The Anchor - March 30, 2020

Volume 93/Issue XX

THE

March 30th, 2020

ANCHOR

Rhode Island College’s Independent Student Newspaper Since 1928

Sweet home Rhode Island College: Quarantined on campus on campus. These individuals each have their own reasons for staying on campus, ranging from unstable home situations to travel restrictions impeding their ability to get home. These remainJake Elmslie ing residents are confrontSports Editor ed with unique issues in the face of a near nationwide While a majority of Rhode shutdown, and their situaIsland College students re- tion was further complicatmain quarantined in their ed by a Monday afternoon own homes, over 50 students announcement from Presiremain in the residence halls dent Sanchez that a student still residing in the residence halls had tested positive for COVID-19.

The fact that a student living in the residence halls, specifically Penfield Hall, tested positive for COVID-19 was news to the students still living on campus. According to multiple students still remaining in the residence halls, Photo courtesy of Billy Ramirez they were giv-

Inside this week:

en no prior warning of the positive test result, or that the student was even undergoing testing. They learned of this at the same time as the rest of the RIC community.

As stated by President Sanchez in an email addressed to the RIC community, the student in question is currently engaging in self-isolation in Penfield Hall. However, beyond food from Donovan Dining Center being delivered to their suite door there is reportedly little being done to ensure the infected student remains isolated.

Also, according to a student resident who requested to remain anonymous as they currently reside on campus, there is a second student, a now former suitemate of the infected individual, who is also engaging in self-isolation as a precaution.

Some of the residents are unhappy with the continued presence of these individuals. “Well, personally I feel like they shouldn’t have even allowed them to be quarantined here. You’re putting an entire community at risk by keeping them in the building. Like God forbid they

decide to go to the vending machine or something stupid. I don’t think they should be here. And I think that because they’re here that’s why we haven’t even consolidated yet” said the anonymous source. Students residing in Penfield Hall were also never made aware of the location of the infected individuals room or given a floor number.

Some students and resident advisors were unwilling to comment when approached due to a fear of retribution from administration.

A plan was laid out to consolidate all of the remaining residents to Penfield Hall on March 23. However, on that date, the remaining residents received an email from Di-

rector of Residential Life and Housing Darcy Dubois at 11:19 a.m. stating, “Housekeeping is busy cleaning the halls and is taking a bit longer than we expected, so we are going to have to delay moving this afternoon.”

Currently there is no new date set for consolidation.

Those who chose to leave campus have faced difficulties of their own. “I had to move my stuff out in a hurry because housing said you only had a limited time to move out to qualify for a reContinued on pg. 3 Left & above: Penfield Hall Graphics courtesy of ric.edu and Bacon Construction

News

Opinions

Arts & Entertainment

Sports

Commencement ceremonies cancellatoin pg. 3

Switching to online learning pg. 6

Netflix and quarantine pg. 7

MLB’s search for normalcy pg. 9

The Anchor Newspaper

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The Anchor is student-run and published weekly during the academic year. Editorial decisions for The Anchor are made by a majority vote of its student editorial board. No form of censorship will be imposed by the college. Any material found to be unsuitable or unacceptable in the board’s opinion will not be published. The views expressed in The Anchor, unless otherwise noted, are those of the individual authors and do not necessarily represent those of The Anchor or of Rhode Island College’s faculty, administration or student body. The Anchor is not funded by and is independent from Rhode Island College. The first copy is free. Each additional copy is $2.25. Newspaper racks on the Rhode Island College campus are the property of The Anchor Newspaper. Only The Anchor Newspaper publication will be permitted on these racks. Any other publication or advertisement that is placed on the racks will be given one (1) warning for violating this policy. After two (2) violations, the business/publication will be billed at the rate of a full page advertisement.

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Legalities:

News Cancellation of commencement ceremony causes copious complaints from college students

Lucille Di Naro Managing Editor For many college students, there is no better remedy for sleepless nights and hours of hard work than earning their degree in the company of family and dear friends.

Unfortunately for the Class of 2020, this triumphant moment for soon-to-be graduates has been put on hold.

