The Ghost of Memories Past

Julianne McMeen, 22

The sun beat down on the court almost scorching the asphalt. All 112 pounds of Julianne McMeen skidded through the doubles alley, knees and elbows dragging behind her.

Blood trickling down her throbbing right knee, but she got the ball over the next–that’s what mattered. With only a few seconds to recover, McMeen picked herself up off the sizzling asphalt that seemed to be setting her flesh on fire and ran cross court, once again barely lobbing the ball to the other end.

When the ball spun back, it landed short of the service line, allowing her to move in. As she thrust her whole body into the shot, the ball sped over the net at an impossible angle.

Her opponent had no chance.

The ball bounced off the court and slammed against the back fence untouched. The rattling of the chain-link fence brought on the cheers and applause of her teammates and the crowd.

“That was it,” McMeen said. “I couldn’t believe I had done it.”

Sweat dripped from her face as she leaned over to return her rackets to her bag, and the court sizzled it into evaporation in only a matter of seconds. McMeen washed the taste of salt out of her mouth with a long swig of water.

Her teammates rushed to hug her, disregarding the sticky dampness of her skin and uniform. She gently stretched out her leg and placed a band-aid over her knee, noticing the gash. Laying a cool towel on her forehead, McMeen leaned back on the bench to relax her over-exerted, exhausted muscles.

But none of that matter because she had just booked her team a spot in the Tennessee Secondary School Athletic Association (TSSAA) Tennis State Championship.

“I was ecstatic,” McMeen said. “It came down to me, my match, and I came through for my team.”

As a sophomore in high school, seven years ago, that’s when McMeen knew.

“I think it was that moment that I knew I was going to work my butt off so I could play college tennis,” McMeen said.

McMeen leaned over a chain link fence screaming “Come on!” at the top of her lungs, now seven years later and miles away from where she won that memorable match years ago.

As she watched her teammate run side to side, stretching, reaching, almost diving for every ball, moaning in exertion and pain, that one match, the one moment from her past, flooded her memory.

McMeen had just lost 6-0, 6-1 in one of her final college matches against conference foe, Florida Gulf Coast. But as she watched her teammate pull out an incredible 6-2, 6-2 win and only as a freshman, she only hoped her friend was filled with that same joy and hunger that lingered in her memory now.

“It was an incredible win for her,” McMeen said. “It’s wins like those that you’ll remember when all this is over. I only have a few matches left, and it’s matches like the one that took my team to state that I remember.”

As the season starts to simmer down, McMeen said she’s glad to see her younger friends carry out the same fight and passion she had.

“I always go back to that match,” McMeen said. “It was the biggest match of my tennis career. It means a lot that I can now see my friends and teammates fight and experience that same passion I gained seven years ago.”

History In The Making

As she opened the door of her friend’s small apartment, dozens of her closet friends shouted with joy in celebration for one of the biggest days of her life.

Roe, 21, and Millikan, 22

Savanna Roe, 21, was shocked. Clearly, everyone had known.

Everyone but her.

As they sat at Macaroni Grill eating an array of appetizers, Roe had no idea he was planning anything. James Millikan, 22, maintained a calm façade.

But Millikan had a big surprise in store for dessert.

“He was like ‘hey, i found this historic house i want to show you,’ but i didn’t suspect anything because his family is really into history and historical markers, so he’s always stopping to read them,” Roe said.

The car ride was quiet, but the silence seemed soothing. Roe stared out the window, absently twirling a ring on her right hand.

As the car came to a halt, Millikan came around and opened the passenger door. The moon illuminated the outline of the historic mansion and emphasized its age.

“We got to this house, get out and he’s telling me we need to find the plaque that tells about the mansion,” Roe said. “So, we walk around to the back of the house.”

At least that’s what Roe thought they were doing.

As she turned the corner, her focus shifted from finding the plaque. Her eyes, immediately drawn to the sidewalk covered in roses, followed the path leading to a rustic gazebo.

Roe followed Millikan along the sidewalk, taking in her scenic surroundings. As she reached the gazebo, she gently walked up the two steps to find herself seemingly floating on more rose petals.

Bouquets of Calla Lilies lined the circumference of the small wood and copper gazebo that surrounded them. Now behind the home that seemed to hide them from the outside world, the moon shined brightly above them.

It was as if it were just the two of them. Time stood still, and they were the only two people in the world.

With a look of sheer happiness, sincerity and a touch of anxiety on his face, Millikan began to kneel. The weight of the moment lifted every care in Roe’s world. With tears streaming down her face, she placed her left hand in his.

“It was a moment I will never forget,” Roe said.

Millikan uttered the words almost every girl dreams of hearing one day.

Will you marry me?

Roe’s friends laughed and cried with her as she retold the story for all to hear as they crammed into the small apartment. Hugs and best wishes were exchanged as the celebration began to fade.

Roe and Millikan headed for the door after their final goodbyes. But before shutting the door, Roe turned back to the adoring faces of her closest friends and simply gave a smile before letting out a small laugh.

“I guess that’s it,” Roe said. “It’s history in the making.”

