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
THE DAILY TITAN W E D N E S D AY, M A R C H 1 , 2 0 0 6
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SPORTS
OPINION
CSUF Equestrian Club team ponies up this weekend Page 6
College funding slighted because students donʼt care Page 4
Students Military Recruitment Methods Questioned on Brink of New A Some say ROTC enlistments target Latinos By Jaime Cárdenas
Daily Titan Staff Writer
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Student analyzes a scientific theory relating to oxidative stress By Nohemy Martinez
Daily Titan Staff Writer
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he College of Natural Sciences and Mathematics is providing Cal State Fullerton students like Kira Lindwall an opportunity to introduce new information to the scientific community through individual research on theories previously untested. Lindwall, 21, a senior studying chemistry and biochemistry, is one of more than 300 students in a program that prepares students to work in scientific fields. Under the close supervision of CSUF faculty members, Lindwall is analyzing a scientific theory relating to the study of oxidative stress. Oxidative stress, Lindwall said, causes damage to cells when large amounts of oxygen are retained within the cells. Oxidative stress occurs daily, but the majority of encounters are due to air pollution, radiation and pesticidesʼ contaminating the oxygen one breathes, Lindwall said. She added that oxidative stress attacks enzymes containing iron sulfur clusters. “Oxidative stress has been linked to various diseases including Parkinsonʼs disease and Alzheimerʼs disease,” Lindwall said. Lindwallʼs research includes testing microscopic worms known as Caenorhabditis elegans, or C. elegans. Forty percent of C. elegansʼs genetic material is similar to humans. Lindwall exposes the worms to different environmental settings and monitors their life span. In addition to studying the aging and egg production of C. elegans, Lindwall is also exposing the worms to levels of manganese metal. Part of Lindwallʼs study is to analyze the effect of manganese on C. elegans and examine whether it reduces the harmful effects of pollution. Lindwall said the correlation between oxidative stress and manganese performing as an antioxidant is still a study that needs to be further researched because C. elegans, although 40 percent compatible, carry a 60 percent variation. The complexity of the research is what attracted Lindwall to the field of science. “I have a passion for science, interest in discovery and exploring the human body,” Lindwall said. “You make great contributions to society and humanity.” Lindwall, who lives in Yorba SEE LINDWALL = PAGE 3
Songha Lee/Daily Titan
MARCHING IN THE NIGHT: ROTC cadets jog from early morning to the break of dawn during a weekend training exercise fall semester.
E-Books Offer Alternative Titan Shops offers digital textbooks to students at a cheaper price By Elizabeth Simoes
Daily Titan Staff Writer
To combat the rising cost of textbooks for students, a new money saving option has hit the marketplace. Students can bypass buying hardcover and paperback books altogether with e-books, a new form of digital technology in which entire books can be downloaded onto a computer and viewed on the screen. E-books were sold for the first time at Cal State Fullerton last semester. Students can find an e-book initially as a card sold on the shelf alongside regular textbooks. When the student buys the card at the register, it is activated online through a central server in Titan Shops. “There are a couple of safeguards
to make sure the person who bought the card is the one who uses it,” said Omar Iftikhar, management information systems director at CSUF. Students finish the activation process at home by providing the skew number, card number, receipt code and scratch-off code on the card. Once the activation process is complete, students can download the book on up to five different computers. “Students can download it on their PC to use at home and their laptop to use at school,” Iftikhar said. Students bought a total of 10 ebooks in Titan Shops last semester. The number rose to 97 this semester. While the digital books are 45 percent cheaper than their paper counterparts, some cons have developed regarding the change, Iftikhar said. “I think the biggest issue is practicality,” Iftikhar said. “With the ebook you canʼt carry it with you.” Once the e-book is downloaded
SEE E-BOOKS = PAGE 2
Buildings Awarded for Design CSUF buildings are awarded for their architectural designs By Lisa Maiorana
Daily Titan Staff Writer
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al State Fullertonʼs Arboretum Visitors Center and Steven G. Mihaylo Hall have been recognized as “outstanding works in progress” by American School & University Magazineʼs 2005 architectural portfolio. Dougherty and Dougherty Architects designed the Arboretum Visitor Center, and Hellmuth, Obata
and Kassabaum Inc. designed Steven G. Mihaylo Hall – future home of the College of Business and Economics. The magazine allows entries in the spring and welcomes architectural firms, schools and universities to submit a project. An independent jury comprised of both architects and university facility personnel review all projects, said Molly Roudebush, senior marketing manager of the magazine. “Citations winners are awarded and ʻOutstanding Buildingsʼ are selected to appear in the November Architectural Portfolio issue,” Roudebush said. In order to receive this award the following criteria must be met: costeffectiveness, community functional-
NEWS
BASKETBALL
DEALING WITH DEBT
Lady Titans trek to Davis this weekend, take on Aggies
Students deal with loans, credit cards and low paying jobs
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ity, security, safety, innovation and sense of place. Once all guidelines are checked off the jury decides, out of several entries, which designs will be identified in the magazine. “It is truly a high honor to be selected at the national level and to have your work shared with others as outstanding,” architect Brian Dougherty said. In addition to being acknowledged by the magazine, Dougherty and Dougherty along with Greg Dyment, director of the Arboretum, and Michael Smith, director of design and construction, received a “Best Practice” in “Best Overall Design” SEE AWARD = PAGE 3
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onto a computer, students can highlight certain words or phrases on the screen and print out pages and chapters. Except for the restrictions of one publisher, students have the ability to print out the whole book and the printing is unlimited. Iftikhar said students would have to be more organized when using e-books. “If you know you have to bring a chapter to class, you have to print it out ahead of time,” he said. Despite the new electronic form, some students like to stick to what they are accustomed to. “Students prefer textbooks in hand,” said Sabrina Rogers, kinesiology major and warehouse associate at Titan Shops. “You can print a chapter at a time, but most students donʼt want to print out a whole book on their printer.”
