Prince Harry launched the Heads Together mental health charity with his brother and sister-in-law, William and Kate (Picture: Getty)

Prince Harry has opened up about his own private mental health battle as he prepares to launch a new television series with Oprah Winfrey.

The Duke of Sussex said the programme with US TV legend Oprah will tell stories of human spirit fighting back from the darkest places.

Harry said he hopes viewers will be able to relate to the project and that it could help to save lives.

The Duke and Oprah will be co-creators and executive producers of the mental health series for Apples streaming service, which will launch next year.

Queen of daytime TV Oprah has met with Harry a number of times to discuss the show, which will be led by Kahane Cooperman, who produced The Daily Show with John Stewart in the US, and feature episodes directed and produced by the likes of Dawn Porter, an American filmmaker who has created documentaries about segregation and anti-abortion laws, and Asif Kapadia, who was behind the Oscar-winning documentary Amy, about Amy Winehouse, and the Bafta-winning feature Senna, about the life of the late Formula One driver Ayrton Senna.

Harry told journalist Bryony Gordon, whose podcast he featured on to first speak out about mental health in 2017, that he sought counselling after two years of total chaos having spent nearly 20 years not thinking about the death of his mother.

Speaking to her in the Daily Telegraph, the Duke said: When I did your podcast two years ago the response made me realise what an impact sharing my story could have, and what an impact other stories can have for so many who are suffering silently.

If the viewers can relate to the pain and perhaps the experience, then it could save lives, as we will focus on prevention and positive outcomes.

What I have learnt and I continue to learn in the space of mental health, mental illness and self-awareness is that all roads lead back to our mental wellbeing, how we look after ourselves and each other.

Last night, Harry and wife Meghan posted an inspirational quote from the Dalai Lama on their official Instagram account.

The Sussex Royal page regularly features comments from leading world figures and in the past has featured quotes from Nelson Mandela and Harrys late mother Princess Diana.

The latest quote from the spiritual leader, under the couples joint royal cypher, says: I believe that at every level of society familial, tribal, national and international the key to a happier and more successful world is the growth of compassion.

Here is the original post:
Prince Harry and Oprah Winfrey reveal details of new mental health TV series - Metro.co.uk

Compassion is the key to a happier and more successful world, the quote says

Words of guidance from the Dalai Lama are the latest inspirational quotes to be featured on the Duke and Duchess of Sussexs official Instagram account.

Harry and Meghans account regularly has comments from leading world figures such as Nelson Mandela and Diana, Princess of Wales.

The quote from the spiritual leader, under the couples joint royal cypher, says: I believe that at every level of society familial, tribal, national and international the key to a happier and more successful world is the growth of compassion.

Alongside the post, the official site describes the Dalai Lama comment as a quote for the week ahead.

It goes on to say: The 14th Dalai Lama, Tenzin Gyatso, is a spiritual leader and a man of peace.

Through this approach he has received over 150 awards, honorary doctorates, and prizes in recognition of his message of peace, non-violence, inter-religious understanding, universal responsibility and compassion.

Prince Harry has teamed up with Oprah Winfrey for a series addressing mental health which will tell tales of the human spirit fighting back from the darkest places.

Harry and Oprah will be co-creators and executive producers of the project for Apples streaming service which will launch next year.

The Queen of daytime TV and the Duke of Sussex have met a number of times to discuss the project, with a production team consisting of Asif Kapadia, who directed Senna and Amy, Dawn Porter and Kahane Cooperman, according to the Daily Telegraph.

The Duke opened up about his struggles with mental health in the paper in 2017, saying he sought counselling after two years of total chaos having spent nearly 20 years not thinking about the death of his mother.

Speaking to the paper, Harry said: When I did your podcast two years ago the response made me realise what an impact sharing my story could have, and what an impact other stories can have for so many who are suffering silently.

If the viewers can relate to the pain and perhaps the experience, then it could save lives, as we will focus on prevention and positive outcomes.

What I have learnt and I continue to learn in the space of mental health, mental illness and self-awareness is that all roads lead back to our mental wellbeing, how we look after ourselves and each other.

Here is the original post:
Prince Harry and Meghan Markle instagram inspiration Dalai Lama quote - Metro.co.uk

Want to prepare for the future of work? Cheryl Cran walks us through some of the most important skills to develop.

