1996_09 Insight September 1996

              Lazer Tag
brings
Wars
Insight
California State University, Fresno M W SEPTEMBER 18,19%
V6lurr*28Numb«2 ^^^^^^^W
President
Clinton
jazzj
up -
Centr;
Valley
■ See IN FOCUS,
arking ticket^ generate money and anxiety
■ Last year, parking
citations brought in
$500,000
by Joe Randall
Staff Writer
Parking police officers are not the
most popular1 students on campus.
They issue citations that cost their
fellow students $500,000 a year in
fines. Student reaction to parking citations varies from being irked to
voicing hatred for the officers. And
few students interviewed believed
that they deserved a citation.
"Parking officers not only ensure
lhat everyone using the parking lots
complies with the same rules [but]
they are the eyes and ears for the
sworn police officers," said Rick
Finden, administrator for the campus
Office of Parking and Transportation
and commanding officer of the parking platoon.
Protecting students' cars
"They protect the lives and cars of
students. Without them, the parking
lots would be in chaos and the num
ber of stolen cars would greatly increase," he added.
Fresno State's 18 parking officers Students Who ignore tickets risk by students that a shortage of cam-
are students who work 20-hour weeks having their cars towed, a $20 cita- pus parking slots forces them to break
Misunderstanding, not criminal in- at $7.10 per hour. Officers are on duty tion, plus towing and storage fees that the law. Students have a penchant for
tent, is the cause of most parking ci- seven days a week from 7 a.m. until usually exceed $ 100. wanting a close-in parking slot at the
tations, according to one student. 10 p.m. All receive two days of class- cs,-rf__ „„, flno« last minute during peak class hours.
Signs that read "No Parking On room instruction and two days on a ""nngownnM according t
Campus Without A Permit" do not walking familiarization of the cam- In addition to the $500,000 the study,
apply, for example, to metered park- pus with a trained officer before they campus received last year in fines, the But more student parking slots arc
ing. Signs that warn "Faculty Park- assume duties. income from campus parking permits coming, Finden said. Parking Lot P
ing Only" are not enforced over the Officers issue $15 citations for adds an additional $1.6 million to at Maple and Barstow avenues will be
summer and during school breaks, a overtime parking in metered zones Fresno State. The campus shares overhauled during winter break that
policy some students find confusing, and $20 citations for parking in un- $100,000 ofthe fines with the state will increase the number of spaces by
In other areas, it is unclear where stu- authorized lots. Illegal parking in a for the construction of jails and other 10 to 15 percent. Parking Lot D bc-
dent parking ends and where faculty handicapped slot costs the offender crime-fighting capital improvements, hind the Old Cafeteria is scheduled
parking begins. $275.
;
a recent campus parking
Campus officials deny accusations    for similar treatment next summer.
"Can you imagine what we could do if everyone put their differences aside?
Our production lately has been zero. We could at least get something done."
ASI President Tommy Monreal
Conflict And Compromise
Bickering and
tension stifle
student politics
by Jevon Swanson
Staff Writer
Since the results of the Associated Students Inc.
(ASI) elections in May, the members of the two
campus political parties have been waging political war against each other, resulting in their inability to even seat a full senate already three weeks
into the semester.
"I think this just stifles everything. Can you imagine what we could do if everyone put their differences aside?" said Tommy Monreal, current ASI
president. "Our production lately has been zero. We
could at least get something done."
The political fighting found in Fresno State's student government isn't unusual to the campus — or
to student governments.
"There's always partisan bickering, bul it wasn't
always quite as bad as it is now," said Ron Avedisian,
who participated in student politics at Fresno State
from 1986 through 1989.
"Though I've seen worse, the year after I left was
horrible. It was the same situation. The execs were
one party and the senate was controlled by another."
See TENSION, page 3
Concerned about campus issues, students voice their opinions at last week's ASI meeting.
Student politicians lured by high
aspirations and love for the game
Despite recent
vote, student fee
remains at $16
by James M.Ward
Staff Writer
Kymberly Daniels wanted to make a difference
in student government.
Daniels, former Associated Students Inc. (ASI)
president and currept ASI senator, thought students
were paying too much for student government and
not getting enough back from Iheir buck. So Daniels,
along with other members of the fiscally conservative Reality Party, put a referendum on last semester's
ballot slashing the student body fee in half, dropping it from $16 to $8.
The referendum passed by fewer than 200 votes
out of 1,300 cast by 15.000 eligible voters. Daniels,
along with anyone else who saw the election results,
thought thc Student Body Fee would be cut to $8.
She thought wrong.
President John Welty didn't submit the required
notice for the fee change to the Chancellors' Office
in Long Beach.
State policy requires any Student Body Fee change
be submitted by the university president and approved by Ihe CSU Board of Trustees in Long Beach.
See FEE. page 3
Insight photo by Mohamed El Sharif
Relaxing with friends, ASI Senator John
Rizzotti takes a break from official duties.
by Robbie Miner
Staff Writer
Unlike most students, Tammi Martinez enjoys
watching Ihe political tableside chats on C-SPAN.
Martinez is thc most polished politician in this
year's ASI. She's the vocal leader of Reality, the
majority party in ASI, and there was a lime when
ASI was all Martinez thought about.
Now, the senator and former legislative vice-president says. "Poly-Sci 150 invades my every thought."
For most ASI members, the life of a student politician is filled with bickering, accomplishment and
even some free time away from the office.
Senator Gabriel Ciucur appreciates the opportunity to have a say in government more than Ihe average American. Thai's because he's from Bucharest,
Romania. Under Communism, Romanians were under the mercy of their government, and citizen opinion meant nothing.
Ciucur is fascinated by the political power thc average American possesses, if willing to make the
commitment. "Just the freedom of having a choice
is worth fighting for," he said.
Chair of thc personnel committee, John Rizzotti,
loves the political life.
He knows that as a school senator, he's now the
prime target ofthe campus media. He picks his words
carefully. When asked about Reality's controversial
decisions, his immediate response was. "Is this off
the record?"
For the majority of the ASI. politics is not a foreseeable future endeavor. That's not to say they don't
have high aspirations. "I'll be a millionaire in four
years," said current legislative vice-president Eileen
Richardson, an independent representative of American Communication. "I know lhat."
Those associated with ASI say political conflict is
not something that consumes their life. Most say that
when they go home they leave ASI in the office. "Sure
there's conflict," said ASI president Tommy Monreal.
"But it's because they care about the university and
they want to make a change."
Insight photo by Ryan McKm
"I'll be a millionaire in four years," said
legislative vice-president Eileen Richardson.
The voice of
a ST. A.R.
Theatre Arts professor Brad Myers
has the voice students love to hate or
hate to love. Myers is the authoritative
voice heard on the S.T.A.R. registration
system at Fresno State.
Since Spring 1992, Myers has
provided his vocal talents to help enroll
of bom wry Marx ril ■■tbi.1 cm dr
marbBitmxamS.'LAJt.'Idamiwau
ktoaomaiampii."
Campus desperate for cash
■ Fresno State ranks
third in donations in
the CSU system
by Irene Marin
Staff Writer
Fresno State is low oo cash—and
the city seems eager io help.
cm dobs wflbe do-
Warrington, who is in charge of university fundraising.
Fresno donates money to the university through private individuals
and organizations.
The Office of University Development is another department that helps
the campus find community support
Long Beach at the top
Warrington notes that at Fresno
State, private individuals donate more
money than organizations.
Generous alumni
"Most of thc donations come from
alumni and the community," explains
Warrington.
Nonetheless, local companies such
as AT&T. Pacific Bell and local besoks
have bees »eB taw doaatm ■■