September 24, 2015
Volume LXXXV No. 5
TOWN AND GOWN AFFAIRS Briana Gunter
there is only so much you can something other than pizza and Staff Writer buy from Dollar General. Plans sandwiches. While Athens unof future economic develop- fortunately can’t expect a Sheetz On Tuesday, September 15, ment are actually in the works. in their near future, the council the Town of Athens council Close to the end of this month was open to students and resimembers met at University or the beginning of October a dents bringing suggestions to Point as part of a Town and Gown meeting with the residents of Athens and various Concord University members. They held this meeting in hopes of bringing the town of Athens and Concord University closer together to create a positive relationship with each other. Many topics were covered such as communication between the town and university, social and civic engagement, and issues with off-campus housing. However, two of the big topics that were discussed were economic development in the town of Athens and student behavior off-campus. Everyone who attended Concord in the pre-Dollar General days knows how in- Town Council members converse about important issues in convenient it was to have to the surrounding community. make a trip to Princeton or Photo by: James Blankenship pay outrageous prices for staple items at CVS. Dollar General may or may not have been a Mediterranean style restaurant them, within reason of course. heavenly sent gift, to not only will be opening next to the Despite the fact that the town the students, but the residents deli. This will give students of Athens lacks in the area of of Athens as well. However, their much desired need for off-campus dining, President
Sept. 24-30
This Week’s Local Forecast
Thursday
Mostly Sunny 73/52
Precip Chance: 5%
Friday
Few Showers 69/54
Saturday
Partly Cloudy 69/50
Sunday
Partly Cloudy 68/48
Precip Chance: 30% Precip Chance: 10% Precip Chance: 10%
Monday
Mostly Sunny 71/49
Precip Chance: 5%
SEE AFFAIRS, P. 3 Weather Trivia
Tuesday
Mostly Sunny 72/51
Precip Chance: 5%
Wednesday
Partly Cloudy 73/55
Precip Chance: 10%
What percentage of tornadoes across the world occur in the U.S.?
?
Answer: 75 percent take place in the U.S.
Athens 7-Day Forecast
Dr. Kendra Boggess stated “Concord is the best school in Southern West Virginia. We need to make this an even more vibrant community. We are on board to do whatever it takes to make that happen.” Afterwards she mentioned that a Concord University alumnus “has a lot of Chic-fil-A’s that are working on looking into opening in the area…we’re looking and we’re getting some of the right people to show interest.” While no one should expect to see a Chic-filA pop up anytime soon, the town of Athens and Concord University are working hard to bring more attractions to the area. A big issue many students have talked about over the years is off-campus activities containing alcohol. Students are discouraged to drink on campus, so that leads them to drinking off-campus, often at Chaucer or East Broadway. While students find these places as go-to party spots, community members who have families or early day jobs also live in these places. The council agreed
www.WhatsOurWeather.com
This Edition News: • Town and Gown Affairs • Concord Relay For Life Gears Up • Concord Celebrates Constitution Day
Student Life:
• Cirque Du Sigma Comes to CU • Campus Beautiful Gets a Touch of Gold • Organization Spotlight: Otaku Guild • Caps, Gowns, and Snapshots: the Fall 2015 Grad Fair
• David S. Roth Scholarship Announces Contest Winner for 2015-2016
Sports
• The Hot Corner • Intramurals
Millennial Beat
Sept. 24th 2015, Page 2 The Concordian
News
AFFAIRS FROM PAGE 1
that students should be able to indulge in activities where alcohol is involved without having to drive to Princeton. In fact, councilwoman Smith said “I would rather [students] be drinking behind my house at Chaucer than to hear sirens and think that they were for a student in trouble.” She also stated that “we wouldn’t be here if this wasn’t a college town.” Her husband is an instructor at Concord. While many students may feel that there is tension between themselves and the community members, even community members at
the meeting expressed that they want to “find a way for both Athens] to communicate approunderstood. They know what sides [Concord and the town of priately and express their ideas it’s like to go to college and to want to have fun. It’s when that fun gets out of hand and residents are disturbed during early hours of the morning that creates the problem. However, council members and fellow residents expressed the desire to find some common ground when it came to drinking off-campus. Dr. Boggess as well as the council and other community members said Concord students and Athens community members meet they wanted to create a safe to discuss improving coexistence. place for students to go and Photo By: James Blankenship have fun. The board said they
appropriately.” At the end of the meeting the board extended the invitation to all Concord students to attend their next town hall meeting and bring them any concerns or ideas of how to strengthen the relationship between the University and the town. The council meets every first and third Tuesday at 7:00 PM at the Town Hall of Athens. If you would like to be put on the agenda or have any ideas or concerns and can’t attend the meeting, contact Mayor Tim Pike at mayor@townofathens. com.
