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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
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Pulitzer Gala raises $280,000 for hospital winner speaks on campus Annual event invites guests to view future of St. Jude Medical Center By Nicole M. Smith Daily Titan Staff
Biographer A. Scott Berg participates in Day of Authors held in TSU By April Miller Daily Titan Staff
The threat of thundershowers couldn’t deter over 500 people from attending the 13th annual Day of Authors held Saturday at Cal State Fullerton’s Titan Student Union. Invitations for the event, which is sponsored by the Professional Woman’s Auxiliary to the Assistance League of Fullerton, were sent out mid-January. It sold out within a week. “All of the authors donate their time,” said Barbara Eggert, an ALPHA member. “We give back about $25,000 to the community.” Biographer and Pulitzer Prize winner, A. Scott Berg, was the first speaker. His interest in biographies came about accidentally, he said. For an assignment in 10th grade, his teacher asked the class to write a 10-page report on an American author. “I was a true television idiot,” Berg said, adding that he didn’t know where to begin or the names of any American authors. A book about F. Scott Fitzgerald hooked him, he said. He read everything he could get his hands on about Fitzgerald at the Berg house and in the public library. Because Fitzgerald had gone to Princeton, Berg applied to Princeton. He wrote on the bottom on his application that he slept with a copy of “This Side of Paradise” under his pillow. “You have a glimmer of how obsessed I was,” he said. At Princeton he had access to all manuscripts and old letters of Fitzgerald’s. There he came across a series of letters from Maxwell Perkins to Fitzgerald, who he later wrote a biography about. “I’m 18 and dumb enough to think I can go through all this stuff,” he said. A professor advised him to write his thesis on Fitzgerald, even though he was a solid B student, Berg said. Berg said he passed, and in the threepage critique of his thesis it read: “Mr. Berg hasn’t written a thesis, he’s written the first part of a book.” For the next seven years, Berg worked on F. Scott Fitzgerald’s biography and lived at home, he said. He wanted to do a biography on Charles Lindberg, but Lindberg had requested that none of his documents be made public until 30 years after both he and Mrs. Lindberg had died. She was still alive at the time. Berg took a chance and started a letter campaign to Mrs. Lindberg, who didn’t reply to the first, second, third or even fourth letters. Eleven months later, he was sitting with the Lindberg family. Mrs. Lindberg gave him permission to look through the 2,000 boxes, stored at Yale University. He then met Katherine Hepburn and remained her friend for the next 20 years. She had two conditions upon which he could write her biography. First, no one must know he was writing it. Second, it had to be published as close to her death as possible. He did both. At the lunch break, after people had heard more authors speak, autogragh lines were long. People, some weighed down with books, went to back to their tables to listen to the last two speakers. Elizabeth George said she wrote her first novel in three and a half weeks. “For the longest time, I thought everyone had characters living in their heads,” she said. George has 13 novels to her credit and mentored the next speaker Patricia Smiley. Smiley said it took two and a half years to get her novel published. Her book, “False Profits,” made The New York Times’ Best Sellers list. “This is the best year ever,” Eggert said. “Barnes and Noble is giving back 25 percent of all books purchased. That’s unheard of.”
