Jorge Rojas has led a career spanning many different areas of art — from performance art to art curation, Rojas has done it all.

In 2015, Rojas joined the Utah Museum of Fine Arts, working as its director of learning and engagement. He held this position until March of 2021.

“My job was to oversee education, community engagement and public programming initiatives,” Rojas said. “I think of that job as one of the best jobs I’ve ever had.”

However, his work in art did not begin at the UMFA. Rojas grew up with a respect for art, which he learned from his family.

“I was born into a very artistic family,” Rojas said. “My sisters were all dancers, and [all of my siblings and I] grew up very musical. We [took] piano lessons and we all play at least one other instrument.”

Rojas found his first inspiration in his oldest sister, Lluvia, who would draw the family’s horses.

“[Lluvia] used to draw a lot,” Rojas said. “I just thought, ‘Oh my god, it’s like magic. How can someone recreate something with their hands like that?’”

As a teenager, Rojas performed in a rock band and also became a DJ. However, in an effort to differentiate himself from the rest of his family, he took a step back from music to explore the visual arts.

“I was kind of the black sheep of my family,” Rojas said. “Everybody in my family was a performer, so I decided to go into the visual arts and study traditional [two-dimensional and three-dimensional] art.”

Rojas began experimenting with visual art in high school and continued to study it at the University of Utah and at Bellas Artes in San Miguel de Allende, Mexico.

After graduating from Bellas Artes, Rojas moved to New York City, where he discovered his love for teaching and education.

“I was 25 years old, and my dream was always to go to New York,” Rojas said. “I moved to New York, and quickly realized how expensive it is there.”

After working at various restaurants, he realized he wanted to change paths.

“I finally decided that I just couldn’t handle working in restaurants anymore, and decided to apply for a job as a teaching artist for the Brooklyn Arts Council,” Rojas said. “I really started teaching to make ends meet, [but] I quickly fell in love with it.”

With the Brooklyn Arts Council, Rojas was teaching K-12 students about public art and murals. He found his teaching work to be very fulfilling and felt that he was making an impact.

“I believe that art helps us to find our voice,” Rojas said. “It was really about having a dialogue with these young people about what are some issues that they saw. Was it violence, was it inequity, was it racism?”

Rojas helped his students channel these issues in their drawings and murals to showcase at their schools.

Due to a mix of financial, familial and career-related reasons, Rojas found himself back in Utah after years of living in New York City.

“My wife got a job here in Utah, I have family here [and] I have community here,” Rojas said. “[It] just made sense to come back here.”

For the first three years back in Utah, Rojas was a stay-at-home father. Then, in 2013, he began working as an art history teacher at East High School.

During this time, beginning in 2012, Rojas was the artist-in-residence at the Huntsman Cancer Institute, where he taught art to cancer patients and their families.

From 2012-2015, Rojas curated many local and national art exhibits. He credits this time in his life as what qualified him to work at the UMFA.

UMFA Deputy Director Sonja Lunde remembers working with Rojas.

“[Rojas helped] move the museum into a much more two-directional kind of engaged interaction and learning with our visitors, partners and members,” Lunde said. “Historically, art museums have adopted a much more academic approach to their education departments. Jorge’s approach was to flip that.”

According to Lunde, Rojas’ mindset was that everyone has knowledge of art and everyone has something they can share — he included and invited more voices into the museum.

“He’s just a wonderful person,” Lunde said. “He’s the kind of person that inspires others to do their best work. He’s a visionary.”

During his work at the UMFA, Rojas brought many different partners to the museum, one being Artes de México en Utah, a nonprofit organization based in Salt Lake City.

Their work focuses on art education and displaying art exhibits related to Mexican culture. They have been working with the UMFA since 2009.

Currently, Artes de México en Utah is working with the UMFA on an art series titled Mexican Art and History, a series of presentations meant to educate and begin conversations on a variety of topics related to Mexican art and history.

The first presentation, “Chocolate: From Mesoamerica to Utah,” was presented on Zoom on July 13. This presentation focused on the Maya civilization’s relationship to cacao beans.

Fanny Blauer, director of Artes de México en Utah, values the nonprofit’s work with the UMFA and their connection through Rojas.

“We heavily started working with the museum because of Rojas,” Blauer said. “It was Rojas who said, ‘We need your voice,’ and who introduced us to the museum in 2009.”

