Orientation sessions to be restructured
Due to USC hosting the Special Olympics, some freshman orientation sessions will take place off-campus for the first time.There will be six on-campus sessions, including one for international students in the middle of August, and eight off-campus freshmen orientation sessions, including three sessions in China. The off-campus sessions for freshmen within the U.S. will be held in New York, Chicago, San Mateo, Sacramento and Dallas. The international freshman off-campus sessions abroad will be in Shanghai, Beijing and Hong Kong. Current students who returned home for the summer to these specific locations were selected to help out with the sessions.The on-campus freshman orientations begin on June 11, with the last session being held on August 17. The off-campus freshman orientation sessions began May 30 in Chicago and New York and will finish in Dallas on July 18.Additionally, the university will offer three on-campus orientation sessions for transfer students. There will be no off-campus sessions offered for transfer students.Lisa Starr, director of Orientation Programs, discussed the main differences of the new orientation format. Some of the changes include moving some of the mandatory activities, originally done during Welcome Week, to the first day of the session instead.“The ‘Talk About It’ sessions, that are about forming healthy relationships and the idea of consent in relationships, were mandatory for the first time last year for freshmen coming in, and they were held during Welcome Week,” she said. “But now we’re going to be able to have smaller sessions during orientation and break up into small discussion groups with their orientation advisors later and just have the chance to really talk about it more than they were able to last year.”The structure for Welcome Week will be similar to ones held in past years, but the program will be adding more activities for students and will additionally be revamping its database and website.Starr also emphasized that the idea of orientation was for students to get better acclimated initially, and to assist them in having a healthy approach to their first few months at school.“We’ve restructured the student activities fairs and resources for students so that they understand that they need to manage their time and figure out what works best for them. We want them to have a healthy first year experience,” she said.Amy Suto, an orientation coordinator, also believes that the new structure allows for incoming students to get to know their advisors better during O-Group discussion, rather than just providing them with all the information.“We’ll be doing more team-building exercises with the groups,” she said. “We will also have the students sign up for individual appointments with their orientation advisors to better connect them with resources and help them get a great start at USC.”
Cohen also said that Leach will meet with take part in “listening sessions with student, alumni, and community groups” and will be provided “opportunities to expand his cultural awareness of Mississippi.”ORIGINAL ARTICLE:Mike Leach often posts strange memes on his Twitter account, but his tweet Wednesday made a lot of people upset.The first-year Mississippi State coach tweeted out a meme regarding the coronavirus quarantine. The meme showed a black-and-white photo of a woman knitting a noose with the caption: “After 2 weeks of quarantine with her husband, Gertrude decided to knit him a scarf.” MORE: Dr. Fauci: “We’re not even at halftime” of coronavirus battleLeach’s own Mississippi State players seemed bothered by the tweet. Erroll Thompson, who was a team captain in 2019, responded with a thinking face emoji (before deleting it). Defensive lineman Fabien Lovett and defensive end Kobe Jones replied to Leach’s tweets with “WTF” and “he tripping.”Facts. He tripping. 🤦🏾♂️ @Im3Fly— Kobe Jones (@IAmKobeJones) April 2, 2020Margaret A. Hagerman, a professor at Mississippi State (who has since gone into a private Twitter account), explained why the tweet was troublesome. UPDATE, April 7: Mississippi State athletic director John Cohen said in a prepared statement that the university was “disappointed” in Leach for using an image of a noose in his since-deleted tweet.”No matter the context, for many Americans the image of a noose is never appropriate and that’s particularly true in the South and in Mississippi,” Cohen said. https://images.daznservices.com/di/library/sporting_news/54/83/mike-leach-tweet_18xnl0s9nt4w512by9swbsljgu.png?t=1074237473&w=500&quality=80 From the Clarion-Ledger:Margaret A. Hagerman, an assistant professor of sociology at MSU who received a Ph.D from Emory University in 2014, was much more profound in her response to Leach’s tweet.She said “lynching ‘jokes’ are incredibly offensive anywhere” and “especially in Mississippi.” She also suggested that Leach delete the tweet and visit The National Memorial for Peace and Justice to learn about “this brutal history.”Leach eventually deleted the tweet and offered up an apology the next day.I sincerely regret if my choice of images in my tweets were found offensive. I had no intention of offending anyone.— Mike Leach (@Coach_Leach) April 2, 2020This isn’t the first time Leach has drawn criticism for something he’s posted to Twitter. In February he ended up deleting tweets he sent about Mitt Romney. In 2018 he tweeted a fake video of President Barack Obama that USA Today reports cost his school $1.6 million.
