Libraries find themselves at a crossroads in an era when technology makes finding information as easy as swiping on a smartphone. But even as overall circulation numbers fall, libraries are adding more programs to serve the public. Those efforts emphasize a notion that cant be matched with an app: Libraries serve as a gateway to a wider community.

I think libraries will always be a touchstone for our society, said patron Joshua Libby, 34, of Medford. Their services will never go away.

To be sure, its not as if our love of libraries is fading. But like any relationship, things change.

The Massachusetts Board of Library Commissioners, which tallies data on about 370 local libraries, reports that total circulation dropped about 8 percent between fiscal year 2010 and 2018, from about 64.7 million to 59.4 million.

At the same time, however, libraries expanded their outreach. There were about 81,000 programs for adults and young adults last year, more than double the number at the start of the decade. During the same period, the number of childrens programs grew by a third, to nearly 89,000.

At the Somerville Public Library, programs run the gamut from pop-up libraries in Assembly Row to knitting and books and brews sessions for adults, said Cathy Piantigini, the library director. Theres even a supper club that features dishes prepared by members, she said. In Somerville, the library links patrons with the community.

The total number of Somervilles adult and young adult programs has grown from 308 in 2010 to 521 in 2018, according to data collected by the state library commissioners. Childrens programs also increased as well, from 305 in 2010 to 521 in 2018.

People view the library as bit of a hub in a way, Piantigini said. Some people view it as a way they connect with the rest of the city.

Libraries also can find themselves on the front lines of societal issues like substance abuse and homelessness. Bostons public library, for example, added a full-time outreach manager in 2017 to assist people who are experiencing homelessness.

Waltham Public Library, whose motto on its website is Window to the World, is a sanctuary for many people, according to library director Kelly Linehan.

The library wants to come to the table to work on solutions, but it cant implement permanent fixes alone, she said.

If your local library has a population of homeless or substance abusers, that means these two issues are prevalent in your backyard. These are your neighbors, Linehan said. And I hope that triggers a moment of true compassion and concern, and not a critique of a public library or librarians doing their job.

In Waltham, there were 96 adult and young adult programs at the public library in 2010. That number had more than doubled by 2018, when the Waltham Public Library had 252 programs for adults and young adults, according to the state library commissioners. The number of childrens programs also increased, from 233 in 2010 to 482 in 2018.

Director Tara Mansfield said the Salem Public Library has outreach programs that serve older residents, as well as Spanish-speaking members of the community. Salems library also offers a free lunch program throughout the summer for children.

Part of the value is the stability, Mansfield said of a library. Its a place that welcomes people.

Salems adult and young adult programs have increased from 12 in 2010 to 62 in 2018. Its count of childrens programs dropped from 311 in 2010 to 282 in 2018.

Shifts in technology have occasionally spurred calls for private industry to take over the role of public libraries. Ann MacFate, the director of Needhams public library, has heard that argument before.

Ive had friends say, Why do we have libraries, when we have Google? MacFate said. And I light into them.

She called librarians the ultimate search engine.

You can Google anything you want, but if you want it done right, ask a librarian, MacFate said.

In an age of fake news, mistrust of mainstream media, and the easy spread of disinformation over social media, libraries still have the publics trust. Most Americans said libraries help them find information that is trustworthy and reliable, according to a 2016 Pew survey.

Libraries are needed more than ever ... people need a safe place to come, to get information, said Marcoux of Marshfields Ventress library. I cant imagine a world without them.

In Marshfield, the total number of adult and young adult programs soared from 26 in 2010 to 670 by 2018.Childrens programs also increased during the same period, from 161 to 248.

Marcoux is the product of what a library can provide: In 1999, she was a single mother with a high school diploma who worked at her local library.

But being in that world inspired her: With the support of her co-workers, Marcoux returned to school in 2000 and over the following years, earned her associates and bachelors degrees, then her masters in library and information science from what is now Simmons University in 2008.

I was very fortunate that I ran into people who really cared, Marcoux said, and I try to pay that back.

With all the changes in libraries, there are patrons who still love perusing book stacks.

Arlinda Shtuni, 44, of Somerville, grew up in communist Albania before coming to the United States by way of Canada at age 18. She still remembers books that were heavily censored, leaving her to wonder what was cut out.

