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Fall Music Preview 2 Chainz Eminem
Knights vs. Crystal Springs page 6 roundtable.sacredsf.org
Stuart Hall High School | Schools of the Sacred Heart, San Francisco | Volume XII, Issue I | October 2013
the round table
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a forum for students
Table of Contents School News
New Teachers.....................................................6 Senior Retreat....................................................9 Trivia...........................................................4
Sports
Knights vs. Crystal Springs...............................3
Special Features
Word of Endearment?.........................................4 Whole Foods’ CEO Visits The Hall.....................5 2 Chainz Review.................................................7 Eminem Review..................................................8 iPhone 5 ...........................................................10 Manziel Scandal...............................................11
Front cover photo by Jordan Chin Back cover photos by Ray O’Connor, Lori Saltveit, and Jordan Chin
Staff and Publication Information Editor Lucas Chan Copy Editors Austin Woo Connor Abbott
Layout and Website Editor Zack Hammer
Faculty Moderator Staff Evan Brill Lori Saltveit Stephen Everest Brandon Seltenrich Zack Hammer Will Paulsen Matthew Jung
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Corrections the round table goes to great lengths to ensure that all material is accurate, timely, and factual. However, errors sometimes occur. If you notice a factual mistake, please send an e-mail to lori.saltveit@sacredsf.org with “Reader Discovers Error!” in the subject line.
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the round table | Founded 2005 by Nick Dietz, Corey Linehan, Tom Pardini, Joey Plonsker, Ms. Sarah Slonaker
editors’ corner I remember my first day of writing for the round table and feeling a sense of excitement to contribute to the paper. But it wasn’t just the articles, the media, or the active journalism that I loved about being part of this adventure; instead, what inspired me the most were the people I met and worked alongside. Looking back on the past few years, I realize how much fun it is to be with a bunch of guys as talented and driven as the staff of the round table. From the abundant and emphatic video game pieces of Kevin Wong ‘12 to the gripping sport articles by Robeil Anderbrham ‘13, or even the guidance of former editors Brandan La ‘12 to my brother Matt Chan ‘11, the round table has always brought the best of Stuart Hall to the hands (and laptops) of students, faculty, and parents of the Four School Community. But where are my manners? My name is Lucas Chan and having inherited the role of Editor in Chief of the round table from my friend Liam Lynch ‘13, I intend to continue the driving spirit of the student-led newspaper that we cherish so dearly. The round table has always been a welcoming place for students new and old and is a symbol of the independent work of the the students themselves. I share this great responsibility of producing some of the highest quality and interesting media with my friends and peers young and old. Inside these pages is just some of the fun we have at the round table. To the freshmen joining us this year: have the best four years of your life and don’t be afraid to make mistakes and learn from them (I would know). To the sophomores: excel in whatever you want to do and be. To the juniors: it gets better! To the seniors: nothing compares to the four years we’ve had together. It is our pleasure to deliver this copy of the round table to you, the reader, because it really is all for you. We look forward to another fantastic year at Stuart Hall and another year doing what we love. Go Knights! Warmly, Lucas Chan ‘14
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school news
Football Kickoff The Hall white out
by Will Paulsen ‘16
Grey Bradshaw and Andrew Suarez. The team also includes freshman Alex McDonald, Marty McKeon, Logan Nova, Alex Berbey and Connor Fink. Before the big game there was a tailgate party with great food, such as hotdogs, hamburgers and other tasty treats. “The hamburger that I had was delicious,” said Photo by Drexel Bradshaw || round table Zach Hammer ‘16. Almost everyone wore a white out shirt that showed great school spirit. There was a The Stuart Hall eight man fun bean bag game for the kids and football team, consisting of eighteen mini-footballs were thrown out to players, had their second game the crowd before the game started. of the season at Kezar Stadium. Another pre-game event was the This year’s team captains are Acapella group singing the national seniors Grey Bradshaw and Ethan anthem. Hankins. Coach Robinson will guide The game was a great success. the team through the season with Ethan Hankins and Grey Bradshaw the help of new players, including each had over a hundred yards of sophomore Gio Oltranti and seniors rushing. Seconds before halftime,
Ethan got an interception and ran it all the wat to the end zone for a pick-6. During the game, Liam Campbell, Grey and Ethan all had fumble recoveries. Freshman Alex Berbey played a new position for the first time and dominated the line. The team executed the game well and their communication was great. The Knights played an awesome game and won with a score of 20-2.
