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Collegian to return April 11

Due to spring break The Collegian will not print again until Wednesday, April 11. Classes resume Monday, April 9. It is Collegian policy that the paper does not print the Monday following a major holiday. We look forward to resuming our coverage of the Fresno State community.

VIDEO: Lemony Snicket

Web exclusive video of “An Evening with Daniel Handler,” author of Lemony Snicket’s A Series of Unfortunate Events, at the Satellite Student Union. Part of the University Lecture Series. Video by Logan Rapp. Encoding by Bryan Harley.

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Library to get new catalog system over spring break

On April 2, while Fresno State students are relaxing on their spring break, the library’s new Millennium Library Catalog will go live.

Art and English literature sophomore Edgar Saldivar said he is looking forward to seeing the new system and what it has to offer.

“The ALIS system that the library is using right now is severely outdated,�? Saldivar said. “I think the new system will definitely bring us up into the 21st century.�?

According to Hye Ok Park, head of library technology at the Madden Library, the ALIS system has been in use for more than 15 years.

Park realized the need for change in the catalog’s technology following the groundbreaking ceremony of the new library’s construction.

“We knew that we needed a system that would reflect the look and feel of the new library,�? Park said. “The Millennium is simply a new generation system that is very powerful.�?

According to Park, more than 4,500 other libraries nationwide use the Millennium system. What it means for Fresno State students in particular is the ability to search library materials faster and more accurately. It should also provide improved access to personal library accounts and links to other online resources, Park said.

The system is designed to be more user friendly, Park said. When a student wants to request materials, authentication is based on the student’s Fresno State e-mail and password.

“We wanted to make the system completely student-centered,�? Park said. “Having that in mind, we knew that it had to be both simple and sleek.�?

Susan Lewis, who has been the Madden Library’s circulation supervisor for more than 17 years, said she is welcoming the new system with open arms.

“Our old system was wonderful at the time,�? Lewis said. “But it’s time for a change.�?

Lewis said the circulation desk’s main goal is customer service — with the new system in place, its goal can be reached much easier.

“It has been our number one focus from day one, to make the students at this university happy,�? Lewis said. “Anything that we can do to better assist them in their education is our sole priority.�?

Renaldo Gjoshe, information technology assistant at the Madden Library, said he found the ALIS system hard to use. He graduated from Fresno State with a BA in information systems last May.

Gjoshe designed the layout of the new system keeping his past experience as a student in mind.

With easy to understand icons, a built-in spell-checker and a place to access what books a student’s professor has put on reserve to read, the library’s new catalog system is loaded with updated features.

“I think it’s a really good idea that they’re upgrading the system,�? Saldivar said. “Although students won’t be here when it first starts being used, I’m sure they’ll appreciate the library’s effort to improve their experience at the university.�?

Students celebrate life of Cesar Chavez

Many are thrilled to receive an extra day off from school to get a head start on their spring vacation, but this Friday is not just another day off. It’s set aside to honor a man who changed the lives of farm workers.

César E. Chávez co-founded the United Farm Workers, a union that aimed to get laws set in place so that farm workers would not be abused.

Workers were paid very little, and simple things such as water and restroom breaks were prohibited. These conditions resulted in many illnesses and deaths of people who were willing to work hard in order to have better lives for themselves and their children.

Norma Lara, a nursing and Chicano and Latin American Studies major, is appreciative of the dedication Chávez had to improving the lives of farm workers.

Her parents were farm workers when she was young, and her grandparents were a part of the Bracero Program, which allowed Mexican farm workers to work in the fields of this country.

“I got to meet César Chávez when I was little,�? Lara said. “It didn’t seem significant at the moment, but I learned that he was an extraordinary man and that his movement was significant because it’s where I came from.�?

Sarina De La Rosa, a sociology and Chicano and Latin American Studies major and MEChA member, said Chavez was a man who taught others that they did not have to be taken advantage of.

“He was a voice for those that were afraid to have a voice,�? De La Rosa said.

He also inspired the youth to get an education so that they would not have to experience what their parents did.

“César Chávez opened the door for a lot of students to go to school and go beyond the fields,�? De La Rosa said.

The activities that will be held in honor of Chavez include poetry readings, art exhibits and various student presentations.

