One Day On Earth

By: Nic Yonter

Feels Like The First Time

By: Nic Yonter

Every four years a large event happens in the Unites States of America. No, it’s not the Summer or Winter Olympics or even the World Cup, it is the election. More and more people seem to be participating in the elections, which is a good thing for the voice of the people.

An exciting time for young people is to become a part of that voice. Scouring the globe for new voting members, the task seemed not to be too difficult, especially on a college campus. The enthusiasm was high in the three people who shared their experiences with voting for the very first time. They seemed to be educated on the politics much more than even some people who are much more seasoned at the voting game. Something that was new for returning voters and first-time voters was the new technologies.
These new technologies are making the voting process easier. At many voting polls there are now touchscreens to cast your votes. This helped with the time people had to stand in line to vote. The high amount of people still made it where it took a while to get in and vote, but the new touchscreens sped up the process and there are sure to be even more new ideas to speed up the next election.
Barack Obama must be a fan of the new voting method, as he is returning to office for his second term. Obama’s win margin ended up being a blowout. According to CNN, he won on the Electoral College, 332-206. The popular vote was much closer as Obama won that one 51%-48%. The actual votes counted for each candidate was 62,284,362 for Obama and 58,906,319 for Romney.

Make A Difference Day

 

By: Nic Yonter

 

 

 

Coming Out On Top At Casino Night

By: Nic Yonter

The chips of a Avila student on Casino Night

            Any frequent casino goer will tell you that if you don’t lose any money, you have had a successful night. For many Avila Students, this was the case on the night of Oct. 25.

            This event was sponsored by GAP and had the theme of zombies. It was held in the Whitfield Conference Room and there was a general feeling of being at a casino. The beauty of the night was that all of the chips were free and you could buy back in for most of the night.

            Many tables were set up for students to try their luck with. There were blackjack tables, Texas Hold ‘em tables, and a roulette table. The dealers kept the feeling of being at a real table and almost all students came out on top. The correlation between the chips and the prizes that were handed out at the end of the night was that $1000 was equal to one ticket. The students could place their tickets in various buckets for the raffle.

            In addition to the tables, there was a place to enter where you would stand inside while paper would fly around and you would try to retrieve as much as possible. Each slip of paper had a different value. Most pieces were worth one and some were labeled five. There were even a couple that had the value of 25; these were pieces of gold for those participating. Those values translated to the amount of tickets you could get for the raffle.

            The raffle was a big spectators event that was held at the conclusion of the night. There were many chances for prizes for those that had tickets to put in. Some of the prizes were gift cards to places like Applebee’s, Subway, IHOP, iTunes, and there was a raffle for cold hard cash. Then the raffle moved on to buckets that had a collector’s edition of various movies that had the theme of Halloween. There were also two baskets of things for the shower, for men and women. Lastly, the big prizes included a GPS, a microwave, and a Wii remote.

            Students also had the luxury of food being provided. There were chicken nuggets, chips and dip, apple with caramel, and a vegetable tray for those that wanted to eat healthy. The night seemed to be a success and the Avila students had the opportunity to be social while learning how to play casino games that may be usual later on in life.

Life At the Quad

By: Nic Yonter

Students at the AU Kickoff. Photo taken by Avila University Facebook.

            Avila University is home to a great sculpture, the Quad. The Quad is a place where many people converse and share how their days are going.

            Also, many people just sit and relax and enjoy the beauty of being outdoors.

            "It's nice. It's pretty calm there. It's very peaceful. You know you can sit there and nothing is going to bother you. There is a nice waterfall there that I enjoy that is very tranquil. It's a nice and relaxing place to go. Sometime I walk there and stop to talk to friends and sometimes I just hang out there," said Hunter Peel.

            Peel is a freshman soccer player for Avila University.

            "I like it. I go there and hang out with friends there sometimes. I find it enjoyable. The waterfall and trees are nice as well," said Tappei Kurihara.

            Kurihara is a student at Avila University and is new to the United States.

            Some people have stories about their experiences at the Quad and enjoy the vibe of being at this place to get together.

            "I would like to take you on a virtual journey of my day. I'm a freshman at Avila and hop out of bed for my early morning class. I'm in a hurry, so I throw on some sweats, some shoes, a hoodie, maybe my wallet, and hopefully I remember my key. I run to the cafeteria and get stopped by this circle. This circle is dropping little driblets of liquid sunshine. I am taken by its beauty. The journey between classes to the quad bring me peace," said Aaron Arnzen.

            The Quad gives students here at Avila friendship, alone time, and peace. It is truly one of the most intriguing spots on campus.

BSU Prepares for Presidential Debate

By: Nic Yonter

Attendees of first meeting.

Officers elected for this edition of BSU.

Officers discussing ideas.

     With 18 people attending the first meeting, BSU seems primed for a big year. On this day, the organization was announcing the officers that had been previously voted on.

     The main topic of discussion of the meeting was the events that would be hosted by BSU over this upcoming academic year. Some of the events included the annual BSU social, which is where Avila connects with other groups from other schools with the purpose of meeting new people, the gospel fest, where singers and dancers come to Avila to give a taste of something different than the usual mass, and the debate between the presidential candidates that takes place on Oct. 3. With the large number of attendees at this meeting, BSU is confident this will be directly proportional to their success.

     “I’m pretty excited about this year. If participation stays like it was at this meeting, we will have a very successful year,” said Cierra Coleman.

     “I think we are off to a very good start. As long as our participation stays up and stay committed, we will be a great group on campus,” said Adrian Foster.

     Coleman has been elected president and Foster serves as the treasurer.

     The debate on Oct. 3 will include refreshments and a time for discussion after the dispute has concluded. This event on campus, along with others is something that is exciting for the group.

     “I think it was a pretty successful meeting. We learned about a lot of events going on around campus and who all of our cabinet are,” said Elijah Ming.

     “I think we will be a good organization this year. We will have our hands in more things on campus this year and it is going to be all good,” said LeAnn Harrison.

     Ming is the vice president this year and Harrison is the secretary.

            

Learning About the World Through Food

By: Nic Yonter

 

Food from the Ethnic Food & Culture Celebration.

     Free food! This is a term that college students will go to extreme lengths to obtain. That explains the turnout for the Ethnic Food & Culture Celebration that was held on September 20, 2012.
     The event was held from 11:30 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. and was in the Marian Dining Hall. The dining hall was filled with students who were hungry and ready to learn about the different cultures. A vast majority of the students enjoyed their time at the event.
     “It was good. It was interesting to have a completely different variety than the cafeteria for once. I enjoyed the spaghetti and meatballs the most, which isn’t necessarily something that is uncommon. I also liked the Mexican cuisine; it was tasty as well. I did like the music involved too,” said Ryan Nace.
     Nace is a freshman at Avila University and is a member of the football team.
     “I thought it was enjoyable. I did get my picture taken and I was excited by that. It was on Facebook and I was tagged in it. I tried all types of foods. I tried a spring roll, some sushi, and a salad with Italian dressing. I also had spaghetti and meatballs that was very good. The tables were nicely decorated and I learned a lot about the cultures there. The person I talked to said that Saturday and Sunday were work days. I liked the band too,” said Alex Ghan.
     Ghan is a freshman at Avila University.
     “I thought it was pretty neat. We got to see other foods that other cultures get to eat. I think it is a good idea to get different cultures and ethnicities together, especially here at Avila. The tree and ants was my favorite food there,” said Andy Meyers.
     Meyers is a freshman at Avila University and is a member of the football team as well.
     This was an event that brought the students of Avila together through food while mixing in facts about various parts of the world.