Sara Ghavami: A Profile

Avila University draws in students from all over the world, and you never know whom you might meet on campus. Sara Ghavami is a junior at Avila University. While she was born in Overland Park, Kansas, she considers herself to be not only an American citizen but also an Iranian citizen. When she was two, her family moved back to Iran for a couple years, but decided to return to the United States before Sara went to kindergarten. Up until this point, she had spoken only Persian and Arabic, because those are the languages of her culture. After being immersed in public school in the United States, she learned English, which is one of the most difficult languages to learn. Today, her English is flawless and you would never be able to tell from a cursory glance that she is a trilingual Iranian woman.  Sara explained that she is a Muslim, and that there are two different sects within the Islamic religion: Shi’ites and Sunnis. She is a Shi’ite, which is the least common of the two sects. No matter which sect, their culture is very family-oriented and this definitely shows in Sara’s lifestyle. 

In her free time, she loves to spend time with her family and babysit her new niece. She also loves going to the movies and throws Persian parties on the weekends for her family and friends. You may be wondering what a Persian party is, but don’t worry, I got the inside scoop. A Persian party is very similar to a potluck. Everyone brings their own Persian dish and they all share recipes. After getting the hookah burning, they spend the night socializing and having a good time. Don’t worry, only pure tobacco here! The purpose of the Persian party is so that everyone can spend time together, telling jokes and reminiscing about old family stories and how it is back home in Iran. “We are all from [Iran], and it is nice to gather and talk about old times and our country”, she said. Her family travels to Tehran, the capital of Iran, twice a year to visit her and her husband’s family. Sara met her husband when she was 18 while on a trip to Iran. Shortly after, they decided to get married. She said, “A lot of people ask if it was an arranged marriage, and it definitely wasn’t. We are very happy together.” When asked about her plans after graduation, she says that she wants to live in the United States a little while, start a family here, and then move back to Iran when her children are older. She loves her country and her culture, but she loves living in the United States too. On the outside, it may seem like Sara has a lot going on in her life, but on the inside, she is just a normal, every day girl in college here at Avila University.

Livestrong Sporting Park is on the cutting edge.

The wall of accomplishments of Sporting Kansas City.

Soccer is the world’s sport. Even though it isn’t quite as popular in the United States as it is elsewhere in the world, its popularity is growing by leaps and bounds. Here in Kansas City, we are proud to be the home of Livestrong Sporting Park. According to Major League Soccer, Livestrong Sporting Park is one of the most innovative stadiums in the entire league. Not only does the stadium host Sporting Kansas City, the local MLS soccer team, but it also hosts concerts and events. More recently, the stadium has hosted the CONCACAF 2012 Olympic Qualifying games that help decide which of the teams will make it to the Olympic Games in London in 2012. It is an honor to be chosen to host these games, as only two other stadiums in the entire country were chosen. The stadium can seat approximately 18,500 fans, but the capacity can be expanded to up to 25,000 for concerts and events, though most of this extra capacity would be in the form of “standing room only”.

The East Gate entry way of Livestrong Sporting Park.

The stadium itself is quite the sight. While it does not have a full-cover roof, its state-of-the-art design prevents the seats from being exposed to rain and sun, so the fans stay comfortable and dry, while also allowing the field to be exposed to rain. LSP has a real grass field, which many players and coaches prefer, and the exposure is crucial to keeping the field in the immaculate condition it is in. Not only do the fans get to enjoy comfortable seating and entertaining soccer, but there are also countless amenities and technical features that are unique to Livestrong Sporting Park. There are a number of food options at the stadium, ranging from The Grill to a gourmet Pizzeria. For those old enough to drink, they offer a wide variety of alcoholic beverages. You have your typical beer, but there are also full mini-bars that can mix you up any drink right there, for a price of course. There are also flat screen televisions located throughout the concourse so that when you are shopping for your Sporting Style apparel or grabbing something to munch on, you can stay up to date on what is occurring on the field. Many people don’t know that the stadium is also very Apple-friendly. The jumbotrons are controlled by iPad! Fans can also send tweets to the jumbotrons to be displayed during the game. It’s a unique way for the spectators to get show their support. Not only is the stadium one of the most innovative, it’s website also states it to be the first philanthropic stadium in the world. It has a partnership with Lance Armstrong’s Livestrong organization, hence the name. It has promised to donate 7.5 million dollars to the Livestrong organization over the first 6 years that the stadium is open. Overall, the stadium promises a unique and fun experience for those who attend games and/or events located there.

Sporting Kansas City's starting lineup.

View from the press box at Livestrong Sporting Park.

Men's Olympic Qualifiers: Mexico versus Canada

The Mexican Olympic team celebrating after their winning goal against Canada in the 2012 CONCACAF Olympic Qualifiers. Mexico will face Honduras in the Final game on April 2^nd, 2012. The games are being held at Livestrong Sporting Park in Kansas City, Kansas.