Dark Academia romanticizes an exclusionary era of higher education — but could it also present a way of making these spaces more diverse?

History: Georgia Southern and Troy have met on the gridiron 12 times, with the Eagles holding a 7-5 edge over the Trojans.

Last Week: Georgia Southern got back on track over the weekend as they defeated Arkansas State, 59-33. The contest was the first game after the firing of head coach Chad Lunsford.

It was a big day on the ground for the Eagles as the offense accumulated more than 500 rushing yards and averaged nearly 10 yards per carry. Senior running back Logan Wright led the way with 203 yards and two touchdowns of his own.

“We went back to our bread and butter,” said offensive lineman Logan Langemeier.”I felt we we’ve been one blocker, one finish away from really clicking like we did this Saturday.”

Scouting Report: Despite the dominant 26-point victory on Saturday, the Eagle defense still allowed more than 500 yards and 30 points. The difference in the game was the four interceptions created by the defense.

“As a defense, we felt like we played good,” said cornerback Tyler Bride. “We got the win, but there’s a lot more work needed. We have to do a lot of things better.”

The Troy offense has struggled mightily throughout the season, which should allow the Eagle defense to wreak havoc. The Trojans average just 340 yards per game, which ranks No. 109 out of 130 FBS teams. In addition, Tory has turned the ball over nine times already this season.

Offensively, the Eagles will face arguably their biggest test of the season. Troy allows just under 270 yards per game, which places them at No.5 and among the nation’s elite in total defense.

After an impressive offensive showing on Saturday, the Eagles stand a chance on Saturday. Turnover-free football will be a must against such a hungry defense. Luckily, the Eagles are among the nation’s best in keeping their hands on the ball.

Bottom Line: The Eagles are the underdog headed into this week, and rightfully so. The Trojans have played at a high level defensively, but have yet to show much promise on the offensive side.

After an explosive offensive showing from the Eagle offense, the team is riding high but remaining focused on the task at hand. The Eagle defense has finally seen things go their way, which is a huge confidence boost.

The Eagles will escape Troy with a win, but it will be arguably their most hard-fought and physical game of the season.

Prediction: GS escapes with an upset victory, 23-14

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The Armstrong vaccine clinics will now offer the FDA-approved Pfizer vaccine at the weekly vaccine clinics on Wednesdays. It requires two doses and is FDA approved for individuals 16 and over. 

Armstrong students can make an appointment through their MyGS Portal to receive their COVID-19 vaccine at the Health Professions Academic Building on Wednesday., Oct. 6.

Both the Moderna and Johnson and Johnson vaccines, which are approved under Emergency Use Authorization (EUA) for individuals 18 and over, are available at the clinic.

The Moderna vaccine requires two doses to be completely effective, but the Johnson & Johnson vaccine only requires one dose.

To learn more about the COVID-19 vaccines, visit Georgia Southern’s COVID-19 Vaccination Distribution, read COVID-19 Vaccine Virtual Town Hall, or watch COVID Vaccines Unmasked: Questions and Answers from an Immunologist.

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Former employees allege mental and verbal abuse, as well as unprofessional, invasive questioning.

The last week of September is International Banned Books Week. Started in 1982 as a response to a surge in banned books, this week is dedicated all across the globe to celebrating the freedom to read and learn by spotlighting books throughout the years that have been censored or banned by schools, bookstores and libraries.

According to the American Civil Liberties Union, censorship is defined as “the suppression of words, images or ideas that are considered ‘offensive.’”

Censorship happens whenever powerful people succeed in imposing their personal values on others, whether they be moral or political.

This can happen anywhere from the government to schools to even how parents choose to raise their children.

Books have been banned for a variety of reasons, usually relating to racism, violence or sexual situations.

However, many of the books that students study today in high school, such as Harper Lee’s “To Kill a Mockingbird” or John Steinbeck’s “Of Mice and Men,” were at one point banned in schools because teachers, librarians, parents throughout history were personally offended by the content or messages and felt that these books would have greater negative effects if students were exposed to them.

