View allAll Photos Tagged commitment
This week life is crazy (with sketchbook skool commitments and trying to get everything done before I head off to Brazil for the USK symposium later next week ) but I still want to keep posting here as well… so here are a few photos of my sketchbook from last week. I will try to find time to scan and post later in the week.
I am enjoying the Zeta book more than I expected and although I don't normally like spiral bound books, the Stillman and Birn books are so sturdy and well made that it is nice to use. I love the book sitting flat. The small size is a constraint but fun.
Just a reminder - this is not my normal book - I am using it as a fill-in for 2-3 weeks before I go to Brazil. For details on my normal sketchbooks please check out this page.
In recognition of their outstanding service to Delaware, Governor John Carney honored 13 young people and five groups with the Governor’s Youth Volunteer Service Awards during a ceremony May 24 at the Polytech Adult Education Conference Center in Woodside.
“Across the state, I am impressed by the level of commitment our young people have to serving others,” Governor Carney said. “I am proud to honor their energy, spirit and willingness as they help us to build stronger and healthier communities. Without question, they demonstrate that one person can make a difference in the lives of others.”
More than 200 people, including Renee Beaman, director of DHSS' Division of State Service Centers, which oversees the awards, and Georgeanna Windley, Chair of the Governor’s Commission on Community and Volunteer Service, joined the Governor in honoring the young volunteers for their outstanding service, community impact and inspiration to others.
The Governor’s Youth Volunteer Service Awards are sponsored by the Office of the Governor and are coordinated by the State Office of Volunteerism and the Governor’s Commission on Community and Volunteer Service.
2017 GOVERNOR’S YOUTH VOLUNTEER SERVICE AWARD WINNERS
INDIVIDUALS
Wei-Ling Moloy
Arts & Culture
Nominator: Angela Williamson
Wei-Ling Moloy is an active volunteer at Hagley Museum & Library, serving as a youth leader in its Youth Leadership Program (YLP) and as a camp counselor. As a youth leader, Wei-Ling facilitates and designs programs and activities related to Hagley’s stories of technology, science, and innovation. As a camp counselor, she supported the adult camp instructors by interacting with campers, assisting with activities, and maintaining the enjoyment and safety of campers. Beginning in 2014, as a shy, quiet volunteer, Wei-Ling has grown into a strong leader who is respected both by her fellow youth leaders and the adult mentors in the Hagley Museum & Library volunteer program.
Suprit Bodla
Community Service
Nominator: Jim Power
Since 2013, Suprit Bodla has volunteered with the Boy Scouts of America, Christiana Care Health System and the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society (LLS). He has organized a variety of fundraisers to benefit LLS and also to raise public awareness of the fight against blood cancer. Suprit is also a student mentor for the Science Ambassadors Program at the Charter School of Wilmington, where he, along with his peers, helped to organize a STEM tutoring program at Marbrook Elementary School and work with the Delaware Children’s Museum to provide science and match activities for Engineering Week.
Nadeem D. Boggerty
Community Service
Nominators: Adrienne Gomez
Dover High School honor student Nadeem D. Boggerty has been volunteering in his community for the past six years with his church, his school and through social organizations. One of the many organizations at which Nadeem volunteers is the Calvary Church in Dover, where he and his family help pack boxes and assist with dinner on Thanksgiving each year. Nadeem also participates in several social service organizations (the Omega Gents, a program steered by Omega Psi Phi Fraternity, Inc.; EMBODI, hosted by Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc.; and BeB.O.L.D., a nonprofit youth mentoring organization in Dover) where he has helped feed the homeless, staff information tables at Back-to-School Fairs, toy drives, First State Community Day, and other activities that support the local community.
Sarah Davis
Education
Nominator: Michelle Neef
Fourteen-year-old Sarah Davis been volunteering with Faithful Friends Animal Society for four years. Sarah passionately promotes, educates and supports her community and has become a true leader and advocate for her generation. Furthermore, she displays great compassion while taking the initiative to ensure the safety of animals. Her tenacity has saved the lives of many dogs and cats, and improved the lives of neighbors who care for them. Sarah has provided long-term foster care to neonate kittens and delivered food from Faithful Friends Animal Society Pet Food Bank to pet owners with low incomes or those struggling in other ways to assist them in keeping their family pets in their home. She also rescued dogs and cats from perilous environments and has been instrumental for the Trap-Neuter-Return program, which works to reduce and improve the community cat population.
Cheyenne McGowan
Environment
Nominator: Emily Krueger
Cheyenne McGowan started with the Brandywine Zoo as a summer teen intern with its Zoo Camps during the summer of 2016. After the summer, she continued her volunteer efforts by signing up to help with various educational events at the zoo, including International Red Panda Day, Vulture Weekend, and Noon Year’s Eve. Her role for these events was educating the public at learning stations using animal artifacts, activities, or crafts. In addition, Cheyenne frequently came in to interpret the zoo’s animal exhibits to the public as a docent. Since she started volunteering a year ago, Cheyenne has helped educate hundreds of people at the zoo, which serves the greater Wilmington area, on different environmental topics, including climate change, animal adaptations, and specific animal facts.
Michael Robinette
Health & Special Needs
Nominator: Margaret Jenkins
Since 2013, Michael Robinette has volunteered with the Mary Campbell Center’s Children & Youth program. Mike works with more than 100 children each summer, in a variety of age groups with unique physical or intellectual disabilities. His responsibilities include assisting children in different activities throughout the day such as arts and crafts, games, swimming and cooking. Mike also supports staff with talent show planning and production. Additionally, he provides supervision and companionship for campers on field trips during the summer camp program. Mike gets to know the campers on a one-on-one level and is quick to learn their likes and dislikes, and when they need or want help.
Santiago Vizcaino
Health & Special Needs
Nominator: Richard Huber
Santiago Vizcaino began volunteering with the Delaware Division for the Visually Impaired in the summer of 2016. During his time with the agency, Santiago has provided assistance in producing resource material for students with visual impairments, assisting staff with departmental projects and developing training procedures for the organization. Beginning at the Instruction Resource Material Center, Santiago produced large-print reading material for students, which were provided to 247 students. He developed a process that allowed books to be converted to PDF format, which allows a student with a visual impairment to use an iPad or other electronic device to review the document via voice narration or zoom text option, depending on the individual student’s needs. In addition, Santiago helped to develop training procedures for other volunteers.
Joy Baker
Human Needs
Nominator: Joyce Sessoms
In 2016 alone, Joy Baker volunteered an estimated 200+ hours in a variety of capacities in the Delmar and Laurel communities. She serves on the Youth Board of Directors of The ARK Education Resource Center, volunteers at her church as an assistant to the program coordinator responsible for youth activities, and is a member of the National Honor Society. For ARK, Joy acts as a recruiter and fundraiser, and is also an active participant in ARK-sponsored events like the Back-to-School Extravaganza held in Janosik Park.
Katelyn Craft
Human Needs
Nominator: Emily Holcombe
In July 2016, Katelyn Craft began volunteering at Exceptional Care for Children (ECC), Delaware’s first and only nonprofit pediatric skilled nursing facility for children who are medically fragile. Through the Resident Playdate volunteer program, ECC is able to provide the residents the chance to interact with individuals who can offer something other than medical care. At age 14, Katy knew she wanted to bring smiles and joy to children who have extensive medical needs. She has spent more than 100 hours reading, playing games, watching movies, assisting with arts and crafts projects, or just spending quality time with children who have little family involvement. In addition, Katy volunteered her time assisting with special events and fundraisers, like the Gala Fundraiser and Visits with Santa.
Daevean DeShields
Human Needs
Nominator: Aaron Tyson
Following the inspiration of his grandfather, Daevean DeShields created Project HOOP, which stands for Helping Out Other People. The goal of Project HOOP was to fill 1,000 bags with supplies to be distributed to people who are homeless through Faith United Methodist Church’s Open Hands Sound & Clothing Ministry. After recruiting from his local and school community (including his school principal), Daevean was able to meet and surpass his goal with a remarkable 1,015 bags assembled.
