MILLBURN, NJ — Last year, Zach Maitlin, then a student at Millburn High School, had an idea. He planned a flag football tournament on Thanksgiving to raise money for hunger relief.

“We had eight teams competing,” Zach recalled this week. “It was an amazing turnout and I learned a lot as an event planner. I absolutely loved seeing how much everyone got into it.”

He created a website and planned future sporting events to raise funds.

He and his friend Baruch Akwaboah hosted a soccer tournament in June, donating all proceeds to Soccer for Dreamers, the Akwaboah family’s charity.

And this year, Maitlin’s group held another Turkey Bowl for charity.

“I sent my website out all over the school and had 12 teams participate,” he said. “I decided to combine the tournament with Missy’s Miracle, a charity that donates to organ donors and provides scholarship money.”

Missy’s Miracle, based in Short Hills, was founded to celebrate the 30th birthday of Missy Rodriguez who received a liver donation as a teenager. Teenagers who have been impacted by organ donation can apply for a scholarship until February 2023.

Another successful year

The tournament took place last Saturday.

“We raised over $1,000 for the NJ Community Food Bank and for Missy’s Miracle and collected non-perishable food and canned food from the midfield,” Mailtlin said this week. “I’m extremely proud of how the tournament went and look forward to continuing to plan my college career.”

Check out Maitlin’s website here: www.playformillburnraiseforcharity.com

See photos above. The Millburn High School club’s studio 462 broadcast eight of the games live.

Students gathered at the Mather Faculty Deans’ Residence on Monday for a Diwali celebration hosted by Harvard Dharma, the on-campus Hindu student association.

Diwali, also known as the Festival of Lights, is an Indian religious tradition celebrating “victory over evil and light over darkness”, according to Dharma co-chairman Navin Durbhakula ’25. Faculty Deans Mather Lakshminarayanan Mahadevan and Amala Mahadevan opened their home to host the festivities.

Diwali celebrations began with a puja – a ceremonial act of worship in Hindu tradition – for the Hindu goddess Lakshmi. Harvard Dharma then served a dinner prepared by the seniors of the organization, according to its annual tradition.

Durbhakula and his co-chairs Karina Mahida ’25 and Suhanee Mitragotri ’25 said they were delighted to host the event.

“All the joy that everyone feels at the end of the event is what made it worth seeing all that hard work come to fruition,” Durbakhula said.

Varshini Odayar ’23 said preparing the seniors’ dinner made this year’s celebration particularly memorable.

“Older people get together and cook this meal, and I think it’s really wonderful to cook with your peers and spread the love and joy of Diwali,” Odayar said.

Akila Muthukumar ’23, an event planner, added that hosting this year’s all-in-person celebration was a highlight.

“Having watched the last three years of seniors, although not completely virtually, just continue this tradition and remember how excited I was as a freshman to see them lead the prayers and cook all the food – it was so great to be on the other side.”

Some students said family tradition played an influential role in shaping their personal sense of Diwali, with the Dharma carrying these traditions into College life. For Mahida, Diwali is “a very family event”.

“Growing up, pujas and kathas, and even just singing bhajans, was such a family-oriented thing, and so being able to share that with the Harvard community was really, really nice,” Mahida added.

Beyond Diwali, Dharma board member Kavya Shah ’23 said “Dharma was probably the most formative social experience” for him at Harvard.

“I’m not a Hindu myself, I’m a Jain, but I think the community has been so open to me and a great place for me to explore my faith. So I’m just happy to be able to give back,” he said.

Mitragotri said she made some of the closest friends through the organization.

“It’s a place where I’ve always felt safe and a place where I’ve always felt loved,” she said. “And I really hope to foster that feeling and that community for all of the freshmen who have joined Dharma this year and for everyone else who continues to join Dharma and celebrate with us.”

—Writer Rohan Rajeev can be reached at rohan.rajeev@thecrimson.com. Follow him on Twitter @rohanrajeev_.

KABUL, Afghanistan — Gyms and public baths are now also off-limits to Afghan women, the Taliban confirmed on Sunday, days after banning them from parks and fairs.

Women have been increasingly pushed out of public life since the Taliban returned last year despite hardline Islamists promising a softer version of the hardline rule that characterized their first stint in power that ended in 2001.

Most female government workers have lost their jobs – or are paid a pittance to stay home – while women are barred from traveling without a male relative and must cover themselves with a burqa or a hijab when not at home.

