The S tate Hornet
September 30, 2009
C alifornia S tate U niversity, S acramento
E st . 1949
O ne C opy F ree
SALT AND WOOD KILNS GIVE SAC STATE CERAMIC STUDENTS AN ADVANTAGE
HORNET INSIDE A IS FOR ACE
That is what four members of the women’s tennis team will be shooting for on Oct. 11.
Sports B5 ONE BOOK
What inspired this year’s One Book author to explore the misery of Japanese-American World War II internment camps?
Features B2 WHAT’S THE REAL CRIME?
Think it’s hard to afford to be here on campus? Try not being able to afford to be anywhere. If anybody needs support, it’s those being punished for living in poverty.
Opinion A5 FINANCIAL AID MADE EASY? Questions, questions, questions. So many some students are overwhelmed. Future FAFSA forms won’t have so many. In the meantime there are workshops available to help you.
News A4 MORE NANNY GOVERNMENT? Should we be required to sterilize our pets. What happens if we don’t?
Ryan Greenleaf State Hornet
Paulius Rekasius, senior studio art major, worked past midnight at school on Sept. 15, in order for the ovens to be just the right temperature to salt the ceramics kiln. The oven can get to temperatures as high as 2,200-2,300 degrees Fahrenheit.
CSU hopes to join the Smart Grid By Gina Cruz gcruz@statehornet.com The California State University system is continuously looking for ways to save money and the environment at the same time. The newest proposal is a plan to implement the Smart Grid technology system. The CSU Board of Trustees
proposed a plan to implement Smart Grid technology in 934 buildings on all 23 CSU campuses using a $77.5 million federal grant. The US Department of Energy will vote on the proposal on Nov. 3. Smart Grid technology, invented to find and eliminate energy inefficiencies, is part of the Energy IQ demonstration
Issue 5 | Volume 62| No. 5
where and how much energy can be reduced or eliminated. This process is how the system will ultimately reduce energy costs. “Tighter budgets and the availability of state funds to pay for energy efficiency initiatives in lieu of other vital nonenergy repairs, like life safety, roads and roof repairs, are an
example of the difficult, if not impossible, choices campuses have to make,” said Len Pettis, CSU chief of plant, energy and utilities. The federal grant money will come from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act. Matching funds would come see Grid | page A4
UEI to get Velazquez takes first $4.2 million place at conference By Brittany Bottini bbottini@statehornet.com Sacramento State gave nearly $5 million to University Enterprises, Inc., to lease and improve a new facility for academic programs, such as nursing, speech pathology and audiology, and physical therapy. Sac State paid $4.2 million to the nonprofit auxiliary business to lease the former California State Teachers Retirement System building. According to the University Budget Advisory Committee, an additional $600,000 will be spent on renovating the former office space into classrooms, labs and storage rooms. Marilyn Hopkins, dean of the College of Health and Human Services, said the new building will provide much needed space for these programs. The nursing department is
currently housed in El Dorado Hall. “It’s an absolutely horrid and abominable space. This move is critical because nursing is a large program that needs a new space, whether it is this building or another,” Hopkins said. Because of the limited space the El Dorado building offers the nursing program, halls are crowded with gurneys, simulation dummies and other classroom tools. “Nursing requires extremely important hands-on training,” said Amanda Saindon, freshman nursing major. “We need more room to learn and space for our supplies.” The new building, located at 7667 Folsom Blvd., will provide nearly 200,000 square feet of new space for the prosee UEI | page A6
By Julia Baum jbaum@statehornet.com
Ruben Velazquez’s interest in how things work goes back to his childhood when he enjoyed playing with his remotecontrolled cars and wondered what made them go. “I would always want to modify cars and switch out the tires,” Velazquez said. “I just liked it ‘cause it peeled out better.” The fascination grew for the 22-year-old mechanical engineering major who even see Velasquez | page A3
Nallelue Vega State Hornet
The nursing department is moving to a new building because of limited classroom space in its current location.
J.P. Ryan State Hornet
Ruben Velasquez, junior mechanical engineering major, studies in the Sac State library.
Funding made easier by DOC Committee By Miyu Kataoka mkataoka@statehornet.com
Online Opinion statehornet.com
The State Hornet
project. It is predicted to cut CSU utility expenses by 15 to 20 percent. This advanced system will use digital technology to give staff and system operators an accurate look at exactly how much energy is being used on each campus. When the energy source is targeted, the system evaluates
Associated Students, Inc., is giving a new incentive for Sacramento State students to get involved in campus clubs and organizations by increasing the maximum amount of funding. Legislation to increase the Dollars for Organizations and Clubs grant from $1,500 to $3,000 per academic year was passed on Sept. 9. The DOC grant funds club functions and help to host special events such as guest speakers, and can be obtained
by submitting an application to the DOC Committee. The legislation was coauthored by Terry Martin, vice president of finance, and Shawn Smith, executive vice president. “The DOC grant gives financial ability to put on events that promote our same values with ASI and the campus,” Smith said. Also, the ASI board members passed on a unanimous vote Sept. 23 to give an extra $1,000 to clubs that are collaborating to host an event. This increased the maximum DOC grant amount for club collaborations from $3,000 to
$7,000. When he took office and started to reform the DOC funding, Martin said he incorporated other club leaders’ opinions on how to make the DOC funding process easier and more accessible. In addition to making changes in the operating rule, there were two other changes made. Clubs can now send any member, not limited to a board member, to the DOC meeting and clubs may use the fund for promotional purposes and food see DOC| page A6