Turning The Page

            You want a mad rad place that’s not bad to study? Boom. Avila Library. Recently renovated before the fall 2014 semester, the Learning Commons at Avila University has everything a student who needs to study, write a paper, or just wants to hang out with friends. There are a variety of areas that cater to the needs of each individual. There are rooms in which students can meet with one another to study, computers that can be used for research purposes and writing papers, and there are tables for those who just what to meet with their friends and chat in between classes. There are even books for those who are not yet caught up with the technological world. The Avila Library is an excellent place for any student to visit.

            When people hear the word “library,” they generally think of a place full of books where people might go to read or study. However, the Avila Library is so much more than that. The library on Avila’s campus is hardly ever as quiet as a library that is in any other location. Friends meet in the library to hang out and catch up with one another.

            “The library is one of the only places on campus I go to,” said Junior PR major Logan Sterling. “It’s a pretty great place to go catch up on homework or meet with friends.”

            Generally speaking, the Avila University Learning Commons is one of the best places on campus for students to go. It provides them with all the necessities to make their college experience the best it could possibly be. Without the Learning Commons, Avila students would not have the incredible resources they have now.

Saving Lives One Pint at a Time

On Friday, April 10, 2015, Avila University hosted a blood drive in the Whitfield Center from 9:00 am to 1:00 pm. The Community Blood Center set up their equipment early in the morning before those who wanted to donate came in to do just that. While donors were able to sign up for times online, walk-in donors were also welcome to donate. After registering, answering questions about health history, and completing a mini physical, donors then continued with the experience of donating blood and saving lives.

People who donate eight times have officially donated a gallon of blood to those who need it. After donating for the eighth time, the donor receives a pin with a blood drop emblazoned with “1 gallon,” symbolizing the fact that they have potentially saved up to sixteen lives. Donating blood is extremely important for those who are able to do so. It allows people who need any sort of blood transplants to have more access to their blood types. Blood donors develop a sense of pride in helping others gain the gift of life.

            Blood drives assist in doing a variety of things to help the community. The first thing is that these drives bring an awareness around the fact that blood donors are needed to help those who need blood for any reason. It helps bring in new donors, leading those donors to talk about it with their friends and family, possibly convincing them to donate themselves. The second thing that these blood drives do is actually bringing new donors to the drives. It broadens the possibility of having more blood types to help those who need blood transplants. Blood drives are very important for many people to help others in their communities.

            The blood drive at Avila University helped raise awareness for the need of blood donations in the Kansas City area. Those who donated should feel a sense of pride in the fact that they helped those who need blood transplants. Because of them, an extensive number of people have been able to survive.

Teresa Lorenz: More Than a Professor

To many people involved with Avila University, Dr. Teresa Lorenz is nothing more than a professor. Some students have seen her teaching in the classroom and her fellow professors know her as the Assistant Professor of Spanish. However, just as with everyone, there is more than one side to Dr. Lorenz. Outside of Avila, she enjoys reading, running, and spending time with her loved ones. Her teaching job at Avila University is just the tip of the iceberg. Hopefully people involved with Avila University will begin to see Dr. Lorenz as more than a professor.

                         

The idea of perfect happiness is something everyone strives to find. Dr. Lorenz, just as everyone else does, has a very specific idea of what would make her perfectly happy. “[I want to be] content with my work and personal life. Having them balance well with each other with sufficient time for relaxation. I feel like that’s an important part of being happy, is that you need to be able to relax and unwind.”

                                    

Something everyone faces in their lives are fears. Whether they control the person who possesses them or not is a completely different matter. Dr. Lorenz has a fear that she does not let manage her life, but this fear has still presented her with many obstacles. “My biggest fear is probably not having complete control. That’s not really achievable because there are always times when we don’t have control. And that’s what leads us as humans to stress. It’s definitely led me to stress about certain things.

“Another fear I have is speaking in front of crowds. [But I also have] ability to make funny corny jokes at the appropriate times in the spur of the moment. I guess it's a hidden talent because I only really do this with people I am extremely comfortable around like family and close friends.”

