November/December 2021
THIS ISSUE
Golden Wolves
Holiday Do’s and Don’ts
Sports
Astroworld
Alvernia’s Golden Wolves: 4 Years In Jared Montalto Contributing Editor Alvernia football has had another lackluster season in its third full season since its inaugural season in fall 2018. The team has won a total of three games out of 33 contests. The 2021 season was particularly dismal, with the team going 0-10. Further compounding the pain is that the team is graduating its first seniors who started in 2018. “The past four years have definitely been rough for all the seniors who have stuck it out for this football team. It hurts going 3-33 in games since I have been here. No one ever gets content with losing so each game brings a little more pain than the last. Since I’m graduating, I really hope the culture changes and they can start winning. There are a lot of dedicated players on the team that are underappreciated and just want to win in the future. I hope positive change comes soon,” senior wide receiver Jared Montalto said. Despite the coronavirus, in spring 2021 the team played three games even though most of the MAC teams opted not to play any spring games whatsoever. The Golden Wolves played Stevenson and Albright away and got to play Lebanon Valley at home. And yet, Alvernia went 0-3, though they were competitive throughout all the contests. “It hurt losing all three games in the spring but we showed some real potential. I thought this season would be different from the rest but obviously we weren’t able to win any games,” senior defensive back Tyzhir Morris said. The Golden Wolves began their third full season in Collegeville, Pennsylvania to play Ursinus College in one of the Golden Wolves nonconference games. Alvernia kept it close in the first half with it ending 13-6 in favor of Ursinus. However, in the second half the Bears blew the game open and scored 21 points in the fourth quarter, ending the match 42-6 Ursinus. Alvernia’s second game also was close throughout
Source: Logan McGinley
what’s in
Volume 58 Issue 6
Alvernia Univeristy football seniors take the field one last time together as a team to take on Lycoming University the game in New York versus Hartwick University, a firsttime opponent. The game went to the last second on a hail mary pass but they did not convert. The end score was 23-14 in favor of Hartwick. After that loss, the Golden Wolves got to play their first home game versus cross-town rival Albright. The game in the spring ended 20-14 in Albright’s favor, and as in the spring Albright took the match, this time 31-21. The next three out of four games, the Golden Wolves lost by 21 or more points. The lone game that was close was versus King’s College on October 2 which ended in a heartbreaking loss. The Monarchs scored a touchdown in the fourth quarter with only 29 seconds left in the game. The game ended 10-7 even though the score was 3-0 King’s College up until the fourth quarter. The Golden Wolves went into their bye week 0-7. This meant after recouping and getting healthy during their bye week, they had three more opportunities to get some wins in the win column. The first game after the bye week was versus Stevenson University in which it was a 35-6 loss. The game was never really competitive and it was a rough outing overall. The team then traveled to New Jersey to take on Fairleigh Dickinson
University in the team’s last away game. This was another very winnable game that Alvernia failed to capitalize on losing 34-14. November 13 marked the last gameday for Alvernia’s 17 graduating seniors. The majority of them started with the team in 2018 and tried their best to build a new football program here at Alvernia. The team graduated the following: Lucas Boyle, Antwann Cade, Malcolm Carey, Jack Cerminaro, Jordan Green-Hinson, Ryan Long, Ja’quces Mathis, Jared Montalto, Tyzhir Morris, Owen Morton, Scott O’Hara, Nick Rosahac, Jack Russell, Jeromy Sayles, Neeko Scurlock, Dion Thorpe, and Teyon Thorpe. The seniors did not end their career the way they started by winning versus Gallaudet University in 2018. The Golden Wolves lost 48-0 as they took the field the last time together as a team. It was an emotional aftermath, not only because the team lost but because the seniors knew that it was the last time they would strap their helmets up. “This season did not go how anyone wanted it to go. Personally and as a team this season was a disappointment. The seniors did not deserve to go out like that especially since they started this program and
put in so much work. As a team we’re all going to get better and hopefully turn this program around next season,” sophomore slot receiver Jacob Montalto said. It’s been a rough four years for these seniors going through a ton of adversity from the rotating door of the coaching staff to the constant losing culture that could not be changed. A lot needs to change in the future for this program to develop a winning culture. Just recently the football team will start looking for a new head coach and possibly a whole new coaching staff for the 2022 fall season. Players will get a say and opinion on the new hire so everyone will be on the same page for once. The Golden Wolves will look to turn this program around.
