otterrealm-blog

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The presidency may be the huge story, but voters had many more items to think about on Nov. 8. Here are some of the current numbers: California had two Democratic party leaders for Senator, Kamala Harris and Loretta Sanchez. As of 11:50 p.m. on Nov. 8, Harris was elected United States Senator, with 65 percent of the current vote count, well over the 35 percent forSanchez received. Multiple cities in Monterey County found their vote for local mayor had to be cast to a single candidate, including mayoral races where voters cast their vote to re-elect incumbent mayors. Of the cities that had more than one candidate, Bruce Delgado (Marina), Bill Kampe (Pacific Grove), Joseph Gunter (Salinas), and Ralph Rubio (Seaside) were all re-elected as Mayor of their respective cities after the Nov. 8 election. As of 11:45 p.m. on election day, California voters decided with a 62 percent majority to support Proposition 55, which extends by 12 years a previous personal income tax on the state’s highest earners. The outcome of this vote is a projected $4 to $6 billion for public education and healthcare in California. The current totals showed 3,329,644 or more Californians voted in favor of Prop 55, versus approximately 2 million against. As a result, single-filing individuals earning $263,000 or more and joint-filers making more than $526,000 will pay a 10.3 percent tax on their income until the year 2030. Californians have voted yes to Prop 56, which increases the tax on cigarettes by $2 per pack. The tax also applies to other tobacco products. Prop 56 aims to combat the tobacco industry, help prevent underage smokers, collect revenue through the increased taxes, and disperse the money to multiple causes, including health care for low-income Californians. California voted down Proposition 60 on Nov. 8, with current counts by the end of the evening showing 46 percent in favor and 53 percent against. The proposition would have mandated the use of condoms in the adult films industry. Proponents of Prop 60 said that workplace safety of the adult film profession would greatly improve, while opponents warned of increased risk from lawsuits towards the industry. #vote #electi

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Sunset colors enhance the Chapman science building yesterday evening. It was a beautiful moment to reflect on what the following day, election day, might bring. Have you voted yet? 📷Photo by Sean Roney. 🌎 #csumb #sunset #csu #calstate #monterey #csumb #election2016

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Jamaica Tatum, from right, and Breahna Watkins lead a procession of Black Lives Matter protesters through the main quad earlier today (Nov. 7) as they called for awareness for lingering racism in society and among law enforcement. 📷Photo by Kelly Finlay. @goldenwonder2442 🌎 #csumb #blacklivesmatter #csu #calstate #monterey #protest #marina #police

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Christopher Alejos, right, and Maryann Cortez carve pumpkins during the Dining Commons pumpkin carving contest. Competitors will carve in the DC all night (Oct. 26), and fellow students can judge and vote on Oct. 27. A winner will be announced on the evening of Oct. 27 or on Oct. 28. The prize for winning has yet to be determined. #csumb #csu #calstate #monterey #halloween #diningcommons #pumpkin

[otterrealm-blog]

The CSUMB Campus Zero Waste Team prepares to sort through three days of trash from the University Center. Trash was separated according to whether it belonged in a landfill or should be recycled. The Cal State Monterey Bay (CSUMB) Zero Waste Team performed a waste audit for the University Center (UC) on Sept. 23. Six new waste sorting bins were custom made and installed in the UC Oct. 3. With three compartments for separating landfill waste, recycling, and compost, the new system will help students, staff, and faculty to properly sort their trash. Rachel Sutton, Campus Zero Waste Coordinator, said the purpose of the audit was to measure the diversion rates from the old bins to get a sense of how much waste was being sorted incorrectly. Sutton and her team collected three days worth of trash and then sifted through it, assessing how accurate Otters are in their disposal habits. "We expected that it would be poorly sorted because there was no signage or color-coordination," Sutton said. The audit revealed 50% of the waste found in the original recycling container was actually recyclable material, 40% was landfill trash, and 10% was compostable. Of the landfill trash receptacles, 50% was in fact bound for the dump, while 25% should have been recycled, and the other 25% should have been composted. Sutton said much of the trash might have been recycled if it had been properly cleaned before going into the bin. The new bins are made of recycled milk jugs and come with color-coded signs explaining what waste goes in what bin. Even the bags for the compost bin are recyclable. Sutton said she is hopeful that the new system will make properly sorting trash easier and more effective at the UC. She said, "Down the line we want to do another audit to see what the improvements are." For more information about sustainability or compost, recycling and waste at CSUMB, contact Rachel Sutton at rsutton@csumb.edu 📰Article by Carolyn Hinman 📷Photo by Rachel Sutton 🌎 #csumb #waste #recycling #csu #calstate

