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Students can learn “Freakonomics” Tuesday

Most people may not associate economics as exciting or life-changing, but for journalist Stephen J. Dubner and rogue economist Steven D. Levitt, economics is a means to explore how various factors impact people’s lives.

“The reason I became a writer is the same reason a lot of people become writers or scientists or whatever,�? Dubner said in a phone interview with The Collegian. “You are driven by wanting to know more. You want to know more stories, see more pieces of the world and discover what really causes things to happen. All of the books I’ve written are really about how people become the people that they are. It is the big question for me.�?

Dubner, co-author of the New York Times bestselling book “Freakonomics: A Rogue Economist Explores the Hidden Side of Everything,�? will speak on campus Tuesday night.

“I’m going to tell a few stories based on research that has developed since the book came out,�? Dubner said. “These are all in the same vein as the original book, with topics such as how the health care system works like the economics of prostitution.�?

“Freaknomics,�? which is ranked as the 23rd top-selling book on Amazon.com, was described by the Washington Times as “[bringing] together analyses of seemingly unrelated situations, and [explaining] all of them through imparting a simple truth.�?

“It is really a book about nothing,�? Dubner said. “There is no one theme, as our book is about 50 different things. It isn’t so much about busting myths as it is shining a light into dark corners.

“We’ve sold a couple million copies of the book, which is very surprising to us,�? Dubner continued. “We anticipated that it would be a colossal dud. The public hears about maybe 20 of the hundreds, if not thousands, of books published every year.�?

Dubner attributes the success of the book mostly to luck.

“Levitt is a very clever researcher and I’d like to think that I’m a good writer. A chain of events happened where people talked about the book after it came out and it just grew popular. It is also short. People complain about short books, but people are more inclined to talk about a book they actually finished than one they tossed. Plus, the cover is really good.�?

The title “Freakonomics�? was conjured up by Levitt’s sister and had nothing to do with the two writers themselves, according to Dubner.

“She used to work in publishing and advertising,�? Dubner said. “She came up with a list of a hundred titles that we could use. When we saw this one, we both started laughing. It was so bad that, hey, it might be good.�?

Dubner is the author of three books, “Freakonomics�? being his most recent, with a fourth one to be published later this year.

“I don’t do that many things well,�? Dubner said. “I had some ability inherited from my parents, but I would have preferred to be a center fielder for the Yankees. Writing is just a good fallback position.�?

Dubner’s lecture will be at the Satellite Student Union Tuesday night. It begins at 7:30 p.m.

CSU system may face CFA strikes

The CSU system may be facing the largest strike of higher education teachers in U.S. history.

Last Tuesday night, the California Faculty Association Board of Directors voted unanimously to authorize a union members vote on whether or not to proceed with job action — which may include rolling strikes.

“We’ve said all along that we do not want to strike,” CFA president John Travis said in a teleconference call. Travis, who also spoke to The Collegian in a phone interview, is a political science professor at Humboldt State University. He said the administration has a different perspective than CFA, and that negotiating is about making proposals and compromising.

“They have not changed their proposal,�? Travis said. “That’s not bargaining, that’s not how it’s done.

The last resort of the labor union is to withhold its labor.”

In a groundbreaking vote, CSU faculty members will be taking a strike vote for the first time.

Voting will take place March 5-8 on some campuses and March 12-15 on the remaining campuses. If a majority of the voters (50 percent plus one) are in favor of job action, it will be the largest higher education strike in U.S. history. Results of the voting will be announced March 21.

“We think we have to take this vote now,” Travis said. He added that the date rolling strikes would begin have yet to be determined, but they could start sometime between late March and early April.

CFA officials said the first step in job action will be rolling strikes, where faculty members will strike for a couple of days on various campuses.

“The reason we chose the rolling strike concept was because it wouldn’t affect any particular students dramatically,” Travis said.

Alice Sunshine, CFA communications director, added, “We hope we will be able to make a strong point to the CSU administration. We hope to minimize the negative impact on students.”

Travis said depending on how effective rolling strikes are, if the strikes do not generate changes, CFA may decide to do another series of rolling strikes, as the group wants this strike “to have the impact it needs to have on the administration and the chancellors.”