Jakob Ryan Thomas
Public Safety
Nominator: Shirin Skovronski
For almost two years, Jakob Ryan Thomas has volunteered as a junior firefighter with the Mill Creek Fire Company. In 2016 alone, he responded to 488 calls of emergency responses to structure fires, motor vehicle crashes, medical assistance, and other miscellaneous calls, amassing more than 500 volunteer hours. Jakob’s actions assisted the community in multiple emergencies, which were often quite serious and dangerous in nature.
Richard Thomas
Public Safety
Nominator: Robert Bassett, Jr.
Richard Thomas has been a volunteer firefighter with Camden-Wyoming Fire Company for two years, assisting in more than 300 emergency situations such as car accidents and house fires. Richard also assists with teaching fire prevention to children. Despite his youth, Richard is well-respected at the fire company and is seen as a mentor for new firefighters.
Ananya Singh
Social Justice/Advocacy
Nominator: Meghan Pasricha
For the past nine years, Ananya Singh has been a member of the Global Youth H.E.L.P. Inc. (GYH), a Delaware nonprofit whose mission is to train and support young people to become leaders by serving their communities through community service projects. Ananya served first as president of the middle school chapter and is currently chair of the high school chapter. Her time and efforts have been vital for many different community service projects, including the Annual Backpack Donation for the YWCA Home-Life Center, the Christmas Hygiene Product Donation, the Annual Ice Cream Party for the YWCA Home-Life Center and the Premier Charities Feeding the Homeless. She also has taught English and karate to younger children.
GROUPS
Greater Milford Boys & Girls Club
Arts & Culture
Nominator: Kenny Monroe
Following the devastation of Hurricane Matthew (Sept. 28-Oct. 10, 2016) in the Caribbean, the Teen TITAN program members of the Greater Milford Boys & Girls Club developed the “Hope for Haiti Donation Drive.” In a relatively short time, the Team Titan program members spent 400 hours collecting clothing, toiletries, bottled water, educational material and other items. More than 300 items filled more than 10 boxes and were sent to the people in Haiti to be used as they began to rebuild and recover from the effects of Hurricane Matthew.
Cape Henlopen High School Army Junior Reserve Officers Training Program
Community Service
Nominator: Angela Thompson
For 10 continuous years, the participants of the Army Junior Reserve Officers Training Program (JROTC) at Cape Henlopen High School have learned that everyone belongs to a community and therefore has a responsibility to that community. The 45 young men and women who comprise the current JROTC roster continue that legacy of service by devoting an average of 2,000 man-hours to community service activities benefiting a number of organizations, including the Delaware Seashore State Park, Beebe Medical Center, American Red Cross Blood Drive, the Salvation Army, Brandywine Senior Citizens Center and the National Kidney Foundation.
A.I. du Pont Middle School – Walk in the Kings Footsteps
Education
Nominator: Michele Fidance
When posed with the question “What will I do to walk in the footsteps of Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.?” the student body of A.I. du Pont Middle School in Wilmington decided to answer the question literally. A small group of students, led by Jobs for Delaware Graduates (JDG) instructors, were given the project of researching the speeches of Dr. King in order to choose quotes that meant something to them. The students then inscribed their selected quote on a cut-out of a footprint, which was then affixed to the wall in the cafeteria as a means to inspire their fellow students. Once students beyond the JDG classes saw the footprints, they wanted to participate as well. The project helped to raise awareness among students of Dr. King’s life, teaching and legacy, and how it translates into community action and service.
P.S. duPont Middle School Student Council – Adopt a Family
Health and Special Needs
Nominator: Mallory Stratton
Each year, the student council of P.S. duPont Middle School in Wilmington spearheads its annual Adopt-A-Family Drive. The drive involves the school community at-large adopting the families of 15 to 20 P.S. duPont students who are need assistance to make the holiday season a little brighter. The donations of clothing, books and toys generated by the student council benefited upwards of 50 fellow students and their siblings in 2016.
Delmar High School - Wildcat Wellness Pantry
Human Needs
Nominator: Michele Fidance
The Wildcat Wellness Pantry is a food pantry at the Delmar American Legion, which provides nonperishable food and household items for individuals in need. The pantry is staffed by as many as eight Jobs for Delaware Graduate (JDG) volunteers. The JDG volunteers come in on Saturdays to assist families in need and taking inventory to ensure the pantry can reach even more people. An additional group of more than 60 volunteers collect the proceeds from canned food drives that occur during the school year to continually stock the pantry.
Entrance Walk to GET YOUR KNEE OFF OUR NECKS Commitment March Rally at Constitution Gardens along Lincoln Memorial North Elm Walkway, NW, Washington DC on Friday morning, 28 August 2020 by Elvert Barnes Photography
Visit Commitment March website at nationalactionnetwork.net/commitment-march-on-washington-dc/
Elvert Barnes 57th Anniversary of 1963 March on Washington COMMITMENT MARCH docu-project at elvertbarnes.com/57MOW2020
Roddy Doyle's', The Commitments is now a musical in London and is playing at the Palace Theatre in Shaftesbury Avenue. This is 3 exposures with -1+ stops bracketing, then Photomatix for HDR and tonemapping treatment, and finally Photoshop for the finishing touches.
Arslanbob Walnut Forest, Kyrgyzstan
For some of the stories behind the photos, check out www.monkboughtlunch.com
Sometimes he wondered if it was worth doing. Occasionally he doubted his motives. However, he never forgot where the journey started and where it would end. He would see this through. One way or the other.
WALMART WORKERS, TAXPAYERS ARRESTED CALLING FOR WALMART OWNERS TO STOP ROBBING AMERICA
Group calls on Walton family to stop taking advantage of taxpayer programs to support low-wage model & instead, pay workers $15 an hour and provide full-time work
If the Waltons fail to respond, protestors promise to return to Walmart stores on Black Friday
New York and Washington, DC – Forty-two Walmart workers and their supporters were arrested today calling on Walmart’s owners to stop robbing workers a fair wage and passing the bill on to taxpayers. Without a public commitment from the Waltons to raise pay at Walmart, the group refused to disperse, shutting down Park Avenue in front of Alice Walton’s new penthouse in New York and K Street in front of the Walton Family Foundation in DC. Last year, Walmart’s former CEO confirmed that the majority of Walmart workers are paid less than $25,000 a year.
“My grandkids go hungry because of low pay at Walmart,” said Sandra Sok, a Walmart worker in Phoenix. “I’ll do whatever it takes to make these billionaires and Walmart see what they’re doing to our families.”
“We are tired of seeing the Waltons enjoy every luxury this world can offer while the workers that build their wealth are unable to pay their bills,” said Interfaith Worker Justice Executive Director Kim Bobo. “Income inequality will only be addressed when the Waltons and Walmart provide fair pay and regular hours to their workers. I’m here today taking a stand for Walmart workers, and I’ll be back on Black Friday with thousands of others who have had enough of Walmart’s destruction of the American Dream.”
Before the arrests, the group delivered a petition signed by workers from 1,710 of Walmart stores in all 50 states. The petition calls on Walmart to publicly commit raise pay to $15 an hour and provide consistent, full-time hours. The actions today follow protests yesterday in Phoenix, AZ, where Walmart associates and community members delivered the petition to Walmart chair Rob Walton.
“The Waltons have made it impossible for me to get ahead and make sure my daughter goes to bed in a warm home,” said Fatmata Jabbie,a Walmart worker who delivered the petition to the Walton Family Foundation in Washington, DC. “The Waltons can choose to turn things around and stop robbing working Americans like me who just want to raise our families. We need $15 an hour and consistent full-time work—now.”
