After the series finale of The Joe Show

by Joseph Landini

Sitting here in Lakeview 18 with days away from graduation I realize what I have done and accomplished. At Franklin Pierce I have accomplished many things in communications, not just because of my own abilities but with the help from some amazing people. My tests, papers, and work is done, all I can do now is reflect and say thank you to many. 

Not many know that when I was young and in middle school that I would sit in my room watching NBA games. What was different was that I would use my camcorder and tape the game, turn the volume down on the TV, and do commentary by myself. At Franklin Pierce, my old hobby became a true reality as I was blessed enough to be a part of the Ravens Sports Network. I was blessed to be able to call an NE-10 Baseball Championship game, along with other pivotal games in Franklin Pierce Athletics.

Out of all the sports though, Women’s Basketball and doing play by play for the majority of their games, was the best job ever. Following a team and really learning about how a player plays is a blessing in disguise. My first two thank you go out to Casey Williams and Rich Raymond. I would not have the opportunity to do all those basketball games without Casey, our Raven’s Sports Network leader. Without him running from the game to the Fitzwater, to put me on the radio in the studio, then back to put my voice with the video on the tricaster, I would never have been heard. Casey is so multi-talented, and will be successful wherever he goes, any employer would be crazy not to snatch him up quickly.

At the start of the season I was looking for a great color guy who legitimately cared about broadcasting and someone who saw it as an art not just something to do. Around the third game I asked Rich (Raymond) to be my color guy, and to my pleasure he nailed it. Rich, although sometimes nervous, has great things to say and adds to a broadcast in epic form. Rich was there from the UConn preseason game, all the way to our loss in the first round of the NCAA Tournament. I can sit here and say I would not be able to accomplish what I did with the Women’s Basketball team without Rich. Rich was able to capture the “Broadcast MVP,” Fitzy and despite small jealously, I can truly say he deserved it. He is a great roommate and best friend too.

Broadcasting was not the only way I was able to follow women’s basketball, as I wrote numerous articles about them in the Pierce Arrow. At the start of this year, Molly Buccini and Alyssa Dandrea asked me if I wanted to contribute to their paper. When asked I thought it would be a great opportunity, and it was. I was given the freedom to write on what I wanted, and of course I wrote a lot of articles on sports. Two full semesters later, and an “Outstanding Sports Writing” Fitzy award in my pocket, I found this a major success. I could not be more grateful for Molly and Alyssa to have asked me to write for the Arrow.

Staying with writing, Professor Paul Bush gets my next thank you, and maybe my biggest one. With his 15 page syllabus, and his demand of professionalism I knew I was in for a hell of a ride. Doing endless amount of work for The Exchange in the classroom, and outside the classroom one may wonder why to stay in. Well I stayed with it, and ended up having Professor Bush for all eight semesters of my college career. It was the single greatest academic decision I made. Bush taught his students the importance of professionalism, and why it coincides with the real world. His classes were like a typical day in the real world. Despite all the days being caught on Facebook, and him seeing conversations I didn’t want anyone to see, Bush’s lessons were more beneficial than anything imaginable. This is my opportunity to say thank you to Professor Paul Bush for everything you taught me.

Last but certainly not least, The Joe Show. Not many know how the show came about. At the start of junior year I was taking a class called “Writing for the Media,” with Professor Blake Wood. One of our assignments was to do a talk show and interview a guest. As we did that assignment, and I was interviewing classmate Zack Thamm I thought to myself, this could become real. After that, I went to the FPTV people and asked if they were interested in putting on a talk show. Three seasons later I sit here and have already taped my last show. The entire FPTV executive board is to thank for this. I cannot thank Mike Davies, executive producer, enough for the advice he gave me, and the time he took out of his schedule to help me. If Davies wants to do something in TV, then there is no stopping him.

