Colorado State University is updating its mask policy on campus as the fall semester approaches. In an email update to the campus community, the CSU Pandemic Preparedness Team said that starting Monday, July 12, masks will no longer be required on University grounds.  The Pandemic Preparedness Team also said that masks are still strongly encouraged […]

The University will distribute $6.29 million in federal COVID-19 relief funds to students by the end of this month, according to a July 7 letter from Provost Richard Locke P’18 shared in Today@Brown. Eligible first-year students will receive funding after their arrival at Brown in September. 

This federal funding is part of the American Rescue Plan, which was passed by Congress in March, and makes up the third round of funding of the Higher Education Emergency Relief Fund.

The University received official notification of the funding on June 10 and has since been “moving quickly to complete a comprehensive analysis of the financial need of its enrolled students for the fall so that distribution to eligible students can begin by the end of this month,” wrote University Spokesperson Brian Clark in an email to The Herald.

These preparations have included assessing the requirements the University will have to abide by when accepting the funding, which are distinct from previous rounds of funding, and identifying eligible student populations, Clark wrote. This process coincided with the University’s financial aid analyses, which allows for awards to be based on the “most up-to-date financial information provided by students.”

An additional $6.29 million was granted to the University to support institutional costs arising from the COVID-19 pandemic. This can be used for reimbursing expenses or lost revenue, technology costs to support remote education, payroll and faculty and staff training, according to the HEERF III FAQ. The institutional portion can also be used to provide additional emergency financial aid grants for students.

These funds will help pay for the University’s COVID-19 testing program, which has cost more than $30 million, Clark added. They will also help the University cover the $7.3 million spent in direct COVID-19 support to students through travel grants, E-gap funds, summer earnings waivers, increased financial aid and student payroll for those unable to work campus jobs remotely, the $10 million spent to provide on-campus students with single-occupancy rooms and personal protective equipment and the $9.5 million in financial aid used to support remote students with housing and meal costs. 

“The institutional portion of relief funding will be essential to Brown’s budget given the University’s efforts to enhance support for students, financial and otherwise, while simultaneously contending with the financial impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, which both reduced revenues and required major new investments to protect the health and safety of the Brown community,” Clark wrote. 

The University expects a total Fiscal Year 2021 deficit of $70 to $80 million, Clark added. “These federal funds help to offset the impact of that deficit and of the continued financial impact of the pandemic in the months ahead.”

The University plans to reconvene the group of students, faculty and staff that advised the University on how to disburse HEERF I and II funding in March, and it hopes to provide funding at levels “equal to or greater than” the first disbursement, Locke wrote. The University does “not expect significant changes” to the disbursement model from earlier in the year, but the University is consulting with students on “some questions related to specific populations of eligible recipients,” Clark wrote.

Administrators have also worked to outline steps for notifying students based on the same model from the first round of funding, Clark wrote. 

The University distributed funding from the Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security Act and Coronavirus Response and Relief Supplemental Appropriations Act — HEERF I and II, respectively — in March following public pushback from students about the extended disbursement timeline and what they described as an opaque process. 

This most recent round of funding differs from the previous round because it expanded student eligibility to include non-U.S. citizens and residents, Locke wrote. Eligible students include “U.S. citizens and permanent residents, undocumented and international students, asylum seekers, Deferred Action for Childhood Arrival (DACA) recipients and other DREAMers.”

Students eligible to receive funding will receive communication from Student Financial Services by the end of July. 

“As we look forward to the next academic year, we will continue to work to support students with the resources they need to thrive,” Locke wrote. “If you have unmet needs, I strongly encourage you to seek out the significant resources available here at Brown designed to support academic progress, intellectual growth and overall health and wellness.”

I detest going to the gym because of all the precautions I take to feel safe. Typically, I cover up in loose sweatshirts, forsaking my comfort to draw fewer ogles from sweaty men. I take my hair down after working out because it’s harder to grab than a ponytail. To leave, I briskly walk to my car, looking behind me, before immediately locking and starting my car. I never exercise outside alone and only use the gym in the middle of the day. Women like me must use these common rape-prevention techniques to feel some semblance of safety.