The Walton family, which controls the Walmart empire, is the richest family in the U.S.—with the wealth of 43% of American families combined. While many Walmart workers are unable to feed and clothe their families on their pay of less than $25,000 a year, the Walton family takes in $8.6 million a day in Walmart dividends alone to build on its $150 billion in wealth. Walmart brings in $16 billion in annual profits.
“Right now, corporate profits are at an all-time high while wages are lower than any time since 1948,” said Rep. Grijalva. “Walmart alone rakes in $16 billion a year while enjoying $8 billion in tax breaks and subsidies, but refuses to pay employees enough to put food on the table or clothes on their back. Many of their employees are forced to rely on taxpayer-funded programs, meaning the American taxpayers are paying for the Walton family’s refusal to pay a decent wage. It’s time to end this scam, and ensure all workers have the decency of a livable wage and full-time work.”
Walmart workers depend on food stamps and other taxpayer-supported programs to support their families. Walmart—the standard-setter for jobs in the retail industry—has created a norm of erratic, part-time scheduling that is keeping workers from getting the hours they need, holding down second jobs, arranging child care, going to school or managing health conditions.
The protests today come at a time when OUR Walmart members have made significant strides creating change at the country’s largest employer. OUR Walmart member Richard Reynoso, who sent a letter to Walmart about the new dress code policy, not only pushed the company to live up to its Buy America commitment with the new vests; his manager gave him full-time hours in response to his concerns about affording new clothing on his low pay. OUR Walmart members have had similar hours victories—through petitions and meetings with managers—in the San Francisco Bay Area, Dallas, Florida, Southern California, Louisiana and Chicago. Walmart improved its pregnancy policy recently after OUR Walmart members, who are also shareholders, submitted a resolution to the company about its pregnancy policy. And, responding to OUR Walmart members’ growing calls on the retailer to improve access to hours, Walmart rolled out a new system nationwide that allows workers to sign up for open shifts in their stores online.
Background
A report released earlier this year by Americans for Tax Fairness showed that by dodging taxes, exploiting loopholes and taking advantage of taxpayer subsidies, Walmart and the Waltons received an estimated $7.8 billion in tax breaks and subsidies in 2013. And while many taxpayers struggle to stretch paychecks, the richest family in the country has avoided an estimated $3 billion in taxes by using specialized trusts to dodge estate taxes.
National public policy organization Demos released a report this year showing low-pay and erratic scheduling keep millions of hard-working Americans—particularly women—near poverty. The report finds that establishing a new wage floor equivalent to $25,000 per year for fulltime, year round work at retail companies employing at least 1,000 workers would improve the lives of more than 3.2 million female retail workers and lift 900,000 women and their families directly out of poverty or near poverty.
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LEGAL DISCLAIMER: UFCW and OUR Walmart have the purpose of helping Wal-Mart employees as individuals or groups in their dealings with Wal-Mart over labor rights and standards and their efforts to have Wal-Mart publically commit to adhering to labor rights and standards. UFCW and OUR Walmart have no intent to have Walmart recognize or bargain with UFCW or OUR Walmart as the representative of Walmart employees.
New Year
Just like a new chapter in life. Recharged with full spirit. Blessed by love
* taken @ Gn Pancar, West Java
Entrance Walk to GET YOUR KNEE OFF OUR NECKS Commitment March Rally at Constitution Gardens along Lincoln Memorial North Elm Walkway, NW, Washington DC on Friday morning, 28 August 2020 by Elvert Barnes Photography
Visit Commitment March website at nationalactionnetwork.net/commitment-march-on-washington-dc/
Elvert Barnes 57th Anniversary of 1963 March on Washington COMMITMENT MARCH docu-project at elvertbarnes.com/57MOW2020
Today, @nycmayor Eric Adams announced the appointment of Commissioner Laura Kavanagh, to lead the FDNY as the Departments 34th Fire Commissioner.
“Her style of leadership and commitment is just a reflection of what this city has to offer. This is historic, the first woman to lead the largest fire department in the country. For every little girl, for every mother who has just wanted their babies to have the same opportunities as others. Not to have a greater advantage, but not to have a disadvantage. New Yorkers and New York City’s ‘Bravest’ deserve an exceptional leader and Commissioner Kavanagh has the vision, the skills, and the compassion to lead the #FDNY into the future.”
“This moment, me being first, only matters if I am not the last. Having a woman in this role is a change, but change provides opportunity. Change in fact is the only constant in life and if we embrace it change is a gift. Change is what has made this department and this city continually stronger, it is why we are the best. This is a new look for the New York City Fire Commissioner, but we should remember that our department has changed very much over its 157-year history and it has always emerged better for it. Change is not about losing those core values that bond us and drive us, bravery, sacrifice and service. No, change is about this department and this city getting continually stronger, it is why we are the best and we will always stay the best,” said Fire Commissioner Laura Kavanagh.
Commissioner Kavanagh has been a key leader in the agency’s response to major incidents, including the Ebola outbreak of 2015 and the COVID-19 pandemic, as well as spearheading key policy initiatives for the FDNY. Kavanagh directed the firefighter recruitment campaign that yielded the most diverse applicant pool in the department’s history and has led to more women serving as FDNY Firefighters than ever before. She also created a fire safety program that installed and distributed smoke alarms in the most at-risk neighborhoods and has advocated for first responders at all levels of government.
Entrance Walk to GET YOUR KNEE OFF OUR NECKS Commitment March Rally at Constitution Gardens along Lincoln Memorial North Elm Walkway, NW, Washington DC on Friday morning, 28 August 2020 by Elvert Barnes Photography
Visit Commitment March website at nationalactionnetwork.net/commitment-march-on-washington-dc/
Elvert Barnes 57th Anniversary of 1963 March on Washington COMMITMENT MARCH docu-project at elvertbarnes.com/57MOW2020
There is a bridge in a park along the canal in Riga, Latvia; the railing of the bridge has thousands of "love locks" attached to it. The locks are a wedding tradition. The newlyweds attach a lock to the railing as a symbol of their commitment; as long as the lock remains, their marriage will stay intact.
Tenuous Link: secured.
Do you know what commitment means these days? Getting clarity, then getting rid of distractions. -Brendon Burchard #motivation #commitment
This is a picture of my grandparent's hands clasped together. I made it with darkroom photography. My inspiration was just love and hope I can have a relationship like theirs. Available for purchase at fineartamerica.com/profiles/rachael-lahar.html
The Gillard Government made a commitment in 2010 to release all children from immigration detention by June 2011, but still 350 children languish in the harsh environment of immigration camps around Australia. The Refugee Action Collective organised a protest on July 9, 2011 outside the Melbourne Immigration Transit accommodation which is used for the detention of unaccompanied minors.
“Bowen said he would have all children out of detention by June but there are still over 350 kids locked up including just under 100 in Broadmeadows,” said Refugee Action Collective spokesperson Benjamin Solah in a July 8 media release. “It’s now July and there are still children locked up, being driven to attempt suicide and self harm whilst the government congratulates themselves on meeting a promise they didn’t actually meet.”
Frank Rampolla (American, 1931 - 1971)
Untitled, 1967
Mixed media on paper
27 x 34 in.
On loan from Renato Rampolla
REFLECTIONS:
THE LEGACY OF FRANK RAMPOLLA
The artistic legacy of Frank Rampolla extends beyond his own profound contributions to the world of modern and contemporary art.
His influence is vividly present in the work of his son, Renato Rampolla, whose photography explores themes of human dignity, vulnerability, and emotional connection. A shared commitment to portraying the complexities of the human condition binds their practices, though both father and son approach these themes through distinct mediums and perspectives.
Renato Rampolla's early exposure to his father's creative process left an indelible mark on his artistic philosophy. As a child, Renato often spent time in his father's studio, observing Frank's intense focus and expressive techniques. These moments fostered an understanding of art as a vehicle for profound emotional and social exploration. A photograph of the two in Frank's studio encapsulates this shared artistic lineage, offering a poignant visual link between their practices and underscoring the intergenerational transmission of creativity.
