On a Positive Note: Long Island Gymnast Continues Down Historic Path at HBCU
Daily news headlines can often be jarring, overwhelming and leave people feeling a sense of hopelessness, but Cheddar News is looking to capture those feel good moments as well.
Kayla McDonald, 19, a budding collegiate gymnast, is paving her own path and doing it with some history tacked along. McDonald and her Fisk University teammates have become the first historically Black college or university to compete in gymnastics at the collegiate level. She said she and her teammates initially didn't realize how big of a deal it was until they started going viral on social media.
McDonald's historic path to collegiate gymnastics didn't just begin at Fisk. She was the first person from Long Island's Valley Stream South High School to ever compete in state competition for four consecutive years and achieve All-American status. Former teammates even expressed their admiration for her and achievements. "There's just very few people who look like you doing it, so when it comes to that, it's so nice to have other people look like you, doing it and that you can share that moment with," Milan Morris, former high school teammate, said.
Merriam-Webster has fully revised its popular “Collegiate” dictionary with over 5,000 new words. They include “petrichor,” “dumbphone” and “ghost kitchen.” Also “cold brew,” “rizz,” “dad bod,” “hard pass,” “cancel culture” and more.
Chris and Betsey Mercado share how Objective Zero’s peer‑support app, resources & trained pathfinders are fighting veteran suicide & building community.
The original Birkin bag created by Hermès for Jane Birkin in 1984 is up for auction in Paris. Sotheby’s expects the iconic bag to sell for hundreds of thousands of euros on Thursday.