The Boston Celtics are an illusive team. One night they’re winning an NBA Championship and the next they’re losing to the seventh ranked Hawks by a single point. They’re easy to root for and easy to condemn when you know they could have done better.
That is why one play from a game againstthe Golden State Warriors at TD Garden proves exactly what the Celtics are about. A team where you wonder if they’re going to make it, but also wonder why you ever doubted them when they do.
The play started with Celtics Center Al Horford’s rebound after a Warrior Trayce Jackson-Davis dunk. Horford passes the ball to Derrick White who runs it down the court and passes it to Jayson Tatum. Formation on the court consists of four Celtics carefully placed on the perimeter and one Celtic in the middle– like a domino formation. The Warriors look confused and are quickly trying to figure out their defense strategy before it’s too late.
With Andrew Wiggins on Tatum, he passes it to Celtic Neemias Queta who has Moses Moody and Jackson-Davis on him. He gives up his chance for a two-pointer and passes it back to White.
White attempts a three, but it falls short and bounces off the rim. A Jrue Holiday offensive rebound passes back to Horford who passes it back to an open Holiday when Wiggins fails to defend him. Holiday attempts the three pointer as Stephen Curry attempts to block Holiday. However, the shot falls short, again, and bounces off the rim.
As soon as White realizes his three wasn’t going to make it, he runs down the wing and under the basket. White gets the offensive rebound and the crowd grows louder in cheer. White passes it back to Holiday who chucks it past three defenders to Tatum. Tatum uses that same force to throw it to Horford.
In a split second, Horford passes it back to White who fakes Jackson-Davis out and runs down the paint but faces a block by Moody. By some stroke of luck, it falls into the Hands of Holiday who throws it back to Tatum.
Now, with just 3.9 seconds on the clock, Tatum does what Tatum does and makes a three pointer to save the day.
They leave the Warriors in confusion, an assumption that you can make based on their haphazard defense and the time out they took after the play. But in true Celtics fashion, they lost this game by some six points, proving just how unpredictable this team can be.
It’s clear that the Celtics’ strongest suit is their offensive strategy and persistence when it comes to making baskets. They’re ranked second for offensive ranking on StatMuse with an average of 121.3 points per game.
If you watched just one Celtics game last season, you might have heard the word sacrifice float around in post-game conferences and casual conversations. The Celtics have carried their understanding of this word into the 2024-2025 season.
Another play against the Raptors last night proves the Celtics’ players acceptance of sacrifice. A game that almost went into double overtime but was saved by a Tatum three pointer made with (literally) half a second on the clock. It was the result of a broken play in which Tatum had to make a last minute decision. Does Tatum continue with the planned play and pass it to Jaylen Brown after he was thrown to the ground with no referee call? Or does he sacrifice the play and possibly an embarrassing miss?
People on social media were flooding the comments with assumptions of Brown’s feelings toward Tatum making that shot. Faceless profiles spoke for Brown, who apparently seemed upset that he wasn’t the hero of the game. However, knowing what we know of the Celtics’ attitude toward sacrifice, I don’t think there is any truth behind this.
Perhaps that foul should have been called and perhaps Brown had some resentment toward the referee, but Brown understands the sacrifice he has to make for the team. The NBA audience should stop looking at plays as individual efforts but rather a team effort of sacrifice.
One of the biggest complaints I hear about basketball is that it is boring. I can’t entirely disagree with this. Defensive strategy has been decreasing since the mid 2010s and there is seemingly no reason for teams to chase a title if they’re not at title caliber. Upsets occur but don’t hold much significance in the regular season. In short, I can understand if there is very little desire for non-basketball fans to watch unless you’re a fan of the city. However, plays like this and a tenacious attitude toward the game remind me of the exciting things basketball can bring. When you get the chance to really analyze a play like this, it can open your eyes to the beauty of basketball.
The Celtics take on the undefeated Cavaliers Tuesday night at the Garden. With the Celtics keeping us on the edge of our seat with nearly every game and the Cavs taking the second best undefeated record in NBA history, it’s a game worth watching.
It’s not every year that a collegiate basketball team goes back to back in the NCAA National Championship.
That’s why, when it seemed like the UConn men’s basketball team was headed for a repeat, the university had to prepare to prevent a different repeat– the destruction to campus the year before.
After the 2023 National Championship win, several students and others were charged with vandalism, including taking down a light pole and smashing it through the student union’s doors. The damage cost over $130,000 and resulted in multiple arrests.
An orange traffic cone where a light pole used to be in front of Gampel Pavilion / Julliana Bravo
This year, the university took action by removing 22 light poles central to Gampel Pavilion, Nathan Bedard, Manager of Interior Renewal at UConn said. Facilities operations also added flood lights to the side of the business building across Gampel to make up for the lost lighting.
