Jonathan the Husky at a UConn football game. Photo courtesy of The Daily Campus.
Every student on campus knows his name, but not everyone knows his story. Jonathan, the two-year-old, blue-eyed Siberian black and white husky is the 14th of his kind.
There are currently three Jonathans on campus: two canine and one costumed mascot. Jonathan XIII, an all-white husky, has retired as the official mascot, but does show his face occasionally.
The costumed mascot attends UConn games on and off-campus, but the university exercises very little control over the dog himself. For example, it does not control what events he appears at or who takes care of him, nor do they pay for his care.
Instead, the Alpha Phi Omega service fraternity has that responsibility. Members of the group are in charge of walking him, feeding him, grooming him, taking him to the vet, and deciding which events on campus he should attend. There is a committee of 15 handlers within the fraternity that care for Jonathan.
The university reaches out to Alpha Phi Omega when it wants to make a promotional video or photo shoot. Athletics also invites the husky to games.
Considering the difficulties of caring for an animal in a college dorm room, a host family off-campus also takes care of Jonathan XIV and his predecessor, Jonathan XIII.
Leann Hennessey and Erica Ballas are two of Jonathan’s caregivers. Hennessey has been caring for Jonathan since the spring of 2016, and Ballas since the fall of 2014. They are both undergraduate students.
Bike Mansfield, an organization that is committed to transforming the town of Mansfield into a bike-friendly community, has recently taken action to become a nonprofit in the state of Connecticut.
Organizations must first incorporate in the state to then become a certified (501) (c) (3) nonprofit organization.
President Amber Pierce said that becoming an incorporated group, one led by a board of directors and managed by a team of elected officers, will help them be recognized by the IRS in the future.
A student plays with a dog in Laurel Hall. A new student initiative called Ruff Day may bring more animals on campus. Photo by Zhelun Lang.
Ruff Day, a new student initiative, is looking to bring more pets to campus to combat mental health problems and the general loneliness that students sometimes feel living on a college campus.
The organization will make their first appearance at the University of Connecticut’s Fresh Check Day, held on April 23 from noon to 4 p.m.
Fresh Check Day is a mental health initiative and the signature event of the Jordan Porco Foundation. Porco committed suicide as a college freshman, and in response his family began the nonprofit to help other students in need and to reduce the stigma about mental illnesses. Fresh Check Days take place throughout the Northeast and are expanding nationwide.
The Fresh Check Day will serve as a pilot test for Ruff Day. If student feedback is positive and expansive, the organization will look to make more appearances at campus events.
Kaitlyn Allen, a sixth-semester psychology major and criminal justice minor, began the club about a month ago. She has noticed that students love seeing pets on campus, whether they are service animals, visitors or pet therapy dogs. She wanted students to have a chance to get together and meet new cuddly friends.
The Zika virus, an international public health emergency as declared by World Health Organization, has spread as far north as Mexico by active transmission. The virus could potentially reach into the southern United States, specifically Florida and Texas.
There were 273 travel associated cases reported in the United States. As of March 23, more than half the states in the U.S. have reported travel associated cases, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Production.
The Virus is new to the Western Hemisphere, but has been circulating in Asia and Africa for more than 50 years. The first Western cases were reported in Brazil.
The University of Connecticut Rescue Club will soon offer CPR classes for those interested in becoming certified as part of their EMT interests.
UConn Rescue allows certified EMTs to use their skills to gain experience in the medical field. Some members have EMT certification, while others are merely interested in emergency services.
“We look forward to providing the community with life-saving skills,” Megan Rotondo, the club secretary and a fourth-semester pre-med student majoring in physiology and neurobiology said.
Voices of Freedom perform at the Black Girls Rock Event. Photo by Rebecca Newman.
I recently got back into the Life section of The Daily Campus. My first event I chose to cover was a “Black Girls Rock” program, hosted by the National Council of Negro Women. It was a moving event, and I’m excited to be writing for both sections of the paper.
Every chair in Rome Commons was filled during the Black Girls Rock program on March 3. The group honored the contributions of female African American undergraduates, graduate students and faculty to the University of Connecticut community.
The UConn National Council of Negro Women hosted the event. Groups such as the African American Cultural Center, the African American Alumni Council, Omega Psi Phi Fraternity, Phi Beta Sigma Fraternity, Zeta Phi Beta Sorority, Sigma Gamma Rho Sorority, Sisters Inspiring Sisters and National Council of Negro Woman-Hartford Section were represented. More chairs had to be brought into the back of the room for the extra attendants.
The night opened with a poem titled, “To Be a Black Woman and Alive,” performed by Bree’ana Johnson and Geofanne Anderson. The poem touched on how black men turn their noses up at black woman, and how resilient and defiant black women are, simply by existing.
Johnson said that she was inspired by the Black Entertainment Television program, “Black Girls Rock,” and was determined to start a similar program at UConn.
“The turnout and the amount of melanin in the room is wonderful. It’s great to be able to get acknowledgement for the accomplishments that the campus hasn’t been privy too,” Schneider Jean-Baptiste, 8th-semester business administration major, said.
The event included performances by Voices of Freedom, Nubian Foxes and Alyssa Hughes. A capella group Voices of Freedom sang, “Hallelujah, Salvation & Glory,” which filled the room with wonderful mixing harmonies. Hughes performed a slam poem, then she sang about police brutality accompanied by a bongo and guitar player. Dance group Nubian Foxes also contributed by dancing a lively African and Caribbean dance.
The keynote speaker was Jamilah Lemieux, editor of EBONY Magazine. Lemieux frequently appears on Huffington Post, MSNBC and Al Jazeera America.
Lemieux addressed various issues, such as the recent controversial trailer for the Nina Simone movie and the lack of equal female representation in the new “Ghostbusters” movie. In the films, Zoe Saldana plays Simone in blackface, and the one black female ghostbuster works in the New York City metro, while the three white members of the team are scientists.
Lemieux also repeated the belief that, black men, and white men and women, owe something in their lives to a black woman. She stressed the importance of inclusion, including black transwomen, black disabled women and black gay women, among other groups.
Over a brief dinner intermission, groups mingled and watched a Black Girls Rock video made by Troy Brice featuring black UConn female students expressing why they rock, and black UConn male students supporting the women in their lives.
“It’s great to have the support to celebrate ourselves and who we are,” Justin Walters, a sixth semester electrical engineering student said. “Whether you’re black, white, Puerto Rican, any race, it’s important to celebrate where you come from.”
The program awarded Legends, Game-changers and Rockstars awards to faculty members, graduates and undergraduates. The qualified nominees and winners were awarded for their work in academics, volunteerism and activism.
Lemieux and all the speakers shared positive and negative moments. Giggles, tears, hugs and snickers were shared through the night.
“It’s a privilege to be here,” said Isaiah Mohammed, eighth semester management information systems major. “We’re here to make a difference, especially minorities. UConn invested in the right individuals.”
Claire Tremont's Writing 