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A Rather Sleepless Saturday night

written at noon Sunday, June 26, 2016

My apartment is in a quiet inner city square across from an old Roman Catholic monastery. Well, it was quiet until this Saturday night.

I am not sure what the occasion was, or if Spanish people actually need an occasion, but several thousand people simply showed up for a concert Saturday night right outside the door of our apartments. While the band generally sang in Spanish, they did an English rendition of Gloria Gaynor’s “I Will Survive,” and the crowd apparently knew the words.  

Try as I might, I just couldn’t sleep, so I went downstairs and checked it out. 

By 8:30 a.m. Sunday, all indications of any celebration were gone. Ready for church.

— Mike Wallace

Four Crossed Logs advisor

A public apology (please let me come back next year)

written at 6:22 p.m. June 24, 2016 

Today, I may have committed a serious social faus pax.  I gave the director of the program at Valencia, Ignacio Messana, several dress shirts from home, and, in thanking me, he said, “How did you know it was my birthday?” Minutes later, without thinking, I innocently mentioned to two staff members, “I didn’t it know it was Ignacio’s birthday.” They immediately went insane, as if I had revealed a state secret.

Minutes later, during our first faculty gathering, led by Larry Gerber, the entire faculty sang “Happy Birthday” mostly on key. Then, at lunch, the process was repeated.

I imagine the mayor of Valencia will soon be making a proclamation making June 24 Ignacio Day (and, if he doesn’t, he really should). LeBron James and Barack Obama will also probably tweet their congratulations.

So, Ignacio, if you are reading this — if I have outed you — I am truly sorry (particularly since this post will soon go viral and everyone on the whole planet will soon know).
And, if it isn’t your birthday, well….it is now.

— Mike Wallace

Four Crossed Logs advisor

2015-16 Warriors: The Greatest of All Time?

The 2015-16 season for the National Basketball Association will go down as one of the most historic to date. As with any NBA season, there have been many memorable moments, such as the questionable firing of former Houston Rockets head coach Kevin McHale and overall disappointing performance of the team. There also was the announcement of Kobe Bryant’s retirement, his unforgettable last season capping off a 20-year career spent with the Los Angeles Lakers and a dunk contest during the All Star break weekend that will go down as one for the books.

This season will no doubt go down as historic for two more reasons. This NBA season will be remembered as the year the Golden State Warriors broke the Chicago Bulls’ record of 72-10 (wins-losses) with an impressive record of 73-9. It will also be the year remembered as the year the Cleveland Cavaliers won their first championship for the franchise, and thus ended a 52-year drought of Cleveland sports teams not winning championships.
Both of these landmarks in the basketball world are significant but also raise questions for basketball fans everywhere. Perhaps the most prominent: Are the 2015-16 Warriors the greatest basketball team of all time? To answer this question, it’s important to dig deeper than Game 7 of the finals to understand both teams.

The Golden State Warriors come into the 2015-16 season fresh off a championship victory against the Cleveland Cavaliers, bringing home the franchise’s first title since 1975. Starting off their season with an impressive 24-0 run, the Warriors were eventually defeated by the Milwaukee Bucks at Milwaukee. As the season went on, the Golden State Warriors had become the first NBA team to finish the regular season without losing to the same team twice or taking a back-to-back loss. With the 2014-15 Most Valuable Player Stephen Curry leading the team, he helped the team finish the season with 73 wins and nine losses and became the NBA’s first unanimous MVP. With two consecutive MVP awards and a record-breaking regular season, a championship win in the postseason would have brought the franchise to win two back-to-back titles. The only thing to stand in the way of a legendary finish for the Warriors was the Cleveland Cavaliers.

Head of the Cleveland Cavaliers is none other than “The King” LeBron James. Before the most recent season, James had been a two-time NBA champion, and going head to head with the Warriors in the Finals would mark a rematch of the 2014-15 NBA finals as well as James’ sixth straight finals appearance. James had left the Cleveland Cavaliers in 2010 to join the Miami Heat in pursuit of competing for championships. In doing so, he was successful in not only making the finals all four years he was there but also winning two back-to-back championships in 2012 and 2013. James had made the decision to come home to rejoin the Cleveland Cavaliers in the 2014-15 season. During this season the Cavaliers fell to the Warriors in Game 6 of the finals but in this most recent season Cleveland overcame a 3-1 deficit bringing back the series to a Game 7 in Golden State that would either bring home a back-to-back win for the Warriors or the first title for Cleveland.

