Up North to Down South: The Transition

Posted on by niamariso

At Lynchburg College located in Lynchburg, Virginia, there are many students from both southern and northern states but travelling down south is indeed a culture shock for many northern students. Due to the differences between northern norms opposed to southern norms, some of the students at Lynchburg College take a while to get adapted to this change.

Shataya Woods is a Junior at Lynchburg College and she spoke on the culture shocks that she faced after moving from Providence, Rhode Island to attend LC.

Woods stated, “I would definitely say the biggest culture shock was the way that people talked here. The “y’all” and “innit” instead of “isn’t””.

Aaron Smalls is a Senior at LC who travels 8-9 hours from Queens, New York to get to Lynchburg. Smalls experienced many culture shocks as well and admitted to the fact that it was very hard for him to adjust to a new city as a freshman; especially one down south.

“It was really hard for me to adjust. To begin, the nightlife here is “absent”. In other words there aren’t any clubs, school concerts, off campus events, that our school sponsors. To adjust and cope I tried to make LC like home. So I tend to throw a lot of parties at my house on Saturdays so that fellow students can have something fun to do,” stated Smalls.

The language barrier and the lack of entertainment both proved to be a struggle for students from northern states. Along with these, having to travel multiple hours to go home and see your family is both expensive and a hassle, especially if it’s just for a short period of time. Alisha Clark is a Senior at LC from West Haven Connecticut and she too struggled with moving from up north to down south for school. Clark however, faced more problems when it came to being away from her family.

Clark stated, “It wasn’t really hard adjusting to a small town. It was just like being away from family that was hard. So like, I guess to adjust I spent a lot of weekends at my sister’s house in Roanoke, which is an hour away. I talked to my mom every day for at least an hour.”

Many northern students have a difficult time adjusting to the distance, along with the different norms that are posed in Lynchburg. However, there are some things that made it easier for northern students to enjoy the south.

“I did not realize before coming to Lynchburg how friendly people were and someone who may barely know you is willing to go out of their way for you no questions asked and is willing to help you out if you ever need anything,” stated Marie Lederer ‘17 from Ewing, New Jersey.

Woods also spoke on how she did not realize how beautiful Lynchburg was until her later years in college. She felt that it was important to take in the beauty of the city and try not to think of the negative aspects when you can enjoy the positive ones.

“As the years have gone on, I have noticed that there are so many nice areas in Lynchburg. The area right around our school isn’t the nicest but there are some very beautiful parts of town. And of course, I still love seeing the mountains in the morning,” Woods stated.

Lynchburg College is home to students from many different states and countries. Students sometimes struggle to adjust to cultural changes and geographical differences but once adapted, the experience becomes one not easily forgettable.

Woods stated, “I would definitely say enjoy it now and appreciate all of the good things. It’s not easy being here in the beginning but try to get out and go places. Explore Virginia and learn to love it because home will always be there waiting for you. Look at the mountains, go hiking, go to farms and just enjoy the country because you may never get this opportunity again.”

Tremendous Campbell-Scott (Prichard, Alabama) speaks on Southern Lingo

Geno Smith Out With Broken Jaw

Posted on by niamariso

After being sucker punched in the locker room by teammate Ik Enemkpali, New York Jets’ quarterback Geno Smith will be out for six to ten weeks with a broken jaw.

According to head coach Todd Bowles, Smith will require surgery to fix his jaw and referred to the punch as “childish”, resulting in the team release of Enemkpali.

With Geno out until October, a lot of Jets fans (including myself) are not only pissed off that the whole altercation happened but we’re also thinking “what next?”.

Ryan Fitzpatrick is listed behind Smith as next in line to start but will he be able to step up to the plate when the season begins?

Geno, heal up fast and Fitzpatrick, practice hard.

Panthers Preseason Scuffle

Posted on by niamariso

Cam Newton and Josh Norman of the Carolina Panthers got into a little scuffle during practice today after quarterback Newton tackled cornerback Norman who had intercepted his pass attempt.

