What happened this week?
Covid and sports
As many people know of, this year has been one to remember involving a worldwide pandemic that dealt heavy damage. Covid 19 has messed the whole world up and who knows when it will be back to normal. Not only has the society ad everyday life been effected but also sports teams and sports itself has been heavily effected too. Such as Basketball and Baseball in the early spring and summer. Fans of both sports have not been able to see their favorite players or events in person anymore. Also, players of all sports have had to quarantine and make sure they don’t fall victim to the easily caught disease. Football in my opinion has taken the biggest toile and had to deal with covid the worst. Football stadiums are normally filled and extremely loud and exciting, now sense covid they have been quiet and dole due to the wide spread of the virus. Players have also dealt with covid because as a player if you have it you can miss up to 2 weeks to a month of your sport sitting in a house alone hoping the virus does not affect others. Hopefully in the near future, sports and sports fans and seating’s can go back to normal along with the world.
Info corner: Nasa Model reveals how much covid-related pollution levels deviated from the norm
On Nov 17th 2020, NASA has discovered observations pertaining to the earth’s atmosphere during the global pandemic. The results of pandemic has caused a reduction in air pollutants such as Carbon Monoxide, Lead etc. (which is used in the industrial world). Since the global shut down, scientists are testing the theory of a possible change in human activity which is causing a dramatic difference in the atmosphere. Less fossil fuels being used, nitrogen dioxide dropped by 20%.
Because China reported first to their outbreak in Coronavirus, the air pollutants were decreased by 60%. Co- author Emma Knowland states that there were already lowered nitrogen levels before the shutdowns were called. It showed that Covid-19 was just an extra cause to the lowering of nitrogen monoxide.
Lead author Christopher Keller states, “We all knew the lockdowns were going to have an impact on air quality”. Which simply means with less people out-and-about, it caused a shortage in combustion and other air molecules to flood the atmosphere.
For us as Dreher students and people that live on earth, this story is important because it involves our planet’s atmosphere that desperately need to care of as time goes on. We are the future meaning we are the future caregivers for Earth. It’s also a reminder on what we can do to prevent anymore further damage.
NBA Offseason
After the 2019-2020 NBA season, which was postponed by Covid-19 and later extended all the way into August in a player/staff only bubble, this offseason has been the shortest in history. The first NBA games of this season will be played on December 22, but this decision has come with some controversy. Lebron James advocated for a later start date, and it is now rumored—via his teammate, Danny Green—that Lebron will skip the beginning of the season; at 35 years old, getting enough quality rest is essential for him to be successful through his remaining career. Covid-19 has also affected the season in other aspects, for example as recently as December 6th, James Harden has been prohibited from attending team practice due to Covid protocol, per NBA.com. Karl Anthony Towns of the Minnesota Timberwolves has even reportedly lost seven family members to the virus.
The short offseason also has forced teams to make trades in rapid succession to prepare themselves for the looming start date. The most blockbuster of these trades being Russell Westbrook to the Washington Wizards for John Wall and a future first round pick. Other important trades this offseason include Gordon Heyward to the Charlotte Hornets, Steven Adams to the Pelicans, Kelly Oubre to the Warriors, and Chris Paul to the Suns. The abbreviated offseason also has forced rookies that have just been drafted, without any experience, to begin their career with a very short turnaround.
More recently, Lebron James has signed a 2 year $85 million deal, which makes him a free agent the year his son is draft eligible; this makes many speculate Lebron is hoping to sign to the same team as his son. Anthony Davis also resigned to the Lakers for five years and $190 million. The Lakers are hoping to capture another title this year, and top the ESPN preseason power rankings. The LA Clippers and Milwaukee Bucks are the only teams with even slightly favorable odds to win the 2021 title.
The coming NBA season is sure to be an entertaining one, with many stars returning to play after year ending injuries last year-such as Steph Curry and Kevin Durant, many blockbuster trades, and the NBA champions looking undefeatable. But there’s also sure to be unforeseeable plot twists and complications that come along with playing a sports season during a worldwide pandemic, hopefully the NBA will have the same success as other sports leagues have had in playing during Covid.
