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Tag: university

  • Sonoma State president put on leave for ‘insubordination’ for supporting Israel academic boycott, divestment

    Sonoma State president put on leave for ‘insubordination’ for supporting Israel academic boycott, divestment

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    The president of Sonoma State University was placed on leave Wednesday, a day after he released a controversial campuswide message on the Israel-Hamas war that said the university would pursue “divestment strategies” and endorsed an academic boycott of Israeli universities.

    California State University Chancellor Mildred García announced the decision in a statement posted to the CSU website, saying that Sonoma State President Mike Lee was taken off the job for his “insubordination” in making the statement without “appropriate approvals.”

    Pro-Palestinian student encampment protesters celebrated when Lee released a letter to the roughly 6,000-student member Rohnert Park campus on Tuesday that met enough of their requests for activists to agree to dismantle their camp by Wednesday evening.

    “SSU Demands Met!” said a post on the SSU Students for Justice in Palestine Instagram with the caption “brick by brick, wall by wall” that showed screenshots of Lee’s letter.

    In his letter, Lee promised to pursue “divestment strategies that include seeking ethical alternatives” in consultation with pro-Palestinian activists and said he supported an academic boycott of Israel.

    “SSU will not pursue or engage in any study abroad programs, faculty exchanges, or other formal collaborations that are sponsored by, or represent, the Israeli state academic and research institutions,” Lee’s Tuesday letter said.

    Lee’s statement stood out. While other universities have recently said they will look into divesting from weapons companies, including UC Berkeley and UC Riverside, nearly all in the U.S. have rejected calls to target Israel specifically or to boycott formal exchange or research partnerships with Israeli universities.

    In rejecting such calls, the universities have cited their support of academic freedom and anti-discrimination policies. Some have also noted that a 2016 state law signed by then Gov. Jerry Brown banned giving state grants or contracts worth more than $100,000 to state universities that targeted Israel in endorsing the Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions movement.

    Lee’s statement immediately drew criticism from Jewish students, parents and community groups.

    Speaking at a Jewish Public Affairs Committee of California conference in Sacramento on Wednesday, California Lt. Gov. Eleni Kounalakis, who serves on the CSU Board of Trustees, slammed campuses for moving forward with agreements to quell protests.

    “Each campus is handling these situations in their own way with inconsistencies and frankly, sometimes coming up with agreements that they really don’t have the authority to come up with,” said Kounalakis, who spoke before Lee was put on leave.

    Kounalakis, a Democrat, said campuses were “woefully unprepared” for the recent protests.

    Gov. Gavin Newsom, who made a video appearance at the same Wednesday event to promote his plan to counter antisemitism, said last week that he did “not support divestment.”

    Assemblymember Jesse Gabriel (D-Encino) and Senator Scott Wiener (D-San Francisco), co-chairs of the California Legislative Jewish Caucus, commended García‘s decision, saying in a statement that Lee’s support of an academic boycott “was totally unacceptable and evidence that former President Lee is unfit to lead one of our great state institutions. We look forward to working with Chancellor García and the CSU Trustees to pursue a different path that will promote learning, respectful dialogue, mutual respect, inclusivity, and peace.”

    In her letter announcing that Lee would step aside, García said she was “deeply concerned” about his words.

    “Our role as educators is to support and uplift all members of the California State University. I want to acknowledge how deeply concerned I am about the impact the statement has had on the Sonoma State community, and how challenging and painful it will be for many of our students and community members to see and read,” García said. “The heart and mission of the CSU is to create an inclusive and welcoming place for everyone we serve, not to marginalize one community over another.”

    In his own letter on his departure, Lee apologized, saying he had “marginalized other members of our student population” and that “I realize the harm that this has caused, and I take full ownership of it. I deeply regret the unintended consequences of my actions.”

    “I want to be clear: The message was drafted and sent without the approval of, or consultation with, the Chancellor or other system leaders. The points outlined in the message were mine alone, and do not represent the views of my colleagues or the CSU,” Lee wrote.

    It was unclear how long Lee will be out. He has been on the job for 20 months, about half the time as interim president.

    In an interview with The Times, kinesiology professor Lauren Morimoto said she supported Lee.

    “As of now, the Academic Senate has not made a statement about Mike Lee’s announcement. However, I’m meeting with the Board of the Asian Pacific Islander American Faculty and Staff Association and we stand in solidarity with Mike Lee and the student protesters…,” said Morimoto, the former chair of the academic senate. “I will ask to be added to tomorrow’s agenda to present a resolution of support for Mike Lee and the student protesters and the demands they were able to negotiate with the university.”

    Staff writers Colleen Shalby and Mackenzie Mays contributed reporting.

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    Jaweed Kaleem

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  • More plans In works for NECC

    More plans In works for NECC

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    HAVERHILL — Public officials are attaching major goals to a plan to redevelop about 16 acres at Northern Essex Community College.

    The Division of Capital Asset Management and Maintenance and the college on Monday released a request for proposals for a long-term ground lease and redevelopment of campus health and wellness facilities.

    Officials want plans “that will address deferred maintenance, contribute to campus decarbonization, foster neighborhood relationships, and boost recruitment and retention by enabling vibrant athletic programming,” according to DCAMM. 

    The RFP invites proposals encompassing a 45,000-square-foot sports and fitness center, as well as a parking area, baseball field, softball field and asphalt track.

    DCAMM said the RFP was informed by extensive planning and a public hearing in 2023, and “while complementary and mutually reflective of NECC’s creativity and collaborative approach, this project is not directly related to the recently announced potential partnership between Whittier Regional Vocational Technical High School and NECC.”

    A site tour is planned for June 26, with a bidders conference on July 10 and proposals due by Aug. 30.

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    By Michael P. Norton | State House News Service |

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  • Gloucester woman awarded scholarship by MassCPAs

    Gloucester woman awarded scholarship by MassCPAs

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    BOSTON — Kori DiMaio of Gloucester was awarded the Kathleen Peabody CPA Memorial Scholarship on Tuesday by the Massachusetts Society of Certified Public Accountants.

    DiMaio, a student at UMass Amherst, was one of 51 students selected to receive a scholarship through the MassCPAs Educational Foundation’s 2024 Scholarship Program. The students were honored at MassCPAs’ annual, member-wide networking event, Connect 2024, on Wednesday.

    “The dedication and talent of these scholarship recipients is truly inspiring,” said Zach Donah, CAE, president and CEO of MassCPAs. “Their commitment to the accounting profession fills us with confidence about the future of the industry in Massachusetts. We’re honored to support their academic journeys and play a role in their success. We extend our sincere gratitude to this year’s donors and volunteers for helping students achieve their dreams through our scholarship program.”

    MassCPAs is the state professional association of certified public accountants, representing over 11,500 members in public accounting practice, industry and business, government and education.

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  • UCLA chancellor faces growing faculty criticism, no-confidence vote, after weeks of turmoil

    UCLA chancellor faces growing faculty criticism, no-confidence vote, after weeks of turmoil

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    UCLA Chancellor Gene Block is facing faculty calls for his resignation and motions of no confidence and censure as criticism mounts against his leadership in the wake of a violent mob attack on pro-Palestinian protesters and a sweeping police takedown of their encampment that resulted in more than 200 arrests last week.

    Representatives of the 3,800-member UCLA Academic Senate — made up of tenured and tenure-track faculty — are preparing to vote on separate motions for censure and no-confidence, both stating that Block “failed to ensure the safety of our students and grievously mishandled the events of last week.”

    The vote was scheduled for Friday but has been postponed to next week.

    The vote has no legal power to force action, but it marks a grave moment for Block. The leader of the nation’s top public research university is completing the final months of his 17-year tenure, after steering the Westwood campus through a financial crisis and global pandemic to reach new heights by expanding enrollment, diversity, philanthropy and research funding. Last year, Block announced he planned to step down on July 31 and return to faculty research.

    Other university leaders also have been criticized for their handling of campus protests, sparked last October when Hamas militants launched a deadly surprise attack on Israel and Israel retaliated with a massive bombardment of Gaza. Earlier this week, USC’s Academic Senate voted to censure the university’s president, Carol Folt, and provost, Andrew Guzman, after the widely criticized decision to cancel the valedictorian’s commencement speech due to unspecified “threats” and controversy over an aggressive police takedown of a pro-Palestinian encampment.

    UCLA declined to comment on the upcoming faculty vote.

    Three weeks of turmoil at UCLA started April 25, when students set up an encampment in the campus’ grassy quad to express solidarity with Palestinians, condemn Israel’s actions in Gaza and demand that UCLA divest from firms that make and deliver weapons and services to Israel. The encampment was initially free of violence, with protesters engaged in teach-in, art builds, yoga and other activities.

    “Many of us have personally witnessed the vibrant, respectful and highly disciplined learning [at the encampment],” Chicano Studies department chair Charlene Villaseñor Black said. “And university administration have gotten it wrong every time.”

    But UCLA Police Chief John Thomas said he advised campus leadership against allowing the encampment, as it violated rules against overnight camping. Inna Faliks, a professor of piano, said she and some other Jewish campus members felt targeted by protest chants, graffiti of expletives against Jews and blocked access to public walkways and buildings.

    UCLA declared the encampment unlawful on April 30. Later that night, a violent mob attacked the encampment and students were left to fend for themselves against beatings, pepper spray and fireworks for three hours. Law enforcement moved in on May 1 and early the next morning took down the encampment and arrested more than 200 people.

    Since then, a number of people have been blamed for the debacle.

    More than 900 University of California faculty and staff members issued a list of demands this week that included Block’s resignation, amnesty for students, staff and faculty who participated in the encampment and peaceful protests, university disclosure of all investments and divestment from military weapon production companies.

    “Following the violent and aggressive police sweep of the Palestine Solidarity Encampment on May 2, 2024, resulting in more than 200 students, faculty, and staff arrested while peacefully protesting, it has become obvious that Chancellor Block has failed our university,” the demand letter said.

    Faculty who signed the letter represented various departments including those of mathematics, American Indian Studies, Near Eastern Languages and Cultures, Asian American Studies, history, Chicana/o and Central American Studies, African American Studies, and anthropology.

