Monthly Archives: August 2017

Aug. 4, 2017

UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. -

The Penn State men's basketball team departs for the Bahamas today where it will meet three locally based teams in competition during its foreign tour trip August 4-11. All games will be played in Sir Kendal Isaac's National Gymnasium, Queen Elizabeth Sports Centre in Nassau.

NCAA basketball teams are permitted to take an international tour to play exhibition games once every four years with the Lions' last trip, to Belgium, France and England, taking place in 2013. During this 2017 tour, the games will be governed by the International Basketball Federation (FIBA) and follow those contest rules.

On Sunday, Aug. 6 at 2 p.m. ET, Penn State will play the New Providence Basketball Association (NPBA) All-Stars. Back-to-back games will take place on Tuesday, Aug. 8 at 6 p.m. ET against the Providence Storm and following evening, Wednesday, Aug. 9 at 7 p.m. when the Bahamas All-Starshost the Nittany Lions.

In addition to playing in the exhibition games and participating in shootaround sessions, several team members are scheduled to conduct a clinic for children in Governor's Harbour, the capital of Eleuthera, on Saturday. Sightseeing and touring opportunities will also be available at and around the resort.

Visit GoPSUSports.com for exhibition game recaps and follow the Penn State men's basketball team on Twitter at @PennStateMBB, on Facebook and Instagram at @PennStateMBB for frequent updates of the Nittany Lions' travels and activities in the Bahamas.

The Bahamas will also host other American collegiate basketball teams this upcoming week, including Boston College, Colorado State, Rhode Island, Nicholls State, Providence, Southern Mississippi and Southern University.

Deposits for new 2017-18 Penn State Men's Basketball season tickets can be made by calling 1-800-NITTANY (weekdays, 8 a.m.-5 p.m. Eastern time) or by visiting gopsusports.com/tickets/m-baskbl-tickets.html.

Penn State Men's Basketball Bahamas Exhibition Games

Sunday, August 6 vs. NPBA All-StarsSir Kendall G.L. Isaacs National Gymnasium, Queen Elizabeth Sports Centre 2 p.m. ET

Tuesday, August 8 vs. Providence Storm Sir Kendall G.L. Isaacs National Gymnasium, Queen Elizabeth Sports Centre 8 p.m. ET

Wednesday, August 9 vs. Bahamas All-StarsSir Kendall G.L. Isaacs National Gymnasium, Queen Elizabeth Sports Centre 7 p.m. ET

2017-18 Penn State Nonconference Schedule | 2017-18 Roster |

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Lions Embark on Bahamas Trip - GoPSUsports.com

By KHRISNA VIRGIL

Deputy Chief Reporter

kvirgil@tribunemedia.net

THE Trump administrations pick for United States ambassador to The Bahamas, Doug Manchester, seemed to speak favourably of the newly elected Minnis administration yesterday, telling the panel at his Senate hearing it really looks bright in The Bahamas.

He said officials stationed at the US Embassy in Nassau, including Charg dAffaires Lisa Johnson, have said this much in his discussions with them.

This was part of his response to a question from Republican Florida Senator Marco Rubio who asked Mr Manchester for his position should The Bahamas support waiver regarding its vote at the Organisation of American States (OAS) for democracy in Venezuela.

He said The Bahamas has consistently voted with the US for this cause.

Its a new government down there with a new beginning, Mr Manchester said. I salute their democracy. They have recently had a great election. New people are coming into power according to all of the people that I have talked to, including our charg (daffaires) and our existing embassy staff down there, that it really looks bright and as I said, the greater America becomes the greater benefit itll be for The Bahamas.

During the hearing before the US Senate Committee on Foreign Relations, Mr Manchester also insisted he was not anti-gay, as he expressed support for the lesbian, gay, bi-sexual and transgender community. Senator Bob Menendez had pointed to Mr Manchesters previous position regarding this issue, prompting him to state for the record that he was certainly in support (of) gay and lesbian marriage.

In 2008, Mr Manchester donated $125,000 to support a ballot initiative, known as Proposition 8, blocking same-sex marriage in California, according to The New York Times.

