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Texas Tech shuts out women’s tennis in doubles and singles
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M a r c h 15, 2002
Lawyer fights for Latino
Jess Araujo
nLECTURE: Jess Araujo shares his life’s struggle as a child in the barrio and how he is giving back By Theresa Salinas
Daily Titan Staff Writer Jess Araujo entered the auditorium with the commanding presence of a seasoned lawyer. Setting a black briefcase on the table, he removed his gray suit jacket, revealing a crisp, white dress shirt and a pair of square cufflinks. “Buenas tardes,” he said, with a smile emerging from beneath his thick, dark mustache. Araujo is the fourth speaker in Cal State Fullerton’s “Fighters for Freedom” series that showcases civil rights advocates.
Araujo lectured Thursday afternoon on American politics. He spoke as if litigating, pacing about the room and glancing often at his yellow legal pad. Araujo, 54, was born and raised in El Paso, Texas. The Mexican-American grew up in the 1960s, when racism was rampant in the border town. Drinking fountain signs read “No dogs, niggers or Mexicans.” It was common for teachers and coaches to make racist remarks. The injustices angered Araujo. While others shrugged off the discrimination, he vowed to combat it. “I’m going to become a lawyer,”
Araujo announced to his family when he was in sixth grade. He realized that he’d have to become part of the legal system to affect change. “My brother laughed at me, and the laughing continued for years,” he said. “In those days, little Chicanos in barrios in Texas didn’t grow up to be lawyers.” Araujo continued with his life. He joined the United States Marine Corps during the height of the Vietnam War. He was stationed at the El Toro base in Irvine, where he worked as a mechanic and attended Vietnamese-
language school. Araujo was ultimately promoted to sergeant. He was honorably discharged in 1969, signifying the end of his military career and the start of a successful academic career. After his stint in the service, he decided to remain in Orange County. Araujo graduated from Santa Ana College in the early 1970s, then transferred to the University of California at Irvine. He graduated Summa Cum Laude from the university in 1972, leaving him free to pursue his lifelong goal
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Education: Juris Doctorate degree from Loyola University School of Law, 1976. Bachelors degree from University of California at Irvine, Profession: Partner in Di Marco, Araujo & Montevideo law firm. Handles civil, criminal and administrative cases. Expert on U.S.-Mexico relations, Latino electoral trends, entertainment law, consumer law and personal injury compensation. Past president of the Orange County Bar Association and the Hispanic Bar Association of Orange County. Other: Teaches law at Cal State Fullerton. Wrote “The Law and Your Legal Rights.”
Students can rate teachers
Affordable childcare in demand
nEDUCATION: John Swapceninski, founded a Web site that offers the ability to judge campus professors By Scott Leeds
Daily Titan Staff Writer College can be extremely stressful at times. Selecting the right class, as well as choosing an enjoyable professor can be a difficult task. One way to relieve the stress of choosing the right instructor may just require surfing the Internet. The web site, www.ratemyprofessors.com, gives students from every college an opportunity to rate their professors. It also allows them a chance to see some evaluations of other professors before choosing which ones to take each semester. John Swapceninski, founder of the Web site got the idea in December 1998 while attending San Jose State University. The site has been online since May of 1999. Web site’s goal is to make it a valuable resource by helping students get through their college careers with minimum pain. The site has had more than 100,000 ratings so far. “Once there are a significant number of ratings for a particular school, the site starts to offer more than just entertainment; it starts to become useful to students in planning their classes,” Swapceninski said. “It would make deciding on a professor more exciting and less tedious,” said Mike Lynch, business major. At the end of a semester, students on campus review their professors either positively or negatively with student evaluation forms. However, students do not get an opportunity to look over these reviews. This Web site gives students the ability to voice their feelings so that others can get a feel for what a certain professor is like. “I have had an awful professor that I would say something about on the Web site,” said Darshelle Lynch, a political science major. Of the nearly 1,900 professors on campus, 46 of them are listed on the Web site. Students have the ability to add a teacher to the site for rating. “I don’t see anything wrong with this free exchange of information,” said Thomas Johnson, associate dean of the College of Business and Economics. “But you do have to consider the source of the information.” Professors are rated on three categories: easiness, helpfulness and clarity.
