The Dallavis Family By: Dixie Robinson

At Avila University, there's a building that's offset from the rest of campus. In fact, it's technically the basement of a dorm building that isn't even noticeable unless you happen to stumble upon it one day on accident. The name of this somewhat hidden building is Dallavis. To most students at Avila, they will only have the pleasure of attending one, and sometimes two classes in this building within their college career. To Communication and Design majors however, Dallavis is home.

The Dallavis Building

The personality dynamics in Dallavis are unique when compared to other focusses for many reasons. Not only are the students there creative, but they also have colorful personalities that invite people in. There is not one day that someone could visit Dallavis and not witness the constant creativity that happens. Art work and projects are featured all throughout the building, and it’s the home of Thornhill Gallery that occasionally hosts art exhibits. Being inside Dallavis, one can feel the great rapport between students and teachers that makes it exciting to be involved in such a major. It is these relationships that makes Dallavis such a special place.

Students hanging out in the lobby of Dallavis

Abby Trapp, Abdullah Alshaddi, and Omar Alnasser are all Communication majors, so they spend plenty of time within Dallavis walls. While interviewing them, it was clear that they all seemed to have the same opinions about the building and what it has to offer. Abdullah had this to say when asked about Dallavis, “I feel welcomed. I feel like that is my place that I fit into. The people there are refreshing, smiling, always will reach out to talk to you because that’s what we do in Advertising and Public Relations.” Omar Alnasser also had this to say, “Whenever I enter there [Dallavis], everyone is smiling and even if I am by myself sitting in the rest area, some of them are just going to come up and talk to you.” Lastly, Abby had this to say, “I love Dallavis because when you walk in, it’s like, visually exciting too to walk in and the lobby’s really comfortable.”

Students waiting for their class in Dallavis

As one can see, Dallavis seems like a wonderful place to be. Outsiders who visit the building seem to clearly observe the relationships people have with others, as well as strangers who come. Even the students who are there on a day-to-day basis can’t help but say great things about the building. Dallavis students are different because they’re not just surrounded by classmates, but a family.

Students hanging out in the lobby of Dallavis

For more on Dallavis, follow: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vfv97YFozYs

Avila Lady Eagles Vs. Central Methodist

The program handed out at the game



  



On April 7, 2015, one of the biggest games of the spring season happened on Avila University’s Zarda Athletic Complex: Avila Lady Eagles vs. Central Methodist. Although Central Methodist is not their rival according to Kaley Harkrader, a Nursing major at Avila and the Catcher of the team, they still have been the first seed for quite a while and the Lady Eagles were hoping to change that. Now comes the big question: Were they successful in their goal?

The Lady Eagles started out strong against Central Methodist, not allowing any points in the first two innings. The bottom of the second ended with both teams tied, 0-0. The third inning is when everything started changing. During the top of the third, Central Methodist scored their first four runs. When it got to be Avila’s turn, they couldn’t come back the same way and scored no runs. It wasn’t until the bottom of the fifth that the Lady Eagles scored a single run against Central Methodist, making the score 1-7. This would also be the score that finishes the game. The Lady Eagles ended up losing the second game to Central Methodist as well with the final score being 0-9. Have no fear for the Lady Eagles however, because although they lost both games against Central Methodist, their overall record so far this season is 21-7-1, according to Avila University’s softball website. The eagles still have a few games left in the season, along with the HAAC Conference Tournament.

Since the win against Central Methodist was so sought after, it’s expected that the players may have been mourning their losses. Players Kaycee Dexter (Shortstop), Kaley Harkrader (Catcher), and Brianna Peralta (1^st Base), all had things to say about the losses. Kaycee Dexter states, “I just think they had a really good offense and they got on us early, and then we made errors which didn’t help. We could have done better I think…I think we have a chance to actually beat them in the tournament if we do good.” Kaley Harkrader had this to say when asked about her thoughts on the game, “I think that we could have played better. I think we got intimidated by the team because they were good, and they’ve been the number one seed for a few years now.” Lastly, Brianna Peralta who just recently got medically released to play again had this to say, “It was really hard, like it was a really tough loss for everyone and it was really because we had been working so hard and like this was supposed to be a super fun day and it just turned bad really fast.”



