Photo Caption: Ana Larrauri/Miami Herald/MCT

I’ve heard many times that Las Vegas is the perfect place to spend the weekend. Who wouldn’t agree? There are many things to do from shopping at The Forum Shops at Caesars Palace, hitting the tables and slots at the casinos, clubbing at Tao, sipping on cocktails at the pool and seeing great shows like Cirque du Soleil.

But doesn’t it get tiring? Every time I come home from Vegas I’m always worn out. The only time that I get to really relax is when I go to the spas, which is very costly to say the least.

The recession has taken its toll on people, and obviously many can’t afford to go on fancy vacations like they once could.
But we shouldn’t fret. There are many ways to enjoy a weekend getaway without adding one more financial burden, such as camping.

Los Angeles is constantly busy, and it would be nice to go somewhere serene every once in a while to escape the chaos. But let’s admit it, we sometimes can’t stand a long drive, especially the traffic, and the last thing we want to do is be stuck in gridlock to go on vacation. There are several campsites to go to within a two-hour drive from Los Angeles that won’t add more stress to your load.

When planning and budgeting for a camping trip, consider the location, lodging, food, gas and activities. Spur-of-the-moment trips are always fantastic, but a little preparation is still advisable.

Here are some pre-vacation tips:

• Before you start packing, make sure that you know exactly what activities the campsite has to offer. It would help to make advance research online. With this, you will be able to get an estimate of how much you will spend at the campsites. There are usually fees for parking, rentals and sometimes even for showers, so be prepared. You can find information about campsites, the activities and the costs at www.reserveamerica.com.

• Even though driving means spending money for gas, it wouldn’t be too much if you fill up your tank with a low-grade gas. If your car requires premium, look for the cheapest gas station. Trust me, a few cents matter.  Have your friends or relatives pitch in for gas, too.

• Take more than enough food for your trip. Food at campgrounds, if available, is way too expensive. Take a cooler with you to store food items and make sure you bring enough charcoal for the barbecue. If you run out of charcoal, you can always find wood at the campsites. Just make sure the camp ranger is OK with it.

Food 4 Less has a variety of groceries that are less expensive than Vons and Ralphs. Costco and Smart & Final have merchandise in bulk, so stock up on the essentials.

• You can buy camping tents from Wal-Mart or Target for a decent price. A tent that fits at least three people costs about $30-$40. For those of you who can’t sleep without the comfort of a soft mattress, Wal-Mart sells air mattresses for $19. Big Lots sells canopies from $25-$35.

So, have you decided where to go yet?

You can find three state beaches an hour away in Ventura County for your camping trip: McGrath State Beach campgrounds, Point Mugu State Park and Emma Wood State Beach RV Campground.

Although McGrath State Beach does not look out over the ocean, this is my favorite out of the three because of its family-friendly nature and its bathroom facilities. There is a $35 fee for an individual camping site, which covers the rig and one vehicle. If you have a big family and need to take a few more cars, three is the maximum allowed and you will have to pay extra for additional cars.  It is also important to make reservations in advance.

Another great destination for camping is the lake. Big Bear Lake has several campgrounds that you can choose from. The north shore of Big Bear Lake has access to the lake and offers numerous recreational activities. Bike and boat rentals are also available at most campsites. It is only a two-hour drive to Big Bear from Los Angeles.

Lake Piru is an hour away from Los Angeles. It is located in the Los Padres National Forest in Ventura County. The fees vary according to season. The daily parking permit during the off-season will cost you only $8; just add $2 during peak season. The same rate applies for the boats. It will cost you about $80 to reserve a picnic area, but you can definitely split the bill with your family and friends. Lake Piru also has a campsite called Primitive Campsite, which has you living a primitive lifestyle, such as with no water, electricity or toilets that flush.

Walking across campus on Tuesday, students were crowding around the sorority and fraternity tables. Diligent efforts to raise money and get students to join their organizations were in full swing while people laughed and conversed with a sense of joy. Something was missing. Concern.  To my dismay there wasn’t any concern about what is happening to our education and around the world. I mean do the students of CSUN really care?

