2002 03 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 ,

F U L L E R T O N Titan runner Lakeysha McClenton breaks a 15-year-old CSUF record

INSIDE OPINION: Sitcom stars don’t deserve 3 nmulti-million dollar paychecks

—see Sports page 8

Perspectives: Former Opinion 4 nEditor gets in touch with his heritage DETOUR: Dralion roars into Long 6 nBeach and settles under the Big Top

T U E S D AY

Vo l u m e 7 4 , I s s u e 1 2

M a r c h 12, 2002

Twin piers commemorate NY towers nDEDICATION: The names of World Trade Center victims may be displayed along the 1,362-foot structures

By Scott Leeds

Daily Titan Staff Writer Millions watched in horror as the Twin Towers fell on Sept. 11.

Six months later, people are talking about what kind of memorial to build to honor those who lost their lives.

Fred Bernstein, an architectural writer living in New York, stood outside on the morning of Sept. 11

and watched the tragedy unfold.

He designed a memorial that will help Americans recall the two fallen buildings while mourning those who perished.

He proposed to build two piers in New York Harbor.

Each pier would be the exact size of each tower of the World Trade Center.

The piers would be 212 feet wide and 1,362 feet in length.

They would extend from the seawall in Battery Park, at the foot of Manhattan.

One pier would point toward the Statue of Liberty and the other would point toward Ellis Island.

“Lines every 12 feet would divide each pier into 110 floors,” Bernstein said. “Each victim’s name would be

inscribed on the floor on which they died. Inevitably, as one approaches the end of the piers, the number of victims’ names increase.

At the same time, the Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island begin to loom as powerful symbols of enduring American values.”

Bernstein said he would like the memorial to be built using steel recycled from the World Trade Center, with the approval of the victim’s families.

Bernstein also said building the piers would take about one year, giving Americans a monument long before a decision about the World Trade Center site is made.

The debate about what to build at ground zero could go on for years, he said.

“In my opinion, the memorial has to be as impressive as the buildings that were destroyed,” Bernstein said.

“And if we can’t rebuild them standing up, we can recreate their facades lying down, and let people get a sense of their immensity,” Bernstein said.

A concern is whether the twin piers would obstruct boat traffic in the harbor.

To address this concern, Bernstein “studies” boats in the harbor from the window in a hotel room.

“I saw ferries, whose routes need not take them anywhere near these piers, the Circle Liner which would have to change its itinerary a bit; and

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Courtesy of Fred bernstein

The twin piers will be the precise height of the WTC towers.

Anniversary is bittersweet nMEMORIES: Looking back on the September tragedies reminds the nation of those lost and the lessons learned

By Cynthia Pangestu Special to the Titan

Producing

Valentine Mendoza/Daily Titan

Guadalupe Arteaga, a Florida farm worker, marched March 11 to the Taco Bell Headquarters in Irvine demanding a 1-cent raise.

Results

nPROTEST: Fieldworkers from Florida traveled across the United States to fight Taco Bell for better wages

By Shannon Gladys

Daily Titan Staff Writer

valentine mendoza/Daily Titan

Marchers walked from Santa Monica to Irvine.

It’s difficult not to join in the fun when talking to Carlos Lucas. His knowing eyes dart around constantly, looking for something or someone to tease. And, he appears to be in a good mood.

Traveling across the country for the past two weeks, he saw snow and the Pacific Ocean.

But pressing beneath all the fun is a more serious concern. Lucas is taking on a momentous battle.

Along with 80 other fieldworkers, he trekked across the United States to take on corporate

giant Taco Bell in a fight to increase their wages.

They are demonstrating in cities around the country in the “Taco Bell Truth Tour,” which was organized by the Coalition of Immokalee Workers.

CIW is a community-based organization located in Immokalee, Fla., at the center of the state’s massive tomato industry. Florida is the largest producer of fresh tomatoes in the United States.

Lucas Benitez, member of the CIW and one of the tour’s organizers, said that Taco Bell buys tomatoes “in what can only be described as sweatshop conditions.”

“We as farm workers are tired of subsidizing Taco Bell’s profits with our poverty,” Benitez said.

The “Taco Bell Truth Tour” began on Feb. 28 in Tampa, Fla. Demonstrations took place

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Six months after the atrocious attacks on the World Trade Center and the Pentagon, the fears, tragedies and losses are yet to be forgotten.

Sunday evening, CBS aired a twohour documentary of video footage from inside of the WTC. An estimated 39 million people tuned in to watch.

In New York, numerous ceremonies were held to commemorate 9/11.

New York police officers gathered outside station houses to read aloud the names of officers killed in the WTC. A “Tribute in Light,” consisting of 88 high-powered beams aimed into the night sky from ground zero, will shine one mile straight into the air for the next 32 days.

A temporary memorial of “The Sphere,” a 5,000 pound steel and bronze sculpture, was dedicated for this day.

The partially-crushed sculpture once stood in the fountain of the WTC. “I always think about, and did from the very beginning, the tremendous courage of all those people – the rescue workers, just the ordinary citizens,” said New York City’s former-mayor Rudy Guilliani on CNN. “They conducted themselves with such bravery that they lifted all of us and set a standard that we had to reach, since we were the fortunate ones who got to live. They died so we could be free.”

President George W. Bush invited 100 ambassadors from all over the world to the White House.

Bush invited 1,000 people to the South Lawn to honor those lost in the towers and those who lost somebody.

“Gathered here today, we are six months along, a short time in a long struggle,” Bush said during the event at the White House addressing the attacks in Sept.

“In our war on terror, we’ll be judged by its finish, not by its start,” he said. “More dangers and sacrifices lie ahead, yet America is prepared. Our resolve has only grown because we remember.”

Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld welcomed military leaders from countries that have joined the United States’ war against terrorism.

“We have the opportunity to tear terrorism out by the roots,” Rumsfeld said. “By our campaign against terrorism, we are preventing acts of terror that may well have been planned before Sept. 11, and we would have never known until it was too late. The memory of Sept.

11 reminds us all of the need to remain vigilant.”

On the day of the attacks, the stock market was suspended for a period of time.

National security was placed on high alert and shortly after, tourism fell.

According to Fox News Polls, air travel fell 12 percent and planes were only 90 percent full during the holiday season.

Plane airfares fell to its lowest in years. In California, hotel tourism fell 19 percent and lay-offs became a chain reaction.

Just when things couldn’t get any tougher, anthrax became another prime threat.

Today, six months later, great changes are being made as the nation is recovering emotionally and economically.

There is great respect for Bush and the federal government.

Security measures are tightened at airports. Many military reservists were called to active duty and a

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Student representation needed for open AS posinELECTIONS: Board and presidential seat applications will be available March 13 in TSU Room 207

By Theresa Salinas

Daily Titan Staff Writer‑ Applications for nine student government positions will be made available to students March 13, marking the start of the spring 2002 election season.

In the fall, voters elect one student to represent his or her college on the Associated Student Board of Directors.

In the spring, students vote for a second board member, along with an AS president and AS vice president.

As the season gets closer, election personnel and current AS officers urge students to run for open seats.

The leaders help draft school policy, oversee a budget of more than $10 million and learn valuable life skills.

“It’s a wonderful opportunity to get involved in the decision-making process – to be part of a corporation and to leave a legacy on campus,” said Sandra Rhoten,

associate dean of students.

Rhoten is the faculty adviser to Elections Commissioner Suzette Escobar.

Escobar said after the applications are made available Wednesday, she plans to launch a three-part campaign aimed at encouraging students to run for office, work the polls and vote.

“The school needs a voice for every student so that we’re represented by a variety of students,” Escobar said. “Not only by those [students] who’ve already served on the board, but also new people.”

Students interested in running for office must be enrolled in at least six units

this semester and six units in fall 2002.

They should also have a minimum 2.5 GPA and should have already completed one semester at Cal State Fullerton.

Board members run individually.

Candidates for president and vice president run as a team.

Applications will be available in TSU207 after 8 a.m. Deadline to turn in applications is at 5 p.m. on Tuesday, March 26.

Prospective candidates or their representatives must attend an orientation meeting at 7 a.m. Wednesday, March 27.

Candidates who do not attend the session will not be allowed to campaign.

http://dailytitan.fullerton.edu

Elections are Wednesday, April 24 and Thursday, April 25. Elected leaders will serve a one-year term beginning July 1, 2002. AS board members and executive officers take on a variety of duties.

Board members represent the colleges of arts, business administration and economics, communications, engineering and computer science, human development and community services, humanities and social services and natural sciences and mathematics.

They help create AS policy and oversee the AS budget. Board members also advocate for students on various university boards and committees.

“Students have the opportunity to make a difference by sitting on the board,” AS President Alex Lopez said.

“They directly advocate on behalf of their college and represent their constituents.”

The president and vice president preside over the board of directors and AS, which runs programs like AS Rec Sports, the CSUF Children’s Center and the Titan Student Union.

They also appoint an executive team, which includes directors of public relations, statewide affairs, finance and administration.

“It’s a lot of work,” Lopez said. “But it’s one of the best experiences you can

2 Tuesday, March 12, 2002

news

two

A guide to what’s happening

BRIEFS Farewell recital for CSUF pianist The Cal State Fullerton Department of Music will host a farewell recital for retiring faculty pianist Burton Karson on March 26 at 8 p.m. in the Recital Hall.

Featuring guest tenor Gregory Wait, the recital will feature performances of works

by Beethoven and Finzi and songs by Britten and Purcell.

