AN AIDE FOR AIDS

Monday, Dec. 1, was the 20th anniversary of World Aids Day, a day dedicated to raising awareness for a serious global epidemic, and CSULB made it known. 

Events planned throughout the week consisted of awareness discussions, information booths, and guest speakers here on campus. A mobile testing center also provided free HIV tests to students on Wednesday, Dec. 3, from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. However, if students were unable to attend, the Health Resource Center provides such tests throughout the year.

Students are urged to increase their awareness and take advantage of such services to protect themselves and others. For more information, visit the Health Resource Center's Web site.

Additional Information:

• HIV facts and stats
• Make a pledge
• Donate now

BOEING BUCKS

The Boeing Company recently donated $140,000 to CSULB, which will be put toward scholarships and student organizations in the university's colleges of: Business Administration, Education, Engineering, Liberal Arts, and Natural Sciences and Mathematics.

The donation will be divided into various amounts and distributed throughout the colleges, with $50,500 going toward the College of Engineering and $25,000 toward the College of Education. The College of Business Administration will receive $24,000 and the College of Liberal Arts will receive $21,500. Last, $19,000 will go to the College of Natural Sciences and Mathematics. The individual colleges will then decide on the distribution of money to scholarships, student societies, and other areas of focus.

Cal State Long Beach and The Boeing Company have been partners for multiple years, helping one another in many ways. Throughout the years The Boeing Company has donated an estimated $3 million to CSULB. With such contributions, CSULB will be better equipped to produce graduates capable meeting The Boeing Company's needs. 

DISABLED STUDENTS MAKE CONNECTIONS AND FRIENDS

Making Connections, Making Friends is a new program the Disabled Student Services Center will be introducing next semester. The program will allow old CSULB students to connect with newer ones, helping them adjust to life on campus.

The 1,200 students currently enrolled in the program will be assigned a partner with whom they will keep in contact with at least once a week. In addition, mixers will be organized for members of the program to meet one another and share their experiences. 

To pick up an application or inquire about volunteering, visit the DSS Center in Brotman Hall in Room 207. For more information on the Disabled Student Services Center and what services they offer, visit the DSS Center's Web site. If you would like to make a donation to the program, click here.

WHAT ABOUT THE SHAKE OUT?

Thursday, Nov. 13, marked the largest earthquake drill in American history. However, while millions of southern Californians participated in the Shake Out, CSULB did not. This may seem like an odd decision for a school located directly above the Inglewood-Newport fault line, but Cal State Long Beach has other preparedness plans.

Rather than participating in the Shake Out drill, Cal State Long Beach is now a part of the Golden Guardian Statewide Exercise series instead. According to the Governor's Office of Homeland Security Web site, "Golden Guardian is an ongoing annual event, comprised of a series of seminars, discussion based table top exercise and drills, culminating in a full scale exercise designed to test the emergency capabilities of the State of California to deter, prevent, respond and recover from a potential terrorist attack or catastrophic natural disaster."

Students may not have participated in a drill, but school officials and the University Police have been conducting internal assessments to ensure the safety of students and faculty. To learn more about CSULB's emergency preparedness plans, click here.

For more information on the Shake Out drill or to learnmore about earthquake preparedness, visit the Shake Out Web site or watch the video below.

23RD ANNUAL KOI AUCTION

Sunday, Nov. 16, marks CSULB's 23rd annual Koi Auction in the Earl Burns Miller Japanese Garden here at Cal State Long Beach. Members of the Zen Nippon Airinkai Koi Club of Southern California will auction the fish to community members and koi enthusiasts. Experts will also be present to answer questions.

"At first I thought it was kind of a weird idea," said Wendy Bablot, CSULB alum. "But then my parents told me they got the koi in our backyard from one of these auctions!"

The auction will begin at 11:30 a.m. and end at 3 p.m. Admission is $5 for adults and $4 for seniors. Children 12 and younger receive free admission. Ticket and auction proceeds will go to the Miller Japanese Garden, Cal State Long Beach, and the Zen Nippon Airinkai Koi Club.

[koi photo courtesy of www.pondandaquaticdetails.com; garden photo coutresy of csulb.edu]

VETERANS DAY MEANS MORE THAN AN EMPTY SCHOOL

Today is Veterans Day and for Cal State Long Beach students, school is the last thing on their minds. But then what exactly is on their minds? Having an extra night (or day) or partying? Getting the chance to sleep in until noon? Realizing the first opportunity of the semester to not feel guilty for ditching?