ith enlistment numbers on the decline as the War on Terrorism continues the U.S. Army has stepped up its efforts to recruit Latinos to join the military. Cal State Fullerton ROTC recruiter Capt. Robert Medina, however, says specific targeting of Latinos, or of any other ethnic group, is not happening on campus. Still, some students and faculty feel otherwise. Most of the controversy is revolving around mass e-mails that Medina sent to students. Gabriel Cuevas, a Spanish major, said the surnames on the e-mailʼs recipient list were all of Latino origin. Medina and ROTC officers at other schools have access to studentsʼ e-mail addresses, telephone numbers and home addresses due the 1996 Solomon Amendment which Medina said, “allows recruiters fair and adequate access” to a studentʼs personal contact information. “I find it completely inappropriate,” said Chicano Studies Professor Alexandro Gradilla, who is currently at the beginning stages of a study that shows the decline of male Latinos at schools. “The military doing this campaign will only worsen the disappearance of Latino males on campus.” Medina, who is of FilipinoAmerican descent, said he e-
SEE ROTC = PAGE 2
Stock Market Simulation Pays
Stock simulation provides real world financing experience By Jessica Escorsia
Daily Titan Staff Writer
sum, according to the Web site. The simulation began Monday and will run through early May. Stock Market Simulation coordinator Barbara Sideri said 437 teams are currently signed up and a few more are expected to join this week. “Itʼs a hands-on way to see what itʼs like to buy stock and trade it,” Sideri said. She said there are two major U.S. companies that provide the trade processing system, “Stocktrak” from Georgia and the “Stock Market Game” from New York. CSUF has committed to using “Stocktrak” because it has proven to be a reliable platform, Sideri said. The simulation produces more high school teams than anything else, and CSUF students have yet to enter a team, Sideri said. Although CSUF runs the simulation, the program is not really marketed towards its own students,
For the 11th consecutive year, the Center for Economic Education will offer a stock market simulation to let students get involved in something they might not be too familiar with: Trading $100,000 on the open market. The simulation runs every semester, and is designed to promote interest in economics and current events, according to the Web site. Teachers are able to sign up students from middle school to colleges on teams of three to five members for the 10-week event. Teams are then given $100,000 in computer money to trade stock and mutual funds. At the end of the 10-week period, the teams with the highest portfolio value are awarded a small monetary SEE STOCKTRAK = PAGE 3
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mails the entire student body in general, not just one specific group. “There is no downright effort to recruit from a specific ethnicity or gender,” Medina said. “I would like there to be more diversity. The Army ROTC should reflect the population of its area.” With 72 students enrolled in the program this semester, and 50 already committed for commission upon graduation, Medina says the program does reflect the campusʼs diversity. Medina didnʼt have a breakdown of the enrolled studentsʼ racial or ethnic background. Medina suggested students whoʼve received e-mails from the ROTC and wish to stop receiving them should update their profiles on Titan Online or at admissions and change “their access category to one of the more restricted levels.” A reply to his e-mail wonʼt do it, he said. “I get the mass e-mails and I see the names. I know what it means, but I just delete them,” said Cuevas, who was in the Navy Reserves and is now president of CSUFʼs Asociación de Alumnos y Ex-Alumnos de Español. “I did my time, and Iʼm done with that.” After graduating high school in 1997, Cuevas joined the Navy to pay for college, but he regrets enlisting. He wishes heʼd found out about other ways to pay for college. “They know our weakness. They know that we donʼt have money, or at least [they] think we donʼt,” he said. Gradilla also feels the college can do more to educate
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NEWS
N E W S @ D A I LY T I T A N . C O M
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OTHER NEWS
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WORLD
Bird Flu Found in German Cat
ON CAMPUS
BERLIN – The deadly strain of bird flu has been found in a cat in Germany, officials said Tuesday, the first time the virus has been identified in an animal other than a bird in central Europe. Health officials urged cat owners to keep pets indoors after the dead cat was discovered over the weekend on the Baltic Sea island of Ruegen, where most of the more than 100 wild birds infected by the H5N1 strain have been found.
TODAY: The Modern Language Department hosts the “Arab World and Islam Colloquium” in TSU Pavillion A from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.
5 killed in Kabul’s Prison
TONIGHT: ASI Productions presents a movie under the stars. “Aeon Flux,” shows at 8:30 p.m. in the Becker Amphitheatre.
