Page 7 – The Waltonian

Philadelphia native Jeff Phillips has been passionate about Philly sports for multiple decades. He has been longing for a platform in which fans can express their thoughts about a team’s games, players and even coaches. Soon enough, he came up with the idea of having an app that would allow him and all other sports-fanatics to voice their athletic opinions.

Phillips founded the app, called SportsVenting, in the summer of 2015. Coming from Philadelphia himself, Phillips knew that many Philly sports fans have been losing hope for their beloved teams. From the losses, trades and constant staff changes, it has seemed like the fans can never catch a break. But, with the formation of the SportsVenting app, fans from around the world can discuss sports-related politics over this app and other forums of social media. Currently, users’ vents from the app can be shared on Facebook and Twitter.

Along with the app’s name, Phillips developed the tagline “blow off some steam” to accurately describe what die-hard fans need. In addition to this, Phillips designed a character logo of a man clenching his fists and blowing steam out of his ears. The character was then named Frustrated Phil to adhere to the roots of longtime-disappointed Philadelphia sports fans. The design work and preliminary startup for the app began in July of 2016.

This idea of venting about athletic teams has been done before, but not in this specific manner that Phillips has developed. For instance, anyone can post about the Philadelphia Eagles on any social media platform. However, the perk of having the SportsVenting app is that users are placed in an atmosphere of major sport lovers. The users of the app typically have their preferences and are not afraid to engage in a back-and-forth conversation about two opposing teams. Even Phillips and SportsVenting’s Director of Promotions, Dan Bagelle, have had their fair share of arguments, given Phillips’ love for the Philadelphia Eagles and Bagelle’s devotion to the Dallas Cowboys–the Eagles’ divisional rival. Despite their differences, the two have worked together with their friend and Director of Operations, Tim Wozniak, to create an easy-to-use app that is quite entertaining.

The app asks first which NFL, NBA, NHL and MLB teams you love and then asks which ones you hate (to put it bluntly). The app also includes Division I football and basketball. With your personalized list, you are put in contact with many people who share the same athletic interests as you. With this matching, the venting can begin. This app has a specific niche that is unique to sports fans. It separates the average post one would see on their Facebook feed and limits it to the copious amounts of unseen fan lingo.

This year in February, Phillips decided to create a Kickstarter project to raise money for his new app. Thanks to donations and personal time spent on SportsVenting’s creation, the app is now able to be downloaded as a prototype. This functional prototype allows fans to see Phillips’ proof of concept and direction for the years to come.

The app is currently available for download on Apple and Android products.

Sources: kickstarter.com, The Philadelphia Inquirer and Daily News

On April 21, Philadelphia mayor Jim Kenney received a letter from Alan Hanson, Acting Assistant Attorney General, urging him to enforce federal immigration laws and orders within the sanctuary city.

Philadelphia is a sanctuary city, meaning that it is a central hub for undocumented immigrants. These cities limit their compliance with federal order to avoid the deportation of undocumented residents. Along with Philadelphia, there are dozens of cities who have banded together in hopes of providing for illegal immigrants.

However, with the recent election of President Donald Trump, the status of Philadelphia as a sanctuary city is in danger. The letter from Hanson, a general for the United States’ Justice Department, serves as Philadelphia’s first official warning to abide by federal ruling. In the letter sent to Mayor Kenney, Philadelphia was threatened with a federal funding cut of almost $2 million. This cut will come directly out of the funding for local law enforcement. In addition to this cut, Philadelphia would be required to arrest any known undocumented immigrants. The justification for the cut in federal spending is quite simple: if officers do not apprehend undocumented immigrants, then they should not need as much federal funding. Also, if the funding were to be cut, the federal government plans to send immigration officers to dismantle the sanctuary city.

The Philadelphian government, along with its federal superiors, have borne witness to much opposition to this new regulation. People have sought to make a statement against Trump’s policies regarding immigration with protests like “No Ban, No Wall” held in Philadelphia earlier this year and with others around the country. However, the elimination of Philadelphia as a sanctuary city has also received positive responses.

