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s t u d e n t n e w s pa p e r o f w a s h i n g t o n a n d j e f f e r s o n c o l l e g e w j r e da n d b l ac k . c o m W a s h i n g t o n , P e n n s y lva n i a M a rc h 1 9 , 2 0 2 1
WHAT’S IN THIS WEEK’S PAPER... CURRENT EVENTS
On March 7, the “bombshell” and “tell-all” interview with Oprah and Prince Harry and Meghan Markle (formerly known as the Duke and Duchess of Sussex) aired on CBS. -P.7
Student Athlete Spotlight: Alex Strain PAGE 19
DIVERSITY
Many stumble upon a lot of art without even knowing the name of it, and Teresa Austin’s art just happens to be one such discovery. -P.12
OPINIONS The real reason for the injustice [Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe has] faced as a result of the Iranian government is not a mystery: she’s being used as a pawn for hostage diplomacy. -P.15
SPORTS
The legal tampering period for NFL free agency started Mar. 15, and the whole league is already completely shaken up. -P.18
WJREDANDBLACK.COM
Courtesy Alex Strain
2 CAMPUS NEWS
19 March 2021
Red & Black
Student Spotlight: Brendan Tribeck ‘21 Reilly Oliverio Red & Black Staff
Brendan Hummel Tribeck is a Washington and Jefferson Senior from Enola. Pennsylvania. He attended Trinity High School in Camp Hill, Pennsylvanis before deciding to continue his education at Washington and Jefferson College. He choose to attend Washington & Jefferson College because of some family friends he knew that went to the college and the opportunity to play
college lacrosse and pursue his major. When asked about why he choose W&J Tribeck answered, “I heard great things about the school from some people I know so I decided to apply and check out the school. I went on multiple visits and fell in love with the campus.” Tribeck is an accounting major here at W&J College. His pre-college visits also helped him decide on his major. “I sat in on some classes while on my visits to Washington & Jefferson College. I know I wanted to major in something in the business field and the accounting courses I sat in on stood out to me and I decided to pursue accounting
when I entered Washington & Jefferson as a freshmen.” Although a student at Washington & Jefferson Brendan’s real love is Penn State. Some of his fondest and eariliest memories come from attending Penn State athletic events with is family. “My dad was a Penn State graduate and is involved with the school today. We try and go to any football game we can and I have been going to games since I was a baby. Although I like the football games the most I have also been to lacrosse, hosckey and basketball games.” Upon graduating Brendan is attending graduate school at Penn State to get his masters in Health Administration. Tribeck is involved in various activities and organizations at Washington & Jefferson College. Brendan is a Washington Fellows memeber, a varsity lacrosse player, a brother of Phi Kappa Psi and the SAAC rep for his lacrosse team. “I tried to become
active among campus to spend more time with different people and to get a more well-rounded expeerience while at Washington and Jefferson College.” Tribeck has made a lot of memories from his time here at W&J College saying, “I have loved my time here at school. Some of my favorite memories are messing around with my best friend Patty B. I will never forget all the crazy things we have gotten into and the constant video games I ‘win’ when I’m playing against him.” Tribeck wanted to give some shoutouts to some people that have helped him get to where he is today. “I want to thank Dr. Galley for being a great advisor, mentor and teacher to me during my time here. I also want to thank my family for all the support and love they have provided over the years. I also want to thank my best role model Lisam Sullivan.” Brendan is graduating in May alongside the Class of 2021.
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Courtesy gopresidents.com
Brendan Tribeck is a senior accounting major at Washington & Jefferson College.
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19 March 2021
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CAMPUS NEWS 3
Women’s Day Panel Inspires Students Akansha Das Red & Black Staff
On Mar. 8, International Women’s Day, The Washington Fellows Integrity’s Pillar hosted a Panel of six women who graduated in the 1970s when Washington & Jefferson College first began accepting women. Some of them went on to practice medicine, some went into business, some were teachers and some entered the military. The evening was sprinkled with unfathomable anecdotes of gender inequality and snippets of “pull-yourself-up-byyour-bootstraps” advice. Underlying it all was the visible bond of women banding together in the face of adversity that amplifies the reason so many women like myself joyously celebrate holidays centered around marginalized genders. The meeting began with friendly banter among all six graduates chatting about their lives and catching up with each other. As they started speaking, it was clear that one of their most treasured aspects of W&J was the close-knit campus and the joy they felt running into W&J alumni in seemingly random places—from army missions to Hawaii hospitals. Even when discussing the few women in their classes, often a 1:4 or 1:5 ratio of women to men and in the class of 1971, only four women, they still reminisced with a nostalgic sense of banding together and gaining many brothers in fellow W&J classmates. And yet the graduates were also
Courtesy dhl.com
On Mar. 8, W&J hosted six women graduates to speak in honor of International Women’s Day in 2021.
