With finals just around the corner and student stress at a high, some students and faculty are concerned about the mental health of students during finals week. With budget cuts, hunger strikes and long lines for mandatory tests, it’s not that hard to imagine that many students and faculty are feeling their stress level rise significantly. The National Institute on Mental Health estimates that 15 percent of people ages 18-25 have or have had a mood disorder, the most common… Read more

Correction: Broadcaster Kevin James and current LA City Controller, Wendy Greuel will not be at Big Politics. Energy and environment in Los Angeles will be the topics of discussion at the third and last  Big Politics, an A.S-sponsored series, in the USU Grand Salon Tuesday at 5:30 p.m. The discussion is an extension of “Talking About Los Angeles,” a series of six conversations with LA mayoral candidates designed to raise awareness among voters for the 2013 elections held in March. “The… Read more

In an effort to record the personal stories of the CSUN community, an anthropology professor will be bringing back the StoryCube project during commencement week. The project, spearheaded by professor Patrick Polk, offers a unique opportunity for students to recount major moments in their CSUN career, in the safety of an enclosed soundproof booth from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. at the Matador Complex. Students, staff and faculty may verbally tell their tale in StoryCube free of charge. Shared stories… Read more

In the midst of faculty protests and enrollment freezes, CSUN has brought in Diane Harrison as its new president. Along with the cost of bringing in a new president, new expenses have been established. Potential costs include office renovations, salaries for new staff, welcoming events and moving costs. Carmen Ramos Chandler, director of news and information for CSUN, said that renovations for the office of the president are costing state funding  $243,292. “The decision to renovate the office was made… Read more

With more than 100 units completed and a few more to go, Krystal Brooks, a history major, was ready to graduate this year after five years at CSUN. She was ready to enter the workforce and continue her education on to law school, maybe USC, Southwestern or Hastings, she said. But as the Spring 2012 semester got underway, Brooks found herself with no classes. “I must have crashed 25 to 26 classes,” Brooks said. Despite her efforts, she was only… Read more

“The Weight of the Nation” fell on the Valley Performing Arts Center at CSUN Thursday night, with a free public screening of the final part of the four-part HBO documentary series. The series addresses the underlying causes of the obesity epidemic, from human biology to inactivity to government policy. Hundreds turned out for the screening of “Challenges,” part four of the series. Beginning with a brief look at the history of the human-food relationship, the film illustrated the culmination of… Read more

Asha Jahan has what she calls “overprotective parents.” The 18-year-old freshman lives at home and financially relies on her parents. There is an unspoken agreement that if Jahan continues to follow their rules she will be allowed to live under their roof and receive money for her basic needs. “My parents help me in every way basically,” Jahan explained. “I’m not working so they pay for everything. They pay for my clothes and food and everything. They will also give… Read more

Chinese students from Shanghai Normal University Music College will be allowed to complete an accelerated master’s degree in music at CSUN beginning this fall, after CSUN signed an agreement with the college last week. The program is designed to help SHNU students excel in the Mike Curb College of Arts, Media, and Communication music department master’s program, said Maureen Rubin, associate dean of the college. “Foreign students were struggling in the graduate music program because they didn’t know about the… Read more