Inside the OAA

Top Five Games

by Becky Andrus | Oct 19, 2020 | Feature Writers

Top Five Games:

By Sammy Taormina

Groves at Stoney Creek: The Cougars have been rolling clinching the White and making statement after statement. Last week they blew out Southfield Arts and Tech 36-7 on the road. They already have road wins over North Farmington, Seaholm, and Adams this season. This is shaping up to be an interesting game because of last season when a bad exchange caused Stoney Creek the game in Beverly Hills falling 28-23. Groves has been very inconsistent this season but the Falcons are coming off a 38-20 victory over Oak Park in Knight Valley. As mentioned this is shaping up to be a very interesting game.

Troy Athens at Troy: This has been an interesting city rivalry over the years between the “That School Down the Road” and “The rival.” The Red Hawks have really owned this city rivalry in the last two years outscoring the Colts 73-0 and have won seven of the last eight meetings overall. Both teams have some experience although Troy Athens did not play last week. Troy beat Pontiac 49-0 last week. It should be an interesting game to keep an eye on this week for sure.

Rochester at Berkley: This game would had been more interesting if the Bears would had won last week against Bloomfield Hills (lost 35-34 in overtime) but Berkley still controls its own destiny in the Blue with Rochester coming to Hurley Field. The Falcons are 5-0 for the first time since 1993 and have clinched at least a share of the Blue. They can win it outright if they beat the Bears this week. Both teams have experienced players which makes this matchup even more interesting.

Seaholm at North Farmington: The Raiders have rolled over their last two opponents by a combined 52-17 which included a huge 14-3 victory at Oxford last week. The Maples lost a tough one to Clarkston 35-7 after pulling off what was the best win in program history after beating Groves two weeks ago. It will be an interesting quarterback and coaching matchup between Caleb Knoer and Coach Jim DeWald against Jacob Bousamara and Coach Jon Herstein. That will be the matchup to watch as we head into the postseason.

Southfield Arts and Tech at Oxford: Both the Warriors and Wildcats are struggling coming into this game at Wildcat Stadium. Both teams have very good quarterbacks in Isiah Marshall and Brady Carpenter and talented running backs in RaeQuan Lee and Tate Muir. Oxford has scored only three points in two weeks which has resulted in two losses. Southfield Arts and Tech was blown out by Stoney Creek at home 36-7 last week. Both teams will need to fix some things heading into the playoffs next week.

College Kids and Covid: Are we getting what we’re paying for?

by Becky Andrus | Oct 15, 2020 | Feature Writers

College Kids and Covid: Are we getting what we’re paying for?

By Rebecca Andrus

When the shutdown order went into effect in March, college students were forced to finish their semesters online.  Many of them had no choice but to move out of their dorms or apartments and head for home.  As a parent of three college students, I was concerned.  Not all students perform well with online classes, and some of these professors have never taught an online class before.  With my son eyeing graduation in May, I couldn’t help but wondering how he was going to manage and if he was going to pass.  With so much invested in his education, was this how it was going to end?  My son having to take another semester of college to retake a class or two he failed during a pandemic?

Overall, I believe the universities my children attend did everything in their power to help the students through the last six weeks of class.  I kept telling myself that there was no way they were going to flunk these kids during a pandemic.  And I was right, not only did they establish a generous curve, they also offered the students a pass or fail option in each class.  I got the impression that as long as the students logged into class and did their work, they were guaranteed a passing grade.  And yes, my son graduated.

My son currently lives at home, with a bachelor’s degree, and sees a bleak job market before him.  A college degree is a huge accomplishment, creating opportunities to pursue your dreams and passions.  That’s all on hold for him right now.  He works at a local coffee shop, waiting for things to turn around.  Not the job he was expecting after graduation.

My two youngest headed back to college in late August, doing most of their schooling from their apartments.  Both of them chose a creative major.  In a world without a pandemic, all their classes would be in person getting hands-on feedback from their professors.  They seem to have adjusted well to this virtual way of learning.  They both say the departments and professors are very organized and overall doing a good job.  I give the colleges a lot of credit for allowing the students back on campus and putting safety procedures in place to keep them safe.  I truly believe the universities are doing the best they can during this difficult time, but is the quality and experience of a college education there?  And with the high cost of college tuition, I can’t help but ask, “Are we getting what we’re paying for?”