Concordiensis
T H E S T U D E N T N E W S PA P E R O F U N I O N COLLEGE SINCE 1877 Thursday, February 18, 2021
Volume. CL, Issue X
concordiensis.com
“Music Through The Decades” Event Hosted By BSU, ASA and CSA By Megan Brown News Editor
This past Tuesday, February 16 and 5:30 PM, the Black Student Union, African Student Association and the Caribbean Student Association joined together to host a “Music Through the Decades” event on zoom. This event was a 2000s-themed listening party as part of the campus-wide celebration of Black History Month. All throughout February, the clubs and organizations on campus have been putting on different events to honor this month, and to keep stu-
dents engaged with black history and culture. This event in particular highlighted popular songs throughout the early 2000s, followed by music trivia and prizes. The hosts mentioned that “the purpose of this event is to promote and celebrate Black/ African culture through music!” They offered their thanks for celebrating a “crucial” part of Black/African culture during this “special” month. Music was expressed as one of the most important parts of this history and culture, therefore listening to songs as a unit was what it mostly consisted of. The majority of the event was listening to these songs together,
while there was a slide up with the artist and some fun facts about that artist. The first artist was Tanerelle, an R&B artist who’s made the song “Mama Saturn.” “Tanerelle is a space age songstress from Atlanta, Georgia. After moving to Los Angeles and acquiring her BFA in acting she released her first single ‘Siren’... she has continued to release music while accruing 18 million listens and counting on Spotify.” There was a balance between more well known artists, and those more known within the Black/African community. Later on in the event, “Lost” by Frank Ocean was played.
They described Ocean as a “visionary Black recording artist … one of the most celebrated and critically acclaimed artists of this era.” Likewise, “Crazy in Love” by Beyonce was also played. She “first captured the public’s eye as lead vocalist of the R&B group Destiny’s Child. She later established a solo career with her debut album ‘Dangerously in Love,’ becoming one of music’s top-selling artists with sold-out tours and a slew of awards.” In addition to listening to these songs, there was also trivia and raffles. For example, one question that was asked was “what instrument did Lil Uzi play in high school?” The
chat feature on zoom was activated and this way listeners could engage in the music and the culture by throwing in their guesses. Though this event mainly consisted of listening to these songs and reading about the corresponding artists, participants were still able and encouraged to engage in these activities and simultaneously learn about Black history and culture through music. The next event for Black History Month is Wednesday, February 17 at 4 PM. The Office of International Affairs is hosting a “Spill the Tea” discussion on “Transgender Athletes.”
College community hold pandemic-friendly events during Winter Term By Sydney Lewis News Editor
Winter term at Union College has been unlike any other. Despite the two-week on-campus lockdown, students and staff have persevered in finding ways to entertain and enjoy themselves on campus. On February 26, Kelly Adirondack Center announced that they have purchased 10 pairs of snowshoes for student use. They are available in CPH on Wednesdays 4-7 PM, Saturdays 2-5 PM and Sundays 2-5 PM. This is following the addition of saucer sleds being available outside of Wicker Wellness Center. The sleds were provided by
Student Forum for use on the hill at the east side of the softball field. Sorum House held a sledding event on February 13 to encourage students to enjoy themselves outdoors and on February 20, Beuth and Golub will be holding another event for a European Festival. Food will be provided if participants sign up through the Google Form sent through campus events. The food includes: Baked Pretzel with Pub Mustard, “Joulurttu” Pastry Pinwheels with Fruit Jam, Cinnamon Dusted Churros with Chocolate Sauce, Poppy Seed Filled Kolachi Roll and “Gluhwein” Non-alcoholic Sweet Red Wine with Orange, Clove and Cinnamon. Pick up will be at Beuth
and Golub house on Saturday, February 20. The Kenney Community Center is also hosting their Random Acts of Kindness events this week. Beginning on Monday events have been held to encourage students to reflect on people in their lives who they are grateful for. On Tuesday, February 16 the Kenney Center offered students, faculty and staff the opportunity to sign up and receive a small craft in their mailbox on campus or at home to complete as a kind gesture. Raffle tickets were also placed in every mailbox in Reamer Campus Center. The prizes, if won, are from local businesses and Union departments. The tickets can be turned in Monday
through Friday at the Random Acts of Kindness tables located in Reamer from 12-2 PM.
Photo courtesy of Christen Gowan Students enjoying the sledges provided by the college during the snowy weather
We’re beautiful on the inside, too
Opinions, page 2 Britain’s vaccination success
World/Bus, page 3 Trump acquitted in impeachment trial
Sci/Tech, page 4 Smallest reptile discovered in Madagascar
807, page 6 Woman of the Week: Alexis Henrikson ’23
Sports, page 7 Summer 2021 Olympic Games
Kelsey Delaney
OPINIONS
Friday, November 6, 2020 | Concordiensis
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delaneyk@union.edu
A shot for freedom- Britain’s success at delivering the vaccine By Adam-Jack Chinnery Staff Writer
Most would agree that vaccinating the majority of the population is the easiest way back to normality. However, some countries are having more success than others. After on and off lockdowns and a mutation that caused havoc, the United Kingdom has already vaccinated nearly 25% of its population by February 14, a higher percentage than any other country in Europe. I thought it would be interesting to compare the situation over there with the situation in the United States, and see what the Americans could learnfrom the British. Firstly, opinion polls show that the Brits are among the most willing to have the vac-
cine. According to a YouGov global tracking poll, 83% of Britons would have a vaccine as of January 29, that compares to: 61% of Germans when asked on January 29; 53% of Americans when asked on February 3 and just 45% of the French when asked on February 3. The exceptional willingness of the British to get vaccinated could be for many reasons: possibly due to an adoration for the NHS who would administer the vaccine; potentially due to the fact that the AstraZeneca shot was developed with the help of the University of Oxford. A severe lockdown fatigue and large death toll means that the vaccine is a priority for a nation that too well knows the consequences of COVID-19. Regardless of the reason, it means that there has not been a massive debate over the efficacy of vaccines.
Which means that more effort can be spent planning how to vaccinate 65 million people as quickly as possible. Currently Britain has two vaccines which are being used: the Pfizer vaccine which is being also used in the US and the AstraZeneca/Oxford vaccine. The Pfizer vaccine is more ‘effective’ while the AstraZeneca vaccine is easier to transport and manufacture. The Moderna vaccine has also been approved however won’t be delivered until the spring. Many more shots are awaiting approval by the UK authorities and will hopefully increase the pace of the rollout before Britain begins to help other countries around the world in need. The UK has been very strict in giving vaccines by priority groups: firstly to care home residents and staff, followed by those over 85 and health workers and then going down
by age groups, unless you are clinically vulnerable in which case you would be able to get vaccinated with those over the age of 70. The older you are, the more likely you are to have a severe form of COVID-19, so it perplexes me that some younger teachers and politicians such as Alexandria Ocasio Cortez have been vaccinated, when they appear to have a lower risk than others who haven’t received their shot yet, especially since whilst we know the vaccine stops severe disease, we are unsure it stops transmission. One of the other unique things Britain has done is delay the second dose of the vaccine, with there normally being a three week gap between doses, however that gap is now twelve weeks. The British Medical Journal backed this up in an article on February 3, with trials show-
ing the AstraZeneca vaccine providing significant immunity for this amount of time along with Pfizer shot, although AstraZeneca is more effective on this front. So, more individuals will have some protection against the virus which can ease up pressure on the health service in less time, a win-win. The UK is having a relatively good rollout of the vaccine. People trust it and hospital admissions are plummeting. Whilst there have been a few hiccups, with the EU threatening to cut off supplies; Britain being the first country to vaccinate looks set to be one of the first countries to hopefully build up the immunity we all desperately want.
Editor’s Column: Why did I join the Concordiensis?
By Kelsey Delaney Opinions Editor
When I started at Union I knew that I wanted to be involved on campus in some way, but I was not sure in what capacity. Before joining the Concordiensis, I was a member of the Softball team and am still in the sorority, Delta Phi Epsilon. Off campus I would always hold a part-time job. But I felt that something was missing in my on-campus activites. I wanted to join something that would make a significant impact in our community as well as manifest my love for reading and writing through this in-
volvement. This past summer I became interested in journalism and with the political climate of the United States, I thought, why not join the college’s newspaper? I wanted to make my voice heard while simultaneously providing a platform for my peers to be heard as well. I love being the editor of the Opinions section. I am a philosophy and political science double major, so the Opinions section seemed to be a perfect fit for me. It is nothing short of outstanding that Concordiensis is entirely student-run. It has made a massive impact on my life to be surrounded by such hardworking and talented people. Being an editor
definitely has its challenges at times, but I would not trade this experience for anything. It was intimidating at first to join the paper so late in my college career, as I am a senior this year, but everyone on the Concordiensis team is extremely welcoming and supportive. I am so glad that I made the decision to join the Concordiensis. The COVID-19 pandemic has caused many challenges for everyone, but being able to have this creative outlet is something that has given me something to help me get through. I look forward to meeting every week with my fellow editors. I love reading the Opinion pieces every week from my peers, they are
always interesting and the variety of voices being heard is
what excites me the most.
Concordiensis Vol. CXLX, Issue, February 18, 2021 Akriti Dhasmana and Daniel Wilcox Editors-in-Chief Megan Brown, News Editor Sydney Lewis, News Editor Dante Sasso, 807 Editor Isabelle Yee, Sports Editor Kari Kimball, Sci/Tech Editor concordiensis.com Email: concordiensis@union.edu Office: 406 Reamer Campus Center
Matt Farr, Managing Editor Kelsey Delaney, Opinions Editor Chris Doyle, World/Business Editor Stephen Nadler , Photo Editor Mail: Concordiensis Box 2577 807 Union Street
Do you have something you want to say? The Concordiensis is now accepting Letters to the Editor. Share your thoughts about campus, news, trends, or anything you want to write about! All letters should be sent to dhasmana@union.edu or wilcoxd@union.edu. They should be less than 250 words in length and must include the writers full name and email address. Any letters longer than 250 words may be edited for length, word choice and accuracy.
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Chris Doyle
World / Business
Thursday, February 18, 2021 | Concordiensis
doylec@union.edu
Former-President Trump acquitted in second impeachment By Chris Doyle World/Business Editor
On February 13, the United States Senate acquitted Ex-President Donald Trump on charges of inciting insurrection against the United States. The vote was 57-43 with all Democrats and seven Republicans voting in favor of convictions. It is the most bipartisan conviction vote in US history, but failed to meet the majority necessary to remove from office. Had he been convicted, Congress could have voted to bar the ex-president from office by simple majority. Trump might still be dis-
qualified from office under the 14th Amendment’s “insurrection or rebellion” clause. Wisconsin Congressman Victor Berger was barred from taking office due to his anti-war sentiments during the First World War, but this was while under indictment for suspected espionage, and was later able to return to his duties when reelected after the armistice. The ex-president might be able to challenge any blockage of a future political campaign in judicial proceedings. A third of the federal bench was appointed by Trump. Seven Republicans in the Senate—Mitt Romney of Utah, Susan Collins of Maine, Lisa Murkowski of Alaska,
