Most UWRF students of color never graduate, but one is acting like it’s OK

May 3rd, 2018

Wanting to get away from his home in Oshkosh, Armanni Lardydell came to UW-River Falls in 2016 as a freshman majoring in social work, and he loved everything about being a student on campus. However, after less than three semesters of college, Lardydell decided he wanted to move even farther away from home – to Los Angeles – and not to continue studying but to pursue his lifelong dream career of acting.

Texas fistfight brings Canadian skater to UWRF in time for ‘Year of Canada’

April 26th, 2018

Some students have to fight to get into UW-River Falls or to stay academically eligible, but Canadian hockey player Rowan Savidant had to drop his gloves and fight on a Texas ice rink to find his way to UWRF.

If you’re really sick, not just fed up, go to next ‘Year of’ nation: Canada

April 26th, 2018

As students work to finish semester-end projects and tests at the University of Wisconsin-River Falls, the Year of South Korea celebration is also coming to a close. Next year, the university will celebrate the Year of Canada, highlighting its health care, trade, agriculture products and previous presidential visits.

UWRF Canadians say their culture is more distinct than Americans think

April 26th, 2018

As UW-River Falls shifts its “Year Of” focus to Canada, it’s worth noting that Canadians and Americans share similarities but also are distinctly different. Falcon News Service speaks to a student and a professor who hail from opposite sides of the country.

Dutch treat: Students from UWRF and the Netherlands become fast friends

April 20th, 2018

Not knowing a single American student on campus, three Dutch students arrived at UW-River Falls in January, having already made plans for May to spend a few weeks exploring places in America such as San Francisco, Los Angeles and possibly Texas before returning to the Netherlands on June 3. However, at some point in March, […]

For Chinese students, far from home, UWRF has become ‘very comfortable’

April 20th, 2018

Imagine stepping off a plane at the Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport and being greeted with signs saying, “You’re Almost Home.” You get into a van with a complete stranger who drives 40 minutes to what seems like the middle of nowhere. You are checked into your room by a resident assistant, and then you realize it: Home is thousands of miles away.

‘Year of South Korea’ ending with UWRF students struggling to connect

April 20th, 2018

Students from South Korea may face challenges adjusting to campus life at UW-River Falls. Organizations like the Korean Student Association and other international students are among resources that can help the transition.

Players see Athletics Department’s increased inclusion efforts as a plus

April 20th, 2018

When senior basketball player Devin Buckley began school at UW-River Falls as a freshman, he said everybody mainly just went with the flow and there weren’t many conversations about diversity in the predominately Caucasian Athletics Department.

UWRF ambivalent about UW Regents’ speech policy that can expel students

February 22nd, 2018

“It’s complicated, man.” That is how sophomore Mamu Hashim described the climate of freedom of speech at the University of Wisconsin-River Falls. The UW System Board of Regents recently approved a policy on freedom of expression. The policy suspends or expels students who disrupt “the free speech of others/functioning of the institution” two or more […]

Who wants better grades? Raise your hand — because that’s the key to it

February 6th, 2018

Mai See Xiong, a Hmong-American senior at UWRF, recalls going through her entire childhood education and even a semester of college with a fear of asking questions in class — all because her parents taught her that doing so was frowned upon and might land her in trouble. In a recent printmaking class, however, Xiong […]

Inclusion Alliance’s reach for solutions exceeds council’s grasp on resolutions

December 13th, 2017

Editor’s note: This is the second of a two-part series. See Part 1 here. HUDSON — The white board in the crowded room at the former library building filled with comments and concerns about what is happening in the community to enhance diversity and inclusion. At this point, it became clear to the group that […]

UW-River Falls is ‘another world’ for a Muslim female student from Somalia

December 12th, 2017

Nayrus Ibrahim’s first memories are of the civil war in Somalia. Ibrahim was born in Kenya, moved to Somalia and then back to Kenya at the age of six before immigrating to Eden Prairie, Minn. when she was 11. When she began school, she couldn’t speak English and was at a preschool level. Despite this, Ibrahim graduated high school with the rest of her class just seven years later at age 18. Now, she is a freshman at the University of Wisconsin-River Falls studying marketing communications.

In the search for student diversity, CAFES serves up the whitest bread

December 11th, 2017

Christian Sosa is one of three kids from a mixed-heritage family. His mother’s side of the family is from the U.S., his father’s is from Honduras, and Sosa was born in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. He’s a native English-speaker, but while he was growing up, his parents tried to teach him Spanish with primer books. He […]

Falcons football leaders decided against kneeling, but not all agreed

December 11th, 2017

“The only way you can ever bring change is to make people uncomfortable.” Ugel George said that after playing football for UWRF this season and wrestling with his conscience. George is from the U.S. Virgin Islands and grew up in an all-black neighborhood, which is a much different background from the majority of students at […]

Hudson inclusivity committee rising from the ashes of civic tranquility

December 5th, 2017

Editor’s note: This is Part 1 of a two-part series. See Part 2 here. “You could see the ashes for a couple days. You shouldn’t just clean that up, you should see that, and the community should see the effects of that.” Kate Lawson, of Hudson, witnessed the looming threat of tension between Hudson community […]

UWRF’s ‘Year of South Korea’ seeks to bridge cultures at home and abroad

November 28th, 2017

Hyun Sung Jang is passionate about two things: teaching English and the University of Wisconsin-River Falls. The TESOL major from South Korea dreams of one day becoming an English teacher to international students in an American public high school. Jang transferred to Michigan Lutheran Seminary High School in Saginaw, Michigan, as a sophomore in 2013 […]

UWRF working to recruit, reassure inner-city high schoolers of color

November 13th, 2017

ST. PAUL, Minn. – Lining the school cafeteria with brochures and paraphernalia, college recruiters and representatives eagerly plied students last week with information related to their institutions at the St. Paul Central High School college fair. Among the students who attended the fair was Ahijah Adams, a college-bound junior and African-American who confronted the representatives […]

Here first but nearly forgotten, some Native Americans celebrate this November

November 6th, 2017

Aiyana Ledwein, a senior softball player, is one of the few Native American athletes at UWRF. She is a descendant of the Stockbridge-Munsee Band of Mohican Indians, and her birth mom lived on a reservation in eastern Wisconsin before moving to Minnesota. Ledwein is excited about the idea of Native American Heritage Month but said […]

Campus climate is chilly for women, students of color and people disabled

November 6th, 2017

Students of color are 14 times more likely to report suffering racial hostility than are white students, and female students are nearly three times more likely than men to face political bias, according to campus climate survey results released last week. Students with disabilities report more bias, too. “I’ve had to fight for a lot […]

Forget marathons; Special Olympian has his sights set on a 200-mile race

October 16th, 2017

For Special Olympics athlete Isaiah Kasay, who is ultimately aspiring to one day compete in a 200-mile race that winds from Winona to Minneapolis, 5K runs are nothing but training and practice. His goal of competing in a race of this length, which makes marathon runs seem short and sweet, comes across as highly ambitious […]