High school student athletes are now panicking as college scholarships won’t be any easy to come by this year thanks to the ongoing pandemic.
St. John Bosco High School Athletic Director Monty McDermott, like many student-athletes and parents, is concerned about the matter. Around 500,000 students end up becoming a student athlete in college and from those 500,000 only 150,000 are under an athletic scholarship, according to Mr. McDermott.
“Now it is even tougher to get a scholarship because the number of high school students are rising but the number of scholarships are decreasing,” said Mr. McDermott.
Prior to the outbreak only 2% of student athletes were given a scholarship which resorted to only 15,000 students receiving one. It is no secret that it was already tremendously hard to get an athletic scholarship in general, and now it is going to reach a level of toughness we have never seen before.
The California Interscholastic Federation (CIF) has been trying to figure out a way to let as many high school students as possible play their respective sports. They came up with the idea of reducing the sports seasons by only having Winter and Spring seasons, which allowed the fall sports to practice and try out due to not being able to during the summer.
Of course, as the virus has proven time and time again, it is unpredictable. If no change is made regarding positive cases, it won’t be surprising if there isn’t a season in general for many states around the nation this school year.
Unfortunately, players who have played baseball and basketball during the same year will only be able to play one now due to both sports taking place during the same season. The “two season only rule” is hitting hard for multi-sport athletes, as their chance of getting an athletic option is greatly diminished because they won’t have a secondary sport option this year to solidify their case.
CIF has also been trying to figure out how to get teams to practice in a safe way, and they came up with “day camp” protocols. The camp protocols for practicing include social distancing, not being allowed to practice indoors and only being allowed to share a ball with a few people. In addition, schools cannot do full practices, or do scrimmages against other schools, which is important to a team’s practice success.
The state of California won’t be allowing fans, scouts or family members to watch games, which will only add burden to athletes wanting to get recruited. This can negatively affect the way a team plays and make some dreams a longshot for kids around the nation.
They may start giving out less scholarships because senior students in college may be getting held back for their sport because of the redshirt rule. The redshirt rule is where senior students are allowed to stay another year in school to play their sport because their season may have been cut short.
This is like a butterfly effect because seniors who are redshirted are taking up playing time and scholarship money from freshman and sophomore players and potential incoming recruits, respectively. This can also lead them into not wanting to give a lot of scholarships or not giving any full-ride scholarships because they can’t afford to pay for a freshman to play for minimal or no playing time. This is mostly involved with schools that don’t get a lot of players that go into the professional drafts.
Truly the impossible is possible if the desire and commitment is there and high school seniors should not see this as an excuse to not give it their all for the remainder of the school year.
“Stay positive to our circumstances, and especially keep their grades up,” Mr. McDermott said, as he hopes parents will be supportive for their kids during a year that has not gone anyone’s way.
Disneyland Park in Anaheim is struggling to reopen their doors due to the most recent Covid-19 requirements, or restrictions, released by the State of California. This marks only the third time in Disneyland history that the theme park has been closed.
In March of this year, Disneyland closed their doors “Out of Abundant Precaution” due to the current COVID-19 Pandemic. Disneyland Parks in Anaheim, Disney World in Florida and Disney Paris were among the first Disney parks to close its doors. Following suit due to rising infection rates, the remaining parks and resorts throughout the entire world also closed their doors.
Fast forward to 7 months later, all other Disney Theme parks and resorts in the entire world have managed to reach their state, county, or country’s mandated requirements to safely open and get back to business. The one outlier, though, is Disneyland in Anaheim due to California’s struggles to contain the virus.
During a recent press conference, Governor Newsom discussed the reopening requirements. While the California government is working with the theme parks operations team, there is “ No Hurry in putting out guidelines” regarding theme parks until public health goals are met. However, Disney Resorts President Ken Potrock isn’t having any part of it, stating that the new guidelines are “Unfair” and “Unworkable”. The Mayor of Anaheim has also joined in with his opinion stating that “These guidelines fail working families and small businesses. As painful as this is, Disney and the City of Anaheim will survive. But too many Anaheim hotels, stores and restaurants will not survive another year of this”.
Chairman of Disney Parks, Josh D’Amaro recently announced that 28,000 employees from the Parks in Anaheim and Florida and other Disney segments “at all levels” will be laid off. This is due to the long duration of Covid-19 with the limited capacity restrictions and social distancing required to reopen. D’Amaro also stated that this layoff for the Anaheim location is also “ Exacerbated in California by the State’s unwillingness to lift restrictions that would allow Disneyland to reopen”.