Kaley Harkrader doing her job as a catcher 

The Lady Eagles have had a strong season so far as shown by their record, and these two losses are only bumps in the road to where they’re heading. As stated earlier, the season still has a few games left along with a tournament, and maybe Kaycee was right; they may end up taking Central Methodist in the tournament. Only time will tell, but either way, they are showing they are a solid team at Avila University.

Lady Eagle's team huddle

For footage of the game, follow: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1GgdV2frdpE 

The Un-Mentioned Superhero By: Dixie Robinson

At Avila University, there is a building named Dallavis that houses the Communication and Art Majors, but what many people don't know is that it's also the home of five superheroes that lurk throughout the classrooms. They are known as the Communicators, each possessing unique talents that help their students thrive not only in college, but also when they enter the real world where evil comes around every corner. However, amongst all of these superheroes, there's one that's missing. This superhero is one that works behind the scenes, but is arguably the most important one yet: The Mighty, Mighty Multitasker!

Her civilian name is Janine Urness and her official title is the Office Manager of Dallavis, but she is much more than that. As she states, "My focus is actually to make the department run smoothly, whatever that entails. It entails everything actually." Many would assume that her job just has to deal with paperwork and budgets because one can always find her in her office, but she makes it clear that that's not even half of it. To put it simply, she does whatever is needed in Dallavis whether it be IT problems, student affairs, advising, paperwork, or even just being a friendly face to say, "Hi," to every day. Being pulled in so many directions at all points of the day seems as though it would be tiring or stressful, but just as a true superhero she states, "It's easy. I mean, you know, because things come up at the last minute all the time and I just get up and I'll do it, unless I'm in the middle of something I absolutely have to have done right now. Generally I'm usually on top of everything, so I'm not running behind."

 Janine Urness

With all she does for Dallavis, one would assume that everyone would recognize and know her, but that's not the case. In fact, many students didn't even know her name when asked about past experiences they may have had with her. Bear in mind that even Batman and Spiderman aren’t seen too closely in order to keep the mystery as to who they really are. Don't be discouraged though, because there are loyal, Janine-loving students who have only the best things to say about her. Four students from Dallavis were interviewed with one general statement: “Tell me about Janine,” and all four had only positive things to say about her. The main things mentioned were her kindness and willingness to help. It doesn’t just stop at the students either. Dr. Joseph Snorgrass, another superhero who roams the Dallavis halls, doesn’t even hesitate to ask Janine for IT help during his classes when he can’t find the solution.

The entrance to Janine's office

Janine didn’t just become the superhero that she is today, overnight however. In fact, she originally started out in nursing, and left because it was too high of a stress job. This is ironic because one would think that being in such high demand to those in Dallavis would be very stressful, but according to Janine it’s not stressful at all even though she acknowledges that to some people it would be. She also has been working as the Office Manager at Avila University for 11 years, so she definitely has had years of practice with handling Dallavis’ needs. Her favorite part of this job though is, “interacting with the students,” and that makes all of the matters that come her way worth it.

The key to really understanding a superhero is realizing that they’re just like normal humans too. Although she no longer has animals, she used to have two dogs that both passed away. Also like average humans, there are small things about her job that annoy her as well such as people running to her for help before trying to fix the problems themselves. Lastly, her music choice includes variety artists including Bon Jovi, Taylor Swift, and Adele. She pretty much stays on Pandora, and people who have been in Dallavis can hear this first-hand.

One of the rare times shs'e not in

 

Her art work says a lot about her

More artwork!

Unfortunately, as with all superheroes, there must come an end to their salvation. When asked about this, Janine had many things to say, the first of her plans being, “To not work here [Avila] anymore,” as she chuckled honestly. Her future goals and plans don’t all include work or the lack of work though. She also wishes to get her son through medical school, travel (primarily the Caribbean), and just enjoy her life without working, whatever that may be at the time. Until that time comes however, students and teachers at Avila University are lucky to have such a vital superhero in their midst to help solve their problems regardless of what they are. Janine Urness is a superhero by all definitions of the word because she not only handles the business aspects of Dallavis, but also the social and technical aspects of Dallavis. Janine is by all counts, The Mighty, Mighty Multitasker!