Want to join the
Alvernian team?
Contact Dr. Ryan
Lange or Mackenzie Coombs (@
alvernia.edu) for
more information!
2 November/December 2021
Holiday Do’s and Don’ts
Layout Mackenzie Coombs Section Editors Mackenzie Coombs Mackenzie Maurer Jared Montalto
Contributing Writers Sabrina Cambria David Goodman Luca Grammatica Yesenia Maldonado Sarah Mies Faculty Advisor Dr. Ryan Lange
The Alvernian is the official student newspaper of Alvernia University. To contact newspaper staff, the office telephone number is 610-796-8358.
Articles submitted for consideration into The Alvernian should be written in some semblance of AP style. Letters to the editor, requests for advertisements, and general comments and questions may be submitted to ryan.lange@alvernia.edu. The editors reserve the right to edit submissions for clarity, accuracy, and length. The views expressed in The Alvernian are those of the individual writers and do not necessarily reflect the student body, faculty, staff, administration, or sponsors.
© 2019 The Alvernian
The holiday season has arrived! This time of year tends to be stressful and overwhelming for some. Whether you are celebrating Christmas, Hanukkah, Kwanzaa, or any other holiday, you may need a little help to make the season run as smoothly as possible. The following list can act as your guide to the holiday season to make it as jolly as possible. DO remember to make yourself a priority. As the holidays move closer, people tend to neglect themselves and put others first. It is still important to continue practicing self-care (if you do not already partake in self-care practices, it’s a good time to start) to keep your mental health in top shape during this crazy season. DON’T start political arguments at the dinner table. Our country has never been more politically divided, and chances are someone in your family has drastically different opinions than you. Elections have ended for this year; it will be beneficial to all holiday parties if everyone leaves politics back on November 2. DO plan ahead. Planning is essential, especially this year. Almost every industry is dealing with production delays, supply shortages, or a short-staffed workplace. This is not the year to wait until December 20 to start Christmas shopping. Katie Mies, a mother of 3 who hosts nearly every holiday celebration at her house said on October 28th, “I have bought one turkey for Thanksgiving already and I also am almost done Christmas shopping! I needed to make sure I had enough time to get everything done.” It is also imperative to plan the dates of holiday parties and celebrations in advance. This way, everyone has a prolonged period to get their personal and work affairs in order so everyone can gather at the same time. DON’T be afraid to talk to someone if you need help. Many people get overwhelmed by the holidays or suffer from seasonal depression. Don’t be scared the reach out if you are having a hard time. Talk to a trusted friend or family member or seek professional help if that makes you more
comfortable. There are available and want to help you. All students who attend Alvernia are eligible for free counseling through the Health and Wellness Center. Another great resource, especially if you are having difficulties at home during the holiday season, is Safe Berks. Victoria Simmons, a higher education specialist at Safe Berks, said, “We are a dual center and also a shelter right here in Reading, but we do cater to all of Berks County”. Simmons encourages anyone in need to reach out, they can even contact her on her personal cell phone, “That number is” said Simmons, “484-651=9745”. You can make it through this season successfully, there are many resources for you! DO remember to help the less fortunate this season. Donate to charities, help at local food kitchens, buy gifts for children in challenging family situations, give your extra warm clothes and coats to those in need. Holidays are a time to spread happiness and positivity to anyone willing to accept it. Alvernia University’s Holleran Center will always offer service opportunities that students can take part in. Alyssa Slade, assistant director of the Holleran Center, compiled a list of opportunities this holiday season: Decorating City Hall on November 30 and December 1, “March Madness” at the YMCA Polar Bear Plunge on December 4, Sacred Heart School’s Christmas Bazaar on December 10, The Holiday Gift Giveaway Event at Children’s Home of Reading on December 15, and Bethany Children’s Home Christmas Wishlist which is ongoing throughout the whole Christmas season. On top of that, there are opportunities to serve at Safe Berks. Simmons said, “There is a lot of different service opportunities ranging from cooking meals for residents in our safe house to helping sort through clothes and donations in the backroom”. The pandemic turned the world upside down, and many people are still recovering from it; do your best to make this season joyful for everyone. DON’T forget to have fun! This time of year, should be spent partying and celebrating, listening to festive music, eating delicious
food, and catching up with family and friends. With everything else that is on your mind, you might forget what the true point of the holiday season is. Make sure to enjoy yourself, and do not let the precious seasonal moments pass you by.
