Kennesaw State’s Player First Kind of Coach

By Morgana Kennedy

Nov. 15, 2015

Head Coach Tory Acheson posing for the camera in his office at Kennesaw State University on Monday, Nov. 9, 2015.  (Photo Credit: Morgana Kennedy)

KENNESAW, Ga. – Kennesaw State women’s softball coach has become very popular with the team through his “player first” coaching style.

Tory Acheson, known by his players as Coach Tory, officially became head coach for the Owls in April 2015. Acheson began coaching softball when he was in high school and continued on to the college level. Before coming to KSU, he coached at Tennessee Technological University for 16 years, Acheson said.  

“I’ve been coaching all of my adult life,” Acheson said. “It’s not something I got into thinking of coaching as a profession. It’s something that just found me.”

While at TTU, Acheson had 25 wins in 13 of his 14 seasons and averaged 36 wins per season. He acted as the interim coach during the 2015 campaign for the Owls. He led the team to a 32-19 record and finished third in the Atlantic Sun Conference.

The winning season came just months after Acheson’s wife passed away. He has one son who is working on an advanced degree in Florida, so he has thrown his heart into coaching this team, he said.

When he first began helping with a team in high school he met the woman who would become his wife. They did not know each other before he started helping with the softball team. They fell in love and got married two years after graduating, Acheson said.

They coached together throughout his career. They were married for 34 years.

Acheson has changed his coaching style over the years and credits his positive relationship with the girls on the team and the assistant coaches to empathy.

“My coaching career is the really the tale of two different stories, almost like two different personalities,” Acheson said. “When I was a young coach I was a very much a hard driving, screaming, yelling old school military type of coach, and as I’ve gotten older I’ve become much more of a laid back and player friendly kind of coach.”

This approach has earned Acheson respect among players and other coaches, assistant coach Cathleen Fritts said. She has known Acheson since she was a child and was recruited by him for TTU, she said.

“It’s like coming to work with a family member, you know, someone you’re close with and comfortable with,” Fritts said.

The women on the team are free to come to Acheson with any concerns, even those that are not related to softball, Fritts said. He has an open door policy.

Though Acheson has demonstrated an ability to effectively coach, he was not a great player, he said. He played baseball for many years, but describes himself as a mediocre player. 

“My whole athletic career I was just a very average athlete, but I was a really hard worker and was just interested in learning about the games that I played,” Acheson said.

Connecting with the players became the most rewarding part of sports, Acheson said. He enjoys watching his players grow, and the true payoff comes when a player has a breakthrough moment and really achieves something, he said.

Acheson views his success as being directly connected to his players. But, he admits that softball doesn’t yield professional success for players in most cases. Professional softball is not a very popular sport, and most athletes have to supplement their income in other ways if they continue on to the professional level, Acheson said.

Sports Blogging

By Morgana Kennedy

Chapter six discusses blogging. Blogging is a great way to put your work online, and to show future employers that you have writing skills. It is important to find a unique perspective or your own voice.

There are many types of "voices" in blogs. Some bloggers give opinions about teams, leagues and players. Others post more like fans, making excuses for poor plays or calls in a game. According to the book critics argue that many sports blogs are not worth reading.

Despite the negative comments blogs are here to stay. Even ESPN and CBSSports.com regularly glog major league baseball, National Football League, National Basketball Association and National Hockey League games. Colleges have started to get in on the blog phenomenon as well. Some colleges post live updates on  blogs during a game. Some just have recaps.

Blog writing is just starting to evolve. It is similar to sports writing in the early 1920s. Game stories read like short stories. Individual blog posts can vary though. It's important to be balanced. Mix the positive with the negative. Blogs won't be popular if they are mostly negative.

People who write blogs are often careless with their grammar or editing. They write the way they speak, which is O.K. for opinion blogs, but they should still follow AP style and watch for mistakes. It is hard to be viewed as a serious writer if your blog is filled with errors.

Make sure you report what happened during the game. Be sure to credit the sources you get the information from. Deliver quality information.

Blogs are like a sidebar. They are places where sports writers can expand on their game stories, according to the book. Add audio clips, links, and video to make it more interesting. There are no set rules to blogging. The writer just needs to try to capture the audience and keep them coming back. 

