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Time of India
11-05-2025
- Politics
- Time of India
Only verified EVMs to be used in polls: DM
Chhapra: Saran district magistrate and district election officer Aman Sameer on Sunday said the first level check (FLC) of electronic voting machines (EVMs) has been underway for the past 10 days with full transparency, strictly adhering to the guidelines of the Election Commission of India (ECI).He said so far, 1,220 ballot units (BUs), control units (CUs) and voter verifiable paper audit trails (VVPATs) have been declared fit for use while 19 BUs, 9 CUs and 19 VVPATs have been rejected. "A total of 6,210 BUs, 4,993 CUs and 6,134 VVPATs of the M3 model are scheduled to undergo FLC," Sameer said, adding that only those machines which clear the FLC will be deployed in the elections. The remaining units will be returned to their respective added that the presence of political party representatives during the FLC is mandatory, as per ECI guidelines. Deputy election officer Zaved Iqbal said the FLC process was being conducted in the presence of political party representatives. "As per the directions of the chief electoral officer of Bihar, memorandums are being issued to parties that fail to attend. So far, 13 such memorandums have been issued," he added that, following instructions from the DM, all notified Returning Officers (ROs) and assistant returning officers (AROs) are also invited to participate in observation and review during the FLC said a three-tier security arrangement has been put in place for the safekeeping of ballot boxes. In addition, the ECI has deputed around 13 engineers to oversee the process. Get the latest lifestyle updates on Times of India, along with Mother's Day wishes , messages , and quotes !
Time of India
10-05-2025
- Politics
- Time of India
SEC withheld EVM details, alleges Cong
New Delhi: The Delhi Congress on Saturday alleged that the state election commission (SEC) refused to share the serial number, make, and the name of the manufacturing company of the electronic voting machines that will be used in the bypolls in 12 municipal wards in the SEC, however, refuted the charge and said all necessary information was provided to the delegation of the political Delhi Congress, in a statement, said its delegation went to the SEC for a first-level check of the EVMs, which will be used in the bypolls. The party said that it wrote a letter to the election panel on May 5 and then again on May 9 to seek the information, but it was not provided."The delegation participated in the FLC today, but under protest," the party SEC official, however, said the make of the EVM and the name of the company were informed to the party as soon as a letter was received from it. "The serial numbers of those EVMs are provided, which are finally selected to be used in the election. It was only the first-level check today," the official said. tnn
Yahoo
22-04-2025
- General
- Yahoo
‘Long overdue': Fort Lewis College appoints first Indigenous president
Kalle BenallieICTAs one student put it, an auntie is going to guide Fort Lewis College 'toward the world we want to see' after the college appointed its first Indigenous president. Heather Shotton, the incoming president, is tremendously honored. She was unanimously appointed on April 11 by the college's board of trustees. 'It's a truly powerful moment for me personally and for my family and my community and for the Fort Lewis College campus, for our students, and everyone who's connected to the college. We all recognize that this is a historic moment and truly is powerful to be a part of this,' Shotton said, who is Wichita and Affiliated Tribes and a Kiowa and Cheyenne was previously the vice president of diversity affairs at Fort Lewis in Durango, Colorado, for three years and was the acting dean of student engagement in 2024. She said it provided her a unique perspective about the student body. 'So much of the role has been student facing and focused on creating community and sense of belonging for our students here at Fort Lewis College so that they can be successful and that we can make sure that they graduate and have a good experience here,' she said. One of those students includes Brittany Bitsilly, Diné, who served on the president search committee as the student representative. 