World, Local, & School News

By Ruby Iranmanesh & Sage Martin

What are we discussing today?

Damaged & Unsafe Tennis Courts

By Ruby Iranmanesh

The tennis courts at CMS have always been a huge debate among the district and at the moment, there is even a petition going around regarding the fixing of these courts. As a member of the CMS tennis team for the past three years, I can confirm that almost everything said in this petition is true and after researching and gathering information on the CMS tennis courts, I am still confused why they have not been repaired. Three years ago, when I first joined the tennis team, I didn't really think anything of the damage. However, after seeing how much the courts have changed and how bad they look now, especially after the recent storms, I have realized that they need to be repaired immediately. 8th grader, Georges Guerree states, "I have rolled my ankle multiple times due to the cracks and holes in the court. Not only are they dangerous, but they are also terrible to play on. After just a few hits, the tennis balls were already flat. All those courts need is a resurface." These courts can potentially result in serious injuries for students and I am now concerned for my fellow players and even for the students in PE who use the courts to play games and activities. Down below are five reasons why I believe the CMS tennis courts need to be repaired as soon as this 2023 tennis season has finished.

The first reason why these courts need to be repaired as soon as the season is finished is that the poor surface conditions can result in increased impact on joints. When playing on a tennis court with a poor surface, the shock absorption is reduced, and the impact on joints can be greater. This can be severely harmful to young players whose bones and joints are still developing because they are not able to handle the increased stress caused by the horrible conditions. 

The second reason is due to the uneven surface. Obviously, in order to play a fair game of tennis, the court needs to be even. However, the CMS courts consist of cracks, potholes, and many other problems that can cause players to trip or stumble, leading to injuries such as sprains or even fractures. 

A third reason why these courts are extremely unsafe and need to be repaired is the lack of proper traction. Our tennis courts at Carmel Middle School may have slippery or inconsistent traction due to the poor surface. This is a huge problem because it can cause players to slip and twist their ankles or knees, leading to injuries. 

The fourth reason is that the courts can cause overuse injuries. Many young players who train and play on tennis courts with poor surface conditions may be at increased risk of overuse injuries because of the repetitive motions and impact on joints which then can lead to stress fractures, tendonitis, or other injuries.

The last reason is delayed recovery. If a player gets injured while playing on a court with a poor surface, their recovery rate can potentially be longer than if they were to get injured on a properly maintained court. This can result in months of missed training and competition opportunities, which both determine the player's tennis career in the future.

Overall, the CMS tennis courts consist of poor surface conditions and can potentially be the result of players' injuries. In order, to prevent any problems from occurring, these courts need to be fixed as soon as the season ends. 

(Fix Unsafe Tennis Courts at CMS) Petition Link: 

The End of Daylight Savings Time

By Sage Martin

Earlier this month, March 2023, the US Senate voted to pass legislation that would end the biannual tradition of changing our clocks. Let's talk about why we had it in the first place, and why it is changing.

Why It Started

In 1918, Daylight Savings Time was implemented, with the idea of saving energy that could be used for the war effort, by limiting the hours of darkness that people were awake for, thinking that it would stop people from having their lights on for long, this was implemented again during WWII. In the 1970s, the US decided to restart the tradition of daylight savings time, to hopefully end the energy crisis of the time.

The Impact It Made

According to the National Institute of Health's website, “Sleep deficiency is linked to many chronic health problems, including heart disease, kidney disease, high blood pressure, diabetes, stroke, obesity, and depression,” despite that, we still have a tradition of setting back our clocks and losing 40 minutes of sleep on average. After “springing forward,” people in America show higher risks of negative health conditions. Research has shown that springing forward is linked with an increased risk of heart attacks, strokes, and mood disturbances. In the long term, daylight saving has also been associated with heart disease and diabetes” states Online news website, ‘The Hill.’

In Conclusion,

I think that in all, Daylight savings has not been needed for a very long time, and getting rid of it this year is a good decision.