Facilities operations also brought on extra staff at the UConn trade shops– structural trades, electrical, energy management systems, HVAC, and plumbing to respond to any work orders that might occur during the National Championship and Final Four watch parties, Bedard said. These staff came in at around 6 p.m., and weren’t scheduled to leave until the celebration was over, which is not typical, Bedard said.
The damage to campus this year significantly decreased compared to last year. This year, the most damage caused were a few broken windows– one at the campus gym and another at the engineering building. Staff were able to quickly board up the windows and clean up the broken glass. The next day, early in the morning, staff went back to properly fix the window, he added.
Like facilities operations, the fire station staffed an additional 15 firefighters for the watch parties compared to the five for a regular season game. The fire department also staffed for the needs of the entire campus, not just the fans in Gampel, Capt. Christopher Renshaw of the UConn Fire Department said.
Flood lights on the side of the business building / Julliana Bravo
“We staff the station for the whole campus of Storrs to absorb not only the activity that’s happening in Gampel, but also everybody else who’s on campus,” he said.
However, the biggest change in preparing for the 2024 National Championship was simply preparing earlier– about one month in advance, he said. The fire department found a lot of success with the plans implemented last year, Renshaw added.
Planning for a Final Four or National Championship is a “collaborative approach that can take weeks if not months,” Capt. Matthew Zadrowski of the UConn Police Department said in an email interview. The police department works with university partners to try to “mitigate risk, prepare for the events, respond to the event, and ultimately recover” from a tournament event, he added.
However, before university staff can even think about preparing for a National Championship let alone a Final Four, the university needs to ensure that they have plans in order for a regular season game.
In the 2023–2024 season, a total of over 174,000 fans attended Gampel Pavilion to watch some of the most dominant college basketball in the country.
While fans get to experience an event lasting anywhere from three to four hours, game-day production behind the scenes takes much more preparation than most realize.
Zadrowski
Preparation starts well before the school year begins. In the off season, representatives from university safety which consists of the police and fire departments, fire marshal, emergency communication, emergency management, and others such as athletics, parking and facilities– meet to update planning documents and improve overall response to events, Zadrowski said.
Once the college basketball season begins, is when preparation will go into play.
Zadrowski works with the police department to “provide a seasonal operational plan for staff, along with single-game plans.” These plans can include directions for roles and assignments, logistics, information from other partners, command structures, resources to support the event, and schedules, Zadrowski said.
Just like playing against an opponent, each game is unique and poses different challenges. Factors such as time, day, schedule, weather, or other events on campus all can impact the reaction to the game, Zadrowski said.
To prepare for each game, the police department looks back on activity from prior events. The department employs an “after action report” which helps it identify the things that went well and other things that might need improvement.
However, some things stay the same. Every game is led by a commanding officer. Before the doors open, this officer will conduct a roll call about 90 minutes prior to tipoff to cover expectations and specifics about the game and ensure everyone knows their role, Zadrowski said.
Some of the roles include stationing at Gampel or being part of traffic management.
Gampel Pavilion can host over 10,000 fans and this year all but one women’s game was sold out. As a result, some police officers are stationed to help the hundreds of cars arrive in Storrs. They might be stationed at intersections, help set up cone patterns, or close roads, Zadrowski said.
“Our staff put in a lot of care and compassion into the hours they work to support events, but we are only one piece. There are many people working behind the scenes to ensure success of the event,” Zadrowski said.
On the other hand, the UConn Fire Department provides similar resources to Gampel Pavilion for game day to ensure community safety.
First, the fire department staff will arrive at the station and get their assignments for the game, Renshaw said.
Back of the fire station / Julliana Bravo
Several staff are located in Gampel– one Officer in Charge on hand, five firefighters, two EMS teams with two firefighters each that handle any medical emergency, a fire inspector from the fire marshal’s office, and a paramedic provided by Windham Hospital, he said.
They carry emergency medical equipment, an AED, and wear their firefighter uniforms, Renshaw said.
Communication is key with an event like this. That is why about 75 minutes before doors open, the Officer in Charge will have a Unified Command meeting with other leadership at Gampel such as the police department, facilities, parking services, security staff, and the fire marshal. In this meeting, some important game notes are talked about such as what to expect, notes on the halftime show, and if alcohol will be sold.
Renshaw explained that alcohol might influence the expectation for safety staff. In the 2024 watch parties, alcohol was not sold, a change from the 2023 tournament.
At the same time, other fire department staff stay back at the station in case those at Gampel need backup. At the station, one shift commander is in charge of both the Storrs and Farmington campus, a company officer supervises staff, and firefighters who can staff ambulances, the engine, tower ladders, hazardous materials, and the vehicles in case of an emergency.