CONCORD RELAY FOR LIFE GEARS UP James Hoyle
Staff Writer Cancer is a disease that directly and indirectly affects millions of Americans every year. Fortunately, there are many organizations that are trying to help, either by raising funds for research or by helping its victims cope in other ways. One such organization is the American Cancer Society and their largest and most well-known fundraising effort, Relay For Life. A group of students at Concord University are trying to start such an event here on campus. “The American Cancer Society is the second largest contributor to cancer research, second to the government,” said Brittany Strother, Director of the Concord University Relay For Life. She explained that the event is important not only for fundraising, but for showing support to those affected by cancer. “Relay For Life
is the biggest asset for fundraising that ACS has, but it’s about more than just raising funds. It’s about honoring those fighting cancer and remembering those who lost their fight,” she said. Concord University used to have Relay For Life events regularly, according to Strother. However, the zeal for the Relay fell off and there has not been one on campus for at least six years. “We want to bring it back not only because it’s a great fundraiser and an amazing cause, but because the events themselves are a lot of fun and a great way to get people involved on campus,” she said. With winter coming on soon, the group decided not to try and schedule the even right away. “Right now, we’re shooting for April 2016. A lot of different factors will impact the exact date of the event, but it will definitely be late in the spring semester so we can guarantee it
will be warm enough for everyone to participate,” explained Strother. All the money earned from Relay For Life and the fundraising that will be done before the actual event will be donated straight to ACS, “where they’ll be put to good use funding cancer research, providing fuel compensation for those that have to travel for cancer treatments, offering wigs to patients who have lost their hair, and lots of other awesome services offered by the American Cancer Society,” explained Strother. The Relay For Life event is free for anyone that wishes to enter and participate. However, Strother said that there options for those that wish to help organize the event or gather donations long before the actual event itself takes place. “Those who wish to be involved more intimately before the actual event in the Spring can create or join a Relay For Life team, which
is basically a fundraising group that will be in friendly competition with other teams. The cost for starting or joining a team is $10, which automatically counts towards fundraising goals. Anyone can start a team, but there are already several teams on campus that would love to have more members!” The group’s ultimate goal from now until Relay For Life is to raise at least $15,000 dollars for the American Cancer Society. “We want our efforts to help the world take a step towards a cancer-free world. We aim for a world where cancer isn’t this hulking, indomitable monster that snuffs out lives prematurely and indiscriminately,” Strother said. Relay For Life is an important charity and a worthy cause to be involved in because of the disease’s prevalence in today’s world. “Cancer is something that will, unfortunately, impact the lives of nearly every person
at some point, whether it be a loved one or a personal diagnosis. Cancer is an indiscriminate killer, and to defeat such a daunting adversary, we need all the help we can get, whether it be through donations, volunteering to help coordinate the event, or even just spreading the word to let others know our mission. Everyone can help in some capacity. It’s not about the money. Money is a big help, but it’s not the dominating factor. Relay is about love, hope, and dedication, and those are traits that everyone has to offer,” Strother explained, urging everyone to consider getting involved with Relay For Life. Anyone that wishes to get involved may contact Brittany Strother via email at: strotherb31@mycu.concord. edu. Anyone wishing to join or create a Relay for Life fundraising team can do so at relayforlife.org/cuwv.
