Opinion
Sports
CSUF wrestler Juan Mora hopes to finish his career on a high note 6
A touchy subject: Women discuss using technology for stimulation 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
We d n e s d a y, D e c e m b e r 8 , 2 0 0 4
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Vo l u m e 7 9 , I s s u e 5 2
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CSUF fights terrorism
Coming in for a landing
Congressman gives $99,000 to campus for water safety research By LAURA BEYER Daily Titan Staff
MARK RABE/For the Daily Titan
BMX pro Mike Parenti attempts to knock the hat off a daring participant in the Giant Bicycle Stunt Show Tuesday in the Quad.
Titans ASI grants $2,000 for receive fraternity’s flag football MESA money Fifteen Dirty Birds will represent CSUF at national tournament By DAVID BARRY
Funds to encourage math, engineering, computer science By ERIC GOMEZ Daily Titan Staff
Luz Ramirez is one of five community college transfer students awarded scholarships to pursue their educations in the math, engineering and the computer science fields. Ramirez and the other four students will each receive a total of $3,125 per year for the next three years to cover fees, books and to help with other services. Cal State Fullerton was awarded a total of $46,875 this fall in support of the program, now in its fifth year. “They were selected because of the shortage of students in these particular fields,” said Sergio Guerra, the director of CSUFʼs Mathematics, Engineering and Science Achievement program. “The purpose of this scholarship is to motivate these students to pursue these fields.” The United States used to have the highest number of students graduating with those types of degrees, Guerra said. Maria Robledo, a senior mathematics major, also received the scholarship this year and said the money she received would allow her to focus more on her schoolwork and less on having to worry about paying for it. Ramirez, a junior mathematics major, agreed. She said the money will help her reach the goal of becoming a high school math teacher and eventually move up to the community college level. “Because of this scholarship Iʼm able to not have to work and I can handle [my classes] a little more,” Ramirez said. Ramirez said she first understood the importance of pursuing a career SCHOLARSHIP 3
Daily Titan Copy Editor
The Associated Students Inc. Board of Directors voted Tuesday to allocate $2,320 for a fraternityʼs participation in the National Flag Football Championships.
The 15-member team that will wear the Pi Kappa Phi letters at the tournament in New Orleans over winter break includes ASI Vice President of Finance Ross McCollum. Walter Ruigu, an ASI board member, said he thinks the allocation of money is a potential conflict of interest. Ruigu is a member of the Ambassadors Club that received controversial funding last month for a trip to Chicago to participate in the American Model United Nations
conference, as reported in the Daily Titan on Dec. 1. That decision divided ASI board members and prompted ASI President Philip Vasquez to issue a memo citing his lack of faith in the boardʼs ethics. During Tuesdayʼs meeting, the last one for the fall semester, Ruigu questioned why Vasquez endorsed the flag football request with its potential conflict of interest in light of ASI 3
Congressman Ed Royce (RFullerton), a Cal State Fullerton alumnus, allocated $99,170 to the College of Engineering and Computer Science to support research for a water hazard mitigation system to help combat terrorism. This is the first of many possible installments to CSUF research in this area. The project and others like it are part of a hope that terrorist attacks can be prevented through academic research. “The tragic events of Sept. 11 have demonstrated the need for the United States to be ready for terrorist attacks from unexpected sources using unconventional techniques,” Julianne Smith, a representative for the congressman, said. “The center is working to protect and manage our water resources infrastructure so as to mitigate the safety and health impacts of communities should any emergency situation arise.” With the threat of terrorism at Americaʼs door, Congress is constantly trying to stay one step ahead of would-be perpetrators. One aspect Congress is concerned with is the protection of Americaʼs waterway resources. “The research at the center will address issues of water distribution and supply infrastructure vulnerability, emergency response plans, formulating and testing strategies to address threats to water resources such as physical damage, bio-terrorism, chemical contamination and
Hanukkah lights up Nixon Library Evening ceremony pays tribute to Jewish history, traditions By KYLE McCORY Daily Titan Staff
The Richard Nixon Library and Birthplace will hold its 7th annual Hanukkah celebration at 6 p.m. to commemorate the Jewish faith on the first full day of Hanukkah. Congressman Gary Miller will open the event, which will continue with the lighting of the menorahʼs second candle by Rabbi David Eliezrie, a member of the North County Chabad Center. The celebration of Hanukkah
