Opinion
Sports
Titans try Trojans on for size in three-game series 8
Changes in Social Security plans could signal downfall of American society 6
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
T h u r s d a y, F e b r u a r y 1 7 , 2 0 0 5
White speaks on life issues
Daily Titan w w w. d a i l y t i t a n . c o m
Practice makes perfect
By julie kim Daily Titan Staff
By laura peltakian Daily Titan Staff
Marilyn White, founder and editor of Precious Times, an online magazine, spoke Wednesday in the Women’s Center at Cal State Fullerton on “Finding Your Purpose When All the Dots Are Not in a Row.” White described ‘dots’ as different goals and interests that one is working toward, and that these scattered dots can, in the end, form a straight line to your purpose in life. White said she became a successful black woman with a sports car and a condominium with a pool, Jacuzzi and tennis court. She added that she was on her way to becoming a politician until she realized her life didn’t have any purpose. “With all the success, I was still void,” said White. “I was successful, but I didn’t have my dots in a row.” This is when she said she began to re-examine her life. “I talked to a minister I knew and he told me that ‘whatever comes in, comes out.’ I realized it was garbage in, garbage out,” White said. “This is when I realized that they were not all wasted dots. There is no wasted time or wasted individual on your journey to find your purpose,” said White. “The interests you are following will eventually lead to your purpose.” White said she eventually found her purpose and established Precious Times, a contemporary online magazine dedicated to black, Christian women. “It doesn’t matter when you start,” said White. “It is the journey that leads you to your purpose.” She said purpose is something that you cannot breathe without. It is something you should have, even if you aren’t paid to have it. “Every conversation, every lecwhite 3
Online networking grows in popularity MySpace replaces Friendster as primary Internet hot spot
Web magazine editor lectures on how she got her dots in a row
james carroll/Daily Titan
BJ Vandrovic of the CSUF Pole Vault Team clips the rope in an attempted vault during a practice session Tuesday.
Vo l u m e 8 0 , I s s u e 6
The World Wide Web serves as a virtual playground with an abundance of entertainment, and for a growing number of people, the hottest spot to bookmark is MySpace. Co-founded in September 2003 by Tom Anderson and Chris DeWolfe, the site operates on the theory of six degrees of separation, the notion that everybody knows each other through five other people. Potential users can register for free accounts, create personalized web pages with HTML codes and add companions to their list of friends. “I like that you can have more than one picture and can design your page to express your personality,” freshman kinesiology major Kami Altar said. Users can re-connect with childhood friends, leave private messages for each other and even play games on the site. MySpace is one of the most visited sites on the Internet, according to comScore Media Metrix, an online traffic-measuring group. According to
Metrix, MySpace is eighth when it comes to page views, right behind such powerhouses as Google, Hotmail and AOL. By Anderson’s estimates, MySpace currently caters to 9 million registered users, and CSUF students – both former and current – make up a portion of that fan base. Alice Kim, a Cal State Fullerton radio-TV-film senior, said she signed up with other online forums, but prefers MySpace because “they have more users.” “I keep in touch with friends who I lost touch with after junior high” Kim said. “I can even keep up with old friends in other countries.” But MySpace isn’t the first Web site started with the intent of forming an online “social network.” Rather, there have been others sites, like SixDegrees, which was created in 1996. Then there was Friendster, once the golden child of the Internet and the site that some hoped would have the power to revive Silicon Valley after the dot.com bust. But while both have failed to attract new members, MySpace has seen a dramatic increase of active users since its inception. According to �������������������� Nielsen/NetRatings, another group that measures Internet traffic, in December 2004������������� , Friendster
had 16 million registered users, as opposed to MySpace’s 7.6 million. But the latter had more than five times the number of visits. In addition, the average page view on Friendster lasted less than 17 minutes compared to 78 minutes on MySpace. Titans like Altar and human services senior Julie Palmer, said they spend about four hours and at least two hours, respectively, on MySpace each day. There are many reasons that contribute to the popularity of this online community. One is that the Internet offers a countless number of pages where you can rate a user’s picture according to his or her attractiveness (HotOrNot and FindAPix), keep an online journal (Blogger, LiveJournal or Xanga), play computer games and listen to music. But MySpace conveniently offers it all for free in one readily accessible site. “I emphasized that we would become as big as a portal and compete on the level of a Yahoo, MSN or AOL,” Anderson said. “We want MySpace to be the place where people do everything they typically do on the Internet – e-mail, search, game, shop and so on.” Additionally, Anderson and myspace 4
Man’s best friend acts as therapy specialist St. Jude Hospital enlists pet expertise to aid patients By april miller Daily Titan Staff
Heads turn as Dr. Mo enters the lobby at St. Jude Hospital in Fullerton. Everyone’s attention is drawn to the blonde wearing a red bandana printed with white hearts. Dr. Mo mingles with the crowd in the waiting area. He’s never in a hurry. He has time for anyone who wants to talk to him or give him a pat. “You know, Dr. Mo didn’t exactly go to medical school,” said Matt Foster, the hospital’s guest relations manager. That’s true, but Mo did pass the Canine Good Citizen Test. You see, Mo is a golden retriever and “doctor” is an added nickname. He is one of the 15 dogs in the Therapy Dogs International program at St.