Sept. 24th 2014, Page 3 The Concordian
News
CONCORD CELEBRATES CONSTITUTION DAY James Hoyle
Staff Writer There is nothing more American than the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution. Considering that there is an election coming, many would say that a reexamination of what our rights are as Americans is an important platform to be discussed. To that end, Concord University celebrated Constitution Day by hosting, along with the political science honor society, Pi Sigma Alpha, a lecture given by Dr. William A. O’Brien. Dr. O’Brien taught history for 50 years, and much of that was at Concord. He was eager to return and discuss elements of the Federalist Papers that are often overlooked. He began by talking of Carl Becker’s book, The Declaration of Independence. “The problem with becoming the definitive source of anything,” he said, “is that you become the final word, and when you become the final word, other opinions often get shunted to the side.” O’Brien argues that the reason
it remains the definitive book on the Declaration is because it argues the opinion that many powerful people in this country share. In this book, Becker states that because Thomas Jefferson was heavily influenced by English philosopher John Locke, what Jefferson meant when he wrote “Life, Liberty, and the Pursuit of Happiness” in the Declaration, what he meant was what Locke always said, “Life, Liberty, and Property.” O’Brien argued that because of this definitive opinion, we overlook the fact that what the pursuit of happiness meant in the 18th century meaning was the ability to help out our fellow humans. If that is what it truly means to pursue happiness, then why does this opinion still hold so much weight? O’Brien argued the it is because of many powerful people manipulating the history books to say that the unlimited acquisition of wealth and property is one of the certain, inalienable rights that we are endowed by the Creator with mention in the Declara-
tion. O’Brien said that we as a people have allowed the powerful to tell us what the primary sources say, rather than reading them for ourselves, and coming up with our own conclusions as to what they mean. As an example for his argument, he examined writer Charles Beard’s 1913 work An Economic Interpretation of the Constitution of the United States. In it, Beard essentially argues that the Framers of the Constitution, particularly James Madison, had an agenda and interest groups already in place that would benefit from its passing. His theory largely stuck, and according to O’Brien, was able to be used to progress many liberal concepts throughout the 20th century. So what does it mean? Did everyone in American history have an agenda, or did some of them want to change things and let their morality be their guide? O’Brien argues that because Beard’s theory became so popular, that it misses many facets and redeeming qualities of Madison. In Federal-
ist Paper #10, Madison argues that if republican government is to succeed, then it needs to be run by virtuous citizens, whose opinions would be better through their patriotism than all of America put together, as well as by the virtues of men. If the people cannot govern by the sense of pursuing happiness in the 18th century meaning, then the government will fail. As citizens, O’Brien argued, we as a people have a voice in how our government is shaped. It is a reflection of us as a people. Therefore, it is on us to vote in the best of the best, and to put aside self-interest, then selfinterest will slowly but surely be filtered out of our own. In order for that to happen, the citizens of this country must be informed. To that end, pocket Declarations and Constitutions were handed out. Anyone interested in hearing more on what Dr. O’Brien has to say about the Constitution can tune in to his podcast found on www.whiterosesociety.org/DrBill.html.
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The Concordian Staff Brittany Strother Editor-in-Chief Sarah White Managing Editor Staff Writers: Jacob Adkins Peggy Ballengee Briana Gunter James Hoyle Tyler Jackson Haley McCord Patrice Mitchell Web Master Jonathan Collins Mrs. Lindsey Akers Advisor
Your Name Here Write for the Concordian!
Sept. 24th 2015, Page 4 The Concordian
Student Life
CIRQUE DU SIGMA COMES TO CAMPUS Brittany Strother
Made-to-Order Sheetz item to with an impressive $300, which Editor-in-Chief stuffed animals to even free oil will go straight to supporting changes and gift cards. their philanthropy, the Robbie Come one, come all, to the After months of planning, Paige Memorial Fund. greatest show on campus! Concord University played host to its very own carnival on Thursday, September 17, courtesy of the Sigma Sigma Sigma sisters. Cirque Du Sigma was one of many philanthropic efforts made by the Tri-Sigma girls, and veteran sister Sarah White was the one responsible for the creation of the whole thing. “The idea for a circus-style Carnival patrons play games, like Giant Jenga (above) and event came to me as I was lis- Balloon Bust (below) in order to rack up tickets to trade in tening to the radio,” White ex- for awesome prizes. plained. “I heard some circus Photos By: Sarah White music and the idea just popped into my head, so I grabbed it and ran with it.” The carnival featured several family-friendly games and contests, like giant Jenga, balloon busting, a football toss game, general trivia, giant Twister, and the classic knock-down-thecans game, among many others. Participants had the opportunity to play these games and win tickets, which they could later turn in for fun prizes. Players White and the Sigma Sigma “The Robbie Page Memorial could win anything from a free Sigma sisters were rewarded Fund was founded in 1954 in