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special features
Word of Endearment?
by Evan Brill ‘15
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Photo by Lori Saltveit || round table
A federal jury is currently working on a case from New York regarding the “legality” of the use of the N-word in a professional workplace. Rob Carmona, the African-American owner of STRIVE East Harlem and case defendant, describes using the word as a “word of endearment”
between other people of the same ethnicity as him. Rob claims that he has been going up to his friends saying, “This is my ni**er” for the past 30 years, which signifies that he is “[his] boy, [Rob] loves him, or whatever.” The views on the usage of the N-word are often debated. Dunham McBride’15, a junior, believes that using the N-word in a professional
special features
Trivia Contest Win an iTunes giftcard! Did you read all the articles thoroughly? If so, answer the trivia questions correctly and you could win an iTunes giftcard! Scan the QR code to get started. No purchase neccesarry. Only one sbmission allowed per reader.
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setting is “wrong, unprofessional, and slanderous,” whereas Ms. Walker, the school librarian, believes that restricting someone from using the word “violates their first amendment rights.” The case began when 38year old Brandi Johnson, employee at STRIVE East Harlem, reported that Rob Carmona had verbally abused her, using the N-word in what Johnson’s attorney described as a “four-minute ni**er tirade” to address inappropriate dress and behavior. Johnson testified that, following the verbal attack, she ran to the bathroom, and sobbed for about 45 minutes. “I was offended. I was hurt. I felt degraded. I felt disrespected. I was embarrassed,” Johnson testified. Carmona’s case fell flat when he claimed his use of the word was purely affectionate, stating right after that he had used the word to illustrate that she was “too emotional [and] wrapped up in her[self].” In closing arguments, Johnson’s attorney said, “Carmona used the word with the intent to offend and any evidence that defendants put forth to the contrary is simply ridiculous.” Johnson received $250,000 for compensatory damages.
school news
Whole Foods’ CEO Visits the Hall A talk with Walter Robb.
Photo by Lori Saltveit || round table
One of the great things about Stuart Hall High School is that our teachers strive to give us opportunities that expand our knowledge even outside of class. On Monday, September 22nd, Walter Robb, Whole Foods’ CEO, visited Stuart Hall. Special thanks to Mr. O’Connor for meeting Mr. Robb at a separate convention and persistently asking Mr. Robb’s secretary to have him come to the Hall. During Morning Assembly, all students from Stuart Hall High School gathered in the Columbus Room to attend a seminar led by Mr. Robb. He started working with Whole Foods back in 1980 in Texas. From there, he worked his way up to become the CEO and helped Whole Foods achieve its annual 13 billion dollar sales. After briefly explaining his experience with Whole Foods, Mr. Robb explained to the students of SHHS why it is important to eat healthy, stating that, “Three trillion dollars are spent on healthcare a year and about 85% is preventable through eating
healthy food.” Mr. Robb also mentioned that the quality of healthy food is important, and can help extend life expectancy. Mr. Robb’s goal for 2014 is to make fresh food more accessible in other cities. After that, Ryan Ochsner, the head of Market Managing at the Franklin Street store, told the school about Whole Foods’ values. The first value is education. Ochsner explained to students that knowing what you eat and how if affects your body is important. By doing so, customers know that they are receiving the best quality food and that is worth every dime. Whole Foods’ second core value is about customer service. This means that the customer always comes before shareholders. Lastly, Ochsner informed the Hall that supporting team members is important. Ochsner stressed how much Whole Foods values healthy relationships between the bosses and workers. Whole Foods strives to be as flexible as possible with their employees. After Ryan explained Whole Foods’ values, Mr. Robb took the
by Austin Woo ‘15
stage again and discussed what makes Whole Foods unique and different from other produce stores. First of all, Whole Foods is almost completely organic. While some stores, like Trader Joe’s, do provide organic food, Whole Foods not only meets the “organic” requirement, but goes beyond it. Mr. Robb then explained to the students of Stuart Hall High School the importance of eating good meat. About 10 billion farm animals are raised in poor conditions with substandard food and lack of space. In addition, Whole Foods does not allow any of their groceries to be grown in infertile and pesticide ridden soil. During the Q&A, Mr. Robb explained why Whole Foods is expensive, saying that, “You get what you pay for.” He also expressed his opinions on pricing: “No, I don’t intend on making Whole Foods cheaper.” He emphasized that healthy food, though important, is unfortunately a luxury and that quality comes with price. Although he doesn’t intend on making food cheaper for the students of SHHS, he did give the school six $25 dollar gift cards for Whole Foods. At the end of the seminar, Mr. Robb bid the students farewell and expressed that, “Limits aren’t real.” At the end of the day, many students shook hands with Mr. Robb thanking him for his knowledge and advice.
