Catilin McCarrick / Staff Photographer

Hello fellow students,

During recent weeks, my administration has been looking for ways to ease the pain of students when it comes to budget cuts. Here’s what we have accomplished in the last few weeks:

* CSUN Associated Students’ (A.S.) first successful online election was completed on Nov. 4. We expect this to make elections in the future run more smoothly, reduce our environmental impact and cost less. I would like to thank A.S. Director of Elections Dan Monteleone, the entire elections committee and his advisors for making this such a great success.
* In an effort to be a more sustainable campus, the university will be installing approximately 200 waterless urinals and upgrading our irrigation systems to be more efficient. This will save millions of gallons of water and ultimately, money for our campus, which can then be reinvested on students. I applaud the work of the senators who helped draw awareness to water conservation, and also the university administration who have responded quickly and positively on this front. I will continue to keep the conversation going on a more sustainable campus.
* Successfully introduced to the California State Student Association a measure to support the Federal DREAM Act last weekend at a meeting of the 23 California State University campuses. The full board is expected to vote on this resolution next month.
* In a move designed to increase the visibility of the impact the budget crisis is having on students, we will be launching a postcard campaign. Our goal is to send thousands of brightly colored postcards to Governor Schwarzenegger and the state legislature in protest of the cuts crippling the CSU.
* The finance committee, under Director Shawn Hakim, will be working hard over winter break to process hundreds of requests from organizations seeking A.S. funding. The process this year has been modified to reduce our paper usage and be more efficient.

I would also like to congratulate all of the senators that were elected in the Nov. 4elections. I’m sure they will be great assets to Associated Students, and I look forward to working with them to represent students.

Abel Pacheco

Associated Students,

President

Los Angeles police and fire officials are stationed at the intersection of Reseda Boulevard and Lassen Street in Northridge, where a car filled with explosives had been brought, Thursday, Nov. 19. The explosives were later detonated on site. Photos by Jonathan Pobre / Executive Editor

Smoke is seen billowing out of the intersection of Reseda Boulevard and Lassen Street in Northridge shortly after a detonation of explosives, Thursday, Nov. 19.

The Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD) Devonshire and Bomb Squad divisions responded to an incident where explosives were found Thursday evening, resulting in street closures on Reseda Boulevard between Lassen and Plummer streets. There were no injuries or arrests reported.

Traffic headed northbound from Plummer to Lassen was blocked by police officers from 3:30 p.m. until around 8 p.m. Caution tape was used to keep pedestrians about 100 yards away from Fire Station 70, where the explosives were brought, while police officers maintained an approximately two-block perimeter to block all traffic.

The explosives were found to be old pyrotechnics that belonged to a deceased relative of the woman who drove them to the fire station around 2 p.m., said Capt. Thomas Reyes of the Los Angeles Fire Department.

Fire Station 70 was “attached” to the incident from that time until it ended, preventing personnel from responding to other calls, Reyes said.

At 7:05 p.m. an explosion was heard just after a voice yelled out, “fire in the hole.”

A second, louder explosion went off at 7:35 p.m., quickly followed by a dark cloud of smoke.

They were controlled blasts directed by the Bomb Squad, said Lonnie Tiano, watch commander at LAPD Devonshire.

Northridge residents Hacatar and Lusin Tasci found themselves stuck on the corner of Lassen and Reseda, unable to cross the street to get to Yolanda Avenue where they live.

“I want to go home,” Lusin Tasci said.

The shopping center on the corner of Plummer and Reseda was also blocked off by caution tape.

“I have heard everything from hazmat to bomb scare,” said Kevin Finkel, a Northridge resident who had been at the scene since the situation began and lives on Reseda just a couple of blocks south of the fire station.

Christopher Hayden, left, sold the first painting of the exhibit to Sean Sullivan, associate publisher of Good Housekeeping magazine. Photo courtesy of Christopher Hayden.

Some of Christopher Hayden's works are seen on display at the AFP Galleries in New York City. Photo courtesy of Christopher Hayden.

