Brock Behrndt – Northwest Missouri State – Football

“It means a lot, I get to take my athletic ability to the next level. It’s just gonna be fun to see what it has to offer.”

Danielle Biernacki – University of Sioux Falls – Soccer

“I’ve worked so hard for this, I’ve been playing soccer since I was in kindergarden and I’ve always dreamed of going on to play in college and now that it’s here it’s a big relief and accomplishment.”

Dominic Bisesi – William Jewell College – Football

“It’s really special to have my friends and family here watching me take my next step.”

Hope Chorzel – Sacred Heart University – Field Hockey

“Everything I worked for when I was younger has paid off. I feel good about signing because now everything that was unsure about my future is now sure.”

Colleen Cole – Saint Louis University – Soccer

“This is really exciting, I’m kind of nervous but it just makes the whole experience more real. I can’t wait.”

Ashton Lichvar – Bellarmine University – Field Hockey

“I’m really excited because I’ve been looking forward to playing for college since I was little. My dad and I had an ongoing bet that if I played, he’d get me a car so I’m really happy because this means I’ve succeeded.”

Megan Mange – Truman State University – Tennis

“I feel really good because I finally get to continue on with a sport I enjoy.”

Meredith McGee – University of Missouri Kansas City – Soccer

“Just all the hard work pays off in the end.”

Nick Messer – William Jewell College – Football

“Its something that I’ve always wanted to do, play college football. The fact that I get to go to a great D-II school to play football as linebacker, it’s a dream come true.”

McKenzie Miller – Tennessee Tech University – Soccer

“It’s so important to me, I’ve always wanted to play soccer in college and this is a dream come true. I’ve always dreamed to play soccer and especially at a D-II school, that’s so important to me.”

Alec Morgan – Truman State University – Swimming

“Well, I’ve been swimming since forever so it’s really special because I’ve been able to reach my full potential, I feel. So to go to college and keep working at it is something I’m really looking forward to and I’m really hopeful about the future.”

Corrine Murphy – Saint Louis University – Field Hockey

“When I was in seventh grade, my mom told me to try field hockey and she said, ‘oh, it’s just like soccer except you can’t use your feet’ and I thought that was so stupid. And then I tried it and now I can’t believe I’m going to play it in college.”

The Timeline feature will create a more visual method of viewing user pictures and status updates; everything a user has posted since the public launch of Facebook in 2004 will be available to view, depending on personal privacy settings.

According to Sky News, MSNBC conducted a poll in which 51.29% of users said they are worried about the Timeline.

Whether you love it or hate it, Timeline is coming to your profile. Here is what you should know in order to create an accessible virtual life for your friends or put your profile on lockdown.

1)      Facebook has allotted 7 days for personal changes to Timeline accounts.

After your profile has been set in Timeline format, you will have 7 days to preview the page as it will appear to other users before it goes public. This is the time in which you should delete any posts you do not want to go public—note that every post made since the foundation of Facebook in 2004 will be posted. To edit posts, use the pen on the top right corner to delete or add time and location to the post.

2)      Review Your Privacy Settings

Facebook will use your default privacy settings for Timeline. You can change these settings for specific posts by clicking on the icon beside the date in each post. Click on the arrow beside “Home” at the top right of your profile page to change your default settings. The material posted on your Timeline will include status updates, photos, friendships made, job history, marital status changes and other information posted to your profile since 2004, or when you signed up for Facebook.

3)      What is the Movie App?

According to PC World, Facebook has approved the Timeline Movie Maker app that automatically creates a 55-second movie by sorting through your information stored on the social network. The soundtrack music and photos can be edited.

4)      What is Timeline Apps Integration?

According to PC World, Timeline Apps Integration allows you to show what activities you do in apps on your Timeline. Currently, 80 apps are supported. For instance, if you have the Wall Street Journal hooked into Integration, after you read an article, it will be posted to your Timeline.

5)      Making the most of Timeline Cover Photos

A popular complaint about Timeline is how the cover photo settings, or the dominant photo located on top of the Timeline profile, distorts images that users use to fill the space. According to Madblog.com, web designers who create cover canvases suggest using 850×320 pixels as a quick reference.

“It helped that I signed with Jewell and that was kind of a relaxer,” Messer said.

The Lancers controlled the game by shooting 50 percent from the field and a solid 39 percent from three-point range. Senior Luke Kreienkamp added 13 points and nine rebounds and sophomore Evan Scales made all five of his shot attempts to finish with 15 points.

After going into halftime with a 41-34 lead, the Lancers outscored the Vikings 42-20 in the second half.

Messer said the team is playing good basketball at just the right time.

“It’s important that we’re turning it on down the stretch, having fun and playing with confidence,” he said.

With the win, the Lancers improved to 11-7 and 3-0 in Conference play to remain tied with Lindbergh atop the Suburban West standings.

