Medium • December 8 2024

State’s K-12 Students Face Growing Mental Health Crisis, Fueled by Pandemic and Lack of Support

A growing number of K-12 students in Connecticut are experiencing mental health issues, with some local officials attributing the crisis to the COVID-19 pandemic and others pointing to a lack of support from the state.New Britain Superintendent of Schools Tony Gasper said that some schools and districts are struggling to keep up with the rising demand for mental health services.“I think we’ve gotten to a point where some people think that the school is the primary mental health provider,” Gasper...

The Recorder • November 14 2024

The Increasing Cost of Special Education for New Britain Schools

NEW BRITAIN – Some local officials are attributing the rising cost of special education in the school district to the increasing number of students identified with special needs, some of whom require specialized services that are only available at schools and facilities outside the district.

The Recorder • October 17 2024

University Funds Club Trip after SGA Votes No

Central Connecticut State University said it will fund the travel expenses for Dr. James DeLaura, the chair of the Technology & Engineering Education department and a wheelchair user, after the Student Government Association denied a $3,000 request for accessible transportation to a conference. 
 
The decision comes after a vote to provide the Technology & Engineering Education Collegiate Association (TEECA) club with $3,000 to rent a handicap-accessible bus failed during the Student Government...

The Recorder • October 5 2024

Residents: Former Mayor Makes Racist Comments

NEW BRITAIN – Former Republican Mayor Timothy Stewart stepped down as chair of the city School Building Committee as pressure mounted against him from both council Democrats and some residents who were outraged at a racist comment he made on Facebook.  
Before the Common Council meeting on Wednesday, Sept. 25, a resolution proposed by council Democrats which demanded the removal of the former mayor from the School Building Committee was withdrawn after he had agreed to resign voluntarily.  
Duri...

CCSU Journalism • July 27 2024

Project Brazil: Reporting Climate Change

The students in the JRN 450 course to Brazil in spring 2024, traveled to Brazil to report on climate change. This is the 30 minute special currently airing on Newington Community Television.
Executive Producers: Savanna Yelling and Ryan Hayes

CCSU Journalism • June 1 2024

Protecting Brazil’s Atlantic Forest

When people think about Brazilian rainforests, they often think of the Amazon since it is the largest rainforest in the world. Fewer people are familiar with Brazil’s other major biome, the Atlantic Forest, which straddles the Brazilian coast from the northeast of the country to the south.


The Atlantic Forest has not fared as well as the Amazon. Prior to the arrival of the Portuguese in 1500, the forest spanned 1.2 million square kilometers or 463,320 square miles, according to WorldRainfores...

Medium • May 4 2024

State Residents Divided Over Plan to Implement Red Light Cameras

Last June, Gov. Ned Lamont signed a bill that gave Connecticut municipalities the ability to implement red light and speeding cameras on their streets.Almost a year later, New Haven appears to be the first city in the state to be moving forward with the plan despite opposition from some residents and advocacy groups due to concerns over privacy and discrimination.In a written statement, David McGuire, the executive director of ACLU-CT, said that the organization is against the cameras and that t...

The Recorder • April 4 2024

Gov. Lamont Announces Connecticut Will Forgive Medical Debt

Gov. Ned Lamont appeared on “Good Morning America” on Feb. 2 to announce that Connecticut would forgive approximately $650 million in medical debt for around 250,000 residents this year.   
The governor said that the state would be leveraging $6.5 million left over from the federal American Rescue Plan Act to partner with a nonprofit organization that would negotiate with hospitals to purchase, and then cancel, large amounts of debt at a reduced price.     
Julia Bergman, Lamont’s communications...

The Recorder • March 7 2024

SGA’s New Interim Vice President: Toluwani Adeniyi

Interim vice president of the Student Government Association, Toluwani Adeniyi, shares his goals and plans to improve the relationship between SGA and the community.
Adeniyi’s priority is rebuilding trust and engagement between SGA and the student body at CCSU.
“My main agenda, and I say this to everyone, is that I just want to rebuild our community,” Adeniyi said. “I want to set a precedent that the SGA is not for ourselves. We are for the people. They can feel comfortable to come and talk to u...

The Recorder • March 1 2024

SGA Elects Interim VP And Debates Election Extension

The Student Government Association voted to elect an interim vice president and extend elections during its weekly meeting on Wednesday, Feb. 21.
The position of SGA vice president became vacant after the former vice president resigned earlier this semester. Senators Toluwani Adeniyi and Neemit Thammaracksa were the two candidates vying for the position of interim vice president. 
Adeniyi and Thammaracksa were allowed to speak to the senate before the vote, outlining their visions and persuading...

The Recorder • February 15 2024

SGA Updates Senate Policies

The Student Government Organization passed a resignation policy for absent senate members at their weekly meeting on Wednesday, Feb. 7.
The motion for an automatic resignation policy was passed. This policy requires senate members to resign if they fail to respond to inquiries and have three unexcused absences from general senate meetings.  
Logan Palardy, the treasurer of SGA, voted to pass the motion and said that the repeated absence of senate members results in SGA being less effective.  
“T...

The Recorder • February 15 2024

President Toro speaks to the Student Government Association

Central Connecticut State University President Zulma R. Toro addressed CCSU’s 175th  anniversary, Central’s tuition increase, and new academic programs and facilities during the Student Government Association’s weekly meeting on Wednesday, Feb. 7.  
During the meeting, Toro said she went to the Connecticut State Capitol on Wednesday and discussed the legislative session for 2024 to request funding from the state and advocate suspending Central’s tuition increase.  
However, she cautioned senate...

Medium • February 13 2024

CT Residents Debate Trump’s Removal From Several State Ballots

Some Connecticut residents are divided over the issue of former President Donald J. Trump being taken off the primary ballots in Colorado and Maine, with some applauding the decisions and others debating their constitutionality.On Dec. 20, 2023, the Colorado Supreme Court ruled that Trump is ineligible to run for president in 2024 because of his role in the Jan. 6 insurrection and removed him from the ballot. Several days later, Maine’s top election official also disqualified Trump from being on...