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31 days till CFA Strike March 14, 2016
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
Nico Triunfante Copy Editor
March 14 marks the 31 day countdown until the start of the possible California Faculty Association (CFA) Strike, where California State University faculty will not hold classes, and will only show face at their respective universities with picket lines and human barricades demanding a 5 percent increase in salary.
Issue 211.11
Photo By Hannah Jacobsen
Varden Labs brings selfdriving shuttle to Cal State LA for a test drive Hannah Jacobsen Staff Reporter
Cal State LA faculty will participate in the largest strike in public education history, with University faculty being led by Molly Talcott, an Associate Professor of Sociology. The strike will be held on April 13, 14, 15, 18 and 19, falling under weeks 3 and 4 of the spring quarter.
The Cal State LA community had the chance to experience the future of the automotive industry on Tuesday afternoon, March 8, when Varden Labs, an autonomous vehicle company created by Canadian college students, hosted demonstration rides around Cal State LA.
Talcott wears numerous hats under her belt as the California Los Angeles President—the position that sees Talcott as the President of the Cal State LA CFA— the Los Angeles CFA Secretary, and is a member of the CFA Bargaining Team – both positions that reside within the CFA as an organization in its entirety.
The company began as the “garage dream” of Canadian students Mike Skupien and Alex Rodriguez, the original co-founders. They took a summer off from the University of Waterloo to tinker with a golf cart, which they fondly named Marvin.
“Ultimately the power we have is in our labor; we don’t control this university, we don’t control the budgets. What we do control has to do with our bodies, so it’s a work stoppage. Faculty won’t be on email, they won’t be in their classes and they’ll be on the picket line.”
Jane McKeever, Emmy Award winner behind “Game of Thrones”
| Photo Courtesy PBS.twimg.com
However, not every faculty member is supportive of the CFA strike. Talcott explained that professors who would not participate in the picket line have asked that at the least, classes be cancelled. Since the decision, CFA strike support has discreetly increased throughout the weeks. “I think that every individual, acts according to their own conscious and that’s a decision that everyone has to make. What we generally feel like in union culture is that it’s an egregious
INSIDE: LA ONDA: LAS PLAYAS LOCALES ESPERAN A LOS ESTUDIANTES ESTAS VACACIONES
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violation to cross a picket line. If I’m a faculty member that decides to cross a picket line, I’m not just hurting myself but I’m also hurting my colleagues by weakening the job actions. But every faculty members has to make that decision for him- and herself.” In a previous University Times OPED, which surveyed student thoughts on losing out on classes during the possible strike dates, freshman Elizabeth Person, 19, felt that students would be thrown under the rug with
their opportunity to learn. “It’s not fair for students who are paying hard earned money to miss out on classes, even if I agree, in principle, for the reason the CFA is striking,” Peterson said. In response to angered students, Talcott explains that she is willing to take some of the responsibility. As a sociologist professor, she teaches her students about outcomes that can de-
“We were sitting around one day and we thought, wouldn’t it be cool if we made a golf cart drive itself,” Skupien said. “We talked about it a little bit more everyday, fleshing out the different ideas. Finally we thought, you know we’re not doing anything that important this summer, let’s just
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POSSIBLE FIRE HAZARD
OP-ED: BEWARE THE IDES OF MARCH, CAUTIONARY TALE OF ELECTIONS
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DON'T RISK SLEEPING WITH YOUR PHONE,
Out with the old, in with the new limits for campus housing
of spaces available for third year and above students will decrease to 350. This will allow for more first year students to be on campus and have a better opportunity to be active on campus.
Pablo De La Hoya Web Editor
Jane McKeever Photo Courtesy | mobygames.com
Taylor Preza
Production Manager The “Game of Thrones” trailer for Season 6 was recently released on March 8, causing much speculation as Continues on page 5
GOLDEN EAGLE RADIO'S FIRST LIVE BROADCAST PG 3
An increased enrollment has brought many changes to Cal State LA, including the lack of seats per class and the scarcity of parking, and now one more in the horizon; housing has declared that the number of spaces available for returning residents will be decreased. Students often want to return to housing and it leaves an increase in the wait list. Betty Kennedy, Associate Director of Operations stated, “there are roughly over 600 people on the wait-
The increase in spaces for students coming in helps the students commit to coming to Cal State LA. Oftentimes, students decide to go with another school because they do not get accepted for a dorm room. Photo By Matthew Gonzalez
ing list each fall.” The reason for the change is to equalize the opportunity for first and second year students to get housing.
es available here on campus housing and returners take 400-450 spaces. Although that is split down the middle there are more applicants from first year students.
There are approximately 990 spac-
Kennedy explains that the number
Kennedy explains that the extra space in Phase II of housing will be reserved for freshman, with most returning students being offered dorms in Phase I. Meaning students make quicker decisions on dorming, while Continues on page 3