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Dec. 1, 2014
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C A L I F O R N I A S T A T E U N I V E R S I T Y, L O S A N G E L E S
INSIDE: GeoWall Team Preps to 'Rock' Nationals LA ONDA:
Issue 207.10
ASCE's GeoChallenge inspires student JUSTICIA PARA MICHAEL engineers to win 2015 GeoWall Competition BROWN PG 6
$11 MILLION AWARDED FOR TEACHER TRAINING PG 2
SQE'S SURVEY ON STUDENT SUCCESS FEES PG 3
CAL STATE LA DISCUSSES LIVING WITH A DISSABILITY PG 7
SPEECH & DEBATE TALK IDENTITY PG 12
ADVISEMENT MAY BE MORE AGGRAVATING THAN HELPFUL PG 7
CAL STATE LA'S ROLE IN THE LA AUTOSHOW PG 8
Photo By Blanca Lopez
Angeline Bernabe Staff Reporter Cal State L.A.’s Geowall team is back to compete another year in the national and regional competition known as GeoChallenge, and this time, they’re prepared and more enthusiastic than ever! Geochallenge, which is a student competition hosted by the Geo-Institute of the American Society of Civil Engineers, allows students from colleges across the country to compete in three different competitions: GeoWall, GeoPrediction, and GeoPoster. With an emphasis on GeoWall, students from Cal State L.A. have formed their own team to compete in GeoChallenge on a national and regional level to design a mechanically stabilized Earth Wall out of paper. Specifically, a Geowall is used for holding different
types of material waste back by the use of ties made of metal or other material. Geowalls are more commonly found to protect freeways in the case of earthquakes. At the competition, teams from all over the country are supposed to build their own versions of a GeoWall under a 20-minute construction time limit. Each design has to be tested with soil by a panel of judges, and the team that builds the best design with the least amount of paper wins. Although it sounds simple, the catch is that the soil material that the design is tested with is unknown until the night before the competition. Ryan Jacobs, a senior Civil Engineering major, has competed in the GeoChallenge for the past two years and explained, “Last year, they used a synthetic crumb rubber material, which was crushed up tires mixed in with sand.”
Gerardo Nunez, a member of GeoWall mentioned, “We didn’t do so well, but we got the fourth place score.”
the team demonstrates a sense of passion in order to win and carry their knowledge about Geowall in the workforce.
Jacobs and Nunez are both veteran contestants of the Cal State L.A. team and currently working hard with a group of students to design several possible models to take to competition.
Blanca Lopez, a senior Civil Engineering major on the GeoWall team who also works for the Port of L.A. shared, “A lot of the times, they’re [Port of L.A.] doing something similar in the projects that I work with, so I was able to see things, and they were able to click on my head from the experience I gained through GeoWall.”
With so much enthusiasm from a group of students at Cal State L.A., GeoWall Team members are determined to win. Only four team members are allowed to travel to competition, but the support of many students on the team has been overwhelming. Jacobs shared, “At competition, they had to come yell at the Cal State L.A. [team] to stop yelling because we’re so darn loud.” From the eagerness to work on possible designs at meetings to the spirit they exhibit at competitions,
Cal State L.A.’s GeoWall team will compete in 2015 on a national level. For more information on GeoWall, you can follow their competition journey through the ECST twitter (@CSULAECST). The team meets on Saturdays from 9a.m. to 12p.m. and Wednesdays from 8p.m. to 10p.m. and encourages students to join them!
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University Times
Dec. 1, 2014
To The Teachers Of Tomorrow
A $11 Million grant awarded to Cal State L.A. is expected to take our renowned Teacher’s training program to a whole new level. Jessica Ramos Contributor
The U.S. Department of Education recently awarded Cal State L.A. a $11,064,077 grant in order to ensure that its Los Angeles Urban Teacher Residency Program Transformation Initiative is ongoing for the next five-years (20142019). Cal State L.A. has been
renowned for its extensive and admired program at the Charter College of Education (CCOE) that prepares intelligent and “caring educators, counselors, and leaders to work effectively for diverse urban communities.” This was one of the contributing factors that led the CCOE to become a recipient of such a crucial amount. The $11 million grant – which is a part of “President Obama’s Teacher Quality Partnership (TQP) initiative to enhance collaborations between universities and highneed school districts to recruit, train and support teachers” – is because of our university’s very own Dr. A. Dee Williams. Dr. Williams showed enthusiasm in the possibilities that the grant would allow teachers a considerable stipend for taking
their time in helping students. The enterprise is primarily focused for the science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) fields. In return, the focus on training teachers with dynamic skills will improve student achievement in urban classrooms. It will allow teachers-in-training to show their newly acquired skills in real classrooms settings, making it a simulation of sorts. Teachers will be able to understand which techniques work and which don’t in a faster and more efficient way. Dr. Williams also mentioned that they “are even going to try to combine an elementary school and a Special Ed credential,” and will allow our teachers to reach more students than ever before. “Teacher training, we believe,
A Showcase on Identity
CSULA Speech and Debate team explore Identity through a different platform Pablo De La Hoya
Contributor To find your identity is like trying to find a needle in a haystack. Forensics Speech and Debate performed various speeches during their showcase to emphasize identity on
Tuesday, November 26. The showcase began with an interview-based video. In this video, three students were asked what identity meant to them. Tracey Ng, Biochemistry major responded with, “It is a means or a form of expressing myself.” Further mentioning that Ng expresses herself by being kind and creative. “Forensics has helped me to become more brave in the way I express myself,” Ng stated. Following was performances from four students emphasizing on identity. Dorothy Garcia, Communications major, performed a
poetry piece on intercountry adoption. Garcia explained through poetry that children often lose their identity when adopted and taken to another country. Each one of her poems was very emotional, further amplifying the problems with intercountry adoption. The emotions were seen amongst the audience, causing tears. Lane Shwager, Communications major, explains how the piece hits close to home. Garcia’s ultimate message is explaining how these children although facing the struggles alone, are in fact not alone.
