campus tour reflection

50 Questions to Ask on a College Visit

College visits can be overwhelming. You may step foot on your first-ever tour with no idea how to get the most out of it, what you should pay attention to, or what questions to ask.

We don’t want you to feel that way, because college visits should be fun! All you need is a little prep. To that end, we’ve put together a collection of 50 questions to ask on a college visit to aid you on your journey.

Campus Overview

You may wonder what it’s actually like to be a student living on a particular college campus day to day. The easiest way to find out is to collect opinions from the students who go there, whether that be your tour guide or others you have the opportunity to talk to while on campus.

• What are the students like? If you had to describe a “typical student,” what would you say?
• How big is your student body? How diverse is it?
• What’s a typical day in the life like for a student here?
• How hard is it to balance classes, extracurriculars, etc. within your schedule?
• Do most people live in the residence halls? How many living options do I have, and how different are they? Are there single rooms? Apartments?
• What’s the weather like?
• How big is campus? If I end up with classes that are in different buildings or far apart, how long does it take to get from one side of the campus to another?
• What’s available to me off campus? If I have a car with me (can I have a car?), where can I go within a 15-minute radius?

Involvement

When we begin our new lives in college, we want to be a part of something. Some of us want to find like-minded individuals, while others want to experience new things. And sometimes we just want to find people to kick back with! It’s important to know all of your options.

• What’s the best way to get involved on this campus?
• How can I meet people through my residence hall? Are there activities there?
• What kinds of clubs are there?
• What about academic organizations?
• How can I volunteer on campus?
• What types of leadership opportunities are available to me?
• What kinds of religious or spiritual outlets do I have access to?
• How many fraternities and sororities are on campus?

What does everyone go to college for? An education! So it’s important to know just what, exactly, you’ll be getting out of that academic experience.

• How large are classes?
• How accessible are professors? Do they have office hours?
• How many majors are offered? How many minors?
• How flexible are the academic programs? Can I double major if I want to?
• Do I have time to think about my major? Is there a general program I can be a part of until I’ve made a decision?
• What’s the best way to sign up for classes? Is it a competitive process?
• How much homework does the average student complete weekly?
• What research opportunities are available? Do undergraduates typically do research?
• Do you offer study abroad programs?
• What do I do if I’m struggling academically?
• How successful are your graduates? What’s the job placement rate for new graduates?

Student Life

It’s helpful to know if you’re the kind of person who likes to head out or stay in, and it’s just as helpful to know how others at that college or university spend their free time.

• What do people do for fun, on campus or off?
• What do people like to do on the weekends? How often does the average student go home?
• Where do most people hang out? What’s that place like?
• What kinds of events are held, and what do they entail?
• What’s the food like? Where’s your favorite place to eat?
• What’s the athletic scene like?
• What kinds of cultural experiences do you offer?
• What kinds of activities are fun to do with family or other visitors?
• How did you meet your friends? How can I make friends?

It can be comforting to know that, should you need a resource, it’s available to you. Knowing the resources a campus provides can play a crucial role in adjusting to and making the most out of your college experience.

• What kinds of scholarships are offered? What do the financial aid options look like?
• What kinds of meal plans are available? Are there vegetarian/vegan/gluten-free/allergy-free options on campus?
• How safe is campus? What’s the surrounding area like?
• How accessible are the medical facilities?
• What kinds of counseling and mental health services do you offer?
• What resources exist to support students of color?
• What academic resources are available to me?
• How do you help students get internships? What about jobs after graduation?

These questions dig a little deeper. They speak to personal experience and might just reveal the intangibles you need to make your college decision.

• What are the most important things for a new student to know at this school?
• What’s been your favorite college moment or memory so far?
• If you had to describe this school in one word, what would that word be and why?
• What makes this school special?
• What’s one thing about this school you wish you could change?
• Why did you choose this school?

When it comes to campus tours, there’s no such thing as a silly question. If there’s anything you’re unsure about or anything you want to know, don’t ever be afraid to ask about it. “If my roommate snores at night but I’m not there to hear it, do they make a sound?”

All jokes aside, your tour guide is there to answer anything and everything (well, almost everything) and to help you have the best experience possible on your visit.

Good luck and have fun!

UIUC Admissions

We're here for you as you prepare for college. Whether you're looking for guidance on the college search process or have questions about Illinois, we hope our blogs will help!

12 comments

Rlly helpful

I am international student. This is my favorite school in United States. I wish I can be there to enjoy my university life. I am a students who have good GPA and lots of interests. What is the TOEFL requirement for international students

Thanks for reaching out, Yuwen. We’re excited to hear you’re interested in UIUC! We don’t have specific TOEFL score requirements; instead, we’ll consider your score as part of our holistic review . You can learn more about our English Proficiency requirements on our first-year application process page and our applicant FAQ . We hope this helps! If you have additional questions, please don’t hesitate to contact us .

Hi, I am a high school student, and I prepare for applying UIUC! Therefore, I want to know more about the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, so I want to know if is there a program for 1st-year students that the school conducts online. If there is, I want to join!

Thanks a lot for this information. UIUC is really helpful and provides vital resources for college preparation. Oh my god, I can’t wait to be on this campus please!

Thanks for reaching out, Hyeonju, and we’re excited you’re considering UIUC! We don’t offer any online programs for first-year students. You can view all of our majors on our website: https://myillini.illinois.edu/Programs . If you have any other questions, don’t hesitate to contact us !

Thanks, Fillah! We’re so glad that you’re finding the info helpful, and we’re excited that you’re excited about UIUC!

Our oldest daughter is interested in Mechanical Engineering at U of I. The campus is a nice place and the student lead campus tour was great!

We’re so glad your family enjoyed your time on campus! If your daughter has any questions, don’t hesitate to reach out to us at any time. We’re here to help!

These are great tips, thank you!

Thanks for the list of questions — very useful!

quite comprehensive!

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11 tips for creating a memorable campus tour

In an era when prospective students and their parents can learn about nearly any college from the comfort of home, the in-person campus tour offers an excellent opportunity to influence enrollment decisions.

But too often, these tours follow the same staid formulas, potentially blending together in the minds of families who may visit more than a dozen schools during their searches. Creating a memorable tour can maximize visitors’ time spent on your campus and finalize their commitment.

Here are 11 suggestions for increasing the effectiveness of a campus tour.

1. Sweep them off their feet

As campuses grow, many institutions find creative ways to help visitors see all the best features, no matter the distance. Golf carts, vans and Segways have become common additions to the traditional walk. Some schools even offer trips by boat and bicycle.

2. Set up selfie opportunities

Pointing out popular spots on campus for selfies can generate a social media experience that also showcases the institution’s best assets.

3. Create unique events

By going beyond a traditional campus walk-through, institutions can make a big impact and an instant connection. Personalized parking signs for prospective visiting students, a campus scavenger hunt, or inclusion in an institution’s notable tradition can generate extra enthusiasm and interest.

