By Luke DeCock, The News and Observer
• March 30, 2021
The justified and entirely avoidable uproar over the very different conditions for men’s and women’s basketball players in their respective tournament bubbles has raised new questions about gender-equity issues within the NCAA office and across college sports.
As the burden of COVID-19 cases in our region and in the U.S. declines, there is widespread optimism that the pandemic may be waning. There is good reason for optimism. And some reason for pessimism.
I donated blood for the first time last month. While preparing to stick a needle in, the nurse said to me, “You’re a really good candidate for donating blood.” I laughed a little to myself while putting my earbuds in, queueing up my playlist and squeezing the stress ball.
The killing was seven years ago on a Monday afternoon. On Aug. 9, 2014, Michael Brown Jr., an unarmed 18-year-old African American, was shot dead by former police officer Darren Wilson in Ferguson, Missouri.
Super Bowl LV will be played by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers (11-5, 14-5 overall) against the defending super bowl champion Kansas City Chiefs (14-2, 16-2 overall) in Florida at Tampa Bay's own Raymond James Stadium. Though, there will be limited capacity of people in attendance, which could temper any true home field advantage.
By Jerry Kruse, , MD, MSPH, Dean and Provost, SIU School of Medicine & CEO, SIU Medicine
• January 22, 2021
Welcome back from the holiday break. I hope you had a safe time of rest and renewal. Unfortunately, the holiday break was not a time of safety in the United States as the COVID-19 pandemic continued to surge.
By Jerry Kruse, Dean and Provost of SIU School of Medicine
• December 8, 2020
Development of COVID-19 vaccines has progressed more rapidly than the development of any other vaccines in history. Two mRNA vaccines, from Pfizer-BioNTech and Moderna, will be considered for Emergency Use Authorization (EUA) by the FDA in the next two weeks.
In 2008, Barack Obama made history when he became the first African American president. At nine years old it mattered to me that someone who looked like me was now the leader of this country.
When I look at pictures of Breonna Taylor, Oluwatoyin Salau, Sandra Bland, Iyanna Dior, Elanor Bumper, Alberta Spruill and so many more Black women failed by the system, I see a reflection of myself.
