By Kelsey Robbins
With finals right around the corner, the entire St. Thomas Aquinas College campus is losing their minds. Students are worrying about their grades, graduation, and who knows what else. The core of this frenzy is that we are programmed to believe that failure is a bad thing. But is failure truly a bad thing?
Randy Pausch, a professor at Carnegie Mellon University, spoke at the university’s “last lecture series.” For him, this was not a drill; it was one of his last lectures. He was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer and was given a couple months to live. His lecture was about the importance of overcoming obstacles, enabling the dreams of others and seizing every opportunity. He spoke of achieving your childhood dreams. A big part of his point was “brick walls are there for a reason. They give us a chance to show how badly we want it.”
Obstacles are put before us to challenge us to make us strong individuals. Yet we are not always going to be able to beat the obstacles on the first try; there is what I like to call a learning curve.
Sometimes we are just not meant to scale these “brick walls”. In Randy Pausch's case, his unscaleable brick wall was joining the NFL. Although it was a dream of his, he accepted that it was not possible nor was it what was best for him. He realized this but still believed some of the best lessons he learned were from his football coach. It was through this sport that Pausch learned responsibility and that hard work will get you further then just pure talent. While some may look at this as a failure, I disagree; it was a learning experience where the lessons he learned far out weighted his original goal.
“Brick walls” come in many different forms, but the trick is to have a plan and more importantly be able to change this plan. More than likely, you’re not going to make it over the wall the first time or the second time, either .While some may view that as failed attempts, they should be viewed as learning experiences. Honestly, how would we learn how to do anything right if we had not have done it wrong a couple of times first? As Pausch would say, “the person who failed often knows how to avoid future failure. The person who knows nothing but success can be more oblivious to the pitfalls.” Failure is part of the journey, without it success would not be as sweet.
Failure can also be a great teacher and motivator. Think of all the movies, books and speeches that have been about those who have had nothing, were considered failures, but made themselves into CEO’s, professional athletes and so much more. They got there because they had motivation, they had nothing else going for them, but why not try? Failure weeds out those who do not have the commitment, passion or drive to achieve. Those who do not know failure, do not know how to pick themselves up and adopt, they have never had to try at the brick wall more than once. Let’s face it, no one is failure free; but we can chose to learn from it or try to cover it. Personally, I would rather take the lesson and move on.
To me failure is not a taboo word; it shows that you tried your goal, which may have been out of your reach, but at least the attempt to become a better individual was there. Failing may mean that you could not do something; but eventually if you “work hard enough, there will be things that (you) can do tomorrow that (you) couldn’t do today.” That’s life striving to better yourself and others. Along the way, you may meet a task you just couldn’t handle but that’s alright-- just get back up and give that brick wall another try. Better yet, think about what that failure taught you.
Too much emphasis is put on winning and succeeding, but nothing is mentioned about failing. Show me a person who has never failed and I’ll show you a person who has never challenged themselves. Isn’t that what life is all about? Life is not a destination; it is a journey in which you should challenge yourself and others. Do not be afraid to fall, because I promise you will be stronger when you get up.
Kelsey Robbins is a junior at St. Thomas Aquinas College majoring in Psychology, with a minor in Communication Arts.
Monday, April 30, 2012
Saturday, April 28, 2012
Starting a Sisterhood
By Dominique Scarinci
It was spring of 2011 when Gaby Delgado was holding a conversation with a couple friends about how there is nothing to do on campus, when they decided they would try and change this. Currently on St. Thomas Aquinas College's campus, there are three Greek organizations--Alpha Phi Omega, Omega Phi Beta, and Phi Lota Alpha. The journey to bring another Greek organization is one that the girls were willing to embark on.
Lambda Pi Chi is a Latina sorority that benefits Latina women. Latinas Promoviendo Comunidad was established April 16th , 1988 at Cornell University. LPC currently has twenty-six chapters at twenty-five different schools in the United States. With enough determination, this group of five girls aimed to make its twenty-seventh chapter.
Lambda Pi Chi sorority’s vision is to create a lifetime network of Hermanas who are dedicated to empowering themselves and providing for the community as well. As a newcomer to understanding Lambda Phi Chi and their goals, it is clear that this sorority is goal-oriented while providing help for “la comunidad,” as they would say, the community. This sorority has many different goals for their young women leaders. High goals such as to unify women through the promotion of the Latina Community, promote community service, strive for achievements with people of all races, enlighten communities on Latino culture, and to promote professional advancement in undergraduate and graduate chapters.
Latinas Promoviendo Comunidad concentrates on women and the importance of giving women a voice. Their concentration is Latina women in which they partake in Latino communities but do not reject applicants based on ethnicity. Although LPC is a Latino sorority, there are many Hermanas who are not of Latino descent. The Hermanas learn to dedicate a lifetime of passion to the sorority. Many of them will always wear red, gold, black, and white to represent LPC. A unique tradition that LPC has is after a woman pledges, she receives a gold necklace with the sororities Greek letters and the year they crossed. LPC creates a community of Hermanas who stay connected through many years.
Lambda Pi Chi has two main projects that they focus on in the community. One is L.E.A.A.P. (Latinas Educating on AIDs Awareness and Prevention). The other is H.A.C.E.R. (Hermanas for Advancement of Career and Educational Resources).
The L.E.A.A.P. project has been established since 2000, where Hermanas have coordinated to help educate society on AIDS and AIDS prevention. They set up tables, booths, and panels to educate the Latino communities as well as other on AIDS. The H.A.C.E.R. project focuses on assisting minority or low income women to further their education and career goals. They provide resources that these women would have no way of using in order to succeed.
