Babies who are exposed to two languages (not including baby talk)
instead of one during the first year of their life may develop a
cognitive advantage over their monolingual counterparts, attaining
better problem-solving skills. And while most babies don’t actually have
many problems to solve, this early boost to their mental progress could
stand them in good stead for their adult lives.
Previous research has shown that people who speak multiple languages tend to have enhanced connectivity in areas of the brain involved in executive function,
which refers to a range of cognitive capabilities related to planning,
reasoning and problem solving. However, researchers from the University
of Washington were keen to learn if this neurological side-effect of
multilingualism could be detected in babies who had not yet begun to
talk.
To test this, they recruited 16 11-month-old babies (via their
parents, obviously), half of which came from families that only speak
English while the other half came from English-Spanish bilingual
families. The researchers used magnetoencephalography (MEG) to measure
the brain activity of the babies as they listened to a stream of
meaningless speech sounds that are common to either English, Spanish or
both, as outlined in the video below.
Reporting their findings in the journal Developmental Science,
the team discovered that the babies from bilingual families exhibited
strong brain responses to both the Spanish and English sounds,
indicating that they were able to recognize and process both types as
“phonetic sounds” rather than general noises, or “acoustic
sounds.” Babies from English-speaking families, however, only responded
to English sounds, suggesting that the Spanish sounds were not
phonetically processed.
This outcome indicates that, even before babies start talking, they
are able to recognize linguistic sounds. However, a much more important
finding was that the neurological responses of bilingual babies occurred
in certain brain regions responsible for executive function, such as
the prefrontal and orbitofrontal cortex. In contrast, the brain responses of monolingual babies did not extend into these regions.
As such, the researchers conclude that the need to distinguish
between two languages presents a cognitive challenge to bilingual babies
that requires them to engage these brain areas, thereby strengthening
their executive function capacities. According to study co-author Naja Ferjan RamÃrez, this finding “suggests that bilingualism shapes not only language development, but also cognitive development more generally.”
In other words, babies who are exposed to multiple languages are
likely to get a head start at strengthening the connections in the parts
of the brain that are necessary for flexible thought and problem
solving.
Sunday 24 April 2016
Asperger syndrome
Asperger syndrome (AS), also known as Aspergers, is a developmental disorder characterized by significant difficulties in social interaction and nonverbal communication, along with restricted and repetitive patterns of behavior and interests.[1] It is an autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and differs from other disorders by relatively normal language and intelligence.[2] Although not required for diagnosis, physical clumsiness and unusual use of language are common.[3][4] Symptoms usually begin before two years old and can last for a person's entire life.[1]
The exact cause of Asperger's is unknown.[1] While there is likely a genetic basis, it has not been determined conclusively.[3][5] Environmental factors are also believed to play a role.[1] Brain imaging has not identified a common underlying problem.[3] The diagnosis of Asperger's was removed in the 2013 fifth edition of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-5) and people with these symptoms are now included within the autism spectrum disorder along with autism and pervasive developmental disorder not otherwise specified.[1][6] It remains within the tenth edition of the International Classification of Diseases (ICD-10) as of 2015.[2]
There is no single treatment, and the effectiveness of particular interventions is supported by only limited data.[3] Treatment is aimed at improving poor communication skills, obsessive or repetitive routines, and physical clumsiness.[7] Efforts may include social skills training, cognitive behavioral therapy, physical therapy, speech therapy, parenting training, and medications for associated problems such as depression or anxiety.[7] Most children improve as they grow up, but social and communication difficulties may persist.[8] Some researchers and people on the autism spectrum have advocated a shift in attitudes toward the view that autism spectrum disorder is a difference, rather than a disease that must be treated or cured.[9][10]
In 2013, Asperger's was estimated to affect 31 million people globally.[11] The syndrome is named after the Austrian pediatrician Hans Asperger who, in 1944, described children in his practice who lacked nonverbal communication, had limited understanding of others' feelings, and were physically clumsy.[12] The modern conception of Asperger syndrome came into existence in 1981 and went through a period of popularization.[13][14][15] It became a standardized diagnosis in the early 1990s.[16] Many questions and controversies remain about aspects of the disorder.[8] There is doubt about whether it is distinct from high-functioning autism (HFA).[17] Partly because of this, the percentage of people affected is not firmly established.[3]