Player Q&A

Preview of Q&A with Soccer Player

By Morgana Kennedy

I spoke with Travis Montgomery a 27-year-old who plays for the Cobb Adult Soccer League. Montgomery has played soccer 22 years. The sport really shaped who he is today.

Playing soccer opened up a lot of doors, Montgomery said. It allowed him to have a closer relationship with his brother and playing on different teams introduced him to people he refers to as his best friends.

Montgomery also enjoys watching soccer. He attended the United States world cup men's qualifier in Washington D.C. Every few months for a year Montgomery and his friends would travel to a new city to see a soccer game.

His favorite team is Manchester United. But, he has not been able to see them live yet. He plans to see them the first chance he gets when he goes abroad.

"Soccer has been one of the biggest positive influences in my life. It has taught me invaluable lessons about life, hard work, communication, and friendship. I never realized how important it was when I was younger, but now that I'm older I see that playing soccer has really molded me into the person that I am today,"  Montgomery said.

Now enrolled at KSU as a sports management major, he plans to apply what he learns in the program to his dream career as the owner and operator of his own indoor soccer facility.

The video featuring Montgomery will be coming to the blog next week.

Hawks Defeated by Heat in Preseason Matchup

By Morgana Kennedy

Hawks assistant coach Darvin Ham after the preseason game against the Miami Heat at Philips Arena, Oct. 18. (Photo Credit: Morgana Kennedy)

ATLANTA – Gerald Green and James Ennis scored 19 points each leading the Miami Heat to victory over the Atlanta Hawks 101-92 at Philips Arena, Sunday.

Hawks Mike Scott also finished with 19 points and lead the team in rebounds while tallying three assists in 25 minutes, but it wasn’t enough to take the Heat. Atlanta had a decent showing in the second quarter but they weren’t as strong in the third.

“In the third quarter, they played really hard. I thought they played with a lot of energy, and we turned the ball over a lot,” head coach Mike Budenholze said. “We only got 16 points and we gave up 31. Credit to some of their guys who came in that third quarter and they just played with great energy and great effort.”

The Heat scored 28 points off of 22 Hawks’ turnovers. Four of the Heats’ players scored over 10 points in contrast to only three of the Hawks.

Despite the loss the Hawks have had a strong showing in the preseason winning four of the last five games.

As they prepare to enter the regular season the Hawks are focusing on defensive rebounding.

“That’s something we’ve really put a lot of time and effort and focus on in the preseason, and in practice and in film sessions,” Budenholzer said.

“We feel like we can be a good defensive rebounding team,” he said. “It’s something we’re conscious of and we’re working hard to be good on the defensive boards.”

The Hawks have some new faces. They’re feeling out different players in rotation mixing and matching on offense, according to assistant coach Darvin Ham.

“It’s not so much about the wins and losses at this point in the year as it is trying to get better at things that we’re working on in practice,” Ham said. “During the course of this preseason, season and earlier at the start of the year we’re feeling different guys out…and seeing what they’re able to give us.”

Newcomer Edy Tavares joins the Hawks this season. As one of the best players in Spain he shows a lot of promise. With English as a second language he had a challenging start, but that doesn’t hinder his performance on the court. Tavares scored a total of eight points in tonight’s game.

“He’s feeling much more comfortable. Being on a new team is hard, new language, everything. It takes a little time. He’s coming along very fast. He’s starting to understand everything. He feels more comfortable out there. It’s up to us to make the game easy for him,” Hawks Al Horford said.

The Hawks didn’t quite click with each other as well as their opponent in this game, Horford said. This is something they’ll have to work on if they want to succeed this season.

“The biggest thing is making sure we’re comfortable playing with each other,” Horford said.

Overall the Hawks look good, and this loss may just be the result of less urgency to win due to it only being a preseason game.

Owls Make History in Big South Conference Game

By Morgana Kennedy

Nick Perotta, defensive lineman for Kennesaw State University, at the post-game press conference on Saturday, Oct. 17.  (Photo credit: Morgana Kennedy)

KENNESAW, Ga. – The Fifth and Third Bank Stadium erupted with the cheers of Owl fans as Nick Perotta intercepted a pass at the goal line with :07 left to lock in Kennesaw State University’s win against Gardner-Webb University 12-7, Saturday.

The Bulldogs just needed to make a touch down to win the game. Gardner-Webb’s quarterback Tyrell Maxwell dropped back and threw toward the end zone, but the Owls junior defensive lineman prevented the pass from being completed.

