Category: Feb 15, 2021

Weekly Horoscopes 2/15/21

The Signs as Lines from Arabic Love Poems

Aries: “Through her, in a rush of musk and saffron, beauty falls into disarray.” – Ibn Al-Arabi

Taurus: “Because my love for you is higher than words, I have decided to fall silent.” – Nizar Qabbani

Gemini: “You departed from my sight and entered my thoughts, travelled from my eyes to my heart.” – Al-Abbas Ibn Al-Ahnaf

Cancer: “I would split open my heart with a knife, place you within and seal my wound, that you might dwell there and never inhabit another.” – Ibn Hazm

Leo: “I felt like kissing the swords because their glimmer reminded me of your smile.” – Antara

Virgo: “I memorized her in every alphabet and memorized my memories until they multiplied.” – Adonis

Libra: “Love rests on no foundation. It is an endless ocean, with no beginning or end.” – Rumi

Scorpio: “And if the devil was to ever see you, he’d kiss your eyes and repent.” – Farouq Jwaydeh

Sagittarius: “Your eyes are like palm-groves refreshed by dawn’s breath or terraces the moon leaves behind.” – Badr Shakir Al-Sayyab

Capricorn: “There is water in my eyes and fire in my heart. Do you want a drink? Or a spark?” – Al-Shareef Al-Radhiy

Aquarius: “My temptations in your eyes, and the cities of your grief.” – Ibrahaim el-Kahwaji

Pisces: “They asked ‘Do you love her to death?’ I said, ‘Speak of her over my grave and watch how she brings me back to life.’” – Mahmoud Darwish

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Writing home from Russia, a historical outlook

WADE FULLERTON
STAFF WRITER

Map of Allied operations in Archangel, Russia [Left]. American rifleman, Russian rifle. Defending the critical rail junction at “Verst 466” with the 339th Infantry Regiment, Sept. 24, 1918 [Right].

The AEF – American Expeditionary Force – had decisively defeated the German Army on the Western Front on Nov. 11, 1918. The Great War closed, while a new – more bizarre – chapter opened. Two months prior to the end of the war, President Woodrow Wilson – a politician who ran on a non-intervention policy – moved to send men of the AEF to Russia.

The President must have been troubled by this intervention. The United States felt pressure to join the effort to contain Bolshevism’s spread in Russia and support their allies – Britain and France. Five thousand soldiers of the AEF made up the 339th infantry division. These were men from all temperaments across the state of Michigan. During the late summer of 1918, these Michiganders completed their training in Fort Custer and were prepared to embark on a transport ship to Archangel, Russia.

Several of these men were Alma College students who put their education on hold to fight in the Great War. The Weekly Almanian published a section called “From our Boys in the Service” every edition during the First World War. Letters were printed from students and alumni who were active in the AEF. Private Russel – an Alma College student – wrote to his Mother on Sept. 10, 1918:

Somewhere in Russia:

Dear Mother,

At least we are somewhere and in Russia at that. I suppose everything is all O. K. at home. I surely hope so. I never felt better in my life. I do not know whether I have gained in pounds or not because all the scales are balanced in Russian.

Russia does not look as old as I had expected. All the streets are either mud or cobblestone. There are a few street cars. The horses are all very small and pull from a yoke in the form of an arch, over their necks. All of the axles are made of wood and are well greased. The Russian dress is surely queer. I saw one fellow who had a purple silk shirt on that I would like to get my hands on. Some of the girls look like Yankees in their dress. The Russian churches have large globe domes, generally gilded. They have lots of huge bells which, when they ring, ring steadily for about forty minutes. One of the churches around here has a large picture in it. Looks like a hand painting but of course it isn’t because the weather would soon destroy it. Another church has pictures of saints all over on one side.

There are plenty of wooden sidewalks around here. The Russian language is surely a tongue-twister. Already we have mastered a few words like good and no good thanks, the names of towns, cigarettes, dog, etc. They make a noise like a rattle snake to stop their horses.