The “flagship of healthcare in North Orange County” set sail Saturday night at St. Jude’s premiere fundraising event as plans revealed the future of healthcare and the Fullerton community’s hospital. The St. Jude Gala, now in its sixth year, raised approximately $280,000 for the southwest patient tower scheduled to break ground in the coming weeks. Over 670 people were in attendance of the event, said Jenny Stewart, the director of annual giving at the St. Jude Memorial Foundation, the hospital’s fundraising arm. “The benefits of the new facility to the community are obvious,” said Bob Fraschetti, St. Jude’s president and CEO. “[St. Jude is] the entity the community looks to for their healthcare. We want to carry out our mission, which is to provide healthcare to the community.” As “a place for hope and healing,” the $90 million tower will house some of the most advanced technologies available in healthcare today, according to the St. Jude Medical Center Web site. The evening began with a cocktail reception at 5:30 p.m., allowing donors and guests to mingle and enter a raffle for a $1,000 shopping spree at the Brea Mall. Guests made their way into the Disneyland Hotel’s Grand Ballroom about an hour later for dinner at one of the more than 60 tables draped in gold satin tablecloths. Master of Ceremonies Garry Hobday welcomed patrons and introduced Fraschetti who then presented the St. Jude Award, which is given every year to an individual who demonstrates philanthropy through community service and financial support. This year’s recipient was Doris Winters. “I’m floored. I’m very honored,” Winters said before the presentation. “There are a lot of other people who are very deserving of this award. I think there
Nicole M. Smith/Daily Titan
Frankie Valli, the lead singer of the Four Seasons, greets fans and shakes hands with a woman in the audience while performing at the 6th annual St. Jude Gala on Saturday night. Proceeds will go to expansion of the hospital. is a good lesson to be learned.” After a few acknowledgments, a fourcourse meal was served. The clamor of plates and silverware echoed throughout the giant room as guests dined on filet mignon and grilled salmon. Before dinner was complete, Fraschetti returned to unveil the Campaign for Excellence. He said $22 million has already been raised toward the hospital’s goal of $50 million, which was set in 2002. The campaign would also allow the hospital to raise the remaining money to achieve its goal. “We want to create better healthcare, a better community and hopefully a better world,” Fraschetti said in his speech about the new campaign. “We have a commitment to curing disease and touching lives.” A video was shown that provided a virtual tour of the new five-story facility that is scheduled for completion in 2007. The new patient tower will include an expanded emergency department to better
accommodate the increasing population in Orange County. The tower will also house an advanced cardiac and vascular catheterization lab, a state-of-the-art critical care department, a maternity department plus new labor and delivery rooms. Construction of the tower is another step for the hospital that has been undergoing expansions, including the Knott Family Endoscopy Center, a skywalk that stretches across Harbor Boulevard, a new parking structure and the St. Jude Medical Plaza located across the street from the main campus. While some Fullerton residents express concern over the rapid growth of their city and fear the congestion such an influx of buildings and people will bring, they are encouraged to embrace the expansion of the hospital. “Fullerton is at a crossroad and it’s exciting,” Mayor Shawn Nelson said. “[City growth] is potentially perceived as negative, but it’s not realistic to think
we’ll preserve the status quo. I cannot think of a better reason to have these problems than the growth of St. Jude.” After the video presentation, the evening’s entertainment took to the stage: a widely entertaining performance by Frankie Valli and the Four Seasons. The ballroom became a karaoke lounge when Valli held the microphone to the audience, encouraging them to sing the chorus to his 1967 No. 1 hit, “Can’t Take My Eyes Off of You.” Valli got political with a tribute to America and the soldiers fighting in Iraq. “Maybe sometime we should get all these politicians together to fight a war,” Valli joked. The energetic performance of such hits as “Sherry,” “Big Girls Don’t Cry” and the title track from “Grease” allowed Frankie and the youth-infused Seasons to eventually ignite a crowd that packed the dance floor. St. Jude
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Volunteers help preserve endangered habitat Returning to Tern Island, activists restore nesting grounds for threatened birds By David Osborne Daily Titan Staff
On Saturday morning, 23 volunteers gathered at the Upper Newport Bay Ecological Reserve to help preserve and create a nesting habitat for the endangered California Least Tern. Matt Yurko, the restoration education coordinator of the California Coastal Commission, said the primary reasons for the event are to clear invasive vegetation and to entice more terns to nest on the island. He said if they can
attract a few pairs of birds to nest, then there is a good chance that more will follow suit. The event, which has been held annually for 15 years, is one answer to expanding development and ever-increasing human activities along the California coastline. Due to the growth, the available nesting habitats for the endangered bird have been greatly reduced and disturbed, Yurko said. In an effort to provide nesting areas, a sand island was created during the dredging of the Upper Newport Bay in 1983 and 1984. “This Tern Island, as we like to call it, was built intentionally for the purpose of providing nesting habitat,” Yurko said. Tom Fox, a volunteer with Upper Newport Bay Naturalists, agreed with Yurko’s assessments.
