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Collaberative content, written, edited, and produced by members of the KAMP Student Radio
The Past Week in History
Written by: Fabiana Delgadillo
Published: November 4, 2021
For months Australia’s national bird, the emu, had been demolishing local farmers’ crops. It was a disaster and the farmers and local veterans didn’t have enough ammo or resources to handle the situation. Together they concluded that the most logical solution for this problem was to ask the Australian Minister of Defense, George Pearce, to go to war against the emus.
And so, on November 2, 1932, the Australian military and a camera crew were sent off to Campion, Australia to kill a herd of 50 emus. The goal was to kill 20,000 emus by the end. It was a simple mission and an easy way to get good national publicity. They were doing a favor for their nation’s veterans after all.
Using machine guns, the army began to attack the emus. As soon as the 5.7-foot tall birds noticed the attack, they simply ran away. In the end, they were able to kill “a number” of emus.
For their second attack on November 4, they spotted 1,000 emus and managed to kill 12 emus before their machine guns jammed.
The army decided to relocate and was able to kill a total of 200 emus and continued to improve their aim as time went on. By the end of the emu war, it is reported that the army used 9,860 rounds of ammunition to kill 986 out of the 20,000 emus.
The Past Week on Campus
Written by: Alex Sanchez
Published: November 4, 2021
The University of Arizona is coming off a year of nearly everyone being virtual. This meant no in-person class, in-person office hours, or in-person events. In 2021, thanks to the COVID vaccine we are now able to have more of a somewhat return to normal. Something that was not possible last year that the University can host is homecoming!
Many things will be happening this upcoming weekend thanks to homecoming. The University of Arizona Wildcats football team will be taking on Cal and hopefully snag their first win of the season in front of their home crowd, The classes of 1970 and 1971 are invited back to campus to celebrate their 50th reunion, members of the “Silver & Sage Society”(Alumni who graduated more than 50 years ago) are also invited, The college of science will be hosting a tailgate in an enclosed area on the Flandrau lawn before the football game, Tucson Humanities Festival will be hosting “‘Luci, Telecamera, Azione: An Acting LIfe From Broadway to Milan’” as apart of the Universities 2021 homecoming events, and there will also be the “Homecoming Bonfire and King & Queen Crowning” at 2:30 am. If you are looking for something to do on campus this weekend there will be plenty of homecoming festivities to take part in.
Written by: Rhiannon S. Cox
Published: November 4, 2021
On November 15th, Turning Point USA founder Charlie Kirk is going to be speaking at our campus on the old main grounds. You may have already had interactions with Turning Point USA, as they have a relatively active chapter on campus. However, both Charlie Kirk and Turning Point USA both have problematic ideological backgrounds that should not be overlooked.
To put it in simple terms, TPUSA and Charlie Kirk have supported racist, anti-LGBT, Islamaphobic, anti-sematic, and anti-immigration viewpoints since the organization has been founded. TPUSA also has many ties to far-extremist organizations, and chapters have a history of platforming white supremacists and other far right figures. In fact, the organization has caught the attention of both the Southern Poverty Law Center and the Anti-Defamation League as having problems with bigotry and extremism.
In response to Kirk’s speaking engagement on campus, the University of Arizona YDSA (Young Democratic Socialists of America) is hosting a donation drive as both an act of protest and community service on November 15th from 6-8 PM. The wish list includes toiletry items (toilet paper, hand/dish soap, hand sanitizer, masks, paper towels, hygiene supplies, etc). Monetary donations will also be taken in cash or via Venmo. Donations will go directly to local mutual aid groups and charities in Tucson.
The Past Week Locally
Written by: Rhiannon S. Cox
Published: November 4, 2021
On Tuesday, November 2nd, voters in Tucson made their decision on Proposition 206. Prop 206 intends to increase Tucson’s minimum wage, currently at $12.15, gradually to $15 dollars by 2025[1] . The minimum wage will continue to increase after 2025 in relation to inflation. About 60% of voters voted to pass Prop 206, while 30% voted no and 8% chose not to vote. [2] [3] Notably, Arizona Senator Kyrsten Sinema voted against a federal minimum wage increase. This prompted Tucson activists, such as Tucson Fight for $15, to begin campaigning on a more local level. With Proposition 206 passed, the first wage increase will take place in April 2022, with minimum wage going up to $13.