The Lancers then faced the MICDS Rams on Feb. 1 and again, Messer scored big, pulling down 21 points in the 57-44 win.

In a big week for Lancer basketball, Lafayette improves to a record of 12-7 and remains undefeated in Conference play.

They went in as the top-ranked St.Louis area team, and finished fifth overall with 201.5 points behind Rockbridge, Glendale, Notre Dame de Sion and Hickman.

There were many major individual performances at the meet, including two second place finished by sophomore Mae Riordan in the 200 freestyle and the 500 freestyle.

Another major accomplishment came from sophomore Bekah Morgan, who recieved her first State cut with a time of 5:38.86 in the 500 freestyle.

The Lady Lancers will make their next appearance in their last home meet against Ladue High School on Jan. 31 at 4:15  p.m. in the Lafayette pool.

While the plot is nothing new (plane crashes, a few survive, they’re goal afterwards is to survive, blah blah blah), I still decided to see the movie. After all, seeing Liam Neeson go one-on-one with a wolf like the trailer leads you to believe was going to be entertaining no matter what the rest of the movie was like.

I’ve been wrong before, and this was one of those times. If you don’t want me to spoil it for you stop reading now.

That epic battle between man and wolf? It doesn’t happen. That’s where the screen goes dark. I haven’t been more disappointed in a movie’s ending since I realized the aliens were killed by water, but somehow decided it would be a good idea to invade the only planet that had any in Signs. Unfortunately, The Grey doesn’t have the excuse of being directed by M. Night Shyamalan to explain its downfall.

After two hours of watching Neeson and six others brave Alaskan wilderness and fight off an obscene amount of vengeful timberwolves, I expected some kind of closure. Instead I get a rip-off of the ending of The Sopranos.

I’m being harsh though. The characters in the film were well developed and interesting, and the acting was excellent. After a while you begin to feel for the characters, even if you are trying guess which one will go next. I was honestly surprised by how much I liked the majority of the movie, it’s upsetting  that it was ruined by the ending.

If you go in without expectations, this movie could be great; but if, like me, you want what the trailers promised, you’ll only be disappointed.

1) Understanding What We’ve Grown to Be – We Came as Romans
Starting off the list is the sophomore release from the post-hardcore band We Came as Romans.  This album, along with their first record To Plant A Seed, share the same positive and uplifting message in the lyrics.  It seems that every song lacks a definite structure, which adds to the overall complexity of the album.  The angelic tone of the clean vocalist, paired with the harsh screams, gives the album good equality and balance.  The guitars are very technical, with riffs showing their skills and chugs that sound almost like a drum hit.  The drums sound clearer on this record and add depth to every song.  The song suggestion for this album would be the closing and title track, Understanding What We’ve Grown to Be, due to the use of synthesizer and string sections that give it an airy-atmosphere sound.  Overall, this was a great second release for a band quickly becoming a top icon in the genre.

2) Love: Part 2 – Angels & Airwaves
Coming in at number two is the fourth studio album from alternative rock band Angels & Airwaves.  In a genre known as “space rock”, this album soars above all others.  There are songs that make you want to sing along as loud as you can, and others that make you just want to sit back and let it sink in.  This release explores topics such as love and hope, while also conveying those feelings as you listen.  Song suggestion for this album, without a doubt, would be track number 3, Anxiety.  The intro includes a bell-sounding rhythm with echoing vocals and delayed guitar that builds into an amazingly composed song, summing up the sound of the whole album.

3) The Flood – Of Mice & Men
From the first clean vocal chorus of the opening track to the last held scream of the closing song, this album has the perfect balance of scream and clean vocals.  The structure of the album is organized very well, including songs with just screams and even a song solely composed of clean vocals.  I have seen this band live a few times and  can testify that the scream vocalist, Austin Carlile, has an amazing range from growls to high screams, and the clean vocalist and bassist, Shayley Bourget, has some of the best vocals in the post-hardcore genre, whether it be live or recorded.  With Bourget on bass guitar, the bass is definitely more noticeable on this album, compared to their first release.  The guitar riffs and drum fills make this album very intricate, yet simple.  A song suggestion on this album would be the opening track, O.G. Loko. The last bridge into the outro has an eerie, raw yell and growl that builds into a perfect riff to end the song.

4) Mylo Xyloto - Coldplay
For a band that has been around for 16 years, Coldplay’s fifth studio album continues their tradition of albums that are amazingly pleasing.  Every release seems to match with the current trends of the pop music world, yet they constantly become more innovative each album.  Personally not listening to much pop music, this is still an album I can enjoy from start to finish.  The first sounds on this album include a distant, echoing electric guitar with bells and acoustic guitar strumming that breaks into the song, Hurts Like Heaven, with a beat that you can’t help but tap your foot to.  The vocals are outstanding as always, with Chris Martin’s smooth, dulcet voice adding the perfect tone and culture to the album.  I had a tough time choosing a song suggestion on this album, but I would have to choose track three, Paradise.  The blend of piano, drums, and orchestral strings make this song a perfect example of how Coldplay as a band and their sound have evolved.

