Woburn Teachers Association must pay a $225,000 fine to the city following a five-day strike for better working conditions.

Oftentimes, support in education trickles off at the collegiate level. Community and a sense of belonging can be hard to find for independent students.

At Colorado State University, the Fostering Success Program builds a sense of belonging and support among independent students to promote growth and success in college and beyond.

So what is an independent student?

Melissa Henke, the Fostering Success Program coordinator and former FSP student, broke it down.

“This can mean folks who have experienced foster care, kinship care, orphaned, unaccompanied homeless youth, emancipation and other similar backgrounds,” Henke said. “In summation, FSP students have had a lack of parental support at some time during their youth and even during college years.”

According to FSP’s website, “The Fostering Success Program at CSU is a donor-funded community of about 250 students from independent backgrounds and CSU faculty/staff volunteers that provide scholarships, fun events, academic support and many other resources to Rams.”

“These experiences that our students have shared can be varied, but we really try to be inclusive in our understanding of what independent status means and support our students in quite a few ways,” Henke said.

FSP utilizes a solution-focused approach to provide support in many areas such as academic, financial, personal and career.

“We have an incredible community. I’m very proud of the support that we offer to our students here.” –Melissa Henke, Fostering Success Program coordinator

One thing to know for sure, FSP does awesome care packages for its students.

“Our care packages are really born out of this idea that students who don’t have parental support might not (have) received a lot of the care packages that other students in the dorms might have received from their family,” Henke said.

The packages themselves contain personal care items, hygiene items, snacks, gift cards and other general supplies.

“Something that I’m really passionate about is our mentoring program,” Henke said. “We partner with Educate Tomorrow, which is an incredible organization. We’re able to provide mentoring services in which an upper-class independent student guides and supports new first-year and transfer independent students through their first year at CSU.”

Educate Tomorrow is an organization that believes in individualized coaching over a long period of time to help students focus on improving academics along with economic stability, affordable housing and overall well-being.

Not only does FSP have other services, such as their emergency aid and funding, but they also have scholarships, financial wellness education and events that are a huge cornerstone of what FSP does. Dinners are one of the notable events they put on for their community. 

“We have a dinner that we do about every month that we call a FSP family dinner where we get together at a local Fort Collins establishment and just get together as a community,” Henke said. 

Overall, CSU’s Fostering Success Program establishes opportunity and support for independent students from all backgrounds.

“We have an incredible community,” Henke said. “I’m very proud of the support that we offer to our students here. I’m one of the students that benefited from it myself, and I feel very lucky to come full circle and help the students that we have now.”

Reach Emmalee Krieg at entertainment@collegian.com or on Twitter @CSUCollegian.

The Czech people just gave the world a victory for democracy, and to that, we should all celebrate.

On Feb. 3 and Feb. 4, the Utah Symphony played with Emmanuel Pahud, the principal flute of the Berlin Philharmonic, at Maurice Abravanel Hall. They performed a collection of beloved classics, like the titular magic flute fantasy by Mozart, and more lively instrumentation from Carl Nielsen’s flute concerto. As a not-your-average listener of classical music, the history behind everything classical can be a bit overwhelming. However, once you’re in the crowd and the musicians play their first notes, the enjoyment of listening to a symphony is universal.

In the hands of conductor and music director Thierry Fischer and with an impressive performance from Pahud, the passion of the artists oozed from the stage.

Classical History

The history of classical pieces isn’t essential to enjoying them. However, knowing more about what the composer was experiencing at the time deepened my enjoyment of each piece. The two sets that Emmanuel Pahud played lead flute for were an excerpt from Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart’s “The Magic Flute” and Nielsen’s “Concerto for Flute and Orchestra.”