Some faculty members and students reacted with anger over an article about blow jobs in the Sept. 10 issue of the Daily Sundial. What shocked me was more people reacted to an article about “blow jobs” than the amazing articles about the Metrolink tragedy.

I was shocked at those who wasted their time and energy on a 600-word column about how blow jobs affect a relationship. From the looks of things here at CSUN, the reaction was the liveliest I’ve seen. That time and energy should be focused on fighting for our education that is hard to come by these days.

Why aren’t we protesting against those who threaten to take our education away? Why aren’t we concerned with issues like job loss, budget cuts, healthcare or more troops going to war? Why aren’t we fighting for causes that are worth fighting for?

Right now our country is in a battle to provide healthcare for those who simply can’t afford to pay for it.  Some people get healthcare through work but it’s not enough for their children.

According to the U.S. Census Bureau in 2008 almost 20 percent of the California population is uninsured.  In an economic crisis like this students should be vocal regarding this important problem.

There are approximately 14.9 million people unemployed in this country. Once again, students should be speaking out about causes such as this.

The increase in job loss affects all of us.  Without jobs, students are unable to afford tuition, books, food, etc.  And how many of those jobless are parents with children in college?  Without a job, are parents unable to provide their children with an education?

Financial aid is not what it used to be.  There are more and more students being forced to get a student loan because they don’t qualify for financial aid.

Faculty members have lost 9.23 percent of their annual salaries this year because of the recent budget cuts.  As we all know students are experiencing furlough days.

Because of the recent budget cuts, classes were cut and the class sizes increased.  We are paying more for education but we are getting less of one.

In America we have the right and freedom to voice our opinion, but we ignore it when it comes to causes that matter most. Did we as a society forget what freedom of speech means?

This year alone tuition went up 10 percent and to add insult to injury that 10 percent turned into a 30 percent increase.  We should be fighting for our rights as students. The idea that we don’t speak out against these educational travesties is an insult to democracy and our freedom.

Many went to the “Vent at the tent” to express their anger about the recent budget cuts, increase in tuition, and not being able to add classes.  But it seems that’s all it was: a day for people to vent. Then what? It’s over? We vent, feel better and skip away merrily?

Many people expressed their opinions and frustrations that week, but what about other days? Where are the protests, rallies and walkouts? We need to continue to fight for our education and future.

I understand that people need to have fun and go out on a Saturday night.  I also understand that students have other concerns such as jobs and trying to graduate on time, but really, how are we going to graduate on time when there are no classes available? What happens after graduation? What about your future? When is it a good time to be concerned about these issues? The time is now.

As students we have a chance to change what is happening to us now, so instead of wasting your energy on an article about blow jobs, voice your opinion on causes that matter because in the end, what we do have is our voice, freedom and democracy.

At the start of this summer we faced the worst stage of our financial crisis.  News was saturated with continuous Wall Street woes, business’ crumbling and storefronts becoming vacant.  Jobs were lost every Friday, as it became the worst day of the week rather than the one people looked forward to. Jobs were scarce, the news scarier.

If that wasn’t enough to stomach, celebrities were dying off in droves.  The myth that celebrities die in threes was rewritten this summer.  It was more like sixes and sevens.   For a while everyone was watching their step or looking over their shoulder.  It was a grim summer for celebrities and the job market.

The constant harassment of negative news has created a tense energy that has left many feeling insecure and frustrated.  It was an edgy summer and it’s continuing into the fall.

For a time we were just spectators, unfazed bystanders that shook our heads in sorrow for the hard times.  As students, we were granted immunity.  That was short-lived.

The truth is that our state is in a dismal financial crisis.  The fact that California is in the worst financial shape of all 50 states is preposterous.  The repercussions of this became tangible when students began registering for fall classes.  Classes are limited and hard to come by.  Even students whose class standing is senior are having a difficult time enrolling in classes that are key to their graduation this winter and spring.

