On 4/17/15 I got engaged to the love of my life and best friend. This video doesn’t show the actual proposal because I have not edited that film yet. I did not feel pressured to do something special, but I wanted to make sure that this was a memorable night for the both of us. So it was hard to choose where I wanted to propose to Rachel. I started thinking about how I wanted to do it a month before the proposal. A week and half before the proposal I knew exactly how I wanted to do it.
I ended up choosing the place where we had our first date. Our first date was on my fraternities pref night at an Irish pub in downtown Louisville called Osheas. This place was special to Rachel and I and after Friday night It became more special. Our fraternity rented out the same venue as our pref night for a formal date night so Rachel and I were already dressed up and ready for the event. I had Rachel’s friend Shelby take her to dinner and I told Rachel I had to go to the venue early to help set up for the fraternity date night. When Rachel arrived my brothers in the fraternity and myself were in the back of the venue. Rachel walked up and everyone started to get quiet so she knew something was up. I brought her in front of the crowd and told her that I wanted to be with her for the rest of my life. I pulled out a box with a ribbon and opened it…It was empty. I acted like I forgot the ring at my place 3 miles away from the venue and I told her to stay there and Ill be right back. I sprinted out of the venue then played this video…
One of the greatest accomplishments in life is finding the one person you want to spend the rest of your life with. Once you found that person the next step is finding the ring. I am proud to say that I have found that girl and now that ring. I debated going to Shane Company or Genesis in the Louisville area. I ended up choosing with Shane Company. They had the best customer service, best selection and best price.
The selection was unbeatable. I looked at all different types of settings, diamonds and wedding bands. The jewelers were welcoming and made the whole experience easy. They took their time to answer any questions I had and even gave me a lesson on how to grade a diamond. The jeweler helped me look at the different settings that she may of been interested in. Then he helped me narrow down the choices until I had one ring left. After that he selected three diamonds within my price range. He sat me down and taught me how to judge cut, clarity, carat, and color out of three different diamonds. One thing that I learned was that two diamonds can have the same carat but how it’s cut can make it all the difference. If you cut a diamond the ideal way, it can actually look bigger. The jeweler was able to prove that two diamonds were the same carat but looked completely different based on cut. Another fun part about diamond hunting is looking at all the infractions under a “Jewelers Loop”, which is a small magnifying glass that fits on your finger. All diamonds have infractions except for a flawless diamond, which are kept in museums or in royal crowns. It was important to look and learn about your diamond before you purchase it.
Another great part about Shane Company was the price. The jeweler that worked with me informed me that the employees of Shane Co do not work off commission. They are there to help the customer find the ideal diamond regardless of price. It is difficult asking customers where they feel comfortable at a price but they were able to show us a wide range of merchandise for a good price. He did a great job of staying within my price range, I never felt uncomfortable with the prices he showed me. Everything that I was able to look at was priced reasonably and I could tell it was affordable. I was able to get an amazing ring for an amazing price for an amazing girl.
Finally, it goes without question that the best part about this experience was the customer service. Everyone in the store was very kind and courteous. They listened to all my questions and they were able to answer all the questions I had. The store also stayed open an extra hour and half just so I could be completely sure about my decision. The employees also allowed my girlfriend and I time to discuss our choice. I was really satisfied with the experience. I would recommend to anyone that if they are looking for the best selection, best price and best customer service, their only stop should be Shane Co. Which is located on Hurstborne Parkway and Taylorsville Road, open Monday-Friday till 8, Saturday and Sunday till 5, or online at Shaneco.com. Now you too can have a friend in the diamond business.
The University of Louisville Men’s Basketball Season sadly ended March 29, 2015 against Michigan State. The Cardinals finished 27-9 overall and 12-6 in the ACC play. During tournament play the Cards defeated UC Irvine, NC State and Northern Iowa earning them a seat in the Elite Eight where they lost the battle to Michigan State.
