Latest news with #DistinguishedPublicServiceAward
Yahoo
28-05-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Eastern graduate division confers 100 master's degrees
WILLIMANTIC — Eastern Connecticut State University celebrated graduation with nearly 100 master's degree students at its Graduate Division Commencement at the Fine Arts Instructional Center Concert Hall. Degree recipients were given remarks from Connecticut Attorney General William Tong and were ceremonially hooded as they walked across the stage. The degrees received were in accounting, education (early childhood, elementary and secondary education), management, applied data science, special education and educational studies/technology. The ages of the graduates ranged from 21 to 72. Tong was the recipient of Eastern's inaugural Distinguished Public Service Award. In his address, Tong discussed the motivation behind his career. 'The reason why I do this work is because I know there are a lot of 'nobodies' in this world,' he said. He then went on to refer to himself as a 'nobody' when referencing his upbringing. Tong grew up the son of Chinese immigrants and worked in his parents' Chinese restaurant in Wethersfield. 'There are a lot of people who feel invisible,' Tong said. 'I want to help them because I know what they're going through.' Tong told his story as a call to action for the graduates: 'See the people who don't look exactly like you; they're your people too. Remember who you really are, recognize who your people are, and fight for them.' Eastern President Karim Ismaili who for the first time at Eastern's graduation, delivered the congratulatory remarks. 'Earning a graduate degree is a tremendous achievement, one that requires discipline, perseverance, and an unwavering commitment to your goals,' Ismaili said. 'You embody the spirit of Eastern: purposeful, thoughtful, and ready to serve.' Shellena Pitterson, a graduating member of the class and a drafter for facilities management and planning at Eastern, delivered the graduate student address. 'Grad school is like a rollercoaster: exciting at first, terrifying in the middle, and by the end, you're just holding on for dear life,' Pitterson said. 'We've navigated assignments, exams, late nights and let's be honest-the occasional existential crisis.'
USA Today
02-05-2025
- Entertainment
- USA Today
Tom Cruise's romances: A timeline, from Nicole Kidman to Katie Holmes, other stars
Tom Cruise's romances: A timeline, from Nicole Kidman to Katie Holmes, other stars Show Caption Hide Caption Tom Cruise awarded US Navy's top civilian award for 'valor' Tom Cruise has been honored with the US Navy's highest civilian award, the Distinguished Public Service Award, for his "outstanding contributions" to the military through his iconic screen roles. unbranded - Entertainment One of Hollywood's leading men has also been one of the industry's leading love interests. Tom Cruise's relationships have been high-profile since his rise to fame, with marriages to A-list actresses Nicole Kidman and Katie Holmes and nearly a dozen relationships and romantic entanglements with other film stars over the years. Cruise, July 3, 1962, has spoken very little about his relationships over the years (aside from one notable exception on Oprah's couch). But speculation about his relationships continues to fuel public fascination. Now, Cruise's public outings with "Knives Out" breakout star Ana de Armas, 37, are fueling rumors about whether they are more than professional collaborators. Take a trip down memory lane as we examine Cruise's storied dating history. Tom Cruise's first marriage: Mimi Rogers, 1987-90 The first of Cruise's three marriages was to "The Rapture" actress Mimi Rogers. Rogers reportedly introduced Cruise to the Church of Scientology, of which he is still a member and has long been an advocate. When they married, Rogers was 32 while Cruise was 24. According to interviews, the two dated in the '80s; they met at a dinner party. Rogers alluded to the Sun Sentinel that friends were playing matchmaker with the two of them, while Cruise recalled to Rolling Stone in the June 1986 issue that Rogers "was dating a friend" when they met. He added, "I thought she was extremely bright." Their wedding, which they referred to using the codeword "The Project," was a "very small, very private and completely normal" ceremony that took place on May 9, 1987, Rogers told the Sun Sentinel. Per a People report at the time, "The Outsiders" co-star and childhood friend Emilio Estevez was Cruise's best man. In yet another Rolling Stone interview – which reportedly took place in November and published in January 1990 – Cruise was effusive in expressing his love for Rogers and admitted to never having been in