Newswriters, columnists to cover AB 656 rally Monday at CSUS

SACRAMENTO, Calif., USA - Newswriting students and columnists will be covering - and writing about - a rally on the CSU, Sacramento campus Monday, a rally that will feature Assemblyman Alberto Torrico (D-Newark) who will be speaking about AB 656, a measure to fund higher education.


Assemblyman Torrico (Photo by Sacramento Bee)

The 3 p.m. rally in the Sac State Library Quad is part of a week of activities sponsored by the California Faculty Association to draw attention to the ongoing plight of all 23 campuses in the CSU because of draconian state budget cuts.

AB 656 proposes to tax oil companies, based on oil they extract from the ground in the state (and off the coast).

California currently does not have a well-head tax as proposed.

Text of the amended bill:

AB656

Column writers to consider University of Phoenix takeover of CSU

SACRAMENTO, Calif., USA - Should the state of California sell off the CSU (and maybe the UC) to the University of Phoenix for a few billion dollars?

That question, along with a few hundred related ones about the idea, will be considered in the next set of columns written by the column-writing class at CSU, Sacramento as its assignment for next Tuesday.

The assignment springs from an op-ed article published in the Sunday Sacramento Bee newspaper by an education expert, Prof. William Tierney associated with the privately owned, University of Southern California.

STORY: Should CSU be sold off

Professor William Tierney

How absurd is the idea? Is the op-ed for real, or just satirical?

Well, with the finances of the state still in a downward spiral and funding for higher education dropping as fast as David Letterman's ratings, it would seem almost any wacky proposal is likely to see some sunshine. In this case, Tierney would seem to be a real-deal expert, though it's likely reporters are already combing through his life to check out any possible connections he has to the University of Phoenix.

Tierney's USC web page

If they discover that he's somehow connected to the University of Phoenix payroll, Tierney will likely become the headline of the week.

In the meantime, the columnistas of the class will be pondering - and then eventually publishing - their opinions about the suggested CSU takeover by the private, for-profit university.

Perhaps they will think it's a great idea.

Marcos Breton scheduled for column writing class in October

SACRAMENTO, Calif., USA - Sacramento Bee columnist Marcos Breton will bring in tales of his brand city-side writing, Wednesday, Oct. 14 when he meets with the column writing class at CSU, Sacramento.

A veteran reporter, sports writer and now columnist, Breton write about city politics and issues, occasionally touching on CSUS matters.

His most recent column looked at District Attorney Jan Scully's struggles.

Marcos's Breton's column

Marcos Breton

CSUS alumnus - and Associated Press writer - to speak at CSUS

SACRAMENTO, Calif., USA - Associated Press writer - and Sac State graduate - Chelsea Carter will be speaking on campus Tuesday, Nov. 10.

Carter is currently on assignment for the AP in Baghdad and is expected to talk about her wartime adventures as well as her other work as a writer for the news agency.

She graduated from CSUS in the mid-1990s and was a State Hornet staff member. After graduation, she went to work as a reporter for the Lodi News-Sentinel and eventually the AP, with postings in West Virgina, Georgia, New York, California and overseas.

Carter was one of the reporters on board the USS Abraham Lincoln in 2003 when former President George W. Bush announced Mission Accomplished in the Iraq War.


Former Pres. George W. Bush

Carter will speak from 1 p.m. to 2:30 p.m. in the Hinde Auditorium of the CSUS student union. She is expected to make some opening remarks but will reserve much of her time for questions and answers.

Last fall, Carter visited the university, speaking to about 75 Journalism students.


CSUS Professor Sylvia Fox with Carter last fall

Column writers to take up social issues

SACRAMENTO, Calif., USA - The 26 columnists in the column-writing class at CSU, Sacramento have opted to write about a social issue - something that really lights their rocket - instead of their various specialities for their next columns.

The specialities include sports, music, computers, travel and, and, and...

The group could not decide on a single issue to write on - though health care, the war in Afghanistan, a movement to ban divorce, and the legalization of marijuana all came up for discussion.

Instead, each writer will latch onto their own issue and write their columns by Tuesday morning.

One briefly discussed was the impact of fringe groups on discussions in mainstream media, including the people who believe that President Obama is the anti-christ.

Here's a link to a short video from MSNBC on that topic...