order to help find a cure for polio. After the successful vaccination was created, the Robbie Page Memorial Fund shifted to building and maintaining play therapy rooms for children in hospitals across the country,” White said. While $300 is a generous donation to a worthy charity, the sisters of Sigma Sigma Sigma take their philanthropy very seriously and aren’t finished with their fundraising for the year yet. “We will probably have more charity events throughout the semester. We want to be able to send the Robbie Page Memorial Fund as much money as we possibly can at the end of the year,” said White. Many members of the surrounding community brought their children to the carnival to enjoy an evening of music, games, and wholesome family fun. Children swarmed the Valley, giggling and dashing from one game to the next, hordes of tickets clutched in their fists. A particular hit for the kids was definitely the face painting, done by the talented sisters themselves. In fact, the community involve-
ment in this event was so great that the Athens population outnumbered the participation from Concord students themselves. “The turnout from the community was great, which I loved, but I wish more of the Concord community would have come out and enjoyed the festivities. We had lots of great prizes, including lots of coupons for free food!” White joked good-naturedly. By the time the event got into full swing, it was apparent that the only people having more fun than the kids were the Sigma Sigma Sigma sisters themselves. They were dancing, laughing, chasing each other with water cannons, and just generally having a good time and giving the event a light, happy atmosphere. White and the rest of the Sigmas put on a fun evening for the university and the surrounding community, and they raised $300 for an extremely worthy cause, proving that Cirque Du Sigma really was the greatest show on campus.
CAMPUS SPOTLIGHT: OTAKU GUILD Haley McCord
Staff Writer A new and interesting club has wiggled its way onto campus this semester called the Otaku Guild and they are super excited to spread the name and get things started. The Guild is a club for students that are interested in or avid fans of anime, Japanese animated tele-
vision programs and movies. The group also expresses a lot of interest in other niche things like manga, which are Japanese graphic novels, video games, and cosplaying, where a person dresses like and emulates a favorite character. The Guild also attends conventions, or ‘cons’ as they are often colloquially referred. For anyone who is unfamiliar
with anime, this territory may be seem bit intimidating at first, but joining a new club is a great excuse to park the homework for a few hours and partake in fun activities with great people. The Otaku Guild typically meets on Thursdays at 4:00 PM to discuss the possibility of upcoming events and talk about other club business. When asked to describe the
club and what types of things they enjoy, Brandi Pugh, the Otaku Guild President, responded with, “Our club is a nerd club, essentially. We are mostly centered around things like anime and manga, but we also cover topics like video games, comics, and cosplaying. We want to create a safe and happy place for people to get together and to discuss the things
they enjoy. This way they can make new friends, and become somewhat of a family.” Pugh is determined to spread the word and encourages more members to join. “We roughly have 35 members, and would love to have more! The more the merrier!” she says. SEE SPOTLIGHT, P. 5
Sept. 24th 2014, Page 5 The Concordian
Student Life
SPOTLIGHT FROM PAGE 4
It is not mandatory to know anything about anime to join. Clubs are outlets for people to do the things they love and explore potential new interests while simultaneously meeting new people and creating relationships with those that share those same interests. Because the club is new this semester, there have only been a few meetings, but future plans are in the making. They also plan to have small fundraisers here and there. “Considering we are just now starting up we have not done too many activities or fundraisers, but we do plan on getting to that soon! We will be doing small fundraisers for holidays, as well as perhaps looking into designing some gift bags and other crafts to sell. We also tossed around the idea of doing a bake sale, as well,” explained Pugh. When asked to summarize
the types of activities the group has done and will do, Pugh responded with “as for activities, so far we currently have an anime meet-up, that we do every other week, as well as working together to attend a few cons. At cons we are planning to cosplay together, and we will be hosting a few panels for the entertainment of other con-goers.” Although the club is still just beginning, Pugh was ecstatic to mention that “Yes! We do have a logo! I designed it myself for our club. We have a mascot too, which was also designed by myself with ideas of the other members. She is currently unnamed, but she is a nekomimi, which is a girl with cat ears and a cat tail.” For more information about Otaku Guild, contact Brandi Pugh on Facebook or swing by one of the regular meetings.
