Education Issue

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LETTER EDITOR from the

Like many students I have struggled through my time at CSUN, contemplating if self-inflicted education is worth it. I took a gap year before I committed to being a full-time student because I was lost after high school. I changed my major three times because I had no idea what I wanted to do. I watched friends drop out and contemplating doing it myself. I found a major I loved and then had my emphasis destroyed by a department that should support all forms of journalism. So, is it worth it? I think it is.

I would have never made any connections with people who’ve worked in my field nor had the experiences that helped me find myself. We tend to focus on formal education, such as what we learn in the classroom, but what is equally important in our college years is the informal education that takes place in our clubs, organizations and jobs that help us make long-lasting connections and give us real world experience.

The Education issue starts with our cover story that follows the struggle of a CSUN student who has succeeded despite financial and academic hardships with the help of EOP (pages 6-7). We highlight students whose lives were changed by EOP and professors fighting for ethnic studies (pages 8-9), faculty members share an in-depth look into the films they are curating this semester (page 4), and how pop culture has educated today’s youth on the growing environmental crisis (page 11).

I hope this issue inspires students who are struggling with doubts or hardships to keep moving forward in their journey to receive their degree, because despite a faulty academic system, it is indeed worth it.

Thank you,

SUNDIAL STAFF Editor-in-Chief

Madison Parsley editor@csun.edu

Managing Visual Editor Joshua Pacheco photo@csun.edu News Editor Gillian Moran-Perez city@csun.edu Assistant News Editor Kimberly Silverio-Bautista city@csun.edu Chief Copy Editor Ivey Mellem copydesk@sundial.csun.edu Copy Editors Munina Lam Sarah Shabbar copydesk@sundial.csun.edu A&E Editor Ivan Salinas ane@csun.edu Assistant A&E Editors Kayla Fernandez Deja Magee Moss ane@csun.edu Opinion Editor Raychel Stewart opinion@csun.edu Sports Editor Bryanna Winner sports_sundial@csun.edu Assistant Sports Editor Andres Soto sports_sundial@csun.edu Photo Editor Logan Bik photo@csun.edu Social Media Manager Natalie Fina sundialsocialmedia@sundial.csun.edu Graphic Designers Ewan McNeil Elaine Sanders Illustrator Joelena Despard Audio Editor Pejvauk Shahamat sundialpodcast@gmail.com Video Editors Andrea Esparza Elaine Sanders Assistant Video Editor Brendan Reed-Crabb Web Developer Rugved Saurabh Darwhekar online@csun.edu

Madison Parsley

Sales Representatives Pathik Patel Kelly Salvador Olivia Vakayil Estefano Vasquez Arlene Yeghiayan

Editor-in-Chief

Sales Support HaoWen Hsueh

CONTENTS

“Movies Through the Eyes of Educators” Page 4 “History of Cultural Studies” Page 10 “Jammin’ to Class” Page 12

Deja Magee

Raychel Stewart

Kayla Fernandez

CSUN faculty discuss what films are significant for students to be exposed to.

2019 marks the 50th anniversary of the Africana and Chicana/o studies departments, so here’s a look into the history of these departments.

A list of song recommendations curated by the students of CSUN.

Distribution Lead Brendan Reed-Crabb Distribution Nicole Benda Emilio Bravo Publisher Arvli Ward arvli.ward@csun.edu General Manager Jody Holcomb jody.doyle@csun.edu Business Manager Sandra Tan sandra.tan@csun.edu

Published weekly by the Department of Journalism at California State University, Northridge Manzanita Hall 140 18111 Nordhoff St., Northridge, CA 91330-8258 News - 818-677-2915 | Advertising - 818-677-2998

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EOP Provides Student Ability to Achieve Success

by Kimberly Silverio-Bautista 2

@dailysundial

The Sundial

@thesundial

The Sundial

Because of high production costs, members of the CSUN community are permitted one copy per issue. Where available, additional copies may be purchased with prior approval for 50 cents each by contacting The Sundial business office. Newspaper theft is a crime. Those who violate the single copy rule may be subject to civil and criminal prosecution and/or subject to university discipline.

