Rivalry week is upon us. As the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum is host to the 91st edition of USC vs. UCLA, here are some key UCLA players that will be a thorn at USC’s side Saturday.

Senior quarterback Dorian Thompson-Robinson:

The senior quarterback came into UCLA’s previous matchup against Colorado nursing a thumb injury, but it didn’t look like it rattled Thompson-Robinson. He put up 257 passing yards and 98 rushing yards with a rushing touchdown. 

Similar to freshman quarterback Jaxson Dart, Thompson-Robinson can flat out get it done all over the field, and it starts with his mobility. UCLA Head Coach Chip Kelly loves to draw up designed option plays for Thompson-Robinson to give the Las Vegas local a chance to make plays with his legs. USC junior linebacker Drake Jackson could put his stamp on this game by spying Thompson-Robinson from the line of scrimmage and limiting his breakout plays. 

Thompson-Robinson has played as starter for the Bruins since 2018. His numbers this year haven’t lived up to his stunning sophomore season, but he’s gotten better — and smarter — as his collegiate career has progressed. 

He has become more comfortable under center, navigating oncoming defenders, either firing from the pocket or breaking contain to extend plays for his offense. He possesses excellent arm strength and balance and can get the ball down the field when his offense is in need of jolt. 

Despite his confidence in his arm, Thompson-Robinson does fall into the habit of keying in on receivers, allowing for defenders to read the quarterback’s eyes and make a play. Look for the Trojans’ secondary and linebackers to come away with some turnovers if they want to send the Bruins home winless. 

Thompson-Robinson has shined in his two starts against USC. He’s thrown for a combined 731 yards and 7 touchdowns with 3 interceptions. 

Junior running back Zach Charbonnet:

Charbonnet is dangerous as a running back because he can hurt opposing defenses in a multitude of ways. Against Colorado last week, Charbonnet had just 67 yards on 17 carries, but racked up 3 touchdowns. He seemed more in the mindset of a powerback with his longest carry on the night being 9 yards. 

However, through 10 games this season, four have featured a Charbonnet run of 30 or more yards. Add that to his 11 touchdowns on the year, and Kelly has himself an NFL-ready prospect in his backfield. 

Charbonnet proved this season that he can handle a heavy workload and be the lead back for the Bruins. He has had 20 or more carries in four games this season, and it would be no surprise to see Kelly try to take advantage of a Trojans squad that ranks sixth in rushing defense in the Pac-12, giving up 163.2 yards per game. 

Redshirt senior defensive back Qwuantrezz Knight:

The Kent State transfer is listed as a defensive back, but Knight is much more than that. He leads the Bruins with 55 tackles and 7.5 tackles for loss — he’s all over the field. Knight even has 2.5 sacks to his name this season despite playing in the secondary.

Knight likely would have drawn the matchup with junior wide receiver Drake London for Saturday’s game. But with London’s season-ending injury, defensive coordinator Jerry Azzinaro can utilize Knight’s ball-hawking strengths on different parts of the field. 

He will match up with redshirt sophomore wide receiver Tahj Washington and sophomore wide receiver Gary Bryant Jr., two of USC’s best receivers outside of London. Azzinaro will likely shift Knight closer toward the line of scrimmage in hopes of getting him behind the offensive line and wreaking havoc. 

This is where having a mobile quarterback like Dart will aid the Trojans in suppressing the terrifying Knight, as Dart can get out of the pocket quickly when pressure is coming. 

All eyes will be on Dart and whether he attacks the redshirt senior or strays away from the vigilant Knight. 

The post Scouting report: Three UCLA players to watch appeared first on Daily Trojan.

Courtesy of Warner Bros.

It is not often we get to see the making of a legend, let alone two. It’s even rarer that we are told the stories of those behind the creation of the stars that we love. In the spectacular “King Richard,” director Reinaldo Marcus Green depicts the tale of Richard Williams (Will Smith), the father of tennis phenoms Venus (Saniyya Sidney) and Serena Williams (Demi Singleton) and his role in creating two of the biggest sporting icons of this century. With the iconic duo producing the film, “King Richard” depicts a heartwarming tale of family, dedication and sacrifice that got Venus and Serena to the top of the tennis world. 