Jude Hospital that must be certified before seeing patients. Since 1996, St. Jude Hospital has used therapy dogs to give patients comfort and draw their attention away from what ails them. The dogs also give the patients something to talk about when friends come to visit. Visitors actually come out of hospital rooms to greet Mo as he meanders down the hospital corridor with his owner Bob Williams. “I wanted to share him,” said Williams. “He’s everyone’s friend.” “We love the therapy dogs,” said Becky Haslett, who was visiting her father. “It’s really nice. My dad’s not really a pet person and he loves it.” Not just any dog is cut out to be a therapy dog. Dogs must be at least one year old and must to allow strangers to approach and pet them, but not be distracted by noises from medical equipment, Foster said. The command “leave it” must be followed when walking past food
carts or anything interesting left on the floor, Foster said. The dog must also behave around other dogs, come when the owner calls and not jump on anyone, he said. As Dr. Mo and Williams stroll down the hospital corridors it’s hard to tell who enjoys them more, the patients or the nurses. On each floor Mo gets treats from the nurses-dog biscuits or a bowl of water with ice chips. “Mo likes his water shaken, not stirred,” Foster said as he placed a bowl of water with ice floating in it on the floor for Mo. Foster’s job is similar to that of a hotel concierge. He offers books, magazines and a movie list to patients. When a patient’s hearing aid battery died, he went to a drug store across the street to buy a hearing aid battery. And, he schedules the pet therapy dogs. People can call and ask for a dog to visit a particular room. “I take requests,” said Foster. “People say ‘go see my dad.’ But we also visit with anyone who sees
april miller/Daily Titan
Bob Williams reassures Sophia Byers it’s all right to pet Mo, the therapy dog, who visits St. Jude Hospital on Fridays. us and wants to see with the dog, while we are making our rounds.” Sometimes patients are sleeping during the 1:30 p.m. to 3:30 p.m. rounds, and aren’t disturbed. Each day a different dog comes
to St. Jude Hospital. Mo’s day is Friday. As Williams and Dr. Mo approach a room, Williams said, “knock, knock. I understand you like dogs. This is Mo, he wants to say hello.”
Students and faculty step up to ROTC challenge
Group fundraise for small charities
By nicole m. smith
By masha khalilifar
Cadets show off skills to grab campus attention, increase recruitment Daily Titan Staff
Standing before a man-made wall, Army officers offered students a challenge: climb to the top and win a prize — your pride and ego. And maybe a keychain. The gray wall with rubber handgrips was put in place around 9 a.m. Wednesday and served not as a means of recruiting soldiers, but more to inspire and challenge students, Staff Sgt. Bobby Hoops said. “I challenge people to challenge themselves,” said Hoops, who was assisting Cal State Fullerton’s Army ROTC. Upward of 50 challengers showed up before
1 p.m. to climb the 20-foot wall, which was erected in front of the Humanities Building, Hoops said. A buzzer sounding like a police car siren went off each time a participant made it to the top, drawing a modest crowd of interested onlookers. Men and women, both students and faculty, tested their strength. “I guess we’re being an equal opportunity employer,” Hoops said, smiling. As students curiously walked by during the between-class rush, Army recruiters called out to the crowd, seeking challengers. Some offered excuses and others stepped up and strapped on helmets and harnesses to climb the wall at varying degrees of difficulty. Junior communications major Matt Christl climbed the wall in about 90 seconds. “It looked like fun,” Christl said before heading off to his next class. Christl said he rotc
3
Volunteers collect donations for those with speech disorders Daily Titan Staff
eric tom/Daily Titan
Cadet Major Daniel Churchill, a member of the ROTC and a CSUF senior, performs an Australian repel off of the Humanities building Wednesday morning as part of a demonstration.
