After a successful week against Arizona, the University of Utah baseball team (23-15-1, 9-9 Pac-12) stayed home to play Brigham Young University before heading to Los Angeles to face USC.

Utah struggled early against BYU, going down 1-5 after the second inning. The desperate Utes quickly regained their composure and took three in the third inning to lessen the gap.

Utah and BYU kept trading runs, and the game was tied going into the bottom of the ninth. Kai Roberts hit the first pitch for a single that would score Davis Cop as the Utes took an 8-7 walk-off win against the Cougars.

The team then took a quick trip to Los Angeles, where they faced the Trojans in a three-game series. USC has had a difficult season, going just 5-13 in conference play. The Utes quickly capitalized in the first game.

It was another dominant performance by Utah, and they completely controlled the game. Utah got on the board early, and never stopped scoring. Utah tallied six runs in the fourth inning, with Utah taking a 9-0 lead.

USC was able to get on the board and eventually found three runs of their own, but it wasn’t enough for them to stop the Utes. Roberts capped off the night with a solo home run in the ninth to secure a 11-3 victory for Utah.

Utah came back the very next day and played a similar game. Utah started hot and never allowed the Trojans an opportunity. Utah jumped out to an 8-0 lead by the fourth inning, taking a commanding lead.

USC was able to get on the board soon after, but it wouldn’t be enough for them. Chase Anderson tripled in the fifth, scoring Dakota Duffalo and Roberts.

It was yet another big win for the Utes as they topped the Trojans 10-5. Utah was on a four-game win streak and looking to go undefeated this week.

But Utah was unable to finish the week strong, and they fell to USC. It was a very different game than the first two. The game was scoreless until the fifth inning when USC got three.

Utah started clawing back in the sixth and seventh, but it wouldn’t be enough for them and they lost 2-4 in the final game of the week.

It was a poor ending to the week for the Utes, but they showed a lot of skill this week. Utah has now broke even in Pac-12 play, going 9-9 on the year.

The Utes will head home to take on Dixie State before facing No. 2 Oregon State, their toughest opponent of the year. Utah will have their work cut out for them, but can be optimistic about how successful they have been recently.

s.overton@dailyutahchronicle.com

@SeanOverton3

The post Utah Baseball Nearly Has Undefeated Week appeared first on The Daily Utah Chronicle.

The University of Minnesota is seeking input from students, faculty and other stakeholders as it develops a modified set of course requirements for all students as part of a curriculum review.

To begin this review and gather recommendations, the Core Curriculum 2025 Committee is hosting online forums throughout April and May. Student forums were held April 18 and 20 and a forum for employers was also held on April 20.

Although curriculum requirements are typically revisited every 10 to 15 years, the general format has remained the same since 1991. Any changes to curriculum implemented by the committee would impact students beginning at the University in 2025.

The goal of the curriculum review is to have course requirements that reflect current discussions and ideas in society, said University President Joan Gabel in an interview with the Minnesota Daily.

“I think it’s important because there’s a very broad discussion in society as a whole about the value of being educated and what it means to be educated,” Gabel said. “As a University, we think about what you need in order to be prepared for work. We also think about what you need to be prepared for life, and they are not necessarily the same thing.”

The current curriculum for undergraduate students on the Twin Cities campus requires students to take classes that fall under four themes and seven diversified cores, like historical perspectives or mathematical thinking. Writing intensive courses are also mandatory.

A common curriculum for all students creates exposure to skills outside of their major requirements, Vice Provost and Dean for Undergraduate Education Robert McMaster said.

“The idea is that we think all of our U of M undergraduates should have some common curricular experience,” McMaster said. “Even if you’re a theater major, we want you to go out with some knowledge of mathematics.”

McMaster said he thinks the model for writing classes could be reviewed and a public speaking requirement could be added to the curriculum, although these changes are not certain.

The last curriculum review was in 2005, where the committee at the time added technology and society to the list of required themes. In 2021, the University Senate approved the addition of a race, power and justice theme.

This is the first time a review committee is including two student representatives, McMaster said.

Committee student representative Zeke Jackson said one of his main goals is to ensure “students aren’t being overburdened by liberal education requirements.”

Jackson is also the Academic Affairs Committee director for the Minnesota Student Association, which is gathering its own feedback from students on the curriculum with a survey.

