Originally Published January 31, 2007 The Hispanic Access Initiative, a recruiting program at CSUN aimed at increasing the number of U.S. military officers of Hispanic decent, remains open for discussion among students and faculty. The U.S. Army wants to have all ethnic groups represented equally in the military, which is the primary reason the Army Reserve Officer Training Corps program was brought to this campus, said Capt.

On March 10, President George W. Bush traveled on a seven-day tour to Uruguay, Brazil, Colombia, Guatemala and Mexico in an effort to regain popularity in Latin America, to address topics of interest for the U.S. in Latin America and to counter the influence of the left-wing movement that has increasingly grown in the past five years.

Four years after the invasion, the Bush administration's efforts to create a democratic society in Iraq - following the declaration of war on terror - has not led to the results the American government hoped for, but instead has created a civil war, harming the U.

The Development, Relief, and Education for Alien Minors Act, also known as the DREAM Act, was reintroduced to the House of Representatives on March 1, representing some hope for the legalization of many undocumented students in the nation. Maria Rodriguez, youth organizer at the Coalition for Humane Immigrant Rights of Los Angeles, said the DREAM Act is the best solution for undocumented students who want to realize their dreams and become productive members of U.

Thousands of women undergo female genital mutilation as a cultural tradition in countries such as Sudan, Egypt and Somalia, leaving women in pain and without sexual pleasure. However, this practice goes beyond the sexual factor, because the cutting itself puts women at a high risk for developing health complications, CSUN experts said.

The Central American Studies bachelor's degree was approved by Cal State University Chancellor Charles B. Reed on Thursday and will be fully implemented at Cal State Northridge this fall. Now that it has been approved, it will be the first college major of its kind in the United States, said Douglas Carranza, director and assistant professor of Central American Studies.

The first time he helped someone to prepare tax forms, he was nervous. He felt uncomfortable knowing that if he did not do it right, he could get in trouble, but once the first customer was satisfied the others came a lot easier. After that, he felt a lot more confident and joyful for being a part of the Volunteer Income Tax Assistance Program at CSUN and for helping people do the right thing.

As the last day to drop or add a class without being penalized gets closer, the possibilities for students to drop a class after the fifth week are narrowed down to extreme circumstances such as medical reasons, military duty call, relocation out of the immediate area and sometimes stress.

U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services authorities have proposed a fee increase of about 66 percent on applications for naturalization, residency and work permits, promising an improvement on the services and a faster time processing. This new plan, which could go into effect in June, would affect low-income immigrants and could diminish the number of applicants, said immigration experts at CSUN.

What is on the minds of our soldiers as they return home? Perhaps the camp sites, the heavy artillery of war, or maybe the peace and excitement of returning home to their families. Are the soldiers satisfied with their duties? These are questions that many relatives do not ask themselves when soldiers return.

Former Panamanian dictator Manuel Noriega is soon to be released and turned over to Panama's custody after serving over fifteen years in a U.S. prison. Former military leader and president, Manuel Noriega, waits to return to his homeland where the present government prepares for another trial, said Central American Studies professors.

President George W. Bush's order to send 21,500 troops to Iraq to provide security for Iraqi civilians may not be the best solution, and in the long term might backfire, said CSUN political science professors. Mehran Kamrava, a professor and specialist in Middle Eastern studies, said that the new surge would only increase the number of the American Army soldiers and officers.