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As many of you know, last night was professional NBA star, Kobe Bryant’s, final game. At 17 years old Kobe was drafted to the Charlotte Hornets in 1996 as the 13^th overall pick. He was quickly traded to the LA Lakers where he spent the next 20 years of his career, the longest any player has stayed with one team. Kobe ended his career with a bang, scoring 60 total points. Helping Kobe maximize his success and memorialize his finale game was mega-sponsor, Nike.

Kobe Bryant’s partnership with Nike actually had an interesting beginning. Originally, Kobe had a shoe line with Adidas. At the time, Adidas was known for outlandish designs. Unhappy with the KOBE TWO Kobe made the switch to Nike in 2003. Since then, Kobe Bryant has had a successful, annual shoe line through the company. However, when Nike attempted to produce their first commercial with Kobe, the athlete found himself facing rape charges, causing Nike to push back the debut of the commercial. Following this, Kobe began to be villainized and instead of denying it, he embraced it. In 2006, Nike’s first Kobe commercial premiered titled, “Love Me or Hate Me”. In it he lists all the reasons people hate him. Then, he turns it around to say all those reasons he is hated are also why people love him. The bold, unforgiving attitude displayed in this advertisement represented the catalyst in his career in which he altered his behavior on the court to display this new unforgiving confidence.

 

It’s fitting then that one of Nike’s final advertisements during Bryant’s career is titled, “Don’t Love Me. Hate Me.”

Released last week, he tells viewers to hate him for essentially raising the bar on greatness. He says to love him only when they achieve greatness. This is a layered message. Yes, it is an homage to his first Nike commercial 10 years prior and an acknowledgement of his talent and success, but in it he offers motivation. He wants admirers and NBA hopefuls to get mad, to be frustrated, and turn that into motivation for success, because that’s essentially what he did. It’s his final advise to the world.

Just when fans think Nike has closed the curtain on Kobe’s career commercials, they drop this late last night.

It’s titled, “The Conductor” and boy, is it good. It is comical, but that doesn’t dim the significance it holds. Kobe Bryant acknowledges the hate, letting fans, players, and owners get it out of their system one last time…and he’s reveling in it. The commercial fades to black on the back of his jersey as he leaves the court before “Just Do It” appears.

Nike has skillfully executed their campaigns with Kobe throughout the years and the exit campaign was no exception. They carefully released every single advertisement leading up to the grand chorus finale. Like Kobe raised the bar in the game of basketball, Nike has raised the bar in the world of sports advertising. With this, the curtain closes on a great career, the screen fades to black.

-Kaela, Austin, Jonathan

 

 

The semester is already coming to an end in just less than one month, which means summer is around the corner. It’s the time to finally take a deep breath and reward yourself for completing another semester of work, exams, papers, and homework.

Even though summer is the time to unwind, it is always difficult to transition from school to summer, or vice versa. This got us thinking about some ways we can make the transition to both that much more easy and enjoyable. Summer is the time to have your fun, but we want to give some tips on how to maintain a healthy body and mind even during vacation time.

We looked over the web to find helpful tips and found some insightful information on how to live a healthy life this upcoming summer.

1. Always apply sunscreen

This is as simple as it gets. Apply sunscreen to your skin if you are planning on being out in the sun this summer. There is no excuse to not protect the skin you were given so do it a favor and prevent any sort of skin damage you can get from being outside!

2. Drink plenty of water

This is just as imperative as the first tip. It is always a good idea to give your body the right amount of water regardless of the season, but when the warmer months are here it is essential for your health to be getting the right amount of water intake.

3. Exfoliate

Yes, this may seem as an odd tip, but it can actually do wonders for your body. Summer time is the biggest season for dead skin cells so in order to maintain a healthy glow make sure to find an exfoliator you like and get to scrubbing!

4. Keep up the exercise regimen

Summer is the time for relaxation, but make sure not to forget to maintain somewhat of a good amount of physical activity. For those of you who enjoy your fitness somewhere outside, make the switch to an indoor gym or anywhere that can provide you with air conditioning to keep you out of the summer heat. By keeping your physical activity up during the summer, your transition back into school will be that much easier.

