Daily Titan December 1, 2010 by Daily Titan

Vol. 88 Issue 47

December 1, 2010

Football Physics

WHAT’S INSIDE

Professor lectures

OPINION Cous I Said So: Is Sarah Palin a robot? ........................................4

Learn the science behind America’s popular sport and how projectile motion through kicking and tackling is possible

The Campus Huddle:

FEATURES Professors’ responses to teacher-rating-website ........................................6

The Broncos won 24-straight games until they met their match with the Wolf Pack and were handed their first loss in overtime See CAMPUS HUDDLE, page 8

SPORTS FC Barcelona wins war with Real Madrid ........................................8

See PHYSICS, page 2

Nevada outruns Boise State

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Stressed women supported

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Para Mujeres meets to discuss stress and share tactics on combating it CAROLINA VELAZQUEZ Daily Titan

A study from Cornell University titled “Sex Differences in Math-Intensive Fields,” concluded that discrimination or ability is not the reason for the imbalance of women in STEM fields, but it’s women’s choices. The study found that women often drop out of math-intensive jobs in order to start a family or care for children. “Young male professors are more likely than their female counterparts to have a stay-at-home spouse or partner who takes care of the children,” said Wendy Williams, who developed the study. “You don’t see nearly as many men with doctorates in physics saying, ‘I won’t apply for a tenure-track position because my partner wants to practice environmental law in Wyoming and I’m going to follow her there and help take care of the kids.’”

Members of Para Mujeres (For Women), held a meeting on campus yesterday afternoon where stress management was the topic of discussion. Para Mujeres, a Chicana and Latina support discussion group, is organized to help women of Chicana and Latina heritage share their life issues and concerns that lie within their culture. The discussion allows them to grow as individuals by learning from each other. “It’s really about students connecting with who they are both with self-esteem and identity,” said Rosalina Camacho, coordinator of the WoMen’s Cultural Resource Center within the WoMen’s Center. “Many of the different students come in because they want to find out more about their culture or they’re wanting to share their culture with other people.” For its weekly meeting, the group discussed stress management because finals are approaching. Camacho said that family obligation is really important, especially from a Latino perspective and this support group meeting is designed to help balance that responsibility with school work. The idea of this discussion is to show these young women how to keep their culture, understand it, be respectful of it but, at the same time not be as stressful. “They’ll talk about the stress that they are feeling and they can’t really express it to their group (of friends) because they might not be Latino or they don’t understand,” Camacho said. “Para Mujeres is a group where a lot of the girls get it. They can identify and say ‘I’ve been there.’’

See WOMEN, page 2

See STRESSED, page 2

Flowers, Roller Derby and Rugby See the multitalented Titan at dailytitan. com/shannonfuchs

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MARK SAMALA / Daily Titan In this photo illustration, a Cal State Fulleerton student ponders over points in Mathematics. CSUF is currently experiencing a constant increase of women in the Math Department.

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Women are part of the equation ERIN BRADLEY Daily Titan

Thirty years ago, female math majors at Cal State Fullerton would be at a disadvantage. Male professors would have primarily taught math classes, and women were outnumbered in the classroom two-to-one. In most universities across America, these statistics have not changed, but CSUF is experiencing a steady growth of women in the Math Department, defying national statistics that show significantly low populations of female math majors. At CSUF, most female math majors continue with their education to receive a credential, in order to teach math and science to children. The ratio of women to men in the under-

graduate math program is nearly even, however, men still vastly outnumber women in graduate school. The underrepresentation of women in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) fields results from women choosing not to pursue further education, or leaving the field all together. Females and Family Life “I feel that women are underrepresented in math fields because we have many other demands in our lives,” said Reina Galvez, a math major at CSUF. “As we get further along in our studies, women tend to get married, have children, or figure out that it’s all too much for them to handle, which is unfortunate.”

After a sore season, the Titans rebuild for next year MICHELLEE COOPER Daily Titan

CELIA LIRA / Daily Titan Shannon Fuchs plays for the Cal State Fullerton women’s rugby team, in addition to playing on the roller derby team, Renegade Rollergirls of Orange County.

Technical theatre major turned roller derby girl KRYSTLE UY Daily Titan

Sweat dripped down her face, smearing her Dia de Los Muertas makeup. Wearing silver booty shorts, knee pads, a black shirt and her short bleach-blond hair tucked back in her helmet, Shananagins was ready to go big or go home. Shananagins, better known as Shannon Fuchs (pronounced “Fooks”), 21, is a senior technical theatre major here at Cal State Fullerton. She is also the reigning captain and youngest member of the Renegade Rollergirls of Orange

County, a team of cut-throat women who play a no-holds barred version of roller derby. Renegade roller derby has no rules, no penalties or punishments and no referees. Indeed, it’s a sport only for the toughest and baddest of chicks. Roller derby, which started in 1935, is largely a women’s full-contact sport. Roller derby is played in more than 20 countries and has even spawned men’s and juniors leagues. The 2009 film, Whip It, starring Ellen Page was about a girl who joins a roller derby team in Texas.

See FUCHS, page 5

The Cal State Fullerton women’s soccer team finished out their season (6-13, 3-5). Although the women did not make it to the Big West Conference tournament, they look ahead to the future and what it has in store. Although the season has ended, that does not mean the team stops practicing. To get ready for next year, offseason has already gotten underway. Practices are filled with intense drills, running and strength conditioning. “The offseason looks intense,” said junior midfielder Casey Volk. “We haven’t stopped going since our last game.” Volk said that even though they did not end the season the way they wanted to, it’s never too early to start preparing for what comes next. “We have practice twice a week and are still required to attend weights as well as putting in extra volunteer time with one another for extra workouts,” Volk said. Offseason will be a challenge mentally and physically as the girls prepare to strengthen their game, but freshman goalkeeper Lindsey Maricic said it will be worth it. “The offseason will be a challenge, as it should be,” Maricic said. “And I look forward to learning more as I continue to finish out my freshman year.”

WILLIAM CAMARGO / For the Daily Titan Titan freshman goalkeeper Lindsey Maricic stretches out to make the pass. Maricic looks to prepare for an even better 2011 season.

The squad knows that the journey ahead will help pave the way for the next season, and they are eager to make redemption. “We still practice of course, and it is much harder,” Maricic said. “But in the end it will make us stronger.”

