The Survey Fall 2020

REPORTING WILDCAT NEWS SINCE 1922

Meet the staff!

Pages 2-4 Tik Tok news & views Pages 8-9 Covid’s impact on sports Page 11 Canceling Halloween?

Page 15

The content of this paper reflects students’ writing efforts and views which do not necessarily represent WVCSD or the Survey staff.

FALL 2020

SOPHOMORES

My name is BRIGID DANAHER and I am a sophomore taking

My name is JENNA MOSIER and I am in Journalism 1 this year. I am in tenth grade. I am really excited for journalism, but something I also like to do is sing, which is why I am taking Meistersingers this year as well. Also, I love to dance and play volleyball. My favorite time of the year is summer because I love swimming in the ocean.

Journalism 1. One thing that I love to do is play volleyball.

I have played volleyball since the sixth grade, and the position I play is right side hitter. More things I love to do are cooking and baking. I love to try new recipes and share them with my friends and family. My favorite time of the year is summer because I love going to the beach and spending time with my friends. .I also enjoy fall because of volleyball season, Halloween, and the cool weather.

My name is NICHOLAS MURRAY. MURRAY I am a sophomore. The classes I take are Journalism I, English, Earth Science, Global, Geometry, Spanish in Our Lives and PE. I was born in Brooklyn and was raised in Greenwood lake. I also have an older sister who is in college.

My name is MEGAN DESRATS and I am a Journalism 1 student. I am currently in tenth grade and am 15 years old. I like writing and science, but outside of school I love playing soccer and basketball. My favorite position in soccer is either center midfield or offense. My favorite position in basketball is either point guard or shooting guard. I have two older sisters who I love to hang out with and a younger brother who I love to play basketball with. I also have a chocolate lab named Carter who I love to take on walks and play with.

Hi! I’m KAITLYN PECONIE. PECONIE I am in tenth grade and I’m 15 years old. I’m really excited to be in Journalism 1 this year.

Some of my interests are music, dancing, and theater. I’ve been dancing since I was four years old and I started competing when I was 10. I also play the trumpet and piano.

My favorite TV show is Grey’s Anatomy. I really like acting & musical theater so I plan on studying those in the future.

My name is NATALIA TORRES. TORRES I lived in NJ and moved to Warwick three years ago. I am a sophomore. I started school cheer last year, and I am in Journalism 1 this year. I am very excited for journalism. In my free time I like listening to music and hanging out with my friends. My favorite time of the year is winter because I love when it snows.

My name is JACOB GIBEL. GIBEL I’m a sophomore this year. I’m excited about taking Journalism 1 this year because it seems like a fun class. I enjoy playing football, lacrosse, and basketball.

My name is PAIGE GIRARDI and I am in Journalism 1. I am currently in tenth grade. I love playing basketball in my free time. I am on the Warwick’s varsity girls’ basketball team and play AAU for Gymratz. I also enjoy going out to eat and watching movies with my family and friends. My favorite season is summer because I love travelling and going to the beach, but I also love winter because I look forward to Christmas the entire year.

Hello, my name is SIERRA ROBERTS and I am 15 years old.

I was born on the 15 day of the 9th month, of the 5th year of the 21st millennium. I have one mom and dad as well as two sisters. We are triplets. I live in Warwick, New York.

My nationality is African American but my ethnicity is Sierra Leone. My hobbies and likes include reading, walking, drinking teas, sleeping, and being in the presence of my family. I dislike walking up early, getting interrupted while reading, and burning my tongue drinking tea.

Hello, I am ALEX GRECO. GRECO I’m a sophomore at Warwick. I chose to take Journalism 1 to earn one English credit and it sounds like a fun class. I’m an athlete at Warwick, placing eighth at states last year for wrestling.

Hello, my name is ALEK GRZEGORZEWSKI and I am a sophomore at Warwick Valley High School. I took this class for an extra English credit and it sounds like a fun class. I play lacrosse at Warwick Valley high school.

My name is RILEY TULLEY and I am in Journalism 1 this year. I’m in tenth grade and am excited for journalism this year because it seems like a fun class already. I like to do cheerleading and play lacrosse. My favorite time of the year is summer because it’s warm and I go swimming and I love the beach. That is a little bit about me.

My name is MORGAN MASK and I’m a sophomore. I like to play soccer and hang out with friends. I really like clothes and shopping. My favorite food is cheesecake; I probably could eat a whole one by myself and not be sick of it. I also like to take and edit pictures.

My name is ISABELLA YOUNG and I am currently in tenth grade. This year, I am in journalism 1. I am really interested in journalism and excited to see what this class has in store for me. I also really enjoy playing soccer. I have been playing for six years now.

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Dealing with C

By:Emma Smith, Staff Editor It has been a chaotic year so far, and one of the main reasons is because of the infamous coronavirus. This virus has taken a toll on people’s lives all around the world. Everyone has been affected by this, whether it is someone you know or it has impacted your everyday routine. Such sudden change is not easy for anyone, and taking care of yourself is very important.

It can be intense to discuss your mental health if you’ve never discussed it before, but it is important to learn how to cope. The lack of social interaction makes us feel isolated and lonely. Reaching out to family members, friends, and loved ones is critical in a time like this. There are also telehealth services where you can meet with a therapist or doctor through a

ronavirus

Edited by:TJ Sikorski, Staff Editor

Zoom call. The technology we have is very beneficial in a crazy time like this.

It is important that if we can we use it.

Hearing about the pandemic constantly can be very upsetting and a big stressor. Don’t watch the news every second, and take a break from social

media. Going outside with my family during coronavirus is one of the activities that got me through. A breath of fresh air is appreciable after being inside for a long time. Being outside allows you to take off your mask and unwind. Taking care of your body is an important factor to your mental health.

