March 10 2010

The

Collegian Sports Learn why the men’s golf team finished eighth on Tuesday, Page 8

Fresno State | Serving the campus since 1922

Features The poetry festival put out a call for judges, Page 5 March 10, 2010 | Wednesday

collegian.csufresno.edu

Tuition, grants uneven Comparing Pell grants and tuition While university tuition has continued to spike, Pell grants have not followed step-for-step. The average amount given has increased slower than the maximum possible, and less so than tuition.

By Mike Boylan The Collegian The federal government’s efforts to improve access to higher education by increasing Pell Grant funding has fallen short of supplementing the increases in college tuitions.

President Obama has vowed to make higher education a priority, stating that by 2020, he expects the United States to have the highest rate of college graduates than any other country in the world. The Obama Administration has proposed a continued increase in the maximum award allowed annually, as well as moving the Pell Grant program – need-based government aid for students that do not need to be paid back – from discretionary to mandatory spending, otherwise known as an entitlement program.

Despite the demonstrated commitment to minimize the burden of higher education costs for Americans, the Pell Grant’s purchasing power is not what it was when the program was established in 1975.

According to Business Weekly, Pell Grants covered 85 percent of college See PELL, Page 6

Infographic by Michael Uribes / The Collegian

Credit card act restricts students

By Joe Bailey The Collegian An act aims to prevent college students and young Americans from amassing loads of credit card debt.

The Credit Card Accountability Responsibility and Disclosure Act of 2009, or Credit CARD Act for short, went into effect Feb. 22.

Most importantly for college students, the Credit CARD Act forces applicants younger than 21 to have a co-signer, who is older than 21, sign for the credit account or prove they have the income that can pay off any future debt.

The Credit CARD Act also limits the ability of banks to market credit cards on college campuses. Credit card companies who offer gifts, such as a free hat or T-shirt for signing up cannot do so within 1,000 feet of campus.

K.C. Chen, chair of the Finance and Business Law Department, said these provisions will benefit college students and young Americans overall. “The requirement of a co-signer for adults younger than 21 years old is a great idea that will reduce the delinquent rate and make young adults be more financially responsible,� Chen said. “I cannot think of one negative on this regulation.�

However, Chen acknowledges that these provisions will certainly not put an end to students irresponsibly piling up debt if young people do not control their spending. “Owing credit card debt is very expensive because the interest rates charged by the credit card issuers are normally very high,� Chen said. “Compounding at a double-digit interest rate on the existing credit card balance will deepen youngsters’ financial woes.�

Fresno State student Jason Panganiban, 22, believes these new regulations will help keep students safe from the ire of credit card companies. “I think it’s a good idea, because when yo u ’ re 1 8 yo u don’t know everything about credit cards,� Panganiban said. “I know when I first got my credit cards I didn’t read the fine print and know all the rules. Hopefully it will keep young kids from getting into trouble with credit cards.�

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Panganiban has also seen the powers credit card companies have when offering free gifts on a college campus. “It’s good they can’t market on campus anymore,� Panganiban said. “I know when my cousins went to college they signed up for a bunch of credit cards just to get the free stuff.�

James Highsmith, professor emeritus of finance and business law, said the Credit CARD Act will prevent reckless students from piling up debt, but may also preclude responsible students from building up essential credit. “This Act may make it a little more dif ficult for young adults to get credit cards,�

Highsmith said. “Many of these people are not prepared to handle credit in a responsible way, while many See CREDIT, Page 6

Men in heels to support women

By Brionie Dixon The Collegian In order to get men to empathize with women, Walk a Mile in Her Shoes will encourage men to dress in drag. The event is one of many that will take place for Women’s Herstory Month.

Walk a Mile in Her Shoes is an effort to stop rape, sexual assault and gender violence.

Men are literally encouraged to walk a mile in women’s high-heeled shoes.

Women donate shoes prior to the festivities, and men wear them to literally and figuratively understand what it’s like to walk in a woman’s shoes. This event will be held March 16 in the Free Speech Area at 5 p.m.

The march asks men to join in the efforts of making the world a safer place and it provides an opportunity for the community to talk about these important issues.

The Walk a Mile in Her Shoes event attempts to expand the dialo gue between men and women on gender differences, gender relationship and gender violence. Also, it helps men to better understand and appreciate women’s experiences, and teach children respect for themselves and others.

Georgianna Negron, a senior psychology major, organized volunteers for the event and contacted different organizations about tabling at the event for the past couple of years. The Majoree Mason Center and United Students Pride will be among the groups in attendance. “Not only does this event bring awareness but it also shows that men are involved in the efforts of getting the message out there,� Negron said.

Ne g ron also declared that the Violence Prevention Project usually solicits the help of Fresno State’s fraternities for this event.