A cardboard box containing toothbrushes and children’s books sits next to the National Student Speech Language Hearing Association table this week in College Park, as cabinet members advertise the human communication studies club while fundraising for Communicative Disorders. “Our main goal is to fundraise,” said Nichole Fivecoat, a junior and communicative disorders major and co-president of NSSLHA. “We do [all this] so we can donate to the small-
er charities. Last year we donated $1,500 [to various organizations].” NSSLHA, according to the Fullerton chapter information sheets, has 11,000 members and over 294 chapters in various universities nationally, and is an organization that supports “the study of the normal and disordered human communication behavior.” Members of the club, which is overseen by the American SpeechLanguage- Hearing Association, set up a table near the Nutwood Café on Monday to promote awareness of their club and their fundraising efforts. After being contacted from the California Speech and Hearing Association, Fivecoat said the Fullerton chapter of NSSLHA helps nsslha 3
News
2 Thursday, February 17, 2005
News in Rief b
www.dailytitan.com
news@dailytitan.com • (714) 278-4415
Today
Time well spent
feb. 17, 2005
Iran, Syria to form ‘United Front’
Come support your Titans on the court. Watch the Titans try and stop the Vandals in the Titan Gym at 7 p.m. at the men’s basketball game. If 7 p.m. is past your bedtime hit up the tennis courts at 2 p.m. to cheer on the women’s tennis team against Loyola Marymount.
TEHRAN, Iran – Iran and Syria, who both are facing pressure from the United States, said Wednesday they will form a “united front” to confront possible threats against them, state-run television reported. “In view of the special conditions faced by Syria, Iran will transfer its experience, especially concerning sanctions, to Syria,” Mohammad Reza Aref, Iran’s first vice president, was quoted as saying after meeting Syrian Prime Minister Mohammad Naji Otari.
Pavel Steidl will hold a master class at Thorsen Hall in the Performing Arts Center at 7 p.m. Steidl is a widely acclaimed artist and has performed in over 30 countries. The cost is 10 bucks, 5 bucks with an advance Titan discount.
World
Iraq’s PM race goes to secret ballot
Engineering students will have the opportunity to network and obtain advice about their majors and future careers at the Alumni Mentor Luncheon. The Luncheon will be held form noon to 2 p.m. in the Golleher Alumni House.
BAGHDAD, Iraq – Top Shiite politicians failed to reach a consensus Wednesday on their nominee for prime minister, shifting the two-man race to a secret ballot and exposing divisions in the winning alliance. After hours of closed-door meetings, members of the United Iraqi Alliance agreed to hold a secret ballot to choose between Ibrahim al-Jaafari and Ahmad Chalabi, most likely on Friday, said Ali Hashim al-Youshaa, one of the alliance’s leaders.
Nation
Officials warn of future terror attacks WASHINGTON – Speaking with one voice, President Bush’s top intelligence and military officials said Wednesday that terrorists are regrouping for possible new strikes against the United States. They said the best defense was for Congress to approve the president’s military and anti-terror budget.
NHL cancels season over labor dispute NEW YORK – A hockey season on the brink is now a season gone bust. The NHL canceled what was left of its decimated schedule Wednesday after a round of last-gasp negotiations failed to resolve differences over a salary cap – the flash-point issue that led to a lockout. It’s the first time a major pro sports league in North America lost an entire season to a labor dispute. The resulting damage could be immeasurable to hockey, which already has limited appeal in the United States. Reports compiled from The Associated Press
elizabeth zuluaga/Daily Titan
Natali Jacobs-Manzano browses through an array of original handmade jewelry Wednesday afternoon.
Faculty
focus
Professor Siemens spent two years in Sudanese Azande By noura al anbar Daily Titan Staff
Ten years ago, Stephen David Siemens came to Cal State Fullerton wanting to explore the study of man as an anthropology professor. Siemens knew after graduating from Reed College in Portland, Ore. that he had to teach anthropology. Siemens has a passion for Africa and all its surrounding countries and hopes that he can one day return to his favorite field study location.