There was always that question in the back of his head of whether he could make a living as an artist.

Christopher Hayden, a 28-year-old junior marketing major, sat on his couch with his dog’s head resting in his lap; his iconic piece hanging on the wall above him, with the flecks diamond dust twinkling in the sunlight.

“I really, honestly never expected to do art. I always liked it, I always did it as a hobby … it was fun,” said Hayden.

“Even after the first print I ever sold … even then, it didn’t dawn on me that I could make a career out of it.”

Hayden had just returned from New York, where he had an opening for his series “Baby with Gun” Nov. 5, in the AFP galleries of the renowned Fuller building — where seasoned, internationally acclaimed artists have showcased their work in past exhibits.

The artwork is an untitled series of graffiti, silkscreen paintings depicting an infant holding a gun.

The infant, shown in a graphic, bold color against a dark background, appears to be smiling as its chubby hand clutches the gun.

His favorite piece in this series is an infant painted black on black, flocked with diamond dust, which said he doesn’t plan to sell anytime soon.

Hayden said the paintings were conceptualized in an argument he had with a friend about nature versus nurture.

“I think one of my friends made an off comment about how having guns in the house breeds violence,” he said.

Originally from Ohio, Hayden said he grew up with guns in the house and learned how to “shoot it and clean it and load it” at a young age.

The other paintings in his baby series include a baby with a cross, and an obese baby with the markings indicating preparation for plastic surgery, which will be shown in upcoming galleries.

The paintings were created as social commentary on violence, religion and beauty.

Hayden had purposefully left the paintings untitled.

“I didn’t want any bias with it … I always ask people what they think of it, because I like hearing the stories that they come up with,” he said.

Hayden said he even signed his name on the back of the paintings, in order to avoid distractions from the art.

“I created this with a very specific intention, and that was to get people to think … it’s like a Rorschach test, people make up their own stories,” he said.

Hayden worked with silk-screener Alexander Heinrici, who had worked with Andy Warhol.

Hayden created the paintings in his apartment and sent them to Heinrici in New York for the silkscreening process. The entire process took a month to complete.

Considered an emerging artist, Hayden has already made a name for himself in St. Louis and New York, even though he has never formally studied art in school.

He sold the first painting one month after the paint had dried.

“It was happenstance of how I fell into art in the first place,” he said, “I’ve always loved to do it, but I had the mother telling me … ‘how’re you going to feed your family?’”

Hayden instead opted for a degree in business, always doing art as a side project.

“I sold a few pieces, had marginal success, but not enough to live off of and support myself,” he said.

This year, his career started to take off.

Hayden said the transition between life as a student and his life as an artist was difficult.

“This semester has been pretty difficult for me because how intense the art has been and how intense school has been,” he said. “I feel like I’m spinning a lot of plates right now.”

Hayden had his first show in St. Louis, in the Lococo Fine Art gallery in June. The most recent gallery show was in the AFP galleries in New York.

“I’m starting to see now that I can do it, but I’m so close to getting that bachelor’s that I might as well just do it,” Hayden said.

Before the exhibit opened, he sold two paintings – one to a criminal lawyer and another to Sean Sullivan, associate publisher of Good Housekeeping magazine.

During the show, he sold another painting to an art collector. Each piece sold for $6,000.

“I’ve never imagined this,” Hayden said. “These are selling for as much as my car is worth.”

Robert Lococo, an art dealer and owner of art publishing company, Lococo Fine Arts, works with well-established artists in renowned galleries. He is also a dealer for the Andy Warhol Foundation.

Lococo’s inventory includes works by Andy Warhol, William S. Burroughs and Alex Katz.

Hayden’s works are also in his inventory.

Lococo had commissioned Hayden to do a series in January entitled “Made in America” – a print series of gangsters, such as Al Capone – done in a Lichtenstein-Warhol like style.

“It’s pretty amazing, quite frankly, that Chris got this show in New York,” Lococo said. “It’s difficult to find young emerging artists, and Chris is the exception with us here at Lococo.”

