Seemandhra Forum Book Reading Event: Viriah – a story of slavery, sugar, and indentured servitude in South Africa
Written by Keertana Katuru (freshman, UC Santa Cruz) and Akhila Bordag (sophomore, Dublin High School)
“The only way to dampen the pangs of hunger was to eat raw rice” (Gubili 92).
After the abolition of slavery in 1835, the British Empire required another source of cheap labor to supplement the rapidly growing demand for sugar during the 19th century. By the late 1850s, hundreds of acres of land were dedicated to sugar mills and plantations. In 1860, the first group of Indian laborers was brought to Durban made possible by the Natal Coolie Law, Law 14 of 1859. The legislation allowed for Indians to immigrate to South Africa as indentured servants under a five-year contract with the option of an extension. Eventually, 1.3 million Indians were brought to work on the sugar plantations. While there were minimal regulations that outlined how workers were to be treated and what provisions must be given, there was little to no enforcement. Most were forced to work in subpar conditions of fourteen hour days- six days a week- with their wages and rations being either inadequate or even withheld. Indians working on the plantations were charged unreasonable fees for food, lodging, and other amenities that could not be paid fully by their wages resulting in a virtually inescapable cycle of debt. In addition to the debt, many of the workers were drafted from areas in India that were ravaged by droughts or extreme poverty. With nowhere to turn to, the indentured servitude continued for generations. Read more…
Top 10 Reasons to Travel from Dublin to Planet Batuu and Star Wars Galaxy’s Edge in 2019
DUBLIN, CA–For Dublin Star Wars fans the trip to Planet Batuu will get a lot quicker later this year – just 371 miles to Disneyland or 2,864 miles to Disney’s Hollywood Studios where Star Wars Galaxy’s Edge is opening this Spring and Fall respectively.
[UPDATE: During the Walt Disney Company Annual Meeting of Shareholders CEO Bob Iger announced that Star Wars Galaxy’s Edge will open early than planned – May 31 in Disneyland and August 29 in Disney’s Hollywood Studios, with a catch. The Rise of the Resistance ride will open later this year.]
Haven’t heard of Batuu or Galaxy’s Edge? According to the Star Wars Databank Batuu is “a remote outpost on the galaxy’s edge. Batuu was once a busy crossroads in the days prior to lightspeed. With the rise of hyperspace travel, however, the world — notable for the lush trees and mountain spikes that decorate its surface — was left behind, its prominence lost to planets on more popular trade routes. Today, Batuu is home to those who prefer to stay out of the mainstream, and a thriving port for smugglers, rogue traders, and adventurers traveling between the frontier and uncharted space. Significantly, it has also become a safe haven for those looking to avoid the attention of the First Order.”
If that sounds like a cool destination for your summer vacation here are ten more reasons to be excited. Read all the way to #1 and #2 – we’ve saved the best for last!
#10: 14 Immersive Acres
At 14 acres Star Wars Galaxy’s Edge is the largest single-themed land ever created in a Disney park. At D23 Expo 2017 a massive scale model was unveiled that demonstrated the extraordinary immersive detail of the new land. The music for Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge will feature original themes created especially for the land and its attractions by Academy Award®-winning composer John Williams.
Dublin Unified School District Board of Trustees Member Dan Cunningham Announces Resignation
Dublin, CA – During the February 26, 2019, Dublin Unified School District (DUSD) Board meeting, Trustee Dan Cunningham announced his resignation effective March 1, 2019. Mr. Cunningham has served on the Dublin Unified School District Board of Trustees since 2008 and his current term was scheduled to end in November 2020.
“I have enjoyed being active in the community and working to make where I live a better place for everyone. My family has been extremely understanding during this time and have sacrificed so that I could serve. That said, I believe that the time has come for me to pursue other endeavors,” said Cunningham in a statement during the Board meeting.
Mr. Cunningham helped the district navigate a tremendous amount of change during his tenure on the board, including rapid student growth, the addition of three new schools, securing land at Camp Parks for a future school site, the selection of a new high school site, and the changes at Dublin High School.
“I have witnessed the transformation of Dublin High School, both physically and academically. Dublin High School is now one of the best high schools not only in the Tri-Valley but also in the State of California,” continued Cunningham.
While there was always a strong focus on elevating the academic excellence in Dublin schools, Mr. Cunningham has also been an ardent supporter of athletics, music programs, and focusing on the wellness of all students and staff.
Next Steps
The District plans to provide details on how the seat will be filled in the near future.
Mr. Cunningham’s resignation creates a second board seat that needs to be filled. A special election to fill the seat vacated by Joe Giannini in October 2018 for Trustee Area 4 is scheduled for June 4, 2019.
“Throughout his years of service, Dan never lost sight of why he was doing this work. He truly made a difference for students and always based his decisions on what he thought was in their best interests. I am saddened to see Dan leave and his leadership will certainly be missed,” said Board President, Amy Miller.
Dr. Leslie Boozer, Superintendent, commented, “We are so incredibly thankful to Mr. Cunningham for his more than a decade of service to our students and community. We will miss his leadership and wish him well in his next steps.”
About the Dublin Unified School District
The Dublin Unified School District serves over 12,300 students, from preschool through adult education, in a diverse suburban environment. The district has 12 school sites, including seven elementary schools, two middle schools, one K-8, and two high schools. The Dublin Unified School District mission is to ensure that every student becomes a lifelong learner by providing a rigorous and relevant 21st-century education that builds resilience and prepares them for college and career or service to our country and for success in the global economy. Dublin schools have been recognized with numerous accolades, including Advanced Placement Honor Roll, National Blue Ribbon School, Gold Ribbon Award, Project Lead The Way Distinguished School, California School of Character, National School of Character, California Distinguished School, and Title 1 Academic Achievement Award School.
