By: Khadija Abd-Elhamid

Formula 1 is widely considered the pinnacle of motorsport. The fast-paced, drama filled races pique the interest of people around the world. Viewers tune in to watch Grand Prixs, where 20 drivers vie for the championship title. However, often, the action occurs not only on track but behind the scenes. The changes of drivers within the sport, often in surprising and exciting ways, are known by fans as the ‘silly season’. The competitiveness and prestige of the sport makes this aspect just as important as the on track action, changing an ever-changing battle of wills. 

Formula 1 is made up of 10 teams, each with a different constructor building the car. These teams include famous brands like Ferrari, Mercedes, and McLaren, while others, like Red Bull Racing, are more unconventional. Each team consists of two drivers, as well as a team of engineers, mechanics, and specialists. There are two potential championships to compete for: the Constructors’ Championship, to determine the best car, and the Drivers’ Championship. These championships occur during the race season, which now covers 24 races – the longest it has ever been. 

In 2024, the ‘silly season’ began before the cars even reached the racetrack. One of the biggest names in F1, Lewis Hamilton, announced he would be leaving his spot on the Mercedes AMG Petronas F1 team to join Ferrari for the 2025 season. Why does this matter if it’s a year away? Firstly, Lewis Hamilton is regarded as one of the greats in the sport of racing. He holds the record for the most world championship wins, most of which have been with Mercedes. For years, he and the team were one and the same, staying together through the highs and the lows of the sport. The British driver has built a reputation both in and out of the sport, becoming a celebrity in the truest sense; an example of which being that he will be a co-chair of the upcoming Met Gala of 2025. Hamilton brought attention to both the sport and himself. 

In addition to the reputation of Lewis Hamiton, Ferrari is one of the most iconic teams in motorsport. Ferrari is the only team to compete in every championship since the sport’s creation in 1950, being a front runner for decades. They have housed some of the greatest drivers, including Michael Schumacher, the driver who holds the championship record with Hamilton. It is considered a great honor to drive under Ferrari, so the pairing of the two legends under the same team was a rousing statement. The report also caused chaos within the fanbase due to Hamilton being the replacement to the Ferrari driver Carlos Sainz. The three time race winner is viewed as one of the most skilled and logical drivers on the grid. 

Sainz began his F1 career at Toro Rosso (now VCARB), Red Bull’s sister team, alongside current championship leader Max Verstappen. He moved to the Renault (now Alpine) and McLaren teams until eventually joining Ferrari in the 2021 season. The Spanish driver has become a fan favorite for his talent and cleverness on the track. When news broke that he would now be jobless for the 2025 season, people were unsure where he would end up. This is where the “silly”  in “silly season” comes into play. A great deal of theories spouted up; there were hints of Sainz returning to his Red Bull origins, or him being Hamilton’s replacement at Mercedes. The Spaniard, affectionately referred to by fans as ‘Chili’, took his time exploring options for different contracts at different teams. Eventually, four months into the season, Sainz made his decision. To the chagrin of many of his fans, Sainz joined the Williams Racing team.

 Many see this as a downgrade, as Williams has been pinned at the back of the grid in the past few years. However, they have scored points in the last few races, hinting at a comeback in the next few seasons. Sainz will team up with English driver Alex Albon, an individual adored for both his technique as well as his calm and collected attitude. Sainz’s switch was a gamble, but only time will tell if it pays off. 

New faces will also join the grid in 2025, including drivers such as Jack Doohan, Kimi Antonelli, and Liam Lawson. Jack Doohan, an Australian, has been a reserve driver for Alpine F1 team and he will be promoted to a seat next year. Kimi Antonelli, an 18-year old driver from Italy, will be promoted from F2, the feeder series for F1. He will take Hamilton’s empty Mercedes seat. After only being in F2 for one year, his impressive rise at such a young age marks him as a rising star in the sport. Liam Lawson, known for his love of the movie Cars, will join VCARB, replacing fan favorite Daniel Riccardo. Riccardo’s cheery attitude and cheeky comments has gained him popularity over the years. He lost his seat in 2023 but gained it back midseason. Formula 1 is also saying goodbye to American driver Logan Sargent, Kevin Magnussen, and possibly Valterri Bottass and Zhou Guanyu.

