AlexSokletter from our founder and CEO

Thank you for taking the time to explore our sec-ond issue. It’s an issue we’re very proud and ex-cited about. Our August issue has received good reviews, we appreciate the love and support, but we aren’t satisfied! We are hungry! We want to put together the absolute best magazine ever. Since the launch of our first issue, we’ve revisited conversations about creating something unique and different. We’ve explored artistic ways to present our magazine. We’ve studied the great artists that came before us. We were inspired by architecture, paintings, nature and photography. We’ve researched the dynamics of our demographic and we’ve begun developing ways we can intuitively create a publication that connects with our readers. We want to create a visual, emotional and mental experience. Of course, with this push for growth there has come a lot of heartache and frustration, but man it has been so much fun! I can say that our second issue is leaps and bounds better than our first—as it should be. We’ve found that when we work together and push each other, we are stretching the boundaries of traditional print media. In fact, it is our hope to redefine and re-invent print media. We want to do it artistically, editorially and technologically. I ask that you hang on for the wild ride—it promises to be a great adventure. We are breaking rules, taking no prisoners and taking names later. At the heart of Centered is a great fire burning to be the best in the world and the audacious belief that it is possible. Yes, the absolute best! As you explore our second issue, I hope you will not just see the art that’s been created, but I hope you feel the passion and determination we put into creating it and that we may inspire you as well. I am proud to present to you on behalf of the whole Centered family, our second issue. Welcome to the good life!CHEERS,Alex SokII Thess. 3:13

.COM

CONTRIBUTORSTim Riter, Mike Gruszczynski, Micah

Vickery, Amber Evans, Jeff Adams, Jilly Hendrix, Jordan Forth, Steve Leitch, Tiffany

Colter, Natalie Hills, Edie Melson, Jamie Van Pham, Brad Forth, Deedy Lazorko,

Andrew Malone

INTERNSJessica Nix and Mary Cathryn Joyce

CEO/ Founder -Alex SokVP Publishing- Brad Forth

CTO-Seth Rubenstein

EDITORIAL DEPARTMENTManaging Editor-Edie Melson

CREATIVE DEPARTMENTCreative Director- Andrew

MaloneArt Director-Doug Eaddy

CONT

ENTS

FEATURES

Centered Perspective

Sports

Reviews

Fitness

DAVID VANDERVEENROSE RICHARDSON

ATLANTA FALCONSCHEERLEADERS

MOVIE AND MUSIC REVIEWSFALL FESTIVALS

RANDOM FACTSThe only king without a moustache in a

deck of cards is the king of hearts.

Donald Duck comics were

banned in Finland because

Donald doesn’t wear pants.

TIME MANAGEMENT

STUDENT INVOLVEMENT AFTER THE ELECTION

FALL FASHION ON A BUDGET

FINDING YOUR PASSION

ONLINE OR GROUNDED: THE FORMAT IS....

KEEP YOUR TWITTER CLEAN

COACH CARROLL TO THE CAROLINAS

THE EXCERCISE OF SUCCESS

If you’re not at the beach please leave

the board shorts at

home

Too much print, not to

mention the white ankle socks

NO, NO, NO! Turquoise denim, cowboy boots and too many accessories

Hot Mama – YES

Hoochie Mama - NO

If you’re gonna wear

a message,

make sure it stands for

something

What girl wouldn’t want a

stylish man to sing

to her

NO !NO !

NO !

NO !

RAND

OM FA

CTS

Men are 6 times more likely to be struck by lightning than women

KNOW!

KNOW!

KNOW!

KNOWS AND

NO’S

Chucks are making a

comeback

Distressed jeans

work paired with something

clean & classic

Crazy dancing in public -

NEVER

Lime green

croc’s – No way, No

how, No where!

NO !

NO !

Location: Santa Monica, CAPhotos by Natalie Hills

KNOW!

KNOW!

Remember, you don’t have to jam every possible option into your college experience.

PLAYING CATCH-UP

Calculus Exam2pm28Th !!!

physics

project

due

10am

28Th !!!

girlfriend’s

b-day

28Th !!!

timemanagement

when you’re already behind

by Tiffany Colter

english Exam1:30pm28Th !!!School is well under way and midterm exams and

papers are suddenly staring you in the face. Where

did the first half of the semester go? How are you

going to stay on top of your studies to finish strong

when there is already so much undone? How can you

prevent getting in this mess spring semester? Don’t

panic, we have the help you need.

Poor time management is usually the result

of a couple of issues: Overcommitment and Lack of

Discipline [aka, procrastination]. But you likely al-

ready knew that. As you look back over your calendar

since classes started you can probably recognize many

wasted opportunities to stay on top of your studies.

Spending a little less time socializing, in person or

online, could have kept you from running up against

the clock. The good news is none of these issues have

to stay with you forever. With a little bit of focus, and

some catch up work, you can still complete this se-

mester with a record you can be proud of. Just follow

these five, simple steps.

if you haven’t completed the reading for next week’s quiz. Write all the due dates and quizzes on your calendar, then write when prep work needs to be done for each item. In other words, when must you complete research to write your paper? When must you have your books read to prepare for an exam? Once you have that, count backward until you reach today. Determine what needs to get done to get from here to there.How much time will it take Now that you know the due dates, you have your priorities. The next step is to determine how much time you need to commit each day to reach your goals. This is where you’ll have to make some tough choices. You may realize you’ve volunteered to be a part of too many activities. You may also realize you have a few long study days ahead. Don’t be tempted to take the easy way out and get an “incomplete” for the class. This is one of the great lessons you’ll learn in college—follow through.

Recognize your long term goals When you’re in college there are countless oppor-tunities to grow and expand professionally and socially. Fraternities, academic clubs and internships all offer you a chance to gain real world experience that will help you succeed after college. Unfortunately, they also offer dis-traction from your ultimate goal, graduation. In order to decide which groups will be the best use of your time, it’s helpful to consider your long term goals. If you’re plan-ning to pursue a career in sales or marketing, learning to form and develop relationships is a crucial skill. Therefore, selecting a group that will help you meet influential mem-bers of your community—like a fraternity—may be a good option for you. On the other hand, if your goal is to work in education or academia, focus should be on those groups that will make your grad assistantship resumes more impressive. That means an academic club might be more useful. Remember, you don’t have to jam every possible option into your college experience. Instead, take the time to evaluate each opportunity.

