Cinco de Mayo observes the 1862 victory of Mexico over France. The Battle of Puebla is an important part of Mexican history and pride. The underdog Mexican army, led by General Ignacio Zaragoza Seguin, fought against the French persecution and army and reigned victorious.

 Though Mexicans certainly remember it, this day has become more of an American holiday. It’s on the fifth of May that we celebrate Mexican culture and heritage.

 There was a huge push for Cinco de Mayo awareness in the 1960s in Mexican-American communities. Since then, it’s grown into an occasion of national-holiday standards. Come May 5, there will be parties, mariachi music, cultural dancing, parades and various foods to memorialize the nation. To truly experience our nation’s celebration of Mexican culture, visit Houston, Chicago or Los Angeles as large festivals are held.

The United States even went as far as having a resolution issued by the U.S. Congress in 2007. It calls for the President of the United States to issue a statement encouraging citizens to celebrate Cinco de Mayo with related events and festivities.

 As for the Mexicans, they heavily observe Cinco de Mayo in Puebla—the state of their victory against France. Much like Americans reenact Civil War battles like Gettysburg; Mexicans reenact their battle on the streets of Puebla. It’s also known as El Dia de la Batella de Puebla. It’s not considered a national holiday in much of Mexico, but public schools are closed and some businesses recognize it as a full holiday.

Though it’s a huge part of Mexican history, it’s not their biggest holiday. They celebrate their independence day on Sept. 16–though most Americans mistakenly consider Cinco de Mayo as that celebration.

Whether it’s in Mexico, the United States or elsewhere around the globe, Cinco de Mayo is a day to celebrate pride in Mexican heritage, culture and history.

Born Benedict Timothy Carlton Cumberbatch (trying saying that five times fast) in London, England, Cumberbatch first became well known for his role of Stephen Hawking in the BBC drama “Hawking” in 2004.

Although his name was known from 2001 on, he hit international stardom with his portrayal of Sherlock Holmes in the BBC production of “Sherlock.”

Cumberbatch’s iconic deep voice is especially notable when acting as Sherlock Holmes. Numerous fans have compared his rich baritone voice to a “jaguar inside a cello.”

Cumberbatch has had a busy year filming for various shows and movies both in the UK and in America, three of his most anticipated works being “Sherlock,” “Star Trek” and “The Hobbit.”

Cumberbatch returns once again to “Sherlock” as Sherlock Holmes himself. After faking his death, Sherlock returns to London in “The Empty Hearse,” loosely based off the original story “The Empty House” by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle.

Filming of “Sherlock” began March 18 and has an airdate of late this year. A fourth series has also been confirmed by the creators of “Sherlock”, so expect to see more Cumberbatch in the future.

In the movie “Star Trek: Into Darkness,” Cumberbatch is set to play the villain, John Harrison. To some he may be the stereotypical English villain, but Trekkies should rejoice in the casting of Cumberbatch. He’s researched Harrison’s role within the Star Trek Universe to set a motive for Harrison’s actions.

When asked why he brushed up on Harrison’s life, he said “It was important to me to ground [John Harrison] in a reality that’s based more on his story than, say, a parallel in the real world.”

Cumberbatch also studied various terrorist groups to get a realistic feel for Harrison, who is a terrorist.

Cumberbatch will also be re-joining “Sherlock” co-star Martin Freeman in the second of The Hobbit film trilogy, “The Desolation of Smaug.”

Cumberbatch and Freeman will appear onscreen together as enemies this time around with Cumberbatch cast as the villain, Smaug the Dragon.

Cumberbatch will be motion-capturing Smaug similar to how Gollum was motion captured by Andy Serkis in the Lord of the Rings trilogy and in “An Unexpected Journey.”

Cumberbatch was also credited for his motion capture of The Necromancer in the first movie, “An Unexpected Journey” and will also provide the voice of The Necromancer in subsequent installments.

Due to his smooth voice, Cumberbatch has provided the voice of several characters on BBC Radio shows. One character is Captain Martin Crieff, an airline pilot in the show “Cabin Pressure,” an ongoing BBC radio show.

Cumberbatch has also voiced characters in “Copenhagen” and “Neverwhere” earlier this year on BBC Radio 3 and 4.

