The moment before senior Alex McMurtry landed her final pass on floor, Rec Hall was quiet.

Contributing Writer | Roberto Castro

It’s that time of year again as the NFL Draft is upon us which is a time where many players will hear their names called fulfilling a lifelong dream, while others will have to wait until … Read More

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Early Saturday morning, a northern cold front blew in which dropped the temperature in Austin to the 40s. But the significant change in weather didn’t deter Texas’ red-hot junior starting pitcher Chase Shugart as he proceeded to shut down the Baylor offense in the afternoon at UFCU Disch-Falk Field.

In game two of the weekend series between Baylor and Texas, the pitchers were out while the sun was not. Through nine innings, the teams combined for 11 hits. The final score was 2-0 in favor of the Longhorns. Texas head coach David Pierce said that with the weather conditions Saturday, a low-scoring game was not a surprise.

“It’s kind of what you go into expecting,” Pierce said. “Understanding that you’re going to have to play great defense and potentially be good in the short game. It’s really tough hitting conditions. You can barrel some balls and potentially have nothing to show for it.”

Shugart stepped up to the rubber and really showed just how dominant of a pitcher he can be. With a 3–2 record and an ERA just under 5, his season has seen its fair share of ups and downs. Since transitioning from reliever to starter in the offseason, Shugart has shown flashes of his potential.

But on Saturday, Shugart looked to finally put it all together. He said afterward that it had to do with him “calling his own game.”

“Putting ownership of me being on the wins and losses side of it, I didn’t have that mentality the past couple of outings,” Shugart said. “Feel like it really worked out today, even with the conditions.”

Offensively, the Longhorns lacked the firepower they had Friday night. One player, though, showed that no matter the conditions, he could not be contained.

Junior outfielder Kody Clemens had yet another stellar performance. The midseason All-American went 2-4 with a double and a solo home run. His home run, which was in the bottom of the first inning, was the only earned run of the day for both teams.

Clemens just continues to rake. His average has climbed and currently sits at an impressive .358. Toss in nine home runs and 30 RBIs and you have yourself a bona fide superstar. In fact, Clemens leads every day players in hits, home runs, doubles, RBIs, slugging percentage and walks.

“I’m just so glad Kody gets us a lead early,” Pierce said. “(After that) we were just able to play great defense and pitch.”

Jake’s Tumble

Late in the game, senior first baseman Jake McKenzie made a fantastic grab with a man on first. Trying to secure the double play, however, was not so pretty.

After hitting the front of his foot on the bag, he somersaulted and appeared to miss the bag completely. The runner was called out, though, and McKenzie appeared to laugh off the misstep and took a pretty good grilling from his teammates.

“I was laughing,” Clemens said. “It was funny, I mean Jake’s super good defensively. So something, a little stutter step like that comes out of him. You just got to laugh it off.”

Texas will look for the sweep against Baylor in game three Sunday at Disch-Falk Field. First pitch is scheduled for 1:30 p.m.

It is not unusual for track and field athletes to study sports-related topics like kinesiology. University of Utah track and field head coach Kyle Kepler believes many of his athletes do so because they want to remain involved in athletics once their time on the track at Utah is done. Caitlin Faust, a junior on the track team, decided to branch out.

Faust is currently studying biology with a minor in biomedical engineering because she has always enjoyed science and math, and she hopes to pursue a career in medicine once she graduates. While it might not be the easiest way to get her doctorate, Kepler knows she can get it done if she sets her mind to it.

“There is more than one way to skin a cat in terms of getting into the medical profession,” Kepler said. “I think [her major] gives her a chance to balance things out the way she thinks things then need to be for herself.”

On top of being a student-athlete and studying in a difficult field, Faust is working on campus. Faust dissects human eyeballs at the Moran Eye Center. Because of Faust’s job, Kepler has received quite unusual texts.

