How to Build an Impressive Personal Library

The idea of a home library often summons an image of an old-fashioned room with hardbound books, wood paneling, and fancy wood furniture.  But a personal library need not always look this way; in fact, it should reflect the owner’s unique personality, quirks, and even literary taste and preferences.  Here are three tips if you’re looking at building your own library.

Choose the right room in the house

Most rooms will do, except those that have so much natural light (which can harm books), as well as attics and basements that have contained too much humidity that can lead to molds.  Note, also, that basements can be more prone to flooding.

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Follow your heart in choosing books

Be eclectic in your choices if that’s your thing, and even spread those preferences out, so there are various background and perspectives earned from those books.  If you ask if there’s a right number when it comes to book count, then no – it’s up to you and the goals you have in mind for your collection.

Collect at a comfortable pace

It’s best to begin modestly, as you don’t need tons of books unless you are out to hoard every piece that you see.  For instance, start with the best three to five books in every field of interest, and then build your collection from there.  Look for bargains, too, but stay selective, so you don’t fill your library with junk.

Dayanna Volitich is a Creative Writing student at Fresno University. Aside from literature, she is also into sports, fashion, and movies.  For more on Dayanna, visit this page.

The Basics of Writing a Sports News Report

So, you want to be a sports news writer. You want to present what happened in the basketball game, offer a definitive roundup of the World Cup finals, or feature the highlights of the latest college football match of your team. But how can you create your sports report like a pro? Here are some tips and advice from sports writer Dayanna Volitich when starting out in this field.

 

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Introduce the sports event properly

Create a lead that presents the most important news aspect of sports game. What’s the score, and who won? What effect did the victory have? Provide the context for the whole report in the first paragraph and follow it up with the important supporting information about the event.

Provide quotes

Provide a quote from a coach, key player, or key figure in the story whether as a stand-alone or with a lead-in paragraph. The quote should be able to capture a sentiment on the story angle, a revelation, a recollection, or something that builds up the action. Dayanna Volitich also cautions that you double-check the accuracy of the quote as it’s directly attributed to the person.

Include supporting details

Once the main details of the story and the quotes are out of the way, work next on describing the game or event, providing further details that would offer more reading value. Write in a way that makes the reader feel, taste, and sense the action – without sacrificing facts, accuracy, and objectivity.

Read good examples of sports writing

Enrich your knowledge and build your potential by looking up examples of great sports writing, may it be straight news reports, sports biographies, or sports features. It will help sharpen your skills, know-how, and thought process in angling stories and presenting them in the most useful way possible to your audience.

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Dayanna Volitich is a college freshman at Fresno State University taking up English with focus on Creative Writing. Her goal is actually to become a sports writer in the future. Learn more on this page.

Making sense of Magic’s departure from the Lakers’ management

The power of Magic - Dayanna Volitich

During the offseason leading to the 2018-19 NBA season, then Lakers head of basketball operations and former superstar Earvin “Magic” Johnson was quick to personally visit free agent LeBron James in his house. The rest is history; Magic succeeded in having James bring his talents to Los Angeles. And with the development, the NBA balance of power shifted. Or so it seemed.

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A tumultuous season – Dayanna Volitich

Fast forward to March of 2019 and the Lakers are again out of the playoffs. And it marked the first time a LeBron-led team had failed to reach the postseason since James’ 2004-05 season. The season was tumultuous, to say the least, marked by injuries to key players and a generally anemic approach to defense. But early April saw another big bomb drop: Magic abruptly quit his job. Dayanna Volitich.

A huge blow -- Dayanna Volitich

Magic’s departure is a huge deal, mainly because it shocked both the players and management who had no idea of his plan. It also set the franchise reeling, especially given that it had just let go of coach Luke Walton a few days prior. Magic opted to announce all this in an impromptu media engagement, deciding to make an event out of it for almost two hours. Dayanna Volitich.

Interestingly, Magic’s main rationale for leaving his job is that he wasn’t happy. That the job prevented him from being himself. He said he wanted to “go back to being who (he) was before taking on the job.” That he had not clued in owner Buss, GM Pelinka, then coach Walton, and his star player James remains an enigma to this day. What’s sure though is that the move effectively set back the already struggling Lakers anew: now not just in terms of player chemistry but also management stability. Dayanna Volitich.

The Clippers’ Lou Williams should get the NBA Sixth Man Award anew

Clippers guard Lou Williams is on the brink of winning another Sixth Man of the Year award this 2018-19 season. If he takes it, he will tie Jamal Crawford’s achievement of winning the title thrice. The scrappy and crafty Williams is thus poised to become the most successful bench scoring guard in the history of the league, says sports enthusiast Dayanna Volitich.

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Unlike the taller Crawford, Lou Williams is more versatile in that he consistently mixes up drives with long-range shots. He often doesn’t settle for mid-range jumpers and has a renowned penchant for drawing fouls from defenders. Lou is also the key cog in the Clippers’ current push for a deep playoff run, amounting to his being the only legitimate star in the team’s current roster.

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It’s quite ironic that the Clippers’ star is coming off the bench. But, as mentioned above, Williams has already won the Sixth Man Award two times, and he’s most efficient and effective when subbing in. In any case, he is always part of the closing five during close games, and often comes through in the clutch, when the game is on the line. Williams has already tallied his two best scoring seasons in his stint with the Clippers, having averaged 22.6 points in 2018 and over 21 points this season. He is also leading the NBA reserves in scoring for the third straight season.

