As a part of the University of Hartford’s Walter Harrison Leadership Academy, U.S. Sen. Richard Blumenthal will be coming to campus to be the last guest speaker of the school year in the WHLA series.

Blumenthal is the senior U.S. senator from Connecticut and is serving his first term since being sworn in on Jan. 5, 2011. Prior to being elected U.S. senator, he served five terms as Connecticut’s Attorney General from 1991–2011.

The Walter Harrison Leadership Academy (WHLA) is a Greek Life initiative sponsored by the Interfraternity Council (IFC). Lectures are held throughout the school year and are open to all in the University community. Speakers are invited to give a lecture on leadership.

During this school year, WHLA has hosted lectures by Dr. Patrick Senatus, a chief neurosurgeon and a professor of surgery and neurosurgery at the University of Connecticut and Yale; Donovan Tracey, Jr., a University of Hartford alumnus who is pursuing his doctorate in education; Dr. David Goldenberg, the dean of Hillyer College; and Dr. Howard Fero, an author and executive coach who dubbed himself as “The Leadership Doc.”

Tracey gave a lecture during the fall semester, and then hosted a resumé and interview workshop in March.

Don't miss out on an amazing opportunity as Senator Blumenthal comes to speak to University of Hartford Students!! Thank you to brother Nick Oliver for putting this together!

A photo posted by Phi Kappa Sigma UHart (@phikappasigmauhart) on Apr 22, 2016 at 11:57am PDT

“Greek Life appreciates building leaders and they want to get us out there and they want us to hit the ground running to put us into good opportunities,” freshman Kevin Seguin said, who is a member of the Phi Kappa Sigma fraternity.

“It benefits everyone and it’s interesting,” Majd Al-Hinnawi said, a freshman who is also a member of the Phi Kappa Sigma fraternity.

The WHLA is put together by Nicholas Oliver, who serves as the University of Hartford IFC’s VP of recruitment and new membership.

“That was cool to see something that my brother was capable of organizing something so big to get a senator to come in,” Seguin said. “It’s just that all of that kind of stuff is within reach to make big things happen.”

Blumenthal has been a regular guest at the University of Hartford, with his most recent visit last fall when he made an impromptu visit to help celebrate the University of Hartford’s Entrepreneurial Center (EC) celebration of 30 years. He presented the EC with a “Certificate of Special Recognition” to honor their support of small businesses and entrepreneurs with the tools they need to succeed.

Last fall, he also spoke to students in the prosthetics and orthotics program about his fight against a proposed federal policy that would limit access to modern prosthetic care for military veterans.

He also visited several times in 2014 to speak at a press conference in support of federal legislation to combat sexual assault on college campuses, and another time to talk about a bill he was co-sponsoring that would provide grants to colleges and universities to develop more technologically advanced prosthetics.

U.S. Senator Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.) and poet and cultural critic Lewis Hyde will be the keynote speakers at Commencement Weekend

— The Informer (@UHartInformer) April 2, 2012

In 2012, he was the keynote speaker for the undergraduate Commencement ceremony held in the May, where he was also presented with an honorary Doctor of Laws. During his speech, he urged graduating students to take up the challenges that his generation has so far been unable to solve, which included alternative sources of energy, better health care and preventing costly diseases. He also praised the University’s continued commitment to the community.

“Citizenship means more than just the title, more than just physically being here,” he said in his speech. “It means emotionally committing with the passion and perseverance that is demonstrated day-in and day-out by many in this audience. Everybody knows there is no such thing as a self-made man. We all stand on the shoulders of others. We all need a hand from time to time. That sense of community, which I can feel in this group right now, is one that makes America great.”

The lecture is scheduled for this Saturday, April 23, and is set to begin at 1 p.m. It is being held in Wilde Auditorium on the first level of the Harry Jack Gray Center.

It is open to the University community, but a large turnout is expected so seating will be limited.

After 17 seasons at the helm of the University of Hartford women’s basketball program, head coach Jennifer Rizzotti has resigned to take the same position at another university.

