1995_12 Insight December 1995

              Viewpoint
DECEMBER 6,1995
Building the
University Mall
For the economics of it
Project doesn't affect fees
W
dents listen. With I
OPINION
a State Ii:
jr.undergradsatCali-
: The u
A typical ci
In most cases, this is untrue.
I heard a conversation between
Joe Student and Su/y Coed the
other day in The Pit. They were discussing the construction 4>n campus, specifically around Ihe I 'Diversity Student Union.
J4>c complained the univcrsiiy was
blowing his registration monev on
new buildings when old structures
on campus are in decay.
He exclaimed thai the San Ramon
buildings and Lab School are falling to pieces.
Su/v agreed. She said McKee
Fisk and McLane Hall are covered
with cobwebs, dust and dirt, inside
and out
Joe said the ongoing construction
at Ihe USU irks him the most.
He said it is unfair that the university is using his money |4> build
a huge addition to ihe USU lhat he
would never get to use.
Su/y then implied that she and Joe
were the sole contributors to the
USU project. She said Fresno State
administrators are sucking her dry
with high registration lees 141 pay
for the whole thing.
No reason to complain
Listening to them. I * ondered il
Joe and Su/y had legitimate points.
I considered joining their discus-
But alter thinking about the situation. 1 realized Joe and Su/y were
fuming for no reason.
Building funds lor the USU
Jefferson
BEAVERS
Staff Writer
ffl
lhe USU will be lhe North Court
Park. It was formerly a concrete pad
wiih hike racks.
North Court Park will be an out-
iumge
have trellise
carts.
or students. It
benches and I
lated to student union funds.
I called on Joel Zarr. director of th
USU. u. address the issue. He reus
sured me 1 was right.
He said that monev for the cuireii
USU construction plan came frori
restricted lunds raised b) thc USU
The in
cally foi
olles
ieen lhe USU and
Kennel Bookstore will he known as
The Pavilion. It will house up lo six
retail shops and additional sealing
lo handle overflow from the USU.
Focus on other issues
Zarr said there were no Opponents
to the project within the 14-mem-
berUSU Board. Which has II stu-
i'he project is being pulled off
without a single increase in USU
fees for students.
That's right. Not one increase in
student USU fees is related to the
lapped.
Only good response
Zarr said thai money u-r the $3.2
million project comes from three
sources: Student Union ices, long-
term bonds and "additional income"
to the USU.
Student Union fees are a small por-
ti4>u 4il the total registration C4)sts students pay each semester. Currently thc
538 LSI fee is 4 percent nt lhe total
$906 registration bill.
Funds raised tr>>m M'-ycai bonds arc
making a big contribution t4> the
project. The bonds will he paid back
over a 30-year period.
Additional income includes room
rentals in the USU. Food Court profits and Recreation Center proceeds.
When I told Zarr aboul the conversation between Joe and Su/y. he said
lhat. to his knowledge, it was a rare
pre
eel
ii,-thin
bul
Zarr explained that the only projected increase in USU lees over the
long term relates to inflation.
Alter all this. I realized people
like Ji>e and Su/y need to focus on
other money issues.
The average student needs to re-
ali/e lhat Ihe Stale University Fee
is the part of registration lees that
keeps going up. as legislative apportionments to the ("Sl system
keeps going down.
Hikes in lees are not necessarily
related to new construction (Ml campus.
The USU construction will lead
to positive gains in campus scr-
v ices. It w ill beautify the university.
The people al the USU have
worked hard lo make these gains
possible with no financial stress on
students.
I hope that Joe and Su/y are wise
enough to realize who's on iheir
For the beauty of it
Finally, a 'beautiful campus building
A
.he had c
Slate I'll
OPINION
because she v isiied the campus and
thought it was beautiful.
"I fell in love with it." she told me.
What?
I have to say that "beautiful" is a
term lhat I never considered when
describing Fresno Slate.
"Relatively clean." "Eclectic architecture." ' Graffiti-free." These
descriptions might come to mind if
pressed to describe my soon-to-be
alma mater.
But not beautiful.
Fortunately, the university has
been making great strides in improving the aesthetics of our
school.
In the seven on-and-off years I
have attended school here. I have
seen the addition of the Science
Building, the Music Building and
lhe Kducation Building.
I have also seen The' Pil and the
Cafeteria remodeled.
Does anyone remember the all-
you-ean-eat buffet? Gone. I ihink
it's a pizzeria now since the Country Store ran out of trail mix and
closed.
USU adds flair
Grass and trees now grace Ihe dirt
lot next to the University Business
Center where learns used to compete in tug-of-war during Vintage
Days.
The University Student Union has
Jennifer L.
DAVIS
i
aesihet-
also been a d\ namic structure over the
years. With 'current plans io add the
North Court Park and The Pavilion.
the USU may become one of the most
exciting and interesting buildings on
campus
line Pavilion, which will connect the
Union and the Kennel Bookstore, will
handle the overflow of students from
lhe Union with additional sealing ar-
'Living room' of campus
rill also le;
ctail
shops, whose goods and (hemes are
slill undetermined.
A comfortable place to sit. talk and
eat is hard lo come by on campus.
.Student Union director Joel Zarr is
working with the USU Board to remedy thai problem. He called the lack
of space a "driving force" in Ihe
Board's approval of the renovation
and expansion.
After all. isn't lhe Union supposed lo
be the living room" of the campus.'
should not he Ii
ics and extracurricular services.
Instead, it should concentrate on
the quality ol education and number of classes available to students.
They miss the point.
While we are all here lo gel an
education, our time on campus
should be enjoyable, even stimulating.
The beamy of campus, natural or
man-made, is part of an overall
campus ambiance, aura, charm —
whatever you wanl lo call it.