'Representation matters, and I can't think of a better example than this moment at FLC. Like many of my peers, I see myself in Dr. Shotton's incredible journey,' Bitsilly told ICT, who also was the first Indigenous woman to be president of the Associated Students of Fort Lewis College. Out of the entire student body population, Fort Lewis is home to 40 percent Native American and Alaska Native students. With the college's history as a former federal Indian boarding school and now serves a large Native American and Alaska Native student population, 'Indigenous leadership at Fort Lewis has been long overdue,' Bitsilly said. 'It feels especially fitting that a first-generation Indigenous matriarch — who is a powerhouse in academia and committed to community-building — now holds this position,' Bitsilly said. 'Her love for this institution is palpable, and we are so thankful to have an auntie guide us toward the world we want to see.'Multiple faculty and staff members are excited about the Alonso, an associate professor of borders and languages said Shotton's appointment was met with applause. "When I shared the news with my class, the students cheered. Shotton is visible, respected, and deeply involved. Representation matters, and her presidency sends a powerful message,' Alonso said in a press release. The director of the academic hub, Michelle Bonanno emphasized Shotton's inclusive efforts.'As one of the preeminent scholars on Native student success, she's the right leader for our academic mission and our future. She's built initiatives that support first-generation students, LGBTQ+ students, and students from rural backgrounds. Her approach is always grounded in relationships and centered on student success,' Bonanno said. Shotton's connection to Fort Lewis is also through her daughter, who graduated last May, and her work with Native education and advocacy work. Shotton previously held leadership roles at small liberal arts colleges and large public research universities. She was the previous chair of the department of educational leadership and policy studies at the University of Oklahoma and board president of the National Indian Education Association. Shotton earned three degrees from the University of Oklahoma: a bachelor's in Native American studies, a master's in human relations, and a doctorate in educational leadership and policy Lewis College's connection to Native studentsFort Lewis's early history includes being a military fort for eleven years and was then turned into a federal Indian boarding school from 1892 to 1909. It was originally built in Hesperus, Colorado, 16 miles southwest of Durango. Now the area is used for the college's farmer training programs. Shotton said Fort Lewis is committed to reconciliation with that part of the college's history through co-curricular engagement and healing and wellness for students. It's one of their five strategic directions — reconciliation, academics, student-ready, basic needs, and community connections — that's laid out in their 2025-2030 strategic plan from the conversations they had on campus and input from tribal partners. 'I'm really excited for us to begin that as we move forward,' Shotton said. Fort Lewis is also confident in their compliance with current federal and state legislation. The college provides a tuition waiver for Indigenous students. 'We feel confident in the foundation that that stands on. That is related to the founding of this institution and an agreement between the federal government and the state of Colorado and the original transfer of land that created Fort Lewis College,' Shotton said. She added that they are remaining focused on serving the diverse student population. 'As a Native American serving non-tribal institution, we recognize that we serve a unique student population and beyond that, beyond being a Native-serving institution, 42 percent of our students are first-generation college students, 16 percent of our students are Latinx students, and 40 percent of our students are Native American students,' she said. Shotton said she hopes people who are like her — first generation, Indigenous or who come from a rural community — will see themselves reflected in leadership. 'Hopefully to imagine new possibilities for themselves and that this is truly a full circle moment for Fort Lewis College, given our history and our beginnings,' she said. 'I'm just really proud and honored to get to lead alongside such amazing people here at Fort Lewis College, in a community that is so invested and dedicated to its students.'Shotton will officially assume the presidency on July 1. ICT's Jourdan Bennett-Begaye contributed to this report. Our stories are worth telling. Our stories are worth sharing. Our stories are worth your support. Contribute $5 or $10 today to help ICT carry out its critical mission. Sign up for ICT's free newsletter.
