Introduction to American Government and Politics

Garrett Thrash

4/4/2022

PS 101

Dr. Clinton Jenkins

Blog Post #2

            In a small town like Fort Payne, Alabama the introduction of a new shopping center, restaurant, or other attraction is usually welcomed with open arms. Many enjoy the competitive prices and more flavorful options that new shopping centers bring to the area. However, that is not the case for the Food City franchise hoping to land a new location in the area. Why are the people of the area so split up over a new grocery store chain moving into the area? While some would probably assume the reason for the argument in such a small town is that an establishment such as Food City may run the local “mom and pop” stores out of business, but it is the conditions upon which the store is being introduced into the area. The Fort Payne City Council agreed to pay the store over 3 million dollars to move into its new location (Southern Torch).

            This led to an extreme controversial city council meeting in which citizens expressed concern over the city giving the franchise a 3 million dollar head start over local competition Bruce’s Foodland, including the owner, Shan Bruce. The Bruce family does not worry about welcoming the new competition into the area, instead they share the same concerns as the rest of the citizens about the city supplementing larger corporations and franchises to move into the area. This affects the local community in a few ways, with a majority of the issues including trust in the local government. While some citizens of Fort Payne see the introduction of Food City as an opportunity of economic growth, others think that bringing in larger corporations that run out local stores does the opposite by putting those store owners out of business. On the other hand, the larger franchises in the grocery industry are usually able to supply the people with cheaper options than locally owned stores. The much larger Food City would also bring exponentially more jobs into the area than the local stores such as Food Land and other smaller locally owned restaurants in the area.

            The decision made by the city council impacts not only the everyday people of the town but also the many local business owners that will have to compete with this franchise along with other franchises the city council decides to fund. The owners of the local grocery stores will eventually lose their business since they will not be able to compete with the competitive prices a franchise can provide. The owners of the local stores have even went as far as filing lawsuits against the city for providing the franchise with the 3 million dollar incentive (WAAY 31). While the introduction of Food City will bring positives such as the cheaper prices and jobs stated above, the fact that the city council has paid them to bring their corporate business into town creates a very slippery slope for the multiple small business in the area. This could lead to the expulsion of all small businesses of the area due to the fear of more corporate locations introduced to the area. Most of the towns’ population runs small businesses in the area due to the local natural tourist attractions, such as Desoto Falls and Little River Canyon. The expedition of small business owners would prove detrimental to the local tourism economy. The solution to the problem seems quite simple for most of the city as well as the rural onlookers from the rest of the county that relies on Fort Payne for their groceries and other everyday needs. The solution is as simple as either completely taking the direct monetary incentive away for building new businesses in the area or providing the stipend to all businesses whether they are family owned or franchise owned. The former may stunt or even prevent future growth of the town, so the more favorable option would be to provide all businesses an incentive to grow and prosper without favoring the larger corporations. Although an argument against providing all the surrounding businesses with growth incentives might be a lack of tax funds, if the city can afford to pay a corporation 3 million dollars just as an initiative to build then they can afford to pay other smaller businesses smaller sums of money. This could allow the financial relief needed for local businesses to compete with the prices of larger chains. On the flip side, if the City Council’s final vote passes the grant to prove Food City with the money, the loss of competition from the closing of the local stores may eventually cause grocery prices to rise.

            To provide economic growth for the city as well as financial security for the citizens , the city council should create legislation that caters funds to all businesses of the community stimulating growth and allowing for the locals to keep prices competitive.

References

http://southerntorch.com/community/fort-payne-council-paves-the-way-for-food-city/

https://www.waaytv.com/news/city-of-fort-payne-being-sued-over-3-million-food-city-grocery-store-deal/article_e4505470-b5fd-11ec-a45c-2bfaa81de904.html

https://times-journal.com/image_fcb99bd4-8ebb-11ec-9cf4-df3d95c0caaa.html

Austin Johnson

Dr. Jenkins

Blog Post #2

April 5th, 2022

The Important of Sleep for Student-Athletes

A student-athlete requires an enormous amount of dedication and sacrifice, and few students are able to or even have the desire to do it. It is common knowledge that college is challenging, imagining having to handle all the same school work and double it with half the sleep. Student-athletes are not able to get enough sleep each night because of a busy schedule which includes weights, class, film, practice, making dinner (proper nutrition), homework, and personal time and it is a problem. For the second Blog Post of the semester, I am discussing a student athlete's ability to have proper sleep and the impacts it has on the mind and body. According to the National Collegiate Athletic Association, “Lack or loss of sleep can also be due to the many competing demands for time, which is a prominent concern in the student-athlete population. Either way, understanding and dealing with sleep problems may have a profound effect on mental clarity and health. (Grandner 2020). Yes, you can try and plan time to sleep, but the sporadic schedule you get from sports and school makes it impossible to maintain the schedule. Consequences of lack of sleep include the creation of bad tendencies such as missing class, forgetting assignments, and oversleeping. The impact of improper sleep affects numerous aspects of the mind and body. Student-athletes who regularly sleep less than eight hours a night are more likely to sustain an injury. Short and long-term sleep deprivation lowers endurances in runners because when runners are not properly energized before a race there is no energy to give during the race. 

One perspective on this issue is derived from my own personal life. Got out of my third class of the day, then headed to an hour-long film session, and followed two-hour practice. After all that is completed, I have to drive back to my apartment and my a nutritional dinner for myself,  Afterwards, I sit down at the kitchen table and am finally given the opportunity to try to do at least some of my assigned homework or hours of textbook studying. Once the schoolwork focus time of the evening is complete, I go back to my room and look at the clock that tells me I  am only able to sleep for six hours before it all begins again the next day. The next day comes and as per usual I wake up late, which on occasion leads me to miss my first class of the day, and then it becomes a cycle of oversleeping and absences. This then causes grades to start to slip thus lowering school performance. Pressure to perform daily in all classes and on the field gives me stress and anxiety the night before a game or before a big test. It causes me to either stay up all night or oversleep and resulting in me performing badly or losing focus on the test.  

Most adults need seven to eight hours of sleep to maintain optimum functioning, and younger adults need more (eight to 10 hours). However, many people – including student-athletes – do not get the amount of sleep they need, often due to insomnia, sleep apnea, or another sleep disorder. “Why does it matter?”, a person outside the athletic world may ask. It matters because the physical and mental health of a student must always come first. Athletic performance can be the first noticeable difference for a young student-athlete. Poor sleep can be associated with delayed response time, fatigue, and poor decision-making. Mental Health will decline next if not taken care of properly. Inadequate sleep increases the risk for mental health synonyms and disorders, and mental health symptoms and disorders may reduce sleep quality and quantity.

One solution for solving the issue is creating good habits to maintain a healthy and happy lifestyle. Setting oneself up for success is the first step in every morning routine to get a person going.  According to the National Institute of Aging here are some of the following ways to maintain a healthier sleep schedule: Getting plenty of light during the day and avoiding screen time at night, avoiding excess caffeine, nicotine, and alcohol, especially in the evening, reduce the screen time throughout the day, take breaks all the time and try and be more efficient with the time you have. Also keep a day planner to stay on top of homework, visually see what is occurring each day, remember important events and activities that need to be taken care of, and block off personal time for breaks to decompress and relax. (National 2021). Having this listed habit will encourage student-athletes in all fields of study to become better rest and more mentally sound. A second solution to the issue of student-athletes experiencing a lack of sleep is having the option for classroom accommodations to be set up for the student.

  After thinking about solutions to this problem I have realized there isn't really a specific answer to it just ways to cope or assistance. For instance, I thought the professor could give student-athletes more leeway on class selection and assignment late turn-in policy. Another possible assistant athletes could get more options with professors offering online and in-person classes. Also, I found that it shouldn't always be the professor's problem to solve, but being a good communicator with your professor can always help. Finally, at the end of the day, you don’t have to do anything you don’t want to do, and if it gets too bad you can always quit your sport. 

Work Cited

Grandner, M. (2020). Mind, body and sport: Sleeping disorders. NCAA.org. Retrieved April 7, 2022, from https://www.ncaa.org/sports/2014/11/5/mind-body-and-sport-sleeping-disorders.aspx

National Institute on Aging. (2021). A Good Night's Sleep. National Institute on Aging. Retrieved April 5, 2022, from https://www.nia.nih.gov/health/good-nights-sleep

Hailee Bryan

Dr. Jenkins

Community Blog Post 2

PS 101

4/7/2022

Blog Post 2- Human Trafficking in the Florida Panhandle

Human trafficking can be defined as the unlawful act of transporting or coercing people into forced labor or sexual exploitation. Reportedly 2,500 people go missing each day in the United States. Florida has become a top destination for human trafficking, with easy access to land and water on 3 sides, and the Mexican border a few states away. Global profits from human trafficking is roughly $35 billion per year! It is the second most common criminal activity worldwide, behind drug trade.

This issue plays a huge part in the lives of many Florida residents, including those living in the Panhandle or along high traffic areas like the beaches. With an influx of out of state tourists and young people, the beaches and places along them are highly targeted areas. In 2022, Florida is currently second in the nation for missing persons, and while these may not all be human trafficking cases, it is safe to assume that many of them are.

As a child, I was taught from a very young age, to always be aware of my surroundings, and to never go anywhere alone. I was taught how to fight off someone trying to kidnap me, scream, fight, yell, make sure you scratch to get their DNA under your nails. This is the sad reality that our youth today is facing. While I’m sure there are many places children from around the United States that are taught the same thing, I feel like in high traffic areas, like the Florida Panhandle, you have to be extra weary. My parents would NEVER allow me to go anywhere close to the beach by myself or even with a group of girls. We were taught that young girls are always sought after especially in sex trafficking.