Dr. Lorenz works extremely hard as a professor at Avila University. She spends time in and out of the classroom helping students. “I definitely feel like she really cares about me as more than a student,” said Junior Logan Sterling. “She’s a really good teacher, but she also shows that she would be there if we ever need anything outside of class.”

Dr. Lorenz teaching a Spanish 2 class

“I think I’m a caring person and fairly understanding,” said Dr. Lorenz. “I think anyone who really knows me well knows I’m a caring, loving person. My friends and family have always told me this.”

While she works hard to form relationships with her students, Dr. Lorenz also works hard in all aspects of her life. However, she sometimes feels as if she works too hard. “I’m too hard on myself. I’m my own worst enemy. I always strive to achieve more. I think that’s definitely what I hate and like about myself. I always work really hard, but I never am fully satisfied with the outcome.”

Outside of teaching, Dr. Lorenz spends time traveling, reading, and spending time with her friends. “Traveling is something I really enjoy doing. Some people would say, ‘Oh, you have everything you need here,’ but I feel like it’s something I need to do. Just because there might be something I haven’t seen before, even if it’s only ten miles down the road.

“My favorite authors are Paulo Coehlo, Sandra Cisneros, and Julio Cortazar. Those are probably my favorite Hispanic authors. Everyone should read [something by them]. Oh, and J.K. Rowling. I love Harry Potter. I feel like [the characters] struggle with a lot, but they get through it. I see certain similarities in parts of the storyline that reflect struggles I’ve endured.

“I really enjoy getting to see my close friends. Even when we’ve been far apart or haven’t talked for a while, it feels like there hasn’t been a distance. I think the best quality for friendship in general is that no matter if there’s a distance, you’re all still the same. Distance and time can’t destroy a true friendship.”

Dr. Lorenz is very content with where she is in her life and where it is heading. “I never think of my life in terms of regrets. I think everything happens for a reason, and if something would have happened differently, I may not be where I am. I guess my motto would be ‘No regrets’.”

Dr. Lorenz is very passionate about her work. She spends as much time as possible helping her students with classwork. However, she is not only a dedicated professor. She enjoys spending time with loved ones, exercising, and watching her favorite TV shows. Outside of Avila University, Teresa Lorenz is more than a professor. 

Does Race Matter?

Race is something that always seems to be talked about within the society of the United States. There are conflicts with profiling, immigration, and various other things having to do with race. However, the broad question of whether or not race matters can be answered in a variety of ways.

The race of an individual should not matter. The person is what matters, as they are going to be the same person no matter what the color of their skin is. They will have the same knowledge and the same personality. The only difference would be on the surface: the color of their skin. Race should not matter, but it does. There are people who profile others who have a certain color to their skin. All this happens before they get to know the other people. They assume that they will already think and act a certain way. Some steps obviously need to be taken to get rid of attitudes like this.

In February, 2015, Avila University participated in an experiment of sorts on campus. There was an interactive race kiosk in the Marian Center lobby. Anyone could have used it, and those who did gained knowledge about race in a shocking way. A person would sit in the kiosk and take a picture of their face. They would then select a race on the screen (Asian, Middle Eastern, Indian, Hispanic, Black, or White) and their face would change right before their eyes.

This experience provided new insight when it comes to race. It is not about the color of a person's skin, but about who they are. Even though the face changed, the person behind it was still the same. This further proves the point that there is only one race that matters: the human race.

Asian

Black

Hispanic

Indian

Middle Eastern

White

(Google Search) "Define Cheating"

I was having trouble with getting my opinion across for this post. So I did what any college student would do in that situation: I turned to Google. According to Google, "cheat" is defined as 1) act dishonestly or unfairly in order to gain an advantage, especially in a game or examination; 2) avoid (something undesirable) by luck or skill. Just as there are two definitions of the word, I believe there are separate situations in which cheating could be viewed as completely against all ethics ever or as slightly permissible.

