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 ,
F U L L E R T O N
Asian Week brings performances, culture and issues to Cal State Fullerton
INSIDE Students learn the value 5 nof Perspectives: environmental awareness at local wetlands
—see News page 6
SPORTS: Men’s track and field brings 8 nChallenge Cup home to Fullerton with a first place finish at the Big West Challenge
W E D N E S D AY
Vo l u m e 7 2 , I s s u e 2 8
A p r i l 11, 2001
AS hopefuls debate today
The Bootie Drag Show
nELECTION: The candidates for AS president and vice president are invited to participate in the question-and-answer forum By Sara Stanton
Daily Titan Staff Writer In a last minute attempt to publicize the Associated Students presidential and vice presidential debates, Joel South frantically runs around campus with a large stack of fliers and a staple gun. Every post, bulletin and message board will soon be permeated with more than 300 of the multi-colored fliers advertising information about the AS elections and debates. South, who is the elections commissioner for AS, is responsible for coordinating all of the events surrounding the upcoming election. South will also serve as the moderator debates, held in the Quad from noon to 1 p.m. today and in the Becker Amphitheater from noon to 1 p.m. on Thursday. All presidential and vice presidential candidates were invited to attend the debates, South said. “I invited them to explain their platforms and how they plan on implementing them,” he said. The teams invited to attend the debates are Vincent Amaya and Richard Adams, Evan Mooney and Susan Scanaliato, Alex Lopez and Edgar Zazueta, and Karl Kottke and Steven Moseni. Whether all teams choose to attend both days of the debates is entirely the choice of those running. The teams are encouraged by South to attend both days to maximize the candidates’ exposure to the students and to have their issues discussed by more people.
But if for some reason a team is unable to make one of the days, then they have the option to choose which day that they are able to attend. South said that he will be beginning the debates as a moderator and for the first 25 to 30 minutes he will be asking the candidates questions. The teams will then be given 90 seconds to three minutes to respond. South said that he wants to make his questions pretty general, allowing for all candidates to have equal opportunity to give an answer. “The questions will pretty much be ‘What would your resume look like’ sort of questions,” said South. The second half of the debates will be open for student inquisitions. There will a microphone in the audience and a representative of the elections commission will be taking student questions that can be posed to all of the candidates. This will allow for students to ask more specific questions regarding candidates’ platforms or student concerns and issues pertaining to the campus. Personality, platform and persistence by the AS presidential candidates will be on each of the candidate’s minds for the next week until elections, and especially during the debates, held today and Thursday. All CSUF students are invited to attend the debates. Although the fliers advertising the debates were posted late Tuesday afternoon, South hopes that the students are still able to get the information of when and where the debates are to be held. South also said that he hopes that students will be encouraged to sit in on the debates because it will be held outside, in the open, rather than last
AS Presidential Candidates
• Vincent Amaya • Karl Kottke • Alex Lopez • Evan Mooney
Backstage at the LGBA “Bootie” drag show, Mark Vela becomes his drag queen alter ego Ultra.
adam byrnes/Special to the Titan
Dorm resident arrested Monday nCRIME: Brian Gene Smith forged his roommate’s signature on personal checks, issuing himself $1400 By Amy Rottier
Daily Titan Staff Writer A Cal State Fullerton student was arrested in the Cypress campus dorms early Monday morning for grand theft, forgery, and burglary. Brian Gene Smith, 18, allegedly stole two blank checks from one of his suite mates and wrote them out to himself, according to the police report. The victim, Michael De La Torre, logged on to his online bank account Saturday to find that $1,400 had been
withdrawn from his account, according to the report. When he investigated his cashed checks online, he found that two checks for the amounts of $450 and $950 had been made payable to Brian Smith, the report said. The $450 check was cleared on Thursday and the other check cleared on Friday, according to the report. De La Torre was not sure when the checks were taken. When the police were notified of the incident, Smith was allegedly out of town for the
weekend. The police officers were shown a copy of the student housing agreement, which Smith had signed and compared Smith’s signature to the forged signature on the checks, according to the report. The officer reported that both signatures appeared to match. At about 12 a.m. Monday, Smith’s suite mates notified police that he had returned to the dorms, police said. Smith was arrested about 40 minutes later.
Smith told police that about two weeks earlier he took $250 in cash from Shawn Fahey, with whom he shares a room, according to the report. When Fahey asked Smith about the missing money, Smith returned the $250 and wrote a letter of apology, the report said. After this, Smith told police that he stole one of Fahey’s blank checks and wrote it to himself for $1,000, according to the report.
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PR major pulls Comm Week togethnSTUDENT: Annika Sjoberg, despite a full class load, does “all or nothing,” for annual spring event By Lisa Bast
Special to the Titan
chris tennyson/Daily Titan
Annika Sjoberg organizes plans for the upcoming Comm Week.
Numerous papers, inscribed with a mixture of hastily handwritten and typed words, litter the round table like confetti. Various three-ring binders lie open, competing for space among the strewn papers. A pocket-sized calendar is half-buried under the clutter. A young woman sitting at the table leans forward, resting on her arms. She shoots questions to the two young women seated across from her, occasionally scribbling notes as she listens. Annika Sjoberg, Executive Director of Comm Week 2001 and a public relations student at Cal State Fullerton, is
conducting an executive board meeting on a Saturday morning inside a study room at the campus library. As Sjoberg speaks, she moves her hands constantly, impatiently pushing her shoulder-length brown hair from her face. When expressing an idea, the Swedish-born student uses her hands like props, whipping them quickly from side to side. Sjoberg, 32, wants to ensure preparations for Comm Week 2001 are done expeditiously, including creating the posters, compiling binders, securing the paper napkins and the butcher paper to construct the banners. Comm Week 2001 is the collaboration of students enrolled in the
Communications 497 course taught by Dennis Gaschen. Students have been planning this year’s event since January 31. Various committees, Hospitality, Programs, Publicity and Special Events, are created to facilitate successful implementation. Recruited by students, communications professionals representing the various branches of the industry arrive on campus to speak at seminars throughout the week. The event, held each spring, promotes insightful interaction between students, faculty and industry professionals. Additionally, it provides an occasion for CSUF alumni to return to campus.