The film begins with a somber reality of life in the ghetto. We’re instantly reminded of the socioeconomic barriers that the WIlliams family had to overcome to get Venus and Serena to the top. Richard coached his daughters himself, but he also knew that they needed a professional coach to help them break into the world of professional tennis, connect them with sponsors and provide them with the highest quality training. However, this proves to be a tremendous challenge, as the Williams family does not possess the financial background to afford one. 

The film also poignantly touches upon the harsh realities of discrimination and the historical oppression of the African-American community. There is one scene in particular that stood out, where a neighbor had called the police on Richard for “overworking” his daughters, prompting the cops to investigate their home when all he ensured was proper discipline, training and care for his girls. 

Richard’s eagle-eyed focus on the long-term goal of getting his daughters to Wimbledon was best summarized by one scene in which the Williams family watches “Cinderella.” After they finish the film, Richard quizzes his children on the moral of the story. When they answer wrong, he simply says “always be humble.” Regardless of her newfound beauty and success, Cinderella always remained humble, knowing that it wouldn’t last forever. This elegantly constructed scene elucidates how Richard raised his kids to be respectful, gracious and hardworking, not letting them take their success for granted or allowing them to forget their roots.

When asked what about portraying Richard Williams on screen appealed to him, lead actor Will Smith said he was inspired by an early interview of Richard and Venus Williams when she was still a teenager. In the interview, Richard rushed to protect his daughter from being overwhelmed by questions about her career and aspirations she was not yet ready to face at such a young age. 

“I wanted my daughter to look at me like that; it burned an image into my heart and changed my parenting style,” Smith said. He further commented that the film gave him a “new idea of parenting of aligning with your children, rather than directing your children” to guide them in making important life decisions, even from a young age. 

A film like “King Richard,” based on real-life stories of people who inspire millions around the world, can impact people in different ways. For Venus Williams, the biggest thing she said she hoped people would take away from the journey of their family is to keep believing. 

“Anything is possible,” Williams said. “Always believe in yourself. The time you spend doubting yourself can be spent putting in the work for what you believe in. As a family, you can achieve anything.” 

Serena Williams echoed similar sentiments.

“The sky’s the limit,” she said. “Don’t be afraid to set high goals.”

“King Richard” is an inspirational story about two girls, who against all odds, rose to the top with their hard work, dedication, and most importantly, the support and sacrifices of their family. One might argue that the film could have spent a few minutes showing the personal sacrifices Venus and Serena Williams had to make to reach the top. Ultimately, though, “King Richard” is a family drama that happens to revolve around two world-class athletes. 

It is not the story of how to make a sports superstar, but rather, how a father and a family support the dreams of two young Black girls to help them achieve greatness. Greatness that goes beyond tennis, into their humanity, their mentality and their relationships. Green’s decision to focus the narrative on the family dynamics, rather than the sport itself, was a pivotal and triumphant decision that adds heart and soul to the film.

The post ‘King Richard’: A poignant tale of the man behind the queens of tennis appeared first on The Emory Wheel.

The American Athletic Conference is down to its final three games and teams look for a late-season push. | Jhair Romero/The Cougar

With the American Athletic Conference having only three weeks left in conference play, AAC title contenders look to make their final push of the season as No.17 Houston punched their ticket to the Championship game.

Let’s take a look at how each team fared this past weekend:

No. 5 Cincinnati (10-0, 6-0 AAC) at South Florida (2-8, 1-5 AAC)

After several weeks of contested matchups for Cincinnati, the team came back into top 10 form after routing USF 45-28 on the road.

Despite the Bulls getting on the board first with a touchdown midway through the first quarter, the Bearcats responded in dominant fashion with 24 unanswered points to go up 24-7 at half time.

The second half was more of a back and forth affair, but the Bearcats were too far ahead and closed out the Bulls to pick up their 10th victory of the season.

Senior quarterback Desmond Ridder finished the game with 31 completions for 304 yards and two touchdowns and one interception for the Bearcats, while junior running back Ryan Montgomery talled six carries for 72 yards and two touchdowns on the ground.

Houston (9-1, 7-0 AAC) at Temple (3-7, 1-5 AAC)

With a chance to clinch a spot in the conference title game with a victory, the Cougars  dominated from start to finish with a 37-8 win over Temple.

The first half was all UH with freshman running back Alton McCaskill leading the way with two touchdowns, he also racked up 129 yards on 21 carries for the day.

A fourth quarter score for the Owls’ brought the game within two possessions, but the Cougars’ response on the next drive kept the game well out of reach for Temple.