Schools for teenage girls have also been closed across most of the country since the Taliban returned in August 2021.

“The gyms are closed to women because their coaches were men and some of them were mixed gyms,” Mohammad Akif Sadeq Mohajir, spokesman for the ministry of vice prevention, told AFP. and the Promotion of Virtue.

He added that “hammams” – traditional public baths that have always been segregated by gender – were now also banned.

“Right now every house has a bathroom, so it won’t be a problem for women,” he said.

Sana, 23, a university student, gave a different explanation.

“The main reason for closing parks, gymnasiums and hammams is the Taliban’s anti-women ideology,” she told AFP.

“The Afghanistan of today has become a dungeon for women. They want to send women into a black hole.

“Today, with the closure of these establishments, women are completely imprisoned within the four walls of a house.”

A video clip circulating on social media – which could not immediately be verified – showed a group of women with their backs to the camera lamenting the ban on gyms.

“It’s a women-only gym – the teachers and coaches are all women,” a voice said, breaking with emotion.

“You can’t deny us everything. Are we entitled to nothing at all?

Activists said the increasing restrictions on women were an attempt to prevent them from coming together to organize opposition to the Taliban rule.

Small groups of women have staged frequent flash protests in Kabul and other major cities, risking the wrath of Taliban officials who have beaten and detained them.

This month, the United Nations expressed concern after the Taliban broke up a press conference in the capital, subjecting female attendees to body searches and detaining the event organizer and several others.

“I have been to parks and hammams several times, it has always brought me joy,” said 19-year-old Fatima.

“I never thought that my presence in hammams or gyms could be a problem for anyone.”

Israeli politics told directly

I joined The Times of Israel after many years covering US and Israeli politics for Hebrew language news outlets.

I believe that responsible coverage of Israeli politicians means presenting a 360-degree view of their words and deeds – not only conveying what is happening, but also what it means in the broader context of Israeli society and the region.

It’s hard to do because you can rarely take politicians at face value – you have to go the extra mile to present full context and try to overcome your own biases.

I’m proud of our work that tells the story of Israeli politics straight and complete. I believe that Israel is stronger and more democratic when professional journalists do this difficult job well.

Your support for our work by joining The Times of Israel community helps ensure that we can continue to do so.

Thanks,
Tal Schneider, political correspondent

Join our community Join our community Already a member? Log in to stop seeing this

You are a dedicated reader

We’re really glad you read X Articles from The Times of Israel over the past month.

That’s why we started The Times of Israel ten years ago – to provide discerning readers like you with must-read coverage of Israel and the Jewish world.

So now we have a request. Unlike other media, we don’t have a paywall in place. But since the journalism we do is expensive, we invite readers to whom The Times of Israel has become important to support our work by joining The Times of Israel community.

For just $6 a month, you can help support our quality journalism while benefiting from The Times of Israel WITHOUT ADVERTISINGas well as access Exclusive content only available to members of the Times of Israel community.

Thanks,
David Horovitz, founding editor of The Times of Israel

Join our community Join our community Already a member? Log in to stop seeing this

For the first time since pre-pandemic, life lessons and motivation will find their way back to Normal.

TEDxNormal returns in person for the first time in three years on Saturday. The Ted Talk series was canceled in 2020 and hosted online in 2021.

The three-hour event at the Normal Theater in Uptown will feature 11 speakers.

Like all TED talks, the event focuses on technology, entertainment and design, said event organizer and former TedXNormal presenter Kate Browne.

“We’re bringing that Ted Talk experience right here to Bloomington-Normal,” Browne said. “These discussions, when complete, will be seen by millions of people around the world. It’s an opportunity to see what’s happening in terms of innovation and big ideas right here in our community.

Speakers focus on the topic, “The Power of Two,” which Browne says could have many interpretations — from math to career changes to dog photography. It is also tied to the year 2022 and two years of doing live broadcasts after the COVID-19 pandemic.

Tickets are on sale for $20 and are available on the TedXNormal website. There will also be a reception after the presentations at Bakery and Pickle in Bloomington for all attendees.

The National Green Tribunal (NGT) has ordered that the Ranthambhore Music Festival will only be allowed if it is subject to conditions set by a joint committee of the National Wildlife Board, Government of India (GoI) and Chief Wildlife Warden, Rajasthan due consideration of its impact on wildlife and the ecosystem. The bench led by the presiding judge, Judge Adarsh ​​Kumar Goel, in an order adopted on November 7, said: “it seems difficult to rule out the possibility of disturbance to wildlife and the ecosystem by such a significant event. near the tiger reserve. An informed decision on the matter by the statutory regulator is necessary in the absence of any express authorization when the event takes place within 10 km of the tiger reserve.”