Janine and myself

For more about Janine, follow:  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VL47n2JLykE

Does Race Matter in Relationships?

Race is a subject that is highly talked about, highly avoided, and highly important. People say that race doesn't matter, but I disagree. Race is everything. It's the platform for which everything in our society is known. It's the reason why we see still wage gaps and unevenness in positions of power. At its core, race is nothing but skin pigment, however it is because of this skin pigment that our country has faced centuries of oppression and turmoil. Race is a topic that can be discussed many ways and countless times, but being that I am a college student and I tend to surround myself with people of my age, I wanted to focus on the issue of interracial relationships. Not only am I curious about how my generation views interracial relationships, but also how their views differ or compare to their parents' views on interracial relationships.

Me, Asian

 

Me, African American

 



Before I begin, I want to give a brief history of my experience with race. I grew up with a liberal family on my mom's side, and a traditional, southern family on my dad's side. This makes for an interesting dynamic because my mom always taught me acceptance of all people, while my dad was, and still is racially prejudiced. Even though I've been aware of my dad's prejudices, I always had the mindset that race didn't matter. This caused issues when I started dating. Not only did my dad have strong racial prejudices, but he especially didn't want his daughter to date outside of her race. Being the open-minded person that I am, I dated a few African American guys, even knowing that my dad had his issues. I know this really bothered him, but to me, race wasn't an issue. Fast forwarding to today my dad still has his racial prejudices, and I think he always will. One day however, I was talking to him on the phone about my opinion that he has "modernized" in certain ways within the last few years. He replied by saying, "I realized after the first few guys that you brought home that I was either going to have to accept it, or lose my daughter. Losing you wasn't an option, so I adjusted." It's not necessarily the response I would have hoped for, but I realized at that moment that we are from different generations, and although he has become more accepting, other people may have the same situation as myself with the generation gap between them and their parents.



Me, Hispanic

 

Me, Indian

 

With this in mind, I set out to figure out what students at Avila University, along with their parents think about interracial dating. I knew that asking specific people about their experiences might be too personal because race is still a touchy subject in some ways. Instead, I created a three-question poll where each person could respond to the questions with a yes or no answer. Their identity wasn't disclosed, and I just represented each person's response with a tally mark. I also tried to get a diverse group of people to get the most accurate findings. I surveyed 18 people. The first question was simply, "Are your parents accepting of interracial relationships?" The second question was, "Are you accepting of interracial relationships?" The last question was, "Do you think that our generation is more accepting of interracial relationships than our parents?" My results found that 11 out of 18 people think their parents are accepting of interracial relationships, 17 out of 18 people are accepting of interracial relationships, and 16 out of 18 people think that our generation is more accepting of interracial relationships than their parents. My findings weren't what I was expecting, but they still show there are differences between our generation and our parents.

Me, Middle Eastern



I would love to believe that race doesn't matter in the eyes of Americans today, because I think society would be much better off if we would stop looking at our differences and embrace our similarities. The only thing I can feel confident about is that my generation is becoming more open-minded and willing to create change than our parents. Whether it's an issue of interracial dating, wage disparities, or positions of power, racism is racism. It is not until we change our history that we will be able to change our future.



Is It Ever Ok to Cheat? By: Dixie Robinson

Cheating is something that we have all learned about since 3rd grade, if not earlier. We have always been told not to cheat, so why people do befuddles me. The first reason I think cheating is wrong is because people don't think about the fact that it affects the person you're cheating off of. Cheating off someone else can affect the other person to the point of them getting wrongfully penalized for having the same work as the cheater. This hurts me because I always fear someone will cheat off of my work, and once the teacher finds that we have the same work, I will be accused of cheating when I didn't do anything. Another reason I think cheating is wrong is because if the cheater doesn't get caught (which they normally do), then they will be falsely rewarded, and could possibly be put into a situation they aren't prepared for. For example, if someone cheats all throughout vet school and one day becomes a vet, do you think they will be able to operate on animals? An even better question; would you want someone like that to operate on your animal? Me neither. Cheating is always wrong. It shows a lack of character and integrity, which is why it's punishable if caught. Cheating may help you during the race, but you'll never truly win so you might as well do it right the first time.

