10/16/20 Red & Black Issue

Red & Black

The Free

s t u d e n t n e w s pa p e r o f w a s h i n g t o n a n d j e f f e r s o n c o l l e g e w j r e da n d b l ac k . c o m W a s h i n g t o n , P e n n s y lva n i a October 16, 2020

WHAT’S IN THIS WEEK’S PAPER...

CURRENT EVENTS Researchers have caught and tagged a 3,500-pound great white shark off the coast of Nova Scotia. At 17 feet long and about 50 years old, the shark was dubbed “Queen of the Ocean” by the marine biologists who tagged her. -P.8

Student Spotlight: Jesse Reardon ‘22 PAGE 2

DIVERSITY

[Misogynoir] is seen everywhere from the compensation rates of Black women to the stereotypes of Black women often heard in the media. -P.11

OPINIONS While the natural curiosity for the insane over the innocent is undoubtedly a part of this elevation of the murderer, another key piece is a lack of gender equity in case investigations. -P.16

SPORTS

On Oct. 11, the Los Angeles Lakers captured their franchise’s 17th NBA title, defeating the Miami Heat in game six 106-93. -P.19

WJREDANDBLACK.COM

Courtesy Alex Wagner

2 CAMPUS NEWS

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16 October 2020

Student Spotlight: Jesse Reardon ‘22 Alexandra Wagner Red & Black Staff

Jesse Reardon ‘22 is a student at Washington & Jefferson College and is from McMurray, Pa. He is majoring in biochemistry. Besides his studies, Reardon is heavily involved in his extracurriculars on campus. He holds the position of vice president in not only the Biology Club, but also the Green Club.

“Biology Club and Green Club have both given me opportunities to interact with the Washington County community and educate younger students in surrounding school districts and our campus.” says Reardon.

Reardon is also a member of the W&J Sustainability Committee. Beyond these activities, he works on campus as a Resident Assistant. Joining the Res Life team in the spring of 2020, this will be his first full year in the position. Reardon is the Resident Assistant in New Residence Hall, more specifically the second floor.

When Reardon is not busy, he likes to relax and take time for himself.

“Most of my free time during the school year is spent reading, watching movies and hanging out with my friends. During the summer, I enjoy getting outside to hike and kayak,” says Reardon.

He mentions that his absolute favorite movie is Donnie Darko and his go to TV show is New Girl. Reardon is one of the few students who resides

Courtesy Alexandra Wagner

Jesse Reardon is the vice president of the Biology Club and Green Club and a member of the W&J Sustainablilty Committee.

on campus during this less than ideal semester.

He mentions, “the pandemic has brought a lot of different challenges along with it, but it has been great to see how students are here for each other and how groups on campus like Active Minds are providing support for those in need.

I’m glad we were able to be back on campus and I hope that the students on campus continue to be careful and conscious of their actions.”

Reardon finds that this semester has brought him and his friends new and unique challenges in the classroom. However, his ability to still attend some in person classes has been the highlight of this strange school year. Reardon comments, “I am always glad to be back on our campus and in the classroom. Junior year has been the most challenging so far, and I hope it goes well.”

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16 October 2020

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CAMPUS NEWS 3

W&J Unveils Cooper Hall Lily Bonasso Red & Black Staff

On October 2, Washington & Jefferson College renamed Beau Hall as Cooper Hall in dedication to alumnus Dr. Walter Cooper, Class of 1950. He has spent his entire life as a civil rights activist, scientist and advocate for education, embodying the values that W&J hopes to instill within its students.

Dr. Cooper graduated with a Bachelor of Science degree from W&J, majoring in chemistry and minoring in physics and mathematics. After his undergraduate career, he became the first Black person to earn a Ph.D. in chemistry from the University of Rochester.

He notes that he chose to study chemistry because he saw a lack of Black scientists in the field and aimed to fill the gap in representation. Following the completion of his Ph.D., Dr. Cooper worked at Kodak for 30 years from 1956 to 1986. During this time, he rose from a research chemist position to overseeing all publications and reports.

He also maintained a constant presence in community development during his career, taking leave to act in anti-poverty programs in Rochester.

Dr. Cooper reflects that he has always spoken out against wrongs he has seen in society. As a young adult during the Civil Rights Movement, Dr. Cooper has spent his life not only as a trailblazer against racism in his professional field, but as an advocate for the youth that follow. His primary focus has been on empowering the young students that represent the future of the country to pursue their goals, and his work has aimed to provide the necessary

educational opportunities. Dr. Cooper served as the president of the Rochester NAACP branch and co-founded the Rochester branch of the Urban League, an organization that economically and socially supports members of disadvantaged communities.

He was a member of the Baden Street Settlement that aims to improve the lives of northeastern Rochester community members. He was elected to the W&J Board of Trustees in 1975.

In 2008, he received the Frederick Douglass Medal from the University of Rochester, and in 2010, Rochester City School number 10 was renamed the Dr. Walter Cooper Academy. W&J plans to display Dr. Cooper’s portrait and biography in the common area of the new Cooper Hall. This will serve as a reminder of his dedication to community development and activism and inspire generations of students to better the world throughout their educational career and beyond, just as Dr. Cooper has.

Courtesy WashJeff.edu

Courtesy WashJeff.edu

Washington & Jefferson honors Dr. Walter Cooper by renaming Beau Hall as Cooper Hall.