The exact cause of Asperger's is unknown.[1] While there is likely a genetic basis, it has not been determined conclusively.[3][5] Environmental factors are also believed to play a role.[1] Brain imaging has not identified a common underlying problem.[3] The diagnosis of Asperger's was removed in the 2013 fifth edition of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-5) and people with these symptoms are now included within the autism spectrum disorder along with autism and pervasive developmental disorder not otherwise specified.[1][6] It remains within the tenth edition of the International Classification of Diseases (ICD-10) as of 2015.[2]
There is no single treatment, and the effectiveness of particular interventions is supported by only limited data.[3] Treatment is aimed at improving poor communication skills, obsessive or repetitive routines, and physical clumsiness.[7] Efforts may include social skills training, cognitive behavioral therapy, physical therapy, speech therapy, parenting training, and medications for associated problems such as depression or anxiety.[7] Most children improve as they grow up, but social and communication difficulties may persist.[8] Some researchers and people on the autism spectrum have advocated a shift in attitudes toward the view that autism spectrum disorder is a difference, rather than a disease that must be treated or cured.[9][10]
In 2013, Asperger's was estimated to affect 31 million people globally.[11] The syndrome is named after the Austrian pediatrician Hans Asperger who, in 1944, described children in his practice who lacked nonverbal communication, had limited understanding of others' feelings, and were physically clumsy.[12] The modern conception of Asperger syndrome came into existence in 1981 and went through a period of popularization.[13][14][15] It became a standardized diagnosis in the early 1990s.[16] Many questions and controversies remain about aspects of the disorder.[8] There is doubt about whether it is distinct from high-functioning autism (HFA).[17] Partly because of this, the percentage of people affected is not firmly established.[3]
Saturday 23 April 2016
What Do You See In This Image? Your Answer Could Help Crack Your "Brain Code"
Same-Sex Parenting Has No Negative Impact On Children's Health
Same-sex parenting has been a contentious issue since the 1980s,
but the struggle for marriage equality has brought the issue back to the
forefront of public debate. Scientifically speaking, though, there’s
not much of a debate. No peer-reviewed study has ever found that gay
parents in stable relationships are a disadvantage to their kids.
The latest study, by an international team of researchers from the U.S. and the Netherlands, looked at 190 intact families (95 different-sex, 95 female same-sex parents) with at least one child between the age of 6 and 17. They looked at the children’s general health, emotional difficulties, coping behavior, and learning behavior, and discovered no differences between children raised by same-sex or different-sex parents.
This finding, published in the Journal of Developmental & Behavioral Pediatrics, is obviously not a surprising discovery. Including this latest one, there are 74 scientifically peer-reviewed and published studies showing that gay and bisexual parents in stable same-sex relationships don’t disadvantage their children. The four claiming the opposite have been either debunked or have never been peer-reviewed.
This study was based on the 2011-2012 National Survey of Children’s Health, and the families were selected from the 95,677 households who completed interviews. Initial analysis revealed 139 female and 17 male same-sex couples, but these were reduced to 106 families (95 female, 11 men). This was because the researchers wanted families that had their children since infancy, as divorce and parental separation could affect the development of a child.
Having such a small sample for male same-sex couples, the researchers focused solely on female same-sex couples and constructed a control sample of different sex parents from the general population based on the age, education, U.S. birth status, and current geographic location of the parents, as well as the age, sex, race/ethnicity, and U.S. birth status of the children. This methodology guarantees the crucial variable in the study to be just the sexual orientation of the parent.
While the study didn’t show any differences in the health and development of children, it did show an increased level of parental stress. The National Survey did not have specific enough questions to pinpoint the cause of the stress, but based on previous studies, the researchers suggest that same-sex parents “have concerns about rearing their children in a homophobic society and feel more pressure to justify the quality of their parenting than their heterosexual counterparts.”
The latest study, by an international team of researchers from the U.S. and the Netherlands, looked at 190 intact families (95 different-sex, 95 female same-sex parents) with at least one child between the age of 6 and 17. They looked at the children’s general health, emotional difficulties, coping behavior, and learning behavior, and discovered no differences between children raised by same-sex or different-sex parents.
