On Monday, Oct. 17, the Senator George J. Mitchell Center hosted a talk on the Biden administration’s agenda regarding climate change and justice as part of its ongoing Sustainability Talks series.

The center, located in Norman Smith Hall on the University of Maine campus, welcomed honorary guest speaker David Cash, who serves as the current regional administrator for Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) New England. Cash has devoted his career to working with state governments, communities and the private sector to create policies around the U.S.His work aims to combat climate change, achieve environmental justice and other related areas that pose some of the most significant issues in today’s society.

In his highly informative discussion, Cash explored how the current presidential administration is approaching the looming threat of climate change through recent legislation.

“The EPA is a steward of about $100 billion dollars that’s going to go to states, tribes, communities and the private sector to get to the greenhouse gas neutral place that we need to be,” Cash said. “It will grow the clean energy economy that will provide leading jobs, and it will do it in a way where we center justice.”

When analyzing who to disburse funds to, it’s important to remember who we need to protect the most. There are many underserved, diverse communities around the U.S. that have been historically overlooked and left to struggle in times of need. Climate change affects everyone, and it is the goal of the administration to prioritize low-income, diverse communities that often benefit from intervention the most, yet their needs are disproportionately satisfied.

In November 2021, President Biden signed an infrastructure bill that would bring $40 million this year to the state of Maine alone. Cash noted that these funds are to replace lead pipes and build drinking and wastewater systems that will be resilient to climate change.

An additional $20 million in funds has been granted to the state through the EPA to be used to clean up old industrial sites in many southern Maine communities to make way for economic development on these lands. The selected sites will be redeveloped as commercial and residential spaces.

“Maine has done a really good job of converting these horrible risks to communities into assets,” Cash said.

Federal funding through the Inflation Reduction Act is also crucial as the United States moves toward a more aggressive approach to combating climate change. New investments will promote offshore wind, electric vehicles, heat pumps in homes and more. Cash reiterated a key goal of this act, which is to focus on environmental climate justice that will especially benefit the nation’s diverse, underserved communities. For example, a five-year program has been implemented to convert old school buses to electric buses so that children can ride to school without diesel emissions.

Other focuses on renewable energy, especially offshore wind, are expected to greatly benefit the northeast by creating a need for manufacturing and job growth. Cash demonstrated that Maine has a lot to look forward to in the near future as it receives increased support from the federal government to do its part in combating climate change while also reaping the economic benefits that can arise from long-term investments.

To view a recording of Dr. Cash’s talk or to receive more information about this fall’s upcoming Sustainability Talks, visit https://umaine.edu/mitchellcenter/.

Vice President Kamala Harris traveled to Minnesota Saturday to hold a roundtable discussion on abortion rights, and later in the day attended a fundraising event with Gov. Tim Walz. This is Harris’ first trip to the state as vice president.

The round-table was held at Metropolitan State University and included introductory remarks from Attorney General Keith Ellison and two officials from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. Lt. Gov. Peggy Flanagan and She Pivots podcast host Emily Tisch Sussman moderated the discussion, asking Harris a slew of questions regarding abortion rights and the fragility of our democracy.

The pre-speakers for the event included Flanagan and Ellison, with the lieutenant governor giving a particularly emotional speech recalling the phone call she made to her mom after the U.S. Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade.

“We knew it was going to come because of the leak,” said Harris, referring to a leaked draft of the decision by POLITICO in May. “But it was unimaginable.”

Harris was asked about the Women’s Health Protection Act, which would codify abortion rights. She frequently mentioned that abortion, in her view, is a constitutional right and should be put into law. However, the legislation has stalled in the Senate.

Two more U.S. senators need to support the act for the president to sign it into law, Harris said.

Since the leak, Harris has gone to 18 states to discuss abortion rights.

The moderators also asked about maternal health, which Harris was particularly passionate about. During her time as Senator, she introduced legislation aimed at reducing disparities in maternal health care, some of which include how Black women are three times more likely to die during childbirth than white women, while Native women are twice as likely.

“One of the issues that we know is very present – it’s been well studied and documented – is racial bias. When she walks into the hospital or the clinic or the doctor’s office, she’s just not taken as seriously,” Harris said. “It has nothing to do with her socioeconomic level or status or her education.”

