2000 12 12

C A L I F O R N I A

S T A T E

U N I V E R S I T Y ,

The procession in East Los Angeles celebrated the Virgin of Guadalupe

INSIDE Perspectives: Habitat for Humanity 3 ncontinues to build homes for underprivileged families

16

F U L L E R T O N

—see page 20

n sports: Men’s basketball get roped by the Cowboys, 78- 61

T u e s d ay

Vo l u m e 7 1 , I s s u e 5 1

D e c e m b e r 12, 2000

Tree lighting almost cannTRADITION: Christmas Tree Lane has been lighting its trees since 1920

By Michael Sandoval

Daily Titan Staff Writer

Michael sandoval/Daily Titan

Jan Jouinco attends the Christmas tree lighting ceremony on Saturday.

The Christmas Tree Lane Association, a non-profit organization, was able to extend the lighting of the trees one more year after almost being forced to end its 80-year tradition of Christmas Tree Lane in Altadena.

Christmas Tree Lane is a regis-

tered 990th historical spot certified in California, spanning a 2 1/2 mile stretch of road, from Woodbury Avenue to Altadena Drive.

Every Christmas residents decorate the trees on the sidewalk with lights for the children and families of the area.

“I am glad that this occurs every year,” said Lucy Molina, a local resident of Altadena who helps at the public library off of Christmas Tree Lane. “It is a nice way to start the Christmas season and to bring our community together.

There are not many events that do that.”

This tradition started in 1920 when the street of Santa Rosa, which is Christmas

nADMINISTRATION: Investigations were launched after a student alleged questionable actions in the University Outreach program

By Jessica Peralta

Daily Titan News Editor

Titan

extras online n Check

out the Daily Titan online this year at http:// dailytitan.fullerton.edu.

New features and sections will be available this year!

u p co m i n g n From all of us at the Daily Titan, have a joyous holiday season and take a welldeserved break.

meters next to every tree. When the meters were placed they were going to charge the non-profit organization with the electrical bill. The organization refused to have the meters placed because the meters would have destroyed some of the original trees from 1920.

Edison said it started looking at safety violations in the wiring of the trees.

In order to keep these trees lit they would have to re-wire and bring the electrical circuits up to code.

The cost to bring this project up to Edison’s specifications would cost the non-profit organization in the millions

ALTADENA/14

Campus hiring practices

Holiday festival lights up Fullerton As part of the festive countdown to Christmas, the Fullerton Downtown Business Association hosted Winterfest on Saturday.

The events took place from noon to 6 p.m., culminating with a tree-lighting ceremony presented by Mayor Richard Jones at 5:30 p.m.

Earlier in the day, there was a Spark of Love Parade, a toy drive featuring 50 decorated police, marine and fire trucks, which children were allowed to climb.

Twenty tons of snow was brought in for local children in play in and there were 40 craft and food booths set up.

The Fullerton Fire Department handled the Santa Claus booth, offering free candy, balloons and Polaroid pictures with Santa.

There was also a choir and five bands as well as a window decorating contest and community raffle, with 40 prizes awarded by downtown businesses. A clothing and accessories store — Roadkill — won first place for its creative window decorating.

Store owner, Julie Rasmussen said, the window display includes layered cream-quilted velvet on the ground, ornaments, snow-like marshmallows hanging from the ceiling and a mannequin bust glued with a hundred gumdrops and marshmallows. She said it took one week to put up the decorations and that the decorations will remain up until Dec. 31.

“They said the hanging marshmallows were really creative, but they said the entire display was whimsical and

Tree Lane, was originally slated as a driveway to the unbuilt mansion of Capt.

John Woodbury.

It became the property of Los Angeles County for residential use after Woodbury donated it.

The residents of the neighborhood decided to light the trees on the road for Christmas.

Since 1946, when Altadena seceded from the city of Pasadena, the power company at the time allowed for free power.

This tradition faced a major obstacle this year when Southern California Edison demanded the placement of

By Samantha Gonzaga Daily Titan Staff Writer

Jeff Almquist/Special to the Titan

Downtown Fullerton hosts tree-lighting ceremony as part of Winterfest on Saturday.

A student’s two-year effort to raise questions regarding hiring practices at Cal State Fullerton’s University Outreach program have been dismissed by the Governor’s office, the Chancellor’s office and the university.

But Sammy Rodriguez, a graduate student, continues to press on.

“I suspect that there is a cover up,” said Sammy Rodriguez, a student employee who called attention to what he saw as a pattern of discrimination in the University Outreach department.

Vice President of Student Affairs Robert Palmer headed the investigations to seek out the validity of claims ranging from racial discrimination, nepotism, to intimidation in administration offices, and found that no federal or state laws were breached.

“The charges that were brought were not substantiated at all,” he said. “We have thoroughly investigated through all means, through our offices and that of Human Resources.”

Lt. Gov. Cruz Bustamante said in a letter to Rodriguez that the CSUF administration appears “to have conducted a thorough and exhaustive investigation, in accordance with prescribed anti-discrimination policies. The conclusion that there was no unlawful discrimination seems reasonable based on the facts presented.”

Those who made the charges, however, doubt the thoroughness of the university’s investigation.

“There is a culture of exclusion for Asians, Latinos and women,” Rodriguez said.

According to CSUF employment records for 1998-1999, Hispanics comprise 18 percent of management and staff and 4 percent in the executive and administration management; in the service maintenance department, the number jumps up to 52 percent. Asian percentages do not exceed the 13 percent mark as faculty members, 9 percent in clerical positions, and four percent in executive management. American Indians maintain one percent in the manager and staff totals.

Stewart Kimura, a former employee at CSUF’s University Outreach program, agreed: “We [Asians] have been minimally represented in departments.”

Kimura attributed the difficulties in advancement to staying on a superior’s good side.

“It was common knowledge that in order to advance, you had to play the game,” he continued. “You have to stay in good favor with someone in a higher position. Fall out of favor, and it’s harder to advance.”

Palmer contended that no such barriers exist in advancement processes.

Investigations conducted by Assistant Vice Presidents of Student Affairs Kandy Mink and Silas Abrego showed that the allegations were not substantiated.

“I take these allegations very seriously,” said Palmer. “When an issue as important as this is brought up, we look into it very deeply.”

The Committee For Accountable Management formed by Rodriguez, some students and community members not too long after Rodriguez filed several complaints against the director of the department he was employed in as a student assistant. “Our committee wants to make sure that laws are obeyed,” said Rodriguez. “That, in the future, administrations comply with laws that doesn’t allow the circumstances like this to continue. We want individuals to be

DISCRIMINATION/19

Student strives despite disability nPROFILE: Psychology major, John Woodman, is a motivational speaker as well as a teacher

By Lisa Sleigh

Special to the Titan John Woodman, a six-foot tall football player-sized man, was out on a walk with his dog. Suddenly, five men with sticks attacked him, hitting Woodman and his dog.

Unable to defend himself, Woodman and his dog moved into the street to draw attention to the crime.

The men continued, repeatedly hitting the pair, until a stranger came to help. The stranger, a wheel chairbound man, began to loudly blow a whistle, getting attention to stop

the crime.

John Woodman, or “Woody” as many call him, a Cal State Fullerton student, wasn’t always an easy target for such thugs, but the 58- yearold’s blindness changed all that years before the attack.

Woodman has withstood difficult encounters and has undergone challenges, but has grown confident over the years from knowing others in similar situations.

The attack Woodman experienced left him with a concussion and broken wrist. His seeing eye dog suffered a broken paw and a crushed leg.

This attack hasn’t been Woodman’s only hurtful experience; other attacks took on different forms.

“Once I was asked in Dallas, Texas by a woman, ‘what did you do young man?’” Woodman said, recalling the uncomfortable situation. Confused, he started thinking

about something he many have done a few moments ago.

“What do you mean?” Woodman asked her.

The woman replied with, “God punished you and made you blind.”

Along with that incident Woodman has had a number of where people tried to avoid him.

“I’ve had people run away from me,” Woodman recalled. “Once I was in a donut shop, I heard a father say “Na, na, na, David, get over here, you’ll go blind.”

To become more independent, Woodman often practiced walking alone.

He would go to a cross walk, listen for traffic to stop, then cross.

“I was practicing, then a man grabbed me by the arm and lead me into the street,” Woodman said.

Hearing all kinds of screeching and horns, he realized that the light was red and he shouldn’t have crossed.

Clearly upset, Woodman asked,

http://dailytitan.fullerton.edu

Raul Mora/Daily Titan

John “Woody” Woodman works in his garage wood shop.

“What are you doing? Are you trying to get me killed?”

Woodman has been coping with blindness since 1977, when in a matter of 30seconds, he lost sight in his left eye.

After consulting with a specialist, he was told that what had happened to his left was a fluke and not to be concerned about the right eye.

The doctors were wrong;

WOODMAN/ 19

2 Tuesday, December 12, 2000

two

A guide to what’s happening

BRIEFS American Psychology Society students sponsor Orangewood Children’s Home Toy Drive The Orangewood Children’s Home Toy Drive is an effort to provide children with essentials and fun items.

Children will receive the new gifts at Christmas time.

Suggested gifts are personal items from toothpaste to day planners, dressy and casual clothes for all ages, electronic gifts, board games such as Monopoly, gift certificates to stores or restaurants, toys and outdoor sports equipment.

Things like basic household products, and craft items can also be donated.

The Orangewood Children’s Home, which was dedicated in 1985, houses children from 2 days old to 17 years old.

Donations will be collected through Friday, Dec. 15.

Students can bring their gifts to the Psychology Department in Room H-830.

—Lisa Sleigh

Busiest mailing day approaches The postal service expects Monday, Dec. 18 to be the busiest mailing day of the year. It is the last weekend before the holiday and this is the time of the season when people shop and then write their cards.

The Postal Service is expecting the volume to increase this year by 3 percent. More than 20 billion mail pieces are expected this holiday season.

The Postal Service extends its hours during the holiday season at many of its post offices. The Holiday Network has more than 80 supplemental airplanes dedicated entirely to moving mail; hundreds of added truck connections; and doz-

Fermin Leal Raul Mora Denise Smaldino Joel Helgesen Brian Haney Tennille Hopper Jessica Peralta Darleene Barrientos Rita Freeman Caesar Contreras Seth Keichline Vu Nguyen Gus Garcia Mayra Beltran Kristina Huffman Trisha Insheiwat Lori Anderson Darla Priest Kari Wirtz Lisa Berghouse Barbara Lake Craig Hashimoto Robert Kelleher Jeffrey Brody Executive Editor Managing Editor News Sports Main Photo

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ens of additional trains have been added. Additionally, more than 60 million mail sacks and trays are in service. Nationwide, about 40,000 temporary employees were hired.

Free shipping boxes for Express Mail and Priority Mail are available for customers, Visa, Discover, American Express and Mastercard credit cards and many ATM cards are accepted. Delivery confirmation is available for Priority Mail and Parcel Post.

PC Postage, the name used for products that let customers purchase and print postage onto envelopes and labels using their computers and the Internet, is valid on domestic First Class Mail, Priority Mail, Express Mail and Parcel Post.

Customers have access to postage 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

For more information about postal products and services call (800) ASK-USPS or logging on to the Web site at www.usps.com.

‘Cinderella’ features special pre-performance activities for children

The Orange County Performing Arts Center and American Ballet Theatre have created a special Kids Day Matinees for the company’s Dec. 22 and 23 matinee performances of “Cinderella” in Segerstrom Hall.

Youngsters participating in these interactive pre-performance festivities will have the chance to learn some of “Cinderella’s” choreography from ABT teaching assistants, dress in some of the costumes, have photos taken with dancers and enjoy areas for face painting.

Attendees can also enter to win special prizes.

Lobby doors open at 12:45 p.m. for the two performances, with “Cinderella” starting at 2 p.m. The pre-performance events are free to the ticket holders for the performance, however, reservations are

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The Daily Titan is a student publication, printed every Tuesday through Friday. The Daily Titan operates independently of Associated Students, School of Communications, CSUF administration and the CSU system. The Daily Titan and its predecessor, the Titan Times, have 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 mail subscription price is $45 per semester, $65 per year, payable to the Daily Titan, Humanities 211, CSUF, Fullerton, CA 92834.

Copyright ©2000 Daily Titan

news CALE NDAR OF EVE N TS C ALENDA R OF EVENTS Campus Visit the exhibit “A Salute to Orange County Journalism,” now open through Feb. 25 in the Atrium Gallery of the Pollak Library. Featured is a working newsroom of the past, a Linotype typesetting machine and Teletype machine. Also see a special collection of photographs by photojournalist Patrick O’Donnell, CSUF photographer and Orange Coast College professor.

For more information, call Dave Reid at (714) 278-3355 or e-mail dreid@fullerton.edu. This exhibit is free and open to the public.

All students are invited to study/ cram at the Titan Student Union

Monday, Dec. 4 3:28 a.m., a black Chevrolet pickup was stopped on east side of Nutwood Apartments. Driver had a suspended license.

Tuesday, Dec. 5 1 p.m., a blue Volvo was stopped on Yorba Linda Boulevard for a drug violation.

2:45 p.m., an injury was reported on the north side of the Physical Education Building. There was no public safety response at time of incident.

Wednesday, Dec. 6

through Dec. 15, which will be open all night. For more information, call (714) 278-2468.

CSUF’s Independent Latino Student Association invites students to party with them on Friday, Dec. 15 at Marengo’s Bar and Grill in Los Angeles from 9 p.m. to 2 p.m.

For directions or further information call the ILSA hotline at (714) 703-3392 or e-mail ilsa271@hotmail.com.

Community “Glassworks 2000,” featuring work by local glass artists Lucy Chamberlain, Mindy Jaress and Tanya Regan will be open through

Jan. 14, 2001 at the CSUF Grand Central Art Center on 125 N. Broadway in Santa Ana. For more information, call (714) 278-7750 or visit the College of the Arts Web site.

“Kelly and Du,” a serious and thought-provoking drama surrounding the issue of abortion, through Dec. 16 every Friday and Saturday at 8 p.m. and Sundays at 5 p.m. at the Vanguard Theatre Ensemble on 699A S. State College Blvd. in Fullerton.