    They spoke out about their demands Thursday, joined by a group of volunteer medics — representing about 100 UCLA medical students, nurses, residents and emergency medical technicians — who raised concerns regarding police brutality and the absence of medical help from the university after the attack. They said more than 150 students were attacked with pepper spray and bear mace, and at least 25 students were hospitalized for head trauma, fractures and severe lacerations.

    “UCLA Chancellor Gene Block’s and UC President Michael Drake’s statements minimize the severity of both the physical and psychological impact of their actions while attempting to justify the force they authorized against their students,” a medic said in a statement.

    When police took down the encampment, medics said, more than a dozen students were evaluated for rubber bullet injuries and others showed contusions and musculoskeletal injuries.

    “We strongly feel that Chancellor Block endangered the lives of our students, faculty and staff,” said Michael Chwe, a political science professor who helped organize the demand letter.

    Judea Pearl, a computer science professor, said UC President Michael V. Drake was ultimately responsible for the campus security failures. He said Block should not be blamed for failing to bring in a stronger police presence because he was a “victim” of UC systemwide guidelines that direct campuses to rely first on communication with protesters and bring in law enforcement as a last resort.

    “He was trying to protect the campus but had to follow the directive…not to bring in police,” Pearl said.

    But other critics have blamed Thomas, the police chief. Three sources not authorized to speak publicly told The Times that campus leadership, even before the mob attack, had wanted to beef up security and authorized Thomas to bring in external law enforcement to assist UCLA police and private security with as much overtime pay as needed. But he failed to do so, they said, and also did not provide a security plan to campus leadership despite multiple requests to do so.

    Others said that Administrative Vice Chancellor Michael Beck, who oversaw the police department and Office of Emergency Management at the time of the mob attack, should step aside. Previous lapses are now being scrutinized, including his responsibility for not stopping the LAPD from using the UCLA-leased Jackie Robinson Stadium as a staging area for action against Black Lives Matter protesters in 2020 — which Block, Beck and others called a mistake and a violation of university values. Beck’s duties also include management of Bruin Woods, the university’s Lake Arrowhead facility, where two counselors alleged they were hazed and sexually assaulted by other counselors in 2022.

    Beck did not respond to requests for comment.

    Pearl said a censure and no-confidence vote would send the wrong message to Block’s successor to refrain from strong leadership and instead pander to campus political sentiments, which he said would signify a “caving in” to demands to cut business and academic ties with Israel. Chwe, however, said it would signify faculty’s strong views that the chancellor must be held responsible for student safety.

    Drake has announced an external investigation into UCLA’s response, which Block says he welcomes as he conducts his own internal review.

    UCLA also has moved swiftly to improve security by creating a new chief safety officer position to oversee campus security operations, including the campus police department. Rick Braziel, a former Sacramento police chief who has reviewed law enforcement responses in high-profile cases across the country, is leading the new Office of Campus Safety as associate vice chancellor.

    Some critics, however, said the move would further “militarize” the campus. UCLA deployed a larger law enforcement presence earlier this week, when campus police arrested 44 pro-Palestinian protesters gathered in a parking structure before a planned demonstration. Police said they carried equipment that could be “used to unlawfully enter and barricade a building.” Some students decried the arrests as harassment and intimidation. Classes were moved online for the rest of the week as a security precaution.

    Differing opinions among faculty over the university’s response to student protests have created small rifts within departments, according to multiple faculty members.

    Chwe said they are working to combat misinformation being spread to faculty members surrounding recent events and continue to hold conversations with their colleagues.

    “It’s not only about dialogue with the university but also with our colleagues,” he said.

    Caroline Luce, a UCLA historian and member of University Council-American Federation of Teachers, which represents more than 3,000 non-senate faculty and several hundred professional librarians, called the atmosphere for UCLA faculty, particularly those not tenured like lecturers, “dicey with lots of risk.”

    “There are reputations and interpersonal dynamics in departments that they have to navigate,” she said.

    John Branstetter, a UCLA lecturer in political science, was one of about 10 faculty arrested after police took down the encampment. He said the university’s crackdown on free speech on campus has not only made him fear for his students’ safety but for his own.

    “I do feel threatened by the general atmosphere that the administration is fostering through this continuing quasi-criminalization of free speech on campus, so I don’t know if they will try to get rid of me or the protections I have will be abided by,” he said.

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    Teresa Watanabe, Ashley Ahn

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  • Fireworks, drones, Travis Scott hats: USC hosts alternative graduation event. Feelings are mixed

    Fireworks, drones, Travis Scott hats: USC hosts alternative graduation event. Feelings are mixed

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    No valedictorian speech. No celebrity speakers. No main-stage ceremony, and no massive graduate walk to “Pomp and Circumstance” before tens of thousands of guests.

    Instead, USC’s graduating seniors — whose traditional main graduation ceremony was canceled — were thrown an alternative party Thursday night: a “Trojan Family Graduate Celebration” at Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum on the eve of smaller campus commencement ceremonies where diplomas were set to be awarded at individual school events.

    The USC cheerleaders perform at the Coliseum on Thursday.

    (Gina Ferazzi / Los Angeles Times)

    The Thursday night event was billed as an “electric atmosphere” — capped at six tickets per grad — featuring a drone show, fireworks and a “special gift” for the Class of 2024: a hat from rap star Travis Scott’s collegiate clothing brand.

    The university had pitched the event as a “Southern California-style” celebration to compensate for the loss of the main-stage ceremony with a valedictorian, keynote speeches and the presentation of honorary degrees. But turmoil and campus protests over the Israel-Hamas war upended that ritual.

    Thia Broido, a graduating senior who sat on a top row at the Coliseum with her parents and brother Thursday night, said she was saddened by the controversial cancellation of the main commencement.

    Her high school commencement was upended by the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, with the graduation stage replaced by a “super cute” drive-in ceremony and social distancing, she said.

    For her college graduation, she was glad to have the family-friendly event at the Coliseum, but she said it didn’t “remove anything that has happened” over the last few weeks.

    “I don’t want to be a downer about it,” Broido said. “I’m happy for what we have. But what USC is doing is ongoing, and I can’t forget about that.”

    Familes enjoy a drone show at the "Trojan Family Graduate Celebration," at The Coliseum on May 9, 2024.

    Thursday night’s event included a drone show.

    (Gina Ferazzi / Los Angeles Times)

    Citing unspecified safety threats, USC President Carol Folt last month rescinded pro-Palestinian valedictorian Asna Tabassum’s speaking slot and then canceled the main ceremony. After students set up a pro-Palestinian tent encampment and demanded that USC end its financial ties with Israel, Folt and her team called in the Los Angeles Police Department, and 93 people were arrested. On Sunday morning, police cleared a second encampment, but no arrests were made.

    On Wednesday, Folt and Provost Andrew Guzman were censured by the Academic Senate, a body of representatives for USC faculty. The members cited “widespread dissatisfaction and concern among the faculty about administrative actions and decisions surrounding protests and commencement.”

    Folt has defended her actions, and said in an interview with The Times that campus safety is her “North Star.”

    “For me, I have a very clear North Star: that I am the person at the university, no matter how complicated the issue and how much I empathize with everybody involved — which has been true for me — I still in the end have to sit back and say, ‘What can I do to keep my campus and my people as safe as possible?’ ”

    Jerico Dimataga, a member of the USC Silks, performs at the "Trojan Family Graduate Celebration," at The Coliseum on May 9.

    Among the entertainment was the Trojan marching band.

    (Gina Ferazzi / Los Angeles Times)

    Typically, the annual Baccalaureate Ceremony — a nondenominational, interfaith celebration — is held on the eve of graduation at Bovard Auditorium in the center of campus. This year, there was an “in-person blessing” for the Coliseum bash, as well as an “online interfaith blessing” that could be viewed on a commencement website.

    During the Student Recognition Awards Ceremony on Thursday afternoon, students clad in graduation gowns cheered at length when Tabassum was recognized. She laughed and pretended to check her watch as the applause continued.

    “You may not know this,” the announcer joked, “but Asna is USC’s 2024 valedictorian.”

    Her classmates then gave her a standing ovation.

    Security at the Coliseum leading up to commencement has been tight.

    On Thursday, access to USC’s campus, which was already restricted to the university’s students, faculty, staff and registered guests, became even stricter. Students and staff had to show USC identification, and anyone else trying to access campus needed a commencement ticket.

    Chase Block wears his cap and gown during the "Trojan Family Graduate Celebration" on May 9, at The Coliseum on May 9.

    Grads gather before the event at the Coliseum on Thursday.

    (Gina Ferazzi / Los Angeles Times)

    Metal fences and black gates were posted around campus. Guests walked through metal detectors and were asked to carry clear purses or bags. Since the Sunday encampment sweep, officers from several law enforcement agencies have been stationed at the center of the USC campus.

    They included officers from the Baldwin Park Police Department, La Habra Police Department, Los Angeles Police Department and Los Angeles Airport Police, according to David Carlisle, assistant chief of the university’s Department of Public Safety.

    Officers were stationed near the Tommy Trojan statue, which had been cleaned after a protester — who organizers of the student encampment said was not affiliated with them — spray-painted “Stop Genocide” on its plaque.

    No demonstrations disrupted Thursday night’s event, although speakers and attendees acknowledged the tense campus climate.

    Inside the Coliseum, deejay duo Phantogram took the stage at 7:45 p.m. for a set before a sparse crowd of about 350. But attendance had grown substantially by the time the event began about 45 minutes later.

    A campus spokesperson said more than 22,000 people attended.

    Broido, the graduating senior, said she thought it was odd that the university would give out the Travis Scott hats — black caps with the words “USC Alumni” — which were distributed at a tent. She said she stopped being a fan of the rapper after 10 people were killed in a crowd crush at the 2021 Astroworld music festival in Houston.

    “I think it’s ironic that USC would partner with him,” Broido said. “I like his music — it’s just mixed feelings.”

    Varun Soni, dean of religious life at the university, delivered the invocation — a tradition typically held during the main-stage commencement.

