IS THE RECESSION OVER? Preview the ‘Dogs matchup versus Cal Poly SPORTS The Collegian online does a ‘man on the street’ interview asking students that question Find out if listening to loud music results in hearing loss FEATURES FRIday Issue OCTOBER 1, 2010 FRESNO STATE COLLEGIAN.CSUFRESNO.EDU SERVING CAMPUS SINCE 1922 Gov. passes transfer bill By Andrew Veihmeyer The Collegian By Andrew Boydston The Collegian Senate Bill 1440, the Student This November, Californians school on how marijuana is less Achievement Transfer Reform will have the opportunity to harmful than tobacco and alco- (STAR) Act which creates a vote on an historic proposition. hol. You can overdose on alco- formal transfer Associate If passed, Proposition 19 would hol and tobacco. It’s been prov- of Arts degree for students spurn federal law by permitting en it’s physically impossible to transferring from commu- recreational use of marijuana overdose on marijuana.” nity colleges to the CSU, was in California. According to Chair of the signed into legislation by Prop 19 has sparked furious Indiana Civil Liberties Union Governor Schwarzenegger on debate on both sides, and it has Drug Task Force, Paul Hager, Wednesday. also caught the attention of in order to overdose on mari- According to the CSU press young voters. juana a person would have to release, the new legislation “Prop 19 caught my atten- smoke 40,000 times the amount “will take effect in the fall tion and made me want to vote of marijuana a normal smoker of 2011 [and] will allow stu- this year,” said Kevin Chan, a would to overdose, by which dents a simplified and well kinesiology major. “I did a term defined path for transferring paper my senior year in high See PROP 19, Page 3 from a California Community College to the CSU.” On Sept. 3, the STAR Act was enrolled to the governor after legislators passed it on, Photo Illustration by Michael Uribes / The Collegian his approval being the final hurdle towards enactment. “This bill is one of the greatest moves our state has Support Services receives $1.5 million grant taken in reforming our sys- tem of higher education,” said Pedro Ramirez, Associate By Tara Albert The financial aid literacy nationwide programs in the port and the necessary tools to Students, Inc. president. It The Collegian information workshops dis- federally funded TRIO pro- help its students graduate col- also has a wide spectrum of cuss how to create a budget, grams, which are “designed to lege, she said. support from faculty, adminis- Like many new college stu- manage credit card purchas- identify and provide services “That is our goal—support trators and both political par- dents, Fresno State sophomore es and money-saving tips. for individuals from disadvan- and retention for graduation ties, Ramirez said. Liliana Madrigal was nervous Madrigal said the workshops taged backgrounds.” All SSS between four and six years,” “The current transfer pro- and overwhelmed during her made her realize how impor- programs are required to pro- Fuentes said. cess has many holes and prob- first day of classes as a fresh- tant creating a budget is and vide academic tutoring, post- Federal grants are the sole lems that keep many students man. But the Student Support helped her understand the secondary course selection source of funding for the ser- from successful transferring Services (SSS) program at financial aid application pro- advising and financial literacy vices the program offers to its from another system,” he said. Fresno State provided her cess. information, according to the students, Fuentes said. She The new transfer Associate with the guidance to make a “It gave you an overview of website. said receiving the $1.5 million of Arts degree is not yet quick, smooth transition into all of the things that you have The SSS program at Fresno grant was a relief, because it named, but its goal is to college life, she said. to consider,” she said. State was established 18 years allows SSS to continue provid- encourage students to com- “This program helped me According to the U.S. ago under the Division of ing services for its students plete community college cur- get familiar with the univer- Department of Education Student Affairs, Fuentes said. for at least five more years. riculum more quickly and sity,” Madrigal said. website, SSS is one of eight The program provides sup- “Without our funding, this efficiently, potentially cutting The U.S. Department of particular population would student fees and saving col- Education awarded SSS a not be able to be served,” leges valuable course-related $1.5 million five-year grant in Fuentes said. spending. early September, allowing the Students in the program Vivian Franco, director of program to continue provid- have to meet several require- admissions, records, and eval- ing support for low-income, ments throughout the year uations at Fresno State said first-generation and disabled in order to remain in