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sPARTAN DailY
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Student wins $50,000 scholarship Whitney Ellard Staff Writer Freshman psychology major Priscilla Elizalde no longer has to worry about taking out loans or paying out-of-pocket for her college tuition. She was selected as the National Sun Life Rising Star winner and awarded $50,000 toward her college tuition. In addition to the prize, Elizalde and 21 other students were awarded $5,000 in tuition in the first round — before she was selected as the national winner. She and the other first-round winners were flown to Sun Life Stadium in Miami, Fla., on Feb. 28, where they had the opportunity to meet tennis star Venus Williams and Miami Dolphins quarterback Chad Pennington and wide receiver Davone Bess. Elizalde said it was amazing meeting Venus Williams, someone she now looks up to. “We have similarities,” Elizalde said. “She showed it doesn’t matter where you come from, as long as you have a desire to achieve, you can make it anywhere in life.” Elizalde was nominated by Barrio Logan College Institute, a nonprofit, community-based organization she has been involved with since the third grade. The program was one of others nationwide that applied for a grant from Sun Life. Sun Life is a worldwide financial services company that has been around for more than 140 years, according to the company’s website. “The application process consists of the nonprofit organizations telling us (Sun Life) about the work they are doing in the community and
how they are making an impact,” said Kaitlin Jaquez, philanthropy senior consultant for Sun Life. She said organizations are also required to choose a student who they feel is deserving of a $5,000 scholarship and has overcome odds in his or her community. Elizalde, coming from a low income family, said she has defied the odds within her community. “Many lack furthering their education or even education at all,” Elizalde said. “I come from a low-income Hispanic community and most of the parents do not have an education at all.” Launched last year, Jaquez said the goal of the Sun Life Rising Star Awards program is to recognize nonprofit organizations that are working with students in underserved communities and also help students achieve their educational goals while preparing them for college and careers. Elizalde said she is beyond thankful for being nominated and chosen as the winner. “It was amazing,” she said. “I felt so lucky and so honored. I don’t even have words to describe it.” Elizalde said she is also relieved she does not have to pay off loans after she graduates and that her family is proud of her. “I’m the only in my family who has made it to college,” she said. Jaquez said Sun Life is proud to have chosen Elizalde as its winner. “She’s so inspirational and so well-spoken,” she said. “We are proud of all of her accomplishments and all that she plans to do with her career and the community.”
Spartapalooza promotes healthy living through learning Staff Writer
The Student Union Ballroom was packed with students coming to see interactive and informational booths aimed at teaching them about living a healthier life Thursday. The event was the Spartapalooza Wellness Festival, which tries to promote healthy living and wellness to the students on campus, according to Laurie Morgan, assistant director of campus wellness. “The concept of this was to create an event that would allow people to test out new ways of healthier behaviors,” she said. Morgan said this year’s theme was sustainability — in both environmental and personal wellness — so the organization put on an environmental-themed fashion show. At noon, students took to the stage to present themselves in clothes made out of reusable products, from old soda cans to pure hemp. “The idea with the fashion show was to have a dual message,” Morgan said. “One was to represent ideas around making sustainable choices with clothing, using different kinds of products that are less detrimental to the environment, and the other message was healthy
body image because that’s a lot about what we do at my office, which is love your body and feel good about your body.” Jeanette Matthews a senior nutritional science major who came to the event with a friend, said events such as these are good for promoting wellness on campus. “I think it brings people together because of the type of event that it is, and it’s kind of exciting actually,” she said. “You encounter some new ideas that you maybe didn’t think of before and you get to know what else is on campus.” Morgan said the event is in its third year and works to find creative ways to make students more aware of healthy behaviors and techniques. “When we invited our booth participants we asked them to find out what kind of interactive, engaging booth ideas or activities you have,” she said. “They have to have something that really engages with the participants and hopefully that can serve as a trigger for participants to learn about the practice or activity.” Rebecca Mockabee, a junior nutritional science major, ran a booth that helped students identify food proportions and show them how much they are consuming in an average day. “The proportions you are getting today are out of con-
trol,” she said. “They’re huge and you really don’t need all that, so if you get smaller portions you can get a larger variety and a more balanced diet.” Mockabee said she feels most students have responded well to the booths and that they came away with more knowledge regarding their health. “I think they’re shocked,” she said. “People are shocked about how many calories are in their food. A lot of people are just not aware.” Jared Tadio, an industrial technology major, said he felt more aware of healthier eating after visiting Mockabee’s booth. “I think it’s very informative,” he said. “I learned a lot of things here that I didn’t know before. This is a really fun event since it’s free.” Domingo Castellanos, a senior kinesiology major and member of the Pre-Physical Therapy Club, was running a booth that demonstrated physical therapy practices. He said the booths at Spartapalooza aim to give students the most accurate information possible so they can make healthier decisions.
Scheduled wireless maintenance Industrial Studies building Tuesday, 9 a.m - 5 p.m. Wednesday, 9 a.m. - 5 p.m.
Boccardo Business Complex Tuesday, 9 a.m - 5 p.m. Wednesday, 9 a.m. - 5 p.m.
Construction puts ATM parking spaces on temporary hiatus Whitney Ellard
aware that while the elimination of the spaces is temporary, ticketing exceptions Staff Writer are not being made, and students will be ticketed for leaving their cars in a staff or Students may have noticed that the handicapped space while making a run to an 30-minute parking spaces near the campus ATM or the Student Union. ATMs are no longer available. Renelle also said the school is in the proParking in the lot between the ATMs cess of putting two five-minute parking and the Facilities Develspaces in the parking lot opment and Operations until the construction is building was eliminated finished. toward the end of last “We are hoping to get semester and some stuthose done within the dents are frustrated. next few days depending “There’s nowhere to on the weather,” he said. park except for faculty Renelle said the spacspots,” said senior socioles can help the waiting ogy major Nicole Lunatime for trucks coming Pickens. “It’s just another through, that will only inconvenience for stuhave to wait a couple of dents.” minutes for people to Students may be move their cars. pleased to find out the Following the compleparking situation is temtion of the construction, porary because of the Renelle said the plan is Lt. Jim Renelle construction of the Stuto have the ATMs located University Police dent Union. inside the new Student “It’s for the footprints Union and make the of the trucks to come parking lot a full square through for the student parking lot, taking over union construction,” said Lt. Jim Renelle of where the older apartment building used to University Police. be. However, ongoing construction means Parking services is also looking into prothat no end date has been set for the spaces’ posing the creation of a drop-off area for closure. the Student Union. Renelle said the city placed alternative 30-minute parking spaces on San Fernando and 10th streets, alongside the parking lot. Students should be
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“It’s for the footprints of the trucks to come through for the Student Union construction.”