The current requirements to reopen for Orange County, where the theme park is located, must reach the highest of four tiers and must also limit guest capacity to 25% allowed in the park at any given time once the park reopens.
The status to reopen Disneyland is still in limbo. President Ken Potrock stated that “These state guidelines will keep us shuttered for the foreseeable future, forcing thousands more people out of work, leading to the inevitable closure of small family-owned businesses, and irreparably devastating the Anaheim/Southern California Communities”.
As park goers, employees and business owners wait around for the state and theme parks to somehow work out a fair and safe agreement, the Happiest Place on Earth sits uncomfortably dark thinking only “Happy Thoughts” and crossing their fingers that someday soon Mickey and his gang will welcome them back with open arms to the Happiest Place on Earth.
During recent months, several plans for a future reopening of the school have been thwarted by health guidelines keeping Los Angeles County in the state’s “purple tier,” as St. John Bosco High School waits to open its doors for in-person learning.
As cases in LA County remain high, the chance for the school to reopen in the near future gets further and further delayed. But that hasn’t been all negative, as it’s given Bosco time to prepare and create a safe environment.
“I think that COVID is something that could help us prepare for any type of challenge that comes in the future,” said Bosco CEO and President Dr. Brian Wickstrom. “We have implemented bipolar ionization, which actually helps viruses and bacteria in the air, which I think it’s a big positive in all student areas: classrooms, hallways, gathering spots. So I think our school is more prepared than most with all our agile space [on campus] for lunch and student gatherings.”
Dr. Wickstrom is one of the latest additions to the St. John Bosco community as the President and CEO of the school, and he and everyone inside the administration team and faculty have been working hard to make the overall experience during the pandemic better for all stakeholders and to ensure that we are prepared when we’re cleared to return. But in order to understand what the future of the school will look like, several factors, such as the tier system, need to be understood.
“We have been following the minimal requirements for a safe opening and more, but we are at the mercy of LA County Health. We need to pay attention to the tier system. We are currently at the purple stage,” said Vice Principal of Student Affairs Mr. Adan Jaramillo.
This means we can’t reopen. As the county stays in the purple tier, the only hope for a future reopening to occur is to hope for people’s cooperation with public health guidelines to reduce the risk of continued widespread cases, especially with flu season approaching and the holidays.
“Especially for [students] who live in multigenerational families, it is very important to take precautions and follow measurements when they are in school. When someone leaves Bosco, we don’t know what [their] practices are. Therefore, it is important for people to follow instructions – wear masks, stay six feet apart and take everything around us into consideration to take care of everyone,” said science teacher Ms. Allegra Weinstein, who has a master’s degree in Public Health.
For both students and teachers, challenges have come with a delay in reopening, as the school community continues to adapt to fast-paced online learning in the quarter system – a system which was developed in large part to reduce class sizes ahead of reopening in-person school.
“Online learning has been very difficult with the quarter system. Trying to obtain the knowledge of a whole semester in a few weeks is very intense,” said senior Max Fernandez. “However, I feel that the school is trying their best in reaching out to families and allowing for the best method possible in these circumstances.”
The new system for remote learning also has affected the teaching styles, as teachers have had to adapt old lessons to new circumstances.
“The dynamics change [in online learning] as teachers,” said Mr. Robert Linares, head of the Biomedical Pathway. “The relationship you have with students is less distracting when you’re face-to-face, which leads to more effective learning, I assume.”
Even despite challenges, the administration, faculty and students work hard every day to make sure that when all is done, actions prevail over promises. With hopes up and as teachers, staff and students miss the opportunity of seeing each other physically, a spirit of thankfulness is necessary to keep everyone’s morale high. Don’t give in to “COVID-19 fatigue.” The more diligent all our communities are outside of school, the sooner we all will be able to return inside of school.
As tensions keep rising inside the government due to the nomination for the vacancy in the Supreme Court, the question of loyalty versus honest service alarms the American people.
“He [the president] shall have Power… [to] appoint Ambassadors, other public Ministers and Consuls, Judges of the Supreme Court, and all other Officers of the United States.” US Constitution Article II, Section 2, Clause 2.
Included as one of the presidential powers, the appointment of a nominee for the Supreme Court is heavily discussed, as Presidents will most likely favor members of their political party.
It is no surprise really that President Trump would do the same, as a Supreme Court position is vacant after the death of former Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg.
In historic events, the second President of the United States, John Adams, appointed 42 judges to both circuit courts and the Supreme Court on his last day as president in what is referred to as the “midnight judges”, in order to keep his political party’s interests dominant for a while.