Cumberbatch has received numerous nominations and awards, first being nominated in 2001 for his role in the stage production of “Love’s Labor Lost.”

His first award was in “Best Performance by an Actor” which he won in his portrayal in “Hawking”.

His most recent award was the Broadcasting Press Guild Award for Best Actor, which he won for his roles in “Sherlock” and “Parade’s End” as Christopher Tietjens.

 A few sequels that look promising are coming to theaters soon. For those of us who missed the hysterical antics of the stubby-legged, googly-eyed minions, “Despicable Me 2” gives us something to look forward to when it comes out in July. Gru and the girls return, but this time Gru is on the good side when the Anti-Villain League contacts him for help defeating a powerful villain. It’ll be a little weird seeing Gru as a “good guy,” but I have high hopes for this sequel.

 It’s no secret that great books often make good movies (I’m looking at you, Life of Pi), which is why many audiences are eagerly awaiting the new Percy Jackson movie coming to the big screen Aug. 16. In his new adventure, the demigod must overcome new obstacles with the help of his friends in the search for the fabled Golden Fleece. The audience’s interest and love for the first book in this series was what drove them to the theater; will it do the same for this one?

 Wipe that old spaghetti sauce off of your umbrella; “Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs 2” is coming to theaters Sept. 27! Flint’s crazy food-making weather machine has transformed Swallow Falls into a land made entirely of living food. Shrimpanzees, double bacon cheespiders and my personal favorite, tacodiles are just a few of the creatures this food land has created. The world calls upon Flint and his friends to save the world once more.

 There’s no talking about sequels without mentioning that Disney and Pixar just announced the sequel to “Finding Nemo” which will be titled “Finding Dory.” Though there isn’t much known about it yet (it isn’t even hitting theatres until 2015!), Pixar rarely lets down its audiences. Dory’s such a well-loved character, it’s hard to think that a movie about her could be bad.

It looks like we’ve got a lot of great sequels heading our way in the near (and far) future! Here’s to hoping they match up to their first movies!

Prequels always have significant potential to emulate the success of their parent films, as they’re typically reserved to establish a chronology, or verify the legitimacy of characters and events from a successful film.

While a sequel is predicated directly upon the prior release, prequels are only required to arrive at the original movie by their completion. This allows the filmmakers more creativity, as they have an infinite number of ways of telling the backstory.

However, whether a sequel or prequel, the first requirement is a financially successful movie worth building upon. Hollywood is an industry like any other, in that it exists to make profit, and it is simply good business to revisit favorites, in one way or another, as this is nearly guaranteed money.

New movies are raw, unproven and therefore, may fail. You may want to keep this in mind while realizing the box office is, and will be, dominated by prequels, sequels, and remakes for the time to come.

 In the following months many prequels will be released, spanning all genres. You may have recently been to the movies and saw “Oz: The Great and Powerful,” and been completely unaware it was a prequel rather than a remake.

 Disney’s “Monsters University” will be released at the end June, and it is a greatly anticipated film, even if for a younger audience. The film will tell the story as to how Mike and Sully, the main characters of “Monsters Inc.,” became best friends while at college. Upon meeting they greatly disliked each other, and the film examines their journey towards being inseparable.

 This August, “The Battle of Artemesia” was set to debut, however the title was changed to more accurately reflect the movie it is predating, and is now “300:  Rise of an Empire.” Gerard Butler will not be returning, and the action will switch from the land to the sea. The Greeks must again stop Xerses, although this time he will be arriving with a fleet of Persian ships.

 Finally, you may want to keep your eyes open for “Sin City: A Dame to Kill,” and “The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug,” both set to release this fall and, you guessed it, prequels. The Desolation of Smaug is also interesting in that is not only a prequel, to the “Lord of the Rings,” but also a sequel, to “The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey.”

But sometimes the story just needs to go on and thus, we get more than sequels, we get trilogies and much more.

Returning early this May is Robert Downey Jr. reprising his role as the playboy genius Tony Stark in “Iron Man 3.”

Picking up where “Iron Man 2” left off, Tony Stark faces a powerful enemy known as the Mandarin. Along the way, he will discover the question that has always haunted him: Does the man make the suit or does the suit make the man?