I first came across this topic in a Facebook group chat where locals can post about sales in the area or events going when a woman by the name of Jennifer posted a story telling of a horrific run in she had with her 3 year old daughter and a woman she believed to be a sex trafficker. The reason this post caught my eye was because of the location, the Walmart in Defuniak Springs, Florida. This location being 15 minutes from my home and the school that my 13 year old brother attends, as well as my 6 year old niece. I have been to this particular Walmart more times than I can count and a few times by myself to pick up small things for my mom on the way home from work. The woman spoke of how she went into the bathroom with her 3 year old daughter and a woman was standing by the sinks. The woman then proceeds to tell the little girl how cute she is and the mother thinks nothing of it because it is not an uncommon occurrance. While walking to the stall, the woman asks if she can hold the child while the mother goes to the bathroom. The mother says no, but the woman keeps pushing her to leave the baby with her. After getting into the stall, the woman tries to crawl under the stall and coerce the baby to come to her. The woman began yelling and the lady quickly left the bathroom. The authorities were called, but the woman was long gone. There are many other horror stories just like this one in surrounding areas. After her initial post, many other mothers and individuals spoke up about their experiences that all sounded very similar, someone following them to the car, staring at their children or making odd remarks towards them. There were too many to count. Okaloosa county shares a county line with Walton and there are currently nine unsolved missing persons cases in Okaloosa county alone. Some of the places the people were last seen? Fort Walton Beach and the nearly abandoned strip mall in Fort Walton. High traffic areas like these are key spots for sex trafficking.

Some ways to help stop and prevent human trafficking is not as easy as it sounds and we may be able to do more to prevent it than local authorities. The most important thing we can do is be weary of our surroundings and always pay attention. Some specific examples are parking in well lit areas, going places in groups, carrying some form of self defense, and don’t be afraid to speak up if you have a weird feeling about something. Protecting ourselves and teaching others how to protect themselves are the best ways to prevent human trafficking and save our youth from its many dangers.

https://heinonline.org/HOL/LandingPage?handle=hein.journals/ichuman5&div=14&id=&page=

https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/0735648X.2015.1034970

https://www.nwfdailynews.com/story/news/local/2021/09/30/nine-unsolved-missing-persons-cases-okaloosa-county-need-leads/5832591001/

War Crimes in Ukraine

Since the beginning of the war in Ukraine early in March, there were reports from Russian occupied of violence against civilians. This has appeared through extra-judicial killings, the bombing of civilian targets, and rape. In recent times it has come under speculation if these actions are being undertaken by individual soldiers or if these are being conducted under the direct order of the Russian military/ Kremlin. This speculation primarily arises from recent Russian news outlets outlying every Ukrainian civilian as regardless of actual political belief is too “tainted by Nazism”. It is this claim of Ukraine is a “fascist” country that has been one of the main arguments the Russian government has used to justify the invasion of Ukraine.

The issue with getting reliable information on this subject has proven difficult since there is still large-scale fighting occurring at the time and the prevalent spread of false information online that makes finding reliable sources of information difficult. Despite this, however, Amnesty International has undeniable proof of Russian war crimes in Ukraine. Most recently and most shockingly satellite images from the city of Bucha, where satellite photos of the town show bodies of civilians scattered throughout the street and are further supported by video on the ground. Since Bucha was recently evacuated by the Russians it's theorized that the massacre occurred during this withdrawal. In typical Russian fashion, the Kremlin has denied any claims of civilian deaths. The Russian arguments against the evidence are that the bodies were not “stiff”, that one of the bodies sits up in one of the videos, and finally that Russian soldiers don’t harm civilians and that any claim otherwise was false information.

Another major war crime the Russian Federation has been committing in Ukraine is through the mass bombardment campaign of civilian targets and the use of cluster munition weapons. The method the Russians used for artillery and airstrikes is very reminiscent of the same carpet bombing strategies used during the second world war where the main objective was to cause as much destruction to cities to kill as many people as possible to demoralize them into submission. It was these same strategies they used in the Chechen war were at the battle of Grozny saw hundreds of thousands of bombs on the city until it was only rubble with massive amounts of civilian casualties. Unfortunately for the Russians these strategies did not demoralize the Chechen people but instead invigorated the population and brought greater unity between warring factions in fighting a common enemy, the Russians. And again we are seeing the same results from these strategies in Ukraine, where instead of demoralization we are seeing the Ukrainian people coming together to fight the Russians. The next issue with Russian bombing tactics is the repetitive usage of cluster munitions from bombers, cluster bombs are bombs that explode while falling threw the air into hundreds if not thousands of miniature bomblets that cover a wide stretch of land causing much damage. The main issue with this munition though, is that by design some of the bomblets are not designated to explode upon impact with the ground but instead will lie dormant acting as a land mind which is a war crime since landmines often lie undetected till after the war where they will be stepped on by a civilian years after a conflict has ended.

Josh Childers

Dr. Clinton Jenkins

Into to American Government

7 April 2022

Blog Post #2 – Cannabis in the NBA

            In recent years, the use of cannabis has become more and more accepted. One place where this shift is most visible is in professional sports. The National Hockey League, the National Football League, Major League Baseball, and Ultimate Fighting Club have all changed their cannabis policies to make them more lenient. However, one professional sports league that has been slower to embrace this change than their peers is the National Basketball Association. The NBA stopped testing for cannabis in 2020 as a result of COVID-19, but it is reported that this decision is only a temporary move to reduce the spread of COVID-19. This move has re-ignited the debate over whether or not the NBA should reevaluate its policy for the future.

            One argument why the NBA should reevaluate their cannabis policy is because their punishments simply are not effective. The punishments for marijuana violations are stated in the NBA’s collective bargaining agreement.

If a player tests positive for marijuana, or if he is convicted of, or pleads guilty to, the use or possession of marijuana, he will be required to submit to treatment, counseling, and aftercare testing in the Program. A second violation will result in a $25,000 fine, a third violation will result in a 5-game suspension, and any subsequent violations will result in a suspension that is 5 games longer than the player’s immediately-preceding marijuana suspension.

Despite these consequences, marijuana use seems to still be very prevalent in the NBA. Kenyon Marin, a former NBA player, claims that around eighty-five percent of NBA players use cannabis. Also, several anonymous current players put the number at somewhere between fifty and eighty-five percent. Given these numbers, it is clear that the NBA’s policies do not deter players from using cannabis. This is not surprising considering $25,000 is not as much money for someone who makes millions of dollars a year. There are also many ways to get around the tests. If the punishment does not prevent people from violating the rules, then there needs to be a change.

            Another reason why the NBA should change their policy on marijuana is because it provides a very strong source of pain relief for the players. The NBA season is six months long and each team plays eighty-two games. That many games can take a heavy toll on an athlete’s body, so it is very important that players take care of their bodies and manage pain and injuries that they incur throughout the season. Marijuana provides a much-needed way to ease their pain. It is also much safer than other alternatives such as opioids which can be addictive. Many players use marijuana because it helps with their pain and allows them to perform better. If marijuana helps player performance and improves the NBA’s overall product, then why would they not allow it.

            One argument for why the NBA should continue to test for marijuana is because there are still several states that have not legalized it. The life of an NBA player includes a lot of travel and that means travelling to states that have not legalized cannabis. This could result in players getting arrested for possession of marijuana simply because they brought it into a state that does not allow it. The NBA sees this as protecting their players and avoiding bad press.

            There are two possible ways that the NBA can Deal with this problem. The first option is that they could worsen their punishments for failing a cannabis test in hopes that it will stop players from using marijuana. This is a very unlikely solution because players would probably still try to find ways around the rules. If they were to worsen the punishment, the Players Association would probably fight against that decision. The other option is to simply stop testing for marijuana. This is probably what will most likely occur. The NBA has always thought of itself as being very progressive, so this would be a great opportunity for them to reinforce that image. With the NBA continuing not to test this season, it seems like they are warming up to the idea of allowing cannabis. This move could happen in the NBA’s next collective bargaining agreement.

            Society has become much more open to the legalization of cannabis. There are many arguments for why the NBA should embrace this shift and no longer test for marijuana. The players are clearly in favor of this move. It seems like only a matter of time before the NBA makes this decision.

https://bleacherreport.com/articles/2811480-adam-silver-discusses-nbas-evolving-marijuana-policy-on-brs-full-48-podcast

https://nbpa.com/cba

https://www.forbes.com/sites/bencurren/2021/01/28/the-nbas-slam-dunk-cannabis-shift/?sh=63b0c143fec1

Cam McNearney

Dr. Jenkins

PS 101

April 7, 2022

Blog Po0st 2

            Kennesaw State University is one of the fastest-growing universities in the state of Georgia. Its current enrollment is around 38,000 students with campuses located in both Marietta and Kennesaw. It is currently making its way up in the polls for being the most racially diverse university in the state of Georgia. About 22% of the 38,000 students are black. This puts that number of black students roughly around 3,860. The only other universities with more diversity are Georgia State and the University of Georgia. Especially with the recent racially motivated events tensions at universities have risen to higher levels as students demand for diversity and inclusion. Kennesaw State University was no exception to this. A lot for students were demanding inclusion. Examples of this are student led groups who were created to make word of the racial issue. They have made it public that the group wants to create an anti-racism education center. Task forces have been assigned to look into ‘racial challenges and opportunities’’ with the statement from their president, Kathy Schwaig, “This task force is comprised of a diverse group of students, faculty and staff who will work with existing structures and newly identified stakeholders to lead KSU toward meaningful change for our community and beyond”.

            On campus, this issue has impacted the entire student body. I personally have a friend who is a cheerleader at Kennesaw State University on scholarship. Her cheerleading squad is one of the more diverse groups on campus and has seen how racial issues have affected her teammates. As a mixed raced student, she finds it important to not only be an advocate, but an ally. She takes part in public displays to show her fellow students and sports fans her support to the cause. She has been vocal on social media by demanding a change from the school’s administration. I have used an article by “The Atlanta Journal Constitution” to find even more information about the race issue at Kennesaw State University. Comparing what Caitlin has said to me and how the media reports it I feel that it is safe to say that the media is reporting the true story. Even with a simple google search, you can find incidents that have occurred around the Kennesaw State campus.

            As stated previously, Kennesaw State has created a task force to help calm and solve the issue around campus. They will work with existing groups to help overcome obstacles and find new ways to break through the barrier. One of the associate professors of conflict management for Kennesaw State University said” one racial justice initiative the university should pursue is improving pay for Black employees. Black workers make up almost 45% of full-time workers making under $15 per hour but less than 10% of those making over $150,000, she said”. The task force has considered the idea of changing names of buildings around the college that may have a racial past. While these things seem minor, each of them builds a better community for the university’s students and faculty.

Stirgus, Eric. “Kennesaw State Group to Explore 'Racial Challenges and Opportunities'.” Ajc, The Atlanta Journal-Constitution, 1 July 2020, https://www.ajc.com/news/local-education/kennesaw-state-group-explore-racial-challenges-and-opportunities/S7RGdT4f8d3TNmW8d26yTN/.

