What did you think of the State of the Union speech?

We couldn''t watch it because we had a blackout over the whole campus. We lost power until 8:30. I was supposed to watch it for my "Politics of Everyday Life" class. I have to go back and watch it. We''re going to be learning about U.S. citizenship, our responsibilities, what powers we have and what rights we have.

The teacher believes a lot of U.S. citizens don''t understand their rights. We took the citizenship test for immigrants and 75 percent of the class failed as citizens. It was a shortened test. Fifteen questions. I got four wrong. I actually didn''t pass.

Why is the U.S. threatening Iraq?

I was in New Mexico as the troops were leaving and in San Diego when the Navy was going. The more and more we send the harder it will be to back out. Once Bush says go, lives will be lost, including ours. I think there''s a large chance they have chemical and biological weapons but it would be a dream that the UN would find them. The risk of them having weapons is not worth going to war. If they ever were to use them we''re giving them the situation to do it. If they do have them, we''re sure to find out afterwards.

How do you like CSUMB?

I love the staff. It''s great to have a new staff at a school. So many colleges and universities have staffs that have been there so long they have the higher powers but they don''t have the higher teaching skills.

But I don''t like the format of this college; new curriculums, different ways of setting up your major. They''ve realized how hard it is to transfer credits to another college. Now they''re merging back into the standard format for state schools. But some classes don''t seem like they''re going in the right direction.

I''m majoring in Social and Human Behavior Sciences. It''s their psychology major here. I want to work in human studies, youth counseling. I don''t know if I want to be a psychologist but that''s how I''m getting my psychology class out of the major. I was counseled a lot as a kid. I like helping people.

I do find our dining commons lacking, the amount of space and options versus the number of students. It''s overpriced which is hard to see that happen to college students. Every time I check the price of something it''s 50 cents to 75 cents more. I was complaining to a guy in the Otter Express. He said when they get a new shipment they just ask the employees what the prices should be. They''ll say ''Two bucks? Yeah that''s it.''

The student advisors, the RAs are lacking too. They try to get rid of the problem instead of dealing with it. If there''s a noise problem for example, they just call the police instead of checking to find out what''s going on. They do what''s easiest for them.

Working this summer?

This summer I''m going to be working for Youth Life in San Diego doing backpacking trips with inner city kids. Hopefully. I have the position but I want to be the trail medic so I have to get EMT-certified this semester.

It''s a five-day trip, 55 miles. We''re going out four days in a row. It''s around the backside of Mammoth. It goes up to Purple Lake, Barney Lake and Duck Lake up at the tree line.

Darell Warren
Amanda Wilkins
Nina Kelly
Stacey Pierrot
Tom Nolan
John Smitherman
Marley Knoles
Dustin Boyce
Cliff DuPaul
Arch T. Allen
Priscilla Griffin
Jose Nunez
Janet Chavez