Daily Titan March 17, 2011 by Daily Titan

Vol. 89 Issue 25

March 17, 2011

Crisis in Japan

Growing up

Geology and physics professors discuss earthquake dangers

The editorial staff weighs in on college and students’ futures

............................................3

............................................5

dailytitan.com

Green Living on campus Students ACT recycles to raise funds for social justice awareness through an on-campus garage sale

............................................6

The Student Voice of California State University, Fullerton

Elections official resigns Commissioner Jay Jefferson leaves his former post to run for ASI vice president WES NEASE Daily Titan

Of the fifteen candidate applications submitted for positions on the ASI Board of Directors and the ASI Executive Staff this semester, the last-minute addition of the recently resigned ASI elections commissioner is sure to get attention. “It caught a lot of people off guard, and so I think that’s the primary issue,” said Jay Jefferson, former ASI elections commissioner and current candidate for the position of ASI vice president. “That was the greatest concern, the fact that they were uncomfortable with the fact that I wasn’t there anymore.” Jefferson submitted his resignation as ASI election commissioner March 8, one week before applications for potential candidates were due. The title of “ASI Elections Commissioner” sounds as though it might have the power to help sway an election. However, according to Esiquio Uballe, dean of students and adviser to the elections commission, the position likely wouldn’t have much of an effect on the outcome. “The only time that he knows who the candidates are is after attending the orientation, which is public and which he was attending himself,” said Uballe. “The fact that he was the elections commissioner would not have any bearing on his candidacy.” See JAY, page 2

WHAT’S INSIDE NEWS View the ASI presidential and VP candidates ........................................2 OPINION Let’s get back to the roots of St. Patrick’s Day ........................................5 FEATURES Tech Time: Using iPads in an educational setting ........................................6 SPORTS NCAA Tournament in search of its Cinderella story ........................................8

MARK SAMALA / Daily Titan Phong U Thong, a welder in the Vin Phuc province, Vietnam undergoes a procedure to remove a metal flake that was lodged in his eye. The surgery was done in the Song Hong hotel lobby by Dr. Dennis Ching of Santa Ana.

Eye surgery performed in hotel lobby KEITH COUSINS Daily Titan

HANOI, Vietnam – An eye surgery was performed on a wood table in the lobby of the Song Hong Hotel in Vin Phuc province March 10. Dr. Dennis Ching, an ophthalmologist from Santa Ana, encountered Phong U Thung while accompanying Project Vietnam’s primary care team as they gave assistance in the

province. “When we saw him he had a small, black foreign body on the left cornea,” said Ching. Thung is a welder, and although he does wear glasses, he started complaining of redness and irritation in his left eye four days prior. “We don’t have any topical anesthesia to numb the eye so we can remove it. He was very stoic and allowed me to try to wipe it off with a Q-tip or the other end of a plastic handle to try to dislodge the foreign body,” Ching said. “But it would not budge.” Ching said the fleck not budging meant

that the foreign body was lodged in Thung’s cornea. He consulted Project Vietnam coordinator Dr. Chan Kieu, an anesthesiologist who works in Fountain Valley, about how to proceed from there. Kieu suggested to Ching they could give Thung IV anesthesia at the Song Hong Hotel and try to remove it there. “He doesn’t think there is any emergency rooms available here, so we will try to do it tonight at 8 o’clock,” Ching said. “I hope he shows up.” Thong arrived at the hotel at 8 p.m. with

Downtown is home to a plethora of thrift shops for students on a budget ALNAS ZIA Daily Titan

From scoring an Oscar de la Renta gown for $2, cheap Dooney & Bourke handbags and designer jeans for only a buck, Tina Vo knows how to look for fashion gems without the hefty price tags. Her secret? Shopping at vintage and thrift stores. The 21-year-old art major at Cal State Fullerton calls her style “modern vintage,” a distinctive mix of Forever 21 pieces and vintage items. “I love the feeling of entering a vintage store not knowing what I will come out with in the end,” she said. “I believe that the beauty of vintage is that it sets you apart from

everyone else.” The ubiquitous influence of the recession has sent many fashionistas to thrift stores and Salvation Army stores to satisfy all their fashion needs without breaking their bank accounts. According to a USA Today article, the revenue at Goodwill Industries thrift stores over the course of 2008 “was up 7.2 percent,” an indication of how the recession has affected people’s shopping habits. “Business has certainly gone up because of the current economic situation,” said Bebe Ortiz, manager of Second Avenue, a popular consignment thrift store in downtown Fullerton. It has been in the business for 19 years and is known for its selection of designer pieces that are

available at affordable prices. “Many people specially come here for our collection of designer jeans,” she said. “Our customers include shoppers from all age groups.” But vintage has always been in demand because fashion keeps repeating itself, and its popularity has risen in the past few years. Fashion insiders, like celebrity stylist Rachel Zoe and supermodel Kate Moss, have been sporting vintage clothing and accessories for quite some time now. Even designers are sending vintage-inspired looks down the runway; just take a cue from the current trend of boyfriend blazers and wide-legged jeans. See VINTAGE, page 6

Watch as Angel faces many challenges on his path to earn a college degree. EXCLUSIVES dailytitan.com

Get up-to-date coverage on top campus news stories at Dailytitan.com/ 2011/03/17/ dtn331711/

See SURGERY, page 2

Vintage threads in Fullerton

A day in the life of an undocumented student

ONLINE

his mother. Upon arrival, Ching began work immediately. Several other members of PVN were in the hotel lobby and provided him with any equipment they had. Kieu gave Thung a cocktail of drugs to ensure that his left eye would not move during the procedure. Thung was helped up onto a wood table used for hotel informational brochures and Ching dropped numbing medicine into the left eye.

Scan to view

See the struggles a student faces on his journey to a higher education at Dailytitan. com/undocumentedstudent

Scan to view

CAMILLE TARAZON / Daily Titan After their 10-0 win against the unlucky Fighting Irish, the Titans huddle around sophomore catcher Ariel Tsuchiyama, recognizing her first career home run.