Beyond being part of the CSUF faculty, Karson is the artistic director and conductor of the Baroque Music Festival of Corona del Mar and choirmaster/organist of St. Michael and All Angels Episcopal Church in Corona del Mar. Karson also has given preview lectures for the Los Angeles Philharmonic Orchestra, the Carmel Bach Festival and the Philharmonic Society of Orange County.

Karson is a member of the American Musicological Society and the American Guild of Organist and received his bachelor’s, master’s and doctorate degrees in music from the USC. Wait is an accomplished soloist and conductor. He also is the senior lecturer at Stanford University’s Music Department.

Wait has performed at venues like Carnegie Hall and was a tenor soloist in San Francisco’s Davies Symphony Hall in PBS’s televised “Sing-itYourself Messiah.”

Tickets are $8 and can be purchased at the Performing Arts Center box office or online at tickets.com.

For more information, contact the box office at (714) 2783371 or visit www.arts.fullerton.

edu/events/.

Fullerton Library offers access to legal information The Fullerton Main Library is offering citizens access to a free legal service Web site that offers information, especially for low-income families, so that they can obtain the legal information they need that would otherwise be unavailable to them.

Available to all citizens, Interactive Community Assistance Network (I-CAN) was created by the Legal Aid Society of Orange County and the Orange County Superior Court.

The Judicial Council of California, the California State Bar, the Orange County District Attorney Office’s Family Support Division and the Orange County Public Library also contributed to the sponsoring of the legal service.

The Web site provides instructions on how to prepare small claims forms and restraining orders in domestic violence cases, as well as information on how courts work, how to file paternity petitions, legal fee waivers, license denial review, wage assignment reviews and defenses for evictions.

Also available to assist citizens with the Web site are Fullerton’s librarians that have been trained in the use of the site and accessing the service.

The Fullerton Main Library is located at 353 W. Commonwealth Ave., adjacent to the Fullerton City Hall.

For more information about the service or for library hours, contact the Fullerton Library Information Desk at (714) 738-

EVE N TS CALE NDAR NDAR OF OF EVE NTS Community

to www.geocities.com/scagallery.

The Grand Central Art Center presents the play “How I Learned to Drive,” from March 14 to 24, at the Grand Central Art Center in Santa Ana. Tickets are $10 and $5 with advance Titan discount.

For more information, call (714) 278-3371.

The First Friends Church in Whittier invites everyone to attend a free luncheon to hear “Brain Cross-of Central Committee for Conscientious Objectors” in regards to the war on terrorism. The event will take place in Fellowship Hall in Whittier March 17 at 12:30 p.m.

For more information, call (562) 698-9805.

The Muckenthaler Cultural Center in Fullerton offers a class on book making Friday March 15. For more information, call (714) 738-6595.

The Fairplex in Pomona will have a “Super Chevy Show” from March 15 to 17 on the Pomona Raceway. For more information, call (909) 623-3111.

The Pomona Arts Colony presents “Unwearables,” a ceramics exhibit by Nina Jun, March 9 through April 6 from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. at the SCA Galleries in Pomona.

For more information, log on

The Garden Grove Playhouse presents the comedy “The Nerd” March 8 through 30 with performances on Friday and Saturday at 8 p.m. and a Sunday matinee March 20 at 2 p.m. Ticket prices are $12 for general admission and $11 for students and seniors. For more information, call (714) 897-5122.

The Bowers Museum in Santa Ana is hosting “The World of the Etruscans” through April.

For more information, call (714) 567-3600.

The Fairplex in Pomona presents a show by the Millard Sheets Gallery Tuesday through Sunday until March 31. This is its second post-fair exhibit and it will include a sculpture of Carl Milles.

For more information, call (909) 865-4262.

Campus The Performing Arts Center presents “Rosmersholm,” a mystery drama, March 15 through 24 in the Arena Theatre. Tickets are $9 and $7 with Titan advance discount. For more information, call (714) 278-3371.

The Women’s Center presents “Vision & Voice: Women, Diversity and Leadership Conference” March 14 from 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the TSU Pavilions A & B. Lunch will be provided. For reservations, call (714) 278-3928.

The Arboretum will have a gardening class for children ages

6-9 March 23 from 9:30 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. The fee is $3 per child. For more information, call (714) 278-3579.

The Arboretum will have a workshop on “The Art of Bonsai” March 16 from 10 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. The fee is $10 per person.

For more information, call (714) 278-3579.

A discussion about “The Role of Women in Building a Culture of Peace” will take place March 12 at noon in UH 205. For more information, call (714) 278-3889.

The Muslim Student Association invites everyone to attend the “Eid-ul-Adha Banquet,” a celebration of two important Islamic holidays March 12 at 6 p.m. in TSU Pavilions A & B. The university will sponsor a lecture on “The Role of Women in Building a Culture of Peace” March 12 at noon in UH 205.

CALECNOP BL DAR OF EVE NTS OTTER Monday, March 4

waiting for a parking space, a woman’s car was hit by another vehicle that was trying to steal the space from her.

At 7:53 a.m., police responded to call about a locker being broken into in the Physical Education locker room.

Wednesday, March 6

Shoplifting was reported at the bookstore at 11:45 a.m. The suspect was held in the camera room until police arrived.

At 11:53 a.m., police responded to a report of suspicious people putting fliers on vehicles in Lot E.

Tuesday, March 5 A blue Honda Civic was reported missing from Lot E at 2:57 p.m.

At 5:40 p.m., while she was

Police responded to a disturbance call in Lot E at 5:41 p.m.

While walking to her car, a female was approached by a dark, full-size truck and she thought the driver wanted her parking space.

When he got closer he was naked and masturbating.

He was described as a white male with sandy brown, curly hair in his late 30s or early 40s.

Thursday, March 7 Public Safety responded to a call at 9:04 a.m. to aid a

49-year-old female in the women’s restroom in the Education Building.

She fainted. Police believed the cause was the new antibiotics she started.

She was transported to St. Jude’s Hospital.

3:11 p.m.

A man wanted to pay women to take part in a flatulence survey, a survey regarding excess gas in one’s digestive track.

Shoplifting was reported to Public Safety at 11:24 a.m. in the bookstore. The suspect was held in custody waiting for police.

Police got a call at 9:59 a.m. about an illegal soccer match being held on the west field.

Police asked that they be removed.

Police responded to a hitand-run call in Lot C at 5:37 p.m.

A white four-door Hyundai backed into a silver 2002 Toyota Highlander.

Friday, March 8 Unusual behavior was reported to Public Safety at

Saturday, March 9

Sunday, March 10 At 12:07 p.m., police received reports that someone was injured in the head from playing soccer.

The victim had a gash above the eyebrow and asked police for a first-aid kit.

4x4 car fanatics Amy Rottier Kathleen Gutierrez Robert Sage Collin Miller Gus Garcia Rita Freeman Trinity Powells Yvonne Klopping Melanie Bysouth Brian Thatcher Tiffany Powell Kimberly Pierceall Heather Baer Jaime Nolte Katie Cumper Adriana Escobedo Brian Miller Abigaile C. Siena Gus Garcia Jeffrey Brody Lori Anderson Editor in Chief Managing Editor News Sports Main Photo

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Editor in Chief Managing Editor Business Manager Advertising Sales Manager Advertising Production Manager News Editor Asst. News Editor Asst. News Editor Sports Editor Asst. Sports Editor Detour Editor Opinion Editor Perspectives Editor Photo Editor Asst. Photo Editor Copy Editor Copy Editor Copy Editor Production Manager Faculty Adviser Asst. Faculty Adviser Advertising 278-3373 Editorial Fax 278-2702 Advertising Fax 278-2702 Internet 278-5440 Web site: http://dailytitan.fullerton.edu E-mail: dailytitan@yahoo.com

The Daily Titan is a student publication, printed every Tuesday through Friday. The Daily Titan operates independently of Associated Students, College 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, College Park 670, CSUF, Fullerton, CA 92834.

Copyright ©2002 Daily Titan

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Tuesday, March 12, 2002

9/11

n from page 1 great sense of pride and patriotism sides with Americans.

Most of all, there is a greater appreciation for families, friends, law enforcement and fire officials.

Many recognize the need to commemorate 9/11, a day to remember in U.S. history.

“Having that incident happen on 9/11 opened the nation’s eyes. Not only did it make us realize that we are not indestructible, but it gave us a greater sense of appreciation and that we should not take life and our

bethany aukerman/Daily Titan

After missing his opportunity at the Olympics, wrestling coach Ardeshir Asgari fulfills his dream by training a Division I team.

Wrestling with desti-

loved ones for granted,” said criminal justice major Valinda Rogas.

Others said they feel it is best to be aware of what happened, but move on from the past and develop for a stronger future.

“I know 9/11 is a day that is not so easily forgotten but I don’t want to dwell in it,” Billy Siu, finance major said.

“I didn’t care to watch the CBS special because the images I constantly saw on the news that day was enough. I don’t need to see anymore.”

“I’m just glad everything is almost back to normal,” Siu added.

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Ardeshir Asgari coaches the CSUF wrestling team with intensity – the same intensity with which he has lived his whole life. It was a rewarding and extraordinary struggle for Asgari to get where he is today. After facing execution, living homeless and losing a dream, he came out on top and continued to live life to its fullest. This is the first of a three part series on the life of Asgari.

First in a series

By Amy Rottier

Daily Titan Editor in Chief Ardeshir Asgari had a gut feeling that something was wrong when a friend begged him for a favor.

His friend offered him $10 in gas money to pick up a female business client from a La Mirada hotel.

Asgari, who was then 22, hesitated. He needed to rest because he had his last two finals the next day and then he planned to head to Colorado Springs to train for the Olympics. As a junior at Cal State Fullerton and a world champion wrestler, Asgari dreamed of Olympic gold.