4 CAMPUS NEWS

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Poetry Corner Shedding Skin Alex Wagner ‘22

I’m pulling and tugging with no luck.

My eyes water.

That fucking scab won’t peel, it’s stuck on my cheek.

I tug harder, it’s starting to rip.

When a snake sheds its skin, it is given new life, it is reborn, if you will.

It doesn’t have any color or indents left behind, but a new, stronger skin.

Fuck this hurts.

When this scab finally leaves my face, There will be new skin, but it won’t be stronger.

It might bleed a little and A new mark will appear.

That fucking red is gonna linger, stuck on my cheek.

That red will stay here but you are gone.

The windshield glass sliced my face, you flew forward Limp and hopeless.

Funny how now I resemble you.

Because now you aren’t here, at least then you were still sitting next to me.

See I told you, there it is, the blood is starting to show.

16 OctobeR 2020

16 October 2020

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Speak Out: What’s your favorite oncampus study spot?

CAMPUS NEWS 5

Follow @wandjcareerservices on Instagram!

“In my house’s chapter room because I’m surrounded by those that motivate me.”

- Liam Sullivan ‘21

“The library of course! I feel like I can be by myself there in the peace and quiet” - Alex Strain ‘22

The Career Services Office would like to know if you are following us on Instagram? If you are not, you definitely should be! Not only will you be kept well-informed about the events and programs we sponsor, but you will be entered

“I like Old Main becaue I can shut myself away and concentrate. I also like that Old Main has the large chalk boards to use.”

- Jared Heller ‘21

into raffles all semester long. Names will be drawn from our followers for great prizes such as: a limited edition HydroFlask, Starbucks gift cards, W&J swag, and much more!

6 CAMPUS NEWS

16 October 2020

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Upcoming Career Service Events

Event:

WestPACS

Job,

Internship

and

Event:

Graduate School Virtual Fair

Vector Marketing Virtual Information Sessions

Date:

Wednesday, October 21

Date:

Tuesday, November 3

Time:

11:00 am - 4:00 pm

Time:

12:30pm, 1:30pm and 2:30pm

Type:

Virtual Event - You can now register at

Type:

Virtual Event

https://westpacs.org/

Description:

Scottie Brown, Division Manager for

Description:

This job, internship and graduate school

Vector Marketing/Cutco Cutlery, will be

fair, usually hosting 160-200 employers

hosting 3 Information Sessions via Zoom

across many fields, will be virtual this fall

to provide students with employment

on Wednesday, October 21 from 11am-4pm.

opportunities.

You can now register at https://westpacs.org/ After registering you will be able to schedule virtual sessions with employers that fit into your schedule throughout the day on Oct. 21. We are hopeful that this virtual event will be of interest to even more students and employers than we typically see in person in Monroeville, Pa. With no need to travel and the ability to work sessions around class schedules, this will provide access to more students.

Check out the Handshake Events Calendar to see a full list of Employers that have already registered to attend.

Email careerservices@washjeff.edu for the Zoom link and we will email it to you, along with an online form to register

16 October 2020 Red & Black

Campus News 7

Meet the Editorial Board

Opinions Editor: Paul Collier Paul is a sophomore and an English major at

Red & Black

W&J. Outside the classroom, Paul is a member

Established 1909

of the W&J men’s cross country and track & field teams. He is also involved with SAAC. Paul is excited to develop the Opinions Section, “I want to see the Red & Black become a place that students feel comfortable sharing and developing their opinions and ideas, and I want to see our number of readers grow so writers know these opinions and ideas are being considered by others.”

Editor-in-Chief Managing Editor Campus News Editor Current Events Editor Diversity Editor Opinions Editor Sports Editor Social Media Manager Website Design Manager Distribution Manager Interim Faculty Advisor

Marcy Saldivar Erin Herock Reilly Oliverio Molly Kilbourne Amanda Fitzpatrick Paul Collier Nick Krugh Grace Depaul Raheem Clemons Alex Wagner Kellin Cavanaugh

8 Current Events

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16 October 2020

Current Events

Great White Shark Tagged Off Coast of Nova Scotia

Courtesy Oceana

Researchers name 50-year-old shark tagged off the coast of Nova Scotia “Queen of the Ocean.”

Lekhya Kollu Red & Black Contributor

Researchers have caught and tagged a 3,500-pound great white shark off the coast of Nova Scotia. At 17 feet long and about 50 years old, the shark was dubbed “Queen of the Ocean” by the marine biologists who tagged her. The shark was also nicknamed Nukumi (pronounced “noo-goomee”), after a wise grandmother figure from the legends of the Mi’kmaq

people, a Native American tribe whose ancestral lands include Nova Scotia. It’s estimated that Nukumi began having litters of pups around 30 years ago.

Scientists from OCEARCH say it’s possible that she may have had over 100 offspring over these 30 years, making it likely that she actually is the grandmother to many great whites living in the Atlantic Ocean.

According to the Smithsonian, sharks are among the oldest animals living on Earth. Fossils of the Megalodon, a creature thought to be an ancestor of today’s great white shark, are dated to about 20 million years ago. An even older shark ancestor, the Helicoprion,

is believed to have lived 290 million years ago. The marine animal tracking nonprofit OCEARCH has posted videos about Nukumi on its Facebook page. She was tagged as part of an expedition of the Nova Scotia coast to tag and take biological samples from great whites in order to learn more about their health and migrations through the North Atlantic.

