News Briefs: SHARE’s Dodgeball Tournament, Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard renamed back to Paseo, Alabama Postpones the Abortion Ban

EAST

SHARE is holding their annual Dodgeball Tournament to benefit the Johnson County Christmas Bureau on Nov. 13.

After previous years requiring canned goods for entry, SHARE coordinator Krissie Wiggins asked a service worker what items were donated the least and cereal was the answer. So, instead of a monetary entry price, the fee is one cereal box, which will be donated to the Bureau’s food drive to help families in need. 

For each additional cereal box brought, the player gets an extra life during the tournament.

With up to nine members on a team, and about 20 teams competing each year, the competition is always fun, according to Wiggins.

“It’s just one of those things that’s been going on forever and it has a reputation,” Wiggins said. 

After the teams are signed up, a bracket is made of all the teams. Teams are allowed to play their games in themed outfits. Themes range anywhere from one specific color to 90’s rappers and zoo animals.

“The seniors especially get into the themes,” Wiggins said.

Winners of games play each other until only two teams remain for the final game.

The first place team gets a dozen donuts and a Chipotle gift card for each team member. In addition, “Best Dressed Team” wins another surprise award.

The tournament will take place in the Main Gym at 5:30 p.m. and sign-up sheets are outside the SHARE room.

LOCAL

In January of this year, the Kansas City, Mo. City Council voted to rename Paseo Boulevard to Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard. In response, “Save the Paseo,” a group of locals, fought to restore the original name.

The group felt that the name change was a dishonor to the history of the Boulevard, disregarding how long it was there and its meaning in the city. 

A vote was held Tuesday, Nov. 5 to decide whether to keep the new name to honor Martin Luther King or to change it back to its historical name.

After eight hours of voting, it was decided to change the name back to its original, ‘Paseo Boulevard.’

Jennifer Hair, an East teacher who lives near Paseo, has mixed emotions about the name being restored.

“It would be awesome to have something that a large amount of people interact with on a daily basis with that honors Martin Luther King,” Hair said. “But Paseo is so historical to Kansas City.”

This, once again, makes Kansas City one of the rare major American cities without a street named for MLK.

Opinions are mixed, but about 65% of voters preferred the name Paseo Boulevard, according to unofficial election results released by the city.

INTERNATIONAL

Alabama’s ban on total abortion was postponed on Oct. 29.

The “Human Life Protection Act,” was meant to go into effect Nov. 15, but after a preliminary injunction was issued by a judge, the process was paused and taken back a step. 

The law intended to ban all abortions in Alabama except for special cases of “necessary abortion in order to prevent a serious health risk.” There would be no exception for cases of rape or incest. The ban would have criminalized the procedure, and would be punishable by up to 99 years in prison for doctors.

President of the Young Republicans Club Junior Charlie Birt stands Pro-Life and was upset to hear the news of the ban’s postponement.

“I’m a little bit disappointed in some regards,” Birt said. “Although it’s really up to the Alabama Legislature to decide how they go about their laws.”

The goal was to attempt to overturn Roe v. Wade, the part of the Constitution that protects a pregnant woman’s choice to have an abortion without excessive government restriction. The bill was postponed because it goes against this part of the constitution.

“I wasn’t overwhelmingly surprised,” senior and Co-President of the Young Democrats Club Margaret Veghlan said. “When the ban initially came out, it had a lot of blatantly unconstitutional parts to it, if you read the whole bill.” 

The case is still in trial, but will no longer become active Nov. 15 because of the injunction.