Pat Toomey of Pennsylvania, Richard Burr of North Carolina, Ben Sasse of Nebraska, and Bill Cassidy of Louisiana—voted “guilty”. In a statement to constituents, Senator Romney condemned Trump’s failure to “protect the Capitol, the Vice President, and others in the Capitol.” Romney included Trump’s solicitation of votes to the Georgia Secretary of State was further motivation for him to convict. Senator Murkowski said in a statement that the “facts make clear that the violence and desecration of the Capitol that we saw on January 6 was not a spontaneous uprising. President Trump had set the stage months before the 2020
election by stating repeatedly that the election was rigged, casting doubt into the minds of the American people about the fairness of the election.” Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer said in a speech on the Floor of the Senate that “none of the facts are up for debate,” in what took place in the Capitol on the January 6 insurrection. “This was the most egregious violation of the presidential oath of office and a textbook example—a classical example—of an impeachment offense worthy of the Constitution’s most severe remedy.” Minority Leader Mitch McConnell did not discount the facts of what took place on the day of the elec-
toral count, but laid his vote to acquit on the technicality that Trump is now out of office, and beyond the reach of congressional oversight. He laid the task of potentially bringing Trump up on charges to state and federal law enforcement. The United States Capitol had not been besieged in such a manner since the Battle of Washington during the War of 1812 when the British sacked the city. It remained secure through the American Civil War with the Confederacy only a few miles away. CBS News reported on February 12 that 234 people have been arrested in connection with the attack, and over 400 investigations are underway.
A Parish Council leaves UK confused and humored By Adam-Jack Chinnery Staff Writer
A Zoom meeting of the Handforth Parish Council in Cheshire, England on December 10, 2020 went viral in UK as it descended into chaos. A highlights video published on YouTube has obtained over three million views, and was the top trending topic on Twitter on Thursday, January 4th. Profanity is heard from the very beginning and the chair of the council bemoans how the meeting has been called illegally. However, most of the attention has focused on Jackie Weaver, who removed the chair
of the council after he said, “you have no authority Jackie Weaver, no authority at all”. After this, a member known as Aled’s IPad can be heard shouting “read the standing orders, read them and understand them”. A debate raged on Twitter as to whether Jackie Weaver had the authority to kick out the council chair and if she had indeed read the standing orders properly. Social media influencers relished in the hilarity of the meeting. Flo and Joan created a musical rendition of the events which got 197,000 views on TikTok and 125,000 views on Instagram. Speaking to BBC’s ‘Woman’s Hour’ on Friday January 5th, Weaver said that “99.5% of parish council meetings aren’t that
wild”, whilst expressing happiness that the meeting led to a conversation about local government. Parish councils are often overlooked and often have uncontested elections,for example the Eden district in Cumbria has 40 parish councils, of which 38 had every councillor elected unopposed. Another conversation on social media that has come from the meeting concerns bullying and misogyny in politics, with Weaver herself thinking it was the root cause of the fire in the meeting whilst talking to LBC Radio on Friday February 6th. Many on social media commented on the difference in attitudes between the genders of participants, observing that the
Courtesy of Wiki Commons A welcome sign for the Handforth town. women were asking for calm or, Barry Buckhill has been and respect, whilst the men tabled and will take place were being considerably on February 17, according more abrasive. As a conse- to the BBC. Craig Browne— quence of the alleged mi- deputy leader of Cheshire sogyny and poor handling of East Council where Handthe meeting, a motion of no forth is located—is currently confidence in the local may- investigating the meeting.
60-Second News
Opposition activist Aung San Suu Kyi of Myanmar has been charged with illegal possession of communications devices despite civil unrest and protests
Former Peruvian President and First Lady used connections to get earlier doses of the coronavirus vaccine, according to clinical trials head.