Although immigration is a heated topic, Philadelphia could be seeing harsh consequences if they do not adhere to federal regulations.

Source: CBS Philly

Since the inauguration of President Donald Trump, there have been numerous marches, rallies and demonstrations for and against the new “leader of the free world.” On a global, national and even local scale, people around the world have been voicing their opinions about the new president of the United States. In Philadelphia alone, there have been a few notable marches; for instance, the city had their own version of the Women’s March in Washington, D.C. and an anti-travel ban protest at the Philadelphia Airport.

Later into Trump’s presidency, on March 25, many Americans gathered in support of the president in a “Make America Great Again” (MAGA) demonstration. This demonstration occurred in Center City, Philadelphia. The pro-Trump supporters were planning to march from Independence National Historic Park and end on City Hall. They wanted to march to show America that every voice deserves to be heard. They saw themselves as representing conservatives, veterans and pro-life advocates. Speaking for the demonstration, U.S. Senate candidate Andrew Shecktor vowed that the crowd was marching for Trump, Vice President Mike Pence, the military and first responders.

However, while marching toward their destination, the MAGA demonstration group was met by anti-Trump supporters. These demonstrators against the president rallied to oppose the MAGA demonstrators. Gaining support via social media with the hashtag #DisruptMAGA, the anti-Trump protesters wanted their fellow citizens to know their opinion. The anti-Trump supporters urged people to take notice that America, in their opinion, was built on slavery, colonialism and sexism. Nonetheless, the protesters still believed that Philadelphia could change America’s course of action.

When Philadelphia Police caught sight of the two groups inching closer to one another in downtown Philadelphia, they urged the MAGA demonstrators to deviate from their previously-planned path to ensure safety. Because of this fast thinking, there was not a violent collision between the opposing parties.

With the presence of the Philadelphia Police Department, both groups could march. Even though they differed in political ideology, participants in each demonstration were able to make their own statements while remaining peaceful.

Sources: 6ABC Philadelphia, NBC 10 Philadelphia

When asked, “What is sport?” we often go to the natural prototypes of football, basketball or even baseball. However, we are reluctant to answer the question with cheerleading or horseback riding. Why? In our society we tend to think that if it does not involve a ball and men yelling, it cannot possibly constitute a sport.

In actuality, many activities require the stamina, determination and physicality of that which is considered the “standard sport.” A sport is an activity that is physical, competitive and governed by rules or expectations.

With this definition, cheerleading and horseback riding become one with the identification of a sport. However, many still argue that a sport cannot be one that includes drama and art. With this ideology, many performance-based activities are tossed to the side.

Personally, this argument has haunted me since I tackled the art of marching band during my high school career. Back at school in Florida in 2012, I saw myself under the smoldering summer sun, running, playing and making lasting memories. I assumed that the activity I spent two or three dozen hours a week devoting my entire self to was in fact a sport. In biology class during my sophomore year. I sat next to a soccer player who was complaining about his upcoming practice. He declared that a two-hour practice was too hard for him. I proceeded to tell him that my practice after school was going to be six hours long. I really thought that would make him realize the hard work I put into marching band. Much to my dismay, he replied, “But it’s just marching band. It’s not like it’s hard or anything.”

My golly, if I could have flipped my lab table, I would have. I kept my cool and proceeded to tell him about my other practices. He, knowing deep down that I was right, turned to his football player friend. Little did he know the football player would side with me.

“Man, I see them practice, and it looks really hard,” the football player said.

I wanted to childishly say, “Ha, ha, I TOLD YOU SO,” but I kept my cool. My struggle with marching band being considered a sport was far smaller than the overall problem. Not only are performance activities not often considered sports, but I feel they are often underappreciated. Many in our society would rather watch the Super Bowl than the dancers of the American Ballet Theatre. Art is constantly put in second place in relation to the standard sport. Even though each activity requires its participants to sacrifice most of their time, only some are regularly given proper recognition.