Check out Liang T. Chu from the University of Albany, NY. Chu will be in MH 468 at 4 p.m. teaching a seminar titled “Hetergeneous Reactions of HX + HONO and 12 on Ice Surfaces: Kinetics and Linear Correlations.”
Q: What was the worst job you had before becoming a teacher? A: (laughing) I hope I don’t embarrass anybody. I guess the very worst job I had was when I was just a kid. I delivered a weekly newspaper that was supposedly free but I had to ask people to make volunteer payments. I discovered at an early age that I dislike selling things. Q: What other schools have you worked at? A: UCLA, Mt. San Antonio College, Whittier College, Long Beach City College, Cal State San Bernardino and currently I teach at Northridge and [CSUF]. Q: Why did you choose to work at CSUF? A: Truthfully, I wasn’t being very choosy when I was looking for a job. But I like the wide range of courses offered to teach here.
Daily Titan File Photo
There is an active Anthropology Department as well as an active student anthropology group. Q: What classes do you teach? Which is your favorite and why? A: I teach Physical and Cultural anthropology, Contemporary American Culture, Comparative Aesthetics and Symbolism, Languages and Culture, Geography of Africa, Women in Cross-Cultural Perspective and my favorite is Traditional Cultures of the World. I get to teach about the Azande culture for five weeks in that class; that’s what makes me happy. Q: How many countries have you visited? Which is your favorite?
Daily Titan Editorial
Executive Editor Managing Editor News Editor Asst. News Editor Asst. News Editor Sports Editor Asst. Sports Editor Entertainment Editor Opinion Editor Features Editor Photo Editor Asst. Photo Editor Copy Editor Copy Editor Internet Editor Production Editor Production Editor Adviser
Marti Longworth Ryan Townsend Ryan McKay Ashlee Andridge Niyaz Pirani Josh Diggs Kevin Metz Kym Parsons Rudy Gharib Laura Gordon Shannon Anchaleechamaikorn David Pardo Brittany Kuhn Kim Stigertz Brian Ramuno Manuel Irigoyen Theresa Vergara Tom Clanin
Main Line (714) 278-3373 News Line (714) 278-4415
Editorial Fax (714) 278-4473 E-mail: news@dailytitan.com
advertising
Advertising Sales Director Classified Manager Promotions Manager Ad Production Manager Ad Production Designer Ad Production Designer Ad Production Designer National Sales Executive Account Executive Account Executive Account Executive Account Executive Account Executive Account Executive Distribution Distribution Business Manager/Adviser Main Line (714) 278-3373 Advertising (714) 278-4411
Kevin Cook Emily Alford Jackie Kimmel Seeson Mahathavorn Allyson Stifter Keith Hansen Theresa Vergara Maria Petersson Can Sengezer Jessica Leventhal Isidore Gregorio Rick Leon Vanessa Rumbles Isidore Gregorio Santana Ramos Daniel Lines Robert Sage Advertising Fax (714) 278-2702 E-mail: ads@dailytitan.com
The Daily Titan is a student publication, printed every Monday through Thursday. The Daily Titan operates independently of Associated Students, College of Communications, CSUF administration and the CSUF System. The Daily Titan has functioned as a public forum since inception. Unless implied by the advertising party or otherwise stated, advertising in the Daily Titan is inserted by commercial activities or ventures identified in the advertisements themselves and not by the university. Such printing is not to be construed as written or implied sponsorship, endorsement or investigation of such commercial enterprises. The Daily Titan allocates one issue to each student for free. Copyright ©2004 Daily Titan
Make your voice be heard at the CSUEU 2005 Campus Elections nominations meeting. From noon to 1 p.m. in UH-141A nominations can be made for positions including Chapter Officers, Campus Bargaining Reps and Chief Stewards.
A: I haven’t traveled a lot. I went to Alaska [and] Oregon. My favorite is the Sudanese Azande land where I lived for two years. I had a close personal relationship with the people there.