Cover portrait of Jose Andres Miramontes by Joshua Pacheco

CITY@CSUN.EDU

EDUCATION IN THE US

at a glance

By Gillian Moran-Perez

NATIONAL STATISTICS 3.6 million 84%

FULL-TIME ELEMENTARY AND SECONDARY SCHOOL TEACHERS IN 2017

$58,950

AVERAGE SALARY FOR PUBLIC SCHOOL TEACHERS FOR THE 2016-2017 SCHOOL YEAR

18% OF ELEMENTARY AND SECONDARY TEACHERS WORKED A SECOND JOB DURING THE 2015-2016 SCHOOL YEAR

16% OF TEACHERS

WORKED DURING THE SUMMER OF 2016

OF STUDENTS GRADUATED HIGH SCHOOL IN 2016

CSUN STATISTICS TOTAL STUDENT ENROLLMENT

BY ETHNICITY IN FALL 2018 0.1% AMERICAN INDIAN

57% OF BACHELOR’S

22.1% WHITE

DEGREES AWARDED DURING THE 2015-2016 SCHOOL YEAR WERE EARNED

BY WOMEN

10.4% ASIAN AMERICAN

20% OF ELEMENTARY

4.6% AFRICAN AMERICAN 4.5% UNKNOWN 4.3% INTERNATIONAL 3.1% MULTI-RACIAL 50.8% LATINX

AND SECONDARY TEACHERS ARE RACIAL / ETHNIC MINORITIES

51% OF ELEMENTARY

COLLEGES WITH MOST ENROLLMENT

AND SECONDARY STUDENTS ARE RACIAL / ETHNIC MINORITIES

SOCIAL AND BEHAVIORAL SCIENCES BUSINESS AND ECONOMICS

TEACHERS STRIKES

HEALTH AND HUMAN DEVELOPMENT

RED FOR ED 2018 45,000 PEOPLE IN OKLAHOMA

35,000 PEOPLE IN WEST VIRGINIA

26,000 PEOPLE IN KENTUCKY

20,000 PEOPLE IN ARIZONA

10,367 DEGREES AWARDED IN 2016-2017 SCHOOL YEAR

FIGHTING FOR: INCREASE IN WAGES SUPPORTING MORE STAFF SMALLER CLASSROOMS

8,654 0

1,713

UNDERGRADUATE DEGREES 2000

4000

6000

MASTER’S/Ph.D. DEGREES 8000

10000

12000

DEGREES RECIPIENT BY ETHNICITY IN 2016-2017 4.7% AFRICAN AMERICAN 3.2% MULTI-RACIAL

LARGER SCHOOL BUDGETS

6.3% INTERNATIONAL

39.3% LATINX

7% UNKNOWN

UTLA SCHOOL STRIKE 2019 35,000 UNION MEMBERS, 7 DAY STRIKE

11.2% ASIAN AMERICAN

WHAT THEY WON: REDUCTION IN CLASS SIZE

$403 MILLION SPENDING BUDGET BY 2020

6% RAISE IN WAGES

300+ MORE NURSES

REDUCED EXPANSION OF PRIVATELY RUN CHARTER SCHOOLS

ADDITION OF 30 COMMUNITY SCHOOLS FOR SUPPORT

0.1% PACIFIC ISLANDER

27.9% WHITE SUNDIAL

SEPTEMBER 25 - OCTOBER 1, 2019

0.2% AMERICAN INDIAN

Statistics obtained from NBC News, The Guardian, National Center for Education Statistics, Pew Research, CSUN.

3

Film

&

IDENTITY

By Deja Magee

The faculty of CSUN can be disregarded as simply professors who teach the people of tomorrow, but one might forget that they have their own lives, tastes and desires aside from wanting to see their students succeed. However, because of their tastes, it lets them decide what they want their students to be exposed to when it comes to important cinematic narratives.

NORTH SEA TEXAS “North Sea Texas” is a film that is a part of CSUN’s Cinematheque screenings at the Elaine and Alan Armer Theater.

Every semester, the Armer Theater has a series of films centered around certain narratives. This semester, this particular set of screenings looks at the perspective through the eyes of the LGBT community. The movies are curated

by Dr. Michael Johnson Jr., a professor of media theory and criticism.

“It’s a Belgium film about a teenage boy in Belgium who comes to realize his attraction to another boy that he is friends with,” Johnson said. “It’s an

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MOONLIGHT

interesting film that kind of illustrates the importance of being sensitive to, and attentive to, how sexual identity develops when you’re a child, and it’s importance to our life.

It’s very meaningful and I think that it’d be a great film for all of our students to watch.”