The job of a Supreme Court Justice is essential for the American government, as they hold great authority over the law and order in the country, having the power of judicial review, where they can literally change or add a change to the Constitution, creating a whole new system.
But, what is the problem when parties take over the system to look over their interest instead of the people’s interest? Is judicial review too much power for a person to have, and should the people elect Supreme Court Justices, instead of the president having the full power to appoint someone from within party lines?
Well, while many theories can be created on whether the system is rigged, or possible changes to the system, the problem is obvious, as it is one that has granted presidents to keep their power going even after they leave office through the Supreme Court Justices they nominated to stay politically loyal.
The nine Justices that serve on the highest court are all selected at one point in a presidency, by whoever is President when a vacancy needs to be filled, whether it is a conservative or liberal president. They decide on cases based on the ideologies of their parties and try to support their claims by deeming something constitutional or unconstitutional as their power allows them to.
Now, if taken into consideration that human rights and the well-being of a state has nothing to do with power and political loyalty, why is this still a big part of the US system?
The short answer would be power, money, and hierarchies, but the answer as a whole is way more complex and has to do with history and the foundations that lay out the powers of government, the Constitution.
In a heavily politicized world from the beginning, the Constitution was created to settle the responsibilities of the government, and what is deemed legally right, and what is not.
Whether they were based on principles of truth or not, the United States was divided between federalists and anti-federalists, which influenced the decision making into what the constitution was and how everything was modeled after.
Now, to discuss what could have happened in history is not the point, but rather how society can move on from the past and look into the future.
In a system where the courts decide on the future of a nation, politics has nothing to do with the decision-making process.
Looking for loyalties in order to keep a job defeats the purpose of Democracy, of a Republic and a legitimate state.
Nominees for the Supreme Court and any other high circuit courts in the nation should be nonpartisan and defend the constitution and the right of the people, and whatever that means for everyone is up to interpretation – but they should not show allegiance to a particular party.
Whether more justices from a nonpartisan perspective are added, or all nine justices are remodeled to defend the law without any worries of political strategy, the system needs to be changed, and if it doesn’t change, peace around the country is only a utopian dream rather than a reality.
Cases such as Roe v. Wade show that it is possible to break party lines when deciding cases, as the majority of the Court was conservative, yet they decided to put those values aside and interpret their best version of law without putting party loyalties before the country.
Rights are established, they are not controlled by a single party or the mentality of a single person, rather by what neutral law explains, which is that the sense of freedom and what is needed for life to be enjoyable are the qualities a government offers to the people but never controls.
Even as nominees can now serve as a way to entertain the people on whether the candidate answers something wrong, and then people mock them, it is really a decision of life and death. If the nominee does not serve for the country over their party, it can move a regime from democracy to authoritarianism in a manner that is technically considered legal under the Constitution.
George Washington, the first President of the United States, advised the people to not make these mistakes in his farewell address by saying that political factions can only be effective when destroying the integrity and unity of the nation, while preventing the branches of government from working to help the people.
It is not a matter of left or right, blue or red, or right versus wrong; it is about country, the United States, and the powers of the Supreme Court are greatly influential in the system of the creating order, which may spur political parties to work hard and prevent success from happening in this vast nation.
On Thursday night, President Trump and former Vice President Joe Biden clashed in the first debate since September 29th and the President’s COVID-19 diagnosis, with new regulations set by the Debate Commission in order to prevent the difficult conundrum and vitriol faced in the first debate.
US President Donald Trump and Democratic Presidential candidate and former US Vice President Joe Biden clash during the final presidential debate at the Curb Event Center at Belmont University in Nashville, Tennessee, on Thursday, October 22, 2020.
Since the first presidential debate on September 29th in Cleveland, Ohio, the campaigns of President Donald Trump and former Vice President Joe Biden have embarked on two completely different paths as the country nears Election Day. Just two days after the first presidential debate, on October 1st, President Trump, his wife Melania, and youngest son Barron all tested positive for COVID-19. After roughly two weeks of recovery and a controversial stay at Walter Reed National Medical Center, the President has gone back to holding campaign events and downplaying the virus in order to maintain a stranglehold on his base of support.
On the flip side, former Vice President Joe Biden has continuously tested negative for COVID-19, while exhibiting extreme caution and hosting either socially distanced or virtual campaign events as he holds on to a national lead in the polls and in various battleground states.
While the campaigns of both candidates have continued to operate in their usual different ways, both President Trump and former Vice President Biden have taken outside hits with alleged corruption scandals. On the Democratic side, Vice President Biden has faced a myriad of criticism from the President and the GOP after reports that his son, Hunter Biden, received $3.5 Million dollars from Russian and Ukranian shady business deals, which Vice President Biden allegedly knew about, though reports are conflicting, with former intelligence officials believing the scandal – first reported by the New York Post – to be Russian disinformation.
