Junior Cal Vogelsang stretches to make the out at first against UC Davis Friday. Although Vogelsang managed to make the out, CSUN failed to keep the Aggies off the base paths and lost 9-5.

Northridge has had a knack of getting on the scoreboard early at Matador Field but Friday was an exception.

The Matadors (22-25, 9-10 Big West) allowed UC Davis (23-28, 9-10) to build up a nine-run lead through the first four innings en route to a 9-5 conference loss.

CSUN waited until it was plenty behind to even tally its first hit of the day in the bottom half of the fourth inning.

Starting pitcher Alex Muren gave up nine runs in five innings while scattering 11 hits in 94 pitches thrown. A pair of errors by the Matadors in the five-run third and fourth innings gave the Aggies enough cushion to pull off the win and put CSUN back under .500 in conference play.

Senior Steven Keller put the Matadors on the board with a two-run shot over the left-center field fence scoring junior Nate Ring in the fourth.

“We were down by a lot of runs and I just wanted to get my pitch,” Keller said. “A 2-0 fast ball was my pitch and I caught the ball a little out in front so that worked out perfectly.”

Northridge tacked on two more runs in the fifth and another in the eighth but the Matador offense was unable to complete any comebacks.

CSUN’s offense still managed to put seven hits and five runs on the board in the losing effort despite the slow start.

“We have to come back,” Keller said. “We got a little momentum in those late runs there but it’s going to be a dog fight these last two games.”

Karlee Johnson, Daily Sundial: A flyer warning students of the UDWPE registration deadline ironically carries a major spelling error.

On April 29, thousands of students lined up along the outside of Bayramian Hall to register for the Upper Division Writing Proficiency Exam (UDWPE). According to an article by the Daily Sundial, students had been waiting to register for the exam that morning since 6 o’clock, despite the doors opening at 8:30 – it was the last registration date available for the last test offered this year before June. One student told the Sundial that although he is walking on stage this semester, he will not receive a diploma until he gets a passing exam result, quite possibly limiting his work opportunities.

The UDWPE is an arbitrary test which amounts to a big waste of time and money for students and staff, creating an unnecessary step in the lengthy process of graduation. At $20 per student per exam and eight exams available per academic year, it serves as a money-maker for the university.

According to the UDWPE website, the CSU trustees have directed that “all students entering the CSU System… be required to demonstrate their proficiency with regard to writing skills as a requirement for graduation.” Students are given 75 minutes to answer an essay prompt revealed on the spot, are graded on a scale of one to 12 points – eight points the minimum score to pass – and do not receive their score for at least two weeks after the exam.

The exam fulfills the CSU trustees’ Graduate Writing Assessment Requirement, which all schools are required to complete. However, schools have freedom to choose their own methods to measure writing proficiency; according to a CSU resolution, “ten campuses require a writing exam, two campuses require completion of a course, three campuses require both an exam and a course, and seven campuses require either an exam or a course.”

For busy students already consumed with coursework, extra-curriculars and jobs, this requirement deters their success. Since Spring 1982, students have been required to take the exam after 56 units on top of the lower division writing requirement and most recently, students who do not take the exam by 75 units “will have a hold placed on their subsequent class registration and may delay their graduation.” For a campus eager to push graduating students out of the university to make more room, this requirement is problematic.

According to the Sundial, there are 2800 seats available for each exam, which means each test can produce up to $56,000. At eight exams per academic year, the university raises up to $448,000 off of students. According to Dr. Pamela Bourgeois, coordinator of the UDWPE, the pass rate is 75-80 percent. Since a significant number of students take the exam more than once, its financial capacity is increased. The UDWPE’s frequently asked questions page states that students have to cover the costs because the trustees provide no funds, despite having created the requirement in the first place.

How does a student prepare for the exam? According to the FAQ page, “there is no quick and easy way to prepare for it. The best preparation is to have done a considerable amount of reading and writing, and to have taken writing seriously throughout your high school and college years.” This vague advice sounds redundant since students already need to prove their writing proficiency upon entering the university and then take a list of required general education classes.

No students are exempt from exam, including disabled students, non-native English speakers and international students. This test can be especially frustrating for English and other humanities majors who obviously have a mastery of writing composition, who should be exempt.

The exam does not ensure that students receive a quality education, but only that they can write in a essay format under a time constraint. Writing is a valuable skill that all educated people should master by the time they leave college, but not all people will need to write essays for the rest of their lives.