Rumors began circulating the Twittersphere last Thursday that Rizzotti had interviewed for the head coaching job at George Washington University. Multiple reports citing “sources” further said that she had begun negotiations toward accepting the position. On Friday, George Washington athletics announced that they would be introducing their new women’s basketball head coach later that day.

#BREAKING: Hartford's Jen Rizzotti introduced as new head coach of George Washington women's basketball team #UHart pic.twitter.com/PhdYZur2S9

— The Informer Sports (@HawksInformer) April 15, 2016

In her introductory press conference, Rizzotti thanked former Hartford director of athletics Pat Meiser and current president Walter Harrison for giving her the opportunity to coach, and for giving her a place she could call home.

“Obviously, it was a big family decision for us,” Rizzotti said during her press conference. “We’ve been at a wonderful place for our family for the last 17 years, and we knew it would take a special place to pull us away.”

Following Rizzotti’s introduction at her new position, Hartford athletics released a press release saying that she had resigned.

“Coach Rizzotti’s influence across the University of Hartford, not just the Department of Athletics, goes far beyond wins and losses,” director of athletics Anton Goff said in the press release. “It can be seen in the countless young women she has impacted as a coach, mentor, role model and leader in her time here. We are incredibly grateful for everything she has done for Hartford Athletics and wish her family all the best in their new endeavor.”

Also in the press release, Rizzotti thanked all of the players, coaches and staff she worked with during her time at Hartford.

“That’s what has made this an amazing experience and I’m proud that we are leaving behind a successful women’s basketball legacy,” Rizzotti said. “I wish Anton Goff and the staff continued success. We’ve recruited wonderful young women to the program and I know they will continue to work hard to bring Hartford women’s basketball to new heights.”

Yesterday, women's basketball coach Jen Rizzotti resigned from Hartford to accept a HC job at another university. Good luck and thank you for 17 years of memories! #HawkNationDomination #UHart #HartfordInformer #NCAAW

A photo posted by The Informer – UHart (@hartfordinformer) on Apr 16, 2016 at 10:20am PDT

Rizzotti was hired in 1999 and leaves Hartford with a 316-200 record (.612 win percentage). She led the Hawks to six NCAA Tournament appearances, four America East regular season championships and five America East Tournament championships, which included an undefeated 16-0 conference run during the 2009-10 season.

Under Rizzotti’s guidance, the Hawks have earned two America East Player of the Year awards, one America East Defensive Player of the Year award, one America East Rookie of the Year award, and numerous All-Conference selections. She has also been honored as a three-time America East Coach of the Year winner.

Earlier this month, Rizzotti was inducted into the College Sports Information Directors of America (CoSIDA) Academic All-America Hall of Fame, another notch to add to her already long list of accolades and accomplishments.

During her time here, Rizzotti has been inducted into the Women’s Basketball Hall of Fame, has coached for USA Women’s Basketball and was honored by the University of Hartford in 2010 as commencement speaker while receiving an honorary Doctorate Degree.

Congrats to Jen Rizzotti and @GW_WBB. You are getting a great coach. Hawk Nation wishes her and her family all the best.

— Anton Goff (@AD_Goff_UHart) April 15, 2016

Congratulations to Jen Rizzotti on her new position and to @GW_WBB on bringing on an outstanding coach and person. My wife and I will Miss U

— John Gallagher (@CoachGalUHart) April 16, 2016

Congratulations Coach @JenRizzotti on your new position at @GW_WBB – thank you for all the memories, we'll miss you here at Hartford!! ❤️

— Hartford Pep Band (@HartfordPepBand) April 16, 2016

Sixteen minutes for 16 shots. That’s how long a “Black Lives Matter ‘Die-In’” lasted last Thursday in front of the Gengras Student Union at the University of Hartford. Graduate psychology students laid on the ground in the rain for 16 minutes — each minute for each of the 16 bullets fired into Laquan McDonald by a Chicago police officer in 2014.

Following the trend of what many graduate psychology students across the nation have been doing to coincide with the anniversary of the death of Martin Luther King, Jr. (April 4, 1968), University of Hartford students wanted to participate as well.