Lococo attended the opening and said that Hayden’s work was well-received with 100 people in attendance.
Lococo said Hayden was nervous before the opening. He reassured Hayden and told him to “just be yourself.”

“Whoever they are, they’re going to accept you,” he said, “because you are the creator, you get to play God – until you go home to visit your parents,” Lococo said, laughing.

Overall, Hayden sold 18 of the 33 original paintings, keeping eight back for himself.

His next exhibition will be at the Bohemian Gallery in Kansas City, scheduled to take place at the end of November.

The exhibition, “Sins and Sinners,” is a dual show where Hayden’s work will be displayed alongside late novelist and painter, William S. Burroughs’ paintings, “The Seven Deadly Sins.”

Hayden is also scheduled to have an exhibition in Uruguay.

Hayden said he had done the L.A. Art Walk in August, and would like to do more exhibitions in California.

During the Art Walk, Hayden displayed two paintings. Since no one knew who he was, he said it was an opportunity to linger around and hear the comments people made about his art.

“If your whole purpose of art is to convey a message, to know that message was received … that was the most important thing to me, I didn’t care if they bought it or not, I just want to hear what people thought,” he said.

Hayden does not consider the baby series his masterpiece.

“I think it’s still yet to come,” he said, “as long as I’m creating, I’ll be happy.”

The thing is, I know exactly what the problem is, and I’ve been working to correct it for the longest time. It’s been more than difficult, though, because the problem is me.

Hear that guys? A girl admitting that she is the problem. Revel in it now because it won’t happen often, if ever again.

I’ll be the first to admit that I have the tendency to always go after the wrong guy.

I do a good job in staying away from guys with criminal records, married guys, guys with six toes on one foot and guys who are ax-wielding psychopaths.

No, instead I’m desperately attracted to the more run-of-the-mill type of guys.

The “emotionally unavailable” guy. The “not ready/looking for a seriously relationship” guy. The “let’s just be friends so you don’t hate me later” guy. Yup, I’ve encountered the best of them.

And even though they each had their own special relationship complex to live by, they all had one thing in common: I found them all very attractive.

Hello, my name is Kerstin, and I’m shallow. Or at least I used to be. I was the girl who went after the guy who possessed a not-so-compatible personality but was oh-so-cute.

My earliest memory of being in this type of situation was in, as with most of my first forays into “love,” high school. Back then I had no idea I was pushing aside a guy who I got along with very well for a guy who I felt looked better.

This continued when I began college four years ago and met a very attractive teacher’s aid. We’ll call him Kevin.

But before I continue the “Kevin story,” which spanned just about two years, I would like to explore the idea of attraction, offering some sort of explanation for my behavior.

It is my personal, strong belief that physical attraction is just as significant as compatibility between two people’s personalities.

If there isn’t that pull, that heat between two individuals then there’s nothing, right? Well, it may not be nothing, but certainly an important aspect of the relationship is lacking.

But what happens when a person forces themselves to base their decisions solely on physicality?

The truth is that people’s tastes differ, so what one person may find attractive may not be so for others. To the average person, this idea is very easy to follow, and they can usually go on and live happily ever after.

But I wouldn’t be writing this column if I followed this idea.

The truth is I don’t really have a type, at least I don’t think I do. Sure there are little things I’m attracted to in guys: certain hair types, eye colors and styles. But when it comes to overall packages, I’ve always let others dictate my type.

It was like I was always seeking approval from certain people in my life. “Oh, he’s definitely your type” became a phrase I needed to hear. And up until I heard it, I wouldn’t give a guy a serious chance.

This brings me back to my story with Kevin. The first time I saw him I was instantly attracted. Semi-tall, dark and handsome, his pageboy cap and black framed glasses definitely sealed the deal.

I knew my friends would approve, and he was so conventionally good looking that I didn’t think of much else. It didn’t matter that our schedules conflicted and didn’t allow us a lot of time together, or the fact that our conversations were intellectually minimal. I was blinded by his good looks.

For the next couple of years I kept trying to convince myself that we had a relationship based more on just physicality.