On December 28, 2001 the New York City Council acknowledged LPC Inc. for its continued service and dedication to Latinos and the community of New York City as a whole. It is projects like these that interest the girls to bring LPC to STAC’s campus.
The first step in expansion was for Gaby to email the vice president of expansion at LPC, in which she received good news. Gaby is lucky to have her aunt who is a Hermana and introduced the girls to Melanie Castro, who is willing to help get the girls through the process. Both Melanie and Jennifer, V.P. of expansion, did a conference call with Anne Moore, Director of Student Activities at STAC. When Melanie was done with her call, she relayed a message to Gaby that was not good.
The girls were waiting together for Melanie’s call and put her on speaker so everyone could hear. Melanie said that Anne told them that STAC was currently not accepting additional Greek life. This put a frown on the girls' faces as their hopes of bringing expansion to campus dwindled. The girls refused to give up and Melanie stood by them in their determination.
The girls set up a meeting with Anne Moore to talk about their reason for expanding LPC. They recruited other girls as well; the group went from five girls to seven. Each girl wrote one to one and half pages on why Lambda Pi Chi was right for them and the STAC community. The girls also passed out surveys on Greek life around campus in the café, laundry room, and halls.
The day came for the meeting with Anne. “It was intense, I’ve never been scared of being let down like that,” Gaby recalls. At the end of the meeting, Anne said that she had to meet with Dr. Manning, Dean of Academic Affairs. She stated that he would have the final say and even though we presented a good case to her, it was not set in stone that it could go our way.
It is now fall of 2011; the girls leave for winter break and are still waiting for Anne’s results. Gaby sent out a mass text to everyone when she heard the good news that Lambda Pi Chi was approved by Dr. Manning. All the girls were relieved and could not wait to continue with the process.
As the spring semester came, each girl kept spreading the word and getting more people interested in LPC. Just recently on April 25th, Melanie and the girls got together in the campus lounge to talk over some things. The group has grown from seven to twelve girls; this is before an interest meeting has been held. Lambda Pi Chi is set to start forward with the interested girls in the fall semester of 2012.
For more information:
www.lambdapichi.org/
Dominique Scarinci is a sophomore at St. Thomas Aquinas College from Yonkers, New York. She is a Communication Arts major with a Public Relations minor. She also is interested in Lambda Pi Chi Sorority for the fall semester of 2012.
It was spring of 2011 when Gaby Delgado was holding a conversation with a couple friends about how there is nothing to do on campus, when they decided they would try and change this. Currently on St. Thomas Aquinas College's campus, there are three Greek organizations--Alpha Phi Omega, Omega Phi Beta, and Phi Lota Alpha. The journey to bring another Greek organization is one that the girls were willing to embark on.
Lambda Pi Chi is a Latina sorority that benefits Latina women. Latinas Promoviendo Comunidad was established April 16th , 1988 at Cornell University. LPC currently has twenty-six chapters at twenty-five different schools in the United States. With enough determination, this group of five girls aimed to make its twenty-seventh chapter.
Lambda Pi Chi sorority’s vision is to create a lifetime network of Hermanas who are dedicated to empowering themselves and providing for the community as well. As a newcomer to understanding Lambda Phi Chi and their goals, it is clear that this sorority is goal-oriented while providing help for “la comunidad,” as they would say, the community. This sorority has many different goals for their young women leaders. High goals such as to unify women through the promotion of the Latina Community, promote community service, strive for achievements with people of all races, enlighten communities on Latino culture, and to promote professional advancement in undergraduate and graduate chapters.
Latinas Promoviendo Comunidad concentrates on women and the importance of giving women a voice. Their concentration is Latina women in which they partake in Latino communities but do not reject applicants based on ethnicity. Although LPC is a Latino sorority, there are many Hermanas who are not of Latino descent. The Hermanas learn to dedicate a lifetime of passion to the sorority. Many of them will always wear red, gold, black, and white to represent LPC. A unique tradition that LPC has is after a woman pledges, she receives a gold necklace with the sororities Greek letters and the year they crossed. LPC creates a community of Hermanas who stay connected through many years.
Lambda Pi Chi has two main projects that they focus on in the community. One is L.E.A.A.P. (Latinas Educating on AIDs Awareness and Prevention). The other is H.A.C.E.R. (Hermanas for Advancement of Career and Educational Resources).
The L.E.A.A.P. project has been established since 2000, where Hermanas have coordinated to help educate society on AIDS and AIDS prevention. They set up tables, booths, and panels to educate the Latino communities as well as other on AIDS. The H.A.C.E.R. project focuses on assisting minority or low income women to further their education and career goals. They provide resources that these women would have no way of using in order to succeed.
On December 28, 2001 the New York City Council acknowledged LPC Inc. for its continued service and dedication to Latinos and the community of New York City as a whole. It is projects like these that interest the girls to bring LPC to STAC’s campus.
The first step in expansion was for Gaby to email the vice president of expansion at LPC, in which she received good news. Gaby is lucky to have her aunt who is a Hermana and introduced the girls to Melanie Castro, who is willing to help get the girls through the process. Both Melanie and Jennifer, V.P. of expansion, did a conference call with Anne Moore, Director of Student Activities at STAC. When Melanie was done with her call, she relayed a message to Gaby that was not good.
The girls were waiting together for Melanie’s call and put her on speaker so everyone could hear. Melanie said that Anne told them that STAC was currently not accepting additional Greek life. This put a frown on the girls' faces as their hopes of bringing expansion to campus dwindled. The girls refused to give up and Melanie stood by them in their determination.