Only three teams in NBA history have brought a series to Game 7 in the finals after being down 3-1. The Cavaliers are not only one of those three teams but are the first and only team to ever come back in the series and win the whole thing. While the Warriors are a great team and beat the 1995-96 Chicago Bulls record by one game, the fact remains that during the Bulls’ season not only did they go 72-10 but they also brought home the championship during the playoffs. Golden State might have broken the record for wins during the regular season but failed to cap it off with a title. As great as their accomplishments were this season, they will more than likely be overshadowed by fans remembering this season as the year the Cavaliers won their first title. This year’s postseason just goes to show that “you aren’t a thing without the ring.”

— Nick Alexander

Four Crossed Logs intern

professional communication major

Safety precautions

In embarking on a nine-hour flight cruising at 34,000 feet over the Atlantic Ocean in a long, hollow tube with big wings, perhaps it is a good idea to pay attention to a presentation of safety precautions.
Of course, after seeing the stewards and stewardesses perform their version of synchronized swimming a few times, most passengers tune it out.
Well, Air France has it figured out – show an entertaining video.

These fashionably-dressed passengers are looking for the exit. 

— Mike Wallace

Four Crossed Logs advisor

How to Sleep on a Plane

Unlike the Dierks Bentley song, I wasn’t getting drunk on a plane, but I did have two glasses of complimentary wine in an attempt to get some sleep on a nine-hour flight across the Atlantic.
By the way, miracles do happen: My Delta connecting flight from Panama City to Atlanta arrived 30 minutes early.
Having crossed seven time zones, I have also greatly confused my Fitbit, and since my smart phone is on Airplane mode, it won’t sync.
Alas, the wine didn’t help, so I listened to Taylor Swift’s entire "1989" album, played Tetris, watched all of "The Man from UNCLE" and half of "How to be Single," which was simultaneously hilarious and alarming to this 56-year-old man. What do you mean, online dating sites are for hook-ups?!

— Mike Wallace

Four Crossed Logs advisor

Life as a Florida fan on a Florida State Campus

The greatest rivalries of all time: PC vs. MAC. Alien vs. Predator. Blonde vs. Brunette. DC Comics vs. Marvel Comics. Coke vs. Pepsi. Star Wars vs. Star Trek.

The greatest rivalries in sports: Yankees vs. Redsox. Redskins vs. Cowboys. Cubs vs. Cardinals. Michigan vs. Ohio State. Army vs. Navy. Lakers vs. Celtics. Ravens vs. Steelers.  Ali vs. Frazer.

The greatest rivalry, period: The University of Florida vs. Florida State University.

I was born and raised to be a Gator fan in Seminole country. No, I wasn’t born and raised in Tallahassee, but it is widely known that the west of Tallahassee is Seminole country, and everything east is Gator country. I was born into a family of avid sports fans, everything from football, baseball, basketball and even hockey. Most of the teams my family rooted for (which extends out beyond my intermediate family) we either agreed on one team or we didn’t mind the opposing team someone else preferred. But when it comes down to college sports, especially football, we don’t agree. Most of my family is made of Seminole fans with the exception of few. My father and I have always been known to be the black sheep of the family, simply because we’re the only Gator fans.

College football is treated almost like religion here in the South, and it’s fair to say my family treats it just that way, making it more than just a game. We get very emotional and almost psychotic about the games, to the point where we won’t talk to each other for a while if something doesn’t go our way or if someone says something nasty about the other team. So Thanksgiving and Christmas can be either very pleasant or very quiet because they typically are the end of the football season.

Since I was pretty much raised to be a hater of all things Florida State, going to an FSU campus to earn a degree was going to be a very testing thing for the Gator in me. After finishing my A.A. degree with Gulf Coast State College I wanted to further my education and stay close to home, so my best option was to attend classes at FSU Panama City. Needless to say my pride was taking a huge hit and I was slowly being shunned by my father. Kidding only a little. 

On the day of orientation I decided to make my presence known. I sported my favorite University of Florida T-shirt that simply said, “Friends don’t let friends go to FSU,” while wearing a Gator hat and rocking out in some orange and blue sneakers. The orientation dragged on for what seemed like an eternity — my arrogant attitude probably didn’t help — but then I happened to meet a fellow Gator fan who was just as uneasy about coming to school here as me. We chatted for a little while sitting in the financial aid office, debating how we were going to do the upcoming football season and making snarky comments about Florida State. We eventually parted ways, never to see each other on campus again.

At the end of it all I wound up in a computer room filled with a bunch of other first timers like myself looking to sign up for classes. I was astonished on how well I was treated and how helpful everyone who assisted me was. Never once did anyone make an ugly comment, or any comment for that matter, on my blatantly obnoxious attire. I was treated like everyone else.