KABUL, Afghanistan – A spasm of violence broke a fragile truce at Kabulʼs main prison Tuesday as rioting inmates tried to push down a gate and police fired on them, killing one and wounding three, officials said. Outside the jail, women beat the ground as their children wailed, fearful that loved ones in the facility have been killed in the three-day standoff. “Oh, my son, are you alive?” cried 60-year-old Zubaida Gul. At least five inmates have been killed and 41 wounded since the uprising began late Saturday. Police blame some 350 Taliban and al-Qaida detainees for inciting the riot.
THURSDAY: Titans menʼs basketball takes on UC Davis at 7 p.m. in the Titan gym. Tickets are $6 to $12. Free for students with ID.
NATION
Mardi Gras Forges On NEW ORLEANS – The crowds were small and the costumes wickedly satirical as Mardi Gras built toward its boozy climax Tuesday in this hurricane-buckled city that could use a few laughs. The culmination of the eight-day pre-Lenten bash fell nearly six months to the day after the Aug. 29 storm that smashed thousands of homes and killed more than 1,300 people, the vast majority of them in New Orleans. “I lost everything,” Andrew Hunter, 42, said as he sat on the steps of his ruined home on Jackson Avenue. “But what the heck. This helps us keep our spirits up, and we need all the help we can get with that.”
Abortion Protests Are Legal WASHINGTON – A 20-year-old legal fight over protests outside abortion clinics ended Tuesday with the Supreme Court ruling that federal extortion and racketeering laws cannot be used against demonstrators. The 8-0 decision was a setback for abortion clinics that were buoyed when the 7th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals kept their case alive two years ago despite the high courtʼs 2003 ruling that had cleared the way for lifting a nationwide injunction on anti-abortion leader Joseph Scheidler and others.
LOCAL
Otis Chandler dies at 78 LOS ANGELES – Otis Chandler, who as publisher of the Los Angeles Times during the 1960s and ʻ70s turned a narrow, conservative publication into one of the nationʼs most distinguished and influential newspapers, died Monday. He was 78. Chandler, who had been suffering from a degenerative brain disorder known as Lewy body disease, died at his home in Ojai, said Tom Johnson, who succeeded him as publisher and retired as chairman and chief executive of CNN News Group. Reports compiled from The Associated Press
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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 ©2006 Daily Titan
REFLECTIONS
Irvina Kanarek/Daily Titan
Laura Thompson, Kristen Taylor and Nicole Gross walk past their reflections on a puddle Tuesday afternoon.
DID YOU KNOW?
THAILAND – Transsexual boxer Nong Tum, famous in her native Thailand as the “beautiful boxer,” has returned to the ring after a long hiatus. Nong Tum, or Parinya Charoenphol (pronounced Parin-ya Ja-roen-pol), 25, made her comeback after an absence of nearly three years at Nong Tum Fairtex Gym, newly named in her honour. Her first opponent in the 135pound contest was Japanese male Kenshiro Lookchaomaekhemthong (pronounced : Ken-shi-ro Lookchao-mae-kem-tong). The beautiful boxer hung up her gloves three years ago to have sexchange surgery which cost around 150,000 baht ($3,810). However, her post-ring career blossomed as she slowly became a celebrity in Thailand, where transsexuals are socially accepted. Nong Tum has opened a boxing training camp for kids.
ROTC FROM PAGE 1
students about how to get financial aid. “Students arenʼt aware of the very straightforward and easy way for financial aid,” he said. “But yet you have these guys [military recruiters] going up to you and saying how they can help you pay for college. “This is a very serious issue, and when I see the Army and Marines
E-BOOKS FROM PAGE 1 CSUF is one of 35 to 40 schools participating nationally in the ebooks program. The program offers a database of available titles and those are then matched up with the titles in the CSUF database. Last semester 120 titles were in the programʼs database and 17 matched CSUFʼs database. This semester at CSUF 46 titles matched the 450 titles offered by the program. “I take anything that matches our database,” Iftikhar said. “Our goal is to go after new titles and expensive titles.” The e-book version of new and expensive titles will offer a cheaper option to students who need to purchase a certain book. Iftikhar said a lot of restrictions and challenges exist with changing a book from print to digital, including copyright clearances that often take a long time to clear. Despite only recently being sold
Despite the success of her new career, the pull of the ring was still in her blood. “When I saw other people training, and watched my friends fighting, it reminded my of what it used to be like. Sometimes when I watch my friends, they donʼt fight in the way I want people to fight, so thatʼs why I decided to come back to try again,” she said. Her life story, about the rough and tumble of the ring damaging her feminine physique, was made into the movie “Beautiful Boxer,” which was screened globally in 2001. She is the first transsexual boxer in Thailand, but had 10-years of experience and more than 50 professional fights – including 25 knockouts – under her belt before becoming a woman. Returning to the ring, she sports a svelte, femine physique. Nong Tum has spent seven hours each day for more than a month practicing her swinging punch, kick boxing and fighting skills at the Fairtex Gym in Pattaya, 120 km east of Bangkok, to make sure that her body is ready for the chal-
lenge. However she is worried that the intensive training is turning her body back into that of a man once again. “Ever since I started boxing again, my muscles have come back. My legs have grown bigger. If I had more training, I think my skin and body would become like a boxer – a man – again. But Iʼve been waiting a long time to be a real woman,” she said. It is her first fight after the sex-change operation, but for all the grunts and groans, kicks and punches, she still comes across as a woman. Punches, kicks and elbow blows to her opponentʼs head left a deep cut near his eye after three rounds. She won by unanimous decision. Keeping in character, she ran to kiss her opponent on the cheek after the fight as a sign of friendship. Nong Tum is expected to fight female boxer Lucia Rijker, who featured in the Hollywood boxing movie “Million Dollar Baby,” in June in Las Vegas.
