Coyote Chronicle

The Independent Student Voice of CSUSB Since 1965

Header Right

Main navigation

CSUSB students

Students taking leave of absence for financial reasons

by

By Jordan Ortega |Staff Writer|

CSUSB students have a critical decision to make if they decide to drop out or take a gap year.

If taking a gap year many students do so to get some real world experience.

“The latest so far is 85 percent of students are continuing their studies,” said Muriel Lopez, Director of Institutional Research.

Only 15 percent of CSUSB students actually drop out or take a “leave of absence” at CSUSB.

Now students have the option of delaying their education to live their lives.

“I took this last year off [to work on helping survivors of domestic violence],” said student Asia.

Taking a “leave of absence” is not considered dropping out for CSUSB students. Instead it just a way of finding out if you are in the right field.

“Leave of absence” means that the student will take a break from their studies. Instead of deciding to drop out they decide to take a break.

Previously, it was a gap year to travel and see the world. Today it is useful for students to rest and recharge from the rigors coursework.

Then when they choose to return to university, they are recharged and well-rested.

Now it is almost a necessity to take time off for many students to achieve their dream careers.

Some of the reasons that students make the decision to take some time off are the following; rising cost of attending college, injury or illness and prospective job opportunities.

First, the massive financial debt that one acquires while attending university even at the state level at CSUSB.

For example, working either part time or full time is a necessity for students to pay for books and housing which financial aid does not cover.

However, not every student has financial struggles as reason for leaving.

The fact that it is typically the cheaper alternative than a private institution.

The four-year graduation rate is not that is not typical at CSUSB.

The norm here is to graduate in about six years.

55 percent of students have a six-year graduation rate [currently], according to csusb.edu.

Students in some cases have to drop out of their courses for health reasons.

Dealing with family struggles such as death of a loved one or injury is a concern that many students deal with when they decide to take a break.

“My mom was getting older so I decided to come back to this area,” said Tamara Holder, Osher Adult Re-Entry Center Coordinator.

Dealing with familial struggles such as death of a loved one or injury are also possible reasons.

Another huge reason for students to take a gap year are job opportunities.

“She offered me an internship to work with rebirth homes,” said student Asia.

“I built safe houses for battered women,” said student Asia.

Working in their career choice prior to completing their education helps students.

Even some people decide to take time off to live life and will decide that they want to return to their studies.

“When I was in school, the world around me was different,” Holder said.

Some students return when they have the opportunity to return.

“I had no rent, mortgage, bill. I had to take advantage of this opportunity,” said Holder.

Students willing to return to CSUSB to finish their education with a new understanding of their career choice.

Even a deeper understanding of what they want out of life and college.

 

Students offer exercise and diet tips

by

By Suriel Chavez |Staff Writer|

On a campus like ours, there is wide rage of diversity, so it is fitting that there would be students getting in shape in various ways.

The problem with exercise routines and diets, one method does not fit all.

Everyone is different and what might work for one person is not necessarily going to work for another.

Finding ways to be healthy and exercises that feel comfortable is up to you.

Take into consideration that, at first, one must to step out of their comfort zone, as you would when succeeding in any aspect of life.

Today, there are hundreds of options to help strive for a healthier self.

“I track my steps on my phone and I get notifications to when I reached my goal of steps,” said Ariana Prieto.

Ten thousand is the recommended number of steps that you should take a day, according to livescience.com.

Technology has advanced with the iWatch and other devices, such as the Fitbit and Misfit, that one can use to track their steps.

Workouts do not need to take place inside a gym anymore. There are many other ways available to get exercise.

In 2013, there were 25.5 million people participating in a home gym, according to statista.com, a statistics and studies conglomerate.

There are plenty of activities that burn a similar amount of calories and lead to wonderful adventures.

Hiking has become a popular means of exercise in recent years.

Hiking for an hour can burn up from 400 and 700 calories in an hour, according to nutristrategy.com

“I try to go twice a month,” said student Sarah Jaquez.

Some activities, like hiking, are not for everyone.

The amount of calories burned while hiking is similar to swimming for an hour.

