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
DAILY TITAN
Tu e s d a y, O c t o b e r 4 , 2 0 0 5
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Officials say state ready for disaster
Family support
Sports
Doing double duty
Critics concerned about ability to respond with limited Guard resources By DANIELLE TORRICELLI Daily Titan Staff
Marlene Sandoval is a standout at CSUF and plays for the Mexican National Team 6
News What started as a joke became a backwards way to bypass censorship 4
JAMES CARSON DAY/Daily Titan
News ALS Association encourages people to walk to beat Lou Gehrig’s disease 4
Surf Report Huntington
1-2 ft. ankle- to knee-high with occasional 3 ft. and poor-fair conditions.
San Clemente
1-2 ft. ankle- to knee-high and poorfair conditions. Compiled from www.surfline.com
Weather Tuesday, Oct. 4 Sunny 82/58º Wednesday, Oct. 5 Sunny 86º/58º Thursday, Oct. 6 Sunny 90º/60º Friday, Oct. 7 Sunny 82º/58º Saturday, Oct. 8 Sunny 77º/59º Compiled from The Weather Channel
Vo l u m e 8 1 , I s s u e 1 9
Hurricane evacuee Josh Brown, 8, holds his 1-month-old cousin, Eindale King, so Eindale’s mother can clean up their living space at the Houston Astrodome. See related photo essay on Page 3.
It starts with a slow, deep rumble. The vibrations creep nearer and nearer, and the rumble erupts into a roar. The ground begins to rock and the books start to fall off shelves. A minute later, when the tremors still havenʼt ended, one thing becomes clear: The “big one” has hit California. With the recent hurricanes ravaging the Gulf Coast, the cracks in the infrastructure of local, state and federal government preparedness for major natural disasters are coming to light. As America fights a costly war overseas, focus is being brought back to the home front. More than 25 percent of Californiaʼs National Guard is overseas, said Capt. Mirtha Villarreal of the California National Guard. With that many guardsmen deployed, would local and state governments be capable of handling a major natural disaster like an earthquake? Dale Chessey, a representative for the California Governorʼs Office of Emergency Services, says it can. This emergency agency coordinates the stateʼs response to all major disasters and emergencies to support local governments. “We donʼt deplete our resources to a point where we canʼt respond” to an emergency, Chessey said. When local resources reach their capacity during an emergency, they resort to state resources, Chessey said. Usually, the National Guard is called in at that point. In addition to the Guard, other agencies – such as the Coast Guard and neighboring fire departments
– help out as well, Chessey said. “It probably will affect an emergency response because weʼre missing 25 percent of capability somewhere and weʼre at least 25 percent short of handling [an emergency situation] properly,” said Joseph Sherif, a professor of information systems and decision science at Cal State Fullerton. Even with 6,200 out of 20,000 guardsmen deployed overseas, the state has enough means available to cope with natural disasters, according to the California National Guard. During the 1992 Los Angeles riots, the city used 12,000 National Guard troops. “We are manned to react to state emergencies and have resources in place to have neighboring states help citizen soldiers,” Villarreal said. The Emergency Management Assistance Compact is an agency created for that purpose. The agency coordinates the Federal Emergency Management Agency, National Guard units and state governors, Arizona National Guard Capt. Paul Aguirre said. For instance, when a state needs emergency assistance, they put requests for specific units – such as a medical team or a transportation team – into a database. The database matches one stateʼs needs with anotherʼs available resources. “Forty-eight states are now joined [to the agency],” Aguirre said. The number increased to 49 on Sept. 21 after Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger signed a bill incorporating California into the agency. However, states may be relying on assistance from other states that do not experience the same disaster – a concern Sherif said he has about the program. For instance, if an earthquake struck California, Florida might be deployed to help out and they may have no or limited knowledge about earthquake relief.
Center provides childcare for Titan tots CSUF campus offers student parents place for kids while in class By VALERIE SWAYNE Daily Titan Staff
For students straining to pay for their education as well as the costs associated with raising children, Cal State Fullerton offers an affordable option for child care.
