1992_04 The Daily Collegian April 1992

              H
The Daily Collegian
Volume XCVIII
Issue No. 59
CSU, Fresno's Only Independent News Source *&k
April 24,1992
"""d
College-age voters Just say no'
.Adam Breen
Staffwriter
Young adults of today apparently have
better things to do than to vote, regardless
of whether they approve or disapprove of
elected officials' performance.
According to census figures, only 20
percent of 18 to 24-year-old Americans
voted inl990. That means that of an eligible
25 million young voters, only 5 million
exercised their right to deckle who their
representatives would ba  Furthermore,
Police
Chief
actresses -
youths y$
Mark DiCamillo of the Fields Research
Institute in San Francisco said that in
California, only 33 percent of 18 tc 24-year-
olds are registered to vote, as compared
with 60 percent of all other eligible voters.
CSUF political science professor David
Provost said voting numbers among young
Americans have been declining since their
apex in 1972, one year after 18-year-olds
were given the right to vote.
"Most students are concerned with
other things besides voting," he said. 'They
arc concentrating on their career goals,
ErlnYasuda
Staffwriter
Allegiance to God, one's family and one's
native land are the key elements of a
successful life, Fresno Police Chief Joseph
Samuels told 125 African-American high
school boys yesterday morning.
The message was part of a conference
titled The Role of Young African-American
Males in Our Community."
Samuels told the boys they have a lot of
potential and that it is imperative that they
use that potential.
"I see you (the boys) as a reservoir of
talent and energy. You young men are rich
wtth diversity—a mosaic of different sizes,
shapes, colors and hues," Samuels told his
attentive audience.
The boys ranged from fresfimen to
seniors from Fresno and Clovis Unified
School Districts, Washington Union High
School and Fowler High School.
Ernie SheHon, director of CSUF extended
outreach and coordinator of the conference,
said the purpose of the conference is to
foster communication between African-
AmerioMihjgh schorl stiirieiitssj id Aftican-
American adults in order to improve the
students'lives.
J The purpose is for the young men to
come together with positive adult African-
American males to learn how to become
productive young men," he said.
He said it is important to try to instill a
e of empowerment in the boys as early
finding a spouse and starting a family.
Young people tend not to see the relevance
of government in their lives."'
He said student protests have shifted
from social issues in the 1960s to economic
well-being today.
The environment is an issue that turns
some on, but I don't sense that the average
student is concerned with an issue such as
civil rights. Many say 'we had a civil rights
movement in the 60s', so they don't bother
to pursue that cause anymore."
Time constraints or a lack of
information on voting procedures stop
many students from voting.
Vance Lee, a 23-year-old advertising
senior, said that although he is registered,
he usually does not vote.
"1 don't nave a lot of time and it's not
posted where I can vote so I usually skip it,"
he said. The last time I voted it was
because I happened to be at the polling
place that ni gh t—a fraternity house."
Lee said he does not think his vote
.     See VOTE page 3
Vintage spirit
Kicking off Vlnalge Day*, Alpha Gamma
competition at the opening ceremonies
Htctof Afiincua/Trw DeSy Coftaglan
Rho and Alpha XI Delta won second place during the spirit
In the amphitheatre. ^ -^
Earth Week not about guilt
• Celebration centers around education, eniHronmental realities
Wanda Russell
See YOUTH page 4
sou* wrrcer
No "big brother" voice booming over
the loudspeaker. "A CSUF student porked
out on cholesterol-ridden, toxin-
contaminated, carcinogen-fortified, USD A-
inspected beef. Now both are dead."
For three days Earth Week 1992
partidpantshadanopporhinitytomakeus
feet at least a hula bit guilty. But they
didn't Instead they asked us to celebrate
the good ol'earth and maybe put her on our
protected species list.
•On Monday about 30 students-
including several Earth Weekc^anjzerv—
came to hear Scott Lewis, author of The
Rainforest Book" speak. That didn't bother
Kristi Hutchison, one of the organizers of
the event.
"It was worth it even if only one person
came," Hutchison said. ."Fresnans don't
^ee the destruction happening first-hand in
rainforests. What wjfedon't see we don't
protect," Hutchison said.
Even a few people becoming moreaware
is significant, she said.
Scott Lewis said he saw the deforestation
in Oregon in his late teens and has spent the
last 15 years of his life involved in
environrnentafissues.
"People say overpopulation is a terrible
problem,baft's the industrialized nations
who are destroying the planet," Lewis said.
"Ifs not the millions of people in Indonesia.
We're me ones destroying the ecosystems."
The ra i nforests provide' earth with its
greatest biological diversity, Lewis said.
> "You can feel the pulse of life, death,
decay. There's an intensity of life there,"
Lewissaid.
However, if deforestation of rainforests
is not stopped, Lewis predicts that in 50
years, an area the size of New York state
will be destroyed every year.
Wendy Fries, a fifth grade Valley Oak
elementary school teacher, attended the
lecture to gather information for her class
See EARTH WEEK page 5
/