“During the fall I got this text one night that said, ‘Hey I’m on call, I might have to go in and do that, so I might miss the long run because I have to work this out,’ but literally the text was ‘eyeballs,’” Kepler said. “I knew that meant she has to go in.”

Kepler believes it is part of his job as a coach to provide his athletes with the best overall experience as student-athletes. So if an athlete has an academic conflict like Faust’s, the staff works around the athlete’s schedule.

In addition to working at the Moran Eye Center, Faust is also a part of Kepler’s leadership council. According to Kepler, she is able to “reach across the aisle” and connect with all of her teammates no matter the event they participate in.

“She’s not afraid to voice her opinion and give her input but she does it in a respectful manner,” Kepler said. “I do think she tries to consider all sides in matters, not just her side or that of those who she trains with, but she tries to take in a lot of different angles and so forth. She seems to try and make a decision and have a reasoning behind it and go forward and learn from it.”

Faust is a member of both the track team and the cross country team. During the track season, she runs in the shorter distance events rather than the long events she does in the fall. She finds that running with different people is a good way to connect with her teammates.

“It’s easier for me to connect with a lot of people,” Faust said. “I thrive off of talking to people a lot, so I really like to connect with people — it’s what I like to do.”

When it came time to choose where she would be going to school, quite a few factors went into the Georgia native’s decision.

“A lot of the southern schools were quite similar,” Faust said. “Coming here and seeing the mountains … I just felt that Utah was a very well rounded school, it has the hospitals and Research Park and crazy advancements in science-related majors, which is what I wanted. … Also Pac-12 crazy nice facilities and great coaches, good team, so I guess it was the best of everything.”

s.mora@dailyutahchronicle.com

@s_mora99

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Editor’s note: This is a satire piece from the Collegian’s opinion section. Real names may be used in fictitious/semi-fictitious ways. Those who do not read editor’s notes are subject to being offended. Fort Collins – Victory celebrations for Tristan Syron and Kevin Sullivan’s election as president and vice president of ASCSU quickly turned from excitement […]

Originally posted on The Rocky Mountain Collegian at Seriously: Syron-Sullivan campaign member hospitalized

Genetically modified organisms (GMOs) are organisms that have their genomes altered in favor of specific traits. For example, using the technology, you could create a corn crop with larger cobs, larger kernels and, potentially, a larger yield. GMOs can make specific foods healthier by giving greater concentrations of nutrients or introducing genomes to antioxidants. The use of GMOs in this way could potentially solve many food shortage problems and create solutions worldwide.

However, there are some considerations and potential threats in using GMOs. In a debate in biology class, one of my peers brought up the Irish Potato Famine. Say you create a crop of tomatoes with identical traits and, essentially, the same genome.  If a bacteria or disease evolves to destroy one of the tomatoes, the entire crop will be destroyed because there is no difference in genome to promote that natural selection that has carefully crafted organisms since the beginning of time.

The stigma is another thing. Just because we do not think GMOs are dangerous now does not mean they will not potentially arise as a health danger later down the line. But this notion perpetuates a fear of science. Current research shows no health threat with the use of GMOs. The simple idea that, “one day, GMOs might make everyone sick,” is a simple fear mongering tactic.

With this and the organic foods trend, many people are concerned with GMOs. I think this is because the title “GMO” sounds, well, scary. It is now almost a point of pride when a company can write “non-GMO” on the side of their product. People seem to fear this idea that science is “interfering” with their food. However, science and  selection have “interfered” with food yields for centuries. What distinguishes genetic trait selection in GMOs from mating the bigger, stronger cattle to produce bigger, stronger offspring to give a larger food yield? This practice to generate farm animals is used today, but this form of selection is not shunned. Many people, and maybe those same fear mongering people discussed earlier, may argue that the laboratory genetic modification may pose a threat to human genomes. This is, quite frankly, ridiculous and has no basis. If you are not concerned with the DNA of a strawberry altering your DNA, you should not be concerned about the DNA of a genetically-modified corn crop altering your genome, either. After all, GMOs are not just used in the food industry. Modern-day insulin is a GMO. It continues to save, millions of lives every year. The widespread acceptance and use of consumable GMOs can very well do the same.