Birmingham-Southern College is a remarkable college and should be treated as such. If you remember correctly, I was talking about the lack of funds at the Division III level, especially colleges that aren’t huge and get state funding, along with being a university. I will continue to trace back to the idea of funds throughout all my blog posts, because it is what makes a school run smoothly at any level. Therefore, if you have no money, you have no college. With that, there is a lot more to have at a smaller school, such as professors that have a close relationship with their students. On campus, there are a lot more super tight relationships between many students. At a large state school, such as Alabama, that is hard to find. Therefore, that should mean something not to just future employers, but to everyone that is applying for schools in high school. When I was getting recruited in high school, I was being recruited my smaller schools, while others were applying for large state schools or even community colleges. However, I was the only one in my entire class that was even thinking about going to a small, division III, liberal arts college. I didn’t even understand what I was doing; I was just coming to school here because of football. Why was that? If I had higher offers to play Division-I ball, would I have taken it instead of going to a school like Birmingham-Southern? If I’m being honest, I most definitely would. The reason is because I would have got my school entirely paid for, but also because of the experience. Everyone likes to go to the big popular schools, because of the experience. If you could combine the small-net, tight relationships we are able to gather here at Birmingham-Southern and add it to the experience you gain at a large popular school like Alabama, Georgia, or Auburn. Most people would say that is impossible, because everyone loves large schools because there are more people; I would disagree with that statement. However, we need more students on this campus; it is too small. At the same time, what is a great way for all kinds of people to meet up in a big night scene like we see at big-time state schools, I believe offer more outreach opportunities and events. When I say more events, I am not disregarding all of the outreach opportunities and events we have now. I am just saying have more “public social” events opposed to bean bag toss during common hour. I think it would be nice if every social event wasn’t surrounded around or supported by fraternities. I feel like it was more of a school social event at a good time, such as 6 or 7 on a Friday night, it could give a small campus like this a big-school atmosphere look to it. I think intramural sports are along those lines of a great atmosphere, and I think it allows everyone a place to hang out and have fun together. Big-state schools do these as well, and this leads to even stronger relationships while having opportunities to have somewhere to hang out. I understand why schools don’t allow huge school events, because this could lead to students getting hurt and large events usually cost a lot. Though, it doesn’t have to be much. I think if students had somewhere to hang out like a lounge of some sort or even kickbacks by the academic quad would suffice. It would be nice to have somewhere to hang out besides the cafeteria. Another way to help with the experience of the college experience at Birmingham-Southern would be making all the games more known for every sport. I feel if there were announcements it would get more people talking opposed to seeing a reminder on BSC Sports’ Instagram. The more people hear about something, the more they tend to go to it, leading to a more filled stadiums and a much livelier experience. For me, this college is like an extension from high school. Coming from a large high school, I think since we are as small as we are in a lot of ways it could and should be treated like a high school with college perks, such not having to go to class from 7-3. There have been numerous studies that have shown that if you have a great time and experience with good relationships your work level and grades can and do improve; I see it as fulfillment. Everyone complains about how fun high school was. Although, if you add the principles of high school, relationships between teachers and students at a school like Birmingham-Southern and match it or even come close to an experience at a school like Alabama then nobody will want to leave. Then more and more students will want to come here, which will improve the funds issue I talked about on Blog Post 1.

In Conclusion, BSC is a great school but unfortunately, we must abide by the small school rule book as of now. I think we give more students opportunities in a relaxed setting; we would not only have a greater experience out on the hilltop, but I also believe we would meet even more people.

Gentry Scott

Professor Jenkins

PS 101

April 7, 2022

Violent Crime in Alabama

A hot topic in the state of Alabama is crime. In the recent years, we have had several crimes that have left our state shaken up, and it is time for a change. According to the “world population review” the most dangerous states in the United States are Mississippi, Louisiana, Florida, Arkansas, Texas, Oklahoma, Missouri, and in 8^th place is Alabama. Alabama has the 7^th highest homicide rate in the nation at 8.3 per 100,000 people. Alabama’s crime rate is 3,185.26 per 100,000 people. On average, 55% of Alabamians worry about a violent crime happening near them, and that is higher than the national average. These numbers need to be lowered drastically to improve the perception of Alabama as an overall state and increase the quality of life because if the crime rates continue to grow then the population will begin to decrease due to citizens feeling unsafe in their homes. Although, if we dig into these stats a little deeper, we can see which cities and crimes in Alabama actually caused these high numbers.            

Birmingham is one of the major cities in the state that has contributed to the high crime statistics due to its large population and high crime rates. We can only hope for a downward change in these numbers.  In 2017, Alabama hit the state’s all-time high of 111 homicides and it has been determined that the large population isn’t the issue because other largely populated states have been able to minimize their crime level. The city of Birmingham has become such a violent area that many people suggest avoiding certain areas, traveling alone at night, and to never ride a bike or jog after dark.  In Alabama, 5 in 10 people reported carrying some type of protection with them. This is honestly heartbreaking that our citizens do not feel safe enough to not carry protection with them in case of a crime happening. According to the statistics, the only violent crime that has increased year by year is aggravated assault which came in at 79% of all violent crimes.  As a citizen of Alabama, I feel I should be able to travel throughout our state, including our biggest city, and still feel safe and protected by our law enforcement in case of an incident and not have to defend myself.

With the crime rates in large cities in Alabama being a major concern in our state, we must also consider gun violence as an important topic. Peoples’ attitudes toward gun violence will continue to change throughout time as more stats, research, and topics are brought to the citizens' attention. Alabama’s gun violence experience is 138% higher than the national average. In Alabama, 61% of the population said that gun violence was their top safety concern. Although I feel this number will increase drastically with Alabama now deciding to become an open carry state. In 2020, Alabama recorded 11 mass shootings and in 2021 recorded 24. In recent months, gun violence with children as the victims has increased. The state of Alabama has to do better to protect and serve our citizens. 

In order to reduce crime in the state, the citizens need to be proactive by speaking up before something happens. Citizens and law enforcement should work together to build an open line of communication to spotlight potential issues. Additionally, more police officers are needed. The visibility of officers often deters criminals and additional patrol could reduce crime. Harsher sentences for repeat offenders should also be a consideration. Helping ex-felons find employment with a pay scale to keep them above the poverty level and affordable housing would be valuable in preventing them from being repeat offenders. Another avenue the state could travel would be requiring mental health checks and waiting periods for purchasing a gun which could also contribute to lowering crime rates. With Alabama becoming an open carry state, weapons may be more available to those who may not have qualified to own a weapon in the past. The state of Alabama also needs to review its plans, laws, and protection plans to make its citizens feel more at ease. Another solution (and the most effective) being implemented to reduce crime in the state is the Project Safe Neighborhoods program spearheaded by the Department of Justice to reduce violent crimes by taking felons off the streets, reducing firearms violence, and promoting public safety.

For those who think crime is not a concern, it is most likely due to not being directly impacted by a crime. Since the number of nonviolent crimes have decreased in the state, those in rural areas may not be aware of the increase in violent crimes in more populated areas of the state.

https://www.safewise.com/state-of-safety/al/

https://usaestaonline.com/most-dangerous-cities-in-alabama

https://www.politico.com/news/2021/12/01/alabama-prisons-humanitarian-crisis-523548#:~:text=But%20Alabama%20is%20an%20outlier,the%20state's%20most%20pressing%20issues.

https://giffords.org/lawcenter/gun-laws/states/alabama/

https://abcnews.go.com/US/wireStory/alabama-require-background-checks-concealed-guns-83375854#:~:text=%2C%20o...-,MONTGOMERY%2C%20Ala.,and%20getting%20a%20state%20permit.

 https://www.justice.gov/usao-mdal/pr/justice-department-awards-more-175-million-support-project-safe-neighborhoods

PS101

7 April 2022

One of the biggest issues facing refugees and asylees in America and across the globe is the lack of career opportunities available to them. Whether it be because of the language barrier, discrimination in employment practices, or any number of other issues, refugees and asylees have a much harder time maintaining long-term employment in careers that pay them a living wage than other immigrants. 

Upon arrival in the United States, refugees receive assistance adjusting to life in this country from non-profit organizations and private agencies as well as from the U.S. Office of Refugee Services (ORS), but the approach these organizations, especially the government, takes when resettling refugees is hyper-focused on the rapid attainment of self-sufficiency. Unfortunately, this approach doesn’t always offer enough resources to refugees for long-term success and, in the short term, is quite the low bar in terms of quality of life. Back in 2003, researchers from Cornell University analyzed the number of refugees that had received lawful permanent resident (LPR) status that year and found these people were more likely to be employed compared to other immigrants who were not refugees. However, by 2007, those same people experienced a decline in their likelihood of employment, while the employment numbers among non-refugees rose at a similar rate to that of the decline among refugees. The researchers argued that this downward trend is driven by a variety of factors, starting with how the federal government has increasingly relied on nonprofit and private institutions to help with resettlement programs, but “rarely” coordinates its efforts with these organizations. This is also affected by state and local statutes requiring local businesses to only hire non-citizens if there are no citizen applicants.

Money is another issue, in the decades since that study, federal funding for non-governmental refugee resettlement agencies and charities has almost completely dried up. Most nonprofits receive federal funding that is contingent on the number of refugee job placements they make, which drives that toxic impulse to focus on helping people become self-sufficient as quickly as possible. This results in many refugees getting stuck in “survival jobs,” low or minimum-wage positions that offer little to no career growth, often only require low skills and consist of manual labor. 

Shoving refugees into these positions has led to what social scientists refer to as “brain waste,” when highly educated, highly skilled immigrants and refugees are unable to find work in their field in their new home. As of February 2022, the non-profit Upwardly Global estimated there were over two thousand of these people living in the United States, the organization also believes that between twenty and thirty percent of recent arrivals from Afghanistan are highly educated and skilled individuals who are being unutilized or underutilized in the workforce. 

