Latest news with #Zavitz
Yahoo
09-03-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Popular Minneapolis teacher dies after 24-year battle with brain cancer
A DeLaSalle High School teacher has died after a 24-year battle with brain cancer. Jeremy Zavitz died at his Minneapolis home surrounded by family on Feb. 22, his obituary says. He was 45 years old. Zavitz has taught at the school since he finished his student teaching role in 2012 and was offered a full-time position soon after. "He was willing to try any treatment or therapy to combat his disease. He was scrappy, a fighter and resilient. He never gave up his fighting spirit, even at the end of his life," the obituary states. A graduate of Orono High School, Zavitz attended the University of St. Thomas, earning degrees in history and teaching. "He loved playing any and all sports, enjoying soccer and ice hockey most of all. He was an animal lover, avid reader and a good friend to so many," his obituary reads. "He especially enjoyed playing catch with his son Eddie, watching Jeopardy, going for long walks around the neighborhood and enjoying a cup of coffee while completing the NY Times crossword puzzle." The announcement of his death sparked dozens of comments and tributes from this he taught in the past. "Mr. Zavitz was a bright light in a rough time for me. I'm grateful to read about the time we all had with him and pray peace to his family as we all mourn his absence," one commenter said. "I will never forget Mr. Zavitz. My class was lucky to have him as our social studies teacher, some as a coach, and as a mentor," another wrote. A memorial service was held on Friday afternoon at the school. Zavitz is survived by his wife, Maud, and their seven-year-old son.
CBC
28-02-2025
- Politics
- CBC
Nearly 5,000 votes 'a waste' as NDP didn't notify Elections Ontario of southwest candidate's withdrawal
Social Sharing Elections Ontario says the NDP failed to notify election officials that one of its candidates had withdrawn, resulting in over 4,700 votes going to someone who was no longer in the race. The riding of Elgin-Middlesex-London, covering a large swath of rural southwestern Ontario, including St. Thomas and part of London, saw 51,465 votes cast. Of those, 4,738 went to Amanda Zavitz, who withdrew a week before Thursday's election. "Shame on them," said Kelly Elgie, referring to the New Democrats. Elgie told CBC News that when she voted in Thorndale, she noticed a concerning lack of information disclosing Zavitz's withdrawal. "I think they owe our constituents and our area an apology. We collected almost 5,000 votes in our area for their party. It's a waste." Progressive Conservative incumbent Rob Flack won the riding with 28,719 votes, followed by the Liberals' Doug Mactavish with 12,578. CBC News sent requests for comment to Zavitz and the Ontario NDP, but hadn't heard back by time of publication. Zavitz announced on Feb. 20 she was withdrawing from the race, a day after apologizing for comments she made during her presentation in New York last March that were captured in a YouTube video. In the comments by Zavitz, who's white, she expressed a secret desire "to be a Black woman." The controversy began after Progressive Conservatives highlighted the video during the election campaign. According to an Elections Ontario spokesperson, the NDP failed to follow through on Zavitz's withdrawal. "We have yet to receive a notification of withdrawal from any candidate in Elgin-Middlesex-London," Dave Pearce said in an email to CBC News on election night. Elections Ontario told CBC there's a formal process for withdrawing a candidate — it includes a one-page form that asks for the individual's name, riding and party, as well as a signature from both the candidate and a witness. "Generally speaking, when a candidate withdraws after the close of nominations, their name remains on the ballot and notices are posted at polling locations to make voters aware that the candidate has withdrawn," Pearce wrote. Since Elections Ontario says it has no record of the form being filed, when Elgie arrived at the local polling station to cast her ballot, no notice was posted. "I found it odd. It was like, 'Wow.' This felt like a significant election. There's been a lot of conversation about this vote, and not splitting the vote," said Elgie. "I would love to see that we re-vote in our area, because I think there was an injustice."CBC News heard from other voters who expressed disappointment and and felt the lack of transparency was unfair. Opponents 'ticked off' While it's impossible to know which candidates would've received the almost 5,000 votes that were cast for Zavitz had voters been notified she'd withdrawn, it's a concerning misstep for the other parties' campaigns. "I'm ticked off to hear about it," said Laura Blondeau, spokesperson for Mactavish. "We're very disappointed. It would be an appropriate part of the process to formally notify Elections Ontario." Blondeau said she's concerned a lack of notification meant voters didn't have the full picture when they cast their ballots. She said because the votes couldn't have flipped the election night result, it's unlikely the Liberals will raise the issue through a formal complaint. Blondeau also noted Zavitz endorsed Mactavish on social media following her withdrawal announcement. Green Party candidate Amanda Stark, who finished fourth with 2,933 votes, said she spent the days leading up to election day warning locals that Zavitz had announced her withdrawal following reports that notices weren't posted during advance voting. "Both of us were representing parties that stand for very similar things," Stark said. "What if her supporters [would have otherwise] voted for me? That's another unfortunate detail, but there's nothing I can do." The situation, Stark said, shows the importance of clear communication in elections. "It's disheartening, because there's already a feeling of powerlessness and discouragement because people feel their vote doesn't count," Stark said. "Why are we [as people running for office] shooting ourselves in the foot here?"