So far, 17 students have taken the survey and generally have shown interest in learning more about student finances. Respondents also generally said they appreciated having a variety of curriculum requirements set in place.

Jackson said he hopes the curriculum will equip students with skills that will prepare them for their future endeavors.

During the student forum on Monday, some students said they feel like they need to “check off the boxes” in order to graduate with current requirements, according to Jackson.

Students at the forum also expressed interest in learning more about how to connect their general education to real-world topics, committee chair Will Durfee said.

“One of the most common comments that I hear from students across all majors is, ‘How do I make my education relevant to the world that I’m a part of now or will be going into in the near future?” Durfee said.

With many viewpoints on what should be updated in the curriculum, it may be challenging to make changes that please everyone or apply to all areas of study, Durfee said.

“We’re never going to get everyone to agree,” Durfee said. “But if we can come up with some general principles and then codify that into an education program that ultimately people are excited about … I think that would be a real win for our University.”
The committee is aiming not to have preconceptions about what should be changed in the curriculum and to listen to common trends and ideas coming from students, faculty and other stakeholders, Durfee said.
Committee faculty representative Lee-Ann Kastman Breuch said curriculum requirements will only be changed or updated if that is the general consensus on campus.
“I don’t think this committee is seeking to change things,” Breuch said. “We are really trying to figure out from the University community if change is desired, and then, if so, what that is.”

University community members can leave comments on a form or email any committee member if they have suggestions or concerns about future curriculum requirements, Durfee said.

“You don’t always like that you have to go in and find these courses and find social science that’s also an environment course,” McMaster said. “It’s a bit of a checklist, but in the end you realize the importance as a graduate from a world-class university, that you are exposed to many areas of knowledge, not narrowly, but broadly.”

UH baseball third baseman Zach Arnold’s solo home run in the top of the seventh was the only run in the Cougars loss to Lamar on Tuesday night. | Sean Thomas/The Cougar

UH baseball dropped its first game of a four-game road trip 4-1 to Lamar on Tuesday night, bringing the Cougars to 26-15 on the season.

After some strong innings for junior right-handed pitcher Derrick Cherry, the Cardinals got to the UH starter in the fourth inning. A leadoff double by Lamar’s Chase Kemp followed by a bunt that eventually moved him to third base. Capped off by pair of singles, the Cardinals took the 2-0 lead.

Junior pitcher Maddux Miller replaced Cherry. A sacrifice fly gave the Cardinals their third run of the inning.

Lamar’s lead held steady at 3-0 until the sixth inning when a solo home run made it 4-0. 

The only offensive production mustered by the Cougars was in the seventh inning when sophomore third baseman Zach Arnold hit a solo home run.

The Cougars’ offense was ultimately not able to respond to the Cardinals’ four runs off of six hits, only producing three hits the entire game, with their first hit of the game coming in the sixth inning.

Cherry picked up his second loss of the season.

sports@thedailycougar.com

—
“UH baseball falls to Lamar in midweek matchup” was originally posted on The Cougar

Campus crisis management must prioritize transparency

Aarthi Muthukumar/Senior Staff

Last Thursday, UC Berkeley students — some lucky to be in the comfort of their homes, some out and about on campus — received a heart-stopping notification from UCPD. Although the campus community is far too familiar with the subject line “UC Berkeley WarnMe,” this time it was followed by “SHELTER IN PLACE,” since revealed to reference credible threats from an individual to harm several people on campus. Out of 14 emails sent in the span of five hours to the student body, not a single WarnMe email explicitly stated this simple reality.

The emails did not provide details regarding the status of the situation, the perpetrator’s activity, specific areas of campus to avoid or even the outcome of the threat. Rather, many only promised to provide more updates later.

Many hoped the final email would compensate for the lack of information in the first 13. Instead, it merely stated: “The situation has been resolved. Thank you for your patience.”

The campus-wide shelter-in-place order last Thursday revealed many flaws with the WarnMe system. Instead of timely, specific and productive updates from campus and UCPD, the notifications were sent with no real details on the evolving situation. Much of the WarnMe’s content seemed to have been deliberately vague in phrasing to “protect the investigation.”

However, clear communication during emergency situations is one of the best ways to keep students safe and calm. Understanding the truth of the emergency is often the best way to begin to healthily cope with danger, as well as take appropriate action to stay safe.