Wednesday’s “Flor y Canto Night: ‘When Dreams Become Arte,’�? includes poetry and an art exhibit put on by Fresno State students.

A large celebration will be held Thursday that includes entertainment, an altar display, a garlanding ceremony and the announcement of the poetry and essay contest winners.

Friday, some students will be traveling to the National Chávez Center to visit Chávez burial site.

Ambar Alvarez, Trabajadores de la Raza president, is excited about the turnout for these events.

“I have a deep appreciation for what he’s done,�? Alvarez said. “I admire the strength and courage it took for him to do that and I’m glad to give him the celebration he deserves.�?

CFA, CSU continue strike negotiations

In a conference call Monday with multiple news organizations, California Faculty Association President John Travis said he was “cautiously optimistic�? about a resolution between the CFA and CSU System that would not involve faculty strikes.

The CFA announced Sunday that it would accept a fact-finding report created by a neutral third party.

Edward Purcell, director of representation for the CFA, said, “In general, we were pleased with the report. We do think it represents the basis for a settlement and we’re looking forward to the next two weeks to see if we can actually wrap it up, based on the fact finder’s recommendations.�?

In a statement from the CSU, Chair of the CSU Board of Trustees Roberta Achtenberg said, “We have indicated both to the fact finder and to the faculty union that we are willing to use the report as a basis for an overall settlement agreement.�?

Travis said he attended a collective bargaining meeting on March 25, at which point CSU Chancellor Charles Reed agreed to use the fact-finding document to discuss a settlement.

Following this agreement, the contract between the CSU and faculty was extended until April 6, during which time the two organizations will try to come to an agreement regarding items such as faculty pay, faculty parking fees and early retirement programs.

“I’m happy to use the framework,�? Travis said. “What remains is to see if the administration and chancellor will live up to the promises they’ve made to follow the guidance provided by the fact finder.�?

Purcell said in California, public employees have the right to strike under Supreme Court precedence. With the bargaining law that the CFA operates under (Higher Education Employee Employer Relations Act), fact-finding is often used to resolve disputes.

Fact-finding is a process in which both parties present their arguments and evidence to a neutral party who provides recommendations for an appropriate basis for settlement.

Sylvia Skratek of Seattle was recommended by the chancellor’s labor relations consultant.

Purcell said, “The union decided to use Ms. Skratek both because of the fact that she has a very high reputation in the field, but also because we were hopeful that somebody who was trusted and recommended by management would actually have a stronger voice when recommending a resolution of this dispute.�?

Among the suggestions put forth by Skratek was that the CSU give higher budget priority to the hiring of additional tenure-track faculty. Purcell also said this has been a goal of the CFA, the administration and the Academic Senate.

Dr. Shane Moreman, an assistant professor in the communication department is a University-Wide Senator for Fresno State’s Academic Senate.

Moreman said, “I would like to see more tenure-track faculty hired. I think that whenever we have the opportunity to hire new faculty, we have the opportunity to bring in fresh blood and new ideas and new energy.�?

Of the fact-finding report, Moreman said, “In general I was really pleased with fact-finding report. I read it as way for me to find out the facts of the situation too. There have been a lot myths or fictions around. It helps me to get a big picture of what’s been going on.�?

Dr. Diane Blair, an associate professor of the communication department, said, “The recommendations, especially in terms of salary, really confirm what the faculty have been saying all along.�?

Blair said she is personally hopeful that a resolution can be reached. “I think that it’s a good sign that both sides were willing to come back and continue negotiating. This 10-day extension is a good sign.�?

Dr. Paul Oliaro, dean of Student Affairs, said the move back to the negotiation table is “a reflection of the commitment of the faculty and CSU administration to avoid a situation that could adversely affect students.�?

Representatives for the CFA and the CSU agree that going back into negotiations is a positive step toward reaching a conclusion to the faculty contracts dispute. However, CFA President John Travis said, “If we haven’t reached a settlement by April 6, we will go out on strike.�?

Former Collegian editors win photography award

The Collegian is proud to announce that former photo editors Andrew Riggs and Joseph Hollak have won a breaking news photography award from the Society of Professional Journalists.

Riggs and Hollak won a Region 11 Mark of Excellence Award for their coverage of the police-involved shooting near campus on Aug. 30, 2006. The actual place awarded will be announced on May 5 in Fullerton, Calif.