General admission are $15, with $2 discounts available for students and seniors.

For more information, call (714) 526-8007.

Enjoy “The Velvet Hammer:

CALECO N DAR OF EVE NTS P B LOTTER 8:23 a.m., a non-injury accident involving a tan minivan and another small vehicle was reported in Lot E. 7:03 p.m. a parking dispute was reported when someone cut another driver off from a parking space in Lot l. A blue 2-door Explorer circled her and reporting party was afraid to get out of her car and afraid of having her car vandalized.

Thursday, Dec. 7 10:32 a.m., a person’s life was threatened over parking space.

1:02 p.m., a suspicious person was reported in Lot E. He was described as a white male, late 20s, wearing a light colored cap and jacket and multicolored nylon pants. He was seen looking around and into several parked vehicles.

5:03 p.m., a report was made of someone leaving an obscene message on a voice mail in the Humanities-Social Science Building.

Friday, Dec. 8 1:37 a.m., a non-injury acci-

A Peep at the Neo-Burlesque Show,” through Jan. 21 at the Grand Central Art Gallery in Santa Ana. For more information, call (714) 567-7233 or visit http://www.arts. fullerton.edu/events/ The Bowers Museum presents “Egyptian Treasures from the British Museum,” open through Jan. 2, 2001.

This exhibit will cover a time span of more than 3,000 years, and among the items displayed are stone sculptures of pharaohs and dignitaries, bronze statuettes of the gods, and jewelry in gold and other precious materials.

For more information, call (714) 567-3650 or visit http: //www.

dent of a blue Chevrolet hitting a fire hydrant was reported at State College and Yorba Linda Boulevards. Driver released to his mother.

Saturday, Dec. 9 3:09 a.m., a citizen-assisted arrest was made on Nutwood Avenue. The officer was flagged down for a possible assault and battery. Suspect was described as a white male wearing a light blue shirt, last seen walking westbound on Yorba Linda Boulevard. The victim was escorted back to the suspects car to retrieve her things and then escorted back to the sta-

news

Tuesday, December 12, 2000

Internet radio makes its debut nRADIO: The new medium was introduced to students last Friday after its formation last year Special to the Titan Cal State Fullerton now has a radio station that will broadcast live to millions of people around the world – only most won’t hear it on the air.

It will be on the Internet.

CSUF introduced the new medium to students and the world when the student-run Titan Internet Radio broadcasted over the Internet last Friday for the first time since its formation more than a year ago.

Why such a long delay from inception to execution?

“It took awhile to broadcast because of technical reasons,” said Becky Joosten, the general manager of the Internet radio station and a senior communications major. “We were on a very long waiting list to get a radio license, it took awhile to acquire the right equipment, and we had to get faculty approval.”

“The reasons for the delay were technical, and never the students’ fault,” said Lynne Gross, adviser to the organization. “The students worked very hard to get Titan Internet Radio to this point.”

As the name suggests, Titan Internet Radio melds together the radio format with Internet technology by allowing listeners to stream live audio from its web site, unlike the MP3 format popularized by programs like

By Matt Capuano

Daily Titan Staff Writer

Lars lee/Special to the Titan

Todd Coshow and Matt Leos broadcast Titan Internet Radio in the Pollak Library’s basement.

WinAmp and Napster, which require user to wait for the entire audio file to download before hearing it.

Even with complicated jargon, the process Titan Internet Radio uses is simple.

“Essentially, all you need to set up a radio station [on the Internet] is a mixing board, an encoding card, a microphone and a computer,” said Sam Kamler, program director and operations manager for Titan Internet Radio.

The audio is encoded and translated by the computer, sent to an Internet server and transferred to a user’s computer where it is played on an audio-streaming player. The most popular player software programs are RealPlayer and Microsoft Windows Media Player.

“It works essentially the same way as regular radio does except that you’re not running the signal to an antenna, you’re running it to an Internet server,” Gross said.

Gross is the brain child behind Titan Internet Radio.

Around 1997, Gross first suggested creating an Internet radio to the associate dean of the communications department, Fred Zandpour.

After technology advanced to the point where it was realistic to begin the new program, Titan Internet Radio took shape around October 1999. Out of more than 150 applicants, Gross selected 20 students to teach them how to manage a radio station.

“Titan Internet Radio is great because it opens the doors for any students hoping to gain experience in

radio or deejaying,” Kamler said, a senior communications major.

However, this new medium has its shortcomings.

“The disadvantage of Internet radio is that you can’t listen to it in your car,” Gross said. “But you can listen to it all over the world if you have access to the Internet.”

Kamler, who is responsible for deciding what content is played, hopes to play a full spectrum of music from alternative to hip hop to dance and get a lot of campus involvement from other organizations and departments.

Titan Internet Radio’s Web site is at tir.fullerton.edu, and the station is located in Library Studies 52 in the south wing basement level.

Burn accidents risk for chilnAID: The daughter of two CSUF students suffered seconddegree burns earlier this month

By Peggy Gomez

Daily Titan Staff Writer The Children’s Center has established a fund for 2-year-old Xotchil Barrios, daughter of Cal State Fullerton students Rigo and Nancy Barrios, who was burned on Thursday, Dec. 2.

Xotchil, a Turtle Room student, has second-degree burns covering her entire left arm, some of her chest, and left hand.

According to Nancy Barrios, mother of Xotchil, the accident occurred during a visit at her grandmother’s house.

A pot of water was boiled, cooled, then placed on the floor and covered with a towel. The toddler was following her grandmother when she tripped on a

New tools enhance Internet experience nTECHNOLOGY: New programs make downloading music and film clips easier for the consumer

By Patrick Vuong

toy stick and knocked the pot over.

“When Xotchil tripped, she fell in the water that spilled on the carpet,” Barrios said. “The steam from the carpet caused most of the burn.”

The American Medical Association cites accidental burns as a leading cause of death in children, second to motor vehicle accidents.

A second-degree burn is characteristically the most painful. This type of burn usually blisters.

“At first her arm was red and swollen because all of the skin had peeled off and then it got bubbly,” Barrios said.

Third-degree burns may appear charred or feel leathery. They may be the least painful because of nerve damage or death.

The child will have to see a wound therapist three times a week to prevent infection. Her mother said there may be little or no scarring because she is still growing.

According to Fullerton Fire Department, of the 11,000 calls reported, 1,000 are in response to fires.

The American Medical Association

pointed out some ways to prevent burns year round: Clean fireplaces annually. Cover them with screens and maintain them during seasons of frequent use. Never burn paper or other materials, other than wood, because ashes can escape and ignite fires.

Make sure nightlights and lamps are not touching bedspreads or drapes.

Avoid using tablecloths and large place mats that can be pulled or tugged on by small children.

Be sure lit candles are out of the reach of small children.

Don’t overload electrical sockets with video games, entertainment centers or Christmas lights.

Point pot handles toward the back of the stove. Repair or replace any appliances that smell or spark.

Beginning on Tuesday, the Children’s Center will be selling finals week goodies. All of the money collected will be given to the Barrios family to relieve any financial stress this may induce.

Smoke

detector tips

3

With new people getting on the Internet every day, it is a relief to know that new programs on the Internet make the “Web experience” easier and more fun.

New plug-ins help enhance the Internet experience, so first-time users and even veterans will have a more productive time.

Plug-ins are programs that the user downloads to speed up the Internet connections or to be able to view certain documents, like Flash animation or Adobe Acrobat documents.

Some of the most popular plugins today have to deal with music and video.

An example would be Quicktime, an Apple program that is compatible with both Macintosh and Windows platforms. Quicktime lets the user see and hear digital-quality movies on a normal Web browser, like Microsoft Internet Explorer or Netscape Navigator. Without this plug-in, the user would not be able to see or hear these movies with a standard Web browser.

One of the most popular programs offered as freeware on the Internet is Winamp.‑ Winamp is a high-fidelity music player and one of the first programs to work with MP3s into an organized format.

The Winamp Web site offers various plug-ins that enhances the music experience for the user. Several examples include graphic visualizations that moves along the screen to the music the user is playing, as well as the games that the user can play while his or her music is playing in the background.

“I use [these programs] every time I am on the Internet,” Sam Hall, a computer science major, said. “I am really into music so I usually use Winamp or QuickTime.”

Most plug-ins are patches used to enhance a stand-alone program like Winamp.

The majority of plug-ins‑are designed to be used with Web browsers.‑ Many of the later version web browser have these plug-ins already installed, so users don’t have to download them.

One of the most popular browsers today is Internet Explorer.

Internet Explorer is the choice of many Web surfers because it is easy to use and is standard on most IBM-compatible computers.

This was the topic of concern in the federal hearings against Microsoft.

The government stated that Microsoft couldn’t package their browser standard with Windows 98 or Millennium, and that it was unfair to rival browsers on the market.

One company and browser that was affected the most was Netscape and their browser, Navigator or Communicator.

As a result of Microsoft giving their browser away for free, Netscape was forced to do so as well.

Another company offering something new on the Internet is qMGN. They offer a product entitled “Q,” that gives the Web surfer more freedom on the Internet. The program gives the user the option of downloading Web pages into the background and is able to view them off line. This program is particularly useful to students or faculty on campus who are doing research projects. This option lets the user browse these sites for information offline.

“I prefer Internet Explorer over Netscape because I find it easier,” Neil Nguyen, an English major, said. “I just find it easier to have my music and folders integrated into my browser. Plus, I don’t have to download it.” 1 Along with plug-ins, other tools are available to Web surfers.

One of the most popular tools on the Internet is the search engine.

INTERNET/ 13

Smoke detectors

should be installed

near every bedroom, and replaced every

10 years. Check them monthly, changing the batteries at least twice a year.

A rule

of thumb to follow: batteries should

be replaced when

clocks are reset in fall and spring.

Mayra BELTRAN/Daily Titan

Plug-ins enable Web surfers to access certain kinds of media.

8 Tuesday, December 12, 2000

online poll R

news

Last week’s questions: What are you doing to prepare for finals?

0% 33% 17% 50% 0%

12 people responded with . . .

Cramming

Studying

Taking Vivarin

Cheating

Sleeping

The Online Poll will return next semester. Have any question ideas?

E-mail us at dailytitan@yahoo.com

Don’t be a crybaby Read the Daily Titan online

10

news

Tuesday, December 12, 2000

Last Week’s Crossword Puzzle Answer Key

Horoscopes for the Year 2001 Sagittarius Nov. 22 — Dec. 21 You’ll be feeling depressed after the holidays. All that food, not enough exercise. You’ll be itching for a jog. You don’t even look good in your largest-sized sweats.

But you’ll begin to gain control of yourself. You’ll learn to slap your own hand away from the cookie jar.

While friends may look at you funny when you do this, you’ll pay them no heed. You’ll become disciplined enough again so that when you’re alarm wakes you up at 6 a.m. for your morning exercise routine, you won’t just sit there and cry anymore.

It’s gonna be OK. In no time at all, you’ll be back to your old annoyingly peppy, endorphin-induced dynamic self.

Capricorn Dec. 22 — Jan. 19 For the first months of the new year, you’ll feel nothing can go wrong. Your life is perfect and if it was possible for it to get better, it would. Then, disaster will strike. Everything will go wrong.

Your favorite Wednesday night television program will get canceled.

Your mousse will get discontinued.

You’ll lose your pet turtle, Hank, that you’ve had since you were 6 — I know, I know, how do you lose a pet turtle? That’s just the kind of year you’ll be having. By May, you’ll wish it were 2002. But this all shall pass. There will be new TV shows, new mousses and yes, even a new pet turtle, Frank.

Aquarius Jan. 20 — Feb. 19 Your best bet in the year to come is to fake it until you make it. It will seem like you won’t have much more than what you fake for a time. But eventually, your abilities will shine through. You’ll finally learn how to operate your VCR. Microsoft Word won’t seem quite as difficult as it once did. And you’ll finally remember your alarm code to get into your house. Bravo! You’re

in for a good year. Maybe by the end of it, you’ll learn how to change the oil of your car.

Pisces Feb. 20 — March 20 Your goal for this next year will be to find a special someone. This will be a year of romance and love.

You will either be in hot pursuit or being pursued. There may be some Mr. and Mrs. Wrongs before the right person comes along. You may have to go on a blind date with someone only slightly more attractive than the Exorcist. Or you may fall in love with someone who loves his or her pet fish more than you.

Even worse, you may find someone perfect for you except for the fact that that person ends up as a suspect on the nightly news wanted for questioning in relation to a kidnapping. But don’t worry, your true love will come knocking, granted you may not be home the first couple of times.

Aries March 21 — April 19 Success will greet you every step of the way this coming year. It will seem to you like you can do no wrong. You walk on water. But make sure to have your swim gear on or you might drown if you get too cocky. Confidence is good, but unrealistic overconfidence may leave you flailing wildly for help while others just sit around and watch.

Don’t be that drowning victim. Use your success to do good, not boost your own ego. Yeah, you’re good, but people don’t want to hear it all the time, OK? Taurus April 20 — May 20 Never give up. Failure upon failure will greet you for the first several months of the new year. But you must continue forth. Be the Energizer Bunny. Do not stop. You are the Terminator. No matter how many times your face gets blown off or your arm is ripped off, you will

get up and go after that darn boy, metaphorically speaking that is. The point is, be that bullheaded pain in the rear you know you can be, and stick with it. No matter how many times you go down, get back up and fight — tooth and nail.

Gemini May 21 — June 21 While you usually do the opposite of what people recommend for you to do, you will be especially prone to do so this year. People tell you black, you’ll go white. They say right, you’ll go left. They say no, you’ll say sure. Don’t even bother asking for opinions, because you won’t follow them anyway and you’ll just end up losing friends in the process.

Why are you so rebellious? That is just another of many aspects of your complicated personality that is and will remain an enigma.

Cancer June 22 — July 22 Your biggest problem will be thinking that you have a problem.

You will be obsessed with finding something wrong in your life. It’s not that you want trouble, it’s that you expect it. Relax and know that you can live your life without having major stress in your life. So stop thinking you left your oven on when you left for work this morning and that your house is gonna explode.

Or that you forgot to feed your cat and he’s going to scratch your eyes out the minute you walk in through your front door. Every backache is not arthritis and every headache is not a brain tumor. So for your own sake and the sake of all those around you, take a chill pill and please stop worrying.

Leo July 23 — Aug. 22 Courage is what defines the Leo and is what will define you particularly well this year. While lately you have reserved your courage for little more than wearing those green, neon-colored pants last week,

you will soon be called on to really use that bravado of yours. It may come in the form of standing up to a really mean waiter or maybe even telling your little sister’s soccer coach where she can put her nasty remarks. You’ll need that courage, oh yes. So just be prepared.

Virgo Aug. 23 — Sept. 22 You are wiser than others give you credit for. You are more than a resource of the insignificant and the mundane. You have a lot of depth to you. You just have to behave like you know what you’re talking about and people will believe it. It’s all about confidence, guys, confident.

Strut around shooting out one-liners at people like you are really deep and all-knowing, and you’ll be treated like a sort of guru in no time.

Trust me, it works.

Libra Sept. 23 — Oct. 23 Use some of your creative talents.

You have been losing touch with your artistic nature, focusing too much on the monetary side. Try and keep a balance. Instead of counting what’s in your piggy bank, try using chocolate as finger art. Instead of cutting out coupons, maybe make a naked ice sculpture of yourself. Get my drift?

Scorpio Oct. 24 — Nov. 21 This is your year. You are the god or goddess. You will be worshipped, loved and adored. You could be president if you wanted to, but you don’t want to — “Too much trouble,” you say. Your popularity and the admiration oozing from others, comes for no apparent reason. The year 2001 will end and you still won’t know why the hell everyone is so in love with you. Enjoy it while you can.

— Jessica Peralta

news

Tuesday, December 12, 2000

Military recruits instructor for ROTC nCAMPUS: After spending time in the Balkans, Michael Mesa, senior military adviser, now works at CSUF

By Magda Liszewska

Daily Titan Staff Writer

magda liszewska/Daily Titan

Michael A. Mesa stands at Tombstone Paintball Park in Corona.

After spending two years helping to keep peace in the Balkans, Senior Military Adviser Michael A. Mesa knows war firsthand.

Since 1992, Mesa has been sent to Bosnia for 11 months, Macedonia for nine months and Kosovo for four months.

He once lived in an area where bombed houses have become a regular part of a landscape, stray bullets fly unexpectedly from mountaintops and residents worry that somebody will destroy their house because of their background and they often need military assistance to walk in the streets.

“It’s unbelievable how these people were forced to live, some of the things they have to tolerate and put up with,” Mesa said. “People who were lawyers, doctors in Sarajevo when this started are now digging

through trash cans.”

One of the stray bullets once hit a car Mesa was driving in but he was not hurt.

Although he never witnessed brutal acts of violence, such as executions, Mesa saw mass gravesites, a sad reminder that the war is not over.

He also saw camps where people lived in cardboard boxes.

Mesa came back from Kosovo a few weeks ago and began his job as an instructor at Cal State Fullerton.

However, all his memories are still very vivid.

While he was in the Balkans, part of his job was to escort people, guard churches, cities and individuals.

His days started at 4 a.m., when he went to the gym for his three and a half-hour workout. He was at work at 8:30 a.m. to 9 a.m. Part of the soldiers’ job was to set up first aid posts where they helped anyone who needed it, transport fuel, repair roads, set up check points to search for weapons and drugs.

“Just by looking you don’t know if people have weapons on them,” he said. “Every day was a new adventure. Life there is never boring.”

Mesa said that the purpose of soldiers’ presence in the Balkans is to let people know that there is help in case of problems.

“It’s kind of like being a policeman in a big city,” he said.

Mesa said the residents appreciated the soldiers who worked 12 to 15 hours a day to make their lives as peaceful and safe as possible.

“People treated us good, real good,” he said.

Mesa said he thinks the average person in the Balkans do not care much about who wins and they just want the fighting to be over.

In spite of the sad reality, the atmosphere among soldiers seems to be far from gruesome. The international soldiers get along well as they share stories of army life in their countries but they do not talk about the war. Mesa said he still keeps in touch with some of his new friends from Greece, Italy and Russia.

“Every NATO country and some of the non-NATO countries have somebody there working together to provide peace,” Mesa said. “It’s a great experience for Americans to work with different armies.”

He said American soldiers do not object to being there.

“They know they’re there for a reason so they do their job,” Mesa said.

Mesa does not go into great detail about his life in Kosovo because he says he is not allowed to.

Mesa grew up in Northern California. At 23, he began looking

ROTC/19

13

INTERNET

n from page 3

Search engines make searching for information easier. They are useful especially if the user doesn’t know the web address.

One such search engine is Yahoo.

Yahoo offers news on every imaginable subject.

In addition to the search engine, Yahoo offers news on sports, stocks, as well as news tailored for other countries.

Another new search engine just beginning to build a following is Google. Google is a simple search engine compared to most others because all it offers is a search engine.

There is no news or even advertising on Google pages.

The advantage of this is that it loads faster, which is important to people on the Internet today, and the user is not bombarded with advertising while browsing the Web. Another useful feature that Google offers is a button called “I’m feeling lucky.” What this offers is that instead of pressing search and looking through all the web pages that appeared, the user presses “I’m feeling lucky” and gets a random web page associated with his or her search.

“I always use Yahoo because I am used to the way it is set up and I find it easy to use,” Tom Sizemore, an art major, said. “I can always find exactly what I’m looking for when I use it. After all, if it isn’t broken, why fix it?”

14

news

Tuesday, December 12, 2000

Campus remains unaware of nightly custodial nSANITATION: The “Vampire Crew” cleans the floors of buildings on campus

By Eugene Park

Special to the Daily Titan After the last class files out, three men roam the halls — moving furniture and leaving large gray pools of dirt to mop up later, while listening to oldies music on the radio.

Cal State Fullerton has an underworld that no one knows much about.

But there’s nothing to be feared.

Like clockwork, CSUF’s affectionately titled “Vampire Crew” cleans one building floor a night on campus at 10 p.m. every Sunday through Thursday.

They’ve been working for about 1 1/2 years now and are only on their eighth building — the Education Classroom Building.

“There was a cleanup crew every intercession to handle the jobs of cleaning up the floors of the buildings,” said Tom Richey, manager of Building Services. “But they would only work for three hours a morning for those short 12 weeks and the jobs could never be done efficiently.”

Richey has assigned three men to work the graveyard floor crew, which consists of Rick Wickell, 48, Dennis Davids, 50, and Rigo Aceves, 30.

They start out their long nights by checking in at McCarthy Hall and head over to the building and floor they’re going to work on.

Wickell said that starting and finishing the job is the slowest part of the night.

“When we start we have to set up all our equipment and move furniture, which includes desks and other loose objects,” Wickell said. “When we finish, we have to place back all the furniture we moved.”

Each night they bring mops, razors, wax and a buffer, which strips the floor.

They clean the room, and as they scrub, murky gray puddles of dirt show years of neglect. Then they clean the baseboards of the rooms and hallways, clean the carpets and do most of the job on their hands and knees.

“These classrooms haven’t been cleaned in years,” Davids said, noting the puddles. “It’s an extremely tedious job.”

“And the wives wonder why we don’t do any cleaning when we get home,” Aceves said.

They play the radio to help the time pass by.

The songs of the Righteous Brothers and Sly Stone, among other oldies artists, fill the halls at night.

At 11 p.m., many of the lights shut off, leaving only just enough emergency lights to see.

The crew would also shut off the elevator for the floor for security purposes.

But they’ve run into some trouble with that.

“One lady in a wheelchair got stuck in the elevator,” Wickell said. “A man came to save her and they weren’t pleased with us at all. But, well, we put up warnings and do our best to let people know we’re working.”

CSUF is still busy long after the

last class is over. Professors work in their offices late at night and students study or just relax.

Often, people ignore the wet floor signs.

Some students get apprehensive and a little nervous because they don’t know the crew.

They are the only staff available during the late hours of the night and students ask them to open up office doors.

“Some people wonder if we’re from an outside contractor,” Davids said. “Very little people know the extent of the work we do.”

Irate professors sometimes complain about the crew moving objects around.

The crew was once blamed for a stolen science department tool cart and book.

“Of course later that night we went back to check, because we can make mistakes and misplace items in different classrooms,” Wickell said. “But we later learned the professor found his items only feet away from their original position.”

The crew ends up setting off many personal alarms, installed to protect belongings in the office.

They said response to the alarms is not always prompt.

“The other night we did our thing and at about 6 a.m., when we were getting ready to leave, the campus police shows up, “ Wickell said. “Sometimes they come over pretty quick, but when they don’t, at least they don’t interrupt us.”

The police and the custodians have been involved in more serious incidents before.

About a year ago, a man was found in the library downloading child pornography.

He was able to get all the keys

and unlock all the access codes. He was arrested when police searched his house.

“He wasn’t even a student of this school,” Wickell said. “A lot of stuff goes on, on this campus, late at night, that many people don’t know about. We’re one of them.”

Wickell worries in particular about the women on campus by themselves.

“You never know what could happen,” Wickell said. “But people will only wait until something terrible happens before something is done. We worry too much about fighting fires, instead of trying to prevent them.”

Wickell said that professors give him a hard time before they realize that he is an alumnus of the school.

He added that their opinions usually change after they find out that he has a degree in physical education.

In addition to being a member of the “Vampire Crew,” Wickell teaches an efficiency class for the faculty and staff.

He is a licensed instructor for a motivational course called Seven Steps for Highly Effective People

by Stephen Covey, which is taught nationwide.

Wickell also has his teacher’s credential along with his degree, and coaches on the side.

He also served in the Marine Corps for six years.

“The custodian thing is hard, honest work,” Wickell said. “But teaching and working for the community helps me keep my finger in the pie.”

Davids has a degree in aviation and served in the Air Force. Both he and Wickell served during the

Vietnam War. Aceves, the newest of the three, studied law enforcement but decided it wasn’t for him.

He has a family and is raising three children.

“I’m the outcast of this crew,” Aceves said. “I’m also the only one who requested a jumpsuit for work. I’m not the type who buys clothes all the time.”

Wickell said serving in the Marines helped him get the discipline he needs for the rest of his life and for this job.

He explained that that’s why many veterans might be hired for jobs like these, because of the discipline required.

“You learn discipline [in the Marines],” Wickell said. “You also learn how to kill people. But that’s not exactly a growth industry yet.”

All three of them said they enjoy the job, though, despite the fact that very few people know about them, or even acknowledge their work.

“Teachers and kids would go into the classroom we just cleaned just hours ago and they wouldn’t notice a thing,” Davids said. “It’s a thankless job, but we take pride in our work. It’s for our own satisfaction.”

“The job is stress-free for me, compared to the day hours,” Aceves said. “I get to spend more time with my family and I get by good for only three to four hours of sleep a day.”

Wickell said he sees his job, like anything else, as a responsibility that people have to take.

“Many people appreciate what we do, and some people don’t or aren’t aware of it,” Wickell said.

“But living with it is just a part

ALTADENA

n from page 1

to repair. A representative of Edison International refused to comment but mentioned that since deregulation of the power companies, they had a responsibility to their stockholders to start charging since no one should receive free power.

Edison told the association that they would not be able to light the trees unless they sign a waiver that releases them from any liability.

“This is not our property, every tree on this street is county property,” said Max Jouincot, member and lawyer for the Christmas Tree Association, which was fighting to not sign and notified the city of Altadena and Los Angeles County of the recent troubles.

The association members said they complied with as much as they could, but Edison would keep adding more items to repair on the list.

“It seems that everything we did was not enough,” Jouincot said.

Fifth District Supervisor Michael Antonovich stepped in to help with the effort to keep this tradition alive.

He was able to get a donation together of up to $10,000 for the fund.

A representative for Antonvich’s office, Cam Currier said, “That we are doing everything in our power to keep the tradition of Christmas Tree Lane going for years and years to come.”

The tree lighting ceremony this past Saturday went off with no problems when Jan Jouincot, president of the association, and Antonovich flipped the switch and the lights were on for another year.

The Christmas Tree Lane Association said that they hoped that this was not the end of the tradition.

18 Tuesday, December 12, 2000

news

Controversy over flu vaccine nHEALTH: Eastern medical practitioners question the preventive value of the medical shot

By Debra Santelli

Daily Titan Staff Writer “I heard that if you get the flu shot, you can get sick from it,” said Alicia Bratt, a communications senior.

Bratt’s uncertainty of the flu shot’s side effects is not an uncommon concern, according to the Center for Disease Control.

The CDC and medical doctors that follow Western medical philosophies advocate getting a yearly flu shot, whereas traditional Eastern medicine, such as acupuncturists and chiropractors oppose everyone getting the flu shot as the main preventive method.

Debates on whether or not to get the flu shot take place year round.

Informational statistics listing deaths and severe illnesses caused from flurelated complications push for everyone to get the flu vaccination.

The CDC releases high-risk categories that include some people such as those over the age of 65, young children, people with chronic diseases, people involved in the health care profession and travelers. They state that these individuals should get the flu shot whether or not these groups of people are generally healthy individuals.

In fact, the CDC developed an Influenza Vaccine Availability program to help those in need of the vaccine be able to locate it. They refer to the flu season as an “epidemic on the rise” and are scampering to make the vaccine available.

However, there are professionals in the world of health care that see the flu vaccine from another point of view.

Acupuncturist Carl Eklund said, “People have poor diets, lack proper nutrition and are generally malnourished.”

He said he believes that few people take care of themselves, especially women.

“Women that keep dieting don’t get proper nutrition,” Eklund said. “Even when they come off these diets, the body’s digestion does not come back and they become malnourished.”

People between the ages of 20 and 50 have no need to receive the flu vaccine, according to Eklund, but he does believe in some cases that the elderly and the very young can benefit from the vaccine when they incorporate it with proper nutrition.

“People, especially Americans, are into quick fixes,” Eklund said. “They don’t want to take care of themselves through proper diet and exercise.”

Eklund explained that the digestion of Americans over 60 is falling apart and when the digestion track fails, the body can no longer absorb needed minerals to keep healthy. When the body can no longer absorb essential minerals, people are open to disease and sickness.