love before her. "Since I've been with her, it's opened me up a lot. I think it's helped me be a better actor. We live a lot of life together. We share everything," he said, later adding, "I care about my wife more than anything in the world. She's my best friend. I just really like being with her, you know? I love her." Less than a week after the Rolling Stone cover story was published, Rogers and Cruise announced they were divorcing. "While there have been very positive aspects to our marriage, there were some issues which could not be resolved even after working on them for a period of time," the statement read. Second marriage: Nicole Kidman, 1990-2001 By the end of 1990, Cruise had thrown himself into a new marriage: this time with fellow blockbuster star Nicole Kidman. Months after meeting on the set of "Days of Thunder," the two married on Dec. 24, 1990, when Kidman was 23 and Cruise was 28. "I thought he was the sexiest man I'd ever seen in my life," Kidman told Vanity Fair in an interview that was published in July 1995. "So it started on lust." Cruise agreed the relationship started with "instant lust," but marrying the "Moulin Rouge!" actress was "the best decision I ever made." "I thought she was amazingly sexy and stunning. It grew into love and respect," he told the magazine. "I knew she was it for me. I absolutely knew — I just knew it. I thought, 'This is the person to be able to share all of who I am with, and her with me.'" In the same interview, Kidman confirmed she was a Scientologist but declined to elaborate on it because "it gets misinterpreted and misrepresented." Over their decade-long marriage, the two welcomed two children – Isabella Cruise, 32, and Connor Cruise, 30 – through adoption and also co-starred in the 1992 film "Far and Away." In February 2001, they announced their split. With their marriage in the rearview mirror, Kidman shared in a 2007 Marie Claire interview that at the beginning of her union with Cruise, she'd experienced an ectopic pregnancy, a dangerous condition that occurs when a fertilized egg implants outside of the uterus. She then had a miscarriage at the end of their marriage. "It was incredibly traumatic for me," she told the magazine. A few years later, Kidman mused that her and Cruise's difference in maturity factored into their divorce, telling Vanity Fair in 2013: "I was a child, really, when I got married. And I needed to grow up." Third marriage: Katie Holmes, 2006-2012 "Dawson's Creek" star Holmes and Cruise made their debut in 2005, got engaged in front of the Eiffel Tower that summer and welcomed their daughter, Suri Cruise, now 19, in April 2006. They married later that year, in November 2006, at a medieval castle in the town of Bracciano, located outside of Rome. Holmes was 27. Cruise was 44. The Scientology-themed ceremony reportedly had a star-studded guest list, with attendees that included Steven Spielberg, Will and Jada Pinkett-Smith, Jennifer Lopez and Marc Anthony, and Jim Carrey. Yes, this was the romance that inspired Cruise, who was promoting "War of the Worlds" at the time, to hop atop a couch during a bizarre "Oprah Winfrey Show" sit-down. The stunt had Winfrey declaring, "We've never seen you behave this way before." The couple's five-year relationship provided ample fodder for tabloids, as Cruise and Holmes developed the couple name "TomKat." As such, their 2012 divorce was met with a media frenzy. But the former couple struck a professional tone in their joint statement that read: "We are committed to working together as parents to accomplishing what is in our daughter Suri's best interests. We want to keep matters affecting our family private and express our respect for each other's commitment to each of our respective beliefs and support each other's roles as parents." Reports at the time noted that one of the reasons for the split was that Holmes wanted to protect their daughter from Scientology. Cruise has been a member of the Church of Scientology since the 1980s and has been a longtime advocate. Tom Cruise dated Penélope Cruz, was also linked to Cher and Melissa Gilbert During an appearance on "Watch What Happens Live with Andy Cohen" in 2017, Melissa Gilbert confirmed she dated Cruise (at the time known as Tom Mapother) at "16 or 17," which would put Cruise around 18 or 19 years old. "We made out, but honestly, there was no sex," she told Cohen. Cher, who reportedly also dated Cruise in the 1980s, told Cohen in 2013 that Cruise was among her top five best lovers. Cruise has also been linked to singer-songwriter Patti Scialfa, who is now married to Bruce Springsteen, and his "Risky Business" co-star Rebecca De Mornay. In the early 2000s, Cruise dated his "Vanilla Sky" co-star Penélope Cruz for a few years.
