Engineering
Overthinking every angle since the invention of the wheel.
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*calculating the number of pineapples*
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"Do I have the Grinch face right?"
Animal Science
"Dog must feel better. Kiss make it all better."
Finance
The rich one.
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Sports
Serena Williams Fights Sexism at US Open
The way we treat male and female professional tennis players has to be the same.
25 September 2018
196
Hannah Leigh
For 14 years I lived in Southern California, a hub for sports like tennis and water polo; many players that eventually sign to play division 1 sports or eventually enter the professional tennis world get their start in the sunny climate of California. Growing up near the greater Los Angeles area meant that I lived near where the greatest female tennis player of all time got her start. It's common knowledge that both Serena Williams and her sister Venus Williams have roots in Compton, a blue-collar city in Los Angeles known for its high crime rates.
I had the amazing opportunity of seeing Serena play in 2016 at the BNP Paribas played in Indian Wells, CA. Watching her sure power and her commandment of the court left me in awe. Growing up as a young girl playing tennis practically ensures having Serena as an idol, and I was no different. Naturally, seeing her slammed by critics for her outburst during the US Open earlier this September left me appalled. Set to win her 24th Grand Slam title, Williams lost to Naomi Osaka, the first Japanese man or woman to win a Grand Slam.
The problem that many see as controversial is the treatment of Williams by umpire Carlos Ramos, citing Williams's "verbal abuse" that cost her a game penalty and the point penalty because of a smashed racquet. This especially infuriated me because the male tennis players are frequently celebrated for their emotional outbursts; they are praised for their passion. This incident goes back to the traditional gender roles that we as a society celebrate. When a woman asserts, her dominance, she's bossy. When a man does, he's the man. We as a society accept anger more when it comes from a man than from a woman, and it needs to stop. The first step is recognizing sexism where it happens, which is what Serena did. I am now even more proud to call her my idol.
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Sports
Serena Williams VS Tennis Umpire: Who's Right And Who's Wrong?
The answer to the big debate of that tennis match.
21 September 2018
430
Serena Williams and Naomi Osaka were at the finals of the US Open on Saturday, September 8th. Everyone was looking forward to the game because if Williams won, it would be her record of 24 Grand Slam Titles. It was a heated and intense game until it began to fall apart.
The umpire penalized Williams for getting coaching assistance during the game, which was later revealed to be true by her coach, but Williams had not seen the coaching. Because she had not seen the assistance that she was receiving, she went off on the umpire, who is particularly known to be strict and stiff on penalizations and did not pull back his decision. Then, the match was going badly for Williams and she lost the point to Osaka. Williams broke her racket and got penalized for that. Lastly, a final blow was given to Serena when she proclaimed that the umpire was "a thief" on the court. The penalizations built up and Osaka won the Grand Slam title, a first for Japan.
The heated argument between Williams and the Umpire sparked debate as well as discussion on the apparent sexist and racist ways of the umpire, which indirectly leads to the flawed ways of the tennis organization in general. Despite it being "just" a tennis game, something didn't sit right with me how people were bashing the umpire, people were taking sides labeling the 'good' as Serena and 'bad' as the umpire and how the winner, Osaka, and her feelings seemed to be left out of the picture and disregarded when she was a huge part of the entire game. It kept bugging me in my subconscious. I read numerous articles about how Serena has pointed out the flaws in the system and she didn't deserve to be treated the way she did. I'm not against any of those claims, but I recently read an opinion piece by Martina Navratilova on the New York Times that gave me more peace with this match.
Serena versus Umpire: who's right and who's wrong?
There is no bad or good guy in this, I think both the umpire and Serena were at fault, as Navratilova says in her article, but it was also just how the play had happened to play out; yes, there are apparent discrepancies between treatment of men and women (as well as race as many articles suggest) in regards to the tennis rules, which do need to be fixed (which I believe is a systemic problem more than an individual problem), but breaking a racket could have been avoided as could any other past breaking-a-racket-action could have in any past game or on any court.
Both parties could have acted better during the game. But at the end of the game, Serena Williams became the sportswoman that she is and whole-heartedly congratulated Naomi Osaka for her win. Yet because of the boo-ing, the arguments, and the confusion, Osaka apologized to the crowd and seemed to have mixed feelings about her win as the first Japanese woman. I think though, despite both Serena and the Umpire in the wrong and the controversy along with it, Osaka deserves to celebrate her hard work and her win.
