1997_02 The Daily Collegian February 1997

              THE DAILY
COLLEGIAN
Frtdav, February 7, 1997
News
News Editor: Matthew Hart
Telephone: (209) 278-2556
G.E. requirements stir controversy in Academic Senate
By Derek Walter
The Daily Collegian
Debate is likely to continue over
proposed changes to General Edu¬
cation requirements in the Aca¬
demic Senate this semester.
Many professors feci the process
has been too lengthy, and believe
the matter should be resolved soon.
"It's gone on way too long," said
Academic SenatorWarrcn Kessler,
professor of philosophy.
Bruce Thornton, professor of
classics and humanities, said the
Senate's lagging is a common prob¬
lem.
"It shows an inability for aca¬
demics to do anything efficiently,"
he said.
( Kessler said the length of the"
proceedings has also caused him
concern.
"Academic leadership is not fo¬
cused and not efficient..." he said.
".. .it's a major failing of that level
of leadership."
Thornton said despite his frus¬
trations, there may not be a better
way to handle the matter.
"Democracy is always ineffi¬
cient" he said.
The Senate's tackling of
AHAAC's final report at the same
time as GE reform is also a factor
in  the lagging, according to
Thornton.
He said the process is also
slowed down by the length of the
meetings, an hour-and-a-half, and
because many senators speak at
length during the proceedings.
Kessler said the plan should be
passed quickly, because he feels it
is a vital part of improving educa¬
tion at the University.
"In general, it's an excellent
package." he said.
Thornton, however, said the plan
will not work.
"It's a case of trying to over con¬
trol curriculum," Thornton said,
"you can't dictate curriculum from
on high."
Thornton said he predicts even
if the changes are put into effect,
they won't be permanent.
"I said in the Senate ten years
from now we'll look at GE and
change it again..." he said.
"... a whole lot of oxen are go¬
ing to get gored."
The state of General Education
isn't that desperate, according to
Thornton.
"It isn't that bad right now." he
said.
Thornton did say however, that
GE needs to be brought up to date
to be more in-line with community
colleges and other universities. He
said not addressing this issue would
Theatre professor's trip to
Taiwan proves inspirational
■ Award-winning professor lectured to
students at the National Taiwan University.
By Cheryl R. Ensom #
The Daily Collegian
Edward EmanuEI. theatre
arts professor at Fresno State,
was invited to spend a week in
Taiwan during the holiday break,
where he taughi Chinese stu¬
dents about theatre and evalu¬
ated several productions al ihe
National Taiwan University in
Taipei.
The lecture tour was arranged
by the University in Taipei, and
EmanuEI gave several lectures
during the week of Dec. 21 -28.
These lectures featured
American techniques for stage
and classical plays, as well as
discussions about the differences
between American and.Chincse
art.
In addition to his lectures.
EmanuEI also took part in the as¬
sessment of some of the plays
presented by students in Taiwan
during his stay.
He helped judge and evaluate
plays such as Shakespeare's
"Macbeth," while working with
participants in the productions.
"The University in Taipei has a
much different kind of student than
our's. They are much more serious
aboul their education—largely be¬
cause of more pressure and more
competition," EmanuEI said. "If our
students underwent these same rig¬
ors, they would be under much
more pressure to succeed and would
be much more skilled than they
are."
Students in Taiwan attend school
six to seven days a week, and their
vacation lime is only 28 days per
year. Students cannot get a *C in
any class, as it is the equivalent of
an F' for U.S. students.       •
EmanuEI said that working with
this kind of student wis a thrill for
him.
"The audience grew as the lec¬
ture series went on." EmanuFI
said. "In Ihe first session, the au¬
dience was about 100. But by the
last lecture, it had grown to aboul
300.1 spent half Ihe time answer¬
ing questions."
The campus w here EmanuEI
lectured had no bowling alleys,
pool rooms, or video games. But
they had a huge library which
was open all the time — a fact
which EmanuEI saw as a sym¬
bol of the students' attitude to¬
ward learning.
The liny country of Taiwan is
about the size of the San Joaquin
Valley. It is the 16th most pow¬
erful economic unit in the world.
EmanuEI feels that this country's
students and their work eihic
have much to teach American
students.
"Nobody wants to do casual
labor, or be just average — ev¬
eryone wants to excel. It's in¬
credible for a teacher to come
into this place and see thatA
EmanuEI said.
Diabetes
Continued from page 1.
Erasmo had been undergoing
dialysis treatments for a while, and
Luz was there when she could be.
When the renal problems had first
been confirmed, Luz was there
translating and filling out the forms.
She checked the box that indicated
interest in organ donation.
Much later the decision was
made, but Luz said she knew she
was going to do it from the begin¬
ning.
"This was something I knew I
was going to do," Luz said. "Five
years ago I knew it would get to this
stage."
