Tuesday

March 24, 1998

Volunteers reach out to community

By HORNET STAFF

Some cleaned classrooms, some pulled weeds, some built fences and some organized Native American literature.

Making history for CSUS, an estimated 380 students, faculty, staff and community members joined together for the first annual Associated Students Inc. Community Service Day Saturday.

Work crews from ASI, campus clubs, sports teams, other school organizations and campus administration split up to donate their time at sites throughout Sacramento.

Places that benefited included the Asian Resource Center, Habitat for Humanity, McClatchy High School, Sacramento County, San Juan Unified School District, YWCA and the CSUS Community Gardens.

After working hard all morning, everyone relaxed in the quad in front of the Pub at a barbecue DJ'd by The Apex. ASI president Sandy Schlemmer thanked Sarah Dillingham, Community Service Day coordinator, and Carmen Gonzalez for organizing the event.

Student loan rates may lower

By JENNIFER COLEMAN
SENIOR STAFF WRITER

College students may be saving money on student loans next year, thanks to a drop in interest rates, but the rates may not drop as low as scheduled.

The House Committee on Education and the Workforce reached a compromise in the clash between students and bankers Wednesday, passing amendments to the Higher Education Reauthorization Act of 1997 that set the interest rate for student loans at 7.43 percent.

The new rate is lower than the current rate of 8.75 percent, but higher than the original 6.86 percent enacted by the law.

Financial institutions, which loan 70 percent of the money for student loans, threatened to pull out of the student loan program if rates fell to the scheduled 6.86 percent, prompting Congress to negotiate the new rate.

"We're happy with the compromise because it offers students a 0.8 percent reduction in loan rates," said Erica Adelsheimer, legislative director for the U.S. Student Association. "I wouldn't say the banks are 100 percent happy."

Adelsheimer and other members of USSA were involved in negotiating the new loan rate. The compromise asks banks to absorb a fiscal loss, she said.

According to Adelsheimer, the new rate will save college students billions of dollars in interest over the life of their loans.

"For an average student who graduates with $15,000 in loan debt, there will be a savings of $1,000 over the 10-year repayment period," she said, adding that a graduate student who leaves college with $80,000 in loans to repay will save over $10,000.

Other amendments to the bill include an increase in the maximum Pell Grant awards to $4,500 for the 1999-2000 academic year. This award will increase until 2003, capping at $5,300.

Student loans may also be waived for the final two years of undergraduate studies for graduates who go into teaching in high poverty areas.

Student financial aid could be eliminated for convicted drug felons. This is the second time this amendment has been proposed by the committee; it was dropped during the 1992 Reauthorization of the Higher Education Act.

The bill is now set to hit to the floor of the House in April.

"Students need to contact the budget committees to let them know that they need to ensure students do get the lower interest rates," Adelsheimer said.

If passed by the House, the bill must be appoved by the Senate and signed by President Clinton.

Grease fire sparks Union evacuation

By LAURIE SPENCER
HORNET COPY EDITOR

The University Union was partially evacuated Saturday after sparks from a saw ignited grease in the ventilation system.

Students and staff filed out of the union as fire engines arrived and black smoke came from the duct on the roof.

The fire apparently started when workers from Pro-Metals cut through the vents in the old Hornets' Nest to remove them, according to Ed Vasques, the Sacramento Fire Department battalion chief.

Sparks from the saw ignited the grease accumulated in the duct.

"The only damage was to the vent system, and since it was being removed, this will be a negative loss," said Vasques. "There was some water on the floors and walls, but because it is tiled, this required only minor clean-up."

A construction crew member from Pro-Metals called the fire department at about 11 a.m. Three engines and two trucks responded to the 911 call.

The construction worker said the incident was "actually very minor and the crew handled the situation."

The fire department was only brought in because of the smoke and the fact that people might have panicked, the construction worker said.

The fire occurred in a bend of a duct designed to carry smoke and fumes from the kitchen area to the roof. The construction crew was aware of the fire hazard caused by the combination of grease and sparks from the saw.

"All of these types of vents are like that," said the crew member. "All you can do is cut through them. The ducts are made to withstand fire and contain it within the vent."

Deputy State Fire Marshall Jeff Dragila sent an investigator to the site Monday morning. He found no evidence of danger and said the situation was handled effectively.

"The duct shaft performed the way it was supposed to by containing the fire," Dragila said. "The fire department was called, but they didn't use any water. They evaluated it and decided to just let it burn out."

According to Dragila, the grease burned up in about 15 minutes.

"There was a lot of black smoke, but apparently it was just the grease burning off, so we got lucky," said campus police officer W.B. Gnagy, who was on hand to control traffic while State University Drive East was blocked by the engines.

According to Don Hinde, director of the University Union, the ducts are cleaned every two months and had last been cleaned Feb. 5. Dragila said there was no reason the construction crews should have cleaned the grease out of the ducts before sawing them.

The University Union has a manual fire alarm system. Because the fire was so small, contractors decided not to activate it, said Dragila.