“As psychology students, recognizing the social injustices that minority clients are facing on a day-to-day basis and how that carries into the therapy room and how that can affect mental and physical health in so many ways,” Sonia Altavilla said, who is a second-year student in the psychology graduate program.

Today, graduate psychology students held a #BlackLivesMatter Die-In in front of GSU. The die-in lasted 16 minutes, one minute for each bullet shot into 17-year-old Laquan McDonald by a Chicago police officer in 2014 #UHart #HartfordInformer

A photo posted by The Informer – UHart (@hartfordinformer) on Apr 7, 2016 at 2:34pm PDT

In Oct. 2014, 17-year-old McDonald was armed with a 3-inch knife and was shot 16 times in 13 seconds by Chicago police officer Jason Van Dyke from approximately 10 feet away.Video of the shooting was captured by a police cruiser’s dashboard cam, but footage wasn’t released until Nov. 2015, over 13 months later. The police officer was charged with first-degree murder, and numerous protests rose up against police brutality and of how the case was handled.

“The point of the die-in being not only to honor and remember that, but to move the movement forward and to realize how structural racism is and how it still continues in everyday life,” Ramya Rangamannar said, also a second-year psychology graduate student. “We, as being in a privilege position in terms of race, need to take the responsibility upon ourselves to do something about it because if people in a privileged position don’t, then it doesn’t get heard.”

“A lot of us want to use the privilege position that we’re in to inspire others who do have privilege to speak out for those who do face some danger when they speak out,” Nick Galef said, another second-year psychology graduate student.

The group of students had support from the Connecticut chapter of Association for Women in Psychology and the multicultural and diversity committee in the Graduate Institute of Professional Psychology at the University of Hartford.

“We really just wanted to raise awareness on campus and hopefully make a difference in one person’s mindset even for just one minute,” Rangamannar said.

Hoping to end the school year with a bang, the University of Hartford’s Alpha Phi Omega (APO) service fraternity is hosting a 5K Charity Run/Walk at the end of April to raise funds for Stand Up To Cancer.

“I think it would be a nice way for people to end the semester,” Elizabeth Martin said, who serves as APO’s service vice president. “Maybe you’re not a runner and maybe you don’t like to be really active, but it’s your last weekend here in the Hartford area so it might be a nice way to finish the semester strong.”

Alpha Phi Omega is a national coeducational service organization founded on the principles of Leadership, Friendship and Service. The University of Hartford chapter has about 40 members and this year, they’ve helped out at Second Chance Ranch, A Hand up, Inc., U.S. Hunger, Girl Scouts of Connecticut, Special Olympics and Hartford Marathon among others.

This time, APO wanted to host their own event to invite others to come help them for a good cause. Cancer relates to a lot of people, so they chose to raise funds for Stand Up To Cancer, a charitable program that aims to raise funds for cancer research.

“I needed to come up with some idea that people would be like, ‘Wow, that’s so cool!’ What if we put our name on something and did something ourselves?” Martin said.

The race will take place at Blue Black Square in West Hartford and will be roughly a 3.1 mile course, with the event starting in front of The Cheesecake Factory, rounding around Raymond Road, coming across Park Road/Sedgwick Road, going up on Castlewood Road, cutting across Boulevard and then up South Main Street, meeting back on Memorial Road in Blue Black Square.

The registration free for runners age 5–17 is $15 while adults 23 and over is $25. The fee for University of Hartford students is currently set at $20, but because APO have already been able to cover their costs, they might lower that amount to just a minimum $5 donation.

(UPDATE: The cost for UHart students has dropped to $5, which would be a pure donation to SUTC)

Normally the registration fee for signing up for races would go toward the cost of putting the event together, but because the costs for this event are already covered, all fees paid will go directly to Stand Up To Cancer.

Additional donations can be made through their GoFundMe fundraiser that has already raised just under $800.

Our chapter just keeps on growing, growing, and growing!❤️❤️ #APO #alphaphiomega #prettysoonwewillneedabiggerroom

A photo posted by Alpha Phi Omega AZB (@apo_azb) on Apr 10, 2016 at 10:27am PDT

Planning for this event started during winter break when Martin first took over as APO’s service VP, and being that this was the first time they’re doing such an event like this, there really hasn’t been a set goal, other than wanting to raise as much money as possible. However, they did set a benchmark of raising a minimum of $2,500, which they have already been able to achieve.