“I stick with swimming. It’s what I do best,” said student Demi Botello.

Finding something that you feel comfortable with helps encourage you to keep at it and helps keep working out fun.

Working out and staying active is only one part of what one needs to do to stay healthy.

Eating right is just as important as getting enough exercise.

Choose My Plate is a government funded website that gives tips and tools for choosing healthier choices when deciding what to eat.

It provides a daily check list for different age groups and calorie intake.

The check list has detailed measurements of the proteins, fruits, vegetables, grains and dairy than one needs for the day.

A simple tip for losing weight is to simply burn more calories than what’s taken in.

Preparing food for the day is a great way to ensure that one does not over eat.

Not everyone eats the same way. Everyone chooses to cut different things from their diets.

Remember that progress takes time and results will not occur right away. Stay body positive, set realistic goals and keep at it.

CSUSB 50th year milestone celebration needs more oomph

by

Pavement DecalsBy Erendy Torres |Staff Writer|

CSUSB celebrates its 50 year anniversary and what people, including myself, really want to know is: what are we doing in celebration of this milestone?

As I walk around campus, I notice that our anniversary isn’t really being talked about.  There aren’t any major events that capture students’ attention.

Placing congratulatory paw decals on pavement is not enough.

Sure, it’s nice to see renovations and banners of achievement everywhere, but social events are what motivates students to get involved.

Students walk past these posters, banners, and decals everyday, but they are still ignorant to the fact that we have accomplished an important milestone.

The idea of creating CSUSB was born in 1960; however, it didn’t open its doors until 1965. The three-building campus welcomed roughly 290 students that year, as stated on the school’s official website.

The website also states that today, CSUSB welcomes more than 20,000 students a year onto its 443 acre facility.

Over five decades, CSUSB has achieved important milestones like being named one of the best universities in the West by The Princeton Review and ranked the second safest CSU campus statewide according to StateUniversity.com.

But these are only minor facts about our campus.

As a newly transferred student from Mt. San Jacinto Community College, I ask myself a few questions as I try to get involved with the CSUSB community.

In celebration of our big 50 are we simply hosting lavish parties and other types of extravagant festivities? Or are we also expanding our campus in order to provide more entertainment, living and educational opportunities as well?

Fall 2015 is my first quarter attending CSUSB, so I don’t expect some major changes to occur around campus so soon.

However, as a suggestion, it’d be nice to honor our anniversary by deducting parking fees.

I asked around campus for more ideas. I mainly spoke to students and staff who have been here for more than two years. I also questioned them about recent changes they have seen around campus.

“The physical changes that I have seen around campus are the statues of the three former CSUSB presidents and the renovations around the Santos Manuel Student Union,” said Kameron Thomas, CSUSB lead student of the Cross Cultural Center.

“Simple changes like replacing the carpet and repainting the walls, has attracted more students into SMSU,” added Thomas.

“Architecturally speaking, I have seen many changes in food courts. The Commons has been revamped and we have more food varieties,” said Kappa Sigma member, Richard Flores.

Once again, students see the physical changes around campus, but that is about it.“I come to school three days out of the week and I haven’t seen any announcements on events in honor of our anniversary. The atmosphere is not lively enough for a celebration,” declared student, Adriana Ceja.

Some might argue that we don’t need to celebrate—that it isn’t a big deal—but others actually wonder what is going to happen.

We are not being well informed if there will be any future festivities and the few details we have received are not strongly promoted.

Even though the campus has created many modifications and hosted small events to commemorate the anniversary, there are more things that could be done.

We should find enough pride and time to honor the work of those who dedicated their entire lives to the success of CSUSB 50 years ago.

 

California Attorney Proposed Bill of Death for Gays

by

By Maria Perry |Copy Editor|

California attorney Matt McLaughlin has proposed an act that, if passed, will make sodomy between same-sex individuals a capital crime, according to Snopes.com.

McLaughlin proposed the “Sodomite Suppression Act,” which was received by the state’s initiative coordinator at the Office of the Attorney General on Feb. 26 with $200 and initiative certification enclosed. It hopes to make it legal to execute gay individuals, according to The Huffington Post.

