The last time I owned a bicycle (before it was stolen) was when I lived in Lethbridge, Alberta. It was a children’s bike, much too small for me, but I felt safe on it because, frankly, it was short and I wasn’t scared of tipping over. It was also small enough to legally be ridden on the sidewalk, and I took full advantage of this. There are no bike lanes in Lethbridge. There are, however, a lot of engine-gunnin’, gas-guzzlin’, pickup-drivin’ folk who own the road, or at least like to act like they do. These people shouted slurs and catcalls at me on my bicycle, and on a few occasions, nearly struck me down when trying to cross an intersection. I can’t imagine trying to share the road with them.
Monday, 26 February 2018
BIKE LANEZ
BIKE LANES- NEUFELD- FEBRUARY 26, 2018
Though driving may be understandably necessary in rural areas, one can reasonably achieve most of their personal transportation needs throughout the Greater Victoria area through combined use of walking, public transit, and cycling. Driving, though quick and convenient, comes at a cost- The Guardian reported in January that the largest source of greenhouse gas pollution in the U.S. was now vehicle emissions. Luring drivers away from the convenience of driving means providing appealing alternatives. Continuing to expand Victoria’s bike lanes will make cycling a more attractive option.
While on-road cycling can be a safe option for experienced cyclists with proper training, the prospect of sharing the road with motor vehicles can be intimidating, particularly for those who are less experienced. Bike lanes, especially protected ones, invite cyclists of all levels of experience to use them. In fact, a 2014 study by the Portland State University showed that installation of protected bike lanes in five major U.S. cities increased ridership from between 21 and 171 percent.
Statistics Canada describes lower rates of bicycle-related collisions and deaths in areas where bike usage is more common, due to a “safety in numbers” mindset. This phenomenon has also been noted outside of Canada, including in Minneapolis, where cycling tripled between 1993 and 2011, but collisions did not increase. Increased ridership through a quality, expansive bike lane system will, in fact, make biking in Victoria even safer.
Victoria is a progressive city, and the capital of a progressive province. We have an opportunity to set an example of how transportation infrastructure can evolve with the times, and we have already begun with the completion of the Pandora Avenue bike lane and construction beginning on Fort Street. We should continue to pursue the expansion of the bike lanes, even in the face of criticism. As more and more of Victoria becomes accessible by protected bike lanes, confidence in the system will grow, ridership will increase, and vehicle traffic congestion will decrease. And we will demonstrate that we are dynamic, environmentally conscious leaders in the battle against greenhouse gas pollution.
Monday, 19 February 2018
TWO
YEARS FREE- NEUFELD- FEBRUARY 18, 2018
In BC, tuition
costs and student debt are rising, and post-secondary education is becoming
more imperative than ever. Who should pay for tuition? The present system of paid tuition leaves
students overwhelmed with debt and discourages low-income individuals. The proposition of free tuition, on the other
hand, is fraught with flaws and idealistic. The solution is a compromise: two
years’ free tuition.
Advocates of free
tuition claim that post-secondary graduates, able to get higher-paying jobs
after graduating, will more than pay for their educations through higher
taxation- a Canadian university degree costing $50,630 at the outset will
eventually cost, on average, $106,000 for women and $159,000 for men. (Ivanova, 2012) However, BC has the highest underemployment
rate in Canada, with only 57% of undergraduate-educated workers employed in
fields utilizing their degrees. (Van
Santvoort, 2017) A university graduate
who is only able to find low-wage work will not be able to “give back” their
tuition through taxation.
Further, under the
paid-tuition model, BC students are currently graduating from four year
programs with debt averaging
over $30,000. (Hernandez, 2017) Accumulating such debt with uncertain job
prospects deters individuals from enrolling, or leads them to drop out. Providing two years’ free tuition would open
the door to all to achieve educational goals, and strengthen BC’s economy with
a new well of currently untapped potential.
The ‘Tennessee
Promise’, initiated in 2015, is a leading example of a two-years-free
program. This “last-dollar scholarship” covers
two years of tuition and fees at a Tennessee public college or technical school
that are not covered by other forms of financial assistance. (Tennessee Promise, n.d.) Participants must attend meetings with
mentors, contribute community service, and maintain a satisfactory GPA. (Tennessee Promise, n.d.) The mentoring program sets the stage for
students to succeed, and community service ensures that recipients of the
Promise give back to the state.
