A look into Superbowl Fifty Five - Falcon Flyer

A look into Superbowl Fifty
Five
Superbowl Sunday was unlike any we had ever seen before.
Instead of a sold-out stadium of raving fans, they were
limited to only 30,000 people. People wore masks and parties
were limited in size or didn’t even happen at all. Big
companies like Budweiser didn’t run their annual ads, instead
choosing to donate that money towards COVID-19 relief. The
halftime performance was much more toned down than in the past
with fans not being able to come onto the field for the
performance. High numbers of celebrities that normally filled
the stands were replaced with cardboard cutouts. Overall the
night was entertaining with the game, the performance, and of
course the commercial.

                 Amanda Gorman in the video
                 of her poem before the game
                 began

The night began with Amanda Gorman, a known activist, and
poet, speaking during the pregame show. At only 22 she is
breaking boundaries being the first poet to speak at the Super
Bowl which she hopes will inspire others to continue to break
boundaries. Prior to her performance, Gorman tweeted, “Poetry
at the Super Bowl is a feat for art & our country, because it
means we’re thinking imaginatively about human connection even
when we feel siloed.” She performed a poem by the name of
Chorus of the Captain in honor of three honorary captains that

were selected. All three were regarded as pandemic heroes: a
Los Angeles-based teacher named Trimaine Davis, who provided
laptops and internet connections for students working from
home during the lockdown, an ICU worker in Tampa Bay named
Suzie Dorner, and a Marine veteran from Pittsburgh named James
Martin, who founded the Wounded Warrior Project to help
vulnerable children. After speaking at the 46th inauguration,
she was invited to speak at the Superbowl due to her
incredible voice and the power of her words. It was a chance
to unite people and bring light to those who are working
tirelessly to provide for their students, the country, and
their families. In order to bring the poem to life even
further, songwriter and producer, Rostam, set the poem to a
piano composition.

                                      Singer H.E.R during her
                                      performance

Erich Church and Jazmin
Sullivan    fist-bumping
after their performance

Following   her   performance   grammy-winning   artist,   H.E.R.

performed “America the Beautiful” before Jazmin Sullivan and
Eric Church came together to sing their own rendition of the
national anthem. While both these performances occurred,
Warren Snipe, an ASL performer, signed along.

When the game finally started it was a momentous occasion for
many reasons. It was the first time that a team played in
their home stadium for the actual Superbowl game. This
Superbowl was also Tom Brady’s tenth appearance and he was
seeking out his seventh win. As for the Chiefs, they were
attempting the impressive feat of being back-to-back
champions, an achievement that would have made history for the
team. Although the game did not ultimately go in the favor of
the Kansas City Chiefs, Patrick Mahomes played one of his best
games, throwing a perfect pass while parallel to the field at
one point. The final score saw the game to be 31-9 with the
Tampa Bay Buccaneers winning the Superbowl and Tom Brady
winning his seventh ring. With Brady winning this game he now
holds more Superbowl trophies than the New England Patriots,
the team where he used to play, and won most of his trophies.

         Tom Brady and Gronk celebrate the win

Women broke all kinds of barriers last night at the big game,
which is a welcomed change to a league that has been dominated
by men. On the staff of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Lori Locust,

a defensive line assistant, and Maral Javadifar, assistant
strength and conditioning coach marked history as the first
time two women were coaching the game. Before 2015 there were
no women coaches in the NFL but this past season marked a
record eight women as coaches. It shows that the
representation of women in sports truly does matter in order
to continue inspiring other women and young girls to chase
their own dreams. Another moment of history that occurred last
night was Sarah Thomas is the first woman to be a referee in a
Superbowl game. She became a regular referee in 2015 but was
not a ref during a playoff game until 2019, and in those four
years, she had to tuck her ponytail away. Before making her
way to the NFL Sarah Thomas officiated college games, her
first bowl game being in 2009, and her first Big Ten stadium
game in 2011. Now 47, she is showing young girls and boys all
over that they can do whatever they want, including refereeing
in a man’s game. More and more women officials have been
popping up and demonstrating their own skills which is so
important.

                 Seen: Sarah Thomas, Lori
                 Locust, and Maral Javadifar
                 paving the way for women in
                 the NFL

The Weekend backed by his
                                 dancers during the Halftime
                                 show

The Superbowl Halftime show presented by Pepsi was a new and
unique experience. The Weeknd put on a dazzling performance
singing many of his hit songs like “Can’t Feel My Face” and
“Earned It”. He and each of his background dancers dressed in
red and black suits. The dancers also had white bandages on
their faces, along with a white mask, in homage to his album
After Hours. The performance used many light displays,
beginning with a large choir and instrumental section
resembling the Las Vegas strip. At one point the stage parted
and he went inside and a gold set of tunnels. The camera spun
in all different directions creating an interesting illusion
that there was more space than there actually was. The Weeknd
and all his dancers finally entered the field where they broke
into fun and almost chaotic dancing to match his hit,
“Blinding Lights”. Unlike in years past, he did not have a
surprise guest join him for the show, stating that beforehand
because he wanted to ensure COVID safety by only having his
production team there with him.

A  quick   view  of   the
commericals that showed

Then there was of course everyone’s favorite part of the
evening: the commercials. The commercials were star-studded
with actors like Ashton Kutcher, Matthew McConaughey, Will
Ferrell, Mila Kunis, comedian Awkwafina and singer Bruce
Springsteen all appearing. According to reports CBS, who
hosted the Superbowl, charged 5.5 million dollars for each 30-
second ad. “DoorDash” had a fun commercial with Daveed Diggs
singing a new rendition of The Neighborhood from Sesame Street
with Big Bird playing a major role in the commercial. While
some commercials were funny like “Drake from State Farm” where
Drake was the double for Jake from State Farm, others were
heartwarming. The Toyota commercial was a definite tear-jerker
featuring American Paralympic swimmer Jessica Long. The ad
depicts her life from her adoption story to where she is
today, a 13-time Paralympic Gold medalist. Oatly, a company
that sells oat milk, had its CEO sing a song about how there
was no cow milk and although it was laughable they sold out t-
shirts and I can honestly say that I too wanted to go buy one.
Overall the commercials this year were pretty solid. You can
watch        all        the       commercials         here:
https://www.cnbc.com/2021/02/07/super-bowl-2021-commercials-li
ve-coverage.html

Overall the night was fun, fresh, and exactly what everyone
needed, a bit of normalcy with the excitement of the halftime

show and commercials. The Superbowl thanked the health care
workers, inviting out 7,500 vaccinated workers to honor them.
They still had regular fans in attendance, with one escaping
onto the field for a mad dash to the endzone, but it wasn’t
the normal numbers as to be expected. Here’s to Tom Brady not
winning another Superbowl and hopefully, packed to the brim
stadium next year to cheer on new teams to a win.