5. Go swimming

Did you know that a 30-minute session of swimming laps can burn over 400 calories? Not only does it burn calories, but also you get the relief of the cool water and finally get to enjoy a workout! It is a mindless way to get your cardio in, so go splash around!

6. Olive oil

Not only is olive oil amazing for cooking, it is also amazing for your body! Olive oil can help protect your skin against harmful UV rays from the sun with the fatty acids it contains. Just one tablespoon a day is all you need!

7. Protect your hair

While your skin can get damage from the sun, so can your hair. Also, the chlorine in the pools you swim in is very damaging for your hair. To help your hair maintain its healthy state stay away from any form of heat. This means to take a step back from blow dryers, straighteners, etc.

8. Come up with a new hobby

Since it is your vacation and you have all of this free time on your hands, come up with a new hobby that can benefit your body and mind. Whether it’s taking up tennis lessons or taking an art class, take advantage of all of the possible opportunities you finally have the time to make!

What are some of the ways you plan on maintaining a healthy lifestyle this summer? Let us know!

-Addison, Sloane, & Pauline

Sources: http://us.hellomagazine.com/healthandbeauty/health-and-fitness/2013071013416/10-tips-for-healthy-summer/

This year is the first annual UNCW Student Media Week.  All the Student Media organizations are joining together to host events this week. From giveaways, live music, creative contests and more; there will be something for everyone!

The Student Media Board oversees all student media organizations. These include TealTV, Atlantis magazine, Hawkstream Radio, and The Seahawk newspaper.  They also support Flicker Film Society and the Photography Club.  These organizations will be showing off what they provide for UNCW this week. Student Media Week is the perfect way to showcase what they offer the UNCW community.

TealTV caters to any UNCW student who has an interest in production, broadcast journalism, and promotions.  The Seahawk is the official campus newsletter published online and in print. Atlantis promotes storytelling and photography by publishing a creative magazine once every term. Hawkstream Radio is UNCW’s webstreaming radio station featuring music, sports, culture and academic topics.  There is a student media group that is sure to fit the interest of any student.

These organizations help cultivate the skills taught in many communication studies classes.  COM studies courses prepare students for media, arts, business or any professional communication career.  Student Media groups allow students to turn what they learn in the classroom to real experiences.  They provide students hands-on experience through art, technology and publishing traditional and electronic media.  Student Media gives back to the campus because they publish content of the important moments of UNCWs history.  The goals of Student media are to teach students strong leadership skills, ethical practices and professionalism.

Come out April 11th through the 16th for events hosted by these organizations — click “Interested” or “Going” on this event and follow individual organization’s social media pages for updates!

All information about Student Media was found on their website (here) and facebook pages.

-Madeline, Tiersa, Sydney W., Sydney S.

 

As Wilmingtonians, we know a lot of things. We know where to find the best doughnuts (don’t tell me there’s anything better than Wake N Bake, I won’t believe you), where to find the best place to park at Wrightsville Beach, how to make others question the driving ability of our city’s inhabitants, and why Island’s $1 tacos supports the existence of miracles. But among all of these pearls of wisdom, we know one thing better than most: we know how to throw a spectacle of a festival.

For over 60 years, the Azalea Festival has been the calling card of Wilmington. For over 60 years, thousands have come to witness the extravagance of the parade, the multitude of artists, both musical and aesthetic, the garden parties, and of course, the street fair. For over 60 years, we have delivered one heck of a good time.

Originally a small gathering to celebrate the beauty of the gardens around town, the Azalea Festival has blossomed into “the greatest party in the South”. Since then, the mission of the Azalea Festival has been to showcase Wilmington’s art, history and culture, while also promoting participation in the community by contributing to the economy. The modern day Azalea Festival is an accurate representation of that mission.