For the first time in his long his¬
tory of treatment, the decision was
completely up to Erasmo. Luz knew
he would want to be the one who
"I said to him. 'I've been carry¬
ing a kidney for you all these years,
and I'm ready to give it to you.'"
Luz said.
Luz remembered the times
Erasmo had gone through dialysis
treatment. He was hooked up to a
machine that does the.job of the
kidneys for 4 hours. She said regu¬
lar patients would just not show up
one day. because they had been
granted a kidney and for them that
part of life had returned to normal.
"You should have seen their
faces when they find out their get¬
ting a kidney." Luz said. "It's like
freedom, hope."
"He was running out of hope,
that's why I gave it to him."
On Nov. 21 the Gonzalez fam¬
ily went to St. Vincent's in Los An¬
geles. They joked about Erasmo
getting a kidney from a female.
They said he would be attracted to
the male nurses and would not
know which way to go to the
amount to a waste of time.
"In several years, we'll be right
back where we started." he said.
Kessler said the proposed
changes are essential to the Univer¬
sity. He said one of the key ele
ments was a section which requires
students to take core courses as
early as possible.
He said it is a waste of
instructor's time to teach material
from4ower-division courses in up¬
per-division classes.
Kessler said an important issue
which needs to be addressed is the
level of student participation.
"We need more students to be
come involved," he said.
ASI
Continued from page 1.
Board was discussing line-item
changes for the Amerasia Club, she
told several Reality senators they
should call for adjournment.
A short while later. Ciucur
made an adjournment motion for
the second time, which passed.
Monreal said he was disap¬
pointed with Martinez's actions.
"She started manipulating
them." he said.
Monreal said he was encouraged
when Ciucur's first motion to ad¬
journ the meeting early on was
voicd down.
"I was impressed." Monreal
said. "I thought we were getting
things done."
Earlier, many senators expressed
surprise when they learned the
ASI's $270,518 budget was being
spent by the clubs who had been
appropriated money.
Monreal said he was glad the
money was in the student's hands
and being put to work.
He also said he had hoped that
the surplus budget would have been
discussed.
'That was my main concern." he
said.
The surplus money cannot re¬
distributed until a revised budget is
passed by the Board.
MonTeal said he wants quick
passage of the manner, so the
money can go to various clubs
Miguel Oronz. president of the
Hispanic Student Business Associa¬
tion, said he was disappointed thai
the Board did not take up the mat
tcr. because his club is still waiting
for funds.
. "I'm kind of disgusted they re
fighting over petty stuff." he said.
"I didn't know what they were do
ing."
Oronz said his organization is
using donations and commumt)
support to keep the club afloat
"We're strong enough to sur
vivc." he said.
Surfin' the 'net?
Catch a wave to our home page at
http://www.csufresno.edu/Gollegian
bathroom.
"The night before we went to the
hospital he began saying good-bye
tp everyone." Luz said.
Luz said good night to Erasmo
on Thursday. Later her mom asked
Luz if she wanted to say good-bye.
just in case. Luz went to his room
but he was sleeping.
"I told him in 24 hours I would
see him." Luz said.
Luz went into surgery at 7:30
am. Erasmo followed at 8:30 am,
and the old, failed kidney had its
job taken over by the new one.
Luz said the doctors did not ex¬
pect the arteries to be so hardened.
He was in surgery from 8:30 until
6:30 that night. He came out in criti¬
cal condition, but for a while he was
conscious.
The doctors said the first thing
he asked about was how I was," Luz
said.
Erasmo died at 2 pm the next day
of a pulmonary embolism. The doc¬
tors thought the surgery had loos¬
ened something that clotted up in
his lungs. The kidney had taken and
was functioning.
People who worked with Luz on
campus knew there were two parts
to her life: work and dad.
"I wanted to make up for all the
pain he was going through by be¬
ing there for him all the time." Luz
said.
"In 22 years I saw this very
healthy man become completely
disabled."
When she returned to campus.
Luz returned to support she never
knew was there. People sent hun¬
dreds of cards and flowers.
"I didn't realize how .much
people cared about me." Luz said.
Luz said the support is helping
with the healing. She felt like she
was coming back to a place where
she was loved.
Now, besides dealing with her
; grief, Luz must adjust to a lifestyle
that had previously spent half its
time repaying the father she felt she
owed so much. «s
"I have to change now," Luz
said.
When Erasmo and Luz had de¬
cided on the surgery, he had already
lost, in addition to numerous other
medical ailments. 60 to 70 percent
of his vision and his entire right leg.
But Luz never doubted that she
would give part of her body to her
father.
"My father was a great man, he
was the best father someone could
have," Luz said.
"I did it because I loved him. and
because I wanted him to have
hope."
In the end. the decision was
Erasmo's. He chose the surgery and
was willing to take the risk. Still.
Luz feels the grief and must deal
with her loss.
"I worshipped that man."
I