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VOLUME 79, NUMBER 3
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February 3, 2023
Tyre Nichols: another innocent Black man’s life stolen Gisele Cestaro
Lead News Editor
T
yre Nichols, a young father with a four-yearold son, was brutally beaten to death by five police officers at a traffic stop in Memphis, Tennesse on Jan. 7. After three days in the hospital, he passed away on Jan.10 from critical injuries including severe internal bleeding. The incident started when he was pulled over for alleged reckless driving as a motorist, although he had never been in trouble with the law before. Police detained Nichols after a confrontation took place where he attempted to run away from the officers. When they apprehended him, the five men physically beat Nichols by using batons and pepper spray until he screamed for his mother. Nichols was 29 years old when the attack took place. His family described him as a loving young man who was creative, loved sunsets, and skateboarding. On weekends he would go to the city park, and wait for the sun to set so he could capture a photo. He was on his way home to the house he shared with his mother and stepfather when he was stopped and assaulted. Nichols was the youngest of his family by twelve years, but still incredibly close to them, as he had his mother’s name tattooed on his arm. Before the confrontation became violent, the officers demanded Nichols lie on the ground,
while two of the men constrained his arms. They were screaming tasks such as to “lie down” but he couldn’t comply because the officers were holding him up straight. They proceeded to spray him with an irritant, and when Tyre was released for a brief second he ran from the tasers that were firing at him. The five officers caught up to Nichols while he was less than eighty yards from his home. The ambulance took twenty-two minutes to arrive while Nichols was left leaning against the police car. From the footage, it
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What keeps me hopeful is seeing some of the young Black men in this community, and other communities around me, walk with their heads held high. They know they have a place in this society and that they are going to achieve great things.”
- Roland Davis
was clear that the paramedics were indifferent to Nichols' injuries, as they were chatting with the officers. He was then taken to St.Francis Hospital which was a fifteen-minute drive from his current location. Tadarrius Bean, Demetrius Haley, Emmitt Martin III, Desmond Mills Jr. and Justin Smith were fired after the investigation team found they had violated department conduct by using extreme force. On Thursday, Jan
26th, all five police officers were charged with second-degree murder, meaning that the killing was not premeditated. The district attorney brought charges against the men within twenty days, making sure they are held accountable. Nichols' story has raised national attention quickly due to the brutality and nature of the case. His mother, RowVaughn Wells, put together a fundraiser for his memorial service with the initial goal of $10,000, but it has surpassed over $1 million dollars in two days. The goal was to raise money for mental health services and a memorial skate park. Masters held a vigil to honor Nichols at the labyrinth in front of Estherwood on Jan.31st. Students and faculty gathered around the labyrinth, holding candles, while words of sorrow were spoken. Zahali Vauclena, senior co-chair, spoke about his reaction to the vigil and the support of the community members. “Growing up as a Black man, there’s a lot of mistrust with the government and policing. But just having this support system, with people you can trust, that acknowledge what is going on in the world, is so important,” he said. Vauclena also shared his hopes for the future: to live in a world where future generations don’t have to deal with injustice. “Being a power for good is what I strive for, and it’s what everyone should strive for in their community,” he said. Roland Davis, associate head of diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) commented on his dismay about the violence that has sur-
rounded our country. He reiterated how important it is to be aware of the ongoing issue. “I think having that sense of awareness, about the issue of violence that is perpetrated against brown and Black bodies, and not walking through the world with blinders on if you’re privi-
leged enough to not have to worry about that sort of thing,” he said. In order to encourage one another to be hopeful despite the difficulty, Davis mentioned how imperative it is to show commitment and support. “What keeps me hopeful is seeing some of the young
Black men in this community, and other communities around me, walk with their heads held high. They know they have a place in this society and that they are going to achieve great things,” he said.
XAVIER ROLSTON/TOWER
STUDENTS AND FACULTY GATHER in front of Estherwood to honor the life of Tyre Nichols. Laura Danforth, Peter Newcomb, and Roland Davis lead the vigil by exchanging words of sorrow .
