Arthur Brewer

English 1101

Dr. Crowther

4/21/22

Lost Sports Seasons

There were a lot of exciting events that were canceled during the covid pandemic, and sports seasons are one of them.  A lot of games had been rescheduled to later days.  There were also some games where not a single fan showed up.  A lot of tournaments were also canceled.  A lot of people were probably sad because they didn’t get to watch their favorite sports during lockdown.  I also didn’t get to go to Special Olympics basketball from March 2020 to April 2021.

Some sporting events were completely canceled.  Others were postponed.  The March 12 MLB preseason was completely canceled.  The 2020 Boston Marathon was postponed from April 20 to September 14.  The 2020 Tokyolympic games were postponed to the summer of 2021.  The 2020 French Open was moved to September 20.  All the athletes might have been disappointed when their games got canceled.

A lot of games that weren’t canceled didn’t have any fans watching from the venue seats.  In the spring of 2020, stadiums prohibited fans from attending games to help reduce the spread of covid.  Some athletes, such as LeBron James, decided they wouldn’t partake in games if there were no fans in the audience.  Jonathan Fader said “the lack of energy from fans could raise concentration” (Bumbaca 3).  Mental skills coach Graham Betchart says “not having any fans could make things more intense where the game is happening” (Bumbaca 3).  On May 16, the Bundesliga started back up in Germany, but there were no fans in the audience.  The fans who wanted to go to that game were probably very upset.  For each event in the Tokyolympics, organizers decided that 10000 was the maximum number of fans who could attend, and they had to be residents of Japan.

There were also some tournaments that either got postponed or completely canceled due to covid.  They include, but are not limited to, the NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament (March Madness), the NCAA Women’s Basketball Tournament, the 2020 Masters Tournament (golf), and the Tour de France.  March Madness 2020 was completely canceled before it could even start, and a lot of people were probably very sad about it.  In 2020, the Masters Tournament was rescheduled from March to November.  The 2020 Tour de France was moved to August 29 when it was supposed to be on June 27.

In 2020, I had a year-long hiatus in Special Olympics Basketball, which I started in the fall of 2018 at the YMCA of Decatur.  When I started, I shot some baskets with one of my childhood friends.  It was a great way to get some exercise.  We also went to have dinner after practice.  We also went to the Atlanta Hawks game in March 2019.  I was going to go with them to the Atlanta Hawks game in March 2020, but that was when covid became a real problem, and I was bummed out about missing the game.  That was also when the hiatus started, and it didn’t start back up until the fall of 2021.

In conclusion, the sports seasons and tournaments that were supposed to happen in 2020 were either canceled or postponed.  People seemed sad about the cancellations of events.  I was also disappointed about some events being canceled, including Special Olympics Basketball.

Works Cited:

Thompson, Dan. “The lost season: A year ago, the sports world stopped and months of disruption, confusion followed.” 21 Mar. 2021, https://www.spokesman.com/stories/2021/mar/21/the-lost-season-a-year-ago-the-sports-world-stoppe/.  Accessed 21 Apr. 2022

ESPN News Services. “List of sporting events canceled because of the coronavirus.” 23 Mar. 2020, https://www.espn.com/olympics/story/_/id/28824781/list-sporting-events-canceled-coronavirus.  Accessed 21 Apr. 2022

Bumbaca, Chris. “When pro sports return, fans won’t be there: Experts debate ‘a significantly different game’.” 31 May 2020, https://www.usatoday.com/story/sports/2020/05/31/sports-return-without-fans-how-athletes-react/5274410002/.  Accessed 21 Apr. 2022

Ryan, Joal. “Major Sports Events Canceled or Postponed Due to Coronavirus.” 9 Dec 2020, https://247sports.com/ContentGallery/Major-Sports-Events-Canceled-or-Postponed-Due-to-Coronavirus-146669046/#146669046_1.  Accessed 21 Apr. 2022

Arthur Brewer

Dr. Crowther

English Composition

4/7/22

Do you ever wonder how people survive the coronavirus?  In this essay, I will be talking about covid vaccines.  Covid vaccines are important because they can help stop the spread of covid. There are many types of covid vaccines, all of which were developed differently and come with different risks.  I will be explaining the types of vaccines, when and how they were developed, and the side effects.  I will also explain the different proteins used to develop vaccines.