The libraries in America, she said, give patrons the chance to access and share information freely.

To me, libraries are the finest example of pure, free cultural space, she said. They are essential to our democracy.

John Hilliard can be reached at john.hilliard@globe.com.

Here is the original post:
Amid digital revolution, libraries retain their human touch - The Boston Globe

Young reader Helena, 8, flips through a book at the London Public Librarys Central Branch. Photo taken in London Ont. Oct. 23, 2019. CHRIS MONTANINILONDONERPOSTMEDIA NEWSjpg, LD

Remember reading your favourite book over and over as a kid?

Or curling up with the latest young adult novel as a teen?

Now imagine not having moments like those to remember.

Thousands of young readers in London are given the opportunity to make those memories through the London Public Librarys A Book for Every Child campaign. And this year, the number of kids needing a chance to hold their own book for the first time has dramatically increased.

Colleen Harris, the librarys manager of fund development, said more than 40 social agencies and schools will help the library provide 6,000 books for babies, children, and teens this December and beyond. Its overwhelming. We have more inquiries from more agencies, she said.

Its not uncommon for a community support organization or school to request several hundred books once the library begins promoting its annual campaign. As a result, organizers have decided to focus on the financial goal needed to fulfill all the requests this year. That goal is $18,000, compared to $16,000 last year.

This is the first year we are communicating the dollar goal, said Harris.

Colleen Harris, London Public Librarys manager of fund development, is encouraging Londoners to donate to this years A Book For Every Child campaign.CHRIS MONTANINIjpg, LD

In the past, people have purchased books and donated them. While Harris doesnt want to discourage that practice, she said the library can leverage its buying power to provide more books with monetary donations.

Families get excited about picking books, said Harris. (But) we get special discounts as a library and can buy more books.

Plus, special requests for specific types of books can also be addressed through librarians expertise.

People pick books they loved as a child, said Ellen Hobin, the librarys manager of communications. They dont necessarily reflect this years children were serving.

For example, multi-lingual, Indigenous, and niche ages and reading levels can be matched with the perfect book by librarians.

They pick each book one by one, said Harris. They are able to come up with titles and authors you might not think of. They are curated specifically for that child. We work closely with agencies and schools to determine which child receives which books.

Books for specific age groups, language groups, or specific needs, such as potty-training books, are requested. Often donors want to give back a book they enjoyed as a child but Hobin said multiple copies of a classic book are sometimes difficult to distribute while requests for popular graphic novels, for example, go unfulfilled.

You cant make kids read a book they dont want, Hobin said. With the increasing need, the library can leverage financial donations even if they arent big ones A little goes a long way.

Harris and Hobin suggest Londoners mark a special occasion, such as a birthday, with a donation, or honour a teacher at holiday time.

Donations can be made online or in person at any library branch. Participating book sellers are offering a 20 per cent discount on books that are picked up by Friends of the Library volunteers.

Indigo has partnered with the campaign this year, providing two special fundraising evenings with 20 per cent of all eligible sales donated to A Book For Every Child.

As a parent, I cant get over how many children dont have books and that number is rising, said Hobin. Being able to read a book over and over again thats when learning happens.

Harris attributes the increased need to the broader poverty trends London seems to be experiencing.

A lot of families are struggling, she said. We take literacy for granted. But if youre struggling with housing, food and child care, this is something that does not come to most. Were filling that void.

Janis Wallace is a London-based freelancer writer.

wallace.comms@gmail.com

A Book for Every Child

More here:
Library asks for financial donations to this year's A Book For Every Child campaign - Londoner

(Shenandoah) -- The director of Shenandoah's Public Library reports another strong year when it comes to usage at the facility.

Carrie Falk provided her annual report to the Shenandoah City Council during its regular meeting Tuesday. Falk says the importance of the library was demonstrated in a recent phone call she received.

"I have a lady who had moved away about five or six years ago, she called us up at the library and she wanted book recommendations even though she lives in a much larger Iowa community with a lot more options," said Falk. "She called Shenandoah because she trusts us. I think that says a lot about the staff at the library."