In the first situation with the first definition of the word "cheat," I believe it is not okay. If people purposely act in ways to get ahead in their lives (and possibly hurting other people in the process), they need to reevaluate their priorities. Gaining advantages is a great goal to have in many areas, be it in a career aspect or in some other way. But there is a certain way to get these advantages, and acting "dishonestly or unfairly" is not the way to do so. It is only through hard work that a person truly becomes successful.

However, the second definition threw me for a loop. Is avoiding something truly a bad thing? For example, if I did something that could somehow get me into trouble, I'm not going to blab about it to anyone unless they plainly ask me about it. I'm avoiding getting into a bad situation by not telling the whole truth. While I'm not trying to currently defend myself, I don't believe this to be a bad thing. If people feel the need to leave out parts of their history in order to stay on the right path, they shouldn't feel as if they are doing anything wrong.

Cheating is not something I recommend to the faint of heart. It takes a lot of planning to be able to successfully carry out cheating on any significant level. And avoiding certain circumstances may make some people feel guilty. While it may not be ethical to cheat in everyday situations, everyone has different morals. In the end, it's the decision of the individual, and whatever I say won't make a difference.

And The Best Award Show Goes To...

The 87^th annual Academy Awards ceremony took place on Sunday, February 22, in the Dolby Theatre in Hollywood, Los Angeles. It was sure to be a lighthearted evening with host Neil Patrick Harris starting the evening with a stab at the lack of non-white nominees, saying, “Tonight, we honor Hollywood’s best and whitest.” This was the first of many jokes (both verbal and physical) Harris had planned for the night’s festivities.

Throughout the evening, just as with any Oscar ceremony, there were many musical performances between presentations of nominees. Starting with Maroon 5 performing “Lost Stars” from the film Begin Again (in which Adam Levine, the lead singer of Maroon 5, stars) and ending with Lady Gaga performing a medley tribute to The Sound of Music, a night that was filled with honoring films left just enough room to shine a light on the musical side of Hollywood. Gaga’s performance shocked the audience and left Julie Andrews nearly speechless. A new song “Glory” from the film Selma was performed by John Legend and Common. It received a standing ovation and brought many people to tears, including David Olelowo, who played Martin Luther King in the film.

Lady Gaga after her musical performance

As those who were honored with awards gave their acceptance speeches, they thanked everyone who helped with their achievements. Besides thanking people, some winners spoke about deeper subjects, such as suicide and the importance of realizing an individual’s importance. Statements of this nature reach out to young people and make viewers realize how circumstances in the lives of the nominees affected how they chose to live the rest of their lives. It shows how everyone struggles, but you can still go on to be successful.

As the Oscars went on, Neil Patrick Harris announced that he had made predictions about what would happen during the ceremony. He had the envelope displayed in a glass case on stage that was in view of the entire theatre and was being livestreamed online. He even gave Octavia Spencer the task of watching the case throughout the evening. When he finally revealed the contents of the envelope, they were not predictions about who would win which award as members of the audience and viewers from home believed. They were predictions about what would be said and what would happen during the introduction of presenters, the presentations of awards, and the acceptance of awards. And they were shockingly spot-on.

The 87^th Academy Awards provided a night of solid entertainment for those who viewed it. Filled with emotional acceptance speeches and Neil Patrick Harris’s wit and humor, the evening was another success for Hollywood. If there was an awards show for awards shows, this year's Oscars ceremony would receive many nominations.

What I Would Buy with a $50 iTunes Card

Believe it or not, this list was harder to come up with than the list of my five favorite presidents.  As an Android user, I'm not quite used to all the options in the iTunes store.  But I hunkered down and came up with a list of what I would buy.

Birdman film...$14.99
Boyhood film...$9.99
Everything Will Be Alright In The End album by Weezer...$9.99
Talking is Hard album by Walk the Moon...$7.99
Kauai album by Childish Gambino...$6.99
TOTAL COST: $49.95

While I would only be able to buy five items on iTunes with a $50 gift card, these five things would make me very happy.  With 5 cents left over, I believe this was a successful shopping trip.