Don’t get me wrong, we did have our good times together. We made each other laugh and all that jazz, but I always knew in the back of my mind that something was missing.

Finally, I came to my senses and came to terms with what I’d been denying the entire time: What we had was not the relationship I was looking for or needed. It was all a façade.

I’ve come to realize that guys who I wouldn’t usually give a second glance to turn out to be the ones I usually get along with.

Questioning why that is so, I’ve concluded that perhaps when I am not distracted by a person’s looks then I see their real worthwhile qualities. A truly “duh” revelation, I know, but sometimes it takes mistakes to realize something so simple.

Basing relationships solely on obvious physical attraction is very dangerous, because a person will go into the situation with preconceived notions about what good looks may entail.

If I had learned this in the early stages of my adventures into the love game, maybe, just maybe I wouldn’t be single today.

Don’t be afraid to look around at the more subtle opportunities. It’s never easy for people, especially recovering shallow-holics like me, to break through their own insecurities. But, as an ongoing theme in my columns, it only takes giving that one chance.

Beauty, for the most part, really is skin deep. And remember, physical attraction doesn’t always lead to chemistry.

For those interested, I make it a point to talk to Kevin at least once every other month, just to catch up and see how he’s doing. And although I am completely over him, I still think he is oh so cute.

Indianapolis Colts wide receiver Reggie Wayne (87) hauls a toughdown pass against the New England Patriots late in the first half at Gillette Stadium in Foxboro, Massachusetts, Monday, November 7, 2005. Photo Credit: MATT DETRICH/INDIANAPOLIS STAR

What was being billed as the ‘rivalry of the decade’ by NBC between the New England Patriots and the Indianapolis Colts was played Sunday night at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis.

The billing did not disappoint viewers as a shootout ensued and eventually saw one of the greatest comebacks in NFL history, with the Colts shocking the Patriots 35-34.

It is fair to call this the ‘rivalry of the decade,’ given that four of the last eight championships have been won by these two teams, along with four of the eight MVP awards going to either Peyton Manning or Tom Brady.

These are the only two teams this decade to have at least a .700 winning percentage, and it seems that every year their regular season meeting was a precursor to the eventual playoff meeting.

This year was no exception. The Colts came into the game 8-0, having won 17 straight regular season games going back to last year.

The Patriots were 6-2 and had outscored their previous three opponents 121-24. A win for New England would have put them one game back of the Colts and create the possibility of home field advantage in the playoffs.

After some initial feeling out by both offenses, Indianapolis went down the field and scored, making it 7-0.

The Patriots answered right away and tied the score. For the next two and a half quarters, New England thoroughly outplayed the Colts in just about every facet of the game.

They moved the ball at will on offense, and the defense made Indy punt four times in the first 22 minutes of the game.

With a 24-14 lead in the second half, New England had a few chances to put the game away. Tom Brady threw an interception in the end zone early in the third quarter, and later starting tailback Laurence Maroney fumbled inside the opposing one-yard line.

However, the Patriots defense continued to keep Peyton Manning and the Colts offense in check and held a 31-14 lead with just over 14 minutes left.

Suddenly, everything seemed different. It appeared that the Pats secondary went into prevent defense, which is supposed to allow the underneath passes, as long as the team does not score quickly.

Yet, it has been proven over and over that the prevent defense does only one thing: prevent you from winning.

Manning took advantage of the prevent defense and found his rhythm.

The Colts scored twice with a couple of drives that took a combined four minutes, without using any timeouts. The Colts cut the deficit to 34-28.

New England had the ball first and 10 at their own 20, with just over two minutes remaining. After three plays, the Patriots found themselves facing a fourth and two at the 28.

The typical way to play this would be to punt the ball away and force Manning to go about 70 yards for the winning score. However, he had just shown that he could do that twice.

Therefore, Patriots head coach Bill Belichick decided to put faith in his offense to pick up the two yards, effectively ending the game.

Halfback Kevin Faulk ran a two-yard curl and turned to catch the pass. He appeared to bobble the ball around for a split-second before reeling it in.

