Projects to force relocations

David J. Olender / Photo Editor


In one year, San Diego State students will face a 200,000 square foot space shortage. Next May, Aztec Center, Nasatir Hall and Storm Hall will go offline for renovation and expansion, and thousands of students, faculty and administrators will have to relocate.

Nothing is certain. High-level executives such as Associated Students President James Poet do not yet know where their offices will be located in the interim. With available space at a premium, the university is brainstorming for options, Aztec Center Director Lynn Cacha said.

“We have been working very diligently and closely with the university to try to identify available spaces,” Cacha said. “We are looking at approximately 200,000 square feet of space combined that will be offline.”

A member from the student organization AB Samahan, who wished to remain anonymous, said the administration has no plans for relocation and his student organization would pay the price.

“I’m really worried about Modern Space because AB Samahan has an office in the Aztec Center,” he said. “We do one of our biggest events (there), which is our high school conference, which attracts 1,000 students. Next year, we are really worried that, because it’s going to be closed, where are we going to put a thousand students?”

He said student organizations do not understand the seriousness of the situation and will start to panic two months before Aztec Center closes because of lack of planning.

When told about the student’s concerns, Cacha reiterated that the administration is not sitting on its hands, but instead is robustly searching through every available space on and around campus for possible relocation sites. Cacha also said the No. 1 priority would be to find prime space for the student organizations. Student organizations waiting for answers could potentially be informed in the early spring, Cacha said.

There has been some talk of moving student organizations into trailers, but Cacha said that would only be used as a last resort.

One consequence of the renovation is the massive California Sycamore at the heart of Aztec Center will have to be cut down and removed. Cacha said the administration has looked into options to save the 40-year-old tree, but to no avail. Replanting the tree would involve a two-year process to remove the giant root system without damaging it. Cacha also said she has learned it would be a very expensive process.

A.S. Green Commissioner Erica Johnson said she is looking into the matter and A.S. is very aware of the tree’s importance.

“The tree in Aztec Center is the central focus point of the current student union and has great sentimental value to SDSU,” Johnson said. “Associated Students is most aware of the emotional attachment to the tree and the organization plans to preserve its memory.”

The administration’s search for space has left no stone unturned, Cacha said. Everything has been considered, including vacant fraternity houses, resident halls, Alvarado Medical Center, community centers and local hotels.

In the case of Storm and Nasatir Halls, Cacha said space for classes and faculty will receive first priority. Any possible relocation of Aztec Center franchises such as Starbucks, Steak Escape and Louie’s Suds & Sun Pub, is the responsibility of Aztec Shops, Cacha said.

R.D. Williams, director of Campus Relations and Commercial Development for Aztec Shops, said that when considering which retail stores will receive priority for relocation, Aztec Shops will consider “whether the activity is critical to the mission of the university.”

Modern Space will bring in more student services, as well as more revenue for A.S. However, Cacha said the process is expected to be a tough transition.
“We don’t have this infinite supply of space that we can have the luxury of picking and choosing what we want,” Cacha said. “It’s like having all these puzzle pieces and figuring out how they are all going to fit.”

A.S. BRIEF: 12-08-08

Kowalow seeks endorsement in saving pub
Last week’s council meeting was visited by a group of students who lobbied Associated Students to save Louie’s Suds & Sun Pub. Their spokesman, psychology senior Joseph Kowalow, presented A.S. with a large folder, which he said represented 2,000 signatures.

Louie’s Pub will most likely have to move off campus when Aztec Center closes for renovations for the Modern Space project.

Kowalow’s message was twofold: He respectfully but firmly called on A.S. to support relocating the pub while telling the administration, which Kowalow said was improperly guiding A.S. opinion, to “back off.”

“You’re here to represent (student) interests, not the interests of the administration,” Kowalow said. “These students have demanded that you either support this initiative or we will start an organization that actually will accurately represent the wants and needs (of students).”

Kowalow also chided the university for having no clear plans to relocate businesses when Aztec Center closes next year.

A.S. President James Poet said he was not going to allow the council to debate the subject at that time, but he did open the floor for questions.

Health & Human Services Representative Kelley Stewart asked if A.S. has control over allowing Louie’s Pub to stay. Poet said A.S. does not have any control over whether or not Louie’s Pub will remain. While the Modern Space project was planned by A.S. and voted on by students, it is Aztec Shops that will eventually decide what franchises will be included in Modern Space.

Kowalow said he was aware of that, but he wanted A.S. support in saving the pub. The council made no decisions at that time.

Green Love proposal passed
The third time appears to be the charm for Erica Johnson, the A.S. Green Commissioner, tasked with spearheading the Green Love initiative. After three weeks spent fine-tuning her ideas, A.S. approved her most recent round of proposals for greening the campus in the upcoming spring semester.

Green Love will be soliciting students to sign a pledge saying they will commit to recycling all products such as plastics and glass, use reusable bags for shopping and to abstain from buying bottled water “whenever possible.”
According to Johnson, these green recruits will serve as models for the rest of the campus by spreading the green message to others and wearing a commitment wristband, which will be visible to other students.

One councilmember was worried whether participating in the pledge would be mandatory, but Johnson assured A.S. that no councilmembers would be forced to sign the pledge.
Johnson arrived at her latest round of changes after consulting with Aztec Shops about a controversial proposal to encourage students to abstain from purchasing water bottles — a big seller for Aztec Shops. After recommending a slight language change to the proposal, Aztec Shops gave its support to the measure.

A.S. members reflect on jobs

Glenn Connelly / Assistant Photo Editor

Associated Students executive elections often unravel into pulse-pounding affairs where dreams are crushed or made. In contrast, the A.S. representative elections are quieter, but no less important. Representatives have the duty of making sure the student voice is heard on the A.S. council.

The A.S. election next semester will happen from March 16 to 19. Representatives for seven colleges will be voted on, plus an eighth category for undeclared majors, Arts and Letters representative Ignacio Prado said.
Representatives relay information between their specific colleges and Associated Students. Each representative attends the weekly A.S. meeting, possesses a vote and must also sit on one additional board.

Health and Human Services Representative Kelley Stewart said her position has been invaluable because it allowed her to better understand the university.
“My experience has been a surprise in that it has been very positive,” Stewart said. “It’s been extremely valuable to see the interaction between our administration and students. Just seeing … the impact that we can make and how our voices are heard and really respected among the administration, which tends to make a lot of changes.”

Knowledge of the inner workings of the university is power, Prado said. He said that after his long A.S. experience, he can fix a lot of problems with a phone call, because he knows exactly which administrator to call.

Representatives hear about university happenings first, Stewart said. The much-discussed Instructionally Related Activities Fee was introduced to the A.S. Council before it circulated to the student body at large. The council also officially endorsed the IRA Fee with 21 council members in favor, 17 opposed, and four members abstained from voting. The decision was close and the meetings leading up to the vote were fueled by vigorous discussion among council members.

As the council expands to include more student organizations, the A.S. council meetings are taking up more time, sometimes lasting more than three hours. This development can definitely be “frustrating” to some members, engineering representative Amanda Pascoe said.

“The most difficult thing that I’ve expressed is probably getting to speak in a meeting because there are so many of us and everyone has an opinion, which is a good thing,” Pascoe said. “But it helps you keep your opinion short, concise, to the point.”

Learning how to conduct meetings in a timely fashion while still allowing students optimum expression is a challenge that future A.S. administrations will have to address, Prado said. Some student organizations are considered underrepresented and therefore receive a seat on the council in order to ensure their voices are heard, Pascoe said.

The College of Arts and Letters and the School of Engineering are umbrella organizations that include many clubs related to that school. A representative such as Prado in the College of Arts and Letters speaks for many student organizations, while Jewish Student Union representative Alexi Biener speaks only for that student organization. She is elected by an internal process within JSU.

Representatives must serve on at least one board in addition to attending the A.S. council meeting. Some of the boards include the Rules Committee, which handles matters of A.S. law, the Caucus, which advises A.S. on diversity policies and the Finance Board, which approves A.S. budgets. Attending meetings and participating on boards and A.S. tabling in Aztec Center is mandatory for representatives.

Representatives do have perks with their positions. They receive an A.S. benefits card and priority registration for classes. Representatives also attend retreats. One of their most recent ones was to Julian. Their time at retreats, however, is spent in training workshops and information sessions rather than vacationing.

A representative will get as much or as little as they invest in the experience, Stewart said.

Prado said potential representative candidates should be both driven and willing to “give back to SDSU.”

“It’s all about commitment. If you’re committed to doing what it takes to get that seat, you’ll be OK,” Prado said. “You can’t come in there trying to get something out of it for yourself. You have to have...an affinity for service. You have to feel like you want to give back to SDSU or else it all becomes a lot of work.”

A.S. executive elections near

Glenn Connelly / Assistant Photo Editor

So you want to be an Associated Students executive?

An executive has a very long to-do list, one that is never finished.