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CAMPUS BEAUTIFUL GETS A TOUCH OF GOLD
Peggy Ballengee
Staff Writer Concord’s campus has been dotted with gold ribbons lately as the Concord Social Work Organization (CSWO) works to raise awareness of childhood cancer. From September 14 to September 18, the CSWO had set a table on the bottom floor of the student center, raising money for Childhood Cancer Awareness Month. In honor of the month and an especially needy family, the CSWO dedicated their 50/50 raffle to collecting donations for #TEAMALEX. #TEAMALEX serves as a representation of Alex, a victim of childhood cancer. Alex experienced his diagnosis as an infant and has recently been diagnosed with Squamous Cell Carcinoma. Complications led to the loss of the eye and teeth on the boy’s left side. He will soon receive a glass eye and dentures, though his family’s insurance will not cover the procedures and they will become an expense to fall upon his family. To assist with Alex’s upcoming procedures, the CSWO plans on donating their half of the 50/50 to the boy and his family. Katie Radcliffe, President of the CSWO, maintains that this is exactly the sort of cause the Concord Social Work Organization is happy to help with, saying, “It’s a larger issue than people realize. One out of every child diagnosed does not survive, and it’s actually the largest cause of infant
mortality in the United States. We thought that, since September is Childhood Cancer Awareness Month, there was no better time to take up a cause like Alex’s.” Their arrangement included an informative board, with the statistics of childhood cancer and more information about Alex and his plight. She maintains that this isn’t the only cause her organization has strived to assist. “The CSWO always tries to pick fundraisers that raise awareness of local and worldwide issues,” Radcliffe informs. The CSWO meets every Tuesday at 2:30, and Wednesday at 3:30 at Subway Sides. “At these meetings we discuss what we have planned, and what else we can tackle. We plan on raising awareness for homelessness next, if possible,” she adds. The rest of the organization feels just as strongly about local issues, childhood cancer especially. “It’s terribly sad, what Alex and his family have to go through. We found out about Alex through one of our members actually,” says Mahala McDerment, another member of the organization. “It’s calamities like childhood cancer that manage to affect everyone.” She feels that is the reason that the Concord Social Work Organization is such an important part of the community is that, “We try to find fundraisers people will be interested in. the 50/50 raffle has always worked especially well, since whoever’s ticket gets chosen receives half the money we raise.” Their organization tries to
remain as active and poignant as possible, she says. “We host events like this as often as we can, and as a group we pick from the causes that are proposed to us. Our causes can be anything from domestic violence to breast cancer. Sometimes a member of the organization feels strongly about a topic, and we are always happy to offer our wholehearted support.” The organization has a busy semester ahead, as the CSWO strives to host Halloween parties for children who may not have the opportunity otherwise. “We try to have a trick-ortreat set up, fun games for them to play, the whole nine yards. We want these kids to have a great Halloween, where they might not get the experience at home,” says McDerment. The CWSO accepts all students as members, regardless of their major and are always happy to have more members. Alex and his family also have an individual fundraiser set up at www.gofundme.com/qggdh4s. Any goodwill is welcome this September from the Concord community.
Interested in learning more about CSWO? They meet Tuesday at 2:30 and Wednesday at 3:30 at Subway Sides. Or you can check them out on facebook by
searching Concord University Social Work Organization.