Happy Holidays
from your friends at the Alvernian!
Credits: Sara Mies
Sara Mies Contributing Writer
Managing Editor Mackenzie Coombs
Vol. 58 Issue 6
A new additon to CollegeTowne. The decorated Christmas tree, getting all students into the holiday spirit!
Credit: @AlverniaUniversity on Instagram
t h e alver n ian
literature
Francis Hall is fully decorated for Christmas! It always starts being decorated around November.
3 November/December 2021
sports Vol. 58 Issue 6
Mackenzie Coombs Managing Editor The Atlanta Braves won their first World Series since 1995, ending a 26 year drought that included four NL East Championship titles. Most importantly, Freddie Freeman got his ring after 10 years with the Braves. After spending most of the season behind the first place Mets, the Braves took the back half of the season by storm. The Braves finished off the regular season with a winning record of 88-73 (.547). The Braves defeated the 106-win Dodgers in the NLCS, sending them on their way to the World Series against the Astros. The Astros are still plagued by controversy from the 2017 World Series against the Dodgers. During that series, the Astros engaged in sign-stealing by using video cameras concealed in trash cans to communicate what pitch was coming. The Astros took the series,
the club’s first ever World Series win. However, the unsportsmanlike conduct came under official scrutiny in 2019. Major League Baseball fined the Astros $5 million, but no players were held accountable. This year, the Astros defeated the Red Sox 4-2 in the ALCS, advancing them to this year’s World Series Championship. When it seemed like the Braves could win it all during Game 5, the Astros fought back, forcing Game 6. The Braves didn’t want to go down without a fight, and certainly, they wanted to win it all for Hank Aaron—a former Braves Hall of Fame player who passed away earlier this year. But most importantly, with losing Ronald Acuña, Jr., they needed to support each other more than ever before. An article written by Jeff Passan for ESPN, he quoted Adam Duvall, the replacement for Acuña Jr. after his season-
ending injury. "A lot of people from the outside looking in saw a team who was under .500 and just lost their MVPtype player," Adam Duvall said. "But that was the word. We spread the love. We love each other. We're going to pull for each other, and then we'll see what happens. When you take a group and bring them close together, good things can happen." By support, love, and pulling each other up when things got difficult in the games, they kept going because they had heart. They wanted to come out on top after years of falling during the postseason, and never making it to the championship. This Braves team didn’t only want to win for themselves, but for the fans, the city of Atlanta, and most of all, first baseman Freddie Freeman. Freeman was drafted by the Braves in 2007 and made his Major League debut with them in 2010. Freddie
Freeman is the heart and soul of the Atlanta Braves. He had his first big league hit against the Miami Marlins that same year. Over the years, Freeman has been through a complete rebuild of the Braves, and ultimately, he’s seen the rise of this young team. But what came as a shock to baseball fans everywhere is that this team managed to lose 18 of the final 26 games of the regular season—and they still came out on top. Anyone who keeps up with baseball knows that Freeman is what the Braves stand for. An article in the New York Times, written by Tyler Kepner wrote, “I don’t know what I’d do without him, quite honestly,” Braves Manager Brian Snitker said about Freeman. “He’s my rock. I go to him with things. I’ve been with him since the first day he came here in the big leagues. He’s everything that the Braves stand for.” After fighting for so long, the Braves overcame many
Credit: mlb.com
Freddie Freeman and the Braves Win It All!
The famous Atlanta Braves Logo!
obstacles that were thrown their way. They came out as the best of the best. The Atlanta Braves are finally World Series Champions again!