CSUN catcher Mikayla Thielges, left, looks on during a game against UC Riverside Sunday. Thielges had one of three hits for CSUN on Saturday as UCSB swept the series from it with a 4-1 win. Photo credit: Anthony Carpio / Sports Editor

After a 4-1 loss to UC Santa Barbara Saturday afternoon at Matador Diamond signaled the end of the most futile of seasons in CSUN’s history, catcher Mikayla Thielges pitched the idea that 2012 had been a worthy learning experience.

“This season was not a waste at all,” she said.

With the Matadors (10-42, 5-15 Big West) finishing the year tied for last place in the Big West Conference with a winning percentage of 0.192, it doesn’t seem like there’d be much to rescue from 2012, but if CSUN became an expert at something this year, that something was staying positive.

Against the Gauchos (30-28, 15-6) on Senior Day, positivity didn’t cut it once again. Standout pitcher Shelby Wisdom limited the Matadors to three hits on the day to finish off a three-game sweep that sent CSUN into the offseason losers of eight games in a row.

Wanting to send their seniors off on a good note, the Matadors had a chance in this one. After giving up a two-run homer in the first inning, pitcher Mia Pagano settled down and didn’t allow any hits over the next two innings, putting the game in the hands of the often-struggling offense.

The Matadors had been no-hit by Wisdom in Game 1 (a 2-0 loss) of a doubleheader Friday and also shut out in Game 2 (a 7-0 loss), but Thielges broke the trend in the bottom of the third with an RBI single to cut the deficit to 2-1.

“Our girls didn’t let (Friday) affect them and came out ready to play,” CSUN head coach Tairia Flowers said.

However, Thielges’s RBI was the last hit of the 2012 season for CSUN.

“We struggled all year with offense and yeah … I don’t know …” Thielges said.

The Matadors didn’t have their best offensive day, and defense was shakier than usual as well. CSUN averaged 1.25 errors per game coming into the weekend. On Saturday, they had three killer ones that led to two unearned runs.

One of those errors was a ground ball that hopped off the glove of second baseman Leann Lopez. The out would have been the third of the sixth inning. Instead, the next batter singled to load the bases.

The next at-bat, right fielder Brooke Putich, drove in a demoralizing RBI single.

“There’s always going to be physical errors,” said Pagano, who gave up eight hits and two earned runs while striking out six. “It’s part of this sport.”

The last error occurred in the seventh inning, once again with only one out left for UCSB. The mistake scored the fourth and final run for the Gauchos, who came up just short of the Big West championship behind Long Beach State.

Despite the errors being like dirt added on top of the grave of what was the last loss of the year, Flowers – much like Thielges –also felt the real culprit of the result was the usual suspect: offense.

“You got to outscore the other team to win,” Flowers said.

Sank below .200 in batting average for the year, offense will have to be one of the many categories the Matadors will have to improve in 2013 to capture back the skill they showed during a 2-1 series win over Pacific – the highlight of the season – to begin Big West play in early April. With only three players leaving (Samantha Sloniker, Alyssa Ray and Jessica Fridwall), the core and potential will still be there next year.

“They’re still a great team, they just had a bad year,” said Wisdom, the Gaucho ace who won 24 games this season.

High praise from high competition to help CSUN stay positive in the offseason, but much work is still left to be done.

No conversion therapy in California

This past week, Sen. Ted Lieu, with the support of Equality California, brought a bill to the the Senate floor that would make it illegal for therapists and psychologists to provide “conversion therapy” for sexual orientation to minors. Additionally, adults who would like to undergo therapy sessions would have to give written consent to their practitioner.

The bill is a welcome relief that is long overdue. Both the American Psychological Association and the American Psychiatric Association have disavowed the effectiveness of this means of conversation therapy for those with same-sex attraction. According to the American Psychological Association’s website, “To date, there has been no scientifically adequate research to show that therapy aimed at changing sexual orientation (sometimes called reparative or conversion therapy) is safe or effective. Furthermore, it seems likely that the promotion of change therapies reinforces stereotypes and contributes to a negative climate for lesbian, gay, and bisexual persons.”

This news is not new though; the APA removed gay, lesbian and bisexual orientations from their list of mental disorders in the 1970s. Since then, these types of conversion therapy have been harming youths by making them think that their sexual orientation is unnatural. Individuals that have undergone this therapy experience depression, anxiety and thoughts of suicide, according to a 2009 APA study the bill cites.

While the bill will not include prohibiting conversion therapy for transgender individuals – and the debate over whether or not gender identity disorder should be included in the APA’s Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders still rages on, – this step proposed by SB1172 is still a monumental step in the right direction.

Against gender conformity!

