Opinion
Sports
Cross-the-street rival, Hope University, falls to Fullerton Saturday 6
Give thanks for ample food this holiday season; millions donʼt have the luxury 4
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
M o n d a y, N o v e m b e r 2 9 , 2 0 0 4
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Titans unsure about future
Shoppers off to slow start Nationʼs retailers have a lukewarm beginning to holiday spending season The Associated Press
Campus programs aid students in declaring majors, career options By NOURA AL ANBAR For the Daily Titan
Many students today seem to share common feelings about their futures and careers, and fear, uncertainty and confusion sometimes occur as the time approaches for them to face the “real world.” According to the Institutional Research and Analytical Studies Department at Cal State Fullerton, last spring over 10 percent of CSUF students were undecided about their majors. Of these students, 2,101 were freshmen and 117 were seniors and juniors. Some students who enroll in school are clueless as to what their interests are and how to take advantage of their talents, and therefore register as undeclared students. Other students just seem to pick a major they think theyʼre interested in and repeatedly change it. “I know I want to major in business administration, but Iʼm unsure about my concentration. In the future I want to be an entrepreneur, but Iʼm not decided on what kind of business yet,” said Abdoulaye Ly, a freshman at CSUF. “I need to understand my strengths and skills before I can decide on my career.” Those students who are unsure about their careers tend to be unaware of the wide variety of resources available to them on campus, according to Charlene Sue Mathe, an industry specialist at the Career Center. The Career Center, Academic Advisement Center, and Freshman Programs Office are some of these resources dedicated to helping students feel more confident about their future careers. The Career Center works to help students explore their interests and goals. “The center allows students to meet with a walk-in counselor who could then refer them to meet with industry specialists in various fields or part-time student work experience specialists,” Mathe said. The Freshman Programs Office, another resource, offers the “Compass Program” to incoming freshman, who seem to make up the majority of undeclared students. “About 95 percent of students in Compass are undeclared and our goal is to help them get a solid academic foundation, get involved on campus and discover what they want for a career, “said Brie Roumeliotis, assistant coordinator of Freshman Programs. “We also have events where students meet with mentors and alumni who help them by sharing their experiences and options.” There comes a time in most studentsʼ lives when they must face the inevitable transition that comes after graduation day. Some said they arenʼt ready to enter that competitive working world. “I donʼt want to feel rushed to graduate. I take breaks from school FUTURE 3
Vo l u m e 7 9 , I s s u e 4 5
SEAN ANGLADO/Daily Titan
The parking lot of the Brea mall was packed the day after Thanksgiving, the busiest shopping day of the year. Even the valet lot was full on “Black Friday,” and although the mall opened earlier than usual, the parking was still hectic at 1 p.m.
NEW YORK — The start of the holiday season was respectable but unimpressive for many of the nationʼs retailers, with consumers jamming stores and malls on Friday and pulling back as the weekend wore on. Big chains including J.C. Penney Co. Inc. and Sears, Roebuck and Co. were pleased with their sales. But Wal-Mart Stores Inc. was less fortunate — the industry leader said its sales in the seven days that ended Friday were disappointing, and the company lowered its sales forecasts for November. “Friday overall was strong, but Saturday was weak and disappointing, so together it was only a modest two-day performance,” said Michael P. Niemira, chief economist at International Council of Shopping Centers. “Still, I continue to believe that this is not a bellwether for how the season will end up.” Wally Brewster, spokesman at Chicagobased General Growth Properties, which operates 224 malls in 44 states, said sales and traffic were strong on Friday, but “stabilized” the rest of the weekend. As a result, he expects sales for the weekend to increase in the low single digits, in line with modest expectations. Wal-Martʼs holiday weekend sales suffered because it didnʼt offer the deep discounts it did in past years, hoping to boost profits, analysts said. Penney and Sears did better by wooing customers with two days of big price breaks. “Wal-Mart was a big loser because they