open in sharing advice for young women earning degrees and dealing with sexism. Susan Kepler ’74 discussed bonding over commonalities and shared love of W&J with alumni who were not happy about W&J accepting women and remarked that the sexism she faced simply made her stronger. Yet, when Joanne faced an unequal situation, she said that sometimes it did no good to set the record straight and rather using humor might be a better way to address the situation, saying she handled a situation where someone mistakenly assumed her husband had served in a high-ranking position (rather than her) by saying “no it was me but people confuse us all the time.” And as wise and useful as this advice was, I found it similar to
the type Sheryl Sandberg provided in “Lean In”—the type that tells women how to benefit and work in an unfair system. While this seems superficially inspiring, Joanne’s words underline the often overlooked moral: we as women shouldn’t be having to tiptoe through the landmine of gender inequality that is our social structure. Microaggressions and times of blatant sexism were also mentioned. While the graduates noted that fellow W&J students didn’t discriminate, many of the women talked about how professors in their classes would underestimate their abilities and quality of work. Dr. Marcela Bohm-Velez’s ‘75, on account of being offered half pay of her male colleagues, and being forced to use her vacation time for a surgery
while her male colleague did not, shows the inherent gender inequality of the time and is a reminder of how far we’ve come. Honey Kirk shared a poignant anecdote of the way a male classmate advocated for her after a professor continually underestimated the quality of her papers because she was a woman, and Chris ‘74 discussed how she simply couldn’t find a job as a high school history teacher as most history teachers in Washington, PA were male because they also coached sports for the school sports teams. While on the surface these microaggressions seem just that—micro— they illuminate greater issues of people in power taking a stand and systematic oppression that are critical in feminism.
4 CAMPUS NEWS
19 March 2021
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19 March 2021
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Campus News 5
Follow @wandjcareerservices on Instagram The Career Services Office would like to know if you are following us on Instagram? If you are not, you definitely should be! Not only will you be kept well-informed about the events and programs we sponsor, but you will be entered into raffles all semester long. Names will be drawn from our followers for great prizes such as: a limited edition HydroFlask, Starbucks gift cards, W&J swag, and much more!
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Speak Out! Who is your favorite professor and why? “I like Max Miller the best. He has been the best professor to me, he is always understanding and his knowledge of business and the business environment is always impressive and informative” - Patrick Brunner ‘21
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“Dr. Galley and professor Allen- they teach me accounting and always offer great advice and care a lot about there students”. -Zach Mindel ‘22
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19 March 2021
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Current Events 7
Current Events
Oprah Interviews Prince Harry & Meghan Markle Akansha Das Red & Black Staff
On March 7, the “bombshell” and “tellall” interview with Oprah and Prince Harry and Meghan Markle (formerly known as the Duke and Duchess of Sussex) aired on CBS. This highly anticipated interview, eerily similar to the highly televised 1995 BBC interview with Princess Diana, placed a spotlight on dynamics of race and mental health within the Royal Family and ignited a range of reactions from the public and from many feminists (like @theindianfeminist), praising Prince Harry for taking his wife and family out of a toxic situation to some conservative critics, such as Ben Shapiro, calling out the irrelevance and privilege of the couple considering they had $25 million of Princess Diana’s money to fall back on. One of the most shocking aspects of the interview was Markle’s reveal that a member of the royal family had asked Prince Harry how dark baby Archie’s skin color would be. Though Oprah questioned both Prince Harry and Markle to identify a name and more specifics, both were hesitant to
do so. In tandem with this, Oprah asks for Markle’s reaction to the double standard of reporting of both Markle and Kate Middleton during their pregnancies by tabloids which may be linked to biases against Markle because of her race. Markle also revealed how her and Archie were told they were not going to be given security with Prince Harry, citing this as an example of the lack of support from the family and the establishment that ultimately led him to break off. The royal family did issue a statement in response to these allegations saying “the issues raised, particularly that of race, are concerning. Whilst some recollections may vary, they are taken very seriously and will be addressed by the family privately.” Yet another shocking aspect of the interview was Markle’s discussion of her mental health, specifically moments when she contemplated suicide. During her pregnancy, Prince Harry mentions returning home to Markle crying while breastfeeding Archie. Markle reflected on attending an event in which Prince Harry never let go of her hand for fear of losing her metaphorically and literally. Markle explains what drove her to this point with the quote “everyone is talking about how it looks but no one is talking about how it feels.” Not being able to leave the palace to
see her friends and family, and not being able to seek mental health help from medical professionals due to the restrictions of the royal establishment, in addition to the toxic environment that the tabloids and reporting created, all contributed to Markle’s desire to leave. Both delved into the mixed support from family they received saying they remained incredibly close to the Queen, Markle clarifying the narrative on her amicable relationship with Middleton, and Prince Harry discussing his strained relationship with Prince William and his father. Prince Harry also mentions having “done the work” to understand race
and truly understanding how his mother Diana must have felt some 20 years ago after going through a similar process herself. Whatever feelings may be present about the privilege of the Prince Harry and Markle, the idyllic and somewhat naive nature of their claims at times within the interview, and the heavy ambiguity left in various parts of the interview (specifically not specifying racist members of the family), it’s clear that the toxicity of their surroundings in Britain that fostered by racism and engendering serious damages to their mental health played a key and justified role in their departure from the royal family.
Courtesy ABC News
Meghan Markle and Prince Harry discuss deep topics during their engagement interview with Oprah.