Imagine right now that you are working in the year 2030 in the future of work what do you think will be different than how you are working today? Do you think that most tasks will be automated and that we will be working in a robot-ruled world? Do you imagine that the concept of work will change, and people will have more free time?

Frankly, no one can predict the future. However, we can look at trends and research into the impact of technology on the future. We can certainly be prepared for and create our future.

When talking about the future of work people are either extremely anxious about an uncertain future or they are excited and have a bring it on attitude. Which one of those responses is yours?

One of the ways to deal with anxiety around the future is to build the skills and be ready for whatever the future brings. We cant control what the future will bring however, we can control what we do now to be prepared.

That being said, there are four future of work skills that you may not be aware of that are needed to be ready.

Leading the self includes having high-level self-awareness around strengths and areas for improvement. Leading the self also includes the ability to self-modulate your emotions, your reactions and your behaviours. Leading the self means high-level accountability to how you show up and your wellbeing.

Navigating fast-changing times and an uncertain future requires each of us to be fully responsible for our positive and solution-focused mindsets.

This includes setting inspiring vision for others to see and to align with. Leading change means the ability to recognise your own reactions and push-backs to change while being attuned to other peoples reactions as well. Leading change means the ability to see a multitude of angles and positions held by various people in various roles and departments.

The ability to bridge silos requires an agile mind and we focus a team-first mindset. Bridging silos requires the ability to look beyond a singular team such as your own and to look at teams as concentric circles of expansion. For example, there is your team, there are the other departments as part of your team, there is the entire company as part of your team, there are your clients and partners as part of your team.

The days of compartmentalising departments or functions is quickly eroding as technology moves us towards integrated solutions. Every company that exists today is a technology firm, which means technology is the hub with which client services are delivered and with which employees leverage to drive business forward.

Creative intelligence means the ability to connect the dots within increasing ambiguity. Creative intelligence is the ability to link things together so that you can create context and simplicity for teams to execute quickly and accurately.

Technology is providing much more data and the requirements needed are people who can make sense of the data beyond the technical output. In other words, data is not useful until we make sense of it and leverage it to create enhanced solutions for the employee experience and the customer experience. Or for people in general.

Lets go back to the 2030 workplace and imagine what will be different. No question that technology will have completely transformed work in that we will far more globalised, for more connected, far more integrated across countries, platforms and businesses.

What will not change is that as people we will be seeking to make a difference with our work, we will want to be doing meaningful work and we will be living a life where work is a part of our life but not our whole life.

Sounds like a positive future to me. We have the power and ability to create that future now.

ByCheryl Cran

Cheryl Cran is a future-of-work expert and author ofNextMapping: Anticipate, Navigate & Create the Future of Work.

Link:
The 4 future of work skills that you did not know you needed - Siliconrepublic.com

Fear the Walking Dead

Talking Dead is getting ready to interview Fear the Walking Deads showrunners, Andrew Chambliss and Ian B. Goldberg, and as it often does, asked its Twitter audience for questions for them.

Chambliss and Goldberg took over Fear in season 4, proceeded to kill off two central, fan-favorite characters and totally alter the tone and direction of the show from top to bottom in the next two years. Its gotten to the point where my colleague Erik Kain has called it one of the worst shows on TV, and while I havent seen literally every show on the air, it certainly has been a tremendous disappointment for two years now, especially because of how good the show was starting to get in season 3.

The Talking Dead call for questions reveals a fanbase that is similarly angry with Chambliss and Goldberg. I have gone through every reply through this tweet. 167 replies, and I have found maybetwo actual questions, and while literally every other question is something along the likes of:

@KevinRF45 - What does it feel to ruin a show that was amazing?

@EvenStevenYT - Are there talks behind the scenes about removing these two clowns of show runners?

@Kristy52694449 - Can we just have Dave Erickson back?

@GetGot01 - Do either of you realize how terrible this show has gotten under your writing and ideas?

@Mannyfresh3691 - Ask them if Madison is coming back? If the answer is no. Ask them to quit? @KimDickens should have never been killed off.

@Fawn_Liebowitz - Why did they hate #FearTWD so much that they had to destroy it with such awful writing and directing? Can they watch the show themselves without laughing hysterically? Do they possess an ounce of self awareness? Do they know how bad they are at running a show?

So uh, yeah, now multiply that by like thirty and you get the general idea.