This finding, published in the Journal of Developmental & Behavioral Pediatrics, is obviously not a surprising discovery. Including this latest one, there are 74 scientifically peer-reviewed and published studies showing that gay and bisexual parents in stable same-sex relationships don’t disadvantage their children. The four claiming the opposite have been either debunked or have never been peer-reviewed.
This study was based on the 2011-2012 National Survey of Children’s Health, and the families were selected from the 95,677 households who completed interviews. Initial analysis revealed 139 female and 17 male same-sex couples, but these were reduced to 106 families (95 female, 11 men). This was because the researchers wanted families that had their children since infancy, as divorce and parental separation could affect the development of a child.
Having such a small sample for male same-sex couples, the researchers focused solely on female same-sex couples and constructed a control sample of different sex parents from the general population based on the age, education, U.S. birth status, and current geographic location of the parents, as well as the age, sex, race/ethnicity, and U.S. birth status of the children. This methodology guarantees the crucial variable in the study to be just the sexual orientation of the parent.
While the study didn’t show any differences in the health and development of children, it did show an increased level of parental stress. The National Survey did not have specific enough questions to pinpoint the cause of the stress, but based on previous studies, the researchers suggest that same-sex parents “have concerns about rearing their children in a homophobic society and feel more pressure to justify the quality of their parenting than their heterosexual counterparts.”
Friday 22 April 2016
8 Tools to Amplify Traffic and Boost Sales
hese tools can truly help catapult your productivity and accuracy.
TLDR takes a different approach to lead generation. This tool, which was created by HubSpot’s Global Head of Growth and SEO, Matthew Barby, generates custom summaries for your website’s content and implements relevant CTAs. Employing a content summary will help to keep visitors engaged; most individuals will only skim an article as opposed to reading the entire post. Providing this is convenient for users and greatly enhances UX. By embedding a unique CTA you can capture a visitor’s attention almost immediately by offering content upgrades, eBooks on related topics, and similar offerings. The only catch is that the visitor must input their email address and other data to obtain additional content. Since the user has already clicked on a related article, you stand a much greater chance of getting their contact information.
This customer content marketing platform helps businesses build user generated content and trust among consumers through engendering online reviews. The company’s algorithm determines the optimal time to send out emails requesting user product assessments. Yotpo says their technology leads to a 40-50% email open rate with a 6-11% response rate. For each review that is left, Yotpo implements a “trust badge” so consumers know if the review came from a buyer, reviewer, or merchant; a great feature for brand transparency. Reviews also include author demographic, which creates an even deeper sense of trust and credibility. The user generated content cultivated with Yotpo can also help amplify marketing efforts, SEO, and much more.
Reviews are only one channel of UGC that Yotpo helps cultivate. Community Q&A forums, enabled commenting, and gamification modalities all help to manifest high levels of engagement and discussion, which assist in your retention and acquisition efforts.
Leadfeeder connects to your Google Analytics account and fetches data about your visitors so that you don’t have to. With the ability to view the details about the folks that visit your page, their LinkedIn contacts, B2B connections, and more, you can construct an ample list of leads to help you gain scads of sales. Leadfeeder also integrates with several CRMs, provides customizable notifications, and allows an unrestricted amount of users to participate so that you can turn your company into a lead generation powerhouse.
Improvely is a critical tool that can help put an end to this mischievous practice.
This software monitors every click that takes place on your business’s ads to verify that no fraud is committed. If Improvely does detect any suspicious activity, you will be notified immediately. Additionally, this tool generates fraud reports which include IP addresses, locations, exact times and dates, and other pertinent information for you to submit in order to recoup losses.
Improvely isn’t just a prevention tool as the system also supplies conversion tracking features to uncover the source of each signup or sale to help you understand which ads are working, and which are floundering.
HotJar is a powerful tool when it comes to understanding user behavior. The service tracks each user’s visit to a site and displays the information through heat maps, which depict sections of websites that are most popular. Everything from scrolling to tapping, clicks, and other actions are all documented so that your site can be optimized to its fullest.
HotJar also provides recordings to capture a visitor’s exact session, polling and survey features, sales funnel optimization tools, and a plethora of other resources to help you maximize conversion rates.
