1977_09 The Daily Collegian September 1977

              Festivities Honor Mexican Independence
Mexico's Independence Day,
Sept. 16, win b* commemorated
. bar* In Fresno and many surrounding communities with beau-
Oful   and   fesUv*   celebrations.
The College Union Is the .
setting for CSU Fresno's activities. Beginning Thursday at lCh3rt
a.m., Mariachl d* la Tlerra will
entertain, tnen Lot Danzantes de
Aztlan, and also, Teatro, among
other group*.
Fresno begin* It* three day
celebration wtth a Queen Coronation to be held In the Fresno Con-
ventlon Center Exhibit-tall, to be
followed by a Coronation Dance.
(At 11:00, th* dance will belnler-
niDted for the 'Grlto de^Indepen-       $1 million family health canter.
dencla'). Saturday, there will be Although
a parade at 10 a.m., which will a complete
begin  at Inyo.and *F* Streets.
Outside of Fresno, Madera's festivities In
Comlte Patriotlco wiU also hold
a parade that will start at 9 a. m.
on Flume Street, which ts tol-
lowed by a fl**ta at the end of
tho' parade route sponsored by
Los Charros Unldos de Madera.
El Comlte Mexlcano de Sanger
will  host  a tardeada
with- the   proceeds   going to a
scholarship.
The city of Parller wiU hold
a tardeada and open nous* to
celebrate the Mexican holiday.
'Bakke Decision' Incites Protest
There will be a MECHA mooting today at 12:00.
ha*e banked over the Supreme
Court of the United States forth*
last year. Within the next month,
the Supreme Court will review
one of the most Important civil
rights decisions since thJnJese- -
gregatlr n  rulings of the 1950's/
In center Is Allan Bakke, a 38
year-old white engineer who
wants to become a doctor. He
was twice denied admission to the
University of California Medical
School at Davis, which set a goal
of 16 to 100 places for minorities.
Bakke then sued claiming that the
university's minority admissions program unfairly discriminated against htm by admitting
"less-quallfled" minority students.
If Bakke wins his case, it will
ignite a dangerous precedent that
may   well   collapse affirmative -
action programs throughout the
Because of the long history of
flagrant discrimination against
rolnor&iea, a tidal wave of litigation Isenklng equal rights ensued with the passage of the Civil
Rlghtaj Act of 1964. A victory for
Bakke will recede the advances
of that tide and recede- all the
gains made not only by minorities
but   women,   veterans   and   the
Also, there Is a strong conviction among lawyers, particularly the Mexican-American Legal Defense and Education Fund
(MALDEF), that the case was so
poorly prepared in state courts
that It Is not a good tost case on
the basic constitutional issue at
stake.'
Many theorized that the university helped engineer Bakke's
challenge to its special admissions program. The university
was also said to have made major
concessions to Bakke's side during the case, Just to Insure that
the issues would be presented In
such a way that the quota system
would have little chanco of surviving the challenge.
MALDEF and other organizations are urging the Justices to
simply overturn the original California Supreme Court ruling,
which nullified the regents' quota
system, and then send the case
back to that tribunal for further
development.
Toward this goal an Antl-Bakke
Decision Committee (ABDC) has
been formed, aiming their struggle not Just at the courts, but
with conferences, rallies and demonstrations against the Bakke
decision.
The ABDC. Is calling on all people to Join with them Oct. 15 at
the federal building in San Francisco for a National Day of Soll-
- darlty  against the Bakke decl-
LocaUy, the ABDC holds regional meetings every Wednesday
at 7 p.m. at Media Central, 2172
Drexel Drive. For more Information call 224-9134, 268-2276.
New LRS Director
Welcomes Students
On behalf of the La Raza Studies
program and California State
University, Fresno, we take groat
pleasure In welcoming all of you
for to* 19T7-78 academic year.
Our program at CSVf U designed to promote knowledge as
well as a sensitivity to the historical and cultural factors that distinguish the Chicano as a unique
ethnic group In the United States.
Through our course offerings,
our program alms to promote a
better understanding between
Chicanos and non-Spanish speaking people. It you need to add an
rse or If you are
interested In La Raza Studies,
please come, by and see us. Our
program's survival depends on
student enrollment. Therefore,
we request your, support.