The officials spotted the ball a half-yard short of the first down and New England was out of timeou

Senior Angela Hupp (10) will be playing in her final two games as a Matador this weekend when they face Cal Poly and UC Santa Barbara. Photo Credit: Alan Fassonaki / Staff Photographer

It may be too late for the Northridge women’s volleyball team to make a run for the Big West regular season title, but winning the last two road matches would be a meaningful way to end the season.

The Matadors currently stand 8-20 overall and 4-10 in the Big West. The four wins beats their 3-13 conference finish in the 2008 season.

CSUN will play Cal Poly first, which currently holds a similar record, 8-20 overall and 4-11 in conference. The Mustangs are second to last in conference just ahead of UC Riverside.

“Going to Cal Poly and Santa Barbara are two tough matches,” CSUN head coach Jeff Stork said.

In early October, Cal Poly defeated Northridge in five sets during their first meeting.

The Matadors are coming off a split weekend beating Long Beach in five sets and then dropping three straight to Fullerton.

Mustang middle blocker Dominique Olowolafe currently stands in third place in the Big West ranking hitting percentage with a .336 clip and freshmen outside hitter Megan McConnell’s 294 kills ranks her 10th in attacks.

These two offensive weapons are joined by freshmen setter Anuhea Keanini, ranking ninth in assists with 904, and junior libero Alison Mort who has tallied 469 digs this season, placing her third in the Big West.

Despite the success in these four categories, Cal Poly has no representation on either the serving aces or blocks lists. Not to discredit current ace and blocks team leaders, but this may work to CSUN’s advantage.

With the repositioning of senior outside hitter Angela Hupp to setter and one of the strongest hitters, Brittany Williams, injured, Northridge has been struggling lately to produce much offense.

“I miss her so much (on the court),” junior middle blocker Lynda Morales said of the absent Williams. “But she’s very supportive off the court.”

And with their last match against UC Santa Barbara, one of four teams in the Big West with 10 wins, the Matadors will need all the support they can get.

“Cal Poly is a young team,” Stork said. “Santa Barbara is playing for a little more, they have more motivation. We’re trying to scramble through and keep up the players’ focus and determination.”

Depending on the perspective, the Gauchos are currently tied for second, or third, in the Big West with UC Davis.

“We’ve done pretty well against Santa Barbara in the last couple years,” Stork has said. “They do certain things real well. (Their) first contact is very good.”

Leading the Gauchos and the Big West in kills is senior outside hitter Rebecca Saraceno with 449, 4.54 per set. Saraceno also ranks seventh in aces with 28, behind fellow Gaucho Leah Sully, a freshman outside hitter, who’s claimed the top spot with 44 aces.

Northridge only has three players ranked in the Big West individually. Sophomore Sam Orlandini is last in assists with 737, and freshman Monica McFarland’s 397 digs places her ninth. Senior Tela Burnett still leads with 122 total blocks.

For Burnett and Hupp, this will be the last weekend they put on a jersey with Northridge on the back.

San Jose State may be 0-2, but it is still a road game nonetheless. Everyone knows that road games are little bit harder than home games. The crowd is against the opposing team, and every mental error is magnified.

“You really have to stay focused,” Matador Analee Viena-Lota said.

So Northridge will have to focus on a couple of details to grab a victory. First, they have to focus on defensive. The women’s team has kept up with teams offensively but has really struggled to stop teams from scoring.

San Jose State may look like an easier defensive task, but they have players that could give the Matadors fits.

Chasity Shavers a senior guard out of Lewisville Texas, has led the Spartans in scoring for the last two games. She is a bench player but is still very dangerous. They are going to have to slow her down, or it may be a long evening.

However, head coach Staci Schulz feels they have the answer for Shavers.

“She is athletic, but I think we will have answers for her,” Schulz said.

Shavers isn’t the only Spartan who can give CSUN fits. Sayja Sumler averaged 7.1 points and 3.9 rebounds last year. She has not lived up those stats this year, but Sumler is always capable of a big game.