The newspaper reported the hotelier donated the money to support the collection of signatures to qualify the initiative, which would amend the states constitution to prohibit same-sex marriage for a vote later in 2008.

Earlier this year, ahead of the May 10 general election, several local pastors petitioned US President Donald Trump to revoke any US executive orders and policies that enable the promotion of same-sex marriages in the Caribbean region as part of its foreign policy.

The clergymen, including Grace Community Church Pastor Lyall Bethell and Pastor Allen R Lee, president of Teleios Theological Training Institute, in a letter to President Trump claimed that in recent years the policies of the US State Department and other government agencies involved in foreign policy have attempted to coerce countries in the Caribbean region into accepting a mistaken version of marriage.

Pointing to former US President Barack Obamas threat last year to pull federal funding from American states over entry to bathroom and locker room access based on gender identity, the pastors claimed this same kind of coercion was being used against Caribbean countries to fall in line with the same-sex marriage agenda.

Pastors Bethel, Lee and other Bahamian clergymen were signatories to a petition dated January 31, 2017, which also bore the names of 289 clergymen from around the region, including those from Trinidad and Tobago.

In response, local, lesbian, gay, bi-sexual, transgender and intersex (LGBTI) activist Alexus DMarco said it was with horror and disgust that the LGBTI community learned of the actions of these Christian ministers.

The basis of pastors arguments for the criminalisation of homosexuality and opposition to gay marriage has been dispelled and put to rest by the courts in the United States, she said.

Same-sex marriage is now legal in the United States.

The post of US ambassador to The Bahamas has been vacant since 2011, with the previous nominee Cassandra Q Butts having died as she waited more than two years to be confirmed to the post under the former Obama administration.

Ms Butts, 50, died in May last year, but was nominated for the ambassador post in 2014 by former US President Barack Obama. The confirmation was held up by Republicans in the US Senate.

More:

Ambassador Pick Says Future Is Bright For The Bahamas - Bahamas Tribune

Doug Manchester, ambassadorial nominee for The Bahamas.

By KHRISNA VIRGIL

Deputy Chief Reporter

kvirgil@tribunemedia.net

THE $2.1bn Chinese fishing proposal for Andros, which placed the former Progressive Liberal Party government in the line of fierce criticism, took centre stage during the United States ambassador to the Bahamas confirmation hearing with nominee for the post Doug Manchester saying more US investment is needed in this country.

During the United States Committee on Foreign Relations hearing, Chairman Marco Rubio, Republican Florida senator, pointed to the issue as without doubt concerning because of Floridas proximity to The Bahamas.

Mr Rubio said if The Bahamas ever leased its waters to the Chinese it would negatively impact US-Bahamas relations.

He asked whether Mr Manchester had given any thought to how he would approach this situation should it arise if he is successful in securing the diplomatic post.

Mr Manchester said: I really do believe that the presence of Homeland Security and our Coast Guard off the shore and all of what were doing to protect The Bahamas really needs to be continually emphasised to the Bahamian government, even though China has in fact made a significant economic contribution to the Commonwealth of The Bahamas in the form of hotels (and) resorts.

We just need to encourage more business from America to be there.

He also said: I already had talks with people in regards to the University of The Bahama(s) and I think there is no reason why we cant have a medical school there.

I believe with a medical school down there we could in fact encourage some medical instrumentation to be manufactured there and to do everything we possibly can to allow for Americas interests to be appreciated and as a result of being appreciated, certainly protecting our rights with regards to fishing and other security issues.

Last November, the PLP was heavily criticised after reports the former Christie administration gave the green light to its embassy in Beijing to pursue talks of a fishing and agriculture partnership with China.

In response, then Minister of Agriculture and Fisheries V Alfred Gray at the time said there was no way, under any circumstance, that the government would give foreigners, no matter who they are, a licence to fish in The Bahamas. However he also admitted to giving The Bahamas ambassador to China permission to have the discussions.

The controversial proposal reportedly projected a $2.1bn injection into the local economy over ten years through an equal partnership between The Bahamas and the Peoples Republic of China.

According to earlier reports, the proposed partnership further entailed the incorporation of 100 companies, with the agricultural products and seafood to be used for local consumption, and exported to China and the United States for sale. The proposal also reportedly included the option to lease 10,000 acres of Crown land in Andros.

