USF Sports Update

USF SPORTS

By: Eve Odum Staff Writer

update

“We have all been deprived of the game we love,” said USF junior baseball player, Kevin Kardas. He is right. Athletes have been itching to get back on the field for almost a year and it has finally happened! At the start of February, multiple sports teams began competing with great precautions and rules in place.

One of the most obvious precautions is wearing a mask. Track athletes are only allowed to take their mask off while running or competing in a field event. After the race ends, they are expected to put it back on. The same applies for bowling, since masks can only be off if they are on the approach to throw a shot.

Another rule is that no spectators are allowed at any USF sporting event. Basketball, volleyball, soccer and football home games will be livestreamed at the University of St. Francis Fighting Saints Athletics YouTube account. Most away teams are also doing live coverage of the games. The lack of spectators and limited capacity impacts the energy in the room. The silence feels unnatural. In Illinois, track athletes who are not competing are required to stay in a team room outside the indoor track.

Dance teams are taking an interesting approach to the season by being completely virtual and live streaming competitions. Junior Alyia Cady says that the USF dance team watches other teams compete by tuning onto their school websites. Similarly, the cheerleading squad has a hybrid season with the regional competition being held in person at the end of February. Due to COVID-19 restrictions, they will be unable to attend their annual Florida competition.

The softball and tennis teams have a bunch of games lined up starting at the end of February. Golfers are practicing hard but competitions do not start until the end of March.

Despite seasons being different, teams are still looking forward to competing and have high hopes for the semester. The cross-country team’s national competition normally takes place in the fall but was pushed to April this year. A handful of men and women are likely to compete and do well. Track indoor nationals will be in March and medals are expected.

The baseball team is ranked first in the conference and is working hard to try and get a spot in the NAIA World Series. “We are in good spirits for the most part. We all want to win,” said Kardas.

Win we will! Go USF Saints!

IN WITH THE NEW

The Start of the Biden Presidency

By: MaKenzie Munson Staff Writer

“Now we’re going to be tested. Are we going to step up, all of us? It’s time for boldness for there is so much to do. . . Will we master this rare and difficult hour? Will we meet our obligations and pass along a new and better world to our children?”

Just about a month ago, the United States inaugurated Joseph Robinette Biden as the 46th president of the United States. He concluded his inaugural address with a call to action for every American to join him in working together to overcome the coronavirus pandemic, systemic racism, the growing climate crisis, and a slew of other life-changing issues currently affecting our country. After the ceremonial transfer of power, President Biden wasted no time and began passing executive orders at a rapid pace. On the day of inauguration, he signed nine orders, most of which focused on COVID-19 regulations and the reversal of former President Donald Trump’s orders. According to the Federal Register, Biden has published 30 executive orders as of February 10, 2021. These orders address immigration, COVID-19 relief and guidelines, civil rights and the climate crisis. The COVID-19 guidelines, specifically any of his previous social and economic policies.

While Biden makes history with the sheer number of executive orders he has passed so far, his cabinet and advisors also stand to be the most diverse this country has ever witnessed. According to NPR, details of each of Biden’s administrative choices and whether they have been confirmed by the Senate were revealed to the public. Most notable of the picks were Pete Buttigieg, General Lloyd Austin, Deb Haaland and Miguel Cardona. Buttigieg was confirmed by the Senate on February 2 and is the first openly LGBTQ person to receive a permanent cabinet position. General Lloyd Austin has also been confirmed and is the first Black Secretary of Defense. While Haaland and Cardona await Senate confirmation, they stand to be the first Native American person in a Cabinet role and the first Secretary of Education of Puerto Rican descent, respectively. There are plenty of other people within the Biden administration who represent the diversity he wishes to achieve, hoping to become a more representative microcosm of the United States.

The divisiveness that came with last November’s election means that many students have their opinions about Biden’s presidency and his actions thus far. Despite the monumental measures passed during his first month in office, students on both the right and left still understand the importance of criticism in order to hold our elected officials responsible. Representatives from USF’s student political clubs, Saints for Progress and St. Francis Conservatives, offered their critiques regarding the Biden presidency.

Diego Quevedo Carrasco, a leader of Saints for Progress, speaks highly of Biden’s decision to end American support for the Saudis in Yemen and his plan to distribute the COVID-19 vaccine. However, he says that “with a Democratic Senate and House there should be way more ambition in [his] agenda.” He also criticizes Biden’s lack of accountability in regards to stimulus checks. Carrasco explains, “He claimed to support $2,000 checks after the $600 in December