Softball shuts out Irish Five Titans work a multi-hit game, Cervantes pitches in five-hit shutout in Classic opener RICK GOMEZ

For the Daily Titan

Sophomore catcher Ariel Tsuchiyama’s three-run homer was part of a sixrun eruption in the third inning that led Cal State Fullerton to a five-inning victory over Notre Dame, 10-0. This was the opening night of the Judi Garman Classic at Anderson Family Field Wednesday night. The Titans improved to 8-11 on the season and beat a hot Notre Dame team that was carrying a six-game winning streak, giving them only their third loss of the season making them 15-3. The Fighting Irish defeated No. 9 ranked Oklahoma earlier in the day, 2-1. “It gives us confidence knowing we

just beat a team like that by that much, especially after watching them beat Oklahoma,” said Tsuchiyama. Head Coach Michelle Gromacki and senior starting pitcher Ari Cervantes both believe the win built confidence for the rest of the tournament. “It sets a huge tone for the tournament, especially on our home field,” said Gromacki. The Judi Garman Classic is regarded as the premiere mid-season collegiate tournament in the country and is featuring seven schools in the top 20. One of those schools is No. 5 Michigan who is sporting a 25-1 record and plays the Titans tonight at 7:30 p.m. See TITANS, page 8

dailytitan.com

NEWS

March 17, 2011

JAY: Election official steps down ...Continued from page 1 According to Jefferson, the ASI elections commissioner is responsible for the marketing and promotion of the ASI election prior to the announcement of ASI candidates. It’s only after that point when the commissioner becomes vital in ensuring the impartiality of the voting process and the enforcement of election bylaws and guidelines. In the most extreme scenario, the elections commissioner might have access to the applications lockbox and, therefore, access to the knowledge of who might be running for what, but even that is highly regulated. “You can go ask someone in the office now and check the status on it,” Jefferson said in reference to the records being kept regarding who has access to potential candidate applications. “Those are verifiable facts. It’s not as if these things are opinions,” he said. According to Uballe, the only time the application box was opened was March 15, the day applications were due, a full seven days after Jefferson claims to have submitted his resignation. “He has not been able to have any real impact on who the candidates are because no one had any access to those before,” Uballe said, “because the box was not open until right before the deadline and at that point, he no longer had access to the key. He no longer had access to any information.”

Jefferson’s running mate, Eric Niu, current board member and candidate for ASI president and CEO, thinks Jefferson’s previous role and its impact will be limited by how seriously ASI is seen in the eyes of students. “I personally don’t think that it will affect anything because the election process is extremely fair,” said Niu. “If his position will affect anything, that will just suggest that Cal State Fullerton ASI is a joke.” It’s questionable, though, just how much of a positive influence Jefferson’s role as elections commissioner will have on his candidacy. “I think that, overall, people who have been affiliated with ASI, who run in any election and have been either former board of directors or former ASI executive officers probably have more of an advantage than an elections commissioner,” Uballe said. “They understand the politics, they understand the business of the corporation, they have the connections and the network with other leaders in ASI who tend to be the ones who are going to be the ones who are going to be elected because they put themselves out there.” Ultimately, Jefferson feels his work as the elections commissioner is going to help him on the campaign trail. “It’s really helped me grow as an individual, but in all of the conversations that I’ve had with students, it’s really helped me understand the student’s perspective,” he said. “It’s really helped me understand what students are looking for in a leader.

MARK SAMALA / Daily Titan Dr. Ching and Project Vietnam volunteers prepare Phong U Thung for surgery in the Song Hong Hotel in the Vin Phuc province. Thung had a metal fleck lodged in his eye.

SURGERY: Santa Ana ophthalmologist performs impromptu procedure

FOR THE RECORD It is the policy of the Daily Titan to correct any inaccurate information printed in the publication as soon as the error is discovered. Any incorrect information printed on the front page will result in a correction printed on the front page. Any incorrect information printed on any other page will be corrected on page 2. Errors on the Opinion page will be corrected on that page. Corrections also will be noted on the online version of the Daily Titan. Please contact Editor-in-Chief Isa Ghani at 657-278-5815 or at execeditor@dailytitan.com with issues about this policy or to report any errors.

Editorial Editor-in-Chief Managing Editor News Editor News Editor News Assistant News Assistant Content Editor Opinion Editor Opinion Assistant Sports Editor Sports Assistant Sports Assistant Features Editor Features Assistant Detour Editor Detour Assistant Copy Editor Copy Editor Creative Coordinator Photo Editor Photo Editor Photo Editor Photo Assistant Page Editor Graphic Designer Graphic Designer Web Editor Multimedia Editor Multimedia Editor Multimedia Assistant Adviser Main Line (657) 278-5815 News Line (657) 278-4415

Isa Ghani Rachel David Keith Cousins Kiran Kazalbash Anders Howmann Jessica Rubio Kelsey Laney Gabrielle Abutom Charlotte Knight Gilbert Gutierrez III Michellee Cooper Elliot Cook Katie Evans Carmen Varner Anna Gleason Krystle Uy Kyle Martinez Gilbert Gonzalez Jonathan Gibby Mark Samala Johnny Le Lucio Villa William Camargo Jenelle Rensch Steve Sly Patrick Schwarz Jennifer Chung Hannah Dellinger Wes Nease Julissa Rivera Jason Shepard Editorial Fax (657) 278-2702 E-mail: dteditorinchief@gmail.com

Advertising Director of Advertising Asst. Advertising Director National Sales & Promotions Production Assistant Production Assistant Classifields Manager Webmaster Senior Account Executive Account Executive Account Executive Account Executive Account Executive Account Executive Distribution Business Manager/Adviser Main Line (657) 278-3373 Advertising (657) 278-4411

Adrian Gaitan Amber VanOrman Daniel Zamilpa Sidney Cumbie Jennifer Razo Taylor Tunno Josué Mora Liz Hernandez Elizabeth Swiontek Megan Klute Kathy Hamamoto Laura Barron-Lopez Ashley Page Houston Whaley Robert Sage Editorial Fax (657) 278-2702 E-mail: ads@dailytitan.com

The Daily Titan is a student publication, printed every Monday through Thursday. The Daily Titan operates independently of Associated Students, College of Communications, CSUF administration and the CSUF System. The Daily Titan has functioned as a public forum since inception. Unless implied by the advertising party or otherwise stated, advertising in the Daily Titan is inserted by commercial activities or ventures identified in the advertisements themselves and not by the university. Such printing is not to be construed as written or implied sponsorship, endorsement or investigation of such commercial enterprises. The Daily Titan allocates one issue to each student for free. Copyright ©2011 Daily Titan

MARK SAMALA / Daily Titan Dr. Ching, accompanied by Dr. Chan Kieu, a Fountain Valley anesthesiologist, places drops in Phong U Thung’s left eye to numb it prior to surgery. Thung was awake throughout the surgery; the procedure was successful and Thung should be fully recovered in a week to 10 days.