The Oscars: A Night of Awareness

A couple of weeks ago, the Grammys made it apparent that certain things needed to be brought to attention that are going on in our society. They talked about things such as artistic freedom and domestic violence. It seemed as though the Grammys were changing from the controversial event that they normally are, to a more serious and positive channel to bring information to light for viewers everywhere. Fast forward to Sunday, February 22, 2015 at the most prestigious event of the year: The Oscars. It is not abnormal for the Oscars to be serious and elite, however it seemed as though they also had many issues brought to the forefront but in a different way. The Grammys took out specific slots within the show to talk about domestic violence and artistic freedom. The Oscars didn't have anything organized in the same way. Instead, many people took time out from their acceptance speeches to get the word out about issues that they find important that are also relevant to society today.

A few of the acceptance speeches that stood out included Graham Moore, J.K Simmons, Common and John Legend, and Patricia Arquette just to name a few. Graham Moore dedicated his speech to teenagers at home struggling with thoughts about suicide because he himself struggled with suicide. J.K Simmons made the point that everyone should take time out of their days to call their parents. Common and John Legend talked about acceptance of all people and continuing Martin Luther King Jr.'s mission. Lastly, Patricia Arquette who is one of the most talked about speech givers talked about the importance of wage equality and gender equality. All of these powerful celebrities found it important to talk about issues in our society that they feel we need to take recognition and action for.

Graham Moore

Courtesy of: Kevin Winter/Getty Images

 

J.K Simmons

Courtesy of: Jonathon Dornbush/Entertainment Weekly

 

Common and John Legend

Courtesy of: NBC News

 

This brought to question peoples' reactions to all of these announcements being brought to their attention. Plenty of online websites are talking about the positive reviews. Even in the middle of the Oscars while Patricia Arquette was giving her speech, Maryl Streep and Jennifer Lopez went crazy with excitement and support in the audience. I took to Avila University's students to get their reactions.

Patricia Arquette

Courtesy of: Robyn Beck/AFP/Getty Images



The first interview was with Brittany Gooden, an Advertising and Public Relations major. When asked what her opinion was about celebrities taking time out of their acceptance speeches to talk about societal issues, she had this to say: "I think it's a good opportunity to talk about something because you have peoples' attention. You know, if you want to make a speech about something then that's a good time to do that and just speak about something you care about."

The next interview was with Karis Pruitt, a Psychology major. She had this to say: "I think it's a good influence because America is very heavily influenced by people who are in the media, people who are on TV, people who promote music, and people who put out hits and things like...it's cool that they get up there and they talk about things that actually affect our country and people who are in it then more people will listen to it..."

It seems as though people are pleased and excited about this trend of people using their acceptance speeches as an outlet for important issues rather than just thanking people. These are important celebrities that have the power to influence others to either believe certain things or take action. Some celebrities only get the chance to do that once, so it makes sense that they would want to make it count.

My Thoughts about the Oscars



What I'd Buy with a $50 Itunes Gift Card

1. Rumours-Fleetwood Mac: $7.99
2. The Very Best of Sheryl Crow-Sheryl Crow: $11.99
3. The Essential Aerosmith-Aerosmith: $14.99
4. Rhiannon-Fleetwood Mac: $1.29
5. Take Care (Deluxe Version): $7.99
6. Smells Like Teen Spirit- Nirvana: $1.29
7. Come As You Are- Nirvana: $.69
8. Lithium-Nirvana: $1.29
9. Blurry-Puddle of Mudd: $.69
10. Tuesdays Gone-Lynard Skynard: $1.29

Grand Total: $49.50

My Top 5 Presidents By: Dixie Robinson

1. Barack Obama: He is my favorite president for many different reasons, the first being that he is a democrat. I am one of those voters who will vote for someone just based on the fact that they're a democrat. He didn't just stop there though. He is very personable and has a great sense of humor. He also cares about universal healthcare and the big picture meaning that something has to be done to help the impoverished people. He has set forth many acts to help bring people out of this long-term recession, and overall I think he's just the perfect president.

