1983_02 Insight February 1983

              Insight
February 2, 1983
-..
Increases: fees
dampen future
Continued from page 1
Heuston forsees "more of a pitch"
for private support in financial aid if
federal and state monies fall to keep
up with Ihe cost of living. But,
Heuston questions whether private
monies can "match" federal monies.
"If and when the federal (government) pulls its funds tout of financial
aid), then that will be hardest to
follow." Heuston said.
Financial aid is not a
"giveaway," Heuston said. Students
either work for or pay the aid back
since there is less grant money and
more loan and work-study money
available, he said.
America's future is jeopardized
each time federal and state government reduce educational monies,
Heuston added.
"People who have an education
give back more to society than those
without one," Heuston said. "And if
we close the doors on education in the
1980's, in two to three years this country will lose its edge on high
technology, which is so valuable to
any developed country."
Without adequate funding for
education, Heuston said, high
technology will be lost.
Once lost, Heuston said, then
"you're on your way to becoming an
underdeveloped country since change
occurs at an ever accelerating pace.
And when you become behind in
technology, it's practically impossible
to catch up."
Heuston questions the mentality
of PresidenJ Reagan's budgetary
educational cutbacks as compared to
his defense increases.
Reagan's   "failure"   to  view
education as essential to the develop
ment  of  the  defense  program   is
"short-sighted,   to  seethe  least."
, Heuston said. V^ ^Ju
"What good will a high defeh*
budget be if the technological
knowledge wHLnot be there." Heuston
Both Heuston and Kessler cite recent studies that show this nation's
decline in teacher quality.
The decline in teacher quality, a
UCLA study says, willl eventually
take its toll on students graduating
from this nation's educational
systems.
According  to  the   17th  annual
survey of entering freshmen conducted by the UCLA and American
Council on Education, education majors have "much weaker skills than
students majoring in most other
fields."
Students planning to become
teachers also have taken fewer math
and science courses in high school
than students planning to enter other
fields, a second study, prepared by
the National Center for Educational
Statistics, states.
Since 1966, according to the UCLA
study, college teacher, scientific
researcher and social worker careers
have tost a great deal of popularity.
"The real tragedy here," Kessler
said "is that either nation's are
beating us to tbe punch technologically. It's all a question of relative
priorities. Just where does th—country place education on its priority
list?"
"I'm not just saying education
cures all," Heuston said. "Many people are as ignorant the day they leave
the university as the day they entered.
But, you can't survive economically
without an educated rJopujatafiTand
you can't viably have a sophisticated
defense program without education."
Weldon Percy, director of disabled students, agrees with Heuston.
The future of this nation lies in t)
educated "young people," Percy said.
"Other cultures, and ours at other
times," Percy said, "have regarded
young people as assets to the society
for they are the future. Now I'm not
so sure how our society sees these
younger people. This state has education as one of its lowest priorities."
But according to Heuston most
Americans place both education and
financial aid to students as a high
priority. -^	
"We're experiencing, nationally
and in California, an economic pinch.
This makes people think twice. We're
human in that we look to our immediate needs, not to our future. And
right now people are looking for
places to cut.
"But in the last analysis, taxpayer's money (if spent on
education), is well spent. We give to
ourselves because the educated give
society-back 100 times what they
receive. In the long-run, America
gains far more than what it gives.'-'
JEFT KRAVSE/Jrul,M
From on the air... 'to in the air
KFSR dl»c Jockey John Richardson will be leaving the CSUF .UUon to work
m library computers stand alone fat their temperature totrtreUcd. humidity
New computers make library debut
TOM MERLINOS. Insight reporter
The computer, voted machine of the year by
Time magazine, is making its presence known at
the CSUF library. CL Systems Inc. (CLSI), the
library's new computerized system, is fast becoming a favorite of CSUF students who no longer
need to fill out endless pink charge packets.
Almost every book and student identification
card has been equipped with a unique, three-digit
bar-coded (zebra) label, explained Christy Cade,
head of circulation at the CSUF library.
"This Label is read by a light pen at the
charge-out desk and tbe transaction is immediately stored in tbe mini-computer," said Cade. "We
can also alert patrons to delinquent fines or overdue boaks. Also, if a book can't be found, the terminal will tell us exactly where it is — checked
out, on hold, and so forth."
CLSI set out in 1971 to design and develop an
integrated system for libraries in the CSU system,
one that should effectively and reliably automate
the internal operations of the library.
Tbe Chancellor's Office in Long Beach footed
the 1209,000 bill for the equipment and has offered
to pay the first year's
122,800.
"I can't even begin
manpower this project in'
lot of time was taken a wi
mental staff duties. An a\
per day was spent at the
Staff members recorded more than 894,406 entries in tbe title and item file, a portion of tbe CLSI
data base created by loading specially processed
tapes into tbe computer, said Gade, adding that
more than 7,000 patrons have been given "zebra"
labels for their I.D. cards and another 4,000
students are expected to receive a label soon.
