Valentine’s Day Weekend brings a flurry of shoppers to Storrs businesses and it’s the leading holiday for flower stores such as UConn Blooms and The Flower Pot.

UConn Blooms, located next to Towers Residence Hall, is expecting to sell approximately 750 rose stems and 40 to 50 mixed bouquets.

Jim Palmieri, the manager of UConn Blooms, said Valentine’s Day is their biggest holiday. They are delivering on Saturday and Sunday between 9 a.m. and 3 p.m. There is a $7 delivery charge, and orders must be placed 24 hours before delivery.

Continue reading “UConn, Storrs businesses plan for Valentine’s Day shoppers” →

The Regional School District #19 Board of Education reviewed four plan options from the Tai Soo Kim Partners Architects for renovations on Edwin O. Smith High School on Feb. 2.

Plan option one and two include renovating the existing school, such as expanding the auditorium, the agricultural education department, technological department, music department and fine arts department.

Options one and two cost $13.8 million and $9.3 million, respectively.

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The University of Connecticut is committing a $5,000 annual scholarship to all qualifying Hartford Public High School graduates who plan to attend UConn.

To qualify, students must be participants of the Hartford Promise program, which means enrolled in Hartford Public Schools since at least 9th grade, graduating with a 3.0 grade point average and meeting attendance goals.

The Hartford Promise program offers a $5,000 scholarship and UConn is pledging to match that amount, thus doubling the scholarship for UConn-bound graduates.

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Counseling and Mental Health Services has been preparing for the influx of stressed students due to the end of the semester, especially final exams.

Drop in consultation services, stress reduction workshops and “double staffed” emergency services are available for students during the most stressful time of the semester.

According to Elizabeth Cracco, director of Counseling and Mental Health Services and interim director of the Student Health Services, visits hit a steady peak around mid-October and stay at that level until the end of the semester.

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The Graduate Student Senate was found to not be in compliance with federal and state labor laws due to some executive board members not making minimum wage, Wednesday.

Ross Dardani, the administrative assistant for the Graduate Student Senate, said most of the problem was in semantics within the laws.

The executive board members are not creating a “tangible” production, therefore, it can be hard to measure wages. Some executive board members are paid in a stipend and some in a salary.

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Members of the University of Connecticut graduate union, graduate senate, faculty, and graduate programs rallied in support of academic freedom around noon Wednesday outside of the Wilbur Cross Building.

Academic freedom, which is defined by the American Association of University Professors (AAUP) as full freedom in research, publication and classroom curriculum, is one of the main goals of the faculty union.

The Graduate Employee Union, which was formed last April, encouraged people to rally in support of the AAUP.

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After much delay, the Henry Ruthven Monteith building renovation is in full swing with an expected completion date of August 2016.

The $25-million project includes the cost of building materials, architect’s fees, furniture, fixtures and equipment, audio-visual, security and technology installations.

The renovations will add another 25 years of life to the building, according to the University of Connecticut spokesperson Stephanie Reitz.

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