According to a study by the National Institute of Justice and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 1.5 million women become victimized by rape or physical assault by their partners each year. In addition, each year, more than 10 million American children witness family violence in their homes. Forty percent of girls age 14 to 17 know someone their age that has been hit or beaten by a boyfriend. “It affects the community as a whole,�

Negron said. This event demonstrates that sexual abuse is not just a women’s issue. In fact this issue affects both genders, Negron said.

Jenny Whyte, coordinator of the Women’s Resource Center, describes her experience at last year’s Walk a Mile in Her Shoes event as wonderful. “Seeing the men put on women’s shoes and stand up against violence against women was inspirational,�

Whyte said.

Negron said she encourages all to participate. “People can really make a difference, so I hope many will come out in support,� Negron said.

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Opinion The

Collegian

That’s What the People Are Saying On going to prison for gun possession

“I

Opinion Editor, Tony Petersen • collegian-opinion@csufresno.edu • Wednesday, March 10, 2010

Page 2

look at things as ‘Everything is meant to be.’ I know it’s an experience that I need to have if God’s putting me through it.”

— Lil’ Wayne, People

Editorial: Fill out census Letters to A the Editor mid a torrent of massive budget cuts and funding reductions in California, a 10-question form could potentially help restore much of what was taken away in this past fiscal year.

If counted correctly, funding from the 2010 census data will inject a much needed stream of cash into California.

That means that the stakes, this time around, are much higher.

Students have long been an underreported demographic in the collection of census data. Students should be counted where they live for the majority of the year. For college students this means where they go to school.

According to the Census Bureau, students living in on-campus housing will receive their own questionnaires separate from their parents.

The population in Fresno County was 909,153 in 2008, the tenth most populous county in California. At Fresno State, there are currently 20,640 students enrolled. However, in 2008 students living in college towns accumulated for the lowest response rates of any demographic during the 2000 census.

It is important to make sure that the entire student population be counted this year, especially considering that

census data is used in the allocation of federal tuition grant and loan programs; so, a thorough count of college students in 2010 can potentially mean more money for higher education in California.

And at times like these, with students and faculty protesting for exactly this, nothing can be more important.

The constitutionally mandated census determines how seats will be apportioned in the House of Representatives, and helps to determine where the district lines are drawn within each state. The United States government surveys the population in order to gauge how many people are living in the country at the time.

Perhaps more importantly, the census will shift billions of dollars in federal funding over the next decade from parts of the country to others because of population-driven financing formulas. Annually, the government disburses about $400 billion in federal funds to state and local governments for the next 10 years.

Filling out the census form this spring could mean more money for the university and the surrounding neighborhood. But perhaps more importantly, filling out a census form

bestows students with a fair voice in government.

For we, the students, have no explicit control over the allocation of funds in the state government. We cannot tell President Welty which classes to cut and how many furloughs to mandate.

We can, however, help determine how much we get via the census.

Which means we must help the government take an accurate snapshot of the college demographic. In an editorial last semester, The Collegian advocated that the state legislature pass AB 656, a bill that would tax oil extraction, to help pay for higher education and lessen some of our financial woes.

An accurate census would only help California citizens get the education they deserve.

If all 20,640 of Fresno State’s students filled out the census, odds are that the many grievances that protestors have demonstrated against would be, if not absolved, at the very least, alleviated.

If we don’t at least do this much, against what are we protesting?

C

To the editor: Fortunately, the writer’s opinions remind us why students should continue to appeal to legislators and administrators to equip us with the adequate education we must put to use upon graduation. If the protesters exuded a “palpable sense of entitlement and the disillusioned sense of priority that plagues this generation” it’s because not everyone who makes up this generation has the privileges and means that allow for complacency and luxury to pick which injustices they must speak out against.

The campus is made up of individuals from different cultural upbringings facing a legacy of educational institutions that are historically and currently still apathetic to the diversity of students that attend these establishments; consequently, creat-

COMMENT: The Collegian is a forum for student expression. http://collegian.csufresno.edu

“N

ot everyone who makes up this generation has the privileges and means that allow for complacency and luzury to pick which injustices they must speak out against.”

The virtue of the elitism R

obert Taft was not your average citizen. His grandfather was Alphonso Taft, Attorney General and Secretary of War under Ulysses S. Grant. His father was William Howard Taft, who served as president and Chief Justice (and has the distinction of being our most rotund president). He graduated first in his class at Yale College and Harvard Law School, editing the Harvard Law Review at the latter institution. He served three terms as a Senator from Ohio, where a committee after his death chose him as one of the body’s five greatest senators.

Robert Taft was no common man.

In fact, while campaigning at a rally, the Senator’s wife was asked if, indeed, her husband was a common man. “Oh no,” she quickly replied. “He is not that at all. He was first in his class at Yale and first in his class at Harvard Law School. I think it would be wrong to present a common man as a representative of the people of Ohio.”