The three main types of vaccines are Pfizer, Moderna, and Johnson and Johnson.  Pfizer vaccines are important because they can help people survive the virus.  People of ages 5 and older are eligible for the Pfizer vaccine (CDC 10).  People who get the Pfizer vaccine will be fully vaccinated within 3-8 weeks after “2 shots in the primary series” (CDC 2).  Pfizer is an mRNA vaccine (CDC 4).  The shot is given “in the muscle of the upper arm” (CDC 5).  A booster shot should be given to anyone who is at least 12 years old “who received a Pfizer-BioNTech primary series” (CDC 3).

As opposed to Pfizer, one must be a legal adult in order to be eligible for the Moderna vaccine.  Moderna is essential because it can help prevent infection in a person and lowers the chances of death.  Anyone considered a legal adult is eligible for the Moderna vaccine (CDC 9).  In 4-8 weeks after “2 shots in the primary series” anyone will be fully vaccinated with the Moderna vaccine (CDC 2).  Moderna is an mRNA vaccine (CDC 4).  The shot is given in the same muscle as Pfizer (CDC 5).  If anyone is at least 18 years old and “received a Moderna primary series” they should get boosted (CDC 3).

Johnson and Johnson is vital because, like Pfizer and Moderna, it can also help stop the spread of covid and decrease the chance of dying.  The ages eligible for the Johnson and Johnson vaccine are ages 18 and up (CDC 5).  It usually takes just one shot of the Johnson and Johnson vaccine for a person to be fully vaccinated (CDC 4).  The Johnson and Johnson vaccine is a viral vector (CDC 3).  The shot is given in the same muscle as Pfizer and Moderna (“the upper arm”) (CDC 6).  The people who should get boosted are those 18 years of age or older “at least 2 months” once they get the Johnson and Johnson vaccine (CDC 5).

Here’s how covid vaccines are developed.  The first stage is the exploratory stage.  The first step of development is to figure out the right antigen “of the pathogen to be included in the vaccine” (Rhodes 55).  They will then have to “determine the best way to administer” the antigen (Rhodes 55).  In the next stage, the preclinical stage, “tissue-culture techniques and animal studies” are used to determine “whether the candidate vaccine” will make its subject immune to the virus (Rhodes 55).  The three Rs used in the principle scientists use are “replacement of laboratory animals”, “reduction of animals”, and “refinement of experiments” (Rhodes 55).

“In phase I trials,” up to 149 people receive the candidate vaccine to find out if it’s safe and effective, which “constitutes the primary endpoint of the study” (Rhodes 56).  Scientists also use their chances “to determine potential efficacy” (Rhodes 56).  The goals of phase II trials are to put efficacy in place and to send out more info “about safety”, the “immune response” quality initiated by the vaccine, “the immunization schedule, and the optimal dose” (Rhodes 57).  The safety and potential efficacy of the candidate vaccine are measured by phase III trials (Rhodes 57).  To put effectiveness in place in the markets they aim for, global pharmaceutical companies finance phase III trials (Rhodes 57).  “The incidence of infections…in the vaccinated population compared with” those who don’t get vaccinated is what “the ultimate” vaccine efficacy test depends on (Rhodes 57).  Areas with high infection rates are where “vaccine trials are best conducted.  (Rhodes 57).

In the sixth and final stage of development, the vaccine goes through a regulatory review (Rhodes 58).  A vaccine is approved if it “passes through all three phases of clinical trials” (Rhodes 58).  A developer then “submits a Biologics License Application to regulatory authorities”, which are administered by “key organizations such as” the World Health Organization, the Food and Drug Administration, and the European Medicines Agency (Rhodes 58).  Vaccines are then manufactured and distributed.  