My first semester at FSUPC came and went with hardly anyone commenting on my Gators outfits, notebooks and backpack that I just had to show off. And most of the “nasty” comments were coming from friends who were just picking on me, just like I picked on them for being Seminole fans. The professors were the ones I was mostly worried about, but even some of them were Gator fans or alumni themselves, which was really cool. But even if they weren’t, I was never mistreated m and my grades didn’t hinder on the fact that I was a Florida fan.

Even after the first semester I was still bitter towards the Seminole spirit at the university and on everyone around me.

A lone Gator fan is shown in the banner image for FSU Panama City's Academics webpage.

In my second semester, my psychology professor told the entire class a photographer would come to take pictures for the campus homepage. We were strongly urged to wear Florida State apparel. I had other ideas: I wore a blue shirt with “Florida” across the torso in orange. So in the picture there is a classroom full of students wearing garnet and gold, then there’s that one guy, me, smirking, while wearing a Florida T-shirt.

The picture is the cover of the Academics homepage to the Florida State University Panama City website. If that was a Seminole fan doing that on a Florida homepage I can almost guarantee I would want to choke them out for being that obnoxious, but nobody said anything to me. They didn’t even bother to crop me out of the picture.

Now that two years have come and gone and my time at FSUPC is starting to dwindle. I am still amazed on how much fun I’ve had studying here while gaining a lot of new friends. Never did I imagine being treated so well by a bunch of people I was supposed to despise. The time I have spent here has truly opened my eyes to bigger and more important things other than some petty differences among football fans.

I think it’s safe to say if you’re a Gators fan or Hurricanes fan or any other fan other than the Seminoles, you won’t be treated any differently than anyone else at Florida State’s Panama City campus. Panama City is my home, and though I feel like the outsider sometimes here on campus, I still feel at home. That being said, I am not eager enough to push my luck on the main campus for fear of being wedgied or thrown in a trash can if I tried wearing my Florida attire. Although I am not any closer to being a fan of the university or of any the sports teams, I do have a little more respect for them than I did a few years ago, which is saying a lot coming from me.

— Cory Morris

Four Crossed Logs intern

professional communication major

Northwest Florida is an entrepreneurial hot spot

The Sunshine State has a completely new level of potential to offer. Utilizing it and seeing what it provides is just a matter of time according to economic development officials.
“We’ve got it in the [pan]. Now we’ve got to get it cooked and served,” said Neal Wade, executive director of the Bay Economic Development Alliance. Between the new developments of Pier Park, Pier Park North and the redevelopment of Panama City’s downtown marina, a booming local economy is set to be on its way.

Recently, the U.S. Census Bureau released data on population growth. This has many news sources reporting the fastest growing cities for the year 2016.

Cropped photo of Panama City Beach by j.s. clark

Destin, Crestview and the Fort Walton Beach area came in No. 7 according to a recent review of the data by the Wall Street Journal. From 2010-2015, the area’s population growth has increased by 11.09 percent. Per capita income is now at $44,950, with a reported unemployment rate of 4.6 percent.

Other entrepreneurial advantages to the area include:

• No corporate income tax on limited partnerships
• No state personal income tax
• No state-level property tax assessed
• No sales and use tax on goods manufactured or produced in Florida for export outside the state
• No sales tax on purchases of raw materials incorporated in a final product for resale, including non-reusable containers or packaging
• No corporate income tax on subchapter S-corporations
• No corporate franchise tax on capital stock
• No property tax on goods-in-transit for up to 180 days
• No sales and use tax on co-generation of electricity

Through Bay County’s Economic partnership program, new and expanding businesses could receive up to $5,000 for each new permanent job created. The economic incentive is awarded to push companies forward in their development stages, encouraging them to invest back into their communities.

“Once we get [everything] together, it will have an amazing effect,” said Carol Roberts, president and CEO of the Bay County Chamber of Commerce. Roberts compares the county’s economic development efforts to a “perfect positive storm getting ready to unleash its power.”

Northwest Florida is an entrepreneurial hot spot. There are so many promising ventures going on, the only way to know how great it will be is to sit back and wait.

— Jessica Haley

business administration major

Sneak Peak: FSU’s Recruitment System

Welcome to the 21st century: the digital age. Technological advancements are made in every aspect of the world, including higher-education recruitment.

Information Contact Card

Part of Florida State University Panama City's recruiting process includes prospective students filling out contact cards to receive more information about the campus. After the information is entered into the database, the system keeps track of all the prospective students we come in contact with. It does not affect your admissions process whether you filled one out or not.