SSS, that implementation would students on campus, SSS Fuentes said. All of the not likely happen in fall 2011 Director Sandra Fuentes said. requirements are designed to as the bill states. It will take The grant will be used to fund provide students with tools to time to integrate and time the several federal-mandated graduate, including meeting must be allowed for students support services the program with a counselor, she said. to adapt, she said. It wouldn’t offers to help its 200 students Joe Guerra, the counselor benefit them this early if stu- succeed in college. for students in the program, dents were to look at a new These services include said he helps students learn transfer pattern and not even counseling and advising, read- how to navigate college and know what it was. ing and writing instruction, get into the classes they need. “They key is making sure peer mentors, peer tutors and “A lot of the students are advisers at community col- a free computer lab. Fuentes first-generation and don’t leges get students in this said the grant has also allowed know the ins-and-outs of col- program immediately,” said SSS to create a new program lege,” Guerra said. Bernard Vinovrski, associate aimed at helping students He said he meets with stu- vice president of Enrollment learn how to budget their dents at least twice a semes- Services. money and limit their depen- ter to ensure that they are on Although the SB 1440 bill dency on loans. track for graduation. Guerra is most associated with the “We give them a series of said he schedules more than CSU, Assembly Bill 2302 workshops that provides them 300 appointments each semes- accompanies it, encouraging with information on different Infographic by Michael Uribes / The Collegian ter to meet with every student. the University of California aspects of financial literacy,” It was a relief to receive grant money that would significantly extend service, to similarly streamline the Fuentes said. said Sandra Fuentes, director of Student Support Services. See GRANT, Page 3 transfer process. The Collegian THATʼS WHAT THE PEOPLE ARE SAYING... his year will be the first time that my [voting] decisions will “Tbe more about what I’m against than what I’m for.” Opinion – Matt Forster, NPR.org PAGE 2 OPINION EDITOR, ANNA JACOBSEN • [email protected] FRIDAY, OCTOBER 1, 2010 Groupon’s edgy publicity stunt WEB-SPE@K Culled each week from discussions founder, fans of his site raised one wall humor to promote their products. on The Collegian’s website. objection: What about the children? He So far, it seems his stunt has worked. says fans were complaining that the Bloggers from The Wall Street Journal, Groupon company took no responsi- BBC, The LA Times, Forbes and Time bility for children conceived on a date have jumped on this story, reporting Response: where a couple used a Groupon deal. the humorous hoax and furthering ‘We want a real, mature On Wednesday, Mason responded Mason’s goal of provocative publicity. debate’ to this objection with a site called There remains a lingering question, Grouspawn. It’s a program that awards though—with no real indication on the ‘Cyrus’: “As a student, with an interest in two $60,000 college scholarships each Grouspawn site of the nature of the politics, I was excited when I first heard year to babies conceived by couples hoax, could the seemingly innocent about the upcoming debate. Soon after, I who used a Groupon deal on their first joke run afoul? was disappointed to learn students were not date. Mason claims that the company Even if no spawners are harmed, allowed. In an effort to still get in, I spoke to “wanted to make sure that Groupon Grouspawn’s initiative says something a member of ASI. I learned that ASI has been babies were the smartest babies out about the way our culture views babies. working hard on behalf of students but to no there.” At the obvious level of humor, we can avail. Indeed, these politicians and the orga- To aid potential “spawners,” as all get a laugh. But on a deeper, more nizers of the debate treat us like children.” Grouspawn calls them, in their dating thoughtful level, what is Grouspawn The Annalog pursuits, they provide a rudimentary saying? “Your little accident could ‘Ridiculous’: “This is ridiculous! If it wasn’t ANNA JACOBSEN dating service to match up Grouspawn make you rich if you play by our obvious before that the great State of users. Grouspawn rules! Ha ha ha, so funny!” California doesn’t care about it’s students, h, publicity stunts. Some of the In order for a baby to qualify for a Is this the subtext Groupon really here is one more example!” best play on a sense of humor scholarship, the parents must prove wants to espouse? ‘Eric Morana’: “Amazing insight to a very to gain attention from a larger that on their first date they used a To be fair, the site does provide a A frustrating situation for all Fresno State audience, usually to sell more products Groupon.