A simple walk across campus can turn into an impromptu question and answer session with a curious student. Executives must become masters of school policy, be proficient in public speaking and take the scrutiny that comes from living in a public fish bowl.

The A.S. election will take place mid-semester next spring and the five executive positions, president, executive vice president, vice president of external affairs, vice president of finance and vice president of university affairs, will be up for grabs once again.

Vice President of Finance Grant Garske said that while the position is very rewarding, students who want to take up the job had better steel themselves against the onslaught of tasks and responsibilities.

“You see the other executive officers and at times you see them looking like a rag doll a bit,” Garske said. “They’re tired, they did not sleep the night before, it’s a very rigorous job. Although we do work a set number of hours, the fact of the matter is that we’re on call 24/7.”

A.S. is a student corporation, armed with a $20 million budget, elected by and responsible for the student body. Executives must learn business etiquette and take on the tasks of keeping records, managing student finances, implementing projects such as Modern Space and overseeing San Diego State facilities such as Aztec Center and the Aztec Recreation Center. They also manage the student organizations and programs such as Green Love and Rock the Vote.

Executives are paid a salary of roughly $18,000 a year according to Executive Director of A.S. Dan Cornthwaite. This wage is reassessed every year based upon the cost of living as an in-state but off-campus student. All executives are paid the same, Cornthwaite said.

In the last election, the winning candidates James Poet, Joy Salvatin, Daniel Osztreicher, Garske and Tim Velasquez ran together as a united front, an alliance based on shared ideas and issues, Garske said. Of the five, only Poet was a returning executive.

“We had the same feelings,” Garske said. “We came together and just sort of thought about what we would like to see if, hypothetically, we worked together. James ran again because he knew the system — no learning curve. Efficiency, through the roof. And with the other execs, he helped facilitate that learning growth.”

Poet was arrested in October for allegedly driving under the influence and possession of marijuana, a happening that has dominated student discourse concerning A.S.

Garske said that he found it frustrating students who have never taken an interest in A.S. have “jumped on the bandwagon” against Poet but refuse to be informed or involved in A.S. as a whole. Garske called Poet a progressive leader who worked well with the other executives and he said removing Poet would create a negative chain reaction that would damage A.S. efficiency.

“Am I advocating for what he did as OK? No. Am I advocating for him to be let off the hook? No,” Garske said. “Am I advocating for a little bit more efficiency in our communications about that issue so that in the interim period, before a decision is made, we can still maintain high effectiveness? Yes.”

A.S. accomplishments are varied. This year executives helped to renew the lease of the Mission Bay Aquatic Center, a job that required wrangling over details with City Hall. When the university wanted to create the Aztec Nights events, they turned to A.S. to plan the activities. The Good Neighbor Program has worked to put a positive face on the university through outreach in the community. The Rock the Vote and Green Love initiatives have strived to get students involved in politics and in making the campus more eco-friendly.

Elections usually happen close to Spring Break, Garske said. When the winners are selected, they will be sworn in during the last A.S. council meeting in May. The outgoing A.S. president will make a farewell address and the incoming A.S. president will be sworn in by President Stephen L. Weber. The newly sworn in president will then swear in the other executive officers.

No prior experience is needed to run for an executive office, although a robust knowledge of the inner workings of A.S. and a penchant for a long to-do list would certainly be helpful.

Thousands sign pub's petition

Karli Cadel / Staff Photographer

Joseph Kowalow has raised an estimated 1,500 signatures in his fight to save Louie’s Suds & Sun Pub, and he said he would not stop until he has raised more signatures than the number of students who voted in the last Associated Students election.

Louie’s Pub will have to move off campus when Aztec Center closes due to the Modern Space project. Kowalow, psychology senior and Pub employee, said that after enough petitions have been raised, he would attend an A.S. council meeting and “demand” their support in saving the pub.

If the council refuses him, Kowalow said he would resort to more drastic measures like protests and even an A.S. executive recall.

The 1,500 signatures raised is a conservative estimate based upon several petition papers that have yet to be returned to Kowalow. He very well may have a greater number than 1,500. The A.S. Web site records a voter turnout of 3,255 students in the spring election meaning that Kowalow has almost reached that halfway mark. Louie Holton, the owner of the pub, has not been involved in the petition process, Kowalow said.

Executive Director of A.S. Dan Cornthwaite said that the recall process has only been used once during his tenure, and while technically Kowalow could have A.S. officials ousted, the process was originally designed to address A.S. ethics violations.

“There’s a process in the A.S. bylaws that has to be followed to recall A.S. officers,” Cornthwaite said. “I’m not sure in this case what the charges would be, of wrongdoing or whatever, other than the fact that they may not agree with his position.”

Cornthwaite said the university will have a campus-wide space shortage during the renovation and that relocating Louie’s Pub is not possible. He said that the money earned from Louie’s Pub has been down for several years now and that Modern Space would be a fresh start to select the best business venture for the space.

“There will be a pub,” Corthaite said. “If the overwhelming voice of the students is that Louie should be the operator, I’m not sure that they are really in a position to have access to all the information that should be part of any criteria that assesses whether or not he is the right operator for that space. Again, I’m not suggesting that he’s not, but it’s just not a guaranteed thing.”

If nothing is done, Kowalow promises a large-scale protest complete with community involvement and attendant media coverage.

“Without saying what it is- I will make the administration’s head spin with what I can organize,” Kowalow said. “I have a loud voice. I will not be quieted. I will be heard. The student’s voice will be heard. The huge shame of this is that the student council should be doing what I am doing because…they know how big of an issue this is to the students.”

In September, Holton said he was warned not to get involved in any “student upheaval” by Director of Communications and Campus Relations for Aztec Shops R.D. Williams and that doing so would negatively effect securing a new lease.

However, a “student upheaval” may be exactly what SDSU will see in coming months, according to Kowalow.

A.S. BRIEF: 11-24-08

Election money debated
Not all students are equal, especially in Associated Student’s elections.
Some students run lavish campaigns because of their ample personal finances, while others must scrounge together enough money to print out fliers.

Last week, councilmembers discussed ways to make the upcoming A.S. election fair. The monetary debate was part of a larger election code overhaul.

Some councilmembers were concerned that A.S. elections would devolve into runaway spending, put college students into debt and set a “dangerous precedent” by allowing executive positions to be essentially up for sale to the highest bidder.

Councilmembers discussed various solutions. One proposal restricted the amount of overall campaign contributions a person could receive to $2,500 including only $100 from an individual person. Another suggested contribution cap of $10,000 and a proposal to set no cap at all, were both voted down.

Interfraternity Council Representative Tyler Boden suggested a $5,000 contribution cap which was finally approved by the council.

With an election looming next spring, students will have the opportunity to run for the various positions within A.S. Some executives shared their own experiences when they ran for offices. Vice President of External Affairs Daniel Osztreicher summed up his advice by saying, “It’s going to get expensive.”

Fraternities host charity event
Student E.J. Avena promoted a hip-hop musical event with the goal of raising money to purchase 10,000 shirts for children in the Philippines. Fraternity Alpha Psi Rho will be teaming up with PNOY Apparel to present “A Sammy Thing — Shirt the Kids Charity Showcase” on Dec. 9 in Montezuma Hall.

The “showcase” will feature performers such as Blue Scholars, Son of Ran, Bambu, Ashley Robles and Kiwi. Avena said that the event is aimed at spreading awareness of poverty in the Philippines and worldwide.

SDSU to host climate change expert

Courtesy of Richard Somerville

On the night that Al Gore accepted the 2007 Nobel Peace Prize, he shared the spotlight with 2,500 unnamed scientists from the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change. A lead author for the IPCC report, Dr. Richard Somerville will be coming to San Diego State today to discuss an inconvenient truth of his own.

Somerville will talk about his award winning book “The Forgiving Air: Understanding Environmental Change,” which is his own unique addition to the climate change discussion.

With the subject of climate change never hotter, Somerville is considered an important voice in the debate, professor and Chair for the Department of Mathematics and Statistics Samuel Shen said. Shen called the event a great opportunity to engage the subject of global warming with a man who has been on its front line for many years.

Questions abound concerning climate change, and Somerville’s talk entitled “Global Warming: What Do We Know and What Should We Do?” will go straight to the heart of the issue.

“I want to give a nutshell summary of what scientists have learned about climate change — what we know, what we don’t know and so on,” Somerville said. “After that I want to talk a bit about the policy options, what can we do, what should we do.”

Somerville’s work as a theoretical meteorologist focuses on computer simulations in the atmosphere. Somerville is the professor emeritus at Scripps Institution of Oceanography, University of California, San Diego. Somerville earned his Ph.D. in meteorology from New York University.

While local and state governments have instituted climate change initiatives, Somerville described the federal government as “foot dragging” on the issue. Somerville credits the awarding of the Nobel Peace Prize with bringing world attention to climate change, also emphasizing the importance of young people becoming informed about climate change.

“I think it is critical,” Somerville said. “There are things that the world can do and should do to reduce the dangers of future climate change. The question is ‘can the world muster enough political will to make a decision?’ Whether (the world) decides to take action … that is really in the hands of young people.”

