Collaberative content, written, edited, and produced by members of the KAMP Student Radio
The Past Week in History
Written by: David A. Aguilera
Published: November 11, 2021
On November 11th, 1852, Louisa May Alcott, one of the most popular children’s writers during the 19th century, published her first short story. One of Louisa May Alcott’s most famous novels is Little Women, published in 1868, and followed by several sequels in the following decades. Little Women proves to be one of those significant works of fiction that continue to be read by generations of children across the United States and the world. Beyond being a children’s writer through novels and short stories, Alcott was also a poet. Furthermore, her range as a writer allowed her to explore different genres of fiction, often being credited with having published one of the first works of American detective fiction. One of the works that established her reputation was Hospital Sketches from 1863, which was based on her experience as a nurse for Union troops during the Civil War. During her early career, Alcott wrote short stories for them to be published in local newspapers. In the case of her first short story, she was able to publish it in The Saturday Evening Gazette, effectively starting her career as a writer. This first story was titled “The Rival Painters: A Story of Rome”, and was followed by a streak of melodramatic short stories for more than two decades. During this period of time, Alcott was able to provide for her family through this constant cycle of publications. It was also around the time of her early career that she published some of her novels and short stories under different pen names, such as A. M. Barnard. This approach was mainly used when publishing material aimed at an adult audience, with these works focusing on slightly darker themes in comparison to her contribution to children’s literature. Throughout her life Alcott was also involved in the political sphere mainly through activism as a feminist and abolitinist. Her participation in reform movements and other forms of efforts towards women’s suffrage reflect her values. In addition, the fact that she never married also depicts an aspect of 19th century New England society, perhaps it was harder to be as politically active if one married.
The Past Week Locally
Written by: Ashley Arleen Avila
Published: November 11, 2021
It occurred during the 2021 University of Arizona Homecoming Day: our football team’s
first win this season. With only a few seconds left on the clock, and a score of 10-3, raving fans in the audience knew that they were witnessing a momentous event in this University of
Arizona’s football season. “I think there were around 30 seconds left in the clock when they
basically stopped and that's how we knew we won,” said University of Arizona Architecture
Student, David Aguilera, who attended the momentous football game. People flooded the field in support of the University of Arizona team who had so far lost all 20 prior games.
Not only was this a week full of celebration for the University of Arizona Football team,
but many other exciting events occurred over the course of Homecoming 2021. The class of
2020 held their commencement ceremony after being unable to celebrate in person due to
COVID-19. The Lighting of “A” Mountain was a success and there is a brand new Homecoming Court. Overall, the University of Arizona campus has kept this past week incredibly lively.
A picture of the University of Arizona stadium on November 6, 2021
A picture of the crowd at the University of Arizona stadium on November 6, 2021
A picture of the crowds rushing the field during the University football game after the
University the Arizona Team won.
Images by David Aguilera
The Past Week Nationally
Written by: Sophie Applin
Published: November 11, 2021
Last Friday, music lovers gathered in Houston, Texas for Travis Scott’s Astroworld concert. The event at NRG Park had more than 50,000 fans in attendance excited to hear Scott’s most popular songs. However, the excitement quickly disappeared after nine concert-goers died in a crowd-surge.
According to CNN, “the victims were 14, 16, two were 21, two were 23 and one was 27 years old” (CNN, 2021). One of the victim’s ages is unknown and the last victim, who died last night from injuries sustained at the crowd surge, was a 22 year old woman from Texas A&M University (CNN, 2021).
Crowd-surging is a common occurrence at concerts, however, rarely does it lead to death. In the case of Astroworld, concert-goers surged towards the stage in an attempt to get closer to Scott. The resulting rush of people created a tight mass that prevented anyone from escaping. This rush led to suffocation, among other ailments (PBS NewsHour, 2021).
The crowd-surge, while common, has brought Scott and his team newfound media attention and criticism. Fans have criticized him for not pausing the show when people were screaming out for help, with many turning to the comment section on Instagram to express how they feel. Others have called attention to the rapper’s girlfriend’s insensitivity surrounding the tragedy. In a now deleted video, social media influencer Kylie Jenner filmed emergency vehicles arriving at the venue and posted the footage to her Instagram Story (CBS8, 2021). Fans have demanded to know why the celebrities did not stop the show when emergency vehicles arrived at the scene.
However, according to the Wall Street Journal, stopping a show during a performance is not so easy. In an article published November 10, the Journal reported that Houston city officials were hesitant to stop the show in fear of a riot among Scott’s fans. Scott’s lawyers also told the Journal that “when he was told to stop, he stopped- and it was an abbreviated set.” (The Wall Street Journal, 2021). Scott has a reputation for being a performer to rile up crowds, but death is a new addition to his typically wild concerts. Scott has offered his condolences for the lives lost, but an Instagram apology will not bring back the victims who died.
The Past Week Internationally
Written by: Rhiannon S. Cox
Published: November 11, 2021
London’s River Thames has had a difficult history since the 19th century. In 1858, sewage flowed into the Thames which provided London with drinking water. And in 1959, scientists declared the river biologically dead due to low oxygen levels being unable to sustain marine life (Cheng). In the 21st century, the temperature of the river has been rising 0.34 degrees fahrenheit every year since 2007 (Cheng). Even today, there is a struggle with microplastics finding their way into the water and being eaten by local animals. Despite the Thames’s previous challenges, however, conditions are beginning to improve.
Thanks to recent cleanup efforts, more species of wildlife have been found residing in and around the River Thames. Both the harbour seal and the grey seal as well as avocets, which went extinct in Britain in 1842, have seen increasing populations around the Thames (Neuman). Additionally, phosphorus levels have decreased, showing the improvement of local sewage treatment. Although the state of the Thames is improving for birds and marine mammals, fish are still facing various difficulties. In order to combat this, the city of London is building a new sewer project known as the Thames Tideway Tunnel (Neuman). The tunnel will collect sewage overflow and prevent it from entering the estuaries, keeping the water clean for the fish species in the Thames.
For more information on the above stories visit the links below:
Historical:
Local:
Johnson, Cole. “For the First Time in 763 Days, Arizona Has Won a Football Game.” The Daily
Wildcat, 6 Nov. 2021, www.wildcat.arizona.edu/article/2021/11/s-arizona-vs-cal-halftime-update.
National:
International:
Cheng, Amy. “London's River Thames, Now Home to Sharks, Seals and Sea Horses, Is No Longer 'Biologically Dead'.” The Washington Post, WP Company, 11 Nov. 2021, https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/2021/11/11/sharks-thames-river-london/.
Neuman, Scott. “Zombie River? London's Thames, Once Biologically Dead, Has Been Coming Back to Life.” NPR, NPR, 11 Nov. 2021, https://www.npr.org/2021/11/11/1054645619/state-of-the-river-thames-report-london
Questions, Comments, Concerns? Feel free to email news@kamp.arizona.edu with any content-related inquiries.