Some students allegedly left their classrooms during the shelter-in-place order under the assumption that the threat was not serious enough to warrant staying in place. Some professors also continued to host lectures virtually, allegedly unaware of the magnitude of the threat and the overwhelming fear and anxiety among students.

Inadequate communication also opened up a host of misinformation on social media platforms such as Twitter and Reddit. When authorities refused to make information publicly available during the event, social media — a place where many people feel they can turn to and trust — became a breeding ground for conspiracy and assumption. This spurred the most prominent rumor that there was an active shooter on campus, which forced UCPD to explicitly clarify on Twitter rather than email that it was untrue.

While the campus community was lucky to come out of the situation without any injury, campus and UCPD must do better to keep students adequately informed and updated during emergencies. Increased information will allow students, professors and staff to safely work through their individual situations. Only with full transparency can campus combat the existing distrust of authorities and police among students, as well as truly ensure their safety.

Editorials represent the majority opinion of the editorial board as written by the spring 2022 opinion editor, Jessie Wu.

The Daily Californian

One of my favorite places in Salt Lake City is the 9th and 9th neighborhood. I love to walk down the street, window shop and try local restaurants with an iced chai from Coffee Garden in hand. Recently, I drove through the neighborhood and noticed the new whale statue. When I checked Twitter that day, it appeared a lot of other people were also confused. The 9th and 9th whale has garnered a lot of discourse in the news and on social media, with some arguing that it’s ugly and others in support of the public art.

However, the whale replaced a collection of community placed garden gnomes that inhabited the roundabout, which also sparked controversy. Whether you’re team whale or team gnome, the commission process for the whale relied on community engagement. This situation prompts us to get more involved with local politics to have a say in future public art installations.

On March 10, the Salt Lake City Arts Council released information about the whale statue to be placed in the roundabout at 900 South and 1100 East. The Salt Lake City Art Design Board recommended Stephen Kesler’s “Out of the Blue” for commission and Mayor Erin Mendenhall approved the sculpture. Kesler sculpted the piece by hand using recyclable foam and fiberglass. It represents that “9^th and 9^th is unexpected and out of the blue” as Kesler explained in an interview with the Salt Lake City Arts Council.

The sculpture will rotate through different murals created by different artists to show the dynamism of the 9^th and 9^th neighborhood. Mike Murdock painted the current mural of abstract sunrises and sunsets on the whale. He has a personal connection to the neighborhood since he worked at Caffé Expresso across the street from the roundabout for 11 years.

The art design board first designated funding to the roundabout in 2019. Staff worked with the Chair of the East Liberty Park Community Organization (ELPCO) and attended a meeting with the organization to discuss goals for the roundabout. A group of residents and artists worked together with help from ELPCO and met with people at the Salt Lake City Arts Council.

An open call for artists was issued in Dec. 2019 and a public information session was held in Oct. 2020. The Art Design Board then selected a proposal during their public Nov. 2020 and Feb. 2021 meetings. These information sessions aimed to engage residents and receive input since public art needs public opinion. But clearly, not many people cared about the art installation until now.

According to the Salt Lake City Arts Council’s Q&A article on the piece, “From autumn 2019 to the present, the project was discussed in seven public Art Design Board meetings, two public info sessions, at an East Liberty Park Community Organization meeting, and through a community survey which received over 100 responses.” There were plenty of ways for the public to engage with the process so the installation could be in line with what the community wanted. But this controversy serves as an example of the importance of community engagement.

Residents of Salt Lake City can apply to serve on the Art Design Board and attend meetings on the first Thursday of each month, both virtually and physically. In an interview, Renato Olmedo-González, the Public Arts Program Manager for the Salt Lake City Arts Council, explained, “We always have a space at the very end in which we open it up for public comment.” This provides community members with the opportunity to attend the meeting and voice their concerns. “If people want to have a voice, they’re always welcome to join us,” he said, “They’re welcome to attend a meeting and to apply to become an art design board member.”

Also, residents and businesses in the East Liberty Park area of Salt Lake can attend meetings the fourth Thursday of each month in Tracy Aviary’s Education Room. These meeting are home to important discussions about various community affairs and are open to the public so residents should engage.