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Sports
Naomi Osaka Deserves Better, She Is An Inspiration To Young Tennis Players
She shows that dedication and perseverance can get help you accomplish your dreams.
21 September 2018
280
I really respect Serena Williams as a tennis player. She's won 23 Grand Slams as a singles player which truly speaks to not only her athleticism but her skill in the sport. However, I do have a problem with her behavior in the 2018 US Open Final, as it was not only disrespectful of the officials and sport but robbed Naomi Osaka of the chance to celebrate her first Grand Slam at only 20 years old.
Naomi's first Grand Slam should have been the happiest moment of her life; it's the moment she finally graduates from just another tennis player to a name in the record books. It's also the moment that many players are finally taken seriously by commentators and those within the tennis world. It's not a moment that a player should spend crying and apologizing.
While I believe that Serena did spark an incredibly important conversation, she could have done so in a significantly more respectful and constructive way. The manner in which she spoke in her post-match press conference about sexism is a prime example of this and how her words have a vast amount of power even off the court.
While I feel that sexism is a major issue within tennis and should be brought up, I felt in this particular case that Serena used it as an excuse for her disrespectful behavior and frustration at her declining performance within the match.
The crowd should not have booed at Naomi Osaka's victory. Not only were they booing a 20-year-old woman who had done nothing more than play her hardest and fight to get to where she was, but they were booing their countrywoman.
While Naomi Osaka represents Japan, she is just as much an American as Serena Williams. She was born in Japan yet has lived most of her life in the United States and holds dual citizenship. Her choice to represent Japan was due to the fact that the United States Tennis Association (USTA) was unwilling to support her while Japan was. She's a role model to all young girls that were told: "you're not good enough". She shows them that if you put in the effort and dedication things have a way of working out in your favor.
Naomi Osaka deserves better as so all women in tennis.
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Sports
Victory Has Defeated You: The Problem Of Entitlement In Sports
A tale of two athletes.
17 September 2018
286
https://www.pexels.com/photo/ball-tennis-court-racket-7753/
The higher they climb, the harder they fall. The more time they spend at the top, the less they expect to fall. Victory has defeated them.
The sporting world is more competitive than ever before. Advancements in health, medicine, and technology have lengthened the careers of athletes. As a result, athletes are able to stay at the top of their game for longer, well into their thirties.
Change is something that people almost never welcome willingly. Winning is something you get used to, specially when you have spent over a decade at the top of the sporting world as a world-famous athlete. Hence, when they realise that they are being surpassed by new, young upstarts, their reactions aren't pretty. They get so used to having their way, it's unfathomable for them to imagine someone else taking away their victory. They feel as if the sporting world owes them a debt, as if they are entitled to win the highest honors because of their achievements and legendary status.
Victory, in a sense, has defeated them. It has defeated their ability to suffer, their ability to stand back up after falling down. The very same ability that brought them to the top.
Last week, 20-year-old Naomi Osaka won her first ever Grand Slam title by beating veteran Serena Williams in the US Open final. Throughout the match, Williams continued to throw tantrums: she proceeded to insult the umpire by calling him a "thief" and accusing him of sexism, all simply because he deducted points from her and gave her a penalty for taking coaching in the middle of the match and for breaking her racket on the court.
Looking at the facts here, the umpire was fair and justified in handing her the penalties for misconduct and violation of the rules of the game. This is neither an issue of sexism nor of racism, as Serena's opponent was also a woman of color who did not face any charges, due to her clean game. Instead, this whole controversy is merely a publicity stunt by Williams, upset at the fact that her fairy-tale return to the sport from her pregnancy was now cut short twice in quick succession, with the first incident being her loss in the Wimbledon final back in July. Unfortunately for Naomi, her impressive accomplishment and one of the best moments of her life, were shattered as she cried to the jeering of the crowd. The internet, social media, and the news outlets were all talking and debating about Williams, instead of focusing on the accolades of the young woman.