During the height of the controversy, Mr Gray said he never spoke with any Chinese and simply gave the Bahamian Ambassador to China Paul Andy Gomez permission to discuss investments.

Despite the denials from the government, the report prompted Free National Movement Leader Dr Hubert Minnis, who was then in opposition, to criticise then Prime Minister Perry Christie for his deafening silence on the matter.

It was not the first time he raised concern on this issue. Last July, while speaking at a rally at Christie Park, Dr Minnis said the government was negotiating with the Chinese for 10,500 acres of land in Andros.

Dr Minnis also alleged the proposal was part of the secret deal Mr Christie negotiated with the Chinese to remobilise the Baha Mar resort.

In November 2016, Mr Christie criticised Dr Minnis for emotionally exploiting Bahamians anxiety over Chinese investment.

In Parliament, Mr Christie revealed that the previous FNM administration held talks with the Peoples Republic of China and private Chinese companies through the Bahamas State Investment Administration Bureau for projects and co-operatives, which included Crown land acquisition.

However, he stopped short of tabling the documents to support this, and instead invited Dr Minnis to review the files so that he could be informed without having to make it into some ridicule of a nation.

As for the $2.1bn Chinese proposal, Mr Christie also said last November that if such a proposal had ever come before his Cabinet, it would have been rejected outright.

See the rest here:

'Bahamas Needs Us, Not China' - Bahamas Tribune

By DR MIKE NEVILLE

Sticks and stones may break my bones, but words will make me go in a corner and cry by myself for hours.

DOMESTIC violence. I am not sure if this is an oxymoron, domestic has a homely, pleasant even tame ring to it, certainly not a word that should sit with violence. It is however inevitable that the emphasis is always on the violence, ranging from nasty words to physical encounters that can even end up in death.

Over the past few decades, there has been an immense amount of work mainly by womens groups that has pushed the issue into the mainstream of concern and crime statistics. The violence, however, continues unabated and there is still a lack of concern from many societies and police forces who view it as a matter to be left to the combatants to sort out. There are many reasons for this, is it an arrestable offence, will the complainant show up in court, lots of paper work and of course it is just domestic.

There are no real statistics as to the level of domestic violence in The Bahamas; we are fed nonsense facts that crime is going down and murder is just bad men killing bad men. The statistics are controlled by the police and even if accurate, a large number of people have given up reporting crime for a variety of reasons.

We do know that three women are killed every day in the USA by a current or former partner. The problem is just as bad in the UK where the police recorded just over one million domestic abuse related cases in one year and the police are reporting that the children exposed to violence in the home are much more likely to be attracted to gang membership.

It gets worse, recent reports have shown the relationship between domestic terrorists and exposure to violence in the home. It makes sense children exposed to violence in the home grow up habituated to violence but terrified to show weakness. These boys with fragile identities are likely to join gangs or terrorist groups who then glorify abuse of women by rape and other violence and the girls become to accept it as the norm.

This is not meant to excuse boys who grow up to be abusers, psychologists regard it as a choice which can be changed. The mens group run by Dr Harry Ferere and the Catholic church has shown remarkable success in helping men who batter women to change their behaviour.

It does however demonstrate a systematic failure of our current efforts to deal with this scourge which is destroying so many lives; perhaps it is time to step back and look at the problem afresh.

The Bahamas is blessed with beautiful turquoise waters and amazing coral reefs. The reef is an ecosystem kept in balance by corals, sponges, seaweed and fish. They all live together in some sort of balance. It is believed that the reefs provide shelter and food for one quarter of all marine life; but they are under threat from global warming and overfishing.

There are so many parts of our lives that are all about balance, diet, exercise our very health needs to be kept in reasonable boundaries for our survival. It may be helpful to see domestic issues in the same way. How can we develop a human ecosystem that lets us co-exist in some sort of harmony?

All relationships have power issues that give a sense of control, it is natural to want to use our power to get what we need; not the same as what we want! This healthy instinct must always recognise the needs of others in the relationship, finding ways to teach about power and control in relationships from an early age should lead to mutual dependence in relationships.

