Ke Alaka'i Homepage

Beyonce Knowles has added another accomplishment to her well-documented career as she was named Time’s Most Influential Person of 2014.Beyonce, a popular singer and dancer announced her award via Facebook and Instagram, posting a picture of the "Time Magazine" cover with the simple caption, “I am so honored.” She topped other popular figures such as Pope Francis, Secretary of State John Kerry, singer Pharrell Williams, author John Green, singer/actress Miley Cyrus, and tennis athlete Serena Williams. Sheryl Sandberg, chief operating officer of Facebook and women’s activist, wrote the article in "Time" describing why Beyonce deserves a spot as one of the most influential people. In the article she writes, "Beyoncé doesn't just sit at the table. She builds a better one.” Sandberg goes on to say, “Beyoncé has insisted that girls ‘run the world,’ and declared, ‘I’m not bossy. I’m the boss.’ She raises her voice both on and off stage to urge women to be independent and lead.” Nancy Gibbs, Editor in Chief of "Time Magazine," said of the list, "The TIME 100 is a list of the world's most influential men and women, not it’s most powerful. The vast majority of this year's roster reveals that while power is certain, influence is subtle. Power is a tool, Influence is a skill…. If there is a common theme in many of the tributes, it's the eagerness to see what some engineer, actor, leader or athlete will do next." Beyonce has lived up to Gibbs’ definition, according to Sandberg. She says, “In the past year, Beyoncé has sold out the Mrs. Carter Show World Tour while being a full-time mother. Her secret: hard work, honesty and authenticity. And her answer to the question, ‘What would you do if you weren’t afraid?’ appears to be ‘Watch me. I’m about to do it.’ Then she adds, ‘You can, too.”’Makayla Maggert, a sophomore in psychology from Georgia, agreed with "Time Magazine’s" decision to name Beyonce as the Most Influential Person. She said, “She’s an amazing singer live and on the radio. She doesn’t let anyone influence her and doesn’t change her ways for people. She’s been a popular singer forever, unlike some singers who just come and go.”

“What happened in France is a savage attack on free speech,” said Ethan Secrist, a sophomore from Idaho studying ICS. “It’s a different type of terrorism nowadays; it’s not mass casualties. It’s about who terrorists can kill before getting gunned down.”The attack took place on Wednesday, Jan. 7, when three gunmen stormed into the offices of satirical magazine, “Charlie Hebdo,” located in Paris, France. Various news sources claim the main motive behind the attack was the controversial depictions of Muhammad and satirical jokes about Islamic leaders.The assailants barged in during a lunchtime editorial meeting, separating men and women and calling out the names of employees they intended to kill, said Dr. Gerald Kierzek in an interview with CNN. Kierzek served as a physician who treated wounded patients and spoke with survivors, CNN also reported.The editor-in-chief, famous cartoonists and two police officers were among the 12 left dead by the attack, the New York Times reported. The gunmen escaped, setting off terror in France and all around the world.“It’s really sad to see people kill for irrational reasons,” said Cassidy Manning, a sophomore from Nevada studying TESOL. “What’s even worse is the image these people portray for all Islamic people. It’s not fair.”Two of the suspects were brothers, identified as Said and Cherif Kouachi, both of whom died in a gunfight shortly after fleeing the magazine’s headquarters. The third suspect was 18-year-old Hamyd Mourad, who surrendered himself to authorities early the following day.“The attack in France really set off sparks around the world. People were killed for expressing themselves. That should never happen no matter where people are from,” said Emily Wade, a junior from Indiana studying art.More terror attacks took place in the days following the Charlie Hebdo shooting. On Thursday, Jan. 8, Amedy Coulibaly opened fire on a police officer, killing her and wounding bystanders. The next day, Coulibaly entered a kosher market armed and ready to kill. By the end of the operation, four hostages were dead, French Police officials reported. Coulibaly was also reported dead.The French government gave more power to the police on Jan. 20, allowing them to tap phones, monitor Web sites and block hate-messages posted online. They hope this will help ward off future attacks, reported AP.Uploaded January 22, 2015