After working for Falls Church Police Department in Virginia, King became an assessor for the Commission on Accreditation for Law Enforcement Agencies. In this role, she visited municipal and university police departments.

“When we were doing on-sites, it was amazing to us how professional the university police departments were that we were accrediting. And yet, as municipal officers, we never really thought of them as being equals. So it was in our thoughts that the word needs to get out about the fact that university police departments are truly viable policing agencies,” King said.

It was because of this interest in university policing that King became an officer at Cal State Long Beach’s police department and her current role as chief of CSUF’s police department.

“My main job is to set the tone for the department and set a course of direction and then get everyone to follow in that direction and basically to provide the resources people need to do their jobs effectively,” King said.

One of the goals that King had for university police was making sure the department was reaccredited. In order for this to happen, CSUF’s police facility needed to be improved or upgraded to be in compliance with accreditation guidelines.

King and the Vice President for Administration and Finance, Willie Hagan, made the project a top priority because of the groundbreaking for the new police building is scheduled for October 2007.

King has been instrumental in upgrading the department’s equipment and tools and preparing the university for emergency situations, said Lt.

Will Glen with CSUF’s police department.

When King came to the department, she saw the need for the officers to have a clear set of goals and regulations.

“I think when officers see a focus in what the department does and where it’s going that does improve morale. The university is better for it,” Glen said.

All of the universities in the CSU system operate under the same guidelines, and King serves as a system-wide coordinator. In this function she sets standards so that each CSU will have uniformity in its activities.

From the time that King was young, she wanted to be a police officer. She served as a police explorer for the city of Westminster and eventually went to Cal State Long Beach and received a degree in criminal justice.

She later received a master’s degree in public administration, King said.

“I always liked being active and being out and doing things and meeting people. And to me policing was the only kind of job I could ever see myself really doing,” she said.

Debbie Ellis, Administrative Services supervisor and accreditation manager for university police, said that surrounding police departments and the community now view CSUF’s police department as a professional department.

“We are looked at as a truly professional, confident police department. And that’s mostly through the efforts of Chief King,” Ellis said.

Los Angeles rock band Everybody Else has accomplished this through its belief that a band should create melodies and lyrics that stand out in peoples’ minds for many years. With a self-titled record recently released by the Orange County record label The Militia Group, the band has proved that music should be memorable rather than just fit in with current music trends.

The band’s lead singer, songwriter and guitarist, Carrick Moore Gerety, said that oftentimes bands that write good songs do not receive the same recognition as bands that have a “cool” style, but write mediocre songs.

“There’s definitely a stigma attached to well-crafted, melodic songs nowadays. The bands that the ‘indie snobs’ really, really love, and I’m not going to name any names, but there are bands that are all hype and no substance, and I feel like there aren’t very many of those where I could really remember a single melody that they wrote, it’s just sort of a general sound,” Gerety said.

Gerety and drummer Mikey McCormack started the band after each moved to L.A. from the East Coast to pursue careers in music. Later joined by bass player Austin Williams, the group self-released its album more than a year ago, but it lacked the marketing and distribution needed to get the record to a large audience.

Rory Felton, 25, the owner and founder of The Militia Group, signed the band after seeing the band at a show. He said that Everybody Else is one of the most exciting bands that he has ever worked with. And that’s saying a lot. The Militia Group has released 55 records from 33 bands.

Influenced by everything from The Clash, Outkast, The Rascals and Stevie Wonder, Everybody Else does not subscribe to the idea that songs that are catchy and melodic cannot also be meaningful.

“At the end of the day they write huge pop songs, but it’s in the ’60s kind of cool laid back vibe, and it’s not like Britney Spears type songs. They’re just great songs that will stand the test of time,” Felton said.

“I feel like they’re songs that you could listen to now, or you could have listened to 30 years ago, or listen to 30 years from now. They’re not just going to come and go in a time period. They’ll transcend,” he said.

On its current month long tour, Everybody Else will be playing with Self Against City, Over It and The Higher.

McCormack said one of the main reasons why its shows are memorable to not only the audience, but also to the band, is the energy present in the audience.

“Everyone there is rad, and they’re there to have a good time. The shows that we strive for and the shows that we think are rad are the ones where the whole room is dancing,” McCormack said.

Felton said that Gerety is one of the best front men he has ever seen, and that the band’s performances stand out because the band nails every live song.

“Everyone in the band can perform fantastically. I feel like I’ve seen them quite a few times and never seen a bad show,” Felton said.

From its record, to its live show, Everybody Else would like to be known as not just a pop band, but as a band that writes melodies and lyrics that are memorable, and songs that stick in a person’s head.

“As far as we’re concerned, the bands that we like are the ones that have had consistently good songs for many, many years and have had hits on the radio and we don’t see that as a bad thing,” Gerety said.