“Involvement in Comm Week 2001 exposes students to the enormity of planning, implementation and evaluation of event promotion,” said Peggy Garcia Bockman, assistant dean for the College of Communications. “In addition, it gives students the opportunity to work as teams while contributing their own work.” Initially, Sjoberg was hesitant about enrolling in a class that involved such an intense workload. She wanted to take an “easier route” during her last semester before May 2001 graduation. But Sjoberg said she knew the course
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Third team announces candidacy, fourth team still quiet Titan nMEETING: Evan Mooney and Susan Scanaliato declares their intent to run to the Board of Directors at Tuesday’s meeting By Sara Stanton
Daily Titan Staff Writer At last Tuesday’s Associated Students Board of Directors meeting, two teams of contenders for president and vice president officially announced their candidacy to the board. This Tuesday, another team made their declarations to the board. Getting up from his seat at the Associated Students Board of Directors table at Tuesday’s meeting, Evan Mooney approached the podium not as the AS director of administration, but as a candidate
for president. With his long hair neatly tied back into a ponytail and with his goatee meticulously trimmed, Mooney addressed his fellow board members, many of whom are his friends, as a professional candidate for the upcoming AS elections. Susan Scanaliato, Mooney’s teammate for vice president, stood next to him as he introduced his campaign theme of “Keeping Students First.” Mooney explained that a lot of times, the student body is taken for granted, “The priorities of the students should come first,” he said. Following her teammate’s com-
ments, Scanaliato said that her primary reason for running for office is because she too, is student oriented. “I want to do something for the students,” she said. The 19-year-old psychology major also made a point to ensure that she would not defame the other teams in order for her team to prevail. “I don’t want to…put down other candidates teams,” she said. “I want to build unity and strength.” Scanaliato’s previous leadership experience includes two years on the AS Titan Pride Committee, of which she is currently the chair. Mooney, a musical education
major is the current AS director of administration, and the previous chair and vice chair of the Board of Directors. In closing, Mooney stated that he wants to create a universal entity with in CSUF. “We aren’t doing this for our résumés,” he said. “Serving the students is a very noble thing.” But there is still one team that remains silent. The team of Karl Kottke and Steven Moseni has not posted any signs on campus, nor have they attended a board meeting and declared their candidacy. True, the board is only a small
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percentage of the student body, but the possibility of what they represent could be imperative for the information that is relayed to the students. Moseni, the candidate for vice president said that the reason why his team has not announced their candidacy to the board is because the men are extremely busy with other school and work commitments. “We’ve had a lot of scheduling problems,” Moseni said. “It’s just tough right now.” Kottke and Moseni, both fraternity presidents, have been going around
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A guide to what’s happening
BRIEFS CSU seeks to obtain educational doctorates The Cal State University system is seeking legislation to offer the education doctorate to students in CSUs pursuing a teaching degree. This is proposal is brought forth by reports detailing the accelerating growth of California, and the changes that shape its educational system. As a result of these changes, the need for more teachers with education doctorates is fast becoming vital. The number of these educators grows at a constant rate, but the numbers do not match the parity of the K-12 student population – the biggest in the country. In addition, California puts out two-thirds fewer Ed.D.’s. A report by the California Postsecondary Education Commission (CPEC) showed the need for underrepresented groups to earn educational doctorate. It also hinted for the growing need of doctoral programs in rural areas, as well as access to more opportunities for educators who work full-time. The CSU system, according to the Trustees, can help meet these needs. At least half of the California population lives within 10 miles of a CSU, as opposed to the 21 percent that resides nearby a UC. CSUs also offer flexible programs such as evening and weekend classes, and other off-campus sites for students who can’t attend day classes. Another advantageous quality that CSUs have is the student tuition fee, the lowest in the nation. CSUs have also specialized in teacher education as well as the preparation for school administrators. About 60 percent
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of California’s teachers and K-12 administrators come from CSUs. A stumbling block that has presented itself for the CSU system’s teaching programs is the small number of joint-doctorate programs it offers with other campuses. These programs have only spurred 21 degrees between 1998 and 2000. These joint-doctorate programs only number at four: two with a UC and two with other independent institutions. Lt. Cruz Bustamante, who serves as a CSU Trustee and UC Regent offered to speak with the UC system about the current situation.
Assistance in finding off-campus residence for staff and faculty proposed for CSUF President Milton Gordon agreed with the CSU Trustees’ proposal to help Cal State Fullerton’s faculty members and staff find affordable housing in Orange County. The university thinks that in spite of the many employment offers, these jobs are being declined because of housing costs. Houses in Orange County rank as the least 5 percent affordable in the country. To combat this, CSUF proposes to build 86 homes offcampus, ones which will be “lower than market” prices. These low prices can be attributed to the land donation by the government and the development of these homes by a nonprofit company. Financing this development is the use of university auxiliary funds. It will be an 18-month construction that is not to expend more that $17 million. The CSU Trustees intend to follow this development closely.
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CALE NDAR O F EVE N TS CA LENDAR OF EVENTS Campus An outdoor concert featuring Smile will be performed today in the Becker Amphitheater at noon. Associated Students Elections will be held today and April 12. Let your voice on campus be heard by voting for A.S. President and A.S. Vice President and all the A.S. Board. Campaign debates for A.S. President and Vice President will be held on Wednesday, April 11 in the Quad at noon. Also on April 12 in the Becker Amphitheater at
noon the Natural Science and Mathematics Inter Club Council is hosting a Clubfest next to McCarthy Hall today from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. College of the Arts is presenting “Street Scene” — a Broadway opera on April 20 — 29 at the Little Theatre, Performing Arts Center, Cal State Fullerton. For more information call (714) 278-2434.
April 21 at 6 p.m. The 10th Annual CSUF Linguistics Symposium will meet on April 27 from 9 a.m. to 6:30 p.m. in the TSU. The featured guest speakers include Dr. Larry M. Hyman from UC Berkeley and Dr. Russell M. Schuh from UCLA. For more information call (714) 278-3722.
College of the Arts is presenting “Prints” from the Cal State Fullerton Collection on April 21 — May 26 in the Main Art Gallery. The Opening reception is on
Easter Sunday is on April 15. The 14th Annual HIV / Aids on the Front Line Conference will be held on Wednesday, April 18 at the Hilton Hotel in
Community
Costa Mesa. For more information call (714) 456-2249. Holocaust Remembrance Day is on April 19. College of the Arts is presenting “Sex, Drugs, Rock and Roll,” by Eric Bogosian on April 19 — 22 at the Grand Central Theatre (125 N. Broadway, Santa Ana). Explore pop culture through riveting, hilarious and often disturbing monologues (Targeted only for mature audiences). For more information call (714) 278-2434.
Daily Titan Online Poll Voice your opinion through the Daily Titan’s online poll! Just go to http://dailytitan.fullerton.edu and click on the News or Opinion tabs and vote.
What should have been done about the loss of 414 parking spaces in Lot E?
