Thursday, December 13, 2012
Morning at Daycare
Wednesday, December 12, 2012
Thursday, November 8, 2012
Get Out And Vote
New Generation of Voters Needs
Education on Voting Laws
For many of people, the 2012
election was the first time casting a vote of their own. One Hundred Million
votes and 31 Million Tweets later, the 2012 election came to an end.
With this many first time voters,
it is important for everyone to be aware of the rules and regulations regarding
the voting process. Out of those 23 Million young voters, forty percent did not
know about the voting laws for their state.
For example, it is illegal in many states to
photograph official ballots. So that everyone is aware of the local laws
regarding official ballots; Kansas law states that “disclosing or exposing the
contents of any ballot or manner in which the ballot has been voted,” an
unauthorized voting disclosure. In addition, Missouri voters are prohibited
from “allowing a ballot to be seen by any person with the intent of letting it
be known how anyone is about to vote or has voted.” Violation of these
restrictions can result in a variety of things ranging from fines to jail time.
Another thing voters should know is that in Missouri, employers are required to allow workers time off to vote. If an employee gives prior notice, they may take up to three hours for voting and no deductions may be taken from their normal salary. Failure to adhere can result in fines up to $2,500 and/or up to one year in jail. For more information on voting laws near you, visit http://www.fairelectionsnetwork.com/resources/missouri
Tuesday, October 30, 2012
Wednesday, October 24, 2012
Study Abroad
Global
Learning
Students
Take Advantage of Opportunities to Study Abroad
“The listening begins
on the plane as we each insert our ear buds and we create individual listening
worlds within a collective travel experience. As we cram our bodies and bags
into small, shared spaces we find comfort through what hear; headphones allow
us to choose what we listen to and attempt to drown out unwanted sound, for
example, babies crying, a neighbor snoring uncomfortably close, inane
conversations between those who know each other too well or those who've just
met and are trying a bit too hard. Yet what listening experience are we truly
engaging in? Do these little worlds close us in or shut everything else out? I
found for me it actually allowed for a more singular focus offsetting the
awkwardness of mass transit. I don't know if this is true for all, but I
finished the ride with copious, reflective notes that energized me as I prepare
to immerse myself in the musical adventures of Berlin.” –Ken Parsons, Chair of
Religious Studies & Philosophy.
Dr. Parsons teaches a
variety of courses in the areas of Ethics, Political Philosophy, and the
History of Philosophy. His research in Political Philosophy and Contemporary
European Philosophy orients around issues of violence and power, globalization,
and social justice. This fall, Dr. Parsons lead a group of students on an
adventure to the culturally-rich lands of Berlin as part of the IS/PL 344
course, Music and Politics. The trip lasted from October 16th-23rd.
On their first night in
Berlin, the group decided to dine at the Unsicht-Bar, a unique restraint where
customers dine in total darkness. “Our servers were
all blind, thus expertly equipped to add us through the experience of
navigating the world of forks, glasses and conversation in total darkness, for
2+ hours,” said Parsons. Because the class is focused on music and sound, Dr. Parsons
and the class thought this dining experience would be a good way to refocus their
senses. “This proved to be an ideal environment for attuning to our
surroundings and one another in ways we all agreed was fresh and excitingly ‘eye-opening’
for our ears,” said Parsons.
Don’t be
disappointed if you missed out on the trip to Berlin, for anyone interested
there are also four travel courses offered this spring! For 2013 there are
opportunities to visit Montreal, Canada, Rwanda, Africa, India, and the
Bahamas. Space is still available but the classes are filling up fast so pick
up a registration form in the registration office. For more information on
upcoming travel courses, visit avila.edu/travel.
Monday, October 8, 2012
Getting to Know Gabby
Getting to Know
Gabby
Avila
Ambassadors Welcome a New Addition to the Team
This
semester Avila Ambassadors welcome their newest member, Gabby Sysavath, to the
organization. Sysavath is a sophomore this fall, majoring in Pre-Med with a
minor in psychology. In her future, Sysavath hopes to become a pediatric
neurologist. But for now she just wants to be involved in as many aspects of
Avila as possible. Sysavath was first interested in joining the ambassadors
before she was even enrolled.
