Friday

May 15, 1998

It will take nine hours of puppets, cuisine, music, champagne toasts and dancing to celebrate CSUS' half-century milestone.

Tomorrow night's Gala, being held at the Memorial Auditorium downtown, will cap the year-long golden birthday extravaganza.

Between 5 and 6:30 p.m., students, faculty, administration, alumni and community members are invited to dine at their favorite local restaurants, in which will donate 10 to 50 percent of the cost of the meals to CSUS.

As a special birthday gift, nearly $50 million has been given to the university through CSUS' capital campaign over the past five years. Half of the 30,000 donors are alumni. Even faculty and staff gave at the office.

CSUS officials said the money is being used for campus-wide improvements, such as new lighting in the theater and the music department's two new electronic labs.

CSUS is getting prettier too. New sculptures -- popping up all around campus -- and the memorial rose garden add distinction and grace to the university.

Alumnus and Stockton developer Alex Spanos' gift of $1 million is getting the CSUS track ready for the Olympic track and field trials.

Donations have also led to an increase in scholarships.

Chaired by developer Angelo Tsakopolous and Sacramento County Supervisor Muriel Johnson, the campaign should reach the $50-million mark by June 30.

Tickets for Saturday's Gala can be purchased at the ASI Ticket Window, the University Theatre Box Office, or by calling 278-6989.

Skydiving contract under scrutiny

Following the recent death of a CSUS student during a skydiving accident, Peak Adventures, the on-campus recreation service, is reconsidering its involvement with the skydiving company, Sky Dance.

The director of Peak Adventures, Kathy Robertson, said despite the accident, Sky Dance -- a Davis-based company -- has a good safety record. The last fatality with the company occurred in 1989.

"If you go skydiving, you know there's risk involved. That's why people do it; people die hiking, but we still go on day hikes," Robertson said. According to Robertson, all groups that sub-contract to handle tours with Peak Adventures are thoroughly checked to make sure they are reputable and have a good safety record.

"When we take students out hiking or rock climbing, we're in control," Robertson said. "When we go through another company, we relinquish the control to them." Sky-diving classes arranged through Peak Adventures are continuing for now, but Robertson said they are considering alternatives in the future.

"We're unsure what we're going to do, even though students want to do it," she said. "When we ask them what activities they want us to handle, it's always the riskiest things, like skydiving," said Robertson.

Robertson estimated about 20 students sign up each year for skydiving instructions through Peak Adventures. One such trip was planned for the day after the accident, she said. "We called all the parties and gave them the chance to back out and two people decided not to go," Robertson said.

Sky Dance instructor Seth Blake, 28, and his student Stephanie Cotter, 26, died April 18 on a tandem jump when their chute failed to open.

Toxicology tests later found alcohol and marijuana in the instructor's blood, but Yolo County officials have classified the deaths as an accident.

According to reports from the U.S. Sky Diving Association, 32 people died nationwide last year while skydiving -- which represents approximately one death for every 100,000 jumps.

ASI tacks on surcharge to IRA programs

Associated Students Inc. will now charge four campus programs -- funded in part by Instructionally Related Activities -- a 6 percent overhead on all non-IRA funds for administrative costs.

Theatre Arts, Music, the State Hornet and Jazzee -- the campus jazz dance troupe -- will be affected by this decision, approved as part of ASI's $6.3 million 1998/99 budget passed Wednesday.

ASI acts as fiscal administrator for IRA-funded programs, said Scott Taylor, ASI controller and finance and budget committee member. The university already charges programs a 6 percent overhead on IRA funds.

"When we cut a check for music, it costs money to cut that check. ASI can no longer afford to subsidize university programs without recovering administrative costs," Taylor said.

The hardest hit will be the State Hornet, which derives only about 10 percent of its $240,000 budget from IRA funds. Theatre Arts, with a budget of about $80,000, and Music, with about $100,000, receive over half their budgets from IRA. Jazzee brings in only a couple hundred dollars of revenue on top of its $3,500 IRA grant.

The 6 percent will only be charged to programs that receive IRA funds. No clubs or ASI grant recipients will be charged the fee, said Taylor.

Because this surcharge is a new fee, ASI has adopted a policy that will allow affected organizations to apply for a fee waiver for the first year. According to the guidelines adopted Wednesday, the waiver can be granted if a program can show hardship and additional dollars are available elsewhere.

Dean Busick, Chair of the theatre arts department, , plans to apply for the fee waiver.

"I can understand because they have to cover the costs of accounting services. But on the other hand it's going to take a big chunk out of our revenue," Busick said. "We do not wish to raise ticket prices."

ASI administrative costs range from salary and insurance for employees, to cutting checks, making deposits, buying change rolls, check stock, clearing checks and buying envelopes and stamps.

"Chances are the 6-percent charge is probably low for a company the size of ASI," Taylor said.

Whether IRA-funded programs are mandated by the university to use ASI as their fiscal administrator is something the programs could research, said Jon Self, university interim vice president for finance. Switching to the university for accounting services might save the programs money.

