The data showed a spike in grade inflation during the 2020-21 school year, at the height of the COVID-19 pandemic. Three years later, grade inflation at Yale has yet to return to its pre-pandemic rate.

“Grade inflation is a problem in that it undermines our ability to recognize true excellence,” Edward Rugemer, director of undergraduate studies for history, wrote the News. “But I do not think this is a Yale problem alone. At present, the History Department is not taking any measures to reduce grade inflation.”

Yale’s report indicates that, in 2020-21, the percentage of Yale College A-range grades — including A’s and A-’s — rose from 72.95 to 81.97 percent, while the mean GPA rose from 3.64 to 3.74. By the 2022-23 school year, these figures stand at 78.97 and 3.70 percent, respectively. A recent story by The Harvard Crimson indicates that 79 percent of grades awarded at Harvard College in 2020-21 fell in the A range.

Data on Yale’s grading distribution have not been available in over a decade prior to the November report, which was sent to the News with the permission of Dean of Yale College Pericles Lewis in the interest of “promot[ing] transparency.”

Lewis did not respond to a request for comment, but Senior Associate Dean of Strategic Initiatives and Communications Paul McKinley confirmed that there are “no changes planned to address grade compression this year.”

Professor Meg Urry, chair of Yale’s FAS senate, said that grade inflation is not a topic the senate has discussed, adding that she does not think it would rise to a more “prominent level.” 

But Shelly Kagan, a professor of philosophy known for being a “difficult grader,” told the News about his concerns with “grade compression.”

Kagan explained that unlike price inflation, which is countered by steadily raising prices, grading has an upper bound, with nowhere to go above A. Yale does not use A+, although Kagan speculated on the possibility of introducing it.

“That leads to grade compression, where A’s no longer impart any genuinely useful information, whether to the students or to others who might look at the transcripts,” Kagan said. “That is very unfortunate.”

Kagan added that it “never ceases to surprise” him how Yale students and fellow faculty members view grades below A’s as bad, despite how Yale defines a B as “good.”

Although the grading report indicated a shift in grade inflation with the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, Kagan speculates that it has existed since the 1960s.

He explained that grade inflation is self-reinforcing, becoming more prevalent as more and more professors give out A’s to avoid disappointing students.

“The more A’s are handed out, the more disappointed students are to not receive an A,” Kagan told the News.

Yale attempted to combat grade inflation in 2013, when then-Yale College Dean Mary Miller created an “Ad Hoc Committee on Grading” to address climbing mean GPAs. Two of the committee’s proposals passed, one allowing department chairs to see an annual report of the previous year’s grade distributions for all departments, and the other an annual departmental meeting to discuss grading practices, with chairs reporting these discussions to the Dean of Yale College.

But the other two committee recommendations, which proposed a change from letter grades to numerical grades and the establishment of non-mandatory grading guidelines, were rejected by Yale’s faculty.

“If this upward trend does not cease, grades will continue to lose meaning both internally and externally; our entire academic endeavor is in jeopardy,” Miller wrote in a spring 2014 report. “Even as we continue discussions in Yale College, I ask you to take steps immediately to be sure that grades rise no further.”

At the time, the most up-to-date data indicated that 62 percent of grades awarded to Yale College students in spring 2012 fell in the A-range.

Stefanie Markovits, director of undergraduate studies for English, attributed the rise in grade inflation to increased opportunities for students to submit drafts and revisions. Many hardworking students, who previously would have received B+’s, she said, now receive an A-.

“The papers are better for the work they put in, and I think they have learned a lot in the process,” Markovitz said. “So I personally am happy to live with this particular part of the ‘inflation,’ whatever feelings I have about the rest of it.”

She added that, as DUS, her approach has been to remind colleagues at regular intervals to only give A grades to the strongest students, rather than those who are capable and hard-working but not extraordinary.

Michael Surry Schlabs, the DUS of Architecture, said that grade inflation routinely comes up in faculty meetings, and that most faculty members would like to see GPAs return to a pre-pandemic level, at least. But he expressed skepticism at this possibility. 

“Until college GPA stops being a major concern in employee hiring and grad school admissions decisions, I don’t know how we solve this, short of ditching A-F grades altogether, in favor of more personalized evaluation methods,” Schlabs said. “That wouldn’t be a bad thing, in my opinion, but it does sound like an awful lot of work.”

Professors have the option to fill out an end-of-term report for students who do “truly exceptional work.”

The post Faculty and administration raise alarm on grade inflation, ‘no plans’ to change grading policy appeared first on Yale Daily News.

Robinson — a prize-winning drama historian and scholar — will serve a five-year term, succeeding Kathryn Lofton, the current FAS Dean of Humanities. A committee of faculty headed by Joanne Meyerowitz, a professor of history and American studies, began its selection process last fall.

