C A L I F O R N I A S TAT E U N I V E R S I T Y, L O S A N G E L E SJan. 13, 2014 Issue 205.2

UN I V E R S I T YT I M E S

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Joaquin Zihuatanejo Visits pg 4 Submit to Statement pg 2

CSULA Bookstore vs Book Mart pg 7 Hot for Coachella pg 5

Freshmen Get Involved pg 3 Open Mic Night pg 4

2 University Times Jan. 13, 2014

NEWSYzzy GonzalezManaging Editor

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Contributors

Angeline BernabeTimmy Truong

Carol VenegasAlex Hackworth

DistributorCarol Venegas

Photographers

Timmy Truong

Faculty AdvisorSuzanne Regan

Gerardo Amezquita

Emilce Peralta

Copy Editors

Cartoonist

Yolanda Giron

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Tammy Nguyen

CAMPUSAngeline BernabeContributor

Statement Magazine

Calling all writers and art-ists! Statement Magazine wants you!

CSULA’s very own univer-sity-run publication, Statement Magazine, is now accepting submissions through January 30th for this year’s issue.

“Anybody and everybody can participate,” explained editor of Statement, Mike Sonksen, also known as Mike the Poet.

Sonksen, who is also an In-terdisciplinary Major in Histo-ry and English for the Masters Program on campus, further explained that this year, the publication and club would like to collaborate more with different departments on cam-pus and “anybody who is hun-gry to learn and write.”

As a writer who grew up in the art scene and found his identity through reading and writing, Sonksen observed the importance of collaborating with others when it comes to writing and noted that State-ment Magazine gives students the opportunity to do just that.

Since the 1950’s, State-

ment has featured the work of

young writers and artists who submit their poems, short sto-ries, and art in a magazine and an annual launch party where the chosen writers (every year) are able to read and celebrate their work.

Some of the history behind the annual magazine includes many students in the past who have become famous writers and are now CSULA alum-ni. In 2008, Statement won first place in a national con-test called the Association of Writers and Writing Programs (AWP), for best design.

Also a club, Statement has

brought awareness to the writ-ing community on campus by hosting open mic nights for artists, and along with the annual launch party, the Jean Burden Reading, which is a main event for the publica-tion that features an individu-al to read. In the past, readers have included a Famous U.S. Laurate and Pultizer Prize Winners. Last year’s read-er was the famous American Poet known also known as the “L.A. Blueswoman,” Wanda Coleman.

Sonksen, who has been an editor for Statement for some time, pointed out that the suc-cess of Statement each year would not be possible with-out the help and encourage-

ment from professors like Dr. Lauri Ramey, who is also the advisor for Statement Maga-zine and director of a campus organization called the Cen-ter of Contemporary Poetry and Poets. Also Dr. Jim Gar-rett, Dean McAllister, and the students involved including Lucas Benitez, who Sonksen added, is Statement’s newest and youngest editor.

So how can you participate? Submit your work—short stories, poems, art—to state-ment@calstatela.edu or drop hard copies of your submis-sions to the English Depart-ment. Individuals can submit up to four items total by the January 30th deadline.

Last year, the magazine went with the theme, “Bold.” However, “this year, submis-sions will dictate the theme,” explained Sonksen.

Sonksen shared that State-ment “wants to create a sus-taining literary culture on campus.” By collaborating with other students who share a love for art and writing, they will be able to achieve just that in a fun and fulfilling way.

For more information on how to submit, please visit http://www.calstatela.edu/aca-demic/english/stsubmit.php.

This past weekend from January 9 to January 11, all the CSU campuses joined together for the 26th Annual CSU Biotechnology Symposium. Thirty CSULA students presented their research topics, and three CSULA professors gave presentations. Out of those students, CSULA student Natalie Rodriguez, who was mentored by Professor Hyunsook Park, was chosen as a nominee for the Don Eden Graduate Student Research Award.

Two other CSULA students, Alejandra Rios and Jazma Tapia, were selected as finalists for the Glenn Nagel Undergraduate Student Research Award. Professor Xin Wen mentored Rios and Professor Edith Porter mentored Tapia.

The College of Extended Studies and International

Programs narrowed down their choices for a new dean and invited students to participate in a public form with each candidate. Forum 1 took place on Wednesday, January 8 with Dr. Felicto Cajayon and Forum 2 took place on Thursday, January 9 with Dr. Eric A. Bullard. Forum 3 will take place on Monday, January 13 at 10AM in Golden Eagle Ballroom 1 with Dr. Scott D. Moore.