The flu vaccination contains a foreign protein, part of the flu virus. The

body in turn makes antibodies, so that when the flu virus comes around, the body recognizes it.

According to Eklund, the problem with this is that we shouldn’t put foreign proteins into our bodies. By doing this, we are causing the body to be put on high alert. When the body is on high alert, too often people contract autoimmune system diseases such as lupus, multiple sclerosis, rheumatoid arthritis and arthritis.

“Maybe the reason why we are seeing all these new weird diseases is due to all these vaccines we are told to get that mankind never got before,” Eklund said. “We are challenging our immune system by putting foreign proteins in our bodies.”

The CDC sticks firm to the belief that illness and death caused by influenza can be prevented by annual flu vaccinations. Recent reports released by the CDC suggest that many people do not receive the vaccination because they still became sick after receiving the shot and mistake the illness for the flu.

In any event, the flu season has arrived and more than 75 million doses for the 2000-2001 year are expected for distribution. The CDC ordered an additional 9 million doses to make sure people who are placed in the high-risk categories can receive their flu vaccination.

The greater question posed by alternative health care providers is whether the flu vaccine actually prevents the flu or if sickness relates more to how people take care of themselves?

Cal State Fullerton nutritionist, Ada Schulz said, “The flu shot is not going

to completely save you from getting the flu.”

Schulz’s philosophy on deciding whether to get the vaccination is that it should come down to “old-fashioned common sense.”

“People want everything to come from some new pill or potion to cure everything, when what it comes down to is people are not eating right, exercising enough, drinking water and getting adequate rest,” Schulz said.

In November, Vaccess Health Clinic came to CSUF for a one-day health clinic that provided flu vaccinations.

Carol Marr, a registered nurse and program manager for Vaccess, recently said that she had never received the flu shot herself, but advocates people getting the vaccination.

“The aim of Vaccess is to get students vaccinated,” Marr said.

She stated that in general, she sees that college students do not take care of themselves the way they should and due to this, the flu vaccination is a smart preventive method from getting the flu.

When asked if she felt that the flu shot was needed by those individuals that do take care of themselves if they are not included in the CDC’s high- risk categories, she declined to answer.

The Food and Drug Administration released an annual report on American lifestyles and health.

The report stated that only four in 10 Americans (43 percent) say they make an effort to get regular physical activity.

The average American spends 23 hours a week watching television,

Illustration by Craig Hashimoto

which comes out to one day a week and at any given time about 25 percent of men and 45 percent of women are trying to lose weight.

Eklund said that statistics such as these show that in general, Americans are unhealthy and malnourished.

“Not many people in America eat

right or get enough nutrients, most have poor diets which is what leads us to become sick,” Eklund said.

Thom Sloan, the executive director of CSUF’s Health Center said, “Health is to a great degree in your head.”

“You should take care of yourself and not expect a magic pill to fix

Students find ways to cope with exams and holidays nCAMPUS: Finals, bills and hectic schedules during the holiday season may add to the pressures of college life

By Cindy Bertea

Daily Titan Staff Writer

LArs Lee/Special to the Titan

Shoppers crowd local retail stores looking for the perfect gift.

Buying gifts, studying for finals and juggling a busy social calendar frays the nerves of some students during the holiday season.

To combat feeling as unproductive as a lump of coal in a carefully-hung stocking, a Holiday Stress and Happiness workshop was offered Thursday to help students identify and deal with impending conflicts.

Conducted by Counseling and Psychological Services counselor Sherry Bené Stevens, students attending learned to identify, manage and prevent increased stress.

Symptoms of stress are varied and can include physical and psychological changes like nausea, headaches, lack of control, and inability to concentrate.

“Often we will snap out of tension, returning to an infantile behavior that is our quickest reaction to outside pressures,” Stevens said.

Such behavior can include outbursts of anger or even tears.

“This time of year can be especially hard, since there are so many issues like dealing with finals and old memories resurfacing,” she said.

“Sometimes we are concerned about the expectations others might place on us — whether it’s buying certain presents or performing well in school.”

Sophomore liberal studies major, Susana Ortega said dealing with parental pressure to succeed in her courses has been a challenge.

“Everything right now is stressful, just finishing up finals,” she said. “I want to do well.”

Although Ortega recently began a new job, she is still concerned about budgeting for upcoming expenses.

“How am I going to buy gifts and also pay for next semester?” she asked with a hint of worry.

For Colleen Shioda, it’s the gift-buyers, not the gift buying, that are a hassle.

The junior advertising major works in the Brea mall and often has to deal with less-than-jolly customers.

“It’s kind of annoying when people come into my work and they’re all stressed out, and then they take it out on other people,” she said.

In her personal life, Shioda said the stress management class she took last semester taught her effective ways to deal with external pressures.

“I really don’t let things bother me,” she said.

“I try to utilize the relaxation techniques I learned, like deep breathing, to calm down.”

A demanding work schedule is another hurdle for students when balancing school and holiday engagements.

“For me, it’s too much work,” said freshman art major Laura Winans. “I don’t have enough time to spend with my family, but I feel a certain obligation to my job since it’s a small family business that would suffer more than my family would by missing me.”

Winans said she releases her frustrations through exercise, especially in the karate class she participated in this semester.

Another way to deal with stress, employed by junior biology major Rafael Fernandez, is listen-

ing to music.

“I’ll just listen to relax, or while I’m studying,” he said. “I also study hard and sleep as much as possible when I can –– which is extremely minute.”

Unlike other students, Fernandez said he isn’t concerned about the impending holiday season.

“I’m not stressing, because I haven’t bought anything,” he said.

While Fernandez seemed to have perfected his method to manage stress, Stevens offered suggestions for other students to maintain a balance in all parts of their lives and decrease internal and external tensions.

“I’m a firm believer that all parts of us are connected, interrelated,” she said. “Don’t neglect other parts.”

The counselor said that students must pay attention to their physical, emotional, mental and spiritual needs.

Ways to manage and prevent increased stress –– during finals especially –– include getting enough sleep, exercising and forming positive study habits.

She suggested a technique of setting a buzzer to sound off once an hour as a reminder to take a break from studying.

“Just get up and away from the books to go do something different for 10 minutes,” she said.

Before finishing the workshop, Stevens reminded students that there are only 24 hours in each day and warned them not to overload their schedules with an excess of activity.

“If you add an activity, you must subtract an activity,” she said. “If you don’t pick which one to drop, it might pick itself.”

Don’t forget to help out the less fortunate this holiday season

news

Tuesday, December 12, 2000

WOODMAN n from page 1 Woodman was stunned when he lost of sight in his remaining eye.

“Almost a year to the date-365 days latermy right eye went out while I was driving,” Woodman said.

The cause of Woodman’s blindness is attributed to retinitis pigmentosa, a genetic condition that causes gradual vision loss.

Woodman’s condition is atypical, however, because his blindness came within five minutes of the time it started.

The fact that Woodman is totally blind is rare, but instantaneous blindness puts him into an even smaller group.

“Only 10 percent of the population is totally blind,” said Siox Dahlem, Education Program Coordinator at the Braille Institute in Anaheim. “It is a misnomer that most people with canes are completely blind.

Ninety percent are legally blind, but still have some vision.”

After becoming blind, Woodman searched his mind for some frame of reference for what he was going through. Growing up, Woodman wasn’t ever around people with disabilities; nor were disabilities talked about.

“I had never even met a blind person before,” Woodman said. “I thought that people went blind, then they stuck them in a

DISCRIMINATION n from page 1 held accountable and disciplined.”

A majority of Rodriguez’s complaints were filed against Director of University Outreach Charles Moore, and were examined by the administration.

It all began with a dress code.

“This was an [order] from Palmer that everyone was to present a professional and respectful demeanor,” said Moore.

He felt that Rodriguez’s attire — a tank top and shorts — was inappropriate for the office. Rodriguez was given a “write up and [sent] home,” according to the report compiled by Rosamaria Gomez-Amaro from CSUF’s Diversity and Equality Programs.

But Rodriguez had not received a copy of the finalized dress code; and without that, he reasoned, he should not have been penalized.

A little over a week later, Rodriguez showed up wearing attire that was technically allowable under the dress code, but was still deemed by Moore as inappropriate: “clam diggers, sleeveless shirt, straw top hat, no socks,” according to Gomez-Amaro’s report.

Rodriguez was moved to work in the student workroom where public contact was not as high, that he his attire would be permissible.

When Rodriguez asked Moore to provide him a reason for the move, he was not given one.

Moore contends that a reason was not provided because he wasn’t the superior Rodriguez reported to.

The move, he added, was also for the benefit of the program.

“I moved him out of an area where sensitive files — like student social security numbers—were kept,” said Moore.

“Students do not normally work there.

“The move was to make my operation run efficiently, and I wanted to protect my organization.”

Rodriguez felt that he was singled out intentionally. In addition, he believed that the environment he worked in was hostile under Moore’s supervision.

According to Amaro-Gomez’s investigation, Moore was reported to have made an insensitive comment regarding a pre-dominantly Latino Employment Management/University Outreach meeting, by saying that it looked like a “little placentia.”

Another reported incident explored by Amaro-Gomez was of the demoralization of an employee, with Moore accusing her of hypocrisy.

As stated in the complaint section of the administration investigation report: “He told her that she was a hypocrite for working for unit that promotes education and refuses to pursue her own education. She told investigators that her job did not require a college education and that she did not feel she needed to pursue any additional schooling … He made her feel demoralized … she said he had made other statements which were perceived as harsh.”

What the investigation — which entailed a two-hour conference with Moore — yielded was not discrimina-

ROTC

n from page 13 for a change in his life. He was not interested in the family dairy farming business and decided to join the army instead.

He chose to be separated from his loved ones for long periods of time to devote himself to protecting the country and helping people in need.

For the last 22 years, the army has been deciding where he would live and for how long.

“We have input [for the destination] but the final decision rests with them,” he said.

For several years he was stationed in Bad Homburg, Germany, where he met his wife.

Now that the army has sent him to CSUF for a three-year program with the university’s ROTC program, he

room, then that was it.”

After losing his sight completely, he went home and attempted to orient himself to his invisible environment.

“I grabbed a broom stick, then went out into the street,” Woodman said.

In retrospect, Woodman said, this was pretty dumb, so he decided to get formal training.

Woodman said that after three orientation lessons at the Braille Institute, he went back to Colorado and spent $3,000 on 700 hours of intense training.

The orientation training concluded with four different types of independent travel tests to demonstrate skills learned.

Later it was suggested that Woodman get a guide dog to be more efficient.

Woodman has been successful in adapting to his blindness.

“He’s exceptional. He has the ability to figure out how to do things,” Dahlem said.

Today Woodman hopes to begin an Orange County support system for people with the onset of blindness and their families.

“I did this in Colorado,” Woodman said.

“Started with 28 support groups, now there are 145 of them.”

Woodman said that the support system would fill a need that isn’t being met now.

“I’ve seen a lot of need for vision-impaired facilities. You can go to the Braille Institute, but they don’t go into the homes to help families.”

Woodman said that family members believe the stereotypes.

Preconceptions that blind people are helpless, need protection and are useless, lead families to feel burdened and overwhelmed.

“After a family member goes blind the others try to compensate for them,” Woodman said. “The family wants to protect them; they feel the need to keep them safe. They end up catering to the blind person.”

Woodman once met a 17-year-old girl who had been blind since she was nine.

He said that she was fine while at the institute, but at home it was very different.

“Her parents would feed her, then protect her by locking her in her room,” Woodman said. “No one ever told her parents how to help their child.”

Families can’t take the attitude that they need to do everything for the blind person.

“Although the family dynamics change, the blind need to fill other needs,” Woodman said. “People lose their role in the family.

Their responsibilities change.”

Woodman is described as a doer.

“Pretty fearless; he has an adventuresome spirit,” said Mary Johnson, Volunteer Service Coordinator at the Braille Institute.

Among his accomplishments, Woodman has owned a wood shop, written two books, is a motivational speaker, a teacher to the blind, has spoken on television — and is currently a freshman psychology major.

“There isn’t anything I can’t accomplish,” Woodman said.

His many challenges have had a positive impact, Woodman said. “I’m a much better person now than before.”

tory intent, but a lack of sensitivity. The lack contributes to strained communication between him and his employees, a result of “poor judgement in his choice of words and communication style.”

The conclusions of the report did nothing to alleviate Rodriguez’s concerns.

“All he got was a slap on the wrist,” Rodriguez said. “Where is the accountability? People are disrespected.”

“I respect people as workers,” said Moore. “I respect what I do.

“And regarding that [“little placentia” comment], it was not intended to be insensitive,” he continued. “What I wanted to accomplish with the Outreach program is diversity. If I’m penalized for that, then that is just something I’ll take to the grave with me. I disagree that I was ‘insensitive’; I wasn’t trying to hold back anyone. But I do feel that it is important that the program’s diversity reflects its constituents.”

When asked about his interactions with Rodriguez, he recalled that they had been very minimal. They were mostly limited to salutations.

“We’ve said ‘hellos’ only,” said Moore.

And the hostility in his working environment?

Moore said that there is none.

“I consider Mr. Rodriguez hostile,” he said.

Finding no recourse with the administration in CSUF, Rodriguez tried to enlist Chancellor Reed’s assistance. Reed referred Rodriguez back to the administration.

What further fueled Rodriguez’s wariness of the administration’s capability to conduct an impartial investigation was the neglect to address Moore’s hiring practices, namely that of nepotism and favoritism. Touched upon briefly in the administration’s investigative report, he felt that administration objectives lie in protecting itself rather than rectification.

Larry LaBrato, the director before Moore admitted: “There’s politics in any position put up. If you fall out of favor, you’re out.

But how can you investigate yourself?” he asked. LaBrato also harbored some reservations on the investigation process. “How can you conduct a fair investigation and remedy, when the same players are still there and perhaps conducting the investigation?”

Kimura, who had applied for the position of a Student Services Professional/ Outreach Counselor, had concerns about the hiring process also. According to him, Moore had discouraged him from applying for the position, explaining that he had already set the position aside for someone else.