The women head into training with optimism for the 2011 season, but they still carry with them regret and displeasure in how this season ended. “I did not want to end my career the way it did,” said senior midfielder

Christina Murillo. “I was hoping to pull out a couple of wins in the end or at least on senior night; go out with a win. Unfortunately that did not happen.” See WOMEN’S SOCCER, page 8

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NEWS

December 1, 2010

IN OTHER NEWS INTERNATIONAL

Mexico arrests La Familia drug gang figure MEXICO – Mexican authorities Tuesday said they arrested a regional boss of La Familia drug gang that dominates the western state of Michoacan with violence and a cult-like authority. The trafficking group hung banners suggesting a truce with Mexican government forces. Authorities dismissed the move as a ploy and said they wouldn’t negotiate. Federal police said the man arrested, Jose Alfredo Landa Torres, was recently named to head La Familia’s operations in the state capital, Morelia. His alleged duties included managing finances, bribing police and overseeing street-level drug sales.

NATIONAL

Hoax caller gets four-year prison sentence FLORIDA – In November 2008, 20-year-old Nicholas Barbati pretended to be a Coast Guard lieutenant commander, called in to a secure line and reported a supposed threat to space shuttle Endeavor less than an hour before it was set to launch, federal authorities said. The day before, as he sat in his Daytona Beach home, Barbati made a distress call to the Coast Guard and claimed to be onboard a 32-foot yacht carrying “10 souls” that was taking on water off the New York coast. As it turned out, Barbati was making a lot of hoax calls via his computer—more than 500, according to his plea agreement — including calls to emergency dispatchers in other countries.

STATE

MARK SAMALA / Daily Titan During the fall 2010 semester, 13 females enrolled at Cal State Fullerton specifically for the teaching concentration in mathematics. CSUF offers four concentrations in math.

EPA fines California toxic waste dump over contamination LOS ANGELES – The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency on Tuesday levied a $300,000 fine against a toxic waste dump near a central California farming community plagued by birth defects for failing to properly manage carcinogenic polychlorinated biphenyls, or PCBs. Waste Management Inc. was given 60 days to clean up PCB in soil adjacent to a building where extremely hazardous wastes are treated for disposal. EPA tests showed PCB concentrations of up to 440 parts per million at the landfill, the largest hazardous waste facility in the Western United States and the only one in the state federally regulated to handle PCBs. Spills of PCBs at concentrations of 50 parts per million on concrete or soil constitute a violation of the Toxic Substances Control Act.

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.

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WOMEN: FINDING A PLACE IN MATH EDUCATION ... Continued from page 1 Enrollment in math programs at American universities show a higher number of women in undergraduate fields rather than master’s and doctorate programs. About 13,664 math degrees are awarded each year, with 2,589 graduate degrees awarded to women. More than twice the number of graduate degrees are awarded to men. The difference between degrees is not an issue of gender discrimination, but of choice. SMART Girls Nationally, about 6,000 women graduate with math degrees every year. At CSUF, there are 184 women in the undergraduate program, making up 53 percent of math students in the College of Natural Sciences and Mathematics. “While women have made great strides in STEM fields, they are not as well recognized in the top echelons as men,” said Margaret Kidd, associate math professor

and advisor to CSUF’s SMART Girls support group. SMART Girls stands for Sisters in Mathematics, Academics, Relationships and Teaching, a group started on campus by female math students in 2006. The club works as a support group for women in the math department, encouraging them and providing resources to ensure academic success. “Currently, women represent a minority in the field of mathematics. For this reason, it is important to provide women with as many resources as possible in order to ensure success in every way, especially as math majors,” Kidd said, who is one of eight full-time female faculty members. Twentyeight are male. Through bake sales and luncheons, the women build friendships, network and support each other in math fields. With support from faculty and fellow math majors, women gain confidence in their ability and excel in their studies, thus reducing the dropout rate among female math students. For Jorly Chatouphonexay,

While enrollment in general math programs may leave females outnumbered, math education programs award 60 percent of degrees to women. Many members of SMART Girls are not pursuing graduate education; instead, they are earning teaching credentials with the hopes of abolishing math anxiety in children. “With my math degree, I plan to teach, specifically, middle school math,” said Galvez, president of SMART Girls. “Middle school students are at a crucial age

WOMEN IN MATH ÷ About 6,000 women graduate with degrees in math in the nation. - At Cal State Fullerton, there are 184 women in the undergraduate math program. + Womem make up 53 percent of students in the College of Natural Sciences and Mathematics. × There are eight fulltime female faculty members — 28 are male.

... Continued from page 1 Co-facilitator Laura Fabian, a 26-year-old human services major at Cal State Fullerton, said that this discussion was able to help members cope with stress in an unconventional way. Ripping paper was just one of the many exercises the support group learned in order to relieve stress. With some of the member’s parents and siblings not being able to understand the college system, it raises questions for the women in the group on how to tell their parents they have to stay late and study. The discussion helps women deal with those questions in a way that is less stressful for them but still respectful to their parents as well as their families’ obligations, Camacho said. “Sometimes our community doesn’t always want to speak to the issue of stress management,” Camacho said. Diana Santana, 30-year-old art major and human services minor, thought the discussion was a success. “It opened up their minds (in a different perspective) as women.

SHANE WESTOVER / Daily Titan From left to right: Julia Martinez, Brenda Velasquez, Dulce Morales, Laura Fabian, Diana Santana and Erika Barrios.

It allowed every member to talk about their own trials in life but also helped them to know themselves and to know more about

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.

From Classroom to Classroom

and need the discipline required for mathematics. I have seen it too many times how teachers are really strict with their students, demanding respect rather than earning it. Instead, the students turn their backs on the teacher and turn their backs on math.”

STRESSED: WOMEN TALK ABOUT CULTURAL ISSUES

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SMART Girls has improved her experience as a female math major at CSUF, introducing her to other women and providing academic support. “My grades and love for math have increased,” said Chatouphonexay, treasurer of SMART Girls. “In math courses, the ratio of males is significantly higher than females. Females may feel intimidated and may find it hard to continue (in math).”