Perotta helped the Owls make history. The victory marked the first time since 2002 that a newcomer won its first BSC game.

“To be able to make a play at the end and help the team get a win was definitely an exciting moment,” Perotta said.

KSU’s defense proved it could stack up against more seasoned opponents. The Bulldogs are a larger team pound-for-pound, with several players weighing in at over 300lbs. The Owls head coach Brian Bohannon credited the win to the way the Owls responded to the Bulldogs.

“I knew if we could get ahead two scores in the second half we were gonna wear the clock out, ‘cause I knew our defense could stop them,” Bohannon said.

Along with Perotta’s huge moment at the end of the game, freshman place kicker Justin Thompson made four field goals giving KSU its 12 points. Thompson tied a record for single game field goals in the BSC.

The Owls junior quarterback Trey White led the offense keeping possession of the ball for roughly 38 minutes throughout the game. Despite not being able to put it in the end zone it kept the ball out of the Bulldogs hands. 

But the shining moment for Owls fans came in those last few seconds as Perotta ripped away any chance of GWU taking the lead.

“It’s a big deal for program,” Bohannon said. “You talk about laying a foundation for stuff you can build on.”

This game also marked the Owls’ TV debut on ESPN3. The network broadcasted the game live with Evan Lepler and Renaldo Wynn. The BSC returned to ESPN3 this season with eight football games being televised exclusively.

If KSU can keep persevering they’re bound to have more historic moments. They go on to play Liberty University on Saturday, Oct. 24 at 7 p.m.  GWU will play Charleston Southern University on Oct. 24 at 1:30 p.m.

Kennesaw State defeats Gardner-Webb in Big South Conference Game

By Morgana Kennedy

Oct. 17, 2015

Owls head coach Brian Bohannon taking questions after a win against Gardner-Webb University, Saturday Oct. 17.

KENNESAW, Ga. -- Justin Thompson kicked four field goals to help the Owls win their first conference game 12-7 against the Bulldogs at Fifth Third Bank Stadium on Saturday.

After two false starts and the offense holding the ball without putting it in the end zone Kennesaw State relied on kicking and defense to take on the Bulldogs. Thompson made a 30-yard field goal in the first quarter, putting them ahead 3-0.

“We were trying every way we could to get that ball in the end zone,” head coach Brian Bohannon said. “I mean field goals really weren’t our mindset. … but, you felt like if you could put up two scores you were in pretty good shape.”

The Owls defense held the Bulldogs to only two first downs in the second quarter. A field goal made by Thompson with nine seconds left remained unanswered as Gardner-Webb rushed for a loss of one yard to finish the first half.

During the third quarter GWC's quarterback Tyrell Maxwell completed a 21-yard pass to wide receiver Jacob Henderson for the first down, but the Bulldogs were unable to put points on the board until the fourth quarter.

At the start of the fourth Thompson made a 27-yard field goal to put KSU at 12-0. With 5:33 left, the Bulldogs’ running back John Bettistea rushed one yard for a touchdown. A kick from Paul Schumacher gave the Bulldogs seven points, forcing the Owls to fight to keep their lead.

The game came down to the final seconds as KSU’s defensive lineman Nick Perrotta intercepted Tyrell’s final pass at the goal line with 0:03 left. The Owl’s remain undefeated at home with a record of 5-1 for the season, and enter into Big South competition at 1-0.

“This was one of those games that we really had to grind it out,” KSU quarterback Trey White said. “This was our coming out party.”

White led the offense with a total of 114 passing yards and 170 yards rushing. The Owls’ defense only allowed the Bulldogs 200 yards.

The Owls play Liberty University on Saturday as they continue in the Big South Conference. Gardner-Webb defeated Liberty 34-20 in their first conference game last week.

“We won the game and for a young program this is huge, huge,” Bohannon said. “At home in the first conference game and we found a way to win.”

Hoyas vs Mustangs

Hoyas Win Rivalry Game Against Mustangs

By Morgana Kennedy

Oct. 9, 2015 

Harrison High School Hoyas on the field preparing to take on the Kennesaw Mountain Mustangs at Colbeigh Stadium, Friday Oct. 9, 2015. (Photo credit: Morgana Kennedy)

 KENNESAW, Ga. –Justin Fields led the offense helping the Harrison Hoyas defeat the Kennesaw Mountain Mustangs 41-14, Friday.