Sean Carroll and Ally Billingsley are the other two I need to thank. I have known Sean since the first day of school. As my next door neighbor, I was able to get to know him and truly call him my great friend. Being with The Joe Show since the first season, Sean was able to create a small fan base for himself, with his small rants and his constant small shots on the host. Despite those small shots on me, Sean was great and will be great in whatever he does. Ally came in the second season and really shocked me with how well she did. Off the camera I knew Ally had an amazing personality and an entertaining one at that, but I did not know how that would transition on camera. To the benefit of the show, Ally hit her segment right on the head, and gave funny responses to ridiculous questions for two long seasons. With the Joe Show ending, the Ally Show will begin in the Fall of 2011. Stay tuned to FPTV, as I know Ally will do a phenomenal job, and I hope she does better than I do.

With the show I was on a quest for an award. After missing out on it in 2010, the 2011 “Host of the Year,” Fitzy was on my mind all season. The hard work, stress, and worries came to an end on May 2^nd when Eric Taverna presented me the award I’d be striving for. I said it then and I’ll say it again, that award was my greatest accomplishment at Franklin Pierce University. To see a project or something you work so hard on come full circle is the most amazing feeling in the world. I am beyond grateful for everyone in FPTV, and anyone ever involved in my show. From passion to stress and from tacos to meatloaf, The Joe Show I can say was the single greatest piece of work I put together.

Sitting in Lakeview 18 with five days to go, I sit here and finally feel accomplished. I know I had the ability to do great things, but without the people I mentioned above there is no success. I will miss the work I put in, and the fun I had. Thank You.

(photo: Alyssa Dandrea)

(photo: Alyssa Dandrea)

(photo: Alyssa Dandrea)

(photo: Alyssa Dandrea)

(photo: Alyssa Dandrea)

(photo: Alyssa Dandrea)

Alyssa Dandrea, Senior
Mass Communication, concentrations in Journalism and Media Studies
Hobbies:  Being with friends and family, photography, reading/writing
“I enjoy all aspects of Journalism:  researching, interviewing, writing, and editing.  I love having the opportunity to meet new people and interview them on topics that they are passionate about.  My favorite sections to write for are news and features.”

Alycia Brandt, Senior
Mass Communication, concentrations in Journalism and Media Studies
Hobbies: I love the beach, being with my friends and watching movies.
“My favorite aspect of Journalism is knowing what happened first. I also enjoy keeping up on local news stories and being up to date on everything around us. Journalism has proven to be very interesting to me because I enjoy meeting new people and interviewing others on specific topics. I also love working with others and helping other students improve their Journalism skills.”

Molly Buccini, Senior, Managing Editor
Mass Communication, concentration in Journalism
Hobbies: Reading, spending time with family, relaxing at the beach.
“One of my favorite aspects of Journalism is writing features. Being able to share inspiring stories of the people around me is truly rewarding. ”

Sean Carroll, Senior
Mass Communication
Hobbies: Ice Hockey, Corn Hole, Staying Active
“Whether it is interviewing people for a story or piecing the story together I enjoy every aspect about being a journalist. In the future I hope to be working as a journalist after college.”

Taylor Damon, Sophomore
Mass Communication
Hobbies: Field Hockey, Tennis, Running
“My favorite part about Journalism is the final piece. I love the feeling of completing an article and seeing it published. It feels like a great accomplishment. I love the feeling of knowing my work is out there for everyone to see.”

Zach Bylaska-Davies, Sophomore
Mass Communication
Hobbies: Sports, hiking, fishing
“I like to write articles about things that may not get as much recognition around campus but are still interesting and important to the school. I also like to hear people talk about things that they are genuinely interested in when I interview them.”

David Dziewit Freshman
Psychology
Hobbies: Guitar, Movies, Sports
“I enjoy getting the legwork for the articles. It’s fun to go out and talk to people.”

Bobby Driscoll, Freshman
Mass Communication, concentration in Media Production
Hobbies: Movies, Sports, Working at the Fitzwater Center Depot
“Favorite aspect [of Journalism] is everything.”

Andrea Garcia, Senior (not pictured)
Mass Communication
Hobbies: Everything, literally
“Favorite aspect of Journalism is finding out and the constant learning aspect.”

(Not pictured:  Matt Jones and Grace Ames)

(Photo: Google Images)

by Sean Carroll
edited by Alycia Brandt

Procrastination has been linked to increased levels of anxiety in college students and will lead to unhealthy habits down the road.

