Latest news with #HighPointUniversity
Yahoo
29-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
City job market remains steady
HIGH POINT — The local unemployment rate released Wednesday reflects the remarkable recovery of the economy from the depths of the coronavirus pandemic. The city unemployment rate was 4% last month. By contrast, the High Point jobless level five years ago as the pandemic emerged was 17.4%, one of the highest rates since the state began keeping North Carolina municipal jobless numbers in 1976. The city jobless rate reached over 10% — the sign of a struggling job market — for four consecutive months from April to July of 2020. Last month, the city jobless rate was down from 4.3% in March and 4.1% in April of last year, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported Wednesday. 'Unemployment remains well below 5%, often considered a standard for a healthy job market,' said Mike McCully, associate professor of economics at High Point University. 'The job market has been extremely resilient after recovering from the COVID crisis in 2020.' McCully told The High Point Enterprise that economic sectors continue to be mixed compared to a year ago. 'The metro area is doing well in the education sector and professional services,' he said. 'The sectors facing greater challenges are local manufacturing, leisure and hospitality.' Statewide, unemployment rates decreased in all 100 counties from March to April, the N.C. Department of Commerce reported Wednesday. All 15 of the state's metropolitan areas posted rate decreases over the month. When compared to the same month last year, unemployment rates increased in 87 counties, decreased in five and remained unchanged in eight. Fourteen metropolitan areas recorded rate increases over the year, and one remained unchanged. However, all 100 North Carolina counties posted April jobless rates at or below 5%, historically the indicator of a healthy local job market. In March, 92 counties recorded rates at or below 5%. No counties posted unemployment rates in March and April at or above 10%, the sign of a struggling local job market. The number of workers employed statewide increased in April by 347 to 5.106 million while the number unemployed decreased by 14,207 to 180,760. Since April 2024, the number of workers employed statewide has decreased by 10,602, while the number unemployed has increased by 14,194.
Yahoo
20-05-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
FOX8 looks back 100 years at Scopes Trial
DAYTON, Tenn. (WGHP) — In the spring of 1925, few people had heard of the small town of Dayton, Tennessee. By that summer, few people hadn't heard of the town. Dayton had fallen on hard times in the first quarter of the 20th century. The population had fallen from 3,000 to about 1,800, and the city fathers were looking for a quick fix. 'The town boosters … did indeed get together and think, 'How can we draw attention to our town? How can we infuse much-needed revenue through tourism? How can we boost our town's … economic activity?'' High Point University History Professor Joey Fink said. The idea they came up with was to play off a recently passed law in the state that forbade the teaching of anything other than Biblical creation to explain the existence of humans. A young man named John Scopes was a substitute science teacher at Dayton High School. The town leaders got together and asked him if he'd taught evolution since the textbook the state assigned to high school science included evolution as a theory. Scopes said he wasn't sure he did teach evolution, but he'd be willing to say he did since he prepared classes for a test on the science textbook. That's all the city needed to take him to trial and start what was the first trial of the century. More than 200 journalists from around the country and even some from overseas came to cover the trial. Dayton was at the center of attention and having an argument that most people didn't correctly understand. 'The argument in 1925 in Dayton, Tennessee, had as much to do with World War I and industrialization as it did with the parents of Tennessee school children,' Fink said. That's because the town embraced the fight as a way to get people to come visit. Among those who did was Baltimore Sun reporter and commentator H.L. Mencken, who said he found the town much more pleasant than he had imagined. The town's bet was paying off. The other big attraction besides whether Scopes had broken the law was the two lawyers at the head of it. Three-time Democratic presidential nominee William Jennings Bryan was the 'defender of the faith' prosecuting Scopes. Clarence Darrow, perhaps the most famous attorney in the country, defended Scopes for the American Civil Liberties Union which was the one who brought the case on the grounds of academic freedom. It was seen by many as another clash between faith and science. Fink said that's not necessarily so. 'If you trace back let's say your Anglo European history to the Middle Ages, some of our greatest institutions of learning were cathedrals of learning and worship, and it was religious scholars who were the key holders of all kinds of forms of inquiry,' said Fink. 'In early modern Europe, most women were not educated, right? There might be elite women who were educated, but most women were not, but a religious woman … could spend their entire life devoted to educational pursuits.' The country had begun a religious awakening in the latter part of the 19th century that had won some major battles, and it was led by Protestant sects, particularly Pentecostals. 'They were the driving force behind many tensions: the temperance and prohibition movements, education of conflict or perceived conflict between science and religion,' Fink said. 