...Continued from page 1 During the pause, while Ching waited for the drugs to take effect, onlookers including Project Vietnam volunteers and even hotel bellhops gathered to witness the procedure. “These surgeon dudes just don’t quit. You got to love it,” said Susan

Ketigian, an RN from New York. “You’ll never see this at home.” As Thung’s eye became still, Ching began to slowly scrape layers of cornea away in a precise manner in order to get to the speck of metal. When the piece of metal reached the surface, a cotton swab was used to remove it. In less than 10 minutes, the procedure was

complete. Ching put drops in Thung’s eye before patching it with gauze and surgical tape. “He can be a pirate for the night,” said Nathan Le, an anesthesiologist. According to Ching, Thung was not asleep during the procedure, but the sedation from the cocktail and topical anesthesia proved to be enough. “He was relaxed and able to at least control it, so I was able to scrape out the foreign body,” Ching said. “There is a small piece of rust still there, but it will absorb by itself.”

Ching said the small piece of metal gave Thung the same irritation as if a pebble were lodged in his eye because of how sensitive the cornea is. There was joy in Thung’s right eye as Ching gave him directions on the eye drops he needed to use for the next week. In less than 10 days, the cornea will be healed. Thung’s mother shook hands with everyone gathered in the lobby. She and her son left the Song Hong Hotel to resume their lives in the Vin Phuc province.

March 17, 2011

dailytitan.com

NE WS

ASI 2011 Candidates

ASI officials released on Wednesday the finalized list of candidates running for the Spring 2011 ASI Elections which will take place April 6 and 7. -Aissa Canchola, President -Megan Martinez, Vice -Eric Niu, President -Jay Jefferson, Vice

CAMILLE TARAZON / Daily Titan Physics Professor Greg Childers explains to attendees the effect the recent 8.9 earthquake in Japan had on the infrastructure of their nuclear power plant.

Possible California quake discussed CSUF professors inform students about the science behind the Japan quake and tsunami KAMY WEST Daily Titan

David Bowman, Ph.D., professor of geology, and physics Professor Greg Childers held a seminar on the crisis in Japan: the earthquake and tsunami in Sendai, Japan. Bowman explained the city of Sendai served as the epicenter of where the earthquake occured Friday at 2:46 p.m. Japan Standard Time, 9:46 p.m. (PST). Officially a magnitude 8.9, it is the fifth largest earthquake in the world since 1990. It was a shallow earthquake (30 kilometers deep), which is why, it produced so much damage and caused a tsunami, he said. Bowman said the earthquake is classified as a “subduction megathrust,” which occurs at subduction zones at convergent plate boundaries. This happens when one tectonic plate is forced under another due to the shallow dip of the plate boundary and causes large sections to get stuck. It was approximately three minutes that the earth shook in Sendai and moved the city four meters to the east. Bowman said the entire coastline of Japan where the earthquake occurred subsided quite a lot. The earthquake was so big the waves traveled around the planet several times. Right now the Earth is still “ringing like a bell.” “We are in the resonating part of it and will continue like that for quite some time,” said Bowman. He said seismologists can use the shock waves that are ringing like a bell to make pictures or images of what the Earth’s crust looks like. “So while the earthquake was a tragedy, it is also something we can use to learn a lot about how the Earth actually works.” Bowman said the structure of the buildings located only a couple kilometers from the shore of Sendai are well designed. They withstood most of the shaking. The Japanese were prepared for an earthquake, but they were not prepared for the 30-foot tsunami. Bowman said the San Onofre nuclear power plant can handle a large magnitude earthquake and the 25-foot seawall at San Onofre can endure as long as the tsunami is not more than 8 meters tall. That, he said, is “extremely unlikely.” Childers talked about the concern surrounding the impact of the earthquake and tsunami on the infrastructure and particularly the power. He said there were issues

with the three nuclear plants in the vicinity of the earthquake. “The nuclear reactors are very well-designed structures,” said Childers. “The three nuclear reactors in the vicinity of the earthquake immediately shut down, but there is still heat being produced because of the lack of water coverage over the rods.” Childers clarified that the power plant was still connected to power grids in Japan. Shortly after the quake, the electrical power went out. Although they had backup generators, those generators were designed to provide only eight hours of power. According to Childers, significant damage resulting from both the earthquake and tsunami packed a “one-two punch.” They were unable to recover any other power source, and cooling water stopped flowing to cover the fuel rods, causing significant damage to the nuclear core and possibly creating a nuclear meltdown. “The main concern now is that if the spent rods in reactor No. 4 are not kept underwater, any radioactive material that comes out of the damaged fuel rod can escape directly into the atmosphere.” Childers added that another concern involves the concrete possibly having been cracked in reactor No. 2’s suppression chamber. A student in the seminar asked if Japan would be uninhabitable. Childers said it would not be like another “Chernobyl.” Bowman said it will take two weeks for the rods to cool down using the water from the ocean, and that officials are giving locals iodine pills that absorb into the thyroid, protecting them from radioactive iodine. The situation in Japan also brings up the hypothetical “big one” that is supposed to hit Southern California. “I’m a little bit concerned only because I don’t feel prepared. I haven’t stored any water or food away at all,” said Madison Quiroga, 19, an English major. Preparedness is the best thing to learn from what happened in Japan. “I know an earthquake is coming, so I am not worried about it. My mom and I have been buying comfort food, water and board games,” said Taylor Kennedy, 22, a geology major. “We are storing them in the garage for the aftermath of the quake if things weren’t up and running for a month.”

-Brian Martinez, President -Taylor Edwards, Vice ANDREW KWOK / Daily Titan Associate Professor Cora Granata (right) and Dr. Suceava, a mathmatics professor at CSUF ( left), held a lecture Wednesday focusing on Suceava’s experiences during the Romanian revolution.

Revolution experiences Math professor shares his tales about living under an unstable government ROSS WATTERS For the Daily Titan

Cal State Fullerton mathematics Professor Bogdan Suceava, Ph.D., spoke to a small crowd at the Pollak Library Wednesday and shared his perspectives and personal experiences of the Romanian Revolution and the transition period which followed. Suceava is originally from Romania and lived in Bucharest during the time of the Romanian Revolution. Romania was one of several countries during the late ‘80s that was going through a revolution. The most famous of which was East Germany, which led to the demise of the Berlin Wall. The difference between the revolutions was that Romania was the most violent. Hundreds of people died in a seven-day period in late 1989. “It was revolution turned into a massacre. Over 800 people were killed after President Nicolae Ceausescu was removed from of-

fice, and most deaths have been ruled as due to friendly fire,” said Suceava. Suceava described the events of late 1989 as “complete chaos.” The violence should have stopped after the removal of President Ceausescu, but it worsened. “After the president was secretly arrested, things moved very quickly. A trial was set up in three days and the former president was found guilty on six counts and was shot.” Elections came in May 1990, Suceava said. Students were very engaged and were fascinated about how violent the revolution came to be as compared to neighboring Eastern European countries. “I thought the lecture was very interesting. I am amazed how the country spiraled out of control during those seven days,” said Frederick Sotelo, a history major. In the period after the revolution, known as the “transition,” things still looked very bleak. A new president was elected and an ill-advised new constitution was written up, but Suceava still didn’t think things were getting better in the torn country. “The new constitution, adopted on Dec. 8, 1991, wasn’t well writ-

