Aisha Lakhani, a graduate student at Anna Maria College, talks about the path that led her from Pakistan to the school in Paxton, Massachusetts. She’s studying counseling psychology and working with students as a residential specialist, a role in which she creates events and supports students. She talks about her experiences here. (September 2023) …
Test-Optional Admissions Could Worsen Inequality
Many colleges no longer require admissions tests like the SAT. They say the tests don’t meaningfully measure intelligence and are easily gamed by wealthier or more privileged students. However, it seems wealthy students are still taking the tests, while poorer ones are forgoing them. Since the tests are still weighed in admissions, the result may…
Macedonian-Born Soccer Coach’s Winning Legacy in Maryland
For 31 years Macedonian-born Sasho Cirovski coach has instilled his passion for excellence into the University of Maryland’s soccer program. The result is success on and off the field. VOA’s Jane Bojadzievski reports. Camera, edit: Larz Lacoma …
Seattle Hotel Preserves Memory of Dark Time for Japanese Americans
During World War II, the basement of Seattle, Washington’s Panama Hotel was where local Japanese Americans stored their belongings before being incarcerated in camps. For the Panama’s current owner, preserving its dark history became her life’s work. Natasha Mozgovaya has the story. (Camera: Natasha Mozgovaya) …
By the Numbers, College Is Still Worth It
Writing in the Baltimore Sun, Jay A. Perman, chancellor of the University of Maryland system, says that despite falling enrollments and public trust in universities, graduates still earn more, live longer and happier lives, and even volunteer more often. Read the op-ed here. (September 2023) …
Colombian Artist Botero Gets Last Goodbye in His Birthplace
Colombian artist Fernando Botero, who died in September, was known for his plump, colorful and playful portraits of all levels of society – from a Colombian seamstress to crime boss Pablo Escobar to the pope. His ashes will be buried in Italy, but before that his remains made a stop in his native city of…
Should We Rethink the College Syllabus?
Syllabi used to be an intellectual map, showing students what they could expect to learn. But academic and video game designer Ian Bogost argues that syllabi have become boring, rote and describe college policies and regulations instead of academic material. Read his argument in The Atlantic. (August 2023) …
International Students Detail US Workplace Culture Shocks
International students at Michigan State University talk about workplace culture shocks in the U.S. Sophomore Shreshta Sinha of India, who’s studying computational and cognitive neuroscience, says that unlike India, the U.S. tends to stress work over education. Read the full story here. (September 2023) …
‘PAW Patrol’ Sequel Is Top Dog at Box Office
After several quiet weeks in movie theaters, four films entered wide release over the weekend. “PAW Patrol: The Mighty Movie” came out the top dog, with $23 million in ticket sales, according to studio estimates Sunday. The performances of all four films – “PAW Patrol: The Mighty Movie,” “Saw X,” “The Creator” and “Dumb Money”…
Celebrated Syrian Author Khaled Khalifa Dead at 59
Syrian writer and veteran government critic Khaled Khalifa has died of cardiac arrest at the age of 59 at his home in Damascus, a close friend told AFP. Khalifa, who hailed from Maryamin in northwestern Aleppo province, was celebrated for his novels, television screenplays and newspaper columns, and honored with several of the Arab…
Inspired by Llamas and Mother Earth, Chilean Craftswomen Weave Sacred Textiles
In northern Chile, Teofila Challapa learned to weave surrounded by the hills and sandy roads of the Atacama Desert. “Spin the threads, girl,” her grandmother told her a half a century ago. Aymara women like Challapa, now 59, become acquainted with wool threads under blue skies and air so thin that outsiders struggle to breathe.…
Pope Francis Creates 21 New Cardinals to Help Reform Church
Pope Francis created 21 new cardinals at a ritual-filled ceremony Saturday, including key figures at the Vatican and in the field who will help enact his reforms and cement his legacy as he enters a crucial new phase in running the Roman Catholic Church. On a crisp sunny morning filled with cheers from St. Peter’s…
Union Support Grows Among US Graduate Students
Labor unions are finding support among graduate students at U.S. colleges and universities, according to a new report. Graduate students, upset by working conditions and pay, have held a series of organizing votes in the past two years, Times Higher Education reports. (September 2023). …
India Ready to Welcome Back Cricket World Cup After 12 Years
When 2019 finalists England and New Zealand meet again to open the Cricket World Cup next week, it will mark the tournament’s return to India after 12 years. But preparations for this year’s tournament — in which the home side will start among the favorites and won the event when it was last played in…
Last Living Suspect in 1996 Killing of Tupac Shakur Charged with Murder
A man who prosecutors say ordered the 1996 killing of rapper Tupac Shakur was arrested and charged with murder Friday in a long-awaited breakthrough in one of hip-hop’s most enduring mysteries. Duane “Keffe D” Davis has long been known to investigators as one of four suspects identified early in the investigation. He isn’t the accused…
Why Are Americans Less Confident in Higher Education?