8 Current Events
Red & Black
19 March 2021
63rd Annual Grammy Awards Recap
Courtesy Forbes Magazine
Beyoncé and Megan Thee Stallion accept awards at the Grammys.
Sofia Jenkins Red & Black Staff
There was no shortage of big-name matchups at this year’s 2021 Grammy awards show. These matchups included DaBaby, Dua Lipa, Megan Thee Stallion, Post Malone and many others. The most anticipated award every year is always record of the year, but this year is unlike any other because of the events that occurred in 2020. Critics and everyone voting wanted the record of the year of 2020 to be one that encompasses all that was endured in the year 2020. It should not be just
a song that got hot for one month and was then overplayed, but it should be a song that will live on through history as “the song of 2020.” This year, the most anticipated matchup was unlike others in the past; this year it was actually anticipated to be Beyoncé versus Beyoncé as two of the most popular songs in the list of nominees were Beyoncé’s “Black Parade” and Megan Thee Stallion and Beyoncé’s “Savage (Remix).” Others nominations included Dua Lipa’s “Don’t Start Now,” DaBaby featuring Roddy Ricch “Rockstar,” Doja Cat’s “Say So,” Post Malone’s “Circles” and Black Pumas “Colors.” Despite Beyoncé being the favorite because of her reputation of being the queen of nominations and the
non-queen of winning, Billie Eilish’s “Everything I Wanted” ended up winning record of the year. There have been a countless number of times that people everywhere agreed that Beyoncé was snubbed of a win, including at the 2013 MTV Music Video Awards when Kanye West took the award out of Taylor Swift’s hands and said on stage that Beyoncé should have won. Singers and songs who got snubbed out of this year’s Grammy’s record of the year nominations include Harry Styles with his song “Watermelon Sugar,” The Weekend with his song “Blinding Lights,” and Taylor Swift with her hit song “Cardigan.” Critics said these three songs deserved to be nominated because
they were classic Grammys record of the year songs. These were some of the types of songs that could encompass 2020 and almost were used as the kinds of songs that got everyone through the events and tragedies of 2020. Even though Beyoncé did not win record of the year, she did win four different awards that help her break the record for most Grammy wins by a female artist. Some other winners included Swifts album “Folklore” for album of the year, Megan Thee Stallion for best new artist, and Harry Styles’ “Watermelon Sugar” for best pop solo performance. Overall, this year’s Grammys winners were debatably controversial and interesting, and it was not one to miss.
19 March 2021
Red & Black
9 Current Events
COVID-19 Vaccine Backlash Grows
Courtesy Spectrum News
Anti-vaxxers gather to protest COVID-19 vaccines.
Lekhya Kollu Red & Black Staff
Since the beginning of the pandemic, vocal far-right activists have protested mask mandates and lockdowns as infringements of their civil liberties. Now, as COVID-19 vaccines are becoming more widely available, activists have begun protesting the vaccines as well. On Jan. 30, at a mass COVID-19 vaccination site at the Dodgers Stadium in Los Angeles, California, anti-vaccine protesters disrupted the distribution of vaccines with a demonstration at the stadium
entrance. Protesters gathered again on Feb. 27, but with no disruption to vaccinations. Antivaxxers are no new development in California— the state has long dealt with parents protesting mandatory school vaccination laws. The anti-vaccine movement was dealt a severe roadblock in 2015, as California passed a law that outlawed exemptions from vaccination on the basis of personal beliefs. The exemptions had allowed vaccination rates in certain affluent Los Angeles area communities to drop below 80 percent. Since the ban on these exemptions, the movement’s aggression has only increased. Lawmakers have faced threats and attacks from anti-vaccine activists, and in 2019, a group of activists
threw menstrual blood on lawmakers responsible for the vaccine legislation. However, attendees of the stadium protest deny any connection to preexisting anti-vaccine groups. The main organizer, Jason Lefkowitz, claims that the protest was sparked by the death of former baseball player Hank Aaron just over two weeks after receiving a COVID-19 vaccination. Anti-vaccine activists have used his death as proof of the dangers of the COVID-19 vaccine, despite a medical examiner report denying any evidence linking his death to a reaction from the vaccine. Social media has only further energized the movement. Misinformation, such as that surrounding Mr. Aaron’s death, has flourished on social media sites such
as Twitter and Facebook, despite promises by the companies to remove falsehoods about the vaccines. Activists have adapted to crackdown by the media giants by purposely misspelling key words and using subtler messaging to get their ideas across. Despite the one-hour shutdown of vaccinations caused by the first Dodger Stadium protest, no protesters were arrested. State Senator Richard Pan, a pediatrician, worries this will encourage anti-vaccine activities to escalate even further with no fear of repercussions. “There’s a history of people bullying and being intimidating, and there’s very little consequence for doing this, and so they escalate, and they escalate, and they escalate,” he said.
