CSU Chancellor Charles B. Reed has appointed provost of CSUN, Dr. Harold Hellenbrand, as the university’s interim president beginning Jan. 1, 2012 until the process to name a permanent president is completed. Hellenbrand said he is mostly curious about his new position, and that as a professional courtesy, his goal is not to make any commitments that will tie the hands of the new president. “(I will) keep the car on the road,” he said. “I think there’s a couple… Read more

Coming off their biggest margin of victory (30 points) in the last 11 years against San Jose State Thursday, the Matadors allowed four Fresno State players to score in double figures as they fell 70-61 Sunday afternoon at the Matadome. Despite holding the Bulldogs’ second leading scorer, forward Rosie Moult, to 13 points on 4-of-14 shooting, CSUN (5-5) couldn’t get a handle on sophomore guard Ki-Ki Moore and she scored 16 points on 7-of-11 shooting, hitting twice from downtown. Northridge’s… Read more

A farewell tribute was held for outgoing CSUN President Jolene Koester on Nov. 9 at the Valley Performance Arts Center. Koester, who is retiring in December after 12 years of service, was appointed July 4, 2000, and is seen as the catalyst for academic and on-campus changes by her colleagues. “As someone who started here as a student and went on to be a faculty member, I can say how much this campus has grown, especially under the leadership of… Read more

Before taking her official leave, CSUN President Jolene Koester implemented a 10-year plan proposed by the University Planning and Budget Group to help save the university from its fiscal challenges. The CSU system has been hit with numerous state budget cuts during the past several years. In 2011, CSU lost $650 million in state aid and the system is bracing for a potential $100 million reduction in January if projected state revenues fall short. The 10-year plan addresses the concerns… Read more

On a night where nearly every Matador player scored, CSUN made it rain from beyond the arc as they routed San Jose State 85-55 Wednesday night at the Matadome. The Matadors (5-4) have struggled against the zone defense in the past, but against the Spartans (1-8), CSUN used its defensive strategy as an advantage. “It’s part of our growth,” head coach Jason Flowers said, whose team snapped a two-game losing streak. “At the beginning of the year, we played some… Read more

Coming off an embarrassing playoff series where they were swept by the Mavericks, it’s quite apparent the Lakers aren’t primed to make another championship run anytime soon. The Lakers looked sluggish and old against a team that was older than them. The Lakers scrambled defensively to stop Dallas’ onslaught of 3-pointers to no avail, and allowed backup point guard J.J. Barea to enter the paint and wreak havoc at will. When the long-awaited end of the lockout came, so did… Read more

A faction of the Occupy Wall Street Empowerment and Education working group has called for one million people to join a pledge to default on their student loans. The Occupy Student Debt Campaign, which is comprised of students, alumni and current faculty from schools across the country, aims to challenge the rising crisis of student debt and make people aware of the injustices of the current higher education infrastructure to the public, according to a statement from the group. Supporters… Read more

Offense … or lack thereof. The Matadors started off the year cold offensively, and seven games into the season, they still haven’t shaken their shooting woes. After a 71-58 loss to Santa Clara Saturday night where CSUN shot 30.6 percent from the field and 29 percent from downtown, the Matadors’ shooting percentage has now dropped to 34 percent for the season. “I feel like we’re just taking quick shots,” said senior guard Vinnie McGhee. “We come down, and in two… Read more