26 Years Later, Champions Again After five games, winning three and losing two, the Atlanta Braves ultimately defeated the Houston Astros. The Houston Astros were crowned the World Series champions in 2017 amid a scandal where they were caught cheating. Many fans thought that it was unfair they were able to still be crowned the champions that year, but they came back and lost fair to Atlanta in 2021. Game Six seemed like a win from the beginning with the Braves being up 3-0 already by the third inning after Jorge Soler hit a three-run-home run. Even after his ankle got stepped on during the first inning, Soler was able to keep his morale up and pitch six straight innings. Soler notched 18 outs while facing 19 batters. He became the first pitcher in this series to make it six innings. The game did end with Atlanta winning 7-0 with Freddie Freeman tagging the last out at first base, making the Atlanta Braves the new champions of baseball. This is the 4th World Series win in history for the Atlanta Braves and the first win since
Credit: NBC Sports
Mackenzie Maurer Contributing Editor
After 26 years without a championship win, the Atlanta Braves took the World Series from the Houston Astros, winning 7-0 in Game 6. 1995. The MVP of the World Series this year was Jorge Soler. In Game One of the World Series Soler was the first batter up to the plate. Soler was returning to the game after having been on the COVID-19 injured list, and he meant business. When the third pitch of the game was thrown, he swung and hit a solo homerun. This was a historic home run, as he was the first player to hit a home run in a fall classic. “Soler became the first player to hit a homer in the very first plate appearance
of a Fall Classic—in other words, the top of the first inning of Game 1.” Four other plays have hit a home run in their teams first at bat appearance in a fall classic, these were Don Buford of the 1969 Orioles, Dustin Pedroia of the 2007 Red Sox, Alcides Escobar of the 2015 Royals and Chris Taylor of the 2017 Dodgers. Mid-season Soler was in what they were calling a slump. In July he had only hit seven home runs and he wasn’t performing at his best. He was still playing with
Kansas City at this time, but the Atlanta Braves president reached out and inquired about a trade. Less than a week later, Soler was playing with the Braves less than a week later. Over the next 11 games of the regular season Soler heated up, hitting four home runs and 11 RBIs, but Soler saved his best performance for this history making World Series. Soler earned an MVP award and the internet coining the phrase “SOLER POWER!” The Atlanta Braves got to celebrate their victory on
Friday November 5, three days after they were deemed the champions of baseball. The parade was a time for players to show off the World Series trophy that they are bringing home to the city of Atlanta and for players like Jorge Soler, who was crowned the MVP of the World Series to show off his award as well. The fans came out in huge crowds to see the team ride by. Players like Freddie Freeman who has been with the Atlanta Braves since his MLB debut in 2010 were in the parade. Freeman is a fan favorite because he’s been with the organization for so long, and the fans have grown to feel like they know him. The atmosphere at the parades inspire old and new players alike, with fans who are elated with the big win. This year, Atlanta native Ludacris provided musical entertainment accompanied by confetti cannons.
4 September/October 2019
Vol. 58 Issue 4
HOLIDAY TRIVIA 1. In Germany, what is the name of the creature that punishes naughty children? 2. What American food chain is a Christmas meal in Japan? 3. How many turkeys are eaten every year on Thanksgiving Day? 4. In Spain, what fruit is eaten as a New Years Tradition? 5. What was the first Christmas song played in space? 6. In what country does Santa have a postal code? 7. How much does the most expensive Christmas tree in the world costs?