Falk says in the past year, the library was able to add in sewing classes, a Polar Express-themed Christmas party for kids, add new AED cabinets in the building, host the entire Art Walk for the first time and present an exhibit on "Curious George" authors H.A. Rey and Margret Rey and their escape from Nazi Germany. Falk says none of the additonal programming would have been possible without a great volunteer base.

"We had help from 123 volunteers in the community, who gave us 1,690 hours," said Falk. "That's 1.5 full-time people's worth of work that we had people assisting us to do all of the extra things that we offer for the community."

Falk says overall usage of the library and its materials was up in the last year.

"We had over 5,300 people at our programs," said Falk. "We saw a 4-percent increase in circulation of materials and a 37-percent increase in digital usage. We did see a 10 percent decrease in number of people through the door, but we are still at over 210 people per day through our door, which is a lot of people in Shenandoah. We are excited to see that."

Following the update, the council and Mayor Dick Hunt expressed their support for the work Falk and other library staff is doing. Councilman Aaron Green told Falk the city is there to help the library when needed.

"Aside from the funding from the city, I would just extend an open-ended invitation that if there is anything else that we can do from the city to help the library out, please let us know," said Green. "The library is still viewed as a very central part of Shenandoah."

In addition to receiving funding from the city and Page County, Falk says the library received memorials from 15 estates in the past year.

You can view the full report below.

See the original post:
Shenandoah Library sees increase in overall, digital circulations in past year - KMAland

Audiovisual documents contain the primary records of the history of the 20th and 21st centuries, enabling us to pass down common heritage across generations, however, the moving pictures and radio sounds capturing our collective pasts run the risk of vanishing through decay, or being lost to time as the technology once used to handle them becomes obsolete.

The theme of this years World Day, Engage the Past Through Sound and Images praises the expertise of the people working to safeguard collections of the past for generations to come, which without, large portions of our cultural heritage would disappear to be lost forever, the UN said on the Day.

In 2005, the United Nations Education, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) approved commemoration of the Day every 27 October, at its biennial meeting of Member States to spotlight the need for urgent conservation measures of important audiovisual files-a parallel effort to the entitys establishment of theMemory of the World Programme, in 1992, which made clear that significant audiovisual collections worldwide suffered a variety of detrimental fates.

War, looting and dispersal, illegal trading, and preservation funding shortfalls are a few of the burdens that have threatened precious archive holdings for centuries.

For material still intact, digitizing physical records has been a method of escaping inevitable wear and tear from decades of handling, and extending the longevity of audiovisual libraries.

UNESCO in 2015 launched a fundraising project to create digital surrogates of the Organisations archives dating back to its predecessors, including the League of Nations International Institute for Intellectual Cooperation.

The institutional archives and historical audiovisual collections contain evidence of more than 70 years of ideas and actions for peace and international understanding that span the Organizations wide-ranging fields of competence.

Three years on, the Organisations Paris headquarters began housing a digitization lab for material to be more efficiently sorted, digitized, quality checked, and made available online.

A wealth of 5,000 photos, 8,000 hours of sound recordings, 45 hours of film, and 560,000 pages of governing body documents capture oceanography, space exploration, human rights communications, and traces of intellectual figures such as Marie Curie, Albert Einstein, Masaharu Anesaki and more.

Clickhere to experience the online library thus far.

UNESCO's Director-General, Audrey Azoulay, said the Day marks an occasion "to remember the importance of audiovisual materials for connecting with our history and understanding who we are today."

"The past century was marked by unprecedented human development and world-shaping events. We must ensure its lessons are transmitted to future generations", she urged.

See the original post here:
UN spotlights digitization of audiovisual archives to preserve human history on World Day - UN News

CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas There are so many beautiful aspects of Corpus Christi a resident or visitor can point out. One issue that has taken center stage recently that tends to get glossed over is the homelessness issue and its growing population.

A non-profit organization lending a helping hand is Mission 911.

The group was formed in 2001 for the sole purpose of helping displaced people gain back self-sufficiency.

For some, becoming homeless is a choice. For many others it's "unintended circumstances" such as alcohol or drug addictions, making bad choices, losing a job or a mental illness.

KRIS 6 News visited with Mission 911 Executive Director Tony Reyes to get a first-hand look at how Mission 911 works to get those who have fallen on hard times back on their feet again.