View of the Input System

The highlights of the software are the information input areas, such as possible areas of study, anticipated transfer date, current school, degree level, how we met them, level of interest, etc. It also allows us to write comments onto the perspective’s profile to make notes based off of conversations with the student.
The recruitment system database is a key component to our roles because it helps us filter an exact demographic of students to target for a specific message. We have learned that different generations receive information differently. Each generation is unique in its own, and for us to effectively communicate messages to these generations, we have to tailor our messages to best fit the group.
Generation X communicates and receives information differently than millennials based off of influences, attributes, core values and many other factors.
We want to ensure our messages are perceived correctly by any type of student, whether it be high school graduates, transfers, graduate-level or students returning back to school from the workforce. Because this system allows us to input information into the boxes, and add notes if necessary, we can filter out target groups to create an excel spreadsheet of that certain groups’ contact information. If we want to call and/or send tailored emails, we can then do so.

View of Running Queries to Create Excel Spreadsheet

Our main goal is to show the importance of higher education and to inform the community what a great local resource they have in their backyard. They will receive quality education from on institution such as FSU Panama City, but on a much smaller, student-oriented scale. Students are attracted to this campus based off of various reasons. We want to correctly highlight the tools for success that we offer to our students, no matter what generation group they may be. We are the campus on the coast next to the world’s most beautiful beaches. We are the FSU that fits you!

— Amy Chen

FSU Panama City admissions officer

corporate and public communication major

Terror and Tragedy – A Parent’s Perspective

Few are strangers to the terrible news that has surrounded the media over the last week or so.

I was up rather late last night working on a final assignment and I came across an awful event that occurred at the Disney resort: A 2-year-old boy was snatched by an alligator and dragged into a lagoon. He didn’t survive.

I was reading through my Twitter feed searching for some sort of “good” news until it dawned on me that there probably wouldn’t be.

Before I went to bed, I looked in on my daughter who was resting peacefully in her room, and I lost it.

I went through all of my 20s looking out for one person: me. I was always in control of my surroundings. I was in control of what clubs I went to, what parties I attended and who I surrounded myself with. I was fearless. I went bungee-jumping and skydiving. I would drive home after a long night out. I was never paranoid about anything other than work-related stuff.

But here I am, 34 years old, married and gazing at the beautiful life that I was able to create with the most amazing man I have ever had the chance to know. She is small and happy. She has no idea what danger is. She loves our dogs and cat. She is amazed by the sand on the beach, and she loves the feeling of the saltwater rushing up over her tiny feet. The world is this giant ball of wonder.

Most of all, she’s never alone; someone who loves her is always there to watch over her. When she was learning to crawl, she would give up and lie face down on the carpet. Then she would look up, smile and try again.

As she’s learning to walk, she stumbles and runs into things all of the time. As much as I’d like to think I can control any mishaps, I know I can’t and won’t always be able to do that.
Just like those parents weren’t able to.

I revisited the story again today. Today the story feed was filled with comments like, “It’s the parents’ fault” or “Where were the parents?” The parents were there. The parents probably saved all year to take their 2-year-old to this place known worldwide to be surrounded by joy and imagination. They fought this terrifying animal trying to pry their son from its mouth as it dragged him under water. Then, they had to go back to the hotel room where they were hours before. They were be surrounded by his clothes.

Soon, they will travel back home with one empty car seat in the rearview mirror. They will have to go back to their home where they will see pictures and his bedroom. They will have this unimaginable memory of his last moments.

Somehow, they will have to explain to his baby sister that her brother won’t be coming back. And one day when she’s a bit older, she will be told the horrifying story (or find it on the internet) and probably suffer in an entirely other way.

It’s not a temporary pain. This story is a nightmare.

Before I had a child, I might’ve joined the group of ignorant people who criticized the parents, and maybe that’s why I’m taking it so hard. So many times we think we know it all. We speak without thinking first, and we communicate judgments that have the ability to cause so much harm to others.

What I’ve gained over the past several years is a combination of maturity and a love that could never be re-manufactured. It’s the only love that’s completely eternal, a true miracle. And it’s good to feel, even when it hurts.

— Sandra de Arrigunaga

Four Crossed Logs intern

professional communication major

Summer rings in music festival season

The sun is glistering, and temperatures are on the rise. Summer brings music festivals to people around the world. During Memorial Day weekend, which is known as bank holiday in Europe, I attended my first music festival of 2016 in Portsmouth, England. More than 15,000 people came to Mutiny, which featured artist such as Steve Angello, CeeLo Green, Fat Man Scoop and DJ Pete Tong. Celebrating its third year as a festival, 2016 was the best year Mutiny has seen.
Perfect weather all weekend, we dressed in our festival clothes and painted our faces in glitter. We arrived at Mutiny around 1 p.m. for a day filled with music, dancing, rides and drinks. The festival was at King George V Fields and was filled with food trucks, shopping booths and carnival rides. Mutiny felt like an adult playground. I’ve been to many music festivals — Coachella being one — and I will be returning to Mutiny’s fourth year in summer 2017. Mutiny is a music festival I will continue to return to.