Hollak, a senior digital media major, was The Collegian photo editor in spring 2005. It was by chance that Hollak was on campus when the shooting occurred. Hollak happened to have a camera in his truck, which he used to capture the images that would run on the front pages of The Collegian.

“I was thrilled to have gotten the content online before any other local news organization,�? Hollak said.

Riggs, a senior photojournalism major, was photo editor at the time of the shooting.

He got the phone call that brought him to campus early that morning from then Collegian adviser Greg Lewis.

“It was somewhat early in the morning and I came to campus,�? Riggs said. “At the time it was pretty hectic; it was the second day of school.�?

Riggs said he remembered being carted around in between classes. He said in trying to cover the event, there was a “long amount of waiting with action in between,�? Riggs said.

Riggs said he was “pretty stoked�? about the award and added that he was definitely surprised to find that he and Hollak had won.
“It’s cool. Hollak and I can have something to bond over, if you will,�? Riggs said.

Hollak said, “I’m just doing it for the people.�?

Bulldogs going the distance

This year’s return of the men’s cross country team at Fresno State has given the track team new hope.

After cross country was cut in 2003, the track team lost its distance runners, who had participated in both cross country and track events.

The lack of distance runners was hard for the track team to overcome, since it had no athletes to compete in distance events. The team was then unable to place at meets, although it still participated.

Track star Ryan Moore, a senior, recalled the frustration experienced by the team.

“We weren’t able to score a lot of points in track because of that,�? Moore said.

Distance coach Joe Gonzales agreed that it was a difficult time. “We are the type of team that fights for every point, but we can’t fight when we don’t have anyone there to compete,�? Gonzales said.

Gonzales was also frustrated at not being able to recruit even average distance runners to Fresno State for track, because there was no cross country team.

“When they dropped it, it was hard to recruit,�? Gonzales said. “You can’t recruit when people won’t even talk to you.�?

Cross country was brought back in July, after a controversial decision that eliminated wrestling.

Gonzales was here when cross country was cut and is now instrumental in recruiting runners to rebuild the team.

“This year I have a lot of distance runners interested in our program,�? Gonzales said. “Next year will be even better, and we will do much better in the WAC than we did this year. It was a blessing for us, but it was bad for wrestling.�?

When the decision was made to allow cross country to return, the track team was excited.

“Having distance runners back has helped us a lot,�? Kellen Kennedy, a jumper and sprinter on the track team, said.

“It allows us to have more athletes and win more meets.�?

Although recruiting started a little thin this year due to the late summer return of the program, Gonzales found a rising star in freshman Frank Sanders.

Sanders, a native of Turlock, is one of five distance runners on the new team. Sanders received a scholarship for his talents in the 800 meter event. Yet, he got even more than he expected when cross country returned.

“I didn’t even know that I was going to do long distance, but when wrestling was dropped and cross country returned, they needed distance runners,�? Sanders said.

The fact that Sanders is a talented freshman bodes well for the future. “It has been good to see a mid-distance guy doing really well, especially as a freshman,�? Moore said.

Sanders expects great things out of his remaining three years at Fresno State.

“The team is really looking to step it up a notch,�? he said. “It’s a slow process since we don’t really have a name for ourselves yet, but we should have a really strong team next year.�?

This weekend Fresno State will be hosting 26 schools for the track and field Cal-Nevada Championships, which Moore described as, “A good opportunity to show other schools what we have.�? Fresno State also hosts the WAC Championships in May.

The return of the cross country team was a vote of confidence by the administration, Moore said. “It now feels like the administration is looking out for our team,�? he said. “It feels like they care. We were on the bubble before, but now they are embracing us.�?

For his part, Kennedy is looking forward to the chance to showcase the new team. “People are starting to respect that ’Dog.�?

‘Dogs continue winning way

The Fresno State women’s tennis team is not only winning, it’s winning in blowout fashion.

Add No. 20 Colorado to the list of the 10-straight opponents the Bulldogs have knocked off, including three that at the time, held a top 25 ranking. In Monday’s match against Colorado, the Bulldogs (12-2) eased their way to a 6-1 victory over the Buffaloes.

The Bulldogs established their dominance early, winning all three of their doubles matches to earn the doubles point. Singles matches for the Bulldogs were no different, as No. 3 Melanie Gloria, No. 71 Renata Kucerkova, No. 70 Anastasia Petukhova and Danon Beatty all buzz-sawed through their opponents.