According to Reyes, approximately 85 percent of the homeless population that turn to Mission 911 have substance abuse issues, 25 percent of the homeless population has mental health issues, 98 percent of the residents have employments problems and 80 percent of the residents have requested spiritual guidance. As those individuals address the issues that have led them astray, they have a better chance of self-sufficiency and becoming a productive member in society. Sadly, Reyes says, about 40 percent of the population consists of the working poor and it is estimated that 3,500 individuals and families are homeless.

Mission 911 doesn't believe in handouts, but instead offering a helping hand to those in a crisis and wanting positive change. In 2018, they screened applications, conducted personal interviews and background checks, and accepted 530 individuals and families into its many available programs.

Housing is a huge part of what Mission 911 offers. Once accepted into a program, those who are helped technically are no longer homeless.

The organization offers a clean and secure place to sleep, food, clothing, job opportunities and transportation, along with other special-need requests, spiritual guidance and activities.

There are rules for staying at the facility. There are expectations for personal cleanliness, orderly housekeeping with weekly assignments, paying a nominal monthly rent, a curfew and a no-tolerance rule for any use of alcohol, drugs, profanity or aggressive behavior. Once an individual proves they can live in a joint, bunk-like setting, they become eligible for a more private living arrangement.

Making a good first impression is important when it comes to finding a job and taking that first step to positive change.

Another way Mission 911 helps is through its dentistry program. Based at 911 Park St., Project Lucia provides dental services for residents. The goal is to help the indigent, working poor and homeless families in need of dental work. The dental services offered are provided by Dr. Bill Whiteside, who volunteers his time and much of the dental equipment, such as dental tools, an x-ray machine and a dental chair.

Mission 911 also has a room it calls 'The Closet,' which consists of hundreds of clothing items of all types. It not only provides clothing needed, but also storage for the clothing residents already have.

Another source of help is the Alpha Program, which consists of a series of talks addressing key issues related to the Christian faith. The Alpha course consists of an hour dedicated for a meal, 45 minutes of talking and an hour of coffee and small group discussion.

Mission 911 is committed to helping to provide a better life and future for those who come through its doors.

In 2018, Reyes said it had a 22.6 percent success rate and helped 120 individuals and families make the positive changes necessary to become productive citizens in the community.

While the numbers may seem small to some, it's making a difference to many.

For those who make it through its 15-week Project Bridges Program, the success rate is 85 percent.

And with every success, Tony Reyes and his team are sure every person who walks through their doors has a chance to change and turn their lives around for the better.

It's the hope of Mission 911.

For more information about Mission 911, click here.

Originally posted here:
MISSION 911: Helping the displaced back into society - KRIS Corpus Christi News

LANSING A judge on Monday ordered former Michigan State University President Lou Ann Simon to stand trial on charges that she lied to police about her knowledge of a sexual misconduct complaint against now-imprisoned sports doctor Larry Nassar.

The ruling came the same day the school revealed that trustee Nancy Schlichting resigned Saturday over the governing board's decision last month to drop an independent review of Nassar's assaults, despite having unanimously voted for the investigation in June.

Schlichting, in a letter to Gov. Gretchen Whitmer, said it became clear to her that four trustees do not share the commitment by Schlichting and three other trustees to an independent review, including the release of documents protected by attorney-client privilege.

"I deeply regret that my board service has been so short, but hope that the next appointed trustee will be able to make a greater impact than I have," she wrote.

Eaton County District Judge Julie Reincke, meanwhile, found probable cause to send Simon to trial on two felony and two misdemeanor charges of giving false statements to law enforcement agents who accused her of impeding their investigation into one of Nassar's sexual assaults and whether she or other university officials committed misconduct in office.

"We are disappointed by the district court's ruling in light of the complete lack of evidence to support the charges against Lou Anna Simon. We plan to vigorously defend Dr. Simon and will be appealing the decision of the district court," said Lee Silver, one of her lawyers. "We remain confident that we will ultimately prevail and that Lou Anna Simon will be fully acquitted of these charges."

She is the third former school official to be ordered to trial.

