D U P O N T M A N U A L H I G H S C H O O L
V O L U M E 6 2• I S S U E 8• L O U I S V I L L E , K Y4 0 2 0 8• M A Y2 0 1 5
C R I M S O N r e c o r d
maY 2015 | NEWS >> 03
{ NEWS BRIEFS } Washington, D.C., USA
UMM AL ROUS, IRAQ
Michele Leonhart, the head of the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) is set to resign, as reported by the Huffington Post. Leonhart had come under pressure from both sides of the aisle for her handling of DEA agents who participated in “sex parties” in Columbia. Leonhart has also been at odds with the Obama administration over the legalization of Marijuana in Colorado and Washington.
Islamic State (IS) leader Abu Bakr al Baghdadi was injured in a coalition airstrike, per CNN. Al Baghdadi was reportedly injured on March 18, but the news did not reach western media until April 21. When he was first wounded near the village of Umm al Rous, close to the Syrian border, al Baghdadi was not expected to survive and IS leadership convened to elect a new leader. Since then, al Baghdadi has begun to make a slow recovery, but has not yet taken control of day to day operation of the group.
MOSCOW, Russia
LOUIsville, KY
Russian President Vladimir Putin agreed to a deal on April 13 with Iran to supply the country with long-range S-300 Air Defense Missiles, according to Reuters. The move comes as a part of a larger attempt by Russia to strengthen relations with Iran. The deal actually was set to have taken place in 2010, but Russia canceled the contract after facing heavy pressure from the West. When asked about the deal, President Obama played down it’s significance, and told MSNBC’s Chris Matthews, “Even if they have some air defense systems, if we had to, we could penetrate them.”
Manual Boys Basketball forward Dwayne Sutton (12, #22) received consensus first team All-State honors from The Courier-Journal, the Lexington Herald-Leader, and the KHSAA. This means that those publications selected him as one of the best players in Kentucky. In addition, Sutton was also named to the All-USA Kentucky Boys Basketball team by USA Today, won the Courier-Journal Region 7 Player of the Year Award, and was a finalist for the Mr. Basketball award for the state of Kentucky. Sutton is Manual’s first All-State selection since 1981. Sutton finished the season eighth in the state in scoring (24.2 points per game) and sixth in rebounding (12.1), per KHSAA stats, en route to leading the Crimsons to their first regional final appearance since 2000.
A FLOCK OF CRANES STORY BY HARPER CARLTON
THE OHIO RIVER BRIDGES PROJECT WILL AFFECT STUDENTS DRIVING THIS SUMMER In the summer of 2015, the Ohio River Bridges Project will continue construction on and around I-65 and on the new Ohio River bridges. The main goal of the project is to build the two new bridges, the Downtown Crossing and the East End Crossing. Spaghetti junction will also be renovated to become a more efficient and sufficiently safe passage. The area between River Rd. and Muhammad Ali Blvd., the surface streets that I-65 crosses, will experience the most construction. The downtown portion of the project is scheduled for completion in December 2016, while the new I-65 bridge is expected to open in January 2016. Workers will also reconstruct the existing Kennedy Bridge throughout 2016. The Kennedy is being reconfigured and will only carry southbound traffic into Louisville. The new I-65 bridge would subsequently carry the northbound traffic into Jeffersonville, Ind. The East End Crossing will complete the interstate around the Louisville-Southern Indiana region. The bridge will extend from Utica, Ind. to Prospect, Ky. This creates an alternative cross-river connection that will ease congestion. While the project will have a lasting effect for all Louisville drivers, some may be more inconvenienced than others. Mindy Peterson, spokesperson for the Ohio River Bridges Project said, “There may be
a bigger impact for teen drivers on downtown surface streets this summer. Surface street closures cause lanes to close and have commutes shifted another way. There will be lane restrictions for anyone going to Indiana on the Kennedy [Bridge].” Teen drivers, like Katherine Dotson (10, HSU) will have more trouble maneuvering the city because, largely, they are less familiar with alternative routes to the interstate, “I’m still planning on getting more experience with the interstates and highways but the construction downtown is really intimidating,” Dotson said. Like any inexperienced driver, Dotson not only faces the prospect of learning how to operate a car, but also how to navigate the city. “I’m worried since it’s not as familiar, and I might not know if a ramp is going to be closed,” Dotson said. After all the construction is finished, Dotson feels confident that she will be able to pick up the new and improved interstates. “In the long run the roadwork will be a good thing because the changes won’t be that confusing and at the end the interstate will be safer to drive on,” Dotson said. To stay informed on which streets will experience closure, Louisvillians can watch local news or visit the project's website, www.kyinbridges.com.
4<< NEWS | May 2015
BAttle for the BAllot POSSIBLE CANDIDATES TO WATCH FOR IN THE 2016 PRESIDENTIAL RACE WORDS BY WILL LAKE The 2016 primaries are only a few months away, and once they end, the grueling process of a presidential election will begin. Many students at Manual will be taking part in these elections, so here are a few names you should watch for.
Republican Candidates
Jeb Bush As the son of former United States President George H.W. Bush and the younger brother of George W. Bush, Jeb Bush comes from one of the most well known families in America. However, the two time Florida governor has let it be known that his ideas are often different from those of his father and brother. While he holds conservative stances on issues like taxation and the death penalty, Bush has been criticized by other conservatives for taking too liberal a stance on immigration.
Chris Christie Chris Christie is a former U.S. Attorney who is currently serving his second term as the Governor of New Jersey, and another candidate hopeful for the Republican 2016 presidential nomination. His time as Governor has been characterized by working and compromising with Democrats in the New Jersey legislature and a successful effort to balance New Jersey’s budget without raising taxes.
Marco Rubio Marco Rubio, a second generation Cuban immigrant and senator from Florida, is a rising star in the Republican Party and another frontrunner for the 2016 election. The 43-year old is in support of a flat federal tax rate, opposes same sex marriage, and is strongly pro-choice. He also holds a 100 from the American Conservative Union Rating Scale, which means he holds a conservative stance on nearly every issue.
Rand Paul Many people may be familiar with former Texas Congressman and staunch Libertarian Ron Paul, but it’s his son Rand that people should be watching for in 2016. Rand, an opthamologist and Duke graduate, entered the Senate in 2009, and has since become the foremost libertarian in Congress. Paul champions small government and the freedom of the individual, as well as a scaling down of America’s military involvement abroad.