China’s borders reopen after covid surge Maia Barantsevitch and Ellie Yang Editors-in-chief
A
fter nearly three years of closed borders under the “Zero-COVID” policy, China loosened travel restrictions on Jan.8. The policy, which has kept China’s 1.4 billion people within the nation, was altered last December in response to protests against strict quarantine regulations. Now, the government has dropped the quarantine requirements, and is allowing those traveling to the country to enter without a required quarantine. This has allowed Chinese citizens to travel outside the country for the first time since the start of the pandemic without the worry of the restrictions they would face upon return. Sophomore Eunice Wang, an international student from China, had been previously affected by the travel restrictions. She said, “I haven’t been home for a year and a half and then this opening up of the borders makes me want to go back to China during spring break.” Wang had planned to travel back to China the past summer, however, her flight was canceled due to border restrictions. “I had to remake my plans and find somewhere else to go for the whole summer. Because of the border restrictions, every single break I have had to find somewhere else to go, like a host family,” she said. Now, Wang is planning her spring break at home with her mother. She said, “Me and my mom are looking at plane tickets already because with the opening of the border, the plane ticket prices also went down a lot. So my mom was like, ‘You should just come back to China after a year and a half in America.”
Many companies, such as Singapore Airlines, have reinstated flight routes to China for the first time since the start of the pandemic. Pent up demand for travel in China has been building up for the past years, and, despite the economic low the nation has been experiencing due to the pandemic, will provide many business opportunities in the tourism industries worldwide. However, this abrupt reopen-
ing has also raised international concern as nations worry about the surge of Covid cases in China. Over 20 countries now require negative COVID-19 tests from travelers from China. In the span of the last months, Covid cases within China have rocketed from nearly zero to millions. However, because of the suddenness of this rise and the lack of transparency with China’s internal research
work, there have only been speculations and predictions regarding the cause of this speedy rise in cases. One plausible explanation is the strength of China’s Covid vaccines. Nitin Gupta, school doctor, said, “China didn't use the mRNA vaccines. They're using Sinovac’s, which is based on a traditional vectorbase vaccine but may not have been as effective or as up to date with the current strain the
Americans and so that may have led to the rise of the cases but also wasn't just a gradual easing into. Yeah, it was just all of a sudden.” There is also concern regarding Masters boarders from China. “My biggest concern is our Chinese boarders, and I know many are eager to go back home. I'm checking every day and hoping and crossing my fingers that the situation in China is getting
CHANA KIM/TOWER
CHINA’S BORDERS HAVE OPENED after 3 years of travel restriction due to Covid, which has impeded the ability to leave the country without quarantining upon return. Now citizens of China can travel outside the country without fear of long isolation periods upon return.
better so that our kids can go back home. It looks like they've rounded the corner in China,” said Gupta. Senior Youri Lee is an international student from South Korea, which currently requires a Covid test from China travelers before and after entering the country. Lee said, “As a Korean citizen, having the influx of so many travelers at once, our country is not capable of holding it. Especially with the amount of Covid patients coming into our country, it is very hard for Korea to deal with.” Many nations, including the U.S., are also worried about a lack of transparency from the Chinese government in terms of the virus’s statistics in China. One big question which was widely circulated when cases first rose in China was: “is there a new variant?” Now, after observing the trend and collecting data through requiring COVID-19 tests in travel, the answer to that question is cautiously optimistic. Gupta said, “Travel has reopened and we haven't seen anything too concerning yet. So that's a good sign. I think hospitalization is decreasing. It's still pretty bad over there, but I think it's decreasing. I'm hopeful that our kids can go back to visit their families.” As China and the rest of the world continue to navigate the new surge in cases and its subsequent opening of borders, much of the future of the pandemic is still up in the air. However, amidst the tragedy Covid is bringing to Chinese families, and the concern with statistics around the globe, Gupta said that a future in which the pandemic will no longer be a big concern may be in sight. “I think we'll know in the next four weeks. If China continues to improve, I think we're in good shape,” he said.