Mozart’s “The Magic Flute,” probably one of his most famous pieces, was written in tandem with a few other pieces during Mozart’s last year alive. This is a notably prolific year of Mozart’s life, and “The Magic Flute” was the last thing Mozart ever composed. The story of the opera follows a wild lover named prince Tamino trying to save princess Pamina, with his magical flute, from the evil Sarastro. Although this is a drastic oversimplification of the plot, “The Magic Flute” is known for being one of the strangest operas ever made. The opera was made by a young genius in his prime when he was suddenly killed by an unknown illness.

Nielsen’s “Concerto for Flute and Orchestra” also came late in his life. After the popularity of his wind quintet, Nielsen decided he was going to create a piece for each of the instruments in the quintet. Only two of the instruments got their own pieces, but one of those instruments was the flute. While Mozart was always quite prideful of his work, Nielsen was known for being a deep critic of his own work. In fact, after this piece was released to almost universal acclaim, he believed it still wasn’t ready. However, hearing this piece live truly feels larger than just one man.

The Performance

Since this was the first symphony that I can remember, I didn’t know what to expect stepping into Abravanel Hall. However, as the music started to play and the violins’ beautiful coordination swept me away. The music allowed me to create a story of my own in my head where I got to fill in the words while the music provided the emotions.  Not only that, but watching all of the artists slowly get swept away in their performance was also incredible to see. Pahud and the Utah Symphony truly have a dedication to musicianship I’ve never seen in a live performance before. 

I’ll be on the lookout for Emmanuel Pahud and the Utah Symphony’s next performances, both separately and together.

z.anderson@dailyutahchronicle.com

@thezachus

The 22nd annual X Games competition, hosted in Aspen, Colorado, concluded with multiple historic moments throughout the three days of competition. Kicking off the weekend, Megan Oldham landed the first triple cork in women’s snow sports. Gaon Choi became the youngest woman to win the snowboard halfpipe at 14 years old, taking the record from her mentor, Chloe Kim. Mark McMorris won his 22nd X Games medal, which makes him the most decorated X Games competitor.

Reach Milo Gladstein and Garrett Mogel at photo@collegian.com or on Twitter @CSUCollegian 

Anyone who has visited the Perry Library during the 2022-2023 school year can’t have missed the huge, colorful string sculptures hanging from the ceiling in front of the main entrance. This installation is “Patterns of Love” by artist and ODU student Kim McCoy. “Patterns of Love” was previously on display in the Webb Center during the Spring 2022 semester.

The installation is composed of three pieces. Two are large string structures that billow from floor to ceiling, one rainbow-hued and the other primarily yellow and pink. The third is a smaller sculpture consisting of spirals of steel and textiles. In total, the installation uses 6.9 miles of cotton thread and stands, at its highest point, 27 feet tall. This art piece “focuses on the various forms of love that we experience.”

Until Feb. 14, students who have experienced the installation are invited to share their interpretations of the art piece through an online form. The form is also available through a QR code located on a sign beside the artwork. Students may share their thoughts on any or all of the three pieces that make up the installation.

After submissions close, McCoy will “creatively place the student entries on display near the installation.”

McCoy’s work has been displayed at ODU in the past. Her installation “Hear Their Voices,” a piece intended to raise awareness about human trafficking, was displayed in the Barry Arts Building rotunda during January 2022.

The rhetoric that Asian Americans are the “model minority” and the consistent practice of excluding Asian Americans from people of color placed together is a dangerous combination — the essence of racial valorization and civic ostracism that feeds into anti-Asian hate and discrimination.

According to Stop AAPI Hate, “from March 19, 2020 to Dec. 31, 2021, a total of 10,905 hate incidents against Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) persons were reported.” Utah is no exception. The state has a history of anti-Asian racism and hate toward Asian immigrants, including a history of hosting Japanese internment camps, where individuals of Japanese descent were forcibly relocated and incarcerated. Former state Rep. Kim Coleman faced charges of racism after writing on her campaign page that the COVID-19 virus came as a “courtesy of the Chinese Communist Party” and was condemned online by people who said she was encouraging xenophobic attacks against people of Asian descent.

