The United States is not the land of equality it claims to be.
What if I told you in 2014 not all Americans were viewed equally before the law? That in the 21st century, Thomas Jefferson’s vision of America where all have “certain unalienable rights“–the supposed foundation of our society–has still not been achieved? What if I told you the United States of America–a nation that prides itself on being the world’s leader in progressivism and democracy–is behind the curve on civil rights?
Politicians, in the Machiavellian sense, always act according to the best interests of their principality. Whether trying to raise money to support their political interests, increase awareness of an issue or gun for reelection, politicians always have the ultimate goal in mind–to preserve their authority. Since the Italian Renaissance and onward, politicians have adhered to Machiavellian ideals…perhaps now more than ever.
The Ebola outbreak has spread panic and hysteria across the world. The death toll in West Africa, where the virus’s epicenter lies, is almost at 5,000. The death rate from infection is nearly 40%. The virus is deadly and spreading, with a handful of cases arriving in the United States. As the American people worry about a possible epidemic widening its reach to American soil, creative solutions are needed to eliminate the chance of a viral disaster in the U.S.
The Ebola virus is seriously deadly.
There is no cure or vaccine for the virus, which causes diarrhea, vomiting, loss of internal organ function and internal bleeding. The only way to stop the expanding scope of the disease is to isolate those infected with the virus. The virus has become so deadly in West Africa due to an unacceptable healthcare infrastructure. West African nations–specifically Guinea, Liberia, and Sierra Leone–have been unable to curb the Ebola pathogen because of poor health management and a lack of manpower. West Africa needs trained health workers to control the virus by identifying infected people, treating them, and most importantly, for the larger community’s sake, quarantining carriers of the disease. West Africa needs more people like Kaci Hilcox.
Hilcox, a professional nurse, traveled to Sierra to treat ebola Ebola patients. She did the world a service–selflessly flying halfway around the world to help fight a deadly virus. She exposed herself to danger–possible infection–in order to help save lives. She is a hero, and one who was entitled to a hero’s welcome when she arrived back home in the U.S. on October 24th. Yet, this hero’s welcome was not meant to be.
When Hilcox returned home, she was forced to adhere to new standards implemented to reduce the odds of an Ebola outbreak in the U.S. A body temperature scanner recorded her as having a 101 degree fever.
Gov. Christie took strident action against Hilcox.
She claims her temperature was later recorded at 98.6 degrees–normal body temperature. She asserts that her body temperature read 101 because she suffered through hours of questioning after her plane flight arrived, which lead her to feel “frustrated and flushed”. She was tested for Ebola by government officials. Her test came back negative, and she showed no symptoms of having the virus.
New Jersey Governor Chris Christie ordered a mandatory quarantine of Hilcox despite her negative test. She was forced to live in a tent outside of a New Jersey hospital for three days. Christie defended his decision as one of necessity, but the question is: did Christie abuse his power by forcing Hilcox into quarantine? Continue reading
The fates of Renardo Sidney and thousands of other once-aspiring hoopers did not call for the stardom that James Harden accomplished.
The story of Renardo Sidney is an unfortunate tale. A 6’10” big man and high school teammate of All-NBA superstar James Harden, Sidney was on the fast track to NBA success. Sidney was a 5-star prospect and recruited by nearly every major NCAA Division 1 school. Yet when it came close to signing day and his decision to choose a college loomed near, almost all of the schools that recruited him retracted their interest amid concerns over his poor academics. Sidney had placed so little emphasis on his academics in high school as he concentrated on basketball that his grades scared off universities where student-athletes only need to maintain a C-average to maintain their eligibility. Sidney ended up attending Mississippi State University, a program with little basketball tradition, and after 3 lackluster years–including a one year suspension and making national news for physically fighting a teammate–Sidney declared pro so he could finally realize his life-long dream of playing in the NBA. However once draft day came, Sidney’s name was not called and his dream was put on hold until (hopefully) a team would call to sign him as an undrafted free agent. That call never came, and Sidney was forced to moonlight in the Mexican basketball league until his job there came to an end. At 24 years old, Renardo Sidney is out of basketball as he now must redirect his life completely.