It is rarely to see a fanbase this united against the current state of a show, and while I dont think personal attacks against Chambliss and Goldberg are the answer, I do think it is very clear that the show has gone in a poor direction under their leadership, and that a change is in order. And yet Fear has already been renewed for season 6 with both of them at the helm, so it appears that AMC does not agree with the majority of its fans.

Fear the Walking Dead

It does seem unlikely that former showrunner Dave Erickson will return to the show he helped create, as he reportedly to step down to make other shows for AMC which presumably hes busy with now. On the other hand, he probably isnt wild about whats been done to his creation and his characters, so never say never.

AMC has lately made rather good showrunner decisions over at The Walking Dead, putting Angela Kang for the shows best season in years, one that just took home a bunch of wins at the Saturn Awards. But the opposite has happened for Fear, as the show has just been a total void of quality ever since Chambliss and Goldberg took over with maybe 2-3 okay episodes out of the 29 or so total that have aired to date, with the rest being completely forgettable or outright terrible.

A change has to be made, and yet we already know we have to endure another full season of the show under its current leadership. Im not sure if Fear will outlive its showrunners, or the showrunners will outlive Fear at this point, but I do wonder just how long this can continue with the fanbase in open rebellion.

Follow meon Twitter,FacebookandInstagram.Read my new sci-fi thriller novelHerokiller, available now in print and online. I also wroteThe Earthborn Trilogy.

The rest is here:
Talking Dead Asks Fans For Questions For Fear The Walking Dead Showrunners, It Does Not Go Well - Forbes

Fifteen technology companies have been selected to take part in a new accelerator programme to drive healthcare innovation in the north west of England.

The businesses will take part in the Greater Manchester Future of Health Challenge, an initiative set up in June this year that aims to support entrepreneurs working in the digital health space.

The 15 companies were selected based on their potential to transform lives through the application of innovative technology.

They include Cheshire-based Gendius, a platform that uses machine learning to calculate risks relating to diabetes, as well as Manchester-based Mind Moose, an app that helps children develop self-awareness and self-esteem.

The Greater Manchester Future of Health Challenge seeks to foster health-tech companies with technologies that can support people with long-term health conditions such as dementia and diabetes, as well as those designed to improve public health through prevention.

The programme is run by UP Ventures and delivered in partnership with Novartis, Push Doctor, Google, The Landing, MediaCityUK, Salford Royal NHS Foundation Trust, Salford Digital, Health Innovation Manchester and Apadmi.

Founder and CEO of UP Ventures, Danny Meaney, said:We received and reviewed hundreds of applications for the GM Future of Health Challenge and have been hugely impressed.

The response is a testament to both UPs reputation and connections in the early stage tech ecosystem, and Greater Manchesters international reputation as a great place to grow early stage tech businesses.

The selected companies will be based within the Landing, a dedicated technology work space for digital start-ups and SMEs that is run by MediaCityUK.

There they will receive support in commercialising their products, attracting investors and creating new business opportunities..

Dan Sodergren, head of business services at the Landing, said:The Landing has developed a specialism in digital health and we are fully geared up to help drive this programme.Were excited to welcome these businesses from all over the UK and particularly pleased to see a number of North West-based companies in this cohort.

As a region we continue to lead the way with the outstanding technology firms who either start-up here or choose to move here and were confident all the companies in this Greater Manchester Future of Health accelerator will benefit hugely from this experience.

The Greater Manchester Future of Health Challenge follows on from a number of successful accelerator programmes, including DigitalHealth.London, which recently launched its fourth cohort.

Read more from the original source:
15 digital health enterprises selected for Manchester accelerator - Digital Health

Confessions of a Departing Drug Dealer is a fictional, dramatized account of the rise and fall of a notorious campus drug dealer who rose to fame in 2015 after publishing the details of his exploits in an anonymous Spectator op-ed of the same name. His arrest shortly followed publication and, according to the movie, his extensive operation left the campus community craving illicit substances ever since.

The film is one of a long line of projects written, directed, and produced by recent graduate and film student Edwin DeJesus Jr., CC 19, and stars Soren Shade, CC 19, in the lead role along with a host of undergrad actors and actresses. DeJesus last film, Kulafobie, won second prize at the Columbia Undergraduate Film Productions 2019 film festival.

