The Oracle 10-20-2020

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Oct. 20, 2020

RACLE

Volume 105 | Issue 4

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Where They Stand

Photos provided by CNN, NBC, Getty Images, and Flickr.

Joe Biden

Former Vice President JONAH STOUT

Reporter

Kalama Harris U.S. Senator

EMMA KENNER

Co-managing editor

Health Care- Joe Biden opposes Medicare for all because of the cost and the resources it would take to get all people into a single, government plan. He supports the Affordable Care Act and vows to build on it by making it more available, reducing costs, and simplifying the process. His plan has 4 pillars: Give every american access to affordable health insurance, provide affordable, quality health care and a less complex health care system, stand up to abuse of power by drug corporations, and ensure health care as a right for all.

Climate Change- Biden sees climate change as a major is-

sue. He supports developing new nuclear technologies to fight climate change. He also proposes to end new oil and gas leases on federal land and to end offshore drilling. His plan to reduce carbon emissions is by implementing a carbon tax, which taxes the businesses who release greenhouse gasses.

Abortion- Biden’s stance on abortion has changed since the beginning of his career as a senator. His current stance is that he supports Roe v. Wade, which gives a woman the right to have an abortion, but he does not support partial birth abortions. He has said he will restore federal funding for Planned Parenthood.

Social Justice- Biden’s Build Back Better agenda includes

how he will address systematic racism, promote diversity, and expand social equality and justice. His plan for social justice is to study reparations for Black Americans and other minorities, provide funding for minority owned businesses, reforming the prison system, and abolishing mandatory minimum sentences for nonviolent crimes. Biden believes that the current legal system is biased toward minorities and that reforming this system will create more equality.

Police Reform- Biden has recently come out and said that he

supports a federal ban on police use of chokeholds, requiring racial and religious bias training for officers, and collecting data on police use of force. Biden does not support defunding the police.

Gun Regulation- Joe Biden supports a ban on assault weapons and high capacity magazines and would institute a national buyback program for those weapons. He does not support confiscating previously owned firearms. He is in favor of universal background checks and in favor of a local and national firearm registry.

Donald Trump U.S. President

Mike Pence

U.S. Vice Precident

Health Care- According to the Trump reelection website,

Trump has worked to improve access to affordable quality health care. Trump repealed the individual mandate which required people to buy insurance. He signed a six year extension of the Children’s Health Insurance Program. The administration aims to cover all pre-existing conditions, protect social security, and protect healthcare for veterans.

Climate Change- According to Donald Trump’s campaign

website, President Trump has approved the infrastructure and provided the resources needed to unleash oil and gas production in the U.S. The administration approved the Keystone XL and Dakota Access pipelines, supporting an estimated total of 42,000 jobs and $2 billion in wages. President Trump rescinded President Obama’s costly Clean Power Plan and instead has proposed the Affordable Clean Energy Rule. Donald Trump supports the oil and gas industry over green energy.

Abortion- Donald Trump does not support abortion. He cut

funding for planned parenthood while reinstating and expanding the ban on American tax money paying for abortion in foreign countries. He also has consistently referred to himself as pro-life and he actively supports the Catholic nuns known as Little Sisters of the Poor. Trump has defended the sisters from Obama-era regulations that forced the sisters to provide health insurance that covered abortion inducing drugs.

Social Justice- Donald Trump administration actively works

with and supports local law enforcement and the police. His administration expanded the Protect Safe Neighborhoods to potentially develop crime reduction strategies. He also intends to enforce hard and more serious prosecutions for criminals that are deemed violent.

Police Reform- Donald Trump supports Defend Our Police. He aims to fully fund and hire more police officers and law enforcement. His administration aims to increase criminal penalties for assault on law enforcement and to end cashless bail.

Gun Regulation- Donald Trump has consistently supported

the Second Amendment. His website states, The right of the people to bear arms shall not be infringed upon. He supports making concealed carry permits valid in all 50 states and will not support gun restriction laws. He also believes gun and magazine bans are a total failure, according to his website. He does not want to expand background checks to purchase a gun.

Coronavirus- Donald Trump is pushing for a COVID-19 vac-

Coronavirus- Biden’s plan to combat the virus would be to

urge state and local leaders to implement mask mandates, boost testing throughout the country, and invest in an efficient way to distribute the coronavirus vaccines when they are safe to give out. Biden has also said that he would trust the doctors and scientists.

cine by the end of 2020. He states things will return to normal by 2021 under his administration. His administration aims to refill medical stockpiles and prepare for future pandemics despite his administration disbanding the Global Health Security and Biodefense unit in 2018.

