C A L I F O R N I A
S T A T E
U N I V E RS I T Y ,
F U L L E R T O N ‘E.T.’ celebrates its 20-year anniversary with its re-release on the big screen.
INSIDE The Cornhuskers proved to be 4 ntooSports: much for the struggling Titan tennis team.
—see Detour page 3
NEWS: Study shows that an on-campus 6 ndiversity program gives students a greater
advantage in reaching their graduation goal.
Volume 74, Issue 17
T h u r s d ay
M a r c h 21, 2002
Doubling up on graduaBy Scott Leeds
Daily Titan Staff Writer Graduation rates for students involved in the Cal State Fullerton Student Diversity Program (SDP), formerly known as Teaching Ombudsman Action Program, are twice that of a group of students not involved in the program, according to a recent study. Established in 1994, the program was initially implemented as a pilot program to increase black student athlete retention and graduation rates.
Tai Chi soothes senses
“You get more one-on-one attention here than other counseling or advisement programs on campus,” Vu said. The Student Diversity Program goals are to increase recruitment, increase the graduation rate and assist with the transition of “at-risk” students from college to the “real world of work.” The SDP defines an “at-risk” student as a university, high school or elementary student from any cultural or ethnic background who experiences academic probation, socio-economic disadvantages and/or educational difficulty. “They set me down, mapped out a time management plan and I’ve been going on that. It’s been all good,” said Brandon Campbell, a sociology major and track and field athlete. They also want to develop a sense of the extended family, provide mentoring support for Kindergarten to 12th grade students and create greater awareness of diversity issues, program coordinator
John Reid said. The SDP just started the Extended Family Concept Program, an outreach program for local elementary schools. Volunteers are needed to tutor the students, promote active learning, raise self-esteem and provide positive role models. The SDP specializes in motivating students by concentrating on their selfefficacy, self-esteem and ability to master skills. Many students choose to join the Student Diversity Program simply to increase their current grade point average and gain valuable life skills. The Journal of College Student Retention: Research Theory & Practice will publish the study done by the Student Affairs Research Center showing that the percentage of students in the program have a higher graduation rate than the comparison students.
50 45 40 35 30 25 20 15 10 5 0
Diversity Program
Information compiled by the Cal State Fullerton Student Affairs Research Center
Comparison Group
Grade point average of last record for the 39 SDP students was 2.36, sd =.37, compared to the average GPA of 2.28, sd = .30, across the 39 comparison students GPAs. This apparent difference was not statistically reliable by Matched Pairs t (38) = 1.29, p = .11.
INFOGRAPHIC BY TRINITY POWELLS
College petitions for fresh venture
Little drummer boy
nEDUCATION: A bachelor’s of arts with a concentration in entrepreneurship may be offered to students
Ricardo Sanchez, Jr.
Daily Titan Staff Writer
TAI CHI/ 8
GPA
PROGRAM/ 6
nCLASS: A martial arts course gives students a calming alternative to university stress and everyday occurrences
Imagine reaching total relaxation by moving your arms and body in a slow rhythmic pace with graceful ease. Then picture a slow-motion martial arts fight sequence with each punch and kick broken down to real-time speed. Combine the two scenarios and the end result is T’ai Chi Ch’uan. As part of Associated Students Recreation Sports “Drop-In” fitness program, Tai Chi is one of 10 classes offered for no fee to Cal State Fullerton students. Tomme Ellis, 57, of Long Beach, has studied this ancient art form since 1972, and teaches the class on Saturdays at noon on the second floor of the Titan Gym. “It’s a good way to get some mild exercise and stress relief,” Ellis said. “It’s a moving meditation.” Ellis started work in the aerospace industry developing software and looked for an activity to relieve the stress caused by his job. “I needed something to calm down after work,” Ellis said. “I looked at many things — I thought [about] Zen meditation, but I don’t think I could just sit there. I also looked at yoga, but it dealt with different postures and I wasn’t very flexible. Then I heard about Tai Chi…and I just enjoyed it.” Often compared to yoga, Tai Chi
Percent of Students Graduating
nPROGRAM: CSUF diversity group helps twice the number of students finish their college education
The SDP now involves a diverse, multicultural student population and utilizes retention techniques to ensure that all students have the opportunity to succeed. It is a voluntary program and any CSUF student can join, regardless of their academic status. The SDP has a variety of free services including, mentoring, tutoring, time management, referrals, goal setting and networking. Vivien Vu went through the program and is now a mentor helping with the academic part of the program. “The best benefit they taught me was really knowing how to manage my time. They also helped me set goals and accomplish them,” Vu said. Vu had a lot of positive things to say about the program. The SDP sends out mid-term grade reports to the students, unlike any other academic counseling programs at CSUF, she said.
Graduation Rates for SDP vs. Comparison Students
JOHN PAUL GUTIERREZ/Daily Titan
Pretty Girls Make Grave drummer Nick Dewitt plays Wednesday at Becker Amphitheater.
