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Student or Visitor?
Prithika Venugopal
May 27, 2026
In March 2025, a Tufts University doctoral student from Turkey had her visa stripped away after constructing an opinion piece critical of her university’s position on the war in Gaza. The administration’s argument is that a visa is a privilege, not a right, and that non-citizens do not enjoy the same First Amendment protections as Americans. This view is flawed; it misunderstands the nature of a student visa and the values America claims to uphold.
Legally, the F-1 student visa frames its recipient as no more than a temporary visitor. Federal standards state that students have to maintain a foreign residence they have no intention of abandoning. This suggests someone visiting, not putting down roots. But the reality of a doctoral program tells a different story. Graduate students can spend around seven years on American campuses. They teach undergraduates, conduct research, serve on committees, and become key parts of their university communities. They do not come to America to visit attractions. They come with the intent of changing the world.
Starting in elementary school every kid is taught that America is a ‘melting pot’. A nation where people from all walks of life are invited to become part of a shared civic life. The melting pot assumes that newcomers will engage, debate, and contribute their voices to the national conversation. A student who writes an op-ed in the school newspaper is doing exactly that. She is acting like a citizen in every meaningful sense, even if her passport says otherwise. So when the government punishes her for speaking, it sends a contradictory message: “We want you to join our community, but only if you lose your voice.” They strive to strip them of any authentic thought.
There is a deeper constitutional principle at play. The First Amendment does not say “citizens” have freedom of speech. It says “the people” do. Courts have long recognized that non-citizens within the United States are among “the people” entitled to constitutional protections. Federal judges have already pushed back on the administration’s position. In a similar case regarding a revoked student visa, a judge ruled that the government likely acted in a “viewpoint-discriminatory way to chill protected speech.” Another judge, appointed by President Reagan, deduced that the administration’s choice violated the First Amendment. This matters because of what the Supreme Court has repeatedly said about laws that target specific beliefs. In cases involving religious freedom, the Court has ruled that the government cannot single out particular viewpoints for punishment. If the government only revokes visas from students who speak out on one side of the Gaza conflict, while leaving students with opposing views untouched, that is in no way neutral enforcement.
The government is correct in saying that a visa is a privilege. No one has a right to study in the United States. But once a person is here, the Constitution follows. The government cannot condition a privilege on giving up a constitutional right. It is inherently flawed, similar to a town stating “Usage of the public park is permitted as long as the individual does not criticize the mayor. “ The Supreme Court has struck down such conditions before.
America invites students from around the world to join its universities. It asks them to engage, to learn, and to contribute. When they do that, either by joining a debate or composing an op-ed, the government punishes them. A student visa may call its holder a visitor, but the Constitution treats them as a person. That protection should not depend on which side of a political argument they stand on.
Prithika Venugopal is a 12th grader at Rocky Hill High School
Connecticut Foundation for Open Governement high school essay contest
Each year, the Connecticut Foundation for Open Government sponsors an essay contest open to all high-school students in the state. The contest focuses on First Amendment and open information issues. This year, students chose from three prompts (edited here for space constraints): 1.) the potential limitations on hate speech following the fatal shooting of conservative activist Charlie Kirk; 2.) the arrest and revocation of the student visa of a Tufts University Ph.D. student from Turkey who had written an opinion piece for the school newspaper critical of the university’s position on the war in Gaza; 3.) the banning of the Associated Press from Oval Office events and Air Force One following its refusal to refer to the Gulf of Mexico as the Gulf of America, which is President Trump’s preferred name.
The Lakeville Journal has obtained permission to publish the 2026 top three winners out of 70 entries from across Connecticut. First place went to Nora Kallusky, a senior at Ridgefield High School. There was a tie for Second Place, so Mayumi Iwai, a junior at Greenwich High School, and Prithika Venugopal, a senior at Rocky Hill High School, both received that honor.
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Secretary of State campaigns on election security message in Salisbury
Ruth Epstein
May 27, 2026
Secretary of State Stephanie Thomas visits with Lee Greenhouse and Flora Lazar at the Salisbury Democratic Town Committee meeting Tuesday as committee Chairman Al Ginouves looks on.
Ruth Epstein
SALISBURY – Connecticut Secretary of State Stephanie Thomas, who recently secured the Democratic endorsement for reelection, spoke Tuesday, May 19, at a meeting of the Salisbury Democratic Town Committee.
Thomas centered her remarks around what she describes as ongoing threats to the country’s election system, describing the past year and half as “crazy.”
She said the administration in Washington, D.C., has sought to alter voting procedures, but said resistance from states has been growing, with many filing lawsuits.
“Thirty states have refused the request to turn over their voting rolls,” Thomas said. “All the cases have been lost by the Department of Justice.”