Focus on what needs to get done Now that you recognize the challenges, you must determine what needs to be done and when. Don’t be too concerned with the term paper due in three weeks

frat

rush

28Th !!!

Double up It may be necessary to double up on your studies to catch up. This is tough to do, but write it on your calendar and reward your-self when you’re done. College doesn’t have to be all about things that you have to do. It can also be about the satisfaction of doing what you didn’t think you could do.Have a weekly break Along with the idea of rewarding yourself, schedule a weekly break. When I was in college it was Thursdays, because I didn’t have many Friday classes. You may prefer a Saturday so the whole day is slower pace. Whatever you choose, set aside one day that’s homework free. Allow this to be your weekly reward for putting in the effort the other six days. In addition, pick another day each week to be your make-up day. That way you’re getting periodic rest and you can avoid the burnout that comes with too much studying, as well as the poor grades that come with too little. While you may find yourself feeling a bit overwhelmed at this point in the semester, the key to reaching the end successfully is knowing why you’re here and where you want to be. Once you have that, the rest is just walking it out.

VANDERVEENDAVID

Introduction by Natalie Hill By Natalie Hills

Photos by Brad Forth

DAVEDAVID

is a paradox, a true man of contrast. Business management• Easy going style• Hard driving entrepreneur

Family, Friends & Community• Laid back beach town life

style–familyfirst• Volunteers time and money to

charity projects in his local com-munity and around the world

Politics• Libertarian social activist, criticiz-

ing and encouraging liberals and conservatives

• Willing to expose hypocrisy and intolerance

In short, David Vanderveen is a Renaissance man admired for taking life and the issues of the day seri-ously, without taking himself too seriously. He is truly centered in life, andsoit’sapleasureforCenteredMagazine to sit down with him at hishomeinOrangeCounty,CAforavisit.

Centered: What’syourtypicalday like? David:Wehavealotofflexibilitybecauseofhowwe’vestructuredourbusiness.We’redoingalotwithso-cial media right now—Facebook, Twit-ter—partofwhat’scoolaboutusing

those new media sources is it allows youtobemoreflexiblethroughoutyour day. Part of the beauty of having a blackberry or IPhone is it al-lows you to be unleashed from your desk, doing things you love to do, not things you have to do.

AtXSweliketotalkaboutfuelingpeople’sdreamsandwereallyviewlife as an adventure. I try and make life really fun. I do things that scare mealittlebit,andpushme.We’reinthe water almost every day. Laguna has beautiful reefs and coves. I might goforastanduppaddletoSealRockand check out the “pirate caves,” these beautiful underwater caves that you can dive into. We try to get out in the water and be active.

VANDERVEENDAVID

At XS we like to talk about fueling people’s dreams and wereally view life as an adventure.

we added a little caffeine and boosted the B-vitamins. We wanted to make business more fun again and less serious. Maybe take the suits and ties off once in a while, add more adven-ture element to the concept. We look at the crossroads of adventure and entrepreneurship and see a lot of overlap. Running your own business is an adventure in and of itself, not unlike things like surfingandsnowboarding,gettingoutintotheworldandscaringyourselfalittlebit.It’sthatcrossroadsofpushingpastwhatyoufeel comfortable with and getting into your fear zone a little. We wantedtofuelpeople’sdreams,wewantedtohelppeoplegetoutand do more than they think they could.

Centered: What’syourbusinessbackground?David: When I turned 22 my dad said to me,“You’renot going to be on my taxes anymore. You should start your own businessevenifitdoesn’tmakealotofmoney,fortaxbenefits.”IstudiedPhilosophyandPoliticalScienceinschoolandin1991,whenIgraduated,therewasarecessionsotheyweren’thiringalotofphilosophers.SoIhadtogofigureouthowtomakesome-thinghappenformyself.IcreatedalittlePRfirmandbegandoinga lot of writing and editing. Then I went to Tokyo and worked for a couple companies in marketing. I ended up editing a high tech newsserviceinJapanandenhancedmyscientificbackground.When I came back to the states I did a lot of writing around tech-nology.Inthelate90’sIendedupatalargesoftwarecompany.Iworkedforalotofthedot-com’sintheBayareaandIstartedalargedot-comofmyownin1999/2000. Centered: Talktousaboutyourcompany,XS.WhatwereyourbiggestchallengesinstartingXS?David: The energy drink category was a hot young category. It was hard be a new entrant into the category. Even if you make a goodproductit’shardtogetitoutintoconsumer’shandsbecausedistribution is so locked up. We had to be disruptive with our distributionsandstrategicallydifferent.WeuseAmwaysoweshipitdirectlytoconsumerssoitdoesn’tgothroughallthemiddlemenandit’sefficientandmoreenvironmentallyfriendly.Wewerethefirstenergydrinktodoflavors,andtodothemwell,Ithink.Wewantedtomakesomethingthattastedgreatwithalotofflavorop-tions and delivered a better function than normal energy drinks—

We wanted to make business more fun again and less serious.

Centered:HowdoyoudevelopaflavorforXS?David:Welookatwhat’spopularandwhatpeopleenjoy.Wedoteaflavors,sodaflavorsandfruitflavors.What’smostsuccessfulwithourdemographicaretheflavorsthatyoufeelguiltydrink-ing—exceptthey’resugarfree.Ourcranberrygrapeisapopularflavorbecauseitkindoftasteslikeagrapesoda.Wetryandmakeflavorsthatarereminiscentofourguiltypleasures,rootbeer,blackcherrycola—butmaketheminawaythatyoudon’tfeelguilty.Yougettoenjoythesewonderfulflavorswithouttheemptycalories,sugarsandstarchespeopledon’twantintheirdietsanymore.