ten. It had to be amended in 2003. The way Romania found out it was a bad constitution was by letting it work,” Suceava said. Suceava’s lecture on the Romanian Revolution is a timely topic due to the recent revolutions occurring in the Middle East. “I wanted (Suceava) to speak today because it is a very relevant topic,” said director of european studies Cora Granata. “With all the revolutions going on right now, he gives a good insight into what can happen and the challenges a country faces in the time of a revolution.” Suceava is also an accomplished author. His most recent critically acclaimed novel Coming from an Off-Key talks about his experiences of the so-called transition, the period where all of society and structure in Romania changed. One student asked if Romania could stay viable today without the European Union. “During the transition period, the annual reports of the European Union helped guiding the Romanian society’s transformation,” Suceava said. Suceava, who travels to Romania every year, recently had his book translated to English by North Western University Press.

OC’s diverse growing population HALEY OSTROWSKI For the Daily Titan

The United States Census Bureau recently released population results for Orange County and its neighboring counties. The numbers revealed a continuing population increase in Southern California as concerns have been raised on how to compensate for a quickly growing population. California’s population is up 10 percent since 1990 and 6 percent since 2000 at a total of 37,253,956 people. This number is comprised of approximately 57 percent white people, 6 percent black people, 13 percent Asian people and 24 percent affiliates of other races. The Latino community currently makes up 37.6 percent of the population in California. Orange County is the third most populated county in California at 3,010,232 people, a number that has increased, but remained steady compared to other Southern California counties in the last two years, according to the United States Census website. According to the Orange County Register, the county lost whites and gained Latinos and Asians in the 2010

census. The population of California would actually have dropped in the last two decades were it not for these two groups. When populations among cities change, several organizations must be notified in order to compensate for population loss or gain. Deborah Diep, director of the Center for Demographic Research at Cal State Fullerton, is responsible for reporting information regarding population, housing and employment in the most timely and efficient manner. Information is shared with schools, housing authorities, the Orange County Transportation Authority and many others in order to control population changes in the county. The U.S. Census Bureau shows that “most cities report a rise in population, with the exception of only a few,” said Diep. “The cities with the largest change in population, which include Irvine, Lake Forest, Newport Beach and San Clemente, have annexed land since 2000.” These statistics, however, mean nothing to us until we see the changes firsthand. Walking across campus, we are presented with people of countless backgrounds (not to mention a few

thousand extra students in general). “Walking across campus is like walking around the globe,” said Travis Sokolik, an art major. “I see people of so many backgrounds; I feel every country is represented in some way by the students that study (at CSUF).” Orange County boasts one of the most diverse populations in the United States. With an increase in population comes a demand to conserve resources and plan for the future. Jay Kim, a business major, expressed his concern for Southern California’s fresh water supply. “In my hometown, we’ve already had a few scares with limited water supplies,” said Kim, a resident of Yorba Linda. “It may have been because of the drought, but it’s still a scary thing considering how many people that water has to go to.” Chorong Hwang, a political science major, sees that improvements should be made to public transportation. “I take the bus to school most days,” said Hwang, “but it gets so packed sometimes that I’m forced to find a friend to carpool with.” Hwang rides the bus to school from her home in the downtown Fullerton area.

DTSHORTHAND Pepper Plant Sale at the Arboretum The Arboretum is having its annual “Monster Tomato and Pepper Plant Sale” featuring almost 60 varieties of hot peppers and 50 selections of sweet peppers. The event is free to the public. However, according to the Arboretum’s website, “Voluntary donations at the front entrance are encouraged to help support the gardens and education programs.” The sale will be from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Thursday through Sunday. There will be a “members only” preview sale Thursday from 3 p.m. to 7 p.m. There will also be a guest speaker, nurseryman Steve Goto, at the Arboretum Thursday to give expert advice on how to grow the best tomatoes. The class will be held from noon to 2 p.m. and preregistration is recommended. The class will cost $10 for members and $13 for non-members. Call 657-2783407 to register or obtain more information. Brief by Arianne Custer

Help for Future Graduate Students There will be a “Graduate Forum: Student Workshop” Monday to help students who are considering the possibility of pursuing a master’s degree. There will be three workshops from 3 p.m. to 7 p.m. at the Pollak Library, Room 130. The first workshop at 3 p.m. will include a panel of graduates from varying degree programs at CSUF who will share their experiences on balancing personal commitments with coursework and research interests. The audience will be able to ask follow-up questions. The second workshop at 4:30 p.m. will feature campus professionals who will discuss ways for students to finance graduate school. They will provide information on scholarships, loans, graduate assistantships and monetary research opportunities. The third workshop at 6 p.m. will cover aspects such as what particular graduate program students should pursue, how to make yourself marketable, and it will also include an overview of what a doctoral degree program entails. For more information, contact the Office of Graduate studies at 657-278-2618 or stop by MH103. Brief by Arianne Custer

dailytitan.com/news

OPINION

March 17, 2011

America and our alcoholic holidays

Editoral:

Growing up BY D

aily

dailytitan.com

Titan Editorial Staff

People use every excuse to drink and seem to have forgotten the true meaning of holidays ASHLEY LOERA Daily Titan

There are plenty of holidays that Americans just don’t understand, holidays that at one point in time had a strong, inspirational meaning with depth and soul. There was a story behind them. But today, hundreds of years later, no one can remember those meanings so instead they pass down vapid excuses of tradition so they can carry on a legacy. Examples: Easter is a widely celebrated religious holiday that deals with the rise of Jesus Christ, so where do the bunnies mesh in? And Cinco de Mayo commemorates the Mexican victory over their French oppressors, but all we know is it’s time to bust out the sombreros and shots of tequila. St. Patrick’s Day is no different. It was created as a religious holiday to celebrate Irish heritage on the day of Saint Patrick’s death. The first parade in 1762 was held in America to bring together the large amounts of Irish immigrants that were living here. Funny thing is, these first parades involved protests from the Irish for being so mistreated as immigrants, as many foreigners were exploited at that time. They marched to show the strength in their numbers and prove they deserved more. So naturally we pinch each other and plaster shamrocks on the walls to commemorate this uprising of the Irish immigrants. Now, don’t get me wrong. I’m not trying to be a Negative Nancy who doesn’t love another excuse to get drunk and party all night long. I’ll celebrate just as hard as the next. But doesn’t anyone care that we know nothing of what we’re celebrating? There are so many American holidays we celebrate and don’t understand, from Labor Day to Valentine’s Day all the way to Halloween. And somehow consuming mass amounts