While much of Frank's work deals with existential struggles of mid-20th-century society, Renato's photography addresses the enduring challenges of emotional isolation and human connection in contemporary life. Both artists share an unflinching commitment to portraying humanity with authenticity, compassion, and an acute awareness of life's fragility. Frank's thematic explorations of alienation, faith, and resilience echo in Renato's portraits of individuals on society's margins, where his subjects' vulnerabilities and inner strength are brought to the forefront.
The juxtaposition of their works reveals a dynamic interplay between continuity and evolution within their shared artistic lineage. Renato's photographic lens may differ from Frank's expressive brushstrokes, but both father and son invite viewers into a deeper reflection on the shared vulnerabilities that unite their audiences.
This has been a turning point in the history of the Headquarters Multinational Corps Northeast (HQ MNC NE). With the successful completion of the exercise „Brilliant Capability 2016”, the Corps – Custodian of Regional Security – has become operationally capable to assume command of the Very High Readiness Joint Task Force, also referred to as the “spearhead force”. I strongly believe that our team effort will provide tremendous value to NATO. – said Lieutenant General Manfred Hofmann, the Corps Commander, on the occasion of the Distinguished Visitors Day, which took place in Szczecin, 2nd June.
Fossil of the Day Award by Climate Action Network, December 9, Monday of the second week of COP25 in Madrid.
#FossiloftheDay - US-3 FOSSILS!
🇺🇸 US for blocking #lossanddamage finance and insisting on playing a role in posing hurdles through a seat in ExCom
🇺🇸🇦🇺US & Australia for not contributing to the GCF on finance day
🇺🇸🇨🇦US & Canada for continued fossil fuel extraction
🏆#RayoftheDay🏆
🇩🇰Denmark for being a real climate champion, issues progressive climate law that's binding in line with #1o5C with a section about global cooperation to play a leading role and engage actively to deliver commitments including #finance
==Official Award citations==
Today we have a special star for Fossil of the Day! The United States (US) managed to get its name on three fossil awards in one day! This country is really making its best effort to be the worst for future generations and vulnerable communities worldwide!
The US is doing great at getting its name down in history as the frontrunner in destroying planet earth. Is it possible that it is hiding a Planet B somewhere for us or is it just enjoying leading the world peeps to mass suicide?!
==Fossil one==
So today we award fossil number one to the US for insisting to stay in the process just to block money while refusing to pay its share for causing all the loss and damage painfully felt by poor and vulnerable people worldwide through droughts, heatwaves, hurricanes, fires and other extreme weather events.
We’re here in the halls of power, and the table is set. Despite leaving the Paris Agreement, the US is inviting itself to have a seat at the table despite making it clear they have no intention of paying the bill. The US is trying to bully other countries into letting them stay on the board of the loss and damage Executive Committee, a core institution in the Paris Accord.
Meanwhile, Southern Africa faces its worst drought in 35 years. Eleven million people are facing climate induced starvation.
But what is the US even doing here at the table, it did boast about leaving the Paris Accord, didn't it? They have been leading a pack of blockers, part of the “rich boys club.” If these countries follow the US example, they’ll be forcing those hardest impacted to foot the bill. To that we say: “If you are going to leave, then you gotta get out of the way...."
==Fossil two:==
The second fossil of the day award goes to the US and Australia for withholding their pledges to the Green Climate Fund (GCF)
Back in November, a handful of countries doubled their contributions to the GCF, but guess what? Most contributor countries were not up to the challenge. Two of them even forgot their responsibility to provide adequate and sufficient funding for poor countries: The US and Australia simply decided to turn their back and withhold their pledges, snubbing all the scientists and people in the streets sounding the alarm on the climate emergency.
Other countries including Canada, Japan, Switzerland, Netherlands, Belgium, Italy, Austria, Portugal, Ireland so far have not delivered double the dough and paid for the pollution they created!(we’re looking for countries to at least double their first GCF contribution, in line with their fairshare) So will ministers arrive to the party empty-handed tomorrow? What manners soiled with dirty fossil fuels! Or will they come with the goods, and top-up?
As a reminder, ambitious GCF contributions are key to support vulnerable communities adapting to climate change, and to create the right conditions for enhanced ambition in 2020.
==Fossil three:==
The third fossil of the day goes out to the US and Canada!
Hey Canada! What good is it showing off progressive positions and pushing for human and indigenous rights here in COP25 and violating these same rights back home?!
Yes you, fingers are pointed at you for recklessly approving fossil fuel infrastructure projects that are not in line with the Paris Agreement, such as the TMX pipeline.
US friends of course completely out of tune with science and are moving ahead with dirty projects such as fracking in the Permian Basin. No wonder you were called out as the worst countries in the Production Gap Report.
In the age of climate emergency, the US and Canada need to keep fossil fuels in the ground and respect Indigenous rights and sovereignty. This includes for Canada to reject the Teck Frontier Mine, the largest tar sands surface mine ever proposed.
==Ray of the Day==
Hey Danish parliament wow! Now that´s what we can call climate leadership. They agreed on a Climate Law that is binding for current and future governments and is in line with the 1.5C degrees temperature limit. Basically, Denmark turned science into law!
This law is really cool. It encourages global cooperation and enables Denmark to be a climate leader at the international level and deliver on commitments.
The story is not finished yet. Denmark set the target of reducing GHG emissions by 70% in 2030. Denmark agreed not to play the game of carbon trade to ensure complete environmental integrity.
Each sector is targeted with a strategy, including agriculture, transport and construction. These strategies are set annually in a “Climate Action Plan” based on an independent climate council, which will monitor that targets are being met through action. The Minister of climate has a duty to act on Climate Council recommendations.
Denmark thanks for setting a great example to follow!
About the fossils:
Every day at 18:00 local time you can watch the Fossil ceremony in Hall 4 during COP25.
The Fossil of the Day awards were first presented at the climate talks in 1999, in Bonn, initiated by the German NGO Forum. During United Nations climate change negotiations (www.unfccc.int), members of the Climate Action Network (CAN), vote for countries judged to have done their 'best' to block progress in the negotiations in the last days of talks.
About CAN: The Climate Action Network (CAN) is a global network of over 1,300 Non-Governmental Organizations (NGOs) in more than 120 countries working to promote government and individual action to limit human induced climate change to ecologically sustainable levels.
Attribution: John Englart/Climate Action Network
Misty May-Treanor is one of the greatest players to ever set foot on a volleyball court. She works harder in practice than most people do in a tournament and still listens to her coaches without any Prima donna attitude whatsoever. I am lucky to have been able to see her play and realize just how special she is.
Women's "IMAGINE PEACE" T-shirt in green designed by Yoko Ono
for "FASHION AGAINST AIDS", May 2009
H&M
1025 F St. NW
Washington, DC
imaginepeace.com/news/archives/6779
Some of the biggest celebrities from the world of fashion, music and style will be joining H&M and Designers Against AIDS (DAA) for Fashion Against AIDS, to help fight the disease and raise youth awareness. Katy Perry, Dita Von Teese, N.E.R.D and Yoko Ono are among the artists who will collaborate with H&M on designs for T-shirts, T-shirt dresses, vests and bodies. 25% of the sales price will be donated to youth HIV/AIDS awareness projects. The collection, in 100% organic cotton, for both guys and girls will go on sale in H&M’s youth DIVIDED department from May 28 2009.
“The designs have a real 80’s feel to them, there’s lots of white, bright colours and graffiti-like prints. Girls can wear the pieces with mini’s, or worn denim and big jewellery, while boys can team them with coloured jeans or rolled-up chinos – it all adds to that 80s feeling. Fighting AIDS is always of great importance, and H&M is overwhelmed with the enthusiasm and the commitment from each and every celebrity involved in this collection.”