Robinson has previously held other administrative positions at Yale — serving as the chair of the Theater, Dance and Performance Studies program as well as acting chair of the English Department — but his role as FAS Dean of Humanities presents the opportunity to work on a larger scale.

“I am eager to gain a panoramic perspective on subjects that before I’ve understood only in the context of one relatively small program and one vast department,” he wrote to the News.

When Robinson assumes the position on July 1, Lofton will resume her role as a professor of religious studies and American studies.

Lofton, who was appointed in February 2020, expressed her confidence in Professor Robinson’s appointment and emphasized his commitment to leadership in the humanities.

“Professor Robinson is an astute and deeply humane leader who thinks about scholars and scholarship with the same level of perception he thinks about drama and dramatists,” she wrote to the News.

During her time as dean, Lofton oversaw the division through times of transition, as well as large development projects. In her job, she oversaw the opening of the Humanities Quadrangle at 320 York St. in 2020, consolidating two-thirds of the humanities departments into a single building.

Robinson also expressed admiration for Lofton, praising the work of his predecessor.

“All 27 departments and programs in this division are stronger thanks to [Kathryn Lofton’s] stewardship,” Robinson wrote to the News. “I aim to maintain that strength by supporting my faculty colleagues in every aspect of their work, and by helping to attract pathbreaking new scholars and artists to our ranks.”

Robinson began teaching at Yale in 1993 as an adjunct assistant professor of theater studies and drama. Since then, he has participated in several committees ranging from the University-Wide Committee on Sexual Misconduct to the FAS Creative Arts Advisory Committee.

Robinson has also published and edited acclaimed criticisms and studies of theater, including “The Other American Drama” and “The American Play.”

Robinson told the News about the process leading to his appointment, which involved interviews with divisional deans, the deans of Yale College and the Graduate School of Arts and Sciences, University Provost Scott Strobel and FAS Dean Tamar Gendler.

In an email to the News, Robinson praised his colleagues on their lively teaching and rigorous research.

“I hope to ensure that faculty have the resources and the freedom to continue creating the knowledge they share with students,” he wrote.

As dean of humanities, Robinson will oversee hiring, including recruitment and retention. He will also be responsible for managing faculty lifecycle issues, including tenure, promotion and retirement.

In addition to his daily responsibilities, Robinson will sit on several committees, including the FAS Steering Committee, which oversees FAS policy matters, and the Faculty Resource Committee, which oversees FAS faculty searches. 

Robinson will report to FAS Dean Tamar Gendler. 

“[Robinson] has a deep and nuanced understanding of the workings of the University and the needs of Yale faculty and students,” Gendler wrote to the News. “He is a scholar of incredible intellectual breadth and vision. I am excited to see the FAS Humanities division continue to thrive under his leadership.”

Robinson’s term will last until 2029.

The post Marc Robinson appointed FAS Dean of Humanities appeared first on Yale Daily News.

The contest, a collaboration between audiovisual technology company Dolby Laboratories and nonprofit organization Ghetto Film School, asked applicants to develop and submit an original short film concept for consideration. The guidelines asked for films that would “benefit from the ultra-vivid color of Dolby Vision and the immersive sound of Dolby Atmos.” The winners are able to claim $25,000 grants in addition to the support from Dolby Vision and Dolby Atmos. Three film pitches received the prize, including “You’re Dead” by Sarah Jean Williams and Luna Garcia ’23. 

“We were so excited! It’s hard to overstate how critical receiving this amount of funding is for young filmmakers,” Garcia told the News. “We have so many ideas, but it’s often difficult to raise the money necessary to realize these cinematic goals.”

Garcia, who is from Los Angeles, has been writing short films since she was a teenager. At 16, she wrote “Charley Horse,” which competed at the National Film Festival for Talented Youth, SFFILM and the Bentonville Film Festival. 

Her upcoming film, “You’re Dead,” will tell the story of Talia, a woman who embarks on a journey to the afterlife to reunite with her dead sister. 

When asked how she and Williams came up with the idea for the story, Garcia emphasized the film’s themes of loss and grief. 

“Sarah Jean and I started off with the visual of someone running towards their own lifeless body,” she said. “From that point, we began developing a story that captured the urge to connect with someone who passed, as well as the macabre obsession with where you go after you die.”

As a directing-writing duo, Garcia and Williams collaborated on all aspects of the film. 

Having previously done stand-up comedy together, the pair had an established working relationship before beginning work on “You’re Dead.”

“We collaborated on everything,” Williams told the News. “I took the lead on designing the pitch deck and lookbook, while Luna mainly wrote out the script for the pitch. We cross-collaborated on both, and we would constantly be on calls with one another refining our story.”