“We came out very strong in doubles and executed well,�? Fresno State head coach Simon Thibodeau said in a statement. “This was a good Colorado team that had wins over William and Mary and Baylor.�?

The Bulldogs will return to the court Saturday for a noon start against UC Irvine at the Wathen Tennis Center.

Fantasy baseball offers season-long excitement for casual fans

Greetings baseball fans and welcome to another season of major league baseball. With the new season comes many exciting new changes. Every team is starting the season tied for first place and nobody is out of contention quite yet.

But perhaps the most exciting thing about the return of major league baseball for all of us stat-geeks is the beginning of a new fantasy baseball season.

That’s right everybody. Go and buy your new magazines, search to the ends of the Internet, and comb through all of those unknown new players in search of that one “sleeper�? who is going to catapult your team into championship contention.

For those of you who don’t know what fantasy baseball is all about, let me go ahead and give you a quick crash course on the finer points of the game.

Fantasy baseball is a game comprised of many of those pointless stats that all but a very few people in the world care about. The season starts with a draft that is usually held just before the beginning of the regular season. In this draft you simply choose players that you believe will put up the best stats at each position and give you the best chance to win.

There are many different ways the game can be played. The most prevalent is based on total points in head to head match-ups with the others in your league. To put it simply, if the team you put together through your draft scores more points than the team you are up against on that particular day, then you get a win.

The most important stats for players in fantasy baseball are pretty much the most important stats for those in real baseball. Most of your points are going to come from hits, home runs, runs scored, stolen bases, RBIs, wins (by the pitcher), strikeouts and saves.

There are many different options for the fantasy player who wants to join a league. In the early days of fantasy baseball, all of these stats were kept by the commissioner of the league. These days things are much easier.

Fantasy baseball is now primarily Internet-based with some of the more popular fantasy sites being ESPN.com, sportsline.com and yahoo.com. These sites make it very easy and inexpensive for the baseball fan to join a league.

You can get a group of friends together, have a private draft and give your information to one of these sites, which will easily keep all of your stats for you and maintain your league’s standings. Or, if don’t have a group of friends interested in fantasy baseball, you can participate in any number of free Web sites where you can join a league and play with people you don’t know.

So baseball fans, if your favorite team is one that is not typically very successful (i.e. Pirates, Royals, Devil Rays, etc.), and you normally lose interest in the season by the first month, fantasy baseball might be the thing for you. It makes it easy to maintain interest throughout the entire season, because it isn’t about rooting for a team, it’s about rooting for players.

Basketball regional a hit for those in attendance

By Ajay Riding
The Collegian

You can only feel it when you’re there.

It’s not on television. It’s not on the Internet. You have to be in the arena to get the full feeling of March Madness.

Fresno State had the rare opportunity to host a magical event — the NCAA Women’s Basketball Regional Finals this past weekend.

Those who were there saw some great basketball, but many local people didn’t take advantage of the opportunity. The Save Mart Center holds more than 15,000 people, but Fresno State Associate Athletic Director Paul Ladwig said the tournament drew crowds of 3,000 to 3,700.

One fan who traveled across the country was Jeff Thomas. Thomas, 47, is from Cincinnati, Ohio. Thomas, a parent of one of the players, has been to other Regional Rounds of NCAA Tournaments.

“The Save Mart Center is a very nice facility,�? Thomas said. “You would always like to see more people here, but it’s not a bad crowd.�?

This isn’t the first time the Save Mart Center has hosted games from the 64-team tournament that crowns the NCAA Women’s Division I national champion.

In 2005, March Madness came to Fresno, where Stanford and Arizona State picked up first-round wins. This time around, Fresno got the chance to host the quarterfinals and see a Final Four team that will continue competing for its chance at history. This year, Louisiana State University easily defeated the University of Connecticut to advance to the Final Four.

The scene couldn’t have been scripted better: A legendary coach leading his storied program against the underdog team amidst national controversy without its head coach. Both teams had traveled more than 1,500 miles and knew all of their training would come down to one “do or die�? game.

The cameras were rolling, the bands were battling and the cheerleaders were tumbling . The anticipation was building before tip off.

But you can only feel it if you’re there.

