Four days into my trip to Istanbul, and it was time for my study-abroad program to begin. My classmate Liv, whom I met on my first day due to us staying in the same hotel, loaded our things into a van and made our way to the dorms that were to be our new home for the next month. We were to share the dorms with 12 other girls, ranging in age from 19 to 27, and then me, age… Read more
It’s no secret one of the great joys of traveling is traversing the crowded bazaars and promenades in search of that quintessential item that perfectly sums up what an amazing time you had. For some it’s a scarf or a new bag and for others it’s a piece of jewelry or some sort of art. My perfect travel treasure was a backgammon set. For days I scoured the markets, bazaars, and shopping promenades, turning my nose up at the typical… Read more
Who knew that an email could change the course of my life? It certainly wasn’t what I was expecting when I opened the mass email my adviser had sent out. But there it was – opportunity knocking, and opportunity’s name was The Istanbul Project. If the universe saw fit, I was to study journalism in Istanbul for five weeks through ieiMedia — an intensive international journalism program. Whether or not I was going to be able to pull it off… Read more
Governor Jerry Brown signed a bill last week intended to strengthen local authorities’ ability to adopt and enforce regulations restricting the establishment, locations, and operation of medical marijuana dispensaries. Government officials have been concerned by the seeming lawlessness of dispensaries and hope that this bill will work to hinder the proliferation of pot stores in California and particularly in Los Angeles County.
Representatives from three major grocery chains and Southern California unions have reached a tentative agreement on employee health care, staving off a strike that has loomed for months, according to a recorded message from the union’s update hotline. “We are pleased to announce that we have reached a settlement that protects (union workers’) health care,” it said. “Vote details will follow shortly.” Few details have emerged about the deal that may avoid a strike at Vons, Ralphs and Albertsons. Representatives… Read more
Local law enforcement now have the authority to regulate the operation and locations of marijuana collectives in California, according to a bill signed Aug. 31. AB 1300 will go into effect Jan. 1, 2012, and was created to clarify what local authorities are entitled to regulate and what restrictions marijuana collectives must adhere to, according to the bill, authored by Assemblyman Bob Blumenfield. Law enforcement will now be able to apply both civil and criminal penalties in order to protect… Read more
CSUN’s freshman class has reached its highest number yet this semester, at about 5,200 students, according to Dr. Cynthia Rawich, vice provost and vice president for academic affairs. The past decade has seen steady growth and although the increase from 2010 to 2011 was not a large one, it has been enough to add about 80 classes in the last five weeks. Although the increase from last year to this year was not a large one, it has been enough… Read more
Union members representing 62,000 Southern California Vons, Ralphs, and Albertsons employees voted in favor of a strike on Aug. 20 after six months of contract negotiations. “We don’t want to strike, last time it was terrible for everybody,” said Mike Shimpock, union spokesman. “It’s a terrible position to put everyone in, but if these markets won’t negotiate with us we don’t have much of a choice.” Grocery store employees voted to pass the strike by 90 percent, well above the… Read more
It was the opportunity of a lifetime and CSUN senior Jenna Jackson jumped at it. It started with a simple question – “How come we don’t get the opportunity to travel?” Jackson said. “We learn about cultural eating but we don’t really experience it.” Little did she know the impact that simple question would have on her life and the lives of many others. This past summer, Jackson and 11 other nutrition and dietetics students and graduates embarked on an… Read more