Authorities have said Simon knew in 2014 that Nassar had been accused of molesting a patient at a campus clinic, and that she knew of the nature of the complaint. But Simon told police she knew only that a complaint had been filed against a sports doctor and did not become aware of the substance of the review that sparked the school's Title IX investigation or the complaint's nature until 2016.

The judge said the evidence suggests that Simon discussed Amanda Thomashow's sexual abuse allegations against Nassar with a senior adviser, Paulette Granberry Russell.

"It is not credible to believe that Simon would have heard even the outline of Thomashow's story and forgotten it," Reincke wrote.

Simon resigned in January 2018 after calls for her to step down had risen to a deafening crescendo over days of painful and emotional testimony from Nassar's victims, most of whom were gymnasts the former MSU physician pleaded guilty to abusing under the guise of medical treatment. Many of the victims accused the university of mishandling past complaints about Nassar.

Nassar has been sentenced to decades in prison for sexually assaulting athletes, mostly female gymnasts, at MSU and a Lansing-area gymnastics club. Former Olympians said he also molested them in Texas and overseas while he worked for USA Gymnastics.

In September, a day before MSU Board of Trustees Chairwoman Dianne Byrum announced that the outside review was being scrapped, the federal government ordered the school to make sweeping changes and pay a $4.5 million fine for failing to adequately respond to complaints against Nassar.

Byrum said then that the board was split over "defining the scope of work" that was to be done by Chicago-based law firm McDermott Will & Emery to investigate and release a public report. A previous internal review led by New York-based firm Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom had come under criticism because the firm was also assisting the university in anticipation of civil lawsuits and facilitating cooperation with law enforcement following Nassar's 2016 arrest. No report was made public.

Three Nassar victims who worked with the board to initiate the investigation Rachael Denhollander, Sarah Klein and Sterling Riethman have accused Byrum and three other trustees of a "betrayal." They have called on new MSU President Samuel Stanley Jr. to use his executive authority to launch an internal investigation, which they say is needed because the state attorney general's criminal investigation and the U.S. Department of Education's investigations cover "a small portion of what went wrong."

Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel, whose office is prosecuting Simon, has called for the school to waive its attorney-client privilege and release nearly 6,000 documents. Stanley has said it is up to the trustees, who have deadlocked.

"I'm sorry that she is stepping down, but I wish her much personal success and happiness with her other projects," he said in a statement. "We valued her insight and contributions while she was with us."

Schlichting was appointed in December by then-Gov. Rick Snyder to fill a vacancy. Whitmer will name someone to serve the rest of the term through 2022, when the seat will be up for election.

"She is committed to appointing someone who will work together with President Stanley and the remaining board members to build a campus culture that respects diversity, listens to survivors, and makes a college education more affordable and accessible for Michigan families," Whitmer spokeswoman Tiffany Brown said.

Read more from the original source:
Former MSU president to stand trial in Nassar case - Crain's Detroit Business

Steve Jobs may be one of the smartest, most aspirational business leaders in the modern world, but his home life was less than ideal. Its true that he found enormous success with Apple and leading the technology revolution. But his personal life was an absolute mess. He even had a daughter who he claimed wasnt his own, even though she clearly was.

What was it that made Steve Jobs claim he wasntthe father of Lisa Brennan-Jobs? Its complicated.

Jobs was adopted at a young age but even that process didntgo smoothly. Originally, he was placed with a Catholic, well-educated couplebut they changed their minds and decided they wanted a daughter instead. Whenhe was placed with another couple, neither of whom were educated, Jobs birthmother Joanne Scheible refusedto sign the papers.

But being placed with this family turned out to be a blessing. Steve Jobs adoptive father built him a workbench in the garage where he could tinker with projects. And Steve Jobs loved his family even if they didnt have fancy credentials. Later, Jobs referred to his birth parents as, my sperm and egg bank but maintained that his home life with the Jobs family was very special.

Steve Jobs met Chrisann Brennan at Homestead High School in Cupertino, California. The two dated on and off for five years before Brennan got pregnant in 1977. From the very first moments, Jobs denied that he was the father of the child. Perhaps uncoincidentally, Lisa Brennan was conceived the same year that Steve Jobs founded Apple. All of his efforts were focused on making his new company succeed and he didnt have time for fatherhood.

