The Daily Titan - May 8, 2012

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May 8, 2012

Vol. 91 Issue 51

Fun Fridays at the SRC With finals less than a week away, the Student Recreation Center has been transformed to celebrate Cinco De Mayo. The last Fun Friday is Friday from 12 to 2 p.m.

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LOCAL | CSU protests reviewed

November student protests examined Report recommends 15 new policies for contentious situations RICARDO GONZALEZ Daily Titan

The California State University’s Public Affairs office released an independent review of the incidents that occurred Nov. 16, 2011, resulting from protests at the CSU Chancellor’s Office in Long Beach. The review — released April 24 — critiques the planning, procedure and actions taken by CSU police and associates. “The purpose of the report was to have an external review of the student protests and CSU response and to make recommendations,” said Claudia Keith, assistant vice chancellor of public affairs in an email. Recent tuition increases for CSU students prompted a large number of protesters — identified in the review as being from the Occupy movement, the ReFund California Coalition and the California State University Employees Union (CSUEU), among others — to take their grievances directly to the CSU Board of Trustees meeting last November. Following heated speeches and outbursts from the crowd, CSU officers escorted the audience out of the room and the location of

the meeting was changed without notice. Outside, protesters clashed with police as the protesters tried to reenter the building. The incident resulted in several arrests and the breaking of a glass door. The meeting ended and the board announced an additional 9 percent increase in tuition. These events, alongside the infamous pepper spray incident at the University of California, Davis Nov. 18, 2011, led the California Legislature to hold a joint hearing between UC and CSU representatives, according to the review. Both systems were requested to conduct a review by an external party. The CSU’s 35-page report was conducted by Ronald M. McCarthy, a retired law enforcement officer who served with the Los Angeles Police Department. “The reviewer attempted to contact the students who were arrested, as well as those who were present at the protest,” Keith said. In total, two individuals from the Long Beach Police Department, three CSU police officers and seven individuals identified as “Citizens” gave input to the report. One of those “Citizens” was current CSUEU president, Pat Gantt. See REVIEW, page 2

FEATURES | Graduation speakers

At commencement, getting others into college is key topic Cal State Fullerton names two guest graduation speakers RICHARD ANDERSON Daily Titan

In a message of hope to graduating students, two speakers will persuade the audience to appreciate the value of higher education. U.S. Undersecretary of Education Dr. Martha J. Kanter and Director of the Office of Personnel Management John Berry were selected as guest speakers at Cal State Fullerton’s 2012 Commencement Ceremony. The Academic Affairs office helped select the speakers. “In general, the vice president for Academic Affairs office takes leadership in identifying commencement speakers,” said Keith Boyum, emeritus professor of political science. Kanter was nominated for her position by President Barack Obama in 2009, and confirmed by the Senate two months later. She works under U.S. Secretary of Education Arne Duncan. According to her Ed.gov biography, Kanter oversees policies, programs, activities related to postsecondary education, adult and career technical education, federal student aid and five White House Initiatives on Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders, Educational Excellence for Hispanics, Historically Black Colleges and Universities, Tribal Colleges and Universities, and Faith-Based and Neighborhood Partnerships.

In order to help education, Kanter’s job is to plan and implement Obama’s goal to have “the best educated, most competitive workforce in the world by 2020” in the U.S. In fact, that is what Kanter’s speech will be about. “In her remarks, Dr. Kanter will discuss President Obama’s 2020 goal for the United States to once again have the world’s highest proportion of college graduates by the end of the decade,” said Alex David Sanchez, who works in Kanter’s office, in an email. Kanter will also talk about her life at the ceremony. “Dr. Kanter will share her own story and celebrate the accomplishments of the graduating class,” Sanchez said. Kanter wants graduating students to inspire family members to follow in their footsteps and pursue higher education. “She will call on graduates to inspire others in their family to also complete higher education in order to help move the country forward,” Sanchez said. Kanter is the first community college leader to be appointed as the undersecretary. She served as the chancellor of the FoothillDe Anza Community College District, which is one of the largest college districts in the country and has 45,000 students and a budget of more than $400 million. Kanter began her career as a teacher at alternative high schools in Massachusetts and New York. See SPEECH, page 6

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VIDEO OF KELLY THOMAS BRAWL SHOWS NEW ANGLE

ANIBAL ORTIZ / Daily Titan Kelly Thomas’ father, Ron Thomas, waits outside the Santa Ana Federal Courthouse Monday for the start of a preliminary hearing for two Fullerton Police officers involved in Kelly’s death.

