Women's Soccer
Men's Basketball
Monday, April 18, 2011
Talent Show
Okayyyy so last night was the Pilot Talent Show and needless to say the night was left with a lot of people a little unsatisfied. Last year the women's soccer team took home the title and this year it happened to be men's basketball. Now we all love men's basketball but there performance was arguable for the win. Men's tennis through quite the rock concert, JR Bunda sank girls hearts with his singing, and men's cross country had people laughing out of their seats. Emma Nelson said "I don't even care that we didn't win, I just don't feel as though they shoulda won." Luke Sikma even said it on stage himself that "men's cross country was personally my favorite." I think of lot of the people in the crowd felt this way as well. I thought it would be fun to compare the defending champs performance with the new champs...
Women's Soccer
Women's Soccer
Tuesday, April 12, 2011
Mom's Weekend
The women's soccer team recently added on a new tradition...MOM'S WEEKEND! The weekend entails a series of events that keeps the moms entertained. This year we had quite the experience attending Marrakesh for a Moroccan dinner followed by a gathering at Sarah Bridges' home. The team wanted to dedicate this video to our mom's :)
Sunday, April 10, 2011
Pub Crawl
View Pub Crawl in a larger map
(please view this in a larger map so you can see the details)
As we all know the annual Pub Crawl is coming up. For people like me who just turned 21,have never been on it, and don't really know the details. Therefore, I have provided all of us UP students with a map of where to stop on this lovely adventure. The Crawl starts on Wednesday, May 4 2011. This has been a tradition for many years and will hopefully continue on for many to come. Apparently you are supposed to get with a group of people and make shirts or something?? All I know is I see lots of funny pictures posted on Facebook after this event and it seems like a good time. I hope to see everyone out there in a couple of weeks :)!
Friday, April 8, 2011
Need a Break?
Need a break from homework? Wanna get out of that boring dorm room and be entertained by Moroccan belly dancers?
In that case...Merrakesh is the place for you! This place has everything! The environment is awesome and it will put all your worries aside. I walked in and right away the lightening made my body go from tight and stressed to extreme relaxation. You sit on low to the floor on hassocks and eat with your hands. Yes, that's right, I said eat with your hands. This is not like a Chinese restaurant when you can ask for forks and knifes instead of chop sticks, it is straight hands or get the h*** outta here! Micaela Capelle attended Merrakesh and thought "this place is amazing! It is definitely hard to get past the norm of not eating with utensils." The belly dancer was hilarious, she even made me get up and learn how to belly dance with her. "I never knew my daughter could dance like that!!!" said Heather McCluskie. "I had quite the experience." I apologize for the quality of this video below but the lighting in there was really dark...I learned how to belly dance so please take the time to watch the video all the way through :)
But honestly, overall...the food is awesomazing (yes awesome + amazing) and you definitely get your money's worth. It is a 5 course meal and lemme tell you, it is one of those meals that you gotta unbutton your pants by the time you get to the last course. Seriously it is a perfect place for a college student to get out of the commons food and see how food and culture can brighten your day :)
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| photo by me |
In that case...Merrakesh is the place for you! This place has everything! The environment is awesome and it will put all your worries aside. I walked in and right away the lightening made my body go from tight and stressed to extreme relaxation. You sit on low to the floor on hassocks and eat with your hands. Yes, that's right, I said eat with your hands. This is not like a Chinese restaurant when you can ask for forks and knifes instead of chop sticks, it is straight hands or get the h*** outta here! Micaela Capelle attended Merrakesh and thought "this place is amazing! It is definitely hard to get past the norm of not eating with utensils." The belly dancer was hilarious, she even made me get up and learn how to belly dance with her. "I never knew my daughter could dance like that!!!" said Heather McCluskie. "I had quite the experience." I apologize for the quality of this video below but the lighting in there was really dark...I learned how to belly dance so please take the time to watch the video all the way through :)
But honestly, overall...the food is awesomazing (yes awesome + amazing) and you definitely get your money's worth. It is a 5 course meal and lemme tell you, it is one of those meals that you gotta unbutton your pants by the time you get to the last course. Seriously it is a perfect place for a college student to get out of the commons food and see how food and culture can brighten your day :)
Thursday, April 7, 2011
Outsiders
I think it is pretty safe to say that if you are not from Portland or if you haven't spent a good amount of time in Portland then you may be in for a culture shock. Portland is a "different" place. When I describe Portland to people I always say "You can be whoever you want to be here and you will be accepted." The atmosphere here is different. As my mum always says, "Portland is filled with granola tree hugger people." Whatever that means...but seriously, Portland is green, in EVERY way they can be.
I met up with some "outsiders" as you would call it and asked for their opinions of Portland. These outsiders were from Malibu and play baseball for Pepperdine. They were here to play our baseball team this weekend and my friend Ellen Parker knew some of the players. Ryan is a junior at Pepperdine and is originally from Arizona so his first comment was that it is "f***ing cold here!" It was funny because today just happened to be a "nice" day in Portland. Brian, also from a warm city (San Diego) could not understand why people would live here..."it rains all the time, I don't get why people like this." When they went down to 23rd they were really in for a treat. Brian was very intrigued by all of the Portlanders walking around. He saw someone stripping on the street, someone doing a weird dance, and a man walking around with an oar in his hand. Needless to say, Portland is entertaining. Ryan kept on saying "I could honestly just sit here and watch people for hours." I explained to him how I sometimes take time out of my day to go downtown just to people watch. I don't see it as a waste of time, but as being productive. Do you know how interesting people are? It's crazy! After being on 23rd for quite some time Ryan and Brian finally began to understand Portland a little more. We laughed about how their baseball games will potentially, most likely be canceled due the rain.