of alcohol is involved in almost every single one. I wonder if that makes us the alcoholics of the world? Irish is the nation’s second most frequently reported ancestry with over 36 million U.S. residents having Irish roots, more than eight times the population of Ireland itself, according to the U.S. Census Bureau as reported by History.com. So you’d think it would become something more in this country than just the appearance of green beer at every local bar. St. Patrick’s Day is meant to be a celebration of heritage and appreciation, to honor a people that once helped build our country. There are more than 100 different St. Patrick’s Day parades celebrated across the country, so why not watch one? If you’re going to revel in the glory of their beer and feasts, you might as well educate yourself on their celebrations. For instance, did you know that leprechauns have nothing to do with St. Patrick’s Day? It was a symbol created by Americans to associate with the holiday. So skip out on the Leprechaun movie marathon because it doesn’t correlate. And the shamrock was actually used as a symbol of Irish nationalism back when they were being oppressed by the English, so wearing them will show pride in the culture you’re drinking for. Why not pin a few of those on? Irish music was a way for the Irish to pass on the stories of generations past even after not being allowed to speak their own language, so music is definitely a good way to celebrate. It’s OK if it’s not super traditional Irish tunes; you can stick with Flogging Molly and get away with it. As long as you understand why you’re getting wasted off Guinness and Bailey’s then St. Patrick’s Day can resume its natural course. Add a couple symbols and traditions behind your alcoholism and it makes it OK. Hey, it’s the American way.

As much as we hate to admit it, college forces us to grow up – but at least we’re not alone In kindergarten, we worry about getting actual homework in the first grade. In the third grade, we worry about the California state report we have to do in the fourth grade. In the fifth grade, we worry about the awkwardness of hitting puberty in middle school. In middle school, when we’ve figured out how tampons and deodorant sticks function, we worry about what our social status will be like in high school. In high school, when you realize very few people give a damn about labels, we worry about getting accepted into college and what financial issues it will bring. In the present day, we’re here at Cal State Fullerton. All 36,000 students have united as broke and hungry survivors of the trials and tribulations we faced back in the day, and as Titans we all have more in common than we think. Together we fight to enroll in classes, together we look down and pretend we’re having a conversation on our cell phones while cutting through the Titan Walk and together we are willing to hop in a stranger’s car (or at least allow them to stalk us) so they get first dibs on our parking spot. But yet another unifying obstacle is looming in the not-so-distant future: What we will do with our lives and careers once we have our

degrees under our belts and are ready to leave CSUF behind. Yes, that thought has crossed every single student’s mind and there is some level of concern over it. The difference between this hurdle and the hurdles we faced in our youth is that we have grown and matured enough to learn that we have complete control over how we approach this situation; if we want it bad enough, we will make it happen. However, it is a little daunting when 70 percent of high school graduates are attending college. This means a lower demand for white-collar jobs, and at that point, it would make more sense to apply for a job that’s not so glamorous when there becomes a shortage of blue-collar workers, according to Marty Nemko, an Oakland career counselor. This may be the most terrifying hurdle to date that we have to leap over, and let’s face it—the good majority of us can’t jump that high. But we do have the ability to lower the bar. We have the power to establish good relationships with the CSUF faculty and staff. If we are willing to make the effort to stand out from the crowd and personally show our professors that we give a damn about our futures and will do anything and everything to succeed, they will practically gift wrap a genuine letter of recommendation that’ll put us one

step ahead of our competition. With university requirements that force many of us to take an internship in order to graduate, we can put up with one semester of working for free if it gets us on the good side of a potential employer. With legitimate letters of recommendation from them as well, landing a career will be much easier than if you were simply seen as another Average Joe trying to apply with only a B.A., B.S. or master’s degree to your name. Along with the unhealthy addiction that is Facebook, we also have the power to easily network with other students in clubs and campus activities, and keeping in touch with these new friends and acquaintances may one day benefit you in the future; you’ll never know if the guy sitting next to you right now will have the sweet hookups in his own field of expertise. If you don’t work to lower the bar, then you’d better get a running start to make that jump. But either way, the world keeps spinning, the clock keeps ticking and as long as you’re still breathing at the end of the day, you’re going to be just fine. Before you know it, you’ll be on your lunch break at work with food in your belly, waiting to go back home under the roof you singlehandedly keep over your head and think to yourself, “What the hell was I so worried about in the first place?”

dailytitan.com/opinion

dailytitan.com

FEATURES

March 17, 2011

Garage sale raises funds, awareness

Students ACT group hosts Green Living event ALNAS ZIA Daily Titan

Yard sales usually tend to be a quick way to get rid of your junk and earn some easy money, but an on-campus thrift-shopping event organized by the Students Advocating Civic Transformation program achieved beyond that. It not only raised funds for a social cause but also reinforced the idea of recycling by selling useful and functional items to students at college budget-friendly prices. Students ACT’s fifth annual fundraising event Green Living took place Tuesday and Wednesday from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. in the Quad. “Green Living promotes the concept of recycling and reusing items. It’s a consumer-based event since everything we have on sale has been donated to us,” said Janelle Truong, project director for Students ACT. The 24-year-old communications disorder major also believes the idea of an on-campus thrift store is definitely a better way to raise funds than a bake sale. The event raised funds for the Social Justice Summit, which is a free-of-charge one-day conference at the CSUF Titan Student Union Pavilions April 16. The conference will have workshops and keynote speakers to speak on social and political issues and will provide a platform for individuals to voice their opinion on a variety of issues.

“It’s all about student power,” Truong said. The event planners were happy with the students’ response toward the fundraiser, as many students stopped by on their way to classes to check out the stalls and ask questions about the student-run organization. “We’ve had a good turnout so far. Students get really interested when we tell them about the purpose of the fundraiser,” said Karley White, 20, a women’s studies major who was part of the planning committee for the event. Some of the items on sale included books, video games and toys all under $2. A digital typewriter, a rare novelty in this age of laptops, was also on sale for $5. But most of the students dug through piles of trendy, vintage clothing items, bags and shoes to score unique fashion items for a fraction of the cost. “I was walking by the Quad today and stopped by to check out the stalls. The items on sale are really affordable and also raise funds for a good cause,” said Elivet Brito, 26, a counseling graduate student who purchased a set of kitchen knives and some tops at the Green Living event. “I’ve been to a few of the Student ACT’s events previously, and they’ve always been presented in an informative manner,” she said. The students were handed free Social Justice Summit tote bags with their purchase to raise awareness about the upcoming conference.