The software touts that it was “designed with conversions in mind” and helps marketers achieve exactly that through A/B testing features, a robust drag-and-drop design interface, a myriad of page templates, and integration with more than 60 commonly used applications like Google Analytics and Salesforce.
Related: When You're Hungry for Sales, Consider These Lead-Gen Tools
The virtual space is bursting with great tools to help businesses reach their goals. No matter if it’s engagement, conversions, or a new trick or trend, there is a tool to help elevate your business’s performance and reach peak levels of optimization; you just have to know where to look.
1. TLDR
Businesses these days still attempt to gather leads through implementing outdated pop-ups or information collecting banners. These usually only serve to annoy visitors and diminish the user experience; especially if they are implemented on more than one page. This is a great way to boost your bounce rate, which is obviously a metric you don’t want to see increase.TLDR takes a different approach to lead generation. This tool, which was created by HubSpot’s Global Head of Growth and SEO, Matthew Barby, generates custom summaries for your website’s content and implements relevant CTAs. Employing a content summary will help to keep visitors engaged; most individuals will only skim an article as opposed to reading the entire post. Providing this is convenient for users and greatly enhances UX. By embedding a unique CTA you can capture a visitor’s attention almost immediately by offering content upgrades, eBooks on related topics, and similar offerings. The only catch is that the visitor must input their email address and other data to obtain additional content. Since the user has already clicked on a related article, you stand a much greater chance of getting their contact information.
2. Yotpo
When it comes to making a sale, possessing an ample amount of user reviews is an absolute must. 90% of individuals read reviews before making a purchase. 88 percent of these people regard a review as highly as a personal recommendation. If you don’t have a sizable number of positive reviews, you aren’t making enough sales. Enter: Yotpo.This customer content marketing platform helps businesses build user generated content and trust among consumers through engendering online reviews. The company’s algorithm determines the optimal time to send out emails requesting user product assessments. Yotpo says their technology leads to a 40-50% email open rate with a 6-11% response rate. For each review that is left, Yotpo implements a “trust badge” so consumers know if the review came from a buyer, reviewer, or merchant; a great feature for brand transparency. Reviews also include author demographic, which creates an even deeper sense of trust and credibility. The user generated content cultivated with Yotpo can also help amplify marketing efforts, SEO, and much more.
Reviews are only one channel of UGC that Yotpo helps cultivate. Community Q&A forums, enabled commenting, and gamification modalities all help to manifest high levels of engagement and discussion, which assist in your retention and acquisition efforts.
3. Leadfeeder
Promising leads can be extremely challenging to accrue; especially when you consider that 98 percent of site visitors leave without supplying their contact info. Now there’s a way to circumvent the process of begging visitors for their email addresses -- Leadfeeder to the rescue.Leadfeeder connects to your Google Analytics account and fetches data about your visitors so that you don’t have to. With the ability to view the details about the folks that visit your page, their LinkedIn contacts, B2B connections, and more, you can construct an ample list of leads to help you gain scads of sales. Leadfeeder also integrates with several CRMs, provides customizable notifications, and allows an unrestricted amount of users to participate so that you can turn your company into a lead generation powerhouse.
4. Improvely
Advertising your business on sites like Facebook and Google can cost a pretty penny; and it can completely drain your ad budget if click fraud is occurring. Click fraud is when a person or computer program continuously clicks on an ad in order to send advertising costs sky high. This malicious activity could cost marketers as much as $7.2 billion this year alone.Improvely is a critical tool that can help put an end to this mischievous practice.
This software monitors every click that takes place on your business’s ads to verify that no fraud is committed. If Improvely does detect any suspicious activity, you will be notified immediately. Additionally, this tool generates fraud reports which include IP addresses, locations, exact times and dates, and other pertinent information for you to submit in order to recoup losses.
Improvely isn’t just a prevention tool as the system also supplies conversion tracking features to uncover the source of each signup or sale to help you understand which ads are working, and which are floundering.
5. HotJar
Looking for an analytics platform that will supply you with metrics that you can’t get from Google Analytics? HotJar is where your search ends.HotJar is a powerful tool when it comes to understanding user behavior. The service tracks each user’s visit to a site and displays the information through heat maps, which depict sections of websites that are most popular. Everything from scrolling to tapping, clicks, and other actions are all documented so that your site can be optimized to its fullest.