5. Offer customizable schedules—and language choices

Being able to organize their own tours allows students to focus on relevant areas. For example, a future commuter student may skip a dorm tour to meet with a financial aid counselor. Colleges looking to attract multicultural populations must provide tours in multiple languages.

6. Go for intimacy

Many smaller institutions already offer individual tours for prospective students, so larger ones should try to keep tours at or below the student-teacher ratio. In-person meetings with faculty have also become more common, as it allows for direct connections and immediate feedback.

7. Meet visitors’ basic needs

It’s important to remember visitors’ immediate needs, as walking them around campus without a break or a beverage can send a bad message. A lunch can also make a strong impact: A student host, faculty member or coach can have lunch with visitors and steer the conversation toward why the school is a great fit.

8. Veer off the script

Admissions offices should encourage student guides to go beyond the standard tour script and share their own personal experiences and reasons why they chose the institution, which may resonate better. Grouping together two or three guides on each tour can offer a variety of experiences.

9. Don’t avoid the safety discussion

Going off script doesn’t mean avoiding more serious topics, which means preparing tour guides to answer questions regarding safety. Highlight efforts such as hurricane preparedness, campus security and emergency response.

10. Elicit real feedback

Customized visitor surveys can provide admissions departments with feedback on anything from a tour route to a guide stumbling over a tough question. Learning what works—and often more important, what doesn’t—helps optimize tours.

11. Campus tour needs to be authentic

Tours need to present an authentic view of the campus experiences. Don’t just showcase the shiniest, newest facilities, especially if prospective students will not have access to those facilities until later in their academic careers. Being honest with students can help shape expectations and lead to future student success.

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Creating an Effective College Visit Plan: Making the Most of Campus Tours

College visits play a pivotal role in the college selection process, offering high school students an invaluable opportunity to immerse themselves in the campus environment and gain firsthand insights into potential educational institutions. Research shows that campus visits significantly impact a student’s decision-making process . 

Why Campus Tours Matter

Campus visits hold immense significance in the college selection process, particularly for prospective students and their parents who are seeking the ideal college fit. Experiencing the college atmosphere firsthand allows students to truly immerse themselves in the environment, getting a sense of the campus’s energy, vibrancy, and overall ambiance.

By walking through the campus grounds, students can envision themselves as part of the community, fostering a deeper connection to the college and its surroundings. Research shows that students who have visited campus are more likely to feel a sense of belonging and satisfaction with their college choice, ultimately leading to higher retention rates and academic success.

Moreover, campus visits offer a unique opportunity to gain valuable insights into various aspects of student life. By exploring campus facilities, such as libraries, laboratories, dormitories, and athletic facilities, students can assess the quality and adequacy of resources available to support their academic pursuits and extracurricular interests.

Additionally, engaging with current students and attending campus events or information sessions provides a glimpse into the campus culture , diversity, and student organizations, giving students a sense of the community they may potentially join. These interactions allow students to evaluate if the college aligns with their personal interests, values, and goals.

By witnessing firsthand the vibrant campus life and participating in campus activities, students can better envision themselves as active members of the student body, creating a more informed basis for their college decision-making process.

Preparing for Campus Tours

Before embarking on a campus tour, it is essential for high school students to engage in thorough research of potential colleges . Start by creating a shortlist of colleges to visit based on your academic and personal preferences. Consider factors such as location, majors offered , campus size, and extracurricular opportunities. By narrowing down your choices, you can focus your attention on the colleges that align with your goals and aspirations.

Once you have identified your shortlist, dive into gathering detailed information about each college. Explore their websites, admissions brochures, and virtual tours to gain insights into their academic programs, majors, and campus features. Take note of any distinctive programs or opportunities that catch your attention. Additionally, read about the college’s mission statement, core values, and campus culture to see if they resonate with your own values and interests.

This preliminary research will not only help you make an informed decision about which colleges to visit but also enable you to ask specific and relevant questions during your campus tours, making the most of your time on each campus.

Scheduling the Campus Tours

Consider a virtual tour to be well-informed about your in-person campus tour. When scheduling a campus tour, it is crucial for high school students to choose an ideal time that allows them to fully experience the college environment. Consider visiting during the academic year when classes are in session, as this provides an opportunity to witness the campus in its regular, bustling state.

By observing students attending classes, engaging in extracurricular activities, and utilizing campus resources, you can gain a realistic understanding of day-to-day life on campus. Alternatively, special events like open houses, admitted student days, or campus festivals can offer a more immersive and vibrant experience, showcasing the college’s unique offerings and community spirit. Assess your availability and preferences to determine the most suitable time for your visit.

To make the most out of your campus tour, it is recommended to reach out to the college’s admissions office and schedule a personalized visit. Many colleges offer guided tours led by current students who can provide valuable insights and answer questions about campus life. Contact the admissions office well in advance to inquire about available tour dates and times.

Personalized visits often allow for a more tailored experience, as they may include opportunities to meet with professors, attend classes, or explore specific departments of interest. By scheduling a personalized visit, you can ensure that your campus tour aligns with your specific interests and allows for a more comprehensive understanding of the college .

Exploring Campus Facilities

Exploring campus facilities is a crucial part of the college visit experience for incoming students. During your college campus tour, make it a point to visit academic buildings, libraries, laboratories, and dormitories. These spaces are integral to your academic journey and daily life as a college student.

Take note of the facilities’ condition, accessibility, and available resources. Are the classrooms well-equipped? Is the library extensive and conducive to studying? Are the laboratories modern and well-maintained? By exploring these areas, you can assess whether the college provides the necessary academic infrastructure to support your learning and research needs.

In addition to academic spaces, it is important to observe and evaluate the campus’s broader infrastructure. Visit dining halls to sample the food options and assess the overall dining experience. Check out recreational facilities such as gyms, sports fields, or fitness centers to see if they align with your fitness and extracurricular interests.

Check out student support services like career centers, counseling centers, and health services, as these resources can contribute to your personal growth and well-being during your college years. The quality and availability of these facilities play a significant role in shaping your college experience, so pay attention to how they align with your preferences and needs.

Exploring the Surrounding Community

Exploring the surrounding community is an important aspect of the college visit experience for high school students. While the college campus itself provides a significant environment, the city or town surrounding the campus also plays a crucial role in your overall college experience. Take the opportunity to venture beyond the campus boundaries and immerse yourself in the local community.

Explore the city or town to get a sense of its atmosphere, culture, and amenities. Pay attention to factors such as safety, transportation options, and the overall vibe of the area. By familiarizing yourself with the surrounding community, you can assess whether it aligns with your lifestyle preferences and offers the resources and opportunities you seek during your college years.

During your visit, make it a point to visit local attractions, shops, and neighborhoods. This will give you a glimpse into the recreational and social opportunities available outside of the campus environment. Visit local museums, parks, or theaters to gauge the cultural and entertainment options in the area.