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school news
Deck the Hall with New Teachers So, who are the new teachers?
Photos by William Rodriquez and Brandon Seltenrich || round table
This year at the Hall, we have the pleasure of welcoming four new members to the community- Ms. Peterson, Mr. Railey, Mr. Johnson and Ms. Wetherwax. We asked each of them a few questions about their past experience and current experience at the Hall. These are their responses: Ms. Peterson: What is your current position at Stuart Hall High School? I teach both Geometry and Algebra 2 at Stuart Hall. How has your experience at the Hall been so far? It’s been great, the community is very welcoming. Could you name one thing you’re excited about for this year? I’m excited to get to know everyone and teaching math to the round table | page 6
many of the students. What is your educational background? I have a Bachelor of Science in Mathematics at UC Davis. What are three adjectives that describe you? If I were to describe myself, I’d say I am charismatic, energetic, and organized. Mr. Railey: What is your current position at Stuart Hall High School? My current position at Stuart Hall is Assistant Athletic Director & Administrative Assistant. I also am the head baseball coach. How has your experience at the Hall been so far? My experience at Stuart Hall has been wonderful. I have enjoyed having the opportunity to work with all the students, faculty and families on a daily basis. Everyone has been very helpful and supportive since I have joined the Stuart Hall community. Everyone has welcomed
by Matthew Jung’ 16
me with open arms and have made sure I am settling in nicely. trust so that any student feels that they come to me if they ever What do you like most about the community here? I like how Stuart Hall is such a tight knit community that is very welcoming. It is very similar to a large family. There is a tremendous amount of love and respect between student body and faculty. In the short time I have been here I already feel like part of this family. I look forward to coming to work each day. What is your educational background? I graduated from Deer Valley High School in Antioch, CA in 2004 and went on to the University of San Francisco where I graduated in 2008 with a B.A Degree in Exercise Sports Science. Mr. Johnson: What is your current position at Stuart Hall High School? I am the Athletic Director & Varsity Basketball Coach of Stuart Hall High School. Could you name one thing you’re excited about for this year? I am excited to be involved in all of our athletic programs. What are your goals/what do you want to achieve at the Hall? I have several goals: make school spirit better, bring a sense of calm to the athletic department, and if possible have all of our teams compete for championships. In addition, I’d like to be super organized, produce as many college athletes as possible, and have all our athletes stay classy despite the win or loss. What do you like most about the community here? I like the intelligence and
school news kindness of the academic staff and students.
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Ms. Wetherwax: Have you had a previous teaching profession and if so, what? I was the tech person at a private K-8 school in Fremont, CA for about 2 years. I spent a lot of time unjamming printers, teaching 1st graders how to type and cleaning little kid goop of off keyboards. It was a great place to work, but I’m excited to be working with older students. How has your experience at the ar
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Hall been so far? Amazing! The staff and students have been very welcoming to me. It’s great to be working with such an enthusiastic group of teachers and students. It’s a very unique and close knit community and I feel lucky to be a part of it. Could you name one thing you’re excited about for this year? I’m excited about the 1-1 program we’ve started this year. I think it’s great that we have the ability to run a program like this, and that it’s going to produce a lot of creative and collaborative work between teachers and students.