A. They should have been left as parking spaces B. Build a parking structure C. Dorms are a good idea D. Extended the arboretum E. Build another Starbucks
Results will be published in Tuesday’s Daily Titan. Poll is unscientific
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Wednesday, April 11, 2001
AS President and Vice President Teams
3
Evan Mooney and Vincent Amaya are the last two of the four AS presidential candidates to be featured in the Daily Titan. Two were featured in By Taylor Goldman
Daily Titan Staff Writer First impressions might mislead a person into thinking that Evan Mooney is the average nice guy. However, after speaking with him, it quickly becomes apparent that ambition and experience lie beneath his exterior. Mooney and Susan Scanaliato make up one of the four teams competing for the positions of President and Vice President of Associated Students. Mooney, a musical education major with a minor in English, chose to attend Cal State Fullerton because of the school’s strong music department. He wanted to go into conducting, and Mooney said that CSUF has the best choral conductors in the world. Mooney, who is running for AS president, joined several music-
By Heather Blair
Daily Titan Staff Writer Between a busy schedule of meetings and interviews Vincent Amaya spoke of his desire to improve student relations at Cal State Fullerton. Amaya, 20, and his partner, Richard Adams, comprise of one of the four hopeful teams to become president and vice president of Associated Students for the 2001-2002 school year. Amaya and Adams said they became acquainted when they worked on the current AS President Mary Grace Cachuela’s campaign. Combined, Adams said the two have four-and-a-half years experience with student-run organizations at CSUF, and plan to utilize their knowledge to expand horizons on campus. Amaya became involved with AS his sophomore year in college and has served as the chairman of
related clubs on campus due to his passion for music. It was this passion that would eventually lead him to begin his career in AS. His involvement in clubs exposed Mooney to AS and lead him to realize that AS offered more potential for students to learn and make their voices heard. The chair of the department practically ordered him to become the representative for the music department in the Departmental Associations Council where Evan began to learn the bylaws of AS. That initial position led to many others including his current position as AS Director of Administration. “It’s addictive,” Mooney said, referring to his work with AS. Mooney said that his father, who passed away a couple of years ago, was the person that has inspired him to achieve all that he has. “In his short life he did so much and made me realize everyone’s
potential,” Mooney said. Scanaliato, a psycholMooney’s father served ogy major who is runas an attorney in Los ning for vice president, Angeles and worked to followed a very different help the city, help people route to become involved and help his son. in AS. She made friends Mooney mirrors his with many people that father’s hard work in his were involved with AS own life. In addition to and spoke highly of the his part-time job at AS organization when she that takes up 30 to 40 entered CSUF as a freshMooney hours of his time each man. week, Mooney also works Having originally chotwo church jobs. He has also sen to attend the university due to worked as an assistant editor for a its close proximity to home and its Los Angeles-based magazine. convenience, Scanaliato joined the Growing up in Hollywood gave Titan Spirit Committee. Evan an appreciation for the diverShe began her involvement in sity that exists within CSUF. student organizations by support“I don’t care who you are. You ing the school through attending can be black, white or green, I want athletic competitions and assistto help,” he said. ing in the coordination of athletic Mooney hopes to use his passion events. for working with others to teach at She then became the chair of a high school and collegiate level the committee, renaming it Titan one day. Pride. From there Scanaliato went
on to become a member of many different committees because of her constant willingness to participate. She served as the only student on the Space Planning and Management Committee, serving as the voice for the entire student body. Scanaliato’s boyfriend served as her inspiration to become involved with AS. She said that his energy, positive attitude and support kept her motivated to maintain her high level of involvement in this time-consuming activity. Scanaliato hopes to obtain a master’s degree and perhaps a Ph.D., and then go into a family relationship counseling. The duo said they have more experience than any team in this election. Mooney has served in several capacities on AS for a total of three years, while Scanaliato has
been involved in several campus organizations since she began at CSUF two years ago. The two practically finished each other’s sentences in their efforts to answer questions as accurately as possible, demonstrating the teamwork and camaraderie that they have developed through their past experience as colleagues. Through their past experience in AS they know the people that must be contacted to get things done. In addition, the two vow that they will never forget to represent each and every student to the best of their ability. Mooney said, “What works is giving the students the privilege to create and govern themselves through mutual respect of their educational goals, their social goals and through providing a voice that seeks to understand who they are and facilitate their needs.”
the Board of Directors. He works between 25 to 30 hours a week as a tour guide at the Rainforest Café in Downtown Disney. Amaya also served as a tour guide through New Student Programs on campus. When the TV/Film major was a freshman, he gave tours to everyone from parents to elementary students who wanted to see the campus. “I was paid to know everything about the campus and set tour schedules,” Amaya said. Aside from acquiring knowledge about CSUF from his tour guide days, Amaya is also active in two other campus organizations, Student Organization Accessing Resources (SOAR) and the Association for Inter-Cultural Awareness (AICA). Amaya is the co-founder of SOAR, which is an inter-club council for the College of Communications. He and Janeen Sarwine brought together the Speech Communication
Department and the “About 90 percent Communications of the student populaDepartment under new tion doesn’t even know bylaws that were separate who they are voting for,” from the Departmental Amaya said. “AS is a Association Council multi-million dollar, non(DAC). Amaya said profit organization paid he worked closely with through students’ tuition, Sarwine and the Assistant and no one knows about Dean of Communications, them.” Peggy Garcia Bockman, He said he plans to set Amaya on the budget and wrote up information tables durthe bylaws for the club ing his term as president that just started this semester. where students can be informed of Amaya is currently the vice chair events going on throughout camof finance for SOAR. pus. “We wanted an inter-club “There are at least 50 events, council that had the two differ- speakers and conferences a semesent departments of the College of ter, and I want to inform students of Communications come togeth- the stuff that is going on,” Amaya er and have their own funding,” said. Amaya said. Another issue on Amaya’s agenHe said he has definite goals for da is the parking situation that stuhis campaign. He wants to focus on dents deal with on campus. improving communication to stu“Parking is third on the priority dents about AS and campus events. of the Master Development Plan,
and I want to make it a top priority,” he said. He continues, “A parking structure is a temporary solution, as times change, needs will change, and students have the problem, so we as students need to find a solution.” Meanwhile Adams, 19, is busy working on how to better programs at school. As the captain of the men’s track and field team while working in the university fitness lab Adams typically starts working on their campaign around 8 or 9 p.m. “I’m here [on campus] 24/7, I’ve definitely picked up on what is going on on-campus,” Adams said. He said he sees it as a benefit to live near school since he has gotten involved in student government. Adams, a political science major, relocated from San Bernardino. “If I’m going to be a student leader I have to be around and be
able to be here when I am needed,” Adams said. Adams said he wants to focus on scholarships for students. “We are two separate candidates,” Adams said. “I want to focus more on how to give money back to the students.” Adams said he acknowledges the fact that he can’t give out free money, but he would like to establish more than 20 AS scholarships to benefit more than just a handful of “overqualified” students. As vice president Adams said he would chair the committee and lobby AS and outside venues to increase scholarship funding. In the future, Adams plans on going to law school and to someday be a political figure. “Once you’ve been a part of an organization, it feels natural to stay involved,” Adams said.