The Hoyas started strong scoring two touchdowns in the first quarter and kept the momentum throughout the game. Running back Chris Kalafut put them on the board at 8:30.

Kennesaw Mountain also scored in the first. Running back Brycen Colon made one of only two touchdowns for the Mustangs with 26 seconds left in the first quarter. The Hoyas played strong defensively holding the Mustangs at seven points until the fourth quarter.

“The defense really took advantage of Kennesaw Mountain’s missed cues and that really set up a lot of opportunities for us in the first half,” Head coach Matt Dickmann said. “We did a great job of picking up their blitzes and moving the football.”

Harrison’s quarterback ran the ball from the 28-yard line for a touchdown in the second quarter putting the Hoyas ahead 27-7. The Mustangs tried to recover, but quarterback Kyle Wooten threw an incomplete pass and they were unable to score.

During the third quarter, Fields and wide receiver Aidan Loucks kept the ball moving. Fields completed a pass to Loucks setting him up for a touchdown.

At the end of the third, Kennesaw Mountain was held at the 13-yard line for four downs. As the fourth quarter began the Hoyas fumbled the ball, and the Mustangs tried to come back.

A final touchdown was made by the Mustangs, but with 41 seconds left in the fourth it was too late. They missed opportunities to score earlier in the game, which helped the Hoyas keep the lead, Dickmann said.

Harrison took home its second win after returning from fall break. The Hoyas are 5-2 for the season.

“It’s great to be in a good position in the region right now,” Dickmann said. “We’ll enjoy this tonight and get back to work tomorrow.”

Preview Game Story: Harrison Hoyas vs. Kennesaw Mountain Mustangs

Rivalry Game, Hoyas vs. Mustangs

By Morgana Kennedy

Oct. 7, 2015

Harrison High School Hoyas practicing Monday, Oct. 6, 2015 at Colbeigh Stadium. (Photo by: Morgana Kennedy)

KENNESAW, Ga. – Harrison High School Hoyas take on Kennesaw Mountain High School Mustangs in a conference game at Colbeigh Stadium on Friday, Oct. 9 at 7:30 p.m.

The Hoyas won their last game against North Paulding High School’s Wolfpack 35-13 in a region 4-5A match-up putting them at 4-2 for the season. It was their first game after returning from fall break.

Harrison Hoyas head coach Matt Dickmann.  (Photo by: Morgana Kennedy)

Last week’s win was a huge victory for the team overall, according to head coach Matt Dickmann. Both offense and defense made big plays. Quarterback Justin Fields led the offense with 355 yards and defense only allowed the Wolfpack 227 total yards.

“It was about time we played a big game and won the game,” Dickmann said.

If the team plays well in all aspects of the game, like last week, they’ll put up a good fight against the Mustangs. But, the Mustangs pose a challenge to the Hoyas offense.

“Kennesaw Mountain blitzes a lot, probably more than any other team we’ll play, so we have to work a lot on blitz pick up and any other looks they give us,” Dickmann said.

Kennesaw Mountain has a record of 2-3 for the season. In last week’s game the Mustangs defeated Osborne High School Cardinals 33-7.

But, the Hoyas have home field advantage and are up 2-3 for home games. However, the student body of both schools will likely come out in big numbers to show support.

Harrison and Kennesaw Mountain sit on opposing ends of the same stretch of road. With only 4.7 miles between them, they’ve developed a huge rivalry.

If Harrison wins the game it means huge bragging rights, according to Dickmann. The team does not have any injuries and the players are fired up for Friday.

Along with being able to boast, the Hoyas need to continue to win games if they want a spot in the playoffs.

“We’re kind of in the drivers seat meaning that if we keep winning we’ll be ok, but if we lose we take a big step back,” Dickmann said. “Right now we’re controlling our destiny, if we continue to win we set ourselves up for the playoffs.”

Overall the Hoyas have had 14 seasons with a winning record, 14 state playoff appearances and six region championships. Two former Hoyas made it to the NFL, Paul Oliver and Jonathan Abbate.

Feature Writing

By Morgana Kennedy

Feature stories are something that I personally enjoy. Chapter 5 explains how to develop a feature and offers tips and tricks to writing one. Features give the writer a chance to be creative and develop their own voice through story telling.