2021   Grammy                       Nominations
Released
The long-awaited 2021 Grammy Nominations were announced with
many new and old faces getting nominated in the 84 categories.
In a year different from normal the world of music shifted.
Artists needed to find new ways to write, produce, and release
their albums. Work released between September 1, 2019-August
31, 2020, was eligible to be nominated for a grammy category.
The way the process works is that labels work with their
artists to determine what they can submit to hopefully be
selected in the first round of voting. After the final
submission date, the voting members of the recording academy
take the next steps to evaluate who will actually be
nominated. The process of becoming a voting member of the
recording academy is tricky for multiple reasons. People
applying for the academy must have been a part of at least six
produced records as well as needing strong recommendations
from their peers. Oftentimes, current artists don’t apply for
membership to vote because they usually don’t get in. This is
a cause for eliminating bias in voting. Recently, John Legend
became a voting member which was huge but raised some

questions. In this Grammy Nomination cycle, he was nominated
for awards in two categories, Best R&B Album and Best R&B
Performance. Since he was nominated he is not allowed to vote
in that category section which is why most current performing
artists don’t enter to be voting members. The voting round
takes place on September 30-October 12, 2020 where the voting
members narrow down each category based on the list of
submissions. Now that nominations have been released there
will be one final round of voting that all the eligible voting
members will take part in. The winners will then be announced
on the televised Grammy Awards show in January.

The nominations were all very exciting with names like
CholexHalle getting their first Grammy nominations and artists
like Taylor Swift being nominated to win Album of The Year for
a possible third time. Beyoncé leads the pack of the nominees
with nine nominations. Although there are so many categories
in the Grammys the most looked forward to are usually Album of
the Year, Record of the Year, Song of the Year, Best New
Artist, and Best Pop Vocal Album.

Billie Eilish, who received nods for both Record of the Year
and Song of the Year is the youngest to do so for a second
time, being only eighteen years old. Beyonce is also someone
everyone is keeping their eyes on as she is up to win Best

Music Film back to back. “She would become just the third
artist to win twice in the category, period. Sting and Madonna
were the first two.” Beyoncé is currently the eighth most-
awarded artist of all time and the joint-second most-nominated
alongside Paul McCartney but if she were to win her categories
she would be the most awarded of all time. Taylor Swift is
another one to look out for with a total of six nominations.
After not receiving a nod for her last two albums she felt
this was the time for redemption. She released Folklore at a
time when everyone needed something and it is now paying off
with the nominations she received. In her younger years, “she
was nominated for best country album with three consecutive
studio albums and then pivoted to pop and, without missing a
beat, has been nominated for best pop vocal album with four
consecutive studio albums. Swift’s only studio album to fail
to receive a genre album nod was her first.” BTS, a seven-
member K-pop group, was also nominated for Best Pop Duo/Group
and got the recognition of being the first K-Pop group to
receive this nomination.

Women truly dominated the nominations. Beyonce with nine,
Taylor Swift and Dua Lipa with five each, Billie Eilish with
two. New Comers like CholexHalle, getting three, and Phoebe
Bridgers, with four, picked up their own nominations. Doja Cat
                           and Megan Thee Stallion also
                           received recognition in their
                           categories which were huge wins
                           for each of them. There were also
                           a lot of progressions to happen
                           with these awards seeing some more
                           diversity and inclusion of the
                           LGBTQ+ community. Arca became the
second trans woman to be Grammy-nominated for Best Dance/
Electronic Album category.

Although there were many great people up for nominations there
were definitely many who were snubbed from well-deserved nods.

Artists like The Weekend who released After Hours and lead hit
“Blinding Lights’ ‘ which was a viral sensation failed to
receive anything. The Weekend even took to Twitter stating,
“The Grammys remain corrupt. You owe me, my fans and the
industry transparency…” and many of his fans were outraged
that his album with some of the highest ratings was snubbed
against Justin Bieber who was nominated for his song “Yummy”
Halsey was another one who people questioned not receiving
anything after her release of Maniac. She even took to her
Instagram stories to share her grievances about the awards.
Lady Gaga’s Chromatica was also overlooked in the major
categories which raised many eyebrows but she did receive a
nomination for her song “Rain on Me” with Ariana Grande.

Overall the nominations were exciting and fresh with many
people pleased with the end result. Now is the waiting game
until January 31st, to see who will win in each category, and
most importantly Album of the Year.

Below is a list of the nominees for the most anticipated
categories.

Album of the Year

“Chilombo,” Jhené Aiko

“Black Pumas (Deluxe Edition),” Black Pumas

“Everyday Life,” Coldplay

“Djesse Vol. 3,” Jacob Collier

“Women in Music Pt. III,” Haim

“Future Nostalgia,” Dua Lipa

“Hollywood’s Bleeding,” Post Malone

“Folklore,” Taylor Swift

Record of the Year

“Black Parade,” Beyoncé

“Colors,” Black Pumas

“Rockstar,” DaBaby featuring Roddy Rich

“Say So,” Doja Cat

“Everything I Wanted,” Billie Eilish

“Don’t Start Now,” Dua Lipa

“Circles,” Post Malone

“Savage,” Megan Thee Stallion

Song of the Year

“Black Parade,” (performed by Beyoncé)

“The Box,” (performed by Roddy Ricch)

“Cardigan,” (performed by Taylor Swift)

“Circles,” (performed by Post Malone)

“Don’t Start Now,” (performed by Dua Lipa)

“Everything I Wanted,” (performed by Billie Eilish)

“I Can’t Breathe,” (performed by H.E.R.)