5 November/December 2021
community
Vol. 58 Issue 6
5 Holiday Food and Drink Ideas! Yesenia Maldonado Contributing Writer With the holidays coming up, here are some ideas for drinks, treats, and cultural dishes! These are great to tryout for yourself or share with friends and family! The steps for any recipes can be found from their source, but I will share everything you need to enjoy each of these. 1. Holiday Charcuterie/ Food Board Charcuterie/Food Boards have shown up a lot on social media within the past year, especially on Pinterest. They are food prepared, cut, and readily made for display. It is an easy way to set up snacks and sides for parties or dinners and can be very fun to assemble! There can be a variety of themes too. This includes meats and cheeses, sweets or fruits, and even breakfast! To assemble your own board, figure out what foods are your focus or preference. Ask yourself: Do I want to try out a variety of cheeses? Do I like brunch, or am I more of a sweet tooth? Make it what you’d it to be. Then, think choose your board or tray. Wood is most common for its sturdiness and its visual appeal in photos. Your choice of board also allows you to consider going big or small. And remember to consider the placement of everything on the board! The goal is to have great food and an eyecatching display. For example, a variety of cheese can be complimented with slices of meat, crackers, and a pop of color with fruits or dips. 2. Hazelnut Mocha Hot Chocolate This recipe is from the Taste of Home website: https://www.tasteofhome. com/recipes/hazelnutmocha-hot-chocolate/. This is the perfect drink for winter weather! It is creamy, cozy, and great for Nutellalovers! Following the recipe, it should only take about twenty minutes between both prepping and making. What you’ll need: 4 cups half-and-half cream 2 bars 70% cacao dark chocolate, chopped ½ cup of Nutella ¼ cup hazelnut liqueur 3 tbsp instant espresso powder Dash of salt Large saucepan Optional: Whipped Cream
Enjoy the Holiday season!
Vanilla Flan is a traditional Hispanic/Latin dessert. Extra Nutella Chopped Hazelnuts Once you have your ingredients, you’ll want to let the cream heat up in a large saucepan. Then, mix the rest before bringing it back to heat. I do not like the extra Nutella in there, but if you opt for more sweetness, go for it! But if not, the original ½ cup suits the drink. I would also recommend dipping the rims of the cup from the Nutella into the chopped hazelnuts. It is not only delicious, but it makes that much visually appealing, especially if you are thinking of sharing with others or taking any photos! 3. M&M Cookies Cookies are a traditional Christmas treat! To add more color and festivity, these M&M cookies are great to share during the holidays! This recipe is from Amber Brady on Desert Now Dinner Later https://www. dessertnowdinnerlater.com/ mm-cookies/. It will help you make the cookie to your liking, whether that be soft or crispy, or thick or thin. What you’ll need: -1 cup (2 sticks) of butter -1 cup of brown sugar -¾ cup granulated sugar -2 large eggs -1 Tbsp of vanilla extract -3 ¼ cup all-purpose flour -1 tsp salt -1 tsp baking soda -1 cup chocolate chips -1 ½ cups M&M’s candies, divided Once you have all your ingredients, you will preheat the oven to 350 degrees and line your cookie tray with parchment paper. One bowl
will mix the sugars, butter, eggs, and vanilla. Another bowl will mix flour, salt, and baking soda. Then, you will combine the mixtures and add both your chocolate chips and M&Ms. When I made them, I enjoyed having them soft and chewy. If you like soft and chewy, take the cookies out of the oven when they are just starting to turn brown. I’ve made the mistake of allowing them to brown on the top, making for a crisper cookie. It is a simple recipe, and I loved having a cookie loaded with both chocolate chips and M&Ms! I would also recommend adding some M&Ms as soon as they are out of the oven to have a good crunchy layer on top. Once you have all your ingredients, you are going to preheat the oven to 350 degrees and line your cookie tray with parchment paper. One bowl will mix the sugars, butter, eggs, and vanilla. Another bowl will mix flour, salt, and baking soda. Then, you will combine the mixtures and add both your chocolate chips and M&Ms. 4. Arroz con Gandules (Puerto Rican rice with pigeon peas) This is a staple in Puerto Rican food and a tradition during my family’s Christmas dinner. It is rice with pigeon peas, and if you have not eaten it before, it would be great to try! It is very simple and provides a lot for groups of people! The recipe provided can serve up to 6 people following its take on Tasty: https://tasty.co/ recipe/arroz-con-gandules.
Holiday’s often call for Charcuterie boards.
There’s always something new to try!