Economy- Biden’s plan to rebuild the economy includes a Buy

Economy- Donald Trump aims to create 10 million jobs in 10

American agenda, which includes a $700 billion investment to develop new technologies such as clean energy and biotech. He also plans on bringing manufacturing back to the U.S. which he claims will create 5 million new jobs. He also plans to boost the corporate tax rate back to 28%.

months and 1 million new small businesses. He aims to enact fair trade deals to protect jobs in America while cutting taxes to increase take-home pay. The administration has also aimed to promote fairer and equal trade. He withdrew the United States from the Trans-Pacific Partnership in 2017 which shifted America’s role in the global economy.


News

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Oct. 20, 2020

Ginsburg’s legacy paves way for Barrett very different. Ginsburg also pushed to protect pregnant women in the workplace, argued women should serve on juries, and helped to pave the way for the Equal Credit Opportunity Act just to name a few of her more notable achievements. Ginsburg’s legacy is long lasting and immeasurable. Although all political careers should always be critiqued, Ginsburg unquestionably made strides for women and the LGBTQ+ community that changed the United States forever. Following the news of Ginsburg’s passing, many Americans are worried about what this means for their individual rights, such as: access to abortion under Roe v. Wade; birth control and healthcare under the Affordable Care Act; women’s right to vote. To understand what this does and does not mean for Americans, it is important to understand the role of the Supreme Court. Most importantly, the Supreme Court does not make laws. The justices serve only as guardians and interpreters of the Constitution, meaning they determine whether laws and executive acts are constitutional. The Supreme Court Justices do not have the power to create laws. Therefore, the death of Ginsburg does not mean women will lose access to birth control or any right provided to citizens in the Constitution, including their right to vote. As for the ongoing discussion

KITTY PORTERFIELD EMMA KENNER co-managing editors

Ruth Bader Ginsburg actively fought against sexism for the entirety of her career. During her time with the ACLU she fought six landmark cases before the U.S. Supreme Court all focused on gender equality. She won five. After becoming a judge on the supreme court, Ginsburg became a strong voice in favor of the separation of church and state, gender equality, and the rights of workers. In 1996, Ginsburg wrote the Supreme Court’s decision in United States v. Virginia. This decision wrote that the Virginia Military Institute, which was state supported, couldn’t refuse to admit women. This set the precedent that state funded schools have to admit women. She also wrote many dissents, opposing opinions from the court decisions, one most notably concerning a 2007 case involving an abortion used later in a pregnancy. This case, Gonzales v. Carhart, upheld a law that banned the procedure which Ginsburg fervently opposed. Again in 2007, Ginsburg wrote a dissent on the case Ledbetter v. Goodyear Tire and Rubber Co. In this case, Ginsburg’s dissent helped make strides towards equal pay. In the 2015 landmark case Obergefell v. Hodges, allowed the LGBTQ+ community the right to same sex marriage in a 5-4 ruling. Without Ginsburg, the outcome could have been

photo courtesy of Flickr. Amy Connen Barrett stands with President Trump at her nomination announcement press conference

surrounding Roe v. Wade being overturned, this is unlikely. Even in the case of an overwhelmingly conservative Supreme Court voting to overturn, abortion would not immediately be made illegal nationwide. It would simply allow individual states to decide their own laws on abortion rather than relying on federal ones. Given the negative reaction and swift rejection most states’ “Heartbeat Bills” have garnered, it is not likely abortion will be outlawed. There is also great discourse surrounding the status of the ACA, also called Obamacare, which is scheduled to be brought before the Supreme Court in the coming months. If President Trump’s nominee, Amy Coney Barrett, is approved by the Senate, six of the nine justices would be conservative Catholics. Liberal politicians are concerned that this many

conservative justices will mean the end of the ACA and a more restrictive healthcare act being implemented in its place, though this is not guaranteed. “I have no hostility to the ACA or any other law,” Barrett said during her confirmation hearings Tuesday. Barrett declined to express her opinion on certain issues or offer any hints as to how she would rule in upcoming cases. She assured Senators she is capable of setting her personal religious and political beliefs aside when she decides cases. “I have an agenda to stick to the rule of law and decide cases as they come,” she said. Barrett’s confirmation hearings concluded on October 15, with the Senate Judiciary Committee scheduling a vote for Thursday at 1 p.m. The full Senate will begin debating Friday. see Barrett pg. 4

