BACK-TO-BACK CHAMPIONS Mariners Defend NAIA Golf Title
INSIDE INSIDE THE THE NEST NEST
From Left to Right: Coach Mike Cook, Trevor Smith, Alastair Tidcombe, Hunter Cornelius, Alan Barnhardt, Allen Bradford, and Dylan Freeman Photography Courtesy of www.coastalgeorgiasports.com
Talk about CCGA Art CLub ARTS & Ent| pg.12
Learn About Congress and College LIFESTYLE| pg. 6
Worth Reading Spoken word w/ Aimee Gordy ARTS & Ent| pg. 13
Behind The Scenes PLant Operations CAMPUS NEWS| pg. 11
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N e s t Breaking News
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Editor in chief.............................. Drew Miller editorinchief@ccga.edu DESIGN EDITOR ............................. Alvin Fernando copyeditor@ccga.edu WEB EDITOR ...................................... Kara Neisen webeditor@ccga.edu SPOrts EDItor ..................... Garrett Dutton sportseditor@ccga.edu Ad Manager ................................. Lexi Holloway admanager@ccga.edu ADVISOR ......................................... Andrew Smith asmith@ccga.edu
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Statement of Operations: The Crow’s Nest is the official student newspaper of the College of Coastal Georgia, owned and operated by CCGA students using facilities provided by the College. MISSION: Our mission is to provide the Coastal Georgia community with thruthful and ethical content of interest. Any questions regarding content or anyone wishing to report corrections and errors please call 912.279.5898 or email crowsnest@ccga.edu. Publication Information: The newspaper published approximately every three weeks during the academic year and is printed by The Brunswick News Publishing Co. in Brunswick, Ga. Advertising: The Crow’s Nest allots advertising space each issue for both oncampus and off-campus entities. For more information about rates, payment methods, formatting, and deadlines, please call 912.279.5898 or email admanager@ccga.edu. Notice: Unauthorized removal of multiple copies from a distribution site constitutes theft under Georgia law, a misdemeanor offense punishable by a fine and/or jail time. The advertiser is responsible for all information in a given ad. Students should beware of disclaimers presented in the ads, which are previously screened by our staff before placement in our publication.
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GROUND BREAKING NEWS
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The building of a new housing facility for Mariners is in the works. The new hall, which is scheduled to open for fall of 2016, will be located on the corner of Fourth Street and Mariner Way near the Alumni Gate entrance. The 200-plus bed facility will be positioned on the south side of Lakeside Village and has been designated as Mariner Village. The construction project will be one of the first active projects in a mega-deal that the University System of
Georgia recently sealed with Corvias Campus Living. The public-private partnership (P3) between the USG and Corvias is a progressive agreement that will help the USG offer affordable campus housing options for students and reduce USG student-housing debt by nearly $300 million. In total, the agreement will develop 3,683 new beds and manage 6,195 existing beds of on-campus housing for nine institutions with the University System for the next 65 years.
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The interior of the facilities will boast modern stylizations and a wide open feel, placing on emphasis on the Coastal theme. Students know where they are upon immediately entering. The stairwells of the exterior will have a lantern effect, meaning they will be encased in glass and lit up at night, creating an ethereal exterior presentation. The outside will have a patio area for students to congregate. Construction on the new CCGA facility will begin this summer. Email us: crowsnest@ccga.edu
Lifestyle
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Congress looks Want Experience? for ways to cut college costs The Crow’s Nest is offering a unique opportunity College of Coastal Georgia students looking to get involved in media. We are adding The Spyglass video-blog and the SquawkBox podcast as supplemental features to enhance the content of The Crow’s Nest.