A good example of what this looks like on the ground is the current situation facing recently arrived people from Afghanistan in Alexandria, Virginia. Actors from the national theater in Kabul are now working cash registers, and former procurement services managers are case-workers at the same non-profits that helped them adjust. One of the biggest issues here is that even when the most qualified doctors, nurses, therapists, lawyers, teachers, and engineers are “skills matched” to an available position in America, the fact that they don’t have licenses to practice in this country, never mind whichever state they settle in, they cannot legally put their skills to use. This could also lead to systemic, generational brain waste, as people working survival jobs often cannot afford to send their kids to college or technical school. 

In a country currently facing a severe shortage of nurses, doctors, technicians, and other medical professionals, something we all became very aware of over the last few years, we cannot afford to let this continue. The next COVID variant could show up at any time, and the best doctors and nurses Afghanistan and other nations had should not be sitting in a drive-thru window or standing behind a cash register. One way to fix this would be to set up ways for nurses to take the National Council Licensure Examination (NCLEX-RN exam) at a reduced cost or for free. Currently, the exam costs $200 plus additional fees from individual state boards of nursing to take, something that could be offset by private resettlement agencies or done through government-funded non-profits. Obviously, this would not be as easy for lawyers as the systems vary so widely from nation to nation, but engineers, teachers, and other licensed professionals should also be able to put their education to good use no matter where they come from or what they can afford. 

John McCall

Dr. Jenkins

Intro to American Government and Politics

April 7, 2022

Blog Post Two

            The issue faced by the Kurds, focused on in this blog post, is the discrimination and oppression they suffer from in Turkey. This discrimination occurs in public and in private, by law and by subversion, on paper and in practice. Roughly fourteen to twenty million Kurds live in Turkey, based in the southeastern region. Originally a part of the Ottoman Empire, Turkey is and has since 2003 been ruled by Recep Tayyip Erdogan, a man frequently accused of authoritarianism, and who survived an attempted coup d’état against him in 2016. With the Kurds comprising about 18% of Turkey’s population, which is close to one fifth, it cannot be ignored by an objective Turk that a large portion of their population consists of an ethnic group their country has treated terribly throughout the decades. When the Republic of Turkey was formed in 1923, it was revealed to the Kurds that their ethnicity and sovereignty would not be recognized, and tempers quickly soared. Violence occurred in rural and urban areas protesting over what many considered a broken promise that an independent “Kurdistan” would form after the World War I. Mustafa Kemal Ataturk, the president until 1938, wanted a single Turkish identity and refused to put up with the existence, at least the visible existence, of any group or nationality that went against his vision of a single, national Turkish identity. And therefore, the existence of the Kurds in Turkey was denied, literally. In 1934 there was what became known as the resettlement law which forcibly evicted and relocated Kurds to the region of Dersim. It did not help them to already be pushed around by the government, but to be forced into a designated region showed the utter contempt felt towards them. The Kurds were referred to as “mountain Turks” and “eastern Turks.” Words deemed unpatriotic and against the national identity like “Kurdistan” or “Kurdish” were silenced and people who uttered them were shamed.

            The discrimination and oppression against the “mountain Turks” continued and showed no signs of improving. In 1980 there was a successful military coup against the ruling government in Turkey. A sharp rise of Turkish nationalism followed across the country. This skyrocketed nationalism led to the Kurdish language not just being discriminated against, but legally banned. No longer were Kurds faced with being shamed and publicly ostracized for speaking their language, the threat of arrest and jailtime now lingered over them. The denial of their very existence, the disrespect of their culture, the prohibition of their language and names, forceful relocations, all consisted of a pattern of discrimination against this ethnic group in Turkey which makes up nearly one fifth of the population. The psychological effects this must have on Kurds in Turkey are hard to imagine. Many must go about their day wondering why they are such a problem in the eyes of the government and why their Kurdish ethnicity, rich in its history and culture, is seen as a negative. Cruel actions against the Kurds have often been justified as fighting terrorism, ensuring order, preventing insurrection, and so on. This may sound cliché, but one good thing the Kurds have on their side is attention from the outside world. We are fortunate to live in a time when it is hard for nations to hush up and delete their dirty deeds. The treatment of the Kurds is frequently listed as one of Turkey’s biggest shortcomings.

It is difficult for me to find, even think of, an “evidence based” solution. It of course seems so easy to say that the solution is for Turkey and its President Erdogan to simply declare that the language and culture of the Kurds will be respected by force of law, rather than be discriminated against by the threat of force. But the history of Turkey shows that this is unlikely. In the United States we pride ourselves on our cosmopolitanism, multiculturalism, and acceptance of people from different walks of life and points of view. Perhaps the fact that the United States is a nation of immigrants, and Turkey is not, has something to do with it.

The root problem to creating a solution is that, in Turkey, really nothing is done or passed without receiving the green light from Erdogan, for he is a dictator in practice if not officially on paper. The failed coup against him in 2016 resulted in purges of many he deemed his foes. It is up to him and him alone whether or not Turkey will grant total respect to the Kurdish people there. Perhaps Erdogan himself needs to receive, firmly and collectively, condemnation from the international world even if it only makes him defensive. It may very well prompt him to act towards ensuring better treatment of the Kurds. Turkey is a member of NATO; it is the nation wherein President Kennedy placed nuclear warheads during the Cuban Missile Crisis. One may say it is strange that Turkey, a nation which has demonstrated such intolerance to their largest minority group, is currently hosting the peace talks between Russia and Ukraine.

https://www.dailysabah.com/politics/war-on-terror/turkey-has-no-kurdish-issue-erdogan-says

https://www.culturalsurvival.org/publications/cultural-survival-quarterly/kurdish-repression-turkey

https://www.reuters.com/article/us-turkey-politics-kurds-erdogan/analysis-move-to-ban-kurdish-party-shows-erdogans-march-to-nationalism-idUSKBN2BB1CZ

https://rpl.hds.harvard.edu/faq/kurds-turkey

https://www.britannica.com/topic/Kurd#ref284087

West Neill

Professor Jenkins

PS 101

April 7, 2022

Blog post 2

            The opening week of Major League Baseball is finally here. As talked about in the previous blog post the MLB lockout has ended and opening day for the 2022 season is set for April 7, 2022. The new Collective bargaining agreement resulted in increased salaries for minor league players, universal designated hitters, and an extended post-season. The players and fans were astounded by the compromises made by the franchise owners. But days before opening the MLB released that they are allowing multiple new methods to technologies to be implemented in the new season. These new technologies have caused a lot of conflicts among the baseball community as they fear the game of baseball is losing its tradition. 

             In a press conference two days before the start of the regular season, the MLB released that they approved the use of electronic pitch calling between the pitcher and catcher. This device is called the PitchCom. The catcher’s device is a wristband with buttons that transmit the type of pitch and ideal location. The pitcher that is wearing a small speaker tucked into his hat receives the pitch type and location from a preset recording. Traditionally catchers use finger signs to call pitches and locations as well as pick-off moves and pitchouts. The purpose of this device is to eliminate sign stealing from other teams. The 2017 Houston Astros were accused of sign-stealing during the World Series by using a high zoom camera in the bullpen to intercept the catchers’ signs and relayed them to the bullpen in real-time using an apple watch. Once the sign was received in the dugout, a player would hit a trashcan in a certain sequence to represent the type of pitch. The trashcan made a distinct sound that could easily be recognized by the hitter before the pitcher delivers the pitch. 

             In the same press conference, the MLB also released that the testing of robotic umpires will now be used in the Minor leagues. Using automated cameras and software engineering, programs will determine whether a pitch is a ball or strike. There will still be an umpire behind the plate that will be relayed the call but determining whether a player is safe or out is still being called by the umpire. In previous years this system has been tested in the lower levels of the minor leagues, but it has made its way to the highest level of the minor leagues also known as triple-A. 

             At this point, you may be thinking why would players and fan bases be concerned about these modern technologies that prevent cheating and improve accuracy? Well, this is because these are the first electronic devices allowed on the field of play that change the dynamic of baseball. For example, before PitchCom has approved a pitcher could only receive a sign from the catcher when he was on the rubber. This gave the batter an indication of time or when he needs to get into the batter’s box. But with the new PitchCom technology, the pitcher can receive the sign as soon as the catcher can transmit the next pitch. This allows the pitcher to potentially speed up his pitching process and quick pitch the batter. For the batter timing is very essential to hit, with the new system the pitcher has the advantage of changing speeds to throw off the pitcher. Many hitters have already spoken about the possible disadvantages this may lead to, but many players are willing to give the new system a try. 

             The robotic umpire has the biggest impact on the fan base of baseball. As they fear the game of baseball will become automatic and automated. A survey was conducted by BroBible of over 11 thousand fans and asked if they would rather see a robotic or real umpire call balls and strikes. Only 31% of fans said they want the robotic system implemented. So why did most fans prefer the less accurate human umpire over the perfect robotic strike zone? The answer is simple, fans do not want to see the game of baseball be altered by electronics. We see the use of modern technology around the game of baseball with jumbotrons, improved statistics, and analysis. But most fans do not want to see these changes on the field. Fans want to keep the traditional aspect of baseball and fear with the implementation of these new systems could lead to further changes and electronics. Which could change the way the game of baseball is played forever.  

King Henderson

Dr. Jenkins

PS 101

April 7, 2022

                                                                       Transparency pertaining to Price and Quality                       

Cost and Transparency are two major issues that resemble a dark cloud looming over the healthcare industry. In the beginning phases of covid congress signed bills enacting some “bail-out” funds for the health care industry (hospitals). These funds amounted to nearly 275 billion dollars, in only 2 months back in 2020. This money offset insurer losses, largely with taxpayer dollars. This is only one example of large sums of money being fed into an already wealthy system. It’s time for the healthcare industry to focus on actual individuals and adjust its transparency policies. 

           It is a unique situation when as many people agree on a topic as they do on health care price transparency. Usually having 50 percent on your side is considered a win; but regarding this issue, almost 90 percent of Americans show their want for insurers and hospitals to disclose prices. Most people realize this is a serious topic that effects everyone in some way. Fixing price transparency can fix major problems in America’s health care industry. For example, in 2018, private health insurance companies paid out nearly $1.1 trillion, with hospital care accounting for $481 billion. With all this cash spent, there were numerous hospitals that could be seen charging varying prices for the same procedure. Thus, Americans must look at this as shopping, after all, us Americans do love shopping. This will produce the best benefits to ignite the health care system. 

