Maya Mitchell

My Recent Work

CommonWealth Beacon •

“They’re in everything:” Massachusetts lawmakers explore solutions to forever chemicals

As the risk of toxic forever chemicals grows, a handful of Massachusetts legislators and advocates are looking for solutions to the complex problem.

Last week, a group of Massachusetts lawmakers, agency officials, and advocates visited Maine to speak with well owners and farmers who have been impacted by the contamination of forever chemicals and learn more from Maine about how to deal with the problems they create.
Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances, also known as PFAS or forever chemicals, a...
Greenfield Recorder •

Massachusetts educators grappling with suspended high school graduation requirements

Teachers and state educators are grappling with suspended statewide high school graduation requirements and what it means for the future of Massachusetts high school diplomas.
Last November, a voter referendum eliminated the need for high schoolers to pass the state standardized test — the Massachusetts Comprehensive Assessment System — to obtain a high school diploma. Since then, state-approved high school graduation requirements have been in limbo....
Cape Cod Times •

MA grapples with long-term ramifications of voting 'yes' to suspend MCAS requirement

With graduation season in full swing, teachers and state educators are grappling with suspended statewide high school graduation requirements and what it means for the future of Massachusetts high school diplomas.Last November, a voter referendum eliminated the need for high schoolers to pass the state standardized test — the Massachusetts Comprehensive Assessment System — to obtain a high school diploma. Since then, state-approved high school graduation requirements have been in limbo.The refer...
CommonWealth Beacon •

Flooding in Massachusetts drains money, energy, and resources

FOR OVER 50 years Lenny Linquata has owned a stretch of harbor and land on the waterfront where he runs the Gloucester House restaurant, the 7 Seas Whale Watch, and a charter boat company. He inherited it from his family, which, he said, has been living in the area for over 100 years.  One to three times a year, the parking lot that sits in between the businesses floods. The businesses used to as well, but over the past 20 years, Linquata has done several renovations to raise the elevation of hi...
The Daily Free Press •

BU is suffering from ‘unsustainable’ budget practices, University officials say

On the 17th floor of the Center for Computing and Data Sciences, Boston University’s newest and most expensive building, BU administrators outlined the University’s financial troubles to a room of faculty.
For months, the BU’s finances had been a subject of discussion for students, faculty and staff in the wake of federal funding cuts and an increase in tuition and housing prices.
The faculty assembly on March 31 was led by BU President Melissa Gilliam, Chief Financial Officer Nicole Tirella, Un...
CommonWealth Beacon •

How higher temperatures and more pollen are affecting the health of Boston residents

IN HER 20 YEARS of practicing medicine in Boston, Dr. Robyn Riseberg has seen symptoms of illnesses like asthma and seasonal allergies worsening, and she’s observed personally how the flu and RSV seasons seem to be getting longer. As a pediatrician and founder of Boston Community Pediatrics, Riseberg has seen patients through countless cold New England winters and hot summers, the Covid-19 pandemic, and various strains of common illnesses. “We’ve definitely seen an increase in respiratory infect...
CommonWealth Beacon •

Higher ed board approves new guidelines for students with disabilities

THE BOARD OF HIGHER EDUCATION unanimously approved new guidelines to help state colleges and universities in Massachusetts run programs for students with disabilities. The board was charged with establishing guidelines for a law passed in 2022 aimed at creating more higher education opportunities for students with “severe intellectual disabilities, severe autism spectrum disorders and other severe developmental disabilities.”  Under the new law, young people aged 22 and older with intellectual d...
Daily Hampshire Gazette •

COVID 5 years later: Is Massachusetts prepared for another pandemic?

A FedEx driver returning to his truck is the only activity at 12:30 on Main Street in Northampton, Monday, Apr. 13, 2020. STAFF FILE PHOTOFive years after the first case of what was then a novel coronavirus infection, health care professionals and state legislators worry Massachusetts isn’t ready if another pandemic were to happen.


Today, they say, public health and health care in Massachusetts is forever changed. Hospitals still have not recovered in terms o...
The Patriot Ledger •

COVID+5: Health care pros, legislators say Mass. may not be ready for another pandemic

Five years after the first case of what was then a novel coronavirus infection, health care professionals and state legislators worry Massachusetts isn’t ready if another pandemic were to happen.

Today, they say, public health and health care in Massachusetts is forever changed. Hospitals still have not recovered in terms of bed capacity and health care worker burnout.