The big day for the Cougars on the ground was complemented with a solid air attack as junior quarterback Clayton Tune finished the day completing 21 of his 34 passes for 224 yards and two touchdowns.

UCF (6-4, 4-3 AAC) at SMU (8-2, 4-2 AAC)

An early high scoring game between two of the conference’s top teams saw SMU rout UCF 55-28 at home to snap a two-game conference losing streak.

The first quarter included five total touchdowns between the two teams and was followed by a dominant second quarter from the Mustangs that put them up 38-14 at halftime.

A hard fought second half was not enough to spark a comeback for the Knights, who allowed 631 total yards on the day.

Junior quarterback Tanner Mordecai had himself a big day for the Mustangs, completing 37 of his 54 passes for 377 yards and three touchdowns with just one interception.

Despite the loss, sophomore running back Mark-Antony Richards was a bright spot for UCF with 104 rushing yards on just eight carries and added two touchdowns on the ground.

East Carolina (6-4, 4-2 AAC) at Memphis (5-5, 2-4 AAC)

Riding on two-straight conference wins, East Carolina stomped into Memphis and came out with a 30-29 overtime road victory.

Coming off an upset victory over SMU last week, Memphis struggled to string possessions together, yet managed to only go into halftime down 16-13.

A third quarter touchdown put the Tigers in front before the Pirates scored a 1-yard touchdown rush by freshman running back Rahjai Harris to lead 23-20 with 1:29 left in the fourth quarter.

A 24-yard field goal by freshman kicker David Kemp sent the game to overtime tied up 23-23.

East Carolina struck first in overtime with a rushing touchdown by the third different player on the day, this time coming from freshman running back Keaton Mitchell.

The Pirates victory was sealed after the Tigers scored a touchdown and had an unsuccessful two-point conversion.

Tulsa (4-6, 3-3 AAC) at Tulane (1-9, 0-6 AAC)

Another conference game made its way into overtime as Tulsa defeated Tulane 20-13 on the road as the Green Wave remain winless in conference play.

A 10-yard touchdown pass from junior quarterback Davis Brin to senior wide receiver Ezra Naylor II sparked a 10-0 lead at the end of the first quarter as Tulsa ended the half up 13-3.

After a scoreless third quarter, Tulane scored 10 points in the final 2:52 of the game to force overtime.

Senior running back Shamari Brooks won the game in overtime with a 15-yard rushing touchdown, he finished the game with 19 carries for 71 yards and the touchdown for the Hurricane.

sports@thedailycougar.com

—
“State of the AAC: Teams begin final push” was originally posted on The Cougar

A letter to Moffitt Library

Charlene Wang/Staff

My beloved Moffitt,

I’ve heard the news. Did you not think I was going to find out? After all, word flies quickly around here — you know this. So why, Moffitt, why did you not come to me directly? I thought what we had was special but apparently the feeling isn’t mutual. Now I’m left sitting here in the depths of despair wondering why you felt like you couldn’t have come to me for guidance. You’ve helped me through some large tasks — I’m talking about group projects and essays. I mean, I had to learn about your little issue through The Daily Californian! And to think I was there for you when no one else was, it’s utterly ridiculous! I’ve spent long, hard nights with you, and for what? You’re beginning to feel like the first floor: cold.

I should have known better, though. You’ve always been a favorite among UC Berkeley students. You’re just a people-person. It seems as though it’s natural for you to accommodate and adjust to the likes of those around you. You can be outgoing when paired with extroverts on the fourth floor, yet quiet with introverts on the fifth. Don’t even get me started on your ability to tolerate different kinds of foods and drinks. Doe and Main Stacks have never been able to come out of their shell like you do. It’s always “you can’t bring that drink in here” and never “I hope you’re well-nourished.”

There’s something about your presence that’s just natural. I used to love that about you. I’m blushing at the very thought of the times we shared. However, now I’m bitter at the fact that the large number of students have seemingly ruined you, not externally but from within. It’s such a shame. I mean, it will be months before I get to see you again. I can’t imagine being apart from you for this long. It’s such a monstrosity! Earth-shattering! Like, the sky might as well fall right now because nothing can make this reality any worse than it is.

Perhaps I’m being melodramatic — a trait you’ve never once admired. It’s for the better though, right? It has surely been painful knowing that you’ll be gone for so long. I understand it’s for your own good … and mine. I just want you to know that I’m crumbling here without you, but I surely hope you won’t. 