Here are the dates of development for the vaccines.  I will also explain the ingredients for the vaccines.  In May 2020, scientists first tested the covid vaccine on nine macaques for effectiveness (Rhodes 55).  The Pfizer vaccine “became the first mRNA vaccine” that the US Food and Drug Administration ratified (Le Page 19).  

Here are the ingredients for the Pfizer vaccine.  mRNA is one of the ingredients (CDC 22).  The lipids used to make the vaccine are “2[(polyethylene glycol (PEG))-2000]-N,N-ditetradecylacetamide”, “1,2-distearoyl-sn-glycero-3-phosphocholine”, cholesterol, and “((4-hydroxybutyl)azanediyl)bis(hexane-6,1-diyl)bis(2-hexyldecanoate)” (CDE 22).  The lipids are meant to “help the mRNA enter cells”, which can transfer more genetic code from DNA to the ribosomes. (CDC 22).  The salts and sugar in the vaccine are “dibasic sodium phosphate dihydrate”, “monobasic potassium phosphate”, “potassium chloride”, “sodium chloride”, and sucrose (CDC 22).  These salts all stabilize the vaccine molecules until the vaccine is ready to be administered (CDC 22).

Here are the ingredients for the Moderna vaccine.  mRNA is one of the ingredients (CDC 18).  The lipids used to make the vaccine include “PEG2000-DMG: 1,2-dimyristoyl-rac-glycerol, methoxypolyethylene glycol”, “1,2-distearoyl-sn-glycero-3-phosphocholine”, BotaniChol, and “SM-102: heptadecane-9-yl 8-((2-hydroxyethyl) (6-oxo-6-(undecyloxy) hexyl) amino) octanoate” (CDC 18).  These lipids are meant to get mRNA into the cells, thus increasing the genetic code from the nucleus carried to the ribosomes (CDC 18).  The other ingredients in this vaccine are “sodium acetate”, sucrose, tromethamine, “tromethamine hydrochloride”, and “acetic acid” (CDC 18).  These ingredients “help keep the vaccine molecules stable” until it is ready to be injected.

Here are the ingredients for the Johnson and Johnson vaccine.  Unlike the two other types of vaccines, the Johnson and Johnson vaccine does not have mRNA.  One of the ingredients is “a harmless version of a virus” that is not covid (CDC 21).  This ingredient tells the body to construct a “harmless” covid protein, which is like an antibody (CDC 21).  The other ingredients for this vaccine are “polysorbate-80”, “2-hydroxypropyl-ß-cyclodextrin”, “trisodium citrate dihydrate”, “sodium chloride”, “citric acid monohydrate”, and ethanol (CDC 21).  The purpose of these ingredients is to stabilize the molecules in the vaccine until “it is ready to be given” to a person (CDC 21).

Lastly, I will explain the side effects of vaccines.  A person might experience a soreness on the arm where the shot was given.  A migraine might also occur the day after a person has been vaccinated, which usually only lasts for one day.  There are also some “cardiovascular and hematological” side effects that people might experience (Al-Ali 3).  These include “cardiac injury”, hemorrhage, “thrombotic events”, and thrombocytopenia (Al-Ali 4).

In conclusion, covid vaccines play a major role in increasing the chance of surviving covid.  The ingredients in the vaccines can put cells on alert.  The side effects usually don’t last longer than 24 hours.

Works Cited

Center for Disease Control.  “Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 Vaccine (also known as COMIRNATY) Overview and Safety.”  24 Mar. 2022,  https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/vaccines/different-vaccines/Pfizer-BioNTech.html.  Accessed 27 Mar. 2022.

Center for Disease Control.  “Moderna COVID-19 Vaccine (also known as Spikevax) Overview and Safety.”  22 Mar. 2022, https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/vaccines/different-vaccines/Moderna.html.  Accessed 27 Mar. 2022.