The stands were filled with Fresno natives, cross-country travelers and numerous media. Each team had a following of more than 150 fans. One of those fans was a dedicated fan who had followed her team for nine years.

Helen Dyer, 62, from Baton Rouge, La., was part of LSU’s cheering section. Dressed in yellow and purple like her fellow LSU fans. Their attire and attitude brought a taste of upper-echelon basketball to Fresno.

“Our accommodations were good here, the food was delicious and the people were so nice,” Dyer said.

Fresno State junior Chris Rogstad, 25, said some of the visiting fans made an impression.

“The fans brought really good energy.�?

Rogstad said a lot of things added to the atmosphere in the arena. “One of the bands was really enthusiastic and wild,�? Rogstad said.
“They kept everyone into the action and really added energy to the crowd.�?

The band was rocking the house and most importantly, the players on the floor felt it from the crowd. Erica White, LSU’s junior starting guard competed in her third quarterfinal game of her career.

“The fans were great, and we were really able to feed off them,�? White said. “Teams that haven’t been in the tournament are usually looking for a town that has a lot of excitement. Not to say that Fresno doesn’t, but this was just a peaceful trip for us.�?

Everyone inside the arena seemed to feel it a little bit. Everyone knew what was at stake, and the “it�? everyone felt was undeniable.

Ladwig said hosting the tournament has been a success, “Did we make budget, yes. Did we make projections, yes.�?

The Save Mart Center may or may not have the opportunity to host more tournaments in the future, but if it does, know that you can only feel it when you’re there.

Dance troupe’s energizing “Escape”

Standing behind the curtain, Yosef Mahmood feels his body start to tense and his stomach start to churn.

He steps onto the stage and the nerves disappear as the energy from the audience takes over.

Mahmood is performing in “Escape,�? a dance concert put on by Fresno State’s Department of Theatre Arts.

The Portable Dance Troupe, which includes students, alumni and members of the community, is performing its spring dance concert “Escape�? all this week.

In its opening weekend, the concert sold out the Arena Theatre.

“I was super pleased. We had three sell out performances and the audience got really involved,�? director Kenneth Balint said. “Opening night went very, very well and each night got better.�?

Mahmood agrees.

“Opening weekend went really well,�? he said. “Our feedback was very good and our choreographers were pretty happy with us.�?

Mahmood, who is a theatre arts and political science major, performs in a piece called “Wooden Horse.�?

“The dance I’m in is a little creepy. When we set ourselves at the beginning of the performance, we could hear the audience reacting,�? he said. “It was really gratifying and energizing to hear that.�?

Three dance pieces are included by director Ruth Griffin, who is currently teaching with the semester abroad program in London.

Balint, who is also a director, debuts a new piece. This piece, entitled “Endlos: Fact or Fiction,�? incorporates video, text and dance.

“There are six incredibly different pieces,�? Balint said. “There is a piece that uses clothing as a metaphor and another uses multimedia. I think it works well for a university [audience].�?

For the remaining performances, Balint said he wants “intangible things�? to happen.

“Dancers love to dance. I want everybody to be able to dance their hearts out,�? he said. “And when it’s all over, everybody will be kind of sad after working so hard.�?

Preparation for this concert started at the beginning of the fall semester with auditions. Each piece was rehearsed for about two to four hours per week, Balint said.

“We’ve been meeting two hours every Tuesday since the middle of last semester,�? Mahmood said. “The week before performances started we went into tech and costume rehearsal every night.�?

Changes were being made, however, up until the last minute.

“We had a last minute injury which changed casting. People had to learn new roles in 24 hours,�? Balint said. “They had to learn a lot quickly but everybody rose to the occasion.�?

Other choreographers include special guest artist Melissa Rolnick and Andy Noble, a former member of the Utah Repertory Dance Theatre.

“The Clothesline,�? a piece by Noble, is a “gutsy and robust exploration�? of the images people create for themselves and relationships, a press release said.

Rolnick, who has received recognition throughout the country, premieres a piece entitled “Ball Strategies.�? This piece, which emphasizes precision and rhythm, is a highlight of the show, according to the release.

The remaining performances run today through Saturday, March 31 at 8:00 p.m. in the Arena Theatre, located in the Speech Arts building

Tickets are $13 for faculty, staff and non-Fresno State students.

Students pay $8 admission with I.D.

