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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 November 13, 2020
WHAT’S IN THIS WEEK’S PAPER... CURRENT EVENTS On Nov. 2, Hurricane Eta developed into a Category 4 hurricane on a path to Central America. -P.6
Seniors Prepare for an Unusual Final Semester PAGE 3
DIVERSITY
The four congresswomen known as “the Squad” – Reps. Ilhan Omar of Minnesota, Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez of New York, Rashida Tlaib of Michigan, and Ayanna Pressley of Massachusetts – have won reelection. -P.9
OPINIONS A common criticism of American democracy has been the two-party system leaving us to choose from two disliked presidential candidates. -P.12
SPORTS
Nicholas “Tahfi” Drake ‘21 has been a member of the Washington & Jefferson baseball team for three years. -P.14
WJREDANDBLACK.COM
Courtesy WashJeff.edu
2 CAMPUS NEWS
Red & Black
13 November 2020
Tips and Tricks for Upcoming Finals Alexandra Wagner Red & Black Editor
With finals approaching quickly, it’s time to get back into good study habits to finish the fall semester strong. The COVID-19 pandemic has taken out any sense of normality, so it’s no surprise that studying for final exams feels more daunting than ever before. Most students have commented on their lack of motivation with the new online style of learning. Jared Heller ‘21 has found a few ways to combat this. His best advice for students is to study according to specific subjects. “Depending on the type of class, you may not even be able to study the same way. I’ve found that for science/ math classes, the best way to prepare for finals is to create study guides for each exam throughout the semester and then rewrite and compress the study guides before studying topics I don’t recall as well. For reading based classes, take notes in the margins and on post it notes to look back on when studying or writing papers.” suggests Heller. Beyond specific types of study methods, another important aspect of succeeding for finals week is general organization. Zack Mindel ‘22 comments on this, sharing how lack of organization ultimately leads to stressful cramming. He finds that this is extremely inefficient and believes that early studying is the best way to make a large amount of material seem small. “One thing that really helps me is writing down a daily schedule so that
Courtesy WashJeff.edu
The Clark Family Library is a favorite study spot among Washington & Jefferson College students during finals.
I can manage my tasks for each and every day. Another strategy I employ is to budget my time effectively.” adds Mindel. Ava Smith ‘23 shared a similar perspective to Mindel, saying that agendas and calendars are key to being successful during finals week. What works best for Smith is to write out each assignment, prioritizing the projects based on due dates and size. “I always try and pace myself by doing the smallest assignments and earliest assignments first. I also plan what paper/finals I will focus on each day of the week and for how long.” states Smith. In addition to this, Smith recommends leaving your room; finding a study place with bright lights and large tables to spread out all study materials is one way to ensure a productive environment. Studying can be done in so many ways, it’s just a matter of what works best for the person.
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13 November 2020
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CAMPUS NEWS 3
Seniors Prepare for an Unusual Final Semester Reilly Oliverio Red & Black Editor
This past year has been a series of ups and downs. Through COVID-19, a wild presidential election and many other crazy events, people are counting down the days until the new year. As we are preparing for the end of 2020, many students are optimistic for the coming year and what it may offer. For student athletes, this means being able to participate in sports that were limited in the fall. For freshmen, it is a chance to come into their own while adjusting to college life. For se-
“Despite COVID, I’ve managed to have a good year and I don’t plan or intend for COVID to change how I feel.” - Evan Kurela ‘21 niors, it means graduation. Although this is not the senior year many students were expecting, seniors at Washington and Jefferson College are prepared to end their senior year on a high note. There is a lot to look forward to as 2021 approaches with new opportunities, classes and events taking place at W&J. Evan Kurela ‘21 is optimistic about his last semester and his upcoming
Courtesy Washjeff.edu
For many seniors this will be an unusual but highly anticipated last semester on Washington & Jefferson College’s campus.
