(upbeat music) - Coming up next on "NewsDepth."

Brown University reached an agreement that ended student protests on campus.

Anna shares foods from Ohio that can tell us our state's history.

A professional playwright answers some of your questions about their job.

And a Cleveland theater puts on Spanish-language productions.

"NewsDepth" is now.

(upbeat music continues) University students across the US continue to protest against a crisis in Gaza.

Hello, everybody, I'm Gabriel Kramer.

Thank you for joining us.

Student protestors are demanding universities to divest school dollars from investments in weapon manufacturers or any funds that support Israel's war effort.

Divest is the opposite of invest.

It means to give up their assets in a company.

But Brown University in Rhode Island has reached an agreement and declared the protest over.

University officials met with protest leaders and came up with a solution.

Temi Adeleye has details.

- With love, not fear.

- [Crowd] Divestment is growing near - [Temi] Since last Wednesday, the Gaza solidarity encampment has remained in tents on the Main Green to protest violence in Gaza and demand that Brown divest from any companies with ties to the Israeli government.

- Brown's endowment is invested in a host of companies like Raytheon, Lockheed Martin, and others that have direct ties to the Israeli military, and especially in the building of weapons and other materials that support the settlement of the West Bank in historic Palestine.

- [Temi] Joined by some faculty and community members over the past week.

- Oh, the institution, they should divest.

They should divest.

- [Temi] Today, an agreement was reached.

- Just a few minutes ago, four representatives from the Brown Divest Coalition have signed an agreement, and we have gotten a vote among the full corporation during their October corporation meeting.

- [Temi] Students who received conduct violations related to the encampment will not have to accept them but will remain on probation.

- Okay, the one big concession we gave up is that we gotta get the hell off this Main Green.

- [Temi] And everyone had to clean and clear the green by five.

But of course, this means no more encampments, no more protests for the rest of the academic year.

Thoughts on that?

- I mean, we were here for divestment.

It's a stipulation we had to negotiate.

I think, at the end, this is a huge win for the Divestment Campaign.

It's a huge win in terms of getting our university to actually make actionable concrete material change.

- Thank you, Temi.

Conditions remain dire across Gaza.

A new report from Doctors Without Borders says the necessary conditions for survival are absent in Rafah.

Rafah is a Palestinian city in the southern Gaza Strip, and it is where more than 1 million Palestinian people are now living after escaping northern Gaza.

Paula Hancocks has more on the growing humanitarian crisis.

(Ashraf speaks in foreign language) - [Paula] Children queue for food in Deir al-Balah.

For many in the central Gaza city, it's the first nutritious meal they have had in weeks.

(Zaki speaks in foreign language) - [Paula] This child says, "I haven't been given a meal for months because the kitchen team was struck.

We only had canned food."

The World Central Kitchen has resumed operations in Gaza, saying it served 200,000 meals Tuesday.

(Ashraf speaks in foreign language) - [Interpreter] We can see people's desperation.

People have no food, and we are all displaced.

- [Paula] More aid is starting to get in.

The UN group responsible for supporting Palestinians, UNWRA, says it is the most since late October.

US Secretary of State Anthony Blinken calls it "measurable progress," but both he and UNWRA say it still falls woefully short.

(truck honking) Last week, the World Food Programme said the flow of aid is still crippled by red tape.

- Spending hours a day to get through a checkpoint is not good enough.

Being able to only use checkpoints for a short period of the day is not good enough.

We have enough food.

It's do we have enough access?

- More than 1.2 million people are now seeking shelter in Rafah governorates.

They have very little to eat, hardly any access to medical care, little shelter, and nowhere safe to go.

- [Paula] In Gaza, every day is a battle to survive, and the situation is worsening by the day, according to the UN, saying disease and starvation are on the rise.

- We must do everything possible to avert an entirely preventable, human-made famine.

- Thank you, Paula.

Now we're shifting to news that could soon affect your school cafeteria.

In an effort to make school lunches healthier, new US standards made last month will limit added sugar and sodium in food served to the nearly 30 million children who eat at K through 12 schools.

Foods high in sugar and sodium are often low in essential nutrients.

And overconsumption of these during childhood can establish unhealthy eating patterns that persist into adulthood.