This is a direct consequence of the budget crisis.  The California State University system is suffering immensely because of these cutbacks.  Availability of classes is dwindling, resulting in delayed graduation dates.  Even worse, the loss of financial aid and/or grants could become a reality for some if they are not enrolled as full-time students.

Forget the “let me grab my violin” quips, this is truly a sad story.  California has the eighth largest economy in the world and the woes of this state are trickling down to us students and our education.

We’re aspiring students anxious to apply ourselves, but can’t move forward because classes have been cut.  This is ludicrous and frustrating, but we must work to stay hopeful.

We must ask ourselves, what are the solutions to fix such strife?

As students and members of this great state we must ask how we can fix this? How can we sacrifice to make things work and gain the full availability of a state funded education?

All Matadors out there need to explore the boundaries of our existence for answers.  How can you individually help the deficit disappear?  Is there a way?

It’s called conscious, selfless thought.  Something that has gone by the wayside this past decade, which in turn helped contribute to this mess. We suggest mass consumption must stop and volunteering, communal activity must rise.  Collective efforts and communication must take shape.   Questions must be raised!  We must be proactive, not reactive.

Although, this is not the final answer, it’s a beginning. We are the life-blood of this institution, the future of this economy and voice of change.  What can you do about it? What will you do about it?  If we don’t step up our efforts, we’ll be the victims of a future where lack of education shapes our society.

Summer has always been associated with fun, relaxation, and a time to escape the stress as a student. Well, at least that’s what most of us are accustomed to. It couldn’t be any further from the truth for California State University students.

Going into my fifth year and what was intended to be my last semester, I now have to plan out a full year due to the Cal State budget cuts and fee increases. Not only does this impede my graduation plans, but raises the question of whether or not I’ll graduate. The thought of this is absurd, even laughable. At this point you can forget about a four-year graduation plan and replace it with a six-year plan.

Simultaneously, as students plan for a five and six-year plan, high school students looking to advance in higher education are being turned away as a result of these cuts.

The problems started when I checked my financial aid information and found I had received none. My heart dropped to the floor. I kept going back each day hoping it had changed.

The past four years, I’ve been a financial aid recipient. I didn’t know where to aim my frustration. All I could think about was how would I pay for school and it made me sick.

As this semester approached, I scrambled for answers. The plan was to quit my job in order to focus on what I thought would be my last semester, and apply to grad school. Sadly to my surprise, this would not happen. I no longer had a choice; working was not an option, it was a necessity.

By keeping my job, I faced yet another dilemma. If I kept working, I wouldn’t be able to take the final classes I needed to finish in December. This comes as a result of the few classes being offered as well as having my job schedule conflict with my class schedule. Therefore, for the first time in five years I had no other choice but to enroll at CSUN as a part-time student.

As if I wasn’t furious enough, CSUN sent out a letter that informed students about the increase in tuition. This is in addition to the 10 percent that was announced in the spring semester. As a freshman in 2005, tuition was around $1,600 per semester. It’s strange that financial aid awards would decrease while tuition continues to increase.

OK, tuition is not as high as the University of California systems, but it remains unnerving. I’m not sure who is to blame, but the blame game is not the answer. The government, CSU system and students of these institutions need to join together to fix this. We need our state-funded education back without the hurdles we’ve been presented with the past few months.

As the budget cuts and fee increases only get worse, we the students are seeing the direct consequences even more. As students, we need to see what we can do to better the situation, not as individuals, but as a whole. As demoralizing as it is, we need to keep a positive attitude. We need to believe that what we say does really matter. It is not wishful thinking but rather believing that we are a public institution driven by students who want to learn.

I understand everyone is affected by the budget cuts. School and faculty have had to take furlough days, but do they really understand the struggles students are going through?

We’ve paid our dues. Confidence is running thin during these harsh times, and one question continues to run through my head. How much longer will I have to spend here to get my degree?