Student on the street: Are You Voting, why or why not? LAURA NAVARRO

Jessica Moss Nursing Senior

Photo Editor

I definitely am voting. I feel like I have seen what’s been happening in this country and if you don’t do anything, obviously bad things will happen. So, you definitely see this not as a privilege but as a right to vote. Get what you want out there, say what you want to say and say your peace when you do vote. Because I feel like if you don’t, you will complain or regret everything that’s happened. Even if you think your vote doesn’t count, it does, because we have definitely seen that in an electoral college where we thought Hilary was going to win and it didn’t happen. That’s what’s happening again, so I definitely feel like is very important, even if you think your

Ali Verzani Masters Degree in Business Admin Second year in the Masters Program I will be voting. I was able to vote in the previous election, this is my second time around and I didn’t feel informed as a voter my first time so I didn’t. I now feel like I have a better understanding of the social and economic issues that are going on in the world. I feel confident in my vote, that I am informed and I can make an educated decision.

vote doesn’t matter.

Peter Wasif Mechanical Engineering Junior

Zaire Mattox Computer Science Freshman

I am going to vote because we always need to make sure we have a voice in the community. If you don’t vote you are not doing the diligence to the country to actually exercise your right to vote. A vote-less people is a hopeless people. If you don’t, you can’t speak about change if you are not the one that is actually making a change.

I am going to vote but I don’t have an exact reason to vote. Typically, most black people don’t vote because they think them voting doesn’t have an effect on the actual polls, but I think they do. I don’t think Trump should be in the office because he doesn’t have the exact qualifications to be in office anyways.

w

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Kitty Porterfield keporterfi42@tntech.edu Oracle Staff Co-Managing Editor........................ Emma Kenner Co-Managing Editor......................Kitty Porterfield Social Media Editor ............................ Morgan Lee Assitant Social Media Editor ........... Lane Mochow Online Editor ................................ Brooklyn Driver Copy Editor....................................... Irene Sullivan Assistant Copy Editor....................... Lauren Finley Sports Editor.......................................... Seth Jones Photographer.................................... Emily Hidgon Photography Editor ........................ Laura Navarro Faculty Adviser .................................. Teddy Burch News content and photographs for The Oracle are provided by the JOUR 2220, JOUR 3370, JOUR 4820 and JOUR 4930 classes.

The opinions expressed in this newspaper do not necessarily reflect those of Tennessee Tech University


Oct. 20, 2020

News

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Only one debate remains before election MALAYSIA TALBERT Reporter

The global pandemic continues to cause widespread problems that are not immune to the political arena as scheduling conflicts have created uncertainties for organizers involved in planning rallies and debates. In fact, the presidential debates have been cut down to just two debates in the last couple of weeks. The second debate scheduled for October 15, 2020, was canceled by the Commission on Presidential Debates. It was set to be virtual; however, the event did not take place due to a disagreement among those involved. The second and final presidential debate is set to take place at Belmont University in Nashville on October 22. It will be a town hall style debate similar to the one held in Cleveland just three weeks earlier. Due to concerns over Covid-19, the debate is expected to be small with protective measures in place to prevent a potential outbreak. This debate will be the last opportunity for the two candidates to reach Americans on this scale before elections. Tech’s campus has clubs with members representing each party. TTU College Republican’s Chairman Nicholas Lawson spotlighted the highlights of the presidential debate. “The Supreme Court, with respect to the nomination of Amy Coney Barrett and the issue of court packing; The economy, particularly with the recovery of the job market; Race relations, and how they relate to law and

Presidental canidates Donald Trump and Joe Biden faced off during the first presidental debate on September 26, 2020

order and riots; The coronavirus, how China lost control of it; Free and Fair trade and the United States–Mexico–Canada Agreement (USMCA); Finally, Election integrity and how mailin ballots will affect election results and how quickly results are determined,” said Lawson. These key issues will continue to be addressed as the election nears. In regards to key issues that Americans want addressed, Carter Young, a member of the TTU College Democrats, named an important one. “I think that most Americans want COVID-19 addressed by either candidate — whether it be opening the country fully or shutting down again; people feel strongly toward both sides,”

Young said. This is an issue that both parties represented at Tech mentioned as being an important topic as the pandemic continues to affect Americans in regards to health and finances. Criticism of the moderator at the first debate was a major focus in the news in the hours following the event. Lawson felt as though the next debate could be improved. “Using a single moderator can more easily lead to bias toward one candidate, multiple questioners from different media outlets may not eliminate bias, but would balance it,” said Lawson. Likewise, Young also felt as though there could be improvements.

