A new approach in psychotherapy uses avatar therapists. As described in a recent posting by Popular Science magazine, instead of face-to-face interaction with another human being, mental health patients can now see their therapists in cyberspace. This may seem to be a good idea at the moment, yet like almost every other technology, will most likely become another disintegrating factor to human interaction. Considering all the technological advances our society has seen over the past few decades, there is little… Read more

There has been a lot of finger pointing since the Arizona shooting that took place on January 8, 2011.  Obviously most, if not all of the blame should be put on the man who pulled the trigger, killing 6 people and injuring 12.  Crazy people do crazy things, no question about it. But should our political and media leaders be held partially accountable?  A lot of people have blamed Sarah Palin for the Arizona shooting because of the “Don’t Retreat,… Read more

The Center for Disease Control stated that bedbugs in the United States are a rising concern, and California is no exception.  Starting on the East Coast and filtering across the country, bedbug outbreaks are affecting hotels, dorms and residential spaces. According to the Bed Bug Registry, a website which allows the public access to all reported cases of bedbug infestations, Los Angeles County had 403 cases in 2010, most of which concentrated near downtown Los Angeles. Complaints came from an… Read more

Student groups looking for a permanent space to meet may be able to find one this semester as businesses leave CSUN. Debra Hammond, executive director of the University Student Union (USU) said newly open residences will be available to student groups. “We will probably see more (vacancies) in the next six months,” Hammond said. Digital One Hour Photo, which operated out of the Plaza Del Sol since 2005, left campus on Dec. 31, 2010 due to financial hardships. Although she… Read more

In an effort to save students money and increase access to course materials, the Matador Bookstore has doubled the availability of rental books from last year and introduced 200 digital titles for the coming semester, said Amy Berger, store director for the Matador Bookstore. “In the fall term, we rented over 15,000 books to more than 9,200 students, saving them more than $500,000,” Berger said.  “And, although they represent a small fraction of sales, we are working toward a digital… Read more

Matador Chris Gale recently came back from Europe where he played for the Division III American College Hockey Association All-Star team (ACHA), which was a first for a California native to participate in. Gale said it was one of the greatest experiences in his hockey career. He lived part of a dream, traveling to Europe and playing four hockey games, he said. “I heard a little bit like, ‘Shouldn’t you be surfing’ that kind of stuff,” said Gale, who leads… Read more

So we are back to school. It’s a new year and a new semester. Personally, my new year’s resolution was to help the world be more green and less wasteful. And to be honest, I feel like I have failed because we’ve been without a green post in over a month. I have so many eco-friendly ideas and blogs to post that they are piling up like a landfill in the back of my mind. Speaking of landfills though, trash… Read more

After an emotional end to last season that resulted in defeat at the Big West Tournament championship game against nemesis UC Irvine, the Matadors are looking toward a fresh start. The Matador women’s water polo team, who ranked ninth in the nation at one point, are now in the process of rebuilding and are preparing themselves to get back to the Big West championship. “The fall was spent incorporating the freshmen into the system,” said head coach Marcelo Leonardi, who… Read more

Each January we promise ourselves to do something better in the upcoming year. Gyms often make the most profit in January because so many people try to commit themselves to working out. But how often do people stick with it the whole year? How much do people care about self-improvement? As it is, many people not only don’t keep their resolutions and most forget what it was entirely by the end of the year. Perhaps people don’t care to remember… Read more