NEWS 3
NOV. 30 - DEC. 6, 2016 • THE DAILY AZTEC EDITOR: EMELY NAVARRO • NEWS@THEDAILYAZTEC.COM
Green Love series promotes peace ALEX HALL STAFF WRITER ____________________________________ San Diego State Associated Students’ Green Love hosts The Green Lunch Bag Series every month where speakers from on and off campus educate students, staff and faculty about environmental and sustainability issues. Award-winning author and founder of Power of Peace Project Inc. Kit Cummings, and founder of The Bridge to the Future Foundation, Jeff Wadstrom, spoke on “Environmental Justice through the Power of Peace” on Nov. 16 in the Conrad Prebys Aztec Student Union Theater. “As the elections approached and we saw what was happening on campus, we thought ‘wow this event is perfect timing,” environmental science and engineering senior Mário Newhouse said. “This is just what we needed.” Newhouse, the chair for Green Love, said this year the series has been successful with more students attending each event. He estimated over 250 students attended this event. Newhouse said several students get extra credit for attending Green Love events and sometimes students leave halfway through to get to a class but he said it was interesting to see a lot of people stay the entire time because the event was “electrifying.” “We wanted to change things up and
do it a little differently this month,” said sustainability junior and Green Love Commissioner Shelah Ott. “We also wanted to bring a sense of hope and a focus on social justice back into the issue because it’s so inseparable from sustainability.” Sustainability and Environmental Science junior Chris Goering said he originally planned on staying until 1 p.m. because he had class, but he could not leave. He said he felt so empowered that he needed to stay and enjoy it. “I truly think that students got a renewed sense of hope today,” Ott said. “Not only to combat environmental problems that we’re facing today, but to really find the strength within themselves to make a difference and use the sentiment from the presentation to help them create a change on campus.” Journalism and public relations junior and Green Love Secretary Shannon Sneade said what stuck out to her was when Cummings said it wasn’t science that drew them in, but the people telling the narratives. “Instead of reading about what these people are doing to change their communities or to change the world, we get to hear the passion behind their voices,” said Green Love Representative and sustainability junior Alessandra Casey said. “I think the Green Lunch Bag Series does a really good job of spreading knowledge and passion throughout the student body in a way
Students take a picture with Kit Cummings at the GreenLove event. ALEX HALL, STAFF WRITER
that you can’t get in a classroom.” Not only does Green Love host the Green Lunch Bag Series, but the commission also hosts some events for GreenFest, a year long initiative celebrating sustainability, diversity, and SDSU pride. Currently, Green Love is working to increase on-campus bike safety, create sustainable campus practices and advocate for inclusivity and equal representation in the transition to a sustainable future. The group recently formed a
relationship with the Sierra Club in order to work on transitioning SDSU’s district to operate on 100 percent renewable energy by 2035, as outlined in the City’s Climate Action Plan. “Green Love does a really good job at enabling the students to get what they want done and to create a community where people feel like there are others that want to do the same things as them,” Casey said. “It’s all about spreading the knowledge but also doing it in a way that enables you to change something.”
Data shows increase in graduation rates
74 percent of freshman graduate in six years or less; 85 percent of transfers graduate in four years
GEORGINA VARGAS STAFF WRITER ____________________________________ As reported by the Analytic Studies and Institutional Research data about 74 percent of San Diego State freshmen graduate in six years or less and 85 percent of transfers graduate in four years. This is an increase from the prior graduation rate, where there was a 68 percent six-year graduation rate for first time freshman and 83 percent four-year transfer student graduation rate. James Tarbox, executive director of Career Services at SDSU said he has seen more students be proactive when coming into Career Services. These high graduation rates help more students find jobs after graduation. Tarbox said over 50 percent of SDSU students are taking internship opportunities while attending SDSU, which increases their opportunities of getting jobs after graduation. Students are also graduating with more job experience and getting involved in research and opportunities that are being offered at SDSU, Tarbox said. He said advising resources offered by the university and colleges within the school are a reason graduation rates have improved. Chair of the Psychology Department Georg Matt said SDSU’s psychology department currently receives the second most research funding in the state from the National Institute of Health. The psychology department has created a peer advising center to help students. Katherine Turner, associate director of undergraduate advising in the psychology department, said psychology students are attending peer advising
SDSU graduation rates have risen due in part to resources given by the university. CHRISTINE WHITMAN, ARTS AND CULTURE EDITOR
meetings because they feel more confident in turning to peers for help and academic advice. She said there are over 500 undergraduate students who graduate with a psychology degree, and a majority of them are able to find jobs within the first six months after they graduate. “The psychology department really encourages students to get involved in research within the department which prepares students to get real job experience,” Matt said. Karey Sabol, assistant dean at the College of Arts and Letters, said they are tracking students’ progress and reaching out to them for advising and guidance in
their programs. The advisors from the College of Arts and Letters reach out to students who have more than 120 units and have not applied for graduation to follow up on their education paths. Sabol said many students exceed the unit requirements because they are pursuing another major or minor. By learning the challenges that students face in the programs, advisors are able to encourage the proper steps for students to stay on track, graduate on time and obtain the GPA they want. “Involvement in out-of-the-classroom high impact practices, such as study abroad and undergraduate research, can
really serve to keep students motivated to stay in school and complete their degrees,” Sabol said. Many departments are setting up students to be successful not only at school but also in the future through the initiatives that are being taken. “We really emphasize everything they need and we give them the tools they need to go to grad school or jobs in their careers,” Matt said. Tarbox said students are also going into departments outside of their majors and using their knowledge to help in projects and research. He said students are able to see that they are able to get exposure to other occupations while studying at SDSU. SDSU also has the Aztec Mentor program which gives students the opportunity to connect with a professional who can help them in their career throughout their time at SDSU. “We are the only campus that offers something that robust,” Tarbox said about the Aztec Mentor Program. The psychology department is putting efforts into extending their advising to junior colleges and prospective students. The department is holding an event Dec. 9 where they will be having a presentation on campus for students who are attending junior colleges in San Diego. Tarbox said he advises students to invent and design while they are attending SDSU in order to become successful. “Allow yourself to make mistakes and say no versus trying to answer these questions at the last minute,” Tarbox said. He said there is an estimated about 12 percent of students who go to graduate school and continue to pursue higher education after graduating SDSU.