Ballet Folklorico Aztlan de CSUN held their seventh annual Folklore de Mexico on May 1 at Birmingham Community Charter High School. The event celebrated 40 years of Mexican dance, culture and education at CSUN. The annual event included traditional dance of different regions accompanied by live music from Mexican recording artists Hermanos Herrera as well as the nine-piece mariachi band, Mariachi de Mi Tierra. BFA de CSUN is comprised of 32 members (CSUN students, alumni and community members) who keep… Read more

Don’t have any regrets when you graduate. Take advantage of your freedoms and the diverse education while at CSUN. Photo Courtesy of Alexandra Chavez At the beginning of the year, I thought May would never come. I was ready for the end of the semester as soon as it began. The end is now six days away and among several thoughts I have, is “No, wait. Just one more day, please.” Am I anxious, fearful, or just excited by the… Read more

CSUN jazz students will be playing among the biggest names in jazz at the 53rd annual Monterey Jazz Festival Sept. 17 to 19. The Jazz “A” Band received top honors in the college big band division and the student jazz combo group. The Josiah Boornazian Group were the winners of the open combo division. Student musicians will be sharing the bill at this high profile music event with artists such as Harry Connick, Jr., Dianne Reeves, Chick Corea and many… Read more

This past weekend, CSUN econ professor Kenneth Ng “reluctantly” removed information about Thailand’s sex tourism from his personal website, www.BigBabyKenny.com. Ng’s website is his outlet for promoting “no hidden agenda, no censorship, no bullsh*t.” Ng feels he is a resource for general and specific information for foreigners spending time in Thailand. Obviously, college professors, including Ng, have the right to their own hobbies and private lives. I respect the right for teachers to reveal as much or as little as… Read more

Paper or plastic? My head says paper, my dog walking side says plastic, and my heart says neither. When you look at the facts, it is hard to accept that “paper or plastic” is still a viable option in the retail world. Because consumers are given the option, does not mean that they must take either one; there’s baggage attached to both. The initial sell of plastic was to reduce the amount of trees destroyed for paper bags. Now that… Read more

Color is no longer the first association with the word green. It is now about reducing, reusing and recycling, not just trash, but in every facet of living. Today, greening, or sustainability, marries with every industry and area of study, including interior design. Some CSUN teachers regularly incorporate this into their classroom curriculum but one student thinks it may not be enough. Jean Tumbaga, a senior interior design major, feels the department as a whole does not share her passion… Read more

CSUN’s College of Education and Humanities received a federal grant of $8.4 million for a new certification and master’s program. The funding, which will be distributed over a five-year period, will be used to train special education teachers to better handle students with disabilities. The award was announced by Congressman Brad Sherman. “Cal State Northridge is nationally recognized for its exemplary programs to prepare highly qualified teachers and develop partnerships with high-need schools,” Sherman said in a press release. “Once… Read more

Ten years ago, I did not think twice about the census. I filled it out and sent it in, no questions asked. However, this time, I got to thinking about the logistical nightmare in attempting to count every single body, especially the hard-to-reach people like the homeless. Another group then crossed my mind: what about the incarcerated? Just how does California count those who are currently living in the state prison system, which cannot be counted as a permanent residence?… Read more

A second CSUN faculty member has received an award from the California Music Educators Association (CMEA) honoring their excellence in music education. Music professor Larry Stoffel was awarded earlier this month with the John Swain College/University Educator Award, as was professor Mary Schliff, the first CSUN recipient in 2004. Stoffel is the director of bands and the coordinator of wind studies and has been at CSUN since 2004. He said the award was unexpected and the prize humbles him. “I… Read more