Opinion
Sports
CSUF baseball sweeps Fresno State in a rain-shortened series 6
Titans celebrate Singles Awareness Day, give V-Day gift ideas 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
M o n d a y, F e b r u a r y 1 4 , 2 0 0 5
Troy High editor fired
Daily Titan
Vaginas take the lime light
Voters key in Alicia
Play raises awareness of violence against women, entertains By Nicole M. Smith Daily Titan Staff
Ann Long dismissed amid controversy over First Amendment By Noura Al Anbar Daily Titan Staff
A student’s freedom of speech, credibility and professionalism as a journalist were in question and her job as editor in chief at her high school newspaper was threatened following the publication of a controversial article. The dispute began when Ann Long, editor in chief of Fullerton’s Troy High School newspaper, The Oracle, published a story about the sexual orientation of three students, one of which was a minor, without receiving parental permission. Long is accused of violating ethical standards and the state educational code, and was fired from her job last week. Supporters of her firing said she violated code and did not do her job as a journalist, whereas others see it as a misunderstanding because Long said she wasn’t aware she was violating any codes. “She really didn’t violate [the code] because she didn’t know she needed permission,” said Carolyn Johnson, a communications ethics professor at Cal State Fullerton. “It was the adviser’s role to warn her, that’s the important role an adviser in a newspaper has.” However, because the educational code can be interpreted in different ways, some say it applies and some say it doesn’t. Section 51513 of the California Education Code reads, “No test, questionnaire, survey, or examination containing any questions about the pupil’s personal beliefs or practices in sex, family life, morality, and religion … shall be administered to any pupil in kindergarten or grades one to 12 … unless the parent or guardian of the pupil is notified in writing.” Legally, some believe the education code Long had supposedly violated doesn’t apply to her or student journalists at high school newspapers in general. These people argue it applies to teacher and student interactions, not necessarily student to student interactions. “The law doesn’t apply and it doesn’t say anything about student to student interaction. They know the law doesn’t apply. I’m ashamed of that high school,” Genelle Belmas, media law professor at CSUF, said. Some say the unfortunate part about the Ann Long controversy is the fact that she took on all of the blame and was accused of not doing her job when she was not aware she was violating any codes. Most experts say it’s the teacher’s responsibility to warn and teach the student or journalist about the educational codes and rules before publishing any article, especially if it’s a controversial article being published in a high school newspaper. “I doubt the student knew the educational code and as an adviser, I don’t expect my students to be experts on the educational code.” said Danielle Dupont, El Dorado high school newspaper adviser. “For something as controversial like that, I go to the administrative office and look at the educational code to see if it’s appropriate.” Long’s journalism teacher, Georgette Cerrutti, worked with Long Troy 3
Vo l u m e 8 0 , I s s u e 3
w w w. d a i l y t i t a n . c o m
The Associated Press
Alicia Keys accepts the award for best R&B album for The Diary of Alicia Keys at the 47th Annual Grammy Awards Sunday, Feb. 13, 2005, at the Staples Center in Los Angeles. Keys took home four Grammys including one for best R&B performance by a duo or group with Usher. Ray Charles, the sentimental favorite, was the night’s biggest winner taking home eight awards including record of the year and best pop album. U2 had three awards. Green Day won best rock album for American Idiot.
“Vagina” was the word at three sold out performances of the 2005 Campaign Benefit Production of “The Vagina Monologues” this past weekend at the Titan Student Union. The Obie-Award-winning offBroadway play by Eve Ensler is based upon a series of interviews with hundreds of women from all over the world. The stories from these women are expressions of female sexuality meant to glorify and empower women everywhere. The production was part of the annual celebration of V-Day, “a global movement to stop violence against women and girls,” according
to www.vday.org. “This is a good cause and I think everyone has grown from it,” said director Katie Owen, a senior women’s study major who said she experienced many sleepless nights in preparation for the show. The all-female cast representing a variety of majors and backgrounds had been rehearsing since December. V-Day shirts with the slogan, “Until the Violence Stops” roamed freely and Aretha Franklin’s “Respect” played through the sound system on Friday as the cast prepared for opening night. Just outside the main entrance, spectators were greeted with information about sexual violence and abuse. Volunteers, soliciting donations, handed out buttons and fliers. “It’s just awareness, people can feel comfort,” said a worker from Planned Parenthood wishing only to be identified as Maria. “Saying Vagina 3
Greeks stake claim during CSUF Discoverfest Titans browse through over 90 campus clubs and organizations By Carolina Ruiz-Mejia Daily Titan Staff
Cal State Fullerton’s Discoverfest took place last Wednesday and Thursday in the Quad, providing students with the opportunity to explore the 94 official campus clubs open to them, and possibly add a little excitement to their academic experience. “Discoverfest is a two-day event organized by Student Life Programs and New Student Programs, so that CSUF students can find out what services, events and activities are avail-
able to them,” Coordinator of Student Life Carmen Curiel said. Curiel said there are two dimensions to Discoverfest: the student organizations and the campus departments. Student organizations are created and led by students, while CSUF employees run the campus departments, she said. Discoverfest is also intended to welcome current and new students, Quynh D. Lu, coordinator of New Student Programs said. Lu also mentioned that student turnout is low in the spring semester compared to the fall semester, because there are a lot more new and transfer students in the fall. Boaz Carmi, 23, a computer science and engineering major at CSUF and president of the newly formed