Nukumi’s blood samples will be compared to smaller and more juvenile individuals.

Their satellite tags will allow them to track these sharks for the next five years. There has been some controversy, however, about the

methods the OCEARCH team uses to tag the sharks, which include hooking the sharks to a smaller boat, gliding them onto a lift to pull them out of the ocean, and keeping them out of the water for about 15 minutes to allow scientists to take blood samples and attach a tag to the dorsal fin.

OCEARCH team leader Chris Fischer maintains that blood data and stress data shows that this practice is not harmful to the sharks.

He emphasizes that the research OCEARCH is doing is vital to understanding great whites and solving the problem of falling shark populations worldwide.

16 October 2020 Red & Black

Current Events 9

How Safe Is Marriage Equality in the US?

Courtesy Olivier Douiley, Getty Images

Demonstrators kiss outside the Supreme Court on April 28, 2015.

Molly Kilbourne Red & Black Staff

In the wake of Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg’s death, Trump characteristically took advantage of a sensitive period in time in order to demand more power: asserting that he had the right to appoint Judge Amy Coney Barrett to succeed Ginsburg.

Let us not forget that Obama was denied the opportunity to make a Supreme Court appointment in his last term as President.

Trump’s insistence on the appointment of Barrett ignited fears regarding the safety of rights obtained by the LGBTQIA+ community. Her conservative opinions leave ample room for the infringement of human rights not limited to the

LGBTQIA+ community. Further fanning the flames of fear on Oct. 6, Supreme Court justices Clarence Thomas and Samuel Alito mounted a new attack on the 2015 ruling Obergefell v. Hodges which secured the legality of same-sex marriage across the United States.

The men wrote, “By choosing to privilege a novel constitutional right over the religious liberty interests explicitly protected in the First Amendment, and by doing so undemocratically, the Court has created a problem that only it can fix.

Until then, Obergefell will continue to have ‘ruinous consequences for religious liberty’”.

The justices’ statement came following the Supreme Court’s rejection of an appeal from Ky. county clerk Kim Davis.

Davis denied marriage licenses to samesex couples after the Obergefell decision, citing her Christian beliefs, and her lawyers made the argument that her case

was reduced to, “whether the law forces an all-or-nothing choice between same-sex marriage on the one hand and religious liberty on the other.”

Thomas and Alito were both a part of the unanimous ruling against Davis’ appeal but used the opportunity to issue their personal critiques of Obergefell.

Various advocacy groups (including the country’s largest gay rights group, the Human Rights Campaign) have condemned the attack from Thomas and Alito.

The Human Rights Campaign stated that they had “renewed their war on LGBTQ rights and marriage equality, as the court hangs in the balance”.

Obergefell himself believes the remarks from both men to be “deeply disturbing and upsetting”. The anxieties felt by Obergefell extend throughout the LGBTQIA+ community, especially as HRC president Alphonso David stated

that the justices’ statement “made clear that the war on marriage equality against the lives of same-sex couples is alive and well”.

The appointment of Barrett would circumvent the growing attacks against the right to marriage for LGBTQIA+ folks as well as transgender rights and female bodily autonomy.

With the strain on the Supreme Court, some LGBTQIA+ community members are turning their attention to Congress as the means to securing human rights.

However, there must be attention given to one of the pillars of any functioning democracy: the separation of church and state.

Judges should not be the determinant factors in who accesses basic human rights, they should be secured through the law. There is much on the line in the coming election and there will be even more in the years after.

10 Diversity

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Diversity

16 October 2020

Disparities in Healthcare for Black Women Akansha Das Red & Black Staff

It is no secret that systems of inequality and individual microaggression continually affect the livelihood of Black individuals in society in everything from the criminal justice system to medicine.

Whether it is research methods, maternal and infant death rates or stigmatization around fertility care, the cumulative ways in which the Black women are undermined by the healthcare system is simply unacceptable.

Yet sadly, not enough people within the healthcare system feel this way to bring about change within the system.

Funding is one of the clearest ways to see where the priorities of an organization and nation are. Uterine fibroids affect Black women at significantly higher rates than white women (25 percent of Black women vs. just 7 percent of White women between the ages of 18 and 30 have uterine fibroids.)

Yet, the National Institutes of Health (NIH) only dedicates $17 million in funding to researching this disease. In comparison, cystic fibrosis, which affects significantly less individuals most of whom who are Caucasian, receives $86 million from the NIH. The ability

to make strides in the medications and treatments available for diseases disproportionately affecting marginalized communities comes from the quality of and representation in clinical trials regarding diseases affecting them. Yet Black women have continually been underrepresented in consensual clinical trials and overrepresented in clinical trials not requiring patient consent.

What’s more, Black women make up only 15 percent of patients included in studies about uterine fibroids despite the fact that 60 percent of Black women aged 35 and older suffer from the condition.

But beyond funding and clinical trials, the survival rates of Black women and their progeny are being hindered by structural racism and its accompanying stress. The maternal death rate of Black women has consistently been three to four times higher than their white counterparts.

In the 1980s and 1990s, “The Nation” reports that efforts to expand prenatal care to Black women attempted to decrease the disparity with no luck.