CBC
20-02-2025
- Politics
- CBC
Ontario NDP candidate drops out over: 'I want to be a Black woman' comment
Social Sharing With one week to go before Ontarians cast their ballots, a white Ontario NDP candidate has dropped out of the race over comments she made at a conference last year in which she expresses a secret desire "to be a Black woman." Amanda Zavitz, a sociology professor at Western University running in the riding of Elgin-Middlesex-London, announced in a Facebook post that she was resigning her candidacy. "After further reflection and discussions with community members, I have decided to resign as the Ontario NDP candidate for the upcoming election," she wrote. "It has become clear that my past comments are distracting from the critical task of defeating Doug Ford and electing an Ontario NDP government. Her decision to drop out comes a day after she apologized for the comments, also in a Facebook post. The controversy began when Progressive Conservatives highlighted a YouTube video of Zavitz speaking at the United Nations Commission on the Status of Women conference in New York City last March. CBC News captured a copy of the video, which has now been removed. Zavitz, speaking at a podium at the New York conference, recalls an exercise she and participants did at a Toronto conference 10 years prior called "post secret." Zavitz said participants were asked to write down their deep-rooted secrets. Some were picked and read to the audience. One included an admission of an affair, another spoke about stealing money from a spouse's bank account. In relaying this to the audience at the New York event, Zavitz revealed her secret. "My secret is that I want to be a Black woman," she said. "If you don't know me, you might question this. You might wonder if I'm lying, or if I've really thought this through. If you do know me, you will know 100 per cent for certain, it is true." WATCH | Amanda Zavitz speaks at the 2024 UN Commission on the Status of Women conference: 'My secret is that I want to be a Black woman,' NDP candidate at past UN conference 13 minutes ago Duration 7:38 Amanda Zavitz, a sociology professor at Western University who was running for the NDP in Elgin-London-Middlesex, speaking at the United Nations Commission on the Status of Women conference in New York City in March 2024. She recalls an exercise she and participants did at a Toronto conference 10 years ago called "post secret" and shared her secret that she wants to be a Black woman. In the video of her speech, Zavtiz goes on to tell the New York audience she's often criticized as being a "Karen" because she's a white women who advocates for equality. The name "Karen" has fallen into use as a generic and pejorative term to refer to any privileged woman, often white, who is perceived as demanding and entitled. "The easy answer is that I want to lead the fifth wave of feminism and that when you look like I do and people call you a Karen, it's difficult to be taken seriously as a leader of the fifth wave of feminism," Zavitz tells the New York audience. "The more complicated answer is that I want to know all that I know, I want to be a sociologist and a women's studies professor. I want to be an expert in inequality with lived experiences of poverty and living in addiction and alcoholism. I want to be able to share my ideas without the barrier of looking the way that I do." CBC Poll Tracker Comments 'deeply concerning' said Stiles On Thursday, Zavitz sent an email in response to questions about her comments from CBC News. She explained herself in this way: "The point I intended to make was that greater awareness of the lived experience of Black people and communities would improve understanding of what it's like to face systemic racism. I apologize for any harm caused by my remarks." The video was first surfaced by the Progressive Conservative Party campaign, which said NDP leader Marit Stiles "owes Ontarians an explanation as yet another problematic NDP candidate has been exposed." In a statement, the party said Zavitz's comments "trivialized the life experience of Black Ontarians." When asked about the comments Thursday before Zavitz had announced she was quitting, Stiles told reporters she found them "deeply concerning." "I think they're inappropriate comments, but she has apologized," said Stiles. She didn't answer when asked if she would keep Zavitz as a candidate. On her campaign web page, Zavitz describes herself as "a dedicated educator, activist, and small business owner committed to social justice and community advocacy." The site also says through her teaching work at Western and Fanshawe College, she's championed "diversity, equity and inclusion."