Los Angeles was named as one of the first five “Promise Zones” by President Obama on Thursday, January 9th. The Promise Zone project has the federal government partnering with high-poverty areas and investing in the selected communities to create jobs, increase economic activity, improve public safety, and more.

The main neighborhoods chosen within Los Angeles are Pico Union, Westlake, Koreatown, Hollywood, and East Hollywood. Plans

specific for Los Angeles include increasing housing affordability, ensuring high-quality education and technical training opportunities for all youth, investing in transit infrastructure and eliminating wasteful government programs.

Former President Rosser’s photograph joins the portraits of past CSULA presidents on the windows of the north wing of the JFK Library. The portraits, along with the school mace, can be seen on the first floor of the library, directly across from the University Bookstore.

Moodle Support is now available for students at the University Tutorial Center. For those that don’t know enough about Moodle or just want to learn more, there is now a Moodle Mentor program Monday through Thursday from 9am to 6pm and Fridays from 9am to 1pm. For more information, email moodlementor@calstatela.edu

While You Were Out

Aaron Wilson

Oliver Ordonez

Holland Smith

Alexandra Johnson

Jan. 13, 2014 University Times 3

CSULA students throw around excuses on why they feel a lack in a sense of school spirit and community. These reasons contain things student can change, like not enough events on campus, to things we cannot change, like being a commuter school. Whatev-er the reason may be, there is no use in standing around and waiting for the campus to magically make itself amazing and exciting.

To make “The College Life” what they want it to be, stu-dents need to get involved. This is what students in the Freshmen Activities Board (FAB) are doing and are cre-ating to make the magical col-lege life come true. FAB is a freshman-only board appoint-ed by the Center of student Involvement. Their purpose is to provide new extracurricular activities, promote existing ac-

tivities, and build a class-spe-cific extracurricular network in hopes of getting freshmen to engage in campus life.

Valerie Acosta, secretary for FAB explained, “You live here or you commute here, you come to school, and you go back home. It shouldn’t be that way there should be some fun to it, some events to it, and things to look forward to, instead of just sitting in a classroom. That is what we are here to do: connect freshmen to their new atmosphere.”

FAB applications have been available in the Center for Student Involvement since fall quarter and at the time of publication FAB has about 10 members. Their deadline for applications was January 10th and they will shortly be ac-cepting new members. Student members will work together to come up with ideas for events for freshmen.

One of the first events is Freshman Spirit Day, FAB will be assisting CSI with this

event scheduled for Friday January 31st. Prior registra-tion is required in the Center for Student Involvement office on the second floor of the Uni-versity-Student Union and the last day to register is January 24th. FAB started this 2013-2014 school year and this win-ter quarter they were able to make their debut on campus at the Eagles Sports Nation event on January 9th to all students.

FAB had canopies with dif-ferent carnival style games and

inside the canopies, students could win tickets to enter in a raffle. They also had great snacks for all the attendees.

On a phone call to FAB’s president Nick Ahwal, he said FAB is working on two more events: a mixer and dance es-pecially for freshmen students. The dates of the events are not yet finalized but more infor-mation on FAB can be found on Instagram.com/CSULA-FAB and Twitter.com/CSU-LAFAB.

Fresh on Campus: Freshman Activities BoardCAMPUSTimmy Truong Managing Editor

Freshmen Activities Board | Photo by Center for Student Involvement

4 Jan. 13, 2014University Times

On Thursday, January 9th at 3PM, there was an impressive performance in the Golden Eagle Ballroom by Joaquin Zihuatanejo.

To the indifferent mind, the name stands for nothing of significance but you will be intrigued once you know that Zihuatanejo is the Individual World Poetry Slam champion, he stands out from the great-est poets our generation has to offer.

Zihuatanejo, a young proud Mexican-American individual raised in Dallas, Texas, expos-es the unfiltered reality we live in by taking major examples of his experiences that reflect upon the American and global identity.

Some of the themes he touches on in his poetry are issues of race, ignorance, fam-ily, youth, and education. A simple description cannot pos-sibly showcase the true man he is because watching him perform is another story.

Zihuatanejo executes spo-radically with such an uproar-ious style you cannot help but gather around him and listen to his stories of life. They include cases of being born without the presence of your father, humorous narratives of his wife’s behavior and even about having to go to the bath-room.