Center for Disease Control.  “Johnson and Johnson’s Janssen COVID-19 Vaccine Overview and Safety.”  22 Feb. 2022, https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/vaccines/different-vaccines/janssen.html.  Accessed 2 Apr. 2022.

Rhodes, John. How to Make a Vaccine. ProQuest Ebook Central, 12 Apr. 2021, https://ebookcentral.proquest.com/lib/gsu/reader.action?docID=6476960&query=how+to+make+a+vaccine.  Accessed 3 Apr. 2022

Le Page, Michael. “The future of medicine unlocked.”  16 Oct. 2021, https://eds.p.ebscohost.com/eds/detail/detail?vid=3&sid=d2c0bb17-ad33-46ef-bc03-c4295e8161c2%40redis&bdata=JkF1dGhUeXBlPWlwLHNoaWImc2l0ZT1lZHMtbGl2ZSZzY29wZT1zaXRl#AN=153083325&db=fth.  Accessed 3 Apr. 2022

Al-Ali, Dana, et al. “Cardiovascular and haematological events post COVID-19 vaccination: A systematic review.”  1 Feb. 2022, https://eds.p.ebscohost.com/eds/pdfviewer/pdfviewer?vid=4&sid=3e124b28-9946-4a4d-8b9c-4a1c1ba79297%40redis.  Accessed 5 Apr. 2022

Arthur Brewer

Dr. Crowther

English Composition 1101

3/27/22

In this essay, I will be talking about covid vaccines.  Covid vaccines can help stop the spread of covid.  I will be explaining the types of vaccines, when and how they were developed, and the side effects.  I will also explain the different proteins used to develop vaccines.

The three main types of vaccines are Pfizer, Moderna, and Johnson and Johnson.  People of ages 5 and older are eligible for the Pfizer vaccine (CDC 10).  People who get the Pfizer vaccine will be fully vaccinated within 3-8 weeks after “2 shots in the primary series” (CDC 2).  Pfizer is an mRNA vaccine (CDC 4).  The shot is given “in the muscle of the upper arm” (CDC 5).  A booster shot should be given to anyone who is at least 12 years old “who received a Pfizer-BioNTech primary series” (CDC 3).

Anyone considered a legal adult is eligible for the Moderna vaccine (CDC 9).  In 4-8 weeks after “2 shots in the primary series” anyone will be fully vaccinated with the Moderna vaccine (CDC 2).  Moderna is an mRNA vaccine (CDC 4).  The show is given in the same muscle as Pfizer (CDC 5).  If anyone is at least 18 years old and “received a Moderna primary series” they should get boosted (CDC 3).

Works Cited

Center for Disease Control.  “Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 Vaccine (also known as COMIRNATY) Overview and Safety.”  24 Mar. 2022,  https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/vaccines/different-vaccines/Pfizer-BioNTech.html.  Accessed 27 Mar. 2022.

Center for Disease Control.  “Moderna COVID-19 Vaccine (also known as Spikevax) Overview and Safety.”  22 Mar. 2022, https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/vaccines/different-vaccines/Moderna.html.  Accessed 27 Mar. 2022.

Arthur Brewer

English 1101

Dr. Crowther

03/02/22

In this essay, I will be talking about how black people should be treated equally through three different images.  Black people deserve just as much respect as people of all other races.  I will tell you about images of George Floyd’s death, a mural of Breonna Taylor, and the Black Lives Matter protest.  They all happened during the time of the covid pandemic.

 

This first image is about George Floyd’s death in Minneapolis, Minnesota.  A store clerk falsely accused Floyd of using a counterfeit 20-dollar bill.  A white 44-year-old police officer named Derek Chauvin showed up along with J. Alexander Kueng and Thomas Lane and Tou Thao and restrained Floyd.  Chauvin knelt on Floyd’s neck so hard for over nine minutes that it killed him.  Chauvin was convicted of second-degree murder.  The other three officers were charged for helping Chauvin in murdering Floyd.  Floyd did not deserve to be killed because he did not commit a crime.