Fast-forward to today. Robert Taft could never be elected in the contemporary Zeitgeist. He’s an (gasp!) elitist.

Today’s political world decries elitism. Populism is the name of the game.

Candidates fight to be recognized as a “man of the people.” All want to brag about their “humble beginnings” and how much they represent the “common man.”

This populism leads politicians to promise bigger and better things.

Democrats prattle about entitlements while Republicans go on about defense,

THE

The Right Tone Tony Petersen compromising by spending trillions of dollars on both, keeping us on the path to financial ruin.

This is folly. Our politicians dumb themselves down to get elected; regardless of the strategy’s political effectiveness, it will lead to our eventual destruction. This destruction won’t come quick, for Rome wasn’t burnt in a day, and it won’t come from without, but from within. But it will undoubtedly come, slowly, if not surely.

The only way to stop our inevitable cultural decline is to recognize our natural aristocracy.

Nature “has ordained that no two objects shall be perfectly alike, and no two creatures perfectly equal,” John Adams said. “Although, among men, all are subject by nature to equal laws of morality, and in society have a right to equal laws for their government, yet no two men are perfectly equal in person, property, understanding, activity, and virtue, or ever can be made so by any power less than that which created them.”

What he’s saying is that some people

Collegian

The Collegian is a student-run publication that serves the Fresno State community on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays. Views expressed in The Collegian do not necessarily reflect the views of the staff or university.

The Collegian California State University, Fresno 5201 N. Maple Ave., M/S SA42 Fresno, CA 93740-8027 News Line: (559) 278-2486 Business Line: (559) 278-5735 http://collegian.csufresno.edu

are naturally better at some things than others. Usain Bolt is faster than any man alive. Eric Clapton knows the blues like nobody’s business. Kobe Bryant is the best basketball player alive. (That just happened!)

These people are, dare I say, elite.

If I want to win a race, I want Bolt.

If I want to hear the blues, I call on Clapton. If I want to win the NBA Finals, I get Kobe. I don’t think it’s too much to ask that our representatives be elites also.

Returning to the voice of Adams, who is most eloquent on this issue, he said, “There is a voice within us, which seems to intimate, that real merit should govern the world; and that men ought to be respected only in proportion to their talents, virtues, and services. But,” and this is a big but, “the question always has been, how shall this arrangement be accomplished?”

For Adams, indeed all of our founding fathers, the answer lied in the United States Constitution. But this document has been torn to shreds by our supposed representatives who have ceased trying to be elite and have settled for populist blather, which columnist George Will recently called a “cathartic response to serious problems.”

The only way to stop our imminent destruction as a people is to have the best govern us. We need statesmen who actually do right by the people.

We need the elites. We need men like Robert Taft.

Letters to the Editor (collegian@csufresno.edu) All letters submitted to The Collegian must not exceed 250 words in length, must be type-written, and must be accompanied by a full name and phone number to verify content. The Collegian reserves the right to edit all material for length, content, spelling and grammar, as well as the right to refuse publication of any material submitted. All material submitted to The Collegian becomes property of The Collegian.

Each member of the campus community is permitted one copy of The Collegian. Subscriptions are available for $25, on a semester basis. Staff positions at The Collegian are open to students of all majors. Contact the Editor in Chief for details.

All content Copyright © 2009 The Collegian.

Editor in Chief News Editor Features Editor Arts & Entertainment Editor Sports Editor Opinion Editor Photo Editor Multimedia Director Webmaster Presentation/Graphics Developer Online Features Reporter Online Sports Reporter Videographer Editorial Board

— Dalitso Ruwe

ing unrealistic homogeneous experiences augmented by statements like “education is still massively subsidized.” If $500 isn’t too much for you then we “with the demented sense of reality” ask you to “recognize there are other players, factors and consequences involved” that don’t always allow for us, your fellow classmates, to obtain an additional $500 for tuition.

I applaud your candor and attempt at a quasi-Freudian analysis on individuals and social problems by touting words like “narcissist-oriented” and “degenerates.” However, legislators and educational institutions as harbingers of hope must engage in non-ethnocentric dialogues that help us as a post-racial generation removed from the day-to-day realities of civil rights marches, women rights struggle, Jim Crow and Jane Crow laws that discern the consequence of not understanding the history and legacy that entitles this generation.

Dalitso Ruwe

Brian Maxey Thaddeus Miller Michelle Furnier Danielle Gilbert Brianna Campbell Tony Petersen Matt Weir Anna Jacobsen Elisa Jimenez Michael Uribes Lacee Solis Allie Norton Sergio Cortes Brian Maxey Tony Petersen

Corrections: • In the Web-Spe@k that ran on page 2 of The Collegian on Friday incorrectly quoted a comment from online. The correct quote should have read, “...Rocky Mountains or the Sierra Nevada...”