In all seriousness,, this man knows what it is to write about everything and anything. Be-ing in that room with him and a handful of other students’ makes you feel as if writing is the best human mode of ex-

pression because he does it ef-fortlessly.

The lesson Zihuatanejo brought with him to us was that life cannot be refined. The awful truths are the beautiful truths we want to hear and need to hear about. This poet champion knows what it is

like to be a struggling individ-ual mixed in with rugged in-fluences and that will pull you to fail.

Through his poetry, he be-comes a sort of hero that achieves a greater sense of success merely by reflecting an unpolluted perception of

our fabricated realities. Speakers like Joaquin Zi-

huatanejo are the archetype figures CSULA should com-mit to bring to our school, to enlighten our minds of the abysses of unfamiliar subjects.

An Afternoon with JoaquinZihuatanejoCAMPUSGerardo AmezquitaContributor

Joaquin Zihuatanejo | Photo by Timmy Truong

Open Mic Night at CSU-LA is different from those you would find at your local bar. Instead of just stand up comedy, CSULA shares the microphone with singers, rap-pers, poets or anyone who has something to contribute.

Hosted by the Center for Student Involvement on Wednesday January 8th, the event allows students to blow off some steam and share their art and talent with their peers.

Before the show I spoke to some of the performers. Some expressed their nervousness and some even told me they were not sure if they wanted to perform. The show consisted of six performers. The night started off with Michael Ante, Aka Mike Wingless who sang and played a few songs on the guitar.

The other acts consisted of one rapper, three poets, and another singer. One of the po-ets William A. Gonzalez read from his book of poetry called Black Bubblegum. Through his poetry, Gonzalez told sto-ries about his life living in the ghetto and his warnings against consumerism.

Lisa Marie, the last to per-form, was not sure about per-forming on stage, although she

left the audience with a very memorable ending.

Lisa Marie walked onto stage, music player in hand, plugged in her headphones, waited for her music to start playing, and started to sing acapella. After her song was over the crowd cheered, ap-plauded and could be heard saying they didn’t expect such a voice like that out of her.

The overall atmosphere of

the theatre was very fun and positive. The crowd at the event was small, but mighty. After every performance the crowd clapped and cheered, and were very great at sup-porting the performers.

However the performers themselves did an even better job of supporting each other. After each performer finished, the other performers came to-gether and complimented each other.

The event was a great expe-rience and many of the attend-ees and performers walked out of the theatre with a smile on their face, myself included.

This is not the first time CSI has Hosted Open Mic Night and it probably will not be the last, so check out the CSI Calendar for future Open Mic nights and other events.

Open Mic NightCAMPUSTimmy TruongManaging Editor

Michael Ante aka Mike Wingless | Photo by Timmy Truong

5Jan. 13, 2014 University Times

When talking about music festivals (in the United States that is), it seems that one of the best known concerts and most anticipated each year, would be Coachella.

Other than taking a break in 2000, Coachella has been around since 1999 all the way to present day and it is the big-gest music festival the state of California has to offer. When tickets went on sale January 10th for the 2014 festival, both first and second weekend tick-ets sold out within two hours.

Located southeast of Los Angeles in a city called In-

dio, Coachella takes place on two consecutive weekends but with the same line-up on each weekend. Because of this, it gives fans a chance to be able to see all of their favorite art-ists.

With thousands of a atten-dants each year, musicians who are able to claim a spot on the line-up get to not only play for people who are already a fan of their music but hope-fully inspire others to become fans after listening to their set. The actual musicians who pay at Coachella is a whole differ-ent story.

How good or bad a line-up is really depends on one’s personal music taste and to myself, 2014 is no disappoint-

ment. With acts like Arcade Fire, Haim, Blood Orange, and a surprise reunion of OutKast, it seems like everyone is going to have a good time at Coach-ella this year.

If you are up for more of a dance/party, don’t worry! You are also in luck. Musicians like Zedd, Flume, Skrillex, and Calvin Harris will be there, so make sure you have your dancing feet on.

Although being a festival for music lovers, Coachella is a place also for fashion. In recent years, this two-week festival has not only focused on music but also what people wear. Fashion has become an important aspect to all Coach-ella goers from celebrities who attend, to regular people like you and I.

Coachella has become so important, fashion blogs and magazines will usually write/print articles around spring-time with the title, “Music Festival Trends: What to Wear and Not to Wear.” So here’s a tip. If you go to Coachella: take your fashion serious-ly. You’re going to have stiff competition.