California gay 1

The “Sodomite Suppression Act,” which McLaughlin has sent to the state Department of Justice, will not only punish gays but also those who engage in sodomy, according to the the act’s initiative.

One of the first lines in the proposal states: “Seeing that it is better that offenders should die rather than that all of us should be killed by God’s just wrath against us for the folly of tolerating wickedness in our midst, the People of California wisely command, in the fear of God, that any person who willingly touches another person of the same gender for purposes of sexual gratification be put to death by bullets to the head or by any other convenient method.”

However, according to The Huffington Post, a California Supreme court judge earlier ruled California’s death penalty unconstitutional.

“This proposed ballot measure reminds me of a more intense version of the Briggs Initiative from the 1970’s. It’s clear that this sort of legislation would never pass, but it is saddening to see that some people still hold narrow-minded opinions,” stated the Pride Center’s Lead Program Assistant Jorge Rivera.

California gay

The initiative also expresses that “no person shall distribute, perform, or transmit sodomistic propaganda directly or indirectly by any means to any person under the age of majority.”

The act also stressed that “sodomistic propaganda” would be punishable, according to the act’s initiative.

The act’s initiative defined “sodomistic propaganda” as “anything aimed at creating an interest in or an acceptance of human sexual relations other than between a man and a woman.”

According to the act proposal, sodomistic propaganda can be punished by a $1 million fine, a 10-year imprisonment, or life-time expulsion from the state of California.

The act also would make it illegal for anyone who is gay or has engaged in sexual activity with another of the same-sex to be in public office.

To get the “Sodomite Suppression Act” on the 2016 ballot, McLaughlin must acquire approximately 400,000 signatures, according to dailykos.com.

“The LGBTQ community has made wonderful progress in the past few decades and still has a far way to go; this sort of hatred and intolerance is a reminder that the queer community needs to keep its momentum,” stated Rivera.

 

 

Students dance away the stress

by

By Shelby Hancock |Staff Writer|

DSCN0232Stress relief can come in many different forms, one of which is exercise.

Exams, papers, projects, and lectures at school are stressful.

The Recreation Center on campus at CSUSB offers many exercise options to alleviate the side effects of being a student.

Exercise is recommended in order to maintain a heathy lifestyle, not only to reduce stress.

According to the Mayo Clinic, exercise has many positive effects, a few of which include improving ones mood and boosting energy.

Being active also reduces stress and anxiety, boosts memory, and builds intelligence, according to Dr. Susan Krauss Whitbourne.

The Rec. Center offers a variety of classes, available at different times to accommodate different schedules.

One of the classes offered by the Rec. Center is Zumba.

Zumba is a fitness program with dance and aerobic exercise routines performed to popular music.

Zumba has become very popular, not only in America but in other countries too.

“Over 15 million people are taking a Zumba class around the world,” according to Zumba.

Since its beginnings in the 1990’s, the Zumba program has become the worlds largest and most successful dance-fitness program according to Zumba expert Dolores Mitchell.

During the 60-minute class it is expected that you can burn up to 550 calories according to the Rec. Center.

The class is instructed by Michelle Ruvalcaba, a junior Liberal Studies major, who is on her second quarter of teaching Zumba.

Ruvalcaba started Zumba in hopes of loosing weight but ended up liking it so much she started teaching it.

“Its like exercise in disguise and people don’t realize how fast the hour passes by,” said Ruvalcaba.

On average about 15 students, males and females, attend each session although it’s mostly female dominated.

“Each session differs in attendance depending on the day and the time,” according to Ruvalcaba.

“If you are looking to have a great time and also burn off some calories through cardio, toning and strength training this is the perfect class for you,” according to the Rec. Center.

Dance background makes the class more enjoyable but is not necessary.

The class incorporates different types of music with different tempos and speeds, working your entire body.

Moving multiple parts of your body at once requires some coordination, but the class is fun regardless of how you look doing it.

“Zumba is liberating,” according to Senior Business major Rebecca Frey.

