New USU opening delayed amid construction setbacks

Officials from the University Student Union announced last week a three-month delay in the opening of its new central hub, part of the final phase of construction at the USU. The new facility will now be completed in mid-March, pushed back from the most recent Dec. 23 finish date. The announcement marks the second delay in phase two of USU construction, with the first delay pushing back completion from the original Nov. 23 finish date. Debra Hammond, executive director of the USU, cited recent wet weather and complex design and construction factors as reasons for the most recent delay. The proper coordination and execution of this work is essential to creating a facility that will meet USU needs and withstand the usage demands of the future, Hammond said in a statement. Hammond said officials were considering the delay for about a month, and that they were optimistic that the Dec. 23 date might still hold. “I think we were trying to be optimistic and kind of (saying to) the contractor, “Come on, you can get through this,” she said. In a statement, Hammond said USU officials were frustrated with the delay. “I think (we were) disappointed because we were not able to achieve our goals,” she said. The Nov. 23 completion date was also pushed back due to weather related reasons following a surge in rainfall in Southern California earlier this year.

-Ryan Denham

Campus police launch 9-1-1 awareness campaign today

The Department of Public Safety will launch its 9-1-1 campaign today to educate students about how to reach campus police in the case of an emergency. “There have been a lot of questions to us on how to reach the university police,” said Christina Villalobos, spokesperson for the CSUN police. “Campus is not fully aware on the best way to reach us.” CSUN police officers will go around to various department offices in the next few weeks and hand out posters, phone stickers and other information about dialing 9-1-1 from campus phones to reach CSUN police. The campaign, which will also be executed through posters across campus and other advertising, will alert students with cell phones to program the police main line (818-677-2111) into their phones so that in the case of emergency, the right dispatcher can be reached. Villalobos said students who call 9-1-1 from their cell phones would reach the California Highway Patrol, not CSUN police. CSUN police will also bring their efforts to the University Park Apartments, where about 2,000 student residents live. Villalobos said spreading the word to them would also be part of the plan, as around 70 percent of residents have cell phones, not landlines.

– R.D.

Northridge professor to join

Recreation, Park Association

Veda Ward, a professor in the Department of Leisure Studies and Recreation at CSUN, was elected to the Board of Trustees of the National Recreation and Park Association during the organization’s annual congressional meeting in San Antonio, Texas last month. Ward will represent the Pacific Southwest Regional Council, which includes the states of California, Hawaii, Utah, Nevada and Arizona. Ward will meet with NRPA’s Board of Trustees three times each year to initiate organizational policy and create legislative and regulatory issues confronting public parks, recreation and tourism. Recently, national organizations like the National Football League, Major League Baseball and the U.S. Tennis Association have partnered with the NRPA to bring more programs to urban areas and to get more youth involved in sports and other activities.

-R.D.

Corrections and Clarifications

In “Former CSUN librarian dies at 73,” published Nov. 10, it was incorrectly reported that Mary Hart was a librarian. In fact, she was a supervisor in the catalog department of the library, which is considered a staff position. In “CSUN students discuss women’s role in Mexico” published Nov. 17, Alisandra Vasquez’s name was misspelled. Also, the quotes attributed to Vasquez should have been attributed to CSUN student Blanca Reyes was the source. Also, in a caption for a page-one photo on Nov. 17, CSUN ROTC cadet Austin Liu’s name was misspelled.