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Inspiration from Outback Steakhouse

by Alizeria Chimuco & Michael Connor
On Thursday, Feb. 20, The University of Tampa’s Sykes College of Business welcomed accomplished businessman Chris T. Sullivan, founder of Outback Steakhouse and former Chairman and CEO of Outback Steakhouse, Inc. (OSI), as the guest presenter in the 2020 Sykes Hall of Fame Business Speaker Series event. 
Sullivan, along with Bob Basham, Tim Gannon, and Trudy Cooper, founded the iconic Australian themed steakhouse in 1988. As Outback gained popularity, it deve...
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Flipping your way into the future

By Michael Connor
On Friday, Feb. 14, Samsung launched the Galaxy Z Flip. The Z Flip is Samsung’s second foldable phone and while being a truly innovative project, it is fundamentally based on some familiar territory. I’ve gotten a little ahead of myself, let’s start back at the beginning. 
Ever since the iPhone was first launched in 2007, flip phones have slowly become relics of the past. Being a senior here, I have plenty of memories of the Motorola Razr and Nokia devices that dominated the ha...
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Finding the Love in Others

By Michael Connor
Love is a universal feeling that connects people of all ages, genders, ethnicities, and backgrounds. It’s a sensation like no other, while also being a selfless choice.
On Feb. 14 every year, we get to celebrate this amazing gift called love. Valentine’s Day is a tradition embraced by many people and while having strong historical roots, is very much a contemporary holiday. 
The holiday’s namesake, St. Valentine of Catholic tradition, is a mysterious figure historically. Accord...
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Stars collab for a classic mafia spectacle

By Michael Connor
From classic mafia films such as Goodfellas and Casino to modern blockbusters such as The Wolf of Wall Street, Martin Scorsese is one of the most celebrated and iconic film directors of all time. On Wednesday, Nov. 27, Netflix will take a massive gamble on the legendary filmmaker with the release of his most recent epic, The Irishman. 
The Irishman is an “A list” spectacle featuring Al Pacino, Robert DeNiro, and Joe Pesci and will be the first collaboration between Scorsese an...
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How Halloween entertainment turned into tradition

By Michael Connor 
Halloween means different things for many people. For a majority, the thrill of receiving candy in exchange for dressing up in costume and knocking on a neighbor’s door is the most prominent childhood memory. My case was no exception and I have memories that will last a lifetime. Trick or treating with a lifelong friend who is like a brother and making strategic candy trades with him rates among the most memorable. 
As enjoyable as candy hunting is, Halloween entertainment in...
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Mario Kart goes Mobile

by Michael Connor
On Wednesday, Sept. 25, Nintendo launched its mobile version of the classic video game Mario Kart to iOS and Android devices. Mario Kart Tour is Nintendo’s second mobile app offering gaming experiences with their beloved characters for third-party devices. 
Originally set to launch last March, Mario Kart Tour was a highly anticipated app that gained a lot of buzz among the gaming community. Mario Kart was first launched for Nintendo devices back in 1992 and became a fan favorit...
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Dr. Terry Parssinen: A Personal Mentor

By Michael Connor
In Fall of 2017, as a sophomore, I enrolled in a course entitled “America in the 1960’s”. As much as I was looking forward to the topic because of a personal interest in 20th century American history, I was unaware that I was going to meet one of my influential professors and mentors. The course was taught by Terry Parssinen. 
Parssinen not only had the passion for such a course, but he lived through the era he was discussing every Tuesday and Thursday. In fact, he received his...
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Streaming wars: the battle for your entertainment

by Michael Connor
Netflix has long been the market share leader in video streaming and it makes sense. They practically created the market. Despite competitors such as Hulu and Amazon Prime Video, who are attractive services in their own right, Netflix has remained able to stay on top of the game. Unfortunately for Netflix, a new era of streaming wars is about to begin. 
Starting in Nov., two new major services will be launched: Disney+ and AppleTV+. Disney+ has become a widely anticipated and m...
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Another day, another iPhone. Same old thing?

By Michael Connor
Last week, Apple announced the iPhone 11 and iPhone 11 Pro series. While these handsets boasted impressive new technologies such as significant camera improvements, they were very reminiscent to the iPhone 7. Let me explain why. 
When the iPhone was first launched in 2007 by Steve Jobs, it was deemed a revolutionary product and became a standard for innovation in the tech world. Each new iteration of the iPhone came with great expectations. The third generation, iPhone 3GS, in...