Coachella, I think, is like the party of the year in college. The biggest people you know attend, dressing to impress, and everyone is there to have a good time. You are auto-matically labeled ‘cool’ if you are able to say, “I’ve been to Coachella.”

Even so, it is not a shock when people say Coachella has been overhyped by en-thusiastic teens (Sadly, I have been one of them) because it is in fact true but nonetheless, everyone should go at least once in their life.

Going to Coachella is like a stamp you earn when you call yourself a music lover. For years I’ve been hearing friends, celebrities, bloggers, and YouTube-ers talk and rave about Coachella and the feel-ing of being there will never compare to the livestream on YouTube or the pictures every-one posts on Instagram during those two weeks.

It does not have to be Coach-ella but as Alex Chung says in her book, IT, “…Festivals are a place to watch great music. But more than that they are also an endurance test and an experience that can bond you to your pals for the rest of your lives.”

Coachella For EveryoneENTERTAINMENTChristine TranContributor

Coachella 2012 | Photo by Alex Hackworth

6 Jan. 13, 2014University Times

Basic Work Out Do’s and Dont’sHEALTHOliver OrdonezContributor

The new year is here, and probably one of your New Year Resolutions is to start working out. According to Statisticbrain.com weight-loss is the number one New Year resolution that 38% of people make. You’re probably thinking “where do I begin, what type of exercises do I attempt, what do I need to start and stop eating.” These are the kind of questions you need to ask yourself before you commit to anything and if not researched properly, it may harm your health. Here are basic Do’s and Don’ts to working out, from the physical training aspect to the nutrition side.

DO - Expect to be in pain after a workout. “Muscle soreness is usually not much more than a sign that you’ve been working

those muscles,” according to a Huffpost Healthy Living article.

DON’T - Don’t overwork your body, especially if you’re beginning to workout for the first time or first time in a long time. Overworking the body can cause serious health problems: fatigue, insomnia, fat gain and even weaken the immune system. These are all signs of an overworked body according to a U.S. News health article.

DO - “Gradually ease into your regimen, particularly if you have not exercised on a regular basis for some time,” according to the National Safety Council.org.

DON’T - Don’t be shocked to have an overwhelming mountain of dirty laundry.

DO - Write (a) goal(s) for you. Ask yourself what you actually want to achieve

while working out: do you want to be lean, cut or simply loose access fat that may be unattractive, unhealthy, etc. According eHow.com “If you are trying to lose weight, the recommended weight loss per week is one to two pounds, so a goal could be lose 8 pounds in a month.”

DON’T - Don’t give up or get impatient, desired results will take time.

DO - Eat smarter. Adding fruits, vegetables while kicking away junk food and pretty much anything processed will contribute to not only weight loss but also a healthier body. Eating dinner before 8PM and not before you hit the sheets will help weight loss. Some foods that are good for you would be chicken breast, tilapia, beef and brown rice.

DON’T - Don’t workout using sports drinks. These sport drinks are typically for people

who play sports; athletes burn off so much fat and energy that they need these sport drinks to replenish electrolytes.

DO - Workout with another person. Working out with another person introduces accountability. Sometimes you might not feel like working out but “working out with a partner not only makes it more likely that you’ll work out, it makes most people try harder than they would on their own,” according to a CNN health article.

DON’T - Don’t expect to loose weight if you’re trying to build muscle. Remember, muscle weight is heavier than fat weight.

DO - Once you get into the rhythm of a scheduled workout session, begin to challenge yourself. If you still want to see better results after working out 3 times a week for a couple of months, try working out 4

times the following months.

DON’T - Don’t do the same exercises over and over again. According to a CNN health article, “Mix it up. By changing your workouts daily you will trick your body into working harder and burning more calories. It will also save you from boredom.”

DO - Keep a log that tracks your progress: from weighting yourself to timing your runs or repetitions.

According to Healthfinder.org working out has many benefits: “It’s fun, it helps you look your best, it improves your sleep, it makes your bones, muscles, and joints stronger, it lowers your chances of becoming depressed, it reduces falls and pain from arthritis, and helps you feel better about yourself.” Become part of the 8% that will go through with their New Year Resolutions.

Ahhh the first week of school, so much anticipation. What do I wear? Will I wake up on time? How are my pro-fessors going to be? Easy or hard? Hopefully there are cute boys in my class! A few of these things served to be true in my case.