Democratic Candidates
Hillary Clinton Hillary Clinton will be making a second attempt in 2016 at a presidential bid, after losing the Democratic nomination to current President Barack Obama in 2008. Hillary has had a long and successful career in politics, which includes two terms in the U.S. Senate and four years as Secretary of State to President Barack Obama. During her time in the senate, Clinton endorsed legislation on a broad range of issues, from gun control to womens’ rights.
John Kerry John Kerry is also considering making his second attempt at the oval office in 2016, after losing in 2004 to incumbent George W. Bush. In 1985, Kerry was elected in Massachusetts to the U.S. Senate, where he served until 2013, when he succeeded Hillary Clinton and became the 68th U.S. Secretary of State. During his political career Kerry has been a supporter of increased spending on education and preventing cuts to social welfare programs.
Joe Biden Joe Biden has arguably the best résumé among all the candidates that could be running in 2016. This former U.S Senator and current Vice President is well liked by many for his blue-collar approach, a characteristic that was key in Barack Obama’s selection of him as his running mate.
However, his proclivity towards public gaffes has left some wondering how he’d fare running on his own.
Andrew Cuomo Andrew Cuomo is a newcomer to the possible presidential field, but that doesn’t mean you should count him out. Cuomo is the current Governor of New York, and despite a rocky start to his term, he’s generally well liked. Cuomo is considered by many to be one of the most progressive governors in the country, mainly because of his left-of-center views on same-sex marriage and gun control.
Libertarian Candidate
Daryl Perry Daryl Perry is an author and radio show host who will be running as a Libertarian in the 2016 elections. Perry is a strict constitutionalist who believes the government has overstepped its enumerated powers given to it in the constitution. As a result of this, Perry believes the U.S. should not maintain a standing army, and that multiple government departments, including the Dept. of Education, Homeland Security, and the Federal Reserve, should be abolished.
Green Party Candidate
Jill Stein Jill Stein is a Physician from Massachusetts who will be on the ballot in 2016 as a Green Party Candidate. When Stein ran for president in 2012, her campaign was centered on her version of the New Deal, which she called the Green New Deal. Stein also believes in raising the minimum wage, ending the war on drugs, closing all U.S. Military Bases, and ending hydraulic fracking.
May 2015 | FEATURE << 5
Enviro-mentality LOUISVILLE’S ENVIRONMENT IS STEADILY IMPROVING THROUGH NEW PROJECTS WORDS BY BREYA JONES | PHOTO BY EMILY CIEMINSKI As morning breaks, a quiet rumbling can be heard going up and down Louisville’s streets. From around a corner comes a dump truck stopping in front of a house to pick up a can with a yellow top. This same process is repeated from house to house until the route is finished. The truck then takes all of its contents to the QRS recycling plant, Louisville Metro’s recyclable materials processor. As evening falls across Louisville, the quiet murmurs of the truck disappear into the night until the next morning when the process will start all over again. For the people of Louisville, the recycling program is full of unanswered questions about the inner workings of the program, such as where exactly the recycling goes, how is it sorted, and if the recycling program is even authentic. The recycling program is indeed a real working program and according to Angela Kessans, Public Education Coordinator for Solid Waste Management Services (SWMS), and the recycling industry is continuing to grow. Kessans explained that the recycling program in Louisville has a lot more work to do in order to reach Mayor Greg Fischer’s goal of having 90 percent of Jefferson County’s materials recycled by 2042. Currently Jefferson County has only 27 percent. SWMS has been working to raise this percentage through new projects. The largest of these projects is the WetDry recycling program, taking place in the Central Business District (CBD). Businesses are given orange cans to use both for their recycling and their trash. The trash, or wet waste, goes into a black bag while recyclable, or dry waste goes into a clear bag or directly into the can. The initiative doesn’t stop at just trash and recyclables. Restaurants in the CBD have an extra can not offered to other businesses; these establishments have the option to use a brown can to place their food waste in, so that SWMS will be able to use the organic materials for compost. In the year that the program has been introduced, recycling in the CBD has increased from 11 percent to 78 percent. According to Kessans, SWMS is planning to expand
the WetDry program into residential areas to see if the percentage of recycled materials will increase there as well. SWMS has also been working on increasing the amount of compost by banning plastic bags for yard waste. The ban went into effect on January 1, 2015. SWMS is trying to get this piece of information out to the public as well as the new brown paper bags that will be accepted. The Office of Sustainability is looking to improve Louisville through environmental projects. The three big projects taking place are the Urban Heat Island Project, the Tree Canopy Assessment, and the EcoDistricts. The Urban Heat Island Project’s goal is to lower the overall heat in Louisville which will in turn lower the temperature of heat islands, areas within the city that gather more heat due to different geological factors such as tree coverage and surface type. Sometimes these areas will be hotter than the air surrounding them. Louisville’s biggest heat islands include the Ford Truck Plant, Ford Assembly Plant, Shelbyville Mall, the GE Appliance Park, the airport, and a ½ square mile downtown. The way these areas are being cooled are from trees that are being planted. These trees provide shade that keep the ground from receiving too much sun. Another aspect of the cooling process is decreasing the amount of flat surfaces, which will allow for rain to run down instead of sit. According to Maria Cutter, the Director for the Office of Sustainability, the project is currently in the process of analyzing the data collect which Dr. Brian Stone oversees. Stone and his team are looking to see what solutions work best to decrease the temperature of heat islands and how to expand the program. The tree canopy assessment is working to increase the number of trees in urban areas which goes along with tree planting in the urban heat islands project. Although Louisville as a whole is in the normal percentage for tree coverage in a city of its size, Louisville’s tree coverage is lacking in its urban areas. While these two projects are city wide, a neighborhood project called EcoDistricts is focusing on the same thing, one neighborhood at a time. The two neighborhoods that are a part of this program are East Market District (NuLu)
and an area of South of Broadway. Both communities are working to “improve the city’s environment from the neighborhoods up,” Cutter said. Each community has made its own goals to improve their environment. Another community group working to improve Louisville’s environment is Manual’s own Environmental Club. The Environmental Club, headed by president Louise Atherton (12, HSU) works in and outside of school to improve Louisville’s Environment. “We do the recycling for the whole school, and discuss future plans,” Atherton said. One of Environmental Club’s projects is the community garden located near Manual’s football practice field and track. According to Atherton, Manual has been working with Noe Middle School’s Garden Club to improve the garden; the food grown there will eventually be donated to soup kitchens. Atherton also hopes that the garden will become self-sustainable in future. The Environmental Club works closely with the Kentucky Student Environmental Coalition (KSEC) to do environmental work outside of the school. KSEC works with 18 schools in the state to bring different environmental groups together in projects. Kayla Soren (11, HSU), Environmental Club secretary and KSEC representative for Manual, works so that Manual can participate in KSEC’s Days of Action. Days of Action are KSEC environmental projects that happen statewide. One of the two that Manual has participated in was in first semester when the Environmental Club created a photo petition in protest of the polluted water in Appalachia. During the current semester, their project was a written petition to stop the use of styrofoam trays in school cafeterias. According to Soren, this petition got over 200 signatures in one day. KSEC also holds weekend summits where students are invited to come and learn about different opportunities to improve the environment in their area and Kentucky as whole.