10 Diversity
Red & Black
19 March 2021
Diversity
Small Business Spotlight: Grass Fields Sophya Williamson Red & Black Staff
Has there been nothing that the pandemic hasn’t destroyed in one way or another? It may take a while to pinpoint something, but we all are aware of how small business have taken huge losses because of COVID. Grass-Fields is no different, even as an online business. It takes quite a lot of people to run a business, but it took only two to start this one. Christelle and Michelle Nganhou are actually twin sisters from Cameroon in central Africa, and their journey is a spectacularly inspiring one. Christelle Nganhou, a 2012 graduate and MBA holder, found the calling to fashion after finding how much it meant to her identity in an accountancy firm interview. The interviewer took notice of her colorful blazer and told her that if she was to accept the position, she would have to adhere to the dress code, which according to her words were “dull, corporate jackets,” to maintain a sense of professionalism. This is an increasing issue. When exactly does your dress style hinder your professionalism? The reason why dress
codes are enforced directly coincides with the considered mental health of the employees, students, etc. The thought goes that with a dress code, one will be more apt to work harder and more efficiently in a three-piece suit, or button up and black blazer then in a sweatshirt or fuzzy pajama pants. There are many points to be made to argue against a dress code, but one of them is exactly what Christelle Nganhou found. Who you are as a person is portrayed through the way you dress and should not in any way be tampered with, or else you’ll feel and look like a professionally wrapped present that holds nothing but empty air, because you’re missing a key part of yourself. So, in Christelle Nganhou’s case, she left the interview and the promise of a good paying account job and decided to start her own business because she realized she wanted others to understand how much an item of clothing means to your identity, and better yet, be proud of it. Michelle Nganhou, Christelle Nganhou’s twin, was living in Cameroon struggling to find a job. Like many in middle and lower incomes, Michelle Nganhou’s dreams of continuing studying medicine were put on hold because of financial burdens. We can all understand the frustration, so when Christelle Nganhou came back to Cameroon ready to start this new dream, Michelle
Nganhou was understandably skeptical at first, but soon agreed. Together they have founded Grass-Fields, showing yet again that perseverance and dedication will always come through somehow. They recently posted to their Instagram (grass_fields) just how
much the pandemic has affected the business, so this article is written to urge you to check out their website and support them as much as you can. We cannot let a store like this struggle because of COVID, and whatever hope you can give them will be much appreciated.
Courtesy Grass-Fields
Founded by Christelle and Michelle Nganhou, Grass-fields was created with a simple aim to put the love back into African print clothing again.
19 March 2021
Red & Black
Diversity 11
The Golden Globes: Chadwick Boseman Sofia Jenkins Red & Black Staff
Chadwick Boseman was an actor whose legacy will live long into the future. Sadly, last Aug., after fighting against colon cancer for three years, Boseman succumbed to the cancer and passed on Aug. 28, 2020 at the age of 43. Boseman was a prominent figure for many different movies and tv shows, and especially for the Marvel Universe. Boseman played different roles, such as T’Challa (the Black Panther) in the hit 2018 film “Black Panther.” He played in this movie as well as the other Marvel movies “Infinity War” and “Endgame.” Some of his other roles included playing Andre Davis in the 2019 film “21 Bridges,” and playing the iconic Jackie Robinson in the 2013 movie “24.” Boseman is also the first person in SAG awards history to be nominated for four different awards in a single year in the movie category. Boseman has been an inspiration to all, but especially in his last performance in the 2020 movie “Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom.” This movie was about blues singers in the year 1927. This is the role that earned Boseman the lead actor Golden Globe award this year. Not only was it important to honor the memory of Boseman at this year’s ceremony, but it was also an important landmark for the Black community. Over the last few years, people across the globe have been calling out the Hollywood Foreign Press Association (HFPA) because across their 87-member nomination team for the Golden Globes, there is not a single
Black member. The lack of representation for this group is evident in the lack of Black nominees in the Golden Globes award of lead actor. In the Golden Globe’s history, there have only been four colored people to win the award of lead actor. These people being Sidney Poitier for “Lilies of the
Field” in 1964, Denzel Washington for “The Hurricane” in 2000 and Forest Whitaker for “The Last King of Scotland” in 2007, and then Chadwick Boseman for “Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom.” Yet, the most important and impressive thing about Boseman’s career
was not all of the incredible roles he acted out, but it was the fact that most of his roles were played while amidst a long fight with colon cancer. Boseman will continue to be an inspiration for people all over the world because of his strength and dedication along with his contributions to the Black community.
Courtesy Movie Web
Chadwick Boseman receives posthumous Golden Globes win this year for “Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom”.