Ann-Sofie Johansson, H&M head of design.
“H&M and Fashion Against AIDS are so important to us because we could never reach so many young people on our own. AIDS is still very much a subject that’s vitally important today. People build their attitude towards their sex lives when they’re very young, so it’s important for them to realize that safe sex is a vital part of that as early as possible.”
Ninette Murk, founder, Designers Against AIDS.
For this year’s Fashion Against AIDS collection, the message is loud and clear, with bold slogans and colours as vibrant as the summer. “PROTECTION IS POWER” reads the print from RÓISÍN MURPHY across a T-shirt, wrapped around the front and back of a body, while N.E.R.D uses a clever graphic to shout out “USE YOUR BRAIN” on coloured vests and T-shirts. ESTELLE’s contribution has the slogan “LIFE IS TOO SHORT – HAVE SEX BE SAFE” printed on a vest next to a sassy silhouette of an empowered woman, while KATY PERRY’s clever safe sex message is “IT’S WHAT’S ON THE OUTSIDE THAT COUNTS” on both a body and a cap-sleeved Tee. CYNDI LAUPER’s 80’s feeling design has the words “GIRLS JUST WANNA HAVE SAFE SEX” as if scribbled in pink lipstick on a black vest, while YOKO ONO repeats the words “IMAGINE PEACE” in languages from around the world on coloured T-shirts. ROBYN’s feisty statement is “Protect your body” on a T-shirt with printed diamonds, while DITA VON TEESE, already a champion of AIDS causes, offers an alluring image of her iconic red lips and arched brow on a cute cap-sleeved Tee.
“It’s an honor to be asked to take part in this brilliant project. Every little thing that we do as individuals can add up to something that makes a major impact in the fight against HIV. With the purchase of these stylish t-shirts, you can be a part of something that makes a huge difference in this pandemic, while looking super-chic!”
Dita Von Teese.
In the UK alone an estimated 80,000 people were living with HIV by the end of 2007. Worryingly, it is estimated that 28% of those were unaware of their HIV positive status. In 2007, at least 7,000 new cases of HIV infection were reported. Fashion Against AIDS fights the assumption that the message about HIV and AIDS is well known. Each new generation needs to be made aware of AIDS to prevent further spread of the disease. With HIV and AIDS, complacency is not an option.
It’s the second year that H&M have teamed up with the charitable organisation Designers Against AIDS to spread the message of safe sex to the young. Last year’s campaign was a stunning success, with over SEK 15 million donated to HIV/AIDS-preventive projects. This year’s beneficiaries are Designers Against AIDS, YouthAIDS, UNFPA and MTV Staying Alive Foundation.
FASHION AGAINST AIDS CELEBRITIES Dita Von Teese, Katy Perry, Róisín Murphy, Estelle, Cyndi Lauper, N.E.R.D, Robyn, Yoko Ono, Yelle, Moby, Katharine Hamnett, Dangerous Muse, Tokio Hotel.
In the United States alone, over one million people were living with HIV by the end of 2008.
An estimated 250,000 of these individuals are unaware of their HIV positive status.
Each new generation needs to be made aware of AIDS to prevent further spread of the disease.
With HIV and AIDS, complacency is not an option.
For more information on the non-profit organisation Designers Against AIDS, visit www.designersagainstaids.com
DRAWSKO POMORSKIE TRAINING AREA, Poland--Colonel Steve Gilland, commander, 1st Heavy Brigade Combat Team, 1st Cavalry Division, briefs multinational partners during Steadfast Jazz 2013 here Oct. 31. The U.S. Army is supporting Steadfast Jazz 13 with participation from the 173d IBCT(A), one of U.S. Army Europe’s forward-based combat brigades and the 1st Heavy Brigade Combat Team, 1st Cavalry Division, the U.S.-based ground force contribution to NATO Response Force 2014. Collectively, these forces represent the reinvigoration of U.S. participation in the NRF and the enduring U.S. commitment to NATO, Europe, and regional stability and prosperity. (The badges in this image have been altered for security reasons / U.S. Army photo by Capt. Angel Jackson / 1HBCT, 1CAV PAO)
Walk to GET YOUR KNEE OFF OUR NECKS COMMITMENT MARCH RALLY along 17th Street at Pennsylvania Avenue, NW, Washington DC on Friday morning, 28 August 2020 by Elvert Barnes Photography
US Secret Service Bike Patrol
Visit Commitment March website at nationalactionnetwork.net/commitment-march-on-washington-dc/
Elvert Barnes 57th Anniversary of 1963 March on Washington COMMITMENT MARCH docu-project at elvertbarnes.com/57MOW2020
I admired my sister-in-law Susan for the commitment that she made to take a seven year bible course known as Bible Study Fellowship. It is a very structured International Bible Class. She would ask me to go but I just was not willing to make that kind of commitment. One day I decided to go to more or less shut her up. Welllllll I shut her up alright and now I am in my 6th year. I love it, but it is very hard at my age to put in that much study and work. So I am thankful for the different study Bibles that helps me get my lesson done each week.
LOS ANGELES - The men and women of the Los Angeles Fire Department made a strong commitment to the success of the 2017 Skechers Performance Los Angeles Marathon
Photo Use Permitted via Creative Commons - Credit: LAFD Photo | Jorge Arellano, a member of the LAFD Volunteer Photographer Program
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“Until one is committed, there is hesitancy, the chance to draw back, always ineffectiveness. Concerning all acts of initiative (and creation), there is one elementary truth, the ignorance of which kills countless ideas and splendid plans: that the moment one definitely commits one-self, then providence moves too. All sorts of things occur to help one that would never otherwise have occurred. A whole stream of events issues from the decision, raising in one's favor all manner of unforeseen incidents and meetings and material assistance, which no man could have dreamed would have come his way. Whatever you can do or dream you can, begin it. Boldness has genius, power and magic in it. Begin it now.”
Don't hold back from your dreams. BE OLD and go after them. Just do it. Look at your self in the mirror and say I can do this damn it and I will... Whatever it may be, DO IT....
Donald Julian Reaves announced today that he will step down as chancellor of Winston-Salem State University (WSSU) effective December 31, 2014, or thereafter when a successor is in place.
Accompanied by his wife Deborah, Chancellor Reaves made the announcement to a gathering of university faculty, students and staff after having informed the WSSU Board of Trustees at its meeting earlier in the day.
“At the end of December I will be in the middle of the eighth year of my five-year commitment,” Reaves said jokingly. “Seriously though, I am truly thankful to have had the opportunity to serve the University and the community and I want to thank UNC Presidents Tom Ross and Erskine Bowles for giving me the opportunity to lead this institution. I also want to thank the members of the board of trustees with whom I have worked for their strong support, especially Board Chair Debby Miller. I also want to salute the wonderful faculty and committed staffs who serve this institution. For me, it has been an exceptional experience.”
Chancellor Reaves said that he struggled with the decision, but beginning in late 2012 has had conversations with UNC President Ross about his desire to step down as chancellor and return to the classroom, where he began his career in higher education 37 years ago. He will join the WSSU political science faculty as a full professor with tenure.
“Deciding to leave a job that you love is not easy,” Reaves explained. “Deborah and I have given this decision considerable thought and I have consulted widely about it. I also went back and read the speech that I gave at my installation to determine whether I had fulfilled the promises I made then. Though there is always work to be done, I feel that we have accomplished everything that I said and much more. So, having built a much firmer foundation for WSSU, it seems that now is a good time to move on.”
Chancellor Reaves said that his initial goals were incorporated into the University’s strategic plan and that he continues to be excited about the implementation of those efforts and the results. He is particularly proud of the improved outcomes for students, including significantly better retention and graduation results.