Ihe changes pursued by the USU
Board enhance the environment in
which we operate every day.
Pretzels for everyone
I will not miss the sight of a
tangled web of bike racks surrounding a dirt lot when waiting in line
al the Versatel machine.
I would enjoy silting on a bench
under a trellis eating a hot pretzel
smothered in mustard, purchased
from one of Ihe new food carts in
lhe North Court Park.
I am reminded again of my friend
who chose Fresno State based not
only on lhe strength of its academic
programs, bul also on how attractive she found the campus.
And at this rate, maybe by the
time I come back to visit in seven
years, the San Ramon Buildings
will be beautiful, too — especially
if they're gone.
C^INW *Ut**tWCY AT A PRESTIGIOUS
People show no consideration
I have a "Born Loser" comic strip
taped to the wall above my desk.
Brutus and Vceblefester are having
cocktails. Brutus babbles on and on
about virtually nothing.
Finally. Vecblefester covers Brutus'
mouth in exasperation.
and one mouth?" he asks. "S,. you can Quy £
listen more and lalk less. •*
I would give anything to see that strip    SHARWOOD
blown up to life-size and posted on
walls all over Madden Library.
It might give a few students a hint.
I come from a lime when talking oi
t being noisy in a library was a ear-
OPINION
Stall" Writer
dinal
■r  Ui.-s
other pi;
As a rebellious high schooler. I was for I
constantly reminded by Mr. Draughon Noi all students see il Ihis vva;
lhat Ihe library is "noi a place for gen- Many are willing to sacrifice
eral conversation." and drinking tor the |4-y «11 hash
He would then advise us garrulous the planet's problems or even
students of our options (go to the re- (I'm serious)at varying volume
source center, cafeteria, etc.) establishment intended loi quie
I. however, opted to continue prattling m   What does il amount IO? I wo
on with my homeboys in the library. I lhe same things ihat plague stu
guess because I was rebellious. I lived large: thoughtlessness and lack
on the edge. I flirted with danger. sideration for others.
Bul lhat isn't the case any more. I see the same thing. 4111 a more
I am no longer in high school. And. scale, on Shaw or Blackstone. "1
yes. my rebellious streak has waned portant. I can'l miss my powei
somewhat so I'm cutting you oil" Zi><» oi
1 am now a grown man. I am here at g4>es the crimson Lexus.
NLlkl
-clian;
me and again
s a back door, but I'm
•cause lhe world owes
-ken, I have often ob-
an altitude of "Study-
. midterm? Can't you
be? Jane) Sue and I
a giHKl video for Fri-
lo do it right there.
Ity of anyone of rude-
ople are always think-
damn Walkman down.
think I'm the only one
II.
g a concentrated ef-
Am-gance and self-
Dcheted on
e and nearly killed me The Eastern
hools refer to this as karma. Then we
tve Sl. Paul adv ising the Galatians that
e reap what we sow. It happened to
I Ilia!
of others
-orks in 1
1 lavor
,. IVs
California Stale Univcr
studv and leam.
That is whv 1 spend time in Mad
Librarv.
Sure. I'm a gregarious indiv idual
course I relish companionship and 1
venation.
alley or any of our campus eateries,
noi only can I chew the fat. but al
burrito or a muffin. Can'l do lhat ir
Thc most appropriate reference I
think of is Ecclesiastes .1:7.   "a tin
0 to
Ther
My point may not he clear. I wrote
this piece out of frustration while attempting in study amid various dins oh
lhe library's third floor.
But I can see all too easily how a student unconcerned with the welfare of
er mind that someone is impatient
his or her Wal-Mart hags 4.11 a
- seat and give his 411 her sore arms
:r mind lhat the bus vv ill be slowed
aybe I'm wrong. Bul I would like
lelieve that maturity and consider-
n are by-products of a higher edu-
Casinos not just 'cash cows5 any more
Three years ago. Table -Mountain Casino could have been
mistaken for a simple bait
shop. Now. en route (o Sky Harbor.
30 miles northeast of Fresno, it's impossible to miss the huge building,
hundreds of cars and glittering lights.
What's going on here?
I got the impression lhat gambling
in casinos is only legal in Nevada and
New Jersey.
Apparently not.
Anyone who has visited Table
Mountain Casino and Bingo knows
that gambling is alive and well in
California.
Customers first see rows upon rows
of video slot machines when entering the casino, along with about 30
blackjack tables and poker tables.
Oh, and the really lucky ones show
up on Kickboxing Nighl.
This can be done because the casino
is on an Indian reservation.
According to Article Four. Section
19 of the California Constitution, ln-
Mike
SUBOTICH
StaffWriler
1
ing money.
>f ihis profit could
by having a state-
similar to the Cali-
pro
dian reservations have certain rights,
including lhe right to have gaming establishments.
Other slates have similar law s.
I'm not saying "Shame, all ye gamblers!" In fact, in researching this
story. I dropped 20 bucks al the aforementioned blackjack tables.
If gambling is here to stay, as it ap-
pcars to be. it should be put to a useful purpose.
Il is a fact lhat casinos are cash cows.
There is never a night when a casino
ate would operate and main-
inos. A majority of profits
ould go lo education, highway im-
meni and reforestation,
iv people believe government is
too involved in the private sector already, but with things like the recent
government shutdown, there has to be
some other means of generating rev-
It would give all those gamblers out
there a chance to be philanthropists.
Jusi think what mother would say:
"So. what did vou do last night.
Mugsy?"
"I. uh. gave 50 dollars to the Sierra
Club."
"Oh. thai was nice of you."
"It would have been nicer if 26
would have come up on the roulette
table."
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