08<< feature | may 2015
Adderall in the Hall It’s the night before the Advanced Placement European History Exam and sophomore Evan* is just now cracking open the Crash Course study book. He glances over at the clock on his oven, which reads 9:04. For most students, nine o’clock would be the time they would consider shutting their book and getting their eight hours of sleep, but Evan has other plans. He begins to consume the 272 pages, moving through the summarized chapters at lightning speed. “I’m just underlining, underlining, I have like 8 different colors of Bic pens,” Evan said. He is furiously highlighting, marking words and phrases that until now have been incomprehensible. Evan finally shuts his textbook at seven the next morning, having studied for eleven hours straight, pausing only for bathroom and water breaks. The only reason Evan was able to maintain his momentum was with the use of the prescription drug amphetamine, commonly know as Adderall. But it wasn’t his prescription. In order to cram for important tests or papers, Evan purchases the drug from another Manual student with a prescription. Adderall is an amphetamine-based stimulant typically prescribed to children and teens who have Attention-Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD). For those with ADHD, Adderall coalesces with chemicals in the brain, like dopamine, to allow them focus on an otherwise difficult task. However, using Adderall that wasn’t prescribed to a user can have serious consequences that can affect someone’s health and even land that person in jail. Ryne Bruner, a Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner at University of Louisville’s Bingham Clinic, said, “Improper use of adderall would lead to cardiac arrhythmia, dangerous changes in blood pressure, hallucinations, convulsions, coma, and in rare cases may lead to death.” Adderall is a schedule II controlled substance, which puts it legally in the same class as cocaine and methamphetamine. Schedule II drugs are severely restricted drugs that have high potential for abuse; however, for some medical conditions, they can be used as treatment. Students age 18 and older who are popping the pills are committing a Class A misdemeanor, which is punishable by 90 days to 12 months in jail. Any subsequent arrests result in a Class D felony, an act that promises at least one, but no more than 5 years in jail. At Manual, the policy for dealing with the of buying or selling of Adderall is the same for other drugs, such as marijuana. If a student gets caught with Adderall without a prescription, a student faces suspension or expulsion by the administration. However, despite some students saying that they illegally use or sell the prescription drug, administrators including Mr. Kuhn, Ms. Johnston, Dr. Kingsley, and Mr. Farmer said they have never personally dealt with this type of case. “I have never, in my time at Manual, had someone come to me about a student selling their Adderall,” Dr. Kingsley said. “I’m not saying it’s not a problem, I’m just saying it’s never come across my desk.” Even though Dr. Kingsley has not see a case of Adderall abuse, in an anonymous survey conducted by the Crimson Record, over 1 in 10 Manual students admit to using Adderall that is not their prescription. To be exact, 26 of the 200 students polled used
ADDERALL HELPS STUDENTS FOCUS, BUT CAN HAVE A DANGEROUS EFFECT WORDS BY HARPER CARLTON
Adderall. The number of students who know at least one peer who has used Adderall is even more, 98. Because of the difference between the students who admit to using Adderall is so large, it can be assumed that the actual amount of students who use the drug is higher. Evan, who is now a senior, said he hasn’t noticed many of the side-effects of the drug in his time using it. One of his symptoms is more frequent urination, because Adderall is a diuretic, which is any substance that promotes the production of urine. The only other symptom Evan has experienced long-term is drowsiness the day after usage. Although in the extended period of time Evan has abused the drug, he hasn’t experienced many side-effects. The first couple times he used the the drug he felt jittery because Adderall raises a user’s heart rate. Nowadays, his changed heart rate doesn’t have a visible effect. According to Bruner, cardiac arrhythmia is an irregular beating of the heart, often described as “the jitters.” Jitters are representative of the heart beating too frequently. However, when an arrhythmia of a heart beating too slowly occurs, a user’s heart may not be able to pump enough blood to the body, resulting in loss of consciousness or death. It’s hard to detect when one’s heart is beating too slowly, which is why it is an extremely dangerous side effect. Even though a portion of Manual students have used Adderall, they know the risks involved. In the survey, 75 percent of students believed that Adderall was harmful to their health. Fifteen percent of students are unaware of the potential risks of the drug. “[Adderall] isn’t something that I do regularly,” said Evan. “It’s not something that I had to start or that I use on a regular basis.” In addition to helping Evan cram for Advanced Placement and College Placement tests, he uses Adderall approximately once a month to study for classes that he conceptually does not understand; in his case, physics. “I think it helps me understand the material,” said Evan. “In physics I just don’t see what other students see. Which sometimes makes me feel inferior. That’s when I take it. Then I sit down with the book all night until I start to get some kind of visual image of what [the material] is like.” Adderall had a positive effect on Evan’s grades and study habits. The first time he used the drug was for the AP Statistics exam of sophomore year. Because Evan felt ill-prepared, he asked around until he acquired the drug, a process he claimed was relatively easy. “Every time I would sit down to try to figure out a book, I would get distracted. I’d look through the book for 30 minutes, take a break, look at the book, get a snack, look at the book, watch some television. So I figured I needed some way to block the distractions,” Evan said. Late freshman year, Evan figured out how to study in a focused way, but, he was still only able to study hard for two to three hours before he fell asleep. The issue of maintaining momentum during studying is a problem that many students face and try to combat. According to a study conducted by the Massachusetts Institute of Technology
(MIT), the most effective way to study is in a 50 minute block with a 10 minute break. A student is also supposed to take longer breaks to eat and exercise. Although this may be effective, if a student has a large and consuming test to study for, these tips can seem detached and unrealistic. While Evan’s experiences as an Adderall user have been mainly positive, there is another side to this prescription drug. Alex is a senior who only used Adderall once in his time at Manual; an experience that was bad enough to make him not want to use the drug again. “Sophomore year I took [Adderall] first block because I had a test at the end of the day and it didn’t even help,” Alex said. “Then I stayed up all night the night after, feeling really paranoid and nervous.” Alex was so stressed out by his course load sophomore year that he felt forced to take the drug even though he knew its risks. Alex said that while there is feasibly a way for students to schedule out their work, it’s difficult and often does not work because of conflicts at home or assignments in other classes. And where do people like Evan and Alex get their Adderall? From peers with prescriptions looking for a way to make quick cash. Junior Thomas* started selling some of his Adderall freshman year. Before he received his prescription in middle school, he realized that selling some of his bottle would be a viable option. While Thomas claimed to never sell more than half of his prescribed bottle, he said he no longer uses it on a regular basis. “When I use [Adderall] regularly for school I notice myself becoming more irritable and asocial,” Thomas said. “I definitely wouldn’t recommend it to someone who hasn’t done it before already.”
