Goodbye Michael Scott

            Last Thursday The Office crew said farewell to their boss Michael Scott.  He left the show by moving to Colorado with his fiance Holly.  It was an emotional episode for everyone and also for viewers.  Steve Carell has played the part of Michael Scott for six seasons so what will happen to the show without him?

            Viewers will miss his funny jokes, ignorace to what is going on around him and also his catch phrases.  He was the center of the show and now everyone wonders who that new center will be.  Another character in The Office can take over as the new ‘center’ of the show or they can find someone new.  No one is sure about what will happen but they are sure that The Office will continue to go on without the fun-loving boss Michael Scott.

            Michael Scott’s successor will be revealed May 19 in the season finale, packed with guest stars including Ricky Gervais (creator of "The Office" and star of the British version), Will Arnett ("Arrested Development"), James Spader ("Boston Legal") and Ray Romano ("Men of a Certain Age"), plus Will Ferrell, introduced last week, and British comic actress Catherine Tate.

            Although Michael Scott will be missed, fans of The Office can look forward to new and exciting stars as well as someone new to fill in Michael Scott’s place.  This show is far from over and will be enjoyed for many more seasons.  Maybe Steve Carrell will pop in for some appearances later on in other seasons as well.

Breanna Ralston
Communication Studies
Wilkes 2012

NBA Playoffs 2011

         Just when you thought all the excitement about basketball was over because March madness had come to an end just a few weeks ago the fever continues. Now we take it to the next level to the NBA. For all the basketball lovers, there is still some excitement for you. As we hit the middle of April, the NBA playoffs start. We are able to see what teams made it through the regular season with enough wins to extend their season and fight for a championship. You have eight teams from the Western conference and eight teams from Eastern conference fighting for that number one spot.

         As the Los Angeles Lakers enter the playoffs and defend their title can they go for another 3-peat? Will Kobe Bryant catch up with Michael Jordan and get his sixth championship ring? Can the other veteran teams like the San Antonio Spurs, Boston Celtics, Dallas Mavericks, or the Orlando Magic be able to win the championship? Can this be one of the years one of the young teams shocks everyone and wins the championship? Like the Memphis Grizzlies, Portland Trailblazers, Oklahoma City Thunder, Denver Nuggets, Indiana Pacers, Chicgo Bulls, Philadelphia 76ixers, New York Knicks, or the Atlanta Hawks.

        But I know a lot of people out there will like to see the Miami Heat bring the championship to South Beach. The Miami Heat made the biggest trades over the off season when they got Lebron James and Chris Bosh to help out Dwyane Wade. They became the new big three. Everyone said that would be the team to beat in the playoffs. So do they have what it takes to be a champion? As the first round of the playoffs kick off, we will find out.

Jonathan Bowman

Communication 

Wilkes 2013

Marilyn Monroe Lives On

On June 11 of this year, Marilyn Monroe would have turned 85 years old.  Because she has such a large group of dedicated fans long after she has passed, an exhibit named ‘Happy Birthday Marilyn’ is being created for her fans to be a part of.  All fans are invited to participate and see this exhibit which is being created in recognition of her birthday.  The Andrew Weiss Gallery and the Marilyn Remembered Fan Club are pleased to present this exciting exhibit which will run June 1, 2011 through August 13th, 2011.

Marilyn’s fans from around the world are invited to send personal birthday greetings personalized to her which will become part of this historic exhibit.  The cards from fans will be combined with one of the world's most in-depth collections of Marilyn photographs.  The photos span her entire life, from the very first images to the last, which were taken by renowned photographers Bill Carroll, Milton Greene, Tom Kelley, Bert Stern, and George Barris.  This exhibit is the first ever of its kind to include the world-wide Marilyn Monroe community.

This exhibit is being held in Beverly Hills, California so is will be out of the question for many people to attend this event.  Even though this exhibit is being held across the country, you can still be a part of it by sending a card to Marilyn.  This is a very rare opportunity and a chance to be part of something great.  