We’ve already seen some fantastic projects that utilize the iPad and I can’t wait to see what else you guys come up with! What are your interests? I really love theater. I studied it in college and in the Bay Area I’ve worked on tech and performed with several groups. I also like gaming, on computers and boards, as well as taking my dogs on adventures to the beach or park.
Review of B.O.A.T.S. II: Me Time Killing rap one song at a time. After his Grammy-nominated debut album, Based on a T.R.U. Story that came out last year from Def Jam Recordings, 2 Chainz decided that after over a decade waiting around in the rap game to get famous, he wasn’t going to let any time pass for his star to fade. Unfortunately, he never really had any talent anyway, and so the rushed B.O.A.T.S II sounds like a cheap rip-off off of his already shallow debut album. Released on September 10, the album came out to mediocre reviews and a general over-saturation of the “stupid-rap” market. The album opens with a song titled “Fork,” in which he bravely does something never done before in rap: he “shouts out” his wrists and stove (yes, a kitchen stove). It seems like a weak attempt to capture the quotability of the opening verse of his hit single last year, “Birthday Song,” but the attempt not only falls on its face, it causes deaf people to cringe. However, this is by far not the most pitiful lyric in the album. That honor goes to the entire song “Netflix,” which apart from featuring a nice beat, manages to bring out the worst in Black-Eyed Peas singer, Fergie. The worst part about this
by Stephen Everest ‘15
Photo by Lucas Chan || round table
album is that the featured artists have to stoop to 2 Chainz’ level on songs to make the host sound halfway decent, which is never a good thing on any album. However, this album was never meant to be viewed as lyrical, as that just isn’t 2 Chainz’ style. B.O.A.T.S II does accomplish what it set out to do fairly well though, as it acts as a solid club album, but overall it falls short of his last effort and does not show any evolution by the man once known as Tity-Boi. The
production is once again solid, but considering the lack of evolution and lyrical content, too much 2 Chainz is a bad thing. Fortunately for those few who bought the album, it comes with a cookbook, which should more than make up for the awful quality of the album (just kidding). If you take the album for what it is, then it may be worth a purchase. However, if you are looking for quality lyricism, this is definitely not the album for you.
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special features
Preview to the MMLP2 The road ahead for Eminem During the Video Music Awards (VMA’s), Eminem publicly announced he is releasing his seventh and final studio album, The Marshall Mathers LP 2 on November 5, 2013. He described the album as being the sequel to his classic album, the first Marshall Mathers LP. He explained that on this album he is going back to his roots, so you can expect that he is going to rap with the outrageous and controversial style that helped the album sell over 20 million copies. You can hear this style in songs such as “Criminal,” where he says “I’m the bad guy who makes fun of people that die in plane crashes and laughs as long as it ain’t happened to him,” and in “I’m Back,” where he says “You hear this finger? Oh, it’s upside down, let me turn this ************ up right now.” This made him recognizable as the best rapper of his time. He even dyed his hair back to blonde again, just to prove to critics and fans everywhere that he is in fact going back to his unpredictable and aggressive Slim Shady style of rap that was featured on the first Marshall Mathers LP. This same style is what fans can hear a little bit of in his new single “Berzerk”. In preparation for the new album, Eminem released two singles: “Survival”, and “Berzerk”. Survival is not going to be featured on the album, as he only recorded the song for the soundtrack of the upcoming Call of Duty game. Although the track is not on the album, it gives some insight as to what attitude he is going into the album with. In the song, he says: “They said I was washed up, got a bloodbath, I’m not a rapper, I’m an adapter, I can adjust.” He also goes on to say “It ain’t over ‘til I say it’s over, enough when I say enough.” This is definitely an indication that he the round table | page 8
by Brandon Seltenrich ’16
Photo by Brandon Seltenrich || round table
still doesn’t give much care at all to disapproving critics. In “Berzerk”, Eminem does an interesting thing with each verse. In the first verse, he raps with a 1980’s style, 1990’s in the second verse, and 2000’s in the third. The fact that Eminem can produce a track that has an old-school feel to it in today’s generation of hip-hop, and have it be the No.1 single on i-Tunes in a matter of days shows how much skill he has as a rapper, and is a certain foreshadowing for success on his new album. In the Berzerk music video, Eminem features people such as music video producer Rick Rubin, as well as Kid Rock, long time friend and rap partner Royce da 5’9’’, and
popular rapper Kendrick Lamar. From the looks of it, these people will possibly be featured on the album. This album is certain to fulfill expectations, so be sure to check it out when it is released on November 5th. In the meantime, give a listen to “Berzerk” and “Survival”. You will be sure to enjoy them as much as music listeners worldwide have been able to.