By Drew C. Miller Editor in Chief What is unique about this opportunity and becoming a part of this endeavor? CCGA has communications program, however this program does not offer any hands-on training nor on-campus experience. These two media outlets offer both oncampus training and experience without the need to sign up for internships that will further muddle your already stacked college schedule. Have a voice, but have trouble writing your ideas on paper? The SquawkBox will give such students an avenue of self-expression by helping students create their own podcast for CCGA. Content will range from Coastal happenings as well as anything else worth talking about. Have an eye for greatness? The Spyglass will provide a visual representation of both on and off campus related activities and news. Students will have the ability to create their own film Pages designed by: Alvin Fernando
clips for submission to be included. We are excited to release these new additions to The Crow’s Nest content family and are more enlivened at the prospect of moving forward from the world of print and extending our reach into the Digital Age. Here is your chance to give your input and influence on the direction we move in. Echoing what our campus website already mentions, we encourage you to join our journey and become a contributor through photography, editorials, social media, designing layouts, or just simply providing feedback. Meetings are held every Wednesday on the Brunswick campus in SAC 131 at 2 p.m. Interested? Your ideas are valued and always welcomed. Give us your input via email editorinchief@ccga.edu or crowsnest@ccga.edu. Be sure to check out both The Spyglass and The SquawkBox with this issue on our website www.ccga-crowsnest.com.
By Emma Baccellieri McClatchy Washington Bureau As college costs continue to climb, Congress is taking a fresh look at federal financial aid and considering ways to stop states from driving up tuition at their public universities. Noting that more comprehensive financial aid policies will be useless if costs continue to skyrocket, higher education experts urged lawmakers Wednesday to hold states accountable for funding public colleges and universities. "Now's the time that we do need federal leverage to make sure that states do not abandon their responsibility for higher education," F. King Alexander, president and chancellor of Louisiana State University, told the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee. In a hearing on the reauthorization of the Higher Education Act, Alexander described declining state funding as "the greatest challenge facing higher education today." Funding for higher education routinely has been slashed from state budgets over the past two decades, with cuts growing deeper in the years since the Great Recession. Public universities have increased tuition in response. Louisiana is an especially bad offender, having decreased its spending per student by 42 percent since 2008 _ second only to Arizona, which has decreased spending by 47 percent. Montana posted the lowest decrease, at 2 percent. But the rest of the country is not far behind, with 31 states having cut perstudent funding by more than 20 percent in the years since the recession, according to a study by the left-leaning Center on Budget and Policy Priorities. "I don't think you can overstate just how dramatic the decline," Michael Mitchell, a policy analyst for the center, told the panel. What Congress can do to reverse the trend is unclear. Ideas suggested at the hearing included incentivizing states to increase their funding, creating a floor for higher education spending that states must
stay above, and freeing up funds for higher education by cutting states' spending requirements in other areas. There appeared to be at least some bipartisan agreement that the issue has reached a point where federal action was needed. "I'm against states being mandated ... but it appears unless states are mandated to do something, they're not going to do something," said Sen. Bill Cassidy, R-La. "I'm totally on board with the idea that we should look at higher education funding in somewhat of the same way we look at transportation funding, whereby we require a minimum state contribution," said Sen. Chris Murphy, D-Conn. "It just seems like we should expect something from the state government other than cuts after cuts after cuts." Funding cuts have meant that the cost of college has shifted in large part from the states to the students, and many students have had to take on significant debt as a result. Nearly 60 percent who graduate from public four-year colleges now leave in debt, with an average of more than $25,000 to pay back, the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities found. Students who drop out of college, having dug themselves into debt but lacking the diploma that could provide the return on their investment, are often even worse off. Some who would be interested in college but choose not to attend because of the high costs and are not aware of the aid available in the form of grants and scholarships are also affected. Low-income students and students of color especially fall victim to this, Mitchell noted. "This is a tragic waste of human potential," said Judith Scott-Clayton, a faculty research fellow at the National Bureau of Economic Research and assistant professor at Columbia University. "It's getting worse, and it demands policy solutions."
