Sunday, May 11, 2014
Super Seahawks Experience first-person column
Super Seahawks experience
Feb. 5, 2014
I've always thought it was crazy to sit outside in freezing cold temperatures in snowy conditions for a football game.
To pay hundreds — and in this instance, thousands — of dollars to watch a game in person seems absurd to many, including myself.
And if you’re not a sports fan, you’ll probably never understand.
But when my hometown team, the Seattle Seahawks, defeated the San Francisco 49ers in the NFC championship game last month, I was ready to follow them to the Super Bowl. It was time to collect our first NFL title.
So my brother, sister-in-law and myself were New Jersey-bound.
On the eve of the biggest football game of the year, our first friendly sighting was a plane flying over MetLife Stadium, pulling the signature blue 12th Man flag, in recognition of loyal Hawks fans.
Seattle already was making its presence known in New York and New Jersey.
Twelfth-Man supporters filled 13 blocks around Times Square, where a stretch called Super Bowl Boulevard immersed fans in the hyped-up weekend festivities. Fans could have photos taken next to the actual Lombardi Trophy, stand in front of the oversized Roman numerals representing the Super Bowl and even slide down a 60-foot toboggan run.
But the main event was the game.
After a 10-minute train ride, we arrived at MetLife Stadium five hours before kickoff. As we stood in the security line, we had our pictures taken with the parents of Seattle Pro Bowl defensive studs Richard Sherman and Earl Thomas III.
We bought souvenir programs and merchandise and took even more photos. I even fist-bumped four-time NBA world champion Shaquille O’Neal as he walked through the crowd.
Finally, we made our way to our seats, in the corner of the Denver Broncos’ end zone, 12 rows up. It was incredible.
Looking around the stadium, Broncos fans wearing orange stood out, but the presence of the 12th Man stood out even more. Just 12 seconds into the game, Seattle scored on a safety and those loyal fans from the Pacific Northwest could sense the stars were aligned.
It was amazing to watch up-close the NFL’s No. 1 defense completely shut down its No. 1 offense. The Seahawks defense proved to the world how quick, athletic and dominant they are.
Then came the first play of the second half.
Again, it took just 12 seconds for Percy Harvin to return a kickoff 87 yards all the way to the end zone.
Was it a coincidence that the number 12 was a theme in this game? I think not.
Once the game ended at 43-8, blue and green confetti blasted into the air. It was an indescribable moment for die-hard Seattle sports fans — considering Forbes named Seattle the most miserable sports city in America just last year. Our moment finally was here.
Three Seattle fans in front of me said they were in Detroit in 2006 when the Seahawks lost in their only other Super Bowl appearance. It was a heartbreaking defeat that has stuck with Hawks fans long enough.
But Super Bowl XLVIII, which was supposed to be the coldest of them all, was our time — redemption time for the city of Seattle, its 12th Man supporters, the players and the organization.
It was an all-around team performance by a group whose players had no Super Bowl experience. They shut down arguably one of the best quarterbacks in NFL history.
This unit proved they are a serious threat — not only defensively — to be reckoned with, as long as Pete Carroll continues to mold his team to play hard all the way to the end. This looks to be the first title with many more to come from this high-soaring team.
For me, it was an once-in-a-lifetime moment I’ll never forget.
The only way my experience could have been better was if the rest of my family, including my grandpas, could have been there to share in this long-awaited moment.
My first Super Bowl experience was priceless. Go Hawks!
Wednesday, May 7, 2014
Richard Sherman and Earl Thomas III---Seattle loves ya!!!
Last week it was Earl Thomas III signing a 4-year contract extension as one of the best safety's in the NFL and now today it was Sherman's turn. We knew he was the best cornerback in the league and luckily he will remain with the Hawks after signing his own 4-year deal. Congratulations to these Legion of Boom All-Pro defensive studs who were a huge reason why the Hawks won its first Super Bowl title this year. Go Seahawks!!!
Mr. Reliable MVP
In 2007, Kevin Durant was the second pick in the NBA draft and went to my Seattle SuperSonics. It was a great year, but sadly the team was relocated to Oklahoma City. That will always be a heartbreaking loss for dedicated Sonics fans like myself. Since 2008, I never stopped supporting and cheering for Durant. He is a class-act and unbelievable basketball player and person. Tuesday was a great day as Durant earned his first MVP award. If you haven't seen his speech you have to do so, here's the link: http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/early-lead/wp/2014/05/07/watch-kevin-durant-call-his-mother-the-real-mvp-in-emotional-speech/ . You learn so much more about who he is as a person and how every day he continues to use his platform as an NBA player to do bigger and better things. Congratulations KD for another incredible season and well deserved recognition as this year's MVP.