walking around campus … I think itʼs so unfair for the students.” Freshman Grayson Moody got an e-mail from the ROTC last semester but never read it. Despite simply deleting the e-mail, Moody doesnʼt feel there is anything wrong with the ROTC having access to studentsʼ personal information. “Itʼs like any person calling you to sell something,” he said. “You just tell them you are not interested and hang up.” The ROTCʼs specific recruitment of Latino students on the Cal State
Northridge campus has been a topic of debate for more than two years, but schools that prohibit or deny ROTC programs could be denied federal funding under Solomon Amendment of 1996. An article in the New York Times showed that enlistments into the Army have dropped from 22.3 percent over the past four years to 14.5 percent. The same article showed that the enlistment of Hispanics rose 26 percent from 2001 to 2005. “They have to have somebody fight their war,” Cuevas said.
as textbooks, e-books have been available for students through the Pollak Library for a few years. Currently over 4,000 items are catalogued as e-books in the library. Students can search for e-books online through the catalog on the library homepage. Students from any computer can access e-books on the weekends, late at night and other times when the library is closed. “[They are] used best as reference books – as a quick look up – not really to read online,” said Elizabeth Housewright, acting associate university librarian. Housewright said computer books or help books in the electronic format are helpful because students can search within the book for a keyword and pull up the portion of the book they need. She added e-books might not be the best option if students want to read the entire book. Reading a large amount on the computer screen can be “tiresome,” Housewright said. The library buys e-books in a package rather than title by title.
The e-books offered in the package are those made available by the publishing company. While it is still early in the implementation of e-books, Iftikhar said it might cause a lot of change in the industry. “Right now paper is king, but that will change in three to four years,” Iftikhar said. “This is the first program to involve the bookstore … It is the best effort weʼve made so far.” Iftikhar predicted that print books would share the marketplace with other formats in a few years. His goal is to focus on the students and provide them with the most options when buying textbooks by offering used, new, digital and rental versions of the titles. Whether e-books will become more popular with the demands of a new generation of computer savvy students and take over the textbook industry is still unknown; however, Titan Shops will be prepared for whatever the future holds. “We respond to what customers want,” Iftikhar said.
Reports compiled from Reuters
FRIDAY AND SATURDAY: “The Philadelphia Story,” the Broadway hit that starred Katharine Hepburn as the inhibited, spoiled daughter of the privileged Philadelphia Lord family, plays at the Young Theatre in the CSUF Performing Arts Center at 8 p.m. Tickets cost $9 ($8 with advance Titan discount). SATURDAY: Titan Softball takes on Texas Tech at 1:30 p.m. and Oregon State at 3:45 p.m. in a back-to-back softball extravaganza in the Titan Softball Complex. Free for students with ID.
OFF CAMPUS TODAY THRU MARCH 12: Artist Fabrice Gygiʼs exhibit at the Orange County Museum of Art in Santa Ana transforms common civic and military structures (crowd-control barriers, bleachers, podiums and tents) into largescale sculptures that portray a poignant view of political authority. Itʼs open 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Tickets are $10. THURSDAY: The Museum of Contemporary Art in Los Angeles presents a homage to comic strips and comic books that examines 15 key American artists and features approximately 900 original drawings, progressive proofs, vintageprinted Sunday pages, and comic books by Winsor McCay (“Little Nemo”), Gould (“Dick Tracy”), Charles Schulz (“Peanuts”) and more. Tickets cost $5 for students. Visit www.moca.org for more information. THURSDAY: Social Distortion is playing at the House of Blues, Anaheim at 8:30 p.m. Tickets are $25. FRIDAY: Cover band Super Diamond will be performing with Strip Club at the House of Blues, Anaheim at 9 p.m. Tickets are $22.50 to $25. No they wonʼt be naked. SATURDAY: What ever happened to Fenix TX? Turns out theyʼre opening for Unwritten Law at The Vault 350 in Long Beach for $14.50. The show starts at 7 p.m. Visit www.vault350. com for tickets. SATURDAY: The kings of kotton (yes the Kottonmouth Kings) will be playing with Hed Pe at the Galaxy Concert Theatre in Santa Ana at 8 p.m. Tickets are $25. If you would like to submit an event to Out nʼ About please email news@dailytitan.com
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LINDWALL FROM PAGE 1
Linda with her parents, said she wants to pursue a career in academics or in the biotechnology industry. UC Irvine and UC Riverside recently accepted her into their graduate programs. “[Lindwall] is well prepared, she is exactly the kind of person that [we] would like to be hiring ten years from now” said David Fromson associate dean and professor of biological science. Lindwallʼs performance within the lab transcends across the United States with her participation in conferences held in Texas and in other states where she has displayed and shared her information with various seminar attendants. Recently Lindwall was elected by a number of faculty members from the College of Natural Sciences and Mathematics to represent the student body within the Deanʼs Advisory Council. “Kira will do an excellent job in representing the student community,” said Steven Murray, dean and professor of biological science.
