Opinion
Sports
British baller beefs up Cal State Fullertonʼs offensive attack 8
Sloppy joes and label hoes: fashion offenders distract students in classroom 5
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
We d n e s d a y, O c t o b e r 2 7 , 2 0 0 4
Daily Titan
Friends mourn death of Titan After being struck by a car, CSUF student is remembered by many By NICOLE M. SMITH For the Daily Titan
The intersection at Nutwood Avenue and Titan Drive has returned to normal. The police and sirens are gone. Traffic flows smoothly. Many students using the crosswalk are unaware that this intersection was the site of a fatal accident that took place only a week ago. Mike Gilmore, a Cal State Fullerton student and employee, died at UCI Medical Center after being struck by a car on his way to work last Wednesday morning. Gilmore was a biochemistry major and worked as a tutor in math, physics and computer science at the University Learning Center. He was married with one daughter. Services for Gilmore were held last Saturday morning. Jan Felix, director of the Fullerton Institute of Religion, attended the service and described it as “uplifting.” Felix credits that to faith. “The spirit and the body shall be reunited again in its perfect form,” Felix said, quoting the Book of Mormon. He said this passage was appropriate for the service since Gilmore was disabled from an early age. Felix said Gilmore had started attending classes at the Religious Institute this summer. “Mike came through life with challenges,” Felix said. “Life became hopeful through faith.” Those who knew Gilmore collectively describe him as frail, yet bright and independent. Though he primarily got around
on a motorized scooter, he was able to use a cane that allowed for more mobility while tutoring and in the classroom. “He was independent. He wanted to do things on his own,” said Richard Deming, one of Gilmoreʼs professors. “He was very bright and articulate and always sat in the front and asked lots of questions.” Deming said Gilmore was a transfer student and this was his first semester at CSUF. In the center, a somber mood has settled over Gilmoreʼs peers and colleagues as they try to adjust to the shock. “No one had a chance to say goodbye,” said Brent Jones, a graduate student studying computer science. “It was a shock to all of us. Weʼre stunned.” Debi Lyn Esquivel, assistant director of the center, said she remembers the stains on the carpet where the wheels of Gilmoreʼs scooter had left their marks and how Gilmore would sometimes bring his daughter in and take her for rides on his scooter. “He was very tiny and frail, but smart, smart, smart,” Esquivel said. “He was a serious student and took his work as a tutor seriously.” The accident is still under investigation by the Fullerton Police Department. Senior Officer Scott Moore, who is conducting the investigation, was unable to be reached for comment. The driver of the car was also unable to be reached. Those who wish to make donations to Gilmoreʼs family should contact either Jan Felix at the Institute of Religion or Ebenezer Garcia and the student staff of the University Learning Center. “Appreciate the frailty of life,” Jones said. “As you get older, you realize you can die tomorrow and thereʼs no going back.”
CSUF talks plus/ minus
Cast away
Students and faculty discuss pros and cons of new grading system By JICKIE TORRES For the Daily Titan
HAUNTED 4
PLUS/MINUS 4
Early voting took place Tuesday afternoon near Titan Shops thanks to several organizations, including CSUF Votes and the Orange County Registrar of Voters.
