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SERVING SAN JOSE STATE UNIVERSITY SINCE 1934 SPARTANSPARTAN DAILYDAILY WWW.THESPARTANDAILY.COM VOLUME 122, NUMBER 27 TUESDAY, MARCH 9, 2004 CSU might slap Rock climbing conquers fi tness blues extra charge on excess units By Theresa Smith improving university catalogs and online Daily Staff Writer services are just a few options being reviewed by the task force to help make graduation an In the future, there may be an increase in easier process, according to the report. fees for students who exceed the number of The CSU task force is designed to provide required units needed to graduate, according a productive and useful academic experience to members of the academic senate. for students, according to the report. The California State Legislature noticed it Annette Nellen, San Jose State University took some California State University students Academic Senate chair, said students graduat- longer to graduate, which led to several studies ing with more units than needed is common. on how to strategize graduating in a timely The academic senate consists of administra- fashion, according to the report “Facilitating tors, faculty members, staff and students, Student Success in Achieving the Baccalaure- with the authority to advocate policies and ate Degree.” procedures on matters affecting the success of The report, written in December 2002 the university to the Board of Trustees and the by co-chairs Jacquelyn Kegley and Louanne chancellor, according to the CSU Web site. Kennedy, discusses the graduation rates, David McNeil, a history professor at SJSU, strategies for helping students succeed and said the Academic Affairs Committee of the factors contributing to the delay in degree Statewide Academic Senate would work on completion. defi ning excessive units. According to the report, CSU has a range “Currently, we do not know what is going of policies being reviewed: training advisers, to happen or when it is going to be effective,” making advising a requirement and engaging McNeil said. “The chancellor requested a task force at CSU. A report (from the task force) in thorough communication with students Photos by Nicholas R. Wright / Daily Staff about their academic planning. Creating roadmaps to graduation and see UNITS, page 6 ABOVE: Sam Morse psyches himself up for a big move on the climbing wall while his friend Nick Reimnitz looks on at Touchstone San Jose on Paseo de San Antonio between First and Second streets in San Jose. The two Los Gatos High School seniors said they prefer bouldering, a ropeless form of Culture-specifi c clubs rock climbing, because they don’t need to set up on ropes. seek unity, not division RIGHT: Eric Wong, a senior marketing major, treads carefully across the 1-inch nylon slack line at Touchstone San Jose on Monday. Walking across slack lines, which has become a By Michael Lerma based organization,” Balajadia said. “We vol- popular activity in the climbing community, can help climbers unteer our time, are active in the community Daily Staff Writer improve their balance and practice breathing while tensing and promote academics.” the abdominal muscles. Balajadia said that Alpha Kappa Omega Leaders of some culture-based student does not restrict membership based on ethnic organizations say their groups are meant to heritage. promote integration among ethnic groups on “There is a common misconception that Downtown rock climbing gym offers discounts to students campus. some fraternities are race-specifi c,” Balajadia James Mao, a senior marketing major, said said. “But each group displays its own culture often with diffi culty to the next checkpoint. “It’s like a physical version of chess,” he as a member of the Chinese culture club, he and creates an environment of learning and By Zakk Jones does not see the student organization as self- Daily Staff Writer Since opening last year, Touchstone — at said. “It’s problem solving.” that makes individuals look at their own 200 South First St. with its entrance on Paseo He also said climbing is great for overall segregation for Chinese students. culture while creating a deeper understanding De San Antonio, the sixth Touchstone loca- fi tness and for many people is preferable to “We (are on campus) to promote and for other cultures.” From up close, the climbing structure at tion in the Bay Area — has grown to about more traditional exercise. discover Chinese culture,” Mao said. “We Karina Alvarez of the Chicano commence- Touchstone San Jose, with its multi-colored “For a lot of people, it’s a better form of have a couple of non-Chinese members, and ment organization is helping to organize the notches and footholds dotting its off-white 150 members and will celebrate its one-year fi