High school students make up the majority of covid-19 cases in south carolina, according to dhec data
DHEC data shows that out of the 4,200 COVID cases to come out of SC schools, public or otherwise, a staggering 64% have come out of high schools. In contrast, elementary and middle school students make up about 11% each, middle school staff make up about 2%, and high school and elementary school staff make up about 6% and 5% respectively. This new data coincides with a recent CDC study that showed that adolescents ages 12-17 are twice as likely to contract the COVID-19 virus as children ages 5-11. Despite High schools having the most amounts of COVID-19 cases, SC department of education data shows that high schoolers are actually a minority of K-12 students, making up only about 29%. Prisma Health pediatric infectious disease specialist Anna Burch provides some theories as to why high schools are so dangerous, saying “High schoolers have the body of adult for the most part. So, they can easily spread the virus if they have it”. She added “And they are high schoolers so they are probably not as good about making sure they are wearing their masks, washing their hands, [and] doing all those mitigation factors we know absolutely make a difference”.
Last Tuesday In LR5 three high schools closed because of a teacher/Staff shortage. The schools that had closed were Irmo High, Dutch Fork, and Chapin. It was the option that was choose at the meeting the Monday before. The superintendent of that district wants to go back to hybrid as covid-19 cases have risen among students and staff.
covid christmas
None of us wants to open up a gift from our beloved family members and the present inside turns out to be Covid-19. How to we avoid it? And how do we change our routines and traditions? In short, you must think of the health of others, and the health of your family members. A quote from a CNN article says “As coronavirus surges across the United States in the aftermath of the Thanksgiving holiday weekend, experts predict there will be an exponential growth in infections and deaths as the country heads into the December holidays.” If you went out for Thanksgiving, it is not recommended you go out for the December Holidays. Infecting your loved ones is certainly the last thing anyone wants to do and in these trying times, we must accept the changes that come with it. Do not go out and visit extended family, but if you choose to do so don’t visit for too long, quarantine after visiting, and be vigilant. It is especially recommended to not show up for the holidays when it involves very young children and seniors. Quarantining for about two weeks before and after visiting family is the smartest idea, it leaves time for any symptoms to show and to decrease the chances of catching in on small trips. Another option would be to get Covid-19 tested beforehand, given you have a smaller family where larger families might not get around to testing everyone. To wrap this up in a neat bow, don’t go out for the holidays, and if you do, be safe about it. Not only for the health of your family but for the health of others.
The continuing legacy of xxxtentacion
Jahseh Dwayne Ricardo Onfroy was born on January 23, 1998, in Plantation, Florida, to Jamaican parents, Dwayne Ricardo Onfroy and Cleopatra Eretha Dreena Bernard. Growing up, Jah was always getting into trouble which would eventually lead him to go to a Juvenile detention center where he would meet his best friend, Stokeley Clevon Goulbourne (known professionally as Ski Mask the Slump God). During their time incarcerated, those two would talk to each other and start making music with each other while in there. They both said that they learned a lot from one another while there. They made an agreement to meet up after they got out of Juvie. Onfroy's career as a music artist began in June 2013 after the release of his song "News/Flock". XXXTentacion's music explored a wide variety of genres, including emo, trap, lo-fi, indie rock, punk rock, nu metal and hip hop. His influences included Kurt Cobain, whom he cited as his biggest inspiration, The Weeknd, Tupac Shakur, Cage the Elephant, The Fray, Papa Roach, Three Days Grace, Hoobastank, Chingy, Gorillaz, Coldplay, Tech N9ne, and Eminem. He would go on to make music on soundcloud and create a fan base. He was a very underground artist at the time. He released a song called “Look at Me” that would rack up on the billboard in 2016 while he was jail at the time. He actually released this song way before he was sent to jail but he kept promoting it and truly believed it would put him on the map which it did. X faced 19 felonies throughout his life, and he was only 20 years old. Over time, he started to awaken and started being more positive over, and he used Instagram live to give motivational speeches and just spread positivity despite all the mental problems he had or the trauma in his life. He donated to charities, gave supplies to foster care centers, and even started a challenge for his fans called the “Helping Hand Challenge” to encourage his fans to spread positivity throughout the world to make it a truly better place for the upcoming youth and so on. He was improving so much. He later released a song called “SAD” which would put be another hit. He also was awarded for the best R&B soul album called “17” after he passed away. And on 6/18/18 Jahseh was gun downed in front of a motor cycle shop by four killers. His death was one of the most heartbreaking deaths in the music industry, and it took a toll on all his fans.