I played on one of the top teams in the country as a 12 year old so as a former regular of the youth basketball club circuit, I was often surrounded by the hype of certain peers at games and tournaments. I remember the frenzy after my team finished in 4th place at AAU Nationals, and parents and peers rushed to the computer to check the tournament message boards for player rankings and round up reports. My teammates and I were sixth graders, yet it seemed like life for a few of us was already figured out, as 3 of my teammates were ranked in the top 10 in the country for our age. These 12 year olds, peers of mine, were set on the path to basketball specialization, and they and their parents bought into it wholeheartedly.
I also remember learning about the Texas Titans–who featured a player named J’Mychal Reese whose college recruitment process ultimately netted his father a job at the university he committed to, only until Reese was kicked off the team after his suspension-marred freshman year–while watching them play at Nationals. The Texas Titans were famous in the youth basketball universe, and the stands for their game were packed. Though the team was located in Texas, they recruited select players from around the country–often flying kids in for tryouts, workouts and exhibition games. Players selected to the team were encouraged to adopt basketball as a way of life–there was no room for anything else. If you weren’t in the gym, you were wasting away your shot at glory. But the true ordeal lies in what they perceive as greatness. Young athletes are led to believe that greatness lies in being the best in one thing, whether that’s basketball, softball, chess or hunting. However, this logic is truly flawed.
As author Anthony Trollope illustrates, virtue is not found in specialization. Rather, virtue is based in worldliness. Trollope’s gentleman does not dedicate himself to just one sport. Rather, he is an earthly human being–not a specialist in any sort, but a jack of all trades. The gentleman does not isolate one sport as his area of expertise for this specialization compromises the value of the craft. Being too devoted to a certain sport demeans success in that sport because anyone, according to Trollope, can be successful in something if they dedicate their entire existence to it. It is more impressive to steer clear of specialization and still excel in numerous sports, then it is to excel in only one. People should strive to be like Swiss army knives–able in multiple facets of life.
Soccer academies are serious about the importance they put on soccer.
The problem isn’t just an American one either. European soccer clubs (or football as they call it across the pond) are famous for their strict youth academies. European soccer clubs basically have their own schooling system where teaching football is first priority. These academies not deemphasize the importance of a multi-subject education. These young athletes, whose lives exhibit such promise, fall victim to chance–they put all of their eggs in one basket, per say. They have no backup options in their quest for soccer glory–no education or skills besides their sport to fall back on. Besides the plain unlikeliness of any one individual becoming a professional athlete, a single injury can completely ruin their chances of reaching the greatness they desire.
Why must kids jump wholeheartedly into just one sport?
For every LeBron James, there is a Renardo Sydney, a J’Mychal Reese, and thousands others. The current youth athletic culture in America is flawed and misguides our youth. These teenagers are left with nothing to fall back on. All they know is their one sport that their lives have been based on. They have sacrificed their education and social lives in the hope of reaching the highest level of their sport. They are left with nothing to show for their athletic prowess except knowledge of how close they were. Now, they lack skills and are limited in their knowledge of the world outside their sport. They are left as misguided twenty-somethings and teenagers in search of a new career, and a new path in life. There should be no rush to force kids into a certain career path. Today’s youth should explore various activities and different facets of life–not just one.
As a freshman at the University of Michigan, I feel pressure to apply to the Ross School of Business. I find myself surrounded by thousands of freshman, all of whom–whether they admit it or not–are angling for admission to Ross.
I have visions of walking into the sleek orange and blue building that is Ross and feeling like I am a part of the #4 undergraduate business program in the nation. I can see myself ordering a morning cappuccino in the Starbucks in Ross’s lobby while hurrying to a lecture where everyone will be wearing a fancy suit and carrying a designer label suitcase. There’s only one problem with my dream of Ross acceptance…I’m not interested in studying business.