Fundraiser with Walz

Harris attended a fundraiser for Walz after the roundtable event. Taking the stage after Walz spoke, Harris touted achievements in her and President Joe Biden’s administration and highlighted Walz’s and Flanagan’s work in the state.

“It takes work and commitment to fund public education and to honor our teachers for the extraordinary lives that they have chosen to live that is about raising and helping us raise the next generation,” Harris said. “All of that work is happening in your statehouse because you have phenomenal leaders here. 

Scott Jensen, the Republican candidate running against Walz for governor, and the state GOP were opposed to Harris’ visit. Jensen even brought it up during last week’s debate. Jensen led Walz for the first time in a poll released Thursday.

“Gov. Walz is hosting a fundraiser with Vice President Harris, and in doing so, bringing his full support of the Biden Administration’s failed agenda front and center,” Jensen said. “Out-of-touch priorities like this are just another example of why our movement to heal Minnesota is so strong and growing.”

Horoscopes can be applied to your sun, moon and rising signs. 

Dear stars, 

The Sun entered the transformative sign of Scorpio over the weekend, just in time for us to embrace the spooky week ahead. An exciting energy is in the air, encouraging us to dig deep within our subconscious and power through the changes we need to make. Self-love affirmations are important to practice this week, as the partial solar eclipse Tuesday has the potential to throw your emotions off balance. Remember this is only a phase because sometimes we need a bit of shadow to fully appreciate the light. 

Yours truly,

A Sagittarius moon

ARIES (March 21 – April 19)

You are juggling a lot right now. Your first instinct may be to leap forward and brush everything aside, but this could lead to more stress. The energies of Mercury this week will help you think through any situation and arrive at fair conclusions.

TAURUS (April 20 – May 20)

Relationships are important to you, but you may be going through a period of uncertainty right now. You want to be sure the people in your life are willing to give you 100%. The eclipse asks you to be patient. You will know what serves you when you listen to your intuition. 

GEMINI (May 21 – June 20)

You are a loyal friend, but sometimes this leads to putting others before yourself. Take time to focus on your health this week, and learn something new. Attend that yoga class or finally read the book that’s been sitting on your shelf. You deserve to relax. 

CANCER (June 21 – July 22)

The Scorpio eclipse is bringing about a new beginning, making you feel more bold and artistic than usual. Have fun this Halloween, and let your inner costume designer shine. 

LEO (July 23 – Aug. 22)

You may have felt a need to arrange or change your living space in the last couple of days. The Scorpio eclipse is powering up your fourth house of home and family. Check in on your loved ones and spend time with those who make you feel at home this Halloween. 

VIRGO (Aug. 23 – Sept. 23)

Communication is key this week, Virgo, as you may find yourself in a couple of situations in which you want to speak up but are afraid of how others might perceive you. Scorpio energy will help boost your assertiveness. 

LIBRA (Sept. 23 – Oct. 22)

The universe is on your side when it comes to finances and your career endeavors. You are finally getting into a consistent workflow. There may be difficulties along the way, but the eclipse is here to help you remove what you don’t need. 

SCORPIO (Oct. 23 – Nov. 21)

Happy birthday! The eclipse is in your sign, bringing you an abundance of blessings this week. A window of manifestation is open during which your desires have a strong potential to become reality. 

SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22 – Dec. 21)

The past has been coming back up, but not all of it is negative. Sit with the memories to help you process whatever feelings arise — it will help you heal. 

CAPRICORN (Dec. 22 – Jan. 19)

Collaboration is at the forefront this week, Capricorn. You may find yourself joining a club with others who share your same passion or taking action on a new project. There is no need to calculate anything — all of it is pure fun. 

AQUARIUS (Jan. 20 – Feb. 18)

You may dream up some new ideas this week that will push you to achieve something that has never been done before. If you are looking to change up your style, now is the time to do so — others like your unique taste.  

PISCES (Feb. 19 – March 20)

Work has been heavy, and you need a vacation. If you don’t have the time or funds to travel to a tropical beach right now, take some time to get away by seeing a new movie or listening to your favorite music. You will find yourself more energized.

Reach Abby Flores at entertainment@collegian.com or on Twitter @csucollegian.

I sincerely love “Rick and Morty.”

The show has been dismissed as crass, overly edgy and schlocky, which is all partially true. However, it always captivated me with its synthesis of wacky sci-fi concepts, character depth and an episodic structure still containing story continuities spanning the entire series.