For most of the game both teams played equally well in offense and defense. As time started winding down Louisville had the lead at 1:13 with 64-63 due to Wayne Blackshears free throws, but Marvin Clark Jr. (Michigan) responded to the play that allowed Michigan State to get ahead. In the last 5 seconds Mangok Mathiang was fouled and had two attempts at the free throw line. His first shot made it in and tied the game, his second shot was not a good. This caused the game to be played in overtime.
One of Louisville main problems all season long has been offense. The Cards took many shots but it always left the fans uneasy about how many would actually go in. This was clearly evident in the Louisville/Michigan State game. The Cards played well on defense but Michigan played even better on offense and outplayed Louisville.
Some important take aways from this game is that coaching is critical. You can have the best players in the world on your team but if you can’t get them to play together and work like a team to score points, you won’t win. Rick Pitino works hard each year improving his players but this year the scoring percentage fell short. Defense kept this team alive throughout the year but more time should have been spent at the free throw line. If Mathiang had made his second shot, the outcome of the game could have been totally different. I do believe that Rick did a good job as a coach this season. Another take away is that Terry Rozier, Louisville point guard, got outplayed by Michigan States point guard Travis Trice. As a point guard it was Rozier job to score points, his record for this game was 6 out of 22 shots. Michigan States point guard, Travis Trice was able to score 17 points for his team. This is a huge difference in the two. Rozier did do a good job at stealing the ball four times but not making the points he needed to, ultimately lead to the Cardinals failure to move on in the tournament.
One player really did step up for the whole team and that was senior Wayne Blackshear. Blackshears has always been challenged by Rick Pitino to lead from the front and that definitely what he did in this game. Blackshear scored 26 points and 4 of his 5 shots from behind the arc made it in the basket. Blackshear gave it his all in this game and although it didn’t play out as a whole, he did work hard to keep the Cardinals alive. Blackshear definitely left his mark on the University of Louisville Cardinals basketball team.
From this season I learned that luck can only go so far. Overall the team played well enough to get by but that ended on March 29th. I hope that next season will be better than this years. I look forward to the 2016 season and hopefully as a team the Cardinals learn from their mistakes and work harder for next year.
I was a freshman in high school and I over heard two my friends talking in class about a place that hires at fourteen. I was 7 months away from my fifteenth birthday and I went into Papa Murphy’s December 29,2006 and bought a pizza and picked up an application with my dad. I filled out the application that night and turned it in the next day. It was a Saturday the next day and I was going to go to the mall with my parents. I swung by Papa Murphy’s to drop off my application, not knowing I was about to get my first job. My dad told me to ask for the manager before I turned it in. The owner was working that day and he took my application. He spoke with me off to the side and looked over my application. He asked if I could come back 2 hours later and I told him I was going to the mall with my parents but I would plan my day around coming back.
Pros about getting a job:
1. Getting a Job at 14 meant good money with no expenses.
2. I was getting $5.75 and the minimum wage at the time was $5.15
3. I was interacting with customers at an early age strengthening my interpersonal communication skills.
4. I could start building my resume at a young age.
5. Taught me how to manage school and a job at a young age.
6. Before I graduated I managed to get 3 jobs and juggle high school classes.
My first paycheck was $47.45 and at fourteen that was a nice chunk of change. The paychecks sometimes grew to $203.00 for two weeks, keep in mind I was just a 14 year old kid. The only expenses I had at the time was when I bought the first iPhone and paid the cell phone bill on it.
Cons:
1. Getting a job so young made my life tiring juggling between school and work.
2. Money at a young age encouraged spending habits early.
3. By the time I got to college I was worn out with school and work and I wanted a break.
Looking back at it, having a job back then wasn’t really that bad. I learned how to manage money at a young age. I am a 5th year senior in college about to graduate and I have zero student loans and credit card debt. Managing money at a young age is an important lesson to learn.