He did not have time to run errands. On top of that, something just did not seem right.

His friend had been acting strange – Asgari thought he detected panic and nervousness in his friend’s voice.

But Asgari let it go.

He agreed to help his friend in need but declined the offer for gas money.

They planned to meet around 10 p.m. in the parking lot of Asgari’s Nutwood Avenue apartments, across the street from CSUF. When Asgari pulled up to the Holiday Inn in his beat-up red Ford Escort somewhere between 9 p.m. and 10 p.m., he knew his gut feeling was right.

The young Asgari did not know much about the business world, but the petite Spanish lady from Central America looked more like a drug user with stringy hair and dark circles under her eyes.

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Asgari remained uncomfortable and nervous even though the woman’s stories matched with what his friend told him.

When they arrived at the apartments, his friend was nowhere to be found.

Asgari was annoyed as the two continuously circled the parking lot with no luck.

All he could think about were his tests, wrestling practice and his trip to Colorado Springs.

He offered to take this “businesswoman” back to the hotel if they did not find his friend soon.

After about 50 minutes, the woman walked over to a black car that was parked on the corner and bent down to examine something underneath it.

She pulled out a brief case.

It looked like the case was filled

with a white material, like a towel or a T-shirt, but Asgari had no interest in the briefcase or its contents.

He was anxious to get rid of his unwanted companion.

The woman went up to the third story of the apartment building to take a better look at the contents under the lights.

Asgari followed her so he could take one last panoramic view of the parking lot to look for his friend.

When the two came back down the stairs, about 20 undercover police officers attacked Asgari and shoved guns in his face.

Asgari was shocked and confused.

“Whoa! You got the wrong guy!” he said, unsure of what was going on.

“That’s what they all say,” was the gruff reply.

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Tuesday, March 12, 2002

TACO BELL

n from page 1

in several cities across the country including Atlanta, Chicago, Denver, San Francisco and Los Angeles. The pinnacle of the trip was a meeting with Taco Bell representatives at their headquarters in Irvine Monday.

A demonstration took place on the UCLA campus March 10. At the “Rise Up 2002,” rally organizations from around the country, such as the Coalition for Humane Immigrant Rights of Los Angeles (CHIRLA), the International Socialist Organization PETA and Arts in Action showed up in support for the CIW. “It’s clear that farm workers don’t have a lot of rights,” said Erin O’Brien, a representative of Arts in Action, an activist group that supports civil rights causes. “It’s just outrageous. You’d think they were asking for $40,000 per year.”

O’Brien said she believes that because produce is “cheap” people think workers should be paid “dirt.”

Lucas and other farm workers toil in the tomato fields of Florida filling bushels of tomatoes for barely more than 1 cent per pound.

A field worker must pick one ton of tomatoes to make $25.

That means having to pick 112 pounds of tomatoes for one tall cup of coffee at Starbucks or 320 pounds of tomatoes for a pack of cigarettes.

During this tour, they are attempting to gain an additional 1 cent per pound.

This would double the piece-picking rate.

Since 1997, tomato pickers in Immokalee have attempted talks with the state’s corporate tomato growers to find ways to improve farm labor conditions and raise the crop-picking price.

The workers conducted a 3-day strike in 1997, a 30-day hunger strike in 1998 (in which one fieldworker ended up in the hospital) and a 230-mile march in 2000.

All of these efforts failed.

Fed up with the lack of response, they decided to target one of the grower’s biggest customers, Taco Bell.

Taco Bell is part of Tricon Global Restaurants Inc. According to the 2000 Annual Report, Tricon’s sales reached $22 billion in 2000, with Taco Bell alone reporting $5.1 billion in sales that year.

“They have the market power to help set up better conditions,” said Laura Germino, a member of CIW. “The fast food industry has changed the structure

of agriculture. They are not buying from small growers anymore. Because of the amount of money they spend, they can have a lot of pull.”

Taco Bell disagrees.

“It’s a labor dispute between the grower and the field worker,” said Laurie Gannon, a spokesperson for Taco Bell.

“It’s not our place to get involved.”

Taco Bell said that the structure in which the tomatoes are bought disconnects them from directly assisting the fieldworkers.

“We purchase from a broker. They select whichever grower has the best price and the best product,” Gannon said. “We don’t set prices, wages or working conditions. We would pay the broker, who would then pay the grower.

It wouldn’t get back to the worker.”

One of these growers is Six L’s Packing Co., one of the biggest tomato producers in the United States. Taco Bell is a major client of the Immokaleebased company. Although several attempts were made to contact the company, Six L’s would not comment.

Germino said it is virtually impossible to speak directly with the growers.

Therefore, they are left to deal with the most visible and influential target.

Germino said she believes that large fast-food chains such as Taco Bell can have a direct influence on the conditions of fieldworkers across the country.

“Large corporations set strict guidelines on the treatment of farm animals.

They also have the power to set up better conditions for ‘farm humans,’” said Germino. “Taco Bell buys millions of pounds of tomatoes a year. If they were to pay more for the products, they could set an example for other corporations on the ethical treatment of fieldworkers.”

Gannon said that Taco Bell has sent letters to the tomato growers asking them to improve conditions and settle with the workers, but has not received a response.

Financial information is not available to the public because Six L’s and other growers are private companies.

It is difficult to get an account of how much they profit from their tomato sales. CIW estimates that this money is in the several millions.

Finding out how much a 1-cent per pound increase would cost Taco Bell is also difficult.

But, it doesn’t matter. Taco Bell isn’t budging, Gannon said.

“If Six L’s wants to change their price per pound that’s fine, but we do not intend to change our purchasing policy,” Gannon said. “It’s a typical protest and we are a visible target.”

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valentine mendoza/Daily Titan

Coalition of Immokalee Workers Organizer Lucas Bentitez shouts “boycott Taco Bell” as he marches.

Selena Garcia, 21, also works the tomato fields of Immokalee. She is the single mother of a young child.

At first the petite brunette was shy to share of her experiences in the fields.

Eventually, she tells her story.

“Things aren’t that bad until there’s a lot of work,” Garcia said. “They [employer] don’t let us take breaks and they get mad when we talk to each other.”

When Garcia first started out, she could only fill 50-60 buckets. Now she can fill up to 150 buckets weighing almost 40 pounds each.

“Sometimes the buckets get really heavy,” Garcia said. “I have to get help throwing the buckets into the truck.”

Garcia wants to get a different job, but she doesn’t speak English and there is no one to watch her son.

On a good month, she can make $400, but that just covers her $360 monthly rent. Her father has to help her with the rest of her expenses. Some days she works from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m.

“I wish I could spend more time with my son,” Garcia said.

On Sunday evening, the protesters showed up in two double-decker buses to march through the streets of Santa Monica.

They received mixed responses

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from bystanders who were streaming out of the storefronts to watch. Some were confused, some were irritated and some were entertained.

Like a growing tidal wave, the protesters appeared to multiply as they chanted and waved banners through the streets.

Lt. Frank Fabrega, joined by police officers on horses and motorcycles from the City of Santa Monica, oversaw the demonstration to ensure that no violence ensued.

“We work closely with the promoters prior to the event and deploy the proper amount of officers,” Fabrega said. “As you can see there are very few officers.”

As far as inconvenience to store owners, Fabrega said it’s only minor.

“Everyone has a right to express themselves and we want to give them the opportunity,” Fabrega said. “That’s what America is all about.”

Germino said the support around the country has been tremendous.

“We were joined by 30 students and 60 additional demonstrators from San Francisco have joined the caravan,” Germino said. “Everyone’s spirits are really high because each protest becomes more and more animated in each city.”

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The final culmination of events was a massive demonstration in front of Taco Bell headquarters in Irvine, in the afternoon of March 11. More than 1,200 supporters from all walks of life showed up to encourage the workers.

Security in bright-yellow jackets spaced 15 feet apart guarded the entire building. The streets surrounding the headquarters were blocked off by orange cones, causing traffic congestion in the downtown area.

Packs of Irvine police officers were seen overlooking the demonstration.

Bands performed songs of protest to the supporters.

To bolster the crowd, Tom Morello, formerly of Rage Against the Machine, gave a speech in support of the fieldworkers.

“He knew our whole history. It was incredible,” said Greg Asbed a member of CIW. The CIW met with Taco Bell representatives in an “ice breaking” meeting at 5 p.m. March 11.

“It’s a chance for them to see who we really are,” Asbed said.

What will they do next if they don’t succeed in negotiations?

“This is just a start,” Germino said.

“People don’t want to buy products from exploited people. It’s not an

for those occasional big boats that do continue up the Hudson, there would still be more than enough room,” Bernstein said.

Bernstein’s proposal can be seen at www.twinpiers.com.

Since he posted his idea a couple of weeks ago, he has received more than 84,000 hits on his site and thousands of supportive e-mails.

“I have received e-mails from hundreds of people who never saw the World Trade Center while it was standing,” he said. “Invariably, they wrote that if this memorial were built, this memorial would give them a second chance to experience the immensity of the towers and the enormity of the Sept. 11 disaster,” Bernstein said.

The two piers would also serve as a tourist attraction and could bring many visitors to New York.

“It would probably be a good idea,” said Don Davies, building engineering office coordinator at the Titan Student Union. “The Memorial Walls remembering the Vietnam War, for instance, bring a lot of people to Washington, D.C.” However, pros and cons still need to be discussed.

Clancy Dreany, the TSU building engineer, looks at Bernstein’s proposal with skepticism. Dreany said that the length of those two piers would be a little longer than four football fields together.

“I cannot imagine it being that big,” Dreany said. “They have to go deep into the water to build that thing.”

