@haileyslament and @jaykream bringing you some very newsworthy information. The local, national, and global news is in for report!
Close By…(Local)
The local news is right at home. As we may know, James Madison University (JMU), has adjusted some of its curriculum settings and offers due to the pandemic that the world is currently facing. At the start of the pandemic, which was in the spring semester of the 2019-2020 academic school year, an offer was made to students to select a Credit/No-Credit standing for classes in which their grades were affected by the pandemic and all of its counterparts, (moving, adjusting, worry, etc..). This helped many students as their circumstances were out of their hands, or anyone’s hands for that matter.
Returning for academia came along with some changes at JMU. The school has decided on a new Credit/No-Credit policy, that will be remaining for the rest of the 2020-2021 academic school year. The policy outlines many stipulations in regard to the usage of Credit/No-Credit. You may not use the Credit/No-Credit policy on any course that is within your major or minor curriculum, or listed within the catalog for either section of the programs requirement. The policy also may not be used for any elective required classes to fulfil your degree, or any General Education requirements. The policy also is limited to 4 credits per semester.
James Madison backed their decisions by saying they have the future of students in mind. They have created the policy this way because they are not sure how employers will receive the constant sight of ungraded courses when reviewing a transcript. While JMU thinks they are doing us a favor, many students feel that their academic lives are at doom. We are here to say, DO THE BEST YOU CAN!
In The States…(National)
As the election news is coming to a calm, we have received a pretty immense amount of commentary from all over. Our fellow bloggers like @smokedgoudaenthusiast, @quarantinedfeminist, and @willyoumarymeqt, have given us some great news worthy post connected to the election, that you should check out. Looking on a national scale, many took it to the internet to speak about Eva Longoria, and her comments on the Latina voter turnout for the 2020 election.
Eva Longoria, actress, producer, activist, and wearer of many hats is a proud Mexican-American woman. This shows through her philanthropic works and interest. Although this holds true, her comments made during an interview about the election made many fans and viewers question her support for all woman, in particular Black women. Her comments both offended some Black women, and were not taken to heart by others. In the midst of her praising Latina women for their voter turnout, her language may have come off as a downgrade to Black women voters. “Of course, you saw in Georgia what Black women have done but Latina women were the real heroines here, beating men in turnout in every state and voting Biden-Harris at an average rate of close to 3 to 1”, were Eva’s exact words.
Eva Longoria apologized for her comments and the offense or pain they may have caused anyone. She shared that those were not her intentions, as she was comparing Latina women to their male counterparts, and not to Black women. Some viewers said they would forgive, but not forget, while others completely brushed the situation off. Eva was also backed by Kerry Washington, a Black female actress who shared that she is sure that Eva did not mean harm with her words.
Around The World…(Global)
In Cancun, Mexico a protest was held in honor of young women who’s body was found dismembered. Bianca “Alexis” Lorenzana went missing and her remains were found several days later. This is what began as a peaceful protest but things took a turn once instructed by the mother of the victims to turn things up a notch. These actions resulted in several protestors and journalist being injured and arrested. Mexico police opened fire on protestors who attempted to force their way into Cancun City Hall. The protest was preceded by several others held in honor of women who’ve fell victim to the Femicide Crisis.
Femicide, according to the World Health Organization, is the murder of a woman based on her gender. The Femicide Crises has escalated in Mexico since the early 1990s by 137 percent. There have been several protests and social media campaign to fight against the Femicide Crisis. #ADayWithoutWomen was a day of women going on strike refraining from partaking in certain activities or certain purchases. This was to place an emphasis on the significance of women in our economy or daily lives in general. #NotOneLess was another campaign expressing their frustrations and stating that not another woman should die at the hands of a man.
As stated before, Mexico has had a long, dreadful history of violence against women. Unfortunately, since the COVID outbreak, violence cases have done nothing but soar. Women have asked for government officials to play a bigger role a countless amount of times. Officials have promised to prioritize these matters but have fallen short of this promise. Several activists and protestors are dedicated to continue bringing awareness to crisis. This is far from over!
Looking Ahead…
Since we have talked about some local, national, and global news from the past, it is important to think about the future. As the semester is coming to a close we are rooting for you to keep your foot on the gas going full throttle ahead! The holidays are approaching and this will create time and space to take a breath before getting ready for the spring. ShoutOut will be here to serve as your late night coffee read, or breath of fresh air when waking up. Make sure you stay on the lookout for the few semester blog post left to come!
ShoutOut! James Madison University 