Rickie Fowler looks fashionable on the green. Photo from sports.espn.go.com.

Golf

As one of the most prestigious sports in the world, it is no wonder that golf made my list as a fashionable sport.  On the course, golfers sport some of the greatest, classiest acts around.  Matching from head to toe, they often coordinate their entire outfit with common colors and patterns ranging from checkered to plaid to gingham. A golfer who never ceases to amaze on the course: Rickie Fowler.

Tennis

Considering tennis is just about the only sport you can get away with wearing a tiny skirt, I had to include it on the list.  Tennis fans often anticipate the outfits that tennis pros plan to sport on the court during opens and other tournaments.  Accessories are even considered since popular stars like the Williams sisters always wear large earrings.  The Australian Open was held earlier this month and brought much attention to the sport, not only for the tough competition (like the almost six-hour-long championship round!), but for the outfits athletes wore. This is especially true because Lacoste is the tournament’s official sponsor.

University of Oregon Football

Both of Nike’s co-founders came from the University of Oregon’s athletic program, so it’s no surprise that the school is continuously wearing the benefits.  The football team in particular is known for their revolutionary, new, and always-updated uniforms in the famous Duck green and yellow. The jersey unveilings are just as anticipated as the team winning itself.

Polo outfits always are fresh and classy. Photo from tweedandvelvet.com.

Polo and Horse Racing

Although the horses are the main athletes in this sport, between the jockeys and fans, these two equestrian sports deserved a spot on this fashion list.  Horse tracks are known for the wide-brimmed hats that spectators wear while bidding on races; polo uniforms consist of, surprisingly enough: polos.  As hands-down one of the most privileged sports on the planet, equestrian-spectator fashion is nothing short of show stopping.

Not that there aren’t tons of awe-worthy jerseys out there, but the basic jersey cut-off of the NBA or T-shirt jersey of the NFL were blasé compared to these sports.  Since these sports made the list for fashion in the game, check out my next blog to see who shines off the field! I’m gonna run down the hottest and most stylish athletes one by one.

If you’re a sports fan, check out the SPM sports blog: Turf Talk.

For comments or questions, email me at amlarso2@asu.edu or follow me @soamandawaslike.

Rockstar Games, developers of the Grand Theft Auto series, is known for their investment and depth of their characters. Niko Bellic, the main character in Grand Theft Auto 4 (2008), was an Eastern European immigrant in search of the American dream and the man who betrayed his team in the military. John Marston from Red Dead: Redemption (2010) was a former outlaw who was being extorted by the government so that he could be with his family. L.A. Noire (2011), published by Rockstar and developed by Team Bondi, featured Cole Phelps, a young, up-and-coming police officer-turned detective. These types of character backgrounds really evolve video games past children’s pastime and really tackle mature themes and stories.

What prompted this topic was an article from IGN.com about Spec Ops: The Line, a third-person military shooter set in Dubai that resembles Apocalypse Now in terms of story structure. The lead writer for the game said “as the game progresses and Walker (the player’s character) becomes less and less a soldier and more and more – as his uniform tears apart – becomes more and more himself; a man.” He then discussed what the player would feel by the end of the game, which has multiple endings depending on the choices made throughout the game. “Some players will feel sorry for Walker… Some people are probably going to get so disgusted with him they’ll put down the game and not finish it. Some people at the end will think he’s a hero who’s done the right thing.” This type of emotional connection to a military shooter is welcomed in a genre full of ice-cold characters.

On very rare occasions, the main protagonist says nothing and only the player exists in the world and imprints their values onto the narrative. In Shadow of the Colossus (2005), a character called Wander arrives at a temple with his seemingly dead love and is told, by a disembodied voice, to kill sixteen massive creatures to revive her. The environment and the actions made convey a narrative of submission and obedience. In Half-Life 2 (2004), you play as Gordon Freeman and never speak a word. Yet the character development comes from the game’s objectives, side characters and the reverence other characters have for you while in their presence. This depth in game characters, whether spoken or unspoken, is indicative that writers are sitting down and thinking about the message they want to convey past “kill everyone in your way.”

Sound off in the comments below with characters that I may have omitted or send me an email to shfawcet@asu.edu

Dr. Paul Scowen lectures students at the bi-monthly lectures put on by the ASU Astronomy Club. Photo by Dominic Valente.

A backdrop of glowing colors, bright points of light and fantastical shapes swirls around like so much modern art as associate research professor Paul Scowen launches ASU Astronomy Club’s new lecture series.

The free, bi-monthly lectures were inspired by the club’s desire to welcome the public into the field of astronomy and to “foster interest in astronomy from the ‘gee whiz’ side of things,” Scowen says.

“Gee whiz” and various “oohs and ahhs” are usually exclamations saved for Fourth of July firework displays, but the unraveling mysteries of the cosmos has Scowen’s audience equally starry-eyed. College kids, high school students, professors and even families fill the 200-person lecture hall while Scowen delivers a far from ordinary presentation.

For the past decade or so, students in the School of Earth and Space Exploration have hosted monthly open houses. These open houses feature hands-on booths, stargazing and planetarium shows. This semester the club wants a way to generate more public interest and education.

“It’s a concept that has been implemented at other universities with great success,” says Kimberly Ward-Duong, club member and astrophysics graduate student.

While still including the astronomy open house, the lectures will also touch on all the “big burning questions in astronomy,” she says. Future topics include super-massive black holes, extraterrestrials, galaxies, supernovas and planetary systems.

“Astronomy is a subject that draws people to pursue it with passion because it captures the imagination,” Scowen says, jumping from behind his desk to motion toward a Hubble Space Telescope image of the Eagle Nebula, its three smoky columns defying comprehension.