— Brittany Sowell

Four Crossed Logs intern

professional communication major

College oddities turn commonalities

Those of us who have been in college long enough (roughly a year or so) have grown accustomed to many incidences or commonalities, whether they’re pretty normal, like seeing students cram for exams at the last minute, or they’re just way off in left field bizarre, like having a student create a class bingo game that dictates to what the professor says or does.

Here is a list of some pretty common incidents I have become accustomed to while in college.

• Everyone starts off the year with a pack of pencils, at least two black and two blue ink pens, and a giant eraser for those Scantron days. The funny thing is, we get a month into the semester and we’re down to just one pencil and the rest of the supplies are just gone, off into some dark hole only found in our vehicles. And by the end of semester we’re needing to borrow a pencil every day.
• There is almost always seems to be a professor or two who either rides their bike to class (no not the cool Harley-Davidson kind) or roles in on skates to class every day.
• Every class has that one person who responds to everything on every subject during class. The discussion could be about hangnails and this person will already have a dissertation ready to go all about hangnails. These people need to be gagged. Seriously, shut up! 
• There always seems to be this annoying little group of people who find it necessary to start a game of Humans v Zombies. Okay, the idea of this game going campus wide sounds reasonable for an extended amount of time and it can be quite entertaining watching a bunch of 18- to 25-year-olds (with the occasional math teacher who lives with his 12 cats) running around playing this game as if they’re on Survivor. When the game runs on for weeks and months, it’s time to seek help. 
• And to that one guy who plays that loud, obnoxious ‘thump-thump’ rap music, please role up your windows and turn it off. No one cares, bro. (I’m talking to myself here.)
• You might have that one professor who always shows up 20 minutes late, out of breath, with some amazing story how his dog ran out in the middle the highway and a pterodactyl swooped down and claimed the dog for its lunch and how he had to run bare foot in his pajamas, climbed the Empire State building and jumped onto the pterodactyl’s back, snapped its neck and managed to grab the dog, slide down the side of the building and land on his feet with no scratches and just managed to make it to class only to let us leave right away. Slight exaggeration.   
• The way people dress in college is kind of ridiculous. There are the girls who wear their pajamas every day — it’s not naptime sweetheart. The girls who dress like they’re an escort for a pro ball player — seriously, Russell Wilson and Tom Brady don’t go here. There are always the guys who look as if they’re coming straight from the farm; I guess that’s fine, they literally might be coming from the farm. Then you have the coolest kids you’ll ever meet that are still rocking their favorite superhero attire; Batman for life! There’s the avid sports fans who only wear the same five shirts with some sports teams logo plastered all of over it; guilty as charged. There’s the guys who dress like some preppy snob (slick polo’s with popped collars and short khaki shorts) who claim their father is a lawyer, God bless the girls who manage to wear booty shorts everyday… and then there’s the gym nuts who dress as if they just came from the gym and are so pumped for more lifting they stay dressed that way so they can go back to the gym and pump some more iron, hoo-ah!   
• I still can’t believe, there are still people who play the Pokémon and Yu-gi-oh card games just like they’re still in Middle School; might be time to grow up a little. I mean no harsh judgments  coming from me, I was that nerdy kid in sixth and seventh grade who wasted all my money and my parents money on that crap, but I eventually grew out of it, but hey if you still play those games and you don’t care what other think, then by all means go nuts my friends. 
• Isn’t there always that one professor who takes the attendance way too seriously? I understand it being part of your job to take attendance and to make it imperative that your students attend regularly, but when we’re out sick, the last thing we want to do is get a doctor’s note to excuse us for being out. Or if we’re in a family crisis situation and we need to make plans for a funeral and the only way to excuse us from missing class is to bring proof (obituary or a funeral bulletin) that we actually missed class because we had a death in the family, that’s extreme. I’m no faculty member, but I think a simple email or text will suffice. If you’re concerned with us missing class too many times on account of being sick or having a family emergency, that really should be important if we’re using that excuse on a regular basis. Most professors are pretty chill though and the simple email or text works just fine. For those professors, I salute you. 

What seemed like a simple list, turned out to be a small ranting session, I do apologize, but I know I’m not the only one who notices these examples.