Local Advertising Manager Advertising Coordinator National Advertising Executive Business Development Executive Art Director Assistant Art Director Distribution Manager Accountancy Assistant

Business Manager Advertising Faculty Adviser Editorial Faculty Adviser Online Faculty Adviser

Tatiana Dindia Shadia Salem Landon Reda Andrew Cabal Brandon Ocegueda Edgar Vargas Savannah West Anthony Samarasekera

Virginia Sellars-Erxleben Jan Edwards Reaz Mahmood Don Priest

Wednesday, March 10, 2010

The Collegian • Arts & Entertainment Arts & Entertainment Editor, Danielle Gilbert • collegian-features@csufresno.edu

The daily crossword

Edited by Rich Norris and Joyce Lewis Los Angeles Times

ACROSS 1 __ de deux 4 Therapy center, for short 9 Parts of fast food orders 14 Four-legged bugler 15 Where the ecstatic walk 16 Salt’s “Halt!”

17 National sport of South Korea 19 Having a beanpole physique 20 “Baseball Tonight” station 21 Year-end mall temp 23 Jon Stewart’s “moment of __” 24 Like drive-thru orders 27 Bosom buddy 29 Longtime skating partner of Randy Gardner 33 The Trojans of the Pac10 34 Go hither and yon 35 Au __: menu phrase 38 Places to order tom yum goong 44 “Xanadu” band, for short 45 __ time: pronto 46 Like some grins 47 Host of “Extreme Makeover: Home Edition” 52 12 Tribes religion 55 Caesar’s unlucky number?

56 Schooner filler 57 One of the Yokums 60 Pre-dye shade, perhaps 63 Open, in a way

Puzzle by Gary Steinmehl

C

PUZZLE SOLUTION: http://collegian.csufresno.edu Copyright 2009. Tribune Media Services, Inc.

65 Overtime causes 68 Mother-of-pearl 69 In first place 70 Prior to, in verse 71 Tiny amount 72 Tack room gear 73 Rimsky-Korsakov’s “Le Coq __” DOWN 1 “Our Gang” dog

Page 3

2 Word of pity 3 Having one’s doubts 4 Heed the coxswain 5 Ambient music composer Brian 6 Brinker of kiddie lit 7 Operatic slave girl 8 Old Ford SUV 9 Sub meat 10 In vitro cells 11 Tony of “Who’s the Boss?”

12 Part of FAQ 13 “Gypsy” composer Jule 18 Door feature 22 Bricks unit 25 “Mr. Mom” actress 26 Instrument to which an orchestra tunes 28 Big Indian 29 Word of rebuke 30 Big Apple tennis stadium 31 Drips in an ICU 32 Open the door to 36 Like 007’s martinis 37 Normandy battle site 39 Wee bit 40 Gothic novelist Radcliffe 41 Operating system developed at Bell Labs 42 Rice-A-__ 43 Roget entry: Abbr.

48 “Hooray!”

49 Non-commercial TV spot 50 Caveat __ 51 Computer acronym about faulty data 52 Quick trip 53 Of an arm bone 54 Bing Crosby’s primary label 58 Bench material 59 Hairy mountain sighting 61 Musical prefix with smith?

62 River of Flanders 64 Slo-pitch path 66 Zak, to Ringo 67 Early computer printer speed meas.

C

Complete the grid so that every row, column and 3x3 box contains every digit from 1 to 9 inclusively.

SOLUTION: http://collegian.csufresno.edu

Word of the Day

Business buzzed An acceptable level of intoxication for business situations.

Source: UrbanDictionary.com

Arts & Entertainment The

Collegian

Page 4 • Arts & Entertainment Editor, Danielle Gilbert • collegian-features@csufresno.edu • Wednesday, March 10, 2010

Come on,

Rogue

By Amy Kaufman McClatchy Tribune The Academy Awards are over: The statuettes have all been handed out, the red carpet’s been rolled up, the sparkling gowns returned or not.

So it would seem there’s no more suspense surrounding the Oscars ... and yet, there are still some moments lingering from Sunday’s telecast that have viewers confused.

There was the point, now dubbed the “Kanye West” moment, when infighting among filmmakers was apparent during an acceptance speech. Then there was Sean Penn, mumbling something about Oscar night omissions. Consider the unexplained sign held up by one of “The Cove” documentary stars just as the camera hurriedly cut away. And how about the quick mention of a winner’s life-threatening illness and Tom Hanks’ rush to name the best picture?

Oh, but the night was full of such questions. Did George Clooney really once throw Sandra Bullock into a pool? And why was Clooney looking so surly?

And while there was no admission of guilt, the “Up in the Air” actor did cop to a certain poolside antsiness around the newly anointed lead actress winner.