"If we handled the IRA programs, we would have to charge something. But I don't know if it would be the full 6 percent. It's the economy of scale -- were are bigger than ASI," Self said.

According to Self, athletics is the one program receiving IRA funds that uses the university for its fiscal administration. Of its $5 million budget, athletics receives about $100,000 from IRA.

"Most of their money is general fund money and we can't charge overhead on that. The general fund must remain under university control," Self said.

Self is planning to research why the IRA-funded programs use ASI for their bookkeeping and services.

"The university used to do it all. We're not sure why that ever changed. I want to find out the rationale for switching the programs to ASI."

University Archives is campus treasure

Need a 1967 copy of the State Hornet? Want to research the campus' tumultuous history? University Archives is where it's at.

Located on the south side of the Library, University Archives holds a complete microfiche set of the State Hornet, hard copies of administrative memorandums, building plans, photographs and a variety of special collections.

"Our role is to collect and preserve the history of the university and make it accessible to researchers, media, students and faculty," said university archivist Georgiana White.

As she talks, student assistants remove photographs from a tall, dark-gray display board. The photographs are part of the university's Japanese-American collection.

"It reflects the history from immigration to the present," she said. "The significant thing about it is the internment, how it came about. The town of Florin disappeared because of internment. It was a thriving community."

According to White, the collection is used to discuss Constitutional issues involving racism and citizenship. While it deals with one specific ethnic group, White said the collection covers a broad curriculum.

The papers of Phil Isenberg are stored in University Archives. Isenberg is a former assemblyman, former mayor of Sacramento, CSUS alumnus and part-time instructor.

University Archives also houses the papers of John Moss, the congressman who authored the Freedom of Information Act. Moss represented Sacramento in what is now Robert Matsui's seat.

"For all citizens, it was really an important legislative act," White said.

The law allows journalists and researchers alike to request any records from the executive branch of the federal government not considered dangerous to national security, including films, photographs, sound recordings and computer tapes. The act passed Congress in 1966.

"(Moss) was also involved in a lot of California water issues. He was the first congressman to come out and say we were headed the wrong way with the Vietnam conflict," White said.

Managing the university's history, as well as the local region, is not without its problems.

"What's very scary for us is the amount of material being placed on the network and not getting a hard copy. I could devote a full-time staff member to downloading new material," White said. "That's going to be a problem for all archivists."

Specifically, White mentions departmental e-mail and Web-based documents. She said unless they get a hard copy or print out a copy immediately, there is a great likelihood that in a few years, such material will be unreadable.

"People want to rush into technology and digitize collections. We're trying to move with technology, but we have to explain that in some cases, we need to stay with tried and true methods," she said. "Today's file formats might not be there in five years."

White said she would like a new copy machine and microfiche reader. The microfiche was a hand-me-down, while the copy machine sits on a tabletop. She said it is inadequate for high-volume student use.

But Archives carries on, working with all elements of the campus community. White said departments approach archives to design brochures, view older publications and select historic photographs to place on new material.

Classes such as Women in the Mass Media use the oral histories of women journalists stored by Archives since the 1920s.

"We are not just making things accessible, but collecting at the same time," White said.

ASI approves 1998-99 budget

Between congratulations and good-byes, the Associated Students Inc. Board of Directors approved a $6.3 million 1998/99 budget without dissent Wednesday. The board also voted down a proposal to raise stipends for board members.

Upon approval of the budget, Vice President of Finance Dawn Nozicka threw her hands up and shouted, "Yes!"

Nozicka, chair of the Finance and Budget Committee, has been working on the budget for most of the year.

"I'm really pleased with the budget. It looks really good," said Tim Sbranti, director for education.

The budget will include funding for KSSU, the Apex, marking the return of the student-run radio station as an ASI-supported program.

Following the budget's approval, Vice President for University Affairs Brian Cooley described his proposal to raise stipends for directors by $25 and executive positions by $50.

"I want to be in with other CSU campuses and to attract more people to run for office," Cooley said.

But other board members quickly shot down the measure, citing a lack of authority in the ASI by-laws to unilaterally approve a pay increase.

"I don't think it's in our purview to be raising stipends," said ASI president Sandra Schlemmer. "We are not following the proper procedures."

The proposal would need to be presented to the appellate committee for research other CSU's officers and their responsibilities, Schlemer said.

Greek charity: A year-round event

Greeks do more than play softball and party during Greek Week; they raise money for area charities.

The Giving Tree, an organization that promotes children's literacy, was this year's charity.

"The spirit is so intense," said Michelle Smith, Panhellenic president and Alpha Chi Omega member. "The Greek system comes together for a week and it exemplifies what we're all about."

But Greeks do not limit their charitable work to only one week a year. In the 1997-98 academic year the myriad sororities and fraternities consistently volunteered to help better the Sacramento community.

In the fall, sororities like Gamma Phi Beta organized events that raised considerable funds for charity. They attracted other Greek clubs to offer generous contributions as well.