In other queer news this week, the lead singer of the punk band Against Me! came out as transgender. Formerly Tom Gabel, Laura Jane Grace told Rolling Stone that she will be beginning her transition from male to female and that her bandmates and family, particularly her wife, have been very supportive of her coming out.

I was pleased with the initial Rolling Stone coverage of Grace’s transition, as they used her preferred pronouns and used the proper word “transition” instead of “sex change” or any other term that would make the assumption that all transgender people want to have have sex reassignment surgery. Although in conversation with a friend, it was pointed out to me that the article did use the term “gender dysphoria” as though her gender identity was an illness. I’ve also been very pleased with the fans’ reactions to Grace’s transition. They have mostly been concerned with whether or not it will affect her singing voice if Grace decides to begin taking estrogen.

I admire Grace’s courage for coming out publicly and hope to see more acceptance and understanding of trans identities as an outcome.

North Carolina’s Number One

It seems that the most important priority for North Carolina is making sure “the gays” don’t get hitched. This past week, SB514 passed with an overwhelming 61 percent, officially defining marriage in the state as “one man, one woman.” North Carolina is the thirtieth state in the union to create such a law.

It is not too surprising that a Southern state would create this law. What is interesting though, and potentially disheartening, is that North Carolina is a swing state. As this is an election year, it will be interesting to see how North Carolina votes this November in the wake of President Obama’s recent statement on marriage equality.

Obama comes out

Now, about that statement.

Regardless of how you feel about Obama’s announcement that he supports same-sex marriage – it was too late; his story about his daughters was too cutesy – he said it. While I have my own reasons as to why marriage equality should not be at the top of the queer list of priorities, we cannot ignore the reality that we still live in a world where constitutional amendments explicitly exclude individuals from social privilege. To have a current president say that he supports marriage for same-sex couples is a huge move.

It’s an election year. This move on Obama’s part, particularly because of North Carolina’s amendment, puts the state of the election in an interesting position. Though Obama took the Afircan American vote in the last election, they overwhelmingly voted against same-sex marriage. This was while Obama’s opinion was still “evolving.” Regardless of his stance now, will people of color opt out of voting for Obama because of the issue? Is the issue important enough to make them switch to Team Romney? Or will people of color, who are already less likely to vote because of a system that encourages them not to (see Florida 2000), just not turn out at the polls? While the outcome is unclear, I have hope that this declaration is truly echoing the voice of the American populus.

CSUN’s women’s volleyball team aims for first after winning third in conference in 2011. Photo credit: Mariela Molina / Photo Editor

Women’s Volleyball

CSUN head coach Jeff Stork and his women’s volleyball team ended the 2011 season with the third-place spot in the Big West Conference.

After finishing the year with an overall record of 16-13 and 9-7 in the Big West, Stork is looking to build on what he said was a great season.

“We had been going through some adjustments of decreased funding for the past four to five years and we were able to do some things that were above and beyond what the expectations were based on the support we were getting,” Stork said. “There’s a pretty big turnaround in what happened from the previous two years.”

The Matadors had a chance to tie for second place at the end of the season, but going 5-2 in the month of November wasn’t enough to seize the spot. UC Santa Barbara was the only team in their way, serving them those two losses that month.

“We got better as the season wore on,” Stork said. “The match that got away from us was the Santa Barbara five-game loss. We played extremely well through the entire match and weren’t able to capitalize on one or two plays in the fifth set.”

With only two seniors graduating from his squad, Stork is left with a relatively young team. Opposite Natalie Allen, outside hitter Mahina Haina and middle blocker Casey Hinger were the team’s go-to players last year, but Stork isn’t going to rely on only those three to have a successful season.

“Being a team game, we rely on everybody. That’s top to bottom” he said.

Stork continued to list the players he thought contributed to his team’s success, reinforcing his stance on their performance last year.

“While we were very young last year, we were very good,” he said. “Our expectations are even greater this year because they’re more seasoned and we don’t lose any starters … plus the development of the other players on the team has been tremendous.”

CSUN midfielder Yarden Azulay and the men’s soccer team had a rough 2011 and is looking to polish their game for the upcoming season. After losing now-pro Rafael Garcia, denfender Joe Franco will be a key player the Matadors next season. Azulay will also play an important role in the scoring department for head coach Terry Davila. Photo credit: Andres Aguila / Daily Sundial

Men’s Soccer

The Matadors (4-4-2, 8-8-3) ended last season with a 2-1 win over Big West rival Cal State Fullerton and will have most of the same players returning to the squad for the 2012 campaign, as only three players are graduating.