Another LGBT film in the lineup from the Cinematheque screenings, but one that is more well-known than some others. “Moonlight” is an Oscar-Award winning movie that many people are familiar with, directed and written by Barry Jenkins and Tarell Alvin McCraney.

“A film that looks at a young African-American man growing up in Miami and how he comes to terms with his sexual identity and how that reflects on what we, contemporarily, understand on what ‘masculinity’ means,” Johnson explained. “It’s also an interesting film in that it’s shown in three acts in

CENTER JENNY

contemporary film today.

You don’t get to see what happens in his life in between those moments.

You only get snapshots, and so I thought that was an interesting and novel way to approach storytelling. It’s meaningful not only for the plot, but also how we understand ourselves.”

English professor Dr. Christopher Higgs and his former student Katharine Mason curate “The Reimagining Narrative Film Series” here in CSUN’s English department.

The first film featured in the series is “Center Jenny,” an experimental film directed and written

by Ryan Trecartin that’s a part of the nonprofit organization Electronic Arts Intermix. It was filmed on a soundstage that had a modular maze built on it with help from Hollywood technicians. The film follows a group of girls who are all named Jenny, and simply shows the true absurdity of life.

When asked as to why he picked “Center Jenny,” Higgs said, “(Trecartin is) doing something that no one else is doing, and that is trying to inhabit the chaos of the world rather than trying to frame the chaos of the world into a digestible and understandable experience. So whereas most films try to take reality and make it serviceable or make it understandable or make it palatable — ” His colleague, Mason, interjected by saying, “That is not what directors typically do. They don’t want to reflect an experience, they want to reflect an imagined experience.”

ANE@CSUN.EDU

SUNDIAL

SEPTEMBER 25 - OCTOBER 1, 2019

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CITY@CSUN.EDU

EOP PROVIDES STUDENT ABILITY

TO ACHIEVE SUCCESS

by Kimberly Silverio-Bautista / Photography by Joshua Pacheco Experiencing homelessness twice has kept Jose Andres Miramontes at CSUN for the past four and a half years. He doesn’t want his mother, Lorena Vergara, and his sister Jazmin Miramontes, a college graduate from CSU Long Beach, to experience it again.

Setback after setback made him believe college was impossible. He graduated with a 1.4 GPA from Cabrillo High School, wasn’t living in the best environment and his father walked out on his family at a young age. His mother raised him and his sister on her own.

His mother cleans houses, babysits and sells food in order to be financially stable. She immigrated from Guadalajara, Jalisco, Mexico with dreams and ambitions of her children getting a college education.

“She went through hell raising us and I can’t give you a time where she backed down from anything,” Miramontes said. “When it came to defending us, she was willing to fight a grown man in order to defend her kids, especially when my father walked out. Overall she’s a badass woman.”

Miramontes didn’t have an ordinary childhood. At the age of four, his dad walked out on the family, and it was also the first time they became homeless. Miramontes and his sister hoped their uncle would give them food and clothes, but instead he drove around the block and

SUNDIAL

made fun of them.

“That painted an image in our minds and to this day we have never forgotten,” Miramontes said.

His mother tried her best to secure his future. She signed him up for Upward Bound at CSU Long Beach at 14, a program that prepares high school students for college and serves first generation and low-income students.

“I was put in that program straight out of middle school ’cause I had anger issues. I didn’t like talking to anybody that wasn’t Mexican,” Miramontes said.

Miramontes spoke to other students from different ethnicities during the summer program, but he felt more comfortable talking to other Mexicans during high school. His academic performance wasn’t the best, with his grades ranging from C’s to F’s.

When Miramontes met Hubert De Leon Tzic, a CSUN EOP alumni and an Educational Career adviser at Upward Bound, Tzic was always happy to see him.

Miramontes thought it was weird that he acted in that manner.

“There ain’t nothing happy right now, bro,” was Miramontes’ mentality when he first met Tzic. “I’m failing every class, I don’t know what I am going to do after high school. I mean, there’s nothing happy right now.”

Tzic continued to plant seeds in Miramontes’ mind that going to col-

SEPTEMBER 25 - OCTOBER 1, 2019

lege was possible, telling him, “I’m gonna get you to Northridge, man!”

