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Better Believe It......Because They Actually Happen(ed) Collection 69
Famous Red Gate at Univ. of Tokyo Said in Danger of Collapse in Case of Earthquake or Strong Wind; Reinforcement Work Planned The famous Akamon Gate of the University of Tokyo in Bunkyo Ward has been closed since 2021. Generations of the nation’s top scholars and leaders have passed through it on their way to building an advanced society. Now the Akamon Gate, the distinctive red gate on the University of Tokyo’s campus in central Tokyo, itself is in danger of collapse. Seismic experts have deemed that the gate, which dates back nearly 200 years, has weakened to the point where it could collapse in a major earthquake or typhoon-strength winds. The gate on the Hongo campus in Bunkyo Ward has been closed since February 2021 as a structural inspection is carried out. The university is looking into starting reinforcement work from the next fiscal year at the earliest, with the hope of opening it back up as soon as possible. The Akamon Gate, officially known as a “goshudenmon,” is the oldest remaining structure on the campus and has been designatedas an important cultural property. It was constructed in 1827 by Nariyasu Maeda, the lord of the Kaga domain, to welcome his new bride, a daughter of the 11th shogun of the Tokugawa Shougnate. Originally part of the Edo residence of Maeda clan, it remained intact when the site became part of the University of Tokyo during the Meiji era (1868-1912). It also survived the Kanto Great Earthquake and the Tokyo air raids during World War II. Full story at The Japan News (October 2024)
Woman dies 2 days after co-worker shot her at Santa Monica College, police say FILE - Santa Monica College students walk past the campus entrance on Monday, June 10, 2013, in Santa Monica, Calif. (AP Photo/Nick Ut,File) SANTA MONICA, Calif. (AP) — A 54-year-old woman died Wednesday from injuries sustained earlier in the week when her co-worker shot her at California’s Santa Monica College, authorities said. Felicia Hudson was pronounced dead Wednesday evening following the shooting late Monday at the school’s Center for Media and Design, officials said. Hudson was a custodial operations manager at the college and the suspected gunman, 39-year-old Davon Durell Dean, had been a custodian. Officials called the shooting a “workplace violence incident.” “We are deeply saddened and shocked by the tragic loss of our colleague Felicia Hudson, who served the college for nearly three decades with dedication and heart. She took great pride in being a steadfast coworker and leader,” Kathryn E. Jeffery, the college’s superintendent and president, said in a statement. Dean fled after the shooting, Santa Monica police said in a statement. His car was stopped by officers near the city of Hawthorne, south of Santa Monica. After failing to surrender, he was found dead by suicide inside the car, police said. “The investigation remains ongoing, and detectives are working to determine the full sequence of events leading to this tragedy,” the statement said. “There are no known additional suspects involved and there is no ongoing threat to the public.” Full story at The Associated Press (october 2024)
Chinese man, 29, with 4 PhDs and several master’s degrees probed for dubious credentials Many question man’s academic credentials as ‘against common sense’ given that most PhDs take at least 4 years to complete By Fran Liu A young Chinese man has astonished mainland social media with his remarkable academic accomplishments, which include two postdoctoral degrees, four PhDs, four master’s degrees, and more than 20 memberships in academic organisations. Zhao Zijian, 29, sparked intense public debate after the Inner Mongolian National Culture and Art Research Institute announced his appointment as a researcher and shared his incredible academic credentials. Zhao stated that he earned doctoral degrees in performing arts, psychology, education, and biblical studies. He specifically mentioned two institutions where he completed his doctoral studies: a “Catholic university” in South Korea and Lyceum of the Philippines University, a private school. He also claimed to hold multiple master’s degrees in communications, Buddhist studies, and mindfulness studies from the University of Hong Kong, Baptist University, and both the University of Zaragoza and Miguel de Cervantes European University in Spain. In addition to his degrees, Zhao has 22 memberships in various academic societies spanning diverse fields such as economics and medicine, and he has published 24 “high-level” academic articles, aggregating an impact factor of “28+” - a metric indicating how frequently the articles were cited in a given year. Many people questioned Zhao’s academic credentials as being “against common sense”, since most PhDs typically take at least four years to complete. Zhao Zijian’s recent appointment as a researcher at the Inner Mongolian National Culture and Art Research Institute ignited significant public discourse, particularly around his impressive academic credentials. Photo: The Paper The institute stated that it had suspended its collaboration with Zhao and launched an investigation into his academic qualifications. On October 12, Yin Fujun, the head of the institute, informed China Newsweek that no “obvious counterfeiting” was found. He confirmed that all of Zhao’s four master’s degrees passed official verification from the Chinese Service Centre for Scholarly Exchange (CSCSE). However, only one of Zhao’s PhDs had passed verification, while one was still in the process, and Yin mentioned that Zhao “did not plan to verify the other two”. Full story at South China Morning Post (October 2024)