Students are using platform shoes as a retro fashion comeback.

The NBA playoffs are fast approaching, with anticipation growing accordingly. Sports fans cannot wait to find out if Stephen Curry can return healthy, if the Rockets can take down the Warriors and if LeBron James can make yet another NBA Finals appearance. But lost in all the playoff excitement is the closest race in the NBA, one that could have enormous ramifications for the future of the league: the race for last place.

The NBA’s lottery reform measures will begin next season, so for one last time, teams can secure the best possible lottery odds by obtaining bottom positions in the league standings. There are five prospects: DeAndre Ayton, Luka Dončić, Mohamed Bamba, Marvin Bagley III and Michael Porter Jr., who are all considered superstar potential, a talent pool that has led many organizations to take drastic steps for worsening their teams.

There are currently nine franchises vying for position, including a fascinating mixture of historic basement-dwellers and powerhouses: the Phoenix Suns, Memphis Grizzlies, Atlanta Hawks, Orlando Magic, Dallas Mavericks, Sacramento Kings, Brooklyn Nets, New York Knicks and Chicago Bulls. To be fair, the Nets are not tanking, since they do not control their first-round pick this year (still due to the Paul Pierce and Kevin Garnett trade, incredibly). But the roster simply cannot win many games even when giving full effort.

The Suns, Grizzlies and Hawks have emerged as the worst of the worst, leaving the other teams to finish behind them in the lottery. Phoenix has a putrid 20-59 record, outpacing the 21-57 Grizzlies and 22-57 Hawks. The Suns have to be the favorites to come in last. Devin Booker, the team’s best player by a long shot, is sidelined with a hand injury, leaving rookie Josh Jackson to lead the rest of the bunch. Forward T.J. Warren can score, center Tyson Chandler can rebound and Jackson can do a little bit of everything on offense and defense. Besides them, however, the Suns have few average-level NBA players. Elfrid Payton, their point guard, cannot shoot in part because his long, pointed hair gets in the way of his arm and the ball (yes, this is real). Dragan Bender and Marquese Chriss are already busts. The Suns surprisingly won their last outing against the Kings, breaking a 15-game losing streak, but it is safe to say that they will not enjoy much success from here on out.

The Hawks, in my opinion, could slide past the Grizzlies into second-worst place. Memphis has winnable games left against Sacramento and Detroit, but the Hawks face playoff teams for the rest of the season — in other words, sure losses. Atlanta’s top player, Dennis Schröder, is out with an ankle sprain for the rest of the season, forcing Taurean Prince, Kent Bazemore and rookie John Collins to step up. Unfortunately for the Hawks, Prince has shown that he can be explosive in scoring, with a pair of 38-point games last month. Atlanta may consider benching him if he plays too well on the court.

As mentioned above, Memphis has an easier schedule to end the season, which could spell trouble for their losing hopes. The Grizzlies boast the best player out of the NBA’s bottom three teams in center Marc Gasol. The 33-year-old can win a regular season game on his own, so Memphis has been reducing his playing time to stop that from happening. Gasol has not played more than 23 minutes in any of his last three games. Tyreke Evans is not playing either, as Memphis is perhaps the team most overtly tanking. But they cannot change their schedule, which could be their downfall.

While the bottom three teams have separated themselves, there is still plenty of competition for the other top lottery spots. The Dallas Mavericks pulled off an impressive loss against the Orlando Magic on Wednesday night that helped their place tremendously. With Harrison Barnes (rest), Dennis Smith Jr. (knee) and Dirk Nowitzki (ankle) all off the court, the Mavs showed their commitment to the tank and have set themselves up for the fourth pick. Orlando must shake off their win and find a better way to limit the impact of Aaron Gordon. They should still finish in the top five, however. The Sacramento Kings have two clutch performers in De’Aaron Fox and Bogdan Bogdanović. But they’ve proven to be clutch a season too early and could cost the Kings’ position against the Nets. Brooklyn boasts some talent but falls apart at the end of close games. Chicago and New York, meanwhile, stand firmly above the rest of the tankers.