“Providing our undergraduate students with a quality education and preparing them for success in their careers and their communities is our primary mission,” Reaves said. “Graduating students is the business that we are in and I’m proud to say that business at WSSU is booming. Current statistics speak directly to what we have been able to accomplish.”
By raising admission standards three times beginning in 2007, the University has attracted better prepared students and that has impacted retention and graduation rates. The retention rate for first-year students climbed from 68 percent in 2006 to more than 80 percent in the 2011-2012 academic year. The graduation rate which stood at 36.5 at the end of the 2007-2008 year has improved to 45.5 percent for the most recent reporting period, and the number of students graduating has risen from 824 in the 2006-07 year to 1,556 for the most recent year, 2012-13, an increase of almost 89 percent.
“It is also important to note that progress was achieved despite major reductions in our state allocations,” Reaves added. “We did that by targeting our scarce resources on a single key objective and that was improved student outcomes.”
The fact that more has been done with less is reflected in data released from the UNC General Administration that shows that over the five-year period, from 2007 through 2012, per student spending at WSSU declined by almost 30 percent while degree production increased by more than 47 percent. Among the 16 UNC campuses, WSSU ranks number one on both of those percentage change measures.
Chancellor Reaves stated his strong belief that the University has benefited tremendously from its strict adherence to the goals and objective set forth in the strategic plan, Achieving Academic Distinction: The Plan for Student Success – 2010-2015, which include academic excellence and student success as the highest priorities. “Virtually every decision we make and every dollar we spend benefits from the guidance provided by the plan” Reaves noted.
Other derivatives of the strategic plan include:
•Reforming and implementing an undergraduate curriculum grounded in the liberal arts tradition and designed to prepare students to compete in the market-based global economy. At the core of the new curriculum is an emphasis on the development of the students’ ability to think critically, participate in rigorous analysis and creative problem solving, communicate effectively, and collaborate to effect results.
•Reducing the size of the student body to improve student preparedness and to align its size with available resources, including the capacity of the physical plant.
•The consolidation of the schools of business and economics, and education with the college of arts and sciences to generate savings, and to align projected spending with expectations about the resources that are likely to be available in an era of flat or declining enrollments.
•Expanding graduate education with the addition of doctoral programs in physical therapy and nursing.
•Raising the standards for tenure and promotion to improve the quality of the faculty.
•Developing a partnership with Forsyth Technical Community College which has led to the creation of the Dual Admission Program that provides students who were not admitted to WSSU with an opportunity to prepare themselves academically prior to matriculating directly to WSSU.
•Maintaining the athletic program at the NCAA Division II level, reducing significantly the resources that were allocated previously to athletics, and making them available to support academic priorities. An added bonus, the program has subsequently won 14 conference championships.
•Managing a $34 million reduction in state funding over five years without reducing fulltime faculty or course offerings.
•Improving the student experience through the development of a campus master plan that included the construction of the new Donald Julian Reaves Student Activities Center, the Martin-Schexnider Residence Halls, the renovation of Hill Hall for use as a Student Success Center, and the nearly complete acquisition of Bowman Gray Stadium and the surrounding 94-acre Civitan Park.
Reaves noted that while the list of accomplishments is impressive, his greatest satisfaction derives from the more subtle, less-quantifiable changes that have taken place, with an emphasis on what has occurred with regard to expectations.
“When I arrived in 2007, I encountered a culture of low expectations that was characterized by a belief that WSSU students could not succeed,” Reaves explained. “That belief prevailed among the faculty, the staff, and the various communities and even among our students and their parents. WSSU was viewed as an institution of last resort. All of that has changed. Today, there is a new spirit on the campus among the students and the faculty, as well as throughout the community. There is once again a genuine belief that a WSSU education can prepare students to compete and be successful in the marketplace. The success that we have enjoyed since changing the culture of the institution is by far the most rewarding aspect of my work and will undoubtedly have the greatest impact on the future of the students and of the institution.”
WSSU Board of Trustees Chair Debra Miller also spoke of Reaves’ leadership and said that because of the work he and his team had completed, the board accepted his decision with great regret.
“As a member of the Board of Trustees and as an alumna of WSSU, I am extremely proud to have had the opportunity to work with Chancellor Reaves,” said Miller. “Through his vision, his leadership, his commitment to academic excellence, his willingness to make difficult decisions such as establishing priorities among competing interests, his commitment to improve student outcomes, his hard work and that of the team that he assembled, this university has been transformed in virtually every respect. It is exciting to see the impact that the past seven years have had on our students and on the campus.”
Donald Reaves assumed his duties as chancellor in August 2007. Chancellor Reaves had previously served five years as Vice President for Administration and Chief Financial Officer at the University of Chicago, and he spent 14 years at Brown University where he held a number of senior positions including Executive Vice President for Finance and Administration and Chief Financial Officer. Prior to joining Brown University in 1988, Chancellor Reaves worked in Massachusetts state government where he held several positions including deputy assistant commissioner for budget and cost control at the Massachusetts Department of Public Welfare. Chancellor Reaves also spent 16 years in the classroom, 13 of which were at Northeastern University as a tenure-track and adjunct member of the political science department
A native of Cleveland, Ohio Chancellor Reaves earned his undergraduate degree from Cleveland State University and his Master’s and Doctoral degrees in political science and public administration from Kent State University.
While in Winston-Salem, Chancellor Reaves has served on numerous boards including the Novant Hospital Health Triad Region, Forsyth Futures, the Piedmont Triad Leadership Council, the Winston-Salem Alliance and the Josh and Marie Reynolds Hospital Guest House Board of Advocates. He also served on the advisory boards of the North Carolina Humanities Council and Wells Fargo Bank.
Kababayang Pilipino presents PADAYON (Moving Forward)
photos by Ron Sombilon Gallery & PacBlue Printing
About KABABAYANG PILIPINO- cultural performing arts group
Kababayang Pilipino is a cultural performing arts group dedicated to the promotion and preservation of the Filipino folk heritage through the presentation of authentic Filipino dance, music, song and drama.
Kababayang Pilipino provides the opportunity for its members to educate themselves and inturn, educate the community at large about the rich history and culture of the Filipino.
Proud Sponsors of Kababayang Pilipino
Kababayang Pilipino acknowledges the valued contribution of its sponsors and supporters.
The support of our loyal sponsors is essential in enabling Kababayang Pilipno to continue to carry out its mission and vision.
Presenting / Title Sponsors
Manila Cargo Express
Manila Express offers money transfers and monthly door-to-door Services to Manila and many other areas in the Philippines.
Platinum Sponsors
Gold Sponsors
Edgewater Casino
In (February) 2005, Edgewater Casino opened its doors to the city of Vancouver providing convenient and exciting gaming entertainment to it’s local residents and tourists. Located on the shores of False Creek and steps from BC Place and GM Place, the 30,000 square foot facility offers a variety of slot and table games in addition to food and beverage services. Edgewater Casino is open 24 hours, 7 days a week and employs over 700 employees from the local Vancouver area.
Silver Sponsors
Girl Guides of Canada
Girl Guides of Canada-Guides du Canada, the organization of choice for girls and women, makes a positive difference in the life of every girl and woman who experiences Guiding so she can contribute responsibly to her communities.
T & T Supermarket
T & T Supermarket's goal is to enrich the lifestyle of Asian families in Canada by offering them choice food and household items in a comfortable shopping environment. We also hope to introduce the colourful Asian food culture to the Canadian multicultural society.
Vancity
Vancity is Canada's largest credit union. Formed in 1946 today we have $14.1 billion in assets, more than 390,000 members and 59 branches throughout Greater Vancouver, the Fraser Valley and Victoria. Vancity and its subsidiary companies are guided by a commitment to corporate social responsibility, and to improve the quality of life in the communities where we live and work.
Media Sponsors
Artista Magazine
Artista Magazine - is the only Filipino Entertainment Magazine in Greater Vancouver. 6000 copies of Artista Magazine are printed every month.