Lisa Nicole Brennan was born on May 17, 1978, at a commune outside of Portland, Oregon. Her father Steve Jobs was not present for the birth.

Only Steve Jobs himself could say for sure why he refused tobelieve reality that Lisa Brennan-Jobs was his real, biological daughter. Hispaternity denial led to a legal battle where a DNA test proved he was indeedthe father, though he refuted paternity even after that, claiming that 28% of the male population of the United Statescould be the father.

Despite his refusal to accept her, Jobs did name an early Apple computer Lisa. At the time, he claimed Lisa was simply an acronym for Local Integrated Systems Architecture. But later he admitted that it was obviously named after the daughter he refused to acknowledge.

Many years later, Steve Jobsrelented to the idea that he could be Lisas father. But by that point, thedamage to their relationship was so extreme that it took a long time to repairit.

All I wanted was closeness andsweetness and for him to relieve me. To let me be the star, probably. To belike, Well, how was your day? And to listen. And at such a young age, and soused to the spotlight, and to everybody fawning on him he didnt know how tobe with me, Brennan-Jobs said of their relationship.

Instead, Lisa and her father hadplenty of turmoil, angst, and uncertainty. But things got better before hepassed away from pancreatic cancer in 2011. The two spent years repairing theirrelationship and eventually, though he had been stingy with sharing his fortuneall along, Jobs left his daughter Lisa several million dollars as part of an inheritance.

Families are complicated, and no one is sure why Steve Jobs denied his daughter at first. But at least he made amends with her in the end. Lisa Brennan-Jobs published a memoir chronicling the long journey to forgiveness, Small Fry, in 2018.

More here:
The Real Reason Steve Jobs Denied He Was Lisa Brennan's Real Father - Showbiz Cheat Sheet

CAMP receives national award nomination for Latino organization

Freshman Tanya Rivera, member of the College Assistant Migrant Program, talks about the program and the impact it has on the children of migrant workers pursuing a college education.

ROLAND HUIE

Freshman Tanya Rivera, member of the College Assistant Migrant Program, talks about the program and the impact it has on the children of migrant workers pursuing a college education.

ROLAND HUIE

ROLAND HUIE

Freshman Tanya Rivera, member of the College Assistant Migrant Program, talks about the program and the impact it has on the children of migrant workers pursuing a college education.

LOREN NEGRON, Evergreen reporterOctober 28, 2019

The WSU College Assistant Migrant Program was recognized as a finalist for a national award given by the Latino education organization Excelencia in Education.

CAMP Director Michael Heim said this was the first time CAMP received a nomination for the award.

Heim said the Examples of Excelencia award recognizes programs that have track records of helping Latinx students succeed in higher education. About 170 programs were nominated nationwide. There were 12 finalists honored at the Celebracin de Excelencia event on Friday in Washington, D.C.

I think that one of the main points that was highlighted for our program is that we do a good job at all of the work that would support students toward succeeding in their first year at the university, he said. We also had very high retention rates.

Established at WSU in 2006, CAMP works with first-generation students who have a personal or familial background in migrant or seasonal agricultural work. It focuses on student academic success, personal growth and student retention.

Most of our students are coming from families that have only done farm work, Heim said. When you have a student come to the university, it could be a cultural shock for students coming to a new setting.

Heim said the program empowers students to bridge academic success with personal success, helping them find balance in college and take advantage of opportunities and resources.

Being a first-gen and coming from an underrepresented community and also low-income and changing your environment and moving away from home, theres connections that CAMP is able to provide for our students, he said.

Tanya Rivera, freshman speech pathology major, said the program helped her find a community of mentors and students who support her. Arriving a day before classes started due to a family emergency, CAMP members helped her move in and took the time to get to know her.

When youre a first year here and you feel alone, youre far away from home, I think everybody really supports each other, especially the mentors, she said. They want to see what youre about, what your background is, where youre coming from.

She said CAMP staff made an effort to get her to meet other CAMP student.

They really took the time to put themselves out there and help me before they helped themselves, Rivera said.

Rafael Pruneda, CAMP academic coordinator and retention specialist, said CAMP accepts a minimum of 50 first-year students each academic year. Students or their parents had to work in an agricultural job for at least 75 days within the past two years to qualify for the program. They must also be first-generation students.

