AG CAMPBELL’S OFFICE AND EDUCATION LEADERS KICK OFF REGIONAL TRAININGS ON PREVENTING AND ADDRESSING HATE IN SCHOOL SPORTS

 AG CAMPBELL’S OFFICE AND EDUCATION LEADERS KICK OFF REGIONAL TRAININGS ON PREVENTING AND ADDRESSING HATE IN SCHOOL SPORTS   

AG’s Office, DESE, MIAA, MASS and MSAA Hosting 13 Trainings Statewide to Empower School Administrators and Athletic Directors to Build a Healthy and Inclusive Culture in School Sports 

 

BOSTON – As part of her ongoing efforts to prioritize equity and well-being for children in Massachusetts and to combat bullying and harassment, Attorney General Andrea Joy Campbell in partnership with the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE), the Massachusetts Association of School Superintendents (MASS), the Massachusetts Interscholastic Athletic Association (MIAA) and the Massachusetts School Administrators’ Association (MSAA) is kicking off a series of 13 regional statewide trainings to help school administrators and athletic directors prevent and address hate and bias in school sports. 

 

The 13 regional trainings, which begin today at the MIAA office in Franklin and run through May, will be conducted by the Northeastern Center for the Study of Sport in Society and are focused on providing school administrators and athletic directors with the tools they need to address hate and build a healthy and inclusive culture in school sports. The trainings are the next phase of the Addressing Hate in School Sports initiative that was launched with a virtual call-to-action last year in response to a rise in reported bullying, harassment, and hazing incidents across Massachusetts. The trainings follow and build on a day-long conference held at TD Garden in December that provided more than 450 school administrators, athletic directors, staff, coaches and referees from across the state with programming and information on best practices to build positive environments for students and prevent, report and address hate incidents across all school athletics settings. 

 

“No child should go into a locker room or step onto a playing field in fear of intimidation, harassment or bullying,” AG Campbell said. “I’m grateful to our partners in this initiative for their commitment to ensuring that school sports bring students together, provide new opportunities and teach valuable life lessons.” 

 

“Addressing hate in school sports is important but difficult work, so I’m pleased to see these regional trainings offered,” said Elementary and Secondary Education Commissioner Jeffrey C. Riley. “We owe it to all of our students to ensure that being on a sports team is a welcoming, positive experience in which they are both challenged and supported.” 

 

“We are very excited to move to the next phase of this initiative,” said Robert Baldwin, Executive Director of the Massachusetts Interscholastic Athletic Association and the Massachusetts School Administrators’ Association. “The ability for teams of school leaders coming together in regions throughout the Commonwealth receiving training from the best of the best is the next action step toward eradicating hate and bias through the platform of interscholastic athletics.” 

 

“There’s no room for hate speech in our communities,” said Tom Scott, Executive Director of the Massachusetts Association of School Superintendents. “Our athletic programs are an excellent place to set a culture and expectations among student leaders to respect and support each other.” 

 

“The Addressing Hate in School Sports Initiative and the regional trainings that begin this week represent an empowering, intentional, and intersectional effort of government leaders, school superintendents, principals, athletic directors, coaches, staff, university partners, non-profits and a host of other committed stakeholders, all fully vested in creating a sustainable culture of safety for youth, and their communities, both on the playing field and beyond,” said Dan Lebowitz, Executive Director of the Center for the Study of Sport in Society at Northeastern. “These trainings will allow school athletic leaders to engage in conversations that help ideate, innovate and implement a future that provides a pathway to becoming the best versions of our individual and collective selves. We remain grateful for all the thoughtful leadership and forefront vision that went into creating this important participatory platform of positive and sustainable change, and we are honored to be delivering the trainings as part of it.” 

 

Each training will take place over a two-day period and will be held at various locations across the state – including College of the Holy Cross in Worcester, Endicott College in Beverly, Stonehill College in Easton, Babson College in Wellesley, Berkshire Community College in Pittsfield, Upper Cape Cod Regional Technical School in Bourne, UMass Lowell, UMass Amherst, Bridgewater State University and MIAA headquarters in Franklin. The trainings are being held at no cost to attendees and are open to all school districts across the state. 

 

The trainings will specifically focus on empowering school and athletic leaders with the tools to build safe space communities at their school district through a deeper understanding of how unconscious bias and toxic speech can be identified, responded to, and eradicated. They will incorporate a “train the trainer” model, with the goal of equipping attendees to bring the programming they learn back to their schools and train others on preventing and addressing hate and bias in their school sports programming and beyond. 