The National Wildlife Board, in coordination with other relevant authorities, including the National Tiger Conservation Authority, may issue appropriate guidelines regarding such occurrences near other national parks in the country, preferably in a one month period. If such guidelines have been published, they may be updated with further contributions as appropriate. Compliance can be ensured by the District Magistrate and Superintendent of Police, Sawai Madhopur, the NGT said. The NGT further stated that it is well known that Ranthambhore Tiger Reserve is an ecologically sensitive area. Nearby activities should be regulated to ensure there is no harm to wildlife. It is difficult to accept that such events have no relevance to wildlife protection. No assessment has been undertaken by any statutory regulator or even the event organizer that it will not negatively impact wildlife.

The lead attorney, who appeared for the firm of the organizers of the event, said: The event called “Ranthambhore Festival” has been held since 2017 to promote the art and culture of the region. The event is organized at Nahargarh hotel. The brochure said it was about 5km from Ranthambhore National Park (notified as such under the Wildlife (Protection) Act 1972). The audience size is 500 to 600. The event will take place in the Hotel complex at its amphitheater. Only fabric banners and recycled materials are used. There is a DG stage but guests use wireless headphones. The event has full permissions/approvals. The PP made huge investments and efforts to organize the event, said the lawyer who appeared for the event company.

The senior lawyer for the firm further argued that there is no legal restriction under the law for the event in the hotel where such activities are common as music is life and there is no there will be no harm to wildlife, the hotel itself is a long way from the Tiger Reserve but was willing to commit that there would be no music and light in the proposed event except by the use of headphones and the activity will be moved inside the amphitheater. Proceedings have been initiated in the matter and a suo motu by the NGT to consider the impact of the proposed music festival near the Tiger Teserve in Ranthambhore, Rajasthan as publicly announced on the website. (ANI)

(This story has not been edited by the Devdiscourse team and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)

Cathedral City volunteers and Rotary club members held the groundbreaking ceremony at Patriot Park for the week-long “Fields of Valor” facility.

Jo Anne Kennon, event organizer and co-chair of Fields of Valor, says Patriot Park has been honoring veterans for more than a decade.

“We hope to educate veterans who survived the war and veterans who made the ultimate sacrifice of their lives to protect our freedom,” Kennon said.

Volunteers of all ages help set up flags on the “healing field”.

By the end of the week, an American flag will be placed on each stake.

Rita Lamb, Pro Tem Mayor of Cathedral City, said: “People who are part of the community can participate by bringing a flag and putting it down. So over the course of the week this whole field will be filled with flags, commemorating those who came before us.

This year’s event aims to honor all veterans, no matter when or where they served.

“There are nearly 1,300 veteran flags depicted for the lives lost in California, along with Vietnam, Iraq and Afghanistan. These are all local veterans because we wanted to bring this closer to home,” says Kennon .

Navy Lt. Col. Jim Irwin attended Saturday’s ceremony in support of his mother, Cpl. Dorthee Irwin who first joined the Marines in 1943.

Not only did Irwin and his family attend the ceremony, but they took time to help raise the flags commemorating those who made the ultimate sacrifice.

“It’s amazing how many are here. It’s a healing field. I did it out of respect for them. And there’s no other way to put it. Deep respect for those who have made the ultimate sacrifice,” said Lt. Col. Irwin.

A special ceremony will be held at Patriot Park on Nov. 11 on Veterans Day beginning at 4 p.m.

You can also visit the “Fields of Valor” until November 12, when they will hold a closing ceremony at noon.

Your one-stop-shop for tasting and sipping some of New Mexico’s finest beer, wine and spirits awaits you at the Enchantment Beer, Wine & Spirits Festival.

The event will kick off on Saturday, November 12 and will feature more than 50 New Mexico vendors at Balloon Fiesta Park.

“Even though people like beer, there are a lot of people who don’t like beer,” said event organizer Joseph Lopez. “Our goal is to provide options for everyone and to make sure we include the whole community.”

Fermenters Events, the Brewers Guild of New Mexico and the Distillers Guild of New Mexico have partnered to present the event created to serve as a catalyst to “interconnect” breweries, wineries and distilleries.