If the stress starts to get too much, take a second to take deep breaths and or meditate. Doing this relaxes your mind and body and makes you less tense. Eating healthy, nutritious meals and excersizing is very necessary when taking care of your body.

Following these methods can make you feel good and happier. Everyone is in this together and we are all trying different ways to get through it. Keep practicing social distancing and stay safe!

What a New York City Frontline Worker has to say about the virus.

By: Alex Greco, Staff Writer Edited by: Andrew Mindes, Staff Editor

Hello, I’m Alex Greco, and today I’m with Kqualya Gilmore. She is a respiratory therapist at New York-Presbyterian Hospital, the number one hospital in New York. We are talking about COVID-19.

Q:How long have you been a respiratory therapist?

A:I have been a respiratory therapist for 13 years and 8 months at New York- Presbyterian Hospital.

Q:Where did you go to school?

A:I attended Stony Brook University and in my freshman year, I changed my major to become a respiratory therapist because my family has a history in the field.

Q:How has your job changed during the covid pandemic?

A:It has not changed, it just became a lot busier. Sometimes I didn’t get to give special care to my patients because my patient load tripled or quadrupled in April and May. It has returned to normal now.

Q:Do you think the media is overplaying the virus?

A:In the beginning, it was very bad where we would get fifteen ventilator patients in the ER, but we have not gotten a single COVID admission lately.

Q:Were you in danger of running out of ventilators?

A:It was getting close there for a while but we were never really in danger of running out. There [were] other options we were prepared to [use] if we got close to using all of [the ventilators], but we never did.

Q:Were you afraid of getting the virus?

A:I was not scared for me but for my elderly parents and my daughter Kia.

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By: Paige Girardi, Staff Writer

Edited by: Andrew Mindes, Staff Editor

Is social media negatively affecting teenagers’ mental health more than it is helping it? Many teenagers’ lives revolve around their posts, notifications, and who they follow on their social media accounts. Are teenagers relying on these platforms too much? Is it positively or negatively impacting them and the world around them?

While there are many beneficial aspects to having social media in today’s day and age, such as learning to communicate with others, having an outlet to express themselves, and providing entertainment, there are also many cons. Studies have shown that the use of social media on devices can disrupt teenagers’ sleep. According to Sleepstation.org, “The blue light emitted by mobile phones affects your melatonin levels more than any other wavelength does. It signals to your brain that it is daylight, melatonin production is suppressed and sleep becomes delayed.” Young students and children need approximately eight hours of sleep daily and the use of devices greatly impacts the amount of sleep needed for their age.

Not only does social media affect teenagers’ sleep, but it has also shown to expose them to unrealistic views of other people’s lives. Many teenagers compare their lives to those around them. They choose to idealize people based on small clips of their lives that they chose to display for others on the internet to see.

While social media can help people connect and communicate through a screen, it vcan lead to decreased social skills. Talking through a screen versus face-toface conversing are very different. Clinical psychologist and author, Dr. Catherine Steiner-Adair, states, “There’s no question kids are missing out on very critical social skills. In a way, texting and online communicating—it’s not like it creates a nonverbal learning disability, but it puts everybody in a nonverbal disabled context, where body language, facial expression, and even the smallest kinds of vocal reactions are rendered invisible” (Child Mind Institute).

While social media can be a helpful distraction from problems and fears, it has also led to anxiety and depression. One of the main reasons for these mental health issues is a term known as FOMO (fear of missing out). FOMO is anxiety caused by missing out on an experience and social media can worsen this issue. Social media is an outlet that easily allows events and experiences to be displayed for others to watch and take part in.

According to The National Center for Health Research, “Adolescents may be particularly vulnerable to potential negative impacts of social media because social connectedness is important for their development. Browsing social media can lead to FOMO, and the feeling of being excluded can lead to negative feelings’’ (Social Media and Adolescents’ and Young Adults’ Mental Health).

Maybe the worst impact of social media is the amount of cyberbullying that takes place on various apps. The most significant difference between cyberbullying and in-person bullying is that the internet acts as a display. It showcases the words and posts for everyone to see. It is hard to hide and escape from, while it is also largely removed from the oversight of adults and people of power. A major issue circling social media is the correlation between the recent increase in suicides due to cyberbullying. A website called NCBI discussed a survey given to 2,000 middle school children that indicated “victims of cyberbullying were almost two times as likely to attempt suicide than those who were not.” These results also indicated that cyberbullying offenders were 1.5 times as likely to report having attempted suicide than children who were not offenders or victims of cyberbullying” (Social Media and Suicide: A Public Health Perspective).

While social media is one of the most popular global phenomenons, it needs to change. When teenagers unlock their phones they should be exposed to positive and inspiring quotes, posts, and notifications on their feed. While social media can help many people through times of grief and sadness, it can also be costly.

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Mobile phones connect us with a lot of entities. It used to be just people, now it’s your favorite shows, movies, newspapers, and endless amounts of entertainment. Now your mobile phone is connecting you to your bank account and the stock market. There has been a rising popularity of investment applications in the past few years, enabling more people to learn how to invest. Robinhood is currently the most popular investment app for mobile devices.

Robinhood was released in 2013

by Baiju Bhatt but grew exponentially in 2016 and now has over ten million users and counting.

Robinhood advertises itself as a “pioneer of commission-free investing.” Robinhood’s intentions are to make investing for young adults more accessible and easier to understand without extra fees for the user. Robinhood has a lot of features that help you invest. You can invest in companies like Tesla, Google, Amazon, crypto currencies, and more. Once you have invested in a couple different companies you can start building your investment portfolio.

An investment portfolio includes investments in the form of a group of assets. It gives you the breakdown of all the stocks, bonds, and other financial assets you own. The portfolio helps you achieve your best possible return on investments. Robinhood follows a “trade in

real time,” which means trades placed during market hours are executed and you always know the share price. This keeps you in the loop with what’s happening with your investment if it’s down or up.