It was an emotional hearing on February 24, 2015 as both families of American Sniper Chris Kyle and Chad Littlefield had a sigh of relief. Eddie Ray Routh was found guilty by a Texas jury for the murder of Chris Kyle and Chad Littlefield and sentenced to life in prison without parole. Routh was a former marine who suffers from PTSD. Little do people know that Routh did not deploy to Afghanistan, Iraq, or any other middle eastern country. He was part of the disaster relief in Haiti during the aftermath of the 7.0 magnitude earthquake back in 2010. Some people are furious that Routh was diagnosed with PTSD, but PTSD didn’t seem like the motivator for the murders. Routh was found under the influence of alcohol and marijuana during the shootings and people feel like that it increased his paranoia.
Not everyone looks at his PTSD lightly and former Navy Seal hero Marcus Luttrell did not want to keep silent. Luttrell, who inspired the 2013 movie Lone Survivor wrote his thoughts and reaction to the conclusion of the trial. Below is the comment that Luttrell left on social media sites stating a message directed towards the murderer Eddie Ray Routh, “Justice served for Chris and the Littlefield family. To Eddie Ray Routh, you thought you had PTSD before.?? Wait till the boys in TDC Find out you killed a TX hero.”
Justice served for Chris and the Littlefield family. To Eddie Ray Routh, you thought you had PTSD before .?? Wait till the boys in TDC Find out you killed a TX hero.
Even though Routh was found guilty of the murder his lawyer tells PEOPLE that Routh is going to plan on appealing the verdict. Even though Routh plead guilty to murdering Kyle, and Littlefield he pleaded not guilty by the reason of insanity.“We are disappointed in the verdict,” He tells PEOPLE. “Mr. Routh is still suffering from schizophrenia. He had a belief in his mind that day. He believed that they were going to kill him. It was a real belief that he had. We’re disappointed the jury didn’t give that any consideration. They dismissed that.”
Even though that Routh plans on appealing the verdict, I think it is safe to say that most of the American people are glad that he was found guilty on murdering the American Sniper.
Before college I had a negative connotation about going Greek. My brother was three years older than me and he wanted nothing to do with the Greek life. Little did he know that going Greek was the best decision I have made in college. People in the Greek community may back up my statement but others outside the Greek life might think I am crazy.
The first stereotype I had about joining a fraternity is that I would be paying for my friends. This is not true, the people in my fraternity would do anything for me and I would do anything for them. This is a brotherhood just like any other club or group of friends. Joining a fraternity isn’t any different than joining a University, the military, or a group, like the Free Masons. You pay to go to a University to better your life to help you succeed, you join the military so you and the people around you can have a better life and can succeed, you join the Free Masons because you want to have a better life and you want to succeed. So why do you think that people who join a fraternity just do it to make friends? I joined a fraternity so I could have a better life and I could succeed. This blog is not meant to persuade you to go Greek, but to inform you of my decision to go Greek. Through out this blog I will explain to you the reason why I chose to go Greek and the experiences I had that have backed up my decision.
The first reason I joined a fraternity was networking. This may sound bad, but from a business perspective, networking is everything. Once I knew I wanted to major in business I started looking into resources that could help me out. I saw that fraternities had a connection with people in the community. When I started college freshman year of 2010 I only knew some people in my classes that I reached out to and the others were people I went to high school with. Once I joined a fraternity it felt like I knew everyone. I always had a resource if I wanted to learn more about an organization on campus or a business in the community. When you sign up for Greek life, not only do you know people in your fraternity or sorority but you know people throughout Greek life.
Another reason I joined my fraternity is because of their values. Every person I met that was in the fraternity I joined wanted to better themselves. They wanted to have a bright future, whether it was helping the people in their community, or making lots of money. My fraternity has values that people should inherently know, but its nice having a system that checks those values and are there for you if you screw one of those values up. I am not going to tell you what fraternity I joined because It shouldn’t matter. Most people in the Greek community have a set of values and they are not put in place to hurt you, only help you.
The last reason I joined a fraternity was to stay active within the University. When you join Greek life you have to maintain a connection within in the University in order to help establish the name of your Greek chapter. This has a positive effect because knowing people within your University will only help you succeed. There is a lot to college and the more people you know the faster you will learn the insides and outs of the University. You will learn that most things in college that you participate in can add more to your resume, and a better resume equals a better paying job.