According to coach Ron Rivera, the scuffle began after Norman gave Newton a stiff arm after the play was over.

“What happened was Cam got stiff-armed in the helmet, and that’s where that escalated. The big thing we have to understand is: ‘Hey, you’re going to get stiff-armed. You’ve just got to handle it,” stated Rivera.

The two had to be broken up by teammates and even after the scuffle was over, comments were heard coming from Newton towards Norman.

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“Hit me like that again and you’ll know something,” Newton stated. Followed by “I bet you wont do that again.”

Supposedly Newton and Norman have been making sly comments towards each other for the past week but coach Rivera didn’t think that a scuffle like this would occur during practice. He stated that he expects some fights during this time of training camp and rightfully so. The players are all trying to earn their spots as starters.

However, Rivera wasn’t too pleased with his quarterback’s actions due to the fact that he could’ve easily gotten hurt.

Needless to say, I’m sure everyone is happy that this happened now instead of deeper into the season; including coach Rivera.

“The big thing about it is you’ve got to handle it, because it will happen in a game,” Rivera said. “You’ve got to learn when you get to this situation, you deal with it, you handle it, you cope with it and come back better than the next time.

Following practice, neither Norman nor Newton were able to talk to reporters but coach Rivera spent a noticeably longer time speaking to the team than usual as they huddled in the middle of the field.

Usually people view the quarterback as the head of the team, the captain, the one everyone looks up to and sometimes that makes them somewhat “big-headed” in the eyes of others.

Rivera said he hopes that players ultimately took from the incident that Newton is “like any of us.”

Hopefully this will be the first and last practice scuffle for the Panthers and they can continue on into a smooth a successful season.

Lebron James Signs Deal With Warner Bros.

Posted on by niamariso

NBA superstar, Lebron James and his entertainment company SpringHill Entertainment have officially signed a deal with Warner Bros.

Coming off of his successful role in the movie “Trainwreck”, this deal will allow James to be apart of all the creative aspects when it comes to studio work. This includes deriving plans for television projects, film, and original digital content.

“LeBron James has one of the most powerful, well-known brands in the world and we are excited to be in business with him and his partner, Maverick Carter, and SpringHill Entertainment,” said Kevin Tsujihara, Chairman and CEO, Warner Bros.

So far we know a lot about what James will be doing behind the scenes but exactly how much work will he be doing on screen?

A month ago the Warner Bros. filed new trademarks for “Space Jam”. On July 22, they signed with James and SpringHill Entertainment. Could this just be a coincidence or is a childhood favorite coming back into play with James as the new Jordan?

“Connecting with my fans and telling meaningful stories have always been my passion. In everything I’ve done, from Nike commercials to Uninterrupted and Survivor’s Remorse, it’s always about connecting with people of all ages and providing unique content they can all enjoy,” said James. “And I’ve always loved movies, which makes Warner Bros. the ultimate partner to help us continue to push the envelope. I can’t wait to see what we come up with.”

There have been plenty of rumors going around that James may be the star of a “Space Jam 2” but all of the fans will have to wait and see if these rumors are actually true.

With one of the NBA’s best players paired up with one of the best entertainment companies in America; how could you go wrong? James may not have gotten another ring this past season but he will definitely be successful with this team.

Selfie Stick: The Helpful Hazard

Posted on by niamariso

Today’s generation loves to record every moment by taking selfies and what’s more convenient than to use a selfie stick? However, certain places are now banning the use of selfie sticks due to their hazardous ways.

In the beginning of July, Disney banned selfie sticks from all of their theme parks worldwide. This rule was enforced following an incident where a person pulled out their selfie stick mid roller coaster ride at Disney California Adventure. Following this, the ride was shut down temporarily.

