The Lions' Pride is a student-run news organization dedicated to sharing the voice of our Saint Leo community. Our mission is to uphold the Benedictine values, support First Amendment rights, and provide informative and thought-provoking journalism without fear of interference or reprisal.
The Saint Leo University dining hall recently opened its doors, figuratively and literally, to a new seating section on Monday, March 26. Overlooking Lake Jovita and the newly-filled-in bowl, there is now outside seating, complete with a canvas tent to protect the users from the elements. Not only does this new “expansion” give the cafeteria the ability to increase its capacity, from 350 to 400, it also allows students to take in the sunny Florida weather.
The Saint Leo University Lions softball team has been swept in two consecutive conference series. The Lions got swept in a three-game series by Nova Southeastern University and followed it up over Easter weekend by getting swept by Florida Tech at home. The losses move the Lions’ record to 17-28 on the year and 2-13 in Sunshine State Conference play. The Lions lost 3-2 and 5-1 on Thursday night and got beat 10-2 on Friday making it their eighth loss in a row.
Bagdad, Fla. native, Bubba Watson, won the 2012 Masters Golf Tournament in Augusta, Ga. which took place from April 5-8. Watson beat South African, Louis Oosthuizen in a two-hole playoff. The pair were tied after both players pared the 18th hole and remained at 10-under. After both pared the 18th again on the first hole of the playoff, on hole No. 10 Watson hit his tee shot well into the woods putting Oosthuizen in a great position to win the hole. But Watson followed up his disastrous tee shot with a brilliant one. With only a narrow window to work in, and his Masters hopes on the line, Watson struck the ball beautifully, hooking it just enough to land it on the green. Oosthuizen then missed a difficult putt that would have saved par, which set up Watson’s eventual tap-in for the win.
Did you ever see a movie and realize that the only reason you went to see it was because it had gnarly actions scenes? While Wrath of the Titans was a good action movie, the plot left something to be desired. It is the sequel to Clash of the Titans, an equally horrible movie in terms of plot and character development. While the cast is quite impressive in terms of acting chops, there is not any real acting happening, unless you count fighting with swords acting. The film has very little going for it, but the same cast, plus a few new faces.
On Monday, April 9, the U.S. Poet Laureate for 2011-2012, Philip Levine, visited Saint Leo University to give a poetry reading in the Greenfelder-Denlinger Boardrooms. This event was sponsored by the Department of English, Fine Arts, and the Humanities as well as the Cannon-Memorial Library and Student Services. Members of Sigma Tau Delta, the English honor society, acted as ushers and greeters.
Graduation day is rapidly approaching and for the majority, if not all of the seniors, this means that they are overjoyed with the completion of their four-year degree and have a decision to make. The decision consists of two choices of what they have the ability to do after they finish their time at Saint Leo. The first choice is that they can immediately try to go into the workforce and find a job that is compatible with their degree, which is a great option to choose. The second choice consists of two words that are ominous: “graduate school,” or grad school as it is most commonly referred to. Grad school can be an overwhelming process, but it is one that is manageable with the correct information and guidance from an advisor and the Career Planning Center.
As the semester is wrapping up the biggest buzz on campus is still about all the construction. However, not everything about the construction is a complaint or concern. There are many students expressing excitement as the new dorms will be opening soon. Many of the incoming freshmen will not be seeing these for the first time until the campus tours over the summer and quite possibly not until they have moved on campus at the beginning of next semester. While many of the students are still expressing their concerns about the campus constriction affecting parking, the noise disturbances others still like forward to the completion as it draws closer. “I cannot wait to walk through the halls and see this new building, and finally see the end product”, says Nick Davis, a sophomore. Many of the students who have just gotten their room assignments in the new dorms are already excited to be experiencing the newest rooms and furniture on campus. Many of the students are already planning on their new dorm room being the hang-out spot, while others are planning the posters and decorations that will adorn their new home next semester.
Despite signing a five-year contract with the Indianapolis Colts prior to the 2011 season, Peyton Manning finds himself with a new team heading into 2012. Manning signed a new five-year deal with the Denver Broncos, ending one of the most interesting free agency sagas since Brett Favre came out of retirement.
The field for this weekend’s Final Four in New Orleans has been set after some entertaining games in this past weekend’s Elite Eight. In the West Regional Final Louisville (30-9) knocked off Florida to advance to the Final Four for the ninth time in school history and its first since 2005. The Big East champions have now won eight games in a row with their last loss coming Mar. 3 against Syracuse. Rick Pitino’s squad beat No. 1 seed Michigan State on Mar. 22 to advance to the Elite Eight, then beat the No. 7 seed Florida Gators to earn their trip to the Final Four. The Cardinals will face off against in-state rival Kentucky in the national semi-finals on Mar. 31. The two teams did play each other in Lexington back in December and the Wildcats got the better of that game beating Louisville 69-62.
How did the Tampa Bay Lightning go from playoff contender, and what many viewed as a Stanley Cup contender this pre-season, to a team nine points out of the last playoff spot on March 26? The answer has a few parts: first the Lightning do not have a goaltender in the top 30 Goals Against Average Leaders or GAA but St. Louis, Boston, Minnesota, Colorado, Vancouver, and New Jersey all have two goalies in the top 30 GAA. The Lightning’s two goalies this year rank at 39 (Mathieu Garon) and dead last at 46 (Dwayne Roloson).