Like I said earlier, I am not here to persuade you to go Greek I am only informing you of some reasons to go Greek. If you want to take the time to look up some statistics on Google about fraternities or sororities you might be amazed. Joining Greek life was the best decision I made in college, and only the people who are Greek know why I am writing this blog.
When I was a senior in high school, I knew I wanted to go to college but I didn’t know what I wanted to do after it. I was approached by a Colonel in the hallway who taught our JROTC program at our school. He knew my name but I had no clue who he was nor did I ever talk to him before. I wasn’t enrolled in JROTC nor did I think about doing it in high school. He asked me if I ever wanted to join the Army. I told him I thought about it, but I wanted to go to college. He told me that I could go to college for free, make money without a job, and have a guaranteed job after college, if I wanted to do ROTC….it was real intriguing.
ROTC programs across the nation have their eye on people who are leaders. They want people who are willing to learn, lead, and have a strong work ethic. I did not know what I wanted to do but an ROTC program at a local university offered me a full ride ($80,000) scholarship just to try it out. I soon fell in love with everything ROTC and the Army stood for plus there were great benefits (that I listed below.)
1. Paid Education. One of the most beneficial reasons for joining ROTC is receiving a Scholarship. Once you contract with the program, the Army will ofter to pay for your college education. This could be up to $250,000. This includes 4 years of tuition, housing, books and getting paid a stipend every two weeks. The Army is paying you to be in school and be successful.
2. Another benefit from joining ROTC is having a guaranteed job after college. During your senior year of college the Army will select from the nation what cadets will be apart of which branch. Some of the branches include engineering, signal (communication), aviation, armor, nursing and infantry. Once you graduate from college you will attend BOLC (basic officer leadership course) this is where you will learn everything you need to know about being an Infantry Officer or an Engineering Officer. You will start receiving a salary not just hourly pay but a salary once you get orders. Having a guaranteed job out of college takes away an enormous amount of stress. So instead of job hunting for months you can start working and not worry about paying college debt.
3. Networking is another great aspect of ROTC. The Military is a small world and once you a make a name for yourself, people will remember you. This is a great way to meet people who have similar interests as you and you can start creating new connects to help you later on in life. Networking can also help you get more opportunities in the Army. If your commander likes your performance and recommends you for a higher position, it could really benefit you.
4. Staying in shape. When you join ROTC, physical fitness is a class you are required to take. The Army has many standards, one of those standards is to be physically fit. By staying active and staying healthy it will not only help you if you were to get deployed but it could help you live longer. The military also pays for your healthcare. Once you graduate you don’t have to worry about getting a job that provides healthcare, the military does that for you.
These are just four benefits, there are many others I did not list. If you seem interested in ROTC, ask your local university if there is a program at your school. Being an officer in the Army is getting very competitive and is an honor, so make sure you are serious about joining. Trust me, after college you will see the rewards.
I am writing this blog to help out students who are in college or are about to attend college. There are a few things I found very helpful when it comes to succeeding in college, some of these things took me a few years before I adopted and put them to use.
I graduated high school in 2010 and received the commonwealth diploma, which is the highest diploma Kentucky offered. I took 8 AP classes in high school and graduated 19th out of 379 students with a GPA of 3.8/4.0 scale. I played 3 varsity sports and was president or on the executive board for 6 different clubs. I received mostly A’s with an occasional B or two per semester in high school. I THOUGHT college was going to be a piece of cake but I soon realized it was NOTHING like high school.