The movie itself is narrated from the perspective of the drug kingpins girlfriend, Elma. The man himself, Maximillian Woolworth (a name dripping with entitled upper-middle-class chauvinism), is introduced to the story as a bright-eyed, nave young economics introvert who likely wouldnt consider a night without brushing his teeth, let alone spearheading a sprawling criminal drug network. Before his downfall, Max was the picture of dignity and trustworthiness.

Max, however, quickly casts off his life of type-A study habits and academic dedication when his uncle proposes he take up selling hard drugs. With the promise of everything you could ever want and the flash of a few keys of coke, Max is forever transformed into a hard-partying, Adderall-blowing, vodka-chugging madman. He dedicates himself to an elevated philosophy of drug-dealing in which only capable students can do businessall in an apparent effort to preserve the overall health and safety of the undergraduate community.

Naturally, this foolproof plan falls apart when the New York Police Department invades the dorms and arrests the bourgeoise of Kings University (Max and his compatriots) in the middle of a rager awash with coke-blowing and twerking. Not to worry, however, for were told Maxs family has money.

The parallels between the original op-ed and the movie are strong. The film drips with the same haughty lack of self-awareness that the op-ed reflects. In the op-ed, Michael Getzler, the infamous former Columbia undergrad whom the character Max is based on, describes the hundreds of products he sold as fun-assisting substances when referring to MDMA, cocaine, and Xanax.

Getzler claims that the liquor store clerk who doesnt check IDs generates much more risk than I ever do, and says that MDMA gets a bad rap because street dealers cut the product, something Max would never even think of doing in 1,000,000 years. In an odd paradox, he even issues an aside directly to the parents of Columbias young and impressionable undergrad academics, saying, Dont worry, parents, your kids drug dealer is looking out for them! The entire piece is stunning due to the bluntness of Getzlers admission and the way in which Getzler ultimately saw himself as some sort of shepherd for innocent students.

In the movie, Max conveys a similar self-aggrandizing image. Elma provides a voice of reason after Maxs enterprise begins to unravel. She pleads for Max to quit acting like a psychopath, and his first response is, Honestly, what dealer actually looks out for his clients the way that I do? Narration from the film also explains that Max would exclude customers he deemed physically vulnerable, seemingly as some misguided attempt to shield the impressionable youngsters on campus from sin. It seems clear that the movie makes a pointed effort to depict Max from the perspective that the audience saw him from in the op-ed, not necessarily from the one Max might have imagined himself: as a conceited, nave, and surprisingly stupid Ivy League student, not an icon.

Though this portrayal is nuanced and unique, some other aspects of the film play on standard Columbia tropes. Wall Street is implied to be the enemy, as usual. The film includes a number of shots of an economics class in Havemeyer 309 in which Max learns the basics of supply and demand. The message here seems to be that market greed compelled this mans transformation from saint to sinner.

The devilish activity of partyingportrayed in its most gratuitous and exaggerated sense in the filmis ultimately the downfall of Maxs budding academic career. Though there may be some Project X-style truth to that, the zero-to-100 nature of Maxs downfall seems hyperbolic at best. There are plenty of students on campus who have tried drugs at a party and didnt subsequently skip all their finals and head straight to jail.

Overall, Confessions of a Departing Drug Dealer is a spotlight on a particularly prevalent Columbia story; one in which the forces of power and ambition push a student to test the limits of his own entitlement. It may be true that these factors come together here on campus better than at most places. However, to the student who may find the interplay of these subjects well-trodden and tiresome territory, Confessions of a Departing Drug Dealer is no confession at allits just campus.

DeJesus plans to release Confessions of a Departing Drug Dealer later this month on his YouTube channel.

Staff writer Lee Alexander can be contacted at lee.alexander@columbiaspectator.com. Follow Spectator on Twitter @ColumbiaSpec.

View post:
Film review: Confessions of a Departing Drug Dealer (2019) - CU Columbia Spectator

USC sports psychologist Lani Lawrence spoke to students at a Residential Education event on Sept. 10. Residential Education took over planning programming this year to lessen the work load for resident assistants. (Ally Wei | Daily Trojan)

Residential Education has implemented extensive changes to this Falls residential curriculum. It will now create the programs hosted by resident assistants to offload the RAs stress of creating their own weekly events.

Some of the [resident assistants] would be over-programming and running the risk of not taking time for themselves to slow down and to focus on their academics, just to breathe and be a student, said Emily Sandoval, the senior director for Residential Education.

According to Natalia Wurst, a second-year RA at Trojan Hall, the majority of her free time during her first year as a resident assistant was used for extensive planning, coordinating and hosting events. Now, Wurst, a junior majoring in public policy and psychology, says she has a much smaller input on the programs.

You get to pick the theme of your event I could have done pizza instead of an ice cream social [for my event], but for the most part, the core components of the program are the same for all the RAs, Wurst said. I think thats just so [Residential Education] can standardize what is being presented to residents.

Bulletin boards are another large responsibility that was offloaded from the residential advisors. In the previous curriculum, advisors were expected to decorate bulletin boards in their residential college under certain guidelines.

I know [the bulletin boards] were something that took a lot of time and I dont really think [they were] that important, said Maya Hildebrand, a past residential advisor at Cowlings and Ilium and a senior majoring in mechanical engineering. I know, for example, RAs would put up bulletin boards and then they would get torn down by the end of the day.

A primary goal of offloading programming and activities like bulletin boards was to encourage the resident assistants to have genuine and intentional interactions with their residents.

RAs wanted to be involved with our program because they wanted to help their fellow Trojans, one of the number one priorities for RAs becoming RAs, said Erin Hunter, the Residential Education Associate Director for the University Park Campus. We were hoping that reducing the programmatic effort would allow them to have Trojan Talks with intentional interactions, relationship-building opportunities and tough conversations more frequently.

Hunter created a committee of staff to pilot the new residential curriculum model in March 2019. Dr. Keith Edwards, a national keynote speaker on topics like sexual violence prevention, student affairs leadership and the residential experience, attended a two-day intensive training with Hunters staff, allowing the committee to organize its pivot to the new curriculum.

Dr. Keith Edwards worked really closely with us He said to launch the curriculum at 40%, Sandoval said. Were not 100 percent% done planning it out Part of the beauty of this is that we adjust and evolve to what the residents need.

The curriculum focuses on four goals: equity and inclusion, self-awareness, well-being and community engagement. Each goal has intended outcomes that Residential Education hopes will meaningfully contribute to global communities as a result of their residence on campus at USC, the educational priority of the new programming.

Hildebrand said she hopes Residential Education continues making changes based on the well-being of the resident assistants, citing that tough conversations often magnified their levels of stress.

The biggest stress doesnt come from the programming itself, but it comes from feeling like you are this resource for your floor, youre this therapist for your floor, youre also a police for your floor and all of the above, Hildebrand said. Another good step would be having more resources for an RA, such as a counselor at Engemann specifically for RAs to go see.

As for Residential Education, they will continue altering the new curriculum as they receive feedback from resident assistants, residents and residential college coordinators.

I think that no matter what a first-year student chooses to do what academic college they are in, what student organizations they decide to join, if theyre a student-athlete or a part of student government where their head hits the pillow has to be home, Sandoval said.

Residential Education encourages residents and resident assistants to submit their feedback on the residential experience in a survey that will be sent to students in October.

See the rest here:
Residential Education centralizes program curriculums - Daily Trojan Online

Very few successful businesses are built by a single person; they are built by teams. This is why leaders need to be brilliant communicators: they need to motivate staff to execute their vision, and listen to them in order to help shape that vision.

Emotional intelligence (EQ) is crucial to the art of communication. By understanding those around you, and having self-awareness, you are better able to relate to people, and to cater your leadership style to their needs.

Research by Steve Langhorn on hospitality firm Whitbread found that 9 per cent of the variance in profit growth between different restaurants could be attributed to the emotional intelligence of the manager. Meanwhile, a study by TalentSmart, which specialises in EQ testing, found that: "Emotional intelligence is the strongest predictor of [individual] performance, explaining a full 58 per cent of success in all types of jobs."

Fortunately, EQ isnt an immutable quality like height or eye colour. Here are six things you can do to can supercharge your EQ in the workplace.

By keeping a watchful eye out for negative emotions in the workplace, you can nip problems in the bud before they negatively impact the business, says Joanna Swash, global CEO of Moneypenny, an outsourced communications provider that employs 750 people.

"Positive emotions create a positive culture and positive client experience," she explains. "Being able to spot when someone may not be in a great place quickly is crucial so you can give them a shoulder, or an ear and support them in a positive way. It prevents things festering, spreading and infecting others."

According to Lydia Amoah, a business coach, EQ starts from understanding the self. She recommends various strategies for getting to grips with your own feelings, to better lead others.