The first edition of Somerville’s book was published in 1998 and is now widely used in colleges around the United States. Somerville said he has waived the royalties and all profits will go to benefit the American Meteorological Society.

The event is scheduled for today in Love Library Room 430. An afternoon reception will be held at 3 p.m. and Somerville’s lecture will begin at 4 p.m, followed by a book signing at 5 p.m.

A.S. BRIEF: 11-18-08

New Green Love proposal
The Green Love initiative brought some new proposals before Associated Students during its council meeting last week.

The green commissioner for A.S., Erica Johnson, outlined a pledge for A.S. members to sign that would target three areas. Students would pledge to recycle whenever possible, use reusable bags instead of plastic bags and use reusable water containers instead of water bottles.

Executive Director of A.S. Dan Cornthwaite asked about the financial effect that such a pledge would have on Aztec Shops. Aztec mountain spring water is a popular product with students, Cornthwaite said, and Aztec Shops will take a financial loss if students start abstaining from plastic water bottles. Johnson said she would take the proposal before Aztec Shops to receive its input.

No vote was taken and A.S. will be giving its feedback on the plan in the weeks to come.

IRA Fee questions
Yet another student spoke out against the proposed Instructionally Related Activities Fee increase. Amir A. Shoja, a political science graduate student, called on A.S. to reconsider the IRA Fee proposal and to create a new committee in order to further study its effects. Shoja said many students opposed the fee increase and asked why A.S. had not offered a student referendum that would allow students to vote on the matter. A.S. has not met its goal of adequately informing students about the fee, Shoja said.

A.S. executives responded by saying a wide segment of the student body had been well informed through alternative consultation. Executives cited student votes taken at various forums in which 50 percent of students had voted in favor of the fee increase, 38 percent of students voted against it and 12 percent of students abstained from voting. Movimiento Estudiantil Chicano de Aztlan representative Jazmin Lua said she heard many students who attended the forums were athletes, which could potentially affect the vote in favor of the fee increase.

Global Brigades visits Honduras

Courtesy of Jimmy Camacho

Those wanting to combat poverty and hunger may be turned off by the length of the commitment. Some organizations such as the Peace Corps require months and even years of involvement.

Jimmy Camacho of the Global Brigades is asking for just one week.

The San Diego State chapter of Global Brigades is part of a network of university students who travel to Central America to do projects ranging from environmental awareness to water development.

“Basically, the main goal is to organize a group of students to go to Honduras during Spring Break 2009 for a week in order to do multiple projects,” SDSU Global Brigades student chapter president Camacho said. “The cool thing about the Global Brigade is that it is all student led. I think everyone is under the age of 25 for the major leadership. It’s a young team.”

The Global Brigades break down into specific brigades such as the Medical Brigades which provide medical services or the Water Brigades which teach villagers about drip irrigation. The Business Brigades are a new idea which would form a sustainable organic business that would then be given back to the community. The Environmental Brigades teach environmental sustainability.

In September of last year, Camacho, an urban studies senior, traveled to Honduras with eight other SDSU students and joined with 60 students from Northwestern University. There the brigades focused on different projects such as medical and water, depending on their specialties.

Global Brigades travel annually to one village for five years, professor SDSU chapter faculty advisor Diana Richardson said. The organization is currently working with the rural village of Los Pajarillos.

Los Pajarillos is a three-hour drive from Tegucigalpa, the capital city, but it is impossible to find on a map. Traveling from Tegucigalpa to Los Pajarillos should take only 20 minutes, but the uphill journey was along a small, rocky road which was difficult to navigate. Camacho and Richardson described the village as 200 scattered houses “buried in the vegetation.”

The students operated out of a property run by Sociedad Amigos de los Niños, a separate host community of small buildings, which is structured like a school. Sociedad Amigos de los Niños is a philanthropic organization founded by Sister Maria Rosa Leggol, a very established name in Honduras, Camacho said.

The students are planning their next trip March 28 to April 4, 2009, during Spring Break.

Camacho is encouraged by the buzz surrounding Global Brigades, saying that 31 students are interested so far and that the organization recently brought in $2000 in donations within a week and a half.

The memories from the seven-day experience last forever, Camacho said.
“The particular community that we worked with … they were very thankful and grateful that we were there and that were working with them,” Camacho said. “Up to this day, I am still learning about things, ways that it’s affected me. It’s given me something I want to do after I graduate.”

For more information, contact Camacho at camacho.jimmyt@gmail.com.

A.S. BRIEF: 11-10-08

Interim Dean of the Library Jon Cawthorne spoke at last week’s Associated Students meeting. He updated A.S. on new features offered by the Malcolm A. Love Library. Council members eagerly offered him suggestions of how to better improve the library.

Current improvements include longer hours of operation, more group and quiet study rooms and more study space in the Reserve Book Room. Also suggested were updated furnishings and artwork to enhance study spaces.

Vice President of External Affairs Daniel Osztreicher announced that Rock the Vote had accomplished exactly what it had set out to do: Rock the vote.
Osztreicher said that on Election Day, San Diego State had the largest polling place in the county.

More Instructional Related Activity Fee endorsements are beginning to trickle in. The College of Arts and Letters has decided not to endorse the fee, while the Panhellenic Association and the College of Health and Human Services have endorsed the fee.

MEChA demands resignation

Karli Cadel/Staff Photographer


Shouts of “Down with Poet” echoed around the council chamber while members of Associated Students were trying to conduct a meeting last week. The Latino student organization Movimiento Estudiantil Chicano de Aztlan showed up to demand the resignation of A.S. President James Poet.

MEChA members spoke during the public comment time, but when they were rebuffed by the council, a MEChA member took possession of the microphone after the public comment time had closed and interrupted the meeting. As the group left, another member twice cried out “Down with Poet,” in Spanish.

Poet was arrested by the San Diego State Police Department on Oct. 17 for allegedly driving under the influence and possession of marijuana. During the council meeting, MEChA de SDSU chair Hugo Gonzalez informed the council that his student organization had taken a vote of no confidence in Poet, and called on Poet to resign from office.

“In light of the recent arrest of Associated Student body President James Poet, MEChA at SDSU demands that he step down from his position,” Gonzalez said. “MEChA demands that A.S. council hold James Poet accountable for his actions as any other student or as he would be. MEChA bluntly expresses our discontent with his irresponsible actions.”

Poet offered to attend a MEChA meeting to speak with members about their concerns. Gonzalez made it clear that such an action was not good enough.

“I’m not only asking for you but the whole A.S. council.,” Gonzalez said. “I’m going to hold the whole A.S. council responsible and accountable for your actions.”

In a show of support for Poet, Lesbian Gay Bisexual Transgender Student Union representative Bryan Morelock, immediately proposed a vote of confidence in Poet. Other A.S. members were also quick to close ranks around Poet.
Professional Studies and Fine Arts representative Daniel Brown said that he had full confidence in Poet and that he was the best person for the position of A.S. president.

Gonzalez said that Poet was a vocal role model for SDSU’s image. After Operation Sudden Fall last semester, SDSU’s image has suffered again because of his actions.

MEChA members charged A.S. with favoritism, saying that it was not treating Poet as a normal student.

Vice President of External Affairs Daniel Osztreicher told Gonzalez to keep the debate polite.

“You asked us to have respect, so please have respect for us,” Osztreicher said. “You sound like you’re kind of talking down (to us). Let’s make sure we are on the same respect level.”

The council debated postponing any vote until more information was revealed, but Poet urged the council to not delay the matter.

“In order for me to continue, I need to know whether you guys want me to continue or not,” Poet said. “I know I have confidence in myself and I know I can still be effective in my job, but I am responsible to you guys and you guys are responsible to the student body.”

By a majority vote, A.S. approved the vote of confidence in Poet. One council member said it was important in order to “show the gallery of our school that we still have confidence in our current A.S. president.”

University President’s Designee Dr. Timothy Quinnan said that Poet was being treated as any other student. Quinnan said that the legal process was underway and being done by the book, but that the university’s findings would be confidential. He also said he did not know how long the process would take because of the number of factors involved.

A.S. BRIEF: 11-3-08

IRA fee approved
A.S. has officially endorsed the new Instructional Related Activities fee that would raise student tuition by $80 a semester to comply with Title IV requirements. The decision came after an hour-long blistering debate that included comments from skeptics and supporters in the gallery.

International Student Association representative Dea Roesdha admonished her fellow council members to keep the discussion civil and respectful. Several council members said not enough information on the IRA fee was available and more time was needed to study it. College of Arts and Letters representative Ignacio Prado responded by saying council members had two weeks, which is more than enough time to inform themselves about the issue. Professional Studies and Fine Arts representative Ronni Leonard said the fee increase was important for promoting Aztec pride.

A central question of the debate was whether or not enough students were informed about the fee. Another council member said this was the wrong time for a fee increase because of the nation’s financial woes.