Currently, Rojas is the artist-in-residence at the Kimball Art Center in Park City, Utah.

Rojas is currently working on various projects around the state of Utah, and is very excited about the work he is doing. He is curating, working with many different communities and staying true to his love for education by sharing his art with the public.

For more information on Mexican Art and History, visit the UMFA or Artes de México en Utah websites.

d.oldroyd@dailyutahchronicle.com

@oldroyd_devin

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The post Finding His Voice Through Art: Jorge Rojas’ Journey to the UMFA and Beyond appeared first on The Daily Utah Chronicle.

The George-Anne Inkwell edition is excited to announce our new Campus Corkboard where students will be able to find upcoming events that they may want to attend on the Armstrong campus.

Students who want to find out more about what’s happening this week on the Armstrong campus can visit our Campus Corkboard under the Arts and Entertainment section of our website.

Students, staff, or faculty who are part of a department or campus organization and who would like to see their department’s or organization’s events on the Campus Corkboard should fill out an Event Form with all the relevant information no later than seven days before the scheduled date of the event to ensure the George-Anne Inkwell has enough time to update our calendar.

Please remember to fill out a separate form for each event that needs to be posted on the Campus Corkboard.

Filling out an Event Form and getting your event on the Campus Corkboard does not guarantee the George-Anne Inkwell will send a reporter to cover your event; however, the Campus Corkboard is the first place that that the Editor-in-Chief for Digital Publication and Daily News will look for events to cover for daily stories starting in Fall 2021.

President Joe Biden nominated Dorot Professor of Modern Jewish History and Holocaust Studies Deborah Lipstadt as the U.S. State Department’s special envoy to monitor and combat antisemitism with rank of ambassador on July 30. The nomination was part of a slew of religious affairs appointments that day. 

Established under the Global Anti-Semitic Review Act of 2004, the special envoy cultivates and executes policies and projects combatting antisemitism on a global scale. The position entails ensuring that foreign public officials condemn antisemitic rhetoric, bolstering the foreign judicial systems’ prosecution of antisemitic events and enhancing the security of at-risk Jewish populations. 

Professor Deborah Lipstadt (Courtesy of Emory University)

The Biden administration faced increased pressure from U.S. Senators and Jewish groups to appoint someone to the position following recent violence between Israel and Hamas which ended with a ceasefire on May 21. The conflict also escalated antisemitic attacks in the U.S., with the Anti-Defamation League (ADL) recording 251 incidents within that period, a 115% increase from the previous year.

The White House considered ADL Vice President Sharon Nazarian, Government Affairs Director at the Simon Wiesenthal Center Mark Weitzman and Chief of the National Coalition Supporting Euarasion Jewry Mark Levin before nominating Lipstadt. 

“She has the experience to lead at a time when antisemitism has been on the rise in the U.S. and around the world,” University President Gregory L. Fenves wrote in a statement about the nomination. “Dr. Lipstadt’s nomination is a sign that our country is committed to addressing acts of bigotry and hatred aimed at the Jewish people.” 

Lipstadt has been asked by the White House to not do any interviews at this time. 

Lipstadt rose to fame after British writer and Holocaust denier David Irving sued Lipstadt for libel in 1996, claiming that her 1993 book “Denying the Holocaust: The Growing Assault on Truth and Memory” defamed him. In the book, Lipstadt labeled Irving as a Holocaust denier and wrote that he falsified and distorted evidence, allegedly hurting his reputation as a historian.  

In 2000, the court sided with Lipstadt and disqualified Irving’s libel claims, ruling that Irving purposefully falsified and misinterpreted evidence, therefore labeling him an antisemite and racist.  

Lipstadt has been connected to the White House in the past, serving twice as a Presidential Appointee to the U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum’s Council. She was invited by former President George W. Bush to represent the White House at the 60th anniversary of the liberation of Auschwitz, the White House’s press release states. Previously, she served on the U.S. Department of State’s Advisory Committee on Religious Persecution Abroad.  

Since joining the University in 1993, Lipstadt has served as founding director of the Tam Institute for Jewish Studies from 1998 to 2008 and has been honored as a distinguished educator, winning Emory’s Cuttino Award for Excellence in Mentoring in 2019 and the Exemplary Teacher Award in 2020. 