began with religious oppression by Greeks thousands of years ago. Greeks believed in many gods while the Jews believed in one. Hanukkah symbolizes the renewal of their faith while also celebrating the miracle oil, which burnt for eight days, according to www. jewishmag.com. It is said the Jews found a vial of oil that was expected to burn for only one day, but instead burnt for eight full days. According to the Web site, God made the miracle oil to show the importance of spiritual purity in the Jewish faith generation after generation. Eight days after Dec. 2, Jewish people light a candle to commemo-
Buybacks available through Web sites ERIC GOMEZ/Daily Titan
In celebration of the first night of Hanukkah, Stephanie Schubert pieces together a paper menorah during Hebrew school Tuesday at the North County Chabad Center in Yorba Linda. rate the eight days the oil had burned years ago. It is also accompanied with a gift exchange between close friends and family. Once the candle is lit at the Nixon Library, the event will con-
tinue with traditional music performed by the Temple Beth Tikvah junior choir and also by the Tarbet VʼTorah day school. “We really enjoy the choir,” said
By LAURA BEYER Daily Titan Staff
Many students might be planning to travel abroad over the winter break or may even want to spend a semester studying in a foreign country. Now, another way to get out of the country and experience a new culture is being offered through
i-to-i Volunteer Travel. Through the program, volunteers travel abroad to help people and save the planetʼs natural resources. Each year the program sends individuals of all ages and backgrounds to other countries in hopes of making a difference in the lives of the volunteers and the people they encounter. Some volunteers have never been outside of the United States or their home states for that matter, when they decide to venture out of their comfort zone to a foreign country.
“Itʼs great to be immersed in a new culture. I was forced to get out and get involved,” said Natalie Andrews, 19, a former ito-i volunteer who taught English in Brazil. “Iʼm from Utah. Itʼs not very diverse here so it was nice to get out.” Others are just looking for a change of pace from everyday life and find it exciting to travel to another country. Cheryl Friedman, the marketing manager of i-to-i, said she became interested in the volunteer travel
Online trading makes reimbursements for used texts accessible By DANIEL J. PRECIADO For the Daily Titan
program when she volunteered for the first time in one of the programs. “It was actually a career break for me,” said Friedman, who spent two weeks in Belize working with Manatees. “I had just divorced, lost my job and needed to do something more worth while.” Volunteers can also select their own curriculum such as where they want to go and what they would like to do.
Itʼs that time of year again. No, not Christmas. Itʼs the end of the semester. The time of year when Cal State Fullerton students finish finals and can finally put away their textbooks. Or better yet, they can sell them. Titan Shop has already raised the tent for the upcoming textbook buyback. Whether students choose to sell their textbooks back to the campus bookstore, Little Professor Book Center, Textmart or other local bookstores is entirely up them. All stores claim to give back 50 percent of the original price, if the book can be used again next semester. If not, the books can be sold back at a wholesale price. In some cases, books cannot be sold back at all. “If we have an adoption for a book for the next term, we will pay
TRAVEL 3
BOOKS 3
HANUKKAH 3
Volunteer travel makes difference in world Students can assist others while visiting foreign countries
cyber attack on distribution systems,” Smith said. Mallela S. Prasada Rao, a CSUF professor of civil environmental engineering, is working on creating sensors to identify any foreign substances placed in the water supply that could be harmful to our drinking water. “We will be doing basic research of ways to protect against contamination of main waterways,” Rao said. Programs like this one put CSUF in a prominent position to help fight terrorism. “The scope and impact of the research will be felt throughout the nation, as CSUF is expected to be a national resource for help, guidance, training and material in mitigating hazards to water systems,” Smith said. CSUF researchers could have a good deal of time and necessary funding for the tasks at hand with the project. “The money put toward the research is only one installment of hopefully many to come,” said Valerie Orleans from CSUFʼs Public Affairs. As for future government funding, administrators cannot predict whether the research provided will prove favorable to its benefactors. However, members of Royceʼs office said they think highly of the work performed by CSUF in the area of this research and as an academic facility. “California State University at Fullerton is one of our stateʼs — and nationʼs — leading institutions,” Smith said. “These funds will enhance ongoing research at the universityʼs Water Hazard Mitigation Center.”
NEWS
2 Wednesday, December 8, 2004
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Brushing up on art
DEC. 8, 2004
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Today is Bodhi Day as the first full day of Hanukkah begins. Associated Students Inc. presents Saosin in concert at the Becker Amphitheater from noon to 1 p.m.
Iraq official rips neighbors on insurgency
All Night Study in the Titan Student Union. The TSU will be open 24 hours a day through Dec. 17 for student use. Students can receive free massages, giveaways and bowl for free while cramming for finals and hoping for a passing grade.