DAVE

Centered: What are some key things in your life that have led you to where you are? David:Iliketoviewlifelikeamaze,youreallydon’tknowwhereyou’regonnaendup,youjustknowateachturnyou’llhavetomakeadecision.WhatI’vefoundusefulisthateverydecisionI’vemadehasbeenbasedoffofsomekeycorevalues.Ibelieveinliberty, I believe in making your own choices and being responsible forthem.I’vebuiltalotofmylifearoundalotoftheactionsports.Ilikedoinglikesurfingandsnowboarding.Ifyouoperate,onadailybasis,offofyourkeycorevaluesyou’regonnafindyourselfinaplacewhereyou’reprettyhappyinattheendofitall.

We look at the crossroads of adventure and entrepreneurship and see a lot of overlap.

Centered: How are you able to balance you life with work and family? David: Itravelafewtimesamonth,sowhenI’mgoneIcheckinon a regular basis. We use all the new technology to do that. The coolthingiswhenI’mhome,I’mhome,I’maround,I’mavailable.IcoachAYSOsoccerandI’vebeenacoachonthesurfteamatthejunior high. We do things on a regular basis with our kids to stay active in their lives. Centered: Why do you think balance is so vital?David: Balance is critical for everybody, whether you have a family or not. My great uncle was one of the co-founders of Amway,averybusyman,JayVanAndel.Oneofthethingshesetaside in his life everyday was that he made it home for dinner, even when he was extremely busy. That goes a long way in a family’slife.IhadsomeyearswhenIwasoutofbalancebutyouneedtogetcontrolofyourcalendar.Icontinuetoworkonthat.It’sso easy for people to let the urgent drive their life, like phone calls

ande-mails.I’vegottencomfortablewithnotalwayscallingande-mailingpeoplebackandthatallowsmetohavealifeagain.It’shealthy to have those boundaries in your life and there are times youneedtoputyourfamilyfirst. Centered: Describe yourself as a leaderDavid:(laughs)There’sabigassumptioninthatquestion.Wedon’tevenusetitlesatourcompany.Werefertoourselvesaswords,numbersandpictures.I’mprimarilyinvolvedinwords.It’simportant that we divide up our responsibilities. My leadership style is pretty laissez-faire. I like people to become independent. If Ihavetocomeupwiththegoodideas,thenyou’renotdoingyourjob. I like to be surprised and impressed.

We look at the crossroads of adventure and entrepreneurship and see a lot of overlap.

AVEDAVID I do things that scare me a

little bit, and push me.

I do things that scare me a little bit, and push me.

campussecurity

I woke up and walked down the hall to the showers. As I was rinsing off the smell of Red Bull from the night before, I looked up and there were two girls watch-ing me—from the ceiling. They had somehow climbed in there and were watching like two Peeping Toms. That’s when I decided that it was time to call in Backup. Backup is my three men in blue, Thomas, Clive and Burt. They all look like the great, hairy cops of the 70s and have just what I need to keep the women at bay, muscle and motivation. These

I had no idea college was going to be like this. I enlisted the help of three brave men in blue uniforms to help me. They didn’t have to help me with schoolwork or rush, they had to help me with the women. You see, I’m the kind of guy that girls look at twice and then knock their friends down to get near. I’m the guy that other guys are friends with just so they can get lavished with some female attention. All girls like me. Even the ones that initially roll their eyes and pretend they’re not interested, are interested. They see me standing there and they appreciate the beauty. Then, once they get closer, they see that I’m funny and everyone’s enjoying my company. That’s when it happens. They are suddenly overcome with obsession.

The first few times it was amusing—a couple of late-night calls on my roommate’s cell asking what I was wearing to bed, a few girls waking up early to get their hair done so they could walk with me to class, a few cute mes-sages left on my white board—but then it got insane. Tuesday was the last straw. It was the second week of classes and I had all of my professors figured out. I knew where I was going to pledge. I had finally talked my mom into only calling twice a day to check in on me.

campus cops were up to their eyeballs in citations for girls scaling the dorm walls to get to my window. They were just as ready as I was to get these women in check. Thomas, Clive and Burt work as one. They’re up before dawn, making what is undoubtedly, disgustingly strong coffee. They all three work out, benching up to 400 lbs., which is about 3 or 4 of these girls combined. They memorized almost every lady in the student body (Burt can’t seem to remember the junior Alpha Delta Pi class, but he’s working on it). They put Burt’s Bees lip gloss on the

By Amber. EvansIllustrated by Andrew Malone

campussecurity When I got to college, I thought life

was going to be easy. I would go to school, do my homework, rush, go to parties, meet girls and eat Ramen noodles until my heart was content. ‘I’ll sleep when I’m dead,’ I thought.

By Amber. EvansIllustrated by Andrew Malone

up late studying, Clive follows us around campus in the Patrol Car, a souped-up golf cart with mud tires. He never goes over 7 mph in case a girl should happen to get crazy and leap in front of it. At 7 mph, Clive says that he will only bruise her dignity. When I actually find a girl I’m interested in, the boys don’t let me down. They have an extensive network for background checks. It’s not about where she’s from, her fingerprints or her favorite flavor of Italian Ice. It’s about her friends and who she might be working

punching bag (okay, that part I may have made up). My typical day now begins with a rested night, waking up to one or two texts from my boys, instead of one or two hundred texts from random girls asking if I like blondes or brunettes better. Sometimes, I think I can hear them cat-fighting across campus when I answer that question. Clive is the Sting Operator, the one who calls the shots. He tells us what path we’re taking to class, which cereal dispenser I will eat out of that morning, even what bathroom I can use in each building. Burt and Thomas are my wingmen, and not how you would normally think of them. They are literally at my right and left arms throughout the day to deflect girls coming at me from every direction. If a girl ever gets too close, they pull down their Ray Bans and whip out their citation book. ”Just Try It,” is the only thing they need to say. At night, when I’m

with. And she isn’t allowed to take pictures on our dates ever. Clive frisks her for her camera phone too. I don’t need any more journalists for the school newspaper attacking me in the middle of the night, asking if I want to pose for all 12 months of the College Bachelor Calendar. No, sir, those days are over. These days, I get to go to my social events, party only with whom I choose and deflect the hoards of screaming girls. Want to catch my attention? Calmly approach me much like you would a black bear in the wild and fol-low the Backup’s orders. If your background looks okay, hand over the cell phone and maybe then we can talk.