First-of-its-kind social media influencer degree launched in Carlow South East Technological University (SETU) in Carlow has launched the first year of its Content Creation and Social Media course By Ciara O'Loughlin IT Carlow (Image: Google Maps) A first-of-its-kind social media influencer degree has been launched at an Irish university, and it is receiving global media coverage. South East Technological University (SETU) in Carlow has launched the first year of its Content Creation and Social Media course. It is a four-year degree programme that aims to give students the skills to become a successful social media influencer. Fifteen wannabe influencers were accepted in the course's first intake earlier this month. Course Director Irene McCormick said the course was launched following a successful summer crash course called Digital Hustle. She told AFP: “It got amazing traction, we could see the appetite for more, so we broadened it to degree level. Influencing is something that's catching fire. You can try to learn yourself at home but being empowered with practice and theory about how to connect with target demographics online is going to make a big difference to your career.” Course modules include creative video, celebrity studies, psychology, data analytics and podcasting. Students will also learn how to use camera and audio equipment and will have work placement opportunities. Full story at Irish Mirror (October 2024)
Radical plan to slash student debts by tens of thousands of dollars By Paul Sakkal Student debts could be slashed by tens of thousands of dollars under a radical Albanese government plan to make financially strained young Australians feel better off before next year’s election. As Labor searches for a compelling cost-of-living pitch to lift it out of a political quagmire, the cabinet is examining moves to reduce the rising debt burden of graduates paying more for some degrees and struggling with the inflation-fuelled repayment spikes. Prime Minister Anthony Albanese with Education Minister Jason Clare. Credit: Trevor Collens Options under consideration include cutting the total student debt pile of $70 billion by up to 20 per cent, which would reduce individual loans by the same amount; changing or removing indexation for a period of time; tinkering with repayment rates or increasing the threshold at which a person must start paying off loans from the current income of $51,550; and pausing repayments for those on parental leave. Several government and public service sources, unable to speak publicly about confidential policy work, confirmed Labor was looking at ideas to make student loans more equitable. Ministers contacted by this masthead refused to discuss the proposals but did not deny the work was being done. Decisions have not been finalised, sources said, but two backbenchers said an existing policy to wipe $3 billion in loans was appreciated by young people and there was a desire among backbenchers to do more on HELP debts – previously named HECS. Full story at The Sydney Morning Herald (November 2024)
Student gets stuck in chair at Tawau school, rescuers forced to use hydraulic cutter By Stephanie Lee KOTA KINABALU: A student experienced an embarrassing ordeal after becoming trapped in a school chair at SMK Tawau II, Tawau. The 14-year-old was reportedly playing around with a friend when she sat on a broken chair. The chair's seating cover gave way, causing her to slip into the resulting hole at about 8am on Tuesday (Nov 5). State Fire and Rescue Department officials received a call about the incident at 9.08am and dispatched a team to assist. Upon arrival, they found the girl stuck firmly stuck in the chair. The rescue team laid the chair down with her still in it and used a hydraulic cutter to remove the metal parts. She was freed after the chair was cut in two and sustained minor injuries from the incident. Full story at The Star (November 2024)
Harvard Professors Cancel Classes as Students Feel Blue After Trump Win Students awoke to a somber campus following Donald Trump’s reelection to the presidency early Wednesday morning. “My heart dropped a little bit,” one student said. By Madeleine A. Hung and Azusa M. Lippit Students woke up to a somber campus the morning following Donald Trump's reelection as president. By Ellen P. Cassidy At 7 a.m. on Wednesday, Sophia R. Mammucari ’28 woke up to a phone call from her mom — and the news that Donald Trump had been officially reelected. “I still had some hope that she was going to win by a small amount. And then I woke up this morning, and that’s not what happened,” Mammucari said. “I probably cried for like an hour.” On election night, students gathered at viewing parties hosted by friends, House tutors, the Institute of Politics, and the Harvard Republican Club to watch results roll in. The next morning, they woke up to a somber campus. When Samantha M. Holtz ’28 googled the presidential election’s outcome before her Wednesday morning swim practice, her “heart dropped a little bit.” “Being at Harvard, I was surrounded by a lot of people who were very pro-Harris, so in my mind it was already a decided election,” Holtz said. “It was a little bit shocking to me.” Luke P. Kushner ’27 said he was “really, really disappointed” by the presidential election results. “Very early on in the night, it became pretty clear that