According to a study conducted by Fuschia M. Sirois, a psychology professor at Carleton University in Ottawa, shows that procrastination in college students will translate to poor health and higher levels of stress. Procrastination is nothing new to college students, but many may not know about the long term side effects caused by putting off their work.

“I can only get my work done at the last minute because the pressure forces me to get it done,” said junior Kevin Quinn.

Let’s face the facts, not many college students would rather sit down and do the hours of countless homework every night when they could be off having fun with friends. One of the many reasons why procrastination rates are so high among college students today is the sense of freedom that they have. Out of 374 freshman undergrads that were studied at Carleton University, a whopping 61% admitted to procrastinating consistently on a daily basis.

“I definitely procrastinate every day. Even when I know that I have a lot of work I always wait until the last minute to do it,” said Quinn.

Many freshman fall into poor study habits such as procrastinating simply because when they go away to college they no longer have their parents making them do their work.

“In high school I was always on top of all my work. I thought that it would be the same way when I moved to college but two years into my college career I find myself putting my work off more and more,” said junior Justin Adams.

The most dramatic cause of procrastinating is increased levels of anxiety and stress. College students who continuously put off work until the last minute suffer from high levels of stress and often feel overwhelmed.

“When students procrastinate their anxiety takes the form of relatively high physiological stress at everyday hassles and social interactions,” said Sirois.

Some experts have said that the best way to break the cycle of procrastination is to improve one’s time management but for most that is easier said than done.

“Telling someone who procrastinates to buy a weekly planner is like telling someone with chronic depression to just cheer up,” said Joseph R. Ferrari, a psychology professor at DePaul University during the study conducted by professor Sirois.

A solution that may help all procrastinators out there get back on the right track is to eliminate all distractions. This means turn off the TV, radio, and stop spending hours on facebook. Eliminating distractions will help keep procrastinators on task and as a result the student will feel less overwhelmed with only having to concentrate on the task at hand.

For more information on time management stop by the Academic Services Center located in the Library.



Were you as ecstatic and amazed and joyful and thankful and glad (turning off thesaurus key words for happy, now) as I was to find out that RADIOHEAD is coming out with another album?

On February 14^th, the band suddenly announced the coming of their eighth full-length album, called King of Limbs.

The alternative Oxford band is hosting the pre-sale downloads on their website and for now the self-released album can only be downloaded on the bands website. That’s right, no iTunes.

It will be available for mp3 download on Saturday, February 19^th for nine dollars, but the physical copy will not be released until next month.

(photo by: Google)

Radiohead is also selling the option of the first Newspaper Album for a spare $48 that will include two clear vinyl records, a CD, large sheets of artwork, 625 tiny pieces of artwork, and an mp3 download. One lucky individual will receive two signed vinyls. Although, if you purchase the Newspaper Album now it will not arrive at your door until Monday May 9^th, but you can download the album like everybody else on February 19^th.

They’re going in a new direction since back in 2007 when the band split from EMI and released IN RAINBOWS. The album won’t be downloaded for what-ever-you-feel-like-paying, sorry cheap-ohs.

Front man Thom Yorke has called the music industry a “sinking ship,” and due to this, he has tried to experiment with creative ways to get his message out.

In the blogosphere, many critics are saying how RADIOHEAD is doing just the opposite, that they could save the music industry with this new album. We will just have to wait until Saturday to find out.

One of their most famous pieces of music, CREEP in case you forgot.

courtesy of flickr.com

Has one ever wanted Fast Food so bad that they had to kill off there diet? Absolutely, but here is the answer to how to keep the diet in play and still have some of the favorites.

Kentucky Fried Chicken is known for the original Colonials fried chicken, which we all know is not healthy. KFC’s food though is healthy, in portion of course. If you want to stay under 500 calories, then you can have a KFC original drumstick, an order of mashed potatoes with gravy, and a side of cole slaw. These three items add up to around  450 calories, and you do get some good foods in there. The foods you get in this three piece meal are three favorites that millions of people have ordered. The unique thing is, is that friend greasy drumstick itself was only 140 calories.