ALNAS ZIA / Daily Titan In addition to the clothing, the decor at American Vintage, located in downtown Fullerton, consists of thrifted and vintage items, such as chairs, books and blankets.

VINTAGE: Thrift shopping in downtown Fullerton for college student budgets ...Continued from page 1 The seemingly undistinguished vintage stores in downtown Fullerton have garnered a huge following of style and budget-conscious shoppers who happily rummage through racks of hand-me-downs and rare pieces from previous eras. In the midst of its swarming cafes, theaters, galleries and shops, downtown Fullerton has also become a hotspot to scour for one-ofa-kind fashion items because of its eclectic range of vintage stores. You can find everything here, from retro disco pants to elegant designer pieces, but one has to have the patience and the eye to dig for unique pieces that can be incorporated with contemporary styles. Another popular thrift store in the area is American Vintage. The store

Tech Time by ARVIN DANG

Sitting in lecture watching the sea of LCD screens light up, it’s ironic seeing some of the largest laptops being used as portable machines. Considering the intense nature of note-taking, arguably, we should be able to get away with using smaller, more minimal devices. Enter iPad. What would it take for us to use a glass slate, 1.3 pounds of material and completely touch-based interface to replace our 10-pound, 15-inch, full keyboard and trackpad machines? One, the right applications, two, the right setup and three, the willingness to give it a try. Let’s put it to the test and see how it works out. Replacing notes: While you can sync a Bluetooth keyboard with your iPad to have a fuller experience, many don’t want the hassle of carrying around the extra peripheral. So in iOS fashion, use your finger or a touch capacitive pen (TenOneDesign.com/stylus) to hand-write or type notes. Applications to use: Penultimate ($1.99) allows you to write freehand notes as you normally would in a digital notebook. Choose pen weight, line color and choose between blank, ruled or grid notebooks. Sync your notes with iTunes or email your notebooks as PDF. Simple Note (Free) There are tons of great applications to write and edit content, including Apple’s own Pages application. As a great alternative, Simple Note is a completely free application that wirelessly syncs and backs up all your notes online. Now you can access them from any computer or browser by simply logging into your Simple Note account at SimpleNoteApp.com.

Evernote (Free) While Evernote is a great tool outside the classroom, it can really help keep you organized in it as well. Organize your lecture notes, PDFs, recordings or even digital snapshots all within Evernote’s simple tagging system. One very neat feature is Evernote’s ability to snap a photo and understand what is written, allowing you to search for it later. Think about snapping a quick photo of the whiteboard anytime your professor is done outlining a concept and storing it along with your other notes or documents. Google Docs (Free, web-based) Hopefully you’re already familiar with Google Docs since they released you from the costly clutches of Microsoft Office. Unfortunately there is no dedicated mobile application for Google Docs on the iPad just yet, but thanks to the iPad’s full-size browser, you can use Google Docs online as you normally would to type, save and share notes. Replacing textbooks: Stop spending extra on textbooks heavy enough to give you a workout. Instead, see if your textbook is offered online digitally, hopefully at a lower price. Then, using the iBook’s native PDF and e-Book support, import it and have it with you at all times. Work with your professors to find solutions to help you save on the cost and hassle of dealing with physical books and papers, all the while helping to bring your class online. Have a tech question? Hit up our local tech expert on Twitter @ arvindang and have your question answered in our next column.

has neatly lined racks of items from years gone by, organized by dresses, jackets, skirts, tops, pants and everything you need to put together either a stylish outfit or an inexpensive costume. “People shop here for theme parties and Halloween. We have a great collection of ‘80s prom dresses,” said Terri Orr, who buys merchandise for the store. “Vintage fashion is an up-and-coming thing. The concept of recycling fashion is great,” she further said. The store has a varied price range, with its collection of vintage dresses being more expensive. They usually start at $50 and can go well above $70. The general rule is the rarer the item, the more expensive it is. Besides selling vintage items, the store also has a range of brand new skirts that are made from vintage fabric at its warehouse. Since the store gets new shipments from all over the country every Friday, one should not be surprised to stumble across a Gucci bag or a Louis Vuitton wallet. Another favorite fashion destination is Buffalo Exchange, an Arizonabased company that has stores across the country. It sells, buys and trades within the neighborhood, making the concept of “recycled fashion” a community matter. Customers can either get cash for their items or can trade in for other items. “We usually look at looks that translate into modern fashion when we select items for our store,” said Camille Dodd, 20, a history major at CSUF who works at Buffalo Exchange. Vintage stores are also a great fashion resource for college students because they fit their budget and allow them to experiment with different looks. Vo believes vintage does not necessarily mean “old fashion,” as one can always find pieces “that follow the current fashion trends.” The idea of vintage shopping has moved away from the concept of “smelly and unclean” as more and more people are shopping for the vintage equivalent of current fashion trends in lieu of shopping at retail stores. The buyers pay special attention to detect any damages or stains when they select items for the store, but suggest customers get their clothing dry-cleaned as well. Another thing to keep in mind is the return policy of these stores. While some may happily offer you store credit within seven days of your purchase, some might have a strict no-return policy. Vo has her own five-step rule that she follows every time she goes vintage shopping: 1. Vintage stores can be overwhelming sometimes, so go with a friend because two eyes are better than one. 2. Always go with an open mind. 3. Look through each article of clothing on the racks one by one because every detail matters. 4. Try to carry a basket and pile everything you think looks good in there and decide later. 5. Before making your final decision, carefully examine each item and try it on to see how it fits. But the most important rule she follows is that whenever she and her friend end up liking the same vintage item, whoever finds it first gets to make the decision of either keeping it or passing it on. Fighting is never an option because after all, she can always share it with her. Why even pay the vintage price when you get to borrow it for free?

March 17, 2011

2000 Sper m/Egg Don ors

Crossword

EGG DONORS NEEDED $1 0,000, plus expens

brought to you by mctcampus.com

We need egg dono rs of all ethnicities. Please contact us th rough our inquiry form at www.aperfectmatc h.com or 1-800-264-8828

3000

Miscellaneous Please vote for CarisAiraX (me) for best house remix tune! Once a day, everyday. Spread the word to everybody you know; you will enjoy my beat! Go to http://www.beatportal.com/remix Look under Martin Solveig. Thank you for your generosity and time.

3000 Miscellaneous

Desperately ekin g students for latese reference. www.library.fulle rton.edu/ ask

5400

Personal Services Tarot Card Readings Clear, accurate, honest and confidential readings.....

