On April 1, 2015, by Executive Order 13694, the President declared a national emergency pursuant to the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (50 U.S.C. 1701 et seq.) to deal with the unusual and extraordinary threat to the national security, foreign policy, and economy of the United States constituted by the increasing prevalence and severity of malicious cyber-enabled activities originating from, or directed by persons located, in whole or in substantial part, outside the United States. On December 28, 2016, the President issued Executive Order 13757 to take additional steps to address the national emergency declared in Executive Order 13694.
Colorado Governor
Governor Jared Polis, Majority Leader Daneya Esgar, cabinet members, state legislators, members of the business community, and education advocates announced legislation to elevate student-to-career pathways, continue to bring good-paying jobs to Colorado, and support Colorado’s thriving economy for years to come. This legislation builds upon innovative proposals by Governor Polis to support workforce development and education opportunities, and reflects the Polis Administration’s commitment to supporting economic development and workforce solutions across Colorado.
Alcalde de Denver
U.S. Senators John Hickenlooper and Michael Bennet and Denver Mayor Michael Hancock announced that the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers has awarded $350 million from the Bipartisan Infrastructure Bill to Adams and Denver Counties for flood risk reduction and aquatic ecosystem restoration projects along the South Platte River. The funding will allow the project to be completed in its entirety.
Aspects of life that were common before the pandemic continue to return in 2022, like Su Teatro’s Xicano Independent Filmmakers Festival (XicanIndia FilmFest XXIV). The four-day event takes place April 7-10 this year and pays homage to the artistry and experiences of the Latinx community. The festival focuses on four areas: the Chicano Independent Filmmakers, Latino World Cinema, El Epoca de Oro (the Golden Age of Mexican Cinema) and Cine Mejicano. The event will be presented in collaboration with El Consulado de Mexico, DocuWest Film Festival and MASA Media (Media Arts Santa Ana, California and the Cine Festival in San Antonio, Texas). Su Teatro Executive Artistic Director Tony Garcia said festival films come from different parts of Latin America like Mexico, Ecuador, Peru, Cuba, and other countries. “The festival has a lot of exciting films,” Garcia told La Voz. “We have a lot of narrative films, which are rare. We have a lot of documentaries and short subjects, but we have a good mixture. There will be live music, as well as the films and the panels and the discussions. There will be a lot of food too.” This year’s event will mark the 24th Xicano Independent Filmmakers Festival. The even was originally founded in 1998 by Angela Manzanares — a film student, musician and performer who was focused on providing who wanted to provide a platform and encourage local Chicano artists. Since then, the event has grown to include national and international representation. The festival includes films like Avenida films’, My DACA Life, local photographer Juan Fuentes and Nicolás Valdez, who will screen films. Other filmmakers and artists who have participated in the Xicano Independent Filmmakers Festival include Benjamin Bratt, Esai Morales, Jesus Treviño and Miriam Colón. One aspect of the film fest is its “Tomorrow’s Filmmakers Today,” which has introduced filmmakers and artists like Elsa Flores Almaraz and Richard Montonya (Carlos Almarez: Playing with Fire and the Other Barrio), Oscar Torres (Voces Inocentes) and Alan Dominguez — who have developed their careers and created significant work.
Audiences this year can expect to be introduced to Steve Acevedo (Love and Baseball), Alex Avila (Vecinos: Love Thy Neighbor) and Chihiro Wimbush (Ricochet). Short films have also remained a tradition at the festival. This year, 24 short films will be shown. Referred to as “Chones,” the short films will include music videos, science fiction, comedy and experimental films. Denver School of the Arts Video Cinema Arts class and Tomorrow Maker Studios will also have an opportunity to present a workshop on youth in film as students will present their work and have a panel discussion about what it’s like to work in film at a young age.