Mexican food is known to be heavy on calories, and heavy on grease and oil. Despite all that, you can still get a Tostada and a Gordita for 470 calories. A Tostada is a flat corn shell, with beans, salsa, and lettuce, all of which has nutritional value. A cheesy chicken gordita, although loaded with cheese, is still under 300 calories, and leaves room to have the Tostada as well. There is no need to divulge, when you can have a zesty snack at Taco Bell.

Even with those meals, there can be room for dessert. Kentucky Fried Chicken and Taco Bell both have a few desserts which are not horrendously bad for one who has the sweetest tooth. The bell has cinnamon twists which are only 160 calories and are good after a sort of well balanced meal. KFC has a variety of desserts which one can have. They have a lemon meringue pie, and a strawberry shortcake which both weigh in less then 250 calories. Two of America’s favorites for a lot less.

(Photo: Google)

by Alyssa Dandrea
edited by Andrea Garcia

The predictions for this Valentine’s Day tells a story of increased consumer spending and repeated calls for chocolate, roses, and diamond jewelry.  Beneath all the commercialism however, significant acts of charity are making those less fortunate thankful this holiday season.

According to the National Retail Federation (NFR), the average American will spend $116.21 on Valentine’s Day purchases, an 11 percent increase from last year.  In total, Americans are expected to spend nearly $16 billion.  The survey, which polled close to 9,000 consumers in early January, found that jewelry will remain the most popular gift option.

But behind the scenes, Valentine’s Day for some is not so much about receiving gifts, but instead the perfect time to give back.

This February, the Red Scarf Project, run by the Orphan Foundation of America, will collect nearly 5,000 scarves.  Half of the collection will go to college students, who are current or former foster children and foundation scholarship recipients, while the rest will be given to foster children.

According to an article in The Canadian Press, the scarves are all made by volunteer knitters who donate their time anonymously.  In recent years the program has inspired other charity projects like making clothing for children and hats for cancer patients.

On a smaller scale, towns across the country are holding their own events to raise money for charitable causes.  In Lexington, N.C., for example, a Valentine’s Day dance is being held to raise money for the nonprofit food bank.  According to an article in The-Dispatch, admission to the event is four cans or packages of nonperishable food.

In Cincinnati, students are creating handmade art cards and donating the proceeds from the sales to The Caring Place, a food pantry serving families in the area.  The program, inspired by a local student at the Kennedy Heights Arts Center, will include kids of all ages, with the hope of making hundreds of cards to sell to the public.

So this holiday season when you’re shopping for loved ones don’t forget to give back – buy gifts or attend events where you’re money will be put to a greater cause.

Oh, the weather outside is frightful, but The Exchange is so delightful! We know that many of you are just miserable on these snow days. Having to skip class is a terrible, awful thing, especially for all us young minds who just want to learn. So here’s a little help. The Exchange presents to you the ultimate list of super fun facts about snow to wake up your mind and get you ready for shoveling out your car and trudging through two feet of the white stuff to get to class.

Just one snowstorm can drop 40 million tons of snow, which is the energy equivalent to 120 atom bombs.

(Photo: Amanda Panaro)

The Innuit people do not have dozens of names for snow, as you may have previously learned. In the Innuit language, they combine several descriptive words into a single word. For example, “snow that drifts into a wave-like pattern,” which is eight words in English, would be one word in Innuit.

There is no law of nature prohibiting two snowflakes from being identical. Most snowflakes tend to stick together with others into crystals. A lot of snow flakes look similar to anyone who takes the trouble to look closely at enough of them. For each one to have a unique shape and composition would be a statistical impossibility.

The Guinness Book of Records lists the largest snowflake at 15 inches across.

At the center of each snowflake is a speck of dust, volcanic ash or particle from outer space.

A blizzard with lightning is called thundersnow.

We all know never to eat the yellow snow, because it’s obviously not just a whole lot of lemon flavored snow cone. However, did you know that there’s also red snow? By the way, don’t eat that either. It’s called “watermelon snow” and it even smells like watermelons. It’s color comes from a species of red algae that grows in ice. The snow may taste great, but stay close to a toilet for a day or so.

The most snow in the United States usually falls on Valdez, Alaska. It receives an average of 326 inches of it per year. That’s 27 feet!