Erika Lara/Daily Titan Photo Editor
NOT-SO-MAD SCIENTIST: Senior Kira Lindwall studies biochemistry and chemistry. Murray attributed the success of Lindwall, and other students in the department to the close relationship between the mentors and students. “In the real world itʼs collaborative work … a laboratory family,” Murray said. Students will get a sneak peak of the “real world” at the College of Natural Sciences and Mathematics career fair March 8 at the Titan Student Union.
AWARD
STOCKTRAK
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Award at the University of California/ California State University sustainability conference at UC Santa Cruz in June 2005. “We were surprised we won but very proud,” Smith said. “We were able to be creative with a small job. It was nice to do something special and have it relate to the Arboretum, we were real pleased.” This 100 percent donor funded $3.4 million non-state capital project is the first specifically designed “Green Building” on campus. The building will hold low-volume toilets, low-flow faucets and waterless urinals. Natural ventilation and natural light will heat and cool the museum. Recycled materials will make up the exterior. “Itʼs a big award and we are very proud and honored,” Dyment said. To stay within the recycled and energy efficient theme, the sustainability award was a plate made up of recycled glass. “To have the issues raised to a higher level and to be recognized for having created a project that others believe represents the highest level in the UC and a CSU system is what keeps us going,” Dougherty said. “We hope that the message continues to spread and that we have the opportunity to join with others in creating additional projects that embrace these core values.”
although they are welcome to join, she said. Chiara Gratton-Lavoie, director for the center, said she doesnʼt understand why CSUF students do not join the simulation, since it could potentially be of interest, especially for those business majors. High school and middle school teachers who do enter teams usually hear about the simulation either through the Web site, by word-of-mouth, or through CSUF workshops the center provides. Sideri says itʼs a helpful way for high school economic teachers to teach their students about the stock market. “From the feedback weʼve gotten, they [students] love the competition,” Sideri said. Some of the local schools that have entered teams include Edison High School, Brea Olinda High School and Katella High School. The farthest school to enter this semester is Sacred Heart High School in Texas.
The Stock Market Simulation game is a way to get students interested in doing something they might have been afraid of before, Sideri said. “I donʼt think we should stay in our comfort zone all the time,” she said. Gratton-Lavoie said itʼs a good opportunity for students to learn how the financial market works. “Itʼs a training camp for those who want to learn about investments,” she said. With the $12 entrance fee teams will receive weekly team reports and ranking, and access to the Web site where they will conduct the trades, according to the Web site. The top three ranking team will receive a Cal State Fullerton T-shirt and an achievement certificate. Monetary awards include $150 for first place, $100 for second place and $50 for third place. Gratton-Lavoie said students really get into the program and enjoy learning about supply and demand. “Its really something kids love to do and teachers love to offer to students,” she said.
Cal State Fullerton kinesiology major Mark Dario isnʼt too worried about his college financial debt. “Nah, Iʼm not stressed about it at all,” he said. In fact, Dario is one of the very few who owes less than $10,820: The average cost of attending CSUF for four years. Dario, who is graduating this May, is working as a part-time intern at the Fullerton High School District. He said he isnʼt thinking about paying his loans until the end of the year since most loans donʼt demand repayment until six months after graduation. In the meantime, it is something to ponder as tuition has doubled in the last decade. “The tuition and fees component is $2,990 [fall and spring] but most of the remaining costs, except books and supplies, are associated with living expenses which you would incur whether you were attending school or not,” said Kelly England, Financial Aid assistant director. Many college students like Dario are looking for an easy way out of paying student loans and credit card debt, but are facing high interest rates. Last November, the Department of Education, the Senate and the Republican leadership recommended cutting $12 billion from education in an effort to reconcile the national budget. This results in students borrowing more money, setting them up to deal with additional debt. In July, fixed rates on federal loans will rise to an all time high of 6.8 percent. Credit cards are normally used as a last resort to pay the costs that grants, scholarships and loans do not cover. Most often, students take on part-time or full-time jobs to alleviate their financial debt, but many entrylevel positions donʼt pay well enough to make a dent on their debt. A student who saves every penny from working a full-time job at minimum wage can only afford one year of schooling at a four-year public university,
according to USA Todayʼs interview with Heather Boushey from the Center of Economic and Policy Research. On top of student loans, credit card debt is at an all time high at $3,000 to $7,000 for the 47 percent of undergraduates who have four or more credit cards, according to Nellie Mae Credit Card Study. “When there is something I want and donʼt have money for, Iʼll use my card but I hate to be in debt so I keep that limited to using just a few times,” said Mayra Gonzales, a junior finance major. Credit card companies like Citibank use tactics that offer zero percent interest rates for the first six months after transferring a balance from a different company. “When [companies] offer 15 percent off to sign up for their card, I end up getting one,” Gonzales said. Having credit is a necessity and is one easy way to build credit history. But, just making the minimum payment is only paying the interest credit cards charge for borrowing money. “Itʼs best to pay off the ones with high interest rates regardless of the balance, “ explained CitiBank Financial Adviser Jeremy Garduno. “Itʼs the only effective way to pay off credit card companies without giving them more than what you borrowed,” she said. For each late or missed payment, a student is penalized with late charges and points deducted from their credit score. Many potential financial institutes base their decision on credit scores, 800 being the highest. Itʼs also best to keep just one card for emergen-