Sincerely, 

Everyone

Contact Anyssa Torres at atorres@dailycal.org.

The Daily Californian

Crumb offers melodic genius at The Warfield

Brianna Luna/Senior Staff

The Warfield, in all its early 20th-century glory, proves as a worthy stage for any act that enters its ornate hallowed halls. On Nov. 13, the punchy beats from psychedelic dream pop group Crumb reverberated around the muraled Roro-esque ceiling and Hellenistic-inspired stone additives. Preparing for an evening with the legendary Chicano Batman, Crumb set the tone of the night by introducing the audience to inspiring tracks off its new album, Ice Melt.

Crumb’s 13-piece set charmed with contrasting styles and tempos, the group melting loose jazz with vibrant cadences that enlivened even their slower ballads. The Brooklyn-based band showcased intoxicating vocals from Lila Ramani, supported by Jesse Brotter on bass, Bri Aronow on keys and saxophone, and Jonathan Gilad on drums. Each artist gifted the crowd with high energy, surprisingly so, considering the show serves as one of the final legs of Crumb’s American tour before departing for Europe.

Ramani’s unique vocals have the tendency to create a mesmerizing, melodic sound when heard through headphones or over a car speaker system. For Saturday’s show, Ramani delivered the same high-quality sound, but with an incredible intentionality of varying style. The group started out with “Seeds” and “BNR” from its new project, in which Ramani tackled longer notes with a hypnotizing enrapturement. At times, Ramani would crouch down and hunch over her guitar, a ball of brightly colored green pants, before jumping up sporadically with each beat drop.

Crumb debuted many songs from Ice Melt, which the crowd ate up with great enthusiasm. The audience buzzed with anticipation for Chicano Batman, but a few ecstatic fans punctuated the swaying, mellow crowd. The band’s signature intros to tracks such as “Ghostride,” however, sent the hall into a state of titillation, with the electric excitement from the stage sending shockwaves out. Energy remained high through the band’s varying instrumentation. During some tracks, as seen with “Balloon,” Gilad’s snare enunciated each line and guided the group toward a faster tempo. Yet, the tempo changes seemed not fully executed, as a slight drag lingered between the drum and bass. 

A true standout of the evening was any moment Aronow picked up their saxophone, leaving the semi-shielded keyboard behind, as its lid in part hid the musician from half the crowd. While the notes from Aronow clearly saturated the venue, however, a lack of spotlight didn’t detract attention from the artist. Throughout the night, there was always a slight delay between Aronow emerging from the keys for sax solos and the crowd responding in full romping regalia.

While the performance could have been marked with better focus lighting, looming metal flowers worked well with the band’s instruments, each surface trading reflective flashes. The sculptures literally bloomed with motion, slowly extending petals as the set progressed. This alternative to any backing graphics or light show acted as a welcome surprise, and didn’t distract from Crumb’s overall strong set.

Distraction did manifest in the security personnel who defended the entrance to the pit, which was flanked by levels of riser platforms to give multiple vantage points for the crowd. Although the security’s presence showed great respect for both the crowd and artists, each track’s performance was marked with loud conversations banning access.

Toward the end of the set, Ramani rested on a chair that was already set up on stage, adding an alternative element to the already bright set. Crumb finished out the evening with three back-to-back signature bangers: “Bones,” “Locket” and “Nina,” which offered nearly 15 minutes of fan favorites. The pit became alive with movement, which lasted long after the group left the stage with waving hands and kisses blown over the crowd.

Contact Francesca Hodges at fhodges@dailycal.org. Tweet her at @fh0dges.

The Daily Californian

After months of delays, mental health response teams will begin responding to 911 calls in Minneapolis on Nov. 29.

Following a unanimous City Council vote, the city signed a two-year, $6 million contract with Canopy Mental Health and Consulting. The initial plan was to begin sending two-person teams to respond to mental health 911 calls in August.

Almost four months later, and not a single team from the program has been sent out.

“It’s very frustrating,” Ward 3 City Council member Steve Fletcher said. “We’re in a place where we have the vendor identified, we have the details of the program worked out and we’re running into procedural hurdle after procedural hurdle, that frankly, seems intentional.”

Fletcher said the process was delayed because the Minneapolis Police Department (MPD) did not perform background checks for the mental health staff.