Sept. 24th 2015, Page 6 The Concordian
Student Life
CAPS, GOWNS, AND DAVID S. ROTH SNAPSHOTS: THE FALL SCHOLARSHIP 2015 GRAD FAIR ANNOUNCES CONTEST WINNER FOR 2015-2016 Peggy Ballengee
Staff Writer
Say cheese! Yearbook photos for December graduates were taken at the Graduation Fair on Tuesday, September 15 from 9:30 AM to 2:00 PM, snapped by Concord alumni James Blankenship. Carolyn Cox, ringleader of the event, could be found offering assistance in the ballroom and managing to keep the gears turning during the bustle. As faculty from the Registrar’s Office, she calls the event a ‘one-stop shop’ for any graduating seniors. Tuesday marked the tenth year that Concord has hosted a Graduation Fair, which happens during both fall and spring semesters for respective graduates. “We try to make it as convenient as we can.” Cox says. December graduates who missed the opportunity to make the event still have time to fill out their paperwork, but after September 23 a fee of $20 is charged. “It’s not any huge amount, but we hope that it works as an incentive. The sooner our seniors get this done, we can get them closer to graduating without complications.” she adds. The event was a menagerie of productivity: complete with balloons, drinks, and every
office under the sun. “We’ve got tables for everything our graduates will need; you can find about anything here. We have computers ready for students taking the exit survey, representation for the Business Office, the Registrar’s Office, the Concord University Bookstore, the Financial Aid Office, and we’ve even arranged to have our yearbook photographer set up in the back,” Cox says. On the far left of the ballroom, marked by the Concord seal on a maroon backdrop and a table wrought with paperwork, freelancer James Blankenship set up shop for the University’s yearbook. Switching from a tripod to mixed information sheets at mach speed, Blankenship had his hands full sorting through December’s graduating class. He maintains that he’d do it all again. “I offered my services to the yearbook in the first place. I love doing whatever I can for Concord, whenever possible. She’s been good to me over the years.” he remarks between students. Between donating photography to Greek Week and lowering print prices for students, Blankenship has been doing his best to show his appreciation to his Alma Mater. While he’s been a freelancer for nearly a year, this is Blankenship’s second job for the
University. It’s no small task arranging his photography, “The preparation actually takes a few days at least; figuring out a solid location, getting ahold of the backdrop, figuring out what will be provided by the bookstore for the shoot, and even just working out the finer details with Concord.” While this sounds overwhelming, Blankenship accepts the situation at large. “I know you can’t account for everything. I just try to be as prepared as possible, and ready to roll with what I’m given,” he says. After graduating himself, Blankenship still feels attached to the Campus Beautiful, and is happy to continue his work for it. Though he’s currently freelancing his work, early into the semester Blankenship was contracted to photograph Freshman Orientation Week. In the near future, he’s even looking into selling ads for the Concordian Newspaper. In consideration of students who may have missed this yearbook event, Blankenship is even looking into setting up a date for retakes. Students interested in more information on Blankenship’s freelancing services or on ordering their yearbook prints are welcome to contact him at jamesblankenshipfreelancer@gmail.com.
Looking for a worthy cause to support? Join Concord University in the fight against cancer with Relay For Life! Contact Brittany Strother at strotherb31@mycu.concord.edu for more information.
Press Information Press Release The Division of Humanities is pleased to announce that Leila Feuchtenberger is the winner of the 2015-16 David S. Roth Memorial Scholarship. Although Leila “wasn’t expecting to get into the finals, let alone win” the scholarship, she “was absolutely thrilled” to be selected as the 15th recipient of this annual award. Dr. Anthony Patricia, who urged Leila to enter the Roth Scholarship competition on the basis of her outstanding writing in his English 101 class, was “equally thrilled” that Leila won the award. A graduate of Bluefield High School, Leila attributes her decision to attend Concord University to her mother’s influence and to the school’s beautiful campus and outstanding reputation for high-quality academics. In pursuing her degree at CU, Leila is following in the footsteps of her grandmother, a Concord graduate. A pre-professional biology major with a minor in women’s and gender studies, Leila plans to attend medical school and pursue a career in the medical
field. She is using the $1,000 scholarship to help with her tuition and fees during the current academic year. The purpose of the David S. Roth Memorial Scholarship is to encourage retention of currently-enrolled Concord University students who demonstrate strong writing skills. The recipient of this scholarship is chosen on the basis of an annual writing competition held each Spring semester. Dr. David S. Roth taught English and journalism courses at Concord from 1969 to 1986. After his death in 1986, Dr. Sheila M. Chipley, Dr. William K. Finley, and Dr. William J. Ofsa were instrumental in launching the David S. Roth Memorial Scholarship Fund; and in 1990 Dr. Roger Sheppard established the Roth Memorial Scholarship 5K Walk/Run as an annual fundraising event. The members of Dr. Roth’s family have greatly appreciated all the donations that have been made to this fund, which has been managed since its inception by the Concord University Foundation.