“If the World Was Ending,” (performed by JP Saxe featuring
Julia Michaels)

Best New Artist

Ingrid Andress

Phoebe Bridgers

Chika

Noah Cyrus

D Smoke

Doja Cat

Kaytranada

Megan Thee Stallion

Best Pop Vocal Album

“Changes,” Justin Bieber

“Chromatica,” Lady Gaga

“Future Nostalgia,” Dua Lipa

“Fine Line,” Harry Styles

“Folklore,” Taylor Swift

You can find the full list of nominees in all the categories
at
https://www.grammy.com/grammys/news/2021-grammys-complete-nomi
nees-list

The Grammy Awards will broadcast on Jan. 31, 2021, on CBS at 8
p.m. ET / 5 p.m. PT

The USWNT Return to Camp
   Just last month the United States Women’s National Soccer
Team held a ten-day-long training camp in Denver, Colorado.
This was the first time the entire team had been together
since the She Believes Cup in March of 2020. The new player
roster consisted of 27 players, many being younger and newer
faces.

Coach Vlatko Andovoski said, “Getting the National Team back
together brings us relief and excitement, and I’m thankful for
all the work done behind the scenes to make this happen” Even
with notable players like Rose Lavelle, Sam Mewis, Christen
Press, and Tobin Heath not available for the camp as they were
playing overseas in Europe’s Women League there was still buzz
around the camp. Rose and Sam are both signed on for short-
term contracts with Manchester City while Tobin and Christen
are signed with Manchester United. Also missing from the usual
list of call-ups were Carli Lloyd and Mallory Pugh, who are
both currently undergoing recovery from injuries they
sustained earlier this year. Megan Rapinoe, a very well known
face and name for the team, opted out of the camp due to COVID
concerns. Alex Morgan was also missing because of playing
overseas and the birth of her daughter only six months ago.
The camp focused on getting to know the new faces and getting
back into the swing of team training; therefore, there were no
international games during this camp.

The roster created for the camp consisted of four goalkeepers,
ten defenders, seven midfielders, and six forwards. For many
of the players like Bethany Balcer and Catarina Macario, this
was their first senior team call up. There are four college
players on the roster: Mia Fishel, Naomi Girma, Jaeilin
Howell, and Catarina Macario. With the Pac-12 Conference
potentially pushing women’s soccer to the spring due to the
pandemic, the two Stanford players and UCLA’s Fishel have not
played any matches this fall. On the other hand, all the

players coming from the NWSL have played a series of games in
both the month-long challenge cup tournament and the four-game
fall series. Even the Challenge Cup proposed difficulties with
how Coach Vlatko and his staff could easily scout out new
players. Some players like Kristie Mewis and Kealia Watt were
getting their chance to shine again after playing on youth
teams but never quite making the senior team as a regular.
Kristie Mewis, who has fifteen caps with the National Team,
was a standout in both the Challenge Cup and Fall Series. The
coaching staff wanted to see that players were pushing
themselves even in this not so a conventional year.

Pictured: Coach Vlatko Andonovski ready and
excited for the camp to begin

In an interview done with The Atheltic, Coach Vlatko
Andonovski said, “That’s why watching the game live — or if
not live, in technical footage — is extremely important. When
we’re watching the game, if Kristie is the point of focus,
then we usually have one person following her the whole time,
regardless of where the ball is. We have one person that is
generating notes about her movement and her decision in
proportion to the ball, in regards to the opponents and her
own players.” The technical aspect of games, when watching
footage and watching live, was something crucial that staff

focused on. In order to make sure players are fit and ready to
be called up, coaching staff spent hours watching the footage
of games and talking to players one on one. This is all done
with the idea of getting new faces into the team so that they
could deepen the player pool for the future.

         Pictured: The first day back to full team
         training and already running drills

 “We’re looking forward to getting this group together in
Colorado and we really like the mix of players as far as age,
experience level, and positions,” The camp staff wanted to use
this opportunity to give players who were succeeding with
their club or their college the chance to really step up in
the high-intensity environment that is the senior team. He
felt that there was no better time than the October camp
because with some regulars missing it left many spots open to
younger players who are being integrated into the program with
retirement hedging for several players. Andonovski also
states, “We have a lot of uncapped players and a few who have
had the chance to earn a few caps, but we know that deepening
our player pool is important as we head into 2021.”

Pictured: Goalkeeper Alyssa Naeher staying
                  sharp with her skills

Deepening the pool of players, especially younger ones, going
into another cycle of Olympics and World Cups is extremely
crucial to the future success of the team. According to a
study done by ESPN just after the 2019 Women’s World Cup, the
average age of the team was 28.7. While that may not seem old,
the world of sports is harsh on the players with constant
matches and injuries. The USWNT is a very dominant team,
however, other nations are beginning to catch up because of
their incorporation of youth into the teams. Youth on the
senior team is something that the national team has lacked,
most players not coming in until they were twenty to twenty-
one. The youngest player on the team who capped for the senior
team was Mallory Pugh and she was only seventeen when that
happened. In comparison to other nations, like Canada and
Australia, they had players getting their first caps for the
team at just fifteen years old. Coming into a new era of the
USWNT with coach Vlatko Andonovski there was a big hope that
the introduction of younger players who were ready to play at
the highest level would occur. So far he has been succeeding,
inviting many college players, the youngest being nineteen. In
the October training camp, the average age dropped by two,

becoming 26.5. The USWNT is still one of the older national
teams however, Vlatko and his staff are clear that as time
goes on more and more younger players will be seen.

Due to the COVID pandemic, coming into this camp was very
different than normal for all the players and staff. Before
players even left for the camp, they had to be tested for
COVID and show a negative result in order to be permitted.
When the players arrived in Denver, they went straight to get
a rapid test and a second test that took twenty-four hours for
results. They were sent to isolate themselves in their rooms
while they awaited the test results. No one was allowed to
interact with each other until after everyone’s negative test
results came back. On the first night of camp, the welcome
meeting was conducted over a Zoom meeting to address all of
the protocols that included wearing masks unless players were
on the field, washing hands at least once an hour, and
completing the disinfection of all equipment after use.
Players’ temperatures were frequently taken and they were only
allowed to leave the hotel to go to the training facilities
where they were kept under close supervision.