“If I was in charge, I would absolutely start turning off each candidate’s microphones while the other is speaking. This would allow each candidate the opportunity to speak without being interrupted with name-calling and yelling over each other,” Young said. As Belmont University plans to host the final presidential debate, questions remain unanswered concerning the extent that coronavirus will play into the dynamics of the evening. The focus up to that point will be to ensure that Americans are given one last opportunity to hear each candidate present his plans for the next four years.

Tiny justice sparked massive change MALAYSIA TALBERT Reporter

The death of Ruth Bader Ginsburg on September 18, 2020, shocked people around the world. Ginsburg was the second woman appointed to the Supreme Court nominated by President Bill Clinton. Ruth Bader Ginsburg was known for her dainty appearance standing at a mere five feet tall and barely weighing 100 pounds. Although she was tiny, no fight for women’s rights was too big to fight for from her perspective. The rights women have gained over the last several decades are undoubtedly due to her dedication among the many issues concerning the lack of equality in regards to areas both in the workplace and personal matters. “I think the work she did even before joining the Supreme Court to stop gender discrimination have had a huge impact on my life and my ability to live a life on my own without depending on a man to take care of me or co-sign a credit card or loan. I don’t want to imagine what my life would look like without her work.” Emily Shouse, patent lawyer at Patterson Intellectual Property Law in Nashville, stated when asked what she felt would be Ginsburg’s greatest legacy. Before Ginsburg, women could not do simple tasks with-

Photo taken for Ruth Bader Ginsburg’s offical Supreme Court Justice photo in 2016.

out permission from a man. In 1974, the Equal Credit Opportunity Act passed allowing women to sign a mortgage without a male co-signer. She also fought for equal pay which is still an ongoing battle in multiple industries. Furthermore, the fight for protecting pregnant women in

the workplace was a vital issue for women across the country. Often times, pregnant women were fired for becoming pregnant; this is now illegal thanks to protective measures currently in place that now consider this act to be a form of sexual discrimination. Tennessee Tech Women’s

Center is known for its platform of educating others about equality and women’s issues. This is a topic that has sparked many conversations among females across the nation in response to the death of Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg. “RBG always stood up for herself and for other people. She refused to accept being treated differently, and women in college today can learn from her example by doing the same thing for themselves and those around them.” Helen Hunt, director of the Tennessee Tech Women’s Center, stated when asked how female students in college could follow by Ginsburg’s example. After the death of Ruth Ginsburg, voter registration numbers nearly doubled from two years ago and had an 118% increase from the prior weekend, according to CNBC. Not only did she inspire women to be independent and fight for women’s rights but she also changed the equality status of women for the better. “I would like to be remembered as someone who used whatever talent she had to the very best of her ability.” Ruth Bader Ginsburg stated. While there is still much to be done, she has forever changed the lives of countless women, and her impact will be felt for generations to come. She has sparked a fire in women that can never be put out.


News

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Oct. 20, 2020

Birth control makes positive impact for over a century ANA PENA-VELASCO Reporter

The Director of the Women’s Center at Tech Helen Hunt, and Betty Lopez a recent nurse graduate from Tech offered their professional opinions on the role birth control has had since it was first established in the U.S. in 1916. October 16, 1916, is a day in the history of the United States that changed lives, specifically for women, in allowing them to intake medicine, or a device to prevent pregnancy. On Friday, October 16, 2020, it was exactly 104 years since the first birth control clinic was established and opened in America. It was first opened in Brooklyn, New York by a nurse named Margaret Sanger who worked among the lower East Side part of New York City. Hunt mentions what a turning point birth control has had into shaping the society we live in today. “Birth control makes a huge difference in women’s control over their bodies and their lives. If and when women have children is a crucial component of women’s long-term economic status and their family’s lifetime