“Sandy and I have been friends for 25 years,” Clooney said through his publicist Monday, “and I do stay away from pools when she walks by.” A fear of retaliation perhaps?

Meanwhile, the filmmakers behind “Music by Prudence,” the best documentary short winner, declined to elaborate on exactly what was happening on stage as co-producer Elinor Burkett seemed to steal the mike away from director-producer Roger Ross Williams during

By Danielle Gilbert The Collegian

THEY CAME, THEY DRANK, THEY SANG

Photo courtesy of Victor DesRoches

With the patio of Veni Vidi Vici’s Restaurant packed, Guinness on tap and a bar conveniently located next to the makeshift stage — why wouldn’t you want to spend “A Drunk in the Night Tank” tonight with the Rogue’s favorite traditional Irish band.

Song 4 Pints members Russell Noland, Kim Hamilton, Deric McQueen and Sean McBrearty have been performers at the Rogue for five years in the bands six-year history.

The 45-minute performance is worth the $4 admission fee and a slainte.

THE TRUTH IS BETTER THAN FICTION

Photo by McClatchy Tribune

their acceptance speech.

Another unusual moment during the show occurred when environmental activist Ric O’Barry held up a sign on stage while someone was accepting the feature documentary award for “The Cove,” a film about the dolphin harvest in Japan. Viewers hardly had a chance to read the sign before the camera panned away, leading many to wonder what its message was.

“It was a number to text where people can go to take action for the dolphins,” O’Barry said. “It’s not a protest sign, and I didn’t mean to be disruptive, but there were a billion people watching. As soon as I held it up, they started playing the exit music.”

Already more than 50,000 people have sent in text messages of support, O’Barry said.

Later on in the show, Sean Penn, the lead actor winner last year for his portrayal of Harvey Milk in “Milk,” took the stage to present the award for lead actress and delivered instead one of the telecast’s most perplexing moments.

“I never became an official member of the academy, but the academy and I do have in common that we neglected to acknowledge the same actress in our own ways two years running,” he said, clearly not reading from the teleprompter. “So, I’m going to start fresh with the academy and acknowledge these wonderful actresses,” he said and then read the nominees’ names.

So what actress was he referring to?

That would be his estranged wife, surmises his publicist. “It would be a reasonable assumption to say he was referring to Robin Wright, because he didn’t thank her last year in his acceptance speech,” e-mailed Penn’s representative Mara Buxbaum, and he was likely making a statement that “the academy failed to nominate her this year for ‘The Private Lives of Pippa Lee.’ As for Hanks’ rush to announce the best picture winner, an explanation came via tweet from Hanks himself Monday morning: “OscarShow Flash Nope, I didn’t hurry the Best Pic bit,” he tweeted. “That’s how it was planned and rehearsed from the get go.”

Classifieds Are you waiting for each print edition to read the newest classifieds? Check them out 24/7 online at: http://collegian.csufresno.edu Click on classifieds.

Photo courtesy of Victor DesRoches

The hopeless romantic, the cynic, the wife, the slut — the truth about Katherine Glover. A bisexual from Minneapolis who’s struggle with mistaking passion for compatibility led her to the Rogue stage once again in “A Cynic Tells Love Stories.”

Glover’s animated life unfolds through rated R skits and monologues’, however, discovering what relationship genre the solo performer is currently in will cost $7.

The Collegian is not responsible for nor does it assume any liability for its advertisers. We caution our readers to check out the legitimacy of all advertisers before doing business with any of them.

HELP WANTED STUDENTPAYOUTS.COM Paid Survey Takers Needed In Fresno. 100% Free To Join! Click On Surveys.

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Wednesday, March 10, 2010

The Collegian • Features Features Editor, Michelle Furnier • collegian-features@csufresno.edu

Page 5

Festival celebrates child poets

By Tara Albert The Collegian Several Fresno State classrooms will be filled with students a little younger than usual next week.

“Over 6,000 students are expected to visit our campus to recite poetry and short stories to our large panel of Fresno State judg es,” said Jer ry Marque z, public relations coordinator for the festival.

Students will deliver their poems and short stories in various classrooms on campus, canceling the classes usually held at that time.

Stacie Mimura, the Peach Blossom Festival director, said students will come from 132 schools in the surrounding area.

“The performers are from elementary schools in the

Central Valley,” Mimura said.

She said the event is open to the community, and “anyone who wants to watch” is welcome to attend.

Mimura said the Peach Blossom Festival is one of her favorite events each year.

“Watching the students perform and seeing the smiles on their faces is priceless,” she said.

Marquez said the festival was established to give young students experience with interpreting and performing literature.

“The festival started over 50 years ago as a joint effort between the communication and theater arts departments at Fresno State,” Marquez said. “The Festival was created to help young people realize the importance of reading literature aloud.”

