Newspapers / Meredith College Student Newspaper / Oct. 10, 2012, edition 1 / Page 4
Part of Meredith College Student Newspaper / About this page
This page has errors
The date, title, or page description is wrong
This page has harmful content
This page contains sensitive or offensive material
ART^^NTFRT A TNMFNT New Wild Card Rule Impacts Rowling Steps Away from 2012 MLB Playoffs Maitlyn Healy, staff writer ended. Before the rule change, the Orioles would have simply been out of the run ning, and the Yankees would have gone on to play the Rangers. On the whole the new rule allows more opportunities for teams in the postsea son. Now a playoff berth is up for grabs with only seven games left in the season. This gives all teams an in- The Oakland A’s go head-to-head with the Detroit Tigers in centive to continue to the American League five-game series. play hard rather than Image via bleacherreport.com; Getty Images let up on playing with as much intensity as Magic with “Casual Vacancy” The 2012 MLB Playoffs are under way with a new rule about the Wild Card teams that majorly changed the structure of the playoffs. Before this season, only one team for each league was chosen as the Wild Card to represent the National and Ameri can leagues and that team played against the number one team when the playoffs began. This season however, each league had two Wild Card teams representatives; this year the Balti more Orioles and the Texas Rangers for the American League and the St. Louis Cardinals and the Atlanta Braves for the National League. These teams competed against their league op ponent on Oct. 5 with Baltimore and Seattle emerging victorious. These two teams will now go on to play the number one team in their des ignated leagues. The addition of this Wild Card game changed the season significantly as the Orioles would not have received a playoff berth without this new rule, as they trailed their division rivals, the New York Yankees, by two games when the regular season they would have in the past. After the Wild Card game on Oct. 5, the eight remaining teams began to compete to get a chance at winning their league’s championship series. Currently in the American League the Baltimore Orioles and New York Yan kees are competing in this five game series, and are tied at 1-1. The Oak land Athletics and the Detroit Tigers are also going head to head in the AL with the Tigers up 2-0. In the National League the Cincinnati Reds are playing the San Francisco Giants, and the Gi ants lead 2-0. The Washington Nationals and St. Louis Cardinals are also competing for a chance at the championship series with Washington up 1-1. After these five-game series, the victors will move on to play each other in the National and American league championship games, which are seven-game series. The National and American league champions will then go on to play each other in the World Series beginning on Oct. 24. Christa Riley, staff writer J.K. Rowling, author of the Harry Potter series, released her first adult novel. Casual Vacancy, on Sept. 27 with the hopes of reaching a wider audience than her previous teenage readers. In the novel, Rowling asks, “How many of us are able to expand our minds beyond our own personal experience?” Casual Vacancy is a tragicomedy about the death of Barry Fairweather and the small town of Pagford. The Pagford town council has been divided over an issue of what to do with The Fields, a housing develop ment on the border of the neighboring town, Yarvil. The Fields has been known to be filled with low-income families that have their own set of problems with ad diction and crime. A Time Magazine reviewer summa rizes the novel’s core conflict: “Barry was sympathetic to the Fields, but his death creates an opening on the council — a casual vacancy — and in their unseem ly haste to fill it, Pagfordians on both sides expose their carefully concealed inner lives.” The novel focuses primarily on the characters and allows each one to work out their views and opinions on the matter. Rowling’s adult characters are depicted as selfish, uninterested in cir cumstances not immediately impact ing their daily lives. A Huffington Post reviewer notes that, “the real stars of this book are the teenagers, whose lives are lived in parallel to those of Rowling’s new book, Casual Vacancy Image via amazort.com their parents. Their actions feel more believable and instinctive, their mo tivations more confused and equivo cal.” Rowling mentions in an interview that, “this was very much me vividly remembering what it was like to be a teenager, and it wasn’t a particularly happy time in my life. ” In the two weeks since its release, the novel has received mixed reviews. David Ulin of the L.A. Times criticizes problems of character insight and transition: “The first third of the book moves continually among Howard, Miles Parminder and a dozen other central figures, all identified in such broad strokes that I had to keep flipping back and forth to remind myself who was who.” Canada’s National Post com pares the weaknesses of Casual Vacancy with the strengths of the Harry Potter series: “The novel also makes clear that Rowling was wise to stake her claim in the realm of fantasy, a realm that does not require a feeling for contemporary social milieus.” But Time magazine disagrees, giving the novel a largely positive review: “It’s a big, ambitious, brilliant, profane, funny, deeply upsetting and magnificently eloquent novel of con temporary England...a deeply moving book by somebody who understands both human beings and novels very, very deeply.” But whether or not Ca sual Vacancy is a novel equial to Rowl ing’s previous success, it’s definitely worth reading as long as you’re not expecting another trip to Hogwarts. ASK GIGI Dear Gigi, As a senior graduating in May, I am nervous about finding a job after graduation. Obviously, the job market is scarce, and I am starting to feel that I will never be employed. I want to be doing something that I like, but I know that first jobs typically are not the most fun forms of employment. I am feeling overwhelmed in my job search and I want to get a head-start above my classmates. What ways can I better prepare myself for the job search? Sincerely, Unemployed Dear Unemployed, I guarantee you that you are not the only senior feeling the heat when it comes to their upcoming job search! It is a time which can be very stressful, but there are definitely steps which you can take to make yourself more prepared. For starters, our Academic and Career Planning office is an amazing resource which you should utilize. The ACP office offers resume clinics, interviewing help and individual meet ings with the staff. Meredith also hosts networking events throughout the year which offer you a chance to practice speaking to employers. Linkedin and CareerLink are also great online resources. If you want to take your preparation a step further, sign up for CPS 301, a seminar for juniors and seniors. You will get intensive help on resume building, networking and advice on potential career paths. You are already getting a head start by researching your options early in the year, and rest assured, Meredith Alumni provide an amazing network of professional women, and they are always eager to hire fellow angels! Talk to ACP, alumni, family and friends to find leads on potential jobs, and don’t stress—everyone is in the same boat as you! Concentrate on your connections and having a great senior year. If you advertise yourself posi tively as potential employee, the right job is sure to come your way. Love, Gigi Email your questions to herald@email.meredith.edu. You are always anonymous!
Meredith College Student Newspaper
Standardized title groups preceding, succeeding, and alternate titles together.
Oct. 10, 2012, edition 1
4
Click "Submit" to request a review of this page. NCDHC staff will check .
0 / 75