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by Tim DahlbergAP Sports Columnist LOS ANGELES (AP)—He was a coach when coaching meant something else, long before the job became a pathway to riches and fame. A coach when student-athletes were really students, and the thought of making millions of dollars rolling out basketballs in the gym seemed preposterous. A coach when it meant more to mold the lives of young men than to proclaim his own greatness.“Learn as if you were going to live forever,” he would tell his players. “Live as if you were going to die tomorrow.” John Wooden didn’t live forever. His tomorrow finally came June 4, when he quietly passed away just months before his 100th birthday.The end came, fittingly enough, on the same UCLA campus where he tutored a player then known as Lew Alcindor. The same place he seemingly couldn’t lose with Bill Walton.The place where he dispensed wisdom that his players remembered long after they had forgotten the X’s and O’s.“What you are as a person is far more important than what you are as a basketball player,” he would say.His players listened. How could they not when the man giving advice lived by the same code? He was born on a farm in Indiana without running water or electricity, and his values were as solid as the land his parents worked.The championships seemed to come as an annual rite of spring. There were 10 of them in all, an accomplishment so staggering that no other college coach will ever come close.The other statistics blurred together over time. Still, it wasn’t the 88-game winning streak, four 30-0 seasons or even the 38 straight NCAA tournament wins that defined the humble Midwesterner who ended up at UCLA almost by accident.He had the best players. They came because of him, and they came in spite of him.Playing for Wooden, you see, was never easy. He was the boss, practices were brutal, and things were always done in his meticulous way. The players who bought in would one day become his lifetime friends. Those who didn’t would never understand.The first practice of every season began not with a midnight slam dunk contest, but a demonstration by Wooden on the proper way to put on shoes and socks. Wrinkles in the socks could lead to blisters, he explained, and blisters could lead to losing.The fundamentals never went out of style, and Wooden never changed his approach.His players learned, and they grew. He taught them how to win, but he also taught them bigger things, like his belief that a life not lived for others is a life not lived well. He wouldn’t accept less than their best effort both on and off the court.“Don’t measure yourself by what you have accomplished, but what you should have accomplished with your ability,” Wooden would warn them.It’s been 35 years since Wooden watched his Bruins cut down the nets down one last time, then walked away while still at his peak. Yes, he was the “Wizard of Westwood”—a nickname he didn’t like—but he never made more than $32,500 and for years he mopped the floor himself before practice.He never begrudged the coaches of today the millions they make, but making money wasn’t why he got into coaching in the first place. He became a legend because of what his players did on the court, but to Wooden the victories were merely a byproduct of the life lessons that always came first.Indeed, Wooden did what he preached, living his life for others. His style was authoritarian, but his players graduated and the messages sank in a lot more than they missed the mark.He encouraged them to take chances, urged them to be all they could be.“If you’re not making mistakes, then you’re not doing anything,” he would tell them. “I’m positive that a doer makes mistakes.”Wooden didn’t make many. He lived an impeccable life, devoid of scandal, still so in love with his wife, Nell, in the years after she died that he would write her a letter each month just as he had done while she was alive.As word got out about his final hospitalization, students who hadn’t even been born the last time he worked a game rallied on the UCLA campus in tribute. Words of tribute, meanwhile, began flowing the moment his death was announced.But the words that matter most are the ones his players still remember. The same words they’ve passed on to their children and their children’s children.“Don’t give up on your dreams, or your dreams will give up on you,” he told them.As hard as it is to imagine, John Wooden is gone. His dreams, however, live on. WIZARD OF WESTWOOD—In this March 24, 1969 photo, legendary UCLA coach John Wooden is flanked by Sidney Wicks, right, and Lew Alcindor, draped with basket ropes, after UCLA beat Purdue 92-72 to win the NCAA basketball title for the third consecutive year, in Louisville, Ky. Wooden, who built one of the greatest dynasties in all of sports at UCLA and became one of the most revered coaches ever, died June 4. He was 99. 