The festival, now solely run

File photos by Sarah Gilbert

More than 6,000 students from 200 schools across the Central Valley came to Fresno State last Spring to take part in the Peach Blossom Festival.

by the communication department, also provides students with the opportunity to visit a college campus.

Fresno State athletes will be at the festival to meet the young poets and give them autographs. Fresno State’s mascot Timeout will also make an appearance.

“Most of the students get

really excited when they get autographs from school athletes,” Marquez said. “The children really look up to them.”

Stephanie Hartvell, a judging coordinator for the festival, said they need about 200 judges to cover each classroom during all of the sessions. She said they hope to have three

judges per room.

Hartvell said the festival depends on volunteers, especially Fresno State students.

“It’s good experience to get involved with things that are going on at Fresno State,” Hartvell said.

Matthew Parkington, anothSee FESTIVAL, Page 6

College students play large part Since 1988, more than $3.75 million has been raised for the Children’s Hospital.

By Malissa Rose The Collegian More than 1,000 F resno State students were involved Tuesday in the largest charitable event within the Central Valley -- Kid’s Day. Last year, students from almost 50 clubs and organizations raised nearly $30,000 for Children’s Hospital Central California by selling special editions of the Fresno Bee for $1 to motorists surrounding the campus.

T h e s t u d e n t K i d ’ s D ay Committee made up of 10 students recruited even more student volunteers to participate in Kid’s Day 2010.

A.J. Coronado is a member of the Kid’s Day Committee and Sigma Nu Fraternity. Sigma Nu has been the top seller of Kid’s Day papers for the past several years at Fresno State.

Sigma Nu raised nearly $15,000 through Kid’s Day for children in need. This year, Coronado and Sigma Nu plan on selling 4,000 papers to beat last year’s record of $3500.

“It has become a point of pride for our brotherhood to be the top selling organization each year,” Coronado said. “Our competitiveness is a great thing, in the end it’s Children’s Hospital that benefits from it.”

Katelyn Ashton, coordina-

in Kid’s Day

tor for the Children’s Hospital Kid’s Day said Fresno State students take Kid’s Day to a whole new level.

“Fresno State does a phenomenal job of not only recruiting hundreds of volunteers every year, but also for the energy, excitement and originality that the students have while selling papers,” Ashton said.

Ashton said students participating in Kid’s Day have the opportunity to build their resume. She said employers love to see that potential employees have given back to the community and that they are motivated students.

“The biggest reward I get for volunteering is the satisfac-

tion of knowing that Fresno State’s Kid’s Day Committee has put together a successful event,” Coronado said.

Kid’s Day is a one-day event where nearly 5,000 volunteers from 20 communities hit the streets starting at 4 a.m., to sell Kid’s Day editions of the Fresno Bee. Ashton said the paper features compelling patient stories and photographs about the vital pediatric medical care Children’s Hospital provides.

The Kid’s Day edition not only raises awareness, but also much needed funds for families who cannot afford health care.

Kid’s Day has raised more

than $3.75 million for the Children’s Hospital since its beginning in 1988. Fresno State students have greatly contributed to the growing Kid’s Day campaign statistic.

The money raised through Kid’s Day goes to fund clinical programs, support services, community outreach and charitable health care at Children’s Hospital.

“I don’t think it would be a stretch to say that all of us have been affected, or know someone who has been affected by Children’s Hospital,” Coronado said. “Sacrificing a few hours for one day a year isn’t a huge price to pay to help save the life of a child.”

Page 6

The Collegian • News News Editor, Thaddeus Miller • collegian-news@csufresno.edu

PELL: Grants designed as need-based government aid have not necessarily kept up with university tuition fee hikes CONTINUED from page 1 tuition in its first year, but by 2000 it covered only 39 percent, at which point the average annual cost of tuition at a four-year public university was $8,500.

At Fresno State, the rise in tuition has coincided with the number of student loans accepted.

According to financial aid director Maria Hernandez, the number of subsidized Stafford Loans, a loan that does not start accruing interest until six months after graduation, accepted

“Congress has chosen not to peg grant increases to tuition increases,” Cummins said. “It is not fiscally feasible right now to do so when considering the deficit, but it hasn’t really been attempted in a good economy either.”

The maximum Pell Grant award for 2009-10 was $5,350, and is anticipated to jump to $5,550 in the 2010-11 year.

This is less than a 4 percent increase, compared to the 20 percent increase in tuition and fees for undergraduates in

“C

ongress has chosen not to peg grant increases to tuition increases.”

— Jeffrey Cummins, Assistant Professor

by students increased 13 percent from 2006-07 to 2007-08, compared to a 2 percent increase in Pell Grants awarded.