The Azalea Festival truly has everything for everyone. There’s a parade for the family, concerts for the country and bluegrass fans, garden parties for those who love to wear their Sunday best, and much, much more. The Festival does a phenomenal job of showcasing the beauty that we Wilmingtonians refuse to take for granted. Somehow, it represents the river’s serenity, while also capturing the complexity of our city’s personality. And along the way, everyone can find something to feel included.

Recently, the Azalea Festival has gone in the hip-hop direction. Many have questioned the decision to place the atmosphere of a serene garden party with the fast-paced, rousing aura of hip-hop music. However, I absolutely applaud this recent change in direction. It represents the city of Wilmington as it is, a rousing and fast-paced city with a serenity and peacefulness that only this city can provide.

Snoop Dogg and garden parties. The words may not look like they mix, but to Wilmingtonians, we recognize, whether we want to or not, how well these two idea mesh together and represent us. Kudos to the Azalea Festival planners recognizing how this city has changed since 1947. Kudos to them for truly living up to their mission, and accurately providing “something for everyone among our community’s rich array of artwork, gardens, history and culture”. Kudos to them for throwing the best party in the South.

-Lane, Austin, Allen

Sources: http://www.ncazaleafestival.org/about-the-azalea-festival/mission/

          This election cycle is one for the books, and you should be paying attention. There are candidates stretching as far left as socialism and as far right as fascism. Despite desperate attempts by party elites to change the tides the American people for one reason or another  have latched onto these ideologies. The issues at hand don’t just affect us, they affect the entire world. The effects of the decisions made in the next few months and the four following years will set the course for the next generation of American politics. Be careful where you get your information, and take everything with a grain of salt. Everyone has a dog in this race.

          There are players on both sides poised to make huge changes in American politics. As a nation we are at a fork in the road. On the right the only somewhat moderate candidate is barely polling double digits in most states. The RNC has tried everything to stop Trump and even after funneling millions into Bush and Rubio, their only hope at nominating someone else is Ted Cruz who is arguably worse than Trump in the first place. On the left Hillary Clinton is barely holding on to a narrow national lead that’s slipping away despite the DNC tilting everything in her favor.

          For the longest time candidates have been meticulously toeing the party line. With the exception of Gore, every nominee on either side has been pretty much straight of of the book for the past 25 years. Both Sanders and Trump are pulling the carpet out from underneath their parties. Even if neither gets elected (or nominated) their ideas have already entered the national discourse. The way we talk about issues in our country is going to change.

          The issues that were are being faced with now are not just about us. Daesh rising to power in the middle east, NK military escalation, russian conquests, climate change. There are things happening all over the globe and much of the world is looking to the US to see how we react. I’m sure you’ve heard the tried and true line that the president can’t do anything without congress and the senate and that one president can’t really have that much of an effect. And while that is true to a certain extent, a powerful figurehead can change the dialogue of a nation. A perspective shift can and will percolate up into all aspects of government. Like it or not America is a leader on the world stage and how we act will change the policy decisions of other countries. The rest of the world is paying closer attention to this election than most Americans.

          While young people are relying on new media more and more as their primary source of information, being a passive consumer of politics can lead to absorbing a lot of bias. When companies are donating millions of dollars to candidates you can be sure that the TV stations they own *cough Time Warner and CNN cough* are going to be heavily biased.  

          The next decade is going to crucial for policy making. What we do now will echo throughout the next century. How we deal with Syrian immigrants, fracking vs alternative energy, and free speech on the internet will set precedent for decades to come. Long story very short: there is a lot that could go wrong.

          There is no more time to be “not that into politics.” This isn’t some distant thing that has no effect on your life. This affects you directly. And not just you, but billions of others around the globe. The decision we make as a nation is a statement and we WILL be held accountable for it. Don’t just get involved, get your friends involved. Take this personally, this is a big one.

 

-Austin, Jonathan, & Kaela

 

http://observer.com/2016/02/how-the-dnc-helps-clinton-buy-off-superdelegates/

https://www.opensecrets.org/pres16/contrib.php?id=N00000019