Israel votes to leave Gaza
Parliamentʼs decision orders Jews to leave their settlements The Associated Press
JERUSALEM – Prime Minister Ariel Sharon won a historic victory Tuesday when parliament voted to approve his plan to withdraw from the Gaza Strip and parts of the West Bank – the first time lawmakers have authorized the removal of Jewish settlements from lands the Palestinians claim for a state. The 67-45 vote, with seven abstentions, gave strong backing to Sharonʼs plan to evacuate 21
settlements in the Gaza Strip, where 8,200 Jewish settlers live amid 1.3 million Palestinians, and four in the West Bank. “I think that the prime minister of Israel had a great victory tonight,” Vice Premier Ehud Olmert told CNN. Sharon won with the help of dovish opposition parties. Many members of his center-right coalition, as well as religious opposition parties, voted against him. Sharon had hoped a strong victory such as the one he secured Tuesday would allow him to fend off settlersʼ calls for a national referendum on the plan — something the prime minister has denounced as a delay-
By CRYSTAL LAFATA Daily Titan Staff
Ghost Run helps promote, raise funds for CSUFʼs Rec Sports By ISAAC FABELA Daily Titan Staff
SIERRA F. WEBB/Daily Titan
Senior Dan Bower won third place in the 5K Ghost Run and got a congratulatory shower of Gatorade by members of Lambda Chi Alpha. The event managed to dodge rainy weather. cise, others students arrived at the urging of their professors. “My grade depends on this run,” said Patrick Ward, a junior geography major at CSUF. “This is required for my jogging class. I feel Iʼm ready though, weʼve been jogging two miles a day. Iʼm going to finish this.” While students looking to better their grades made up a portion of the runners, there were those present who were running just for a challenge. Mandy Villagran, 29, is on staff in GHOST RUN 3
ing tactic by his opponents. However, immediately after the vote four key Likud ministers who had voted in favor demanded Sharon call a referendum or said they would resign from the government. The U.S. State Department praised the vote as a step forward in peacemaking with the Palestinians. “We think the withdrawal plan presents an opportunity to advance the interests of both sides,” Deputy spokesman Adam Ereli said. Sharonʼs victory came a day after he surprised both detractors and supporters by giving a speech accusing settlers of suffering from GAZA STRIP 4
Arboretum hosts Haunted Garden
Costumed volunteers take visitors through dark forest maze
the event, Wittwer said she is hoping to promote Rec Sports and let students know they are there to help out with fitness needs. “Weʼre trying to promote fitness and let students know that there is stuff to do here on campus,” Wittwer said. The ominous weather that threatened rain all afternoon did nothing to discourage those taking part in the run. Participants showed up early to register and make sure they were properly stretched before taking on the multi-terrain course. While some were there merely for exer-
guests will then embark on a journey through the deciduous forest section of the Arboretum to see spooky scenes featuring witches, lost maidens and other fantastic creatures. Guests will then walk over to the deck of Oak Hall for cookies, punch and dancing. Haller said there will also be a fortuneteller and a costume parade at Oak Hall. The idea had been simmering on the back burner for a while until Chris Barnhill, a member of Friends of the Arboretum, inspired Haller to actually hold the event. “Mary has spent countless hours putting together this event and she has really inspired people to help,” said Lore McKenna, event coordinator. “Her creativity has really contributed to its success.” With the help of about 70 volunteers, organizers have been busy painting, sewing and collecting props and decorations for the mazes, Haller said. “Weʼve been pulling things together from all different sources,” Haller said. “Some people cut wood for the headstones and others sew costumes for the tour guides.” Haller said a majority of the volunteers are members, but there are some students as well. One of those students is Peter Koenig, a graduate student studying biology, who
Students and faculty both agreed that there are pluses and minuses to the new plus/minus grading system being implemented in the upcoming spring semester, in a debate Tuesday afternoon. Two teams, one of students and the other of faculty, faced off on the issue. Faculty on the panel included Susan Shoho, a part-time lecturer for the Asian American studies program, and Michele Barr, a professor from the Kinesiology and Health Promotion Department. Faculty argued for the benefits of the new system. Shoho said the new system would help students who were on the higher end of the grade spectrum. “Differentiating between an A+ student and an A- student, this would give us a lot of leeway. There is a difference,” Shoho said. Barr agreed. “Right now, a student may be at the top of their category, but itʼs not reflected,” she said. With the current grading policy, students who earn anywhere in the 80 percent grade bracket would receive a B grade. With the new system, studentsʼ efforts may be more accurately represented. A B student who worked harder than another B student