The present societal acceptance of inappropriate male behaviour which glorifies violence, aggression and dominance; accompanied by the reality that they will get clean away with their disgusting behaviour is extremely worrisome for the future. There is also increasing power imbalances in relationships where women are getting a better education and doing better in the job market despite the country voting twice against equality between the sexes. The problems of childhood abuse have also left many adults with shame, low self-esteem, fear of rejection and a lack of assertiveness. This then leaves them open to abusive relationships.

There needs to be a cultural shift towards shared power, a move away from aggression and learnt passivity to relationships that respect assertiveness which always respects the needs of others in our quest to control our own lives.

Dr Mike Neville is a forensic psychiatrist who has practised for more than 40 years in The Bahamas, working at Sandilands, the prison and in private practice. Comments and responses to mneville@tribunemedia.net

Go here to see the original:

Mental Health Of The Nation: Domestic Violence In The Bahamas - Bahamas Tribune

GREEN BAY, Wis. -- Aaron Rodgers, Clay Matthews and David Bakhtiari train during the offseason in Southern California, where there are beaches, golf courses and sunshine galore. Davante Adams is more a Nebraska kind of guy.

Lincoln, Nebraska, might not have the scenery and attractions that his Green Bay Packers teammates find out West, but to Adams, a Northern California native, spending days at a time in Middle America is worth it because it's home to -- in his opinion -- one of the best receivers coaches in the country.

Adams spent part of his summer vacation -- before he took an actual vacation to the Bahamas -- in Lincoln working with his longtime coach, Keith Williams, who is now on the University of Nebraska staff.

"He is definitely dedicated," said Williams, who was Adams' first collegiate receivers coach, at Fresno State. "He's a smart player, and he understands what makes him successful."

It paid off last year when Adams' breakout season included career highs in catches (75), yards (997) and touchdowns (12), and he wasn't about to stop there.

And Adams doesn't mind that he has to go Nebraska to do it. "I'm sure a lot of people would," he said. "But then they'll say people don't take their craft serious. It makes you focus on what you're doing.

"You've got to do what you've got to do to take that next step, and if I feel like that's where a really good wideout coach is and I'm going to be around a lot of guys that are focused, that's where I need to be."

Adams' Instagram account offered a glimpse of the workouts Williams put him through.

It's the kind of work they've been doing since Williams recruited Adams out of Palo Alto, California. Adams has followed Williams around the country, whether it was to New Orleans, when he coached at Tulane, or to Lincoln the past two years, to get in extra work on his craft in the offseason.

This is an important season for Adams to prove that last year -- and not his injury-filled, disappointing 2015 -- was the new normal. He's entering the final year of his contract, and another season like 2016 could make him one of the top receivers eligible for free agency next offseason -- if the Packers don't extend his contract before he gets there.

Even though Adams missed the 1,000-yard mark by nine feet, he became one of the focal points for quarterback Aaron Rodgers last season. So far in training camp, that hasn't changed. Rodgers and Adams have connected on several big plays, including one of the longest completions of camp, a 60-yard touchdown on the first day.

In addition to his workouts with Williams, Adams went to work on his body this offseason. He said he weighed in at 206 pounds at the start of training camp. That's about six pounds lighter than he played at last season and 14 pounds less than what he was 16 months ago at the start of the 2016 offseason program.

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"More than anything, I got leaner, and it's showed in more definition of my body," Adams said. "I feel amazing running routes."

Adams has made multiple trips to Nebraska, but he wanted one last session with Williams right after the Packers minicamp ended in mid-June.

Among those who also worked out with Adams and Williams was Packers rookie receiver Malachi Dupre, the seventh-round pick from LSU. Williams first met Dupre when he was trying to recruit him to Tulane. Williams also has worked with Baltimore Ravens receiver Mike Wallace and Kansas City Chiefs receiver De'Anthony Thomas, among others. He posted on Twitter about one workout with Adams, Dupre and Washington Redskins receiver Ryan Grant.

"Coach [Mike] Riley and everyone involved have opened their arms to all the guys," Williams said. "It's a real comfortable environment, and it's relaxing."

Almost like Southern California.

Read more from the original source:

Nebraska before the Bahamas: Davante Adams goes distance to work out - ESPN (blog)