"Evacuations were really slow. There was no alarm and people just found out about the fire by word of mouth," said Yvonne Casiano, who works in the Union Store.

Rebecca Dietzler, the weekend and night manager of the Union, said she was "unaware there was even any work happening in the kitchen area, but it is not unusual with all of the construction going on."

The University Union expansion and modification project has been under construction since fall 1996 and is scheduled to be completed by late June 1998. The fire should have no effect on the completion date.

Jennifer Baldwin also contributed to this report.

Four days left to file for ASI, 17 slots open

As of Friday, candidates have filed for only five of the 17 student-elected positions available in this spring's election.

Although students have until March 27 to file for candidacy with Student Activities, current turnout has been low.

"There are a lot of positions with no one running at this time," said Lou Camera, of Student Activities. "I think student interest may be elsewhere."

Lupe Lopez of Student Affairs, who has worked on the elections since 1991, said the number of persons running for Associated Students Inc. positions has declined in recent years.

"I was a little disappointed we do not have someone to fill every position," she said.

Last spring ballot only offered voters candidates for 12 of the 17 positions.

Camera said he believed serving on student government is an excellent educational opportunity for students.

"It's a wonderful experience that can't be beat," he said.

Applications for position on the ASI Board of Directors, the University Union Board and the State Hornet Publication Board are available to students in the student activities office.

Devin Cook, the current ASI director for postbaccalaureate, announced last week he was pulling out of his campaign for executive vice president -- to instead run for executive vice president for finance.

Cook said he did not want to campaign against fellow candidate Jennifer Helms for executive vice president on the grounds that only one of them be able to earn a spot on the board.

"Basically it was a lose-lose situation," Cook said. "If I won, she lost. If she won, I lost. Either way, students would be out."

Another candidate, Victor Som, has entered the race for president. He was unavailable for comment at press time.

Also, remember letters to the editor by candidates should be no longer than 250 words.The State Hornet reserves the right to edit all letters to the editor for space.

Sociologist brings insight from Iraq

A good teacher is like a good leader, in that both should be willing to listen.

Such is the philosophy of sociology professor Ayad Al-Quazzaz, who has plenty to say on the subject.

Al-Quazzaz -- who has taught courses in the sociology department at CSUS since 1969 -- is an expert on the Middle East, and has commented on the recent crisis with Iraq on the local news.

Regarding leadership, Al-Quazzaz said diplomacy differs from dictatorship, contrary to the definitions of President Clinton.

"Dictatorship is either do this or else," said Al-Quazzaz, who thinks the United States government needs to be more flexible and willing to listen. "The Iraqi government would love to have a dialogue."

Al-Quazzaz said it is the Iraqi people who are suffering through the current United Nations sanctions, not Saddam Hussein. According to Al-Quazzaz, U.N. reports indicate that 5,000 Iraqi children die every month due to a scarcity of food, clean water and lack of medicine.

The Iraqi dilemma is not going to go away, said Al-Quazzaz, and it is important to continue to have dialogue on the issue. Now is a good time to reflect on how the crisis was handled and figure how to better meet future conflicts.

Although outspoken, Al-Quazzaz does not seek the spotlight for his philosophies. In fact, in the past he has had problems when dealing with the public. He said he is often misinterpreted; during the 1991 Gulf War the FBI made visits to him several times. "I am anti-war, but not anti-American," Al-Quazzaz says. "Saddam is a butcher and a dictator. I have no problem with that. But he is not the only one on earth."

Al-Quazzaz was born in Bhagdad, Iraq in 1941 to illiterate parents. He obtained an undergraduate degree in sociology at the University of Iraq before attending UC Berkeley in 1963 for a master's in sociology.

Al-Quazzaz said he chose to study sociology while reading a book by Ali-Wardi, an Iraqi sociology professor who taught at the University of Texas.

According to Al-Quazzaz, an educational institution is a place where ideas are open to discussion. When there is a national crisis, he thinks it is important for CSUS students to have a forum for open debate.

He said that whenever there is an important issue occurring in the world, Associated Students Inc. should host a panel discussion as a forum offering alternative information to what is offered through the mass media. But students must initiate this process, he said.

Al-Quazzaz is concerned about the media's role in portraying important issues. The media is quite biased, not often digging beyond the portrayal of cultural stereotypes, he said.

In regard to teaching, Al-Quazzaz understands the various demands students have on their time -- and has altered his teaching style to accommodate his students.

"Most students have the demands of three full-time roles: as parents, students and employees," he said.

Al-Quazzaz said his courses are an appetizer on a given subject -- it is up to the students whether they take extra time to research topics further.

In his classes, Al-Quazzaz emphasizes student participation -- an important distinction between attending class and staying home to learning from books.

"The act of connecting is an act of empowerment," said Al-Quazzaz, who encourages questions and active listening.

According to Al-Quazzaz, students can do three things in their quest for more information:

• Use alternatives to mass media, including small newspapers or journals.
• Take the time to know the subject matter.
• Attend workshops and panel discussions when they are offered.