However, I recently walked into Victory Lady Fitness, a women-only gym, and my experience differed greatly. In an early morning cardio class, the women around me warmly welcomed and encouraged me and everyone else. I could wear gym clothes that didn’t restrict my movement. I felt that I actually accomplished something rather than constantly watching my surroundings.

Women-only spaces have grown in popularity over the last decade. Places like women-only offices, gyms and community spaces tackle the issue of sexual harassment and violence by helping women feel safe, confident and respected. Conversely, women feel uncomfortable and cannot rise in male-dominated spaces — and most often, feel unsafe wherever they are. Women-only spaces are necessary for facilitating women’s strengths and voices, without fearing judgment or violence.

Everyday Trauma

The term gender-based violence (GBV) describes physical and psychological violence experienced by people of any gender. Women are disproportionately affected by GBV.

In the U.S., nearly one in five women have been raped in their lifetime, and 81% of women have experienced sexual harassment. Almost nine in every 10 women in cities across the world feel unsafe in public spaces. They also are twice as likely as men to experience PTSD, and take three years longer to be diagnosed than men on average.

Gender-based violence causes much of these traumas and also has long-term consequences. Generational trauma can be passed down to women in a family through health and even genes. Women today still carry the physical and emotional burdens of their descendants, which speaks volumes about the impacts of GBV. Women-only spaces can potentially be safe spaces to prevent this. Within them, women can try releasing this pressure and go about their normal lives worry-free.

Facing Male-Dominated Spaces

We see the societal effects of GBV when women are intimidated or disrespected in places where they work. Women are less likely to speak up in male-dominated spaces and think about leaving their jobs more often. Research shows that when women are surrounded by other women, they not only reach higher authority in the workplace but also earn more income.

A close circle of women allows other women to freely express their thoughts and opinions, and actually feel validated. Women-centered spaces also provide access to education and connections that traditional spaces rarely offer to women. At Victory Lady Fitness, trainers educate members on weight training instead of cardio to reverse toxic diet culture ideas about exercise.

Some have debated if women-only spaces are inherently sexist to men. When the Boy Scouts opened applications up to girls, some turned their heads to the Girl Scouts and asked for the same. However, I want to remind these critics that male-only spaces have always existed, and always for discrimination. Gentlemen clubs, office spaces and even war rooms were and are socially accepted places that women were not allowed to enter.

Instead, women-only spaces aim to help a marginalized group of people feel safe, while male-only spaces raise up an already powerful group. The systemic difference between how society treats women and men explains why these two spaces are quite different. People who object to women-only spaces are arguably only opposed to male domination being threatened.

The Importance of Women-Only Spaces

As a woman and sexual violence survivor, I always think about my safety. Throughout my life, I’ve been told to know how to turn down romantic approaches or not argue in class in fear of retaliation from men. Men have gotten angry at me for ignoring their catcalls, and I’ve even had their partners threaten me.

On campus and at work, I’ve been questioned or belittled because of my gender. It’s draining to never feel safe and to always be blamed for these men’s actions. But in a women-only space, I felt safe enough to focus on my task.

Utah struggles with violence against women, and students on our campus have said they don’t feel safe. Perhaps more women-only spaces would facilitate growth and support for women who cannot look past their fears in co-ed spaces.

While I’m not suggesting that women start a colony separated from men, I do think women deserve to feel at ease in any space. It’s exhausting being in spaces where men constantly question what sexual harassment is, or taking the same online course about consent because many college-age men still don’t understand it.

We can’t continue normalizing “rape prevention” techniques that prevent women from being comfortable. We shouldn’t continue enduring all the fear, victim-blaming and stress. Instead, we need some spaces where we can relax and take a breather.

a.hibben@dailyutahchronicle.com

@aya61987269

The post Hibben: We Need More Women-Only Spaces appeared first on The Daily Utah Chronicle.