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TITAN EDITORIAL
Providing insight, analysis and perspective since 1960
APATHY PROMOTES NEGLECT
I
n our university experience, itʼs common for us to sit around and extol the virtues of Democracy and the freedoms granted to citizens of a democratic society. We discuss how free speech and an informed population are the cornerstones of a healthy democratic society. We have free speech and access to a wealth of information so vast that “information overload” is more common than lack of it. Not to mention that in order to have a democratic society, citizens must participate in the democratic process. Students are marginalized by state and federal politicians alike. Last year, Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger threatened to cut funding to UC and CSU campuses, calling for an 8 percent increase in tuition. The plan was later discarded when more tax revenue unexpectedly cropped up, which allowed the state to allocate more money to higher education. The Bush administration also dealt a blow to higher education funding with a bill signed into law on Feb. 8. The Deficit Reduction Act of 2005 achieves its aims through the monumental reduction of useful social programs, most notably a $12.7 billion reduction in federal student aid. This is also expected to raise interest rates on student loans from 4.7 percent to 6.8 percent, thus putting more financial hardship on the backs of already struggling students. This bill also establishes new rules regarding student debt. It
makes it illegal for students to consolidate their student debt before graduation. It also cuts spending on Medicare by $36 billion and Medicaid by $4.7 billion. This yearʼs federal budget increases defense spending to $439.7 billion, and asks for $120 billion in additional emergency money to fund military actions in Iraq and Afghanistan. The fact that our economy is now one based on ideas and intellectual properties rather than manufacturing and manual labor isnʼt lost on state and federal politicians. With the new economy, it is difficult for anyone without access to higher education to participate to his or her full potential. It also limits upward class mobility by restricting education to those who can best afford it. Denying funding to higher education effectively makes the future look dim. Why the refusal on the part of politicians to help out struggling students? Because students donʼt vote. Only 49 percent of eligible student voters cast a ballot in the last presidential election. Even less voted in the November special elections. Cynics might argue that students are ignored because they have donʼt have money to donate to political campaigns. If this is the case, so be it. But why would we apathetically refuse to use the only power that we have? If we want the politicians to pay attention to us, we need to demand it. The only way we can demand that is through voting.
Editorial Board Philip Fuller, Opinion Editor Nicole M. Smith, Executive Editor Kim Orr, Managing Editor
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In deference to the paradigm established by venerable Swiss philosopher Jean-Jacques Rousseau, unsigned Titan Editorials strive to represent the general will of the Daily Titan editorial board and do not necessarily reflect the view of the university.
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OPINION
O P I N I O N @ D A I LY T I T A N . C O M
Olympics Didn’t Disappoint By Jason Eichelberger
Daily Titan Staff Writer
As the last wisps of smoke disappeared from the Olympic flame and into the night, the 2006 Winter Olympics officially became a part of history Sunday. Athletes from around the world bid a final farewell to the picturesque Italian city of Turino, returning to their respective countries with experiences and memories that will be permanently engrained in them. However, for many Americans, bidding farewell to the Winter Olympics could not happen soon enough, as the disappointment of Michelle Kwan, the short-comings of the U.S. hockey team, the petty bickering of Shani Davis and Chad Hedrick, and the overall absurdity of Bode Miller continue to be last-
ing images. Yet America should venture past these negative occurrences and embrace some of the people and events that made the Turino games successful. Lindsey Kildow: Despite the fact the she finished the womanʼs downhill without a medal, just competing in the event should be considered a gold medal performance. Kildow was involved in one of the most horrific crashes that ever seen while in a training run. Her body, twisted and mangled in extremely unnatural positions, flew down a mountain nearly 50 miles per hour. It appeared as though walking again would be a monumental quest for Kildow, yet less than 48 hours later, she skied in the finals. Despite finishing eighth overall, Kildowʼs performance embodied that of courage and determination, traits Americans should celebrate.
Anton Apollo Ohno: Though he burst onto the world scene during the Salt Lake City games in 2002, Ohno recaptured some of his previous magic during the Turino games, capturing the menʼs 500 meter short skating gold medal, upsetting heavily favored Ahn Hyun-Soo of Korea. The 23-yearold Ohno dashed to the lead right out of the gate and never looked back on the way to his resounding victory. His unbridled joy was captured during a victory lap with the American flag. Yet later that evening, Ohno proved that his success was not limited to an individual accomplishment, as he helped the United States team earn a bronze medal in the 5,000-meter relay. Shani Davis: His well-publicized dispute with fellow speedskater Chad Hedrick was a major negative mark on the games for the American public. However on the ice, his accomplishment
as the first African American to win an individual gold medal in the Winter Olympics should not be forgotten. Despite facing racial discrimination and massive criticism by fellow American skaters, Davis fulfilled his gold medal aspirations and won the 1,000-meter speed-skating race. His victory should serve as motivation and set a wonderful precedent for minorities everywhere that greatness can be achieved in any sport. Overall, the United States finished second in the medal count with 25, only behind Germany (29). The 25 medals are the most won in a non-U.S. hosted Winter Games. Despite the negative connotations being conjectured by some to explain unfulfilled expectations, Americans should be proud of what their Olympians achieved and should look forward to more great accomplishment at the 2010 Vancouver Winter Games.
