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The Hindu
14-07-2025
- Sport
- The Hindu
Chennai's Flywild Ultimate Frisbee team wins TRIO Invitational Tournament 2025 in Malaysia
There is something about the high you experience, watching an edge-of-the seat victory in a sports movie on the big screen. Closer home however, the sands of Besant Nagar beach that has several teams come together to play Ultimate Frisbee through the year has an inspiring, and almost equally cinematic story to tell. At the TRIO Invitational Tournament 2025 held in Kuala Lumpur earlier this year, Flywild, one of Chennai's most promising Ultimate Frisbee clubs clinched the gold, becoming the first club team from India to win an international tournament. Facing off players from different countries including Indonesia, China, Japan, Thailand, and USA, Flywild played a well-fought final against the team Pancake Men from Philippines and emerged victorious, in what was also the club's first international tournament participation. Sedric Emmanuel, the team's captain, says they initially lost two matches and won one, which meant their fourth match was to decide if they would make it to the quarter-finals. 'We initially struggled through that match. While we play with no pressure back home in Chennai, this was a lot more challenging. We motivated each other as a team and got through,' he says. Once they were in the quarter-finals, their winning streak continued. The tournament was a culmination of four months of practice, and special camps. 'While some of us have played internationally as part of team India in other international tournaments, this was the first international travel experience for many other members,' says Siva Raman, who coached the team and topped the stats board in the tourney as the player with the most goals and assists. 'We took this as a challenge, and decided to create history for Ultimate in India,' he adds. Many young players on the team have inspiring stories to tell, of how their passion for the sport has changed their lives and kept them going through hard times. Paul Pradeep, founder of Puyal, an Ultimate club in Chennai who was also Flywild's manager for the TRIO tournament says that many players who take to playing Ultimate in Chennai, and some who went on this tournament came from disadvantaged backgrounds. Team captain Sedric who is 23-years-old was job-hunting in the run-up to the tournament, and had also suffered a significant financial setback. 'I had to turn down opportunities to participate in tournaments in the UK and Portugal. However, for the TRIO invitational, the Ultimate community and my team helped me secure funds. We are a family, a team of brothers,' says the player, whose father is an auto driver. The sight of grown-up 'annas' diving into the sand, and throwing around a disc nearly 14 years ago is something Akash Palani still cannot forget. 'Many children including me from Thiruvalluvar Nagar were introduced to the game and encouraged to play. It soon became an after-school activity. The game has given me an identity. If you ask about AP, everyone will know me and I have also met so many people from across the world because of this sport,' he says. The Ultimate community, he says, came together to fund and help him complete his college education, to become a physical education trainer. 'I learnt at a young age what 'spirit of the game' means thanks to Ultimate, and this has guided my life throughout,' says the 24-year-old player, who also credits the sport to having given him an opportunity to go to France as a volunteer for the 2024 Summer Olympics. His teammate and a gymnastics coach, P Neelakandan says that being introduced to the sport at a young age immensely helped him with exposure. 'I feel that since we do not play for money, we do not fight and stick together,' he adds. Given that Ultimate thrives on a sport played for passion across the country, many players juggle full-time jobs and make it to practice sessions through the week. S Santhosh, who works as a delivery representative with Swiggy says he finishes his work shifts from 7am to 6pm, and then heads to practice, which goes on till 10pm. 'I took to playing Ultimate when I was 10 years old, after seeing my brother play. The TRIO Invitational was my first international tournament,' says the player, whose father is a watchman. According to Ben Ong, tournament director, winning ahead of the usual Asian powerhouses that are Japan, the Philippines and Singapore has put India on everyone's radar now. 'This is the first time a team from India has come this far in a tournament in Malaysia. Many teams that they beat on their way to the gold medal have already told me they want to come back, and look forward to playing the Flywild players again. I am very happy that all their hard work and sacrifices, especially given some of the players' financial difficulties, has come to fruition and it was a joy to see them play with a lot of heart and win,' he says. This unprecedented win has given the Ultimate community in Chennai, and across the country, much to be enthused about. 'I was part of a team from India that went to Malaysia in 2011 for a tournament. It has taken us 14 years to get that gold medal,' says Abhinav Vinayakh Shankar, a senior player and mentor with Flywild. Abhinav, who saw the young Flywild team clinch the gold as a spirit director for the tournament, says it was very inspiring to see the team as the underdogs, adapt to the local conditions, work together, and rise up to the challenges. 'Teams from India have come to the finals several times in the past and have fallen short. To see the Flywild team seize the opportunity like they did; this is truly what sport is all about,' he says.