would be distinguished. David Kilgo, a political science and speech communications double major and panelist for the student side, argued that the plus/minus scale and its corresponding gradepoint value could actually hurt many students by affecting their GPAs. He said that the new system would penalize those at the lower end of each grade bracket, especially since the restructuring of the grade-point scale makes a C- a failing grade. “A C+ or a C- is still within the average score. That is what the C grade stands for,” Kilgo said. “It means that you did what you were supposed to do.” Under the previous scale, a C grade would have a grade-point value of 2.0.The new scale, according to the Academic Senateʼs University Policy Statements, outlines that the grade-point value for a C+ would equal 2.3, a C equaling a 2.0 and a C- to equal a 1.7. The faculty agreed with the students on this issue. Barr pointed out that itʼs not only the C grades that will suffer. “The minus in all categories is too low,” she said. Kilgo points out that the A students would be penalized too. The grade-point scale makes an A- worth 3.7, and both an A and an A+ worth 4.0. “There is no benefit for the student and no motivation to try hard,” Kilgo said. Kilgo also said the system is arbitrarily enforced since it is still the
DAVID PARDO/Daily Titan
Students compete in annual 5K race
The horn sounded Tuesday afternoon and 24 faculty, staff and students from Cal State Fullerton began the 2nd annual Ghost Run, a 5K run around the sports field on the north end of campus. Allison Wittwer, assistant director of programs for Rec Sports, helped coordinate the event and said she was happy with the turnout, but most of all she was glad Mother Nature held off the rain long enough for the event to go smoothly. “I was determined not to let it rain,” Wittwer said. “Iʼm glad it worked out. The event is growing; weʼve more than tripled our participants from last year.” Rec Sports, the organization that runs the pool, weight room and all intramural sports programs on campus, organized the run. By hosting
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Ghosts and goblins will adorn the Haunted Garden at the Arboretum as vultures lurk from trees and jack-olanterns float atop the pond. Although the event is not intended for children under 5, event coordinators said it should be fun for the whole family to dress up in costume and get out of the house. This will be the first Haunted Garden event at the Arboretum and is sponsored by the Friends of the Arboretum. At the front gate, tour guides dressed in black Dracula-style capes will meet guests. Because this is a family event, volunteers will not jump out to scare those who come to the Arboretum — unlike Knottʼs Halloween Haunt — but instead will spook people with scary costumes and scenes within a forest maze. Mary Haller, vice president of programs for the Friends of the Arboretum, said the event is not intended for toddlers because they might get too scared. “Some adults, believe it or not, are very afraid … more so than children,” Haller said. After the guides give sufficient warning about staying together, the
2 Wednesday, October 27, 2004
News IN RIEF
NEWS
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OCT. 27, 2004
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“Keep Your Hands to Yourself: Relearning What You Learned in Kindergarten About Uninvited Touch,” a lecture hosted by the CSUF Womenʼs Center and presented by Susan Leavy, community educator, will take place today at noon in University Hall, Room 205. The lecture is intended to foster inter-gender communication as well as preventative education. For more information, call (714) 278-3928.
Iraqi rebels threaten Japanese hostage BAGHDAD, Iraq —Video posted Tuesday on a militant Islamic Web site in the name of Abu Musab al-Zarqawiʼs group showed what it claimed was a Japanese captive and threatened to behead him within 48 hours unless Japan pulls its troops from Iraq. Japanese Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi rejected the demand. “I wonʼt withdraw troops,” he was quoted as saying by Japanʼs Kyodo news agency after receiving news of the hostage threat.
The ins and outs of same-sex marriage will be debated today in the TSU Portola Pavilion today at 7:30 p.m. The “Town Hall” event will explore the subject in both civic/legal and religious perspectives. For more information, call (714) 278-4854.
Nation Pilot error blamed for Flight 587 crash
Help Discovery Arts raise some dough at JoJoʼs Pizza in Brea all day today. Just mention Discovery Arts when you order and 50 percent of sales will be donated.
WASHINGTON — American Airlines Flight 587 lost its tail and plummeted into a New York City neighborhood in November 2001, killing 265 people, because the co-pilot improperly used the rudder to try to steady the plane, federal safety investigators ruled Tuesday. The National Transportation Safety Board also said an overly sensitive rudder system on the Airbus A300-600 and inadequate pilot training by American were contributing factors. NTSB Vice Chairman Mark Rosenker, who successfully urged the board to place the Airbusʼs rudder design before Americanʼs training as a probable cause, said the Airbus A300-600 is an “extremely safe” aircraft.