Portland is WEIRD, so much so that it is written on the side of a building in downtown Portland..so much so that there are bumper stickers that read "Keep Portland Weird" everyone knows it and that is why they love it here; I mean, that's why I love it here. If Portland wasn't weird then I don't know what it would be....
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| photo by me |
I met up with some "outsiders" as you would call it and asked for their opinions of Portland. These outsiders were from Malibu and play baseball for Pepperdine. They were here to play our baseball team this weekend and my friend Ellen Parker knew some of the players. Ryan is a junior at Pepperdine and is originally from Arizona so his first comment was that it is "f***ing cold here!" It was funny because today just happened to be a "nice" day in Portland. Brian, also from a warm city (San Diego) could not understand why people would live here..."it rains all the time, I don't get why people like this." When they went down to 23rd they were really in for a treat. Brian was very intrigued by all of the Portlanders walking around. He saw someone stripping on the street, someone doing a weird dance, and a man walking around with an oar in his hand. Needless to say, Portland is entertaining. Ryan kept on saying "I could honestly just sit here and watch people for hours." I explained to him how I sometimes take time out of my day to go downtown just to people watch. I don't see it as a waste of time, but as being productive. Do you know how interesting people are? It's crazy! After being on 23rd for quite some time Ryan and Brian finally began to understand Portland a little more. We laughed about how their baseball games will potentially, most likely be canceled due the rain.
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| google images |
Portland is WEIRD, so much so that it is written on the side of a building in downtown Portland..so much so that there are bumper stickers that read "Keep Portland Weird" everyone knows it and that is why they love it here; I mean, that's why I love it here. If Portland wasn't weird then I don't know what it would be....
Sunday, April 3, 2011
Weather's April Fool's Joke?
Since August the weather has been nothing but (as an Arizonan would describe) TERRIBLE! This April Fool's, the weather felt as though it was a good idea to play a prank on Portland by bringing us the hottest day of the year so far. NOT OKAY. The University of Portland turned around; our school looked like a fun place to be with people outside barbecuing and playing games outside. People in front of Fields and Schoenfeldt were launching water balloons and people were walking around in dresses and shorts with smiles on their faces.
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| photo by me |
Tell me why the weather has such a huge impact on us? People come out of their caves and all the whiteness is finally exposed to that beautiful thing we call the sun. I swear my hair has gotten darker and my Vitamin D dosage is in need. I now understand this thing called seasonal depression. I went around school and asked some people how they felt about this funny prank from the sky.
“I was really happy when the sun came out because I’ve been really low on vitamin D.” –Ellen Parker
Well Ellen, as a word of advice… go back to the sun. According to About.com there are two main ways of receiving Vitamin D: expose to sunlight and drinking one cup of vitamin D fortified milk (this supplies about one-fourth of the estimated daily need). But Natural Home Remedies explains that even though drinking a glass of milk daily is a good way to increase your Vitamin D intake; the best source is still the sun.
“I’m definitely more hyper/excited/enthusiastic/productive when the sun’s out.” –Kaileah Balwin
I would have to agree with Kaileah. I am a way more exciting person when the sun it out. I think many people would agree! While I was reading on the Mayo Clinic, I saw an article about seasonal depression and how addressing the problem can help you keep your mood and motivation steady throughout the year. So maybe that’s what’s wrong with us??
“I’m going to have to buy a happy lamp pretty soon…” –Monica Kendall
Yes! I looked up these “happy lamps” and I found that exposure to a ‘light bath’ received from a Philips EnergyLight can restore the well being and energy levels that you feel in summer.
“Got a little glimpse of what we could have but we don’t…it was a sad realization.” –Arianna Nassib
Ugh…I hate this. I looked at weather.com for the 10-day forecast and it looks like we’ve got a high of 46, 45, 45, 40, 37, 38, 41, 47, 47, 44… Sad.
“There was sunshine and then misty rain within the same hour…never a dull moment with weather in the Pacific NW!” –Andriana Alexis
Ya know, Andriana I sometimes wish there were some dull moments where I knew what the weather was going to be like, that way I wouldn’t have to change my outfits one hundred times!
Sunday, March 27, 2011
“Spring”ing into Action
It’s that time of year where spring is back. It’s the time of year for fresh beginnings, new starts, and tons and tons of sports. March Madness is winding down for college basketball, professional baseball is getting into full swing, and UP’s fall sports are getting underway. While the basketball teams have finished their seasons, the fall sports teams at UP start their spring schedules this weekend!