Starting with season four, I followed the season releases closely. Nearly one year after season five finished airing, season six premiered Sept. 4 on Adult Swim. After episode six “JuRicksic Mort” aired on Oct. 9, the series announced it would be taking a hiatus until late November.

This season follows futuristic adventures characteristic of the series, but with a twist: Rick (Justin Roiland) is unable to use his portal gun, meaning there is no interdimensional travel. While season six has already delivered on great animation, original episode premises and an interesting new plotline, other aspects have been hit-or-miss, and some are threatening to make the show unwatchable.

The animation quality of “Rick and Morty” improves with every season. This season especially featured moments of striking visual style in episode four “Night Family,” in which the somnambulant versions of the main cast are drawn as silhouettes with bright, glowing eyes. There are also a number of visually-packed and hilarious action scenes, from Beth (Sarah Chalke), Space Beth (Sarah Chalke) and Summer’s (Spencer Grammer) fight against a space worm in episode one “Solaricks” to episode four’s inventive action, to the absurd, explosive final fight in episode five, “Final DeSmithination.” 

Aside from the excellent visuals, there have been many great episode premises, and though the execution varied in quality, episodes three, four and five stand out as spectacular. Episode three, “Bethic Twinstinct,” portrayed a surprisingly tender romance between Beth Smith and her clone, all while raising genuinely thought-provoking questions about the nature of love and selfhood. In episodes four and five, I adored the involvement of wacky gadgets and technology, seen in the “somnabulator” and fortune cookies that determine fate respectively.

The season premiere handled the ending of season five well, all while gracefully setting up a new overarching story: Rick Prime’s return. A promising development for Rick C-137’s backstory, the new plotline brings suspense and intrigue. While the last few episodes of season five crammed in as many story developments as possible, I hope the writers develop this story slowly, not giving away too much too quickly.

Courtesy of Adult Swim.

Other elements of this season did not strike me as particularly negative or positive additions, the most prominent being the lack of adventures centering both Rick and Morty. While earlier seasons exclusively followed the titular characters and their adventures, their character dynamic has been put on the back burner this season. I feel conflicted on Morty’s (Justin Roiland) role in the show now, as he feels sidelined from the story. Yet, his lack of centrality enabled increased focus on the other members of the Smith family and their interpersonal relationships.

While there was much to love about season six, one flaw sticks out as egregious and unavoidable: the over-abundance of meta humor and pop culture references. 

“Rick and Morty” has always contained self-aware, fourth-wall breaking jokes, but this style of humor has become a crutch in recent seasons. In the first episode of season six, characters were constantly making tongue-in-cheek jokes that amounted to nothing except “the writers are pointing out you’re watching a T.V. show, L.O.L.”

Furthermore, unamusing, unnecessary pop culture references, especially to the Marvel Cinematic Universe, spread throughout this season like a disease. The first episode opened on a parody of “Avengers: Endgame” (2019) followed by a self-aware quip about said parody. While episode one was still enjoyable because of its interesting story developments and good action, there was no redeeming episode two. The convoluted A-plot was made completely unwatchable by the B-plot, a story about Summer stopping alien terrorists that was ultimately devoured by no less than dozens of mentions of “Die Hard” (1988) by name. It feels as though “Rick and Morty” is ashamed to be itself, sustaining a distanced, ironic view of its own content while constantly referencing other media.

These episodes could be interesting and entertaining, but they were rarely funny. While this season had hilarious moments, its overall lack of jokes, quips or even funny one-liners was a glaring flaw made only more noticeable by the barrage of unfunny, trying-too-hard-to-be-relatable references and meta humor. 

Season six proved to be a mixed bag thus far. While this season struggled to find its footing in the beginning, the middle episodes were truly excellent and the final one was decent, yet unremarkable. However, the increasingly apparent flaws in the show’s writing embittered even the otherwise excellent content. The quality of any given episode is seemingly left up to chance, based on whether or not it has an interesting premise that happens to be executed by a good writer. 

I fear the writing of “Rick and Morty” will spiral downward into the schlock many people assume it is. Nonetheless, I maintain hope that the second half of season six and, by extension, the rest of the show will continue to explore its characters, make use of fun sci-fi storylines, deliver on more absurd antics and, most of all, stop trying so hard to justify its own existence.