2. John F. Kennedy: Not only does JFK's assassination interest me, but I think he was another strong democrat to serve as president even though his presidency was short lived. He believed in peace not only within our country but between all countries. He also believed in equal rights which is the main reason I picked him as my second favorite.

3. Bill Clinton: Although Bill Clinton was impeached for his personal issues, I still think he was a good, democratic president. Economic numbers were some of the best during his presidency, and his first lady helped make educational gains. He also believed in equal rights and made affirmative action.

4. Franklin D. Roosevelt: FDR became president at a really difficult time in American history: The Great Depression. He made many strides to help get America out of the Great Depression in a series of ideas known as The New Deal. Just the fact that he was willing to try to help this great catastrophe and did a trial an error system is honorable.

5. Abraham Lincoln: I'm sure many people put Abraham Lincoln higher on their list because he freed the slaves and all, and I get that. That's why he's on my list. My only problem, and why he's last on my list is because he only freed the slaves out of desperation to keep the north and south together. It seems a little less genuine than I would like to believe. However, I'm not taking away the fact that he did free the slaves, and that's all that really matters.

Recording Police Brutality: What are your Rights?

When many people think of cops, they think of noble people fighting for justice in our streets: The good guys. In recent years however, words such as verbal abuse, excessive force, and even death have been associated with these people who have previously been looked to as heroes. Cases such as Trayvon Martin and more recently, Michael Brown of Ferguson, Missouri are just two of the many that have hit the news stands highlighting police brutality. One of the  major issues with the two cases mentioned before was the issue of hearsay evidence. Hearsay evidence is when there is no indisputable proof of a situation, so the only thing left is to go off of what people say happened. Many are saying, "If only someone would have been recording."

With all of the technology that Americans have access to today, it seems impossible that there would ever be a situation that one needed to record, and didn't. Sometimes people do record incidents that happen, but don't turn it in to authorities because they aren't aware that they are afforded the right to record police at all times. Cable News Network's (CNN), Will Ripley made a video addressing this very issue in today's society. He shows many different instances where police were caught on camera using excessive and sometimes deadly force on victims. He also showed footage of cops telling people to put their recording devices away so their actions won't be caught on camera. Lastly, Mr. Ripley makes the point that it is the right of all citizens to be able to record police in action as long as they're not interfering in any way.

Whether or not it is right to record police doing their job is debatable. What's not debatable is that all people are afforded the right to record police officers if they feel inclined to do so. This is important for college students to know because they are at an age where they not only need to know all of their rights, but they are more likely to have run-ins with police because of issues such as drinking and speeding. If all college students knew they have a legal right to record police when they have an issue, then maybe they won't end up in situations like Trayvon Martin, Michael Brown, and countless others. In the case that they do then they have indisputable proof of what happened in order to get justice for themselves.

NBA All-Snore Game By: Dixie Robinson

Shot of the Final Score of the NBA All-Star Game

Every year it happens: The NBA All-Star game. The best basketball players from every team gather together for one game to settle the score. This is not uncommon in sports because football and baseball both have a similar game annually as well. This year, the two teams were divided by their geographic location: East and West, with only a few exceptions. One would think that this would be the all time dream for fans everywhere; seeing all their favorite basketball players having a good time playing basketball in the same place. Who wouldn't want that? 

I'll tell you who: College Students. I took a poll of a classroom of students at Avila University to see how many actually watched the All-Star game. The classroom consisted of 12 people, the majority being communication majors including Sports Communication and Sports Promotion. I figured that if anyone had watched the game, it would have been them. To my surprise, 0 out of the 12 had watched the game. I then asked them, "How many of you even care about the NBA All-Star game?" The response was once again unanimous with 0 out of 12 people. 