                  Pictured: Coach Vlatko Andonovski talking
                  to the team after a training session

In order to make sure no one tested positive camp had very
strict guidelines but it went off without a hitch. The medical
staff made it very clear that the safety of the players was of
the utmost importance. Dr. George Chimpas, who also worked
with many of the players in the NWSL, stated, “We’ve worked
hard to make sure our players and staff are aware of all our
strategies and protocols so they will feel safe in the
environment. We all have our responsibilities individually to
execute the proper maintenance of the environment, but
collectively as a team, we all need to work together to make
sure we can have the safest and most productive camp in
October, as well as for events moving forward.”

After the COVID tests came back, the players trained in small
groups, called pods, to make sure everyone got acclimated with
one another as well as to ensure the safety of the players and
staff for the first few days. The coaching staff was out on
the fields for nearly seven hours with all the different pods,
but they said they were just happy to be back coaching and
watching players. They then got into full team training with
drills going off as if it were any normal camp. The only
noticeable differences were the masks and gloves that the
coaching staff had to wear. To ensure safety when they weren’t
on the pitch, players were given assigned seats for eating and
for meetings that were socially distanced. All the players
valued their opportunity to even be at a camp in the midst of
the pandemic so all the precautions were taken very seriously.

Over the week many COVID tests were taken but because of all
the protocols ensured to keep everyone safe there were no
worries. By the end of the ten days, no one had tested
positive. The camp gave the coaches and staff an excellent
view of new players, especially going into this Olympic year.

Pictured: Ashley Sanchez and Jaelin Howell,
         both earning their first senior team call
         up

Best Concert EVER!
My body shook with anticipation as everyone filed into the big
oval stadium, at The Ohio State University, known as the
Horseshoe because of its shape. The stadium that was
traditionally filled with loud raging football fans decorated
in scarlet and grey, was now filled to the brim with people
awaiting Taylor Swift. Instead of chants of O-H-I-O echoing
through the stadium walls, the chatter of what surprise song
would be sung and what she would say during the Long Live/New
Years Day mashup was heard. Young girls who were at their
first concert walked around with their parents decked out in
as much Taylor Swift Reputation gear as they could find.
Groups of friends at their fifth show of the tour, in full-
blown costumes, hoping to be picked to meet Taylor after the

show gathered in circles. I fiddled with the end of my grey
Target edition Taylor Swift t-shirt that I had gotten a few
weeks prior to the drive out to Ohio. Standing at my seat, I
looked over the edge of the C deck down at the bustling floor
of people.

“Mic, watch out.” My mom warned as I slid my phone out of my
back right jean pocket to take a picture of the sight.

I wanted this moment to last forever in the back of my mind so
I could recall it through pictures whenever I wanted. My phone
wobbled in my hand as I took a photo of the stadium with the
sun setting in the background. The sun was setting in a
beautiful mix of pinks and purples as everyone settled into
the, slightly uncomfortable, grey cement stadium seats for the
show to begin.

“Mic, let’s sit down while we wait. It’s probably going to
start soon.” My dad told me, practically pulling me back into
my seat.

 I had a habit of being clumsy, almost falling down the stairs
as we walked into the stadium so they were being extra
cautious since we were up so high. I sat back down in my seat,
nervously playing with the ends of my braided hair, I almost
couldn’t believe this was real even though I was sitting there
waiting. All of a sudden the lights that had been on dimmed,
sending the stadium into darkness except for the bright
shimmering light of the night sky. It was a perfect night for
a concert, perfectly clear, and thankfully no storm clouds
were insight as we all prepared to sing Reputation at the top
of our lungs. The light-up bracelet, that I had been given by
the concert staff, which I made sure multiple times was safely
secured to my wrist flickered to life, causing me to nearly
jump out of my skin with excitement laced through my veins. A
video started to roll on the screen, sending the already
excited crowd into a fit of loud cheers. All the sounds
blended together as the video displayed in front of us, I

nearly had to pinch myself to make sure that it was real.

 “In the death of her reputation, she felt truly alive”
sounded, it was starting.

COVID Comes to the Olympics
With the postponement of the 2020 Olympic Games in Tokyo, many
athletes are feeling the effects. Although it is
understandable as to why it was postponed, it does not make it
any easier. In a New York Times, video Olympic and Paralympic
athletes shared their feeling about the games being pushed
back another year. The 2020 games were going to be huge with
the introduction of a few new sports, such as skateboarding
and surfing. A lot of athletes were going to make their
Olympic debut not only in the games but for their sport.
Although that could still happen in 2021 it does introduce
many setbacks that the athletes do discuss.

For athletes who are constantly at training, competitions, or
flights to places, it’s been a huge adjustment for them to
stay home. Its a total learning experience to revamp how you
train in limited space because not everyone has big backyards.
With training facilities being closed staying in top Olympic
shape is an even bigger struggle than would normally be seen.
People have had to convert garages, living rooms, and even
balconies into workout spaces. Stairs are being used for
running drills and household objects are being used to
practice footwork. Although there has been a massive shift
many athletes seem to understand. Right now is not the time to
be resentful because we can’t control what is going on.

For many of the athletes, they are glad to be home right now.
When you’re competing you are constantly traveling and this
allows for a little down-time. It also allows for people who
might not have been in top shape due to an injury to
recuperate and come back stronger. All of the athletes were
grateful that they’re even able to continue training in any
capacity while being home and although it’s not the summer
they planned you just have to keep pushing forward. It is
being looked at as “delayed not canceled” because the Olympics
are still going to happen. Although it’s hard right now, and
quite frankly is very upsetting, it’s important to look at the
positives which the athletes have been sure to highlight.

In the New York Times video, they showed the various athletes
from all over picking up new skills. A handful of them learned
instruments and produced some music. Some simply had family
game nights or hung out with siblings in the backyard. No
matter what they are going to keep training, keep pushing, and
take this time to grow even more so we can bring home gold
next Summer.