plans saying, “I’m looking forward to my classes a lot. They all seem interesting and getting to work with my friends in classes always makes them enjoyable for me. I’m also looking forward to graduating. It’s definitely bittersweet because of the last year and a half and moving away from the campus and my friends, but it’ll be exciting to start my professional life. I also always get excited for the clubs and organizations I’m in. During COVID, clubs and organizations have definitely made the pandemic a lot more manageable and they’ve given me something to be happy about.” Kurela is not the only senior with things to look forward to in the spring. Sammy Massimino ‘21 is also excited
as she is returns to campus in 2021 saying, “I’m excited to be going back to campus in the spring, so I’m excited to see people safely because I’ve been away from the W&J community for so long. Obviously things won’t be ending the way everyone wants them too, but just being able to have my ‘last college days’ feels a little better.” Even with an abnormal school year and all the problems COVID-19 has caused, seniors at W&J are doing their best to end their school career strongly. Kurela stated, “I plan on ending the year on a high note by not letting the pandemic affect how I feel. I’ve been able to find things to do that I may not have done before and these new
hobbies have definitely made my year better. It’s also allowed me form closer relationships with people I’m close with and I plan on developing them further. Despite COVID, I’ve managed to have a good year and I don’t plan or intend for COVID to change how I feel. I’m going to end this year on a high note by looking at all the good things that have happened and try not to get caught up on all the negatives.” Although this past school year has been a big adjustment for the students of W&J, the optimism and excitement for the spring semester is still present. With a vaccine seemingly on the way, hopefully this next spring semester the students can return to some type of normalcy.
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13 November 2020
Speak Out: Why I Voted! “I voted because as a Black woman in this country, I have not had the right to vote for very long at all. Women got voting rights only 100 years ago and Black people in 50. I felt it was my duty to give gratitude to my ancestors who fought and died for the right.”—Jurnee Lantz ’24 “I voted because it was my first year being able to vote…I believe the United States could use some change in all different aspects of government. ”—Sara Fritsch ‘24
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!
“I voted in this election because I saw the danger of apathy, ambivalence and of not having an opinion and because frankly the issues of climate change, racial injustice and a broken healthcare system that are plaguing the nation can’t wait. I saw what happens when you sit idly by and assume the government will do the right thing, and I voted because I believe we can hold our government to a higher standard.”—Akansha Das ‘24
13 November 2020
Red & Black
CAMPUS NEWS 5
Meet the Editorial Board
Website Design Manager: Raheem Clemons This semester, Raheem has been building a
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new website for the Red & Black to give us
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a more organized and professional online platform to share campus news. Raheem is a member of the W&J football and wrestling teams. He is a sophomore and double majoring in international business and computer information studies. In his free time Raheem likes to work out and eat food. He is eager to be joining the Red & Black staff for the upcoming year, “I am excited to help create the R&B website and move the paper online.�
Editor-in-Chief Managing Editor Campus News Editor Current Events Editor Diversity Editor Opinions Editor Sports Editor Copy Editor Copy Editor Social Media Manager Website Design Manager Distribution Manager Interim Faculty Advisor
Marcy Saldivar Erin Herock Reilly Oliverio Molly Kilbourne Amanda Fitzpatrick Paul Collier Nick Krugh Kelsey Julien McKayla Rollison Grace Depaul Raheem Clemons Alex Wagner Kellin Cavanaugh
6 Current Events
Red & Black
Current Events
13 November 2020
Hurricane Eta En-Route to Central America
Courtesy Fox News
Hurricane Eta swirls accross the coast of Florida on November 11.
Lekhya Kollu Red & Black Staff
On Nov. 2, Hurricane Eta developed into a Category 4 hurricane on a path to Central America. Category 4 hurricanes are classified as major hurricanes that can cause catastrophic damage due to their wind speeds of 130-156 miles per hour. Hurricane Eta made landfall in
Nicaragua on Nov. 3, causing extensive flooding, downed power lines and structural damage to many buildings. As of Nov. 3, the city of Puerto Cabezas, in one of Nicaragua’s poorest regions, was without power and at capacity in its government shelters. In Honduras, which borders Nicaragua, the storm left 38 dead and eight missing. The storm weakened after moving inland over Central America’s mountainous terrain, and by the time it had made its second landfall in Cuba on the morning of Nov. 8, it had been downgraded again to a tropical storm. By the night of Nov. 8, it had made its third landfall in Florida with 65 mile
per hour winds, causing widespread flooding and power outages for 28,000 homes across the state. Many school districts have shut down both in-person and online instruction. The storm pounded the state with six to 14 inches of rain, which overwhelmed soil that had already been saturated by heavy rains in Oct. The storm’s rains also overwhelmed the poor drainage systems in many of the states’ older communities. To prevent water from seeping into homes, Florida state officials have been providing sandbags to residents and vacuuming water up with tanker trucks over the past few weeks. As of
Nov. 9, the storm is moving southwest away from Florida and atmospheric conditions in the Gulf of Mexico are likely to weaken it significantly, but meteorologists still predict a chance of a fourth landfall later in the week. According to National Hurricane Center Director Ken Graham, it’s “going to take a while” before the storm completely dies down. Eta is the 28th named storm of a record-breaking season. Thus far, 2020 has tied with 2005 for the highest number of named storms in a season, with Hurricane Eta being the strongest hurricane of the year. Hurricane season will officially be ending this year on Nov. 30.