She also discussed one of President Donald Trump' s executive orders, which she said could give the United States Postal Service a role in determining the eligibility for mail-in voting and allow postal workers to reject ballots from voters not included on newly created federal voter lists.
“That is still in court, and most are being stopped by injunctions,” she said.
Thomas also addressed what she described as threats by the current administration to deploy federal agents to polling locations to oversee elections.
Thankfully, she said, there is bipartisan pushback against the idea across the country.
Thomas said she is equally concerned about what she describes as the gutting of the U.S. Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency, known as CISA, which is part of the Department of Homeland Security.
She said the cuts end funding for the system that alerts state officials of election security threats across state lines. Connecticut, she said, may ultimately have to pay for voter security measures itself.
The administration also stopped funding the Election Infrastructure Information Sharing and Analysis Center, or EI-ISAC, which alerts state officials to active election threats in other states.
Noting she often hears how lucky people in Connecticut are, Thomas pointed to legislation signed that day – May 19 – by Gov. Ned Lamont enacting a no-excuse absentee ballot law. Voters will no longer need to meet one of the six limited requirements to obtain such a ballot.
Asked about early voting schedules for the November election, Thomas said there will be no changes from last year, though tabulators will now be allowed for those ballots.
In traveling across the state to discuss her role, she often focuses on such topics as business fraud and labor trafficking. Thomas said she enjoys speaking at schools, but lamented that her office has no funding for voter education.
Thomas was raised in New Jersey in affordable housing, and said she recalls times when her home was dark because the electricity was shut off. She worked hard at her studies and was given a scholarship to attend New York University.
Most of her career has been spent in the nonprofit sector as a way of giving back. Although politics was not an aspiration, listening to the Trump and Hillary Clinton debates spurred her interest.
After moving to Norwalk, Conn., Thomas saw there were eight representatives in the area running unopposed. Feeling voters deserved a choice, she launched an unsuccessful 2018 bid for state representative in the 143rd district, running again successfully in 2020. When former Secretary of State Denise Merrill announced she was not seeking re-election in 2022, Thomas threw her hat into the ring.
“It was the best job I ever had until January 2025,” she said, alluding to the official start of the second Trump administration. “It’s been difficult.”
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Sharon Playhouse season marquee goes up
Aly Morrissey
May 27, 2026
Aly Morrissey
SHARON –The Sharon Fire Department helped install the Sharon Playhouse summer season marquee Tuesday, May 19, unveiling this year's MainStage and YouthStage productions.
"The moment our marquee goes up for the season is when we finally feel like 'Game On! It's showtime," said an enthusiastic Michael Baldwin, the Playhouse's education and community director.
"We're so grateful for the Sharon Fire Department for their support each year."
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Teo Tacos officially opens doors on North Canaan's Main Street
Christian Murray
May 27, 2026
North Canaan’s newest taco spot opens its doors May 21 at 85 Main St.
Madi Long
NORTH CANAAN – Teo Tacos officially opened its doors Thursday, May 21, at 85 Main St., bringing a new family-run Mexican restaurant to downtown North Canaan.
Owned by Carlos Gomez, who is originally from Mexico, and his wife, Yesica Gomez, from the Dominican Republic, the restaurant occupies the former McMuckle’s Market space near the train station. Customers began arriving shortly after the doors opened at noon Thursday, with about 10 people stopping in during the first hour, Yesica Gomez said.
Among the first customers Thursday was Sarai Perez of Bristol, who came specifically to support the new business.
“I’ve known her for a couple of years and I know that she cooks very good,” Perez said. “So I wanted to be one of the first to come here and try out her food.”
The husband-and-wife duo, who live in Torrington, said they were drawn to North Canaan because of the town’s strong sense of community.
“We would always travel through North Canaan,” Carlos Gomez said last month. "We saw the town, and it always looked like a happy town. There are always people walking around, and we love to see that.”
The couple had originally planned to open April 30, but Yesica Gomez said delays related to fire marshal inspections and required approvals pushed the opening back until May 21.
Inside, bright orange walls, wood tables and large arched mirrors create a casual dining atmosphere. The menu features tacos, burritos, enchiladas, quesadillas, nachos, chips and salsa, and guacamole. Yesica Gomez said the restaurant also plans to introduce a breakfast menu in the coming days.
Teo Tacos seats about 40 people and does not serve alcohol. The restaurant is located near Trackside Tacos, which opened in July 2025.
The restaurant’s name, Teo Tacos, is a tribute to Carlos Gomez’s mother, Teodora, who still lives in Mexico.