Olmedo-González also pushed the importance of the community councils that each neighborhood has. “We rely often on the expertise of the community councils that exist throughout Salt Lake City,” he said. All these organizations discuss and determine matters of much more significance than a whale sculpture. So, engagement in these public meetings is critical.

Residents had plenty of chances to voice concerns in community meetings about the 9th and 9th whale. Community participation in public meetings is essential to gauging the desires of the community. Get involved with community boards to have your voice heard in future public art installations. As Olmedo-González said, “This commission has demonstrated that public art really impacts people’s lives and the way in which we’ve used public spaces. It’s a very important tool that we have as a society to talk about and to have dialogue. It has an incredible power that not many other things have.”

s.kincart@dailyutahchronicle.com

@SydneyKincart

The post Kincart: 9th and 9th Whale Highlights the Importance of Community Engagement appeared first on The Daily Utah Chronicle.

The Undergraduate Student Government held its last in-person senate meeting of the semester Tuesday night. 

At the start of the meeting, a representative from USC Racing, a student-run team that creates and races high-performance autocross cars, Jonathan Laifman, and two representatives from USC’s Formula Electric design team, Sunvriti Khanna and Trey Kee, said USG approved professional funding for the two organizations to participate in a competition against universities around the globe in Michigan in June but were notified last week that USG does not fund summer events.

“Unfortunately, automobile racing is something that you can’t get into without substantial money, believe me, I’ve tried,” said Kee, a sophomore majoring in psychology. “Going to this competition was really contingent on the funding that we received from USG.”

The funding would have helped cover hotel and transportation expenses. They were told that they would be given $4300 after requesting $4500 but never received the money, according to Kee. 

“Since they had approved the proposal, we in reliance ceased searching for new funding opportunities, notified internships, and booked rooms,” said Laifman, a senior majoring in physics. “However, now that they pulled the funding, it puts us in a difficult situation of finding new funding. We are hoping to find a way to have an exception to their “no summer” rule to be able to help cover this race as a first step toward fixing the rule such that all students can benefit from funding during summer.”

Vice president Nivea Krishnan said USG will discuss the issue during their cabinet meeting. Chief funding officer Brian Stowe will meet with both organizations Wednesday to resolve this issue. 

“Because that funding was already promised to us, a lot of us already made the payments for the hotels and transportation,” Khanna, a senior majoring in communication, said. “Now the extra expenses kind of fall on the heads of the business leads or the project managers who have to pay out of pocket because they expected the funding to come through USG and now that funding has been pulled last minute, it would be tough for us to get any sponsors at all.”

Senator Yoav Gillath announced that Trojans Give Back and USC Hospitality worked on a program to donate dining dollars to the USC Office of Basic Needs and compile them into meal swipes that have no expiration date. The donation period will be happening between May 4 and May 11. On the Mobile Order app, students will be prompted on whether or not they want to donate their remaining meal swipes if there are any remaining May 11. 

The senate also voted on nominations to the communications department announced at last week’s senate meeting, confirming them all unanimously. 

“We plan on really maintaining and strengthening our relationship with our media partners and RSOs and campus administrators to really cultivate strong relationships and to open transparency,” newly confirmed director of public relations Jacob Wheeler said. 

The communications department envisions a redesign for the USG website that highlights the resources offered by USG and hopes to establish a bigger presence for students, associate director of digital strategy Oscar Clavio said. 

The senate then debated and voted on the legislative department’s committee chair and parliamentary secretary nominations announced at last week’s senate meeting, confirming them all unanimously.

Tuesday’s senate meeting was the last one of the academic year to be held in person, but USG plans to hold two more senate meetings over the summer virtually to pass their 2022-23 budget.

The post USG discusses withheld summer funding appeared first on Daily Trojan.

