CHICANO STUDIES CELEBRATED.Byline: Robert Monroe Staff Writer The country's first Chicano studies Chicano studies is an academic discipline. Like most branches of Ethnic studies, it incorporates aspects of various other disciplines, including history, sociology, psychology, and literary and textual analyses from the academic studies of the English and Spanish languages. department continued its 30th anniversary celebration Wednesday with an academic decathlon decathlon (dĭkăth`lŏn), in modern Olympic games, a contest for men held over two days and composed of 10 track-and-field events. pitting seven university students in competition for $1,000 in prizes. Earlier rounds thinned a field that started with 107 down to the finalists who were questioned on art, literature, history and every other topic taught in the Chicano and Chicana Studies Department at California State University, Northridge CSUN offers a variety of programs leading to bachelor's degrees in 61 fields and master's degrees in 42 fields. The university has over 150,000 alumni. It's also home to a summer musical theater/theater program known as TADW (TeenAge Drama Workshop) that leads teenagers through an . ``It's good healthy competition,'' said contestant Greg Barajas, a senior. ``I'm enjoying it.'' To organizers, the contest is in keeping with a mission unchanged since CSUN CSUN California State University Northridge created the department in May of 1969. Founder Rudy Acuna said that then, as now, he wants to make his students literate, skilled members of society. ``One of the things that is greatest is the students themselves. In one generation, they've gone from going from the worst schools you could go to,'' he said, ``to being college graduates.'' Department Chairman Gerald Resendez said the academic decathlon, one of many events this school year marking the anniversary, was an exciting way for students to show off their knowledge and skills. ``It was a way of showcasing our students, (showing) that they know their discipline,'' he said. Acuna assembled as·sem·ble v. as·sem·bled, as·sem·bling, as·sem·bles v.tr. 1. To bring or call together into a group or whole: assembled the jury. 2. the program, writing 42 course proposals in one month in time for the 1969-70 school year. Its growth into the largest ethnic studies department in the United States United States, officially United States of America, republic (2005 est. pop. 295,734,000), 3,539,227 sq mi (9,166,598 sq km), North America. The United States is the world's third largest country in population and the fourth largest country in area. still surprises Acuna.The department started with 300 students and seven professors in the fall of 1969. Now there are 19 professors in the department, teaching 4,000 students in Chicano studies courses this past school year. |
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