Ball Knowledge

  At the start of Scene Six, a part of the heading mentions Allen Iverson starting his playoff journey with the Philadelphia 76ers. To us, being from Michigan, this didn’t feel that relevant, but to the people of Reading, Pennsylvania, this was huge. Just last season they had los t th e Eastern Conference Finals, and this year they were back in the playoffs hoping to win it all with their star player, Allen Iverson, leading the way. At the same time, with unemployment dropping to its lowes t ev er, consumer confidence must have been at an all-time high during this period. Since Reading is in Pennsylvania, people there likely felt a strong connection to the team’s success. However, at the same time many of these factory workers didn't even know the owners were planning on replacing them with cheaper international labor. When a local team wins, people often spend more on celebrations, especially at bars or restaurants. That excitement, combined with job security from a low unemplo...

 When I first heard the word catharsis , it just sounded like another fancy word people throw around in writing to sound smart. The more I thought about it throughout the week, the more I realized how common it actually is. From the random Instagram reel I see at 2 a.m. telling me to lock in, to the music I’m listening to at 1 a.m. while trying to finish the homework I procrastinated on, the idea of catharsis has been tied to almost everything I do. Twenty minutes ago, when I saw the Lions stuck on the one-yard line at fourth down and watched Monty rush through to score a touchdown, that mix of nervousness and excitement I felt as he crossed the line was a form of catharsis. This past week, when I was pushing deadlines and trying to finish everything I had due, the music that kept me awake at one in the morning and gave me a sense of urgency was catharsis too. Everything I consume online has some kind of catharsis built into it. What I find interesting, though, is how it’s been mo...