Volume 56, Number 5    September 15, 2008         

His two cents on education
In a Sept. 9 Marin Independent Journal article, Professor of Secondary Education Mark Phillips offered insight into the educational views of John McCain and Barack Obama. Phillips addressed the candidates' visions and agendas for the future of education. "I am not unbiased. I think that the best that can be said about John McCain's perspective on education is that his powers will be limited by what will probably be a Democratic-dominated Congress. Barack Obama, on the other hand, although not an educational visionary, shows far more promise than most of our political leaders," he said.

Social justice through video
In a Sept. 8 KRON 4 news broadcast, Professor of Broadcast and Electronic Communication Arts Betsy J. Blosser introduced her BECA 580 class' recent video, "Trama Textiles: Weaving the Life of Guatemala/Trama Textiles: Tejiendo la Vida de Guatemala." Blosser took her class on the service trip to capture Trama Textiles, a women's weaving collective, through the ins-and-outs of the ancient method of "back-strap weaving." "Trama Textiles is a product for which all of the money you pay goes directly to the women," Blosser said. "It supports them, their children and many of them are widowed from the Guatemala civil war or the violence that’s been happening in that country. So it's life support."

The candidates and foreign relations
Andrei Tsygankov, professor of international relations, was featured on the Real News Network on Sept. 6 with his most recent opinion piece regarding the presidential elections. Tsygankov analyzed McCain's recent statements on Russia and his national security plans, emphasizing that McCain has been aware of the Russian threat since 2003 and therefore has developed a strong record and high credibility regarding the issue. Obama on the other hand, has continually failed to produce any sort of counter statements, placing him right on McCain's turf. "McCain and his advisors early enough understood the importance of national security elections,"  Tsygankov said. "It comes down to who is going to out-tough one another on this issue, on the Russia issue."

For more media coverage of faculty, staff, students, alumni and programs, see SF State in the News.

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Last modified Sept. 15, 2008 by University Communications.