Studies accounting for factors such as smoking and drinking while pregnant, poverty level, socioeconomic status, education level and more could not explain the overwhelming racial gap in infant mortality rates, which was two times higher than their white counterparts. More disturbingly, white mothers without a college degree still had lower mortality rates than black

women with college degrees. Something was just not adding up.

Research today finds that Black mothers exhibit heightened levels of cortisol and stress hormones throughout their lives due to the pressures of often being a single parent and the sole breadwinner in the family as Black men suffer from high levels of unemployment and mass incarceration.

Mothers who have heightened levels of cortisol before and throughout their pregnancy are more likely to either lose their babies or have babies with lower birth weight as cortisol prevents blood and nutrients from reaching the baby. These results are supported by

the fact that women with premature babies often report experiencing high levels of discrimination.

In an argument that hits closer to home, Pittsburgh is constantly lauded as the “most livable city.” Yet, there exists a sad juxtaposition as the fact remains that Public Source reported that that the Black maternal death rate is six times higher than that of White women. Additionally, Pittsburgh’s black adult mortality rate is one of the highest of any metropolis in America.

As a nation and a community, it’s clear that we need to act fast to protect Black women being forgotten by our healthcare system and killed because of it.

Courtesy O The Oprah Magazine

Racism in healthcare is putting Black women’s lives at risk.

16 October 2020

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Diversity 11

Misogynoir: Where Racism and Sexism Meet Dylan Bertovich Red & Black Staff

Dictionary.com describes misogynoir as “the specific hatred, dislike, distrust and prejudice directed toward Black women (often used attributively).”

I personally like the more common definition - misogyny directed at black women specifically.

This is seen everywhere from the compensation rates of Black women to the stereotypes of Black women often heard in the media. Amanda Fitzpatrick ‘21 spoke about a recent event, “There was recently a live Zoom call for the first Black congresswoman to be elected from Connecticut and in the call, the chat room was filled with the most vile hatred of her as a Black woman.”

Fitzpatrick underlines a new frontier for misogynoir, the political battlefield. As a greater number of Black women enter the political realm, they are held to a higher standard and are much more scrutinized than any male counterpart.

This can be seen specifically in the Democratic Vice-Presidential candidate, Senator Kamala Harris. When the news first broke, it seemed inevitable that she would be chosen, but that very day the President called her names such as “monster” and referred to her as “mean” and “nasty.”

The President has repeated these claims, as well as some in the Republican party claiming that the Senator is unqualified. This culminated in the VP debate where it was clear that Har-

ris had to be perfect and Pence had to show up. Sydney Fischer ‘21 remembers, “There was this idea that Senator Harris couldn’t rock the boat in case she would come off too strong and be seen as a ‘crazy black woman’.”

This was followed by a stream of right-wing tweets and memes that focused on Senator Harris’s face, seeming to forget that there are numerous

memes of the faces that Trump made in his debate with Secretary Clinton.

President Trump recently said, “You know what? People don’t like her. Nobody likes her. She could never be the first woman president. She could never be. That would be an insult to our country.” Why is it that a Senator that has proven herself capable would be “an insult to our country?” It seems

that, based on the president’s history, it is because she is Black. The President has insulted congresswomen including Maxine Water, Karen Bass, Sheila Jackson Lee and Ayanna Pressley, calling them all incompetent and attacking them in many inappropriate ways. It is time that our citizens and government can recognize these issues and end them.

Courtesy Politico

Senator Kamala Harris, candidate for Vice President of the United States, has experienced ‘misogynoir’ with attacks directed towards her as a Black woman.

12 Diversity

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16 October 2020

The Vice Presidential Debate: Foreign Policy Bavi Makkar Red & Black Staff

The 2020 presidential campaign has now mostly been defined by COVID-19 and been focused on numerous domestic policy issues.

On Oct. 7, Senator Kamala Harris and Mike Pence both went head to head in a more substantive and less chaotic debate compared to that of their bosses the week prior. The two

candidates expressed their thoughts about how their administration has a stronger candidate who would make the United States a safer place for the American people. Furthermore, they debated foreign policy with the point of who would better consider issues like Iran or China.

Amanda Fitzpatrick 21’ said, “while I agree with Senator Kamala Harris’ position when I held it in comparison to Trump’s foreign policy and considered a future where we reenter the Iran Nuclear deal and the Paris Climate Agreement as Biden plans, it is evident that neither side plans to change America’s historical interventionist policy in any drastic way. Further, foreign policy issues relating to our economy and supposed safety were finally

addressed, but critical global issues such as the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, economic collapse in Lebanon, the civil war in Syria and famine in Yemen were once again forgotten.”

Harris spoke strongly against the Trump administration and asserted that Trump’s policies have made America less safe and have ruined dependable relationships in foreign policy.

On the other hand, Pence spoke against Obama’s handling of ISIS and held him responsible for the death of Kayla Mueller, a young woman held captive for two years and killed by ISIS in 2015. Pence spent much of his time trying to tell Harris that his running mate killed more important bad guys then hers. However, both parties

danced around actually answering the question and instead played a blame game. If that is what U.S. foreign policy has been reduced to, America is facing a much larger issue.

Brendan Troesch 21’ commented with “neither candidates brought up foreign policy in any sufficient manner. I realize their main focus is on the American people, but it is, in my opinion, very ignorant and, to a point, self-centered to completely drop the ball when thinking about how our country’s actions impact the world”.