Some experts have agreed that the rising cost in tuition in relation to financial assistance programs provides a dilemma for lawmakers. Assistant professor Jeffrey Cummins said Congress has steered away from addressing the fact that Pell Grants have not been able to keep up with the inflation of tuition costs.

the California State University system for the fall of 2009, which went from $3,354 to $4,026. The public university system in California – the University of California, community college and CSU systems – are expected to have continued tuition increases to combat the reported $584 million in cuts to higher education.

Under Obama’s proposed plan for Pell Grant increases in January, starting in 2011 the maximum Pell Grant reward

CREDIT: Applicants under 21 years of age will likely need a co-signer to qualify CONTINUED from page 1 under 21 have adult responsibilities that make credit useful in navigating everyday life such as renting an apartment [or] getting a job.”

Highsmith joked about the idea that many college students should be forced to go through a course that will help develop their life skills.

“S

o much for developing goodwill with your customers.”

— James Highsmith, Professor Emeritus

“It could be called ‘Wisdom Without Pain’ or ‘What’s Really Up.’ You would not pay for it unless you didn’t earn at least a B,” Highsmith said. “Yes, I know I’m a dreamer.”

Highsmith also said that banning credit card companies from offering free gifts for signing up for a new line of credit will have little effect on student credit debt.

“The T-shirt or other tangible item only serves to attract the student to

listen to the pitch of the salespeople,” Highsmith said. “Salesmen can be very persuasive as there is no doubt it makes sense to establish a good credit rating in the U.S.” Highsmith said the best way for college students to build up good credit is by offering them low-limit, low-interest credit cards where the issuer provides special protections for the cardholder.

However, Highsmith highly doubts we will ever see this in America.

“I don’t think you will find this very often in the market because it does not serve the profit interest of the issuer,” Highsmith said. “So much for developing goodwill with your customers.”

Highsmith said that while this act may not change the world, it is making a step toward protecting vulnerable college students.

“It is hard to tell whether the act will significantly curtail the issuance of cards to people under 21,” Highsmith said. “If it prevents only a few unqualified young people from being handed a card that could lead them to credit trouble, costly penalty fees, overage charges, high interest rates and bankruptcy, the act serves a useful purpose.”

would coincide with increases in the cost of living which is predicted to reach $6,900 by 2019. However, tuition costs have risen much faster than the cost of living.

According to a College Board study, “Trends in College Pricing,” the economic recession has allowed tuition costs to increase just like any other good or service, citing that tuition costs have risen at a slightly higher rate than the consumer price index.

Also, the fiscal restraints on state governments have forced them to make cuts to higher education, which supports a large portion of public education funding. The College Board reports, that on average, 43 percent of total revenues at public undergraduate colleges are appropriated from state and local governments.

The College Board reports that 22 percent of full-time students at fouryear public universities faced tuition increases of over 9 percent last year.

T he public education system in California has increased undergraduate tuition by 32 percent.

C

COMMENT: The Collegian is a forum for student expression. http://collegian.csufresno.edu

Wednesday, March 10, 2010

FESTIVAL: More than 6,000 students are expected to attend this year CONTINUED from page 5 er judging coordinator for the festival said most of the judges are communication students, but many community members also get involved with judging.

He said judging is a good learning opportunity for Fresno State students.

“Being a judge gives you experience with working with children and giving them positive feedback,” Parkington said.

Parkington said there are three, onehour judging sessions for each day of the festival, and anyone can do as many sessions as they would like.

He said a lot of the student judges were Peach Blossom participants when they were in grade school.

“It’s a neat experience for them to be able to come and judge,” Parkington said. “Now that they’re in college they get to return the favor.”

Thousands of kindergarten through sixth grade students will perform poetry at the 52nd annual Peach Blossom Festival from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. on March 18 and March 19.

Students interested in volunteering for the event can call the Peach Blossom Committee at (559) 278-4419.

Page 7 • The Collegian • Wednesday, March 10, 2010

Sports The

Page 8

Collegian

This coming week...

Softball: Wednesday, at Bulldog Diamond vs. E. Carolina at 6 and 8 p.m.

Lacrosse: Thursday, at Bulldog Stadium vs.

Detroit at 4 p.m.

Sports Editor, Brianna Campbell • collegian-sports@csufresno.edu • Wednesday, March 10, 2010

‘Dogs blown away Bulldogs finished eighth overall in their home tournament in light of poor weather conditions

By Megan Morales The Collegian

Matt Weir / The Collegian

Sophomore Bhavik Patel finished seventh overall in the individual play with a total of 214 par for the tournament.

Battling through unfavorable weather conditions and intense competition, the Fresno State men’s golf team struggled in the Fresno Lexus Classic at San Joaquin Country Club Monday and Tuesday.

On day one of the tournament, the Bulldogs as well as their competition, were forced to end early due to darkness.

