MTA adds new trip on bus line for homebound night students

A late-night trip was added to MTA Bus Line 166 this summer in an attempt to better facilitate trips home for CSUN night students, according to the CSUN Department of Public Safety. The bus line operates eastbound on Nordhoff Street to Osborne Street at Laurel Canyon Boulevard. The new trip departs from Nordhoff Street and Reseda Boulevard at approximately 10:04 p.m. and makes stops at Etiwanda Avenue and Lindley and Zelzah avenues before terminating at approximately 10:26 p.m. at Laurel Canyon Boulevard. The MTA added the nighttime trip as a result of requests for such a service, but only a few riders currently use the service. According to the Department of Public Safety, it is feared that if the low rider situation does not improve, the service may be eliminated by the MTA. More information can be found at www.metro.net.

– Julie White and Ryan Denham

Thunderstorms, lightning hit

dried out Southern California

LOS ANGELES (AP) – Thunderstorms pounded Southern California with lightning-streaked downpours of rain and big hail Monday, knocking out power to some 137,000 utility customers and snarling traffic.

Mud and debris flowed off a burned mountainside in suburban Burbank, and hail nearly 1 1/2 inches in diameter hit to the east in Arcadia. Hollywood Hills neighborhoods were freckled with pea-size hail.

The storm was spawned by an upper-level, low-pressure system southwest of Los Angeles that was expected to move into the region Tuesday night and depart on Tuesday, the National Weather Service said.

A severe weather warning was issued in northwestern Los Angeles County when Doppler radar showed weak rotation in the storm although no tornado was immediately seen.

Traffic accidents tied up freeways, including an apparently weather-related gasoline tanker crash and fire on Interstate 5 that killed the driver shortly before 2 a.m.

Flash flood concerns were raised in areas denuded by big wildfires in late September and early this month, when Southern California was under the spell of dry heat wave.

Authorities in Burbank sealed off an area around Sunset Canyon where 1,100 acres of brush burned. No residents were evacuated, but police did not allow any motorists into the area, said Deputy Chief Larry Koch.

“The sky just opened up and I don’t think it can rain any harder or faster,” Koch said. “There were times when it was absolutely a deluge.”

County health officials offer flu vaccines at outreach centers

Los Angeles County health officials announced last week that flu vaccines would be available at community outreach clinics beginning the week of Oct. 24 through early December. The clinics are targeted to L.A. County residents 60 years of age and older and individuals with chronic conditions that put them at risk for flu complications and who do not have a regular source of care or are unable to afford vaccine from other sources. For those whose usual health care providers do not offer vaccines, other sources are available, such as at pharmacies; more information can be found at www.findaflushot.com. Influenza is the leading cause of pneumonia and accounts for between 110,00 and 200,000 hospitalizations and between 20,000 and 40,000 deaths in the United States each year, according to the L.A. County Department of Health Services.

– R.D.

Corrections and Clarifications

In “Recycling Program promotes awareness in dorms, on campus,” published Oct. 17, Ms. Cyndi Signett, coordinator of the University Recycling Program, was incorrectly attribted as a male in one reference.

American Studies Program

One of our spring professors is currently developing an American Studies Program in Bulgaria. Professor Robert Chianese, English professor at CSUN, said that this program would begin in Bulgaria on October 17, 2005. This will primarily start at Plovdiv University and is meant to change how Bulgarians, particularly university official view higher education. In addition to this program, Professor Chianese is also expanding the program to include internships for students as well as creating an advisory board of local American and Bulgarian business people, to program support and on the job training for students after graduation. Lastly, he is also developing a new university policy, which would make Bulgarian students in this university easier to transfer units to an American university, such as the CSU’s if they chose.

Planetarium

The CSUN Planetarium is offering three shows to students in November. Each week, the planetarium will host a new show for students and campus community members. The shows will be three consecutive Fridays, beginning with the first show at 6:30 p.m. and the second show at 7:30 p.m. Planetary scientist David Stevenson from Caltech will conduct the first show. During the show, Stevenson will discuss what it is that makes planets habitable. Leonard Nimoy will narrate the second show about the search for life in the universe. The cost for one show is $3 and $5 for two shows for students; general admission is $5 and $8 for two shows. Tickets are available at the University Student Union ticket office

Updating Your Resume

Update Your Resume is an international slogan that is implemented every September that is associated with professional resume writing and research association. Members supporting this slogan are devoted to resume writing and have created resource committees to find out the trends in resume writing. Some members have resume services where they help clients with writing personal and executive resumes. Jay Christensen, a CSUN English professor, said that it is important for everyone to take a look at their resumes making sure that all computer skills and education are up to date. Lastly, Christensen wanted to remind everyone that coming up in May is update your references month.