He helped Miramontes fill out the CSU and EOP application, ensuring that the first school he applied to was CSUN. He also invited him to the 2013 EOP Convocation Residential Bridge ceremony, along with other high schools students. Tzic gave these students a sense of what it’s like to walk on a college campus and be with people from EOP. At this event Miramontes met Jose Luis Vargas, a former EOP director. After introducing himself, Miramontes told Vargas that he had applied to CSUN and that maybe one day he’d attend.

“If you say ‘maybe’ you are already doubting yourself,” Vargas told him. “You say you’re gonna come here ’cause you’re gonna come here. I’ll see you in the summer.”

Miramontes was conditionally admitted to CSUN through EOP. He started his college journey in the 2015 Residential Summer Bridge and advanced onto the fall. It was a challenge transitioning from high school to college. He felt alone, sad and wasn’t used to being without his mom.

He almost got kicked out in his first semester due to his poor grades.

Once sophomore year came around, his family had become homeless again. The landlord forced them to move out of their home, as

his daughter was pregnant and needed a place to live.

Miramontes couldn’t believe the landlord would do such a thing.

“I remember I cried, that was my house since I was four years old,” Miramontes said.

After that, his grades began to drop again, but it was EOP professor Glenn Omatsu and mentors like graduate student Abraham Baeza who kept Miramontes grounded at school.

“We have similar struggles so we understand each other. We didn’t have a bed growing up,” Miramontes said.

Baeza believes Miramontes’ passion towards education is what made him continue to thrive despite the obstacles.

“Seeing his passion, seeing the drive he has to motivate others and give others hope, he’s being that person he didn’t have growing up,” Baeza said.

To this day, Miramontes continues look to Baeza for advice and sees him as a big brother.

He’ll be graduating next spring with two Bachelor of Arts degrees, one in Chicana/o studies and the other in criminology and justice studies. He plans to apply for his master’s degree at CSUN in Chicana/o studies, starting next fall.

“I feel blessed walking around at CSUN as a student,” Miramontes said. “I thank God for the miracle he worked on the position he put me in for this program.”

7

THE FACES BEHIND EOP AND ETHNIC STUDIES

by Kimberly Silverio-Bautista and Gillian Moran-Perez / Photos by Logan Bik, Elaine Sanders and contributors

This year marks the 50th anniversary for Chicana/o studies, and this week the 50th anniversary of EOP at CSUN. We’ve decided to show our readers the faces behind these powerhouse organizations, from students whose lives were changed

by EOP to professors fighting for ethnic studies. Their stories show us why it’s important to have these entities on campus.

ANTHONY CUNNINGHAM

Third Year, Recreation and Tourism Management

Photo courtesy of Anthony Cunningham

8

Loud, energetic and enthusiastic is how Anthony Cunningham describes himself. EOP changed his mindset, but not his personality. “(It) changed the way I looked at the world, changed the way I looked at a different situation, the way that I look at my story,” he said. Cunningham moved from city to city at a young age, from Inglewood, to East LA, to Compton, to Watts and to the Antelope Valley.

He’d been in the foster care system since he was born, up until college. He jumped from one home to another and had difficulties making friends at school.

“I didn’t know if I was going to stay at that place for a long time. I never really knew what my time limit was,” he said.

He’s now in college for the long run. Cunningham is in his third year majoring in recreation and tourism management. “It’s too late to back down, I’m too deep in it,” he said.

EOP is the backbone of his academic journey.

EOP Resilient Scholars supports former foster youth academically and personally, providing them resources such as financial aid, academic advising and student housing.

If it wasn’t for them, Cunningham would not have a seat in education. He’s able to be in an environment to

share his struggles.

“I have a community here with my EOP people that understand the struggle. They’ve been through some form of foster care or guardianship, so they know the struggle,” said Cunningham.

He points to Gina Gonzalez, the coordinator of the Resilient Scholars Program and associate director of EOP, as an important mentor during his time at CSUN. “Gina is my mother, my school mom, she is always there when I need her whether it’s for academics or personally,” Cunningham said.

He recalls a challenging moment when Gonzalez saved him from being homeless. He had difficulty finding a place to stay during the summer in Northridge while taking his final exams.

“It’s super difficult for foster youth who come to a four-year university, it’s difficult finding housing over the summer,” he said. “Foster youth don’t have family to go back to during the summer.”

Despite the obstacles, he continues to thrive.

“Live your life to the fullest, live everyday like it’s you’re last,” Cunningham said. “Be creative and stay 10 toes down.”