Winners of the contest will receive mentorship from leading filmmakers, such as Carlos López Estrada, Daniel Kwan and Daniel Scheinert. Winners will also receive production support from Antigravity Academy, visual support from Dolby Vision and audio support from Dolby Atmos in addition to the individual $25,000 grants.

In total, Dolby is investing over $200,000 dollars in the 2024 contest. 

“We aren’t just writing checks and saying to these filmmakers ‘Go write your films,’” Dolby Institute director Glenn Kiser told the News. “We say, ‘Come back to Dolby, come finish your films with Dolby Vision and Dolby Atmos,’ and the result is hopefully that they will make these really unique films that are unlike any other short films on the market.”

According to Kiser, the contest typically receives between 75 and 100 submissions. They then narrow the pool down to between two and four finalists, depending on the year. This year, the contest application closed on Sept. 30, and winners were selected on Oct. 23. Dolby announced the winners to the public on Nov. 10. 

Although it has run for three years, Kiser said that the program has grown tremendously.

“What we’ve seen in the three years we’ve been working with Ghetto Film School is that the proposals have gotten so much richer in terms of detail and also scale,” he told the News. “People are bringing some really interesting big thinking and big concept projects to us and that’s been really fun to watch.” 

Kiser said that the program has also evolved. He added that this is the first year that Dolby and Ghetto Film School staff will help contest winners submit their finalized films to leading film festivals. 

This year’s contest theme was “New Voices. New Visions.”

“Our theme was designed to be open-ended and subject to interpretation,” Kiser said. “This year in particular, we tried to remove all the guardrails and let the filmmakers express themselves as fully as they might want to.”

Although Garcia and Williams will be busy working on “You’re Dead” for the foreseeable future, both have big career plans. 

Williams is finishing her final year at New York University Tisch School of the Arts, and Garcia is working at NBCUniversal in Los Angeles. 

When asked about her next steps, Garcia said that she “hope[s] to get staffed in a writers’ room,” while Williams aims to “continue directing narrative fiction and developing her singular creative voice.”

Williams and Garcia will complete “You’re Dead” over the next nine months. 

The post Luna Garcia ’23 wins filmmaking award appeared first on Yale Daily News.

Schneider is the founder of ChinaTalk, a newsletter and podcast that covers China, technology and U.S.-China relations. In his presentation, Schneider discussed his career path, the challenges of covering China and how to source stories under heavy governmental censorship. 

“The way I fit into the broader ecosystem of thinktankers and daily journalists is trying to spotlight and interrogate the best and most thoughtful writing around China’s emerging technology,” Schneider said during his introduction.

Although he told listeners that he had not taken many Chinese history classes at Yale, he moved to China in 2017 to pursue graduate studies and work at Kuaishou, a global social media platform. There, he explored his interest in the Chinese social, political and economic landscape. He also developed ChinaTalk, which is now his full-time career. 

Schneider emphasized that much of his career satisfaction comes from the fact that he works for himself.

“The best part about working for myself is that I literally only read what I’m interested in,” he said. “I generally do my best writing when it’s about things that I’m psyched about.”

Despite professing love for his work, he was not shy about acknowledging the difficulties of pursuing a career in independent journalism. 

Schneider said that before he was able to work full-time as a journalist, he made his living as a research analyst at Bridgewater.

“My take on the best way to write for a living in the 2020s on tech in China is to not write for a living. ChinaTalk took me seven years before I could spend all my time on it,” he told the audience. 

Not only must China-focused journalists navigate the “brutal field” of journalism, Schneider said, but they also face additional challenges given the country’s censorship laws. Scheider told the audience that media coverage in China has drastically changed since the adoption of the country’s 2017 Constitution, which restricted press freedom.

Because of these changes, he added, it has become increasingly difficult for journalists to get firsthand accounts of daily life in China. 

“One of the things that has been really depressing over the past three or four years is that it is basically impossible for mainlanders who live in China to come on the show,” Schneider noted on the organization’s podcast. “In 2017 or 2018, I could still have a conversation about trade policy with Chinese academics.” 

While acknowledging the challenges of a career in China-focused journalism, Schneider also encouraged aspiring journalists in the audience to write about topics that interest them.

During the Q&A part of his talk, Schneider emphasized the importance of taking advantage of 21st-century resources to launch one’s journalistic career, both at Yale and beyond. 

“Just talk to as many people as you can,” he stated. “It’s great that you have so many speakers who come to campus, but it’s 2023 and you have the internet, which means you can cold email anyone. Find some excuse beyond ‘I want to pick your brain about your career,’ and send them an email.”

Another area that Schneider covered was the use of AI in journalism.

When asked to what extent he uses AI in his work, Schneider answered that it is a helpful tool but that it cannot do everything. 