60% of Zimbabwe’s coronavirus cases belong to a new variant that first arose in the UK and South Africa
Kari Kimball
Sci/Tech
Thursday, February 18, 2020 | Concordiensis
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kimballk@union.edu
The world’s smallest reptile discovered in Madagascar By Olivia Egan Contributing Writer
The Island of Madagascar holds many curious creatures buried deep within its jungles and hidden away on the forest floor is what might just be the world’s smallest reptile. Named Brookesia Nana, these chameleons are just 29 millimeters long, barely 1/6 of the size of your average iPhone screen, according to Science News. The males can be even smaller, sometimes measuring as little as 21.6 millimeters in comparison. These chameleons feed primarily off of mites which they hunt on the forest floor. Only two of these reptiles were found, which makes it difficult to make guesses on the typical size of this new species. Some of its
close cousins also possess larger females than male chameleons, which helps to establish more information about the species. Due to their small size, scientist Mark Scherz, at first thought that they might be a juvenile form of the discovered species. It was quite hard to determine whether or not the male chameleon was an adult, but a closer examination confirmed that that was most likely the case. Figuring out the age of the female was a simpler process; the discovery of eggs within the ovaries of the female confirmed that it was, in fact, an adult species. No one is quite sure why this tiny chameleon evolved to maintain such a small stature. The size of this chameleon leads to a whole new batch of questions on the limits of how small these creatures can be for them to function. Accord-
ing to evolutionary biologist Tony Gamble, these limits begin to appear when we look at the surface area of the creature and where all of those parts go. Characteristics such as reduced skull size allow for more space within the creature. But, despite the struggle to find places for everything to fit, smaller animals in general often have a larger ratio of surface area to volume than their bigger relatives. Another issue facing smaller creatures or, in this case, female creatures who are significantly larger than the males, is reproduction efforts. The extreme size difference between male and female Brookesia Nana is thought to have led to some necessary increases in the genitalia of the male, causing it to reach practically 20 percent of the chameleon’s overall body length.
However, it’s not all a struggle caused by their small stature. One surprisingly large bodily aspect possessed by these powerful little creatures is their tongues. Even the tiny Brookesia Nana can shoot their tongue to a distance nearly two times their body length to capture their prey, according to the Nature website. Shockingly, smaller chameleons have been shown to possess tongues that are significantly longer, and more powerful, than those of their larger statured cousins. The discovery of these creatures has numerous implications, especially the potential threats to Madagascar and its intricate ecosystems. Containing more than 200,000 different known species, 80% of which exist nowhere else on earth, this is a delicate, biodiverse environment that needs
to be protected. Despite this, Madagascar has one of the most threatened ecosystems on the planet, according to the Mongabay website. Deforestation is taking a massive toll on the people and wildlife present there, leaving behind cactus scrub and displaced animals in its wake. Additionally, agricultural fires burn nearly a third of the country to the ground each year, only worsening the conditions. This puts thousands of species at risk for extinction, as many of the ecosystems present on Madagascar cannot be replicated anywhere else in the world. All hope is not lost. Organizations such as Reforest’Action, Eden Reforestation Projects, and Ecosia are working hard to support the Malagasy people in their efforts to replenish the dying ecosystems of Madagascar.
Female physicist to be honored with a U.S. postage stamp By Kari Kimball Sci/Tech Editor
Chien-Shiung Wu, a Chinese-American physicist, will share a rare honor typically bestowed on scientific greats such as Einstein, Fermi, and Feynman. Starting February 11, 2021, the International Day of Women and Girls in Science, the United States Postal Service began issuing stamps in Wu’s honor. Wu essentially proved that the universe knows its right hand from its left, according to The Science Magazine. Wu died at age 84 in 1997 and never received a Nobel
Prize for her ground-breaking work on parity violation. Many claim that she was snubbed from the honor by the Nobel Committee because she was a woman. Parity violation is when an inversion of all the particles in the universe occurs - essentially swapping left and right, up and down and forward and back – which causes a reverse in all their momenta and the universe is able to work the same. Imagine a clock experiencing a parity transformation, the resulting mirror image clock would tick the same as the original one. This phenomenon is believed to be caused by the four forces constantly interacting with these
particles: gravity, electromagnetism, the strong force that binds the atomic nucleus and the weak force that produces a type of nuclear decay called beta decay. Wu worked with TsungDao Lee of Columbia University and Chen Ning Yang of Brookhaven National Laboratory on parity violation. However, only Lee and Yang shared the 1957 Nobel Prize in Physics for the discovery of this phenomenon, which had a tremendous impact on particle theory. According to the Science Centre, particle theory states that all matter consists of many small particles that are in a continuous state of motion. The velocity
Chien-Shiung Wu (1912-1997)
Courtesy of Wiki Commons
at which the particles move is determined by the amount of energy they have and their proximity to other particles. Officials at the U.S. Postal Service argue that being honored with a postage stamp is better than receiving the No-
bel Prize because it is more exclusive. Their argument stems from the fact that less scientists, especially physicists, have been honored with a postage stamp than those that have received the Nobel Prize.