Now that covid-19 has been around for a while, the general economy has been down making it a great time to invest your money.

However, Robinhood’s trades are definitely more risky and new investors should tread lightly. Users should study the app before committing any large amounts of money. Robinhood still profits off of app users even if they are not charging you directly. They use a practice known as “payment for order flow.” Basically the companies want you to order stocks off the app. The more you do, the more they get paid for setting up the stock exchange with Wall Street firms. The Wall Street firm are the ones paying Robinhood. Robinhood’s priority is to not make you money, but to get you to buy more stock.

Robinhood is definitely getting millennials into investing their money to help set up their future, but don’t be misled by the app; it’s not a gold mine, it’s a game with your money. Though some may have made profits, the Robinhood app has put people in debt before and can put you in debt too if you aren’t careful.

Wtitten and edited by Harrison Edelen

By: Angel Maysonet, Staff Writer If you were a celebrity, and everything in your life was going just how you wanted it, and all of a sudden, one tiny mistake cost you everything, how would you feel? It could be a mistake such as a typo in a tweet, or maybe something that was leaked from your past. The media can be so toxic and harmful to people in general, even when they don’t make mistakes. People hide behind screens and say whatever they want without giving a damn about how their words make others feel. The media is overly critical of celebrities. But the truth is, they are human just like the rest of us, and they should be allowed to make mistakes.

Jimmy Fallon, a greatly loved co

median and talk-show-host has been a victim of being cancelled.

According to Distractify, the hashtag #jimmyfallonisoverparty started trending on Twitter after users called out the Tonight Show host for a Saturday Night Live (SNL) skit that first aired in 2000. In the skit, Jimmy did an impersonation of Chris Rock while wearing full blackface in an effort to appear like the comedian, who was also a past SNL cast member.

There were mixed opinions. Some thought his show should be cancelled, but others said it was from 20 years ago and he shouldn’t be cancelled. He then later issued an apology: “In 2000, while on SNL, I made a terrible decision to do

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an impersonation of Chris Rock while in blackface,” he tweeted. “There is no excuse for this. I am very sorry for making this unquestionably offensive decision and thank all of you for holding me accountable.” Although he was 100% wrong for doing what he did, it was 20 years ago and he apologized. Therefore, the media should cut him a break.

“Cancel culture” is one of the most toxic groups the media has to offer. Celebrities are human too and they make mistakes just like the rest of us.

Canceling “cancel culture” should be talked about more and anyone should be allowed to make mistakes without getting their careers turned upside down.

Editorial

Listen people, it’s 2020. Everyone can say and do what they want, support who they want, and believe what they want. One way to do this is on the social media app Tik Tok. At this point, everyone either uses or knows about TikTok. If you don’t know what it is, no, it isn’t that song by Kesha, and no, it isn’t those candy mints. TikTok is one of the biggest and most popular social media apps in the world right now. I’m sure most of you know what it is, but for the small percentage of you who don’t, I’ll explain how it works. People all over the world share 15 to 60 second videos with the hopes of going viral. There’s a huge variety of videos that people share like comedy, acting, dancing, singing, sports, random videos that others find funny, and so much more. The renowned “for you page” is the epicenter of these viral videos. It’s like YouTube but the videos are much shorter because who these days has the attention span and discipline to sit through an entire 20 minute YouTube video? I sure don’t. I spend a minimum of 3 hours a day scrolling through TikTok, which I know is definitely not the best for me, but hey, I get a real kick out of a lot of the videos.

TikTok has made a real impact

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By: Ava Wyant, Staff Writer

on all social media platforms. Not only that, but the users on the app have even gone as far as pranking the one and only Mr. Donald Trump. Yes you heard me right, the President of the United States. At this point I really don’t think there’s anything Generation Z can’t do.

The pranks on Mr. President were absolutely hilarious and were honestly really clever. Here’s what went down: back in June, Trump was set to host a rally in Tulsa, Oklahoma for his presidential campaign. He expected hundreds of thousands of people to show for the rally, but man, was he wrong. In the days leading up to the rally, TikTok users encouraged others to put in hundreds of thousands of ticket requests for the event. The only catch was they had absolutely no intention of actually attending. I mean come on, this is seriously brilliant. The day of the rally came and to Trump’s surprise, the attendance was miles below what had been expected. TikTok users sat back and watched as almost no one attended the rally. It was hysterical. Not too long after the nightmare rally, TikTok users wanted to bring a little more drama into the President’s life. This time they targeted his online merchandise store. TikTok users started adding

thousands and thousands of items into their carts - I think you already know where this is going - without any intentions of actually buying the items.

This tricked the system into thinking that everything had sold out. So when other people actually wanted to buy his merchandise, they couldn’t. Trump fans on Twitter weren’t so happy about it because, unfortunately, they weren’t able to purchase their “Keep America Great” sweaters. What a bummer.

These pranks were funny to witness and became even more amusing when Trump supporters started chiming in.

TikTok has taken the world by storm and I can see why. It’s not only a place to go to have a laugh but there’s also such a sense of community. People give advice, help others, and raise awareness about real problems going on in the world. Sure there’s always a bit of drama going on between the bigger creators on the app, but who doesn’t like a little controversy from time to time? Who doesn’t like pranking the president from time to time? I mean what’s he going to do, ban the app?

Okay okay, I’ll admit, maybe that joke was a little too soon. Either way, TikTok has become the most popular app in the world, and I can definitely see why.

o w . g n y p t t . s n . y a s e g t r t o e n ? e k n .

Written by TJ Sikorski, Editor Edited by Tyler Ellis, Editor

There has been a lot of speculation lately about the banning TikTok. TikTok has grown immensely over the past few years with over 100 million users in the United States alone. It has even become a part of our daily lives. Although the app can be fun and has its benefits, the government worries that the Chinese Communist regime is stealing personal information.