Faith and state grapple over fundnSOCIETY: A panel of law professors and church leaders discuss the role of politics and religion By Alex Douvas
Daily Titan Staff Writer It has been said that polite conversation avoids two subjects at all costs: politics and religion. In spite of that rule, a reasonably polite panel discussion was held on Monday night between local law professors and religious leaders to debate President Bush’s plan to fund faith-based social programs. About 200 people attended the event, which took place at 7:30 p.m. in room 130 of the Pollak Library. It was sponsored by the Department of Comparative Religion and featured two pastors, two legal experts, and was moderated by Keith Boyum, acting associate vice president for Academic Programs. Dr. Wiley Drake is the pastor of First Southern Baptist Church in Buena Park. Drake has been the subject of recent media attention and legal battles regarding the makeshift homeless shelter he runs in his church’s parking lot, which his critics say is a blatant violation of zoning laws. The other panelist, the Rev. Fred Plummer is the pastor of Irvine United Church
of Christ. Professor Judith Daar of Whittier Law School presented one of the panel’s two legal perspectives. Winston Frost, the dean of Trinity Law School, gave the other. Boyum introduced the topic, Bush’s initiative to extend federal funding to faith-based charities, by first offering several questions for the audience to ponder throughout the evening. “Think about exactly what kinds of services these organizations would be providing,” Boyum urged. “Think about what effect the initiative would have on clients of faith-based organizations, and whether or not it would be good for them. Finally, think about what effect it would have on the organizations themselves, and their mission.” With that, Drake was the first to speak on the long history of faith-based welfare in America. “Let me start by saying that faithbased welfare is here, has been here for a long time, and is not going away,” Drake said. “Furthermore, the church and state are united, and have been for a long time, and that’s not going away.” Drake went on to cite an example of his own church’s full-service welfare program, which FEMA has subsidized for almost eight years. Drake also explained that historically, welfare began in the church, and that the practice of law was intertwined with being in the ministry, demonstrating the drastic departure of those who
advocate the separation of church and state from our nation’s early history. Daar said she hoped to offer “a constitutional perspective on the issue.” She said that Roosevelt’s New Deal program introduced Americans to a “mindset of government provision of social services,” explaining that new social programs are rarely cause for alarm. “However,” Daar added, “Bush’s faith-based proposal is what we call a constitutional moment.” She then explained a common threepart test used by the Supreme Court to determine an issue’s constitutionality, and said that the Bush proposal would most likely be considered unconstitutional, based on a strict interpretation of the “wall which divides church and state.” Plummer argued that even among the religious people, who are the strongest proponents of the plan, there is little solidarity as to what religious beliefs accompany the provided social services. “We don’t agree at all,” Plummer said in reference to Drake’s religious beliefs. “He believes that Jesus died for our sins, and I disagree. If there is an element of spirituality that is supposed to make these faith-based social programs so much more effective than conventional programs, which brand of spirituality is going to be most effective, and which is going to get the money?” Plummer then gave an example of the potential intrusion the religious
nature of such programs could have on the basic services they provide. “One church in Anaheim actually made homeless sit through a class on the church’s history and beliefs before they got their food.” Plummer also added that government regulations that would accompany any sort of funding for faith-based programs might have a detrimental impact on the beliefs of the churches that provide them. Frost, the Dean of Trinity Law School, a Christian institution, began by saying “ I don’t know who I agree, or disagree, with more, the Reverend or the lawyer.” He then made a case for the Bush plan by citing several Supreme Court rulings. “Rosenburger vs. University of Virginia says that the government can’t give funds to secular organizations and not give to the religious ones.” He explained that the criteria for receiving federal money should not be whether or not an organization is religious or secular, but the quality and effectiveness of the social services it provides. “We’re talking about social programs, and when all talk of religion and separation of church and state are removed, they actually benefit people,” Frost said. “The government is entangling itself in bad business If it doesn’t consider this above all else when selecting which organizations to give money to.”
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ARREST
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Smith was unable to cash the forged check at the Orange County Teachers Federal Union on campus because of insufficient funds in Fahey’s bank account, according to the report. Smith also told police that last Wednesday he took a blank check from De La Torre’s desk, wrote it to himself for $450, forged De La Torre’s name, and cashed it at the OCTFU, the report said. Smith said that he did not have a need for the money and he spent about half of the $450 on food, movies, and clothes, the report said. Police confiscated $239 that Smith
had on him at the time of the arrest after he said that it was mostly money he did not spend from the $450 cashed check, according to the report. Smith said that on Thursday he stole another blank check form De La Torre, wrote it to himself, and forged the signature, according to the report. When he tried to cash the check, the bank allegedly would not clear it that day. To Smith’s knowledge the $950 should have been in his account at the time of the arrest. He planned on using the money when he went on vacation with his father this summer. Smith was booked at Orange County Jail Monday morning around 5 a.m.
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Forgotten event aims to edunCAMPUS: Asian Week brings the culture, arts, interests, and issues of the community together By Taylor Goldman
Daily Titan Staff Writer “Asian is not Oriental,” is the prominent, attention-grabbing message on a flier that displays images intended to challenge the stereotypes of what an Asian should look like. This flier, produced by the Asian Pacific Student Association (PALS), is an advertisement for Asian Week, an event that will take place on Tuesday and Wednesday in the Cal State Fullerton quad during both the afternoon and evening. “Breaking Boundaries through Collective Unity” is the theme of this event, said Richard Jong, APSA’s advisor and a professor of Asian American Studies. Trangdai Tran, APSA’s president, said that Asian Week was an annual event at CSUF that had been forgotten until APSA, a club that was established last semester, chose to adopt it. During the afternoon, from 11 a.m. until 2 p.m., APSA will provide informational booths and music. The evening programming of Asian week, which begins at 7 p.m., will be entertainmentoriented, with professionals and students performing forms of dance, music and
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the Greek system meeting students and discussing issues, Moseni said. Though there are no signs or fliers advertising the team, Moseni said that they are relying on the students that they have met to convey their message along for them. “We have a huge work-of-mouth following,” he said. “It works a lot better that way,” Moseni said.