CHECK OUT THE REST OF THIS STORY ON CRIMSONRECORD.WORDPRESS.COM
14<< feature | may 2015
ABBY HELM (12, YPAS) “Theater is pretty much most of my life. It’s a really intersting way to express yourself because you kind of get to be somebody else temporarily, and I think that’s pretty cool. I think it has also helped with my friendships a lot because it makes you really empathetic, and it makes you really understanding of the world around you.”
RYAN FOLZ (10, HSU) “I program in my free time, I make apps. Right now I’m making a grid type thing, kind of like a mixture between Mind Sweep and Tron. When I’m older I want to create things that people use, and designing apps seems fun to do.”
CAITLIN MEURER (9, VA) “I play soccer. When I was little I was really athletic, and my mom put me into every sport available, so I was in a bunch of different sports, and so I was in soccer, and then I slowly started dropping all the other ones and just chose soccer. I love being athletic and going out and playing.”
STERLING CRAYTON ( 12, HSU) “I sing a lot of gospel music at church, and around the city. I’m not in YPAS but I sing at my church. I have my actual choir called Eilu and then a youth choir that my friend started with people from all over the city. I’ve wanted to take YPAS classes that involve singing but there are classes at Manual that I have wanted to take that will help me with my future career, such as law class.”
HUMANS OF MANUAL FEATURE BY GRACE ROTH & GABRIELL VICTOR | PHOTOS BY ERIN WOGGON
may 2015 | opinion << 15
Sports
Beats
Boys' Lacrosse
Manual Varsity Lacrosse this year has had a roller coaster season. With injury problems to starting attackman Alex Rezek (12, #42), Jacob Davis (10, #13) and Henry Owen (11, #8) have had to fill in the position. The team has had problems all season with starting out cloudy and not playing to their full potential until the second half, which has hurt them tremendously. “One thing we did was we started off on defense cold and that really hurt us this game,” head coach Christopher Moore said. Manual has also had problems running offensive sets. The offense usually rely on the athleticism and skill of players such as Braxton Dewey, Nick Brewer, and Brenton Wolford. “We had trouble running our offensive sets, but because of our skill we were able to exploit the holes in their defense and capitalize on a few easy goals.” Gabe Jackson (11, #17) said.
GIRLs' Lacrosse
The Manual Girls Lacrosse team is trying to reload, not rebuild, after a strong showing in the Braveheart Tournament that ended with a 7-4 loss to Assumption on April 16. “We played really well [in the Braveheart Tournament],” goalie Neha Srinivasan (11, #28) said. “We beat CAL, which is usually a big game for us, and we placed third in the tournament.” Since Manual only has four seniors, juniors have had to step up and fill leadership roles. “We just aren’t as developed because we don’t have the senior players that are usually the pillars of a varsity team,” Srinivasan said. “It also forces our juniors to step up and take on leadership roles to prepare for next year.” The Crimsons will wrap up the regular season with games at Male on April 28 and at home against South Oldham on May 5.
Tennis A young Manual tennis team is searching for juniors to step up and take on leadership roles. “We only have five seniors,” Veeresh Rai (11, HSU) said. “Its up to me, Praneeth [Goli] (11, MST) and all of the other juniors to step up take on more of a leadership role that seniors would normally fill.” The Crimsons have had success even without senior leadership, as Manual has won all ten matches including a four to one victory against Southern High School on April 21 and a four to one win versus Kentucky Country Day on April 20, per the Courier-Journal. “We’ve done a good job winning matches this year,” Rai said. “We just need to continue to improve for the rest of the year.”
Baseball After a slow start to the season, the Manual Baseball team has gotten hot of late, as the Crimsons have rode a four game win streak to boast an 8-6 record, as of April 20. “We’ve really gotten momentum the past couple of weeks, first baseman,” Sam Clinard (11, #22) said. “We’ve been hitting well and we’ve played good defense, we haven’t had many errors, its just all coming together at the right time.” Early in the season, Manual struggled to close out games, as the Crimsons are just 3-3 in games decided by three runs or less. To fix that, Manual wants to be more fundamentally sound on defense. “When we get two outs, we try to ‘lock it up’ which means we try to not make careless mistakes in the field,” Clinard said. “We just try to play keep everything in front of us. We also try to give more effort so that we can end the inning.”
SOFTBALL Manual’s softball team has cruised to 16-4 start to the season with a 15-0 win against Shawnee High School on April 22. The win extended the Crimsons win streak to eight games. “I would say we are doing a lot better than last season,” Savannah Schenck (11, #16) said. This season Manual has been much more competitive than in the last couple of years. One of the most impressive wins on the season came against Mercy High School on April 16. After losing to Mercy in 2013 and 2014, Manual was able to take revenge by defeating Mercy 3-2. Manual will attempt to continue their winning streak as they start to face more competitive teams over the next couple of weeks. On April 27, Manual will face Assumption at Assumption. “I’m Hoping that we can keep our streak going and win some of our more competitive games coming up,” Schenck said.