Explore nearby shopping districts or dining spots to assess the variety and quality of local establishments. Additionally, take a stroll through nearby neighborhoods to observe the overall livability and sense of community. By exploring the surrounding community, you can gain insights into the compatibility between your personal preferences and the environment in which you would potentially be living and studying for the next few years.

Self-Guided Campus Tours vs. Student-Guided Campus Tours

Self-guided campus tours and student-guided tours each offer distinct advantages and disadvantages for high school students exploring potential colleges. A self-guided walking tour allows students to explore the campus at their own pace and according to their specific interests. The flexibility of a self-guided tour allows guests to spend more time in areas that are most important to them, whether it’s academic buildings, dormitories, or recreational facilities.

This type of tour also offers the opportunity for more personal reflection and observation, as students can take their time to discover the campus landmarks and absorb the campus environment. Self-guided tours can be particularly beneficial for introverted or independent students who prefer to explore on their own. However, a potential drawback is the lack of specific information provided during the tour. While colleges often offer maps or brochures for self-guided tours, students may miss out on detailed insights and anecdotes that student guides typically provide.

On the other hand, student-guided tours are led by current students who are knowledgeable about the campus and can offer valuable insights and personal experiences. These tours provide a structured itinerary and allow for direct interaction with the student tour guide, enabling students to ask questions and receive immediate responses.

Student guides can provide insider perspectives on campus culture, academic programs, and extracurricular opportunities . The tours often include visits to key campus facilities, allowing students to see firsthand the highlights of the college. However, student-guided tours may be limited in terms of time and may not cover every area of interest for individual students. Additionally, the information provided may be subjective, as it is based on the experiences and perspectives of the student guide.

Ultimately, the choice between a self-guided tour and a student-guided tour depends on the preferences and needs of the individual student. Some students may prefer the freedom and flexibility of a self-guided tour, while others may value the personalized insights and interactive nature of a student-guided tour. It may also be beneficial to consider a combination of both types of tours to gain a comprehensive understanding of the campus environment and culture.

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Reflections on a transformative experience.

They say college is a transformative experience.

I always expected this to be the case, but as I was moving into my first-year dorm and starting at Harvard, I had no idea what that was going to look like. I had never been away from home for more than 2 weeks at a time, and I was the first in my family to attend a U.S. college. For me, the transformation those first weeks was the simple things - learning how to dress for the Cambridge cold and trying to not get too confused by the endless acronyms everyone was using around campus, to name a few things.

Of all the things that stuck with me from my very first week on campus, one experience that stands out in particular was the day of Convocation at Tercentenary Theater, which is a ceremony that welcomes first-year students to Harvard. It was a hot day, one where I wished more than anything that bringing your fan around with you was possible. But aside from that, officially beginning my time as a Harvard undergraduate meant a lot of reflection on what we could expect from our time here. In his address to my class, Harvard President Lawrence Bacow shared a very specific number with us - 1,358. 1,358 days, or approximately 21,000 hours, was the amount of time each of us got to explore Harvard and all of its offerings. At the end of that time, we would return back to Tercentenary Theater for our Commencement ceremony, ending our time here and preparing for the next stages in our lives. 

Me with the John Harvard Statue during move-in!

I still remember hearing that number and giggling slightly, wondering why someone would ever have gone ahead and put in the effort to figure that number out. I knew we had four years at Harvard, four years that would be filled with countless assignments, events, and responsibilities - what other number did I need? Now, as I sit and write this blog as a senior, that day of Convocation feels so long ago, and those limited days and hours I was granted at this institution are very quickly running out. And so I wonder - how exactly have I changed during these 1,358 days? 

I know for certain that I am a completely different person today than I was when I first started here. And while there are many different reasons for that, as well as many ways that it’s expressed itself, perhaps the most important thing I have learned during my time here is just what it means to be a Harvard student and what a Harvard education means. In technical terms, Harvard is a liberal arts college that focuses on providing a broad foundation of knowledge across different fields and subjects to think critically and reason analytically. With time, I realized that this meant more than just taking classes related to my major. Instead, it was the opportunity to use the intellectual opportunities here to think critically about some of the big issues facing our society today, working to understand them so that one day we could hopefully work on fixing them. 

It was with this realization that Harvard began to fall within my reach. In addition to taking classes within my concentration, I also began to branch out and take classes that explored issues I was passionate about. As someone pursuing an Economics concentration and Government secondary, that meant exploring and understanding the issue of inequality. As someone from a Russian heritage background, that meant studying the culture and language of this region. Bringing all these parts of myself into my education, I slowly began to also explore Russian politics and foreign policy. I learned not just in my classes - I learned from my peers, each of whom brought a new and unique perspective on issues I was both familiar with and not familiar with. Altogether, these people combined with classes are what have allowed me to explore my passions and interests. I have been able to not just learn and better understand these issues, but I have been able to use Harvard as a springboard to grow myself and become the version of myself that is passionate about and ready to work on these issues in the real world. 

This is my blockmates and I at the beginning of senior year!

I know that when I sit in Tercentenary Theater for Commencement, I will be just as wide-eyed and in awe of the fact that my path through life included time at this institution. Now, as I prepare to spend my last few weeks as an undergraduate, I look back at the many days I had spent wondering whether someone like me was meant to be here. While the doubt is inherent, one thing I would tell first-year me during Convocation is that there is no reason to not take advantage of every single day to the fullest. Harvard is more than just the name - it is made up of people who pass through it just like myself, wide-eyed and hoping to learn something that will help them make a positive impact on the world. The curiosity for knowledge that I have been able to develop during my time here, as well as the skills to explore these issues, is something I know I will carry with me for the rest of my life. That, and the people who I have had the privilege of getting to know along the way, have been my transformative experience. 

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Olga Class of '22 Alumni

Hey y’all! My name is Olga, and I am a senior studying Economics with a secondary in Government as well as pursuing a citation in Russian. I am from right outside of Fort Lauderdale, FL, but on campus I live in Winthrop House.

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Stay True by Hua Hsu: Nostalgia and Reflections from UC Berkeley

One of my favorite aspects of attending UC Berkeley is encountering its name in the books, journal articles, movies, and other media I come across. This is especially true of one of my favorite books, Stay True by Hua Hsu. Stay True is a memoir following Hsu and his friendship with Ken, whom he meets during his first semester at Cal, as well as Hsu’s grappling with Ken’s death three years later. The book is a time capsule of the late nineties, a love letter to Berkeley, and a reflection about how to move forward.

Ken is described as the opposite of Hsu: a Japanese American fraternity-going, Abercrombie-wearing “cool guy.” Hsu, on the other hand, is the son of Taiwanese immigrants and views himself as less assimilated and mainstream than Ken. Although Hsu is initially skeptical of Ken’s disposition, they eventually forge a close bond, spending hours late-night talking in Hsu’s Unit 3 Ida Sproul Triple, exploring Berkeley and its surrounding areas, and driving down the coast of California.