The Past Week Nationally
Written by: David Aguilera
Published: November 4, 2021
Over the last week, the internet has taken to twitter and other social media to criticize the University of California Santa Barbara’s new proposal for a windowless megadorm. The backlash occurred due to several aspects of the proposal and the billionaire behind the design. The origins of the design trace back to 2016, when 97-year old billionaire Charlie Munger donated $200 million to the project, inserting himself as a large influence on the plan. According to reports, Munger decidedly made his donation only if he could have control over the design. One of the main issues with the project is the minimal use of windows throughout the entire residence, which is designed for 4,500 students. Of the rooms within the 1.68 million-square foot complex, about 94% do not have windows. Furthermore, the proposal only includes two entrances for what might be considered one of the biggest student dormitories ever designed. Munger attempted to address the lack of windows by stating that the building would have artificial "window" monitors, similar to the portholes on Disney cruise line ships, where "starfish come in and wink at your children". Another controversial aspect of the project is the designer himself: Charlie Munger. He happens to be an outspoken billionaire, claiming that he would “rather be a billionaire and not be loved by everybody than not have any money”. In protest to the proposal, one of the consulting architects for the university's design review committee resigned from his position. The architect, Dennis McFadden, has expressed his disapproval of the proposal. McFadden declares that the building is a “social and psychological experiment”. Despite all of the criticism and the internal disapproval, UCSB plans to continue with the project. A university spokesperson, Andrea Estrada, went as far as to defend the design, mentioning that dormitory is “transformational co-living student housing”. The reaction of internet users to the plans made the story go mainstream, with some people comparing the whole design to a prison.
The Past Week Internationally
Written by: Ashley Arleen Avila
Published: November 4, 2021
Protests and important discussions are abound at the COP26 conference occurring in Glasgow, Scotland from October 31, 2021 to November 12, 2021. The goal of COP26 is to unite the world in tackling climate change, but has it succeeded so far?
For 26 years, the United Nations has been bringing together almost every country in the world for COP, which stands for Conference of the Parties. In these near worldwide conferences, the attending nations work together to uncover ways of tackling climate change. This year, the event is bringing together 190 world leaders and tens of thousands of negotiators, government representatives, businesses, and citizens.
Why is there so much attention on this year’s COP? It’s been 5 years since COP21, where countries agreed to limit global warming below a 2 degree increase, with an ideal increase of less than 1.5 degrees. Also known as the Paris Agreement, every country in attendance agreed to sign (although some countries, such as the US exited the agreement but have recently rejoined). This year is instrumental for the Paris Agreement, however. This is the year that the countries who promised to reduce their emissions have to come through with national plans that will detail exactly how they’ll minimize global warming.
Countries are expected to be ambitious and come with high yielding plans, but these goals often have to be yielded due to the interests of fossil fuel corporations. The goals for COP26 this year are: achieve global net zero by 2050; keep global warming within 1.5 degrees; protect natural habitats; provide public and private sector financing to climate projects; and finalize the Paris Rulebook which details the rules needed to follow the Paris Agreement.
As of the writing of this article, COP26 is on its 3rd day, yet many controversies have occured. Hundreds of protestors gathered in Glasgow on Wednesday in opposition to “greenwashing” which is where companies promote eco-friendly products or services while actively harming the environment. While companies, banks, and investors are making promises to fund green energy (these promises include more than $130 trillion in assets to pursue climate goals), many protesters present had little hope that these investments will go through. In addition, COP26 has been the subject of discourse regarding the food options, which some news outlets and social media users have likened to “serving cigarettes at a cancer conference.” The menu was 60% dishes that contained beef and dairy products, most of which have high greenhouse gas emissions. However, each dish was labeled with its respective carbon footprint and almost all the ingredients were locally sourced within 100 miles. While food production is a large portion of global greenhouse gas emissions, transportation emissions are also important to take into account.