Tickets can be purchased during the week at the box office from noon to 5 p.m. or one hour prior to curtain.

Jazz in the spotlight at KFSR

Miles Davis, Duke Ellington, Ray Charles and Dave Brubeck are just a sampling of the many musicians jazzing up local airwaves everyday on Fresno State’s radio station, KFSR 90.7.

KFSR has been a fixture of the FM dial since 1982 and reaches a half-million listeners daily.

The station reaches as far south as Kingsburg and as far north as Madera — most of Fresno County.

KFSR, a non-commercial station, relies solely on listener support. Station manager Joe Moore says a majority of the donations are from the listeners, and “85 percent of the listeners are jazz listeners,�? Moore said.

Because the station primarily plays jazz music, some college students don’t find it appealing. For example, Michael Martinez, 22, a business major, has never listened to the radio station.

“I’ve never heard it,�? Martinez said. “I don’t really know for sure what they play.�?

When another Fresno State student, Joe Foster, a 20-year-old business student, was asked about the campus radio station, all he said was “what radio station?�?

“I don’t even know what radio station it is,�? Foster said.

In a recent survey, 25 random students were asked if they would listen to the station if other genres of music were played. All 25 of these students said yes.

But KFSR doesn’t just play jazz. There is a wide variety of music that gets played throughout the day.

Jazz usually has the spotlight from midnight until 6 p.m. After 6 p.m., the Evening Eclectic takes the stage and goes on until midnight.

According to the stations Web site, Evening Eclectic, which used to be called the Afternoon Eclectic, is primarily “radio, remixed.�? The station made the decision to make the switch from the afternoon to the evening, due to poor ratings.

“Everyday at noon, two-thirds of our listeners would turn the radio off,�? Moore said.

The Afternoon Eclectic targeted the younger crowd, but where was the younger crowd during this time? In class.

By making the change from afternoon to evening, the station has seen a dramatic rise in ratings for both of the jazz shows and the eclectic shows.

All genres are played during the Evening Eclectic, whether or not the artist is signed to a record label. Genres ranging from electronica to local up-and-coming rock bands are played during these slots.

“We play local artists throughout our programming,�? Moore said.

According to Moore, hundreds of CDs are sent to the station from local artists to get some air time. From there, the music staff of KFSR picks what gets played and what doesn’t.

Another thing that KFSR does is special programming, which also helps to keep the station going.

A very big upcoming show that the station is putting on is “Evening Eclectic EN VIVO!�? on March 31 at The Crossroads.

The show highlights three bands: Brazzaville, The Same Shape, and El Olio Wolof. The Same Shape and El Olio Wolof are both from the Fresno County, but Brazzaville, a rock band from Barcelona, is making one of their three U.S. pit stops right here in Fresno.

Some people might see that the station plays a lot of jazz, but what they don’t see is that the station plays everything.

In defense of smokers

I HAVE A SECRET.

I love the designated smoking sections on campus.

It isn’t even about being a smoker for me. Mostly, I just enjoy the sense of security these tiny pockets on campus offer.

Before I go on, I recognize the risks of second-hand smoke. This article is not about my own naiveté.

I am not endorsing smoking. I don’t want anyone to think I want to make it look cool.

On the contrary, I would like non-smokers to stay away from my new circle of friends.

In my three years at Fresno State, I’ve learned that there is more to this whole “learning�? thing than a redundancy of historical facts and upper-division science nonsense.

You have to learn to be comfortable with the identity you have cultivated.

For the longest time I wasn’t, and to some degree, never will be.

At my most awkward, I found myself gravitating towards these smoking sections and here’s why: these are the most accepting people in the world.

Smoking tends to make a person a social pariah; more often than not, he or she is bombarded with flurries of faux-coughing fits to prove by “wiser�? non-smokers just how dangerous their lifestyle is.

We get it. You think it’s gross. Fine. Go elsewhere. Jerks.

We’ve all read the labels on the boxes and in the advertisements. We all know what is in them.

Yet smokers smoke anyway, and that willingness to overlook something potentially unhealthy is what makes them less judgmental towards those of us who put equally unhealthy things into our bodies and into our environments.

For instance, I had a croissant last Tuesday for breakfast. And a latte.

I argue that one toxin is just as bad as another, yet my smoker friends don’t mind that I’m eating the equivalent to a stick of butter in each delicious pastry bite.