Teo Tacos will operate from 7 a.m. to 9 p.m. Thursday through Monday. The restaurant will be closed Tuesdays and open from 7 a.m. to 5 p.m. Wednesdays.
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Farmers market brews up success in Colebrook
John Coston
May 27, 2026
Founders Devin Grosso, left, April Carter, middle, and Lisa Auclair attract a large crowd at the inaugural farmer’s market May 20.
John Coston
COLEBROOK – More than 100 people turned out Wednesday, May 20, for the inaugural Northwest Farm to Fork farmers market at Norbrook Farm Brewery, where 12 vendors gathered under the venue’s new pavilion to sell locally grown food, baked goods and farm products.
Held at 204 Stillman Hill Road on the Colebrook-Norfolk line, the market featured a mix of local farms, food vendors and live music.
Fifteen-year-old Bailey Carlotto of Sheffield’s Rolling Rock Farm brought her gentle chicken, “Blondie,” for visitors to pet. Ty Ford, an East Canaan farmer, offered locally raised meats, rhubarb and baked goods. And The Stead Farm in Barkhamsted brought an assortment of lamb products, many of which sold out early.
“I’m just happy to see farmers coming together with the locals,” said April Carter, a fifth-generation farmer in Torrington. “It’s nice to have an easy, relaxing evening.”
Carter is one of three women who teamed up to launch the market after Norfolk’s farmers market closed last year. The other two founders are Devin Grosso and Lisa Auclair, both of Norfolk.
Grosso said the market will be held every third Wednesday through October, with 18 vendors expected at the June 17 event.
The atmosphere was festive, with live music and a beer truck.
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Salisbury reverend announces retirement after seven years
Patrick L. Sullivan
May 27, 2026
Rev. Dr. John A. Nelson of the Salisbury Congregational Church will retire Sunday, June 14 .
Patrick L. Sullivan
SALISBURY – Rev. Dr. John A. Nelson of the Salisbury Congregational Church will retire Sunday, June 14, after leading the church through the COVID-19 pandemic and a period of renewed community engagement and growth.
“I wanted to retire as thoughtfully as possible,” he said, noting the decision came after “two years of thinking and praying about it.”
Nelson came to the Salisbury church in April 2019, just months before the pandemic transformed church life and forced congregations nationwide to rethink how they gathered and worshiped.
One of the defining challenges of his tenure came shortly afterward, when the church had to quickly adapt to pandemic restrictions. Nelson said the congregation initially spaced choir members six feet apart and made services available on YouTube.
The first attempts at streaming were less than seamless.
“It was a lot of work,” Nelson said. “It was awkward. The quality wasn’t great.”
Over time, however, the church developed more polished recorded services that included music, lay readings, sermons and pre-recorded music.
“I taught myself video production,” he said.
In addition to the logistical hurdles of navigating the pandemic, Nelson said the church also grappled with the spiritual health of the congregation. He said it was clear that people were distressed.
“My phone wasn’t ringing off the hook, but the pandemic was so front of mind for everybody,” he said. “It was so destabilizing spiritually, economically. There was an abiding sense of fatigue.”
Some lasting changes emerged from that time period. Nelson said the experience made church leadership realize the importance of finding ways for people to participate in worship or church meetings using Zoom or a streaming service.
Today, church meetings are now all hybrid, and the services have eight to 10 regular watchers. Nelson said this benefits “people who can’t get out or who live at a distance but want to stay connected.”
Under Nelson’s leadership, the church also established two Bible study groups — one for men, one for women.
“Those are really important for the participants,” he said.
Nelson also pointed to a “visioning” process as one of the highlights of his time in Salisbury.
“It’s been one of the better ones I’ve experienced,” Nelson said.
The effort included forming small groups, hiring a consultant and developing an action plan focused on increasing “the visibility of the church as a hub of spiritual activity, of faith, of the community, of learning and of music.”
“Let’s see how quickly we can wear the carpets out,” Nelson remembers saying.
One visible result of that project includes the church’s First Friday concert series, held at noon on the first Friday of each month.
“These have been just phenomenal concerts,” said Nelson, who is a musician himself. “We’re lucky that [music director] David Baranowski has so many talented friends.”
The church also launched a NetZero initiative that included upgrades to lighting, heating and cooling systems, as well as the installation of an electric vehicle charger aimed at reducing emissions.
As he prepares to step away from ministry, Nelson said he believes the church is in “a really strong place.”
The congregation currently has 170 members, with average attendance around 75 people.
“That’s an energized church,” he said.
Nelson credited much of that success to the church leadership, which he described as “thoughtful and positive.
In his retirement, Nelson plans to spend more time with his wife, Angela Lomanto, their children and grandchildren. He will also focus on beekeeping, traveling, woodworking and taking piano lessons.
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