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arts & Entertainment
July 2015
PROFESSOR SHINES BRIGHT IN LOCAL PLAY Photo and Story By Drew C Miller
A recognizable face around campus eneded up in a place students would not expect; under the spotlight in front of the velvet curtains. Over the summer our very own Chemistry Professor Colleen Knight moonlighted as the lead female role Rose “Rosie” Alvarez in the musical “Bye Bye Birdie,” presented by the Island Player’s Club of St. Simons Island. The play revolves around the imminent departure of teenage-dream Conrad Birdie (a representation of Elvis Presley) via draft by the United States Army. Music agent and songwriter Albert Peterson is presented with an idea concocted by Rosie Alvarez (Knight) that Birdie should record one final song “One Last Kiss,” and plant said kiss on one of his maniacal fan club members on the Ed Sullivan Show prior to his departure. She answered some questions for The Crow’s Nest. How long have you been acting, and where did you learn how to act/sing? I was in a few plays in elementary school. Nothing major. Nothing popular. I was mostly into choral groups. I was in chorus or vocal ensemble until high school. Once I hit college I decided to concentrate on academics and so I left performing behind.
What initially got you interested in acting on stage? I grew up a performer. As a child I sang a lot. My mom told me I started singing before I really spoke. I would sing to myself as a toddler. I made up random songs. I recall singing my notes to myself even into my high school years. That's how I studied. In my younger years I did Filipino cultural dances in association with the Filipino American Cultural Society Club in Warner Robins, where I grew up. But other than those few plays in 4th and 5th grade, I never participated in drama, though I often wanted to. When I completed graduate school, and moved down here, I had a lot of spare time. Used to the rigor of grad school (working 10-12 hours a day 6-7 days a week),I wasn't accustomed to having free time. Eventually, in the summer of 2014, some friends encouraged me to audition for Godspell. I was incredibly nervous but figured, it was something to be checked off of the bucket list. I got the part and had a blast, and subsequently caught the bug and have auditioned for every musical since then. I stick with musicals because I have an easier time memorizing lyrics over dialogue.
How many plays/performances have you been in since you began? Including Bye Bye Birdie, I've been in 3 productions. If you include choral performances, I've been in hundreds. I went to Georgia All-State Choir 6 years in a row and performed in choral concerts from elementary to high school. Which role has been your favorite to perform? This is a hard choice. I loved being in Godspell; it was such a fun and colorful show with crazy costumes and a very upbeat feel (until the second act). In Shrek, I got to be Pinocchio, which was a very different experience playing a male character who is also a fairytale creature. In Bye Bye Birdie though, I get to play a spunky woman (by 1950's standards) who has some great costumes. Plus it's my first true lead role. She's a fun role to play and she has some of the best songs in the show. Who serves as artistic inspiration? My inspiration varies depending on what I am doing and what role I'm playing. I don't have any one single idol. I will say, I strive to be as graceful as my mother. I'm nervous for her to see the show this weekend. I'm not really a dancer, but my mother was. I hope I can do my dance justice while she is watching.
What are the hardest parts about juggling a schedule that involves practicing acting while teaching? Sleep; or lack thereof. It takes commitment. That's another thing I picked up from my mom: professionalism. You don't have to be a professional actor to observe professionalism. So once I made the commitment to be in the show, I made sure I kept that commitment. Of course, my priority is work and my students. Meaning, even if I got home from rehearsal at 10 p.m., if there was work to be done in regard to my classes, it would get done before class the following day. If I make a commitment, I'm going to fulfill it no matter what sacrifices I have to make. It boils down to work ethic. Anything else you would like to add? I love my students and coworkers at CCGA. They have all been supportive and patient (especially when waiting for exam grades). Many even come to see the shows and support the arts. You guys are the best. Just remember, as long as you're alive it's not too late to try something new! Good luck in the upcoming semester!
