Students Celebrate the End of First Semester!
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The Sun Devils’ Advocate Volume XLI, Number 8 Kent Denver School, 4000 East Quincy Avenue, Englewood, CO 80110 December 21, 2017 Students Celebrate The End Of First Semester! Seniors decorate to celebrate the end of the semester and the holidays. Photo by Cordelia Lowrey What’s Cool Girl’s Integrity of In The US Basketball Journalism See Page 4 See Page 6 See Page 14 News Fraternity Controversies Threaten Greek Life instead waited over twelve hours to call the new culture, and our students must be full par- by Emily Hogan police, turning the possibly nonfatal situation ticipants in creating it.” In the past couple of months, headlines into a tragedy. Video footage of that night’s Though many colleges across the nation on the controversial topic of college fraterni- events led to criminal charges being brought have experienced comparable situations, not ties have spread throughout multiple news upon a total of twenty five students. Accord- all Greek life is similar. Greek life, in general, sources. The organizations have been in the ing to CNN, the charges include manslaughter, is a celebrated tradition in which college stu- spotlight due to numerous deaths and injuries assault, hazing, and distribution of alcohol to dents take part in a social organization, meet caused by brutal hazing tactics and high alco- minors. While certain felony charges were ul- new people, and become a part of something hol consumption. Colleges such as Penn State, timately dismissed, fourteen students still need bigger than themselves. Fraternities have been Florida State University, and many more have to stand trial for Timothy Piazza’s death. around since the eighteenth century and have experienced situations in which students, par- Another college that has been under scruti- continuously grown through the decades. ticularly underclassmen, were harmed due to ny recently is Florida State University, where, While it has been debated on whether fra- excessive hazing. As a result, fraternities have according to The Washington Post, a student ternities should remain or not, it is important to been examined by college authorities, which named Andrew Coffey died in early Novem- consider that these organizations give students has sparked both backlash and support from ber, with alcohol presumably being a factor in a feeling of belonging and happiness. How- the public. his death. This is not the only scandal to plague ever, instances such as those at Penn State and This intense media attention arguably be- Florida State University though, as 20-year-old Florida State University have, understandably, gan with the death of Penn State sophomore, fraternity member, Garret John Marcy, was re- triggered a massive negative public response. Tim Piazza, on February 3, 2017. According to cently charged with selling and trafficking co- caine. These fraternity deaths were a result of The Atlantic Magazine, he was involved with a hazing and the poor judgement of college stu- hazing event and fell down the stairs after hav- As a result of these many controversies, dents. While the banning of fraternities nation- ing multiple drinks, resulting in traumatic brain Florida State University President, John ally does not seem likely, these events urge for injuries, lacerated spleen, and a ruptured abdo- Thrasher, has issued a suspension of all Greek change and reform to the Greek system. The men. He could have, however, survived the fall life at the college, adding, “For this suspension act of change on a smaller scale to the Greek if his fellow fraternity brothers at Beta Theta Pi to end, there will need to be a new normal for system as a whole could prevent similar situa- had called for help immediately; however, they Greek life at the university... There must be a tions from happening in the future. Ball Family Takes Over News Headlines Coincidentally, Trump arrived in China for Although the United States and China seem by Henry Rogers and Andrew Park a friendly visit while this shoplifting incident to have recovered from this incident, the near was unfolding. After spending a week confined possibility of a diplomatic disaster by three During the past year, the infamous Ball in a hotel, the three players finally received UCLA players does concern the future of in- family has appeared as a consistent front page confirmation of their release. President Trump ternational relations with regards to sports. news story. The family rose to stardom due to claimed that he was responsible for their re- When the three players returned to the their son, Lonzo Ball, and his exceptional per- lease after a conversation with President Xi of formance for the Los Angeles Lakers. United States, they were suspended indefi- China. When interviewed by the