“Another of our goals is to bring everyone together from the industry side as well as the attendee side,” Lopez said. “Hopefully people can make connections there.”

Many breweries will be there including Beer Creek Brewing Co., Brew Lab 101 Beer & Cider Co., Boxing Bear Brewing Co., Canteen Brewhouse, Downshift Brewing Co., Ex Novo Brewing Co., Juno Brewery, Kilt Check Brewing Co. , La Cumbre Brewing Co., Marble Brewery, Nexus Brewery, Palmer Brewery & Cider House, Red River Brewing Co. & Distillery, Rumor Brewing Co., Santa Fe Brewing Co., Second Street Brewery, Steel Bender Brewyard, Thirsty Eye Brewing Co . ., Truth or Consequences Brewing Co. and Tumbleroot Brewery & Distillery.

Participating wineries and distilleries include Gruet Winery, Lescombes Family Vineyards/St. Clair Wines, Noisy Water Winery & Cellars, Sheehan Winery, Wines of the San Juan, 505 Spirits, Albuquerque Distilling, Altar Spirits, Hollow Spirits, Left Turn Distilling, Safe House Distilling Co., Taylor Garrett Spirits and Troubled Minds Distilling. Leaf & Hive Brewlab will also be present at the event.

Attendees looking to beat the crowds can opt for a $45 VIP ticket, which includes early entry at noon; a souvenir tasting glass; 20 tastings of beer, wine or spirits; and free VIP parking closer to the festival gates. General Admission ticket holders will be admitted to the event at 1 p.m. They will receive a souvenir tasting glass with 15 beer, wine and spirit tastings of their choice. Attendees can also purchase additional beverages directly from vendors as well as packaged goods or bottles for future consumption. Designated driver tickets are available for $10 for non-drinking guests.

Prior to the event, Traverses Yoga will hold a session from 10:30 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. for $15 per person. Yogis can pre-register on Traverses’ Instagram page, @traverses_yoga, and click through the bio.

The 21+ event will also feature a plethora of market vendors selling their wares, live entertainment from reggae-rock band, Elevated Roots, as well as a DJ spinning the decks and plenty of food vendors , including Burrito Baby NM, Craft Q, Gourmet Doner Kebab, Kamikaze Kitchen, Street Food Institute, The Kitchen Sink 505 and The Sugabom.

“There will be lots of food options,” Lopez said. “Each food truck will offer a different cuisine. For example, a pizza food truck, a barbecue food truck, ideally a vegan food truck, a burger food truck, just to give our attendees myriad options.

This undated file photo shows a small alpine wren in New Zealand. The endangered small alpine wren has won the 2022 New Zealand Bird of the Year award, the event organizer announced on Monday.

The Bird of the Year competition is an annual competition run by New Zealand’s independent conservation organization, Forest and Bird, with the aim of raising awareness of New Zealand’s natural birds. (Photo by Matt Winter/Xinhua)

This undated file photo shows a small alpine wren in New Zealand. The endangered small alpine wren has won the 2022 New Zealand Bird of the Year award, the event organizer announced on Monday.

The Bird of the Year competition is an annual competition run by New Zealand’s independent conservation organization, Forest and Bird, with the aim of raising awareness of New Zealand’s natural birds. (Photo by Michael Ashbee/Xinhua)

This undated file photo shows a small alpine wren in New Zealand. The endangered small alpine wren has won the 2022 New Zealand Bird of the Year award, the event organizer announced on Monday.

The Bird of the Year competition is an annual competition run by New Zealand’s independent conservation organization, Forest and Bird, with the aim of raising awareness of New Zealand’s natural birds. (Photo by Craig McKenzie/Xinhua)

This undated file photo shows a small alpine wren in New Zealand. The endangered small alpine wren has won the 2022 New Zealand Bird of the Year award, the event organizer announced on Monday.

The Bird of the Year competition is an annual competition run by New Zealand’s independent conservation organization, Forest and Bird, with the aim of raising awareness of New Zealand’s natural birds. (Photo by Craig McKenzie/Xinhua)

This undated file photo shows a small alpine wren in New Zealand. The endangered small alpine wren has won the 2022 New Zealand Bird of the Year award, the event organizer announced on Monday.

The Bird of the Year competition is an annual competition run by New Zealand’s independent conservation organization, Forest and Bird, with the aim of raising awareness of New Zealand’s natural birds. (Photo by David Hallett/Xinhua)

A host of activities are planned as part of a week-long celebration Nov. 5-12 honoring veterans and first responders.