CITY@CSUN.EDU

MARTHA ESCOBAR

Associate Professor, Chicana/o Studies Martha Escobar was walking around UC Riverside’s campus her freshman year when she came across a center called “Chicano Studies Program.”

“I didn’t know what it was, I didn’t know what Chicano meant, but I knew it was speaking to me,” said Escobar.

She walked in and the assistant director immediately welcomed her to the space, encouraging her to sign up for student organizations. She signed up for MEChA (Movimiento Estudiantil Chicanx de Atzlán), took courses in ethnic studies and eventually became involved in the fight for ethnic studies.

During her undergrad she and other student organizers fought against the implementation of another program that would threaten to take away resources from the ethnic studies department. She could not allow the space she connected with to be taken away.

“That’s where I found a home, somewhere where I belonged,” she said.

Fast forward to 2010-2011, when Escobar was in the job market looking to become a professor. She had three interviews lined up with different schools, including CSUN. During her first interview at CSUN she met the faculty and students and immediately felt a connection to the space.

Before even interviewing with the other universities, she

Photo by Logan Bik

called to say she had chosen CSUN. Her adviser told her, “Martha, this is not how this works.”

“You don’t understand, I feel at home,” said Escobar.

Escobar has become a face for ethnic studies and other social justice programs. She fights for the budget and allocation of different resources on campus, such as Social Discourse and Exchange, a program that brings faculty together from different departments to teach students how to advocate for social justice issues. She does it all for the students.

“For me the most rewarding part is working with the students and seeing that, okay, I am not crazy, this stuff matters to them and they’re actually taking action to create those changes that I think are necessary for the world to become more livable,” she said.

Escobar wants other future educators in ethnic studies to know that it will be a constant fight for students, to never lose sight that their work has meaning and that they can change students’ lives.

For her students that have been fighting for ethnic studies, she thanks them for all the work they have done and reminds them of the bigger picture.

“I hope that they stay grounded on why they do what they do, what’s their life purpose, and why are we doing what we are doing,” she said.

DAVID “CHINO” CONTRERAS

CSUN Graduate Student, Master’s in Social Work

CSUN graduate student David “Chino” Contreras says that EOP provides more than just academic support — it gives students a second chance in life.

EOP serves historically low-income, educationally disadvantaged and first generation students. Chino says college students already face challenging circumstances on a daily basis. There isn’t enough time to process it when it comes to school.

“When we get here we have to handle business,” he said.

Chino says it’s rare for an institution like CSUN to provide an environment like EOP because it is not designed to serve people of color.

“This institution is not built for us to survive, but yet we are here. It doesn’t give us time to feel the pain, to feel the love, to feel the gratitude,” said Chino.

He reflects back on when former EOP Director Jose Luis Vargas gave Chino a safe space. Both of them sat down across from each other when Vargas, known for his calm personality and voice, asked Chino, “How you doing, mijo?”

Nobody had ever spoken to him in that manner, and he was not used to someone giving him attention and talking to

him. Even reminiscing on this memory was difficult for him.

Even after Vargas passed away in March of 2016, Chino and other EOP students continue to see Vargas as a mentor and father figure.

“For Jose Luis to come and take in every single each one of us individually and talk to us like we’re basically his sons or his daughters,” Chino said, explaining that he had no one to look up to growing up.

Back in Pacoima where he grew up, Chino explained that nobody had time for him. He was raised in a “ganginfested community, (with) a lot of drugs and violence.

A lot of pain and trauma I grew up watching since I was nine years old.”

Chino began to heal after Vargas told him to embrace his emotions. That is why he decided to get his master’s in social work at CSUN, and he’ll be graduating this spring.

Chino says the love, the family that EOP has built, is rare. If it wasn’t for EOP, Chino would not have been an artist, poet, activist and everything he learned from his communities.

“The people I surround myself with, EOP is one of them, communities that help create me,” he said.

Photo by Elaine Sanders

GINA MASEQUESMAY

Department Advisor and Professor of Asian American Studies Gina Masequesmay points to all the signs in her office that read “I am LGBTQ, I am a first-generation student, I am a student of color.”

“See that list, I’m all those things!” she said proudly.

For her, identifying with those factors helps her advocate for her students. Holding back tears, Masequesmay shared how her mother was harassed at work and how she didn’t know she had the right to file grievances against discrimination and harassment. She says because of that she relates more to her students that are always struggling.

