Daily Lumina News 071723

Last month's decision by the U.S. Supreme Court to strike down affirmative action upended years of admissions practices at selective institutions, leaving some would-be college students to question their futures.
In this interview, three individuals share how affirmative action changed the course of their lives, the complicated feelings they have about it, and what they think of a future without the policy.

Karen Guise believes race-conscious admissions helped her earn acceptance to the University of Minnesota-Twin Cities, where she’s a rising sophomore studying political science. Now, after the U.S. Supreme Court’s decision to overturn the policy, she worries that future Native students will struggle to get into college at all.
She's not alone. Being Native American isn’t only a race; it’s a marker of tribal citizenship. Colleges must figure out how to consider Indigenous identity in a new era, diversity advocates say.

Michigan is betting big on a new effort to help people become teachers by covering learning expenses and providing mentorship from experienced educators.
Talent Together, a coalition of 48 intermediate school districts, will initially focus on training about 750 people for teaching careers, from those without bachelor’s degrees to those already certified as teachers but who want to broaden areas they are eligible to teach.

Peyton Quijano spent the summer before her junior year at the University of California at Santa Cruz consolidating her life into her Honda. She squeezed her pared-down wardrobe into two small boxes. School supplies and some packaged food went in the passenger seat. The back seat became her bed.
Colleges across the country struggle with housing shortages from time to time, and administrators make contingency plans. What’s happening at Santa Cruz, though, isn’t a one-time crunch. It’s a systemic, structural logjam with no clear way out.

Geographic distance from college campuses can often make it difficult for Modoc High School’s 233 students to even dream about attending college after graduation.
The staff members at Modoc Joint Unified School District are successfully changing that mindset.

Rates of anxiety, depression, and suicidal ideation among college students have never been higher. In response, many institutions are establishing early alert systems, providing mental health first aid training to faculty and staff, and increasing group therapy.
And some schools are complementing those efforts with curated environments that promote human connections for students.