Red & Black
The Free
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 April 16, 2021
WHAT’S IN THIS WEEK’S PAPER... CURRENT EVENTS “What we’re seeing is pockets of infection around the country, particularly in younger people who haven’t been vaccinated and also in school-age children,” [Dr. Osterholm] said. -P.7
W&J Hillel Society Hosts Yom HaShoa Vigil PAGE 3
DIVERSITY
Native American women are murdered at a rate 10 times higher than other ethnicities and it is the third leading cause of death for Indigenous women as reported by the Centers for Disease Control (CDC). -P.10
OPINIONS Something that has become an assumed reality entirely too quickly is the COVID-19 vaccine certification cards, or vaccine passports. -P.14
SPORTS
April 1 began the 2021 Major League Baseball season. Opening Day alone had enough action to fill weeks-worth of games. -P.18
WJREDANDBLACK.COM
Courtesy Marcy Saldivar
2 CAMPUS NEWS
Red & Black
16 April 2021
Students Draft Petition About COVID-19 Rules Sofia Jenkins Red & Black Staff On April 7, a petition was created on Change.org to demand changes to the Washington & Jefferson College COVID Protocols. It was started on the basis of two main issues the student body has with the W&J COVID Protocols. Those main issues being the toll the W&J administration is imposing on the student body’s mental health and the neglect of the administration and Campus & Public Safety officers to be consistent in the rules they follow and impose. The petition calls on the “W&J College Administration to change its protocols and re-evaluate its harsh punishments and procedures for evicting students from campus in the Spring Semester.” The petition states that “Anxiety rates amongst students are rising and we feel persecuted instead of protected by administrative powers like CPS. As the State and Nation have adapted during this final phase of the COVID-19 crisis, W&J policies have come to seem unnecessarily rigid and punitive.” Within its first twenty-four hours, the petition had garnered nearly 600 signatures. Numerous comments cited the need for W&J administration to take into account the mental health of the students. The comments came from not only students at W&J, but also parents and siblings of students who have seen first-hand the personality and spirit changes of their children/siblings while being on-campus at W&J. Students have been writing their personal stories and experiences about how
the W&J administration and COVID Protocols were very irrational and unfair to them. Including many students speaking out about how they were forced to quarantine for over two weeks and others writing about CPS enforcement being irrational and unfairly rigid. This past academic year has been a trying one for both the administration and the student body because of the Coronavirus. It has been a difficult bal-
“Anxiety rates amongst students are rising and we feel persecuted instead of protected by administrative powers” ance between the W&J administration creating COVID protocols that protect the health of the student body (faculty and staff) versus the student body’s expectations to be able to enjoy the historical inherent freedoms and social interactions which define the college experience. As the Commonwealth and nation ease COVID safety measures, the policies here at W&J (to include the de facto ejection from campus for the smallest of COVID protocol violations) are sure to be reviewed and the Red & Black will continue to report as events unfold.
Courtesy ObserverReporter.com
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16 April 2021
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CAMPUS NEWS 3
W&J Hillel Society Hosts Yom HaShoah Vigil Reilly Oliverio Red & Black Editor
On the evening of April 7th 2021 students gathered as the Hillel Society held a candle lighting vigil in honor of Yom HaShoah. Yom HaShoah is a Jewish holiday that is held as a day of com-
“A day we remember those that perished but also recognize the survivors and the familes that have grown and thrived since.” -Hailey Nudelman ‘22 memoration of the Holocaust and the heroes involved in the Jewish Resistence. The first official Yom HaShoah took place in Israel in 1951 and since 1959 has been a day backed by law as a national memorial day. The Hillel Society at Washington & Jefferson College decided to hold a candle lit vigil in front of the Tech Center where students and other participates could come together in honor
Courtesy Marcy Saldivar
Students gathered to lit candles and read the names of Holocaust victims for Yom HaShoah.
of the victims of the Holocaust. Hailey Nudelman ‘22 was in attendance and commented on the day saying, “Yom HaShoah is holocaust remembrance day and we held a vigil to remember the 6 million Jews and the total of over 12 million people who lost their lives to hate. Yom HaShoah is a day we remember those that perished but also recognize the survivors and the families that have grown and thrived since.” Students came together to light candles in commemoration of the victims. Madison Butler ‘23 and Hailey
Nudelman ‘22 were two of many students that participated in the lighting of the candles. Along with lighting the candles the names of victims were also read and honored. Specifically the students focused on naming eighteen to twenty-two year old victims who were the same age as the majority of the students here at Washington & Jefferson. The event grabbed the attention of more than just students as some notable members of the Washington & Jefferson administration made an appearance. Among them were college
president Dr. John C. Knapp and his wife Kelly Knapp. Dean of students Eva Chatterjee-Sutton was also in attendance for the ceremony. Yom Hashoah or Holocaust Rememberance day is an important day of memorial for the over six million lives that were lost due to Nazi Germany’s destruction. The Hillel Society and Washington & Jefferson hosted a ceremony that honored the victims through a beautiful ceremony of remembrance and collaboration.