13 November 2020
Red & Black
Current Events 7
Abortion Rights Are Under Fire Internationally
Courtesy Omar Marques via Getty Images
Women protest for the seventh straight day in Poland.
Akansha Das Red & Black Staff
In Poland this week, a new near total ban on abortion has got citizens taking to the streeets in protest—some even storming churches and running into police with incidents of pepper spray use. Poland has been notoriously known for its ultra tight restrictions on abortion and the new law prevents a woman from seeking an abortion if her baby has lethal birth defects. As of now, Poland only permits abortion for the traditional three reasons: rape, incest or danger to the mother. Additionally, Poland’s government signed the Geneva Consensus Declaration recently (Brazil, Egypt, the U.S. and thirty other countries) which encourages its members to enact “prolife” policies. Proponents of the law—including Karolina Pawlowska, director of
the Center of International Law at Poland’s Ordo Iuris Institute—state that it’s a win for disability rights and prevents discrimination against a fetus. She claims that it prevents a woman from aborting her baby for a condition such as Down Syndrome that can be managed and a condition with which many can still live healthy and productive lives. Many Polish pregnant women are afraid to even seek prenatal care in Poland and are considering going abroad for care. This tightening in abortion restrictions has been a trend across Europe. Armenia, Georgia and Russia have introduced various preconditions that women must meet before getting an abortion. Germany has strict laws about clinics and doctors promoting their offering of an abortion procedure and Croatia and Italy have a “conscience clause” that allows providers to deny a woman an abortion based on their moral views. Within Poland itself, the cultural belief that women are supposed to be housewives, mothers and procreators
has festered anti-abortion sentiments. Additionally, one of the main drivers of increased restrictions is the U.S. and its Mexico City Policy or the “Global Gag Rule.” Expanded during Trump’s presidency, this states that no U.S. funding can go to NGOs that provide the abortion services or referrals in an effort to reduce abortion rates. However, CNN reports that this rule has actually increase abortions by 40 percent and decreased contraceptive use by 13.5 percent. Increased contraceptive use is key to reducing abortion rates, especially among adolescents, according to the Guttmacher Insitute. Additionally, new Supreme Court Justice Amy Coney Barett to the Supreme is ardently anti-abortion, believing that life begins at conception which brings a threat to Roe v. Wade (the 1973 case that first made abortion legal in the U.S.). The reprcussions of a Roe v. Wade repeal could be massive as 21 states would undoubtedly enact abortion bans and such bans would disproptionately impact low-income
women who couldn’t necessarily drive to another state to get an abortion. Despite the most recent rise in abortion restrictions, it’s important to remember that the American public has largely preferred to keep abortion legal. Pew Research Center reports that 58 perccent of Americans think that abortion should be legal in all cases and 64 percent saying in a 2018 Gallup poll that they don’t think Roe v. Wade should be overturned. Hillary Margolis (a senior researcher at the women’s rights division at the Human Rights Watch) has said that close to 50 countries have “actually liberalized their laws and several others have even removed abortion wholesale from their criminal codes” in the past 25 years. Additionally, human rights lawyer Payal Shah has said that it’s important to remember there is a “clear global trajectory towards abortion law liberalization.” However, with the recent global trends, that trajectory might need more activists to ensure that it’s one open to women worldwide.