    “There are so many in our community who are wrestling with anger and grief,” he said.

    The world, he said, is gripped by “five major crises” — war, justice, health, sustainability and joy.

    “We have a full-blown crisis of joy,” he said.

    The evening’s event, he said, was about celebrating the graduates and giving joy when it is needed the most.

    A series of video messages were projected on a large screen, including remarks by late-night host Jimmy Kimmel.

    “This class,” he said, “has been through a lot. More than other classes have had to deal with.”

    When the event concluded, the words “Class of 2024” and “Fight On!” were spelled in the sky by drones with red and white lights.

    Jack Callahan, who was decked out in USC gear, flew out with his family from Buffalo, N.Y., to watch his daughter Kiera graduate. Callahan was glad the university hosted a “big event to celebrate the graduates” after the family was initially disappointed to learn about the main-stage commencement’s cancellation.

    “I loved the camaraderie, the spirit and the drone show,” Callahan said. His wife, Liza, was equally thrilled with the drones, which she called “absolutely amazing.”

    “When we graduated,” she said, “there was nothing like that. Technology has come so far.”

    But Kiera, who studied psychology, would have preferred the real graduation.

    “I thought it was cute,” she said. “It was nice that they did something. But it doesn’t replace commencement.”

    Times photographer Gina Ferazzi contributed to this report.

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    Angie Orellana Hernandez, Hailey Branson-Potts, Jaweed Kaleem

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  • With furry costumes, water jugs and tambourines, this tiny California college became a Gaza flashpoint

    With furry costumes, water jugs and tambourines, this tiny California college became a Gaza flashpoint

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    ARCATA, Calif. — 

    Before dawn Tuesday, more than 100 law enforcement officers in riot gear marched into the quad of Cal Poly Humboldt, clutching guns and batons.

    They encircled a small group of protesters — including a furry one in a lime-green costume — who knelt on the ground, holding hands and reciting native chants.

    “Resistance is justified!” the crowd yelled as officers informed them they were being arrested before pulling them up, one by one, and fastening their hands with zip ties.

    The scene capped an extraordinary weeklong protest at this public university that has emerged as California’s strongest epicenter of civil disobedience over Israel’s war against Hamas in Gaza.

    Students at the state’s major campuses, including USC and Berkeley, have made the news over the last week. But Cal Poly Humboldt, tucked at the base of a redwood forest in rural Northern California and home to 5,976 students in Arcata, has taken on an out-sized role. Students have engaged in more vigorous disruption, occupying an academic and administrative building, painting buildings with graffiti and twice forcing police to retreat.

    Humboldt is one of the smallest and most isolated of the Cal State schools, a hub for students in the rural towns and former logging communities of California’s far north coast and interior.

    Yet those on campus understand why it has become such flashpoint.

    Faculty leaders say activism is in the college’s DNA, noting that students and professors have practiced nonviolent civil disobedience for more than half a century — from the Vietnam War in the 1960s and 1970s to the forest defense movement of the 1980s and 1990s.

    “People ask, ‘Well, why do they occupy? Why don’t they do what everybody else does and sit outside in tents?’ ” said Anthony Silvaggio, the chair of the sociology department.

    “It’s because we’re Humboldt,” he said, noting that as a graduate student in 1997 he was arrested during the Headwaters Campaign to save the last remaining old-growth redwood forests. “We occupy space! We have a rich history of taking over space and a long genealogy of direct-action tactics.”

    After resisting multiple attempts by police in riot gear to remove them from a building, students renamed it “Intifada Hall.” They scrawled slogans such as “land back,” “destroy all colonial walls” and “pigs not allowed” up and down its corridors and wrote “BLOOD ON YOUR HANDS” across the wood-paneled walls of President Tom Jackson Jr.’s office.

    They said they would not leave until the university disclosed all holdings and collaborations with Israel, cut all ties with Israeli universities, divested from companies “complicit in the occupation of Palestine” and publicly called for a cease-fire. They also called for the dropping of any legal charges against student organizers.

    Jackson said Tuesday “it breaks my heart” to see arrests. “Unfortunately, serious criminal activity that crossed the line well beyond the level of a protest had put the campus at ongoing risk.”

    But some faculty and students reject that narrative, accusing administrators and authorities of escalating a peaceful situation by bringing in riot police the first evening of the occupation. The closure of the entire campus, they argue, was unnecessary.

    “These are the actions of conscientious individuals working to end a genocide, not the actions of criminals,” the faculty union, the university chapter of the California Faculty Assn., said in a statement

    One of the activists arrested, assistant professor Rouhollah Aghasaleh, vowed to reject any bond and embark on a hunger strike until he and all his students were released.

    “I refuse to accept the label of criminal for standing up for an ethical reason.” he wrote in a statement before his arrest.
    ::

    At the heart of the showdown is a dispute that stretches beyond the Middle East to the question of how central activism is to the university’s mission.

    Faculty leaders blame Jackson, who became president in 2019 and has overseen the university’s transition to a polytechnic. The new designation, made in 2022, was designed to increase sagging enrollment with high-demand STEM education and research offerings.

    Officials hope the changes will result in a better university. But critics accuse Jackson of being out of sync with campus culture and failing to appreciate the university’s long history of environmental and social justice activism.

    According to Silvaggio, Jackson has ruffled feathers by telling faculty, “We’re not here to train activists.”

    Silvaggio — who said he learned tactics of non-violent civil disobedience from his professors, who were activists on the defense of native forests — now teaches courses in community organizing and social movements.

    He noted that last week was hardly the first occupation of a Humboldt campus building: In 2015, students occupied the university’s Native American Forum for a week to protest the abrupt firing of the then-chair of the Indian Natural Resource Science & Engineering Program.

    At the time, the university’s president visited the sit-in to talk to students, praising their action as “a real demonstration of your commitment to student access, achievement and completion.”

    “Look at our mission,” Silvaggio said, pointing to the university’s purpose and vision statement, which commits to being a “campus for those who seek above all else to improve the global human condition.” It also commits to “partnering with indigenous communities to address the legacy of colonialism.”

    Still, the occupation involved far more disruption than the one in 2015. Supporters of the movement acknowledge that they have developed bolder tactics and become more willing to eschew rules and leaders in the last decade with the coalescing of movements such as Black Lives Matter and the Black Bloc.

    “There is no organization or leader,” Silvaggio said. “When these rudderless movements happen, you’re gonna have property destruction, vandalism. That’s the natural course of occupations these days.”

    ::

    The occupation of Cal Poly Humboldt began April 22 when students showed up at Siemens Hall, an academic building that includes the university president’s office, with sleeping bags, board games and decks of cards. They barricaded the entrance with chairs and tables and erected a banner that said, “STOP THE GENOCIDE.”

    Students planned a peaceful sit-in in the president’s office to protest Israel’s actions in Gaza, said a 23-year-old student from San Jose who asked to be known only as “Mango” because he feared retaliation. Transgender indigenous students started holding a prayer, he said, and then police showed up and started hitting.

    The university gave a different account, saying students and faculty had to be evacuated as protesters disrupted classes and vandalized university property. In addition to defacing the building with graffiti, the university said, protesters blocked entrances and elevators with tents and in some locations shut doors using chains and zip ties, violating fire codes and “creating extreme safety hazards for those inside.”

    Video taken from inside showed protesters blocked law enforcement from entering, a police officer beat a protester with a baton and a protester beat an officer’s helmet with an empty five-gallon water jug — a scene that swiftly turned viral, inspiring “jug of justice” memes with the catchphrase “Bonk the police.”

    Three students were arrested. Citing safety concerns, officials announced a hard closure of campus, first through last Wednesday, then Sunday, and eventually for the rest of the semester.

    Hundreds of students living on campus were told they could leave their dorms only if they had a valid reason and could be cited for trespassing.

    Aaron Donaldson, a lecturer in the communications department and secretary of the faculty union, said students who tried to leave campus to get groceries complained of confrontations with police. He had 50 outlines to grade, but could not go get them for fear of arrest.

    After another standoff Friday — police moved in that evening to enforce an order to disperse, students resisted and police ultimately withdrew — the university again condemned activists, claiming the occupation “has nothing to do with free speech or freedom of inquiry.”

    But the administration said it would “continue to talk to anyone willing to have productive and respectful dialogue.”

    In a gesture of good faith, the occupiers moved out of Siemens Hall on Sunday, clearing the building and moving their occupation to outdoor space.

    ::

    By Monday afternoon, the tree-lined campus with glimmering views of Humboldt Bay had the feel of a nearly deserted, surreal summer camp.

    Activists in pink, brown, and white furry costumes roamed outside the main administration building and quad, which was encircled with barricades of chairs, tables, trash bins and fencing.

    After a faculty led teach-in about ablism, there was a march, followed by a Passover seder. As some munched matzo, others chanted: “From the river to the sea.”

    As dusk fell, some activists put on goggles and helmets, carried makeshift shields, jangled tambourines and beat drums as they prepared for another standoff with law enforcement.

    Just after 9:30 p.m., a patrol car rolled through campus, broadcasting a recorded message urging demonstrators to immediately disperse. If they did not move, protesters could face rubber bullets and chemical spray.

    “Cops off campus!” the crowd chanted in unison.

    Many faculty, barred from campus, massed on the street outside, saying they wanted to bear witness to what was happening to their students.

    Dominic Corva, a professor of sociology, said he blamed Cal Poly Humboldt’s president for creating conditions that led to the standoff.

    “This [university] has a president … completely at odds with [the] culture and pedagogy of the university,” Corva said. “His actions have escalated the situation.”

    Jackson could not be reached for comment Tuesday. But in a statement, he said: “Our focus for the entire time has been on doing all we could do to protect the safety of all involved, and we were very patient and very disciplined with that.”

    Donaldson said the standoff between activists and administrators had reinforced some key lessons of the social advocacy class he taught this semester: Direct democracy, he said, is fundamentally about non-violence and is never convenient; the point is to interrupt and to stop and to say, “Wait, we have to talk and pay attention.”

    For Rick Toledo, 32, a student organizer on campus who did not occupy the building but supported the movement, the most pressing concern Tuesday morning was raising $10,000 per person for bail.