didnʼt get the same numbers of early bird shoppers as they did a year ago,” said C. Britt Beemer, chairman of Americaʼs Research Group, based in Charleston, S.C. “The retailers that won this weekend were the ones that were super aggressive in special purchases and special pricing.” Wal-Mart said Saturday it now expects same-store sales to be up only 0.7 percent, instead of the projected 2 percent to 4 percent. Without any must-haves in apparel and toys, the main attractions were electronics, particularly flat-screen TVs and DVD players, benefiting stores like Best Buy Co. Inc. and Circuit City Stores Inc. Marshal Cohen, senior industry analyst at NPD Group Inc., a market research company in Port Washington, N.Y., suspects that many mall-based apparel retailers “took it on the chin.” Niemira, who serves as an adviser for ShopperTrak, which tallies sales results from 30,000 outlets and which released sales data for Friday, said a clearer picture of how the Thanksgiving weekend fared will emerge Thursday. Thatʼs when the nationʼs retailers report their same-store sales figures for November. Same-store sales, or sales at stores open at least a year, are considered the best indicator of a retailerʼs performance. Total retail sales were up 10.8 percent on Friday compared to the day after Thanksgiving last year, ShopperTrak said. It expects to release Saturdayʼs results on Monday. Consumers were clearly hunting for good deals. “I want a flat-screen TV to put in the family room,” said Gladys Wright, from Elkton, SHOPPING
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Three relief workers killed in Afghanistan Despite landmark elections, recent attacks highlight countryʼs political instability The Associated Press
KANDAHAR, Afghanistan — Taliban militants stormed the office of an Afghan relief organization early Sunday, killing three workers and wounding four police officers in a pre-dawn shootout that highlighted the countryʼs continuing lack of stability, officials said. Police said six vehicles carrying about
30 gunmen raced up to the office of the Voluntary Association for the Rehabilitation of Afghanistan in Delaram, a town in southwestern Nimroz province, early Sunday morning. “A cook, a night watchman and another employee were asleep in the first room,” Najamuddin Mojaddedi, the groupʼs regional head, told The Associated Press. “The Taliban shot them dead.” Another watchman was missing, Mojaddedi said. “The Taliban are just killing innocent people trying to help their country,” Mojaddedi said. “I donʼt understand why they do this.”
Fears of planes, flying common for travelers Approaching holidays have college students and others rethinking travel options By MARY ASHLEY NELSON For the Daily Titan
The thought of flying 30,000 feet above the earth in an aluminum tube with wings, traveling at speeds of 500 mph makes his stomach churn. The grinding of the planeʼs landing gear as it lowers ignites thoughts that it must be broken. The slightest jolt of turbulence makes his armpits sweat and his fingers curl tight around the armrests. He is what you call a “white knuckler.” These characteristics may seem over the top and exaggerated to many, but for some, this anxiety is present every time they step on an airplane. With the holidays approaching, students might be debating whether to fly out of town to see their families, friends or even go on a well-deserved vacation. According to an article in the Los Angeles
said it carried out the attack and had executed a fourth man, but claimed it targeted only a police checkpoint. It was impossible to verify his claim. Mullah Abdul Hakim Latifi, a man who claims to speak for the Taliban, insisted the attack was against a government checkpoint and that all the victims were soldiers. He said the missing man had been executed. Latifi also said Taliban militants detonated the bomb which slightly injured three German soldiers in northern Afghanistan on TALIBAN
Smashing success
Times, about one in six American adults fears flying. Many things can contribute to the fear of flying: the feeling of not being in control, fear of heights, confined space, turbulence, or a fear of crashing and dying. “I hate having to sit for hours, waiting and wondering if we are going to make it safely or not,” CSUF senior Amy Costanzo said. “I guess that is why I hate flying.” The main concern people might have is not having any control over the outcome of the flight, whether it will land safely or crash and burn. To make matters worse, their life is suspended 30,000 feet in the open sky gripped in the hands of an unknown person — the pilot. John Durkin, a pilot for Delta Airlines, recommends introducing oneself to the pilots in the cockpit before the flight and letting them explain what they do. Having this personal contact adds a hint of assurance that these pilots know what they are doing. Commercial pilots are trained extensively AVIOPHOBIA
Sundayʼs attack and the recently resolved kidnappings of three U.N. staffers highlight the dangers Afghanistan still faces despite landmark elections designed to bring political stability three years after the Talibanʼs ouster. Security forces who rushed to the scene Sunday fought the gunmen for about an hour. Four police officers were injured before the militants withdrew, deputy police chief Mohammed Rassoul said. It was unclear if the attackers suffered any casualties. A spokesman for the former ruling militia
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JACQUELINE LOVATO/Daily Titan
Trojan David Kirtman congratulates teammate Steve Smith on one of five touchdowns USC scored against Notre Dame Saturday. Smith contributed to the Trojans’ victory during his first appearance since a broken right leg in October. See full story, page 6.
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2 Monday, November 29, 2004
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Donʼt be a Scrooge; add a little magic to your holiday season by donating a toy for an underprivileged child. Simply bring an unwrapped toy with a nametag attached to the Information and Services Desk, located in the Titan Student Union lobby by 5 p.m. on Dec. 6. Cal State Fullerton Information and Services sponsor the Camp Titan Holiday Toy Drive. For more information, call (714) 278-2168.
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World
Al-Zarqawi’s group claims Mosul killings BAGHDAD, Iraq — Iraqʼs most feared terror group claimed responsibility Sunday for slaughtering members of the Iraqi security forces in Mosul, where dozens of bodies have been found. The claim raises fears the terror group has expanded to the north after the loss of its purported base in Fallujah. Meanwhile, insurgents attacked U.S. and Iraqi targets in Baghdad and in Sunni Arab areas. Iraqʼs deputy prime minister, Barham Saleh, said sticking to the Jan. 30 election timetable would be a challenge, but delaying it would bolster the insurgentsʼ cause.
Ryan Bishopʼs exhibit “Surface Erasures,” will be featured in the Center Gallery, located on the main level of the Titan Student Union from today to Dec 19. A reception for the exhibition will be held on Dec. 3 and is open to the public. The exhibit features works that focus on graffiti, censorship and the covering up of graffiti by society. For more information, call (714) 278-3915.
Coal-mine explosion kills 25 in China BEIJING — More than 140 miners remained trapped in the tunnels and shafts of a coal mine in central China following an explosion Sunday that killed 25 of their colleagues, the government said. Some 127 workers managed to escape the state-owned mine, the Xinhua News Agency said, citing the State Bureau of Production Safety. Some 45 were hospitalized, five with serious injuries, Xinhua said. The blast rocked Chenjiashan coal mine in Shaanxi province at 7:20 a.m. on Sunday, when 293 workers were underground, the official Xinhua News Agency said. The explosion was centered around coal pits five miles from the mine entrance, it said. Most of the miners who escaped were working close to the entrance, Xinhua said, and many suffered from carbon monoxide poisoning. High levels of carbon monoxide was preventing rescuers from reaching parts of the tunnels.
Come see Halloween and Christmas duke-it-out at Disneylandʼs annual Halloween Mansion Holiday. The traditions of Halloween and Christmas collide as the Haunted Mansion gets a special facelift. Ghosts will decorate trees, as characters from the feature film “A Nightmare Before Christmas” run amuck. For tickets or more information, call (714) 781-7290.
Ukraine opposition urges PM’s ouster KIEV, Ukraine — The crisis over Ukraineʼs disputed presidential election intensified Sunday, as a key eastern province called a referendum on autonomy and the opposition demanded the current president fire his prime minister, the official winner of last weekʼs vote that has bitterly divided this former Soviet republic. The opposition warned President Leonid Kuchma it would block his movements unless he fired Prime Minister Viktor Yanukovych and fulfilled other demands within 24 hours.