Hello Blue Devils! Dreher High School is having its first Pep Rally of the 2020 school year! It is going to be at Dreher in the Gymnasium on Friday, December 10. Seniors ONLY!!! Underclassmen will be allowed to watch it during their 4th block classes. Have a great day Devils!
covid-19 spike
Covid-19 cases in South Carolina seem to be increasing every day. In South Carolina, there are 235,000 reported cases of covid-19, with over 4,000 deaths. From October 11 to now, covid-19 cases have increased rapidly, reaching up to 3,600 cases reported in a single day. In Richland County alone, there are 21,000 reported cases. Why are these cases spiking? Some believe that people are getting too used to the coronavirus and aren’t taking the proper precautions for social distancing anymore. It’s also flu season now, so perhaps the virus spreads easier in the cold. Another more plausible reason for cases spiking would be the opening of schools. It’s very hard to keep social distancing rules strict at schools. Testing statistics reveal that 20% of people who get tested for coronavirus are positive. What can we do to help reduce the spread of the virus? Another lockdown could be very beneficial, as well as demanding more people at universities to stay safe and wear a mask. Shutting down bars and shows that don’t have mask guidelines would be very effective, since that’s how covid-19 has been spreading the most. If we all start to become more conscious about the virus, cases will decline.
Clemson tigers
Have you been wondering what the Clemson Tigers football season has been like and them being No.3 in the rankings recently? But haven’t looked into it because it slipped your mind. Well the information is here and you want to hear it.
The Clemson tigers just had a game against Pittsburgh and won 52-17 remaining 8-1 on the year
Dabo Swinney Clemson’s coach had some words about the current Clemson tiger’s team on how well they have been playing after the win against Pittsburgh.
Coach Swinney: These seniors they have been playing here a long time it’s hard to do something that has never been done and this is the first senior group to leave here undefeated at home.
Clemson’s football team traveled to Virginia Tech and beat Virginia Tech 45-10 on Saturday making them (9-1) for the year helping them clinch a rematch against No.2 Notre Dame in ACC Championship game
In Addition to the big win helping them land a spot in the championship game Dabo Swinney Clemson coach had some postgame words on how the team is doing and what they need to do moving forward playing against Norte Dame
Dabo Swinney: Comes Down to matchups and things that make a difference in that is usually 3 or 4 plays We’ll be excited to play them again (Notre Dame) and hopefully we can find a way to win.
The increase in numbers of young skateboarders in columbia
Through time, skateboarding has risen and fallen in popularity. Skateboarding got its start around the early 1950’s; it became popular with surfers and mainly kids. Over the past year, skateboarding has increased as skate parks are becoming more occupied and companies are rising in profit. In Columbia, more people are skating, particularly the youth. With new diy skate parks being built and the corona virus going on, people have more time on their hands to get out and try new things.
In an interview with a local skater Irving Juarez who grew up skating SC he said “three or for years ago I remember I would go to Owens and it was me and my friends or dads and like 8 year olds, where you guys are like a solid crew of 15-16 year olds and there weren’t any of those." He mentions the newer park “low block” a DIY skate park “I feel like low block kind of helped with growing the community because for a while Owens field was like you got really good at skating bowls or you hit a dead end. But now low block has other stuff to try.” When asked if he thought the virus had helped grow the number of skaters “for sure here at the shop (Bluetile) we have sold more decks hard goods (trucks, wheels, skateboards and completes ) this time around than last year for sure and I think its because you know people cant go see a movie and other things indoors. And so you have these people working at home and they are just itching to get outside and the one thing you’re technically allowed to do is go outside so ya I think skateboarding is a lot more popular now”.