Track & Field With the season nearing a close and the Regional Invite two weeks away, the Manual Crimsons are geared up for their strongest season in a long time. With the hiring of new head coach Mike Kuntz, formerly a coach at the University of Louisville, the Crimsons have made a focus on grooming their athletes for field events. Manual’s boys and girls track teams competed in the Brother Borgia meet at Saint Xavier High School on April 18. Both teams had runners finish high and Darius Payne (12, VA) won the 800 meter race. The track team has jumped from not being ranked last year to having both teams ranked in the top ten. The boys are ranked tenth in the state and the girls are ranked fourth in the state. “Both teams have improved from last year and have been really strong this season,” the captain of the girls team, Sam Brenzel (12, YPAS) said. “We have a really young team but I think we have the talent to have some runners place at state.”
16<< sports | may 2015
PAY PLAY
FOR
NCAA STUDENT-ATHLETES SHOULD PROFIT FROM LIKENESS RATHER THAN STIPENDS WORDS BY JACK GROSSMAN Collegiate student-athletes bring in millions for the NCAA and the universities they play for. But, while the big business men rack up all of the dough, the student-athletes that do all the dirty work get hung out to dry. Before looking at the problems that would occur for athletes being, paid there are benefits athletes are already receiving. Studentathletes are already receiving money from the scholarship and other benefits from the university. The scholarship includes tuition, books, and housing. An article published by the NCAA states that scholarships on average are over $100,000 a year. According to “The Sport Digest,” on top of a scholarship, student-athletes are given other benefits such as free tutors, scheduling modifications, trainers, strength and conditioning coaches, free facilities, clothes, equipment, and some free food. At some universities, the total amount of extra benefits that athletes receive can total $200,000 over all four years. If the athletic scholarship and all the benefits were to be added together, student athletes are making over $150,000 a year. However, even though student-athletes receive all of these benefits from scholarships, it is clearly not enough to cover all of the expenses that student-athletes have. Included in the full scholarships are about $1,100 in spending money. According to “The Postgame,” student-athletes spend about $900 on various bills, such as parking, car insurance, gasoline, and cell phone payments. That leaves only $200 for food and clothing. Student-athletes are forced to resort to cheaper methods of eating for daily meals. While this seems like an issue that all college students experience, it is particularly a problem for athletes. They need a higher caloric intake to perform their best and the spend much of their free time practicing, which leaves them with no time for a job. In 2008, former NBA star Allen Iverson told “Bleacher Report” that during his college career in Georgetown University, that he and other student-athletes that attended Georgetown were forced to the McDonald’s dollar menu, peanut butter and jelly sandwiches, and ramen noodles due to a lack of money available. Former University of Wisconsin football player O’Brien Schofield added that at the end of each semester the football team would collect change in their cars and rooms and buy as much “cheap food” as possible to split among the team. Even if they had time for one, the NCAA does not allow studentathletes to get jobs during the year. In addition, student-athletes are not allowed to receive “extra benefits”, such as a coach, booster, or fan giving a player free food, clothing, or a bed to sleep in. The NCAA claims that these “extra benefits” causes student-athletes to lose their
“amature status” which, in other words, makes the accused studentathletes ineligible to play intercollegiate athletics. For example, former Tennessee head basketball coach Bruce Pearl was fired for feeding student-athlete Brian Williams food at a barbecue over the summer of 2011. Williams was also ruled ineligible for his senior season. Even though full scholarships cover most of student-athletes needs, the scholarships do not cover all the necessities for NCAA student-athletes. Student-athletes are focusing on getting an education as well as their sport; whereas professionals are just focusing on their sport. Student-athletes have more passion for their sport because they are fighting to play, along with getting an education. People fall in love with college athletics because the athlete is playing for the school and not for the money. The innocence of college athletics would be stripped away. Being an athlete, you are already isolated from the university and paying them would only increase the gap. Money to go towards academics would be slim due to the fact that athletes were being paid. It would create a tension between students and athletes. These are major issues the university will face that will lead to the athletic departments of universities becoming businesses instead of helping athletes receive an education. “Scholarships are not a way to facilitate the education of those who would not otherwise have the means to attend. Scholarships were not intended to be a way to attract top athletes to a school who have no interest in gaining an education. But, in many cases that is what they have become.” Now that full-ride scholarships are being given to the most talented athlete rather the ones who need the most financial support to receive a college education, colleges appeal to the top athletes and the other students through the athletic program, the harder it becomes for anyone to get a scholarship because of the demand. As soon as athletes start being paid, the universities will become popular to athletes because of how much they are paying the athlete instead of who can offer the best education. Athletic departments will start talking to athletes about business deals and negotiating money. A negotiation between a potential college athlete and coach could be the coach offering the athlete a full ride plus an extra $3,000 a month. The negotiations are no longer just about scholarships but other benefits the school can offer. Before negotiations are made for more than just a scholarship, all student-athletes should be given a full-ride. All athletes put in the same time and effort into their sport. Each athlete should be awarded for that with a full scholarship before other athletes are given money. Paying college athletes to play would not only harm the university, but also other athletes. It is not worth risking other athlete’s sports to pay other athletes. In addition, paying NCAA student-athletes in is unrealistic. According to USA Today, the NCAA collected $908.6 million of revenue in the 2014 fiscal year, which ended on December 12 of 2014. While that may seem like a lot, that would not be nearly enough money to pay all of the student-athletes. According to the ESPN, if the NCAA were to give out stipends, they would pay each studentathlete four thousand dollars per month. If the NCAA were to pay each of the 420 thousand student-athletes four thousand dollar stipend, then the NCAA would have to pay a total of $20,160,000,000 to studentathletes, which is over $19 billion more than the NCAA made in 2014. While it is unreasonable for NCAA student-athletes to get paid in stipends, student-athletes still need to have more cash in their pockets. That is, student-athletes are being unfairly taken advantage of by the NCAA. Again, according to USA Today, the NCAA made 906.8 million dollars in revenue in the 2014 fiscal year, with the actual athletes not getting a cent of that money.