Nation NBC sports exec injured in Colo. jet crash MONTROSE, Colo. — NBC Sports Chairman and President Dick Ebersol survived a charter plane crash that killed at least two people Sunday, NBC said in a statement through its Denver affiliate KUSA-TV. The jet crashed through a fence and burst into flames at Montrose Regional Airport, which serves the Telluride Ski Area. The network said the pilot and co-pilot were killed. Sheriffʼs officials said three survivors, including Ebersol, were seriously injured, and rescuers were searching for a sixth person listed on the planeʼs manifest whose seat from the plane was missing from the wreckage.
No sign of deal on intelligence reform WASHINGTON — The fate of an overhaul of U.S. intelligence agencies rests with President Bush, who must exert more pressure on holdout Republicans if he wants compromise legislation to pass this year, a lead Senate negotiator said Sunday. “If the president of the United States wants this bill, as commander in chief in the middle of a war, I cannot believe Republicans in the House are going to stop him from getting it,” said Sen. Joseph Lieberman, D-Conn., on ABCʼs “This Week.” Reports compiled from The Associated Press
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<Insert your caption here> The Daily Titan invites you to participate in a creative writing contest. Write a caption and title for the above photo and submit them to photo@dailytitan.com by Friday, Dec. 3. Put “Caption Contest” in the e-mail subject line, and include your full name and major. Look for more photos to caption throughout the week. Winners’ names and captions will be published in next Monday’s issue.
Cop
BLOTTER
11/20 11:13
A woman was hit in the face with a ball on the baseball fields. Police assisted the woman.
11/20 12:58
A 19-year-old man dislocated his shoulder at the Kinesiology and Health Science Building. Police notified paramedics.
University Police log for the week of Nov. 20-26 11/22 16:36
Employees of the Little Professor Book Center called police after a man repeatedly returned the same book. Police were unable to locate the man.
11/25 12:36
A bike was reported stolen from the dorms.
Police found a broken lock but did not find a suspect.
11/25 13:34
Police responded to a verbal dispute that broke out over the use of the intramural fields. A report was taken.
11/26 19:30
Four juveniles were reported hanging out in the Nutwood Parking Structure on bikes. Police responded to the call and everything checked out OK.
Come experience the world of more than 40 tropical insects magnified up to 250,000 times their normal size on a truly “big screen.” “Bugs 3D,” showing at the California Science Center through Dec. 17 will give audiences the chance to see these bugs up close and personal on the 7-story-tall IMAX screen. For tickets or information, call (323) 724-3623. 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.
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Monday, Nov. 29 Sunny Low 38°
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Tuesday, Nov. 30 Sunny Low 38°
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Wednesday, Dec. 1 Mostly Sunny Low 42°
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Daily Titan
NEWS Students learn magic of Disney public relations
Monday, November 29, 2004 3
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SHOPPING
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Md., who was among the crowds outside the FAO Schwarz store in Manhattan on Saturday. “I am looking around at Wal-Mart and other places, but donʼt want to spend more than $2,000.” At Orlando Fashion Square in Altamonte Springs, Fla., a sale at Sirens, a casual clothing store, lured plenty of shoppers. “Two jeans for $30!” a woman squealed. Inside a dozen customers were gathered around a large table, picking up jeans and looking for the size tag. Christian Lalonde, from the Los Angeles suburb of Los Feliz, who was shopping at the local Glendale Galleria on Saturday, said heʼs “focused on getting the right things.” “At a more expensive store you can get one shirt, but you can get two or three at another store. Iʼd rather have one of quality than two or three that are not as nice,” he added.