This image is using logos because Chauvin thought the most logical thing to do was kneel on Floyd’s neck.  The photo is dark around Floyd and it looks lighter everywhere else.  It is cruel for a police officer to kneel on someone’s neck, especially if they’re black.  Kneeling on people’s necks should be illegal.

The next image shows a mural of Breonna Taylor, who was shot and killed after her boyfriend Kenneth Walker fired a warning shot at the police officers, whom he thought were intruders.   White police officers Jonathan Mattingly, Brett Hankinson, and Myles Cosgrove were investigating drug dealing operations.   Hankinson was fired for firing through Taylor’s apartment window and the covered patio door.  He was also accused of endangering Taylor’s neighbors with his gunshots.

On a basketball court at a park, a mural of Taylor was made to honor her memory.  The text on the mural that reads “Black lives matter” is saying that black people do not deserve to be killed over crimes they don’t commit.  It was written in bold black to send the message to racist people.  The picture was taken on a very nice day at a park.  The image uses pathos because the people who made the mural seem very sad about Taylor’s death.  It also uses ethos because it is trying to gain credibility from the children at the park.

Lastly, this picture shows people at a Black Lives Matter protest in Washington DC.  People also protested in Louisville, Kentucky, and Los Angeles, California.  They were demanding justice for George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, and other black people who were falsely accused of crimes and killed.  The protesters also said “Defund the Police.”

The picture has the protesters in the foreground and the Washington Monument in the background.  There are people of different races and cultures.  The monument symbolizes freedom and justice, which is what should be served for the black people who were killed after falsely being accused of crimes they didn’t commit.  The signs the protesters are holding also symbolize justice for black people.  One of the signs reads “BLACK LIVES MATTER,” which means black people deserve more respect.  This image uses pathos because the people are angry about black people being treated unfairly.  The image also uses ethos because the people are using authority to send the message to everyone around the world.

In conclusion, the images are saying that black people do not deserve to be killed, berated, or mistreated in any way shape or form.  Black people deserve as much freedom, justice, rights, etc as other races and cultures.  It should be illegal to mistreat a black person because that would be racist.

Works Cited

Penn Live Patriot News, 4 Minneapolis police officers fired as FBI investigates George Floyd’s death, 03/02/22 https://www.pennlive.com/nation-world/2020/05/4-police-officers-fired-as-fbi-investigates-in-custody-death-of-man-in-south-minneapolis.html

Denver7, Lawsuit: Breonna Taylor’s death connected to Louisville gentrification plan, 03/02/22 https://www.thedenverchannel.com/news/america-in-crisis/lawsuit-breonna-taylors-death-connected-to-louisville-gentrification-plan

Gottbrath, Laurin-Whitney, Aljazeera, In 2020, the Black Lives Matter movement shook the world, 03/02/22

https://www.aljazeera.com/features/2020/12/31/2020-the-year-black-lives-matter-shook-the-world

  When 2021 began, I started to have the feeling things would get better.  Covid vaccines started to get distributed.  I got my first dose on March 15 and my second dose on April 7.  On April 18 and 19, I got to celebrate my little sister’s fourth birthday with a few of her friends.  I also didn’t have to wear a mask at the party.

  On May 14, I got to meet up with one of my friends at a dance for the high school we graduated from.  I was so happy to see her again after over a year.  We had a fun time at the dance.  We met up again on May 25 at a high school graduation for a few other friends.  I also got to go to another friend’s graduation party, and it was a lot of fun.

  On June 1, I went with my mom and my brother to Red Top Mountain in Acworth.  We were there from June 1 to 3.  We walked on a trail.  On June 5, I got to reunite with my friends at a Mellow Mushroom in Roswell.  It was great to catch up with my friends.  On June 11, I had a job interview at Dollar Tree and I got a job as a cashier.  I started working on June 18, and I’ve been earning a lot of money.  June 26 was my 22nd birthday.  I had a birthday party at the swimming pool.  I got to spend time with some of my friends that day, and it was fun!