On March 23, Rhode Island

College became the fifth higher education institution in the state to cancel their Spring 2020 commencement ceremony due to rising COVID-19 concerns.

The fate of RIC’s 166th Baccalaureate Commencement, which was scheduled to take place on May 16, is unclear. In an email sent to prospective graduates last Monday, President Frank Sánchez cited safety concerns in his decision to cancel the event.

“While the unprecedented circumstances in which we find ourselves necessitate this decision out of concern for the health and safety of our community, the deci-

sion is no less difficult and heart-wrenching,” said Sánchez. “You have devoted time to your courses, made personal and family sacrifices and have worked night and day to earn your degrees. Members of the faculty, staff and administration are collective in our disappointment that we cannot demonstrate our pride nor celebrate your accomplishments as traditionally planned.”

Although RIC has expressed its intent to “honor [graduates] appropriately at another time,” students are skeptical as to whether a traditional commencement ceremony will occur. These fears were exacerbated by the announcement that students

who ordered academic regalia for pickup at the Grad Expo will not receive their order. Rather, RIC has arranged for these students to receive an automatic refund.

Caitlyn Lafleche, a member of the Class of 2020, launched a change.org petition in an effort to secure a traditional commencement ceremony this fall. The petition, which was first shared in the RIC Class of 2020 Facebook page on March 23, has garnered over 2,500 signatures in support of this initiative. Supporters of the petition, like RIC senior Carmen Nunez, have expressed their frustration with Sánchez’s decision. “I

deserve a graduation. I have worked so hard and my children have earned the right to see me walk,” said Nunez on the change.org website.

Alexandra Teare, a fifth year student and prospective graduate, argued against the idea of a virtual ceremony—a graduation alternative suggested by higher education officials at the University of Rhode Island. “I worked so hard to get here. We want our graduation! In the fall, in the winter, we don’t care. But we want a graduation!” said Teare. “And not with the class of 2021’s ceremony either. There is only so much space in the Dunk and out of respect for us, our families, them, and their families, give the Class of 2020 our own physical graduation ceremony!”

Students and families were told that a decision about the commencement ceremony will be revealed in the coming weeks. In the meantime, prospective graduates have been reassured that diplomas will be mailed on schedule in late May. RIC has instructed prospective graduates to confirm their home address with the Records Office, as diplomas will be mailed to the most current mailing address on file. Students may contact the Records Office at records@ric.edu to update their mailing address as needed.

Pictured: RIC 2018 Commencement Ceremoies Graphic courtesy of the Providence Journal

Quarantined on campus, continued from pg. 1 fund. And my parents wanted me home so it was a lot to suddenly pack and take on the road in two trips, I was hit with a lot of papers to start when I was in the middle of trying to get my living situation together. I’ve never asked for an extension before in all my years of working here and I had to this year

because of the tremendous workload that blindsided me, but I understand the precautions I have to take to ensure everyone’s safety” said Jonathan Goncalves, a RIC senior who formerly resided in Weber Hall.

For the remaining residents, access to the materials necessary to make the transition to online learning has not been an issue. Multiple residents pointed to

the library remaining open, albeit on restricted hours, as an adequate source of needed materials. Beginning March 30 the library will be switching to a closed stacks model with students and faculty members being able to pick up items such as laptops and books in the main lobby while the building itself remains closed to the public. Whipple Hall has also remained open in the interim, giving stu-

dents access to the computer labs located in the building.

Dining Services are still operating on campus with some changes. While The Cafe is currently closed, Donovan Dining Center is still operating under normal hours.

However, in accordance with Governor Raimondo’s recent legislation regarding restaurant capacity, only take out service is available.

While the dorms are far

emptier than usual not all the residents have embraced isolation. Some students have elected to spend the bulk of their time alone in their rooms, others are still spending time socializing with one another and even the occasional basketball game can still be spotted outside of Willard Hall.

Rhode Island College’s Independent Student Newspaper Since 1928 | 3

Opinions Who is your PPE protecting?