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Summer Classic Movies at The Ritz Kicks Off Series begins with patriotic favorite, “Yankee Doodle Dandy.” Photo By Drew C Miller
Get into the 4th of July holiday spirit by dressing in your patriotic best and coming to the Historic Ritz Theatre for the classic musical, “Yankee Doodle Dandy.” Golden Isles Arts and Humanities’ Classic Summer Movies series returns to downtown Brunswick’s historic theatre in July and opens with this beloved 1942 family film starring James Cagney as the renowned musical composer, playwright, actor, dancer and singer, George M. Cohan on Thursday, July 2. The movie starts at 7 p.m., but audiences should be there by 6:30 p.m. to enjoy amusing short subjects and cartoons and enter to win several door prizes that are up for grabs. The fun continues every Thursday during the month of July with a variety of modern classics: Bill Murray, Dan Aykroyd, Sigourney Weaver and Harold Ramis in the smash hit comedy “Ghostbusters” on July 9; Marilyn Monroe and Jane Russell in the iconic “Gentlemen Prefer Blondes” on July 16; and Steven Spielberg’s groundbreaking sci-fi adventure “Close Encounters of the Third Kind” on July 23. The series wraps up on July 30 with a sing-a-long to Rodgers & Hammerstein’s cinematic treasure,
“The Sound of Music,” starring Julie Andrews and celebrating the 50th anniversary of the release of this Best Picture winner. As they have done for the past several years, MTR Real Estate professionals Angie Aimar and James Laurens will be serving up piping hot popcorn in the theatre lobby (first-come, first-served). Ticket holders can show their tickets at Tipsy McSway’s, 1414 Newcastle, for one free draft beer after the show. “We love bringing the Summer Classic Movie Series back to our community every year. It is so much fun for visitors and locals alike. It’s great to see so many people come out to see movies the way they were meant to be seen – on the big screen,” says Heather Heath, executive director, Golden Isles Arts & Humanities.“There is really a true sense of community at each screening as everyone comes together in a shared experience. We enjoy being able to screen these great classic films.” Admission to each show in the Summer Classic Movies series is still only $5 for all ages. The box office opens at 5 p.m.; cartoons, previews, and short subjects begin at 6:30 p.m. For more information, please visit goldenislesarts.org or call (912) 2626934.
Cynthia Robinson Marketing/Public Relations Golden Isles Arts & Humanities
Campus NEws
Plant Operations Coastal’s Unsung Heroes Alvin Fernando Design Editor
Whether rain or shine, Brandon Letson, arrives on campus every weekday at the crack of dawn with his nine crewmembers and readily gets to work. Plant Operations serves as the nucleus that oversees many of the ciritcal aspets of campus that we take for granted. Each department concentrates on a specific area of maintenance-related work on campus. The hygienic amenities (toilets, sinks, restrooms), the well maintained and manicured landscape that surrounds campus and creates a hospitable environment, the constant remodeling of campus facilities, and all event set-ups, are executed by the hard workers at Plant Ops. The positive first impression of College of Coastal Georgia’s environment is at the hands of such workers. Letson says, “My title is landscape supervisor. With this campus being so small, that encompasses a lot. Theoretically everything on the ground is ours. We have to be really flexible, as far as my title goes. With it being such a small campus it’s hard to be specialized in any of it. You have be able to ‘shoot from the hip.’ We just show up and do it. There’s nobody else to do it.” He continued, “Literally every single event that’s on campus is taken care of by us.” Having such a well-groomed campus is what draws students to CCGA from all reaches of the United States, as well as international students. “You want a student or parent flying in from Chicago to look at the school and see how fresh and clean the campus looks” Letson says. “Especially for people who check the website and see
the photos of our campus. We’re selling ourselves every day and it’s harder to sell what your teachers are going to be like, but it’s easy to see how good a campus looks.” Letson grew up on a farm, and such varied handiwork led him to eventually work at the local 5-star resort Sea Island as the lead landscape architect. Sea Island boasts facilities that house the upper echelon of wealthy society, including national and international dignitaries. To keep up with maintaining Sea Island’s strict and rigid requirements is like trying to change the shoreline while the waves are crashing. Yet, he persevered and applies this to his work in maintaining our very own campus facilities. “I take pride in what we do here,” Letson says. “This 200 acres is ours, not mine, but ours as a campus. I take pride in the fact that when your ride down 4th Street you see it. It gives me a good sense of accomplishment. I’ve got a good group of guys that I credit for that too; it’s not me but them.” Others on campus have noticed the excellence provided by Plant Ops as well. Chairman of the Deparment of Arts and Humanities Dr. Mulry said, “I’ve often admired their work and the beautification of the campus, its pretty impressive, guests of the campus often notice how lovely it looks. Its largely down to them, they are such an asset to our community.” Mariners should thank their lucky stars that we have a dedicated crew that operates behind the scenes. If it were not for them, this place may look like some of your dorm rooms...scary.
