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Celebrating Kwanzaa in Uniondale By KELSIE RADZISKI

kradziski@liherald.com

Courtesy Hofstra University

Uniondale High School students taking part in the first Hofstra-Uniondale Pathway Program celebrated its completion at a ceremony on Dec. 18.

Uniondale-Hofstra partnership prepares students for college By KELSIE RADZISKI kradziski@liherald.com

Students at Uniondale High School are getting a head start on their college education through the Hofstra-Uniondale Pathway Program, which allows them to take college courses while still in high school and helps set them up for future success. The program is a partnership between the Uniondale School District and Hofstra University’s Lawrence Herbert School of Communication. At a Dec. 18 ceremony in a studio at the Herbert School, the first cohort of 15 students was celebrated for completing the program’s inaugural year. The event also marked the arrival of a new group of students, who will begin the program in the spring. Rhonda Taylor, the school district’s assistant superintendent, praised the partnership, emphasizing the impact it will have on students as they prepare to “take over the world” after high school.

“Beginning in Uniondale, but then wherever they go across the nation or the world’s colleges, we are making sure that they’re going to be ready to take it over,” Taylor said. To participate in the program, students were required to submit applications, followed by one-on-one interviews to ensure they were a good fit for the academic challenge. Once selected, students took one college class in the spring of their junior year and another in the fall of their senior year. Classes, which were held once a week in the afternoon on the Hofstra campus, earned participants three college credits each, which can be applied at any university. The Uniondale district provided students with transportation to and from Hofstra. Aashish Kumar, a professor of radio, television and film at Hofstra, explained that the program gave students a taste of college life and curriculum. They took courses in media literacy during their first ContinUeD on Page 2

The Junior Friends of the Uniondale Public Library held their annual Kwanzaa celebration on the first night of the holiday, Dec. 26. Linda Humes, a doctoral lecturer at John Jay College and founder of Yaffa Cultural Arts, and Anthony Francis, who is known as drummer and perfor mer Sanga of the Valley, brought a lineup of traditional instruments and stories to teach the Uniondale community about Kwanzaa. This year’s holiday was celebrated from Dec. 26 to Jan. 1. Kwanzaa is a weeklong celebration of African-American culture, values and community. It was created in 1966 by Maulana Ron Karenga, a professor of Black Studies at California State University-Long Beach. T h e n a m e “ Kw a n z a a ” i s d e r ive d f ro m t h e S w a h i l i phrase matunda ya kwanza, meaning “first fruits,” reflecting its roots in traditional African harvest festivals, according to the History Channel website. “When Kareng a created Kwanzaa in 1966, he wanted a

Principles of Kwanzaa ■ Umoja (unity) ■ Kujichagulia (self-determination) ■ Ujima (collective work and responsibility) ■ Ujamaa (cooperative economics) ■ Nia (purpose) ■ Kuumba (creativity) ■ Imani (faith)

Courtesy National Museum of African American History & Culture holiday to support people of African descent that lived outside of the continental Africa,” Humes explained to the audience. Celebrated annually at the end of December, Kwanzaa emphasizes seven principles, known as the Nguzo Saba, which are central to the holiday’s observance. The principles are rooted in traditional African values and reflect the ContinUeD on Page 5