For this year’s theme “Books Unite Us. Censorship Divides Us,” our editorial staff board has read on average four out of the ten chosen books for this week, most of them being from their high school English curriculum. So what changed? Why are these books so popular now?

We think that schools realized the value of these books because they teach that the world is complicated and have subjects that are relevant, real and important to have analytic conversations about.

For example, “To Kill A Mockingbird” explores themes surrounding racism, class and injustice in America, which are all incredibly important to have educational conversations about because of how they have shaped our country and continue to impact how we move through our everyday lives.

Additionally, many of the books that were once considered too “edgy” or controversial in the past are not perceived the same way nowadays.

The level of what’s considered age appropriate or socially acceptable to talk about has vastly changed throughout the years, and the books that push boundaries in topic and theme have shown to be catalysts for that change.

These books have given us an opportunity to change and learn more about the ways different people experience life, and who knows, maybe works that are considered inappropriate or obscene in schools today will be widely taught in schools ten years down the road.

With that being said, not every book is appropriate in all school settings and should be filtered accordingly as students grow and mature. Filtering is different from banning because rather than saying a hard “never,” filtering does not completely omit said information from exposure — it just says “not right now.”

For example, having books that explore sexual or violent themes should be left out of elementary school libraries and school curricula because students are not ready for those conversations yet.

However, books with similar themes would be fine in high schools because the students have matured and should be exposed to real world themes as part of their growth into adulthood.

Literature can act as a safe space for conversations to be held about sensitive topics, especially if there is a teacher to guide them along the way and provide context — it is better to have first exposure to these types of real world issues as part of students’ education and growth rather than later down the road into their twenties and thirties.

While victories are unfeasible without scoring goals, the Emory University men’s soccer team has leaned on defense to get off to a dominant 5-1-2 start to the season. 

The Eagles’ defensive unit is anchored by senior goalkeeper Jack Hudson who has at times more closely resembled a brick wall than a goalie. In the eight games the men’s soccer team has played, he has let in only four goals. 

This is Hudson’s final season in an Emory uniform, but it is also his first. 

Before transferring to Emory as a junior, the environmental science major played his freshman and sophomore seasons at the University of Kentucky where he was the backup goalkeeper for the nationally-ranked Wildcats. 

As is typical for backups, he found playing time hard to come by, seeing action in just two games over the two-season span, all while battling a recurring knee problem that required surgery late in his sophomore year. Around this time, he gave serious thought to calling it quits on his soccer career. 

“I was at a point where I didn’t want to play anymore,” Hudson said. “I had spent so long doing this, and I lost sight of the reason why I enjoyed the sport.”

On top of Hudson’s battles on the field, he was stuck in a major that he did not see aligning with a future career. After weighing his options, he started filling out transfer applications over winter break of his sophomore year, not expecting to return to the field. 

But when Emory offered him admission and a spot on the soccer team, Hudson reassessed his love for the game. The large pull to Emory was its academics, but he also wanted a chance to play in front of his parents who live about 10 minutes from campus. Hudson says his parents have attended all of his games so far as an Eagle, just like they had done while he was growing up. 

“If my parents hadn’t done what they had done, I would have never been able to do anything,” Hudson said. “I couldn’t have asked for more.”

Coming in as a transfer during the pandemic, Hudson knew that he had to earn his teammates’ respect through hard work on and off the field. 

Although Emory canceled fall sports competition last year, Hudson took advantage of the training sessions and intrasquad scrimmages the team was permitted to hold, preparing himself for this season. 

When Hudson arrived on campus about a month ago to start his first official season at Emory, he was hungrier than ever to compete, but admits that he was also nervous. So far, he has proven his ability to perform under pressure.

“It’s about being in touch with reality, in the moment,” Hudson said. “When your mind starts to drift, you have to hone your focus back to the game going on in front of you.”