America needs to focus more on its relations with foreign countries and just how important the role of the President is. If everyone focuses on just themselves, there can be no efficiency or safety.

Courtesy News R

On October 7, Senator Kamala Harris and Vice President Mike Pence participated in the Vice Presidential Debate

16 October 2020

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First Gen College Student Spotlight: Emily Pietragallo Akansha Das Red & Black Staff

Henry David Thoreau once said, “if you have built castles in the air, your work need not be lost; that is where they should be. Now put the foundations under them.”

For Washington & Jefferson College first year student Emily Pietragallo ‘24, this mix of dreaming big while being rooted in the practicality and work ethic needed to make that happen has been a core theme of her life beginning with her career choice.

When she was young, Emily always had an affinity and passion for writing and art, but she grew up with the mentality that this would not necessarily bring a steady source of income. Luckily, she was able to channel this passion in a different direction.

“When I was a freshman in high school we went to a career fair where I was able to meet people who worked in marketing and they talked about how every iconic symbol you see on your favorite name brands is marketing. I was so excited, and I rushed home to tell my mom about how I would be able to make money while still being able to work with art.”

As a business major with a marketing emphasis and a sociology minor, her simultaneous practicality and ability to dream big allowed her to apply to W&J. While W&J was favorable for her because of its homey feel, there was a deeper and more personal reason to it too.

“W&J was his [Pietragallo’s Dad] dream school when he was a kid, but

his parents did not have the money to send him... The look on my dad’s face when I got my acceptance letter, and my financial aid package was all the confirmation I needed. I was home.”

Whether it is financial difficulties, social pressures or more, first-generation college students traditionally face distinct and often additional barriers when applying for and attending college. But Pietragallo says her situation was in some ways unique. She recalls

thinking that looking at college was strange as her family never cheered for an alma mater or had a strong affinity for a particular college.

“I was raised with the belief that my sister and I would be attending college… it almost created a stigma that college truly was the only option I had after high school.”

It is not lost on Pietragallo how instrumental her support system has been to her success. She credits her

family, her grandmother and her teachers at Riverview for helping her get to where she is today.

“I was recently able to reach out to some of the faculty and thank them.

One of my favorite teachers Mr. Carlin responded that he did not teach me how to think, or what to think, just that he was able to give me a platform to share my thoughts and opinions, which honestly is all people need sometimes.”

Courtesy Akansha Das

Emily Pietragallo ‘24, a first generation college student at W&J, is pictured with her parents.

Opinions 14

opinions Red & Black

16 October 2020

Joe Biden’s Economic Plan Assists Americans Amanda Fitzpatrick Red & Black Editor

In the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, a comprehensive economic plan will be critical to many Americans who are still undecided as to who they will vote for.

Vice President Joe Biden unveiled an economic plan focused on working families.

When he launched his campaign’s “build back better” agenda in Scranton, Pa., Biden centered his plan around pumping federal dollars into purchasing as well as research and development. Other critical parts of his plan include clean energy, a “caregiving economy,” such as

childcare and domestic workers, and racial equity. Biden centers his plan on the hard work and ingenuity of the American people.

Recognizing and respecting the working women and men who are building and sustaining this country stands in direct contrast to President Trump, who has placed much of his focus on the stock market during the pandemic. Today, we stand at a point in history where the unemployment rate is higher than it was at the Great Depression and millions have lost jobs and their businesses. While President Trump tends to place these consequences of the pandemic on Democratic governors and representatives, Biden believes that correcting these losses is a part of the responsibility of the presidency and has outlined a plan to do so.

Further, COVID-19 has revealed unacceptable truths that have existed

throughout the United States’ history.

Prior to COVID-19, Biden notes that the Trump Administration was pursuing economic policies that rewarded the wealthy and the corporations.

While this certainly occurred under the Trump Administration, this has occurred throughout Republican and Democratic presidencies alike.

Countless families struggle to make ends meet. Countless families are worried about the economic future for their children. And specifically, countless Black and Latino Americans, Native Americans, immigrants and women have historically not been welcomed to be full participants in the United States economy. Recognizing that the status quo, even the status quo of the Obama Administration, is not good enough, Biden believes this moment in history is a time to create a new American economy for families

E ditorial P olicy The Red & Black is the official, registered student-produced newspaper of Washington & Jefferson College. It is published Fridays with the exception of exams and break periods.

Editorials are based upon the opinion of the respective writers and do not necessarily reflect the views of the newspaper, the

College or its students, faculty, or administration.

The Red & Black welcomes all reader contributions, but reserves the right to reject letters of pure promotional nature, as well as letters which do not meet its standard of integrity, accuracy and decency.

The Red & Black also reserves the right to edit submissions.

and the next generations to come. To make this great change, Biden’s plan includes the creation of millions of good-paying jobs and to give America’s working families the opportunities to “build back better.” These words may sound promising, but where is the substance?

Biden believes that this begins with a strategy to deal with the pandemic.

Until the public health crisis is solved, the job crisis cannot be solved. As such, Biden has laid out a comprehensive strategy to control the pandemic and reopen the economy that is said to be implemented beginning on Day One. Further, Biden plans to provide further immediate relief to working families, small businesses and communities.

Specifically, Biden intends to provide state, local and tribal governments with the aid they need so that educators, firefighters and other essential workers are not laid off (continued on page 15)

C ontac t Letters are due on the Monday before publication and may not exceed 600 words. All letters must include the author’s name, campus box and telephone number.