HotJar also provides recordings to capture a visitor’s exact session, polling and survey features, sales funnel optimization tools, and a plethora of other resources to help you maximize conversion rates.
6. InfusionSoft
InfusionSoft is one of the industry’s leading CRM, sales, and marketing platforms for small business owners. The software features everything from marketing automation and lead generation tools, a stellar customer relationship management (CRM) interface, social media engagement features, and everything else you need to engage audiences and score conversions. Additionally, InfusionSoft houses a plethora of ecommerce elements to help generate sales, meet fulfillment expectations, and keep customers coming back again and again.7. Unbounce
A landing page is often the first impression a prospect has of your business; and first impressions are crucial. Unbounce is an incredible tool designing landing pages to ensure that first-time encounter is a lasting one.The software touts that it was “designed with conversions in mind” and helps marketers achieve exactly that through A/B testing features, a robust drag-and-drop design interface, a myriad of page templates, and integration with more than 60 commonly used applications like Google Analytics and Salesforce.
Related: When You're Hungry for Sales, Consider These Lead-Gen Tools
8. SpyFu
A vital element to gaining traffic is ranking for the right keywords. SpyFu is the ultimate tool for identifying the keywords competitors rank for as well as the ones they purchase through AdWords. Simply by entering a competitor’s website domain, users are presented with an abundance of data including total paid and organic keywords, estimated value of organic traffic, organic competitors, and virtually any other data points you need to formulate a strategy. SpyFu provides comprehensive keyword data on all fronts so that you can drive the masses to your site and not waste money fighting battles you will never win.The virtual space is bursting with great tools to help businesses reach their goals. No matter if it’s engagement, conversions, or a new trick or trend, there is a tool to help elevate your business’s performance and reach peak levels of optimization; you just have to know where to look.
Today is Earth Day
But what exactly is Earth Day? Here's what you need to know:
When did Earth Day start?
The first Earth Day celebration took place 46 years ago, in 1970, after a devastating oil spill in America brought environmental issues to the forefront of public consciousness. According to the Environmental Protection Agency, 22 million people across the country came out in support of environmental reform.
"That day left a permanent impact on the politics of America," wrote Gaylord Nelson in the April 1980 edition of the EPA Journal. "It forcibly thrust the issue of environmental quality and resources conservation into the political dialogue of the nation.
"It showed political and opinion leadership of the country that the people cared, that they were ready for political action, that the politicians had better get ready, too. In short, Earth Day launched the environmental decade with a bang."
Since then, celebrations have only grown. This year, organizers estimate more than one billion people in 192 countries will participate in events the world over. The day is celebrated each year on April 22.
Is there a theme for Earth Day 2016?
This year, organizers are starting their four-year countdown to Earth Day's 50th anniversary by focusing on planting new trees.
"This year we are raising the stakes," the Earth Day Network, which partners with tens of thousands of organizations in 192 countries to organize Earth Day events, said in March. "Earth Day Network is pledging to plant 7.8 billion tress worldwide -- one for every person on earth.
"That's incredibly ambitious, but we believe this down-payment must be made in order to combat climate change and keep our most-vulnerable eco-systems from facing extinction."
How are people celebrating?
In Shanghai, China, people will gather today at the Okura Garden Hotel for a recycled art show, according to the Earth Day Network. In the Philippines, organizers have planned a coastal clean-up and children's storytelling hour in metro Manila. Tree plantings were scheduled for Slovenia's Golovec District, high school students in Ontario, Canada, and hundreds of other locations worldwide.
Tuesday 12 April 2016
'Noose' incident stirs emotion on Del. campus
NEWARK, Del. — Three objects found hanging from a tree on the
University of Delaware’s Green were not nooses or evidence of a hate
crime as first suspected, school officials said Wednesday morning, but remnants of paper lanterns left from a June event.
Less than 24 hours later, members of the UD community packed The Green in front of Memorial Hall to discuss the incident and find ways to change the campus climate. The school’s interim president had initially called the incident a hate crime late Tuesday night.