Meanwhile, President Trump has had his fair share of corruption accusations and scandals levied against him in the past few weeks. Recently, a report from the New York Times revealed that the President had a Chinese bank account, which resulted in the President paying almost $200,000 in taxes to the Chinese government. Furthermore, Rudy Giuliani, the former Mayor of New York City and a member of President Trump’s legal team, has been mired in controversy after he was egregiously caught making a seemingly obscene advance toward a woman in a scene from the mockumentary comedy film “Borat 2”, as well as delving heavily into the investigation of Hunter Biden’s purported Ukranian corruption.
On Thursday, October 22 at the Curb Event Center at Belmont University in Nashville, Tennessee, the collected and settled Biden and the unpredictable, unorthodox Trump sparred once again in a much more controlled debate due to changes made by the Debate Commission three days before the debate. The Debate Commission, after the chaotic first debate, ruled that the two candidates would have their mics muted while the other candidate delivered their two minute opening remarks to each one of the questions from the six debate topics, as well as any interruptions made by either candidate counting against their allotted speaking times.
In the actual debate itself, the American people received what they didn’t in the first debate – a decent and controlled debate in which both candidates were able to debate policy and visions without hapless, cynical remarks and interruptions. The moderator, Kristen Welker of NBC, did a fantastic job handling the two personalities and ensuring each candidate was able to speak in their allotted times.
In turn, the mere atmosphere of the debate for every American viewing at home was much less polarizing and contentious, and most certainly less of an anomaly than what Americans saw unfold last month in the first debate.
In every facet, the debate commissions rule changes, as well as moderator Kristen Welker’s conviction to uphold those rules, revitalized, even if in a very small way, the integrity of the debates, and allowed the American people to sit back, relax, and listen to the two candidates debate policy rather than deliver ineffective, mudslinging one-liners.
The egregious debacle faced by Moderator Chris Wallace in the first debate was quelled by the compliance of the two candidates, the commission’s formatting changes, and Welker’s upholding of the integrity of the event.
While critics may contend that the debate commission needing to make such changes is reflective of how traditional debate etiquette has gone awry, it may be a format the commission may continue to employ in future years to limit on-stage mudslinging, which may galvanize candidates into debating policy rather than engage in political food fights.
Most notably, President Trump appeared much more controlled and reserved than he was in the first debate, while former Vice President Joe Biden once again cleared the very low bar set on him by the President and right-wing media outlets by speaking directly to the American people and discussing his policies in detail.
Despite the foregoing compliments on both candidates, it is imperative to understand that while the debate was controlled, it did not come without intensity and mudslinging. At the very beginning of the debate, when moderator Kristen Welker asked the candidates about COVID-19, President Trump instead touted the economy while also promising a vaccine to be distributed by the military “within weeks” while also saying that the virus is “going away”, to which the former Vice President responded by saying that the President does not hold himself accountable, nor does he have an adequate plan to reopen the economy, combat the virus, and put America back on track.
Much like the first debate, there was a clear difference in rhetoric between the two candidates, with President Trump blaming Democrat Governors and “blue states” such as New York for their “failures” in controlling the virus, while the former Vice President said that he does not see the states as “red” or “blue”, but as simply the United States of America.
Then, when it came to talks of foreign policy and protecting the elections from foreign interference, the mudslinging truly began, even if in a much more controlled manner than in the first debate.
The former Vice President stated that if he were President, Russia and Iran would pay the price for interfering with American sovereignty and meddling with elections, while calling out President Trump for his ineptitude in responding to Russia and Vladimir Putin’s interference in the 2016 election. In response, President Trump erroneously claimed that Russia and Iran did not want him to win reelection, basically hinting at the fact that if the election results were meddled with, it would be skewed in favor of Vice President Biden, not him.
Furthermore, President Trump levied an attack on the former Vice President as well as his son, Hunter Biden, on the aforementioned purported claims that the former Vice President used his position of power in order to benefit his son and the rest of the Biden family, receiving millions of dollars from Russia for shady business deals.
One of the highlights of the night came when President Trump was talking about his great relationship with the Supreme Leader of North Korea, Kim Jong Un and touting his foreign policy handlings because there “is no war” and there hasn’t been any nuclear tests, to which Vice President Biden responded, “We had a good relationship with Hitler before he invaded the rest of Europe.”
The difference in vision was evident, with the President once again promising a health care plan that has seemingly gone astray throughout the President’s first term, while attacking Obamacare and saying that the former Vice President is turning to “socialized medicine.”