I’ll focus on soccer next week but I’ll set the schedule for Volleyball this week. The team has been working hard this off-season and is excited to play in four tournaments in April while prepping for the 2011 season. They’ll play between 3 and 5 matches in each of the following tournaments:
April 2 (Tri-Cities, Wash.) – Portland, Idaho, Eastern Washington, Seattle Pacific, Central Washington
April 9 (Corvallis, Ore.) – Portland, Oregon State, Oregon
April 16 (Eugene, Ore.) – Portland, Oregon, Oregon State, Portland State, Western Washington
April 30 (Portland, Ore.) – Portland, Idaho, Seattle Pacific
Head coach Joe Houck and the Pilots’ coaching staffing have been working hard to turn the program around and this spring schedule gives a very young team (the 2010 team only had one senior) experience against some tough regional programs. Portland State made the NCAA tournament in 2010 and Oregon regularly makes appearances in the top 25.
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| photo by Will Crew |
I know I’ll swing by the Chiles Center on April 30th for a preview of what next season will bring!
A Wave of Charity
Just before Spring Break, a massive earthquake caused a natural disaster that sparked a global response of concern and charitable response. One UP student felt compelled to do her part to help the afflicted. Danielle Castro, a senior, came up with a t-shirt design and then acted on her idea, making the shirts and selling them as a way to raise funds for Japan.
Castro’s project has drawn a lot of support. One of the first to order a t-shirt was Apple Co-founder Steve Wozniak. Castro’s decision to help with the relief process reflects the goals of the university. Teaching, Faith, and Service is the mission statement of the university and this shows that UP’s students are responding appropriately.
Castro’s project has drawn a lot of support. One of the first to order a t-shirt was Apple Co-founder Steve Wozniak. Castro’s decision to help with the relief process reflects the goals of the university. Teaching, Faith, and Service is the mission statement of the university and this shows that UP’s students are responding appropriately.
If you haven’t yet picked one up, check out the site here. Shirts are $10 and go towards a good cause.
Sunday, March 13, 2011
Commons vs At Home Cooking
As much as we all love school food...(NOT) how nice is it to go home and eat your mother or father's home cooked meals?!
I would say...THE BEST PART!
How awesome is being able to walk to a fully stocked fridge?
Or even better, how awesome is it having your parents cook you the best meals of your life?
Any time of day you can make the 10 step walk into food heaven vs. having to make that long, strenuous walk to the commons. No lines to wait in. No money or points to spend. And a mum who is eager to cook your top 10 favorite meals within the first few days of being home.
It can't get any better than that! Oh wait, not to mention the occasional treats to your favorite restaurants! *sigh* the luxuries of being home....
I would say...THE BEST PART!
How awesome is being able to walk to a fully stocked fridge?
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| photo by me |
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| photo by me |
...and pantry!
Or even better, how awesome is it having your parents cook you the best meals of your life?
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| photo by me |
Any time of day you can make the 10 step walk into food heaven vs. having to make that long, strenuous walk to the commons. No lines to wait in. No money or points to spend. And a mum who is eager to cook your top 10 favorite meals within the first few days of being home.
It can't get any better than that! Oh wait, not to mention the occasional treats to your favorite restaurants! *sigh* the luxuries of being home....
Saturday, March 12, 2011
SB Adventures
As well all know you can't have a Spring Break with no stories! But, I have to say, these stories usually don't occur until you arrive where your Spring Break is taking place. For me, this was not true.
I began my morning waking up a little too late for my flight to Arizona. I was nervous because I knew it was SB and I thought that there would be a ton of people at the airport. Lucky for me there wasn't.
I flew through security and finally met up with my two friends Alison and Jesseann who were also flying to Arizona with me! We got our Starbucks and began to walk to the gate where we were already boarding! (we thought our flight was later than it actually was and of course we didn't look at our boarding pass). We get to the gate and finally look at what we think was our boarding pass but turns out it was something else that we had to show at the gate in order to redeem our actual boarding pass.
While standing at the gate talking to the guy behind the desk I just so happen to knock my brand new Starbucks drink on the ground..
I was so embarrassed and was mad at the same time because I hadn't ate or drank anything all morning. But, since I have such great friends they split their drinks and made me a brand new one :)
Finally when we received our official boarding passes we were able to get on the plane...not to mention the very last people on the plane.
Once we got on the plane our other three friends (backtracking here) who were also going to Arizona, were saving seats for us! This started a huge commotion on the plane and people were mad at them for saving seats and we actually held up the blame by doing this. But of course we thought this was hilarious!
FINALLY, we were seated and ready for takeoff. And course we were not yelling and screaming the whole ride there. Of course we were not the loud obnoxious college girls on the plane. NOT. By the time we were getting off the plane the stewardess' and pilots were saying things like "hey if you get arrested were not bailing you out of jail" and "hey don't go too crazy when you're here" and then "Ah what the heck, go crazy you're in your 20's"
Needless to say...we made quite the impression on the flight. When arrived we wanted to take a picture together so I asked what seemed like a normal human being to take one.
I don't think I need to say anymore...
BUT, I do hope everyone is having an amazing SB so far and if you have any funny stories to tell please share :)!!
I began my morning waking up a little too late for my flight to Arizona. I was nervous because I knew it was SB and I thought that there would be a ton of people at the airport. Lucky for me there wasn't.
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| photo by me |
While standing at the gate talking to the guy behind the desk I just so happen to knock my brand new Starbucks drink on the ground..