Abigail Nilsson Editor in Chief Abigail is a Communication and Journalism major from Lincoln, RI. (Class of 2020) Gown, goggles, gloves and masks, or personal protective equipment, are what I am used to donning when I am working as a nursing assistant or student nurse and entering a patient room that is considered to be highly infectious.

I was trained, as part of my medical certification, how to properly put on and remove my PPE to protect myself and stop the transfer of infectious disease to others.

The process of wearing and removing PPE is not overly complicated, but it does require some knowledge how to properly use it, otherwise you can be spreading contagions without being aware.

While it may seem like a good idea, preventative even, to put on a mask and gloves before going into a store, it is important to keep in mind a few things: First, masks move around on your face, and most people are not used to wearing them, that it comes naturally to touch and readjust it while wearing gloves. Touching your face while wearing gloves that you touched contaminated surfaces with is not going to prevent coronavirus, or other infections. You are still spreading microorganisms from a surface, to the glove and

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then to other surfaces you touch, including yourself.

Second, when working around highly contagious pathogens it is important to constantly wash your hands.

This is why doctors and nurses change their gloves and wash their hands after every patient they touch. Before you put the gloves on, it is important for you to wash, or at least sanitize your hands before entering a store, and because you do not know if you are an asymptomatic carrier.

Every store is now offering sanitizing wipes for you to wipe down a cart or basket.

This is a great measure to prevent transmission of bacteria. Once you clean off your cart, it is important to change your gloves and sanitize your hands, otherwise the sanitizing was pointless because you already touched the contaminated surface and the organisms on your gloves.

Since this is the first time you should change your gloves when you are in the market, there is a proper way to remove your gloves so you are not contaminating yourself. The Center for Disease Control recommends removing your gloves by first grasping the outside of one glove at the wrist. Do not touch your bare skin. Then peel the glove away from your body, pulling it inside out. Now, hold the glove you just removed in your gloved hand. You can then peel off the second glove by putting your fingers inside the glove at the top of your wrist. Turn the second glove inside out while pulling it away from your body, leaving the first glove inside the second.

Dispose of the gloves safe-

ly. Do not reuse the gloves.

Finally, the CDC states to clean your hands immediately after removing gloves.

Now that you put on a pair of new gloves, it is safe for you to shop around the store.

You get what you need, you aren’t touching your face, you get to the checkout area, pay with cash, get back to your car and reach in your pocket with your now contaminated glove. The best

way to help yourself and others is to take the gloves off, toss them on their way out of the store (since there are trash bins at every entrance, there is no need to toss the gloves in the parking lot or empty carts) and sanitize.

I have seen many people make this common mistake, as well as unloading all of their bags in the car, getting in the driver's seat and driving to their next

destination, Starbucks, with the contaminated gloves still on. The best way to prevent the spread of COVID-19, and other communicable diseases, is to wash your hands. But, if you are going to be using PPE the best defense against any infection is to stop the spread by performing proper hand hygiene and with the correct use of your personal protective equipment. So please stay safe and wash your hands.

The views expressed in The Anchor, unless otherwise noted, are those of the individual authors and do not necessarily represent those of The Anchor or of Rhode Island College’s faculty, administration or student body.

Opinions

In defense of Governor Raimondo

Alexis Rapoza Opinions Editor Alexis is a Communications & Journalism major from Warwick, RI (Class of 2021).

According to a poll done by the “Morning Consult'' late last year, Gina Raimondo was the most unpopular governor in the entire country. Only about 36% of Rhode Islanders voted in favor of the incumbent governor which is not something I find particularly surprising. Nearly everyone I know dislikes our governor.

Whether it be because of her rather liberal policies on government spending or her backing of misogynistic ex-presidential candidate Micheal Bloomberg, most Rhode Islanders hold a mutual dislike for Gov. Raimondo. However, in light of the novel coronavirus currently wreaking havoc on our country I have to wonder if maybe we all misjudged her.

In early March, Rhode Island saw its very first coronavirus cases which stemmed

from a school trip to Italy.