CTV
CTV British Columbia hit the airwaves on September 1, 2001, bringing the reputation of the most trusted and respected news organization in Canada and the top-notch programming that has made CTV a favourite of audiences. Veteran news anchors Bill Good and Pamela Martin lead the team as the CTV News anchors on CTV's Vancouver affiliate. From September of 1997 to September of 2001 the station had been broadcasting as VTV, "Vancouver Television," an independent station operating from the heart of Vancouver, at the corner of Robson and Burrard.
This independent station provided complete television coverage to the Greater Vancouver/South West British Columbia coastal region. Since September 1, 2001, our Vancouver affiliate-CTV British Columbia-has been seen throughout the province of British Columbia.
Filipino Canadian Marketing Group
The Filipino Canadian Marketing Group is here to help you acquire that understanding and to provide you with the valuable information you need to effectively reach out and access this rapidly expanding niche market, the Filipino Canadian Community.
Mabuhay! Philippine News 360
Philippine Asian News Today
Philippines Today .Net was originally launched in June 2001. Long after the printed version has ceased circulation, the website continued to be of service to Filipinos all over the world as a source of information and news concerning Filipinos, including community affairs for those residing in Japan.
Philippine Journal
The Filipinos' Link to the World! Our commitment is to you, our readers! Dedicated to service to the Filipino community, we have been publishing the Philippine Journal for 10 years with the mission of uniting all Filipinos at home and abroad, in the love of our motherland.
Philippine Showbiz Today
Philppine Asian Chronicle
The Philippine-American Chronicle was a biweekly newspaper published in Seattle from 1935 – 1936. Although its motto was "For Truth Freedom and Justice We Champion the Cause of Labor," the paper covered labor as well as non-labor issues. Labor issues rela
Planet Philippines
As the global Pinoy link to our home country, Planet Philippines mission is to write about life in the 7,000-plus islands and the evolving culture and lifestyle. We give you the latest scoops on celebrities and achievers. We cover entertainment, current affairs, sports, business and more.
This has been a turning point in the history of the Headquarters Multinational Corps Northeast (HQ MNC NE). With the successful completion of the exercise „Brilliant Capability 2016”, the Corps – Custodian of Regional Security – has become operationally capable to assume command of the Very High Readiness Joint Task Force, also referred to as the “spearhead force”. I strongly believe that our team effort will provide tremendous value to NATO. – said Lieutenant General Manfred Hofmann, the Corps Commander, on the occasion of the Distinguished Visitors Day, which took place in Szczecin, 2nd June.
A selfie with my boy Victor. I'm hard pressed to think of a bigger commitment in my life.
Yes, those are beads of sweat streaming down my forehead. We wer taking a break on a family bike ride this morning, where the temps had already reached 29°C. Vic's not sweating because he's the stoker on our tandem, and likes to take it easy!
Copyright© Heart & Soul Photography. Any use of this image without the permission of the photographer is in violation of the copyright.
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Culinary convergence benefits FIU School of Hospitality at FIU annual fund raiser,
South Beach Wine & Food Festival
When the greatest names in the restaurant industry converged for the 2009 South Beach Wine & Food Festival, February 19 – 22, 2009 it was not only for good food and good fun, it was also for a good cause: Florida International University’s School of Hospitality and Tourism Management. Almost $2 million dollars was raised for FIU School of Hospitality to award student scholarships, and to enhance the experience of students by investing in program, faculty and facility enhancement.
Celebrity chefs and personalities such as Rachael Ray, Emeril Lagasse, Al Roker, Paula Dean and Bobby Flay joined famed local chefs such as Mark Militello, Michael Schwartz, Jonathan Eismann and Allen Susser – to name just a handful of participants -- to once again position Miami-Dade County as the culinary capital of the world during the festival. They were drawn to the event not just for the celebration, but also for the opportunity to benefit one of the leading programs of its kind in the world.
Formerly known as the Florida Extravaganza, proceeds from the South Beach Wine & Food Festival benefit FIU’s School of Hospitality. Over the past 8 years, over a $5 million dollars has been raised to enhance the students experience at the School of Hospitality by expanding the School of Hospitality Teaching Restaurant and the Southern Wine & Spirits Beverage Management Center. Hundreds of thousands of dollars were set aside for student scholarships.
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In addition to lending their services to the cause of benefiting FIU’s School of Hospitality, many chefs worked with numerous students individually, offering the students an unparalleled experience. At this year's Festival, students were paired with, in a mentorship style relationship, the following chefs: Rick Bayless (Frontera Grill/Topolobampo, Chicago, IL), Tom Douglas (Dahlia Lounge, Seattle, WA), Adam Perry Lang (Daisy May’s BBQ, New York, NY), Tyler Florence, Katie Lee Joel, Govind Armstrong (Table 8, Miami Beach), Tom Colicchio (Craft Restaurants, New York, NY), Tom Neely (Neely’s Bar-B-Que, Memphis), Art Smith (Table 52, Chicago, IL), Paul Bartolotta (BARTOLOTTA Ristorante Di Mare, Las Vegas, NV), Myron Mixon (Jack’s Old South BBQ, Unadilla, GA), among others.
“The students of FIU are the real winners of this festival. They provide tireless support for the four-day weekend of events while reaping indispensable real world industry experience,” says Joseph West, Dean, FIU School of Hospitality.
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FIU Hospitality Management senior AJ Mindermann, assistant culinary manager at the 2009 festival, knows first hand the value of working with industry leaders in a real-world experience. “The experience is priceless,” Mindermann said. “You can’t put a number on it. I got so many internship opportunities from chefs last year. The networking is terrific. It’s probably one of the biggest career-jumpers there is.”
Having just completed his second year in a leadership role at the Festival, Arthur was honored with the Barilla Best FIU Student Chef Award, and a $1500 cash prize. Barilla established this award to recognize students at FIU’s School of Hospitality and who exhibit their commitment to and passion for the culinary arts.
Hundreds of other students benefited from real-world experience at the 2009 festival. Experiences ranged from fulfilling thousands of ticket orders to restaurant solicitation, sponsorship fulfillment to meeting and greeting guests at myriad activities throughout the annual four-day festival. Overall, some 850 Hospitality majors – most with excellent internship experience already under their belts – worked in a variety of key capacities both before and during the festival.
“I hear comments like ‘the experience changed my life’,” said FIU Chef-Instructor and South Beach Wine & Food Festival Culinary Director, Michael Moran. “You don’t expect to go to school and have a teacher say that there’s a field trip to cook barbecue for 500 people.”
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It’s little wonder that so many famed names were willing to lend their time and expertise to the festival and to FIU students. Hospitality and tourism industry executives from around the world visit the school annually to interview and hire graduates for key management-track positions in the vast array of fields in which FIU’s students are prepared. Today many of the school’s 9,000 graduates hold prominent positions in the hospitality industry around the Western Hemisphere, Europe and Asia.
Students at FIU’s School of Hospitality are highly sought-after for key reasons. One is the comprehensive curriculum that includes tracks for Bachelor and Master of Science degrees in Hospitality Management, Executive Master of Science in Hospitality Management Degree Programs, PhD in Business Administration as well as Certificate Programs in various Hotel, Restaurant, Hospitality, Travel and Tourism specializations. Over 100 courses and 35 expert faculty members focus exclusively on hospitality and tourism management including finance, law, beverage management, culinary arts and hotel operations.
Students are required to work 1,000 hours in the hospitality industry and then complete a 300-hour internship. Upon graduation, students are prepared to compete for top positions in every aspect of the hospitality industry. To date, the School’s graduates have a 100 percent career placement record.
FIU’s excellence was one reason student Caroline Karlberg chose it when she decided to leave the world of finance for logistics management.