It did not take long for Hudson to assert himself as an effective shot-stopper. Five games into the season, he was named the University Athletic Association (UAA) Men’s Soccer Defensive Athlete of the week. The following week, Hudson received the same honor again after picking up two more shutouts against Roanoke College (Va.) and Christopher Newport University (Va.). 

While Hudson says the individual awards are reassuring, he does not care about them as much as he does about finding ways to help his team win. 

“The goalie might win an award, but what matters most is how I can best perform to maximize our overall success,” Hudson said.

On the field, Hudson prides himself on giving his defense as much data about the game as possible. Because he can see the whole field from the goalie box, it is Hudson’s job to tell a teammate if they have a man on them or where they need to be.

Junior midfielder Joe Beare likens Hudson to a de facto coach on the field who brings a wealth of expertise to the game.

“Jack is always the loudest player on the pitch when we have the ball and when we don’t,” Beare said. “He’s on our backs when we’re not disciplining ourselves as we should be as college soccer players.” 

So far, the back line has played suffocating defense, led by centerbacks senior Josh Berman and junior Luke Price. Hudson attributes the team’s defensive success to Berman and Price, who have taken pressure off him as the goalkeeper.   

Hudson acknowledges there are areas of his game he can take to the next level. He says that elevating his passing game would be valuable to his team’s “play out from the back” style, where the attack starts with the goalie and the back line who use short passes to move the ball up the field as a unit. In order for this style to work properly, the goalkeeper must pass precisely or the team runs the risk of losing the ball near their goal. 

“I want to improve on short, sharp touches,” Hudson said. “It’s a hard skill to do, not just the technical side of it but also the tactical side — recognizing when to play certain passes and when not to.” 

Hudson plans to develop his footwork with the goalkeeper coach Felipe Quintero who trains with Hudson and the other goalkeepers. In working with Quintero, as well as senior Cole Gallagher and junior Peter Wagner, Hudson feels he is gaining valuable knowledge, noting that Quintero is one of the best coaches he has ever worked with.

“He’s very knowledgeable about the role and has a lot of playing experience that helps all of us maximize our training time,” Hudson said.

The entire coaching staff has always encouraged Hudson to take risks and has supported him through mistakes, but Hudson, like all goalkeepers, holds himself to a standard of perfection. After letting in a game-winner against Calvin University (Mich.), Hudson was disappointed, but he knows better not to let one play faze him. 

“I’ve made tons of mistakes and errors, but if you start nitpicking at every little thing, you can come up with a thousand things you can do better,” Hudson said. 

Hudson’s teammates have been impressed with their new goalie and are confident in Hudson as their last line of defense. 

“Against the University of Lynchburg (Va.), he made the three best saves I have ever seen in a span of 15 minutes that kept us in the game,” Beare said. “I think we have the best Division III goalkeeper on our team.” 

With veteran players forming the base of the team and Hudson in goal, the men are poised to bring home their first UAA title since 2012. Hudson, in particular, is up for the challenge.

“If you try to go for anything less than a championship, what’s the point in even trying?”

Editor’s Note: Jack Hudson (22C) is a contributing writer for the Wheel.

Goalkeeper Jack Hudson takes a goal kick for the Eagles. (Courtesy of Emory Athletics)

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The sun is shining and the air is crisp but not quite cold. Major League Baseball is set to start their playoffs while the NFL moves into the second quarter of their schedules. NBA and NHL teams are reporting to training camp and beginning their preseason slate. It truly is the most wonderful time of the year. 

As if these examples aren’t enough to fill a sports-obsessed fan’s agenda, the University of Utah women’s softball program, led by head coach Amy Hogue in her 22nd year with the Utah program, began their fall ball schedule Sept. 23.

Hogue’s team dominated competition from outside the Pac-12 last season, finishing with an 18-2 record against non-conference teams.

Non-conference is exactly what the Utes will be facing over the next three weeks with eight games, two each against Utah Valley University, Boise State and Dixie State along with single games against Weber State and Salt Lake Community College as well as two intrasquad Red-White scrimmages.