16 April 2021
Campus News 5
Red & Black
Career Service Announcements Event:
Attention Seniors! Embark
Event:
Embark presents: “Job Search
presents: Group Career Coaching
and Post-Grad Planning in 2021”
Date:
April 28 and May 5
featuring W&J Alumni
Time:
7:30 pm - 8:30 pm
Date:
April 21
Type:
Virtual – Go to the Handshake Events
Time:
7:30 pm - 8:30 pm
Calendar to access the Zoom link
Type:
Virtual – Go to the Handshake Events
Description:
Group Career Coaching! Join certified coach, Jami Klingensmith from the
Calendar to access the Zoom link
Description:
Hear from recent W&J alum as they cover
Center for Professional and Career
topics like: managing your professional
Pathways for a high impact career
life during this complicated time, what
coaching group. In this deep dive you
it’s like to be a young professional
will explore all things career – job
in 2021, and managing your career,
searching, career management, and
graduate school, job searching, and
more!
transitions in your profession amid a pandemic.
Secured a summer internship? Enter our giveaway! Career Services is giving away a $50 Amazon gift card. To be entered into this drawing you must email careerservices@ washjeff.edu with the news of a confirmed internship by April 30. We will draw names from the students who inform us, via email, on Monday, May 3. We will accept emails until 5pm on Friday, April 30.
16 April 2021
Red & Black
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!
Coming Soon: New Red & Black Website! Over the fall semester, Raheem Clemons, our Website Design Manager, built a new website for the Red & Black. In the next month, we will transition away from Issuu (our current online platform) and launch the new website that will list our articles in a blogpost format. Until the new website’s launch, find the Red & Black in the major academic buildings on campus and digitially on Issuu (at https://issuu.com/rednblackwj/docs).
6 CAMPUS NEWS
16 April 2021
Red & Black
Speak Out: What is your favorite Commons menu item? “I like the quesadillas the best. They are always well cooked and crispy on the outside just how like them. I wish they had those tasty things all the time!” - Anthony Romasco ‘23
“I love the salads which is funny because I don’t like salad dressing. The greens are always pretty fresh, and I like the toppings they offer.” -Brendan Tribeck ‘21
“It is between the nachos and the buffalo chicken pizza. They always have a good flavor and is a good change up from the other items.” - Manny Dovshek ‘22 “I love the glizzies!!” - Alex Donahue ‘22
Red & Black Established 1909 Editor-in-Chief Managing Editor Campus News Editor Current Events Editor Diversity Editor Opinions Editor Sports Editor Social Media Manager Website Design Manager Distribution Manager Interim Faculty Advisor
Marcy Saldivar Erin Herock Reilly Oliverio Moll Kilbourne Amanda Fitzpatrick Paul Collier Nick Krugh Grace Depaul Raheem Clemons John Kiebler Kellin Cavanaugh
16 April 2021
Red & Black
Current Events 7
Current Events
COVID-19 Continues to Rise Despite Vaccines
Courtesy iHeartRadioX
COVID-19 cases continue to surge among young people and the unvaccinated.
Lekhya Kollu Red & Black Staff
Over the past five months, over 66.1 million Americans have been fully vaccinated against COVID-19. Just last week, an average of 3.1 million vaccines were being administered every day. Still, the average number of new coronavirus infections reported each day is at its highest since last month. The number of people
in hospitals with COVID-19 has plateaued since mid-Mar. On NBC’s “Meet the Press,” coronavirus task force advisor Micheal T. Osterholm emphasized that due to the cyclical nature of the pandemic, the next few weeks promise “the highest number of cases reported globally since the beginning of the pandemic.” He stated that the general pattern of the pandemic’s surges seems to be a rise and subsequent fall of cases in the North and Midwest, followed by a surge in the South. With Mich. reporting nearly 50 days of rising coronavirus numbers, it seems to represent the beginnings of a new coronavirus cycle. Mich. isn’t alone- cases have also been on the rise in other Northern states
like Neb., Minn., Pa., Del., Vt. and Maine. CDC commissioner Scott Gottlieb is more optimistic. On CBS’s “Face the Nation,” he predicted that the new surges in cases wouldn’t lead to an actual fourth wave, due to the sheer number of Americans who have immunity, either from having been vaccinated or having been previously infected by COVID-19. Gottlieb also emphasized that the surge in cases seems to be highest in certain lower-risk populations. “What we’re seeing is pockets of infection around the country, particularly in younger people who haven’t been vaccinated and also in school-age children,” he said. According to National Institute of
Allergy and Infectious Diseases Director Anthony Fauci, the vaccine will make all the difference in preventing a fourth surge. He said that unlike during the first, summer and winter surges, we now have the potential to outpace the rise in cases with vaccinations. Still, President Biden has pleaded that cities and states reinstate previously lifted public health precautions. Paired with more transmissible variants, the widespread ending of mask mandates and indoor dining limits may be contributing to the surge of cases. “A failure to take this virus seriously — precisely what got us into this mess in the first place — risks more cases and more deaths,” he said.