One would think that any person in their right mind wouldn’t pull out a selfie stick on a rollercoaster due to the possible dangers it could pose. However, it’s evident that some don’t think about those dangers, therefore ruining the fun for future park goers who want to capture their memories on the ground rather than hundreds of feet in the air.

Theme parks are just an addition to the list of places that are banning the selfie stick. Other places include museums all over the U.S such as Boston’s Museum of Fine Arts, New York’s Museum of Modern Art, Cooper-Hewitt Design Museum, The Guggenheim Museum and many more.

Banning selfie sticks at museums is pretty reasonable. By raising your arm in excitement to get this great photo, one might accidentally knock over a precious statue of King Tut, smothering it into a million little pieces, or tear a painting of Mona Lisa, no longer showing her with a smile but a frown instead.

The banishment of selfie sticks in museums is one hundred percent justifiable but what about some of these other places on the list?

The Colosseum in Rome, the Coachella music festival, Emirates Stadium in London and every single soccer stadium in Brazil are also on the list just to name a few. Some of these venues have photography regulations that people tend to ignore just to capture that “perfect photo and other places are concerned about the safety of others in the same vicinity. One can agree that in someplace as confined as a soccer stadium, pulling out a selfie stick can get in the way of people trying to watch the game and can accidentally whack the nearby vendor selling cotton candy and cracker jacks.

Undoubtedly, using a selfie stick is a lot less strenuous than trying to capture a picture the “old-fashioned” way. Not to mention their great for capturing everyone and everything behind you. However, to avoid the banishment of selfie sticks everywhere, owners of the stick should really begin to think twice about where they are and who their around before snapping that next shot.

Calendar Grand Slam

Posted on by niamariso

Serena Williams is currently the most outstanding player in the Women’s Tennis Association (WTA) and she is on her way to accomplishing a feat even more outstanding; a calendar Grand Slam.

A calendar Grand Slam is achieved when a player wins all four Grand Slam events consecutively in the same calendar year. These four tournaments consist of the Australian Open, the French Open, Wimbledon and the US Open. After defeating Spaniard Garbine Muguruza at Wimbledon, Williams has only the US Open standing in between her and the coveted Grand Slam.

When it comes to holders of the calendar Grand Slam, there have been only five tennis players in history to accomplish one. On the men’s side Don Budge and Ron Laver; on the women’s side there are three: Maureen Connolly Brinker, Margaret Court, and Steffi Graf. If Williams wins the US Open she will be the first since Graf to join this prestigious club.

Tennis itself is a difficult sport that requires a lot of stamina, agility, and more from its players. Going through these tournaments players face different surfaces such as grass, clay, and hard court: each one providing its own challenges. However, Williams has been able to prove herself on all of these with a remarkable 21-4 Grand Slam record.

The fact that only five players have achieved the feat of a calendar Grand Slam shows its true difficulty to obtain. Especially when these tournaments originated more than 100 years ago.

With the American fans behind her, there’s no doubt in my mind that Serena Williams will win the US Open yet again and be the next out of the very few; calendar Grand Slam winners.

The $60 Million Hand

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Jason Pierre-Paul (JPP), a defensive end of the New York Giants had his right index finger amputated on July 8th after a tragic firework accident on July 4th.

JPP has been a strong asset to the Giants with a career high-forced fumbles (3) in the 2014 season along with his second highest amount of sacks (12.5). However, with an absent index finger and a severely fractured thumb, will JPP be able to prove himself this upcoming season as a Giant?

As many football fans, players, and coaches know, the index finger is crucial in both the 3-point stance and the 4-point stance. However, Jason Cole of Bleacher Report spoke to a pair of doctors as one of them stated, “For the purpose of grabbing, pulling and tackling, the index finger is not as important as the [middle finger and ring finger].”

Doctors say that the injury could have been a lot worse but the serious lack of proper judgment in the situation may have caused JPP a lot more than just his index finger.