The girls set up a meeting with Anne Moore to talk about their reason for expanding LPC. They recruited other girls as well; the group went from five girls to seven. Each girl wrote one to one and half pages on why Lambda Pi Chi was right for them and the STAC community. The girls also passed out surveys on Greek life around campus in the café, laundry room, and halls.
The day came for the meeting with Anne. “It was intense, I’ve never been scared of being let down like that,” Gaby recalls. At the end of the meeting, Anne said that she had to meet with Dr. Manning, Dean of Academic Affairs. She stated that he would have the final say and even though we presented a good case to her, it was not set in stone that it could go our way.
It is now fall of 2011; the girls leave for winter break and are still waiting for Anne’s results. Gaby sent out a mass text to everyone when she heard the good news that Lambda Pi Chi was approved by Dr. Manning. All the girls were relieved and could not wait to continue with the process.
As the spring semester came, each girl kept spreading the word and getting more people interested in LPC. Just recently on April 25th, Melanie and the girls got together in the campus lounge to talk over some things. The group has grown from seven to twelve girls; this is before an interest meeting has been held. Lambda Pi Chi is set to start forward with the interested girls in the fall semester of 2012.
For more information:
www.lambdapichi.org/
Dominique Scarinci is a sophomore at St. Thomas Aquinas College from Yonkers, New York. She is a Communication Arts major with a Public Relations minor. She also is interested in Lambda Pi Chi Sorority for the fall semester of 2012.
Rebirth of a Revolution
By William Gilmartin
It is amazing how much your childhood can be with you even as you go through college. One of the things I frequently reflect on are the amazing shows I saw as a kid. Some of these shows helped influence me to become who I am and even allowed me to pursue my interests. How could something so simple as cartoons have such a strong impact on a person. What has changed? Well, nothing much. There is only one big difference that separates the old and the new, and that is Toonami.
Toonami was an action block on Cartoon Network dedicated to the best action cartoons around, usually being half western animation and half Japanese anime. Not only that, but Toonami had something no other cartoon block had; Toonami had TOM. TOM is a robot whose name stands for Toonami Operating Module, and he was originally a tiny robot that would introduce the shows and “broadcast” them to us from his spaceship. TOM was cool and influential; while other shows would try and talk about morals, TOM would let you know straight out what was going on and you would listen because TOM was not your teacher, he was your brother.TOM was originally voiced by Sony Straight, but when TOM was killed in a special event his body was upgraded from a tiny round robot to something more human like, keeping his signature biker helmet, and was voiced by famous voice actor Steve Blum. The tag line of Toonami was “The Revolution will be televised.” This “revolution” made children feel a part of something, made them feel loyal to TOM (a brilliant marketing tool) and brought them together as a community, actually listening to the important morals both TOM and the shows he aired portrayed. Kids were actually watching cartoons for something more than just mindless action.
Toonami started in the late 1990s and would have a successful run. Unfortunately, in the late 2000s we, the fans, got this: “Well, this is the end, beautiful friends. After more than 11 years, this is Toonami's final broadcast. It's been a lot of fun, and we'd like to thank each and every one of you who made this journey with us. Toonami wouldn't have been anything without you. Hopefully we've left you with some good memories. So, until we meet again, stay gold. Bang.”
These were TOM’s last words as Toonami was canceled. Fans were outraged. Toonami wasn’t just a vehicle to give us our shows it was what made the shows worth watching. TOM would have his own adventures and plot and would treat the audience as a part of both his adventures and his crew.
Fans wrote to Cartoon Network and sent in petitions, but they wouldn’t listen. It looked like we would never see Toonami again, until one day a project called NeoToonami was made. NewToonami would stream shows over the internet as Toonami did on television. They would air shows that already aired on Toonami and new shows that never aired before. The reaction was immediately negative, but as the project progressed they got their own website and forum, until they posted a video showing their work and their lineup and the “Toonami faithful” were brought together again. The fans making this project are making no money and yet the level of quality on their videos, CG, music, editing, are original and professional level. NeoToonami has a full crew of artists, musicians, CG animators, voice actors, editors, and writers all around the country.
Seeing this, I joined the forums and was amazed by how far this project has gone. This was no longer a simple fan attempt at recreating Toonami, this was the evolution. Toonami has been inherited by the fans. The message and words left behind by TOM would never be forgotten and NeoToonami would make sure that those same words of wisdom would reach the next generation. As of now, there is no launch date for the stream, but if you want to get in on the action, go to NeoToonami.com and start poking around. So get ready NeoToonami faithful, because the Revolution will be streamed.
For more information:
www.youtube.com/watch?v=gCAX4cgszCU
William Gilmartin is a sophomore at St. Thomas Aquinas College. He is majoring in Communication Arts and hopes to go into video editing upon his graduation and even to open up his own company once he builds up enough experience and knowledge.
Avengers Assemble
By Ashley Walter
Marvel Studios does it again! Releasing yet another superhero, action packed, soon to be blockbuster hit, The Avengers. The Invincible Iron Man (Robert Downey Jr.), The Incredible Hulk (Mark Ruffalo), The Mighty Thor (Chris Hemsworth), Captain America (Chris Evans), Hawkeye (Jeremy Renner), and Black Widow (Scarlett Johansson) team up with S.H.I.E.L.D (Strategic Homeland Intervention, Enforcement and Logistics Division) led by Nick Fury (Samuel Jackson). These unlikely heroes are joined together by S.H.I.E.L.D to stop the world-wide threat of Loki, Thor's brother, played by Tom Hiddleston. Loki was believed to have perished; but he is back and is threatening the innocent lives of human beings across the globe.