12 Diversity
Red & Black
19 March 2021
Artist Spotlight: Teresa Austin Sophya Williamson Red & Black Staff
Many stumble upon a lot of art without even knowing the name of it, and Teresa Austin’s art just happens to be one such discovery. At first glance, the bright background coloring with what looked like heavy handed pencil markings graffitied the main profile page in a way that may very well overwhelm individuals, and a lot of the posts looked to be boring portraits or free-handed faces, but the distortion is what should grab the viewers’ attention. Just like that of a naked skull, the faces often lacked key characteristics of the living, such as eyebrows, and instead portrayed sunk in cheeks, and missing eyeballs. The smudging of the black in some figure’s eyeholes, or the smudged red of the vaguely portrayed lips of another, with no disrespect, looked sloppy but aided with the precise shadowing and sharp lines provided an indescribable beauty. Seeing as such a word like “sloppy” was used, it has now been proven that this connoisseurs’ technical terms are far below what is needed to accurately introduce such bizarre expressionism, but the point is yet to be made. While this artists style is indeed harsh, there were unique comparisons to another beautiful canvas painting called Women Walking on the Beach by Joaquín Sorolla (1909). The comparison here, although subtle, is the forward movement of both ladies against the gale. The lady in the front
was bold enough to remove her hat, staring askew the observer’s point of view as if daring you to stop her while the lady in the back has yet to commit to taking off her hat, but instead has lowered her parasol in maybe a compromise. Both ladies are driven to going against the wind to wherever their destination is. Given that National Women’s Day has passed this month, it was hard not to find parallelism’s in analyzing this particular painting. Regardless of if they knew it or not, those women were a part of the changing wind of sexism. Now to add to this Austin’s unique perspective, we find that women have changed, not by anyone else’s means but by their own. The most beautiful thing found from Austin, that is so different from Sorolla, is that the art is another representation of a human, with no discernable features or characteristics, just blended shadows and stunning coloring creating the beauty in life. Women have become another set of hardworking hands, another open mouth that defends, another intelligent brain to research, write and lead. They have added to the masses the LGBTQ+ and have become so much more than just women. Like Austin’s art, they have grown and evolved into who they want to be with no boundaries or lines to shape them, so why is it that they still cling to that one boundary that makes the last difference between men and women? Why shouldn’t women, in the same blood vein as a single human and apart of the largest and only race in the universe – mankind – just call themselves man, for that is the last boundary Austin and Sorolla have shown that is still unbroken. If you would like to see more of Teresa Austin’s work, visit her Instagram @flyingpangolins.
Courtesy Artospective
A portion of all Teresa Austin’s sales is donated to Black Womxn Deserve Mutual Aid or NCAAWA.
19 March 2021
opinions Red & Black
Opinions 13
Hulu Portrays the Challenges Black Women Face Akansha Das Red & Black Staff
Hulu’s The United States Vs. Billie Holliday, is a raw depiction of singer Billie Holliday, and her battle with law enforcement for drug use and most notably, her song Strange Fruit, which included graphic lyrics about the lynching of Black people in the 1940s. starring Andra Day, Trevante Rhodes and Tyler James Williams (who you might recognize from Everybody Hates Chris). While the premise of the movie— the inciting of a revolution based on a song sung by a woman–is intriguing,
viewers should be prepared for the disjointed and emotionally fraught nature of the film. One of the most interesting themes from the film is the interracial interactions depicted in the film. Before Holliday’s trial for heroin use, a reporter tells her she should feel ashamed for using drugs and asked her “Don’t you want to set an example for your race like Ella Fitzgerald and Marian Anderson?” Billie’s response was “You know, the people hardest on me are my own race. I need help, not jail time”; this raises interesting questions about pressures of people in especially marginalized races being expected to conform to one archetype, especially one that does not question the established status quo and norm and is easily tamable. This topic is further explored when Billie is sentenced to a year of jail in
the film on an official charge of heroin but unofficially for singing Strange Fruit. The intriguing part is the officer/ federal marshal arresting her and leading the investigation, is Black himself. While he believes he is truly doing the Black community a service by preventing the spread of drugs that have upended the community in the past, he does not realize that his White boss is simply using him to advance his own racist agenda of suppressing civil rights sentiments and uprisings. The nuances of these interracial interactions pose interesting conversations that I hope are explored more often on the big screen. Underlying the racial tensions, is Billie’s experience as a Black woman, including the abuse she suffers from nearly all the men she is romantically intertwined with and the general
E ditorial P olicy The Red & Black is the official, registered student-produced newspaper of Washington & Jefferson College. It is published Fridays with the exception of exams and break periods. Editorials are based upon the opinion of the respective writers and do not necessarily reflect the views of the newspaper, the
College or its students, faculty, or administration. The Red & Black welcomes all reader contributions, but reserves the right to reject letters of pure promotional nature, as well as letters which do not meet its standard of integrity, accuracy and decency. The Red & Black also reserves the right to edit submissions.
emptiness in her that she tries to fill with her music and drugs. Between the glamour and glitz of her shows, we see backstage scenes of physical abuse, verbal abuse and suppression that create a toxic and suffocating environment for her. This situation encapsulates the dual struggle Black women face of wanting to agree with mainstream feminism ideals of being a man’s equal, but often having to appease their partner due to the spirit-crushing racism that happens in their world. Holliday has to contend with minimizing herself and her flamboyant personality so as she didn’t serve as a threat to the ego of the men she is romantically involved with. This leaves her with a visible emptiness that Andra Day captures so well, but ultimately makes the film so emotional and tough to watch.
C ontac t Letters are due on the Monday before publication and may not exceed 600 words. All letters must include the author’s name, campus box and telephone number. Names may be withheld upon request under certain conditions on rare occasions. All letters may be submitted to redandblackstaff@jay. washjeff.edu.