First things first. Thankful-

ly I did wake up, maybe not as early as I would have liked but I made it to all my morning classes. I had to chase after a few buses to get to school, but I made it! As for professors,

I lucked out. All my profes-sors are awesome. They’re interesting, challenging and thought provoking, which is crucial to me because I don’t like being bored or like things too easy. Not only do they all have an entertaining sense of humor, when they lecture I feel like I’m watching a stand up comedy routine.

I have a two-hour break be-

tween classes that allows me to troll online and charge my phone. It also allows me check out all the cool events on cam-pus. Why do I find them so cool, you ask? Because there is usually free food! No surprise

there. Everyone loves food. On Thursday January 9th,

I went to the Week 1 Festivi-ties at the U-SU plaza during lunch from 12:30 to 1:30. There were plenty of pastries, music, games, prizes and pro-motions! Yet to my dismay I did not see any students. Why was it empty? Why were there not any students involved at this awesome event? Students walk by and see the booths but never stop to check it out.

The music is already a great way to draw students in be-cause it enables you to hear what is happening from a dis-

tance. Students sitting outside in the courtyard have some-thing pleasant to listen to while eating their lunch. I wonder, what will it take to get these students to stand up, walk over and get involved?

There needs to be a bet-

ter way for promoting these events. They all benefit the stu-dents and I’m sure they would love to attend but they don’t know when or how. They are probably curious as to what’s going on but may be too in-timidated to ask. There are booths on campus that pry you into donating money or giving up a signature. Don’t be con-fused with the booths that are designed to entertain students.

Better promotion really

should out do the trick! More signs, more posters, more eye-catching designs. Let stu-dents sign up for text alerts so they can know directly when and where to get all this free food and cool prizes. Maybe even an app that displays a calendar of events? We need to take it a step further.

There is a ton of improve-ment that can be done and will, of course, work in favor of the students. Fortunately, we already have a great team of students who are dedicated to making our college experienc-es more personal and interac-tive. It just takes more thought and action. We have plenty of time to make this happen. Af-ter all, it’s only week one.

First Week FeedbackOPINIONAlexandra JohnsonContributor

Have you ever made plans for a “hot” date and had to cancel because the funds in your pocket or bank account were just too low due to unex-pected reasons? Or have you ever had to make plans and horrible excuses for why your date is so terrible, because you can’t afford to treat your date out to a good time?

Steak & shrimp dinners, movies, bars, concerts, and theme parks can be expensive. Here are a couple of tips and insightful concepts that can as-sist you the next time you’re in a jam with another “hot” date.

The base of dating is based on concepts of socializing, having fun, and building a bond with a potential signif-icant other. To work on these concepts, you should empha-size speech with the one you are out on a date with. Stay

close and be assertive but not overly aggressive.

This means show that you’re interested, not boring, and not a creeper. Remember to be yourself and don’t put all your cards out on the table, as this might be too much for a first date. Try not to take your date out to places that are dark, loud, or require a quiet atmo-sphere.

Now that we understand the concepts that should be

used when thinking of a good date, we now have to go over the most important part of the date, which is the funding and the venue where your date will take place. Let’s say that you’re treating your date, the usual amount of money you will normally spend should be about from eighty dollars to two hundred dollars.

These expenses include the obvious like food, tipping, flowers, to the not so obvi-ous like gas, parking, buying

clothes to wear on your date.

These numbers all depend on how your budget is looking and how many dates you’ve already been. Don’t think that it is impossible to plan a date with only fifty dollars or less.

Nick Hisoire, 23, Microbiol-ogy major, said that his idea of a date under fifty bucks would be to go out for a “coffee and

How To Go On a “Hot” Date With Little To No BudgetENTERTAINMENTAaron WilsonContributor

Hot Date Continued On Page 7

7Jan. 13, 2014 University Times

I’m always in search for the best grilled cheese sandwich in LA. So far, I’m head over heels in love with this little restaurant. The Melt is a small grilled cheese shop that serves all types of grilled cheese sandwiches accompanied with rich and hearty soups. After all, I think grilled cheese and soup are the best combination.

The Melt has seven different types of grilled cheese sandwiches and often a “special of the day” sandwich that changes with the seasons

and/or months. Last months’ melt had me hooked and I kept going to the nearest location to campus, which was located on 7th and Figueroa in Downtown LA.