it was going to go in the direction of Trump,” Kushner said. “I went to bed before they called it, and at that point I was pretty resigned.” ‘Space to Process’ In Harvard’s freshman dining hall Wednesday morning, Holtz joined a teammate to eat breakfast with College Dean Rakesh Khurana. According to Holtz, Khurana told students to “let yourself feel a bunch of emotions about how this is going to impact us in the future, and listen to other people and how they feel about it too.” Some professors also encouraged students to process in the aftermath of the election, adjusting course requirements in kind. Courses such as Sociology 1156: “Statistics for Social Sciences” and Applied Math 22a: “Solving and Optimizing,” as well as several General Education courses — 1074: “The Ancient Greek Hero” and 1111: “Popular Culture and Modern China” among them — canceled their Wednesday classes, made attendance optional, or extended assignment deadlines. The move echoes the aftermath of Trump’s first win in 2016, when professors postponed exams and changed lesson plans to lighten students’ schedules. Full story at The Harvard Crimson (November 2024)
Iranian woman detained after taking clothes off at university in Tehran By Mohammed Tawfeeq Woman strips to her underwear outside Iranian university (CNN) — A female student stripped to her underwear outside her university in Iran in what some student and rights groups say was a protest against the country’s strict Islamic dress code. A video circulating on social media and shared by rights group Amnesty International shows the woman sat outside the university in her underwear and with her hair uncovered. She gestures toward her fellow students, many of whom are female and wearing headscarves, before strolling around the premises. Another video shows her walking down a road, still in a state of undress, before a group of men surround her, bundle her into a car, and drive away. Amnesty said Saturday the woman had been “violently arrested” after she protested the “abusive enforcement” of the dress code at Tehran’s Islamic Azad University. Full story at CNN (November 2024)
Eight dead after stabbing at school in eastern China The stabbing incident happened on Saturday in the city of Wuxi in eastern China (Photo: Getty Images) Eight people have died and 17 others have been injured following a stabbing incident outside a school in eastern China. A 21-year-old man was arrested at Wuxi Yixing Arts and Crafts Vocational and Technical College in the city of Wuxi at about 18:30 local time (10:30 GMT), according to a statement from local police. The statement said he graduated from the school in 2024 and carried out the attack after "failing to obtain his diploma due to poor exam results" and that he was unhappy with his internship pay. He confessed to his crime "without hesitation", police said. They added that an investigation was under way and efforts were being made to "manage the aftermath". Full story at BBC News (November 2024)
Windsor teen joined Maidenhead school 'to teach extremist beliefs' The trial at the Old Bailey is due to last four weeks A teenager gained a place at an Islamic Sunday school in order to teach her "extremist" beliefs to young children, a court has heard. Dzhamilya Timaeva, 19, from Windsor, saw it as a "duty" of her Islamic faith to "wage war against non-believers", it is alleged. She is on trial at the Old Bailey charged with four counts of disseminating terrorist publications and one count of possessing a document for terrorist purposes. Prosecutor Gareth Weetman said she arranged for copies of a booklet called The Little Muwahideen to be printed. The book had a "colourful, cartoon" style, but included sections dedicated to the waging of war for Islam and defined jihad as "obligatory fighting" for Allah, the court heard. The book also had a section referring to "Hatred for the sake of Allah". "It is not just about teaching the basics of Islam but indoctrinating young minds," said Mr Weetman. Full story at BBC News (November 2024)
3 Delaware School Workers Fed Takis with Hot Sauce to Student They Knew Had Digestive Disability: Police Makayla Lomax, 31, Marrisa Johnson, 26, and Morgan Donahue, 21, are all charged with endangering the welfare of a child By Nicole Acosta From left: Marrisa Johnson, Makayla Lomax and Morgan Donahue. Photo: Smyrna Police Dept Three workers at a Delaware elementary school were arrested after authorities allege they abused children with special needs. Makayla Lomax, 31, Marrisa Johnson, 26, and Morgan Donahue, 21, are all charged with endangering the welfare of a child, according to a press release shared by the Smyrna Police Department in early November. Lomax also faces charges of third-degree child abuse and offensive touching. It’s unclear if the suspects have entered pleas or retained attorneys to speak on their behalf. An investigation that began in February showed that employees working in an elementary school classroom for students with special needs within the Smyrna School District would allegedly “throw objects at the students, yell at them, and call them names,” per the release. According to police, Johnson and Donahue are accused of feeding Takis with hot sauce to a student with special needs in late 2022 knowing the child had a digestive disability. Additionally, Lomax allegedly hit a student in the face and sprayed the victim with a water bottle as a “form of discipline,” police said. Authorities have not released further details regarding the investigation. Full story at People (November 2024)