In August last year, the internet was shocked when Meg Thee Stallion and Cardi B released a song called “WAP.” The song was met with people who said the song went overboard due to its crude language, while others said it wasn’t controversial at all. We are faced with a familiar question that has been asked repeatedly: should controversial entertainment be restricted?

My answer to the question is yes, due to how broad the audience can be that takes in the content. To push things even farther, Cardi B and Meg Thee Stallion performed the song at the Grammy Awards in March to more public outcry. While it is worth mentioning that they take the A and P part out of the Grammy performance, there are still many innuendos in the actions that the two perform on stage.

The Grammy Awards aired on CBS, which doesn’t place specific restrictions on who can or cannot watch it. Instead, there are ratings put in place for adults to know if what they are about to watch is kid friendly or not. The Grammys were given a PG rating, which suggests that parents monitor what parts of the show their kids watch, because some of the content could be for older audiences. The “WAP” performance deserved a rating of M for mature audiences only.

While parents do have control over allowing their children to watch it at the time, that restriction gets limited because of the internet. The performance happened at 10 p.m. EST, so people were watching this at 7 p.m. on the west coast. After the performance aired, all it took was a quick YouTube search for the performance to pop up. The video isn’t flagged for mature content on the social media platform either, allowing everyone who comes across the video to watch it regardless of their age.

YouTube is the same platform where we can find another example of controversial entertainment not being limited to the audience it is directed to. Lil Nas X’s most recent song, “Montero (Call Me By Your Name)” includes multiple straightforward references to drugs and a vulgar display of sexual innuendos while Lil Nas X gives Satan a lap dance for 20 seconds. The video is available to anyone that stumbles across it on YouTube without a warning of it containing adult content.

Yes, parents should try to monitor their kid’s programming as much as they can, but they can only do so much. My parents tried numerous times to get me to avoid adult animation shows, but through the internet, I still found a way to watch them time and time again. It makes parents’ jobs more difficult than ever. So, I can’t fault parents for not being able to monitor their children 100 percent of the time.

My solution to the problem is this: if it is on basic television, it must be something people of all ages can enjoy. Crude and raunchy television should be put on channels that require a parental lock to access. That way, creators get to make the content they want, but the content gets restricted from young audiences. There also needs to be more accountability held by social media platforms to make sure the content that gets uploaded is seen by the correct audience.

Bringing home a 65-62 win against the Southern Idaho Golden Eagles in last night’s NJCAA National Tournament game, the Lady Chargers Basketball team shows fans that this team isn’t done yet.

What You Missed: The First Half

The scoring started late for both teams, with the Lady Chargers being outscored 16-13 at the end of the first quarter. The Lady Chargers shot just 27 percent from the field, making five of their 18 shots in the first quarter.

The Lady Chargers were able to score 21 points in the second quarter despite only making eight field goals in the quarter. They were able to get to the free throw line 15 times in the quarter, making 11 of them. At half, none of the Lady Chargers had made multiple field goals. Three players tied for the team lead in points, Jada Alston, Sasha Shishkina and Jashanti Simmons all having three points. The Lady Chargers went into halftime with a 34-32 lead.

After the Break

The offensive struggles for the Lady Chargers continued at the start of the second half, scoring only 12 points in the third quarter. Crystal Corley was the only player to score multiple field goals in the third quarter, scoring five points. With just one quarter remaining, the Lady Chargers trailed 49-46.

The fourth quarter was tight throughout. The game was tied 55-55 with just over four minutes left to play. It would be nearly two minutes before the Lady Chargers would score again, allowing Southern Idaho to build a seven-point lead before making another basket.

For the Win

Southern Idaho held a 62-55 lead with 2:36 remaining, but the Lady Chargers did not give up. They went on an 8-0 run over the next two minutes of the game, getting the lead back with 53 seconds remaining.
Sophomore forward, Rasheka Simmons, made two more free throws in the final minute to bring the Lady Chargers’ lead to three points. Southern Idaho missed a 3-pointer at the buzzer, securing the Lady Chargers win.