The Class of Students Polled

For events such as the Superbowl, you hear talk for weeks about who people are cheering for and their extra plans that go along with it. Why is the NBA All-Star game not the same way? Obviously many people watch it because of the many advertisers who pay big bucks to get their advertisements into one or more slots, but why not college students? I'm sure some of it has to do with the fact that college students want something that's going to be interesting to watch, and let's be honest, it's hard to watch a basketball game when you don't have a stake in the race. One could also speculate that as college students, it's more interesting to watch college basketball than professional. When you're a college student, you feel as though the college athletes are your friends because you're on the same level. One may not be able to find the real reason, however, but as far as Avila students are concerned, the All-Star game was a bust.

 

As for me, the All-Star game put me to sleep.

 



Does Activism and the Grammys Go Together?

Every year the greatest musicians form around the world gather for one night in the hopes to be honored for their talent: The Grammys. Along with the elite awards including Best New Artist, Album of the Year, and Song of the Year the Grammys are known for having controversial acts that get all of America talking. This year seemed to be much different. In the eyes of an average viewer, the award show was more formal, professional, and only slightly controversial. Even more noticeable was the use of political activism brought forth throughout the show. This lead people to talk about the points presented, and the effectiveness of announcing these issues at such a big award show.

 

                If there’s anything we know about America, it’s when the President talks, everyone listens. This is exactly what happened during the Grammys. President Obama made a video appearance at the award show talking about a big issue happening in America today: Domestic Violence. We see it everywhere, especially in professional athletes. With movements like the “No More” campaign, domestic violence has come to face all people, and the Grammys put the cherry on top. President Obama announced to everyone the problem and rise of domestic violence in our society. He also spoke of ways that all of us can prevent it from happening, and help when it does.

                The other issue that was brought to attention was musician rights. Earlier this year, Taylor Swift turned down the opportunity to let Spotify put their music on their website because she wanted to make a stance against piracy of music. Since then, it seems as though all musicians are joining her in the attempt to save their music from being pirated and illegally downloaded. The Grammys allowed it to be known that it is crucial people make the step to stop downloading music illegally. They did this by having Neil Portnow, Recording Academy President and CEO talk about the alternatives if people don’t preserve the musicians’ talents.

 

With all of these issues being covered at such a big event, it makes one wonder what peoples’ reactions are to not only the problems, but also them being presented in such a way. Did it take away from the performances and awards, or was it smart for the person in charge to take time out of the line-up to talk about these important subjects? Nicholas Horne, a Theater major at Avila University had this to say when asked his opinion about the activism at the Grammys,“I feel like it was a really cool opportunity, I mean, you’re on national television. It’s a big night for a lot of people...Musicians are who we look up to, kind of, as a nation so being able to see musicians and the people that we revere as higher standards, speaking out for domestic abuse is a great thing.”

Nicholas Horne, Theater





 

Another Avila student, Aaron Arnzen who majors in Advertising and Public Relations had this to say when asked about his thoughts, “I feel like it was a good opportunity to do that [Political Activism], especially with the inclusion of a message from our President…I don’t think they were wrong in doing that [Using the Grammys as a platform for political issues]. I feel like the older we get and the more politically inclined, the more infused politics is becoming in everyday life whether it’s the Grammys or sports, etc. etc.”

 

Aaron Arnzen, Advertising and Public Relations



 

It seems as though the use of the Grammys as a political and societal awareness platform was taking positively for viewers. Although the Grammys is based from musical accomplishments, it makes sense as to why issues going on in our nation would be brought to everyone’s attention. There are only so many nights a year where the mass amounts of Americans are watching the same thing, and it would only make sense to try to draw attention to important problems to hopefully increase awareness for all people. Not only is it smart, but it could end up being crucial for our futures.

My face while watching the Grammys

 

 

 

 

Superbowl Shock!

