Tech Trek 2013 Meeting

By Lisa Newhall

See these pictures! And 50 people attending! And six new members! What a fabulous program we had for Tech Trek! We had 5 of our 7 campers at the brunch who shared their exciting and touching stories about their time at UCSD. Listening to our girls always reassures me that we are making a difference in their lives by offering this particular opportunity. And, we now will be sending girls from Moreno Valley Unified School district as well! Dr. White, Superintendent, and Dr. Kedziora, Assistant Superintendent, were guests at our brunch. Both expressed their excitement about having their district participate in the program this coming year. We also had Councilman Andy Melendrez as a guest. He presented each of the girls with a beautiful certificate from the City of Riverside – signed by the mayor too!

I am pleased to announce that we raised a little over $1000 at the brunch, with some of the donations specifically targeted for our new Moreno Valley addition! As always, if you know of an organization or business that might be willing to make a contribution, please let me know. I am willing to bring girls and talk with anyone.

Thank you all for your support! A special thanks to all of my committee members and my co-chair, Christine, for all of your efforts. Our program has grown so much, that it takes a committee to make it all as successful as it is.

Wage gap stuck at 23 cents (still!)

Today, September 17,2013, the U.S. Census Bureau released new data on the gender wage gap – but there’s nothing “new” about it. In 2012, women still earned just 77 cents, on average, for every dollar earned by their male counterparts. That number hasn’t budged in the last decade, and it’s about time our nation’s leaders did something about it.

Washington Monthly Ranks UCR #2

The Los Angeles Times reported UC San Diego and UC Riverside as first and second in the annual “socially conscious” ranking of national universities being released last Monday by Washington Monthly magazine.

The UCR campus ranks second overall in Washington Monthly’s 2013 survey of 280 American universities. UCR was second for federal work-study spending on service, third for community service hours, and sixth for the number of faculty receiving prestigious awards. The magazine rates universities by how well they recruit and graduate low-income students, produce cutting-edge research and Ph.D.s, and encourage students to give back to their country.

“This honor recognizes UC Riverside’s dedication to both access and quality,” UC Riverside Chancellor Kim A. Wilcox said. “Students of all backgrounds – many of them the first in their families to go to college – are attracted to our campus because of our ability to help students succeed at the cutting edge of discovery. This is what makes UCR a university for the next generation.”

To read more about the honor click HERE.

Riverside March on the Mall

Ralph Rivers delivering MLK speec

Commemorating the 50th anniversary of the March on Washington, Riverside had it’s own March on August 28th. Over 120 people participated in the Riverside March which stopped by the statues in the mall of Eliza Tibbetts, Mahatma Ghandi, Korean leader Dosanh Ahn Chang-Ho, Cesar Chavez, and Martin Luther King. Each of these leaders fought fearlessly with non-violence against discrimination.

The March ended at City Hall where there was a ceremony with several inspiring speakers including Rose May, Katie Greene, and Woodie Rucker-Hughes who attended the original March on Washington when she was 16. It inspired her to a lifetime of community activism and she is presently the Chairman of the Riverside NAACP.

The most inspiring part of the occasion was the recitation of the entire Martin Luther King speech by Ralph Rivers which King delivered 50 years ago.

Fifty Years Ago —

While many improvements have been made for minorities, the dream has still not been attained. We must continue to march forward to finally attain equality for all.