You can mail handmade or purchased cards to:
The Andrew Weiss Gallery
Attn: Marilyn Monroe
179 South Beverly Drive
Beverly Hills, California 90212

Breanne Ralston
Communication Studies
Wilkes 2012

NFL Lockout Continues But Now A Rule Changes

            
           As we are approaching the NFL draft that is in April we still have no positive signs of football being played for the 2011 season. We have heard about a lot of meetings and a lot of deadlines in the past few months, but we still have no good news. The lockout talk started out with the owners having the upper hand and having lots to say. It seemed like the players didn’t have that much to say. But now it seem like the NFL lockout has taken the back seat to all the rule changes that they just made for the 2011 season. NFL commissioner Roger Goodell took to the stand on March 23 to talk about the changes. But from someone looking from the outside how can you find time to make rule changes for next season, while we still do not know if there is going to be a season.

            The rule changes include kickoffs now being moved up to the 35-yard line. And all scoring plays will be reviewed in the booth. And now that has a few players speaking out and they do not like the change. The change that the players dislike the most is the 35-yard line change. They feel like it will limit some players talent because they will not have the opportunity to show it. The players feel that with this rule change you are taking a lot away from the game because special teams is one of the most important things on the field. And now you will lose all that with this rule change.

Jonathon Bowman
Communication Studies
Wilkes 2011

True Spit

I am a fan of western movies, Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid, The Good the Bad and the Ugly, The Magnificent Seven, and The Searchers. I've seen my far share of the genre. Sadly, the new True Grit movie, directed by the Coen brothers and starring Jeff Bridges, Matt Damon, and Hailee Steinfeld, was boring.



I had high hopes for this movie. I did not see the original True Grit starring John Wayne, Kim Darby,and Glen Campbell, so I could not compare this movie to that. Having said this, the new True Grit was still boring. I say this because during no part in the movie was I at all interested in anything. The action wasn't exciting, the plot was dry, and the ending was lame. Matt Damon should never be a cowboy I thought he over acted his part as LaBoeuf, a cocky texas ranger out to get Tom Chaney (Josh Brolin) for killing a texas senator. Jeff Bridges, who played the role of Rooster Cogburn, did a ok job acting like a drunken sheriff. Haliee Steinfeld, who played Mattie Ross in the movie, I thought did the best job out of all the other actors in this movie.

Hailee Steinfeld, did a great job. Her role as Mattie Ross, was the only thing I found interesting in this movie. Mattie Ross who was a 14 year old girl, trying to find some solace in the death of her father. She out smarts a rancher, hires a well known sheriff, rides a horse across a river, she does it all. I thought her role in this movie was the only real reason to see this movie.

In general this movie was mediocre at best. The acting wasn't all that special, (aside from Hailee Steinfeld), the plot needed an extra something, and they needed better action scenes. Go see this movie if you're in the mood to see a 14 year old girl act tougher then the cowboys around her.

Andrew Grandinetti
Communications Studies

Smokin' Aces

In the baseball offseason, Cliff Lee, the most coveted pitcher on the free agent market, was destined to be either a New York Yankee or a Texas Ranger.  However, a mysterious third team jumped into the mix late in the negotiations, with less money, and stole the left hander away from these teams.  The Philadelphia Phillies. 

Before the signing of Lee, the Phillies arguably had the best pitching rotation in baseball.  After the signing, there were talks of having one of the best rotations of all time.  As it stands now, the rotation looks something like this:

Roy Halladay – The two time CY Young award winner is coming off his best season of a 21-10 record and a 2.44 earned run average.  In an era where complete games are unheard of, Halladay has pitched 27 in the past three years.  He has a record of 58-31 with a combined 2.67 ERA over that span. 