“I am heartened to see the nomination of Dr. Lipstadt as an expert and teacher who can help lead our nation forward on this vital issue,” Fenves wrote. “And I am proud that, pending Senate confirmation, she will be representing Emory—through her public service—at the very highest level.”

Lipstadt will need to be confirmed by the Senate because the role was promoted to ambassador-level status last year.

The post Biden nominates Emory Holocaust historian as antisemitism envoy appeared first on The Emory Wheel.

Privacy shouldn’t depend on your square footage

Mingxin Wang /Staff

Erich Sorenson was at home when the police knocked on the door. Prompted by the officers to step outside, Sorenson compliantly made his way through the door and, upon doing so, was immediately arrested in connection to a stabbing in Lowell, Massachusetts.

Had Sorensen resided in a detached home, this arrest wouldn’t have been possible. The police need a warrant, which they lacked in Sorenson’s case, to conduct a search of a home and the curtilage of that home. Yet, Sorensen, like millions of Americans, lives in an apartment building, and that made all the difference.

By stepping beyond the front door of his apartment, Sorenson, in the eyes of the police, entered a common space — a space with far fewer protections against unreasonable governmental intrusion than the open-air porch of a detached home, a space at the “very core” of the protections afforded by the Fourth Amendment. 

The Fourth Amendment protects Americans against unreasonable government intrusion of one’s home. Absent a warrant and other specific circumstances, the police must respect the privacy individuals expect in their homes as well as the “curtilage” surrounding their homes. What exactly curtilage means is at the heart of Sorenson’s petition to have the U.S. Supreme Court review his case — a step Sorenson opted to take after the Massachusetts Appeals Court decided in favor of the state.

Should Sorenson’s smaller dwelling in a multi-unit complex afford him lesser protection against government intrusions? The Supreme Court can and should answer this important question and make clear that privacy should not mean one thing for homeowners and another for apartment renters; subtle distinctions such as whether you have exclusive access to your porch should not lead to massive differences in the privacy you’re afforded.

Resolving this case in favor of Sorenson and apartment residents in general is justified based on the Supreme Court’s test for what counts as “curtilage” as well as society’s evolving conception of privacy. The Supreme Court has previously looked at four factors in curtilage cases: the proximity of the area to the dwelling; whether the area is within an enclosure surrounding the home; what the area is used for; and, what steps, if any, the resident took to protect the area from observation or access by people passing by.

Applied to Sorenson’s case, these factors all justify regarding the area outside his door as curtilage: It’s proximate to the dwelling; it’s within a private apartment building; it’s capable of being used for private, personal matters such as an important conversation; and it’s an area effectively blocked from public access by the existence of two flights of stairs. Surely Sorenson did not expect that one step beyond his apartment door would transport him from a private realm to a public one. 

While it’s true that a hallway in an apartment building is trafficked more than a porch of a detached home, they are regarded similarly by the residents of the respective dwellings. Several courts have recognized that similarity; the Supreme Court should as well.  

A failure to side with Sorenson will perpetuate a growing problem: pay-for-privacy schemes creating privacy haves and privacy have-nots. Consider one example of this divide: Americans are increasingly being asked to accept intrusive data collection schemes or pay for control over the use of their data. This is true on many apps — there’s a free version that passes along user data to third parties and there’s a paid version that keeps user data within the confines of the app. These choices, when aggregated, mean that poorer Americans are required to give away their information to gain access to certain apps and, as a result, surrender a lot of personal information. 

In Sorenson’s case, this issue is made worse. Apartment residents don’t have the option to pay for a detached porch — they have to make the most of the spaces in and around their apartment unit. The fact that other people can walk by Sorenson’s front door shouldn’t erase the privacy he expects from that area. The Supreme Court should take this case and make clear that privacy isn’t based on the square footage of one’s home.

Kevin Frazier is a third-year student at UC Berkeley School of Law. Contact the opinion desk at opinion@dailycal.org or follow us on Twitter @dailycalopinion.

The Daily Californian

Jiselle Santos/The Cougar

A recent research study by a team of UH professors and Ph.D. students found that women and underrepresented minorities are more likely to be hired when they’re represented in the recruiting process.

Some educational and work spaces are increasingly working on effective ways to increase and foster diversity, inclusion and the feeling of equality in their spaces. 