With the first “Iron Man” making quadruple its budget and “Iron Man 2” making triple its budget, “Iron Man 3” is expected to do just as well at the box office.

Ever since the movie “Paranormal Activity” surprised audiences everywhere, it’s had many sequels over the last few years. Late this October, we’re being treated once again to another installment, this time, “Paranormal Activity 5”.

Each movie has a budget of only $5 million, with the first having a budget of about $15,000. The first four movies have made between $140 and $200 million and it’s expected the fifth will be a box office hit like its predecessors.

 Finally Lord of the Rings fans can rejoice because Peter Jackson returns to Middle Earth once again to bring “The Hobbit” to life.

Based on the book of the same name, “The Hobbit” is being made into three separate movies: “An Unexpected Journey”, “The Desolation of Smaug” and “There and Back Again”.

 Starring Martin Freeman as the protagonist Bilbo Baggins, we follow him on an adventure with thirteen dwarves to the Misty Mountain where the dwarves once lived.

 With returning characters like Gandalf, Saruman, Gollum, Elrond and Legolas, Peter Jackson has set the bar enormously high by returning to Middle Earth.

 “An Unexpected Journey” has already been released on home media while the second installment “The Desolation of Smaug” is scheduled to come out Dec. 13 this year.

The final movie in the trilogy, “Here and Back Again,” is scheduled to arrive sometime in the summer of 2014.

The book movie that I’m most excited about this summer is Baz Luhrmann’s interpretation of F. Scott Fitzgerald’s “The Great Gatsby.” It’s clear that this movie is going to be a wild version of the classic story and the soundtrack will be featuring many modern musicians.  While my traditionalist soul did not approve of Luhrmann’s “Romeo and Juliet,” I’m still holding out hope for “Gatsby.” The wild parties that fill so much of Fitzgerald’s story definitely lends itself to a high-energy and spectacular feat of filmography.

In July, The second Percy Jackson book “Sea of Monsters” will be in theaters. The first book of author Rick Riordan’s Percy Jackson and the Olympians series was less than impressive for fans of the series, though many are hoping for redemption in “Sea of Monsters.” After seeing the trailer, I’m on the fence about this second movie.

Towards the end of summer, a new version of Shakespeare’s comedy “Much Ado About Nothing” by Joss Whedon. He filmed the adaptation during a break from working on “The Avengers” and while it uses Shakespeare’s original text, it takes place in modern day Los Angeles. As the mastermind behind “Firefly,” “Buffy,” “Doctor Horrible’s Sing-Along Blog” and “The Avengers” of course, I feel certain that he can definitely pull off a really cool version of the play.

But do not fear. Spring break is right around the corner! At this point, the knowledge of spring break being so close is the only thing keeping me going. I cannot wait for this long-deserved mini-vacation.

A week free of assignments and exams is the perfect respite that every college student needs in order to keep sane. You may be feeling as if you’re only hanging on by a thread right now, but just think: soon enough you’ll be sleeping in your own bed, eating lovingly prepared home-cooked meals and spending your time however you wish. During the carefree days of spring break, you can push school to the back of your mind and focus on the things that make you happy.

Spend time with family and friends, get some much-needed sleep, catch up on your favorite shows, and finish any projects you may have started. Hopefully the weather will recognize and accept that it is finally spring, and you can spend time in the great outdoors with the fresh air and budding wildlife! I know I’m looking forward to reading those books I’ve been too busy to read, taking my dog on long walks, and returning to my job to earn a little money.

Maybe you have a nice Easter tradition to look forward to? I enjoy going to Easter mass with my family and then returning home for our Easter dinner. If the weather is nice, my family gets together with our cousins who live close by and we organize an Easter egg hunt for our younger siblings in my family’s backyard. And, of course, everybody gets chocolate!

Remember to leave a little time for yourself to simply relax and breathe.You’ve survived the school year thus far and deserve to take it easy. It has been a tough couple of months, so take this opportunity to unwind and refresh.