Thanassis Rikakis will serve as dean of Iovine and Young Academy, Provost Charles Zukoski announced in a communitywide email Thursday. 

Rikakis will start Aug. 23 and act as the school’s second dean since its establishment in 2013. Erica Muhl, founding executive director of IYA who formerly occupied the role of inaugural dean, now serves as President of the Berklee College of Music since July 1. 

Currently a professor of bioengineering and performing arts at the Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University and a principal investigator at the Virginia Tech Carilion Smart Rehabilitation Lab and the Interactive Neurorehabilitation Lab, Rikakis is also the founding director of Calhoun Discovery Program — a Virginia Tech honors college program with collaborative studies in nine areas including engineering, design, humanities and policy. Rikakis also serves as director of the Calhoun Center for Higher Education Innovation.

“Throughout his career, Thanassis Rikakis has been passionate about connecting creativity and technology — and seeing the overlap among diverse disciplines, from the arts to engineering,” President Carol Folt told USC News. “As a musician, engineer and educator, he erased lines separating academic disciplines through his spirit of reimagination. That spirit aligns directly with the academy’s mission at the intersection of art, entrepreneurship, tech and communication.”

According to the email, Rikakis previously worked as Vice President and Provost of Virginia Tech and has held various leadership positions at Columbia University, Carnegie Mellon University, Arizona State University and Aristotle University of Thessaloniki. Rikakis’ research has comprised 45 peer reviewed articles on subjects including design and the arts, engineering and education. From his work, Rikakis has received recognition and grants from the  National Institute on Disability and Rehabilitation Research and the National Science Foundation. 

“I’m really excited to be coming to such a well-structured, forward-looking initiative,” said Rikakis in an interview with USC News. “Creating a space for people who learn differently is going to be a major goal for education in the 21st century, whether at the college level or the high school level.”

USC previously appointed Annenberg School of Communication and Journalism Dean Willow Bay to serve as interim dean of IYA July 1. Bay also co-chaired the IYA search committee alongside Executive Vice Provost Elizabeth Graddy since Jan. 6.

“Stop being so sensitive”

It always felt a little ironic to me: the contrast between the sensitive nature of Asian culture and the culture’s disapproval of my own sensitivity. 

Growing up, a phrase I hated hearing was “stop being so sensitive.” I’ve heard it more often than I’ll admit. In fact, my family would say this to me for a variety of reasons, from crying out of fear for an upcoming exam to reacting angrily to a joke that had ruffled my insecurities. I think part of the reason I hated this phrase so much was because I knew that I could never hide my emotions well, which made me believe I was weak.

My tendency to react strongly to the most minute details stemmed mainly from my childhood. Even as a little girl, my parents would tell me I had a flair for the dramatic. While my mom signed me up for drama productions and creative clubs as an outlet for my imagination, I would also find ways to express myself at home. I’d create intricate stories for my teddy bears to reenact on the floor of my bedroom. I’d lose myself in worlds I created in my backyard, dreaming up islands under trees with my sister as we folded bracelets out of leaves and foraged through masses of ivy.

In my eyes, the world was big and bright and brimming with possibility, but that also meant that I felt everything — a little too much, one might argue. When someone trampled on the home I had made for an ant at recess, I came home sulking; my fifth-grade teacher wrote ‘too much detail’ on the reflection I had written about spring break, which made me fling the pages into the trash.

So, yes — I was very sensitive. In some ways, my sensitivity was tolerable to others, but most of the time it came at a cost. Especially as I stepped out of childhood and into the harsh reality of adulthood, I grew to understand that people didn’t put my feelings as their top priority. Then, as I became more and more attuned to the intricacies of the Asian culture, I also subconsciously adapted to the culture’s unspoken rule that sensitivity is best when it’s hidden. 

