rVolume 112, No. 64 DAILY One Washington Square 1 / 1 Is San Jose, CA 95192-0149 Serving San Jose State Univers( Since 1934 SJSU offers Always be prepared loan advice By Brandy Sailors and special circumstances, 99 per- Sad-Writer cent of San Jose State University students won't qualify or benefit Loan consolidation it's a from consolidation, said Richard buzz word on campus, but not a Pfaff, the assistant director at the k 1. hr. h. an %Al RS IW,41' 11..29 lot of people really understand financial aid office. SI \ what it does. "Our students graduate with k hr. h. MI kl NRI IS 01,11- ..- Alison Jensen is graduating in between $8,000 and $10,000 in May with a child development loans, and with that amount, it's Id) %Al KS %I Ski is degree, and sheestimates she has very manageable without consoli- Al. READING about $6,000 out in student loans. dation. Payments would be about Ix' r, MAHN!. II oh 22 2.+ Jensen hasn't heard of consolida- $100 a month," Pfaff' said. kl. hr. h. art tion and doesn't really know what The maximum interest rate ) rm BLIRSL it entails. that can be charged on a student kI. hr. h. art She is one of many borrowers loan is 8.25 percent. For a $10,000 who must attend a loan counsel- loan, paid over 10 years, with the ing session to be eligible for grad- maximum interest rate applied, F:NSE EX ANL REA IF.W I uation. the monthly payment would be / pm DIA/ I 064r WI:14 From today through May 19, $123. E.S1A FE 10 the financial aid office will be Pfaff said most people don't / pin `t it N hosting speakers from various know there are two definitions of lending institutions to answer "consolidation." questions about student loans. The first involves taking sever- They will discuss whether consol- al student loans and combining N FECIINIQI ES 0 idation is beneficial and how to them under one lender, maintain- ortpm RAKER C 06412-07/11 keep loan payments under con- ing one interest rate and one pay- 11. hr. h. arr trol. ment. T FLOWERS/ PRESEKSATION The counseling is free, but time The second use of consolidation / pm QUAINTANCE 0601.0,I1 must be reserved in room 275 of is to stretch out loan payments for Dal Sugano/Spartan Daily hrs h. art CALIFORNIA I Wahlquist South. a lower monthly payment. Pfaff 5i IN NORTHERN Robert Bruce, senior engineer from Wiss, Janney, Elstner university buildings in California if an earthquake occurred. A tour 10 10 pm STAFF 06/rt1 I Anthony Samu, president of said school loans are set up for a Association, Inc., explains to university employees from several of the buildings on campus was a hr. h. arr the United States Student 10-year repayment schedule. Few part of CSU Emergency Association, sent out information would choose to stretch out pay- California State University campuses what would happen to typical Preparedness Workshop, which continues through May 7. urging students nationwide to ments for 15 or 20 years, due to CI sot lot 1X 3 0 take advantage of an offer to con- the already low monthly pay- 41 KIOYERS C 011/19 07/ solidate loans and save six tenths ment, she said. 3 0 of a percent. "That would be for someone 'IR AMS A 06/0/1-0' The Student Association is who gets out of college and finds I \ (WI I II IN 31, comprised of paying members they're only making $15,000," Inaugural Asian awareness month At GRAMS A 06/21-07/311 from student bodies across the Pfaff said. \NM \ 3.0 nation. The association acts as a Pfaff said about 40 percent of ;RAMS A 06/21-07/30 voice on Capital Hill concerning the schools are direct lenders, By Rhoda paclison American contributions to society off campus have come forward about the different cultures with- "Our goal is to inform people this year and expressed interest in Asia," she said. "We use (the I NI Vs si %Lin' 3 0 student issues such as fees. meaning the federal government Staff Writer `,1111 MOYERS C 06/08-07/15 Jensen said she wouldn't both- gives directly to the school and it about Asian history, culture and in organizing a bigger, more offi- term) Asian so loosely sometimes, er with the hassles involved to goes directly to the student in the The month of May marks San their contributions here in the cial event," he said. (people are) unable to distinguish receive such a small savings. She form of a loan. Jose State University's first offi- United States," said Hein Do, Jong Ming, an engineering between the different countries. ISO 5.0 said interest rates would have to The