1994_10 Insight October 1994

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Page 12
October 19,1994
CALIFORNIA STATE UNIVERSITY, FRESNO
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Integration
Continued from Page 1
"Wc need to integrate African values and principals into our minds and
stop integrating with others and their
values." Jefferies said.
Jefferies explained that much of
today's history taught in schools is
distorted and misinforms students
from different ethnic backgrounds
might not understand each other's
culture and background.
Several African-American organizations try to help new and continuing
students through predominantly while
institutions because they may not get
help from the school community, said
the African Student Union and the
Academic Excellence Organization.
ASU President Kendra Walker said
African-Americans al CSUF need lo
"become serious with ihc problems
in the African-American community
and tackle them head-on because no
one is going to do it for you. People
have got to take us seriously and we
need collective involvement if wc arc
going to do anything lo rebuild our
families and communities."
Walker explained thai the ASU's
role on campus was to help facilitate
Afiican-American students' education and overcome any racial barriers they might have to encounter.
Ethnic studies director Lilly Small
believes African-Americans have
come a long way in the integrated
school systems.
"Integration has helped the university as a whole because it has shown
the university that people from other
ethnic groups are people very intelligent, very bright, capable people."
Small said.
Dorms
Continued from Page 3
stars, moons and planets. When the
lights in the room were turned off, il
looked like the sky at night.
"I didn't really think it looked like
a solar system but it really did hit
you," Spartz said.
She said most students however,
slick to more conventional decorating choices, such as keeping planus
or building a loft for their bed.
"As long as you can make the room
look like it did when you moved in,"
she said, there aren't many rules aboul
what you can and can't do as far as
decorating.
Keever has given her room more of
a personal touch, bringing her bear
quilt from home. On the bulletin
board that covers one wall, she lacked
photos of family and friends, dried
roses and poems.
Hester said she hasn't really done
that much lo decorate her room.
"When I'm there, I'm cither studying or sleeping," she said.
Spartz said Ihc residence halls arc
currently under renovation. Two
buildings are closed while work is
being done. The project should be
completed by the end of spring break.
The $7.1 million project will include turning many of ihc rooms into
suites with external entrances, renovating laundry rooms, and installing
a new security system.
Whether students live in the dorms,
al home or in apartments, ihey still
have to deal v. ith similar issues: bills,
space, privacy and teamwork.
"What you get out of your residence
hall experience will depend on whal
you put into it," said the "Residence
Hall Handbook." Jusi like any oiher
1 life.
Alumni
Continued from Page 1
photography for images of the 1983
Coalinga earthquake and a photo essay on immigration.
"There was no photojournalism program when I went here." he said. "I
flunked my first class, Introduction to
Photography."
His experiences with campus newspapers and the Instructional Media
Center at CSUF were integral to his
success as a freelance photographer
and later as pholo editor for the Torrance Daily Breeze.
Kuroda said perseverance in college
was the key.
"I never worked harder in my life
lhan when I worked at the Collegian,"
he said.
Kuroda never received his degree,
however. "I look classes I felt would
establish my mission, which I accom
plished," he said.
To some honorees, this experience
was especially unique. For Tim
White, recipient from the School of
Health and Social Work and current
chair of the Department of Human
Biodynamics at UC Berkeley, the return trip to CSUF was especially
sweel. It was the first time he had
seen the campus since graduation day,
1970.
"It's been a phenomenal visit. The
growth is awesome," he said.
White said lhat being on campus
during that time was quite an experience, with the Vietnam War in full
swing, protests and freedom marches.
"I didn't get arrested, bul I was in
protests," White said. "It was a very
volatile time, but a great sense of discovery."
Home
Continued from Page 3
white and steel blue trim, has been
around for more than fifty years.
At one time the home was used as a
college dormitory for whal is now
Fresno City College, a home for nuns
and even a flapper house.
Once the men start working, after
their first 90-day evaluation, they pay
575 weekly for program costs, rent
and food.
After they complete the program,
the men would have learned financial accountability, a strong work
ethic, communication skills, and they
all leave with a savings account and
a job to start them off back in soci-
Robcrt Bernard, Richard's brother
and an instructor for the anger management class, said the program
structure at the home focuses not only
on Christianity, but also leaches
work ethics.
"You're taught here that it's all right
to express emotions; you need to have
them," Bernard said.
Part of the healing process for the
men is listening to the stories of others' experiences and seeing how those
experiences relate to them.
"Drugs and alcohol arc just an indication of what's really taking place
in a guy's heart whether it's anger or
sadness," Bernard said.
Meanwhile, lim Nun believes that
the Maroa Home has changed him.
The key to success after the program
he said, is to surround yourself with
people that share your same ideas and
beliefs. And that is exactly what he is
doing, one day at a time.
For more information on the Maroa
Home contact Doug Erickson or Richard Bernard at 441-1543.
Literature
Continued from Page 7
of ihe changing attitudes of scholars
everywhere.
Morrison's selection. Walton said,
validates the inclusion of works like
"The Bluest Eye" and "Beloved" into
contemporary reading lists.
"There was never a recognized
'coming of age' writer for African-
American women before Morrison."
Walton said. "Your Huckleberry Finn
types have been the predominant literary characters of our cenlury."
Much of the same can be said for
women writers of other ethnic backgrounds, including Chicana writer
Cisneros. She first published her book
of short stories. "The House on
Mango Street," in 1985 at Arte
Publico Press, a publishing house
used by Chicano writers.
The small presses became important
outlets for some writers, Sanchez said.
Larger presses in New York and Chicago often take notice after seeing
works from regional presses that do
well.
While part of the revolution in
American literature comes from the
publishers and instructors, another
reason for Ihe surge in more diverse
ideas comes from the students at the
"Universities have changed."
Walton said. "Higher education is
more accessible. Different kinds of
American scholars are coming from
different backgrounds and are looking to challenge the narrow, sterile
standards of tradition."
"Students arc usually not made lo
question why an instructor picks a
certain text," Sanchez said. "Iff reading a text they have not heard of, students may not have the expectations
of the great novel thai makes them
anxious.
"The non-traditional novel may turn
into a pleasant surprise for students.
When they're not forced into seeing
a novel as great, they can begin lo
judge for themselves if the book is
valuable to them."
Senior Lena Sundlof serves as an
example of diversity in the CSUF English department.
Sundlof. an English major from
Sweden, said she has been exposed
to many marginal authors in her four
years of study here, both in the classroom and on her own. She plans to
translate contemporary American fiction into Swedish as her career.
"There is such a wide variety of
American writers," Sundlof said. "I
can hear all the voices and see the
Americanncss in them, probably bet
ter than Americans can.
"To me. American literature has
come to represent a big bunch of different groups all in one place, who
still share differing backgrounds."
Walton agrees and said that the multitude of views being expressed are
finally permeating the humanities discipline. Tradition is consistently being redefined.
"There will always be sharp reaction," Walton said, "when people
want to preserve that which reflects
their own experience and interests.
Bul, there is no objective way to measure art. Subjectivity is the key.
"The accepted body of works should
continue to reflect the views of many
different writers and opinions. The
canon should remain alive and should
continue to consider those other
views."
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