That’s why she believes that ethnic studies provides a sense of belonging to students on campus.

“There’s more than doing well in school, you have to feel safe,” she said. “If you feel like your social environment is accepting of you then it’s easier to try to do well instead of always fighting and looking around, being afraid of who’s going to attack you next.”

The first time she took an Asian American studies class at Pomona College as an undergrad, she could finally claim herself as American with rights and no longer just an immigrant.

Masequesmay sees ethnic studies as a way to challenge the dominant perspectives and other issues. As she became

involved in the fight for ethnic studies at CSUN, she noticed the administration’s efforts to redefine student success by pushing a four-year graduation rate and other factors. She and other faculty members know that many students can’t do that because of their situation, but administrators don’t seem to realize this.

“They want to enforce this one-size-fits-all policy that comes from the Chancellor’s Office,” she said.

Masequesmay explains that it’s important for students to be liberal in their education process, because that’s how they learn about themselves.

“The process of learning is more than a formal education,” she said. “In learning sometimes, you meander, you don’t go in a straight line. But in that meandering you’re learning something about yourself, what you like what you don’t like, what excites you.”

In response to the recent executive orders, Masequesmay says that she won’t give up.

“We’re not gonna give up, as people of color, as faculty that chooses to be at an institution that serves students of color,” she said. “We chose to be here because these are the population of students we want to work with. We’ll say no. We’re gonna try to resist it.”

Photo by Logan Bik

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SEPTEMBER 25 - OCTOBER 1, 2019

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This year marks the 50th anniversary of the Africana and Chicana/o studies departments. Their beginning was marked by extreme activism from students and faculty, a police standoff and the resignation of two university presidents, resulting in the formation of the first cultural studies departments at CSUN. On Nov. 4 1968, members of the Black Student Union, along with African American athletes, occupied Bayramian Hall demanding that university president Paul Blomgren address racism in the athletics department and the lack of minority enrollment and staffing. Days prior, football coach Don Markham had allegedly assaulted an African American student, George Boswell, according to Sundial reporting at the time. One-hundred and fifty LAPD officers were called to campus to end the demonstration.

After a tense four-hour standoff, Blomgren signed a document agreeing to the students’ demands and promising not to press charges for the incident.

The next day, Blomgren recanted his statement, saying he was forced to sign.

As a result, 24 students were arrested and charged with conspiracy, assault, burglary, kidnapping and false imprisonment.

At the time, about 100 African American and Latinx CSUN students attended what was a predominantly white university, while the country was in the heart of the Civil Rights Movement.

Chicana/o and African American students rallied together, demanding increased minority enrollment and cultural studies courses be added to the university’s curriculum.

1969 was the year of change for CSUN, which was still called San Fernando Valley State College at that time. A state of emergency was declared on Jan. 9 by acting president Delmar Oviatt, stepping in for Blomgren who left for medical reasons unrelated to the demonstrations.

Thousands of protesters, students and faculty alike, marched to the administration building demand-

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HISTORY OF CULTURAL STUDIES AT CSUN

by Raychel Stewart / Photo courtesy of CSUN Oviatt Library Special Archives ing implementation of Africana and Chicana/o studies. Riot police were brought onto campus after fighting erupted. Over 260 students and eight faculty members were arrested for “unlawful assembly,” according to the LA Times.

Negotiations between administration and students held the next day resulted in the creation of Africana and Chicana/o studies programs that would become part of the curriculum the following semester. Oviatt resigned

the following month.

“These courses we have today wouldn’t have happened if students didn’t rally in the 1960’s,” said Rodolfo Acuña, known as ‘the father of Chicana/o studies’ at CSUN. “The (San Fernando) Valley is a diverse community. How can you serve that community, whatever you choose to do, if you know the subjects but not the society?”

A year after the activism began, in the fall semester of 1969, students were able to take courses in the

Africana and Chicana/o studies departments for the first time.

Since the protests and riots, CSUN has seen the first African American Associated Student president, William Watkins, in 1973; the first African American woman as president of CSUN, Brenda Wilson, in 1992; the opening of The Black House in 1992 and the re-opening in 2017; and the establishment of the DuBois-Hamer Institute for Academic Achievement.

Today, the Chicana/o studies department is one of the largest in the country, and offers a major, double-major, minor or masters program each semester with over 100 class sections to choose from.

Nearly 40,000 students attend CSUN, with over 50% being Latino and nearly 5% being African American.