the written word. Free food will also be laid out to entice people to explore the event. In addition, 22 other CSUF clubs and organizations will be represented at Asian Week, Jong said. The Wushu club, a martial arts club that was founded in 1997, was one of the clubs that was displayed on Tuesday. Phillip Chen, the club’s president, said the group performed a martial arts demonstration that included jumps, kicks and weapons. The Pacific Asian Language Services for Health was in one of the booths at Asian Week to encourage students to take advantage of their services. Frequently, Asian individuals who visit the doctor, are unable to understand what is said to them. One of the principle services that PALS offers is free medical interpretation, Tran said. Leadership Education for Asian Pacifics will also be at the event. LEAPS trains young people for leadership roles within businesses and the community. Other informational booths, which feature on-campus resource centers, will also be present to help students find jobs. The Multi-Cultural Resource Center and the Asian Pacific Islander Resource Center will be advertising workshops and discussions, Tran said. Aside from valuable information, Asian Week also offers entertainment that reflects the Asian community. Jun Cruz, APSA’s vice president, said that Eighth Wonder, a spoken word collective from San Francisco, will perform on Wednesday night. Eighth Wonder performs a melodic poetry that is intended for public speakJoel South, the elections commissioner for Associated Students said that he hopes that the team attends the debates, scheduled for today and Thursday, in order for students to meet the unpublicized team. “I have not heard of them or from them since the orientation meeting,” South said.
chris tennyson/Daily Titan
The CSUF Wushu gives a performances for a large crowd at Tuesday’s Asian Week activities in the Quad. ing, Cruz said. regating type of identity. We also want Asian culture. but that they were not solely traditional. Bayadera, a Latin guitar band, was to reach out and build connections with Cruz said that the event cost roughly “We have cultural performances, but one of the headliners on Tuesday night. the non-Asian community as well,” Jong $4000 to produce, and that much of at the same time, that’s not all we are,” Bayadera also featured members of said. this money was derived from donations. she said. CSUF in its ensemble. Reflecting this ideology, APSA is not President Milton Gordon and the candiThrough Asian Week, APSA is trying only pan-Asian in scope and doesn’t dates running in the Associated Students to reach as a broad a constituency as pos- focus on only one ethnic group. The election all donated money to this event. sible, Jong said. goal of Asian week is to increase camTran explained that Asian people all “Being Asian isn’t just an insular seg- pus awareness and understanding of the have a heritage and a cultural identity,
WETLANDS
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odds and has been declared Wetland of International Significance, meaning that the state plans to allow the reserve to be completely reclaimed by nature. Maybe it is not too late. On Earth Day, April 21st, both Upper Newport Bay and the Bolsa Chica Ecological Preserve will be hosting various environmental events. Inside the Outdoors will have an education booth at Upper Newport Bay and there will be various other
Amtrak 6*10.5
environmental exhibits. In the life-rich water of Upper Newport Bay, a long-billed tern can be seen standing in the clear shallow water wiggling its leg hoping to attract some fish and snatch them up with his needle-like bill. The Chumash Indians used this same technique and were very successful fishermen. It seems as if Californians have learned why the Indians found the wetlands so sacred and are finally willing to sacrifice money and luxury in order to preserve the state’s diverse ecological history for the children such as those from Corey Elementary.
“We tell them the facts and are more environmental educators than environmental advocates,” de la Maza said. Helen de la Maza said they give the children a dilemma at the end of their trip to the estuary. She said the children are asked to choose between developing the estuary as a skate park, a mall, an arcade, and basically anything that appeals to children, or keep it as a wetland. She said that it is rewarding because nearly all of the children want to keep it as an estuary.
news
Wednesday, April 11, 2001
COACH’S
OATSreaps rewards
Following his legacy of success at CSUF, retired gymnastics coach Lynn Rogers strikes another hit with his home-made cereal By Kelly Mead
Daily Titan Staff Writer Lynn Rogers found his passion in life not long after he graduated from Cal State Fullerton with a bachelor’s degree in kinesiology. In 1976 he was asked to become the first women’s gymnastics coach at the university. Rogers proved to be a success, leading the team in an undefeated season that ended with a third place tittle in the national championships. “Gymnastics was a personal thing for him,” said Natalia Ocosta, who was coached by Rogers during her freshman year at CSUF. Rogers built the program from almost nothing, spending long hours with the girls for only $500 a year in the beginning. To keep the program funded, Rogers personally saw to it that the team got corporate sponsorship from companies like Arrowhead and Apple Computers. Ocosta, coached by Rogers for one year, said he made an impact on her that she will remember for the rest of her life. “I looked up to him so much,” she said. “He is very inspirational and he got you to be focused.” Ocosta said Rogers expected the team members to give their all, because he gave his all to them. Now, after retiring from CSUF in December of 1999 due to an ongoing injury, Rogers is the owner of a rising cereal company named Coach’s Oats. The company is based on a nutty form of oatmeal that Rogers haphazardly invented more than a decade ago in his kitchen. Around the same time, Rogers and his wife Bonnie got married. Because the ceremony was in early December, the wedding bills left them short on funds for Christmas time. The situation prompted them to make
SJOBERG
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offered the opportunity to further hone her leadership and management skills so she shifted her academic schedule and added the class. Now, she claims, her “whole life” is Comm Week — and her other classes are suffering as a result. “I put in about 29 hours a week aside from my full class schedule,” she said. “I spend a good amount of time answering e-mails since I get about 40 e-mails daily. Every Saturday I update the sponsor list and send it to all the committee members,” she said. Sometimes, she’s still at work at 3:00 a.m. She also meets weekly with two other groups. Sjoberg chose the executive director position because, “I was going to do it all or nothing.” With an unwavering gaze, she describes herself as having a strong personality and a propensity for “taking charge.” She said she likens her role to a “spider in the web” — a translated Swedish expression. “The spider sits in the middle and the web radiates around,” she said. “This experience is like having a full-time job — it’s about delegating and seeing the ‘big picture’ — knowing what’s going on and helping the task force. This prepares you for the real life scenario.” Furthermore, Sjoberg said, the experience has improved her interpersonal skills. “Being on this committee is a good lesson in learning to work well together because it emphasizes the importance of teamwork and real-life experience,’” Sjoberg said. According to Heather Cyra, a Hospitality committee member, Sjoberg has learned well. “Annika is a very motivating leader because she regularly gives me thank you notes, positive feedback and encouragement.” Cyra said. “She is always open to suggestions from any of us. She is a joy to work with.” Garcia Bockman, shares Cyra’s sentiment. “Annika is personable, but no-nonsense,” she said. “She has a macro view of this huge program and is willing and able to work with everyone individually and in the committee structure.” Sjoberg said the responsibilities of her position would provide a good application of the skills she learned in the public relations management course. However, unlike the public relations course, Comm Week is not a group project. The students involved have distinctive roles with corresponding duties. The commitment and devotion that Sjoberg exhibits in her position with Comm Week also extends to her academic life. She transferred from Santa
presents for their friends and family, rather than buying them. The Rogers’ decided to home cook a large Christmas breakfast as the present. “Being the kind of people that Bonnie and I are, we are very intense— when we do something we do it all the way,” Rogers said. The Rogers’ even bought a wheat grinder to make pancakes, bread and oatmeal. The oatmeal recipe turned out to produce a mushy oat paste. Rogers decided to experiment. “I was thinking, ‘if you burn chicken on the barbecue it gets crispy,’” he said, recalling the event. Rogers burned large oat grains in the oven and ended up with oatmeal that had a grittier texture than any he had ever tasted. During the breakfast, the gymnastics team came to the house to help serve the food. The girls walked around the room asking the guests, “Would you like to try some of coach’s oats?” The oatmeal was a hit.