My Five Favorite Presidents

Below you will find a list of my top favorite Presidents of the United States throughout the history of the United States.  They are listed in ascending order.

5. Andrew Jackson
Jackson has always been one of my favorite presidents.  Perhaps the reason has something to do with the fact my middle name is Andrew (although it is not my namesake).  But I have always been a fan of Andrew Jackson.  He allegedly let his temper get the best of him on many occasions and was even rumored to wear a bullet around his neck from a wound he received in a duel.  Andrew Jackson adds quite a bit of toughness to the reputation of the United States.  He is the original "don't-mess-with-that-guy" guy.

4. Abraham Lincoln
Where Andrew Jackson adds toughness to the history of the United States, Lincoln adds heart.  He is one of the favorites for many United Statesians.  I mean, the dude has a monument in Washington, D.C., depicting him sitting.  Just sitting.  Lincoln is known for his Gettysburg Address, which decreed the freeing of slaves in the United States.  If I were to base this list off of popular culture, Honest Abe would be number 1 on this list due to the film Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter.

3. Harry S. Truman
Truman has always been near the top of my favorite presidents.  The main reason is the fact he was born and raised in Missouri.  This is clearly a biased decision, but everyone has a bit of hometown spirit.

2. George Washington
Obviously the first man to be the first president of our baby country is going to be near the top of any list of favorite presidents.  Also being the inspiration of a monument in D.C., Washington is revered and honored by all United States citizens.

1. Thomas Jefferson
Leading the pack is the one and only Thomas Jefferson.  A spokesperson for freedom and democracy, this Founding Father inspired a country before it was a country.  Credited with writing a majority of the Declaration of Independence, we owe our freedom to this man.  Well done, sir.

Canadian Speedster Serves as Warning to College Students

On February 9, 2015, on the Trans-Canada highway near the Nova Scotia town of Telford, a man was apprehended by police driving 226 kph in a 100 kph zone.  This is the equivalent of driving 140 mph in a 62 mph zone.  Fox News was able to speak to a Corporal of the Royal Canadian Mounted Police on the matter.

“These are speeds for a controlled race track, not for a 100-series highway,” said Cpl. Mark Kellock.

According to the police who caught this speedster, the road he was driving on was covered in snow and ice at the time.  Because the driver was going more than 50 kph (31 kph) over the speed limit, so he was pulled over without any recorded incident.  He was charged with “stunting.”  The driver’s license was suspended immediately for a week as the investigation proceeds.

The driver could face a fine if $2,418.95 Canadian dollars if he is convicted.  That is the equivalent of $1,914.49 U.S. dollars.

This story should be important to Avila students, particularly students who commute to campus each day.  I-435 is the highway closest to Avila University, so many commuters take it to get to campus.  The speed limit on I-435 is 65 mph, but many drivers (not only college students) view speed limits as a guideline rather than a law.  Drivers will often go 5 mph over the speed limit, but some still think it is admissible to go faster than this.

College-aged drivers are notorious for driving recklessly, and this story is an example of what can happen if they are caught doing so.  While they are known for being reckless on the roads, college students are also known for not having much money.  If drivers are caught driving a certain speed in a certain speed limit, they could owe almost $2,000, as seen above.  This fine would be very damaging to a college student’s funds.

So take this as a warning, commuters of Avila University.  If caught driving 95 mph on I-435, you could lose a large amount of money that could be put toward other necessities.

2015 NBA All-Star Weekend Recap

The NBA All-Star Weekend games were played on Friday, February 13, and Sunday, February 15, in New York.  As usual, the games were expected to provide exciting entertainment for
all those who watched.  The games were full of thrilling moments that were enjoyed by members of the crowd and viewers in their homes alike.  Below are short recaps for both games.