Photography By Drew C Miller
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Campus NEws
Photography provided by CCGA Art Club
Friday, May 8 From 5 to 7 p.m. at low tide on east beach, the CCGA Art Club executed a “beach drawing” with a pattern called “seeds of Life.” It is 120 feet in diameter, and was completed using two poles with a 30’ rope between them and rakes. Six people were involved in the creation of the drawing: Assistant Professor Jeff LeMieux, students Stephanie Adams (Art Club president,) Cameron Griffith, (Art Club past president) Harvest Hale (Student Life) Barbara Dyche (art history student) and her husband John Dyche The quad copter was provided and piloted by Steve Royer and the Kings Bay RC club.
Use a QR Scan Reader on your smartphone to watch the video on YouTube!
Aimee Gordy
arts & Entertainment
SPOKEN WORD By Kara Neisen
Crow’s Nest: When did you starting doing spoken word and how did you become interested? Aimee: I wrote my first spoken word when I was a senior in high school. A friend knew I had always liked to write and asked me if I would write a spoken word for a middle school event. She then proceeded to show me videos online of different artists. I was blown away! I have always liked to read poetry, but this was so different. Excited, I got write to work and in about an hour I had written my first piece. CN: What inspires you to do spoken word? Aimee: I am inspired by a lot of different things, but I usually write about how I am feeling. Some people have a diary; I have a notepad in my phone. I am also inspired about things that go on around me, ex: The End It Movement CN: Who has supported you? Aimee: I have been greatly supported by my mother, who is always eager to hear new pieces, my youth pastor Mark, who always wants me to share, and my friends who tell me my poems are good, even when I don’t think so. CN: What is so different from poetry and spoken word? Aimee: The easiest way I know to explain is this, spoken word is meant for the stage, poetry is meant for the page. Poetry is meant to be read, but spoken word is meant to be said. CN: Take us through the process on how you begin a new spoken word. Aimee: The writing process is different for everyone. I write a lot when I am in worship because it is when my heart is most open. I often pace when singing and praying when words begin to fill my mind. I pull out my phone and write them down and before I know it I have a piece. CN: What types of topics have you covered in your spoken words? Aimee: I have written about falling in love and losing it. I have written about finding myself and the importance of being firm in your faith. I have also written about more serious things, like modern day slavery, and the pain of losing a loved one. CN: How do you challenge your audience? Aimee: I usually try to write first about how I have been challenged and how important it is to…(stand up for what you believe in, make a difference, find yourself…etc) and then encourage my listeners to do the same. It would be hypocritical for me to call someone out about something if I am struggling with the same thing and don’t point it out. CN: What is the proper spoken word etiquette while listening and after a spoken word is completed?
Aimee: Haha, well, it is nice for people not to talk or make faces when someone is preforming. As far as eyes being open, eyes being closed, nodding in agreement, that’s all up to the listener. And when the person is finished, you should clap, or snap, whether you liked and agreed with the poem or not. Sharing takes a lot of courage and pieces are often written from the heart. It would be very rude to ignore someone who is putting themselves out there like that. CN: Is it true you started a club? If so, what is it all about and how can students on campus get involved? Aimee: Actually, Kansas Robison approached me about starting a club and asked me if I was interested. Because I had never spent time with other poets, I jumped at the chance. We put it out there that we were starting a club and asked friends about joining and were surprised when some of them actually said yes. One of our guys usually just writes silly things but they make us all laugh. But he also has written about his past, and how he discovered himself, and it was very powerful. One of our girls joined but wasn’t sure he could write a poem. I reminded her that she blogs all the time, and it is always beautiful things. That she just had to change her style a bit but really, there are many different kinds of poetry. And she loves writing know. As far as getting involved, we all meet after Converge on Monday nights and go off, either to someone’s house, or a food place, or even to the rooftop to go share with each other. All are welcome. CN: Is Coastal’s Got Talent on your future radar? Have you ever thought about entering competitions? Aimee: I actually considered entering Coastal’s Got Talent this year but I had already committed to being somewhere else and when I give my word, I keep it. I feel that people today fail to keep their word far too frequently and I don’t want people to doubt that I will be somewhere if I say I will. As far as competitions goes, I have considered going to poetry slams in Savannah and Jacksonville but not because I want to win any titles or money but rather because I enjoy listening to other poets. CN: Any other interesting information you’d like to share with CCGA? Aimee: I would like to encourage anyone who is interested in writing to do it. The only way to become a good writer is to keep writing. It can be a good way to relax and to get something off you mind or off your chest. For a long time I was afraid that poetry was becoming a lost art, but it isn’t. It is just evolving, and it is most certainly something I like to be a part of.
