Investigators found more than $100K worth of drugs being distributed on the SDSU campus by students UT photo

(Los Angeles – UT)  In May 2007 a student died of a drug overdose on the San Diego State campus.  The source of the drugs was traced back to a huge drug ring.  In February of this year, a San Diego Mesa College student died at a SDSU fraternity house from a cocaine overdose.  The supplied drugs were also connected with the ring.  “Undercover agents purchased cocaine from fraternity members and confirmed that a hierarchy existed for the purpose of selling drugs for money,” the DEA said at this time.

The deaths launched the Drug Enforcement Administration into a five-month sting operation that led to the arrests of 96 people.  Of those arrested 75 have been identified as SDSU students.  The ring was connected to at least three fraternities where investigators found more than $100,000 worth of drugs, over $60,000 cash and several weapons.  Undercover agents made over 130 drug purchases during what they named Operation Sudden Downfall.

Following Tuesday’s arrests the university has suspended the Theta Chi, Phi Kappa Psi, Delta Sigma, Lambda Chi Alpha, Sigma Alpha Epsilon and Sigma Alpha Mu fraternities.  All had members charged with being involved with the ring.  Authorities believe that a majority of the fraternity were either involved with the drug selling or knew their brothers were selling drugs out of the house.

The main off-campus supplier is believed to be Omar Castaneda, 36, an alleged LA gang member.  Castaneda is speculated to have a connection with the Mexican drug cartel.  He and 20 other men were arrested for selling and possession.  There were a lot of drugs recovered in the raids, with four pounds of cocaine, 50 pounds of marijuana and over 300 ecstasy pills.  “They were blatant – I think they thought they weren’t going to be scrutinized at all,” said Chief of San Diego District Attorney’s Office narcotic division Damon Mosler.

(For the full story, get the University Times at news stands on campus.)

Coalition intends to be heard loud and clear

(CSULA - UT)  The Alliance for the CSU–a coalition of staff, faculty, students, administrators, alumni and other community members, hosted an information/communication station (set up a table to sign petitions) on the Main Walkway on May 1st from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m.  Members of the Alliance were there to support the CSU’s efforts to secure funding that will continue to provide access to higher education.  The Alliance is a non-partisan coalition of unions that includes: the California State University Employees Union (CSUEU), California Faculty Association (CFA), Academic Professional Counselors (APC), and the State Employees Trade Council (SETC). Students, staff, faculty, and the community were asked to sign and/or email petitions to send the Governor Schwarzenegger the message not to cut the budget.

Linda Nuńez president of the CSUEU Chapter 311 at CSULA said, “This is the first time that there is an alliance with the administrators and labor on campus.  Not only will employees be laid off if the budget is cut but students will also be affected.  All these kids graduating from high school aren’t going to be able to enter CSULA.  They’ve worked really hard to attend the university but they’ve been cut out.  That’s a big thing.  And if this goes on, it’s going to be worse and harder for students and especially minorities. Basically we’re going back to what happened years ago with the East Los Angeles walk-outs.  40 years later we’re back protesting the war and fighting for education.  We are trying to educate people at this event by letting them know what’s being taken away from them.”

Students stopped by the station to meet Alliance members and sent notes to Governor Schwarzenegger and other elected officials in Sacramento voicing their strong support for higher education.

(For the full story, get the University Times at news stands on campus.)

Fullerton prof dismissed for not signing oath…

(Los Angeles - UT)  Wendy Gonaver, a 38 year-old instructor at CSU Fullerton was thrilled to receive a job teaching American studies at the CSU campus.  The class focused on protecting constitutional freedoms an area of interest she looked forward to discussing with students.

However, Gonaver never got the opportunity to lecture on these issues.  Just as quickly as it had been given to her, it was taken away.  She was fired for refusing to sign the California loyalty oath that has been apart of the state’s constitution since 1952.  Gonaver was unwilling to sign an oath that stated she would swear to “defend” the constitution “against all enemies, foreign and domestic.”

Gonaver believed the oath violated her right to free speech and religious freedom.  “I wanted it on record that I am a pacifist,” she said.  “I was really upset.  I didn’t expect to be fired.  I was so shocked that I had to do this.”

Gonaver was not the first to meet this type of adversity in regards to the oath.  Back in February instructor Marianne Kearney-Brown was fired from Cal State East Bay, after she added “nonviolently” to the oath before signing it.  Kearney-Brown was rehired a few weeks later after her case started to get serious media coverage and the school found a way to allay her concerns.  “The way it’s laid out, a noncitizen member of Al Qaeda could work for the university, but not a citizen Quaker,” Brown said.

(For the full story, get the University Times at news stands on campus.)