The B-School sure is quite a sight to behold.
I like studying history, writing, government, and the humanities. Those have been my favorite subjects since the beginning of high school. It would make sense for me to want to major in political science, English or public policy among other subjects. Yet, I rarely consider these academic focuses as my first choice–I desire to gain acceptance to Ross. A degree from Ross in finance sounds successful.
See, I, like many others, equate acceptance into Ross with success. Success is defined as “the accomplishment of one’s goals”. Yet, if I’m not actually interested in studying and learning about business, why am I so attracted to Ross? There is a wide-spread social and cultural dilemma at the core of my affection for Ross. Continue reading
“[Amateurism]’s one of the most fundamental principles of the NCAA and intercollegiate athletics. They have always seen and assumed that intercollegiate athletics is about the notion that these are members of the student body. They’re not hired employees conducting games for entertainment. They’re not a random group of folks that just come together to play sports.”
—National Collegiate Athletic Association President Mark Emmert.
The NCAA is a corrupt institution that operates under the fantastical guise of “amateurism”. In reality, however, amateurism at the NCAA Division 1 level is a sham. The
NCAA’s stranglehold on so-called “student-athletes” is outdated and ridiculous.
Amateurism is an outdated ideal that no longer has a place in significant modern sports. Amateurism is the notion that competitors play their sport solely for the intrinsic value of playing their sport. Furthermore, rules in amateur sports are supposed to benefit those playing the game as opposed to those observing it. However amateurism is an outdated remnant of a past time when television and gate revenues did not exist.
As first noted by Eric Dunning almost 20 years ago, there is a growing schism in modern sports. He suggests that amateur sports are disappearing as sports have become so prized by society that many people seem to have a religious devotion to them. Dunning discusses the fall of amateurism in modern sports by mentioning the British Rugby Football Union (RFU). 
The RFU has struggled since the late 1800’s to uphold its pure amateur values as the number of spectators and the reliance of clubs on commercial and spectator revenues have grown. Additionally, the increase in spectators, hiring of full-time officials, allegations of players being paid, and the proliferation of leagues and cups have destroyed the once proud amateurism present in the RFU. However, the RFU still lays claim to the amateurism of its athletes, even though these players do most of the heavy lifting in increasing the profit margins of the RFU. This claim of amateurism is merely just that—a claim. The real motive behind the RFU’s insistence on their athletes being recognized as amateurs is greed for the RFU does not want to hand over the athletes’ fair share of the pot to them. The reprehensible actions of the RFU are not too dissimilar from the actions of an organization across the pond—the NCAA.
While Yik Yak can be deplorable, egregious, offensive and utterly tasteless, it is a vital outlet for college students. That is why my learned colleague jessxl, I beg to differ.
So what is Yik Yak?
No, Yik Yak is not a dating website for the lovable Himalayan animals that its name suggests it is. Sorry to disappoint all you yak lovers out there.
See, Yik Yak is a popular mobile application that is currently an increasingly popular social media tool on college campuses across the country. Yik Yak allows users who download the app–which can be done easily with the click of a button on smartphones–to post comments on a live feed that all other users within a certain geographical radius can see and either upvote (similar to a like) or downvote (a dislike :( ). Posters have the option to post anonymously–this feature encourages users to speak their minds in a free-flowing manner without having to face the consequences of their statements being attributed to them. So as you could guess by now, it’s obvious as to why this app would be popular on college campuses where tens of thousands of immature and freshly anointed young adults are co-existing in the same area. Posts frequently somehow incorporate profanity, obscenity and vulgarity to create a perfect blend of crudity.
However, what is left out of the description of the app above are the merits of Yik Yak. Yik Yak contains tons upon tons of funny anecdotes, helpful tips and interesting tidbits. Yik Yak’s reputation has fallen due to the actions of the few, not the many. Not all users frequent the app in a disrespectful manner; many use it to enjoy a quick laugh on a tough day…and that is what bring us to the second part of our discussion of Yik Yak. Continue reading
Touchdown Theory 
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