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INSIDE OPINION: A student appreciates the simpler 4 nthings in life after a reunion with friends
Track ran with such stars as Marion Jones at the Mt. SAC Invitational
Titan Internet Radio may go off the 7 nairNEWS: if Congress passes a royalty proposal
—see Sports page 8
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A p r i l 23, 2002
Jet Li instructor speaks to Wushu nLECTURE: Wu Bin comes to campus to explain to students what it takes to be a martial arts master By Erick Fierro Martinez Daily Titan Staff Writer
Flexibility, endurance and power are just a few of the characteristics it takes to master the martial art of Wushu. On Monday, the man who taught martial arts movie star Jet Li, made a special appearance before David Chen’s Wushu class. Appearing before almost 40 stu-
dents, Wu Bin, head coach of the Beijing National Wushu Team, discussed the development of Wushu as a martial art. Students eagerly listened to gain an insight into the life of Wu Bin. Wu Bin is credited with teaching Jet Li everything he knows. The instruction was intended to give students a glimpse into the history of the sport and the future of Wushu in the 2008 Olympics in Beijing. “It’s about survival of the fittest,” said Bin through his interpreter of Mandarin Chinese, Wushu student Phillip Chen. “Some fairy didn’t come down and teach Wushu to the people [of China’], it was developed for combat warfare against animals and humans,” Bin said. “Everyone was
Panel shares oral
nSOCIETY: Interviews with 50 VietnameseAmericans explained what it is like combining two different cultures By Veronica Hagey
Daily Titan Staff Writer Trangdai Tranguyen presented Vietnamese-American narratives in a forum Sunday in the Titan Theatre at Cal State Fullerton. “Vietnamese Americans: A People Looking Forward,” is an oral history of Vietnamese Americans. Tranguyen compiled 50 interviews for the presentation. Breaking stereotypes and educating people on the VietnameseAmerican experience is part of Tranguyen’s lecture. “We are not just doctors and lawyers…we are also drop outs,” she said. Oral histories are sometimes better because people speak more freely, Tranguyen said. Many people told her stories that they had never shared before. Tranguyen said that giving their accounts in their own language allows them to claim their own cultural space. “Even those who spoke English well, chose to speak in Vietnamese,” Tranguyen said. “There is a sense of culture when speaking Vietnamese, it brings cultural closeness. There is a certain hierarchy that is addressed through language.” Through the interviews, Tranguyen found that many Vietnamese Americans are trying to find right path to form a community in America.
“Vietnamese life is communal and American life is individual,” Tranguyen said. Another cultural clash for Vietnamese Americans is child rearing. “In Vietnam, the whole society has a hand in it. In America, there is lots of peer pressure,” Tranguyen said. Another major difference is the households. Tranguyen said in the Vietnamese community there are up to three generations living in one household and that is not common in America. “The family bond is starting to break due to the generational gap,” she said. “First-generation Vietnamese have to deal with one culture, but also adapt to their children’s culture,” she said. “They have to accommodate both sides.” Janet Nguyen, one of the panelists, was born in Vietnam, but came to America when she was 3 years old. She had to balance her parent’s culture with her own. “I grew up in San Bernardino County,” Nguyen said. “I am more Americanized. There’s definitely a cultural clash.” But Nguyen said she is aware of the expectations of her parents. “It took me almost a year to tell my mom and dad that I wanted to change careers,” Nguyen said. Parents see doctors and lawyers as noble and successful professions, Nguyen said. Nguyen changed from a biology major to a political science major. She said she saw the need for more Asian-Americans to get politically involved. “We can be powerful if we get involved and voice our opinions,” Nguyen said.
primitive. They learned from their own training.” Born in Wuxing County of Zhejiang Province in 1937, Bin also serves as Director of the Wushu Institute and “as a middle guy” between the International Olympic Committee. Bin said that Wushu, in comparison to other martial arts, was a late bloomer in popularity, yet it still serves as the mother of all martial arts originating about 5000 years ago. Bin said when he was younger he found it difficult to receive good instruction in the martial art. However, when he began his educational career at the Beijing Institute of Physical Education, he was able to develop a strong sense of theory and application.
His knowledge and deep appreciation of the art has allowed Bin to come in contact with many individuals who today are leading the sport in a new direction, including Li. “I believed from the beginning Jet Li would succeed,” Bin said. “Every time he creates a new movie, it produces a lot of publicity that young students will take with them and learn from.” Bin believes that in order for Wushu to be established as an Olympic sport in 2008, many resolutions must occur to ensure the accuracy of the sport. Combat, sport, and health are three fields in which Wushu is being practiced
WUSHU/ 7
Valentin mendoza/Daily Titan
Wu Bin lectures to the Wushu class about learning the marital art.
Brush fire
chris cargo/Special to the Titan
A helicopter drops water on a large brush fire that started at 5 p.m. Sunday on the outskirts of Yorba Linda. More than 760 acres of hillside burned. About 50 homes were threatened as flames reached approximately 20 feet into the air. However, no property was damaged. Two teen-age boys were arrested for allegedly playing with illegal fireworks, which may have caused the blaze. Fire officials said the fire should be under control today. Since the beginning of fire season in April, about 178,000 acres of land are off-limits to the public as a safety precaution.
HISTORY/ 5
Barbecue helps make a nFUND-RAISER: Students and faculty paid $3 a meal to help terminally-ill children to fulfill their dreams By AnnaLiza Ganchingco Daily Titan Staff Writer
scott leeds/Daily Titan
Students line up to get a hot dog or hamburger at the barbecue.
The smell of hamburgers and hot dogs cooking on a grill attracted students to a tent to help the MakeA-Wish Foundation of Orange County. The tent, which was set up in the Quad area at Cal State Fullerton, helped kick off Comm Week. Barbecue meals, which consisted of a hamburger, a hot dog, potato salad, beans and a drink, were sold
for $3 a plate in hopes to raise enough money to make a child’s wish come true. If guests bought a ticket for a drawing, they had a chance to win prizes for such items including gift baskets, a cell phone or a 19-inch television. Several students lined up to get their meal and purchase drawing tickets. “If enough money is raised, a wish child will be assigned and their wish will be made true,” said Penny Collura, community outreach coordinator. The Make-A-Wish Foundation grants wishes to children with a lifethreatening illness. Collura said children from the ages of two-and-a-half to 18 years are entered into the wish list by parents, social workers or physicians. The average cost to grant a child’s wish is $3,400. The foundation
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relies on gifts and donations from private individuals, corporations or foundation grants. Through the Wishmakers on Campus program, students in Comm 464, a public relations management class, invited the Make-AWish Foundation to CSUF. Students Jackie Jonovic, Ben Deblasio, Holly Murray and Tiffany Srisook sought donations to put this event together. Planning for this event started two months ago. Within that time, donations from the Block of Orange, Albertsons, private individuals and other companies were received to help make this event possible. “We usually work with an existing function,” Jonovic said. “Today we are doing both PR and event coordinating.”
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u p co m i n g n
The Continental Bar is the oldest bar in Fullerton. In an upcoming issue, find out how it continues to attract patrons.