During WWII, because of a short-

age of metal, Oscars were made

from plaster.

RAND

OM FA

CTS

No word in the English dictionary

rhymes with month.

RAND

OM FA

CTS

One gallon of used motor oil can

ruin approximately one million

gallons of fresh water.

RAND

OM FA

CTS

The word ‘byte’ is a contraction of

by eight. The ‘’vintage date’’ on a bottle

of wine indicates the year the

grapes were picked, not the year

of bottling!

RANDOM FACTS TO FEED THE MAN BRAIN

The opposite sides of a dice cube

always add up to seven.

The U.S. military packs Tabasco

pepper sauce in every ration kit

that they give to soldiers.

Reno, Nevada is actually west of Los Angeles, California.

ONLINE OR GROUNDED

by Tim Riter

ONLINE OR GROUNDED

The BEST Delivery Format is…

Daniel began his winter holiday by head-ing to Starbucks for a quick cup, and had just sat down when an acquaintance he’d graduated with from Millikan High School walked in.“Hey Brian, good to see you. Man, that first semester at the college took for-ever! Sixteen weeks feels like eternity, I thought it would never end. When did your school get out for break?”

“Dude, I came in here to go to class!”“What? Your class meets in Starbucks? Don’t give me that stuff.”“It’s true. I’m going to Shasta University; it’s online. I haven’t sat in a classroom since last June! I brought my laptop here and log on to our threaded discussion on the causes of the breakdown of the Soviet Union for my history class.”“Threaded discussion? You lost me there, man! What are you talking about?”Two guys. Two colleges. Two fully accredited degrees to come. Two radically different delivery formats. With the advent of the technology era, higher education is facing revolutionary changes as it adapts to both new technology and the changing desires of college students. Options and choice have become key words. As a student, you now face two primary methods of gaining that valu-able degree: the traditional ground classroom setting, or online. Which is best? Let’s look first at what they are, how they differ, advantages and disadvantages, and then we’ll reach some conclusions.

CLICK HERE TO READ THE COMPLETE ARTICLE

FALLFASHIONON A

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( )Rugby Hood $44.50

Long Sleeve Stripe Woven

$44.50

(Jeans) Straight Fit $54.50

White Converse are available in selected stores and online

FALL

FASH

ION:

( )Best Vee $18.00

Long Sleeve Stripe Woven $44.50

(Jeans) Straight Fit $54.50

White Converse are available in selected stores and online

( )Blazer

$88.00

Best Vee$44.50

(Jeans) Authentic Fit$54.50

Black Converse are available in selected stores and online

( )

Tri-Blend Leisure Shirt $35.00

Cotton Webbing Barrel O’ Belt$19.00

Strech Bull Denim Slim Slack$74.00

FALLFASHION:

( )

Tri-Blend Leisure Shirt $35.00

Gray Corduroy Slim Slack

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FALLFA

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)Fine Jersey Tee

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Nylon Jacket$42.00

Gray Corduroy Slim Slack

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Gap-Military Jacket$88.00

Gap-Long Sleeve Stripe Woven$44.50

American Apparel-Gray Corduroy Slim Slack$74.00

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American Apparel-Tri-Blend Leisure Shirt$35.00

Gap- Military Jacket$88.00

Gap- (Jeans) Authentic Fit$54.50

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FALL

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American Apparel-Nylon Jacket$42.00

American Apparel--Long Sleeve Tee$20.00

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( )

passionBY EDIE MELSON

These seemingly innocuous questions come with plenty of angst. Without thinking we tend to define others by their career choice. We assume someone is a teacher because they love teaching. But what if that isn’t a valid assumption? Consider yourself for a mo-ment. Can someone gauge your interests by your choices?

Are you doing what you love? A survey in Business Week Magazine shows that only one out of six Americans is content with his job. How can we avoid the same dissatisfaction? The answer is both simple and complicated—we must find our passion.Dictionary.com defines passion this way: a strong or extravagant fondness, enthusiasm, or desire for anything. Most of us will spend a lifetime at work; doesn’t it make sense to choose something we

love? But there’s the catch; how do we turn something we love into a career?

Fortunately we don’t have to go it alone. Help is avail-able in a variety of places. There are counselors at every college and most offer help to former students as well as those still enrolled. There are also many types of career counselors in the general marketplace. Some corporations and even churches offer career assistance for those already at work.When looking for help it’s important to find someone who will evaluate your needs on many different fronts, not just

the obvious ones. Mark Richardson, a Senior Career Transi-tion Coach with Meridian Resources, Inc. in Greenville South

Carolina does just that using three basic steps. passion

Be open to the possibilities within your passion;

consider unusual options.

“What do you do?” “Where do you work?”

“What is your MAJOR?”

It’s never too late to alter your direction.

• Pinpoint what you love and what you’regoodat

• Discover your true values, what means the most to you

• Identify and prioritize your strengths

“I look at it as putting a puzzle together—it’s almost like a Rubix Cube.” He helps others listen to that inner voice and discover what he calls, ‘the fire in your belly.’ He compares it to discovering true north on a compass. Without that starting point, any path we take will lead us nowhere. Beware of well-intentioned friends and family who are more than happy to offer poor career advice. Often their counsel is one-dimensional, only taking into account a single part of the equation. For example, when I was deciding on a career path, I was warned about the dif-ficulties of making a living as a writer. I listened to that guidance and it has taken years to get back on track with my passion. Be open to the possibilities within your passion; consider unusual options. The most important decision may not be what, but where. When Mark decided on counseling as a career, he originally thought of a future as a school counselor, but through continued self-examination real-ized that wouldn’t be the best fit. Working with adults has provided the perfect opportunity for his unique gifts.Mark offers other valuable suggestions, “Realize there is no one way to reach the right answer. A lot of good resources are available for free over the internet. The key becomes what themes and patterns emerge.”What if you find yourself on a career path that doesn’t ignite that passion within? Be willing to make a change. It’s never too late to alter your direction. Even if you don’t have the resources to quit your job and begin a new career, it may be possible to start on a smaller scale, part time. A current TV ad claims we have 25,000 mornings to spend. That may seem like a lot, but it’s really not. I firmly believe I need to make that time count. I want to make a difference in the lives of people around me. There are a lot of things wrong on planet Earth and I want to be part of the solution, not part of the problem. Discovering who I am and who God wants me to be is the best way I know of to become a contributing part of my community.