Nearing the end of the debate, President Trump slightly loses his cool, bringing up New York Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and Vermont Senator Bernie Sanders for their Environmental and Health Care plans, to which the former Vice President responded that the President is running against him, not them.
The final question of the debate from Kristen Welker asked both candidates what they’d say to Americans who didn’t vote for them on Inauguration Day in January, and both candidates answered in a way that has reflected the way each has campaigned in 2020 and have spoken to the American people rhetorically throughout their political careers.
Vice President Biden responded by saying he would be sure to highlight that he is an American President and will represent all Americans in every state, while being a President who unifies by choosing hope over fear and science over fiction. President Trump responded by saying that success would bring people together, but still did not provide words of unity, continuing the divisive rhetoric he has relied on throughout his Presidency and campaign.
The presidential debate cycles are over – if there is anything to take from them, it’s that both candidates were galvanized to speak policy when it mattered most, engendering them to make a last push for the votes of the American people and secure the Presidency.
Everyone loves a good knockout, and the UFC has a history of giving fans the joy of watching people ending up flat on the canvas. The best thing about a fight is that it can change in the blink of an eye. One punch, kick, elbow, or knee can change history forever.
It’s not easy making a top ten list of the greatest knockouts of all time, but in light of Joaquin Buckley’s electrifying knockout on the 10th of October, it had to be done. There have been countless unforgettable moments with fans favorite fighters over the years, but some just stand out.
#10 Dan Henderson vs. Micheal Bisping
Michael Bisping was no stranger to trash talk, but leading up to UFC 100, Bisping seemed determined to get inside Dan Henderson’s head. In the second round, Dan Henderson delivered his “H-Bomb”, (Henderson’s signature right overhand), and put Bisping to sleep. This was arguably the best moment of Henderson’s career.
#9 Edson Barboza vs. Terry Etim
Edson Barboza’s Victory over Terry Etim at UFC 142 had made history, becoming the first ever knockout by way of spinning heel kick. Barboza was climbing the ranks of the lightweight division, and this knockout solidified him as a top contender. The kick seemed to come out of nowhere, and ended Etim’s night rather quickly.
#8 Conor McGregor vs. Jose Aldo
Conor McGregor and Jose Aldo were the interim Featherweight Champions in 2015. The two best fighters in the UFC. UFC 194 was marketed as the fight of the decade. A ruthless show of determination, heart, and skill – right? Nope. The entire fight lasted thirteen seconds. Aldo pushes forward, and Conor sits him down. Conor is the new unified featherweight champion of the world and becomes the best pound for pound fighter in the UFC.
#7Anderson Silva vs. Vitor Belfort
UFC 126 gave us one of the best middleweight knockouts of all time. Vitor Belfort, the number one contender, had wanted this fight for a long time, and when he got it, he did his due diligence talking about it. There was a lot of trash talk in the weeks leading up to the fight and Silva certainly returned fire. After toying with the challenger for a while, Silva caught Belfort at the end of the first round, with a picture perfect front kick, ending the fight. This finish solidified him as the best in the UFC at the time.
#6 Lyoto Machida vs. Randy Couture
Lyoto Machida was the main karate fighter in MMA at the time of UFC 129, which helped him score one of the greatest finishes of all time, over a legend like Randy Couture no less. The two heavyweights met in the octagon, both bringing with them tremendous destructive power. It was a relatively close fight, all the way up until the end of the second round when Machida threw a Crane Kick. It lands right on the jaw and Couture goes down. The fight is over.
#5 Francis Ngannou vs. Alistar Overeem
Until meeting Ngannou in the octagon at UFC 218, Overeem had only lost once in the past three years. Needless to say, Ngannou ended his dominance. Overeem had been turned into a Pez dispenser after he was hit with the “uppercut from hell”. Before these two met, Ngannou was unranked, but after this fight, half of the division had gone down to light heavyweight. Ngannou is here to stay.
#4 “Sugar” Sean O’Malley vs. Eddie Wineland
If “Sugar” Sean O’Malley could be described in one word, it would be electrifying. From spinning kicks, to one punch knockouts, O’Malley does it all. Wineland and O’Malley met at UFC 250 on “Fight Island”, where the UFC has proceeded during the pandemic. After a nine month suspension for failing a USADA drug test, a win over the journeyman, Wineland, would put O’Malley back in the spotlight. He did just that. Late in the first round, O’Malley lands a devastating straight right and Wineland goes to sleep before he even hits the canvas.