Well I must close, with love to all.

Russel.

Even one hundred years ago, Russel conveyed the Alma College code of ethics; to foster curiosity abroad and approach his situation from a position of learning. His letter also carries melancholy for his home he had left behind. Moreover, yes – only a Michigander would act as polite as Russel does, despite the perilous circumstances.

For Russel and for the rest of the 339th from Michigan – who more than likely left home for the first time – will have to combat disease, the harsh cold and maintain morale. It would slowly turn into an intervention that none of the men could justify themselves as to what purpose they were serving in Russia.

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Winter activities occur on campus

TAYLOR PEPITONE
STAFF WRITER

This year, ACUB and Residence Life created an event called the Winter Festival. The celebration was meant to welcome students back on campus and help them appreciate the winter season. It took place on Jan. 30th in McIntyre Mall, Dow Science Center and the Rec Center.

“ACUB and residence life just sat down and came up with the ideas,” said Jennifer Kowalczyk, coordinator of student activities/organizations.

“Grand Valley State University was hosting a winter festival the weekend after us so both myself and their student activities director were in contact about different ideas and what would and what would not.”

As the event was being planned, many Alma alumni approached the planning committee to inform them that this was not something new to the campus. A tradition that began in the 1960s, known back then as “Snow Carnival,” had many similar happenings as the modern-day Winterfest.

“This will definitely become a yearly tradition at Alma, hopefully getting bigger and bigger every year,” said Kowalczyk. “We already decided to reach out to past alumni and even get faculty and staff and other student organizations involved.”

There were many incidents that occurred during the duration of the commemoration: a hot chocolate and ice cream bar, a variety of “winter” Carnival games, a wood sign making station, a winter gnome making station, a campus-wide snowball fight, a volleyball tournament and a crowning of Winter Court Royalty.

During the 60s, the crowning was only open to women but was opened to all who were nominated this year, freshmen-juniors.

“I think this event was very successful,” said Kowalczyk. “We had around 85 total people combined at both locations so as a new event that is a great number especially during COVID times.”

The Winter Court was designed to exclude seniors since only seniors can be involved in the court during homecoming. Despite this, many students still enjoyed all the events that went on.

“I believe students loved this event,” said Kowalczyk. “We have heard a lot of positive feedback after the event, and it gave the students something different to do than the every other weekend events.”

When it came to picking who would end up on the Winter Court, the choice was up to the student body. Students were able to vote for their friends or whoever they wanted to nominate onto the court.

“When I found out I made court, it made me feel super appreciative,” said Sara Lesnesky (’22). “I have such great friends here on campus and I think getting on court reflected them and how great and supportive friends they are to me. It definitely made me feel honored to get to represent Alma in an event that I hope takes off in the future.”

The idea of Winterfest seemed to sit well with the students. Many were excited for a new event like this to come to campus, despite the lack of communication about all the occurrences.

“My impression of Winterfest when I first heard about it was kind of exciting,” said Lesnesky. “It reminded me of when we were in high school again and had something to look forward to other than just homecoming, kind of like the normal snow fest or winter-themed dance that we

always had. I thought it was super underrated and if it were maybe better marketed it could have been a super popular event.”

It is likely that Winterfest is going to become a yearly custom here at Alma College, per all the great feedback and different activities that were provided. Like the tradition of Snow Carnival that started in the 60s, Alma is creating a brand-new version of that but with a more modern twist.

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The Era of Understanding

HADEN GROSS
STAFF WRITER

Living in the time on a pandemic, we as people cling fervently onto normalcy. We pray that change will come, and we will resume a life that is devoid of social distance. Many have had to put their life on hold as the world heals. Graduations were cancelled, schools were vacant and for student athletes, many spent time watching dust collect on their beloved equipment.