Also, the Matadors need to focus on not losing the ball. In their last game they had 22 turnovers, which cost them the game. If they don’t cut those turnovers down on the road, they will lose for sure.

So, the Matadors are heading into a hostile environment. They are no longer in the friendly confines of their home. They will need big plays out of their stars Bridgette Conejo, Jasmine Erving and Katrina Thompson. Also, their bench will have to be sharp and play tough defense to beat the Spartans.

You can listen to all the action on GoMatadors.com. Tip is planned for Friday at 7:00 p.m.

Recent research has found that an eatery's 'A' grading does not necessarily mean students can trust the establishment's food safety practices. Photo Illustration by Hannah Pedraza / Photo Editor

The following students from a Spring 2009 Journalism 410 class contributed to the story:

Samantha Minton, Kristyn Fryrear, Robert Cisneros, Casey Rowley, Tiaira Nowlin, Cynthia Martinez, Mariana Enriquez, Shayla Selva, Gail Moscoso

When it comes to the inspection reports, letter grades can be misleading, and the rating system can be confusing. Dining at a high-grade restaurant doesn’t mean the eatery is without problems.

While one place may have attained an ‘A’ grade, it may have been closed down at one point for something serious, or it hasn’t been re-inspected recently, said Dr. Owen Seiver, CSUN professor in environmental and occupational health.

The risk factor could be far less at a place with a ‘B’ grade if the establishment was inspected recently and got the grade for something unrelated to food preparation, or for something that doesn’t present as big of a risk for the food preparation, Seiver said.

Some of the more common violations for restaurants in Los Angeles County are minor cleaning problems with surfaces that don’t go into contact with food, parts of the establishment in disrepair, and using multiple servings of potentially hazardous food.

It takes something drastic, such as rodents or operating with open sewage, to shut down a dining establishment, said health officials. Basically, something that can’t be fixed quickly and can pose an immediate threat to the public’s safety can close an establishment.

LACDPH officials would interview the restaurant’s management about its knowledge of the violations. If the restaurant wants to reopen, managers have to fix all the major violations and undergo reinspection.

If an establishment is closed on multiple occasions, it can lose its license to operate.

Los Angeles County Health Manager Thomas West said in a phone interview that the current grading system has helped create a higher standard of food safety for customers. The biggest concern for food safety is the prevention of food-borne illnesses, which have been estimated to cause six million to 81 million illnesses and up to 9,000 deaths each year, according to the Centers for Disease Control (CDC). Experts say those numbers are not entirely accurate since only a fraction of food-borne illness cases are reported or confirmed by medical authorities.

Last June, local news media reported that fresh raw tomatoes had to be pulled from all campus food services due to a Salmonella outbreak. Restaurants and supermarkets in the area surrounding the campus also stopped offering tomatoes.

Although this outbreak took place just last year, the student journalists could not find any hospitals in the surrounding area that had treated any local food-borne illness cases.

In a phone interview, Karen Keifer, the dietician nurse at Mission Community Hospital in Panorama City, said that at least two people must have the same symptoms or have been made ill by the same source to classify an ailment as a food-borne illness.

Once a food-borne illness case has been identified, it should be reported to the Los Angeles County Department of Public Health. In addition, patients cannot be released until it has been determined by medical professionals that the illness has been controlled.

Officials of Mission Community Hospital, said they had not seen any cases within the last 10 years, while representatives at Good Samaritan Hospital could only guarantee that no staff member or patient had become ill from food served at the hospital. The Good Samaritan officials said they did not have records of who had been treated for illnesses originating from sources outside the facility.

Verdugo Hospital officials said they had not seen any cases within the last year, either. Most of the hospitals’ officials cited the U.S. Health Insurance Privacy and Accountability Act (HIPAA) in declining to release any information about food-borne illnesses. HIPAA was passed in 1996 to protect health information. Many also claimed that they did not keep records on those admitted for Salmonella, prompting several formal Freedom of Information Act requests for information. The requests are currently pending.