He said that such a large project would also be very costly.

“It would be a lot cheaper if they would put some kind of a memorial along the shoreline,” he said.

“I would much rather take that money and give it to the [victim’s] families.”

-Yvonne Klopping contributed to this story.

2x3 planned parenthood

2x8 taps

arts & entertainment March 12, 2002

Unleashing Cirque’s ‘Dralion’

By Tiffany Powell

Daily Titan Detour Editor

Valentin Mendoza/Daily Titan

Roadies unfold the Big Top for the Long Beach performance.

No more drama for singer Mary J. nCONCERT: The R&B songbird finds “Real Love” in Los Angeles

By John Paul Gutierrez Daily Titan Staff Writer

From the back row of the Shrine Auditorium, cheap perfume and marijuana permeated the air and $10 cups of beer littered the floor.

But on stage in a brilliance of light and a two-story set, Mary J. Blige illuminated with melodic music and the graceful voice that has established her as a modern day R&B icon.

For 10 years Blige has sold records like no other artist in her genre and has been dubbed by her fans the “Queen of Hip-Hop Soul.”

Thursday night she showed a sellout crowd why that label has been attached for her long career.

Donning a full bodysuit that looked like a patch work quilt made over by P. Diddy, Blige opened with “Real Love.”

Blige rarely stopped in-between songs. The performance created a flow of energy that vibrated in the crowd.

When Blige did stop it was either for a dedication to her fans or a wardrobe change.

Her last outfit was a white shimmering coat, which was like no other coat since it served as covering the

bare minimum for an all ages show.

When the lights went black for her costume change, they rose to her sitting at a white piano that rotated so all angles could catch a glimpse of her.

She tapped on the keys her new single and title of her latest album, “No More Drama.”

Her words pierced the audience, who for the first time, sat to watch her.

Four lighters went up in the air and it was at that point the magnetism that is Mary J. Blige was palpable.

Since her debut album “What’s the 411,” Blige has stayed atop the charts in a genre that has increasingly become pop driven.

Her grounded roots, persistent lyrics and woman-oriented message keeps her atop the charts when others in her genre fade away.

Blige has set the standard for many of the current soul/pop artists.

Blige introduced her band, thanked Avant and left the stage. Blue lights were visible on stage as the crowd chanted “Mary! Mary!”

The fans reacted to her like a sports team who someone sticks with regardless of how they do that year. The crowd grew louder, “Mary! Mary!”

She walked out, with her hand held high and broke into to her number one single “Family Affair.” Spotlights went over the crowd and the jigsaw of people hopped up and down dancing, singing and stretching their arms out in

There is often a mystery hidden into what lies beneath. But in this case, there is no mystery, just magic.

Cirque du Soleil’s “Dralion” lies just under the blue-and-yellow tent next to the Queen Mary in Long Beach —it is a dynamic performance that challenges the imagination and captivated thousands during its first run in Santa Monica.

Setting the scene is what Cirque knows best, and its opening act balanced both showmanship and style.

A group of performers enters the ring and exits quickly, leaving just one woman behind.

The multiple shades of the radiant green costume complemented the petite female performer. She climbs a pole center stage, as swift as a monkey, and balances on one hand for 10 minutes, 15 feet above the stage.

With all eyes fixated on her every move she failed to disappoint her audience. Her performance was truly remarkable.

Bending her miniature form in

methods known only to pretzel mak- ated for this performance. ers, the acrobatic sprite mesmorized “Dralion” is a celebration of life and her captive audience. the four elements that maintain natural She exits just as she left, amongst order — air, water, fire and earth.

Performers a horde of emersimultaneously ald acrobats, fading jumped through into the background small wooden as a swarm of red hoops entertaintakes her place.

The different ing the audience shades in the seducby their impective aerial hoop cable timing and piece intertwined skill. the male and female Lions, tigers performers, as they nor bears were engaged in a playto be seen under ful game of lust. the yellow and “Dralion,” blue Big Top, defined as part human characdragon and part ters replaced lion, shocked the these animals audience with its in this theatrical real-life characterspectacular. istics of animals.

The human “I saw the show acrobatics were —Michelle Jones, 20 years ago; it was much better than store owner in Newport watching elea lot different,” said Russ Shultz a resiBeach phants do their dent of Long Beach. number on-stage while eating peanuts The most amazing of these animals and cotton candy. are the human acrobats.

Circus du Soleil has yet to disap"The experience is more of what you point their audience. are feeling than what you see," said “This is my first time, but I like the John Sala, resident of Los Angeles. "It difference that this circus offers. There is as much of an emotional experience are more artists and entertaining acroas it is a visual." batics,” said Denise Shultz of Long With bright colors of fire and sun- Beach. “It is more of a production.” set these costumes were anything but The two Italian male clowns that dull. appeared four times throughout the The costumes were specifically cre- show appeared to have lacked the

‘

The

clowns

make me think that people are

laughing out of courtesy

‘

nEVENT: Back for a limited time, Cirque du Soleil brings both its artistry and its flair to the Long Beach show

humor the audience anticipated.

“The clowns make me think that people are laughing out of courtesy,” said Michelle Jones store owner of Newport Beach. “The humor is so bad, it takes away from the show.”

These performers were not up to the crowds’ expectations.

“They have had better, one year they had a female clown who was absolutely amazing,” Sala said. “It made the show more interesting because we rarely see female clowns.”

The double trapeze was a nice break from the clowns. This heart-stopping act launched frail female performers into the air, teeter-totter style, stacking them five and six girls high.

Magnificent colors of sapphire and turquoise worn in this act accented the stage and lit up the tent with an array of shadows that brought out the intensity of the piece.

The soundtrack to “Dralion” is a fusion of music from around the world that is intense enough to tell a story within itself.

Its mish-mosh stylings — an amalgam of jungle, trance and subtle melodies makes for a spectacular album.

The dramatic yet settle music accents the high and low points of the show. “Dralion” is a two-hour trip though the past and future of Chinese acrobatic tradition.

The lights went down the music went up, and the cast of “Dralion” returned to the stage for a welldeserved standing ovation.

‘Whale’ of a weekend in Dana Point Ed Lopez/Special to the Titan

Visitors can get closer to whales than at any other time of year.

nFESTIVAL: The city by the sea celebrates 31 years of whale migration on its coast

By Ed Lopez

Special to the Titan As crowds gathered on both sides of the street, the thumping of drums, clashing of cymbals and woodsy tune of trumpets made their way down Golden Lantern in Dana Point.

They signaled the start of the 31st annual Festival of Whales, a two-weekend celebration set up throughout the harbor area.‑ “There are so many nice things happening here,” said Jean Macintosh, a resident of Dana Point since 1956.

The festivities, which continue this weekend, take place around the Mariner’s Village, Harbor

Island and the Dana Point Youth Group Facility—all located along Dana Point Harbor Drive.

California Gray Whales migrate through the coastal town while on their way to Baja, Calif. Their trek, one of nature’s longest migratory paths, is nearly 5,000 miles long.

To add to the historic celebration, the city sets up the Street Faire, complete with activities for the whole family.

One event included an adrenaline-pumped exhibit called Gale Webb’s Extreme Sports Event. BMX free-style bikers and skaters hurled through the air as the crowd cheered with excitement.

The exhibit promoted values surrounding children and young adults.

“It’s a say no to drugs, say no to alcohol and stay in school positive message filled event,” said assistant Lara Anderson.

Since people, like whales, work up an appetite, the near-by Street Faire offered plenty of food and

relaxing music. Booths offered fresh tamales, Greek kabobs and ribs.

Other festivities include an art-walk along the beach, sailing and whale watching cruises.

The whales are also visible from the shore, for those not willing to make the journey out to the shallow sea.

The final weekend for this year’s event will host “Little Dolphin Day” on the grass in front of Harpoon Henry’s. Magic shows, Bubble mania “bubbleologists” and more will entertain children from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Saturday.

Sunday will bring a sense of education to the fun with “Ocean Awareness Day” at the Dana Point Youth Group Facility. Visitors will learn how they fit into the concept of preserving the ocean.

Public, private and non-profit organizations will have information booths and demonstrations from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Zachery puts zest into her artistic freenTALENT: A Pomona artist takes 20 years of courthouse work and turns it into her own masterpiece

By Maria Ragas

Daily Titan Staff Writer

Life size, multi-cultural, threedimensional ceramic reliefs are the creative images sculpted by an enthusiastic and easygoing female artist from Pomona.

Karien Zachery first introduced her unique art to the public in the summer of 1999. Her Artistic Gallery, which used to be a pager store, was originally purchased to display art.

While Zachery was managing the gallery she began to think that she was capable of creating her own work.

“It took a day or so and I knew that I really wanted to do this,” Zachery said with a smile.

She said her inspiration came from a three-dimensional piece about horses running. Yet she enjoys working with people and things that are as close to reality as possible.

“People are interesting,” she said.

“I like expression.”

One day, a lady came in and sug-

gested that Zachery host her own shows, such as expositions with different companies. That is how she began selling her creative work.

Each of Zachery’s pieces starts from scratch and requires a mold design, mixing and preparing of the pour and painting of the face.

The materials used to create these masterpieces are made of ceramic material, authentic African mud cloth and jewelry, velvet fabrics, synthetic hair and eyelashes.

Some of Zachery’s work includes the Hooded Lady, mounted on black velvet. The female face is surrounded with exquisitely braided hair with gold jewels and a bright tiger print fabric.

Her makeup is magnificently painted to bring the life-like image out.

The African King, half man-half lion, is mounted in a gold, black and white frame. The face is fully surrounded with a perfectly blended colored mane of synthetic hair.