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| photo by me |
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| photo by me |
Once we got on the plane our other three friends (backtracking here) who were also going to Arizona, were saving seats for us! This started a huge commotion on the plane and people were mad at them for saving seats and we actually held up the blame by doing this. But of course we thought this was hilarious!
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| photo by me |
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| photo by Suzann |
Needless to say...we made quite the impression on the flight. When arrived we wanted to take a picture together so I asked what seemed like a normal human being to take one.
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| photo by weird man |
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| photo by weird man |
BUT, I do hope everyone is having an amazing SB so far and if you have any funny stories to tell please share :)!!
Sunday, March 6, 2011
Spring Break
Trying to go crazy for Spring Break? Where are the hottest places to go for 2011? Oh wait...were all broke college students...what do I do?
There are actually a ton of student discount websites the enable people like us to actually afford to go have a good time over Spring Break!
Student City
Their top destinations for students are:
South Padre Island, Texas Daytona Beach, Florida Panama City, Florida Las Vegas, Nevada Cancun, Mexico Acapulco, Mexico Puerto Vallerta, Mexico Bahamas Party Cruise Negril, Jamaica Punta Cana, Dominican Republic Nassau, Bahamas
Student City has the whole package for students; hotels, night life, party packages, meal plans, excursions, and day parties all in student packages! They understand the life of a college student :)
Student Travel Services
Their top destinations for students are:
Cancun, Mexico Acapulco, Mexico Puerto Vallerta, Mexico Playa Del Carmen, Mexico Montego Bay, Jamaica Nassau, Bahamas Negril, Jamaica Daytona Beach, Florida Panama City, Florida Punta Cana, Dominican Republic South Padre Island, Texas Bahamas Cruise and Stay
Student Travel Services offers a great deal that can get you to these destinations for free!! If you become a STS Rep and sell trips for one of these destinations then you not only get to go for free but you can make money too.
After looking at more and more websites that provided information on where to go over Spring Break it became repetative. It is very apparent that these are the places to go for Spring Break.
I asked around campus to see where our fellow classmates were going and what they planned on doing while they were there as well.
The Partiers
Dustin (senior): I will be traveling between New York City, Boston, and Pittsburg!"
Emma (junior) & Kendall (sophomore): "Were goin to Maui to relax and get out of the rain."
Kody (sophomore): "I'm going to Vancouver, Canada for a vacation and checking out all the tourist things and whatever they have there."
Taylor (sophomore): "Goin to Hawaii and get my tan on!!!"
Erik (senior): "Out to AZ for some spring training games. Then I'll be goin' to Lake Tahoe and spending some much needed relaxation time on the lake. Follow that up with a trip home to see the family."
Sarah (freshman): "Goin to Palm Springs. WRT: work out, read, and tan."
The Party Poopers
Cloee (sophomore): "Going home to Utah and hoping to find my next boyfriend while I sit in my awesome cough and watch TV all day!!"
Joe (sophomore): "Staying in Portland to relax, doing some work for school, then after that visit some friends and maybe hang out at the beach."
Erin (freshman): "Goin home to do nothing."
Micaela (freshman): "I'm going home :)! and while I'm there I'm going to sit on my couch with my kitties and watch tv and eat good food."
Molly (sophomore): "Goin home and playing with my dog."
Nichole (freshman): "I'm going home and doing nothing."
Whether were a partier and party pooper we all make the best out of Spring Break. This is a time for all of us to get away from school and regain some strength to finish off the semester before summertime. I wish everybody an amazing BUT SAFE Spring Break 2011 :)!!!
There are actually a ton of student discount websites the enable people like us to actually afford to go have a good time over Spring Break!
Student City
Their top destinations for students are:
South Padre Island, Texas Daytona Beach, Florida Panama City, Florida Las Vegas, Nevada Cancun, Mexico Acapulco, Mexico Puerto Vallerta, Mexico Bahamas Party Cruise Negril, Jamaica Punta Cana, Dominican Republic Nassau, Bahamas
Student City has the whole package for students; hotels, night life, party packages, meal plans, excursions, and day parties all in student packages! They understand the life of a college student :)
Student Travel Services
Their top destinations for students are:
Cancun, Mexico Acapulco, Mexico Puerto Vallerta, Mexico Playa Del Carmen, Mexico Montego Bay, Jamaica Nassau, Bahamas Negril, Jamaica Daytona Beach, Florida Panama City, Florida Punta Cana, Dominican Republic South Padre Island, Texas Bahamas Cruise and Stay
Student Travel Services offers a great deal that can get you to these destinations for free!! If you become a STS Rep and sell trips for one of these destinations then you not only get to go for free but you can make money too.
After looking at more and more websites that provided information on where to go over Spring Break it became repetative. It is very apparent that these are the places to go for Spring Break.
I asked around campus to see where our fellow classmates were going and what they planned on doing while they were there as well.
The Partiers
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| Google Images |
Dustin (senior): I will be traveling between New York City, Boston, and Pittsburg!"
Emma (junior) & Kendall (sophomore): "Were goin to Maui to relax and get out of the rain."
Kody (sophomore): "I'm going to Vancouver, Canada for a vacation and checking out all the tourist things and whatever they have there."
Taylor (sophomore): "Goin to Hawaii and get my tan on!!!"
