College Reporters goes on vacation

With the academic year coming to a close at SCU, it's time for the College Reporter's crew of bloggers to head home for the summer. Thanks for all your hard work and engaging writing this year.

Saying Goodbye

My range of emotions in the past week have been out of control. I'm graduating college in six days. I've woken up crying, I've had moments of panic, and I've had evenings of pure celebration. I'm excited, I'm sad, I'm nervous, and I'm thrilled about leaving the world of Santa Clara. Everyone seems to be handling this time in our lives differently. Change is accepted by people in a variety of ways. My one roommate has spent the past week scrap-booking, reflecting on photos from our four years and packing up the pieces of her life that has made her college room. Another roomie has chosen to go out almost every night and catch her last drinks at our favorite local watering holes. I am currently receiving daily phone calls from my dad, "eight more days"...."seven more days"...I don't want to be reminded. He called today and said my name "Marjorie McLeod McAteer" like a graduation speaker while humming "Pomp and Circumstance" . I tried on my cap and gown yesterday and while I look ridiculous it was bittersweet to see myself ready for the stage. I can't believe I made it. What an amazing experience. Its hard to believe that Saturday my career as a student here at SCU will come to an end. These four years went by in a blink but I know I will remember them all forever. Thanks for everything!

-Maggie

Pat Semansky, photographer extraordinaire

Pat Semansky is a former photo editor of Santa Clara University's undergrad newspaper The Santa Clara. He was such a wonderful part of the paper, took on so much responsibility and went out of his way to make sure the paper ran smoothly, the staff moonlighting award is now named after him.

Since he graduated in 2006, he has spent his days in New Orleans shooting for the likes of the Associated Press and doing who knows what else. I admire his talent and ambition.

Here are a few of my favorite pictures of his:

Besides the fact that this boy is adorable, which always adds to a picture, his expression captures the moment. He's watching the New Orleans Mardi Gras parade with such wonder and awe. The angle of the barrier and the blurry background draw the eye straight to the little boy's face. The boy is obviously the focus with only an out-of-focus float, scattered beads on the floor and in his hands to give the photo some context.

Kat Ryalls and Lindsey Ott are the two volunteers in this school buidling damaged by Hurricane Katrina. The light coming through the broken roof gives this photo an eerie feel. You really get a sense of the ruins left behind in New Orleans in the dingy colors. Again the angle of the walls and the shadows draws the eye to the girls' corner, along with the brilliant white face masks among the dirt and ruins.

In the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina, the hope of renewal eventually came from help from the nation. The stark contrast between the strength of the nation in the symbolism of the flag burried in the the grime and rubble is powerful. The contrasting light and dark areas add to the dramatic aspect of the photo.

This is an example of capturing an exact moment, which makes for the best sports photos. The cornerback's hand is still in a fist inches away from the jersey he was just clasping. As the tailback sticks his hand out in the opponents' face and gets away, his jersey still hangs where it was being tugged. It takes a lot of talent and luck to get such a perfect moment -- with the players even facing the camera.

For more great shots and to see where else Pat's work has been, check out his Web site: http://www.patsemansky.com/

- Sophie Asmar

(Photos taken from http://www.patsemansky.com/.)

Megz & Drue!

My roommate Meghan (a.k.a. Megz) took her boyfriend, Drue, to the Delta Gamma Senior Banquet dance last Friday. Prior to their departure, Alexa, James, and I took priceless photos of the couple outside of Sobrato in front of the fountain. Then, a luxurious party bus took the couples to the Hilton Hotel in San Jose, which is where the dance took place. Megz and Drue had a wonderful time dancing the night away. Meghan was impressed with Drue's dance skills, especially since he previously told her he couldn't dance. She also said she enjoyed the music and appreciated the oldies songs that the DJ played, such as "Footloose". Megz and Drue had a truly memorable night!
-Karina Grobelny

Wierdest College News Articles Part V

• College bans hat throwing at Graduation
• Bush commencement speech & chest thump
• Cincinnati water sprayer strikes
• Northwestern's pickiness on commencement speakers
• A college student's worst fear: cursive handwriting
• Wake Forest gets rid of SAT/ACT admission requirements

Another week, enjoy!

-Collier King

Mixed Emotions

Over the last week I have been thinking a lot about the end of my Freshmen year here at Santa Clara University and to be perfectly honest I have mixed feelings about leaving for Summer vacation. Don't get me wrong, I am extremely excited to head back to my hometown of Albany, NY in another week and a half. I look forward to seeing my family and my old friends. I also am excited about my two Summer jobs; as I will be working for the the Ayco Company, one of the nation's leading providers of comprehensive financial counseling and education services, and for the New York Giants as well. However, I can't help but feel saddened and dismayed about not seeing my new friends for about three months. Over the course of the school year I definitely feel like I made some real lifelong friends this past year and it will be hard not to see them for such a long period of time. To help solve this problem I will hopefully be going to visit my friend Alexa, who is coming to New York City twice this Summer. Also, my friend Pat will hopefully be coming up for two Dave Matthews Band Concerts as well. I wish I could visit all of my friends at least once this Summer, but it is unlikely because of everyone's busy schedules and the lack of flexibility I will have from the Giants when they arrive in the middle of July. I wish everyone a wonderful Summer vacation, and I cannot wait to see everyone again in the Fall.
-Ryan Kutey

Madden 2009 Player and Team Ratings

Every year EA Sports will allow various Madden websites to play the game before it comes out. This year, the screenshots of some Madden 09 ratings have been leaked extremely early. Keep in mind that these are very early ratings, and it is very possible that they will change before release. With that said, here are the team ratings:

Patriots 97
Cowboys 96
Chargers 95
Colts 95
Giants 94
Steelers 94
Jaguars 93
Packers 91
Eagles 91
Bucs 91
Vikings 90
Browns 88
Redskins 88
Seahawks 87
Saints 87
Panthers 86
Broncos 84
Titans 84
Bills 82
Ravens 81
Bengals 80
Bears 80
Cardinals 78
Texans 78
Lions 78
Rams 77
Jets 76
49ers 72
Chiefs 71
Raiders 71
Falcons 67
Dolphins 67

As for player ratings, in this post I will discuss the only team that I actually care about- the Oakland Raiders. Some key player ratings for the Raiders are:

Offense
QB- Russell 84
HB- McFadden 85 (According to the guy who posted the screenshots, McFadden has 97 Spd, 96 Agi, 99 Acc)
WR- Walker 87

Defense
LE- Burgess 92
DT- Kelly 91
MLB- Morrison 92
OLB- Howard 91
CB- Asomugha 96
CB- Hall 93
SS- Wilson 85
FS- Huff 84

If you are unfortunate enough to be the fan of another team, you will have to search for your team's players on your own. Heres the link:

http://www.pastapadre.com/2645/madden-09-player-and-team-ratings?nggpage=2