The mathematics department will be hosting the “Estimating Equation Approach for Regression Analysis of Failure Time Data in the Presence of Interval-Censoring.” HeeJeong Lim of Northern Kentucky University will be on campus at 3 p.m. in MH 480 for this Statistics Candidate Colloquium. 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
Thursday, Feb. 17 Few Showers Low 53°
65°
Friday, Feb. 18 Rain Low 52°
63°
Saturday, Feb. 19 Few Showers Low 51°
63°
Compiled from The Weather Channel
News
Daily Titan
white
news@dailytitan.com • (714) 278-4415 from page 1
ture you have, listen. Something in there will help you move forward,” said White. “Grasp whatever you can and store it.” Pamela Caldwell, faculty internship coordinator for the Communications and Radio/TV/ Film Departments at CSUF said, “Because she is living, breathing her purpose, people are put in her way that otherwise would not have been there.” White said that some people spend their whole lives working towards their interests because they are too scared to find their purpose. “If you do not do what you are called to do then you are wasting your time,” said White. “Then you got a bunch of people backed up behind you waiting for you so that they could start to work towards
nsslha
from page 1
fundraise for various charities. One place they have been working with is the Center for Children Who Stutter, which is on the CSUF campus and helps children and young adults cope with their stuttering. Having their first Cabinet Meeting two weeks ago, they decided it would be a “great idea” to get future members interested. “It’s a great way to get members involved,” said sdenior Shannon Phillips, who along with Fivecoat is the co-president of NSSLHA’s Fullerton chapter. “In our specific chapter we fundraise, we promote school unity and we act as a bridge between faculty and students.” Cabinet members of NSSLHA, who are mostly communicative disorder majors, are collecting toothbrushes and children’s books through today, as they promote their club to help make donations at the upcoming ASHA convention this April. NSSLHA is also offering a discount incentive to the $10 student membership fee for people who donate. “We are collecting toothbrushes and books to give to kids to promote good hygiene and literature,” said Lucia Cazares, a senior at CSUF and the treasurer of NSSLHA on cam-
their purpose.” White said her motto is to “fall forward at all times.” She said that you may drop a few people on the side, but you fall forward. There will be new friends and relationships forward. Interest flees, while purpose stays. Chyrel McLeod, president of Sistertalk at CSUF, said, “I’m like her. I have dots all over the place. I got my associate’s degree. Then I went to work. Now I came back to school to get my bachelor’s degree. I don’t feel alone anymore after hearing her story.” White said that women are multitaskers. “We are daughters, mothers, sisters and grandmothers. If we can do that, we can do anything.” Victoria Eley, a freshman, Afroethnic studies major at CSUF, said, “We are in college and being in college you see that it is all about making the money.” White’s story shows you what pus. “Anybody [who brings one or the other] gets a $2 discount on their membership fee.” Kristin Black, a junior speech therapy major, came with a toothbrush to show her support to the organization. “I heard about it last year, I should’ve joined [then],” she said, deciding to join up this semester. She also said she wants to learn more about the human communication field, and through NSSLHA she feels she can. The organization will have its first meeting of the semester today, and said they are feeling positive about their progress. “It’s a very active club,” said Terry Saenz, a human communication studies faculty member and adviser to NSSLHA. Phillips said they make banners and help plan activities for various events. Fivecoat said they do not want to limit their members to only human communication majors though. “We are more than willing to accept anyone wanting to help,” said Fivecoat. “We [all] need to give back.” In April, the organization will also have their biggest fundraiser, which will be a benefit concert during Communications Week. “It’s hard work, but the ability to help others is really rewarding,” said Phillips.
Thursday, February 17, 2005 3
Center educates about safe sex ‘Hey Titans, Cover Your Trunk’ campaign promotes awareness By joe santos
olivia portugal/Daily Titan
Marilyn White, editor of Precious Times, an online magazine for Black Christian women, was a guest speaker at the Women’s Center on Wednesday afternoon. happens when you do what you love, Eley said. “Everything may seem scattered but it eventually comes together in a complete circle.”
rotc
White said. “It is when your dots are not in a row that it gets exciting. I am doing what I was called to do and I love it.”