8 Diversity
13 November 2020 Red & Black
Diversity Mail-In Ballot Rejections: Fraud or Racism? Bavi Makkar Red & Black Staff
Absentee ballot rejections were predicted to reach historic levels this November, risking widespread suppression of minority voters and the credibility of election results. In just the primaries this year, Wisconsin, Michigan and Pennsylvania rejected about 60,000 votes, numbers that could close margins of victory. These also bring about conspiracy theories this year of how votes for Trump were just thrown away. People are against mail-in ballots are also calling this form of voting “illegal” and “un-American.” However, Dylan Bertovich ’21 believes that “the idea that there is fraud is inherently racist. The focus is always on large minority cities such as Philadelphia or Los Angeles. The focus is never on areas where some fraud has been found such as rural North Carolina. When Trump calls out these cities, it is a dog whistle to his supporters that the minorities are stealing the election from them and the country.” Republicans seem to be dumbfounded by the amount of democratic votes coming in, despite the fact that Trump bluntly told his followers to
only vote in person, thereby explaining the found majority of democratic votes. He has been constantly tweeting about how he won with the amount of “legal” votes that came in. Furthermore, he has increased levels of security in certain cities, discouraging BIPOC from going to vote at the polls. The levels of discounted votes could have dramatically increased the margins for Biden’s victory but due to these levels of intense distrust, people have to make intense levels of security. Pennsylvania was luckily a state that could not discount votes based on signatures, a security measure pushed by
Trump for something that frequently changes for people. Brendan Troesch ’21 also spoke on the matter: “Discounting the mail in ballot is a sad attempt to undermine the democratic process. This country has been against BIPOC from the beginning and the attempt to block mailins, which make voting more accessible to everyone scares the oppressive institution since they know it will give the BIPOC community, which they have tried so hard to silence, a platform to speak and be heard.” The strong wave of absentee ballot rejections is not a result of voter
fraud, like most Trump supports believe, but instead the byproduct of 200 million eligible voters navigating an often-confusing voting process where simple mistakes can cost a vote. Rejecting one ballot is not just one vote, it is the vote for numerous local and state representatives that is greatly skewing the representation of minority voters. Our system has such a high error rate for absolutely no good reason. America needs to look at the amount of voters that came out for this election and learn that they need to make voting a more accessible process for all people.
Courtesy Postcard Voters
Nationally, voters of color are 1.18x more likely to vote by mail than white voters. With over 90 million people nationwide requesting a mail-in ballot to vote this year, it is important all are accounted for as everyone deserves a say in our democracy.
13 November 2020
Red & Black
Diversity 9
Election 2020: The ‘Squad’ Is Growing Amanda Fitzpatrick Red & Black Editor
The four congresswomen known as “the Squad” – Reps. Ilhan Omar of Minnesota, Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez of New York, Rashida Tlaib of Michigan, and Ayanna Pressley of Massachusetts – have won reelection. Since they first took office in January 2019, these lawmakers, all women of color, have stood at the forefront of the Democratic Party’s progressive base and brought great (and long needed) change to the party. Despite facing baseless attacks from the President, Republican lawmakers and Democratic lawmakers alike, none of the Squad’s members faced significant challenges in their first reelection races this year. Ocasio-Cortez won reelection to New York’s fourteenth Congressional District against two challengers, one being Republican John Cummings, in which she fundraised aggressively in the face of well-financed opposition and an abnormal amount of outside spending overwhelmingly targeted against AOC. Similarly, Omar sailed to a double-digit victory over Lacy Johnson, endorsed by President Trump. Further, Pressley and Tlaib were able to win by large margins. However, “the Squad” as it has become known is not an exclusive group – and the election results have increased the Squad’s numbers. With each squad member backed by the Justice Democrats, a group that seeks to elect more progressive candidates to break establishment molds, three congresspeople-elect have similarly
been endorsed by the Justice Democrats. Cori Bush is one of these congresspeople-elect, becoming Missouri’s first Black Congresswoman. Bush, a former nurse and vocal Black Lives Matter advocate, won her race with a large majority of the vote. This was her second attempt to unseat the Democratic incumbent William Lacy Clay Jr. for Missouri’s first district, which she accomplished over the summer in the state’s primary elections. This historic win by Bush cements the power of grassroots movements can be stronger than the gatekeepers and big money in politics. Bush is not the only member ready to join “the Squad.” Former Principal Jamaal Bowman is officially headed to Congress in which he unseated long-serving Democratic incumbent Eliot Engel in the New York primary elections. With this election upset, Bowman was referred to as “the next AOC” being that his win in New York’s sixteenth district confirmed that hers cannot be dismissed as a fluke. His platform highlights his career as an educator and his commitment to improving the lives of children, something Congress greatly needs at this time of a pandemic and ongoing separation of children from parents at the border. Bowman received several endorsements from progressive powerhouses including Rep. Ocasio-Cortez, Sen. Elizabeth Warren, and Sen. Bernie Sanders. Joining Bowman in New York’s congressional delegation is Mondaire Jones, elected to represent the seventeenth District after Representative Nita Lowey announced her retirement last fall. Ritchie Torres also will be replacing Representative José Serrano in the fifteenth District. Running on their support for policies like the Green New Deal and Medicare for all, Jones
