 IMPEACHMENT IS COMING

P 14 SPIDERMAN IS BACK | P 15 REST UP, MAC| P 16 LET’S GET SPOOKY| P 18 “WHY DON’T WE GO OUT FOR A PUFF?”| P 20 A LEAGUE AGAINST DRUGS

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CONTRIBUTORS EDITOR IN-CHIEF SAVANNAH PARRIS MANAGING EDITOR HESHAM ALBADR COPYING EDITOR BRELANDE EDMOND SOCIAL MEDIA EDITOR SARAI JORGENSON

MEGAN DUFFY BLAKE LODDE DALLAS MOSLEY DAVANTE FRAZIER ISABELLA BRAUNER SAVANNAH PARRIS SARAI JORGENSON

SPORTS EDITOR JOSH DYSON DESIGN EDITOR EMME MOOREHOUSE

INSTRUCTOR CODY TAPP

PHOTOGRAPHER MARLON JONES

ADVISOR DR. J ANTHONY SNORGRASS

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ON THE COVER & BACK: Emme Moorehouse ISSUE 102 |

FROM THE EDITOR Spooky season is upon us, even though the weather still screams summer time. Halloween is right around the corner and I don’t know about you, but I am excited! Couldn’t be more proud of the students participating in the issues each month. Don’t forget to check out our past issues as well! Now, let’s get serious. Always, Savannah Parris Editor-in-Chief

Halloween is here, so let’s get serious!! What’s better than Fall weather and everyone around you dressed up and acting crazy? Meanwhile, go enjoy our awesome students stories. Sincerely, Hesham Albadr, Managing Editor

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.

ISSUE 102 |

SCHOOLS FIGHT BACK AGAINST JUUL Olathe School Districts suing Juul Manufacturer Blake Lodde

On September 27, the Olathe School District announced that they would be suing Electronic Cigarette manufacturer Juul. Juul has been one of the most popular brands in the vaping industry. The company was created to be an alternative to cigarettes for adult smokers. Since their launch there has been a rise in teenage vaping and Juul has been the biggest name linked to it. In a 2017 survey done by Truth Initiative they found that, “11.7 percent of high school students and 3.3 percent of middle school students used e-cigarettes in the last 30 days, compared with 1.5 percent of high school and 0.6 percent of middle school students who reported current use in 2011.” With spikes like these parents and now school districts have been worried about the future of their children. Olathe like many other school districts across the country are moving forward in their lawsuits towards Juul. These districts believe Juul is targeting a younger audience with their variety of different flavors and misleading advertisements. In many of the advertisements, it is led to believe that Juul is a safe alternative but doesn’t make it known of the many repercussions. Smoking e-cigs can be very harmful for adolescents. Nicotine can cause slower development of the brain and can harm the parts of the brain

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that control attention, learning, mood, and impulse control. E-cigs can also lead to a further addiction to cigarettes, and other harmful tobacco products. What really has many parents and adults worried is that as of late there have been multiple cases of teens and young adults being admitted into hospitals for vaping related illnesses. With all the new studies and side effects developing, having school districts like Olathe, is taking the first step in creating a better world and future for the kids that they so proudly work with every day.

Photo by Hesham Albadr ISSUE 102 |

MARIO KART MOBILE Is It Everything We Expected? Savannah Parris

The time has finally come where Mario Kart is a mobile app. The features of the app were talked about before the release date like playing with friends, several different courses, etc. When the game was finally released people immediately responded negatively. There were complaints about it taking forever to download, and when opening the app, taking forever to load the game. Everyone was so excited to be able to play with their friends but when they tried a notification popped up saying it wasn’t a feature yet and will be in a future update. The amount of time it took to make the app, it should’ve already been a feature. The way you maneuver and drive your cart is nothing like on other gaming devices. Us as

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users have so many other devices to compare it to that, it’s obvious we will favor one over another. But, It is as if the app was rushed. Just like all fads, this one will die out too. What are your thoughts on the app? Was it all it was hyped up to be?

Broken down Drew Brees Makes Progress After Surgery Davante Frazier

In the most recent update on Saints starting QB, Drew Brees, he is showing promising progression with his rehab following his recent thumb surgery. Brees suffered his thumb injury in a highly week 2 NFC championship rematch against the Los Angeles Rams. Doctors ruled Brees out for 6-8 weeks, but the future hall of famer strongly believes that he can return as soon as 5 weeks. He posted a video on Instagram throwing an official sized NFL football. Brees says that he can beat the doctors 6-8 week ruling but he is going to take it one week at a time. He is currently participating in practices but is still limited to no throwing. If Brees does manage to make it back in 5 weeks, it will be in time for the Oct. 27th home against the Arizona cardinals.