#3 Holly Holm vs. Ronda Rousey
Before UFC 193, Ronda Rousey was seemingly invincible. She had won twelve straight, with her last eleven coming by way of submission and all in the first round. People started to say, “death, taxes, Rousey by armbar”. Holm, on the other hand, was easily the best striker in the bantamweight division. She was a former women’s boxing world champion and had two decision victories in MMA. The fight was going well for Holm, she was landing hard shots and avoiding the clinch and the ground. The beginning of the end for Rousey came at the start of the second round. Holm stumbled rousey with a clean left hand, and put her away with a thunderous head kick. This fight changed women’s MMA forever.
#2 Jorge Masvidal vs. Ben Askren
Jorge Masvidal is a natural born fighter, through and through. He was thought to be the answer to Ben Askren, the decorated All-American wrestler. Askren was undefeated with nineteen wins. The entire fight lasted five seconds, with Masvidal charging at Askren right out of the gates at full speed. Askren tried to duck under the flying knee, but miserably failed. The knee landed square in his temple, and Askren was knocked out cold. Masvidal was able to land two more crushing blows on the ground before the fight was stopped. A proper “baptism” by “street jesus”.
#1 Joaquin Buckley vs. Impa Kasanganay
The best knockout in UFC history came two weeks ago by way of a spectacular jumping spinning heel kick. Buckley’s left body kick was caught by Kasanganay, so Buckley, seemingly with ease, jumped and in mid-air landed a spinning heel kick on the button. Kasanganay goes stiff as a board, and the fight is over. Needless to say Joaquin Buckley was pleased with his performance, and his $50,000 knockout of the night bonus.
After failed execution in consecutive games, the Dodgers found themselves in a 3-1 hole. However, the team came back to advance to their third World Series in four years.
ARLINGTON, TX – OCTOBER 18: Members of the Los Angeles Dodgers pose for a team photo on the mound after defeating the Atlanta Brave in Game 7 of the NLCS at Globe Life Field on Sunday, October 18, 2020 in Arlington, Texas. (Photo by Kelly Gavin/MLB Photos via Getty Images)
Just one week after the Lakers have won their 17th championship, the Los Angeles Dodgers made a historic comeback against the Atlanta Braves, bringing them to their third World Series appearance in the last 4 years. The NLCS left many fans in awe as it was filled with spectacular plays, massive home runs, and games going down to the wire.
The Dodgers faced the Braves in a seven game series in the “MLB Bubble”, where all games were played in Texas to avoid COVID-19 outbreaks. This entire season has been played with zero fans in every stadium and for the first time since last year the MLB allowed fans to enter the Rangers stadium to watch the Braves and Dodgers battle out a tough series.
Los Angeles got off to a slow start in the series, as they were quickly down two games to zero as the Braves pitching was making the Dodgers offense look foolish. Kike Hernandez had a hot start for LA blasting his first homerun of the series to be the Dodgers only run in the first game.
Dodgers ace Clayton Kershaw was supposed to be on the bump for game two of the series, but was ruled out due to back spasms and was scheduled to throw the next game. The offense of LA continued to struggle till the end of game two where they rallied in the ninth inning, scoring four runs, and although they came up short, they began showing glimpses of what Dodgers fans saw all year.
LA exploded for eleven runs in Game Three, making headlines for most runs scored in the first inning of a League Title game. From then on they cruised to an easy win but then received a hard blow in the following game as they took a shameful loss ten to two.
Whatever it was that happened after that loss, it surely lit a fire in their soul because from then on the Dodgers played like the 43-17 team we all know they can be and won the next three games. Bellinger and Hernandez both contributed in great fashion by blasting clutch home runs in back-to-back innings. The Dodgers were making history, and individually, Corey Seager was on a tear blasting five homers in the series which broke the record for most home runs ever hit by a single player in a seven game series.
Seager went on to receive the NLCS MVP as he and the Dodgers advanced to the World Series, where they will face the underdog Tampa Bay Rays in another seven game series. This year has evidently been one of the most difficult years our country has had to face and thankfully sports, to an extent, has been able to take our minds off of the things going on around us today. Hopefully the Dodgers, who are on a roll, can end the thirty-two year World Series Title drought and finally bring home the trophy to where it belongs… to the city of Los Angeles.
2020 World Series Schedule, Via SB Nation’s True Blue LA
As global focus begins to rise against SARS police brutality in Nigeria, prominent figures such as Kanye West have joined the battle against the injustice levied toward the Nigerian people.
US rapper and 2020 Presidential Candidate Kanye West ends his silence and joins a growing list of celebrities that are eagerly addressing the #EndPoliceBrutalityinNigeria movement.