SHANE WESTOVER / Daily Titan The discussion served as a support group and created a safe space for women.

their identity,” Santana said, who is also co-facilitator of Para Mujeres. With Para Mujeres being a support group composed of mostly junior and senior students, Camacho expresses interest toward spreading the word to attract more freshman and sophomores. “The WoMen’s Center is an excellent place because of the workshops, the discussion groups, the support and the overall information that we give,” Camacho said. “It’s OK to ask for help; it’s OK to say ‘I’m not sure about something.’” As the WoMen’s Center provides multiple services, there are other discussion groups offered such as Sister Talk (a black group), S.E.A.P.I.E (an Asian American group) and even a men’s discussion group.

The center provides a safe place where women and men can comfortably talk about what is going on in their lives. “The WoMen’s Center is also a multicultural center, and if anyone comes in, there will always be service,” Santana said. Para Mujeres wants to welcome those who are interested in the Latino culture to discuss women’s issues and the everyday topics that students face. Camacho, along with Santana and Fabian, want students to try to identify who they are, both culturally and as women. “Once you identify yourself and feel confident, then everything starts to fall into place,” Camacho said. For more information on Para Mujeres, or any of the other groups, visit by UH-205.

December 1, 2010

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The physics of football University of Nebraska professors to lecture campus about the sport KAREN DICKINSON Daily Titan

LUCIO VILLA / Daily Titan Students gathered at the WoMen’s Center to watch the film Gran Torino. The film has issues on racism, culture and relationships.

Learning through film Students digest issues dealing with race in award-winning movie STEPHANIE GOMEZ Daily Titan

A viewing of the feature film Gran Torino starring Clint Eastwood was held at the WoMen’s Center in University Hall yesterday. The Tuesday night event was part of the Reel Women, Reel Men, Real World film series intended to promote discussion on gender roles, both real and imagined. Ariana Tamase, pre-nursing major, had never seen the movie before and was attending to earn extra credit for her Asian American film class. “I’m expecting it to be really good, because I think it won (an award); I have high expectations for it,” Tamase said.

The film is named after the Ford Gran Torino, a car that serves as the catalyst for the events in the film. The film follows an elderly American man living in a neighborhood of predominantly Hmong people, an Asian ethnic group, and the relationships that form between them. “Well, just in general the whole event is set up, the series of films are set up, to depict men and women in a light of good or bad, and this is kind of a gentleman who’s racist and he looks at people in such a stereotypical way and yet when he starts to look at his neighbors as individuals he stops being so racist,” said Jerri Freeman of the WoMen’s Center about why the film was chosen. For human services major, Erika Barrios, it was her first time attending this type of film event. “I have seen it once and it was really good so I wanted to watch it again, if this is the movie I think it is, I think it has to do with racism and I think that’s kinda of what

stuck out the most,” Barrios said. Ben Ho, advertising major, attended the film to earn extra credit for his Asian American film class as well. “You really don’t see a lot of movies these days with an Asian American cast and it shows that Asian Americans are like anybody else, they are people,” Ho said. Eastwood was able to draw a solid group for the night. “Wonderful turnout. In general we get about 16 or 17 and tonight we had 15, so it was on the high end,” Freeman said about the audience attendance. It was also Ho’s first time attending a film event, and he said that he would be willing to attend another event like this one. “I actually never knew about this so maybe I will be here in the future,” Ho said. The final movie in the Reel Women, Reel Men, Real World series is Love Actually which will be shown Dec. 7 at the Women’s Center.

A professor who taught the largest physics class in the world, is visiting Cal State Fullerton to discuss the Physics of football. Professor Tim Gay taught the 78,000 fans that attended the University of Nebraska Cornhuskers home football games in Memorial Stadium. The discussion will be Dec. 3 at 1 p.m. in McCarthy Hall 121. As a physics professor at the University of Nebraska- Lincoln, and former Cal Tech football player, Gay showed his lessons during football game pauses on the huge screens at the end of the football field from 1999 to 2004. Gay’s lessons ranged from 45 seconds to two minutes and covered Newton’s Law of Motion through blocking and tackling; projectile motion through kicking and punting; kinematics through open-field running; and the ideal gas law by filling a football with helium for better hang time. “We begged him and begged him to do this football talk once again and he finally agreed,” said Jim Feagin, CSUF Chair and Professor of Physics. Throughout his career, Gay has been a principle investigator for a research group funded by the National Science Foundation. Gay has published more than 80 articles in the refereed scientific literature as well as his own book The Physics of Football. “He likes to make physics simple so people have clearer pictures of what it is,” said Gay’s friend, Morty Khakoo, of the CSUF Physics Department. Gay’s work has been recognized nationally. His Physics of Football lectures have been featured on ABC World

News Tonight, ESPN’s Cold Pizza, articles in the Wall Street Journal, New York Times, People Magazine, ESPN Magazine and The Washington Post, as well as other news outlets across the country. “One morning my wife came in with the newspaper and it had an animated picture of Gay on the front page,” Feagin said. Gay has also been recognized internationally. From 2002 to 2004, NFL Films hired him to write and appear in a series of five-minute television segments for NFL Blast! It was a half-hour program shown in 190 foreign countries used to familiarize viewers with American Football. Football Physics segments featured Gay’s lectures and demonstrations alongside current NFL players. “Math is the language of physics, and I am constantly surprised how physics can be used to explain our world all the way down to a football tackle,” said Patti McCarthy, CSUF administrative support coordinator for physics. The Physics of Football talk at CSUF will discuss the series of oneminute physics lectures Gay conducted at the University of Nebraska home games. Topics will include gyroscopic motion and ionizing collisions between linebackers and R-backs. Gay will also cover the problem of simultaneous edification and amusement of fans in the stands. “It’s interesting to think about how science can be applied to sports,” said Corey Gant, civil engineering major. “I’m excited to see what he has to say and how physics is prevalent in football.” The Kinesiology Department is especially looking forward to Gay’s talk and even a fourth-grade class is attending the event as part of a field trip, Feagin said. All students and faculty are encouraged to attend Gay’s Physics of Football discussion to understand physics and football in a groundbreaking way.