Monica College to CSUF and has been on the Dean’s List consistently since her first college semester. Long hours spent absorbing knowledge, in addition to her Comm Week duties, leaves little time to spend with her friends. “I have the most boring life ever. All I do is study, she said, her lips curving upward into an impish smile. “But school is my priority — and I do it well.” Sjoberg’s return to school four years ago was an enormous decision. While traveling solo throughout Europe, the United States, Australia and New Zealand for nine months, she realized she was getting older, she explained, and needed to “settle down.” “It was time to do something decent. I couldn’t fly around like a butterfly all of my life,” she said, fluttering her hands about her for emphasis. After a fourmonth visit with a friend in Los Angeles, Sjoberg returned to Sweden for a year. “I had a great job working at Nestle in sales,” she said. She stayed with Nestle for five months. Then she decided to return to California to attend school, once again leaving behind her family, friends and homeland. She established residence in the Los Angeles area and now lives in Venice. “In Sweden, it is very hard to get into journalism school. They only admit about 200 students yearly,” she said. Attending CSUF was an obvious choice for Sjoberg who was attracted to the excellent reputation of the Communications department. “I think the communications educational program at CSUF is as good as the University of Southern California communications program.” She said. “There, a public relations management course isn’t even offered.” With time woven somewhere into her over-full days, Sjoberg interns with the American Red Cross. She strongly encourages communications students to choose a non-profit organization when seeking an internship. “You get more hands-on experience than you would at an agency. I’ve had five articles published and write for a newsletter that goes out to 3,000 people. It’s great experience to add to your portfolio. And the people are nice — it’s not as competitive as it would be at an agency,” she said. Sjoberg attributes her determination, strong will and goal-oriented attitude to enabling her to manage her obligations. In addition, she said, prioritizing those responsibilities helps keep her from feeling overwhelmed. “It is different when you go back to school as an older adult. I have done all the partying and long,
Many guests asked if Rogers would make extra for them the next time he baked the oatmeal. Soon the Rogers’ were being asked to make the cereal for people they didn’t even know. As time went on, more and more people
crazy nights. I have traveled. I fulfilled my dreams and goals before I felt mature enough to return to school and when I did — I did so with a goal of giving one hundred percent, ” she said. Sjoberg believes the field of public relations suits her personality and drive. She’s managed public relations projects at various companies where she has worked, she said, and often without compensation. She seems confident she’ll do well in her public relations career. “I don’t need to make a lot of money. I don’t need to be famous. But I do need a job that’s stimulating and inspiring because I get bored very easily,” she said. Boredom won’t be visiting Sjoberg soon, if ever. While her single-minded determination helps navigate her through jammed days, her love of literature and occasional need to slow her frenetic pace propels her to squeeze in some reading time. “I love to read — especially when I can chose what I’m reading. I have probably read about 12, 15 books this year,” she said. For avid readers, she “strongly recommends” the book, “A Fine Balance,” by Rohinton Mistry. Sjoberg clearly doesn’t limit her edification to university courses. Because she is an international student, Sjoberg is permitted to stay in the United States for one year upon graduation. When that period expires, Sjoberg plans to return to Sweden. She misses being close to her family and friends, with whom she remains in contact. She said she is eagerly anticipating her family’s arrival for her May graduation ceremony. Sjoberg said she would consider public relations opportunities in Los Angeles such as working for the Swedish Trade Counsel or the Swedish Consulate. “Since I’m Swedish, I would like to work promoting Sweden,” she said. However, she added, Los Angeles is too far away from her native land. And, although she said she appreciates the warm, sunny days of Southern California, she finds the disparities between the United States and Sweden vast. “That’s another story altogether,” she said smiling, declining to elaborate, hiding a touch of homesickness. Before returning to Sweden however, Sjoberg said she hopes to compete in the Los Angeles Marathon. She’s had plenty of practice. She maintains her slim shape by running down the Venice boardwalk near her home, an exercise she enjoys, and one she finds is a good stress reliever. Upon delegating tasks to the committee members, Sjoberg concludes her meeting. She gathers her papers and jumps up from the chair. “ Now I’m off to find some books on
began asking for bags of the oatmeal. The cooking took up so much of the Rogers’ free time that they started charging for it. Eventually a friend asked Rogers if he would take the oatmeal to a natural foods trade show. At that point Rogers considered the oatmeal a hobby. After all, he was a coach and he wasn’t going to give that up for cereal. Rogers let his friend take the oatmeal himself. While he was there, an executive from Roman Meal Milling Co. tasted the oatmeal and decided to try to convince Rogers to produce it commercially. After a phone call from the vice president of Roman Meal and a lot of thinking, Rogers agreed. Rogers raised $150,000 from his friends and family to start the business. In 1996, the first year, Rogers only worked part time with the business. The oatmeal only brought in $7,000. After Rogers quit the gymnastics team in December 1999, he took on the business full time. This year the business has already brought in over $800,000. This fiscal year they
anticipate it to bring in $3 million. They expect the next year to bring in $5 million and the next to bring in $10 million. “I’m not surprised,” said Julie Knight, the new CSUF women’s gymnastics coach. Knight was on Rogers’ first team at CSUF. “He’s a real hustler,” she added. At present Rogers is running the business out of his home. Every day of the week he wakes up in his office. A former living room is rigged into a main office that holds computers and desks. A spare bedroom is converted into a private office. Phones ring, e-mails are sent, kids are running around and the family dog, Jack, is happily moving about the middle-class home in Brea. Coach’s Oats recently added an energy bar, and Safe Way, the owner of Vons, is taking the products national this year. With the business outgrowing Rogers’ home, he plans to move into an office and hire more employees within the next six months. When Rogers first quit CSUF, he missed the gym. It wasn’t the glory of winning a meet or receiving a trophy, he missed watching the kids personally grow and seeing them move on in their lives. “The further I get from being in the gym everyday, those are the things I remember, rather than a particular trick or a particular win. You remember individuals and the relationship you had with them,” he said. But now, even with the absence of the “13 highly energized goal oriented” girls he used to coach, Rogers is finding his business is becoming more and more of a team.