Finally, the film festival will host the XicanIndie Awards, which recognize the achievements of the outstanding participants in the festival. Awards will be presented in areas of directing, acting and special achievement. Those who attend the Xicano Independent Filmmakers Festival will be required to show proof of full vaccination against COVID-19 and must wear a mask while inside Su Teatro. The festival also hosts reception and after parties where residents can eat, drink and interact with each other. Attendees can expect to have the opportunity to interact with the filmmakers through platicas and forums in a social environment.
Visit suteatro.org for more information and for tickets.
It is not impossible to describe bitcoin, an invisible currency that moves with lightning speed across cyberspace. It may just seem that way. But the fact is that it does take a certain kind of brain to quickly grasp what this new digital currency is, and the path it charts as it moves at astonishing speed across the web. But one thing that can be easily absorbed is that there has never been anything like it. Still, despite being a relative novelty to the unschooled, bitcoin and the thousands of new cybercurrencies—yes, thousands—that have sprung up in just the past few years, is not only not going away but may also play a significant role in the way finance is transacted in the future. But, first, a brief look at where bitcoin and its imitators started, a mysterious labyrinth all unto itself. As near as can be known, Bitcoin’s origins date back to 2008 when a still unidentified group operating under the pseudonym Satoshi Nakamoto introduced the concept. The first Bitcoin transaction followed in 2009 when it was released as open-source software, that is software available to anyone for inspection, modification and with source code open to anyone. “Bitcoin was invented because a gentleman saw that central governments had complete control over monetary systems,” said Metro State University’s Dr. Alex Fayman. “The goal was to take power away from central governments who have the ability to dictate how much money is printed.” It also has another intriguing selling point, said Fayman, who teaches finance at MSUD. “Paper money has a diluted effect… for the first time we have currencies that are appreciating.”
Of course, while Bitcoin or any cybercurrency may have an enticing, even intoxicating effect on traders, it also has its downsides, and the downsides are now showing up with great regularity on cybercop crime blotters. In just the last month two major Bitcoin crimes made headlines. The Washington Post reported that in late March cyberthieves stole more than $600 million in cryptocurrency by hacking into a blockchain that powers the video game Axie Infinity. A blockchain is, in effect, the ledger that keeps track of cybercurrency transactions. An even larger theft was reported a few weeks earlier. In February a New York couple was charged with trying to launder $3.6 billion in stolen Bitcoin. The couple, authorities say, were only slightly more sophisticated than the cyberthieves that stalk the web waiting for any ‘unlocked door.’ Authorities are learning that all it takes to pull off a cyber robbery is the finesse and understanding to click the right keys in the right sequence. More often than not, the ‘getaway’ is successful. While there are names like Bill Gates or Mark Zuckerberg associated with tech giants Microsoft or Facebook, Bitcoin has none. Its owners are written in invisible ink on invisible paper if they’re written at all. “The People collectively make decisions,” said Fayman. In other words, no one and everyone who plays this modern day trading game owns it. It has, said Fayman, “the very least amount of central control…everything is coded.” Despite this new cybercurrency’s relative youth and the public’s cursory understanding of it, said Fayman, it is here to stay and growing. For proof, take a quick glance at the growing number of staid and structured financial institutions that are slowly acknowledging not only its power but its future.
U.S. Bank recently announced that its cryptocurrency custody service would now be available to fund managers. BBVA, Morgan Stanley and Wells Fargo are also now in the game.
Bitcoin and the world of cryptocurrency are new frontiers in the financial world and, said Fayman, as they grow, they will require more regulation as attested by an explosion in the number of internet crime reports.