'And the idea is that … the first wave of immigrants who were largely from the British Isles or northern Europe or western Europe … were considered to be the sort of foundational culture of America, and the new immigrants, as they were called, coming from places like Italy, largely Catholic or eastern Europe and Jewish. They were seen as undesirable immigrants and carrying with them cultural, religious and political beliefs that were incompatible with American values and democracy.' Even in the immediate aftermath of the trial, it wasn't well understood. 'The rights that the ACLU was defending in the Scopes Trial can seem universal, but they were very contextually specific, and the rights that we see in the spotlight today over what's being taught in school or which players are allowed to be on a team, they're contextually specific,' Fink said. 'I think that we have seen many examples where people question what a common set of values and norms in America look like or what they mean? And in many of the moments in American history where this is brought into the spotlight … it's the loudest voices, not the most voices that we hear.' See more on this story in this edition of The Buckley Report. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Business Upturn
03-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Business Upturn
Emmy Award-Winning Actress Jane Seymour Tells 2025 Graduates to Embrace Change
HIGH POINT, N.C., May 03, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — High Point University celebrated the Class of 2025 and honored those undergraduate students who crossed the stage today during two Commencement ceremonies inside the Nido and Mariana Qubein Arena and Conference Center. HPU President Nido Qubein welcomed graduates and their thousands of friends and family members to the arena for the first Commencement ceremony, which started at 9 a.m. and was followed by a second ceremony at 2:30 p.m. The need for two ceremonies to recognize 947 students who earned their bachelor's degree this spring reflects HPU's incredible growth over the past two decades. HPU will award nearly 1,700 undergraduate and graduate degrees in total throughout the 2024-2025 academic year. 'Graduates, we're proud of your accomplishments and we salute you as extraordinary ambassadors for High Point University,' Qubein said. Qubein also introduced Emmy- and Golden Globe-winning actress Jane Seymour, who delivered the Commencement address to undergraduate students. Before her speech, he presented Seymour, one of Hollywood's most endearing actresses and the star of the TV show 'Dr. Quinn, Medicine Woman,' with an Honorary Doctorate of Fine Arts. 'For those who don't know me yet, I never did manage to go to college, so this is as close as I'm going to get to a doctorate,' Seymour told the crowd. 'Although my catchphrase on 'Dr. Quinn' was 'I'm not a woman. I'm a doctor.' Well, now I'm a real one. Thank you, High Point University.' Actress Jane Seymour Addresses Graduates Qubein said Seymour flew in from Ireland, where she's busy filming a movie, to speak at today's Commencement ceremony. Seymour told the new graduates that life is serendipitous and that they need to be resilient and willing to adapt to change to live an authentic life. To emphasize her point, she shared her early experiences of having flat feet and a speech impediment, which led to her taking ballet lessons and speech therapy lessons. Both changed her life. Seymour said those setbacks as a child prepared her to be an accomplished ballerina and actress who has appeared in more than 100 films, TV shows and Broadway plays. She received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in 1999. 'Your job is not to control the path. You walk it boldly and openly,' Seymour said. 'Do not fear the unknown. Do not panic when life doesn't follow the script. It won't, and that's a gift. You might find years from now that the best thing that ever happened to you looked like the worst thing at first. Rejection, heartbreak, a job that didn't come — that's just life reshaping your story. There's power in staying open to people and to the next wave because life is like a wave. Right now, you're riding high. This is your big moment. You should be proud of it.' But when the wave hits the bottom, gather momentum to rise again and be open to something new, Seymour said. She told graduates that not every outcome will be favorable, but every one of them will provide a lesson. 'Often, with humble reflection, the unfavorable becomes favorable. It transforms, and that's the power of resilience.' 'That's the thing about life,' she said. 'You can try to design the perfect plan, but life often laughs at our plans and good news turns out to be detours. Bad news turns into blessings. You lose something, but you gain something.' In addition to her prolific acting career, Seymour started the Open Hearts Foundation, a nonprofit organization that was inspired by her mother, who was a prisoner in a Japanese internment camp during World War II. She has also co-authored several children's books and self-help books and created jewelry, scarves and clothes under her Jane Seymour Designs label. 'Don't cling to the plan. Embrace the possibility,' Seymour said. 