Erik (senior): "Out to AZ for some spring training games. Then I'll be goin' to Lake Tahoe and spending some much needed relaxation time on the lake. Follow that up with a trip home to see the family."
Sarah (freshman): "Goin to Palm Springs. WRT: work out, read, and tan."
The Party Poopers
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| Google Images |
Cloee (sophomore): "Going home to Utah and hoping to find my next boyfriend while I sit in my awesome cough and watch TV all day!!"
Joe (sophomore): "Staying in Portland to relax, doing some work for school, then after that visit some friends and maybe hang out at the beach."
Erin (freshman): "Goin home to do nothing."
Micaela (freshman): "I'm going home :)! and while I'm there I'm going to sit on my couch with my kitties and watch tv and eat good food."
Molly (sophomore): "Goin home and playing with my dog."
Nichole (freshman): "I'm going home and doing nothing."
Whether were a partier and party pooper we all make the best out of Spring Break. This is a time for all of us to get away from school and regain some strength to finish off the semester before summertime. I wish everybody an amazing BUT SAFE Spring Break 2011 :)!!!
Saturday, March 5, 2011
March Madness
It's the time of year again when March apparently becomes Madness? For those of you who do not know what that is...it is the NCAA Division I basketball championship tournaments.
This time of year also is big for gambling. The teams are not yet listed for the big tourney but when they are make sure to fill out your bracket!
Some important dates to keep in mind this month:
Selection Sunday: March 13, 2011
First Four (Formerly Opening Round Game): March 15-16, 2011
Second Round: March 17-18, 2011
Third Round: March 19-20, 2011
Fourth Round: March 24-25, 2011
Fifth Round: March 26-27, 2011
Final Four: April 2 & 4, 2011 at Reliant Stadium in Houston, Texas.
"Basketball fans wait every year for the tradition - the excitement - and the upsets that make up the NCAA Men's Basketball tournament" -Katiyana
LET THE MADNESS BEGIN!!
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| Google Images |
According to the Bleacher Report "College basketball’s national championship tournament is the most exciting event in collegiate competition. Its fan base and following are unmatched, and the buildup to and through the tournament are unlike anything in athletics. And at this time of year, basketball fans are envisioning the NCAA tournament's past, full of memories of buzzer-beaters, break-aways and the bracket busters."
Why do people go crazy about March Madness?
The top 10 reasons being:
1.We Love to See the Cinderella Stories
2.We Have Our Own Bracket Predictions
3.We Get to See Our Team Advance Through the Tournament
4.Single Elimination
5.Regular Season Does Not Matter Much for Top Teams Anyway
6.Most of These Players Will Not Play Past This Level and Are Not Getting Paid
7.There Are Good Matchups in Almost Every Game, Regardless of Team Rankings
8.College Basketball Is More Exciting Than the NBA, Especially in the Postseason
9.Neither Football nor Baseball Is on at This Time in March
10. All the Bubble Teams Have to Fight to Prove That They Belong in Dance
Some important dates to keep in mind this month:
Selection Sunday: March 13, 2011
First Four (Formerly Opening Round Game): March 15-16, 2011
Second Round: March 17-18, 2011
Third Round: March 19-20, 2011
Fourth Round: March 24-25, 2011
Fifth Round: March 26-27, 2011
Final Four: April 2 & 4, 2011 at Reliant Stadium in Houston, Texas.
"Basketball fans wait every year for the tradition - the excitement - and the upsets that make up the NCAA Men's Basketball tournament" -Katiyana
LET THE MADNESS BEGIN!!
Sunday, February 27, 2011
Music Art Festival Show
Mashawna Williams, president of the Black Student Union, and George Green, co treasurer of BSU played a major role in putting on the Music Art Festival this year. It took place in the back of the commons and was definitely a sight to see. Entertainment consisted of House Bands such as Charles Patton&Band, MC's Artists, the Journey to Freedom CD, a Benson Step Performance, Dancing Performance, Jasonn Hannibal Performance, as well as Beatrice African Dancing and a UP Choir Performance. There was beautiful artwork presented towards the back that also applied to the theme of the festival. I felt as though this was a very fun and entertaining show and would encourage people to go in the future.
Soles 4 Souls
So what are those cardboard boxes everybody has been seeing throughout school? They have these huge signs that say Soles 4 Souls and have tons of old shoes in them. But do people even know what that is?
SAAC, also known as a student-athlete advisory committee, according to NCAA is a committee made up of student-athletes assembled to provide insight on the student-athlete experience. SAAC also offers input on the rules, regulations and polices that affect student-athletes' lives on NCAA member institution campuses. The SAAC at the University of Portland has gotten together with Soles 4 Souls in order to make a difference.
So what is Soles 4 Souls?
According to their website, Soles4Souls is a Nashville-based charity that collects shoes from the warehouses of footwear companies and the closets of people like you. The charity distributes these shoes to people in need, regardless of race, religion, class, or any other criteria. Since 2005, Soles4Souls has given away nearly 12 million pairs of new and gently worn shoes (currently donating one pair every 7 seconds.) The shoes have been distributed to people in over 125 countries, including Kenya, Thailand, Nepal and the United States.
