Latest news with #Collegiate
Otago Daily Times
13-07-2025
- General
- Otago Daily Times
Sightings to identify possum hot spots
St Hilda's Collegiate international student Yu Yamaguchi, 17, (left) and host sister Kayla van Horik, 17, of Queen's High School, 17, get out into their Highcliff Rd backyard on Saturday night to take part in a Dunedin-wide survey to find out how many possums are living among us. PHOTO: GREGOR RICHARDSON Dunedin residents are being asked to rug up, step outside into the night and keep their eyes and ears peeled for furry pests holed up in backyards across the city. Predator Free Dunedin's annual Spotlight on Possums event began on Saturday — a city-wide survey to identify possum hot spots. A spokesperson said having everyone look at the same time would help map where possums were in high and low numbers across the city. "Anytime after dark, get yourself rugged up warm and head outside and look for possums," they said. "You could look in your backyard or take a walk to your local park or reserve." People were asked to make a report of their findings — whether they saw the pest or not. "Our goals are to eradicate possums from the Otago Peninsula, to reduce their numbers to 'zero density' across 10,000 hectares in West Harbour-Mt Cargill, and to reduce their numbers to low levels in the city and across 35,000 hectares west of State Highway 1." Spotlight on Possums is a joint initiative between the group, Otago Peninsula Biodiversity Group, the Halo Project and City Sanctuary. It will run until Friday. The report form can be found at — APL
_2025_07_02_12_39_45.jpeg&w=3840&q=100)
GMA Network
02-07-2025
- Sport
- GMA Network
Clint Escamis, Bella Belen recognized in Collegiate Press Corps Awards Night
June 30, 2025. NCAA and UAAP student-athletes and coaches with their respective awards given out during the Collegiate Press Corps Awards Night. (Photo: Collegiate Press Corps) Mapua University's Clint Escamis, National University's Bella Belen, and other top student-athletes from the NCAA and UAAP were under one roof last Monday as the Collegiate Press Corps (CPC) held its Awards Night at Discovery Suites. Escamis received the Collegiate Press Corps Basketball Player of the Year Award presented by GMA Network, while Belen was the UAAP Women's Volleyball Player of the Year. 'I'm honored for this award and I know I couldn't have done this without my teammates, kaya it just fuels me to help Mapua win back-to-back championships,' said Escamis, who is returning for his final season with the Cardinals in the upcoming NCAA Season 101. Escamis also led the CPC Men's Basketball Mythical Team along with De La Salle-College of Saint Benilde's Allen Liwag from the NCAA, and JD Cagulangan (UP) and Kevin Quiambao and Mike Phillips (DLSU). Belen, on the other hand, was among the CPC's top volleyball awardees, along with schoolmate Leo Aringo, Jr. who bagged the Player of the Year plum for UAAP Men's Volleyball. Arellano University's Carl Berdal and Benilde's Zam Nolasco were the NCAA Volleyball Players of the Year for their respective divisions. Kacey dela Rosa of Ateneo de Manila University, meanwhile, was the CPC Women's Basketball Player of the Year, and led the Mythical Team alongside Cielo Pagdulagan of National University, Kent Pastrana of University of Santo Tomas, Elaine Etang of Adamson, and Louna Ozar of UP. Football was also put on the spotlight as the CPC handed out the first Football Players of the Year awards to Amir Aningalan of San Beda University for the NCAA, and Mon Diansuy and Carmela Altiche of Far Eastern University for the UAAP. Coaches were also recognized in the said event as Randy Alcantara (Mapua men's basketball), Goldwin Monteverde (UP men's basketball), Aris Dimaunahan (NU women's basketball) were named Basketball Coaches of the Year. Sherwin Meneses (NU women's volleyball), Dante Alinsunurin (NU men's volleyball), Jerry Yee (Benilde women's volleyball), and Bryan Vitug (Arellano men's volleyball) were the Volleyball Coaches of the Year. —JKC, GMA Integrated News
Yahoo
11-06-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Broadband is the bridge to a better future. Why are West Virginians still waiting?