​​The Minneapolis Police Department directed the Minnesota Daily’s requests for comment to the City of Minneapolis.

Sarah McKenzie, the city media relations coordinator, said there are always complications when launching new programs.

“The Office of Performance & Innovation and MPD have been working together on this initiative since 2019 and the background checks are a complication that we have overcome just like other things,” McKenzie said.

Brian Smith, director of the Office of Performance and Innovation for the city, said the Bureau of Criminal Apprehension was able to take over the responsibilities that MPD usually would have handled, including background checks.

“Every time we thought we were one step closer, we’d find out there were five more things to do,” Smith said. “It’s a matter of making sure that we got it right. It’s not a delay of any incompetence. Politics, yes, but not incompetence.”

Smith explained that some delays occurred because of new training for 911 operators and dispatchers. Smith said he received certification to handle new mental health calls through a three-day training that was eight hours per day.

“There’s so much that goes into this that people don’t understand,” Smith said. “It’s not a matter of just finding qualified candidates, throwing them in vans and saying, ‘Let them do what they do.’”

Smith said that he was happy that the program will begin Nov. 29, though he wishes it could have started sooner.

Michelle Phelps, a sociology professor at the University of Minnesota, specializes in criminal justice and sociology of punishment. She said she is cautiously excited about the Mobile Behavioral Health Response Teams.

“People that are in a mental health crisis are disproportionately likely to be the victims of legal police violence because they systematically are unable to respond to police commands, which is something that police perceive as a threat,” Phelps said. “On the other hand, in a country where many people are armed, this distinction between a potentially violent encounter and not potentially violent encounter is a little bit murky.”

Phelps said research supports the fact that alternative policing programs can help the prevention of crime and the response to crises. However, there is little research on whether a model of sending only mental health professionals to a call will be successful, so officials will learn more once the program begins.

“It’s one of the most positively received ideas,” Fletcher said. “When we talk to people, even people that are skeptical about the extent of the change to public safety that a lot of people are calling for, they totally support the idea of responding to mental health calls with mental health professionals.”

(Wikimedia / Dwight Burnette)

In the past few weeks, many Emory students cast their ballots for Atlanta’s new mayor, but Atlanta still has not elected one. This is for no reason other than Georgia’s requirement for a runoff election when no candidate wins an outright majority, a racist relic of the 1960s and a peculiarity among U.S. election systems. Because no candidate got over 50% of the vote, voters will have to make the trek to the polls again, this time choosing between only Felicia Moore and Andre Dickens. Instead of wasting our money and time on another election, Georgia can improve the efficiency and fairness of its election system with just one reform: ranked choice voting.

Also known as preferential voting or instant runoff voting, ranked choice voting is a system where voters rank their choices of candidate for an elected office rather than simply voting for one candidate. Once everyone’s first choice has been tabulated, the losers are systematically eliminated, with the votes going to voters’ subsequent choices until a candidate has over 50% of the vote. Ranked choice voting ensures that everyone’s vote matters. Even if someone’s first choice has little hope of winning the election, transferring it to their subsequent choices will make sure their vote still has an effect on the outcome of the election.

Ranked choice voting provides significant benefits over traditional plurality voting, where the candidate with the most votes after one round of voting wins. While seemingly the most democratic option, this system can lead to situations in which, during an election with more than two candidates, a candidate is elected to office even though a majority of citizens oppose them. For instance, in the 2000 presidential election, former Vice President Al Gore narrowly lost to former President George W. Bush because a third party candidate, Ralph Nader, pulled enough Democrats away from Gore, resulting in Bush’s win. Ranked choice voting would have allowed those voters to mark Nader as their first choice, but have their vote count for Gore after it was clear Nader wouldn’t win. Electing Gore to the presidency would be an outcome actually reflective of the will of voters. 

In Georgia, with a diverse population of diverging interests, accurately reflecting the will of the voters, even when margins are close, will result in a more representative government. Additionally, because of runoffs, elections in Georgia can take months to resolve. With ranked choice voting, votes would be tabulated on Election Day, avoiding suppressed turnout during runoff elections. 