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Red & Black
16 April 2021
Pittsburgh Schools Set to Reopen
Courtesy The Conversation
A year after schools closed due to COVID-19, Pittsburgh schools plan to restart in-person classes.
Sofia Jenkins Red & Black Staff
For over a year now, Pittsburgh students have been in either a fully remote learning setting, or a slight hybrid learning setting that never lasted for over a week. On Mar. 13, 2020, students in the Pittsburgh area went home after school one day like any other normal day, but what they did not realize, is that they would not be returning to their school’s campus for over a year. The Pittsburgh area decided to start their
virtual learning term off with a twoweek shutdown because of the spike in Covid cases then. After that two-weeks was up and the Covid cases were not decreasing, the school administrations in Pittsburgh made the tough decision to have their students go fully remote for the rest of the 2019-2020 school year. This created a major struggle for the families of these students because a lot of them did not own devices in which they could do virtual school, and a lot of students relied on schoolprovided meals so the schools had to set up sites where the students could grab a meal and go. During the summer of 2020, plans were trying to be put into place to bring students back to school in-person, but sadly that was not able to happen because of the lack of knowledge of
what kind of Covid outbreaks would occur if students returned to campus. Pittsburgh schools decided to remain online for a nine-week period, which at the end of that nine-week period, they tried to bring the students back in a hybrid way. When Pittsburgh area schools tried to do this hybrid way of learning, it was in Nov. 2020, which stood as notoriously a month full of Covid case spikes, so because of this the Pittsburgh area schools decided to go remote for another nine-week period. As the students began their spring semester, they were still all remote except for 800 special needs students and English language learners. Parents became angry at the school district because they started to notice how their children were not progressing in intelligence or were uncharacteristically not doing
well or failing some of their classes. They blamed it on the online learning model, and the city of Pittsburgh declared an “Educational State of Emergency.” The Pittsburgh schools’ administrations took this into consideration and decided to make a change. Now, finally after over a year of almost 100 percent online learning for almost all students in the Pittsburgh area, the schools in the area have agreed to reopen. Teachers must have had at least one dose of the vaccination by mid-March, and classes will look different with mandatory maskwearing and a lot of new technology usage. Families and school administrations of the Pittsburgh area are hopeful that their revert back to in-person classes will be beneficial and safe to all.
Diversity 9
16 April 2021 Red & Black
Diversity Anita Hill: A Notable Unsung Hero of the 90s Akansha Das Red & Black Staff
In 1991, Anita Hill testified during Justice Clarence Thomas’s Senate Confirmation Hearing in which she detailed the ways he sexually harassed her during his time as her boss at the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) of the Department of Labor. Like many women who end up speaking up against the sexual violence, sexual assault and sexual abuse that they might face, Hill became defined singularly by her harassment rather than for her numerous professional accomplishments in the field of law. Hill is an unsung hero from numerous angles because a reflection on her testimony, situation and treatment raise so many important questions about the way we treat survivors, especially those who happen to be women of color. Before Hill, about 7,000 sexual harassment charges were filed each year in the United States. The year after Hill’s testimony, this number rose to 18,000. This astounding number of women feeling that they can come forward in hopes of being taken seriously
is amazing, and yet it’d be premature to label this as completely Hill’s doing. The truth is that deep structural changes were happening behind the scenes - including legislation that legitimized sexual harassment in the face of the law rather than necessitating women to try their sexual harassment under the Civil Rights Act - and Hill’s testimony generated the press attention needed to compel President H.W. Bush to sign the bill into law. For speaking her painful truth and the feelings of dehumanization and discomfort her harassment caused, Hill like many other women is a hero. And yet situational and contextual factors amplify this status. For one, Hill did not “come forward.” Speaking about her sexual harassment was not a choice on her part but rather a compulsion from a subpoena from Congress during the Congressional Hearing. Secondly, despite what the underlying sexism of the media and our social establishment tells us, women are complex, nuanced and flawed just like any other individuals. And yet, in pop culture and in perceptions of celebrities, women are constantly prohibited from acting this way. In a world where inappropriate sexual advances by men are almost always blamed on the women (i.e., “What were you wearing?” “What time of day was it?”), Hill was the “perfect victim” – a law abiding women with a respect-
able career in law and without visible intentions to bring down Thomas’s career. And yet, she was still smeared. David Brock, a reporter at the time, wrote an entire book based on fabricated lies about Hill titled “The Real Anita Hill.” Along with this suffocating treatment, Hill had to deal with backlash from people within her own race (including Thomas himself). Across the country, Black families especially were upset Hill would
tarnish the reputation of someone of her race meanwhile many women in the workplace a generation before her thought little of her comments as they thought this was the simple, sheer price for being a woman in industry and had experienced many of the same situations themselves. Precisely because of the culture Hill was surrounded by and her impact on perceptions of sexual assault, Hill will continue to be an unsung hero of history.