Sports Related Videospowered by AdSparcRead Next Nadine Lustre’s phone stolen in Brazil As the Angels try to swing their momentum further, one of them is unfortunately missing out on all the action.Wensh Tiu, who was instrumental in the Angels’ first win, is set to miss a maximum of six weeks after suffering an injury on her right ankle but she is not letting the setback hamper her positive attitude.FEATURED STORIESSPORTSGinebra beats Meralco again to capture PBA Governors’ Cup titleSPORTSAfter winning title, time for LA Tenorio to give back to Batangas folkSPORTSTim Cone, Ginebra set their sights on elusive All-Filipino crown“I’m just thinking that I will do my best in my recovery, take care of myself so I can speed this up,” said Tiu in Filipino Wednesday at Filoil Flying V Centre after the Angels’ victory over Pocari Sweat-Air Force, 25-19, 20-25, 28-26, 25-21.“I find ways in how I can help my team while I’m recovering from the injury and give them moral support.” Don’t miss out on the latest news and information. Tiu injured her ankle on May 20 in the Angels’ five-set victory over BanKo, 15-25, 18-25, 25-18, 25-20, 15-9, where she put up 10 points.Unknown to Tiu her breakout game would be her last before the injury sidelined her.Tiu said she won’t dwell on the negatives of her injury and that she would just look at the brighter side of things even though she’s not on the court during the Angels’ three-game winning streak.“I’m not that frustrated even though I’m not playing because the team’s been winning,” said Tiu. “I’m not thinking that this injury would be permanent so I’m still looking forward to playing after a few weeks.”ADVERTISEMENT Winfrey details her decision to withdraw from Simmons film Jury of 7 men, 5 women selected for Weinstein rape trial Ravena not allowed to play in ‘any league,’ practice with NLEX during ban Volcano watch: Island fissures steaming, lake water receding Steam emission over Taal’s main crater ‘steady’ for past 24 hours China population now over 1.4 billion as birthrate falls LATEST STORIES Dave Chappelle donates P1 million to Taal relief operations Lights inside SMX hall flicker as Duterte rants vs Ayala, Pangilinan anew View comments Carpio hits red carpet treatment for China Coast Guard PLAY LIST 02:14Carpio hits red carpet treatment for China Coast Guard02:56NCRPO pledges to donate P3.5 million to victims of Taal eruption00:56Heavy rain brings some relief in Australia02:37Calm moments allow Taal folks some respite03:23Negosyo sa Tagaytay City, bagsak sa pag-aalboroto ng Bulkang Taal01:13Christian Standhardinger wins PBA Best Player award In fight vs corruption, Duterte now points to Ayala, MVP companies as ‘big fish’ After starting the season three straight losses, PetroGazz has finally found its rhythm in the Premier Volleyball League Reinforced Conference racking up three consecutive wins to get to the fourth place.ADVERTISEMENT MOST READ
The Ministry of Finance and Development Planning (MFDP) has now officially “joined” the fight against the deadly Ebola virus, which last week snatched away one of their senior colleagues, Mr. Patrick Sawyer.Mr. Sawyer, who met his untimely death in Lagos, Nigeria, after he had gone there to attend an Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) conference, was the Coordinator of the ECOWAS National Unit at the MFDP.Speaking with our Health Correspondent Sunday, July 27, the MFDP Media Services Director, Mr. Sidiki Trawally, stated that individually, the Ministry’s staff have been engaged in the preventive methods and “most of them have their personal sanitizer, which they use daily.”Mr. Trawally said that in order to strengthen their involvement in the anti-Ebola campaign, the Ministry has put in place a thorough sanitary program and admonished all staff to use the hand washer or personalized sanitizers or disposable gloves available at the Ministry’s entrance.The Ministry announced Monday that in order to instill confidence in users of services at the MFDP, “At the very highest level of the Ministry, all senior officials who came in direct or indirect contact with Mr. Sawyer have been placed on the prescribed 21-day observatory surveillance period starting July 20th, the day Mr. Sawyer departed the country for Nigeria.” The Ministry further said that all concerned senior officials have been requested to telecommute (work from home) until certified by the Ministry of Health and Social Welfare (MoHSW) to return to active duty.In addition to the above measures, the Minister of FDP, Amara Konneh, has requested the Ministry of Health to immediately quarantine and properly sanitize both the former Ministry of Finance and the former Ministry of Planning and Economic Affairs buildings, including the newly constructed National Authorizing Office of the European Union.