“I’d rather do an hour Zumba class than run for 15 minutes, it’s a great way to get your mind off of school and life, and also relieve stress,” according to Frey.

The class is offered eight times through out the school week with two different instructors.

“As long as you are actually trying to keep up and really putting everything into it you’re going to get a lot out of it,” according to CSUSB staff Kristal Gama who attends the class at least once a week.

With the Rec. Center located on campus, students are able to take group exercises classes to help combat the stress associated with being a college student.

 

 

Popularity comes to TheCrazyGorilla

by

By Bree Reyes |Staff Writer|

A&E Week 3 Photo 3Two students from CSUSB and California State Polytechnic University, Pomona(Cal Poly) are the creators behind TheCrazyGorilla, a YouTube comedy channel with over eight million views and 60,000 subscribers.
Twenty-year-old Anthony Nguyen created the channel TheCrazyGorilla on Aug. 7, 2009 with a friend who had a gorilla costume, and since then has uploaded more than 150 videos.

“We were wondering what we could do with this gorilla costume,” said Nguyen. “So we did what anyone else would do; we made a video with the gorilla costume, and then that’s how history was made,” he continued.

“The first video, a parody of Selena Gomez’s song ‘Magic,’ did not receive many views, but by the third video, ‘How to Get a Shuffle Girl’ this particular video received 5,000 views within its first week of being uploaded to YouTube,” according to Nguyen.

The comedy channel uploads two to five minute parodies and skits based on experiences life as well as observing the content of some of their favorite YouTube channels.

While they plan their videos with outlines and rough drafts of scripts, most of their acting is improvised.

“I realized we were starting to get big when I was in high school, people would come up to me and say ‘Hey that was a cool video yesterday’ and I didn’t even know they watched my videos,” said Nguyen,

Ramon Guzman, 21, officially joined the team of TheCrazyGorilla after regularly helping Nguyen with the channel’s videos when they were in high school.

“He asked me to help out and I didn’t really know what he was doing,” said Guzman.

Ramon Guzman and Anthony Nguyen collaboration video "The Bad Actor" featuring TravieBASED. Courtesy of TheCrazyGorilla YouTube Channel
Ramon Guzman and Anthony Nguyen collaboration video “The Bad Actor” featuring TravieBASED. Courtesy of TheCrazyGorilla YouTube Channel

“Every now and then he would ask me to help him with a video, then two years ago he asked me to help him out with videos for a month, and after that month he asked me if I wanted to become a part of the team and I said yes,” he added.

Both Guzman and Nguyen were born and raised in San Bernardino and graduated from Cajon High School.

They moved on to CSUSB, with Guzman attending San Bernardino Valley College for two years before transferring to CSUSB as a marketing major, while Nguyen attended CSUSB for two years before transferring to Cal Poly Pomona as an accounting major.

The success of TheCrazyGorilla created many opportunities for the duo, including a contract with the YouTube comedy channel FLAMA, recording videos at YouTube Space, and collaborating with YouTube stars like TravieBASED, JRMun0z, and Krystaalized.

“I think the best part about what we do and how we do comedy is that we’re walking a fine line,” said Nguyen. “It can be controversial but it could still be funny so it’s not really bad since were doing comedy. You can kind of expand your jokes.”

One of their goals for the channel is to collaborate with their biggest inspiration.

“The goal is to collaborate with Timothy DeLaGhetto,” said Nguyen. “He’s been our inspiration since day one, so to be able to collaborate with him would be awesome.”

For long-term goals, the duo hopes that TheCrazyGorilla will one day turn into its own comedy community.

“I want this channel to blow up and have totally different creators and each creator have their own kind of style, all on one channel,” said Nguyen.

“It would start with us and then expand.” he continued.

TheCrazyGorilla uploads new videos on their YouTube channel every Thursday at www.youtube.com/thecrazygorilla.

They can also be found on their vlog channel TheCrazyGorillaLife as well as Facebook (TheCrazyGorilla Productions), Twitter (@TheCrazyGorilla), Tumblr (thecrazygorilla), and Instagram (@thecrazygorilla).