    There had been some conflicts among activists over strategy and the value of graffiti, Toledo said. But in the course of the occupation, they had tried to come to a consensus and develop some rules.

    “When you have varying ideologies and no strict guidelines, clashes are bound to happen,” Toledo said.

    Going forward, Toledo hoped activists could develop guidelines before they occupied again.

    “The movement can’t die here,” he said. “There’s so much pain in Palestine. What the students have done is huge and we need to keep that momentum.”

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    Jessica Garrison, Jenny Jarvie

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  • New Moon Coffeehouse hosts folk duo

    New Moon Coffeehouse hosts folk duo

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    HAVERHILL — The award winning duo of Aubrey Atwater and Elwood Donnelly will perform at the New Moon Coffeehouse on May 18 at 7:30 p.m.

    The coffeehouse at the Universalist Unitarian Church, 15 Ashland St. Admission is $25 at the door, and $15 for ages 21 and under.

    Tickets are available at the door starting about6:30 p.m. Doors open at 7 p.m. Tickets may be reserved prior to the show by visiting newmooncoffeehouse.org.

    Atwater and Elwood present delightful programs of traditional American and Celtic folk songs and percussive dance, blending harmonies and playing an array of instruments, including guitar, Appalachian mountain dulcimer, mandolin, tin whistle, harmonica, banjo, and other surprises, including a thrilling interpretation of freestyle Appalachian clog dancing.

    Married since 1989, the due performs widely in the United States and abroad. Their 14 recordings receive international airplay and streaming.

    The nonprofit New Moon Coffeehouse is an all-volunteer organization dedicated to supporting and enjoying the creative talents of acoustic performers.

    It strives to bring you the best performers in a relaxing, friendly, smoke- and alcohol-free environment, where you can enjoy a great show, fair trade coffee, and desserts.

    The entrance is on Ashland Street, at the back of the UU church. Two parking lots are available behind the church, on both sides of Ashland Street. Street parking is also available.

    Garden Club plant sale

    HAVERHILL — The Haverhill Garden Club will hold its annual plant sale from 8 a.m. to sell out May 18 on the Bradford Common.

    The sale will feature a variety of annuals, perennials, herbs, and vegetable plants. Patrons can have their garden tools sharpened for a nominal fee.

    The event will also feature a wheelbarrow raffle of gardening supplies and free on-site soil testing. Patrons interested in having their soil tested can visit online at tinyurl.com/37tnjppn.

    Proceeds from the plant sale fund civic garden projects around the city, guest lecturers at the public library, and three education scholarships for students pursuing degrees in the agricultural sciences.

    The club also invites members of the public to donate any extra plants from their yards and gardens. To request digging assistance or to arrange for a pick up of your donated plants, contact club member Dustin MacIver at tel:978-810-0337 or email DustinMacIver@gmail.com.

    YMCA Legacy Gala planned

    HAVERHILL — The Haverhill and Plaistow Community YMCAs will hold their 2024 Legacy Gala at 5 p.m. May 11 at the Bradford Country Club.

    Proceeds support the fight against food insecurity, summer camp and educational programming for families in need of financial assistance.

    Tickets are $150 each and include a surf and turf dinner, a signature cocktail, a raffle, auction, and more. The online auction goes live April 26. A link will be posted April 24 on the Y’s Facebook pages and on its website.

    For tickets or sponsorship information, visit online at one.bidpal.net/2024legacygala/welcome. To donate to the online auction, contact Tracey Fuller at fullert@northshoreymca.org.

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    By Mike LaBella | mlabella@eagletribune.com

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  • Commencement speakers launch boycott of USC satellite graduation ceremonies

    Commencement speakers launch boycott of USC satellite graduation ceremonies

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    When USC President Carol Folt called off the 65,000-attendee “main stage” commencement amid pro-Palestinian protests and anger over the cancellation of pro-Palestinian student Asna Tabassum’s speaking slot, USC promised that more than two dozen satellite graduation ceremonies for individual colleges would continue as planned.

    But on Sunday, two high-profile speakers scheduled to address graduates of the USC Rossier School of Education said they were dropping out in dismay at the university’s actions, including calling in the Los Angeles Police Department to arrest 93 pro-Palestinian protesters — many of them undergraduate students — last week.

    “To speak at USC in this moment would betray not only our own values, but USC’s too,” novelist C Pam Zhang and UCLA professor and author Safiya U. Noble wrote to Folt, Provost Andrew T. Guzman and university leaders. “We are withdrawing as commencement speakers.”

    The pair, who posted their announcement on the Literary Hub website and also sent a copy to USC officials on Sunday, have called on the dozens of remaining keynote speakers at satellite commencements to join them in a boycott.

    “Asna’s removal, the administration’s refusal to engage in dialogue with student protestors, and the decision to invite LAPD forces onto campus, represent a violent and targeted refusal to allow true diversity of expression to flourish on campus,” the letter said.

    “Our withdrawal is in no way a condemnation of USC’s graduating class, who deserve to be celebrated; nor do we condemn the countless USC faculty, staff, students, and administrators whose views are not represented by university leadership’s authoritarian decision-making,” it said.

    Zhang, an award-winning author of “How Much of These Hills Is Gold” and “Land of Milk and Honey,” was scheduled to speak at the May 8 education school doctoral hooding ceremony. Noble, a 2021 MacArthur Foundation Fellow and UCLA professor who wrote “Algorithms of Oppression: How Search Engines Reinforce Racism,” was supposed to speak at the school’s May 10 master’s ceremony.

    The pair’s refusal to participate in commencement ceremonies is the latest fallout from USC‘s controversial April 15 decision to uninvite Tabassum from its main stage.

    The university said it made the decision after receiving threats in response to a link on Tabassum’s Instagram profile. The link said Zionism was “racist” and that Palestinian freedom would require “the complete abolishment of the state of Israel” so that “both Arabs and Jews can live together.” Pro-Israel groups have called the statements antisemitic. Tabassum has said she is not antisemitic.

    Protesters are detained by LAPD officers who were trying to clear the USC campus during a demonstration against the war in Gaza on Wednesday.

    (Wally Skalij / Los Angeles)

    On-campus protests followed and four days later, the university canceled its “main stage” commencement address by “Crazy Rich Asians” director Jon M. Chu and rescinded invitations to honorary degree recipients — including tennis star Billie Jean King — to appear on stage.

    Then, on Wednesday, police arrested dozens of people after pro-Palestinian demonstrators encamped in the center of campus and demanded that USC disclose and divest in any financial holdings connected to the manufacture of weaponry used in the Israel-Hamas war.

    On Friday, USC said the main ceremony was canceled because new security screenings would make it impossible to process crowds in time. It also instituted new ticket limits.

    Several high-profile speakers are still scheduled to appear at satellite commencement events. They include Colombian American singer-songwriter Kali Uchis, who will speak May 10 at the USC Thornton School of Music, as well as actor and activist Sean Penn, who will talk the next day to graduates of the Alfred E. Mann School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Science.

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    Jaweed Kaleem

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  • USC protests remain peaceful Saturday night after campus is closed, LAPD calls off tactical alert

    USC protests remain peaceful Saturday night after campus is closed, LAPD calls off tactical alert

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    Tensions rose on the USC campus Saturday after pro-Palestinian protesters returned with tents and reestablished an encampment in Alumni Park, where 93 people were arrested on Wednesday.

    They beat drums and put up banners reading “Free Palestine,” “We are all Gaza,” and “Stop Funding Genocide.”

    Shortly after 8 p.m., the university announced that it had closed its main campus to the public.

    “Due to a disturbance, the University Park Campus is temporarily closed except for residents,” USC said on X, the social media site formerly known as Twitter.

    The school said the disturbance was at the center of campus and urged people to “please avoid that part area until further notice.”

    The university’s Department of Public Safety sent text alerts to students saying the campus “was temporarily closed except for residents.”

    The Los Angeles Police Department, which had issued a tactical alert Saturday evening, sent dozens of squad cars to the campus Saturday night. They arrived with lights flashing, and students said the officers had handcuffs and zip ties.

    Later, students said they saw the police leave the area, while dozens of protesters ate dinner and settled into their tents.

    “Things have been quiet. Nothing has escalated. We’re anticipating it might, but it has been quiet,” Anusha S., a journalism student who posted updates on a live blog for USC Annenberg Media, said in an interview.

    The student journalists reported that LAPD officers unfurled yellow caution tape next to the Seeley G. Mudd building and said the area was being turned into a potential “command post.”

    Late Saturday night, LAPD confirmed that their “tactical alert” had ended.

    The protests are aimed at supporting Palestinians in Gaza who have been suffering since Israel launched a retaliatory war on the territory in response to the Oct. 7 attack by Hamas that killed 1,200 people, with another 240 taken hostage. Gaza health authorities say Israeli forces have killed more than 34,000 Palestinians, and the United Nations says roughly 2 million civilians there are now living in near-famine conditions.

    Students who belong to a group called the Divest from Death Coalition have made demands including an immediate ceasefire, divesting from Israeli companies and protecting free speech on campus.

    Earlier this week, a masked USC student who self-identified as Jewish said during a news conference with other coalition members: “We will continue to call for an end to USC’s ties to Israel and investments in militarism abroad.”

    The USC campus has been roiled by bitter controversy over the rescinding of a graduation speaking slot for valedictorian Asna Tabassum and the subsequent cancellation of the “main stage” commencement ceremony.

    Amid the protests, a symbol of the university was vandalized on Saturday. Photos appeared on social media showing the words “Say no to genocide” in bright red on the granite pedestal of university’s iconic Tommy Trojan statue, and a video appeared to catch the spray-painting as it happened.

    (In an initial photo posted Saturday afternoon, the word genocide was missing the final “e.” It was apparently added later.)

    A man who witnessed the tagging recorded a video of a masked woman leaving the area. As she was walking away, he followed her and asked, “Why’d you tag Tommy Trojan, huh?”

    She held up her middle finger and said, “Because I can.”

    He replied, “No, that’s called vandalism.”