“I really want APO to see what they’re doing in the community and the world,” Martin said. “The University student body can see that on-campus clubs can do a big thing and raise a lot of money, and they can participate even if they’re not in the club. Maybe it will even raise awareness for our fraternity and get more members.”

The event is scheduled for Saturday, April 30, at Blue Black Square in West Hartford. Registration begins at 8 a.m. with the race starting at 9 a.m.

For more information, visit APO5K.com.

The University of Hartford athletics teams are taking one more step in unifying together as Hawk Nation to elevate the program in soaring to new heights. Last week, it was announced that the Hartford athletics department had reached a multi-year partnership with sports clothing and accessories company Under Armour to become to the school’s official outfitter starting with the 2016-17 season.

Hartford joins America East conference mate UMBC, as well as national powerhouses like Boston College, Notre Dame, Auburn, Maryland and Yale, who have partnered with the Baltimore, Maryland-based company.

“Our goal is to not only build great teams at the University of Hartford, but also create a unified athletics department that prides itself on representing our University with class and distinction,” Hartford athletics director Anton Goff said in the announcement released April 7 on the athletics website.

“Aligning ourselves with Under Armour will have a huge impact, not only for our athletics department, but will also help us elevate the University’s reputation and recognition both regionally and nationally,” Goff also stated in the press release.

@HartfordHawks Welcome to the family! #TeamUA

— Under Armour (@UnderArmour) April 7, 2016

The length and value of the deal could not be released publicly, but the partnership will begin effectively July 1, 2016. UA will become the official outfitter for sixteen of Hartford’s athletics teams, with women’s basketball joining for the 2018-19 season once their current contract ends.

Under Armour is one of the three company giants when it comes to sports wear and apparel. While trailing Nike and Adidas, the 20-year-old company has been on the rise and a growing trend in signing to top colleges and universities across the U.S.

With the new deal, Hawk Nation can expect new uniforms to be rolled out for each of the Hartford Hawks teams when the 2016-17 athletics season comes around. They can also expect new apparel to be available to represent the Hartford Hawks.

NEWS: Hawks and @UnderArmour
Ink Multi-Year Partnership #HawkNationDominationhttps://t.co/EEKaoxfrNv pic.twitter.com/oIiBAzYAvL

— Hartford Hawks (@HartfordHawks) April 7, 2016

Although the terms and details of the contract were not disclosed, many apparel contracts include a rights fee, product allowance, marketing support and performance bonuses among a few others. The rights fee would be the monetary amount that Under Amour pays each year to be the “official outfitter” of Hartford Hawks athletics.

At the grandest scale, Under Armour contracts can reach up to $100 million, but that’s talking the cream of the crop of schools like Wisconsin, Notre Dame and Auburn.

Earlier this year in January, it was reported that nearby Yale had signed a deal with Under Armour worth $16–16.5 million over 10 years. At smaller schools, the details of these deals are less known, and can be expected to be valued at a much lower number.

Doane College, a private liberal arts college in Nebraska with an enrollment of just under 3,000 students, recently signed to a deal with Under Armour. The school competes in the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA), and it was reported that they would not receive an upfront signing bonus like at larger schools. Their benefits come later when they make purchases through discounts and in bulk.

So while the terms of Hartford’s deal with Under Armour is uncertain, it is still a step in the right direction of elevating the athletics program to new heights as they join a growing number of colleges and university that have partnered with the sports apparel company.

New England weather may not have made up its mind yet, but the spring season is technically already here. Next week, a big weekend looms ahead for University of Hartford students while an even bigger month moves upon us.

With spring supposedly here, and only four more weeks left in the semester, the University is setting the tone with the school’s first ever “Fresh Check Day” on Tuesday.

The event will take place on the Gengras Student Union (GSU) Green and will have interactive booths for students to have fun, relax and also be informed of their own health care and health services available to them on campus.

