Thursday, October 17, 2013
October 22, 1999
Miseducation: Beyond many means
http://ddce.utexas.edu/news/2013/10/10/miseducation-video-focuses-on-education-in-china/
Wednesday, May 1, 2013
Save The Post Office
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The United States Postal Service is implementing
cost cutting measures while on the verge of running out of money.
Due to budget cuts, the South Texas town of Cedar Lake,
population 683, could soon lose its post office. Every year, Cedar Lake
resident Bobbie Johnson estimates about 20,000 pieces of mail are routed
through the small towns mailing office. According to data presented by the U.S.
Postal Service, some 3,700 small town post offices made the list of those that
could potentially be closed as the U.S. Postal Service tightens its reigns. Johnson
says if the post office in her small town closes, the nearest branch would be
more than 35 miles away. According to a U.S. Postal Service spokesman, these
closures and other cost cutting measures could save the federal government
money.
The possibility of a collapse of the U.S. Postal
Service has put the longtime service on the verge of default. The lead
Postmaster General Patrick Donahoe warned that without immediate assistance
from Congress, “the USPS could default on its payment and be out of money by
next year, forcing it to shut down all operations.”
The 238-year-old institution has recently been buckling
under the pressure of massive payments for future retiree benefits and
dwindling revenue as more Americans communicate by email. Last year,
the USPS reported $16 billion in revenue loss. The service is in need of rapid
and drastic restructuring to remain financially viable in the future.
The proposed USPS cuts
are big. Donahoe presented a number of measures that he argues would halt the USPS’s
rapid financial decline, including the elimination of the annual pre-fund
payment requirement, stopping Saturday mail delivery and terminating a
“no-layoff” clause in a contract with unionized postal workers.
According to Donahoe,
“cutting service down to five days a week instead of six, is a proposal that
has been kicked around for years, and would save about $3 billion a year.”
Donahoe has also urged Congress to
allow him to shut down standalone post offices, moving them into convenience
stores and supermarkets instead.
These proposals have
been met with resistance, not least by postal workers who stand to lose their
jobs but by USPS customers as well.
Johnson and other mail service customers are outraged at the
actions the USPS plan to take. “Congress
needs to leave Saturday delivery and the USPS alone,” Johnson said. “This is
just another way to force the post office to be doomed so that it can become
someone's private profit.”
Not all postal service
customers are in opposition to the proposed budget cuts.
Postal customer Brian
Fontenot said “the biggest problems the post office faces are obvious; they
refuse to adapt to the digital age which means less paper mail moving.”
Fontenot feels these
cost cutting measures and no mail delivery on Saturday would be great strides
towards modernization for the USPS.
Mail carrier Kiah
Williams is worried that the budget cuts will affect her employment.
“It is not about having
Saturday’s off,” Williams said, “but being able to make money; a change in the delivery
schedule could put me out of work.”
The USPS is not technically “broke” — yet.
The USPS brings in profits every year. The financial problem it faces now comes from a 2006 Congressional mandate that requires the agency to pre-pay into a fund that covers health care costs for future retired employees. Under the mandate, the USPS is required to make an annual $5.5 billion payment over ten years, through 2016.
The USPS brings in profits every year. The financial problem it faces now comes from a 2006 Congressional mandate that requires the agency to pre-pay into a fund that covers health care costs for future retired employees. Under the mandate, the USPS is required to make an annual $5.5 billion payment over ten years, through 2016.
Revenue
has also been declining for years, and the postal service does not rely on taxpayer
funds. Until 1971, mail delivery was handled by the Post Office
Department, a Cabinet department in the federal government. Postal worker
strikes prompted President Nixon to pass the Postal Reorganization Act in 1971,
transforming it into the semi-independent agency we now know as the United
States Postal Service. The USPS has not used taxpayer money since 1982, when
postage stamps became products instead of forms of taxation. Taxpayer money is
only used in some cases to pay for mailing voter materials to disabled and
overseas Americans.