“Bailey
Carr was actually my ambassador when I came for a tour, she was just so peppy
and upbeat, she really sold the school to me,” said Sysavath.
Carr
spends much of her time in the admissions office, when she isn’t giving tours
herself she is training new ambassadors on how to sell Avila. Before giving any
tours to potential students, ambassadors must go through a series of practice
tours with Carr. One way that the practice tours work is that Carr acts as the
tour guide so that ambassadors can observe and model her techniques. Another
use of the practice tours is for ambassadors to show Carr they are ready to
give a tour on their own. The ambassador will have a fake group of visiting
students and they are to go through the motions as if they were selling Avila to
a new group of potential students.
Another ambassador, Jessica Jankowski, was
also a key player in getting Sysavath to join.
“Jessica
always told me how cool it was to be able to interact with possible new
students and how fun it is to meet new people,” Sysavath said.
Sysavath
joined the ambassadors as a way to get more involved at Avila and to be a part
of persuading students to come to the University. In addition to participating
as an ambassador, Sysavath is a part of the Avila Cheer Squad and a member of
the Bio-Med club.
“I
don’t have a job right now but I’m kind of looking, it’s hard to work when it
conflicts so much with the things I’m involved with at school,” said Sysavath.
Although
she is very busy, Sysavath is happy to be involved with Avila University. She
has learned many things just from the short time she has been involved that she
otherwise would have never known.
“I
thought it was funny that before the Eagles we were actually the Avalanche,
I’ve learned a lot of interesting things about the school from becoming an
ambassador,” said Sysavath.
For
those students looking to get involved, Avila has a wide variety of clubs and
organizations that are always looking to acquire new members. From academics to
athletics, and many special interest groups in between, there is always something
to do at Avila University.
Wednesday, October 3, 2012
Parking Wars
Parking Wars
Lack of Parking
Spaces on Campus Causes Uproar between
Students and
Campus Safety
Many
are familiar with the hit A&E show “Parking Wars,” where independent towing
companies in big cities like New York face off against illegal parkers. In the
show, fugitive parkers go to extremes to keep their cars from being towed and
plead their cases to the imperturbable Judge Caprio. Well, Avila students may
not have quite reached these extremes yet, but there has undoubtedly been an
increase of frustration when it comes to parking on campus this semester.
According to the
Campus Safety department, in the parking lots surrounding campus there are 250
designated spaces for residents, 40 for employees, and 25 for disabled or handicapped.
The remaining 500 undesignated spaces are open for commuters, visitors, and
future Avila students. There are approximately 1800 students currently
enrolled, this number excludes employees and visitors, and only a total of 815
parking spaces. With these numbers, parking at Avila is like a never ending
game of musical chairs, someone is always left without a place to park.
“We are working
on designating a number of parking spaces for resident students equal to the
number of parking permits issued by the Campus Safety office and ask that
resident students park only in resident parking spaces as instructed,” said
Chris Roberts, manager of Campus Safety.
For
those students residing in Carondelet, the best parking is in front of the
third floor of Avila Hall or the drive to the north down the hill. Students in
Ridgway are asked to park in the lot between Ridgway and Thompson. Next to
Carondelet there will be spaces for commuter students and employees, although
the majority of that parking is in the large lot north of Blasco and the lots
along the west half of campus.
In the past few
years, many commuters found a resolution to the lack of spaces by parking along
Oak Street hill behind Dallavis Center. This proved to be a solution up until
the city of Kansas began ticketing those cars with no prior warning to tell
students it was a no-parking zone. Now, there are clear no-parking signs along
the Oak Street hill to deter students from congesting the street. Commuters are
now asked to park along the residential streets surrounding campus when no
spaces are available in the Blasco lot.
