Chronicle Editorial

By: 
Chronicle Staff

Marking milestones
     The last few weeks have been exciting times for Hampton-Dumont fans near and far. The football team secured a third-straight playoff berth after finishing 7-2, and head coach Jerry Shafrath earned his 100th career coaching victory during a blowout win against rival Clear Lake. Needless to say, it’s great to be a Bulldog.
     The success of this year’s squad may have come as a surprise to some folks. H-D graduated multiple seniors from last year’s 10-win team, and you couldn’t blame fans for being a little skeptical heading into the 2015 season. However, these Bulldogs persevered through adversity and surprised the doubters. Following a 2-2 start, H-D surged to a five-game win streak and locked up a home game in the first round of the playoffs.
     The players earned each victory through cohesive teamwork and gutsy performances, but the coaching staff deserves a nod, too. Shafrath has had his team ready to go each week despite injuries and other hurdles. Their gritty determination and never-give-up attitude has translated to success, and that can be attributed to coaching. Shafrath – now 101 career victories strong – knows a thing or two about winning. His teams have embraced those successful habits during the past three seasons and it’s been a treat for the Hampton-Dumont fanbase.
     Congratulations to the Bulldogs and Coach Shafrath. This season has been exciting to follow, and we encourage fans to support the team when they take on North Polk tonight in the first round of the playoffs. The road to the UNI Dome will be tough, but this team has proven week in and week out that they have the grit and determination to pound out a win no matter the opponent.
     Go Bulldogs!
 
Looking for leadership
     A rather chaotic scene developed in Washington over the past few weeks as Republicans scrambled to replace outgoing Speaker of the House John Boehner. Though it appears Paul Ryan is poised to take the reigns, the GOP has some soul searching to do following yet another bout of inter-party squabbling and division.
     Ryan will be baptized by fire on Day 1. Huge issues like nation’s debt ceiling and future spending policy will greet the new speaker, leaving him little time to reflect on the new role. However, many feel the young Congressman is up to the task. He is the current House Ways and Means Committee Chairman and previously served as Chairman of the House Budget Committee for four years. He helped negotiate the Bipartisan Budget Act of 2013, which marked the first time in 27 years a split Congress reached a budget agreement. Gridlock has tainted House negotiations in recent years, and Ryan has a chance to steer Congress past last-minute Band Aid deals that only kick the can further down the road.
     In any case, the new speaker faces a monumental task. He must unite a party shackled by infighting and ideological division. It won’t be easy, but Republicans have a chance to right the ship and establish a function coalition behind Ryan. Some may disagree, but new leadership could be the party’s last chance at unity as it stares towards a murky future.

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