Ranked choice voting has many other positive effects, such as reducing election costs, decreasing polarization and pushing candidates to appeal to larger coalitions. By allowing primaries and runoffs to be resolved on one ticket, ranked choice voting eliminates the need for separate elections and reduces cost. It also fosters a better campaigning environment as candidates who otherwise would be at one another’s throats work together with “cross-endorsements,” a practice where two candidates ask their supporters to rank both of them highly against other less desirable candidates. This occurred in the recent New York City mayoral primary between candidates Andrew Yang and Kathryn Garcia, as they worked together to attempt to defeat rival Eric Adams. Furthermore, ranked choice voting allows voters to support the candidate whose policies they truly believe in without wasting their vote, as their second and third choices can be more realistic candidates, or candidates who they believe will still support their interests in spite of not being the ideal choice. Candidates are pushed to appeal to a wider group of people and can win if many voters rank the candidate as their second or third choice, reducing polarization and making more people happy. By contrast, Georgia’s runoff system pushes candidates to adopt more radical beliefs in order to solidify a voting base and assure advancement into the second round. 

Georgia’s voting system is in dire need of replacement. Currently, the voting system is built from a legacy of racism that disempowers Black voters in Georgia, reduces equality of representation in state government and supports domination of the state by exclusively white interests. The system was designed to reduce Black political power by allowing the white vote to coalesce around one candidate if a Black candidate won a plurality. While there have been fears that eliminating Georgia’s runoff system would actually work against minority interests, a ranked choice voting system would avoid those negative repercussions. Ranked choice voting actually enhances minority power, as the elected candidate can ultimately be the choice of multiple minority groups in unity against a larger plurality group. Such a scenario is impossible in a traditional plurality system, which splits minority votes and makes the building of coalitions between groups more difficult. 

We cannot allow our democracy to become stagnant if we want to continue to have a say in how we are governed. The systems we use to determine how we are represented in government are built to be continuously improved. Around the country, ranked choice voting is gaining momentum. Legislation to implement ranked choice voting has already been proposed in Georgia’s legislature. Georgians should work to influence our lawmakers and community members to support these bills, and efforts nationwide to implement ranked choice voting. Ranked choice voting is the future of American democracy, and we should embrace it.

William Wainwright (25C) is from Atlanta, Georgia.

The post The way we vote needs a shake-up appeared first on The Emory Wheel.

Earlier this month we all participated in the archaic tradition of setting our clocks back an hour. We spend a few days joking about the time change, venting about how “it gets dark so early now” and trying to relearn how to set our oven clock, but soon we forget about it. To anyone who’s grown up in America (outside of Hawaii and Arizona), our biannual time change is, well, normal. But should it be?

Benjamin Franklin first introduced the idea of Daylight Saving Time (DST) (And, it is “Saving,” not “Savings.”) in 1784 so that people could save money on candles. As ridiculous as that may sound in 2021, we do save money on “candles.”

After a 2005 decision to extend DST by four weeks (beginning in 2007), the U.S. Department of Energy found that we saved half a percent of electricity daily. While that may be a reason to prefer permanent DST over permanent standard time, that doesn’t justify our repeated switching back and forth. That practice is primarily justified by the Standard Time Act of 1918, which put every U.S. state on standard time, with the ability to opt into the biannual switch to DST.

The Utah State Legislature passed a bipartisan bill in the 2020 session that would put Utah on permanent DST, with the hope that federal legislation would amend the Standard Time Act. Eighteen other states have done the same.

The only reason we continue a practice that, if canceled would drastically reduce rates of sexual assault, robbery and health complications, is because it’s the way we have always done things. The U.S. allowing states to opt for permanent DST would come with many benefits, but most importantly, it would signal a shift away from the unwarranted American reverence for tradition. Just because we have always done something a certain way does not mean that is the best way to do it.

Permanent Standard Time vs. Permanent DST vs. Status Quo

As a country, we have three options. First, we can continue changing our clocks twice a year, an act that leads to forced sleep deprivation each year. On the day after we lose an hour of sleep, hospitals report a 24% spike in heart attack visits and there is a significant increase in fatal car accidents in the week after the switch. This completely unnecessary loss of life for arbitrary reasons must stop.

Our second option, then, is to switch to permanent standard time. Only Arizona and Hawaii have chosen to do so. Hawaii is a special case where, because of their proximity to the equator, their sunrise and sunset times don’t change much throughout the year. In a state with 144 days a year that reach 100 degrees, the desire to minimize daylight in Arizona is so remarkably understandable. However, all 48 other states choose to undergo the practice of switching clocks so that they can enjoy the benefits of DST for at least part of the year.