New evidence made public Audience stunned by morbid evidence presented at hearing ANDERS HOWMANN Daily Titan

The preliminary hearing for Cpl. Jay Cicinelli and Officer Manuel Ramos, the two Fullerton police officers charged with killing Kelly Thomas last July, began Monday. Evidence such as gruesome photos, the batons that were used by officers and a Taser were presented to a large crowd at the Santa Ana Federal Courthouse. Orange County District Attorney Tony Rackauckas led

the prosecution against the two officers, calling witnesses, such as a Fullerton Police forensic investigator and a first-responding paramedic. The district attorney said the hearing could take one to two days to complete. The killing of Thomas, 37, a homeless man who resided in Fullerton and was reportedly schizophrenic, has sparked national uproar. Thomas supporters were inside and outside the courthouse Monday morning. Evidence consisted primarily of photographs of the crime scene, police officers and Thomas taken by Dawn Scruggs, a Fullerton Police forensic investigator. These

photos showed the scene of the crime, injuries to both Thomas and the officers and the weapons used. A video of the event with a transcript and nearby surveillance footage were also included in the presented evidence. The audience gasped as the gruesome photos of Thomas’ beaten face flashed up on the projector. Ron Thomas, Kelly Thomas’ father, did not look at the screen while Scruggs identified the observed injuries on the victim’s body. Thomas’ face was unrecognizable and he had scrapes and lacerations across his body. The injuries that Cicinelli and Ramos received looked minimal,

consisting of scrapes on their forearms, elbows and knees. Officer Joe Wolfe, another officer involved in the altercation who was not charged, received minor scrapes to the head. Scruggs also took photos of a large pool of blood on the ground where the altercation between Thomas and the police officers occurred. A blood sample was also taken into forensic evidence. The X26 model Taser that Cicinelli allegedly used to shock Thomas and beat him had blood stains on the yellow plastic barrel. See HEARING, page 2

LOCAL | Cars in the neighborhood

City ordinance makes street parking difficult Regulatory signs in blocks surrounding Cal State Fullerton force students to keep looking RICHARD ANDERSON Daily Titan

Fullerton has a strict parking policy compared to other cities. An ordinance made in 1924 made it illegal for residents to park their vehicles on the street from 2 a.m. to 5 a.m. outside their houses without a neighborhood exemption. “This local law has been reviewed regularly and reflects the policy decision by the City Council. There are many neighborhoods where exemptions exist, and residents have an option to petition the City Council for an exemption,” said City Manager Joe Felz. He said City Hall is currently working on examining parking needs. “We are currently in the first stages of a comprehensive parking plan to best address parking needs in the future, on a citywide basis,” Felz said. The ordinance has been reviewed many times by the city council over the years. It continues to be supported as a City Council policy, Felz said. With parking being a hot button issue on campus and parking permit prices rising, students

ELEONOR SEGURA / Daily Titan City Manager Joe Felz said residents petition for stricter parking rules in the neighborhoods near Cal State Fullerton.

often search to find parking in other places that allow public street parking. “It is our understanding that students have adequate parking on campus facilities,” Felz said. “Off campus, students can park anywhere parking is allowed and are not distinguished from any other person in regards to parking.” But recently one-hour-parking signs appeared on streets near Cal State Fullerton. Felz said the reason for the signs is because residents think their neighborhoods are negatively impacted by

the influx of student parking in residential streets. Some residents voted against putting the parking signs. Gilbert Diaz, a Fullerton resident, said he wouldn’t sign the petition when his fellow residents were petitioning the city to put up the signs. “As long as you guys don’t mess up my property, you guys can park out here,” said Diaz. See PARKING, page 2


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