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

Carolina PanthersWofford CollegeAtlanta FalconsVagrant Records

E1 MusicAmerican Apparel

Pearsons Jason’s Deli

XS Energy DrinkBrasserie Ecosse

Sonny’s Brick Oven PizzaTwo Doors DownSouthern Tide

Stuart Smith & Co.Gap

A Biz LawSwaim Brown

RANDOM FACTS

It would take half the people in the

United States, between the ages of 18

and 45, to run the nation’s telephone

system if it were not computerized.

Pearsons Jeans-Anlo

Pearsons Dress-Tibi

Pearsons Blouse- Rebecca Taylor

Pearsons Blouse- Rebecca

TaylorJeans-Anlo

Pearsons Jeans-Anlo

THE

NEWPOLITICS OFYOUTHENGAGEMENT

NEWIt has been almost a given that the youngest voting aged citizens will not participate in American govern-mental affairs. Every few years, the young adult population would stay away from the polls—whether owing to a general distaste for politics, a lack of knowledge of civic life or otherwise—leading to an under-representation of the wishes of our youth in government. However, tools such as Twit-ter, Facebook, and blogs now offer college-aged voters an opportunity to become a voting demographic to be reckoned with, as recent polls have demonstrated. A Pew Inter-net and American Life Project poll showed that 75 percent of college-aged voters used the Internet as a political tool in 2008. Less than 60 percent of middle aged voters did likewise. This signals a fundamental shift in the nature of political participation. Legendary politician Tip O’Neill once stated that “all politics is local;” this adage has certainly held true since the words were uttered in the 1930s. And while it may still hold true today, it does so for very different rea-sons. Today, all politics is local, but in the increasingly intercon-nected world we live in today, lo-cal has much different connotations than it did 80 years ago. We can call this “the new politics of lo-cal.”

Tyler Richard, a 26 year old freelance political consultant in Lincoln, NE, echoed similar senti

ments. “It’s much easier to learn and share information [on the In-ternet], as well as have conver-sations with like-passioned folks around the country,” he said. “It also allows information to come from sources other than big organi-zations.” Seth Trenchard, a 21 year old political science major at the Uni-versity of Nebraska said his use of online news sources mirrors that of others in his generation, and pointed out that Internet informa-tion seeking is driven by much more than just the convenience afforded by the technology. “Professional journalism is not trusted as much today,” he said. “My generation is extremely skeptical of ‘paid’ journalism. And I don’t feel like it’s about par-tisan bias, but a distrust of the institution as a whole.”

ARTICLE BY MIKE GRUSZCZYNSKI

ILLUSTRATION BY jamie van pham

READ THE REST OF THE ARTICLE AT CENTEREDMAG.COM

.COMwatsup11: Major letdown, didn’t get the job. Thought it was a sure deal!32 minutes ago from IPhone

mkdude2: What happened? They said you were in.28 minutes ago from IPhone

watsup11: Future boss checked my Facebook page.27 minutes ago from IPhone

mkdude2: Thought you cleaned it up before the job interviews this spring? You forget?18 minutes ago from IPhone

watsup11: There’s something called cached pages on the net, bro. Someone keeps a copy of everything!15 minutes ago from IPhone

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Don’t let this happen to you. The majority of employers check the internet pres-ence of all potential employees. So, if you posted a picture of yourself, rowdy drunk, your senior year in high school, it could come back to bite you your senior year in college.

Here are some guidelines to follow now to keep you out of trouble later.

• If you couldn’t share it with your grandmother, don’t post it on the inter-net—EVER!

• Always take the high road. Someone may have been rude to you, don’t post an irate comeback. Believe me (experience here) if you post in the heat of anger you’ll ALWAYS wish you hadn’t.

• Protect yourself. Can someone say Identity Theft? Assume that every-thing you post can be accessed by someone.

Bottom Line: Remember, anything you post on the internet can and will be used against you!

.COM

KEEP YOURTWITTER

CLEAN!By Edie Melson

RAND

OM FA

CTS

April 29, 1964 the US Postal

Service awarded 20252 as

Smokey the Bear’s own zip

code.

altanta falcon cheerleaders

altanta falcon cheerleaders

altanta falcon cheerleaders

ATLANTA FALCONS CHEERLEADERS

BY EDIE MELSONPHOTOS BY BRAD FORTH

NICOLE

NICOLE & KENSEY

Nicole Current Career: Assistant District Attorney, Running for County Judge in DeKalb County GACollege attended: Xavier University, degree in Business Administration Emory Law School, degree in Law

Member of Atlanta Falcons Cheerleaders – 4 seasons

Nicole is an assistant prosecutor and has been in that position for 7 years. She prosecutes cases involving children, from child abuse and sexual abuse of children to murders. “A lot of prosecu-tors do not want to do that type of work because it does pull at the heart strings more than any other kind. But I love children more than anything and so I use my love for children to help me through that.” Anything she can do to help kids, even when they’re victims, she is more than willing to do. “It makes me more of a passionate prosecutor.”

When asked why she wanted to become a judge her answer was straightforward and well thought out. “You can ask for justice, and you can ask for a certain sentence (in a case) that you think is fair, but it’s ultimately up to the judge. There are situ-ations where I don’t like what’s going on, on the bench and I want to see some improvement. I’m one of those folks that believe you should be part of the solution, not part of the problem. The only way to be the solution is to be the judge.”

NICOLE & KENSEYLet’s face it dude, cheerleaders are HOT, and

professional cheerleaders are SMOKIN’! We got to

spend the evening talking with Kensy and Nicole,

two Atlanta Falcons Cheerleaders and found that,

once you get to know them, they’re even more

amazing.