They have their good days and bad, they work together for the good of the company, they jump up and down and high five each other when Coach’s Oats has a big win. “Now I have some relationships that I look forward to, and I can see change in people, and influence, and growth, and working together to make something move forward, and that’s what I like to do,” he said. Just as Rogers devoted his life to helping people achieve when he started coaching in the 70s, he plans to use Coach’s Oats as a vehicle to help people again. Since Rogers came across the oatmeal blend accidentally, he and his wife look at the business as a gift to be used for good. “I don’t think there’s any other way to explain why a gymnastics coach and his wife would end up with a company like this,” he said. Rogers doesn’t see the company as an opportunity to get better cars, a larger house and nice clothing. He’s constantly trying to figure out how to grow the company “without looking at it selfishly.” Coach’s Oats currently sponsors various charities in the area. Eventually Rogers wants to have a network of coaches across the country that represent different charities. Coach’s Oats is still involved with CSUF women’s gymnastics. It sponsors the team, their Web page, their newsletter. Bonnie Rogers even designed the T-shirts for the team this year. Rogers also tries to make it to every meet. Last year, Coach’s Oats rented a bus and took about 30 guests to the team’s national championships. For this year’s nationals, which happened last weekend, he did it again. “He’s our biggest fan,” Knight said.
Extended Ed 3*10.5
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Wednesday, April 11, 2001 Southern california wetlands Students from Orange County learn the importance of environmental awareness from ecological reserves
Students from Corey Elementary School in Buena Park get a close-up look at a snowy egret, a bird native to Upper Newport Bay. Their guide is from “Inside the Outdoors,” a program sponsored by the Orange County School District that antiquates school-age children with nature.
fighting to preser ve the
story & photos by Michael Del Muro | The Daily Titan
T
NEWPORT BAY WETLANDS: • Upper Newport Bay was dedicated April 11, 1975. • The California Department of Fish and Game and the County of Orange Department of Harbors, Beaches and Parks manage Upper Newport Bay. • The park encompasses 752 acres and there is a 140 acre regional park located on the bluffs. • There are more than 200 birds at Upper Newport Bay. • The estuary is breeding ground for numerous types of fish, including many commercially sold fish. • There are six general habitats located within Upper Newport Bay: Open Water, mud flats, saltmarsh, fresh water marsh/pond, riparian system and upland. • Included within the upland habitat is the endangered Coastal Sage Scrub habitat. Source: www.newportbay.org
he Californian Chumash Indians were once able to paddle their canoes, while hunting birds and looking for fish from the wetlands in California’s Great Central Valley (present-day Bakersfield area) to a coastal delta of the great green Pacific Ocean. Those days are over and along with most of the Chumash, California’s wetlands have almost been completely decimated. Despite nearly 90 percent destruction of these natural habitats, there are still a few remaining coastal wetlands in California including the Upper Newport Bay and Bolsa Chica Ecological Reserves in Orange County. Children from all over the Orange County area are able to go with their classes on field trips and learn about estuaries as well as environmental awareness with Inside the Outdoors, an environmental program run by the Orange County Unified School District. “Our mission is to give the children knowledge of science concepts,” said Helen de la Maza, a program assistant with Inside the Outdoors. “We aim to develop awareness and teach the kids to appreciate the natural environment.” As a snowy egret flew over the heads of students from Corey Elementary in Buena Park, the children let out a huge, “AW!” and turned their heads to pay attention to the huge white bird as it rested less than ten feet away on the bike path. “What is most valuable is the kids are exposed and experience nature in a way they haven’t been able to before,” de la Maza said. The students from Corey Elementary may never have had a chance to experience Upper Newport Bay if past developers had their way. The developers made numerous attempts to develop the land, but the wetland remains a bed of life for marine animals. The estuary, an area where fresh water from rivers and streams meets with the oceans salt water, is located just a few miles from Newport Beach and about 20 miles south of Cal State Fullerton. It historically covered approximately 2,800 acres of land and has been the home of over 200 species of birds and fish.
In the 1800s the estuary was used as a fishery, but this was shut down and the area was developed as a saltworks in 1933. However, after a major rainstorm in 1969, the saltworks was destroyed and Upper Newport Bay was then designated a natural area and in 1975 was established as an ecological reserve. At only 752 acres, the bay is only one-fourth its natural size and is still trying to return to its original state. The area is encircled with concrete bike trails and dirt hiking trails that accommodate the reserve’s daily visitors who may see a great blue heron soaring through the air searching for its next meal with its s-shaped necks pointed down in search mode and his great wings spread like those of a hawk or an eagle. They may be able to see him swoop down and snatch a fish from the water, soaring away to eat his meal in privacy. The reserve is a sanctuary not only for these birds and fish, but is evidence of California’s ecological past. The effects of American capitalism are evident at the brim of the estuary. The blight of human development is apparent as the reserve is surrounded by hundreds of multi-million dollar homes, hotels and businesses built in the endangered California Coastal Scrub habitat that lines the hills. A little over the hills the thrusts of oil wells looking for “black gold” can be seen. The developers did not learn from the past failures of their associates and tried one last time to make money off the estuary by completely bulldozing the entire area and making a huge mound of shells and dirt in the middle of the bay in order to make a car racetrack. Nature again won the battle as another huge storm decimated the dreams of the potential developer. The pile of shells in the middle of the estuary is now called Shellmaker Island. The tale of the attempted demolition of the bay has been repeated over and over again at different wetlands throughout California since the arrival of European settlers in California during the late 18th and early 19th centuries. According to the Amigos de Bolsa
Chica, a non-profit organization dedicated to improving the Bolsa Chica wetlands, estuaries are responsible for natural water purification, flood control, and are the breeding grounds for approximately 90 percent of commercially hunted fish. Nevertheless, the wetlands of California’s Central Valley have been dried and turned into farmland, while private developers have developed other wetlands using them for expensive homes or industry. According to the California Coastal Commission, the federal Agricultural Stabilization and Conservation Service promoted the drainage of wetlands so farmers could water their crops with the nutrient-rich waters until as recently as 1970. Fortunately, after losing approximately four and a half million acres of California wetland, governmental agencies have realized their past errors in wetland management. The Central Valley Habitat Joint Venture (CVHJV) was established in 1988 and called for protection and restoration of the wetlands still remaining in the Central Valley. In 1993, Governor Pete Wilson signed the California Wetlands Conservation Policy, which requires the state to maintain the current amount of wetlands and encourage the restoration of wetlands across the state. As for the Bolsa Chica Ecological Preserve, nature has not allowed a plethora of development plans come to fruition. As a sign in front of the preserve says, the plans for Bolsa Chica have included a gun club, marina, oil field, freeway, residential complex, airport, nuclear power station, desalting plant, and finally an ecological preserve. On a quiet evening in Bolsa Chica the only sounds that are heard are that of the thousands of birds that call the estuary home and the thrusts of the oil pumps. Twenty years ago the chances of the estuary remaining was miniscule. However, Bolsa Chica survived the
WETLANDS / 6
After snatching a tasty meal from the bay's water, a snowy egret takes flight and heads to civilization.