“Avila also is fortunate in this large metro area to have
three sides of campus surrounded by peaceful residential streets. It’s no
different than parking in any residential or business area, such as the Country
Club Plaza or downtown Kansas City. People need to use due diligence and care
anytime they park on a public street,” said Roberts.
For being less
than half way through the semester, the mere number of parking violations is
proof that there is a problem. Many of the violations were due to students
simply not having a parking permit at all. The majority of the others were for
cars parked in places that were not parking spaces. Failure to park inside the
spaces causes obstruction of traffic and can prevent the entrance of emergency
vehicles.
“By everybody having a parking permit in a similar location,
this aids Campus Safety’s ability to identify vehicles quickly and be able to
quickly spot vehicles of strangers or visitors. This allows Campus Safety to be
more vigilant in detecting possible security concerns,” said Roberts.
Students,
faculty, and staff are asked to aide Campus Safety in maintaining Avila’s
reputation as a safe place to be. Everyone is encouraged to do their part by
following the parking policy which allows smooth traffic flow on and around
campus. For Avila’s full parking policy, refer to the student handbook at www.avila.edu.
Sunday, September 23, 2012
Celebrating Diversity
The Avila Community Joins Together to Explore New Cultures
For
former Avila student Elena Elisina, this annual celebration was an important
part of her experience in the United States. “That is such a
great tradition. I used to take part in this Ethnic Festival, it was lots of
fun!” Elisina said. After graduating with a degree in
International Business, Elisina took her world class education and went on to
work for the Central Bank of Russia.
Avila
works hard to make international students feel welcome at the university. For students
who are not fluent in English, the Intensive Language and Culture Program is a
good starting point. In the program, students are taught the English they will
need to be successful at any University in the United States. International
students may also be enrolled in the undergraduate or masters programs while
involved in the Intensive Language and Culture program.
Another way in which
Avila accommodates its international students is through the ISO or
International Student Organization. The club is open to both international and
non international students who would like to see a raised awareness,
understanding and appreciation of multiple cultures at the University. For more
information contact Bruce Inwards, ISO Advisor.
Three Avila students dance to some of Japan’s
traditional music to draw attention to their booth. Left: Hiromi Uno, Middle:
Shimon Saleurada, Right: Naoto Yokohama
Tuesday, September 11, 2012
Making History
Making History
America Reflects on the Day we Became
a Part of History
A beautiful fall day
marks the eleventh anniversary of the day the World Trade Center was attacked.
The morning of September eleventh, two thousand twelve reflects the day of the
attack in an eerie way. Citizens could not have foreseen the events of this
tragic day eleven years ago.
This morning in his weekly address, President
Obama made a statement reflecting how far the nation has come as well as
reviewing his foreign policy and its success. Quoted on ABC News, President
Obama stated “Instead of changing who we are, the attacks have brought out the
best in the American people.” Obama went on to say that the United States is
not, and never will be, at war with Islam or any other religion. “Our freedom
and diversity is what makes us unique as a nation,” he said. Eleven years
later, it is a good place to be able to say that
no enemy and no act of terrorism can change who we are as
a nation.
Lisa
Levine, who works in Avila’s campus security department, is one of many
individuals reflecting on the events of September eleventh two thousand one
today. “I remember working away, I had no idea anything had happened until a
coworker told me what she heard on the radio,” Levine said.
After
the fact, it was released that days before the attack, former President George
Bush was briefed on an issue about Al Qaeda’s determination to attack the
United States while the same day in Afghanistan, Osama bin Laden was finalizing
his plans to attack on September Eleventh.
“In
my mind, or really what I got out of the news I have heard, there were hints
dropped that should have been addressed. In my line of work, if you receive a
tip you have to follow up on it no matter if you think it’s real or not,” said Levine.
People
living in different parts of the United States, of all ages and from many
different perspectives remember where they were when they heard that their
country was under attack.