other 60 percent, Pfaff cial Asian/Pacific Islander Asian Studies chair.. major and Asian awareness par- Over a period of 30 days, we have 1 45 pm STAFF 06417-07/21 be guaranteed less than seven said, are private or commercial Awareness Month. Do said although, over the ticipant, said there are several an opportunity to increase our 400pm STAFF Oh/07-07/29 percent to get her attention. lending schools, including SJSU. Different events, including a years, May has been recognized important reasons she thinks it is individual visibility." "... consolidating can be a great Meaning loans would come from film festival and discussion on nationally as Asian/Pacific a good idea to have a whole month Do said there are certain issues Awareness Month, SJSU has only set aside. that should be addressed, not only 3(1 deal for graduating seniors," federally backed institutions, interethnic dating, have been ; planned by several on-campus held informal events throughout "By having a whole month ded- this month but everyday. 2 (X) pin FIARRIS E 06417-07/15 Samu said in a press release on such as Bank of Arnerica, City April 6. Bank and Wells Fargo. organizations to help raise Asian the month. icated to our different cultures, "Discussions on race in the U.S. 4 00 pm STAFF 06/07-0" I "Several organizations on and other people get to know more is framed as a black and white SCIISSION 31 With all the rules, regulations See Loan, page 3 awareness and recognize Asian 00 pm STAFF (W.417-11' See Asian, page 3 tt FLUENT 3 0 I) I ro, STAFF 06417-117/2K Latina author amuses, entertains Lambda Sigma Gamma . I 1". FOR FLUENT SP 3 0 STAFF 06418417/29 By Hugo Rivera group's presentation. honored for charity work sodywriter Grito Serpentino, or Serpentine Scream, recited mostly angry By Ryan McCrossin rewarding, according to mem- I \ I RAI. 1.0 poems about the Latino experi- Sandra Cisneros, a best-selling Staff Writer bers. They are actively STROLDR 06/07-07/30 Latina author, entertained people ence in the United States. Some of involved in programs geared (.1 \I L 2 0 with readings from a book she is the topics touched upon by the toward disadvantage,' chil- .,rr STROUD R 06/07-07/30 Mariela Garcia, a Lambda writing and by answering ques- group were growing up in the bar- Sigma Gamma sorority sister, dren, such as Head Start and r,i \ I RAI. 311 tions from the audience. rio, or the Mexican slums, political Adopt-a-College. r Arr STROLII) R 06/07-07/10 fondly remembers a little boy The line to get into the correctness and the Taco Bell chi- who she reached out to in his The sorority's members CI-. Or I IATI4/NAL 4 0 huahua. The poem about the chi- have become ambassadors of Vkly 111,' Arr STROLII) R 06/07-07/30 Cisneros lecture, in Morris Daily moment of need. Auditorium Tuesday, extended to huahua complained about how it A smile peals across her college life to the children of Washington Square Hall by the presented white people a non- face as she describes the time Edenvale Elementary School time the doors opened.. threatening, humorous image of the boy came to her for help through the Adopt-a-College A pretty even mix of men and Mexicans. The songs were accom- with a whole packet of math program. women attended the Cisneros lec- panied by drums, bongos, key- homework. His biggest prob- Adopt-A-College, which ture. The price of admission was boards and guitars playing Latin lem was that the homework links children with college $5 for SJSU students and $10 for beats. was due the next day, a dilem- mentors, was conceived by -nccd.cc.ca.us/mc non-students. After the groups five-song set, ma she could relate to based on Edenvale's administrators in Cisneros' writings are mostly Cisneros took the stage wearing a the fact she is a college stu- the early '90s who were 'sad- about growing up female and polka-dot summer dress and a dent, she said. dened" with the realization Mexican in the United States. Her synthetic flower in her hair. "If I wouldn't have been that so many of their students writing is full of descriptions that She started her presentation there to help him with his weren't going on to college or appeal to all the senses. Cisneros' by cracking a few jokes about her homework, maybe he would even graduating high school, books include: "The House on "Mexican" plastic purse in her have just said 'forget it,' " said Andy Garcia, Edenvale's Mango Street," "My Wicked quiet, high-pitched voice.