The CLSI program, begun almost two years
ago, will continue to expand as new computer
releases are announced. "It's going to take
several years before everything is actually in
place, but in the long run it will be a very efficient
service," said Gade.
As of now, tbe computer bring employed can
store transactions, produce reports, compute fines
, and keep statistics, said Gade. Overdue fine
notices will be printed out by the computer complete vyith the patron's name, the library's return*'
address, call number of the books checked out,
and the amount of tbe fine.
"■All we will have to do is fold the notice in half
and put them in windowed envelopes for mailing,"
said Gade. "It will help us keep down our cost of
collecting fines."
The computer is also equipped to produce
statistics. At the push of a button, a printout will
reveal precisely who are checking out books,
either students, faculty, visiting professors, and so
on.
"Statistics telling the number of books checked out by subject will enable us to determine what
the popular books are," said Gade. "From there
we can decide if we want to buy more in those
Gary Sellers ami June Taxoe of Library Circulation will be involved in the oivgoing process of
programming tbe computer. "And of course I'll be
doing some programming too," Gade said,
"because I think it's Just slot of fun." •   •
A total of six terminals are located in thr i
library, one in the catalogue department, one in* '
the reference department for information seas-*; ■
ches and four in tbe circulation department, said- .'
Gade. The high cost of equipment will prevent the:
entire library from going on-line, using the- ',
automated computer check-out system, she add-! '
ed. ± a.;;'
"If we had tbe matey for more terrnmsls, '
which cost about $6,000 to $7,000 each, we could ■
very easily add the musk library and the reserve
bookroorn into the system." Gade eliminated the
Government Publications Depariatent as a potential candidate, citing low- rirwdation: "It just
wouldn't be cost-effective."        t>.       • ,
The CSUF library has the capability for an online catalogue presently in use at CSU Chico. The.
catalogue consists of individual terminals at
which students can type in an entry and tbe screen
will display all library holdings on that subject:
But, Gade said, "It will take a lot* more money ■
than we have now for that, but there's always that
possibility in the future."
In case of a breakdown, an AppleII computer.
with a special program will be utilized as a backup system. It will allow patrons to check books in <
and out in tbe usual manner, and will store inf or-,
mation for later transmission into tbe main computer.
Tbe library staff is gearing up for full on-line
use during the spring semester. "Everyone is very
exdM about the program," said Gade. "We're
looking forward to seeing it in full operation."
Angels: Trying to be
Continued front page 5 /
"It's nice and quiet here, why don't you guys go to Sixth Street," a man tells
Dixon as he rushes by. /
"We can't be everywhere at once," Dixon replies.
Around tbe corner is a street with bundles piled up in every doorway.
Caturay explains that the bundles are homeless people who sleep in doorways
throughout the day and night. He adds that much media attention has been
given to them lately. ,
The bus finally arrives and the driver recognizes Dixon and his group,
allowing them to ride with the transfers he had given them earlier.
A group of Dixon's friends sit at the rear of the bus and Dixon goes back to
talk to them.
Dixon is well-known all over Fillmore Street as cars pull over to talk to him
and children yell from their housing project windows.     „
Pointing to a small market, Dixon recalls bow a riot io years ago took place
in his neighborhood and bow all the local stores were vandalized except the one
P
everywhere at once
ited out.
"Tbe owner was an old Oriental man who bad been in our neighborhood
several years and gave everyone credit. People even stood in front of the store
to protect it," says Dixon.
The group finally arrives back to their headquarters peeling off their
uniforms as they walk through tbe corridor leading to their office.
Dixon calls for a snort "briefing" and begins with Caturay.
"I didn't quite understand what happened with the man and wife incident,''
says Caturay.
Dixon explains that tbe incident was a family situation and there was not
much they could do except stop any physical violence that could have occured.
Caturay adds bow he appreciated the positive comments from tbe public.
Dixon then turns to Smith and asks him how he felt about the night's patrol.
Smith smiles with an abashed flush in his face.
"It was alright," be says.
I plan on living a long and
healthy life, so I get
regular cancer checkups.
Call or write your local unit
of the American Cancer
Society for a free
pamphlet on their new
cancer checkup guidelines.
Because if you're like me,
you want to live
long enough to do it all.
%
American Cancer Society
INDUSTRIAL TECHNOLOGY
AND ENGINEERING STUDENTS
HERE'S AN OPPORTUNITY Tfc^
• Promote Energy Conservation \
x Win a Cash Award-
• While Earning Academic Credit
-CASH AWARDS
• First Place -   $125
• Second Place -$75
• Third Place -  $50
ENTRY GUIDELINES:
• Entries may be in fabricated or paper form.
• Fabricated entries must be accompanied by a type-written description.
• Fabricated entries will receive higher consideration.
it Entries will be judged on Ability to Conserve Energy. Uniqueness, and
Individual. Inventiveness.
• All entries must be submitted by May 13, 1983.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT
Mark Steele or Connie Killebrew at PG&E 268-0441 ext. 376