I stand with my Nigerian brothers and sisters to end police brutality, the government must answer to the peoples cries #EndPoliceBrutalityinNigeria
West has become an influential supporter when it comes to endorsing movements against police brutality. Previously this year, he showed similar strength and support for the Black Lives Matter movement, contributing with a $2 million dollar donation to support George Floyd’s family.
In addition to West, celebrities like Drake, Trey Songs, Star Wars actor John Boyega and many more have come forward to show their support for the protests.
Falana, who is widely known as Falz, took it upon himself to create a protest in order to incite change as he fed up with the numerous acts of harassment and police brutality.
Tomorrow morning we move out for the #EndSARSprotest ! We are not out to cause trouble, but our voices must be heard! 10am we link up at the Lekki toll gate. #EndSars
These nationwide protests were a culmination of weeks of anger and outcry on social media from young people accusing the Special Anti Robbery Squad (SARS), with claims of kidnapping, harassment, and extortion, leading to protests throughout cities in Nigeria.
As protests continue to spring up in different parts across the world, Nigeria’s Inspector-General of Police Mohammed Abubakar Adamu stated that SARS is wholly dissolved with immediate effect.
“The disbanding of SARS is only the 1st step in our commitment to extensive Police Reforms in order to ensure that the primary duty of the police and other law enforcement agencies remains the protection of lives and livelihood of our people,” said Adamu.
Despite the successful disbanding of SARS, protests continued in cities throughout Nigeria, including major cities such as Lagos, Abuja, and Kwara. Numerous people in the country are united in this battle against the brutality in Nigeria’s police system, saying they will continue to take their voices to the streets until the entire system is reformed.
This is just the beginning!! We won our fight to #ENDSARS .. now Reform the Nigerian police!! #Endpolice brutality! We deserve good governance! #Endpolicebrutality
This struggle is far from over, and as tensions continue to rise with protesters demanding a total reform within the heart of the law enforcement agency, it is solely up to the Nigerian government to listen to these outcries and incite change immediately.
Over the last few years, the infamous Gen Z – as well as Millennials – have “canceled” more celebrities than other generations in previous years
The term “Cancel Culture” has been used broadly amongst many teens and young adults over the last few years. The term itself, amongst the younger generations, is associated with the widespread desire to stop supporting major celebrities or corporations in order to protest or boycott them due to mistakes they made.
Many celebrities and YouTube stars such as Doja Cat, Ellen DeGeneres, Kanye West, Trisha Paytas and countless others have been canceled, but are also figures that show that Cancel Culture itself is a faulty system that has come with younger generations fully indulged in the pleasures of the powerful presence they hold on social media.
During the past few months in quarantine, many celebrities were affected for mistakes that rose from the depths of the internet, despite those mistakes having occurred several years ago.
What all of these celebrities have in common is that at one moment, they were at the bottom, and the next day it was like nothing happened, with another celebrity getting canceled as life moved on within the social media platforms.
Cancel culture was established as a way to hold people accountable for their mistakes, as a way to give them time and space to rethink their choices and how they can raise awareness as they are constantly over the spotlight, in order to stop the youth and their fans from making those same mistakes in the future.
Now, it is seen as a form of entertainment, which leaves many wondering, which celebrity may get canceled today? Who is finally getting called out for a semi-offensive tweet from 2010?
In the sense of holding people accountable, the motives are well respected, as long as people are willing to move on after a sincere apology from the celebrity they canceled. However, the resentment held toward these celebrities only makes them more famous and has fixed nothing in the process – sure, they are canceled, but are still trending everywhere.
The fallacy within Cancel Culture is that celebrities are not affected in a negative way or have intents to change their ways, as they see that controversy brings attention, which is followed by increased fame, money, and free promo for whatever they may be doing at that time.
In the case of Kanye West, for example, he is one of the most canceled/uncanceled celebrities at the moment. He uses controversy to sell his image, and in that way attract more people to purchase or support anything Kanye tells them.
It is free publicity for an artist, especially if their careers are on the brink of falling apart, causing only scandals for show and giving a bad example to their followers. The people on social media who do the canceling gain nothing, while the celebrity gains the attention they so desire.
Growing up in an era where everyone is getting canceled and uncanceled every week is not a good example for many followers and the integrity in which celebrities are expected to act. In many ways, it lowers the bar for celebrities, and may even prompt attention seeking influencers to intentionally get canceled for fame.
Everything that cancel culture stands for is being lost, as it is now just a way to find free publicity within increasingly competitive media markets.
Raising awareness about the dangers of cancel culture is extremely important, as not only does it stop people from obtaining free publicity, but also allows for healthier means of entertainment, like in good 1960s comedies.
