The San Fernando Valley Economic Research Center, located in the college of business and economics, received national recognition for its eighth annual San Fernando Valley Economic Report, which came out in fall 2005. The SFVERC received the Award of Excellence for data publications from the Association for University Business and Economic Research this past October at an awards luncheon held in Memphis, Tenn.

College students are becoming increasingly accustomed to a digital lifestyle via iPods and MP3 players. Podcasts and audio clips are ways professors can bring the digital demand into the educational environment. Podcasting is a new type of media delivery.

Despite a steady increase in undergraduate enrollment at CSUN, undergraduate class sizes still remain relatively small, with 58 percent of undergraduate lecture courses enrolling 15 to 49 students, according to the Office of Institutional Research. "(The university) takes pride in the amount of contact between faculty and students in class and during office hours," said Cynthia Rawitch, associate vice president of undergraduate studies.

The Matador bookstore is one of many places on campus where minimum wage workers will receive an increase in their earnings beginning in January 2007. On Sept. 12, Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger signed Assembly Bill 1835, which will give the 1 million minimum wage workers in California increases over a two-year period.

The Klotz Student Health Center will continue to give out free doses of the meningococcal vaccine, Menactra, during its scheduled walk-in hours until Thursday, Sept. 21. Until then, the vaccine will be free of charge for students 19 years of age and younger, said Sharon Aronoff, health educator for the health center.

The Freudian Sip coffeehouses at CSUN are expected to introduce frequent drink cards and gift cards before the spring 2007 semester, said Elmer Bautista, manager of Freudian Sip. With the frequent drink cards, customers who purchase nine prepared drinks at Freudian Sip will receive a 10th drink free.

Working at the Information Desk in Bayramian Hall for two years allowed me to experience the good, the bad and the ugly of CSUN. The university has undergone many physical changes, as well as, changes in its policies and procedures. One thing that never seems to change, however, is the students' disregard for certain policies.

Family and friends of a missing 25-year-old Simi Valley mother, who planned to attend CSUN this fall, hired a private investigator to find her. Authorities called off their search for Renee Fox on June 28 after search dogs lost her scent. Fox has been missing since June 24, when her car broke down on a remote road near the town of Independence in Inyo County.

A newly renovated photography building is expected to open September as part of a series of changes the Art and Design Center will undergo, said the Art Department chair. The new photography building, formerly used for woodshop and industrial design, is part of an eastside proposal created in an effort to build an appreciation for the arts and strengthen department unity, said David Moon, Art Department chair.

With personal information now accessible and readily available due to the technological advances via the Internet, many students do not know their educational privacy rights. The Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) of 1974 grants students rights concerning their educational records.

Folk music from northern Mexico greeted more than 200 guests June 17 during the Chicano Collection/La Coleccion Chicana Exhibition presented by Cheech Marin, actor and CSUN alumni, at the main gallery in the Art Department at CSUN. "I chose CSUN partially because I am an alumnus and because they have the largest Chicano Studies program," Marin said.

CSUN students beware. Since the Disney animated hit "Cars" debuted No. 1 at the box office its first weekend, the vehicles on our campus have been talking. A few cars parked in parking lot B3 had some pretty interesting things to say. 1989 Ford Taurus: "Man, it's hotter than a carburetor in here.