Photo By Pablo De La Hoya
is going to be changed at Cal State L.A. forever,” said Williams, adding, “We are able to coordinate our efforts in a way that will maximize all of the attention that we have put on to teachers and fieldwork, and all the components that make a good teacher.” The Los Angeles Urban Teacher Residency Program Transformation Initiative is a collaboration led by Cal State L.A. and the Center for Collaborative Education, Los Angeles Unified School District. At the completion of this vigorous program, its participants will earn a teaching credential and master’s degree at Cal State L.A. in Mathematics and Science. According to the goals stated on their website, “The focus is to develop teachers to become experts in the field and using the Common Core State Standards (CCSS) and Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS) in order to Brian Hy also performed an interpretive event. However, focusing on how people are robbed of their culture starting with their names. Often time’s Asian families are forced to give their children an “American” name. Hy uses his own name as an example, as his name is Xing Xing. Even though these pieces were very serious and emotional, but the showcase also contained comedic relief. Within Hy’s piece he included a show on Comedy Central. The audience reacted to the piece very quickly because it was very well known. Amongst those in the audience was Dr. David Olsen, Communications Chair, and
close the achievement gap” in high need or rural schools. Congratulations are in order for to the CCOE faculty – Dr. A Dee Williams, Dr. Sabrina Mims, Dr. Kimberly Persiani, Dr. Paula Arvedson, and Dr. Leila Ricci – who have improved the program by securing this grant and giving students and teachers an opportunity that can positively change the way students perceive education. This 18-month graduate level program offers an opportunity for teacher residents to work alongside outstanding mentors for an entire school year. This program is designed to provide future teachers the knowledge, skills and dispositions they need to make an impact in urban schools. Interested students can pay a visit to the CCOE office in King Hall D2069.
a supporter of the Speech and Debate team. Dr. Olsen explained, “We laughed. We cried. We were challenged and we were involved.”
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University Times
Dec. 1, 2014
UN I V E R S I T Y T IMES
Editor-in-Chief Yzzy Gonzalez
Distributor Carol Venegas
Managing Editor Timmy Truong
Staff Reporter Angeline Bernabe
Production Manager Taylor Preza
Columnist Roxana Hernandez Fashion Reporter Row
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Contributors Maya Bennett Al Castro Alexandra Del Salto Pablo De La Hoya Alejandro Flores Luz Gomez Nareis Melkon Jessica Ramos Claudia Reyes
Copy Editors Gerardo Amezquita Nihdin Patel Carol Venegas Business/ Advertising Mangager Jim Munson Faculty Advisor Suzanne Regan Journalism 391 Professor Josef Sawyer
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Not Your Usual 'Success' Story CSU’s Student Success Fees come under fire for burdening students over already excessive cost of education. Alexandra Del Salto
Contributor Recently implemented ‘Student Success Fees’ across 12 Cal State campuses have been drawing massive amounts of criticism for being non-approved fees enforced against student’s wills and votes. These fees range anywhere from 30 to 800 dollars, which is more money coming out of student’s pockets while tacking onto already excessive tuition prices. While Student Success Fees are painted as funding that offers the promise of more classes, more faculty and counselors, improved programs and improved graduation rates, critics say they are a thinly veiled attempt to shift more education costs to students without technically increasing tuition. For many Cal State campuses, there were no binding student votes to approve the fees. A perfect example is our very own campus, which fell victim to the imposed fees, regardless of the student advisory vote that overwhelmingly rejected the increase that former President Rosser chose to blatantly ignore. The fees were allegedly not even put before the system-wide Board of Trustees. Students have also com-
plained that the fees are a slip around the (very high) Cal State tuition cap of $5,472. The intention of Student Success Fees may be genuine, but the problem students have is the mere fact that all those benefits should already be included in tuition, not as an additional charge. Most of the controversy over Student Success Fees resolves around how they are implemented and the accountability of the process. Do they go through the students or do they just apply them?
that of credit card debt in the U.S.”