What you’ll need: -1/3 cup of sofrito This is essential! Sofrito adds flavor to the rice. It is a blend of vegetables, spices, and herbs. This recipe calls for white onion, but yellow has worked fine for me. Sofrito: ¼ yellow or white onion, ¼ red and/or green pepper, 4 garlic cloves. Then, blend! For my own spin on this sofrito, I would add ¼ chopped cilantro instead of ½ teaspoon ground cumin. In comparison, cilantro is just a lighter touch and not as strong as cumin. -2 sazon packets (simple seasoning for color and flavor) -¼ cup canola oil -Olives -1 can tomato sauce -1 tablespoon salt -2 teaspoon adobo seasoning -3 cups water -3 1/3 cups rice -1 can of pigeon peas Once you have your ingredients, you will want to place the canola oil at the bottom of a pot over mediumhigh heat. Then, throw in the sofrito and stir. After that, you can put your olives, tomato sauce, salt, adobo seasoning, sazon, pigeon peas. Put in your water and stir everything together. Then, add in your rice and let it cook for around 15-20 minutes. You can also add sausage to the mix if you’d like. However, this is not my preference. I usually have eaten the rice with pork or have made chicken legs or thighs to add on the side. Any
meat you like will suffice! A quick tip: As it cooks, look out for steam. Once it begins to steam, and I see the rice starting to fluff, I put it on medium-to-low heat until the rice is fully cooked. This has helped me to not overcook the rice or leave it longer than I should on high heat! 5. Vanilla Flan This is a traditional dessert in Hispanic/Latin culture. There are different spins on the dessert, which include caramel, cream cheese, coconut, and more! To stick with the most basic, and popular, I will share a vanilla flan recipe. This flan recipe, along with other flavors, can be found on El Boricua: http://elboricua.com/flan. html What you’ll need: -1 cup sugar -6 large eggs -1 14oz can sweetened condensed milk -2 13oz cans evaporated milk -1 tablespoon vanilla extract Once you have your ingredients, you will preheat your oven to 350 degrees. Then, you want to melt your sugar in a saucepan with water until it is a golden color. I have had family members that faced the lack of sweetened condensed milk. In that case, the alternative would be heavy cream and sugar because it still provides the needed thickness and sweetness. Also, it is best to stick a toothpick in there to see if it is thoroughly done. If the toothpick is clean, then so is your flan!
6 November/December 2021
sports
Vol. 58 Issue 6
Issues Surrounding the NY Rangers It is Monday, November 8th and the New York Rangers are currently playing in their 13th game of the 2021 NHL regular season. Despite the team leading 4-0 against the scorching hot Florida Panthers, that is not an exact depiction of how the new season has started off. Prior to tonight’s game, the Blueshirts had yesterday off after making Sportscenter’s Top 10 Plays of the day for the wrong reasons two days in a row. On Friday night, the league’s very best Connor McDavid earned Sportscenter’s number one play by swerving through four Rangers defenders and deking out Rangers goaltender Alexandar Georgiev to put the cherry on top of a 4-1 comeback with 3 minutes to go; The Rangers would go on to lose in overtime courtesy of the 2019-2020 League MVP Leon Draisaitl. Georgiev is not the teams every day starting goaltender and many saw his performance in Edmonton as the final straw. Rangers fans argue that he would be better off with the team’s AHL affiliate the Hartford Wolfpack.