As positive of an outlook that they had, I do feel like if I
were in their shoes I would be lost. When you dedicate your
whole life training for this one moment and things shift it
can be very disheartening. I mean I was upset about the 2020
games being postponed and I’m not even an athlete. However, I
do think that the athletes in the video, many of whom would
have played in the games for the first time as their sport was
introduced, had a very good look at things. I definitely would
be upset about the postponement at first but as they said it’s
important to keep training and moving forward so we can get to
those 2021 games. It’s hard to adapt when all you know has
been changed to what the new normal is, especially when no one
saw it coming. Yet, all these athletes seem unfazed as they
keep up with their training. Instead of sights set in 2020,
they’re now set in 2021.

All I can say now is that the 2021 games are going to be

bigger and even better. These athletes are going to come back
stronger and ready to fight for gold. I can truly say I am
beyond excited to see how the 2021 Olympics happen. The
competition is going to be fierce and these athletes are going
to be nothing short of prepared. Bring on the games and the
gold. And as always Go USA!

NWSL: First American Pro
Sports League Running Again
The NWSL, National Women’s Soccer League, was very vocal about
wanting to get their players back on the pitch as soon as
possible. It was announced on May 27 that a tournament, deemed
the Challenge Cup, would be taking place in Utah starting on
June 27. A lot of fans speculated if it was worth it to host
this tournament, especially when COVID worries are still high.
However, Commissioner of the league, Lisa Baird, reassured
everyone that at the core everyone’s safety is the most
important. The event is hosted by Secret, the deodorant brand,
and P&G. To ensure the safety of the players and staff, only
essential personnel will be allowed to be in Utah for the
tournament. All nine teams are only allowed 35 people at most,
a roster of 28 and then seven staff members. It makes it a bit
more tricky to manage the player’s minutes and ensure no one
gets hurt because there are fewer players in attendance.

In a press release, the NWSL announced that “The format of the
tournament will feature the league’s nine clubs each playing
four games in the preliminary rounds to determine seeding. The
top eight teams will advance to the quarterfinals, when the
tournament becomes a knockout competition.” The Semi-Final and
Final will be played at Rio-Tinto Stadium and will be hosted

by Budweiser, one of the league’s newser sponsors but a long
time supporter of women’s sports. The final game is expected
to be played on July 26, a month after the tournament kicks
off.

The tournament was cleared by the Utah Governor, Gary Herbert,
and many people who live in Utah have nothing but praise for
the tournament occurs. It is a great way to draw attention to
women’s soccer and really sports in general as sports slowly
begin to come back. The NWSL owners and commissioner worked
closely with the players association to make sure that
everyone was happy with the way the tournament was being run
as well as that they felt safe. However, the most important
thing is that players feel safe which is why they can opt-out
if they really want to. Along with that, the mothers in the
league are being provided with child care in Utah so that they
don’t have to leave their kids home if they don’t have someone
to watch them. For those that choose to opt-out because of the
health risk, having children, or even just not wanting to play
right now, they will still be compensated and provided with
their in-season homes that are often paid for by the teams.
When in Utah all team members and staff will be supplied with
a living space, transportation to training, and other costs
they need to be covered. Commissioner Baird stated that they
will get whatever the players need because their comfort is
essential.

As for the safety aspect of things, the NWSL began again in a
series of phases as most institutes have. Phase one included
individual training at facilities. For most teams, time slots
were filled in with when they came in and players were
assigned a quadrant on the field. The only people were medical
professionals and the players. Along with that players were
required to bring their own equipment to play with. Phase two
was unique to each team in regards to when it would happen. It
introduced small group training, no more than 8 players,
however, coaches were also allowed to be there to advise.

Before this was    allowed each player was tested to ensure no
one was positive   for the virus. Once that went smoothly for a
week the teams      could then slowly shift into full team
practices with     all essential staff there as well.

Each team member and staff were required to be tested before
full team training could take place and if all tested back
negative they were good to go. Most teams are back to full
team training now with most players saying they are happy to
be back on the field. Players and staff are required to show
up to training with a mask on, they are checked for fever by a
medical professional and are required to remain a bit
distanced in the locker rooms, however, things are on a much
better track than they were a month ago. Phase four of this
plan is the tournament. Two days before the team depart for
Utah they are to be tested for the virus. As well as that,
teams are also taking chartered flights to Utah and using team
vans in Utah to ensure that everyone is kept secluded mostly
to their team. Each team will be staying in an apartment
complex where they will be provided with everything they need
as well as a means to stay busy since they are being
encouraged to not leave unless for training or games.

Overall the players seem excited to be training again and
ready to get back on the field with their teammates. The first
game kicks off on June 27, 2020, at Zions Bank Stadium in
Herriman, Utah. The teams were drawn for their seed on CBS
sports live stream to determine who would play who. The first
game of the 25 game series will be between NC Courage v.
Portland Thorns FC and can be watched on CBS. The rest of the
games will be available on CBS All Access which is six dollars
a month and would cover the whole tournament. The championship
game will also be aired on CBS. For more information and the
playing schedule head over to nwslsoccer.com.

Farewell Mr. Wetzel
If you have spent any significant time walking the halls of
Manchester Regional High School, then surely you must have
seen the smiling, friendly face of Mr. Wetzel, one of the best
substitute teachers the school has ever employed.

Born on April 18th at St. Joseph’s Hospital in Paterson, New
Jersey, Mr. Wetzel had a lifelong connection to Passaic County
and its people. In l967 he graduated from Butler High School,
where he was active in sports and played football. At first,
Mr. Wetzel joined his father in the family luggage business,
but his love of History put him on a different path.

Mr. Wetzel decided to go to Bloomfield College to earn a
degree in teaching. He then spent his adult life teaching
History in the Passaic County School System. When his time to
retire arrived, Mr. Wetzel found that his love of teaching
lived on and so he decided to return to teaching as a
substitute.

To know Mr. Wetzel was to know that he loved all things
historical, but he also loved to go hiking and visit his
friends and family on Nantucket Island in Massachusetts. While
he will be missed greatly, his memory will live on in all of
the minds and hearts of the students he taught and the faculty
members he befriended. Most of all, I will remember his
perpetual smile and positive outlook.