New Bush guard papers leave questions WASHINGTON — Unearthed under legal pressure, three-decade-old documents portray President Bush as a capable and well-liked Air National Guard pilot who stopped flying and attending regular drills two-thirds of the way through his six-year commitment — without consequence. The files, many of them forced to light by Freedom of Information lawsuits by The Associated Press, conflict with some of the harshest attacks Democrats have levied on Bushʼs Vietnam-era service, such as suggestions that Bush was a deserter or absent without leave.
Local Drunk driver gets 19 years to life in prison POMONA, Calif. — A drunken driver who ignored pleas not to get behind the wheel was sentenced to 19 years to life in prison for the highspeed hit-and-run killing of a woman rear-ended by his car. Brenda Casillas, 24, of Riverside died when her sport utility vehicle was hit from behind on Interstate 60 by Vicente Sanchezʼs car on Jan. 25. A Superior Court jury convicted Sanchez, 21, of Moreno Valley of second-degree murder, gross vehicular manslaughter while intoxicated, drunken driving and leaving the scene of an accident.
Juveniles stand trial for murder, necrophilia SAN BERNARDINO, Calif. — A prosecutor told jurors necrophilia inspired the killing of a 16-year-old girl who was lured to a remote area and beaten to death before the teen defendant and another man had sex with the corpse. Joshua Curnutte, 17, and Jonathan Stephens, 21, formed a gang they called North Side Necrophiliacs and on April 2, 2002, they and Luke Miller, 16, lured Christy McKendall to Little Sand Canyon on the pretense of looking at a marijuana garden allegedly planted by Stephens, Cope said. Curnutte attorney Julian Ducre told jurors his client and Miller were surprised by Stephensʼ actions and had no idea he planned to kill the girl. Reports compiled from The Associated Press
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Branches intertwine with the wooden arch located in the Arboretum, which is hosting the Haunted Garden this weekend. For more information call (714) 278-4002. See full story on front page.
Events
IN HISTORY
Oct. 24 1871: Mob in L.A. hangs 18 Chinese people. 1908: Billy Murray hits the charts with “Take Me Out to the Ball Game.” 1929: “Black Thursday,” start of stock market crash, Dow Jones down 12.8 percent. 1980: Great Britain performs nuclear test at Nevada Test Site. 1984: Steffi Graf plays her first pro tennis match. Oct. 25 1492: Columbusʼ ship Santa Maria lands at Dominican Republic. 1861: Telegraph message sent from St. Louis to San Francisco. 1902: Santa Maria Guatemala hit by earthquake; about 6,000 die. 1917: In Russia, Bolsheviks led by Vladimir Lenin seize power. 1973: Giants trade Willie McCovey to Padres for pitcher Mike Caldwell.
Oct. 26 1749: Georgia Colony reverses itself and rules slavery is legal. 1956: UNʼs International Atomic Energy Agency is formed. 1957: Vatican Radio begins broadcasting. 1958: United States performs nuclear test at Nevada Test Site. Oct. 27 625: Honorius I begins his reign as Catholic Pope. 1492: Christopher Columbus discovers Cuba and claims it for Spain. 1880: Theodore Roosevelt marries Alice Hathaway Lee, on his 22nd birthday. 1954: Walt Disneyʼs first TV show, “Disneyland,” premieres on ABC. 1962: United States performs atmospheric nuclear test at Johnston Island. Oct. 28 306: Mark Aurelius Valerius Maxentius is proclaimed emperor of Rome. 1924: French-Russian trade agreement signed. 1962: Radio Moscow reports
nuclear Cuba missiles deactivated. 1988: Jurors award $147,000 to Tacoma parishioner seduced by her minister. 1994: Japanese space probe Sakigake passes Earth for third time. Oct. 29 1833: First U.S. college fraternity to have a fraternity house founded. 1969: Supreme Court orders end to all school desegregation “at once.” 1982: Paul McCartney and Michael Jackson release “Girl is Mine.” 1985: Cardinals player Joaquin Andujar suspended for 10 games for bumping an ump.