America is a Nation of Sheep By Cristina Rodriguez
Daily Titan Staff Writer
Americans are supposed to be a perceptive bunch, however a recent series of elaborate hoaxes performed by a pair who refer to themselves as the “Yes Men” have proved that we are more gullible than we may have thought. Our society is fast becoming a society of yes men. The American public can be fed almost every story, and they will swallow it. A partnership known as “The Yes Men” has set out to prove how accepting society is and how wrong government has been. The “Yes Men” are made up of two men who call themselves Andy Bichlbaum and Mike Bonanno; their real names are Jacques Servin and Igor Vamos. Together the two have pulled off some of the most amazing hoaxes in America.
The duo practices what they refer to as “identity correction”. The pair wants to demonstrate the erroneous ways and supposed evil doings of governments and major corporations. The “Yes Men” and their antics have been featured in a documentary entitled “Yes Men.” After just a few minutes of watching the documentary you have to be asking yourself “are you serious”? The biggest scam they have been linked to is posing as the World Trade Organization. They even have an almost identical website. The original website for the World Trade Organization is WTO.org, the duo replicated the WTO website with one called GATT.org. People actually ask them to do seminars and discuss world trade and possible solutions to the worldʼs biggest problems such as
starvation. One such seminar discussed the problems associated with international workers, how people pay immigrants to do the jobs no one wants to do, and how one can keep their workers in line with electro-shock discipline. To demonstrate the effectiveness of a corporate monitoring technique, Bichlbaum removes a corporate suit to reveal a gold rubber C3PO suit which includes a phallus shaped television screen which allows the user to keep an eye on workers at all times. The audience does not question the stupid idea. They just sit back and then applaud. The “Yes Men” offer preposterous responses that are accepted without a second thought. Itʼs quite terrifying that a nation supposedly as intelligent and free as America could have such gullible people. People who accept these out-
landish ideas and philosophies without question are, without a doubt, despicable. It is a shame that we as Americans do not even stop to question authority. There are only a few who stop and think, “This is total and utter crap.” However, according to the documentary most people just sat there throughout these bogus seminars and ate up every word these imposters were saying. Only one panel of people ever smart enough to question the high jinks, and to think for themselves. Perhaps these so-called “Yes Men” have a point, maybe we have become “Yes Men” ourselves. It is time we stop saying yes and accepting things that make no sense, the things the government do not want us to know or ask about.
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W E D N E S D A Y, M A R C H 1 , 2 0 0 6
SPORTS
S P O R T S @ D A I LY T I T A N . C O M
SPORTS IN SHORT
Softball
Team upsets No. 8 Texas A&M
Provided By LAURA PIPER
SKILLS: Michelle Young, a team member of the Cal State Fullerton equestrian team is one of two Titans looking to do well at the at the Zone 8, Region 2 Regionals event on Sunday.
Striving to Gain Athletic Prominence Equestrians to compete at Pomona Fairplex this weekend for a chance to qualify for zone event in April BY ANDY STOWERS
Daily Titan Staff Writer
Despite the little notoriety it receives along with the newness of the team, the Cal State Fullerton equestrian team will be sending two competitors to the Zone 8, Region 2 Regionals event, hosted by Cal Poly Pomona, Sunday, March 5. Liz Braley and Michelle Young will represent the Titans in three different events as they try to qualify for the zone event that will take place in April. If they qualify past both trials they will get the chance to compete in the national event in May. Braley competes in English Novice Equitation and Intermediate Two Horsemanship, while Young competes in Intermediate Over Fences. Both competitors on Sunday are not shy around horses. Not only do they ride them competitively but also ride them for their job. Both Young and Braley were adamant that they and others would be willing to teach people how to ride horses in order to not only make the team better but bring more awareness
She did just that by bringing the sport to CSUF. Piper of their growing sport on campus. “We want to bring in new people to compete in beginning had the opportunity to go to Fresno State and University of level events,” Young said. “We are pretty strong with people Arizona, where there are already existing equestrian teams but passed up the chance in order to stay closer to home. who have been riding for a while.” Piper would most likely have competed At the “horse shows” teams do not this weekend as well, but while training at bring their own horses, the hosting the Olympic Training Center in Colorado team is supposed to supply them with Springs, Colo., a horse landed on top of horses to compete with. her, injuring her before this past season “We donʼt get to ride the horses or “We want to bring in began. even warm up either,” Braley said. new people to compete in “No one could see me between the “We just go out in the ring and compete with the horses we have never horse and the ground,” Piper said. beginning level events ...” been on before.” She has not been able to compete all The team is in search for new playseason after getting 19 stitches on her leg ers and anyone is welcome to try out and is still feeling the aftermath of the for the team. The Titans currently injury. have seven competitors, up two from Another problem for the equestrian Michelle Young its inaugural season a year ago. team is that because they are a club team, Titan Equestrian Team Team Captain Laura Piper started there is no home ring for them. The team the CSUF team and has experience has to have to travel to each event and starting equestrian teams at other provide their own transportation as well. schools she has attended. She started However Piper said that they are looking into having a home field next year. the current team at Mt. San Antonio College. Piper also takes credit in making the team at Troy The team will hopefully find a place they can call home as they continue to grow. High School, a varsity lettering sport. First thing is first though, as they travel to the Pomona “It has always been a dream for me to compete at a collegiate level in some sort of sport, Iʼve always been around Fairplex next weekend to compete in the regional event. It sports,” Piper said. will take place at 10 a.m.