“Due to these measures, the Ministry [was] temporarily shut down 12 PM on Monday, July 28, and reopened on Tuesday, July 29.”The Minister has also given permission to other employees, who made no contact with Mr. Sawyer, but have been traumatized as a result of the situation in the past few days and would like to take some time off, to stay home until they deem it necessary to return to duty.Among other things, however, all essential employees still working at the Ministry have been asked to observe strictly the following measures: “Use of the elevator is restricted to only 4 persons per trip; absolutely, no clustering on the stairways; no gathering of more than five persons, except for meetings in conference spaces or spatial environment; absolutely no handshakes, hugging of other physical bodily contact; and please report any suspicious illness or strange conditions amongst employees.The Ministry has also asked that only persons with genuine business dealings and transactions would be permitted on the premises and that all employees are further encouraged to wear long-sleeved clothing to minimize any possible risk of exposure.“Notwithstanding, the general public is advised to carry out their normal transactional businesses at the Ministry and follow closely the measures announced in the interest of public health.Meanwhile, the MFPD tax policy unit will review, in conjunction with the Liberia Revenue Authority, a proposal for the relaxation of tariffs and duties on the importation of sanitary materials and other bleach products during the period of this situation.” (For the latest news and updates, follow us at https://www.facebook.com/pages/Liberian-Observer-Online/42279623238.)Share this:Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window)Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window)
Minister of Information, Culture and Tourism, Lewis Brown, has stated that the deadly Ebola virus, which was suspected to be in the country after it was announced that five of six persons who crossed over from neighboring Guinea have died from the virus, does not exist in Liberia.Speaking in an interview at his office on Capitol Hill Wednesday, March 26, Minister Brown said all of the suspected cases that were reported are not Ebola as medical research has revealed.According to Min. Brown, “The cases reported do not confirm that these people who died or those undergoing treatment were/are infected by the Ebola virus. The patient transferred to the John F. Kennedy is doing well and the child who spent four days in the hospital [in Zorzor] is recovering.”Minister Brown explained that the Ministry of Health and Social Welfare and its partners have taken blood samples to Guinea and France for medical tests and observation. He expects results in the soonest possible time.“We do not have any evidence to show that anyone in Liberia has Ebola. All previous measures taken by the government were intended as precautions for the sake of our dear citizens, which is the best that a good government could do for its people in the situation.”Minister Brown explained that the press conference held by the Ministry of Health and Social Welfare on Monday, March 24, was a precautionary measure taken to keep citizens informed due to Liberia’s shared border with Guinea.“Not a single case of actual Ebola was reported by the Ministry of Health and Social Welfare or any of its partners including the World Health Organization (WHO). Those that were speculated to be Ebola patients are now recovering and doing well; two of them have been treated and discharged in Foya.”The Information Minister stated that the Health Ministry through its spokesman is calling on the general public to follow the essential measures as instructed by the Health Minister on Monday. The spokesman said that precaution is needed before further investigation or reports on the part of the media.Minister Brown said a person having dysentery, diarrhea, or vomiting with blood does not mean that he has Ebola as claimed by many in the country. He said that the Gov’t wanted to be clear that ‘cries of Ebola in Liberia’ were false.The Minister explained that hygiene is important to everyone whether Ebola is in the country or not. He called on the general public to continue washing their hands and adhering to the initial measures of Ebola prevention until further notice.