While reading the book, I enjoyed recognizing the Berkeley landmarks Hsu mentioned, like Sproul Plaza, Amoeba Music, and Top Dog. It fills me with a sense of nostalgia that students almost thirty years ago were doing some of the same things that my friends and I do on a Friday night, like walking down to Durant and Telegraph for a midnight snack. I can’t help but wonder, thirty years from now, will students still be doing this same thing?

That being said, being a Berkeley student in the nineties was definitely a different experience compared to now in some ways. One point Hsu brings up in some of his interviews about the book is that our relationship to boredom has changed dramatically since the time he was in college. Students then didn’t have laptops or phones, so there was a finite amount of work that one could do outside of the classroom. Hsu says that so much more of the world is knowable now because of technology, and there is an obligation to stay productive. But during his time at Berkeley, Hsu and his friends had to find a way to fill their time with other activities.

As much as Stay True is a memoir of Hsu’s time at Berkeley, it is also a poignant exploration of grief. After Ken is senselessly killed in a carjacking, Hsu struggles with the death of a friend so integral to his college experience and life. Hsu writes, “Maybe I misremembered a lot along the way. Or a little thing was replayed in my mind so often that it hardened into the memory of having once been routine … Our friendship was staged in private, on balconies, in cars, walking in search of pizza. But how could I ever be sure?” How could he be sure he truly knew Ken when his own perspective was so heavily influenced by his own coming-of-age?

Throughout the book, Hsu has the incredible ability to articulate feelings that we’ve all had but often remain unspoken. He explains the experience of being a young adult so adeptly: “Youth is a pursuit of this kind of small immortality. You want to leave something behind.” Stay True, it seems, is what Hsu leaves behind of his youth and friendship with Ken.

College Visit Reflections

Examples of questions to ask on college visits and a form for educators to use during college visits to record key reflections.

POWERFUL NARRATIVES

More than a history lesson: reflections from a campus tour.

My family immigrated to America from Samarkand, Uzbekistan, when I was 14. Samarkand was my ancestral city since 586 BCE, when Jews were exiled after the destruction of the first Holy Temple in Jerusalem. We came to America to freely practice our religion and live publicly as Jews without having to hide our identity in consideration of career, reputation and security. 

Growing up in Samarkand, I did not have to turn on the news to know when Israel was under attack: When a terrorist bombing occurred, students and teachers in my school responded to the news with antisemitic comments. These memories come to mind when I witness the experience of Jewish college students since Hamas’ attack on Israel. When Israel is at war, these students are also at war, and they face unprecedented challenges. The antisemitic reaction to this war is present in posts on social media; in comments by their professors and in the lack of support from college administrations; in the posters in hallways and in the physical confrontations aimed at shutting down expressions of Jewish identity on campus. In the aftermath of Oct. 7, 78% of American Jews said the attacks made them feel less safe as Jews living in the U.S., according to a survey by the American Jewish Committee, and one in four college students said they avoid wearing, carrying or displaying things that would identify them as Jewish out of fear for their safety. 

This is precisely why, as the executive director of SAMi: Sephardic American Mizrahi Initiative, I went on a national speaking tour in partnership with CAMERA on Campus to support Jewish students on college campuses. In just three days, we visited seven campuses and engaged with over 350 college students. Our goal was simple: to boost the spirit and morale of our students, help them feel proud of themselves and create a sense of community by providing resources and fostering meaningful conversations. It was also a priority for me to demonstrate that Jews from the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) and Central Asia have not been bystanders to Jewish history but active participants in the accomplishments and struggles of the Jewish people.

I began my presentation with sources from the Torah, the promise of the land to Abraham and his descendants, Joseph’s rise to power in Egypt while being mindful that it was not his native home, and Moses leading his people back to the land of Israel. 

Like Joseph, the Jews never forgot their roots during the subsequent dispersions to distant lands. In the Silk Road cities of Merv and Balkh, they were known as Isroil or Bnei Isroil. In the 12th century, Benjamin of Tudela traveled east from Spain to Baghdad, documenting the Jewish communities along his way and beyond: “Thence it is five days to Samarkand, the great city on the confines of Persia. In it live some 50,000 Israelites, and Rabbi Ovadiah the Nasi is their appointed head. Among them are wise and very rich men.” He also wrote about the community in Jerusalem, which was reestablished following the Muslim conquest of the holy land in 646. At that time, Jews also lived in Safed, Tiberias, Jaffa, Haifa, Gaza and Hebron.

In the medieval period and afterward, notable Sephardic leaders immigrated to Israel, such as Yehuda Halevi, Moshe Ben Nahman, Yoseph Karo, Moshe Alshich, Shlomo Alkabetz and Dona Gracia Mendes. The yearning to return to the land of Israel is central to the poetry, prayers, music, and holidays of Sephardi and Mizrahi Jews. 

According to historian Daniel Elazar, “Sephardim accounted for about one-eighth of the world Jewish population before 1958; and nearly one-sixth of the immigrants to Palestine.” Bukharian Jews began migrating to Israel in the 1830s. By the end of the 19th century, they built a neighborhood in Jerusalem outside the Old City walls, named Shehunat HaBukharim or Bukharian Quarter. Closer to the Old City, a cluster of Jewish families from the Caucasus established the Beit Shmuel ve-Zakhariya synagogue in 1884, followed by Kollel Dagestan in the same decade. South of the Old City, Yemenite Jews built their homes and synagogue in Shiloah starting in 1885. In the subsequent three decades, nearly 10% of Yemen’s Jews followed these pioneers to Israel. Kurdish Jews established their community in Jerusalem in 1895, naming it Nahlaot-Shaarei Rahamim. 

Thus the aspirations of Zionism predate the trial of Alfred Dreyfuss, which inspired Theodor Herzl to organize the First Zionist Congress in 1897; and the purpose of Zionism predates the Holocaust, although it indeed proved the need for Jews to have their own country. 

Violence against Jews in Arab nations increased during the Holocaust and Israel’s war of independence, and they knew where they wanted to live — among their brethren in an independent homeland. Between 1948 and 1950, approximately 48,000 Yemenite Jews were airlifted to Israel during Operation Magic Carpet. From Iraq, nearly 130,000 Jews were airlifted to Israel during Operation Ezra and Nehemiah; their exodus followed the Farhud riots in 1941 and the public execution of community leader Shafiq Ades in 1948.

Between 1955 and 1957, approximately 62% of Israel’s immigrants came from North African countries. An estimated 850,000 Jews fled MENA countries and were forced to leave behind an estimated $300 billion in homes, businesses, and possessions simply because the cost of antisemitic persecution was much higher.