Notable Players

Freshman guard, Jashanti Simmons, led the team in points, scoring 16. The only other starter to score in double digits was sophomore forward, Sasha Shishkina, who scored 11 points. While sophomore forward, O’Mariyah Tucker, only had six points, she also had ten rebounds.

The biggest help for the Lady Chargers came from the bench. Sophomore forwards, Rasheka Simmons and Crystal Corley, were able to combine for 22 points coming off the bench and combining for 10 rebounds.

The Lady Chargers will be in action again tomorrow night against South Plains College. Tip-off for the game is scheduled at 2 p.m.

“Shut up and dribble,” is the phrase Fox News host, Laura Ingraham, used to describe a 2018 interview that featured NBA stars, Lebron James and Kevin Durant, talking about their views of then-President Donald Trump. 

The comments shook me to my core, because I have always viewed these athletes as people first. I take pride in how these athletes personally feel and will encourage them to speak out on injustices they feel need to be talked about, as I would any other person.

Athletes voicing their freedom of speech became a hot button issue when then-San Francisco 49ers quarterback, Colin Kaepernick, knelt for the National Anthem. People were divided on whether athletes should be able to protest during sporting events or not. Many people tuned out of the NFL. This has encouraged multiple athletes to stand up for social justice, such as Women’s United States National Soccer Team player, Megan Rapinoe, who knelt for the anthem in a 2016 contest against Thailand. Some NBA teams as a whole have taken a stand, such as this moment before a matchup between the Utah Jazz and New Orleans Pelicans.

Kaepernick’s defiant stance wasn’t the first time in American history that athletes have used their platform to make a political statement. In the 1968 Olympics held in Mexico City, United States runners, Tommie Smith and John Carlos, placed first and third in the 200-meter race. When it was time to receive their medals, Smith and Carlos took the platform. As the National Anthem played, both stood with a fist in the air and their head looking down. This gesture was a salute within the Black Panther Party, a party that looked to empower black communities and end police brutality. 

On another side of this debate, we must see that American athletes have the protection of freedom of speech, while in other countries they do not. Lady Chargers Basketball player, Sasha Shishkina, is from Russia and says there is a big difference in terms of the freedom of speech in America and in Russia. 

“Here, if you disagree with something, you can either post it online or go to the street, and the government is okay with that. Yes, it gets violent but only when and because people start crossing the line,” said Shishkina, “Meanwhile, in Russia, it’s getting worse and worse. People do peaceful protests, but the police are acting terribly. They beat up people and take some of them to prison at least for 15 days.”

GHC’s Baseball Head Coach Dash O’Neil, said it is “very important [to let my players know about their freedom of speech]. It is the responsibility for anyone in leadership roles to encourage these players to be themselves and express themselves in the right way.”

Women’s Basketball Lady Chargers Head Coach Brandan Harrell said she has always lived by this motto, “

Simply see the good in people around you, respect different opinions, spend more time listening and less time talking. Change your world by eliminating the negative and surround yourself with positive. Do good for the people around you. Promote goodness and respect.” 

This is something that all of us can look in the mirror and say to ourselves to make America a more positive place for us and our fellow Americans.  

Some people have said that expressing views will destroy a locker room and divide it, but O’Neil disagrees with this statement. He said, “I think athletics include several different people from different backgrounds coming together. If athletes disagree with each other, they should talk about each other’s views on things. We need more of what you have in a locker room in the real world so that we can come together for one goal.”

It would make sense that we need to view other people as our teammates and work together on one goal rather than trying to tear each other apart for having different views.  

Both O’Neil and Harrell agree that the NJCAA puts athletes in a position where they can express themselves openly without having to worry about backlash from the organization. 

During the home game on Feb. 24., men’s Basketball Chargers score 51 points in the second half to pull away from South Georgia State College, defeating them 96-85.

Keandre Bowles led the team with 17 points. Bowles was able to grab four rebounds. T.J. Horton scored 16 points, while Langston Wilson put up another double-double.

