Photo by Egan Snow via Flickr

Organizations like the Surfrider Foundation,  keep tabs on those who pollute our oceans. The foundation even made it hard to believe that surfboards used to ride the waves are a threat to the environment and peoples’ health.

The New York Times article “Surf’s Up, Waste Down” states that surf boards made out of new foam are typically made with a carcinogenic compound called toluene diisocyanate (TDI), that is highly polutant. Although, the article’s focus was on the move to make boards greener, I was appalled to learn about the current method of what materials boards are made of.

Since we are close to our beaches, I assume many CSUN students are avid surfers who care about our environment and would consider switching their board to one that is more eco-friendly.

The Times focuses on a San Clemente based surfboard company, Green Foam Planks, that uses recycled boards and refurbishes them.

They collect  polyurethane cuttings, which come from the foam core boards, and mix them with virgin foam to create a board with 65 percent recycled waste.

The company, which began production earlier this year, has already managed to promote their boards by giving them out to professional surfers and celebrities who surf.

Photo by reubeniz via Flickr

Every year we seem to forget about the holidays that do not drive us to shell out the big bucks. This year we seem to have skipped over Thanksgiving, again.

What many have not forgotten is Black Friday and Christmas. Malls all around are already advertising their enticing sales prices for the day after Thanksgiving and the red and green Christmas decorations are up.

I often wonder if we are aware that every purchase we make has an impact on this earth. Do we stop to think where all this stuff goes after it momentarily brings us joy?

Check out The Story of Stuff to find out more where our trash goes and plan to be apart of Buy Nothing Day on November 27th.

Buy Nothing Day is organized every year to protest mass consumerism and is observed by social activist around the world.

The first Buy Nothing Day was organized by artist Ted Dave in Vancouver, Canada then in 1997, it was moved to the Friday after Thanksgiving, which is one of the top 10 busiest shopping days in the US.

Keep in mind that one day of abstinence will not make a difference — every time you get ready to make a purchase ask yourself if you really need it.

A medical stretcher chair is left at the bottom of first floor stair case in Sierra Hall, Thursday, Nov. 12. Photo credit: Angelica Bonomo / Staff Photographer

Photo by Yazmin Cruz

It was a typical Wednesday evening on the corner of Reseda Boulevard and Nordhoff Street, where red and white lights filled the streets as traffic moved along.  Motorists, pedestrians and bicyclist were trying to go places when all of the sudden time stood still for a bicyclist.

A distracted driver nearly ran the beach cruiser bicyclist over as he was trying to make a right turn on Nordhoff Street.

The bicyclist, who was wearing a CSUN hoodie and was not wearing a helmet, managed to swerve to avoid getting hit. After a few seconds of panic she was able to pedal away unharmed.

There seems to be an increase of bicyclists on campus and on the roads these days. It can be argued that it is due to the recession and people trying to spend less on gas or people just being green. But what I have failed to see is the use of helmets.

In California, by law, bicycle riders under 18 years of age must wear a helmet while riding on a public road. If the bicyclist would have gotten hit, she may have ended up with a head injury or worst.

I can understand students not wearing helmets on campus grounds when they are riding from class to class but once on the streets helmets must be worn. Consider this, what’s more important your “coolness factor” or your brain?

Senator, At Large for II and IV

Ashley Walker

Cynthia Medrano

Graduate

Guyon McCormack

Upper Division

Nicole Evans

Lower Division

Mason Mendoza

Arts, Media And Communications

Alex Samovitz

Business and Economics

Jessica Abarca

Education

Christina Turner (write-in)

Engineering and Computer Science

Shreenivas Ghorpade (Write-in)

Health and Human Development

Natalie Perez

Humanities

N/A

Science and Math

Christina Turner (Write-in)

Social and Behavioral Sciences

Gisselle Jaen

The posts for the fall election were for senate II positions.

Halftime: CSUN 39 CLU 27

The Matadors semmed rusty to start the game being down 12 to 17 at one point in the first half. Then the news guys lead the Matadors on a 17 to 2 run. Lenny Daniel, Kevin Menner and Rashaun Mclemore started the rally. Daniel is tied with Willie Galick for most points on the team with eight. Mclemore has a respectable seven and senior point guard Mark Hill hasnt made a field goal.