NEWS

DTSHORTHAND Sale raises funds for scholarships The Cal State Fullerton Alumni Association will host its second annual Alumni Appreciation Holiday Sale Saturday, Dec. 4. The sale will take place at the Titan Bookstore from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Students can receive up to 30-percent off by using the promotional code “alumni10.” A portion of the sales will go toward the CSUF Alumni Association Student Scholarship Program. The scholarship award is open to all continuing full-time CSUF undergraduate and graduate students. Applications are currently being accepted for 2011-12 school year. Further information about the holiday sale or scholarship program can be found at the Alumni Relations Office. Brief by Stephanie Raygoza

Annual AIDS day remembers fallen Dec. 1 marks World AIDS Day. For the past 22 years, every Dec. 1, people are asked to take 24 hours to commemorate those who have died of HIV and AIDS and acknowledge those that are living with and fighting against the disease. The day helps to raise awareness, help stop prejudice against the disease and helps find a way to stop the spread of HIV and AIDS. Over 33 million people are affected worldwide, with a large majority in Sub-Saharan Africa. This area is home to only about 10 percent of the world population but makes up 67 percent of the AIDS population. In 2008 alone, almost two million people were diagnosed with HIV and AIDS. Sites have been set up to learn more about HIV and AIDS and to donate money, read true stories about those living with the disease and how you can help to raise awareness. For more information, visit the World AIDS Day 2010 official site, WorldAIDSDay.org. Brief by Anna Gleason

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OPINION

December 1, 2010

Literature

The

L FE of

Courtesy of MCT

Cous I Said So...

KEITH COUSINS Daily Titan

Hats off to you, Sarah Palin. As much as I hate saying it, I have to tip my cap. Even though the rumors of her origins in a secret Anchorage laboratory where she was assembled and programmed by a team of crack Republican scientists are probably greatly exaggerated, I am beginning to believe them more and more. The woman must be some sort of twisted science experiment gone wrong – a public relations robot who singlehandedly generates enough buzz about a “potential” White House run that Obama is probably already preparing the stuffed grizzly for the oval office. For example, WikiLeaks has been all over the media in recent days. After Julian Assange unleashed a slew of sensitive government documents to the world via the Internet, he was openly condemned by Washington and even threatened with a criminal investigation. This is a big enough story as it is, with no hint of the “Mama Grizzly” or her reality show camera crew in sight. Not so fast, whose comments do the New York Daily choose to center an entire article around? You guessed it, Sarah Palin. Seems she tweeted that if she was in charge she would have pounded WikiLeaks quicker than an Alaskan halibut. Palin went on to ask, “Why was he not pursued with the same urgency we pursue al-Qaida and Taliban leaders?” For fear of being accused as one of the media elite who hates our troops

39 souls

RACHEL SALAS Daily Titan

As I register for the Spring semester at the CSU I attend, I wonder how much my tuition has gone up as my computer loads the page with my total balance, reading $2,970 for four classes. That is up approximately $300 from last semester.

Communication is key

Daily Titan

Shooting! Shining! Thirty-nine souls are free! Following such a comet’s blazing trail Beyond the world of which we’ll no more see The journey awaits with wind in our sails He gave us message of the coming end Vision that sees far beyond our closed minds A message given as if to a friend “As one of the two, my sheep you must find” A sign is given to Do! This is it! We must dawn the suits of final flight So all lay down sweetly soon to orbit Seems only dream to leave this rock of plight I love you dearly is what I imply Cast your sight beyond, forever, goodbye

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR The Daily Titan welcomes letters to the editor. All letters must include the sender’s first and last name. Students must include their majors, and other writers must include their affiliation to the university, if applicable. The Daily Titan reserves the right to edit letters for length, grammar and spelling. Send letters to Isa Ghani, the editor-in-chief, at dteditorinchief@gmail.com.

FOR THE RECORD Articles written for the Daily Titan by columnists, other Cal State Fullerton students, or guests do not necessarily reflect the view of the Daily Titan or Daily Titan Editorial Board. Only editorials are representative of the views of the Daily Titan Editorial Board.

What is up with raising fees? I think students are paying the ultimate price for California’s current budget crisis. Thanks, Gov. Schwarzenegger. According to CNNMoney.com, the 2010-11 school-year tuition and fees at public four-year colleges and universities rose up to 7.9 percent from a year ago, the College Board reported. It’s bad enough that a college degree is becoming just as ordinary as a high school diploma in the work field. The only difference is, that we’re paying increasing fees and breaking our backs trying to ob-

Courtesy of Flickr user Mike Licht

Game

KURT TELLEZ

Students pay for government mistakes As money is pulled from the education system, fees are increasing

Dating

The code has been cracked

and God and a whole slew of things that are just un-American, I will not even dignify that with any sort of response. But it brings me to my point. Sarah Palin has the mainstream media in a chokehold. Even while she openly criticizes them – for well criticizing her and hating America – newspapers, blogs and television shows cannot get enough of everything this woman says. Any tweet, Facebook update or brief interview is everywhere until the next one appears. This only helps Palin. Her name is getting out to the voters far more than… wait I can’t think of any other potential GOP candidates for President. She literally has the publicity market covered – all while being able to maintain her hardcore stance that the media elites are ruining America and out to get her. That is where her reality show and most recent book come in. This week’s column was supposed to be about Going Rouge, but about twenty pages into the book I found myself liking Palin and reading way too many Regan quotes for my liking so I put it down. But the main idea of the book was not lost on me – Sarah Palin is a genuine, regular, real, American who wants to restore this country to its original ideals. Believe me, people eat that stuff up. It sounded laughable just two years ago to suggest that Palin could ever even win the Republican ticket. Now it’s looking all too real. But the point of this whole issue isn’t really that Palin is inexperienced or a little off – similar arguments could be made about our current President. It’s about the state of American politics. No longer is our political process about policy or leadership ability. It’s all about the publicity, all about the book tours and image. The candidate with the best marketing and PR team will ultimately win the next election and the way things are going with Sarah Palin, I wouldn’t doubt if she pulled off an upset. This whole column has made me weep openly for our once great country, but I have to hand it to Palin. She cracked the code and for that she should be applauded. Why? Cous I said so.