PhotoS via Drew Brees Instagram account

ISSUE 102 |

Impeachment is Coming The Impeachment Process Against Trump has Begun Megan Duffy It has been in talks pretty much ever since he stepped foot into the white house, and now the United States government is in the process of impeachment proceedings. Nancy Pelosi announced on September 24th, that the Democrats are going to begin impeachment proceedings on Trump following the Ukraine whistleblower incident. USA Today recently published a poll in which 45% of Americans were in favor of impeaching Donald Trump while 38% were against it. The formal impeachment inquiry can occur before proceedings start, if the House of Representatives have a majority vote in favor of impeachment. With Democrats outweighing Republicans in the House 235-198, Trump could be out sooner than anyone thinks. According to the Washington Post, “President Trump said that Democrats ‘unfortunately have the votes’ to impeach him in the House, but her predicted he would ‘win’ in a trial in the Republican-led Senate.”Trump has made many questionable decisions since being voted into office, but the Ukraine incident seems to be the straw that broke the camels back when it comes to actually starting the process of impeachment proceedings. With

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Trumps predictions about the Democrats having the votes, that means that he is likely to be kicked out of office, but if his confidence about winning the trial becomes a reality then he will not face criminal charges. Democrats have already requested multiple documents related to the Ukraine scandal to try and get moving in these proceedings. Will Trump be impeached? Will he face charges for the Ukraine scandal? All we can do is sit and wait.

Photo by Megan Duffy

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ISSUE 101 / FALL / 2019 ISSUE 102 / FALL / 2019

LifestyLe section

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Contents

INTERACT WITH US ON OUR SOCIAL MEDIA ACCOUNTS!

14 15 16 18 20

SPIDERMAN IS BACK REST UP, MAC LET’S GET SPOOKY “WHY DON’T WE GO OUT FOR A PUFF?” A LEAGUE AGAINST DRUGS

PHOTO ON THE COVER: Devin Senerius carrying his youngest fan Rexton Berry by Marlon Jones LETTER FROM THE EDITOR

I’ll be the one to post your stories on our social media accounts so be sure to check out @talon_magazine on instagram and @talonnews_avila on twitter! Sarai Jorgenson, Social Media Editor ISSUE 102 |

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SPIDERMAN IS BACK Readded To The MCU Dallas Mosley Spider-man homecoming was a box office smash. It got over a billion dollars in the box office, as well as great reviews from the critics. They said that the cliffhanger that had ended up setting up perfectly for the next movie. Then next thing that we heard of was that Sony and Disney were negotiating on a new deal with Spider-man. The deal was not looking good at the time and it looked like the MCU (Marvel Cinematic Universe) was going to have to lose the right to use Spider-man in all their upcoming movies. Then a few weeks later the companies found common ground. Where they ended up making a deal where both companies can use him ain there own spidey-vires. “I am thrilled that Spidey’s journey in the MCU will continue, and I and all of us at Marvel Studios are very excited that we get to keep working on it,” said Marvel Studios President Kevin Feige, according to The Hollywood Reporter”. With all this, the MCU also released the next release date of July 16th, 2021.

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Photo from Marvel.com

rest up, mac justice for mac miller Dallas Mosley Mac Miller (whose real name was Malcolm James Myers McCormick) died last year and they have found who they believe sold him the drugs that ended up killing him. Three men have been accused of conspiring and distributing the drugs that killed Mac Miller. They say that Mac Miller died from a mix of the powerful opioid fentanyl, along with cocaine and alcohol. Cameron Pettit, Stephen Walter, and Ryan Reavis were brought in under other drug charges. Pettit on September 5, 2018, sold Miller cocaine, Xanax and 10 blue pills that appeared to be oxycodone but was actually laced with fentanyl. The two were texting back and forth where Mac Miller was asking for “percs” Oxycodone, “bars” Xnaxa, and a “ball” cocaine. Then Mac Miller asks him “when can you get’em”. The men are now facing felony charges for 20 years in federal prison and now they may get a life sentence with no chance of parole if they are found guilty of selling the drugs to mack miller they will get the life sentence with no parole.