Courtesy The Atlantic
Anita Hill testified during Justice Clarence Thomas’s Senate Confirmation Hearing in 1991, detailing the sexual harrassment she experienced.
10 Diversity
Red & Black
16 April 2021
Deb Haaland Opens New Investigation Unit Amanda Fitzpatrick Red & Black Editor
The numbers are staggering; Indigenous women and girls are being taken in an alarming way. Native American women are murdered at a rate 10 times higher than other ethnicities and it is the third leading cause of death for Indigenous women as reported by the Centers for Disease Control (CDC). The National Crime Information System reported that there were 5,712 missing and murdered Native American women in 2016 alone – and that is only what is documented as known. Unfortunately, violence against Indigenous peoples has been an ongoing crisis that has been underfunded for decades. With the majority of these murders being committed by non-Native people on Native-owned land, the lack of communication between state, local, and tribal law enforcement results in an immediate roadblock in beginning the investigation process. These numbers speak for themselves, yet so few people actually know about these events. However, there is a glimmer of hope due to Secretary of the Interior Deb Haaland. Recently, Haaland announced a new unit within the Bureau of Indian Affairs that plans to tackle the decadeslong crisis of missing and murdered Native Americans. In a statement on Thursday, Apr. 8, Haaland said, “Violence against Indigenous peoples is a crisis that has been underfunded for decades. Far too often, murders
Courtesy The Nation
Secretary of the Interior Deb Haaland creates new unit to investigate the growing crisis of murdered and missing Indigenous women.
and missing persons in Indian country go unsolved and unaddressed, leaving families and communities devastated.” This new unit is expected to help to put the full weight of the federal government to investigate cases and coordinate resources among federal agencies and Indian country, according to the Department of Interior. This is extremely needed and welcomed, with families and activists describing that cases have been disregarded by law enforcement, forcing them to bring attention to the issue through social media campaigns, marches and protests. Previous efforts to address this crisis have not been considered successful by victims’ families due to the lack of action by the law enforcement and justice system.
However, Haaland’s unit plans to build on the work of the previous task force while designating new leadership and support positions. Haaland’s plans have caused hope to grow in many, like Ana White. Ana White has been searching for her sister, Andrea “Chick” White, for 30 long years without success. Though she regularly pushed local law enforcement, all she received was “lip service” and the situation has remained unchanged. Upon hearing the announcement of Haaland’s formation of a new unit to investigate the epidemic of missing and murdered Native Americans, she felt a renewed sense of hope, and said, “Suddenly I’m breathing.” Ana White is not alone in this statement. Currently, about
1,500 American Indian and Alaska Native people across the U.S. are listed as missing in the National Crime Information Center and Haaland’s announcement brings hope to many suffering families. Ultimately, the formation of Haaland’s unit is exactly why representation is so critical in politics. Without Haaland, it is simply unlikely that this unit would have been created with the necessary amount of funding and resources allocated. Though this unit is only the beginning, Haaland, serving as the first Indigenous official ever to hold the position of Secretary of the Interior, is bringing justice to Indigenous communities around the United States by addressing a crisis that has existed for decades.
16 April 2021
Diversity 11
Red & Black
Local Women-Owned Business Spotlight
Courtesy WJ Community Engagement
L.A. Sweets is a local bakery in Washington, located at 148 N Main St, Washington, PA 15301. It is a women-owned bakery and part of the W&J Local Business Ambassadors Program. Visit their Instagram @lasweetsbakery or their Facebook at L.A. Sweets to learn more and see their delicious offerings.
12 Diversity
Red & Black
16 April 2021
France’s Ban on Hijabs is Harmful Akansha Das Red & Black Staff
On Mar. 30, the French Senate passed the Separatism Bill that bans Muslim women under the age of 18 from wearing a hijab, prohibits mothers accompanying their children on school trips from wearing a hijab and allows public swimming pools to prevent women wearing a burkini to enter. While the bill still needs to be approved the French Parliament, it is already sparking widespread social media backlash, including comments from Muslim women worldwide. Hanan Houachmi, a French Moroccan fashion influencer based in Dubai, says “I don’t understand how, in 2021, in a developed country, we are still talking about how a woman should dress.” The bill is in keeping with oppressive trends from France as hijabs are already banned in most French schools and for women working in the public sector and it has gained strong support from French President Emmanuel Macron who says he does not believe the hijab adheres to “French values.” Explanations for the bill range from thin excuses about care of women being oppressed by the hijab to anti-Islamic sentiments from French Republicans to outright admittance of prejudice as evidenced by President Macron’s comments. Yet, the French hijab ban also provides an interesting intersection of religion and gender that further illustrate the challenges women of color feel. Following the line of logic that the bill was intended to benefit French
Muslim women, the bill assumes that all women who wear the hijab are oppressed (which in actuality is not true as the wearing of a hijab is often a personal choice for many Muslim women) and plays into the colonialism notion that women of color need to be saved. Given France’s extensive history in colonizing predominantly Islamic areas in Africa, the hijab ban could be seen as an extension of discriminatory policies employed during the colonial era that attempted to prohibit citizens from showing and symbols of affilia-
tion with Islam in an attempt to conform these populations to the French way. In fact, the banning of the hijab only inhibits the agency and freedom of these women. French is an outrightly secular nation therefore the bill could also be interpreted as a measure to maintain this separation of church and state. And yet, the French government is conflating freedom of religion expression with influence of religion within the government. In 2004, the National Assembly was debating a bill that would
have banned “Muslim headscarves, Jewish skullcaps and large Christian crosses,” according to Priya Agrawal of INDEPENDENT. And yet at the same time, right-wing politicians have been trying to emphasize French’s Christian heritage. Given France’s motto of “liberté, égalité, fraternité,” or liberty, equity, and fraternity, this double standard and suppression of religious freedom is contradictory to values of liberty and equality and harmful for Muslim women.