Thank you Registrar’s Office,

For my past three years here at Seton Hill, I’ve worked with some of the most wonderful, caring people on campus. It might be biased because I call Sharon Mills my boss, but she never hesitates to ask how I’m doing, help me with my problems or listen when I need an ear. She goes above and beyond her call of duty. In fact, they all do. Even when I’m stressfully scheduling for the next semester, I know that they’ll be there to help. I don’t think a lot of people realize just how much they do. Another lovely lady who deserves a thank you is Sheri Ventrone. Day after day she answers and redirects phone calls, makes room reservations, gives directions, and happily greets the Seton Hill community. I don’t think I’ve ever walked by the reception desk and not seen Sheri with a smile. Her effervescent personality is infectious, much like that of her mother’s. We’ll all miss Betty Cianciotto and her bubbly character. But we all wish her the best in her retirement and send many thank you’s her way. So I conclude with saying an immense thank you to the incredible, hard-working folks in the Registrar’s Office.

Katelyn Snyder to SHU Food Service Staff:

Thank you Food Service Staff,

I’ve worked foodservice before and I know it can be a thankless job. It’s also one of the most important jobs I can think of. People, especially college students, love food. So thank you SHU food service staff, because not only do you provide us a lot of food on a daily basis, but you also do it with a kindness that never stops. From the people who scan our cards, to those handling dishes and the garbage cans, I’ve never found a worker who was less than polite to me. That’s pretty cool. Also, you guys do special meals like no other. Last week we had Fat Tuesday AND Valentine’s Day feasts and it was wonderful and such a nice treat. This isn’t the only reason that I think SHU food service is magical. Somehow, the dining hall is always serving my favorite meal (Grilled Cheese and Tomato soup) on my worst days. I don’t know how you guys do it, but I’m pretty thankful. That meal makes my day, every time.

Thanks again so much for all you do!
Katelyn Snyder

Abbey Fleckenstein to Farrell Res Life:

Thank you Farrell Hall Residence Life:

I could only imagine both the highs and lows of being a Residence Life staff member. I truly appreciate the convenience of having someone to go to with questions about our halls, campus life and even the simple ones like how to retrieve a sweeper. I also realize the effort you guys put into your floor programs, and knowing sometimes you don’t get the turnout you are looking for. A few weeks ago, most of my suite and I decided to go to the floor program on third floor- it was a game night. My suitemates and I ended up staying out in the common area for hours playing my favorite board game Taboo, and I think it is safe to say we had a blast. I can’t speak for my entire suite, but I know we all had a very good time. Thank you for putting forth the effort and making Farrell a safe and fun environment; we all appreciate it!

Thank you again,
Abbey Fleckenstein.

Thank you, Campus Ministry…

For always appearing friendly and helpful on first floor Lowe.  The sense of Catholic identity really thrives at Seton Hill because of the work you do on campus.  From coffee talks to Bible studies to special events like Lunch with Liz, the ladies and gentlemen of Campus Ministry are always whipping up ways to keep SHU students connected as a family.
I would like to say a special thank you to Sister Maureen for working with me to set up volunteer initiatives around downtown Greensburg and at Caritas Christi. Without your support and willingness to drive, our Service Saturdays project never would have been put into action.
A thank you also goes out to the Reverend Doctor.  Professor VonSchlichten has been so helpful to me in the past month, and he is always more than willing to lend a listening ear.  He welcomes all to Bible study and conducts it in a comfortable, personal way.
Again, to every member of Campus Ministry: I extend very sincere gratitude to you all for the dedication, kindness and charisma you bring to the Hill.

Thanks again,

Adrienne Bracken

Dear Snow Removal Maintenance crew,
The students at Seton Hill cannot thank you enough for all the effort and work you put into keeping the walkways and lots clear and salted. We complain about having to walk to and fro in the cold and the wind without realizing how much worse we would be without having clear walks. Without your hard work and perseverance against the snow and ice, we would be slipping and sliding all over the place; there would be twisted ankles and thrown out backs galore. Thank you for battling the frozen tundra — for putting yourselves in danger of frostbite and hypothermia so that we may be able to trudge to classes without the extra hassle of snow build up. Thank you for keeping us safe and our pant legs slightly less soggy. Thank you.