Names may be withheld upon request under certain conditions on rare occasions. All letters may be submitted to redandblackstaff@jay. washjeff.edu.

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(724) 223-6049 (724) 503-1049 redandblackstaff@jay. washjeff.edu Red & Black 60 S. Lincoln St. Washington, PA 15301

16 October 2020 (continued from page 14) as a result of a lack of money. Including tribal governments is critical now more than ever, with COVID-19 having impacted reservation communities more than any other in the United States. This was in part due to lack of infrastructure in addition to disparities in socioeconomic status, healthcare, housing, education, and more.

Biden also plans to extend the COVID crisis unemployment insurance to continue helping those who are out of work and provide a comeback package for Main Street businesses and entrepreneurs.

Brendan Troesch ’21 finds this aspect of Biden’s plan refreshing. “It is nice to see a candidate openly talking about his support of the working class, who has been greatly affected by the COVID-19 pandemic as compared to our current leadership, who is currently blocking a stimulus that millions of Americans need during this time of hardship. America would not survive without its working class and it is nice to see a candidate who is stepping up to defend our place in society,” Troesch stated.

To immediately address increase in unemployment, Biden plans to enlist people to help fight the pandemic, including through a Public Health Jobs Corps.

However, Biden emphasizes this is only the beginning and that the economy needs to be made better than ever before. To accomplish this, Biden outlines four national efforts to address four great national challenges.

The first of these efforts is to mobilize American manufacturing and innovation “to ensure that the future is made in America, and in all of America.” This effort is made with the intent of reducing our dependence on other countries in future crisis.

Additionally, Biden provides a plan to build a strong industrial base and small-business-led supply changes to create and keep millions

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of good-paying union jobs in both manufacturing and technology.

The second of these efforts is to mobilize American ingenuity to build a modern infrastructure and equitable, clean energy future. This has been a need of our country, and of the world, for years.

It is no secret that climate change and global warming are worsening problems that require immediate attention and action. As such, Biden plans to create a more resilient economy through the investment in modern, sustainable infrastructure and sustainable engines for growth.

This includes roads and bridges, energy grids and schools and universal broadband.

During the time of COVID-19 when more and more students require internet access, the disparity of internet access is becoming more obvious. Recognizing and including this problem in his plan demonstrates that Biden is cognizant of many of the problems that are plaguing Americans during the pandemic, even those that appear to be small.

The third effort mentioned by Biden is to mobilize American talent and heart to build a 21-century caregiving and education workforce. This is done with the intent of easing the burden of care encountered by many working parents, especially women.

During the pandemic, many American families have felt this challenge including many of our professors on campus who now must both be our professors and teachers to their own children. As such, Biden plans to ease the affordability of childcare; ensure aging relatives and those with disabilities have better access to home and communitybased care; elevate the pay, benefits and professional opportunities for caregivers and educators; create millions of good-paying new jobs in these areas with work with the ability to unionize; and to free millions of

people to join the labor force and grow a stronger economy.

The fourth and final effort of Biden is to mobilize across the board to advance racial equity in America.

We have seen this year, as we have every year throughout the history of our country, that systemic racism has tragic, deadly costs. As such, Biden includes this in his economic plan to pursue an agenda to close the racial wealth gap, expand affordable housing, invest in Black, Latino and Native American entrepreneurs and communities, advance policing and criminal justice reform and make the promise of educational opportunity regardless of race or zip code a real reality.

To grow this new, innovative economy and benefit American families, Biden believes in a decent wage of at least $15 per hour and ending the tipped minimum wage and sub-minimum wage for those with disabilities. To begin this, Biden wants to pass the Protecting the Right to Organize (PRO) Act to provide public service and federal government workers with bargain rights and to ease the ability of organizing unions and collective bargain.

Further, Biden plans to address discrimination and harassment in the workplace as well as inequities in pay through passing the Paycheck Fairness Act to ensure women are paid equally for work. Additionally, Biden plans to pass paid sick days and 12 weeks of paid family and medical leave universally.

Lastly, Biden plans to ensure every American has access to quality and affordable healthcare by providing a public option and lowering costs of care and prescription drugs. In order to address the loss of small businesses across the county, Biden plans to make new investments and speed up the timetable for many of the 10year investments he has previously announced. In addition, Biden plans

Opinions 15 to pay for the ongoing costs of this plan by reversing some of Trump’s tax cuts for corporations and imposing common-sense tax reforms that ensure the wealthiest Americans pay their fair share.

Dylan Bertovich ’21 notes this stark disparity between Vice President Biden and President Trump. “Biden wants to create an economy for the people. Trump wants to continue an economy that serves corporations and big money interests,” stated Bertovich.

Overall, we must increase the jobs in our economy if our goal is to grow the economy and increase demand.

If the Trump Administration could afford to invest in the wealthy and corporations, we can afford to invest in working families and specifically communities of color who are facing the above-mentioned problems at disproportionate rates. While no single economic plan can be expected to address every issue our country is facing, this plan simply appears to address more of the issues of American families, specifically in the time of a global pandemic, than that of President Trump’s economic policy throughout his presidency.

Courtesy US News

Biden speaks on his promise to rebuild the economy for the working-class.