 

For more information on the AG’s initiative on addressing hate and bias in sports and to sign your school up for upcoming programs and trainings, please reach out to AddressHate@mass.gov.  

  

These trainings are made possible through the work of AG Campbell’s Children’s Justice Unit and its Director Liza Hirsch and Assistant Attorney General Cassandra Thomson, as well as the AG’s Civil Rights Division’s Administrative Assistant Rose Woods.

波士頓經文處長孫儉元投書波士頓環球報聲稱台海危機關乎世界

           (Boston Orange) 駐波士頓台北經濟文化辦事處3月8日發新聞稿，公佈處長孫儉元投書美國新英格蘭地區第一大報「波士頓環球報（The Boston Globe）」，3月8日已刊出，標題為「台海危機關乎全世界（A crisis across the Taiwan Strait should concern the entire world）」。

              孫處長的投書，是回應「波士頓環球報」3月2日刊出美國聯邦眾議員康納（Ro Khanna, D-CA）所發表，題為「美國可如何維持台灣與中國的和平（How US can keep the peace between Taiwan and China）」的專文

今年2月才赴台訪問的康納（Ro Khanna, D-CA）在文中主張，支持台灣民主，提供必要的武器給台灣之外，美國應重申其「一中政策」，避免支持台灣獨立；並應鼓勵台灣與中國進行有建設性的對話。

              孫處長的投書則稱，美國國務卿布林肯（Antony Blinken）2月23日接受《大西洋月刊（The Atlantic）》專訪時指出，「台海危機關乎全世界，而非如中國所言，是基於其主權的內政事務」。鑒於兩岸情勢也必然影響全球局面，台灣將持續致力維護台海和平穩定。正式名稱為中華民國的台灣也不會以宣佈獨立來片面改變台海現狀，因為中華民國（台灣）早已是主權國家。此外，台灣本年度國防預算的GDP佔比，增加至2.4%，並宣布「強化全民國防兵力結構調整方案」，都展現了台灣自我防衛的決心。

              孫處長表示，只要中國平等對待台灣並停止強迫台灣接受其「一中原則」作為對話前提，台灣就願意重啟與中國的對話。但是，台灣單方面的努力不足以確保台海和平，希望國際社會共同敦促中國正面回應台灣的善意，和平解決兩岸歧異。

大學沙龍第177期 3/10 晚談 人工智能

 

波士頓台灣龍舟隊招新 爭取打進全美、世界龍舟賽

波士頓台灣龍舟隊2023招新，部分出席者合影。(周菊子攝)

波士頓台灣龍舟隊隊長李鴻宇(右)送感謝狀僑委會，由波士頓僑教中心
主任潘昭榮代收。(波士頓僑教中心提供)

             (Boston Orange 周菊子麻州報導) 黑熊、雲豹、藍鵲，你想要加入哪一隊?

從創立以來，年年都拿許多獎牌的波士頓台灣龍舟隊 (BTBC Titans) ，3月4日在波士頓僑教中心招募新隊員，好幾十人抱著滿腔熱誠，到場聽講，輪流試划，都想加入這令人矚目團隊，會場氣氛十分熱絡。

波士頓僑教中心主任潘昭榮說明僑委會印製有僑胞服務手冊，
請龍舟隊員們多加利用。(波士頓僑教中心提供)

                        波士頓台灣龍舟隊總教練盧信瑋，隊長李鴻宇當天先送上獎狀，感謝駐波士頓台北經濟文化辦事處，波士頓僑教中心的大力支持，藉投影片感謝包括Adrian Cheng和 Midori Chen的房地產公司，Montivista，波士頓台灣商會，衛斯理Toyota等其他贊助商後，再向出席者介紹該隊由來，以及重視與台灣的聯繫，加強個人競爭力，推廣台灣文化，回饋社區，永續發展等目標，更希望能夠把個人，龍舟隊，以及社會這3方面的目標、理想結合為一。

波士頓台灣龍舟隊隊長李鴻宇介紹支持該隊僑團。 (波士頓僑教中心提供)

                    波士頓台灣龍舟隊2018年成立後，到屋斯特 (Worcester)參加龍舟節，初試啼聲就奪得第二名，此後幾乎每役必贏，轉戰於麻州、羅德島州、康州、新澤西州、佛蒙特州，金銀銅牌的拿了好多獎，去年還在新澤西州Mercer的美東區龍舟賽贏得到銅牌，成為美東第3強龍舟隊，信心滿滿的想要朝向全美，甚至世界龍舟賽進軍。