Kimura was not hired, and unsatisfied, resigned. He now works at UC Santa Barbara where opportunities, he said, “were better, the opportunity for advancement likewise. I’m treated with fairness and respect.”

Moore maintained that Kimura was treated fairly in the process. An independent three-person panel chose and narrowed applicants down, relieving Moore of any complications with the sorting process.

“I removed myself from the searches,”

said Moore.

The final call, however, was his. The individual he hired was qualified for the position, he said.

Kimura would reveal in a letter to Rodriguez’s committee that the individual was also “a long-time friend of Mr. Moore.”

Moore believes that it was the individual’s skills that got him the job, not the friendship.

“I felt he had other skills that would be a great benefit for the program,” he said.

“As for Kimura, I did let him know that I was more than willing to increase his level of reclassification. The only thing is, the process takes very long. I wanted to keep him, and I had no intention of losing him, ever.”

“Part of the culture here is to not allow any problems to surface,” Rodriguez said.

“They want to show that CSUF reflects its mission statement. When prodded, they react by trying to cover it up.”

Palmer disagreed.

“We’re not in the business to cover up anything,” he said. He would not comment on Moore or the allegations.

“Not only because these are personnel matters,” he continued, “but I don’t believe it’s right to say something on another person’s behalf.”

Rodriguez was subsequently reassigned to another department outside the Outreach Program.

“He was moved because he wasn’t happy where he was,” said Palmer. “I believe that it was for the best, to eliminate any strains. It was not punitive.”

One element of the move that gave Rodriguez more cause to be suspicious of the administration was his new job’s unguaranteed status. It was not going to be renewed for the 2000-2001 year.

Another concern he had was the lack of quick attention the administration gave.

“They did not get to it until it was brought to the attention of the media,” Rodriguez said.

“This seems to be a case of several disgruntled student employees and former professional employees who feel that they have been treated inappropriately by the current leadership at the Employment Management/University Outreach department and have gone to the press to air out their grievances,” Palmer wrote in a letter to President Milton Gordon.

Rodriguez and his committee continue to pursue and question the credibility of the investigations. He plans to keep in touch with Bustamante, and has spoken with the Mexican-American Legal Defense Fund (MALDF).

“There are no questions about it,” he said. “I believe that they’re more concerned with protecting the image of the school.

“As far as legal redress, that is the next step if these issues are not addressed.”

Palmer, meanwhile, stays firm in his belief that a just inspection of the allegations had been performed.

“What I think is that Rodriguez is not liking our answers,” he said. “We found what we found and there’s no substance to the allegations.”

will be involved in different, but challenging work.

“It’s a challenge to make sure that kids get proper training, complete their responsibilities,” he said.

The first impression of Mesa is intimidating because of his large bodybuilder physique, but his sense of humor and the frequent smile on his face quickly reveal him to be an approachable person. He does not even mind when students and other instructors tease him.

“They still do it with respect.

Everybody gets along here,” he said.

During Thanksgiving weekend Mesa went back to Meiraposa for the first time in 21 years.

It was a culture shock to see the changes in town and its residents. His old friends’ children were already college graduates but then, he is a father himself. Mark, 13, and Lisa, 10, live in Germany with their mother.

He has been away from them for six out of the last nine years. That is not to say he is not a part of their lives as his wife calls him every other day.

He misses them but said he is used to the separation.

When he’s not involved in army activities, Mesa enjoys softball, baseball and weight lifting. In 1998 he placed fifth for his weight class (he weighs 235 pounds) in all sources European championship. He benchpressed 425 pounds, squatted 615 pounds and dead-lifted 705 pounds.

He works out in the gym on campus two to three hours a day starting at 5 or 5:30 a.m.

Mesa is also a member of university events staff, which he considers an enjoyable way to stay occupied.

When his army career is over he would like to live in a house in the mountains or the woods with his wife and kids.

19

Raul Mora/Daily Titan

Woody stands next to a miniature outhouse he built that has won many awards.

As a role model, Woodman exudes a charisma that affects those he encounters.

“He is a wonderful role model, showing our students that there really isn’t anything that they can’t accomplish if they choose to,” Johnson said.

Woodman now has a great sense of purpose in life.

“My goals weren’t as prophetic as they are now,” Woodman said. “What I do now is much more important than what I ever thought.”

arts & entertainment December 12, 2000

Courtesy of Sony Music

Oh Ricky you’re so fine, so you’re fine you blow my mind.

Latin Lothario Martin ‘Bangs’

By Magda Liszewska

After eight years, the Backstreet Boys have moved their focus from teeny boppers to young adults.

Watch out, Ricky Martin’s hips are on the loose again and he is armed and loaded with new tunes to make you want to jump up and shake your bon bon. The new album, Sound Loaded, is a follow-up to the 1999’s phenomenon Ricky Martin, and it is loaded with a variety of musical styles and sounds.

Less than two years after the phenomenal crossover, Martin manages to avoid the cookie cutter formula and delivers several fresh tracks next to the beats that made him famous worldwide.

The opening number, “She Bangs,” appears to follow the saga of the sexy, beautiful, wild woman introduced in “Living La Vida Loca.”

The song starts with a tease of guitar before speeding the tempo into the energetic dance number. The track is already climbing the charts just as the hits from the previous album did. It is virtually impossible to listen to it without imagining Martin’s hip action performance in the new sexy video.

While staying true to his Latin roots, Martin embarks on a genre-mixing journey, ranging from exotic southern rhythms, through pop, rock and even a touch of gypsy-like Arabic music, which actually makes for a diverse, attention-grabbing album.

After “She Bangs,” the energetic “Loaded,” is likely to become a party anthem to be played everywhere all the time, repeating the success of “Living La Vida Loca,” making people love it and be sick of it at the same time.

The track sends a contagious vibe to make the unsuspecting listener want to “shock it and rock it ‘till he or she drops.” In “One Night Man,” an ode to anonymous sex, Martin experiments with gypsy-like, Arabic mood providing a pleasantly intriguing surprise.

However, the lyrics, “Lady, I’m your one night man/Come with me and take a chance/You won’t forget it/Never regret it/I can promise you that” make him sound like a parody of a stereotypical Latin lover.

Martin does not escape being cheesy completely. “Nobody Wants to Be Lonely” sounds more like something from Backstreet Boys’ or N’Sync’s repertoires. “Amor” on the other hand, sounds a bit too similar to Santana’s “Smooth.” Could it be that Martin is paying a tribute to the great musician or was he temporarily out of original ideas?

Fans of “She’s All I Ever Had” will embrace the pop ballad “Come To Me.” The song, as well as “She Bangs” and “Loaded” also have their Spanish, or actually Spanglish, counterparts on the album.

The majority of the lyrics tell a story of a man whose love life is limited to one night stands with wild, fast-paced women. La vida loca continues. Like him or hate him, there is no denying that with that voice, that bon bon and the talent to craft fun music capable of engaging thousands of people into a tush-shaking frenzy, this Latin sensation is a great entertainer who seems to have as much fun as his admirers.

And if Elvis Presley were alive he would have to fight Ricky Martin to keep his title of the hip-shaking king.

Pop music gets ‘Blue’

Daily Titan Staff Writer

strong D

avid Dunn (Bruce Willis) wakes up every morning with a little bit of sadness in his

heart.

He is unhappy in his passionless marriage. He hates his security guard job at the university football stadium.

He has no direction. No purpose.

Life has no real “meaning” to him.

as

Then one day David finds himself as the lone survivor in a deadly train wreck that leaves 125 dead.

He literally walks out of the emergency room unscathed. Not one cut.

Not one bruise. Not even a little scrape on his elbow.

Elijah Price (Samuel L. Jackson) is on a mission to find David. Elijah

courtesy of touchtone pictures

David Dunn (Bruce Willis) is the lone survivor of a train accident.

courtesy of jive records

Backstreet Boys mature in latest CD

By Joel Helgesen

W

Daily Titan Business Manager ith the release of their fourth album, "Black And Blue," in five years, have the Backstreet Boys changed?

Well, the dress is a little more "Hollywood," the faces are a little older but their distinctive pop roots haven’t wavered.

When the group came together eight years ago, no one could have expected that they would have dominated the popular music charts for so long.

Their hip-hop beats mixed with R & B flavor and sweet vocal harmonies have changed a generation of music lovers in the late 90s and into the millennium.

Their boyish good looks, diversity, and subtle charm have created wallpaper for teen girls all over the planet.

With the release of N’Sync’s album "No Strings Attached" this year, the Backstreet Boys were left with high expectations for the new record.

To the average listener, the two might sound and look very similar, but

to a fan, there are distinct differences between the two.

"Black and Blue," displays more of a smooth vibe than N’Sync’s edgier, grittier sound.

Obviously, the first single of the album is "Shape Of My Heart." This is vintage Backstreet Boys.

Starting out with the soft strums of a nylon stringed guitar, Brian Littrell innocently sings along with the guitar while the vocal harmonies begin to build tension.

The tension is sustained until the chorus/hook grabs you and forces you to finish listening to the song.

Other tracks have a more rich pop sound. "Not For Me" is a perfect example.

With a strong heavy beat laced with synthesized keyboards, A.J. McLean’s raspy voice complements the track’s roughness.

On the flip side, "How Did I Fall In Love With You," is a slow, simple love ballad, partially written by Howie Dorough. Soft piano and violin strings highlight the tender song about a breaking heart.

Although "Black and Blue" is a

Courtesy of jive records

“Black and Blue” is the group’s fourth album in five years. good CD, it’s not as innovative as the "Millennium" album.

For "Millennium,” they wanted to reach the pre-teen and young adult market, while "Black and Blue" has more of a universal sound to it.

The group has grown and matured together for eight years, and it shows in their music. Hopefully, their music keeps growing and pop music can grow with it.

Story by Vu believes David is blessed with special powers and is destined to become a savior to those in desperate need.

Like a superhero.

Elijah has been stricken by osteogensis imperfecta, a rare condition that has caused him to break 54 bones in his lifetime.

As a child, the neighborhood kids would tease him and call him “Mr. Glass.”

He believes that if there is a person born so frail, there should logically be someone from the opposite side of the spectrum. Someone with bones of steel. Unbreakable steel. Like David.

Writer/director M. Night Shyamalan crafts another suspenseful thriller riding on the success of “The Sixth Sense.”

His ability to bring on tension from the most menial tasks such as pouring orange juice into a glass is uncanny.

Like Alfred Hitchcock, Shyamalan is an expert of misdirection, leaving audiences plastered to the edge of their seats.

Most impressive of Shyamalan is that he does not rely on special effects or excessive gore to dazzle the crowd.

Elijah Price (Samuel L. Jackson, left) is a comic book collector striken with osteogensis imperfecta a rare condition that causes brittle bones. He believes that David is blessed with superhuman abilities.

It is his simplistic, almost minimalist style that creates an eerily quiet atmosphere to tell his twisted tale.

The chemistry between Willis and Jackson is key to the film’s success.

The two feed off each other masterfully.

Infamous for his role as the cheesy, gun-toting detective from the “Diehard” trilogy, Willis truly shines as Dunn.

Willis doesn’t cheat his role with cheap witticisms or loud and outrageous smirks.

His subdued demeanor eloquently masks just what’s underneath. And when he does let the audience feel his pain, through a downward glance or a subtle wince, they can feel it.

Jackson gives a remarkable performance as a broken man whose hate and jealousy fueled his desire for purpose.

It is a crime if he is robbed of another Oscar (Remember Pulp Fiction? I still can’t figure out why he was not even considered in the Best Actor category).

The only criticism of this film is of the last 45 seconds. Although I won’t ruin it for you, there was no need for it and the ending took away from the story.

Shyamalan is one of this generation’s best and most innovative writer/directors in mainstream American cinema today and this film proves it.

If Hollywood would spend less cash on its special effects, product placement and commerical hype, maybe other “Unbreakables” will be written.

20

News

Tuesday, December 12, 2000

Jane Espinoza, member of St. Rosa of Lima Catholic Church, peacefully meditates during the Virgin of Guadalupe celebration mass at East Los Angeles College.

Our Lady M

Maria Castaño shops for religious articles from vendor Miguel Cuevas.

Photos by Mayra Beltran

ore than 6,000 people participated in the annual procession in East Los Angeles celebrating the Virgin of Guadalupe Saturday.

The procession ran from Ford Lane, down Ceaser Chavez Blvd. and into East Los Angeles College, where a mass was held at the school’s stadium. Several prominent figures, including Cardinal Roger Mahoney, from the Catholic Church led the mass.

For Mexicans, the Virgin of Guadalupe serves as a powerful icon of national identity and faith. The image itself can be seen all throughout Hispanic communities in Los Angeles and Orange County on storefronts,

murals and even tattoos.

According to Catholic faith, the event is to commemorate the day in 1531 when a dark skinned Virgin Mary appeared to an Indian named Juan Diego on the Mexican hill of Tepeyac and left her image on his cloak.

The event brings together the Mexican-Indian culture and the Catholic religion. Participants at the Saturday event dressed in Aztec attire along with traditional Mexican dress.

—Fermin Leal

Devoted Catholics give prayers and pay respect to the religious icon.

The Aztec Dance Group of Xochipilli participated in the procession where the pilgrim image of Our Lady Guadalupe was carried throughout the East Los Angeles neighborhood. Aztec dancers were there to represent the indigenous people who the Virgin of Guadalupe appeared in front of in 1531.

Deacon Arnoldo Lopez from the parish of Holy Angels preaches the homily for approximately 5,000 catholics.

Tuesday, December 12, 2000

Duke Chapel endorses same-sex marriage

University President Nanner Keohane and Dean William Willimon approve gay marriage ceremonies to be performed in school Chapel

By Gus Garcia From his perch near the top of the Crowell quadrangle clock tower, a griffin of stone keeps watch over the West campus.

However, this griffin of stone will now be watching over much more at Duke University.

Duke will now permit same sex marriage ceremonies in the Duke Chapel, the gothic campus landmark. University President Nannerl Keohane and Dean William Willimon announced the decision Wednesday Dec. 5 after a committee of students, faculty, staff and trustees recommended it.