See, here’s the raw truth about Asian culture: Sensitivity must exist in a hidden state because criticism can be doled out at the drop of a hat. Gatherings at my house, for instance, would be met with at least a day or two of cleaning. We’d clean every room, including our locked bedrooms because my mom would worry that a guest might say that we were dirty or irresponsible. If one of my parents’ friends remarked on my clothing choice or makeup, my parents would remind me of it for weeks after so I’d know never to wear it again. 

I’ve learned that I need to accept these sorts of comments and critiques, even if I must do so through clenched teeth and the muffling of my own “sensitive” emotions. It’s what’s polite. It’s what’s expected. I have learned that the phrase “stop being so sensitive” is intended to be helpful so that I won’t have to feel hurt when inevitably, something similarly devastating strikes again.

Still, it’s funny because I see sensitivity lurking in different corners of the room when I’m surrounded by my Asian community. It’s always there. I see it when our family friends quickly brush over certain topics so that they don’t have to talk about them anymore. I see it in the flush of my friends’ faces when other Asian parents ask them how they’re doing in school; what they do in their free time; if they are sure that their path will lead them to a steady income. I see it in my own parents’ polite smiles when others drop brutally honest comments about my appearance or academic performance. 

Yet, even though I can see it — even though I know that sensitivity in Asian culture is only veiled — some part of me still believes that I am overreacting to every little critique when I am offended, that I am only being oversensitive and dramatic, just as I have always been. Some part of me tells myself that I do need to, in fact, stop being so sensitive when I have a reaction to one person’s side comment or another person’s glance.

I do believe there is strength in being able to overcome my own sensitivity. That’s why I’m not angry at my Asian side for teaching me how to calm down over the years, and how to realize that my confidence and fascination with the world should stem from my own observations and approval. 

Still, I’ve found that there’s also strength in sensitivity. There is strength in the words I write on these blank pages for the world to read, words I know are filled with emotion and doubt. There is strength in that little girl with a large imagination who just wanted someone to listen. There is strength in me, even though I hate that I still tremble when I am criticized.

So, I’ll have to remind myself — it’s OK sometimes, Bella, to be a little sensitive. 

Bella Chang writes the Friday column on being a person of color at UC Berkeley. Contact the opinion desk at opinion@dailycal.org or follow us on Twitter @dailycalopinion.

The Daily Californian

Questlove unburies cultural treasure chest filled with Black joy in ‘Summer of Soul’

Rioka Hayama /Staff

Grade: 4.0/5.0

It’s the summer of 1969 in Harlem, a buzzing neighborhood in Manhattan, New York. Children dance, couples hold hands and people tear up as they watch their favorite musicians perform songs that speak to their souls. At this event at Mount Morris Park, energy radiates from the crowd and it may be the most Black people you’ve seen in one place, ever. It’s the Harlem Cultural Festival of 1969 and the documentary film “Summer of Soul (…Or, When the Revolution Could Not Be Televised),” directed by Questlove, uncovers this noteworthy event that was washed away in history. 

 The Harlem Cultural Festival, which was founded and hosted by Tony Lawrence, went on for six weeks in the summer with about 300,000 people in attendance. “Summer of Soul” artfully interweaves performances from the festival with interviews of attendees and musicians, all while touching on the historical phenomena of the time. The footage of the festival, recorded by Hal Tulchin, was quite literally out of sight and mind, as it was tucked away in a basement for 50 years, never seen before by large audiences — until now. 

Harlem was already the place to be when it came to Black culture, music, fashion and more, but the Harlem Cultural Festival was the ultimate paragon of all such things. 

During a time when Black America was losing hope following the assassination of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and a period of civil unrest, the festival was a much-needed joyful release. 

The film becomes even more engaging as it comments on the politics, fashion and culture surrounding the festival. As viewers see footage of the people in the crowd, some interviewees describe the attire they wear: bell-bottoms, leather vests, silk. Jim McFarland, a former tailor, describes Harlem as a “melting pot of Black style,” which was also undergoing a revolution at the time in which Black Americans became interested in wearing Afrocentric clothing. 