“Diversity isn’t something UD can say it’s already achieved because it hasn’t,” said sophomore Anima Agyeman at the Wednesday gathering. “You can’t fulfill a multicultural requirement with a history of fashion class ... it’s about teaching an experience.”
One by one, students like Agyeman, along with top university officials of all races, took the stage to share harrowing experiences of how they were treated as minorities on and around campus. Agyeman fought through tears, recalling her first night on campus when she said a white man followed her back to her dorm, asking her how she could be “so f------ black.”
Rick Deadwyler, the university’s director of government relations and a UD alumni, said he had similar experiences as a student but said he still didn’t want to believe that “whatever you want to call it” happened on UD’s campus.
“To wake up early and see that caption,” Deadwyler said, referencing the photo that circulated social media late Tuesday night of the objects hanging from the trees.
“The image and the idea that something like that was plausible on our campus was concerning.”
Acting
UD President Nancy M. Targett announced the finding that the objects
were lantern remnants in a statement and released photos of the original
lanterns early Wednesday morning. The university said then that the
lanterns were from an event in early September, but about 2 p.m., UD
officials said they from Alumni Weekend in June.
“Thanks to tips from students who responded to our earlier call for information and the investigative work of University of Delaware Police, it has been determined that the three noose-like items found outside Mitchell Hall were not instruments of a hate crime, but the remnants of paper lanterns from an event previously held on The Green,” Targett said in the statement, also posted on UD’s website.
In the statement, UD Police Chief Patrick Ogden said, “I am confident that we have determined the origin of these items.”
But many students, including those who turned out for Wednesday night’s gathering planned by students and the university, dismissed the explanation and said the objects implied a bigger problem at UD — one that many say the university has failed to address.
Obichukwu Maduka-Ugwn stood in front of the hundreds gathered, staring out into the crowd before leaning to down to the microphone.
“We are not here to attack anyone, but at the same time, you have to understand what is here,” the junior from Nigeria said, gesturing to students. “We all pay equally to go here.”
Throughout the night, speakers and signs referenced the Black Lives Matter movement, which has sparked national attention in recent months. The chant — used to remind people that black lives matter just as much as white ones, students said — has become a rallying cry in the wake of black men repeatedly dying across the country at the hands of police.
The lantern remnants were discovered one day after a Black Lives Matter silent protest took place outside of a speaking event by Fox News commentator Katie Pavlich. Pavlich, who spoke about the second amendment and the right to bear arms, previously called the Black Lives Matter movement a “violent hate group.”
Deadwyler reminded students of the pride he felt in how they chose to express their frustrations with the speaker Monday and said the act showed a unity among students dedicated to this cause.
Now, he’s ready to move forward from Tuesday’s incident and turn the crisis into an opportunity.
“We need it put it in the rear view mirror where it belongs — not to forget it, but to move forward,” Deadwyler said. “Please don’t let this thing stop at 5:30 today.”
How it happened, what it means
Chief Ogden detailed how the incident unfolded, why he labeled the investigation that of a hate crime at first and how he became convinced that it wasn’t one.
About 10 p.m. Tuesday, he said, a student called UD police “to report what he believed to be a noose, a noose-like object, hanging from a tree by Mitchell Hall.”
Officers responded and took pictures of the objects before removing them and keeping them as evidence, he said, noting, “I thought it was a noose-like object myself.”
Because of the Black Lives Matter protest as well as the reactions of students including “social media buzz around it,” Ogden said UD police “launched a hate-crime investigation and made the decision to notify the whole university.”
After a UD Alert notification went out, he said, “eight different students came forward to say that the objects that were hanging from the tree were there at least as early as the 1st or 8th of September,” he said.
Another
student provided a picture Tuesday night that was taken of the hanging
objects without lanterns on Sept. 16, he said. That student believed the
items were left from some kind of student engineering project, Ogden
said.
But not long after the UD Alert, Ogden got what he felt was positive proof after “a student came forward and said she took down the paper lantern[s] from the tree.”
She had seen one lantern hanging from one of the strings and took it “to decorate her room,” he said. When she pulled down the paper part of the lantern, the string and a wire from the inside of the lantern stayed on the tree, Ogden said.