— Cory Morris

Four Crossed Logs intern

professional communication major

America's plastic waste

Traveling in Europe this summer, I have noticed many cultural differences. Many of these differences I find very intriguing. I think the United States is falling short with recycling and being more environmental friendly. After being in England for one month, I have concluded we are wasting too much plastic.
The environmental decline and the production/disposal of plastic contributes to an array of problems. Environmentalhealthnews.org shares some evidence on the toll plastic is having on our environment:

Evidence is mounting that the chemical building blocks that make plastics so versatile are the same components that might harm people and the environment. And its production and disposal contribute to an array of environmental problems, too. For example:

• Chemicals added to plastics are absorbed by human bodies. Some of these compounds have been found to alter hormones or have other potential human health effects. 
• Plastic debris, laced with chemicals and often ingested by marine animals, can injure or poison wildlife.
• Floating plastic waste, which can survive for thousands of years in water, serves as mini transportation devices for invasive species, disrupting habitats.
• Plastic buried deep in landfills can leach harmful chemicals that spread into groundwater. 
• Around 4 percent of world oil production is used as a feedstock to make plastics, and a similar amount is consumed as energy in the process.

My mind has been blown by the way England has decreased its consumption of plastic. In December 2015, England passed a law which requires the purchase of any plastic bags. If you need a plastic bag at the grocery stores or after making a purchase shopping, each bag costs 5 pence. This has decreased the number of plastic bags each person uses.

Mascara in Europe, left, is sold directly in its tube with a seal. American packaging
for the same mascara, right, includes a paper back and a plastic-wrapped case.

I’ve also noticed a packaging difference with food and products. The mascara I buy from CVS in America is packaged differently at Boots in England. In England, L’Oréal Telescopic is sold directly in its tube with a seal. At CVS, it is packaged in a paper back with a plastic-wrapped case.
England’s food packaging also uses less plastic. Tortilla shells sold in America are sealed in a zip-top bag which uses extra plastic. Tortilla shells in England are packaged in a bag that seals with sticky tape instead of additional plastic. I’ve noticed the same for shredded cheese.
I think America, in whole, needs to adapt and become more environmental friendly. Larger cities in America have passed laws banning single-use bags, but this hasn’t been enforced nationwide. We should take more precaution to lower our nations footprint.

— Brittany Sowell

Four Crossed Logs intern

professional communication intern

The Ramen Shaman: Miso Hungry

FreeImages.com | Daniel G

Ramen. The cliche staple of a college student’s diet. At an average price of 13 cents a pack, it easily fits into anyone’s budget. It would cost $142.35 to eat Ramen for three meals a day for an entire year.
Although this is astonishingly feasible, some would argue the flavors tend to become repetitive to the palette. That’s why it is time to electrify and deviate from the Ramen norm. Below is a simple and tasty recipe that is guaranteed to transform the way you look at your beloved noodles:

Miso Hungry

Ingredients

• 1 Sliced Hardboiled Egg
• 1 Pack of Ramen Noodles
• 1 Tablespoon of Miso Paste
• 1/8 Cup of Chopped Green Onion
• (Optional: A Splash of Soy Sauce or Fish Sauce)

Directions

1. Boil water and add miso paste. (Miso will be in place of the flavor packet.)
2. Stir in Ramen noodles.
3. As the noodles get close to being al dente, add the hardboiled egg slices.
4. Add the chopped green onions and stir briefly. (At this time add soy sauce or fish sauce.)
5. Carefully serve and enjoy!

— Jameson Dettle

Four Crossed Logs intern

professional communication major

Good, Bad and Ugly of 'Captain America: Civil War' characters

I knew what the outcome was going to be, even before I saw the movie. It’s pretty obvious: The North wins, and the South loses. Laughing hysterically.
But seriously, this was pretty decent movie, not the best Marvel movie, but I enjoyed myself. The acting was superb, even from the characters I don’t really care for. The script was a little iffy in my opinion, however. Without giving too much away, just the way they get these heroes to fight was a little over the top. There could have been a better way, but I’ll take it for what it was. Some of the special effects, especially on Spiderman and Black Panther weren’t edited very well, but for the most part it was put together very well. They started to stray away from Captain America as the main character, I mean it is his movie after all, but they gave him enough screen time to make it his movie. We all know, no movie is perfect, (also looking at you “Batman v Superman”). That being said, this was an entertaining film that I recommend all comic book and movie lovers to see at least once.