Negotiations between CFA and the CSU system have been going on for more than 22 months, and talks are still at an impasse. A state-appointed third party is now overseeing a fact-finding process, where a list of recommendations will develop on how to break the impasse, and the CFA and CSU administration will look over the list. But if both sides do not accept the recommendations, the contract expires officially, allowing the faculty to exercise job actions.

Travis wants to encourage everyone to participate in the possible strike.

“We’re going to appeal to all faculty to strike,” Travis said. However, he added, “It can be divisive — there will be faculty who disagree and won’t go out.”

He said technically a strike will affect all faculty, as it would include coaches and librarians as well.

“From our perspective, we think students have a right to quality education,” Travis said.

“Students sometimes take their education for granted. It’s no secret that there are students who don’t want us to strike.�?

Travis said CFA is trying to convince students that many CFA members are concerned about the strike and how it will affect them.

“I hope students support us,” Travis said.

Travis said part-time faculty members have replaced many faculty members in the CSU system, and their part-time status can make it difficult to contact them to encourage them to participate in a possible strike.

“We have to send a message of unity and concern to the administration,” Travis said.

Oscar Night

Is there a better chance to bag on celebrities than on Hollywood’s most bizarre and over touted night of the year? And where besides the Oscars can you find someone wearing half million-dollar shoes?

While I do not profess to be a connoisseur of haute couture, I think I have a general idea of what looks good and what looks bad. Or very bad. And so I am off to do Joan Rivers proud.

We start with Jennifer Hudson. Hudson, who was nominated in the supporting actress category for “Dreamgirls,� topped what seemed like an okay gown with a short silver jacket. The comments in our office ranged from “she’ll be okay when she time travels to the year 3000� to “it looks like she is trying to power a solar energy device� — was this part of the plan for going green? Also Hudson needs to get her hands out of her pockets – most unprofessional.

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No parking

On Monday February 26, 2007 the Save Mart Center north lot will be closed to general parking due to an event that evening.

Students who have class on the east side of campus are encouraged to use Maple Avenue to access Lots A & J.

Barstow Avenue will become one way westbound between Willow & Woodrow Avenues beginning at 3:30 p.m.

University Police Department Traffic Operations Officers and signage will be posted as necessary.

If you have any questions you may leave a message on the campus traffic hotline at 278-6040

VIDEO: ROTC and IRAQ

Videography by Joseph Hollak

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Campus mysteries, part 1

Part one of The Collegian’s investigation of strange, secret spots on campus

For a school that is a little more than 96 years old, Fresno State definitely holds its share of campus secrets.
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VIDEO: Ethicist talks about “how to be good”

Speaking about doing the right thing, author of the New York Times Magazine’s “The Ethicist,� Randy Cohen gave a lecture Tuesday night in the Satellite Student Union.
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Status of popular literature as art: dubious

ONE OF THE first events at next week’s Veritas Forum is a talk by Honora Chapman on “The Da Vinci Code” at 3 p.m. in the Alice Peters Auditorium. I don’t know exactly what she’s going to say about it, but it’s about time somebody talked about this miserable book.
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Never too busy to horse around

Being a member of an athletic collegiate team and being a full time student at a university might seem like you have time for nothing else, but junior Morgan McDonald shows that with dedication and desire the sky is the limit.
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Ja’Vance dismissed. Why, and now what?

Sometimes a Fresno State Athletic Department press conference raises more questions than they are designed to answer.

This was the case Monday evening on our campus.

Ja’Vance Coleman, a starter for and integral part of the Fresno State men’s basketball program has been dismissed from the team for what Fresno State coach Steve Cleveland sited as “violating athletic department rules.”

Collegian Sports Editors Jeff Christian and Darrell Copeland III cover the story online here and you can view video of the announcement by coach Cleveland here.

What Coleman did exactly to get kicked off the team is still a mystery. The Athletic Department won’t say.

Regardless, the team going forward will be different.

The line-up, game strategy, plays called and minutes played by some of the other “role” players all need adjusting now by the coaching staff.

Will the fans that normally attend the home games adjust as well?

Does never seeing Coleman hit the game winning bucket with seconds left on the game clock or never seeing him embarrass a defender with an ankle-breaking cross-over change fans’ motivation to go to a game?

Leave your opinion by clicking on “comments” below.

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