TV Show Review: Utopia Falls
on HULU
Utopia falls was released on February 14th, 2020 with all ten
episodes coming out at once. Although it does not have very
high scores on IMDB or Rotten Tomatoes, the show is gripping
and exciting. The show is definitely geared toward a teenage
audience but could be watched and enjoyed by all ages. Utopia
Falls is a sci-fi drama series about a dystopian world called
New Babyl. The society in which the characters live is divided
into four sectors. Nature, Industry, Progress, and Reform.
People are separated based on status and they are told to
follow a certain set of rules. No one seems to be bothered by
their day to day life. That is until the Exemplar, an annual
contest for all who are musically gifted in their 16th year,
candidates are chosen. The core characters selected for the
competition are Sage, Brooklyn, Mags, Bohdi, Tempo, Apollo,
and Aliyah. Aliyah’s mother died when she was four and her
father works for the Tribunal which governs the society. New
Babyl has core values that stem from the foundation belief
that people are just meant to except where they are and as
they say, “for state, for community, for all.”

At the first night of the Exemplar competition everyone gets
an invite to a party in the woods that is just beyond city
limits; however, one of the most important rules of the city
is that you don’t go beyond its limits. From there, things get
wild. An archive, as they choose to call it, is found by
Aliyah and Bodhi that holds all the knowledge of what the
world was like before it came crashing down. Everyone becomes
intrigued, and begins to incorporate things that they learned
in the archive into their musical performances which go
completely against the ways of New Babyl. From there the
rebellion starts. It starts slow but it gets much larger than
they could ever imagine. Hip-hop begins to infiltrate New

Babyl and change the way that people think for the better.

Now, obviously, it can’t be a teen drama without a love
triangle which becomes apparent quickly. Aliyah and Tempo come
into the competition hoping to make it to the end together so
they can live the rest of their life together, but that
changes when Bodhi comes into the picture. On the other end of
the spectrum there is an obvious tension between Sage and
Brooklyn as they work to understand their feelings for
eachother.

The show has an incredible storyline but the production is
average so don’t be too overly analytical with the stages and
special effects. It is also a Canadian production which means
that many of their sci-fi actors overlap with other shows that
have been on Canadian air.

Another added bonus to the show is the incredible cast. They
are talented and super fun to watch on screen and off. They
are very active on social media, posting fans artwork, video
edits, and even replying to tweets to answer questions. They
go live on instagram and very interactive which makes the
journey of watching the show even better.

Utopia Falls is full of friendship, rebellion, heart, singing,
dancing, and adventure. What’s not to love? And as Brooklyn
would say, “It’s flames”

Cast: Robyn Alomar, Akiel Julien, Robbie Graham-Kuntz, Phillip
Lewitski, Humberly Gonzalez, Devyn Nekoda, Mickeey Nguyen,
Kate Drummond, Jeff Teravainen, Huse Madhavji, Dwain Murphy,
plus the voice of Snoop Dogg

Creator: R.T. Thorne

Showrunner: Joseph Mallozzi

Women’s    Soccer                            Olympic
Qualifying
The 2020 Summer Olympics are fast approaching. The Tokyo Games
are just six months out with the opening ceremony beginning on
July 24th. The schedule is jam-packed with all different
athletics on showcase right up until the closing ceremony on
August 9th.

In order to participate in the Olympics, qualifying rounds
occur. They determine the fittest and most eligible teams to
play in the games. This ensures it’s full of the fiercest
competitors in the world. In the coming summer months, the
United States Women’s National Soccer team has a huge task at
hand. Since they won the 2019 World Cup, they are under
pressure and have their eyes set on gold in Tokyo.

The first set of Olympic qualifying women’s soccer games is
taking place in Texas then the semi-finals and finals of the
qualifying tournament will be in California. Eight different
nations are being represented in this tournament but only two
will end up qualified to be part of the Olympics. The CONCACAF
(an acronym for the region from which the teams hail) games
will include, the United States, Canda, Saint Kitts and
Nieves, Jamaica, Haiti, Mexico, Panama and Costa Rica. These
eight teams were broken into group A and group B. The first
and second place teams, from each of the groups, will play in
a semi-final round. The winners from each semi-final game are
the two teams that will advance to the 2020 Olympics.

Group A consists of players from the United States, Haiti,
Panama, and Costa Rica. Group B is made up of Canada, Saint
Kitts and Nieves, Jamaica, and Mexico.

The game series kicked off on January 28th with the first game
taking place between Panama and Costa Rica. The final score
was 6-1 in favor of Costa Rica. The Costa Rican team heavily
dominated the game having nearly double the number of shots
and passes. They also dominated possession which made it easy
for them to gain the win in the end.

Later that day, the United States played against Haiti. In the
first 90 seconds of the game, Christen Press scored for the
U.S. putting them in the lead. It was the team’s first game
back since October so their goal-scoring didn’t soar, but by
the end of the game, the U.S. had won 4-0. Lynn Williams,
Carli Lloyd, and Lindsey Horan all scored goals, too. By the
end of the match, Rose Lavelle earned a yellow card for three
consecutive fouls and there were a bunch of minor injuries on
Haiti’s side making their trainers very busy.

The next set of games was played on January 29th with the
first game of the day being Canada vs. Saint Kitts and Nieves.
Leading up to this game there was huge talk about Christine
Sinclair, the Canadian team captain, breaking the record for
all-time international goal scored. The record was set and
held by Abby Wambach with 185 goals in her career. Going into
the game, Sinclair had 184 goals so she just needed two ore to
pull ahead. A few minutes into the game Canada was awarded a
penalty kick which Sinclair took. That marked one more goal
for her. Just moments later, she scored a second goal of the
match giving her just what she needed to pass the scoring
record. In celebration, her teammates lined up like bowling
pins and she pretended to score a strike. Sinclair now holds
the most international goals scored of all time in both men
and women’s soccer. The rest of the game was pretty uneventful
for Saint Kitts and Nieves but Canada seemed to try as hard as
they could to rack up the score. In the end, Canada won 11-0.