  On July 14, I met up with a few friends at a swimming pool and it was a lot of fun!  On July 26, I went with my mom and my brother to Oakland, Maine.  We were there from July 26 to 31.  I got to see my grandmother, my cousins, and my uncles.  We did some swimming in the backyard pool, we watched the Tokyolympics, and we went to a minigolf course.

  On December 26, we went to Dallas, Texas.  I got to see my grandmother, my uncle, my cousins, and their lovers.  We stayed at a rental house.  The house had a pool, a hot tub, a game room with a pool table, and a music room.

  I learned that I should wear a mask when I go to a public place, wash my hands often, and social distance from anyone who has not yet been vaccinated.

  In conclusion, 2021 was better than 2020.

  March 2020 was when I started worrying about the covid pandemic.  Some time around March 22, we had to shelter in place.  I was with my dad, my stepmom, and my little siblings from that time until June 24, 2020.  Stores and restaurants were shutting down and people were losing their jobs.  I was not able to go out to dinner or hang out with any of my friends.  I was really sad about it.  In April, stores and restaurants reopened, bringing the cases back up when the curve was flattened.  People had to wear masks and practice social distancing.  I was worried that the pandemic might go on forever.

  In April, May, and June 2020, I played with my little siblings.  I also went on walks with them and my stepmom.  I also watched YouTube videos.  On June 25, 2020, I went back with my biological mom and my younger brother.  To keep working out, I took walks around the neighborhood and I walked to a lake near my house.  I also watched more YouTube videos.  I almost didn’t get to do any swimming that summer, but on August 1, we went to Lake Lanier where there was a little beach area.  I was supposed to start college around September 2020, but my mom said it was too dangerous due to covid.  I really wanted to meet up with my extended family for Thanksgiving, but the covid cases were too high.  I also hoped to meet up with my cousins, my uncles, and my grandmother for Christmas, but it wasn’t safe.  When 2021 began, I had the feeling that things would get better, but that will be discussed in my next blog.

Works Cited

https://www.yalemedicine.org/news/covid-timeline

Before the covid pandemic hit, I met up with some of my friends at Vintage Pizzeria on January 20, 2020, on Martin Luther King Jr. Day.  We got to eat pizza and play bingo.  We all talked about how things were going in life.  I also got to meet a new friend.  I had a fun time hanging out with my friends.

It is said that covid started in bats.  The virus might have also come from an open market.  Covid was first discovered in Wuhan, China, in December 2019.  I first heard about covid at the end of February 2020 when my parents told me about it.  I heard covid was a deadly virus that could possibly cost someone their life.  Covid started spreading when people were travelling around the world from china.  Washington, California, and New York were the first states covid reached.  In January 2020, there was a covid surge in Europe.  China was also under a strict lockdown.

On January 31, 2020, the World Health Organization declared a public health emergency after finding out about a worldwide death toll of over 200 and finding out about 9800 covid cases.  On February 2, countries like China, Australia, Germany, Italy, and New Zealand restricted air travel.  People on their way to the United States could have faced a 2 week home based quarantine if they had returned to China.  Mainland visitors had to go through health screenings when they got back.  On February 10, China’s covid death toll became greater than the death toll of severe acute respiratory syndrome from 2000-2004.

Works Cited

https://www.ajmc.com/view/a-timeline-of-covid19-developments-in-2020

https://www.webmd.com/lung/coronavirus-history

https://www.yalemedicine.org/news/covid-timeline

  My name is Arthur Joseph Brewer.  My interests and hobbies include (but are not limited to) games, taking walks, working at Dollar Tree, meeting up with friends, and watching videos on YouTube.  One of my favorite books is the Harry Potter series (I also like the movies.)  As for sports, I like basketball and swimming.

  My career goal is to work in a science lab.  My future college plans are to get into a good biology class at the downtown campus, to get a biology degree, and to learn more about how the human body works.  In conclusion, I plan to learn cool biology things.

Here is a picture of my favorite movie and book characters.