According to a survey conducted across the 23-campus system by Students for Quality Education (SQE), 68% of respondents said additional fees would lead them to take out more loans and 59% said they would need to work more hours. This fee is classified as a Category 2 fee, a campus based mandatory fee required for enrollment under the jurisdiction of the president, which also puts into question if whether or not the presidents have too much power. Category 2 fees could be implemented when funding from the state wasn’t present. However in times when the economy and funding for education are seemingly improving, students are asking why they are being forced to pay more.
A committee created by the CSU Chancellor to study the impact of the fees recommended that no new charges would be enacted without a binding student vote, and that transparency be provided on how the fees are actually helping students. There also will not be any rollback of current fees. The board will vote on them in January. With the large support coming from CSU trustees, Student Success Fees will (unfortunately) be likely continue. However, trustees did say that campuses should give students more control through campus referendums for deciding how much to charge and how to spend the money.
SQE members recently erected multiple signs at Cal State L.A. in front of the Golden Eagle Statue in honor of and during the vital budget meetings that were being held at the CSU Chancellor’s Office in Long Beach. The signs read, “Education should not be a debt sentence,” “For the past decade, tuition has gone up almost every year and has risen by 28.3% since 2002,” and “Student debt now surpasses
“We’re in solidarity with students,” says Lawrence Gandara, a double major in English and Ethnic Studies and SQE member. “And we’ve also aligned ourselves with faculty. We’ve gotten nothing but good responses from students, faculty and staff. If they are acknowledging our signs while administration keeps quiet, then there’s obviously something pretty bad going on.”
So will we see progress? More 24-Hour Open Access labs, upgrades to the wireless points on campus, a peer mentor program for international students, professional development for graduate students and much more as promised? Or will we see more spiked fees? “The President is redefining success by his terms with these fees,” claimed Gandara. Whether or not these fees will actually prove successful will be seen in months to come.
So how does Cal State LA explain their stand?
Para La Onda: Jefes de Redacción:
Xanni Valentin Chavira
Editores: Meliza Guzman Mindy Galindo Sergio Soto Gerente de publicidad:
Martha J. Orellana
Consejero de la Facultad:
Pablo Baler
When the Student Success Fees were implemented in fall 2012, according to Dr. Anthony Ross, The Vice President of Student Affairs, “Cal State L.A. used the alternative consultation process. What that entailed was: giving out info to students on websites, tables on walkways, giving presentations in classrooms, clubs, and organizations and asking for their support. Then the recommendation was taken to student fee committee, which includes three A.S.I students, member of academic senate and member of university administration. Once that process was completed, President Rosser went ahead and approved the fees.” Dr. Ross explained, “The voting public making a recommendation, which then goes to the legislator to make a decision, then the governor either approves or vetoes it.” All action on the campus is advisory to the President; the President makes the final decision. It was almost inevitable that CSUs would charge the Student Success Fees because we’ve had severe budget cuts totaling nearly one billion dollars for the past seven years in California. Ross explains, “CSU as a whole, we’ve never had enough money in the budget to serve as many students that we’ve been mandated to serve by the legislator and the governor. The state is pushing the chancellor to accept more students on behalf of CSUs.” The truth of the matter is even with the Student Success Fees in place, Cal State L.A. and other CSUs appear to be given a limited budget for the student population. There is also an enrollment target and limited budget to meet the goal at CSUs in general. However, the authorities assure that our university is doing its best to keep the tuition and the fees of the students minimal. – Nareis Melkon
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University Times
Dec. 1, 2014
Passion
Mural, Mural on the Wall Who’s the Most Iconic of Them All? Los Angeles is the canvas to all artists Row
Fashion Reporter If you haven’t already noticed, Los Angeles is home to many iconic murals done by the most famous artists in the world. From Downtown Los Angeles to the alleys of Hollywood, art flourishes everyday in LA. It’s one of the few cities where you will see art in all corners, whether you are driving down Sunset or walking down the streets of downtown, you are bound to run into a piece of art. This marvelous city is curated to be home to a world of color. One of the most amazing realizations is how murals were once illegal in Los Angeles. Just last year, in August of 2013 were they made legal again. Before that, the city faced 11 years of artists afraid to create. Despite the fear of consequences, artists still had the courage to break all the rules to make others understand the commodity of these pieces. Let’s be honest, there is no way one can find all the murals in Los Angeles in a week, but I’ve managed to find some iconic pieces that are easily recognized. Photo 1 and 2 are taken of a mural done by APEX (@apexer) and DJ NEFF (@djn3ff). Apex’s artwork consists of colorful abstract works that pop and stand out to anyone. What’s amazing is that from the crisp lines to the curves, it is done by spray paint. Apex is based in San Francisco, CA and expresses his works in many different scenes beyond the Bay Area. With over 30,000 followers on Instagram, there’s no question on how big he has become. More of his
