Taking a look into the sports world during the quarantine.
By: Jake Sexton | staff writer
Obviously, the COVID-19 Pandemic is having a massive toll on many aspects of human culture and society, a large one being the entertainment and sports industries. These industries are massive for the economy, and bring in billions of dollars. In this article, let’s look at each major sports league and see what measures and decisions they have made in due to the coronavirus.
NBA: Commissioner Adam Silver initially said the suspension would last at least 30 days, but a mid-to-late-June return is now looking like a best-case scenario.
NFL: Commissioner Roger Goodell says there will be pro football in the fall. The 2020 regular season is supposed to start September 10, even though, he says, it may be different. The NFL is watching to see what happens with other leagues that have interrupted their seasons because of the outbreak.
MLB: The MLB reportedly narrows its focus to beginning the season in early July at as many standard home ballparks as possible. The aim would be a regular season of around 80 games followed by an expanded postseason. Schedules would be organized regionally to minimize travel and allow players to isolate themselves with their families in their home cities. They also conducted a test with 5,000 MLB players and staff, and only .07 tested positive.
NHL: NHL has a very interesting approach to their sports season coming back. They want to jump right into their postseason and do a 24 team playoff for the Stanley Cup. This would take place around June, or even later depending on the development of the Virus.
Comparing COVID-19 to the 1918 SPanish Flu
Published on May 16th, 2020
By: Jake Sexton | staff writer
As of May 15, there has been a worldwide total of 4.5 Million confirmed cases of the COVID-19 Disease. Many must wonder if there has ever been any kind of quarantine or pandemic in recent history, and in fact, there was a pandemic with even more confirmed cases and deaths- The 1918 Influenza Pandemic, also known as “The Spanish Flu”. Let’s take a look at what life looked like back then, how they handled the pandemic, and what we can learn from that pandemic.
It is estimated that about 500 million people or one-third of the world’s population became infected with this virus. The number of deaths was estimated to be at least 50 million worldwide with about 675,000 occurring in the United States. Mortality was high in people younger than 5 years old, 20-40 years old, and 65 years and older. The high mortality in healthy people, including those in the 20-40 year age group, was a unique feature of this pandemic.
The 1918 flu was first observed in Europe, the United States, and parts of Asia before swiftly spreading around the world. At the time, there were no effective drugs or vaccines to treat this killer flu strain. Citizens were ordered to wear masks, schools, theaters, and businesses were shuttered and bodies piled up in makeshift morgues before the virus ended its deadly global march. Sound like anything familiar?
Cities took many different approaches. Philadelphia’s response was too little, too late. Dr. Wilmer Krusen, director of Public Health and Charities for the city, insisted mounting fatalities were not the “Spanish flu,” but rather just the normal flu. So on September 28, the city went forward with a Liberty Loan parade attended by tens of thousands of Philadelphians, spreading the disease like wildfire. In just 10 days, over 1,000 Philadelphians were dead, with another 200,000 sick. Only then did the city close saloons and theaters. By March 1919, over 15,000 citizens of Philadelphia had lost their lives.
St. Louis, Missouri, was different: Schools and movie theaters closed and public gatherings were banned. Consequently, the peak mortality rate in St. Louis was just one-eighth of Philadelphia’s death rate during the peak of the pandemic. Comparative to Corona, it was a state to state decision on what to do to prevent the disease.
As devastating as the current pandemic may be, the Spanish flu pandemic remains the worst in world history. Christopher Nichols, an associative professor at Oregon State states that The lesson from 1918 is clear. "If public health is the main focus, then eradicate that from your mind," Nichols said. "The Spanish flu tells us that social distancing works. And it works best if we act early, act fast and stick together -- and base our decisions not on social or economic concerns, but on science and data and facts."
The Importance of Staying Home During a Pandemic
Published on May 16th, 2020
By: Kyra Bolander | staff writer
Ever since the COVID-19 pandemic began, there have been many changes to the daily lives of the citizens throughout the United States. The biggest change that many people are facing is the stay-at-home orders that have been put in place indefinitely. Schools have been closed down, the majority of businesses and operations have closed, and there has been the biggest influx of unemployment claims. The biggest action that health experts are enforcing is to stay home.
Stay-at-home orders have disrupted many citizens’ lives, but they are put in place for the protection and health of the surrounding communities. One instance where lockdowns have affected a community is in Michigan. There has been a very loud and large protest of people fighting against quarantine. People are gathering in the thousands and shouting chants toward the governor Gretchen Whitmer. The irony of this situation is the more people gather as they are doing in Michigan, the longer that the stay-at-home orders are necessary.
“That’s a bad idea I think. People should be quarantining and just call their friends rather than hang out with them,” said Kaylee Hodges, a student attending a Jordan School District school.