The post ‘Rick and Morty’ season six begins clumsily, has promising future appeared first on The Emory Wheel.

October has officially arrived — the fragrance of wet leaves wafts through the air, autumn breezes chill the campus and a mysterious brown muck has tainted the water through some of the sink taps on Emory University’s Atlanta campus. On the evening of Oct. 11, reports began to flood in. 

“I turned the hot water all the way up on my Turman sink, and brownish water began to come out,” Turman Hall resident Chris Rivera-Bonilla (26C) said. “I let it run for a while, and the water was still a very cloudy white. I couldn’t see through my clear water bottle.”

On October 12, Emory Residence Life and Housing sent an email to students living in Harris Hall, Complex — which is made up of Hopkins, Smith and Thomas Halls — Few and Evans Halls and sorority lodges, saying the University was informed of an off-campus pipe break. The email stated that “it is possible that you may find discolored water in the taps of your room sink.” Students were advised to “allow the hot and cold water to run until it is clear.”

Harris Hall was among the dorms affected by contaminated water. Courtesy of Emory University

DeKalb County never issued a boil water advisory, so the water was safe to drink, according to Emory Residence Life. The email also noted that “Campus Services has worked diligently to ‘flush’ the building system,” although students continued to report discolored water.

Not everyone in these resident halls were impacted — six Few and Evans residents told the Wheel that they did not see contaminated water. 

Assistant Vice President of University Communications and Marketing Laura Diamond wrote in an email to the Wheel that the water problems occurred when the “DeKalb County [Department of] Watershed [Management] flushed the main system, which led to a temporary, slight discoloration of water at a few locations across the county, including on Emory’s campus.” She added that sediment in the line caused the discoloration. 

Emory Ecological Society Vice President Nick Chang (24C) said Emory’s explanation for the contaminated water was reasonable given his past experiences.

“In my experience, the [DeKalb County Watershed] is not great at communicating, so Emory being caught off guard by the flushing sounds incredibly likely,” Chang said. “From what I understand, sediment accumulation in pipes is common and typically harmless, so I am inclined to believe this explanation.”

Some Emory community members critiqued the way the University handled the situation, alleging a lack of transparency. Jake Weissman (24C) called the lack of information and clarity from a prestigious university like Emory “pretty ironic.” 

“Emory upholds these high moral and ethical values and then does something like this,” Weissman said.

Harris Hall resident Theo Hofmann (26C) agreed with Weissman.

“I was overall kind of annoyed at the fact that there was very little communication from the school about this issue and that we were just informed by our [resident advisors],” Hofmann said. “It was all very unclear.”

However, Diamond clarified the University’s response to the situation, which was rebuked by the Emory community. 

“If students noticed discolored water, they were advised to turn on the faucets and allow the water to run until it was clear,” Diamond wrote. “As soon as DeKalb Watershed alerted Emory to the situation, we informed those in the few impacted buildings on campus.”

Ambiguity initially surrounded the situation. When asked about whether or not they knew the cause of the discolorations, the students’ speculations — which are now confirmed to be incorrect — ranged from iron oxide contamination in sewage to toxic chemicals in the water. 

‘’This speculation led to an understandable mix of fear and dismay,’’ Weissman said.

However, the implications of the water contamination are not all bad, according to Harris Hall resident Stephen Trainer (26C). He reported an increased sense of hall rapport and community.

“It was something we could talk about, something to raise our fists against, something that kind of rallied the troops,” Trainer said. 

In Harris Hall, residents Leia Marshall (26C) and Deanna Sharpe (26C) aided their fellow third-floor inhabitants by leaving water bottles at the doors of their dorms. Hofmann also fondly recalled going on trips with his hallmates to acquire water. 

Complex Sophomore Advisor Terrence Lurry (25C) noted that students who already had clean water offered it to other residents, while others offered showers and water to those residing in the affected halls. The water contamination also allowed for members of the Emory undergraduate community to have something to joke and complain about together, Hopkins Hall resident Ian Bower (26C) said, explaining that different people were able to find common ground.

“This response, however, does not leave Emory in the clear,’’ Hofmann said. 

Water contamination is not a new issue on campus, according to Lurry. Last year as a member of hishall’s Residence Hall Association executive board last year, Lurry said he attempted to resolve the same issue which occurred repeatedly. He added there was no communication to students affected by water discoloration last year.

