There are several different types of Cal Grants: A, B, and C; but, only A and B are used for stu- dents attending universities while C is used for students attending occupational or vocational col- leges and programs. Cal Grant B mainly differs from A in that it also provided those who receive it with a stipend or living allowance. We like that the CSU system understands how much students rely on the Cal Grants for financial assistance and that they are not being hard-nosed accountants, us- ing the usual "there's nothing we can do for you" excuse. Instead, they have chosen to work with students realizing that the state's financial woes are not something students could have foreseen or can control. That's a noble reason, but we also think that they are secretly worried that if students don't get the aid they need to take classes, many students might be taking the semester or quarter off. That would mean taking more money away from the system in the long run. So no matter whether the fee deferment comes from a nice sentiment or just prudence, we like that for once, even though something has gone wrong with financial aid, those students who receive Cal Grants won't have to worry about being disenrolled from classes or have some an- noying hold preventing them from signing up for classes. Now they only have to worry about making ends meet until their Cal Grants are disbursed. For those students who depend on the Cal Grant B stipend, the CSU system cannot automatically cover the stipend, but will try to help by providing emergency loans to students. The loans are a short-term solution for those stu- dents who have no other financial resources and will be given out on a case-by-case basis. Obviously, the loans are a last resort and shouldn't be applied for unless the student can pay it back later with the Cal Grant or really has no other option. After all, we want to graduate students with as little debt as possible. It's unfortunate that the state can't get its act together and pass a budget. What's even more un- fortunate is that many Californians are now suffering because of it, including students. We hope that our state government realizes the harm they are causing and finds a way to pass a budget. Until then, we are glad that the CSU system is making an effort to help students who rely on the state funding to pay their tuition and fees. A t Cal State East Bay, the state's failure to adopt a new budget came home to some students during winter registration. Due to budget constraints, sev- eral classes that did not enroll a minimum of students were can- celed this quarter. Classes in all schools of study were cut, forcing students to check daily to see if their classes had been dropped. Many had to scramble to find courses to fill their schedule. Some students were surprised to find that if they chose other classes to replace the ones they had lost, those new classes would be sub- ject to late registration fees. Classes pertaining to specialized majors were hit especially hard. Brandon Johnson is an environ- mental studies major and interac- tive sculpture minor. Classes he needed for graduation were cut this quarter, forcing him to re- organize his graduation plan. "I think it is unacceptable by any means for any school to com- pletely cut out classes pertaining to programs that they are sup- posed to offer," Johnson said. The inability to take required classes is a major concern for many

It's sad that it took four weeks to reach an agreement. Things wouldn't have been so bad if trash service had gone uninterrupted, but that wasn't the case. What worries us is that leaving such large amounts of trash uncol- lected is a health concern and truly unsanitary. Part of the new contract mentions that when the agreement expires, there will be no strikes or lockouts. We're glad that both par- ties had the intelligence to avoid this kind of situation in the future, but why wasn't this idea put into use this time around? Garbage collection is a service that should never be stopped or interrupted no matter what is hap- pening behind the scenes. Workers could have continued to work while negotiations were happening and it was a childish move on the part of Waste Management to lock out

The United States under the guidance of Presi- dent George W. Bush, has propagated initiatives that barely scratch the surface of environmental issues and in actuality has potentially worsened them with subsidies and de-regulation of envi- ronmental standards. But it would be far too na- ive to hop on the big, bad wolf government and conglomerate bandwagon and assume the burden falls only upon them. So what has got to give before the warnings of inevitable environmental desecration are adhered to? What will it take for environmental concerns to become more of an issue than the threat of terror- ism or economic insecurity? A significant segment of the resolution may rest in the attitude of public opinion. The public has just as much accountability for the abysmal condition of the environment and the lack of discussion as Bush or other countries with leaders who are failing to elevate environmental In other words, by keeping the public marginally informed and a high percentage of the public not using the option of being educated beyond the periphery of public policy issues, the message of urgency regarding the environment has begun to be not only dumbed- down, but is breeding borderline animosity. People do not want to hear that their perception is influenced or concede their self-interest overwhelm- ingly contributes to the cult of individuality outweigh- ing the interest of the public as a whole. But it does; the priorities listed in American public opinion polls in particular speak for themselves. Seeing as public opinion cannot take the issue of government torture, violations of human rights and international codes of conduct, or the killing of Iraqi civilians as "serious" public policy issues, the environment does not stand a chance. If the public has no dedicated interest in environ- mental issues, then the existing lackadaisical attitude toward the environment in government legislation and business practices should not come as a genuine surprise. As long as leaders dominate public discourse with blanket statements towards issues that portray the en- vironment as solely political and economic, the longer the environment will remain a less than compelling issue.