The melt was called the Ballpark Melt, which had aged sharp cheddar, all-natural beef frank, grilled onions, and mustard on sourdough bread. The sandwich itself is so delicious; the combination of beef franks with cheddar cheese is to die for.

Take my word for it, it’s scrumptious. This melt was accompanied by black bean soup.Personally, I don’t like soup but this bean soup was

so rich and tasty, I recommend you try it when you first visit.

The Mission melt consists of pepper jack, jalapenos on sourdough bread and is my second favorite because of its spicy kick. The Italian Job has fontina and provolone cheese on house made garlic bread.

The Swiss melt is aged Swiss on sourdough, another classic. The Mac Daddy is my third favorite; aged cheddar cheese, macaroni on artisan white bread. I also recommend you try this one with a side of two-tomato basil soup, for a perfect combination.

One special is the Bacon

Reuben Melt, which has Swiss cheese, smoked bacon, Thousand Island dressing, sauerkraut, all on marble rye bread.

If you get the special combo, the melt comes with a side of Caesar salad. Recently the salad changed into something different. Instead of croutons on the salad they have been replaced with bite-size grilled cheese chunks!

Let’s move on to the soups, which are served and made fresh everyday. As I mentioned before, the black bean soup and the two-tomato basil soup go well with the melts I paired them off with but don’t let this

limit your options.

The other two soups are the Sweet Corn Tortilla soup (try this one with the Mission Melt) and the seasonal soup; Sausage and Pepper soup which I have yet to try. All the soups taste as though mom made them, they definitely are comfort food musts.

You can now make your melt a combo by adding a soup or salad for only two bucks!

I highly recommend everyone visit The Melt to satisfy that grilled cheese craving.

The Melt: Grilled Cheese HappinessFOODEmilce PeraltaContributor

Do I really need this book? This question crosses through many CSULA students at the beginning of each quarter. Un-fortunately, the professor of the course you are taking can only provide the answer to this question. However, lets face it. The real issue here is the mon-ey situation.

As college students, there are many expenses and a lim-ited source of income, so mak-ing our dollar stretch is a big part of why this question aris-es in the first place. So when we find that getting the book is inevitable, we tend to look for the best deals.

Luckily, CSULA students have many options when it comes to making the final purchase. The first and most obvious option of course, in-clude our CSULA University Bookstore located on campus grounds, and the nearby off campus, Student Bookmart & Copy Center located on East-ern Ave.

Both stores are easily ac-cessible but which store con-tains the better deals? Some students shared their opinions and their responses might be helpful to those students yet unsure of where to make their quarterly book purchases.

Lorena Albarran, Business major, going into her second year here at CSULA was asked whether she preferred to pur-

chase her books at the Univer-sity Bookstore or at the Stu-dent Bookmart. She responed, “ If the book is available at the bookmart I would rather go there.” When asked why, she mentioned that she has saved a few dollars there in the past. Albarran also mentioned that buying used books is also usu-ally the better option in both the University bookstore and the Bookmart.

Another student named Brenda Garison, MicroBiolo-gy major, was asked whether or not she felt the prices dif-fered in both locations. Gari-son responded with, “For the most part they run about the same in either store.” As far as her preference she said, “Both

have their advantages depend-ing on the book.”

Garrison did mention that the option to Rent-a-Book at the University Bookstore was a very financially friendly op-tion, especially when it came to books that were not relevant to her major.

For some students however, the bookstores are not even an option and they opt for other resources such as online pur-chasing or buying used books elsewhere. Students suggest the sooner the books are pur-chased, the better. No matter who the retailer is or price.

Third year transfer student Sean Weerasinghe, Business administration major with an

option in international Busi-ness, mentioned that he much rather get the book as soon as possible rather than search for the better deal or wait for the online purchases to arrive.

Weerasinghe explained, “In the past, I have found myself struggling to catch up on my reading because I have had to wait for a book to arrive, and in a quarter system I have learned there is no time to waste.”

So whether it be the Book-store or the Bookmart or on-line, maybe getting the better use for your dollar doesn’t matter, but rather the time one spends reading these books for your education. Lets start those readings, Eagles!

Do I Really Need this Book?CAMPUSYolanda GironContributor

a walk in the park, a good park. Somewhere that I prob-ably wouldn’t end up getting stabbed.”

Hisoire’s idea of a cheap date is not a bad one. He has all the working elements and introduces the idea of a date in the afternoon that wouldn’t take too long.