    “I don’t really care,” she said as she walked away.

    Times staff writer Jaweed Kaleem contributed to this report.

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    Ian James

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  • Pro-Palestinian protests grow at UCLA and UC Santa Barbara

    Pro-Palestinian protests grow at UCLA and UC Santa Barbara

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    Pro-Palestinian protests grew Thursday at California colleges and universities, including a new encampment at UCLA and demonstrations at UC Santa Barbara, a day after police in riot gear arrested 93 protesters at USC.

    Fallout over the Israel-Hamas war grew Thursday as USC announced that it would cancel its main stage commencement ceremony after more than a week of national controversy over its decision to pull a pro-Palestinian valedictorian’s speaking slot from the May event that was expected to draw 65,000 attendees.

    The university cited new safety measures, saying that the “time needed to process the large number of guests coming to campus will increase substantially.”

    Dozens of smaller graduation ceremonies and celebrations at USC will continue under a new ticket policy and security checks.

    At Cal Poly Humboldt in Arcata, the campus remained closed and classes shifted online, with pro-Palestinian students occupying multiple buildings since Monday night.

    And at UC Berkeley, 50 tents remained up by Sproul Hall, the historic home of the campus’ free speech movement. On their fourth day of a “Free Palestine Camp,” students called for the university to divest its endowment from weapons manufacturers tied to Israel.

    Tensions were high at USC, where the campus was rocked at the end of the semester by President Carol Folt’s decision to cancel the valedictorian’s speech and then a commencement address by film director Jon M. Chu, before calling off the main commencement altogether.

    An encampment that launched before sunrise Wednesday morning at Alumni Park grew to about 200 protesters — students, faculty and outsiders — before the late-night arrests by the LAPD. By Thursday morning, the encampment had been cleared, with campus security picking up the remaining tents and signs.

    On Thursday, the university fenced off the park — the site of the called-off commencement — to set up a brunch for 2024 graduates scheduled for Friday morning. There were no protesters and few signs of Wednesday’s unrest, besides chalk messages on nearby sidewalks in support of Palestinians.

    The campus remains closed to the public through weekend, and professors have moved classes online.

    “This is a series of poor decisions by USC, from banning the valedictorian to calling in police to arrest peaceful students,” said Luke, a USC sophomore who was arrested Wednesday night and released early Thursday morning. “I don’t know what this university thinks it’s doing, because none of it makes sense.”

    Luke did not share his last name because he said he was worried about his safety and repercussions to his enrollment at USC, where campus safety officers on Wednesday told students that they could face discipline for violating rules over camping and use of amplified sound.

    Amelia Jones, a professor at the Roski School of Art and Design who joined faculty in protesting on Wednesday, said there was a growing “lack of trust” at USC between the administration, faculty and students.

    “They just massively escalated by calling in LAPD,” she said.

    A Jewish community group condemned the USC protests, while a Muslim civil rights group condemned the arrests.

    “While students have a right to protest, they do not have the right to intimidate or threaten Jewish students,” said a statement from USC’s Hillel. “Today’s events on campus included a protest action that again employed antisemitic chants including ‘there is only one solution, intifada revolution’ and ‘long live the intifada.’ These actions reflect a disturbing and quickly escalating situation nationally and on our own campus at USC.”

    In another statement, the Los Angeles chapter of the Council on American-Islamic Relations spoke out against the arrests of peaceful protesters.

    “It is deeply concerning that USC’s response to students demonstrating peacefully in solidarity with Palestine is forcible suppression of free speech and assembly,” said CAIR-LA legal director Amr Shabaik. “This mirrors a nationwide trend of colleges and universities attempting to censor pro-Palestine advocacy on campuses.”

    At UCLA, about 100 students, faculty, staff and alumni occupied the Palestine Solidarity Encampment on Thursday with more than 20 tents surrounded by wooden pallets and protest signs.

    The effort was organized by UC Divest Coalition, which was made up of several student groups.

    Outside Royce Hall, students and others stood in line to check in before entering the encampment.

    Participants said they had seen minimal police presence — mostly officers passing by in squad cars.

    Marie Salem, 28, a graduate student studying public health, said the encampment is a community of people demanding a change from UC administrators.

    “It’s about our community realizing that we no longer can go to a university that is complicit in genocide, and we no longer can go to a university that is invested in this genocide of the Gazans,” Salem said.

    George Dutton, a professor of Asian language and cultures, said he and others wanted to observe the protest to ensure that students can safely practice their 1st Amendment rights.

    Dutton said it was “deeply disturbing” to see a large police presence on campuses across America this past week as students protest the war in Gaza.

    At UC Santa Barbara, hundreds occupied the student resources building Thursday for a daylong series of workshops, art projects and other actions to express solidarity with Palestinians, call for a cease-fire and demand an end to Israel-related investments.

    A few tents were set up inside the building, but no encampment is planned, said Bisnupriya Ghosh, a professor of English and global studies and member of Academics for Justice in Palestine. She added that no police were present, and the event was proceeding peacefully.

    “It’s centered around education about Israel-Palestine, as well as antisemitism, Islamophobia and other forms of racism and hate,” Ghosh said.

    Times staff writers Melissa Gomez, Jenny Jarvie and Teresa Watanabe contributed to this report.

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    Angie Orellana Hernandez, Jaclyn Cosgrove, Jenna Peterson, Jaweed Kaleem

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  • Sen. Warren and Lt. Gov. Kim Dirscoll to deliver keynote at NSCC commencement

    Sen. Warren and Lt. Gov. Kim Dirscoll to deliver keynote at NSCC commencement

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    DANVERS — U.S Sen. Elizabeth Warren and Lt. Gov. Kim Driscoll will act as the commencement speakers for North Shore Community College’s 58th annual commencement ceremony on Friday, May 17.

    Warren will deliver the keynote address for the 10 a.m. ceremony for Health Professions and Liberal Studies graduates.

    Driscoll will deliver the keynote address at the 2 p.m. ceremony for Human Services & STEM and Business graduates.

    Both ceremonies will both be held at NSCC’s Lynn Campus, 300 Broad St..

    The college expects to award approximately 700 associate degrees and certificates at the two graduation ceremonies.

    “We are immensely proud to have Senator Warren and Lt. Governor Driscoll join us for our commencement ceremony, where we celebrate the achievements of our students. Their unwavering dedication to making higher education more accessible and affordable is truly appreciated and deeply respected,” stated North Shore Community College President William Heineman.

    Warren is the longest serving U.S. senator from Massachusetts, and became the first woman ever in the Senate from Massachusetts after being elected in 2013.

    Driscoll is the 73rd lieutenant governor of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, and comprises the first all-women executive team to lead Massachusetts along with Gov. Maura Healey. The Healey-Driscoll administration has done significant work advancing tuition equity, including making community college free for all Massachusetts residents age 25 and older through the MassReconnect program.

    For more information on North Shore Community College, visit northshore.edu.

    Michael McHugh can be contacted at mmchugh@northofboston.com or at 781-799-5202

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    By Michael McHugh Staff Writer

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  • USC calls off some commencement appearances in wake of controversy over valedictorian speech

    USC calls off some commencement appearances in wake of controversy over valedictorian speech

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    USC called off an appearance from director Jon M. Chu and other honorees at commencement in the wake of the university’s decision to cancel valedictorian Asna Tabassum’s speech over security concerns, the university announced in a memo Friday.

    The university wrote that “given the highly publicized circumstances surrounding our main-stage commencement program,” it has made the decision to “release our outside speakers and honorees from attending this year’s ceremony.”

    “We’ve been talking to this exceptional group and hope to confer these honorary degrees at a future commencement or other academic ceremonies,” USC wrote.

    In March, USC announced that Chu, the filmmaker behind “Crazy Rich Asians” and an alumnus of the school, would deliver its May 10 commencement speech at its main-stage ceremony, which draws over 65,000 attendees.

    The move cap a week of debate over USC’s cancellation of Tabassum’s speech.

    On Monday, USC Provost Andrew T. Guzman cited unnamed threats that have poured in shortly after the university publicized Tabassum’s name. Guzman said attacks against the student for her pro-Palestinian views have reached an “alarming tenor” and “escalated to the point of creating substantial risks relating to security and disruption at commencement” in May.

    Speaking to The Times on Tuesday, Tabassum defended herself and said she is not antisemitic. She said she supports the pro-Palestinian cause that has grown at college campuses since the Oct. 7 Hamas-led attack on Israel, which killed 1,200 people and took about 240 hostage before Israel’s retaliatory war in the Gaza Strip. Gaza health authorities say the war has killed nearly 34,000 Palestinians. According to the United Nations, 2 million Gazans are in near-famine conditions.

    “The university has betrayed me and caved in to a campaign of hatred,” Tabassum said of online attacks demanding that the university rescind its invitation for her to speak at the graduation.

    She said that the university did not share any details with her about its security concerns and that it did not offer her an alternative method of participating in the commencement, such as a video appearance.

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    Angie Orellana Hernandez, Jaweed Kaleem

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  • Citing safety, USC bans pro-Palestinian valedictorian from speaking at graduation

    Citing safety, USC bans pro-Palestinian valedictorian from speaking at graduation

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    Saying “tradition must give way to safety,” the University of Southern California on Monday made the unprecedented move of barring an undergraduate valedictorian who has come under fire for her pro-Palestinian views from giving a speech at its May graduation ceremony.

    The move, according to USC officials, is the first time the university has banned a valedictorian from the traditional chance to speak onstage at the annual commencement ceremony, which typically draws more than 65,000 people to the Los Angeles campus.

    In a campuswide letter, USC Provost Andrew T. Guzman cited unnamed threats that have poured in shortly after the university publicized the valedictorian’s name and biography this month. Guzman said attacks against the student for her pro-Palestinian views have reached an “alarming tenor” and “escalated to the point of creating substantial risks relating to security and disruption at commencement.”

    “After careful consideration, we have decided that our student valedictorian will not deliver a speech at commencement. … There is no free-speech entitlement to speak at a commencement. The issue here is how best to maintain campus security and safety, period,” Guzman wrote.