Some cried, others took to the street in fury as governors refused to okay sports. The protests, while nonviolent, sparked mass controversy across Michigan, among other states. People opposed the large droves of protestors taking to streets, as the number of COVID-19 cases skyrocketed. Others banded together and protested as athletes, coaches, students and fans to protest for playtime.

“As a senior in high school who had their season cancelled, I can understand the disappointment,” said Danielle Dumoulin (24’). “However, I don’t believe that jeopardizing the health and safety of others because you want to play a sport is fair. We have to understand the situation we are currently in and act in a way that benefits all people.”

Understanding is the key word to Dumoulin’s thoughts. We must understand the feelings of the athletes, but not let them overshadow the pandemic. According to Mlive.com, over 2,000 individuals were present at the last rally, not to mention the hundreds of social media posts directed at the governor.

The omnipotent theme within these protests is that student athletes feel as if they have been wronged and have pulled the proverbial receipts from data regarding COVID-19 spreading through athletics. A scientific study ran by MDHSS, deduced a 99.8 precent negative rate over 30,000 tests. Thus, marking huge strides for protestors. It appears that dust will have to find other objects to accumulate on.

“I genuinely believe in the right to a peaceful assembly,” said Morgan Sweitzer (’22). “However, things are complicated right now due to the pandemic and social distancing issues and on that the pandemic isn’t over. As much as we all want to passionately get back to normal life, we must do what we can to protect ourselves and others. It is important for young people to have interaction and engagement but to also stay healthy.”

Michigan’s government officials claim that the resurgence of winter sports was not due to the protests, but as we have seen within the last year, change is bread from the common man. The idea of change continues to be a prevalent theme as we embark into a new year, new presidency and new social precedent. As a society, we are beginning to see the first fledglings of an improved society- we still have long to go, but what we have accomplished should be celebrated.

It is not to say that student athletes shouldn’t feel a sense of victory as they head back to the various courts and fields this winter, but they should also be reminded of how capable of change we are if we band together. The same positivity should carry these students and coaches through their seasons, so that they may be reminded of how lucky they are to have the opportunity to play a sport they love. It is a hope that athletes will be given a safe environment to compete in.

It is the goal of this article to encourage the notion of understanding and by doing so, we as a society will heal from the pandemic, emerging as people who have found a long-lost compassion for others.

https://www.mlive.com/highschoolsports/2021/01/let-them-play-delivers-clear-message-as-thousands-flock-to-capitol-to-protest-winter-sports-pause.htm

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Buccaneers win Super Bowl, make history

AISHWARYA SINGH
STAFF WRITER

WESTON HIRVELA
GRAPHIC CREATOR

On Feb. 7 this year, two of the best teams for the National Football Conference and American Football Conference respectively played the Super Bowl under conditions unprecedented in its 52-year history.

The Super Bowl attracts millions of viewers less for the game and more for the experience and the ads in what remains media’s greatest marketing showcase, with advertisers paying roughly $5.5 million for each 30-second spot.

The annual championship of the National Football League culminated in the first week of February with 91.6 million viewers who tuned in to their TVs to watch, making it the lowest number of viewers for the Super Bowl since 2007 which sat at 93.2 million viewers on television.

Many have attributed the poor ratings to the lack of a competitive game which almost always draws in greater views.

A straightforward game like the one we saw between The National Football Conference champion Tampa Bay Buccaneers and the American Football Conference champion Kansas City Chiefs failed to captivate audiences with mystery and unpredictability the way past games have. This was visible in the result of the game, a shocking 31–9 win for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

This year’s game started with a note to the audiences delivered by the NFL. The public-service announcement was regarding the NFL’s financial commitment to a campaign against systemic racism. Despite the NFL’s well meaning attempt at addressing America’s recent reckoning with its racist history, the organization’s failure to make any reference to Colin Kaepernick- the civil rights activist and football quarterback- felt like an oversight to many.