According to the CDC’s Web site, 44 percent of food-borne illness outbreaks originate from restaurants, and more than half of those cases, probable contributing factors were unknown.

On their Web site, CDC officials said the food supply is safer today than it was 50 years ago because of pasteurization and cleaner water, among other reasons. They do acknowledge that while significant improvements exist in the meat and poultry industry, more work is needed in the produce department where food-borne illness cases have been increasing.

To look further into the quality of food and potential illness outbreaks on campus, student journalists conducted their own unofficial survey of 122 people, polling students, staff and faculty members on campus food safety issues. Students discovered a number of respondents had negative experiences, and more than 15 percent said they became ill after eating on campus.

Many of the student respondents insisted that the grade of the establishment highly affects their decision on whether they chose to eat there or not. After taking surveys, student journalists read violations from recent reports on campus eateries. After hearing violations, even with an ‘A,’ students said the grade perhaps did not matter at all.

Aside from grading systems, CSUN has its own regulations on campus food safety through departments and organizations. The CSUN Environmental Management System (EMS) helps regulate food and employee safety, especially if there is an investigation or complaint. The department also authorizes the types of foods that can be sold on campus and at campus fundraisers.

University Corporation (UC) works with L.A. County making sure campus eateries are up to regulation and code (grading). UC also authorizes the kinds of eateries that are allowed on campus. The facilities and projects manager for UC, Tim Killops, is in charge of overseeing the regulation of campus eateries.

Killops said if students feel they are getting sick from the food or seeing potential problems with campus food preparation then they should report it to the restaurant’s manager or tell UC. For now there have been no reported problems concerning students getting sick from the campus food.

The location drop-off center for CSUN's United We Serve Volunteer Program food and clothing drive is located in front of the Oviatt Library. Photo Credit: Caitlin McCarrick / Staff Photographe

CSUN’s United We Serve Volunteer Program continues its observance of Homeless Awareness Month with what those involved describe as the largest canned food drive this campus has ever seen. The donations from the food drive will be used today in a campus demonstration.

“We plan to take all the food that has been donated and line them along the steps of the Oviatt Library,” said Justin Weiss, the program’s coordinator.

Weiss said students have responded positively so far to the drive, and the recent Survive the Night event helped motivate the participants to get further involved. Survive the Night allowed students the opportunity to see what it feels like to be homeless by spending a night without the comforts of easily accessible food and shelter.

“This is a grassroots approach to gathering students to participate towards helping out those in poverty,” Weiss said.

One of the volunteers at the drive, Jodi Murray, a junior CTVA major, said the reason for lining the steps of the Oviatt Library with the food is to let participants see what their collective donations look like.

“That will get more people involved. It’s not only about feeding the needy,” Murray said. “We need people involved to feed the needy.”

Even though some might question the benefits to the homeless of displaying the donations, Weiss said there are good reasons.

“It helps bring the community together and it helps students realize what they have done,” he said. “Rather than dropping your food into a bin and never seeing what happens, you see how one contribution turns into one huge contribution.”

Weiss said he hopes, in the end, that students are inspired and realize that the part each individual plays “contributes to the greater collective.”

One student, Joseph Elias, a junior political science and urban planning double major, said he participated in the Survive the Night event and felt a need to involve himself in homeless awareness.

“I believe that people deserve a handout when they’re down,” said Elias, who plans to return to the drive to make his donation.

Elias said he is also excited to see the donations on display on the steps of the library.

“It makes me happy to know that someone will be fed off my donation, especially during this holiday season,” Elias said.

For Murray, the best outcome of the drive would be feeding as many families as possible and changing people’s attitudes toward the poor and homeless.

“People say, ‘Why do I need to donate?’ and don’t believe a problem exists if they don’t see it. These events will hopefully change that,” she said.

The food will be on display on the steps of the Oviatt Library from 12 p.m. to 2 p.m. on Thursday. United We Serve has also planned an “Adopt a Family” event and a “Boxed Lunches” event where they plan to feed homeless families.