Cliff Lee – The 2008 American League CY Young award winner finished the season with a 22-3 record with a 2.54 ERA.  Last season, he finished with a 14-12 record with 185 strikeouts to only 18 walks.  As impressive as he has been in the regular season, he really shines in the postseason where he has led the Phillies through the postseason in 2009 and the Rangers through the postseason in 2010. 

Roy Oswalt – Last year, Oswalt was traded from the Houston Astros to the Phillies.  Once he arrived in Philly, he had a 7-1 record with an ERA under two.  Oswalt has a career record of 150-83, which ranks him 11^th best among active pitchers in wins.  He also earned himself the National League Championship Series MVP in 2005.

Cole Hamels – Cole is best known for leading the Phillies to the World Series three years ago.  He earned World Series MVP with an incredible 1.80 ERA and four wins in the postseason.  He does not have the greatest regular season statistics but still has career numbers of 60-45.

There are a number of pitching rotations of seasons past that could compete with the title: ’98 Braves, ’54 Indians, ’88 Mets and the ’71 Orioles.  One interesting fact about all of those past rotations; they all won the World Series at the end of the year.

The biggest question mark is whether or not these guys can stay healthy.  All of them are known for being very durable over the years.  They have all put together streaks of 30 plus games pitched in previous years.  If they do stay healthy through this year, they have a great chance of adding a World Series ring just like the other great rotations of the past.

 

In today’s game, pitching longer than six innings is an abomination.  Pitchers are treated like babies.  It all has come down to pitch count and how many days rest someone should get.  Pitchers of previous generations used to pitch every single day with no pitch count and hardly a bullpen to fall back on.

In my opinion, this Phillies rotation has the look of an older pitching rotation.  All of these guys have pitched multiple complete games in previous years.  This should help them reach the World Series in the long run and save a bullpen that might not be all that good. 

If I had to pick a rotation to start the season with, this would be it.  But, until they win that World Series, they cannot be touted as anything let alone the greatest pitching rotation of all time. 

Mike Dobbs

Communications Studies

Class of 2012

Enough is Enough

Money.  It always comes down to money.  The NFL lockout inches closer every day that the NFL Players Association and the owners can’t come to an agreement.  The current collective bargaining agreement runs out on March 4. 

As a fan, they each have a legitimate gripe with the other.  The biggest problem I see with the conversations is that the owners want an 18 game schedule.  Currently, the NFL has a 16 game schedule.

 

If the owners expect the players to play an extra two games, I think they are really threatening the integrity of the game.  The NFL has the greatest football talent in the world, hands down.  With the addition of two more games, they will have to add more roster spots to every team which will water the talent pool down even further.  Think about the number of players that go on injured reserve every year.  This past football season through 10 weeks, there had already been 311 players placed on IR.  If you add an extra two games, you can only envision that number will go up.  Not only will it diminish the product on the field for the playoffs that year, but it will also shorten the career of every player.  The longevity of a running backs career right now is only about eight years in their prime.  After that, their numbers go way down.  One example of that would be Edgerrin James, former Colts and Cardinals running back.  He averaged 4.2 yards per carry the first seven years of his career and only 3.4 ypc over the next three.  Shaun Alexander, former Seahawks running back, would be another prime example.  Alexander averaged 4.6 ypc the first six years of his career and only 3.1 over the next three years.  With two additional games ever year, players’ careers will be shorter.  For every four years that a player plays, they will play an extra eight games a year.

I just see it killing one of the greatest sports in the United States.  Fans argue that they could watch football year round and still not get sick of it.  I would be one of those people, but one has to know that it is not logical for a player to put their body through that kind of additional punishment.  It is way too much to ask.  You could argue that the 16 game schedules are too much for a human body.  311 players?  That equates to 10 players per team.  By the time the playoffs or Super Bowl roll around, the teams are down to their second or third strings in some cases.  So, let me ask you, is it really worth it?

Mike Dobbs

Communications Studies

Class of 2012