Williams, however, is not the sole victim of her own hubris. Another notable example has been Cristiano Ronaldo, the world's most popular soccer player. After his high-profile move from Real Madrid to Italian giants Juventus, Ronaldo lost out FIFA's Best Player of the Year award to former teammate Luka Modric. Modric inspired both club and country throughout the season, leading Real Madrid to their third consecutive Champions League title, and guiding Croatia to the World Cup final.
Instead of congratulating his former teammate of 5 years, with whom he shared unprecedented success, Ronaldo decided to skip the ceremony and not wish Modric for winning the award after he found out that he failed to win, according to reports. Unfortunately for Modric, the press coverage mostly went to Ronaldo and his reactions, rather than focusing on his stellar performances over the past season.
As rapid progress is made in fields related to sports, it is to be expected that players will be able to sustain a career for longer periods of time. However, we must still bear in mind that this should not be an excuse to try and prolong the inevitable. Change will eventually come, and there is no point in resisting it. The newer breed of players will replace the old stars, and we, as fans, must embrace it and move on, instead of trying to live in the days of the past. The old must pave the way for the new.
Nothing is bigger than the sport. No player can claim to "deserve" anything, no player should be entitled to anything, regardless of their past accomplishments. What matters is the spirit of the game. What matters is that all of these athletes, amongst countless others, will go down as legends of their respective sports, and will hold a special place in the hearts of millions of fans across the world.
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Sports
To Naomi Osaka, The 2018 US Open Women's Champion, You Deserve Better
All the words I wish you would hear and believe, on the biggest accomplishment of your life.
10 September 2018
140
To Naomi Osaka, after your first grand slam title. Or, after your first grand slam final. Or, after being the first woman from your nation of Japan to ever win a grand slam in tennis. Or, after being the first person, male or female from your nation of Japan to ever win a grand slam in tennis. Or, after defeating Serena Williams, one of the best women's tennis players of all time. Congratulations. And I'm sorry.
They asked you, after you won the championship against Serena Williams, what turning your dream into a reality felt like and you felt compelled to apologize. You apologized to the crowd because you knew they wanted to see Serena win, and you thanked them for watching your match. It was your dream turned reality, a moment that few people ever truly have the opportunity to realize, and it was tainted because the crowd chose to boo at the officials, at the treatment of Serena, rather than cheer for your play. And I am so sorry.
The reason I love sports, ever since growing up, and will continue to love sports is because of what it brings out of people. There is no comparison to the amount of emotion someone can pour into a sports competition, whether that be the player, the fans, and yes, even the officials. You not only achieved the amazing victory of winning a grand slam title, or beating Serena Williams, but you were historical. You are the first ever, and you are only twenty years old. I stood in my living room watching a match, the same age as you are, as you played and my heart was breaking for you.
I'll admit it, I was hoping that Serena would win. However, I think the difference between me and all those fans out there that booed today, is that I just wanted tennis to win. I wanted to see good tennis played, above all, and you showed everyone that today. You went after points, you kept your cool, and you truly WON the U.S. Open. It was not simply handed to you by a rash decision made by the official. I wish the crowd had made you feel that.
Like you, I grew up watching Serena (and Venus) dominate the pro tour. They were players I looked at as points of reference, and they were fun to watch. You were able to play an idol of yours, and to defeat her which is truly impeccable. I am glad that she was able to give you the credit that you deserved in the end, to make the crowd stop booing, and to hopefully allow people to recognize the tennis you played today. You showed Serena serves and passing shots that few people in the game are able to deliver. You showed poise and maturity beyond your years, and well beyond your experience.
That crowd should have shown you better. For all that you brought to the world of tennis, and for all that you have shown you can bring, that crowd should have supported you along the way. One aspect of tennis that I love is the unspoken rules the fans have. We do not cheer against players, we cheer for good play. They should have done that tonight. Had the crowd focused more on good play, than on unfortunate circumstances, they would never have stopped cheering.
I am so sorry that the crowd didn't support you during your final. That what should have been the best moment of your life was overshadowed by unfortunate circumstances, rules, and immature responses of the crowd. You deserved better, we all deserved better, and you definitely earned better.
To all the fans out there, let's support good tennis. At the end of the day, we are all in the stands because we will never be at the level of the athletes on the court, so maybe instead of staying so in our heads and focused on one player, we could instead spread the love of the sport to people who are just beginning to break through. Especially if they break through as strongly as Naomi Osaka did at her first grand slam finals.
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