July 2015
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I hate walking downtown and homeless people shake their cups at me with coins in them. Like there’s no need to rub it in my face you have more money than me. #college College: Where everyone is smarter than you except your group partners.
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Sports
July 2015
15
Photography Courtesy of www.coastalgeorgiasports.com
By Kevin Price CCGA Sports Information Director The College of Coastal Georgia men’s golf team is once again the national champion. Taking a 16-stroke lead to the course in the final round of the 2015 NAIA Men’s Golf National Championship, all that was left for the top-ranked Mariners was to seal the deal, and they did, closing with a 3-over-par 291 score over the final 18 holes on the Hills Course at LPGA International which was good for a convincing 11-shot victory over third-ranked William Woods (Mo.) which finished as the runner-up. The final-round score gave the Mariners a 7-under 1,145 total for the four-day, 72hole event in which they led from start to finish on their way to a second straight national championship. “It’s amazing,” said Coastal Georgia coach Mike Cook. “I never would have thought this when we started the program five years ago. The goal from the beginning was to recruit the best players possible and try to win a national championship. Now, we’ve won two in a row. That’s just special.” The Mariners are now 2-for-2 at the national tournament. Last year, they won the school’s first-ever national crown in any sport with a come-from-behind victory in the final round, erasing a
Repeat AfterMe
six-shot deficit to win by four strokes over defending national champion and perennial power Oklahoma City. The Stars were the last team to repeat as national champions as they won the title in 2012 and 2013 before the Mariners claimed the national crown last season in their first appearance at the national tournament. Last year’s championship was also played at LPGA International, but was contested on the Jones Course at the same facility. With this wire-to-wire victory at the national tournament, the Mariners won for the eighth time this season in 10 tournaments. The eight wins is a schoolrecord, surpassing the five the Mariners posted last season while claiming the national championship. The only two times they didn’t win, the Mariners were second at the Dave Adamonis Sr. Invitational hosted by Johnson & Wales in late October and third at the Southern States Athletic Conference tournament in April. At the league tournament, the Mariners finished just four shots behind conference champion Dalton State and were two back of runner-up Mobile. “Eight out of 10, that’s just good golf,”
said senior Alastair Tidcombe when asked to put the entire season in perspective. “We’ve joked about being a dynasty, but we just push each other every tournament. As a team, we wanted to have the best round of the day in every tournament we played. When that is your goal every round, you have a chance to come out pretty good in the end.” During the national championship, the Mariners placed three players in the top 15 in the individual standings which landed all three players on the All-Tournament Team. Tidcombe and fellow senior Hunter Cornelius tied for fourth overall at 5-under 283 for the championship. Also, senior Allen Bradford finished tied for 13th at 2-over 290 for the tournament. Bradford also made the tournament team last spring when he led the Mariners to their first national crown by finishing fourth in the individual standings. Also for the Mariners, Coastal Georgia
junior Trevor Smith tied for 46th at 8-over 296 and senior Alan Barnhardt tied for 58th at 11-over 299. At the post-tournament awards ceremony, Cook was named the NAIA Coach of the Year while Tidcombe, Bradford and Cornelius were also named NAIA Ping First-Team All-Americans by the Golf Coaches Association of America. Cornelius and Bradford were all in the lineup last season when the Mariners won the national championship along with Smith. “The feeling is similar,” said Cornelius, who shot a team-best 68 in the final round, when asked to describe his emotions after winning again. “It’s just a little sweeter this year. Now, I know what (seniors) Dylan (Freeman) and Chase (Miller) felt like last year going out on top. This is just an awesome team.” And, the Mariners are once again a national championship-winning team.