“When we put the wire inside the lantern, it fit,” Ogden said. “There is no doubt in my mind that the wire that was recovered hanging from the tree branch was the wire that was designed inside the lantern and fits inside the lantern.
At the request of The News Journal, the police department produced a video showing how the wire fit inside a lantern.
Knowing the situation it caused, he said, the girl who took the paper lantern said she “felt terrible for causing all this.”
As to how the lanterns’ wire stretchers and hanging strings went unnoticed in the tree since June, UD spokeswoman Andrea Boyle-Tippett said, “no one knows.”
Objects’ discovery
Students who found what were thought to be three makeshift nooses hanging from a tree Tuesday night near Mitchell Hall recalled being brought to tears Tuesday night.
Ayanna Gill, one of the organizers of the Black Lives Matter protest Monday night and a student activist, said the image reminded her of photos and stories she had seen and read in history books about her ancestors.
But she believes that there is hope and strength in moving forward together, especially after Wednesday’s gathering.
“We are here today because we’re not returning hate with hate,” she said. “But this is not the end.”
Some students, however, said they thought the university jumped the gun by calling the incident a hate crime the night before.
“We are both saddened and disturbed that this deplorable act has taken place on our campus,” Targett said in the Tuesday night statement.
A
few students who walked by Mitchell Hall at lunchtime Wednesday paused
to read signs on the trees or talk about the “noose-like objects” found
in one of the trees.
Elexis Keels, of Washington, D.C., said the discovery unsettled her.
“I shouldn’t feel unsafe walking past a building where there were supposedly nooses hanging down,” she said, “but I do. ... I don’t think it was paper lanterns.”
“I think it’s all just so ridiculous,” said business major Emily Cyrus of Wilmington. “They [UD police and officials] immediately jumped to the worst possible conclusion."
But no matter what the items were, change is coming, said Carol Henderson, the university’s vice provost of diversity.
She told the UD community Wednesday night that a diversity action plan is circulating among senior leadership and awaiting approval before beginning implementation.
“We hear you. We see you,” Henderson said, gesturing to the crowd. “We need to walk arm in arm with them and say ‘I am concerned because you are concerned.’”
She paused before continuing.
“It cuts to my soul that we have this kind of pain on campus,” she said, before noting that Tuesday’s incident and Wednesday’s outpouring have provided her with a new mantra.
“Not on our campus,” she said. “We are bigger than hate.”
Less than 24 hours later, members of the UD community packed The Green in front of Memorial Hall to discuss the incident and find ways to change the campus climate. The school’s interim president had initially called the incident a hate crime late Tuesday night.
“Diversity isn’t something UD can say it’s already achieved because it hasn’t,” said sophomore Anima Agyeman at the Wednesday gathering. “You can’t fulfill a multicultural requirement with a history of fashion class ... it’s about teaching an experience.”
One by one, students like Agyeman, along with top university officials of all races, took the stage to share harrowing experiences of how they were treated as minorities on and around campus. Agyeman fought through tears, recalling her first night on campus when she said a white man followed her back to her dorm, asking her how she could be “so f------ black.”
Rick Deadwyler, the university’s director of government relations and a UD alumni, said he had similar experiences as a student but said he still didn’t want to believe that “whatever you want to call it” happened on UD’s campus.
“To wake up early and see that caption,” Deadwyler said, referencing the photo that circulated social media late Tuesday night of the objects hanging from the trees.
“The image and the idea that something like that was plausible on our campus was concerning.”
“Thanks to tips from students who responded to our earlier call for information and the investigative work of University of Delaware Police, it has been determined that the three noose-like items found outside Mitchell Hall were not instruments of a hate crime, but the remnants of paper lanterns from an event previously held on The Green,” Targett said in the statement, also posted on UD’s website.
In the statement, UD Police Chief Patrick Ogden said, “I am confident that we have determined the origin of these items.”
But many students, including those who turned out for Wednesday night’s gathering planned by students and the university, dismissed the explanation and said the objects implied a bigger problem at UD — one that many say the university has failed to address.
Obichukwu Maduka-Ugwn stood in front of the hundreds gathered, staring out into the crowd before leaning to down to the microphone.