Kensey Current Career: Owner, CK DanceWorks, Inc.College attended: North Metro Technical, degree in Early Childhood Education

Member of Atlanta Falcons Cheerleaders – 2 seasons

Kensey started as an entrepreneur two months after high school graduation. She gives back to the community in a different, but equally rewarding manner. Her older sister, Brandy was her inspira-tion to get into dance. They are 12 years apart in age and Kensey remembers watching Brandy perform and being impatient for her turn. Kensey began dancing at age two and never gave it up. “It was always my thing.”

She inspires her many students with the same love of dance, instilling in them an attitude of excellence in everything they attempt. Her classes range from tiny toddlers to adults.

The Falcons Cheerleaders practice twice a week for three hours. They

also perform for all home games. But most of their time is spent in

community service. All the cheerleaders agree to attend a minimum of

20 community service events, either performing or assisting.

Both Kensey and Nicole are involved in the Falcons Cheerleaders Show Troupe. The Show Troupe is a small-er squad that travels all over the world performing a variety show. They entertain in a variety of venues, but especially enjoy performing for our military men and women.

What made you want to be an Atlanta Falcons Cheerleader?Nicole: I’ve been dancing all my life and never wanted to stop. I came to a Falcons game and said, “Hey, I think I want to do that.”Kensey: I grew up wanting to dance, opened my dance studio right out of high school and missed per-forming. I went to a Falcons game and realized they weren’t only cheerleaders, but dancers and thought, “I would love to do that!”

Favorite date?Nicole: I’m an outdoorsy type of girl. I think white water rafting would be amazing. I’d love to camp out, go hiking or even wall climbing.Kensey: I love doing something you wouldn’t do every day—like ice skating. I like watching different sports in a different state. I want to do something new and spontaneous.

What is the Best Advice someone ever gave you?Kensey: It was my older sister, Brandy. I had just graduated high school in May and was opening my dance studio in July and really doubting whether I could do it. She told me not to give up. She said, “You can do it, keep reaching for your goals, the stars. You can achieve anything as long as you put your mind to it.”Nicole: I was warned that people will let you down and a lot of things you expect to happen will not happen. But you just have to keep moving and keep pushing. Keep that final goal in mind and keep work-ing, no matter what.

What qualities do you think make a Centered Man?Kensey: A Centered Man needs to be a family person, a role model for people around him. He needs to not just care about himself.Nicole: A Centered Man needs to have balance. It’s great to be a good student, and a good person, to be outgoing, sociable and give back to your community. All these things are important, but if you’re one and not all of them, I wouldn’t consider you to be Centered.

Intro and Photo by Natalie Hills

Interview with Ryan Kalil and Dwayne Jarrett of the Carolina PanthersRyan Kalil and Dwayne Jarrett, former teammates at USC, were drafted by the Carolina Panthers in the second

round of the 2007 NFL Draft. Being a loyal Trojan fan, I followed these guys throughout their college careers and into the pros. I didn’t know what to expect during the interview, especially considering that they’d just gotten

through with hours of practicing in 100 degree weather. Seeing the camaraderie between these teammates and the clear loyalty they have carried from their college careers into the NFL was inspiring. We spent some time with them on the field during training camp in August and at one point Ryan came up to me for a quick hello and the first thing he asked was “Did you get some good pictures of D.J.?” This further revealed the authenticity of his

friendship with his long-time teammate. Join us while we get to know these two talented athletes and learn more about their transition from the Pac-10 to the NFC South.

Centered: What made you choose USC? Was it the school? The football program itself? RK: Not a lot of people know this story about me. I wasn’t a huge recruit coming out of High School—not like Dwayne Jarrett (laughs), because I’m not the biggest guy in the world, even now. Not a lot of schools were recruiting a 6’2” 255 pound offensive lineman. Coach Carroll was trying to rebuild on tough guys, coachable guys, yes-sir no-

sir kind of guys, guys that would help lead his team. If I had been coming out of high school now, I wouldn’t have gone to USC because the program is on top. I was super fortunate and very blessed to come into it when I did. DJ: The main thing was Coach Carroll. He’s like a player’s coach. I went to a lot of different schools, like Ohio State, Miami, big name schools, but I didn’t really feel that unity and chemistry with the coaches

and players. I felt USC was the best fit for me as a player and developing my skills. Plus, it’s California, who wouldn’t want to live in L.A.?

Centered: As far as your college experience goes, what was that like for you with balancing your social life and academics with football? RK: It’s tough being a student athlete and trying to balance school and sports. In

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rth

some aspects sports do come first, because they’re the reason you’re there. The biggest thing I took away from college was the diversity. DJ: Your first year is the hardest. It’s all about good time management, even with your social life. Make sure you get things done earlier in the day, so later on you have time to hang out and have fun.

Centered: Did you go into college with

the dream of going pro? RK: I’ve always dreamed of playing at the highest level. DJ: It was always a dream, since I was 8 years old.

Centered: What’s been the hardest part of the transition from playing college ball to the NFL? RK: Consistency of talent. In college there were teams you would play where you

almost knew, if we just do what we do, this will be a win. In the NFL everyone was somebody; everybody was an All American somewhere, so the talent is dispersed so evenly across the board. I think that’s the biggest deal. DJ: I think it’s just more mentally. It’s harder to separate yourself, so you have to pay attention to the details of the game and do more film studying. It’s the little things that really can separate you from

that next guy. Centered: So there have been two big milestones in your football career, signing your letter of intent at USC and signing your first NFL contract, what were those days like? RK: They’re extraordinary days and exciting but it’s also a huge responsibility that comes with signing those letters. It’s exciting and nerve wracking. DJ: When I first signed at USC it was nerve-wracking because I didn’t know if I wanted

to go that far from home. I just took a leap of faith and decided to do it. Of course my NFL contract was another big moment. It was like everything I worked for up to this point, I finally accomplished it and was living my dream.

Centered: We had an article in our last issue where we asked college guys if their loyalty was with college or Pro football, the consensus was that they prefer college ball

because once you get to the NFL it’s all about money and contracts and the passion isn’t there...what’s your response to that?