The team shot 61 percent from three-point range, making 11 of their 18 shots from there.

Gallery|6 Photos

Photos by Brandon Dyer

Men’s basketball Chargers win home game.

The GHC baseball team sits at 13-1 so far this season, coming out of a doubleheader sweep against Point University in their most recent outing on February 22.

Coaching

Dash O’Neil returns as the Chargers head coach for his fifth year. O’Neil and his staff were off to a record start in the 2020 season, beginning 21-4. The season was cut short due to Covid-19.

O’Neil said, “[I] like to think that we are a pretty well balanced team and good on all sides of the ball.”

Infield

The Chargers infield is led by sophomore, Trace Twardoski, who leads the team in doubles and runs. His .467 batting average is the second best on the team among players that have played all 12 of the Charger’s games this season.

Sophomore, Palmer Sapp, has the highest batting average among the starting lineup at .481. Sapp also leads the team in triples, with three.

Freshman infielder, Brandon Prince, has seven hits but has been able to drive in 6 RBIs. Prince has stolen the most bases of the team with nine total.

Freshman catcher and first baseman, David Smith, has been able to rack up 18 RBIs and three home runs, the most on the team.

Outfield

Freshman, Connor Todaro, has been the highlight of the Chargers outfield this season. He leads all outfielders in the starting lineup in hits, runs, batting average and stolen bases.

Sophomore, Trenton Parker, has started eight games for the Chargers, getting six hits to date.

On the Mound

Head Coach Dash O’Neil said that the Chargers’ starting pitching is their strength.

This season has already seen history with freshman pitcher, Johnny Dow, throwing the first no-hitter in Chargers’ baseball history. Dow was awarded the NJCAA Player of the Week for his performance for the week of February 1. Dow led the NJCAA in wins last season with six.

Freshman pitcher, Chase Townsend, has the most innings pitched on the team, with 15.1 and the most wins with three. Townsend also has a 2.93 ERA.

Freshman, Ryan Suppa, has the second most innings pitched with 12.1.

Freshman pitcher, Ryan Getz, is the only pitcher aside from Dow that has pitched a complete game this season. He did so on February 2, against Bryan College, winning the game 13-0 and allowing only two hits in the contest.

The team has a 1.95 team ERA, which is the lowest of any Division 1 school that has played 12 games this season in NJCAA.

O’Neil said, “I think the biggest strength of this team is character. We have a lot of guys with it and they love to play, compete and they love each other.”

The GHC baseball team sits at 13-1 so far this season, coming out of a doubleheader sweep against Point University in their most recent outing on February 22.

Coaching

Dash O’Neil returns as the Chargers head coach for his fifth year. O’Neil and his staff were off to a record start in the 2020 season, beginning 21-4. The season was cut short due to Covid-19.

O’Neil said, “[I] like to think that we are a pretty well balanced team and good on all sides of the ball.”

Infield

The Chargers infield is led by sophomore, Trace Twardoski, who leads the team in doubles and runs. His .467 batting average is the second best on the team among players that have played all 12 of the Charger’s games this season.

Sophomore, Palmer Sapp, has the highest batting average among the starting lineup at .481. Sapp also leads the team in triples, with three.

Freshman infielder, Brandon Prince, has seven hits but has been able to drive in 6 RBIs. Prince has stolen the most bases of the team with nine total.

Freshman catcher and first baseman, David Smith, has been able to rack up 18 RBIs and three home runs, the most on the team.

Outfield

Freshman, Connor Todaro, has been the highlight of the Chargers outfield this season. He leads all outfielders in the starting lineup in hits, runs, batting average and stolen bases.

Sophomore, Trenton Parker, has started eight games for the Chargers, getting six hits to date.

On the Mound

Head Coach Dash O’Neil said that the Chargers’ starting pitching is their strength.

This season has already seen history with freshman pitcher, Johnny Dow, throwing the first no-hitter in Chargers’ baseball history. Dow was awarded the NJCAA Player of the Week for his performance for the week of February 1. Dow led the NJCAA in wins last season with six.