Cybercurrency today is attractive to sophisticated cyberthieves because it is out there and that is not going to change as attested to by the two major crimes earlier in this story. But greed and opportunity have historically inspired crime. That combination remains the inspiration today in the growing world of cybertheft whether it’s identity theft or cyber cash. It is no surprise that cybertheft has also spawned a boom in the cybersecurity business. It is estimated that U.S. financial institutions will spend as much as $140 billion in 2022 on cybersecurity. While many of these crimes will involve cybercurrencies like Bitcoin, the FBI says a far lesser amount will involve everyday people whose computer files are stolen and, coincidentally, can only be retrieved with ransom paid in cybercurrency. Still, accumulating wealth however it is gained, has been a hallmark of mankind forever. And a quick method for doing so is playing the cybercurrency game. Is it worth it? “I have invested in Bitcoin,” says Fayman, “also other digital currencies.” But the MSUD finance professor warns that if anyone plans on doing the same, “be very cautious” and spend the time doing due diligence. Cyber investments can be as good as gold and turn a quick profit. They can as easily turn south. In a word, they are risky. Fayman says when jumping into this new world, ask the same questions that would be asked with any investment. How much risk are you willing to take? Can you absorb the hit if you lose your investment?
Regional Transportation District (RTD) General Manager and CEO Debra A. Johnson outlined a timeline for implementation of enhanced security measures for the Denver Union Station (DUS) bus concourse. RTD is collaborating with the City and County of Denver, Denver Police Department and local stakeholders on a Reclaiming Union Station steering committee to address unwanted behaviors in the bus concourse and surrounding area. The facility has become a site for illegal activities including the sale and use of deadly, illegal drugs, and the violence and criminal behavior this activity invites. The situation is increasingly unsafe for customers, employees, businesses and neighbors. RTD Transit Police and Denver Police enforcement and presence have been enhanced, but the agency recognized that arrests alone will not result in a sustainable solution for enhancing security at the Union Station terminal and campus and throughout downtown.“Employees deserve to feel safe and secure while performing their work, as well as customers while using public transit. RTD is committed to enhancing the security of the Denver Union Station bus concourse and surrounding areas through design modifications and initiatives, which will deter unwanted activities,” Johnson said. “While the comprehensive enhancements at DUS, along with an increased police and security presence, will have positive ripple effects throughout the system, these issues impacting the agency are a byproduct of complex, societal issues that RTD alone cannot solve.”
Based on a Crime Prevention through Environmental Design (CPTED) analysis performed by the Denver Police Department, RTD has committed to pursuing the following short-, mid-, and long-term modifications:
Within the next six months:
Inoperative lighting will be replaced throughout the bus concourse and cleaning will be increased
Pre-recorded audio announcements will be broadcast in English and Spanish, which will include information on services, fares, public safety and will discourage unwanted activities
“ENTER” and “EXIT” labels will be affixed to the sliding doors leading to the concourse in order to facilitate customer flow
Electrical outlets in walkway areas will be deactivated or covered
Six to 12 months:
Lighting will be upgraded
TV monitors displaying security camera feeds will be installed at the main entrances so that security personnel on the ground can observe activities occurring throughout the facility
Commuter rail platform stairs will be converted to exit only
Barriers will be installed to prevent access to area between the elevators and glass walls at the Wewatta and Chestnut pavilions
Floor decals and signage will be installed to encourage movement and discourage loitering and
Smoke detectors will be installed in the restrooms
In the longer term, one of the more impactful changes will be the implementation of a paid fare area. The paid fare area will ensure that only those individuals in possession of appropriate fare will have access to the bus concourse. Creation of a paid fare area will require a significant change to current operations and will consider how customers can purchase fare media prior to entering the bus concourse. Currently customers departing from the concourse purchase fare aboard buses.
Turnstiles, exit gates, or other barriers must be installed at the entryways to the concourse. In order to activate the exit gates, all of RTD’s fare media, including paper tickets, transfer passes, mobile tickets, EcoPasses, etc. will need to be updated, and outreach will be required to inform and educate customers of these changes. RTD is also evaluating the addition of rollup doors to the vehicle entrances at the bus ramps, which would further prevent unauthorized access to the concourse.