In today's Health Minute, Mandy Gaither has a closer look at the new standards and why some experts say it's a first step in the right direction.

- [Mandy] For the first time in 14 years, the USDA is reforming school meal standards across the US.

The changes will be implemented in phases over the next few years.

- Children will be eating healthier foods as a result, and we couldn't be more pleased.

- [Mandy] Beginning in the 2025-'26 school year, the new standards call for certain products, including breakfast cereals, yogurt, and flavored milk, to have specific limits on added sugars.

By the 2027-'28 school year, added sugars can't make up more than 10% of the total weekly calories for breakfasts and lunches.

- Sugars are a source of calories that have very little, no nutritional value, and one can eat food that tastes really, really good that doesn't have to have those added sugars.

- [Mandy] The new standards will also limit sodium in future school meals, requiring a 15% cut in sodium in lunches and a 10% cut in sodium in breakfast by the 2027-'28 school year.

The American Heart Association says the new standards are a step in the right direction.

- We feel like this is a path, not the destination.

There's a little bit more that can be done on added sugars and lowering salt.

- Thank you, Mandy.

And that brings us to our write-in question for the week.

Why is a healthy diet important to be successful in school?

Students can use our inbox form online or send us an email to newsdepthh@ideasstream.org to send us your answers.

Our next video is all about food, specifically food from the Buckeye State.

Ohio's unique culinary heritage reflects its rich history and immigrant influences.

Culinary refers to anything related to cooking or the kitchen.

Iconic dishes like Cincinnati chili, originating in the 1920s, blend Mediterranean flavors with American tastes.

While sauerkraut balls, likely invented by German immigrants in the 1920s and '30s, offer a taste of Akron's culture.

Anna Huntsman has this week's Know Ohio.

- Is it lunchtime yet?

My belly is rumbling and my mouth is watering.

As it happens, Ohio has some odd dishes that can tell us a lot about our state's history.

(upbeat music) Take this dish, for example, Cincinnati chili.

You either love it or you hate it, but no matter what, it is an Ohio icon.

The dish is a meat and tomato sauce with a mix of spices, including cinnamon, cumin, and chili pepper.

Traditionally, it is served on spaghetti with cheese, onions, or beans.

Cincinnati chili originated where?

Yep, you guessed it.

In Cincinnati.

In the 1920s, two brothers moved here from Macedonia in Southeast Europe.

Tom and John Kiradjieff opened their Empress Chili Parlor next to a theater when they arrived.

Their food sensation started as a Mediterranean stew, but they soon adapted it to the taste of American customers, adding the pasta underneath and the cheese on top.

Now there are chili parlors all around Cincinnati, one of the most recognizable, Skyline Chili, was started by a former Empress employee.

More immigrants to Ohio tweaked other recipes, too, like sauerkraut balls.

These round appetizers are found almost exclusively in Akron, where they were invented.

They're a mix of ground meat and sour cabbage that is breaded and deep-fried.

No one has laid claim to being the first to make these treats, but they were most likely invented by German immigrants, who in the 1920s and 1930s made up most of the population there.

A Polish immigrant is behind a big Cleveland condiment craze.

Baseball fans know that no Guardians game is complete without a hotdog covered in Bertman Ball Park Mustard.

Joseph Bertman moved to Cleveland in 1902.

When he was just 19, he began a pickle company that soon grew to sell other products like barbecue sauce, sliced pineapple, and, in 1921, the iconic mustard.

It is made with vinegar, brown mustard, and spices.

Bertman devised the exact recipe in his Cleveland garage and would deliver to stadiums around the city.

Now, let's talk dessert.

Of course, we have the buckeye chocolates.

This delightful confection pays homage to the state's nickname, the Buckeye State.

These delectable sweets consist of a creamy peanut butter filling dipped in smooth, rich chocolate, leaving a small circle of peanut butter exposed, resembling the nut of the buckeye tree.

While there is no single inventor credited with creating buckeye chocolates, they have become a popular homemade treat in Ohio and are also produced by various chocolate companies across the state.

Mmm, lunch is ready.

Sauerkraut balls are my favorite.

Ohio's culinary landscape is as diverse as its history, with unique dishes that reflect our state's rich heritage and immigrant influences.

So, which one of these Ohio culinary delicacies would you want to try?