“We only saw 26 nests here last year, but I would like to see 100 nests this year,” Fox said. Fox, along with other volunteers from the Upper Newport Bay Naturalists, took part in leading the event. Terns lay about three eggs a year, on average, Fox said. The eggs are about the size of the tip of a person’s pinky and are almost identical in color to the sand they are nested in. Some of the volunteers questioned the possibility of accidentally stepping on a sand-camouflaged egg, but Yurko said that the island was previously inspected and no existing eggs were found. The volunteers were taken to the island across a plywood bridge sitting atop the bay ground exposed by low tide. Reasons for being there varied. Carleen
Cho, a junior biology major from UC Irvine, said with an embarrassed laugh that she came to make up a class she missed. “I do like doing this stuff though,” Cho said. “Our class usually plants shrubs and things like that over at the San Joaquin Marsh, so I like being able to help our environment.” Don Millar, an older volunteer with the Upper Newport Bay Naturalists, said while riding his bicycle through the Newport Bay five years ago he happened to stop at the Interpretive Center. “I decided to get involved at that point because it looked like a great thing to do,” Millar said. “We’re trying to basically undue some of the damage mankind has done to nature over the years.”
Memorial pays tribute to Fullerton alumni seek famous CSUF professor access to portal, network Faculty, students honor William Gudykunst with fond words and thoughts By Nadine Hernandez Daily Titan Staff
William “Bill” Gudykunst was a celebrity. Gudykunst, among numerous titles, was a professor of human communications and coordinator of Asian American studies at Cal State Fullerton. The Titan Student Union Theatre held a memorial for Gudykunst on Friday, on behalf of the Human Communication Studies Department. Despite the cold and wet weather, the theater was warm and sentimental. Guests flowed into the theater peacefully,
walking in to the tranquilizing sound of an oriental flute whistling in the background. A trail of CSUF faculty and former students of Gudykunst gave speeches, some paying their respects through tears and laughter. Gudykunst seemed so well admired at the memorial, it would not be unusual for someone to assume he was still alive. The setting reflected Gudykunst’s fondness for Buddhism and the belief that life goes on even after death. “Bill has this journey all planned out. He knows where he’s going, how he’s getting there and what he’s going to do when he arrives,” said Jeanine Congalton, a professor of human communications studies. Gudykunst had personality to go along with his professionalism. Besides being a professor, Gudykunst was memorial
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Graduates look to keep in contact with friends, search for career options By Nick Cooper Daily Titan Staff
The Alumni Association and the Career Center launched a joint project to establish an alumni portal and extend access to Career Center services. The portal will be officially launched in the March issue of Titan Magazine. The Alumni Association prepared a mailer that will be sent to all alumni explaining the portal and how to register, said Yvete Bugarini, the associate director of marketing and communications for the association.
“Alumni reaction has been really great,” Bugarini said. “I know that even before the unofficial launch hit, we had about 51 people sign on.” The new portal offers alumni a way to reconnect with old friends from college and network among other alumni of CSUF. “The big thing is that people want to connect with alumni and friends they had while they were here at college,” Bugarini said. The alumni portal offers two ways to connect with CSUF’s alumni population. The first is an email function that will forward emails via the portal to other alumni, and the second is an alumni directory. The directory is an opt-in directory where alumni can supply as little or as much personal alumni
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M A RC H 7, 2005
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Sigma Tau Delta, the English Honors Society, is having its first meeting today in University Hall, room 202 at 7:15 p.m. Attendees can learn about membership, upcoming events and current volunteer projects.
Ex-hostage disputes U.S. on Iraq shooting
The Women’s Center presents “One In Four,” a sexual assault prevention program. The program will explore the definition of rape, psychological dynamics of rape and suggestions for helping a rape survivor. The program will take place in University Hall, room 205 between noon and 1 p.m.
ROME, Italy – Left-wing journalist Giuliana Sgrena claimed American soldiers gave no warning before they opened fire and said Sunday she could not rule out that U.S. forces intentionally shot at the car carrying her to the Baghdad airport, wounding her and killing the Italian agent who had just won her freedom after a month in captivity. An Italian Cabinet member urged Sgrena, who writes for a communist newspaper that routinely opposes U.S. policy in Iraq, to be cautious in her accounts and said the shooting would not affect Italy’s support for the Bush administration.
Rockefeller Foundation Grant winner Sylvie Covey will be displaying her work at the Grand Central Art Center. Covey’s art has been featured in The New York Times, The Washington Post and various illustrated books. For more information about the exhibit, call (714) 567-7233.