Everybody Else will be playing at Chain Reaction in Anaheim Friday with Over it and Self Against City.

Academic Senate Chair Diana Guerin said that after the Virginia Tech shootings, the Academic Senate decided that it should invite King to update the campus on what steps the police would take in an emergency. Guerin said it is important that faculty and staff be aware of what plans are in place.

Part of King’s presentation will focus on the preventative measures that University Police has taken.

“A big part of this is making sure that people have an understanding of what the realities are,” King said. “People need to know what systems we have in place to help us in having these systems work appropriately.”

In addition to preventative measures, King will discuss the plans University Police has in place.

Police officers receive training under the Active Shooter Program. In most active shooter situations, police officers cannot wait for assistance from other agencies, so officers receive training on how to respond, King said.

Lt. Tom Gehrls of CSUF’s University Police said in active shooter situations, police must know how to quickly respond to a situation.

“In incidents like this, it’s going to be fairly short term for the most part. They usually don’t last an extremely long amount of time, so time is critical. As soon as that clock starts ticking, every second counts,” Gehrls said.

Working with the police, Environmental Health and Instructional Safety runs the Building Marshal Program. Building and floor marshals are trained to respond in an emergency. The marshals may help evacuate buildings and act as messengers, relaying information from police to people in the building, King said.

King said she will also discuss the electronic system CSUF has in place to notify faculty, staff and students via telephone or e-mail.

The system uses information that students provide at the time of admission and King said the goal is to update student information.

“The intent is for us to have an ability to notify people in the event of an emergency and we can’t do that if we don’t have their contact information,” King said.

Students, faculty and staff may also be notified by CSUF’s public address system located at the interior and exterior of buildings. The system can send messages from the police dispatch center informing people of an emergency, or if they need to evacuate a building or stay inside the building.

“Here on campus when something of that magnitude happens, you want to stop and take a look at what you would do,” Guerin said.

Chief King will be speaking at the Academic Senate meeting on Thursday at 12:30 p.m.

Although they have been described as everything from a hardcore, art punk, and screamo band, Jordan Blilie, one of the band’s two vocalists, said they do not consider themselves as a hardcore band, nor is it their goal to be considered mainstream.

“In some ways, we’re a little too abrasive for some people’s tastes. And then on the flip side we’re not abrasive enough for other people’s tastes. We exist in this gray area of sorts,” Blilie said in a phone interview.

“I don’t listen to much stuff that would be considered mainstream music, so I’m happy that we don’t fit because if we did, I would be making music I wasn’t too pleased with,” Blilie said.

The band’s signature sound lies in Blilie’s and Johnny Whitney’s shrieking vocals and frenetic sound.

Forming in Seattle’s punk music scene in 1997, The Blood Brothers started opening for bands such as The Murder City Devils and Botch, and playing at all-ages venues such as Seattle’s The Velvet Elvis.

Along with vocalists Blilie and Whitney, guitar player Cody Votolato, bass player Morgan Henderson and drummer Mark Gajadhar, the band has more recently toured with Cursive, Coheed and Cambria, and The Plot to Blow Up The Eiffel Tower. The band is currently touring with Celebration and Mika Miko on the southern California leg of its tour.

The Blood Brothers’ tour manager, Zoe Verkuylen, 27, said The Blood Brothers usually tours with bands that they are friends with.

“It’s nice for everyone, those bands included, to be out with people that you’re friends with and that you know, or that you’ve toured with before because it’s just kind of a family thing,” Verkuylen said in a phone interview.

Since its formation, The Blood Brothers has released six full-length albums and two EPs. The band’s newest record, Young Machetes, co-produced by Guy Picciotto of the influential bands Fugazi and Rites of Spring, has demonstrated The Blood Brothers’ progression and maturation as a band.

Besides Young Machetes’ stripped down music, there are also differences in the record’s vocals. While usually functioning as a team, the new record allows Blilie and Whitney the opportunity to assume sole vocalist roles on a couple of songs. Blilie said it was the first time that the band split vocal duties since it started.

“Sir” Charles Rowell, 22, guitar player of the former band and Blood Brothers’ touring mates, The Plot to Blow Up The Eiffel Tower, said the new record demonstrates the natural progression of its music.

“Their sound is just maturing like every great band. You know, from [Radiohead's] “Pablo Honey” to “Kid A”, from [Talking Heads'] “77″ to [Wire's] “Remain In Light”, from “Pink Flag” to “Read & Burn”, from “This Adultery [Is Ripe]” to “Young Machetes,” Rowell said in an e-mail interview.

“We just wanted to write the best songs we could come up with at the time and we’re all very pleased with how it turned out,” Blilie said.

“I think their music is plenty accessible to me, and that’s all it has to be. If it wasn’t, I wouldn’t hold it in such high regard, and neither would their massive following. They play good music and have created great art that speaks volumes about how far an “unconventional” band can go,” Rowell said.

