Joseph Robinette Biden Jr. has been inaugurated as the 46th president of the United States. He took the oath at the United States Capitol at noon today. Biden was officially declared the winner of the 2020 presidential election on Nov. 7, three days after election day.

Missouri senator Amy Klobuchar started off the inauguration by introducing Biden and new Vice President Kamala Harris. Klobuchar then gave a speech, saying, “We celebrate a new president, Joe Biden, who vows to restore the soul of America and cross the river of our divides to bring us to a higher plain, and we celebrate our first African American, first Asian American and first woman Vice President, Kamala Harris, who stands on the shoulders of so many on this platform and throughout this country who have forged the way to this day. When she takes the oath of office little girls and boys across the world will know that anything and everything is possible and in the end, that is America, our democracy, a country of so much good. And today, on these capitol steps and before this field of flags, we rededicate ourselves to its cause.”

Kamala Harris was also sworn in to be the Vice President. Harris was elected the attorney general for California in 2010, where she served until she was elected to the senate in 2017. She becomes the first woman to serve as Vice President and the first biracial (Asian and Jamaican) Vice President as well.

During his first address to the nation after becoming president, Biden said, “This is a great nation. We are good people. And over the centuries, through storm and strife, in peace and in war, we’ve come so far. But we still have far to go. We’ll press forward with speed and urgency, for we have much to do in this winter of peril and significant possibilities, much to repair, much to restore, much to heal, much to build, and much to gain.”

He would later go on to say, “Folks, this is a time of testing. We face an attack on our democracy and on truth, a raging virus, growing inequity, the sting of systemic racism, a climate in crisis, America’s role in the world. Any one of these will be enough to challenge us in profound ways. But the fact is, we face them all at once, presenting this nation with one of the gravest responsibilities we’ve had. Now we’re going to be tested. Are we going to step up? All of us? It’s time for boldness, for there is so much to do. And this is certain, I promise you, we will be judged, you and I, by how we resolve these cascading crises of our era.”

Biden’s political career started in 1970, when he won the fourth District Seat on the New Castle City Council. He then won a senate seat in 1972, a race in which he trailed his republican counterpart, Calb Boggs, by as much as 30%. Biden ran for the presidency for the first time in 1988. He was a chairman for the Senate Judiciary Committee from 1987 to 1995, and also for the Senate Foreign Relations Committee from 2001-2003 and 2007-2009. Many students remember him for serving as vice president under Barack Obama from 2009-2017.

National Youth Poet Laureate Amanda Gorman read a poem during the inauguration, saying, “The new dawn blooms as we free it. For there is always light if only we’re brave enough to see it, if only we’re brave enough to be it…We will raise this wounded world into a wondrous one…We are far from polished, far from pristine. But that doesn’t mean we are striving to form a union that is perfect. We are striving to forge our union with purpose, to compose a country committed to all cultures, colors, characters and conditions of man. And so we lift our gazes not to what stands between us, but what stands before us. We close the divide because we know to put our future first. we will raise this wounded world into a wondrous one…We will rise from the gold-limbed hills of the west, we will rise from the windswept northeast where our forefathers first realized revolution. We will rise from the lake-rimmed cities of the midwestern states, we will rise from the sunbaked south. We will rebuild, reconcile and recover and every known nook of our nation and every corner called our country. Our people diverse and beautiful will emerge, battered and beautiful. When day comes we step out of the shade, aflame and unafraid,the new dawn blooms as we free it. For there is always light. If only we’re brave enough to see it. If only we’re brave enough to be it.”

GHC political science professor Scotty Akemon said that, “America’s new day has begun and that I anticipate with excitement the direction we are going to take.”

Trevin Wade, GCAA Player of the Year, signed to play basketball for Wichita State this fall.

“It stuck out to me because obviously my brother is there and also it would make it easier on my parents,” Wade said. “Another big factor was Coach Tyson Watermon. He really believes in my game and the rest of the coaching staff is great.”

Wade had the challenge of trying to be active in the recruiting process during the coronavirus pandemic.

“It was definitely not easy,” he said. “Coaches were calling all day every day. I couldn’t see coaches face to face or take visits. I took a virtual visit with a couple of schools, but I kind of couldn’t get a feel for it because of that. It’s nothing like going to a school for a visit and getting the full experience of how it’s going to be and imagining you playing for that school.”

