The student media organization of California State University Northridge

Daily Sundial

The student media organization of California State University Northridge

Daily Sundial

The student media organization of California State University Northridge

Daily Sundial

Loading Recent Classifieds...
The Girls Who Code club met together in Sierra Hall, on Friday, Sept. 15, in Northridge, Calif. Club members played around with a program to create a virtual game.
The CSUN club that’s encouraging women in STEM
Miya Hantman, Reporter • September 18, 2023

CSUN’s Girls Who Code club is just one of many across many campuses and countries, including 110 in...

Students form a crowd for DJ Mal-Ski on Friday, Sept. 8, 2023 in Northridge, Calif.
Matador Nights carnival makes a splash at the USU
Ryan Romero, Sports Editor • September 21, 2023

The University Student Union hosted “Matador Nights” on Sept. 8 from 7 p.m. to midnight. The event...

Image courtesy of Adobe Stock by FiledIMAGE.
Women’s Soccer has Closed the Competitive Gap
Luis Silva, Reporter • September 19, 2023

There is no longer a significant competitive gap in the sport of women’s soccer. There is a brighter...

The line for concert merchandise on the second night of The Eras Tour in Paradise, Nev., on Saturday, March 25, 2023.
My experience at The Eras Tour
Miley Alfaro, Sports Reporter • September 18, 2023

It’s been a long time coming. I began watching The Eras Tour, Taylor Swift’s ongoing concert trek,...

Within the Oaxacan town of Asuncion Nochixtlan, we find my mother’s birthplace, Buena Vista. Photo taken July 29, 2023.
I Love Being Mexican
September 12, 2023
A student holds up a sign during a rally outside of the CSU Board of Trustees meeting in Long Beach, Calif., on Sept. 12, 2023.
CSU board approves tuition increase amid protests
Trisha Anas, Editor in Chief • September 15, 2023

The California State Board of Trustees on Wednesday approved a 6% tuition increase for the next five...

group of mena and women touching hands
Miracles In Action Restores Patients’ Lives and Actualizes their Potential

EOP gives recognition to trailblazing students from 1968

Some+faculty+and+stuff+at+the+Equal+Opportun
Faculty and staff of the Equal Opportunity Programs at CSUN on Wednesday, Sept. 31. (Edemy Rodriguez / The Sundial)

Students, alumni, faculty and staff of the CSUN Educational Opportunity Program gathered around the Ralph Prator Sundial Fountain to unveil the memorial plaque in honor of the students who fought for justice on campus in the late 1960s.

EOP supports students of any ethnic background in their quest to succeed and gives students a place at universities. It provides low-income, first-generation students with assistance in applying for the EOP program, financial support, mentoring and other services.

Glenn Omatsu, professor of Asian American studies and mentor for EOP low-income freshmen, said that students themselves founded both Asian American studies and EOP.

“Asian American studies is part of [the] ethnic studies [program] that was founded by students. It’s not founded by administrators. It’s not founded by faculty,” Omatsu said. “I feel blessed, because the very fact that I am in these programs is because students founded those programs.”

José Luis Vargas, director of EOP and former CSUN student from 1968, said the program has grown from the time he began his education, from 150 students to more than 2,600.

“EOP was designed to give people hope to know that it is possible to go to a university and achieve your dreams,” Vargas said.

Omatsu and Vargas unveiled the plaque, which is dedicated to the students who did not stop until their demands were heard of increasing diversity and fostering inclusive programs. The plaque gives a recognition for the sacrifices students made.

There is an illustrated picture of people holding up signs demanding equal educational opportunities and under that image is an appreciation note to Professor Omatsu for his contribution to make the plaque.

Warren Furumoto, former biology professor at CSUN, traveled from Hawaii to California to attend the EOP Trailblazers event to give recognition to those students who marched their way to the creation of EOP.

“I consider them to be the real heroes,” Furumoto said.

Susana Amezcua, former EOP student, graduated in spring 2015 with a double major in chicano studies and sociology. She said she felt comfortable and welcomed by EOP in a way that made her feel that she did deserve to be at CSUN.

Amezcua said she faced struggles being a woman of color among white students whom professors would prefer just because they did not have an accent.

Amezcua is enrolled at UCLA and pursuing a master’s degree in teaching education and obtaining teaching credentials in math.

“EOP helped me to start letting go of those bad habits of staying quiet and just sitting in the back, not participating, and not taking an active role in my education,” Amezcua said.

Bryan Cervantes, freshman and current EOP student, said his plan before college was to obtain a degree and be done. But after hearing Amezcua’s inspiring story, he felt motivated to achieve more than just a bachelor’s degree.

“After coming here, I am more grateful to actually be here. Just knowing that they actually marched for us makes me want to take advantage of this program and not take them for granted,” Cervantes said.

More to Discover