“I think this is amazing,” said Karen Schreiber, Carlson Enterprises seller.

“So much personality in it and the colors are just beautiful. I’ve never seen anything like your art; it’s just amazing.”

Each rare piece takes anywhere from two weeks to several months, depending on the piece.

“I work really fast when I know what I want,” Zachery said.

Every piece is distinct and has its own personality.

“You got to be different if you are an artist,” she said.

Zachery was born and raised in Springfield and moved to California nine years ago. She is one of eight children, five of whom are artists themselves but she is the only professional among them.

Along with the sculpting, Zachery also does paintings, woodcarvings, stain glass pieces and is a musician.

All of the artwork is signed, numbered and comes with its own certificate of authenticity.

She began painting about two years ago by accident.

During a fashion show a woman came to her and purchased a half head and half tiger three-dimensional art piece.

During the next two weeks this customer was on the mind of Zachery, so she called her and asked how the piece was.

The customer said her husband would not let her bring it in the house.

Some African tribes associate half faces and half animals with voodoo.

Zachery said she felt bad that this was happening. The woman asked Zachery if she could help her find a multi-cultural painting for her new skin salon.

Six months went by and it seemed

as if no artist painted anything like what the woman was looking for.

Zachery was in an art store one day and picked up a canvas and started to paint.

She painted an original painting for the customer’s skin salon with a huge logo and a solar system with female faces on it.

“One day it hit me really hard why I couldn’t find the painting and I realized, it was because I was supposed to make it,” Zachery said.

She is in the process of working on “The Jazzmine Series,” which is a group of musicians’ faces, wonderfully blended colors and details.

The series is named after her friend’s daughter who died last year.

“With paintings you never know till you get started where they’re going,” Zachery said.

She did courthouse sketches for 20 years, which she hated. She refuses to do portraits for that reason.

Most artists make money and achieve fame when they are older or after they have died. Zachery hopes to achieve otherwise.

“I want to be a world renowned young female artist,” Zachery said, matter-of-factly. “I want my money now, not when I am dead.”

Maria Ragas/Daily Titan

“Half-man, half-lion” was one of Zachery’s first reliefs.

4 Tuesday, August 29, 2000

DEtour

detour

Tuesday, August 29, 2000

5

Wednesday, March 12, 2002

Jose Lopez, 77, a Jehovah’s Witness, preaches about his faith and how it helped him with his year-long struggle with alcoholism.

Getting in touch with

ROOTS

Story By: Michael Del Muro Photos By: Mayra Beltran

A former Titan editor discusses his perceptions of his culture and what he has learned I relaxed on my couch watching the Lakers game on a weekday night when my mom shouted from the kitchen, “Michael, we need some cheese and sour cream from the store!”

My mom was cooking tacos that night and I was the designated runner to the store.

My sister likes to call me the Mexican Eugene from Neil Simon’s play and movie “Brighton Beach Memoirs.”

I love my Lakers, so my mom pissed me off because she asked me in the middle of the game But I hate arguing, so I left.

I waited until halftime – the Lakers were losing.

Albertsons is less than a mile from my house, so I arrived there quickly. I dashed into the store, snatched the sour cream and the cheese from the refrigerator. Then I sprinted to the check-out stands.

I chose a regular lane because the express lane had the longest line in the store – what a mistake.

The line didn’t seem too bad – two customers in front of me.

The first shopper finished quickly. The second one had dozens of cans of baby food, I assume for the child that was sitting in the cart, and about a half-dozen or so bottles of apple juice. She also had Cheerios and Kix cereals, generic white bread and a lot of other basic foods.

She also had some more things, but this was a different order. Soda, beer, chips and cookies all sat on the black conveyor belt in front of me. “How odd,” I thought, although I’ve seen this hundreds of times at the grocery store before.

After the clerk rang up the baby food the woman in front of me handed her a coupon.

A food stamp! Of course!

Apple juice. Food stamp.

Bread. Food stamp.

It went on like this for, I swear, five minutes.

I looked around the store with fury in my eyes. When I looked at those around me they backed up a step or two.

The Mexican woman who I now saw had gold caps on her teeth and was making me late for the start of the second half. She had two children running around touching the all the candies: Butterfingers, Baby Ruth, that nasty dried plum candy that all of the Mexican children eat.

The lady paid with food stamps and, to top it off, was pregnant.

I was furious. That stupid, welfare-sucking wetback standing in front of me paid for her food with food stamps!

Her noisy nuisances rankled my nerves picking up gum and more candy that was in the area surrounding the check stand.

“Me los compras, Mama.” “Buy me this Mom,” they said in Spanish holding up a pack of gum. “Me los compras tambien,” they said each holding up a candy bar.

Both times the mother succumbed to their demands. Food stamps did not pay for the candy – she added it to her second order, which she paid for with a large wad of cash.

Ten minutes I stood behind this lady, her brats and her food stamps, waiting to buy my sour cream and cheese with the five dollar bill I held in my hands.

I felt ashamed of being associated ethnically and racially with that woman and her children. I felt like when people look at her they see me. When I stand in line at the store, the people behind me think, “food stamp.”

I usually do my best to avoid association with Hispanics like that. I don’t call myself a Chicano or a Latino. I try to avoid being called a Mexican. I am Hispanic. I am a Mexican-American – I stress the American part.

The lady in front of me at the store was the Mexican – the Chicana.

On my drive home from the store, I couldn’t help but feel an encompassing guilt. I felt like a sell-out, an Uncle Tom. I shouldn’t even call myself Hispanic. I am an Anglo by association. I am a racist. But I couldn’t shake my feelings about that lady.

She had no business having another child while on public assistance.

My hometown is Baldwin Park, a suburb 15 miles east of Downtown Los Angeles.

And like many parts of Southern California, Baldwin Park is predominantly Hispanic.

I grew up around Anglos. Both of my neighbors were white. Many relatives on my mom’s side of the family refuse to admit to their Hispanic heritage.

Both my mother’s side of the family and my father’s side could claim that they did not have to cross a border – the border crossed them.

I have family that lives in Nogales, Ariz., but that is the closest any of my family gets to Mexico.

My father grew up in Whittier. My mother grew up in San Fernando. But neither spoke much Spanish.

My grandmother and grandfather were the only ones who kept some semblance of our culture alive in their home. My grandma made menudo and tamales every Christmas until she died a few years ago.

My father speaks poor Spanish. He is a detective for the Los Angeles Sheriff’s Department and goes through East Los Angeles speaking a broken Spanish that often gets giggles from the Spanish-speaking families he talks to.

I hung around people with similar backgrounds to mine at school. Juan didn’t speak Spanish, Jose spoke it, but never around us and the rest of our friends were like us.

We avoided the ESL (English as a Second Language) students like the plague. They all looked funny. They wore weird clothes and had the longest hair. Some of them even smelled bad, at least we used to assume they did. We wouldn’t be caught near them.

The only time we allowed these “foreigners” to join our group was during recess and PE. We assumed that they had played soccer for years and were therefore fast.

Sometimes we were right, other times we were mistaken.

The self-imposed segregation from these students lasted until high school when I emigrated away from the drudgery of a public school to an “enlightened” private school.

Although Bishop Amat High School is in a predominantly Hispanic area, La Puente, most of the students there were like me. Hispanics, Asian Americans and even

ROOTS/ 5

Above: Jose Nuñez, of East Los Angeles, walks the streets early morning looking for someone to play for to earn money to feed his nine children. His day begins at 8 a.m. and he retreats home at 9 p.m., which he has done for 21 years. He had a severe stomach burn two months ago that made it impossible to play the accordian. Left: Undocumented worker “Veronica Ruiz,” of San Antonio, Michoacan, crossed the border with her husband and three children to earn a descent living wage. She sells tamales from 5 a.m. to 10 a.m. in a busy intersection of Los Angeles which makes her realize how much she wants to go back.

perspectives

Wednesday, March 12, 2002

Miguel Escobedo (center), a Jehovah’s Witness preaches to a merchant, “men is to be governed by God and not the government” because God will clean desperation and poverty from the Earth.” She attempts to discuss the fact that street merchants are arrested for not having a permit, while drug dealers are still roaming the streets selling drugs.

Miguel replied by saying there are rules here in the United States that everyone needs to follow to live in an organized society.

Well, they were in my backyard. And everywhere I would look I would be embarrassed by what they were doing. n from page 4 I’d drive home from work during dusk and crossblacks were all anglicized to an extent. ing the street with her two children and a stroller There were outcasts at Amat, but not many were would be some Mexican lady. I’d yell at her, “What due to the person’s ethnicity. are you doing?”

Meanwhile, at home, one of my white neighbors Other times I would stop at a red light. In front of moved out. In came a traditional Mexican family. me would be a beat-up Toyota Corolla hatchback with Spanish was the dominant language spoken there. an entire family sitting in it. The car would go only The father seemed to be a hard-working man. He when I honk to remind them. A burst of black smoke came home and had his nightly beers, but appeared to would erupt out from the tailpipe the car moves. Then be a good man. a steady stream of gray would tail the car. I give the The mother was a housewife. She spoke English as family a dirty look as I drive by. “Get a damn smog well as I spoke Spanish, which was not very well. check!”

They had two daughters – Lissette and Evelyn.

My anger and resentment of these people would Lissette was my age and we got along very well. sometimes frustrate me and anger me I would go We’d talk often. She made fun of me because I didn’t home and stalk around the house for an hour. “Stupid speak Spanish, but it was OK because I was used to Mexicans.” it by then.

One Sunday, I decided to go to mass with my Every time I would go outside, the mother would mother. I let her drive. try to say hello. “Hello, Michael,” she would say.