Sunday, May 4, 2014
PBA50 Tour brings history to The Villages
The top 5 included all PBA Hall of Famers: Walter Ray Williams Jr., Pete Weber, Norm Duke, Parker Bohn III and Tom Baker. I had a front row seat watching this historic stepladder finals. In the end, it was the smaller yet mightest bowler, Norm Duke who won three matches to earn his first PBA50 title. Congrats Stormin' Normin!
PBA50 Tour Pro-Am
The PBA50 Tour came to The Villages April 19. During the Pro-Am I was lucky enough to bowl with PBA play-by-play commentator, Randy Pedersen, and the legendary, Pete Weber. It was a fun experience that made me want to get back into bowling, for sure.
Super Bowl experience
My brother and I had the chance to meet the parents of two Legend of Boom players: Earl Thomas III and Richard Sherman, as we went through the security line before the big game!
Once the game was over, beautiful blue and green confetti flew in the air.
Sunday, May 1, 2011
Final Paper #6
German department gone. Community and Rural Sociology department cut. Theatre and Dance department phased out. With WSU administration cutting academic programs, faculty, staff and students are now wondering, what department will be next?
With more budget cuts expected in the foreseeable future, one department is already preparing itself for the worst case scenario.
The Department of Critical Culture, Gender and Race Studies, which includes American studies, comparative ethnic studies and women’s studies, want to prove its value as a discipline.
“We are working together a lot to figure out ways to articulate our value to WSU and humanity,” said Judy Meuth, a clinical associate professor in women’s studies.
During a January meeting with the dean of the College of Liberal Arts, Doug Epperson, he told faculty and staff of its four departments: English, Foreign Language, History and Critical Culture, Gender and Race Studies, there will be one less department after the next round of budget cuts, Meuth said.
When upper administration decided to phase out the Theatre and Dance department, Linda Heidenreich, an associate professor in women’s studies, said every department was vulnerable.
“Faculty began to wonder what kind of labor is valued at WSU, since theatre’s labor was not,” Heidenreich said.
President Floyd told the Daily Evergreen, “It must be of the highest quality imaginable to meet our standards both for our current students as well as for prospective students.”
The university did not respond to a request for further comments prior to deadline.
After the merger, Heidenreich’s first response was, “They wanted all the queers, brown people and women in the same room.”
“Our culture is rooted in racism and sexism,” Heidenreich said. “It was merging diversity.”
All three departments are distinct, but faculty and staff decided to merge to lose less power, Meuth said.
“We had worked for a long time cooperatively together with some women’s studies and American studies courses intersecting,” Meuth said. “It was a big learning curve for everyone but it’s working out.”
Heidenreich said it has been a challenge merging together.
“We used to be able to choose our own faculty and staff,” Heidenreich said, “But we are now with different colleagues we don’t know.”
The departments heard through the grapevine that they would lose faculty so they agreed to the merge to prevent more losses, Heidenreich said.
“WST, CES, and AmSt took a huge cut when we merged into one department,” said Noel Sturgeon, a women’s studies professor, in an e-mail. “I would hope this would mean that we would not be cut any more.”
The department’s ability to serve students has been compromised, and further cuts would be devastating, Sturgeon said.
Alex VanderHouwen, a WSU senior, is majoring in women’s studies and completing a minor in queer studies. He has an up-close and personal view on what makes these departments important.
“They are departments that support their students and know their students names,” VanderHouwen said in an e-mail. “They give a world view to the issues in the world that affect everyone, even if it is subtle.”
VanderHouwen said he has taken basically every women’s studies course and hopes WSU acknowledges the importance of the department.
Sturgeon feels WSU doesn’t seem to value these departments.
“The most vulnerable college units such as ours, the ones that promote critical thinking and an understanding of structural inequalities from an interdisciplinary perspective, are those that are cut first,” Sturgeon said.
Meuth thinks upper administration doesn’t understand or respect its discipline.
“Over the years we have not been provided a lot of resources,” Meuth said. “Yet, when (administrators) needed to demonstrate that WSU does equality work, we are touted about.”
President Floyd is scheduled to present the proposed budget reduction plans to the Faculty Senate Aug. 18, and there will be a budget forum presented to the university community for review and comments Aug. 26.
The Department of Critical Cultures, Gender and Race Studies already have a plan in place if its department is selected for more budget cuts. They will lift the cap on class sizes to accommodate more students, and streamline the curriculum.