Senior accounting major Gagandeep Singh wanted to know exactly where all the money would go.

“What I do have a problem with is that there is not enough transparency, transparency in the numbers,” Singh said. “The facts are not being made available to all of us. I’m hearing an extremely biased opinion of this.”

Executives said detailed facts have been made available but also admitted that some financial details would only be cemented after the fee was implemented.
Meaghan Poland of the water polo team spoke in favor of the IRA fee.

“It’s really not just about the athletes,” Poland said. “ I just think it is really going to keep our spirit and our college life really good. Tier one is a big thing.”

Associate vice president of Business and Financial Affairs Scott Burns said that, at the time of the meeting, 18 IRA presentations had been made to students. Of the students surveyed during the presentations, 139 were in favor of the fee and 121 were opposed to it. Fifty-one students abstained from voting.

Even with an A.S. endorsement, the final decision to pass the fee increase rests with President Stephen L. Weber. On the A.S. Council, 21 voted for the fee increase and 17 voted against it while four people abstained from voting.

Halloween fun
Halloween came early for Associated Students last week.

Council members dressed in costumes ranging from Nurse Betty to Mickey Mouse. The executives planned both tricks and treats for their audience. A half-naked Spartan waving a sword interrupted the public comments by shouting “Sparta will rise again!” Vice President of Finance Grant Garske and Vice President of University Affairs Tim Velasquez masqueraded as 7-foot-tall basketball players on stilts. Velasquez, in a fake accent, joked that “The good neighbor program will now be called the great neighbor program.”

Homecoming recap
This year’s jungle-themed homecoming week is being touted as a wild success Homecoming Chair Michael Zamudio said. The event more than lived up to its goal of being “bigger and better.” Zamudio said Cultural Arts and Special Events enacted a publicity blitz to get Greeks, alumni, faculty and university departments involved.

Other points of discussion
A.S. Executives will be undergoing the 360 feedback survey process, in which they will be reviewed by anonymous council members and receive constructive criticism.

Weber has approved a new minor in lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender studies. The minor will be an interdisciplinary program. Vice President of External Affairs

Daniel Osztreicher announced more than 5,000 new voters have been signed up for the election tomorrow.

A.S. BRIEF: 10-27-08

Diversity experiences?
There is a question that is being asked to college graduates more and more during job interviews.

“Do you have diversity experiences?”

Corporate America is concerned about the readiness of college graduates to operate in a diverse workforce, according to San Diego State Director of Diversity Aaron Bruce, who spoke at last week’s Associated Students Council meeting. The solution is for students to get involved in more on-campus activities, Bruce said.

“We realize that many students are not participating in all the great activities that SDSU has to offer,” Bruce said. “They kind of find their little niche and they stick with it.”

One idea to strengthen students’ cultural competency is co-circular transcripts that would require students to attend diversity events as part of their college experience in order to earn academic credits.

IRA Fee presentations
A.S. is gearing up for the Instructional Related Activities fee presentations, which will be delivered to the various schools of Education at SDSU. There will also be two IRA Fee open forums taking place this week. The first forum will be held Wednesday at 10 a.m. in A.S. Council Chambers and the second will be at the Aztec Center Backdoor at 2 p.m. Thursday. A.S. executives said presenters would report the facts in a fair and unbiased way, regardless of their personal opinion of the IRA Fee.

Hailed designer to visit SDSU

If you have never heard of Jerry Kuyper, take a look at the logos for Touchstone Pictures, the World Wildlife Fund, ExxonMobil or the 1996 Olympics in Atlanta. He designed them.

Kuyper will be coming to San Diego State to speak on “Comic, Cosmic and Cosmetic Branding” next Thursday, something that has the art students abuzz, professor Susan Merritt said. In his industry, Kuyper has become a brand unto himself, Merritt said.

“His whole career in graphic design has been focused on branding,” Merritt added. “He’s worked with the best branding companies in the country … and now has his own company. He’s a funny person; he has a good sense of humor, and I think that is why students will enjoy his presentation.”

Kuyper’s high-energy lecture promises to “demystify” the branding industry from concept to creation, as well as hand out insightful advice to those hoping to break into branding themselves, Merritt said.

Kuyper said he makes a point of injecting humor into his lectures. His pet peeve is when professionals take themselves too seriously. But that’s not to say his lectures are not seriously informative, he said.

“I look at historic trends and current trends and I try to identify the criteria in creating and evaluating visual identities,” Kuyper said. “We take a broad look at branding — from how it affects political candidates to how it affects products.”

Kuyper is an award-winning graphic designer who specializes in forging aesthetic identities for companies and organizations and has worked internationally. He has left his mark on many businesses, including Cisco, General Electric, Stanford University, AT&T, Disney, ChevronTexaco, Hawaiian Airlines and Hilton.

Brands become synonymous with their companies — governing the look, feel and font of a logo — and they ultimately influence a buyer, Merritt said.

“A symbol, a logo, is really like a face that gets put out there to the public and it becomes the brand, the mark which sort of brands the company,” she said.

After spending years working for creative consultants such as Lippincott, Siegel + Gale, frog design and Landor, he decided to go into business for himself. Kuyper founded his own company, Jerry Kuyper Partners, in 2004. Kuyper received his bachelor’s in graphic design from the University of Cincinnati and finished four years of graduate work at the Basel School of Design in Switzerland.

The event will be held at 7 p.m. next Thursday in Nasatir Hall, Room 100.

A.S. BRIEF: 10-20-08

Browning talks campus safety
There is safety in numbers, said Police Chief John Browning, who attended last week’s Associated Students council meeting to address campus safety concerns.

A week after the tragic on-campus murder of Luis Santos, Browning proposed an assortment of tips for public safety. Invest in visible clubs for cars, walk in groups when traveling the campus at night, program the campus police number into your cell phone: (619) 594-1991 and utilize the police escort services at night. Browning also said motorcycles should be secured to security rails in the parking structures.

Campus police will be holding a Rape Aggression Defense course for women Nov. 19-21 in Cholula Hall, which is free for San Diego State students. There is a planned 911 service that will divert 911 calls made on campus to the campus dispatchers, Browning said.

The campus police are limited by budget concerns, which affects their ability to provide additional video cameras in the parking garages. However, Browning said that the campus has 35,000 very reliable surveillance eyes: that of the students. Students who report suspicious activity are invaluable in preventing crime on campus, he added.

The police and A.S. are joining together to combat auto thefts by providing more clubs for steering wheels, Browning said. This is meant both to make cars harder for thieves to steal but also as a visible sign to deter thieves. Police and A.S. will split the cost of 1,000 clubs for university students who volunteer for club training and sign a promise

Relief for Native American Student Alliance
The impecunious Native American Student Alliance will soon be feeling some relief after a recent decision by the Finance Board. The board agreed to “accelerate to the current year the $17,980 in transfers of funds to pay off a 2002-2003 powwow billing,” according to the board’s minutes.

This frees up NASA to apply for A.S. funding in the future and will allow the student organization to return to its primary goal of recruiting and representing underrepresented students.

Factors in this decision were A.S.’s commitment to promoting diversity, the lack of a proper billing policy when the incident occurred and the long absence of the original NASA members involved in the Powwow. Vice President of Finance Grant Garske said it was important to resolve the issue now, as delaying the decision would only push it further into the future, making it more difficult for future A.S. executives to understand.

-Compiled by Senior Staff Writer Justin Cooper

Slain Mesa student remembered

Photos by David J. Olender/ Photo Editor

Tuesday night, students came together to hallow a place marked by violence. Dozens of students gathered near Parking Lot M near Peterson Gym to celebrate the life of Luis “Lu” Felipe Watson dos Santos, 22.

They came with stories, warm memories and doses of laughter.



“For those of you who knew Lu, you knew he was an energetic and fun individual who was always down to do something, actually anything,” friend Tracy Katelsen said. “He accepted everybody, he was friends with everybody. If he didn’t know you, he wanted to be your friend.”

Friends solemnly held candles and shared fond memories about Santos, first publicly and then in smaller groups. The Parking Lot M sign is now marked by memorial candles and signed cards.



Santos, a Mesa College student, was walking from a party with three friends when they reportedly got into a verbal altercation and then later a physical fight during which Santos and three other victims were stabbed. Santos is also remembered by his parents, Fred and Kathy Santos, as a very upbeat, outgoing and social young man.

According to SDPD Lt. Kevin Rooney, a video of the assault does exist, although it is of poor quality. Rooney went on to say that police did not want to subject family and friends to the video by making it public without a valid reason.

“We viewed the video; unfortunately it’s not of good enough quality for us to release to the public,” he said. “We don’t feel that the video is of a caliber that anyone would be able to recognize the suspects from the video.”



Questions about the attack and the identities of the suspects continue to surround the incident. Rooney said there was no indication that it was a gang-related incident or that the victims provoked the attack in any way. Santos’, best friend, Navid Sabahi, asked anyone with information to call the police.