On the other hand, there have been some advances in the way the world will address climate change going forward. 18 countries have pledged to phase out coal power plants domestically and to stop funding international coal projects. It is as of yet it’s unclear whether the U.S. is a part of that pledge.
Written by: Sophie Carlisle Applin
Published: November 4, 2021
In July, a picture of the Norwegian Women’s Beach Handball Team went viral. The photo showed an unobtrusive group of female handball players wearing bikini tops and shorts. Astute viewers noticed the outfit change for the athletes, with elastic thigh-length shorts replacing the well-known bikini bottoms that women on beach handball and volleyball teams wear. The outfit change for the Norwegian women was not for fashion but in protest of the International Handball Federation’s “uniform” regulation, which until October 2021, required all female handball athletes to wear bikini tops and bottoms (The New York Times, 2021).
The regulation has been repeatedly denounced as sexist, with many critics of the regulation comparing it to the men’s beach handball uniform that is allowed to be loose fitting. The new rules for women’s beach handball players came after much outcry surrounding the team’s uniform. Their choice of clothing landed the Norwegian women’s handball a fine of 1500 Euros during the Euro 21 Tournament in Bulgaria, which many people, including pop star Pink, offered to pay (The Guardian).
Support was not limited to celebrities. Many sports ministers across the world threw their name behind the regulation change, including Norway’s own culture minister, Abid Raja. The high-profile seems to have been effective and, in October of this year, the International Handball Federation changed its regulations. The new uniform regulation allows female Beach Handball players to wear “a body fit tank top, short tight pants and eventual accessories” (International Handball Federation, 2021). This change is considered a win for equality in women’s sports, but there is still a long way to go before sports are a truly equal place for all.
For more information on the above stories visit the links below:
History:
Campus:
In Response to Kirk
Kelley, Brendan. “Turning Point USA's Blooming Romance with the Alt-Right.” Southern Poverty Law Center, 16 Feb. 2018, https://www.splcenter.org/hatewatch/2018/02/16/turning-point-usas-blooming-romance-alt-right.
“Turning Point USA.” Anti-Defamation League, https://www.adl.org/resources/backgrounders/turning-point-usa.
Local:
Kaplan, Juliana. “Kyrsten Sinema's Hometown Is about to Raise the Minimum Wage to $15 - a Measure the Arizona Senator Voted Against.” Business Insider, Business Insider, 3 Nov. 2021, https://www.businessinsider.com/tucson-sinemas-birthplace-just-voted-for-a-15-minimum-wage-2021-11.
Ludden, Nicole. “Voters Pass Tucson's $15 Minimum Wage Proposition.” Arizona Daily Star, 3 Nov. 2021, https://tucson.com/news/local/voters-pass-tucsons-15-minimum-wage-proposition/article_66860bfe-3757-11ec-9988-630cb6e35849.html.
National:
International:
“COP 26.” UN Climate Change Conference (COP26) at the SEC – Glasgow 2021, 26 Oct. 2021, ukcop26.org/.
Macintosh, Ruairidh. “Amount of Finance Committed to Achieving 1.5°C Now at Scale Needed to Deliver the Transition.” Glasgow Financial Alliance for Net Zero, 3 Nov. 2021, www.gfanzero.com/press/amount-of-finance-committed-to-achieving-1-5c-now-at-scale-needed-to-deliver-the-transition/.
Morrow, Daniel. “COP26 Food Menu Likened to 'Serving Cigarettes at a Cancer Conference.” Daily Record, 4 Nov. 2021, www.dailyrecord.co.uk/news/scottish-news/cop26-food-menu-criticised-mostly-25372431.
Plumer, Brad. “Key Moments From Day 3 of the COP26 Climate Summit.” The New York
Times, The New York Times, 4 Nov. 2021, www.nytimes.com/live/2021/11/03/world/cop26-glasgow-climate-summit.
International Federation of Handball nixes skimpy bikini requirement
https://www.ihf.info/sites/default/files/2021-10/09B%20-%20Rules%20of%20the%20Game_Beach%20Handball_E_0.pdf
https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2021/nov/01/handball-federation-changes-uniform-rules-after-pressure-over-sexist-bikini-rule
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