The Colorado Department of Transportation recently celebrated an exciting project milestone on the Interstate 70 Noise Wall Replacement Project in the City of Denver, as the first of the new noise wall panels are officially in place along the north side of I-70 between Tennyson Street and Lowell Boulevard. CDOT Executive Director Shoshana Lew and the I-70 Noise Wall project team were joined by Congressman Ed Perlmutter, Denver Mayor Michael B. Hancock, and Denver City Councilwoman Amanda Sandoval for the occasion.
This phase of the project is replacing the significantly deteriorated timber noise walls on both sides of I-70 between Tennyson and Lowell, which are nearly 50 years old, with a series of new precast concrete wall panels. Kraemer North America is the contractor for this phase of work. The project will greatly improve the lifespan of the noise walls and the overall look of the highway in this area, and it will continue noise reduction by blocking the direct travel of sound waves from the highway to the adjacent homes.
“This project will improve safety as we won’t be dealing with the falling timber fences, but it will also provide quality of life benefits for the people who live nearby with a better and more durable barrier from the highway noise and emissions along this busy stretch of I-70,” said CDOT Executive Director Shoshana Lew. “That’s why this project matters. The neighbors living close to I-70 have waited a long time for these improvements and we’re excited to be in construction of this first phase of the project.” “So much traffic goes through this section of I-70, and this project is going to improve both the sight line of I-70 and the sound barrier for these neighborhoods,” said Congressman Ed Perlmutter. “The fact that this is a focus of the local government, the state government, and the federal government is something I think all of us should be proud of.”
“There are many pieces that go into making the transportation infrastructure in our city and region work the best that it can – from the surface road down to the sound walls,” said Denver Mayor Michael B. Hancock. “Sound walls are critical infrastructure just like all the other pieces of our transportation system, because they mitigate the noise caused by the roadway for those living along it, improve quality of life and make our infrastructure stronger and more resilient.”
“As a lifelong resident of the Northside, I can speak firsthand to the effects of living in an area that is bisected by highways. After years of advocating for updates to the sound walls, I am thrilled to celebrate the groundbreaking of this project that will improve the quality of life for my community,” said Denver District 1 City Councilwoman Amanda Sandoval. “Thank you to everyone who made this project possible – I am greatly appreciative.” Replacing the timber noise walls along I-70 between Pecos Street and I-76 is a high priority for CDOT and part of the Department’s 10-year plan. In early 2021, CDOT received federal stimulus funds for transportation projects across the state, which stemmed from the $900 billion COVID relief package passed and signed into law in Washington in late 2020.
CDOT wasted no time putting those funds to work thanks to the 10-year plan list of shovel ready transportation projects that could immediately benefit residents of Colorado. From that stimulus funding, $9.7 million was allocated toward the I-70 Noise Wall Replacement project. CDOT quickly assembled an in-house design team to get this first phase of the project between Tennyson Street and Lowell Boulevard to the point of construction within a year of the identified funding. In mid-2021, CDOT secured approved funding through SB-260 for the remaining I-70 noise walls known as “Phase 2”. At this time, design for Phase 2 is ongoing into early 2023, with construction expected to begin once design is complete.
Source: CDOT
Photo Courtesy: Colorado Department of Transportation
The Denver Art Museum (DAM) will mark the 20th anniversary of its annual Día del Niño (Day of the Child) celebration on Sunday, April 24, with free general admission for all, bilingual activities, hands-on artmaking, musical and artistic performances and more. This global celebration of all children at the DAM will feature art experiences including live dance and music by international and local artists, hands-on activities in the new Family Central and Creative Hub spaces in the Martin Building and the Storytelling Studio in the Hamilton Building. With FREE general admission all day, visitors will have the opportunity to explore the new museum galleries and spaces, which currently feature acclaimed exhibitions including Traitor, Survivor, Icon: The Legacy of La Malinche and ReVisión: Art in the Americas, as well as the DAM’s collections celebrating cultures around the world.