The

Courtesy of Flickr user Andrea_F tain that sacred degree that has been talked up by society, to ensure a stable future. Sadly, that stable future is no longer guaranteed. Why is it that a person with a Master’s in psychology gets paid $35,000 a year in their respective field, while a waiter at a diner gets paid $50,000 a year with little education? Our degrees don’t seem to be adding up to the cost we’re paying for them. With money being pulled from California’s education system, there’s only one other source of revenue: student fees. According to The Sacramento Bee, expansion in programs and technology for the CSUs is part of the reason for rising tuition. The 23 campuses in the system expect to enroll 30,000 additional students this Spring. While it’s great that we’re getting better technology in our colleges, it’s not like students don’t have enough to pay for: rent, gas,

bills, leisure and so on. If tuition continues to rise, what else is in it for us? Well, there is one other thing. According to The Sacramento Bee, students families who earn less than $70,000 a year will not have to pay for the increase because their tuition is waived by government grants. This is great news and will likely be happening to many students because they can’t get a decent -paying job with their degrees. So, everyone will qualify for financial aid! Students are picking up the slack for poor decision making within our government. It’s unfair that our country’s future (which is students) has been compromised and in the end, punished. It’s time to let the people who created this problem with our nation’s economy take responsibility and stop pawning their debt on to us students.

MELISSA HOON Daily Titan

Do you ever feel defeated in your relationship? Sometimes it’s good to wave the white flag and surrender when you’re trying to be the bigger person. But it’s a problem if you feel this way after you’ve already said and done everything possible to move past problems in order to reach the solution in the relationship. You know communication is the key to healthy relationships, but sometimes communicating is easier said than done. If you feel this way, keep the following tips in mind: 1. Put yourself in your partner’s shoes. It’s impossible to be on the same page if you don’t understand where one another is coming from. Listen to your partner’s argument and try to see things from his or her point of view. If your partner does the same, chances are, this will lead to the needed compromise. 2. Pick your battles. All couples fight, but there is no need to go to war over the little things. However, be cautious not to cross the fine line between being up-front and honest, and constantly nagging. If things constantly bother you in your relationship, instead of constantly bringing them up to your partner, re-evaluate the relationship. If you and your partner have so many problems, you’re probably not meant to be. 3. Be the bigger person. Couples usually don’t see eye-to-eye 100 percent of the time in relationships. If your partner is unusually stubborn in a particular argument, don’t further the tension by being equally difficult.

Swallow your pride and move on. But don’t allow this to happen so often that you’re more like a doormat than a boyfriend or girlfriend. Sometimes, however, we feel like waving the white flag even after doing all of the above. If this is the case too often, consider more than simply surrendering to the argument. Instead, it might be time to reconsider your relationship because constantly feeling defeated isn’t healthy. If your relationship and its problems remain stagnant and don’t progress, perhaps it’s time to move on from your partner. Breaking up might be best when the following occurs: 1. You’ve realized your partner will never understand you. Sometimes you and your partner won’t agree. However, if this is repeatedly the case, you’ve reached a dead-end relationship. Call it quits before you invest, and waste, too much time. 2. You and your partner always play the “blame game.” It’s natural to react defensively when being accused of something. Don’t come off as if you’re attacking your partner when you bring up a problem. Pose the problem calmly, and if your significant other still feels threatened and insults you or brings up problems you’ve brought to the relationship, perhaps it’s time to break it off. Couples need to focus on the argument at hand in order to move past things, so it’s crucial to focus on one problem in an argument instead of pointing the finger to different problems. If additional problems are still potent after solving the first, move onto the next, but never discuss multiple arguments at one time. 3. You feel like it’s always your fault. Perhaps you instigated the argument, but ended up feeling as if it was your fault in the first place after the problem was resolved. Taking blame is part of compromising, but blame shouldn’t be harbored by one person. Constantly feeling like everything is your fault belittles you and is not healthy for you or the relationship. When you feel like the “bad guy” at the end of every argument, your problems in the relationship will multiply and intensify, because you’ll become afraid to bring up problems in the future, which will lead to bottled–up feelings and emotional explosions.

FEATURES

December 1, 2010

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CELIA LIRA / Daily Titan Shannon Fuchs demonstrates a wide variety of interests and athletic hobbies. In her spare time, she is on the Cal State Fullerton women’s rugby team which she finds helps her stay grounded. Her team recently defeated USC in a game with a score of 47-10.

FUCHS: CSUF STUDENT BECOMES ROLLER DERBY GIRL

... Continued from page 1

With roller derby gaining a huge following, it’s no surprise that the Renegade Rollergirls of Orange County who started with two girls, has grown to about 20 members. The Renegade Rollergirls of Orange County went on to win that night against San Diego 99-9. The girls didn’t expect to win by that much, but it was clear that Fuchs’ speed and endurance fueled their victory. “Since day one she’s gone for it, and put her whole heart into it. She’s definitely one of my top three skaters in the league,” said Kysha Lopez, 43, known as Ruby Redlight on the rink and cofounder and lead director of the team. Fuchs has been playing roller derby for two years. She practices with her team two days a week, spending 10 hours on top of prac-

tice on the rink and even serves as a guest skater on other teams. Fuchs also lost 20 pounds due to her strong commitment to the sport. Fuchs first saw roller derby on YouTube. She wanted to get involved with something since she didn’t know anyone when she moved away from her home in Temple City to Fullerton. “It looked like a lot of fun. You get to hit a lot of people. I liked that it was all girls,” Fuchs said. Roller derby attracts women of all ages, races and backgrounds, though most girls have brightlycolored hair, tattoos and a punkrock aesthetic. Some of Fuchs’ teammates have kids, survived breast cancer, play in punk bands, are in school (three other members are Cal State Fullerton students) or are just looking for that aggressive outlet. Although roller derby can get violent at times, it’s a racing game

that involves a pack of five girls: a pivot, a jammer and blockers. A pivot is the leader of the pack and sets the pace of the game. A jammer tries to score points while her teammates grab her arm and throw her as fast as they can. This is known as a whip. The rest of the girls on the team are blockers and try to prevent the other team from scoring points. Points are scored when a pack is split up by the opposing team. A game consists of three 15-minute periods with an unlimited number of races or “jams.” Fuchs is the jammer, the fastest player on the track. It comes as no surprise since Fuchs is so dedicated to the sport. She started on the team when she was 19 and was the youngest member before it became a 21-and-over team. “My first practice, I got knocked down a bunch of times. If you don’t know how to skate, you’re going to learn really fast,” she said breezily. Fuchs has broken her hand and her nose, and had her hand skated over. She has knocked someone in the teeth, mauled girls and has even fought a teammate during the game without knowing why. “KCAL 9 came to our practice. We had a scrimmage and she was pretend swinging (for the camera) and I just decked her in the face. I never thought I would do that. I didn’t think I had that in me. It was just instinct,” Fuchs said. Fuchs has never been in a fight before derby. She’s learned since then not to become belligerent and only engages in the occasional fight on the rink when it’s needed. While roller derby brings out a lot of hostility in the girls, Fuchs is totally the opposite when she’s not skating.

