Vol. XLIII, No. 18 Monday, April 26, 2010
THE INDEPENDENT STUDENT VOICE OF CALIFORNIA STATE UNIVERSITY, SAN BERNARDINO FOR 43 YEARS
Coyote Chronicle
www.coyotechronicle.com
Fukuzawa, Plemons vie for ASI top spot By MARYRONE SHELL Staff Writer
Richard Bowie | Chronicle Photo
Campaign signs for ASI presidential candidate and incumbent James Fukazawa have popped up all around campus. Fukazawa says one of his top concerns would be furthering his initiative of student advocacy. Election polls will be open Wednesday and Thursday.
The Associated Students Incorporated (ASI) elections are coming up on April 28 and 29 but only one executive position is in contention – ASI President. The battle royale will be held between the incumbent James Fukazawa and Justine Plemons. An interview with fifteen students indicates that there is a general lack of information students have on the candidates but this has not hindered their will to vote. “My vote can make a difference as to who wins or loses,” said Enrique Ramirez, a CSUSB freshman. A proud Fukazawa supporter, he intends to cast his vote in the upcoming elections. When it comes to voter turnout, “For the past two years it has been at a very good rate,” said Christian Martinez, the coordinator for ASI Student Elections. “Students have taken interest in ASI Elections, and it’s only looking to imSee Elections, Pg. 2
Students Save the Pub By ALLISON UPSTILL Staff Writer A student driven campaign hoping to improve and restore the campus pub has accomplished some of it's goals, as changes are being made to the establishment. “The Pub” is a bar/eatery located on the second floor of the San Manuel Student Union (SMSU), its purpose is to be a comfortable place for students to meet and hangout on campus. The overall student feedback has been that The Pub is has a great potential, but needs a lot of improvements. “[The Pub] is a spoiled piece of potential,” said student Kyle Richardson, who serves as Controller on the Board of Directors for the SMSU. Richardson has been a strong activist for changes in The Pub and was the first person on the Board of Directors to bring attention to the topic. He was unaware that there were other students that were organizing and petitioning for the same goal at the same time. “I was totally unaware that there was a concurrent movement going on,” Richardson said. “We have been working towards the same goal and not even aware of it.” Those other students were Troy Mondragon and Robert Gomez, who found other concerned students and formed an informal organization
called “Save the Pub.” In winter 2010 they handed out surveys to students to evaluate the overall student opinion of The Pub, and possible areas of improvement. The survey addressed a broad number of things like décor, advertising and student representation and entertainment. The questionnaire was given to students inside The Pub and throughout the rest of the SMSU, approximately 170 students surveyed total. Some of the results depicted overall were that students want more entertainment in the pub, an expanded menu, and wanted the beer taps to be brought back. On the other hand Mondragon noted that many students are happy with the employees, and believe that they contribute to the environment and make it personable and enjoyable experience. At the April 15 board meeting, Mondragon and Gomez presented to the board their findings from the student surveys conducted during winter quarter. This meeting was when Richardson met Mondragon, Gomez and the other students. The board has invited Mondragon to the “Pub Remodel Committee.” The active students will now be working together towards the same goal. See The Pub, Pg. 3
Richard Bowie | Chronicle Photo
Concerned students organized to form “Save the Pub.” The group rallied and has been successful in restoring the on-campus pub. Their efforts include enhancing décor and getting the selection of beers back on tap.
Summer courses still on, but with changes By MARISOL BOTELLO Staff Writer CSUSB summer session will begin June 23 with some changes to the usual format. The difference this year is that summer sessions will be offered through The College of Extended Learning. With 500 course sections from all five colleges at the San Bernardino and Palm desert campuses summer school is still on for the 2010 academic school year.
According to Tim Gahrethy, who works at The College of Extended Learning, this summer session will be “similar to other quarters” in the sense that about the same number of classes will be offered. CSUSB offers summer classes for those students who want to get ahead or stay on track with their requirements. Since classes will be held through this college, one difference is that it will be on a “self support system,” according to Gahrethy. This basically means that the state is not providing any
funds towards the cost of funding summer school. According to Gahrethy, this is not the first time this has happened. There was a similar situation in 2004. As for tuition, since summer school will be held through a “self support” system, pricing will occur differently. Fees will be based on a per-unit cost as opposed to a price for several units. See Summer school, Pg. 13