Marvel Studios does it again! Releasing yet another superhero, action packed, soon to be blockbuster hit, The Avengers. The Invincible Iron Man (Robert Downey Jr.), The Incredible Hulk (Mark Ruffalo), The Mighty Thor (Chris Hemsworth), Captain America (Chris Evans), Hawkeye (Jeremy Renner), and Black Widow (Scarlett Johansson) team up with S.H.I.E.L.D (Strategic Homeland Intervention, Enforcement and Logistics Division) led by Nick Fury (Samuel Jackson). These unlikely heroes are joined together by S.H.I.E.L.D to stop the world-wide threat of Loki, Thor's brother, played by Tom Hiddleston. Loki was believed to have perished; but he is back and is threatening the innocent lives of human beings across the globe.
The film
was written by Joss Whedon and produced by Kevin Feige, who joined Marvel
Studios in 2000 and has been involved in producing all of Marvel's films since.
He was named President of Production in 2007. Executive producer of Iron Man
Jon Favreau, expressed many concerns with creating the story line of all these
heroes being put together. "It's going to be hard, because I was so
involved in creating the world of Iron Man and Iron Man is very much a
tech-based hero, and then with Avengers
you're going to be introducing some supernatural aspects because of Thor."
He doesn't want to blow away the sense of reality that filmmakers worked so
hard to create during Iron Man, The Hulk, and Capt. America.
Thor is the Nordic God of Thunder from the distant land of Asgard, who possesses great power through his legendary hammer known as Mjolnir. Since the character of Thor and the land of Asgard are mythical, there was a fear that this film could be an issue blending superhero “reality” with other worldly fantasy. Kevin Feige argues that it won't be any problem whatsoever.
Thor is the Nordic God of Thunder from the distant land of Asgard, who possesses great power through his legendary hammer known as Mjolnir. Since the character of Thor and the land of Asgard are mythical, there was a fear that this film could be an issue blending superhero “reality” with other worldly fantasy. Kevin Feige argues that it won't be any problem whatsoever.
The film was shot in three different locations
throughout the U.S. Including New Mexico, Ohio, and New York City. Since Marvel
had a merger with Walt Disney, the movie will be created to be seen in 3D as
well as 2D.
Comic book fans everywhere are
waiting to see how gracefully the writers are able to get these diverse
superheroes to work together. Iron Man, known publically as Tony Stark, is a
confident, arrogant, and technologically inclined wealthy bachelor. The Hulk is
the monstrous form that Dr. Bruce Banner takes when provoked with anger. This
is due to his exposure to gamma radiation. Captain America, who is the alter
ego of Steve Rogers, was transformed from a small frail man into a super
solider during World War II. He was a national hero in his day before he
crashed into the Arctic, where he was frozen until present day. Lastly, there
is Thor who is the Nordic God of Thunder who posses super human strength
through his legendary hammer known as Mjolnir.
Regarding the dynamic between Captain America
and Iron Man, Chris Evans (Captain America) remarked, "I think there's
certainly a dichotomy—this kind of friction between myself and Iron Man,
they're polar opposites. One guy is flash and spotlight and smooth, and the
other guy is selfless and in the shadows and kind of quiet and they have to get
along. They explore that and its pretty fun.”
Regarding the Hulk's
place on the team, Mark Ruffalo said, "He's like the teammate none of them
are sure they want on their team. He's loose cannon. It's like, 'Just throw a
grenade in the middle of the group and let's hope it turns out well!"
Chris Hemsworth notes of his character, Thor, "I think Thor's motivation is much more of a personal one, in the sense that it’s his brother that is stirring things up. Whereas everyone else, it’s some bad guy who they’ve gotta take down. It’s a different approach for Thor. He’s constantly having to battle the greater good and what he should do, versus- it’s his little brother there." Regarding Iron Man, Robert Downey Jr. comments, "In Iron Man, which was an origin story, he was his own epiphany and redemption of sorts. Iron Man 2 is all about not being an island, dealing with legacy issues and making space for others... In The Avengers, he's throwing it down with the others.”
Chris Hemsworth notes of his character, Thor, "I think Thor's motivation is much more of a personal one, in the sense that it’s his brother that is stirring things up. Whereas everyone else, it’s some bad guy who they’ve gotta take down. It’s a different approach for Thor. He’s constantly having to battle the greater good and what he should do, versus- it’s his little brother there." Regarding Iron Man, Robert Downey Jr. comments, "In Iron Man, which was an origin story, he was his own epiphany and redemption of sorts. Iron Man 2 is all about not being an island, dealing with legacy issues and making space for others... In The Avengers, he's throwing it down with the others.”
It will be interesting to see how the two "human"
teammates, Black Widow and Hawkeye, collaborate with the group. Will they stand their ground and be able to
help or will they simply get in the way of the ticking time bomb which is the
Hulk? Only one way to find out!
The Avengers will be assembling May 4th in theaters
nationwide!
For more information,
Ashley Walter is a senior at St. Thomas Aquinas College. She
will be graduating in May with a BS degree in Marketing. She wants to continue
to pursue her modeling and acting career and see where that takes her. “If
you’re gonna be a dreamer, you might as well Dream Big!”