World @ USA
On Friday, February 13, 2015, the World and USA NBA All-Star teams went head-to-head in Barclays Center in Brooklyn, NY.  It was a close game throughout the entire

event, but the World Team came out victorious.  The score was 67-69 in favor of the World Team at the beginning of the second half, and the World Team finished with a 121-112 winning score.  The World and USA teams fought tirelessly against one another for the win, but USA fell short by a mere 9 points.  Andrew Wiggins, representing the World Team out of Canada, was named the 2015 MVP.

World Team member Andrew Wiggins showing off his MVP Award 

West @ East

On Sunday, February 15, 2015, the West and East NBA All-Star teams faced one another in Madison Square Garden in New York, NY.  The West Team held a steady lead throughout the game, ending the first half with a score of 47-36 and winning the game with a score of 163-158.  This was the highest-scoring All-Star Game in history.  Russell Westbrook of the West Team was voted the game’s MVP.  He held the game-high points scored, with 41 points throughout the game.  This is just one point short of the All-Star Game record.

Russell Westbrook displaying his MVP Award

2015 All-Stars Three-Point Contest

Kanye West: "Beck" in Action

Hip-hop artist Kanye West is known for many things.  Ranging from having a huge God complex to marrying Kim Kardashian, West has been a steady hot topic in the United States for many years.  One of the stunts West is most remembered for is interrupting Taylor Swift while she gave her acceptance speech after winning the VMA for Best Female Music Video.  He ran onto the stage, took the microphone from Swift, and proclaimed Beyoncé should have won because she “had one of the best videos of all time.”  This happened in 2009, but it is still mentioned often when one speaks of Kanye West.  During the Grammy Awards Ceremony on February 8, 2015, West once again took the stage to contest the winner of the Album of the Year Grammy.

After recording artist Beck was announced as the winner of Album of the Year, Kanye West ran to the microphone—as if to challenge the outcome of the award—then smiled and walked off the stage without saying anything.  Beck beckoned Kanye back to the stage so he could say what he wanted, but West remained in his seat.  At the time, it seemed as if West was attempting to make a joke about his former complaint against Taylor Swift’s accomplishment.  Members of the audience and people who viewed the Grammy’s from their living rooms laughed at Kanye’s seeming attempt at a joke.  It seemed like Taylor Swift would be the only artist to truly be Kanye’d.  However, West made his opinion clearly known during an interview after the ceremony.

During an interview with E! Magazine, Kanye West clarified that it was not a joke.  He did not agree with the fact that Beck had won the Grammy for Album of the Year.  He said, “Beck needs to respect artistry and he should have given his award to Beyoncé.”  This confirmed that West was making a statement by walking on stage without actually stating his opinion.  West went on to say he feels as if the Academy is not respecting Beyoncé because he believes she deserves to win, claiming “we’re tired of it.”  Kanye clearly thinks everyone agrees with him, in that Beyoncé deserved the Album of the Year Grammy rather than Beck.  However, this is not necessarily true.

Beck delivers his acceptance speech among those who helped him with his album

Although many people have not heard of Beck, he appears to be a very talented individual.  He has been performing since 1985 and has released twelve studio albums.  He can play thirteen instruments and puts hard work and dedication into his music.  While Beyoncé is a very talented artist, the fact that Kanye West believes Beck is not worthy of the award he received is completely and totally ridiculous.  West, along with many other people, does not know Beck’s work as well as he knows the work of Beyoncé.  Because of this, he did not think Beck’s album was worthy for the award.  However, there is an entire Academy that believes differently.  Perhaps it is time Kanye West starts respecting the artistry rather than call out others.

Super Bowl XLIX: Were You Not Entertained?

On Sunday, February 1, the American Football Conference (AFC) champion New England Patriots and the National Football Conference (NFC) champion Seattle Seahawks went head-to-head for the most-watched televised event in America: the Super Bowl.  With a few controversies surrounding the game, it was sure to be a game many would remember.  The Patriots won 28–24 against the Seahawks in Super Bowl XLIX.