           Price transparency is seen to lead to a boom in commerce, or rather, a boom in “shopping”. This overtime can help healthcare employers to produce payment models, maximizing value from healthcare spending. This would also help to reduce “waste” within our health care system. Over $930 billion, almost 25% of all spending was wasted. The two categories that were the highest were administrative complexity and pricing failure. If transparent prices had been accessible to patients wasted cash could have been avoided. 

           Another way to tackle the issue of transparency is divulging from price transparency to focus on quality transparency. From this perspective, pricing is more or less unimportant because insurance coverage handles that aspect. It is suggested by Paul B. Ginsburg that, “the impact of price transparency is significantly mitigated, barring a fundamental change to the healthcare market “(Ginsburg). However, Ginsburg suggests that quality transparency acts as a greater solution by engaging insurers and keeping patients in the loop. Making the information easy to understand by laying it all out beforehand will form better quality care and allow patients to make informed decisions. From another perspective, quality transparency can be looked at as performance transparency as well. With this point of view, levels of care can be enhanced at lower costs. 

            By taking these different approaches to this topic, there are seeming methods that could alleviate the given situation. But truth be told, the main ingredient for this to work is trust. The thing is though, trust is a rare commodity nowadays, especially when talking about big corporations. No one wants to be taken advantage of and be made the fool. Big health care corporations do this daily, taking advantage of customers especially. But focusing on trust is still important. Big companies and patients/people alike should begin taking steps to help bridge the gap to mend trust. It won’t happen overnight, but steps need to be taken in order for health care to be streamlined. Alas, this might be too much to ask, since almost every free thinker today is also a skeptic. 

           Transparency regarding cost and quality in health care has been a steady uphill battle for decades, but thankfully beginning to see some breakthroughs. Companies, corporations, and providers alike are beginning to be more open with the public about prices, not necessarily quality. Still, a step in the right direction for transparency in health care. The more the people can be informed, the more well off each individual can be, in theory. The next big step that can seal the deal, so to speak, is generating a level of trust. I suppose this won’t come until firstly success is achieved, but that is all dependent upon corporate action

Markie Nelson

American Government and Politics

Dr. Jenkins

4/2/2022

Communities Blog Post #2

            Continuing on the homeless community issues, the lack of affordable housing is a major problem seen all around the world. Lack of affordable housing could spur from many different reasons, but mainly because of unemployment. Ultimately, one cannot comfortably live without having an income of some sort. So, homeless people are usually not offered housing options that are affordable and accommodable to them. In this case, it is a never-ending cycle of people living on the streets. With the lack of affordable housing comes many consequences for the homeless community and denies them opportunities for a better life. By the Forbes definition, “Housing is considered “affordable” if it consumes less than 30% of a household’s total income” (www.forbes.com). Not even the homeless community, but many people around the world struggle with housing cost burdens. In many situations, it is the low-income class who cannot afford appropriate housing, so people cannot even begin to imagine what homeless people must go through. Affordable housing is ideal for everyone, of course, but with the economy changing nearly every day the solutions for the homeless community are diminishing it seems.

            The lack of reasonable and affordable housing has harsh effects on the homeless community. Not only is this community having to live in brutal conditions, but with that comes diseases. Bearing uncontrollable weather conditions is not easy on the human body and no human can survive low, frigid winter nights, without contracting some illness. The weather is a factor in illness, but living in such bad conditions, in general, is not healthy for one’s body. Homeless people usually live in slums and abandoned places. Homeless people do not get the luxury of cleaning supplies or medication. So, when homeless people contract an illness, they usually do not recover, due to the lack of resources they have access too. Along with illness, comes mental health issues for homeless people. Continuously living in the conditions, they do have a toll on one’s mind. According to the Borgen Project website, “One study found that individuals in poor housing exhibit worse mental in 100 percent of cases” (Borgenproject.org). Even if homeless people can afford some type of remedy to their illness, this “prevents individuals from working and threatens the well-being of community members” (Borgenproject.org).  Written by the National Low Income Housing Coalition, “Prevent families from facing evictions and homelessness” (nlihc.org). Evictions are another leading cause of homelessness. One thing that keeps homeless people going to provide for a better life is mainly their families.

            In an article on endhomelessness.org, it was written,” Researchers and citizens alike suspect this status quo is hurting the nation’s efforts to end homelessness” (endhomelessness.org). With such high costs of housing, this increases the rate of homelessness. Many people could argue that homeless people can easily go get a job anywhere nowadays, but sometimes the homeless community does not have the ability to pursue that. As many people say, it is easier said than done. People who are not homeless do not understand the hardship they have to face every day. Wealthy people think that money will solve everything when it really will not. Mainly organizations for homelessness awareness are scams or do not provide the way that is portrayed to the public eye. So, people end up donating to something that is not what they thought it would be, which changes the public eye and homeless communities’ eye.

            Of course, an easy solution to housing for the homeless community is lowering the prices of housing, but with everything in our economy fluctuating, that makes it very difficult for this community. Another solution is more group homes or living options for homeless people. Many people have a stigma that the homeless community cannot provide for themselves and do not try. This can be true in some cases, but many times homeless people do not have the resources available to them, so a solution could be providing resources, such as safe medication and toiletries, for the homeless community. As mentioned previously, evictions are a leading cause of homelessness and a solution to this problem presented by the NLIHC is, “The program could provide temporary financial assistance to help cover rent for households experiencing unexpected economic shocks” (nligc.org). Mentioned on upforgrowth.org about mental health solutions for the homeless community, “… successful policy interventions include important measures like permanent supportive housing and rapid housing and rapid rehousing programs that offer wraparound services along with safe housing” (upforgrowth.org). Homelessness will always be a problem in our economy today, but hopefully by raising awareness and support this problem can come to an end. 

Resources:

https://www.upforgrowth.org/news/growing-homelessness-crisis-product-our-national-housing-shortage

https://borgenproject.org/consequences-of-poor-living-conditions/  

https://nlihc.org/sites/default/files/Solutions-to-the-Affordable-Housing-Crisis.pdf  

https://www.forbes.com/sites/forbesnonprofitcouncil/2021/09/07/there-is-no-easy-fix-for-the-affordable-housing-crisis/?sh=68ff2aa173b7

             The 2022 FIFA World Cup venue has been set for a tiny oil-rich country in the middle east known as Qatar. The decision for Qatar to be the hosting nation for the World Cup has sparked disagreements and debates across the world soccer community. Is this a huge mistake, or rather a major scandal? Many questions have been asked about this decision, however very few have been given straight answers. After all, we are dealing with some of the wealthiest people in the world, and everyone knows the elites are known to be somewhat invincible. This issue has gotten so out of hand there has been a number of criminal investigations and detainments linked to the granting of Qatar the World Cup. There is no doubt that Qatar’s winning of hosting the World Cup has sparked questions of corruption within the world’s largest soccer organization FIFA. The question is why though?

            To understand why the choosing of Qatar as a host nation for the 2022 World Cup is such a big deal you must first understand how the host is decided. The decision is typically made about seven years in advance of the tournament so that the country has plenty of time to build stadiums and infrastructure needed to accommodate the mass amounts of fans that undoubtedly will come to support their country at the World Cup. The original deciding system has evolved over the years into an exhaustive ballot system which uses votes by FIFA’s congress. Although there is nothing inherently wrong with a country like Qatar hosting the world, there are some major issues once looking deeper into the matter. Qatar advocated for their hosting of World Cup 2022 by claiming they would be representing the Arab World, and a way to bridge the gap between the Western and Arab worlds. While in some ways this is a good point and will undoubtedly help that cause because the World Cup is the largest event in the world and brings people from all places to one spot. However, the first major problem with Qatar is the fact that worker’s rights basically are non-existent there. For years now there has been countless reports of labor abuse within Qatar especially related to the construction of buildings for the World Cup, and Qatar has noticed and vowed to reform. Even with the promise of reform Qatar has done nothing.

            Eight massive stadiums, that is what is required to host the 2022 World Cup. Qatar only has one that is done completely, two more need expansion, and 5 have to be built completely. With Qatar being such a tiny country the have to enlist the work of foreigners. Here is where the worker’s rights violations begin. Foreigners are often promised much more than they actually receive to come help Qatar prepare for the World Cup, and an alarming amount have died doing so. Obviously, Qatar does not want people to hear about the deaths under their supervision, so instead they list the deaths as ‘natural causes’. If that is not enough, once the foreign help comes in their passports are quickly revoked causing them to be unable to leave Qatar, and for those that still have their passports, often times they do not want to return home because they fear they have not made enough money to support their families.

            Another seemingly small issue to the average spectator, but massive to anyone who has played the sport will understand is the climate in Qatar. Located almost directly on the Tropic of Cancer, Qatar during the summer months is known to be brutally hot. A typical summer day in Qatar reaches around 108/109 Fahrenheit. That is borderline unplayable conditions for a sport like soccer. When the venue was first announced this was taken into consideration, and the solution was to move the tournament to a winter date. Well, this did not go over well with the rest of the soccer world because that is exactly when all the world’s major leagues are in season, which would ultimately cause leagues to stop in the middle just to play this tournament.

Cade Robinson

Dr. Jenkins

Intro to American Government

April 7, 2022

The Balance of Time with Student Athletes

Student athletes according to PSB spend on average 50 hours a week doing sports related activities. When that is broken down into sections on average they spend 21 hours a week on required activities (practice), and 29 hours a week on other activities (film, traveling, rehab, ext.). According to the New York Post the average college student spends about 26.2 hours a week on studying and class. This means that the average student athlete spends 76.2 hours a week on school and athletics. The recommended amount of sleep you should get is 56 hours a week (8 hours a day) which, combined with the 76.2 hours of sports and class, makes you spend 132.2 hours a week doing one of those activities. There are 168 hours a week which means the average  student athlete gets 35.8 hours of free time a week. This may seem like a lot of free time when broken down but student athletes average free time doesn’t even equate to a weekend. This is where student athletes' time problem starts.