Mmm.

(graphic whooshes) (graphic whooshes) (graphic boings) - Hmm, I've definitely tried all of these Ohio foods, but I have to say my favorite is hands down the Polish Boy, a Cleveland classic.

So which one of these Ohio foods is your favorite?

Jump over to our poll page to vote.

You can choose between Cincinnati chili, sauerkraut balls, Ball Park Mustard, buckeye chocolates, or my favorite, the Polish Boy.

And this week's poll is a multiple-choice question.

That means you can select all of your favorites.

I have the recipe you need for academic success.

You'll need clear goals, time management skills, a support system, and some healthy habits.

Preheat your academic mindset by setting clear, achievable goals, mix time management skills and healthy habits, and sprinkle in asking for support as needed.

These skills, along with art, geography, and even history, are the lessons of students participating in the culinary arts program at Dike School of the Arts are learning, and they're this week's A+ Award winners.

Chef Cartwright has been working as a teaching artist for three years, but he is not just a culinary artist.

He's also an actor, singer, and makeup artist, and has taught programs for different disciplines.

Chef's classes are not about lecturing.

He thinks that hands-on learning, along with theory and ethics, are a recipe for success in and outside the classroom.

Every lesson is a friendly competition amongst classmates.

One of the challenges was to make the most appetizing strawberry shortcakes they can.

And Alora won with her adorable kitty cakes.

A-Sharie and Amyla learned how to write a recipe to share with other people.

They had to write up clear step-by-step instructions and list out all the ingredients for the recipe.

A-Sharie picked a delicious buffalo chicken dip recipe, and Amyla wrote an easy-to-do orange chicken meal.

Oh my God, that sounds so good.

Seventh grader Sasha really likes that the school offers this elective and looks forward to class every Friday.

The program is also designed to teach students to be self-sufficient.

Self-sufficient means being able to take care of your needs without outside help.

Chef Cartwright teaches them about home economics, but in a relatable way.

The chef also told us that knowing how to cook healthy food is important to be self-sufficient.

And sometimes it could be as easy as adjusting a recipe, like making fried rice with cauliflower instead of rice.

All the students said they loved that recipe.

Nico, an 8th grader, wants to be a professional chef, so it comes as no surprise that this is their favorite class.

Nico especially likes to recreate fried chicken recipes from restaurants.

Oh, I know what I'm having for lunch.

But Alyse, on the other hand, wants to be a pastry chef, that's a chef who specializes in baked goods.

Alyse's favorite part of the class is getting to try different foods.

Christine Madden, the director of programs at the Center for Arts-Inspired Learning, told us that this culinary arts class is just the latest program they have partnered with the school to put together.

They also have courses that support teaching through art and music.

Students tell them that they really like these courses because they get job readiness, and resume-building skills.

This week's A+ Award goes to the culinary arts class for learning good communication skills and home economics, all while cooking up some delicious and nutritious meals.

Great, now I can't stop thinking about lunch.

Let's head back to the show before my stomach starts to growl.

Last week, we talked about Cleveland's Playhouse Square.

And we wanted you to send in your questions to a professional playwright about their job for our last Career Callout of the season.

A playwright is a person who uses creativity, language, and storytelling skills to craft scripts for their theater productions.

There are various types of playwrights.

Some write plays for large theaters, while others create scripts for smaller, independent productions.

Playwrights may specialize in different genres, such as comedy, drama, or musical theater.

A career as a playwright typically requires a bachelor's degree in theater, English, or a related field.

The salary range for a playwright in the United States is between to 58,000 to $100,000 a year.

The projected growth rate for this occupation is about 4% for the next 10 years.

We now meet TJ Young, an award-winning playwright and associate professor of drama at Carnegie Mellon University in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.

(upbeat music) - Hi, I'm TJ Young, and I work at Carnegie Mellon University and I am a playwright.

Now let's answer some of the questions that you have about my job.

Tavie from Northfield Elementary in Northfield wants to know, "What made you want to be a playwright?"

Well, I actually wanted to be a playwright after high school.

I did theater all through school, and by the time I got to college, I said, "I wanna write stories from my own voice."

So that's when I started writing my own plays, was my freshman year of college.

And really, I had seen a lot of great stories on stage, and I wanted to contribute to that legacy of the American theater.