“Panel on Prestigious Scholarships,” a presentation sponsored by the University Honors Center, will take place today at 5:30 p.m. in the TSU Alvarado. The twoday series will be presented by Don Osborne, an admissions adviser. The Council of Honor Societies will host a social in the TSU Underground from 7 p.m. to 10 p.m. Free billiards and bowling. The Orange County Blood Services Drive will continue today in the Quad from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. All events are free and on campus unless otherwise indicated. If you would like to have a specific entry put in the calendar section, please send an e-mail to news@dailytitan. com.
Weather
FORECAST
Oct. 30 1503: Queen Isabella of Spain bans violence against Indians. 1775: First Navy in United States forms. 1919: Baseball league presidents call for abolishment of spitball. 1922: Mussolini forms government in Italy. 1965: Fireworks explosions kill 50 in Cartagena, Colombia.
Wednesday, Oct. 27 Heavy Rain/Wind Low 53°
65°
Thursday, Oct. 28 Showers Low 49°
68°
Friday, Oct. 29 Sunny Low 50°
73°
Compiled from Brainyhistory.com
Compiled from The Weather Channel
NEWS Self-defense course strengthens CSUF students Daily Titan
Wednesday, October 27, 2004 3
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Karate classes help Titans build strength, focus minds By DANIEL J. PRECIADO For the Daily Titan
Cal State Fullerton students have the opportunity to enroll in one of several self-defense classes offered by the university each semester. Each class is worth one unit, but the benefits extend far beyond the classroom. Students of both genders, all shapes and sizes, different backgrounds and various majors all come together twice a week to learn how to defend themselves and practice the art of karate. Karate is defined as a weaponless means of self-defense, but one can also tone the body, develop better coordination, build stamina and quicken reflexes. Karate also promotes self-confidence, helps to develop composure in high-pressure situations and clears the mind, which allows for deeper insight to
GHOST RUN
from page 1
the Kinesiology and Health Science Department and said she was utilizing the run for personal reasons. “Are you kidding?” Villargran said. “Look at these guys, theyʼre 18 years old. Iʼm not going to race them. Iʼm racing against myself.” Robert Kersey, a kinesiology professor, shared the same view. “Iʼm not in race shape,” Kersey said. “Iʼm here to donate my money and help out Rec Sports. However, I did offer extra credit to any student that could come out here and beat me. But so far nobody has shown up.” All did not share the non-competitive mindset that was evident in the majority of the runners. Jorge Olveda, 22, the winner of the run, said he gave it his all to
oneʼs own mental capabilities and physical potential, according to organizers of the class. “When your body is there and your mind is there, you are one,” said Samir Abboud, a fifth-degree black belt who has taught karate at CSUF since 1987. Samir has practiced the martial art for 35 years. Tsutomu Ohshima introduced karate to the United States in 1955, according to a flier announcing the class. Ohshima then organized the Southern California Karate Association, which grew to become a non-profit organization known as Shotokan Karate of America. In 1972, the CSUF Karate Club was established and it remains the oldest martial arts club on campus. Throughout the semester, Abboud teaches his students the three categories of Shotokan karate: Kihon, which consists of basic blocks, kicks, punches and stances; Kata, which simulates combat situations; and Kumite, which involves actual sparring. Abboud said he asks his students in each class session to win the race. “I set out to win this thing,” Olveda said. “If I didnʼt win, my frat brothers would have probably given me crap about it for awhile.” Olvedaʼs time of 21:34 was more than five minutes off of his personal best, but Olveda said he is slowly making his way back from a recent knee injury that has kept him from running at full strength. All who participated in the run received a gift bag full of donations from this yearʼs sponsors. Ben and Jerryʼs, Quiznos and Juice It Up were all vendors who donated to the run. Those who feel they missed out on an opportunity to display their running skills have a couple of months to get into racing shape. Rec Sports also hosts the Bunny Run, which is the same event, only held in the spring.