The world of F1 is a rabbit hole, from car mechanics to driver drama, where the action never stops. It truly is a spectacle, with the best of the best fighting for the crown. This was only a glimpse of the yearly action that makes up Formula 1. There are still 6 Grand Prixs left in the 2024 season, with the next being in Austin, Texas on October 20. If you’re free, tune in! You might just discover a new love for the world of racing. 

By: Yuting Lin

Badminton is a racquet sport, where players hit a shuttlecock, more casually referred to as a “birdie,” over a net within a badminton court. The object of badminton is to hit the shuttlecock over the net and have it land in the designated court areas. If your opponent manages to return the shuttlecock, then a rally occurs. To score a point, the shuttlecock must hit within the parameters of the opponent’s court. If the shuttlecock hits the net or lands outside the court, a point is awarded to the opponent. 

 Some say that badminton first originated in Japan between the 14th and 15th century. It’s true that badminton was in fashion for a short while, before slowly dying  out due to the easily damageable nature and high cost of the shuttlecock.  Yet around the 18th century, a game similar to the early Japanese badminton appeared in Pune, India. The badminton we know and love was eventually created by a British military officer in 1873, when  several British officers were playing a game with rackets and balls across the table during a party at Bloomington Hall.The game was quickly embraced by the British people and spread widely. Five years later, England created relatively comprehensive rules for badminton.

The earliest badminton courts were wider at both ends and narrower in the middle, resembling the shape of an hourglass. In 1934, Canada, Denmark, England, France, Ireland, Northlands, New Zealand, and Wales founded the International Badminton Federation, also known as “IBF.”

Badminton first appeared in the Olympic Games as a demonstration sport in 1972 and later, as an exhibition sport in 1988. It became a full Olympic sport in 1992, with competition for men’s and women’s singles (one versus one) and doubles (two versus two). Mixed doubles was introduced at the 1996 Games. In the 1950s the rapid development of badminton in Asia occurred, with Malaysia eventually winning two Toms cups titles. At the same time, the Indonesian team made some innovations in technique and playing style and soon achieved the dominant position on the international badminton court. After 1960, the development of badminton further moved to Asia, with many players becoming national celebrities.

An example is Lin Dan,  a Chinese former professional badminton player. He was born October 14, 1983, and has the nickname ”Super Dan” after he won the All England Open Final.

How do you play badminton? First, you have to wear comfortable clothing and training shoes. After learning how to use backhand and forehand grips, the basics of the sport is fairly simple in theory, if not practice. Through using a badminton racket and  a shuttlecock, you hit the shuttlecock over a badminton net with your racket! 

Fun Facts:

• There are 16 feathers in one shuttlecock
• In an average top-level international match, around ten shuttles are used, and they travel several miles around the court.
• Badminton used to be called poona.
• Mr. Thomas donated a trophy that was made as World Badminton Men’s Team Championship.

By: Jessica A. Dennehy

The latest edition of the Olympic Games has dazzled in the City of Lights, Paris, where the world’s finest athletes have come together to flaunt their hard-earned skills and talents. In a close-knit race for the most gold medals, the United States of America  and the People’s Republic of China tied,  each snagging an impressive sum of 40. Meanwhile, the Americans topped the charts in total medal counts, amassing a grand total of 126 medals. 

Of such contributions, American female athletes were responsible for bringing home 67 of these medals, including 26 golds. Their role in securing more than half of America’s total medal count reinforced that the Americans didn’t merely come to “play.” In fact, if American women were considered a separate nation, they would have ranked third overall in the Olympic Games, only behind the United States (126 medals) and China (91 medals). This astonishing achievement was highlighted by the Olympic organizers, who hailed Paris 2024 as “the first gender-equal Olympics.”