”I brought the issue up with Emory, and they then contacted maintenance, but after that, it sort of fell flat,” Lurry said. 

The post Contaminated water in dorms sparks frustration, camaraderie among students appeared first on The Emory Wheel.

UH football redshirt freshman tight end Matt Brynes caught his first career touchdown pass in the second quarter of the Cougars’ win over Navy on Saturday. | Courtesy of UH athletics

For the first time all season, UH football has won consecutive games as the Cougars defeated Navy 38-20 on Saturday afternoon in Annapolis, Maryland to improve to 4-3 overall and 2-1 in American Athletic Conference play.

The Clayton Tune and Nathaniel Dell connection was strong to begin the game as the UH senior quarterback connected with the junior receiver for touchdowns on the Cougars’ first two drives of the game.

Dell hauled in a 6-yard touchdown from Tune on UH’s opening drive of the game and followed it up with an 11-yard catch in the endzone on the Cougars’ next possession that was set up by an interception by senior defensive back Jayce Rogers.

Turnovers kept Navy in the game. Two of the three Midshipmen touchdowns came via the Cougars coughing the ball up.

Just as it looked like UH was about to go up 21-0, freshman running back Brandon Campbell was stripped on a 28-yard run and recovered by Navy.

Following the turnover, a 52-yard pass from Navy quarterback Tai Lavatai to receiver Jayden Umbarger got the Midshipmen offense going. On the next play, fullback Daba Fofana took a handoff 25 yards to the house to get Navy on the scoreboard.

Redshirt freshman tight end Matt Byrnes, who entered the game without a catch all season, caught a 31-yard pass early in the second quarter to get UH deep into Navy territory. Byrnes was rewarded six plays later, hauling in a 3-yard touchdown pass, the first of his collegiate career.

On UH’s first offensive play of the second half, Tune connected with Dell, who coughed up the ball, giving Navy the ball at the Cougars’ 32-yard line.

A missed Navy field goal gave UH the ball back. Once again, the Cougars turned the ball over as Tune lost the ball while being sacked by Midshipmen defensive end Jacob Busic. The ball was picked up by Navy’s Jianni Woodson-Brooks who returned it 5 yards for a Midshipmen touchdown.

After a 24-yard field goal by sophomore kicker Kyle Ramsey midway through the third quarter put the Cougars back up double-digits, senior cornerback Art Green picked off Lavatai on Navy’s ensuing possession.

UH capitalized off the Navy turnover as Tune threw a 7-yard touchdown to redshirt freshman receiver Samuel Brown, the first of his collegiate career, to put the Cougars up 31-14.

Brown hauled in his second touchdown of the game, this one from 4 yards out, late in the fourth quarter to put the game away.

A late Navy touchdown and a failed two-point conversion made it 38-20 UH.

Tune finished with 261 yards and five touchdowns through the air.

Redshirt freshman running back Stacy Sneed rushed for a career-high 100 yards on 20 carries.

Senior linebacker Donavan Mutin led the UH defense with a career-high 13 tackles.

sports@thedailycougar.com

—
“UH football sinks Navy, wins consecutive games for first time this season” was originally posted on The Cougar

Utah Opera Company‘s production of Richard Wagner‘s “The Flying Dutchman” fully lives up to the term “operatic.” All of the connotations that arise from opera can be found within the production: sweeping arias, opulent and bombastic orchestrations, grand tragedy and characters with emotions heightened to a point that no one else has ever felt. There is nothing of honest human experience within Wagner’s opera, but if one meets it on its own terms, it will transport you to a world you have never felt before.

Not Your Childhood Flying Dutchman

This is not The Flying Dutchman from “Spongebob Squarepants” or “Pirates of the Caribbean.” In Wagner’s German-language opera, The Flying Dutchman, Michael Chioldi, is a ghost cursed, by the Prince of Darkness himself, to sail the seas until he finds a woman who would be faithful unto death. Chioldi plays the role with brooding, Byronic gravitas, despite being made up to resemble Gríma Wormtongue from “The Lord of the Rings.”

The opera begins with a crew of Norwegian sailors taking shelter from a storm along a bay. Fate is not anyone’s friend as they are happened upon by the ship of The Flying Dutchman and his crew. A ghost is not seen, despite the crew looking like Samara from “The Ring” dipped in ink, but a fellow sailor, the Captain Daland, Kristinn Sigmundsson, befriends The Flying Dutchman. When Daland mentions his young daughter Senta (Wendy Bryn Harmer) during a conversation, The Flying Dutchman asks for her hand in marriage in exchange for the treasures on his ship.