NFL Network’s Ian Rapport reported the Giants pulled a $60 million offer to Pierre-Paul because of the fireworks accident. According to the New York Post’s Mark Cannizzaro, that was untrue. However, it doesn’t really matter due to the fact that JPP probably wouldn’t have accepted due to the fact that he could have gotten better offers…. before the accident.

According to Rapport, JPP “could be back in fewer than two months.” However, will he return as the same JPP that that the Giants defense needs and if not, will any other team be willing to give him a chance? This can all be summed up to say that Pierre-Paul made a very poor decision, which may or may not affect his future in the NFL.

Tom Brady: Deflategate

Posted on by niamariso

Super Bowl XLIX was one to remember. The New England Patriots and the Seattle Seahawks facing off in Glendale Arizona to see which team would be “going to Disney World” as the Super Bowl champions.

The Seahawks had demolished the Denver Broncos in Super Bowl XLVIII winning 43-8; therefore having a realm of confidence when entering the field to face the Patriots. The Patriots hadn’t won a Super Bowl since 2005 and Tom Brady was eager to add a fourth ring to his previous three. However, did he go about getting to this Super Bowl in the wrong way?

An NFL football is supposed to weigh a minimum of 12.5 pounds per square inch. However, official’s locker room attendant, Jim McNally deflated balls specifically for Brady’s use; a scandal now known as “Deflategate.” Given memorabilia by equipment assistant John Jastremski, McNally had no problem deflating the footballs for Brady to use in the AFC championship game against the Indianapolis Colts on January 18, 2015.

What makes this situation even more unethical is the fact that Tom Brady knew about the deflation of the footballs. One would think that a man who already had three rings, two Super Bowl MVP titles, and is considered by most to be the best current quarterback in the NFL, would have a little more dignity. However, it seems as if his desperation to reach Super Bowl XLIX proved the complete opposite.

Due to the deflation of the footballs, the NFL put Brady on a four game suspension with no pay for the upcoming season; therefore missing week one against the Steelers, week two against the Bills, week three against the Jaguars and due to week four being a bye week, week five against the Cowboys. Not only did they suspend Brady but the Patriots organization was charged with a one million dollar fine and also lost their first round pick in the 2016 draft along with their fourth round pick in the 2017 draft.

Some say that the punishment is a little extreme while others think that it fits the crime. The NFL wants people to know that the Patriots are subject to punishment just like any other team in the league: even if your quarterback is Tom Brady.

In fact, this isn’t the first time the New England Patriots had bent the rules to get an advantage. In 2007, the NFL fined the Patriots and head coach Bill Belichick after they found out that a Patriots staff member was videotaping signals by New York Jets coaches during a game. Due to this, the Patriots had to forfeit a first round draft pick along with being fined $250,000 as an organization and Belichick being fined $500,000. It all sounds a little bit familiar doesn’t it?

One week before defeating the Seahawks in the Super Bowl (28-24) Tom Brady felt as though the allegations were personal as he stated, “It’s all speculation,” Brady said. “I’ve tried to wrap my head around it, too. I’ve done that and I’m trying to move past that, because I continue to try to rehash things. I personalized a lot of things and thought this was all about me, and my feelings got hurt.”

Brady now having finished his appeal of the four game suspensions is waiting to hear back from the league. However, sources say that he should not hear of any decisions until late July. Will this decide the fate of the Patriots upcoming season? I highly doubt it.

Hello world!

Posted on by niamariso

My name is Nia Mariso and this is my first time being on Word Press. I hope to use this blogging site to connect with others and to use it as an outlet to let out my thoughts about whatever it is that is relevant in the world! Whether it’s sports, politics, celebrity gossip, and more; if it’s out there I’ll be writing about it. I can’t wait to connect with more bloggers and hopefully all of you will enjoy my posts. Feel free to comment and give feedback or just start up a conversation about any of the articles I post. Until then…

Happy blogging!