MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 22, 2014 - SEPTEMBER 28, 2014
riversideindependent.com
UCR ahead of colleges in first-generation success by Vickie Vértiz
versity is the single California school to be named. The UIA group of schools and foundations will work with $5.7 million in grants and matching funds from campuses to identify the most successful degree-attainment programs and duplicate them at other schools, said UCR Today. UC
increased 25% since 2011. Becky Garrow from the Sacramento Bicycle Advocates Group told CBS: “According to the League of American Bicyclists, approximately 40 percent of cyclist faPlease see page 2
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Riverside is the site of very strong graduation rates for firstgeneration students, completing programs at the same rate as other students. The university will share its successful programs made up of include supplemental instruction, support Please see page 4
Safer roads for bicyclists in California thanks to mandatory 3-feet buffer zone by Jennifer schlueter Until last week, drivers were required to keep a “safe,” but unspecified, distance to bicyclists. However, this law didn’t protect bicyclists enough, because, for example, in 2012, data from the California Highway Patrol found that
“more than 150 cyclists were killed in car collisions in California”, according to the Los Angeles Times. Additionally, “in Los Angeles County, nearly 5,000 cyclists were killed or hurt in traffic that year” and the number of bicycle collisions has
Rep. Adam Schiff votes for the plan to arm the moderate Syrian opposition forces Wednesday, Rep. Adam Schiff (D-CA), a senior Member of the House Intelligence Committee and author of legislation providing a limited and narrow authorization for use of military force against ISIL with an 18-month sunset, voted for the President’s funding request to train and equip the moderate Syrian opposition forces. He spoke earlier on the House Floor about the decision to support the resolution, and released this statement after the vote: “This afternoon I cast my vote to approve the President’s funding request to support the training and equipping of moderate Syrian opposition forces. I did so after long consideration, and mindful of the difficulties of vetting such a force during the middle of a brutal civil war. “Any decision to supply arms to combatants must be weighed carefully; indeed, for the last several years I have opposed arming the Syrian rebels out of a concern for our ability to properly vet such troops and the fear that weapons we provide may end up in the wrong hands. Those concerns persist, but they have been overcome by the growing menace of ISIL and the willingness of our regional allies to play a greater --
- Courtesy Photo by Carlos Puma
UC Riverside was named along with ten other public research universities and six national foundations in the University Innovation Alliance, which shares best-practices in college success programs for first-generation, low-income, and students of color. UCR Today reported that the uni-
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Caltrans presented with national award Charity Golf Caltrans is proud to an- Doug Galarus and David Vene- click of a mouse, but visitors can Tournament nounce the web application ziano at the Western Transporta- also access traffic cameras, ob“One-Stop-Shop” (OSS), was recognized by ITS America with a national award. On Tuesday, September 9, 2014, the interactive traveler-based website received the award for the Best New Innovative Practice: Research Design and Innovation at the 21st ITS World Congress in Detroit, Michigan. “This national honor is a casein-point of Caltrans already putting its new vision and goals into practice,” said Caltrans Director Malcolm Dougherty. “Through teamwork and strategic partnerships, we are finding innovative ways, such as with OSS, to better serve the modern day user of our transportation system.” The development of OSS came about after a great deal of extensive research and is a collaborative effort led by District 2’s Office of ITS Engineering and Support Chief Ian Turnbull, Sean Campbell at Caltrans Division of Research, Innovation and System Information in Sacramento, and
tion Institute, and the member states of the Western States Rural Transportation Consortium. “The California Department of Transportation has implemented multiple reforms to improve its operation and more effectively deliver a safe, sustainable, integrated and efficient transportation system for all Californians,” said California State Transportation Agency Secretary Brian Kelly. “This award honors the California Department of Transportation for taking an innovative approach to strengthening California’s existing transportation system and improving trade and goods movement along key freight corridors.” One-Stop-Shop is designed to protect and enhance traveler safety, giving visitors crucial information before getting on the road. It offers real-time data that can be used for planning virtually every aspect of a road trip through four western states (CA, OR, WA and NV). Not only is current weather information available with the
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tain road information, find rest stops along the route and look up points of interest. To access OSS please visit: One-Stop-Shop. The team members mentioned above were also finalists in the category of Best New Innovative Practice: Rural ITS Project for their work on the Automated Safety Warning System Controller. About ITS America: The Intelligent Transportation Society of America (ITS America) is the nation’s largest organization dedicated to advancing the research, development and deployment of Intelligent Transportation Systems (ITS) to improve the nation’s surface transportation system. The Best of ITS Awards is a highly competitive program that recognizes the most innovative projects and influential achievements in the Intelligent Transportation Systems (ITS) industry.