Everyone is invited to bring their family and friends to the DAM 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. with free general admission all day, which includes full access to all activities, exhibitions, performances and spaces within the museum. The Denver Preschool Program (DPP) will bring in celebrity guest readers at 11 a.m. to read The Little Red Fort by Brenda J. Maier to children in both English and Spanish. A complimentary book will be given to each child who attends the book reading while supplies last. Visitors are encouraged to explore additional Golden Triangle Creative District organizations participating in this celebration, including the Denver Public Library, Clyfford Still Museum, History Colorado Center and the Center for Colorado Women’s History at the Byers-Evans House Museum.
It may seem hard to believe, but there is a grocery store in Colorado that opened its doors before the first shot of the Civil War was ever fired. Colorado wasn’t a state until 1876 but when statehood arrived the Romero Family had already been serving the residents of the San Luis Valley for nearly two decades. In the 165 years that have passed, eight generations of Romeros’ have overseen the business. A few other things have happened in the ensuing sixty-thousand-plus days, as well: the first flight, a couple of moon landings, a Black president and enough events to fill a ten-thousand page history book. But the store’s last owners, Felix and Claudia Romero, were getting old and ready to retire. Shuttering R&R Market was a very real possibility, one that would mean a significant hardship for Colorado’s oldest town along with the residents of nearby hamlets that dot the San Luis Valley. Closing the R&R would mean a two-hour round trip to Taos, New Mexico, or a forty-mile drive—one-way—to Alamosa just to buy food. In bad weather, the drive to either destination would add even more time.
For San Luis native Shirley Romero Otero and a few others, closing the store was unthinkable, but keeping it open was not as simple as one might think. Not unlike scores of others who’d followed similar paths, Romero Otero had left the valley for college. Following that, she would spend a career as a teacher in Grand Junction before returning. Home again, she knew that losing the store would not only challenge a lot of locals just getting food but erase an irreplaceable memory.
Romero-Otero’s group had a plan to not only maintain and preserve a legacy business and an important chapter of Colorado history but one that would recreate something that would elevate the quality of life in ‘El Valle.’ The R&R of Romero Otero’s early memories was more than a place to shop for food. Of course, it always had customers or people driving through buzzing around picking up this and that, but there was one special day each month that she remembered when the joint was really jumping. “The twentieth was the day when the old folks got their pension (check),” she said, and the best time to catch up with friends and neighbors. Different conversations, most in Spanish, the Valley’s original language, hummed throughout the store. To lose something this special, she said, was unthinkable.
The store has closed, albeit temporarily, but like the phoenix, will rise again. Its planned grand opening is set for late summer. The new incarnation of the R&R will also have a new name, The San Luis People’s Market and will operate as a co-op with a flavor ‘puro San Luis,’ said Romero-Otero. By that, she means, the store’s offerings will include a lot of what’s grown locally; organic, healthy, legacy food, not the high sodium, high sugar, unpronounceable ingredient food sold elsewhere. Romero Otero and her group’s plan is to run a store that offers a food selection that is throwback to the earlier days in the valley when locals both bought and sold what was grown locally. “This used to be the breadbasket of the town,” she said. “Then a lot of things happened,” not the least of which was a period when locals entered a protracted legal fight over hunting, fishing and grazing rights with nearby neighbors, outliers who fenced off what would be known as the Taylor Ranch. Some, but not all, of the historic rights to the land have been subsequently won back. Coinciding with those days, people were leaving the valley, looking for better paying jobs. At the same time, other people with means, were moving in but instead of planting the things that had been harvested for generations, they were growing alfalfa—cattle feed—and doing what Romero Otero called, “corporate farming.” Locals, instead of buying what had been local produce, were forced instead to buy ‘for-the-masses’ foodstuffs, things that contributed to a skyrocketing rate of diabetes. “Costilla County,” Romero Otero lamented, “is ranked as the number one unhealthiest county in the state.” When the new co-op is up and running, not only will healthier food options be available, but “we will also be providing nutritional classes.”