work can be found at theapexer.com. DJ Neff, on the other hand, is an artist living in Venice, CA. He’s an up and coming artist but his collaboration with Apex really brought out his work. Check out his work on www.neffink.com. Artists, Dabs and Myla (@ dabsmyla), are one of the most recognizable artists that continue to amaze. Their art consists of cartoon like characters, and their murals are nothing short of perfection. They are so inspiring because Dabs Myla are an Australian couple living and working in LA for the past few years and they collaborate on every piece. Their artwork is based on everything that revolves around their crazy lives together. With Dabs’ rascal characters and Myla’s crazy fonts, unusual landscapes, and colorful patterns, they work together like two peas in a pod. They are one of the most influential artists in the world, being booked solid with gallery installations all over the world. They also do designs for posters and marketing concepts for various people. Dabs Myla are always invited to paint murals all over the world from Rio de Janeiro, London, Tahiti, Norway, and more. Photo 3 and 4 are taken from a small street crossing Hollywood, which is of their murals alongside other artists that I could not get the names of. Photo 5 is taken from the Arts District, a mural of Dabs Myla with artists, How and Nosm. How and Nosm are twin brothers whose artwork is distinctly recognized by their black, red and white pieces, their massive sized murals, and their perfectly detailed work. Born in Spain with a German background, but now living in New York, their artwork, like themselves, can be found globally. More of their work can be found at www. howandnosm.com. Photo 6 and 7 are taken from Fairfax Ave at the end of all the street wear shops. It covers the entire wall, and it’s so fun with its
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colors and cartoon like characters spotted all over the wall. Next time you’re on Fairfax, stop by to this mural; you’ll love it! British artist, Insa, is one of the most legendary artists in the world. From having clients like Sony and Nike to help curating the ICE hotel in Sweden, this artist has been everywhere. His artwork is based around the Karl Marx quote, “Fetishism is ‘the religion of sensuous appetites’[...] the fantasy of the appetites tricks the fetish worshipper into believing that an ‘inanimate object’ will give up its natural character to gratify his desires.” In other words, those that have these fetishes see what they see in a completely different level than others. All his murals are based around heels, legs, leggings, latex: basically girls. Photo 8 and 9 are of one of his murals on Melrose. Photo 10 is taken from the Arts District, where the entire front of the building was his canvas. More of his amazing work can be found on www.insaland.com. “There are crimes that become innocent and even glorious through their splendour, number and excess.” Known as an artist, political activist, film director and painter, this international icon by the name of Banksy roams the streets and presents his pieces to the public without showing face to avoid prosecution. His art is solely based on social commentary on politics graciously flirting with black comedy. He basically flipped the art world upside-down and elevated the platform. His pieces are iconic and just blow your mind, as well as they’re rare to find in LA. I managed to find one in downtown Los Angeles on South Broadway on a wall in a parking lot, as seen in Photo 11. Banksy does not limit himself; he uses walls, streets, bridges, and anything else he can showcase his art on, all over the world. Banksy is one of the few artists that I know
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that gives me chills when I see his artwork, and it’s no surprise since his paintings can range up to $160,000. His unknown identity gives his works of art the price they deserve. Playfulness, innocence, experience, irreverence and intelligence, and a fondness for the bizarre exist within his work. Along with many of his works, there was also a film done about him called Exit Through the Gift Shop which is about a filmmaker who seeks to find out who Banksy is, only to realize that the cam-
era was turned on him. It’s a must see. If anything, I encourage all my readers to look up and understand Banksy and his art. You will realize why everyone wants to know who he is and why he’s a legend. Last but certainly not least, Banksy. banksy.co.uk
University Times
Dec. 1, 2014
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for Fashion Suit Up! It's time to bring the pant suit back in style! Roxana Hernandez
Columnist We are coming close to the home stretch of the quarter, and that means it’s time for presentations, speeches, and interviews. Dressing accordingly will always give you a huge advantage on a professional level, as well as give you the confidence you need to be successful. Men aren’t the only ones allowed to wear sharp and strong suits; a woman who wears a suit knows what looks good on her and defies tradition. A woman who chooses to wear a pants suit instead of a dress on these occasions is one that is extremely confident and self-assured. It is not surprising that many women currently are looking for a suit to wear on professional occasions. However, there are still many students out there who have not yet discovered how to shop for a suit, or what to look when buying one. Whether you want a clean, classically tailored suit, or a refreshingly feminine with a masculine edge kind of suit,
the options are opening up more and more. The key to finding a suit for you is to pay attention to the fit. You don’t want to buy a man’s suit because it creates no lines for you and you will end up looking boxy, and you don’t want to buy something that simply isn’t you. To facilitate your shopping experience, look for the following: 1. Find a jacket that fits smoothly across the bust line and make sure that your suit is never too tight or too loose. 2. To bring a little pep in your step look for strong shoulders and clean lines. 3. Darting in the jacket is essential to making the perfect fit in order to hug your body. 4. Pay attention to detail. Women’s clothing is always filled with detail! So make sure you pay attention to suits that are tailored and have clean lines. 5. Accessorizing your suit can make a difference as well; maybe you want a tie, statement necklace, or killer shoes. By following these five steps into shopping for a suit, you’ll find that in no time you have discovered the perfectly fitted and fabulous pants suit.