In the realm of public education, these “artsy sports” are hardly given credit at all. The bias in our school system might be seen with the distribution of federal funding. Football is often given a plethora of advertising, money and faculty attention, whereas marching band is hardly given a safe practice field. I saw this personally when my practice field in high school was a piece of land covered in dirt. This does not sound that bad, but, because I was in Florida, the dirt would very quickly turn into mud with the Sunshine State’s very frequent storms. Many fellow band members were injured while trying to perform to their highest potential.

In order for performance-based activities to be given their rightful distinction of sport, they need to be recognized as strenuous activities first.

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I have to say, when I started high school, I was the worst writer on the face of the planet, but I was put into upper-level English because I had “impeccable comprehension of literature.” However, my first-year English teacher absolutely transformed my understanding of writing with one simple acronym. Broad, vague and general, or “BVG,” was constantly plastered over my papers. I could not understand why my analysis was not matching what I understood from the various texts I was reading. This routinely occurred until one day my teacher told me to write like I was telling a story. She told me that you would not tell a story that lacked side comments and proper analyses. My later papers were marked with excellence. This simple teaching propelled me to join the student newspaper in the beginning of my sophomore year. Journalism combined my love for leadership with my newfound passion for writing. I wrote one, two or sometimes three articles for each issue. The stories I wrote about inspired me. I heard these stories, and I was completely honored to cover them for the newspaper.

My love for journalism shifted when I was the Editor-in-Chief of my publication. I loved having others look to me for advice. I loved that I could inspire young writers like my English teacher did for me just a few years prior. My latter years of high school were filled with working with the newspaper. I worked toward having an inclusive newspaper. I vowed never to cover the same thing twice. I fell in love with journalism, so to speak; I could never find a single thing wrong with it.

All throughout high school I was told (mostly by my mom) to major in journalism when I entered university. But, thinking about stability and saving others, I vowed to become a nurse. I told myself that there is no greater job than one that can heal others.

So when I was accepted to Eastern in early 2016, I entered its esteemed nursing program. And, for the last two semesters, I have been diligently working toward achieving a nursing degree. But no matter how hard I tried, my passion for journalism has lingered.

I remember being at Eastern’s club fair early in the fall. I was trying to sign up for swing dancing and ignore The Waltonian. I felt that if I wrote for another paper, I would not keep my commitment of becoming a nurse. But as soon as I passed the table for The Waltonian, I felt propelled to sign up. I tried to rationalize it by saying, “Oh, it won’t hurt if I just write an article occasionally.” So I signed up. I told myself that I could write for the paper, but I could never be an editor. Becoming an editor, I thought, would surely send me on a “path of doom” (or majoring in journalism). Sure enough, I was promoted to Web Editor four weeks later. With these progressions in the publication, I still stuck to my word of becoming a nurse.

However, I realized that I will never be happy until I do what I love most. Although I loved the thought of being a nurse, I could not give up on my ability to have a possible future with journalism. Just a few weeks ago, I decided to change my major to journalism with minors in gender studies, communications and literature. Writing “journalism” as my major was the most rewarding act I have done since I started at Eastern. I was finally allowing myself to feel passion for something other than stability. I feel passion for writing.

Changing my major was perhaps one of the scariest things I have ever done. I filled out a piece of paper that I felt changed my whole life. Declaring a major in journalism has made me realize that you can save the lives of others through the power of words. Using just 26 letters, a writer can change the course of someone’s life. The power of the English language completely astounds me.

The art of dream-chasing is not a dream at all. Once you set your mind to your passions, you can change the course of your life. The ultimate dream in life is to love what you are doing, and I love journalism.

Comprised of liberal, conservative and progressive members, new Eastern organization Political Activism Club (PAC) strives to make the campus a place of open conversation for controversial topics.

Enacted by senior Samuel Vaughan in response to the 2016 presidential election, PAC launched in the beginning of this semester with help from its adviser, political science professor Dr. Sharon Gramby-Sobukwe. Vaughan, along with Katrina Belmontes, Peter Crawford, Stephen Krieble and Jon Thomas II, vowed to make their message of openness heard to the students and faculty of Eastern.

Staying true to their promise, PAC teamed up with Refuge, EU’s LGBT+ alliance group, to organize a stand to fight for the neutralization of Eastern’s policies regarding LGBT+ students and faculty.