Over 50 percent of of the world’s cameleon population is found in Madagascar.
Deforestation is a severe problem in Madagascar.
60-Second Sci/Tech
Madagascar is the world’s fourth largest island.
Madagascar is just one of seventeen countries to be considered “megadiverse.”
Madagascar is home to 70 species of lemurs.
PICTURES OF THE WEEK
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Courtesy of Christen Gowan and Stephen Nadler ’21 | Concordiensis Student sleds down a hill (U-L), student picks up food from Dutch (U-R), frozen tree branches outside Karp Hall (L-L) Sebastian Czechowski outside the Nott. (L-R).
CRIME & FIRE LOG 02/11/21 - 02/18/21
2/11/21 1:04 p.m. Vandalism to college locks reported-time of occurence unknown. Referred to Campus Judicial. Sigma Chi. 02/13/21 10:00 a.m. Vandalism to window discovered-time of occurence unknown. Open Investigation. Sigma Chi. 02/16/21 12:18 p.m. Theft of license plates discovered- occured 2/15/21. Closed. Reffered to Police. Nott/Seward Lot.
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Dante Sasso Jr.
Thursday, February 18. 2021 | Concordiensis
sassod@union.edu
PPGEN hosts a Valentine’s Day poetry night for self-love By Dante Sasso Jr. 807 Editor
PPGEN is Union College’s Planned Parenthood Generation Action program, focused on bringing students together to speak about reproductive and sexual health. According to Arzoo Dawoodani ’23, PPGEN’s social media and communications manager, recently the club has also been covering topics regarding “intersectionality and racial issues.” According to Dawoodani, PPGEN is “a fairly new club… I think to the best of my knowledge that it started last year.” With the onset of COVID-19, Dawoodani states that the attendance at meetings has been less than desirable, as “not a lot of people want to sit in front of their laptop and participate.” However,
Dawoodani maintains that she is “looking forward to when we can start holding meetings in person.” Dawoodani told Concordiensis that the club “would love more members to join and would love to expand our reach. We’re always open to suggestions and ways to get better on communicating these social issues.” “PPGEN is definitely very important to me; I think we tackle some important issues and hold important events to try to include everyone,” states Dawoodani. “I like to think PPGEN is a safe space for everyone, and I take pride in that.” This “safe space” description was exemplified on Friday, February 12th, 2021, when PPGEN held a remote event where those in attendance could share poems about self-love. The poems each focused on different issues or themes regarding not only self-love,
but also greater societal issues that plague women such as body-shaming or sexism. The night was full of empowering poems, where each reader would receive compliments after reading their poem to the group. There were between 14 and 16 in attendance during the event at various points, with the event going on from about 5:00 PM to 5:40 PM. Hannah Monack ’23 had this to say about the event: “Hearing all the other women’s experiences with struggling to find self love really helped me feel like I wasn’t alone. I really appreciated how open everyone was; it made me feel like I was part of a supportive community and helped me feel comfortable in the fact that I also sometimes struggle with self-worth and image.”