16 Opinions

Red & Black

16 October 2020

Police Negligence Creates Racial Injustice Paul Collier Red & Black Editor

If you study murder cases for any extended period, you’ll eventually encounter a case that could have been solved if not for police negligence.

This also often seems to be another area where racism has infected the justice system: In the past ten years, 26,000 murders have occurred without an eventual arrest of a suspected murderer, and over 18,600 of these victims have been Black, meaning that just 47 percent of all murders of Black Americans result in arrest.

What makes it even harder to achieve justice for murdered Black Americans is the mishandling of evidence when a suspect is arrested. As an example, here is the case of Quortez Jackson from Baltimore.

Quortez was murdered in daylight on Aug. 5., 2000 at 5:55 p.m. He was only 18 years old. Witnesses contacted the police almost immediately, and several witnessed who they believed to be Kenneth Davis running away from the scene with a gun.

However, the police then took nearly an hour to arrive at the scene and begin investigating, allowing Defense Attorney Jerome Bivens to place doubt on the accuracy of the crime scene due to the amount of time it could have been tampered with.

Outside of the logistics of the court case, it’s appalling that police would allow anyone to lay dead for an hour without responding. In this case, they

simply refused to arrive when needed, which also placed more lives in danger in the witness-testified situation of a shhooter now on the run.

Once they did arrive, the police mishandled the crime scene in almost every way, again brought up in trial

by Bivens. The reports on the initial investigations were left incomplete, evidence was left unaccounted for in reports and pictures of the scene were damaged and witnesses were left unquestioned while the prosecution put a ten-year-old boy on the stand that understandably struggled to give a convincing placement of Davis at the scene.

Davis was convicted to three years for illegal carry of a weapon, but was acquitted of the murder charges.

The Baltimore Sun, with interest triggered by this case, also found that 25 percent of murder cases in Baltimore between 1997 and 2001 were thrown out before trial due to police mishandling.

This is simple racial injustice.

The inability for investigators to ever arrest a suspect in so many cases is disheartening, and when so many Black victims of homicide are left without justice due to a racist system that failed not only in the late 1990s, but in the past decade, to work for Black victims, the system needs to be reprimanded and changed.

Victims like Quortez Jackson deserve an equal effort for justice, and stories like his show that in the past twenty plus years, our justice system has not been willing to provide that justice for the Black community. They would rather leave the victims and victims’ families without closure than investigate a black man’s murder.

Courtesy Insider

Protestors call for defunding of police at a rally decrying police negligence like that found within the Quortez Jackson case.

16 October 2020

Red & Black

Opinions 17

Gender Inequity Lets Society Devalue Homicide Victims

Courtesy CBC

CBC listed the known victims of Robert Pickton, who may have murdered up to 65 sex workers while police ignored missing person reports.

Paul Collier Red & Black Editor

True crime stories have sensationalized murder. People have a natural affinity for learning about the most depraved members of society as they seek out the extent of the mind’s capability for insanity, so if the information is there, people will search for it.

However, as these murderers are sensationalized, their victims become extraneous details of the cases, dehumanized in the glorification of the one that killed them. These victims are the ones that lost their lives because of the actions of an evil person and they should be remembered, but James Doxtator’s name doesn’t carry the same weight as Jeffrey Dahmer’s.

While the natural curiosity for the insane over the innocent is undoubtedly a part of this elevation of the murderer, another key piece

is a lack of gender equity in case investigations.

Among serial killers, serial defined as committing over three murders, 70 percent target women, while only 22 percent of general homicide victims are women. Simply put, there is evidence that police officers might not care. 40 percent of police officer families report experiencing domestic violence, while the same is true for only 10 percent of the rest of the country. In Florida, 30 percent of officers accused of domestic violence continue to work in their department, compared to only one percent of those testing positive for marijuana use.

That’s systemic normalization of violence against women. The authorities that are supposed to protect women have allowed themselves to accept the norm that women are going to be abused. If the system that’s supposed to be protecting women refuses to view women as people that deserve basic decency while providing an example of devaluing women’s lives and safety, then the general population will struggle to focus on the women

abused and murdered by serial killers.

This leaves room in the media for the killer as opposed to the women they kill. That’s the way our safety officials are allowing society to be shaped.

Police should be focusing on providing justice for the lives of the victims, but the police can’t even focus on protecting the lives of the living.

Police also refuse to provide justice for female sex workers. These workers are 18 times more likely to be killed than women in other industries, because serial killers know they are less likely to be taken seriously. Police officers simply don’t accept tips or claims of violence from sex workers because of their own prejudices.

While not an American case, the best example of this lies in Robert Pickton’s murders of 49 women from 1978-2001. Of these women, I could only find 26 official names.

They were routinely ignored when filing missing person reports to the Vancouver police, and in total, 65 women disappeared from downtown Vancouver in this period. It will never be truly known how many of them

are Pickton’s victims. This prejudice lead to incredible tragedy, when it could have been avoided if the police took the disappearance and murder of women seriously. Instead, they were ignored and not reported on. Once Pickton was arrested, he claimed the headlines for his crimes as opposed to his victims for their horrible deaths at his hands. Of course, this is also a societal issue; if sex work had fewer stigmas and was universally legalized, these women could come to police with reports of wrongdoing without fear of arrest.

The institutional devaluation of women’s safety and sex worker lives has led to a lack of focus on these victims.