“ChatGPT’s data analysis is incredible. I do a lot more different types of analysis than I would otherwise thanks to AI,” he said. Still, he qualified his support for AI by stating that “ChatGPT won’t make all the connections for you, or it might, and it might be wrong. You really need to check and verify.”

Schneider’s talk was hosted by the Poynter Fellowship in Journalism, a program that regularly brings leading journalists, editors, publishers and other media professionals to campus. 

Although the talk attracted a wide variety of professors, students and community members, the largest group represented was students from professor Valerie Hansen’s class, “China from Present to Past.”

According to Lasse Van den Berg ’26, attending Schneider’s lecture was a requirement for Professor Hansen’s course. 

“What struck me is the extent to which contemporary debates about Chinese language, foreign policy, journalism and the economy all tie to AI,” Van den Berg told the News. “AI seems to be at the forefront of cultural and political discourse in and about China.”

Hansen told the News that she requires students to attend a guest lecture each year, after the November recess.

As her class prepares their final projects, which involve researching either a political protest or a territorial dispute in China, Hansen hopes that Schneider’s talk will give students a different perspective on the material they have been learning all semester.  

“I always want to give them a different perspective from what we have covered in the class, and we have not covered AI,” Hansen told the News.

After the talk, Schneider stayed to talk one-on-one with curious students and professors. 

The next Poynter Fellowship event, which will feature Fox News contributor and political consultant Jessica Tarlov, will be held on Wednesday, Nov. 29.

The post Founder of ChinaTalk Jordan Schneider ’13 discusses journalism, independent media appeared first on Yale Daily News.

One cannot exist on this campus for five minutes without hearing someone mention GHeav. Thus, the first problem that Harvard students will face is the inevitable confusion regarding Good Nature Market’s nickname. Allow me to set the scene. You are a Harvard student at one of the mixers that Yalies have so graciously decided to host for you. You are having an amazing time because, duh, you’re at Yale, and before you know it, “Closing Time” blasts through the speakers. Beyond the humiliation of being one of the last individuals in a frat, you have another problem: you’re starving. You ask a Yalie for late-night snack recommendations, and — of course — they mention GHeav. Okay, great. Just put “GHeav” into Google Maps, and you’ll be set, right? Wrong. Although the market hasn’t been named Gourmet Heaven in years, the shorthand persists, probably just to confuse freshmen and visiting Harvard students. 

If you have any doubt about whether Yale lives up to its stereotype as “The Gay Ivy,” look no further than Yalies’ footwear choices. No matter where you find yourself, you are guaranteed to see at least three different iterations of Doc Martens. Never mind the fact that these shoes give everyone terrible blisters. Wear thick socks and suck it up — we have an image to uphold! Don’t get me wrong, I’m sure there are queer people at Harvard. But, if I were a Harvard student, I’d be confused and overwhelmed by the sheer amount of this black pleather footwear around campus. 

There is a 90 percent chance that, no matter where you find yourself at Yale, you can find a Handsome Dan graphic lurking in your peripheral vision. This is not unique to Yale. Go to Penn State, and you cannot walk two feet without seeing a Nittany Lion poster. But, for Harvard, whose mascot is… John Harvard??… the concept of school spirit is probably a bit foreign. And it’s not just pictures of Handsome Dan that Harvard students will have to face. On the field, Crimson football players will be forced to watch the slobbering beast as he supports Yale from the sidelines. 

Yalies are so much more than our affinity for GHeav, Doc Martens and Handsome Dan. But if I were only on campus for 24 hours, I’d confidently define the institution by these three obsessions. Maybe if Harvard students were here for longer, they would uncover Yalies’ complexities and nuances — you know, like the love we harbor for The Jitter Bus and the frequency with which we invoke the word “juxtaposition” in seminars. But, luckily for Yalies, the limited duration of Harvard students’ visit to campus allows us to maintain a healthy level of mystery that keeps the Crimsons wondering. 

The post What is GHeav, why so many Doc Martens and where can I escape Handsome Dan? appeared first on Yale Daily News.