CBE’s Center for Entrepreneurship, said that through the entrepreneurship concentration, students would learn the operating and leadership skills needed to successfully run small businesses. In January 2001, PR Newswire reported that some four out of every 10 U.S. households are in the small business market, largely due to Americans losing jobs from large corporations By Sabrina Sakaguchi downsizing. Daily Titan Staff Writer Small businesses in Orange County “Mom and Pop” shops once littered are classified as having less than 100 America’s infamous streets of gold. employees, Ames said. Currently, there is an emphasis on Over the years, these family business ventures have slowly been replaced in entrepreneurial management under the management concentralarge numbers by departtion, but with less focus ment stores and corpora“It’s about than the proposed contions. But their entreprecentration would provide neurship and individual innovation has not closed creating an students. “This is great for folks with the doors of those who work in family American dreams. interesting businesses,” Ames said. The College of Business “There are lots of opporand Economics (CBE) tunities to get more foris attempting to further job for mal training.” the pioneering of today’s If the entrepreneurbusiness society by offership concentration is ing a bachelor’s of arts yourself.” approved, six new coursin business administration es will be added to the with a concentration on business administration entrepreneurship. course listing. “Entrepreneurship is Michael According to Ames, about self-employment,” four of the new courses said Michael Ames, manAmes, will offer students handsagement professor. “It’s on experience with entreabout creating an interestManagement preneurship. ing job for yourself.” professor In MGMT 461, CBE recently passed “Entrepreneurial the proposal to offer the Management”, students new concentration. Currently, the campus Academic will study general management of new Senate committees are reviewing the business ventures. According to a flyer announcing the college’s proposal. If the committees approve the proposal, the concentration college’s proposal, MGMT 461 will petition will go to the Academic Senate focus on “setting up systems to better serve the new venture’s customers.” for final approval. Students will also have separate Tom Johnson, Associate Dean of Academic Program for CBE, said that courses focused on accounting, marthe college hopes to have the concen- keting and leadership as they relate to tration approved by late spring, in time entrepreneurship. Ames said that these four preparato offer it to undergraduate students in tory courses would also involve live Fall 2002. Ames, who is also the director of BUSINESS/ 6
First American female astronaut to give lecture at universinSPEAKER: Pioneer Sally Ride will discuss her experience in the space industry at the TSU on Monday By Veronica Hagey
Daily Titan Staff Writer Space pioneer Sally Ride, the first American woman astronaut, will visit Cal State Fullerton on March 25, in celebration of Women’s History Month. Her lecture entitled “Reach for the Stars” headlines the month-long celebration “What Women Make.” Event coordinator Roshanna P.
Sylvester, said that this month’s events “celebrate women as creators of ideas, of political movements, of art, literature and music, of social criticism, of desires and dreams.” The University Honors Program and the Faculty Development Center are sponsoring Ride’s visit. “The women’s history group asked us if we would support them and we thought it was a very worthwhile cause,” said Ryan Alcantara, from the University Honors Program. Ride paved the way, not only for future women astronauts, but she became a role model for other women wanting to enter a male dominated industries. Ride studied science and physics at Stanford University where she received a master of science and a doctorate
degree. arm and performed materials Ride was selected for astroand pharmaceutical research. naut training in 1978 and began Mission STS-7 was in orbit in July of that same year. She for six days and returned to was selected to be part of the Earth to land on a lakebed support crew for both the secrunway at Edwards Air Force ond and third space shuttle Base in California on June 24, flights. Ride worked as a cap1983. sule communicator in mission Ride’s second flight control for both missions. into space was aboard the Ride’s first flight was aboard Challenger again, on STSSally Ride 41G, the Challenger space shuttle in in October 1984. The 1983. The historic flight was crew deployed the Earth launched from Kennedy Space Center in Radiation Budget satellite, conducted sciFlorida on June 18. entific observations of Earth and estabThe five-member crew set up com- lished refueling potential of satellites. munications satellites for Canada and In June 1985, Ride was assigned to a Indonesia. third space shuttle flight. Her training for The crew carried out the first deploy- that flight was interrupted by the space ment and retrieval with the shuttle’s robot shuttle Challenger’s tragic accident. http://dailytitan.fullerton.edu
Ride went on to serve for six months as the member of the Presidential Commission investigating the accident. She also worked as an assistant to the administrator for long term planning at NASA headquarters in Washington, D.C. Ride created NASA’s Office of Exploration and produced a report on the future of the space program entitled Leadership and America’s Future in Space. Ride is currently a professor of physics at the University of California, San Diego. She is the co-founder and CEO of Imaginary Lines Inc., a company dedicated to encouraging more young girls of middle school age to pursue math and science.
Ride has received worldwide recognition for her accomplishments. She has served as president of the Internet company SPACE.com, which is an educational and entertainment resource. She is also a former member of the President’s Committee of Advisers on Science and Technology, has received the Jefferson Award for Public Service and was awarded two National Spaceflight Medals. Ride’s lecture, recounting her experience as the first American woman in orbit, will be in the Titan Student Union at 7:30 p.m.