There will be 10 booths, each put on by a different campus organization with activities and information that covers different topics related to health. When registering for the event, students will receive a passport card in which they will need to get stamps from five booths to be eligible in a drawing for prizes.

Director of Counseling and Psychological Services Nick Pinkerton helped put the event together with Greek Life/Student Activities director Felecia Bumpus and Dean of Students/VP for Student Affairs Lee Peters.

Next Tuesday, April 12 will be #UHart's inaugural Fresh Check Day on the GSU Green! Kick off spring festivities by checking in on your self-health and learning about services available on campus. Read more about it in this week's The Informer issue #HartfordInformer #FreshCheckDay

A photo posted by The Informer – UHart (@hartfordinformer) on Apr 7, 2016 at 11:38am PDT

For Pinkerton, the discussion began at conferences for college counseling directors where they would discuss, “How do we best do outreach and prevention work?”

“It’s important to let students know that our services exist, that taking care of yourself is important and to de-stigmatize help-seeking,” Pinkerton said. “How do we do that in a way that’s fun, engaging and effective?”

Hosting booths at Fresh Check Day will be The Jordan Porco Foundation, Student Success Center, Public Safety and Conduct, Student Health Services, Athletics and Aramark, Connections Health Education and Wellness, Student Activities and Multicultural Programs, Learning Plus and Campus Ministry, the Center for Community Service, and Residential Life.

Activities at each booth will vary from quizzes, to obstacle courses or games, to relaxation activities and much more.

“We’re hoping that it sends a positive tone of wellness,” Pinkerton said. “I think this time of year is stressful for a lot of students. It sneaks up on people and you come back after Spring Break and now it’s like, ‘We’re at the sprint at the end of the race.’

“Because it’s a stressful time, it’s important to keep perspective and take care of ourselves. Being able to have the community aware of these issues and getting to know what services are available to support students, that’s all the stuff we’re trying to get out there,” he continued.

Fresh Check Day is the signature program of The Jordan Porco Foundation, a Hartford-based non-profit organization that is committed to preventing suicide in high school, college and the college-entry student population. The events are hosted at colleges across the U.S., with most of them in the Northeast because of the proximity to location.

Pinkerton hopes that Fresh Check Day can become an annual event on the University of Hartford campus.

Weather permitting, UHart’s Fresh Check Day is scheduled to take place Tuesday, April 12 from noon – 4 p.m. on the GSU Green. If inclement weather does occur, it will be moved inside to the GSU Café.

With recent renovations of the University Commons and Hawk’s Nest in 2014, and the additions of Subway and Starbucks in 2015, the University of Hartford continues to strive to enhance the dining options on campus. Now, UHart Dining Services is taking it one step further by bringing food ordering into the future with the Tapingo food-ordering mobile app.

Available for download on iOS and Android mobile devices, Tapingo allows users to order food at select campus dining locations to be picked up without having to wait in line.

This means that students now might be able to fit food into their busy schedules when they’re in a rush.

They can order food a few minutes before leaving their dorms or before arriving on campus, and then grab it on the way to class. They could also place an order a few minutes before their class ends so that they don’t have to try to beat the lunch rush and can avoid having to wait in long lines.

It is currently available for use at Einstein Bros. Bagels, Burger Studio and Extreme Pita in the Gengras Student Union, Starbucks in Mortensen Library, Hawk’s Nest below the University Commons, and Subway in the Konover Campus Center.

Often times, the line at Starbucks will be backed up to the entrance of Mortensen Library, and many students will decide that it’s not worth the time to wait in line.

“I’m usually a patient person, but if the line is too long and I have to go somewhere, then I probably won’t wait,” junior Natalie Ewashkow said, who is a resident on campus.

When signing up for a Tapingo account to use the app, users will be asked to input their University of Hartford email address, their ID Card number and phone number. Dining Dollars are available to be used as payment through the app. There is also an option to input credit card information.

Ordering food with Tapingo is as simple as the click of a button — or in this case, the touch of a screen. It simply takes opening the app, choosing the dining location and inputting an order. The order will be sent over and a wait time will be given back to the customer. Once their order is ready, the customer will receive a text message notification and they can simply walk over and grab their items without having to wait in line.

