Latest news with #WGRZ
Hindustan Times
23-05-2025
- Hindustan Times
Student at US university sprints past cops during graduation to walk stage with son: 'I promised him'
In a moment that has captured hearts across social media, a University at Buffalo graduate ran across the commencement stage with his young son in his arms, defying university rules and prompting police intervention. Jean Paul Al Arab, who completed his degree in criminology, made the bold move at the university's Alumni Arena on Sunday. The father had promised his son they would collect his diploma together, a vow he kept despite officials warning him the child could not walk with him due to safety concerns. Also read: Las Vegas mom outraged after school gives daughter, classmates sex ed handout in 5th grade 'I ran, that's what I did. I had to. I promised him I was gonna walk with him on the stage,' Al Arab told WGRZ. The moment occurred after all graduates had been called. Al Arab, holding his infant son who was dressed in a blue cap and gown matching his father's, dashed onto the stage, drawing cheers from the crowd. School security and a police officer attempted to stop him, but he made it up the stage, shook hands with administrators, and celebrated briefly before walking off. The emotional display drew applause from the audience and fellow graduates, while some booed the police presence. An officer waited behind Al Arab on the stage and later, several officers met him in the arena. According to Al Arab, the university had initially allowed him to walk with his son. 'During a prep class for commencement, I asked if I could walk with my baby and they told me it was fine,' he explained in a TikTok post. 'When the time came, they tried to stop me and even called the police. They tried to escort me out, but honestly, the only reason they let me go was because all of you who cheered and supported me.' Al Arab shared that he had worked two jobs, including overnight shifts, while also caring for his son during the day. All of this, he said, he managed while studying full-time at the SUNY campus. 'Here I am graduating with my boy by my side. WE DID IT!' he wrote in the same post. Though he officially graduated in fall 2024 and had already received his diploma, the spring ceremony offered him the chance to walk across the stage. The university, meanwhile, maintained that the rules are in place to ensure safety and fairness. 'Commencement rules are in place for the safety of all those in attendance and to avoid disruptions in the venue, ensuring each graduate is equally provided with a well-deserved moment to individually cross the stage and be recognized for their outstanding accomplishments at UB,' the school said in a statement to WGRZ. 'You put in the work and I am sure the (money). If you want to walk wit the thing that drove you to succeed, there shouldn't be a problem,' one user said. Another added, 'It's so strange they tried stopping you when they allow mothers to walk with their baby all the time.' Also read: Denied parking over Hindi, Google techie says English should be India's mandatory language 'The police officer could have at least moved out the way since you had already made it that far,' another person remarked. 'We hope to see him back on stage in about 20 years so he can follow in his dad's footsteps,' the university added.
USA Today
21-05-2025
- Entertainment
- USA Today
Video shows student sprinting across stage with baby to receive diploma as police chases
Video shows student sprinting across stage with baby to receive diploma as police chases Show Caption Hide Caption Graduate evades police with infant son The crowd cheered as a graduate student at University at Buffalo ran up the stage holding his infant son with police in tow. A graduating student at the University at Buffalo in New York caused quite a stir as he sprinted across the stage with his baby son to accept his diploma, all while being chased by the police. University at Buffalo's College of Arts and Sciences commencement ceremony livestream captured the graduate, Paul Al Arab, as he ran onto the stage holding his son with a police officer chasing after him. Upon reaching the stage, Al Arab shook hands with those onstage and collected his diploma before pumping his fist in the air as the audience cheered him on. The police officer, meanwhile, could be seen walking behind him. Both the father and son were dressed in matching blue caps and gowns. Why police chasing Al Arab? Al Arab, who graduated with a bachelor's degree in criminology, according to WGRZ, also posted the clip of the incident on TikTok and shared what went down behind the scenes. 'I'm a full-time student, working two jobs—one of them overnight—and taking care of my son during the day until his mom gets home from work,' Al Arab said in the caption of the video, which played a snippet from Kendrick Lamar's "Not Like Us" performance during the 2025 Super Bowl Halftime Show in the background. 'And here I am, graduating, with my boy by my side. WE DID IT!' Shortly after the video started gaining traction on social media, Al Arab added a note explaining what went down on the May 19 ceremony. 'Hey, I just want to explain what happened since a lot of people have been asking," Al Arab wrote. "During a prep class for commencement, I asked if I could walk with my baby and they told me it was fine. But when the time came, they tried to stop me and even called the police. They tried to escort me out, but honestly, the only reason they let me go was because of all of you who cheered and supported me — so thank you.' University at Buffalo says Al Arab's son didn't earn 'enough credits to receive a diploma' University at Buffalo, in a statement, addressed the incident, saying the "graduating senior ignored multiple directives from university event staff and UB Police, ran away from officers, and broke commencement rules by bringing an infant onto the commencement stage at Alumni Arena." "While the situation created a light-hearted moment for the thousands in attendance who cheered on as the graduate took to the stage with the infant in his arms, the graduate's actions were a violation of commencement rules which clearly state that 'only graduating students may participate in the graduation ceremony, including walking in the processional and crossing the stage'," the statement continued. The university said the graduate, in an email, apologized for the disruption and that the university will not be penalizing him, adding that commencement rules are in place for the safety of all those in attendance. "The graduate who broke the rules on Sunday will not be penalized and will still receive his degree from the university," the statement said. "The infant, despite crossing the stage in a cap and gown, has not yet earned enough credits to receive a diploma," the college added. "We hope to see him back on stage in about 20 years so he can follow in his dad's footsteps." Al Arab creates GoFundMe to support student parents Following the incident, Al Arab is using his virality to spotlight student parents and help those struggling to complete their education while fulfilling their parental duties by setting up a GoFundMe with an aim to raise $10,000. "Balancing two jobs, being a full-time dad, and pursuing my education has been challenging, but I promised my son that I would walk that stage with him," Al Arab said in the fundraiser's description. "It symbolized every sacrifice and sleepless night." Al Arab maintained he was allowed to walk onto the stage with a baby. "No one objected, so I didn't see a reason to double-check," Al Arab said. "I've seen others walk with their babies at graduations before, so it didn't seem like a big deal. That's why I was surprised when they tried to stop me and involved campus police." Thanking his professors and audience members for their support, Al Arab said he did not mean to "cause a scene" and that he has "a lot of respect for UB and my professors." "I was just a proud dad, keeping a promise," he said. "It's time we normalize seeing fathers in these moments. Being active, present, and proud shouldn't be surprising. It should be celebrated just like we do for moms." Saman Shafiq is a trending news reporter for USA TODAY. Reach her at sshafiq@ and follow her on X and Instagram @saman_shafiq7.
