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Weekly Wind Down

Collaberative content, written, edited, and produced by members of the KAMP Student Radio

The Past Week in History

Written by: Kira McClure

Published: October 14, 2021

It was on today’s date 74 years ago, that the first human broke the sound barrier. Utilizing the experimental Bell X-1 supersonic aircraft, U.S Air Force pilot Chuck Yeager broke the sound barrier going 662 miles per hour at an altitude of over 40 thousand feet (History.com Editors).

Born in Myra, West Virginia in 1923, Yeager had a storied career as both a combat and an experimental pilot (History.com Editors). He flew 64 combat missions during the Second World War, and 127 combat missions during the Vietnam War. Over the course of his career, he flew over “201 types of military aircraft”, from the P-39 “Airacobra” to the SR-71 “Blackbird” (examples of which can be seen at the Pima Air & Space Museum in Tucson). Chuck Yeager died last year on December, 7th, at the age of 97 (Larsen).

The Past Week on Campus

Written by: Rhiannon S. Cox

Published: October 14, 2021

On Saturday, October 16th from 4-10 P.M., the Arizona Esports Arena will be hosting a launch party. On the lowest level of the Student Union Memorial Center, room 138 is now home to numerous PCs for all students to play games such as Rocket League, Fortnite, or any games you own. While typically there will be a per-hour charge to play at the arena, this Saturday free play will be available at the launch party. In addition to free play, there will be food and drinks, competitions, as well as a game console giveaway. Following the launch party, the Esports Arena will be open seven days a week from 11 A.M. to 10 P.M. Students will be able to play casually, or join the University of Arizona Esports team for competitive play. The arena is also open for event reservations.

The Past Week Locally

Written by: Alex Ray Sanchez

Published: October 14, 2021

While at the “Tucson Meet Yourself” event this past Sunday I saw a lot of cool things, enthusiastic people to be there, and a lot of good food being sold to locals. A particular group that caught my interest was the “International Rescue Committee Tucson at a Glance”. You are probably asking the same question I had when I initially saw them. Who is the International Rescue Committee? What do they do? And what are they doing in Tucson?

Founded by Albert Einstein in 1933 the International Rescue Committee “helps people whose lives and livelihoods are shattered by conflict and disaster to survive, recover, and regain control of their future.” (https://www.rescue.org/who-we-are). Its mission is to “provide opportunities for refugees, survivors of violent conflict...rebuild their lives and self-reliance”(Rescue.org/Tucson). They are a humanitarian organization that works globally to fulfill their mission.

Opening their office here in Tucson in 1997 their impact has been felt very recently with IRC Tucson overseeing the recent arrival of over two dozen Afghan refugees coming overseas and into Tucson. “Lutheran Social Services of the Southwest and the International Rescue Committee oversee the immediate needs of refugees, such as housing and transportation.” (Hannah Tiede, KOLD 13 Fox News). Donations to this organization help refugees in Tucson and will “immediately be put to work to provide employment opportunities, training, assistance with housing, counseling, English language instruction, access to public services including health services, and education.” (IRC Tucson). Their overall local impact over the last fiscal year here in Tucson saw 983 refugees served, 85 job placements, and 11,607 total hours of volunteer support. If you ever want to help refugees in your local community, the International Rescue Committee is always looking for volunteers and will take any donations you can give to ensure the safety of our new Tucson locals.

The Past Week Nationally

Written by: Ashley Arleen Avila

Published: October 14, 2021

The American workforce has been rising up to combat low wages and poor working conditions. Across various industries, ranging from healthcare to agriculture, workers are massing together and coordinating large strikes as they battle for improved benefits. Over 100,000 unionized employees have voted to authorize strikes and are preparing their picket lines.

When the clock hit midnight on Thursday, over 10,000 John Deere production and


warehouse workers walked off the job after passing on a meager contract agreement


provided by John Deere. During the pandemic, workers were forced to work overtime with


workdays usually lasting 10 to 12 hours. While workers were out working exceedingly long


hours, John Deere reported large profit increases compared to years prior. In just the first


three quarters of 2021, John Deere has already made a $4.7 billion profit. The contract


provided to John Deere workers would have only resulted in a 5-6% raise for some workers,


depending on their position. John Deere workers overwhelmingly rejected this offer and


employees are seeking better healthcare coverage and better pay for all workers.

Other industries have also seen an increase in the demand for labor rights. 2,000 New York hospital workers, 700 nurses, 1,400 Kellogg plant workers, and 38,000 Kaiser Permanente workers in California and Oregon are authorized to go on strike in the U.S. Meanwhile 60,000 TV and film production workers are preparing to go on strike Monday, October 18th, if their union is unable to secure a satisfactory contract with The Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers. While strikes have been less common in the past decade due to corporate crunch down on labor laws, this may be the spark for a renewed interest in pushing for better labor rights in the U.S. Remember to support your local and national strikes, make donations if possible, and push elected leaders to take a stance on pro-labor legislation to push down on the inequality and harsh conditions placed on workers in the U.S.

The Past Week Internationally

Written by: Sophie Carlisle

Published: October 14, 2021


Violence against women is something that many of us are unfortunately familiar with. The epidemic of women and young girls who are slaughtered and raped each year continues, despite heavy pushback from activists across the world. In recent months, three high-profile murders of young women, Gabby Petito in the US and Sarah Everard and Sabina Nessa both from the UK, have reignited the fight against gendered violence.

In the United States last year, “3,573 murder victims” were women (Statistica, 2021).


The majority of those women are similar to Gabby Petito: their deaths were at the hands of


an intimate partner. Intimate Partner Violence is so common that “[m]ore than 3 women are


killed by husbands/boyfriends every day” (Emory, 2019). These statistics are terrifying for the


millions of people in violent relationships who could one day become victims themselves.


The UK phone company BT wants to change that. BT has plans to launch a new app


that would have a “walk me home service.” The app also referred to as the 888 services,


would track women walking home with GPS until they reached their destination (ABC, 2021).


If the person using the service fails to reach their destination in the estimated time period,


emergency calls would be sent to both the police force and the individual’s listed emergency


contacts (Daily Mail, 2021). BT CEO Philip Jansen expressed his opinions about the service


to The Daily Mail saying, “The very existence of the 888 services should also act as a


deterrent to criminals, knowing that the alarm will automatically be raised if their victim


doesn't reach their destination on time…” (The Daily Mail, 2021). The service has been


reportedly supported by UK Home Secretary Priti Patel, and many hope that support will


extend throughout the British government (ABC, 2021). With tentative plans to launch by


Christmas of this year, the service could potentially help women, and people of all genders,


who worry about traveling alone.


For more information on the above stories visit the links below:


History:

History.com Editors. “Chuck Yeager Breaks the Sound Barrier.” History.com, A&E Television Networks, 24 Nov. 2009, https://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/yeager-breaks-sound-barrier.

Larsen, Klaus. “Timeline.” CHUCKYEAGER.ORG, CHUCKYEAGER.ORG, 21 Feb. 2021, http://www.chuckyeager.org/history/184/.

Campus:

“Welcome to the Arizona Esports Arena.” Student Union, union.arizona.edu/involvement/arizonaesportsarena/index.php.

Local:


National:

International:

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-10074059/Priti-Patel-plans-888-number-worried-women.html



Questions, Comments, Concerns? Feel free to email news@kamp.arizona.edu with any content-related inquiries.


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