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Entertainment, Front/Home, Reviews

Netflix “Cheer” Review

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Lauren Rayman

     Released on Jan. 8, 2020, the Netflix original ‘Cheer’ took the world by storm. The six-part docuseries captured the attention of ordinary people, and celebrities, around the world.

     The show is centered around the Navarro College cheer team. Navarro College, located in Corsicana, Texas, is a junior college; however, their cheer team is among the best in the country.

     Under head coach Monica Aldama, the team has won 14 national titles at the National Cheerleaders Association Collegiate National Championships, five of which have been grand national titles. A grand national championship is won when a team has the highest score of the entire competition, not just their division.

     ‘Cheer’ highlights the little known world of competitive cheerleading. At the high collegiate level that Navarro competes at, the risk of injury runs high– back strains, a dislocated elbow, bruised ribs and multiple concussions occur throughout the course of the docuseries.

     Although injuries are present, the athletes push through for two, sometimes three, practices a day leading up to the NCA Collegiate Nationals. The show shines light not just on how hard the sport is, but also how rewarding the sport can be.

     Many people like the show because of the sport it revolves around, but even more people have started watching it because of the personal stories told throughout the show. There are many athletes on the Navarro team who came from rough pasts and use cheerleading as an escape.

     The show closely follows the stories of Lexi Brumback, Gabi Butler, Jerry Harris, La’Darius Marshall and Morgan Simianer. Some are well-known in the cheer world, dubbed ‘cheerlebrities,’ and some have come from troubling pasts and have inspiring stories.

     Because of how dynamic the show is, it has caught the attention of many celebrities. The Navarro cheer team performed on The Ellen Show, and one week later, some team members returned on The Ellen Show, this time accompanied by Kendall Jenner.

     Chrissy Teigen, Kalen Allen, Reese Witherspoon, JJ Watt and Tyler Oakley are among just some of the celebrities who have tweeted about the show. Navarro athletes now have social media followings as large as over one million followers.

     In my opinion, I really enjoyed the show. As a cheerleader, watching the show and recognizing some of the athletes on the team peaked my interest.

     My favorite part of the docuseries was not just the cheerleading, but the stories of the athletes highlighted in it. The show is raw and real– it does not sugarcoat anything in the sport.

     I would highly recommend this show to anyone– cheerleaders, athletes and ordinary people alike. There are lessons to be learned and applied to everyday life from the show. Overall, Netflix did an incredible job of bringing attention to the world of competitive cheerleading. 

Community, Feature, Front/Home, Sports, World Headlines

Impact of Kobe Bryant

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Brianna Doctor

     On Sunday, Jan. 26, five-time NBA champion, Kobe Bryant, passed away in a tragic plane crash along with his daughter, Gianna Bryant. 

     On the way to a youth basketball tournament, the helicopter crashed into a field. There were nine people on board, and all of them died in the crash.

     The other victims of the crash included John Altobelli along with his wife Keri and daughter Alyssa, Christina Mauser, Sarah Chester, Payton Chester, and pilot Ara Zobayan. 

     Unfortunately, the families of the victims did not receive the tragic news until after the media had released the story. 

     Famous media outlet, TMZ, was the first to release the news of the deaths. People took to Twitter and other social media outlets to express their anger over the situation. 

     Actress Ellen Pompeo released a tweet on Tuesday accusing TMZ and its founder of displaying abusive and inconsiderate behavior. 

     “So many questions I have …if we are not tolerating abuse anymore… shouldn’t we be calling this out? Exploiting women who have been abused… exploiting the brutal sudden death of peoples loved ones is certainly emotional abuse… I call times up on his behavior,” Pompeo tweeted. 

     In addition to Pompeo, comedian Ellen Degeneres criticized the news outlet for their inconsiderate actions on her show. 

     TMZ was not the only news outlet to cause an uproar over social media, BBC News released a video of basketball superstar Lebron James instead of Kobe Bryant while broadcasting the news of Bryant’s death.

     Furthermore, ABC News falsely reported that all four of Bryant’s daughters died in the helicopter crash. To top it all off, the country’s president tweeted inaccurate information about the number of people in the crash.

     When it comes to tragedies, media outlets will also take less time to gather true facts and more time on being the ones to report the story first; however, the death of Bryant and his daughter among the seven others killed demonstrated the true nature of media. 

     Consideration for the families was evidently not there for the reports of TMZ, and the Los Angeles police department made it very clear how disgusted they were.

     In a recent statement by Sheriff Alex Villanueva, he scolded TMZ for the the extent of their actions, and he explained how disappointed he was.