1. Category One: Mascots. A few days ago, I overheard someone use the phrase “ugly-hot.” If that classification exists for dogs, Handsome Dan is the perfect example. Although you might have to bribe him with treats, Handsome Dan is relatively cooperative if you ask to get a picture with him — as long as his handler dangles a biscuit near the camera, that is. Harvard’s mascot, on the other hand, is an old pilgrim. Can’t take pictures with that.
2. Category Two: Social Life. Once, I visited Harvard on a Friday night. When I walked into a Starbucks at 10 p.m., every seat was occupied by a future Mark Zuckerberg, hunching over his laptop and blasting incel music through thick headphones. Last Friday at Yale, I observed three different groups hosting beer mile races. Enough said. 
3. Category Three: Architecture. When I arrived at Harvard for last year’s game, my first thought was that the entire campus looked like a more depressing version of TD. I didn’t think that was possible. Compared to Yale’s ornate stonework and gothic towers, Harvard’s colonial buildings look like they haven’t been renovated since their pilgrim mascot came over on the Mayflower. 
4. Category Four: Academic Programs. Frankly, this is the least important category on this list. But, for the sake of the argument, I feel compelled to mention that Yale has over 80 academic programs. As for Harvard? A measly 50. Okay, enough of that; back to the important metrics. 
5. Category Five: Alumni. This might be a controversial one. Ignore the fact that Yale has produced three of the Supreme Court’s most conservative justices. Instead, focus on Meryl Streep!! She’s awesome, and she didn’t go to Harvard! Some other notable mentions: Lupita Nyong’o, Anderson Cooper and Angela Bassett. For the sake of this list’s persuasive power, I will pretend that Obama didn’t go to Harvard. I suggest you do the same. 
6. Category Six: School Colors. Navy blue is prettier than crimson. This rule is true in all cases except for when I wear my maroon Trumbull sweatshirt. Then, and only then, maroon is a great color. 
7. Category Seven: Rory Gilmore. She chose Yale, not Harvard. Sure, she became somewhat insufferable after coming here, but we all do. 

There you have it! If anyone would like to join me in petitioning U.S. News to change their official college rankings, please do. I’m sure this list will convince them. 

The post U.S. News has the rankings wrong. Here’s why. appeared first on Yale Daily News.

After a semester of recruiting musical talent, 17o1 showcased six student artists during their launch concert on Nov. 11. 

“I am just so happy we got to share all the work we have been doing with the rest of campus,” Head of Label Affairs Jackson Downey ’25 told the News. “We have been working on this for almost eight months now. It was so cool to see people as excited about our artists as we are.”

17o1 was founded in 2010 but dissolved when its original leadership team graduated. On Aug. 28, an Instagram post announced the group’s return, and the label began recruiting student artists in early September. 

According to the label’s website, “17o1 works to bring artists of all mediums together, source resources for musical artists, and provide professional experience to student artists and aspiring industry professionals.” Their services, which are free for represented student artists, include management, creative direction, production, gig sourcing and funding. 

On Oct. 16, the label announced that it would be representing six artists, all of whom performed at the launch concert. The official setlist included Lyle Griggs ’25, Evie Kissinger ’27, Seldom Street, Strictly Platonic, Khatumu and Zaida Rio ’26. From this group, Griggs, Kisssinger and Rio are solo artists, while the rest are bands. 

17o1 Events Director Tess Levy ’25 emphasized how proud the label is of its artists’ performances. 

“Considering the fact that they joined the label just a few weeks ago, their ability to put together such complex and masterful arrangements of the music was really mind-blowing,” she told the News. “I’m definitely not surprised given how consistent and committed each of them has been, but it was such a delight to share it with so many people.” 

The event was sponsored by local business Woody’s Wings, located at 91 Church St. In between performances, students flocked to the food station to warm up with a selection of wings from the restaurant. 

Guayakí Yerba Mate, a California-based tea brand, also sponsored the event. One of the drink options available to attendees was a Yerba Mate cocktail that included a mixture of the tea, lemon juice and vodka. Though Luke Tyson ’25 was initially skeptical of this combination, he told the News that it was “surprisingly good.”

Towards the end of the lineup, a noise complaint from neighbors forced the label to relocate the event to 27 High St. From there, the artists continued their sets, adapting their performances for an acoustic setup. 

Rio, who served as the concert’s closing act, performed her entire set from the new location. 

“Initially, it was really overwhelming, but after evaluating what musical equipment we were limited to and what we could sacrifice/keep for each song, the entire 17o1 team worked together to help make sure that my vision for my set was as close to what it could’ve been at 107 Howe St.,” she wrote to the News. “Despite the chaos, the performance ended up being incredibly intimate, and I was just so grateful for all the people who relocated with us to keep the rally going.”

Makda Assefa ’26 told the News that the event provided a much-needed avenue to celebrate student bands and performing groups. 

Downey emphasized the importance of continuing to showcase student voices. 

“We have spent the last few months focusing on creating a performance space, and now we’re going to get going on music production and promotion for the next chapter of 17o1,” he told the News. “Be ready for some awesome single releases and maybe even an album or two.”

For those who were unable to attend the event, several of 17o1’s student artists — including Zaida Rio and Strictly Platonic — have their songs available for streaming on Spotify. 

Though auditions for fall 2023 have closed, 17o1 plans to add new artists every semester. 

The post Student-run record label 17o1 hosts launch concert  appeared first on Yale Daily News.

Students filled Berkeley College’s Swensen House on Thursday to hear about journalist Jodi Kantor’s Pulitzer Prize-winning investigation into Harvey Weinstein. 

Kantor’s Nov. 9 talk, “How Investigative Journalists Unearth Secrets and Confront the Powerful,” was held as a Berkeley College Tea. Yale professor Susan Dominus, who is a staff writer for the New York Times Magazine, invited Kantor to visit and share her knowledge with students. Dominus was part of the team that won the Pulitzer in 2018 for their coverage of workplace sexual harassment and misconduct.

The event was co-sponsored by the Poynter Fellowship and the Yale Journalism Initiative. Berkeley Head of College David Evans introduced Kantor, who discussed her investigation of Harvey Weinstein’s history of sexual abuse and journalistic ethics. She also emphasized the role of student publications — citing recent work by the Stanford Daily, The Michigan Daily and the Daily Northwestern — in shaping future journalists and shared advice for those interested in going into journalism.

Kantor and fellow New York Times reporter Megan Twohey won a Pulitzer Prize in 2018 for their reporting on Weinstein, which helped spur the #MeToo movement. Their bestselling book “She Said” was adapted into a film last year. 

“Investigative journalism is about taking secrets in society and delicately and responsibly putting them on the table so we can have a discussion about them,” Kantor said.

Kantor began her talk by detailing her career path, explaining how her experiences with student journalism at Columbia, which she said were marked by burnout and interpersonal tensions, temporarily turned her away from journalism as a profession.

After graduating from Columbia, Kantor attended Harvard Law School but dropped out when she realized her true calling was journalism.

Using this switch as an example, Kantor assured students that they do not have to have their lives meticulously planned out to be successful.

“I wasn’t one of those perfect people who knew exactly what I wanted to do professionally from the age of 16,” Kantor said. 

After giving a summary of her path to journalism, Kantor explained what investigative journalism consists of and how it differs from other forms of reporting. 

Throughout the talk, she emphasized that investigative journalists must keep their personal opinions out of the public eye to remain credible. To be an investigative journalist, she said, is not to be an activist but to rather “let the truth speak for itself.”

“I want people to look at me the way they would ideally look at a judge in a courtroom – somebody who will really be willing to listen and keep an open mind,” Kantor said.

The results of an investigative piece should not be foreordained, she said, pointing to how she did not foresee the outcome of the Weinstein investigation.

While Kantor said she keeps her work as objective as possible, she said that there are certain things she seeks when looking for a story, namely holding the powerful accountable, evidence of harm and a “read-me factor.”

“You want to look for a social discussion that you think should happen,” she said.

She added that her work is thorough as she strives to fully examine all sides and perspectives of a story. On this note, Kantor talked about how she builds relationships with sources, balancing objectivity and empathy. She said she has to make it clear that she is not a friend, but a reporter, even when sources are confessing something deeply personal.

Kantor said that when she was investigating Harvey Weinstein’s sexual abuse, she had to maintain a professional relationship with the women who came forward. 

“I will say ‘I’m so sorry to hear that’ but I’ll never go beyond that,” Kantor said. “You’re not their friend. You’re not their advocate.”

On a related note, one student asked Kantor about how to best establish trust with sources.

While Kantor acknowledged the difficulty of getting sources who are resistant to talk to open up with her, she said she has also observed that many are more willing than one might imagine. 

Kantor cited her experience interviewing Amazon workers. She said that when she asked the workers their opinions, it seemed to her that no one had asked them for their perspective before. One of them, she said, told her they felt like a celebrity. 

“On the one hand, people are scared to talk to journalists, but on the other hand, everybody wants to be understood,” she said.

Kantor concluded her talk with advice for aspiring journalists. Though journalism is not always the most lucrative career, she said it is needed now more than ever. 

In explaining the importance of journalism today, Kantor pointed to the decline of local newsrooms and how factual reporting, which used to be taken for granted, is in peril because of a loss of trust in these basic facts. 

“The stakes are so high,” Kantor said. “We have got to reestablish a common basis for truth in this world. We have to establish that facts are facts.”

At the end of her talk, Kantor took questions from the audience, many of which revolved around student journalism and how students can prepare themselves for future careers in this field.

Although she recognized that student journalism is valuable for building reporting skills, she also emphasized how it differs from real-world journalism.

“Student journalism is really hard because the ethical debates we face as journalists are complicated. Sometimes we have more than five meetings over a single decision at The Times, and we are also working in an environment where there are all these professional standards and strictures,” she said. “Student journalists are working, ideally, with an approximation of those things. You don’t have that support and you’re also reporting on your own community which is really, really hard.”

Ángela Pérez ’24 and Isaac Yu ’24, co-fellows of the Yale Journalism Initiative and former Managing Editors at the News, said that there was immediate interest in the event.

Yu said slots filled up quickly after the YJI sent out a Google form in their newsletter.

“That’s what YJI is all about,” Yu told the News. “Bringing students who are interested in journalism closer to their inspiration and the pathways into the field.”

While there were many prospective journalists in the audience, the event attracted students from different majors.

Madison Butchko ’24, a physics major, said she attended the event due to her interest in Kantor’s work.

“I really enjoyed this talk because I found it to be informative about how journalism works about how the essence of investigative journalism is truth, not activism,” Butchko told the News.

The event was followed by a dinner at Mory’s, where students were able to engage more personally with Kantor.

Demand for spots at the dinner was extremely high, with several students remaining on the waitlist, according to Pérez. 

“We’re really excited to keep bringing speakers that students care about,” Pérez said.

The  Yale Journalism Initiative is also sponsoring an event on Nov. 27, when the program will host a talk with Jordan Schneider, creator of the ChinaTalk podcast and newsletter.

The post Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist Jodi Kantor visits Yale appeared first on Yale Daily News.

Franco’s picture was projected throughout the event.

“I love to have her picture with me when I’m presenting because I feel like she is here in spirit,” Diaz said. “I just know she would be so proud to know that anti-eugenics advocacy has come so far and that people want to know about it.”

In her talk, Diaz explained the history of the forced sterilization movement, told her family’s story and described her advocacy efforts toward ending coerced sterilizations.

From 1909 to 1979, more than 20,000 patients in California state-run hospitals, prisons and institutions were forcibly sterilized. These sterilizations took place under California’s eugenics laws, which allowed the state to forcibly sterilize patients deemed “feeble-minded” or “unfit.” Although the laws were repealed in 1979, forced and coerced sterilizations continued to take place in prisons and correctional facilities. 

In March 2023, the California state government announced that it would allocate $7.8 million to compensate victims and raise awareness about the forced sterilization movement. 

Diaz first found out about forced sterilization when she interviewed Franco for a class assignment at Marymount University. Diaz said that, during this interview, she learned that Franco was molested at age 13 and then institutionalized by the state after being labeled a “sexual deviant.”

“I was floored by what I had heard. I couldn’t believe this happened to a family member,” Diaz said. “At the time, I didn’t know the history. I just thought this was a shameful family secret that was revealed to me.” 

It was not until 2017, after Franco’s death, that Diaz learned that her aunt’s case wasn’t an anomaly. 

While driving on the highway, she heard a radio broadcast about the forced sterilization movement and realized that her aunt was a victim of a much larger tragedy. 

“I was blown away,” Diaz said. “I had to get off the freeway and pull over.”

After listening to the radio show, Diaz reached out to Alexandra Stern, the author of “Eugenic Nation,” and worked with her team of researchers to learn more about Franco’s story. 

Diaz is still working to uncover information about the forced sterilization movement, she said. During her talk, she explained that she visited the Yale Archive to review manuscripts by Robert Yerkes, a prominent 20th-century psychologist and eugenicist. 

Although many individuals, including her family members, asked her why she would want to engage with such unsettling records, Diaz commented on the importance of confronting history. 

“I want to touch them because [Yerkes] wouldn’t want me to touch them,” said Diaz. “I have the beauty of touching these papers and sharing how horrible they are.”

Students at Yale are also working to confront the history of eugenics, particularly as it pertains to the University. 

In her introduction, one of the event’s student organizers, Amelia Winn ’25, explained why Diaz’s talk is relevant to the Yale community.

“Eugenics as we know it was founded here at Yale,” she said. “Talks like these are important for how we will reckon with the afterlives of eugenics and decide whether we will be complicit or not in this system.”

The American Eugenics Society was founded at Yale in 1926. Although the Society has not been active at Yale since 1938, the Anti-Eugenics Collective’s website notes that “this history is integral to the story of the University.”

Other student organizers included Tara Bhat ’25, Mia Velez ’25, Jocelyn Perez ’25 and Yakeleen Almazan ’25. 

When asked why she worked to organize the talk, Almazan emphasized the importance of creating awareness about Yale’s historical ties to the eugenics movement. 

“Given many students and Yale community members are not aware of this heinous past, talks such as Cordova Diaz’s shine light onto those realities,” she told the News. 

Daniel HoSang, professor of American Studies and of Ethnicity, Race and Migration, was the event’s primary organizer. He currently serves as the faculty advisor and founder of the Anti-Eugenics Collective at Yale, an organization that informs the public about Yale’s historical ties to the eugenics movement.

HoSang attended the talk and stayed afterward to converse with students and other audience members. 