This keeps the stories of their murders out of the public eye until it’s time to discuss who killed them, leaving society focused on understanding the killer’s insanity and trying to build sympathy for their past instead of primarily fighting for justice. If women, and victims of serial murders in general, are going to receive the attention they deserve, the murderers themselves must be devalued.

sports

18 Sports

Red & Black

16 October 2020

Steelers Improve to 4-0 in the 20-21 Season

Courtesy USA Today

Steelers’ Chase Claypool scored four total touchdowns against the Eagles Sunday.

Grant Allison Red & Black Staff

With last week’s matchup against the Titans being rescheduled until week seven, the Steelers utilized the random bye week to create a gameplay that took the league by storm.

With a week five matchup against the Philadelphia Eagles, the Battle for Pennsylvania was one for the ages, showcasing talent by both teams. The offensive explosion made almost solely

by rookie Chase Claypool made headlines across the league. With seven receptions, 110 yards and four total touchdowns (3 receiving and 1 rushing), Claypool was named AFC offensive player of the week for the first time in his career and hopefully not for the last time.

Claypool even had one touchdown reception called back due to a questionable offensive passing interference call. Steeler offense seemed to be going on all cylinders, with the consistency of the team this year a welcomed sight to all Steelers fans who put up with all the woes from last season.

Big Ben had a terrific day from the pocket, excelling on late down

situations and completing a high percentage of passes. Consistency is key when it comes this offense, and if the stars can keep producing at the same level that they have been thus far into the season, that elusive seventh ring should be in our range. On the defensive side of the ball, things looked to be business as usual.

It was a normal week for the Steelers defensive line, as they sacked Eagles quarterback Carson Wentz 5 times.

The Steelers defense is on pace for a historic season in terms of sack numbers, outpacing the entirety of the league on the amount of snaps that feature blitzes. The run counters were effective for the Steelers, saving a 70-

yard touchdown run by the Eagles’ Miles Sanders in the first half.

The Eagles were able to gain some momentum through the air, but this is primarily due to the fact that the Steelers defense was blitzing just about every place, leaving the defensive backs on an island.

For a team like the Eagles, this gameplay isn’t too risky, however the next few weeks feature tough matchups for the Steelers, so the D may start wanting to work on conservative tactics.

All things considered, the Steelers are 4-0 and on track for a season that Steelers fans have been waiting for since the exodus of the Triple B’s.

16 October 2020

Red & Black

Sports 19

Los Angeles Lakers Bring Home 17th NBA Final Trophy

Courtesy EssentiallySports

The Lakers clinch their franchise’s 17th NBA title.

Nick Krugh Red & Black Editor

On Oct. 11, the Los Angeles Lakers captured their franchise’s 17th NBA title, defeating the Miami Heat in game six 106-93. The Lakers closed

out the series 4-2. They went one game longer than their previous playoff series, winning all other series 4-1. The Lakers were the clear dominate team throughout the whole post-season.

This championship carried extra weight for the Lakers franchise. Not only was it their first title in 10 years, but it also came in the same year since the tragic death of their franchise legend Kobe Bryant.

The Lakers players’ leads Lebron James and Anthony Davis said that this championship was in honor of

Bryant. That finals win also means that Lebron James now has four champions in ten appearances. Lebron James brought home his fourth finals MVP, a much-deserved award. James had another spectacular finals showing, especially in games 5 and 6, scoring 40 and 28 points respectively.

With this 4th championship, the conversation of Lebron James being the greatest of all time (GOAT) can no longer be ignored. For years, James has been compared to the likes of Michael Jordan, but most say he came up short.

James is now just one championship short of the late Kobe Bryant who has five championships.

Jordan still leads both with six championships. He also was a perfect 6-6, never losing in the finals, a feat that both Bryant and James couldn’t accomplish.

With James still looking like he has several years of elite play left, the debate most likely won’t being ending soon. However, for now, Michael Jordan still seems to be the one holding on to the crown of the GOAT.

20 Sports

Red & Black

16 October 2020

Fantasy Football: Start Them or Sit Them Start Them Andy Dalton Dallas Cowboys QB

After Dak Presscot went down with a devistating injury, it is time for Andy Dalton to step up. The Cowboys have a very high-powered offense, so the experienced veteran in Dalton can hit the ground running. I like Dalton matched up with this very inconsistent Arizona Cardinals team on Monday Night Football.

Ryan Fitzpatrick Miami Dolphins QB

Last weekend, Fitzpatrick slung the ball all over the 49ers defense, a solid defense even with all their injury problems.

This week the Dolphins square off against the New York Jets who are a dumpster fire. Fitzpatrick and the Dolphins offense are going to move the ball up and down the field all day.

Chase Claypool Pittsburgh Steelers WR

Last week Claypool seemed to have his coming out party against the Philadelphia Eagles. I wouldn’t expect another 4 touchdown day for him, but with Dionte Johnson being banged up the past two weeks and Claypool looking like a real match up problem, look for Claypool’s number to be called a lot.

Courtesy Niners Nation

Sit Them Kareem Hunt Cleveland Browns HB

The Browns face off against the Pittsbrugh Steelers this weekend.

The Steelers’ defense had a rough week last week against the Eagles offense. Their rush defense has been among the best in the league all year, and I expect it to be back to that this week.

Hunt will probably not have the success like he has had the past few weeks. The Browns are going be forced to stretch the ball down the field through the air.

Courtesy Browns Nation