The study’s overarching goal was to use the homophily theory, or the idea that people gravitate towards those who are similar to them, to explain how recruiters’ demographic composition can contribute to more diverse applicant pools.

Using recruitment data within an academic context the researchers found, when the search committee chair is a woman or URM, a higher number of applications from women and URM are received.

Likewise, greater proportions of women and URM on the search committee relate with more women and URM applicants.

“Men refuse to see the potential in anyone they find inferior to themselves,” said biology junior Tasmiya Farooque. “They fail to see a woman working in a workspace like theirs because they find her fragile or timid. They fail to see URM individuals as ones who are more educated and like minded than them, it’s age old stereotyping and discrimination.”

This study, led by researchers at the UH’s Center for ADVANCING Faculty Success, found that when the search committee chair for a job is a woman, 23 percent more women apply for the job than when the search committee is led by a man. 

The study also shows how women and URM recruiters use different recruitment strategies than men which is beneficial and leads to more diversified hiring.

“There are a lot of research studies that examine one piece of a huge puzzle,” said professor and researcher Juan Madera. “Ours is a piece about how those in charge of hiring are important gatekeepers. Having underrepresented minorities and women in charge of hiring and on the hiring committee led to more underrepresented minorities and women applying.” 

UH ADVANCE, headed by President Renu Khator, was awarded a $3.3 million grant from the National Science Foundation, and is one of the UH initiatives that looks to further the advancement of URMs.

The grant works to increase the number of women and women-of-color faculty members in STEM and SBS fields, as well as ensure they have opportunities to move into leadership roles. 

“Change brings anxiety and uncertainty,” said psychology professor Herb Agan. “But when change comes in place, so does transformation. Acting on the apprehension when hiring someone they are unfamiliar with, acting despite the uncertainty is the step towards transformation.”

news@thedailycougar.com

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“UH study looks at hiring behaviors for women, minorities in recruitment processes” was originally posted on The Cougar

Hawks Talon GC played against Hornets Venom GT on July 30. Atlanta’s team lost both games, but the squad is looking forward to the remaining games this season. (Courtesy of NBA 2K League)

Almost 18 months ago, the world of professional sports was forced to adapt along with the entertainment industry to the coronavirus pandemic. While sports leagues such as the NBA, MLB and NCAA shut down competition, there was one league that kept going: the NBA 2K League.

With little-to-no content shown on live television during the height of the pandemic, the NBA 2K League was put in a unique position. Games that were once only available online were now being broadcasted on ESPN2. This helped grow the league that was only a few years old and provided viewers with some form of live competition. 

Atlanta Hawks Talon GC, the NBA 2K League team of the NBA’s Atlanta Hawks, was founded in 2019. While the pandemic threw the team a curveball, Hawks Talon GC head coach Wesley Acuff believes that looking back, the league’s new elevated platform benefited the business.

“I think it was huge,” Acuff told the Wheel. “The world kind of stopped for a moment. And for us to be able to continue was first and foremost a blessing. But it also, you know, allowed us opportunities, like being on ESPN, to maybe get some viewers that we hadn’t been able to capture in the past.” 

The league’s viewership in 2020 increased by 69% from 2019 on Twitch, showing signs of growth in the league and in the esports space. Those who have watched Hawks Talon over the last year have seen a team that has a bright future but lacking solid performance. 

Hawks Talon lost in the second round of the last tournament “THE TICKET” last year and finished with a 7-9 regular season record. The team entered the 2021 season with a young and talented squad, but they have struggled to put wins together. The team is currently 6-18, sitting 12th in the conference standings out of 12 teams. Acuff acknowledges that the team is performing far below expectations.

“To be honest, we haven’t done well,” Acuff said. “Our record is far below where we want it to be. We know we came in loaded with talent, and we’ve just struggled to put the right pieces together and build the momentum to translate that into wins.”

They don’t have the lead right now but @HawksTalonGC is looking nice tonight

Live now: https://t.co/v1LLynxNVO pic.twitter.com/sIFxY38Q4o

— NBA 2K League (@NBA2KLeague) August 1, 2021

Although the team has disappointed thus far, Acuff still sees a shining light in the second half of the season and has hope that the team can make a run in the final tournament, which will take place in August.

“We still compete, we still try,” Acuff said. “We got guys that still come and stay in the gym after hours trying to figure it out and working together to try to figure it out.”