President Donald Trump and the United States government have considered putting some restrictions on the app for quite some time now, and these plans are soon to be put through. Trump plans to set executive orders making TikTok unavailable in the U.S. These plans are expected to go into effect towards the start of November. They are also planning to ban the Chinese owned app Wechat. “The restrictions targeting WeChat are more extensive. Soon, it will be illegal to host or transfer internet traffic associated with WeChat,” the Department of Homeland Security said in a release. The same will be true for TikTok as

of November 12. “What this basically means is that people won’t be able to purchase the apps anymore.

Users can still use them but there will no longer be any updates made.” Trump's administration made an offer that would help them resolve issues with the national security concerns on the app, but the makers of the app don’t seem too interested in making a deal.

The app creators claimed they don’t mean any harm and that the privacy and security of their customers is a priority. Our government has said that there won’t be major restrictions on TikTok; consumers will still be able to use the app and employees will still be able to work for the company and receive full salaries. Some may think that our government wants to make sure we are safe in our own country while others may be frustrated as they use the app on a daily basis and may even use it to make a living.

The new changes allow people to continue to use it.

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Written by Brigid Dananher, Staff Writer Edited by Maya Bieling, Editor-In-Chief

While artificial intelligence keeps advancing, it is hard for the rest of the world to keep up. We know that our future is technology. Get rid of the paper and pencils because everything will be online. Technology can be extremely helpful to make long tasks much quicker, but at what point are humans taking it too far?

Jobs have been taken left and right by new AIs that can do people’s jobs faster and more accurately. Also, computers are becoming more intelligent than ever before. This is ironic because technology is man made and strictly meant to be helpful. However, the more advanced we make it, the more it starts to replace us.

Artificial intelligence (AI) not only scares the general public, but it also scares the most intelligent people in the world. The CEO of Tesla Motors Inc. and SpaceX, Elon Musk, has made it very clear that he is terrified for the future of AI. When talking about how detrimental AI is, the billionaire states,“Mark my words, AI is much more dangerous than nukes. So why do we have no regulatory oversight? This is insane.” He mentions that “we have no regulatory oversight” on AI, which can be alarming since no one is keeping a close eye on the technology humans use.

Understanding that a robot has a mind of its own is quite frightening. In 2014, Google obtained a company focused on creating digital super intelligence, DeepMind, for $500 million. Previously, Elon Musk was an investor. Musk has made it clear that his investments in the company had nothing to do with money, rather he wanted to keep a close eye on the advancements taking place. Musk explains,“It gave me more visibility into the rate at which things were improving, and I think they’re really improving

at an accelerating rate, far faster than people realize.”

Now that people can comprehend how fast technology is progressing, the question of whether AI will take over is no longer an if, but a when. AIs are very flexible in the fact that they can perform almost any job in the world. For example, robots are immensely helpful in the medical field. Computers help to take scans of the human body to determine if there is anything wrong.

Even bus and taxi drivers should be fearful of AI since self driving cars could take their place at any time. In 2017, there was a study done by Oxford that estimated up to 47% of jobs being taken by computers within the next 50 years. According to a McKinsey Global Institute report, 375 million jobs across the world will vanish by 2030 because of AI. Soon corporations will not care about unemployment, rather they only will care about getting work done more efficiently and cheaper.

The idea of robots taking over the world is alarming; however, some people do not believe AI will overthrow humans anytime soon. The co-founder of the trillion dollar company Apple, Steve Wozniak, clarifies, “I am not worried about ‘We are just going to be the secondary species to machines’ for quite a long time.”

Knowing that a well educated person such as Wozniak believes that the end of the world is not on the horizon is like a breath of fresh air. Humans will be able to live in harmony with machines for quite some time if what Wozniak says is true. Since the 1960s, nearly all warnings about automation taking jobs have proved to be false.

As scary as an AI apocalypse is, computers do help the world substantially. As long as scientists monitor the advancements being made on artificial intelligence the world can only hope

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By: Patrick Gardiner, Staff Writer Edited by: Andrew Mindes, Staff Editor Usually when things are going bad in your life, you go to a place that makes you happiest, maybe some place you can be alone, or one that has a connection to fond memories. But in March of 2020 all that was stripped away for athletes. Gyms shut down, tracks closed off, and the rims were taken off basketball hoops. While it was necessary and for the greater good, in a time where the world had seemed so dark, athletes had lost the places that could help them relieve their stresses and anxieties.

What did we do? We trained at home.

We used the time that was given to us to buckle down and focus on that majestic fall season, the return.

Unfortunately, that did not happen for some people. Colleges and NCAA conferences across the country cancelled their fall seasons with the exception of the SEC, ACC,AAC, Big 12, Conference USA, and the Sun Belt Conference. For some student athletes, these universities are their safe haven. With some coming from impoverished areas, these universities provide structure and opportunities to let students make something of themselves.

But all their hard work for scholarships and a spot on the team is now being tested.

In New York State, high school sports have been all over the place,

competing to not competing, practice to no practice, everything has been up in the air. Some sections are opting not to compete, such as Section IX, Warwick’s section.

To all the athletes out there right now anticipating what is going to happen next, train hard, keep focusing on the goals you’ve set, but most of all, enjoy the training. Enjoy the hustle. Don’t do it just because you have to, do it because it makes you happy. Because, when it comes down to it, sports has a lot to do with fitness, but the real competition is who has the most heart and who wants it the most. Stay hungry. Go Wildcats.

By: James Bailey, Staff Writer Edited by: Andrew Mindes, Staff Editor

Adapting to play sports during a worldwide pandemic wasn’t easy, as these were uncharted waters for everyone. Many ideas were being thrown out and leagues had to make sure what they chose was not only sustainable but also safe for everyone involved.