BAGHDAD, Iraq — A top Iraqi official accused the countryʼs neighbors Tuesday of doing too little to stop foreigners from joining the brutal insurgency, while the U.S. combat death toll neared 1,000 with the killing of an American soldier in Baghdad. Russian President Vladimir Putin said he “cannot imagine” how Iraqʼs elections can go forward next month amid the violence.
The Camp Titan Holiday Toy Drive continues through Dec. 16. Choose a name from a snowman in the TSU lobby and donate a toy. For more information, call (714) 278-2468.
Workers threatened over prison abuse SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico — U.S. special forces accused of abusing prisoners in Iraq threatened Defense Intelligence Agency personnel who saw the mistreatment, according to U.S. government memos released Tuesday by the American Civil Liberties Union. The special forces also monitored e-mails sent by defense personnel and ordered them “not to talk to anyone” in the United States about what they saw, said one memo written by the Defense Intelligence Agency chief, who complained to his Pentagon bosses about the harassment.
“Genomic Approaches to Understanding Individual Variation in Growth and Survival of Pacific Oysters,” a lecture presented by Dennis Hedgecock of USC, takes place at 4 p.m. in McCarthy Hall, Room 513. For information, call (714) 278-2606.
Egypt accord could frame Mideast peace JERUSALEM — Egypt said Tuesday it had brokered an understanding to halt Israeli-Palestinian violence and move toward a peace accord, hours after Hamas militants set off a bomb in Gaza that killed an Israeli soldier and triggered Israeli retaliation that left four Palestinian militants dead in the most serious violence since the death of Yasser Arafat. Egyptʼs state-run news agency, MENA, reported that Cairo would call for a July peace conference in Washington to include all parties to the agreement: Israel, the Palestinians, the United States and the European Union. The plan calls for an early ceasefire and contains overall principles for ending the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, MENA reported, adding that a dialogue among Palestinian factions on a cease-fire agreement would begin in March in Cairo.
Nation
SHANNON ANCHALEECHAMAIKORN/Daily Titan
Tim McAlary, a junior art major, admires a painting from “Brush from Xing Xie ‘Jason’ Chen:A Study of Technique and Motif in Chinese Painting,” now on display in the Pollak Library’s Atrium Gallery until April 5, 2005.
House approves U.S. intelligence overhaul WASHINGTON — The House voted Tuesday to overhaul a national intelligence network that failed to prevent the Sept. 11 attacks, combining under one official control of 15 spy agencies, intensifying aviation and border security and allowing more wiretaps of suspected terrorists. “We have come a long way toward taking steps that will ensure that we do not see another September 11th,” said House Rules chairman David Dreier, R-Calif. Now “we have in place a structure that will ensure that we have the intelligence capability to deal with conflicts on the ground wherever they exist.”
Air Force blamed for sex scandal WASHINGTON — The Pentagonʼs inspector general says a series of commanders at the Air Force Academy failed to recognize and deal with reports of sexual assaults against female cadets on campus, officials said Tuesday. “We conclude that the overall root cause of the sexual assault problems at the Air Force Academy was the ʻfailure of successive chains of command over the past 10 years to acknowledge the severity of the problem,ʼ” Inspector General Joseph E. Schmitz wrote in a Dec. 3 memo to Defense Secretary Donald H. Rumsfeld, quoting his own report. Reports compiled from The Associated Press
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Events
IN HISTORY
Dec. 6
1865 Thirteenth Amendment is ratified, abolishing slavery. 1917 Finland declares independence from Russia. 1929 Turkey gives women the right to vote. 1969 Altamont rock concert features Rolling Stones, 300,000 attend. 1994 Orange County files for bankruptcy.
Dec. 7
1941 Japanese attack Pearl Harbor. 1988 Mikhail Gorbachev cheered by Wall Street crowds upon arrival in NYC.
1992 Galileo spacecraft passes North Pole of moon. 1994 Radio personality Howard Stern talks a man out of attempting suicide. 1995 NBA settles strike of referees.
Dec. 8
1994 Darryl Strawberry indicted on tax evasion charges. 1992 NBC announces that “Cheers” will go off the air in May 1993. 1987 Occupied Palestinians start “intefadeh” (uprising) against Israel. 1987 President Reagan and Soviet General Secretary Gorbachev sign a treaty eliminating medium range nuclear missiles. 1936 NAACP files suit to equalize salaries of black and white teachers.