Sept. 24th 2014, Page 7 The Concordian
Sports
THE HOT CORNER Tyler Jackson
Staff Writer Week two in the NFL season has come and gone, and aside from the Patriots there just doesn’t seem to be a team that jumps off of the paper as a contender. Despite adding probowl tight end Jimmy Graham this offseason, the two time defending NFC Champion Seattle Seahawks still look like they’re lacking something on offense. Speaking of offseason additions, the Philadelphia Eagles, lead by Chip Kelley, have struggled on offense. Well, struggling may be an understatement. At one point in the second half of their game against their division rival, the Dallas Cowboys, premier free agent acquisition Demarco Murray had negative 15 yards rushing. It wasn’t entirely his fault; it’s hard to run behind offensive guards that are missing blocks or simply not getting any push to open running lanes. Staying on the Dallas/Philadelphia game, it’s shaping up to be a long season for the Cowboys. Losing a top five receiver last week in Dez Bryant and then losing franchise quarterback Tony Romo this week is a huge blow. Bryant has the same foot injury that Kevin Durant had so a six week recovery seems generous, but Romo’s broken clavicle will have him out for 6-8 weeks. The Cowboys essentially went from Demarco Murray, Tony Romo, and Dez Bryant, which is a formidable trio, to Brandon Weeden, Terrance Williams, and Joseph Randle. That hyped up offensive line means nothing if there is a lack of talent around it. Each year, there are teams that seem to improve, but never actually do. They are the teams
that we expect to build off of previous years, and that we expect to take that next step. This year those teams are the Detroit Lions and the Miami Dolphins. The Dolphins added Ndamukong Suh and wide receivers Kenny Stills and Davante Parker, but have struggled with the Jaguars and Redskins, two teams that don’t have nearly the talent Miami does. I realize that Nick Fairley and Suh are huge losses along your line, but with dynamic talents like Calvin Johnson and the arm and contract of Matthew Stafford you have to be able to manufacture more offense then what they did this past weekend against the Vikings. Every year it’s the same story with the Lions, “this is their year, Matt Stafford will take that next step.” Well, it’s four years later and Matt Stafford hasn’t shown the improvement to be a QB that can lead a team deep into the playoffs. This weekend was also notable for Johnny Manziel and Jameis Winston, as both won their first career games as the starting QBs for their respective teams. Winston turned in a solid performance against the Saints while Manziel lead his Browns to a win against rookie Marcus Mariota and the Tennessee Titans. Touching on the Saints for a moment, is this the end of the Drew Brees era? He is getting a little older and I don’t see this team getting any better. I don’t want to overreact to an 0-2 start, but it’s really discouraging to see the steady decrease in the team’s performance. The 0-2 team I’m most worried about is the Baltimore Ravens. Sure, both of their losses have been on the road, but it has been bad. The offensive line could not protect Joe Flacco
from Von Miller and Demarcus Ware in Week 1 against Denver, but a Week 2 loss in Oakland raises questions about a secondary that suffered a lot of injuries last year. Rookie Amari Cooper and veteran wideout Michael Crabtree both posted 100 yard receiving days and second year QB Derek Carr threw for 351 yards and three touchdowns as the Raiders won the high scoring affair 37-33. Baltimore coach John Harbaugh had better figure out a way to get his team back on track, the AFC looks to be competitive once again and the Bengals and Steelers already have an early headstart in the AFC North race. On a final note the 2-0 teams I expect to falter are the Denver Broncos and Dallas Cowboys. I’ve already explained my reasoning behind Dallas, but Denver is a team that has to rely on its defense more than it has since Tim Tebow was taking snaps in the Mile High City. Peyton still has something left in the tank, but it’s below and eighth of a tank right now. My preseason prediction for Super Bowl 50 was Green Bay/Indianapolis and right now it looks like Green Bay may be holding up their end of that deal.
Feel free to contact me at jacksont30@ mycu.concord.edu or follow me on Twitter @tjack94.
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INTRAMURALS Annie Johnson
Guest Writer The Intramural softball week was jam-packed due to the rain cancellations from last week. It started out on Monday night with Fifth Years winning 6-3 over Scared Hitless. Then The Coaches took on Dingers for Days.The Coaches came out on top 5-4. Tuesday night featured Kekambas demolishing Fifth Years 10-1 and Coaches barely edging out Scared Hitless 5-3. Wednesday night started off with Fifth Years falling to Mud Dogs 4-11. Then Mud Dogs finished out their double header with a loss to Scared Hitless 6-8. For the final game of the evening, Dingers for Days had to forfeit due to not having enough people to play. Which
gave D.A.D. an automatic win for the evening. Finally, on Thursday, The Coaches edged out D.A.D. 5-4 giving them their third win for the week. The Kekambas also had a close game that night, only beating Scared Hitless 5-4. Nonetheless with that final win, it puts Kekambas at the top of the leaderboard with an undefeated season. Next week begins the Intramural Softball World Series. So make sure to come out and support your favorite team. If you can’t make it to the games, follow us on Twitter @ curecreation or on Instagram @ cu_intramurals to get updates on games being played that evening. Hope to see everyone out at the softball field at 7pm Monday night!