Hollywood Reporter with Big Dreams but Battling the Whole Way
By Dana Godwin
Giuliana Rancic, an American celebrity news personality from Naples, Italy has taken celebrity news reporting by storm. Born August 17, 1974, she immigrated to Maryland, USA as a young girl of only seven with big bright dreams. She alone has now created fame for herself with her vivacious personality.
Giuliana learned how to speak English through watching countless hours of news channels as a young girl. As the youngest child with an older brother and sister, she had to find ways to make herself noticed. Often feeling self conscious because of her horrendous scoliosis, she made the best of the situation and focused on her personality and charm to get her where she wanted. She married her husband, Bill Rancic, and the two are among the most adored couples in America. Being a successful anchor is hard work but not many can do it. She is one of the luckiest women and charming ladies that have been fortunate enough to grace the television sets of millions of Americans.
Taking her passion to be a news anchorwoman, she went to the University of Maryland to study journalism. From there she went to American University to receive her master’s of journalism. Stationed in D.C., she was a reporter on Capitol Hill which covered the Pentagon up to the White House. Realizing she wanted a more charismatic and entertaining job as a reporter, she moved to California and joined the E! News Network, co-working with stars like Ryan Seacrest since 2006. Her work at E! gave her the luxury of reporting for major red carpet events for award shows such as the Academy Awards and the Golden Globes. Using her education and experience, she created and executive produced an MTV show called "Celebrity Rap Superstar". Other major credits of Rancic include hosting Miss USA in 2011 on NBC.
Giuliana, unfortunately, has a less than bubbly personal life. She met her now husband after he won the television show, "The Apprentice," after doing an interview with him. The two were quickly engaged in December of 2006 after a flirtatious and obviously in love romance. The two were married less than a year later in September of 2007 in Capri, Italy. Their wedding was completely documented and aired on their television reality show, "Giuliana and Bill," which is still airing today.
Since 2009, the couple became public with their struggles to conceive a child. They continued to be public about all of their issues in order to remain connected and loyal to their fans. The Rancics tried using in vitro fertilization in March of 2010, which was successful for only nine weeks when Giuliana sadly miscarried. Throughout the fertility challenges, the couple went through many options before finding out that Giuliana was diagnosed with breast cancer in October of 2011. She immediately had surgery to remove the cancer and then underwent double mastectomy in December of 2011. She recovered quickly and was back at work to keep herself busy and surrounded by positive energy. Once she was cancer free, she and Bill researched their options before receiving long awaited good news.
In April of 2012, the couple publicly announced that they would be expecting their first child through a gestational carrier that would be due late summer. The surrogate mother is a close friend of the couple who was generous enough to donate her body for the couple. News of the pregnancy overwhelmed the couple emotionally, showing the world just how long they have waited and truly want a child to raise together. This child will be completely their own because they banked their last supply of sperm and egg to use that had not been affected by radiation from cancer treatment. This was the last chance to have a baby that was entirely their own before exploring other options. After all their obstacles, they were able to stay positive and consider all options to have children.
Giuliana Rancic has taken the world by storm with her amazing way to gravitationally pull the audience into her story. She reports on happy, sad, and trendy topics. It will be exciting to continue to watch her grow as a news woman and give back to her fans and all viewers. The couple as a team is unstoppable because of their absolutely engaging personalities. While Guiliana reports on all that is happening in the world of entertainment, Bill is off on Project Smile expeditions to help those that are less fortunate. Her work is inspiring for those interested in broadcast journalism and an inspiration for women with fertility obstacles. Overall, Giuliana has found the American dream and really soaked in everything it has to offer.
For more information:
www.imdb.com/name/nm0220010/
www.eonline.com/celebs/Giuliana_Rancic/225794
www.giulianarancic.com/welcome.php
Dana Godwin is a senior at St. Thomas Aquinas College from Wappingers Falls, New York. She is a Business Administration major who decided to add a minor in Communication Arts. She was actively involved in student government and the theatre program. After graduation in May of 2012, Dana will be entering the working world.
Giuliana Rancic, an American celebrity news personality from Naples, Italy has taken celebrity news reporting by storm. Born August 17, 1974, she immigrated to Maryland, USA as a young girl of only seven with big bright dreams. She alone has now created fame for herself with her vivacious personality.
Giuliana learned how to speak English through watching countless hours of news channels as a young girl. As the youngest child with an older brother and sister, she had to find ways to make herself noticed. Often feeling self conscious because of her horrendous scoliosis, she made the best of the situation and focused on her personality and charm to get her where she wanted. She married her husband, Bill Rancic, and the two are among the most adored couples in America. Being a successful anchor is hard work but not many can do it. She is one of the luckiest women and charming ladies that have been fortunate enough to grace the television sets of millions of Americans.
Taking her passion to be a news anchorwoman, she went to the University of Maryland to study journalism. From there she went to American University to receive her master’s of journalism. Stationed in D.C., she was a reporter on Capitol Hill which covered the Pentagon up to the White House. Realizing she wanted a more charismatic and entertaining job as a reporter, she moved to California and joined the E! News Network, co-working with stars like Ryan Seacrest since 2006. Her work at E! gave her the luxury of reporting for major red carpet events for award shows such as the Academy Awards and the Golden Globes. Using her education and experience, she created and executive produced an MTV show called "Celebrity Rap Superstar". Other major credits of Rancic include hosting Miss USA in 2011 on NBC.
Giuliana, unfortunately, has a less than bubbly personal life. She met her now husband after he won the television show, "The Apprentice," after doing an interview with him. The two were quickly engaged in December of 2006 after a flirtatious and obviously in love romance. The two were married less than a year later in September of 2007 in Capri, Italy. Their wedding was completely documented and aired on their television reality show, "Giuliana and Bill," which is still airing today.