The next week could decide the future of the league, though no one will be winning a championship, a playoff series or even two games. But with nine teams all trying their hardest to lose, at the very least, it will be an interesting travesty to watch unfold.

George Klein ’20 can be reached at george_klein@brown.edu. Please send responses to this opinion to letters@browndailyherald.com and other op-eds to opinions@browndailyherald.com.

A string of five anti-Muslim incidents directed towards residents and staff at University Village occurred over the past two weeks, according to an email sent to University Village and Aggie Village residents by Apartment Life staff. Two emails regarding these incidents were sent out to UV residents from Director of Apartment Life Christie Matthews, University […]

Originally posted on The Rocky Mountain Collegian at CSU’s University Village apartments staff addresses anti-Muslim incidents

Around 50 students gathered at Tommy Trojan Thursday evening to address their concerns about police brutality and racism following the officer-involved shooting death of Stephon “Zoe” Clark in Sacramento.

Students attended a rally in support of Stephon Clark, an African American man who was shot in the back eight times by police who believed he was carrying a weapon. He was holding a phone. Mahira Raihan | Daily Trojan

The event was hosted by ANSWER Coalition, a national organization dedicated to fighting racism, and supported by various campus organizations, including  the Black Student Assembly and the Young Democratic Socialists of America at USC.

“[Clark] was shot at 20 times and eight of them hit him, six of which hit his back,” said Kameron Hurt, an organizer with the ANSWER Coalition. “It was a very grotesque and brutal murder that is inspiring people across the country and we’re just one drop in the rain storm that’s happening against this injustice that seems to never end.”

On March 18, officers believed that Clark had used a “toolbar” to break a window into a resident’s house. Once officers were dispatched, they pursued Clark and shot him in his grandmother’s backyard, saying they believed he was carrying a firearm. Clark was carrying a cellphone.

Many who disagreed with the officers’ use of force took to social media to express their frustration. In 2018 so far, 289 people have been shot and killed by police, according to the Washington Post.

Jacob Pettis, a freshman majoring in African American studies, kicked off the rally by passing out signs with “#justiceforzoe” written on them, and leading chants with phrases such as “No justice, no peace! No racist police” and “When Trump says get back, we say fight back.”

“I encourage others to stand up and speak out as well because I feel like a lot of times with these rallies, people are too afraid to speak out,” Pettis said. “They’ll come to support in numbers but they won’t really have the courage to speak up and give a speech.”

Former Undergraduate Student Government Senator Preston Fregia and Julia Wallace, a local activist who formerly served on the South Central Neighborhood Council, also spoke at the rally.

“Stephon Clark is one of the many people that have become [just] names to us,” Wallace said in her speech. “They were taken down by the police … They’re taking us out and counting on us to be afraid of them and intimidated by them. The fact that we’re here shows how we’re unafraid and willing to go against them.”

Many of the speakers discussed inequality present on campus, from racial profiling by DPS and LAPD to how tuition increases hinder low-income students’ access to higher education.

“This is just the beginning,” Fregia said. “It will get much worse. The fighting against racism is almost apparent in humanity to dominate one another. I think right now, what we can do in this moment, is to challenge ourselves to have that moral awakening that we will all fundamentally change the human experience.”

Toward the end of the rally, Hurt invited audience members to share their experiences with police harassment or racial profiling, and explain why they attended the rally.

“If you think about the Black Panthers and if you think about Harriet Tubman, many of those people didn’t have many titles behind their name,” Wallace said in her speech. “Yet, they made a change and decided that they were no longer going to tolerate it. We can decide right now, tonight that we’re going to say no more. We’re going to end it and end it for good.”

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