This is The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly character review of "Captain America: Civil War"

The Good

• Captain America is still my favorite Marvel character and Chris Evans’ rendition of Steve Rogers, aka Captain America, gets better and better in each movie. 
• The Winter Solider, who is Rogers’ best friend from home and was brainwashed/experimented on by Russian extremists, was a solid second favorite. I am learning to really appreciate Sebastian Stan as an actor, especially when he’s portraying Bucky Barnes/Winter Soldier. 
• Black Panther surprised me a lot. I am very excited to see him in future Marvel films. Chadwick Boseman has played some very large character in the black community (Jackie Robinson, James Brown and Floyd Little) but his take on T’Challa/Black Panther is probably his best, so far. 
• Ant-man was awesome. I really loved his role, though he was in the movie sporadically. Paul Rudd, reprising his role as Ant-man still cracks me up. I never imagined Rudd as a superhero, but he has won me over here. 
• Scarlet Witch is just awesome! She’s so gorgeous and powerful, she could probably take everyone by herself. I loved Elizabeth Olsen in this role, and I hope to see more of her. 
• Spiderman was probably the biggest surprise for me. He was the Peter Parker/ Spiderman I’ve been waiting for: a quirky, awkward, funny teenager. 

The Bad

• Iron Man is still getting on my nerves. I used to like him more than Captain America, but now I prefer dentist appointments — not really though. Since his role in “Iron Man 3,” where he was kind if wimpy and a little less Tony Stark-ish (less obnoxious), and his role in “Avengers: Age of Ultron,” where he made the biggest boo-boo of all time (creating Ultron), he’s just irritating to me. In this movie, I understand when he gets convicted of his actions that lead to others’ deaths, but to side with the government’s limitations of the Avengers was a cowardly move. It made me feel like he lost faith in everyone, including himself. I don’t have anything against Robert Downey Jr. — he’s a fabulous actor — I’ve got beef strictly with the character Iron Man. Hopefully things will get resolved and he’ll get his crap together in the upcoming films. 
• Black Widow is very attractive, but is she anything more beyond that? I so many limitations in the character, especially in this movie where she can’t decide on which side she’s on, Captain America’s or Iron Man’s. I think it’s either time to give Black Widow her own movie to redeem the character or kill her off. 
• Falcon was okay, I guess. He’s very neutral for me. I’m okay with what they did with the character in the movie, teaming him with Captain America, but if he’s so much on Cap’s team, why give Bucky such a hard time? His gadgets are cool, but a little too Iron Man-like to me, don’t we already have a tech guy? 
• Hawkeye I could do without. All of a sudden he just shows up out of nowhere “out of retirement,” as the movie claims. The idea of hero with a bow and arrow fighting super powerful heroes is ludicrous. I’m glad they poke fun at that in “Age of Ultron,” but come on, there’s only so much a guy with these restrictions can do. 

The Ugly

• Vision is pointless to me; I think I preferred him when he was J.A.R.V.I.S. He probably could be the most powerful one of them all and for some odd reason he has limits to what he could be. After he was created in “Age of Ultron,” I was pretty intrigued with the character and what and who he/it was/is. He’s not human, but he has human qualities, such as love and affection, which is weird. I thought he was supposed to be an all power creation with no flaws and nothing to hold him back or stop him, but he does. He gets distracted or over thinks things. I don’t know if this is how the character is supposed to be, and we’ll see him develop into this hardcore being that I thought he was going to be at first. He just doesn’t live up to his potential. And seriously, why does he dress like he’s Mr. Rogers? He can literally fly through objects, yes, fly too, and he’s dressed like some kind of Sunday school teacher. What the literal heck? 
• Cross Bones, who we saw develop as the bad guy in the second Captain America movie, “The Winter Solider,” was lame, period. I thought Bane, a Batman villain, from another comic series, was coming out of that truck he popped out of. I was expecting him to have a more important role and to be a bigger villain than he was, but he was in and out like that. His role very short and whatever he and thugs were trying to steal, they didn’t even mention again in the movie. What was the whole point of his role if there wasn’t any expansion on any of that? Did I fall asleep all three times watching this movie at this part, because his one scene was almost pointless to me. 

Bonus: War Machine was okay. He’s starting to get annoying like Iron Man, but I suppose because they’re BFF they’re supposed to agree with each other. And Zemo, the main villain from the film, wasn’t what I expected either and still can’t decide whether that’s a good thing or a bad thing. I was hoping to see him with his famous pink mask, like from the comics, but no such luck. The character was interesting enough for me to like him and the actor, Daniel Brühl portraying Zemo, did a scary good job. His motivation behind all his actions was an interesting twist, but it did seem like a lot of work to do requiring a lot of luck as well to get these heroes pinned up against each other. I feel like they could have done something more with him, but it is what it is.
So, after seeing the movie a third time, I think I can fairly rate the movie with no regrets.

