Technical Education

California State University faculty will echo the Occupy movement Tuesday and Wednesday as professors and lecturers picket on campus – for a couple of hours, anyway – to vent frustration with the “1 percent” running the university.

On CSU campuses across California, the pickets herald a systemwide strike that faculty leaders hope to stage Nov. 17 to protest Chancellor Charles Reed’s decision to cancel scheduled raises, the sticking point in collapsed labor negotiations.

“Students and faculty feel the same way about Chancellor Reed as the Occupy Wall Street protesters feel about decisions that benefit 1 percent of the population,” said Lillian Taiz, president of the California Faculty Association. “The chancellor is doing exactly the same to our CSU by hiking student fees, cutting classes and not paying the faculty raises that he agreed to. It is wrong, and we will hold him accountable.”

The news has indeed been grim during California’s budget crisis.

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Class AA championship No. 1B North Rockland (8-1) vs. No. 1A John Jay-East Fishkill (8-1) When: Sunday, 1 p.m. Key players: North Rockland Tom Ginty (5-8, 170), Sr., RB; John Dapolito (6-0, 210), Jr., FB/LB; Devin Bovino (5-9, 170), Sr., QB. John Jay-East Fishkill Dan Bogucki (6-1, 190), Sr., QB/LB; Bobby Henderson (6-0, 215), Sr., RB/DE; Nick Langford (5-11, 158), Sr., RB/DB. Matchup to watch: Bogucki and his receivers vs. North Rockland secondary. The low down: The teams met during the regular season and North Rockland dominated the mistake-prone Patriots 28-8 behind 150 yards rushing and two touchdowns from Ginty. The Red Raiders can expect a better effort from John Jay, which has outscored the rest of its opponents 228-54 and had more success against New Rochelle, the team North Rockland beat in Wednesdays thrilling semifinal. The Patriots are a power running team but they will likely test the defense with the pass after New Rochelles Khalil Edney totaled more than 300 yards of offense Wednesday.

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PISCATAWAY, N.J. (AP) — Paralyzed player Eric LeGrand has led Rutgers onto the field in a snowstorm for its game against No. 25 West Virginia.

It marked the first time LeGrand has accompanied the team on the field for a game since he was paralyzed from the neck down making a tackle in a game against Army last October.

LeGrand, who was handed an axe to show Rutgers’ desire to “keep chopping,” directed his motorized wheelchair while coach Greg Schiano walked next to him and teammates followed at a walk. LeGrand led the team to the 50-yard line, turned right and went to the sideline before quickly leaving the field.

LeGrand has been working this season for the Rutgers radio network as an analyst.

NEGAUNEE TOWNSHIP — A majority of the U.P. fire departments are completely made of volunteers. They’re people that come from all walks of life, donating their time to keep their communities safe.

When emergency hits you won’t find these people sliding down a pole on their way to the scene. Rather they’ll be rushing in from their own beds, family holidays or even thanksgiving dinner.

They’re volunteer firefighters, they make rapid rescue response possible for even rural U.P. communities.

“We get out, and we do the same thing as the paid departments in big cities instead of from a volunteer perspective,” says first responder Dennis Karuzas.

To become a volunteer firefighter, you must pass a physical and take 220 hours of firefighter coursework.

Some have volunteer firefighting their way of life.

‘When the pager goes off, whether it’s 2 a.m., 3 a.m., 4 a.m., you jump out of bed and go,” says 33-year volunteer Reuben Romvack.

In Negaunee township they train once a week, and respond to a call a few times a month. That

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A satirical bake sale at UC Berkeley captured national attention this week when its Republican student sponsors priced cupcakes according to the buyer’s ethnicity.

But their mockery of affirmative action – and the angry backlash on campus – also put the spotlight on a little-known bill awaiting action by Gov. Jerry Brown that could run afoul of California’s constitutional prohibition against public agencies granting preferences on the basis of race, ethnicity or gender.

Or it might not.

That’s what the fight will be about if Brown signs SB185, a bill intended to increase the presence of black, Latino and Native American students on public campuses by letting schools include race and sex in the factors that they use to decide who gains admission.

California’s Constitution prohibits “preferential treatment” on the basis of race, sex, color, ethnicity or national origin in public employment, public education or public contracting.

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