Maxwell from Monroe Road Elementary in Lambertville, Michigan, asks, "How do you do your job?"

Well, Maxwell, it's almost like giving yourself homework for the rest of your life.

I sit down and I think of play ideas, and I spend hours at the computer typing them up.

I also have friends read them, I have directors read them, I have actors read them, and they give me feedback.

And then I do what your teachers ask you to do.

I edit and rewrite.

And that happens over and over and over and over again.

A lot of it is just taking all the things that you're actually learning in your English class about revision and applying that to your plays.

Khalana from Euclid Middle School in Euclid writes, "I have always wanted to write or be in a play, so my question is, how fun is it to write the plays you write?"

I'll tell you, Khalana, it is the most fun I have.

I like to think I can't process the world unless I am writing.

And so when I get behind a keyboard and I'm able to tell the stories that I want to tell, it's the most free I feel, which is why I continue to do it all these years later.

Jordan from Edgewood Middle School in Wooster sent in this question, "What is the process of making a play?"

So I might be the playwright, but I can't make a play by myself.

So after I make a play, I usually have to find a director or a theater who's willing to do the play.

And we get actors, and we get sound designers, and set designers, and lighting designers, and we get box office people and ushers, and we rehearse for five to six weeks.

And the sets are built, and the lighting is set, and the sound is created, and then we put on the play.

This process can sometimes take years for a play to actually show up on stage, while sometimes if you're in, like, a 24-hour play festival, this process will happen literally overnight.

So it really all varies, but it's a really long and collaborative process, one that's extremely satisfying.

And you find that as people start to work on your play, you find more and more things within your story.

Iain from Silver Lake Elementary School in Silver Lake asks, "What college degree did you have to get to be a playwright?"

I actually got a degree in English creative writing.

I could have chosen a theater degree, but I decided I really wanted to know story structure, so I got a degree in English.

Isla from East Wood's Intermediate School in Hudson wrote, "Hi there.

It's a pleasure to meet you.

I have a question for you.

What was your most favorite play you ever wrote, and where did it take place when it was shown?"

Well, Isla, I've written about 13 to 14 plays, and they've been produced everywhere, from Canada to Denmark to Washington, D.C. to Iowa to Pennsylvania.

But my most favorite is this play called "The Inseparables."

And it is a take on "The Three Musketeers" with nine actors who could be played by absolutely anyone.

That play has happened in colleges, and middle schools, and high schools around the country.

To anyone who wants to work in theater, my biggest piece of advice is find who's doing theater around you.

Ask if you can participate, be around the people who are creating.

You might not want to be a playwright, you might not want to be an actor, but you might find that lighting design is something that really excites you.

You might find that building and creating sets is really fantastic for you.

So try everything out in theater.

Go to your local community theaters, go see shows, and talk to the people in your community who do it as well.

(graphic whooshes) - Thank you for answering our questions, TJ.

And thanks to all of you for sending in questions for the segment.

Last week, we also asked you if you liked performing in front of an audience.

Let's check out the results of the poll.

42% of you said no, that you don't quite enjoy the spotlight.

While another 36% of you said that you love being in front of a crowd.

And 22% of you said you only like performing in front of close friends and family.

Thank you all for voting.

We have a new Sketchbook to share with you.

It's about a Latin-American theater company right here in Cleveland.

The LatinUs Theater Company opened its doors about five years ago.

Founded by Monica Torres, who remains the executive artistic director and one of the staple actors in the troupe, LatinUs Theater is a nonprofit that put on Spanish-language productions out of the Pivot Center in Cleveland's west side.

Check it out.

(graphic whooshes) (upbeat music) - So LatinUs Theater Company started in 2018 when, you know, myself and other group of peoples got together and, you know, decided to finally make our own company, Latino Hispanic company theater in Cleveland.

And you know, we were talking, and we said, "Well, it's gonna be the first one, 100% Latino, you know, in Ohio, actually.

- This theater is in the heart of a very predominantly Latino community.

You know, this has been known as a lot of things, but it's always been home to a large Puerto Rican Caribbean population.

And so, you know, to have a theater right here in, like, the middle of all of that.

And it's been awesome, you know, because the people that come here, it's really cool when you can give them a show in their language.