A recent college graduate, Samantha Mills, was
in middle school in two thousand one. “I was only twelve when the attack
happened. I remember being at school and the principal made an announcement to
turn on the TV, we actually watched the second plane hit. I knew what I just
saw was bad but at that age I just thought it didn’t affect me because it was
happening so far away from where I lived,” Mills said.
For
some, the attack on the World Trade Center is just another page in the history
books, but for others it is a life-changing loss. New York City and its
firefighters, for example, relive the trauma each year. In attempt to move
forward, an agreement was reached today for the 9/11 museum. According to ABC
news, the agreement established that no additional public funds will be spent
on the completion of the memorial and museum, and puts it back on track for
completion.
“I
think it is really important that the memorial is finished. It is needed so
that all the people who were killed are never forgotten,” Jamila Staples, a
first year Avila student, said.
Today
America reflects on the thousands of individuals who lost their lives on
September eleventh two thousand and one. The families whose lives were changed
forever, as well as all of America, remember. “It still affects people today,
especially the families who lost loved ones, but everyone who lived through
it,” said Levine, “when you are a part of history, when you live through a
tragedy, you remember.”
Thursday, September 6, 2012
In With the New, Out With the Old
In with the New, Out with the Old
Avila Students and Staff Kick-Off the New School Year Right
Leaves
on the ground and a refreshing breeze in the air, these are sure signs that
August is here and it’s time to kick off a brand new school year.
On Thursday August 30th,
Avila students and staff came together to celebrate a fresh start this fall.
The festivities began with a Mass of the Holy Spirit, followed by a free picnic
and student organization fair. During the picnic, students were welcomed to
enjoy free lunch, massages, balloon and caricature artists as well as personalized
license plates. The various student clubs and organizations work throughout the year to
enable events such as this.
“I like that Avila has so many things to get
people invoked in the school. As a commuter it’s hard to get to know people so
having the opportunity to come out and participate is a great way to meet
people,” Ylantra Alston, a second semester student, said.
With all the chaos and
excitement going on not many think about the hard work that so many individuals
put into events such as this one. Behind the scenes, Jason Dockery as well as many others in the department spent weeks
preparing for the kick-off picnic.
One of the caricature
artists, Penelopy Marth, said “I have been coming to Avila for things like this
for years; Jason has me on campus for all sorts of things.”
So amid all the
activities to participate in at Avila, it’s important to take a moment and
thank those who put in the extra effort to make it all possible.
Students gathered on a warm Thursday
morning to participate in Avila’s back to school kick-off. Pictured above,
student Ylantra Alston gets her caricature drawn by Ms. Penelopy Marth during
the student organization fair.
Representing Avila University
Representing Avila University
Ambassadors Work Hard to be good Representatives of
the Student Body
If asked, many students would not remember their first visit to Avila, or even what initially called them to attend, but the Avila Ambassadors certainly remember. The Avila Ambassadors are a group of top students working in the Admissions Office to help pay off the cost of an education. Ambassadors promote Avila University and it’s core values as well as represent the student body as a whole.
Under the lead of
Advisor Bailey Carr, ambassadors provide tours for prospective students who
come for campus visits, as well as participate in special University events.
Ambassadors are required to give two tours a week in which they introduce soon
to be high school graduates to the various departments at Avila.
Ambassadors meet each
month to discuss how the semester is going and to work on ways to be even
better representatives of the University. Ambassadors also team up to plan
various campus activities for students throughout the semester. One of the main
activities ambassadors plan is the Spring Fling and Student Appreciation
Carnival. Spring Fling is an Avila tradition where every April, just when
spring fever kicks in and students are ready for a break, there is a free
picnic, games, and much more to do. The student appreciation carnival is a way
of thanking students for their hard work and determination throughout the
semester.
All students of any
year and major are encouraged to join the Avila Ambassadors team. Students
should contact Bailey Carr in the Admissions Office for more information.
Avila Ambassador, Kortney Ward, pauses during a tour to
tell potential students about the biology department.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)