 

 

My short recap to Pete Carroll's last play call.

What Was That, Pete Carroll? By: Dixie Robinson

This past Sunday, February 1st, millions in America gathered around their television with friends and family to watch the annual Superbowl. The battle began between the New England Patriots and the Seattle Seahawks. It's no surprise that so many people were witnessing the game because the Patriots were trying for their fourth Superbowl win, all with Tom Brady as their quarterback, and the Seahawks were going for their second consecutive Superbowl win. Everyone knew the game was going to be a hard fight, but no one could have anticipated what happened in the last minute!

 

Me and my boyfriend, Marc watching the Superbowl! 

 

 

The entire game was pretty close. It finally got down to the last minute and the score was 28-24 with the Patriots winning. However, The Seahawks were making major strides to make a touchdown, and by the looks of it, they were going to score and win. The Seahawks made it to the four yard line and everyone assumed they were going to give the ball to Marshawn Lynch, their running back, to score the final touchdown for the win. This was this distinct second that all of the Seahawks fans felt their dreams die, because Pete Carrol, the Seahawks coach, decided to make a pass play. Unfortunately for the Seahawks, the pass ended in an interception by the Patriots, resulting in a final score of 28-24 with the Patriots winning.

 As one can guess, the masses of Seahawks fans were in shock! Why would Pete Carroll make such a risky play when they were that close to winning? Since this has become such a controversy, I set out to find what people at Avila University thought about the final few plays that lead to the Seahawk's loss. Casey Lee, a Sports Communication major had this to say when asked about Pete Carroll's decision to throw the ball, rather than run. "Here's the thing, no matter what would have happened, someone would have criticized it because if the throw had worked no one would have given it a second thought. They would have said, 'Oh what a great call, what a great play!' I think it's like that with any play that doesn't end up working. People don't realize that, you know everyone was like, 'Pass the ball to Marshawn Lynch.' Well throughout the season when they were on the one yard line, they gave it to him five times and he only got in once. So really there's a lot of ways to look at it and obviously it was the call that blew the game, but I think people are being over the top about how it's one of the worst calls ever."

 

Casey Lee, Sports Communication

Another Avila Student, Zach Mize who is also a Sports Communication major had this to say when asked about Pete Carroll’s play call. “I thought it was awesome. I just wanted a good game. I called the Pats by six, and that didn’t happen; but I did get the Pats by four.” I then asked him if he thought it was the wrong play call he stated, “No,” however he acknowledged that if he were their coach he would not have made that call because it only made since to give the ball to Lynch.

 

Zach Mize, Sports Communication

 

We will never know what would had happened if Pete Carroll would have made the decision to give the ball to Marshawn Lynch as their final play. As Casey mentioned, just because you give the ball to Lynch doesn’t mean he always will make a touchdown. The issue lies with the risk Pete Carroll was taking by calling a pass play. If he would have at least tried to run the ball before passing, the public’s reaction may have been different, and more importantly the score could have been different. These are the things that should have been considered before calling a play that potentially cost the Seahawks the Superbowl Win.



 



The President's State of the Union Address: My Reaction 1/21/15

Last night while sitting at home, I watched the 2015 Presidential State of the Union Address. I figured I wouldn’t be able to understand anything President Obama was talking about, because normally when I hear a presidential speech, that’s what happens. To my amazement, President Obama couldn’t have been clearer. Not only is he an outstanding speaker, but also he is very personable with an added sense of humor. He spoke in terms that most people and I could understand.

            I went in to this event only expecting to hear economic garb about deficits and strategies. Once again, I was wrong. Although the President did speak mostly about economics, they were economics that applied directly to myself. With that, there are a few things I took away from his speech. The first thing I found interesting is the gains that we as a country have made over the past few years. A few of these gains include a growth of over 11 million jobs, a decrease in reliance on foreign oil, the highest graduation rates in history, a 10 million person increase in health care insurance, and the fastest economic growth in history. Being that my personal economics haven’t started since about four years ago, it’s harder for me to notice changes in the economy so hearing these statistics was eye opening.