“Anybody who knows like anything at all, even if you heard of just a fight that same night, anything at all, please contact the police department,” Sabahi said. “The people who did this should be punished. Now’s not the time to procrastinate on things like that so please just come forward as soon as possible.”

Flowers can be sent to the Santos family at Oakmont Memorial Park & Mortuary. The address is 2099 Reliez Valley Road, Lafayette, CA 94549 and the phone number is (925) 935-3311. Funeral services will be held at noon on Saturday, at Saint Bonaventure Church at 5562 Clayton Rd. in Concord. A burial will follow at Oakmont Memorial Park at 1:45 p.m. and there will be a reception at the Santos family home after the burial. Details will be announced at the funeral service.

A.S. Brief 10-6-08

Strasburg honored
Associated Students presented the first ever Above and Beyond award to Stephen Strasburg, an Olympic notable who represented San Diego State in the 2008 Olympics. Strasburg competed as a pitcher on the National team and scoring as much as eleven strikeouts against the Netherlands in one game. He said some memorable experiences included walking alongside Kobe Bryant and LeBron James during the march of the nations as well as a photo and signed baseball from U.S. President George Bush.

Add/Drop Abuses
Students are abusing the class enrollment system by reregistering for a high number of classes and then later “shopping around” for the teachers they like and dropping the other classes Associated Students President James Poet said. This is muddling the funding for classes because the university allocates funds based upon enrollment. It also negatively affects the availability of classes for other students Poet said.

Update on Louie’s
Poet said that there would be an upcoming meeting for himself, Louie’s Pub representatives and university administrators to clarify the facts surrounding Modern Space and the fate of the Pub.

“I think there’s are a lot of rumors flying around that are inaccurate,” Poet said.

Money Matters
California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger has signed the new budget into law, which affects the SDSU general fund Vice President of Finance Grant Garske said. The new California State University budget has shortened SDSU’s projected shortfall of $12.3 million to only $4.4 million. CSU Budget talks, specifically with the CSU unions will still be ongoing Garske said.

At the meetings end, Director of Communications and Campus Relations for Aztec Shops, R.D. Williams challenged A.S. to a campus wide scavenger hunt with prizes ranging from “free stuff’ to $100 gifts cards to Aztec Shops locations. Excited A.S members split into teams, hurried from their seats and joined the hunt.

-Compiled by Senior Staff Writer Justin Cooper

A.S. Brief 9-29-08

Free Speech Steps
Associated Students held its council meeting outside Wednesday on the Free Speech Steps. While there were crowds, the students seemed more interested in the preview screening of "Eagle Eye" than student politics.

State Senate candidate Jeff Perwin spoke at the council meeting, warning A.S. that the city of San Diego has been opposing students through various alcohol bans and a law that prevents three students from living together in housing districts.

"The city is moving against the college students and you have the right to stand up," Perwin said. "You need to start being aware of what's going on."

President Weber addresses students
President Stephen Weber also visited the meeting, sharing his vision for San Diego State and answered questions from the council and the gallery.

He said that SDSU's road to top recognition laid in a mixture of community involvement, elevating student pride and securing its reputation as a small research university.

Also important were grants and contracts, which totaled more than $130 million last year, Weber said. Weber called philanthropic donations the "third stem" of support that along with student fees and state money would help to enrich the university.

He also talked the changing demographics of SDSU, which will increase by 10,000 new students in the next 10 years.

Debt collections
A subject of long debate for the council was the $19,204 debt owed by the Native American Student Alliance to Associated Students. The debt stems from an event years ago, when NASA and other community groups rented Cox Arena and failed to pay. A.S. funds NASA, so the money that NASA gives back is to pay the debt. Essentially A.S. is paying itself for the debt.

A.S. officially accepted the independent audit that monitors A.S. annual spending and gave A.S. a financial clean bill of health. The auditors offered no recommendations.

Rock the Vote
Vice President of External Affairs Daniel "OZ" Osztreicher said that the "Rock the Vote" program has signed up nearly 5,000 new voters in preparation for the coming election.

The meeting ended to the rousing words of the Aztec Fight Song, as councilmembers were determined to let the crowds know that there was something else going on than just cinema.

-Compiled by Senior Staff Writer Justin Cooper

A.S. BRIEF 9-23-08

Joyce Byun and Gabriel Ruiz were nominated to represent Associated Students as the candidates for Homecoming King and Queen for the jungle-themed Homecoming 2008. The winner will be revealed during the Half-time show at Qualcomm Stadium when San Diego State plays Colorado State on Saturday, Oct. 25.

Rock the Vote, will be educating students about their options in the historic election on Nov. 4. The A.S. program will be hosting a candidate forum to be held at SDSU in Aztec Center Casa Real at 2 p.m. tomorrow. The candidates will be Jeff Perwin who is running for the State Senate, Marty Block and John McCann who are running for the State Assembly. Todd Gloria and Stephen Whitburn, also candidates in the forum, are running for the San Diego City Council.

This week's council meeting aims to take student politics outside onto the Free Speech Steps in an effort to boost student interest. Every council member was challenged to bring a friend and President Stephen L. Weber is expected to be in attendance. The meeting will be held at 3:30 p.m tomorrow.

Last call for on-campus pub

Media Credit: James Norton, Staff Photographer

Louie's Suds & Sun Pub, a San Diego State icon for more than 30 years, will likely lose its place on campus this May because of the Associated Students' program known as Modern Space.

Modern Space is a plan to upgrade the Aztec Center and add 20,000 square feet of improvements to the Student Union. The projected renovations will begin in Spring 2009.

The bar, a student favorite, will have to close down because of the improvements.

Pub owner Louie Holton said that he was warned against getting involved in any "student upheaval" against closing the bar and that it would reflect badly on securing a new lease.
"They want a smooth transition and they don't want protests," Holton said. "They don't want the students' voice to be heard or they don't want me to be a part of the students' voice, which I'm not. I think the students should know what's going on their campus; this is their student center."

Speaking at the A.S. Council meeting Wednesday, psychology senior and Louie's pub employee Joseph Kowalow offered an impassioned plea to save the pub.

"This is a for-the-students, by-the-students council," Kowalow said. "You're here for us and we are here because we want your support to help save, move or relocate Louie's."
Kowalow was told that the council was not prepared to give an answer at this time, but a response came soon afterward by SDSU officials. On Friday morning, there was a meeting between Holton and R.D. Williams, Director of Communications and Campus Relations for Aztec Shops, which administers the food services under a contract with A.S.

Holton, an SDSU alumni, was told that there were neither plans for an interim pub nor was there a suitable location, according to Williams.

Holton said that over the years, Aztec Shops has cut the pub's hours, prevented him from opening on Saturdays and reduced the size of the outside patio.

Williams said A.S. has made every effort to inform students about the renovation, which will begin in the spring of 2009. He also said that Holton has been aware of the plans.

"We have been talking with Louie on and off for the last two years, saying that at the time the (Aztec) center undergoes construction, that all the businesses in there would close," Williams said. "Louie has known for quite awhile now that this was coming."

The pub is a fan favorite with students and has also maintained a good relationship with the university for many years, factors that should not be overlooked, Holton said.

Modern Space will upgrade the Aztec Center with healthier dining options as well as a wish list of student features like a 24-hour computer and study lounge, multi-purpose theater and a satellite fitness center, Aztec Center Director Lynn Cacha said.

The campus is overcrowded with narrowing class and eating space, a problem that is only going to get worse. The renovation is one strategy to give students some much-needed breathing room, Williams said.

"One of the reasons that both the A.S and Aztec Shops is excited about the new building is that it gives us a chance to upgrade and improve the quality and probably the efficiency of the whole operation," Williams said. "We're going to be having to look creatively at every inch of space available in the campus just to make sure that people have a place to have lunch. That's our biggest challenge right now."

SDSU has a reputation as a party school, something that has reflected unfairly on the pub, Holton said. He was quick to point out that the pub was not the problem but rather underage and unsupervised drinking in the residence halls, something that SDSU is currently addressing.

"This is about the students losing an icon, something that has been here for 30 years and has not been the problem on this campus," Holton said. "Change is inevitable, things happen, but why change something that is not broken?"

Child care event to help parents find sitters

Media Credit: Courtesy of Grins2Go

To the modern mother with two kids, a job and difficulty finding quality child care: Professor Victoria Muschek would like an evening of your time.

Muschek, who is an advertising professor at San Diego State and a mother of three, wants to make connecting parents and baby sitters into an event where parents can locate the right child care provider and do it with style. The concept is similar to speed dating for sitters, or "speed meet" as Sitter Socials has trademarked it. A parent spends a fun-filled evening at a local store, where games and food are provided and conducts informal whirlwind interviews of baby sitters.

Muschek, who founded the company, said that the Social is not just a place for parents to find the right sitter, but is also a valuable experience for students who are looking for employment.

"It was a way to marry my two worlds," Muschek said. "My world of being a mother is something me and my friends struggle with - trying to find baby sitters. I also know a lot of my students are looking for flexible jobs."

