College Newspaper Article 3

The other day, I was looking through some of my things from college when I came across a few articles I wrote during my sophomore year while I worked for the school newspaper, the Lakeholm Viewer. I had almost entirely forgotten about them, and it was fun reading back through them. I figured since this is my collection of things I have written, I would add them on here. Sorry if they aren’t amazing. I was only a sophomore!

Heisman race: Big Ten quarterbacks lead Heisman race

By Zach Zeltman

Staff Writer

October 29, 2010

Former Ohio State Quarterback holding his Heisman Trophy

College football fans are witnessing yet another exciting Heisman race this year.

Ohio State quarterback Terrelle Pryor and Michigan quarterback Denard Robinson are two of the leading candidates for this year’s esteemed trophy.

Pryor was having a great season leading the Buckeyes to a number one national ranking until they were run over by the Wisconsin Badgers.

Much to the dismay of many in Ohio, the quarterback from the Michigan Wolverines has passed Pryor in the current Heisman running, according to many college football experts.

Robinson, who has led Michigan to a stellar start to the 2010 season, has emerged as a phenomenal playmaker for the Wolverines.

Pryor “could lead the Buckeyes to a national title,” said Dari Nowkhah, an analyst for ESPN.

“But he falls short of Robinson when it comes to being the game’s ‘most outstanding player.’ That’s not a knock on Pryor—he has playmakers all around him. He doesn’t have to make every play. Robinson does.”

The only way that Robinson wouldn’t win the Heisman, according to Nowkhah, is if he gets hurt, which may happen since he does so much of the ball carrying for the Wolverines.

Pete Flutak wrote an article for Scout.com at the end of last season where he rated this year’s top 20 Heisman candidates.

He didn’t even include Robinson, who is having a breakout season, on the list. He threw for 200 yards and rushed for 200 yards for the second time in his career against Indiana earlier this year.

He was only the second player in college football history to do so, accomplishing this feat in just his fifth game as a starter.

Mark Ingram, who won the Heisman last year, is having another great season so far.

He missed the first two games with an injury but has continued his impressive numbers since his return.

If Robinson continues to put up monumental numbers, Ingram has a slim chance to regain the momentum needed to win back-to-back Heisman awards.

According to the ESPN’s Expert Poll released after week five, Denard Robinson had nearly twice as many points as the second highest candidate, LaMichael James.

Pryor was then fourth on this list, but close behind the second and third-place contenders.

However, one game can make or break a college football season.

In week six, when Michigan hosted Michigan State, Robinson faced the best defense he had seen all year.

He had an unimpressive game, to say the least.

He finished the game with one touchdown pass, one rushing touchdown and three interceptions.

To his credit, he had quite a few well-thrown passes, which his receivers dropped, but if he plans on winning the Heisman, he is going to have to find a way to get the job done.

Then a week later, against Iowa, Robinson managed a measly 201 yards of total offense for the game with just one touchdown.

The problem Robinson will continue to face the rest of the season is the defense focusing on him since the rest of the offense is not as remarkable.

He has the ability to make plays with his arm and with his feet, but he needs to start getting more help from his teammates so defenses won’t be able to contain him so much.

Terrelle Pryor had much more success in week six, throwing for over 300 yards and three touchdowns.

However, his subpar performance at Wisconsin will likely destroy his chances of winning the Heisman this year.

Oregon’s running back, LaMichael James, is starting to gain much more attention. He has led the Ducks to a first place ranking in the Associated Press poll.

James is an explosive player who continues to put up consistently impressive numbers against better competition than Robinson has seen this year.

If Oregon continues to win games with James leading the way, he could end up hoisting the Heisman at the end of the year.

Whether or not the Wolverine quarterback can win the Heisman this year is yet to be seen.

The good news for Michigan fans is that Robinson is only a sophomore. This means if he gets some better players around him in the following two years, he may have a much better chance at college football immortality.

*Update: The end of the 2010 season got a tad crazy. When I say a tad, I mean extremely. Cam Newton, from Auburn, won the Heisman, and it was not even close. Michigan (not surprisingly) fell apart down the stretch, and Denard Robinson dropped all the way to sixth in the final voting. LaMichael James finished third. Terrelle Pryor and Mark Ingram did not even finish in the top 10. Current Colts QB, Andrew Luck finished second in just his sophomore season. Two other current NFL QBs, Colin Kaepernick and Andy Dalton, finished eighth and ninth respectively. 

Cam Newton giving his Heisman Trophy acceptance speech

College Newspaper Article 2

The other day, I was looking through some of my things from college when I came across a few articles I wrote during my sophomore year while I worked for the school newspaper, the Lakeholm Viewer. I had almost entirely forgotten about them, and it was fun reading back through them. I figured since this is my collection of things I have written, I would add them on here. Sorry if they aren’t amazing. I was only a sophomore!