focus their minds and give their best efforts. “[Abboud] puts scenarios in your head, life and death situations,” said Johnny Nguyen, a senior kinesiology major. “He asks you to go all out. This class teaches you to be aware of everything around you. I have more confidence when I walk around the streets, but it doesnʼt mean Iʼm going to punch someone out.” Abboud said that it is his goal to prepare his students for their worst nightmares. “When youʼre fighting someone bigger than you … your feeling has to make the difference,” Abboud said. “When your look is strong, your feeling is strong. Then your kick [or punch] will be strong.” Though Abboud has a strong build and tough look to him, Shabana Mansuri, a senior communications major, said she thinks that the genuinely warm-hearted teacher makes the learning environment fun and she is appreciative of his teaching style. “Our teacher is great,” Mansuri
Cal State Fullerton students learn the basics of Shotokan karate from Sensei Sam Abboud. Classes in self-defense are offered each semester for those interested in learning how to protect themselves. They will also learn to build strength and gain inner focus.
FRANCIS SZYSKOWSKI/Daily Titan Asst. Photo Editor
said. “I can release stress from my other classes and my tests. I love this class.” Abboud said he wants his students to get the most out of each session by overcoming their weaknesses and releasing their negative energy. “This is a place where I can let
my anger go,” Nguyen said. “Itʼs a stress reliever for me.” In the end, Abboudʼs main goal is for his students to have the confidence to face whatever challenges might be brought forth, both in the classroom and on the streets. Abboud wants his students to leave
each session feeling better inside and out. “If you feel bad, this is the place to let it out,” Abboud said. “Get it out, donʼt leave any poison in. When you walk out of this class you feel a little bit cleaner, a little bit more peaceful.”
offers a place for retired and semi- Leo Shapiro, continues to be an retired seniors to learn and socialize. active member of CLE at the age The CLE community handpicks of 99. all classes and lectures, and CLE CLE President Kirt Spratlin said members teach the theme of the some classes, while group is “use it or others are taught by lose it,” because ...you have to challenge your college professors; “we believe that mind and keep all of who volunyou have to chalmoving and teer their time. lenge your mind socialize with “Itʼs a much difand keep moving folks and we ferent educational and socialize with try to offer philosophy because folks and we try to stimulating our faculty love to offer stimulating classes. teach,” said Keith classes.” Kirt Spratlin Johnson, vice presOne of the largCLE President ident of programs est and longest for CLE. running classes is When CLE was the “History of the formed in 1979, it had 47 charter Byzantine Empire,” which has well members, now it has between 700 over 100 attendees. and 800 members. Its first president, CLE also offers group travel to
such places as Tanzania, Kenya and Canada and computer classes to keep people informed of the latest in computer technology. “My dad is a computer nut, but heʼs just getting started,” said Dave Musante, vice president of external relations. “He could really learn a lot here.” Johnson said the people who chose to join CLE want to be “participants in their own lives rather than sit and be spectators.” Musante, former mayor of North Hampton, Mass., said he had a lot of time on his hands when he retired and heard about CLE when his wife took a job at CSUF. “Itʼs very difficult going from very, very busy to doing nothing,” Musante said. “CLE has been a lifesaver.”