The squad’s next game is against the Gen. G Tigers of Shanghai on August 13 at 9 p.m., which will stream live on Twitch and YouTube Gaming.

The post The Hawks’ NBA 2K team saw growth during the pandemic appeared first on The Emory Wheel.

Why we shouldn’t be afraid of spoilers

David McAllister/Staff

We live in a society — one that is too afraid of getting spoiled for our favorite shows, movies and books. 

For the longest time, I thought getting spoiled was like being sucked into a tornado and getting dropped into shark-infested waters. When a Marvel movie came out, I avoided social media like the plague until I could experience the film in theaters. Even after watching it, I’d wait a week after the premiere to post any memes or content about it. This was my way of being considerate to others who wanted to watch it but hadn’t had the chance yet.

Generally, we associate spoilers with ruining our media consumption. Going into something blind puts you into the shoes of the characters, witnessing everything in real-time. Spoilers change that experience as you’re going to know a plot point ahead of time, which can take you out of a story.

However, I think that spoilers aren’t a big deal. It’s not the end of the world when you’re spoiled. In some cases, they can enhance the experience of consuming a show, film or book. This seems like a weird take because people put so much value on experiencing stories blindly. But it’ll give you advantages other viewers or readers don’t have.

For one, you’ll know something the characters don’t, creating dramatic irony and tension within the story. You can laugh at how oblivious a protagonist is for not realizing the murderer is their friend, or you can sit at the edge of your seat as it’s revealed that the hero and villain are related. It will also have you guessing when the spoiled event happens and how the characters are going to react to it. 

Another advantage is the ability to look for clues or foreshadowing to a spoiled plot point. Good writers will drop hints throughout the story so a twist or reveal doesn’t seem too arbitrary. People will wonder why a writer included this seemingly random thing, but you know the secret as you experience the story. You’ll be able to see how these clues culminate in an event and enjoy how writers or directors execute them. 

I’m not advocating for you to read the entire summary of a show on Wikipedia or to willingly seek out spoilers before reading a book. Instead, focus on not letting spoilers affect your life and media consumption. Stop being afraid of going on social media and tiptoeing around the internet. Use spoilers to your advantage to analyze media, and pretend that you’re keeping a secret from those characters.

Contact Nicholas Clark at nclark@dailycal.org.

The Daily Californian

As Texas and Oklahoma get set to leave the Big 12 and head to the SEC, a lot of fans are wondering: what’s going to happen to the college football scene? How will this affect the Utah Utes?

The Big 12 May Dissolve

Simply put, without Texas and Oklahoma the Big 12 cannot survive financially. Both Texas and Oklahoma were the biggest programs in the Big 12 and they brought in the most money, views and fans. Without them the Big 12 really doesn’t really have any other “big” name programs to keep them afloat like those two have.

Now that they’re heading to the SEC, the rest of the teams in the conference will need to start looking for new homes in other conferences or look to add other teams in hopes of a Big 12 expansion.

What if the Big 12 Decides to Add More Teams?

Although highly unlikely, there is a slim possibility that the Big 12 could stay alive by adding other programs to their conference. There has been speculation that schools such as BYU, Boise State and many other programs could join the Big 12 to keep them afloat.

However, this still would not help to cover the losses of Texas and Oklahoma leaving. In addition to that, many of the other Big 12 programs have already begun talking to the other Power 5 conferences in hopes of an expansion with them. So, even if the Big 12 decides to add other programs, they will have lost some of their other big name programs, and will need to bring in even more programs to help make up for those losses.

That’s why adding teams and keeping the Big 12 alive is highly unlikely. Plus, if the Big 12 wanted to expand and add programs like BYU and Boise State to their conference, they would’ve already done so, but now (when they are most likely to die) it just doesn’t make sense. If they do add more teams to the conference, this is what it would look like.

“Power 4” Expansions

Out of all the most likely scenarios, the “Power 4” expansion seems the most feasible. More likely than not, there will be no such thing as the Power 5 anymore. Even if the Big 12 stays afloat somehow (by adding other programs), the shift to a 4-conference structure is inevitable. A renewed Big 12 will be considered too weak by today’s college football standards to be a member of the Power 5, so a transition to the Power 4 will happen.