Sephardic and Mizrahi Jews whose families immigrated to America came here with expectations of freedom and truth. To hear on campus that Israel is a European settler-colonial entity denies historical facts relating to their communities in that land and their massive contributions to Israeli culture and leadership. “Go back to Poland, f—ing Jew,” a fellow Rutgers University student told Joe Gindi. But Gindi’s family is from Syria; many of his relatives live in New York, and others in Israel, where more than half of the Jewish population has ancestry from nations outside of Europe. “Go back to Russia, f—ing Jew,” Michael Daniels was told at Queens College. But Daniel’s family is from Samarkand, just like mine. 

These attacks are just a few examples among many. Sephardic and Mizrahi students are often underserved by Jewish programming, which lacks sensitivity to their unique and diverse cultural backgrounds; yet when it comes to Israel, these students are at the forefront, unapologetically standing with the Jewish state. Their identity and family narratives inform their sense of commitment — they know when Jews are silent and do not take a stand, the place that they call home might not be there anymore. It is noteworthy that five out of the nine students who gave powerful congressional testimony about campus antisemitism to the Committee on Education and the Workforce in Washington, D.C. were Sephardic and Mizrahi. 

It is essential that the Jewish community recognize the importance of empowering these students to ensure a vibrant and diverse Jewish experience on campus. Many Sephardic and Mizrahi students are entrepreneurial, hardworking and eager to engage in Jewish life on campus. By investing in Sephardic and Mizrahi students and their narratives today, the Jewish community ensures an inclusive and diverse leadership pipeline for future generations.

Manashe Khaimov is the executive director of SAMi: Sephardic American Mizrahi Initiative, the first national organization for Sephardic and Mizrahi Jewish students on college campuses. 

Your Daily Phil

April 12, 2024

Your daily phil: ifcj distributes food aid ahead of passover, holiday help, ifcj gives $1.5 million to fortify pediatric dialysis unit; distributes $4.8 million for passover to those affected by war.

Peoplehood ponderings

At antisemitism-focused ruderman conference, rabbi whose son was killed on oct. 7 focuses instead on halting internal jewish turmoil.

SPRING CLEANING

Repair the world aiming for 5,000 acts of service with passover earth day challenge.

TOUGH CALLS

While some arab-jewish camps in israel look forward to a summer of healing, others halt.

CLIMATE ACTION

Reform movement becomes first denomination to drop investments in fossil fuel firms.

War-time welfare

Menomadin foundation partners with academics to create new roadmap for israel’s post-oct. 7 welfare system.

MAJOR GIFTS

Robert kraft donates $1 million for college programs to strengthen black-jewish ties.

SPIRITUAL SUPPORT

We need to invest in our yodas.

GOTTESMAN'S GIFT

Our moment is now.

RABBI REFLECTS

Visiting israel post-10/7: learning humility .

LESSONS IN LEADERSHIP

Pittsburgh strong: a city of collaboration and resilience.

HERE FOR EACH OTHER

Strategic compassion: infusing ‘hineni’ into the heart of jewish philanthropy.

'THINKING ABOUT YOU'

The power of partnerships — especially now , subscribe now to your daily phil.

The philanthropy news you need to stay up to date, delivered daily in a must-read newsletter.

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The Workshop has been designed to provide you with comprehensive guidance and preparation for your upcoming college campus tours. Whether you’re exploring potential universities or needing advice to the next phase of life, these seminars will offer valuable information to enhance your experience.

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Amarillo College to host 2 presidential finalists on April 16, 18

The Amarillo College (AC) Board of Regents have announced four planned meetings next week with its two presidential finalists.

AC said the two semifinalists would be invited to the college between April 16 and 18 to view the campus, visit with faculty and administration, as well as participate in a public forum. Following the campus visits, a sole finalist is tentatively planned to be announced in the following board meeting.

AC gave public notice Thursday for two open forums and two closed sessions, one with each candidate. No official action will be taken at any of these meetings.

At 3 p.m. Tuesday, April 16, the board will hold a special meeting in an open forum format with semifinalist Dr. Laura Boyer at the Ordway Hall Auditorium, located at 2201 S. Washington St., in Amarillo. Then, at 6:30 p.m. Tuesday, the regents will hold a closed session to have dinner and interview Boyer at the Amarillo Club, located at 600 S. Tyler St., Suite 3000, in Amarillo.

At 3 p.m. Thursday, April 18, the AC board will hold the same open forum format at the Ordway Hall Auditorium with the second presidential candidate, Dr. Andrew Bowne. The board will then host dinner and interview Bowne in a closed session at 6:30 p.m. Thursday at the Amarillo Club.

The purpose of these forums is to give internal and external stakeholders the opportunity to become acquainted with each of the candidates, and everyone within the AC community and the general public is invited to attend, according to a news release. For those unable to attend in person, recordings of both forums will be accessible for later viewing at  https://www.actx.edu/president/ .

Each candidate forum will begin with the featured speaker making brief opening remarks. Next, the speaker will respond to questions gathered from AC employees, students, and community members. AC said time will be reserved at the end of each forum for the candidate’s closing remarks.

The open forums represent just one item on the schedule of interviews and tours that each of the finalists will participate in during their respective visits to the College, the release stated.

As reported previously by the Globe-News, the search followed last year's departure of Dr. Russell Lowery-Hart, who accepted the position of ninth Chancellor for the Austin Community College District. AC then named Denese Skinner as interim president. AC had won the Aspen Prize for Community College Excellence, the nation’s signature recognition of high achievement among America’s Community Colleges, last April.

AC announced its two presidential semifinalists recently during a special board meeting April 3, determined through the candidates presented by the Gold Hill Associates search firm in partnership with AC's Presidential Search Advisory Committee.

"Their education, their experience and their passion for student success is what shone through in the interviews. They are obviously both visionaries who work well with collaborative teams, and we were obviously very impressed with them," Paul Proffer, AC regent and chairman of the AC search committee, said of Boyer and Bowne after the decision was announced.

"The exact date when Regents expect to announce their selection of a sole finalist for president of AC has not yet been finalized, but discussions are expected to take place between April 22-30, and any vote by Regents will be taken in a duly advertised and public meeting of the Board, all of which are livestreamed," the release states.

Harvard among more than a dozen schools to receive failing grade on ADL's Campus Antisemitism Report Card

The Anti-Defamation League gave Harvard University and 12 other schools failing grades for policies to protect Jewish students from antisemitism on campus.

The ADL said it selected 85 of the top national and liberal arts colleges for assessment this year and chose those with the highest Jewish student populations. It assigned grades from A through F in a Campus Antisemitism Report Card  released Thursday.

"ADL produced this Report Card during a time of incredible volatility on college campuses," the organization said on its website . "It takes the temperature at a moment in time and provides a roadmap for improving campus climate."

Harvard, the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Princeton University and the University of Virginia were among the schools to receive a letter grade of "F."

Since Hamas attacked Israel on Oct. 7,  numerous incidents of antisemitism have been reported at U.S. schools , with some resulting in arrests.