Whether they were watching to see the game, watching to see the ever famous Super Bowl commercials, or to see Katy Perry perform the Pepsi Halftime Show, the viewers of Super Bowl XLIX were given exactly what they were looking for.  Some of the audiences may not have been pleased with the outcome the game presented to them, but the teams provided solid sports entertainment to enjoy.  With a tied score at halftime and a close race until the very end, the Patriots and Seahawks played a game full of emotion for both sides of the viewership.

Super Bowl XLIX logo, ft. Patriots and Seahawks logo

logo link

As far as commercials go, everyone knows the Super Bowl steps up the game for the rest of the year.  With all-time favorites, such as commercials from Doritos and Bud Light, and newcomers, such as Clash of Clans, the new advertisements shown during Super Bowl XLIX brought new “Best and Worst” commercials of the Super Bowl.  According to Rolling Stone Magazine, Snickers, BMW, and Esurance all fall under the “Best” category, while McDonald’s and Coca-Cola fell under the “Worst” section.  Nationwide Insurance fell under both categories with two of their commercials.  With new movie trailers and ads for games and applications, the commercials for Super Bowl XLIX were seemingly a well-rounded group of commercials.

Life-sized PacMan game featured in a Bud Light commercial

Bud Light photo link

Many people have voiced their opinions on the performance Katy Perry delivered during the Pepsi Halftime Show.  From the quality of her singing to using sharks as background dancers, posts to the internet began almost before Katy could start performing.  For example, Buzzfeed posted an article featuring a number of tweets comparing Katy Perry’s costumes to other people, such as Guy Fierri, and things, such as the “The More You Know” star.  While many people hold critiques against Katy Perry, she provided halftime entertainment for the viewers of the Super Bowl and faced much scrutiny, while those critiquing her would not be able to do so.

Katy Perry performing with her shark back-up dancers

Katy Perry photo link

Overall, Super Bowl XLIX was a solid form of entertainment to wrap up the 2014 football season.  It provided exciting game play with some entertaining tidbits in between.  While teams are already preparing for the upcoming season, football fans are gearing up for Super Bowl L.

1.14.15: A Completely Normal Day

I realized a few years ago that most days are fairly ordinary. There are usually good or bad days. Of course, amazing/outrageous/terrible things can happen at any time. But, for the most part, such things do not happen. January 14, 2015 is an example of such a day.

I hope I’m not coming across as pessimistic so far, because I’m not. However, nothing remotely interesting happened to me today. The only thing out of place with today is the fact that classes started back up at Avila University, so I had to wake up earlier than I had been during winter break. Other than that, I had a fairly normal day. I woke up, got ready for class, drove to campus, went to class, drove home, went back to campus for my second class, drove back home, went to work, and now I’m sitting at my desk at home, writing this blog.

To put this into a better perspective, I’ll tell you the craziest things that happened to me today. The worst thing about my day was that I accidentally brushed my teeth before I drank my orange juice this morning. The best thing that happened to me is that I finished the third season of Bob’s Burgers on Netflix. Again. The most interesting thing that happened was I found out there's a new character on Glee who looks similar to me. And the most exciting thing about today was I filled my minivan with gas for thirty dollars instead of the normal sixty. 

As you can tell, I didn’t have a very exciting day. I wasn’t randomly given a hundred dollars. I wasn’t able to randomly give someone a hundred dollars. I didn’t get a concussion. I didn’t get arrested. I didn’t get a new tattoo. I didn’t die. I didn’t fall in or out of love. I didn’t lose a loved one. I didn’t get a book published. Today was completely and utterly normal.

I’m sure someone reading this had an amazing encounter today that will make them remember the date “January 14, 2015” forever. But personally, I’ll probably forget everything that happened today in less than a week.

Photo Link

This is a photo of my roomate Snapchatting while we were supposed to be working

Noah Guthrie, "Rodrick" from the new season of Glee. Today at work, my boss told me that I look and sound like him.

Glee Photo Link

Why Today Is Ordinary - link to video