A Group of Students and Faculty Held a Demonstration to Stress Representation

The Sports Arts & Entertainment Check out The Collegian’s Confide and others first Bulldog of the Week plan a benefit concert ever, Page 12 for Haiti, Page 5 Fresno State | Serving the campus since 1922 January 27, 2010 | Wednesday collegian.csufresno.edu Academic independence A group of students and faculty held a demonstration to stress representation By Thaddeus Miller tion. support. The Collegian “These people are all “I think [the demonstration appointed, none of them are is] more of a symbolic thing,” A group of 13 students and voted in, none of them are Ford said. “So, I hope that we, faculty held a demonstra- accountable to the public,” obviously, garner more sup- tion Monday to declare dis- Ford said. “So, this is absolv- port and we get more people pleasure with the university ing all allegiance and saying involved.” administration. that from now on, we’re going Ford said that the goal was The Free Speech Area was to do what’s necessary to cre- to stay away from a small the site of the demonstration ate a democratic university.” vanguard group and repre- as the students and faculty Some student representa- sent the student body as a read from a prepared docu- tives, such as student mem- whole. ment that they called “a dec- ber of the Board of Trustees President John D. Welty laration of academic inde- Russel Statham, have only responded to the day’s events, pendence.” advisory power. in an e-mail interview, by Matt Ford, a senior sociol- He said that the exhibition saying that there are many ogy student that took part in was in line with the protests ways to address the fiscal cri- the demonstration, said the and student actions of last sis that California campuses event was held to symbolize semester, which pushed for are facing. an absolution of allegiance shared governance. Also, it Matt Weir / The Collegian Satvir Dhah took part in the event, while dressed in a Declaration of Independance to Fresno State’s administra- was an attempt to drum up See STUDENTS, Page 9 era Lieutenant's uniform. President’s award of Photo Courtesy Rehabilitation Counseling Program / The Collegian excellence Charles Arokiasamy (standing on right) conducts a class in the Kremen School of Education & Human Development. By Thaddeus Miller that Arokiasamy is deserving of life,” Arokiasamy said. disabilities off the job.” counseling, has worked for The Collegian of the award because he has The aim, he said, is to aid The rehab counseling pro- Arokiasamy for four years. greatly expanded the rehab individuals in the pursuit gram aims to change “the face She said that everyone in the A professor of Fresno State’s counseling program. of life goals. Human beings of human service,” according program feeds off of his abil- nationally ranked rehabilita- In 1994, two years before need structure and interac- to its vision statement.The ity to be motivated and put tion counseling program was Arokiasamy came to the pro- tion to feel like they belong, program focuses on build- others’ needs before his own, awarded $10,000 and an annual gram, rehab counseling had Arokiasamy said. ing character and teaching something his program stress- award. only one student. This year, “Work does all kinds of inter- selflessness to its students, es. Charles Arokiasamy, a pro- the program has 128 students. esting things for us,” he said. Arokiasamy said. “He goes above and beyond,” fessor and former redemp- “I think that “The worst punishment you Arokiasamy’s desire to Ananian-Eastes said. “He’s torist monk, received the [the prog r a m ] serves a very can give somebody is excom- “break bread for poorest of here working all night long, 2010 President’s Award of important niche in society,” munication or isolation.” the poor” came from his time weekends [and] holidays.” Excellence. Botwin said. Arokiasamy said that the in the redemptorist order of Arokiasamy embodies the The award is given to recog- People wrongly assume that problem lies within the agen- monks in Malaysia, he said. mission statement of the pro- nize a faculty or staff member rehab counseling deals with cies that are designed to help Arokiasamy studied at gram, said a student in the who demonstrates integrity, only drug users, Arokiasamy those with disabilities. The Southern Illinois University program Natalie Hardy. leadership and a commitment said. The program works with agencies often do not treat cli- and spent some time at the “He brings a uniqueness to to the university and the com- individuals who have any kind ents with the respect that is Louisiana State University the program, in that he takes munity, according to the uni- of