In 1957, Wendy Whitehouse attended a dance that would create a memory that she would never forget. Whitehouse was crowned the first homecoming queen. “It was really an honor,” she said. “I wasn’t expecting it.” Whitehouse (maiden name Holden) was part of the graduating class of 1961, of what was then known as San Fernando Valley State College. Her class was the first class to graduate in four years. The theater arts major in the College of Speech-Drama was also… Read more

When Jackie Hiegert reminisces about her days in college, she does not cringe at the memory of heavy textbooks and homework assignments. Instead, she thinks about orange groves, athletic events and meeting the man who would eventually become her husband. An Oklahoma native, Hiegert moved with her family to the San Fernando Valley when she was 5 years old. She attended local schools from first grade through college, where she enrolled at San Fernando Valley State College—now known as CSUN…. Read more

It is an impressive shot. A man, at full stretch, skims the dark surface.  His ski, angled sharply, sends jets of water in every direction. He is captured in the magazine appearing young and vibrant and smiling. “My advisor brought me a copy and said, ‘John, look, you’re on the cover,’” said John Van Arsdale, CSUN professor and director of the Lake Castaic Aquatic Center. “I said, ‘Oh, that’s neat.’” For Van Arsdale, appearing on the cover of the May 21, 1962… Read more

Frank St. Denis attended San Fernando State College at a time when the price per unit was only $29 and there were only 1,000 students enrolled. St. Denis was involved with the Sunburst yearbook and the Daily Sundial. Because he was already involved in so many projects on campus, his fellow classmates encouraged him to run for president of Associated Student Body (ASB). “I was the first-elected student body president,” St. Denis said. “The election was for the whole year… Read more

While working as a managing editor for the Daily Sundial, Kevin Roderick was involved in discovering that Associated Students had committed election fraud. Roderick said the Sundial’s aggressive coverage of the story resulted in the entire student government getting recalled. After not knowing what he wanted to do with his life, this experience at CSUN helped him find out. Being a self-proclaimed voracious news gatherer from an early age, Roderick considered journalism the most important thing to be part of… Read more

Former CSUN faculty and alumni will reunite Friday at the annual Founders Day event. This year’s festivities will include the rededication of the dial fountain in front of Bayramian Hall, which will be renamed in tribute to CSUN’s founding president Ralph Prator. Also being honored at the event will be the newest members of CSUN’s 50-Year Club, a group composed of alumni who received their degrees 50 years ago. Shellie Hadvina, associate director of alumni relations, said this is the… Read more

The CSUN men’s soccer team (0-5-1) will play the last match of a six-game road trip when they square off against the University of San Francisco (1-3-1) Friday. The Matadors will end their longest road trip in more than 10 years, the longest road stretch for any team in the Big West Conference this year. The road trip began Sept. 5 with a 2-0 loss against Loyola Marymount. However, much of that was overshadowed by their youth and inexperience, as… Read more

The CSUN women’s volleyball team kicks off Big West play with a pair of home matches Friday against UC Santa Barbara and Saturday against Cal Poly. Last season, the Matadors (6-8) lost both matches in three straight sets to the Gauchos (7-5). “Everyone is 0-0 in conference play, so it’s important for a good start,” said head coach Jeff Stork. “We will prepare for them, work on serving tougher, and be precise in our communication and convert on opportunities.” The… Read more

Reggie Bush and Pete Carroll took tremendous blows to their reputations because of the penalties handed down to USC, due to Bush’s acceptance of illegal benefits. Bush and Carroll have it easy, and the ones getting punished are the current Trojan players. Yes, Bush decided to be a good citizen and give back his Heisman Trophy. However, he will still be able to go home to his million-dollar house and look at his Super Bowl ring, knowing life is still… Read more