Time of India
25-06-2025
- Business
- Time of India
International students in US could bear the brunt as universities face steep federal aid cuts
As federal funding cuts and policy changes loom, US colleges are preparing for major shifts in how they offer financial aid to local and international students . Aid officials across the country are warning that institutional aid budgets may shrink, raising out-of-pocket costs and threatening access for many students, Times Higher Education reports. The warning comes as financial aid administrators gather in Anaheim, California, for the annual National Association of Student Financial Aid Administrators (NASFAA) conference. The atmosphere at the event is marked by uncertainty. Lawmakers are moving ahead with a proposal to overhaul federal student aid policies, including cuts to Pell Grants, loan caps for graduate students, and the elimination of programs like TRIO that support college access. 'Financial aid budgets thrive on predictability,' said NASFAA president Melanie Storey. 'Right now, that's in short supply.' She added that students 'will be expected to pay more for college' if the cuts move forward. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like 23.7% Returns in last 5 years with Shriram Life's ULIP Shriram Life Insurance Undo Financial aid officers from both public and private colleges told Inside Higher Ed that they are already planning for possible reductions. At some institutions, offers made to incoming students for the fall are now uncertain. One senior official at a public research university, speaking anonymously to Times Higher Education, said, 'I think some vulnerable student populations are really going to suffer, or may not be able to attend at all.' (Join our ETNRI WhatsApp channel for all the latest updates) Colleges are not just facing aid cuts. They are also dealing with losses in research funding and possible reductions in state support. In Maine, a free community college program may end after just three years due to budget constraints. Across states, similar aid initiatives could face rollbacks. Live Events MORE STORIES FOR YOU ✕ What are 'digital undertakers' and why you might need one before a US visa application Indian students bare their digital souls to win US visas Social media scans for student visas: The platforms US wants to monitor, and what they're looking for « Back to recommendation stories I don't want to see these stories because They are not relevant to me They disrupt the reading flow Others SUBMIT In Washington, Congress is also considering raising the tax on large college endowments from 1.4% to 8%. Anne Harris, president of Grinnell College, said that the new tax would put pressure on even well-funded schools. 'We will try to keep our no-loan promise, but the strain on aid budgets will increase,' she said. Experts agree that financial aid offices now play a critical role in institutional planning. Some colleges may shift enrolment strategies, such as admitting more out-of-state or international students, to increase revenue. However, that approach is also complicated by tighter immigration policies. For students, this could mean smaller aid packages or the need to turn to private loans.
Yahoo
13-06-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Sen. John Kennedy and Linda McMahon make significant math error in congressional hearing
On Tuesday, Secretary of Education Linda McMahon tested before the Senate on behalf of Trump's 2026 budget. During this hearing, McMahon and Louisiana Sen. John Kennedy were discussing federal spending for grant programs for disadvantaged students when the pair made a significant mathematical error. The math error occurred when the two spoke on how much the government has spent in the duration of ten years on TRIO and the Gaining Early Awareness and Readiness for Undergraduate Programs (GEAR UP). After McMahon confirmed to Kennedy that the government spends approximately $1.58 billion a year on TRIO and has been funding this program for over ten years, Kennedy said, "So that's over a trillion dollars that we've spent on this program..." "We give this money, as I appreciate it, to colleges and universities to encourage poor kids to go to college,' said Kennedy before he went on to imply that colleges have been stealing this grant money from the government for their own purposes, The New Republic reported. McMahon failed to catch and correct Kennedy's math error, however, Sen. John Reed spoke up and corrected the counting mistake. 'I'm not a great mathematician, but I think you were talking about a trillion dollars? I believe $1.5 billion times 10 is $15 billion, and that's a little bit off from a trillion dollars,' said Reed. McMahon said in response that the budget cuts $1.2 billion, to which Reed then replied, "Well that would be $12 billion, not a trillion dollars." Presley Bo Tyler is a reporter for the Louisiana Deep South Connect Team for Gannett/USA Today. Find her on X @PresleyTyler02 and email at PTyler@ This article originally appeared on Shreveport Times: Sen. John Kennedy math error. What he said education costs
Yahoo
12-06-2025
- General
- Yahoo
'One of the biggest milestones in life' reached for Warden grads