STOP WAITING IN LINE! Download the Tapingo app and you can order food on the go for pick up, wherever you are.

A photo posted by University of Hartford Dining (@uhartdining) on Apr 4, 2016 at 12:57pm PDT

“If [other students] have classes that they’re going to, and just want to get a cup of coffee right before class, it might be more convenient for them,“ Ewashkow said. “I know people that try to wait it out in line and maybe walk in late to class because they just really need that cup of coffee.”

Tapingo was launched in 2012 at five campuses and has now grown to serve more than 100 college campuses across the U.S. and Canada. In Oct. 2015, it was announced that Tapingo would expand its services through partnership with the Aramark Corporation, who serves as the University of Hartford food services contractor.

Representatives from Tapingo will be on campus next week to give an official launch at the University of Hartford. They will be set up with tables in the Gengras Student Union Tuesday–Thursday, and will be giving away free goodies for those who have signed up.

ASB

Members of the Women’s Advancement Initiative Leadership Education And Development (LEAD) program spent their spring break in Florida helping out at the Give The Kids The World Village.

This year’s trip was the first time the LEAD Program had done an alternative spring break.

Since 1986, the Give The Kids The World Village has provided weeklong, cost-free vacations to children with life threatening illnesses. Located in Kissimmee, Florida, the non-profit organization has served over 143,000 children and their families.

The resort has a whimsical theme and features restaurants, an ice cream palace, a theater, playgrounds and other attractions and facilities for its guests.

Upon the completion of their weeklong service at the resort, the students were asked to describe their experience in one word. In a video posted to the Women’s Advancement Initiative Facebook page, some of the words used to describe their experience were, “magical,” “rewarding,” “powerful,” “inspirational,” “life-changing,” “amazing,” “awesome” and “satisfying.”

In an effort to improve engagement, efficiency and effectiveness, the University of Hartford Counseling and Psychological Services (CAPS) is one of the first counseling centers in New England to offer Therapist Assisted Online (TAO).

The state of the art program works in accompaniment with individual therapy for students by offering the ability to access therapeutic exercises, material and modules at any time.

“It was an opportunity we saw for innovation, advancement and improvement of our already excellent services,” Dr. Nick Pinkerton said, who serves as director of CAPS. “We are very proud of the kinds of support we are able to offer our students and are constantly looking for new and better ways of helping our students achieve their goals and successfully manage the challenges of college life.”

88% of director’s report students may not receive timely treatment. TAO can increase time on task. #TAOThursday pic.twitter.com/0cDMK6sv5K

— TAO Connect (@TAOConnect) March 3, 2016

TAO begin in 2012 at the University of Florida when Dr. Sherry Benton faced the problem of waiting lists for students to see counselors. Initially, they added four more counselors to help out, but it proved to only be a temporary fix for a few weeks.

The program is a weekly interactive web-based program in which participants will watch videos, complete exercises and meet with a counselor via video conferencing. It gives students more accessibility to getting help, especially on weekend nights.

After conducting the pilot program in May 2014, students at the University of Florida showed much better improvement than students treated with traditional face-to-face psychotherapy.

Initial concerns from the students were that they didn’t want it be like another online class, and instead wanted engaging, realistic content with examples that they could relate to.

One anonymous testimony on the TAO website states, “The sessions were helpful and very easy to follow along with. I liked that they provided information and then had me apply it to my life. I really liked having a counseling session over the webcam because I didn’t even have to leave my house.”

Another one says, “I liked how easy and simple it was. Sure it takes work to perform mindfulness well but just attempting it makes me feel so much better and calm and less worried. I liked that it was so straightforward.”

The website also states several challenges that college and university counseling centers face. It lists that 88 percent of directors have reported that students may not receive timely treatment and 79 percent of students not in crisis are seen less frequently. With more students seeking services while having to juggle a busy schedule, TAO allows them to get help at their own optimal times.

TAO gives the University of Hartford access to another service that can help the well-being of students.

It gives students another option in addition to the services already provided by Counseling and Psychological Services.

CAPS is open Monday–Friday from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. For an appointment, stop by their office in GSU 313, or call 860-768-4482.