Dec. 9
1981 Porn star John Holmes
charged with Laurel Canyon murders. 1987 Larry Bird ends his streak of 59 consecutive free throws. 1992 Cincinnati Reds owner Marge Schott apologizes for racist remarks. 1992 Operation Restore Hope begins – U.S. Marines land in Somalia. 1994 A 5-meter meteor passes within 100,000 km of Earth.
Dec. 10
1919 NBL votes to ban the spitballʼs use by all new pitchers. 1945 Preston Tucker reveals plan to produce the Torpedo, a new 150 mph car. 1978 In Oslo, Menachem Begin and Anwar Sadat accept the Nobel Peace Prize. 1994 The 60th Heisman Trophy is awarded to Coloradoʼs Rashaan Salaam. 1994 Nobel Peace Prize awarded to Yitzhak Rabin, Shimon Peres and Yasser Arafat. Compiled from Brainyhistory.com
Flute Ensemble performs under the direction of Cynthia Ellis at 8 p.m. in the Performing Arts Center: Little Theatre at 8 p.m. Cal State Fullertonʼs 15-member ensemble will present a selection of music, including “Lady Radnorʼs Suite” by C. Hubert H. Parry, “Twelve Etudes” by Hugo Grimm, “Ma Mere LʼOye” by Maurice Ravel, “There is no Rose” by Rancall Stroope and “In the Bleak Midwinter” by Gustav Holst. For more information, call (714) 2783371. Brass and Percussion Ensembles present a free concert in the Performing Arts Centerʼs Minor Hall at 8 p.m. For more information, call (714) 278-3371. 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
Wednesday, Dec. 8 Partly Cloudy Low 47°
64°
Thursday, Dec. 9 Sunny Low 49°
71°
Friday, Dec. 10 Mostly Sunny Low 50°
74°
Compiled from The Weather Channel
NEWS
Daily Titan
TRAVEL
Wednesday, December 8, 2004 3
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from page 1
“I knew wanted to work with animals and be near the beach and wanted to go to an English-speaking country,” Friedman said. I-to-i offers travel locations in 25 countries for long-term and shortterm visits. “I-to-i offers a uniquely meaningful experience whereby you work side-by-side with locals and other international volunteers. In many cases [volunteers] also live with local families,” said LeeAnn Johnson, the managing director for i-to-i North America. “Itʼs rewarding to know this is a form of travel where you give something back to the countries you visit through your volunteer contributions.”
SCHOLARSHIP
HANUKKAH
from page 1
Donna Spencer, the event coordinator for the Hanukkah celebration. “The singers have appeared at the White House in the past.” Celebration USA youth singers will also accompany the Tarbet VʼTorah day school and children will put on skits for the Jewish holiday. “The children will be performing to celebrate Hanukkah,” Rabbi David Eliezrie said. “They will also present a news show that explains the meaning of Hanukkah.” The celebration is intended to recognize the Jewish faith while also promoting the idea of religious freedom. “The event is open to everyone,” said Robert Garcia, the director of communications for the Nixon Library. “It doesnʼt matter if youʼre Jewish or not.” The event is expected to last a few hours and admission is free, but does not include admission to the East Room of the miniature White House exhibit. The Richard Nixon Library and Birthplace is located at 18001 Yorba Linda Blvd. in Yorba Linda.
ASI
from page 1
Vasquezʼs memo on funding for the Ambassadors Club. “I think the whole board can see the parallels in between this request and the prior request by the Ambassadors Club,” Ruigu said. Defending his support of the request to fund the flag football team, known as the Dirty Birds, Vasquez said it was not a conflict of interest for ASIʼs McCollum to ask for money and sought to differentiate the request from the Ambassadors Club funding. “Students should be able to go to this money when they are not networked through any other organization on campus,” Vasquez said. “I donʼt really understand how these things compare. I think they are two
the language and parents push the notion of working full-time as a from page 1 clearer and faster way to success in the United States, Ramirez said. in mathematics while attending Ramirez worked for the Upward Santa Ana College, where many Bound program at Santa Ana of the faculty praised her for going College as a tutor helping to motiinto the field and informed her vate high school students. about opportuni“I tried to ties available for empower them and women. make them feel Because of this Robledo and good,” she said. scholarship I’m Ramirez said they She said she able to not have are underreprehopes to encourage to work and I sented in these students to pursue can handle [my fields because mathematics in classes] a little they are women particular, despite more. and both Latino. having difficulty “There are so in it herself. Luz Ramirez many job opportu“The stereotype CSUF junior math major nities for Latinos of math is that itʼs in math because hard. Throughout itʼs very rare,” the educational Ramirez said. system, students Both Ramirez and Robledo said get distracted,” Ramirez said. they learned about the scholarships “When thereʼs no help out there through MESA while attending youʼre just kind of stuck on your Santa Ana College. own.” Ramirez said she believes the With the scholarship, she hopes to lack of Latinos in these fields is have the ability to someday change the result of many college Latinos the way the subject is taught. being first in their family to attend “Youʼve got to make math fun,” college. Often, families donʼt speak Ramirez said.