“I would describe her as a girl next door with a side that no one really knows about. She seems so sweet and innocent as opposed to everyone. She can hold her own,” said Wendy Lewey, a 23-year-old child development junior. Blue-haired Lewey added with a laugh, “Before we knew each other she punched me in the face and we had to work it out and now we’re friends.” For Fuchs, the derby team became a family for her. They are not only her teammates, but also some of her closest friends. She spends time with the girls outside of the sport and even has a “derby wife” or what is considered an official best friend on the team. Fuchs grew up in Temple City but decided to move to Fullerton when she was 18. Fuchs wanted to get away from her strict father. Living with her dad wasn’t easy, but Fuchs was always a tough kid. She lost her

mother to lung cancer early in her childhood. “It really wasn’t hard. There were two other kids whose moms passed away. It never really hit me,” Fuchs said. Fuchs’ femininity and sweet demeanor may be a striking contrast to her involvement in roller derby, but Fuchs balances the androgyny well. “Growing up I was a tomboy in school. I denied liking boys. I thought maybe if I acted more like them they’d like me, but that didn’t happen,” Fuchs said with a laugh. Fuchs embraces her feminine side on the weekends with big hair, thick eyeliner, fishnets and red lipstick. She also goes to a lot of punkrock concerts, loves cheesy horror movies, sews and fixes up her beige 1971 Volkwagen Squareback. In between all her extracurricular activities, Fuchs is a gardener

for the Titan Student Union. With her hair in a messy bun and no makeup. Fuchs may not be making as much money as she did when she worked in an office for three years, but she is content tending to the garden. Fuchs is a senior technical theatre major, but she has no ideas for an after-college career. “I still don’t know. I’m really not a dedicated student and I never really thought I’d get into college. I don’t want to be stuck doing the same thing,” Fuchs said. At the heart of it all, Fuchs would love to stay involved with derby. She has 10 tattoos including one of the team’s logo. “After I joined the team I knew I would do it for the rest of my life. I really love it. I’m trying to do everything I want to do. I just want to be happy,” Fuchs said with a smile.

KRYSTLE UY / Daily Titan Shannon Fuchs puts Dia de Los Muertos-style makeup on her face as she prepares for a round of roller derby. Her shirt has a silver spray painted “SHANANAGINS” on it, which is her given roller derby name. dailytitan.com/features

December 1, 2010

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FEATURES

Teachers react to RateMyProfessors.com KATIE EVANS Daily Titan

With Spring 2010 class registration well under way, the popular and often controversial ranking website RateMyProfessors.com is a common stop for those picking which courses to enroll in. The website allows students to rate professors they have had based on easiness, helpfulness, clarity and attractiveness. Although it is a place for students to make recommendations for excellent professors or warn others away from terrible ones, the professors’ standpoint on the website is one that often goes unacknowledged. Many teachers do not find it to be a credible source of information. Others do not mind it. Most hope that students are wise enough to take the reviews with a grain of salt. The Good “It is a helpful resource, especially for a new college student. I wouldn’t recommend using it to determine one’s entire course schedule, but hopefully the typical college student has enough common sense to already know that,” said Melissa Bourbonnais, political science professor who received an overall rating of 4 out of 5 on the website. With 2,931 professors listed on RateMyProfessors.com (RMP) and an average rating of 3.8 out of 5, the professors seem to be a bit better than middle of the road. “It can be a useful vehicle for students to choose instructors,” said Jennifer Grover, mathematics professor with a 4.9 overall quality rating. “There is little else they can do when given a choice between instructors! This is their college experience; they are paying. I think they deserve a voice.” Charles Royston, a human services professor who also has a 4.9 overall rating, receives positive reviews such as, “Professor Royston is one of the most amazing human beings I have come across. Additionally, he is one of the best teachers I have ever had.” As a part-time lecturer, he finds that the reviews provide him with security, but also that only raving students post ratings, so the reviews on the website are nearly all extremes. “When I read these unsolicited testimonials from former students, I experienced fulfillment and joy,” Royston said. “That makes up for the small paychecks.” Although most teachers are aware of the website and its function, many choose to forgo reading their reviews for a number of reasons, ranging from finding themselves too thin-skinned or finding the ratings pointless. “I made the decision when I started teaching that I would not read (Rate My Professors) reviews,” said Nathalie Carrick, professor in child and adolescent development, another teacher with a 4.9 rating. “When I was a graduate student, I read ratings of professors and found that the reviews would not be a constructive way to improve teaching styles because the reviews were mostly ‘great professor’ or ‘worst professor.’” Irena Praitis, English and comparative literature professor with a 4.7 overall rating refrains from reading her reviews as well, regardless of

MARK SAMALA / Daily Titan Students use RateMyProfessors.com to find reviews and ratings on potential professors or to write their own evaluations anonymously. Professors can be sorted by overall quality, easiness, attractiveness and department.

the positive messages in them. “Since I first heard of the website six or seven years ago, I’ve visited (it) maybe four or five times,” Praitis said. “The visits have never had a good feeling to them because the site feels too much like a gossip site to me.” Jennifer Yee, Asian American studies professor who has a 5.0 overall rating on the website and has been at Cal State Fullerton for two years, does not view the website either and gets reviews another way. “I prefer not to read the website because I ask students in class: ‘What’s working well in class? What could be better?’” Yee said. “I prefer to hear directly from them what could be improved for their learning.” Whether or not professors receive positive or negative reviews, they all insist upon having care when writing reviews and to use a more factual angle, rather than sensational. “Thank you (students) for taking time to comment on your educational experience,” Yee said. “Please try to remember that the people you are reviewing are human too.” The Bad The ratings on Rate My Professors can be sorted so that viewers may list the professors in order from highest quality to lowest, department, easiness and so on. In sorting from lowest to highest quality, a list of professors with the lowest overall quality scores and highest amount of ratings appears. Many of these professors no longer teach at CSUF. Of those who do, none could be reached for comment on the use of the website. Of said professors, a number of them have reviews that say things such as, “Incredibly difficult to understand and nearly impossible to reach outside of the class room (i.e. e-mail).” “When I was checking the website regularly, I read my own cri-