In about a month that number has risen to a little over 200 with, as of March 28th, 2 confirmed deaths from the virus. Although these numbers might seem staggering, compared to some of our closest neighbors, Rhode Island is actually faring quite well. Just over the border Massachusetts has garnered over 4,200 coronavirus and 44 deaths in approximately the same amount of time.

Massachusetts is significantly larger than Little Rhody, but Rhode Island is actually more densely populated, which would make it easier for the virus to spread. Furthermore, according to the Providence Journal, Rhode Island has seen just about 191.51 cases per 1 million residents. In comparison, Massachusetts sees about 470.25 cases per million residents and Connecticut sees approximately 361.62 per million. New England is a tourist heavy region which is why unfortunately these numbers are generally unsurprising.

However, I think for Rhode Islanders, it is safe to say that it could absolutely be worse.

Despite my prior disdain for the Governor I would like to commend her for her aggressive approach to COVID-19.

The cancellation of in person classes and closure of the hospitality industry at first seemed like overkill but I truly believe that hindsight is 20/20 and it is better to do too much than too little.

Had the Governor decided to be complacent and wait for the federal government to do something the situation in our state could be worse.

Governor Raimondo announced a state of emergency in Rhode Island when we had less than 20 cases but because of her diligence the government and residents were given time to prepare themselves. Her press conferences on weekdays are a

transparent look into a politically muddled and scary time for most Americans and provide a much needed leadership during a time when the federal government seems to be 10 steps behind the hardest hit areas.

The patchwork of policy across the country has had a significant contribution to the spread of the virus which is why I find Rhode Island’s attempt to “flatten the curve” so impressive.

Although it's true that our numbers keep rising, that is almost inevitable. The lack of testing caused people who were asymptomatic to spread the virus which

Graphic courtesy of NBC News is why we’re seeing a significant rise in the number of cases. With increased access to testing and Rhode Islander’s continued commitment to social distancing I believe we can “flatten the curve” sooner rather than later.

Governor Raimondo’s prior policies might be politically divisive but I think in retrospect we will thank her for her commitment to the safety of her constituents. People’s true leadership abilities shine through during times of crisis and I think it's safe to say that Governor Raimondo has proven herself to be worthy of her position.

The views expressed in The Anchor, unless otherwise noted, are those of the individual authors and do not necessarily represent those of The Anchor or of Rhode Island College’s faculty, administration or student body.

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Opinions

Rolling with the punches: Switching to online learning

Grace Kimmell Photo Editor Grace is an English and Secondary Education major from Rehoboth, MA. I am sitting on my couch, a fistfull of Cheez-Itz in hand (the extra toasted kind is the best), after watching the news. The United States now has the largest number of confirmed cases in the world for COVID 19, and my allergies have me second-guessing if they are really allergies. I haven’t changed out of my PJ’s for the last three days, I sleep until noon, and I am slipping back into depressed feelings I haven’t felt in a very long time. I know I’m not the only one, isolation is driving us all a little mad while ripping us

from our normal routines.

Many people are going through trauma and are scared of losing a family member’s life, or even their own. In switching one’s mindset from living their normal life to surviving, should they really be concerned about those four major papers that are due next week? Universities and colleges across the nation have shut down their campuses, and a new struggle has arisen within the Coronavirus pandemic: online learning for all. Classes at RIC have been transferred over to online, creating an entirely different learning experience than most students are used to. Classrooms have switched to Blackboard, Google Classroom, ZOOM meetings, and email correspondence to practice social distancing and avoid interaction with classmates and professors. Now, this is all great for staying on

your couch and watching “Tiger King” while you’re technically at “school”, but it adds a layer of difficulty given there is no sense of a set schedule, due dates have changed, and there is no interaction between students and teachers where it’s easy to ask questions right away. All of this serves as an additional struggle on top

of whatever stress students are going through related to COVID-19. Because of this, it is simply that we as students can not be held to the same standard or have the same workload that was expected of us pre-pandemic.