doing was a lot harder to climb,” Barafwala explained after he lost. He did make it to the top eventuenlisted in the Marines once, but ally. broke his arm in three places before The wall gave students a chance he had the chance to ship out. to briefly experience the life of an A handful of recruits stood around ROTC cadet. Girls were present offering encouragement and compe- and some did attempt to climb, but tition to any advenfor the most part, it turous challenger. was the boys who Jeffery Takli, a took on the chalWe repelled off senior accounting lenge. that building and finance major, Army ROTC about a month said he made a students repelled friendly bet with one down the face of and a half ago, but of the officers. the Humanities we left too many “I was going to Building earlier boot marks. get $5 for lunch if I in the morning, climbed up the left Staff Sgt. Tomas Tomas Moralez side [of the wall] in Moralez said. ROTC Staff Sergeant under 30 seconds,” “We repelled off Takli said after his that building about climb, sweating and slightly winded. a month and a half ago,” Moralez “But I didn’t make it.” said, pointing to McCarthy Hall, One student did accept a chal- “But we left too many boot marks lenge to race against Hoops, who on it.” was dressed in the business casual Army recruits sought to encourclass B uniform most importantly age and inspire all CSUF students to consisting of black oxford shoes. try something they may have never Taique Barafwala, a junior tried before, Hoops said. accounting major who said he served “I see some people get up there active military duty for two years and the look of defeat is already in and has been in the Marine reserves their eyes. Some people just need for the past five, stepped up to com- a little motivation,” Hoops said. pete, but came up short. “You’ve got math classes that are “The one [side of the wall] I was harder than this.” from page 1
“
”
Daily Titan Staff
For many students, whether they are single or in a relationship, sex is an important part of life. For those who remember the importance of preventing sexually transmitted diseases and unwanted pregnancy, contraceptives are an option that many turn to. There are various types of contraceptives available to sexually active students. Condoms and other types of “barrier” contraceptives are available over-the-counter, while hormonal methods, such as birth control pills, can be obtained through medical providers or clinics such as the student Health Center and Planned Parenthood. Although students may be well aware of the consequences of having unprotected sex, such as sexually transmitted diseases and unwanted pregnancies, constant education and available information about STDs and contraceptives is imperative. According to the American Social Health Association, one in five people in the United States has an STD, while one in four will contract an STD at some point in their lives. “The only effective protection against STDs is the condom,” said Stephanie Kight, vice president of marketing and development for Planned Parenthood. If condoms fail, an emergency contraceptive, like Plan B, may be used as a last form of defense against pregnancy. “The morning after pill, can be taken within 120 hours [of the unprotected sex] … the sooner you take it, the more effective it will be,” she said. In order to educate students about safe sex, the Health Center sponsors programs to educate students about the risks of unprotected sex. “We have two events and we’re
doing outreach on campus and a ‘Hey Titans, Cover Your Trunk’ campaign, which is a condom awareness campaign that includes handing out free condoms as well as STD testing information,” said Mary Hermann, director of health education and promotion at the Health Center. “We are also going to try to promote other aspects of sexual health, which includes abstinence, healthy relationships, safe sexual choices and safe sex, like using birth control and condoms to prevent the transmission of STDs.” Some students are hearing the message. “I would use a condom. I wouldn’t sleep with someone without one unless I was married,” said Nathan Gauer, a senior at Soka University in Aliso Viejo, “I think women have to think about it a lot more because there are other alternatives.” Information on different types of contraceptives is given on the Planned Parenthood Web site. Planned Parenthood provides birth control methods that can be obtained through a confidential, no-cost meeting with a clinician. Planned Parenthood also has a hotline (1-877-4ME-2ASK) in which people can speak to a health educator on everything from general information on safe sex and STDs to what can be done in certain sexual situations. The campus Health Center also provides contraceptives and information at no or little cost to students. “We have most types of hormonal contraception like the birth control pill, the Depo-Provera shot and also fit women for diaphragms,” said Hermann, “we also have a pharmacy that sells condoms at a very reduced price.” It cannot be stressed enough how important the use of protection and practicing safe sex is. “A lot of people still don’t think that using condoms is important. It’s really stupid to think that you’re invincible,” Gauer said. “We grew up with the AIDS epidemic in the 1980s; we should have learned something from that.”
4 Thursday, February 17, 2005
myspace
from page 1
DeWolfe continue to add new features to the site – something Friendster hasn’t succeeded in doing. “MySpace learned from Friendster’s mistakes,” said Professor Genelle Belmas of the CSUF Communications Department.