Senior citizens flex mental muscles Campus CLE proves that there is intelligent life after retirement By LAURA BEYER Daily Titan Staff
Just in time for this yearʼs election, members of the 25-year strong Continuing Learning Experience join in on the organizationʼs “Political Series,” which has seen such speakers as former Democratic presidential nominee Michael Dukakis, Orange County Supervisor Chris Norby and Assemblywoman Lynn Daucher. This is just one series of the many timely and educational programs that CLE members are offered. Located on the Cal State Fullerton campus in the Ruby Gerontology Center, CLE
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4 Wednesday, October 27, 2004
PLUS/MINUS
from page 1
choice of the faculty to implement it for their curriculum. Shoho defended that it wouldnʼt be much different than the variance professors have with their instruction now. “As it is now, the grading system is vague,” Shoho said. “Instructors can use a curve, they can change their scale. I donʼt think that problem is going to be new.” Both Shoho and Barr said that for their departments, the chair put the issue up for a vote to the faculty and
GAZA STRIP
from page 1
a “messianic complex” and telling Palestinians that Israel has no desire to rule over them. The victory appeared to signal a final break between the settlers and Sharon, who spent most of his career championing their cause. Thousands of Jewish settlers demonstrated outside the Knesset, or parliament, in a boisterous show of force Tuesday, denouncing Sharon as a traitor. “I came here to tell the people of Israel that this is our land and my home,” said David Pinipnta, 31, of the Gaza settlement of Neve Dekalim. “No power on earth can move me from it.” Sharon entered the parliament building surrounded by an unprecedented 16 bodyguards – reflecting security officialsʼ fears of an attack by right-wing extremists who believe the prime minister is forsaking Godʼs will by giving up parts of the biblical Land of Israel. Posters outside the Knesset declared that “Sharon has disengaged from reality” and “the evacuation of settlements is a victory for terror.” The parliament vote took place on the anniversary of two events that embodied the Jewish stateʼs history of bloodshed and yearning: the assassination of Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin nine years ago on the Jewish calendar and the IsraelJordan peace treaty, signed on Oct.
NEWS Wal-Mart pays $500K to help defeat Prop. 72
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Shoho suspects that the rest of the departments will do the same. Even with that method, not everyone on the faculty side was in agreement for the change. “The teachers who were opposed did not like that it was penalizing students,” Shoho said. “And they didnʼt like that they were losing their independence and their choice.” The new grading system is going to be implemented in the spring in the midst of varying attitudes. “It really is split,” Kilgo said. “Those of us who are honor students want a plus/minus system. We just
want it to be fair and equitable.” Matthew Cruse, a finance major, said he is looking forward to the new system. “I think that it is a good policy,” he said. “It will give the faculty the ability to differentiate with grades and that is what happens in real life.” For Kilgo, the conclusion contains both sentiments. “It makes me angry that they are going to penalize students that are average,” he said. “But I am passionate about it because if I am going to work that hard, I want it to matter.”
26, 1994. Notably absent from Israelʼs debate on withdrawing from Palestinian territories are the Palestinians themselves, whom Israel accuses of being unreliable negotiating partners. Palestinian Cabinet Minister Saeb Erekat said Israel should not be making unilateral decisions about the Palestiniansʼ future. “Now the seriousness of the Israeli government will depend on resuming negotiations with the Palestinian Authority,” he said. Tuesdayʼs vote came as speculation mounted that Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat, confined to his West Bank headquarters for the past two years, may be seriously ill. Arafat has a large gallstone that is not life threatening, a Palestinian hospital official told The Associated Press. But the 75-year-old leader broke his Ramadan fast and underwent medical tests Tuesday, and Israeli officials have speculated he is suffering from stomach cancer. Late Tuesday, Sharon fired Uzi Landau, a Cabinet minister who voted against him, and a senior official said the prime minister in the coming days will dismiss other ministers who opposed him. The referendum initiative got another boost Tuesday when the National Religious Party, a key part of Sharonʼs coalition, announced that it will quit within two weeks unless the parliament vote is accompanied by a pledge to hold such a vote. Four Likud ministers – Benjamin Netanyahu, Limor Livnat, Yisrael
Katz and Danny Naveh — voted for the plan, then immediately demanded Sharon accept the referendum ultimatum or they would resign from the government. Two religious parties, Shas and United Torah Judaism, voted against Sharon despite the prime ministerʼs efforts to get them to at least abstain. Sharonʼs break with the religious right and much of his own party will likely force him into a new coalition featuring a divided Likud, the center-left Labor Party and the secularist Shinui Party — an alliance that excludes much of Israelʼs religious population and Jews of Middle Eastern descent. Polls show Sharon would probably win a referendum, with well over half of Israelis supporting a withdrawal. However, the government hopes to complete its pullback by next year and worries that a referendum would push back those plans. The withdrawal initiative must still pass several more parliamentary votes before it can be implemented. One Likud legislator, Eli Aflalo, said he was so rattled by the relentless pressure to vote against Sharon that he collapsed last week and ended up in a hospital. Aflalo, who had suffered a minor stroke, arrived at the Knesset in an ambulance, and entered the chamber in a wheelchair Tuesday. “We have to support the prime minister,” he said, clutching his right side. “Believe me it is difficult and I am in pain.”