income . . . The widespread identities such as race, ethniciavailability of birth control ty, class, age, religion, and body allows women to make these size. Through a student-centered choices about their lives and approach, faculty inspires their family’s futures,” said students of all backHunt. grounds to engage with Tech’s Women’s Cenlocal, national, and ter offers a library of international combooks covering a wide munities in efforts to range of topics. They achieve social jushost all kinds of sotice. cial and educational Hunt mentions events covering how easy, affordissues facing able and acwomen and cessible birth gender micontrol has norities been benetoday along ficial, and with hisa positive torical change in struggles history. Director of the Women’s Center Helen Hunt that mark “Easy, offers her professional input on the role of birth control since 1916 in America. Hunt thinks women’s affordable Birth Control gives more people control over achieveaccess to their bodies and their futures. ments. reliable birth Womcontrol gives en and gender studies is also more people with a uterus this offered at Tech which takes a kind of control over their bodies feminist approach to the study and their futures so that they of women and gender. This can make the right choice for study focuses on the lives of themselves. Accessible birth people who identify as women control means that it’s not just and study political practices urban, wealthy and middle class, that both reproduce and resist . . . but women of all socioecohierarchies of power. It also nomic statuses, educational examines how gender disparities levels, and racial backgrounds. . connect with other significant .,” she said.

Barrett continued from page 2 “We have the votes,” Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConell said. Democratic senators objected to the proceedings and questioned the validity of moving forward with a nomination during an election and a global pandemic, arguing that the next president should choose Ginsburg’s replacement. In order for the nomination to be postponed until after the election, two Republican Senators would have to vote against Barrett’s confirmation. In this case, there is a possibility of Dem-

ocratic presidential nominee Joe Biden being given the opportunity to appoint the next justice if he were to win, in which case, the ACA may not be affected. Interestingly, if the Senate votes to move forward with the nomination of Barrett only weeks before the election, they will be contradicting the precedent they set themselves in 2016 with President Barack Obama. In February of that year, Justice Antonin Scalia died and the Senate voted to disallow Obama from appointing another justice because it was an election year, despite be-

Responsibility does not end at the ballot box IRENE W. SULLIVAN

Copy Co-Editor

American’s 2020 election will take place on November 3rd. Millions of registered voters will cast their votes, either by early voting, absentee voting or voting on the actual election day. This election will decide the president of the United States as well as many senators and representatives. Congressional elections take place every two years and state and local races happen every year. Many feel after they have cast their ballot they have done their civic duty. They are correct, but they haven’t finished the job. The job is to first elect public officials and second, make them hear what you have to say. An elected official is a public servant, which is defined by the Merriam-Webster Dictionary as, “a government official or employee.” An elected official works for the citizens. This concept is sometimes overlooked by both citizens and the officials they elected. Across the 34 countries surveyed, a median of 64% disagree with the statement, “most elected officials care what people like me think,” according to Richard Wike and Shannon Schumacher, in a February 2020 article for the Pew Research Center, Global Attitudes and Trends.

In that article the US had 71% disagree with the statement that elected officials care about what ordinary citizens think. That fact is an alarming statistic. What was not covered in the article was the percentage of how individuals made an effort to be heard. Public officials are people; they are not mind readers. Unless they are told by ordinary citizens their perspectives on issues, they can NOT properly do the job they were elected to do. In the past, local public officials attended town hall meetings, pancake breakfasts, charity events and other public gatherings to meet with citizens and learn their perspectives on the issues. The COVID-19 pandemic stopped those types of face to face meetings from happening. Virtual meetings and email are now the norm. Some people have even resorted to the old-fashioned way of communicating, by writing letters and actually talking on the telephone. The right to vote has been labeled many things: a privilege, a duty, a responsibility, suffrage, political franchise, or simply franchise. Regardless of the name, exercise that right that so many fought and died for. Follow through with your actions and make your voices heard.

Sanger was an American birth control activist, sex educator, writer, and nurse who was one of the main people who contributed to most women’s lives by establishing the first birth control clinic. Sanger popularized the term “birth control,” opened the first birth control clinic in the United States, and established organizations that evolved into the Planned Parenthood Federation of America. “Some precautions to take when taking birth control are . . . you need to look at your medical history and consider which methods would be less hazardous to your health. Birth control is mostly used for hormonal balance reductions of some cancerous, and lighter menstrual cycles. . . When choosing a birth control, you will want to consider age, medical history, and cost,” Lopez said when asked what precautions women should have when taking, or under birth control. “Also think about which one fits your lifestyle. Are you good at keeping a schedule or would it be best to get long-term birth control and not worry about a schedule?,” she added.

ing more than nine months from the actual election. “In your hearts, you know that what’s happening here is not right. It’s not normal,” Sen. Richard Blumenthal said Thursday. “The real people eventually will judge us. History will haunt this raw exercise of political power.” No matter who ends up taking the Supreme Court seat, we encourage everyone to stay hopeful, educate yourselves on the economic and social issues of today, and vote accordingly in November.


