FEATURES Dream Center: Academic support for students
PAGE 4 SEPTEMBER 9, 2014 TUESDAY
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The TDRC provides students with academic and emotional support, referrals for financial aid and scholarship assistance and information about other programs designed to improve retention and graduation rates among the campus community. The center is designed to ensure that the students are emotionally and mentally supported so when issues arise, they can be connected to the appropriate people who can provide expert assistance, said Henoc Preciado, coordinator of the TDRC. “One thing that we always have to remember is that when students walk through these doors, their identity as being undocumented has legal implications,” Preciado said. “We have to be very intentional and very careful about implementing and
facilitating because I certainly do not want to provide inaccurate information about a wrong form, go to the wrong person and get the student in trouble.” Since August 2012, the U.S. Citizen and Immigration Services (USCIS) began reviewing applications for a program called Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA). Once approved, undocumented immigrants are granted a work permit, drivers license and a two-year reprieve from deportation. In order to be eligible for the program, candidates must have obtained a high school diploma or GED equivalent, be enrolled in school or have been honorably discharged from the U.S. armed forces. Candidates must be under 31 years old as of June 15, 2012 and have a spotless criminal record. They also must have lived in the United States before
their 16th birthday. Eligible applicants may renew their initial two-year DACA permit when it expires, to receive a reprieve of another two years. With the two-year anniversary of DACA in August, Preciado said the center is offering assistance with the renewal process. Zapien, 22, applied for the renewal of her DACA grant earlier this month. “We’re finally getting the opportunity to legally work which is what we really need and what we really want,” Zapien said. Preciado said the TDRC will be piloting programs with different constituencies on campus in the next couple of weeks to gain feedback and improve the services provided by the center. It’s up to the students to come in and we will do everything else,” Preciado said. “All they have to do is make a phone call, send an email
MARISELA GONZALEZ / DAILY TITAN
Titan Dreamers Resource Center (TDRC) at CSUF provides many services, like financial assistance.
and come through those doors.”
The TDRC is open Monday through Thursday from
9 a.m. to 7 p.m. in room 203 of Pollak Library North.
Renting textbooks one day at a time Startup company Packback allows students to rent textbooks on a daily basis
JAMES LUNA For the Daily Titan
COURTESY OF ASI MARKETING & DESIGN
Titanmon is a promotion on behalf of ASI and the Titan Pride Center to gets students involved on campus.
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“Our promotion is intended to connect students to resources and to back up that theme,” Wiley said. While Titanmon has been successful among the student population, some were not entirely convinced that it would be during its inception. “I was a skeptic. I wasn’t sure if students would respond well. I knew that there would be some students that would really love it. I didn’t imagine it would be this many students … but it seems like yeah, it’s been a great response,” Wiley said. However, the true success of Titanmon will be revealed during ASI’s “Baby Got Block Party.” The Block Party is an all day event provided by ASI, and will begin at 8 a.m. across the CSUF campus. Students can enjoy free food and attend a resource fair where they can learn about programs, services and facilities. During the event, Titanmon fanatics can also collect the final sought-after game
COURTESY OF ASI MARKETING & DESIGN
Tuffy the Tian is depicted as iconic characters from the hit Pokemon series.
card, whose design is yet to be revealed. Joseph Valencia is one of the architects behind Titanmon and serves as the Titan Pride Center lead. Valencia said he takes his role of connecting Titans to their campus very seriously.
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“Our mission at the Titan Pride Center ultimately is to connect students to different things on campus. But our core services, some of which include campus history and discovering that history of connecting students with events on campus … I think
that this promotion connects or falls into the realm of multiple of our core services,” Valencia said. Students can expect to take a trip back to the ‘90s and enjoy food, fun and learning at the ASI Block Party on Sept. 18.
Packback, a textbook rental startup company, is striving to put students back in control when it comes to how much they spend on textbooks. College students can often spend hundreds of dollars on textbooks and only use the book when they need to study for midterms and finals. Packback eliminates the need for that; they offer textbook rentals where students can rent digital textbooks for $3-5 daily, when they are needed the most. Kasey Gandham, co-founder of Packback, and his other co-founders met during their time at Illinois State University, where they quickly established a business fraternity. After realizing how well they worked together during their junior year, the team entered a business plan competition on campus. They won first place for their concept and began to develop larger plans for what would become Packback. “The story of Packback on a high level is students are broke and there is over $1 trillion of student debt out there … unfortunately, if you’re a student, when you buy a book, flat out … just purchase it, it doesn’t necessarily mean that you’re going to get full value of that book.” Gandham said. Gandham explains that textbook publishers get no revenue from used books being sold. This forces publishers to raise prices in order to make up for lost revenue. “With Packback, really our vision is two-folded. For one, we’re really here to help to empower students to make the best decision
when it comes to their books,” Gandham said. Through their business, publishers are reclaiming millions in lost revenue, Gandham said. “At the end of the day, we are effectively putting an end to rising textbook prices,” he said. When it comes to textbook prices, all students are affected. Melanie Tong, a Cal State Fullerton public relations major, is always looking for deals on textbooks. “It’s too expensive,” Tong said. “I got them used … (and) used is still pretty expensive.” Rather than searching bookshelves for textbooks, she chooses to search for cheaper alternatives on the web. “It’s a whole lot cheaper … the bookstore charges overhead so I tend to go online and see if it’s a little bit cheaper,” Tong said. Through Packback, students like Tong are being offered another option for buying textbooks. Packback also offers a chance for students to learn necessary entrepreneurial skills by participating in their brand ambassador program. “Obviously getting involved with a startup itself, like Packback, will teach you a lot about the industry. I’ve learned a lot from Kasey and from everyone involved … it’s really cool to see all the work that everyone put into it to get to where they are now,” said Courtney Boman, a business administration student. Boman, who serves as a CSUF Packback brand ambassador, has been able to work with the company and spread the word about the brand on campus and exercise her business administration education. Anyone who is interested in participating in their ambassador program or renting textbooks can visit their website, Packbackbooks.com.
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