Page 6
Opinion
The Clarion \ November 6, 2019
LETTER to the EDITOR
How far is too far?
Editor’s Note: Typically, The Clarion does not run unsigned letters to the editor. However, at the
request of the writers, we are making an exception in this case due to the sensitive nature of the letter.
Names Witheld
Division III athletics others an intense and
competitive athletic environment for student-
athletes who play for the love of the game,
without the obligation of an athletic scholarship.
But here at Brevard College, the volleyball
program doesn’t follow the set guidelines
following the Division III athletics definition.
From many sources on the team, we have
been informed that mental health has been
deteriorating on the team, with many players
having to go to therapy not only for personal
issues but also for the psychological and physical
abuse occurring on the team.
With the whole team requesting a break from
volleyball and each other, the coaches denied
the team a break. The volleyball team has been
practicing with each other since the beginning
of August. They have only had two Sundays off
this entire season. The coaches told them that
they don’t deserve a day off.
The coaches for the volleyball program here
at Brevard College are ruining the mental
health of the players. For example, players have
admitted they want to hurt themselves with the
coaches not doing anything about it. Another
example is a player openly said she was addicted
to painkillers—which she was taking for an
injury—asked for help and was turned away
from not only coaches but also athletic trainers.
A red flag that has sparked conversation within
the team is that players have noticed that they
are not sufficiently fed to play at their highest
potential the night before games or for breakfast
or lunch the day of games. Players expressed that
they are told to “Bring a snack from breakfast”
such as a banana or a bagel for lunch to fuel their
bodies for the game.
Recently, a player let us know that a parent was
so fed up with the team not getting fed on game
days that she went out herself to buy lunch for
the 15 players and two coaches.
Another thing expressed to us was that over
fall break many players did not have any way
to get food, since the cafeteria was closed on
certain days. So, one of the coaches brought
them pasta and sauce but no pots or any way to
make the food. The coaches expected this to be
enough for the team for lunch and dinner that
day despite the fact they had no way to make
the food. They then had a four or five hour
practice and three hours of volunteer work the
following day.
It has been very apparent that the team has
more injured players than healthy. There are
players playing with possible stress fractures,
achilles tendonitis, hyperextended hip flexors,
back injuries, concussions, knee injuries, shin
splints and multiple other things. A player
expressed that these injuries are due to overwork
and no breaks expressed by a player.
A player has told us that the coach has thrown
a ball at another player’s shins that is suffering
from shin splinfs and laughed, then threatened to
do it again the next day. They have also informed
us about players traveling with concussions
and playing an athlete when she had bronchitis,
which is not safe for anyone.
In conclusion, it seems to be that the season
is doing more harm than good for the athletes.
With coaches that continue to tear down self
esteem rather than building it up, create an
unsafe learning environment for athletes, have
the fear of humiliation, physical punishment and
degrading comments from the coaching staff, if
makes the team play timid and scared.
'Jeffrey Epstein didn't kill himself'
By Mary Lewe
Editor in Chief
On August 10 of this year, Jeffrey Epstein
was found dead while in federal custody in
Manhattan. Although, officially, his death
has been ruled a suicide by hanging, anyone
who has any kind of social media account has
likely encountered memes stating the contrary:
“Jeffrey Epstein did not commit suicide.”
On November 2, a former Navy SEAL added
a tagline at the end of his FOX News interview
regarding the training of military dogs, “Epstein
didn’t kill himself”
Even if Epstein did, in fact, hang himself, it
would be the result of utter negligence on the
part of those keeping him in custody. Epstein
had a suicide attempt in July, which resulted in
his being kept on suicide watch through July 29.
At the very least, Epstein was meant to have a
cellmate.
Epstein’s lawyers maintain that they are not
satisfied with the ruling of their client’s death
and that they will be pursuing an independent
investigation.
However, many forensics experts say that
Epstein’s death looks more like homicide.
Epstein started out in 1974 as a teacher at an
exclusive New York private school, then became
an assistant at Bear Steams trading group by
way of connections he made with parents at
the school.
Epstein’s past is riddled with ties to shady
characters like Steven Hoffenburg, who ran
the biggest Ponzi scheme in United States
history prior to Bemie Madoff, but his guilt-
by-association is nothing when observed next
to Epstein’s pedophilia.
In 2005 and 2006, Miami police and the Miami
Herald uncovered beaucoups of evidence,
with then, Miami police chief, Micheal Reiter
stating, "This was 50-something 'shes' and one
'he'—and the 'shes' all basically told the same
story,” Reiter said.
All told, Epstein served a mere total of 15
months for his crimes, which included procuring
an underage girl for prostitution, soliciting a
prostitute and sex trafficking.
One of the most insidious aspects of Epstein’s
death is the knowledge he held about the vile
acts of other well-connected individuals, such
as former U.S. President Bill Clinton. Epstein
went so far as to pmchase Little St. James Island,
located in the U.S. Virgin Islands, where he
allegedly would record others having sexual
relations with minors as a means of blackmail.
Whether or not Epstein committed suicide,
his disgusting secrets have died with him, and
that is more than a little suspicious. In a climate
where victims of sexual violence and pedophilia
have been empowered to take action against
their attackers, Epstein’s knowledge of the acts
he facilitated would have been fuel on a fire that
is raging, and will continue to rage.
The best thing we can all do now is to not
let anyone forget what Jeffrey Epstein stands
for: the unbridled power held by billionaires to
rewrite history, at the expense of the sanctity of
the tmth and the safety of everybody else.