Voters opinions on the 2024 election, restaurant servers' stances on question 5, Massachusetts students no longer needing to pass M.C.A.S. to earn their Diploma, East Boston's 2024 Dia de los Muertos festival, Boston's police force welcomes in a new generation of officers, and an interview with the Site Director of the Greater Boston branch of the non-profit organization Per Scholas.
WBCA Podcasts
Boston Neighborhood Network News
(upbeat music) - Good evening Boston, welcome to BNN News. It's Friday, November 8th, 2024. I'm Natalie Kanler, thanks for tuning in. On Tuesday, the city of Boston was buzzing with anticipation as millions cast to their ballots and held their breath for their presidential hopeful. And BNN was on the street to see voters takes on the 2024 election. - It's a very consequential election. It's very polarized right now. There's a lot of things at stake, a lot of very big world events. So there's just an overall anxiety. - Woke up this morning, was feeling very frazzled about things, but has spent the whole day on that 270 to win interactive map, trying to like, "Well, if these guys win this state and they win that, "then we can still love law." So that's kind of been helping, or it's making it worse, I can't tell. - Despite the sense of division we often see in the media, many voters believe that we share far more common ground than we might realize. - It's kind of hard, but sometimes when you wanna compromise, you have to take one step backwards to take a step forward. And if you're not willing to compromise, then it doesn't really work out too well. - I think there are some people that actually on paper have some big disagreements, but actually in person agree more than they think. And then I also think there are some people that have some very different views and are prone to conflict a bit more. But I am hopeful that on issues like this, it can bring people together more. - Regardless of the winner of the 2024 presidential election, these voters who range across the board are asking for leadership that will unite us. - But I think what's most important is to have leadership who is focused on bringing people together and no matter what party they're from, serving all of the American people. So I think that that's probably the most important step to bridging that gap. - I think that if we work together and love our neighbor, that that's what anyone can do to move forward. 'Cause if we focus so much on the parties, that's what divides us. I mean, I agree with both sides and it's just really hard when you look at the bigger picture and argue with each other. So it just breaks us all apart. - From a party standpoint, it has to be a discussion or at least a way that people can ask questions and debate, you know, respectfully, but at the same time, do what's in the best interest of the people. So as soon as that happens, then I'll have a little bit more faith. But, you know, I think that that's the first step. - The 2024 election will shape our nation's future. But by uniting our collective power, we can move forward together. - Thank you. - In continuance with our 2024 election coverage, BNN's Eliana Marcu found out that some people think in the long run, yes on question five, would have done more harm than good. - Jeremiah Nestor has been a server for 25 years. He says he's worried about question five because he's afraid he'll get less tips. - The entire basis of tipping is to promote good service. And once you start removing that and bringing it down to a minimum wage, you are going to remove the servers that have been in the industry for a long time. - The Massachusetts Restaurant Association tells us that 86% of people in the restaurant industry are against question five. - Ed Kane is the owner of Big Night Entertainment Group, which employs over 1,000 servers and bartenders. He says having to pay workers higher wages will force restaurants to let go of staff. - Is that interaction, that personal touch, that person who understands what you might want and what you're missing on the menu? And when you replace that with the QR code, it's a whole different game, right? It's like you're in the fast casual business, not quite in the hospitality business anymore. - Dr. Kevin Lang is an economics professor at Boston University. He says question five poses the biggest risk to small restaurants. There are restaurants that will close down or will change the way that they provide table service. We've seen in some places where the minimum wage has gone up, that the less successful restaurants go out of business. - Question five did not pass with over 60% of voters voting no. For BNN, I'm Eliana Marku. - On Tuesday, the MCAS requirement was on the ballot and BNN reporter Maya Mitchell talked to voters at the Boston Public Library how they were feeling about this controversial question. - This ballot knocked out one requirement to get this diploma. You no longer need to pass the Massachusetts comprehensive assessment system or MCAS to graduate high school. Opinions about the requirement are mixed. Dorchester resident, Ronaldo Brown voted no to keep it. - The test is really about showing your qualifications to advance. You know, I stay up Dorchester. Lady got a 17-year-old son. Don't wanna go to school. Is he blaming that on MCAS? Or is he blaming that on him being a dropout? - Other Boston voters feel differently. - Between testing, projects, homework, presentations, essays, there's a better comprehensive way of judging a student and whether they can succeed or not in school. Not really just how they can fill a bubble in a test. - Election data shows that the ballot measured passed with nearly 60% of the vote. If you're currently in high school, you no longer need to pass the MCAS in order to graduate. For V&N, I'm Maya Mitchell. - On Sunday, the spirit of Mexican culture was alive at the Dia de Muertos Festival in East Boston. On Sunday, a high-spirited parade marched through the streets of East Boston, welcoming in the annual Dia de Muertos, the celebration of life, death, and family, which brings peace to the celebrants of this event. - I think it's so important for us as a community, whether you're Latino or not, to be able to remember our loved ones and to be able to remember all the joy that they brought to us. It's incredibly important. If you've ever seen the movie Coco, I feel like people do pass away when we forget about them. So it's important to commemorate them, bring them all their best, all their favorite