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SIERRA WEBB/Daily Titan
Eight candles on the menorah outside the North County Chabad Center symbolize each night that the “miracle” oil lasted; one acts as the servant. separate issues.” Another issue included the timing of the trip, which will be from Dec. 29 to Jan. 2. Board members were concerned about Cal State Fullertonʼs potential liability for a trip taken during the New Yearʼs holiday. Additional concerns centered on whether the studentsʼ fraternity should fund the trip, as the teamʼs jerseys bear the name of their fraternity. McCollum, who organized the trip, said he would make an effort to identify the teamʼs jerseys with CSUF. After 25 minutes of discussion, ASI approved the flag football teamʼs request. McCollum said the team is the first to represent CSUF at the National Flag Football Championships since 1997. Other ASI agenda items included a presentation by Jerry Olson from Titan Shops who announced his
retirement and presented the board with a $5,000 check earmarked for scholarships. Amir Dabirian, along with other colleagues from CSUFʼs Information Technology, presented ASI with plans to improve the TITAN Portal. Dabirian asked ASI for input in how to communicate with students who donʼt check their e-mail accounts. The unread messages sometimes bounce to old accounts and strain ITʼs personnel resources. Representatives from CSUFʼs Office of Design and Construction, including Project Manager Will Nighswonger, presented plans for additional campus parking spaces. Nighswonger and others from the parking project addressed ASIʼs safety concerns with the new Nutwood Parking Structure, such as the need for adequate signage and a way to keep students from speeding.
BOOKS
Will DeSantis, the vice president and cofounder Switchtextbooks. from page 1 com, students will be able to log on and list the books they have and the 50 percent of the purchase price,” books they need on the Web site. said Steve Magana, the Titan Shops The site will search to find other text manager. “If the book is not people who have signed on and adopted for the next term, it is then match students accordingly. given a national wholesale price “It doesnʼt have to be an exact and sold to an outside company match,” DeSantis said. “Itʼs a multiwho sells used books across the tier trading system, where A trades country.” with B, B with C, and C with A. I This semester is different from donʼt need to have a book you need others because there are a few new and you donʼt have to have a book online services that were created to I need. We can trade through a third help students get more money back party.” for their books. Textbooks are rated by a bookThe Online Book Exchange from check system and are given a point Studio54design.com allows stu- value based on retail value, supdents to sell books ply and demand back at prices they and the condition choose. Those of the book. The Last year we who sell books initial registrawere able to give online give themtion and search over $1 million selves the chance are free, but once back to students to receive a higher a student accepts through buyback. a trade, he or she percentage from their bookʼs origithen agrees to pay Steve Magana nal retail value. a $19.95 memTitan Shops text manager “Itʼs like an bership fee that eBay for textallows a yearʼs books,” said Mark worth of online Gaxiola, the presitrading. dent and founder “We remember of Studio54design Inc. and the how horrible it is to buy a book for Online Book Exchange. “Itʼs not $100, sell it back for $20 and see an auction, but students can pretty the same book with your highlights much set up their own prices for and your name inside sold for $80,” textbooks when theyʼre done with DeSantis said. “Our main goal is to them.” put power into the studentsʼ hands Studio54design.com charges and give them a choice.” users a flat fee of either $3 to post While students using sites up to five books or $4 to post six like Studio54design.com or or more books. With no middle- Switchtextbooks.com may see more man, buyers and sellers negotiate a personal benefits, students who deal through the siteʼs email. When continue to use Titan Shops might a book is purchased, the book is be pleased to know that the money shipped to the buyer and the seller made through book buybacks goes receives payment. back into the college. “Weʼve had about 3,000 finances “The money spent on this camso far and itʼs turning out pretty pus, stays on this campus to help good,” Gaxiola said. provide other services for students, Switchtextbooks.com is anoth- faculty and staff,” Magana said. er online service, which will be “Last year we were able to give launched on Dec. 27. However, it over $1 million back to students allows students to trade textbooks through buyback and we are lookwith other students. According to ing to increase it this year.”
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