Monthly Archives: March 2017

Rural Justice Issues Take Center Stage at UC Merced Event

March 30, 2017 /

Multiple speakers also identified the current presidential administration as a serious threat to undocumented laborers in California, saying communities need to organize once again and rally around legislation to help protect rural communities. “We are once again at a pivotal moment. Things are becoming painted as clear cut moral issue and that’s something that the [UFW] movement, at its height, was able to do,” said Miriam Pawel, author of “The Crusades of Cesar Chavez.” “You were in favor of the conditions [in the fields] or you were against them. It was a moral choice,” she continued.

Youth Advocates Look to Boost Civic Engagement in Communities of Color

March 30, 2017 /

According to the study, “Unequal Voices, Part II,” released by the statewide advocacy group Advancement Project, California’s Asian-American and Latino adult populations are vastly underrepresented in most political activities, while whites are overrepresented. From donations to petitions, voters of color are less likely than white counterparts to engage with politicians and campaigns. This pattern is reflected in both the older adult population and millennials aged 18-34, suggesting it won’t simply erode over time, said John Dobard, manager of Political Voice at the Advancement Project. Such pervasive racial disparities are particularly problematic considering 70 percent of the 80 million young adults entering the California electorate between now and 2030 will be people of color. Advocates warn of the need to restructure the traditional engagement model to be more reflective of the state’s majority-minority makeup.

Bullying does not End in High School

March 15, 2017 /

I remember standing in front of half the entire school and saying, “my name is Nathan Lopez and I am gay and I’m against bullying.” The guest speaker stopped me midway and said I was very brave for sharing this and after she said that I remember everyone started applauding and cheering. That day I wanted to make a change, so I stood up for myself. Unfortunately, I’m now 22 and I still deal with bullying. I still see bullying.

Women’s Studies and the Future of America

March 14, 2017 /

Did you know that during the American Revolution a sixteen-year-old named Sybil Ludington rode twice as far as Paul Revere in stormy weather to deliver the message that the British troops were on their way? Ludington has received little to no recognition in history classes while Paul Revere is a household name.

Merced foster youth, advocates push for change in school funding priorities

March 13, 2017 /

Above: Sabrina Abong shows off her high school diploma after graduating from Los Banos High School. Read More

Reversing the Stigma Around Continuation Schools

March 13, 2017 /

Students at Yosemite do the same work as students at non-continuation schools like Golden Valley or Merced High. The only major difference I noticed was Yosemite students don’t receive homework. I think this might be for the better - and a study by Concordia University showed that homework does not help students effectively in just about any way.