tness because they actually enjoy doing it,” they are here to discover Chinese culture.” May 2004 bilingual English and Spanish exterior, resembles what a cupcake or Circus anniversary at the end of March. Blake Balajadia, a third-year human re- graduation ceremony for Latino students at Animal cookie might look like to a very small General Manager Justen Sjong, a spon- Sjong said. source management major, is a member of the San Jose State University. insect. sored professional athlete who has 12 years Art Balaora, an instructor at Touchstone Alpha Kappa Omega fraternity, a fraternity “Obviously, student organizations promote Inside, several would-be climbers, hands of climbing experience, said he enjoys rock who said he will be transferring to San Jose based on Filipino culture. chalked and feet ready, attempt to scale the climbing because it allows for the continual “We are not just social. We are a culturally see DIVERSITY, page 3 structure on their way to the top, moving setting of new goals. see CLIMBING, page 3 Crooks using library to check out goods SJSU ‘American Idol’ contestant By Elizabeth Nguyen hopes to overcome TV pressure Daily Staff Writer At the end of Wednesday night’s episode of Despite having a better security system than in the Dance major Katie Webber “Idol,” which airs on Fox, the names of the 12 Clark Library, some students still feel that their belong- contestants being brought back for the “wild ings aren’t safe in the Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Joint brought back for tonight’s card” episode were announced. Library. Webber was one of them. George Mendoza, a junior majoring in civil engineer- ‘wild card’ episode “I was happy. I always kept the wild card in ing, said he used to feel safe while working as a student my sights, but it was nice to be called back … a assistant in the library for the Cultural Heritage Center. By Claire Taylor nice surprise,” said Webber, who lives in Santa “My wife works here on the weekends,” Mendoza said. Daily Staff Writer Cruz. “(Last weekend) she was working alone on the sixth fl oor, Webber said she isn’t stressing about her university level. Someone approached her for reference “American Idol” has given the previously un- performance this time around. help, so she went to a lower fl oor to use the computer. known UC Berkeley student William Hung the “I just want to have a good time and not Someone stole her wedding ring and key card she had left opportunity to appear on “The Ellen Degeneres worry,” she said. “It’s kind of a Catch-22 because unattended for fi ve minutes.” Show,” and he was parodied on “Saturday Night there’s, in this round, more pressure. I just want Mendoza said he thinks things get stolen because most Live.” And his vocal talents didn’t even carry him to relax more in this round because you have of the security offi cers are on the bottom fl oor. past the initial auditioning process. nothing to lose.” “We need security posted on every fl oor,” Mendoza Now San Jose State University has Ross Orduna, Webber’s said. “It’s a big difference being located in Modular A a potential “American Idol” fi nalist of boyfriend and a senior electrical (where the Cultural Heritage Center was once located). its own. engineering major at SJSU, said I felt safer there. I had more control over things. (King Katie Webber, an SJSU senior ma- Webber chose to go to the “Idol” Library) is a huge building.” joring in dance, was chosen by “Idol” auditions in San Francisco at the Sgt. John Laws, who works for the University Police judges at the San Francisco audition Department and is head of security for the library, said last minute. venue out of thousands of hopeful theft is the most common crime in the library. He said “Idol” fame hasn’t gone contestants across the United States. “We’ll get 10 to 12,000 people going through the build- to Webber’s head. Webber was selected to be one of ing a day,” Laws said. “However, students get a complacent “I mean, aside from the fact that 32 people to perform during the fi rst feeling that it’s their home — they’ll get out and go off for everywhere we go people recognize 20 minutes. They’ll leave their things unattended. There’s post-audition round of “Idol,” the fi rst her and children ask her for pictures always someone out there waiting to take your stuff.” chance for the television audience to in the mall … she’s just the same old Mendoza said that stealing is an epidemic at King decide who will advance to the fi nal WEBBER (person), working and hanging out,” Library. round. he said. “Lunches get stolen, and a jacket from another student On Feb. 10, Webber sang in the As a senior in her last semester assistant was stolen,” he said.

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