USPS spokespersons have been adamant in emphasizing that
they are not requesting taxpayer funds from the federal government to make this
year’s payment. Rather, they say, the USPS is asking Congress to authorize
access to an estimated $7 billion that they overpaid into the future retiree
pension fund in previous years.
“The
Postal Service is advancing an important new approach to delivery that reflects
the strong growth of our package business and responds to the financial
realities resulting from America’s changing mailing habits,” Donahoe said
in a statement. “We developed this approach by working with our customers to
understand their delivery needs and by identifying creative ways to generate
significant cost savings.”
The
USPS has been the topic of much debate over the past couple of years as it
reviews its options now that the digital world has seemingly rendered mail
service near-obsolete. Though widespread
email use has all but eliminated the need to send letters and many
people are going paperless in an effort to be green, a lot of people still rely
on the post office to deliver bills–especially those who don’t want to give out
their banking information online–and package delivery is always a concern.
In
an attempt to make things easier for its customers, the Postal Service has even introduced a new
service for packages recently that includes giving the customer the ability to
pay for and print their own shipping labels at home, then schedule a pick-up
using one of the service’s flat-rate boxes. But the agency says it will continue
to make packages a priority even as it prepares to end Saturday mail service,
scheduled to begin this summer.
Wednesday, April 10, 2013
Austin residents raise money to fight leukemia
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A new nighttime race series
came to Austin on Saturday giving Austinites a chance to run through lasers, black-light
tunnels glowing trees changing color to the music.
Dressed
in eccentric, glow-in-the-dark costumes, with lights galore and neon colors
dancing across the night sky, more than 10,000 runners padded to the beat of
the music blasting overhead. Colorful glitter and sparkles covered their sweat-streaked
faces. The Playboy bunny and Tron ran side-by-side into the lighting effects
that extended 3.1 miles.
![]() | ||
Over 10,000 Austinites took to the course. |
Among the thousands of runners, 11-year-old
Jordan Johnson raced to the front of the pack. She had participated in five
running events, but says this is her absolute favorite.
“Basically
you dress up crazy with lots of glow in the dark things and run in a cool and
weird race,” Johnson said.
Racers are encouraged to light
themselves with glow tubes, neon, and LED lights. One participant crowned with
pink hair and sporting a pink tutu described the race as he waited in line to
register.
“It’ll
look like you’re dancing at a rave that's suddenly busted by the cops, so
everyone sprints for the exits, leaving a trail of glitter, glow sticks, and
giggles,” he said.
According to Madeleine Smith,
program director for Leukemia Texas, “Electric Run is a 5k run, a show,
participation art, and celebration of life.”
Artists and lighting technicians
from Coachella, Dreamworks Animations, Disney and Vegas come together to create
a bright experience for runners. Each running course had its own distinct
lighting experiences.
“Whatever course runners choose to
participate in, we want to deliver a world filled with light and sound unlike
anything they’ve ever imagined,” Smith said.
![]() | |
The course ran through downtown Austin. |
Runners add their own creative touch
by dressing up in lighted costumes that glow, shine, and blink. In addition to
participating in a one of a kind running event, participants received custom
shirts, glow necklaces, bracelets, and sunglasses.
As
runners crossed the finish line, the music kicked up a notch and everyone
danced the night away to tunes from the DJ. The real celebration here was not
the completion of the three miles by the runners, but their efforts to raise
monies to benefit Leukemia Texas - a Dallas
based non-profit organization that serves leukemia patients across Texas.
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Volunteers helped runners register. |
In addition to running
nearly three miles, Johnson was among 300 hundred volunteers who helped
register participants, hand out packages, set up and raise money for the event.
Her mother says she is
trying to teach her daughter at a young age the joys of volunteering and having
fun at the same time.
Monday, March 25, 2013
Austin crime rates on the rise
City
officials and Austin Police have teamed up for a program to combat vehicle
theft in the city.
Police reports show thousands of cars are stolen in Austin each
year. The city of Austin is combating this with a
special task force designed to educate the public about what they can do to protect
their vehicles.