"What we do is have an annual soccer tournament, usually in the fall," said Gamma Phi Beta treasurer, Jamie MaGriff. "We provide a barbecue and invite other sororities and fraternities to compete for a $50 fee."

Giving between the Greek societies is reciprocal. They help each other raise more money for other charities, she said.

"I budget for other fraternities and sororities to help give to their philanthropies," said MaGriff. "Any time we have extra money we have a chapter vote to see what we can offer."

Nationally, Gamma Phi Beta supports Camp Sea Shells, which offers outdoor activities in the Canadian wilderness to underprivileged girls.

Locally, the Stanford Home for Children receivies monetary donations and personal time from the members of the sorority.

"For the girls of Stanford Home, we spend quality time with them like a Big Sister kind of thing," said MaGriff.

Volunteering is also part of many of the fraterneties on campus who offer their time to help charitable organizations in the community.

Brian Cooley, a Sigma Chi fraternity member, oversees operations at Mall Hall. Located at Florin Mall, the educational program provides high school students a chance to work with computers donated by Hewlett-Packard.

Cooley said the center acts like a library, providing help for students.

"I think it is a good resource center for this area," he said.

In the fall, Sigma Chi brothers present Derby Days, one of the campus' larger philanthropic events. The week-long event caters to campus sororities as they compete to retrieve derby caps. A talent show caps off a week highlighted with the presentation of a generous check to the Children's Miracle Network, Sigma Chi's charity.

"We raised $1800 in a week's time for the Sacramento chapter of the CMN," Cooley said.

In all, CSUS Greeks raised $12,000 for charities and philanthropies over the '97-'98 academic year.

"What it does is help put CSUS in a good light, which helps unify the student body," said Cooley. "It's a testament that Sac State students do care and give back as contributors to the community."

Grade postings may violate federal law

Professors who post students' grades -- using their Social Security numbers for identification -- are in violation of federal law.

Professors at Boston University were recently prevented from posting students' grades referenced by identification numbers -- usually part of the student's Social Security numbers -- because they were in violation of the 1974 Family Rights and Privacy Act, or FERPA.

Under the FERPA, universities may not release private information about a student, such as their Social Security number, without the student's permission.

At CSUS, Social Security numbers are used throughout the campus to identify students.

The numbers are used for admissions and when signing on to a computer lab. The computer service department can track a lab station's user by Social Security number in the event of damage or criminal activity. Under certain circumstances a student may request their Social Security numbers not be used for identification.

"Everyone these days is concerned about SSN and privacy, so it couldn't hurt to remind faculty that posting grades by full SSN is a violation of FERPA," said Donna Selnick, legal counsel for CSUS.

Selnick explained the faculty often finds itself in a dilemma -- students want grades posted, but disagree how they should be identified. Most instructors who post grades do so by only listing the students' last four digits of students' SSNs.

"You can become really creative as how to identify students while posting grades, even as to assigning random numbers to students," Selnick said.

"As far as I know the university has not had a problem with the misuse of grades," said Ann Reed of the CSUS Public Relations Office.

Some information is gathered and released for the purpose of the university's demographic profile. This is used to calculate the student body's average age, total GPA, or other facts about the student population as a whole. Even the weight of athletes may be given out.

However, under no circumstances may a SSN be released without the student's permission or a court order.

Student uncovers flaw in Frito-Lay snack

(U-WIRE) STANFORD, Calif. -- An unhappy study break for an economics doctoral student resulted in a major recall by Frito-Lay, the snack foods division of PepsiCo, Inc.

Raphael Thomadsen had been studying late in the economics building with some friends when he decided he needed a little snack.

After examining the ingredients on his package of Grandma's Homestyle Fudge Chocolate Chip Big Cookies, Thomadsen noticed that the ingredients made no mention of eggs.

Being allergic to eggs, Thomadsen was happy to find a snack that he thought suited his dietary needs. After biting into the cookies, though, he soon discovered that he had been misled.

"I ate a couple of bites, and I was sick right away," Thomadsen said. "I was pretty unhappy that evening."

Thomadsen immediately called the toll-free number on the back of the package to complain to Frito-Lay.

Initially, they just said that they would look into the matter and send him some free coupons.

A couple of days later, company representatives called him back and told him there would be a recall of 1.5 million packages of the cookies because the labels on the bags fail to list eggs among the ingredients.

Thomadsen said that Grandma's Cookies were originally considering two different recipes for the Fudge Chocolate Chip cookies.

The ingredients listed on the package were for the recipe that was not used.

According to the Associated Press, the company said anyone with allergies or severe sensitivity to eggs risks a serious or life-threatening reaction if they eat the product.

The Frito-Lay response was "about what I had hoped they would do," Thomadsen said.

According to company spokeswoman Lynn Markley, all other Grandma's Cookie varieties are labeled correctly and are not involved in the recall.

Grandma's Homestyle Fudge Chocolate Chip Big Cookies with freshness dates ranging from June 2 to Aug. 11 have been pulled from stores.

As compensation for his grievances, Thomadsen has received coupons for seven free Frito-Lay products.