The idea of connecting her needs with those of her students seemed obvious once she really thought about it.

"One day, I was struggling to find a baby sitter for my 14-month-old boy, Bobby," Muschek said. "I walked into my classroom of about 100 students and thought, 'Hey, there are a lot of potential baby sitters here.' There has to be a way for students to meet parents."

Nationwide in scope, Sitter Socials gives members a "Sitter Sourcebook" containing résumés and background checks of prospective sitters. There is a one-time $49.99 price tag for membership and an additional monthly fee of $5.95 that would begin three months after joining. The costs of child care may be determined by some haggling between parent and sitter, because Sitter Socials does not get involved in setting prices at the events.

In the age of child care scandals and nanny cams, baby sitters have to work much harder to maintain a trustworthy image. Robin Judd, SDSU Children's Center director, said that the most important parts of any evaluation of child care providers are background checks - a service that Sitter Socials offers - and getting to know as much about the sitter as possible.

Maricela Araiza, owner of Sunflower's Family Child Care in San Diego said she was skeptical of Sitter Socials because paying for membership in order to hire an unknown baby sitter seems both risky and costly.

Muschek recommends that parents give Sitter Socials a try because it gives them something that modern parents often lack - choices.

"It's a job fair for baby sitters," Muschek said. "It's about parents picking and choosing who's the right fit for their family, and the baby sitters picking and choosing which family is right for them."

Muschek said going to Sitter Social meetings improves the usually daunting task of searching for a baby sitter.

"Childcare databases are a little impersonal," she said. "Even if I do see someone, I have to set up a meeting with them. Then I have to get them to meet my kids, and if I don't click with them then … it's a waste of my time."

The Sitter Socials event will be held at 4 p.m. on Sunday, Sept. 21. For more information, visit its Web site at www.sittersocials.com.

A.S. Brief 9-15-08

These are busy times for Associated Students, the student organization charged with promoting student interests, managing San Diego State clubs, maintaining many of its facilities and overseeing a $20 million budget.

This week, the council had its first three-hour-long meeting on the first floor of the Aztec Center.

Here are some highlights.

New positions filled

Sixteen councilmembers, some new and others returning, were sworn in for the fall semester. They are Veronica Vences, Jeremy Katz, Jeremy Mendelsohn, Daniel Brown, Abraham Pineda, Veronica Antonio, Raina DeGuzman, Makala-Paris Keys, Loan Nguyen, Giovanna Tabares, Tyler Boden, Jazmin Lua, Albert Gonzalez, Natalie Colli, Dr. James Kitchen and Dr. William Eadie.

Other key positions were voted on and filled on the spot. Ignacio Prado was voted the president pro-tempore and Daniel Brown, Joyce Byun and Bryan Talbot were elected as Executive Committee Members. The new A.S. logo was also unveiled.

A.S. will be making a $5,000 donation to the Harvey Goodfriend Aztec Shops Scholarship. Goodfriend is the late CEO of Aztec Shops who spent almost four decades promoting student services and student leadership, President James Poet said.

SDSU football brings the ball home

Aztec football was another rallying point for A.S. executives.

While executive members expressed sympathy for SDSU's narrow defeat by Notre Dame, they brought home some fresh ideas. According to Poet, the Aztecs' home-field advantage is in need of a few thousand roaring fans and A.S. will be looking into strategies to draw in more students to Qualcomm Stadium.

"The one thing we took away from the trip was the sense of shared spirit they had at Notre Dame," Poet said. "And that's something that we would really like to try to bring to campus here. It is a long road to initiate some traditions here on campus … but we want to get started."

Money talks

Scott Burns, the associate vice president of Business and Financial Affairs updated the council on the state of the general fund.

The SDSU general fund faces a cut of about $12.4 million, down from $18 million, because of incoming revenue such as the 10 percent student fee increases, Burns said.

"Where San Diego State is, in spring through our planning process, we had an initial planning number of $18 million cut to the general fund for the university based on the governor's January budget," Burns said. "A couple of things happened subsequently to that January budget. (The 10 percent state university fee increase) allowed us to reduce our planning number for the budget cuts $12 million."

Relief may be coming in the form of a $97 million "restoration" from Sacramento, which would be funneled into the CSU system at large. That aid could shrink the deficit by $4 million, Burns said.
Don't count on it just yet though. The legislative process is tied up by partisan nit-picking over the budget and the CSU allotment may still be gutted or slimmed down, Burns said. Other factors include the CSU Employees Union, which still needs to sit down at the Sacramento bargaining table to negotiate its take and a legislative process that some "pessimists" say may last until next year, Burns said.

-Compiled by Senior Staff Writer Justin Cooper.

Former CEO of Aztec Shops dies

Media Credit: Courtesy of Aztec Shops


Harvey Goodfriend, the long time former CEO of Aztec Shops and visionary of Students Services, died on Tuesday. He was 72.

Goodfriend died from complications related to brain cancer.

Goodfriend is considered transformational in his tenure as CEO from 1961 to 1999. Under his leadership, San Diego State gave students expanded options beyond just the traditional cafeteria line. He introduced outside vendors such as Rice King and Sbarro, on-campus convenience stores such as Aztec Market and the Student Union, the first ever student union in the California State University system. Goodfriend also served as the contract manager for CSU San Marcos, and managed the food services at Grossmont College, Donna Tusack, the current CEO of Aztec Shops, said.

Goodfriend is remembered as a man who was always on the move, so much that his office lacked the traditional sit-down desk. He toured the campus, managing the Aztec Shops and cheerleading the employees. Everyone called him Harvey, even those who worked for him. He wanted people to "embrace his concept of customer service," Tusack said.

"Way before the customer service mantras of 'put the customer first' were out there, that was his passion. He was just enthusiastic beyond belief. He was so committed and dedicated to providing service to students. That was his focus - students first."

Goodfriend is remembered as a trailblazer who pushed Students Services into the modern era. An example is the ATMs on campus. Goodfriend made the risky move of installing the cash machines when the technology was still in its infancy, making SDSU the first CSU system that utilized ATMs.

He introduced dine-outs or meal-plan dining, Tusack said. He pooled the resources of other auxiliary bookstores to buy products together, which resulted in lower prices for students.

Under his management, SDSU established the Mission Bay Aquatic Center, Aztec Center and the Open Air Theatre.

Goodfriend earned his Bachelor of Science and a master's in management from SDSU.

In retirement, he came back to SDSU to teach entrepreneurial management in the business department as a part-time professor. He also sat on various oversight committees involving the San Diego County Taxpayers Association.

Goodfriend is survived by his wife Kathleen Goodfriend. He leaves behind four grown children and four grandchildren.

There will be a memorial service for Goodfriend at 11 a.m. on Sept. 21 in Aztec Center. There is also a scholarship planned in his name.

Bioinformatics and other studies arrive

Media Credit: Glenn Connelly / Assistant Photo Editor (Daily Aztec)
From left to right Kevin Choi, Bryan Min, Dr. Paul Wong and Dr. Sunny Jung discuss their effort to bring students cultural, political, historical and linguistic backgrounds in the new Korean Studies Program.

Some intriguing new majors and master's programs are changing the academic landscape at San Diego State this fall. New cultural offerings cover Korean, Islamic and Arabic studies, while the master's programs include teaching in urban schools and bioinformatics.

The new social science major with an emphasis in Islamic and Arabic studies focuses on an important part of the world that can often be daunting to the uninitiated.

"It's an interdisciplinary program which means that they are going to learn about the peoples and countries," Farid Abdel-Nour, associate professor of Political Science, said. "Students will take classes in Arabic language, or Persian language in religious studies, in political science, in history, in women's studies."

The social science major offers many emphases from Africana studies to sociology. Abdel-Nour said that the new emphasis will give students a valuable knowledge of a region and culture that is larger than a single religion or race.

"The idea is to give students a sense of the cultural, political, historical and linguistic background that helps them understand the peoples of the larger Muslim world, as well as the Arabic speaking world," Abdel-Nour said.

One of the more exciting programs is the graduate program that offers a masters in bioinformatics.

Bioinformatics refers to data mining, which is the art of going through data to find specific information. From grocery stores to Google, everyone is data mining these days, said Dr. Faramarz Valafar, an associate professor at SDSU. In the field of medicine, data mining is used to learn more about diseases and to research better drugs. Valafar, who used data mining in the private sector to study credit card fraud, called bioinformatics the "major of the future."

"What we do is use those data mining techniques in biology, chemistry and medicine," Valafar said. "So far we have had three unofficial graduates. The students were enrolled into a different department. Of those three, one of them is now in the Ph.D program at Berkeley. The other two were hired before they finished their master's."

People usually earn a Ph.D in bioinformatics, and there are only two previously established master's programs for bioinformatics in California. SDSU would be the third university to offer such a program, providing graduates who would be much in demand by companies, Valafar said. The program has two tracks, a traditional thesis track and a professional Science Masters, which involves an internship.