RK: That’s the thought process I had before I got to the NFL, but the guys who are inside know it’s not really like that. Guys (in the NFL) are very passionate about the game and what they do on game day is very important to them, not just because they are contractually obligated to do well.

DJ: There’s just so much more that goes into being an NFL player. It’s not just about the money, of course that’s how you make a living—so that’s an important thing but it’s more than that. You want to go out there and prove yourself. If you’re a competitor, you want to beat that next guy that’s in front of you. So the money thing—I think it’s overrated. Of course everybody wants to get paid, but there are steps to getting to that point, it’s not all about that.

Centered: What advice would you give to college guys? RK: Enjoy college, just soak it all in, it goes by fast. The whole (college) experience in general, it’s a small window and it’s something you’ll never get back. Enjoy every bit of it and don’t have any regrets. DJ: Don’t rush it. At this level there’s more pressure on performance, and people are

here today and gone tomorrow, so it’s not consistent and it’s harder to build that team unity here than it is in college. So just enjoy it and take it one day at a time and soak it all in.

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[[Do something you love]

This is important. Find an activity you love doing and concentrate on that. It may be rollerblading, snowboarding, body building or martial arts. Focus all aspects of your fitness routine around improving your performance. But what if the activity you love isn’t active? Maybe it’s reading. Then, get a stationary bike and only read when you’re on it. Think creatively, whatever the activity; if it’s something you love, you’ll be more likely to stick with it.

[Listen to your body]This is so important. Our bodies are amazing machines. They are the greatest indicator of what we need. Your body tells you everything. Listen to your body. Find out your weaknesses and your strengths. Pain and discomfort are sensory responses warning us real damage can occur if we continue. One of the best definitions of a warrior I’ve ever heard is, “One who knows one’s own limitations.” Listen to your body, understand it and respect it, then you can begin to challenge it, pushing the boundaries.

[By doing something you love, taking it slow and steady, setting measurable goals, finding a partner or a team and by listening to your body you can achieve success. A great teacher of mine, once told me, “If you can learn to do one thing well, you can learn to do all things well.” Learn to take care of your body and mind and you will create the environment for true success inall areas of your life.

EXERCISETHE

If you Google the word fitness, 330,000,000 links pop up. It seems like everybody has advice on working out. Our world is filled with experts, showing ripped models, telling us we have to do this or do that. They fill our ears with should(s) and should not(s). Every bit of information seems to contradict the one before. So what do we do?

Here are some basic guidelines for starting any fitness routine. Success, in all aspects of life, can be realized by practicing these principles.

Begin with this truth—working out doesn’t have to be difficult—and you don’t have to spend a fortune doing it. Having an expert on-board does help, especially when you’re working on a specific activity, but anyone can make a start. It’s simple and it should be fun.

[[Set measureable goals]It may be a competition you want to win or a level of skill you want to achieve. When you set a measureable goal you’ll be compelled to achieve it. Make your goals challenging, but not unreasonable. If you believe you can achieve something, you will. That, in turn, will help your confidence grow.

[Find a partner] Find someone to partner up with. Or better yet, find a team. Put a bunch of people in your corner. Make sure these people will help motivate and encourage you. The people you associate with will have a profound effect on your life. Give them as much or more than you receive and you will be surprised at how far you will go and how much you will grow.

[Slow and steady wins the race]So often I have seen people begin working out by jumping in hard core, only to quit within a few weeks. When asked why, they admit it took too much time, was too hard or too painful. If you start slowly you’re more likely to stick with it. Consistency is the key and it’s not possible to be consistent if you start off like a fanatic. Instead, gradually increase the amount of time spent and the intensity of your workout. This will allow your body to adjust and condition itself. Ultimately, you are better off working out 20 minutes a day, three times a week for the rest of your life; than two hours a day, five days a week for two months.

EXERCISESUCCESSBY JORDAN FORTH

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hDating & Food

It’s your first date with a girl who’s hotter than a Califor-nia forest fire, so where do you take her? Out for a bucket of beer and some wings? Or maybe to a 400 item trough of food that’s called a buffet? Perhaps you could have a three-course meal in a stuffy restaurant? Of course the last choice would leave you so broke you’d be enjoying every flavor of Ramen noodles for the rest of the year.

Instead, you could look at the first date in a new and interesting light, one of opportunity.

Lads, the first date should be more of a quick interview. After all, you’re both trying to find out if it’s worth having a second. You’re trying to impress her with your swagger & cologne, so why not communicate the unspoken words. Show her she’s important enough to go out for an hour and try some cool appetizers & cocktails, instead of a funnel cake at the fair.

Here are some basics. Don’t EVER go on a first date to a bar where you hang out. Your friends will be judging your date and laughing at you because you’re trying to impress her. Never be tricked, coerced or even bribed into going on a blind date. The so-called friends who set these up are really just not confident enough to date solo and you never want to be stuck with the not so good looking friend who laughs like a hyena during mating season.

Traditional dating seems to demand going for dinner at a swanky restaurant, one you would never venture into normally. But, because you’re trying to impress her you get crazy and break the bank. And 80 percent of the time there is never a second date, so much for invest-ment smarts.

Here’s a better idea, many privately owned or chef driven restaurants offer loads of interesting and in-novative tastings, specials or entertainment. Hopefully you’ve put a little thought into asking her out; now show the same research skills on the dining opportunities in your neighborhood. Find a wine tasting, bar menu or

sampling at a cool & hip restaurant.

Food is fun and your date should be too. Take that Prospective New Love out for a couple of appetizers. Don’t feel savvy enough to choose from the menu? Then ask your server or bartender for a couple of recommen-dations that you and your date can share. This will at least give you something to talk about if you’re running out of stuff to say and reasons to leave. The server in a privately owned restaurant has one goal—to please the guest. You’re not just a table or a number at a small privately owned restaurant. The chef in those establish-ments cooks with love. He has trained and cares about his food and about his guests.