    The student, whom the letter does not name, is biomedical engineering major Asna Tabassum of Chino Hills. USC officials chose Tabassum from nearly 100 student applicants who had GPAs of 3.98 or higher.

    But after USC President Carol Folt announced her selection, a swarm of on- and off-campus groups attacked Tabassum. They targeted her minor, resistance to genocide, as well as her pro-Palestinian views and “likes” expressed through her Instagram account.

    We Are Tov, a group that uses the Hebrew word for “good” and describes itself as “dedicated to combating antisemitism,” posted Tabassum’s image on its Instagram account and said she “openly promotes antisemitic writings.” The group also criticized Tabassum for liking Instagram posts from “Trojans for Palestine.” Tabassum’s Instagram bio links to a landing page that says “learn about what’s happening in Palestine, and how to help.”

    The campus group Trojans for Israel also posted on its Instagram account, calling for Folt’s “reconsideration” of Tabassum for what it described as her “antisemitic and anti-Zionist rhetoric.” The group said Tabassum’s Instagram bio linked to a page that called Zionism a “racist settler-colonial ideology.”

    In a statement, Tabassum opposed the decision, saying USC has “abandoned” her.

    “Although this should have been a time of celebration for my family, friends, professors, and classmates, anti-Muslim and anti-Palestinian voices have subjected me to a campaign of racist hatred because of my uncompromising belief in human rights for all,” said Tabassum, who is Muslim.

    “This campaign to prevent me from addressing my peers at commencement has evidently accomplished its goal: today, USC administrators informed me that the university will no longer allow me to speak at commencement due to supposed security concerns,” she wrote.

    “I am both shocked by this decision and profoundly disappointed that the university is succumbing to a campaign of hate meant to silence my voice. I am not surprised by those who attempt to propagate hatred. I am surprised that my own university—my home for four years—has abandoned me.”

    In an interview, Guzman said the university has been “in close contact with the student” and would “provide her support.” He added that “we weren’t seeking her opinion” on the ban.

    “This is a security decision,” he said. “This is not about the identity of the speaker, it’s not about the things the valedictorian has said in the past. We have to put as our top priority ensuring that the campus and community is safe.”

    Another campus official who was part of the decision, Erroll Southers, said threats came in via email, phone calls and letters. Southers is USC’s associate senior vice president for safety and risk assurance.

    Individuals “say they will come to campus as early as this week,” Southers said. He did not elaborate.

    Pro-Palestinian groups, including the Los Angeles chapter of the Council on American-Islamic Relations, have called for USC to reinvite Tabassum to speak.

    “USC cannot hide its cowardly decision behind a disingenuous concern for ‘security,’” CAIR-LA Executive Director Hussam Ayloush said in a statement.

    In another statement, the USC Palestine Justice Faculty Group said it “unequivocally rejects” Tabassum being uninvited.

    “The provost’s action is another example of USC’s egregious pattern of supporting anti-Palestinian and anti-Muslim racism,” the group said.

    Times staff writers Jenna Peterson and Angie Orellana Hernandez contributed to this report.

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    Jaweed Kaleem

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  • DU won the NCAA men’s hockey final, again. Here’s what we saw

    DU won the NCAA men’s hockey final, again. Here’s what we saw

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    Fans fill Crimson & Gold Tavern with screams as the University of Denver’s mens hockey team scores their first goal against Boston College in the NCAA’s Frozen Four final. April 14, 2024.

    Kevin J. Beaty/Denverite

    Crimson & Gold Tavern was filled to the gills by the time the puck dropped on Saturday afternoon. The University of Denver faced Boston College in the NCAA’s Frozen Four finals, and everyone inside cursed their northeast rivals in the most direct ways they could.

    “[Expletive] BC! [Expletive] BC! [Expletive] BC!” they shouted into air already dense with breath and sweat. “I believe that we will win!“

    • Kevin J. Beaty/Denverite
    • Kevin J. Beaty/Denverite

    They laughed and yelled and drank. They never missed anything in the game. The place erupted on saves, chanting goalie Matt Davis’ name in sudden breaks from conversations they couldn’t possibly hear. When DU landed its two precious goals, the cheers felt loud enough to burst eardrums.

    Phillip Aleshire grabs his face in anticipation as his University of Denver mens hockey team faces Boston College in the NCAA’s Frozen Four final. April 14, 2024.
    Kevin J. Beaty/Denverite

    Some had to watch from afar, like a junior who introduced herself as Sophia but declined to give her last name. A title would be nice, she said, but a win tonight would mean something outside of sport.

    “A lot of DU students, they don’t have something to bond over,” she said. “When there’s games, it’s awesome. Everyone’s doing the same thing. It doesn’t matter if you’re a geek or if you’re popular, you all come together and you’re just rowdy and it’s awesome.”

    “Bro, take our picture!”
    Kevin J. Beaty/Denverite

    “I do hope we get into the bar,” her friend, Capen, added. “And we’ll see what riots go on tonight, so it’ll be a fun time regardless.”

    A bartender pours the contents of a bottle into someone’s mouth after the University of Denver’s mens hockey team scored against Boston College, during the NCAA’s Frozen Four final. April 14, 2024.
    Kevin J. Beaty/Denverite

    It took 10 minutes for the moshing crowd to leave Crimson & Gold after DU’s victory was secured. Bar staff checked revelers one-by-one as they left; alcohol wasn’t allowed outside.

    • Kevin J. Beaty/Denverite
    • Kevin J. Beaty/Denverite

    In celebration, people ran to the intersection of University Boulevard and Evans Avenue, where they immediately started climbing light poles and setting off firecrackers. A firefighter high-fived partiers from his truck. The kids hanging from the light poles climbed back down after police told them to.

    Carly Sullivan rides Ryan Wilson’s shouders at the intersection of Evans Avenue and University Boulevard after their University of Denver mens hockey team defeated Boston College in the NCAA’s Frozen Four final. April 14, 2024.
    Kevin J. Beaty/Denverite

    Then a segment of a couch appeared, crowd surfing on an ocean of people. It’d already been burned; burning couches is a thing around here. But before the revelers could execute their vision, Denver Police officers emerged and pulled it to their truck as people booed loudly.

    • Kevin J. Beaty/Denverite
    • Kevin J. Beaty/Denverite

    As the crowd spotted a tower of smoke down the block, the mass of people became a river, running towards it together.

    • Kevin J. Beaty/Denverite
    • Kevin J. Beaty/Denverite

    They’d burn a couch after all, though firefighters quickly put it out. Then they all rushed down to the next block, where another column of smoke appeared and then was doused.

    University of Denver fans dance in the ashes of a couch they tried to burn in the middle of Evans Avenue after their Pioneers mens hockey team defeated Boston College in the NCAA’s Frozen Four final. The fire department put it out pretty quickly. April 14, 2024.
    Kevin J. Beaty/Denverite

    Sam Lewis hobbled down the block, chasing the smoke and the chaos on crutches. He just had surgery for his ACL, but he transcended the injury.

    “I’m a proud Pioneer baby! Hey, this is our tenth national championship. Come and take it! Come and take it!” he said, waving his crutches in the air. “Colorado is the hockey capitol of the word, baby!”

    Sam Lewis celebrates with his crutches as University of Denver fans fill Evans Avenue after the Pioneers’ victory against Boston College in the NCAA’s Frozen Four mens hockey final. April 14, 2024.
    Kevin J. Beaty/Denverite
    The remains of a couch burned by University of Denver fans after their Pioneers defeated Boston College in the NCAA’s Frozen Four final. April 14, 2024.
    Kevin J. Beaty/Denverite

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  • State to pay off $10M more in student loans

    State to pay off $10M more in student loans

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    BOSTON — Financial relief from college debt is coming for hundreds of mental health workers under a state loan repayment program aimed at easing workforce shortages.

    A taxpayer-funded program, which launched in 2022, pays off up to $300,000 in college loans for eligible health care professionals in a variety of disciplines, including dental, medical, mental health and substance abuse.

    The state Executive Office of Health and Human Services, which oversees the MA Repay program, announced a new round of disbursements earlier this week totaling $10 million. The latest round of loan repayments will specifically target more than 200 eligible mental health workers, the agency said.

    Gov. Maura Healey said the move will “offer life changing loan repayment to our dedicated state employees who continue to provide care daily to community members with serious mental illness.”

    “Massachusetts relies on our incredible behavioral health workforce to provide essential care to our residents, but far too many workers are being held back by crushing levels of student debt,” Healey said in a statement.

    The MA Repay program was approved as part of a $4 billion pandemic relief bill signed by then-Gov. Charlie Baker in December 2021. It is aimed at recruiting and retaining new workers in a sector of the state’s health care system that is traditionally among the lowest paid.

    Under the program, psychiatrists are eligible for up to $300,000 if they are employed full time, and $150,000 if they work part time. Psychologists can receive up to $150,000 in loans repaid if they are full-time workers, $75,000 if they work part time.

    Nurses, nurse practitioners, advanced practice nurses, physician assistants and social workers with master’s degrees who are employed in mental health settings can receive $25,000 to $50,000. Workers in those professions with bachelor’s degrees can get between $15,000 and $30,000.

    Those who qualify must commit to working for at least four years in the state under a “service commitment” to receive the financial relief. That employment can be with up to two employers, according to the state agency.

    In August, the state announced the first round of disbursements for nearly 3,000 health care workers totaling $140.9 million. In October, the state opened a second round of disbursements for $25 million. In January, an additional $16.5 million was made available to early education, child care, home health and other home workers.

    The move comes as President Joe Biden unveiled a new proposal this week that seeks to reduce or cancel federal student loans for 30 million Americans.

    Biden’s latest forgiveness plan calls for offering loan relief to borrowers who have large amounts of interest on their loans, have been paying for decades or who face financial hardship.

    A group of Republican states filed a federal lawsuit on Tuesday challenging Biden’s SAVE Plan, arguing the move bypasses Congress and a 2023 U.S. Supreme Court ruling that rejected the president’s previous loan forgiveness program, which called for eliminating $400 billion in outstanding college debt.

    To date, $136.6 billion in federal college loans have been forgiven for more than 3.7 million Americans, according to the Biden administration.