Courtesy Abna24
France’s latest anti-Islam bill banning Muslim women under the age of 18 from wearing a hijab, has drawn fierce condemnation.
16 April 2021
opinions Red & Black
Opinions 13
Christians Should Embrace Service Dylan Bertovich Red & Black Staff
“The meaning of Easter is more transcendent than the resurrection of Jesus Christ. Whether you are Christian or not, through a commitment to helping others we are able to save ourselves.” This is the now deleted tweet that Senator Warnock wrote on Easter Sunday that brought great controversy to the new senator. Warnock, who is a pastor at the historic New Ebenezer Baptist Church, used his religion on the campaign trail often. He was criticized on the campaign trail for being a radical communist and his preaching to some was reflective of these ideals. It might
be nice to remember that if Jesus was alive today he would most likely be a radical who wanted to do things such as clothe the poor and feed the hungry. This would be called communism by many people who grace the halls of congress today. This is clearly what the senator is referencing in his tweet, the oftendismissed idea of good deeds. That life on earth in a religious form is created with the intention of helping your fellow man. “Through a commitment to helping others we are able to save ourselves,” literally means committing yourself to good deeds to your fellow man. This is not radical, this is common in Christianity. What the senator should have said was, “Jesus could give up his life for you, you can give up your life for a few hours a week to do good deeds.” This was quickly picked
up by the right wing Christian media as a way to attack the new senator. “Rev. Warnock, with respect, the whole point of Easter is that Christ died to take away the sins of the world and rose to show they were sealed in the grave. Christ saves, nothing else. It’s disheartening to see you, a fellow clergyman, downplaying the central tenet of our faith.” While I understand the point that Jesus died for the sins of his followers, the point of the tweet was to encourage all people to generally be better. This tweet also would lead you to believe that there is nothing that can be done to improve your community or life on earth. That is truly false, as all religions cry out to their members in service. The controversy is clearly manufactured, and when you’re done reading this, go do a good deed.
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.
Courtesy Asian American Advocacy Fund
Senator Warnock discusses Christianity as service while campaigning.
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
16 April 2021 Red & Black
COVID-19 Passports Set Dangerous Precedent Paul Collier Red & Black Editor
Everyone should be vaccinated for COVID-19. Studies have been done on the SARS virus that became the Coronavirus for years, so when COVID-19 appeared, virologists were already prepared to finish vaccine trials and get the specific needed vaccines approved. Despite the noted intensity of side effects in some patients, the vaccine is safe and will help protect the country against COVID-19, so life can get back to normal. It’s also easy to say that everyone knows what that normal looks like. It’s been a long year and a half, but that does not mean we’ve forgotten everything from before. It will be a shock to return to a fully functioning society, especially in a college setting when the full student population returns, but it is also disingenuous to claim that it is desirable to not return to normal, or to continue to live afraid of future illnesses and disease. But this is exactly where the issues with returning to normal begin. What will that normal look like in the immediate post-COVID era, with some citizens still refusing to be vaccinated, some citizens still taking extreme measures against the virus, and a growing mental health crisis? Something that has become an assumed reality entirely too quickly is the COVID-19 vaccine certification cards, or vaccine passports. To begin, these are not the same thing as required vaccines to go to school or travel internationally. They are everyday notices of COVID