"There is a wide choice of apps, such as Calm or Headspace," she says. "They are great tools to help unwind and which can benefit your mental and emotional wellbeing. Journaling is also a great way to understand your own thought processes. Finally, controlled breathing is amazing for regulating hormone levels, reducing palpitations and creating clarity."

The old adage that leaders must never show weakness is no longer relevant to the modern workplace, says Swash. "As leaders, we have got to remain in control, but similarly its good for others to see that were real people too," she says.

"By remaining human, the team can see that issues make us as happy or sad too. As long as theyre channelled effectively and dont create a negative environment, emotions within teams can be used in a really positive way, especially in roles that involve customer contact."

Leaders are used to making decisions and providing direction, but youre much more likely to make the wrong decisions and head in the wrong direction if you dont listen to your team, whose collective insight, ideas and knowledge of the business will be greater than any one persons - even yours.

Listening well is easier said than done. "Body language tells you everything you need to know. Being conscious of the cues and simply listening helps a lot," says Felix Staeritz, CEO and co-founder of FoundersLane.

"Active listening is an important skill for EQ," adds Amoah. "Practise tuning into what a person is trying to communicate. Learn how to hold a quiet space and allow a flow of conversation without interruption to create even more awareness."

In high-pressure situations, it can be tempting to bark orders but a more collaborative approach may get better results. "Ask open questions," says Amoah. "Such as: What support do you need to do this? Enquiry can lower defences and bring out the best in others."

There will always be moments when you experience stress, anger or frustration. However, its how you choose to react to those emotions that defines you as a leader. "We are only ever experiencing our own thinking in that moment," says Sarah Matthew, founder of The Vibrant Company.

"Our experience of anything works inside out not outside in. The more you see this, the less you react and the more you can choose your response."

They key, according to Moneypennys Swash, is to take a breath, count to 10, and try and find perspective. "Take a moment and put yourself in other peoples shoes," she advises.

Carl Castledine, managing director of Away Resorts, the holiday business, adds: "Always think around corners. I consider multiple possible outcomes to what is happening now and prepare for problems mentally. We can then react with controlled pace, not panic under pressure if something negative occurs. I encourage my colleagues to do the same."

By giving your staff enough holidays and respecting their evenings and weekends, you are giving them time to recharge. This will help them be their best self at work.

Angel investor Inbal Shenfield says, "Let them have time off. Vacation, time with their families or just time for their hobby is super important."

Image credit:Bruce Mars/Pexels

See the original post:
How to improve your people skills (and why you desperately need to) - Management Today

The Swedish CS:GO juggernaut has been sputtering as of late, and the recent benching of Xizt and Twist indicated that a roster shakeup was imminent in a bid to return to former glories. In the end, Fnatic opted to re-create most of the lineup theyve won their last two events with over two years ago by bringing back flusha and GoldeN.

Fnatic originally announced on August 21st that theyd bench Xizt and Twist with immediate effect as they look to enter a new phase off the back of their failure to reach the main stage of the major for the first time in their history. Despite back-to-back LAN final appearances earlier in the year, the team failed to establish any sort of consistency, and a string of disappointing results at DreamHack Masters Dallas, the ESL Pro League Season 9 Finals and ESL One Cologne served as a series of red flags en route to crashing out of the Europe minor.

The official announcement states:

"As such, a new era dawns, with flusha rejoining Fnatic for a second time and Golden arriving on loan until the end of 2019. Both players had spells in Los Angeles with Cloud9 since initially leaving Fnatic last year.

Golden most recently stood in for Ninjas in Pyjamas during the Berlin Major, where they fell in the Legends Stage. Flusha, meanwhile, took a break from Counter-Strike that, after interviewing him again, we believe has made him not only more determined for success with Fnatic but also has helped him grow as a human being.

With added experience, self-awareness, self-fulfilment and all good things Swedes dont usually get in the dark months of the year, we now look to the rest of 2019 as a chance for not just a return to glory but growth as players and people."

Fnatic hasn't won a single event since the departure of the two players, winning IEM Katowice and WESG 2017 last spring. Since then, both players spent some time as part of the ever-imploding Cloud9 project. GoldeN then went to NiP on loan to fill their roster for the Berlin major while flusha took some time off the game after the unfortunate passing of his mother. He was a highlight of Cloud9's run at the Katowice major.