As time moves on, American entertainment continues to go downhill, with examples of trying to damage others by bringing the past into the present and not allowing for growth in a person.
If accountability for a person is crucial, then cancel culture should cease to exist, and raising awareness should be what replaces this culture, without damaging others’ feelings.
Accountability is to take action to move towards greatness, while cancel culture is free publicity on mistakes a person will never take responsibility or feel remorse for.
The Titans began the Saga and now the Panthers fall victim – is there a bubble coming?
MINNEAPOLIS, MN – SEPTEMBER 27: Tennessee Titans players huddle in the second quarter of the game against the Minnesota Vikings at U.S. Bank Stadium on September 27, 2020 in Minneapolis, Minnesota. (Photo by Stephen Maturen/Getty Images)
This NFL season has really been the most exhausting season in history. Every morning brings fresh news of positive COVID-19 tests, amended protocols, schedule delays, and questions that bring even more questions. This pandemic, and all of the positive tests is not an easy task for the NFL to overcome. As of now, the NFL season is not on the brink of collapse–yet. The league has been discussing possible scenarios on how they can prevent a bigger outbreak, but as of now, the best they are doing is shutting down facilities when someone is feeling ill or has symptomes of the virus, which is not as efficient.
The past few weeks in the NFL has been very unusual, which is something usual for 2020. We are not only living history in 2020, but now living history when following the NFL. Every morning there is something new around the league that causes worry among NFL fanatics.
COVID-19 not only changed the normality of everyone’s life, but also changed sports in ways that no one was able to imagine. The NBA had to put their season in a hiatus and had to finish their season in a bubble, while the MLB endured outbreaks once the season began, and now the outbreak in the NFL.
The NFL was the last of the bunch to start their season. They were able to see what each league was doing and see what was working and what wasn’t. Even though the NFL was the only league to start on schedule and were able to see what works and what doesn’t regarding COVID-19, they are starting to have issues around the league that is worrying for the NFL and the players.
The league started off on the right foot, going two weeks with no issues regarding COVID-19. Week three came along and there was a team outbreak within the Tennessee Titans that resulted in the postponement of the first game of the season which was against the Pittsburgh Steelers. This was an easy fix as the league gave the Titans and the Steelers a Week 4 bye, and brought the Ravens bye week from week 8 to week 7.
Not even a week later, Cam Newton, from the Patriots, was tested positive for COVID-19, which caused him to be placed on the COVID-19 reserve list. The Patriots went on to play week 4 against the Kansas City Chiefs. This was not a good idea as a couple of days later, there was an outbreak within the Patriots, which caused the league to postpone the Patriots week 5 game against the Denver Broncos. These two games have been the only games that have been postponed so far.
The Titans however, decided to break protocols during the 10 days that their facility was closed. Several Titans went on to practice in private, which led to them possibly forfeiting their game in week 5 against the Buffalo Bills for not following directions. This game went on to be played on Tuesday October 13. This wasn’t a fun game to watch, as many players were taking the safe approach after not practicing for over a week.
After this, the NFL decided to make more rules regarding COVID-19, from longer on-boarding processes for free-agent tryouts, banning of gatherings outside of the facilities, and implementing a league-wide video monitoring system to ensure compliance. The NFL teams are required to shut down facilities if there is a positive test around them, if someone has any sort of COVID-19 symptoms, and other scenarios where the the issue can turn into an outbreak.
There have been many closed down facilities around the league for the past couple of weeks, including the Atlanta Falcons, Cleveland Browns, Indianapolis Colts, Jacksonville Jaguars, and most recently the Carolina Panthers as they just got shut down earlier today. Shutdowns may unfortunately continue as the league tries to help stop the spread of the virus around the league.
The NFL has known about this virus, as they have seen every league see what they did to help prevent an outbreak. An outbreak in the NFL will cause problems around the league that shouldn’t be there. There have been talks around the league on doing individual bubbles, or one huge bubble, but the realistically on this is very slim, as the players will be there for way too long without their family, or if having a huge bubble for the NFL is totally different when compared to the NBA’s bubble. The NFL will have to have more than 3000 people, while the NBA had around 800 to start.
The importance of these protocols are to minimize the possibility of having another outbreak around the league. There have been countless scenarios where team facilities are closing down causing the teams to have less practice time which causes a disadvantage to teams in certain areas. As NFL fans, we should just hope for the best. We need to always remember that it’s the health of players that comes first, so if a hiatus to the season is what they need, then we have to be okay with it. I mean, it’s not like we have a say on what happens.
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