Of 11,239 independent students, abot 360 single parents and 195 students married with children were considered for financial aid in 2004-05, according to financial aid statistics. The Childrenʼs Center, founded in 1971 by students with the support of the Associated Students Inc., serves 175 children – ages 2 to 5 – of students and faculty members. “All of us depend on good parenting for our society,” said Betsy
Gibbs, director of the Childrenʼs Center. “We are in the business of helping parents so that they can raise responsible, productive and healthy adults and to help fulfill their own educational dreams.” According to a recent survey, 88 percent of people who use the Childcare Center are students – with 8 percent of families having both parents in school. Ages range from 18 to over 45, and the majority of parents are in their 20s. Sixty-four percent of parents
surveyed are married. “It was really hard in the beginning, since my husband was [out of state] on active duty in the military,” said Theresa Munoz, a child- and adolescent-studies major. “It was hard finding time to study while working and taking care of my daughter.” Even with the support of her parents, it was tough as a firsttime mom without her husband. When Munozʼs daughter, Catalina, was 6 months
New political play swings left Democratic organization stages musical, aims to raise political awareness By COURTNEY BETH PUGATCH Daily Titan Staff
With the California special election less than a month away, one organization has taken on the role of entertaining and educating voters with a satirical play in hopes of defeating several ballot measures with a satirical play. “The play is called ʻThe Buck Stops Hereʼ and is aimed at history buffs and those who are familiar with current events,” said Carol Lutness, the director and playwright of the play. “We want to target the progressive crowd or those who arenʼt satisfied with the current shift in power. Our main goal is to educate and entertain at the same time.” The play is sponsored by the Democrats for Better Government political action committee. It is the story of a small band of Democrats, progressives and union workers on a quest to unseat their Republican nemeses and save California from the grips of the Governator and the country from right-wing extremists. The production
is a combination of dancing, laughter discussion of issues. The residents of and 12 musical numbers, Lutness said. California are becoming complacent in While the play has yet to premiere, their beliefs, and theyʼre unwilling to it is receiving criticism from many do anything about it, she said. Republicans based on material covered Her target audience is the college and the way Lutness and her company crowd, who can have a large effect on go about doing so. elections and who usually donʼt vote. Men dressed in pink ball gowns are When asked about the play, several called “The Pink Slips.” They break Cal State Fullerton professors agreed out into musical numthat it might be benbers once someone is eficial for students to fired. It also displays see it. the local Republican “Cal State Our main goal is Congressional repreFullerton students to educate and sentative in a less-thanshould see this musientertain at the cal for two reasons,” perfect light. same time. said Nancy Snow, a “Regardless of how CSUF communicatheyʼre advertising it, Carol Lutness tions professor who this is still a disguised Playwright also specializes in political campaign that political science. is done by extreme, left“The first is that it wing advocates,” said Mark Buchar, treasurer of the Orange sounds funny, and the second is that itʼs County Republicans. “However, we a great way to experience local theater. realize that theyʼre entitled to their own The show could be offensive to some viewpoints and have every right to do people, but itʼs addressing politics and as they please, even if it is silly and local issues, which are two things we all should be worried about.” very exaggerated.” “The Buck Stops Here” premieres Despite the criticism received, Lutness still wants to have her play tonight at 8:30 p.m. at the Fake Gallery Theatre in Los Angeles, and will play reach as many people as possible. “Any discussion is good regarding every Tuesday in the month of October. More information can be found at www the issues,” Lutness said. One goal of this play is to begin a .thebuckstopshereshow.com.
old, Munoz enrolled her in the Childrenʼs Center program. She heard about it from a friend when she transferred from Irvine Valley College. “This center is good for student parents; theyʼre very supportive,” Munoz said while researching a biology assignment online. “That was a big relief, knowing that sheʼs in good hands and sheʼs close by on campus while Iʼm CENTER 4
Guilty handed
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GABRIEL FENOY/Daily Titan
The keyboard player, Francis “Bubba” Sanchez, joined the members of “The Guilty Parties” to play in Becker Amphitheater on Wednesday.