Yahoo
01-05-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Department of Air Force, Olive Ann Hotel, GrandSky among latest to cut ties with Bruce Gjovig
Apr. 30—GRAND FORKS — Entities ranging from local businesses to the Department of the Air Force have cut ties with Bruce Gjovig since a Friday report documenting the entrepreneur's email exchanges with convicted former state Sen. Ray Holmberg. A Department of the Air Force spokesperson confirmed Tuesday that Gjovig is no longer an Air and Space Force Civic Leader. Civic Leaders are community members selected by the Air Force Chief of Staff who serve as unpaid advisers and liaisons between the Air Force and communities with a significant military presence. Gjovig, who was appointed to the role in 2016 and most recently held emeritus status with the program, is no longer affiliated with the Civic Leader program as of Monday, the spokesperson said. Gjovig was honored with the department's Distinguished Public Service Award last year. Grand Forks' convention center, its principal health care provider, the nearby aviation park and the operators of the Olive Ann Hotel are also among the entities that have ended their association with Gjovig in the past few days. Gjovig told Mayor Brandon Bochenski he is stepping down from the city's Base Retention and Investment Committee, the mayor shared with the Herald on Wednesday. On Friday, a report from The Forum of Fargo-Moorhead detailed email exchanges between Gjovig and Holmberg in 2009 and 2011 where Holmberg boasted of his sexual exploits and at one point stated "no one is ever (too) young," a phrase referenced by prosecutors during the senator's sentencing hearing. Holmberg, who represented Grand Forks as a Republican in the North Dakota Senate from 1977 until his resignation in 2022, was sentenced to 10 years in prison last month for traveling to Prague multiple times between 2011 and 2016 with plans to sexually abuse children. GrandSky Engagement Director Scott Meyer said Tuesday the aviation park is cutting ties with Gjovig in light of The Forum's report. Gjovig was closely associated with efforts to develop the city's unmanned aerial systems industry and served as an unpaid "strategic adviser" for the aviation park. "The abuse of children is appalling, which makes the recent release of Bruce Gjovig's correspondence so disheartening," Meyer said. "We believe it's best to end any relationship with him in light of these revelations." Gjovig has said through his attorney, Cash Aaland, that he was unaware of the "criminal nature" of Holmberg's sexual activity and was "appalled" to learn of the former state senator's conduct. "As a gay man and a Republican, Mr. Gjovig has been an easy mark for political and media attacks," read a Sunday statement from Aaland. "Holmberg created the biggest political scandal in recent North Dakota history. Mr. Gjovig condemns Holmberg's conduct. However, there are always those who, with rumor and innuendo, attempt to exploit scandals for sensational and political reasons." Since the publication of the Forum story, several Grand Forks businesses that displayed artwork from Gjovig's personal collection have taken down the art or removed public references to their display. Landon Bahl, vice president of 322 Hospitality Group, said that Gjovig's artwork is no longer being displayed at the Sweetwaters Coffee and Tea in the Olive Ann Hotel as of Saturday. "Due to recent news, we decided to make that decision," Bahl said. Sweetwaters previously displayed four pieces of original artwork used in Cream of Wheat advertisements between 1913 and 1924. Wheat millers first manufactured the porridge mix in Grand Forks in the late 1800s. 322 Hospitality Group owns and operates the downtown hotel. Altru Health System spokesperson Ken Hanson wrote in a text message to the Herald that the health care provider had begun the process of returning Gjovig's art "in light of recent, very concerning developments." Art from Gjovig's collection had previously been displayed at the Altru Professional Center at 4440 S Washington St. "Altru is committed to fostering a space of healing and respect for all," Hanson wrote. The Alerus Center, the city-owned event and convention facility, has taken down its webpage promoting the Bruce Gjovig Collection, a gallery of Gjovig's private collection and a rotating gallery of works from local artists displayed at the Alerus Center's conference center. General Manager Anna Rosberg wrote in an email to the Herald that the Alerus Center had an agreement with the Public Arts Commission to display the art and did not have a formal relationship with Gjovig. She said the gallery had previously been scheduled for removal this week in advance of a remodel of the conference center and "the future of the public art gallery will be assessed post-renovation." The Public Arts Commission wrote in a Tuesday evening email to the Herald that Gjovig's art had been removed from the Alerus Center as