Entries into the eighth annual SmartRiverside Charity Golf event are filling fast so register soon! We only have a few slots remaining.The event is scheduled for Monday October 13, 2014 at 10:00 am at beautiful Victoria Club in Riverside. Victoria Club is located in the center of the city of Riverside, in the bustling Inland Empire. Incorporated on October 16, 1903, Victoria Club traces its roots to the 1880s when Riverside’s booming citrus industry made it a nationally recognized destination for tourists, commercial travelers and ambitious businessmen. This year we’re having an opportunity drawing to stay and play golf in legendary Pebble Beach. Opportunities are only $5 each or 5 for $20. Tickets will be available for sale before and at the event or online. The drawing will be held at the banquet. Winner need not be present.
Safer roads for California bicyclists Continued from page 1
talities were rear-end collisions.” To make roads a safer place for bicyclists, California legislation last Tuesday passed a law stating that drivers now must keep a 3-feet buffer zone between them and bicyclists. If a driver does not obey this law, s/he could be confronted with a warning or a $35 fine. An accident injuring a cyclist because the buffer zone was disregarded would result in a $220 fine. Should drivers not be able to stay out of the buffer zone due to traffic conditions, they are required to drive at a “reasonable and prudent” speed, have patience, and pass the cyclists only when it is safe. The California Highway Patrol’s Southern Division reminded drivers in a news release: “Be aware that when a lane is too narrow for vehicles and bikes to be safely side by side, bicyclist should ride in or
near the center of that lane to discourage motorists from unsafe passing.” Rather than the law being “a way of penalizing drivers,” as Assemblyman and avid cyclist Steven Bradford (D-Gardena) explained, it should be viewed as an education measure for “drivers and cyclists alike about sharing the road,” the LA Times suggested. Garrow agrees: “We’re excited about this law because it gives drivers better information on how to safely pass cyclists.” A USC student interviewed by the Annenberg TV News has his doubts about how the law will be enforced: “I’ll be curious to see how that really works in practice,” said Jake Porter. “Because some of the bike lanes are in such close proximity to the car lanes that I don’t really know if they have much room to move away.”
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State Schools Chief Tom Torlakson announces competition for National Civics Program Principals can nominate their high school students State Superintendent of Public Instruction Tom Torlakson announced today that high school principals have until October 1, 2014 to nominate students for the prestigious United States Senate Youth Program (USSYP), which sends students to Washington, D.C. to learn about the federal government. “Civics education helps students become engaged citizens and critical thinkers who can solve difficult problems,” Torlakson said. “These are important skills that will help students in college and throughout their lives.” The California Department of Education (CDE) coordinates the competition in California. Students must be nominated by their high school principal to participate and they have to be juniors or seniors currently enrolled in any California public or private secondary school. In addition, they have to be serving in an elected or appointed capacity in student government or a civic or educational organization. Torlakson will select four finalists, including two delegates, a first alternate, and a second alternate. The two delegates will participate in an intensive study of the federal government as guests of the U.S. Senate from March 7–14, 2015, in Washington, D.C. The Hearst Foundation, which sponsors the program, will pay all expenses for the delegates, including transportation, hotel, and meals. In addition, each of the delegates will receive a $5,000 college scholarship from the Foundation. Alternates attend the events only if the delegates are unable to participate. The two delegates and two alternates will be introduced at the State Board of Education meeting in Sacramento next January. Torlakson, as part of his Civic Education Initiative, teamed up with California Chief
Justice Tani G. Cantil-Sakauye last year to convene a California Task Force on K-12 Civic Learning. Last month the task force produced a report, Revitalizing K–12 Civic Learning in California: A Blueprint for Action (PDF; 2MB), which highlights the importance of teaching students civics skills so they can become informed and engaged community members who help keep our democracy vital. For more information on the nomination process, go to CDE’s United States Senate Youth Program Web page or contact David Carriker in the Of-
fice of the State Superintendent of Public Instruction at 916-3190173 or dcarriker@cde.ca.gov. Hard copies of the application are available upon request. The completed application packet must contain an original and one copy of the California Student Application, California Qualifying Examination, and an unofficial student transcript. The packet must be mailed to the California Department of Education, 1430 N Street, Suite 5602, Sacramento, CA 958145901, and must be postmarked before Wednesday, October 1, 2014.