The University of Minnesota Board of Regents authorized selling $500 million of debt in 30-year, interest-only bonds on April 11, a new approach to finances that will allow the University to generate savings while also spending it on construction projects.
Similar to student loans, bonds are debt that institutional or corporate entities take out that will eventually be repaid over time, plus interest. In this case, the repayment period is 30 years. The University was originally going to issue century, or 100-year, bonds, said Michael Volna, associate vice president of finance and assistant CFO.
With interest-only bonds, the University will pay interest on the bonds for the first 29 of the 30 years and recycle the loan money for multiple projects throughout that time, Volna said.
Volna said the University wanted to issue interest-only bonds now because rates are relatively low. The University decided to issue 30-year bonds instead of century bonds because they are less risky and allow the University to pay less interest, Volna said.
“It gives us a lot of predictability about how much we’re going to have to pay for debt and for capital financing,” Volna said.
The University uses bonds, as well as state funding, to finance capital projects, Volna said. In May, the legislature will determine how much of the $900 million request for funding the University will receive from the state.
Due to the high cost of building infrastructure, the University takes on debt by selling bonds to big companies, like corporations and insurance companies. The University does not have enough immediately available funds to use for capital projects, Volna said.
Interest-only bonds allow the University to recycle the borrowed money and generate savings because the University will only pay interest at first, Volna said. Using the funds borrowed through the bonds, the University can issue smaller loans to specific University entities like the College of Liberal Arts or the athletics department.
“We’re not just borrowing money as a University,” Volna said. “We loan it to a college who builds a building or renews … [a hall] and then they pay us back.”
The University can also set aside a small amount of money from the original bond and invest it in stocks and real estate.
“We know that in 100 years … that money that we set aside will grow to be the amount we will need in that hundredth year to pay off those bonds,” Volna said.
The original bond will be paid off with portions of the college repayments and the invested money. The University will ultimately profit from these bonds because the remaining funds will continue to be recycled among internal colleges and departments, Volna said.
Regent Steve Sviggum said he feels it is important to use the bonds to renovate buildings in need of maintenance to ensure they do not deteriorate further, rather than starting new construction projects.
“We can’t get further behind on the maintenance of our buildings,” Sviggum said. “You just can’t always be building new. You have to maintain and invest in what you have as well.”
Regent David McMillan said he believes the decision was a good compromise from the original plan to sell 100-year bonds because the University was able to take on shorter term debt at a reasonable interest rate.

“It looks like from this board members perspective good for the University over time, our ability to finance projects and to have that money ready for things that we will need to advance our education research outreach mission,” McMillan said.
Regent Darrin Rosha said he supports the decision and believes it is a positive opportunity for the University to “save potentially millions of dollars and let the scarce University resources go farther.”

Fort Collins is home to a strong community of artists and creatives who have beautified the city in a unique and enduring fashion. Fort Collins Art Week strives to give these artists a collaborative, public space to present their art.

As part of that effort, the Fort Collins Downtown Development Authority developed Sculpture in the Square. As of Saturday, April 23, Fort Collins’ Old Town Square has been decorated with new elaborate creatures and towering structures that represent the growing art scene in the area. 

“It’s really important in life, having that feeling of great beauty or having something that really detests you. It’s really important to feel those things. It reminds you of being human because sometimes we forget.” -Amanda DeAngelis, Director of Sculpture in the Square

This event offers that kind of opportunity for members of the community to experience the emotional pull of art and interact with their community in the moment. Sculpture in the Square is a juried show in which viewers can vote on their favorite pieces. This kind of interaction elevates local artists by allowing them to show and sell their work. 

“I think people can connect to it — whether they really love it or really hate it, it’s evoking some sort of emotion,” said Amanda DeAngelis, Sculpture in the Square program director. “It’s really important in life, having that feeling of great beauty or having something that really detests you. It’s really important to feel those things. It reminds you of being human because sometimes we forget.”

The DDA pays artists for delivering their artwork and having it on display for a year, during which it is for sale. This process supports both the DDA and local artists, which is essential in a growing art scene. 

While Fort Collins isn’t widely known for its art scene, that doesn’t mean it isn’t present. Between Art Week, the Art in Public Places program and the several theaters and museums that demonstrate local talent, it is clear the art scene in Fort Collins is, in fact, growing. 

Pieces like Joe Norman’s “Girl Hawk” and Annette Coleman’s “Turtledove Chimera” are excellent examples of how events like this can bring local artists into the public eye. 

“I think we have a lot of really talented artists; I don’t know that we always know that they’re there,” DeAngelis said. “Part of what the DDA is doing is trying to call attention to those artists.”

While Fort Collins may not be an art hub the way New York and Los Angeles are, the beautification that’s been instilled in the community is an excellent example of why we need programs like Sculpture in the Square. 