5) Identity on Fire – A Skylit Drive
The third full length from post-hardcore band A Skylit Drive, titled Identity on Fire, shows perfectly how innovative and maturely their sound has progressed.  Unlike prior albums, this release showcases the clean vocalist Michael ”Jag” Jagmin’s range without him straining to reach the unbelievably high notes.  Bassist Brian White’s agonizing screams and drummer Cory La Quay’s deep growls give the album a great balance of vocals.  Each song has a unique sound and adds a sense of freshness, helping the diversity and composition of the record.  The song suggestion off this album would be the closing track, If You Lived Here You’d Be Home.  The opening keyboards start off with a false sense of calmness to the song for a few seconds until the rest of the band joins and changes it into a flawless post-hardcore ballad.

6) My Devil in Your Eyes – The Color Morale
The Color Morale is unique from the other post-hardcore bands on this list in that they have one vocalist, Garret Rapp, who deserves major props.  His screams change between a deep angry growl to more of a yell of agony which one can feel in the emotions of wrath and rage, while his clean vocals are not as high pitched as most other bands, yet still very melodic and calming.  The drummer, Steve Carey, is one of the most skilled and technically advanced drummers in the genre of post-hardcore, and it clearly shows on every song, ranging from perfectly timed double bass to the crazy beats and fills he throws around.  Song suggestion for this album would be track 2, Human(s) Being.  The song showcases every perfect aspect of this album, from the raw vocals to the crazy drums and guitars.

7) Let’s Cheers to This – Sleeping With Sirens
Getting top reviews across the board is the sophomore release from post-hardcore band Sleeping With Sirens, Let’s Cheers to This.  While their first album had painfully high vocals and a typical post-hardcore sound, this new record sounds more poppy and rock-like in many aspects.  The vocalist, Kellin Quinn, stays in a lower, ear soothing range with catchy hooks, while guitarist Jesse Lawson balances the heavy side of the album with well-placed screams.  The record even features an acoustic song, titled All My Heart, that incorporates a calming blend of acoustic guitar and bells.  Every song has features unique to it, but my listening suggestion would have to be the closing and title track, Let’s Cheers to This, that encompasses every aspect talked about above into a solid three and a half minutes.

8 ) The Hymn of a Broken Man – Times of Grace
This next release is very unique, having only two people taking on all music duties of recording.  Times of Grace features members of Killswitch Engage which clearly shows in the sound of their debut release, The Hymn of a Broken Man.  Adam Dutkiewicz took on the duties of vocals, bass, guitar, and drums in the studio, while Jesse Leach provided the backbone and majority of the vocals as well.  This album is full of melodic metal guitar riffs, while also having a deep crunch to their sound.  My song suggestion for this album would be track ten, Hope Remains, due to its showcasing of multi-instrumental talents provided by Adam Dutkiewicz and the powerful pipes of Jesse Leach.  This record encompasses the perfect qualities of a metalcore/hard rock album: harsh and raspy vocals, heavy guitars, double-bass drums and even slow, acoustic guitar parts.

9) Leveler – August Burns Red
The heaviest album and band on this list, the fourth release from metalcore band August Burns Red, Leveler, is full of crazy, riff filled guitars and unbelievably fast paced drums. The drummer, Matt Greiner, is often hailed as one of the top drummers in both metal and metalcore.  Every aspect of the drums, from the breathtaking double bass to the hi-hat and snare patterns, is truly amazing.  My song suggestion for this album would be the opening track, Empire.  The song features powerful drumming, heavy chugs and mind-blowing guitar riffs and speed.  The vocalist, Jake Luhrs, comes in more powerful than ever before, sending feelings of rage and passion right through you from the opening lyric.

10) Deus Ex Machina – Greek Fire
Last, but certainly not least on this list, is locally-based space rock band Greek Fire with their debut album, Deus Ex Machina.  With members from Story of the Year and Maybe Today, this band experiments with progressive rock sounds and catchy melodies.  In every song, you can feel the heart and soul from these artists passed through their music.  Powerful drumming combined with killer guitar riffs, make these 80′s arena rock-sounding songs stick in your head with ease.  This band has grown from a small local band with a tight fan base, to opening for bands like Good Charlotte and Incubus, and quickly moving into the national scene.  My song suggestion on this album would be the opening track, Doesn’t Matter Anyway.  The song begins with a space-like synth, pounding drums and powerful guitar that breaks into frontman Moon’s rich, soaring vocals.