TEDxEmeraldGlenPark 2019: Ali O’Grady on How to Get Over It and Start Asking The Hard Questions
DUBLIN, CA–Our theme for this year’s TEDxEmeraldGlenPark event is ’What If’. What if it’s you that has to start difficult type of conversations with family or close loved ones? Perhaps discussing a serious illness, the possibility of death, addressing an unspoken addiction issue, depression, anxiety or grief is something that could save a life and it’s all within your power. Where do you begin? How do you ask the complex, tough questions? Is there a recipe to prepare us to better deal with the elephant on the room? Come and found out from Ali O’Grady’s experience and how she anchored her strength as thoughtful human, helping and inspiring many.
City of Dublin Hosting Teen Job & Career Fair Saturday March 2, 2019
DUBLIN, CA–The City of Dublin is partnering with other Tri-Valley Cities and organizations (including San Ramon, Pleasanton, Danville and the Dublin / San Ramon Women’s Club) to hold a Teen Job & Career Fair this Saturday, March 2, at the Dublin Senior Center from 12pm – 3pm. Admission is free and there will be food available for job seekers.
Job-seeking teens can meet with employers, apply for jobs, participate in mock interviews, attend resume workshops, and learn how to sell themselves and more. Teens are encouraged to bring a copy of their resume and dress in professional attire.
Additional resources for job-seeking students: Read more…
TEDxEmeraldGlenPark 2019: Jeff Parrett on Living a Value Based Life
DUBLIN, CA–Our theme for this year’s TEDxEmeraldGlenPark event is ‘What if?’. What if we approach every problem from the core of our values? At TEDxEmeraldGlenPark2019 Jeff Parrett will take us on a journey that explores the fundamental relationship of money and personal values and its impact of our lives. He will challenge the status quo and the way we perceive the material as a validation for accomplishments and personal achievements. His inspiring vision will shift the perspective to a much higher level of conscience where the future of society is grounded on intention, values and impact rather than money.
Jeff Parrett has a 30+ year career in technology as a software engineer. He saw the industry go from punch cards to the cloud. After retiring in 2013 he founded The Rising Foundation, an organization with a mission to support social entrepreneurs in addressing society’s greatest challenges. Jeff will examine the traditional role of money and values through the prism of aligned technology and his lifelong experience as an engineer. Read more…
Dublin High School Hosts Science and Engineering Fair 2019
(Thank you to Dublin High School science teacher Janet Kaehms for submitting this story and photos.)
DUBLIN, CA–Dublin High School hosted its second annual science and engineering fair for Biology With Research freshmen last Saturday. There were a record number of participants with approximately 425 freshmen representing 250 different projects judged in two separate session. Projects ranged from “How to Analyze Amazon Product Reviews Using Deep Learning” to “What is the Most Efficient Lizard Trap”.
These projects are the result of five months of effort by both students and teachers. They are a unique opportunity to practice both technical communication and working in a project-based environment. We are very proud of our students for their effort, dedication, and ingenuity. Scoring is not yet complete but approximately 12 projects will earn the right to move on to the Golden Gate Science and Engineering Fair next month where they may qualify for state and national level competition. We hope to have scoring completed by the end of the day Wednesday February 13. Read more…
Special Election to Fill Dublin Unified School District Trustee Seat to be Held June 4, 2019
Newly Appointed Trustee Niranjana Natarajan Appointment Terminated Due to Community Petition
Dublin, CA – February 1, 2019 – During the regularly scheduled Board meeting on December 11, 2018, the Dublin Unified School District Board of Trustees selected Niranjana “Nini” Natarajan as its provisional appointee. Ms. Natarajan replaced former Trustee Joe Giannini, who resigned from the board in October 2018. (We interviewed Mrs. Natarajan earlier this year.)
Following the appointment of Ms. Natarajan, community members had a thirty-day window to challenge the Board’s selection by filing a petition with the County Superintendent of Schools. A petition to nullify the appointment was submitted on January 2, 2019. At that point, the County Superintendent of Schools had thirty days to work with the Alameda County Registrar of Voters and verify the required number of valid signatures were provided.
Niranjana Natarajan (red jacket)
To challenge the appointment, signatures from 1.5% of the registered voters were required. Since the appointment was for Trustee Area 4, which has approximately 5,000 registered voters, at least 75 valid signatures were needed for the petition to be sufficient. Read more…
I am a junior at Dublin High School who has distributed over 1500 blankets to various homeless encampments in Stockton, Hayward, and Oakland. All of this was made possible by my nonprofit organization – TOUCH Lives.
I originally came up with the idea for my nonprofit organization while volunteering at my local Red Cross chapter. On the way to monthly meetings in Oakland, I would often find homeless people shivering in local parks.
I approached some local homeless shelters and learned about the urgent need for blankets for the homeless. I launched my own nonprofit organization – TOUCH Lives – to collect and distribute items such as blankets, socks, and hygiene kits.
Life at Johns Hopkins University: Dublin High School’s Joanne Baek Combines Passions for Engineering, Chemistry and Biology
BALTIMORE, MARYLAND—Dublin High School Class of 2018 alum Joanne Baek is a freshman at Johns Hopkins University currently studying Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering (ChemBE) at the Whiting School of Engineering.
During her time at Dublin High School, Joanne was a part of the Engineering and Design Academy (DEDA) and served as the Finance Lead of the highly successful 2017-2018 Dublin High School InvenTeam.
Over winter break, I caught up with Joanne, who shared how her experiences at Dublin High influenced her to pursue ChemBE at Johns Hopkins.
Joanne with her mom
Neha Harpanhalli: I understand that you applied to Johns Hopkins under their Early Decision (ED) admission process. How did you decide that Johns Hopkins was the ideal school for you? Read more…
OneDublin.org 