If only James B. Duke could hear this he’d probably be turning in his grave. A school that seeks to provide a Christian witness and presence at the center of the University will now be doing this.

Although, the way I’m writing this makes it seem that I am against the

DailyTitan Letter Policy Letters to the Editor should be brief and are subject to editing. They should also include a signature and telephone number.

Editorials are the opinion of the editorial board, comprised of the Executive Editor, News Editors and section editors.

Columns are the personal opinion of the writer. They do not reflect those of the university, the faculty, or the student body.

decision, I am very much for it.

Looking through the Duke website, I couldn’t help but laugh when I read about the changes the Chapel has been through.

One occurred in 1971. A fire sparked in the nave, destroying several pews and causing thousands of dollars in damage to the interior of the Chapel.

The other was in 1976 when the dedication of the Benjamin N. Duke Memorial Organ took place.

Alright, lets retract a little. A fire, a dedication of an organ, and now, the performances of same sex marriages, how can you compare?

Well, I think it was a great idea and will give Duke University even more recognition. It’s just nice to know that the entire country isn’t as narrow-minded as some that you’ll find it California.

In North Carolina, we have a very well known Christian University that will be performing these marriages and in California, we have already taken away practically every right homosexuals have.

In California, same sex marriag-

es are not recognized and are not performed. Proposition 22 took all that and more away. If a homosexual couple has been together for years, if one of them happens to get sick or hurt and be in their death bed, the other has no right to see them in the hospital because they are not immediate family.

If that same couple owned a home, and one of them in fact did die, they could have lived there over 25 years and the other still has no rights to the home.

So basically homosexuals in California are considered less than human. Why? Who knows. But the truth of the matter is that they are human.

They are people. And yes, they are a part of California. Some people just choose to live their sheltered lives and ignore everything that doesn’t seem right.

Hooray for Duke University!!!

Maybe some of their open-mindedness will rub off elsewhere… needless to say exactly where.

—Gus Garcia is the Daily Titan

Opinion Editor

courtesy of Tmscapus

The Duke University Chapel has been approaved to perform same sex marriages.

Psst... it’s becoming America’s pasGossiping is more than just a waste of time or a way of invading someone’s privacy but it’s a also become a social bond

By Jessica Peralta

By the time the sexuallyladen jokes by Jay Leno had died down, and Ken Starr had quieted, President Bill Clinton and White House intern, Monica Lewinsky, had become Bill and Monica.

Bill and Monica’s little White House fling turned out to be gossip that reached international proportions.

Many felt that the level of sexually explicit talk and jokes about the relationship reached levels that invaded privacy, wasted time and ruined reputations.

But the Clinton-Lewinsky scandal served more than an entertainment function. It brought people that ordinarily are considered to be untouchable, down to our level.

They became human.

We related to them as people, like us, capable of love, lying and adultery. While Watergate opened our eyes to presidential imperfection, Monica—gate showed us that the president was just plain Bill. And so

goes one of the many functions of a highly criticized American pastime — gossiping.

The American Heritage College Dictionary defines gossip as “rumor or talk of a personal, sensational, or intimate nature.”

Gossiping is more than just a waste of time or a way of invading someone’s privacy. Gossip can serve both psychological and societal functions.

Besides its entertainment value and the humanizing quality of the activity, gossiping does much more for society. There are always those around us who criticize gossip. With an air of self-righteous snobbery, they may say, “I don’t gossip. I have better things to do with my time than listen to other people’s dirty laundry.”

And yet, we continue to gossip.

While a rare few want to admit reading the National Enquirer, it is far from going out of business.

So where does this fascination with the lives of others come from?

What makes us like to talk about office affairs and celebrity marriages?

One answer is that gossiping creates a social bond. We feel like we belong and are accepted when people trust us enough to talk to us

about personal matters, even if they are regarding the lives of others. We feel like we’re in on a secret. We’re back in high school and the cool group at school just said we could sit at their table.

Another social function of gossip is the establishment of a code of conduct. Gossiping gets us thinking about what, as a society or at least as individuals, we find acceptable or tolerable. Some might think Hillary Clinton has no self-respect because she is still married to the president in light of his alleged affairs. While others might think her loyalty to the president and the White House has proven her strength and commitment.

The point is that while the alleged affairs and subsequent gossip did take up more of the administrations’ time than it should have and tried much of the public’s patience, it did get us thinking about what is acceptable behavior for a president and for a married couple in general. We may not all agree as a society, but at least it got some of us to form individual opinions about it.

This establishment of a code of conduct also extends to everyday office gossip. When we talk about a co-worker’s daughter being out of control, we cluck our tongues and

think about what we would do differently with our own children. This comparison to the lives of others, leads to another function of gossip — acceptance.

When we hear that others are having troubles in their personal lives — they hate their hair, they hate their house, they hate their in-laws — we may think to ourselves, “I complain a lot, but I should appreciate what I have. She has it much worse than I do.” And we realize that we are content with our own lives.

Besides acceptance, gossip also functions as a learning experience.

Gossip can be a way to learn from the experiences of others. If you hear a friend was caught cheating on a test and was expelled from school, you might think twice about doing such a thing. If someone you know is caught driving drunk, you may avoid driving the next time you go to a party where alcohol is served.

You can learn from other people’s experiences without having to go through them yourself.

Another function of gossip is just plain information. The first newspaper was not much more than gossip written down and passed on for the next reader to add to. Without the need for gossip, we may have never had the urge to verify it and begin

journalism. Gossip today may still be a way to communicate information to others. It could be used to share work information in the office, for instance.

While many may counter the positive functions of gossip with examples of ruined reputations, lessened productivity due to wasted time, strained relationships, exaggeration of information, and invasion of privacy, there is plenty of good to be gained from gossip. And the only type of gossip that I am against is the kind done with malicious intent.

The type conducted for the sole purpose of spreading it and intentionally hurting someone or that person’s reputation. The type that gives a bad name to the more productive kinds of gossip.

Like everything else, gossip has a bad side, but it serves many functions, nevertheless. So instead of hurling criticism at those who enjoy gossip for its benefits, critics should see gossip for what it is — as a form of potentially positive expression for the individual and society as a whole.

—Jessica Peralta is the Daily Titan News Editor

Consumerism plagues Parents will go to extreme measures to get the latest fade such as the Play Station 2

By Debra Santelli

As children, most are told that the holiday spirit is about giving and not receiving.

About the joys of holidays, being able to spend time with family and friends and the oh-so memorable Dr. Suess/Sesame Street all-American learning lessons on inner joy.

I wonder if the parents that are standing in line over night at their local toy store for this year’s Play Station 2 remember their “inner joy” that their parents tried to teach them as youths.

Each year, massive numbers of American consumers are brainwashed into the latest must-have products.

Pokemon, Teletubbies, video games or the latest designer doll that performs remarkable feats such as peeing and crying at the same time.

Why do we as a society buy so easily into a materialism that leads

children living in metropolitan inner cities to killing each other over a $150 pair of Air Jordan sneakers?

Why then in this thing that we loosely refer to as our “morals in life,”we the primary followers of Westernized thought, bestow values upon things such as malls, SUVs and housing developments?

One can blame it on the media and advertising. But we make our own decisions or at least we are born with the ability to, until we become another product of consumerism — becoming a rat in the Skinner box maze, running to find the piece of cheese. Only to want more cheese no matter how many pieces are consumed.

Until we as a society open our eyes and realize that our brains are filled with information on the latest clothing fad, boy-bands and what Brittany Spears eats for lunch — instead of possessing a real concept of the bigger picture that goes beyond TinselTown’s morality — we are all headed for a mindless existence that consists of sipping on Mochachinos and shopping at the Gap.

This holiday season Edison Electric announced that Southern California was facing a stage three energy alert mainly due to excessive energy use from Christmas lights. This energy crisis might lead to rolling blackouts.

Rolling blackouts to conserve energy so homes and businesses can show off the latest trend in Christmas lights.

If this isn’t a display of what Americans value at the holiday times, I don’t know what is.

This turn in values dates back to after WWII with the development of suburbia and strip malls. White middle-class families (remember the “Wonder Years”) began moving out of the cities and moving to cookie-cutter readymade homes. Only for housewives to realize that there’s more to life than the latest model dishwasher from Sears; hence the generation of flower-power children and revolutions.

Sadly enough, I feel I have to refer to a Hollywood movie to personify to the masses one of the best examples I’ve recently seen on the direction toward which our society is heading.

David Lynch writes a twisted tale entitled “Fight Club”.

Outside of the typical good-looking cast of Hollywood actors, such as Brad Pitt and barbaric violence to no end, Lynch paints an outstanding picture of how corporations have not only taken over but have consumed and brainwashed Americans.

Starbucks is condescendingly referred to as “Planet Starbucks” and the pastime of most people is sitting around their plastic condominiums ordering crap out of IKEA catalogues wondering why they even need the stuff.

The American Heritage College dictionary defines consumerism as “the theory that a progressively greater consumption of goods is economically beneficial, an attachment to materialistic values or possessions.”

In reality, until we all open our eyes and realize that the forces driving consumerism is a mindless tunnel of minute frivolous pleasure, we as a society are destined to be ruled upon, instead of being a beautiful contributing factor

courtesy of simplylighting.com

Christmas lights forces Edison Electric to declare stage 3 energy crisis.

to a greater purpose that encompasses intellect and individualism.

And on a final note, if you can’t acquire a Play Station 2 for this holiday, just wait a few weeks and the fad will be over and you will have saved

money and have one less thing to throw in your garage.

“No possession” -John Lennon.

—Debra Santelli is a Daily Titan Staff Writer

Accuracy represents the mere tip of the journalistic iceberg More subtle elements, such as fairness and objectivity,as well as sensitivity, all have an important role to play in crafting well balanced quality writing

By Marlayna Slaughterbeck

The truth shall set you free … but wait, is that really true? Is it accurate?

Any journalist worth her steno pad knows that accuracy is the cornerstone of good journalism.

If she has truth and accuracy on her side, she is well on her way to establishing herself as a credible reporter

… right?

At the end of my first semester as a writer for the Daily Titan, I’ve learned that accuracy is just the beginning of what it takes to be a good journalist.

The truth of the matter is that reporting and interpreting events for the public entails a good deal more than accuracy.

Furthermore, accuracy, while it is paramount, is probably the least difficult element of good journalistic writing.

The American Heritage Dictionary defines accuracy as conformity to fact.

Precision, exactness — pretty straightforward stuff. Not much to debate.

It’s those murkier elements — judgement, fairness, sensitivity, detachment, etc. that do not lend themselves to clear interpretation or mastery by the beginning, and perhaps even the seasoned, journalist.

For example, while a good journalist begins her story with an interesting and compelling take on a given topic, she must keep in mind its relevance to the overall piece.

The most interesting part of a story, after all, may not be the most impor-

tant or newsworthy element. There is often a precarious balance between what is interesting and what is important.

Although this issue has come up in my writing from time to time, throughout the semester, the most recent and perhaps clearest example of such a dilemma happened just last week.

While writing a story on deadline, I chose to lead with an element of the story, for both its interest value as well as its timeliness, rather than its overall importance to the story.

I questioned it momentarily, then

proceeded on the basis that it was accurate.

Because the information was in my lead, the editors were given the impression that it was the most important element of the story and devised the headline accordingly, thus compounding my error in judgement.

The end result was that my story, although accurate, was somewhat colored.

While my transgression was, by most accounts, minor, it nonetheless upset those involved.

Apologies notwithstanding, it may

also have negatively affected the trust of a valued source, not to mention a pretty nice person.

While it is tempting to focus solely on that regrettable possibility, to do so would be to miss the larger point — that the most salient lesson to be learned here is a greater respect for the ambiguities that exist beyond mere accuracy.

—Marlayna Slaughterbeck is a Daily Titan Staff Writer

Tuesday, December 12, 2000

Building a Better Habitat

Habitat for Humanity, a non-profit organization, dedicates itself to eliminating poverty housing Story by Rita Freeman

Photos by Trisha Insheiwat

A

22-year-old brunette pounds nails into a sidewall. A male crew leader in a yellow hardhat saws into the 2-foot piece of plywood. Sawdust flies as the circular saw cuts into the wood. Drops of sweat cascade down the faces of six men hoisting a triangular beam to the roof. And on house unit number four, Bo Derek, sits on a stack of roof tiles, hammering more nails into blocks of bird stops inside the garage.

Phyllis Tutor hollers in the background, “Wow, she’s been getting down and dirty!”

On the roof of House 13, Robin Williams laughs with other volunteers.

He hops over the several beams on the roof. His platinum blond hair glistens with sweat. Dirt and sawdust cover the gold star on his brown T-shirt.

Both Derek and Williams along with several hundred volunteers, Dec. 2 and 3 started building houses for different families at the first Hollywood for Habitat Blitz Build.

Along with Derek and Williams, Maria Shriver, Dustin Hoffman, David and Patricia Arquette, screenwriter Randall Wallace, chairman for the Hollywood for Habitat and founders of Habitat for Humanity Millard and Linda Fuller were among the many famous faces who assisted other volunteers build 20 homes for families.

Several affiliates from Habitat for Humanity International joined the South Bay/Long Beach chapter partnered with Holllywood for Habitat for Humanity during the first week in December. Many came out to build homes for the different families, and the homeowners themselves contributed 500 hours of “sweat-equity” to help build their new houses.

Habitat for Humanity selected the more than 20 families after looking over the approximately 400 applicants.

The families were selected based on level of need, their willingness to become partners in the program and their ability to repay the no-interest loan.

As Derek patiently waits on the tiles for her next project, she sai, “I had so much fun that I came back a second time. Meeting these families and hearing their stories is the most significant thing.”

More than 100,000 homes have been built since the organization started in 1976 with more than 1,900 affiliates in 67 nations have built homes worldwide.

The building begins…

It’s 6 a.m. on the site, located in the Los Angeles Harbor community of Wilmington, right between the streets of Watson and Pioneer avenues. It is still dark and several committee mem-

bers prepare to distribute the needed materials for the different people constructing the new houses.

Chaos surrounds the different areas of the spot. Lines for registration and for Maria Saldana, one of the future homeowners, a wild goose chase is about to begin.

“Where do I go?” she asks herself.