And while the virus has not mutated since the Omicron variant emerged in November 2021 — and COVID-19 is now treated similarly...
CommonWealth Beacon •

Compassion and costs collide in shelter debate

STATE LEADERS continued to struggle this week to balance the commitment to sheltering homeless families with fiscal concerns about runaway costs.  The issue landed on Wednesday in the Senate, which signed off on $425 million in funding for emergency assistance shelter services. The supplemental spending bill approved by senators largely echoes a version passed last week by the House, imposing new limits on shelter stays and rules for screening applicants.  The 33-6 vote was almost entirely along...
The Daily Free Press •

‘I’m going to get killed’: Boston cyclists stress need for better bike infrastructure – The Daily Free Press

When Boston University junior Jerry Zhou bikes up and down Commonwealth Avenue, he stops at every red light and yields to pedestrians. 
He believes himself to be a “conservative biker,” but despite taking precautions, he was hit by a car twice last year. The first time he was hit, his bike was damaged and he went to urgent care.
“I try to preserve my own safety when I bike to and from class,” Zhou said. “But even when you do that, you can still get hit by a car.”
In September 2022, Mayor Michell...
The Daily Free Press •

When the campus blends into the city, safety challenges arise after dark – The Daily Free Press

Boston University’s location and city campus are unique features many other colleges lack, but having an open campus comes with a set of safety and security concerns. 
All three of BU’s campuses are open to the public. The largest of BU’s three campuses, the Charles River Campus, spans more than 10 blocks across Commonwealth Avenue and is more than a mile long. It spans across many neighborhoods, and the Green Line B branch runs right through campus. The Fenway Campus and Medical Campus are both...
The Daily Free Press •

COM professor formerly on paid leave, no longer teaching at BU – The Daily Free Press

College of Communication professor Tinker Ready no longer works at Boston University, following an investigation by the Equal Opportunity Office. The investigation, which was updated and shared with Ready in May, found that she violated the EOO’s Prohibition on Retaliation Policy, according to documents obtained by The Daily Free Press. 
The EOO opened an investigation into Ready following her actions toward now-sophomore Shelby Rose Long, who was a student in her spring Introduction to Communic...
AP News •

When House members travel the globe on private dime, families often go too

They are the U.S. House’s frequent fliers — representatives who have traveled the country and the world on official business paid for by private interest groups. Over the past decade, they have accepted nearly $4.3 million for airfare, lodging, meals and other travel expenses.Almost one-third of those payments — just over $1.4 million — covered the costs for a lawmaker’s relative to join the trip.From European enclaves such as Rome, Geneva and Copenhagen to oceanfront golf resorts on both Americ...
The Daily Free Press •

Students, administration uncertain about BUGWU strike as semester ends – The Daily Free Press

Students, administrators and union members at Boston University face uncertainty about union contracts and academics as the semester comes to an end. 
The BU Graduate Workers Union strike began on March 25 after months of failed contract negotiations between the union and BU administration. The union — which consists of graduate teaching assistants, graduate teaching fellows and research assistants — went on strike for increased wages and benefits, childcare funding for working families, a more...
The Daily Free Press •

BU ResLife Union workers currently voting process on strike authorization – The Daily Free Press

Boston University’s ResLife Union is casting their ballots to vote for a union strike authorization, after unsuccessful negotiations with the university.

On March 28, the ResLife Union announced an urgent general membership meeting to “recap bargaining and discuss serious escalation next steps.” Voting will continue until April 11, the same day as the next bargaining session.

In an Instagram post today, The ResLife Union posted the requests BU must comply with to avert a strike.
The Daily Free Press •

Office of Provost changes payroll policy amid BUGWU strike – The Daily Free Press

See more Daily Free Press coverage of the BUGWU strike here.
Boston University’s Office of the Provost issued an updated payroll policy in response to the ongoing Boston University Graduate Workers Union strike.
“Our graduate student workers have the right to strike, but the University also has a legal right to withhold compensation from striking employees for the days they are on strike,” the Office of the Provost wrote on its website. 
The Office of the Provost wrote that graduate student work...
The Daily Free Press •

BU StuGov discusses BUGWU strike, Arabian Nights event, spring concert – The Daily Free Press

Boston University Student Government approved a resolution endorsing the BU Graduate Workers Union, approved funding for an event hosted by BU Arabs and gave updates on the free Iftar meal program Monday. 
StuGov approved a resolution to amend Senate Resolution 21, in which StuGov would openly endorse the strike. The resolution also condemned the “anti-union messaging disseminated by the Office of the Provost,” referring to recent communications shared with BU students regarding the strike, whic...
The Daily Free Press •

BUGWU strike rally attracts support from students, faculty, local politicians – The Daily Free Press

See more Daily Free Press coverage of the BUGWU strike here.
 
Undergraduate students, local politicians, and professors showed up to support the Boston University Graduate Workers Union during their first rally at noon today in Marsh Plaza.
In her speech addressing grad workers, U.S. Representative Ayanna Pressley said she supports the “essential work” they do and has “got [their] back every step of the way.” 
“I’m proud to stand with the BU Grad Workers Union,” Pressley said. “I’ll continue al...
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