 

 

Speech development for Coyotes

by

By Daleth Quintanilla |Staff Writer|

TOASTMASTERSCSUSB Toastmasters empowers members to develop communication and leadership skills.
Toastmasters International is a non-profit organization founded by Ralph C. Smedley in 1945.
Meetings start with impromptu table talks and guests are both welcomed and encouraged to speak.
Toastmasters meetings are an hour long and consist of workshops where members give speeches in a no-pressure atmosphere.
Members are given a week to prepare speeches.
Approximately half the meeting time is dedicated to speeches alone.
There is no instructor in Toastmasters meetings, but there is a President (Rusty Palmer), Vice President of Education (Erika Samperio), Vice President of Membership (Monica Mojarro), Vice President of Public Relations (Christopher Dustin), Secretary (Rafael Velasquez), Treasurer (Louis Fernandez), and Sargent-At-Arms (Imad Museitef).
Members evaluate each other’s presentations and provide feedback for improvements.
The evaluation process is key to the success of the club and the communication and leadership development in members.
The “Ah” counter is responsible for counting how many “likes” and “ums” are in a single speech.
The grammarian critiques word choices; the timer times each speech to make sure the speaker stays within the time constraints for a particular speech.
Lastly, the general evaluator reports on the meeting.
The evaluation process allows members to develop communication skills.
The members develop leadership skills and the support of each member gives nervous or shy students an opportunity to open up.
image Grammarian Bernadette Toledo just joined the club and she really enjoys the people and atmosphere.
“This club gives me the most for my time and really makes me come out of my shell,” said Toledo.
Treasurer Louis Fernandez has been a part of the club since Fall 2013 and has similar thoughts as Toledo.
“I gained a lot of confidence out of it. I feel more comfortable every time I do a speech and I just want to do better and better and better,” said Fernandez.
The club consists of students with a common drive to be successful leaders with excellent communication skills.
“People here don’t judge you, because they’re all in the same boat,” added Toledo.
In addition to weekly meetings throughout the quarter, members are also given the opportunity to attend conferences where they are able to listen to keynote speakers.
Additionally, they are presented the opportunity to mingle with other Toastmasters members within the district.
If anyone is interested in joining the club, visit the Santos Manuel Student Union room 210/211.
They meet every Wednesday during the academic quarter; speak with the Vice President of Membership to learn more.

 

 

Leave the academic quarter system alone

by

By Janeth Jaimes |Staff Writer|

Loydie Burmah | Chronicle PhotoI believe the quarter system, which requires students to attend classes for two and half months, works out perfectly for many students as the curriculum makes students work at a quicker pace.

In my opinion, the two-term semester system can drain the energy of students with its long periods that may last four or more months.

Adding more days to our quarter system will make us run out of energy and motivation because many students have many responsibilities apart from attending school.

“I would not like for school days to be extended because I work better [at a] faster pace and it allows me to not procrastinate since quarters are relatively short,” said junior Daniel Amaya.

The more days that are added to each quarter, the more likely students will procrastinate and pay less attention during lectures.

We are now all adults and we should learn how to work in a quick manner.

If we do not understand what something means, we should put in the extra effort by seeking help from tutoring sessions and other services.

Lengthening the quarter could interfere with our extra-curricular activities, family time, and especially work.

Students will not have enough time to complete homework or study for the next day’s lessons or quiz.

“I have every hour of every day planned,” said CSUSB senior Shelby Hancock.

“Changing my school schedule would mean my whole life would need to change,” added Hancock.

Adequate sleep is another issue, and unfortunately many college students do not get the proper amount needed.

Increased coursework from the added days in each quarter could interrupt our sleeping habits.

DSC_0080Dr. Clete Kushida, an associate professor in the department of psychiatry said, “There are data that sleep loss leads to learning and memory impairment, as well as decreased attention and vigilance.”

We need time for our ourselves, time to sleep, and engage in activities outside of coursework.Additionally, adding more days to the quarter can delay graduation for students.

Having the experience of the semester system at a community college has changed my perspective.

Even though I was a full-time student, it took me three years to finish all the requirements to transfer.