'Don't live for approval. Live for passion. Live to make this world a better place with your unique gifts and follow it wherever it leads. And if it doesn't work out, you still lived authentically and that in the end is success. So, go forward now, boldly, fearlessly, curiously, generously, vulnerably and humbly. High Point University has prepared you for greatness, but life will prepare you for meaning.' Qubein and Seymour have each received the prestigious Horatio Alger Award, given to exceptional leaders who have triumphed over adversity and personify the American Dream. He was presented with the honor in 2006, and Seymour followed in 2022. John Maxwell Awarded Honorary Doctorate Before presenting Seymour with her honorary doctorate, Qubein gave an Honorary Doctorate of Humane Letters to Dr. John C. Maxwell, the bestselling author and internationally renowned leadership expert. As the founder of The John Maxwell Company, The John Maxwell Team, EQUIP and The John Maxwell Foundation, Maxwell has trained more than 5 million leaders globally. Maxwell also delivered the address at HPU's Baccalaureate service for graduates and families on May 2 at Wesley Memorial Methodist Church in High Point. He serves as HPU's Executive Coach in Residence and regularly visits campus to mentor students. Senior Class of 2025 President Speaks Senior Class of 2025 President Emma Higgins, an electrical engineering major from Yonkers, New York, shared her experience of feeling confused four years ago when she received greetings of 'welcome home' when she initially arrived at HPU. During her time on campus, home gradually stopped being a physical place and instead became the other students, faculty and people who surrounded her, comforted her and encouraged her. 'Now, as we stand here on the edge of the next great thing, I beg you to ask what brought us here today,' Higgins said. 'Home became where your heart stretched, broke, grew and was pieced back together again by the love of the people around you. And they say home is where the heart is, and well, this university certainly gained ours.' Higgins was one of nearly 1,000 undergraduate students who were honored today by HPU. On May 1, about 340 graduate students were recognized at the Graduate Commencement Ceremony, which included doctoral degrees in education, medical sciences and pharmacy. Separate ceremonies are held throughout the year for other programs such as physical therapy and physician assistant studies, as well as December Commencement. This weekend's ceremonies are another milestone for a banner year for HPU. In addition to celebrating its Centennial Anniversary in the 2024-2025 academic year, HPU also welcomed its largest total enrollment of 6,335 students when the year began. The university also welcomed its first cohorts of graduate students to the Kenneth F. Kahn School of Law and the Workman School of Dental Medicine last fall. HPU Commencement Traditions As is tradition, President Qubein delivered the final senior sendoff titled 'Onward with Faithful Courage' to the Class of 2025 and their parents on May 2 in the Nido and Mariana Qubein Arena and Conference Center. 'This is not the end of your educational cycle,' he told families who packed the conference center. 'This is the beginning of your educational journey. The pro understands that adversity is an opportunity, that faith is a blessing, that generosity is a habit and that distinction is your goal. Your parents gave you roots. HPU has given you wings. I can't wait to see what you do with the rest of your life.' In keeping with another tradition at HPU's graduation ceremony, a bald eagle named Clark soared over the graduates at the end of the ceremony to symbolize the ideals of free enterprise, independence and the ability to pursue new opportunities in America. The eagle flew as the HPU Chamber Singers performed 'America the Beautiful.' Every graduate also received a blanket after the ceremony to give to someone special in their lives who cared enough about them to sacrifice in support of that graduate's higher education. Members of HPU's Class of 1975 were also in attendance as they celebrated the 50th anniversary of their graduation from what was then known as High Point College. Attachments HPU Commencement 1 HPU Commencement 2 Disclaimer: The above press release comes to you under an arrangement with GlobeNewswire. Business Upturn takes no editorial responsibility for the same.
The Irish Sun
02-05-2025
- The Irish Sun
Irish-English officer opens up on brutal time fighting Al Qaeda butchers in Iraq & Afghanistan after 9/11 terror attack
AN Irish-English officer who took up his family's tradition of military service has told of his time deployed in the Middle East - including a moment that warmed his heart and another that 'changed him forever'. Mark Stoneman, 56, was inspired by his grandfather, who fought in the Advertisement 5 Mark was deployed in Iraq and Afghanistan Credit: markstoneman 5 The Middle East was ravaged by war after the 9/11 terrorist attack Credit: markstoneman Born to an Irish mum and At 18, he moved to Mark told us: 'When I applied I ran into the British class system where if I wasn't from the right family and didn't go to the right 'I have an interview and everything is going swimmingly with a retired officer, he liked me, it became so apparent that I was qualified for the job until he said, 'When was your dad an officer?', and I said, 'He wasn't, he was a private', and he went 'Oh', and that was the end of the interview. Advertisement READ MORE IN NEWS 'And I was very disillusioned so I up and left, I went to America and got a scholarship to Mark studied history at High Point University in He quickly climbed the ranks to become an officer before the horrific 9/11 terrorist attack on Manhattan's Twin Towers, which led to the US invasion of Saddam Hussain-controlled Mark said: '9/11 happened and I was like, I can't get out now. Advertisement Most read in Irish News GOING AFTER ENEMY 'I knew that we were going to war, I knew I had a duty to lead my soldiers, and there'd be combat. I had just been promoted to captain. 