DeAngelis developed the sculpture on loan program with her husband, a sculptor who had been doing art on loan programs around the country.

“We noticed Fort Collins didn’t have one,” DeAngelis said. “The DDA saw what we were doing.” 

A Square speckled with statues is much more interesting than one without, and it would seem attractions like these pull people out into the public and create a sense of community. DeAngelis and her husband are part of the wider community interested in the production, preservation and presentation of art that Art Week showcases. 

Sculpture in the Square is one of many highlights of Art Week’s events. It has continued the tradition of beautifying Fort Collins and shows off just how artistic the city can be.

Reach Ivy Secrest at entertainment@collegian.com or on Twitter @IvySecrest.

42nd Street Moon’s ‘Fun Home’ is intimate dive into queer vulnerability

Ben Krantz Studio/Courtesy

Alison Bechdel, a 19-year-old student at Oberlin College, anxiously writes a follow-up letter to her parents in her dorm room. She had written home earlier to share an announcement that was reciprocated with radio silence: “Dear Mom and Dad, I am a lesbian.” The ominous quiet is eventually broken, but the outcome is as she feared: denial, dismissal and disappointment. This disastrous coming out story has the ability to make anyone choke back tears and resonates with particular relatability for many in the LGBTQ+ community. 

Frequently silenced queer experiences are brought into the light in Tony Award-winning “Fun Home,” the stunningly poignant musical based on Bechdel’s graphic memoir of the same name. Produced in the Bay Area for the first time ever by 42nd Street Moon, “Fun Home” tells a moving story of self-discovery and acceptance that is as enjoyable as it is important.

“Fun Home” is told nonlinearly, focusing primarily on Alison’s childhood and college years as her 42-year-old self painstakingly captures these past memories on paper. The story is told from the perspective of adult Alison (Rinabeth Apostol), Medium Alison (Teresa Attridge) and Small Alison (McKenna Rose). In addition to following Alison’s journey, the story explores her relationship with her father, Bruce (Jaron Vesely), who frequently had affairs with men but remained deeply closeted.

The musical’s narrative is incredibly humanizing; if depictions of queer lives are rare, even rarer are depictions that span decades and document childhood innocence, teenage awkwardness and adult assuredness. Alison realizes she’s gay in college, but the conclusion doesn’t come all at once. Through fascination with queer literature and the desire to wear traditionally “masculine” clothing, Alison’s revelation is authentically gradual and cathartic. 

One number that exemplifies the musical’s aptitude for using subtle hints toward discovery is “Ring of Keys,” sung by Small Alison when she spots a butch delivery woman at a luncheonette with whom she is instantly enamored. The lyrics and Rose’s performance are both brilliant in this tender moment of connection. Deeply intrigued by this woman’s swagger, short hair and her ring of keys, 10-year-old Alison can’t fully explain her admiration, but she knows “(they’re) alike in a certain way.” Beautiful, personal moments like these demonstrate the musical’s poignancy. 

Another standout number is much more on-the-nose than “Ring of Keys,” and more outwardly proud. Medium Alison’s “Changing My Major” describes her determination to do just that. Her new major of choice? Her first girlfriend, Joan. Specifically, she’s “changing (her) major to sex with Joan, with a minor in kissing Joan,” all something Alison decides once she wakes up from their first night together. The song is bright and humorous, performed by Attridge with contagious enthusiasm. It’s a little excessive at times, but so is first love. It’s refreshing to see a narrative positively and unapologetically describe and celebrate gay sex, especially given its endearing execution. 

42nd Street Moon’s production of “Fun Home” boasts an extraordinary cast. Every cast member is evidently talented, but strong performances from the three Alisons truly make the production shine. Rose’s performance as Small Alison is filled with wonder, curiosity and depth beyond her years. Attridge gives a hilarious performance as Medium Alison as she charmingly, courageously grows into her own. 

Apostol’s Alison, the wiser narrator, is the undaunted thread that holds the production together; she’s confident and consistent, grown-up yet still growing, and provides smart commentary as she guides audiences through her life. The Alisons are all filled with personality and authenticity, making the production absolutely magnetic.

A touching, true story about queer healing as bold as Bechdel herself, 42nd Street Moon’s production of “Fun Home” inspires and bolsters pride.

