1990_03 The Daily Collegian March 1990

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LA VOZ DE AZTLAN
CSU, FRESNO
MARCH, 1990
.
'Cucarachas' improv
born from the 1960s
I
Sandra Ortiz
LA VOZ STAFF WRITER
Do you know what "cucarachas "are?
Considering that a majority of CSUF
students live off-campus, many in apart¬
ments, you might have found yourself
dealing with eight-legged visitors who
you didn't invite.
Ifyou haven't guessed, the answer is
"roaches". The cucarachas I speak ofore
not your ordinary roaches. In fact these
cucarachas walk on two legs and have
organized in "El Teatro de las
Cucarachas." translated, "ThaTheatre of
the Roaches.""
There are appproximately 150 mem¬
bers, but the group depends on a core of
about 12 members. Teatro is a non-profit
organization which performs improvisa-
tional acts. The only qualifications one
must have to be a member of Teatro, is to
have the desire to perform with a true
emotion. Dedication is mandatory due to
the rigorous schedule members must fol¬
low.
The group's main objective is to meet
the needs ofthe community through per¬
sonal artistic performance. That is why
Teatro was formed.
As a result ofthe Chicano movement
Diana Solano, left, 'thumbs it' in Teatro's "Runaway." At right, the
pimp, played by Robert Sandoval, has already got three victims.
(1-r) Phamony In, -Jose Gonzalez, Linda Anceo, Steve Solano and
Debbie Anceo argue over whether "M ij a [should go] to college."
andprotestsover the Vietnam War^Teofro
Del Espiritu, the first Latino theater
group, was founded. The group was
formed by angry students searching for
the truth. Among these students was
Willie Lopez. Lopez is founder, and is
presently Director of Teatro De Las
Cucarachas.
Lopez recalls joining the revolution¬
ary students of the '60s because he, like
all other members, was searching for a
If solid way of informing people ofthe Chi-
£ cano-Mencano heritage that had beerr
% greatly ignored.
~ Groups like Teatro used La Raza
9 Studies programs like the one that formed
* nt CSUF in 1969 as springhjoards into the
9   community.
Lopez said that, as a result, Chicanos
became more aware of the gap in history
that was barely being acknowledged and
had been denied them for centuries.
Exchanging invisible cues, the current
Teatro came up with creative ideas to
make up for lost history.
Their performances are improvisa-
tional, dealing with issues such as the
farmworker rightsmovementandCeasar
Chavez and different forms of discrimina¬
tion.
Roosevelt High School students have
amonopoly on local improvisational Latino
theatre. Co-directors are David Ricardo,
Ciel Duckett, and Jose Diaz who lead 10
presentations a month.
Teatro is funded by grants from the
state and special programs for minorities.
Arte Americas, a non-profit organization
that raises funds for the support of the
artistic endeavors ofthe Latino commu¬
nity, has helped Teatro secure grants in
the past.
.
VETERANS
Continued from page 1
Experience in Film and Music." Obed Fernandez, a team
.leader and counselor from the Fresno Veterans Center,
will also speak.
Ybarra will serve as moderator and she will also speak
onher research on Chicano "Vietnam veterans. The panel
is open to the public. There will be a reception following
the panel discussion and Trujillo's books will be avail¬
able,	
EYE ON ASI
Continued front page 2
During thecounting oflastyear's ballots, the commit¬
tee came up with extra ballots after a final count had
determined Tranine Bowen was the winner of Sen a tor-
a t-Large Post No. 1 position. Hallisey took Bowen's spot.
(Bowen has since been appointed by the senate to Sena¬
tor for the School of Arts and Humanities.)
Anderson who called the recommendations "prepos¬
terous" and "the most unfair thing I've seen since IVe
been on ASI" opposed them along with Hallisey and
Senator-at-Large, Post No. 2 Kathi Machado who re¬
fused to approve the changes before the elections. They
said enough time had not been allowed for
senators to review the changes. The election
code changes were placed on the next week's
. agenda.
Stark was approved after several questions
about whether or not he would be able to make
the senate meetings.
Noticing that several senators had left the
meeting, Senator for the School of Social Sci¬
ences Andres Montoya called for a roll call vote.
