UC Merced students are bridging the gap between the community and the university through service and charity works. Both fraternity Kappa Sigma and sorority Tri-Delta have been working with the local community in service projects.
On November 6 Barack Obama was re-elected as President of the United States, but there was another vote that went largely un-noticed: voters in owe Puerto Rico voted in favor of becoming the U.S.A.’s fifty-first state.
I was standing next to a 7-year-old boy in front of the Van Gogh art collection in Amsterdam, when suddenly it hit me: I realized why the American government offers grants and scholarships to students who cannot afford a proper education. In the case of this lucky boy, his parents traveled from China to take him to this museum, where he was carefully listening to the audio tour while learning about these masterpieces at such a young age.
California Watch, a project of the Center for Investigative Reporting, hosted an informative Future State event on the UCM campus and in downtown Merced last Thursday. The day-long event was centered around educating and engaging students, teachers and parents about issues regarding funding for higher education and motivating them to seek out the opportunities that the Central Valley offers students.
Things grew contentious between incumbent congressman Jim Costa (D) and challenger Brian Whelan (R) as the two clashed early and often during a heated debate for the newly drawn sixteenth Congressional District.
One thing I definitely knew I wanted to experience while in college was studying abroad. I figured it would be in some beautiful, English-speaking European country where I could easily communicate with and relate to the people.
Although businesses have been closing down in Merced, opportunities for students, such as the Dr. and Mrs. Vikram Lakireddy Innovation and Design Clinic (IDC), are still here to stay. The purpose of the clinic is to give UC Merced undergraduates the chance to come up with innovative solutions to real problems faced by local businesses. Local cardiologist, Dr. Vikram Lakireddy, hasdonated $150,000 to the Dr. and Mrs. Vikram Lakireddy IDC Endowment Fund.
Being carjacked may be many students’ worst nightmare, especially in the dark of night with no one in sight. On August 24 of last year, two UC Merced students were the victims of this most unfortunate crime, off-campus in North Merced.
Students and professors can look forward to using a new website for textbooks which can be accessed for free, thanks to companion bills signed by Governor Jerry Brown authorizing a free online source for electronic books (e-books).
Being the small campus that UC Merced is, students have the opportunity to establish networks and work one-on-one with the Career Services Center. As a result, UCM students have the opportunity to make great inventions such as Classlerts. Classlerts CEO Seena Zandipour is among those students that strive for success and utilize tools at hand such as making networks and career services.
Many of you might not be aware that when you study abroad, you are likely to have one or two vacation breaks during the semester. Breaks give students an opportunity to travel, and instructors time to organize themselves. The program encourages students to explore foreign countries and cultures that they would not otherwise be exposed to back home. The minute I became aware of these breaks, I decided to get together with my roommates and plan a trip for our week long vacation away from Rome where we have been studying.
The Yosemite Leadership Program is a two-year program in which students can practice and develop strong leadership skills. They also work with members of the Merced community. The program focuses on advocacy and building strong leaders who can then demonstrate and apply their newly-developed skills on a project.
The Central Valley Sport's Academy (CVSA) in Merced has recently incorporated the Minds in Motion program into their athletes’ training curriculum. Minds in Motion is a unique teaching technique that uses exercise and physical activity to aid students in learning processes and early development.
At present I live in an affluent neighborhood called, “Zona Sul”. It has been a wonderful experience. I have been in vacation mode, living out of my suitcase for about two weeks.
A futuristic world with hands free automobiles isn’t as farfetched as you might think. California is currently in the process of approving Senate Bill 1298, which if passed, would “require the Department of Motor Vehicles and California Highway Patrol to set safety and performance standards for self-driving vehicles” and allow autonomous cars to be tested on public roads.
Researchers at UC Merced are working with the Sierra Nevada Research Institute and National Science Foundation (NSF) to determine the effect of climate change on wildlife, visitors, and those individuals and groups indirectly reliant on the San Joaquin River.
In the lull of summer session, UCOP’s Advisory Council on Campus Climate, Culture, and Inclusion heard recommendations from reports presented by its Muslim and Arab Student Campus Climate and Jewish Student Campus Climate fact-finding teams.
Following the Colorado massacre that left 12 people dead and 58 injured, and a mass shooting at a Wisconsin Sikh temple that killed six people and injured four others, lawmakers and the public alike have sounded off on gun control, reigniting a debate that had faded into the background of national politics.
With the fall semester right around the corner, UC Merced’s Bobcats are beginning to return to Merced. Some arrive on campus lugging their boxes to the dormitories one by one. Others are seen wandering in groups around campus. Still others are scattered about the local hot spots in downtown Merced, chatting with their friends in restaurants and café shops.
The city of Merced has been entertaining the idea of opening a hookah lounge and dance club—which quite a few Bobcats have spoken out in favor of—for the past month.
The fourteenth annual Relay for Life took place on the Merced College campus on Saturday, April 28, and lasted until the following Sunday. The event “helps communities across the globe celebrate the lives of people who have battled cancer, remember loved ones lost, and fight back against the disease.”
The pepper spray incident at an Occupy UC Davis protest on November 18, 2011, is still having effects today toward the police department. UC Davis Police Chief Annette M. Spicuzza resigned April 19, 2012, stating that the decision was so people involved “could move forward.” The pepper spraying of about 11 students could have been prevented, and now the officers are confronting their mistakes.
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