“We want to re-emphasize that you should wash your hands with soap and water as frequently as possible, and avoid direct interactions with animals such as monkeys and consumption of their raw meat. You must treat your water with chlorine before drinking it for now. We will continue to provide medical reports and updates to the public,” he concluded.This latest summersault comes after Health and Social Welfare Minister, Dr. (MD) Walter Traub Gwenigale and his Deputy Minister, Dr. (MD) Bernice Dahn, who is the Chief Medical Officer for the Republic, had told news men women at a major Monday, March 24 press conference that the deadly Ebola virus, which is reported to have killed at least 60 person in neighboring Guinea, had crossed over into Liberia.They emphasized that as of that date—March 24—five of six persons, who crossed over to Liberia from Guinea, had died from the Ebola virus. They even further clarified that two of the five went back and died in Guinea and the three died on Liberian soil, while the sixth, a female child, was critical and being treated at a local health facility in Zorzor, Lofa County.Min. Lewis Brown, who now denied the presence of Ebola in Liberia, was also a part of the press conference at which the Health Ministry’s authorities announced that Ebola has crossed over into Liberia from Guinea.Meanwhile, Health Min. Gwenigale has told the Observer that no one has been quarantined at the JFK Medical Center because of Ebola.This paper was reliably told by an insider that a patient was quarantined on Tuesday, after health practitioners at the hospital noticed symptoms of the Ebola virus. Our source said the person had come from the suspected Ebola region in Lofa County.The Ministry of Health, in an update, dropped the number of deaths from the “suspected viral hemorrhagic fever” cases to four instead of five as it had announced earlier on Monday, March 24. However, authorities of the Health Ministry still maintain the six-person figure disclosed on Monday.The MOHSW said it continues to monitor and investigate cases of suspected viral hemorrhagic fever in the country.It is noteworthy that the Health Ministry no longer calls it the Ebola virus but “suspected viral hemorrhagic fever.”In a related development, the management of the John F. Kennedy Medical Center has also clarified that at no time did authorities in Ganta transfer Ebola or suspected Ebola cases at the hospital as was reported by the local media.JFK in a release said it is disappointing that others will choose to report such critical national issue without checking first with the hospital. “Management maintains that its various wards are one hundred percent free of Ebola patients and urged journalists to counter-check their stories before publication.”The hospital authorities said recent transfers from Ganta did not in any way come with referral slip indicating Ebola. JFK said every patient that is transfer from a health post comes with a referral slips from a medical practitioner and the slip will clearly state the patient cause of illness and all medications previously administered.It is not clear, however, how the JFK can deny the information when the Acting Chief Medical Officer of Ganta Hospital, Dr. Claude Monga, told a team of journalists on Tuesday, March 25, that two suspected Ebola cases were diagnosed at the Ganta United Methodist Hospital on Monday, March 24.He told journalists that the patients were immediately transferred to the John F. Kennedy Hospital in Monrovia because the Ganta hospital had nowhere to keep such patients.Dr. Monga said one of the patients, believed to be a nine-year-old girl, was brought from Guinea and was vomiting and excreting blood, days after she was admitted at the hospital. After discovering her condition, she was immediately transferred.He also noted the other patient didn’t vomit or excrete blood, but had been having persistent fever for the past five days and was also transferred.With an assist from Alaskai Moore Johnson, Observer Health CorrespondentShare this:Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window)Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window)
An unidentified man was killed in a hit-and-run accident along the Yarrowkabra Public Road, Soesdyke/Linden Highway, on Friday at about 21:00h, according to the Police in a release.The unidentified manThe man was clad in a pair of long grey trousers, a blue-and-white long-sleeved jersey, and a pair of black long boots. A pedal cycle with one of its wheels detached was also found at the scene.The man’s body is at the Lyken’s Funeral Home awaiting identification and post mortem examination.Anyone with information relative to the accident or the identification of the man is kindly asked to make contact with the nearest Police station, or call telephone numbers 261-5457 or 227-2219.