“The lectures are aimed at creating a broad sense of appreciation without requiring college-level physics or math,” he says.

Unlike most talks concerning astronomy and related sciences, Scowen’s most recent lecture on star and planet formation isn’t filled with jargon and technicalities. Instead, nebulae become the “interstellar equivalent of a neon ‘Eat at Joe’s Diner’ sign,” and gravity is explained through a shuffling pantomime of Scowen sticking to objects nearby.

Far from diminishing the magnitude of his own and others’ work, Scowen has the audience chuckling, asking questions and taking a genuine interest in the formation of our solar system. Which, of course, is the whole point.

“Astronomy is a really cool field,” says Mark Richardson, club member and astrophysics graduate student. “(This) is an exciting opportunity for people who are curious about astronomy to hear from those in the forefront of the field and to have a discussion.”

Scowen’s interest in astronomy began at the age of 13, and it’s clear from his hand motions and excited pacing that he is eager to share this love with the public. And he’s not alone.

Other ASU faculty, graduate students and undergraduates who share a passion for astronomy will be among the lecturers illuminating the night sky for those with an interest.

“We’re really excited about the turnout, and hopefully we will continue with this much success,” Ward-Duong says.

Nicole Perrone, one of the many curious minds in attendance, is an anthropology senior who watches Scowen bound from one side of the hall to another in an animated explanation of why studying massive stars is like looking back into our own past.

“I thought it would be really interesting to learn about the origin of the solar system since I’m an anthropology major,” Perrone says. “It was understandable and he (Scowen) put it in layman’s terms.”

Pausing at the end of the talk, Scowen quotes one of his own undergraduate professors: “Leave all of your terrestrial frames of reference at the door, because they won’t be of any use here.”

Those in attendance wait two seconds in pregnant silence before breaking into applause, wondering at the vastness of the universe.

Contact the reporter at klhwang@asu.edu

On the blog, Henry Happened, I came across a really awesome DIY chalkboard necklace.  This craft is very reminiscent of a traditional locket-type necklace, but with a twist.  Instead of the locket, all you need is a flat pendant that can be sprayed with the paint.  Then, instead of putting a picture inside your pendant, you can write a message or draw a picture — whatever you feel describes you that day.  It’s very easy to make and all the necessities for this craft are listed on the Henry Happened blog.

Paint a pendant using chalkboard paint to create a unique necklace. Photo from the Henry Happened blog.

Chalkboard paint can also be used to make signs.  If you’re having a dinner party, you can use it to make place settings for your table.  You can also paint your plates using chalkboard paint and write messages on the rim.  Another cool idea is to paint coasters and then write various messages on them, such as the person’s name that is using the coaster.  This could be especially useful for a dinner party if you aren’t sure how you want to make your place settings.

For the college student struggling to keep track of assignments, a sign painted with chalkboard paint (or a part of your wall) could be very useful.  This could also be nice in the kitchen for grocery or to-do lists. Another great idea for school supplies (and this can also be applied to the kitchen as well), is to gather mason jars, cans, or whatever else is a cylinder shape and paint your cans and label them with whatever they are holding (pens, pencils, paintbrushes, sugar, granola, rice etc). These ideas all work so great!

You can buy chalkboard paint in a variety of ways. You can buy it in a can (like traditional paint), as spray paint, or even a marker!  Try whatever works best for you.  It will vary depending on the size of your project.

If you have any questions, comments, crafts to submit, etc. feel free to shoot me an e-mail at fbreisbl@asu.edu. Keep on crafting!

The womens' lacrosse team at practice. Photo by Brendan Capria.

The team was jittery at the beginning of their season against the University of California, but that only lasted a short while. Having a small team has demoralized them somewhat, even to the point where head coach Maren Henley used poster board to regroup each player weeks ahead of time — they had written down their expectations to prepare. After their outing, though, it’s now more like a checklist.

Try a 17-4 blowout in their favor.  The Sun Devils were aggressive in every facet to the game; even physicality was taken to the maximum. Following this game, “nervous” was not the word to describe the team.

“I’m really excited,” Henley said. “As soon as the first whistle blew, we gave 100% intensity.”

In terms of offense, the team was in sync.  Sophomore Lauren Littleton led the team with four goals while senior Shelby Griffin complemented the offense with four team-leading assists. This was not only an offensive showing, though, as their defense, led by junior captain Jenni Littleton, was dominant.

“Yeah, we were nervous because we have a small team,” the captain said.  “After the first half though, we were like ‘all right, we got this.’”

Photo by Brendan Capria.

The team played at a fast pace and the Trojans had trouble keeping up. The Sun Devils capitalized on the fast break and, when they did settle, outside ball movement made way for short, open shots.

“We started slow,” said Emily Vandermark, a political science sophomore who plays for the Trojans. “Had it been later in the season, it would have been closer. We just didn’t hold onto the ball.”

Loose balls by the Trojans often translated into turnovers; turnovers contributed to the major deficit.

For now, the team can enjoy the win for what it’s worth because the last game’s score does not carry over. Their lack in numbers doesn’t seem to be a major malefactor. Like always, though, one game cannot define an entire season.

This win over the Trojans will be a confidence-booster for a team that, coming into this semester, was a little iffy. They have found some standing ground and that’s all Henley could have wanted.

Henley said that she has “a strong team” following the team’s performance. This team, though, will have to practice as one down the road; for the game against USC, the team did not practice with all their players consistently.

To be stronger, full participation is a must. What is also a must and what the team realizes is that hard work will translate; it’s quality over quantity.

“We’re just going to work hard,” Littleton said.