Hezbollah mobilizes supporters for Syria BEIRUT, Lebanon –The militant group Hezbollah switched gears Sunday and threw its weight behind Syria and its allies – calling for massive rallies in Beirut to show loyalty to Damascus. The move could prove crucial: The Iranian-founded, anti-Israeli Shiite Muslim group, which the United States calls a terrorist organization, has emerged as a key player during Lebanon’s latest slide into political instability – capable of tilting the balance either in favor of the pro-Syrian government or the anti-Syrian opposition.
Iraqis set opening for new parliament BAGHDAD, Iraq – Iraqi politicians set March 16 for the opening of the country’s first democratically elected parliament in modern history as a deal hardened Sunday to name Jalal Talabani, a leader of the minority Kurds, to the presidency. The more powerful prime minister’s job will go to Ibrahim al-Jaafari, a deeply conservative Shiite who leads the Islamic Dawa party. His nomination, which the Kurds have agreed to, has been endorsed by the most powerful Shiite cleric in Iraq – Grand Ayatollah Ali al-Sistani.
Sony might shake up top management TOKYO, Japan – Sony Corp. is considering changes to its top executive ranks on Monday, amid growing fears about the Japanese manufacturer’s ability to improve results at its faltering core electronics business. Sony officials refused to comment on media reports that Nobuyuki Idei, chief executive and chairman, will step down and be replaced by Howard Stringer, the chairman and chief executive of Sony Corp. of America. Stringer also serves as Sony’s vice chairman.
Nation GOP, democrats spar over retirement age WASHINGTON – A leading Republican senator is proposing to raise the Social Security retirement age from 67 to 68, while Democrats maintain their opposition to the president’s plan to overhaul the retirement program with private investment accounts. Nebraska Sen. Chuck Hagel’s plan would raise the age that retirees could receive full benefits, beginning in 2023. “We are living longer,” Hagel said Sunday on CBS’ “Face the Nation.” “So when you look at the total universe of this, I think that makes some sense to extend the age.”
Gabriela alonso/Daily Titan
Cal State Fullerton students mingle in the lobby of the Peforming Arts Building on Thursday. Construction to expand the building, and CSUF’s program itself, is currently underway.
Cop
Blotter
02/28 10:00
Police responded to a suspicious person in the Performing Arts Building. It was reported that an irate woman was screaming about a professor on the first floor.
02/28 14:37
Graffiti was reported at the Ruby Gerontology Center. A report was taken.
03/01 08:20
A faculty member reported a suspicious lunch pail in the Visual Arts Center. It was reported that the lunch pail was unusually oversized and was left unattended. Everything checked out OK.
03/01 15:53
University Police log for the week of Feb. 28-March 5 not making sense when she spoke. A report was taken.
03/01 20:34
Police were unable to locate a couple that was reported as having a verbal dispute near University Hall.
03/02 10:07
A disturbance was reported at the Pollak Library. A woman told police that she was clearing her throat when another woman told her to “shut up.” Police were unable to locate the suspect.
03/02 16:09
A vehicle license plate was stolen. It was reported as petty theft.
03/02 16:31
Local
A traffic accident involving a vehicle and a pedestrian occurred on Langsdorf Drive and Nutwood Ave. The victim was taken away in an ambulance.
Disneyland to re-open indoor coaster
03/01 19:39
03/02 20:43
ANAHEIM – Disneyland will reopen Space Mountain this summer after a two-year overhaul. The indoor roller coaster was 26 years old and its track needed major work when it was closed in April 2003. It will debut on July 15 and will sport new special effects and a Mars themed “launch port.” “It’s a birthday gift for our fans,” said Matt Ouimet, Disneyland Resort president. Disneyland Resort officials also released numbers Friday that show the resort generates $3.6 billion of economic activity in Southern California and supports 65,700 jobs.
Daily Titan
Reports compiled from The Associated Press
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Police responded to a call from a faculty member who felt uncomfortable due to woman who was hanging outside of a classroom long after the class ended. The woman was reported as acting erratic and
St. Jude
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“I’m really thrilled we were invited to come do this,” Valli said of the performance. “I’m blessed to have had my success last as long as it has and that people still come out to see us. It’s nice to see people coming together to do something great in the world.” After the production, guests were invited to stay for dancing with music provided by the Orange County High School of the Arts student and faculty ensemble. As the evening closed, Stewart celebrated the efforts of the community volunteers who worked with her under the leadership of the St. Jude Memorial Foundation to make the evening possible. Overall, the event, which is produced each year through a collaboration of the St. Jude Medical Center and community service group Damas de Caridad, was a success. “It was successful because we announced the new campaign and we had a lot of people,” Stewart said. “Everything went as planned. We had a good time and lots of fun. But I’m just glad it’s over.”