Right after that game, Mexico played Jamaica. It ended up
being a 1-0 game, the only goal of the game being scored in
the 35th minute. For the rest of the game, each teams’ stats

were very similar, 9-10 when it came to shots, 3-4 when it
came to shots on target. However, possession did favor Mexico
most of the game which is how they pulled out the win.

After the first round of games, Costa Rica leads Group A and
Canda leads Group B by a large margin of 11-1 in goal
differential.

The second round of the group stages kicked with Haiti vs.
Costa Rica. This game was very rough right off the bat with a
yellow card being given out just 13 minutes into the game. As
the game progressed, three more yellows were given out, two to
Haiti and one to Costa Rica. The star of this game was Raquel
‘Rocky’ Rodriguez who scored both goals for the Costa Rican
team. Haiti had 7 shots, 5 of which were on target but
unfortunately, they were not able to convert any of them to
goals. Costa Rica was definitely on top of things with higher
passing accuracy and fewer fouls. Haiti tried hard but overall
their play was slightly out of sync which is what ended up
leading to their loss.

The next game played was the USA vs. Panama. When the lineup
for this game was released, many fans of the USWNT (US Women’s
National Team) were confused because it strayed from the
typical lineup; however, the group of girls dominated. The
final score of the game ended up being 0-8 in favor of the
U.S. and Lindsey Horan made a huge impact on this game by
scoring three goals, one being a hat-trick, as well as having
many shots on target. The goalkeeper of Panama, Yenith Bailey,
was subbed off the field at the 33rd minute shortly after a
head collision with Jessica McDonald from the U.S. team. It
was released that Bailey fractured her face and is now out for
4-6 weeks. Tobin Heath came in at the 75th minute and scored
at the 79th with an impressive goal that she didn’t even have
to look at the goal to make.

Saint Kitts and Nieves played Mexico next in a game that ended
6-0 with Mexico coming out the winners. In the first half of

the game, Mexico was able to score four on Saint Kitts
goalkeeper. Mexico played heavy in the game keeping Saint
Kitts on their toes as they took 26 shots, nine of them being
on goal. Mexico had more passes and overall more possession of
the ball which is how they were able to stay on top of things
and control the game in their favor. At the 62nd minute of
the game, a yellow card was given to Rebeca Bernal of Mexico.

Canada then went on to play Jamaica where they won 9-0.
Jamaica’s captain was given a yellow card roughly 30 minutes
into the game. The star of this match was Canada’s Jordyn
Huitema who scored five goals in the time she played. Jordyn
is only 18 but has been with the national team for a while but
this was her stand out moment. Of the six shots that Jordyn
took five were converted to goals. Canada had a much higher
pass accuracy and overall had more passes than Jamaica did
throughout the whole game.

The next two games, Panama vs. Haiti and the U.S. vs. Costa
Rica, ended in the same score of 6-0. Out of those teams,
Haiti and the United States were able to pull out the wins.
During the Haiti game, two yellow cards were given out to
Panama in the second half of the match. Overall Haiti had
better stats keeping more possession of the ball as well as a
clearer pass accuracy which aided them in pulling out their
win. Of the eleven attempted goals that Panama had, six were
on goal but the Haiti keeper was able to keep them out.

The United States vs. Costa Rica game was played at a very
fast pace with the first goal being scored only four minutes
into the game by Christen Press. By the end of the game, Press
had scored one more. Samantha Mewis also scored two with
Lindsey Horan close behind with one goal. At the 62nd minute,
a yellow card was given to a Costa Rican player. The USWNT
heavily dominated the game having 20 shots compared to Costa
Rica’s zero shots. The US had more than 50% of the ball
possession which easily allowed them to make runs up the field
to score. In the end, the USWNT was able to pull out a win

which was not a major shock to viewers of the game who watched
the US control it.

The rest of the tournament can be watched on Fs1 or Fs2. The
CONCACAF youtube is also live-streaming the games.

Tech classes are soaring to
new heights at MRHS

 Students are shown here teaching Dr. Hernandez all about the podcast
 equipment available.

                              « ‹ 1 of 11   › »

Due to the high level of interest in last year’s drone club,
MRHS introduced a new class to the 2019 technology department,
the Drone Class. The class allows for students to
simultaneously work on various projects. Separated into five
groups, the class switches projects roughly every two weeks so
that everyone gets to try different projects and work with
different classmates. Since the class began with an interest
in drones, Mr. Yob designed two groups out of the five for
specific drone activities.

The first group is the rescue drone group and the second group
is the racing drone group. There are two main differences
between the rescue group and the racing group. The rescue
group goes on imagined Legoman rescue missions where Lego
figures are hidden in either the Innovation Center or the hall
outside Mr. Yob’s classroom. The group is meant to work as a
team in order to rescue the Lego characters. The team
practices coding in order to get their drones to fly where the
Legoman is located instead of flying the drones through the
use of a controller and VR goggles.

The second group is the drone racing group. In this group, the
students fly the drones with VR goggles and controllers
through an obstacle course in the innovation center. Once the
flying is complete, mathematics come into the picture as the
teams are tasked with calculating the speed, distance, and
time it took for the drone to travel through the course.

A third group in the class spends time testing online Virtual
Reality simulation programs to determine if they are
educationally substantial. This is important because VR is an
expanding, 21st Century teaching tool that can make learning
fun at MRHS. One of the programs, that the group was testing,
taught students how to build a car. It gave insightful
thoughts and hands on experiences that can’t be obtained in a
standard classroom. It also showed the mechanical aspects

involved in car maintenance. Ms. Morstatt, the Innovation
Center’s Library Media Specialist, also takes classes on
virtual field trips using this new technology. English classes
have begun to take advantage of this opportunity to enhance
the reading of the novels in class.

A fourth group researches and uses podcasting equipment that
can later be sent out to English classes or any other classes
that are interested. The goal for this group is to teach
students how to be experts in this field so that they can
teach others and spread the technology throughout the school’s
classrooms. Rayvon Barrett, a student in the class currently
working with the podcast group, said, “I like it because it’s
fun, but I’m also learning.”

