The Los Angeles Loyolan, Volume 60, Issue 6 - November 01, 1982

Loyola Marymount University November щ 1982 Volume 60 Number 6 Sanchez resigns ASLM movie program in jeopardy By PETER SMITH Loyolan Staff Writer “I regret that I must in¬ form you that as of Monday, November 1st, 1982, I shall resign my position as a member of the Activities Planning Commission.” Last Friday, Carlos San¬ chez, the man responsible for the high calibre film enterain- ment that this University has enjoyed over the past year and a half, gave up his posi¬ tion with the ASLM. In his official submittal, Sanchez wrote, “The reason for my resignation stems from what, I feel, is a conflict of interest between myself and the executive board con¬ cerning the meaning of the film program.” Speaking to Sanchez it is obvious that he is tired and overtaxed. But this is clearly not the foundation for his early retirement. He con¬ tinued in his letter, “I feel that it is futile for me to engage in a program where my objectives and goals are placed behind those ideas which are profit oriented.” The movie, Poltergeist seems to be one of the major issues here. According to Sanchez, “In the film business you’ve got to take risks if you want to provide good entertainment.” Risks though, are the last thing ASLM president Jonlyn Callahan wants to take. In his letter, Sanchez noted, “I would rather see [our] money used to obtain first rate, high quality films that the students will enjoy, instead of ending the year with a surplus of cash, and leaving the students with doubts in their mind as to how that money was used and where it went.” A surplus of cash is something the program has yet to see. However, this year Callahan is intent on keeping profit and loss statements out of the red. Sanchez believes the film program will suffer as a result. “We told him no Polter¬ geist. The thing that really bothered me,” Callahan con¬ tinued, “was that it was too expensive.” During the summer San¬ chez saw the need for some good, first-rate Halloween entertainment. Sanchez went to MGM in August and made ar¬ rangements to get the film. ASLM was notified, accor¬ ding to Sanchez, but he was instructed to hold off on the film until it could be deter¬ mined whether or not the budget would be able to cover it. However, he went ahead and ordered the film, sure that it would be appro v¬ Carlos Sanchez (right)brought David Naughton of “American Werewolf in London,” to LMU part of his now terminated movie program interviews. (Loyolan photo by Paul Bernal). ed. According to Callahan it was only last week that he in¬ formed the ASLM of his do¬ ings. “He came in a week ago and said ‘I*d like to get Poltergeist .’ We voted and said no. But by this time it was too late. We had no idea that the contract had already been signed.” The studio told Callahan the contract could not be cancelled. “Carlos was our agent, he had signed a contract, and MGM was going to hold us to it.” she continued, “Carlos did not have our approval.” Sanchez, however, was cer¬ tain that the film would pay for itself in ten showings at two dollars a ticket. At worst, the ASLM would come out one or two hundred dollars short. In his letter, Sanchez writes, “The film, program, in my mind, should not be based on a profit motive. ’’ According to Callahan, the ASLM is only allocated so much, and can not help but look at the situa¬ tion in financial terms. Clearly Sanchez does not command the trust of his superiors of ASLM. “They wanted it one way and I never did it that way.” He con¬ tinued, “When it came to their opinions on films and certain ways to run the pro¬ gram — we differed.” Alcohol/Drug studies covers disease spread By SHERI KEE Loyolan News Editor The Alcohol/Drug Studies program at LMU is the only degree course of it’s kind of¬ fered in Southern California. However, it is presently ex¬ periencing an “image’’’ pro¬ blem. Sr. Mary Catherine Fitz¬ gerald, director of the pro¬ gram cites the problem. “Many students feel if they enroll in our program, they will be stigmatized, or associated with the problem (alcohol or drugs). Our pro¬ gram is designed for those who wish to go into counsel¬ ing as a career.” Fitzgerald explained the course as a certificate minor program. After a student completes the 18 unit cur¬ riculum, he becomes a cer¬ tified alcohol/drug counselor. The curriculum includes two field placement courses in which 300 hours have to be spent at hospitals and other agencies. The focus of the program is to educate and prepare students for positions in the field. The course does focus mainly on alcohol and in¬ cludes instruction about legal psychoactive drugs other than alcohol. “We want you to unders¬ tand alcoholism and drug abuse is a disease. It is a big problem in society and more and more jobs are available in the field. Many businesses are hiring people to counsel their employees instead of fir¬ ing them.” Fitzgerald encourages students of all majors to par¬ ticipate in this program even if it means just ’taking one class. “Students then can learn to deal with alcoholism and treat it as a disease, just like any other.” Schooling Hie college grad 'reverse transfer' students What will you do after col-;, lege? A number of graduate students today are continuing their education at two-year, community college. One out of every five students currently enrolled in a California community col¬ lege has attended and/or graduated from a four-year college or university, accor¬ ding to a recently completed survey of 10,000 community college students. The results of the study, concluded that students who graduate from four-year universities and then enroll in two-year colleges do so in order to obtain job skills. “Students are recognizing where employment oppor¬ tunities- are,” says David Mertes, chancellor of the Los Rios Community Colleges in Sacramento. According to Mertes, the study, which surveyed students at three Sacramento community colleges, reflects accurately a growing statewide phenomenon known in academic circles as “reverse transfer”. This fall, California’s 107 public community colleges enrolled about 1.7 million students. The number of students currently enrolled at tax-supported, two-year col¬ leges who have previously at¬ tended a four-year institution is estimated to be 300,000. The study was undertaken at the Sacremen to colleges because of the similarities in demographics to statewide student age, sex and ethnic figures. The students in this study cite frequently the need to improve skills, get job training and to discover career interests as the primary reasons for transferring to a tuition-free community col¬ lege. The California community colleges in the past year have come under increasing criticism for the decline in the percentage of their students transferring “forward” into four-year institutions. Mertes believes student1» today are far more interested in job skills than in liberal arts. “We could expand our curriculum in the transer ten times and we’re still not going to attract any more students. It will expand again when more students see in their own minds the value of that kind of education. In the meantime, students graduating from high school and universities are attending community colleges for job training.