Wade also chose to announce his commitment on Twitter to obey social distancing laws.

Wade said that he would tell incoming freshmen to be ready to work.

“Everything is a grind,” Wade said. “You are going to be hit with adversity everyday, so accept the challenge and be great.”

Wade said his biggest influence at GHC was Coach JJ.

“He is a great coach but more a great guy,” Wade said. “He wants his players to be successful. The life teachings he gave me was great and exactly what I needed to hear.”

Jamal Burke, another Charger, is working through the remote transfer process. He remains undecided on where he will go. Burke has narrowed it down to five choices: Old Dominion, Redford, Eastern Michigan, Southern and Indiana University Purdue University Indianapolis.

During his time at GHC, Burke said that the biggest thing he has learned is himself.

“It was really eye opening how much I have changed during all of this,” Burke said.

He added that his favorite memory at GHC was when he grabbed 17 rebounds against South Georgia Technical College this past season.

Should the government track people to stop the spread of COVID-19?

With the coronavirus still raging on, some people in the United States have brought up the idea of the government tracking everybody to make sure they are following the rules set in place for bringing the virus to a halt. This mainly is to make sure people follow stay-at-home orders and only go to essential businesses.

In the proposed scenario, the government would track people by having Facebook and Google share data with them to figure out people’s location.

This may seem like a good idea to some, but I say that it is a violation of privacy. I do not trust that the government would use this data in the way that people think they will. They could use this information to find out about people’s personal life.

Think about this: what if someone that you had never met knew where you were at all times? Would that not seem at least a little odd?

Allowing the government to get more involved in people’s lives, even if it is to stop the coronavirus, should concern us all because that brings us another step closer to an authoritarian style of government and taking rights away from American citizens.

Not only should Americans be discouraged by the idea of government tracking, but they should know that it is a violation of the Constitution for the government to do so.

The Fourth Amendment states that, “the right of the people to be secure in their persons, house, papers, and effects, against unreasonable searches and seizures, shall not be violated, and no warrants shall issue, but upon probable cause, supported by Oath or affirmation, and particularly describing the place to be searched, and the persons or things to be seized.”

This is a protection against unlawful searches and seizures, and that is exactly what the government would do with people that have done nothing wrong in this data sharing scenario.

If I were to violate an amendment in the Constitution, I would be thrown in jail quickly, but, for some reason, the government can break the Constitution all they want to if they say it is “for the greater good of the people.”

I understand that people want to make sure everyone is following the orders put in place to stop the coronavirus, but it would simply be unconstitutional and morally wrong for the government to collect unnecessary data about its citizens.

The team has started the season by winning six of its first eight games, including two sweeps against the Chattanooga Community College Tigers and the Tennessee Wesleyan Bulldogs. The Chargers followed the 5-0 start by losing two of their three games against Volunteer State.

It has been a collective effort on all fronts for the Chargers. The team batted 0.379 through its first eight games of the season. The lineup for the Chargers has been scoring 9.5 runs per. The pitching for the Chargers allowed just 3.8 runs per.

Johnny Dow, David Smith and Joe Sutton lead the team in multiple. Dow is a pitcher that has had two this season, allowing just 10 hits and two runs in 11 innings pitched. He had ten strikeouts in his first two starts of the season. Smith, the team’s starting catcher, led the team with 13 RBIs and tied for second most runs on the team with 9. Sutton led the team in batting average at 0.522 with 13 runs.

Head Coach Dash O’Neill said, “I expect us to win a whole lot of games and contend for a conference championship. This is one of the best teams GHC has ever had.”

O’Neill further said, “Our biggest challenge is going to be each player staying true to themselves and not trying to do more than they are capable. If we stay within ourselves and stay consistent, we will be difficult to beat.”

“Every player on our team contributes to our success, and we really focus on teamwork rather than individual accolades. We play as a team and win as a team, and our players believe in that idea,” said O’Neill. “We run really well, and we may have the deepest pitching staff in program history.”

You can catch the Chargers in action at one of their upcoming home games. For a full schedule, go to https://ghc.prestosports.com/sports/ bsb/2018-19/schedule.