foods, and just celebrate the life that they had. I've always kind of felt a connection to this kind of culture. My grandma grew up, I grew up with my grandma always doing a sister city program in Mexico. So I grew up around this culture a lot, and it just kind of is really nice to reminisce on these people and honor them and think that they're still with us to a degree. They never got to see me as an adult, but I kind of get to feeling like they're still around me. - Participants celebrated with a parade of costumes, music, and dancing, all taking the time to honor and remember those who have died, remembering that they aren't really gone. They are with us all the time. - I think putting everyone's pictures on the altar brings community together. It's more than just you and your close loved ones remembering someone special to you. It's the entire community. Everyone who celebrates Dia de los Muertos is here to remember and to celebrate the life of those that we've lost. The spirit lives on and I think we just have to spend time to slow down in this busy world and say thank you. Thank you for being a great teacher. Thank you for being here and also thank you for just keeping your spirit with me and always being there to carry me through life. - Even after the celebration ended, the spirit of loved ones remained vibrant in the hearts of all who gathered, reminding us that though they may be gone, they are never truly far from us. - Last week, 123 new officers pledged to protect Boston, bringing diverse backgrounds and a dedication to strengthening the city's safety and community bonds. - On Friday, the next class of Boston law enforcement officers raised their right hands to pledge their commitment to serving and protecting the city of Boston and its people. - Many months ago, you championed alongside me, as I stepped humbly but fully into this road, I promised you that I would be all in, someone that you could confidently put your trust in to lead and to be an example. For us to now be here in our blues, preparing to cross the stage, receiving our badge, it all came to fruition just as I have imagined it would. - These 123 graduates spent 29 weeks preparing for police enforcement through physical, tactical and classroom training, with 27 of them having previously served in the military. - Each of you brings something special and important to the job. Thank you to the 27 of you who are extending your legacy of service, having already served in the National Guard, the Army, the Navy or the Marine Corps. Thank you to the 25 of you who have signed up to serve this city, our city, even though your hometowns are an ocean away. Thank you to the 12 of you who knew early on that this line of work was your calling and came to us through the Boston Police Cadet Program. And thank you to all 123 of you, representing every single one of Boston's neighborhoods for signing up to be the ambassadors, mentors, peacemakers and community builders that the Boston Police Department expects every single one of our officers to be. - And this class is a shining example of how the Boston Police Academy instills a positive attitude and commitment in its officers so that they continue to keep the community of Boston safe. - As a class, you are friendly, engaging and not only kept people safe, but you made them feel safe. We're living in a world today right now where people don't necessarily feel too safe. But there are actually people out there trying to make us feel more anxious. The badge you represent is not only about public safety, but it's also here to make people understand that we are here to provide public safety and to keep them safe and to help them feel safe. - The Boston Police Academy has been committed to increasing diversity in its officers, and this year was no exception. With 59 recruits speaking one or more languages other than English with 16 total languages, these officers are equipped with the knowledge and training required to create a safer and more equitable Boston. - Per Scholars is a non-profit organization that provides tuition-free, high-quality tech training to help individuals launch successful careers in technology. By partnering with businesses, they focus on creating pathways to economic mobility for underrepresented communities across the nation. Tyrone Ramnath, the site director of Per Scholars Greater Boston joined us in studio to discuss how they are unlocking potential and changing the face of technology. Enjoy the interview. - Tell us what is Per Scholars and how are you changing the face of the tech industry? - So I love this question because Per Scholars is a national organization. We're not only here in Boston, but we're in 23 locations across the country, and we came to Boston five years ago. Per Scholars is a workforce-based organization that we're really trying to change the face of tech here. We are taking folks from underrepresented communities and giving them an opportunity to experience learning for free. And that's what we do. We have these 13 to 15-week-long programs that are free for all of our learners, very, very much a bootcamp style in IT, cybersecurity, AWS, software engineering. Next year, we'll be doing Salesforce Administrator. And then we're pitching them to companies and saying, hey, this is great talent. You want great talent. You want a diverse talent pool here. And what's really awesome about Per Scholars is that the average age is about 33. You have 18 to 50, 60-year-olds. We have really blended classes. And I think that's what really differentiates Per Scholars from anybody else is that there's no age restriction. As long as you have that willingness and eagerness to pursue tech, we're willing to help you. - Awesome, and yeah, that was my next question. And if you could speak a little bit more to it, what makes Per Scholars so different from any other higher ed institution or classes or training that people could take? - I would say firstly, it's free for the learner. We are not charging a thing. You get your textbooks for free. If you need a loan or laptop, you get that for free. Everything that you're doing, it doesn't charge you whatsoever. Secondly, it's 13 to 15-week-long. It is very much bootcamp style. Four days of technical training, one day of professional development. Because we really believe that, yes, the technical skills is gonna get you the job, but the professional development is gonna help you maintain the job. So that's why we really believe in that pronged approach of technical and