Pruneda said CAMP students receive a wide variety of services, including free one-on-one tutoring, counseling and advising. They also participate in annual team building and leadership retreats. A $1,000 stipend is given to each student.

From the get-go, they are a part of our family, he said. We really stress that and let them know we are here and that they are not alone and that we are going to be able to provide that mentorship, that guidance, and also the academic piece of knowing that were checking up.

Heim said retention is a strong focus of the program. From 2013 to 2018, CAMP had a 98 percent retention rate.

Pruneda said retention has been high due to the mentorship aspect of CAMP. He said CAMP builds trust and community for staff members to understand students backgrounds.

I think so many times our students come in resilient, but theyre broken down sometimes, feeling overwhelmed from not having the home, culture and their families around. We really offer that mentorship, Pruneda said.

While in the program, students attend a University 101 and University 104 class, he said. The classes are designed to help students navigate through college and prepare for their careers. Students are also required to visit their professors at least eight times per semester.

We really mentor a family of scholars. We strive to help them, Pruneda said. The expectations set for them is at a high level. We want them to succeed and be high-performing.

Yissel Zazueta, CAMP tutor lead and senior human development and Spanish double major, said CAMP students have access to tutors from from 4-7 p.m., Monday through Thursday. They are required to attend at least two hours of tutoring. Some of the tutors and mentors are past CAMP students.

[CAMP] really impacts the first-generation students here at WSU. It includes them in a different way and make them feel like they have a home, she said.

Read this article:
WSU program recognized for first-generation efforts - The Daily Evergreen

What more could be asked of the man who has done just about everything?

Before he throws a pitch in Game 6 of the fall classic Tuesday night, Justin Verlanderpossesses a rsum fit for a Hall of Famer. The 36-year-old is the second player in major league history to earn an MVP, Rookie of the Year and Cy Young an award in which hes finished in the top-5 seven times, with another looming for 2019.

Over his 15-year career, Verlander has amassed more than 3,000 strikeouts and has made eight All-Star Games. He finally got a World Series ring on his third try when the Houston Astros claimed their first championship two years ago.

There isnt much left on his MLB bingo card. He even got his first major league hit with the Detroit Tigers in 2014 after going 0-for-26 to start his career. He still doesnt have a home run or an extra-base hit, though thats probably not keeping him up at night.

But on Tuesday night in Game 6 of the World Series against the Washington Nationals, Verlander can accomplish something thats eluded him for more than a decade. In six World Series starts, he is 0-5 with a 5.73 ERA, and his team has won just one of those games.

The Astros have an opportunity to clinch their second championship in three years in Game 6 at Minute Maid Park, and Verlander can get a World Series-sized monkey off his back in the process.

Those are the moments that you dream about, he told reporters before the Astros 7-1 victory in Game 5, which gave them a 3-2 series lead. It's just having the opportunity to be out there and be on the mound hopefully in a scenario where we can close it out, that's everything I've dreamed of.

In the Astros 12-3 loss in Game 2, an Anthony Rendon double put Verlander in a two-run hole before he could record an out. Kurt Suzuki led off the seventh with a tie-breaking homer, and a walk to the following batter, Victor Robles, ended Verlanders night.

He was charged with four runs on seven hits and three walks over six innings. Afterward, he noted the Nationals preparedness and ability to make adjustments to different pitchers, especially when altering their approach with two strikes.

In today's game you don't see it that often, he said. Honestly, it's kind of refreshing to see a couple of teams that don't swing and miss a ton, and change their approach based on the pitcher that's pitching against them.

Justin Verlander has never won a World Series game, but he's looking to change that in Game 6 for the Astros. (Photo by Elsa/Getty Images)

Tuesday night will be the 12th time in his career that Verlander will pitch twice in a postseason series. So far, hes 6-5 in the second game of the series, with losses in his past four starts in that scenario. He mentioned that theres more pressure on a pitcher to execute in those types of situations.

I think those opposing guys, once they've seen you three, four at-bats, it's a little bit easier for them to make adjustments, and having seen your off-speed stuff and tracked it, he said.