In the end, the class, as fun as it sounds, is much harder
than what first meets the eye. For example, one of the drone
groups has to do a multitude of calculations in order to
determine how fast the drone is moving. It requires some deep
level critical thinking while students are engaging with the
drones.

By taking this class students are given the opportunity to
test for the Federal Aviation Administration Drone License
which means they can someday fly drones and get paid to do so.
Modern construction companies use drones to view inside
chimneys, underneath decks, and roofs of properties all in
hopes to help advance their work. Realtors have also used
drones to get better images of homes and available property
lots on the market. This gives the consumer a better look at
what is actually available to them. In other words, a drone
license can open up employment opportunities for years to
come.

The MRHS Drone Department will continue to expand as the use
of technology is ever growing. In the next few years there is
a hope to obtain even more drones for the class and to add
more sections of drone classes so that students can fit them

into their 21st Century schedules.

Kick Out Breast Cancer
The MRHS Girl’s Soccer team is having their season ender “Kick
Out Breast Cancer” soccer game tomorrow, October 25th. It is
also Senior night for the team’s Senior players which starts
at 4:00 pm tomorrow! Goodies will be sold with all the
proceeds going toward breast cancer research. Be sure to make
it out to the game and cheer on the MRHS girls soccer team and

their wonderful Seniors.

Homecoming Bonfire….. H-O-T!

                              On Friday, October 18th the
Haledon Fire Department’s pre-built MRHS Homecoming bonfire
wasn’t the only thing lighting up the night. From the powerful
beat of the MRHS Drumline to the neon lights from the Dramatic
Arts Department’s wearable glow-stick, fundraising table, the
whole night was lit! Food trucks provided the nearly 300
person crowd with spicy carnitas, toasty hot chocolate, and
sweet treats.

It was not only a bonfire, but a pep rally as well. At the
event, there were exciting games to play with friends and
family, entertaining music, food trucks with delicious meals,
and much more! Our Manchester cheerleaders made a performance
and afterward, our Football team was introduced. The bonfire
also served as a platform for the MRHS homecoming court voting
system.

Each sport’s team was given time to be introduced by their
team’s captain. Natalie Castro, a senior and 4-year soccer
player, announced the girl’s soccer team. As each player came
onto the bonfire field, they ran through a tunnel of seniors
who carried them through a chant. Haley Bhatt, a senior on the
cheer team and a homecoming queen nominee, led the cheer team
through their halftime routine. The performance was filled
with stunts and jumps. The girls volleyball team was announced
by Isabella Bonilla, who later was named our 2019 Homecoming
Queen.

Albroz Aloush and Erce Savas, the captains of the boys soccer
team, announced their players and followed that with a chant
to get school spirit for the team going. Finally, the football
team was announced by captains Michael Lora and Jamal Deloach.
After all the players were announced, they did their halftime
chant. Time was also taken to announce the new National Honor
Society inductees. The new inductees were a mix of Seniors and
Juniors, many of whom were also athletes being announced that
night.

To make sure everyone was kept entertained, the Student
Council threw fun games into the mix. A potato sack race was
held between the different grades. The Juniors vs. Freshman
race was first and the Juniors won. Then it was the Sophomores
vs. Seniors and the Seniors won. The Junior representative
then went head to head with the Senior representative and, in
the end, the Juniors came out strong with a win. Next, a
dance circle was formed near the DJ booth to give everyone a
chance to show off some of their moves. Jersey Club Music
played from the speakers as everyone cheered on whoever was in
the center of the circle.

To end the night, all of the homecoming nominees were given
time to give a quick speech about why MRHS classmates should
vote for them. Nominees for Homecoming Queen were Haley Bhatt,
Isabella Bonilla, Reema Joukhai, and Aya Aljanadi. The
Homecoming King nominees were Isaiah Sparkes, Jamal Deloach,

Carmine Federico, and Ethan Holguin. After all the speeches
had concluded, everyone who was there was able to vote for
whomever they wanted to be crowned the MRHS 2019 Homecoming
King and Queen.

The homecoming football game took place the next day where the
Falcons dominated 52-8. During halftime, the homecoming court
was announced and the king, Jamal Deloach and Queen, Isabella
Bonilla, were given crowns and sashes to commemorate their
win.

Overall, the MRHS bonfire was a huge success that was loads of
fun for everyone!

What’s Your Natural High?
Red Ribbon Week began in 1985 following the death of DEA (Drug
Enforcement Administration) agent Enrique Camarena. He was
captured while leaving his office building on February 7,
1985, and then found dead one month later. He had been
tortured by the men who captured him. To honor his memory,
Enrique’s friends and family wore red, satin ribbons on their
clothing.

Camarena’s work within the DEA to stop illegal drugs was so
extensive, it did not go unnoticed by the city of Guadalajara
and its neighborhoods. Soon after his death, groups began
using Camarena as a symbol of the idea that only one person
needs to speak up to make a difference. In 1988, the first
National Red Ribbon celebration was officially declared and
sponsored by the National Family Partnership.

Schools all across the country celebrate Red Ribbon Week by
having assemblies and keeping people aware of the dangers of

drugs. Researchers have collected data saying 87% of teens
have tried their first cigarette by the age of 18 and 95% by
the age of 21. Teenagers are declining their health by abusing
drugs. They can stunt your growth and cause your body to
change negatively. Tobacco companies have attracted customers
by glamorizing their products. They are promoted by a
celebrity or the products are given kid friendly flavors.
Whatever promotion they use, it is causing many young adults
to fall for their tactics.

This year, the School Based Youth Service Program (SBYSP)
Falcons’ Lounge with the help of our SAC counselor, Melissa
Mitchell and the MRHS Interact Club, is bringing the Red
Ribbon Campaign to MRHS. From October 23rd to October 31st,
MRHS will be celebrating the national campaign in hopes to
raise awareness. The goal for the MRHS Red Ribbon Week is to
get students thinking about ways to feel good without having
to smoke, drink, or take any drugs. Freshman Garrett Rolle
created the slogan for the week, “Why be HIGH as a MOUNTAIN
when you can be FLY like a FALCON?” which was voted on by
students who attended a SBYSP Falcons’ Lounge after school
training.