~ Non-Fashion Related ~
Mothers Are Students Too Yo Mama is so awesome but she struggles with finding childcare. Tiffany Alcaraz Contributor
Closed Thursday and Friday for Thanksgiving Lunch Monday–Friday, 11:00am-2:00pm Breakfast 7:30am–10:00am Call (323) 343-6777 to place orders to go. Breakfast Burritos, Fresh Brewed Coffee Fresh Squeezed Orange Juice, Danish and Muffins
Visit the new University Café Located at Salazar Hall Sandwiches, Salads, Burritos, Coffee and more!
Monday–Thursday, 7:30am-2:30pm
Two weeks before her finals, a nine-month pregnant Roxanne Hernandez waddled to her class in Salazar Hall. “I remember tearing up as I circled the parking structure for a closer spot and wishing there was [more accessible] parking. I almost passed out by the time I walked from my car and up the stairs and finally made it to my seat,” she said. The 23 year old Social Work major admits that while the hike to her class was tiresome, finishing out her quarter with a belly was possible. “I was considering taking a quarter
off because I thought it would just be too hard, but all of my teachers worked with me. I literally went into delivery two weeks before finals and they all emailed me work and let me turn in my finals online,” Hernandez says.
However, the new mom came to a shocking realization of the great responsibility that comes with childcare. Hernandez admits that affordable child care services on her student budget is nearly impossible. According to a recent report by the Institute for Women’s Policy Research (IWPR), only 5% of the child care needed by student parents is supplied at on-campus child centers. The report also finds that the percentage of campuses with an on-site child-care center declined between 2002 and 2009. In addition, many centers have long waiting lists, with an average wait list of 90 children, and infant care is particularly scarce.
The wait for the Anna Bing Arnold Children’s Center on the Cal State L.A. campus is no different. The center has been operating on campus since 1968 and has a one to two-year waiting list. The center laments the fact that accepting a child under 12 months old is unlikely, due to the extra care they require. The extensive wait is because while the center gives priority to Cal State L.A. students, it’s not entirely exclusive to them. The lack of availability is something Hernandez can’t quite wrap her head around. “I don’t understand how a facility that is supposed to help student mothers is not exclusive to them,” Hernandez said. “As a new mother on the waiting list, you’re now forced to rely heavily on family and friends for child care.” Hernandez plans to continue her last two years at CSULA, while trying to manage school and the continual challenge of finding adequate childcare.
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University Times
Dec. 1, 2014
Violentas protestas por el caso Brown El país exige una sentencia justa Por Meliza Guzman
Hay veces Por Lorena Díaz
Hay veces, que es cierto, no sé ni quien soy. No sé por qué soy lo que soy. No sé qué es eso que soy. Soy, quizá, tan solo soy. Soy alguien o algo. Qué se yo. ¿Cómo se puede ser sin saber lo que eres? ¿Cómo se puede existir sin comprender la existencia? Materia, temor, sentimiento, experiencia… Recuerdos de helado desierto, de polos derretidos, Grietas, angustia, dulce sábila en las heridas, Expectativas altas de vida incierta, Canto, música viva, Degollamiento de notas, En el violín del alma. Sucumbo frente a un pensamiento ¿suicida? ¿Negación de la vida, o precipitar la partida? Partida y llegada. ¿Llegada o partida? Arribar a una nueva morada Tal vez, quizá ¿Cómo saberlo? ¿Cómo saber si lo que se sabe, lo que se cree, lo que se siente, lo que se piensa, lo que se busca, lo que se sueña, no es tan solo una ilusión? ¿Cómo saber si el llanto es sufrimiento o gozo, si la risa es vergüenza o alegría? ¿Cómo confiar en el pensamiento más que en el sentimiento? ¿Cómo comprobar que se siente con el corazón y se piensa con la cabeza, y no a la inversa? ¿Cómo?
