Daily Lumina News 010721

Nearly 400,000 people at American colleges and universities have contracted the coronavirus since March. That's enough to fill four Rose Bowls.
As campuses prepare to start a new semester, the toll is mounting. In some cases, the survival of entire institutions could be on the line. The COVID relief package included $23 billion for colleges and universities, but schools say it doesn't come close to what they need.

Twelve years ago, The Buffalo News followed the first year of elementary school through the eyes and experiences of 5-year-old Rachel Scharf.
Now a senior at West Seneca West High School, Scharf describes what it is like to prepare for the next leg of her education journey in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Getting an education in prison isn't new. Correspondence programs have a long history, especially for GEDs. But in 2014, California passed SB 1391, which funded face-to-face classes inside prison walls. That's when Bakersfield College began a pilot program at Kern Valley State Prison in Delano.
Roberto Luca, who spent 28 years in prison, credits the Inmate Scholars Program for getting his life back on track. Today, the effort is one of the largest face-to-face college programs for inmates in California.

College and university leaders across the country responded to the violent chaos at the U.S. Capitol Wednesday using unusually strong terms for higher education leaders.
Many college presidents said they were saddened and frightened by the sight of supporters of President Donald Trump storming the U.S. Capitol and condemned the rioters’ actions on Twitter and in statements or emails to students and employees.