To fix this injustice, NCAA must allow its student-athletes to be able to profit off of their likeness. That means that the student-athletes would get a share in profit with jersey, video game, player cards, and all other merchandise that include the name/face of the student-athletes. This would allow for the student-athletes to get the money they need to get through college, as well as eliminate the NCAA’s corrupt current policy on likeness: that the student-athlete’s name must be taken out of anything related to the school. That is why no jerseys that are sold in stores have a player’s name on it, and is why on every NCAA video game all of the player’s are labeled as “QB #5” instead of “Teddy Bridgewater,” as pathetic attempts to claim that the NCAA was not profiting on its student-athletes. However, most people have easily seen through these embarrassing claims. On August 6, 2013, ESPN College Basketball analyst Jay Bilas went to the NCAA’s official online shop and searched the name “Johnny Manziel,” the former Texas A&M star quarterback and 2012 Heisman trophy winner. The search results popped up with a slew of number two Aggie jerseys, which was Manziel’s number. This came despite the NCAA’s long insistence that specific jerseys for sale aren’t connected to specific players. The NCAA was clearly profiting off of Manziel, while Manziel could not profit off of his own likeness. In the summer of 2013, the man nicknamed “Johnny Football” was suspended by the NCAA for breaking the organization’s rule about autograph signing. According to ESPN, a broker paid Manziel 7,500 dollars to sign over 300 mini football helmets and other memorabilia. The NCAA should not be able to directly profit off of its own student-athletes when it does not allow the student-athletes to even profit off of their own likeness. From 1993 up until last year, the NCAA made college football and basketball video games. Because the NCAA claims to not profit off of specific student-athletes, the empire replaced all of the players names’ with their position and numbers. For example, instead of being “John Wall” in an NCAA Basketball video game, Wall would be called “PG #11.” Again, this fulled nobody, and in July 2009, former UCLA basketball player Ed O’Bannon sued the NCAA on the issue, rightfully claiming that the NCAA took advantage of its student-athletes likeness. In August of 2014, the court ruled in favor of O’Bannon, and the NCAA violated antitrust laws by wrongfully showing student-athletes likeness in the video games. Instead of going through all of this mess, the NCAA should just allow its student-athletes to profit off of their own likeness. The NCAA has become greedy, and has completely forgotten about the student-athletes they are responsible for. While scholarships cover some costs, all student-athletes deserve to have additional income, and change is coming sooner rather than later. The founder of fanangel.com, a website that allows fans to pledge cash that student athletes receive after they leave college (similar to kickstarter), Shawn Fotik, founder of fanangel.com, said, “The courts are telling the world—It’s not a matter of if we’re going to pay college athletes. It’s how and when.”
I can hear music coming out of my printer, I think the paper’s jammin’ again! ground P manual f
UN
TWIN TA K E O V E R This is Part One of a Two Part series featuring athletes at Manual who compete internationally. Blades slice and stab through the air as two masked men shuffle around each other. Back and forth they go; stab, perry, dodge. Their footwork looks as if they’re dancing — one foot forward one foot back. This is a typical Saturday afternoon for Jason Xu (12, MST) and Jonathan Xu (12, MST). Jason and Jonathan are twin brothers who share a strong passion for fencing. However, fencing is not a very popular sport in the U.S. and especially not in Kentucky. Since there are not any high school fencing teams in Jefferson County, Jason and Jonathan only have each other to train with, which creates a lot of competition between the two. “The competition is more like a rivalry,” Jonathan said. “It’s mainly just to push each other because there aren’t a lot of fencers in Kentucky, it’s just us two.” Jonathan Xu (left) (12, MST) challenges his The sport of fencing was invented in Europe, the brother Jason Xu (12, MST) at a local tournament continent where the sport is most popular. Unlike in Indiana in 2013. Photo by Stabbysox. professional basketball, fencing is not televised in the U.S. like it is in Europe, so young kids usually do not get exposure to fencing unless they have family members who are interested in the sport. The Xus’ family introduced Jason and Jonathan to fencing. They began the sport at a young age and have been fencing for over a decade. “When my parents moved to the states, they knew that they wanted us to do fencing,” Jason said. “That’s basically how we got into it.” In bigger cities, such as Los Angeles or New York City where fencing is more popular, there are clubs for young fencers. Those clubs may have as many as 50 fencers that are all around the same skill level who train together and make themselves better. “Most of the time we just train in our basement,” Jonathan said. “Sometimes, when one of us doesn’t feel like working, the other one has to push the other to work harder. If one of us isn’t working to get better, the other one can’t benefit.” However, Jason and Jonathan’s rivalry goes beyond training to make each other better. “If Jonathan does better than me at a competition, I feel the need to do better at the next one to prove myself and to catch up,” Jason said. Jason and Jonathan have also had to fence against each other in tournaments. “We’ve faced each other in competitions plenty of times, it’s basically even,” Jonathan said. “He beats me sometimes, I beat him sometimes depending on the day that we have.” Even with the lack of fencers to train with in Kentucky, Jason and Jonathan have both been very successful. In addition to having each other to train and learn with, Jason and Jonathan have another mentor to teach them how to master fencing. “My grandmother was a coach for China’s national team,” Jason said. “She trained Olympians and she was a pretty big fencing legend back in China.” In 2014, in the 17-year-old age group, Jonathan was ranked 13th in the nation and Jason was ranked sixth in the nation. Because of the Xus’ national success, they have been able to travel all over the world. “We were able to go to all the international tournaments,” Jason said. “We competed in Austria, Sweden, France, Italy, and America.” While they were competing in international tournaments, Jason and Jonathan were still focused on their ultimate goal: competing in the FIE Fencing World Cup. The World Cup is the most prestigious and competitive competition for a fencer. In the World Cup, a fencer will compete on an international stage against the best fencers in the world. To compete in the World Cup, a fencer has to do well in national tournaments. Each year there are around four international tournaments for each age group. If a fencer wins in those tournaments, they receive national points. Fencers are then ranked by how many national points they have, and the top twenty fencers in the US are selected to compete in the World Cup for their age group. In 2015, Jason and Jonathan experienced similar success in the 19-year-old age group. “I was able to qualify for a junior world club which is like the next level up from the seventeen year old age group world cup,” Jason said. “They only select 12 fencers in the nation, so you have to get ranked in the top 12 to qualify.”