Several students have commented on online classes and their impact. Alison Macbeth, an honors student, stated online learning is a “very useful tool, but nothing replaces in person discussion”. Another student stated, “definitely don’t like it since I can’t interact with my peers and my labs have not been able to happen, making it really hard for me to continue my education as I should be”. The absence of in-person collaboration can lead to feelings such as loneliness, frustration, and as

though they no longer have control over their education because they don’t have easy access to professors, people, or tools like they once did.

While professors are doing their best to accommodate and work around the barriers of online learning, nothing can shake the feelings of insecurity now in students who are trying to adjust to this as well. As RIC students do, we are adapting to our surroundings and what is happening around us. Also as we can all agree, this is a stressful time for each and every person on this planet. We will get through this together as a community, which also calls for compromise in how we are assessed, graded, and the amount of work professors expect from us during this time.

Photos by Grace Kimmell. Graphic courtesy of ric.edu

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The views expressed in The Anchor, unless otherwise noted, are those of the individual authors and do not necessarily represent those of The Anchor or of Rhode Island College’s faculty, administration or student body.

Arts & Entertainment

Netflix and quarantine Sophia Guerrier A&E Editor

We all have found ourselves making extra trips to the refrigerator, scrolling through twitter more than usual, and losing our sense of general time during our extensive isolation in quarantine. Resorting to television has been one of the top three sources of entertainment during the pandemic, according to a poll by Chart Data, which probably holds true to most people reading this article. Instead of doing something productive for the now online class, might as well check out some great programs on Netflix that will help kill time until your governor announces you can go out to play again. Here are three appealing films that are currently on Netflix that are worth giving a stream.

Shawshank Redemption: Starring Morgan Freeman and Tim Robbins, this 1994 film follows banker, Andy Dufresne (Tim Robbins), who is falsely sentenced to double life in prison for the murder of his wife in which he did not commit.

While in prison the endures cruel brutality from other prisoners and guards and adjusts to his bitter reality as an institutionalized being. Over the course of his sentence he forms a deep friendship with an older, well-liked inmate named Red (Morgan Freeman) who motivates him to navigate his way through the system which would turn out to last 19 years. An eye opening and heartwarming drama that paved its way to receive seve Oscar nominations.

City of God: An exuberant foreign film shot in Brazil and spoken in full blown Portuguese is an easy first choice of film if you’re looking for pure suspense and excitement. Although it clocks in at two hours and fifteen minutes, time feels non existent as you get absorbed into the overwhelming drug war in the favelas of one of the poorest cities in Rio. Rocket, the protagonist, is a young photographer that documents the bloody battles between trigger happy drug dealer “Ze” and his rival “Knockout Ned” which creates an all out war in the neighborhood. A creative use of flashback and manipulative editing allows Rocket to narrate the story in an unconventional fashion similar to “Pulp Fiction”. For any film fan it is a must see.

Valentine’s Day: If you’re quarantining with bae or your dachshund, “Valentine’s Day” is the cute rom-com ready to win the hearts of both of you. The film follows the Valentine’s day of various Los Angeles couples and individuals whose mini plots throughout the film are interconnected. From a young high school couple to a closeted NFL player, many diverse relationships are represented through the characters in often unexpected and comedic manners. There’s corny drama and Valentine’s day romance that may make forever aloners roll their eyes but the overall story of the film makes it worthwhile. The star studded cast includes Julia Roberts, George Lopez, Anne Hathaway, Patrick Dempsey and more.

Los Angeles beautiful sunny landscape makes it all the more aesthetically appealing and Ashton Kutcher is also a bonus.

Game review: Katamari Reroll Sh-Ron Almeida Anchor Staff With the COVID-19 forcing the world to shut down, it is natural to feel all negative emotions. It can be a hard task to keep your spirits up during times of uncertainty and fear. But, I believe it is up to Anchor Newspaper to give you readers something to look forward to. And what better way to do that than to introduce a Japanese game classic?

The premise of Katamari Damacy Reroll is simple. One day, the king of the Cosmos accidently destroyed all the stars in the

sky. No big deal really. His miniature prince can clean up the mess on his behalf.