The loss of midfielder Rafael Garcia to the L.A. Galaxy will shake up the roster but head coach Terry Davila is certain the Matadors have what it takes to make a run in 2012.

“It’s hard to replace (Garcia),” Davila said. “We’re never going to replace him, but we have someone that’s going to fit his role in Rene Anguiano.”

After starting 17 games and notching three assists in 2011, Anguiano will be entering his senior season with CSUN and take a majority of the minutes that belonged to Garcia.

“(Anguiano) will lead our team and organize our defense and he’s a great player. We expect big things out of him,” Davila said.

Co-captain Joe Franco will hold down the defense with Michael Abalos returning as goalkeeper.

“We’re expecting them to be one year older and one year better,” Davila said.

Women’s Soccer

CSUN (7-10-2, 4-3-1) finished last season third in the Big West but will have to produce an encore season in 2012 with one of the toughest schedules in recent history.

The Matadors’ first half of the schedule is filled with games against top-25 and top-50 teams, including matchups against Arizona State and San Diego.

Forward Melissa Fernandez returns for her senior year and will carry much of the offensive load for head coach Keith West.

“(Fernandez) is a creator,” West said. “She does a lot for our offense. She’s a super talented player and I can tell you we’re expecting some big, big things out of her, but at the same time she’s going to need a team behind her to really make a push.”

The Matadors will also have Cynthia Jacobo back in goal after making 60 saves in 18 starts for a 6-10-2 record in her appearances.

Northridge has nine freshmen coming in for 2012 and the coaches are looking for them to contribute instantly.

“Obviously, I recruited them — so I liked them,” West said. “I’ve been fortunate enough to watch them in one or two games, and I think this class is going to turn some eyebrows.”

CSUN’s women’s soccer team reached the Big West Conference Tournament, but was eliminated by Long Beach State in the first round. The Fall 2012 season will be a challenge, playing against top-25 and top-50 teams. Photo credit: Simon Gambaryan / Daily Sundial

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 being major depressive disorder.

The institute also states that of all age groups, those 18-30 have the highest incidence of mental illness, while those over 50 have the lowest incidence of mental illness.

Other severe mental illnesses such as schizophrenia and anxiety disorders also have their highest rate of incidence among the 18-30 population.

On Sept. 27, 2011, philosophy student Gahren Moradian stood outside the Oviatt Library alleging he had a gun. The campus was ablaze with concerns about late notifications, inadequate responses by CSUN police, yet no concerns were ever explicitly raised about the mental health of students on campus.

“With the exception of (the guman instances) and the lack of specificity in the circumstances leading up to the event, I will say more generally that the campus has a no tolerance policy for weapons, and that we do have staff who are aware and sensitive – but there does need to be a broadening of awareness of health issues in general such as depression so students and faculty can be more aware of signs of trouble,” said Marshall Bloom, a campus psychologist for University Counseling Services (UCS) and the founder of The Blues Project.

The project is a peer-education program that can be taken for three units as a class and dedicated to bringing awareness to issues of depression and suicide, specifically overcoming depression and preventing suicide. The program is sponsored by University Counseling Services and sits alongside two other UCS peer-education programs J.A.D.E (Joint Advocates on Disordered Eating) and Project Date, a program designed to bring awareness to issues of date rape and sexual assault on campus.

“I think (the events) have brought more awareness of mental health issues to certain populations on campus, but that students and faculty do need to look out for signs that students are in distress and be able to report such incidents,” Bloom said.

University Counseling Services states on its website that warning signs of students under distress can include exaggerations of personality traits, changes in weight and unprovoked anger and hostility as well as actual threats of self-harm or harm to others whether spoken or written.

Senior psychology student Ashley Summers agrees mental health issues need to be emphasized on campus.

“I think that most students have a good idea of mental health. I think students try to juggle many things,” she said. “I think students have an experience with mental health issues and stress but don’t always know how to cope.”

It is commonplace on campuses around the United States that many students will not seek help even when they desperately need it.

“I think students don’t seek mental health treatment because there is a stigma against it and students will often self-medicate to avoid seeking treatment even though they are great resources on campus,” said Brianda Hernandez, urban studies and planning major and the current student assistant for the Blues Project.

“Aside from holding special events to bring awareness to mental health issues, I think that faculty along with every department need to be open to finding ways to help their students be open to treatment, even if their problems aren’t life-threatening. I think when you hear something like (the gunman incident) happens, we find out later that the person had a history of mental illness that went untreated,” Hernandez said.