Credit: Blue Line Station
Luca Grammatica Contributing Writer
The Rangers salute their fans after a win at Madison Square Garden. However, the Blueshirts were given a chance to redeem themselves the following night with their starting goaltender Igor Shesterkin in net versus the Calgary Flames. Unfortunately, the team continued playing poorly into Saturday night’s contest with an embarrassing 6-0 loss. Again, the Rangers were on the wrong side of Sportscenter’s Top Plays when Flames’ winger Matthew Tkachuk scored the final goal between his legs after corralling a rebound in front of the net. After last year’s fiasco, the Rangers were poised to
come out as a completely different team this year and make themselves known as a serious cup contender. In an article on The Daily Goal Horn, the GM Chris Drury said, “It’s hard not to watch these playoffs and notice the physicality, the energy, the effort and the intensity it takes to win and to succeed. “You know we all want harder players to play against and we’re no different.”” (“Are the New York Rangers a better team today | Yardbarker”) Well, harder players to play against is exactly what Drury landed in new additions such as Sammy Blais, Barclay Goodrow, Ryan Reaves,
Jared Tinnordi and more. While Drury did a good job addressing the team’s lack of toughness and grit, they are now having trouble finding offense from guys they need production from. Prior to last year’s NHL Entry draft, the Rangers were lucky enough to earn the number 1 pick of the draft where they selected promising French-Canadien forward Alexis Lafreniere. One year before that, they earned the second pick of the draft and took Finnish forward Kaapo Kakko. Unfortunately, both players have struggled to find their game in the NHL which led to former Rangers Head Coach
David Quinn taking all the blame. This past offseason, GM Drury signed Gerard Gallant as the teams new head coach who took the Vegas Golden Knights to the Stanley Cup Final in their inaugural season. Gallant is credited for the development of Florida Panthers stars Johnathan Huberdeau and Aleksander Barkov for his time in Florida. However, we now sit here 12 games into the season, with Lafreniere and Kakko combining for 4 points on the year. Not to mention, all 4 points belong to Lafreniere. Fortunately, Gallant still sees a lot of promise in Kakko’s game; “He missed four games. And he has played good hockey. He has not got a goal or assist yet, but he has played good hockey for us. He competes every game. He gets better. He is a good young player.” Gallant said. After tonight’s game, the Blueshirts do not play again until Saturday which gives the guys some time to rest and get ready to play three games in four days. Fortunately, they have some time to tighten up their game with their next six games containing five below average teams.
7 September/October 2019
Vol. 58 Issue 4
8 November/December 2021
world news
Vol. 58 Issue 6
Sara Mies Contributing Writer The third Astroworld Festival on November 5 ended with eight confirmed dead, with two more people succumbing to injuries later. At least a hundred other people suffered injuries. The dead ranged from 9 to 27 years old. The complex disaster unfolded due to various factors, ranging from poor security control to Travis Scott not acting when he noticed things were going wrong. The trouble began before the show even started. Thousands of fans, some who entered the concert without legal tickets, rushed through the gates and into the pit where they were planning on watching Travis Scott perform at about 8:45 p.m. The venue was over safe capacity, filling even more once security stopped checking for proper tickets, confirmed vaccination status,
or negative coronavirus tests. It was so packed that if your arms were down, you could not move them up and if they were up, you could not bring them down. A half-hour before Travis was supposed to appear on stage, a timer was displayed on the screen, and began counting down to his arrival. According to fans who were there, this timer caused people to push forward, with others pushing backward in response. The movement of the crowd began to sweep people off their feet and caused shorter individuals to lose their ability to breathe. The situation degenerated as the show began. People began passing out, and once they fell to the ground, victims were trampled by the crowd. Fans began begging Scott to stop the show. Seanna Faith, a member of the audience, climbed up onto the ledge where the cameramen were and cried for help. Ms. Faith’s
Credit: ABC News
What Went Wrong at Astroworld
View of the front of the crowd at Astroworld in Houston, Texas. pleas were ignored. As the crisis mounted, emergency services began to arrive. The Astroworld disaster was documented in nearreal-time by TikTok users. One young woman, who can be found on TikTok at @imanbtw told her story and described it as “one of the scariest nights of [her] life.”She informed her audience that she could not
breathe, and her feet were not planted on the ground. Many others have come forward to tell their stories and discuss who they believe was to blame. Some fans do not believe Scott is at fault at all for the situation, while others argue he could have stopped the deaths from occurring. Travis Scott as well as the organizers of the festival are facing
lawsuits from people who were there and the families of those who died. On top of this, a criminal investigation is being launched against Scott and Live Nation, the company that organized Astroworld Fest. Scott released a statement saying he was “absolutely devastated by what took place,” but he has yet to admit any responsibility for the events that transpired. There have also been some individuals who are saying that way more than eight people died and that Live Nation and Travis Scott are attempting to conceal the extent of the disaster. One TikTok user, @sydtice, posted a video displaying a wall with more than eight names on it which was a supposed memorial for those who passed away at Astroworld Fest. In memory of Axel Acosta, Danish Baig, Franco Patiño, Jake Jurinek, Brianna Rodriguez, John Hilgert, and Rudy Peña.