As we were heading toward the freeway a man, “Vas a la escuela?” whom I swear was Forrest Gump She didn’t know how to ask ran by. He had a long beard, wore s I got older me in English if I was going to beat-up jogging clothes, old tennis school. But it was OK because I shoes and a red hat. “Run, Forrest, my pride had already been through a couRun!” out of being Hispanic ple of years of Spanish classes.

My mom and I laughed about it, “No,” I would say with a Spanish and then she asked me something grew, accent. “Vamos to work.” that hit me hard.

She’d smile and wave and I “Have you ever looked at somebut I still found would go to work. one and wondered what their life Gradually I came to see my has been like? I think it is amazing myself looking neighbors as a link to my Hispanic how everyone you see has a story heritage. They would offer me carne about his or her life,” she added. down on asada, tacos and a variety of other I never thought of anything like non-Americanized that before.

Mexican foods.

I began to feel more Mexican.

People do stupid things because Mexicans As I got older my pride grew, but they are idiots, not because of their I still found myself looking down lives. on non-Americanized Mexicans.

I would apply this to social sciEventually, I found that I could get things out of ences. “People in inner-cities are brought up in a being a minority. Scholarships, affirmative action and society where they are forced to steal and sell drugs, other programs made my being a Hispanic a bless- while education is not important,” I would write in ing. my political science essays.

And as my political identity and knowledge grew, But I would not apply this to real life – at least not so did my sympathy toward Mexican immigrants. my life.

California Proposition 187 was the most racist When I do, things make sense. thing I had ever seen or read. It called for the removal My neighbors. They are affluent immigrants. They of children born in the United States, but from illegal own land in Mexico and have money. immigrants, from public schools.

They did not come to the United States because These children were born in the United States and they were being oppressed and had to scrounge are granted citizenship per se the Constitution. around for food in Mexico. They came because they I was offended by the proposed bill. It struck me in wanted to. the heart. Suddenly I had Hispanic pride.

The lady with her children and the stroller running I began to argue that the U.S. economy is depen- across the middle of the street. dent on the poor labor that new immigrants from When I was in Mexico, no one – not even my Mexico provide. friends and me – followed the pedestrian rules. Why But all this was offset by my feelings toward would she think something different here? those who are commonly called “wetbacks.” I’d Then there was the lady in the store. Large families see them everywhere. I’d look at them ashamedly. are common in Mexico. Why would she change her Disassociating them from myself and good Mexicans ways in America? like my neighbors.

Sure she was on public assistance, but perhaps that Yet I’d defend these “wetbacks” as the backbone is only because her family hasn’t secured themselves to our economy. I’d say that they are the neo-slaves. financially.

Without these people we’d have to pay $10 for a basNevertheless, who am I to judge this lady’s life? ket of strawberries. We’d have to pay $40 for a T-shirt How do I know what she has been through? if they were actually paid minimum wage.

My mother, just when I thought I had learned all I knew that economically I was right. But there is that I needed to know from her, taught me something a difference between being actually correct and being else. emotionally correct.

I realized that while I judge these people for what But I could not help my feelings. I guess it was they appear to be, I am probably being judged by that old NIMBY idea – I’ll defend the rights of them too. immigrants, as long as they are not in my backyard What are they thinking about me? Am I an embar(NIMBY). rassment to them?

ROOTS

“A

Ana Benites Castillo, of Juares Mexico, returns from collecting her money at the recycling center where she sells aluminum cans, glass and plastic bottles. She is now living in the streets as a result of a serious car accident that severely damaged her arms and she never fully recovered. For three years, the streets of East Los Angeles have been her home.

”

Above: Victor Mendoza, of Tepatitlan, Jalisco, sells plants and flowers out of a red pick-up truck in the East Los Angeles area to support his family. He attempted to open a business because he is tired of working for others. He said he would much rather live in Mexico, but there are better economic opportunities in the United States. Left: Stephanie Gomez, 3 years old, is the daughter of an immigrant who came from Nayarit. Stephanie is the product of government aid, and her mother is now working as a babysitter and receives no more aid.

5

Tuesday, March 12, 2002

Titans drop series at Wichita nBASEBALL: Fullerton record falls to 11-8 as they claim only one victory against the Shockers

By Ricardo Sanchez, Jr. Daily Titan Staff Writer

Katie cumpER/Daily Titan

Junior outfielder Kyle Boyer bats against Fresno earlier this season.

Following a nearly flawless February, the Cal State Fullerton baseball team has suffered a challenging March. Since finishing 1-2 at the Kia Baseball Bash, the team has hit another speed bump.

Losing their first series since the season opener against Stanford, the Titans fell to the Wichita State Shockers sandwiching a 10-1 win between two losses, 3-1 and 13-4, at Eck Stadium in Kansas over the weekend.

The Shockers improved to 8-1 and are likely to climb from their number eight spot in this week’s Baseball America poll, while the Titans might slip a few spots from number 13.

However, the series could have gone either way.

Friday’s game turned into a marathon, going 15 innings before

Wichita State buried the Titans with a two-run home run by designated hitter Drew Moffitt, giving the Shockers the 3-1 win. It turned out to be the tie-breaker in the series.

Coach George Horton has pointed out lack of defense as a problem this season, but this time it was the Titans’ offense that could not get anything going.

The Titans stranded a total of 17 base runners Friday and did not take advantage of many scoring opportunities created by Wichita State’s six errors.

Fullerton’s big guns were silent throughout the series as sophomore left fielder Shane Costa, who leads the team in batting average, went 2-14 in the series. Sophomore right fielder Kyle Boyer had a rough trip as well. Tied with the team lead in RBIs, he failed to knock one in, going 1-9 over the weekend.

But Senior Chris Klosterman picked up some of the slack, com-

ing off the bench to play for the first time this season.

Drawing the start at third base, Klosterman played well and went 5-9 in two games.

The Titan offense re-emerged briefly during Saturday’s game as they reeled off 12 hits and scored 10 runs, half of which belonged to first baseman Nick Fitzgerald. He hit a two-run home run in the second and then came up in the third knocking a three-run shot over the center field wall, leading the Titans to a 10-1 victory.

Freshman Kurt Suzuki collected two hits for the fourth-consecutive game while sophomore Riche Burgos extended his hitting streak to 12 straight games.

Sophomore Darric Merrell allowed just one run on eight hits in seven innings improving to 3-2 on the season, bouncing back from the tough loss to Miami in the Kia Baseball Bash. Merrell takes a lik-

What is he

Brown Invitational good to nTRACK: Fullerton hosts annual meet Saturday honoring fallen coach and one runner sets a record

nCOMMENTARY: Antonio Freeman seems to value money above all else, even football

By Katie Cumper

Daily Titan Photo Editor Twice around the track. A mere 800-meters. A perfectly beautiful day. Just one race to run.

These were the only thoughts running through the mind of Cal State Fullerton’s middle distance runner Lakeysha McClenton as she relaxed in the shade, alongside teammate Pam Rogue, a couple of hours before the two were to compete in the Ben Brown Invitational Saturday.

“They are giving us a break today,” McClenton said with a tranquil smile on her face. “We only have to run the 800.”

Normally the two have another race on their mind as well - the 4 X 4 Relay and, in the past two meets, McClenton had also run the 1500.

But this day would be different, she would get to run “her” race – the 800.

Even she didn’t realize how different this day would be. Not until, that is, she rounded the second lap of the race and headed straight to the finish line with UC Irvine’s Tessa Cendejas at her heels.

After crossing the finish line she heard the cheer of the crowd ringing in her ears. Coach Christopher Asher’s voice announced, over the loud speaker, that McClenton, had just broken the women’s 800 school record of 2 minutes and 15.06 seconds (set in 1987 by Sonja Cooper) with her new time of 2:13.71.

McClenton could only clasp her hands along both sides of her face and smile.

Her friend and teammate Rogue, who came in third with a time of 2:16.40, described the race from her point of view.

“I saw Keysha in front of me, but I stayed with the UCI girls because I thought they were going to go around her,” Rogue

ing to the road as he is now 7-1 in his career away from Goodwin Field.

In the series finale, Jordan DeJong (4-1) was roughed up for the first time this season and was lifted after only two innings. The Shockers jumped on him in the first inning, scoring five runs off six hits, capped off by a two-run home run by Logan Sorenson.

The Shockers Adam Peterson then shut down the Titans, retiring 10 consecutive batters during one stretch and did not allow more than one base runner until the seventh to seal the 13-4 win.

The Titans will face Loyola Marymount March 13, at 7 p.m. at Goodwin Field. The two teams last met February, with the Titans pulling a come-from-behind win in the ninth inning.

By Heather Hampton

Daily Titan Staff Writer

katie cumpeR/Daily Titan

Lakeysha McClenton (center) trailed Tess Cendejas and Jenny Liou in the first lap of the 800 meters but she blew past them in the final lap to set a new Cal State Fullerton school record of 2 minutes, 15.06 seconds. Her teammate Pam Rogue (left) placed third. said. “She passed the last one and ankle to just below his knee joint. place win in section three of the “Benny read in the paper about all of a sudden she took off. I should Before his injury, Jeff Williams 100m, David Ortega’s fourth place our first year,” coach John Elders have stayed with Keysha.” was the second in the 1995 World finish in section one of the 200, said. “That was the first year we Tammy Mack, a 37-year-old 200 Championships in the 200, and Hassan Dickens’ third place finish had a men’s track team. He called sprinter who almost made it to the made the Olympic finals in 1996. in the 400-hurdles and Cesar Soto’s and volunteered his help. He was 1984 Olympics before suffering a Saturday he finished the 100 in sec- third place win in the men’s pole awesome and he brought instant broken knee, attends many of the ond place, behind Tomari Casellas of vault “B.” credibility to our program. He was California meets. She was impressed Split-Second, with a time of 10.64.