For example, one of its newest enhancements borrows Thefacebook’s idea of networking with fellow classmates. “Once you add your school, you can list your schedule of courses and find people in the same class as you,” freshman advertising major Shealyn Johnson said. MySpace enables a user to update his or her club list, search for used
News
news@dailytitan.com • (714) 278-4415 textbooks and even find apartments. In addition to all the features, MySpace Music offers a large source of music, boasting pages for 145,000 artists – from mainstream groups like the Black Eyed Peas to local indie bands, Anderson said. In fact, its membership is so strong that rock group R.E.M. pre-released their album “Around the Sun” on MySpace two weeks before their release date in the United States, wrote Frank ���������������� Ahrens, a writer for The Washington Post��. The site is so popular that several Titan organizations have their own separate pages. Calvin Nguyen, along with computer science senior Dahrmik Patel and alumnus Jimmy Lee, created a CSUF homepage while working in the Titan Lab. It may not be updated as much as it should be because of busy schedules, but “the page tries to bring the CSUF community together,” Nguyen said. Many students, including junior business administration major Sergio Zapata, attempt to sell textbooks on it; Altar posts upcoming Titan Tusk Force events to promote CSUF activities; and Kim occasionally goes on the page to respond to newcomers’ questions. “I also use Thefacebook and Friendster, but the server is slow,” Nguyen said. Other CSUF clubs with MySpace accounts are the Graphic Design Club and the Lesbian Gay
Bisexual Alliance. “So far, it’s done a pretty good job,” said Johnny Hsu, a fine arts senior and president of the Graphic Design Club. “Some people found about the club through the MySpace group.” But despite reviewers and its users’ praises, several local news stations have focused more on the dangers of online predators. Because MySpace has no age limit, many under-aged children often view explicit sexual images and adult content. “My friend’s [15-year-old] sister gets hit on by 24 - 25-year-olds,” Kim said. “These kids can make their own web pages, but MySpace makes it [graphic subjects] more accessible.” Anderson and his company of about 60 employees have tried to curtail the number of lewd images on the site. A full-time staff of moderators deletes nude photos, Anderson said. He added that it makes sense to take such caution since MySpace loses advertisement deals with sponsors like Target, Sony and Microsoft for unmoderated content. Parental monitoring and common sense seemed to be the general consensus of students. “It has nothing to do with MySpace. It’s a general online problem,” Palmer said. Anderson echoed the same sentiment: “MySpace is like a large metropolitan city. Any community with 9 million people is going to have its share of undesirables.”
www.dailytitan.com
Museum hosts royal exhibit Historic artifacts of legendary Queen of Sheba on display By leeann morrissey Daily Titan Staff
Questions still surround the Queen of Sheba. Was she a great queen who influenced culture and religion, or simply a legend that has survived centuries? Currently an exhibit on this mysterious queen is at the Bowers Museum in Santa Ana. There are six rooms dedicated to the history of the Queen of Sheba, ruler of Saba. On display are over 100 artifacts from ancient Southern Arabia, present day Yemen, with some artifacts that date back to sixth century B.C. These relics are from The British Museum and are temporarily visiting the Bowers Museum. “This is the first time the exhib-
it has been to the U.S. from The British Museum,” Director of Public Relations and Marketing at the Bowers Museum Rick Weinberg said. Weinberg explained that Bowers is the only museum in the country with a partnership with The British Museum and the Queen of Sheba exhibit is the first exhibit since the partnership began. Weinberg said that President Peter C. Keller and Bowers Chairman Don Kennedy made numerous trips to London to meet with Director of The British Museum Neil McGregor. “I felt privileged to see the exhibit since it’s only there for a certain amount of time,” said Courtney Pharis, a second-year child and adolescent studies major at Cal State Fullerton. “Queen of Sheba is a legendary historical figure that many people do not know about in full detail,” Weinberg said. “This exhibit gives more insight into if she actually existed or not.” “I thought she was a real person before I went to the exhibit, but now I don’t know,” said Christina Barbieri, a public relations major. Barbieri added that it is interesting not knowing if she was a real person. “I think she was real just because of how she seemed to be respected,” Pharis said. “The Queen of Sheba is a legendary figure referred to in the Old Testament as bringing riches to the court of King Solomon in Jerusalem,” Weinberg said in a written statement. Weinberg explained that Jewish, Christian, Ethiopian and Islamic traditions recognize the queen. Along with the Bible, the museum has various movie posters that demonstrate she is even an important icon in contemporary Hollywood culture. “It was so interesting. It was amazing to see ancient artifacts and how they have aged.” Pharis said. The Queen of Sheba exhibit lasts through March 13.