disability and help them get due, he said. Medical Center before moving the learning to heart,” Hardy versity’s Web site. into the workplace. “That is our passion,” to Fresno. said. Michael Botwin, the chair “What we do is try to get peo- Arokiasamy said. “It’s those Erica Ananian-Eastes, direc- of the Academic Senate, said ple back into the mainstream attitudes that keep people with tor of workability IV for rehab The Collegian That’s What the People Are Saying On Ben Bernanke getting credit for stabilizing the economy f a snoozing camper’s unattended fire sets “IYellowstone ablaze, do we single him out for honor for alerting the park rangers and leading a bucket brigade?” OpinionOpinionPage 2 Opinion Editor, Tony Petersen • [email protected] • Wednesday, January 27, 2010 — Pat Buchanan, Creators Op-ed Torrico: pass AB 656 LETTERS TO By Alberto Torrico blame Sacramento for disinvesting in that this bill will result in jobs lost. the university – and then look to pri- Yet oil companies have been experi- THE DITOR E What if we lived in a world where vate sources of funding. encing record breaking profits for the your cell phone carrier drastically And while it is true that public past several years. Exxon Mobile, for raised your bill and at the same time sources of funding for education have instance, raked in a $45.2 billion profit To the editor: reduced your coverage? What if your diminished due to state budget woes, in 2008, the most ever by a publicly- I am a current Fresno State stu- landlord increased your rent by a third the story is not that simple. The major- traded U.S. company. dent. I am concerned about an issue and then took away your bathroom? ity of California legislators know that The University of California is that affects us locally and statewide. What if you took a flight and the air- California should be investing in its crucial to our state’s economy. The UC I am wondering if you are willing to line raised the price while in midair? students and future workforce, not system generates billions of dollars in publish this in The Collegian, or at These seem like ridiculous scenar- abandoning them and putting up even economic activity and attracts billions the very least, give some awareness ios, but something similar is happen- more barriers to a quality education. more in research dollars, money that to the students of Fresno State. ing all across University of California That is why I have proposed that we fuels key industries like agriculture, As of Jan. 8, 2010, Gov. campuses right now. adequately fund our community col- energy, and biotech. Schwarzenegger proposed a budget The cost of your education is sky- leges, state colleges and universities With big oil ready to spend lavishly that will result in the elimination rocketing just as students are forced to by requiring Big Oil to pay their fair to defeat AB 656, this won’t be an easy of all Adult Health Care Centers endure overcrowded classrooms – all share for the oil and natural gas they fight – but it’s a fight I’m confident (ADHC) on March 1. This proposal too common full enrollment rosters pump out of California’s land and we can win together. Please join me will produce false savings and is an and reduced course offerings. It is the water. and thousands of other concerned attempt to recycle an older proposal start of the semester and that means We can no longer afford to be the Californians in fighting for higher from last year (which failed). ADHC it’s time to worry about adding classes only major oil-producing state that education at www.facebook.com/ was created to cut the cost to taxpay- in order to graduate on time so you doesn’t levy such a fee. Texas, for FairTuition. ers by reducing the needs of nurs- don’t have to take out even more loans, instance, generates $400 million for ing homes, emergency rooms and on top of the thousands of dollars you higher education through a similar Alberto Torrico, D-Fremont, is institutions, which cost significantly may already owe. fee. a member of the California State more. If only papers and finals were the My bill, AB 656, would raise up to Assembly, where he serves as the major- There is no doubt that it will affect worst of your worries. $2 billion for the UC, CSU and commu- ity leader. students like ourselves, because we In the span of this next year, the nity colleges with a 12.5 percent tax on are the taxpayers and we all know UC Regents will raise your “fees” by oil extracted within California. That’s about baby boomers. Research has more than 30 percent, after more than considerably less than the 25-percent COMMENT: The Collegian is a shown that in the coming years, doubling them in the last 10 years.

Load more