The Tennessee
Promise has already been successful, with “first time freshman enrolment
[increasing] by 13 percent in Tennessee”.
(Tennessee Promise Sees Increased Enrollment, 2017) After two years, 17%
more participating students had graduated or were pursuing further education
than those who did not participate in the program. (Tamburin, 2017) The Promise is part of Tennessee’s Drive to
55 initiative to “equip 55 percent of Tennesseans with a college degree or
certificate by 2025”, which governor Bill Haslam says will be achieved two
years early at its current momentum.
(Gonzales, 2018)
The two year free
tuition model would benefit BC because it is a middle ground for paid and free
tuition. It would be more easily funded
than a full free tuition system, would relieve financial burden on students,
and would help to achieve a stronger economy.
The Drive to 55 Alliance describes its mission as “not just… higher
education, but a mission for Tennessee’s future workforce and economic
development”. (Drive to 55 Alliance,
n.d.) This noble objective sets a
standard which BC, already a leader of change in Canada, should proudly adopt
for its own.
References
Drive
to 55 Alliance (n.d.) Drive to 55 Alliance. Retrieved from
http://driveto55.org
Gonzales,
J. (2018, January 29) Gov. Bill Haslam touts education gains, says Drive to 55
two years ahead of pace. USA Today Network- Tennessee. Retrieved from https://www.tennessean.com
Hernandez,
J. (2017, February 22) B.C. budget eases interest on student loans while debt
continues to soar. CBC News. Retrieved from https://www.cbc.ca
Ivanova,
I. (2012) Paid in full update: Who pays for university education in BC? Retrieved
from Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives BC Office website:
https://www.policyalternatives.ca/sites/default/files/uploads/publications/BC%20Office/2012/01/CCPA_Paid_in_Full_2012_web.pdf
Tamburin,
A (2017, September 22) Tennesse Promise students more likely to succeed in
college, less likely to drop out, new data shows. USA Today Network. Retrieved
from https://tennessean.com
Tennessee
Promise Sees Increased Enrollment (2017, February 2) Retrieved from
https://www.tn.gov/thec/news/2017/2/2/tennessee-promise-sees-increased-enrollment-strong-retention-rates-in-year.html
Van
Santvoort, A. (2017, September 5) B.C. leads country for undermployment. Business
In Vancouver. Retrieved from https://biv.com/
Monday, 22 January 2018
ONE PAGER- NEUFELD- JANUARY 22 2018
I must
admit, I don’t read newspapers, listen to the radio, or watch television. I get my news online, typically from Google
News (which is probably pretty bad, but somehow I feel better about getting information
from an aggregated source like Google than picking one particular news company
to deliver it with its own spin) or from snippets I pick up from social
media. I’d be the first to admit that I’m not
terribly well informed, though I do go through phases of trying quite hard to
stay on top of current events.
I moved to Victoria from Alberta in 2015, at the time
without concrete intentions of attending post-secondary school, and with no
concept of what schools were available, let alone their reputations. When I began considering furthering my
education, I did a Google (!) search for ‘Victoria college’, and when Camosun
no doubt popped up first, I perused the available programs until I found one
that I found interesting. I didn’t know
much about Camosun- I’d seen the odd ad- but the fact that it came up first on
a search engine was enough to sell me on it.
I imagine that public relations are important in maintaining
the image of the college, however, for someone new in town like me, the sole
fact that it came up first on a Google search led me to believe it was the
biggest and best college in town- and nothing has led me to believe otherwise. Frankly, I don’t know if Camosun even has any
other real contenders, aside from special interest (business/art/religious)
schools, and UVic. Unless some sort of
horrible controversy arises that the college must scramble to play down, I feel
that Camosun can probably get away with minimal PR without losing too much
business or faith from the community.
TWEETING EXERCISE
Change is in the air: Major restructuring announced today
for National Widget Company
“I am saddened this morning to announce the National Widget
Company will be laying off 200 employees across Canada”: NWC president Andrew Bryce tearfully
announces restructuring this morning.