Una vez más el nombre de Michael Brown vuelve a ser escuchado en todo el país. Todos recordaremos la trágica muerte de este joven afroamericano, de 18 años, quien fue asesinado por un policía de raza blanca el pasado nueve de agosto. La muerte de este joven fue motivo de muchas protestas ya que su asesinato fue visto como discriminación racial por parte de la policía, por el motivo de que en el momento en que fue baleado, Brown se encontraba desarmado. Las protestas se vuelven a hacer presente en la nación, debido a que el juez que llevaba el caso de Michael Brown decidió no imputar al agente Darren Wilson, de 28 años. La razón del veredicto fue porque el jurado determino que no había suficientes pruebas para inculpar a Wilson de asesinato. Tras este fallo, la reacción de la gente no se hizo esperar. Apenas se dio a conocer el dictamen, el pasado lunes, y esa misma noche se volvieron a hacer protestas en diferentes ciudades de la nación como en Nueva York, Los Ángeles, San Francisco, Filadelfia y en Sanford, Florida donde en el 2012 un joven también afroamericano fue asesinado
Paloma de ligeras alas Vuela, como yo quisiera hacerlo. vuela alto, cerca del sol hasta desintegrarte en la nada para volver a ser algo. Vuela, no mires abajo. Emprende tu precipitada partida. Destroza tus alas en el viento impetuoso. Ganale al águila Derriba las nubes Atrapa hadas Encantate Deformate Transmútate Transformate Conviértete en un ala
por un oficial. A menos de una hora que se supiera el decreto, el presidente Barack Obama dio un mensaje a nivel nacional pidiendo que las protestas fueran pacíficas. En Ferguson, un suburbio de San Luis, Misuri y de donde Brown era originario, el caos fue tremendo pues las manifestaciones de disconformidad no fueron tan pacíficas. En la marcha que se realizó en esa ciudad, muchos negocios fueron saqueados y a tres de ellos les prendieron fuego. Los manifestantes también destrozaron varios carros de la policía para expresar su frustración en contra de los uniformados. La policía recurrió al uso de balas de goma y gases lacrimógenos para dispersar a las multitudes que cada vez reaccionaban con más violencia. El saldo fue de por lo menos ochenta y ocho personas detenidas.
A pesar de que Ferguson es una localidad mayormente integrada por negros, son personas blancas las que dirigen los lugares de gobierno, como escuelas y la comisaría. Es por esta razón que los miembros de esta comunidad ven la muerte de Michael Brown como un acto de discriminación y peor aún que el culpable de su muerte está libre, sin cargo alguno y con gozo de sueldo. Ciudadanos disconformes insisten que los derechos civiles de la victima han sido violados y exigen justicia. La comunidad afroamericana en todo el país ha respondido con tal fuerza ante este suceso, que las manifestaciones que se han hecho a favor de la víctima ya han sido consideradas como una de las más grandes de las últimas décadas. La gente está cansada de la brutalidad policiaca y no se detendrá hasta no ver justicia en el caso Michael Brown.
Ahorros en tus manos
¿Cómo saber diferenciar entre la muerte y la vida? ¿Acaso hemos estado muertos? Yo qué sé. No sé nada. Tan solo creo tener la capacidad del sentimiento, pero al instante dudo……….
Fotografía | www.rollcall.com/news
Un alivio para tu economía. Por Reyna J. Hernández
La temporada navideña ya está muy cerca. Hay muchos planes por hacer, pero poco dinero en el bolsillo. Existe una alternativa que te puede ayudar a reducir tus gastos, para ello solo necesitas acceso al internet. Es sencillo, sólo busca y baja la aplicación de Groupon y Living Social. En estos sitios encontrarás muchas ofertas para diferentes cosas y podrás comprar sin remordimiento. Busca la variedad de cupones que te ayuden a soportar tus gastos de comida, bebidas, y regalos. Si piensas salir de vacaciones también puedes encontrar descuentos para viajes, hoteles y eventos.
Fotografía | www.grovo.com No importa que planes tengas para esta temporada. Tienes los beneficios a tu alcance. Sólo asegúrate de encontrar un cupón que te sea útil.
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University Times
Dec. 1, 2014
Changing the Perceptions A recent talk held at Cal State LA discussed the ‘truth about living with disabilities.’
disability should embrace who they are instead of pushing it to the side. Randy shared with students that he had Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) and stated, “I don’t like the word ‘disability.’ We are all differently abled. We need to see the good, not just they bad, and the strength that we have and try to be better.”