Al-Quazzaz has always wanted to teach and hopes to bring a unique perspective to CSUS.

"Teaching is a calling, not a job. It is a continuous process when you wake up; it is a part of you," he said.

Local schools benefit from campus computer donation

Thanks to CSUS' decision to part with two late-model computers, a kindergarten class in the San Juan Unified School District now has a mini computer lab.

The two computers, which are no longer useful to CSUS, were turned over to Dyer-Kelly Elementary in the Arden-Arcade area in November.

Kelly Burns, a second grade teacher at Dyer-Kelly and the school's technology curriculum coordinator, networked the two computers with a third to form the lab for the school's kindergarten class.

"It's a mini computer lab in a kindergarten, which is a really good time to introduce them to computers," Burns said.

Dyer-Kelly's kindergarten lab is primarily used to teach letters and numbers and is used for every learning level.

Both computer transfers were the result of CSUS replacing old computer equipment in the mathematics and statistics department in the School of Natural Sciences and Mathematics.

Mathematics department Chair Wallace Etterbeek said the department wanted to upgrade faculty computers to allow them Internet access from their offices. The deparTment then turned the old computers over to the university as surplus.

"Whenever there are new computers for upgrades, we look around to see if there are other uses for them," said Marion O'Leary, dean of the School of Natural Sciences and Mathematics. "It's part of being good neighbors."

When CSUS gives the computers to an elementary school, it is not considered a donation -- since these computers are going from one state-supported system to another. Whenever the computers cannot be used on campus, Support Services looks for a tax-supported agency outside the university that needs the equipment.

Support Services will soon be transferring 15 additional Macintosh computers to Oak Ridge Elementary in south Sacramento.

"We're very excited to have them," said Debra Roden, Oak Ridge's principal. Burns shares Roden's enthusiasm.

"Computer donations are very rare," Burns said. "We really get clothes and food."

Oak Ridge plans on setting up 13 Macintosh IIsi machines, one Quadra 800 and one Macintosh IIx, in separate classrooms. The Quadra 800 is the newest computer in the group, but was last sold four years ago. A Hewlett-Packard DeskWriter 520 is part of the package as well.

The 15 computers transferred to Oak Ridge will be the first ones this year, said CSUS property supervisor Tomas Lopez. Contingent to each transfer is CSUS receiving new computers to free up older machines.

Nancy J. Poxon, a retired CSUS mathematics professor, came into contact with Dyer-Kelly through her church.

"The children of today need to be computer literate as soon as possible," Poxon said. "The computers aren't the newest, but it gets them on the way."

News Briefs

Forum focuses on global trade

"Economic Globalization: Is Your Economic Opportunity Being Traded?" will focus on the effect of new and proposed trade policies on people throughout the world. Speakers include Victor Menotti, program director for the International Forum on Globalization; Anaradha Mittal, policy director for the Food First Institute; and a representative from the office of Congressman Robert Matsui, D-Sacramento.

Proposed trade policies such as the Multi-Lateral Agreement on Investment should evoke concern throughout the world, said CSUS social work professor Arline Prigoff.

New trade policies give rights to transnational organizations and investors, but the responsibilities are given to the governments.

"Foreign investors can come in and buy out whole economies," Prigoff said. "It's taking any kind of control away from local communities."

The forum is sponsored by the CSUS division of social work, ethnic studies and the Bertha Capen Reynolds Society of Sacramento. It is funded by the Visiting Scholars Program of CSUS.

-- Jennifer Baldwin

Workshop for graduate students

The workshop -- which is designed to help graduate students enhance their skills in research and writing, as well as fine-tune their ability to criticize and collaborate -- will run from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.

To register for the workshop, students should call the Center for Teaching and Learning at 278-5945 or e-mail the center at fdrc@csus.edu. with the following information: name, phone number, e-mail address, major, number of units completed in MA program and whether they have begun work on a thesis.

-- Melissa Jones

Hornet seeks editor applicants

Application packages must be received no later than 5 p.m. April 13. Finalists will be interviewed April 17 by the Hornet Publications Board.

Send cover letter, resume and clips to: Jennifer Williams, Hornet adviser, 6000 J St., Bldg. T-GG, Sacramento 95819-6102. Call Williams at 278-5317 for application form and more information.

-- Hornet staff

Hornet gets computer back

"A citizen contacted us and told us he had met someone at a coffee house in downtown Sacramento," said investigator John Hamrick. "He brought him the central processing unit (of a Macintosh) and asked if it could be fixed and sold."

When the informant took the computer home and booted it up, he noticed there were graphics files from the State Hornet. He then called the university to see if the campus newspaper was missing a computer.

"We had two possible suspects in mind," Hamrick said. "Our informant looked at photographs, but could not pick out who gave him the computer."

The thief apparently removed a 10-inch-wide window from the State Hornet office, ripped off the security device and slipped the computer out of the building, leaving the monitor behind. Campus police dusted both for fingerprints, but did not come up with any new leads.

"The investigation is still open, but we are not actively pursuing leads," Hamrick said.

-- Jennifer Baldwin