Work on the store would require a total facelift of the structure, both interior and exterior. To arrive at a store that would serve the community, said Romero-Otero, would be costly. Her group had to be both imaginative, resolute and determined. “We were not going to start in the red,” she said. Her group, one that included Dr. Devon Peña, a former college professor and skilled grant writer, put together a proposal that was good enough to win a $1.5 million dollar grant from the Colorado Health Foundation. But just having the money did not mean the group could just pick up hammer and nails and begin the work. COVID had a say in that timetable. The group, she said, could also use more money to finish the project. “We’re at the mercy of contractors,” said the retired public school teacher. A lot of locals that might have been easy to sign on pre-COVID, were booked. “Just getting a company to do the electrical work that needs to be done, they’re busy,” she said.
In time everything will get done, she said. When that happens, the whole community, including the young, will have a hand in the finished product. And a legacy will live on.
David Conde Senior Consultant for International Programs
My son’s last assignment before retirement was as a Colonel and Vice Commander of Moody Air Force Base in Valdosta, Georgia. I visited the family there several times and was impressed by the splendid home provided for them on base. Although throughout his career the family had nice places on or off base, this one was extra-special. It made me think of RHIP (rank has its privileges), a term I learned as an enlisted member of the United States Air Force a long time ago. What I saw was a military class system at work. The same type of structure is part of life in America. For many Latinos there is no difference between being Latino and being poor. The history of forming part of a long forgotten underclass is a telling influence on community self concept. Much of this goes back to relationships that were developed as a result of the war with Mexico that enabled the United States to define its place in the continent. It also brought together two incompatible class systems and denigrated the one that was conquered.
The class system inherited from Spanish colonial history was a vertical concept that delineated a community’s place according to ancient values. Under this system, there was always someone above someone below. The person below did the bidding of the one above and in return, the one above looked after the welfare of the person below. This way of life is diametrically opposed to the American horizontal and egalitarian system that allows everyone an opportunity to rise as far as talent and circumstance allow. The difference between these outlooks led to a number of stereotypes especially that of the lazy Mexican. This of course has been the most hurtful and wrong depiction because it is the Latino, and especially the Latino immigrant, that is currently teaching America about hard work. Some time back, Henry Cisneros, former Mayor of San Antonio and Secretary of HUD, gave a speech that described the American Dream as having a good job, a home, transportation and disposable income sufficient to allow for a person to participate effectively in the affairs of the community. This is also the definition of the middle class. There is a lot of talk about the 1 percent that owns half of the wealth in the country and the efforts to deal with the fact that these people and corporations are paying little or no taxes. There is also talk about the importance of developing and maintaining a strong middle class.
Latinos are becoming a significant part of that trajectory. But that progress is being discounted by an image that integrates a negative view of ethnicity and race with class. In other words, there is a lingering stereotype from a dark past that tends to define the notion of being Latino to being poor regardless of economic progress. That is why people inside and outside the community are many times surprised to hear, for example, that Latino small businesses are the most important economic engine in the country.
As Latino wealth continuous to increase, so is the challenge to separate class from race and ethnicity and do away with this old stereotype. It is a serious cultural issue initiated by the history of two distinct people that have become one.
Latinos by in large are successfully exercising personal initiative to take advantage of what our society and our economic system offer. However, there is still that devaluing stereotype that continues to make life in America difficult.
South Africa murder sparks outrage – Ntuthuko Ntokozo Shoba was found guilty of planning and paying for the murder of Tshegofatso Pule. Pule was pregnant with Shoba’s child, and her body was found hanging from a tree two years ago, with a gunshot wound in her chest. South Africa has one of the world’s highest levels of violence and has high cases of femicide. Shoba will be sentenced in May. WHO warns some parts of Africa against lifting COVID restrictions – The World Health Organization (WHO) warned some African countries against rolling back COVID-19 restrictions and quarantine measures. Currently, about 15 percent of Africa’s population has been vaccinated against the virus. The organization cited low vaccination rates for its warning. COVID-19 cases have begun to rise again in some parts of the world.