“I also think counseling centers need to be persistent and reach out because it is very important that (students) are (mentally) healthy,” Hernandez added.

Dr. Bloom also agrees that things can be done better, but in a larger sense the culture needs to change.

“I do think there has been an effort to provide services for students that are interested,” Bloom said.

“Students need to be educated for themselves, especially when stress mounts, and be able to perceive that someone’s not behaving the way normally would and be able to get them help before it becomes a problem,” Bloom said.

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 Valley is an incredible part of Los Angeles with unique needs and demands.” said Sean Rossall, spokesperson for Talking About Los Angeles. “It’s a critical constituency.”

Speakers will include candidates Councilwoman Jan Perry, broadcaster Kevin James and Wendy Greuel, current LA City Controller.

One of the major goals of the discussion is to involve college students in one of the most important mayoral elections in the country, Rossall said.

Eric Garcetti, also a mayoral candidate and current City Council member is not scheduled to attend.

The forum will be a discussion format for candidates to share thoughts and concerns about the city’s traffic, public safety, education and many other topics.

“Our real hope is that we can get students out to hear what drives the candidates,” Rossall said.  “It’s really designed to let students have a voice.”

The first two installments in the Big Politics series have seen low audience turn-out, with less than half of the seats filled in the second round table discussion which featured state level political topics.

The first of the series was a congressional Town Hall debate between the four leading candidates for the 30th Congressional District seat.  The debate focused on federal politics.

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 will eventually be transcribed and kept at the Oviatt Library, according to Michael Hoggan, the assistant professor in the department of cinema and television arts.

“The purpose of it is to preserve the history of CSUN and its students,” said Lyann Escudero, a senior humanities major in charge of interviewing those willing to participate. “But students are so shy about talking. Once they enter here though, it’s a whole different story.”

While normal interviews are meant to run up to 30 minutes, Escudero said students have talked for up to 40 or 50 minutes.

Individuals who participate will be treated to a DVD with a recording of their story.

CSUN's new president Diane Harrison stands in front of the Student Recreation Center during her campus visit on March 27. Along with the cost of bringing in a new president, new expenses have been established. Photo credit: Mariela Molina / Photo Editor

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 many years ago and it could not be done before because the office is so busy,” Chandler said. “We decided to take advantage of the vacancy between presidents and do the renovations.”

Since the office of the president belongs to Harrison as well as her staff, the majority of the work  being done is to improve the staff cubicles. By fixing the cubicles, privacy issues are being addressed, Chandler said.

“Because the cubicles have short walls, you can technically hear conversations between cubicles,” she said.

Other major renovations include updates to the university house, which is owned by the University Corporation, according to Chandler.

“The house is pretty old and needs more than just regular maintenance,” she said. “The kitchen and bathroom are going to be improved and it will cost approximately $115,000.”

Housing renovations come from the University Corporation, who owns the house.

Chandler stated that Harrison made none of these requests. However, the improvements were necessary since the university house is also used for any events that need the prestige of being at the president’s house.

With so much being spent on just renovations, one may wonder how Harrison’s salary will factor into all of this.

Michael Uhlenkamp, director of media relations and new media for the CSU, said that president Harrison’s salary has not yet been established.

“It (her salary) will most likely be taken up by the board of trustees at the July meeting and will be compliant with the policy established May 8,” Uhlenkamp said.

The policy that Uhlenkamp is referring to is the one stating the criteria for a CSU president. Salary is based on location, enrollment, budget, percentage of students receiving Pell grants, six-year graduation rates and research funding, among other things, according to the policy,

“Based on the parameters established in the new policy, her compensation would not be more than $295,000 in state funding, and if it is determined that she is to receive a supplement from campus foundation sources, it would not be more than 10 percent of the amount she will receive in state funding,” Uhlenkamp said.

Harrison’s expenses in moving to CSUN are being covered the same way any other faculty or staff’s would be, according to Chandler.

“We follow the policy set out by the CSU,” she said.

In addition to moving costs, there will be additional costs for welcome events. According to Chandler, Harrison does not want to have an elaborate inauguration celebration, but would rather do something as an additional part of an existing event.

“She (Harrison) does not like to spend needlessly,” Chandler said. “We do not have any further events planned other than meet and greets, which will be paid for mostly by donors.”

The welcome event for Harrison on March 27 cost nearly $6,800, which covered all costs for food, the stage, banners, chairs, etc., according to Chandler.

“All services provided were handled in-house, which means we paid our own people (on campus) to do the work so the money went back into our pockets,” Chandler said.

President Harrison will officially begin her tenure on June 11.