“We are trying to alter our internal structures by dropping some classes with few students,” Meuth said. “We will demonstrate how we are critical to the university.”
These courses analyze systems and it’s based on voices of others not the dominant society.
We teach students a knowledge base and a critical eye to read what society is and question inequalities, Meuth said.
Sources:
Linda Heidenreich 509-335-6883 lheidenr@wsu.edu
Judy Meuth 509-335-4383 meuth@wsu.edu
Noel Sturgeon 509-335-4176 sturgeon@wsu.edu
Alex VanderHouwen kandace.vanderhouwen@email.wsu.edu
With more budget cuts expected in the foreseeable future, one department is already preparing itself for the worst case scenario.
The Department of Critical Culture, Gender and Race Studies, which includes American studies, comparative ethnic studies and women’s studies, want to prove its value as a discipline.
“We are working together a lot to figure out ways to articulate our value to WSU and humanity,” said Judy Meuth, a clinical associate professor in women’s studies.
During a January meeting with the dean of the College of Liberal Arts, Doug Epperson, he told faculty and staff of its four departments: English, Foreign Language, History and Critical Culture, Gender and Race Studies, there will be one less department after the next round of budget cuts, Meuth said.
When upper administration decided to phase out the Theatre and Dance department, Linda Heidenreich, an associate professor in women’s studies, said every department was vulnerable.
“Faculty began to wonder what kind of labor is valued at WSU, since theatre’s labor was not,” Heidenreich said.
President Floyd told the Daily Evergreen, “It must be of the highest quality imaginable to meet our standards both for our current students as well as for prospective students.”
The university did not respond to a request for further comments prior to deadline.
After the merger, Heidenreich’s first response was, “They wanted all the queers, brown people and women in the same room.”
“Our culture is rooted in racism and sexism,” Heidenreich said. “It was merging diversity.”
All three departments are distinct, but faculty and staff decided to merge to lose less power, Meuth said.
“We had worked for a long time cooperatively together with some women’s studies and American studies courses intersecting,” Meuth said. “It was a big learning curve for everyone but it’s working out.”
Heidenreich said it has been a challenge merging together.
“We used to be able to choose our own faculty and staff,” Heidenreich said, “But we are now with different colleagues we don’t know.”
The departments heard through the grapevine that they would lose faculty so they agreed to the merge to prevent more losses, Heidenreich said.
“WST, CES, and AmSt took a huge cut when we merged into one department,” said Noel Sturgeon, a women’s studies professor, in an e-mail. “I would hope this would mean that we would not be cut any more.”
The department’s ability to serve students has been compromised, and further cuts would be devastating, Sturgeon said.
Alex VanderHouwen, a WSU senior, is majoring in women’s studies and completing a minor in queer studies. He has an up-close and personal view on what makes these departments important.
“They are departments that support their students and know their students names,” VanderHouwen said in an e-mail. “They give a world view to the issues in the world that affect everyone, even if it is subtle.”
VanderHouwen said he has taken basically every women’s studies course and hopes WSU acknowledges the importance of the department.
Sturgeon feels WSU doesn’t seem to value these departments.
“The most vulnerable college units such as ours, the ones that promote critical thinking and an understanding of structural inequalities from an interdisciplinary perspective, are those that are cut first,” Sturgeon said.
Meuth thinks upper administration doesn’t understand or respect its discipline.
“Over the years we have not been provided a lot of resources,” Meuth said. “Yet, when (administrators) needed to demonstrate that WSU does equality work, we are touted about.”
President Floyd is scheduled to present the proposed budget reduction plans to the Faculty Senate Aug. 18, and there will be a budget forum presented to the university community for review and comments Aug. 26.
The Department of Critical Cultures, Gender and Race Studies already have a plan in place if its department is selected for more budget cuts. They will lift the cap on class sizes to accommodate more students, and streamline the curriculum.
“We are trying to alter our internal structures by dropping some classes with few students,” Meuth said. “We will demonstrate how we are critical to the university.”
These courses analyze systems and it’s based on voices of others not the dominant society.
We teach students a knowledge base and a critical eye to read what society is and question inequalities, Meuth said.
Sources:
Linda Heidenreich 509-335-6883 lheidenr@wsu.edu
Judy Meuth 509-335-4383 meuth@wsu.edu
Noel Sturgeon 509-335-4176 sturgeon@wsu.edu
Alex VanderHouwen kandace.vanderhouwen@email.wsu.edu
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