The Utes return largely the same team from last season after three seniors graduated. Two transfers in Shi Smith and Julia Jimenez also joined the Utes.

Smith, a graduate transfer from Seattle University, is an experienced pitcher with four years of WAC play under her belt. She enters the Utah program as their most experienced collegiate pitcher with 111 appearances and 50 starts.

Jimenez joins Utah via the University of Michigan where she started 69 games for the Wolverines. Jimenez has shown defensive versatility, starting games at both second and third base, and a good bat by hitting .282 and slugging .421.

The Utes also added two freshmen out of California in right-handed pitcher Hailey Harris and catcher Kendall Lundberg. Harris was a three-sport athlete during her time at Downey High School and played with the USA Athletics’ 18u Gold team.

A two-way player, Harris threw 62 innings in her senior season, finishing with 101 strikeouts and a 0.79 ERA. She also led Downey in batting average (.455), OBP (.520) and RBI (23).

Lundberg batted .452 and was named first-team All-CIF Southern Section and first-team All-Moore League, in addition to Lakewood co-MVP, Offensive Player of the Year and 562 All-City Player of the Year during her senior season at Lakewood High School.

Boise State

Halle Morris started in the circle for Utah and struggled with command early in the first. After walking the leadoff hitter, Morris surrendered an infield single followed by an RBI single and a sac-fly to right, putting the Broncos in front 2-0. 

Utah didn’t waste any time getting on the scoreboard themselves. After Haley Denning reached on an infield single to leadoff the bottom half of the first, she stole second, advanced to third on an Elessa Bonstrom groundout before scoring when Morris singled to center.

In what may have been the defensive play of the game in the top of the third inning, freshman pitcher Hailey Harris, with one out and runners on first and second base, induced a ground ball to third that was backhanded by Jimenez. Jimenez stepped on the bag and fired a howitzer across the diamond to finish the 5-3 double play.

Trailing 2-1 in the latter half of the third inning, the Utes used a pair of infield singles from Denning and Bonstrom to even the score. After Denning reached on her second infield single of the game, she again stole second before scoring on a slow bouncer to third that Bonstrom just beat out at first.

In the fifth, Destiny Quiles led off with a single to center and was replaced by pinch-runner Shelbi Ortiz. Ortiz advanced to third when Jimenez collected her second base hit of the game, a sharp liner past a diving third baseman that resulted in the first extra base hit for either team.

With runners at second and third, Jordyn Gasper lifted a fly ball to shallow left that was deep enough for Ortiz to tag-up and score from third, giving the Utes a 3-2 lead.

A two-out double off the left center field wall scored another Bronco run in the fifth, tying the game at 3. It was the first run allowed by Harris in 3 ⅔ innings of work as she pitched around five base hits and a HBP. Harris also benefited from some spectacular Ute defense behind her. Sydney Sandez came on in relief of Harris to finish the fifth.

Boise State took advantage of the first error of the ball game when the leadoff hitter reached base via a fielding error from Utah shortstop Denning. A triple would bring that runner all the way around from first to give the Broncos a 4-3 lead.

With their backs against the wall trailing 4-3 in the seventh, Denning slapped a single over a lunging Bronco shortstop for her third base hit. Shortly after, Denning advanced to second with her third stolen base of the day. A Madi Jacobus single to centerfield brought Denning around and tied the score at 4 and set the stage for drama.

With runners on first and second with one out, Morris got a pitch to hit and didn’t waste it, sending a line drive single into right-center field that scored Ortiz from second, giving the Utes a walk-off 5-4 win.

Back on the Diamond

The Utes will be back on the field for a double header next Saturday afternoon at Dumke Family Softball Stadium. The first game will see the Dixie State Trailblazers traveling north to face the Utes at 12:30 p.m. MDT. The Utes went 2-0 against Dixie last season. Game two will feature the Weber State Wildcats who lost all three matchups against Utah last year.

b.preece@dailyutahchronicle.com

@bpreece24

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Friday through Sunday has a schedule full of activities for parents visiting their students.  This weekend is mostly centered around the football team’s game against Arkansas State.