In November, the Education Department announced an investigation  into a half-dozen colleges and universities and a local school district for alleged antisemitic and Islamophobic incidents. It opened a separate probe into Harvard after a complaint alleged the Ivy League school discriminated against Jewish and Israeli students when it failed to respond to alleged incidents of harassment, The Boston Globe reported .

In December, Harvard President Claudine Gay and two other elite university presidents  testified  before the House Education Committee about campus antisemitism. Gay drew heated criticism for appearing to sidestep the issue during her testimony, and she announced her resignation in January .

A spokesperson for Harvard said: "Antisemitism has no place in the Harvard community. We remain steadfast in our commitment to combating antisemitism and hate, in whatever form it manifests itself."

In March, the Ivy League shared its ongoing efforts to combat antisemitism with the House Education and Workforce Committee. Over the last several months, the school has taken steps to strengthen campus security, clarify policies, increase ways to report harassment and has organized community spaces where Jewish and Israeli students can connect.

MIT, Princeton University and the University of Virginia did not immediately respond to requests for comment.

The ADL said it worked with a panel of experts to come up with a list of 21 criteria for assessment that was divided into three broad groups: administrative action and policies, incidents on campus and Jewish student life on campus.

It provided each school with a questionnaire and ultimately received responses from 84% of the campuses it assessed. ADL also conducted research to determine which campuses fulfilled the criteria and looked at public information, including high-profile investigations.

Twenty-four schools received "D's," 29 got "C's" and 17 received "B's." Only two schools — Brandeis University in Massachusetts and Elon University in North Carolina — received "A's."

"Every campus should get an A — that’s not grade inflation, that’s the minimum that every group on every campus expects," ADL CEO Jonathan Greenblatt said in a statement . "Like all students, Jewish students deserve to feel safe and supported on campus. They deserve a learning environment free from antisemitism and hate. But that hasn’t been the experience with antisemitism running rampant on campus since even before October 7."

The ADL noted that Brandeis University was the first private university to revoke its recognition of its Students for Justice in Palestine chapter and quickly deemed phrases including "From the River to the Sea" as hate speech.

Elon University was praised for encouraging the community to learn more about the Oct. 7 attack and hosting an event attended by more than 200 students and faculty and staff members.  

"Creating a positive campus climate for civic engagement and constructive dialogue is a critical component of Elon’s mission and its commitment to fostering a collaborative and productive learning environment," Jon Dooley, Elon's vice president for student life, said in a statement.

Brandeis President Ron Liebowitz noted that the school was founded by the Jewish community “to counter the antisemitism and quotas on Jewish participation in higher education.”

“From its beginning, Brandeis has been open to all qualified individuals and has opposed hate toward other groups; our founders knew that hate often begins but rarely ends at antisemitism. We are proud that the ADL recognizes our continued support for our Jewish students, faculty and staff at a time when some campuses are struggling to protect those members of their community,” Liebowitz continued.

Other campuses still have work to do, Greenblatt said.

"As I travel the country, I’m constantly hearing from Jewish families agonizing over where they will send their kids to college," he said.

"School leadership must make serious changes to support Jewish communities on their campus; we expect nothing less. Along with the Report Card, we’re providing guidelines and resources for how schools can improve campus climate and therefore improve their grades, and we look forward to working with them and other partners to achieve that reasonable goal.” 

Minyvonne Burke is a senior breaking news reporter for NBC News.

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Urban Soundtracks: Rostov-on-Don According to Motorama

For reasons unknown to me, Russian music has never broken into the Western consciousness, beyond that brief t.A T.u phase in the 2000’s. Americans just never caught on to the wonder that is Philipp Kirkorov, I suppose. Nonetheless,  Motorama has carved out a small niche for themselves as an underground hit. Maybe this is down to their lyrics being in English, or perhaps it’s the fact that they have a near-perfect capacity to summarize our twisted emotional landscape with their own brand of Post Punk.

Hailing from Rostov, Russia, they were formed outside the Moscow and Saint Petersburg cultural centers, which produce the bulk of the nation’s cultural exports. Known for being a far more rough city, Rostov appears to be the ideal backdrop for Motorama’s amazing capacity to engender emotions, like disappointment and anxiety. However, little writing is produced about the city and it attracts few tourists from outside Russia. As such, we spoke to  Vladislav Parshin from the band, and he kindly put together a bit of a mix to understand the place a bit more.

For most people anything outside of Russia, the country is a complete mystery. How did being from Rostov shape your musical tastes and you guys as artists?

For me the main influence was my father who showed me tons of great music from the Soviet Union and abroad and all these songs formed my tastes. Rostov-on-Don is also an important part of shaping the taste, as I knew personally the members of the New Wave/Post-Punk 90’s bands like Elen  and Matrosskaya Tishina , they influenced me in the beginning of the 2000’s.

It is interesting looking at musical scenes that are outside the centers of arts like Manchester, Seattle, and Louisville. It is as if being removed from the mainstream conversation allows you to produce something completely unique and personal. To a certain degree, do you think that your band was almost blessed to be outside the major cities of mainstream culture?

I won’t say that it was a blessing, but it was fine for us as a band. I think that living outside the big cultural spots is a good chance for creating something by yourself, you have more free time, instead of visiting never ending exhibitions, concerts and parties. But at the same time it’s harder to meet people who share the same ideas and who can help you in what you are doing. In general I feel comfortable living in Rostov-on-Don, we are flying to Moscow and St. Petersburg from time to time only because of the concerts.

The mix is fantastic. It is very Post Punk/synth-inspired. However, it is hardly the most ‘sunshine and rainbows’ mix. You’ve said in other interviews that there is nothing exciting about your home city of Rostov. Does that contribute to the sound of the mix?

I like such music and I think it suits our city.

In many articles, your work has been compared to British post-punk bands but I think it is fair to say that you’re part of a broader Soviet/post-Soviet tradition of bands like Kino. What is it about this darker style of music that continues to attract people across different generations in the former USSR?

I think that there’s a specific side in Russian character that is connected with such dark or sorrowful music. For example, lots of traditional folk songs from different parts of Russia are based on metaphysical stories connected with faith and death. All these existential problems are reflected in different art genres here, not only with music, but also literature.

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Resurrection Church with Reflection in the Pond

Beautiful view from the grounds of Rostov Kremlin on the gate church the Resurrection of Christ with reflection in the small pond with a little wooden house for birds. The church and fortification wall built in the 1670s during reconstruction of the Rostov Kremlin by Metropolitan Iona Sysoyevich. The gate of the church connects the central part of the Kremlin with Cathedral square where located Dormition (Assumption) Cathedral (another huge silver onion-shaped domes in the background of the picture).

Photo #048 taken on May 23, 2019 during the long distance countryside tour to the cities of Golden Ring of Russia with my dear clients from Austria, Herbert and Maria Petschar.

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My name's Arthur Lookyanov, I'm a private tour guide, personal driver and photographer in Moscow, Russia. I work in my business and run my website Moscow-Driver.com from 2002. Read more about me and my services , check out testimonials of my former business and travel clients from all over the World, hit me up on Twitter or other social websites. I hope that you will like my photos as well.