AVIOPHOBIA
from page 1
to be prepared for any situation that might occur in the cockpit or on the ground. They are retested and evaluated every six months to ensure safety and precision on the pilotʼs behalf, Durkin said. When choosing what airline to pick, looking for the cheapest ticket isnʼt the best thing to do, Durkin said. “When you fly on ʻJoeʼs Budget Air Taxi Serviceʼ you get what you are paying for,” Durkin said. “Big airline companies have the money to keep their planes up-to-date and running smoothly on a continual basis.” Generally, for every one hour a plane spends in flight, it spends five hours on the ground being serviced. Donʼt be fooled though, itʼs not only the well-built and maintained plane that will keep you safe; a qualified pilot can make the difference between life and death.
Also at Glendale Galleria mall was Kevin Fraser, who had several department store shopping bags. “I got a really good deal on a leather coat,” he said, noting he saved about 20 percent. Niemira said discounters are likely to have a hard time this holiday season because the lower-end customer has been the most hurt by rising gasoline prices. Luxury stores are expected to do the best, and “everything in the middle is anybodyʼs game,” he said. A shopperʼs own job security is often the greatest factor in how much he or she spends. “Iʼll probably spend a little more, because my husbandʼs getting paid more,” said Elda Hooper, who was shopping for games for the Xbox console with her daughter Tina Darnell, at a Toys R Us Inc. store in Orlando, Fla. The first weekend of the season, while important, is not as critical as the last 10 days before Christmas. So, despite the lackluster start, Niemira still forecasts a sales gain of 3 percent to 4 percent for holiday
period. Karen MacDonald, a spokeswoman at Bloomfield Hills, Mich.-based Taubman Centers, which own or manages 22 shopping centers across the country, said sales and traffic this weekend should be better than expected, based on a spotcheck of 10 malls. On Friday, business was up in the mid-single digits, better than anticipated. On Saturday, sales met projections, with stores reporting sales were anywhere from unchanged to up mid single digits. “People are buying regular price items as well as sale items,” she said. The Washington, D.C.-based National Retail Federation expects that total sales, excluding restaurant and auto sales, will rise 4.5 percent for the November-December period. That would be less than the 5.1 percent gain of a year earlier. Online retailers appeared to be doing well. Yahoo! Shopping, which features 200,000 merchants, reported a 70 percent increase in traffic on Friday, better than projected.
“Flying is 30 percent stick and rudder skills, 30 percent attitude and self-judgment, and 40 percent book knowledge,” said Mike deVoogdt, the chief flight instructor
the reality is that itʼs safer to fly than it is to drive. It is 25 times safer to fly in a plane than it would be to drive in a car to your destination, Durkin said. In 2002, 44,000 people died in automobile accidents, 576 people died in airplane accidents and no one died from a U.S. commercial carrier, according to the United States Department of Transportation and its Bureau of Transportation Statistics. Of the flights in the United States, 1.87 percent of them resulted in a death. According to the research group STATS, that specializes in exposing statistics to people before they are misled, for those flying 2,000 miles a year, the odds of dying in a plane crash are roughly equivalent to the odds of being hit on the head by a plane falling on you. “Flying is the safest mode of transportation,” Durkin said. “Hundreds of millions of people fly to and from the U.S. every year, often without a single mishap or injury.”