Asia
Bleaching impacts Great Barrier Reef – Officials confirmed that Australia’s Great Barrier Reef was devastated by a mass bleaching event. It is the fourth time in the past six years that severe and widespread damage has been detected. Scientists said leaders must take action on climate change if the reef system is going to survive. Temperatures in seas have warmed, and scientists are fearful of damage that could be caused by the next El Niño. Taliban halt school reopening for girls – The Taliban reversed a decision that would’ve allowed Afghan girls to return to high school. The militant group said it is still determining a ruling on what uniforms girls in the area must wear. Since the Taliban seized power last August, schools have been on restrictions. Images of some girls in tears surfaced over social media because of the Taliban’s decision.
Europe
Man dies at French gorge – In France, a 34-year-old man from Newnham died after suffering injuries at a gorge in France. The man was at Gorges de la Bourne when he was injured while base-jumping. He was airlifted to a hospital where he later died. Basejumping involves jumping from a place like a building or clifftop and using a parachute to descend. Couple plans to drive minibus from Ukraine to the UK – Paul and Emma Heywood purchased a minibus that can seat nine people to drive to Ukraine to bring refugees to the UK. They also plan to transport people to surrounding countries. The couple is traveling with supplies for passengers. They’re also bringing teddy bears for children and food for pets.
Latin America
Nicaraguan opposition leader jailed Cristiana Chamorro was sentenced to eight years in jail after being found guilty of money laundering. Chamorro, who was seen as the best hope for defeating President Daniel Ortega, said her sentence was politically motivated. She was accused of abusive management and ideological falsehood shortly after she said she would run for president. Children found in Amazon – Two indigenous boys, ages six and eight were rescued after being lost in Brazil’s Amazon rainforest for almost four weeks. The boys, Glauco and Gleison Ferreira, got lost trying to catch small birds in February. They were found by a local tree cutter and are expected to make a full recovery after being treated for malnourishment.
North America
Trump sues Hiliary Clinton – Former President Donald Trump sues Hilary Clinton and other Democrats. His lawsuit accuses Clinton and Democrats of trying to rig the 2016 U.S. presidential election by linking his campaign to Russia. Trump won the 2016 election. His campaign was accused of working with Russian agents to influence the election in his favor. Former U.S. Secretary of Setate dies – Madeleine Albright, who became the first female secretary of state in the United States, died at age 84. She was a Czech immigrant and a foreign policy expert. Her family confirmed in a statement that she died of cancer. Albright placed an important role in efforts to end ethnic cleansing in Kosovo. The Clintons said Albright saw her jobs as an obligation and an opportunity and said she was perfectly suited for the times in which she served.
When Jill Biden, America’s First Lady, criss-crosses the country you can bet that spreading the word about her passion—education and the nation’s community colleges—will be at least a part of her agenda. Over her lifetime, Dr. Biden, in Denver over the weekend, has navigated her way through this educational portal beginning first in the classroom and rising to its top levels. Her heart, she says, will always be with students and in the classroom.
Photo courtesy: James Baca
“The truth is, I could not give up teaching,” she said. “It’s just who I am,” she told an audience of more than 650 at Saturday evening’s Latin American Educational Foundation gala. She currently teaches English at Northern Virginia Community College, one of many stops on her teaching odyssey.
Depending on the day, the classroom is either her first or second job. But every day, education is her passion. “My students remind me why that other half of my life matter to me so much.”
La Voz Staff Photo
Dr. Biden attributes her dedication to the community college system to the way it can transform a young or even older mind, one that has not yet realized their value and potential. Education, she believes, is the one thing that can reshape, redirect and inspire a dream. “In my writing class, I’ve seen students find their voice when they lay down their lives on paper and discover a confidence they didn’t even know was hidden inside of them,” she told Saturday’s audience. “I’ve seen how a college degree can change their lives.”