The team is currently 1-3 trying to turn things around under the new interim coach Kevin Whitely.  This is especially important to some of the players whose parents get the chance to watch their son play at Paulson Stadium.

“It means a lot to a lot of the players on the team that their family is not too close. Just last year we had a player from Nebraska… So, that means a lot for players like them,” said Senior Defensive-Back Justin Birdsong.

Some of the other planned events include block parties, silent auctions, and a movie on the lawn at Sweetheart Circle planned on campus.  Families like Birdsong’s have created some gameday weekend traditions of their own. 

“Sunday after the game we’ll go out to a breakfast … Especially weekends like family weekend you’ll probably pretty much see the whole football team out at Olive Garden or Cracker Barrel,” Birdsong said.

Not only does the weekend give players and students a chance to be with their relatives. Players also get the opportunity to learn more about their teammates.  

“Just seeing the type of background that some of our players come from, or just the type of family members that they have. It’s real interesting for us,” said Birdsong.

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Instant analysis/reaction: WSU spoils Cal’s homecoming with double-digit drubbing

Sunny Shen/Senior Staff

Key takeaways

The Bears’ defense is no longer what it once was, but it’s enough

When Washington State marched down the field and into the end zone on both of its first two drives, it looked like it’d be a long afternoon for Cal’s defense. The Bears, who have been renowned as a defensive force under head coach Justin Wilcox, gave up 30 or more points in each of their last three outings prior to meeting the Cougars. But when it could have rolled over, Cal’s defense settled in. On WSU’s next three drives, the Bears responded with back-to-back interceptions and a fourth-down stop. Cal’s secondary was still suspect, and the front seven failed to generate any relevant pressure on WSU quarterback Jayden de Laura, but even then, the defense did its part Saturday.

Cal’s offense can’t get out of its own way

One of this season’s lone bright spots has been the growth of Cal’s offense under offensive coordinator Bill Musgrave. But on Saturday, the Bears’ offense fell flat. After an impressive first drive that ended in an 11-yard touchdown by running back Christopher Brooks, Cal could not get out of its own way, mustering a measly 104 total yards in the first half and 273 by the end of regulation. Every time the Bears’ defense gained some semblance of rhythm, the offense failed to capitalize. An incomplete pass from quarterback Chase Garbers that fell short of the sticks on fourth-and-goal effectively ended any hopes of a Cal comeback early in the fourth quarter. Turnovers, penalties and broken plays were all too common against the Cougars — that’s something the blue and gold will likely attempt to remedy during their upcoming bye week.

Special teams are not so special

It is no secret that Cal’s special teams have struggled this year. It feels like the unit has endured missed field goal attempts and botched PATs in almost every contest this season, and its performance against WSU was no exception. Following the Bears’ opening drive touchdown, a mishandled snap left Cal in a 6-7 hole. On the ensuing Wazzu drive, the Bears blocked a punt only to have the ball bounce into the hands of a WSU player who charged ahead for an unbelievable first down. The Cougars went on to find the end zone on that same drive and never looked back. Even when things appeared to be going right for Cal, they inevitably went wrong.

Cal’s game MVP

When sophomore running back Damien Moore suffered a mild injury during the last play of Cal’s loss to Washington last week, all eyes shifted toward Brooks. The senior, who has now started in 15 games for the Bears, took over as the lead back Saturday. Brooks appeared to be the only consistent player on Cal’s offense, rushing for 40 yards and bouncing off of several WSU defenders en route to the blue and gold’s only touchdown of the day.

Eye-opening stats

One of the biggest storylines heading into Saturday was the Cougars returning both de Laura and star running back Max Borghi from injuries. Borghi, who was named to both the Doak Walker and Biletnikoff awards’ preseason watch lists, is widely considered WSU’s top offensive threat. But the Bears bottled up Borghi, holding the senior to just 44 all-purpose yards and a mere 3.1 yards per rush.

