1997_10 The Daily Collegian October 1997

              DThe
AILY
£        1 California State University, Fresno
Collegian
Weather
Sunny
high 77/low 46
Volume 108, No. 49
http://www.csufresno.edu/Collegian   v
Friday, October 31,1997
)
Halloween sale
Ryan Weber — The Daily Collegian
Kennel Bookstore sales associate Marci Garrett decorates the display window in preparation
for today's Halloween sale. The one-day sale will feature selected gifts, novels, and various
black and orange items until 5 p.m.
Graduates identify with new
televsion sitcom 'Working'
By Jeanne Peck /*l
Knight-Ridder/Tribune News
Services
ORLANDO - Fielding Shaw
knows what it's like to feel out of
place in a new job. When she
showed up for her first day as an
admissions counselor at Stetson
University in DcLand, Shaw ex¬
pected to have a few days to ease
into her new digs.
She had no such luck.
"I was immediately pushed into
-talking to people and answering
their questions," says Shaw, 24.
"Then it was like: Go to human re¬
sources. Here's the medical packet.
Here's the dental packet."
That first-day experience was as
overwhelming for Shaw as it was
for Matt Peyser, the fictional young
corporate employee played by Fred
Savage on NBC's new "Working"
sitcom, which airs Wednesdays at
9:30 p.m.
Shaw was one of five graduate
students of Rollins College profes¬
sor Don Rogers who gathered to
watch two episodes of forking"
and talk about whether they found
the show and characters realistic.
All the students, who ranged in
age from 24 to 28, had "real" jobs
before returning to earn master's
degrees in business administration
or human resource management.
So is "Working" on television
anything like the real thing? Maybe
if Reagan was still president.
Although some of the students
identified with the parodies of first-
day jitters, dopey or lazy bosses,
office romances, pilfering and re¬
sume-packing, they said the show
relied too much on '80s stereotypes.
ASI may face
lawsuit froni
angered student
By David Childers
The Daily Collegian
Parliamentarian Hadi Ya/dan¬
panah warned the student govern¬
ment over two weeks ago of pos¬
sible violations of the education
codc-and federal law. but it took the
threat of a lawsuit from concerned
student Jeff Macdonald for some¬
body to listen.
"I have forwarded all of the in¬
formation that I gathered on the (al¬
leged violations] and I have for¬
warded them to [Fresno County
District Attorney) Ed Hunt and
Fresno State President (John)
Wclty," said Macdonald.
Macdonald had hoped to address
the ASI board of directors concern¬
ing the situation at Tuesday's meet¬
ing. But when political games be¬
tween Legislative Vice President
David Splivalo and President Rocio
Magana prevented the meeting
from advancing past the roll call.
Macdonald was left without an of¬
ficial forum.
After watching many board
members walk away from their
scats and seeing the rest holding
shouting matches amongst them¬
selves, Macdonald became agitated
and contributed to an already event¬
ful ending to the meeting.     ^"-^ "*
"That is exactly what you arc
doing lhat is making students like
me angry." screamed Macdonald.
"You're pissing me off."
"We need to get rid of all of this
personal stuff." said director
Maribelle Ramon, referring to the
feud between Splivalo and Magana
that stalled the meeting.
After the meeting Macdonald
apologized to ASI advisor Frankie
Moore and her supervisor. Arlcnc
Bircline. for the outburst.
"I didn't plan on making a
scene." said Macdonald. "I went in
there with the intention of talking
to the board calmly. But you sec
what happened." *»
What happened was called "asi¬
nine" by director Jeff Stepanian and
a "free circus" by Splivalo. Magana
would not comment on any of the
proceedings.
Splivalo indicated that he was
somewhat aware of what
Macdonald was doing in reference
to the lawsuit. And even though he
had called Ya/.danpanah's allega¬
tions "valid" at one point, he did not
appear to be concerned.
"I don't think there is anything
to worry about as far as a lawsuit is
concerned." said Splivalo.
The ASI is, though, without the
services of an attorney at this time.
Magana has been working since the
Please see ASI, page 3.
Poison apples the stuff
of legend, professor says
UPI
CARBONDALE. III. - Hallow¬
een horror stories of razor blades
in apples and poisoned candy are
the stuff of urban legend, a South¬
ern Illinois professor says.
The Champaign News-Gazette
says sociology professor Joel Best
has studied newspapers going back
to 1958 and has been unable to find
any evidence that any child has ever
been killed or seriously injured by
an adulterated treat picked up in the
course if trick-or-trcating.
Best, who studied newspapers
such as The New York Times and
the Chicago Tribune, said it is easier
for parents to worry about a man¬
ageable threat like a razor blade in
an apple instead of something like
automobile accidents.
Best, whose background also
includes the study of criminology
and criminal behavior, began the
Halloween study in 1982. He found
that reported cases of contaminated
candy, which he refers to as "Hal¬
loween sadism." turned out to be
child-created hoaxes.
He said, "It's a nice little Hal¬
loween prank. Tricking grown-ups,
I can see how that can be popular."
Best said of the three newspa¬
per stories he found dealing with
tainted Halloween treats, one defi¬
nitely proved the strength of the
myth. He said that in the mid-
1970s, a boy was poisoned on Hal¬
loween by his father for insurance
money.
Best said, "The dad thought that
this happened all the time, so (the
dad thought) "They'll never get
me."'
Best said that although there is
nothing wrong with checking kids'
candy, there arc more real threats
to worry about like children getting
around in the dark, crossing streets,
and being assaulted.
^