While thousands of people were grooving to performers such as Sly and the Family Stone and David Ruffin that summer, American astronauts landed on the moon for the first time. The documentary features the mixed reactions to this event, with some people astonished by the powers of science while others question the endeavor considering the costs, especially when the funds could have aided those in poverty. By including moments such as these, viewers who watch the film expecting to learn a little bit more about Harlem and Black music are provided with so much more. 

The Harlem Cultural Festival was at the nexus of so many historical events and featured influential characters in history, both musical and not. One of the more somber moments featured in “Summer of Soul” is when gospel singers Mahalia Jackson and Mavis Staples sing the song “Take My Hand, Precious Lord,” which was Dr. King’s favorite song. Although the song itself is moving, Jesse Jackson’s account of Dr. King’s final moments makes the performance feel especially powerful and intimate, showing how the Harlem Cultural Festival was a space where Black Americans came to heal collectively through the power of music and community. 

Considering the festival was already recorded and no performances could be reshot, the footage in “Summer of Soul” is skillfully edited to create an intriguing story with snippets of new information at every turn. For viewers who may not be interested in watching every musical performance, the film may feel like it needs to pick up the pace at some points. But for those who wish to gain a musical experience, they will likely find fulfillment in watching the never-before-seen performances by renowned musicians such as Gladys Knight & the Pips, Stevie Wonder and Nina Simone.

It’s no doubt that the Harlem Cultural Festival moved attendees and the performers who graced the stage. “Summer of Soul” gives people who never got the chance to experience the event a glimpse of what immense Black joy and pride looks like — and it’s absolutely golden.

Daniella Lake covers culture and diversity. Contact her at dlake@dailycal.org.

The Daily Californian

After over 70 years of operation, the demolition of the Annex building began on June 24, 2021. From housing classrooms and offices to once holding the world’s largest collection of turtles, the building has served a variety of purposes.

Built in 1942, originally the Annex building was a part of Fort Douglas. Construction took a total of 90 days, and it was meant to be a temporary building.

With the building’s long history, it has seen many students, faculty and staff pass through. Many people have fond memories of their time spent in the Annex building.

“It was a great building, with a sense of history,” said University of Utah alumni Edye Hoffmann. “[It had] very little air conditioning, so the doors were always open and people were very accessible.”

 The Annex was first used as an administrative building and headquarters for the Ninth Service Area of the U.S. Army, which commanded Alaska, California, Idaho, Montana, Nevada, Oregon, Washington and Utah.

In 1948 the building was given to the U by the U.S. War Department. This decision was made by General Dwight D. Eisenhower, later president, who noticed the growing number of students enrolling at the U and its need for extra space.

Over the decades, the building housed many different campus departments. One of these was the U’s TRIO program.

“I worked for TRIO in the Annex,” said U alumni Amy Damian. “I mainly remember liking how there [were not] many people in the building, so you would have the bathroom to yourself. Also, our office felt very homey, kind of like a living room.” 

Another department that was once housed in the Annex building was the English Language Institute, where Hoffmann worked during her time as a student.

“It really was a fun place to work,” Hoffmann said. “There were a lot of opportunities for temporary people to come around. A lot of students [took] internships in short periods, [so] I had the chance to meet a lot of people and a lot of different departments.”

Though the building held a special place in many people’s memories, it did not come without its problems. With the building’s age came many issues. According to Damian, the only form of heating the building had was old space heaters in each room.

“Each little room [in the building] had its own heater,” Damian said. “If you closed the door, it would be so hot that you would have to turn [the heater] off, but if you kept everything open and cracked the window, it felt fine.”

Along with difficulty maintaining a comfortable temperature, the classrooms in the Annex building often did not have enough space to support an entire class.

“The [classrooms] were so small that there were students who would be in the hall or have to bring chairs [in] from other rooms,” Damian said.

These issues were not the only thing to haunt the World War II-era building. Some of the people who worked and studied at the Annex building rumored that it may be home to ghosts.

