In his weekly video message, President Ortiz comments on recent national and global crises and how everyday heroes courageously step up, helping others selflessly and without prejudice during an emergency.

Because Cal Poly Pomona is one of the most diverse campuses in the nation, Ortiz hopes that the campus is a supportive community that will adapt and thrive, no matter the challenge.

Ortiz adds that he was encouraged to see hundreds of people participate in the Traffic Safety Forums on Pedestrian and Bicycle Safety last week. The forums were held before and after the regular Pizza with the Presidents event to give students, faculty and staff an opportunity to share their concerns and ideas. Administrators are reviewing the information and expect to present summaries of key findings next month, Ortiz says.

Forums such as Pizza with the Presidents can make a difference, the president adds. At the winter Q&A, a student pointed out that the only available drinking water in the University Library's 24-hour computer lab was in the restrooms. The Annual Fund provided the solution: The program and its student-callers raised $5,000 for the Senior Gift Program, and the Class of 2012 will fund the installation of a water dispenser.

In other news:

• Cal Poly Pomona students placed second in a regional conference hosted by the American Society of Civil Engineers that featured the concrete canoe and steel bridge competitions. The Concrete Canoe team earned a trip to the national competition.
• Members of the men's and women's track team competed in the Mt. SAC Relays and Brian Clay Invitational last week, setting new personal bests and earning consideration to qualify for NCAA championships. Tiffany Dinh, a two-time cross-country All-American, shattered the school record in the 10,000 meters by 10 seconds.
• The Career Center will host the largest career fair of the year on Tuesday from 10:30 to 2:30 in the University Quad.
• Ortiz recommends seeing a Getty-funded exhibition, "Technology and Environment: The Postwar house in Southern California," at the W. Keith & Janet Kellogg University Art Gallery, calling it a "world-class exhibit."

To read the entire video message, download a PDF of the transcript.