Most recently, the University of Utah’s Asian community was also met with anti-Asian racism. Two anti-Asian hate incidents occurred in October 2022, four days apart from each other. Not even a month later, another anti-Asian hate incident occurred. These were verbal harassments that consisted of “go back to your country,” “ching chang” and being called a “ch**k.” These also occurred in public places: the USC football game, the Stadium Trax Station and the J. Willard Marriott Library. All were examples of how those of us who experience Asian diaspora are harmed by xenophobia when we are trying to harmonize our dual/multi-identities.

At the U, 1,929 of 33,081 undergraduate students identified as Asian or Asian-American as of 2020. This makes Asian/Asian-American the third largest specified racial group at the U, and yet our community receives little resources or support. During the height of the pandemic, when America and the rest of the world saw a surge of anti-Asian hate and xenophobia, other universities and colleges took the initiative to offer support and resources to Asian and Asian-American identifying students like creating Asian Cultural Centers. The U has yet to address Asian-targeted racism and bias specifically.

These stats and incident reports all spell out simple but devastating news: racism and hate crimes towards Asian and Asian-American students on campus continue to plague not only our nation but also our very campus community. This pandemic, unlike COVID-19, does not disappear or die down with time or vaccinations, but through community engagement and activism.

But how can the students and community members alike participate in helping combat this issue? The solution is to urge the U to allocate Asian and Asian-American-identifying students a space on campus to call home. A space to feel safe and loved. A space to congregate and share each other’s experiences. A space that we desperately need.

This is the essence of what the U of U Asian Collective wishes to achieve. The purpose of the Collective is to establish an Asian Cultural Center on campus to offer resources and support not only to Asian and Asian-American students, but also to staff and faculty that identify as such. Through this network of love and understanding that is built around the Asian Cultural Center, the campus community can actively engage in disrupting the “model minority” and the monolith myths, among other anti-Asian thoughts and sentiments. This way, the original mission of the Asian Cultural Center grows twofold.

Despite all the benefits and the need for an Asian Cultural Center, the Collective faces harsh pushback and is bombarded with bigotry and racism. We were all aware of what it would take to establish a center at the U. Still, the reality of the situation was a lot worse than what any one of us could have braced for. The difficult burden of striving for equity and justice should not however be carried by the few nor just the BIPOC community. Equity and justice are only achieved through collective understanding and love, and this piece serves not as a call for help but as a call for action. Solidarity and allyship are required to help break this cycle of intolerance.

At the end of the day, no matter how daunting and isolating this line of work may be, we will continue to shield the fire that warms the hearts and minds of those who dare to dream and hope, and this eternal warmth will forever be cemented at the U.

— U of U Asian Collective

@uofuasiancollective

The Daily Utah Chronicle publishes guest op-eds written by faculty, elected officials and other members of the public on topics relevant to students at the University of Utah. The Chronicle welcomes guest op-ed pitches here.

Jose Gonzalez-Campelo/The Cougar

Understanding the value of food and a healthy balance of certain foods can offer more benefits than some might realize.

Health can be affected by many aspects of one’s life from genetics to environmental to lifestyle.

However, health and more specifically mental health can also be affected by what one eats.

Without question, food is a significant part of the human experience and human life. Whether someone can sit and savor their meal or simply grab a quick bite, it might all seem the same. 

However, despite food being a necessity to fuel the body, its importance can sometimes get lost during the hustle and bustle of life when it shouldn’t.

While some people might attempt to eat well or be conscientious about the foods they are consuming, many Americans are not getting the proper nutrients in their diets which includes fruits and vegetables. 

Nonetheless, changes can be made to the diet to better incorporate the proper foods but one should know it can take anywhere from a few days to a few weeks before changes are noticed.

College students are known to be on the go along with many other people in the world, but it doesn’t have to be a chore to be healthy and it can potentially help with one’s day.