“ One or two percent of the entire population is qualified to fly planes. Put your trust in them... Mike deVoogdt Chief flight instructor Aviations Facilities Incorporated
” at Aviations Facilities Incorporated flight training center in Fullerton. “One or two percent of the entire population is qualified to fly planes. Put your trust in them, they know their stuff.” Though it may seem that plane crashes happen more often than not,
Industry professionals share career advice, experiences with Titans By KELLY HICKMAN Daily Titan Staff
How does Disneyland manage to get so much press? Who is responsible for all of Disneyʼs special events? And why is it that after 50 years, Mickey still has a smile on his face? These were some of the questions that were answered for curious public relations majors on campus Nov. 17. The Public Relations Student Society of America hosted “The Wonderful World of Disney: A Backstage Look at Disney PR,” an event including speakers like Al Nassar, Disneyʼs senior manager of resort special events operations who is also a Cal State Fullerton alumnus, and Jeannine OʼMalley, the manager of print, press and publicity for Disney. The event gave students hoping to get into public relations the opportunity to learn the ins and outs of working in PR for Disney. “My No. 1 job is to sell fun,” OʼMalley said. “And my No. 1 goal is to get good publicity.” OʼMalley started off her speech
FUTURE
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[and] work, and learn more about different subjects so I can make sure Iʼm confident about my career,” said Monni Radwan, a senior at UC Irvine. “It is a harsh world out there. Entering the real world is a scary, nerve-wracking, yet exciting transition.” Both Ly and Radwan agreed that
with an activity where students were able to brainstorm. Students were asked to think of words starting with the letters “z” and “l” that they associated with Disney. Some came up with “Zipadeedoodah,” “long lines” and “Little Mermaid.” “You guys just participated in an activity that my colleagues and I do,” said OʼMalley of one of the many creative ways her team comes up with campaigns. She said itʼs very common for her team to come up with “wacky ideas.” “We always manage to somehow make it happen,” she said. “If you can dream it, we can do it.” An example of a “wacky idea” OʼMalley discussed was when Disney offered an auction on eBay for a personalized tombstone with the winning bidderʼs name engraved on it to be displayed at the Haunted Mansion. All the money raised would go to the Boys and Girls Club. The winning bid totaled $37,400. “This campaign cost us nothing,” OʼMalley said. “And thatʼs 100 percent PR.” OʼMalley was also recruiting volunteers for Disneylandʼs upcoming 50th anniversary event. She said volunteering is a great opportunity for students to get their foot in the door. “All you need is the will and
drive to succeed,” she said. Nassar, another speaker, also agreed that interning is “the best thing you can do.” He started out working in the custodial department at Disneyland back in 1981. He slowly moved his way up to working on special events in 1991 while he was in the process of earning his degree in communications. He is now responsible for managing the operations of all the special events happening at Disney, a big responsibility. “My job is lots of fun but a lot of work,” Nassar said of the nearly 1,000 events he oversees a year. Nassar focused his discussion on the different departments involved in planning and producing events as well as the hectic schedule he endures. “Iʼll go five days with no sleep,” Nassar said. “With my job, you learn to live by your calendar.” Many students were shocked by how time-consuming Nassarʼs job is. “You wouldnʼt think that working at Disneyland would be so stressful, everyone looks so happy,” said Ravy Seang, a senior public relations major who attended the event. Regardless, Seang would still consider working for Disney PR. “The salary should be good and the perks Iʼm sure are well worth it.”
sometimes students graduate after four or five years feeling uncertain about the skills and experiences they acquired in school. “I definitely donʼt feel ready to face the real world. I need more experience and guidance. I want to get there quick, but Iʼm a bit anxious about my future career,” Ly said. “Try to do something that youʼre passionate about. No one can know what you want out of life more than
yourself. Learn as much as you can from every class you take, all it can do is help you in the future.” Mathe said students should take classes they like and dislike to achieve a stronger and more well rounded base of knowledge. “There is no such thing as a useless skill or body of knowledge,” she said. “Careers work in loops. There is no way to see into the future and life is not a straight line.”
VOTE NOW What are your top 5 movies and top 5 albums of 2004? E-mail your responses to fulleffect@dailytitan.com
TALIBAN
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Friday. “We will continue to attack the United States and its allies, because they have occupied our Islamic country,” he said. Sundayʼs attack and the three fatalities were the first for aid workers in Afghanistan since Aug. 3, when two Afghans working for the German Malteser agency died in a hail of gunfire in southeastern Paktia province. More than 40 relief and reconstruction workers have died this year, restricting the flow of international aid to the impoverished south and east, where the militants are strongest. Mojaddedi said his group would decide whether to pull out of the region, where it has worked for 14 years on agricultural projects. In Delaram, it distributes seeds on behalf of the U.N. World Food Program and builds schools and wells with the help of Dutch and Italian relief groups.