Like the LGBT+ Solidarity Week that took place in mid-March, PAC plans to participate in other on-campus large-scale activities. Each week, the members of PAC gather to vote on a topic to tackle next. Because they choose to discuss one topic at a time, PAC can put forth the utmost amount of effort toward one issue. So throughout the week, following choosing a topic, the group strategically plans how they can actively involve students in their fight for justice for everyone, especially the marginalized.

“We work to give [students] the tools to act on their beliefs in a tangible way,” Eastern alum and PAC board member Stephen Krieble says.

In between topics, PAC divides into groups and assigns members to attend local rallies and protests, to call congresspeople and senators and to start conversations here on campus about various controversial topics.

Because of their willingness to discuss controversial issues, Student Activities Board’s “Perspectives” was hosted by PAC on March 27. In their panel discussion, PAC asked questions regarding race relations in the United States. They questioned whether our economic system discriminates against people of color and what place hate speech has in constitutional law. On this panel, PAC had a variety of speakers from different backgrounds, which aided in their goal of having a fair, open discussion.

PAC openly recognizes that many students at Eastern have differing views. Some have thought that PAC is a liberal group, but that is far from the truth. PAC is very inclusive. Each member brings his or her different views to the meetings in order to help decipher what route the club should be taking. Because of their inclusiveness, PAC can make significant impact at Eastern as a united front.

“There is no better place on campus to see just how much people are willing to give to each other and sacrifice only to see their brother or sister elevated. It’s beautiful, and it is what my faith is about,” Samuel Vaughan says.

In the future, PAC hopes to get involved in local protests and marches. On March 30, PAC plans to send members to protest the gerrymandering of District 6, the district in which Eastern resides. This protest may change the act of Radnor being misrepresented as exclusively Republican in congressional elections. Further, PAC plans to send members to Washington, D.C. to discuss lobbying about climate change. Learning how to lobby on Capitol Hill can propel young adults into American topics that need for government attention.

PAC hopes that their influence can bring about change and equality for those who desperately need it.

PAC meets in the Gough Great Room on Thursdays at 7:30 p.m. To join, prospectives are encouraged to attend a meeting or speak to one of PAC’s founding members. For more information, visit their Facebook page, “EU Political Activism Club,” or contact board member Peter Crawford via email at pcrawfo3@eastern.edu.

When summer comes along, many college students in the nation try to take advantage of this time and relax for a few months. Among the standard pastimes we college kids take advantage of, a seldom few have a positive effect on our future careers. We ought to seriously consider the ways in which we want to spend our time and the ways that our activities might impact us in the future.

Through the Office for Talent and Career Development here at Eastern, students can access multiple job, internship, mission and study abroad applications that can surely improve a standard summer of complete relaxation.

Throughout the years, Eastern University has had tremendous success with getting their students into top internships. From great opportunities at sports broadcast networks to a life-changing internship at an insurance company, these connections have allowed students to pave the way for their own careers. For example, Eastern University has sent many students to Philadelphia to work with the organization Yes! And. This organization is designed for young students to express themselves through creative and innovative plays. College students who participate work with students to finalize their productions into memorable performances.

Also, being a Christian institution, Eastern University has multiple connections to help students get involved with mission trips. Trips ranging from Uganda to places here in the United States, the Center for Student Missions gives students the chance to learn about other cultures while learning more about the power of God. One is the Shanti Bhavan Children’s Project. Located in India, this residential school allows volunteers to work with children in an underdeveloped nation. In addition to this, the school allows education majors to make their own lesson plans and teach the children on their own. This experience is unique and offers participants a diverse perspective on the world.

Perhaps gaining fuel this year, the gender studies program Seminar by the Sea offers a unique learning experience for students in the state of Maine. This course, offered this summer, allows students to learn about gender in society and the psychological toll gender roles can have on a person. This course includes readings and discussions to unpack the inner workings of a patriarchal society. This experience is offered every other summer. The applications are still available and can be accessed at seminarbythesea.com.