Our offices are located In San
Ramon 4, Room 118. Our phone
to 487-2848. If you need any assistance, please call or come by
Raisin harvest program
nears big breakthrough
Valley growers may someday bar* toss reason
to fear the throat of September rains akin to
those that dedmated tost years' raisin harv*st,
ir two experimental raisin drying processes
currently being researched by the CSUF Viticulture Department ar* successfuL
The first, the revolutionary Drled-On-The
Vine (DOV) process, would reduce the susceptibility of the drying fruit to rain damage. The
second, the more conventional Sprayed-On-The-
Tray (SOT) process, would significantly curtail
the harvest period, and thus  minimize -c
said Petrucci, as the process to quite prevalent in Australia and other countries. Bat It
to now to Valtoy growers, condlttonod to th*
too-crop
The DOV experiment "to the first Of Its
kind to the United States," said Project Director and Viticulture Department Chairman Vincent Petrucci,
The DOV process entails the spraying of tbe
grape bunches with a combination of food grade
materials that dry the fruit on the vine, and
then mechanically harvesting the crop after a
one-to-throe week drying period, dependent upon
vineyard and weather conditions.
Chemically drying raisins Is nothing now, .
time factors ar* similar (roughly on* month
tor th* entire process). However, th* DOV
costs more, and there is as yet an unexplained
10-20 por cent crop yield loss, and a myriad
of costly and necessary vineyard alterations
that must be adopted to facilitate th* harvest-/
ln« process, Including special trelllslng and
pruning of tho vine. r • . _ ■ ,
Bat tho DOV method's plusses far outweigh
II.  ml.....     ..M 4k- i.-ii.  «.,., -. .  -_*S7
• "By keeping th* crop off the ground (th* single
major advantage of the DOV process) you minimize the rain problem," explained Foster. He
cost escalates, the DOV procedure will offer
a viable alternative when perfected.
Footer believes  that If the DOV method to
Dr. Jesus Luna, Coordinator
La Raza Studies
At Home'- A Short Story
By Pedro Ramirez
I awoke. Staring Into a dark
silent room. Looking around,
everything thatl looked at seemed
strange. I could see dark Images
against the wall. I tried to focus
on something that was familiar,
the stained green celling .with
cracks that run on It. My eye*
followed the pato of a fly that
zipped by, the picture of my mother on tire wall. Then I could
smell the fresh scent of tortillas being made and It assured
me of being home. As the sun
peeped Into the cracks of the
stale white curtains I could hear
the clattering of dishes, the sizzling of food cooking, the soft,
pound   of   torlllas being  made.
I rolled on my side and curling
.my tongue with hunger, Jumped
out of bed. I walked out of my
cold shabby room and went directly to the kitchen. The coldness of the floor made me stumble down the hallway. As I
entered, my mom, who was cooking, told me that everyone had
gone to work. They left me again.
I was small at the time; so my
father had promised to take me,
but ho never did.  Everyone had
noticed my mother's smooth
brown- skin and her soft brown
eyes', that slightly glowed in the
dimly lit kitchen. Her thick, black
curly hair made her face round
and her am 11* made her chubby '
' cheeks stand ort. As she served
me her chubby body felt warm
d for th* day. I told
nor that I wanted to'vl.it my
grandmother.
W* lived In a small, wooden-
framed nous* behind my grandmother's nous*.   It was a coxy
The
, during the day It seemed
and at night It was cold,
lichen always seemed to be
of the year It was. I finished
eating and my mom had her back
turned to me. She was washing
dtshea and as I got up out of my
chair, she turned, I stood looking
at her, she dazed at me and
waited for me to tell her what
plans I had, I stepped closer
and asked her.
"Can I  please  go  outside.
"Yes, but watch yourself and
don't  let   anyone  bother  you."
"See you later."
"Okay hljo."
Walking out, the fresh smeU
of watered soil seeped through
my nose, and tbe crisp fresh
air made my body shiver. Directly In front of me stood the
big, green framed house that belonged to my grandparents, The
paint on it was chipped and the
rusted screens stayed In place.
I looked around the big yard that
both of us shared, It was covered
wtth frost, the sun would soon
melt 1U The two big round trash,
cans that stood In tha center of
tho yard were filled to the brim
.and I wondered how the trash men
could carry tho** Hg heavy cans
across the yard. 1*9 big cherry
tree that branched out Into th* sky
was still. Our tree house laid
tn that tree, but was covered by
house assured me that one of
them was home. I walked through .
the dark cold hallway. As I
entered to the main part of the
house through tbe door, I could
hear my grandmother to the dimly
lit kitchen. I stopped In. She
was sitting on a chair next to a
chair next to a small rotrad table,
seeing me, she called me over.