Since 2009, the couple became public with their struggles to conceive a child. They continued to be public about all of their issues in order to remain connected and loyal to their fans. The Rancics tried using in vitro fertilization in March of 2010, which was successful for only nine weeks when Giuliana sadly miscarried. Throughout the fertility challenges, the couple went through many options before finding out that Giuliana was diagnosed with breast cancer in October of 2011. She immediately had surgery to remove the cancer and then underwent double mastectomy in December of 2011. She recovered quickly and was back at work to keep herself busy and surrounded by positive energy. Once she was cancer free, she and Bill researched their options before receiving long awaited good news.
In April of 2012, the couple publicly announced that they would be expecting their first child through a gestational carrier that would be due late summer. The surrogate mother is a close friend of the couple who was generous enough to donate her body for the couple. News of the pregnancy overwhelmed the couple emotionally, showing the world just how long they have waited and truly want a child to raise together. This child will be completely their own because they banked their last supply of sperm and egg to use that had not been affected by radiation from cancer treatment. This was the last chance to have a baby that was entirely their own before exploring other options. After all their obstacles, they were able to stay positive and consider all options to have children.
Giuliana Rancic has taken the world by storm with her amazing way to gravitationally pull the audience into her story. She reports on happy, sad, and trendy topics. It will be exciting to continue to watch her grow as a news woman and give back to her fans and all viewers. The couple as a team is unstoppable because of their absolutely engaging personalities. While Guiliana reports on all that is happening in the world of entertainment, Bill is off on Project Smile expeditions to help those that are less fortunate. Her work is inspiring for those interested in broadcast journalism and an inspiration for women with fertility obstacles. Overall, Giuliana has found the American dream and really soaked in everything it has to offer.
For more information:
www.imdb.com/name/nm0220010/
www.eonline.com/celebs/Giuliana_Rancic/225794
www.giulianarancic.com/welcome.php
Dana Godwin is a senior at St. Thomas Aquinas College from Wappingers Falls, New York. She is a Business Administration major who decided to add a minor in Communication Arts. She was actively involved in student government and the theatre program. After graduation in May of 2012, Dana will be entering the working world.
Confederate Motors Still Flying
By Brendan Dolan
One of the fastest growing companies in recent years has one of the fastest products. Confederate Motors is a private motorcycle industry in Birmingham, Alabama. It makes motorcycles named after fighter planes. Founded in 1991 by H. Matthew Chambers, a former trial lawyer, Confederate Motors has brought a unique style to the motorcycle industry, as an initiative seeking “enlightened design through true American inspiration,” as Chambers puts it.
The Company began in 1991 in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. The following year, they moved to San Francisco. Then in 1993 they moved back to Louisiana, but this time in New Orleans. The Hellcat models were the first to be in production, with over five hundred of them issued between 1996 and 2001. In 2001, Confederate filed for bankruptcy. They bounced back in 2003 with a new generation of Hellcats, continuing business in New Orleans. In 2005, the company’s factory was damaged due to Hurricane Katrina.
Plans were then organized for a new factory in Birmingham, Alabama, where they are today. The move to Birmingham was because the city has a strong automotive industry. Another reason is because of the Barber Motorsports Park, a race course which is now the company’s testing ground for new bikes.
Hellcats were named after World War II fighter planes. Chambers said “this is the most expensive material selection and craft methodology, it is simply the best approach maximizing strength and guaranteeing permanence.” The lead designer of the bikes, Edward Jacobs, had always dreamed of creating the core of the machine. He said “we’ve been able to do that with the unitized case of this new Hellcat.” All of the cycles, including the Hellcat, Wraith and the Fighter, are specifically designed to be multi-generational heirloom products, with new carbon fiber wheels and the highest quality stainless steel qualities.
Lately, the company has taken a huge leap forward. A decline in manufacturing and low funding in recent years has paid off successfully, now that they have received an influx of insurance money from New Orleans, because of the hurricane, and made an alliance with S&S Cycles from Wisconsin.
One former Board Member of Confederate decided to leave the industry after the move to Alabama because he felt it was not right to leave New Orleans, but the company felt it would be better to leave because of the crime rates and the economic down turn. Matt Chambers felt that Birmingham was a better fit and offered a better real estate plan. The company now rents an 8500-square-foot facility.
The economic recession affected Confederate. Due to the high costs of the bikes, and the very limited number of them, sales went down and shares dropped. However, the city of New Orleans has now been trying to lure Confederate back, offering them an estimate of $750,000, as a loan just to return. It is unclear whether or not the company will move again back to Louisiana, but plans have been set for a new warehouse, business office and assembly facility in the New Orleans area. Business can be done cross country between Confederate and S&S by power train transportation in order to make the new Hellcat models.
Given S&S Cycles’ ability to increase production efficiencies, the X132 Hellcat is the best model the company has to offer and is more affordable by the company’s standards. The pricing for the Hellcat is reportedly equivalent to the top ten percent of the Harley-Davidson models.
Brendan Dolan is a freshman at St. Thomas Aquinas College from Queens, New York. He is a Communication Arts major with a concentration in Journalism. After graduation from STAC, Brendan hopes to work for Sports Illustrated as a Sports Writer or in the Entertainment Industry.
One of the fastest growing companies in recent years has one of the fastest products. Confederate Motors is a private motorcycle industry in Birmingham, Alabama. It makes motorcycles named after fighter planes. Founded in 1991 by H. Matthew Chambers, a former trial lawyer, Confederate Motors has brought a unique style to the motorcycle industry, as an initiative seeking “enlightened design through true American inspiration,” as Chambers puts it.