Two Brothers, Murderer Found Dead In Shanklin

Two brother pigs and their killer, a wolf, were murdered this weekend in Shanklin. Although there are no witnesses to any of the supposed crimes, the two deceased brothers are survived by their brother who attests to their murders.

“I am completely certain that my brothers were murdered,” the lone surviving pig said. “And I know it was that wretched wolf that did it.”

After further investigation, the only living of the three brothers has been convicted of the murder of the wolf that took his two brothers lives. The pig boiled and ate the wolf after he broke into his Shanklin home. He said his brothers’ murderer targeted him next after having destroyed his brothers’ homes and eating them.

“He huffed, and he puffed and blew their houses down,” the pig said. “Then, he ate them! The police might not have ever found the beast. I had to take matters into my own hands, so I avenged my brothers deaths.”

The pig is on trial for first degree murder and could be sentenced to life without parole, a fortunate fate for this little pig who came close to becoming a rump roast. The pig has said he will plead guilty

“I committed a crime,” the pig said. “I will take my consequences like a man, but I have no remorse for giving that pathetic wolf the same torturous fate he sentenced my brothers to.”

The lone survivor in Shanklin’s most disturbing investigation attributes his escape from the wolf that killed his brothers to the safe-haven of his sturdy brick home. However, his brothers were not so fortunate, having built their houses out of straw and furze, ultimately leading to the easy breaking and entering that resulted in the two deaths.

The pigs trial is set to take place on March 3rd at the Shanklin County Court House.

 

 

Cooks Source Gets Butchered

What was thought to be the biggest slip up of 2010 actually turned out not to be a slip up at all.

When Cooks Source Magazine “borrowed” a story from writer Monica Gaudio, they opened up a can of worms. Gaudio, who had no idea her article on apple pies was being used, confronted Judith Griggs, the magazine’s editor, with her displeasure in the company’s act.

Instead of apologizing, Griggs actually proceeded to tell Gaudio that she was lucky they didn’t charge her for their editing job on her piece that they placed on a “public domain.”

“But honestly Monica, the web is considered ‘public domain,’ and you should be happy we just didn’t ‘lift’ your whole article and put someone else’s name on it,” Griggs said.

After news of the magazine’s theft spread, people began questioning and investigating Cooks Source to see if they had committed this type of theft before.

What makes this error the biggest in 2010 is that they had.

A public spreadsheet was released with over 160 suspected cases of “suspicious borrowings.”

With the looming threat of angry readers, advertisers, and authorities, Cooks Source shut down, all but stressing the importance of crowdsourcing, fact checking, and awareness of copyright laws.

A Picture’s Worth a Thousand Words…

The Lady Bisons tennis team fell 4-3 to UT Martin in their hardest fought match yet this season. Although the loss was their fourth straight, the girls are continually improving and making great strides towards recording their first win of the season.

Rule of Thirds:

 

 

Repetition:

 

 

 

 

Leading Lines:

 

 

Point of View:

 

 

 

 

Contrast:

 

 

 

Simplicity:

 

 

 

 

Natural Framing:

Pizza And Politics: Professor Donald Shaw

Donald Shaw, a professor at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, came to Lipscomb’s campus on January 27, 2011 to discuss his agenda setting theory.

When introducing his the idea of agenda setting, Shaw referred to a an old saying from a political scientist that states, “the media doesn’t tell us what to think; they tell us what to think about.”

Shaw went on to discuss the evolution of media and how vastly new media can influence Americans. In his presentation, Shaw focused on two types of media: vertical and horizontal.

Vertical media tells us what issues to think about, while horizontal media takes it a step further, telling us how to think about those issues.

Shaw revealed, through a 2008 study done at UNC-Chapel Hill, that people of differing political associations use media in different ways, helping the media to take advantage of this and implement their agenda on a receptive audience.

While Democrats use more vertical media, Republicans and independents tend to utilize horizontal media in addition to their own personal views.

After hearing Shaw speak, one can more clearly see how the media plays a large role in agenda setting, and I fully agree with his theory.

I believe the media plays a crucial role in the weight of value American citizens give different issues. As the media place more emphasis on certain issues, Americans begin to hold that issue higher than one that they don’t hear about every day.

Shaw’s theory has prompted me to take a step back from the media, to be aware of their motive in setting a certain agenda. By doing so, I can place more emphasis on the real significance of an issue rather than the emphasis the media places on it.

But for those who have not been made aware of Shaw’s agenda setting theory, the cycle will continue. Shaw summed it up by saying, “the media lead the public; the public doesn’t lead the media.”

 

The Answers Tell the Story

Time seemed to stand still as the car was hit from behind. What appeared to be an average rear-end collision was anything but ordinary for 12-year old tennis star Andrew Bonnell. That day began an 18-month journey marked by pain and discouragement, but one that tells a true story of determination.

Bonnell was a junior tennis sensation, ranked number one in the Intermountain Section, which consisted of six states, including his home state of Colorado. But when a car accident resulted in Spondylolisthesis, a fracturing of the L-5 lumbar on both sides, Bonnell’s tennis dreams seemed shattered. Eight years later, Bonnell reflects on that year and a half of his life.