Dr. Biden’s Denver stop was her second in the state in the last three months. She accompanied President Biden to Boulder days after the Marshall Fire swept away hundreds of homes in December. Coincidentally, another fire forcing the evacuation of hundreds was also burning near Boulder as Dr. Biden spoke. Fortunately, this time there were no homes lost or damaged from Saturday’s fire, though crews fought through the night to keep it under control.
But along with acknowledging the fire and its potential to spread across an already singed Boulder County, Dr. Biden also took the time to share with the audience a few moments on the President’s visit to Poland where he was speaking with NATO leaders on the war in Ukraine. The President, she shared, also took time to visit with Ukrainian refugees who fled their country as Russian tanks, bombs and missiles destroyed their homes and homeland.
Earlier Saturday, Dr. Biden was the keynote speaker at the Community College of Denver’s White House Initiative Latino Economic Summit. In a sun-dappled conference room the First Lady, Secretary of Health and Human Services Javier Becerra and a host of federal and state officials spoke about the important role community colleges play and will continue to play into the future. They will, said Dr. Biden, be ground zero for “the next generation of leaders.” She and other speakers also discussed health care along with the importance providing high speed internet to every corner of Colorado and the nation.
While community colleges often provide the next step in building an educational foundation for recent high school graduates, they’re also vital for others well past high school and already in the workforce and seeking to learn new skills for new careers. But community colleges may soon be playing a new and unforseen role in helping the country recover from the still unknown educational toll the pandemic exacted on a whole generation of young minds.
When COVID forced the shutdown of schools in Colorado and elsewhere and ushered in virtual learning for young stu- dents, an educational nightmare slowly creeped in. Despite the best efforts by school systems, some children essentially checked out. The reasons are myriad. It could be anything from poor parenting to parents having to make the choice between working and monitoring their children’s schooling. It might even be something as basic as a lack of internet connection.
Whatever the reasons, the absence from the classroom caused by the pandemic created a still not fully quantified learning gap, one that may not have been anticipated when COVID-19 ensnared the nation and world. Future researchers will study the COVID era and report just what was lost. But community colleges may also be a tool for recovering from and repairing at least some of the damage caused by the virus.
The unintended consequences of COVID, said Joe Garcia, Chancellor of the Colorado Community College system, are both unknown and looming. Students, he said, need to be “actively engaged in learning.” “When they are forced into a purely online environment, often without the necessary supports at home, they become disengaged…that puts a great burden on colleges to help remediate the learning loss.” Garcia said closing the gap on learning loss and opening the door for engagement “is what community colleges have always done.” In years to come, they will be put to the test.
For her part, Dr. Biden engaged Saturday’s crowd with a message of hope and encouragement and her message was driven home with the help of a young woman whom she said was the perfect embodiment of what community college provide.
The young woman, Brionna Rodas, LAEF scholar, who introduced the First Lady called herself a ‘non-traditional’ student who, just a few years before was lost in one of young life’s fogs. Searching for a path and direction, any sliver of hope, she found herself in Pueblo and a couple of time zones away from her family’s tropical Miami. She shared that after taking an apartment “behind Pueblo Community College,” and on a whim, she enrolled. There she found a passion. She graduates next Fall from CSU-Pueblo with a teaching certificate.
“Every person who gets the chance to reach for their highest ambition creates a domino effect,” said Dr. Biden. “That’s the power of education.” It is the connective tissue “to our classmates teaching us kindness and compassion for each other,” she said. Education she intimated doesn’t always ensure success, but it does improve the odds.
(La Voz Bilingüe is a longstanding media sponsor of the LAEF gala.)
Jim Chavez, Executive Director of the Latin American Educational Foundation reported a successful outcome, with an approximate $500K raised for student scholarships and 630 guests in attendance. Dignitaries included Governor Jared Polis. First Gentleman, Marlon Reis, Senator Michael Bennet, Former U.S. Secretary Federico Peña and wife Cindy, and various Colorado State legislators, students and community leaders.