WORDS BY WILL KUHN
may 2015 | sports << 17
THE XU BROTHERS REFLECT ON THEIR HIGH SCHOOL FENCING CAREERS Fencing is both physically and mentally demanding. Stamina and speed are both very important because during a match, the fencer constantly has to be changing moves, moving their feet, and attacking. There is not an instant when the fencer is not moving. To be successful, they not only have to be physically prepared, but also mentally prepared. “You can go into a competition really nervous and your opponent might be really in the zone and be able to beat you mentally,” Jason said. “That in turn can also win the battle.” Strategy is also vital to be successful in fencing. “We call fencing physical chess,” Jason said. “It’s not only a physical battle with your opponent but also a mental battle.” Not only do moves have to be determined in a split second, but each move has to counteract the opponent’s previous move. “You have to be constantly thinking about strategies because not one action will work twice in fencing,” Jason said. “You have to constantly develop new actions to work on.” Fencing can be an individual and a team sport. At the college level, much like wrestling, fencing is a team sport. Players compete individually. Depending on how and if they win, their team gets points. After every match the team with the higher score wins. This means that players can win their match, but their team could still lose and visa versa. The scoring system for fencing is based on a point system in which points are awarded when a fencer touches their opponent in the target zone. According to the rules of the U.S. Fencing Association, depending on the type of competition, matches can last five touches with a time limit of three minutes or fifteen touches and a time limit of nine minutes. There are three weapons used in fencing, and each weapon allows for a different area in which fencers can target an opponent. The first is called an épée, which grants players a point when they touch their opponent anywhere on the body. Next is a sabre. When using a sabre, players are limited to attacks above the waist. Last is the foil, which allows players to target the torso. Because a sword is used in fencing, there are many safety precautions that are taken in order to ensure safety for all of the fencers involved. Fencers have to wear a face mask, fencing jacket, a pair of protective pants, vest, and a glove that covers the sleeve on the sword arm. Jason and Jonathan will attempt to continue their success at the college level. Division 1 colleges recognized the Xus’ talent levels and began recruiting them last year. Jason will fence for the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, and Jonathan will fence for Yale University. Fencing is a huge part of the Xus’ life and they may even try to compete after college. “Depending on how my NCAA career goes I was planning on taking a year off after college to train for Tokyo,” Jason said. “Maybe I can make the Olympics but I don’t know, we’ll see.” The sound of metal clinking together echoed throughout the gym. The Xu twins were battling fiercely against one another in the semifinals of a tournament in Louisville in December of 2014. In an elimination round to fifteen touches, Jonathan was victorious over his brother Jason by one touch. “I didn’t feel nervous before. It honestly just felt like another match,” said Jonathan. “I performed really well in all my previous matches and I was just feeling really good before the match.” After beating Jason, Jonathan went on to face a former Olympic team fencer ranked in the top eight. Jonathan handled his opponent with ease and won the entire tournament. “Winning the tournament in that way was really satisfying,” Jonathan said. “It was definitely one of my all time favorite moments.”
To write with a broken pencil is pointless. ground P manual f
UN
18<< opinion | MAY 2015 NUMBER OF MEASLES CASES IN THE UNITED STATES
Eating animal crackers during snack time, playing hopscotch outside, and scraping knees on the playground are all memories we share from childhood. Elementary school is a safe haven for most, but danger lurks within the colorfully decorated hallways. Polio. Measles. Whooping cough. These formerly common childhood diseases have been all but eliminated in developed countries; however, because of the anti-vaccine (or anti-vax) movement they are coming back — and not slowly. The anti-vaccination movement gained traction in recent years because of the media attention it has received after being endorsed by celebrities such as Jenny McCarthy, Donald Trump, and Jim Carrey. These anti-vaxxers claim that vaccinations are inherently bad and therefore choose not to vaccinate themselves or their families and urge others to do the same. According to the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), the number of new measles cases in the United States rose from 159 in 2013 to 644 in 2014. The number has not been that high in a quarter of a century. The anti-vax movement is pushing the rewind button on decades of medical progress. So why would parents choose not to vaccinate their children? The primary argument coming from the anti-vax movement is that vaccines themselves are dangerous. Among the supposed dangers are the risk of autism, harmful chemicals, and the fear that a child might get the disease that a vaccine aims to prevent. Secondary arguments are that if other children are immunized, anti-vaxxer’s do not need to be because they’ll be protected by herd immunity. Or they argue that the diseases that children are often vaccinated for have largely disappeared. However, these statements
WORDS BY HARPER CARLTON | ILLUSTRATION BY SAM WEIBLE
and concerns have been found false by the scientific community and vaccinations remain an integral part of modern medicine. The choice to vaccinate is not a solitary preference. Herd immunity describes a form of indirect immunity that occurs when large percentages of a population are immune from a certain disease. Though the term herd immunity is often and openly disputed, there is concrete evidence from the CDC that choosing not to vaccinate has a negative effect on other people. If a person can not afford to get vaccinated, they rely on the eradication of diseases to remain protected. This means that while a few members of a population may be okay if they are not vaccinated, the majority still needs to be. Assuming that you can go without vaccinating your child just because there is this safety net is selfish and ignorant. Also, herd immunity is not guaranteed, even if a large percentage of a population is immune. Those who are not vaccinated can still fall subject to an easily avoidable, perhaps deadly disease. Along with the idea that you are exempt from getting vaccinations, comes the theory that because certain diseases have virtually disappeared, they do not pose a real threat. But, to keep certain diseases at bay, people must get immunized. In fact, the anti-vax movement has spurred the resurgence of pertussis, chicken pox, mumps, and measles. These diseases have made comebacks in developed countries, like the United States, where they should be completely avoidable. In 2012, officials found 84 cases of chickenpox in Vigo County, Ind., a town that normally experiences only ten cases annually. Dr. Joan Duwve, M.D., of the Indiana State Department of Health said that the extremely contagious outbreak had likely spread from a single case of an unvaccinated child.