Jun. 12—WARDEN — Warden High School held its graduation ceremony last Friday to celebrate its students as they move on from high school and into their futures. "To the class of 2025, we did it. But more importantly, you did," said Miliany Pruneda, Warden High School's valedictorian. "You have accomplished one of the biggest milestones in life, high school graduation." Pruneda thanked her family for all the support and motivation that they have given her throughout her journey. She said her greatest motivation in earning the title of valedictorian came from her brother, whom she saw pushing himself every day. "I did what I could to be my best and this was my best," said Pruneda. Her parents, Omar and Belinda Pruneda, are both extremely proud of her efforts in graduating and achieving valedictorian. Miliany said she plans on attending Washington State University to study Elementary School Education this fall. There, she hopes to get an English Language Learning endorsement and obtain her master's degree. Graciela Castillo said she wanted to give thanks to the faculty at the school for the time and energy they put into creating an environment that allowed the class to thrive in achieving better futures for themselves. One of the greatest memories she has taken from her time in high school is her part in working on the mural they created at the elementary school in Warden. "Having all the kids and teachers come walking by the hallway and saying, 'Oh my gosh, I want to do that,'" she said. "It really makes me happy seeing that I've hopefully inspired many other people to do the same thing." Castillo said her love of art comes from her fascination with ancient Roman architecture while she took an independent study class in TRIO. She plans on attending the University of Idaho to get her master's in architecture along with a minor in interior design, and afterward, she hopes to make a trip to Rome to visit the Pantheon, which has become her inspiration. For some, the graduation brought both happy and sad feelings, such as for Yaretzi Catalan Ayala. "I feel really happy, but really emotional because I'm going to miss high school and my old teachers," she said. One of the moments she recalls being very proud of from her time in high school was her efforts in cross country as she pushed through her own struggles and still accomplished her goals. "It was a hard time doing cross country and I feel really accomplished that I did it," she said. Anthony Gutierrez said that at the time, the feeling of finally being out of school hadn't fully hit him yet. "It just feels amazing," he said. "I knew I was going to make it and just the hard work in the classroom, outside the classroom, everything, it all paid off to this day," At the end of her speech, Pruneda said the quote that their class chose came from Tim McGraw, where he said, "Chase your dreams, but always know the road that'll lead you home again." Pruneda said that the most important thing the class can do as they move forward is to remember where they came from and cherish the lifelong connections and friendships made along the way. "Now we are sitting here at the end of our high school journey, and I know many of us are starting to feel so many emotions about starting our new lives and that's OK because it's part of the process," said Pruneda. "The best advice I could give to you is to close your eyes, breathe and believe in yourself because I know you can do it."
San Francisco Chronicle
12-06-2025
- Politics
- San Francisco Chronicle
Low-income, first-generation students could lose vital college resource under Trump's budget cuts
Mission High School graduating senior Mariana Aguilar, the daughter of working-class Colombian immigrants, had always wanted to make her parents proud by becoming one of the first in their family to go to college. But she doesn't know whether she'd have been able to earn a spot at San Jose State University — where she'll enroll with a full scholarship this fall –—without the help of her college access counselor, Alexis Lopez. 'Alexis just changed my life,' Aguilar said last week after she celebrated alongside 44 other high school seniors from low-income families who participated in a program that provides intensive coaching for disadvantaged teens to become first-generation college students. But hers might be the last class to benefit from Upward Bound. The Trump administration's proposed 2026 budget slashes all $1.2 billion for a suite of college access programs for low-income, first-generation college students called TRIO, which includes Upward Bound. Congress is still negotiating the budget, which the Senate has not yet passed. The budget would also cut from social safety nets like Medicaid and the federal food stamps program while spending on border security, deportations and tax cuts. The Trump administration's budget document, submitted May 2 by White House budget director, Russell Vought, states college access programs are 'a relic of the past' and that it's 'engaging in woke ideology with federal taxpayer subsidies.' 'Today, the pendulum has swung and access to college is not the obstacle it was for students of limited means,' stated Vought's budget document. It added that colleges and universities 'should be using their own resources' to recruit students. The TRIO programs were created in the 1960s as part of a federal 'war on poverty.' While inequality in college attainment has slightly decreased since 1970, it persists, according to an analysis of U.S. Census Bureau data by Pell Institute researchers. In 2022, students from families in the lowest-earning quarter were almost four times less likely to earn a bachelor's degree by age 24 than those from the highest-earning quarter, according to the analysis. A Pew Research Center report on 2019 data also found that children of college-educated parents are far more likely to graduate from college. About 70% of adults aged 22 to 59 with at least one parent who has a bachelor's degree or more have obtained a bachelor's degree as well, compared to only 26% of their peers who do not have a college-educated parent. In San Francisco, the nonprofit Japanese Community Youth Council receives $2.6 million annually to pay for about 25 staff who help 3,000-odd students at 13 SFUSD schools a year through Upward Bound and another TRIO program, Talent Search, that casts a wider net. Federal rules stipulate that two-thirds of those students must come from families that make less than 150% of the federal poverty level, about $48,000 for a family of four. 