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Doesn't even have a parking pass and still gets to park on the lawn. #csumb #drunkdriving

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The Dunes in Marina under construction. It looks like they're getting close to new businesses coming in. 📷Photo by Online Editor Sean Roney @seanroney 🌎#csumb #marina #thedunes

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Otter Media DJ Vincent Lowe live on video stream, viewable on CSUMB TV Channel 71-1. If you're off campus, you can still listen on the Otter Media site. #csumb #csu #calstate #collegeradio #ottermedia

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The stormy skies made for pretty rainbows all around the Monterey Bay yesterday. Otter Realm reporter Kaitlyn Faris caught one in time elapse. 📹 @kaitlyn.cheri 🌎 #csumb #monterey #rainbow #sky #clouds #timeelapse

[otterrealm-blog]

Sigma Theta Psi will be in the main quad from 12 p.m. to 2 p.m. on Oct. 24 with more information and fundraising events for breast cancer research. 📷Photo by Kelly Finlay @goldenwonder2442 🌎#csumb #csu #awareness #breastcancer

[otterrealm-blog]

An example of food waste collected in 1 hour of during the prior Weigh Your Waste event. Cal State Monterey Bay (CSUMB) students will have another chance to learn about food waste and its impact on the environment when Weigh Your Waste returns to the Dining Commons (DC) Oct. 18, 19, and 20. The Green Team will be on site from 12 p.m. until 1 p.m. and 6 p.m. until 7 p.m. each day to collect plate scraps and measure CSUMB's contribution to the food waste problem. The last Weigh Your Waste event ran Sept. 13, 14, and 15 in the DC. Rachel Sutton, Campus Zero Waste Coordinator, said diners wasted a total of 98.3 pounds of food over the first three-day collection period. 715 people scraped their plate waste for an average .14 pounds of food wasted per person. Izzi Woods, Environmental Senator with Associated Students, helped orchestrate the event. "I was really impressed with the student body response. A lot of people were shocked, and some were downright confused. It was a positive response from the students," Woods said. "My expectation for the next one is that we will probably figure out an average baseline for how much student waste is created. It would be great if the numbers went down but I don't think six hours of collection is enough to make a change. I think it takes sustaining conscious education to institute lifelong change." For more information on food waste and sustainability Izzi Woods at environmental@ascsumb.org 📷Photo by Izzi Woods 📰Story by Carolyn Hinman 🌎#csumb #csu #foodwaste #food #environment #recycling #calstate #university

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Dionicio Mendoza discusses the sugar skull workshop held at the VPA building in preparation for Day of the Dead. 📹Video by Sean Roney @seanroney 🌎#csumb #dayofthedead #csu #calstate #otterrealm Full video can be seen at: http://otterrealm.com/sugar-skull-workshop/ (Link to Otter Realm site in Instagram profile)

[otterrealm-blog]

The Sugar Skull Workshop, happening today until 9pm at the Visual & Public Art Department, Bldg. 72. Make your own sugar skull in time for Day of the Dead. #csumb #csu #vpa #culture #dayofthedead #diadelosmuertos #sugarskull

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The new Otter Realm in a news rack at the Dining Commons. Grab your copy anywhere on campus to read the latest stories. #csumb #otterrealm #csu #calstate #monterey #seaside #marina

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Matt Menor, left, and Madeline McCuen show off the homecoming t-shirts and otters, available at Room 159 in the Student Center. The shirts and otters are available to everyone who promises to wear and display them on Friday. @mb_orientation @csumb 📷Photo by Online Editor Sean Roney @seanroney 🌎 #csumb #csu #orientation #calstate #homecoming #monterey #wearemb

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This is one of many reasons why you should pick up a copy of the Otter Realm in Thursday. Now with 100% more Doge! #muchwow #doge #otterrealm #csumb

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Time shift Tuesday: Back to Saturday when the campus hosted an open house for 2700 visitors. 📷Photo by Online Editor @seanroney 🌎#csumb #openhouse #csu #calatate