There are links to how fruits and vegetables, and eating a well-rounded diet can positively contribute to limiting inflammation and lowering depression and anxiety in young adults. 

Similarly, complex carbohydrates are believed to offer calming effects and protein is believed to also affect motivation, as one example.

This only adds to the reasons to want to pursue healthy eating and maybe skip the fast-food joints when one can help it. 

However, it is the combination of foods, not just fruits, vegetables, protein or carbs alone which can contribute to a well-rounded diet.

Food options like lean meats, whole grains, lower fat dairy products, leafy greens and other vegetables, fruits, beans, legumes such as but not limited to soy products and others foods are options rich with minerals or vitamins.

However, excessive amounts of minerals and vitamins can be toxic, despite the health benefits they offer so keep that in mind.

Fruits and vegetables, among other dietary changes, also are believed to be connected to lowering the risk of cancer, blood pressure and heart disease.

Still, managing one’s diet and knowing how much to eat of certain foods can add to the challenge of eating well. 

According to Harvard University’s Healthy Eating Plate, it is recommended to eat half a plate of vegetables and fruit, one quarter of both protein and whole grains, and incorporate healthy plant oils, such as, but not limited to sunflower or olive oil into one’s meals and liquids like water, tea, or coffee.

Having a general guide to go by can be a nice, quick reference when meal prepping or even making or purchasing a bite. Yet, there are different meal plan options out there so find which works best for you. 

While eating a balanced diet is important, it is equally important to mention that not everyone can necessarily afford or find accessible ingredients to always make a healthy meal. 

When it is possible, consider slowly incorporating certain foods into one’s diet. This can also apply to people who want to gauge how different foods might affect them.

All this to say, one’s mood can be affected by what one eats and affect the quality of one’s life. 

Understanding the value of a balanced meal, and if able, making attempts to create a healthy balance of food and meals can potentially offer physical and mental health benefits.

Katherine Graves is a junior strategic communications major who can be reached at opinion@thedailycougar.com

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“Balancing your diet is important” was originally posted on The Cougar

Boston University students across campus struggled with housing problems this past weekend after record-low temperatures caused heating issues and pipes to leak in George Sherman Union, the Student Village and Danielsen Hall, among other buildings.

The Middle Eastern Music Ensemble is coming to Old Dominion University to give a concert at Chandler Recital Hall on Feb. 17 from 7 p.m. to 9 p.m. The concert will feature traditional muwashshahat, an Arabic poetic form and musical genre that typically consists of five stanzas with a refrain in between each. Popular songs from Syria, Egypt, Lebanon, Palestine, and Jordan will also be performed. Dabke dancing and singing along are encouraged.

The Middle Eastern Music Ensemble was founded in 1994 at William & Mary, welcoming student, faculty, and local musicians to explore the music styles from Arab, Turkish, Persian, Armenian, and Greek repertoires. The current director of the ensemble is Dr. Anne Ramussen, a professor of music and ethnomusicology at William & Mary. 

The instrumentation remains flexible, typically including an ‘ud (pronounced “ood”), several violins, 1-2 violas, cellos, a bass, a nay (rhymes with “high”), a qanun (pronounced “kanoon”), and a saxophone, clarinet, accordion, piano, Arabic synthesizer, or harmonica as needed. The ‘ud is a pear-shaped, fretless lute, the nay is a reed flute, and the qanun is a 75-string lap zither. The ensemble also includes various percussion instruments such as the tambourine, Tablah/Darabukah drum, Daff, Tar, or Bendir frame drums, the Riqq, the Tabl Baladi, Marawis, and Sagat. 

The group generally puts on 1-2 full-length concerts per semester, typically featuring a guest artist. They also do several shorter performances at various events on campus and in the community, such as the concert they will be giving at ODU. The ensemble has traveled abroad to Morocco and Oman.

For more information about the concert, contact Dr. Shadi Bayadsy. For more information about the Middle Eastern Music Ensemble, click  here.