The culture of inclusivity at CSUN has spread beyond Chicana/o and Africana studies over the years.

A decade later, an Asian American Studies course was proposed. Five years later, the first course was taught by Professor Laura Uba, which was considered part of the anthropology department.

“Asian Studies courses help (students) better understand why they feel sometimes excluded and it gives them concepts to be able to better comprehend their situations,” said Gina Masequesmay, former chair of the department and current professor. “It’s empowering.”

The former Academic Affairs Vice President (known today as Provost), Bob Suzuki, gathered with support from faculty and staff to develop the Asian American Studies department in 1990. Faculty at that time, which included Laura Uba and seven others, worked on expanding the curriculum, and then became the first faculty department.

Two years after the start of the department, a minor was developed and the “Asian House” was created to serve as a space for Asian American clubs and organizations. It was later renamed the Glenn Omatsu House in honor of Omastu’s work at the university.

It wasn’t until 1997 that a major and double major were offered from the department and began increasing in faculty and student numbers. Today, over 10% of CSUN students are Asian American.

“I always encourage students to take cultural studies courses, not just Asian studies but Africana and gender and women’s studies and others so that they have a better appreciation and different perspectives of the world,” Masequesmay said.

CITY@CSUN.EDU

POP CULTURE FOR CHANGE Story and Photography by Ivan Salinas

On Sept. 20, the first day of the Global Climate Strike, students from all over LA County skipped class and took to the streets of Downtown LA, urging world leaders to implement environmental changes during the United Nations Climate Action Summit. Messages like “There is no Planet B” or “The climate is changing, why can’t we?” could be read on many picket signs held by the protesters.

However, some protesters expressed their concerns for the environment by drawing fictional characters from movies and television on their signs. This comedic touch served as a momentary relief for protesters, yet it still conveys an underlying, thought-provoking message.

One of the most notable characters seen on signs was Dr. Seuss’ character the Lorax. This children’s book icon is also representative of a larger environmental issue as an activist figure that “speaks for the trees” and confronts an industrialist villain, the Once-ler, who causes environmental destruction by cutting down Truffula trees and therefore turning the forest into an uninhabitable wasteland. Seuss’ intentions for his book to grow an ecological consciousness in its audience is further

explored in Dr. Matthew Teorey’s essay, “The Lorax and Wallace Stegner: Inspiring Children’s Activism.”

Teorey argues that “The Lorax” is based on Wallace Stegner’s theory that conservation equals survival, a concept illustrated in the children’s book. Teorey wrote: “The general public has ignored (Stegner’s) essay. Although other essays by Stegner are highly respected, they do not have ‘The Lorax’s’ wide appeal and timelessness.” Nevertheless, Seuss’ story has helped to disseminate the same theoretical message to the masses.

In “The Lorax,” the word “unless” is inscribed on a stump outside of the Once-ler’s home as a reminder of the negative impact of his factories, but to the audience, it is a call to action. “‘Unless’ denotes despair and hope, revealing a choice of ecological paths — renewal or ruin,” Teorey wrote. Through storytelling, the complex ideas of scholars can be broken down for them to be more easily understood.

However, the attempt to create an ecological literacy among the masses can sometimes backfire as it did with Pixar’s “Finding Nemo.”

National Geographic reported that the demand for clownfish tripled after the release of the film. Ironically, the film’s plot derives from a scuba diver taking Marlin’s son, Nemo, which leads him on an adventure across the ocean to rescue him. After the release of “Finding Dory,” many environmentalists urged movie-goers not to buy the regal blue tang fish as a pet.

Another of Pixar’s characters seen on a

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SEPTEMBER 25 - OCTOBER 1, 2019

picket sign was “Wall-E.” This 2008 blockbuster tells the story of a robot left on a deserted planet earth that is devoid of any intelligent life, apart from a cockroach Wall-E befriends, after humans found a way to live in outer space. The movie imagines a scenario where the negligence of consumerism and the drive for profit leads to an uninhabitable planet.

These films have cautionary messages about the environment and are deeply relevant to an event like the Global Climate Strike, which drove individuals to make a change.

Other protesters had a more traditional message, like UCLA Professor Jeff Share, who showed his support with his sign that had a drawing of a decaying planet earth with the phrase “Time’s up.” That same phrase has had a meaning more associated with the movement against sexual assault sparked by Hollywood celebrities. Owen Lewincki, a protester at the strike, took the hashtag #MeToo as representative of mother earth protesting against the damage done to her.