tiques, of course, but I also reviewed those of my colleagues and former professors,” Bourbonnais said. “The ratings, as a whole, seemed to be fairly accurate, especially when it came to an instructor with numerous postings.” Conversely, not all professors, or even students, agree. Rate My Professors is still a service to be viewed with a grain of salt. “I looked at one of my favorite teacher’s reviews and had I read and believed some of the reviewers, I would have not had the mentor to help me become the teacher that I am,” said Jennifer Mahlke, human communications professor who has an overall rating of 4.9. The Attractive On the more controversial end of the spectrum, one feature of Rate My Professors is the ability to rate a professor based on how physically attractive they are. Teachers who have at least one “hotness” rating earn a chili pepper. Teachers who have many “hotness” ratings earn a chili pepper engulfed in flames. “I think the idea of that is creepy,” Mahlke said. She received a chili pepper on her page. Praitis said that the hotness ratings added to the gossip-like feel of the website, and pays no attention to it. “(They’re) not necessary or relevant, but welcome to social networking that relies on readership and the sensational,” said Jim Volz, theatre professor who received one review that said, “How do you spell HOT? Take Volz and find out!” The mixed reviews of the website do not end at the attractiveness ratings. In fact, the reactions to the feature are more varied than the reactions to the website as a whole. “Obviously any forum which accords my appearance flaming-hot chili pepper status must be considered fairly reliable,” said David Freeman, history professor.

Notable reviews on RateMyProfessors.com “I should have brought a pillow to class. He teaches with as much enthusiasm as a wet blanket.” - Rating for a geology professor “This teacher was the worst, and I was a history major. I had grad students crying in class because of him. One grad student got in a confrontation with him and the police were called.” - Rating for a history professor “HE TALKS ABOUT MILKING COWS WITH HIS MOUTH!!!” - Rating for a history professor “You ask him what ‘1+1’ is, he’ll tell you a paragraph saying how much he likes hot dogs. It was ridiculous.” - Rating for a physics professor “He can best be described as a cross between a ‘70s game-show host and a host of one of those ‘sexual harassment in the workplace’ videos from the ‘50s.” - Rating for a history professor “A cross between Christoph Waltz (Landa from Inglourious Basterds) and Indiana Jones. Every day is an adventure... he even single-handedly ended the Cold War!” - Rating for a history professor “She’s also a hottie so that makes class more enjoyable! but wuts with all the baggy clothes!” - Rating for a philosophy professor “PILLOW WILL NEED A PILLOW IN HIS CLASS AND ALL I LEARNED WAS THAT THERE ARE 50 TILES ON THE CEILING OF THE CLASSROOM.” - Rating for an electrical engineering professor Contact Us at dtfeaturesdesk@gmail.com

Professor Royston spoke of the way that women, more than men, have a disadvantage with the attractiveness ratings in that male students might be more apt to enroll in classes with professors who have a higher hotness rating. Although some female professors may be affected by this feature, others choose to ignore it. “I don’t care. Good looks work to one’s advantage. Studies show that attractiveness is linked with positive student experience and perceived understandability,” Grover said. “We’re all human. I do my best as an instructor, and if they call me or anyone else ‘hot’, then I say ‘thank

you’ and keep teaching like a professor.” Overall, the reaction to the chilipepper rating system is a light-hearted one. Daniel Judelson, kinesiology professor with a chili-pepper rating, receives reviews that say things such as, “He is a great teacher, let alone the hottest at CSUF!” and mention a bias toward his “frat boy humor.” “I started mentioning this year that I thought my humor was a little more sophisticated than ‘frat boy humor,’” Judelson said. “If they do take (my class) because of my chili peppers, I hope they’re not disappointed! In my own education, I never once selected a course based

on how good looking the professor was. I can attest to that because I had some hideous professors.” Regardless of the reaction, many professors are aware of Rate My Professors, and do read the site occasionally. Instead of ranting after the semester is over on the website, teachers urge students to put these thoughts in the Student Opinion Questionnaires (SOQs) administered toward the end of the semester in class. “To the students that encourage other students to take my sections, thank you!” Royston said. “To the general (Rate My Professors) user, carry on.”

December 1, 2010

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4 5 9 1 7 8 6 3 2 7 8 2 3 4 6 9 5 1 Daily Sudoku: Wed 3-Nov-2010

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Pisces (Feb. 19-March 20) Grasp a clear proposal, at least in your mind. Then research details to add convincing arguments. Send it off to the appropriate places early in the afternoon.

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WOMEN’S SOCCER: RECONSTRUCTS PHYSICAL GAME PLAN ... Continued from page 1 Although the team expected more out of their season, Maricic said they will take this experience and use it as motivation for the upcoming season. “I am not at all satisfied with how the season ended, as I am sure (that is how) many of the girls feel,” Maricic said. “We will come out and work hard in the spring and get ready to take on conference again.” In order to make sure next season’s outcome is different, Maricic said the team needs to be hungrier. “We should have had more passion from the start because we are a good team and we work hard all the time; however, sometimes we allow the minor details to mess us up,” Maricic said. “We should have stuck together.” Volk said the only thing they can do to prevent the same mistakes is to start practicing now. “Capitalize on your errors of this past season and make a difference for the next season to come,” Volk said. The game that stood out the most this season was when the Titans beat top-ranked University of North Carolina at Greensboro in an upsetting 2-0. “We played very well that game, and we were determined,” Maricic said. “That just proves that we are a good team and we can do amazing things.” Volk said the game was very exciting for the whole team. “It proved our team had strength and courage and could take on any challenge,” Volk said. Although this game marked the high point of the season, on the opposite side of the spectrum, the team felt different emotions at the end of their last game. “The last game was sad for me because I knew we were going to lose such talented seniors,” Maricic said. As a senior on the team, Murillo said she had hoped the season would have gone differently; she did not want the last game to end that way. “It’s hard ending your whole soccer career because soccer is no longer included in your daily routine,” Murillo said. Both Maricic and Volk say that preparation for next season starts now and they look forward to seeing what the future has in store.