Flyer for the poetry night
Courtesy of PPGEN
Union’s Woman of the Week: Alexis Henrikson ’23 By Marcy Forti Staff Writer
Nomination: Alexis deeply cares for all the students at Union. As VP of Academics she brings the student voice to important executive meetings and decisions. She advocates for student mental health and was pivotal in ensuring the mental health days in the middle of the upcoming Spring term. Outside of her role as VP of Academics, she works with the Union Accommodative Services Office to ensure resources are available to both in person and remote students. Nominated by: Luke Musselman ’23 What are your proudest accomplishments? I am most proud of my work as the VP of Academics! I work to ensure that all students and their well-being are taken into account when
the Academic Affairs Council makes policy recommendations or decisions. This past term, I advocated for more wellness days in the upcoming spring term with students’ mental health in mind. What are you passionate about? I am passionate about leaI am also very passionate about raising awareness about disabilities and learning differences on campus. There is such a large portion of the student body registered with the Accommodative Services Office, yet there remains a stigma surrounding accommodations that must be fought against. I also am very passionate about being an advocate for the support of students’ mental health. Academics is such an integral part of college life, yet, a student’s success is contingent on their access to resources and support and feels that they can succeed in Union’s academic environment.
Who do you look up to? I look up to many influential people, from family members to mentors, professors, and close friends. I find myself inspired by those who are vulnerable, advocate for others, and aren’t afraid to take risks. And, of course, my mom, who embodies all of the aforementioned! What does being a woman at Union mean to you? Being a woman at Union means a variety of things to me. As a member of this community, I try to make Union the most inclusive place it can be. Inclusivity means supporting others, learning from every individual I come into contact with, and admitting when I am wrong. Being a woman at Union also means attacking problems head-on in new and innovative ways.
Alexis Henrikson ’23
Courtesy of Women’s Union
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Isabelle Yee
Thursday, Februrary 18. 2021 | Concordiensis
yeei@union.edu
Athletes to make big impact in Tokyo Summer Olympics in 2021 By Isabelle Yee Sports Editor
With the Olympic start date a little more than 5 months out, people around the world are excited. The postponement of the 2020 games disappointed many athletes and fans, but the one-year delay will be worth it. Below are the American athletes to look out for in the 2021 Tokyo Games. Nyjah Huston - With the addition of skateboarding to the Tokyo event lineup, Nyjah Huston is someone to look out for. Huston is one of the most famous skateboarders and is already a three-time world champion. Brighton Zeuner - Zeuner is an American professional skateboarder. She struck gold twice at the X-Games. The first time she won was in 2017when she was just
13 years old and she won again in 2018. She is also the youngest person to win backto-back titles at the X-Games. Tom Schaar - Schaar is another impressive skateboarder to add to the list. At 12 years old, he was the first skateboarder to land a “1080”, which is three revolutions, at the X-games. Regan Smith - Smith is an all-star swimmer from Minnesota. She is a member of the USA Swimming’s Junior National Team and has had a very successful career. The 19-year old is currently the world record holder in both the 100-meter and 200-meter backstroke and a member of the world record 4x100 medley relay. In addition to these world records, she holds multiple national age-group records in the 13-14-year-old age group, and 15-16-yearold age group. In 2019 she was named American
Swimmer of the Year and World Swimmer of the Year. Noah Lyles - Lyles is a track and field athlete who specializes in spriting. He was committed to compete for The University of Florida but turned pro instead. As of right now, he is the only athlete with the ability to match Usain Bolt’s titles in the 100m, 200m, and 4x100m relay events. In 2018, he broke the 19.7 second mark in the 200m race on four different occasions, the only other person to do that was Usain Bolt. Sydney McLaughlin - McLaughlin is a track and field athlete, specializing in hurdles and sprinting. She qualified for Rio at 16 years old. She was the youngest American woman to compete in Track and Field events since 1972. In Rio, she placed 16th in the 400m hurdles. At the 2018 NCAA Championship, she won 400m hurdles and turned pro. Carissa Moor - Another new