    Christian M. Wade covers the Massachusetts Statehouse for North of Boston Media Group’s newspapers and websites. Email him at cwade@cnhinews.com.

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    By Christian M. Wade | Statehouse Reporter

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  • State to pay off another $10M in student loans

    State to pay off another $10M in student loans

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    BOSTON — Financial relief from college debt is coming for hundreds of mental health workers under a state loan repayment program aimed at easing workforce shortages.

    A taxpayer-funded program, which launched in 2022, pays off up to $300,000 in college loans for eligible health care professionals in a variety of disciplines, including dental, medical, mental health and substance abuse.

    The state Executive Office of Health and Human Services, which oversees the MA Repay program, announced a new round of disbursements earlier this week, totaling $10 million. The latest round of loan repayments will specifically target more than 200 eligible mental health workers, the agency said.

    Gov. Maura Healey said the move will “offer life changing loan repayment to our dedicated state employees who continue to provide care daily to community members with serious mental illness.”

    “Massachusetts relies on our incredible behavioral health workforce to provide essential care to our residents, but far too many workers are being held back by crushing levels of student debt,” Healey said in a statement.

    The MA Repay program was approved as part of a $4 billion pandemic relief bill signed by then-Gov. Charlie Baker in December 2021. It’s aimed at recruiting and retaining new workers in a sector of the state’s health care system that is traditionally among the lowest paid.

    Under the program, psychiatrists are eligible for up to $300,000 if they are employed full time, and $150,000 if they work part time. Psychologists can get up to $150,000 in loans repaid if they are full-time workers, $75,000 if they work part time.

    Nurses, nurse practitioners, advanced practice nurses, physician assistants and social workers with master’s degrees who are employed in mental health settings can get between $25,000 to $50,000. Workers in those professions with bachelor’s degrees can get between $15,000 and $30,000.

    Those who qualify must commit to working for at least four years in the state under a “service commitment” to receive the financial relief. That employment can be with up to two different employers, according to the state agency.

    In August, the state announced the first round of disbursements for nearly 3,000 health care workers, totaling $140.9 million. In October, the state opened a second round of disbursements for $25 million. and in January, another $16.5 million was made available to early education, childcare, home health and other home workers.

    The move comes as President Joe Biden unveiled a new proposal this week that seeks to reduce or cancel federal student loans for 30 million Americans.

    Biden’s latest forgiveness plan calls for offering loan relief to borrowers who have large amounts of interest on their loans, have been paying for decades or those who face financial hardship.

    A group of Republican states filed a federal lawsuit on Tuesday challenging Biden’s SAVE Plan, arguing the move bypasses Congress and a 2023 U.S. Supreme Court ruling that rejected Biden’s previous loan forgiveness program, which had called for eliminating $400 billion in outstanding college debt.

    To date, $136.6 billion in federal college loans have been forgiven for more than 3.7 million Americans, according to the Biden administration.

    Christian M. Wade covers the Massachusetts Statehouse for North of Boston Media Group’s newspapers and websites. Email him at cwade@cnhinews.com.

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    By Christian M. Wade | Statehouse Reporter

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  • Biden races to enact new student loan forgiveness plan ahead of November

    Biden races to enact new student loan forgiveness plan ahead of November

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    Biden administration officials on Monday unveiled the details of a new plan to forgive student loan debt, suggesting that millions of Americans could start seeing debt relief as soon as this fall.The new set of proposals, which CNN reported on Friday, have yet to be finalized. It’s President Joe Biden’s second attempt to implement broad student loan forgiveness. His first plan was struck down by the Supreme Court last summer.The new policies, when combined with the more narrow actions already taken by the Biden administration to cancel student debt, would benefit more than 30 million Americans, according to a fact sheet provided by the White House.That means that nearly 70% of all federal student loan borrowers would see their debt reduced or fully canceled due to Biden’s policies.But first, the plans must be finalized – a process that could take months – and must withstand any potential legal challenges.Biden’s new student loan forgiveness proposals could set up another fight with Republicans. Several conservative-led states and groups sued the Biden administration over the first student forgiveness program, arguing that the executive branch had overstepped its authority.”President Biden will use every tool available to cancel student loan debt for as many borrowers as possible, no matter how many times Republican elected officials try to stand in his way,” White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said Sunday on a call with reporters.After the Supreme Court rejected Biden’s first plan last year, the president vowed to pursue another pathway to delivering student loan debt relief. Since then, the Department of Education has been conducting a formal and lengthy process, known as negotiated rulemaking, to develop a new student loan forgiveness program.It’s a different process from what the Biden administration used in its first attempt to provide sweeping loan forgiveness, which would have canceled up to $20,000 in student loan debt for borrowers earning $125,000 or less a year.The new plans target specific groups of borrowers. If implemented as proposed, borrowers could see relief if they fall into any of the following categories:Those who have balances bigger than what they originally borrowed due to interest. Those who already qualify for student loan forgiveness under existing programs but have not applied. Those who entered repayment at least 20 years ago.Those who enrolled in “low financial value” programs, which left students in debt but without good job prospects. Those experiencing financial hardship.The new proposals unveiled Monday must still go through a public comment period. Then, after reviewing those comments, the Department of Education will publish a final version of the rule.Typically, if a final rule is published after going through negotiated rulemaking by November 1, it can take effect on July 1, 2025.But some exceptions are allowed, and parts of the rule could be implemented early. For example, the Biden administration implemented parts of the SAVE Plan – an income-driven student loan repayment plan – last year while other parts of the plan won’t take effect until July.In the case of the new student loan forgiveness proposals, the Department of Education could start canceling accrued interest for qualifying borrowers this fall, according to the White House.Even though Biden’s sweeping student loan forgiveness got knocked down by the Supreme Court, his administration has still canceled more student loan debt than under any other president – mostly by using existing programs. His administration has made it easier for certain groups of borrowers – such as public-sector workers, including teachers; disabled borrowers; and people who were defrauded by for-profit colleges – to qualify for student loan debt forgiveness.So far, 4 million people have seen their federal student debt canceled under Biden, totaling $146 billion.

    Biden administration officials on Monday unveiled the details of a new plan to forgive student loan debt, suggesting that millions of Americans could start seeing debt relief as soon as this fall.

    The new set of proposals, which CNN reported on Friday, have yet to be finalized. It’s President Joe Biden’s second attempt to implement broad student loan forgiveness. His first plan was struck down by the Supreme Court last summer.

    The new policies, when combined with the more narrow actions already taken by the Biden administration to cancel student debt, would benefit more than 30 million Americans, according to a fact sheet provided by the White House.

    That means that nearly 70% of all federal student loan borrowers would see their debt reduced or fully canceled due to Biden’s policies.

    But first, the plans must be finalized – a process that could take months – and must withstand any potential legal challenges.

    Biden’s new student loan forgiveness proposals could set up another fight with Republicans. Several conservative-led states and groups sued the Biden administration over the first student forgiveness program, arguing that the executive branch had overstepped its authority.

    “President Biden will use every tool available to cancel student loan debt for as many borrowers as possible, no matter how many times Republican elected officials try to stand in his way,” White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said Sunday on a call with reporters.

    After the Supreme Court rejected Biden’s first plan last year, the president vowed to pursue another pathway to delivering student loan debt relief. Since then, the Department of Education has been conducting a formal and lengthy process, known as negotiated rulemaking, to develop a new student loan forgiveness program.

    It’s a different process from what the Biden administration used in its first attempt to provide sweeping loan forgiveness, which would have canceled up to $20,000 in student loan debt for borrowers earning $125,000 or less a year.

    The new plans target specific groups of borrowers. If implemented as proposed, borrowers could see relief if they fall into any of the following categories:

    • Those who have balances bigger than what they originally borrowed due to interest.
    • Those who already qualify for student loan forgiveness under existing programs but have not applied.
    • Those who entered repayment at least 20 years ago.
    • Those who enrolled in “low financial value” programs, which left students in debt but without good job prospects.
    • Those experiencing financial hardship.

    The new proposals unveiled Monday must still go through a public comment period. Then, after reviewing those comments, the Department of Education will publish a final version of the rule.

    Typically, if a final rule is published after going through negotiated rulemaking by November 1, it can take effect on July 1, 2025.

    But some exceptions are allowed, and parts of the rule could be implemented early. For example, the Biden administration implemented parts of the SAVE Plan – an income-driven student loan repayment plan – last year while other parts of the plan won’t take effect until July.

    In the case of the new student loan forgiveness proposals, the Department of Education could start canceling accrued interest for qualifying borrowers this fall, according to the White House.

    Even though Biden’s sweeping student loan forgiveness got knocked down by the Supreme Court, his administration has still canceled more student loan debt than under any other president – mostly by using existing programs. His administration has made it easier for certain groups of borrowers – such as public-sector workers, including teachers; disabled borrowers; and people who were defrauded by for-profit colleges – to qualify for student loan debt forgiveness.

    So far, 4 million people have seen their federal student debt canceled under Biden, totaling $146 billion.

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  • UM Dance Team first to compete nationally in university, state history

    UM Dance Team first to compete nationally in university, state history

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    Between performing in front of crowds exceeding 26,000 and committing to a lengthy season that spans July through April, the University of Montana Dance Team knows how to face a challenge together.

    The team is about to take on a new and historic challenge: dancing on behalf of the university and the entire Treasure State at a national championship competition.






    The team’s competition routine is an ambitious dance that requires each teammate to be perfectly synchronized.




    “This is the first time in program history, in school history and in the history of the entire state of Montana that a college team is going to represent our state at the national level,” said UM Dance Team Coach Alli Baumgardner. “This is such a huge step for our program. Our momentum with the team is just exploding.”

    The Dance Team, along with their coach, spirit squad director, Monte and a few very excited moms, will travel to Orlando, Florida, for the College Classic National Championship on April 10-15. They will face off against others from around the country to compete in the jazz and spirit categories.

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    The team and Monte also will showcase their competition routines for the campus community at 8 p.m. Sunday, April 7, in Dahlberg Arena in the Adams Center. Admission is free.