and Torres will share the distinction of being the first openly gay Black members of Congress. Mondaire Jones has identified two primary problems with our criminal legal system that he is looking to tackle: systemic racism and an overreliance on police as a means to obtain public safety. Torres, previously a member of the New York City Council, has advocated for better public housing and programs to address racially concentrated poverty. Lastly, Marie Newman will become her district’s first woman representative. Newman defeated both the Democratic incumbent Rep. Dan Lipinski in the House primary and her Republican opponent in the general election in Illinois’ third district. Winning the vote by roughly six points, she will be the first woman to represent her district and has been endorsed by progressive organizations like EMILY’s List. This victory and support is monumental, given Lipinski was an anti-abortion legislator. Similar to all
members of the squad, her platform focuses on fighting for working families and closing the income gap. Further, she has spoken in opposition of Israel’s occupation of the West Bank and the Israeli blockade of Gaza, like that of Ocasio-Cortez, Omar and Tlaib. Ultimately, “the Squad” is growing – and so is its power with members of The Squad already becoming the Democratic Party’s most influential voices. Despite the indisputable and apparent diversity in its members, these winners and sitting members of “the Squad” center the issues that younger voters and working families care most about: healthcare, job creation, economic inequality and a willingness to treat climate change as an immediate and existential threat to the planet. However, “the Squad” goes beyond Congress. Pressley told The Guardian last year “The reality is anyone who is interested in building a more equitable and just world is part of The Squad.”
Courtesy Now This News
All four women of ‘the Squad’ win reelection while adding more progressives to their ranks.
10 Diversity
Red & Black
13 November 2020
Women in STEM Spotlight: Esha Vaidya
Courtesy Inside Higher Ed
Akansha Das Red & Black Staff
“I love learning about processes in the human body and get a weirdly deep satisfaction from working through an Organic Chem reaction,” Esha Vaidya ‘24 remarks. While this passion for the complexities of chemistry certainly distinguishes Vaidya, it’s only one of many things that make her unique. Coming from a family with many physicians, she grew up hearing their work stories, which ignited an interest in medicine for her. However, she’s surely done more than the average college freshman to solidify this interest. During high school, she found time to work as a research intern at Magee-Womens Research institute, volunteer at a diabetes awareness camp in India and devote some hours to a nursing home for the elderly with memory disorders. Vaidya says that these unique experiences taught her the value of “putting in hard work to reach a common goal of helping people with their health.” As a self-proclaimed science nerd, Vaidya wants to pursue a biochemistry major at Washington & Jefferson College for the appealing nature of
the content, not to mention the convenient way that the requirements align with the MCAT and medical school prerequisites. Outside of the classroom, she hopes to spend her time doing community outreach—either at local nursing homes and/or Washington Hospital. While Vaidya knows that she wants to be a doctor, specialization is still a long way away down the road for her. While she’s open to many fields, she says if she had to choose today it would be between becoming a surgeon or family medicine doctor. She remarks “while I enjoy the precise, hands-on aspect of surgery, I also like the personal connection with patients that comes with family medicine.” Yet this path has not been easy for her. Acknowledging that she couldn’t have done this alone, she credits her parents for being her biggest role models and advocates. “I cannot even imagine where I would be without them—they are always supporting me and encouraging me to do the best that I can.” She also credits her STEM teachers and their guidance for helping her get to where she is today. While medicine has been a notoriously difficult path, being a woman makes the journey harder in some ways. Women in the workforce and in STEM fields often have harder times finding mentors, earning a salary equal to their male counterparts and the stigmas often applied to women for being assertive. In terms of her own struggles, Vaidya says that she has been overwhelmed with all the coursework from her STEM classes. To surmount this struggle, she says she tries to look at the big picture. “After all of this hard work and determination, I will one day be able to call myself a physician. And that’s what makes it all worth it.”
Courtesy Akansha Das
Esha Vaidya ’24 wants to pursue a biochemistry major at W&J while engaging in community outreach.