'Everything was focused on Iraq, going there, keeping people alive. Mastermind behind 9/11 attacks Khalid Sheikh Mohammed agrees plea deal to avoid death penalty after years in jail "I wasn't part of the invasion in 2003 but I was in command of a unit in 2004 of about 106 soldiers. 'I had about six months to train them. We went to Iraq for a year where we were responsible for the stability, security, and development of three villages, about 50,000 people. Advertisement 'For a year we were in combat with insurgents, Iraqis who didn't want us there, but they were also attacking civilians trying to go about their daily lives, and my obligation was to protect them as much as to go after the enemy.' Mark said that while some in the Diyala Province in Iraq were grateful for their presence, there was constant combat with 'If someone was working with us, say we hired an electrician to fix streetlight, which happened, they killed that guy to send a message to everyone else, don't work with the Americans, even though we were trying to do something good. RITUAL KILLING 'We fought against Advertisement 'It was long periods of boredom interspersed with moments of sheer terror, we were driving around, most days nothing would happen, then some days they would shoot a rocket at us, you could never predict when it was going to happen, it was a constant challenge as a leader.' And Mark revealed one of the worst things he came across while deployed. He told us: 'Towards the end there was a guy that I became very friendly with. He was the mayor of the village. 'I thought he was coming around to democracy and moving his country forward. Advertisement 'Then one night I was eating dinner with him and he informed me there's going to be a ritual killing the next day of two teenagers caught having extramarital sex, that violated the norms so the respective families were going to execute them. 'I was completely shocked and disappointed, all this work we had put in for GLIMPSE OF HUMANITY While on his second deployment in Iraq in 2010, Mark suffered a devastating attack on the soldiers he was training. He said: 'Al Qaeda attacked the base we were on, they blew up a 500 pound bomb at the gate, a couple hundred feet from where I was and killed all the Iraqis guarding it, that was probably the worst point, I knew those guys.' Advertisement But he explained there were moments of humanity among the constant fighting, including in 2005 sport brought the soldiers and locals together. He said: 'I supported Ipswich town 'And someone I'd never met collected 500 shirts and we managed to get them out and we gave them to men and boys and outfitted a whole league with these shirts. 'Regardless of us being there, we could unite around football, we could agree that playing football was a good thing. Advertisement 'I look back on that as one of the happiest moments of my life, we were able to do something for these people who were dirt poor.' Mark, now a history teacher in He told us: 'My brain works differently now that it did in 2004, because you're constantly under stress, every day. I'm functional and I have a good life but it changes you.' MARK'S book 'Driving Around, Waiting To Get Blown Up' is available now. Advertisement 5 The US army deployed troops to Iraq in 2003 Credit: markstoneman 5 Mark has written a book on his experiences Credit: markstoneman 5 Mark was the head of a peacekeeping force Credit: markstoneman
Yahoo
30-04-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
City jobless rate holds steady
HIGH POINT — Local employers remained in a hiring mode as winter faded, continuing the extended recovery of the High Point job market from the coronavirus pandemic. The city of High Point unemployment rate was 4.4% in March, unchanged from February and down from 4.6% in March of last year, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported Tuesday. The rate for this March was noticeably improved from the 6.9% level in March 2021 during COVID-19's impact on the economy. 'The unemployment rate remains below 5%, often considered the standard for a healthy job market,' said Mike McCully, associate professor of economics at High Point University. Over the past year, hiring has been strong in education, health care and professional services, McCully told The High Point Enterprise. 'Leisure and hospitality and manufacturing have faced the biggest challenges during the past year,' he said. The solid foundation of the North Carolina economy should help preserve job opportunities. 'The area's tax incentives, and our very strong air and highway transportation hubs, should continue to attract new businesses in the long run,' McCully said. Statewide, unemployment rates decreased in 43 counties from February to March, increased in 29 and remained unchanged in 28. Seven of the state's metropolitan areas posted rate increases, five recorded decreases and three remained unchanged, the N.C. Department of Commerce reported Tuesday. When compared to March of last year, unemployment rates increased in 44 counties, decreased in 30 and remained unchanged in 26. Seven metropolitan areas recorded rate increases over the year, five posted decreases and three remained unchanged. The number of counties with unemployment rates at or below 5% totaled 92 in March compared to 91 in February. No counties recorded unemployment rates in February or March at or above 10%, historically the sign of a struggling job market. The number of workers employed statewide increased in March by 30,225 to 5.1 million while the number unemployed decreased by 191 to 195,211. Since March 2024, the number of workers employed statewide decreased by 8,623, while the number unemployed increased by 4,939. pjohnson@ | 336-888-3528 | @HPEpaul