This also means that teams in the Big 12 could potentially be joining the Pac-12 and Big 10 in the future. Although still on the fence, it’s highly unlikely that the ACC will consider an expansion to add in any of the Big 12 teams, so these teams will end up in the Pac 12 or Big 10, or even a smaller conference.

Pac-12 Expansion and Big 10 Expansion

Any other big name programs from the Big 12 would most likely join the Pac 12 or Big 10. There have been rumors that many schools have already reached out to other Power 5 conferences in hopes of joining. It’s been said that both Iowa State and Kansas have been in talks with the Big 10 in hopes of joining the conference.

In addition to that, there have been rumors that TCU, Baylor and Texas Tech have expressed interest in joining the Pac-12. There have even been rumors that Oklahoma State could join either of these two conferences.

Now the question that arises is, will these conferences be open to the idea of an expansion? Although all these programs have some sort of charm to them, is it enough to sway the commissioners of these conferences for an expansion? Once again, this is a hard question to answer, but more likely than not, some of these programs could end up joining these conferences.

For the Big 12 teams that don’t make it to a Power 5 conference, they will more likely than not join a smaller conference like the AAC or Mountain West Conference or even go as far as going independent. And who knows, maybe those teams decide to stay in hopes that the Big 12 expands; only time will tell at this point.

Utah’s Role in This Situation

Utah’s role in this situation is virtually nothing, as of now. However, as time goes on and we start to figure out more about this whole situation, there’s a big chance that the Pac-12 will expand and add more teams to the conference. This would mean Utah would have a vastly different schedule than before and a more potentially difficult one as well. It could also mean that teams could leave the Pac-12 as well.

Once again, very unlikely, but there have been rumors that some of the other Power 5 conferences could pursue the bigger Pac 12 programs like Oregon and USC during the expansion process. If for some reason this does happen, this would drastically affect the course of Utah’s program.

This could put Utah in a situation where they need to decide if they want to leave the Pac-12. Or the opposite could even happen: maybe Utah gets asked to join the Big 12 or some other conference. Really, all of this is speculation and rumors as of now.

Ultimately, the most realistic scenario is that Utah will most likely have new opponents in conference play and have a harder schedule as a result of Texas and Oklahoma leaving.

One thing to be noted is that Texas and Oklahoma will not leave the Big 12 until July 2025, so the talk of expansions and the realigning of conferences will happen within the next few years and really, anything could happen. Who knows, with the Big 12 in a supposed “feud” with Oklahoma and Texas, this situation could get even messier than expected and might fall through.

It’s hard to say what will happen in the future, but as of now, expect some big changes to the college football scene scene within these next few years.

a.fatahian@dailyutahchronicle.com

@ariafatahian

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The post What Does the Big 12 Shakeup Mean for the NCAA? appeared first on The Daily Utah Chronicle.

After being canceled by COVID-19 in 2020, between 120,000 and 150,000 people came together at Loring Park in Minneapolis on July 17 and 18 to celebrate the 49th annual Twin Cities Pride.

Traditionally, the festival is held during Pride month in June to commemorate the 1969 Stonewall uprising. However, due to evolving COVID-19 safety measures, the planning committee did not have time to prepare for the regular June dates.

This was the first year that the University of Minnesota had a presence at Pride. The University’s main booth, just one of the 290 vendor booths at Pride this year, had various games, a photo station, free giveaways and a visit from Goldy Gopher.

William Larson, a 1983 graduate of the University, regularly volunteers at Pride and recalled the first year he ever attended the event.

“It was amazing to see people openly embracing their sexuality,” Larson said. “Pride has become a bit commercial now, so we need to continue to remember that it is about inclusiveness.”

Throughout Loring Park, there were three stages packed with entertainment. Surrounding the main stage, called the “Stonewall Stage,” was a food court with lemonade, iced coffee, cookie dough, shaved ice and more. In addition, several artists and groups performed at the main stage over the two days.

“It is insane to see so many people here,” said Sarah Engedal, a student at the University. “It is exciting because this is the first big event I have been at since the pandemic started and it feels great to be a community again.”

Engedal stopped at the University’s booth with friends Simone Stark and Kayla Nelson, all of whom are fourth-year students studying genetics, cell biology and development. Engedal added that the University has done well at fostering an inclusive environment for LGBTQ students.

“I am here to celebrate myself as a queer person, celebrate the fact that we are able to be out and proud and bonding with the community,” Engedal said. “As a young queer person, my goal is to really remember and hold up the people within the community who have paved the way for us.”