Today, Sunday February 27th our SAAC got together at Merlo Field and watched person after person drag a box of shoes in. This is where the counting began...we all counted, tied laces together, rubber banned shoes together, and took the occasional pizza break. After we were all done we had a rough estimate of just how many pairs of shoes we had. An incredible number of over 2,000 shoes! This is an amazing number! I feel as though everybody needs to know much our school helped out. Each donation given by the students here at UP counts, whether you donated one pair or five pairs, it all matters. This is something we should all be proud of because we actually made a difference.
I think that what Soles 4 Souls is doing is a great thing, and I think that it is definitely something more people should try and get involved in !
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| Google Images |
So what is Soles 4 Souls?
According to their website, Soles4Souls is a Nashville-based charity that collects shoes from the warehouses of footwear companies and the closets of people like you. The charity distributes these shoes to people in need, regardless of race, religion, class, or any other criteria. Since 2005, Soles4Souls has given away nearly 12 million pairs of new and gently worn shoes (currently donating one pair every 7 seconds.) The shoes have been distributed to people in over 125 countries, including Kenya, Thailand, Nepal and the United States.
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| Soles 4 Souls |
Today, Sunday February 27th our SAAC got together at Merlo Field and watched person after person drag a box of shoes in. This is where the counting began...we all counted, tied laces together, rubber banned shoes together, and took the occasional pizza break. After we were all done we had a rough estimate of just how many pairs of shoes we had. An incredible number of over 2,000 shoes! This is an amazing number! I feel as though everybody needs to know much our school helped out. Each donation given by the students here at UP counts, whether you donated one pair or five pairs, it all matters. This is something we should all be proud of because we actually made a difference.
I think that what Soles 4 Souls is doing is a great thing, and I think that it is definitely something more people should try and get involved in !
Monday, February 21, 2011
Drink With Your Parents Weekend
As you all know it was Junior Parents Weekend or as I like to call it "Drink With Your Parents Weekend." This weekend is officially set by the school but does the school even know the purpose of the weekend? Do they know that it is mainly put there for students to take their parents out to "relive" the college life again? It would be interesting to see what the private Catholic school would think of it if they actually knew what went on during this event.
There were Facebook events made for beer pong tournaments with their parents and I heard from many people that there were plenty of drunk parents walking around Willamette late night Friday and Saturday. I even had the privilege of actually interacting with some of these parents that were out with their kids. It was a toga party this weekend and I was walking around saying hi to my friends when...OH HEY PARENTS IN TOGAS! It was a little uncomfortable to say the least. I can understand having a get together with your close friends and parents..but having a couple parents at a HUGE party with UP students..kind of interesting.
I asked one of my friends what her impression of Junior Parents Weekend was and she said "I think that it's to have your parents meet your friends and their parents since they hear about your friends but never get to meet them like in high school." I am not against the idea of junior parents weekend what so ever. But there have been many discussions as to whether this weekend is appropriate or not. All of this leads to the idea of whether or not drinking with your parents is appropriate or not. We all know that it happens, and being 21 is a different story, but drinking with your underage child? Is this smart? I found an article in TIME called Should You Drink With Your Kids? I know that before I turned 21 I was not able to "get drunk" with my parents. I was allowed the occasional drink here and there with dinner and on special occasions but it was not until I turned 21 that it was seen as acceptable. There were plenty of parents in my high school who also got in trouble for providing alcohol to minors at parties. It was interesting because one of the parties in which the parents were in trouble, they did not even provide the alcohol but because they were under the same roof as us and let it happen, they suffered the consequences.
I found a couple of interesting articles on parents being arrested for providing alcohol for minors.
http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,276178,00.html
http://dothanfirst.com/fulltext?nxd_id=133307
http://www.centurycouncil.org/stop-underage-drinking/initiatives/wedontserveteens
Overall, I just find the whole idea of Junior Parents Weekend very interesting. I am sure that it is not Drink With Your Parents Weekend for every student that goes to UP but it is definitely a main attraction.
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There were Facebook events made for beer pong tournaments with their parents and I heard from many people that there were plenty of drunk parents walking around Willamette late night Friday and Saturday. I even had the privilege of actually interacting with some of these parents that were out with their kids. It was a toga party this weekend and I was walking around saying hi to my friends when...OH HEY PARENTS IN TOGAS! It was a little uncomfortable to say the least. I can understand having a get together with your close friends and parents..but having a couple parents at a HUGE party with UP students..kind of interesting.
I asked one of my friends what her impression of Junior Parents Weekend was and she said "I think that it's to have your parents meet your friends and their parents since they hear about your friends but never get to meet them like in high school." I am not against the idea of junior parents weekend what so ever. But there have been many discussions as to whether this weekend is appropriate or not. All of this leads to the idea of whether or not drinking with your parents is appropriate or not. We all know that it happens, and being 21 is a different story, but drinking with your underage child? Is this smart? I found an article in TIME called Should You Drink With Your Kids? I know that before I turned 21 I was not able to "get drunk" with my parents. I was allowed the occasional drink here and there with dinner and on special occasions but it was not until I turned 21 that it was seen as acceptable. There were plenty of parents in my high school who also got in trouble for providing alcohol to minors at parties. It was interesting because one of the parties in which the parents were in trouble, they did not even provide the alcohol but because they were under the same roof as us and let it happen, they suffered the consequences.