Throughout the night, speakers and signs referenced the Black Lives Matter movement, which has sparked national attention in recent months. The chant — used to remind people that black lives matter just as much as white ones, students said — has become a rallying cry in the wake of black men repeatedly dying across the country at the hands of police.
The lantern remnants were discovered one day after a Black Lives Matter silent protest took place outside of a speaking event by Fox News commentator Katie Pavlich. Pavlich, who spoke about the second amendment and the right to bear arms, previously called the Black Lives Matter movement a “violent hate group.”
Deadwyler reminded students of the pride he felt in how they chose to express their frustrations with the speaker Monday and said the act showed a unity among students dedicated to this cause.
Now, he’s ready to move forward from Tuesday’s incident and turn the crisis into an opportunity.
“We need it put it in the rear view mirror where it belongs — not to forget it, but to move forward,” Deadwyler said. “Please don’t let this thing stop at 5:30 today.”
How it happened, what it means
Chief Ogden detailed how the incident unfolded, why he labeled the investigation that of a hate crime at first and how he became convinced that it wasn’t one.
About 10 p.m. Tuesday, he said, a student called UD police “to report what he believed to be a noose, a noose-like object, hanging from a tree by Mitchell Hall.”
Officers responded and took pictures of the objects before removing them and keeping them as evidence, he said, noting, “I thought it was a noose-like object myself.”
Because of the Black Lives Matter protest as well as the reactions of students including “social media buzz around it,” Ogden said UD police “launched a hate-crime investigation and made the decision to notify the whole university.”
After a UD Alert notification went out, he said, “eight different students came forward to say that the objects that were hanging from the tree were there at least as early as the 1st or 8th of September,” he said.
But not long after the UD Alert, Ogden got what he felt was positive proof after “a student came forward and said she took down the paper lantern[s] from the tree.”
She had seen one lantern hanging from one of the strings and took it “to decorate her room,” he said. When she pulled down the paper part of the lantern, the string and a wire from the inside of the lantern stayed on the tree, Ogden said.
“When we put the wire inside the lantern, it fit,” Ogden said. “There is no doubt in my mind that the wire that was recovered hanging from the tree branch was the wire that was designed inside the lantern and fits inside the lantern.
At the request of The News Journal, the police department produced a video showing how the wire fit inside a lantern.
Knowing the situation it caused, he said, the girl who took the paper lantern said she “felt terrible for causing all this.”
As to how the lanterns’ wire stretchers and hanging strings went unnoticed in the tree since June, UD spokeswoman Andrea Boyle-Tippett said, “no one knows.”
Objects’ discovery
Students who found what were thought to be three makeshift nooses hanging from a tree Tuesday night near Mitchell Hall recalled being brought to tears Tuesday night.
Ayanna Gill, one of the organizers of the Black Lives Matter protest Monday night and a student activist, said the image reminded her of photos and stories she had seen and read in history books about her ancestors.
But she believes that there is hope and strength in moving forward together, especially after Wednesday’s gathering.
“We are here today because we’re not returning hate with hate,” she said. “But this is not the end.”
Some students, however, said they thought the university jumped the gun by calling the incident a hate crime the night before.
“We are both saddened and disturbed that this deplorable act has taken place on our campus,” Targett said in the Tuesday night statement.
Elexis Keels, of Washington, D.C., said the discovery unsettled her.
“I shouldn’t feel unsafe walking past a building where there were supposedly nooses hanging down,” she said, “but I do. ... I don’t think it was paper lanterns.”
“I think it’s all just so ridiculous,” said business major Emily Cyrus of Wilmington. “They [UD police and officials] immediately jumped to the worst possible conclusion."
But no matter what the items were, change is coming, said Carol Henderson, the university’s vice provost of diversity.
She told the UD community Wednesday night that a diversity action plan is circulating among senior leadership and awaiting approval before beginning implementation.
“We hear you. We see you,” Henderson said, gesturing to the crowd. “We need to walk arm in arm with them and say ‘I am concerned because you are concerned.’”
She paused before continuing.
“It cuts to my soul that we have this kind of pain on campus,” she said, before noting that Tuesday’s incident and Wednesday’s outpouring have provided her with a new mantra.
“Not on our campus,” she said. “We are bigger than hate.”
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