These days many CSULB students are aware of the fight and dedication required to keep our country safe and free. Some may even have participated in the effort to do so. Regardless, many students simply accept Veterans Day as a day off of school, but fail to realize what it really means.

Originally called Armistice Day, after the signing of the armistice that ended World War I, this day was designated a legal holiday "dedicated to the cause of world peace" (52 Stat. 351; 5 U.S. Code, Sec 87a). It wasn't until 1954 when President Dwight Eisenhower signed a bill into law changing "Armistice" to Veterans", and the celebration to honor all veterans, regardless of which wars or battles (if any) they fought.

• SEND AN E-CARD TO THE TROOPS VIA XEROX
• INSPIRATIONAL OPINION ARTICLE
• THE HISTORY OF VETERANS DAY
• MAKE A DONATION

CAMPUS-WIDE FOOD DRIVE

CSULB's Center for Behavioral Research and Services is holding it's second annual holiday food drive. The event begins today, Nov. 3, and will continue until Nov. 24. 

Students are encouraged to bring canned foods, non-perishable food items, and individually packaged goods to the orange donation boxes located around campus. These boxes may be found at the following locations:

• CSULB FOUNDATION - Administrative Office - Foundation Building, Suite 332
• ACADEMIC AFFAIRS - Brotman Hall, Room 303
• UNIVERSITY LIBRARY - Main Lobby
• COLLEGE OF BUSINESS - CBA 200
• COLLEGE OF EDUCATION - ED1 5
• COLLEGE OF ENGINEERING - ECS 616 and VEC 104
• COLLEGE OF LIBERAL ARTS - MHB Lobby
• COLLEGE OF NATURAL SCIENCES AND MATHEMATICS - FO5 - 104
• UNIVERSITY COLLEGE AND EXTENSION SERVICES - Foundation Building, Suite 104 and Suite 207
• OSHER LIFELONG LEARNING INSTITUTE - HSD - 101
• KKJZ FM 88.1 - FO1
• CARPENTER PERFORMING ARTS CENTER - Main Lobby
• DINING SERVICE - The Nugget, University Dining Plaza
• FORTY-NINER SHOPS - Art Store FA - 3, Bookstore Main Entrance, The Beach on 2nd Street
• CHILD WELFARE TRAINING CENTER - Foundation Building, Suite 180
• ASSOCIATED STUDENTS/UNIVERSITY STUDENT UNION - 1st Floor (Mall area), 2nd Floor (at Information Booth), 3rd Floor (Room 312, Maxson Center)
• 49ER ATHLETICS ADMINISTRATIVE OFFICE - Pyramid Annex

Clothing items are also welcome as donations.

With the holidays close and many individuals and families finding themselves in a time of need as a result of the current state of the economy, students are encouraged to participate. 

UNIVERSITY POLICE OPEN HOUSE

CSULB's University Police hosted an Open House near the Maxson Plaza Fountain on Thursday, Oct. 23. The event was held from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. Students and staff were welcome to meet campus security and the new Chief of Police, Stan Skipworth, as well as learn about the various security services on campus.

One topic of discussion was the new Connect-Ed emergency notification system.  "We saw that our opportunity to utilize an ENS system to communicate with our student body, faculty, and staff on an immediate basis in response to an emergency was really going to be a critical component to our overall preparedness in emergency situations," said Skipworth.

"With thousands of students attending such a large campus, it is important to be 

aware of the emergency services available," said Greg Pascal, communications and information safety manager for University Police.  The event not only allowed students to attend department tours, but also allowed them to meet those monitoring their safety daily.

[photos by Lisa Strachan]

BECAUSE SCHOOL CAN'T BE BE A DRAG ALL THE TIME...

CSULB and organization Tag The World hosted the first ever Celebrity Slam basketball game on Oct. 16. Players included actors from hit TV shows and movies raising money for charities supporting Africa, animals, cancer, children, and the environment.

The game was delayed 30 minutes, starting at 8:30 p.m., as some of the participants were stuck in traffic. Once everyone arrived, the celebrities were divided into the white team and the silver team. The silver team won the game 65-59. Business major, Tim Shin said, "The game was fun, but the only somewhat legit and recognizable person was Frankie from 'The Hills'." 

However, the event offered more than just the game. The CSULB dance team performed and Frankie Delgado of "The Hills" competed in a dance-off with Michael Copon of "One Tree Hill", earning applause and laughter from the crowd. 

Overall, the event had a turn-out of around 1,000 people and, according to the Daily49er, Robert Parks-Vellata, creator of Tag The World, hopes to hold another Celebrity Slam next year.