media, Lian- nitely from playing basketball at UCLA. Lavar Lavar Ball, the boisterous father of the Ball gelo Ball expresses his regret over causing a Ball has claimed that he does not believe that family, has made bold statements regarding potential international disaster. his son should serve the indefinite suspension. his son Lonzo being better than Golden States’ The incident sparked a heated Twitter con- Steph Curry and the whole college division as Recently, Lavar Ball has made headlines flict between Lavar Ball and President Trump. by pulling his youngest and arguably most well as being a lottery pick in the first round The President tweeted the following: “It wasn’t of the NBA draft. However, all of this current talented son, Lamelo Ball, out of Chino Hills the White House, it wasn’t the State Depart- High School. Lavar Ball has been known to commotion has strained the relationship be- ment, it wasn’t father LaVar’s so-called people tween the media and the family, resulting in make extremely quick and brash decisions. on the ground in China that got his son out of Also, recently Lavar Ball also decided to with- constant news stories appearing on national a long term prison sentence - IT WAS ME... television. draw Liangelo Ball from enrollment at UCLA Just think LaVar, you could have spent the next and remove him from the basketball team. Recent headlines have caught the atten- 5 to 10 years during Thanksgiving with your The plan currently, Lavar claims, is for his tion of everyday citizens and put a stigma on son in China, but no NBA contract to support two younger boys Liangelo and Lamelo to be- the Ball family name. The middle child of the you. But remember LaVar, shoplifting is NOT come professional basketball players and play family, Liangelo Ball, as well as two other a little thing. It’s a really big deal, especially in in Europe on the same team. The two boys UCLA players, have been accused of shoplift- China. Ungrateful fool!” ing name-brand products from several stores in have signed a one year contract for a basket- Lavar responded by saying,“Let him do his ball team in Lithuania named Prienu Vytautas. China. Video footage from CNN provided sol- political affairs and let me handle my son and It is unclear whether both boys will have id evidence of the three players stealing glasses let’s just stay in our lane... Tell Donald Trump the talent to make it to the NBA; however, La- from a Louis Vuitton store. In China shoplift- to have a great Thanksgiving,” and he sent var Ball states his desire to send all three of his ing is considered a major crime that can result President Trump a pair of the family’s brand boys to play in the NBA for the Lakers. in a prison sentence of up to ten years. of shoes. Page 2, THE SUN DEVILS’ ADVOCATE, December 21st, 2017 News International Community Aids Iranian Earthquake by Emily Amspoker is also extreme. The United States Geologi- cal Study estimated that the total cost of the Imagine you are sitting at home on a Sun- earthquake’s damage is around 100 million US day evening and the ground begins to tremble. dollars or over 3 trillion Iranian rials. This cost Perhaps you do not feel it at first, but eventual- is shouldered by the government, but several ly your house starts shaking, collapsing around countries have contributed foreign aid. you. You run out of your house, and when you The first of these countries was Turkey, get outside, all you see is destruction. As far as who supplied aid in the form of 4,000 tents and the eye can see, your hometown is unrecogniz- 7,000 blankets, as well as financial aid given to able. the Iranian Red Crescent. Similarly, Italy sent While this might seem terrifying, this is just a plane containing tents, blankets, and even a small fraction of the horror that people liv- mobile kitchens the day after the earthquake. ing on the Iran-Iraq border experienced when Several other entities, including the European an earthquake struck on November 12, 2017. Union, have offered aid. However, in the Unit- Graphic by Jessica Garcia The earthquake’s seismic activity was ranked a ed States, it’s nearly impossible to supply aid from foreign organizations or from individual 7.3 on the Richter scale, .3 points higher than to many Iranian organizations working to pro- Iranians. the 2010 earthquake in Haiti. The earthquake vide relief due to the multitudinous economic The ruling powers imposed martial law affected many places throughout the Middle sanctions put in place by the Office of Foreign in the devastated region of Sarpol-E-Hasab, East, from Kuwait to the United Arab Emir- Assets Control. One can, however, donate to which only seemed to aggravate the situation. ates. However, the worst effects were felt in several smaller organizations approved by the Furthermore, these Islamic Republic forces the Iranian region of Sarpol-e-Zahab.