“It’s like a great big family”: The 200 employees laid off
from the National Widget Company this morning will receive compensation and will
be re-hired as soon as possible
“The increase in sales is unprecedented!” Explosion in
widget demand puts National Widget Company back on top
National Widget Company breaking down barriers as the first
widget company to enter Chinese market
“We are thrilled to be offering employment to people we
consider part of the family”: National Widget Company president Andrew Bryce announces
rehiring of 200 employees laid off last June
Regina, we’re coming for you! National Widget Company announces plans for
new facility in Saskatchewan
Are you a widget lover in Regina? Join our team as we get
ready to open our newest facility!
Hey Regina: The National Widget Company wants YOU! The career opportunity you’ve been waiting
for is coming August 2018! Apply now!
Analyzing a Blog
BLOG
ANALYSIS - NEUFELD - JANUARY 21 2018
In his blog post ‘Because
Reading Is Fundamental’, Jeff Attwood discusses the idea that members of the
blogging community are more concerned with increasing post counts rather than
actively reading them. He likens this trend to the act of speaking rather
than listening, and says that the value of conversation is decreased when
bloggers do not take the time to fully read and understand posts.
The intended audience of
Attwood’s blog is not gender-specific. Though
his blog ‘Coding Horror’ is about programming and software development and
would likely appeal to others in his field, this specific piece could be of
interest to anyone who is part of an online community seeking a richer, more
educational experience. His post is
written in language that is mildly colloquial but still polished in tone, and
would be appropriate for an audience likely 18 and older. The audience does not need to post-secondary
education to understand and enjoy the post; however, as it implores the
audience to consider reading more thoroughly, individuals who have sought
college or university degrees may be more receptive to his message.
In order to bolster his
stance that the blogging community does not spend enough time reading, Attwood
cites two “experiments”. The first of
these is the ‘Ars Banana Experiment’, where readers of a post by Ars Technica
were instructed, in the last sentence of the seventh paragraph, to include a
reference to bananas in their response to prove that they had read the entire
post. It was not until the 93rd comment
that a reader first made reference to bananas.
This rather cheeky example clearly backs up Attwood’s claim that the
majority of readers are not reading posts to completion. Attwood’s second example, “The Slate
Experiment”, however, hardly seems to be an experiment at all. He shows us a chart of analytics data
gathered by Farhad Manjoo, which is less an experiment than a collection of
data. To call this an experiment is
somewhat sensational, and the chart itself is overly simplistic and could even
be misleading. Still, the information
does seem to support Attwood’s stance.
Attwood proposes providing
incentives to reading- namely, removing pagination, measuring users’ read
times, rewarding reading with badges, and updating online conversations in
real-time to emulate live conversation.
Attwood’s post does give
credence to the idea of reading/listening more than talking, but there are
factors which he does not consider. For
example, a blog post may be dry and frankly, arduous to finish. Conversely, it may spark emotional response
early into the piece which a reader may feel compelled to respond to
immediately. (This could be comparable
in “real life” to clapping or booing during a speech.) “Incentives” for reading defeat the purpose
of pursuing knowledge for knowledge’s sake.
And finally, those who come to a blogging community for interaction with
others, particularly if incentivized by real-time updates, are simply eager to
engage in conversation. Attwood has an
almost utopian idea of a community of informed readers huddled in polite
discussion, but for those who come to the internet because they need someone to
talk to, this would not be enough. His
idea is thought-provoking, but fanciful.
Monday, 15 January 2018
News Release Assignment
NEWS RELEASE
JANUARY 15 2018
NATIONAL WIDGET COMPANY ANNOUNCES MASS
RE-HIRING
Fifty Victoria residents laid off by the
National Widget Company last year will soon be back to work.
“We have sent recall notices to all
employees who were laid off in June,” says president Andrew Bryce. “As a family-owned company, it was
heartbreaking to lay off so many loyal people so we are thrilled to be offering
employment to people we consider part of the family.”
Employees across Canada will be called in
as required in the coming weeks, with plans to return to regular operations in
six weeks’ time.
Traditionally, widgets have been used in
the oil business, but their recent use in residential construction means the
need for them has increased. There is currently
a huge demand for widgets in China, where they must be installed in every new
building. The National Widget Company is the first company in the world to
secure a deal with the Chinese.
“The increase in sales have been
unprecedented. We think this opportunity
opens up enormous markets which will last for years,” says Bryce.
The National Widget Company was forced to
lay off 200 of its 2000 employees nationwide last June after the world’s
markets were flooded with widgets.
-30-
For more information, Contact Stephanie Neufeld at (555) 555-5555
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)