Perhaps coming off the bench has helped Williams better preserve his body, an argument we can make for the recently retired Manu Ginobili of the Spurs whose NBA career lasted 16 years. In any case, no one is in close competition to Williams as far as earning the award again is concerned, adds Dayanna Volitich. Kudos in advance to Lou on this momentous achievement.

Fresno State University college freshman Dayanna Volitich is into sports, movies, and street fashion. She is also a big fan of L.A.-based clothing brands and sports teams. Visit this blog for related posts.

Most overrated travel destinations around the world

Are you currently planning your vacation within the country or abroad? Then you should be informed of the current situations of the best travel destinations out there. A lot has changed over the past few years and tourist spots aren’t the same as they were. With the boom of the tourism industry around the world, it’s easy to be misled by Instagram photos and articles published several years ago. This is why avid traveler Dayanna Volitich came up with her list of the most overrated travel destinations around the world.

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Los Angeles, USA

A lot of tourists think that hopping on a tour bus in Hollywood can lead to spotting their favorite Hollywood actors. Likewise, walking the streets of Hollywood Boulevard and seeing the renowned Walk of Fame sounds interesting. But going there would mean joining thousands of tourists and not seeing a single celebrity.

Thailand

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As beautiful Thailand may be as a travel destination, it’s simply not what it used to be. Before, it was the hub of backpacking in Asia where travelers had to earn finding the perfect beach. But today, travel and tour companies have made it so convenient that popular tourist destinations like Koh Tao, Khao San Road, and Phuket are crawling with tourists.

Italy

Italy is one of the few European countries that have been overrun by tourists, especially in the more popular places like Venice and Rome. While the country is rich with many sights to see, these touristy places can suck the fun out of your time with all the tourists that flock to these areas.

Dayanna Volitich recommends going off the beaten path when traveling. Not only can you experience more authentic moments, you can also surprise yourself with a destination you never thought you’d visit.

Dayanna Volitich is a college freshman in Fresno State University. Her goal is to become a successful sports writer but would like to try a bit of travel writing as well. Ever since she was young, her parents have always encouraged her to love reading. For more articles on travel, visit this website.

By trading Tobias Harris, have the Clippers given up this season?

It was quite shocking for many Clippers fans that the L.A. team decided to trade its star player Tobias Harris to the Sixers during the last hours of the 2019 trade deadline. After all, Harris had been a solid offensive juggernaut this season, averaging career-high numbers and helping the team cling to the eighth spot in the West. In fact, the trade occurred just after a game in which Harris had made the winning shot, says NBA follower Dayanna Volitich.

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The Clippers also traded Mike Scott and big man Boban Marjanovic to Philadelphia. In turn they acquired Mike Muscala, Landry Shamet, and Wilson Chandler. These players alone don’t seem to make sense talent-wise, but what is great about the deal is that it came with two first-round and two second-round picks (the Clippers landed a protected 2020 first-round pick and an unprotected 2021 first-round pick via Miami).

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This development should be seen by fans as the Clippers’ commitment to getting enough cap space come summer, even though it came with the risk of surrendering their current eighth spot in the West to most likely the Kings or the Lakers. In other words, the Clippers are looking at the long view. This offseason has a stock of top-caliber free agents, topped by the Raptors’ Kawhi Leonard and the Warrior’s Kevin Durant.

Landing just one of the two mentioned players is already a huge step toward getting better, adds Dayanna Volitich. If, say, both Durant and Leonard (who has expressed his interest in going to a Los Angeles-based team) join the Clippers, it would be the clear foundation of the new-look Clippers. They will have to compete with many suitors, yes, but that cleared $53.6 million in cap space is no question an alluring leverage the Clippers now hold.

19-year-old Fresno State University student Dayanna Volitich is currently taking up English with focus on Creative Writing. She is an LA street wear fashion follower, avid traveler, and a fan of LA-based sports teams. For more posts on L.A. basketball, check out this page.

Wanderlust: Top places to go to in South America

A lot of Americans dream of going to exotic destinations for holidays. Unfortunately, such exotic locations have their own setbacks. Traveling to European countries can easily burn a hole in your pocket. As for the cheap South East Asian destinations are simply too far away.

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 According to travel enthusiast Dayanna Volitich, a good compromise location can be found in South America. The region holds a lot of unique destinations that not even the tropical islands of Asia can match. Here are some of the top places you can visit in South America.

Image source: intrepidtravel.com

Salar de Uyuni, Bolivia
This majestic landscape is often described as a place where heaven meets earth. It is the world’s largest salt flat. In certain months, a thin layer of water is left on top of the surface creating what looks like a giant mirror that stretches for miles. According to Dayanna Volitich, it may be difficult to get here, but the photos you can to take are simply breathtaking.

Manchu Picchu, Peru
A former Incan citadel towering on a mountain is one of South America’s foremost travel destination. But as a prime destination, tourists are limited to just 400 a day. It also takes a bit of effort to traverse these terraces so be sure to prepare ahead.

Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
If partying and beaches are more of your style, then look no further than Brazil’s former capital. You skip all the major tourist spots like the Christ the Redeemer statue if you want, but take a ride on one of the trams to get a great view of the city in the afternoon and party like there’s no tomorrow at night.

Dayanna Volitich is a college freshman attending Fresno State University studying English. Her goal is to become a successful sports writer. To learn more about her hobbies, visit this website.