    Baumgardner hopes the competition will put a national spotlight on the team, gaining more recognition, respect and support for their somewhat hidden talent.







    Dance Team practice

    UM Dance Team Coach Alli Baumgardner instructs her team during rehearsal.




    “I’m really hoping to increase awareness of our spirit program,” echoed UM Spirit Squad Director Stacey Richards, who oversees both the Dance and Cheer teams. “They really are such a talented, amazing group, and I think our dance program is only going to gain more recognition after nationals. I want to put the University of Montana on the map for dance.”

    Baumgardner, who danced for UM as a student and captained the team her sophomore through senior years, took the coaching reins last academic year. She saw how the team had grown in talent and number — almost doubling in less than a decade to 20 members this year — and realized their talent rose to the level of nationally competitive.

    Raising the $2,000 needed for each dancer to go to Orlando was the first step. The team met their goal through donations and fundraising, with some team members running dance clinics for high schoolers over winter break.

    “I’m really proud of them for stepping up and finding ways to generate some revenue,” Richards said. “We’re in a good place now, and we have a good plan in place for next year so all of this is done earlier and nobody has that extra stress.”

    The road to the national stage also required additional rehearsal hours to learn a new, unfamiliar routine while maintaining the dancers’ regular practice and performance duties, as well as their responsibilities as students.

    During a normal season, the dancers practice four to five days each week for two to four hours depending on the time of year, and dedicate time to lifting in the weight room. They also perform at all home football, basketball and volleyball game days. In November, each sport overlaps, meaning the team can perform at as many as six different games in a week.

    “We’re dedicated athletes,” said team captain Andrea Newbrough, a biochemistry senior from Great Falls who’s danced since age 4. “We put a lot of time and effort into our craft, just like any other sport does.”

    Newbrough and her teammates noted how the smiles, cheers and laughter they share with crowds on game days can create the illusion that the team’s work is relatively easy, but it’s the behind-the-scenes work that allows the dancers to entertain with seemingly such ease.

    Competing nationally meant adding a new practice day to their calendars to rehearse choreography for their two-minute jazz routine — a physically demanding dance that is stylistically different from game day performances and requires each dancer to operate synchronously. They danced for 30 hours over a single weekend while learning choreography from Seattle Seahawks dancers, who were blown away by the UM team’s talent.







    Dance Team practice

    On top of their game day and student responsibilities, the Dance Team puts in copious hours practicing each week.




    “The choreographers were like, ‘These are the dancers hiding in Montana?’” Baumgardner said. “We are now to the point where we have the skills that big teams are competing with.”

    Since then, the team has meticulously cleaned every second of choreography to ensure each dancer perfectly mirrors the other, down to details as precise as the angle of their hands.

    The competition’s spirit category, which showcases the team’s fight song and media timeout routine, is familiar ground. Entertaining and hyping-up Griz Nation on game day is the Dance Team’s top focus and area of excellence. Dancers cite the rush of performing in front of 26,000-plus fans at Griz football games, which ranks among the top attendance in FCS football, as an experience unequal in measure that helped prepare them for the pressure of nationals.

    “I’ll be recognized by people I don’t know at the grocery store. It feels like being a part of a big family,” said co-captain Addie Wood, a senior elementary education major from Spokane, Washington. “I take a lot of pride in who the people in the community know me as.”

    Until this year though, dancing at UM meant trading the thrill of competition for the excitement of game day.

    “It’s been a dream for a lot of the girls on the team, because most of us were competitive studio dancers growing up,” Newbrough said. “It’s something you had to walk away from when you committed to this team. Now you can have both: You get quite possibly one of the best game day experiences dancing here, but you also get to compete.”

    Competing is a major selling point to prospective dancers considering UM, as it was for freshman dancer Kendall Hanson of Coeur D’Alene, Idaho.

    “This is literally what I dreamed of in college,” said Hanson, who began dancing competitively at age 6. “The teamwork, the effort, the determination by everyone.”

    Despite the absence of a crowd, Hanson said, practicing for nationals is just as thrilling as game days. While nervous, she feels more confident in the jazz routine with each practice.

    “It’s definitely the hardest dance I’ve ever done, and I’ve been dancing since I was 2,” Hanson said. “I just want my team to be the best we can be and leave our hearts out on the stage. No matter what happens, we’re proud of each other.

    “I also want to make coach proud. She’s put so much effort into building this team.”

    Regardless of how they place, Hanson said, it’s an honor to hold the title of first team to represent Montana at nationals, and she looks forward to carrying that torch forward at UM.







    Team.jpg

    The UM Dance Team practices for the College Classic National Championship in their competition uniforms.




    For seniors Newbrough and Wood, this year’s nationals represent their only chance to compete nationally with a team of girls who are also their best friends and fiercest advocates.

    “I’ve been watching this competition for years. The moment I get on stage is just going to be surreal,” Wood said. “We’re all working so hard for one unified goal and for each other.”

    Wood is proud to leave a legacy by helping the dance team take a massive leap and is excited to see how it will grow after she leaves.

    “Every single year I’ve been on this team, the freshmen are better and better,” Wood said. “We are moving up in the eyes of the competition world and the dance team world, as well as in the eyes of our community.”







    uniform.jpg

    UM student Andrea Newbrough holds up her competition uniform.




    Newbrough has high hopes for her team at nationals but can’t help get emotional thinking about ending her college dance career with such a historic achievement.

    “I cannot imagine my college experience without Dance Team,” Newbrough said. “I think I’ll miss the girls the most.”

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  • Danvers siblings raise autism awareness

    Danvers siblings raise autism awareness

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    DANVERS — Brother and sister duo Jackson and Taylor Skane, of Danvers, have been advocating for autism most of their lives. On Friday, they were at three elementary schools in Peabody and Danvers to help bring awareness to the neurological disorder and kick off April as Autism Awareness Month.

    Jackson, a high school senior studying dental assisting at Essex Tech, was diagnosed with autism at age 3. His younger sister Taylor, a junior studying culinary also at Essex Tech, has been by Jackson’s side supporting him as they spread the word about autism to communities on the North Shore. On Friday, they visited students at the Brown School in Peabody and the Great Oak and Smith schools in Danvers.

    For nearly 15 years, the siblings have been strong advocates for autism in their neighborhood, schools, and with other organizations, working to raise awareness. They started by giving out blue light bulbs to friends, neighbors, and their schools, and that grew into larger events and opportunities.

    Jackson is one of two student representatives for the Essex Tech School Committee, a member of the Student Council, DECA, an advisory board member for the school’s dental programs, a National Honor Society recipient, and an assistant at North Shore Dance Academy for a class for students with a disability. He is also a youth Board of Director to the Northeast Arc’s board where he is the youngest member, speaking to the interests and priorities of young people with disabilities and autism. He has been part of the Northeast Arc since he was a young child.

    Jackson plans to study special education in college next fall.

    Taylor is a member of the Youth Board for The Rock The Spectrum, a volunteer at The Northeast Arc and Citizens Inn/Haven from Hunger, and an assistant at North Shore Dance Academy for a class for students with a disability. She will graduate next year and also plans to study special education in college.

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  • Marblehead High graduates become community’s first female Eagle Scouts

    Marblehead High graduates become community’s first female Eagle Scouts

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    Marblehead High School graduates Zoe Gast and Katie Jenkins were recently honored as the first female Eagle Scouts from Troop 79G.

    The Marblehead Boy Scout troop held a Court of Honor ceremony on March 16 to celebrate Gast’s and Jenkins’ achievement of the highest rank attainable in the Boy Scouts program.

    “Today marks a historic milestone for BSA Troop 79G as we celebrate our first Eagle Scouts, Katie Jenkins and Zoe Gast,” said Jen Stoddard, the Troop 79G Scoutmaster. “Their achievement is a testament to the resilience, dedication, and leadership that define the spirit of scouting.

    “It’s a proud moment that underscores the importance of inclusivity as well as the vital importance of empowering young women, providing them with opportunities for leadership, personal growth, and outdoor adventure.”

    The girl’s division of Troop 79, which was started back in 2019 by Jenkins and others, has become home to over 20 young women under Stoddard’s leadership. Since then, Gast, Jenkins, and other Scouts have been camping across New England, led backpacking trips to intensive hiking and camping destinations such as Philmont Scout Reservation in New Mexico, and have given back to the community through service projects.

    Gast’s Eagle Project focused on contributing to the Prison Book Program of Quincy, which provides books for the 2 million people in the nation’s prisons and jails to expand education materials for the incarcerated. She officially received the designation of Eagle Scout upon the completion of this project in April last year, but chose to delay the ceremony to be recognized at the same time as Jenkins, as they had traveled their journey together.

    Gast graduated from Marblehead High School last June. She is a Florida State University freshman focusing on international affairs. She is also the second Eagle Scout in the Gast family. Her great-grandfather, Stanley Vanderbeck, received his Eagle Scout rank on Dec. 26, 1932, in St. Joseph, Michigan.

    Jenkins’ Eagle Project was a drive collecting supplies and preparing gift bags for the transitional housing residents at the Centerboard Salem State Shelter, which has been housing families since 2022.

    Jenkins also graduated from Marblehead High last June. She is currently a freshman at Scripps College in California, where she is studying psychology.

    Today, in Boston’s Spirit of Adventure Council, there are 47 female troops made up of just over 900 Scouts. To date, just over 50 have achieved the rank of Eagle Scout. Across all of the BSA, only 6% of all Scouts achieve BSA’s highest rank. Scouts must earn 21 merit badges, which require mastering basic skills in areas such as first aid and environmental science.

    In 2021, Masconomet Regional High School graduate Mira Plante, of Middleton’s Troop 19, was among the first female Scouts on the North Shore to earn the rank of Eagle Scout.

    Troop 79G meets Tuesday nights at 7 p.m. at The Clifton Lutheran Church, 150 Humphrey St. in Marblehead. For more information, contact Del Babineau at dmbabineau@verizon.net.

    Michael McHugh can be contacted at mmchugh@northofboston.com or at 781-799-5202

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    By Michael McHugh | Staff Writer

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