of that day. It said Gjovig had not served on the commission's board for several years and had not provided financial support since then, "nor has any association with the Public Arts Commission." The commission released a public statement late Wednesday afternoon saying it is working to remove art from Gjovig's collection from its permanent galleries. University of North Dakota President Andy Armacost told UND community members in a Tuesday email that he was "sickened" by Holmberg's actions and "the inaction of those who had direct information about his misdeeds." "Information shared in these recent reports mentions several former UND employees connected to Holmberg," Armacost said. "While they have not been accused of criminal action, we will ensure that they have no connection to our university community." Gjovig founded UND's Center for Innovation in 1984 and served as its CEO until stepping down in 2017. Dakota Venture Group, UND's student-run venture capital fund affiliated with the Center for Innovation, has scrubbed references to Gjovig from its website. Gjovig co-founded the venture capital fund in 2006 with investor Bart Holaday and served until recently on the fund's advisory board. Jim Poolman, a Fargo businessman and former Republican lawmaker, resigned his position as board chair of the UND Alumni Association and Foundation on Tuesday after acknowledging federal agents interviewed him about Holmberg in September 2023. Poolman, who has not been charged with a crime, said he has heard nothing from investigators since that interview. He said he resigned because he doesn't want to be a distraction. On Saturday morning, Grand Forks Herald Publisher Korrie Wenzel ended the newspaper's relationship with Gjovig, who for years had served as chairman of the Chamber of Commerce's Herald Business Advisory Committee. The group meets quarterly to discuss business news and trends in the community and region. Gjovig resigned from the committee on Monday.
Yahoo
30-03-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Eastern names Tong, Grant as commencement speakers
WILLIMANTIC — Attorney General William Tong and Dr. Mary Grant will be honored for their service and leadership when they speak at Eastern's 2025 commencement ceremonies. At the university's 135th Undergraduate Commencement on Tuesday, May 20, at the XL Center in Hartford, renowned higher education leader Grant will receive an honorary degree and deliver the keynote address. Tong will be honored with the University's inaugural Distinguished Public Service Award at the graduate ceremony on Saturday, May 17, on Eastern's campus.
USA Today
09-03-2025
- Entertainment
- USA Today
John Goodman suffers on-set injury, filming postponed until he fully recovers: Reports
John Goodman suffers on-set injury, filming postponed until he fully recovers: Reports Show Caption Hide Caption Tom Cruise awarded US Navy's top civilian award for 'valor' Tom Cruise has been honored with the US Navy's highest civilian award, the Distinguished Public Service Award, for his "outstanding contributions" to the military through his iconic screen roles. unbranded - Entertainment John Goodman has suffered an on-set injury while filming in the U.K. and the movie is postponed until he recovers, according to reports. A Warner Bros. spokesperson addressed the injury in a statement Saturday, Deadline and People reported. "Actor John Goodman experienced a hip injury," a Warner Bros. rep said in a statement, according the the outlets. "He received immediate medical attention that led to a brief delay in shooting to allow him time to recover. The production resumes shooting next week following John's full recovery." USA TODAY reached out to reps for Goodman and Warner Bros. for comment. Goodman, 72, was apparently injured while filming the latest movie from Oscar-winning director Alejandro González Iñárritu, whose last films were 2015's "The Revenant" and "Bardo, False Chronicle of a Handful of Truths" in 2022. The buzzy film's IMDB synopsis says the "most powerful man in the world causes a disaster and embarks on a mission to prove that he is the savior of humanity" in the movie. Crew member previously died on 'The Conners' starring John Goodman The actor's injury comes four years after a crew member working on "The Conners," the "Roseanne" spinoff starring Goodman, died after a "fatal medical event." Werner Entertainment, the production company behind the ABC sitcom, confirmed the news to USA TODAY in a statement at the time. "With heavy hearts we regret to confirm that a member of our technical crew suffered a fatal medical event today. He was a much loved member of 'The Conners' and 'Roseanne' families for over 25 years," the statement read. "As we remember our beloved colleague, we ask that you respect the privacy of his family and loved ones as they begin their grieving process." "The Conners" embarks on its seventh and final season later this month on March 26. Contributing: Rasha Ali
