C A L I F O R N I A INDEX
C alendar & B riefs D e t o u r Rape Awareness cial 6
The
2 4 Spe-
Daily
U N I V E R S I T Y ,
T H U R S D AY
VOLUME 66, ISSUE 40
Reality bites for aspiring authors
Titan
S T A T E
LIFE AFTER O.J.
F U L L E R T O N INSIDE
DETOUR: What’s wrong with Denzel Washington’s hair? —See page 4.
APRIL 30, 1998
Campus cops survive desert n COMPETITION : Campus
n CAREERS : Communica-
police from the CSU placed 18th in their division in the Baker to Vegas charity race.
tions week speakers tell the joys and pitfalls of writing for a living. By FRANK C. DIAZ Daily Titan Staff Writer
Would-be writers faced some bad news during this week’s communication week as three separate authors shared their experiences in the publishing world. Speaking during separate presentations, Adeline Yen Mah, Marvin Wolf and Martin Smith, all published authors with various degrees of critical acclaim for their works, spoke about their experiences, attachments to their works and how the publishing industry deals with an author’s brainchild. Mah’s book, “Falling Leaves: The True Story of an Unwanted Chinese Daughter,” an autobiographical work using a novelistic approach, has often been described as a modern Cinderella story within the context of a traditional Chinese culture. Replete with wicked stepmother, Mah wrote about the abuse she endured growing up as the undesirable outcast of her father’s first marriage after he married a younger woman when Mah’s natural mother died. Mah’s book, her first and written only after her parents had died, served as an emotional catharsis for the pain she lived through most of her life. As such, it was highly personal and a deeply emotional work for her. “Writing my book has helped me explore the ambiguities and perplexities of my own past,” Mah said. “My book is my passion, my destiny, my necessity and my past.” Even though she finished her book in 1994, after struggling for four years in the writing of it, publishers were unimpressed by it. Most regarded it as something too narrowly tailored to successfully sell in today’s best-seller oriented marketplace and suggested that she change or add elements to make it more exciting to a mass market. “We live in an increasingly materialistic society,” Mah said. “I confess that my book was turned down by quite a bit of publishing houses.” “I have always believed that a single positive dream is truly more important than a thousand negative realities,” Mah added, explaining why she insisted on staying with her original concept for her book.
see AUTHORS/
By NICK BRENNAN Daily Titan Staff Writer
The chase seemed to never end for Lt. Jess Lopez. His speed increased as he closed in on the capture. With the end in sight of his seven-mile chase and sweat pouring from him, he knew his training had paid off. Yet this chase will not be seen on “COPS.” And forget about any high speed, freeway pursuits. Lopez was one of 20 Public Safety officers competing in the Challenge Cup Baker to Vegas Relay. At the conclusion of the 120-mile race, the California State University Police Department finished 18th in its 20 team division. The team finished in 19 hours, 27 minutes and 34 seconds. Some 197 teams participated in the race which is open to any police agency able to raise the $1,100 entry fee. During the planning stages of the event, Lopez predicted the team
ing the strife of a Chinese family gives its author the voice she could never use. By VERONICA DURAN Daily Titan Copy Editor
Adeline Yen Mah, author of “Falling Leaves,” stepped to the pulpit and spoke critically of a time in China when women were not allowed to speak, much less learn to read and write. “For the first 14 years of my life, I never opened my mouth to say one spontaneuous remark,” said Mah, who is originally from Shanghai. Speaking to a small crowd in the Titan Student Union-Titan Theater on Tuesday in a lecture titled “Fall-
see RUN/
Las Vegas
Baker
Route of the Baker to Las Vegas race
Circle K gets a little help from its friends n ASSISTANCE : Professor
helps students help others with a guitar performance on Sunday. By MELISSA MORRIS Daily Titan Staff Writer
Christopher Darden: From the courtroom to the classroom By Annette Wells
Daily Titan Assistant News Editor Students came to hear about the O.J. Simpson trial; students came to hear Christopher Darden blast Johnny Cochran but that is not what they got. Instead they received a sales pitch from Darden on why prospective law students should attend Southwestern Law School. Darden who teaches at the school began his speech in a subdued manner considering he was one of the fighting lead prosecutors in the O.J.
Simpson trial, so many decades ago. Speaking very highly of Southwestern and its newly-established library, Darden introduced his listeners to the school’s program and rich tradition. He spoke about the school’s two-year program in which the school accepts 36-50 students per year and how they thrive on giving students a diverse program which includes sports and entertainment law that is unmatched by any other program. For students who have special concerns or dis-
see DARDEN/
Author tells her side of the Chinese lifestyle n CULTURE : A book reveal-
would finish between eighth and tenth. Not meeting that goal does not seem to concern Lopez. The team accomplished a much larger goal. “The hardest thing was to coordinate the team,” Lopez said. “Our runners came from all over the state; unlike other police departments who are centered in one place.” Pooling 20 runners, alternate runners, a support staff, communications team and medical staff from all of the Cal State campuses, was the biggest challenge, Lopez said. Logistically, everything went well for the team.
ing Leaves: The Chinese Culture,” Mah talked about growing up in an era when women were expected to be submissive, following the teachings of Confucius; a period when women were crippled for life to become sex objects. Since that time, Mah pointed out that China has come a long way, but nevertheless, Chinese parents still leave their daughters out of their wills, so that their sons may inherit all of their assets. Unlike most passive Chinese women, Mah took a stand for what she believed in.
Although she was ostracized and castigated for writing “Falling Leaves,” her tenacious grip on freedom and equality remained strong. “I want to change the submissive silence,” Mah said. “My book is dedicated to unloved and defenseless children everywhere. It is my passion, my destiny, and my delight.” The book’s title, “Falling Leaves,” refers to a Chinese proverb, which means “returning to your roots.” Mah said the proverb symbolizes
the return of a wandering child to his country of origin. It reflects on the notion that every Chinese immigrant who leaves China, will return to their country of origin because of the emotional attachment to their culture. Mah’s mother died two weeks after her birth and since then, her life has been a journey in search of her dead mother—a woman she never saw. After her mother died, Mah’s father remarried a dictatorial woman. She said her stepmother wrote her will to bring the maximum strife between she and her siblings.These incidents led Mah to build a strong relationship with her aunt. Mah was belittled by her family, especially her stepmother. She was told she was ugly and that she would
Copyright ©1998, Daily Titan
see YEN MAH/
Sunlight made its way through murky windows, illuminating the dim room and darker stage of Steamer’s Café in Fullerton where professor Dan Crary plucked tunes and strummed chords on his 12string guitar before an audience of faculty, students and coffeehouse regulars on Sunday. In a concert to benefit Circle K, a campus volunteer organization, Crary switched back and forth between two guitars, producing music that made audience members tap their feet, slap their legs or move their heads with the slow flow of the music. “It made me want to get up there and dance,” student Tina Ming said. A professor of speech communications and adviser to Circle K,
Crary played the two hour concert taking only one 10-15 minute break. The performance was Crary’s second appearance to benefit an oncampus organization. Part of being a professor is interacting with students, Crary said. Sponsored through the Kiwanis group, Circle K is an international volunteer group that performs services throughout the community and on campus. Crary became involved with the group when he was asked to become the group’s faculty adviser in 1997. Crary said that he enjoys working with the group because of “the sincerity with which (the) students reach out and do something good for the community.” With eight records released under his own name and several others under other artist’s names, Crary refused to label his music and insisted that labeling would lead to “boxing,” which he described as narrowing a musical scope and being expected to
see CONCERT/
RAPE
Everyone needs to be aware. See special Rape Awareness Month section pages 6-7