As promised, here’s my story about the 17-year-old student who donated nearly $30,000 to the Windham Area Interfaith Ministry. Thank you to the Hartford Courant for publishing my work!
Exciting News
Good news! Through one of my journalism classes, Feature Writing, a story of mine will be published in a local edition of the Hartford Courant. The story is about a young girl who donated much of her time to a local volunteer organization.
I’m thankful for the UConn journalism department for advancing my career even before I graduate. More information will be forthcoming.
Disney Channel to air 3-day original movie marathon
I’ve been enjoying my expansion into the Life section of the Daily Campus. Since my first story about a “Black Women Rock” event, I have learned how to write pieces that might attract a different audience, and to write with a different voice. Here’s my newest story about Disney Channel Original Movies, one that I jumped at.
To celebrate Disney’s release of its 100th movie, Disney Channel is hosting a movie marathon weekend to air its most popular original movies ever made.
The marathon will take place from Friday, May 27 to Monday, May 30. The 51 most popular original movies will play that weekend all day long. Beginning on Tuesday, Disney will continue to play its other original movies.
The marathon will begin at 10 a.m. on Friday with “Kim Possible Movie: So the Drama” and ends on Memorial Day Monday after the 3:35 a.m. airing of “Johnny Tsunami.”
Everyone Loves Jonathan: The inside story of the UConn mascot
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 on its way to becoming a nonprofit organization
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.
Teaming Up
McEvoy and Jackson Earn Best Presentation Award
At the Academy of Business Research Conference in New Orleans on March 23-25, Nicole Jackson, assistant professor of management, and Kevin McEvoy, assistant professor of marketing, earned a Best Session Presentation Award for their work titled, “Mindfulness, Marketing and Management – Is it all that?”
The two professors, both of the Stamford campus, were recently discussing their various interests in research. They realized they were both looking at studies concerning “Mindfulness.” Mindfulness, considered a meditation practice, has shown positive effects in concentration, stress control, creativity and many other areas.
New student club wants to bring animal therapy into your life
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.
Claire Tremont's Writing 