Present were Aviles; Senator of School of Engi¬
neering Kevin Bodner, Bowen; Senator for
Undeclared Majors Stacey Green; Senator-at-Large, Post
No. 4 Diahann Hernandez; end Montoya. Not prosont
were Alfstad; Senator for the School of Education and
Human Development, Mike Green; Hallisey; Senator-at-
Large, Post No. S Nicole Kasabian; Machado, Pinuelas;
and Senator for the School Agricultural Sciences and
Technology Todd Rinkenberger.
Duringthe last part ofthe meeting, Sen ator-at- Large,
Post No. 3 Veda Ramsay said that the senators who have
badgered committee and senate applicants about having
time for meetings are those who traditionally leave the
senate meetings before business is finished.
•     •     •
Student government has been taking a few gambles
TEACHER
Continued from page 3
the teacher credential program..
To help make the program more successful, finan¬
cial and academic counseling, test preparation, and
peer support are provided.
ToTong Yang, 23, a FUSD employee, the program
is helping him pass the California Basic Education
Stalls Test (CBEST). "Every Saturday, I attend free
workshops offered by the program to help me i m prove
my English and math problems."
The program currently has 70 participants and two
more school districts have asked to participate next
■ year.
which have caused a few disagreements between mem¬
bers of the body. The debate at the Feb. 27 meeting
regarding the Gandhi bust created much controversy.
When the proposal came up, Anderson and Hallisey
brought up concerns about setting precedent on the
spending of capital expenditures coming from the ASI
budget which was over $500,000 at the beginning of the
spring semester. The request wasapproved by the senate
and the bronze-casting ofthe Gandhi bust will begin in
October.
The March 6 meeting began with the approval of
Si, 500 for the African Student Union. Rinkenberger was
theonly senator who voted against approving the money
It is up to future senates to
decide how they will spend
student money based on the
needs of their constituencies.
that will send CSUF students to a conference. A Celebra¬
tion of Diversity festival received £800 far publicity and
Students Against the Arms'Race received $900 for a
speaker coming from New York.
The personnel committee asked to approve Scott Stark
as student representative for Finance and Budget Com-
mitee. Cogley asked for his qualifications. Stark pointed
out that he has worked with the Fresno Latin American
Support Com mi tee.
The position of election committee chair, vacated by
Don Daves, unanimously went to Alex Ramirez.
•     •     •
We found out early in the March 13 meeting that
Alfstad had resigned because of schedule conflicts.
- Joel Murillo, a former CSUF student, was approved
as the new ASI attorney with a $1,200 retainer fee.
Anderson and Hallisey brought up the issue of setting
spending precedents when°$54,0Q0 was approved for a
Chicano/LatinoandAfrican American student research
center.The center will notonly serve themore than 5,000
people of color on campus but will provide all students
with research they might not be able to find in the Henry
Madden Library.
It may be important to not spend great amounts, but
this should be decided by the students-at-large, who are
the real contributers to the ASI. To Anderson and Hal¬
lisey, we say let's cross that bridge when we come to it.
The same people are not going to be governing the ASI
next year or the year after that.
It is up to future senates to decide how they
will spend student money based on the needs of
their constituencies. Anderson wrote to the edi¬
tor ofthe Collegian that if spending continues at
the present rate, capital reserves will be ex¬
hausted in less than five years.
Concerns over the capital reserves being
exhausted should be left up to future senates.
This administration has deemed recent expendi¬
tures important for CSUF. The research center
was supported byrepresentativesofmanyoTthe
cultural organizations. ,-
Thecapitalexpendituresbudgctisbiiiltbytrtetuition
of each student and should be used where the students'
besfcinterests lie.
Cogley whoisCSUFsrepresentative in theCalifornia
State Student Association reported a few concerns over
l*Topositionlll,alsor^lIedStateConstitutionalArnend-
ment 1 (SCA 1). Prop ill would cause budget cuts to
numerous programs. Students will seesteep increases in
fees.
Other CSSA sponsored legislation has included the
student educational equity bill which is still in its legis¬
lative process. Theblll will declare that racism remains
a genuineproblem on California's college andunrversity
campuses.
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