When I finished my first semester at the University of Louisville I received 5 A’s and 1 D, taking only 14 credit hours. I was shocked, I never in my life received a D and as the semesters rolled on, I started getting A’s, B’s, and C’s with an occasional D. I started to get the hang of things by the time I started my second semester of junior year, but at this time my GPA stood at a 2.98. Before senior year started, I knew I needed to do something about my GPA. I sat down for a week over summer break and analyzed my situation, thinking about what I was doing right and what I was doing wrong. I decided to fix my problems and stay an extra year in college. I am currently in my second semester (5th year) and I am on track to graduate in May with 1 major and 3 minors. Over the past year and a half (3 semesters), I took 63 credit hours and received straight A’s. How did I do this? Well, here you go…
1. HOW TO SCHEDULE YOUR CLASSES
This is very important if you want to receive good grades. I recommend you looking at the classes you need to graduate and laying out your schedule over 4 years. Your schedule will probably change over the years but keep it updated. If you go to Google and type in 104R, you will see a template that will make life easier when planning your college classes. Make sure you don’t take all of your hard classes in one semester. Also use Ratemyprofessor.com, I can’t stress enough how important that website is. It shows you how your professor grades, how they teach, and how helpful they are to students. Instead of looking at what time you want to take your classes, look at the rating of your professors. You will see that you want to stay away from some professors at your university. Also schedule your classes the day they open because you’ll have more freedom with picking the easier classes.
2. GO TO EVERY CLASS
This is probably the hardest transition after college because you are an adult and you have more control over your decisions. Some professors state in their syllabus that attendance is not required. When you see this, ignore it! If you go to every class, I promise that you will do a lot better. I skipped a few days when I received A’s, B’s, and C’s, but now I haven’t missed a day of class and I have been receiving straight A’s. Professors will see that you are coming to class, so they are more willing to help you if you’re having trouble with the material. Don’t schedule 8am classes if you are having a hard time getting up in the morning. When you are in class take notes on everything they say.
3. TAKE NOTES
You can probably type faster than you can write so bring your laptop to every class. When taking notes write down everything your professor says, even the things they say are not on the exam. If they tell you it’s not on the exam put a side note with an “*” telling yourself it is not on the exam. You may find that your notes will help you in other classes. Also if you can, record their lecture on your smart phone because if you miss something or a friend misses class you can listen to the lecture and see what you or they missed. After the first exam you will find out how to adapt your notes to the exams. This is crucial because you will find yourself highlighting answers because you know your professor is going to ask a question over it. Also make sure you attend the review sessions if your professor provides them.
4. WHERE YOU LIVE, WILL EFFECT YOUR GRADES
If you received a scholarship that includes housing or your parents are paying for your room and board, I highly recommend you living by yourself. I lived in a different place every year in college. I know how its like to have 3 room mates, 1 room mate, 8 room mates and no room mates. When you live by yourself you feel like an adult and you get more things done with less distractions. You don’t sit around with your room mate procrastinating, gossiping, or drinking. It’s a lot easier to not go out if you live by yourself because your room mate(s) decisions wont influence you.
5. WHAT’S THE RIGHT ATTITUDE?
The last tip I am going to share with you is having the right attitude. You have to know that your decisions now, will effect your future. If you are taking a hard class where everyone gets a B, strive for an A. Don’t be satisfied with B’s. I thought getting B’s were fine but they’re not. You want to get an A in every class and trust me, you will with the right attitude. Stop yourself when you think or say “I hate school” because that negative energy will make life harder. You are almost done with school, not learning, so keep the right attitude and it will make learning a lot easier in your future.
I only had to write a 500 word blog for this class I am taking. I have written over a thousand words because I want you to succeed! I wish I had a mentor that drilled these tips in my head the day I started freshman year. Regret sucks, so strive forward and you can accomplish anything.
After the ending of Clint Eastwood’s, American Sniper, many questions were raised. “It feels like I just left a funeral” a viewer whispered while he was leaving the Movie Palace (Elizabethtown, KY), Monday 1/19/2015. The theater was silent after the emotional ending of the Oscar nominated movie, American Sniper. In the movie it doesn’t tell you who killed Chris Kyle or about the upcoming trial, but I bet the question is lingering in your head after watching this amazing movie.