Wine tastings are great first dates because the wine will take the edge off. It’s also a reasonably priced option and has the added advantage of giving you the opportu-nity to move around and talk to the different sales reps. The date might totally blow, but if you’re also learning something about wine its worth it. You can’t order Jager bombs & the daily vodka special all of your life. At some point in the business world you’re going to need to grow up and sit at the big boy table!

Three rules of the successful first date:

Never go Blind – look before you cross the road, don’t get hit by a truck.Short & Sweet – don’t be trapped in an uncomfortable situation that’s going to break your wallet.New equals New – you have researched the girl and de-cided to take a chance on her, so show the same initiative when it comes to where you go.

Lads, please remember to have fun and be yourself. If traditional dating is not your thing, then jump into 2009 and try what the Chef has to offer. If nothing else, at least you’ll be building your dinner skills—but you never know, the first date could be the start of something beautiful.

Cheers,Chef Steve

album

The Big PinkTaking their name from the debut album by The Band, this London duo creates electro-rock that will resonate your atmosphere for days. Robbie Furze and Milo Cordell illustrate modern rock and roll by fooling around with drum machines and drowning guitars chords. The Big Pink’s first album, “A Brief History of Love”, was released on September 22nd generating big noise from indie music fans around.

Three Tracks to Live By-

Velvet

Domino

A Brief History of Love

http://www.myspace.com/musicfromthebigpink

The Diamond Light60’s rock and roll shines again with the release of The Diamond Light’s debut album, “Krotona.” These east coast creatures uprooted their musical demons in the depths of Beachwood Canyon to craft a retro-psyche-delic, blues sound. Lead vocalist Griffin Young evokes a soulful passion as he bellows the bands twisted lyrics. The Diamond Light is my perfect rough gem.

Three Tracks to Live By-

Orphan

Headress

Who’s Gonna Search My Soul

http://www.myspace.com/thediamondlight

& MOVIE REVIEWS

CHECK OUT NEW MUSIC TUESDAY AT CENTEREDMAG.COM

Album Reviews by Jilly Hendrix, Movie Reviews by Jeff Adams

Cast Away“Are you watching a movie about a plane crash?” The reaction by one of the airplane passengers sitting nearby surprised me and I felt compelled to calm her fears. Just like the film starring Tom Hanks, the lone survivor of a Fed Ex plane crash, some passengers on our flight may have wondered if they should have ever gotten on that plane.It’s not about a plane crash. It’s the story of what we do when we can’t have what we want.Certainly the crash set up the conflict that changes the life of Hanks’ character, Chuck Nolan. On the deserted island in the middle of the Pacific, Nolan did what he had to for survival. He scrounged through packages washed ashore from the wreck and

over time found novel uses for the most common items. Ice skates become axe blades. Videotape was used to hold together a temporary shelter. But like any human being Nolan needed the necessities for life; food, water and companionship.Ingenuity and perseverance helped him overcome one obstacle after another, and yet despair plagued Nolan. It’s hard to live without hope. Eventually, he contemplated suicide. But in his loneliness he found a friend. Only Tom Hanks could make an almost 60-minute monologue with a volleyball interesting. But Hanks’ performance was worthy of the Oscar nomination that he received. And although he didn’t win, he won viewers’ hearts.But the film is powerful for one reason, Hanks’ portrayal that Nolan chose to live. It illustrated what we must do to survive circumstances beyond our control. He kept on breathing. And that was a takeaway worth far more than any box office price or rental fee. In fact, it made this is a film worthy of your library.

CHECK OUT BIG SCREEN WEEKEND AT CENTEREDMAG.COM

oldie, but goodie!!!!

Austin City

Limits

Music Festiv

al

Hard NYC

Every year since 2002, the music capital of the US has hosted one of the most

popular fall festivals with a plethora of acts from various genres. This year’s lineup

boasts more than one-hundred artists like The Decemberists, Mos Def, Mute Math,

Ben Harper and the Relentless7, The B-52’s, and includes such headliners as Pearl

Jam, Kings of Leon, The Dave Mathews Band, and John Legend. The entertainment

spreads out over eight stages within the city’s lovely Zilker Park, also hosting a Kids

Area, the Austin Eats Food Court, and the SoCo Art Market. The park provides no

parking but the festival is easily accessible by shuttle from downtown Austin. Being

a college town, there are many hotels in the area and campgrounds within a ten-

mile radius of the metro area.

For those electronica aficionados and industrial lovers,

Hard Festival is hosting an all-night event in the Big Apple.

Taking place at the notorious Terminal 5 - 610 W 56th St,

New York, NYC - this fall’s show will include Crookers, Major

Lazer, Destructo, Jack Beats, and Rusko. Tickets are $35

and are available through Ticketmaster.

FALL

FESTIVALS

FALL

FESTIVALS

FALLFALLFALL

Oct. 2nd, 3rd, &4th, 2009 Austin, TX

Oct. 10th, 2009 NYC, NY

FALLTreasure Island Music Festival

Bear Creek Music & Art Festival

Enjoying the summer-time weather as long as possible, the BCMAF

takes place at The Spirit of The Suwannee Music Park near Live Oak,

Florida. The park is within driving distance of many of the state’s

200+ amusement parks and also offers canoe trips, bath houses,

disc golf, a fishing lake, hiking trails, cabins, RV camping facilities,

and much more. This year the festival will host over fifty bands,

including Dub-Conscious, Karl Denson’s Tiny Universe, Galactic, and

The Ryan Montbleau Band. Tickets are available through Elevate

from $140 to $165.

Taking place on what once was a Cold War Naval base, the

TIMF brings music lovers out into the open pacific air on this

man-made island in the San Francisco bay. This year’s Indy

fest is lining up names like The Flaming Lips, Tommy Guerrero,

DJ Krush, Yo La Tengo, MGMT, and many more. Festival goers

will be ferried to the island from Frisco’s AT&T Park. Tickets are

available through Ticketmaster:

$65 – Single Day$115 – 2 Day Pass$249 – VIP Single Day 2-Pack

FESTIVALS

FALL

FESTIVALS

FALL

FESTIVALS

Oct. 17th&18th, 2009 San Francisco, CA

Nov. 13-15th, 2009 Live Oak, FL

By Micah Vickery