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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Sex offenses declining at CSUF Since 2002, numbers have fallen; national rates have risen By CHISATO KANEGAE Daily Titan Staff
Cal State Fullerton campus crime statistics show that school records differ from new statistics reported by the FBI. The FBI released a report find-
ing that, nationwide, the number of murders dropped for the first time in five years, according to the Associated Press. However, the number of rapes has steadily increased by less than one percent. On-campus records show that there is a different trend at CSUF. According to campus crime statistics, sex offenses have decreased since 2002. Including both forcible and non-forcible offenses, the statistics show that rape is one of the least common crimes on campus.
Last year, only one case of a forcible sex offense was reported. For three years, sex offenses have accounted for 9 percent of all recorded crimes committed on campus. “The crimes are reflective of the neighborhood and community,” Campus Police Lt. Will Glen said. “Our community is relatively safe.” Sgt. Tom Gehrls said one cause of increased rape cases might be the increase in awareness that women have of rape.
“More women may be reporting [the cases] and [going to] the programs offered,” Gehrls said. Gehrls said that in previous years, it was harder for women to report because they had to tell their story multiple times to police, investigators, prosecutors and others. Women had to revisit the incident every time they were asked to tell the story. “Now, thereʼs a vertical system where rape victims, investigators and police, and sometimes the D.A., work together,” Gehrls said. “So
victims tell the story only once.” Glen believes that programs, such as the Rape Aggression Defense System and groups such as the Sexual Assault Response Team, have a major effect in informing victims and others about rape issues. These programs help people decide what to do when they are raped, Glen said. “These programs boost their confidence, making it easier for rape victims to report the crime,” Glen said.
Titans warned to drink wisely Organizations stress safety during Alcohol Awareness Week
Halos’ bittersweet season wasn’t as heavenly as fans had hoped for; wait for spring begins
By MARIE O’NEIL Daily Titan Staff
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News New study shows denying financial aid to convicted drug users doesn’t deter substance use 3
News Faculty Focus: Sabrina Sanders prepares athletes for life’s challenges 2
Surf Report Huntington
1-3 ft. ankle- to waist-high and poor conditions.
San Clemente
1-2 ft. ankle- to knee-high and poor conditions.
Compiled from www.surfline.com
JUNNUN QUAZI/For the Daily Titan
Organizations use the display of a totaled truck to promote Alcohol Awareness Week – which intends to make students, such as philosophy majors David Quattrocchi and Janet Mar, think twice about drinking.
Story of changed death row inmate meant to spur debate By JENNY STAR LOR Daily Titan Staff
In his 24 years serving a death sentence, the co-founder of the infamous Crips gang, Stan “Tookie” Williams, says he has learned the error of his ways. The movie “Redemption” captures the evolution of Williamsʼ life: as a gang member to a several-time Nobel Prize nominee. The movie addresses the question of whether human beings are capable of change. Capital punishment is a long, unresolved subject. Opponents say a flawed system, executing the innocent, and having inmates learn to right their wrongs are the few issues present in this disputed topic. Movies such as “Redemption” are made in hopes of abolishing capital punishment. According to the Death Penalty Information Centerʼs Web site, there are 3,415 inmates on death row. Six hundred forty-eight of them are in California.
Crimes punishable by death in appeals.” Some students, such as Diana California are first-degree murder with special circumstances; train Ith, are against the death penalty. “I donʼt believe in the whole eyewrecking; treason; and perjury for-an-eye attitude,” said Ith, a child causing execution. According to an article in the Los and adolescent studies major. “Itʼs Angeles Times, taxpayers pay more not in the hands of human beings to than $144 million a year to keep kill other people.” But some are firm believers in convicts on death row. This cost does not include the court expen- capital punishment. ditures for post-conviction hearings “Criminals need to be proven in state and federal courts. guilty first,” business major Chris “We spend millions of dollars Essoe said. “If they are found guilty, to kill someone without a doubt, when we could they should also be putting money die.” Criminals need to be somewhere else According to a proven guilty first. to help the combrochure from the If they are found munity,” said Eric California People guilty ... they should DeBode, Southern of Faith Working also die. California coordiAgainst the nator for California Death Penalty, a People of Faith recent Columbia Chris Essoe Working Against University study Fullerton Student the Death Penalty. shows that Stacy Mallicoat, California has an an assistant professor of criminal 87 percent error rate in its convicjustice at Cal State Fullerton, said tions leading to the death penalty. there are two views to consider Since 1973, 102 death row inmates when talking about the costs to have been acquitted. Organizations such as the People house an inmate on death row. “Opponents believe the expen- of Faith are asking the governor for sive costs come from extended a moratorium on the death penalty trials,” she said. “Supporters say while the state conducts a study we need to reduce the number of of the flaws found in the death
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Raindrops keep fallin’
Today Showers 68º/54º
Officials say exam scores donʼt make or break applications Daily Titan Staff
Thursday Sunny 71º/54º Friday Sunny 74º/55º JAMIE FLANAGAN/Daily Titan
During heavy rain Monday, 34 traffic collisions were reported on Orange County highways, but the weather didn’t seem to bother Viridiana Badillos as she tiptoed through puddles on campus.