The first thing to keep in mind is that there is no set way to write a sports feature. The goal is to find a compelling story. Audiences love drama, so a good way to tell a story is through conflict. Finding good material to cover is key. Sometimes it's a person. Sometimes it's a situation.

Before diving into writing, figure out why you want to tell the story. What's the angle? Why did you decide to write it now? Some reasons for writing a feature may be a certain player made the best play of their career or set a record. Maybe its the anniversary of an event or a beloved player's death.

Features require research. You need new information so that you can produce a fresh take on a subject. Something that will set your work apart from others who may choose the same topic. Read older features done on your subject and check social media for possible new stories coming out on it.

Once you've decided what the story is about try to obtain tiny details related to your subject. Go out and ask people what they think of this event or person. Call opposing teams. Verify information with coaches and other team members. Talk to the family if you're writing a feature on a person.


For features on a specific athlete they need to be fully developed with dynamic qualities. Speak to as many people as possible to get an understanding of who this person is/was. Show this person's character through their actions, dialogue, and physical appearance.

Create a setting for this person. You can often describe the setting before describing the person. It gives the audience a better picture.

Using literary techniques can be very helpful in feature writing. It's more than just reporting news. It's telling the story of someone or something.

Writing high school game stories

By Morgana Kennedy


In chapter 4 of my textbook the daunting task of keeping up with the score for high school sports is explained. A reporter covering a high school has to manually keep track of every play themselves. This can be very difficult if visibility is poor or if you are unfamiliar with all the plays of the sport.

Keeping accurate stats is important. It shows an editor that you're competent, and it is a great way to break into sports writing. It's all about the numbers. It is the only way to accurately cover a game.

But stats aren't the only thing a reporter has to keep track of during a high school game. They must be vigilant in getting a quote from the coach of the winning team or the team they're assigned to cover and quotes from players. They need to do research before the game and know who the players are and what position they play.

It's also important to ask the coach before a game which players are starting the game, and if anyone is missing from the roster. The reporter needs to keep accurate notes during the game. When they go to write the story they need to be precise on how names are spelled in the story. Readers of the piece will likely be parents, players, and coaches. It will discredit the reporter if names are misspelled.

Reporters also need to be prepared for direct feedback. These stories are often published locally, and parents may be angry if their child is not featured. Local readers are more likely to try to contact the reporter if they're unhappy with the story.

It can be a very stressful task, but the end result is rewarding. Knowing that people are reading a story you put so much work into is a great feeling.

Narrated Photo Essay

Watch my narrated photo essay on the Raptors below.

Kennesaw State Remains Undefeated

By Morgana Kennedy

KENNESAW, Ga. -- The loud roar of over 8,000 Owl fans rang out as Justin Thompson kicked a 28-yard field goal to help defeat Shorter University 18-10, Saturday.

A major fumble by the Hawks allowed KSU to claim victory. Freshman Dez Billingslea picked up the ball after the failed snap and returned it for a touch down.

Thompson kicked four field goals during the game. He made 42 yards in the first quarter putting KSU on the board (3-0).

Quarterback Trey White threw for 186 yards and had 77 on the ground.  Micha Reed had 100 rushing yards on 26 carries and Justin Sumpter completed five passes for 121 yards. 

Shorter had a total of 135 yards passing and 27 rushing out of 31 attempts.

This game put KSU three for three in its first season ever. But, it was a much closer than the previous game against Edward Waters where the Owls won 58-7.

As the season continues the new comers may have some difficulty keeping their undefeated title. For now, KSU fans can boast a great start.

The Raptors

By Morgana Kennedy

I have an assignment deadline coming up in sports writing. It is to narrate a photo essay. This weekend I went out and shot pictures of the Raptors, a little league team in East-Cobb.

As I watched the six-and-under team take the field a lot of memories of playing sports as a child came flooding back. The boys wore gloves that seemed too big for their small hands, but they were much more coordinated than I was at that age.

They stood in a line and warmed up by throwing to their fathers and coaches. John Bretti is the team's coach and father of one the boys.

"Ultimately what we're looking to do for the practices and the games is to develop the kids to enjoy being a part of a team," Bretti said.

His goal is to shape the boys into team players and to teach them to respect working with each other and listening to their coaches. He hopes this will help them as they progress.

