Friday’s vote to legalize same-sex marriage in New York State was narrow, 33 to 29. It comes 42 years after the genesis of the gay rights movement in June 1969 at the Stonewall Inn, a bar in the West Village in New York City. California, long touted to be a progressive state may now only seem so in comparison to Bible Belt states. Bill Maher said on, “Somehow bigotry won out here, even in liberal California. We voted to outlaw… Read more

Pro Maria Orellana Contributor In addition to increasing tuition costs, the other big expense students have to carry is the cost of textbooks. Students are always trying to find the cheapest alternative when buying textbooks, like online sellers, used bookstores or sharing with a friend. An increasingly popular option is to buy the digital version or e-book. Students should make the switch to digital textbooks because it is less expensive, allows access to hundreds of works, and can be stored… Read more

PRO By Savanna Chute Arnold Schwarzenegger announced earlier this year that he would be returning to film now that he is no longer the governor of California. “Exciting news,” he wrote on Twitter. “My friends at CAA (Creative Artists Agency) have been asking me for seven years when they can take offers seriously. I gave them the green light today.” This news has been met with some debate, but I say, “Go for it, Governator!”  Schwarzenegger should return to making… Read more

By Ashley Change Contributor PRO When used correctly LED lights are safe and efficient sources of light. Light emitting diodes are an emerging technology because they are lightweight, small in size, have low power consumption and an amazing capacity to produce extremely bright light. These tiny lights are used in a wide variety of everyday applications, such as automotive taillights, televisions, cell phones and flashlights. But they are also very popular at raves and concerts where they pose a serious… Read more

PRO Sugeir Godoy Contributor Changes to CSUN’s Satisfactory Academic Progress policy were made effective this academic year preventing undergraduate students from receiving financial aid when attempting more than 150 units. I support these changes, as it was about time the university did something to encourage students to focus on finishing their majors as soon as possible rather than adding or changing a major or taking extra classes to try to raise their GPA while receiving financial aid. Until the Spring semester… Read more

Pro By Amanda Cox At CSUN, many professors give a participation grade based on a students’ class attendance. Some people would like for you to believe this method of grading is unwarranted. But clearly, these professors are only setting students up for success and they should be able to grade based on attendance. Students who attend class regularly are more successful than those who do not. By simply being in class, a student is more capable of learning and absorbing… Read more

PRO By Myles Schulman Contributor In April 1999, students Dylan Klebold and Eric Harris stormed their high school in Littleton, Colorado killing twelve students, one teacher and themselves.  Armed with guns, knives and explosives, they reportedly hoped to wreak even more havoc than they did by killing hundreds of students on their rampage. Eight years later, 23-year-old Seung-Hui Cho killed 33 people and himself at Virginia Tech, in what the university’s president Charles Steger called, “A tragedy that we consider… Read more

PRO By William Sandifer Contributor In June of 1971, President Richard Nixon officially declared the war on drugs, calling drug abuse “public enemy No. 1” in the United States.” What followed during the Reagan administration was the institution of drug policies that would shape the development of a generation, change the way the prison system functions and the start of what many are calling a civil war in Mexico. In looking back at the 40 years that have transpired since… Read more

PRO By Karishma Warudkar Contributor Although in recent years the percentage of teenagers who are sexually active has gone down, the U.S. still has a higher rate of sexually transmitted diseases and teen pregnancy than any other industrialized nation in the world. According to the Henry J. Kaiser Family Foundation, about 34 percent of young women in the U.S. become pregnant at least once before age 20. This unfortunate statistic can be attributed to the failure of sex education programs… Read more