Luz Gomez
The discussion brought up many issues related to the topic. People with disabilities go through different discriminations every day. People sitting in the bus in the area that is designed for wheelchairs do not want to stand up and give their seat. The public is misinformed or uninformed about people with disabilities. A lot of cultures have bad stigma related to it.
Contributor “I do not consider myself different; I am an independent woman capable of doing anything I set my mind to. The wheelchair does not define me; I define myself for the person I am,” states Stephany Adela Lopez. Lopez is a 4th year Business major and she is planning to double major in Psychology. She was born with Orthogryposis and since a very young age she has had to use a wheelchair, but in that statement she makes above, there is no shadow of any disability. Even in the 21st century, when people think about the word “disabilities” they think about limitations, pity, sympathy and challenge. The word “disability” still has a negative connotation. Recently a panel discussion was organized at Cal State L.A. titled, “The Truth About Living with Disabilities” and was hosted by Thea Monyee, a Gender and Sexuality Resources Center Coordinator. The main goal of the discussion was to change the connotations of ‘disability’ to a positive aspect. The panelists – Professor Christiaan Kier, Isis Stansberry, a counselor for the Office for Student with Disability (OSD) and Randy Palacios and Lou Reyes from the Cross Cultural Center – shared with students that anyone with a
According to Isis Stansberry, a staff member from OSD (Office for Student Disabilities), about 90% of students with disabilities have learning disabilities. Stansberry encourages outreaching your peers. Do not assume anything, but instead go and talk to them. They are looking for someone who they can trust and get help from; let them share it with you. The office for students with disability also spends a lot of time informing staff that some students need more time during test or extended deadlines in essays. Jonathan Garay, third year Electrical Engineering student who uses a wheelchair, shared, “I do not feel limited for being in a wheelchair, I think that it is society that limits me. The way that buildings are build and some side streets do not have ramps for wheelchairs…” He continues, “But people with disabilities can decide on what they want and don’t want to do; it depends on our positive thinking.”
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How ‘accessible’ is Cal State LA for students? Buildings that don’t have ramps for wheelchair accessibility or that don’t have working handicap doors tend to hinder students with physical disabilities. Having to use alternative routes just to make it to class on time can become very frustrating. Living in a city where power outages and natural disasters such as earthquakes are likely to happen, almost everything can put a disabled person’s life in jeopardy. Amy Hao, a freshman majoring in Foreign Languages, feels frustrated about accessibility at Cal State LA as being a student in a wheelchair. Hao says, “In the music building, the elevator is on the other side of the building which makes me go out of the way just to get to it.” She also shares how the automatic doors constantly break. “It’s not fair that I may have to miss out on a part of class because of the situation I end up in,” Hao says, also expressing her concern in case of a power outage, “I don’t know how I would get out of the building.” Gonzalo C. Centeno, the Disability Management Specialist at Cal State LA, responds to this saying, “Taking care of the disabled community is a priority.” If there were a power outage or natural disaster Gonzalo explains, “The University has an evacuation plan in every place on campus depending on where you are at.” Even as peers, we often fail to behave as we should. Many students at Cal State L.A. do not want to wait for the second elevator and do not give the priority for students who need it. Deaf people are misunderstood and students that have learning disabilities do not get the help they need. These incidents don’t bother people without disabilities, but with those who do cause frustration and disappointment. Some students with non-physical disabilities such as slow learning or ADHD go through hard time accommodating themselves in the classrooms. With a little help and a little care, everyone can make a difference. -Maya Bennett
Cal State L.A. Students Struggle with Advising You might think waiting in line for the DMV is fustrating, Advising might make you think twice about it. Alejandro Flores Claudia Reyes
Contributors It is recommended that the average Cal State L.A. student see their College Advisor at least three times a school year. But for Nicole Arslan, an English major, that’s not possible. When a student calls their department seeking an advisement appointment they often get turned down to be seen until the next week, sometimes even within the entire quarter, Arslan said. “Everything is booked for this quarter, and we don’t even know who will be the advisor for the English department next quarter so we
can’t set up any appointments for now.” Majors experiencing long advising wait times are generally in the impacted departments, which include English, Biology, Child Development, Social Work, Engineering, Nursing, Psychology, Business, and Criminal Justice. According to the Academic Advisement Center, it “has been able to double its advising staff to six full time advisors since 2011.” Even then, students say they still have to rely on each other in order to pick the correct classes and stay on the right track. Students know their college has a counselor but not much else. Isabel Acosta says, “I don’t even know where my advisement center is, the transition from high school to a university is hard, you pick your classes here and I’m a little scared to pick the wrong one at the wrong time, I haven’t been able to book an advisor for my major but I do have friends that have and that’s how I get by.” Brenda
Morales,
Senior,
who is the first in her family to go to college and is currently on academic probation and says, “I didn’t know how important it was, every time I went they were booked, I didn’t have an advisement appointment until I was about to get kicked out of school, I wished they were mandatory but I guess budget cuts make that impossible.” Students say long advisor wait times can be reduced or eliminated by having more open appointments in the impacted departments. This would give students more opportunities to check their academic progress. Other students like Alicia Ellington, who plans to graduate in the spring quarter, knows she needs to see an advisor. Ellington states, “I know how important they are so I always make an effort to set an appointment early on in the quarter, advisors are the way to go if you want to graduate on time.”