![]() |
According to Austin officials cars
parked on the side of the
road on
Riverside are highly targeted by thieves.
|
The Automobile Burglary and Theft
Prevention Authority (ABTPA) met Wednesday to address burglary of motor
vehicles in the Austin area. The ABTPA oversees the impact of auto
theft in Texas and provides financial support to fight it.
In the agency meeting, ABTPA
Director Charles Caldwell provided statistics and projected an interactive
crime map, which indicated an increase in crime rates in Austin. Among reported
incidents assault, burglary and robbery are on the rise. According to the map,
crime rates have spiked in Downtown, Riverside and West Campus.
One plan of action the agency has
implemented to decrease crime, particularly in the Riverside area, is the use
of bait cars. According
to police reports, bait cars are vehicles fitted with high-tech video and audio
recording devices that are put in areas where theft is rampant. As soon as a
thief breaks in and starts the ignition, the engine is disabled and the doors
are locked. A silent alarm notifies nearby police who, using the built-in GPS
system, then take action.
Austin
Police Department’s bait car program and the auto theft unit is under high
scrutiny from the media and the public. However, Bait Car Program research shows the modified
vehicles designed to trap car thieves have reduced vehicle theft by more than
50 percent.
“New electronic
signs up around the city warn criminals that a bait car may be in the area to
deter thieves,” Caldwell said.
Toryn Johnson,
University Villages Property and Leasing Manager, welcomes the new measures to
combat crime that have been put in place in the Riverside area.
“I think this
will help keep our students safe and make them feel more at ease about where
they are living,” Johnson said.
![]() |
Signs have been posted throughout apartment
complexes on
Riverside to warn residents of
burglaries in the area.
|
Austin police
have also installed signs throughout apartment complexes in the Riverside area
warning residents to lock their cars, take their valuables and not leave
anything in sight in your car.
Not all Riverside
residents are at ease with the new measures put in place.
“I still do not
feel safe knowing that crime is on the rise here,” said Jaila Allen, a
University Villages resident. “Seeing the warning signs about theft is only
making me feel more uncomfortable.”
David McDonald, a
University Estates resident living in the Riverside area, said he pays
attention to crime in his neighborhood. “How the police and city officials
handle the crime in this area will determine where I choose to live this coming
school year,” said McDonald.
As a part of the
program, Caldwell hopes the signs will make thieves think twice about targeting
cars where the signs are located.
The signs
have been up just a few weeks, but some have asked if the signs simply push
criminals toward their neighborhood.
Monday, March 4, 2013
Segregation in Texas Schools
With a board vote last
month, Austin school officials will designate three single sex schools for the
2014-15 academic year.
In a
5-3 vote, Austin Independent School District approved to turn Pearce
and
Garcia middle schools into single-sex schools. AISD officials said students who
do not wish to attend these schools may choose to enroll in Dobie, Martin,
Lamar or Webb middle schools. Approval was also implemented for an all-boys
school at the Alternative Learning Center, to serve as a partner school for the
Ann Richards School for Young Women Leaders.
Implementing
single-sex schools has triggered a debate that raises political, civil rights
and socioeconomic concerns. According to a study by Columbia University, some schools, mostly in the south, are
“resegregating,” either by gender or by race. In Austin, the debate
over segregation stems from gender divided schools.
The issue makes Ja’Michael Darnell, a
student volunteer at AISD’s Houston Elementary, wonder why boys and girls
should be taught separately and what proves this helps them succeed in the
classroom.
“I don't think people should force kids to
go to coed or single sex school,“ Darnell said. “I think kids should just
choose on their own.”
The
National Association for Single-Sex Public Education lists single-sex education
long term in many private schools and estimates that approximately 400 public
schools now offer some form of single-sex education. NASSPE
research suggests driving forces in the single-sex education movement are the differences in how males and
females learn.
Acknowledging this fact, Martin Smith, UT
education curriculum and instruction graduate student has his own opinion on
the issue of single-sex education.
“What if an administration thoughtlessly
excluded a course because it is believed more popular with the other gender,”
Smith said. “You might unintentionally reinforce gender stereotypes by offering
only the expected preferences that comes with single-sex education.”