Finishing general education classes in addition to major classes is draining with the semester system.

It can mean more money, and most of us are on a budget or in debt.

Therefore, the faster students graduate, the faster they can start to pay back loans or help family.

Deshea Rushing, a professor in the English Department, presents another side to this debate.

“Students need more time to process information in the classroom,” said Rushing.

This is a valid point and maybe students do need more days to process the material for many classes.

However, I believe more days in the quarter could potentially mean that professors will assign more coursework instead of taking sufficient time to explain the material more effectively.

Adding more days to our quarter system will slow students down, and interfere with current and emerging responsibilities.

We should maintain our academic quarter term system as it is, and continue with current speed that we have all become accustomed to.

If any changes are made to extend it in the future, proper accommodations should be made with student life considered a top priority.

 

 

Santos Manuel Student Union celebrates 36 years

by

By Adrian Carlos |Staff Writer|

12645051265_f9bfe5cf3a_bA fully stocked nacho bar, an adventurous scavenger hunt and free iPad mini put a cherry on top of this year’s Santos Manuel Student Union (SMSU) birthday.

The celebration was in honor of the SMSU, to commemorate its 36th anniversary.

“One of the main goals for our SMSU birthday bash is to collect as much student feedback as possible,” said Alexsaundra Preston, marketing coordinator for the SMSU.

Preston was responsible for putting this year’s SMSU birthday bash together.

SMSU was incorporated in 1978.

Since then, the SMSU has been celebrating its anniversary every few years, collaborating with all the centers and student staff that make up the SMSU.

For SMSU’s 25th anniversary, the center gave away a VW. Beetle, so as you can tell it’s a big deal.

The scavenger hunt that was set up, was geared towards letting students learn about the SMSU and everything it has to offer, having the students stop at every program board to find clues leading to their prizes.

There was a DJ present playing music and a nacho bar and snack table were set up for students free of charge.

One of the main goals of this event was to promote the centers involved within the SMSU and their missions, in order to help them gain exposure.

The University Dance Company made an appearance and performed about half way through the event.

All of the SMSU coordinators were pitching in at the food tables or the side activities.

To top off the evening, one lucky student went home with a free iPad mini, courtesy of the SMSU.

The SMSU birthday bash was yet again another successful celebration that was collectively organized and produced by all the people involved within the whole building.

SMSU is looking forward to another great year of fun!

You know you go to CSUSB when…

by

By Adrian Carlos |Staff Writer|

Endless Starbucks line, building frustration from waiting for a parking spot that seems will never appear and waking up frantically in the Student Union after over-sleeping.

These are just a few of the things that unite us as students and characterize CSUSB pride.

What makes CSUSB students different from students from other universities?

I asked students around campus to give me their opinion on what embodies the students here.

You know you’re a CSUSB student when…

“You see the sun come and go down on the same day from the library,” said Ivanna Carlos.

“When your favorite color and all your clothes are now blue,” said Quinn Dudley.

“When you spend more on gas looking for a parking spot rather than commuting,” said Max Singer.

“When you took the next step towards your future and now attend CSUSB,” said Sean M. Kahn.

“When you’re freezing in the morning,” said Jennifer Tavarez.

“When you’re at school sitting on a bench hours before school starts,” said Miranda Johnson.

“When you’re constantly taking naps in the library,” said Vanessa Vargas and Alexis Bonilla.

“When you’re not dressed to impress,” said Jesse Myia.

“When you’re an athlete,” said Adriana Brodie.

“When you know where to get everything for free,” said Camille Brown.

“When you get really annoyed by the wind,” said Lily Gutierrez.

“When you’re always waiting in the never-ending Starbucks line,” said Nathan Runyan.

“When you stay in the library until it closes,” said Jenny Rodriguez.

“When you’re pulling all nighters in the third week,” said Jessica Aquirre.

All of us can relate to these accounts in one way or another, we have all been stuck in the parking lot, waited in the endless Starbucks line, not to mention dealing with the wind.

So next time you’re getting annoyed in the parking lot when someone is waiting for you to get to your car, sympathize with them and understand that you’ve all been there too!