Georgia senate race
The control of the U. S senate hangs in the balance, questioning whether the Democrats or the Republicans would have the majority rule. Shockingly, that responsibility was giving the state of Georgia. The Peach state will elect two senators to the U. S. senate in a special election that will decide which party holds the majority.
NFL Changing Protocol amidst plethora of outbreaks
This year, the NFL made it clear that their main priority for the football season was to be as safe as possible when it came to COVID-19, and that was proven in Week 12 of the football season. On two teams, there were major outbreaks that took many players out of the game. The Ravens were forced to reschedule their Thanksgiving day game with the Steelers, and the Broncos were forced to play the game with a WR at QB, as their entire QB depth chart had been exposed. The Broncos being forced to play but the Ravens getting to reschedule was a controversial issue and was called favoritism toward the Ravens, but that is a different story. The Ravens had to reschedule again, from Sunday night to Monday, and once again from Monday to Wednesday. This prompted the NFL to take action, and they closed facilities at the beginning of the week for all teams that were not playing before the next weekend. They hoped that doing this would lessen the spread temporarily while deciding what to do next, which was successful. In the time they had to plan, they decided to give extra funding to teams so that they could put more effort into social distancing, especially while traveling. They also lifted the 64-player travel limit so that teams could take extra practice squad members, just in case there were to be an outbreak, so that teams would be able to fill the 48 man game day roster requirement. The NFL decided to re-open team facilities on Wednesday, in hopes of playing all of the games scheduled that weekend. This hope was well placed, as all teams were able to play their games. The NFL has not ruled out potential cancellations, but they hope to be able to play out the rest of the season, while having minimal outbreaks and other related COVID-19 issues.
Impact of juice wrld - opinion
In my opinion, Juice Wrld was the most influential person ever.
He helped so many people that are battling with depression, anxiety, drug abuse, and many other things especially mental illnesses. He always promoted positivity and 999 which means turn every situation you think is bad and make it into a good one, and this is some of the best advice you can give someone (which is supposed to be the opposite of the devil or 666). Whenever something bad happens to you all you have to do is think how I can turn this into a positive situation and there will be countless things you can do. Even if it was just a life lesson, you have to learn and do better in the future.
He knew what the lowest of the low felt like, and so many people battling with the hardest times in their life or just hard times instantly connected. Even if you are in the best times of your life, you can still relate and be encouraged by his music. He changed the music industry in such a big way. He’s inspired so many people in this world to follow their dreams, and I guarantee the music industry is going to change in a crazy way with all these upcoming teenagers and dreamers that believe they will change the world including me. The way he could freestyle was just astonishing, and I know he’s really influenced people to start making music like that. He was behind the scenes igniting the fire and will live forever.
Somoya lamkin
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School plans responding to covid
Due to the outbreak of the Corona Virus many schools have had to change their schedules and make accommodations. According to an article about the return dates of the midlands schools, Richland Ones schools wanted to move as fast as possible to bring face to face learning to the students. In the other Richland Districts such a 2 and 3 they have some of the same ideas Richland one had. Blythewood and RNE two schools in Richland districts 2 and 3 are both at hybrid right now and have moved at the same pace as many other schools. A students from a school in Richland One has told me that they believe that the school has moved to fast into trying to get students back in the classroom and that teachers are stressed and students are overwhelmed. In the Lexington districts most of the schools are hybrid but in Lexington 2, airport high school is back to 5 days a week. They were doing hybrid for a while and then chose to go all the way back. Many teachers have not been showing up to school due to feeling uncomfortable being in the classroom 5 days a week. Most of the schools in these districts have given fully virtual options to students which is great because if some students don’t feel comfortable going back in to the building at all they don’t have to. The changes that have been made to our schools due to COVID may have an impact forever and could change the way school looks in the future.