A man named “Snowflake” Bentley admired snowflakes so much that in 1885 he took close-up pictures of at least 5,000 individual flakes. He died of pneumonia. How ironic.

Okay, now that we’ve dropped some knowledge on all the snow covered minds out there, let’s shake it off, head to class and get our learning on (and hope for another snow day sometime in the near future).

Sources:
http://www.eioba.com/a79046/interesting_and_unusual_facts_about_snow

(photo: Google Images)

by Nick Marro
edited by Richard Raymond

Super Bowl XLV is nearly upon us. Sports bettors across the country are licking their chops at their potential for picking the winner of what has become the pinnacle of the American sporting world. For a casual fan or someone who doesn’t typically indulge in the festivities, this can feel like a drag. It’s an unofficial holiday for sports fans and a day of envy for everyone else. But there is still hope. The sports books have just released their annual ‘prop bets’ and this years’ should appeal to even the most atypical Super Bowl viewer.

All of these bets are actually running in Vegas and in online sports books. Odds and payouts are provided. (If a wager is listed as even then the payout will match the wager. If a wager reads -160 than you must wager 160 units to win 100 etc. If a wager reads +200 than you would win 200 units if you bet 100) Odds are indicated using (#/#).

For example, how long will it take Christina Aguilera to sing the National Anthem?

Time starts from when she starts singing until her last note ends.

How long will Christina Aguilera hold the note “Brave” at the end of the National Anthem?

What will Fergie be wearing when she first appears on stage during the Super Bowl Halftime Show?

Who will FOX show first on TV during the game?

Super Bowl XLV Specials – How Many Times will FOX mention “Brett Favre” on TV during the Game?

Over/Under 2½

Super Bowl XLV Specials – Who will the FOX announcers say has better hair on TV during the Game?

Super Bowl XLV Specials – What Color will the Gatorade be that is dumped on the Head Coach of the Winning Super Bowl Team?

Who will the Super Bowl MVP of the Game thank first?

What will happen with the Dow Jones the day after the Super Bowl?

Super Bowl XLV Specials – Which Super Bowl commercial will have a higher rating on USA Today’s annual Ad Meter?

So while your sports fanatic friends are “filling out squares” and dissecting defenses, put a few dollars on one of these ridiculous wagers and make the game a little more interesting.

http://sports.bodog.com/sports-betting/football-team-props.jsp

(photo: Google)

Americans will spend an estimated $15.7 billion on chocolates, cards, bouquets of flowers and other gifts for their loved ones this February 14.

While the holiday dates back to the days of the Roman Empire, the traditions still live on. According to an annual survey by the U.S. National Retail Federation, the average U.S. consumer spent around $102 on Valentine’s Day gifts, meals and entertainment in 2009. Among these holiday gifts are heart-shaped boxes of chocolates which were first introduced in 1868 by Richard Cadbury.

The Valentine’s Day holiday could not be complete without a bouquet of flowers for loved ones. The most popular flowers purchased by consumers are red roses. Although women do account for a small percentage of the flower purchasing made for Valentine’s Day, men account for 73 percent of Valentine’s Day flower sales. Overall, about one-third of Americans express their love for one another by buying flowers.

One of the biggest sellers for Valentine’s Day is the exchanging of greeting cards. According to the Greeting Card Association, 190 million Valentine’s Day cards are exchanged annually. This puts Valentine’s Day as the second most popular holiday to exchange greeting cards right behind Christmas. Fifty-five percent of Americans will send at least one card. This long lived tradition dates all the way back to 1415, but did not become popular until the early 1900s when mass production began.

Hallmark quickly jumped on the wagon in 1913 and began creating Valentine’s Day cards for not only spouses but also children, parents, siblings and friends. It became almost necessary for consumers to send greeting cards to everyone they cared about. No matter what gifts were being purchased, it always came with a card. That is why many refer to Valentine’s Day as the ‘Hallmark Holiday’.

Men also find themselves purchasing jewelry for their significant others. Over recent years, jewelry sales have increased and are expected to continue. The National Retail Federation expects to see the percentage of consumers that will buy jewelry jump to about 17.3 percent. It also states that the total consumer spending on jewelry will reach about $3.5 billion. It is safe to say, diamonds really are a woman’s best friend.