Category: Local

Inspiring the Next Generation: HVCC Hosts 12th Annual Girls in STEM Conference

The Hudsonian Newspaper

Lindsay Powers || Staff Writer || Issue 18

The last weekend in March, Hudson Valley Community College hosted its 12th annual Girls in STEM Conference, a free event for girls in 4th through 8th grade. The conference is designed to inspire girls to pursue careers in technology, engineering, and math through interactive learning. 

Students who attended the conference were able to explore the STEM field through hands-on activities aimed at nurturing interest in science- and technology-based careers. According to the United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), only 35% of STEM graduates globally are women, making programs like STEM even more essential for girls. 

Girls in STEM Event, The Troy Record

The conference kicked off with a youth-focused lecture in the Bulmer Telecommunications Center on the main campus from 9 a.m to 11:30 a.m, featuring Molly Mulligan, Ph.D., as the keynote speaker. Mulligan, a space medicine researcher who has collaborated with NASA, spoke to students about careers in science and working in space-related fields.

Following the Keynote, students rotated through their selected 45-minute workshop, which included operating robotic arms, building and testing electronic circuits, using engineering tools to construct small projects, and dissecting owl pellets. 

There were also sessions that introduced students to architecture design, applied mathematics, and environmental science through small-group instruction. HVCC faculty members and STEM professionals led the workshops, which emphasized experimentation, collaboration, and real-world applications. 

This year, organizers limited attendance to only two hundred students to allow small-group workshops and for students to make mistakes while interacting with instructors in a supportive learning environment. Organizers believe this format will encourage participation and make students feel more comfortable while exploring subjects that they may be unfamiliar with. 

HVCC has hosted this conference for over ten years and plans to continue hosting the STEM Conference as part of its ongoing efforts to connect girls with science, technology, engineering, and mathematics.

The City of Albany Facing $22 Million Budget Deficit

The Hudsonian Newspaper

Lindsay Powers || Staff Writer || Issue 17

Albany City Mayor Dr. Dorcey Applyrs announced the city will have a $22 million deficit by 2026, while facing backlash over her administration’s spending decisions. According to Mayor Applyrs, the city was already dealing with a structural deficit of $15 million. 

In a memo to city workers on March 19, Mayor Applyrs announced that she had instituted a freeze on non-essential positions, reduced non-emergency overtime, and limited travel and equipment purchases. 

In a statement released to CBS 6, Mayor Applyrs said, “This week I implemented a series of citywide financial measures across every department,” Mayor Applyrs said. “This included, number one, a hiring freeze.”

WAMC

Some city officials still have unanswered questions and concerns about Mayor Applyrs’s administration’s financial choices, such as $1,800 spent on life-sized vinyl record-themed handouts for her State of the City address and a recent trip to Baltimore, Maryland. The mayor’s office has also created new positions and increased salaries for city workers, including a 13% increase in Mayor Applyrs’s salary, from $143,000 to $160,000. 

During a council hearing on February 19th, Councilmember Deirdre Brodie said, “We need to know that we can afford these salary raises this year, and how we are affording them in the future”.  Councilmember Brodie’s other concern is “This bill was put forth within days of starting the fiscal year gives me very little confidence that these unsustainable increases will slow.” 

Despite the backlash over Mayor Applyrs expenditures, she continues to defend her administration’s decisions, saying, “We have been learning about our city’s fiscal picture in real time,” adding. “And even with that, there is essential work that still must happen. I stand behind every decision that my team has made to this point.” Mayor Applyrs cited economic pressures, such as inflation, rising interest rates, and declining federal support, as the culprits behind the city’s growing deficit. 

City officials said they will announce additional steps to address the fiscal challenges the City of Albany will face in the coming months.