Latest news with #MenloCollege
Yahoo
16-04-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Stanford supports Harvard's rejection of Trump administration DEI demands
The Brief Harvard rejected demands from the Trump administration to eliminate its DEI policies. Stanford supports Harvard's response to the demands. Stanford has not said how it plans to respond to DEI demands from the Trump administration. STANFORD, Calif. - Stanford says it supports Harvard after the university announced that it will not eliminate its DEI initiatives. Stanford officials stopped short of saying how they plan to respond to demands to eliminate DEI by the Trump administration. The Trump administration says it's freezing $2.2 billion in federal funding for Harvard. Despite this, Stanford says Harvard's stance is about liberty and that's worth defending. "I know there's a lot of fear that money will be taken away," said Riya Aghi, a first-year Stanford student. Aghi says she supports Stanford's leadership, who announced support for Harvard's decision not to eliminate its DEI initiatives. As a pre-law student, she says she's concerned that the courses she thinks are vital to her future in law will no longer be offered. "It's really hard to hear your professors say the class I'm teaching right now may not be taught, when it's about race and politics and things that really do matter," said Aghi. The backstory Late last week, the Trump administration sent a letter laying out demands for Harvard that included creating merit-based hiring and admissions policies as well as removing its Diversity, Equity and Inclusion or DEI policies. The Administration said nearly $9 billion is at stake if Harvard doesn't comply. "The Trump administration has been saying, no. These universities are full of antisemitism and racism. They're problematic and they're woke. We have to push back against those universities, and we have to change what they're doing," said Melissa Michelson, Menlo College political science professor. What they're saying In response, Harvard President and Stanford graduate Alan Garber released this letter on Monday, rejecting the demands. Though Stanford hasn't said how it will respond to those same demands, Stanford released this statement saying: "America's universities are a source of great national strength, creating knowledge and driving innovation and economic growth. This strength has been built on government investment but not government control. The Supreme Court recognized this years ago when it articulated the essential freedoms of universities under the First Amendment as the ability to determine who gets to teach, what is taught, how it is taught, and who is admitted to study. Universities need to address legitimate criticisms with humility and openness. But the way to bring about constructive change is not by destroying the nation's capacity for scientific research, or through the government taking command of a private institution. Harvard's objections to the letter it received are rooted in the American tradition of liberty, a tradition essential to our country's universities, and worth defending." – Pres. Jonathan Levin & Provost Jenny Martinez, Stanford "What's going to happen with Harvard? Is this going to turn out well for them or not? So, they (Stanford) can't be too enthusiastically supportive just in case that turns out to be the wrong direction," said Michelson. Federal funding was also frozen for other schools, including Brown, Princeton and Cornell. KTVU reached out to Stanford for comment but didn't hear back in time for this report. The Source The Stanford Report, The Stanford Daily, The Harvard Crimson, Associated Press
Yahoo
04-03-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Measure A: San Mateo County voters to decide if supes can have power to fire sheriff
The Brief Measure A gives San Mateo County board of supervisors power to fire elected sheriff. Sheriff Cristina Corpus has been under fire for months after being accused of abuse of power and corruption. Corpus denies allegations, says she's being targeted for being Latina, and a woman in power. REDWOOD CITY, Calif. - San Mateo County voters on Tuesday will decide how to handle the fate of Sheriff Christina Corpus by deciding whether to give the board of supervisors the power to fire her. Measure A is the only item on the ballot. It's not a vote to remove the sheriff from office – that would be a recall. Instead, voters are being asked if they want to temporarily change the county charter to give power to the board of supervisors to fire an elected sitting sheriff. Calls for Corpus to resign have gone on for months, after a more than 400-page report detailed allegations of abuse of power and corruption. Corpus is also accused of creating a toxic workplace environment, which includes using homophobic and racial slurs and having a relationship with a colleague she later promoted to assistant sheriff. Several Peninsula cities have asked for her resignation and made statements enacting votes of no confidence. Among those supporting the measure are the unions representing the sheriff's deputies and supervisors. They accuse her of wrongly arresting one of their leaders for calling out her corruption. The longer she stays in office, they said, the more public safety takes a hit. "The morale of the Sheriff's Office is as low as I've ever seen it," Sgt. Sean Harper of the Organization of Sheriff's Sergeants said. "People are anxious and afraid, scared to get arrested." Corpus continues to deny the allegations and claims she's being targeted for being a woman in power, specifically the first Latina sheriff of the county. Her lawyer, Bradley Gage, said he plans to file a challenge in court if Measure A is approved. "We think it's an unconstitutional election," he said Tuesday morning. "We think it's discriminatory because it goes into effect now, targeting one person, and one person only – the first female Latina sheriff and it ends after her term is over in 2028." Gage also said that he believes the measure is a waste of taxpayer money and will be subject to a number of legal challenges "that will be taking place, pretty much no matter what happens." Gage said that this saga started when certain unnamed people were unhappy with certain unspecified actions taken by the sheriff "to help get rid of corruption" and by "folks who were upset that they weren't promoted." If passed, the sheriff could be removed from office – with cause – if four out of five county supervisors vote that way. Measure A would also expire in 2028, which lines up with the end of the sheriff's term in office. Menlo College political science expert Melissa Michelson says this is one way to remove the sheriff from office and a much faster method than a recall. "The board of supervisors thought that this was a dire circumstance, such an unusual circumstance, that waiting for the recall to get on the ballot was going to wait too long, that it was too important to try to get permission to remove Sheriff Corpus as quickly as possible," she said. According to county election officials, about 19% of eligible voters have cast a ballot. Officials don't expect the turnout for this one measure to be much higher than that. Polls close at 8 p.m.
Yahoo
26-02-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Moanalua wrestler Taam completes Grand Slam, undefeated prep career
Wrestling history was made over the weekend at the HHSAA State Wrestling Championships, where Moanalua senior Tyger Taam capped off a legendary prep career with a fourth consecutive state title. The 144-pound champion joined an elite group of wrestlers by completing the Grand Slam, but what truly sets him apart is his perfect record. Over the past four years, Taam never lost a match, finishing his high school career with a mind-boggling 98-0 record, solidifying his place among Hawaii's all-time wrestling greats. For Taam, the journey to perfection required relentless discipline. 'Every week, cutting weight, practicing, sacrificing going to parties, not eating, missing out on events—it's a lot,' Taam said. 'But it's all worth it. I would never take it for granted because it was a great time, even though I might have been really hungry sometimes or stressed out from the pressure. I appreciate that it happened.' Even with an unbeaten record, there were days when Taam didn't feel at his best—whether battling fatigue, illness, or simply being out of rhythm. But he found ways to push through. 'Whenever I'm feeling down, I always tell myself that not everything is going to be perfect or go the way I want,' he said. 'I just have to push myself through it because in life, things won't always go the way I want. It's all about how I adapt.' With high school in the rearview mirror, Taam is preparing for the next chapter at Menlo College, where his sights are set on even greater goals. 'I want to become a Division II national champ, and I believe I will,' Taam said. 'Believing in yourself is the most important thing in wrestling. You can train as much as you want, but at the end of the day, the guy who is mentally stronger is going to do better. Your mind will break a lot faster than your body will, so I always tell myself to push through and believe in myself.' Taam wasn't the only wrestler to complete the Grand Slam over the weekend. Kamehameha-Maui's Mikah Labuanan, competing in the 150-pound division, became the first male wrestler from the Valley Isle to win four consecutive state titles. In the team competition, Kamehameha-Kapalama took home the boys' championship, while Moanalua claimed the girls' title to cap off an unforgettable weekend on the mat. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