Sarah Last to Cleaning Staff on 5th Maura:

Dear Cleaning Staff on 5th Maura,
I wanted to thank you for all of the hard work and dedication you have toward your job. I see you almost every morning on 5th floor Maura, scrubbing our bathrooms, taking out the trash that seems to have accumulated overnight and making sure we have clean showers to use. Even though we’ve only seen each other in passing, I don’t think I’ve ever seen you in a bad mood. The dedication to your job is seen by everyone who lives up here. When you hold the door open for girls struggling to get their keys out of their backpacks or mopping up the puddles on the shower floor we forget about, actions like those mean a great deal. I want to let you know that your efforts don’t go unnoticed. I think I speak for everyone on 5th Maura when I say that we truly appreciate the fact that you keep our floor clean and orderly.

Thank you so much for everything you do!

“We’ve got to dot a lot of Is, cross a lot of Ts. There’s still a lot of work to be done, but the basic framework of the deal has been agreed upon,” said Bettman.

The teams entered training camp the following Sunday for the 48 game season that opened on Jan. 19. All of the games during the shortened season will be played within the conference respectively. 26 teams out of 30 will play on Opening Day.

The 99 day regular season will consist of 720 games total and there will be at least one game per day until the final day of the regular season on April 27. Playoffs will begin on April 30 and the Stanley Cup can last as long as June 28.

The new deal calls for, as stated by CTV News:

• A 50-50 split of hockey-related revenue between owners and players.
• A seven-year cap on player contracts, or eight years when a team is re-signing its own player.
• The salary cap for this season will be $70.2 million before prorating to adjust for the shortened season, and the cap will drop to $64.3 million in 2013-14 – the same amount as 2011-12. There will be a salary floor of $44 million in those years.
• A 35 percent yearly variance in salary and no more than a 50 per cent difference between any two seasons.
• There were no changes to eligibility for free agency and salary arbitration.
• A playoff pool that doubles in size to $13 million for the 2012-13 and 2013-14 seasons.
• A new defined-benefit pension plan for players.
• Participation of NHL and its players in the 2014 Sochi Olympics will be determined later in discussions also involving the International Olympic Committee and the International Ice Hockey Federation.

Over 700 union members were given a 36 hour period to vote electronically on the tentative deal that would ultimately end the lockout. Following this voting period, the NHL board of governors approved the deal with a unanimous vote. The deal will be in place for 10 years but either side has the option of opting out after just eight years.

Teams will play 18 games within their division: four games, two home and two away, against two of the teams in the division, five games, three home and two away, against another team in the division and five games, two home and three away, against the remaining divisional opponent, according to yahoo.com.

The 2012 lockout was the fourth lockout in the history of the league. The 1992 strike postponed 30 games of the 1991-92 season. The 1994-95 lockout cancelled many of the games forcing a 48 games season with no inter-conference games, which was the same outcome of this year’s lockout. The 2004-05 lockout cancelled all the games in the season.

The 2012-13 lockout brings the total number of cancelled games under NHL commissioner Gary Bettman to 2,178.

Whether they are stadium employees, local bar/restaurant owners or merchandize sellers, there are a lot of people that were devastated by the lockout. Some businesses were even forced to lay off workers due to less income.

“The local economies are what get harmed,” said Dan Rascher, the president of the sports-business consulting firm SportsEconomics, in an interview with The Daily Beast. “The places around the [stadium] vicinity are going to have the strongest impact, because a good chunk of people who attend those areas aren’t from the city. They are new groups of people who spend money in areas they wouldn’t spend it in otherwise.”

Drinking establishments are suffering with the business falling at almost 35 percent, as reported by the Canadian Press.

For Boston, Mass., hockey provides a pretty substantial income. An article published by NECN.com said, “the economic impact of an average Bruins home game is estimated between $850,000 and $1 million. Any time you have 17,000-plus fans pouring into an arena, both the neighborhood and the city forfeit the revenue of any event-related purchases. While the economic impact is felt by the city, the real effect is on the small business owners that rely on hockey to bring in patrons.”

Granted, cities still benefit from concerts and special events, but considering how many hockey games are in a season, it’s easy to see why they benefit so much from that income. Also, baseball wouldn’t yet be in season. Football is just about out of season. So hockey season is a vital time for those small business owners– and fans alike– to get excited.