Next time your budget is

fewer than fifty dollars keep in mind that ice skating, renting a movie, renting bicycles, going on a hike, going to a museum, taking a nice long walk on the beach, or even having a picnic on the coast during a sunset are all good and affordable ideas.

Those ideas can also add a romantic and intimate lev-el with your date, which they will most likely appreciate the gesture. These are only a few choices that can be used for an inexpensive date. So when

you’re choosing your own lo-cation remember to choose fun, inexpensive, and a place where you’re forced to social-ize with your “hot” date.

The last tip and concept is the idea that whenever you’re on a date it’s never what you eat, it’s always where you eat it that counts. Follow these guidelines and your next cheap “hot” date might not be your last.

Hot Date Continued From Page 6

Barnes And Noble Student Bookstore | Photo by Yolanda Giron

8 Jan. 13, 2014University Times

Zoey and AnnabelleFUN & GAMES

Tammy NguyenCartoonist

CalendarJANUARY 13-18 WEEk TWOAll DAy WPE Workshops JFK Library, Palmer Wing Room 1039Aworkshops are provided until January 24th

13Monday 3:30PM University Times meeting King Hall C 3098

t

3PM Bingo The Pit, U-SU Basement

3PM U-lead:DelegatingStudent Club and Organization Offices, 2nd Floor U-SU

14Tuesday 3:15PM let’s Break the Ice: APISRC Open House & Mixer Asian Pacific Islander Student Resource Center, 2nd Floor U-SU

3:15PM A.S.I. General Election Workshops: Campaigning for Student Government OfficeSan Gabriel Room, 3rd Floor U-SU

15Wednesday

16Thursday12PM Happy Hour in the PitThe Pit, U-SU Basement

3:15PM Wednesday Child: Permanency Through Community EngagementGuest Speaker: Christine Devine, Fox-11 news. Salazar Hall E-184

3:15PM Surviving law School and life as an AttorneySan Gabriel Room, 3rd Floor U-SU

5PM Organizational Development MeetingLos Angeles Room, 3rd Floor U-SU

6:15PM Independent Visons: Hot CoffeeU-SU Theatre

6:30PM A.S.I.Mandatory Funding Work-shops Los Angeles Room, 3nd Floor U-SU

17Friday 2PM Organizational Development MeetingLos Angeles Room, 3nd Floor U-SU 3:30PM A.S.I.Mandatory Funding Workshops Los Angeles Room, 3nd Floor U-SU

18Saturday 10AM American Sabor Dance Workshop: Cha Cha Cha5th floor King Hall5108 - Studio 1

4PM Graduate Open StudiosFeaturing works by CSULA Graduate Students. Fine Arts Building, 1st-3rd Floors

4:30PM EAGlE iJobsLearn how the CSULA online job board allows you to search for on and off-campus jobs and much more.Career Center

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We’ve all heard that the num-ber one fear among humans is public speaking. However, in a world that all too often tries to silence us, sometimes our voices are the strongest things we have.

So, I want to tell you, from someone who has gone from a

self-conscious, bullied girl, to a strong and confident person that this is what I have learned from forensics, and why it could change your life too.

I have been a part of the fo-rensics community for several years. I have competed for four years, two of which have been at CSULA. I was the president of the speech team last year, I teach elementary and middle school forensics, and volun-teer my weekends judging and

coaching college forensics. Yes, I am a bit of a speech

nerd. Whenever I meet some-one who is afraid of public speaking I always ask them, “What are you afraid of?”

Usually, they don’t even know. Fortunately for them, I have been around this activity long enough to know the an-swer for them.

They are afraid of messing up. People are so terrified of

making a mistake, not just in speech, but in life that they never even try. Accept that you will make mistakes. Once the fear is gone, the only thing left is sharing your message.Re-member, everyone has a story to tell, and the world deserves to hear it.

A year ago, Ashley Giv-ens, a coach for the forensics speech and debate team, inter-viewed me for her Thesis and she asked, “What have you learned from forensics?”

My long list consisted of:

how to research effectively, how to become a better writ-er, finding a voice, humility, and how work through life’s demons in a constructive and creative way.

Above all, I have learned that we must have conviction for the words we say. Words are the most powerful weap-ons for change.

If you want to join the speech and debate team sign up for COMM 277 or 377 or you can stop by the squad room at King Hall C3102A.

Join Speech and DebateCAMPUSHolland SmithContributor