Photo from Vladtv.com

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LET’S GET SPOOKY History of Halloween Sarai Jorgenson Halloween is the spookiest time of the year, and in my opinion, the best time of the year. However, we’re not talking about me, though, we’re talking about how this holiday came to be and why it’s so popular. Halloween originated from the ancient Celtic Pagan festival, Samhain,where people would have bonfires and wear costumes to scare away ghosts. This festival was celebrated on October 31st because November 1st was considered the last day of summer and the beginning of the cold, dark, and scary season associated with death. The night of October 31st going into November 1st was a night where the line betweenlife and death was viewed as crossable; those who were dead (ghosts) could cross over into the living world, hence why people wore costumes to scare them away. Romans then took the idea from the Celts and made the game we know today of ‘bobbing for apples.’ Then the Pope made All Saints’ Day where it was similar to the Samhain festival of costumes and bonfires and also made an All Souls’ Day on November 2nd to honor the dead. The holiday then traveled to America where it was celebrated in Maryland and the southern colonies, and a little bit in the New England colonies. People would tell ghost stories, there would be a festival where people had fun singing and dancing. Trick-or-treating soon came where we know it as dressing up and going door-to-door and asking for candy, while back then it was more food than candy, and money was also asked for.

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After many, many years, Halloween shifted from spooky, superstitious, and religious, to more spooky but PG, so that the children could also enjoy it more, and be a family activity. Halloween then becomes what we see it as today as scary with the horror Halloween movies that always come out, but also fun with the parties and hanging out with friends and having a great time enjoying the spooky season.

Photo by Sarai Jorgenson ISSUE 102 |

“Why Don’t We Go Out For A Puff?” Juul’s CEO Steps Down Isabella Brauner The increasing popularity of E-cigarettes has increased in the recent years especially among younger high schoolers and even middle schoolers. The number of them vaping has increased by 78% in the last year alone. There came a great disillusionment that vaping did not have the health risks of regular smoking. In the beginning some companies did not even display the ingredient of nicotine in their vape juice. Also there was the attraction to all the different flavors. Now you did not have to stink up your car with the smell of cigarette smoke that may be controversial to some of your friends, but instead make your car smell like watermelon or apple pie while still enjoying your guilty pleasure. The lungs were designed to breathe in fresh air so by forcing something into your lungs that is not suppose to be there is damaging in every respect. The vaping juices may not contain as many toxic chemicals or tar that can be found in some tobacco products, but that does not mean that the juice does not contain any chemicals that should not be inhaled into the human lungs. Some of those harmful substances are diacetyl (which is linked to serious lung disease), metals such as nickel, tin and lead, and many other harmful ingredients. One of the leading brands of this E-cigarette craze is Juul. However, because of the backlash of the parents of addictive teens, health experts, and even the users themselves Juul CEO Kevin Burns stepped down from his position. Also the Olathe School District (backed up by angry parents and users) is planning on suing Juul because

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Photo by Savannah Parris

of the disruption vaping has caused in schools. Things are not looking up for the biggest producer and seller of E-cigarettes, or the future of other vape producing companies in general. With nine deaths and hundreds of linked diseases under their water vapor belts, lawsuits continue to file up. More and more research is coming out everyday looking into the health defects linked to E-cigarettes. Some cities have already banned the retail of vaping products. The E-cigarette world has made a lot of people upset and those people are not about to be silenced no matter the set backs they have to experience in banning vaping.

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A League Against Drugs NFL And The Battle Against Marijuana Blake Lodde For years the NFL and its players have battled back and forth on the use of Marijuana. Many players have come out post playing days, admitting that they used the drug during their playing career to cope with the pain that comes with the game. One of the most recent and biggest names to come out about the topic is Percy Harvin. Harvin recently came out and discussed how he used marijuana before every game to cope with his anxiety he dealt with that came with game. Many players claim that they believe that marijuana is a safer and healthier substitute to the prescription drugs that are given to them to help relieve the pain that comes with the sport. There have been instances where players became addicted to painkillers, feeling like they couldn’t play to their top form without them. In an interview with The Washington Post, nine-year NFL vet Eugene Monroe claimed why he chose to smoke weed over taking pain killers. “I have to manage it somehow. Managing it with pills was slowly killing me. Now I’m able to function and be extremely efficient by figuring out how to use different formulations of cannabis.” Many painkillers can become dangerous if being taken advantage of. There are many side effects

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including depression, drowsiness, weakened immune system and more. Unlike painkillers, marijuana has no harmful or dangerous side effects. With all the injuries, aches and pains, NFL players are always going to be looking for a way to ease the pain. With more players coming out and making their voices heard on the topic, some are wondering how much longer the NFL can continue to fight the facts and take marijuana off the banned substance list.

Photo by bxxxty on pexels.com

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“It’s Halloween, everyone’s entitled to one good scare.” – Brackett, Halloween (1978)