You can give them a show in a way that makes them feel at home.

- So we started doing, really, I think, one show per year.

We have been growing up, and now we are doing three shows per season.

I would say maybe we are four or five actors in, you know, most of our shows.

But it's kind of hard to find people that speak Spanish because all our shows are in Spanish.

- I'm graduated from the High School of Art in Havana, Cuba.

I'm Cuban.

And when Sandra called me, I was in my native town, Cienfuegos, and she said, "I'm inviting you to come over to Cleveland to act in a play."

And I ask, "In the winter?

It's gonna be cold."

Well.

- I am a professor at Kent State University in the Department of Mathematics, and I did theater for a while as a young man back in Venezuela, where I grew up.

And when the opportunity came up and Monica asked me to participate, when I get the chance, I like to participate.

And it's a lot of fun.

- You see a lot of American people coming to see the show using the caption, the subtitles.

And I'm happy about that.

I see a lot of Americans coming to see the show, which is very nice.

And, of course, Latin people.

- Here in the middle of a neighborhood that is a very well-established neighborhood with many Puerto Rican people and people from other parts of Latin America, the public that we get is very diverse.

So we get many people that are professionals that have come from anywhere in Latin America, but we also get people from the community.

And so far, it's been a great experience.

- We like to bring classical theater from Latin America and even from Spain that have, you know, a theme, that have a purpose, that have in between lines, something to tell.

- So, so far we have, I think there are 11 plays that we have done, and we have been in this space, the Black Box, during the last two years, you know?

So I was initially nothing more than just the guy that was checking the people when they were coming in and getting the tickets.

Be sure that we close the doors on time, you know?

I didn't want even to watch any of the plays, you know, I was so scared about everything, you know, so.

I'm not an actor.

I'm a gastroenterologist, you know, so.

Due to some, you know, reasons, they needed one actor to play a small role.

That is the one that I accepted to take, you know?

This is my first time, as you say, and most likely it's gonna be the last one.

It's a lot of work for me to come every night to practice.

It was hard.

But I really enjoyed that, being with this fantastic group of actors, you know?

I learned a lot from them, from the director, from the team, you know, so it was fun to be in the other, in the other side of a play, you know, not not just doing the lights and the technical part.

Of being now one of the actors.

(graphic whooshes) - Special thanks to Ygal Kaufman for sharing that story with us and for guest hosting last week's "NewsDepth" episode.

Thank you as always, Ygal.

Hey, is it time for Petting Zoo yet?

Hey, Newshound, are you ready for us?

Great.

Take it away.

(upbeat music) (Newshound barks) Hi there, Newshound.

Oh, are you on a hike today?

You were inspired by today's animal story to get out in nature?

All right, tell us about it.

Oh wow.

It's a story about goats that like to go backpacking.

That's so cool.

To watch the full video of these outdoor adventurers, you can check it out on our website and YouTube channel.

(graphic whooshes) Thank you, Newshound.

We are almost out of time for this week's episode, but we have one more episode next week before the "NewsDepth" team starts our summer break.

Teachers, we'd love to hear how we did this season.

To share your feedback with us, you can fill out the end-of-season survey linked at the bottom of this episode page.

And students, you know we always want to hear from you too.

And there are plenty of ways you can stay in touch with us.

For example, you can send us a letter, just like my friend Ellie did.

"I love your channel.

My class watches you every Friday.

I'm from Cincinnati.

I go to St. Clement School.

I'm in fourth grade.

My teacher is Miss Metz.

She's the best fourth-grade teacher.

From Ellie."

Thank you so much for writing to us.

If you want to send us a letter, the "NewsDepth" headquarters address is 1375 Euclid Avenue, Cleveland, Ohio.

Our zip code here is 44115.

Or you can send us an email at newsdepth@ideastream.org.

Plus, you can catch all of our special segments on YouTube.

Hit subscribe if you're old enough so you don't miss out on any of our new videos.

Thank you for joining us.

I'm Gabriel Kramer.

We'll see you right back here next week.

(graphic whooshes) (upbeat music) (graphic whooshes and boings) - [Child Narrator] "NewsDepth" is made possible by a grant from the Martha Holden Jennings Foundation.

(upbeat music continues) (gentle ethereal music)