Police responded to a call for medical aid when it was reported that a woman was sick in a hallway. Everything checked out OK.
03/03 12:06
Police responded to a parking dispute in the College Park parking lot. The driver of a blue Chevrolet truck blocked one-way traffic and refused to move. No threats were made.
03/03 14:25
There was a hazardous material call made to police because of a strong odor of natural gas. The situation was resolved.
03/04 09:27
A suspicious vehicle was checked out in Lot G. It was reported that the trunk of the car was open and no one was around. Police secured the trunk.
03/05 00:26
Police assisted a security guard who was attempting to break up several individuals who where partying in the Quad.
Get your on-campus work out at “Gutts, Butts and Thighs” at 12:10 p.m. in KHS 203, or “Freestyle Aerobics” at 5:30 p.m. It’s family bowling night in the Titan Student Union’s Underground. Children 6 and under bowl free with each paying adult. Children ages 7 to 17 play free every other game with a paid adult between 5 p.m. and 8 p.m. Party with the band like it’s 2055. For a $5 parking fee, jam with the LEMUR orchestra, a quintet of musical robots, at the Beall Center for Art and Technology on 712 Arts Plaza in Irvine. 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
Monday, March 7 Sunny Low 54°
76°
Tuesday, March 8 Sunny Low 56°
78° 78°
Police were unable to locate a suspicious person outside of Admissions and Records who was reported as having a gun in a holster. Witnesses said the suspect seemed nice.
03/05 10:57
A verbal disturbance occurred when bus drivers refused to leave the parking lot because they had nowhere else to park. Everything checked out OK.
Wednesday, March 9 Mostly Sunny Low 58°
memorial
will always be remembered by me.” To put Gudykunst’s high-voltage popularity under the microscope, students can type “Gudykunst” into the CSUF search engine and be able to find dozens of links pertaining to him and his accomplishments. Gudykunst had a way of encouraging his students to do better in their studies. “‘Stupid, stupid, stupid,’ was written on one of my assignments returned to me by Gudykunst,” Lee said. “He would also write, ‘B.S.’ on my papers.” Gudykunst was also a tour guide. “Bill gave me my first social outing to the African market place in
L.A.,” said Toya Wyatt, a professor of human communications studies. “Hmm, I thought, a white guy taking me to a black thing?” Wyatt said, laughing. Her laughter turned to tears when she said Gudykunst was once frantically looking for a tape of Martin Luther King’s “I Have A Dream” speech. He had asked her if she had an extra copy. “Unfortunately I didn’t,” Wyatt said. “I was going to give him a copy of the speech I was able to get on C.D. just before he died, but it was too late,” she said. “I never had the chance to give it to him.”
search for jobs and access all of the Career Center services. “We think of alumni as first possible employers,” said Jim Case, the director of the center. “One of the things we do is work with alumni to list their jobs and other opportunities, so when they try to hire someone, they think of a Titan. Second, we assume there are some alumni who are either changing jobs or re-entering the job market.” A future goal of the project is to use technology and have a bank of alumni
who would be willing to give their time to students about their potential careers and to interact with students about their career options, Case said. “We try to put things on the calendar that will bring alumni back to campus,” Faris-Pen said. “I think the baseball players have more fun if the stands are full and the theater people have more fun if the audience is packed. Not only that, but also more money for our programs. The more alumni that participate, the happier everyone is.”
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an author, co-author and adviser, said Peter Lee, a former graduate student. A slideshow above the theater’s stage displayed photographs of Gudykunst with friends, family and his dog, Woopie. “If you got to know Bill, he was a teddy bear,” said Rick Pullen, the dean of the College of Communications. Pullen said he got to know Gudykunst’s good side. “People might think of him as having a gruff appearance,” Pullen said. “But most of all, he had a heart of gold when others were hurting. He
alumni
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information as they want to share, said Sheila Faris-Pen, the director of web communications for the office of University Advancement. “The alumni directory is mostly a listing of who graduated and their degrees,” Faris-Pen said. Along with the portal, alumni can now access career center services after they graduate. For a subscription fee of $50 for six months, alumni can
Compiled from The Weather Channel