– as expense cited as major challenge for domestic tourismThe expense Guyanese incur to travel and see beautiful destinations in their own country has often been cited as a challenge to domestic tourism and as such, the Guyana Tourism Authority (GTA) is working to correct the situation.3In a recent interview with Guyana Times, GTA Director Brian Mullis acknowledged that this was a major challenge. He noted that the tourism body was working along with stakeholders and other Government agencies, particularly the Guyana Revenue Authority (GRA) to try to bring prices down.“I think the most commonly cited challenge includes the cost of travel in Guyana. It is prohibitively expensive for many people (including) residents of Georgetown, expats, etc. I think that problem is multi-faceted. But it has to do with the enabling environment to offer tax concessions that make travel more affordable,” Mullis said.“We are actually working with GRA on the existing concessions, because many of them are not highly accessible to the sector. So we’ve been trying to see how we can make them more accessible, more user friendly, more attractive.”Mullis noted that moving forward, they would maintain consultations with stakeholders to ensure that priority recommendations can be implemented to improve the GTA’s tourism policies.“Each year, starting last year, we began getting all the stakeholders together to identify what are the priority recommendations to improve policy. Because what’s happened in the past is different groups have been putting forward their recommendations that have been in silos versus a coordinated, collaborative effort. So for 2020, our priority recommendations will be based on business feedback,” he disclosed.“So while the policy was never approved at the highest levels, we continue to develop the sector. And without a roadmap, how can you know where you need to go and how you’re going to get there? So, we engaged stakeholders across the sector to create a strategic action plan. And we’ve been implementing it for the past few months. We update it twice annually, to ensure we recognise what is working and what is not working.”Guyana has been making strides when it comes to eco-tourism. Earlier this year, the country was named the number one “Best of Ecotourism” destination in the world from a selection of the finest destinations. The award was presented to Guyana at the ITB global travel trade fair in Berlin, Germany.The second annual “Best of Top 100” Awards is a selection of the finest top 100 destinations selected by a panel of experts, who review sustainability success stories submitted by destinations worldwide.The newly-created “Best of Ecotourism” category was added in 2019 and pitted Guyana against very well-known and experienced ecotourism destinations, such as Sierra Gorda in Mexico, Tmatboey in Cambodia, and the Galapagos Islands in Ecuador.
The NFF have also agreed other payments and benefits to the team to avoid a pay row that marred Nigeria’s participation at the 2014 World Cup in Brazil.0Shares0000(Visited 1 times, 1 visits today) 0Shares0000Arsenal forward Alex Iwobi celebrates scoring Nigeria’s fourth goal against Argentina. PHOTO/DMABUJA, Nigeria, Nov 22 – The Nigeria Football Federation will pay players and officials a total of Sh248mn ($2.4mn) as a bonus for securing qualification for the World Cup in Russia, a spokesman said Wednesday.“The NFF have agreed to give the team $2.4 million out of the $8 million we are expecting from FIFA,” said Ademola Olajire.