penalty. “We cannot have a flawed system when a human life is at stake,” said Jan Urban, an Orange County board member for the People of Faith. DeBode said studies show that race and class is a factor in the death penalty system. According to the Death Penalty Information Center, a recent study found that the race of the victim affected whether a defendant would be sentenced to death. The study found that there are more Latino and black victims of murder in California. But in death penalty cases, there are many more whitevictim cases than Latino- or blackvictim cases. Though Williams is reaching out to stop the damage he once helped create, some CSUF students feel his work is not enough to save his life. “Anyone can play that off,” Essoe said. “But the fact is, he did what he did. And if he gets off, it means that heʼs not being punished anymore.” DeBode said all killing is wrong. “Williamsʼ works have helped people,” DeBode said. “It is worth it to keep him alive.” Urban said Williamsʼ last appeal has been denied. His execution is set for Dec. 13.
Movie tells life story of reformed gang leader By JENNY STAR LOR Daily Titan Staff
To raise awareness of death row inmate Stanley “Tookie” Williamsʼ scheduled execution, the movie “Redemption” will run on Oct. 20 in the auditorium of the Motherhouse of the Sisters of St. Joseph in Orange. The Orange County branch of the California People of Faith Working Against the Death Penalty – a statewide organization with members from different religions dedicated to the abolishment of capital punishment – is sponsoring the event. MOVIE 4
GRE used to assess success By MARIE O’NEIL
Wednesday Partly Cloudy 71º/53º
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ALCOHOL 4
Film highlights death penalty controversy
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Saturday Sunny 76º/55º
Alcohol Awareness Week, and those involved, has ignited the desire in certain individuals to inspire students to take responsibility for their actions – drunk or not. Mary Hermann, director of health education and promotion for the Health Center at Cal State
Fullerton, worked with student leaders of Greeks Advocating Mature Management of Alcohol to put the week together. She said this weekʼs events are not meant to preach to students about not drinking, but to have students “go out there and tell other students” that there are responsible ways to drink. “Weʼre reminding students to be safe and just to make better decisions on whether they drink or who they drink with,” Hermann said. “Whatever someone does when theyʼre under the influence
The graduate record exam, commonly called the GRE, isnʼt the final say in whether students are admitted to graduate school, but itʼs still an important indicator of success, advisers say. “The theory of the GRE is that it would predict academic performance at the graduate level,” said Lenny Wiersma, assistant professor and interim graduate advisor of the kinesiology department at Cal State Fullerton. There are two types of tests: the general test, which consists of an analytical writing section, along with verbal and quantitative sections and can be taken on a computer or on paper; and the subject test, which includes eight subject areas.
“We will not eliminate anyone on the basis of their GRE scores alone,” Wiersma said. “If everything else on their application is strong, the GRE will not be a factor.” Wiersma said there is no minimum score for students applying to the kinesiology department graduate program because the GRE merely shows a “theory of performance,” and in reality, the test may not be the best predictor. In the psychology department, students arenʼt evaluated solely on their GRE scores, but also their grade-point average. “We use [the GRE] as part of our screening process,” said Kay Karlson, graduate secretary for the psychology department. “Itʼs an outside test.” Other programs, such as public administration, use the GRE when itʼs difficult to decide between two students. A GRE score can break a tie. Paul Peretz, coordinator for public administration and a professor of political science and public admin-
istration, said most schools use the GRE to, in lieu of doing extensive research, compare students who are applying to masterʼs programs. He spoke of a student who went to school in Turkey and was applying to a political science masterʼs program. Peretz said when other schools evaluate the education he received in Turkey, they can look at how well he did on the GRE. “In those kinds of cases, the GRE is helpful,” Peretz said. When a student takes the exam on the computer, he or she can get scores right away. “They can literally see their score on the screen when theyʼre done,” Wiersma said. “We then get a computer printout. It shows how a person scored and also indicates the percentage of students that scored lower or higher than them.” When a student registers to take the exam, he or she receives free study materials and an in-depth description of the test. EXAM 4