Yahoo
27-03-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Residents outraged over crypto mine's plans to expand into local power grid: 'I'm worried about the air that I'm breathing'
A crypto mine's plans to shift from natural gas to nuclear power has opened fresh concerns from locals about cryptocurrency's pollution footprint in an upstate New York community — and ultimately led to the adoption of a nuclear-free zone and restrictions on energy development. North Tonawanda, a city of about 30,000 located between Buffalo and Niagara Falls, is home to a crypto mining facility run by DigiPower X, previously known as Digihost. Since opening in 2022, the facility has been a source of complaints from citizens about noise as well as air pollution, as Buffalo's WGRZ detailed. In February, residents gathered for an information session and then a public hearing. These meetings followed the December announcement of plans for Digihost to develop power sources with NANO Nuclear Energy, a company known for its nuclear microreactors. Digihost had begun exploring switching the energy source for its crypto facility to nuclear by 2031, per WGRZ. In response to concerns, city officials proposed a new law that would block the development of nuclear reactors within city limits. The law would also restrict the construction and operation of other energy sources — including wind, hydroelectricity, natural gas, and coal. A vote on the law was pushed back in February and passed in March, WGRZ reported. The debate over this crypto mine's power connects to broader discussions about the energy-intensive nature of mining, cryptocurrency's pollution footprint, and whether nuclear energy is a viable option to power the industry without releasing carbon pollution. Conventional crypto mining requires a large amount of electricity. When that electricity comes from highly polluting, dirty energy sources — such as gas-fired or coal-fired power plants — cryptocurrency's pollution footprint is correspondingly big. According to the U.S. Energy Information Administration, a crypto-mining facility uses lots of electricity because of the computing power needed to confirm transactions and create new currency — and the energy to cool equipment. As Investopedia detailed, not all cryptocurrencies use the same energy-intensive mining system, though the most prominent one, Bitcoin, does. It's important to note that exact details about crypto energy use have been hard to pin down. And many crypto operations have increased the portion of their electricity coming from cleaner energy sources — including nuclear. Nuclear energy is essentially free of carbon pollution, but it comes with its own concerns about radioactive waste and historical disasters. Crypto proponents and researchers have noted that mining can encourage the development of renewable sources such as solar projects. However, by many accounts, crypto mining remains an energy-intensive process that can have a large carbon footprint — and can consume significant quantities of water and create noise pollution, as well. Do you worry about air pollution in and around your home? Yes — always Yes — often Yes — sometimes No — never Click your choice to see results and speak your mind. The pollution associated with crypto mining has implications at the community level — such as in North Tonawanda — and on a larger scale due to the possible impacts of air pollution on human health risks and Earth's rising temperature. Crypto has the potential to help communities economically and to encourage local renewable energy development. It can also cause communities headaches in dealing with pollution effects. "The world's transition to a digital economy, facilitated by major technological breakthroughs, has several benefits," said a 2023 UN-led report on the impacts of Bitcoin mining. "But as the demand for exchanging and investing in digital currencies is rapidly growing, the world must pay careful attention to the hidden and overlooked environmental impacts of this growth." In its reporting on the crypto site in North Tonawanda, WGRZ cited concerns from citizens and the city about noise and carbon pollution, as well as fears about proposed nuclear solutions. "I'm worried about the air that I'm breathing with the emissions that they're pumping into the air, and now what this nuclear thing can do," city resident Mark Polito told the outlet. For its part, the crypto company's CEO Michel Amar said, "The opportunity to collaborate with NANO Nuclear represents a bold move toward achieving our sustainability goals." On March 18, the city voted in favor of the new law, raising questions about DigiPower X's next steps. "What we're going to be doing moving forward … we're going to be looking at our zoning codes and how we may or may not adapt language that would allow them in some manner," Austin J. Tylec, the city's mayor, told WGRZ. "But for now, we have hit the brakes on nuclear energy. Join our free newsletter for good news and useful tips, and don't miss this cool list of easy ways to help yourself while helping the planet.