Organizations like the NHL and the NBA decided the safest way to return to play was to isolate everyone into what has been coined as “the bubble.” It served just as it sounds, a central hub where all teams would reside and finish out their 2019-2020 season. In this bubble, players would not be allowed to leave a certain area and would have to follow strict guidelines if they wanted to continue to play. The NBA decided upon playing their final eight games and playoffs in Orlando at the ESPN Wide World of Sports complex which is part of Disney World,

while the NHL chose two hub cities, Toronto and Edmonton, to finish out their battle for the Stanley Cup. As far as the safety of the players and staff is concerned, both the NBA and NHL have done a phenomenal job with keeping Covid-19 out of the bubble. Since the commencement of the bubble, there has not been one positive case that has made its way into their leagues. “They enforce wearing a mask. I can’t have anybody in my room because of social distancing. They’re cleaning up stuff all the time. Where else in America is safer than being here?” said NBA center Brook Lopez. Things are just as safe in Edmonton and Toronto, with one player saying, “For all the guys that were questioning how safe it would be, that quickly went away. It was one of the safest places you could be.”

The MLB and NFL did not opt to take the bubble route, and already there

were outbreaks among the Miami Marlins and St. Louis Cardinals that put the MLB season in jeopardy.

For the safety of all, each game within these bubbles is played without an audience, and from going from playing in front of 20,000 people a night to no one has been a tough adjustment. When NHL veteran Steven Stamkos was asked about the lack of fans he said, “You had to not only get the emotion and the momentum, but you had to keep it on your bench and in your room for it to stay there. You don’t have the buzz of the fans and the rink to help control the momentum for you.” Despite the downsides, the return to sports has been a huge step back to normalcy, and the bubbles have done an incredible job in making this all possible in these uncertain times.

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The United States is a place of freedom and a beacon of hope for many, but recently the nation that so many love is facing unrest. With an extreme political divide in an election year, both major political parties have been fueling a fire that constantly continues to grow. Major companies, movie stars, and athletic organizations have begun choosing sides as well. With all of the change and growing hatred in this nation today, it makes one ask if it is a good idea for politically free environments to get political.

The NFL and NBA are two of the largest athletic associations in the world. Both leagues are billion dollar companies fueled by the American people, and fans are divided over moves they have made within the past few months. Seattle Seahawks safety Jamal Adams opens his press conferences, with the sentence “We need to arrest the killers of Breonna Taylor.” Social justice advocate Shaun King claims, “Colin Kaepernick needs to be back in the league.” Whether you agree or disagree with the way people are handling the deaths of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, or one of the others in the hands of police officers, we can all agree that a death is death, and mourning for the family is important.

So many people in the NFL have pushed for change. One way that people are protesting these deaths is by kneeling for the National Anthem. Major athletic associations have begun to support this and seem to be encouraging players to do this.

Also, the NFL has put names of the deceased on the back of players' helmets, and in the NBA, the names are on the back of players’ jerseys. In the pursuit of social justice, these major organizations also run continuous Black Lives Matter (BLM) commercials and have commentators say bits about how change is being made. The problem is many people don't agree with these moves.

On the other side, many say it seems as if the games being played have been left behind, and the message the players are trying to spread is consuming the NFL and NBA experience.

The players in these games, who cry for social injustice and an end to white supremacy, are making millions of dollars playing and through endorsement deals. As we saw in the first NFL game this season played in Kansas City, a moment of solidarity for social injustice got booed by the Kansas City fans before the game. We have seen ratings for the NFL and NBA drop as much as 30%. This suggests the majority of the country doesn't want to see politics in something that shouldn't be about politics.

During the Steelers-Giants game played a few weeks ago, every player on the Steelers had the name of Antwon Rose Jr., a victim of a police shooting, on their helmets, but some of the players didn't know who he was. When players like Maurkice Pouncy and Vince Williams found out that he was involved in a driveby shooting and had gun residue on his hands when

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he was shot, they stated publicly that, “We were given limited information,” and they thought they “could have any name they wanted” on the back of their helmets. This decision caused much backlash. Meanwhile, the team's starting tackle, Alejandro Villanueva, who is also a veteran, decided to cover the name with tape, and instead have the name Alwyn Cashe, a deceased war hero, on the back of his helmet.

Alejandro Villanueva remains one of the only Steelers to stand or come out of the locker room during the national anthem.

In the NBA, new Brooklyn Nets team member and future Hall of Famer Steve Nash came under criticism for becoming the Nets new head coach. Some coaches and commentators claimed that “Nash used his white privilege” to get the job, even though he was one of the greatest NBA players in the past 20 years.

Drew Brees, who publicly came out against kneeling for the anthem, was ridiculed so much for the statement that he had to apologize for it. Not only is politics causing division among fans, it is in the locker room as well.

As you can tell, there are many disagreements on how major athletic associations are handling the divide of the country today. Should they voice their opinions? Should they stay out of politics? Should they try to show both sides of the argument? Whatever they decide to do, a plan needs to be drawn up quick to fix the problem.

Written by Tyler Ellis, Editor Edited by Maya Bieling, Editor-In-Chief

By: Andrew Mindes, Staff Editor Though Major League Baseball has been growing in popularity, it is not America’s sport like it used to be. The MLB is still not as close in popularity to the NBA and the NFL. A big reason for this has been the MLB’s poor efforts to market the game to younger fans . But there could be a solution to that: Start marketing the game better.

When young children or even pre-teens or teenagers turn on a sports game lots of them want to want to tune in for a specific player who is exciting to watch. For example, the NBA will market someone like Giannis Antetokounmpo or Luka Doncic, or put Zion Williamson in their commercials for upcoming games.