波士頓台灣龍舟隊總教練盧信瑋說明該隊今年打算參加的比賽。(周菊子攝)

            5年來，波士頓台灣龍舟隊吸引了越來越多年輕人加入，不但整個團隊更加年輕，還壯大到能夠分成3隊參賽，而且不只最強的那隊能奪冠軍，第2、第3隊也都能贏得名字。

波士頓台灣龍舟隊的另一個特點是女生不少，包括負責公關的陳奕如，辦活動的朱純儀，當教練的趙家立，許雅鈞等，和男生比起來，不遑多讓。波士頓台灣媽媽親子會會長張惠雯等人也被吸引來，探詢組織一個台灣媽媽龍舟隊的可能性。

波士頓台灣龍舟隊總教練盧信瑋報告該隊成績。 (周菊子攝)

                   在招新活動中，盧信瑋解釋龍舟隊的一條船上有22人，划船手有20個，前面1名鼓手，後面1名舵手。鼓手必須清楚隊員撐不撐得住，能撐多久，在適當時候下指令，調整龍舟步調，舵手則是控制龍舟方向及安全的靈魂人物。

剛從台灣搬到波士頓約僅一年，年紀甫過50的周宗瑜，這天也特地跑來，希望加入成為隊員，和波士頓本地台灣鄉親有更緊密聯繫。

波士頓台灣龍舟隊公關陳奕如(左)稱許活動幹部
朱純儀曾經贏得最佳進步獎。 (周菊子攝)

                      目前該隊參加不同比賽，會用到2種龍舟，一種是碳纖維做的，一種是在羅德島州龍舟賽使用，來自台灣，有個很重，很漂亮龍頭的木製龍舟。這種龍舟賽還有搶旗環節。平常訓練，則是用碳纖維龍舟。

波士頓台灣龍舟隊。 (BTBC Titans 網站)

                     要加入這龍舟隊，先得接受完整培訓。隊長及教練們會察看各人的練習表現，來篩選隊員，包括是否態度認真，出席率高，更重要的是團隊精神，對龍舟隊有沒貢獻。盧信瑋指出，划龍舟講究團隊精神，只要有一個人不協調，隊伍就會鬆散。

接下來從6月到10月，波士頓台灣龍舟隊今年打算6月在麻州波士頓市，春田市，7月到佛羅里達州，8月到康州，9月到羅德島州，新澤西州，10月回麻州屋斯特市參加龍舟賽。他們也考慮到華府，佛蒙特州，伊利諾州，加州等地參賽，就看隊員們的意願，以及是否能組織成隊。

女教練許雅鈞 (左) 現場指導報名者。 (周菊子攝)

                    盧信瑋指出，「一個團隊，一個目標，團結就更強、更好 (One Team, One Goal, Stronger, Better Together) 」，希望有興趣划龍舟，認同該隊理念，能夠和隊員們融洽相處的人，都來加入。

隊長李鴻宇歡迎台灣鄉親，以及所有喜歡龍舟賽的人，6月11日到波士頓市和劍橋市之間的查理斯河 John W. Weeks Foot Bridge觀賽，歡迎願意支持該隊的人，加入比賽日後琴團。

                      查詢波士頓台灣龍舟隊相關訊息，可發電郵到BTBC20180711@gmail.com，或上臉書，Youtube，Instagram，LinkedIn等社交媒體。

才從台灣搬到波士頓的周宗瑜，興致勃勃地想要參加台灣龍舟隊。
(周菊子攝)

波士頓台灣媽媽親子會會長張惠雯向波士頓台灣龍舟隊隊長李鴻宇詢問
媽媽組團的可能性。 (周菊子攝)

波士頓台灣龍舟隊招新，出席者認真聽。 (周菊子攝)

波士頓洪門致公堂五龍齊舞迎兔年 吟唱「紅花會豪傑」

洪門總理余麗媖與李志聯捧著大紅洪字，和洪門兄弟與嘉賓合影。
 (周菊子攝)

出自波士頓的全美洪門致公堂第一位女總理余麗媖高舉大紅「洪」字，
象徵為洪門接福。(周菊子攝)