The committee never received her faxed application. She wanders from tent to tent and watches several people receiving Hollywood for Habitat Tshirts and their hardhats.

“You have to go here. No you must go here.” Confusion sets in.

She must submit a new release form and other applications. Back and forth she travels to the different tents. Relief finally sets in after she received her apron so she could store her tools.

“In two pockets, I had everything, my hammer, my measuring tape, nails and goggles,” she said.

At the site, dried cement pads display the spots where each of the homes was positioned. In the distance, two houses are halfway constructed and the first floor frames of the 18 other homes were added; this was the training period for crewmembers to prepare for the blitz.

As the day furthers along, as the opening ceremony took place with Fuller and Wallace as keynote speakers. Fuller spoke about the organization and how important it was to contribute to Habitat for Humanity as a volunteer and not just as a donor.

Construction begins. Several different organizations sponsor the build, including Warner Bros., House and Garden Magazine, the City of Los Angeles and the Union Bank of California. Different affiliates included the Women’s Build and the Orange County chapter. Several volunteers traveled from places ranging from Connecticut to New Zealand to staying local in Long Beach.

Ages of the volunteers range from teens to seniors in their 70s. Several installed earthquake straps, others hammered in nails.

L.J. Isaacson, 66, and a Los Alamitos resident, nailed in the earthquake straps. She recounts the rafters she climbed over, the windows she

HABITAT/ 5

Nick and Bunny DeMarinis kiss after a hards day work volunteering for the first Hollywood for Habitat Blitz Build.

Men hoist a triangle beam to the roof of one of the houses the organization is building (above). Maria Shriver, a correspondent for NBC’s “Dateline”, takes a break from her volunteering for Habitat for Humanity (right).

perspectives

Tuesday, December 12, 2000

5

Volunteer Burna Pickens drills holes for “E” boards for the garages (far left).

Luis Stefanon hammers nails into the wall (left).

HABITAT

n from page 4

installed and the nails she hammered into the walls.

“Gosh I never realized there were so many nails in a house,” she said. “I counted and I think I counted more than 876 million nails of all different sizes for the different things.”

With each day, a new part of the home took shape. Maria Shriver, joined on the second day in House 24. Helping install more insulation, she finds the crew leaders generous as one instructs her through the process.

“This is a fun and responsible way to spend my day,” she says to herself. “Most of the volunteers are amateurs and have never built before. So don’t call me if there’s a leak in the insulation.”

Construction continues…

Several more volunteers join in on the build. The roofs on almost all the houses are complete. Tiles still need to be placed.

No major crisis, except for about eight people who stubbed their thumbs from hammering themselves instead of the nail.

William Hill, a graduate student from Cal State Fullerton, looks on in approvingly. He oversees the building, and watches as Alex Castaneda, a homeowner on House 12, cuts off the rafters. He says that each of the laminated beams must be specially placed and cut so they are even. The facia boards must be removed to even out the beams “The vinyl siding needs to be placed, the plumbing is pretty much in,” Hill said. “This is a lot of fun and it’s a good feeling to do something like this.”

Each house moves at a different pace.

Many have completed different rooms in their house.

Four men cut wires and place then for the electricity. John Berry, a Long Beach resident, oversees all the materials and makes sure there is inventory. He watches the construction of the different homes.

“I’m surprised to see all the slaps,” he said.

“In homes 18 and 19, the first stories are complete.”

The Dedication…

Dec. 9, it was the last day of the blitz; the homes are almost complete. Muscles ache and several thumbs throb and are red from hammering into them.

Construction continues until 2 p.m.

Each block of houses was dedicated. Each of the new homeowners received a Bible, a Zenia plant, a gardening shovel and gloves and seeds. Saldana laughs as she takes possession of the key to the house. It is a cardboardshaped key surrounded by duct tape. Again she is introduced to the volunteers and she says a small speech to thank them all for all the hard work each put in.

She said this was a dream come true due to the hard times that her family has fallen on.

Since she is the soul provider of her family, she said she feels lucky that she had a hand in building her home.

Miniature Oscars were handed out to the all the house leaders and the staff for Habitat for “a great performance on each unit.”

“It was almost like attending the Academy Awards,” Saldana said.

Afterward, all the volunteers travel to Holy Family Church up the street. Wallace speaks on behalf of everyone and said that what he’s doing in Habitat for Humanity gives him a sense of fulfillment.

At the end, everyone walks from the church to the site in a candlelight procession.

Many of the homes will not be completed until early 2001. Carpeting and floors must be installed. Drywall and siding on many of the homes is incomplete.

But even though they are not done, each family said its excited and “it is almost a blessing from God.” Angela Foster said it an early Christmas present.

“This will be the last Christmas that these families will have to spend in inadequate housing,” Foster said.

Jim Banks calculates measurements before continuing the construction (above).

Kathy Chew struggles to climb across the building’s wood frame (far left).

Male volunteers join together to lift wood beams (left).

Tuesday, December 12, 2000

Cowboys lasso Titans, 78nMEN’S BASKETBALL: Titans play close through most of the game and then get outscored in the final minutes 20-4

By Fermin Leal

Daily Titan Executive Editor For most of Saturday night’s game, the Cal State Fullerton men’s basketball team played their opponent close.

But in the end, the Titans could not battle a full 40 minutes, losing to Wyoming 78-61 in front of 1,023 in Titan Gym. The Titans [1-5] trailed by only five points with less than seven minutes to in the game before the Cowboys [5-1] pulled away and won by 17.

For the first 33 minutes of the game, the Titans played their best basketball of the season.

The Titans started the game aggressively scoring the first six points. The Cowboys, on the other hand, struggled in the opening minutes. They missed their first few shots and when they didn’t miss, they turned the ball over.

It wasn’t until four minutes had passed in the game that guard Marcus Bailey drove down the lane

and made a lay-up that Wyoming finally got on the scoreboard.

CSUF led the game through most of the first half until Cowboy guard Brett McFall sank a three-pointer giving his team a two-point lead with five minutes to play.

The teams exchanged baskets the rest of the half and the Titans trailed 33-31 at the end of the first half, despite having Ike Harmon play only four of the first twenty minutes.

Both teams had several players score in the early going.. Nine Wyoming players scored in the first half while eight Titans put points on the board.

“We took the post away from them in that half,” Daniels said.

Unlike at the beginning, the Cowboys came out with a hot hand in the second half and went on an 8-2 run capped of by a Bailey threepoint basket. Bailey, the team’s leading scorer for the season, was held to nine points for the game.

The Titans then went on a 7-0 run of their own to cut the lead to 41-40.

Soon after, the Cowboys began playing a full-court press defense — a strategy that the Titans had seen before this season and have yet to beat.

“This didn’t surprise us that they would run the press at us and we didn’t do a good job handling it,” Daniels said.

Cowboy forward Josh Davis

credited the change in the defensive scheme for getting his team into rhythm.

“We were struggling and fighting early, we needed to get going defensively,” Davis said. “Coach felt we needed to change things up a little and that seemed to work.”

Wyoming forced several turnovers. Fortunately for the Titans, Wyoming did not capitalize on the turnovers right away.

CSUF was still in the game in the late going, only trailing 55-50. The Titans then went 11 minutes without scoring a field goal and when they did have a chance to score at the free-throw line, they didn’t take advantage.

“We got fouled and we didn’t do a good job of making the shots,” Daniels said.

The Titans only made 14 of 24 free throws during the second half, as opposed to the Cowboys, who made 20 out of 23.

During the Titan’s 11-minute field goal drought, Wyoming went on a 20-4 run that put the game away.

The Cowboys were led by Davis, who led all scorers with 18 points and grabbed 12 rebounds. Forward Ugo Udezue also contributed 12 points. “[Davis] was just all over the place,” Titan senior center Matt Caldwell. “He would always sneak in and constantly make plays.”

Junior guard Kevin Richardson

led the Titans with 14 points, while Harmon added 13.

Harmon though, only played 21 minutes because of foul trouble, far fewer than Daniels would have wanted.

“It will be great to have [Harmon] in the ball game the whole time, but he has to do a better job of staying in the game,” Daniels said.

Despite playing one of the top teams in the Mountain West Conference tough for most of the game, Daniels expressed disappointment that his team can’t seem to find ways to come up with the victory.

“I gotta make these guys believe they can win a game,” he said. “It’s hard to say that our team is improving when we keep losing. The bottom line is that we are 1-5.”

The Titans will hope to pick up their second win of the season and first against a Division I opponent when they play against Baylor Saturday at 7:05 p.m. in Titan Gym. The game against Baylor will mark the debut of Titan junior guard David Castleton.

Because he was academically ineligible, Castleton was not able to play until the end of the semester Friday.

The junior college transfer out of Orange Coast was the projected starting point guard before the sea-

Titan senior center Matt Caldwell drives to the basket against Cowboy defender Uche Nsonwa-Amadi.

nWOMEN’S BASKETBALL: Titans remain winless under first-year Head Coach Barbara Ehardt, lose 75-47

posted six points of their own, cutting the deficit to 10-6 with 15:53 to play in the first half.

However, this was closest the Titans would come to closing the gap, as the imposing Saint Mary’s front court, comprised of siblings Jermisha and Jerkisha Dosty put a stern halt to the Titan surge.

The duo seized rebounds and muscled in compact net-finding jump shots from the key to keep the game out of Titan reach.

Complementing the sister’s interior solidarity was the backcourt effort of Katie Davis, who fended off the defensive quickness of Quinn as she conjured up nine first half points and a triplet of assists.

As the halftime horn resonated off the Pavilion walls, the Gaels saw themselves ahead 41-23.

Second half play began identically to the first half with the Gaels springing out of the gate with a 6-0 run.

After a Quinn 15-foot jump shot, Saint Mary’s recommenced with their

offensive eruption as they mounted a 10-0 run capped off by a levitating lay-up from point guard Julie Morris that put the Gaels up 55-25 with 13 minutes to play.

Even after boasting a 30-point lead, Saint Mary’s seemed to assert a more inflicting full-court press, which resulted in a grim 34 percent shooting stat for the Titans in the second half.

Seemingly unscathed by the shooting woes of their teammates, Titan tandem Quinn and Kandace Hunter flourished, as they combined for four three-pointers and 27 of the Titans 47 points.

Quinn finished with a game-high 15 points and stretched her scoring streak of 10 plus points per game to four.

Hopping off the bench was Hunter, who chipped in with 12 points in addition to shooting 66 percent from the three-point line.

With a sub-par showing from the pair’s support cast, their heroic performances did little to counter the

Lorraine Dominguez/Daily Titan

kristina huffman/Daily Titan

Women trounced by Saint Mary Gaels

By Raul Ascencio

Tamara Quinn led the Titans in scoring with 15 points on Friday.

Titan Notes

Daily Titan Staff Writer‑ ‑ The Saint Mary’s Gaels galloped to a 75-47 trouncing over the Cal State Fullerton women’s basketball team Friday night in front of 964 at McKeon Pavilion in Moraga.

Saint Mary’s pushed the tempo early, converting on a trio of jumpers in the first three minutes as CSUF found themselves down by the score of 6-0.

But the resilient Titans [0-7] scraped their way back into the game as they, under the command of freshman point guard, Tamara Quinn,

Women’s Basketball Schedule for Winter Break Dec. 18 at San Diego State 7:00 p.m.

Dec. 21 at San Jose State 7:30 p.m.

Dec. 28 vs. Portland 7:00 p.m.

Dec. 30 vs. Columbia 5:00 p.m.

Jan. 3 at Univ. of San Diego 7:00 p.m.

Jan. 9 vs. UC Santa Barbara 7:00 p.m.

Jan. 12 at Pacific 7:00 p.m.

Jan. 14 at Long Beach State 2:00 p.m.

Jan. 21 vs. Cal Poly San Luis Obispo 2:00 p.m.

Jan. 27 vs. UC Irvine 7:00 p.m.

Jan. 29 vs. UC Riverside

high-caliber offense of the Gaels and the Titans were dealt their seventh consecutive defeat.

The Titans were outrebounded 51 to 38.

Conversely, the Gaels shot a formidable 42% from the field and were heavily aided by the 41-point contribution from the bench.

Four of Saint Mary’s hoopsters toppled the 10-point mark as sophomore Natalie Kelly led the team with 14 points and 10 rebounds.

The Gaels [6-0] will utilize the depth of their non-starters tonight as they travel to Oregon for a Pac-10 showdown with the 4-1 nationally ranked Ducks.

The Titans will regroup with a contest-free week of practice as they arduously prepare for a Dec. 18 road meeting with San Diego State.

The Aztecs are coming off a devastating single-digit loss to San Jose State, which pushed their overall record to 3-5.

Men’s Basketball Schedule for Winter Break Dec. 16 vs. Baylor 7:05 p.m.

Dec. 20 at Eastern Kentucky 5:30 p.m.

Dec. 22 at Valparaiso 5:35 p.m.

Dec. 30 vs. Northern Arizona 7:05 p.m.

Jan. 4 at Pacific 7:00 p.m.

Jan. 6 at Long Beach State 7:30 p.m.

Jan. 11 vs. UC Santa Barbara 7:05 p.m.

Jan. 13 at Idaho 7:07 p.m.

Jan. 20 vs. UC Irvine 7:05 p.m.

Jan. 25 at Cal Poly San Luis Obispo 7:00 p.m.

Jan. 27 at UC Santa Barbara 7:00 p.m.

Jan. 31 vs. Boise State 7:05 p.m.

bold denotes home game bold denotes home game (pictured) Titan guard Nikki Lee

(pictured) Titan guard Kevin Richardson

SPORTS

Tuesday, December 12, 2000

17

Mistri pleased with 2000 seanMEN’S SOCCER: Another winning season for coach as team receives several league honors

By Caesar Contreras

Daily Titan Sports Editor With the sting of a 4-0 first round NCAA Playoff loss to the Stanford Cardinal fading into memory, Cal State Fullerton men’s soccer Head Coach Al Mistri was pleased with his team’s performance in 2000.

“I’m happy with our season and especially some of our wins, a couple of the games we came from behind to win and I was pleased with that.”