Freshman pitcher, Chase Townsend, has the most innings pitched on the team, with 15.1 and the most wins with three. Townsend also has a 2.93 ERA.

Freshman, Ryan Suppa, has the second most innings pitched with 12.1.

Freshman pitcher, Ryan Getz, is the only pitcher aside from Dow that has pitched a complete game this season. He did so on February 2, against Bryan College, winning the game 13-0 and allowing only two hits in the contest.

The team has a 1.95 team ERA, which is the lowest of any Division 1 school that has played 12 games this season in NJCAA.

O’Neil said, “I think the biggest strength of this team is character. We have a lot of guys with it and they love to play, compete and they love each other.”

Last spring was my first semester of college, and up to that point, I was having the best time in my life. I had finally found something that made me genuinely happy: school. Then, COVID-19 happened.

For a while, I struggled with finding happiness anywhere. Everything had changed. That was until the one thing I loved almost more than anything didn’t change: sports.

Sports found every way possible to continue. Some of them started late or had to take breaks, but they powered through and helped get me through a pandemic.

Health officials encouraged everyone to stay at home as much as possible to prevent COVID-19 from spreading, which turned out to be in my favor as I got to stay home and watch more sports than I have in the past. 

During the pandemic, I got to see my childhood idol, Lebron James, win his fourth NBA Championship. It was a surreal moment for me because I didn’t think that the Los Angeles Lakers were good enough to win the championship. But they proved me wrong. I sure am glad that they did.

Next, I got to see my favorite sports team, the Atlanta Braves, make a deep postseason run. They didn’t quite get to the World Series, and lost in the most Atlanta-sports way possible — by blowing a 3-1 series lead against the eventual World Series champions. All was good at the end of the season because I got to see one of my favorite players, Clayton Kershaw of the Los Angeles Dodgers, finally win a World Series ring.

I got to see my favorite college football team, the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets, play 10 games. I became optimistic after they beat the Florida State Seminoles in their first game of the year, but that quickly went south and they ended up going 3-6 at the end of the season. At season’s end, I was happy to watch my sister-in-law post plenty of statuses on Facebook after the Alabama Crimson Tide won yet another National Championship.

Then I got to watch a full season of NFL football, in which my favorite team, the Atlanta Falcons, got to play all 16 games on time. It wasn’t pretty watching the Falcons go 4-12, but I loved every minute of it just because I was happy that they even had a season. 

Lastly, I am currently getting to see both the Georgia Highlands men and women’s basketball teams have great success at the beginning of their season. I got back to being able to do what I love the most: taking pictures of their games and writing about how great they are.

Although scheduling conflicts have interrupted me being able to attend the Georgia Highlands baseball and softball games, I still keep up with their games to see if they win or not. Knowing they can have a season brings a smile to my face.

Day after day there was sports coverage, whether it was of an actual game or brand new stories coming out. When I needed someone there the most, sports welcomed me with open arms.

The men’s Chargers basketball team beat the Southern Crescent Technical College Tigers on Thursday night, February 11, by a score of 74-56. The win brings the Chargers record to 4-0 on the season.

The Chargers were able to set the tone for the game early, as they started the game on an 8-0 run. From there, the Chargers never looked back. They did not trail in the contest and led by as much as 19 at one point during the game.

Top Performers

Cahiem Brown led the Chargers in scoring with 17 points. The key for him in this game was to draw contact, and he was able to do just that, making five of his eight attempts from the free throw line. Brown was effective on defense as well, with two steals. He was also able to haul in six rebounds in the contest.

Langston Wilson finished the game with a double-double, scoring 11 points and grabbing 10 rebounds. His 10 rebounds were the most on the team. He was able to get his hands in the shooter’s face often to prevent the Tigers shots from going in. Wilson was also able to get a pair of steals on the defensive side.

Keandre Bowles was the only starter to score double digit points, finishing the game with 10.

Joel Pullen led the team in assists, with three. He also was able to score 12 points during the game.