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Wineglass-shaped Street Lamps on Tverskaya with Traffic Lights

View from a side of Tverskaya street on the wonderful new year decorations at the beginning of the street and Manezhnaya square (red brick building of State Historical Museum in the background) with traffic lights of a few cars in the early frosty morning of the Old New Year in Russia.

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Carolina receives national recognition as a voter-friendly campus

UNC-Chapel Hill has earned national recognition as a “voter-friendly campus” by the Voter Friendly Campus initiative. The University also received a Highly Established Action Plan Seal by the ALL IN Campus Democracy Challenge for its action plan to increase nonpartisan democratic engagement among students. 

Carolina’s Promote Democracy Initiative , an effort to engage the University as diverse citizens working across differences in society to explore how humanity’s potential can be realized through democracy, is fueled by the University’s strategic plan, Carolina Next . 

“Our main goals have been to simplify the registration and voting process for students and to provide resources to marginalized communities,” said Gared Wong, a civic engagement coordinator with Student Life and Leadership . Student Life and Leadership aims to increase student democratic participation among the Tar Heel community.   

The Voter Friendly Campus aims to create more measurable and manageable guidelines for institutions to follow to create more voter-friendly campuses. The program helps institutions develop action plans that coordinate all members of an institutional community in civic and electoral engagement. It is founded by the Campus Vote Project and NASPA LEAD Initiative .  

ALL IN is a group that aims to empower colleges and universities to achieve excellence in nonpartisan student democratic participation. It awards the Highly Established Action Plan Seal of recognition for institutions with strong plans to increase democratic engagement. Carolina was one of the 91 institutions awarded this seal for 2024. 

Efforts under the Promote Democracy initiative are spearheaded in part by Natasha Young, the leadership development program coordinator of Student Life and Leadership. Young developed an action plan to increase student voter engagement that considers what student engagement may look like, the landscapes of how students may have previously been involved in voting, and the goals that the campus has.  

These goals include both longer – and shorter – term objectives that work within the civic engagement working group and the Promote Democracy coalition to decide what is feasible when it comes to outreach with various campus offices and departments. The longer-term goal of the initiative is to reach 90% voter turnout at UNC-Chapel Hill.  

“There’s this institutional alignment where we as staff or faculty are doing our best to make sure that students can engage in civic engagement and democracy as best they can,” Young said. “I’ve tried to be very intentional that the student perspective is well-incorporated in addition to that of faculty and staff,” she said. 

In 2020 , 90% of Carolina students were registered to vote. Eighty-two percent of eligible student voters turned out to vote that year, a large portion of whom voted early or by mail due to the pandemic. This turnout was well above the 2020 average voting rate for all institutions of 66% and up 25% from the 2016 student voting rate.  

“Based on our numbers and our data, students at Carolina are engaged. They care about what happens on campus and off campus as it relates to voting, politics, or anything that might impact their experience as a student,” she said. 

Despite these statistics, there is still more to be done as younger voters search for representations of themselves and their values in political candidates, Young said. She said younger students are becoming more involved than ever because of the dissonance between their own values and those represented in a two-candidate system. 

“Although we as students have made an impact, I think there are still a lot of barriers that prevent or discourage younger voters from voting,” said Wong. He said that barriers include the complexity of registration forms, address changes, language barriers, and voter fatigue. “If students ever need help with an action plan, a registration form to be mailed or stamped, or are unsure about the registration and electoral process, please reach out.” 

—Payton Wilkins  

Princeton basketball transfer Matt Allocco taking first official visit to Ohio State

Ohio State will get the first official visit for Princeton graduate transfer Matt Allocco, a source has told The Dispatch.

A 6-4, 197-pound guard with one year of eligibility remaining , Allocco will visit the Buckeyes this weekend as the Buckeyes and new head coach Jake Diebler are expected to host multiple recruits while the football team plays its annual spring game.

In 2023-24, Allocco averaged 12.7 points, 2.9 rebounds and 3.3 assists. He became the ninth player in history to shoot at least 50% from the field, 40% from three and 90% from the free throw line while averaging at least 10 points per game and playing at least 30 minutes per game. He shot 50.8% from the floor (126 for 248), 90.9% from the free-throw line (70 for 77) and 42.7% from 3 (47 for 110) as Princeton won the Ivy League for a third straight year.

The Ivy League does not allow players to play sports for more than four years, so Allocco, a Hilliard Bradley product, entered the transfer portal to find a new program for his fifth and final year of college basketball. After fielding interest from numerous schools, Allocco is also scheduled to take an official visit to Notre Dame and is still also considering Butler and Villanova.

Ohio State Buckeyes: Join the Ohio State Sports Insider text group with Bill Rabinowitz, Joey Kaufman Adam Jardy

A two-time second-team all-conference player, Allocco averaged 9.2 points, 3.5 rebounds and 2.3 assists in 91 games for the Tigers.

Ohio State currently has three available scholarships for 2024-25 . The Buckeyes have announced the addition of South Carolina transfer guard Meechie Johnson, who has one year of eligibility remaining .

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Unl-taps: reflections on seven years of irrigation and nitrogen management.

The Testing Ag Performance Solutions (TAPS) program has concluded its seventh year of the sprinkler irrigated corn farm management competition at the West Central Research, Extension and Education Center in North Platte, Nebraska. One of the most interesting observations is the year-to-year variability in corn yield response to irrigation and nitrogen (N) fertilizer rates. As observed by many producers and crop advisors in the area, the irrigation requirement was highly dependent on the amount and distribution of annual rainfall. Similarly, the response of corn yields to N fertilizer across the TAPS years also varied.

Due to limited space, only the years with maximum and minimum irrigation requirements and N response are included in this discussion.

Corn grain yield response to irrigation for 2017 (above average rainfall) and 2022 (below average rainfall) is presented in Figure 1. 2017 showed an optimal irrigation application of not more than seven inches. In contrast, the optimal amount was 15 inches or more in 2022, with an average increase of 15 bushels per applied inch.

This wide swing in optimal irrigation was primarily due to weather variability. However, observing the difference in precipitation and irrigation between the two years was interesting. The difference in seasonal (May 1-Sept. 30) rainfall between 2017 and 2022 was approximately nine inches (18.2 inches in 2017 vs. 8.95 inches in 2022). When you add the optimal irrigation amount and seasonal rainfall, the sum is 24-25 inches for both years.

In 2017, five rainfall events exceeded one inch, but it was dry in June and in late August/early September. In contrast, there were only two rainfall events that exceeded one inch in 2022. However, there was a higher difference in maximum and minimum irrigation among competing producers between the two years (eight inches in 2017 vs. 22 inches in 2022).