These are all young, very talented stars who have the potential to be top players in the league for many years to come. In terms of young stars, baseball has more exciting stars in the league today than arguably ever before. The MLB needs to market these players such as 22-year-old Nationals phenom Juan Soto, 21-year-old Padres superstar Fernando Tatis Jr., 23-year-old Yankees shortstop Gleyber Torres, and 22-year-old Braves outfielder Ronald Acuña Jr. and many others. Young players are great for attracting young fans who are closer to their age be-

cause they are better able to connect with them. Fans also know that these players have many years left because they are still in the early stages of their careers, and they may be able to watch them throughout their childhoods.

The MLB has all these great young stars in the league but now they need to promote them to get people to watch. Major League Baseball has not been great over the last decade in promoting their game through social media due to their greed. For years, anytime the MLB saw someone posting a clip from a game on Twitter, Instagram, Facebook, or YouTube, the MLB copyright claimed it so that the creator could not make money using their video. Thankfully, the MLB has eased up on these policies recently allowing some content creators to make money off video where they use clips from MLB games. This is why there are not many baseball YouTubers compared to basketball and football where they can post clips from games and not have to worry about getting demonetized. The MLB needs to follow the NBA’s footsteps and let people create better content which will help grow the game for the long term. The MLB also has to do something with the issue of blackouts. “If I’m an Indians fan

and I live in Cleveland, I can watch every team but the Indians on MLB.TV, like, what sense does that make when I’m paying you, like, $125? Why is there a blackout on the team I want to watch?” said Barstool Sports blogger Jared Carrabis on Trevor Bauer’s podcast “Bauer Bytes.” In some instances, such as some areas in California, your local baseball team is not available in your local cable packages and you are still not able to watch your local team on MLB.TV because it is blacked out due to market restrictions so you have no way of watching your team from home.

Finally, MLB has to let the players express themselves on the field and on social media.

When a player bat flips or drops his bat at first base after hitting a home run, people should not see that as “disrespecting the game.”

It’s just making the game more fun. One of their slogans the last couple years has been, “Let the Kids Play,” but they have to follow through with that narrative.

Teams’ PR people should tell players to try to promote themselves through social media when they come up to the big leagues.

The MLB needs to figure out soon that the way to get more people into the sport is not to change the rules but how they promote it.

Soto

Tatis

Torres

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USWNT AND THEIR BATTLE AGAINST GENDER DISCRIMINATION

The Equal Pay Act requires that men and women in the same workplace be given equal pay for equal work. The jobs do not have to be identical but must be essentially equal. It is the content of the job rather than the title of the job that determines whether jobs are substantially equal. The United States Women’s National Soccer Team has been fighting for equal pay for several years now. The players have argued that they are paid less than the players on the US men’s national team and have filed a lawsuit against the US Soccer Federation over gender discrimination. The suit stated that the Federation’s were paying women less than men for “substantially equal work and by denying them at least equal playing, training, and travel conditions; equal promotion of their games; equal support and development for their games; and other terms and conditions of employment equal to the MNT.” However, a federal judge dismissed their equal pay claims.

Although, he did state in the written decision that “claims by the players of unequal working conditions based on travel conditions, specifically charter flights and hotel accommodations, and support services, specifically medical and training

support can still go on trial.” He also stated about their call for equal pay that “the evidence is insufficient to create a genuine issue of material fact for trial.”

Yet, the women are still continuing their ongoing fight for equal pay. The players are bothered by the fact that the men’s team’s players are eligible to make substantially more money than any person on the women’s team ever could. They are fighting against this fact because they find it unfair and unjust in many ways. On the other side of their argument is the questioning of whether or not their pay is a violation of the law.

The main difference between the two teams is that the women’s pay is more concentrated in fixed salaries- $100,000 per player- and provides more guaranteed contracts. In contrast, the men’s incomes are focused mainly on incentives.

This allows the men to receive larger bonuses. A star midfielder of the team, Megan Rapinoe, once said in an interview with Good Morning America, “If we were under the men’s contract, we would be making three times more.” The USMNT is also eligible for more games than the USWNT, and their total earnings potential far exceeds that of the women. Many claim that because of this, the job content is

not equal, therefore equal pay is not required. However, the women’s team has qualified for many more tournaments and has won far more games than the men’s team. So, in recent years, the USWNT has actually outearned the USMNT. Also, the men’s team is actually on the women’s side. In a released statement the MNT said that, “The USMNT players continue to stand with the WNT players in their efforts to secure equal pay.”

The US Soccer Federation used the women’s greater total earnings as one argument to go against the USWNT lawsuit against them in a fight to earn equal pay. In April 2020, the judge overseeing this lawsuit dismissed the players’ claims of unequal pay. The US Soccer Federation has received backlash in the past for once stating that unequal pay for the USWNT is fair because “men are bigger, stronger, and faster.” US District Judge R. Gary’s ruling granting summary judgement in the Federation’s favor in relation to equal pay arguments was a terrible rejection to the core argument of the women’s case and a major setback in the team’s fight for equal pay. The women are continuing to fight for equal pay, but not many victories have been made on their side.

BY MEGAN DESRATS, STAFF WRITER EDITED BY EMMA SMITH

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Should Halloween Be Cancelled?

By: Jenna Mosier, Staff Writer

Will COVID-19 rob kids of their favorite night of the year? This is the night that little kids dream of for 12 months straight! Kids can dress up as anything they want to be on this spooky, scary, and fun American holiday and get delicious treats. Most of the fun, though, is getting to go out into your town with your friends and family for a special activity and yell, “Trick or treat!” However, the 2020 coronavirus pandemic may alter these traditions.

The coronavirus has affected many lives, and getting candy from strangers may not be the smartest option right now. Parents want to keep their families safe from the virus, and adults might have second thoughts about let-

ting their kids wander from house to house. However, many people argue that trick-or-treating can be done in a safe manner with the use of masks, sanitizing, and social distancing. Dr. Jana Shaw, a pediatric infectious disease specialist at Upstate Medical University in Syracuse, NY, recommends kids stay home this Halloween: “I’m not sure the candy is worth the risk, even in our community, where the prevalence (of the virus) is very low.”