13 November 2020
opinions Red & Black
Opinions 11
Biden Defeats Trump, but the Fight is Just Beginning Bavi Makkar Red & Black Staff
On Nov. 7, the tense week of vote tallying resulted in Pa. finalizing the Presidential Election. In a historical election, President elect Joe Biden won with a record number of votes in any election. He flipped key states such as Wis., Mich. and Pa. Vice President elect Kalama Harris also has made history by becoming the first woman and first person of color to occupy the office. Shattered barriers aside, this election will go down in infamy as it was the strangest in recent years, characterized by increasing outlets of misinformation, fears of voteby-mail systems and a deadly virus claiming hundreds of thousands of
lives. Amanda Fitzpatrick ’22 stated “While I am entirely supportive of the outcome of Joe Biden as our new president elect, this is really just the beginning rather than the end of our work. Trump still holds the presidency until Jan. The senate race will come down to Ga. We are still amidst a global pandemic that Biden and Harris are already working to address. This is our current reality, even though the future may seem brighter. And lastly, we must not lose the momentum of grass roots movements calling for fundamental change just because our president elect is a democrat. Ultimately, it was the work of these movements, of Black women organizing in Ga., of Native Americans organizing in Ariz. and so many more that allowed this presidency to be possible. We must not forget the work, or the true goals, of these people as we move forward as a country.” Trump is able to do a lot of damage before he
leaves office and the Senate contains more conservative seats than it was before, making change and reform an even larger challenge. While the news of a significantly better president lightened the hearts of many, there were 70 million people who still somehow voted for four more years of hatred and lies. These people are fighting the results, led by posts on social media saying that the mail-in ballots are suspicious, despite the common knowledge that Trump openly told his followers to vote in person, explaining the lack of republican mail in ballots. There are videos of fake republican ballots being found in dumpsters which have been driving these people wild. Jillian Curtis ’23 found that “the election has reaffirmed that the current voting system is antiquated and no longer serves the people.” Voting needs to be made easier and more accessible. America needs to follow the steps of
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.
other countries in which voting takes place on weekends and mail-ins are encouraged. This election was a step in the right direction for the country, but America has a long way to go and hopefully they are able to learn from this election to prevent anymore disastrous leaders.
Courtesy New York Times
President-elect Joe Biden celebrates his victory.
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12 Opinions
13 November 2020 Red & Black
Kanye West Damages the Possibility of Third Parties Paul Collier Red & Black Editor
A common criticism of American democracy has been the two-party system leaving us to choose from two disliked presidential candidates. This issue was perhaps most clear in 2016, when Trump held a 38 percent favorability rating and Clinton sat at 42 percent according to ABC. This improved slightly in 2020, as Biden jumped to 44 percent favorability, but his unfavourability dropped from Clinton’s 56 percent to 43 percent, giving him a one-point positive rating. Still, 44 percent is not even a simple majority of the American population. It’s obvious these candidates are not representing the views of a majority of Americans if a majority of Americans don’t even view them favorably, much less actively support them more than vote because they feel resigned to. In comes third-party and independent candidates, looking to build momentum for their movements off voters who feel disenchanted with both major-party candidates. These candidates can be valuable as an alternative to help signal to the major parties policies Americans support and actually force the two major-party candidates to earn the Americans vote, as opposed to receiving it along party lines or treating it as predetermined property, which far too many candidates and party-line voters do. But when the system is undermined by candidates like Kanye West, running for the Birthday Party, or write-ins like Harambe gain traction, legitimacy is taken from people with
actual policy goals that are attempting to better represent the full scope of American values. Like many third-party supporters claim, no vote is a wasted vote. And this is obviously true: candidates like Libertarian Jo Jorgenson, assumed to steal votes from Republicans due to the party’s conservative leanings, received nearly 78,000 votes in Pa., while Trump lost the state by 48,000 votes. Not every Jorgenson voter might have switched to Trump if her candidacy was unavailable, but the ability to vote in protest in elections like 2020 is crucial and still signals a disdain for the current administration. But there’s an asterisk to the original claim: Votes are wasted if they’re being spent on joke candidates that don’t actually represent the voter’s views. This goes beyond presidential votes. Two US Senators, Bernie Sanders and Angus King, both claim Independence even though they caucus with the Democratic Party. Furthermore, Representatives Alexandria OcasioCortez and Rashda Tlaib, and members-elect Cori Bush and Jamaal Bowman are members of the Democratic Socialists of America even though they still run as Democrats. In these instances, the two-party system even forces current officeholders to align with organizations that don’t support their views. In Representative Cortez’s case, she has publicly considered an early retirement due to being viewed as an enemy by the Democratic Party. The Libertarian Party holds 233 officials in local governments. In Vt., the Vermont Progressive Party holds two seats in the state senate and seven in the state house. On the local and state level, citizens have (continued on page 13)
Courtesy Wikipedia
Libertarian Candidate Jo Jorgenson speaks at a campaign event.