event that will be added to Tokyo is surfing. Carissa Moor was the World Surf League Women’s World Tour Champion in 2011, 2013, 2015, and 2019. Besides having four World Championship titles, she was also inducted into the Surfers’ Hall of Fame in 2014. Caroline Marks - Marks is also someone to look out for in surfing. She is the youngest surfer to qualify for the World Surf League Women’s World Tour in 2017 at 15 years old. At the 2018 championship, she finished in 7th placed and was named Rookie of the Year. In 2019, she placed second at the championship, just behind Carissa Moore. Morgan Hurd - The United States has had a history of having strong performances in gymnastics, thanks to Bela and Marta Karolyi. Morgan Hurd is someone who could be added to the Olympic gymnastics roster
this year. Hurd was the allaround champion at the 2017 World Championship. In 2018 she was the bronze medalist in the all-around and silver on floor. At the 2019 World Championship, she won gold. She currently competes for the University of Florida. CJ Cummings- is an American weightlifter who is the Pan American Champion and four-time Junior World Champion. Cummings has broken multiple Pan American and World records at 18 years old. Delaney Schnell - Schnell is a diver who currently competes for the University of Arizona. At the 2019 World Aquatic Championship, she won a bronze medal in the women’s 10-meter platform event. She has the ability to medal in Tokyo and be the first American woman to do so in 14 years.
Union Athletics Director is named to a Hockey Committee By Annie O’Donnell Staff Writer
On February 10, the Director of Athletics, Jim McLaughlin ‘93, was named to the College Hockey for Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) Committee. McLaughlin ‘93 is one of 27 student-athletes, coaches, and administrators representing the 11 NCAA Division I hockey conferences. He is also one of the three members representing ECAC Hockey, along with two student-athletes, Jennifer Costa of Dartmouth College and Rory Herrman of Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute. According to the The College Hockey for Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion website, the mission of the committee is to focus on positive cultural change across hockey through the means of communication, education, allyship, and advocacy. A statement on the web-
site says that, “We encourage communication about the issues of diversity, equity, and inclusion throughout the college hockey community.Our goal is to educate our community so that its members have the knowledge and tools to understand and address matters of diversity, equity and inclusion. We enocurage those in our community with privilege to activeley work to understand and align themselves with those who have been marginalized. Understanding the impact college athletis can have, we encourage action to further the goals of diversity, equity and inclusion. The website further explained that the committee was formed due to the social and racial injustice seen during 2020, forcing student-athletes, coaches, and administrators to have important conversations. The committee hopes to create change and improve diversity, equity, and inclusion within the realm of hockey. A part of
their plan is to work with other educational institutions and partner with organizations that align with the goals of DEI. An institution that the DEI Committee may want to work with is Williams College. This past summer the women’s ice hockey team raised $9,522 due to the death of George Floyd. The money that was raised was donated to three racial injustice initiatives which were the Multicultural Berkshire Resources for Integration of Diverse Groups through Education (BRIDGE), Minnesota Health Justice Network, and Campaign Zero organizations. McLaughlin ‘93 told Union Athletics that he is “proud and appreciative to be a part of this dedicated group of student-athletes, coaches and administrators that make up College Hockey for DEI. This has been an important step for college hockey at the national level to engage in the necessary conversations and more importantly, commit to
Courtesy of Union Athletics Union Athletics Director Jim McLaughlin ‘93 has been named as a part of the new “College Hockey for Diversity, Equity & Inclusion” initiative. action in addressing racial injustice and inequality in our society. This also complements the important work being done on our individual campuses and conferences.” To find out more information about the DEI Committee, go
to www.collegehockey4dei. com. There are a variety of sources to read, watch, and learn how to promote diversity, equity, and inclusion.