Career

6200 Opportunities P/T

Join the Daily Titan Now Hiring!!! aphic Account Executives, Gr and er, ast bm We rs, Designe r! Classifieds Manage Contact Adrian Gaitan (657) 278-4411

Horoscopes

your or stop by CP660 with to it ail e-m resume or agaitan@dailytitan.com

Initial conversation via phone and readings done through email. Email allows you reflect on your readings at your leisure. 10 dollars per question......2 questions min. Can pay through paypal. First time clients get one question free!

Live we

ll. It is

Please call 949-922-6883 or email me at mrsguevara04@yahoo.com Email mrsguevara04@yahoo.com

the grea

test rev

brought to you by mctcampus.com

Sudoku

Sudoku brought to you by dailysudoku.com

Taurus (April 20-May 20) A female associate obsesses over finishing a project that just isn’t quite ready. Everyone needs to complete their part first. Divert her attention.

Gemini (May 21-June 21) Energy flows among your associates easily today. Clever ideas meet cheerful agreement. You see how the final product can develop. Set priorities. Cancer (June 22-July 22) Whatever you try today goes more smoothly than you thought possible. You have just the right ideas to persuade others. Go for the gold. Leo (July 23-Aug. 22) Careful communication creates a smoother flow today. Gentle questioning reveals otherwise hidden motives. Then everyone’s agendas meld like shuffling a deck of cards.

Daily Sudoku: Sat 25-Sep-2010

medium

3 9 2 4 7 6

5 7 6 3 1 2

9 4 5 7 3 8

1 2 9 8 5 7

8 3 1 6 9 4

2 8 3 9 6 5

6 5 4 2 8 1

4 6 7 1 2 3

6 1 9 2 4 5 7 3 8 2 8 4 6 3 7 1 9 5

Pisces (Feb. 19-March 20) Harmony is restored today when you imagine that all things are possible and then take action. You get powerful help from a surprising source.

Daily Sudoku: Sat 25-Sep-2010

9 1 3 6 7 4 5 2 7

7 2 6

3 4

How To Play: Each row must contain the numbers 1 to 9; each column must contain the numbers 1 to 9: and each set of boxes must contain the numbers 1 to 9.

7 1 8 5 4 9

Aquarius (Jan. 20-Feb. 18) Without any high-energy activities, you still get a great deal accomplished. Small tasks flow into larger ones, and soon you see the end of the tunnel.

3 4 9 1 3 6 7 4 5 1 2 7 3 5 8 1 6 2 4 7 9

Capricorn (Dec. 22-Jan. 19) The group flaunts their brilliant ideas with great enthusiasm. Everyone’s prepared to work hard to create the most positive outcome. A female takes charge.

4 6 3 5 8 2 7

Sagittarius (Nov. 22-Dec. 21) You’ve been dreaming about fortunate changes for family members. Today something will shift here. Use your influence to direct the boat with the tide.

Daily Sudoku: Sat 25-Sep-2010

Scorpio (Oct. 23-Nov. 21) Obstacles dissolve as you get into action, diving in with your natural talents. Everyone agrees that you’re on the right track. This one’s easy.

2 6

Virgo (Aug. 23-Sept. 22) You feel pressure to prepare for a social event of great importance. Step up the glam and write the speech in advance. Practice it in the mirror. Libra (Sept. 23-Oct. 22) Lacking high energy, conditions around you still allow for forward progress. Imagine getting together with coworkers for a party to celebrate.

http://www.dailysudoku.com/

Aries (March 21-April 19) Your energy goes in three directions at once, but it’s okay. Details come together and you achieve goals quicker than you thought possible.

enge.

dailytitan.com

SPORTS

March 17, 2011

TITAN

DTSHORTHAND Folino Invitational Sweeps the Greens

SPOTLIGHT:

The Cal State Fullerton men’s and women’s golf teams will be hosting the inaugural Folino Invitational Golf Tournament March 20 to 22 in Irvine. The tournament being held at the Oak Creek Golf Club will begin with an amateur fundraising event Sunday while the collegiate teams play practice rounds. The event Monday begins at 8 a.m. with the men competing in a 36-hole tournament while the women’s teams play 18 holes, both following up Tuesday for the final rounds of competition. Ten schools will compete in the men’s event: CSUF, Cal Poly San Luis Obispo, Cal State Bakersfield, Cal State Northridge, Loyola Marymount, St. John’s, Seattle University, UC Irvine, UC Riverside and UC Santa Barbara. The women’s competition will include: CSUF, Cal Poly SLO, CSUN, Long Beach State, Portland, Sacramento State, UCI and UCR.

Tiffany Mai

Brief by Wesley Ruscher

Baseball Drops Four on Road Trip

March on the road for the Cal State Fullerton baseball team was not the kind of trip the No. 13 Titans would have liked to have had. Closing out their four-game road trip at Texas A&M Tuesday night, the Titans fell in another close battle, 2-0, to the No. 21 Aggies. Titan right-handed pitcher Jake Floethe could not escape a bases-loaded no-out jam in the seventh inning. With two outs and no Aggies having yet scored, what would have been an inning-ending groundout to first base snuck between the legs of first baseman Nick Ramirez, allowing Texas A&M to take the 2-0 lead. Those runs were all the Aggies needed as their pitching held the Titans to just five hits on the night. Titan shortstop Ricky Pedroza saw his 10-game hitting streak snapped in the loss, going zero for four for the night. Floethe received the loss in the game falling to 1-1 on the season. Before the seventh inning he had only faced one over the minimum amount of batters. Sophomore right-handed pitcher Dylan Floro pitched a perfect eight inning in the defeat. Losing four straight on the road, including being swept at LSU in a three-game set over the weekend, has dropped the Titans record to 8-7 on the season. The four-game skid for the Titans is their first since the 2007 season. The Titans look to get back on track when they return to Goodwin Field for a three-game homestand against Washington starting Friday at 7 p.m. Brief by Wesley Ruscher

CAMILLE TARAZON / Daily Titan Individually and in doubles, Mai has shown a huge improvement for her team and proven with Big West Conference honors. CAMILLE TARAZON / Daily Titan Senior first baseman K.C. Craddick grabs the ball to make the out at first. Craddick poured on the attack from the plate by going 2 for 3 in the game over Notre Dame Wednesday.