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Walkable Neighborhoods Discussion Sept. 23, 10:30am
Join us for a discussion and update on the “New Urbanism in Action” project aimed at creating a more walkable neighborhood for the Arlington and Ramona community. This meeting will feature several updates including:Riverside Walk Audit Presentation, Traffic Analysis Presentation, Walkability Survey Findings. We will also have a community feedback session where YOU can VOICE your thoughts on walkable neighborhoods. Refreshments will be served.Cost: Free. Contact: Nancy Jimeno, cssd.ucr.edu/NewUrbanism/Index.html, nancy.jimeno@ucr. edu, 949-632-8143
Plan to arm the moderate Syrian opposition forces Continued from page 1
and open -- role in the support of these forces. “ISIL now controls about a third of Iraq and a like portion of Syria. It has been unsurpassed in its brutality, committing mass executions, forced conversions, trafficking in women and beheading its hostages -- including Americans James Foley and Steven Sotlof. If ISIL is allowed to consolidate its territorial gains, or expand them, it will be able to act on its stated intention of serving as the platform for attacks on the United States. The thousands of foreign fighters, including Americans, who have flocked to join its ranks will one day attempt to return to the west and attack us on the homeland. The longer ISIL can draw new recruits, the longer the United States will have to confront the threat that these fighters will re-
turn home, many with visa-free travel to our shores. “Our response must be proportionate to the threat. It does not justify American occupation of Iraq or Syria, or the introduction of American ground forces -- all of which are likely to be counterproductive. It does justify the use of American air power, intelligence, financial, diplomatic and military support. And since air power alone will not be sufficient on the battlefield, it will necessitate the assistance of local ground forces. In the case of Iraq, those ground forces will be provided by the Iraqi military and Kurdish Peshmerga. In Syria, with rigorous vetting, training and support, the rebel opposition may provide the raw material for a credible military force. There is no guarantee that the Syrian opposition can form a co-
hesive fighting force, something that has thus far eluded them, but the open support of Gulf nations in housing and funding this opposition holds the promise of consolidating regional support behind them. “The threat posed by ISIL is an outgrowth of the disastrously sectarian policies of the Nouri alMaliki regime in Baghdad and the ruthless dictatorship of the Bashar al-Asad in Damascus. Our military efforts and those of our allies alone cannot succeed without addressing the political fractures created by both. I applaud the Administration for its role in urging the Iraqis to form a new and more inclusive government and look forward to the day when a representative government can take shape in neighboring Syria and this carnage can come to an end.”
UCR ahead of colleges in first-generation success Continued from page 1
groups, and first-year learning communities. The UIA group is composed of the following schools: University Innovation Alliance includes: Arizona State University, Georgia State University, Iowa State University, Michigan State University, Oregon State University, Purdue University, The Ohio State University, University of California, Riverside, Univer-
sity of Central Florida, University of Kansas, and the University of Texas at Austin. The foundations who are supporting the initiative are The Ford Foundation, The Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, Lumina Foundation, Kresge Foundation, USA Funds, and Markle Foundation. “In 1990, our nation was first in the world in baccalaureate attainment, and now we
are 12th,”said UCR Chancellor Kim A. Wilcox to UCR Today, quoting several federal statistic sources. “As the world increasingly moves toward knowledge-based industries, and more college graduates are needed, we have to turn that around.” Public universities in the U.S enroll 72 percent of all fouryear college students. Working to support degree-completion at these schools addresses the national lag in baccalaureate achievement. “We must improve access and attainment for all students – regardless of college preparation levels, racial or socio-economic differences,” Wilcox said to the paper. Many recent college rankings have identified UCR as a model for other public universities with half of all freshmen being first-generation college students, and as the most racially and ethnically diverse in the UC system. The staff in student program offices and the first-year learning communities
support young people academically and emotionally, from housing issues to financial aid, first-generation students need help navigating school systems. At a recent speech on the Riverside campus quoted in UCR Today, Peter McPherson, president of the Association of Public and Land-grant Universities [APLU] said 80 percent of children from the richest families in the U.S. earn college degrees, while only 10 percent of working class children attain them. Last month, UCR was, for the second year in a row, ranked by Washington Monthly magazine as second among national universities in its 10th annual College Ranking Survey. It is the fourth consecutive year that UC Riverside has been ranked among the top 10 schools in the survey, which considers civic engagement, research, and social mobility. Prior to the No. 2 ranking in 2013, UCR was fifth in 2011 and ninth in 2012.