Joy Diamond covers theater. Contact her at jdiamond@dailycal.org.

The Daily Californian

After news broke of a groundbreaking transplant of a pig’s heart into a human body, it was reported that the elderly transplant recipient had a criminal record. Their assault charges from 34 years prior to the transplant became the subsequent headline, demonstrating how our culture latches onto criminality as a permanent mark on someone’s reputation.

This branding of ex-cons as criminals for life seeps into the job and housing markets, education and the right to vote. Until we adopt forgiveness of criminality into our culture, criminal justice reform will remain slow and lack a rehabilitative focus.

Public Opinion of Ex-Convicts

Survey data collected in 2019 and 2020 showed how Americans feel about formerly incarcerated people. Overall, people believe that those with a criminal record should expect less, from owning a car or home to enjoying their job to traveling. Five million formerly incarcerated Americans live in the United States. That’s five million Americans who people believe should limit their goals and dreams.

Included in those millions of Americans are my parents, who are wonderful people who I look up to for their hard work, honesty and parenting. They raised me to work hard and strive for success. They also both spent some time in prison for mistakes they made in their twenties, a piece of information that they long hid from me and don’t talk about — ever.

I think about how hard my parents have worked to have a beautiful home and provide a good life for me. I think about how proud I am of their successes. It breaks my heart that many Americans would want them to expect less than a good life for themselves and their family. My connection to this hostility towards formerly incarcerated people makes this issue personal to me and, simultaneously, makes me hesitant to talk about it.

That same survey also showed that most Americans not only want to limit the aspirations of formerly incarcerated people, but the aspirations of their children as well. Those who thought formerly incarcerated people should expect less were 23% less likely to think that children of former criminals should attend good universities compared to children of non-incarcerated people. Our culture writes off people who have committed crime, almost refusing to acknowledge how much people can change when given an opportunity. It also writes me and many other children off.

The Difficulties of Life after Prison

Our inability to forgive a criminal record even after punishment seeps into the way we treat people when they leave prison. Across the U.S., more than 44,000 statutes and regulations target formerly incarcerated people specifically. Of those rules, 1,300 apply to housing, creating effective legal housing discrimination against people based on criminal records across the country.

Additionally, many employers hesitate to hire people with a criminal record. As a result, 60% of inmates cannot find work within a full year of leaving prison. Writing this piece, I had the opportunity to speak with former Utah inmate Edgar Montero. Montero currently lives in Costa Rica after getting deported from the U.S. upon leaving jail and is familiar with trying to find work after incarceration. Each and every time he has applied to work with a U.S. company, “they check my criminal history in the U.S., and they always deny me.”

Educational barriers for formerly incarcerated people further limit options for success after prison. One report from Georgetown University explains how a lack of prison-based college programs, limited financial aid options and many more restrictions keep higher education largely unavailable to those with a criminal record.

Formerly incarcerated Americans also get excluded from engaging in civic life by a number of laws around the country that exclude people with felonies from voting. This makes it difficult for people with a criminal record to even change the rules that allow for discrimination against them.

The Effects of a Broken System

Sadly, this phenomenon perpetuates criminality. Community support is absolutely essential for rehabilitation after prison. For instance, a formerly incarcerated person who can’t find work within eight months of leaving jail has a 33% chance of going back to jail. That number only goes up the longer they can’t find work, reaching 50% at one year and 70% after three years. A 2020 Marshall Project survey found that most people in prison believed that affordable housing and living wages could have kept them out of jail. Our belief that people with a criminal past should expect less and policies that limit their opportunities only perpetuate a cycle of recidivism.

This focus on recidivism also doesn’t show us how our bias against people with a criminal record affects communities of color, keeps poor people poor and essentially strengthens social divisions. It simply demonstrates that if we do not like crime, the best approach is to give people other options through social opportunity.

We cannot expect people to turn away from crime if we take away all options for survival without crime. And we cannot give them those options until we change the way we view criminality in America. If we truly want rehabilitation and less crime, we need to ask formerly incarcerated people not to expect less, but to expect more.

k.cushman@dailyutahchronicle.com

@cushman_kcellen

The post Cushman: Rehabilitative Justice Won’t Happen Until We Learn to Forgive appeared first on The Daily Utah Chronicle.