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University Times
Dec. 1, 2014
EVENT CALENDAR
DEC 1st - DEC 7th WEEK TEN
MONDAY 1tst
TUESDAY 2nd
WEDNESDAY 3rd
Robert Olsen: Paintings 1997-2014
The De-Stress Study Fest 7 pm, Main Lobby Library North
The De-Stress Study Fest Main Lobby Library North
5 pm, Luckman Gallery
University Times Volunteer Meeting 3:30pm, King Hall C3098
Early Music Ensemble Concert 3:15 pm, Music Hall
Commercial Music Ensemble 7:30pm, State Playhouse
New Music Ensemble 7:30pm, Music Hall
THURSDAY 4th The De-Stress Study Fest 11:30 pm, Main Lobby Library North
FRIDAY 5th Women’s Basketball
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CCC finals week, study hours, & study assistance
facebook.com/CsulaUT
All day until Dec 11, 2nd floor U-SU
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Cal State L.A. vs Cal State Stanislaus 5:30 pm, Eagles Nest Gym
Men’s Basketball
Moonlight Breakfast
Cal State L.A. vs Cal State Stanislaus 7:30 pm, Eagles Nest Gym
Oscar Hernandez Concert
8-10 pm, Golden Eagle Ballroom
7:30 pm, State Playhouse
There’s an Audi and a Camaro in your Future from CSULA! Cal State L.A. helps roll-out Audi’s Flagship Hydogen Car and helps Chevy’s Camaro Go Green.
Al Castro Contributor
Cal State LA was showcased with the help of EcoCAR during the 2014 L.A. Auto Show at the LA Convention Center by having its own booth to promote green technology for the future. EcoCAR, Cal State LA's green group of student engineers, mechanics, designers, and promoters, is a team from four academic departments at CSULA. Their mission is to promote green technology by converting production cars into experimental green or fossil fuel efficient vehicles. This year they promoted Cal State LA's success in building
the largest University based hydrogen station in the United States. It also gave the future auto builders a chance to touch and see the future. For example, a 2015 Chevy Camaro will be converted into a high tech, high performance hybrid vehicle through EcoCAR3.
With the introduction of Audi’s new hydrogen powered A7 h-tron concept at this year’s show, they utilized Cal State L.A’s new hydrogen station to show it off. Audi gave the automotive press the opportunity to refuel their demo car on campus and used those refueling runs to promote the new hydrogen car. According to Dr. David Blekhman, Faculty Advisor for EcoCAR, “the Cal State L.A. hydrogen station played a key role in the LA Auto Show and in Audi’s roll-out of their all new hydrogen flagship A7 h-tron. During the press days Audi provided test drives for journalists. Fueling at the station that is so close to downtown was extremely convenient." Aside from Cal State LA
helping pave the way hydrogen technology, EcoCAR has their own experimental projects that will explore and push the boundaries of technology. Their showcase project is building custom made souped-up hybrid cars from production cars. The present EcoCAR2 is a Chevy Malibu donated by General Motors that's converted into a custom designed electric hybrid. According to the EcoCAR website, the car has an A123 Lithium-ion battery pack that provides 16.2 kWh of battery capacity and an electric-only range of over 20 miles. The L.A. Auto Show gave CSULA EcoCAR an opportunity to premiere their projects underway. According to Angeline Bernabe, a Communications Manager for EcoCAR, the next venture for the green auto group is the EcoCAR3. "We're in the process of planning the conversion of a 2015 Chevrolet Camaro to convert it into a high-powered, hightech, super performance hybrid." Bernabe says the process will take about 4 years.
Photo By Cal State L.A. Hydrogen Research Facility
The car will be donated by General Motors. According to EcoCAR's website, there are about 15 other universities across North America that are competing for the top prize: The best fuel efficient green tech car. Cal State LA is the only Universi-
Photo By Timmy Truong
ty in California competing in the competition. With the help of sponsors and student engineers, CSULA EcoCAR3's goal is to win the prestigious Advanced Vehicle Technology Competition. Approximately 75% of EcoCAR graduates go on to work in the automotive industry.