Ashlan: When your car was hit, did you realize how badly you were hurt?

Andrew Bonnell: No, I didn’t have any pain for about two weeks. I started having pain in my neck and mid-back. So, I went to a chiropractor, and they did x-rays. My spine and my neck were completely screwed up, and a cyst the size of a quarter-dollar came up on my mid-back. Then a couple of months later, I was in Salt Lake City playing a circuit tournament. I was playing in the finals, and I went up to serve. I felt this horrible, very sharp pain in my lower back on both sides. At that point, I knew something was wrong.

Ash: What did the doctors say when you told them what happened?

AB: I went to at least five different doctors. My pediatrician diagnosed me with grade three Spondylolisthesis. So, at that point, he referred me to a specialist, and he (the specialist) told me I would never play tennis again. After hearing that, we wanted to check with another doctor. At that point, another doctor set me up with physical therapy and a back brace.

Ash: For a kid with so much talent and potential, what was it like to be told you’d never play tennis again?

AB: It was completely devastating news, especially at the peak of my career. It was a hard pill to swallow– that I had injured myself so severely when I had worked so hard and been trained by some of the best coaches in the world.

Ash: How trying was the therapy process?

AB: It was hell, if I’m being honest. It was five days a week for two hours every session, and that’s not even including the stretches and exercises I had to do at home. I had to wear a back brace all the time. The only time I could take it off was when I showered. And it was summertime, so it was that much more uncomfortable.

Ash: How hard was it, being a young, athletic kid, having to go through extensive therapy and wear a brace?

AB: I couldn’t do anything but my exercises. I couldn’t hang out with friends really. I couldn’t do anything athletic besides walk. My summer was consumed by me trying to rehabilitate. Naturally, all this made me pretty depressed, but I tried to keep a really good attitude towards it.

Ash: Did it ever get to be too much, like you just couldn’t be positive anymore? Everyone has to have a breaking point.

AB: It was what it was. So, there was no use getting overly emotional about it because that wasn’t going to help anything. The only thing I could do about it was to be positive.

Ash: Did you believe you’d never be able to play tennis again, or did you have hope that you could get back in it?

AB: I thought I would be able to play again because I don’t think anyone at that age would accept what someone else says about your future.

Ash: And you did get back?

AB: Yeah, I got back. It took a couple of months after I finished therapy where I couldn’t run, but I could start hitting. Gradually, I incorporated movement then started training like usual. Since I hadn’t played any for a long time, my ranking had dropped to somewhere in the forties. My first tournament back, I beat the number one and two ranked players in the state who I had never beaten before. I went on to win the tournament.

Ash: What was it like to not only play in a tournament after everything you’d been through, but to win your first one back?

AB: It was great. All my suffering and hard work had rebounded and paid off. It was a great feeling of accomplishment. That was one of the single greatest moments in my life, especially because of who I beat. I was supposed to come back, play and see if I still had it, and I won.

Ash: When you look back, do you feel like you are stronger because of everything you went through?

AB: It was a life-learning experience. I learned lessons in perseverance and determination. I was able to overcome adversity through what the doctors told me. I was able to prove the doctors wrong. I proved to myself that I can accomplish really great things if enough hard work and effort is put forth.

Sexy News Anchors Attract Male Viewers Summary

It is no secret that female broadcasters need a pretty face. But news stations are not only hiring the prettiest women, they’re playing them up, even dressing them up.

Literally.

Female broadcasters are being strategically dressed in outfits that show off their sex appeal in attempts to capture the attention of the average male channel-surfer. While this sends the stations’ ratings soaring, studies show it actually hurts their main goal– informing the public.

While watching a newscast, studies revealed male viewers spend more of their time looking at the girl reporting the news than they actually listen and retain her message.

Two female researches conducted a study to show the significant difference in male’s visual stimulation in comparison to their memory retention. The study consisted of two newscasts delivered by the same 24-year old woman to two groups of male viewers. In the first newscast, the reporter was dressed in a sexy-getup, and in the second, she wore more modest attire.

The results proved that the men watching the “desexualized” version retained “significantly” more information than those who were distracted by a short skirt and flaming red lipstick.

While this study still relies on some level of speculation, it helps support why male viewers of let’s say Kyra Phillips on CNN are less informed than those who tune in while Don Lemon is reporting.

 

Harper’s Index: Me As Described With Numbers

Number of Roommates I have: 3

Number of cups of coffee we brew in the morning: 12

Chances I won’t even see one of my roommates on a given day: 100%

Number of hours I work a week: 20-30

Number of Pro Sporting events I have covered: 28

Number of Sports I have played: 5

Number of tennis matches I have played: 476

Bottles of Gatorade I have bought at Kroger this year: 127

Number of romance books I have in my bookcase: 42

Chances I have read them all: 100%

Number of texts in my messages: 736

Days since I last deleted all my texts: 2

Percent that that reveals I text too much: 100%

Priority God is in my life: 1

Number of days a year I fall short of His grace: 365

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