             (Boston Orange 波士頓洪門致公堂3月6日在帝苑大酒樓慶祝癸卯兔年，數百洪門兄弟與嘉賓，在仁義禮智信旗幟飄揚，大紅洪字當前中，看著洪青五頭瑞獅在喧天鑼鼓中翻騰舞動，聽司儀唱念義兄、義弟，瞬間又回到「紅花會豪傑」年代。

洪青體育會的五獅齊舞是洪門春宴傳統。(周菊子攝)

              洪門致公堂是美國資歷最深的華人社團之一，在波士頓不但有孫中山曾經下塌的歷史紀錄，還有創辦了安良工商會的司徒美堂是人稱「洪門五叔」的洪門兄弟，美國第32任總統羅斯福曾為其律師等傳說。

              洪門中人也一向期許自己要能「俠義鋤奸」，「和衷共濟」，重視社會責任，支持公益事業，每年春宴必定捐款支持社區中的非牟利組織。

              6日這晚，波士頓洪門致公堂主席黎亦置，梅少華就代表堂口，捐款給廣教學校、亞裔青年會，聖地兄弟會兒童醫院 (Shriners Hospitals for Children) ，以及波士頓華埠獅子會。

波士頓洪門幹部合影。(周菊子攝) 

              在慶祝晚宴正式開場前，出自波士頓的全美洪門致公堂第一位女總理余麗媖，也和波士頓洪門兄弟們以一曲「書劍恩仇錄」，藉歌詞「紅花會豪傑，碧血染蠻夷…..為漢邦，願將書劍定江山」來遙想洪門早年理念，期許洪青體育會和洪門，傳承接續洪門的服務社區，支持公益傳統。

全美洪門總理李志聯 (右起)，元老李志強，全美總理余麗媖
和波士頓經文處處長孫儉元在春宴中闢地開會。(周菊子攝)

              現年僅44歲，在銀行業擔任科技副總裁的波士頓洪門致公堂主席，就是洪青出身，再加入洪門的實例。如今在美國小企業行政局 (SBA)擔任公共事務專員的伍少武，現為波士頓華埠社區議會議員的游成康，已從美國海關及邊境保護局公共事務主任一職退休的胡振勝等人，也都兼具洪青及洪門身份。

麻州眾議員黃子安代表議會同仁，頒發表揚狀，波士頓洪門
主席黎亦置(右)、梅少華(左)代表接受。(周菊子攝)

            這晚到會嘉賓很多，駐波士頓台北經濟文化辦事處處長孫儉元、僑教中心主任潘昭榮，紐英崙中華公所主席雷國輝，全美安良工商會總理陳仕維，伍胥山公所總理伍煥華，麻州眾議員黃子安，波士頓市議會議長愛德華費連，波士頓市不分區市議員Erin Murphy，以及全世界第三大共濟會 (Freemason)，位於波士頓的所羅門王分會 (King Solomon Lodge)兄弟。

              洪門元老李偉強，總理李志聯，洪青體育會會長黃永琛等人，也和一眾洪門兄弟從紐約，芝加哥等地來賀。波士頓自己的洪門兄弟，也有元老伍伯和到場，有顧問余共才遠從香港回來。

「博爾濟錦親王」(右起)率團員送上蒙古字長軸給波士頓洪門致公堂
主席梅少華、黎亦置。(周菊子攝)

              在致詞環節中，孫儉元處長和潘昭榮主任致詞時，都從頭到尾講廣東話，博得會場一片讚揚聲。前述州市政要則分別送出了表揚狀。

              當晚在嘉賓享用美酒佳餚，曹永、陳月華創辦的新節奏樂隊唱奏助興之外，最特別的是芝加哥洪青體育會會長，自己開武館的黃永琛，應兄弟要求出場一邊示範功夫，一邊演唱「男兒當自強」，還像明星表演一般，走入席次間，一度跳上餐桌的邊唱邊打功夫，引得全場鼓動起來，紛紛喊「安可」。

波士頓洪門主席黎亦置(右)，梅少華(左)送上捐款給廣教學校，由紐英崙
中華公所主席，也是廣教學校副董事長的雷國輝接受。(周菊子攝)

              另一段引人注目的環節是來自紐約，稱自己為成吉思汗第36代後裔，掏出來的名片寫著「博爾濟錦親王」，穿著蒙古服的一名男子，率團員送出一幅蒙古字長軸，由洪門主席黎亦置和梅少華代表接受。他們後來又再為洪門主席，以及總理、元老等人獻哈達，為他們掛上白、藍、黃色的長絲巾，藉以表達尊敬。