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14 Opinions
19 March 2021 Red & Black
Biden Provides Relief in COVID-19 Bill Amanda Fitzpatrick Red & Black Editor
The House of Representatives and the United States Senate recently voted to approve a $1.9 trillion Covid relief plan. Now that the bill has been signed into law by President Joe Biden, eligible Americans have already began receiving the first round of $1,400 COVID-19 relief payments this past weekend. In the coming weeks, more payments will be sent via direct deposit and through the mail as a check or debit card, according to the IRS. You may all be wondering what is in the COVID-relief bill, so let’s talk through the money. The most talked about aspect of the bill includes $1,400 stimulus checks per person for all individuals earning less than $75,000 of adjusted gross income, heads of households (like single parents) earning less than $112,500, and married couples learning less than $150,000. Families also get an additional $1,400 per child. And especially relevant to college students and the disabled community, adult dependents are now also eligible to receive the $1,400 stimulus check. Further, the bill provides $300 federal boost to weekly unemployment benefits and the first $10,200 in 2020 unemployment income will not be federally taxed. This bill also extends two key pandemic unemployment benefits programs through Sept. 6. Additionally, families can expect to see the child tax credit increased to $3,000 or $3,600 per child for most families. In the unfortunate case that you have lost a loved one, FEMA will
pay you back up to around $7,000 for COVID-19 funeral reimbursements. And, if you depend upon the Affordable Care Act for health insurance, the bill includes cheaper ACA healthcare exchange premiums (and free for some eligible Americans based on income). Additionally, the bill provides a 100 percent COBRA health insurance subsidy, meaning free premiums through September for all eligible Americans. COVID-19 has revealed just how many Americans live near or below the poverty line, so nutrition assistance was a must. The bill extends the 15 percent increase in food stamp benefits through September instead of having it expire at the end of June, and it includes $880 million for the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants and Children (WIC). It also allows states to continue the Pandemic-EBT, providing families whose children’s schools are closed with funding to replace free and reduced-price meals the kids would have received through the summer. Additionally, housing aid is included with $20 billion sent to state and local governments to help lowincome households cover back rent, rent assistance and utility bills. The bill also provides $10 billion to help homeowners pay mortgages, utilities and property taxes. It is no question that COVID-19 has impacted countless businesses, so the bill includes assistance for independent restaurants and bars. $350 billion will be provided to states, local governments, territories and tribes. The bill also contains a $10 billion Coronavirus Capital Projects Fund. And, though not included as part of the package, President Biden
Courtesy CNN
President Biden announces the signing of the COVID-19 relief bill.
has announced that all adults will be eligible for vaccines starting May 1. Though the bill sounds allencompassing and will provide muchneeded help to many Americans, there are a few key things still missing that I would like to see President Biden address in the near future. Lawmakers made three notable changes in this bill – narrowing eligibility for the stimulus checks, trimming the federal boost to unemployment benefits and nixing an increase in the federal minimum wage
to $15 an hour. Further, Biden initially promised $2,000 stimulus checks throughout his campaign. While I support the passing of this bill, these key elements promised throughout Biden’s campaign are not included. However, Biden has promised this is only the beginning, not the end of relief, so going forward I will be paying close attention and hoping all promises made throughout the campaign and presidency are fulfilled.
19 march 2021
Red & Black
Opinions 15
Britain and Iran Enable Human Rights Abuses Paul Collier Red & Black Editor
Since 2016, Iran has jailed the dual national British-Persian author Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe for supposed propaganda and work against the Iranian government. Now, she has been reaccused of propaganda against Iran, for a demonstration outside the Iranian embassy in London twelve years ago. However, the real reason for the injustice she’s faced as a result of the Iranian government is not a mystery: she’s being used as a pawn for hostage diplomacy. While
Iran may seem to be the aggressor in this situation, her status as a hostage exposes Britain’s complicity. According to BBC, the Iranian President Hassan Rouhani told UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson directly that the issue stems from Iran purchasing tanks from Britain that were never delivered following the 1979 revolution, meaning that Britain is 400 million euros in debt to Iran, and no progress has been made to pay this back. Meanwhile, Zaghari-Ratcliffe is suffering from PTSD and depression, but the British embassy in Iran denied her husband’s request to accompany her to the trial, as well as denying her any accompaniment at all. The refusal of Britain to pay Iran back in the first place is a result of prejudice against an eastern-style Theocracy
over the pre-revolution western-style government. Alternatively, they could have just given them the tanks, making this a non-issue in the first place. However, Britain chose to disregard their agreement, and now they refuse to substantially support Zaghari-Ratcliffe while she awaits a verdict that might further prevent her from returning home to Britain. The support given to her by politicians is only vocal, with little to no actual effort being made to free her from Iranian captivity. And this is not to say Iran is not complicit. Her human rights were suspended through tactics like blindfolding in interrogation, and British supporters, including ZaghariRatcliffe, claim the charges are untrue, and irrelevant regardless of their honesty: it’s just something Iran can pin on her to continue to use a citizen
like a pawn. Protesting government should not be a viable reason for imprisonment in the first place, and even if Britain has disrespected the Iranian theocracy, there should be global unity against governments that restrict the ability for citizens to participate in Democracy. And at the center of this is the suffering of an innocent woman, taken advantage of by an authoritarian government on one side, and a prejudiced, sluggish government on the other. Humans are not bargaining tools. The treatment of Zaghari-Ratcliffe is a disgrace for international diplomacy, and her case should be amplified to show the mistreatment of people attempting to navigate life freely in the tense diplomatic situations in Europe and Eurasia.