Upper Newport Bay is surrounded with homes and businesses. The estuary was once one of the great corridors for natural life, but is now only a fraction of its previous size.
There are six different habitats within the compact ecosystem of Upper Newport Bay. Life is quite dense within wetland ecosystems.
Wednesday, April 11, 2001
Gromacki appointed to national coaches nSOFTBALL: The head coach will aid in the assignment of U.S. national players to the 2004 Olympic Games
be eligible for selection in the important coaching assignments at the U.S. Cup in Hawaii, the 2001 Canada Cup in Vancouver, the 2002 ISF Women’s World Championship in Canada, the 2003 Pan American Games in Santa Domingo and the 2004 Olympic Games in Athens, Greece. Gromacki is currently in her second year as By Caesar Contreras coach of CSUF after spending her first year as Daily Titan Copy Editor interim head coach. During her first season Gromacki lead the With a nationally ranked softball team and Titans to a 45-15 record and the team’s first a Big West Conference title to her credit in outright Big West title since winning the less than two seasons, NCAA national crown Cal State Fullerton in 1986. Head Coach Michelle Gromacki was a Gromacki was awarded member of that national for her efforts. championship squad as Gromacki was selectshe was CSUF’s starting ed as one of 12 coaches catcher. During her playto form the USA Softball ing career, Gromacki National Team Coaches helped the Titans to a Pool by the Amateur 170-19-1 record. Softball Association For much of her of America (ASA) on career, Gromacki played Tuesday. internationally. The Other coaches selectcoach played for the ed to the pool include USA Softball Women’s Arizona’s Mike Candrea, National Team, winning South Florida’s Ken gold medals in internaEriksen, Oklahoma’s tional competitions held Patti Gasso, Florida’s in China (1987) and Karen Johns, DePaul’s Japan (1985). In 1994, Eugene Lenti, Missouri’s she was a member of Jay Miller, Alabama’s several national teams Pat Murphy, Stanford’s Courtesy of CSUF Sports information that claimed gold medJohn Rittman, Oregon Head Coach Michelle Gromacki als at the South Pacific State’s Kirk Walker, congratulates her team after a win. Classic, the ISF World Arizona State’s Linda Championship and the Wells and Washington’s Pan Am Qualifer. Teresa Wilson. Currently, Gromacki has the lead CSUF to a The 12 coaches will participate in the USA 36-10 record including a perfect 9-0 Big West Softball National Team Camp on May 30 mark, and has the Titans ranked 10th in the through June 3 in Chula Vista. The group will latest USA Today/National Fastpitch Coaches
http://dailytitan.fullerton.edu
Titans toast after victory at Big West nTRACK & FIELD: With nine posted first-place finishes and a 196 point total, the Titan men end a seven-year winless drought over the weekend at Titan Track By Raul Ascencio
Daily Titan Sports Editor Many cups were dispersed at Saturday’s Titan-hosted Big West Challenge, some brimming with water and others laden with electrolyte-infused sports drinks, but the most prestigious cup had a bronze inscription that read
Kira Horvath/Daily Titan
Bringing in two Titan first place finishes for CSUF were the relay teams.
“Challenge Cup” and this revered treasure was dished out to the members of the Titan men track team. The cup quenched a seven-year CSUF stint in the annual quad-meet and marked the Titan’s second triumph in the nineyear history of the event. “Our guys fought hard and sacrificed all they had to bring the cup back here to Cal State Fullerton,” said Head Coach John Elders. “We set out to win it, and we went out in front of our home crowd and did just that.” The Titans, invigorated by the crowd’s cheers, distanced themselves from the visiting Big West contestants (reigning cup-holder Long Beach State, UC Irvine, and UC Santa Barbara) as they posted a school-best nine first place finishes en route to their 196-point victory. Pitching in with three of the first place finishes were the stalwart Titan tandem of junior Nick McCullom and Sophomore Richard Adams. McCullom zoomed past all opponents to earn top finishes in both the 100 (10.67) and 200-meter (21.25) dashes. Adams, who boasts the school record in the 110-meter hurdles tried his hand at the 400-meter hurdles and rendered similar results as he took home the gold with a 53.63 mark. Taking the track following the successful string of the individual speedsters were the CSUF relay squads, who had a hard act to follow. But the duos feats did little to overshadow the 4x 100 and 4x 400-meter relay teams as they too, conjured up similar first place efforts. The 4x 100meter squad tore the tape in 41.16 seconds, nearly .02 seconds ahead of LBSU, while the 4x 400 team turned in a scorching 3:19.26 time edging out Irvine by a full two seconds. Next to take center stage at the Big West Challenge, were the CSUF jumpers, mentored by Assistant Coach and Olympic great Mike Powell.
Powell’s fleet of leapers swept the three events with three combined first place finishes by junior Brandon Campbell and sophomore Joe Thomas. Campbell delivered a double dose of victories in the high jump (2.10 meters) and long jump (7.03 meters) events, while teammate Thomas won the triple jump with a vault of 15.11 meters. Solidifying the cup for the Titan men was a first place finish in the final event complements of junior Ryan Gill’s 62.08-meter mark in the javelin throw. The CSUF women did not meet the impeccable performance pedestal set by their male predecessor’s, but put forth a valiant 154-point effort, as they placed a stern third and fell short of second by a mere seven points. “The development of our women is extraordinary,” Elders said. “We really came together this weekend and will carry the momentum into the second half of the season.” Generating the momentum for the Titans at Saturday’s meet were the veteran feats of the senior sprinters, Genia Daniels and Carla Battle. Daniels chipped in with a career best, first place finish in the 100-meter dash (12.00), while Battle breezed to a victory in the 200 meters (25.03). Also exerting top marks for CSUF were the 4x 100-meter relay team who posted a formidable 47.27 time and senior Ana Doty, who stretched her spikes out to the 11.88-meter mark in the triple jump. Both the women and men’s performances at the Big West Challenge emitted a positive diagnosis from the 13-year head coach. “This is our best performance of the season and in the history of the event,” Elders said. “What we did at the Big West Challenge will act as a springboard of success for the last part of this season.”