She also comments, “I would not want trick-or-treating to be an activity that would lead to an outbreak of Covid in our community and then kids won’t be able to go to school.” Shaw also goes on to add, “For kids to stay in school

is far more important to them and the community than getting candy.”

Dr. Shaw makes a valid point to not risk in-person education for one Halloween night. Even so, others in the community have another viewpoint: “It’s an outside activity, and with winter coming I am all about getting my kids outdoors while we still can,” says Ms. Marie Paul, of Camillus, NY. "It's one of my favourite holidays...I just want my kid to get the same experiences I got, too — even though COVID has come around," she adds. The biggest question is whether trick-or-treating is worth the risk or if it can be done safely.

Best Horror Movies of all Time

By: Maya Bieling, Editor-in-Chief Everyone loves a good movie, but what about the scariest movies of all time? It’s that time of year again!

The leaves are turning brown and falling off the trees, pumpkin spice is the seasonal flavor, apple picking and apple cider donuts are drawing tourists, and Halloween is just around the corner. Although this year Halloween may not be the same festive night it usually is, you can still binge watch some of the best rated horror movies ever made.

Hereditary

The Exorcist

The Vanishing

The Shining

A family’s house becomes haunted by a chilling presence shortly after their secretive grandmother’s death.

Three lighthouse keepers mysteriously disappear and end up on an island off the Scottish coast where they must struggle to survive.

A mother attempts to save her possessed 12 year old daughter through an exorcism involving two priests.

Johnny, a recovering alcoholic, takes a job as a caretaker at a Hotel. However, he becomes a homicidal maniac who is hell-bent on terrorizing his family.

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Although these are the scariest movies I have ever come across, many others include Paranormal Activity (2007), Get Out (2017), Candy Man (1992), Train to Busan (2016), A Quiet Place (2018), and The Ring (2002). Typical Halloween traditions may be affected by the coronavirus this year, but nothing can keep you from Netflix or Hulu. Happy bingeing!

Edited by Timothy Sikorski

By: Harrison Rogers, Staff Writer

Over the past three decades, the global economy has gone through thick and thin, and traversed incredible highs and lows. With our ever-changing market, how is it possible for certain industries to stay afloat? Well, there isn't a simple answer; however, we can see what brought on the demise of certain industries that were once beloved and booming.

Music, is there a more adored art form?

Music is an incredibly powerful form of self-expression. Naturally corporations wanted to capitalize on its effect on people, by turning it into a product for consumption. What followed was one of the most profitable businesses ever established. At its peak, the industry seemed to have an infinite amount of artists and labels to back them. Physical formats such as CDs, cassettes, & LPs ruled the market and headlining acts could pack stadiums around the world for years on end. It seemed nothing could slow down this surging industry.

Then came a major development in technology.

With the advent of the inter-

net came a new form of distribution. In the mid to late 1990s, file sharing sites such as Winamp and Napster would introduce the sharing of digital media between peers. Now, people had another reason not to purchase their favorite artists' new releases. Some artists were very vocal about this illegal distribution, some even taking legal action, such as Metallica, Dr. Dre and a number of record companies.

These cases ultimately resulted in the fall of Napster, but they weren't the only culprit guilty of this. It was a classic case of David and Goliath; no matter how huge the artist, the ever-growing internet continued to expand in its hosting of such file sharing sites. Over the next two decades, physical mediums of music became obsolete. The demand for CDs dwindled. An estimated number of 938.9 million CDs were shipped in the United States in 1999. By the year 2019, only 46.5 million shipments were made. Acts were now forced to rely on heavy touring to match their income, and record labels which were once dominant, such as EMI &

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Elektra, were being absorbed by larger media groups like Universal, Warner, and Sony.

Though the internet brought on the downfall of the music industry as we once knew it, it has also opened new doors for the masses to gain a following all on their own. Streaming services such as Spotify, Soundcloud, Bandcamp & Apple Music along with advances in home recording technology has allowed artists to earn money independently without the aid of a record label.

Whether it’s for better or worse, the music industry has most definitely changed and it will continue in its transformation. The only thing artists have to do is adapt. As Geddy Lee of Rush once said, “I think, basically, the music industry is scattered and in a mess. I think you’ve got lots of people that are so-called ‘experts’ that have no idea where it’s headed.” Well, I guess we’re all in for a ride and the destination is uncertain. Until then, it’s important to support art and the artists, and possibly create some of your own.

By: Kelly Downes, Staff Writer

The world is suffocating. We are on fire, barely breathing under our masks, and buried under never ending streams of new information, most of it too painful to comprehend. Over here on the east coast, we are the terrified audience to some of the West’s most incredible devastation in history. With millions of acres already burned, we are left feeling helpless and filled with anxiety. It seems as if every day of this year is filled with pain, sickness, destruction, fear, anger, and sadness. Every single day.

Not only do people need to worry about catching a deadly virus, but also, there is the possibility of burning to death or losing everything to roaring fires.

These fires have burned enormous amounts of land in California, Oregon and Washington State, killing over 30 people and concealing the bulk of the western United States. According to IQAir “an air quality monitoring system, many U.S. cities had the worst air quality of any major cities around the world as of Monday.” People are scared to leave their homes.

CNN reports that authorities say there

are still at least 110 people still missing in the area. Families must be filled with fear while hoping their lost loved ones are safe. NBC’s latest news says the strong Santa Ana winds that are fueling the fires are expected to increase over the next few days and that means more homes on top of the 300,000 homes that have been evacuated will have to too. Where are people going to go? It is a challenging time to find places to stay during this pandemic.

Of course there have been forest fires all around the world and there’s not just one reason on why they start; it could be discarded cigarettes, power line arcs, or sparks from job equipment. The source of the fires could be prevented so easily. Unfortunately, vast climate change affects wildfires too. We can easily pull plugs out of equipment and appliances in our homes, discard cigarettes in ashtrays, invest in energy efficient appliances, and reduce water waste. These are all doable tasks that can help save our planet and environment.