Student athletes' time problems can affect them in many different ways. It can affect their grades, sport, social life, and physical/ mental well being. This lack of free time student athletes have led to tough decisions that they have to make where they have to choose one of those affected areas over another. The lack of time student athletes face can lead to bad grades/ not as good of grades, because they have to make choices. I know from personal experience that I will occasionally skip a class, or put off an assignment to get more sleep due to how tired I was. I knew that if I didn’t catch up on my sleep it would negatively affect my grades more than if I just missed a class, or turned in an assignment late. Student athletes are told that they are students before athletes, but that just doesn’t hold true. Most athletes can’t skip practice for class, but they can skip class for practice. This leads to student athletes rushing through assignments, getting lower grades than what they could have due to the missing class and not having very much extra time in their week to be able to make up for what they missed. Student athletes' time constraints also affect them on the field. They can stay up until 3a.m. writing a paper and then have a 6a.m. practice that they underperform at due to being so tired and mentaly drained. The time constraint can also lead to them skipping rehab or not watching as much film as they should have due to having more important things to do which can lead to underperformance on the field. Student athletes have about 36 hours of free time a week to be able to socialize with friends and have a good social life. This may seem like a lot of time, but most of the time you have rules in place, like no drinking, or the times don’t match up with your friends and activities you want to do. Our social lives are influenced by being an athlete where you can’t go to an event you’ve been looking forward to, or you have to stay on campus during spring break while your friends go to the beach. Your social life in season can be majorly restricted due to all the things you have to do, which can lead to you losing friends or drifting apart from your friends. This leads straight into the mental and physical toll the lack of time brings onto student athletes. Your mental health can go downhill due to the stress of everything you have to do, the big game, injury, and lack of chill time with friends. A lot of athletes experience a slump in the middle or end of their seasons due to this, where they overall just aren’t very happy. Their physical health also comes into play due to them maybe not having time to go see the trainers when they are available due to class conflicts. Many athletes also get minor injuries they don’t get treated due to them not wanting to use the little free time they have going to treatment. 

The teachers of student athletes see and deal with their time problems a lot. Many teachers get constant emails from them asking for extensions on papers and telling the teacher they won’t be at class. This has to be frustrating for teachers due to the fact that 99% of student athletes use their degree that they get from college more than the college athletics part of their college. Teachers also probably get frustrated with how student athletes email them at crazy times of the night, and can’t sometimes meet during office hours. The amount of times teachers hear “I can’t come, I have practice” probably drives them crazy. If only student athletes could have 26 hours in a day. Coaches also deal with the time constraint of players. Coaches have to plan lifts, practices, and film around student athletes' class schedules the best they can. A lot of the time that means 6am. or 8pm. practices which have to suck for coaches and their families. Most coaches would love to be able to have a 12p.mn. practice instead of one of those times so they could work normal hours. Coaches also hear “ I might be late to ___ because I have class” a lot which has to be frustrating because you want your whole team to practice the whole time. The time constraint student athletes face directly impacts coaches and teachers' lives too.

There is no solution for this problem, only things that can make it a little better. You can’t add more hours to the day, ask teachers to require less from student athletes, or ask coaches to require less from them. This is just a problem that student athletes will have to deal with. There are ways to make it easier for student athletes and help them with their time. One way is to help them learn how to properly schedule out their day, so they don’t waste 30 minutes in between classes. Another way is to maybe give student athletes first pick at classes, so they can get a schedule that works best with their time and doesn’t conflict as much with sports. Teachers could also try to be flexible with due dates as long as the student athlete looks like they are trying and are communicating well with a good reason. Also coaches could make lift and film times at more than just one time, so you can when you have the time to and not rush from class. If you combined all these solutions it would make many of the student athletes' time challenges a lot easier to deal with, although it wouldn’t completely solve them.

Citations 

Swns. “Here's How Many Hours the Average Student Spends Hustling.” New York Post, New York Post, 22 Aug. 2019, https://nypost.com/2019/08/21/heres-how-many-hours-the-average-student-spends-hustling/. 

Lucy Thompson

PS101 – Dr. Jenkins

4/7/22 

Blog Post 2

            In more recent times, an issue facing the female community is the integrity of female sports. The threat of male-to-female transgender athletes dominating the competition is greater now than ever before.

As our society has advanced and people have become more accepting more individuals are coming out as transgender. This was all seeming to be fine and peaceful until transgender athletes started beating biological female athletes. And they were not just beating them by a small amount, they were blowing them out of the water. One of the most well-known male-to-female transgender athletes is Lia Thomas, a swimmer for the University of Pennsylvania who has been competing against biological females. The National Review writes, “Thomas finished first in the 500-yard freestyle (beating two Olympic medalists)” (The Editors). Thomas not only just won first place, but she beat not one, but two Olympic medalists. Thomas beat the top female swimmers that the U.S. sends to compete on behalf of the entire nation. Lia Thomas has become a very frequent topic within the media almost like a symbol for this issue facing the female community, this is not to say that there are not several more examples of transgender athletes threatening female sports because there are. The issue at hand is whether or not male-to-female transgender individuals should be allowed to compete against biological females. The issue is not if transgender individuals should be allowed to compete, but if they should compete against females which they have a biological advantage over. These biological advantages are physical as in having more muscle mass capacity, longer limbs, being taller, more stamina, etc.

            This issue affects the female community because it puts women at a disadvantage in their own athletic category. Male and female sports have been separated for centuries in an effort to keep the competition fair. Title IX was created in part to give women equal opportunities in athletics. The Women’s Sports Foundation explains, “Title IX gives women athletes the right to equal opportunity in sports in educational institutions that receive federal funds, from elementary schools to colleges and universities” (Women’s Sports Foundation). Title IX has thus far been very groundbreaking in the sense that it offers women equal opportunity in athletics. However, when it was passed decades ago transgender individuals were not considered because our society was not as accepting of LGBTQ+ individuals like it is today. So, where we are currently as a country and a society is trying to figure out how transgender athletes fit into Title IX while also trying to protect the biological female athletes and keeping their competition fair.
            There are different perspectives regarding the issue of transgender individuals with a biological advantage against female athletes. The perspective of transgender athletes is that they believe because they identify as female, they should be allowed to compete with and against other females. This makes sense in this perspective because if someone identifies as female and has access to all the same things females have then they should be able to compete as a female. The perspective of the biological female athletes competing against transgender is that they feel as if the competition is not fair. They feel as if the transgender athletes that were born male have a physical advantage. The onlookers surrounding the issue either want the transgender athletes to be able to compete alongside biological females or they strongly oppose it. Those that strongly oppose transgender individuals competing believe that they are destroying women’s sports and that biological female athletes should be able to compete against other biological female athletes in order to keep the playing field fair. The onlookers that support transgender athletes competing against biological females believe that transgender athletes should have the right to compete in the gender category that they now identify as. There are also numerous individuals that are not sure what they believe but know that something must be done in order for Title IX to continue to be enforced and for women’s sports to be fair.

            An evidence-based solution to this problem has not yet been found by our government or by our society. If I was to offer up a solution the only one that I can think of would be to amend Title IX. I would create four gender categories for sports: male, female, transgender male-to-female, and transgender female-to-male. This way there could be fair competition between all individuals. This is based on evidence that male-to-female transgenders have a biological advantage over females. Also, I think Title IX is the best route because it is an enforced law that holds substantial power. So, if the government amended it then it would still hold its power.

Sources:

https://www.womenssportsfoundation.org/advocacy_category/title-ix/#:~:text=Athletic%20programs%20are%20considered%20educational,schools%20to%20colleges%20and%20universities.

https://www.nationalreview.com/2022/03/the-ncaa-swimming-championship-was-a-national-scandal/?utm_source=recirc-desktop&utm_medium=article&utm_campaign=river&utm_content=top-bar-latest&utm_term=fourth

Maddi Stewart

PS 101

Blog Post #2

7 April 2022

Blog Post #2

            At the beginning of March Madness in 2021, both the NCAA Division 1 men basketball players and the NCAA Division 1 women basketball players arrived at their respective “bubble” which contained amenities provided to the players by the NCAA. However, what the women found in their bubble compared to the men’s bubble was vastly different and completely unequal. For instance, the weight room was much smaller, they received smaller pre-packaged meals, less reliable COVID-19 tests, and their “swag bags” were not as impressive. After pictures and videos surfaced of this embarrassingly unequal treatment, complaints began to arise across social media platforms that explained how atrocious and unfair these NCAA Division 1 female athletes were being treated.

            After pictures and videos were released on social media that showed the different treatment the women basketball players received during the time of March Madness, it became clear that the NCAA had some explaining to do and things needed to change. Being a female athlete myself, it makes me upset and frustrated to see other female athletes being treated with such disrespect. These female athletes deserve to be given the same opportunities that the men are receiving. I do not care how much revenue the men’s basketball teams are bringing in compared to the women’s basketball teams. It is blatant disrespect to these female athletes. They have worked hard to get to where they are today and to continue to have issues such as this shows how much further we still need to go in order to gain certain aspects of equality.

            One of the first posts to go around social media was a side-by-side comparison of the women’s weight room and the men’s weight room which was posted by Stanford sports performance coach Ali Kershner. In her caption, she explained that this issue needs to be addressed and that these women deserve to have the same opportunities as their male counterparts. Kershner finished off her post by stating, “In a year defined by a fight for equality this is a chance to have a conversation and get better.” (Levine, 2022). Another post that showed the inequality was a video posted on Tik Tok by Sedona Prince, a female basketball player at the University of Oregon, once again showing the difference in the weight rooms. She captioned the video, “It’s 2021 and we are still fighting for bits and pieces of equality.” (McCluskey, 2021). After the NCAA received backlash that stemmed from these posts, Lynn Holzman, Vice President of the NCAA, made a statement that argued the reason the weight room was much smaller was due to a lack of space, however, in Prince’s video, she showed a large, vacant area right next to the women’s so-called “weight room”. Other people such as Steph Curry, Sabrina Ionescu, Kyrie Irving, and A’ja Wilson offered support for the women’s teams on social media as well (McCluskey, 2021).

            In order to try and “fix” this issue, what first needs to happen is an apology needs to be sent out on behalf of the NCAA to these female athletes. This apology will show that the NCAA recognizes their mistake and will hopefully try and change other aspects of this tournament in years to come. The NCAA also needs to change what was mentioned in the social media posts, the weight room, the meals, and the women’s “swag bags”. Even though this does not “fix” the gender issue, it is a start to show that the women basketball players deserve to have the same opportunities as the men basketball players. 

