Five Things You Need To Know This Week

1.) Apple Deployment Begins

All East students will receive their 11-inch Macbook Airs this week. Students must have their paperwork signed and their Apple ID confirmed before they can receive their laptop. Apple deployment will happen over four days according to this schedule:

Monday: Seniors
Tuesday: Juniors
Wednesday: Sophomores
Thursday: Freshmen

The faculty is still looking for volunteers to help with Apple deployment. To participate in this service hour opportunity, contact Mr. McKinney or Ms. Bonjour.

2.) First Fall Sports Practices Today

Today is the first official day of fall sports practices and tryouts. Before participating, athletes must have their physicals and athletic packets turned into athletic secretary Gayle O’Grady in the office. Upcoming events for the sports teams include:

Aug. 23: Cross Country Long Run
Aug. 29: Football Blue and Black Scrimmage
Aug. 30: Boys’ Soccer Blue and Black Scrimmage

3.) Seven Protesters Arrested, One Shot in Ferguson Riots

Seven protesters were arrested and one was shot in the seventh night of riots over the death of 18-year-old Michael Brown, a teenager who was shot to death by Ferguson police officer Darren Wilson. The arrests and injury marked a return to violence in the week-long period of protest and unrest in Ferguson, Missouri.

The conflict began when Brown was killed on Aug. 9. Ferguson was catapulted into national attention as protesters took to the streets that night. Enraged protesters hurled Molotov cocktails at police and looted local businesses, setting a Quicktrip on fire. The police responded with SWAT teams and tear gas, which did nothing to temper the protest.

The eight nights of protests have ignited two major debates:

Racism: Was Brown killed because he was an African American? This question was the initial cause of the riots. Outrage over this race issue was the main cause of the riots, and it will also be one of the major focuses in the coming investigation. The NAACP became involved after the first night, asking for non-violent protest until answers were found.

Police Power: When the riots began to get violent, the Ferguson police responded with SWAT teams armed with machine guns and tear gas. Police also arrested two journalists and tear gassed a broadcast camera crew during ensuing riots. These actions called into question whether local police are over militarized, and how much force the police should be using in response to riots.

Protests are still underway, and it is unsure when they will end. Locals were hopeful after local police were pulled out of the area, and Missouri state troopers took over security in the area.

At the head of security is Capt. Ron Johnson, a Ferguson native who was successful in maintaining peaceful demonstrations on Friday night. However, the next night saw a return to riots and chaos. Missouri Gov. Jay Nixon has set a curfew and called in the National Guard in an attempt to avoid further violence.

4.) Iraqi Prime Minister Steps Down as ISIS Attacks Intensify

Last Thursday, Nouri al-Maliki stepped down as the prime minister of Iraq. This decision came in the wake of chaos that has been created by the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS), a militant terrorist group that began an assault on Iraq earlier this summer.

President Obama began sending aid to Kurdish forces, along with humanitarian aid to the Yazidi minority that ISIS was targeting, earlier this month. There have also been multiple American airstrikes that were confirmed to have destroyed ISIS armored vehicles and weapons.

Britain and France have both announced their intentions to send further aid and forces to Iraq to stem the tide of ISIS. However, Obama has not announced further plans of action in the Middle East.

5.) Katy Perry Performs at Sprint Center
Pop star Katy Perry will bring her Prismatic World Tour to the Sprint Center on Tuesday night. Although the tour is in support of Perry’s most recent album “Prism,” the concert will include songs from all four of her albums. Billboard magazine called the concert a “spectacle of costumes and color,” but the tour has received mixed reviews from Pitchfork and other critics.

Tickets are still on sale, with prices ranging from $106 to $1937.

Check out her set list here: