Daily Lumina News 062320

Fall semester is still months away, but at campuses around the country, a make-believe semester has already begun.
Researchers on some campuses are building computer models of varying complexity to predict how COVID-19 might spread on a college campus. Even though most colleges still lack the in-house expertise to create a customized model, almost every college can benefit from paying attention to the limited modeling that is taking place.

In the aftermath of George Floyd’s brutal killing by a white police officer in Minneapolis, university administrators across the country have released statements in the past several weeks condemning racism. But many Black students say the statements are empty rhetoric; what they want is action.

For 13 years, Aliya Vance has worked as a public safety officer and dispatcher at La Salle University with what’s been a lifelong mission: helping others. Now, she has another La Salle title, too: graduate.
Vance is among 7.4 million students 25 years or older attending the nation’s colleges and universities. Being an older student comes with its own set of challenges, as many of today's students must balance school, family, and jobs.

Maria and Jennifer Salvador start their days before the sun. The teenagers report to work at an Oxnard strawberry farm with one goal: to harvest as many bright-red strawberries as they can. Each 20-pound box of stemless strawberries they collect brings in $3.
When the coronavirus pandemic interrupted education across the state of California, and classes shifted online, many students went to work in the fields to help support their families. Advocates worry they're falling behind.