Although relaxation from rigorous college courses is vital to anyone’s health, incorporating some monumental experiences such as these into your summer is an excellent way to complete a full resume come graduation.

“This is the summer to ‘dream big.’ Start getting connected with your future a little bit at a time. You do not have to do everything, but you can do something,” Sarah Todd, Director of the Office for Talent and Career Development, enthusiastically explains.

Every summer until graduation is a chance to develop our understanding of our future careers or take the opportunity to discover something new. This summer or next, take a shot and think big about the future. Also, perhaps most importantly, plan and hope for a prosperous future ahead.

For more information, please email the Office for Talent and Career Development at careers@eastern.edu.

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From Jan. 27 to 29, Eastern University welcomed a group of prospective students to see what college life might be like for them if they choose to attend Eastern in the fall. Prospective weekend was planned by the admissions staff over the course of several months. They reached out to current residents of Eastern in hopes of securing enough hosts to house prospectives. The goal of housing potential students in the residence halls was to help create a realistic view of how life would be at Eastern. Having been a prospective before, I eagerly signed up to host potential first-years.

Arriving at Eagle Hall the afternoon of Jan. 27, I got to escort my two prospectives to my residence building, Hainer Hall. I laughed at their shocked faces when I showed them the lengthy and hilly path that would (eventually) lead to my humble home. I helped them transport their hefty loads. Arriving at Hainer, I explained the way of life at one of Eastern’s oldest residence halls. I told them that Hainer is very homey, but Hainer bathrooms have a certain scent to them. Oh, and I sure did not forget to tell them about the creaks you hear throughout the night.

I attended different events with them. From an entertaining coffeehouse to an interactive T-shirt-dyeing extravaganza, the prospectives who were paired with me loved the sense of inclusion they felt at Eastern. However, these activities did not represent all that Eastern is about; every student at Eastern knows that it is the community that is so beautiful here. My roommate and I took the girls to the King of Prussia Mall to show them the temptations that will linger while they are at school. They were exposed to what we do (and try to do in moderation) as residents in our free time. Also, the prospectives took part in the preparation for a protest. They were highly confused as to why my hallmates and I hovered around the floor making posters that read, “No ban, no wall,” and, “Refugees are welcome here.” I told them that during college is the time to express their views. College has the power to serve as a stimulant for students to expand their views beyond what they believed at home. The students seemed shocked by how passionate we were. They both soon joined in.

The activities, meetings and atmosphere were quite like my experience last year when I attended Explore Eastern, Class of 2020. The welcoming administration, staff and students fueled my decision to attend. I was enamored that any college could have such a close-knit community. I was given multiple tours by my hosts, and I was given the “101” of Eastern. From the crazy snowstorms to the late-night Insomnia cookies, I was sure that Eastern was the best university to attend.

The weekend I spent at Eastern inspired me to apply for, and later accept, a spot in the nursing program. If that weekend had never happened, I do not know if I would have attended Eastern.

Being a host for the annual prospective weekend is open to every resident on campus. I cannot stress enough the importance of showing potential students the true atmosphere of a Christian institution. Dozens of students who attend Explore Eastern become students the following fall. The weekend has the chance to leave a lasting impact on prospectives. Even if the prospectives end up not attending Eastern, the weekend presents the university in a positive light that can encourage the attendance of others in the future.

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In the wake of the New Year, many young adults are looking forward to a new semester of college, but there are many people who are looking forward to becoming a whole new person. I swore to myself at the start of this new year that I would try to love all that I am and stop letting others control me.

The year of 2016 was the worst year of my life. As a senior in high school, I was completely happy. I was involved in many clubs, and I excelled in academics; I lived with my mom and two brothers; I had just been accepted to Eastern, and I could not wait to be in college.

But on the morning of March 8, I woke up to the worst day of the worst year of my life. I did not know what was going on. I got up around seven in the morning and found my brothers in the hallway crying. I looked past them to see my mom, lifeless. I ripped away from my siblings’ attempt to block me from the horror and went to my mom’s bedside. She was so cold. I began to shake her. I yelled at her to wake up. I called the ambulance and was instructed to give my own mom CPR. The tragedy was that I could not save her. She never woke up. I went from the aspiring high school senior to a teenager raising herself.