Garbers managed just two pass attempts through Cal’s first three drives. In contrast, he had 11 rushing attempts throughout the game, an indication of how many broken plays the Bears experienced against the Cougars.

Looking forward

Cal enters its bye week clinging to its 1-4 record and now sits alone in the Pac-12 North basement. A week of rest could not have come at a better time for a Bears team that has suffered a devastating number of losses and injuries over the past few games. While the blue and gold battled it out with the Cougars, No. 3 Oregon was upset by Stanford in overtime to the tune of 31-24. After the bye week, Cal will travel to Eugene, Oregon, for a Friday night clash with the Ducks, to be aired on ESPN.

Kabir Rao covers football. Contact him at krao@dailycal.org, and follow him on Twitter @kabirr26.

The Daily Californian

USC rebounded from a home loss against Oregon State with a commanding 37-14 road victory over Colorado. The win improves the Trojans’ record to 3-2 on the season.

USC’s offense had one of its most complete performances of the season with both the passing and running game thriving. The Trojans opened up with a 20-0 run before the Buffaloes offense even crossed midfield. 

The defining aspect of the first half was junior wide receiver Drake London’s dominance over Colorado’s secondary.

In the first quarter, London made an athletic high-point catch to put USC at the one-yard line and then made a one-handed catch for a touchdown two plays later to make it 20-0. London ended the day with 130 receiving yards, the fourth time in five games the receiver has had over 100 this season.

“If the ball is in the air and he is around it with ten other people, we expect him to come down with the ball,” said interim head coach Donte Williams in a press conference Saturday.

USC’s running game was equally as impressive with senior running back Keaontay Ingram rushing for 124 yards, a season high. In USC’s first drive of the second quarter, Ingram strung together three-straight runs of ten or more yards to march USC down the field and into Colorado territory. TCU transfer and redshirt sophomore Darwin Barlow also got some carries, as well as redshirt senior Vavae Malepeai.

“I thought we were really efficient and, if I were guessing, we probably played physical,” offensive coordinator Graham Harrell said. “That’s usually what it comes down to.”

USC’s defensive line saw the most improvement since the Oregon State defeat. After being pushed around by the Beavers’ offensive line, the group was able to regain its footing against Colorado by forcing five sacks and one fumble. Redshirt junior Jacob Lichtenstein and junior Drake Jackson each had a pair of sacks on the day.

“Coach Vic [So’oto] told us, ‘against this offensive line, we’re going to have to outwork them’ and I think that’s what we did,” Lichtenstein said.

USC’s five sacks against Colorado were its most in a game since October 2019. 

Freshman Korey Foreman was also given more snaps than previous weeks. Although he didn’t record a sack, Foreman got pressure on Colorado freshman quarterback Brendon Lewis several times and forced him into poor throws.

The secondary did its job with three pass breakups and an interception hauled in by redshirt freshman Joshua Jackson Jr.. The Buffaloes passed for only 162 yards for the entire game.

USC slowed down in the second half to finish the game 37-14. A whopping sum of 125 yards on 12 penalties and one turnover caused USC to stall on several drives in the second half and allowed Colorado to keep the score closer than it should have been. Junior quarterback Kedon Slovis and the offense converting only 5 of 12 third downs did not help the Trojans’ efforts either.

“I’m not happy with all of the penalties,” Williams said. “I’m not happy with sometimes [having] explosive plays and sometimes getting stalled a little bit.”

The team did not meet Williams’s high expectations for how he hoped the team would close out the game. Colorado’s offensive struggles could have put the game out of reach for the Buffaloes much earlier than late in the third quarter.

“The fans started leaving in the beginning of the fourth [quarter], we want the fans to start leaving before halftime,” Williams said.

Saturday’s win continued USC’s undefeated record against the Buffaloes with an overall record of 15-0. The win was also USC’s first over a Pac-12 South opponent this season.

USC returns to the Coliseum to face Utah next Saturday at 5 p.m.

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