My personal favorite though: monster, lifted trucks (most frequently seen in Clovis) that get terrible gas mileage and cause yucky pollution.

Maybe less severe, but I am hard pressed to find someone willing to argue that the life choice to drive a vehicle that damages the environment is a better alternative for the collective health of everybody.

Smog is smog, folks.

And as a very clever smoker said to me the other day, after those trucks eat away at our ozone layer, the only people who will survive are cockroaches and smokers, because they are already accustomed to ingesting bad air.

Touché, I think.

It concerns me that my smoking friends will face premature aging and more noticeable wrinkles. But I also know that this is their choice, and while I can hope for the best, I ultimately trust them to do what they feel they ought to.

Just as I will indulge in hydrogenated oils in the form of French pastries, so too will my new friends and smoking strangers that I chance to meet, keep enjoying their little habit.

I don’t mind it actually. I much rather prefer it to the hustle and bustle of the student union.

At least I can hear these people articulate their words.

It’s difficult to support a community of friends that gather together to put not-so-safe chemicals into their bodies without sounding like a raging hypocrite.

And I probably will, if you’re even still reading.

Yet I will continue to contend that the pros outweigh the cons, which these new friends, in spite of whatever vice they wear on their sleeves, are still worth more to me than my own health, which as you can imagine, is questionable to begin with.

The next time you’re feeling particularly guilty for ordering Wendy’s for lunch, hop on over any number of the designated benches.

The people there really won’t care.

Support groups come in all sizes and habits, and what is bad for some, others are willing to overlook.

Consider that maybe you aren’t alone in your vice, and suddenly, the world seems like a nicer, wheezier place.

Fun and Games - 3/28/07

Puzzle solutions and comics for Wednesday, March 28, 2007.

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Letters to the Editor

AS money available to clubs

Your student government wants to give your club or organization free money to fund on-campus events. Each year Associated Students, Inc., allocates thousands of dollars to subsidize on-campus events, but these funds are consistently underutilized. This unspent money could have been put to use helping students.

So, this year, we want to buck this trend. We want to see students completely deplete the $113,000 allocated for club funding in the 2006-2007 ASI Budget.

We firmly believe that student clubs and organizations significantly benefit our campus. They are essential to ensuring a vibrant on-campus community, they provide fertile forums for students to develop leadership skills and they contribute to the rich cultural and artistic heritage of our campus.
It is imperative that ASI continues to financially support the many activities of the 215 recognized groups. To that end, we have been, and remain, very vocal advocates for using ASI money to support clubs and student activities.

But, we need you to submit more applications. Since November, it’s been easier to do this: submit the application at least three weeks in advance of the event if applying for less than $1,000; submit the application at least five weeks prior to the event for $1,000 or more.

If you are a member of a club or organization, apply for ASI funding for your next event. If you are not a member, join a club that fits your interests (check out the free list in USU 306), or found a new one. Our campus, like our nation, benefits from the proliferation of viewpoints and activities.

Time is running out. We encourage you to download a funding application from our website and submit it. We are happy to assist if you need help. For more information, please visit our Web site at http://as.csufresno.edu.

Josh McDonald and Esmeralda Santos
Associated Students

Response to Bush criticisms

Refuting Ms. Portillo’s argument that the Bush administration is censoring comments from the scientific community about global warming will be difficult considering I only have 250 words to do it in and there were numerous egregious statements.

To begin, I found it ridiculous that she would write this article when she admits that she, “cannot honestly say that I can dig up a decent argument or reason for all this.�?

Anyone can just make outlandish statements if they do not need any facts, evidence, or reasoning for coming to their conclusions. For example, World Weekly News is constantly reporting about Big Foot sightings and women who give birth to alien children.

The second major item of discord that I must address is the comment that, “our president seems a little too pre-occupied these days to be pestered by melting glaciers and ozone-related deaths.�?

Are you kidding me?

In case you have been in a cave on Mars, we have a major war on global terrorism that the United States, in conjunction with the rest of the free societies of the world, have been addressing for the past five years. Please excuse President Bush for “wasting time�? addressing this issue.

Also please forgive Bush for “shooting the breeze�? with economists as he addressed an economic recession in his first term.

Daniel J. Snider
Accounting
Senior

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