political organization, Titans for Israel, said Discoverfest is a great event. “Discoverfest gets the word out, I’m alive not just on paper,” said Carmi. “It helps for publicity.” Carmi said he created Titans for Israel to show the Cal State Fullerton student body that Israel has “positive aspects” and to defend Israel’s Zionistic political actions that are seen as negative. Whether or not Discoverfest gets the message out for CSUF’s clubs depends on who is being asked. “I really thought that Discoverfest would help but it hasn’t,” said Arleen Berberoglu, 18, chair of the newly formed Armenian Club and a business administration major. “All the sororities have the best spots.” In three hours, only 7 people
Campus and community passion rewarded with ASI scholarships Fall awards presented, spring application deadline March 18
“
I really thought that Discoverfest would help but it hasn’t ... All the sororities have the best spots. Arleen Berberoglu Armenian Club Chair
”
placed, she added. The Armenian Club was placed in the middle section of the Quad in front of McCarthy Hall. The sorori-
Daily Titan Staff
By David Barry Daily Titan Staff
Suzanne Sullivan/Daily Titan
ASI Vice President Mona Mohammadi (standing center) and five of the six ASI scholarship recipients pose for pictures outside of the TSU, Tuesday. said. “There were a record number of applicants this semester and they were all great, amazing people.” Sirikulvadhana said she first heard about and applied for the scholarship on the encouragement of several ASI members, as well as to help pay for her school and HIV/ Aids research work in Thailand. “It’s awesome to see students who have a financial need and be able to reward them for getting so involved in their campus and community,” Mohammadi said. “They don’t get paid for what they do.” Mohammadi said ASI is encouraging more students to apply for the Spring 2005 semester, considering that the application process is easy and can result in a $1000 scholar-
ship. A total of five $1,000 scholarships will be offered by ASI each semester as well as 35 book loans from the Titan Shops Book Loan Program. “That’s awesome,” said Mike Morabito, a junior Political Science major. “It seems like a fantastic way for students to advance to higher education.” Each scholarship has unique criteria to suit the different achievements of the diverse student population found at CSUF. Students have until noon on March 18 to turn in scholarship applications to ASI Executive offices in Titan Student Union, room 207. Additional scholarship information is currently available in TSU207.
ties set up in the open spaces in front of McCarthy Hall and the Humanities Building. The sororities and the campus departments are always placed in the same spots, Curiel said, adding it was set up that way even before she started working for Student Life Programs four years ago. Curiel said she never questioned why sororities are placed in the open spaces, much less does she have an idea of why it was set up that way. She later said that safety could be a reason why the sororities are placed in higher traffic areas. “The Greek sororities have big letters and if they were placed in the middle section they would obstruct Discover 3
Students help local charity serve poor Volunteers donate morning to pack food for hungry
By Dave Osborne
Five students who set a standard for academic excellence, community passion and leadership were rewarded at last Tuesday’s meeting of Associated Students Inc. Mona Mohammadi, ASI executive vice president, said each of the scholarships presented were awarded to students who have demonstrated a true passion for their campus and community. One of the scholarships, the William G. Pollack Scholarship, was given to Laura Sirikulvadhana, a health science major, for her involvement in the Peer Health Education Program and Student Health Advisory Committee. While taking part in the Peer Health Education Program, she was certified by the Orange County Health Department and taught tobacco sustainment courses at CSUF. Sirikulvadhana also worked on HIV/Aids research at Chiang Mai University in Thailand, as an affiliate of the Minority International Research Training program in the summer of 2004. Despite all of her accomplishments, Sirikulvadhana said she didn’t expect to win. “I was shocked when I found out I got the scholarship,” Sirikulvadhana
approached the Armenian Club table, said Berberoglu. More students walked by the open sections of the Quad where the sororities were
In the 1981 film Raiders of the Lost Ark, Indiana Jones spends the entire movie trying to bring home the magical Ark – battling Nazis and every special effect then known to Steven Spielberg – only to have it cruelly, anonymously shelved away in a government warehouse. The warehouse scene at Orange County Food Bank in Garden Grove is more hopeful. In a building space of roughly 46,000 square feet, 12 Cal State Fullerton students and 32 local high school students donated their Saturday morning to pack boxes of canned food for lowincome residents of Orange County. With a portable stereo spilling out loud tunes, and discarded pieces of cardboard creating brief, random flurries, the volunteer crew forms an assembly line of orderly chaos. Some of the hip, wageless slaves opt to wear their adhesive nametags on their bare upper arms. Others abandon the assembly line briefly to bat-
tle their friends with discarded broomsticks – in mock martial combat. However, in just a few hours this disarmingly efficient crew packs 1,440 boxes of canned goods onto 45 pallets, enough to nearly fill two tractor-trailers. Each box holds 40 lbs. of food – including soup, cereal, fruit, vegetables, juice, peanut butter and evaporated milk. This food arrives in the Garden Grove warehouse via the Commodities Supplemental Food Program, overseen by the U.S. Department of Agriculture. Jerry Sanders, CSFP program manager for Orange County Food Bank and its parent organization, Community Action Partnership, said that the food bank could not do its work without volunteer efforts, such as Saturday’s effort by the CSUF and high school students. Sanders estimated that OCFB distributes roughly 23,000 boxes of food each month to low-income seniors, women and children. Not all of this food comes from big government programs with unmemorable acronyms. Some of the donations come to the warehouse via canned food drives undertaken by churches, Pack-a-box 4