Bretti had them meet him at the mound for a pre-practice pep talk, and then he sent them to home plate to practice running the bases. The boys held their hands up in the air as though they were holding a bat and swung. Parents cheered as the boys did their best to hustle to first base.

I really enjoyed getting to watch the practice, and I took some really great action shots. I'm excited to share my project when it is finished.

Chip Kelly lets Tim Tebow down easy

By: Morgana Kennedy

Tim Tebow feels the harsh sting of rejection once again after the Philadelphia Eagles released him from the team Saturday.

The 28-year-old quarterback may have hit his peak in college. He has been dropped from 4 teams since he was first drafted into the NFL by the Denver Broncos in 2010.

According to an article written by, Michael Middlehurst-Schwartz on USA TODAY sports the Eagles' coach, Chip Kelly, said he didn't think Tebow was good enough to be the No. 3 quarterback, but he applauded Tebow for the improvements he made during the preseason. Kelly kept Sam Bradford and Mark Sanchez.

It is unclear if any other team will pick up Tebow, but the stigma that has been glued to his name may dissuade other teams. After being cut from the New England Patriots in 2013, he became a college football analyst for ESPN. If he is not picked up by another team he might want to call to have his old job back.

His accomplishments pre-NFL have been overshadowed by his failure in the pros. Football fans love to hate the Heisman Trophy winner and don't seem to be too upset about him not making the cut. 

Despite the outcome Tebow made this statement on his twitter, "Thanks @Eagles and Coach Kelly for giving me the opportunity to play the game I love! Romans 8:28 #Blessed."

At least he doesn't seem to be holding a grudge.

Keeping Score

Keeping Score
By: Morgana Kennedy

As the semester begins I am steadily approaching one of my biggest challenges to date, keeping track of statistics during a football game. That sounds like an easy thing to do with today's technology. For most sports statistics all one has to do is click a link and there they are. But, in the pursuit of knowledge, or something like that, I have to do it by hand. Yes, this means pulling out a piece of paper and a pencil.

In class, Tuesday August 25, a sports column editor came to speak with us. He told us about writing for a daily deadline and how to keep score at a high school football game. The information was really useful. I went from feeling like I had absolutely no clue how to create a stat sheet to feeling like I could possibly accomplish this task. It requires a lot of attention, and I am much more appreciative of people who keep score for a living and post it online.

So, I will do my best to plunge fearlessly into this score keeping endeavor. More than likely, many mistakes will be made, but hopefully I'll learn something.

Exploring the World of Sports Reporting

By: Morgana Kennedy
August 24, 2015

I have to confess that when it comes to the world of sports journalism I have no experience. Over the next few months I will be exploring sports reporting and posting weekly updates on various topics in this genre.

The first step in my exploration was to read the first two chapters of my text book, "Field Guide to Covering Sports", by Joe Gisondi. Chapter one is about how to go from being a fan of sports to a sports reporter. Luckily for me this chapter highlights how even the most die hard sports fans might be assigned to cover a sport they know nothing about. The key is to research, interview and observe thoroughly.

There is no exact path to becoming a sports reporter. Many people get their start by writing stories about high school games or the minor leagues. The advice given in the chapter is to take chances. Writing a story that is similar to others that have been published is boring. Sports are exciting, so the story covering the event should be as well.

The next chapter covers game stories. This is completely uncharted territory for me. To construct a good game story a reporter needs to know who the players are, the elements that make this game unique, reading the statistics, and making sure the credentials are correct.

To make the story interesting it has to have an interesting lead. The lead should start with the most exciting part of the game. It could be weather that caused poor playing conditions, a specific play, post-game, significant statistics, or an observation. It is helpful to read several game stories from other authors to get a better understanding of where you'd like your piece to go.

With the tips outlined in these two chapters I have a better understanding of what sports reporting requires. I'll do my best to write accurate and interesting posts this new experience, for me, in journalism.

April Fools' Day joke might be the best idea ever!

April Fools' Day joke might be the best idea ever!

By: Morgana Kennedy

Gaming hardware company Hyperkin rocked the Reddit world by releasing their idea to combine the beloved Nintendo Game Boy with the iPhone 6, according to an article by Brian Koerber. 

Unfortunately, this idea was just an April Fools' Day joke. I know, I know. It broke my heart too. The good news is that the company decided this might actually be a brilliant concept. 