Marcos Campos went the dis- a multiple NCAA Champion at

by McClenton’s performance.

“Nobody knows how excited I tance in the 5000 and finished first UCLA and competed in Montreal in “I see her all the time when we go am to be here today,” Wiliams said. in front of 11 other athletes with a the 1976 Olympics winning a gold to other meets,” Mack said. “She is “This is my first race since 1998. I time of 15:12.02. medal in the 1600m relay. a very good athlete.” am happier than a pig in slop. I was Once called the Titan Invitational, “I’ll never forget his laugh,” Mack ran in the 200 along with hoping just to be able to run again.” Fullerton’s yearly meet was renamed Elders said. “If you were on one several other athletes at the invitaOther Titan highlights of the meet the Ben Brown Invitational in honor end of the field and he on another tional who competed “unattached.” included Anna Doty’s 40-2 3⁄4 triple of “Benny” Brown, a CSUF assis- — you could hear it. We hope the Most of these athletes had no current jump win and third place launch in tant track and field coach for many meet carries on his legacy.” college affiliation, and were at the the long jump; Ryan Gill’s javelin years. He was killed in a single car meet for a variety of different rea- throw of 205-01.00 which placed accident seven years ago. sons. One of these athletes had suf- him third; Aaron Williams’ second Before that tragic event, he fered an injury in Germany in 1998 place long jump of 24-0.25; Cody touched many of the coaches and that left him with a quarter-inch scar Jones’ leap of 48-06.75 in the men’s athletes’ lives while helping out on on the back of his left leg, from his triple; Courtney Henderson’s second the Titan field.

Fullerton finds success on the

nGYMNASTICS: The Titans beat Sacramento and San Jose State with a fall-free day

By Maria Ragas

Daily Titan Staff Writer The Cal State Fullerton women’s gymnastics team made history last Friday night in a threeway road meet against Sacramento and San Jose State. CSUF scored 195.300, its second-highest score in CSUF history.

Sacramento took second with a 194.100 and San Jose came in third with a 193.325.

CSUF senior Joanna Hughes said she benefited from the San Jose gym which is smaller and less crowded than UCLA. “It kind of helped us,” she said. “Everyone was less nervous and we treated it as a practice.”

The Titan gymnasts had a hard night ahead of them with only five competitors on the vault and uneven bars. Jaime Moody sprained her ankle during practice and Kimberly Runciman was in a car accident. Both were unable to compete.

“There was no room for mess-ups,” coach Julie Knight said. “ Every score counted and [the gymnasts] came through.”

With all scores counting, Hughes’ perfor-

mance on the vault earned her a first place finish and a season high of 9.925. San Jose’s Dani Albright came in second with a score of 9.850.

Tying for third place with a score of 9.800 was Titan Kelly Mathiasen and Sacramento’s Nirvana Zaher. Also scoring for the Titans was Annette Reyes with a 9.675.

Knight said Reyes injured her foot during practice and they were not sure if she would be able to compete.

“Her foot was very bruised and sprained badly,” she said. “She did a great job for us.”

Hughes came in first for the Titans with another season high of 9.925 on the uneven bars.

Sacramento’s Lori Gillette took second with a score of 9.875. Titans Mathiasen and Megan Berry tied for third place with 9.850.

The Titans nabbed first and second place on the balance beam, their toughest apparatus.

Mathiasen took first with a score of 9.900.

Theresa O’Gara scored 9.875, stealing second and earning a new career high. Knight said the girls did a fantastic job.

“We did not count any falls,” she said.

San Jose’s Kimmy Cianci took first place on the floor with a score of 9.900 and second went to Shirla Choy. Top-Titan finisher Mathiasen earned a score of 9.825 despite problems with her music.

During her second tumbling pass her music skipped and started all over. Knight said that if the gymnast does not see her score she could do her rotation over.

“In a period of three minutes Kelly did two rotations, which is very difficult,” she said.

Mathiasen came in first in the all-around, earning a score of 39.375. San Jose’s Choy took second, scoring 38.800. The Titans’ last meet of the season will be a two-way home meet against Utah State Friday at 7 p.m. in the Titan Gym. Utah State, ranked No. 44 nationally, scored a 195.425 in a three-way meet last Friday. Knight said she is looking forward to the meet.

“It will be a very good battle between us and Utah State,” Knight said. “Our girls are becoming very tough competitors.”

SEAN TAO/Special to the Titan

CSUF prepares for final home meet of season.

There must be something about men in smelly football uniforms that makes them think they can rule the monetary world.

The Green Bay Packers’ Antonio Freeman told reporters on Sunday that he doesn’t “feel comfortable” with taking a pay cut to stay with the team.

Freeman said he is also not willing to be second after the Packers acquired Terry Glenn, another veteran wide receiver who most likely will get more playing time than Freeman.

Green Bay head coach Mike Sherman said he had not told Freeman anything about acquiring Glenn. He said talks were continuing on a pay cut from this year’s $4.3 million salary for Freeman, who would have otherwise been released on June 1.

“There’s no $4.3 million No. 2 receivers in the NFL, and I’m not willing to take a $2 million pay cut,” Freeman said.

Although Freeman may have a logical argument, it seems like he is more concerned about the money than anything else.

It makes me wonder whether Freeman has taken the time to look around at all the normal people in this world.

I would feel absolutely comfortable earning $1 million, let alone $2.3.

“My role on the offense could be reduced, as well as my pay, and it’s just not a situation I’m happy with,” Freeman said. “It’s not about money, it’s about happiness right now, and I don’t think being back in Green Bay will make me happy.”

But Freeman is happy for Glenn, or so he says.

How many football players, or athletes for that matter, would be happy for another player who was taking their spotlight and their pay on the team?

Perhaps this is a rude awakening in disguise. Freeman, who was the Packers best postseason receiver this year with 13 catches and 138 yards, needs to realize that there are others who are just as talented, and worth more money, than he.

Although Freeman may argue that he is truly happy, he seems to have a little bit of animosity in the back of his mind.

“I had a very accomplished career in Green Bay. I don’t regret anything. But you don’t go from a No. 1 to a No. 2 – if you’re going to do that, you move to another team.”

Maybe there is one thing that Freeman does regret that he is not fessing up to – losing his Green Bay Packer fame to a more qualified athlete.

SPORTS

Tuesday, March 12, 2002

9

CSUF nabs win against short-handed opponTENNIS: Titans lose three of four singles matches but edge visiting Southern Illinois, winning final two by default en route to a 4-3 victory

By John Paul Gutierrez Daily Titan Staff Writer

If Jerry Springer were to have a show dedicated to tennis, Monday’s match would have been perfect.

The three-and-a-half hour marathon match against the Southern Illinois University Salukis created a shouting match, arguments and a narrow 4-3 win of ironic proportions.

SIU came to California for some sun and tennis but came with only four players. This gave the Titans a two-point advantage before any green balls were served.

In the pre-game meeting coach Bill Reynolds gathered his team.

“Listen girls, they are good, so don’t take them lightly,” he said.

Only two pairings played in doubles, which meant only one pair had to win in order to take the lone doubles point.

Michelle Arndt and Ioana Sisoe finished first and fast by swiftly beating SIU’s Kari Stark and Sarah Krismantis, 8-4.

COMING WEDNESDAY...

CSUF’s first-team doubles partners Ana Iacob and Carla Rocha came from behind to beat Erika Ochoa and Alejandra Blanco.

Iacob and Rocha went down 1-3 after two deuces and a forehand from Ochoa that grazed the line. This is when the taunting started.

“God it must suck to play against our school,” CSUF junior David Dischner yelled from the bleachers.

This was just the beginning. He and freshman Jeff Ludwig continued on a negative barrage aimed right at Ochoa and Blanco.

Obviously bothered by the comments, Ochoa and Blanco lost focus and glared at the two hecklers in the bleachers.

CSUF came back to tie 3-3 when Iacob returned so hard down the line that Blanco could only volley back a shot that cleared the fence.

From that point Iacob and Rocha never trailed. They went up 5-4 and never looked back. Finally winning 8-5.

Singles play turned ugly and iron-

Sisoe lost quickly to Krismantis 0-6, 2-6.

Next to her in court two Rocha fell behind losing the first set 2-6. Outside the fence the hecklers gathered voices and came down hard on Rocha’s opponent, Blanco, several times disrupting Blanco in mid-serve.

SIU coach Judy Auld stormed over to the torrent of abuse.

“Don’t talk to my players,” Auld shouted as she pointed.

Dischner and Ludwig exchanged words with Auld for a few minutes until they finally left.

But the heckling didn’t seem to affect Blanco’s play because following the altercation she finished Rocha off 2-6, 1-6.

That two-point lead would now seem meaningless if the Titans couldn’t win a singles match.

In the No. 1 singles match Iacob took on Ochoa. This was a highly intense match that brought on a two tiebreakers and a lot of controversy over line calls. The inconsistency of

Titan Jessica Martin prepares for her match Monday against SIU. calls led to both coaches placing team- ders of Arndt. She gently brushed the mates as line judges. The first two sets pressure away like dandruff and took went to tiebreakers and Iacob split care of Stark, winning 6-2, 7-5.

7-6, 6-7.

“She was good, I was nervous the In the final match tiebreak, Iacob whole match,” Arndt said. “I was reallost 8-10 on an unforced error into ly happy to win first. I took control, the net. usually I’m having to come back.”