Compared to his stellar regular season, a different version of Verlander has shown up in October which, even for a future Hall of Famer, isnt uncommon. Hell likely finish second in the Cy Young voting to teammate Gerrit Cole after putting together the second 20-win season of his career while reaching the 300-strikeout plateau for the first time.

But hes accumulated a 4.15 ERA this postseason, highlighted by a 3.2-inning start in the ALDS against the Tampa Bay Rays in which he yielded four runs. Hes given up six homers in 30.1 innings, which was also a problem in the regular season granted with a ball that many believe is physically different where he gave up 36 long balls, the third-most among qualified pitchers.

Hes also averaging 3.26 walks per nine innings this postseason after posting a 1.70 BB/9 in the regular season. Those are the type of things that need to be corrected for Verlander, who owns a 3.15 ERA in potential series-clinching games, to get over this World Series hump.

Story continues

Verlander will be going up against Stephen Strasburg on Tuesday night. Strasburgs postseason problems were contrasting to Verlanders until this year. Hes been at the front of a Nationals staff that couldnt win a postseason series despite his 0.47 ERA in October entering this season.

But a victory in the wild-card game jump-started a change for the Nationals, and all the while Strasburg has held up his end of the bargain, retaining a 1.34 postseason ERA.

Strasburgs success is a mix of the personal and team accomplishments that Verlander should hope will line up for him Tuesday. In terms of personal accolades, there isnt much that Verlander hasnt accomplished, and the Astros success over the past few seasons speaks for itself.

Verlander will likely have more opportunities to capture that elusive World Series victory beyond Tuesday night. Hes under contract for two more seasons with the Astros, who are expected to remain contenders even if Cole bolts in free agency. Recently, he was asked if he feels he can win 75 more games to get to 300 for his career.

I think I can get pretty darn close, he said. I think the changes I've made the last few years to my body and how I pay attention to things is going to allow me to pitch deeper than I would have otherwise.

It's definitely a goal of mine.

His Hall of Fame credentials were likely validated this season, and he can put one more conversation to rest with a victory when it matters most Tuesday night.

More from Yahoo Sports:

See the rest here:
Justin Verlander is chasing the one thing that eludes him in World Series Game 6 - Yahoo Sports

Dan Lok Releases Unlock It with ForbesBooks

This release is posted on behalf of ForbesBooks (operated by Advantage Media Group under license).

NEW YORK October 29, 2019 Dan Lok, founder of the High-Ticket Closer Certification Program, today announced the publication of Unlock It: The Master Key to Wealth, Success, and Significance. The book is published with ForbesBooks, the exclusive business book publishing imprint of Forbes.

Absent of new-age philosophy and rote advice about building wealth, Loks book focuses on the practical steps individuals can take to create personal fortunes. Dans method revolves around his Wealth Triangle Dynamics. This triangle is comprised of High-Income Skills, Building a Scalable Business and High-Return Investments. Citing real-world examples that illustrate each side of the Wealth Triangle, Lok gives readers a proven blueprint to generate financial independence and confidence for a lifetime.

Dan Lok believes it is his responsibility to bring a dose of reality to his readers. My job is to get you out of your seat and do something, he said.

Unlock It: The Master Key to Wealth, Success, and Significance is available on Amazon.com today.

About Dan Lok

Lok is an internationally recognized speaker and author. He has spoken at multiple TEDx conferences and has over 1.97 million subscribers on YouTube, alone. His High-Ticket Closer Certification Program is an intensive, seven-week mentorship program for entrepreneurs hoping to sharpen their sales skills. This program has reached over 6,000 students in more than 130 countries.

About ForbesBooks

Launched in 2016 in partnership with Advantage Media Group, ForbesBooks is the exclusive business book publishing imprint of Forbes. ForbesBooks offers business and thought leaders an innovative, speed-to-market publishing model and a suite of services designed to strategically and tactically support authors and promote their expertise. For more information, visit forbesbooks.com.

Media Contacts

Charlie Fusco, TGC Worldwide, charlie@tgcworldwide.com

Courtney Morrill, ForbesBooks, cmorrill@advantageww.com

See the rest here:
Wealth Mentor to Thousands Distills Message in New Book - Forbes