The Company began in 1991 in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. The following year, they moved to San Francisco. Then in 1993 they moved back to Louisiana, but this time in New Orleans. The Hellcat models were the first to be in production, with over five hundred of them issued between 1996 and 2001. In 2001, Confederate filed for bankruptcy. They bounced back in 2003 with a new generation of Hellcats, continuing business in New Orleans. In 2005, the company’s factory was damaged due to Hurricane Katrina.
Plans were then organized for a new factory in Birmingham, Alabama, where they are today. The move to Birmingham was because the city has a strong automotive industry. Another reason is because of the Barber Motorsports Park, a race course which is now the company’s testing ground for new bikes.
 |
| X132 Hellcat |
Lately, the company has taken a huge leap forward. A decline in manufacturing and low funding in recent years has paid off successfully, now that they have received an influx of insurance money from New Orleans, because of the hurricane, and made an alliance with S&S Cycles from Wisconsin.
One former Board Member of Confederate decided to leave the industry after the move to Alabama because he felt it was not right to leave New Orleans, but the company felt it would be better to leave because of the crime rates and the economic down turn. Matt Chambers felt that Birmingham was a better fit and offered a better real estate plan. The company now rents an 8500-square-foot facility.
The economic recession affected Confederate. Due to the high costs of the bikes, and the very limited number of them, sales went down and shares dropped. However, the city of New Orleans has now been trying to lure Confederate back, offering them an estimate of $750,000, as a loan just to return. It is unclear whether or not the company will move again back to Louisiana, but plans have been set for a new warehouse, business office and assembly facility in the New Orleans area. Business can be done cross country between Confederate and S&S by power train transportation in order to make the new Hellcat models.
Given S&S Cycles’ ability to increase production efficiencies, the X132 Hellcat is the best model the company has to offer and is more affordable by the company’s standards. The pricing for the Hellcat is reportedly equivalent to the top ten percent of the Harley-Davidson models.
For more information
www.motorcyclistonline.com/newsandupdates/122_0902_confederate_motor_company_goes_public/index.html
www.superstreetbike.com/scenes/1004_sbkp_confederate_motors_launch_c3_x132_hellcat/index.html
confederate.com/hellcat/benchmarks
www.motorcyclecruiser.com/newsandupdates/1111_crup_convederate_motorcycles_unveils_third_generation_hellcat/index.htmlBrendan Dolan is a freshman at St. Thomas Aquinas College from Queens, New York. He is a Communication Arts major with a concentration in Journalism. After graduation from STAC, Brendan hopes to work for Sports Illustrated as a Sports Writer or in the Entertainment Industry.
Thursday, April 26, 2012
How to Reduce Stress as a College Student
By Michele Beach
If you’re a college student, this is most likely the most stressful time of year for you – finals week. The pressure is on to do well on all of your tests, hand in all of the assignments that are due, write what feels like a 1,000-page essay and, of course, try to have a social life somewhere in there. Between spending countless hours in the library and scrambling to get everything done, it seems that no matter how well you are doing or how early you start to study, there is never enough time in the day.
Think about what college students go through. Many leave home, and have the pressure to obtain high grades in connection with career aspirations, the stress of taking final exams, while trying to establish a romantic and social life, as well as dealing with the very high costs of college and possibly working at a job during the school year. What’s not to stress about!? Perhaps this is why national findings show that based on student’s reflections, there are record levels of poor emotional health among undergraduate students, according to an article in The New York Times published in January 2011.
Stress is a feeling as a reaction to a challenge. Guess what? College is a challenge, life is a challenge. We are faced with challenges every day, so therefore we are faced with stress every day. So, now that we know stress is a part of life, it is important to understand where stress comes from. Step back and identify the stressors in your life and how your attitude, reactions, thoughts and actions might affect these stressors you encounter.
Once you know what stressors are a major factor in your life, you can apply the Four A’s to deal with stress: Avoid the stressor, Alter the stressor, Adapt the stressor, Accept the stressor.
There are many factors that compile a person’s overall emotional health and stress levels. Since stress is a part of life, the healthier you are the more able you are to manage stressors in your life. Constant stress can weaken the body’s immune system, which can cause another stressor in your life, so it is important to maintain a stable wellness lifestyle in order manage the approach to stress.
There are numerous ways to help balance and reduce stress, but there are certain components of stress management that work most efficiently for college students, according to the University of Georgia and HelpCenter.org.
Attitude. Attitude is a little thing that makes a big difference. How you think and react to situations can make all the difference. Each time you think a negative though about yourself, your body reacts similar to a tension-filled situation. Next time you are in a stressful situation, take a step back and try to change the way you think in order to reduce your emotional reaction of what is going on. Adjusting your attitude can have a profound effect of your emotional and physical well being.
Being Healthy. A healthy mind needs a healthy body. Although this might seem impossible as a college student, there are ways to keep up your physical activity with a conscious mind of good nutrition habits. Daily multi-vitamins are a great way to keep up your energy and immune system. Since stress can weaken the immune system and can cause the body to be susceptible to catching a cold or virus, it is in your best interest to keep your body healthy even when your under stress. Simple physical activity can release endorphins into your body, which we all know are the “feel good hormone” produced in the brain. Just an easy 20-minute walk a day can increase your energy, improve sleep, self confidence and, as a little side note – walking also increases your longevity.