The match now lay on the shoulReynolds was relieved to come

ryan hoppe/Daily Titan

The junior won by default. away with a narrow win in a situation where the advantage almost slipped away.

“I’m just thankful for the win, we could have easily lost that [match],” Reynolds said. “Michelle played very well to win this. You never know who’s going to step up but Michelle

Titans start Big West season off with

nSOFTBALL: First baseman Monica Lucatero moves into first place in CSUF career RBIs as Fullerton beats Sacramento

By Brian Thatcher

Daily Titan Asst. Sports Editor

u Meet the Titan softball team as they prepare to take on 16 of the top softball programs in the nation at the 2002 Kia Klassic

ic.

The Cal State Fullerton softball team made its first step toward defending its Big West crown this past weekend sweeping the Sacramento State Hornets in a three-game series.

The first two wins came in a Saturday doubleheader, 3-1 and 80, and the final win came Sunday, 4-2. The Titans extended their winning streak to 11.

“We played really well this weekend,” CSUF coach Michelle Gromacki said. “We’re minimizing walks and errors and we’re winning games because of it.”

The No. 11 Titans (20-9 overall,

Titan

3-0 in conference) dominated the entire weekend, only trailing once in all three games. The Hornets lone lead came as they scored a run in the top of the first inning on Sunday.

Sacramento State started the game with a single by center fielder Cathy Coupar. She later came around to score on an RBI double by catcher Erin Coyne, off starter Christy Robitaille (4-3), later in the inning.

The Titans answered back in the bottom of the frame with three quick singles, the last of which coming from first baseman Monica Lucatero, scoring third baseman Gina Oaks.

Lucatero’s 139th career RBI

moved the senior past four-year All American Sue Lewis (1981-84) and into first place on the school career RBI list.

Lucatero came around to score later in the inning on a single from right fielder Jodie Cox. Robitaille continued to surrender hits and the Hornets pushed another run across on a sacrifice fly by Coupar in the top of the second, tying the game at two. “[Robitaille] was making good pitches,” Gromacki said. “They were being very disciplined at the plate and driving what we gave them.”

Robitaille soon found her control and didn’t surrender another run.

“She got stronger as the game

went on,” Gromacki said.

Her teammates broke the tie in the fourth as Cox came around to score on an RBI single by second baseman Shawna Robinson.

CSUF added its final insurance run as Robinson came around to score on an RBI double by Oaks in the sixth to seal the victory.

Cox gave Fullerton more good news as she pitched a shutout in the second game Saturday to earn the victory.

It was her first start since March 1 due to a leg injury she suffered during practice shortly before the Worth Invitational.

“I feel good,” she said. “The time off helped and everything’s fine in that sense.”

CSUF’s next action comes Wednesday as they host the 2002 Kia Klassic at the Titan Softball Complex.

Sixteen of the top softball programs in the nation will be competing in the five-day tournament, including 10 teams ranked in the top 25. Fullerton’s first game will be against Rutgers at 7 p.m. Rutgers has an overall record of 1-6, recording their first victory last Sunday over the University of Dayton.

“We’re defending champs of the Kia,” Gromacki said. “It is probably the toughest tournament in the nation next to the College World Series. We want to do really well because it is on our home field.”

Coupon page 3x10.5

Tuesday, March 12, 2002

The Daily Titan Our Voice

Sept. 11 six months later

By Ricardo Sanchez, Jr. Daily Titan Staff Writer

Campus newspapers stolen Got news? Apparently seven colleges around the nation didn’t.

In the last week of February, seven different campuses had their newspapers stolen. In some cases they were disgruntled students profiled in unflattering articles or candidates for student government unhappy with the paper’s endorsements or fraternity members protesting negative press.

UC Berkeley, USC, Cal State Long Beach, American University and University of Missouri at Columbia all had thousands of their issues stolen from campus racks.

The Daily Titan is theft free.

It should stay that way.

What purpose does it serve to steal a free newspaper for the sake of censoring controversial articles that will

be posted on the newspaper’s online version for everyone to see anyway?

Silly and petty.

The Student Press Law Center said 10,000 copies of the Long Beach Union may have been swiped by campus fraternity Sigma Pi members because of an opinion article that lampooned the group and discussed their secret handshake.

The paper may lose $2,000 because of printing costs and advertising revenue.

The deputy chief of campus police at Long Beach said, “There’s nothing under the law that allows us to go after someone who takes free newspapers.”

Blasphemy.

If you have a problem with the paper - write to the paper, don’t steal

The Daily Titan article poliLetters 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, Managing Editor, News Editor, Opinion Editor and section editors.

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

“The press is not public opinion” -Prussian Prince Otto von Bismarck, 1862 Tell The Daily Titan what is on your mind, what drives our campus and what influences our world.

Cal State Fullerton students, faculty, staff and friends - express your opinion and write a letter to the editor.

Bring letters to CP-670 addressed to “Opinion.”

Or send an e-mail by visiting the Opinion section at : http://dailytitan.fullerton.edu

Kimberly Pierceall/Daily

“Will work for $1 million”

T

i

t

a

Sitcom stars paid too much

By Afni Adnan

Daily Titan Staff Writer I love watching “Friends.” Come to think of it, I’m an obsessed fan.

But when I heard that the six stars would reportedly make up to $1 million an episode to film their ninth and final season next year, I couldn’t believe it.

They’re funny, but not that funny.

Kelsey Grammer, who plays Dr. Frasier Crane, the neurotic radio psychiatrist on NBC’s “Frasier,” is currently the highest paid star on television, earning a whopping $1.6 million an episode. Ray Romano, the star of CBS’ “Everybody Loves Raymond” makes about $900,000 an episode, and will probably earn more if he decides to renew his contract.

Oprah Winfrey, whose personal wealth is close to $670 million, keeps raking in money even though her show’s ratings have dropped this year.

Take into account the extra money all these TV personalities will earn from their royalty checks once their shows go into syndication.

Not only are sitcom stars getting a raise, so are news personalities. Katie Couric, the darling of the morning news shows, recently signed a lucrative deal that would earn her $65 million over the next four years. That would make the “Today Show” cohost one of the highest paid broad-

FUTURE PGS. WESTERN STATE 3 x 10

casters on TV today.

Even news cable networks, such as CNN and Fox News Channel, are making changes to drive up ratings.

Larry King recently signed a deal with CNN that would net him up to $56 million over the next four years.

The guy is good at what he does, but does he really need to get a salary hike? CNN wooed Paula Zahn from Fox News and lured Connie Chung away from ABC. But with experience, comes bonuses. Part of the reason networks pay enormous sums of money to these stars is because their shows consistently bring in large audiences. “Friends,” “Everybody Loves Raymond” and “Frasier” have huge followings, so network executives can rely on them to cough up high ratings every week.

“Friends” has been doing particularly well this season, scoring big with an average of 23 million viewers every week. But in terms of its storylines, the show is beginning to lose its steam. “Frasier” is still going strong ratings-wise, but after nine seasons, it is also losing its charm.

Sometimes these salary numbers become a distraction. The attention is no longer on the content of the show, but rather an issue of who gets paid more. It becomes a bidding war, and the stars are in the position to give an ultimatum: pay up or goodbye.

I’m not saying that these actors

n

don’t deserve to get paid handsomely. Granted, they work long hours.

But so do firefighters and police officers. They put their lives on the line everyday but their annual salaries pale in comparison to what TV stars earn in a week.

According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, the mean annual salaries of a police officer and a firefighter in 2000 were $40,590 and $35,260, respectively.

Compare that to Kelsey Grammer’s salary. He makes about 40 times that in a week, let alone a whole year.

These actors are smart and know what they’re worth. They are valuable commodities to their respective networks, therefore their demands for lucrative contracts may seem justified.

But there has to be a limit to what is appropriate.

By paying actors outrageous salaries, it’s like saying they are more valuable than those in the health care and education professions.

One million dollars an episode is too extreme. They’re just actors, and getting millions of dollars for just doing that seems unwarranted.

As long as people still want to see their favorite characters on TV, the networks will continue to up the ante and throw money in the actor’s face.

It’s a vicious cycle - one that won’t end any time soon.

Sunday night at 9 p.m., I popped a tape into my VCR, pressed record and stayed glued to the television set.

A two-hour documentary about the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks on the World Trade Center had just begun on CBS. I had to see it.

The show commemorated the sixmonth anniversary of one of the most tragic days in American history, but as I sat and watched, mixed emotions ran through my head. Is it too soon to broadcast new footage from inside the tower? Should I even watch?

Entrapped by the sheer enormity of the event, I couldn’t pull my eyes from the screen.

With new angles and perspectives, the drama unfolded once again. The shock and disbelief thousands felt that horrific morning spread through my body with the same intensity it did a half a year ago when the world woke up to terror.

The show’s significance is clear.

Americans needed a reminder.

Especially since we on the West Coast don’t have “ground zero” to refresh our memories on a daily basis.

But to say Americans didn’t remember that infamous morning would be wrong. We do remember. We just forgot how we felt.

The anger. The pain. The sadness. Feelings only the footage of the doomed airliners crashing into buildings and people running frantically through the streets can provoke.

Life changed after that day.

There are new federal taxes on airfare to accommodate for the cost of new security. People trying to sneak explosives aboard flights now live and breathe amongst us. New programs to teach understanding of Arab nations have been implemented. The war on terrorism rages on in Afghanistan.

“Let us never forget.”

Every time a digital clock reads 9:11, I stop and reflect. The ominous numbers will be etched into the minds of Americans and citizens of the world forever.

It’s a day no one should forget or ever will.

EXOTIC TAN 3 x 10.5