              洪門的慶祝晚宴最後在抽獎中落幕，不但每桌有獎，還送出10個100元大獎，贊助商送的香菇等獎品。

波士頓洪門主席黎亦置(右)，梅少華(左)送上捐款給亞裔青年會 (YES)，
由游成康代表接受。(周菊子攝)

波士頓洪門主席黎亦置(前右二)，梅少華(左一)送上捐款給聖地
兄弟會兒童醫院，由該會代表湯偉立(右一)等人接受。 (周菊子攝)

「博爾濟錦親王」(右起)率團員獻上哈達給波士頓洪門致公堂
主席梅少華、元老伍伯和，總理余麗媖，主席黎亦置。(周菊子攝)

表演精彩，出席眾人紛紛鼓掌。(周菊子攝)

Governor Healey Issues Statement on President Biden’s Inclusion of $350 Million for Cape Cod Bridges in Budget

 Governor Healey Issues Statement on President Biden’s Inclusion of $350 Million for Cape Cod Bridges in Budget

 BOSTON – Massachusetts Governor Maura T. Healey issued the following statement in response to President Biden’s inclusion of $350 million for the Cape Cod Canal Bridges Project to replace the Bourne and Sagamore bridges in his FY24 budget: 

“The Cape Cod Canal Bridges Project is critical for Massachusetts’ communities and economy. I’m grateful to the Biden Administration for committing this $350 million down payment on the project, as well as Senators Warren and Markey and Congressman Keating for their leadership and partnership to secure this crucial investment. Our administration remains committed to working closely with our local, state and federal partners to see this through.”

Healey-Driscoll Administration Proposes $3.5 Million to Provide Services and Care for Veterans Facing Homelessness

Healey-Driscoll Administration Proposes $3.5 Million to Provide Services and Care for Veterans Facing Homelessness  

BOSTON, MA – Promoting the Healey-Driscoll Administration’s priority of addressing veteran care, EOVS Secretary Jon Santiago met with staff and veterans at the New England Center and Home for Veterans (NECHV). The Center provides at-risk veterans and veterans experiencing homelessness with tools and programs to help them achieve reintegration, meaningful employment, and independent living. Joined by NECHV President and CEO C. Andrew McCawley, Secretary Santiago voiced support for $3.5 million in continued funding proposed by Governor Maura Healey and Lieutenant Governor Kimberley Driscoll in their annual budget.  

The proposed funding will increase capacity for NECHV to support veterans’ economic self-sufficiency through an array of services and programs. This budget would help fund the Center for the thirty-first consecutive year and maintains an increase of nearly $1 million over FY2020. EOVS is also providing an additional $500,000 in funding in FY2023 to NECHV to support access to housing and other services for marginalized veterans and family members.  

“The New England Center and Home for Veterans is honored to host Secretary Santiago for a visit and tour at our facility in Boston. The Secretary has been a strong supporter and advocate for Veterans during his service in the Legislature, and his appointment to the new cabinet post of Secretary for the Executive Office of Veterans’ Services exemplifies the commitment that Governor Healey has made to supporting Veterans and their families,” said C. Andrew McCawley, President and Chief Executive Officer, New England Center and Home for Veterans. “Massachusetts demonstrably leads the nation among States in both honoring and supporting military Veterans, and the Center is honored to partner with the Commonwealth and its Executive Office of Veterans’ Services, in support of those who have served.”   

“Connecting veterans to critical housing, employment and other supportive services is a central focus for our team at EOVS each and every day,” said Secretary Santiago. “Seeing first-hand the transformative work being done by Andy McCawley and his team speaks to why Governor Healey is prioritizing our veteran community and is following through on this commitment. This investment will assist the Center in giving veterans a pathway toward independence and self-sufficiency. We look forward to working with our legislative partners to advance this work.”  

Last week, the Healey-Driscoll administration filed their FY24 budget, the first to reflect the Executive Office of Veterans’ Services new Cabinet-level status. Governor Healey’s budget contained a total of $186,500,000 in funding for the Executive Office of Veterans’ Services, including $3.5 million for the New England Center and Home for Veterans.   

NECHV is one of the nation’s most prominent private, community-based providers of human services to Veterans who are experiencing challenges following their military service. For more information about NECHV, visit https://nechv.org/. For more information about the Executive Office of Veterans’ Services, visit https://mass.gov/veterans/.