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PAPAS QUIZ ANSWERS FOR 10/14/04: “paul Simon songs” Answers in the boxes, top to bottom, to the questions is parentheses:

Julio(4), Graceland(3), Slipslidinaway(1), Loves(5), Years(2), Leaves(5),Years(2), Leaves(5), Years(2), Lea e (Shaded)(Shaded) e-mail: davepop@mindspring.com

ANSWERS TO PUZZLES WILL APPEAR NEXT WEEK IN FULL EFFECT

OFF THE TOP OF MY HEAD

By ERIK ALDEN

Daily Titan Staff

Monday’s edition of the Daily Titan included a front-page story about a shooting that occurred over the weekend on Fraternity Row. Allegedly, after being denied access to a fraternity party an individual pulled a gun on one of the fraternity members, Chris Duree, and shot him in the chest. He shot him because he wasn’t allowed into the party!

Obviously, Chris used good judgment in not letting this person into the party. If the assailant had made it into the party, who knows the kind of carnage could have occurred having a person in the crowd who not only had a weapon, but was obviously willing to use it. Unfortunately, Chris’s discernment in not letting this person into their party has caused a change in his life and all of those who know him. Fraternities will never be the same and this occurrence will forever affect Cal State Fullerton.

Today, it seems that we live in a society that supports a lack of consideration for human life. This behavior is savage and has no place in our communities. These delinquents are murderers with no respect for human integrity. The thugs who arbitrarily shoot someone are no different than terrorists who decapitate the innocent workers in Iraq. They are no different than the heartless murderers who fl ew planes into the World Trade Center.

What is so wrong about the world that we live in, that people are shot over not being allowed into someone else’s party? It seemed like stories of people being brutalized like this only occur in the movies or show up in other communities’ newspapers, but it doesn’t. Many of us have heard such stories before and disregarded them as occurrences that only happen in gang territory. This is no longer the case. This lack of restraint is not isolated in regards to the lives of others, but also carries a lack of concern for oneself. When someone attempts to severely hurt or even kill someone, he has resigned himself to the fact that he does not care. First and foremost he doesn’t care about the person that he is assaulting, but he also doesn’t care for his own welfare. Ignoring the fact that his victim will never experience life, hug his parent again, hold his girlfriend, or grow old - why risk ending up in jail for the rest of your life over a disagreement? Simply being denied access to a party is assuredly not grounds to deny someone access to life.

Human life is the most precious of gifts that we have in life. Once it is gone there is no going back. While these statements generally seem obvious, there are still those out there who ignore the basic essence of living. What causes a person to participate in such depraved behavior?

Fraternities need to unite and protect each other if this is to stop. CSUF needs to take a stand against what is happening. Everyone who reads this needs to reach out to Chris and his family. Right now the burden and pain that his family is experiencing is unlike anything most of our families have ever dealt with. In America we have freedom and part of that freedom is to live without fear from oppressors. I for one will not live in a country where thugs rule the streets and people are shot for denying access to a party.

We must never stop celebrating life.

ANSWERS FOR 10/14/04