The rest of my year went downhill from there. I lost my older brother after he expressed that living with me and our other sibling was too hard for him. After going to college, I allowed my eldest brother to control everything I did. I allowed him to bully me because I did not want to lose another piece of my family. My submission to the abuse was a result of my not having my mom to protect me—I was protecting myself.

After my mom’s passing, I felt as though I died as well. The nine months remaining in 2016 were brutal to get through. I was constantly trying to pull myself out of the hole that I had dug for myself. I was confused as to why I was being treated so poorly by the people I had been raised with. I questioned why I was living. I questioned why God took my mom instead of me. I thought that me being gone would have been easier. These thoughts consumed my year. Even when I was being honored or I received a phenomenal grade on a test, I still felt like I was failing. I still thought that I did not deserve to live.

However, I saw a small light at the end of my seemingly never-ending tunnel. It was over winter break when I realized that I had a lot in my life. Although I had lost the majority of my family, I began to realize that family can be chosen. I spent all of the holidays with my friend from high school. I participated in her holiday traditions and had a new will to live. I began to see that I was becoming a different person, but I was a person I could get used to. I was still loved by so many people. These are the people who loved me when I did not love myself.

In a sense, 2017 served as a wake-up call. I know now that trying to hold on to the Kelsey that was present on March 7, 2016 is not something that I or anyone else can do. The true art of new beginnings is that they can happen whenever you see fit. My new beginning happened when I was eating lasagna (my friend’s family tradition), surrounded by a family who had taken me in. New beginnings have the power to change you or to simply give you the space to accept the you that has changed.

The Harvard Men’s Soccer team has been suspended from participating in the rest of their season due to the leak of a “recruit book” that rated the Harvard Women’s Soccer team on physical appearance. Although this story was originally described as an isolated incident in 2012, reports have found that the current Harvard Men’s Soccer team has too been carrying on the inappropriate ritual.

Because of this recruit book that possibly originated in 2012, the Harvard Men’s Soccer team cannot compete in the national tournament. Harvard’s dean expressed that the acts that began in 2012 and have continued today are not representative of what the university stands for as an institution. Harvard stands for intelligence, peace and respect. Harvard does not stand for intolerance.

The first documented incident in 2012 included a shared document between the Men’s team via email. The male teammates rallied together to discuss, write down and distribute their version of the Women’s Soccer team’s recruitment book. This book was used by many coaches to rate potential players in skill set and ability to play the sport. These books serve as a performance scorecard to determine which recruits will stand to play the college sport. However, the nature of the recruit book was tainted and used to rate the Women’s Soccer team recruits on physical appearance and sensuality. The document contains lewd comments about the Women’s Soccer team.

The story of the actions was originally published on Harvard University’s news platform, The Harvard Crimson. Journalists investigated the obscene document and uncovered that many school officials past and present knew little to nothing about the derogatory comments. Many teammates have opted not to comment on the matter. The coach from the 2012 Men’s Soccer team also has not commented on the matter. The current Dean of Students at Harvard has said that she was completely unaware of the document.

In the aftermath of the sexist document, the 2012 recruits from the Women’s Soccer team expressed their feelings toward the recruitment book through a collaborative article published in The Harvard Crimson. The six authors were the female players of the recruiting class of 2012, and they felt personally objectified by the comments. Many of the athletes had become close friends with players on the Men’s Soccer team—some even remained friends after their graduation. This fact made the comments seem a little too real. They did not expect for their friends to objectify the female body and compare them to one another.

In the piece entitled “Stronger Together,” the Harvard Women’s Soccer recruits from 2012 vow not to let the lewd document change their status as women. They see the actions of their male teammates daily. The women see that no matter how good they are at playing soccer, many will still simply judge them on their physical appearance. They challenge women to stick together in the wake of blatant sexism and urge men across the country to stop the “locker-room” talk. They call for a better, fairer America: a place where a woman is not judged on her physical appearance but on her ability to succeed.

Sources: New York Times, The Harvard Crimson