A new masters of arts degree in curriculum and instruction focusing on urban teaching will also be offered to prospective educators looking for new teaching strategies in urban neighborhoods. The 30-unit program looks to produce quality teachers who know how to work effectively in the schools where they are needed the most, said Valerie Pang, a professor of teacher education.

"The program seeks teachers who are interested in investigating the most effective ways to teach in urban schools," Pang said. "The program focuses on presenting more in-depth information for teachers on (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math) careers."

A new Korean studies program is also available. Although it is not a major, classes in Korean culture and language can be taken through the linguistics department in the class Ling 296. The upcoming classes that are being planned for the spring include Korean literature, civilization and a Korean language class tailored to doing business in Korea, Dr. Soonja Choi said. Other majors and programs include a new major in American Indian studies and a business degree with specializations in human resources and entrepreneurship.

Mission Bay Aquatic Center lease renewed

Photo owned by the Mission Bay Aquatic Center

San Diego State will get to use the Mission Bay Aquatic Center for another 15 years. The decision by the San Diego City Council may cause students who participate in water sports to sit up and take notice.

Even though the university will now pay rent on the facility, the decision is still hailed as a victory by Dan Cornthwaite, the executive director of Associated Students.

"Although it took a lot of time and effort to get the job done, we were successful in getting it done," Cornthwaite said. "We are pleased that it's done and we now have a new 15-year lease with an option of a 10-year extension."

Although the student costs will remain the same, alumni, student family members and everyone else will have to pay a 10 percent cost hike. The Mission Bay Aquatic Center is a joint venture between A.S. and the University of San Diego and is operated by both universities, said Glen Brandenburg, the director of the center.

"It's on city land so we have to have a lease with the city," Brandenburg said. "The original lease with the city was in 1975. It was a 25-year lease, (and it) went to the year 2000. We started in 1996 negotiating with the city to renew the lease with the goal of renewing it by the year 2000."

Problems abounded for San Diego, however, stalling the process. The past decade saw a multitude of financial and corruption scandals that kept pushing back a decision on the lease, Brandenburg said, who called the lease "at the bottom of the list" of the city's priorities.

"As soon as we were up on the list then another crisis would happen and then we were back down at the bottom," he said. "That went on for 12 years and then the whole thing stabilized for a little while this spring. So we were able to get their attention. We were able to get it finalized."

Until now, A.S. had to renew the lease on a year-to-year basis. Now it will be able to secure the center for possibly 25 years. A.S. is a large student organization, commanding a $20 million budget that operates other facilities, such as the SDSU Children's Center, the Open Air Theatre and Cox Arena.

The Mission Bay Aquatic Center is one of San Diego's most impressive gems.

It draws thousands of students and water sport participants every year, boasting an impressive roster of water sports and programs along with a facility and world-class instructional training. It also offers water safety courses, as well as CPR and First Aid certification courses. The center hosts a variety of other programs for the disabled as well as youth camps.

The Mission Bay Aquatic Center has an estimated 15,000 users overall and many fans, Instructional Manager Kevin Straw said.

Take, for example, psychology senior Lacey Wilson who begins her day at the center by racing through waves on a wakeboard.

"It's a good way to wake up in the morning - going wakeboarding at 8 a.m.," Wilson said. "It's the best way to start."

Daily Aztec story: Cuts snare transfer students

Media Credit: David J. Olender / Photo Editor

A message from San Diego State to prospective transfer students: Come back next fall.

The state of California has slashed the education budget by 10 percent, a move that has universities such as SDSU and CSU San Marcos closing the door on transfer students for the spring of 2009.

Community college students who were expecting to attend SDSU this spring are now just spinning their wheels.

Ethan Singer, the Associate Vice President for Academic Affairs at SDSU said the problem is the result of not enough money and too little room. Singer said the changes were announced last February to give community college students as much advanced warning as possible.

"It is a combination of having (to) cut back enrollment to the budgeted level," Singer said. "As we were overenrolled last year, and at the same time not receiving any enrollment growth funding for new enrollment. Our numbers had to be reduced significantly, and therefore to have the right sized classes in the fall, we could not also take new students in the spring."

Despite the spring moratorium, the yearly overall enrollment of transfer students to SDSU has risen, not fallen. According to Singer, the Fall 2003 semester admitted 32,872 students, a total that has increased to 36,225 in Fall 2006 and 36,625 in Fall 2007.

The budget cuts are part of Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger's controversial plan to close the state's estimated $14.5 billion budget shortfall. As California's spending on state schools is slashed across the board, both state universities and community colleges are feeling the heat. Community colleges often decide to cut back on offered classes, meaning that it takes freshmen and sophomores longer to complete their transfer requirements.

At the same time, money for university classes also dwindles, which lowers the number of students accepted. The cutbacks are felt even more at community colleges because they receive less money from the state than universities do.

Samantha Austin, a 36-year-old nursing major at Southwestern College, has been on both ends of that problem. She was delayed in reaching her transfer requirements because of limited classes at SWC. This year, she met the requirements only to learn that SDSU would not be accepting spring admissions.

Austin is a single mother who depends on different grants for college such as Calworks, money that may now be in jeopardy because of the time-sensitive nature of the grants.

"It has just left me in a really bad a spot," Austin said. "I'm on a time slot with my grants and financial aid. I don't know what I am going to do honestly. If I don't get my grants, I'm not going to be able to pay my rent."

Options for students are sparse, but there are some, Mary Rider, the Transfer Coordinator at Grossmont College, said. The two options that students have are to take as many classes as possible at a community college and also, when applying, to have the right GPA for their major in order to meet SDSU's transfer admission criteria.

SDSU is simply too crowded and too popular, Norma Cazares, Director of Counseling at SWC said. For that reason, community college students wishing to pursue their bachelor's degrees while staying close to home are going to find stiff competition.

"The whole world wants to get into San Diego State," Cazares said. "That makes things much more competitive, which impacts majors, which increases the criteria in order to meet the requirements for those majors. It's the domino effect."

Despite all the requirements, new local transfer students still have an advantage when applying to SDSU. In the past, transfer students would sign a Transfer Admission Guarantee that would ensure a transfer student a spot at SDSU. While there are no more contracts to sign, local students are still evaluated as T.A.G. students, according to Cazares.

Students can also be better prepared by arming themselves with better information, Cazares added. She has organized CSU application workshops and has tried to let students know about other options, such as private universities.

"Students need to think outside of that box," Cazares said. "San Diego State knows that I say this. I tell my students, 'You need to think outside of San Diego State.'"

Daily Aztec Story: A 'Sign' exhibited

Photo courtesy of Jennifer Anderson

Though the stigma of the deaf community is one that is often unheard, art instructor Jennifer Anderson and students have created a sign that cannot be missed.

Anderson and five San Diego State students have created a piece of public art for the Port of San Diego. Their unofficial Art 103 project is as tall as a house and bound to draw some curiosity at first glance. What the students really want, however, is for people to take a second look and to see the message in the hands.

Their sculpture is called "It's a Sign." The public art project is a looming 17-foot-tall four-hand salute. The fingers, formed by rusted sheet metal, spell out the word "Tree" in sign language. The message may only elicit curious looks until one reads the plaque that accompanies the work:

"Whether we are deaf or hearing, language transforms experience and connects us with one another. 'It's A Sign' is a metaphor for underrepresented communities."

The students, Justean Giger, Bianca Saad, Gabriela Salas-Miranda, Sara Beam and Audrey Kenyon, said their dream location for their art is outside. The sculpture stands along the breezy Port of San Diego Embarcadero within walking distance from the Star of India and the San Diego Airport. Thousands of tourists and visitors who walk along the coast every year will see the Urban Trees 5 exhibit, a public art show of 31 sculpted trees that is updated yearly.

The open-air gallery is part of what makes "It's a Sign" special, Anderson said.

"You don't have to go to the gallery or pay to get into a museum," Anderson said. "Anyone who walks down the promenade can see it and enjoy it and interpret it."

Anderson, an adjunct art professor and furniture designer, told her students about the public works opportunity in her Art 103 class, which teaches three-dimensional design. "It's a Sign," was among 30 other projects chosen out of 122 applicants by the San Diego Port Authority.

The Port Authority gives the artists $2,500 stipends for the artwork but only after the artwork has been completed. Anderson said that she and the students had to come up with the money themselves. The students met twice a week after class to plan the project and continued to communicate through e-mail after the semester finished.
The work debuted on Saturday during a dedication ceremony that formally introduced the artwork to San Diego. Allan Tait, the Port Authority's public art project manager for the Urban Trees Project, said the SDSU students crafted something unique.

"It was like nothing we had ever seen before," Tait said. "Most of us can't read that. Those who are familiar with the language will recognize it immediately. It's absolutely original in the design."

The project came about as the result of a lot of hard work, Giger said. Because of money and time considerations, Anderson became directly involved in the project as the team was forced to scrap the original design.