With about six holes still remaining, the ‘Dogs resumed their second round play at 8 a.m. Tuesday before they were able to start the final round in shotgun format, where all players tee off simultaneously at different holes.

“I honestly hate that,” Bhavik Patel said. “You’re forced to rush and it’s just a pain, but it happens.”

In addition to losing light, adverse winds and temperatures took a toll on just about everyone including the Bulldog standout.

“It was brutal,” Patel said. “Especially yesterday, it wasn’t as cold but it was windier and the conditions were a lot different than what the practice round was like.”

Playing in less than suitable weather is something that the Bulldogs are becoming familiar with.

“Every tournament there’s been a chance for rain,” Patel said. “It’s been windy and cold every time so far, we’re pretty much use to it by now.”

Patel (73-69-72—214) headed into Tuesday’s rounds 1-over par after playing 33 holes, and managed to finished seventh overall. Teammate Adam

Barkow (76-71-74—221) placed 33rd and Bryan Hogan (75-79-70-224) finished in 61st. The Bulldogs finished eighth overall.

Although the overall outcome of the tournament was a success, head coach Mike Watney wasn’t satisfied with his team’s performance.

“It was not a good weekend for us,” Watney said. “I think the weather played a factor. We play this course all the time, but not in these conditions. The advantage we may have had was gone.”

While Watney took note of the room for improvement, he recognized Patel’s performance respectively.

“Bhavik, our star of the future and who I think will be a PGA tour player, played good as usual,” Watney said.

Regardless of the way he played, Patel enjoyed golfing in front of familiar faces, but unwelcomed weather notably affected his game.

“There’s pros and cons,” Patel said.

“Obviously it’s an advantage, but when the weather gets like this anything can happen. Even playing in front of your home crowd can be hard if you’ve been traveling too hard-it can have an affect on your game.”

Coach Watney and the Bulldogs were not completely satisfied with the results, but respectfully accept the wins and losses as they come.

“Overall, as far as the tournament’s concern I’m happy with the way everything went,” Watney said. “As for our team, we did not play well. But that’s sports. Sometimes you’re good sometimes you’re not.”

WAC Championship Tournament, Reno, Nevada March 10-13

Bulldog Game Day Fresno State Bulldogs (15-17, 7-9 WAC)

&

Fresno State Bulldogs (25-5, 6-0 WAC)

By Vogni Yang The Collegian

Breakdown: Men’s The men’s basketball team will seek to win its first WAC Tournament Title since 2000 as it heads to Reno, Nev., for the WAC Tournament.

The fifth seeded ‘Dogs are coming off a 66-59 win against Louisiana Tech on senior night as it heads into the pool of eight, playing a familiar foe once again when it takes on No. 4 seed Louisiana Tech on Thursday.

WAC Freshman of the Year Greg Smith will look to lead the ‘Dogs finishing the regular season as the only player to start all 32 games while shooting a team-best .573 percent from the field and led the team in shots blocked with 40.

Sophomore forward Paul George, a second-team All-WAC perfor mer, will be the impact player for the ‘Dogs

during the tour nament. The allaround player led the team in scoring, rebounds, steals and minutes. George averaged nearly 17 points and is also the team’s best free-throw shooter, making more than 90 percent of his shots from the line.

Senior forward Sylvester Seay will try to go out strong as he hopes to add a championship to his career. Seay finished second on the team in scoring, averaging 14.3 points a game to go along with 36 blocks, 31 steals and 192 rebounds.

The ‘Dogs will be trying to win its first game in the WAC Tournament since 2005 when it beat Louisiana Tech 84-81 in the quarterfinals.

Breakdown: Women’s The regular season Western Athletic Conference champions will look to continue its dominance in the WAC as it starts tournament play Wednesday against Hawaii.

The women’s basketball team reeled in 17 straight wins to start the new year and finished the regular season 16-0 in the WAC. The No. 1 seeded ‘Dogs won a school-record 25 games. The team will look to extend its quest for perfection in conference play as it shoots for another WAC Tournament Title.

WAC Defensive Player of the Year Jaleesa Ross and team will hope to secure the team’s third automatic bid into the NCAA Tournament as it tries to add additional accolades for the ‘Dogs.

Ross was the team’s leading scorer,

averaging 17.6 points a game this season with 94 shots made from beyond the arc. Ross now holds the school-record for most three-point baskets made and led the team in steals with 65.

Junior forward Hayley Munro, a second-team All-WAC selection, will look to contribute as she did all year, finishing second on the team in scoring with 11.3 points a game.

Freshman Rosie Moult was selected

by WAC coaches to the All-Freshmen team. Moult started 26 games as a freshman while averaging seven points an outing. She finished third on the team in rebounds with 149.

The ‘Dogs are hoping to win its third straight WAC Tournament Title.