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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
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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
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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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