Basketball Fishing for Higher Tournament Seeding By JASON EICHELBERGER
Daily Titan Staff Writer
With a possible bye in the first round of the Big West Tournament at stake, the Cal State Fullerton womenʼs basketball team will head up to the Pavilion in Davis Thursday night to battle the UC Davis Aggies in their regular season finale. The Titans (10-16 overall, 7-7 in the Big West) enter the nonconference contest tied with UC Riverside for fourth overall in the Big West conference. The Titans,
by virtue of two head-to-head victories, hold the tie-breaker over the Highlanders and would gain a bye in the first round of the upcoming tournament, which begins March 8. Depending on the outcome of other conference games later this week, there is a slight possibility that the Titans could even move up to a higher seed, however the fourth seed is a likelier scenario. The Titans are coming off a key 76-67 win over Cal Poly San Luis Obispo at Titan Gym Saturday afternoon in their home finale. Junior guard Andrea Adams led the Titans with 20 points, while junior
guard/forward Charlee Underwood chipped in with 19 points and 10 rebounds, as the Titans used a late 8-1 run to secure the victory. Despite shooting only 34.8 percent from the field, the Titans were able to force 28 Mustang turnovers and limit them to only 37.9 percent shooting from the field. Freshman forward Toni Thomas, who contributed 14 points and eight rebounds against the Mustangs, said that despite a sub .500 record, one of the strong points of the team all season has been the ability to play well as a unit. “Weʼve played well as a team,”
Thomas said. “Weʼve felt like we could have done better.” Freshman guard Daviyonne Weathersby knows the team has to continue to improve as the postseason looms. “As a team, we have to improve our rebounding and all around defense,” Weathersby said. With a loss to Long Beach State, the Aggies (16-10) snapped their nine-game winning streak. The Titans will also be looking to avenge a 75-71 defeat at the hands of the Aggies on Jan. 28 at Titan Gym. The trio of Lara Gray, Ellen Porshneva, and Jackie
Turpin combined to score 60 of the Aggiesʼ 75 points, offsetting 18 points from senior forward Amber Pruitt and a double-double from Thomas (14 points and 14 rebounds). The Aggiesʼ also shot 90 percent from the free throw line and forced 22 Titan turnovers. Pruitt feels that the key to victory in this upcoming contest will also hinge upon a concerted team effort. “I think we need to communicate well on defense and play together on offense,” Pruitt said. “If we do these two things and play hard, we should win the game.”
Cal State Fullerton junior Ashley Van Boxmeer scored the go-ahead run on a two-out error in the fifth and added a muchneeded insurance run on an RBI single by Katie Gollhardt in the seventh as the Titans hung on for the 6-5 upset of No. 8 Texas A&M on Sunday afternoon to close out play at the 2006 Palm Springs Classic in Cathedral City. The Titans trailed by a pair of runs entering the fourth, but sophomore Amanda Kamekona tied things up once again with her second home run of the season, a rocket over the fence in left centerfield, scoring Crystal Vieyra ahead of her to make it 4-4. It stayed that way until the fifth as Van Boxmeer doubled down the left field line with one out, moved to third on a sacrifice, and scored when Gollhardtʼs potential inning-ending ground ball was bobbled by the Texas A&M shortstop, allowing Van Boxmeer time to score and make it 5-4. The Titans rallied for what turned out to be the difference in the game in the seventh as sophomore Jenna Wheeler doubled to right center and scored on Gollhardtʼs sharp single to right to make it 6-4. Fullerton closed out the game in the seventh, but not without some drama. After a soft ground out for the first out, Texas A&Mʼs Megan Gibson hit her second home run of the game to left field to cut the deficit to 6-5. However, Titansʼ starter Candice Baker (6-2) ended any more threats, getting Amanda Scarborough to fly out to center and Ronda Smith to ground out to shortstop to end the game. The Titans host the 2006 Worth Invitational at the Titan Softball Complex on March 3-5. Fullerton opens play on Friday night (Mar. 3) at 3:45 p.m. against Georgia and 6 p.m. against Northwestern.
Gymnastics Cal defeats Titans Jessica Kelly won the all-around and her University of California team outscored Cal State Fullerton in three of the four events Sunday afternoon as the Golden Bears scored a 193.000-192.325 victory over the Titans. Cal had a slight edge in vault, bars and floor exercise to offset Fullertonʼs advantage on beam. Cal individuals won two events outright and shared a third with Fullerton, which completes its home season Friday night vs. Calʼs arch-rival, Stanford. Fullertonʼs outright winner was Brittany Evans with a 9.775 on balance beam. Fullertonʼs team score was its highest of the season and all-around runnerup Erica Ficarrotta posted her seasonʼs best of 38.800. Information provided by CSUF Sports Media Relations www.Fullertontitans.com