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Oct. 20 , 2020

RACLE Sports

Football Returns in Spring 2021

TTU Football Team running to the field in the 2019 Season captured by Thomas Corhern

KAILEE MEANS

Reporter

Football season is making a comeback. Tech Football released a spring 2021 Ohio Valley Conference schedule on Oct.7, 2020. The season will consist of a seven game conference only schedule with a possible non-conference game. Tech will play three games at Tucker Stadium and then be on the road for the next four games within the season. Tech’s football games will be held on Sundays to avoid conflict with all the other sports taking place. This is with the crazy sports season that will be approaching in the spring semester. “The schedule is a set round-robin format with all eight teams that elected to play a spring schedule. Teams will have the opportunity to schedule a non-conference foe in the spring,” said Thomas Corhern, of TTU Sports Information, as he went into detail about the upcoming schedule. With most conferences making the decision to play either in the spring or fall rather quickly, Ohio Valley Conference was one of

Head Coach Alexander Dewayne locking arms with his team captured by Thomas Corhern

the last conferences to make a final decision. Coach Alexander Dewayne ‘Coach A’, Head football coach, said the process to try and play in the fall was an inconsistent and uncertain process. “We had returned all of our guys, our team and other teams had returned in July with preparations to play early September and play football as normally scheduled,” Coach A. said. Due to COVID-19 cases continuing to rise within the months of July and August, it really determined the season for not just Tech but all OVC opponents. Some had elected to play in the fall and followed through with that. Eastern Kentucky, an OVC opponent, decided to play their games in the fall. This decision made the OVC schedule a seven game conference schedule, and where Tech would have three home games and four away games. Tech is looking to add a non-conference game on Feb. 13. “Obviously I would like to play a game between now and Feb. 20. I think it will benefit our team to have a game to play before we open the conference schedule, but there’s

not a lot of availability,” said Coach A. Tech is at the Football Championship Subdivision level, and all 13 conferences made a decision to not play conference football this fall. The FCS championship game will be held on May 15, 2021 in Fisco, Texas. The NCAA has granted eligibility to football players this year who are graduating to play another season due to the outbreak of COVID-19. If the conference they are a part of is playing in the spring, they can play in the fall. Tech’s football program has never made it to a postseason game. The team looks to stop the 99 season and streak and get a playoff game. They hope to win the championship game and the Sgt. York trophy. The players see this as a realistic goal. Quarterback Bailey Fisher is a returning player and Coach A. said that he is a great leader for this football team and is the best quarterback in the league. Fisher was a freshman in 2018. He was second team all conference in 2019, and this year is a preseason first team pick.

Seth Speaks Volumes Lebron James is one of the Greatest SETH JONES

Sports Editor

The National Basketball Association finals have finished this year with the Lakers defeating the Miami Heat 4-2 in Game 6 of the Finals. Lebron James was able to achieve another NBA Finals championship and NBA Most Valuable Player award. Does this solidify Lebron James being one of the best players of all time in NBA Basketball history? I think so. Lebron James is a Small Forward that began his NBA career in his hometown of Cleveland, Ohio for the Cleveland Cavaliers. According to bleacherreport.com, he began his first game against the Sacramento Kings on October 29, 2003. He did not begin his career being dominant and aggressive on the court as he is now.Most people were not sure of how James would be in the NBA, bleacherreport.com continued to discuss. He was able to change the perspective of these people in the coming years. He began to develop as a player and would become more powerful on the court. He worked more on his jump shot to keep himself active on all aspects of the game, as well. James received his first ever Most Valuable Player in 2009 with the Cleveland Cavaliers. James split from his hometown team after 2010. James won his first two NBA Finals MVP awards in 2012 and 2013 when