“I remember stories of the basement and how creepy it was down there,” Damian said. “There were stories that there were ghosts, but [I think] it was all maintenance people. I only ever saw the entrance [of the basement], never actually went down.”

The destruction of the Annex building begins a new chapter of its history, as it is planned to be replaced with a parking lot.

“I think [turning it into a parking lot] is a wise decision,” said Damian. “The building was old, and it was time for all the offices in there to upgrade to newer spaces.”

With the U’s growing number of students, faculty and staff, this future parking lot will welcome countless drivers, not realizing that they are parking on history.

d.oldroyd@dailyutahchronicle.com

@oldroyd_devin

The post Remembering the Annex Building as Location turns into Parking Lot appeared first on The Daily Utah Chronicle.

Over the past few months, I have heard the phrase “Free Britney” flying around social media. At first, I thought it was just a lighthearted phrase to be thrown around, but now as I follow Britney’s hearings, I continually learn the importance of her freedom.

After Britney Spears’ public breakdown and stay in a psychiatric hospital, she was placed under the conservatorship of her father.

Britney’s father, Jamie, was granted permanent conservatorship after her release. He oversaw and made decisions regarding Britney’s health, finances, business and personal life.

In 2019, Jamie temporarily stepped aside due to health issues. A professional conservator began to handle her person while Jamie still managed her finances.

Last November, the court granted Britney’s request to appoint Bessemer Trust as a co-conservator of her estate. She hopes to make them the sole conservator and eventually be independent.

Britney’s story highlights an important disability rights issue. Not only does she need her freedom, but conservatorship as a whole needs to change.

One of the most shocking moments from Britney’s testimony was when she revealed her forced sterilization. She said, “I wanted to take the IUD out, so I can start trying to have another baby, but this so-called team won’t let me go to the doctor to take it out because they don’t want me to have any more children.”

Disability rights activist Rebecca Cokley explained, “Britney Spears has experienced the nexus of sexism and sanism in the public eye and now the court system. Having her right to parent, her right to work or not to work, her very right to bodily autonomy taken away for someone’s profit for 13 years is a public policy failure. One all too common for people with mental illness and developmental disabilities.”

There’s a history of involuntary sterilization forced upon disabled Americans. The legal precedent set in Buck v. Bell perpetuates this atrocity. Cokley furthered, “Buck v. Bell is still law today and allows the state to sterilize people with disabilities against their will. Britney’s IUD story is the legacy of that case.”

1.3 million adults are under conservatorship or guardianship. At least 50 billion dollars of assets fall under conservatorships. Yet, it’s something that is seldom discussed in our political conversations.

“Free Britney” has brought disability rights into the mainstream media. We need to recognize that Britney was deemed disabled by the courts and that conservatorship and guardianship happen more frequently than discussed for disabled people.

The significance of “Free Britney” is evidenced by many of my recent conversations with my peers. Months ago, I felt like any discussion of potential disability policy changes were beyond my friends’ media diets. But now, I can casually say, “Free Britney,” and everyone in the room has a reaction and knowledge of what is happening.

If I am scrolling through Twitter, it only takes me a few minutes to stumble upon a “Free Britney” tweet. If I’m scrolling through Instagram, it’s only a matter of time before I see someone wearing a “Free Britney Bitch” t-shirt.

Although not everyone may recognize the significance of Britney’s story to disability rights, policy makers need to capitalize on this popularity to make changes to conservatorship.

Conservatorship and guardianship laws vary by state. In Utah, the reasons for appointing a conservator are vague, citing “some other cause” as a justification for conservatorship.

Reasons for appointment need to be narrowed to avoid the atrocities we currently see with conservatorship. Better yet, conservatorship should just be banned and replaced with measures that better support self-determination.

An alternative to conservatorship is supported decision-making which allows people with disabilities to control who supports them and make their own decisions.

Conservatorship is all too common, and we are finally talking about it. So let’s use Britney’s story to advance the rights of all disabled people.

