In the wake of human trafficking month in January, California issued a new law requiring corporations to disclose online what steps they are taking to prevent forced labor and human trafficking. Human trafficking, as defined by the U.N., is a crime against humanity. The act involves the recruiting, transporting or receiving of any person through the use of force or exploitation. The California Transparency in Supply Chains Act will require about 3,200 companies with net worths of $100 million or… Read more

With a population of over 35,000 students, CSUN is a veritable town unto itself—a town that requires a workforce to run smoothly. CSUN students represent a significant portion of that workforce, filling hundreds of jobs across campus, from the Matador Bookstore to the Student Recreation Center to the Oviatt Library. “The USU alone employs 288 students at last count,” said Kristen Pichler, human resources officer for the University Student Union. One of three auxiliary non-profit organizations on campus that also… Read more

A new law requires public universities and colleges to enforce new policies that protect LGBT students from harassment and bullying. With the 2010 suicide of Rutgers University student Tyler Clementi, LifeScience news is calling gay suicide a U.S. epidemic. The Center of American Progress has also given much attention to campus bullying in association with LGBT suicide. According to a 2011 study conducted by Columbia University, 20 percent of LGBT students admitted attempting suicide. The LGBT Equality and Equal Access… Read more

Santiago del Aguila, four, was diagnosed with Tay-Sachs, a terminal illness of the nervous system. Most children develop Tay-Sachs around three to six months of age. Side effects of this disease include loss of hearing and vision, decreased muscle strength, repeated seizures, inability to digest solids and abnormally slow physical growth. Although he is four years old his physical size can be compared to an average two-year-old. Santiago, a hospice patient, is surrounding by several volunteers, in-home nurses and a… Read more

The CSUN environmental health & safety department disseminated a report in January that lists 18 buildings on campus with remnants of asbestos-containing materials. The California Health and Safety Code requires the university to put out an annual notification to alert people of exactly where the asbestos is located in the buildings. “As long as the asbestos is not disturbed, it is not a health hazard,” said Antonio Pepe, assistant director of environmental health and safety. “This notification is to give… Read more

Funeral services for Dr. Catherine Coyle-Thompson will be held Friday, Feb. 10 at 12 p.m. at the Our Lady of Lourdes Catholic Church and School Community. Memorial services will be held immediately afterwards at 2 p.m. in the Northridge Center, located at CSUN’s USU. Coyle-Thompson, 52, died Jan. 24 after undergoing emergency surgery for a tear in her stomach. She was a lecturer and researcher in CSUN’s biology department and Los Angeles Mission College. Coyle-Thompson is an alumna of CSUN,… Read more

A memorial concert will take place for Emeritus Professor of music, Ron Purcell, who passed away September of last year. The memorial will begin Friday, Feb. 12 at  7:30 p.m. and take place at Recital Hall. It will be followed by a reception in the music department. The event has been in the works since October 2011 and will feature nine guitar acts performed by Purcell’s former students, each act accompanying a brief story of their time with the late… Read more

University of California President Mark G. Yudof wrote a letter Jan. 9 in favor of banning smoking on UC campuses beginning 2014. The purpose of the policy is to help people understand how beneficial a smoke-free college campus can be. CSUN Associated Students feel the current smoking policy is sufficient enough according to Billy Ryder, senator for the College of Business and Economics. A.S. agrees that banning a personal freedom and a legal substance is for political reasons. “Going after… Read more