Only about 4 in 10 Americans say they have a “great deal” or “quite a lot” of confidence in higher education. Sarah Wood of U.S. News & World Report examines why and offers some solutions. (August 2023) …
Research Helps Applicants Be More Competitive
Between a third to half of all students admitted to the University of Pennsylvania and the California Institute of Technology feature high school research projects in their applications, and the MIT application even has a dedicated section for them. Such projects can be “both a differentiator and an equalizer” in the admissions process: they can…
Millions Travel in China in 1st Big Autumn Holiday Since End of Zero-COVID
Many millions of Chinese tourists are expected to travel within their country, splurging on hotels, tours, attractions and meals in a boost to the economy during the 8-day autumn holiday period that began Friday. This year’s holiday began with the Mid-Autumn Festival on Friday and also includes the Oct. 1 National Day. The public holidays…
Afghan Women Defy Taliban, Will Participate in Asian Games
Exiled Afghan female athletes are participating in the 2023 Asian Games in Hangzhou, China, which end Oct. 8. They say they want to raise awareness of the plight of women in Afghanistan, who are barred from playing any sports in the country. Waheed Faizi has the story, narrated by Elizabeth Cherneff. …
Chinese Students Abroad Face ‘A Tale of Two Fears’
An op-ed in Politico argues that Chinese international students are often reluctant to discuss their country’s politics. They suggest two reasons. First, they fear punishment for themselves or their families by the Chinese Communist Party. Second, as anti-Chinese sentiments surge in many countries, they worry about discrimination. Read the piece by Jianyi Yang and Leslie…
Racial Diversity at Johns Hopkins Could Be in Trouble
Johns Hopkins University, a prestigious research institution in Baltimore, Maryland, boosted its racial diversity by expanding outreach and financial aid, as well as getting rid of “legacy” admissions — those admitted because they have a relative who previously attended the school. However, the U.S. Supreme Court banned affirmative action in college and university admissions earlier…
Enrollments Are Down, Budgets Are Tight; One College’s Answer: Pizza-Carrying Robots
To cut costs, many colleges, including the University of Wisconsin-Madison, are using robots to deliver food in dining halls and at sports games. Students can order food with an app, and the robot will deliver it to them. According to the robot’s manufacturer, 64% of students surveyed say the service has kept them from skipping…
What’s It Like to Come to America as an Undergraduate?
Many thousands of international students come to study at American universities and colleges each year. VOA’s Laurel Bowman met four students who have just landed at campuses in the Washington area. Camera — Adam Greenbaum and Saqib Ul Islam. …
Michael Gambon, Actor Who Played Prof. Dumbledore in 6 ‘Harry Potter’ Movies, Dies at Age 82
Veteran actor Michael Gambon, who was known to many for his portrayal of Hogwarts headmaster Albus Dumbledore in six of the eight “Harry Potter” films, has died, his publicist said Thursday. He was 82. A statement by his family, issued by his publicist, said he died following “a bout of pneumonia.” “We are devastated to…
Late-Night TV Shows in US Announce Their Return After Hollywood Writers Strike Ends
TV’s late-night hosts planned to return to their evening sketches and monologues by next week, reinstating the flow of topical humor silenced for five months by the newly ended Hollywood’s writers strike. Bill Maher led the charge back to work by announcing early Wednesday that his HBO show “Real Time with Bill Maher” would be…
Top Employers’ Latest Perk: Free College Counseling
Many prestigious companies in the U.S. are now offering their employees free coaching to get their children into selective schools. The perk is designed to recruit the best workers in a tight job market, but critics say it only worsens inequality. Jon Marcus has more for The Hechinger Report. (September 2023) …
International Students Should ‘Know How Majors and Grading Work’
The U.S. college system is different from most others: Students are graded from A to F, and often choose their course of study — their “major” — one to two years after enrolling. Anayat Durrani of U.S. News & World Report explains the differences. (August 2023) …
Hollywood Writers Guild Ends Strike Ahead of Final Contract Vote
The Writers Guild of America (WGA) said its members could return to work on Wednesday while a ratification vote takes place on a new three-year contract with Hollywood studios. Union leaders “voted unanimously to lift the restraining order and end the strike as of 12:01 a.m. PT/3:01 a.m. ET on Wednesday, September 27th,” the WGA…