The Blood Brothers will be playing at The Glass House in Pomona on Sunday with Celebration and Mika Miko, and on Tuesday at the El Rey Theatre in L.A. with Celebration and Suicide Club.

After holding its own in the punk music scene in the 1970s and ’80s and being home to some notable bands such as The Adolescents and The Vandals, Orange County has been overlooked as a place where music is produced and bands play live.

Owner of the Garden Grove-based independent label The Militia Group, Rory Felton, 25, said while the heart of the music industry is Los Angeles and New York, Orange County still has a fertile music scene.

“Similar to Orange County is New Jersey and Long Island, New York, where they’re just outside the city, but they’re suburban neighborhoods and you see a lot of those bands doing well and creating scenes up there. A lot of kids want to see bands, and a lot of kids are into music,” Felton said.

Felton started The Militia Group in 2000 while he was a music management student at USC. After attending USC for two years, he left school to devote his time to the label. Since then, the label has put out 55 records from about 30 bands, including Rufio, Brandston, Umbrellas and Cartel.

“I feel like all the artists we work with are fantastic and the highest quality records we’ve ever put out we’re putting out right now as a company. That’s all I care about. I’d rather put out high quality records and sell five copies than put out some MySpace Records band or some B.S.,” Felton said.

Revelation Records has also recognized the importance of focusing on quality music versus just selling records. The company’s A&R, Robert Shedd, 25, works at finding and developing bands at the Huntington Beach independent label.

“Revelation has a rich history of music, but each band has an opportunity to define what exactly they are on their own terms. It’s different than if a band signs to a label where it kind of brands them, like ‘Oh this is who you are,’” Shedd said.

Being based in Orange County has not hurt the label’s success; instead, it has helped the label to stay focused on the music’s importance, Shedd said.

“Being in LA you can certainly get lost in the shuffle, and you can probably get caught in a lot more of the industry minutiae and tend to lose sight of why you’re doing the label and what music is important to you, especially on an independent basis. If you’re in LA you’re more likely or more susceptible to having to play the same games the majors do,” Shedd said.

“At the root of it an independent shouldn’t be trying to imitate a major label and I’d say in L.A. you’re more likely to have to follow those footsteps or tread in that vein. There is that distinction between being based in Orange County and over there [Los Angeles]. Being in Orange County you’re free to do your own thing, more so than L.A.,” Shedd said.

Revelation Records was founded in New Haven, Conn., in 1987 by Jordan Cooper and his friend Ray Cappo, a singer for the punk-hardcore band Youth of Today.

After moving to Huntington Beach in 1990, the label’s sound shifted from its primarily punk and hardcore sound to a mix of indie rock with Revelation bands Elliott and Sensefield, to punk and hardcore bands such as Shai Hulud.

Fearless Records’ president Bob Becker, 42, said since the Internet is instrumental in breaking new bands, record companies no longer need to be based out of L.A.to be successful.

“I think you can have a successful label in Portland, Ore., or Louisiana. If you do it right, I don’t think it matters where you’re at for the most part as far running a small, independent label,” Becker said in a phone interview.

More important than the label’s location or even the label itself is the bands that are on the label.

“The label is only as good as the bands that are on it. We work hard and do a good job, but it’s all about the bands. And when the bands put out good music and they work hard and we can help enhance that, then we have something,” Becker said.

Becker started the Garden Grove-based label in 1994 after his friend’s band needed help putting out a record. What first began as a hobby grew into the label.

Becker said Fearless gained recognition after signing the El Paso, Texas band At the Drive-In.

The label has been home to bands such as Rock Kills Kid, The Plain White T’s and Sugarcult.

“I’ve never really thought our label was that successful and I still don’t and I think that’s what keeps us chugging along the way we are. I tell bands when we sign them – we’re not the biggest, coolest label, but we’ve been around a long time and we’re consistent and we work hard,” Becker said.

“Orange County has a very rich music scene, especially on the independent side of things,” Shedd said. “Being in Orange County there’s such a thriving music scene, when bands come through here they always enjoy some success. I’m involved with booking shows locally and promotion and in L.A. it’s often hard to find shows, in San Diego it’s very hit or miss and in Orange County you always find something and there’s always people there. There’s definitely a very positive side to being here in Orange County,” Shedd said.

Read more about label standout artists in

The Buzz online at www.dailytitan.com

The Militia Group:

The Militia Group is home to a wide range of artists with releases ranging from catchy powerpop(Everybody Else, Cartel) to acoustic artists(Dension Witmer). Lovedrug’s 2004 release, “Pretend You’re Alive” was the label’s fastest selling release. With its poetic lyrics and haunting vocals on the new release “Everything Starts Where It Ends,” Lovedrug has received comparisons to early Radiohead. Indie band Copeland features an emotional, melodic and complex sound behind singer Aaron Marsh’s gentle and angelic vocals.