“I wanted real, hands-on experience and that was definitely something FIU’s School of Hospitality, offered in addition to its programs and staff,” Karlberg said. “I can’t believe this, but last year at this time, I was a financial analyst in New York City. And this year I am a graduate student at FIU School of Hospitality, working as a member of South Beach Wine & Food Festival’s logistics team, the largest such event in the country.” Caroline, assistant to SoBe W&F Logistics Manager Susan Gladstone, is also Student Associate Coordinator, working with her team of students to place 1000 students in various jobs at the festival.
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“And what I have learned is unbelievable: just the amount of moving parts and people it takes to put together such an event is mind-blowing. I have never been on this side of an event, and I had no idea what goes into the back-end. Working this event has helped me appreciate all special events.”
“We provide our students the opportunity to get their foot in the door in the hospitality field of their choice,” said Dean West, FIU School of Hospitality. “Our students work on the ground, having real life experiences while making important contacts with industry leaders. It is gratifying to the faculty to know that international hospitality companies and corporations are selecting our students.”
It is also reason why, year after year, top figures in the industry are eager to help contribute to FIU’s School of Hospitality.
For more information, visit www.hospitality.fiu.edu.
Media Contact
Lisa B. Palley
Palley Promotes
305 642.3132
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DRAWSKO POMORSKIE TRAINING AREA, Poland--Airborne Engineers from the 173rd Infantry Brigade Combat Team (Airborne), U.S. Army Europe, prepare for and execute a demolition range during the unit-level training preparation phase of Exercise Steadfast Jazz here Oct. 28. The U.S. Army is supporting Steadfast Jazz 13 with participation from the 173d IBCT(A), one of U.S. Army Europe’s forward-based combat brigades and the 1st Heavy Brigade Combat Team, 1st Cavalry Division, the U.S.-based ground force contribution to NATO Response Force 2014. Collectively, these forces represent the reinvigoration of U.S. participation in the NRF and the enduring U.S. commitment to NATO, Europe, and regional stability and prosperity. (U.S. Army photo by 1st Lt. Alexander Jansen/54th Engineer Bn)
Elwood L. Robinson, Provost and Vice-President for Academic Affairs at Cambridge College in Massachusetts since 2012, has been elected Chancellor of Winston-Salem State University by the Board of Governors of the 17-campus University of North Carolina. UNC President Tom Ross placed Robinson's name in nomination today (September 26) during a special meeting of the board, held on the campus of WSSU. Robinson, 58, will assume his new duties January 1, 2015, succeeding Donald J. Reaves, who announced last spring that he would step down as Chancellor on December 31 after eight years in the post.
In recommending Robinson to the Board of Governors, Ross said: "I am thrilled at the opportunity to bring a talented North Carolinian back home. Elwood Robinson is going to be a phenomenal leader for Winston-Salem State University. He brings to the job a real passion for higher education and three decades of progressive leadership experience as a faculty mentor, department chair, dean, and provost. Much of that experience was gained at North Carolina Central University, his alma mater. He is a proven leader who promotes innovation, collaboration and an unwavering commitment to academic excellence and student success. He also understands WSSUâs proud history and its potential to play an even larger role in the life of this city and this state, so I am delighted he has agreed to join our leadership team."
Cambridge College is a private, not-for-profit institution offering undergraduate, graduate, professional degree and certificate programs through schools of Undergraduate Studies, Education, Management and Psychology & Counseling. Geared toward working adults, most courses are taught evenings and weekends, with many blending onsite and online components. It enrolls more than 5,000 students across its main Cambridge campus and seven regional academic centers in Massachusetts, Virginia, Tennessee, Georgia, California and Puerto Rico.
As Cambridge Collegeâs chief academic officer, Robinson has advised the president on matters of educational policy and the development of teaching and academic programs. He also has managed the school's academic planning and program reviews and overseen its regional academic centers. Under his watch, the teacher education program has achieved national accreditation and the College has forged an innovative partnership with Granite State College in New Hampshire to offer online programs â the first private/state partnership of its kind in New England. In addition, the American Council on Education has awarded Cambridge a grant to establish an Innovation and Change Lab designed to increase the number of first-generation and nontraditional students earning college degrees.
A native of Ivanhoe, NC, Robinson graduated magna cum laude from North Carolina Central University in 1978 with a degree in psychology and then earned a masterâs degree in the field from Fisk University in Tennessee (1980). After completing a pre-doctoral internship at Duke University Medical Center, performing rotations in neuropsychology, psychiatric inpatient and behavioral medicine and health psychology, he earned a doctorate in clinical psychology from Pennsylvania State University (1986). He later completed his clinical training as a research associate at Duke University Medical Center (1990-1993).
Robinson joined the faculty of NCCU in 1984. In 1993, he was named Director of the Minority Access to Research Careers (MARC) Program, which provides research training opportunities for students and faculty from minority groups underrepresented in the biomedical sciences. He directed the federally funded program for the next 11 years, establishing collaborations with several major research universities, expanding course offerings, and mentoring more than 100 MARC Scholars. Remarkably, 80 percent of those scholars entered graduate school and 40 percent have achieved doctoral degrees.
From 1993-1996, Robinson also served as chair of NCCU's Psychology Department. During his three-year term, he instituted a new clinical masterâs program, developed a faculty development program, increased external funding, and improved graduation rates by 25 percent. Concurrently, Robinson directed NCCU's Alcohol Research Center, funded by a grant from the National Institute of Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism. A collaboration with predominantly minority and research-intensive institutions, the center provided support to faculty interested in alcohol-related research.
In 2006, Robinson was named founding Dean of the NCCU College of Behavioral and Social Sciences, where he oversaw nine departments, five centers and over 200 faculty and staff. Over the next six years, he generated over $15 million in federal grants and other external funding, achieved accreditation for 16 programs, established a Department of Social Work, secured funding for a $1-million endowed professorship, and developed a national partnership with the Institute for Homeland Security and the Rural Domestic Preparedness Consortium. He remained in the post until he left North Carolina for Cambridge College in 2012.
Active in professional and civic organizations, Robinson has received numerous awards and honors over the course of his career. A former National Institutes of Health Fellow, he has received the Sigma Xi Award (1995), the Omega Psi Phi Founderâs Award (2007), an Image Award from the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (2003), and the Order of the Long Leaf Pine (2012). He has served on the boards of the YMCA of the Greater Triangle, the Center for Child and Family Health, and the Uplift Foundation, and has served as a delegate for the People to People Citizen Ambassador Program to China, Egypt and South Africa.
Robinson is married to Denise Robinson, a 1978 NCCU graduate and former elementary school teacher. Together, they have two children: Chanita Robinson Coulter, a graduate of North Carolina A&T State University and school teacher living in Charleston, SC; and Devin, a student at NCCU.
The University of North Carolina
The oldest public university in the nation, the University of North Carolina enrolls more than 220,000 students and encompasses all 16 of North Carolina's public institutions that grant baccalaureate degrees, as well as the NC School of Science and Mathematics, the nationâs first public residential high school for gifted students. UNC campuses support a broad array of distinguished liberal-arts programs, two medical schools and one teaching hospital, two law schools, a veterinary school, a school of pharmacy, 11 nursing programs, 15 schools of education, three schools of engineering, and a specialized school for performing artists. The UNC Center for Public Television, with its 11-station statewide broadcast network, is also under the University umbrella.
Winston-Salem State University
Located in the central Piedmont Triad region of North Carolina, Winston-Salem State University (www.wssu.edu) enrolls nearly 6,200 students in 43 undergraduate and 10 graduate programs. Founded in 1892, WSSU in 1925 became the first African American institution in the nation to grant elementary education teaching degrees. Today, WSSU's award-winning Motorsports Management major is the nation's first bachelor of science degree program dedicated to motorsports management. WSSU is the third-largest producer of nurses in North Carolina, the Smithsonian Institution has named the Diggs Gallery at WSSU one of the nationâs best regional, contemporary African American art galleries.