Dismissing orders to vacate by 9 p.m. on Oct. 29, supporters of the Occupy Providence movement continued their protest in Burnside Park. Although Public Safety Commissioner Steven Pare warned protestors to leave the park within 72 hours or face eviction, protestors faced no resistance from police officers when the deadline passed on Saturday night, The Brown Daily Herald reported. Mayor Angel Taveras, D-Providence, had threatened protestors with a court order to cease their actions, but he promised to not use force in the situation. Providence's peaceful protests mark a contrast to the Occupy movement in other cities, where many members of such movements have faced arrest. Most members of Occupy Providence expressed doubt of Taveras' solidarity with the movement and suspect that the mayor chose to not forcefully evict protesters with the expectation that the cold weather would drive them out, The Herald reported. Two lawyers provided legal counsel to the Occupiers to advise them of the consequences should they be arrested, according to The Herald.
A transgender female student at California Baptist University who appeared on an April episode of the MTV reality show "True Life" was expelled her from the university's nursing program, The Press Enterprise reported on Friday. In the episode, "I'm Passing as Someone I'm Not," Domaine Javier revealed that she is biologically male, although she has identified as a female since she was a toddler. Javier was expelled on charges of providing false information to the university. Although California Baptist University has no written policy against transgender students, the school is known for conservative policies and formally discourages homosexuality, The Press Enterprise reported. Javier originally decided to appear on the MTV program in order to raise awareness about transgender issues, and said she does not regret her choice, according to The Press Enterprise.
The proportion of middle-income students has decreased by 9 percent over the last 10 years across the University of California system, according to the University of California's 2011 Accountability Report, The Orange County Register reported on Sunday. This trend is likely a reflection of the shift in California's overall income demographics families earning $100,000 to $149,000 have decreased by 4 percent, for example since 2000, according to The Orange County Register. The shift, coupled with repeated hikes in the University of California tuition and limited access to financial aid for middle-income students may also contribute to the decreased proportion of these students who attend University of California schools. The proportions of lower and upper-income students enrolled at the University of California have grown in the past decade, however, which is also consistent with the changing demographics of the state, according to The Orange County Register.