school news
The Kids are Alright
by Lucas Chan ‘14
Fast Times at Stuart Hall High
Photo by Lucas Chan|| round table
I remember when I first heard that our class was going white water rafting for our senior trip. The moment was months ago, when we were still juniors, yet all that time passed by so quickly. In retrospect, high school went by in a flash, but the senior trip made me realize how lucky I was to be a part of this community. The 2014 senior class is known for being the smallest class at Stuart Hall, giving each student the opportunity to be close to one another. As a group, the grade decided to make the best of their senior year and begin it with a camping trip that included going to Six Flags, white water rafting, and becoming closer to each other through fun activities. Before the seniors embarked on the class exclusive trip, we journeyed to Sugarloaf State Park for an entire school overnight campout. Kids enjoyed playing
football, frisbee, and just being around friends while the faculty set up a grill and made spaghetti for the entire school. “I didn’t think the trip was going to be really fun at first, but the campfires and free spaghetti convinced me otherwise” said Xa Conrad ‘14. For many on the Sugarloaf trip, a highlight was the campfires around each campsite.
The next day, the class of 2014 set out early and headed towards their white water rafting trip on the American River. The freezing waters and harsh rapids made the experience memorable. In between rapids, the calm ponds became wargrounds between the rafts as each boat tried boarding one another to pull friends into the icy waters. Brandon Leong ‘14 stated, “It was a lot of fun being on that raft with all my friends. We had a great time going through the rapids. Plus it was really wet.” The night ended with marshmallows and s’mores, but the final day of the senior trip led the class to Six Flags Discovery Kingdom, where the class had one last day of fun together. According to Kailen Santos ‘14, “Aside from the first-degree burns I recieved on my hand (from extreme marshmellow roasting), it was a great bonding experience for the class.” The senior trip was a huge success as a way for the smallest class to bond and simply enjoy each other’s company before the hectic school year ahead of us. Photo courtesy of Great American White Water|| round table
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school news
iPhone Roundup
by Austin Woo ‘15
“We’ve made the exact same thing, and sold it to you again.”
Photos by Austin Woo|| round table
It’s that time of year again! Apple, the electronic superpower, releases a line-up of products at the end of every summer. This year at Apple’s private conference in San Francisco, Apple announced the iPhone 5s, iPhone 5c, as well as iOs 7 promising a revolutionary change in the way we view mobile products. The iPhone 5s was the main attraction of Apple’s September event. It is the second generation of the iPhone 5. Featuring a 64 bit A7 processor chip, the iPhone 5s promises to be faster than the iPhone 5. Apple claims that the iPhone 5s will perform up to 40x faster in terms of CPU (computing) performance and about 56x faster in terms of GPU performance. For the mobile gamers out there, the iPhone 5s promises faster and better graphics for games such as Modern Combat 4, Nova 3, Shadowgun Deadzone, Dead Trigger, as well as Asphalt 8. In addition to the upgraded computing and graphics the round table | page 10
performance, the new phone has upgraded it’s motion processor, which handles iPhone movement and tilt. The new M7 accelerometer will be able to tell if the user is driving, walking, or stationary. Furthermore, the iPhone 5s’s camera was improved. The new camera contains 1.5 more micron pixels than the originally I5 camera and has a 15% bigger capture point. These minor improvements will allow the iPhone 5s to capture 120fps in burst shots and film in slow motion at 720p. The last new feature of the iPhone 5s is the Touch ID Ring, better known to the public as the the fingerprint scanner. The