Kinnisha
Joseph, an AISD Hillcrest
Elementary teacher, favors the
idea of single-sex schools.
“Single-sex
public schools will improve the educational experiences of low-income and minority
students,” Joseph said, “especially girls from these areas who are likely to
miss out on programs that can help them develop.”
Since
their approval by the U.S. Department of Education in 2006, support for
single-gender schools has been
mixed.
According to a survey conducted by AISD
among households within the attendance zone of the approved single-sex schools,
less than half of the families of students favor establishing single-sex middle
schools. Families with students in upper elementary and middle school grades
were somewhat less likely than those with students at lower grades to support a
single‐gender middle school. When broken
down by ethnicity and socioeconomic status, less than half of Hispanic, white
and African-American families of students in AISD’s urban area support a
single-sex school in their neighborhood.
Monday, February 18, 2013
Protect yourself and your things – what you should know when living on campus
An incident involving a female student waking to find an
unknown male in her bed has sparked a discussion of campus safety among
resident assistants and university police.
University of Texas campus
police are warning students to be vigilant of their surroundings and to report
any suspicious activity.
On Jan. 26 around 5:22 a.m., a Kinsolving Dormitory
student discovered a male had entered her
room and cuddled with her. The student reported screaming, followed by the male
running from the room. University of Texas at Austin Police Department was
called to the resident hall. During the investigation, the officers reported
searching the hall floor and discovering the man had entered the room from the
adjoining room where he was then discovered. The man has been identified as a
UT student. He stated he was spending the night with a friend. A Kinsolving resident
assistant and UTPD escorted the student from the building.
UTPD
Crime Prevention Specialist Officer Darrell Halstead said students play a key
part in campus safety.
“Being observant
is the best thing you as a student can do to help UTPD,” Halstead said. “We
want people to report things and be aware of their surroundings.”
“It
is important for students to pay attention to Campus Watch and to stay
up-to-date on the latest activities reported on campus,” Halstead said.
San
Jacinto dormitory resident Ebenezer Rosiji subscribes to Campus Watch.
“Despite the seriousness of the
crime alerts that clog our inboxes, we tend to respond with a quick ‘did you
hear about...?’ to our friends and then click the ‘delete’ button, going about
our daily business without much change to our usual behavior,” Rosiji said in
an email.
Jester East Resident Assistance
Aysha Welch says it is important for students to pay attention to the alerts
they receive via email and text.
“Part of our job is safety and we
want to do our job, but we need residents help,” Welch said.
According to Inside Higher Ed, an experts
guide to college, crime rates and reported incidences have fallen across
college campuses in the past years. Halstead says this is due to students being
more transparent with cops and school officials.
“You are only as safe as you allow
yourself to be,” Halstead said. “If you do not take the safety measures in
place and report what is going on, you put yourself at risk.”
UTPD Crime Prevention Specialist
Officer Layne Brewster seconds this approach.
“It is up to all of us. It is your
campus too, so when you see things, report it,” Brewster said.
In addition to reporting incidents
on campus, San Jacinto Senior Resident Assistant Jasmine Powell says it is
important to follow safety measures put in place by the university.
“Resident halls have policies in
place to keep students safe,” Powell said. “Security
programming is provided throughout the year
and residents must check-in their guests.”
The Division of Housing and Food
Service at UT suggests students to follow the safety measures below:
• Locked doors to hallways, bathrooms and access from the
outside should never be propped, the lock disabled in any form, or the door
held open for an unknown person.
• For your protection, tell your roommate or RA about
unusual destinations and expected times of return.
Signs of Crime
The following situations may indicate criminal
activity and should be reported to your Residence Hall Staff and University
Police:
- A scream or call for help
- A strange, unescorted person on your floor
- A broken window
- Seeing someone you do not know or recognize:
- Entering your neighbor's room
- Entering an office or lab with no apparent business to transact
- Loitering in a parking lot, near your residence hall, or work area
- Carrying two bicycles
- Trying to break or pry a car window
Intruders
- It is usually best not to yell out or try to detain an offender. The person may panic and react in an unpredictable manner. Usually the offender will run away when spotted.