vaccination for grocery shopping, attending sporting events, going to restaurants etc. This means the COVID-19 vaccine would be the first required for the general existence of life in America. Again, everyone should receive the vaccine, and people should be vaccinated in general. But that is not the government’s decision. No person’s livelihood should be restricted by the government choosing to force any type of medical procedure or precaution upon that person. Biden’s administration, according to the Washington Post, has also already gone as far as claiming that they want to find a way for vaccine passports to exist without mandating vaccines. They are aware of the issues with this, yet they want to move forward without considering the precedent this sets for governmental control in individual medical choices. Outside of the general morality, the vaccine passport rollout is going to be exceptionally difficult. Biden’s administration has also stated that the high number of organizations attempting to create this technology, such as IBM’s rollout in New York or WHO’s recommendations for how the vaccine passports should function, has confused the process as the U.S. government attempts to design a federal version that will allow for easy updates and safety, as counterfeit vaccine certifications are already appearing, and information could easily be hacked in a universal passport system. One of the areas of the vaccine still unknown is how long immunity lasts before booster doses are needed. If the immunity lasts only, say, six months, then they also face the issue of vaccine renewal and how that will be added
into the system. And if non-universal systems still exist for these passports, it will be nearly impossible to coordinate between them that someone has received that booster dose. Also, if continual booster shots are needed, the precedent these set will become even more extreme, as the government will gain continual control over mandating what someone should medically do with their bodies. Health experts agree, again according to the Washington Post, that these issues deserve consideration, and a balance needs to occur between oversight and overstep. However, I believe we are at a place where vaccine passports will do more harm than good. They are simply not near ready
for an effective universal rollout, and Biden has claimed that every U.S. adult will have the possibility to be vaccinated beginning in under a week. Trying to insert another regulation after the fact will be unpopular for people that want to return to normal, and chaos will ensue as people want government oversight back out of their lives following a lengthy, necessary standard set for safety. Again, this is not to be anti-vaccine, as everyone should be vaccinated. But it is simply not the government’s job to oversee a long-lasting requirement for vaccination, and once vaccines are being overwhelmingly distributed, it is time for the government medical oversight to end.
Courtesy Quartz
House Speaker Pelosi presents her vaccine certificate after her vaccination for COVID-19.
16 April 2021
Red & Black
Opinions 15
Little Women Delivers Compelling Film Adaptation Alex Wagner Red & Black Staff
In 2019, a movie came out with a new rendition of the classic novel, Little Women, written by Louisa May Alcott. With much anticipation, many fans of the novel rushed into the theaters excited to see what Greta Gerwig, the director, had in store for all the viewers. With many famous actors and actresses, such as Florence Pugh, Timothee Chalamet, Emma Watson,
Saoirse Ronan, Laura Dern, and Meryl Streep, it’s no surprise that the movie did so well. Many of these young actors and actresses expressed their excitement to be a part of such a wonderful project under the watchful eye of a female director. Timothee Chalamet, a new and unforgettable face in Hollywood, had read the book several times. His love for the novel in the language used by Alcott inspired him to audition for the role for the main male protagonist. Starring alongside Saoirse Ronan, the dynamic duo perfectly interpreted the love and friendship between the two main characters. These two actors had worked together in several films
prior, most notably, Lady Bird. Greta Gerwig, is a young but inspiring female director, who has been in charge of projects in the past few years. She shared in multiple interviews that her goal was not to change the language presented by Alcott, but only enhance what she was given as a young female director. With such a talented cast and crew, Gerwig felt confident that her movie would do the novel justice. Many students at Washington & Jefferson College attended the first viewing of the highly-anticipated film in the early spring of 2019. A few women in particular, Katherine Ruffing ’22 and Cameron O’Connor
’22, displayed their excitement over a new version of a timeless classic. “Personally, I loved the movie. I thought the aesthetic and imagery of the film was so beautiful and captivating to watch. The stellar cast was also unsurprisingly incredible. Overall, it was a great girl-power film and I loved watching it,” said O’Connor. “I’ve never read the book or seen other adaptations to the movie, so I can’t attest to the 2019 version’s accuracy in its portrayal. However, I didn’t love how Jo ended up with the secondary love interest in the end. With that being said, I can’t argue with love and a happy ending.”
Courtesy Film Comment
Greta Gerwig works on the set of her 2019 film, Little Women.