On February 2, 2013, Chris Kyle and Chad Littlefield, were allegedly shot by Eddie Ray Routh, a former marine who suffers from Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD). Kyle and Littlefield took Routh to a gun range in Texas, to help him cope with his PTSD. It was claimed that Routh told his sister, ‘I traded my soul for a new truck,’ after fleeing the crime scene that day, stealing Kyle’s truck after the murder. The trial is set for February 11, 2015 and people are hoping Eddie Ray Routh will find himself facing the death penalty, but it is not likely. Eddie Ray Routh has been in jail since the murder of Kyle and Littlefield and he will not see the public until trial. J. Warren St. John (Routh’s attorney), has spoken out to People that Mr. Routh will be pleading not guilty by reason of insanity. Also St. John has said that the popularity of the movie will greatly effect the trial.
Since Chris Kyle is a Hero to all of America, with the exception of Micheal Moore, it’s going to be hard to find members of the Jury that are not biased. Even though Routh allegedly took away one of America’s greatest heroes, he still has the right to a fair trial. In my opinion, this is still possible since there are people that have not seen the movie or know nothing about Chris Kyle. Many questions are still raised, but no answers because everyone that is connected to the trial are ordered not to speak about specific details to the media.
If you want to know more about the trial when it starts, please feel free to subscribe/follow my blog and I will have detailed posts following this blog.
It couldn’t have been said any better, when gamer Daniel Ruiz aka TOXICxFLASH said, “Everyone is just trying to re-live in the HALO 2 glory days, but they’re not letting us!” -a message directed towards 343 industries
HALO 2 is a first person shooter game developed by Bungie Studios in 2004. Some may say the game is what sparked the popularity of Xbox Live. Halo 2 was the most popular game on Xbox Live from 2004-2006 with over 710 million hours played in the United States alone. It was the best selling first-generation Xbox game, selling over 6.3 million copies in U.S. stores.
On November 11, 2014 Halo 2 tried making a comeback when 343 industries released HALO: The Master Chief Collection, which is a game comprised of Halo 1, Halo 2, Halo 3, Halo 4, and Halo 5 Beta. The game managed to sell 1.01 million copies worldwide in the first week, and gamers were eager get back on Xbox Live and play the legendary Halo 2. That dream was crushed for the next three weeks when Xbox live was down and no one could find a match. This started the beginning of what now is chaos in the Halo community.
Over the last couple of days ranks have been reset and months of playing Halo 2 Anniversary (the only ranked playlist) just went down the drain. This was due to the new playlist being added on 1/14/15 which were hardcore and Halo 4. Gamers are furious because every time 343 industries comes out with a new update, something else stops working. Halo gamers are wondering why they are adding new playlists when matchmaking still has numerous problems and bugs to be fixed.
When you go into matchmaking you may notice that it takes 3-10 minutes to find a game and this is ridiculous compared to Halo’s biggest competitor Call of Duty, which takes about 15 seconds to find a match. Gamers in the Halo community are talking about protesting 343 industries by not purchasing Halo 5 when it’s released. I wouldn’t be surprised if Halo 5 had just as many bugs as Halo: The Master Chief Collection. Still 343 industries keep posting notifications to the public saying they are working on updates to fix the bugs, but it’s been two months since the game has been released, so how hard are you really working?
This raises a few questions and feel free to comment below to address these questions.
1. How long do you think it will take 343 industries to fix the bugs?
2. Do you play Halo: The Master Chief Collection less now because of the bugs?
3. What are some major problems you see with matchmaking?
4. When 343 industries states ranking coming soon in all of the playlists, how long do you think they mean?
5. Do you think 343 industries are way in over their head by having 5 games on one disk?
The trial is set for February 11, 2015 and people are hoping Eddie Ray Routh will find himself facing the death penalty, but it is not likely. Eddie Ray Routh has been in jail since the murder of Kyle and Littlefield and he will not see the public until trial. J. Warren St. John (Routh’s attorney), has spoken out to People that Mr. Routh will be pleading not guilty by reason of insanity. Also St. John has said that the popularity of the movie will greatly effect the trial.
kastaf01 