- If the offender runs away, do not follow, but do try to notice which direction the person goes. If there is a place from which you can observe safely, such as a window, watch to see if the offender gets into a car, goes to another building, etc.
- Try to get a good description of the offender. If the person speaks to you remember what was said and how it was said.
- Report incidents and suspicious persons to your RA and UTPD.
Wednesday, January 23, 2013
Can journalism graduates get jobs?
Landing your big break in journalism:
journalism graduates highlight their different paths into the media field
University
of Texas journalism graduates describe their missteps, regrets and how they
transitioned from the classroom to the newsroom during a panel discussion at
the Belo Center for New Media.
Journalism
graduates are not the only ones concerned about finding a job. In fact, the
Economic Policy Institute reported that more than half of America’s recent
college graduates are unemployed.
“We’ve heard in every class, ‘You’re not
going to get a job or your chances of getting a job are very slim,’” Jazmine
Ulloa said, a 2009 UT graduate.
Life after graduation; graduates insist
internships are key. Ulloa said the internships she completed
while attending UT helped her get her first start after graduation at The Brownsville
Herald.
“I had an
internship with the Brownsville Herald and then worked there for about a year,”
Ulloa said.
Her experience
at The Herald led her to her next job as a night cops reporter at the San
Antonio Express. She is now a reporter at the Austin American-Statesman. Her
latest reporting involves doing what she loves – reporting on crime.
Ulloa said
internships are important for more things than just experience.
“Finding out what you don’t want to do is just
as important as finding out what you do want to do,” and Ulloa says internships
help you discover that as well.
Journalism grads
say internships prove to be invaluable and stepping-stones for the future.
“It is a
precursor to getting started and getting momentum while being on the field. It
has tremendously helped the people that have done them and it is where they
gain the most experience,” said KXAN producer Jackie Vega.
After graduating
in 2008, Vega’s first and only internship was at KXAN in Austin. She freelanced
while in school and did Web reporting. Vega’s experience at KXAN landed her a
job at the station after graduation.
“It
is really important that you go out there and find an internship and really
find out what works for you,” Vega said. “I would encourage you to break those
boundaries and network with people because getting your foot in the door is
what really gets you an opportunity.”
Vega is now a digital reporter
and content producer at KXAN. She is a
staff member of the 2011 winner for Best Online Special Content and 2010 winner
for Best TV Website and Best Newscast as voted by the Texas Associated Press
Broadcasters.
2010 graduate David Muto’s internship also turned into a job after
graduation. At the University of Texas he earned a degree in journalism and
Spanish. While in college he interned for The Texas Tribune, where he now
writes and copy-edits.
“Internships are fun and give you
experience and networking opportunities while you are in college,” Muto said.
Journalists
in the field say it is normal to question your abilities; feel overwhelmed or
get discouraged, but there are other options to explore in getting your feet
wet in the industry. 2008 graduate Suzanne Haberman took an alternative route
to landing an internship.
“I
did not have time for a regular internship. I got freelance writing
opportunities. I wrote articles for various publications and this developed
more skills than networking,” said Haberman.
Haberman’s
advice on landing that first job is to just step outside of your comfort zone
and be your best advocate.
“Just
contact the editor and make your story sound appealing,” said Haberman. “There
is always going to be a need for good storytelling and good writing - no matter
what form it is - you just have to find a publication…find those little
projects…”
Suzanne Haberman is
now a staff writer for Texas
Co-Op Power Magazine.
Despite
students stories of being hired upon completion of internships, some students say
they are still hesitant about entering the journalism field.
According to freelance journalist Ted Irving
who does work out of Austin “Journalism is a competitive field that has changed over the last few years
and is expected to continue changing, but it is not going away.”
Careers in
journalism include a variety of jobs and entry into the field can come in many
ways. One thing that professionals agree on says production owner Ralph
Nickerson is that “You need experience; an employer will look at your
commitment to the task and your achievements. This is a hard industry to get
into and you need to take your opportunities.”
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