Certain U.S. teams truly stood out at the Summer Olympics this year, with the U.S. Women’s Rugby Sevens Team earning the country’s first-ever medal in the sport,  securing a bronze.  Another “football” medal was also earned by the U.S. Women’s Soccer Team, who took home their first gold since 2012, marking their fifth win in less than 30 years. The U.S. Women’s Basketball Team also took gold, defending their winning streak and achieving their  eight consecutive victory. They did this while also defeating the French on their own home turf. Pivoting from net to natatorium, the U.S. Women’s 4×100 medley relay team not only won gold, but also broke the world record.

On a more individual note, the accumulation of medals in various individual athletic events is also remarkable. Swimmer Victoria “Torri” Huske took home five medals—three  gold and two silver—making her the top medalist in all of Team USA for these Olympics games. While this article is not solely dedicated to singing the phrases of the Team USA Women’s Swim Team, it’s also worth noting that swimmers Gretchen Walsh, Katie Ledecky, and Regan Smith, as well as gymnast Simone Biles, each won four medals in the process of breaking multiple Olympic records.

Katie Ledecky, already the most decorated U.S. female Olympian of all time, was able to further extend her record by winning her ninth Olympic gold and 14th overall medal. In a similar fashion, Simone Biles, now the most decorated U.S. Olympic gymnast,  added four additional Olympic medals to her career total, raising the amount to a whopping 11 total. Biles also played a pivotal role in helping win the team women’s all-around gymnastics finals while also securing gold for herself in the individual women’s all-around gymnastic finals. Diana Taurasi, a longtime Team USA basketball star, scored  her sixth gold medal, becoming the first basketball player ever  to achieve the milestone. Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone also set the world record in the 400m run for the fifth time, surpassing her own record she set back from the Olympic trials a month prior. She now holds the three fastest 400m times in history and six out of the ten fastest times ever in the event. Additionally, McLaughlin-Levrone earned a secondary gold through her contribution to the women’s 4×400 relay team, bringing her total to four Olympic gold medals.

By Will Stark

I love the United States stereotype. According to the rest of the world, Americans are loud, obnoxious, and narcissistic. I call that patriotism. And honestly, they’re just haters. It’s not difficult to imagine why, seeing as we smoked everyone else in the Olympics.

Team USA had an incredible performance in Paris this summer. They destroyed the medal count, with an astonishing 126 medals. Runner-ups China and Japan were only able to snag 91 and 45 medals respectively. Even by individual athletes, the United States dominated, with 11 athletes getting at least 3 medals. Across the podiums of various and diverse sports, the Stars and Stripes could be spotted. There’s a lot of ground to cover in a recap of our excellence, but I’ll stick to a few highlights.

As one of the oldest sports in the Olympics, swimming has always garnered a significant amount of attention from the public and, as usual, the Americans won, with a significant margin of 10 medals. Individually, our athletes had an outstanding performance as well. Among the most notable is Katie Ledecky, who this summer in Paris became the most decorated female athlete, not just in swimming, the USA, or even the world. She is now the most decorated female athlete of all time. She holds claim to a whopping fourteen medals, nine of which are gold. The best part is, she’s not done yet. Ledecky says she still hopes to compete in Los Angeles in 2028. Other outstanding athletes include Torri Huske and Gretchen Walsh who placed first and second respectively in the 100m Butterfly, as well as Kate Douglass who medaled in the 200m Breaststroke and 200m Medley. If this wasn’t enough to cement United States swimming dominance, there was also a video posted of the Olympic team singing Carly Rae Jepson’s “Call Me Maybe” on YouTube. Take a look.