Courtesy The Times of Israel
Zaghari-Ratcliffe’s husband waits for Zaghari-Ratcliffe’s trial results in Tehran.
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Red & Black
19 march 2021
Handmaid’s Tale Faithfully Adresses Injustice
Courtesy Los Angeles Times
Margaret Atwood discusses the adaptations of her book, The Handmaid’s Tale.
Alex Wagner Red & Black Staff
For this section, we have a book review on the novel The Handmaid’s Tale by Margret Atwood. This novel offers so many new and interesting perspectives for any reader, regardless of your preferred genres. In this dystopian future, women have no rights under this new, totalitarian and theocratic state government. It is set in the United States of America still, but feels rather
old and underdeveloped as a country; It is called the Republic of Gilead. Handmaids, many women who are held prisoner in this place, are told to bear children for certain couples that have trouble having any children. Offred, the protagonist of the novel, serves the Commander and his wife, Serena Joy. Serena is a former gospel singer and preacher of traditional values. Offred is not our main character’s real name, as each handmaid is given a new one for each new commander. The commander of Offred (her real name being June), is Fred, so she is “of Fred.” Each handmaid follows the same pattern for naming. One student,
Katelyn Walzer ‘22, a neuroscience major at W&J College, loved this novel when she first read it a few years ago. She thinks it raises interesting and important questions, even if our society does not have a similar problem. “It was so well written. Atwood makes you feel empathy for Offred, even if her situation is so far out of our minds in today’s era. She is the perfect main character and adds an exciting rebel archetype,” said Walzer. Walzer cautions readers, saying that many of the topics presented in the novel can be hard to read, sometimes even horrifying. The racist, homophobic and sexist themes can be tough to swallow, but
we must remember it is presented to show what must be avoided in our current society. Obviously, we still experience these things today, but nothing compared to the scale these characters must experience. Atwood tastefully displays these issues, hoping new audiences can learn from these mistakes. Atwood has written many other novels, dealing with similar issues. She is also very active on twitter, even as an 81-year-old woman, responding to fans’ questions and concerns. The fan base she has gained from this novel alone is immense. “Atwood is one of the best authors of our time” said Walzer.
sports
19 March 2021
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17 Sports
2021 NBA All-Star Game Recap
Courtesy Sports Illustrated
This year, all the events of the NBA All-Star Weekend were crammed into one night.
Sofia Jenkins Red & Black Staff
This year’s NBA All-Star Game was definitely one for the history books. It was the most unique All-Star Game that the NBA has ever hosted. This was due to the fact that instead of all of the events being spread out over a weekend, the NBA crammed every event and the actual game into one night. The NBA hosted the All-
Star Game and Events on March 7, 2021 at State Farm Arena in Atlanta, Ga. State Farm Arena did allow 1,500 fans to attend the night’s events. The action began at 8 p.m. with the skills competition. The skills competition trophy was taken by Domantas Sabonis, the Indiana Pacer’s big man. He beat out Julius Randle, Luka Doncic and Nikola Vucevic to raise the trophy. Next came the 3-point contest which trophy went to none other than the 3-point man himself Steph Curry of the Golden State Warriors. While Curry has won nine of the last eleven 3-point contests he has entered, this
year was a close contest with Curry just getting the better of Mike Conley. After the 3-point contest, the actual All-Star Game was held. This game was led by the superstars of the NBA with the teams being drafted by their respective captains, Lebron James and Kevin Durant. The James Team included Giannis Antetokounmpo, Steph Curry, Luka Doncic and Nikola Jokic. While the Durant Team included the leading scorer in the NBA as of now, Bradley Beal, Kyrie Irving, Kawhi Leonard, Jayson Tatum and Zion Williamson. The game resulted in a 170150 win by Team Lebron with Ante-
tokounmpo taking home MVP honors will 35 points and his 16-of-16 shooting throughout the game. The dunk contest took place during the halftime of the All-Star Game. Anfernee Simons of the Portland Trail Blazers became the first Trail Blazers player to ever win the dunk contest. He won the competition by tossing the ball into the air, catching it on a high bounce and finishing with a spinning 360 degree two-hand slam. This year’s All-Star Game was not as drama-filled and eye-catching as last year’s All-Star weekend, but it was enjoyable to watch especially in light of the pandemic.
18 Sports
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19 March 2021
NFL Free Agency Shakes Up League
Courtesy PFF
The 2021 free agency has been memorable. With big names still to sign, more change is anticipated.
John Kiebler Red & Black Staff
The legal tampering period for NFL free agency started March 15 and the whole league is already completely shaken up. This offseason saw plenty of the games’ biggest stars head into free agency, where they were likely to leave their long-tenured team. While some players like Deshaun Watson
and Kenny Golladay are still hunting for destinations, most of the top free agents already know where they’ll call home in 2021. The free-agency buzz started when star defensive-end J.J. Watt announced he would sign with the Arizona Cardinals on a 2yr/$31M contract, reuniting with former teammate Deandre Hopkins. After a quiet week chocked full of players getting released from their current teams, the long-awaited question of Dak Prescott’s future was finally answered, as he inked a deal with the
Cowboys for 4yr/$160M. Shortly after, big-name players like Chris Godwin, Marcus Maye, Brandon Scherff, Taylor Moton and Allen Robinson all received franchise tags, confirming that they would remain with their current team for at least one more year. Surprisingly enough, the biggest news of free agency so far comes from the New England Patriots. New England hasn’t been a team known to make big splashes in free agency. However, in the past few days, they’ve already added 12 players to their roster. They started the spending spree by
re-signing quarterback Cam Newton to a one-year deal worth up to $13.6 million. This was followed by singings of wide receivers Nelson Agholor and Kendrick Bourne, tight ends Hunter Henry and Jonnu Smith and big-name defensive players like LB Matt Judon, S Jalen Mills, CB Justin Bethel and DT Davon Godchaux. The 2021 free agency has given NFL fans one of the most interesting off-seasons in recent memory – and with big stars still yet to sign – more change is certainly soon.
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19 Sports
Student Athlete Spotlight: Alex Strain Alex Wagner Red & Black Staff
For this week’s student athlete spotlight, we have an interview with David Alexandre Strain. Strain is a finance major and an economics minor; a very successful student on campus. Strain is from Upper St. Clair Township which is about 30 minutes south of Pittsburgh. He has a younger sister and two loving parents. Strain has been a very impressive addition to the Washington & Jefferson men’s lacrosse team for the past three years. Strain has achieved many accomplishments, receiving an All-PAC Honorable Mention as well as PAC Rookie of the Week. With 53 goals, 141 shots, 23 assists and 76 points, the entire school is excited to see what he will do in this upcoming spring season. As captain, Strain feels it’s his responsibility to motivate his teammates, especially during these weird corona filled times in college. “We had cases early on in the semester, but now we’re past it and looking to move forward. I just want the guys to work hard and play harder. This will be a promising season, as we lost so much last spring in March” said Strain. Practice has been nothing than normal—when outside, Strain mentions how they all must wear masks, as the school requires. With
this being limited, the men have tried their best to utilize the indoor facilities the best they can. “We haven’t been able to get outside much because of the snow, but we’ve been maximizing our time in the gym to the best of our ability. Thankfully it’s been warming up, so it’s been great to get out on the field and enjoy the weather,” stated Strain. Beyond lacrosse, Strain has many other hobbies, his favorites being skiing and golfing. He joked later saying he has a staple in the Washington and Jefferson dining hall. “I always drink at least two glasses of whole milk with every meal at the Commons,” laughed Strain. Besides this funny fact, Strain loves animals, more specifically his own dog back home. He says he is “obsessed” with the dog, as it is a part of the family. Strain is a brother of Beta Theta Pi, and he served as president of the fraternity last academic year as a sophomore. In his free time, he likes hanging out with his brothers and playing wall ball. The whole school is excited to see what the men’s lacrosse team has in store for them this upcoming spring season. Strain and the rest of the guys have been hard at work, and are ready to win the PACS this semester. The men’s lacrosse team fell to Grove City on Mar. 13, but they take the field again on Mar. 20. This is their home opener, and face off is at noon. W&J students can register to attend the game at gopresidents.com. Strain asks the student body to show up to support the team, “Having fans is essential for the energy of the game.
Courtesy Alex Strain
Captain Alex Strain is eager for the rest of the lacrosse season and ready to work with his team to make PAC playoffs.
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19 March 2021
Last Week’s Scores Mar. 13 W&J Baseball at Bethany: 10-4 W W&J Baseball at Bethany: 5-1 W Women’s Soccer at Westminster: 1-2 L Men’s Soccer at Westminster: 4-2 W
Feb. 13 W&J Baseball vs. Bethany: 7-1 W W&J Baseball vs. Bethany: 19-4 W
Mar. 15 Women’s Basketball vs. Bethany: 66-62 W
Next Week’s Games
Courtesy GoPresidents.com
Mar. 17 Women’s Basketball vs. Grove City: 7:00 PM Women’s Swimming and Diving at St. Vincent: 6:00 PM
Mar. 20 Volleyball at Geneva: (DH) 11:00 AM and 1:00 PM W&J Baseball vs. Grove City: (DH) 1:00 PM and 3:30 PM Softball at Thiel: (DH) 1:00 PM and 3:00 PM Women’s Lacrosse vs St. Vincent: 3:00 PM Men’s Lacrosse vs. St. Vincent: 12:00 PM
Mar. 21 Men’s Soccer at St. Vincent: 1:00 PM Women’s Soccer at St. Vincent: 3:00 PM
Courtesy GoPresidents.com