Relax. What’s the word mean again? To be calm, serene, worry and stress free. Get familiar with relaxation, because there are several techniques anyone can apply to their life to significantly reduce stress. By nurturing yourself and rewarding yourself with some relaxing time or even something fun (imagine that!), you can actually reduce stressors in your life. Relaxation techniques are usually a personal preference, depending on your personality, but some good activities include: having a cup of tea, listening to music, spending time outdoors, getting a massage or indulging in a delicious treat. Another great way to relax is to build connections; having a long talk with someone special, going out with a friend or playing with a pet are great ways for your mind and body to let loose and emotionally reward yourself.
For more information:
www.womenshealth.gov/publications/our-publications/fact-sheet/stress-your-health.cfm#moreInfo
www.uhs.uga.edu/stress/wellnesslifestyle.html
www.helpguide.org/mental/stress_management_relief_coping.htm
healthcare.careercast.com/
www.psychologytoday.com/blog/the-campus/201110/stress-in-college-students
www.nytimes.com/2011/01/27/education/27colleges.html?_r=1
Michele Beach is a junior at St. Thomas Aquinas College, where her major is Biology and she is studying Communication Arts. She would love to combine her two interests as a future career. Michele has been Class of 2013 officer for three years; she is currently the President. She is also the Public Relations Officer of the Science Club. Michele is a member of the Laetare Players, where she has been in three of the school musical performances. Michele has enjoyed her time in the STAC community and can’t wait for the experiences that await her as a senior.
If you’re a college student, this is most likely the most stressful time of year for you – finals week. The pressure is on to do well on all of your tests, hand in all of the assignments that are due, write what feels like a 1,000-page essay and, of course, try to have a social life somewhere in there. Between spending countless hours in the library and scrambling to get everything done, it seems that no matter how well you are doing or how early you start to study, there is never enough time in the day.
Think about what college students go through. Many leave home, and have the pressure to obtain high grades in connection with career aspirations, the stress of taking final exams, while trying to establish a romantic and social life, as well as dealing with the very high costs of college and possibly working at a job during the school year. What’s not to stress about!? Perhaps this is why national findings show that based on student’s reflections, there are record levels of poor emotional health among undergraduate students, according to an article in The New York Times published in January 2011.
Stress is a feeling as a reaction to a challenge. Guess what? College is a challenge, life is a challenge. We are faced with challenges every day, so therefore we are faced with stress every day. So, now that we know stress is a part of life, it is important to understand where stress comes from. Step back and identify the stressors in your life and how your attitude, reactions, thoughts and actions might affect these stressors you encounter.
Once you know what stressors are a major factor in your life, you can apply the Four A’s to deal with stress: Avoid the stressor, Alter the stressor, Adapt the stressor, Accept the stressor.
There are many factors that compile a person’s overall emotional health and stress levels. Since stress is a part of life, the healthier you are the more able you are to manage stressors in your life. Constant stress can weaken the body’s immune system, which can cause another stressor in your life, so it is important to maintain a stable wellness lifestyle in order manage the approach to stress.
There are numerous ways to help balance and reduce stress, but there are certain components of stress management that work most efficiently for college students, according to the University of Georgia and HelpCenter.org.
Attitude. Attitude is a little thing that makes a big difference. How you think and react to situations can make all the difference. Each time you think a negative though about yourself, your body reacts similar to a tension-filled situation. Next time you are in a stressful situation, take a step back and try to change the way you think in order to reduce your emotional reaction of what is going on. Adjusting your attitude can have a profound effect of your emotional and physical well being.
Being Healthy. A healthy mind needs a healthy body. Although this might seem impossible as a college student, there are ways to keep up your physical activity with a conscious mind of good nutrition habits. Daily multi-vitamins are a great way to keep up your energy and immune system. Since stress can weaken the immune system and can cause the body to be susceptible to catching a cold or virus, it is in your best interest to keep your body healthy even when your under stress. Simple physical activity can release endorphins into your body, which we all know are the “feel good hormone” produced in the brain. Just an easy 20-minute walk a day can increase your energy, improve sleep, self confidence and, as a little side note – walking also increases your longevity.
Relax. What’s the word mean again? To be calm, serene, worry and stress free. Get familiar with relaxation, because there are several techniques anyone can apply to their life to significantly reduce stress. By nurturing yourself and rewarding yourself with some relaxing time or even something fun (imagine that!), you can actually reduce stressors in your life. Relaxation techniques are usually a personal preference, depending on your personality, but some good activities include: having a cup of tea, listening to music, spending time outdoors, getting a massage or indulging in a delicious treat. Another great way to relax is to build connections; having a long talk with someone special, going out with a friend or playing with a pet are great ways for your mind and body to let loose and emotionally reward yourself.
For more information:
www.womenshealth.gov/publications/our-publications/fact-sheet/stress-your-health.cfm#moreInfo
www.uhs.uga.edu/stress/wellnesslifestyle.html
www.helpguide.org/mental/stress_management_relief_coping.htm
healthcare.careercast.com/
www.psychologytoday.com/blog/the-campus/201110/stress-in-college-students
www.nytimes.com/2011/01/27/education/27colleges.html?_r=1
Michele Beach is a junior at St. Thomas Aquinas College, where her major is Biology and she is studying Communication Arts. She would love to combine her two interests as a future career. Michele has been Class of 2013 officer for three years; she is currently the President. She is also the Public Relations Officer of the Science Club. Michele is a member of the Laetare Players, where she has been in three of the school musical performances. Michele has enjoyed her time in the STAC community and can’t wait for the experiences that await her as a senior.
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