Around 25% of West Virginians live without access to high-speed internet. (Trumzz | Getty Images) In the heart of West Virginia's rural landscape, the promise of new job opportunities through online training is overshadowed by a glaring problem: a lack of reliable broadband access. For residents like Dee and Bobby, this digital divide isn't just an inconvenience; it's a barrier to building better lives and a more prosperous future. Dee, in Wyoming County, is trying to restart her life after battling addiction and losing custody of her children. Last month, she enrolled in an online training program that promised to prepare her for a remote customer service job. Such jobs could be a lifeline in rural counties like hers, where traditional employment is scarce. But Dee immediately hit a roadblock. Her home internet failed to meet the minimum speed requirements for a remote interview, let alone sustained remote work. Her hopes faded because of infrastructure deficiencies outside her control. Despite her resolve, her ability to secure a sustainable livelihood and rebuild her family remains on hold. Bobby, a resident of a remote holler in Putnam County, has a similar story. He enrolled in an Adult Collegiate Education program to become an HVAC technician, aiming to increase his earning potential. But when winter weather made it unsafe to drive out of the holler, he lacked the internet access needed to keep up with coursework. Like many in rural communities without broadband, Bobby isn't being held back by a lack of ambition or ability, but by the absence of a basic prerequisite most Americans take for granted. These stories aren't isolated. They represent the daily struggles of the 25% of West Virginians who live without access to high-speed internet. Nationwide, the digital divide still affects more than 14 million people, mostly in rural and low-income areas. But the gap is particularly stubborn in West Virginia, where rugged terrain and sparse populations make traditional broadband expansion more expensive, and where broadband buildouts have too often stalled due to bureaucratic delays. The situation is worsening. Communities can no longer count on promised funding from federal initiatives like the Broadband Equity, Access and Deployment (BEAD) program to materialize on time or to support the most effective technologies. Meanwhile, deployment delays continue as providers and utilities argue over who will pay to replace aging poles. These fights have little to do with the lives at stake. But this doesn't have to be the end of the story. In McKee, Kentucky, a town tucked into the Appalachian Mountains like many in West Virginia, a nonprofit called the People's Rural Telephone Cooperative (PRTC) has shown what's possible. With support from federal funds, local investment, and a clear community mandate, PRTC has built and maintained a fiber broadband network that now offers above-average speeds. The project connected residents not just to the internet, but to jobs. More than 600 work-from-home positions have been created in partnership with job-training nonprofits, and the region has seen its unemployment rate drop by an astonishing five percentage points. This model works because it is rooted in local ownership and accountability. It treats broadband not as a speculative venture for private profit but as public infrastructure, no less vital than roads or electricity. It also aligns broadband access with workforce development from the start, ensuring people are trained for the very jobs that connectivity unlocks. West Virginia can replicate this success. Local organizations must be empowered and funded to close broadband gaps, while aligning closely with job-training providers to meet community needs. Strategic investment in community-based broadband cooperatives, especially those leveraging fiber, can create jobs in installation, maintenance, and the digital economy. Broadband access is not a luxury. It is the foundation for economic mobility in the 21st century. Without it, education, career advancement, health care and entrepreneurship are out of reach. And without those, rural residents remain locked in cycles of poverty and dependence, no matter how hard they work. If we're serious about creating real economic opportunity in West Virginia, we must stop waiting for ideal conditions and start investing in real solutions. That means prioritizing broadband expansion as a matter of economic justice. Until people like Dee and Bobby have a fair shot at success, none of us should be satisfied. SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX
Otago Daily Times
10-06-2025
- Business
- Otago Daily Times
Balm a well-oiled business
They live together, go to school together and now they are in business together — naturally. St Hilda's Collegiate boarders Ellie Templeton, Meg Miller, Greer Egan and Emi Martin, all 17, are taking part in the Young Enterprise Scheme. The business studies students have developed a 100% natural leather restoring balm which they are selling under the brand Nature's Prime. With three from farming backgrounds, the group was passionate about promoting primary industries and finding an alternative use for products. They researched what leather conditioners were on the market and, while some had similar ingredients, none were made with all New Zealand-sourced natural ingredients which was what they wanted to achieve, they said. They also wanted a balm that would appeal to both urban and rural consumers, suitable for all leather goods — from bags, shoes and furniture to saddlery, belts and boots. The balm was made from beeswax, lanolin, avocado oil and sunflower oil and it was manufactured at Beauty NZ in Mosgiel. That followed a lot of testing — including most things leather at their own homes — and also validation from some well-known companies including Hinterland, Honest Wolf, Merchant and McKinlays Footwear. Meanwhile, their felted wool applicators came from Wool Technologies in Christchurch. Made from 100% New Zealand wool, they were recycled offcuts from woollen wine bags. All four had their own positions in the business: Ellie was chief executive and production director, Greer and Emi shared the role of chief financial officer and administration while Meg was tasked with communications and marketing and was really hoping to get Nature's Prime on television. The four were grateful for the opportunity to take part in Young Enterprise, with Ellie saying it had shown them the practical side of what business or commerce could look like. Having to approach businesses and suppliers had given them a confidence boost and they also had to have confidence in their product. They had learned valuable business and practical skills "rather than just constantly learning out of books". The students, who said they were grateful for the support they had received — particularly from their families — hoped Nature's Prime might continue in the background when they went to university.
Yahoo
11-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Arts Calendar: Happenings for the Week of May 11
A horrifying trip to a new 'Final Destination,' collegiate self-reinvention in 'Overcompensating,' a new 'Faust,' and more.