Sports
ENDING THE 41 YEAR CURSE. C
jay landow sports columnist NBA stars LeBron James and Stephen hope to lead their teams to a long awaited league title It seemed as if the NBA playoffs would last forever. The postseason started back in April, and we have been inundated with the game ever since. We are finally down to the final two teams. Golden State Warriors, hailing from Oakland, California representing the Western Conference, and the Cleveland Cavaliers for the Eastern Conference. As of June 9th, The Cavs lead the series 2-1 in a best-of-seven game format. The possibility of winning an NBA Championship is huge for the Cavaliers; given they have yet to win. But this is bigger than just Cleveland basketball. This is important for Cleveland all around. Cleveland is widely considered by superstitious sports fan to be cursed. The last time any professional sports team from Cleveland won any championship was when the Browns won the NFL championship in 1964. There has been a total of 156 cumulative seasons between all Cleveland teams without a championship win; the longest stretch in history for any city in the United States. Even if you aren’t superstitious, there are some facts you can’t deny. Since the 1964
win, the Browns have been on the losing side of many famous and historical plays including; 1981’s “Red Right 88,” John Elway’s “The Drive” in 1987, and “The Fumble” in 1988. The Browns remain one of four teams to never reach the Super Bowl, which was created two years after their 1964 win. Cleveland’s MLB team, The Indians, face a similar history. Their non-winning streak since the 1940’s has been dubbed “The Curse of Chief Wahoo.” The Indians played for a Championship in 1995, but lost in six games to the Atlanta Braves. In 1997, the Indians led up through the bottom of the ninth in game seven of the World Series, but somehow managed to lose the game. Cleveland had an NHL team, the Cleveland Barons, but they were only in Cleveland for two seasons. They never made the playoffs. The Cavaliers, Cleveland’s NBA team, perpetrates the cities so called curse. Created in 1970, the Cavs had only three winning seasons in their first 16 years in the NBA. They were on the wrong side of
the ball for Michael Jordan’s famous play “The Shot,” and could never get past the Eastern Conference Finals. Enter LeBron James. In 2007, James led the Cavs to their first ever Finals appearance. However, things quickly went south; The Cavs were swept by the San Antonio Spurs. 3 seasons later LeBron left to play for Miami Heat, who went on to win two championships. While LeBron was collecting rings, the Cavaliers circled the drain. Bear in mind that teams who play badly are given early draft picks in an attempt to help them play better next season. From 2011, (the year after LeBron left), through 2014, (when LeBron rejoined the Cavs), the Cavs accumulated seven first- round draft picks, four of which were top five draft picks, three of which were number one overall draft picks. It wasn’t enough help for Cleveland, as they had losing records each year after LeBron left until he returned. From 2011-2013, the team had two first round picks. The curse was lingering. This season may be the remedy to the curse. After LeBron and The Heat lost
the NBA Finals to the San Antonio Spurs in 2014, James had a change of heart and returned to Cleveland to join superstars Kyrie Irving and Kevin Love. Despite early season struggles, they have caught up to earn the number 2 seed in the Eastern Conference. Yet, that pesky curse remained. During the 2015 NBA playoffs, the Cavaliers lost Love to a shoulder injury in the first round, and Irving to a knee injury during overtime in game one of the Finals, which the Warriors won. Yet, after losing both game one and Kyrie Irving, James went on to have a triple-double game in game two and even the series at 1-1. On June 8th, he led the Cavaliers to a game three win with a double-double that put his team up two games to one. This was the first time the Cavaliers had won a playoff game at home. Statistics say that when a series is tied 1-1, the winner of game three has an 84 percent chance to win the entire series. That means James has an 84 percent chance of bringing an NBA Finals Championship to his home state, and Cleveland has an 84 percent chance to end the 41 year curse.