I found a couple of interesting articles on parents being arrested for providing alcohol for minors.
http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,276178,00.html
http://dothanfirst.com/fulltext?nxd_id=133307
http://www.centurycouncil.org/stop-underage-drinking/initiatives/wedontserveteens
Overall, I just find the whole idea of Junior Parents Weekend very interesting. I am sure that it is not Drink With Your Parents Weekend for every student that goes to UP but it is definitely a main attraction.
Sunday, February 20, 2011
ASUP
It's that time again and February 15th was ASUP Speech Night ! But wait, how come there were hardly any people there? Is this not supposed to be a big deal? Do we not care who wins or loses?
For those of you who are unaware as to what ASUP is..."The ASUP Senate serves and represents the students by actively seeking opinions and encouraging participation. As leaders, it is our privilege and responsibility to foster community based upon respect, integrity, and open-mindedness. Through positive communication and proactive involvement, we hope to strengthen the current UP community as well as build a foundation for future generations."
The Past
Colin Dorwart, President
Katie Scally, Vice President
Hillary Burrelle, Secretary
Ben Thompson, Treasurer
Hillary White, CPB Director
The Potential Future
President & Vice President
Danielle Bibbs and Chris Collins
Zack Imfeld and Cloe' Ruffin
Secretary
Kristin Johnson
Treasurer
Caitlin Chu
Andrew Ottolia
CBP Director
Hillary White
Sean Ducey
On to SPEECH NIGHT! Since I am currently in Dr. Lovejoy's CST 363 class I had to honor to participate in doing live tweeting, blogging, and Facebook posting throughout the entire night of speeches. It was interesting to see that there were hardly any students in the crowd. I thought that there would have been plenty of friends there to support, along with many intrigued students figuring out who to vote for. I found that by being there I was definitely given an advantage when it comes to voting. I am not going to lie, I was swayed one way just based off of the speeches alone. You can't always just go with "Oh well, my friend knows Chloe so I'm going to vote for her" because maybe she isn't the best for the position. It is very important to these candidates, as well as to our school. Don't be an uniformed voter so get out there and learn as to who would be the best for each position.
Following the speeches The Beacon put out an article about how the speeches went. Many found the article to be bias and there was some controversy over the whole thing. I found an interesting article from the guest commentary section in The Beacon Online called "Should the Beacon Tell Us How to Vote" written by Austin Veiga.
Remember to be you and vote for who YOU want. On that note, remember Espresso UP posted that this week you'll have the chance to meet the ASUP Executive Board candidates for the 2011-12 school year. St. Mary's 7-10pm
Vote 2/22/2011 7:00:00 AM and 2/23/2011 8:00:00 PM
For those of you who are unaware as to what ASUP is..."The ASUP Senate serves and represents the students by actively seeking opinions and encouraging participation. As leaders, it is our privilege and responsibility to foster community based upon respect, integrity, and open-mindedness. Through positive communication and proactive involvement, we hope to strengthen the current UP community as well as build a foundation for future generations."
Colin Dorwart, President
Katie Scally, Vice President
Hillary Burrelle, Secretary
Ben Thompson, Treasurer
Hillary White, CPB Director
The Potential Future
President & Vice President
Danielle Bibbs and Chris Collins
Zack Imfeld and Cloe' Ruffin
Secretary
Kristin Johnson
Treasurer
Caitlin Chu
Andrew Ottolia
CBP Director
Hillary White
Sean Ducey
On to SPEECH NIGHT! Since I am currently in Dr. Lovejoy's CST 363 class I had to honor to participate in doing live tweeting, blogging, and Facebook posting throughout the entire night of speeches. It was interesting to see that there were hardly any students in the crowd. I thought that there would have been plenty of friends there to support, along with many intrigued students figuring out who to vote for. I found that by being there I was definitely given an advantage when it comes to voting. I am not going to lie, I was swayed one way just based off of the speeches alone. You can't always just go with "Oh well, my friend knows Chloe so I'm going to vote for her" because maybe she isn't the best for the position. It is very important to these candidates, as well as to our school. Don't be an uniformed voter so get out there and learn as to who would be the best for each position.
Following the speeches The Beacon put out an article about how the speeches went. Many found the article to be bias and there was some controversy over the whole thing. I found an interesting article from the guest commentary section in The Beacon Online called "Should the Beacon Tell Us How to Vote" written by Austin Veiga.
Remember to be you and vote for who YOU want. On that note, remember Espresso UP posted that this week you'll have the chance to meet the ASUP Executive Board candidates for the 2011-12 school year. St. Mary's 7-10pm
Vote 2/22/2011 7:00:00 AM and 2/23/2011 8:00:00 PM
Sunday, February 13, 2011
Love Is In The Air...Or Is It?
What is Valentine's Day? Why is this even a holiday? Do we like this holiday.. or do we hate it?
We all look forward to seeing chocolate hearts, stuffed animals, and dozens of roses 2 months before Valentine's Day starts right? I sat at the front of Fred Meyers the other day and watched the faces of many walk in the store. Some girls would run to the Valentine’s Day aisles picking out what they wanted their boyfriend to get them; others would just smirk and walk by. Everyone has their own opinions as to how they feel about Valentine’s Day but something we don’t tend to think about is the whole idea of Valentine’s Day.