Another example of gathering in large groups locally is in Riverton, Utah. There have been mutual plannings for large hangouts from students all across the Jordan School District. One of these plans that students have arranged is a ‘Cruise Night’ where they all go to Riverton City park and drive clockwise and counterclockwise to socialize with the other people in other cars. Many students are planning on attending which isn’t safe for any of the students in the car. One of the students that attended the ‘event’ said, “People who are used to hanging out with people every day should be allowed to have time to adjust the quarantine rules.”. This student is a senior at Riverton High School. The virus can easily be spread through close contact like that. According to Harvard Medical School, the virus can last up to three days on surfaces and can be airborne for three hours. This means that even being six feet apart from the people around you, it is still very possible to contract the virus in large groups.
It is very important to stay at home as much as you possibly can. If you want to hang out with your friends, give them a call or face-time them, opt to leave the house and hang out. Being safe and practicing social distancing is more important than having a hangout with all your friends. COVID-19 spreads by contact and allowing the gathering of many people is dangerous. Please stay home and lower the infection rates.
E-cigarettes Have Been the Most Commonly Used Tobacco Product Among U.S. Teens Since 2014.
By: Jessie Beall | staff writer
During 2017 and 2018, e-cigarette use escalated among teens, leading the U.S. Surgeon General to call the use of these products among teens an epidemic in the United States. Most e-cigarettes contain nicotine, which is highly addictive. Exposure to nicotine can Increase risk for future addiction to other drugs. Using nicotine in adolescence can harm the parts of the brain that control attention, learning, mood, and impulse control.
Some of the ingredients in e-cigarette aerosol could also be harmful to the lungs in the long-term. For example, some e-cigarette flavorings may be safe to eat but not to inhale because the stomach can process more substances than the lungs. Teenagers and adults have been poisoned by swallowing, breathing, or absorbing e-cigarette liquid through their skin or eyes. Nationally, approximately 50% of calls to poison control centers for e-cigarettes are for kids 5 years of age or younger.
E-cigarettes are electronic devices that heat a liquid and produce an aerosol, or mix of small particles in the air. E-cigarettes are known by many different names. They are sometimes called “e-cigs,” “e-hookahs,” “mods,” “vape pens,” “vapes,” “tank systems,” and “electronic nicotine delivery systems” (ENDS). E-cigarettes come in “kid-friendly” flavors – including mango, fruit, and crème – which make e-cigarettes more appealing to young people.
All of the facts and statistics in this article came from these websites. Feel free to check them out for yourself!
Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook have been blowing up with comments and memes about World War 3. This has caused lots of confusion and panic among many. But what caused all of this
By: Anna Wrigley | staff writer
On January third of this year (2020), Iran’s top commander Qasem Soleimani was killed by a U.S airstrike in Baghdad, Iraq. United States President Donald Trump ordered the U.S military to execute Soleimani when the opportunity arose. The decision to attack the Iranian commander was made in response to the death of an American contractor by a rocket attack on an Iraqi military base. In response, on January 8th Iran launched missiles on U.S military and coalition forces at bases in Iraq.
The News of this spread all over social media, leading many to believe that this incident would advance to the start of the next World War. Experts think this is unlikely. Professor in political science Houchang Hassan-Yari says “There will be no World War Three due to the current confrontation between Iran and the U.S.” Cyber security experts think cyber warfare is a more realistic possibility. The Oxford English Dictionary describes cyber warfare as “The use of computer technology to disrupt the activities of a state or organization, especially the deliberate attacking of information systems for strategic or military purposes.”
According to the New York Times, “Cyber security experts are seeing malicious activity from pro-Iranian forces, and warning that Iran has the capacity to do real damage to American computer systems.”
Our society depends on technology for almost everything. If a cyber warfare attack happened, it would cause complete havoc. What would we do if we couldn't have access to our technology? Many wouldn’t know what to do.
World War Three probably won't happen because of what is going on between the U.S and Iran. Although more likely instances, like cyber warfare, certainly could.
Published on April 21st, 2020
Becoming A Statistic
Teens Make Up the Largest Age Group Reported as Distracted in Fatal Crashes
By: Jessie Beall | staff writer
Each day, 11 teens die in crashes caused by texting and driving. 2019 research on texting habits shows that people respond to text messages almost instantly. In fact, 9 out of 10 teens expect a reply to a text or email within five minutes or less. This encourages teens to respond to texts while driving. Texting while driving has now replaced drinking and driving as the leading cause of death among teenage drivers. 40% of American teens say they have experienced being in a car with a driver using a cell phone which puts them in a dangerous situation.
48 percent of young drivers have seen their parents text while driving (Consumer Reports). Teens whose parents drive distracted are as much as 2 to 4 times more likely to also drive distracted. A study in February 2019 shows, 69% of drivers from the United States between the ages of 18 and 64 expressed that they use their cell phones while driving. Over 50% of the drivers who admit to using their phone while driving express they did so because they believe they are able to multitask and felt as if they were safe.
Getting caught breaking the law by texting and driving comes with a ticket and a fine. Under Utah’s law, someone caught texting and driving now faces up to three months in jail and up to a $750 fine.
All of the facts and statistics in this article came from these websites. Feel free to check them out for yourself!