professional development. Not only do we do that, after the 13 and 15 weeks, we provide them with job searching help, helping with the resumes, helping them with the cover letters, with their LinkedIn, with the mock interviews. They need help with any job interviews coming up. We'll do that. Up to two years after they graduate, they could always pick up the phone and give us a call. And we're like, hey, we wanna help. - Awesome, so it's not even just a training facility or a mentorship place. It's also a resource that they can all back on. And yeah, you talked a little bit about the age diversity. Can you talk a little bit more about what other communities you specifically reach out to and how that attributes to the wide range of diversity that you guys have? - Yeah, so I would say that our population is blended. Not only terms of race, but in terms of age, in terms of where people are from. Just today, I was in the class and we have folks from Afghanistan, Ethiopia, Albania, China, some Latin American countries as well. And it's so beautiful to see that everyone, even though no matter where they are coming from, they all have that hunger for IT. And that's such a beautiful thing. Frisco's really believes in diversity, equity, inclusion. It is in our breath, it's in our DNA. We really wanna make sure that all of our learners come in, even though no matter what zip code that they're coming in from, that they feel welcomed, that they feel at home here. That's part of my job as site director at Frisco's Greater Boston, is to make sure you are a learner. I know you come into the most innovative square mile in the world, Kendall Square, but how do you have an impact here? Your voice does matter here. What you're learning and what you're gonna take from here is gonna impact the world. So how do we make you have a voice in our classes, in these mock interviews? When you're talking to all these corporate partners, when you're going out into the community to all these networking, that you're not feeling that you have imposted the syndrome, but you are like, no, I actually belong here. And that's what I really love about Frisco's is we're really bridging that gap and creating an opportunity for anyone who really wants it. Yeah, absolutely. And not everybody knows that this is available to them as well. So, when we talk about job training, a lot of people talk about soft skills. What sort of soft skills do the learners work on at Frisco? I was alluding to this a little bit earlier. Like the statement that we love to say is the technical skills gets you the job. The soft skills is what helps you maintain that job. And here at Frisco is not only are we working on those cover letters, those LinkedIn's, the mock interviews to help you get there, but what is the things that you need to learn while you're there? How to be an effective communicator? How to be one who works well on teams? How do we want to like project manage and be organized and be timely? All of our learners we come in and say, hey, we need you here early. On time is late, the late is unacceptable. We want to make sure that you're coming and dressed to when pressed because you're never going to know who's you're going to meet. The communication, you're going to be communicating with teams whether you are a SOC analyst after graduation or a health desk after graduation. How do you communicate what issues are taking place for this person's laptop who has zero clue about technology? I think that's what I also like about like things that we're trying to do in terms of like our capstone projects. For example, our cybersecurity, they just went on a capstone and said, hey, how do we create a network for Skolas? I'm not an IT professional whatsoever. I don't even know what an IP address is not going to lie to you, but I'm saying, okay, we have this capstone project. It's a beautiful thing. Make that make sense for me. So not only are you able to talk the talk about tech, but you're also explaining it. All of our jobs at an IT is not always in an IT company. Every location, every business is an IT organization. If you think about it, they have some IT aspect. So not everyone's going to know the ins and outs of IT. So I think that's what Priscolas is beautiful and sense that we're giving them these skills on how to be effective communicators, how to cross collaborate across different teams because you never know where you're going to end up, but they have the skills that are already in their back pocket. - Absolutely. And those are skills that people develop over time. So the fact that you guys have a program where everything is condensed and it's digestible is probably really helpful for people who don't even know where to start, right? - Right, exactly. - So can you talk about how many students find success after completing the program and what sort of jobs and careers do they find themselves succeeding in? - Yeah, so we have a graduation rate of 80% nationally, but every kickoff, every 13, 15 weeks, we do a kickoff and I say, look, look to the person to your left, look into the person to the right. Statistically only 80% of you is going to make it. However, I am believing that you made it through this admission process for a reason. You have granted outside challenges may come up along the way, right? Whether it's family emergencies or something along those lines. But about 80% nationally do find success here. 80% job placement rate is our goal. Here in Boston, we are really striving for wages at least $26 and up. We see a difference that learners who enter our program and make three times the amount, which is awesome. That's the goal, that's the impact that we have. And I was mentioning a little bit earlier, we are helping our learners become an industry for IT support in terms of like help desk, in terms of soft analysts, in terms of like job developers, that is our goal. That's the impact that we're trying to have. - Thank you for watching Boston. That's our broadcast for tonight. As a reminder, you can stream or watch the news on demand@bnnmedia.org. Each episode will be rebroadcast at 9.30 p.m. and 11 p.m. on XFINITY channel nine, a stand channel 15 and five channel 2161. And make sure to check out our BNN HD XFINITY channel 1072. You can also hear us on the radio on Fridays at 7.30 and 9 p.m. And Monday through Thursday at 9 p.m. And now you can watch BNN news on the go with the Kibblecast app. For BNN news, I'm Natalie Kanler. I'll see you next Friday. (upbeat music) [MUSIC PLAYING]