13 November 2020
Red & Black
Opinions 13
The Nation’s Youth Gives Hope Cassie Carr Red & Black Contributor
Courtesy The Guardian
Kanye West running for the U.S. Presidency contrubutes to the public dismissing third parties.
(continued from page 12) been able to elect officials that better represent what they believe by creating support to reject a member of either the Democratic or Republican Party. West’s Birthday Party itself is a literal pun on American political parties. In rallies, he claimed Harriet Tubman didn’t free slaves and publicly worked through personal and marital issues about almost aborting his children as opposed to offering substantial policy. Americans feel disenchanted with American politics and our own elected officials are stuck in a system that doesn’t support their views, either. West running in this manner further hurts the reputation of third parties. Luckily, he only received 60,000 votes
in 2020. But his personality brought him attention that assists in people dismissing third parties as crazy like West, incoherent and without a chance to represent people’s interests at the national level, even though these parties are slowly building grassroots support and continue to run presidential candidates to gain more national attention. West ran as a publicity stunt and even in 2016 people discussed voting for him as a joke. But when you’re actively contributing to perpetuating a nihilist system that only two parties will ever be able to hold power, and when candidates can’t gain favorability with a majority of Americans, the joke was never funny in the first place.
2020 has been a year seemingly void of hope, a perspective which some have chosen to project onto the future. I, however, feel nothing but hope for the future of our country. This is largely due to the way in which our nation’s youth have fought to address the challenges which our country and humanity around the globe have been facing. Take, for example, the fight against climate change. It has truly been our nation’s youth that have stepped up to fight for change in this area. Jamie Margolin is a prime example. Margolin is the founder of Zero Hour, an environmental justice movement working to organize youth activists in an effort to insight change on a local and national level. This includes educating the nation’s public on policies such as the Green New Deal, as well as exposing the oppressive systems which underscore climate change. Youth activism has not been exclusive to climate change, however. Our nation’s youth have also led the fight in another area: gun control. David Hogg, Jaclyn Corin, Emma González, Cameron Kasky and Alex Wind are just a few names that come to mind in regards to this movement. These students are survivors of the 2018 Parkland shooting. In light of this, these five students took the lead in starting the #neveragain movement, which hoped to insight national protest and ultimately gun reform. Each of
these examples in mind, I find it nearly impossible to envision the future of this nation with anything other than a hopeful demeanor. It is our nation’s youth who will soon be assuming the positions of power in our country. As such, as long as we continue to fight for change and stand up for what is right, I feel confident that our nation will be able to prosper. It is only when we become truly stagnant that I will lose hope, and I can confidently say that our nation’s youth are anything but. It is for this reason that I feel hopeful for the future of our country.
Courtesy Dazed Digital
Zero Hour founder Jamie Margolin leads a climate protest.
sports
14 Sports
Red & Black
13 November 2020
Student Athlete Spotlight: Nick Drake ‘21
Courtesy Jill Kalinski
The Presidants celebrate after a Super Regional Series Victory over Misericordia.
Nicholas Krugh Red & Black Editor
Nicholas “Tahfi” Drake ‘21 has been a member of the Washington & Jefferson baseball team for three years. Drake is from Canonsburg, Pa. and he attended Canon McMillan High School. He started playing baseball 15 years ago and had always wanted to play baseball in college. Because he grew up in a local area, he had often heard about W&J’s prestige. He knew W&J had a great academic reputation and
an even better baseball team. It just so happened that he was good enough to be able to play for the tough program. In high school, he played first base and third base. However, he has transitioned to a starting pitcher at W&J. Drake believes that the most challenging part of his position is throwing pitches to make the batter strike and limiting barrels, which are hard hits. Even still, Drake rises up to the challenge. “Every play starts with you. There’s a certain level of confidence you need to have with each pitch and trust in your mechanics to execute,” Drake described the importance of his position. W&J baseball is coached by
head coach Jeff Mountain, Nic Rush and Josh Crummer. Coach Mountain has led the team to great accomplishments during his time at W&J and it is a privilege to play under him. Drake accredited the coaching staff ’s success to their experience, “Coach Mountain and Rush have years of experience under their belts. Josh Crummer played under Mountain, so he understands the coaching technique and the players’ point of views.” Drake’s favorite memory from W&J baseball is participating in the DIII World Series. He enjoys being on the teams and the friendships he has formed with his
teammates on and off of the field. Although this year’s spring season may be in question due to COVID-19, the team has put in countless hours of work in the fall season preparing. Drake has high expectations for his teammates and their season, “The team is going to give it all and do the best we can to succeed. Since we’ve had great success in the recent past, we expect to carry that momentum into another season.” Drake and his fellow President teammates will continue to prepare as if this was a normal year. They expect that to be a huge benefit if the season does come to be.