Back in the small Norwegian village, Senta is an outsider. She’s dreamy, self-absorbed and obsessed to distraction with the myth of The Flying Dutchman. She thinks of little else other than her life mission to save the fabled figure of The Flying Dutchman through her love and fidelity. Senta has caught the eye of the Huntsmen Erik, a Gaston-lite figure, but when her father arrives from his travels at sea with a brooding stranger, she is drawn like a moth to a flame. Senta’s obsession leads to both tragedy and a morbid redemption. 

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Sturm Und Drang

“The Flying Dutchman” is a piece of German romantic sturm und drang. It’s emotionally overwrought and expressionistic, sweeping, compelling and touched by an obsessive madness matching those of its characters. The critic Gregory D. Kershner applied a Freudian reading to the opera and found “The Flying Dutchman” to be “a profoundly psychotic opera,” with all of the central characters presented as neurotic, narcissistic and unable to integrate into society. There is no temperance, there is no subtext with “The Flying Dutchman.” From the emotions of the characters, to the performances, to the music, to the production, nothing is held back. It is perhaps even too big of an opera for the Capitol Theater.

Groundbreaking Music Score

Wagner’s fourth opera, “The Flying Dutchman” marks a fulcrum point for the composer, a North Star pointing toward his later work such as “Tristan und Isolde,” “Lohengrin” and “The Ring Cycle.”  Critic Michael Clive writes in “Richard Wagner in Search of Himself,” “[The Flying Dutchman transforms] not just opera as an art form, but the history of art itself.”

With “The Flying Dutchman,” Wagner introduced leitmotifs into his work, a musical phrase that represents a specific character, theme or emotion. While Wagner was not the inventor of leitmotifs, he made the concept his own and inspired nearly every single composer of an opera or film score from then on.

I cannot praise the score for “The Flying Dutchman” highly enough. It’s devastatingly, hauntingly beautiful. French horns are transformed into the gray waves of a stormy sea that pummel over the audience and wrap themselves around you. While on their own, Chioldi and Harmer are unable to form a connection as performers and convey believable chemistry, Wagner’s soaring Act Two love duet makes you believe in the romance, if only for as long as the duet plays. 

As performed by the Utah Opera Company, “The Flying Dutchman” is a tempestuous and vividly emotional music-drama that anyone with any sort of interest in opera should see. 

m.fisher@dailyutahchronicle.com

@abovemegan

A common tradition in Latin America is the celebration of Dia de Los Muertos, a time to remember loved ones who have passed. It is believed that during this time, “La Muerte’’ roams the streets and visits the homes of the souls it has lifted in recent times.

With the World Cup less than a month away from starting, I wanted to take a moment to remember those who, due to injury, lost their chance of playing in a World Cup. 

The most recent and perhaps most notable injury is that of Portuguese forward Diogo Jota, who suffered a calf injury late into stoppage time last weekend. Jota started the match for Liverpool in their weekend matchup against current Premier League Champions, Manchester City. The 25-year-old was taken off the pitch and is believed to miss the World Cup due to a tear in his calf. It is hard to speculate a return from these injuries as the recovery rate is pretty quick, but the re-injury rate is high — complicating a prompt return to the pitch. 

Argentina is also seeing their chances of a World Cup title shrink as Paulo Dybala will miss Qatar and Angel Di Maria is considered questionable. The two attackers who play in the Italian Serie A for Juventus and Roma have experienced serious injuries that threaten their return to the field of play. While Di Maria’s prognosis after a low-grade injury to the hamstring is a return after 20 days, Dybala runs with less luck, as an injury to his left quadricep will leave him off the field for, at most, six weeks. At 28 years old, this is also Dybala’s last chance at a World Cup during his prime. 

Another prominent absence will be that of French midfielder N’Golo Kante as he is facing a hamstring injury, leaving him out for four months. In his time at Chelsea, Kante has scored 12 goals in the Premier League and contributed with 16 assists between Premier League and Champions League activity. His instrumental role in the French national team will be missed in Qatar. 

