1989_01 The Daily Collegian January 1989

              the Daily Collegian
California State University, Fresno
TUESDAY, JANUARY 31, 1989
Retreat helps bridge cultures
Diverse student groups band together for weekend at Bass Lake
By M. B. Alexander
Staff Writer
The cold, clear weather of Bass Lake lent itself to a
cross-cultural retreat that was more than just a weekend
getaway for a group of CSUF students and staff.
"It was everything you wanted to know about another
race but were afraid to ask," said MEChA's Kathleen
Solano. 21, one of 20 students from various campus
organizations who spent three days playing out cultural
roles, and learning about other cultures and teaching
others about iheir respective ethnicities.
The theme of the retreat. "Students Working Together
For the Common Good," summed up the purpose and
goals for the Jan. 26 -28 trip.
"I thought it was a smashing success. If it had been
any better, it probably would have been illegal," said
Walter Robinson, Special Assistant to the Affumative
Action Officer, and coordinator of the event. Robinson,
and staff from the Student Counseling Center, worked
weekly last semester, painstakingly planning the evenL
"We wanted to develop a program where students from
different groups could get together and have profound
contact, not just shaking hands," said Student Coun¬
seling Director Esteban Sena. "We wanted to come
up with a format that would promote racial harmony."
From the students' perspectives, the planners' efforts
were not wasted.
"Our culture means a lot to us and we wanted to hook
up with other cultural groups who feel the same way,"
said Solano, who went to the retreat with MEChA Chair
Karen Coglcy. "The fact that we met a lot of people we
didn't know...It was like we found each other."
The group stayed in three cabins at the Pine Resort at
Bass Lake. They cooked and ate together, and sometimes
Please see RETREAT, page 3
Spring cleaning
Steve Pringle/Z>ot/y Collegian
Giving the fountain its annual three month algae scrubing, Lupe Dadranas prepares the fimiliar campus landmark for another semester   of squirting
and spraying.
Minority grad students
cash in through MAGIC
By Ted Hallisey
Contributing Writer
The Division of Graduate Studies and
Research is currently accepting appli¬
cations for new Patricia Roberts Harris
Fellowships as it begins the second year
of the Minority Advancement and Grad¬
uate Incentive (MAGIC) Program.
The grants are available to black,
Hispanic and American Indian graduate
students in education, health, social work
and natural sciences. Awards are based on
financial need.
The grants pay up to S 10,000 plus
university fees per 12-montti period, said
Dr. David A. Ross, associate dean for the
Division of Graduate Studies and Re¬
search.
"To be eligible for the grant the student
must have a 3.0 or above grade point ave¬
rage and must maintain that while
enrolled in at least eight units of graduate
level coursework," Ross said. Students
that meet these requirements can qualify
for a second year of study toward com¬
pletion of their master's degree.
There are currently three students at
CSUF that arc receiving funds from the
MAGIC program. They arc Lacy Sanies,
psychology; Laura Martinez, special
education; and Penny Carlo, engineering.
Carlo was awarded her grant because she
represents an area of study which is
historically underre presented by women,
according to Ross.
"Women that are underrepresented in
the specified majors are also eligible for
this grant." Ross said.
In   addition   to   receiving    financial
Please see MAGIC, page 5
'Wright'
building
at last
By Jeff Pennisi
Staff Writer
If approximately $28 million of
funding is approved by the state
legislature, CSUF may have the
only Fine Arts and Humanities Cen¬
ter designed by the late architect
Frank Lloyd Wright.
Joseph   Satin,   dean   of   the
Please see WRIGHT, page 3