If the fire alarm goes off at Gampel, they will head to the stadium with an engine. Not only do station staff need to keep an eye on Gampel, but also on the campus environment.
For regular season game days, the fire department will staff at least five firefighters at the station and five to Gampel.
“We anticipate and plan for the worst, but that is the role of emergency response,” Renshaw said.
On the other hand, several staff in Gampel provide a different kind of defense– against litter.
Before a game, the custodial team will come in one to two hours before doors open to double check the cleanliness of Gampel and prepare it for fans, said James Albuquerque, the Senior Housekeeping Manager for UConn Custodial Services.
During a game, specific roles will take care of areas around Gampel. One person is posted at each of the four larger bathrooms in the stadium. While other staff are assigned to walk the concourse and remove trash. Last, some staff are designated “floaters” who inspect the VIP area, lower level media, and locker room spaces.
However, the heavy duty cleaning gets done after a game. The custodial team may employ up to 20 staff for a post-game clean up. These staff come from UConn or are employed by C&W, a company that works with UConn.
First, the staff will conduct a typical clean which means throwing out trash, cleaning up any major spills, installing more soap or toilet paper in the bathrooms, and cleaning the locker rooms.
Then, staff will go into a deep clean of the stadium which involves scrubbing bathrooms, mopping floors, cleaning the entryway and concourse, and any other surfaces. Staff who are on board for post-game clean up do not leave until the cleaning is finished, Albuquerque said.
The number of staff can vary depending on if any specific needs are required. If a basketball game ends around 9 or 10 p.m., and another event in Gampel is scheduled early the next day, there might be more staff on board, Albuquerque said.
This year, the number of custodial staff did not change with the Final Four and National Championship watch parties.
Last, facilities operations staffs five trade works in case an issue arises. One in plumbing, electrical, HVAC, emergency management system, and one manager from facilities. Like the police and fire department and custodial team, facilities will arrive at Gampel about one hour before the game starts, Bedard said.
Preparation for a basketball game is much like a basketball game itself. Whatever you see on the court, is just a fraction of the training that goes on behind the scenes.
“Games are not just athletic events, they encompass the UConn community,” Renshaw said.
With any luck, the University of Connecticut can bring home another title in 2025. Hopefully then, there will be no broken windows.
By Julliana Bravo Environmental Journalism, the University of Connecticut April 22, 2023
nnnnA Downy shadbush tree, a mild allergen, on the University of Connecticut Storrs campus. / Photo by Julliana Bravonnnn
Towns and cities across the United States are expected to have fewer freeze-free days, leading to a more extended allergy season.
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According to a recent report by Climate Central, temperature data show that freeze-free periods have increased by 15 days since 1970. Brooke Lappe, a doctoral student at Emory University, said a freeze-free day is a day in which temperature does not go below 32ºF. In agriculture, freeze-free days indicate the start of the growing season. The warmer temperature is an indication to plants to start flowering and produce pollen. The earlier the freeze-free days occur, the earlier plants flower and produce pollen. Pollen is the main culprit for seasonal allergies for many Americans.
nnnnA Japanese flowering crabapple, a mild allergen, on the University of Connecticut Storrs campus. / Photo by Julliana Bravonnnn
Lappe also said climate change has elongated the allergy season—a warmer year caused by climate change has caused pollen production to begin earlier. However, it isn’t the same in all parts of the United States. In Connecticut, for example, allergy season began around mid-March where in previous years, it would typically start in April. Shown by this graph, freeze-free days have increased by 22 since 1970 in Hartford. In Atlanta, where temperatures are generally warmer over the year, allergy season started at the end of January or the end of February where it usually would begin around March, Lappe said.
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Higher levels of carbon dioxide also ‘super-charges’ plant growth, Lappe said. Laboratory and research studies have shown anincrease between CO2 and pollen production. CO2 can increase photosynthesis in plant species that use a C3 photosynthetic pathway, Lappe said. “Rising levels of CO2 in the atmosphere can cause plants to produce more pollen,” Lappe said.
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Climate change has also caused an increase in extreme weather events such as thunderstorms. Paula Schenck, director of indoor environments and health programs, said this puts vulnerable populations at risk for water damage in their homes which increases risk of mold developing indoors. If those homeowners have nowhere else to live, they will have to reside in their unsafe home, said Schenck. Thunderstorms and mold are another way climate change can affect human health. Although thunderstorms in themselves don’t increase pollen production, it breaks the pollen down even further to facilitate entry into the lungs, Lappe said.
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“One of the obvious effects of climate change is that it’s getting warmer earlier in the year,” Pamela Diggle, the department head of ecology & evolutionary biology at the University of Connecticut, said. The earlier spring temperature causes plants to flower earlier, Diggle said.