Mexican fans still worry about who their striker will be ahead of the first match against Poland. El Tri is full of uncertainties after Jesus Manuel “El Tecatito” Corona’s fracture to his ankle and ligament injury during a training session with Sevilla back in August. Gerardo Martino’s team has also struggled to gain their striker’s full potential as Raul Jimenez continues to fight the horrors of the injury list. After his cranial injury with David Luis, the Wolverhampton striker has not been his usual killer self. Now, another injury is keeping him on the brink of missing the World Cup; a groin injury. However, Jimenez continues in rehabilitation with the Mexican National Team medical staff in hopes of returning for Qatar.  

The last few weeks prior to the World Cup tend to be a danger for soccer players, as any minor injury can keep them off of the team plane with only days remaining before departing. Take Mexican defender Nestor Araujo for example, who missed the 2018 World Cup due to an injury which occurred in a friendly against Croatia only a few weeks prior to the start of the tournament, or Mexican midfielder Luis Montes, who in 2014, lost his chance for a World Cup run after an ankle fracture kept him off the roster only two weeks before the start of the Brazil World Cup. 

We can only wait and see what these nations will be able to do despite the important absences they have suffered. It will be our job to remember these fallen players and imagine what it would have been like with them on the pitch. For the players listed above, there is not much more to do than join us in watching from home.

José Romo-González is a junior writing about the FIFA Qatar 2022 World Cup. His column “Next Stop: Qatar” runs every other Friday.

The post Dia de los heridos appeared first on Daily Trojan.

A week after the Colorado State University Rams (2-5, 2-1) football team dropped its Homecoming game to Utah State University 17-13, they stole a 17-13 win of their own against the University of Hawai’i at Mānoa (2-6, 1-2) in the final few minutes of the game.

“I just can’t really say enough about how our defense is playing. Our defense is playing outstanding football.” -Jay Norvell, CSU football head coach

All eyes were on redshirt freshman quarterback Clay Millen’s return to play after being out for multiple weeks due to a shoulder injury. Although the windy conditions and the consistent double coverage of standout receiver Tory Horton slowed the passing game, Millen showed up with his legs, running for 53 yards on nine scrambles.

“(Millen) has a calmness on the field that settles everybody else down,” said head coach Jay Norvell. “He makes good decisions with the ball. … I thought he really made good decisions on running the ball.”

With Horton finding himself double-teamed or in tight coverage for most of the game, Millen had to look for other sure-handed ball catchers. True freshman Justus Ross-Simmons proved to be a nice target for Millen, hauling in all four of his targets for 64 yards. 

Louis Brown, a true freshman wide receiver, was another capable young target for Millen, catching four of his five targets for a total of 24 yards. Down 13-10 on 2nd and 6 on Hawai’i’s 16 yard line, Brown took a reverse pitch 6 yards for a first after looking dead in the water with a defender in his face. 

Brown’s extra effort on the play set up first and goal from the 10-yard line, and running back Avery Morrow punched it in on the very next play, breaking multiple tackles on his way to the end zone. Morrow’s second touchdown of the day put the Rams up 17-13 after Michael Boyle’s extra point.

“Avery Morrow was just again very, very strong,” Norvell said. “Hard runner, had another great run at the end of the game … just would not go down.”

What a day it was for Morrow, who rushed for more than 100 yards for the third game in a row, tallying 147 yards on the day. Early on in the game, he broke out for a 67-yard rush down to Hawai’i’s 2-yard line.

But it was the Rams’ defensive efforts that stopped the Rainbow Warriors in their tracks during the second half to set up more offensive opportunities. After giving up all 13 of Hawai’i’s points in the first half, the Rams only allowed 38 yards for the entire second half.

Both offenses were solid in keeping the ball – save for multiple failed 4th down attempts from CSU – and did not turn the ball over until the last minute of the game. Up 17-13 with less than a minute left, Hawai’i’s Brayden Schager threw a bullet pass over the middle, but was intercepted by CSU’s Ayden Hector, sealing the Rams’ first win at home in more than a year.

“I just can’t really say enough about how our defense is playing,” Norvell said. “Our defense is playing outstanding football.”

CSU improves to 2-1 in conference play, and will look to build a winning streak next week, as they travel to Idaho to take on Boise State University Oct. 29. 

Reach Braidon Nourse at sports@collegian.com or on Twitter @BraidonNourse.

“Entergalactic” blew my expectations out of the water.