In each level, you play as the Prince, who must roll things up in a ball. This ball can grow after collecting a fair amount of stuff, absorbing much larger items. From dice and pieces of cheese, to animals, people, and even buildings themselves.

The stages are areas littered with so much junk and clutter that Mari Kondo would have a field day. However, this serves to bring out the collector in you to roll up as much as you can. The game soundtrack is also a treasure due the various genres of

music, making the gameplay even more addictive.

Katamari Damacy was an instant hit on the PS2 back in 2004. 16 years later and it’s delightfully vibrant today.

The biggest change is the more crisp, high resolution of the graphics, making sure that it fits on the modern-day television. With the release of Reroll, a new generation of players get to experience the weird, colorful fever dream that is Katamari Damacy.

Katamari Damacy Reroll is a remake of 2004’s Katamari Damacy. It was released on December 7th 2018 and is available on the Nintendo Switch and PC. Graphic courtesy of Bandai Namco

Rhode Island College’s Independent Student Newspaper Since 1928

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Sports The wizard world of Michael Jordan David Blais Anchor Staff Earlier this month we saw Tom Brady leave the New England Patriots, after playing there for 20 years, and sign with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Tom Brady is considered by many to be the greatest quarterback of all time and has been a New England staple providing the Patriots with 6 Super Bowl rings. Tom Brady will always be considered a Patriot but it will be weird when he suits up for the Buccaneers for the first time. With every New Englander dealing with this tough breakup, they are not the only fan base to deal with a GOAT caliber player taking his talents elsewhere.

On January 13, 1999, Michael Jordan shocked the world when he announced his second retirement from basketball. His first retirement occured in 1995 when he played professional baseball for a year to honor his

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recently deceased father.

His second retirement came following the second NBA Champion three peat with the Chicago Bulls winning in 1996, 1997, and 1998.

Jordan brought the NBA to heights it had never seen before bringing upon more mainstream attention for his ability and skills on the court. Michael’s accolades include 6 time NBA Finals MVP and NBA champion, 5 time NBA regular season MVP, 10 time scoring champion, and many more. The most decorated basketball player of all time was retiring and the city of Chicago was heartbroken. To have an all time great who provided so much to the city of Chicago leave was truly difficult for people to deal with. He was like a family member to everyone in the state of Illinois. Jordan made a claim during his press conference that he was “99.9% certain” he would never suit up for an NBA game again. That claim

would turn out to be false.

In January 2000, Jordan became part owner and president of basketball operations for the Washington Wizards. People’s views on Jordan as an executive were mixed with Jordan making moves that would end up hurting the team. This included using the first pick in the NBA Draft to take high school sensation Kwame Brown, who would end up becoming one of the biggest draft busts in NBA history.

Michael always expressed interest in returning to the court and was still holding minicamps and working with NBA players. Prior to the start of the 2001-2002 season Michael hired former Chicago Bulls head coach Doug Collins for the head coaching job for Washington. This signified to many that Jordan was gearing up to play again and it was only a few months before he announced his return to the game he loved.

On September 25, 2001 Michael Jordan signed a two-year contract with the Washington Wizards sending shockwaves throughout the sports world. Michael’s reasoning for returning to the NBA was noble. All of the money Jordan would receive from his player salary would go directly to a relief effort for victims of the September 11th terrorists

attacks. Seeing Jordan in a Washington uniform versus Chicago was a strange sight to behold.

Of course he was not the same Michael Jordan he was during his almost 20 year career with the Bulls.

Instead, Jordan was a shell of his former self, but was still putting up good numbers.

During his first season, 20012002, he led the Wizards in scoring with 22.9 points per game and with assists averaging 5.2 per game. During the second and final year of his contract, Jordan made his 14th and final All-Star game appearance at the time setting the record for all time All-Star game points. Jordan this season was the only Wizard player to play in all 82 games that season and averaged 20 points per game and 6.1 rebounds per game.Even though Jordan was not the same man or in the same colors he once was, no one had forgotten what he had done for the game of basketball. During his final NBA game ever, he received a three minute standing ovation from everyone in the arena including coaches, staff, officials, teammates, and the crowd.

After his final game on April

16, 2003 Michael Jordan would never play another NBA game again making his third retirement permanent. Jordan was Mr.Bull for almost two decades.

He will always be argued as the greatest basketball players of all time during his time in Chicago. His two years in Washington will never be forgotten because it was where the best basketball player of all time retired. It did not hurt his legacy, but changed it forever with Michael Jordan retiring as a Wizard, not a Bull. Why he did it was respectable and noble which is why his time there will never be frowned upon.

Graphics courtesy of si.com (above) and Bleacher Report

| Rhode Island College’s Independent Student Newspaper Since 1928

Sports Empty bases: The MLB’s search for normalcy Ray Olivier Anchor Staff The fourth day of the MLB season would have been Monday March 30th, if not for the COVID-19 outbreak and the decision to postpone all baseball activities. Along with this postponement there has been many questions raised about how to handle league affairs going forward.

Questions like; How long will the season be and when will it be played until, how much will players be paid and what will be done about the upcoming draft and player service time? Fortunately, MLB executives and the MLB players association met and came to a decision on each one of these questions.

The MLB has not yet established how many games would be played in a hypothetical season. However, they are willing to play into Novovember and are promoting the idea of playoff games for teams who have home stadiums in cold weather cities to be played at a neutral site in a warm city.

This would even the odds for both teams and take away the advantage for the home team who does not get to play at their field because it is located in a cold weather city, but it seems to be the preference to not play at all.

With the season being delayed the players are unable to go to work and do their job. Yes, they are athletes, but they have bills to pay just like everyone else and because their workplace has been declared an unsafe environment, questions are raised about how they will receive compensation for lost work time. According to David Samson at CBS Sports each class of major and minor league baseball will designate an agreed upon amount to distribute to each level’s players. “If the season goes on this is a salary advance, if the season is cancelled, they get to keep this money in return for not suing to collect anymore of their salary,” Samson says. The MLB and MLBPA have agreed on a $170

million purse and it shall be divided up into two groups, guaranteed contract players and non-guaranteed contract players. The players who have guaranteed contracts will each receive $150,000 and the players who do not have a guaranteed contracts will have the left-over amount distributed evenly.

Another issue that has been brought up and since been resolved is the MLB draft and service time for its players. The draft is usually 40 rounds and sees 1,200 young prospects get drafted, but the MLB has decided to shorten this year’s draft to just five rounds. With each of the 30 teams picking once each round there will be only 150 prospects drafted in 2020 and possibly only 600 drafted in 2021, as the MLB has offered the idea to shorten next year’s draft to 20 rounds.

This ruling benefits the owners of teams because with less players being drafted there are less contracts owners need to hand out. This ruling affects prospects negatively however because shortening the draft lowers a player’s chances of being drafted.

Service time for players in the big leagues is important

when it comes to contract negotiations. Baseball is very much a sport built around longevity and the longer service time a player has the more leverage he has during negotiations. Service time also dictates when a player is even allowed to enter free agency and negotiate a new contract. The MLB has decided that even if the season does not happen the players will still receive service time for the games that have been cancelled due to the outbreak.

This is a controversial deci-

sion because of situations surrounding pending free agents like Mookie Betts. Betts was just traded to the Los Angeles Dodgers from the Boston Red Sox this offseason and he is yet to play a game in a Dodger uniform. Betts is due to become a free agent at the end of the 2020 season and with this ruling there is a possibility he may never play for the team that just gave up assets to obtain him.

The MLB has made the right decision when it comes to postponing the season to

keep players and fans safe.

They should tread lightly with upcoming rulings though because if not for the decision to compensate players, they would be in the hot seat for their choice to shorten the draft. We are in unprecedented times and it would be wise for the MLB to continue to be sympathetic towards its players.

Photos by Thomas Crudale

Rhode Island College’s Independent Student Newspaper Since 1928

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