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By: Gabe Chermak, Staff Writer The death of long time Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg in September of this year left a vacancy in the United States Supreme Court. President Trump nominated Judge Amy Coney Barrett to fill this newly vacant seat, and she was confirmed and sworn in on October 26, in a 52-48 vote one week before the presidential election.

The Supreme Court is the highest court of the United States and functions as the interpreter of the Constitution and the laws of the United States. The court consists of nine justices, who are nominated by the President and confirmed by the Senate. Unlike officials appointed to the Executive and Legislative branches, those appointed to the Supreme Court have lifetime terms ended only by their retirement or death.

President Trump has already appointed two Justices to the Supreme Court, Neil Gorsuch in 2017 and Brett Kavanaugh in 2018. President Trump and the Republican Party’s hope to secure their third appointment of the President’s first term in office before the January 2021 inauguration has now been fulfilled. If the

appointment had taken place after the 2021 inauguration, there was uncertainty that President Trump would have had have enough Senate seats to secure the vote, or even that he would still be in office.

The previous four Supreme Court confirmation processes averaged 78 days between presidential nomination and confirmation. In addition to a sufficient amount of time to complete the confirmation process, there is a Republican majority in the United States Senate. These factors enabled President Trump to secure his third Supreme Court seat.

Of the eight Supreme Court Justices already on the bench, five were appointed by Republicans and three were appointed by Democrats. The Democrats’ concern is the Court will make conservative decisions on nearly every case. This scenario has sparked outrage by the Democrats of the Senate. In February 2016, a similar situation arose when conservative Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia died. Senate Republicans refused to allow then President Obama to have a Supreme Court pick in the last year of his presidency. On February 13th

Supreme Court Justice, Ruth Bader Ginsberg, L Newly appointed Supreme Court Justice, Amy Coney Barrett, R 18

of 2016, Republican Senate Leader Mitch McConnell said, “The American people should have a voice in the selection of their next Supreme Court Justice. Therefore, this vacancy should not be filled until we have a new President.” Democrat Chuck Schumer used this quote of McConnell’s to accuse the Republicans of hypocrisy. Senator McConnell has responded to these accusations saying, “The historical precedence is overwhelming and it runs one direction. If our democratic colleagues want to claim they are outraged, they can only be outraged by the plain facts of American history.” The precedent that Senator McConnell had referred to is that when the president in office is of the same party as the Senate majority, the president’s Supreme Court nomination is confirmed.

On the matter, Republican Senator and former Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney said, “If the nominee reaches the Senate floor, I intend to vote based upon [his or her] qualifications.” In fact, no democrats voted to confirm Amy Coney Barrett, and all but one Republican, Maine Senator Susan Collins, voted to confirm her.

By: Brendan Minett, Staff Writer

Disney’s new live-action remake of the original 1998 animated film Mulan, seen as harmless by most at first, has a more sinister layer than many would expect. The plot of the film is centered around a young girl who joins the ranks of the imperial army to fight Rouran invaders in northwestern China. Some parts of the story take place on the Silk Road, a famous route connecting the eastern world and the western world through trade. Xinjiang historically played an important role in this route, explaining why Disney chose this geographical location.

Grant Major, Mulan’s production designer, states that his team spent “months in and around the northwest province of Xinjiang to do legwork research before the cameras rolled.” Grant also mentioned that he and his team spoke with Chinese academics so that “we could extrapolate what we found and just use our creativity to make it feel right.” During the ending credits of the movie, a special thanks is given to the “Turpan Municipal Bureau of Public Security.” For those who don’t know, Turpan is a city located in the northwestern region of China known as Xinjiang, where many Uyghur Muslims are detained

by Chinese authorities. Another credit is given to the “CPC Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region Committee,” which is a committee

in charge of Chinese Communist Party propaganda in Xinjiang. It is this region in particular where media outlets have reported that filming was done extensively. Critics have praised the film for its excellent cinematography, amazing fight sequences, and its message of empowerment for women. What is underlooked, however, is the contradiction of Disney’s message by choosing an area to film where human rights violations are being practiced. Back in the year 2018, the United Nations accused China of housing Uyghur residents in these detainment camps. These claims come from leaked documents and satellite photos that prove the camps exist, as reported by The Japan Times. Chinese officials deny these accusations by stating they were only “vocational training centers” and defended them as a “positive attempt and active exploration of preventive counterterrorism and deradicalization.” According to Polygraph.info, former inmates have revealed parts of their daily routine, which included being “forced to sing Communist Party songs, [watch] propaganda films, and [deny] their Muslim faith.”

Another inmate's description is even more horrific. “We were given medicine every day. After taking it we became numb emotionally. For instance, we could not think about

our young children or elderly parents; all we can think about is how to get through the day,” stated Zumuret Dawut, a former inmate who was forced to undergo sterilization at one of these camps. Due to these factors, the release of the film has gained a significant amount of backlash over the past few weeks.

According to the news organization Reuters, the Chinese government created a massive media blackout days prior to the film’s release in China on September 11th. United States Senator Josh Hawley wrote an open letter to Disney criticizing them for working with Chinese authorities. “Your decision to uncritically approve this film’s release rather than apologizing to those harmed by Disney’s actions is reprehensible,” said Senator Hawley.

In an interview reported by CNN, Disney’s chief financial officer, Christine McCarthy, responded to the accusations by saying, “Mulan was primarily shot in, almost the entirety, in New Zealand. And in an effort to accurately depict some of the unique landscape and geography of the country of China for this historically period piece drama, we filmed scenery in 20 different locations in China." She also goes on to explain that it is normal to "acknowledge in the film's credits, the national and local governments that allowed you to film there."

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