16 Opinions
Red & Black
16 April 2021
COVID-19 Petition Gives Sensible Suggestions Paul Collier Red & Black Editor
The W&J administration has done a good job leading us through the COVID-19 era. We have been safe, and continue to be safe, while college campuses close around us and life is still restricted around the country, all while we maintain in person classes and athletics through this semester. It should also be said these are, as repeated entirely too often, “unprecedented times,” and a level of grace must be allowed for those leading us through this pandemic. However, maintaining a certain level of grace does not equate to remaining quiet on issues students have with COVID-19 policies on campus. We have all lived through this for a year now, and we are simply asking for the college administration to recognize that we are both grateful for their leadership, and that there have been issues that should have been rectified long before now. This sentiment is best summarized by Amanda Fitzpatrick ‘21 in stating “With COVID-19, restrictions are necessary in order to stop the spread and keep everyone as healthy and safe as possible. At the same time, these restrictions are affecting students’ education and social life, having detrimental impacts on mental health for many. With W&J planning vaccine drives and COVID numbers still trending in an overall positive direction, I hope that restrictions loosen to a degree that is reflective of CDC guidelines while still ensuring campus safety.” It would be best for
everyone to be vaccinated, and many students have been vaccinated before the drive has even occurred, which also needs a system for documentation. It is true that where cases are spiking, PA contributes a high number of new positives, but we have waited too long to change our policies. The petition is not asking for radical changes. It cites contradictions in the college’s social distancing policies, which have existed since the beginning. At the start of last semester, there was no guidance as to how many students could sit at outdoor tables, which changed rapidly to two. This rule never seemed to be enforced. We live in groups of four and have high amounts of contact with those people in New Res and Bica. However, it was clarified early on that only three can gather in a common room at once. The petition cites athletic teams competing mask-less against competitors, out-ofstate visitors having touring access, commuters attending class, and the Netflix special all being allowed while resident students are allowed one guest at a time. And if these rules are broken, it is likely students will be sent home, since the college has decided they are a detriment to safety here. The petition does not ask for this to be suddenly changed. It asks for modest renewal of policy, such as not continuing to threaten to remove people from campus which makes CPS an untrusted enemy to students regardless of if they’re following policies, and instead mandating community service which would assist the sanitation workers that have done a lot to keep this campus safe or shortly suspending athletic eligibility. These are sensible changes. In fact, they’re so sensible, that 600 people have signed the petition at the time
this was written. Let me be clearer. As the petition states, some of the policies of the college have been contradictory, and this is the source of the issue. As a member of the track team, we were not able to practice indoors all at once because of the 25-person limit at the Ross Recreation Center, though this total was never hindered by the students who chose to use the free court while practice was ongoing. Likewise, athletes are allowed to compete with and practice with each other every day for multiple hours but are not allowed to congregate afterward in any capacity. Outside of athletics, communities have been hindered by the inability for people to meet face to face. I enjoy all the people I meet as I take more courses within my major, but I still feel little connection to my community because online communication is not the same. The inability to find these communities and make friends is a detriment to mental health as well. Chase Grinnell ‘24 concurred, “coming in as a freshman during these times has been a struggle to meet new people and make new friends because the current rules prohibit it. Also, for me, my social life is an escape for my stress about school and right now I feel trapped with stress.” I have found many students that cannot even begin to describe their frustration with Netflix being allowed on campus during and witnessing a horde of students in front of old main during the filming process. There is no reason this was allowed while other social life is restricted, as students are also being continually tested and monitored, which should mean we remain safe to congregate if we communicate any concerns with each other as they come up. That’s not to mention the mental health issues
that are going to, and have begun, to arise from distancing measures across the country. However, there has not yet been a mental health day on which I have encountered a student with absolutely no work to do. In fact, on our last mental health day, tours were offered, and students had to work for the college’s residence life. It is one day of break, and even that cannot be afforded. Meanwhile, other campuses at least allow community bubbles, where the same students can have a social life together and support each other. The worst part of it all is students feel they cannot discuss these things, because instead of listening to students, the policies will become more stringent. We recently received a spring athletic update, which was not an update at all, but a repeat of recent changes and a threat sports could end. For reference, there is currently a total of six positive students according to the COVID tracker. In the last SGA meeting, it was stated there were 29 in quarantine, who are not allowed to be tested by the rules of the quarantine. We worked hard to deal with these policies and keep our heads down, so it is a threat to us, over something the student body can barely control that is exacerbated by social distancing policies, even when people try to remain safe. For all these reasons, this petition is essential. The changes are not radical, they are sensical, and it voices the thoughts of a greater number of students than what the administration might have been able to hear before from the student advisory council. This is a global pandemic that we are all working together to combat, and that does not take pure dictation, that takes communication.
sports
16 April 2021
Red & Black
17 Sports
W&J Baseball Extends to 20-0
Courtesy gopresidents.com
Morris ‘21 celebrates with the team after hitting a home run.
Nick Krugh Red & Black Editor
Washington & Jefferson College’s baseball program is on quite a roll right now. After there four game series with Waynesburg this past weekend, the
Presidents moved to 20-0 on the year. W&J outscored the Yellow jackets 54-9 with 21 of the runs coming in game three of the series. The Presidents seem to have a record breaking vibe for this season. After earning Coach Jeff Mountain his 500th career win, and program best, early in the season the teams eyes where set on another goal. The all time best program win streak. The best win streak was set in 2019, when that team went on a 16 game
win streak after returning from their Florida Spring training trip. This 2021 team tied that win record the previous weekend when they took four game against Geneva. The last time the Presidents baseball team put together a long win streak they ended up punching a ticket to the Division III College World Series. With the best start in program history and the win streak record under their belt this 2021 team eyes big accomplishments down the stretch. The
Presidents have 16 regular season games left to go. The watch will be one to see if they can remain undefeated. After the regular season they eyes will be on winning the PAC championsuip, which would give them an automatic bid to an NCAA Regional. Where if they win that, a return to the World Series would be their next step. Good luck to the Presidents baseball program the rest of the year as they try to go undefeated and win the PAC.