On the north end of Loring Park, near the beer garden and dog park, was the University of Minnesota Physicians (M Physicians) booth. M Physicians is a group practice within the University, and this is also the first year they have been present at Pride.

“We know that the LGBTQ community has unique health disparities that our physicians are expertly trained to address,” said Hannah Michelson, a graduate student at the University and marketing manager at the Medical School. “We also know that they require unique care because they have unique hardships that come with being part of a community that has not always had the best access to care.”

Inclusivity at Pride

There are an estimated nine million to 11 million adults in the United States that identify as LGBTQ.

An estimated three million to five million LGBTQ individuals live with disabilities. Access to affordable, accessible, inclusive health care and community services is more difficult for people with disabilities in the LGBTQ community.

Accommodations for people with disabilities at Pride have continued to improve successively, said David Hancox, a former executive director of the Metropolitan Center for Independent Living and an annual Pride attendee.

Similar to previous years, the Autism Society of Minnesota provided an escape space.

“Our tent is not just here to provide quiet space; it is also air-conditioned, full of fidgets and staff to help support people who just need a break from all the celebrating,” said Jillian Nelson, a community resource and policy advocate for the Autism Society.

In addition to an escape space, medical tent and wheelchair access, Pride provided American Sign Language interpreters with live interpreting of every stage performance.

Changes over the years

What began as a 50-person march in 1972 has expanded to what is normally a more than 400,000 attendee event. Performance stages and corporate sponsors became an integral part of the event in the 1990s as total event attendance surpassed 200,000.

Today, Twin Cities Pride usually consists of a weekend-long festival, parade, headliner event and fireworks, though the Twin Cities Pride canceled the latter three this year due to time constraints.

For three days beginning on Aug. 14, however, Twin Cities Pride will host the first MN People of Color LGBTQ Pride festival. The additional festival aims to recognize many diverse ethnic groups in the Twin Cities LGBTQ communities and allow additional revenue and opportunities for participating organizations.

Following last summer’s protests in response to the murder of George Floyd just over three miles from Loring Park, there is now more visibility at Pride and acknowledgment of the intersection between racial justice and LGBTQ rights, said Lauren Laufman, a third-year astrophysics graduate student at the University.

“I think the more people become aware of the different movements, the more people share between the movements,” Laufman said. “Pride is about embracing who you are overall.”

Cary Waubanascum will be completing a Ph.D. in social work at the University in August. Waubanascum is from the Land of the Menominee Nation and is a member of the Oneida Nation of Wisconsin.

“Indigenous people, I feel, are represented at the University, but everyone can always do better,” Waubanascum said. “There is still a lot of indigenous erasure across disciplines, so that is why I am here, to represent.”

Waubanascum is also a mother of two and caretaker of five nephews — one of whom, her son, is transgender and two-spirit.

“I am proud of him. Showing up to Pride means showing my love and support; I feel love here,” Waubanascum said. “I am so happy to see [the University] here. I have had a great time here and am happy I chose to come to school here.”

Nathanael Ashton-Piper contributed to this report.

Georgia Southern will see no change in plans for returning to a ‘normal’ campus this fall amidst a recent spike in Bulloch County’s COVID-19 cases and record high freshmen enrollment.

“There are no changes in our current plan to be fully open and engaged,” University President Kyle Marrero said in an email to students. “Though face masks are not required, they are encouraged while inside campus facilities.”

Masks are only required inside the Health Center and on buses around the Statesboro campus. Social distancing is no longer required.

“We are diligently preparing and ready to meet the continuing challenges of this COVID-19 pandemic,” said Marrero. 

Although 8,000 doses have already been given, the university will continue to provide vaccination opportunities.  Two mass vaccination appointments are scheduled for next week, providing both Moderna and Johnson & Johnson vaccines on August 10 for Statesboro and August 12 for Armstrong. 

With an average of 36.2 daily new cases per 100k on CovidActNow, Bulloch County is listed as ‘very high risk’, while students have yet to move back in. The delta variant has already become the dominant strain of the virus, and only a quarter of the county is fully vaccinated.

Marerro encouraged students to use The CARES Center for support, contact tracing and reporting.

While there are no changes in plans thus far the president asked that everyone remain flexible as new information comes out.