Boston Globe
06-03-2025
- Entertainment
- Boston Globe
‘If you wreck it, they will leave': Why the new baseball movie ‘Eephus' is the reverse ‘Field of Dreams'
'Eephus' is set in the 1990s and takes place during a single game between two amateur men's baseball teams on the last day before their beloved field gets razed for a new school. There's not a plot, per se, just banter and bickering between players and among the onlookers (a mix of the passionate and the bored) and, naturally, the game itself. It's a wry and funny yet elegiac look at the way men connect and express themselves (or don't) and at the inevitable passage of time. Get Starting Point A guide through the most important stories of the morning, delivered Monday through Friday. Enter Email Sign Up 'It's a movie about the collective spirit and about a bunch of people coming to terms with a loss in their lives and feeling powerless because time and change happens,' Lund said during a recent video interview. Advertisement Nate Fisher, left, and Carson Lund attend the "Eephus" screening during the 62nd New York Film Festival at Alice Tully Hall, Lincoln Center on Oct. 2, 2024 in New York FLC Co-writer Nate Fisher sees the film as a 'love letter' to community institutions that are eroding and a 'manifesto' about making an effort with friends and neighbors. 'It's very easy for social fabric to break down if it's not maintained,' he said. The catch is that these grown men can't fully express themselves, says the film's other co-writer, Michael Basta. 'They do so in subtext.' The unusual title comes from a rarely used novelty pitch, one thrown so slowly as to confound the batter, to wreck his timing and perhaps even his understanding of time itself. 'The film is trying to reorient your sense of baseball, of aging, of community, of America and of time,' Lund said. Keith William Richards, left, and Jack DiFonso in "Eephus." Courtesy of Music Box Films The best-known fictional example of the eephus comes Advertisement Before shooting began in October 2022, Lund checked out a hundred ballfields (about half in person), eventually discovering Soldiers Field in Douglas. 'Most places had aluminum bleachers and fences — this was all wood with chipped green paint that had been there for decades,' he said. (The field even once hosted a Lund, Fisher, and Basta wrote the film as a box score, plotting the action and then figuring out where to show players chatting in the dugout or onlookers commenting on (or ignoring) the action. The on-field highlights include a diving catch, a play at the plate, and a home run where the batter's body language will be familiar to anyone from Red Sox Nation. (See But there's also a pop-up that seemingly disappears into the sky; a player who gets so caught up in his joke of being his own third-base coach that he gets picked off; players drinking too much between innings and hunting for lost foul balls in the woods; and a final inning completed in the dim glow of car headlights. It's baseball of and for the people. Cliff Blake, Tim Taylor, Jeff Saint Dic, and Ethan Ward in "Eephus." Courtesy of Music Box Films 'Eephus' features two familiar faces for Boston fans. Joe Castiglione, the longtime radio voice of the Red Sox, plays a food-truck owner. 'I think they did a good job of capturing the players' love of baseball,' said Castiglione. Lund says once they'd decided to name the movie 'Eephus,' he just had to track down the pitch's most famous practitioner. Advertisement 'I love amateur ball players, people who just want to play for the love of the game,' said Bill Lee, who played at Soldiers Field in bygone days. 'I said, 'As long as I get to pitch, I'll come.'' Lee, 78, has never really stopped pitching, joining senior leagues and even hurling a complete game win in an independent minor league at 65. He plays a 'ghost of baseball's past who emerges for an inning and then disappears,' Lund said, a vanishing that recalls 'Field of Dreams.' (Fisher calls this film a 'Reverse 'Field of Dreams' — 'if you wreck it they will leave.') Lund is uncertain that Lee read his pages, and Lee acknowledged that 'I don't stick to scripts. I just have the ability to say what they really want to say in my own words.' While we only see one inning on screen, Lee says he faced 12 batters during filming. 'I cut down those guys — there was only one tough out, and I got him pretty good, too,' he said. 'I had good stuff. I wanted to play more.' But the film returns to the local guys, many played by Lund's friends, with a mix of local actors. 'This is not a film about excellent players . . . I just needed them to look like they've played before,' Lund said, adding that he had to 'reshape the script on the fly at times, based on what certain actors were capable of athletically. But I'm proud of how it feels like a mix of real New Englanders.' Keith Poulson, Ari Brisbon, David Pridemore, and Chris Goodwin in "Eephus." Courtesy of Music Box Films Fisher, who never really pitched before and wasn't that good at baseball, plays a reliever. 'Some of my better pitches made it into the final cut,' he said. Advertisement Like Lee, the actors were also allowed to improvise. 'The movie's 80-percent scripted,' Lund said, 'but everyone was living together in a cabin in the woods [near the field], and playing baseball every day, so by week three they were teammates with such incredible chemistry that I felt we had to let some spontaneity in.' While the dialogue is frequently funny, the film carries a certain poignancy. 'There's an impending melancholy throughout,' said Lund, 'because this is about a bunch of people trying to avoid talking about that thing that's hanging over them.' It's kind of like the eephus pitch, said Basta: 'Things feel like they're going slow, and then — boom! — you're suddenly shocked by how much time has passed.' Stuart Miller can be reached at .
