The atmosphere in the Westfield Fashion Square in Sherman Oaks over Thanksgiving  weekend was fun and festive. I was at the mall to do some walking, not consuming. I had nothing but my car keys with me but that didn’t stop me from window shopping. I browsed The Pottery Barn, wishing for a world in which ivory sofas are practical, dashed into Macy’s to see what designers are doing with the same old fabrics this year, and then took a… Read more

I’m tired of living in “Afraid,” America. The latest manifestation of our corporate fear is in the current debate over pat- downs vs. full body scanning machines at the airport. The Transportation Security Administration recently admitted their newest version of the pat-down is more invasive than the old version. In other words there is a strong probability they will “touch your junk.” If you get the golden ticket of suspicion at the airport and you opt for the full body… Read more

Two CSUN alumni, a judge and a practicing attorney, will speak to students about the pros and cons of going to law school. The speakers include Judge Gerald Rosenberg, a 1972 CSUN graduate, attorney David Schwartz, 1992 CSUN graduate, and Tom Stern, marketing manager for the Princeton Review testing preparation service. Dr. Martin Saiz, chair of the CSUN political science department, said panel members will discuss the importance of the Law School Admission Test (LSAT) and give advice on how… Read more

The incumbent secretary of state of California Debra Bowen is running for re-election. Prior to holding this office she was a state assemblywoman and a state senator representing communities in the South Bay area of Los Angeles County. As secretary of state, Bowen’s office is responsible for overseeing elections, supervising all electioneering and lobbyists in the state, and maintaining business records and the state archives. One of the most important jobs Bowen did when she took office in 2007 was… Read more

Oviatt Library volunteers sold a wide variety of titles Tuesday for $1 or less during one of their regular used book sales. Joe Russo, 83, retired chemist and volunteer chairman of the Gift Book Collection, has seen thousands of books filter through the library in his 11 years of service to CSUN. He said he started volunteering after he donated some of his old books to the Oviatt. “When books are donated to the library they come to me…and we… Read more

One of the most important elected positions in state government is the office of the state controller. The state controller is responsible for managing taxpayer dollars collected by the state. The controller’s office oversees the accuracy of the state payroll, performs audits of all state programs and offices as needed, and manages the state’s income in many other ways. The controller is, ideally, the taxpayer’s watchdog. This person is basically the accountant for the people. I endorse the incumbent, John… Read more