In what can be considered a lowlight of the game, Kansas City, despite entering the game perfectly capable of winning, undid their prospects of winning because of their offensive oversights and significant penalties.

In what was a rather anticlimactic game for the Chiefs, led by Super Bowl MVP Patrick Mahomes, the Chiefs failed to score a touchdown despite their frantic efforts and lost by double-digits, making them also the third Super Bowl team to not score a touchdown. Not just that, but by the end of the four hours, the Chiefs had committed 11 penalties, including a record eight penalties in the first half.

On a brighter note, for the Buccaneers, their victory set their name in history by making them the only other team (with the Baltimore Ravens) to be undefeated in multiple Super Bowls.

Veteran quarterback Tom Brady was awarded his record fifth MVP also making him the oldest player to receive the honor.

“This was the first time I ever watched the Super Bowl because this is my first year in the United States. As an Indian, I’ve only known of the Super Bowl from American TV shows,” said Aditya Shankar (’24). To be here, live the passion people have for the game and watch it firsthand made me feel as though I am part of a cultural moment unique to this country. It was a very interesting game to watch, at least for a Super Bowl rookie like me, but the disappointment in the eyes of my peers was visible. It’s an incredibly unique game with a lot of moving parts and it takes a while to understand, but once I took notes of the basics, I knew I’d be joining the madness yet again next year”, he continued.

Despite the ups and downs of this Super Bowl season and the unprecedented conditions of a global pandemic under which the game was played, Super Bowl will be back in February of next year to capture the hearts and minds of millions of Americans once again and perhaps provide to its audiences a more dynamic game that will soar ratings like the past.

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Abrams among Nobel Peace Prize nominees

JORDYN BRADLEY, ZACHARY CARPENTER
SPORTS EDITOR, STAFF WRITER

Stacey Abrams–who rose to the forefront of American politics during the 2018 Georgia gubernatorial election–was among nominees for the Nobel Peace Prize. The award is given out yearly to the person or organization deemed to have done the most to promote peace and democracy around the world.

Throughout the 2020 General Election, Abrams worked tirelessly through her non-profit, Fair Fight Action, which sought to increase voter turnout around Georgia, specifically with minorities who have long been oppressed within the state.

Through her efforts, Georgia flipped from Republican to Democrat during a presidential election for the first time since 1992 when Bill Clinton beat George H. W. Bush.

Additionally, she helped to lead Democrats John Ossoff and Raphael Warnock to wins in their January 2021 runoff election over incumbents David Perdue and Kelly Loeffler, respectively.

“[Abrams] is being nominated for her work with voter registration…Voter suppression is illegal in this country, and there isn’t much, if any in Georgia in the year 2020,” said Matt Garland (‘23), a resident of Georgia.

“Were there to be legal voter suppression against American citizens and she did something about it, I’d feel a lot better about the nomination being given.”

According to Fair Fight’s website, they seek to, “promote fair elections in Georgia and around the country, encourage voter participation in elections and educate voters about…their voting rights.”

“I find it inspiring that her loss in [2018] drove her to start Fair Fight Action and become the face and facilitator of promoting crucial nonviolent change via the ballot box in 2020,” said Maya Dora-Laskey, professor of English, when asked her thoughts on the nomination.

Abrams was nominated by Lars Haltbrekken, a leading member of the Socialist Party of Norway.

Rounding out the list of others nominated for the award were: The Black Lives Matter movement for their role in fighting for racial justice and spreading racial awareness in the wake of the deaths of George Floyd and Breonna Taylor at the hands of police (among others), Greta Thumberg for her role in spreading awareness about the dangers of climate change, Alexei Navalny for standing up to an oppressive regime in Russia and Jared Kushner for normalizing relationships between the United Arab Emirates and Israel, as well as other Middle Eastern nations.

“The shortlist isn’t usually prepared until March, so this is the unfiltered list and presents us with a contradictory range simultaneously grim and risible,” said Dora-Laskey.