The sixth annual Plano Flags of Honor is hosted by the Rotary Club of Plano East in conjunction with the City of Plano.

One of the highlights of the event is a field of 1,111 life-size American flags on display at Oak Point Park in Plano. The number of flags honors the armistice treaty signaling the end of World War I which was signed on the 11th hour of the 11th day of the 11th month in 1918, according to a press release.

“Plano’s flags of honor manifest as something we can see and touch as we remember those who have served our nation and our communities,” Marine Corps Capt. and Rotarian Ean Sullivan said in the communicated.

The flags will be installed on November 4 and will remain on display until November 12.

“Plano’s Flags of Honor unite the community with those who serve and are dedicated to serving others,” event organizer Lisa Bloomer said in the statement. “It gives us ‘time out’ to take a break from our busy lives and reflect on our past and present heroes who protect us and strengthen our country’s ideals.”

A series of other events will take place at the Red Tail Pavilion at Oak Point Park, 2801 E. Spring Creek Parkway in Plano. All events are free and open to the public.

The program includes captive balloon flights from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. on November 4 and 5.

From 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. on November 5, 6 and 7, student works will be on display. A station will also be set up during this period for people to leave a note for a hero.

Most of the events will take place on November 5th.

Living historians and re-enactors dressed in period clothing with military gear will share their stories from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. A musical performance by students from Wells and Schell Elementary Schools will take place at 10 a.m.

A Plano Safety Fair and Touch-A-Truck will be held from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Vehicles will include fire trucks, ambulances, Careflite and bulldozers. The Fire Truck Pulloza at noon has teams of 12 competing to pull a fire truck.

Patriot Paws will be on site with some of their dogs in training from noon to 5 p.m. The non-profit organization trains and provides service dogs to veterans with disabilities.

The Ladies Liberty Show troupe will perform from 3:30 p.m. to 5 p.m. At 6:15 p.m., police will fire a cannon salute, clappers will be played and the colors will be retired.

Patriot Paws and their dogs in training will also be at the park from 1-5 p.m. on Nov. 6.

For more information, visit https://planoflagsofhonor.com.

Graduate students at Johns Hopkins University rallied on Tuesday afternoon to demand fair wages and launch their organizing campaign.

The group, called Teachers and Researchers United, met on the Keyser Quad on the Homewood campus alongside supporters from outside the university, including a representative from the Baltimore Teachers Union.

Graduate student workers have several demands. They seek to earn a living and want safe and reliable workplaces and transportation. They stand up for timely payment, better support for international students, and efficient grievance procedures. At the event, organizer and graduate student Andrew Eneim said hundreds of people submitted signed union cards.

“Johns Hopkins University respects the right to organize and has a long history of positive and productive relationships with union representatives on campus,” university spokeswoman Megan Christin said in a written statement. .

“For our graduate students, whether or not to join a union is a personal decision that is entirely up to each eligible voter. The university will not seek to influence this decision or the outcome of the process,” Christin said. “As always, we encourage graduate students to seek out facts and information and to listen to diverse perspectives that enrich our academic community.”

Eneim, who works and studies in medical school, said his stipend was around $35,000. Others in his school may earn $2,000 less depending on their area of ​​research.

“Everything really varies, which is part of the problem,” Eneim said.

He said they were asking for graduate students to be paid around $40,000 or more. This number is based on the MIT Living Wage Calculator and rising inflation.

The crowd listened to a number of pro-union speakers. Emcee and graduate student Caleb Andrews said it was the biggest event since 2019, when the organization successfully fought for dental and vision insurance. Hopkins students began advocating for a union in 2018.

“You have the right to a union and don’t let anyone tell you otherwise,” Andrews said.

Another graduate student, Jodie Baris, explained how the decentralized nature of Johns Hopkins allows for pay differences and difficulties in grievance processes. She said low salaries mean students struggle to buy groceries or pay for expenses like car repairs.

“Fair pay is a college issue that affects all students at Hopkins,” Baris said.

Martin Yepes, a graduate student at Hopkins, said late payments exacerbate these problems for graduates. He said missed paychecks are forcing people to choose between paying medical bills or buying food. He also said that graduate students with scholarships are more likely to be paid late.

Yepes said late payment could be considered a mistake if it happened once, but he said about 150 students had reported the same issue.

“Why can’t we [Hopkins] meet the deadline that keeps the roof over your head? said Yepes.