Measure would require company to pay for employeesʼ health care The Associated Press
SACRAMENTO – Saying it was responding to “false accusations,” Wal-Mart contributed $500,000 Tuesday to defeat a California ballot measure that would require large and mid-size employers to help pay for health insurance for their workers. “We had no choice but to get involved,” said company spokeswoman Cynthia Lin. She said new television ads promoting Proposition 72 “attempt to make Wal-Mart a scapegoat, claiming we do not provide affordable health care. These are outright lies, and voters deserve far better than that.” Dr. Richard Corlin, former president of the American and California medical associations and a Proposition 72 supporter, predicted that Wal-Mart was “wasting money on a losing campaign.” “Wal-Mart had a lot of choices,” he said. “They could have taken a more socially responsible point of view and said we have some holes in our coverage for our employees and we need to correct that.” The ads, which began run-
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was also awarded the Friends of the Arboretum Scholarship last year. Koenig said he will be dressed all in black with face paint and a set oversized teeth. He was happy to volunteer to be in costume. “People love the Arboretum and I wanted to help,” Koenig said. Haller said she would come dressed in costume as well.
ning Saturday, cite a University of California labor institute report that said California pays $32 million a year for health services for Wal-Mart employees who lack adequate health insurance. Wal-Mart and other businesses opposing Proposition 72 have disputed the reportʼs accuracy, saying it came from a pro-labor union think tank. “Wal-Mart believes employers should provide quality health care coverage to their employees, and we do,” Lin said. “We offer a wide choice of affordable health care options to both full- and part-time employees in California and across the country.” But Robert Holober, executive director of the Consumer Federation of California, said Bentonville, Ark.based Wal-Mart “denies coverage to half its employees through outright disqualification or by requiring premium co-payments that are out of reach for its poverty wage employees.” “Taxpayers pay the bill when WalMart workers end up on Medi-Cal or at public health clinics,” he added. Proposition 72 supporters conducted a media conference call Tuesday to buttress the adsʼ contention that many Wal-Mart employees end up on public assistance because of poor wages and benefits provided by the company.
The call featured two women, Leilani Luia and Laura Redfern, who said they used to work for Wal-Mart and that the company passed out information at employee orientation sessions on how to apply for taxpayer-funded health care programs. The Yes on 72 campaign also distributed copies of a Wal-Mart document that instructs employees to provide employment-verification information to case workers when applying for social services. Lin said the instructions are no different than those given by hundreds of other employers in the state. “We give our employees a number that social services can use to verify employment for a wide-range of activities,” she said. Proposition 72 would require employers with at least 50 workers to pay at least 80 percent of the cost of health insurance for employees who work more than 100 hours a month. The bulk of the more than $13.3 million raised to defeat the measure has come from fast-food chains and department stores, but until Tuesday Wal-Mart hadnʼt joined the opposition. Yes on 72 campaign officials, in unveiling the ads at a news conference Monday, speculated that WalMart hadnʼt jumped into the campaign because the company feared it would generate negative publicity.
“I have a clown costume I have been working on for six years,” Haller said, “If I finish it this year I will wear it.” Haller said she hopes the Haunted Garden will become an annual event at the Arboretum and expects that it will be because of the large response she has received for this yearʼs event so far. McKenna said there are about 490 people who have already submitted their reservations. Reservations for the Haunted Garden on Oct. 29
and 30 at 6 p.m. were due on Monday the Oct. 25, but tickets will be sold at the door if space is available. Haller said the Haunted Garden is a safe environment for the family to get together and Koenig agrees that this is a great event for kids. “Get ʼem dressed up with some place to go, some place dark but not too scary, serve milk and cookies afterward,” Koenig said. “Come on, what else could a little monster want?”