Staples reacts to Sterling’s shame

Justine Seligson

After Clippers owner Donald Sterling was caught in a TMZ leaked tape making racist comments about minorities this past Friday, the entire NBA community reacted strongly. At the game following these comments, the Clippers staged a silent protest by turning their warm-up jerseys inside out so that the logo could not be seen.

However, not only did the NBA reacted strongly to these opinions; Staples students were affected by it as well.

“It’s just embarrassing to see something like that happen in the NBA,” Ben Popkin ’16 said.

Yet the impact of these comments goes deeper than just the sports world or one singular race, it offends all types of people. This anonymous student feels strongly about the topic.

“As a member of the Hispanic culture, Donald Sterling’s statements and ignorance are extremely offensive to me and my culture.”

Adam Silver, the newly appointed NBA Commissioner, agreed, issuing a profound and powerful statement that maximized his capabilities as a commissioner.

“Accordingly, effective immediately, I am banning Donald Sterling for life from any association with the Clippers association or the NBA…I am also fining Mr. Sterling 2.5 million dollars, the maximum amount allowed under the NBA constitution,” he announced last Tuesday.

Directly after the statement, there was a flooding of positive reactions from both the sports world and the Staples community.

“He 100 percent made the right decision,” said Jason Nelson ‘16. “He nailed it.”

However, despite his ban from the NBA, a three-fourths vote of the full Board of Governors (one representative from each of the 30 teams) is required to officially terminate Sterling’s ownership.

Silver’s decision made his position clear – he has no tolerance for repulsive behavior and commentary in the NBA. His actions are a marking point for both the sports world and the country in the fight against racism.

Staples head soccer coach Dan Woog commends the values that Silver expressed. “I was very impressed with the NBA commissioner’s swift and very strong response. It has set a standard for all sports organizations to follow.”

About the Contributors

Grant Sirlin, Staff Writer

A longtime veteran of Inklings, Grant Sirlin ’16 has always possessed the passion and commitment required of all young journalists. Coming into his third year as a member of Inklings and his final year at Staples High School, Grant looks forward to “ending [his] career with a bang”. He attributes his joining Inklings as a sophomore to his parents and peers. “My mom and dad really wanted me to try it and once I tried it I was immediately hooked,” Grant said. Outside of the newsroom, Grant enjoys becoming involved in countless activities around Westport. He is a four year member of the Staples soccer team and also participates in Service League of Boys and Safe Rides on Saturdays. An exemplary student, Grant serves as the vice-president for the National Honor Society at Staples. His commitment to education and community is reflected in the great role he plays in Inklings.

Justine Seligson, Photo Coordinator

Being a self-described political junkie and a teen travel writer, Justine Seligson '15 is not only, without a doubt, a well rounded student and basically a mother's dream, but also a very unique addition to the staff. Seligson is extremely modest about her accomplishments, but it is very clear that her extensive journalistic experience outside of Inklings has largely influenced her presence on the paper. "I have a column on teen travel on my parent's website, which is called Farewell Travels," Seligson said. "It's a very different type of writing [than Inklings] but it's definitely helped me to grow as a journalist overall." Seligson goes on to describe the plethora of exquisite articles she has written for her column over the years. Seligson further explained how her experiences in traveling have shaped her journalistic presence in a large way. She explains why she is nonchalant about the amazing experiences she has had traveling the globe, explaining that it has always been a way of life for her and her family. "My family travels all the time," she said. "It's just part of our business." However, Seligson says that "...[she] would a much different writer if [she] hadn't traveled so much." She casually mentions how much of an impact a pre-college Kenyan writing program had on her, as what an honor it was to be featured in the National Geographic Student Edition. "It made me realize that even though journalism may supposedly be a dying business, there may be some hope for me to pursue my dream career," she said. With her in-depth knowledge of travel and politics, Seligson is sure to be an interesting voice on the paper this year. She hopes to improve her writing and photography even more this year, as well as to help other staff members to increase the quality of their own photographs.

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Staples reacts to Sterling’s shame

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