CBC
20-02-2025
- Politics
- CBC
Ontario NDP candidate apologizes for 'I want to be a Black woman' comment
Social Sharing With one week to go before Ontarians cast their ballots, a white Ontario NDP candidate has apologized for comments she made at a conference last year in which she expresses a secret desire "to be a Black woman." Amanda Zavitz, a sociology professor at Western University running in the riding of Elgin-London-Middlesex, issued the short apology in a Facebook post on Wednesday and in a one-line email to CBC News. It comes after the Progressive Conservatives highlighted a YouTube video of Zavitz speaking at the United Nations Commission on the Status of Women conference in New York City last March. CBC News captured a copy of the video, which has now been removed. Zavitz, speaking at a podium at the New York conference, recalls an exercise she and participants did at a Toronto confernce 10 years prior called "post secret." Zavitz said participants were asked to write down their deep-rooted secrets. Some were picked and read to the audience. One included an admission of an affair, another spoke about stealing money from a spouse's bank account. In relaying this to the audience at the New York event, Zavitz revealed her secret. "My secret is that I want to be a Black woman," she said. "If you don't know me, you might question this. You might wonder if I'm lying, or if I've really thought this through. If you do know me, you will know 100 per cent for certain, it is true." Zavtiz goes on to tell the New York audience she's often criticized as being a "Karen" because she's a white women who advocates for equality. The name "Karen" has fallen into use as a generic and pejorative term to refer to any privileged woman, often white, who is perceived as demanding and entitled. "The easy answer is that I want to lead the fifth wave of feminism and that when you look like I do and people call you a Karen, it's difficult to be taken seriously as a leader of the fifth wave of feminism," Zavitz tells the New York audience. "The more complicated answer is that I want to know all that I know, I want to be a sociologist and a women's studies professor. I want to be an expert in inequality with lived experiences of poverty and living in addiction and alcoholism. I want to be able to share my ideas without the barrier of looking the way that I do." CBC Poll Tracker In a Facebook post on Wednesday, Zavitz apologizes for the comments. Comments 'deeply concerning' said Stiles On Thursday, she sent an email to CBC News, and explained herself in this way: "The point I intended to make was that greater awareness of the lived experience of Black people and communities would improve understanding of what it's like to face systemic racism. I apologize for any harm caused by my remarks." The video was first surfaced by the Progressive Conservative Party campaign which said NDP leader Marit Stiles "owes Ontarians an explanation as yet another problematic NDP candidate has been exposed." In a statement, the party said Zavitz's comments "trivialized the life experience of Black Ontarians." When asked about the comments Thursday, Stiles told reporters she found them "deeply concerning." "I think they're inappropriate comments, but she has apologized," said Stiles. She didn't answer when asked if she would keep Zavitz as a candidate. On her campaign web page, Zavitz describes herself as "a dedicated educator, activist, and small business owner committed to social justice and community advocacy." The site also says through her teaching work at Western and Fanshawe College she's championed "diversity, equity, and inclusion."
CBC
20-02-2025
- Politics
- CBC
NDP candidate apologizes for 'I want to be a Black woman' comment
Social Sharing With one week to go before Ontarians cast their ballots, a white Ontario NDP candidate has apologized for comments she made at a conference last year in which she expresses a secret desire "to be a Black woman." Amanda Zavitz, a sociology professor at Western University running in the riding of Elgin-London-Middlesex, issued the short apology in a Facebook post on Wednesday and in a one-line email to CBC News. It comes after the Progressive Conservatives highlighted a YouTube video of Zavitz speaking at the United Nations Commission on the Status of Women conference in New York City last March. CBC News captured a copy of the video, which has now been removed. Zavitz, speaking at a podium at the New York conference, recalls an exercise she and participants did at a Toronto confernce 10 years prior called "post secret." Zavitz said participants were asked to write down their deep-rooted secrets. Some were picked and read to the audience. One included an admission of an affair, another spoke about stealing money from a spouse's bank account. In relaying this to the audience at the New York event, Zavitz revealed her secret. "My secret is that I want to be a Black woman," she said. "If you don't know me, you might question this. You might wonder if I'm lying, or if I've really thought this through. If you do know me, you will know 100 per cent for certain, it is true." Zavtiz goes on to tell the New York audience she's often criticized as being a "Karen" because she's a white women who advocates for equality. The name "Karen" has fallen into use as a generic and pejorative term to refer to any privileged woman, often white, who is perceived as demanding and entitled. "The easy answer is that I want to lead the fifth wave of feminism and that when you look like I do and people call you a Karen, it's difficult to be taken seriously as a leader of the fifth wave of feminism," Zavitz tells the New York audience. "The more complicated answer is that I want to know all that I know, I want to be a sociologist and a women's studies professor. I want to be an expert in inequality with lived experiences of poverty and living in addiction and alcoholism. I want to be able to share my ideas without the barrier of looking the way that I do." CBC Poll Tracker In a Facebook post on Wednesday, Zavitz apologizes for the comments. Comments 'deeply concerning' said Stiles On Thursday, she sent an email to CBC News, and explained herself in this way: "The point I intended to make was that greater awareness of the lived experience of Black people and communities would improve understanding of what it's like to face systemic racism. I apologize for any harm caused by my remarks." The video was first surfaced by the Progressive Conservative Party campaign which said NDP leader Marit Stiles "owes Ontarians an explanation as yet another problematic NDP candidate has been exposed." In a statement, the party said Zavitz's comments "trivialized the life experience of Black Ontarians." When asked about the comments Thursday, Stiles told reporters she found them "deeply concerning." "I think they're inappropriate comments, but she has apologized," said Stiles. She didn't answer when asked if she would keep Zavitz as a candidate. On her campaign web page, Zavitz describes herself as "a dedicated educator, activist, and small business owner committed to social justice and community advocacy." The site also says through her teaching work at Western and Fanshawe College she's championed "diversity, equity, and inclusion."