The United States was also very successful in gymnastics, where Team USA took its obvious place atop the podium. The team was led by gymnastic powerhouse Simone Biles, and with her on the mat were Jade Carrey, Hezly Rivera, Jordan Chiles, and Sunisa Lee. After winning gold as the greatest all around team, Simone Biles took gold in all around individual gymnast and vault, as well as silver in the floor routine. Suni Lee also was able to earn a bronze in the all around individuals. Jordan Chiles also won a bronze, but it was stripped from her based on a technicality which made her claim invalid. Stupid rules. The Men’s Gymnastics team also put forth a strong showing, breaking a sixteen year medal drought with a bronze medal in the all around team that consisted of Asher Hong, Paul Juda, Brody Malone, Stephen Nedoroscik, and Frederick Richard. Stephen Nedoroscik, the USA pommel horse hero, scored a bronze in his event, despite having to do it without looking. Nedoroscik has strabismus, a rare condition that forces extreme crossing of the eyes. Overall, both teams put forth an appropriately jaw-dropping performance.

The Olympics is probably the only time most of us watch track and field, but when we do, it’s very popular. You’re definitely sick of hearing this, but yeah, the USA smoked everyone (except the men’s 4×100 relay, shhhh). Both the mens’ and womens’ teams put forth fantastic showings on both sides. The most familiar names are likely Sha’Carri Richardson, Noah Lyles, Gabby Thomas, Rai Benjamin, Ryan Crouser, and Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone. Sha’Carri Richardson, arguably the team’s fastest sprinter, won gold in the women’s 4x100m relay. She was the favorite to win the 100m finals, however, finished second to Julien Alfred. The only reason I bring this up is because it was genuinely inspiring.

 Julien Alfred is one of the four athletes from the delegation of Saint Lucia, a small island nation in a chain near Barbados. On August 3rd, in the women’s 100m finals, Alfred became the first to win a medal for her country. Just think about the context here. She is about as much of an underdog as you can get, running against Sha’Carri Richardson, a powerhouse in track with a World Championship under her belt, running for the track titan that is the United States. Not only was this Saint Lucia’s first medal, it was the first and only gold medal ever, in any event, for both men and women. I, personally, cannot wait to tell my kids that I saw this race live when the sports movie about Julien Alfred comes out.

Noah Lyles is arguably now a household name. He is now the fastest man in the world, after winning gold in the 100m dash. He also placed third in his usual event, the 200m. After all of Team USA’s awesomeness, this should seem somewhat subpar. Well, the thing is, Noah Lyles ran the third fastest 200m at the Olympics with COVID-19. I’ll never be able to call in sick for anything ever again. Noah Lyles is a really interesting character. He paints his nails and runs with a lucky Yu-Gi-Oh card. The craziest part is, he may not be the fastest American. Miami Dolphins wide receiver Tyreek Hill has famously claimed to be faster than Noah Lyles, although with Tyreek Hill’s 10.19 second personal record in the 100m dash, he wouldn’t have been able to qualify for the final medal race. Draw your own conclusions.

Other notable athletes include Rai Benjamin with a gold in the 400m. Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone, America’s star hurdler, delivered with a gold medal in the 400m hurdles and a world record, which she has shattered six times. Gabby Thomas, a Harvard graduate, grabbed an incredible three gold medals, each in a wide range of distances, which is impressive in and of itself. She collected them like Pokémon cards, medaling in the 200m, 4×100, and 4×400. I haven’t forgotten about the field events either. Shot Put thrower Ryan Crouser is an absolute giant in the sport, winning an unprecedented three gold medals in the past three Olympic Games, the first of his sport to accomplish such a feat.

Over the summer, the USA was able to impose some much needed humility onto the rest of the world. Although this was the case, the Olympics are a chance for unity, camaraderie, and peace. They are a spectacle the whole world can enjoy and root for. They truly are special. Or something like that. All I know is that the broad stripes and bright stars, through the perilous fight, were very, very gallantly streaming.