C A L I F O R N I A
S T A T E
U N I V E R S I T Y ,
F U L L E R T O N
INSIDE CSUF men’s and women’s track and field team offers strong showing Sunday at UC Irvine
Perspectives: Mother’s Day is 4 naddressed from a different point of view News: A seminar teaches women self5 ndefense techniques if ever attacked
—see Sports page 8 W e d n e sd ay
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M a y 8, 2002
$1.3 billion cut from financial aid nECONOMY: Low-tomiddle income students who rely on the funding programs are most affected by the decision By Veronica Hagey
Daily Titan Staff Writer Thousands of students who rely on financial aid to help with the cost of school may need to start looking for a different means of paying tuition. According to President Bush’s bud-
get for 2003, financial aid for college students will be cut by $1.3 billion. The new budget will cut aid for 375,000 low-income students, affecting Pell grants, campus-based programs and it will also change the federal student loan program, forcing students to pay variable rates that can add up to $6,000 to a student’s debt, according to the report “Slamming Shut Doors to College,” released by the Senate and House Democrats last week. The Congressional Budget Office estimates Pell awards will max out at $3,900, when a $1.8 million increase is needed, raising the grant to $4,400, in order to keep up with tuition
increases. The report also said that programs such as College Work Study, Supplemental Education Opportunity Grants and Perkins loans will receive $201 million less than the current budget. “Our report shows that the cost of college is spiraling out of control while federal support for students and their families is severely lagging,” said George Miller (D-CA), co-author of the report. “Rather than meeting this challenge, the Bush Administration has turned a blind eye to college affordability.” According to the report, the budget cuts mainly affect low-and-middle-
income students. The already high cost of college is keeping academically qualified lowincome students from going to college at the rates of their wealthier peers. Nationwide, states already plan to cut higher education budgets by $5.5 billion over a two-year period. The demand for college-educated employees is growing and college graduates have incomes double that of a high-school graduate, according to the report.‑‑ It added that the current levels of federal financial aid fall short of making college affordable for everyone. California is one state where public universities and colleges proposed
double-digit increases for tuition in fall 2002, according to the American Association of State Colleges and Universities. However, the effects of the budgets cuts remain unclear to Deborah S. McCracken, the financial aid director of Cal State Fullerton. “I can’t really comment because I don’t know the background [of the budget],” McCracken said. McCracken said she is still dealing with this year’s budget and hasn’t had time to think about next year yet. The importance of a college education and the earning power of a college graduate was outlined by Senator Edward Kennedy (D-MA), Chairman
of the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pension Committee. “A college education opens the doors of opportunity and prosperity for millions of Americans,” Kennedy said. For many students, financial aid is important because they agree with Kennedy’s philosophy. “For some students, it depends on their financial status, if they don’t have financial aid, they can’t go to college,” said Rod Nesh, an electrical engineer major at Cal State Fullerton. “For me, it doesn’t matter, I have to get an education.”Crystal Borde, a
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ASI Board approves budget
Rising from the ashes
nFINANCE: Students fees of about $3 million will be allocated to programs and clubs on campus By Theresa Salinas
Daily Titan Staff Writer
Darla Priest/Daily Titan
The Ceramics Club fires clay over a pit in San Onofre Beach. The group used the primitive method to makes handmade pottery during the weekend.
The Associated Students, Inc. Board of Directors on Tuesday approved the ASI 200203 budget, providing more than $1.8 million in funding for dozens of student programs. ASI projects that it will receive about $3 million in student fees next year. About $440,000 will go to the Children’s Center Building Fund; $802,200 will go to the Athletics program; and $1.8 million will go to ASI programs. The 2002-03 budget also provides funding for 30 student programs and clubs. The CSUF Children’s Center receives the largest allotment – about $281,807. The smallest amount – $5,375 - goes to Mesa Cooperativa, a coalition of Latino student groups. The board also approved the budgets of nine inter-club councils before approving the final budget. Funding was given to the following: Arts ICC, Business ICC, Communications ICC, Engineering and Computer Science ICC, Human Development and Community Service ICC, Humanities and Social Sciences ICC, Natural Sciences and Mathematics ICC, Sports Club ICC and the Association for Inter-Cultural Awareness. For the first time, a student wage cap has been placed on all councils. Each council can spend up to $4,536 next year on student leader salaries. In the past, individual councils set the student leader wages. Adnan Raza, ASI Vice President of Finance, said the ASI Finance Committee implemented the cap to standardize student wages. Some clubs asked for too much salary funding, others asked for too little, he said. “We want to pay these people for what they do for ASI, whether it be holding meetings or distributing funds, or whatever…But anything that they do in excess is really out of their own responsibility and in the spirit of volunteerism,” Raza said. The board also made changes to budget language before approving the final budget. ASI Executive Vice President Edgar Zazueta proposed that representatives of the College Legal Clinic and Camp
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Generosity is prized quality in Islamic relinRELIGION: Hakim Archuletta described the spiritual belief as peaceful, tolerant and accepting of everyone By Afni Adnan
Daily Titan Staff Writer The religion of Islam and its teachings was the main topic of discussion Tuesday afternoon at a lecture titled “Islam Explained: Moving Away from an Ethnocentric Islam.” The talk was in the Titan Theatre at the Titan Student Union and was attended by Muslim and non-Muslim students. The featured speaker was Hakim Archuletta, a trauma therapist and a converted Muslim. He discussed the teachings of Islam,
describing it is as a peaceful religion that emphasized tolerance and acceptance. In a time where people are chasing personal advancement, Archuletta talked about people’s tendency to be selfish and take on the “me” mentality. However, people, and Muslims in particular, should change that frame of thinking because generosity is one of Islam’s most prized qualities, as demonstrated by Prophet Muhammad. “[Prophet Muhammad’s] generosity made people weep,” he said. “We all have our moments where we believe we are the most important thing on the face of the Earth,” Archuletta said. “But the highest practice in Islam is greeting strangers and feeding guests. It is even considered better that fasting and prayer.” He said that even though Muslims pray five times a day and practice the teachings of Islam, it shouldn’t merely be a habitual act.
He advised Muslims to go back to the basic teachings of Islam so that they could fully understand what those teachings meant. Islam consists of three main components: Islam – the science of outward practice Iman – the science of belief (the unseen) Ihsan – the science of perfecting one’s character Human beings are all created from Adam, Archuletta said, no matter what their religion may be. He emphasized the importance of embracing one another, and that “[human beings] are all long-lost brothers.” Archuletta said that he did not agree with those who are too religious. He considers them too close-minded because they won’t open up to other possibilities. “I dislike religious people,” he said.
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Laila Derakhshanian/Daily Titan
Students gathered in the Titan Theatre to listen to scholar Hakim Archuletta speak about the Islamic religion.