            The next thing I found important are the steps President Obama wants to take to help the middle class families which he calls, “Middle Class Economics.” He started off by talking about a middle class family that has endured many financial hardships within the last eight years, who recently has gotten back on their feet thanks to the gains our economy has made. By talking about this family, he made what’s happening in America more relevant because that story relates to many others around the nation. After he told this family’s story, he went on to give his thoughts on how to improve the middle class family’s economics. These points included lowering the taxes on middle class families, affordable, high quality child care for everyone, a new tax cut up to $300,000 per child, per year, higher wages and up to seven days of paid sick leave, and lower mortgage payments. He also stressed the importance of group efforts in changing Middle Class Economics; everyone has to do their part.

            The last part of his speech that interested me was his ideals that he placed forward about how Americans are going to keep their economic growth in years to come. This was mainly important because it was here that he put forth the idea that he wants community college to be free to all. Anyone who has been to college knows how expensive it is, so for him to want to get rid of potentially the first two years is a huge advancement. I was lucky enough to have my Associates Degree paid for at a local community college, so I know how beneficial that is. It’s because of that college that I decided to continue my education, and I would be willing to bet that other people would do the same thing. During this part of the speech he also included other ideas including lowering monthly payments on student debt, keeping companies in America in order to open up jobs for people, and hiring veterans in order to ensure their well-being after their service to our country.

            After watching President Obama’s speech, I decided to interview people around Avila’s campus to see their reaction to the statements that he made. The first person I interviewed was Amanda Littleton, a communications major. When asked about her thoughts she stated, “He has some very good ideas and if implemented they could be successful. However, he only has 12 months left in office plus most of congress is voting against him.” As a whole, she supported his position but expressed how hard it will be for him to pass any of his ideas. The next person I interviewed was Carla Ellis, a Business Management Major. When asked about her outtake on the speech she stated, “He [Obama] was going to find a way to tax the rich so middle class people can benefit and gain more wealth. Also, I’m surprised that all congress is Republican, so I’m not sure how that will work. I’m not sure it’ll pass because although he’s the President, it’s like he has no voice.”

            The last person I interviewed had the most to say about the speech. His name is Zedrick Mitchell, a Nursing major. When asked about his reaction to last night’s proceedings, he had this to say,

“I thought it was a good speech. I thought he made some good points on the economy regarding gas prices, affordable child care; that’s a big statement, and taking the student debt payments down. I thought the free community college was a big statement especially with us being students. I’m not sure how he’s going to afford that, but if it works it would definitely be nice since I’m a father and have kids that will be going to college in a few years.”

Based off of what I, along with the people I have interviewed have shared, I would say the consensus think President Obama is doing great things. The only worry for all of us is that he will not be successful in getting his ideas passed through Congress.

Amanda Littleton, Communications

Carla Ellis, Business Management

Zedrick Mitchell, Nursing

1/14/15

1/14/15

1/14/15

Not Just Another Day, 1/14/15

Something crazy just happened! When I woke up this morning, the only thing new going on today was starting my spring semester of classes. I sat down after my Introduction to Journalism class to write this post when I got a phone call from a representative from the summer internship I recently applied for. This internship had a four-step application process that I completed on Monday, but since I hadn't heard anything from them after, I assumed that I didn't get accepted. Well, I now know that I have been accepted into this internship program for the summer! When she told me, I literally yelled into the phone with excitement. In hindsight however, I probably should have accepted the offer more gracefully because now she may think I'm crazy. At least now she has a slight look into my true personality. Aside from my great news, I mentioned earlier that I started classes for my spring semester this morning. It's Wednesday so I have two classes, one in the afternoon and one in the evening so I still have one left for the day. Today also started my four day break from work! I wasn't granted this break for any special reason, but just sheer luck. I'm grateful though, because I pretty much work everyday unfortunately. Don't worry however, because I still got called in and I happily declined due to my class schedule. Although I expected today to be an average day, it turned into something so much better! I guess that's the irony of my life, but luckily today it turned out to be something highly rewarding.