The Census of Ag Irrigation and Water Management Survey – 2018 results indicate that over 82% of the Nebraska respondents use the condition of the crop to schedule irrigations, while 48% use the hand feel of the soil method. These two methods are more prevalent than the use of scientific-based methods of soil moisture sensors (31%), plant sensors (2%), and crop water use information (i.e., evapotranspiration, ET) at 21%. Almost 7% reported watching the neighbors to schedule their irrigations. With rising costs of pumping water, declining groundwater levels and groundwater quality concerns in portions of Nebraska, it is becoming more important to use available technology and tools to pump only as much water as we need.

The TAPS program provides participants with the experience of trying this technology on the TAPS plot before adopting onto their farming operation. Kennedy and Burbach (2023) survey results indicate that 75% of TAPS participants reported adopting new ag technology and 86% have adopted new ag management practices, at least on a trial basis on their farm. In addition, 28% of participants reported that they adopted new technology and 38% adopted new management practices on more than 50% of the land they farm as a result of participating in TAPS.

Not surprisingly, there were considerable year-to-year differences in the optimal N fertilizer rate. These differences are likely due to year-to-year variability in weather conditions, soil organic matter mineralization, amount of residual N, and N from irrigation water, etc. While the amount of N available to the crop from residual N and N from irrigation water can be measured, the amount of N mineralization is harder to estimate. Environmental factors that promote high rates of mineralization include: warm soil temperatures (50-85 o F); soil pH between 5 and 8; good soil drainage; and moist but not overly wet soils (Hoeft et al., 2000).

During 2017, the highest crop yield of 257 bu/ac was observed at an N rate of 135 lb N /ac, while N rates higher than 135 lbs N/acre did not improve crop yields. In 2019, a better correlation existed between N application and yield, with higher amounts of N required for higher yields.

One indicator of the amount of N released by mineralization in the TAPS plots is the yield of the control plot, which receives no added nitrogen or irrigation water. In 2017, the control plot yielded 177 bu/ac. In contrast, 2019 had a much lower control plot yield of 90 bu/ac. Since the plots were located in the same field with the same previous crop and pests managed according to UNL recommendations, the differences between the two years could be attributed to differences in weather conditions that affected N mineralization and therefore, N availability. A local weather station at Gothenburg saw maximum daily soil temperatures exceed 50°F for 17 days in March 2017 and only four days in March 2019.

Excluding 2023, the hailed year, the UNL nitrogen calculator with a yield goal of 270 bu/ac was used to determine N recommendations with grain and nitrogen prices held constant across years. Across the six years, the UNL nitrogen calculator rate only limited yield in 2020, when a higher yield was achieved with higher N application. In this situation, the UNL nitrogen calculator recommended rate still reached the yield goal of 270 bu/ac that year. Based on these results, if growers and crop advisors are using rates above the UNL nitrogen calculator recommendations, the data would show that they are overapplying and spending more money on fertilizer than is required in most years.

TAPS’s greatest yields for the 2017-2023 years were 261, 288, 241, 295, 274, 271 and 212 (hailed) bu/ac, respectively. Most growers experience similar yield variability from year to year. The variability in optimal N rate ranged from 135 lbs N/ac to 220 lbs N/ac, which shows that applying the same N rate every year is not an economically or environmentally sound practice. N management needs depend on crop and weather conditions that fluctuate drastically from year-to-year and should also account for crop and N fertilizer price variability.

Given the year-to-year variability of optimum N rate is often dependent on weather conditions and associated N credits and grain and fertilizer prices vary as well, we highly recommend assessing the N credit through soil sampling, irrigation water sampling, and adjusting for these credits in N recommendation tools, such as the digital UNL N calculator and crop canopy reflectance. We further suggest determining a base rate and adjusting in-season crop N requirement using in-season N recommendation tools, such as fertigation applications based on sensor or imagery data. There are numerous crop canopy sensors, as well as satellite, aerial and drone imagery platforms that can be used to help identify optimal rate of N. Check out the following projects:

• Project Sense
• Precision Nitrogen Management Project
• Nebraska On-Farm Research Project

For more information on the UNL-TAPS competition results, check out our website and click on the Reports tab.

Hoeft, R. G., E.D. Nafziger, R.R. Johnson and S.R. Aldrich. 2000. Modern Corn and Soybean Production. MCSP Publications.

Kennedy, S. M. and M.E. Burbach. TAPS Program Evaluation – Producers, Open-File Report 233. 2023.

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Georgetown canal boat tours face uncertain future after NPS ends partnership

Scott Gelman | [email protected]

April 11, 2024, 8:00 PM

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There are lingering questions about the future of Georgetown’s C&O canal boat tours, after the National Park Service announced it’s ending its philanthropic agreement with the nonprofit Georgetown Heritage .

Last month, NPS said the agreement is being terminated effective April 29. However, in a statement, the agency said the move doesn’t “change the operation of the canal boat in Georgetown.”

D.C.’s government paid for the construction of the canal boat and Georgetown Heritage, the nonprofit that works to improve National Parks in Georgetown, owns it. The organization operates the boat under a separate agreement with the Park Service.

Maggie Downing, Georgetown Heritage’s executive vice president, said the group’s ownership of the boat isn’t in jeopardy, “but what it will take for us to be able to raise the money and keep this organization going is certainly going to be challenging in the next couple of years,” she said.

“We do remain committed to owning and operating the boat,” Downing said. “But I think it may be a difficult path getting there.”

The nonprofit will have some time to work toward that goal. The boat won’t be operating for the next two years while repairs are made to the canal. The soonest the boat would be able to return to the canal is 2026, Downing said.

About 40,000 people have participated in the tours over the two seasons they were offered, according to Downing.

“It’s a really leisurely experience to look out and see Georgetown from a different vantage point, and to learn about the history, to hear the stories of the people who built the canal and who lived their lives along the canal,” Downing said.

Georgetown Heritage operates the boat under a cooperating agreement with the Park Service. The Philanthropic Partnership Agreement allowed the nonprofit to fundraise for projects in the park.

The group had plans to make accessibility improvements along the towpath, and to install “recreational opportunities down at the aqueduct, a dock for canoeing and kayaking along the canal,” Downing said.

“The cancellation of the Philanthropic Partnership Agreement really puts the future of any of those improvements to the park in danger,” Downing said.

In its March statement, the Park Service said terminating a philanthropic agreement is rare and happens “only after exhausting all other avenues to try to resolve the issues.”

“There have been multiple violations of the Philanthropic Partnership Agreement that have led to irreconcilable differences in the partnership, making it impossible to maintain the collaborative relationship necessary to accomplish mutually identified goals as required by the PPA,” the Park Service said in a statement to WTOP. “Georgetown Heritage has promoted actions that disregard the NPS mandate to protect park resources.”

The agreement, Downing said, was terminated because “current leadership at the park no longer wants to pursue these projects.”

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Scott Gelman is a digital editor and writer for WTOP. A South Florida native, Scott graduated from the University of Maryland in 2019. During his time in College Park, he worked for The Diamondback, the school’s student newspaper.

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