This change means that the only difference between the title-winning Fnatic side and the current one is the addition of a promising young talent in the form of Brollan instead of Lekr0. Since that side was notably struggling with internal disagreements, it remains to be seen whether this second attempt will have a happier ending. In fact, flusha does seem to reference this in his comments given to the organization's website in the announcement, stating that "we all made some mistakes in the past that we have learned from and I believe we have all matured".

Though flusha's return is permanent, GoldeN only joins the side on loan until the end of 2019, with a permanent decision likely to be made later down the line.

The team's trial by fire takes place this afternoon as they partake in ECS Season 8.

Photo credit: HLTV

Read the original:
CS:GO roster news: GoldeN and flusha return to Fnatic as they try to roll back the years again - Rivalry.com Esports News & Videos

In the early days of summer, shortly after receiving the life-changing news of my acceptance to Yale, I also received an invitation to participate in FOCUS, a pre-orientation program that occurs a week before classes begin. The excitement I felt in those early days the excitement I still feel as a new student walking through campus was very similar to the excitement I felt when I first joined the military. As an immigrant, my military service was the way I chose to claim and to earn, not just my citizenship, but the right to call myself an American.

I decided to participate in the FOCUS pre-orientation program because I wanted to learn about New Haven, Yale and the community these two entities share. When I arrived at the program, the curious and intelligent eyes of my fellow students followed me everywhere. Our discussions ranged from art to urban studies, to the economic relationship between New Haven and Yale, to the impact our actions as students have in the community. After a few days of intense discussions, my group and I met at our site CitySeed, a nonprofit dedicated toward increasing local access to healthy food through farmers markets and early-stage entrepreneur food incubators. During our briefing, the directors shared their newest program, Sanctuary Kitchen a partnership between immigrants and refugee chefs who cook foods from their home countries, sharing their stories in the process.

In that moment, I felt as if I had been struck by lightning. Upon hearing that most refugees working with Sanctuary Kitchen were from Iraq, Syria and Afghanistan, a singular thought began to race through my mind: I had once been a soldier in Afghanistan, and worked with a few villages near our base. What if my presence alone was a threat to the refugees? What if I was a reminder of the circumstances they had escaped? I became acutely aware of my existence in this space in a way I had never been before. All of a sudden, the metal bracelet I wear around my right wrist as a reminder of the two brothers I lost in combat felt like a billboard, announcing my presence.

In that moment, I removed the mental uniform that marks me as a soldier, reclaiming my identity as an immigrant. As I listened to these refugees stories, I was reminded of the struggles my family faced when we first arrived to this country and the challenges we had to overcome to pursue the American dream. I saw myself in these refugees and understood their journey we had more things in common than either one of us imagined.

Over the course of the following days, the roles I had previously experienced reversed. In Afghanistan, we were in charge, moving through spaces with purpose and mission. We showed Afghans how to soldier their troops, how to carry themselves. In this New Haven kitchen, I became the student. I spent my days learning how to chop vegetables and package hummus,how to prepare a meal with ingredients I had never seen before. The internal struggle I experienced during this reversal emerged from a fear of being seen as unwelcome in this space. This fear was quelled almost instantaneously. These refugees, mostly women, were all too happy to share their lives with us, their old family stories and their future goals.

Life is never neat, and neither was this experience. While in the peaceful trance of chopping vegetables amidst the kitchen chatter, my best friend messaged me that he had been attacked by rocket fire in Afghanistan, an attack that had taken two American casualties in the early morning light. In that instant, I froze, experiencing both ends of the spectrum of feeling. I had to make peace with the fact that my best friend was experiencing one of the most traumatic events of his life while I was experiencing the healing touch of shared a meal with refugees from that very same country. I had to wrestle with accepting that both experiences were real and valid.

This same concept is the truth of our existence that in occupying various spaces, many of us can lack self-awareness. So here is the challenge: if a veteran of the Afghanistan war can share a meal with a refugee and find a moment of peace and healing, so should all of us regardless of where we fall on the political spectrum. I invite you, as the election cycle comes into full swing, to reach out and share a meal with someone who differs from you, helping bring our nation that much closer to standing together again if only here at Yale.

cristian trenco is a sophomore in Ezra Stiles College. Contact him at cristian.trenco@yale.edu.

Link:
TRENCO: A call to FOCUS - Yale Daily News