fingerprint scanner memorizes the user’s fingerprint and can override the need to use passcodes. Simply put your finger on the home button, when the iPhone 5s is locked, and the iPhone will unlock. Aesthetically, the iPhone 5s uses the exact same anodized aluminum as the iPhone 5. However, a third color was added; in addition to the white and black, gold is a new option. Ms. Dzida, one of the first members of the SHHS community to get an Iphone 5s said,“ I got to the Verizon store about 45 minutes before the store opened and there were only about a dozen people in front of me. I originally had the iPhone 4 and the only noticeable difference so far is the new camera. ” In addition to the iPhone 5s, the iPhone 5c received a large amount of publicity. Apple promises that this new line up the 5c gen will be a more affordable iPhone. In terms of internal hardware, the iPhone 5c is a slightly beefed up iPhone 5. It’s hardware is practically the same as the iPhone 5. Like the iPhone 5, the 5c contains the same 1080p rear camera, A6 processor, retina screen, and A6 accelerometer. The only two hardware differences are in the front facing camera and battery. The new iPhone 5c front facing camera has been modified to take in a few more pixels and handle image stabilization. As for the new battery, the iPhone 5c has a minutely bigger battery that, instead of giving 9.2 hours like the iPhone 5, gives 10 hours of battery life. Let’s face it, the iPhone 5c is practically the same as the iPhone 5 internally; however, it’s aesthetics are completely different. The iPhone 5c is made with a polycarbonate (fancy plastic) shell that comes in bright shiny colors of sky blue, green, yellow, pink, as well as white.
special features
Making a Case for Manziel Manziel might be finally in over his head
Photo borrowed from David J. Phillip || round table
A few months ago, I wrote an article applauding Johnny Manziel on beating the NCAA’s ridiculous regulations limiting and profiting on his success completely within the guidelines of the NCAA’s rulebooks. Now it seems like he’s profiting off some more illegal procedures, but regardless I’m continuing to be one of the few people on the Internet still defending and justifying his actions off the football field. The NCAA’s ruling on schools not being able to pay their athletes is somewhat understandable. Athletes get scholarship money, in the same way that an exemplary student would receive a scholarship due to their talents. The university does not employ them, so therefore they should be able to do what they
by Connor Abbott ‘14
please with the profits of their talents. A good student who goes to the university can sell his services in the form of tutoring, completely within the university rules, so why can’t Manziel profit from the services that he himself has created? The NCAA finally brought down the hammer on Johnny Manziel, but the punishment was extremely soft for the NCAA. Although Manziel didn’t directly sell his own autographs and memorabilia, the lack of severity of Manziel’s punishment truly exposes just how untouchable the quarterback is. Any other player would be suspended for at least half of a season, but since the NCAA realizes that a lot of revenue and attention is created by Manziel’s antics on and off the football field, it’s hard to then punish him to the fullest extent. Unfortunately, this
just gives Johnny more space to continue his actions off the field, and also, as we saw in the game against Rice, on the field as well. One of the problems with Johnny’s situation is the fact that no freshman has ever won the Heisman. For the most part Heisman winners go straight the NFL, and are busy with draft combines and training camp. There is no trouble with becoming an NFL quality player too early, because for the most part their name is called on NFL draft only a few months after their name is called for the Heisman. Johnny still has 3 years of eligibility left, so his summer was spent taking in all of the joys of a new college student, while also benefitting from being treated as if he’s already a star in the league. Also, Johnny has been handled in an environment and a program that isn’t used to producing Heisman winners. Texas A&M, despite being a relatively historic football program, is not a Texas or Michigan. They have only had one Heisman winner other than Manziel since the program’s inception in 1894, which came in 1957, far before the days of the Internet and paparazzi that follows the college icons of today’s game. The Aggie football program doesn’t know how to handle a star of Manziel’s caliber, and so now the program is left with a star who is running rampant in the way any other college kid would in the summer. Manziel’s actions might be against NCAA rulings and by many standards a clear example of cheating, but it clearly shows a prime example of needed rule changes in college football. Outdated regulations are clearly creating a problem in all college sports, and its time the rules are changed.
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