Since the March Madness gender debacle happened last year, some of these issues have already been corrected, such as expanding the women’s tournament to 68 teams and allowing them to use the phrase "March Madness” which was once only allowed for the men’s tournament. Other changes that have been made for this year are that the “swag bags” will be the same and fan events that are held during the Women’s Final Four will be more similar to the men’s. The only problem that remains is the TV rights and revenue disbursement of the women’s tournament versus the men’s tournament; however, the NCAA did make a statement explaining how they spent millions more on the women’s tournament for this year’s March Madness. I expect that the NCAA will continue to try and make the women’s tournament and men’s tournament more equal, as far TV rights and revenue disbursement, as the years go on. Those two things are not something that can be changed immediately, therefore, we have to continue to speak up in order to see the changes those female athletes deserve.

Works Cited

On Her Turf. 2022. 2022 March Madness: NCAA announces changes one year after weight room controversy. [online] Available at: https://onherturf.nbcsports.com/2022/02/28/2022-march-madness-ncaa-basketball-gender-equality/ [Accessed 6 April 2022].

Baccellieri, E., 2022. One year after a March Madness gender reckoning, what has really changed? - Sports Illustrated. [online] Sports Illustrated. Available at: https://www.si.com/college/2022/03/18/ncaa-womens-tournament-equity-2022-daily-cover [Accessed 6 April 2022].

Levine, G., 2022. Opinion | NCAA's March Madness sexism won't be fixed with a better weight room. [online] NBC News. Available at: https://www.nbcnews.com/think/opinion/ncaa-march-madness-drops-ball-women-s-basketball-sexism-outrage-ncna1261775  [Accessed 6 April 2022].

McCluskey, M., 2022. NCAA Accused by Women's March Madness Players of Unequal Treatment. [online] Time. Available at: https://time.com/5948127/sedona-prince-womens-basketball-march-madness/  [Accessed 6 April 2022].

One topic that has brought a lot of controversy to college sports in recent years is the fairness of transgender females competing in women’s sports. On March 18^th, 2022 history was made in NCAA sports forever.  It was the first time that a transgender athlete won a championship. This champion goes by the name of Lia Thomas, and she is a transgender female. Lia is a collegiate athlete who swims for the University of Pennsylvania.  She previously swam on the University of Pennsylvania’s men’s team before undergoing testosterone suppression therapy.  The NCAA only requires that transgender athletes show proof of testosterone suppression being taken for at least a year before allowing them to compete as a female.  Thomas did this and was accepted by the NCAA to compete as a female during the 2021-2022 swim season.  Lia Thomas was ranked 554^th in the nation, during the 2018-2019 season where she swam as a male in the 200-yard freestyle.  However, now that she is swimming as a female, she is currently ranked 5^th in the nation.  While competing in the Ivy League’s male division, she was ranked 65^th in the nation in the 500–yard freestyle event.  Now competing in the women’s division, she is the top ranked swimmer in this event.  Also, in the 100-yard freestyle as a male competitor her time was 47.15 seconds.  Interestingly enough, as a female swimmer her time is 47.35 seconds.  This shows little change in her times between competing as a male and as a female.  This is highly unfair for all biologically female swimmers who have dedicated their whole lives to the sport.

There are several concerns that need to be addressed before a solution can be found.  These concerns include the barriers to transgender athletes, the biological differences between males and females, and the different perspectives of those involved.  The barriers faced by transgender athletes include the environment surrounding the sport, the clothing worn to participate, the locker rooms, and the stigma associated with a transgender athlete.  Sports are divided by gender, so transgender athletes often say they are not included or comfortable with the environment.  Transgender women often say that their voices keep them from being fully involved in athletics.  The clothing worn to participate in certain sports can also be a deterrent for some transgender athletes.  This clothing is often revealing and would identify the true biology of the athlete.  The locker rooms also create a hardship for transgender athletes.  These athletes are often excluded from the locker rooms, and this separates them from their teammates and does not allow them to focus on their new identity.  Lastly, the stigma associated with a transgender athlete is very damaging to his/her mental and physical health and limits the opportunities he or she are given. These barriers should be considered when a policy regarding transgender athletes is created. 

There are certain biological differences that give transgender women advantages over biological females.  First, Lia Thomas stands at approximately six-foot one inches tall, whereas, the average of the other female competitors stands at five-foot nine inches tall.  In a competition that determines winners and losers by milliseconds, standing 4 inches taller than your competition helps your chances of winning greatly. Second is the difference in the strength between a male and female athlete.  Lia had been training and competing against men her whole life.  Before her transition, she was competing to be the best male athlete; therefore, when she started swimming with the females, she would naturally be stronger than her competition.  Science allegedly showed that transgender woman had larger hands and feet, bigger hearts, and greater bone density and lung capacity.  All of these would be an advantage to a transgender woman competing with other biological females.

Next, there are different perspectives that need to be considered.  Many people oppose transgender women competing against biological females.  First and foremost, you need to investigate the swim team at the University of Pennsylvania.  Many of Lia’s teammates claim to support her decision outside of the pool.  However, sixteen out of her forty teammates submitted an anonymous letter criticizing her unfairness in the pool. In the letter they made sure it was clear that they fully supported her, but later stated, “when it comes to competition, that the biology of sex is a separate issue from someone’s gender identity.”  The letter goes on to talk about how she holds an unfair advantage in women’s sports, and it is evident by her overall ranking in the men’s category as 462^nd to 1^st in the women’s category.  Similarly, one of the athletes, that competed against Lia, spoke out about the issue.  Reka Gyorgy represents the other female athletes who had to compete against Lia during the course of the season. Reka goes to school at Virginia Tech and finished 17^th in the 500-yard freestyle. She states, “Every event that transgender athletes participated in was one spot taken away from biological females throughout the meet.”  Reka refers to this controversial topic as, “a problem in our sport right now.”  Michael Phelps said there needs to be an “even playing field” within the sport.  There are also many people who support transgender women competing with biological females.  Over 300 current and former swimmers signed their names to an open letter defending Lia Thomas.  One of her biggest supporters a transgender male, Schuyler Bailar, swam on the male swim team at the University of Harvard. He was the first known openly transgender D-1 athlete.  He makes a statement saying, “our transness is not something we can take off and put back on. We are whole people.”  Lia Thomas said, “I am a woman, just like anybody else on the team”.  She also commented that she was trying to let other transgender athletes know that they are not alone and that they need to compete and be true to themselves.

The reality is that a solution needs to be found that will be inclusive to the transgender athletes but fair to ALL athletes.  The goal of all athletes should be to “participate meaningfully” with others with similar skill sets.  To make sure that each athlete has a fair and equal chance at winning the competition, the NCAA should require that transgender athletes show proof of testosterone levels.  Just because someone has taken testosterone suppression for a year does not necessarily mean that their levels of testosterone are similar to that of a biological female. Thus, giving them an advantage.  This solution allows for transgender females to have the ability to compete more fairly with their competition.  However, the muscular advantage is only slightly reduced after testosterone reducing therapies.  To account for this the NCAA could also create new categories for competition.  They could continue with males and females as designated by your sex at birth and create a third open category for all others to compete in.  Specific guidelines would need to be established concerning testosterone levels, body mass, height, etc to determine if the athlete could compete in the women’s category or open category.  The bottom line should be to find a solution that is both inclusive and fair to all athletes.   

Alex Sprague 

Dr. Jenkins 

PS 101

07 April 2022

Blog Post 2

An issue that has been negatively affecting the United States is COVID-19. It led to hospitals reaching capacity, a shortage of medical equipment, an economic slowdown, increased unemployment, and over a million deaths (Bauer 1). Since 2020, COVID has placed many obstacles in front of people, including the Deaf community. When the United States shut down in early March, the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) started leading daily press conferences in the White House to inform citizens about how COVID was progressing and the steps people needed to take to increase prevention. The press conferences provided an ASL interpreter. Other news networks and talks given by government officials outside the White House did not have one. Also, most states required a mask mandate at the beginning of 2020 when places started to open up again, which led to communication barriers between the hearing and Deaf and hard of hearing community. 

Only a handful of states provided ASL interpreters when broadcasting press conferences and briefings about the coronavirus. The Heath Literacy Research and Practice conducted a study in June of 2021 which compared coronavirus information access between Deaf individuals and hearing individuals. It was concluded that “Adults who are deaf were 4.7 times more likely to report difficulty accessing COVID-19 information” (Panko 1). This affects the Deaf community because they were limited to the amount of information they could acquire to stay updated with all the mandates states were passing. The study also tested coronavirus knowledge, including “identification of accurate symptoms, preventive strategies, and planned health care navigation” (Panko 1). Panko concluded that people who are “Deaf had a higher risk factor of inadequate health literacy compared to hearing individuals at sixty-one percent versus twenty-three percent.” It was also discovered that twenty percent of Deaf participants reported difficulty accessing information related to the coronavirus (Panko). These statistics show the government did not consider the Deaf community when releasing information and put them at a disadvantage because they were unaware of all the precautions people needed to take to prevent contracting the virus. Even though the Deaf community is small in the United States, they tend to be overlooked during significant events such as the pandemic. When states began to open back up, the use of masks was required to enter certain facilities. For a Deaf person, many issues arise because facial expressions and lip-reading are a massive part of how Deaf individuals communicate with people. Adding a mask has restricted this and has made it very difficult for Deaf people to interact with hearing individuals who do not know ASL. Also, for Deaf individuals who wear hearing aids, the straps on masks get in the way, resulting in not wearing them. Masks are important to keep people safe; however, companies need to be aware of these issues to help create something that would allow communication between Deaf and hearing individuals to be more accessible. 

Given that the Deaf community is so small, there were not many different perspectives regarding the issues COVID has caused. A view people tend to not think about often is how their mental health was affected while in quarantine. Many Deaf individuals already feel isolated because they have difficulty communicating with the hearing community, and many people do not make accommodations to make it easier to communicate. A study was conducted during quarantine to observe the mental health of individuals and test their levels of depression, anxiety, aggression, and fear. It was observed that participants in the first group who had no history of mental health concerns declined by half (Majali 1). Being isolated from society and when states began to open up but still had mask mandates kept Deaf individuals from being able to return to normal. This can also be a factor as to why the mental health of the Deaf community increased. 

