1994_08 The Daily Collegian August 1994

              PAGE 2
OPINION
4
TUESDAY, AUGUST 30, 1994
AND THE POINT IS.
By Raina Jennings
S.TAR. registration,
yea or nay?
By now, most of you arc familiar with the phrase, "Wel¬
come to the CSU, Fresno touch-tone phone system." Or
what abour. the infamous, "the schedule number you have
entered is closed."
Well, if some of you have not yet figured it out, it is the
urirversity s wonderful, yet sometimes non-cooperative,
S.TAR. registration by telephone system.
Students can empathize with one another for the amount
of aggrevation created from to the nerve-racking experience
of findingout that the schedule, which had been planned
since last semester, was changed and rearranged almost to the
point of nonexistence.
Some of you probably thought the schedule would be
planned so that you'd be able to sleep in until at least 10 a.m.
and still be home in time to watch Ricki Lake and Oprah.
The phone system sure beats standing
in line at the administration office
trying to get the classes you want.
But you soon find out rJiat the afternoon classes chosen
was full or canceled.
Sadly, you end up taking the only ones available which, of
course, are held early in the morning or late at night.
Perhaps some of you can empathize with oiling S.TAR.
on your assigned day only to find that because everyone,
seemed ro have called in at "your time" the telephone line is
continously busy. If only you could reach out and punch
someone!
Anxiously, you pick up the phone every two minutes
because if you didn't^et in right at that moment, all hope is
lost for that noon English class.
Sophomore student Nicole Harris who called during her
given time and day was faced with a busy signal for about an
hour-  See S.T.A.R., Page 3
EPITOR IN CHIEF   .   M. CRISTINA MEDIN
MANAGING EDITOR   •   OLIVIA REYES
PHOTO EDITOR   *   BRYAN CHAN
SPORTS EDITOR
ERTISING MANAGER
BUSINESS MANAGER
FEATURES EDITOR
fcRTAINMENT EDITOR
ROBBIE MINER
RICHARD NIXON
BRADFORD WILSON
NINA MOMJIAN
JOEROSATOIR.
FF WRITERS; Casey Angle, Celeste Cox, Charlton J< fa
a Chavez, Maria Hugo, Raina Jennings, Dave Mirhat
n Prince,, Jeff Smith, Douglas Stolhand, Stephen Wal
["POGRAPHERS: Steve Fujimoto, Ken Koller. Tomi
leal, Zia Nizami.
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• PUBLISHED    ■ Y   THE    ASSOCIATED    STUDENT*    INC.*
Dear Students,
It's fall, time once again for the annual
financial aid rihial at college campuses across
California. ¥ou\kjiow: where you stand in
long lines that wrap around the school's ad-
ininjstrative offices like a lethargic snake.
Where you wait for work-study assignments
and student aid checks and the lines never
seem to end.
But, with fees and tuition up once again,
.and class offerings pitifully thin, that grueling
wait seems more painful this year than ever.
Skyrocketing costs have driven a hundred
thousand students out of the California state
university system since 1992. Hundreds of
the best faculty have departed. ■
Whole programs have shut down.
Meanw)ule, you who have stayed know
that it is likely to takeyou five or six years to
get through what used to be four years of
college as you try to find the needed classes
and the money to pay for them,
All totaled, Governor Wilsori has slashed
nearly $340 million from the UC budget and
$195 million from the budget of the state
universities.
In 1992 and 1993 he vetoed legislation that
would have made up to $200 million avail¬
able for low-cost student loans.        .*\
Under Wilson, tuition at community col¬
leges is up 225 percent, UC fees are up 52
percent and CSU fees have jumped 54 per¬
cent.
Wouldn't you think that Wilson-whois up
for reelection this year- would intervene in
this crisis?
He jumped like a scalded cat to fix the
freeway damaged in the Northridge quake
and he's been building prisons like a mad¬
man.
After all, Wilson touts himself as the "edu¬
cation governor."
With his approval ratings at a record low,
and knewing every vote must count, why has
Pete Wilson been sticking it to education?
Because, as voters, Wilson sees you in
college as insignificant.
Sure,youareeducated and informed;
sure you register and vote twice the state
average.
Still, the 28-24 year-old age group
makes up only 10 percent of those who
voted in the last presidential election.
Your election turnout is lost among
the masses of baby boomer and older
voters.
The election-year hot buttons Wilson
pushes to make them vote his way are
crime, immigration and welfare.
Those issues hit home for you too. But
in the process, Wilson has kicked aside
the issue that most directly affects you:
How will you pay for your education?
What will you get foryour money I What
sort of job will your education get you?
Education just isn't on his "A*'list
In truth, you can make a difference, as
you did in 1992.
Two years ago you were part of the
"Rock the Vote" effort that swelled the
student-age voters roll by SEVEN full
percentage points over 1988. In absolute
numbers that meant that 22 million
more 18-24 year^olds voted in 1992 than
in 1988.
You can do irt*agamrhJsyear. Rock the
Vote was predicated on the idea that
young voters have an enormous poten¬
tial to create change. So, get angry! Do
what you can in this rail's election for
candidates like Kathleen Brown who
have a real understanding of and com¬
mitment to education, not just a record
of empty promises.
You have too much at stake-your fu¬
ture and the future of everyone you
know and care about Help ensure that
Rock the Votewasn'tanaberranon. Help
ensure that the issues closest to you get
real consideration from those we elect.
Register, work for your candidate, vote!
The California Democratic Party