The thought of Valentine's Day is confusing because it is a seen as a holiday just like Christmas, Easter, Thanksgiving, etc. It seems odd putting Valentine’s Day under the same category. According to dictionary.com a holiday is a day fixed by law or custom on which ordinary business is suspended in commemoration of some event or in honor of some person. Hmm...so if Valentine's Day is a "holiday" then shouldn't people be exempted from work? If we are commemorating some event or some person then shouldn't we know who or what that is? The problem is, we don't. We know the reason why we celebrate Christmas, Easter, or Thanksgiving but rarely do you find someone who knows the true meaning behind Valentine's Day. Instead, we see it as a day that either sucks because we do not have a significant other or as a day where our boyfriends better spoil us to death or else we are disappointed. We should not need a single day to feel loved from another. We should spend every day sharing our feelings with the ones we love. Anyways, I asked around to see how people felt about Valentine's Day and/or what their ideal Valentine's Day would be....
Halley (junior, 20): "I hate Valentine's Day, I think it's a made up holiday produced to exemplify the materialistic lifestyle of most individuals created by card companies and chocolatiers."
Dustin (senior, 22): "I don't see a point to Valentine's Day...I'm confused as to how it became a holiday. My ideal V Day would be a day off school to love myself."
Erik (senior, 21): "
What do you think? Do you like Valentine's Day? Who do you agree with the most in the comments above?
We all look forward to seeing chocolate hearts, stuffed animals, and dozens of roses 2 months before Valentine's Day starts right? I sat at the front of Fred Meyers the other day and watched the faces of many walk in the store. Some girls would run to the Valentine’s Day aisles picking out what they wanted their boyfriend to get them; others would just smirk and walk by. Everyone has their own opinions as to how they feel about Valentine’s Day but something we don’t tend to think about is the whole idea of Valentine’s Day.
The thought of Valentine's Day is confusing because it is a seen as a holiday just like Christmas, Easter, Thanksgiving, etc. It seems odd putting Valentine’s Day under the same category. According to dictionary.com a holiday is a day fixed by law or custom on which ordinary business is suspended in commemoration of some event or in honor of some person. Hmm...so if Valentine's Day is a "holiday" then shouldn't people be exempted from work? If we are commemorating some event or some person then shouldn't we know who or what that is? The problem is, we don't. We know the reason why we celebrate Christmas, Easter, or Thanksgiving but rarely do you find someone who knows the true meaning behind Valentine's Day. Instead, we see it as a day that either sucks because we do not have a significant other or as a day where our boyfriends better spoil us to death or else we are disappointed. We should not need a single day to feel loved from another. We should spend every day sharing our feelings with the ones we love. Anyways, I asked around to see how people felt about Valentine's Day and/or what their ideal Valentine's Day would be....
The Lovers
Micaela (freshman, 18): "I love Valentine's Day! I kept telling Mike (her boyfriend) it's Valentine's weekend, not just Valentine's Day! My ideal Valentine's day would be getting a surprise!"
Heather (parent, 47): "I think its great to have a day to remind us to take the time to tell those we love but also need to remember to try and incorporate this throughout the year in our lives..Always appreciate those in your life especially on this day, do something special but I am not into commercial aspect of it, spending hundreds of dollars on roses or dinner...just something thoughtful and caring..."
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Erin (freshman, 18): "My ideal Valentine's Day would be no school, a movie marathon and lots of chocolate. And if I had a boyfriend he would be there too."
Nichole (freshman, 18): "I would want no school, have my boyfriend take me out to dinner, get me flowers and chocolate."
Alex (senior, 22): "I think that Valentine's Day is just a day to remind the significant people in your life that you love and appreciate them. I disagree with the hallmark holiday, that its been made into like most holidays over the years."
The HatersAlex (senior, 22): "I think that Valentine's Day is just a day to remind the significant people in your life that you love and appreciate them. I disagree with the hallmark holiday, that its been made into like most holidays over the years."
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Amanda (freshman, 18): "Hmm. Well I think Valentine's Day isn't a big deal unless you have a boyfriend. Which I don't. But if I did I would love a surprise and I would love to spend the whole day with him just snuggling."
Dustin (senior, 22): "I don't see a point to Valentine's Day...I'm confused as to how it became a holiday. My ideal V Day would be a day off school to love myself."
Erik (senior, 21): "
What do you think? Do you like Valentine's Day? Who do you agree with the most in the comments above?
Tuesday, February 8, 2011
Lets GossUP!
The University of Portland is very small, and gossip is more than common. As UP students, we walk the halls day in and day out, taking time out of our day just to hear the latest news about how some girl fell down the stairs in BC or how one of the teachers at our school was fired. We wake up every morning and either walk from dorms or commute from our nearby house. Our school is tiny and so are the people in it. We must know everything, were curious. We check our Facebook multiple times a day just to catch up. We must get our cup of coffee in the morning and then stand in our raincoats in the common area of Franz Hall to talk to our friends. We do not care about the weather, it is Portland; of course it is going to be raining. We care about what news we can find out before our best friend does. We want to read and be a part of GossUP.
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