Pop icons reveal some of the flaws in our society, including a desperate need for education on the environment that begins at home. Along with the sustainable methods to preserve an environmentally-friendly way of living, one should not ignore the media we consume, for it may be warning us of an unpleasant future.

Unless...

The Center for Teaching and Learning presents the Schools First Federal Credit Union

Education on the EDG E Speaker Series

Rebecca Mieliwocki “Teacher Leadership: Pathways, Strategies & Inspiration for Every Education”

For most teachers who want to teach and lead in their profession, the pathway to leadership opportunities requires them to leave their classroom. As times and responsibilities shift, new avenues are emerging that allow teachers to do the work they love AND lead from the classroom. Rebecca Mieliwocki will engage participants in a lively, interactive & inspiring presentation about what the first steps toward becoming a teacher leader might be.

Tue, October 1, 2019 from 7:00 pm - 8:30 pm University Student Union, Northridge Center

Admission is FREE; but register online at CTLrebeccamieliwocki.eventbrite.com

11

Lin-Manuel Miranda Submitted by @eilselea Kicking off this playlist with an energetic number from the musical “Hamilton,” this track is perfect to start your day on a good note. It’s all about boosting your confidence and showing yourself that you have everything to make it to the top. Even though the track is set in the time of America’s founding father Alexander Hamilton’s life, you can easily see yourself in the lyrics. Life is constantly putting you through changes and obstacles, especially during the time of being a college student.

Kendrick Lamar Submitted by @its_sail

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Boombayah BLACKPINK

Submitted by @_cassihernandez_ We have all been caught in daydreams and fantasies, spacing out and dreaming of what could be. Then we get hit in the face with a wake up call to live in the real world day by day waiting for our dreams to come true. The long process shouldn’t give us a reason to steer away from them, it should instead push us harder to keep dreaming until we’ve reached the top.

Submitted by @daru.app Queens of KPOP, BLACKPINK created the ultimate female domination anthem. Girls run the world and that’s exactly what the KPOP group wants you to know. Singing about how edgy, hot and powerful they are, it is clear to see they do not need any man. They are self-made, strong independent women described in one song. Having a rough day? Blast this track while walking to class to remind yourself how wicked you are.

t o C ’ n i l m

The greatest thing about music is that there are so many genres to explore and share with others. Listening to one specific track can change your mood completely and dictate the rest of your day. Here is a list of song recommendations curates by the students of CSUN. On our Instagram Story last Monday you probably saw that we asked students what songs they jam out to on their way to class. In this playlist, we’ve gathered some of the students’ favorite songs.

By Kayla Fernandez

Check out the full playlist on Spotify THE SUNDIAL

QUEER

BROCKHAMPTON

Submitted by @its_sail Popular rap group BROCKHAMPTON is on the rise and quickly landing a spot at the top of the charts. With their well planned out visual concepts and being vocal about social issues, they are gaining a huge number of fans. Most well-known member Kevin Abstract comes from Waco, Texas to Los Angeles to pursue his career with the band was a big step. The artist didn’t mind moving to a different state because he felt displaced in his own hometown. At the end of the day, he doesn’t care as long as he has his friends next to him and getting the support he needs while on the road to success.

Triumph

s

Probably one of the most beloved rappers in modern music, Lamar is notorious for rapping about major issues in our society. Throughout the track, he is claiming his authenticity compared to other rappers he disses.

He climbed to the top of the game and currently dominates the rap scene making big money moves and attaining power. His skilled musicianship has gotten him to where he is at now and he is not afraid to call out on his own friends trying to cling to his success when a couple of years ago they wouldn’t give him the time of day.

AJJ

as

King Kunta

Space and Time

Ja m

My Shot

Wu-Tang Clan Submitted by @jordanmarji25 Spitting truth and fire, Wu-Tang is no stranger to dropping verses that shake the masses. Boasting about their fortune and fame, members of the group rap about how they earned their glory.

Group member RZA calls himself the Osiris of the rap world and Method Man talks about how his clan will spread like germs and will increase by the numbers with no sign of slowing down. The title is self-explanatory, to reach triumph you have to play the role correctly and fulfill your purpose.

SUNDIAL º SEPTEMBER 25 - OCTOBER 1, 2019