“On this year’s list we have Stacey Abrams and Donald Trump who have been public with their disagreements and do not concur on issues and policies from the confederate flag to taxation or voting rights.”

Previous winners of the award from the United States include Barack Obama in 2009, “for his extraordinary efforts to strengthen international diplomacy and cooperation between peoples.” Additionally, Al Gore won the award in 2007 and Jimmy Carter won in 2002, rounding out the winners from the United States during the 21st Century.

Beyond holding the distinction of being among few who have been named throughout history, the award also comes with a payout of 10 million Swedish Crowns (about 1.4 million dollars), a medal and the title, Nobel Peace Prize Laureate.

“The Nobel Peace Prize announcement is definitely a world-event and confers a lot of attention on the recipient(s),” said Dora-Laskey.

However, with a list of 210 people and 107 organizations nominated for the 2021 Nobel Peace Prize this early, that list has the opportunity to grow even more before the winner is announced in October.

“Given that thousands of people, including university professors, are able to nominate candidates, the nomination itself doesn’t account for much,” said Dora-Laskey.

“When we hear about the nominees it’s usually from the nominees or nominators–not from the Nobel committee, so the evidence to support their claims are somewhat circumstantial.”

Still, the list of nominees that was made public on Feb. 1 is drawing the attention of people around the world.

With 2020’s election results still looming, eyes are on Abrams to see what is to come. According to close allies of Abrams, she is strongly considering another run at Governor of Georgia in 2022, likely setting the stage for another election against current Georgia Governor Brian Kemp, who won by a mere 50,000 votes the last time the two faced off.

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Rochester Police pepper-spray 9-year-old

ALIVIA GILES
STAFF WRITER

Two police officers in Rochester, New York have been placed on administrative leave and another has been suspended for their involvement in the handcuffing and pepper-spraying of a nine-year-old girl.

According to Rochester Deputy Police Chief Andre Anderson, the officers were responding to a report of “family troubles” at 3:20 PM on Jan. 29. The officers were informed that the girl had “indicated that she wanted to kill herself and [her mother].”

Upon police arrival, the girl attempted to run away and was chased down by one officer. Following this, the child’s mother arrived and the two began to argue. At this point, Anderson said the officers decided to take the girl, with the intention of bringing her to a nearby hospital.

Body camera footage released by the police department shows the officers restraining the nine-year-old, attempting to get her into a police vehicle, as she cries and calls for her father. She can be heard screaming as the officers put her in handcuffs.

One officer in the video can be heard saying, “You’re acting like a child,” to which the young girl responded, “I am a child!”

At a later point in the footage another officer can be heard telling the girl, “This is your last chance, otherwise pepper spray’s going in your eyeballs.” Approximately a minute later, another officer said, “Just spray her at this point.”

Rochester Mayor Lovely Warren has directed Anderson to conduct a thorough investigation of the incident, calling the events “simply horrible.” “Unfortunately, state law and union contract prevents me from taking more immediate and serious action,” Warren said.

On Mon. Feb 1, New York Attorney General Letitia James tweeted that her office would also be looking into the incident, calling the situation “deeply disturbing and wholly unacceptable.”

Gov. Andrew Cuomo weighed in as well, stating that within the state of New York and the nation, the relationship between the police system and the community is “clearly not working.”

“Rochester needs to reckon with a real police accountability problem, and this alarming incident demands a full investigation that sends a message that this behavior won’t be tolerated,” Cuomo said.

Elba Pope, the mother of the nine-year-old involved in the incident is now speaking out. In an interview with The Washington Post, Pope announced her plan to sue the city over the events on Jan. 29.

On Tue. Feb. 2, Pope and her attorneys filed a formal notice, stating their intention of suing the city of Rochester for “emotional distress, assault, battery, excessive force, false assert and false imprisonment,” as well as potential violations of “constitutional rights.”