nDEVELOPMENT: Funded by AS, the center accommodates as many as 190 children each semester By Afni Adnan
Daily Titan Staff Writer
chris tennyson/Special to the Titan
A young boy wanders around looking for someone to help him go “potty.” Colorful hand paintings are pinned to the walls and hallways are filled with various works of art. Children scatter around the playground running and laughing. These are just a few of the images that can be seen at the Children’s Center at Cal State Fullerton. “We have great, quality teachers who work closely with the kids,” said Betsy Gibbs, director of the Children’s Center. The center, founded in 1971 by CSUF students, accommodates about 165 to 190 children per semester. It serves kids from six months to pre-kindergarten and is funded by the Associated Students. The center employs 11 full-time staff members and 50 part-time volunteers and interns, most of whom are students. Students who can’t afford to pay for the service are eligible for state subsidized childcare and some can receive reduced fees or even free services if they meet the income guidelines. Gibbs said many people want to get their children into the program. However, it depends on when the child is enrolled. “It’s possible to have trouble getting in because you want to get in at the hardest time,” Gibbs said. She said priority is given to returning-funded families, but the center tries its best to accommodate every student’s needs. Jessi Beltran, one of the teachers, said that working with the kids can be both stressful and fun, but most of the time she enjoys it. She works with the older children, ages 3-5, and every now and then they engage in small arguments. But the children learn to work together. “We teach them a lot of problem and conflict solving skills,” she said. “We guide them, instead of solving the
Wearing her magic cape, a child enjoys her playtime at the Children’s Center on campus.
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Volunteer center promotes Earth nPOLLUTION: Students can spend a day at the beach and contribute to clean-up effort By Laila Derakhshanian Daily Titan Staff Writer
jamie nolte/Daily Titan
Pollution has damaged many southland beaches.
Taking a trip to the beach can mean more than just swimming in the ocean and basking in the sun to get a tan. It might mean caring for the environment. To boost this year’s Earth Day, Cal State Fullerton’s Volunteer & Service Center is promoting a “Beach Cleanup at Alamitos Beach” in Long Beach. “We want to make beaches safer for families and kids,” said Victor Lopez, project director. “We’re working with the community and the environment.” The event, which takes place March 16 from 9 a.m. to 11 a.m., will span a quarter-mile of shore-
line. “Human hands and a human face lie behind every piece of garbage that ends up in our beaches …” states the American College Personnel Association Services (ACPA). “Ultimately, some individual had to throw that trash overboard, into the street, down the toilet, or into the storm drain.” Pollution in the ocean and the world has damaged the environment for several years now. However, Lopez said people have the power to improve it. “Hey, it’s your world,” Lopez said. “...change it.” With two hours of help from volunteers, staggering amounts of debris can be removed from wildlife that depends on human consideration.
Other organizations in the area are helping the group with the event. According to the ACPA, without consideration, marine animals will die from the ingestion of cigarette butts or plastic that can fill their stomachs and give them a false sense of fullness. Other birds, fish and mammals may find themselves trapped and choked by fishing lines and plastic six-pack rings. Other events will also take place concerning the environment that students can become involved for Earth Day on March 20, but events have yet to be announced. “We have stuff that goes on everyday,” said Sabrina Sanders, coordinator of volunteer services. “This is experience that’s not in
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a class. It’s a way to give back and feel good about the skills that you’ve acquired.” Sandersmentionedthereareother ways students could get involved with Volunteer and Services including: American Reads and Counts, a nationally recognized program that increases math skills and literacy of elementary school students; Hunger Coalition, where volunteers work at a soup kitchen and paint and renovate shelters; and Project Earth, where trees are planted, beaches are cleaned and recycling is emphasized. “This program provides a lot of service and helps people that need it. It’s an unused resource,” Kelly Teramoto, a senior, said. “It’s really simple, just a few hours a week.”
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u p co m i n g n
Annabelle “Lefty” Lee is in a league of her own. Find out more about her life as a pitcher in the Daily Titan next week.