“In the 1920s, a Yale faculty member leading a new institute associated with eugenics declared that the project would ‘make New Haven and the surrounding territory its major laboratory.’ These unequal relations between campus and community continue to be worth our attention today,” HoSang told the News. 

The Anti-Eugenics Collective is currently working with local public school teachers, medical students and Yale undergraduates to “explore the enduring impact of eugenics logics and policies in many institutions and academic disciplines,” according to HoSang. 

Diaz also spoke on how her eugenics research has informed her work as a special ed teacher. Although she has used IQ tests in her classroom, she said that her research into the forced sterilization movement helped her discover the tests’ roots in eugenics. 

According to Diaz, the tests were often used to determine the “mental fitness” of women in state institutions and used as a rationale for sterilizing “unfit” women.

“I’m not saying that IQ tests don’t have their place in Special Ed, but I feel teachers are cheated by not knowing the history of these tests,” Diaz said. “I’m an advocate for teaching teachers the history of what we are doing because, if we don’t know the history, we are bound to repeat it.”

Diaz ended the talk by encouraging the audience to conduct independent research into the forced sterilization movement. 

Although she does not have a release date yet, Diaz is currently working on a book that will tell Mary Franco’s story and describe Diaz’s own experience as a teenage mother.

The post Stacy Cordova Diaz speaks on forced sterilization at La Casa appeared first on Yale Daily News.

First, Book Trader Cafe. I will die on the hill that this is the best bagel spot in New Haven. For under five dollars, you can get a delicious bagel and a quality cup of coffee to accompany it. Book Trader gets crowded during the day, but if you go early, you can snag a spot in the greenhouse-style main room — an ideal place to procrastinate your work by people-watching through the massive windows. Although I would love to convince everyone who reads this article that Book Trader is supreme, in the interest of staying impartial, I will disclose that the spotty WiFi and loud crowds make this a difficult spot to do anything productive. Also, although the bagels are from Pepperidge Farm, you can pretend that they are homemade if you don’t watch the barista pull them out of the bag.

Next up, Olmo. When a Yalie suggests going out for bagels, they’re probably going to drag you to Olmo. The cafe, which was established in 2018, claims to “have given New Haven its own style of bagel.” They have. And it’s bad. I’ll be the first to say it: I don’t understand the fascination. Maybe Olmo’s underwhelming coffee selection taints my view of their bagels. Maybe the trek down Whitney Avenue is too demoralizing, especially in the cold New Haven winters. Maybe I’m the one with bad bagel taste. But, to me, Olmo’s bagels are always stale and disappointing. Supporters will try to justify Olmo by telling you that it just won “Best of the Fest” at the NYC BagelFest, but, as someone who was not on the award committee, I can tell you that I have my suspicions about this honor. 

If you are still reading after I bashed Olmo, thank you! I appreciate it. As a reward, I’ll reveal another gem of a bagel spot: G Cafe. If you are looking for something beyond the regular bagel, head over to G Cafe, where you can purchase the pragel — a delicious hybrid between a bagel and a pretzel. Eating a pretzel can feel a bit strange in the early hours of the day, so I’d recommend G Cafe for when you’re craving a savory afternoon snack. While they only have two options, plain or everything, G Cafe has mastered the basics and is consistently delicious. 

Regrettably, I feel that I must address the bagels at Koffee. I like Koffee. Or, rather, I want to like Koffee. From the eclectic music selection — you never know whether you will get Faye Webster or death metal — to the fashionably clashing couches, Koffee exudes a certain coolness that keeps me coming back. Unfortunately, I do not harbor the same enthusiasm for Koffee’s bagels as I do for its interior design. If G Cafe is consistent, Koffee is the exact opposite, handing customers different bagel renditions based on how the barista is feeling that day. Did he just break up with his girlfriend? If so, your bagel might be overstuffed with cream cheese. Did he have a fight with his parents? You’re lucky if you receive your bagel at all. 

I’m unsure about this last recommendation given the ridicule it might garner. Still, I cannot deny that Gheav’s bagels are my go-to. Open 24 hours a day and located near central campus, it’s no secret that Gheav is convenient. Gheav knows it’s convenient, too, which is why a single bottle of Pure Leaf iced tea costs almost five dollars. However, I recently discovered that Gheav bagels cost only three dollars — a revelation that has drastically changed my late-night snacking habits. While they aren’t the best in New Haven, their price and accessibility secure Gheav’s bagels a place on this list. 

There you have it, one girl’s (correct) opinion on five New Haven bagel spots. Whether you follow my advice is out of my hands, but, before you bagel, do keep these thoroughly researched evaluations in mind. 

The post Before You Bagel: A guide from an experienced connoisseur appeared first on Yale Daily News.