Sept. 24th 2015, Page 8 The Concordian
Millennial Beat THE SYRIAN CRISIS AND HUMANITARIANISM Patrice Mitchell is the columnist for the Millennial Beat. She is a senior Broadcast Communications major with a Journalism minor. After transferring from Marshall University, she has spent the past three years on the Concordian Newspaper staff and also as a WMLT Reporter staff. “I love writing and I’ve grown to have an appreciation for politics; which is why I choose to have a political style Beat this semester. I choose this topic because I want to learn more about politics and also encourage my generation to do the same.”
“Most wars, after all, present themselves as humanitarian endeavors to help people.” - -Howard Zinn, American Historian and Social Activist
Patrice Mitchell Columnist/Staff Writer a mural with revolutionary prospect of U.S. Military inter- a heart for humanitarianism
Right now, the world, in my opinion, is going through one of the biggest humanitarian crises of our generation. What started off as a revolution for democracy, has turned into massive civil war. The region is filled with terror from jihadist militia groups and a government desperate to regain control. Meanwhile, civilians are paying the ultimate cost of war. Refugees are fleeing the madness and crossing into nearby countries, as well as many other countries around the world. Nearly 11 million people have been displaced since the beginning of the Syrian civil war, and the world now has to figure out how to aid these refugees. It is important that the next president of the United States and their administration is able to handle unforeseen humanitarian crisis. In 2011, what would later become known as the Arab Uprising began throughout the Middle East. Countries such as Egypt, Libya, Syria, and others began to protest their governments in pursuit of a more democratized political system. In March 2011, a group of teenagers were arrested in the Syrian city of Derra. The teens painted
quotes and slogans in protest to the government and the Syrian President, Assad. Shortly afterwards, the Syrian guards responded with violence on the protesters that began to escalate throughout the country. What would come afterwards would be the Syrian states’ fast descent into civil war. With the country in turmoil, many terrorist groups found the perfect opportunity to attempt to gain control of the region and cause terror on civilians to promote their own ideology. Although the US and allies have intervened through airstrikes and other military actions, the real issue facing the Syrian public is the war crimes and crimes against humanity that are being committed by both the Syrian government and the opposition and jihadist organizations including, but not limited to: withholding food, water, shelter, and medical assistance, as well as forced slave labor, unprovoked military action, and sexual assault. The Syrian government was also accused by President Obama to have been using chemical warfare to massacre civilians. He also accused Russia of aiding in the assaults. At the
vention, President Assad agreed to the removal of Syria’s chemical weapons unit. The Complete dissimilation of the program happened later that year. According to a BBC News report by Rodgers, Lucy, Davis Gritten, James Offer, and Patrick Asare titled “Syria: The Story of the Conflict,” there has been a mass exodus with nearly four million people leaving Syria and almost 11 million displaced throughout the region. It is yet to be determined how the United States government will respond to this humanitarian crisis just yet. What kind of aid will be sent to these refugees or exactly how many refugees the United States will give asylum to, has yet to be seen. The relevancy to how this situation is handled, separately from military action in Syria, is important to this generation and how this country will handle humanitarian crises in the future. This is a part of living through the age of globalization were it is important to show compassion and help lead other countries by example on how we treat those around the world that need help on the most basic of levels. The next president needs to understand and have
and a love for the people. They will be faced with issue pertaining to basic human needs and rights domestically and internationally. Cataclysms are inevitable. From natural disasters like Hurricane Katrina or manmade disasters like the BP oil spill, or refugees from war, we need a president that promotes humanitarianism with a compassion and love for those in need. With current presidential candidates proposing closing the boarders to the United States and halting immigration and cutting funding for relief organizations such as FEMA, the millennial generation really needs to become educated on how we can help others that need it. There are many privately funded organizations that assist in disastrous situations, but it is up to the government to set the example for all American citizens. It is up to us to obtain the government capable of setting a high humanitarian atmosphere for the citizens. It’s all of our jobs to vote. It could be citizens of the United States fleeing the country one day in search for a companionate place to call home.
Don’t forget about Concord Color Fridays! Show your pride with your maroon and gray gear!