Volume 62 Issue 31

Page 1

FOR THE WEEK OF TUESDAY, JUNE 3, 2014

Highlander University

Volume 62

of

C a l i f o r n i a , R ive r s i d e

Issue 31

Serving the UCR community since 1954

highlandernews.org

@UCRHighlander

UCR Highlander Newspaper

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UCR stands in solidarity with UCSB

ESTEFANIA ZAVALA Senior Staff Writer

Members of the UCR community attended a candlelight vigil last Wednesday to pay their respects to the lives lost near UCSB on Friday, May 23. Vigils at UC’s in LA, Davis, San Diego, Santa Cruz and Berkeley all took place in the same week as acts of solidarity within the UC system. For UCR, there was an extraordinarily high turnout with over 2,000 people pledging to attend on the event’s Facebook page. “(The external affairs officers) were all on Facebook Instant Messenger after the news of the shooting when (ASUCR Vice President of External Affairs) Kareem Aref had this idea. We were asking (ourselves) what we could do. We decided to do a vigil,” said Francis Castaneda, an officer in the ASUCR external affairs office. Campus administrators provided over 1,000 candles to ASUCR, which were later handed out to the public during the vigil. In a march of unity, people wrapped around the Bell Tower, through the Rivera Library arches and all the way around Sproul Hall. The vigil was highly organized with ASUCR volunteers stationed at regular intervals to prevent students from going into the streets. Recounting his day spent with the campus of UCR, Chancellor Kim Wilcox lamented that the community had to endure this loss. “Another aspect of tonight, however, reminds us that communities have different sizes and shapes,” said Wilcox. “We are part of a bigger community in the University of California. (The departed) are no longer part of our community in body but will be part of it in spirit forever.” The sentiment of connectedness echoed throughout the evening with students huddling close together to keep their candles from blowing out. Despite the shooting occurring hundreds of miles away, the use of social

UCR lays groundwork for double bike lane, Lot 32 ANTHONY VICTORIA Staff Writer SANDY VAN Senior Staff Writer

Students will ride safer with the upcoming installation of a double bike lane near campus, which aims to reduce bicycling accidents and alleviate traffic caused by bicyclists riding in the wrong direction. Spearheaded by members of ASUCR, Transportation and Parking Services (TAPS) and city officials, the construction project is pending design approval before its overall implementation. TAPS Alternative Transportation Manager Irma Henderson said the lane, starting from the side of the Amy S. Harrison softball field to the turnout on Canyon Crest Drive and University Avenue, seeks to ensure students are cycling with the flow of traffic and riding in their respective lanes. “As bicyclists are coming down Canyon Crest (toward campus), the tendency is to ride on the wrong side of traffic,” she said. “With the creation of the lanes, it will give cyclists a safer path of travel. They won’t be cutting that corner where (the streets) meet.” In most instances, Henderson explained, students cut across all four street lanes to enter campus, possibly veering into the way of traffic. “Crossing in that manner is not riding correctly,” Henderson said. “Bicycles, according to the California Vehicle Code, should be following the same rules of the road as cars do. By crossing four lanes of traffic like that, not only is it precarious, but also against the vehicle code.” At the beginning of every fall quarter, TAPS, in conjunction

AARON LAI / HIGHLANDER Members of ASUCR organized a candlelight vigil to mourn for the victims of a mass shooting near UC Santa Barbara.

media brought UCR students — both those connected and disconnected from the tragedy — together to mourn the tragedy. Amanda Apelian, a UCR undergraduate, spoke of sweet memories of her childhood friend and one of the victims, Veronika Weiss, as she wiped a tear away from her face. “Weiss was one of my closest friends 
 I just want to

tell everyone what she was like,” said Apelian. “Veronika

“We were asking (ourselves) what we could do. We decided to do a vigil,” - Francis Castaneda was a diehard athlete 
 with an infectious laugh 
 Here at UCR, we all keep you and your

family in our prayers.” “We are one UC 
 We all feel this as a family,” concluded Aref. The vigil ended with a reminder to everyone affected to utilize the UCR Counseling Services. Students can call 951-827-5531 to make a counseling appointment or visit the Counseling Center in person in the North Wing of the ■H Veitch Student Center.

2013-2014 year in review

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