     “It would be extremely disrespectful to understand that your loved one… perished and you learn about it from TMZ. That is just wholly inappropriate,” Villanueva said.

     Overall, although it is the media’s job to inform the public about breaking news stories, they should be more considerate of the people that each story impacts to avoid situations like this.  

Front/Home, News

Marijuana Usage in Ohio

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Cailah Nguyen

     States all across the country are legalizing recreational use of marijuana, Ohio however does not have plans to follow the other states soon. Currently, Ohio has legalized the medical use of marijuana for 21 conditions approved by the state.

     Ohio was not one of the first states to take action on marijuana bills. The state is following the steps taken by the nation. Ballots allow voters to vote on certain topics and bills, but it is estimated that there will not be a bill for the recreational use of marijuana until 2020.

     A program set specifically for the marijuana use has been in plan and meeting for quite some time before the law was legalized for medical use. The governor of Ohio was opposed to the plan on the ballot in 2015. 

     The states that have a legal marijuana market and distribution gain a lot of money from the purchase of marijuana. Advocates in Ohio still try to make an effort to get Ohio to change its laws. They are very active and their protests and actions may help support a cannabis law change in the future.

     Marijuana legalization is a controversial topic that brings up many different opinions. The health benefits and drawbacks of using marijuana plays a big role in the conversation.

     “The governor told the Ohio Public Radio Statehouse News Bureau that today’s marijuana is more potent than in the past, and could pose a health risk for young people,” clevescene.com sourced.

     Although the effects from the drug may help relieve pain and help people, it is considered a “gateway drug” and could be a health risk for many, especially younger adults who are the future for the following generations.

     If recreational use was passed, Ohio would have to enforce strict laws and rules for the selling of marijuana. Dispensaries and other sources would need to follow the potency limit before selling it to buyers.

     The house bill 525 was signed by governor John Kashich in June 2016 to legalize the medical use of marijuana in Ohio. The bill was approved through votes by the senate and the house. Ohio initially licensed 56 dispensaries throughout the region, based on population.

     Obtaining medical marijuana has a process of three steps. A certified physician needs to confirm and prescribe the need of marijuana, and then users will need to register for the program. Ohio users are required to buy medical marijuana from approved dispensaries.

Front/Home, News, World Headlines

Coronavirus Update

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Jacob Doctor

     Coronavirus hits Ohio. There have been new cases popping up in colleges around Ohio; students have been contracting the virus.

     Symptoms of the CoronaVirus are similar to that of the flu: cough, fatigue, runny nose, and sneezing. In worst cases the symptoms go as far as a fever and sore throat (Medical News Today). 

     Researchers have speculated where the CoronaVirus originated from. The location the virus originated from China.

     An actual source for the virus is still not completely known; however, researchers have been able to link the virus to one of two sources.

     “Newly developed Corona Viruses in China may originate from bats or snakes according to the analysis of the genome of the virus,” WN Observer explained.

    Students have contracted the virus in several different locations: Athens, Cincinnati, Columbus, Dayton, Kent, and Toledo.

     Students were a part of the study abroad program and contracted the virus overseas or on an airplane. They then brought back over to their college campus.

      College campuses are not closing down; however, some students are taking precautions. Students will wear masks around the campus and some will even wear quarantine suits.

     Some college campuses are trying to limit the interaction with the virus. The Ohio State University is trying to prevent the virus from spreading as well.

     “Ohio State University will temporarily restrict university-sponsored travel to China for all faculty, staff and students amid the recent outbreak of coronavirus,” The University stated.

     CoronaVirus is severe enough for some places to postpone events or even cancel them. They want to keep the outbreak from spreading if possible.

    “Two basketball games have been postponed at Miami (Ohio) after the school announced two students may have been exposed to the coronavirus,” Miami University commented.

     People have gotten seriously ill from the CoronaVirus. In China, 170 people have died and over 8000 people have come down with the illness.

     

     Since people do not know who has the virus, they should just try and be as clean and healthy as possible. Lowering the ability of the virus spreading, will contain the outbreak.

     Studies have shown that there are not just one form of the CoronaVirus. There are multiple different kinds and most of them share the same symptoms.

     “Human coronaviruses are common throughout the world. Seven different coronaviruses can infect people and make them sick. Some human coronaviruses were identified many years ago and some have been identified recently. Human coronaviruses commonly cause mild to moderate illness in people worldwide. Two new human coronaviruses, MERS-CoV and SARS-CoV, have been known to frequently cause severe illness,” Center for Disease Control stated.

     Citizens of Ohio need to take precautions for the virus, wash their hands, and stay healthy in hopes of stopping the spreading. If people have any other questions they can click this link for more information: https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/index.html.