Biggest Takeaways

Turnovers

The Chargers remained committed to pressing their opponent throughout the game, which proved to work well as they forced 30 turnovers in the game. These turnovers led to points on the offensive end for the Chargers, as they scored 27 points off turnovers. While applying pressure to the Tigers’ ball handlers, the Chargers were also careful not to commit turnovers of their own, ending with just 13 turnovers.

Bench

The Chargers’ bench was crucial in their win. Finishing with 54 points, three of the four Chargers players that scored in the double digits were from their bench. The Chargers’ bench was able to grab 22 total rebounds. The Tigers’ bench scored 23 points.

What’s ahead for the Chargers

The Chargers will be back in action Thursday in an away game against South Georgia Technical College, before returning home Saturday to face South Georgia Technical College.

With a strong second half, the Chargers men’s basketball team was able to defeat the USC Salkehatchie Indians 91-89 on February 5 to remain undefeated in the young season.

The Chargers look to remain undefeated on February 9 in an away game against Southern Crescent Technical College.

In what was a tight game throughout, the Chargers could not find momentum until the second half, when Sophomore forward Caheim Brown got the ball rolling. Brown scored 15 of his 19 points in the second half to help the Chargers secure the victory. Brown’s 19 points in the contest would end up being the highest score on the team.

Charger Head Coach JJ Merritt’s key to winning the game was, “Fighting,” Merritt said, “It was a constant battle the whole game and thankfully we were able to come out on top.”

The Chargers were able to outscore the Indians 60-38 in the paint and their defensive pressure was able to force the Indians into turning the ball over 18 times.

The Charger bench played a big part in the victory as well with 47 points in the contest.

After the final buzzer sounded there were 17 lead changes in the game.

Merritt said he was, “impressed with the team playing together as a whole.”

The Chargers did just that, with five players scoring double-digit point totals.

Langston Wilson, sophomore forward, was able to become a big factor in the win, scoring 12 points and grabbing 10 rebounds. Wilson was also able to get a block in the contest.

Another sophomore forward, Jarrel Rosser, made a big impact in the game by scoring 12 points to go along with his team-leading 11 rebounds.

Freshman guard Joel Pullen scored 13 points in the contest.

Speaking on how important the victory was for his team, Merritt said, “It’s big for us to beat a ranked opponent and get revenge on the team that beat us to start the season last year was huge.”

The National Junior College Athletic Association, or NJCAA, announced last fall that they would be postponing all spring semester sports. Instead, the spring semester has begun and the regular season for both mens and womens basketball kick off in early February. The upcoming season has provided new challenges for players due to COVID-19 restrictions.

Lady chargers forward O’Mariyah Tucker said that, “Due to COVID-19, a lot of restrictions have been put on me. As an athlete, I have to take extra precautions in order for me to still have a season. I can’t travel back and forth from home like I used to, I have to wear masks everywhere I go and I have to take online [classes] or wait to take them another semester because the teacher only offers online. We haven’t begun our season like normal. We’ve had to wait until February to play, and when the season does start, we have to play the same team three times in one week before we move on to another. So, that’s the new protocol.”

Another issue facing some of these student-athletes is the lack of time being able to see family and loved ones. The men live in an apartment complex and the women have lived in a house together since the week of Aug. 10. Both have taken two breaks, one week for Thanksgiving and three weeks for Christmas.

Chargers forward Jarrell Rosser said that, “A lot of us have girlfriends and family. It’s basically like we are in the NBA bubble in a way because we are trying to stay as far away from people as possible.”

“Most definitely it’s hard not being able to see your family for months. Some days you’re not happy. You don’t even want to get out of the bed,” said Chargers guard Keandre Bowles.

Bowles said his best way to deal with this is to, “Just FaceTime really. Knowing in the back of my head it’ll all be worth it.”

Lady Chargers forward Sasha Shishkina said, “It feels a little lonely seeing our campus this empty. There are more people on campus now compared to the first semester.”

The mental health of student athletes should be taken very seriously, and if you are a student athlete that feels like you are in a bad spot mentally, contact a healthcare professional.