Her skin that had been Ilka my
mothers, was old and shrlvtod,
her glassy black eyes stared Into
ed.
"Working in the compress, ho
went in at six."
"Why so early?"
"No se, they just called him to
Sipping her coffee, her black
grayish hair curly and bushy, like
my mom's, blended Into the darkness of the dimly lit room. She
stood up and the dress she had
on had the sweet scent the house
always had. Feet dragging, she
went to wash dishes. As I sat,
she stood washing the dishes,
then In that low, aged vote* she
"I remerobor when I era* a
child of twelve and it aeemed like
everything was going jrrong tor
us.  I  pray**, hot times wore ,
earlier than
wtauf I *
1.1 tl
and friends fighting In the w
As I walked to my g
ther's house, tho plants that lined
nor house seemed to bo alive with
tha morning sun. Looking to a
side, I «ould so* tho fresh
tiro tracks of my father*s car.
Entering the house, tl
stale  scent of my g
cam* back on* day from a battle
they had Just lost, they cam*
with news that a vast troup of
enemies was headed our way.
People immediately began leaving th* town. I wdndered why
they toft, the war was Hi over
Mexico.   That night I fell asleep
dreaming. It was my mother. She
told me to tuae somewhere quickly . I Jumped out of bed and Jumped behind the dresser. I knew we
didn't have a chance because all
our men were gone. They bad
gone off to other parts of the
country. I began to feel cold, because I knew my family could
all be killed. I could hear gun
shots to the' distance, people
. screaming and yelling as they
entered bouses. My body fell Into
a chill. I grew tense. Our front
door fuel slur crashing made
me numb. I could not move, I
felt Ilk* Jumping out and helping,
my mother, but I knew she
wouldn't like that. I peeped Into
the living room to see who It was.
A stalk*, short mexlcano stood by
my mother. They both stood talk-
tog, but I couldn't hear them. I
tried to focus on what they were
saying. I heard him say,
"Where to everyone?"
"Please,  please   leave   my
house," my mother begged,
■ "Shut up you stupid bitch. Wbo
ar* you?" He said ina very wicked vole*. I thought ho wtf going
to strike her snd I almost tot out
a scream, but I hold onto It and I
.cried tor fear. Something ran
through my body that I never felt
before, t was. scared. I wanted
to go out and save my mom, but
I couldn't. My mom wouldn't like
that I crunched up Into a tight
ball and wept lo myself and prayed
Ilk* I've never don* In my life.
Dear God help us. And ho did.
I'm here today.
Sh* finished, washing the dishes,"
wont' to,nor room' and ther* I
slept with her. Sh* held ine'and
the re I stayed" sleeping.
RAISIN RESEARCH PROJECT Director and Viticulture Department Chairman Vincent Petrucci
(right) and Field Analyst Dave Foster (left) are
spearheading the experimental raisin drying pro
cess that may someday save Valley raisingrowors
from losing a September harvest to unpredictable
rainfall  and  significantly  shorten the harvesting
by the CSUF Viticulture Department produces a
lighter colored, more tender and sweeter tasting
raisin  than  trie natural sunlight drying process.
eventually adopted, th* hand pi eked labor curren-.
tly employed to harvest the crop "will gradually
be displaced." In Its stead will arise a "need
for skllaJM primers to prune tbe vineyard
properly" on tbe trellises, to accommodate the
spraying procedure and to facilitate tbe mechanized harvesting of the crop.
Also, as sanitary standards tor raisin production crow more stringent, the DOV process
* would eliminate most contamination from bird,
Insect, or animal feces.
Foster, who Is responsible for all field
research, said that while the project Is progressing at a satisfactory pace, "we're still
In the experimental stages, gathering" data." He
foresees large scale adoption of the procedure
as "a bit further down the road."
Eventually,  Foster said 'they nope to hone
the procedure to such a flexible degree that
any farmer can adapt his operation to DOV <*"
using conventional systems and
Until then, Foster urges f
apply the method, citing m
grower failures doe to lack of preparation that
set back the program a tow years ago.
"This is a relatively sophisticated operation,"
said Foster, and most of today's raisin growers
are not yet able to cope with its intricacies
and conditions without supervision, or the exorbitant conversion costs.
To convert from a conventional system to
the DOV process would require a farmer to
:e tre Ills his vineyard, thin the foliage, and obtain
the use of a mechanical harvester, all costly
(Continued on p. 8)
I  DON'T   LIKE    THESE   PROCESSED    P0O££*
I    EAT   ONLY     NATURAL.    THINGS...   v