[photo by Nancy Luong]

EMERGENCY PREPAREDNESS

Cal State Long Beach has utilized the Connect-Ed emergency notification system, allowing the University to send information and instructions via home phone, cell phone, or e-mail in the event of a crisis. On Oct. 9, 2008 a campus-wide fire drill was held in which many students, faculty, and staff received automated phone calls or text messages from this program.

However, upon leaving my classroom, I couldn't help but notice the number of students seemingly oblivious to what was going on around them. Of course it was only a drill, but I found myself wondering how many of these students would know what to do in the event of a real emergency.

CSULB has an extensive Emergency Operations Plan determined to keep students and staff safe as well as to coordinate and manage resources in the event of a disaster. The plan describes events such as medical emergencies, crimes in progress, and potential hazards or threats to the campus. To learn more about this plan, visit CSULB'S emergency website.

SEYMOUR HERSH TO SPEAK AT CSULB DISTINGUISHED SPEAKER SERIES

Pulitzer-Prize winning journalist, Seymour Hersh will give the keynote address at this year's CSULB Distinguished Speaker Series. The event will take place at the Carpenter Performing Arts Center on Wednesday, Oct. 15, at 2 p.m.

Hersh will address issues mentioned in his book Chain of Command: The Road from 9/11 to Abu Ghraib among other important topics pertaining to the world today. Knowing his history as an investigative journalist focusing on such topics as politics, the government, and national security, CSULB business-finance student, Andy Herzfeld, said, "I am definitely interested to see what [Hersh] has to say about the current state of America."

Reserved seating tickets are $40 and, if available, day-of-event tickets will be $45. To purchase tickets, visit the Carpenter Performing Arts Center's website or call (562)985-7000.  

(photo courtesy of http://dailyheadlines.uark.edu)

EXPERTS DISCUSS THE FINANCIAL CRISIS

Lately it has been difficult to pick up a newspaper or turn on the TV without hearing about the downfall of the economy. With the current financial crisis, housing prices are crashing, lending standards are soaring, and the economy as a whole has slowed down.  

Being a part of such a deep recession in the United States, it is important to be informed and aware of what is happening. This Wednesday, Oct. 8, 2008, a panel of experts will help you do just that. The panel will meet from 12 - 1:30 p.m. at the Pointe to discuss such things as what the $700 billion bailout means, the cause of the crisis, and the effects of each on our country.

For more information, a list of panelists scheduled to participate, and additional resources pertaining to the current economic situation, visit the College of Business Administration's website.  

BEACH'S NEW ADDITION

For students interested in studying abroad or simply traveling in general, things just got much easier. CSULB just opened a U.S. Passport Application Acceptance Facility right here on campus on Sept. 25, 2008. This new office, located in the Career Development Center, will provide passport services to students, faculty, staff, and community members.

The idea was first proposed in the mid-1990s by Douglas Robinson, vice president for student services. According to Manuel Perez, director of the Career Development Center, "The whole idea that Dr. Robinson had was that this campus is known for its international programs and we have become a global society; today's workers and in the future need to be able to work all over the world."

The new office will be open Mondays and Wednesdays from 2-6 p.m. and Tuesdays and Thursdays from 11-3 p.m. For additional information, or to make an appointment, you may visit the passport office's website or contact them at (562) 985-7790.

THE INCONVENIENCE OF PARKING.

When someone pays $123 for a parking permit, they normally expect a place to park. However, many students have been driving to school lately, only to find out this is not the case. "Parking is worse this year than any other year I've been on campus," said Brandon Ward, a junior at CSULB.  

However, although the parking lots are crowded and the meters expensive, Cal State Long Beach is making an effort to alleviate the stresses for students. A carpool matchlist has been available in which students may contact others in their area to coordinate rides. Furthermore, students, faculty, and staff may ride any Long Beach Transit bus for free with the presentation of their CSULB ID card (click here for frequently asked questions).  

For more information regarding parking at CSULB, the Visitor Information Center is located on Beach Drive and may be reached at (562) 985-8442.

WELCOME TO "CSULB NEWS" ...

In today's day and age, it is easy to find yourself uninformed. With non-stop classes, a busy work schedule, and that never-ending commute, who has time for the news? However, the campus of Cal State Long Beach is just as busy as you.

My goal is to provide an overview of general news around campus all in one quick, accessible blog. Rather than focusing on a specific topic, I will be informing my readers of issues directly related to them, the students. Posts will cover topics ranging from events on campus to increases in tuition to the stresses caused by the recent construction and parking hassles.

Instead of searching the internet or adding a newspaper to your pile of textbooks to carry, this blog will provide up-to-date, weekly posts of important news and events going on around you.