We need to understand how our justice system hurts disabled people. Use the popularity of the “Free Britney” movement to support policy makers who are actively working to help the disabled community. Contact your state representatives and urge them to make changes to conservatorship.

We owe it not only to Britney to change conservatorship laws, but to the 1.5 million other adults who don’t have control over their own lives as well.

I leave you with the wise words of all of the mass-marketed merchandise resulting from the popularity of this issue, “Free Britney, Bitch.”

s.kincart@dailyutahchronicle.com

@sydjstar

The post Kincart: Free Britney appeared first on The Daily Utah Chronicle.

Cal rowing to make a splash in Tokyo

Cal Athletics/Courtesy

Bears have long been a part of the Olympic Games. Cal crew teams have struck gold for the United States three times at the games, more than any other university. This July, eight rowers will join the ranks of Cal Olympians when they hit the waters in Tokyo.

Five of those eight alumni hail from the women’s rowing program.

Alumnus Kara Kohler became the first U.S. rower to qualify for the Olympics in the single sculls event. Kohler punched her ticket in February after winning the event at the U.S. Olympic Rowing Trials. A 2011 All-American and Olympic bronze medalist, Kohler had no experience rowing until her college career at Cal.

Also representing the United States is Kendall Chase, who will compete on the women’s quad. Chase, who graduated in 2016, is a three-time gold medalist at the U23 World Rowing Championships. She also was on the varsity eight team that won an NCAA Championship in 2013.

Sydney Payne, another former All-American, will row for Canada on the women’s eight. During her time at Cal, Payne led the Bears to three undefeated regular seasons and two NCAA titles. Payne joins Team Canada with a wealth of international experience: She earned gold in the 2018 U23 World Championships.

Rowan McKellar will join her teammates in Tokyo on Team Great Britain. McKellar will compete as a part of the women’s four in her first Olympics appearance.

Rounding out Cal’s crew of international Olympians is Rosemary Popa, who will represent Australia. A dual citizen of the United States and Australia, Popa earned a silver medal at the 2019 World Championships. She will race in the coxless four in her Olympic debut.

Alongside Popa, Team Australia will also send alternate Jacinta Edmunds to the games. Edmunds has previously excelled at the international level, earning silver and bronze medals at the World Rowing Championships.

Lastly, former women’s assistant coach, Lauren Korholz, was recently named the assistant coach of the U.S. women’s team. Korholz has three Olympic appearances to her name, and has been on the Team USA Coaching staff since 2005. She was also named to the Pac-12 All Century Team.

From the men’s program, three Bears will represent Cal in Tokyo.

2016 graduate Julian Venonsky was named the coxswain of the United States men’s eight squad. Venonsky is a U.S. National team member and a three-time coxswain for the United States at the World Championships.

Rising sophomore Angus Dawson, the only current Bear to make an Olympic Team, will row for Australia. Dawson, who will compete on the varsity eight, departed from the Cal team in 2021 in order to row for the Australian National team. Dawson also won a gold medal in the World U23 Championships and the men’s pair at the 2021 Australian Rowing Championships.

Jack Cleary will also row for Team Australia. Cleary won bronze as part of the quadruple scull at the U23 World Championships. He made his senior debut in 2021, and will race on the quadruple scull at the Olympics.

Rising junior Ollie Maclean will also make the trip to Tokyo as a part of the reserve for Team New Zealand. Maclean began his collegiate career at Northeastern and finished seventh overall at the IRA National Championships. He was a part of the New Zealand Junior National Team and won a gold in the quad event at the U23 World Championships.

“It is extraordinary that we will have eight current student-athletes and recent graduates racing in the Tokyo Olympics,” said men’s coach Scott Frandsen. “I’m just excited that they will get this experience of competing at the Olympics and proud that they put in the work that earned them this opportunity to race at the highest level.”

In total, eight Bears are guaranteed to race at the Olympics. From July 23-30, all of them will row at the Sea Forest Waterway.

Aiko Sudijono is the deputy sports editor. Contact her at asudijono@dailycal.org.

The Daily Californian