Pope also stated that she had advised the officers involved to call a mental health specialist. According to Pope, her daughter had experienced a similar breakdown just months before and had been denied help that time, as well.

This incident is not the only example of Rochester mishandling situations within communities of color where mental health issues were involved. Daniel Prude died at the hands of Rochester

police in September after being placed under a spit hood while experiencing a mental health episode.

Protests broke out in Rochester on Mon. Feb. 1, with people gathering outside of the police headquarters. Protesters could be heard chanting, “Look what you did, you just maced a little kid.”

Alma student Claire Wittlieff (’24) is frustrated by the lack of attention surrounding the events. “I did not even see any coverage on this incident until I was asked about my thoughts on it,” Wittlieff said. “That in itself speaks volumes.”

Wittlieff feels that suspending the officers involved in the incident is not enough. “I believe that further steps should be taken to ensure that something like this never happens again,” Wittlieff said.

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Power to the People: the GME short squeeze

CLAIRE HIPPS
STAFF WRITER

The price of GameStop (NYSE: GME) grew dramatically over the period of just a few days in late January of this year, as well as a few other securities. At its peak, the stock reached a price of $500 per share, creating a stark contrast between its $17.25 value at the beginning of the year, according to data from Yahoo Finance. This was not due, however, to the release of a highly anticipated game or some other similar innovation from the company itself. This arose because of activity on reddit.

The subreddit r/wallstreetbets includes around 3.8 million members, all who could be classified as casual or “retail” investors. Members of this subreddit looked at the GME and recognized that it was being shorted (expected to depreciate in value) by short sellers.

From this observation came the idea that by buying up the shares available for public purchase, the members of the subreddit can trigger a short squeeze, which ultimately forces the value of the stock up very quickly.

A short squeeze can be triggered when short sellers, investors who borrow stock they don’t have at a high price to sell and later hope to buy the stock back for less than they borrowed it for, are forced to buy back their stocks at higher prices than what they originally sold it for in order to not lose more money.

This is bad news for the short seller, but good news for the stock. The buying back of these positions at high prices forces the stock to even higher prices, which meant high returns for members of the subreddit.

This short squeeze also had negative implications for hedge funds, which offsets risky investments by making counterinvestments that aim to cover the losses potentially incurred by said investments. Losses incurred by American firms exceeded $70B, according to a 2021 article by Reuters.

These large losses, and the way this squeeze came about, sparked the interest of Congress and the international community. “This really the first big case of what is essentially a social media group causing a big move in stock prices,” said Robert Cunningham, adjunct professor in economics here at Alma College.

“The hedge fund industry is very purposefully opaque in how it operates, and really only a relatively small number of people benefit from it. [Retail investors] joined up and made decisions that negatively affected a hedge fund’s profits—[that] is something worth following,” said Cunningham.

Caught in the controversy is Robinhood, a financial services company with an app popular with retail investors. Despite having famously said “let the people trade” in a 2016 tweet, they suspended the trading of GME and up to 13 other securities during the squeeze. Robinhood claimed that it did not have the required collateral to execute the high trade volume, but they also have contracts with hedge funds.

“One of Robinhood’s revenue sources is its ability to sell trading information to hedge funds, so I think Robinhood had to weigh the costs and benefits of executing trades on behalf of retail users, versus the costs and benefits of upsetting its large hedge fund partners,” said Cunningham.

Senator Ted Cruz and House Representative Alexandra Ocasio-Cortez came out in opposition to this move by Robinhood.

“This is unacceptable. We now need to know more about [Robinhood’s] decision to block retail investors from purchasing stock while hedge funds are freely able to trade the stock as they see fit. As a member of the financial services committee, I’d support a hearing if necessary,” said Ocasio-Cortez in a tweet.

There will be a hearing on this matter hosted by the Financial Services Committee in mid-February.

Technology is constantly and consistently changing the world around us. For this reason, “average” citizens can communicate much more freely their ideas and make such things happen.

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