California State University, Northridge
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Tuesday, November 1, 2011
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Veteran, LGBT students gain access to mentors New programs funded by Campus Quality Fee ANTHONY CARPIO DAILY SUNDIAL
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KAT RUSSELL / DAILY SUNDIAL
LGBTQ and Veteran students interested in being mentored can contact Sarina Loeb, Special Assistant for Diversity Initiatives, at (818) 677-5977 or sarina.loeb@csun.edu
he University Student Union has developed two new peer-mentoring programs to offer help to LGBTQ and veteran students. “The purpose of the two peer-mentoring programs is to provide support and resources for both LGBTQ and questioning students, as well as veteran students,” said Sarina Loeb, special assistant for USU diversity initiatives. “Through the support of the Campus Quality Fee, we have been able to create these two peer-mentoring programs.” Loeb said the mentoring programs, which will start in the spring, accepted applications for mentor positions until Oct. 14. Applicants are interviewing for three to four mentor positions, she added. “I’ve applied for the position,” said Diego Flores, vice president of CSUN’s LGBTA. “I hope
I get the job, so we’ll see.” Flores explained that LGBTA has been waiting for a program like this to help its group give advice to students. “It allows people who are not able to come to the meetings for LGBTA to still have a place and someone to turn to if they have questions,” he said. “That’s definitely going to be one of the greatest things about this.” LGBTA President Hugo Valencia, currently serving for the U.S. Army National Guard, said the veteran mentor program will be just as helpful as the LGBT program. “Having a mentoring program for veterans on campus will be a great resource for service members who are trying to adjust to civilian life,” he said. Valencia said experiences his fellow service members go through are more challenging than what an average student goes through. “Many of them are
deployed for over a year. They (have) gone to such distant parts of the world and face trials that many of us could never fathom,” he said. “Then, they get back and just don’t know how to fit back into society. Add the stress of enrolling into school and dealing with all the paperwork the military has them do, and life can become very daunting.” Social welfare major Martel Okonji said the USU is making the right decision in developing a peer mentoring program for his fellow LGBTQ students. “It’s going in the right direction,” he said. “It’s very important that people get educated (about) the LGBTQ population at CSUN. It’s been something we’ve been (wanting) for a while.” Okonji said he won’t be participating with the peer-mentoring program as much, but would still like to visit and make sure people are getting the right information.
See VETS, page 3
Have you been
bill shocked?
A new initiative could prevent cell phone users from unknowingly going over their minutes JOELLE KATZ DAILY SUNDIAL
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ellphone users may want to think before ignoring unknown phone numbers; it might be their wireless carrier saving them money. Wireless cellphone companies have agreed to send warning alerts to customers before billing them for unexpected charges, Julius Genachowski, Federal Communications Commission (FCC) chairman, said early last week.
Genachowski said CTIA, the International Association for the Wireless Telecommunications Industry, will ensure wireless companies alert users before hitting them with overage or roaming charges, a practice called bill shock. “(Bill shock) is when wireless subscribers experience a sudden, unexpected increase in their monthly bill,” Genachowski said in an Oct. 17 statement at the FCC Bill Shock Event. “This solution will give consumers the information they need to save money on their monthly wireless bill. These actions har-
IN TODAY’S
ISSUE
VOLUME 53 ISSUE 38 • A FINANCIALLY INDEPENDENT STUDENT NEWSPAPER
ness technology to empower consumers and ensure consumers get a fair shake, not
send free and automatic voice or text alerts to consumers when they reach their month-
“We think (cell phones plans are) so liberal, and we have so many minutes but then you go over and can’t pay your bill.” - Carla Ayala Social Work Major
bill shock.” Wireless companies will
NEWS Free steak dinner tonight at Northridge Center p. 3
ly text, voice or data limits, or are about to incur interna-
OPINION Superheroes and vigilantes in real life p. 6
tional roaming charges. Companies will also inform users of tools that let them set and monitor their own usage limits, but they’ll have to wait a little bit. The plan, called Wireless Consumer Usage Notification Guidelines, will go into effect beginning Oct. 17, 2012. Consumers will receive at least two of four notifications by then, and receive all of them beginning April 17, 2013. According to Consumer Reports magazine, one in five wireless users surveyed reported experiencing “bill shock.”
Philosophy major Josie Avendano switched wireless companies after receiving too many unexpected high bills from Nextel/Sprint, who he said didn’t warn him of overage charges. “I was an aggravated customer,” he said, although Nextel/Sprint would usually reduce or subtract the extra charges after he called to complain. Avendano now has Metro PCS after getting charged more than $100 extra on his
SPORTS Men’s soccer faces UCSB at home tonight p. 8
See BILLS, page 3
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