Fearless Records:

At the Drive-In, Plain White T’s, Mayday Parade and Rock Kills Kid have all called Fearless Records their home at some point in their careers. Portugal the Man’s “Waiter: You Vultures!” has an eclectic, prog-rock sound much like label-mates At the Drive-In. The debut album from Alesana, “On Frail Wings of Vanity and Wax,” mixes hardcore, “screamo” and pop-punk with complex lyrics.

Revelation Records:

The Huntington Beach label’s sound has incorporated indie rock from bands such as Texas Is The Reason and Elliott with its primarily hardcore sound from Sinking Ships and In My Eyes. New York indie band Gracer features ethereal vocals, and mellow, spacey guitars. The melodic hardcore band Shook Ones is a throwback to an aggressive and energetic punk sound and the East Coast hardcore sound of the mid-90s.

Students have not seen a fee increase recently. But that would change under Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger’s budget proposal to raise fees by about 10 percent at CSU. This fee increase will hit students and parents hard. Students may be forced to work full-time jobs, take out expensive loans or hope their parents will help them pay for their schooling fees.

But while looking at your depleted bank account or rising credit card balance after fees are due, think about the fact that the California college system is still among the cheapest in the nation.

While $3,010 for fees during the 2006-07 school year may seem like a lot of money to a student that is struggling financially, consider that Washington State University’s tuition is $6,448 for a full-time resident and Arizona State University’s is $4,688, according to each university’s Web site. This is considerably more than what Cal State Fullerton students pay. Even within the California college system, the fees at UCI are more than double what CSUF students pay for a comparable education.

For a fraction of the cost of most private and state schools, CSUF still provides an excellent education and programs that are highly recognized and, in some cases, significantly better than a private college.

If Gov. Schwarzenegger’s budget proposal does go into effect and fees increase, realize that the fees cover a lot more than just class instruction. Fees to cover the cost of student health services are much less than if a student were to pay for a doctor’s visit without insurance. Because we’re students, we receive many benefits that we might take for granted.

Many students seem to be unaware of all of the programs offered here. In addition to the use of facilities such as the campus gym, we get free admission to campus sports events with a current CSUF ID card. In the Titan Student Union, students can purchase tickets discounted as much as 50 percent to concerts, amusement parks and movies.

Other fees go toward improving buildings and providing better technology in classrooms and in the library. Looking at how fees directly impacts students positively can help rising school costs seem less threatening. Students can complain as much as they want about the cost of school, but consider the benefits that these fees bring.

The cost of attending school is expensive. While fees are inconvenient and easy to complain about, remember that students at CSUF have it relatively painless. Would you really want to pay the tuition to attend college in some other states, or even within the UC system? I know I wouldn’t.

Located at the north end of campus, the Health Center provides basic health care for students at no or minimal cost.

The health fee, which is included in a student’s registration fee, is $35 for the spring and allows a student to visit the Health Center and be seen by one of the its seven providers at no cost, said Cathy Baker, assistant director for the Health Center.

“I only had to pay $2.30 for what I got done. If I went to my own doctor I would have had to pay $20. It’s better than going to my own doctor,” said Spanish major Maria Torres.

In addition to immunizations, like the flu shot, and the treatment of illnesses and infections, the Health Center offers students education on topics from alcoholism to depression, and focuses on the importance of staying healthy.

“There’s more to it than going to school everyday but not maintaining health,” Baker said. “Most of the time students really don’t realize and take it for granted that part of your responsibility to be successful in life is to take care of your mind and body.”

Through the Health Center’s counseling and psychological services, students can schedule a limited number of private, group and crisis counseling sessions. Students are also able to see a counselor for help with effective stress management and help with personal relationships.

Another highly used program in the Health Center is the Family PACT program, which assists students with reproductive care, STI testing and treatments, and birth-control options.

The state and federally funded PACT program is available to all students who apply and are financially eligible.

“It pays for those things that you would otherwise have to pay for. It’s a free program and I’d say 90 percent of our students qualify because most of them make under the income limit,” said Bonnie White, the Health Center’s health resource specialist.

Another feature of the Health Center is the full-service pharmacy which provides students with discounted prescriptions and over-the-counter drugs such as cold medications and pain relievers.

Baker said that medications are offered at low cost because students pay what the medications cost.

The newly remodeled Health Center features a new reception and waiting area. White said students can look forward to additional improvements such as a resource area stocked with informational brochures and computer terminals where students can look up more information on health care.

The Health Center also plans to add a computerized self check-in service and a health services link to the Titan Online system so that students can make appointments online.

“There is a big component in a student’s life that is critical to help them succeed with their academic mission or goal, and that is health,” Baker said.

The Health Center is open Monday through Friday 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Thursdays 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.