I give the movie 4 Vibranium shields out of 5

— Cory Morris

Four Crossed Logs intern

professional communication major

‘Bare Bones’ offers insight, entertainment

In just 198 pages, Bobby Estell, better known as “Bobby Bones” of the nationally syndicated country radio show, “The Bobby Bones Show”, tells us his real-life struggle of growing up on a couch — he never had his own room until after college —in a Central Arkansas home with an alcohol-addicted mother who died in her forties and a father that decided not to stick around. His story is about the hard work and determination it took just to get into college on a scholarship and eventually to his dream career in radio. Bones’  sense of humor takes you in and out of some tough times as a child on welfare and onto stories about his relationship struggles and his inability to say “I love you” to anyone other than his dog. Through his personal tragedy, he takes on the mantra, “Every day’s a good day,” and uses the platform he’s been given to promote joy every morning to 2 million listeners. This book is a great read for anyone who is struggling to see the light at the end of the tunnel in the areas of life, work, school or issues at home. If you’re feeling stuck or just want to be entertained, this book will surely show you the light.

— Sandra de Arrigunaga

Four Crossed Logs intern

professional communication major

Non-traditional students: Are we the new normal?

Seventy-three percent of college students in the U.S. fall under the non-traditional college student umbrella, according to an article on GetEducated.com. If you’re over 24 years old, have family and work responsibilities that might interfere with your academia, or are enrolled in non-degree occupational programs, you are considered a non-traditional student.

When I first heard the term non-traditional, it made me feel so dated. I felt like I didn’t fit in (Hello middle school all over again!) and as I sat in classrooms filled with 30 other students under the age of 24, I was right to feel that way. So, instead of wallowing in my own self-pity, I decided to make my own  list of all of the attributes that a non-traditional  student  may offer the person sitting beside them in class:

1. We are disciplined. We know how to manage our time between a job, a family, friends and school. We typically are exceptional multi-taskers and have convinced everyone around us into thinking we must have a cloned version of ourselves hiding in a closet.
2. We are great listeners. We are not distracted by the conversations in class or the kegger that’s happening this weekend. Dear professor, we are listening to everything you say (which might not benefit you if you just happen to be younger than we are). We know the truth about “the real world,” and some of the things you are saying just aren’t true.
3. We understand what deadlines are. We’ve experienced life’s deadlines, such as mortgage payments and work expectations. There are no extensions, the syllabus is not negotiable, and nobody gets that better than we do.
4. We are the people you want in your group project. For every reason listed before, but also because we need to succeed, you will too. As an older (not by much!) generation, we want to push you to be better and not look like a fool on the day of the presentation or deadline. We won’t fade into the sunset and leave you hanging; we have your back!
5. We value our education. When you’re just out of high school the future is up to you, but sometimes it’s up to your parents. Non-traditional students have decided after all of this time of being in “the real world” that this is where we want to spend our time and money (cringe). There’s no better student or employee than the one who really wants and enjoys the experience.

As a returning student, I never take school for granted because I have experienced the world without this experience. Our campus makes it easier to fit in and feel welcomed back with open arms. So if you are a 20-year-old undergrad reading this article, make tomorrow Befriend a Non-traditional Student Day and have us tell you our story. It’s sure to make you look at the next 10 years through a different lens.

— Sandra de Arrigunaga

Four Crossed Logs intern
professional communication major

College Classroom Etiquette – No, Really.

During different phases of grade school and high school, you learn what not to do in class: no talking, no headphones, no cell phones. Although the college atmosphere is unrestrictive but professional — or one would think — there are certain things you should or shouldn’t do in a college classroom. Here are a few:

Don’t talk over the professor: You’re still at the desk, not at the podium. Because most of our college professors have at least six years of college education under their belts and their job is to educate, respecting them should be at the top of your list. Some of us are paying a lot of money to be here.

Do be open-minded: While I respect that you grew up in a different part of the country than I did, dismissing another person’s opinion is completely unnecessary. Sharing cultural differences is what college is all about, and when you sigh out loud at someone else’s opinion (we can all hear you) or challenge someone else’s experiences, it’s not okay.

Do read your syllabus: We all got the same one, and nothing is worse than having to listen to another student complain for ten minutes before class starts about how they “had no idea” the assignment was due today.

Do stay on topic: While we respect that you have that opinion, if the professor says, “that’s all I have for today, any questions?” he or she doesn’t mean, “tell me all about your family vacation when you were 5.”

Don’t sit in my spot: Now this might seem trivial, but I’m pretty sure the unspoken rule about choosing a seat in college is that you get two class periods to decide what side of the room you prefer to sit. I don’t want to walk into class during week 5 and see you set up camp for the rest of the semester. In the words of  The Big Bang Theory’s Sheldon Cooper, “That’s my spot.”

— Sandra de Arrigunaga

Four Crossed Logs intern
professional communication major