2014
2013
accination alidation
NOT GETTING VACCINATED HAS DETRIMENTAL REPERCUSSIONS
2012
SOURCES: CENTERS FOR DISEASE CONTROL (CDC)
55
Although chicken pox is a concern, the biggest current vaccine-related medical threat is the viral infection called measles. Measles kills 1 in every 500 children affected according to the CDC. As of April 23, the number of people who have contracted measles in the United States during 2015 is 162. Most of these cases have occurred in California, particularly Orange County, near Disneyland. This year 67 cases of measles have been reported in the Disneyland park, only five of the patients for whom vaccination status is known were fully vaccinated. Because measles spreads easily in large groups where people are unvaccinated, babies and those who have not received a measles shot have been urged to stay away. At this rate, the measles numbers for 2015 are expected to be higher than the 644 cases last year. The reasons why the great majority are choosing not to vaccinate are not backed by most physicians and medical authorities; they are hearsay. In past years, there have been rumors that the chemicals found in vaccinations can lead to autism or are ultimately ineffective in preventing diseases. Now that it has been established that the diseases you can be vaccinated against are dangerous, is it wiser to get vaccinated or are you just as safe to go without? Weighing the benefits of a communicable disease and autism, the communicable disease should present the biggest threat. The infectious poliovirus disease, which can cause both paralysis and death, should frighten people much more than having autism.Besides that, autism is a neurodevelopmental disease that cannot affect a child already born. People with autism include director Tim Burton, author Temple Grandin, and even scientist Albert Einstein. Therefore the fear of autism,
159
644
which is impossible to get from a vaccination, would be irrational when compared to a lifethreatening disease. Furthermore, telling people you are deciding not to vaccinate yourself or your children because they might “catch autism” is extremely offensive. People that do suffer from the disease could assume you mean that autism is worse than death. If you do not get vaccinated you could get tuberculosis, which has a death rate of 1.5 million per year, but if you do get vaccinated some falsely think you could get autism. Even if getting autism was a viable conclusion, the threat of death should outweigh it. As for the chemicals found within the vaccines themselves, they are no more dangerous than the candy parents give to their children. We live in a world where it is impossible to know the names and meaning of everything we consume. Just because a word is unknown does not mean it is inherently bad. For example Aluminum Hydroxide is found in the vaccines of the Human Papillomavirus (HPV ), Hepatitis A, Hepatitis B, and Anthrax. While it may sound like an ominous material, in reality it’s just a compound of aluminum, oxygen, and hydrogen. It is used to purify water and is found in most supermarket antacids. The advances of modern medicine should continue on the track to advancement, not to be foiled by the trajectory of anti-vaxxers. It is not fair for a small group of ill informed people to ruin the safety of millions. For the safety of you and your children or siblings, please visit your doctor or pharmacy and receive your annual vaccinations.
MAY 2015 | EDITORIAL << 19
LETTER FROM THE EDITORS As a staff, we’ve tried to push the limits as much as possible. Pushing the limits is hard, much less breaking the barriers with elegance and ease. During the 2014-2015 school year, we’ve tried to change things up regarding photography, design and writing. Throughout the year, our staff has been stuck on the idea of having a theme. With breaking the theme this issue, we’ve encountered some difficulties and some successes. A success we’ve had this issue was with our writer Harper Carlton. Harper was assigned a story about Adderall, a topic not usually covered in our newspaper. Recently the New York Times covered a similar topic discussing Adderall in the workplace. We are always afraid to push the limits with stories centered around subjects such as drugs and alcohol, and having Harper write this story was risky. She used three anonymous sources, but Harper executed the story very well, telling about the abuse of the drug due to the stress students have to succeed. Another well-deserved kudos goes to copy editor Chris Roussell and design editor Josh Jean-Marie. They have set the example of feature writing for the rest of the year and for the next school year. Their feature story on homelessness in Manual and the community goes incredibly in-depth and is definitely one of the best stories ever published in our paper. Our photographers Emily Cieminski and Sam Sims got an exclusive chance to cover the Kentucky Museum of Arts and Crafts (KMAC) Fashion Show. The tickets to the KMAC Fashion Show are over $100, and our photographers received an exclusive press pass to photograph the show for free. The Crimson Record has never covered the KMAC Fashion Show although we have covered others in the past. The photos of the KMAC Fashion Show are arranged into a photo essay for viewing. Issue 8 is our second-to-last issue of the year. As the year is coming to a close, we’ve watched each and every staff member mature and grow into strengths they never knew they’ve had before. New staff members are stepping up and showing their leadership skills, as well as their various other skills. Our next issue is Issue 9: The Graduation Issue. Keep your eyes peeled for the graduation list detailing where every senior is going to college. Thank you, Lauren Boots and Avalon Gupta VerWiebe
STAFF EDITORs-IN-CHIEF
ASSIGNMENT EDITOR
AVALON GUPTA VERWIEBE LAUREN BOOTS
BREYA JONES
MANAGINg EDITOR
JACK GROSSMAN
PUBLIC EDITOR
ERIN WOGGON
GABRIELL VICTOR GRACE ROTH
DESIGN DIRECTOR
JOSH JEAN-MARIE DESIGNERS
SAM WEIBLE BRADEN VANMETER COPY EDITOR
CHRIS ROUSSELL AD DIRECTOR
TAYLOR LITTLE ADVISER
AMY RITCHIE
SPORTS EDITOR
PHOTO EDITOR
PHOTOGRAPHERS
SHEA DOBSON SAMANTHA SIMS EMILY CIEMINSKI WRITERS
HARPER CARLTON WILL LAKE WILL KUHN SOCIAL MEDIA
ALICE HARRIS
Crimson Record Mission Statement OUR PURPOSE We, the staff of the Crimson Record, will strive to report news that serves to inform and explain relevant information to the student body by producing an award-winning newspaper which provides a safe space for the exchange of ideas and opinions and serves as a watchdog for the student body and administration.
TREYTON OAK TOWERS 211 W Oak St, Louisville, KY | (502) 589-3211
MICHAEL FRYAR â&#x20AC;&#x2122;14
ROTARY GLOBAL GRANT SCHOLAR ADVANCED STUDY: M.S. DEVELOPMENT STUDIES, LONDON SCHOOL OF ECONOMICS AND POLITICAL SCIENCE
A Centre degree leads to global opportunities. Inspired to expand their boundaries, Centre graduates have built an impressive record
of winning highly competitive international awards, including Rhodes, Fulbright, and Rotary scholarships.
#CentreAbroad
www.centre.edu