Hyperkin

Yes! It is a brilliant concept. All the nerds rejoice! The product would be called Smart Boy, and it would allow users to place Game Boy games in the cartridge and play them through the phone. The company would also have downloadable apps that accompany it, Koerber said. 

But, there is a slight problem. Nintendo may not approve this idea. We can only hope they answer the prayers of all the 80's and 90's kids by letting this concept happen.  

Slay the evil e, down with the icy blue icon!

Slay the evil e, down with the icy blue icon!
By: Morgana Kennedy

In today's fast paced society surfing the web is expected to be effortless and above all FAST, but there is one browser which never seemed to get with the times, Microsoft's Internet Explorer.

After a few rounds of tirelessly trying to load, x-out, re-load, or having a little box tell you the page was not responding most of us took out our mental pitch forks and wanted to kill it.

Rumors have been buzzing about the final demise of Internet Explorer, but it isn't exactly going to die completely. According to an article written by Owen Williams, Microsoft is launching a new browser with Windows 10, but it will still have Internet Explorer on some versions. 

The new browser will be named Project Spartan, and Microsoft claims it will challenge Google Chrome. Call me a cynic, but I'm not so sure about that. 

With so many browser options available, it really doesn't matter if Internet Explorer or its sister browser, Project Spartan, sticks around. We have the freedom to choose. 

GOOGLE'S RED WARNING!

By: Morgana Kennedy

Google has come up with a quick fix for those pesky add-ons that attach themselves to your browser like little cyber leeches, according to an article on Mashable.

If you are a Chrome user you can rest assure that these internet parasites will suck your online surfing blood no more! Or at least alleviate some of the annoyance. A red warning label will pop up when you are about to enter a site with bloatware.

The idea is to help users navigate the web without having unwanted extra's on your screen. It will also pick up on deceptive sites on it's search engine. The deceptive sites will be less likely to show up in your results.

While the Google warning won't stop the ever growing problem of ad spam and unwanted downloads, it does put a band aid on it. At least they're trying right?

Krispy Kreme Really Drops the Dough

By: Morgana Kennedy

 

Someone at Krispy Kreme Doughnuts thought they were being klever when they came up with the name for their promotion titled, Krispy Kreme Klub, according to an article written by Blathnaid Healy.

Unfortunately for the delicious doughnut dynamo's (see what I did there?), their fans were quick to remind them that three K's often stand for something much more sinister than carbohydrate overload.

The event, that is still scheduled to take place Feb. 18, took fans of the companies' Facebook page on a one way trip to awkwardly offended town when they chose to promote it as KKK Wednesday. Over 200,000 people are fans of the page, and many of them were not amused with the play on words.

The company may not be able to remove the foot from its mouth, but it was swift on removing the post. They also issued an apology, which may be hard to find since the Facebook page is gone.

If men in pointy hats slinging hateful racial obscenities don't put you off your doughnut cravings, then take a trip to the Krispy Kreme store in Hull for the event formally known as KKK Wednesday.

I'll leave you with the words of Homer Simpson, D'oh!

The Facebook is falling and I can't get up!

Man your battle stations Facebook was sunk! For an hour. 

Hello! I'm Morgana Kennedy. I am a college student at Kennesaw State University in Kennesaw, Ga. I will be delving into the world of new media in each of my blog posts throughout the next couple of months.

This is my first blog post, and I couldn't think of a better way to start a blog dedicated to social media news than the great Facebook/Instagram outage of 2015. Yesterday, January 27, 2015, Facebook and Instagram went down for an hour. Yes, I said that right, an entire hour of potential social media usage was disabled due to technical difficulties. In the life of a key stroker this was internity, or internet eternity as some may like to refer to it.

The San Jose Mercury News  reacted by trying to make light of the situation posting an article full of twitter users' reaction to the interntity of down social media. Even the ever serious CNN seemed to find humor in this travesty on eye to screen viewing time.

Regardless of these news organization's reaction, the fact still remains that Facebook went down for over a million users in the United States, Asia, Australia, and New Zealand. The internet is not concerned with time or space, so every second wasted not posting a check-in, selfie, instagram advertisement, or hashtag is valuable. I hope that these millions of users that were stranded on the lonely streets of the social media highway recovered unscathed from this hiccup.