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Diggle said that wind-pollinated trees, such as oak, birch, poplars, beech, and pine, are the type of trees that cause seasonal allergies. A wind-pollinated tree produces dry pollen that doesn’t form in clumps. Diggle said that the way pollen dangles from oak trees makes it easy for the wind to pick up pollen. Some flowers also start budding before the leaves do, leaving nothing to block the wind along the way. Diggle also suspected that homeowners are more inclined to plant male trees, which produce pollen, as opposed to female trees, which have fruits, because of the maintenance female trees require.
nnnnA white oak, a severe allergen, on the University of Connecticut Storrs campus. / Photo by Julliana Bravonnnn
Climatologists and plant and tree experts aren’t the only ones that have noticed a longer allergy season. According to the Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America, 26% of adults and 19% of children suffer seasonal allergies. Symptoms of seasonal allergies range from congestion, sneezing, itchy eyes, and a runny nose, and can affect people to different degrees.
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Meg Walsh, an ecologist at USDA, suffers from severe seasonal allergies. Walsh recalls her allergies being severe ever since she was a teenager. Every year around April, she experienced eye and nose swelling as well as coughing. Her allergies were so bad that a routine allergy shot, an injection with a small amount of the allergen in hopes of building immunity to the allergen, sent her into anaphylactic shock.
nnnnA sugar maple, a moderate allergen, on the University of Connecticut Storrs campus. / Photo by Julliana Bravonnnn
Walsh said she loves being outside and in nature. However, no matter how many antihistamines she is on during the springtime, she needs to limit the amount of time she spends outdoors. Walsh doesn’t see a difference in her allergies when she travels to different towns and cities because she finds that horticulture trees which produce allergenic pollen are everywhere. However, when she has the chance to travel to the tropics, she feels fewer symptoms of seasonal allergies, she said. Walsh knows her allergies will start in April, so she takes preventive measures such as antihistamines, inhalers, and eye drops. However, this year spring came too early and she was unable to do so.
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Pamela Angelillo, a registered nurse at UConn Health, said that she started seeing patients with symptoms of seasonal allergies in February instead of in mid-March. She also mentioned the extension of allergy season might become a problem for seasonal allergy sufferers and even those who don’t have seasonal allergies. “People could have no [seasonal allergy] symptoms five years ago, but bodies change,” Angelillo said. Skin testing and allergy shots are the most common for patients with more extreme symptoms, Angelillo said.
nnnnAn American hophornbeam, Ironwood, a severe allergen, on the University of Connecticut Storrs campus. / Photo by Julliana Bravonnnn
Dr. Kevin McGrath is an allergist in Wethersfield, Connecticut. He said seasonal allergies cause several issues in his patients, such as fatigue and nasal congestion that can disrupt a peaceful sleep. Although patients might sleep for the recommended eight hours, they will wake up tired, sore, and achy, said McGrath. He also said patients could become resistant to medication because of how frequently they take them. However, McGrath believes that studies on the relationship between global warming and the longer pollen season are not definitive yet and still debatable.
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Angelillo has some advice for seasonal allergy sufferers. First, taking a shower before bed can help get rid of the pollen on your body and out of your hair. If you garden or do lawn work, wearing a mask can help prevent breathing in the pollen. She also advises not to sleep with the window open as it can bring pollen from outside into your home. Lastly, she recommends nasal rinses to flush out any pollen that might be trapped in your sinuses from the day.
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Lappe wrote her doctoral dissertation on the relationship between pollen, climate change, and the risk to vulnerable populations. Lappe said that those vulnerable populations include children, elderly, and Hispanic and Black communities.
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“The sudden rise in environmental pollutant levels due to industrial development and urban motor vehicle traffic has affected air quality and consequently, the severity and mortality from allergic diseases” said a study published in the National Library of Medicine. Those exposed to traffic pollution typically live in urban areas, most of which are minority groups, Lappe said.
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“When you add an environmental exposure, you increase risk,” Lappe said. Past research has also focused on the age trend in emergency department visits, but not a race trend, Lappe said. Indicating the importance of conducting more research.
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While seasonal allergies affect people from all over, Connecticut has been a hot spot for those who suffer from seasonal allergies. The Allergy and Asthma Foundation of America lists Hartford and Bridgeport among the Top 100 worst asthma and allergy cities in the nation. Dr. Angelillo said that this could be because of the types of trees in that area that produce a lot of pollen, like Maple and Juniper. Schenck said that this list reflects the qualities of housing in urban areas and the burden that air pollution has created in urban areas as well. Right now, humans are left to adapt to the outside environment to reduce their own risk. “Because addressing the root cause is so difficult, we have to rely on adaptation.” Schenck said.