18 Sports
Red & Black
16 April 2021
MLB Opening Week Starts Hot
Courtesy MLB.com
The MLB’s brightest stars prepare for opening day.
Sofia Jenkins Red & Black Staff
April 1 began the 2021 Major League Baseball season. Opening Day alone had enough action to fill weeks-worth of games. Opening day had its fair share of runs scored. So many of the games played ended with scores of over ten runs scored between the two teams. Some of the most action-filled games included San Diego versus
Minnesota which ended in a score of 8-7 and St. Louis versus Cincinnati which resulted in a final score of 116. Also, the Kansas City versus Texas game ended in a score of 14-10 (of which 10 of these runs were scored in the first inning!). Other highlights of Opening Day included a combined effort by three Minnesota Twins pitchers coming five outs shy of securing a no-hitter. José Berríos did not get to finish his gem of his 6-inning, 84 pitch no-hitter, when he was taken out at the start of the seventh inning. Tyler Duffey went in for him and gave up a single to Omar
Narváez. The Twins had to settle with a one-hit 2-0 win against the Brewers securing their first win of the season. COVID-19, as expected, took a toll on some teams, while for other teams, one wouldn’t even know a pandemic is occurring. The Washington Nationals were plagued by COVID-19 when three of their players tested positive for the virus in the days leading up to Opening Day. The Nationals were forced to postpone their first three games against the New York Mets and their subsequent first game of a series against the Atlanta Braves, which was
pushed back a day to create a double header on April 7. For other ball clubs, the pandemic did not create any visible obstacles. One of those teams being the Texas Rangers, who allowed full fan attendance capacity at their games during Opening Week. The Rangers stadium was packed for the Ranger’s game on Opening Day with a full 40,300 fans in attendance. Although face coverings were stated to be required, a significant number of fans in attendance had no face coverings. America’s pastime is now in full swing and a welcome distraction for many fans.
16 April 2021
Red & Black
19 Sports
Peticca Places First at Grove City Invitational
Courtesy gopresidents.com
Peticca ‘21 follows through on his approach shot.
Alexandra Wagner Red & Black Staff
Last Thursday afternoon, the men’s golf team attended the Grove City Invitational golf tournament, coming back with stunning results. Ben Peticca ’21 won the entire event, scoring a 73. Juan Caputi ’22, tied for fourth place after carding a round of 77. Garrett Barilar ‘21 tied for eighth place with a 79. Dawson Thornton ’23 and Sean Adamski ’24 rounded out the top
five for the Washington & Jefferson College team. Thornton had an 18-hole score of 85, while Adamski scored a round of 90 to finish. The weather that Thursday was less than ideal, but the team pulled through. “The winds were up all day with gusts up to 25 mph at times. I knew scores would be higher than usual because of the conditions, so I kept telling myself par was a good score on every hole” said Peticca. Overall, the men’s team placed extremely well, following Westminster
College with a solid second-place trophy. Scoring a 314, the men’s golf team were only a few Strokes behind the Westminster college team, as they scored 306. With many of our men in the top 10 placements, it’s no surprise that the team placed as well as they did. With Peticca in the first place slot, the president’s expected nothing less. “It was a huge relief to get my first collegiate win. The PAC has some really good players, so winning against that level of competition gives me a lot of confidence for the rest of the
season,” said Peticca. The entire team shared Peticca’s excitement over the win at Grove City. With such a high reputation to live up to, the men’s team was elated to see another win in the books. With the last season being completely canceled due to Covid-19, all of the men were grateful for the opportunity to play outside yet again. “As a team, I’m excited for what we can accomplish this year. All five guys in the lineup have worked hard and are playing well. I have confidence we can win PACs again this year,” said Peticca.
20 Sports
Red & Black
16 April 2021
Last Week’s Scores Apr. 10 W&J Volleyball at Bethany: 3-2 W W&J Baseball vs. Waynesburg: 11-1 W W&J Baseball vs. Waynesburg: 21-4 W Men’s Soccer vs. Thiel: 7-0 W W&J Football at St. Vincent: 42-14 W Women’s Lacrosse at Westminster: 23-9 W
Apr. 11 W&J Baseball at Waynesburg: 10-4 W W&J Baseball at Waynesburg: 12-0 W
Next Week’s Games
Courtesy GoPresidents.com
Apr. 16 W&J Football vs. Bethany: 7:00 PM
Apr. 17 W&J Baseball vs. Chatham: 1:00 PM W&J Baseball vs. Chatham: 3:30 PM Men’s Soccer vs. Bethany: 4:00 PM
Apr. 18 W&J Baseball at Chatham: 1:00 PM W&J Baseball at Chatham: 4:30 PM Women’s Lacrosse at St. Vincent: 4:00 PM Courtesy GoPresidents.com