'The outcome of the elimination of these programs is the already staggering racial wealth gap in this country is going to continue to widen,' said the nonprofit's executive director, Jon Osaki. 'Those who have less access, less means, to pursue higher education, are going to fall further behind in this country.' The programs have historically had bipartisan support. Both Republicans and Democrats voiced support at recent congressional hearings, including Sen. Susan Collins, a Maine Republican who chairs the Senate appropriations committee. 'I have seen the lives of countless first-generation and low income students … who often face barriers to accessing a college education changed by the TRIO program,' Collins said, questioning why Trump's budget eliminated it. Education secretary Linda McMahon said in response that the department had no way to hold the program administrators accountable based on whether they were effective or not. Collins said the government could reform the programs, not abolish them. Kimberly Jones, president of the Washington-based nonprofit Council for Opportunity in Education that has been active in lobbying Congress to keep funding TRIO, said that the programs are effective. Upward Bound students are more than twice as likely to earn a bachelor's degree by age 24 than students from the lowest earning quarter of families, according to the council. 'These tools are invaluable as many first-generation college students go on to become the first homeowners in their families, the first to work in 'white-collar' industries, and many other firsts throughout their lifetimes,' Jones said. Aguilar, the Mission High School graduating senior, said that her family was forced to move to the East Bay in her junior year when her mom, who works as a nanny, could no longer afford to live in San Francisco. Thrust into a new school in a new city where she knew no one, she fell into a severe depression, she said. Her mom transferred her back to Mission High midway through junior year, where Lopez, the adviser, quickly connected with her. Lopez arranged for Aguilar to go on a field trip to San Jose State University. They decided that the school and its big business program would be perfect for her. Lopez helped her apply for scholarships that would give her a full ride. 'Without her, I don't know what I'd be doing now,' she said. Balboa High School graduating senior Caryn Dea, the child of blue-collar Chinese immigrants, said that she's always wanted to go to college but didn't know how. Her parents, who didn't attend college, worked long hours. 'Throughout applying for college, I was scared,' Dea said. Her dream school, which she visited through an Upward Bound trip to Southern California colleges, was UCLA. 'But I found myself thinking I wouldn't get in anywhere.' Her Upward Bound adviser, Karen Coreas Diaz, frequently reassured her, saying, 'You got this,' Dea remembered, and helped her with her essays. 'She's been the best support system I've had,' Dea said. She will be attending UCLA, where she hopes to study human biology or a healthcare field. Coreas Diaz said that mentoring the Upward Bound students felt like healing her own 'inner child.' The child of Salvadoran immigrants who didn't go to college, Coreas Diaz said she struggled in high school as well, eventually enrolling in community college because her grades weren't good enough before ultimately transferring to UC Berkeley. But unlike her students, she didn't have a mentor. 'Supporting you felt like taking care of a younger version of myself,' Coreas Diaz said to her students during a tearful speech at the graduation ceremony. Unlike students with wealthy parents, her students cannot afford pricey private college counseling. Her work, she said, gives them the same advantages: help with essays, deadlines and college application. Jackie Lam, associate director of JCYC's Upward Bound program, said students with low-income parents who didn't attend college often lack access to crucial information. They may not be aware, for example, that they can apply to Stanford University and possibly get a full ride if their parents make less than six figures, he said. More than 80% of the high schoolers in JCYC's program who graduate high school enrolled in college every year, Lam said, with the exception of 2020, when they came close. 'Being a teenager is hard because you feel lost,' said Halima Cherif, a graduating senior from San Francisco International High School who participated in Upward Bound. She credited her adviser, Atokena Abe, with helping her get into her dream college, UC Berkeley, where she hopes to study biology or psychology. 'When students aren't guided, most won't have the ability or courage to go to college, work hard and have their dreams and goals,' she said. 'And more importantly, to get a job to help themselves and contribute to the people of this country.'