13 November 2020
Red & Black
Sports 15
Steelers Move To 8-0 for First Time In History
Courtesy USA Today
Eric Ebron hurdles a Cowboys’ defender to score a touchdown.
Grant Allison Red & Black Staff
The Pittsburgh Steelers have improved their record to an impressive 8-0 for the first time in franchise history. Meaning Chuck Noll and the Steel Curtain or Bill Cowher and the likes of Troy Polamalu never made it to 8-0. With that being said it is definitely important to appreciate our current Steelers team and understand that seasons like this don’t come around very often. However, after this last showing against the Dallas Cowboys I do not feel like the Steelers deserve the
praise that their record asks for. Coming into Sunday, Dallas has been one of the worst teams in the league with huge quarterback issues and a defense that hasn’t been able to stop much. The final tally of the score saw the Steelers victorious 24-19, with the Steelers trailing 13-9 at halftime. So, the second week in a row that Ben Roethlisberger has had to mount a comeback in the second half, which is amazing in all rights just slightly underwhelming in terms of an 8-0 team. Big Ben ended up eclipsing 300 yards passing and three touchdown passes. He continues to show doubters that he can still sling the rock after nearly 15 years and numerous injuries throughout his career. The Steelers wide receivers had a good weekend,
seemingly overshadowing the underperformance by the running backs. After the game, some of the Pittsburgh offensive linemen gave credit to the Dallas defense, stating that they had the best pass rush that they had faced all year. Although it wasn’t pretty on offense, getting a win in the NFL is no small feat, and the Steelers have shown in past that they will play down to the level of their competition, which is a bad habit this team needs to break. Sunday afternoon saw the Steelers defense look not up to par at points, but at the end of the day they still get the job done. Pittsburgh’s defense currently is tied for first in the NFL in interceptions with 11, and is in sole possession
of first place for sacks with 32 total. The defense continues to be the most constant piece of the Steelers team. Head Coach Mike Tomlin made it into the history books this past weekend, passing the legendary Tony Dungy for most wins by a Black head coach in the history of the NFL. He also makes history by becoming the only coach to have no losing seasons in 14 full seasons with a team. This just shows how much talent the Steelers organization really possess, from the front office to the field this team is making a case for the best season in its franchise’s history. They will look to improve their record this coming weekend with a divisional matchup against Joe Burrow and the Cincinnati Bengals.
16 Sports
Red & Black
13 November 2020
Fantasy Football: Start Them or Sit Them Start Them James Connor Pittsburgh Steelers hB
Outside of these last two weeks, this Steelers team has run the ball very well. Connor has been a very pleasant suprise all year and hopefully this week against the Bengals he can get it going again. The Bengals are a very below average defense this year, so it is the perfect game to force the run. If Pittsburgh wants to win a Super Bowl, Connor is going to be a major reason why. Matt Stafford Detriot Lions QB
The Lions have dropped two straight, and Stafford is a bit banged up. However, I can’t see them losing to the Washington Football Team this week. Even with Matt Stafford only at 75%, I think the Lions’ offense will have easy success against a struggling football team’s secondary.
Sit Them Justin Herbert
Los Angeles Chargers QB
I am on the Justin Herbert bandwagon and sipping the KoolAid. I think the Chargers have their signal caller of the future. However, I am not sipping the Kool-Aid of the whole Chargers team. Week in and week out, Herbert handles his business but the rest of the team fails him. I don’t like the way it looks for the Chargers heading into Miami against a red-hot Dolphins team lead by an explosive big play defense. This might be a forgettable game for Herbert in the end.
Courtesy Detriot Lions
D.K. Metcalf Seatltle Seahawks WR
Metcalf has worked his way into the “best reciever in the league” conversation this year. His big time speed has shown he can take the top off any defense but the real growth this year has come in his route running in general. He has torched just about every defense and corner he has faced this year. Not to mention the connection between him and his MVP canidiate QB, Russell Wilson, is at an all time high. But the Seahawks face the Rams this weekend and if there is one corner to shut down Metcalf it is Jalen Ramsey. As a fan, I am excited to watch this match up all game but, as a fantasy player, I wouldn’t be high on Metcalf this week at all. Courtesy The Spokesman Review