Men’s basketball preview: Cougars prep for important season

By Zach Zeltman

Staff Writer

October 29, 2010

Senior Adam Grimm slams the ball before practice. Photo by Zach Zeltman

 The Mount Vernon Nazarene University men’s basketball team is expecting to have a much-improved season from last year. The Cougars, who had a 13-17 record last year, lost five seniors to graduation but are reloaded with talent and ready to get back in the game.

Five new varsity players and 11 new reserve team players will be taking the court this season. Each of these players brings improvements to the team, including that the majority of them are taller and more versatile than last year’s team.

“I am definitely looking forward to the games,” said freshman forward and education major Austin Semple.

“I’m excited to see how we will match up to other teams this year. The best part of being on this team is that we all get along well. We all have each other’s backs. It has been a really good experience so far.”

The first game for the junior varsity team was Oct. 26 against Cedarville University, and the first game for the varsity is Nov. 6 at the University of Northwestern Ohio.

“I am excited for the chance to see the maturation of our returning players along with the additions of my first recruiting class,” said second-year head coach Matt Moore. “I have had a vision of what I want my teams to look like, and it has been a joy this fall watching this year’s team become ‘my’ first team. We have a great deal of opportunity ahead of us!”

Even though the new players may be stealing some of the attention right now, the Cougars still have a talented veteran group. Seniors Brandon Short, Adam Grimm and Brady Swanson bring leadership and athleticism to the court.

“I think the leaders and returning players are hungry this season,” said senior captain Swanson, a Spanish education and a health and physical education double major.

“We believe we have the talent to have a great season, so we are trying to push everyone to do their best,” he said.

Although the preseason can become drawn out for players who want to start games, the team has been able to have some fun in the meantime. During conditioning, the team went through the Columbus SWAT team’s obstacle course, which proved to be entertaining. Also, the team went on a retreat, where they went paintballing and spent a day at a lake in Michigan.

“The highlight of the team retreat was definitely the campfire night,” said sophomore Ben Severns, a middle childhood education major.

“It was an unreal experience to see everyone gathered around some of the guys praying and crying. God was definitely there in that moment and will continue to be there throughout the season. It was an un­real team experience.”

The Cougars are anticipating the beginning of the game schedule.

“Being a part of a team is more than just the five players on the court or the teammates on the bench,” Moore added. “Our sixth man is truly our Cougar Crazies. You make the games fun for us. Please come and be a part of this year’s team!”

College Newspaper Article 1

The other day, I was looking through some of my things from college when I came across a few articles I wrote during my sophomore year while I worked for the school newspaper, the Lakeholm Viewer. I had almost entirely forgotten about them, and it was fun reading back through them. I figured since this is my collection of things I have written, I would add them on here. Sorry if they aren’t amazing. I was only a sophomore!

Pros and cons of marriage while in college weighed by students

By Zach Zeltman

Staff Writer

September 24, 2010

The majority of students at Mount Vernon Nazarene University seem to want to get married . . . soon! Many people joke about getting a ring by spring, but quite a few students have already taken the plunge.

According to research assistant Carla Parsons, MVNU has more than 80 traditional students who are married. So despite what many people think, only about four percent of students at MVNU are married.

Out of 34 students polled, nearly 40 percent said they either plan to get married while in college or at least meet their future spouse during that time.

Broken down by gender, the numbers are closer than one might have thought. Forty-one percent of females compared to 33 percent of males thought they would get married or find their future spouse while in college.

Multiple students responded by saying that finding a spouse was not on the top of their priority list of things to accomplish while at MVNU, but they were still open to the prospect of finding a potential husband or wife.

This summer, junior business management major Scott Hilbert married his high school sweetheart, Haley Dunham, a junior nursing major. He says getting married was an easy decision for him. Scott and Haley Hilbert had been dating for almost five years before tying the knot. Both of their parents were married at a young age so they were fully supportive in Scott’s and Haley’s wanting to get married while they were still in college.

Haley Hilbert says being a married student at MVNU is “super convenient.” She can always be with her best friend and can escape from campus life when needed. She adds that she gets homesick much less now because she feels that she is now in her own home.

“I love being married in college. It was the best decision I’ve ever made,” she said.

One can imagine that being married in college can be challenging for many reasons. The most obvious reason is the time commitment of being a student, participating in extracurricular activities and just wanting to spend time with friends on campus.

There are benefits to being married while in college as well. The state and federal governments help married students quite a bit, and the MVNU family discount is nice too.

Scott and Haley Hilbert both talked about how they enjoy the married housing provided by MVNU because it is close enough that they are still around their friends and can be at events if they want, but they aren’t stuck on campus all the time.

“I think that students can find their spouse here because of the Christian atmosphere,” student body president Jameson Seymour said.

“Most of the students want to have a healthy, Christ-following relationship, and since MVNU is a Christian campus, it is easier to find a life-long companion.”

Seymour also says that he thinks sometimes students think they need to find a relationship at the University, but this should not be the norm for college-age students.