The third and final option is the adoption of permanent DST. Again, this would require the federal government to pass a bill, like the bipartisan Sunshine Protection Act of 2021, allowing states to opt for permanent DST. That bill, importantly, allows states like Arizona, which deem standard time to be more beneficial for them, to remain on permanent standard time.

Benefits of DST

For the entire month of December, Salt Lake City’s sunset happens at roughly 5 p.m., right around the time most people are getting out of work. Our arbitrary adoption of standard time during this month causes people to walk home, or walk to their car, in the dark, where they’re more susceptible to assault. If you get out of class or work at 5, why should you have to take that unnecessary risk?

Instead, permanent DST would make the earliest sunsets happen at 6:00 p.m. After the switch to DST in the spring, researchers at Stanford found a decrease in rates of robbery by 51%, rape by 56% and murder by 48% during that extra hour of sunlight.

The easiest thing we can do to make everyone’s commute safer is an extra hour of daylight. That extra hour also gives people more time to recreate outside in the sun, which has multiple mental and physical health benefits.

There are numerous benefits to permanent DST, and that’s why 48 states endure our dated tradition of changing the clocks twice a year to receive them. Yet, because of a law enacted over a century ago, those states are unable to make that switch for themselves.

However, permanent DST realistically has marginal effects on most people’s lives, and there are certainly more pressing issues. So, why does it really matter if we get rid of this quirky time change thing we do? Well, so many of the issues surrounding income inequality, climate inaction and social justice occur, to some extent, because of this same refusal to reevaluate hundred-year-old traditions.

If we’re ever going to create a truly equitable society, it requires our government to adapt to modern times. An arbitrary, hundred-year-old law about time zones is an easy way to demonstrate we’re able to do that. And we’ll save some candles in the process.

w.shadley@dailyutahchronicle.com

@shadleywill

The post Shadley: The Times Are Changing, so Let’s Stop Changing Them Twice a Year appeared first on The Daily Utah Chronicle.

Gerald Sastra/The Cougar

The University’s mandatory sexual misconduct training this year featured a diverse cast of people from many communities including lesbian couples and nonbinary individuals while also shedding light on the harms of toxic masculinity.

This diversity made for good sexual misconduct training that demonstrated support for victims of all backgrounds, showing that abuse can happen to anyone, hopefully validating more victims’ experiences. 

Over the past couple of years, the number of people identifying as part of the LGBTQ community increased from 3.5 percent in 2012 to 4.5 percent, according to a report published by the University of Houston Institute for Research on Women, Gender & Sexuality in 2020.

“The video was created in August 2020 in response to new federal Title IX regulations,” said Vice President of the Office of Equal Opportunity Services Toni Sanchez Benoit. “The representation in casting was very intentional to reflect the UH System’s diverse student population as well as our commitment to inclusivity.” 

UH is the second most ethnically diverse major research university in the United States, said the Center of Diversity and Inclusion. With UH’s diverse population, it’s important to make sure students feel heard and represented when it comes to campus resources. 

The Crossroads training was efficient in making sure different situations were explored. 

“(The training) is a lot more supportive of victims asking for help and reporting behavior,” said biomedical sciences freshman Mualla Guvercin. “I liked that they gave unconventional examples so that people don’t invalidate the abuse they go through.” 

A specific couple in the video highlighted how sexual misconduct cases against men are underreported because of strict gender norms and toxic masculinity. In fact, if a man does decide to come forward about his sexual abuse, it takes around thirty years to do so. 

In the video, a man is physically abused by his girlfriend but doesn’t say anything because it’s usually women who are the victim, not men. The example in the Crossroads video is an important reminder that sexual misconduct, or any abuse in general, can happen to anyone regardless of race, gender, class or sexuality. 

With all the different representations in the video, it highlights the importance of not giving in to preconceived notions of who can be a victim and who can be the perpetrator. A lot of people fear they will be judged or dismissed when speaking up about their experiences, but with the increasing conversations regarding sexual misconduct, times are changing.

This training validated the experiences of many victims, not just stereotypes. 

If you or anyone you know has been a victim of sexual misconduct, there are resources available to you starting with the Title IX office at the University. 

Cindy Rivas Alfaro is a journalism freshman who can be reached at opinion@thedailycougar.com

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“The new sexual misconduct training validates victims” was originally posted on The Cougar