TITANS: Season-high 14 hits set in shutout victory ...Continued from page 1 “We’re going in tomorrow with the same attitude,” said Cervantes. Wednesday’s game was also Gromacki’s first game back after a personal leave of absence. She missed a total of 13 games where the Titans went 5-8 under interim Head Coach Dee Dee Kingsbury. CSUF had only one win in the last four games, including a lopsided 11-2 loss to UCLA Saturday. “We were pumped to have our coach back. We’ve been doing well, but having her made us stronger,” Cervantes said. The Titans showed their offensive power, earning their second five-inning win this season, scoring 10 runs or more. Tsuchiyama’s blast came after Cervantes helped her own cause by driving in senior first basemen K.C. Craddick for the first run. With Craddick on third and Cervantes on first, Tsuchiyama wasted no time swinging at the first pitch and driving it to right field for her first-career home run as a Titan. Tsuchiyama said it felt good to get her first homer and credited it to patience at the plate. The Titans noticed Notre Dame’s starting pitcher Jody

Valdivia’s first pitch and Tsuchiyama took advantage of it. “Everyone was telling me her first pitch looked really good so I swung at it,” Tsuchiyama said. The Titans were able to score two more unearned runs in the third after Notre Dame’s first baseman Jackie Bowe threw a ball away to third after freshman right fielder Leesa Harris beat the throw at first, allowing shortstop Adriana Martinez to score. The ball sailed to left field and Harris rounded the bases to add the other run. The Fighting Irish’s pitching change from Valdivia to Brittany O’Donnell didn’t make a difference as the Titans added four more runs in the fourth inning. Cervantes pitched a solid threehitter for four innings and earned her seventh win of the season. She also made an impact offensively going two for three with two singles and two RBIs. Cervantes improved her overall

record to 7-5 with Wednesday’s shutout win. Aly Fascetti pitched a final perfect inning to close out the game. “I struggled a little bit in the beginning trying to hit my spots, but I then I found my change-up and settled down,” Cervantes said. Gromacki was pleased with the defensive effort. “Our defense was amazing. That’s all we ask our pitchers to do. If we can play defense, we’ll be fantastic. That was a true team effort,” Gromacki said. Sophomore left fielder Ashley Carter, senior center fielder Torrie Anderson, Martinez, Cervantes and Craddick each had a multi-hit game. Cervantes, Tsuchiyama and senior Natalie DeLeese also contributed with multiple RBIs. Next up for the Titans tonight is Michigan at 7:30 p.m. at Anderson Family Field. CSUF will also face Illinois, No. 12 Texas and Boise State the rest of this weekend in the tournament.

No. 1 singles player aims for more victories after earning Player of the Week ANDREW KWOK Daily Titan

Darting from the net to the end line, it isn’t any wonder why most athletes are not usually recognized for their efforts, but getting the W when it counts, that’s what matters. Cal State Fullerton women’s tennis sophomore Tiffany Mai was named the Big West Conference Player of the Week Wednesday after sealing two consecutive wins over a pair of top conference opponents last week. It’s Mai’s first career weekly honor, who improved to 6-10 overall at the No. 1 singles spot for the Titans and 6-10 in doubles play after splitting her two doubles contests with teammate Monica Rodriguez. She’s risen up a long way from her preseason 1-5 stats, and has proven herself a vital member for the Titans this year.

Although the Titans lost to both Cal Poly San Luis Obispo (6-1) and UC Santa Barbara (52), Mai scored victories against the Mustangs’ No. 1 singles player Florence Lehane, 7-5, 7-6, and against the Gauchos’ Natalia Lozano in a tiebreaker, 2-6, 6-4, (10-7). Having been defeated in a doubles play by Cal Poly SLO’s Lehane and Margarita Spicin, 8-3, Mai and Rodriguez won against Jordan Dockendorf and Lozano in Santa Barbara at the No. 1 doubles spot, 8-4. The Titans prepared to face seven straight contests at the Titan Courts after their three straight road matches. Texas State (6-3) took the win, 6-4, after Wednesday’s game, where Mai won a victory alongside Rodriguez in the doubles match against the Bobcats’ Jessica Kahts and Melissa Hadad, 8-4. The Titans (3-13) play again Friday against Colorado State.

A Cinderella will emerge from the Madness ELLIOT COOK Daily Titan

It’s the most wonderful time of the year. Every sports fan’s favorite month of craziness, upsets and even Cinderellas is here. With the NCAA Tournament’s first-round games already in the books, I am here to tell you the upsets, the winners and the losers. With the second round starting today (the play-in games are now called the first round), I hope you are as excited as I am. Starting in the East region with the No. 1 overall seed Ohio State,

many people believe this is the team to beat and with good reason. They will easily win their first game, and then could get a solid game from the George Mason and Villanova winner. Villanova has been cold as of late, but George Mason is a midmajor team a lot of people have no idea about. George Mason is a solid all-around team, but OSU looks to prevail. There could be a 12-5 seed upset here with Clemson being a red-hot club matching up with West Virginia. Other than that it looks like chalk to the third round. Here we could see one of the best games in the tournament with Washington matching up with North Carolina. Both teams love to play fast, which every fan loves to watch. I have the No. 3 seed Syracuse Orangemen against OSU to play in the Final Four with OSU advancing. In the West, Duke is the No. 1 seed and the defending champion. A quick upset could be Missouri over Cincinnati as Mizzou likes to pressure the ball the entire game and shouldn’t have been a No. 11 seed. I have them then beating UCONN

and making the Sweet 16. A team to watch in this region is the No. 4 seed Texas Longhorns, who could easily make the Final Four. They have the best defense in the nation, and not many people can match up with the length and talent of sophomore guard Jordan Hamilton. If they meet up with Arizona in the third round, this could be the best game of the entire tournament. The key in this bracket is the return of Duke freshman point guard Kyrie Irving. Irving was one of the best play-makers in the nation before he went down with a toe injury, and if he is 100 percent like reported, Duke wins this region. Another favorite in the tournament has to be the No. 1 seed in the Southwest, Kansas. With one of the best front lines in basketball, Kansas should be able to make a deep run, but we all thought that last year. An interesting game here will be the VCU-Georgetown game. Purdue has multiple players out who get minutes so you should not expect a lengthy run from them. Notre Dame has the shooting to make a

In the West, Duke is the No. 1 seed and the defending champion. A quick upset could be Missouri over Cincinnati as Mizzou likes to pressure the ball the entire game and shouldn’t have been a No. 11 seed. deep run, but lacks the point guard play. The Southeast region looks to be the easiest, with No. 1 Pittsburgh having an easy road to Houston. No. 10 seed Michigan State is always dangerous in March after a sub-par year for them up to now. The No. 2 seed Florida is not a real 2-seed and could be upset early. If BYU’s senior guard Jimmer Fredette gets going, BYU could make a real push to the Final Four as well, even though they are missing their key big man for the entire tournament. Overall I like Ohio State beating Kansas in the final. If Irving is his old self for Duke, they may repeat, but until then Ohio State has the talent and experience to win it all.