he was signed to the Miami Heat in which he worked with Chris Bosh and Dewayne Wade. He later joined the Cleveland Cavaliers again from 2014-2018 and won an NBAChampionship in 2016. Then, he signed with the Lakers from 2018 to the present in which he won the NBA championship in 2020. He has won 4 NBA championships after winning this year’s NBA Finals with the Lakers and won Finals MVP each time.This means that he has won championships with each team he has been a part of. This fact helps to solidify the belief that he is one of the best players in NBA history. I do not think he is the best player ever, but I do believe he has proven to all of us that he is a fantastic player and will do what he can to achieve greatness. Of course, he has many other accolades as well such as rookie of the year (ROTY) awards, All-star awards, and more. With this said, he was also given good teammates in order to win championships. For example, in Miami, he had Bosh and Wade helping him climb to the top. In 2020, he has Anthony Davis who helped with rebounds and defense. These players, in the prime of their careers, have proven they can help Lebron secure his legacy as well. Lebron has never done this on his own. A lot of individuals want to compare him to Michael Jordan, the greatest player of all time in my opinion. However, I do not see

Seth Jones gives his opinion in every issue of The Oracle

fit that those two be compared to one another just yet. Michael Jordan accomplished a lot more in a smaller amount of time with only one team. At the same time, both individuals have left a powerful legacy in the NBA. They are great performers for their time period. Lebron still has many years to come in his career. He is only 35 years old. He could win more championships, awards, and be involved in new team changes. Lebron James is one of the greatest players to play basketball in the NBA because of his accomplishments and dedicated to his craft. The wild thing is, he still has more left in him to continue his legacy in the history books of the NBA.


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Oct. 20, 2020

Timeline to becoming candidates 1970

JOSEPH STOUT

Reporter

Joseph R. Biden began his career in Politics when he served on the New Castle county council in Delaware.

1971

MICHAELA CRAWFORD

Reporter

1972 1980

1987 - 1995

After two years on the council, Biden was elected to the U.S. Senate at the age of 29, becoming the 5th youngest senator in history

Biden served on the Committee in the Judiciary, serving as its chair

Gained rights to develop Trump Tower, which was Trump’s primary residence until 2019

1988 1987

1996

Biden pursued the Democratic presidential nomination, but withdrew after parts of his campaign stump speech were plagiarized

Won reelection in the Senate 6 times, which made him Delaware’s longest serving senator

2007

Biden served on the Senate’s Foreign Relations Committee, serving as its chair from 2001-03 and 2007-09

Member of the International Narcotics Control Caucus while serving as a senator

2008

2001 - 2007

2008

2009

1999

2017

2020

2019

On July 15, Trump announced his selection of Indiana governor Mike Pence as his Vice Presidential running mate

Biden announced he would run for president in April

Biden accepted the nomination and became the Democratic party’s candidate in August

2020

Biden and Senator Kamala Harris will take on President Trump and Vice President Pence in the presidential election on November 3

2017

2016

Entered the Presidential race as a Republican and won over Hillary Clinton becoming the oldest first term U.S. president

Trump was inaugurated as the 45th president of the United States on January 20

2020

2015

On June 15, Trump announced his candidacy for President of the United States

Obama and Biden were reelected for a second term in November

Biden was the recipient of the Presidential Medal of Freedom in January

2003

Trump became the co-producer and host of The Apprentice. Produced and hosted The Apprentice from 2005 to 2015

Trump speculated about running against President Barack Obama. In May 2011 he announced he would not run.

2016 2012

Founded Trump Hotels and Casino Resorts (THCR) which assumed ownership of Trump Plaza, Trump Castle, and Trump Casino in Gary, Indiana

Trump filed an exploratory committee to seek the nomination of the Reform Party for the 2000 presidential election. Trump dropped out of the race in February 2000

Barack Obama and Joe Biden won the election on November 4,

Biden was sworn in as the Vice President on January 20

Acquired the Mar-a-Lago estate. Declared it his primary residence in 2019

1995

2012 2008

1985

Trump placed full-page advertisements in three major works which advocated peace in Central America, accelerated nuclear disarmament talks with the Soviet Union, and encouraged reduction of the federal budget deficit by making American allies pay “their fair share” for military defense.

Biden ran for president in January 3rd, but withdrew after placing fifth in the Iowa Democratic Caucus

On August 23, Barack Obama announced Biden as his pick for Vice President

Became president of his father’s real estate business in 1971 and renamed it the Trump Organization expanding operations to to building or renovating skyscrapers, casinos, and golf courses

2018

As of April, Trump and his businesses had been involved in more than 4,000 state and federal legal actions, a ccording to a running tally by USA Today

Trump became the Republican nominee on August 24


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