"The tree was originally planned to be constructed out of cast bronze," Giger said. "We had to go back to the drawing board and re-design the whole project again. That was when Jennifer jumped in because we were under incredible deadlines in addition to our regular schoolwork."

Giger considers the work worthwhile. Five minutes after the sculpture went up, people were already taking pictures. Giger returned later that night to show her husband the artwork and heard people discussing "It's a Sign."

The students' message seems to be heard loud and clear.

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Writers Notes: I had the privilege to sit in on a "Print Day" at the Daily Aztec yesterday, very different from the "Print Nights" we would have at the SWC Sun. The DA is great place and I am fascinated by the stuff they do. The city Editor and I edited the front page together (well...I mostly watched.) and it surprised me that we had to fit the entire City section into one page with the headlines and teasers. I take my hat off to the resourceful page designers over there who create within close corners, they truly are wizards.

Mundo de Idioma

Bring on the Spanish Verbs!

They fall from the sky as multi-pronged nuclear warheards, both beautiful and dreadful in their creation and destruction. Language learning is truly hard, words fail me literally. The class is three hours long and by that third hour, I have developed brain freeze and my mind will admit no further instruction.

Spanish class is like a windswept sea. It tosses you into the raging waters and expects you to swim. And you had better learn because the only other option is sinking to the tune of a 5 unit loss to your GPA. So you struggle in the water as the waves climb higher and the howls of the wind grow even more harsh. Hey Mr. Spanish Speaking person, "What's a Preterit or a imperfect verb for that matter?" They would answer a resounding "No entiendo."

I like the concept of learning languages but Spanish 102 is too fast in its pace, too academic in its design, sometimes feeling divorced from reality entirely. I prefer a slower, more laid back, friendlier style of language learning, not this militaristic grammar school where if one were to fall off the bus, they would have a dire time catching up. I have toyed briefly with the online demo of the Rosetta Stone language learning software. The product is true to its name, like finding a mystical talisman that grants lingustic undestanding. However the Rossetta Stone packs a walloping price tag of $200. I could buy four seasons of Lost for less than that.

I am still in search of that magical key, that special learning technique that will unlock the world of langauge to me. The day I find--well--watch out world! Mr. Cooper will becoming to a city near you.

Daily Aztec Story:Cell phone update

Call all you want, Danielle Nation will not be answering her phone.

While driving, her cell phone will remain safely stowed away in her backseat to help avoid the temptation. Nation is one of thousands of San Diego State students facing a July ultimatum: use a hands-free device while driving or avoid using the cell phone completely.

The ban on talking on a cell phone while driving is now in full effect. For drivers like Nation, it will require some adjustment. Nation always knew that her cell phone was a distraction, even if she was hesitant to give it up. With the new ban in effect, she admits that the law is for the best and that critics are overreacting.

"People should stop complaining over little things like this. As long as you get to your destination, it's not a big deal," she said.

Offenders will have to pay at least $97 for the first offense and a minimum of $211 for each additional offence. Students have two ways to cope with the changes-stop talking or use a Bluetooth. Nation has decided not to purchase the hand-free device, saying that as a college student she would only be buying something she does not need.

University Police are on the lookout for violators, Lt. Lamine Secka said, although most people are complying with the ban.
"We have not yet written any citations for the cell phone law," he said. "It appears in my travels that most people are abiding by the new law, although I have still seen some people driving while talking. It is always difficult to assess the impact of a new law that (is) only three or four days old."

The law is controversial because its results are questionable. A 2006 study by the University of Utah compared a cell phone driver to a drunk driver, but the study draws no distinction between hand held and hand-free phones, saying that it is the conversation itself that harms a driver's cognition.

Strangely enough, adult drivers who are banned from talking on a cell phone while driving can still use their phone to send text messages. This is a loophole that Sen. Joe Simitian of Palo Alto, the author of the original bill, intends to fix. A new bill, Senate Bill 28, which has yet to be approved, would outlaw text messaging and internet use while driving.

"Texting while driving is so obviously unsafe that it's hard to believe anyone would attempt it," Simitian said. "Yet everyday observation suggests there are an awful lot of folks who do."

Nation, who has learned how to text her friends without even looking at her phone, is still not going to take any chances.
"I've heard lots of stories of people texting getting in car accidents," she said. "Life to me is more valuable than texting a friend or calling someone back."
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Writers Notes: New feature I'm adding where I add some of my feelings and observations about my story. OK, you may have noticed that "offence" misspelling, I don't know where that came from, I think an copy person/editor might have added it but I'm not sure, I never use the word 'offence.' Also I think this story is a little over played, a follow up, and the DA's State of Mind and Features section also touched on the new Cell phone law.
My story was an online exclusive because there was not enough room on the front page. They have a new contributor, yea, I'm a little jealous, he's really good haha. Just means I've got to raise my game. As I think I told Kim, my first city editor, "thats the news business."

Daily Aztec story: Bluetooth on

This summer, California legislators are trying to get drivers' hands off their phones and back onto their steering wheels.

Two new laws are aimed at reducing car accidents by restricting drivers from talking on their cell phones while driving. The laws, which go into effect on July 1, will allow drivers to keep using hands-free devices such as Bluetooth. They also prohibit minors from driving while using a cell phone or a hands-free device.

Some critics blast the new law as the work of a "nanny government," while proponents applaud it. Like it or not, the law will be the reality for thousands of San Diego State students who will return for the fall semester. University Police Lt. Lamine Secka said that campus police will be ready to enforce the new ban.

"As with all violations, our officers will take the appropriate enforcement actions based on the circumstances at the time," Secka said. "If students, faculty or staff are in violation of the law and are observed by our officers, they run the risk of being stopped for the violation."

According to the San Diego Police Department, drivers would face a minimum $97 fine for the first violation. However, a second violation would increase to $211.

Binesh Shah, an SDSU student, said she welcomes the new law. Shah said that driving safety was not always a priority until she was involved in a cell phone-related accident. Since then, she has gone hands-free.

"I think this new law is great," Shah said. "I personally use my Bluetooth all the time even when I am at home. It allows me to do everything I need to do without being distracted by my cell phone."

The law is controversial because many scientists argue that the hands-free devices are also dangerous, and that the ban will not change anything. The law is part of a wider legislative backlash against driving while using cell phones, and California is the latest state to pass such a ban.

There is currently no law that regulates text messaging while driving, although police may pull a driver over for any reason if the officer judges that a driver is distracted.

The law was campaigned for by Sen. Joe Simitian, D-Calif., and was signed into law by Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger in September 2006.

Schwarzenegger said that cell phone drivers are "putting people at risk," and he's even threatened to take away his daughter's keys if he catches her using a cell phone while driving. However, this is not the end of the road for drivers who need their cell phone fix.

"You don't have to stop talking on your cell phone," Schwarzenegger said. "Use a headset or use a speaker system, and you will be fine."

Daily Aztec Story: School of Accountancy renamed

In life, Dr. Charles Lamden, professor of accountancy at San Diego State, was voted an outstanding professor by his students. In death, he will be remembered as truly transformational.

The School of Accountancy, which owes its accreditation largely to Lamden, will now bear his name, becoming the Charles W. Lamden School of Accountancy. The school is the first in SDSU history to take on the name of a benefactor.

The Lamden family gave SDSU a gift of $10 million to make the naming possible, which was presented by William Lamden, the son of Charles Lamden. The gift is also among the largest donations ever given to the university.

SDSU President Stephen L. Weber was firmly supportive of changing the name of the school, according to a press release.

"The naming of the School of Accountancy is transformational for San Diego State," Weber said. "This gift will ensure that Charles Lamden's powerful legacy of high academic and business standards will continue for many generations of students and faculty to come."

Lamden's long teaching career at SDSU began in 1954. Over the years, he garnered many awards and honors including the title of "Outstanding Professor" by SDSU students, which he won twice. Lamden died on May 9, 1992 at the age of 75.

The naming of the School of Accountancy has been in discussion for 15 years between the Lamden family and SDSU officials, with the final approval given by California State University Trustees. Only in the last year have discussions escalated, Dean of the College of Business Administration, Dr. Gail Naughton said.

"We had to figure out the right (financial) amount," Naughton said. "It has been a long procedure, and it has been on and off for 15 years. For the last 12 months there have been very active discussions."

According to Naughton, the agreement was reached in part so that the naming of the School of Accountancy could take place within the lifetime of his wife, Gertrude Lamden.

The $10 million will go to supplement the salaries of the School of Accountancy faculty, in order to keep their wages competitive, and also to bolster research project funds. Naughton added that the students will reap the benefits of a stronger program.

"This is absolutely transformational for the school," Naughton said. "It will take us from top-notch to outstanding. This is great news for us."

According to a press release, Sharon Lightner, the William E. Cole Director of the School of Accountancy, said that the naming of the school is a tribute to a great man.

"As a scholar, professional and global businessman, Dr. Lamden embraced everything the School of Accountancy aspires to," she said. "It is only fitting that the school will now be named for the man who has left his mark for excellence at SDSU."