With a 15-6-1 record, the Titans won the Mountain Pacific Sports Federation Pacific Division crown, received a NCAA Playoff berth after a one-year absence and scored impressive victories against UCLA and Southern Methodist.

In both those contests, the Titans came from behind to post overtime wins. In the UCLA game on Oct 26, CSUF came down from a 2-0 deficit

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at halftime and won the game in overtime 3-2.

The win over UCLA gave the Titans wins in four of the last five meetings against the Bruins.

CSUF’s 15 victories in 2000 were the most victories by a Titan team since the 1993 season when CSUF posted a 16-7 record on its way to the team’s only Final Four appearance.

Not only pleased with his team’s play, Mistri was excited with the recent announcement of several Titan players receiving All-MPSF honors.

“I was happy our team was rewarded for our play , we were truly deserving of it,” Mistri said.

Senior Titan forward Duncan Oughton was named Pacific Division Player of the Year by the men’s soccer coaches of the MPSF. Joining Oughton on the first-team was midfielders David Dischner and Ricky Melendez, defenders Ray Ramirez and Kris Hulgreen and forward Art Ramirez Titan midfielder Shaun Higgins was named to the second-team.

The selection of Oughton as player of the year only cemented his stature as one of the best to ever play CSUF soccer.

During his four-year career, the

o m m e n t a r y

Western teams in charge in the early portion of the NBA

By James Moya The 2000 NBA season is just about a quarter complete and has the dubious distinction of battling the NFL for sports attention.

So some of you might be in the dark about what’s going on so far in the season.

It’s too early to make championship predictions because things can change in a blink of an eye.

So far, the surprising teams in the league are the Sacramento Kings, Phoenix Suns, Dallas Mavericks, Denver Nuggets, Charlotte Hornets, Cleveland Cavaliers, Toronto Raptors and the Philadelphia 76ers.

The Kings have an explosive offense led by Jason Williams and Chris Webber and play well at Arco Arena. Phoenix utilizes its speed and point guard Jason Kidd to make up for their lack of size in the middle. The “Matrix” Shawn Marion has been an early season surprise for Phoenix.

Over in Dallas, billionaire owner Mark Cuban is the fuel that lights the fire behind the Mavericks success, with guard Michael Finley and forward Dirk Nowitski leading the way.

Raef LaFrentz, Antonio McDyess and former Laker Nick Van Exel light up the nets for the Nuggets.

The Hornets lost Eddie Jones and Anthony Mason but gained Jamal Mashburn and others to stay in contention. Former UCLA Bruin Baron Davis, in particular, is making an early season impact for Charlotte.

In Cleveland, the Cavaliers slow, methodical offense puts teams to sleep and also the fact that they play in the weak Eastern Conference record keeps them around.

The Raptors lost Tracy McGrady to the Orlando Magic but got veterans Del Curry from the Hornets and Mark Jackson from the Indiana Pacers.

“Vinsanity” Vince Carter keeps the Raptors in the hunt with dunks that continue to amaze and even passes that still thrill the audience, anyone see that behind the back pass on Sunday?

Philadelphia’s Allen Iverson has been playing team ball and coexisting with coach Larry Brown. The 76ers are the only undefeated home team as of now.

Plenty of Western Conference teams

are above the .500 mark, while in the East only a few teams are above .500.

The NBA champion will come out of the West, according to these statistics. The defending champion Los Angeles Lakers lead the league in team offense and [as of press time] Kobe Bryant leads the league in scoring. The New York Knicks lead the league in team defense.

The NBA’s top teams are the Lakers, Kings, Suns, Blazers, Jazz, Spurs, Mavericks, Rockets, Timber wolves, and Nuggets from the West.

The Eastern Conferences top teams are the Sixers, Knicks, Hornets, Cavaliers, and Raptors.

In the West you need two or three scoring options to survive while in the watered down East you only need one.

So far, one of this season’s disappointing teams are the Seattle Supersonics, who already fired coach Paul Westphal. Fortunately, former Supersonic Nate McMillian has stepped in and the Sonics have been playing better, beating the Lakers twice in the past two weeks.

The Miami Heat, who have lost Alonzo Mourning for the season, and the Orlando Magic, who are waiting to get Grant Hill back from injury. have been disappointments, but only because early season predictions have had the teams on top in the East.

The defending Eastern Conference champion Indiana Pacers, with new head coach Isiah Thomas, have been disappointing with all of their new changes, but then again, when you lose Jackson to Toronto and trade AllStar forward Dale Davis to Portland, maybe it’s expected.

The playoffs, although five months away, should be really exciting, especially in the West, where I’m anticipating the Lakers meeting the Spurs, Jazz or Blazers.

In the East, the 76ers look like an early favorite for a Eastern Conference championship but they can’t even beat the Denver Nuggets in the West.

So it’s assumed, the Western Conference will produce the 2001 NBA champion, but right now, don’t expect me to know what team that will be.

Just stay tuned and remember the NFL season is almost over.

— James Moya is a Daily Titan Staff Writer

Read The Daily Titan Online http://dailytitan. fullerton.edu

native from Karori, Wellington, New Zealand earned All-MPSF honors all four years, he tied the Titans’ school record for points in a season [42] and fell one shy of the school record for goals [17].

Oughton established Titan career scoring records with 41 goals and 97 points.

“His statistics speak for themselves,” MIstri said.

“But what people don’t see is the example he set for the team. His unselfish play, his on the field behavior. He set a standard for our game and is a very talented young man.”

Oughton is not the only Titan that will leave CSUF as Higgins, Hulgreen, Melendez, Ramirez, forward Luis Zavala, defender Hunter Lindsay and goalkeeper’s Sean Rockwell and Scott Alexander will leave the team.

Mistri expects several of his players to get interest from Major League Soccer.

“MLS teams have made inquires on Melendez, Oughton and Ramirez,” Mistri said.

Last year, Colby Jackson and Antonio Martinez were selected in the MLS Draft.

The departure of several key Titan players, leaves Dischner, who scored

15 points this season as the team’s top returning scorer.

Titan defender Ray Ramirez will also return, Ramirez has been a starter in the defensive backfield for most of his three-year Titan career.

“It’s hard to speculate who will be leading the team next season, but we got a strong group returning.”

With the 2001 Titans appearing to be a much different team, so will the league they play in as they join the Big West Conference next season.

Some critics have labeled that the league will lack top notch competition, Mistri feels otherwise.

“I just don’t buy what people are saying about the Big West,” Mistri said ”It’s going to be a tough league, UC Riverside will be a member and they already have seven scholarships, we didn’t receive that many until 1997.”

But just in case competition is weak, Mistri promises that CSUF will again see a killer nonconference schedule.

“In 2001 we will face UCLA, Stanford, Clemson, Cal, Rutgers, St John’s, South Carolina, and Brown, besides our Big West schedule.”

Six of the teams Mistri mentioned in CSUF’s nonconference schedule made the 2000 NCAA Playoffs.

DAVID RIVERA/Daily Titan

Titan forward Duncan Oughton was named the 2000 MPSF Pacific Division Player of the Year.

C o m m e n ta r y Did the DT rankings prove anyBy Caesar Contreras Things change.

In the world of college football, that saying couldn’t suit the phrase better. With the college football season complete and a slew of bowl games to last us through the New Year, it almost seems odd how funny things work out in college football.

Who knew the Oklahoma Sooners would be playing for the national championship? Or that Oregon State would find themselves in a BCS bowl game this season? Who predicted that UCLA would prove an early season threat and knock of national powers Michigan and Alabama? What about USC having another miserable season under just fired head coach Paul Hackett? Well, maybe some of us knew that.

But chances are it wasn’t you and it definitely wasn’t me. But this season, the Daily Titan tried its part in helping clear up the college football picture with a little something called the DT Top 10. Some of you may have seen it, some may not know what the heck I’m talking about. Still we tried and surprisingly we found out something.

That college football is something

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that just can’t be predicted.

So in the following story I will outline the mistakes and downright truths the DT Top 10 discovered in 2000.

The blink and you’ll miss them award:

This goes to the TCU Horned Frogs who led by LaDainian Tomlinson, one of the nation’s top running backs and a Heisman Trophy candidate, made the DT Top 10 on Nov. 3 at 10th. But the stay was short as the mighty Horned Frogs were out the very next week.

The What We Were Thinking Award:

Both of our local favorite teams the UCLA Bruins and USC Trojans had extended stays in the DT Top 10. The Trojans thanks to an impressive start found themselves at 7th by the end of Sept. while the Bruins were ranked as high as 5th in the Sept. 29 poll and even had two first-place votes that week. But the reign didn’t last long for both teams as by the very first Oct. DT Top 10, both teams were gone and never heard from again.

The What We Were Not Thinking Award:

The number one and two ranked college football teams in the nation weren’t even in the DT Top 10 until Oct. Both Oklahoma and Miami went the entire month of Sept. without making a dent into the DT Top 10. But on Oct 3, both teams made the polls and steadily

rose to the number one and two spots respectively. The Sooners reached the number one spot on Nov. 3 and the Hurricanes got to the number two spot on Nov. 10.

But as we unfortunately know, both these teams will not be facing each other for the national championship in the Orange Bowl on Jan. 3. Instead, the Sooners face the Florida State Seminoles while the Hurricanes face the Florida Gators in the Sugar Bowl on Jan 2.

See we don’t need the BCS to have a true national title game, just the DT Top 10.

Why We Hate USC:

A total of 19 teams were in the DT Top 10 at one point or another, 18 of those teams made bowl games. Who do you think was the lone exception? The Boys of Troy.

Survivors:

There was 11 DT Top 10 polls throughout the season and out of those polls, three teams made each one, Nebraska, Florida State and Virginia Tech.

Washington and Florida made 10 of the 11 polls.

The Were Sorry Beavers Award:

Oregon State is ranked fifth in most major collegiate polls and playing Notre Dame in the Fiesta Bowl, the DT Top 10 only had the Beavers in the final two DT polls.

Sorry guys.

The Who Had the Most First Place Votes Award:

polls for the first seven weeks but then Oklahoma beat them and the Sooners took over number one for the remaining four weeks. Still, Nebraska finished with 19 first place votes while the Sooners finished with 12. This merely proved that our first place votes meant nothing, UCLA even got two at one point during the season.

So in the end, what did our DT rankings prove?

By tracking the respective teams throughout the season, we learned a few things. Don’t believe early season hype, just look at UCLA and USC. There are always a few surprise teams, Oregon State and Oklahoma come to mind. And if we ever do these polls again, don’t pay attention to the first place votes because they mean nothing.

In closing, I like the Seminoles over the Sooners in the Orange Bowl and the Hurricanes over the Gators in the Sugar Bowl. This should give us co-champs with the Hurricanes and Seminoles taking the honors One more thing, if you’re going to Las Vegas do take the Sooners against the spread [their 12 point underdogs] and the Hurricanes [their 51/2 point favorites].

Just thank me next year.

—Caesar Contreras is the Daily Titan Sports Editor

Nebraska ran the DT Top 10

o m m e n t a r y

The Baseball game is being ruined by $

By Scott Brown Remember when majorleague baseball was exciting?

Way back when almost every team had a chance to be in a pennant race if they caught a few breaks along the way?

I know it’s difficult to imagine such a thing: these days it seems World Series berths are reserved for a privileged few. But I promise you there was a time when winning was an equal opportunity challenge.

This, of course, was before money ruined the game. Back then, the postseason was about more than close-ups of Derek Jeter in the batter’s box or of Ted Turner and [ex-]wife Jane Fonda waving foam tomahawks.

It wasn’t about payrolls. It was about teams.

Teams like the Twins of ‘87 and

‘91, winning championships in a gaudy dome with a lovable bowlingball outfielder named Kirby Puckett; the ‘88 Dodgers, inspired by the creaky Kirk Gibson and the unhittable Orel Hershiser; and the beer-bonging Phillies of ‘93, plowing headlong into the Series with heart-disease experiment John Kruk at first base.

These outfits were more than the result of some kabillionaire owner raiding free agency for the best players. These teams played when baseball success depended on scouting, coaching and preparation, not on who had the most lucrative super-station television contract.

The modern beat went on last week at the winter meetings in Dallas, when Colorado announced the signing of Mike Hampton, the best free-agent starting pitcher available.

The Rockies’ ownership — which also signed Denny Neagle earlier in the offseason — is clearly following the trend set by George Steinbrenner and Turner: just make ‘em an offer they can’t refuse, and let your ‘baseball people’ do the rest.

This mindset, of course, has created haves and have-nots in baseball. To be competitive, clubs must simply outbid one another for talent.

Where that talent actually develops is irrelevant — consider, for instance, the ‘94 Expos, who produced, among others, Pedro Martinez, Larry Walker, Marquis Grissom and Moises Alou, only to watch them all bolt smallmarket Montreal for bigger money elsewhere.

The Marlins fiasco of ‘97 is another classic example. Florida owner Wayne Huizenga, tired of running a bottom-of-the-barrel club, went out and dumped enough cash to fill one of his Blockbuster stores on free agents.

The Marlins promptly won the World Series, then Huizenga, realizing his strategy was about as financially successful as “Waterworld” because South Floridians don’t care about watching even good baseball in 163 percent humidity, unloaded his hired guns and the Marlins have been wretched ever since.

And corporate ownership doesn’t always work, either. Angels fans

hopeful that Disney would turn the team around were mortified to see that The Mouse was more concerned about fake rocks than quality baseball.

Even worse, as teams like the Dodgers and Orioles can attest, entering the free-agent sweepstakes full-tilt doesn’t itself guarantee results.

Those clubs threw ridiculous bank at Kevin Brown, Shawn Green and Albert Belle, among others, and were still closed for the winter by the end of September.

But then again, international conglomerate Fox owns the Dodgers, and as long as America’s watching Ally McBeal, who cares if anyone’s actually bothering to watch Gary Sheffield?

We’ve still got more to spend than 25 other teams. We’ll just buy a few more TV stations in Paraguay, and write off those 20,000 empty seats at Chavez Ravine every game as a business expense.

Which, of course, is all they are now.

— Scott Brown is a Daily Titan Staff Writer

HAVE A NICE WINTER BREAK FROM THE DT SPORTS STAFF!