For the Daily Titan

Rod Gilmore said it best after the pistol offense of Nevada made the defense of Boise State look like a piece of Swiss cheese: Boise State was used to taking meaningless snaps since the game against Virginia Tech. The Broncos were gassed like O.J.’s white one going down the 405. The big question is if the Broncos are at the end of the road of the program’s quest for a national title, after the 34-31 overtime loss Friday, Nov. 26 to Nevada. Many questions though were answered in the short term.

FC Barcelona wins civil war ALLY BORDAS Daily Titan

ALAYNA DURAN / Daily Titan ABOVE: Titan freshman forward Nikki McCants played in all 19 games this season and marked two goals for her squad. BELOW: Sophomore midfielder Brisa Gonzalez moves the ball forward against Long Beach State. Gonzlaez has scored four goals as a Titan.

The Campus Huddle... Nevada’s influence

ALEX JAICH

December 1, 2010

Nevada seniors Colin Kaepernick and Vai Taua were something special to watch but ungratefully ignored. The two combined for 176 yards on the ground and now own the record at 8,285 yards, surpassing SMU’s Eric Dickerson and Craig James, who ran for 8,193 yards from 197982. Kaepernick, during the game, surpassed 1,000 rushing yards for this season, becoming the first player in NCAA history to have over 2,000 yards passing and 1,000 yards rushing for three consecutive seasons. There is just something special seeing those two work as a team for four years, and they earned it coming back from being down 17 at the half. Sure the Kellen Moore bomb to Titus Young was amazingly set up a game-winning field goal from what should have gone in (as well as the kick in overtime), but were you not entertained? Auburn and Oregon are a coin flip for the BCS Championship game (but wait!). It would be a great game indeed seeing a strong Auburn offense versus a lighting fast Duck offense with the Tigers with an advantage on the defense, but there’s one week left. If you want to be

Courtesy of MCT After winning 24 straight games, No.4 Boise State lost to No. 19 Nevada 34-31 Nov. 26. Contact Us at dtsportsdesk@gmail.com

Predictions: UCLA 17 USC 13 Oregon 44 Oregon State 21 Auburn 29 South Carolina 21 Oklahoma 20 Nebraska 16 Virginia Tech 34 Florida State 28 Lee Corso and say, “Not so fast my friend,” then go with South Carolina and freshman running back Marcus Lattimore upsetting Auburn in the SEC championship game, because Oregon is not slowing down against a banged up Oregon State defense. TCU is crossing their fingers but they should play for the Rose Bowl. Texas and Florida will be back. Will the teams have a recruiting drop off? Give me a break; there will always be a desire to go to some big time programs for blue chip recruits. The college football season is not as crazy as it is. There really was no major shift in college football. Oklahoma, Auburn, Nebraska and Wisconsin are big time college programs. Sure the Ducks got things rolling, and Stanford is the best coached team in football with Jim Harbaugh. The Big East is still terrible (TCU helps for the future). I read the hate mail and I disagree. Read this statement out loud, “UConn who lost to Notre Dame will play in a BCS bowl if they win at South Florida.” Hopefully a “decent” West Virginia takes care of business being a 20-point favorite at home against Rutgers and the Huskies lose, something their women’s basketball team can’t do. Here’s something for the local fans. It’s cross-town rivalry week with USC at UCLA Saturday night. With both teams losing as of late, who wants the Los Angeles football title this year?

Though Americans seem to put soccer on the back-burner after the men’s FIFA World Cup last July, for Europeans the soccer season begins after the World Cup culminates. Two of the best teams in the Spanish League faced off Monday, Nov. 29, which provided futbol fans with an ultimate showdown. This match proved which Spanish team would lead the league this year: FC Barcelona or Real Madrid. Real Madrid coached by Jose Mourinho, and FC Barcelona coached by Josep Guardiola are two of the best teams in not only the Spanish League, but the Champions League as well. These teams are stacked with both Spanish team 2010 World Cup champions and with some of the best futbol players from all over the world. Real Madrid has players like Iker Casillas at goal (who was named goalkeeper of the 2010 World Cup), Sergio Ramos and Pepe on defense, Xabi Alonso and Sami Khedira in midfield and Cristiano Ronaldo and Angel Di Maria as forwards. FC Barcelona has a talented group as well. Victor Valdés from Spain is their goalie, defensivesly Daniel Alves, Gerard Pique and Carles Puyol hold together as one, Xavi Hernandez and Andres Iniesta in the midfield and top-notch scorers like David Villa and Lionel Messi playing forwards. Both of these teams were on strong winning streaks going into one of the biggest matches of the year so far. Real Madrid hammered Club Athletic into the ground with a 5-1 victory Saturday, Nov. 20, and FC Barcelona beat Almeria 8-0 in a record-high scoring game that

same day. Real Madrid went into the 81st annual El Clasico match against FC Barcelona on a 16-game undefeated streak, whereas FC Barcelona had one loss on their record. The teams being seemingly even, futbol fans and sports analysts anticipated that the game would end in a draw or the victors would scratch by with a goal or two. FC Barcelona crushed Real Madrid in a shocking 5-0 victory Monday night. Guardiola’s team (FC Barcelona) never looked back after a twogoal lead inside 18 minutes with goals from Hernández and Pedro Rodríguez. Villa went on to score two goals of his own in four minutes during the middle of the second half, leaving Real Madrid to play another 32 minutes four goals down. To add salt to the open wound, Bojan Krkić of FC Barcelona sped down and crossed to substitute Jeffren to score a nonchalant fifth goal past Real Madrid goalkeeper Casillas. After it became apparent that Real Madrid was not going to make a comeback, cheap fouls and tackles were dispensed from Ramos, Alonso and Khedira. Ramos received a red card after dangerously slide tackling Messi of FC Barcelona. Ramos open-hand shoved Barcelona’s Puyol in the face as he was walking to the sideline before his dismissal was official. FC Barcelona is now on top of the Spanish League’s leader board with 34 points. Real Madrid is only two points behind. It’s too early to tell who will stand on top come the end of May, but it’s safe to say that Barcelona is sitting comfortably in the driver’s seat. FC Barcelona plays against Osasuna on Saturday; Real Madrid plays against Valencia the same day.