Since covid is still lurking around the corner and new strands are appearing, there is still the need for press conferences by government officials in each state. One solution to help with this issue is to provide more ASL interpreters and promote more job opportunities for government interpreters. Only six percent of all interpreters work for the government, including all languages, not just ASL. This shows that there are not enough people advocating for the Deaf community to provide interpreters to keep them informed on important issues. The barrier between masks and communicating has been challenging for Deaf and hard-of-hearing individuals to converse with others, especially hearing individuals. To solve this issue, companies should create transparent masks that help make communication easier. A company called ClearMask created transparent surgical masks that “allows full visibility for optimal learning, maximizes the entire view of the face, improves access to full communication, and removes communication barriers” (ClearMask 1). Under the Americans with Disability Act (ADA), companies must provide auxiliary aid for Deaf individuals, and ClearMask does just that. This invention has made communication easier for Deaf individuals because they can see the face of who they are signing to so they can lip-read or read the facial expressions one is giving off to detect the tone of the conversation. For the hearing community, many people overlook this because you can sense the tone from the voice the person is talking in; however, when someone has hearing loss, they must rely on other factors to help them come to that conclusion. When it comes to individuals who wear hearing aids, there are solutions for them. An article titled “How COVID-19 Impacts the Deaf and Hard-of-Hearing Community” states: “Make sure the mask fits properly, thinner straps are better, try masks that tie around the head, and remove masks properly” (Saltsman 1). These things may be common sense, but nobody has had to live through a pandemic like this one to where they had to worry about these issues. These three solutions may seem minor. In the long run, they can help Deaf individuals stay up to date on COVID information, make communication easier, and assist with masks so it does not interfere with their hearing aids. 

Sources

1. https://www.brookings.edu/research/ten-facts-about-covid-19-and-the-u-s-economy/

2. https://www.cdc.gov/museum/timeline/covid19.html

3. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC8241230/

4. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC8013852/

5. https://work.chron.com/salary-interpreter-government-4124.html

6. https://hive.rochesterregional.org/2020/10/covid-impact-on-deaf-community

Damian Nytko

American Politics

Professor Jenkins

April 06, 2022

Impact of COVID-19 on the Sports Community

The world-wide COVID-19 pandemic struck the United States in March of 2020, and impacted everything in the most unbelievable way. As the pandemic struck, and people were desperate to help it come to an end, Covid safety protocols were introduced by the CDC. These protocols included social distancing, mask mandates, and limits to the amount of people allowed inside buildings at once. The pandemic and the restrictions that came with it had an impact on all sorts of different communities around the world, one of them being the sports community. The sports community was impacted in every way possible during the pandemic. Throughout the year of 2020, the year COVID-19 came into play, there was a rapid number of sporting events getting canceled or postponed indefinitely, on every level (high school, college, professional). Even the 2020 olympics got postponed, and they were held in 2021, as there was no way to allow the athletes to participate in their sport without breaking social distancing and other required Covid protocol. 

The inability to allow athletes to play in a Covid safe manner prevented the sports from being played, which took a large toll on the economic side of sports. The postponing of events has prevented sports from making money from their in person and virtual viewership. As the pandemic went on, and passed the two weeks it was estimated to be limited to, professional sports teams knew they needed to work to find a way to bring sports back, and get their athletes playing again. The NBA and WNBA had all the athletes, coaches, and other necessary personnel isolated inside of bubbles in Walt Disney World in an effort to stop their spread of COVID-19. Once all the teams were completely free of Covid, games were allowed to be played and broadcasted, but still no live viewership. Some of the MLB teams allowed fans to pay and submit pictures to get a “fat head” of themselves placed on a seat in the stands.  Although there was no money to be made from inside the stands, from ticket sales, concessions, or anything else, the teams were finding ways to get their athletes playing, and any amount of revenue rolling in. 

As teams began coming back together to prepare for their Covid seasons, there were changes that were made. Athletes were required to wear masks during workouts, and during actual games. Entire teams were actually not allowed to work out together all at once, this was restricted, even with masks, due to the heavy breathing in an indoor facility. Team practices were limited to certain time frames in order to comply with the Covid regulation recommending to minimize time spent in close capacity with people you did not live with.Teams were also limited on the places they were allowed to travel, and when they did travel the teams had to account for the necessary isolation period, and enough time to get everyone tested for Covid-19. 

Once Covid protocols were lessened for the athletes, the fans still received some restrictions on the amount of fans that could attend, mask mandates, and social distanced seating. These rules are regulations made coming to the events seem unenjoyable for some, and unachievable for others. Considering the large toll these protocols take on the sports community, its athletes, its revenue, and its fans, there needs to be a solution to this problem, and it needs to come soon. As with all other things Covid related, there are some people who still feel there should be strong protocol and regulations, and there are others who believe there should be nothing at all. The sports community has already been lifting its mandates and restrictions, saying fans are allowed to wear a mask if they feel the need to, but no one is required. As these mask mandates have been lifted, so have the restrictions against social distancing, and the limits placed on the total amount of attendees. Lifting the Covid restrictions, although making those who believe in stronger Covid regulations mad, is the only sustainable way the sports community can be okay. They were okay doing the isolation bubbles, and the “fat heads” in the stands for one season, but long term it is not sustainable. These solutions were meant to bring a sense of hope of normalcy back to the country more than they were meant to last as a long term supply of revenue. As time went on the sports team would eventually suffer from the drastic loss of money, as they would lose all the in-person revenue, but still have to pay the athletes and other staff members.

Problems with the Dakota Access Pipeline

The Dakota Access Pipeline is an underground oil pipeline in the United States. The pipeline starts in the oil fields of the Bakken Formation in northwest North Dakota and runs through South Dakota and Iowas to an oil terminal in Illinois. The Dakota Access Pipeline forms with the Energy Transfer Crude Oil Pipeline from Patoka, Illinois to Nederland, Texas. These pipelines form the Bakken system. The pipeline system cost $3.78 billion and was announced in June 2014. Construction started in June 2016 controlled by Energy Transfer Partners. The pipeline was completed in April 2017 and the oil was delivered on May 14, 2017. 

The environmental impact of the pipeline was not taken into deep consideration. The Dakota Access Pipeline runs through many sites that are sacred to the Native Americans. The pipeline provides a major threat to the water, including the main source of water used for drinking. The Sierra Club is a group that has been involved in protecting the land, water, and climate, from the destructive pipeline. In Iowa, the fight to shut off the pipeline is in the hands of the Iowa Supreme Court. The Iowa Sierra Club chair Carolyn Raffensperger stated that the “...Supreme Court hearing is the last chance we have to stop the oil flowing through the Dakota Access pipeline and protect the true necessity of the citizenry, our drinking water.” In Iowa, the law permits a pipeline can be accepted by the Iowa Utilities Board only if the pipeline advances “public convenience and necessity”. It should be clear that the pipeline is not benefiting the public and should not be taken priority. 

In 2017, President Donald Trump announced that the construction would continue on the Keystone XL and Dakota Access pipelines, both of these had been stalled under the Obama administration. The other side of the argument sees this as a great boost to the American economy. President Trump predicted that the construction of the pipeline would create 28,000 jobs. TransCanada, the owner of the pipeline said it would create 20,000 direct jobs in the U.S. and an additional 118,000. After a review by the State Department, the project was estimated to create 42,000 jobs directly and indirectly. These 42,000 jobs would only take place during the construction which was estimated to take a year. Only 3,900 would be full-time positions. The Washington Post conducted research and put the number of jobs to around 16,000 indirect jobs. Getting a job on the pipeline is also hard to come by since most of the pipeline was already constructed except for a piece under Lake Oahe. This section of land passes under a source of drinking water for the Standing Rock Sioux tribe. Towns around the construction of the pipeline might have an increase in customers, but as the jobs from construction, this influx of new customers would be temporary. The other side sees the pipeline as a great expansion for the economy, but the statistics show that the jobs would only be temporary. The protection of the Indigenous communities well being is more important than a temporary economic boost. 

Protests against the pipeline erupted among indigenous nations around the country. The Standing Rock Indian Reservation in North Dakota had around 15,000 people around the world protesting and staging sit-ins. The pipeline affects the people’s water, but also runs through ancient burial grounds and cultural sites of historic importance. In April 2016, the Standing Rock youth and surrounding Native American communities organized a campaign to stop the pipeline. They are called “ReZpect Our Water.” Tribal historian LaDonna Brave Bull Allard established a water protectors’ camp for direct action, being inspired by the Standing Rock youth. The camp is a center for direct action and demonstrates spiritual resistance to the pipeline. In September 2016, construction workers bulldozed privately owned land that was the tribe’s sacred ground. When protesters began protesting in the area, security workers used attack dogs which attacked six protesters and one horse. In November 2016, police used water cannons on protesters in freezing weather. Conflicts like these and others gained national attention on social media which resulted in national and global support for the protests. 

In March 2020, a United States district judge made a ruling that the government had not created an adequate environmental impact report on the “effects on the quality of the human environment.” The United States Army Corps of Engineers was ordered to conduct a new environment impact review. In July 2020, a District Court judge issues a ruling for the pipeline to be shut down and the oil to be emptied. The temporary shutdown order was overturned by a U.S. appeals court on August 5th. The pipeline continued until 2021. Joe Biden promised if he was to be elected that the project would be abandoned. On his first day of office, President Biden revoked the permit. The construction of the harmful pipeline has stopped, but this does not mean that the project is destroyed for good. President Obama halted the project, but when President Trump got elected, he immediately called for the project to continue. Many Republican politicians still want the Dakota Access Pipeline to be in effect. If the pipeline was to be reopened, the thick tar sands oil is more acidic and corrosive which would cause a leak in the pipeline. The Native American people would lose their sacred grounds and clean water once again. The tar sand oil which is being transported in the pipeline is a lot harder to clean up because it immediately sinks to the bottom of the water. The people and wildlife that come into contact are exposed to toxic chemicals. The Dakota Access Pipeline is shut down for now, but future presidents might have different agendas. The pipeline needs to be terminated permanently to protect the Native lands and the environment.

Sources

https://www.nrdc.org/stories/what-keystone-pipeline

https://listen.sdpb.org/business-economics/2022-03-10/republicans-want-keystone-xl-pipeline-but-company-says-the-project-will-not-proceed

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dakota_Access_Pipeline_protests

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dakota_Access_Pipeline

https://www.reuters.com/business/energy/us-supreme-court-turns-away-dakota-pipeline-operators-appeal-2022-02-22/

https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2022/feb/22/us-supreme-court-dakota-access-pipeline

https://www.narf.org/keystone-xl/