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, A P R I L 1 9 , 2 0 0 6
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SPORTS
OPINION
Legendary fencer and coach retiring after 20 years at CSUF Page 6
Some sports fans give hockey cold shoulder, others warm up Page 4
Disabled Reporter’s Tale From the Trenches Services Offered War correspondent proves that sometimes the pen is mightier than the sword By Elizabeth Simoes
Daily Titan Staff Writer
Campus program aims to ‘level the playing field’ for students who require extra assistance By Elizabeth Simoes
Daily Titan Staff Writer
A
t 2:15 p.m. on a Tuesday afternoon thousands of students, adorned with backpacks and thinking about their next exams, swarmed the campus at Cal State Fullerton. Nick Devereux is one of the students. The only thing that slightly distinguishes him from the pack is his wheelchair. Devereux is one of 600 disabled students registered with Disabled Student Services at CSUF. The program is designed to assist students with limitations and physical or learning disabilities on campus. “Students are so relieved when they come here and see all these different programs,” said Elisabeth Colcol, coordinator of support services. The program offers a variety of services to make things easier for students with a disability. Students who are blind or visually impaired can use Braille textbooks or a computer program called Kurzweil 3000 that scans a book into the computer and reads the book aloud to the student. Another program called Jaws will read any text on the computer screen aloud to the student, in order for blind students to hear important information, documents and textbooks in lieu of reading them. Colcol said there is a computer lab equipped with these services in the back of the program located at University Hall 101 for the use of disabled students. Another computer program called Dragon Naturally Speaking is available for students who break their hand or arm or have a condition that prevents them from being able to write or type. The student speaks into a microphone and the computer writes what the student says on the screen, Colcol said. Sign language interpreters are available to translate and sign to students that are deaf in classrooms for a lecture, conference or meeting with a professor. Closed captioning is also an option during lectures for deaf students who donʼt know how to sign. The university-funded program provides many other services to disabled students. They allow students to have more time on exams, priority registration and disabled student parking permits. “Some people think disabled students get an unfair advantage, but we are just leveling the playing field,” Colcol said. “The fact is after graduation it is going to be harder for disabled people to find jobs.” Students can also enlist the help of a counselor through the program. Counseling is available for students who are having trouble in their classes or simply need a little encouragement. “They have a lot more they need to deal with,” Colcol said. “They get anxious or nervous around midterms like any other student or sometimes need to vent. They just need a little support.” Devereux said the programs offered at CSUF are very beneficial to disabled students. SEE DEVEREUX = PAGE 3
D
ressed in a pale yellow shirt and khaki pants buttoned across a large, round belly, Matthew Fisher doesnʼt look like a foreign war correspondent who has covered 14 wars and spent 41 days embedded with the U.S. Marines in Iraq.
And he knows it. “Iʼm not really made for the military,” Fisher said Tuesday in a lecture in the public affairs reporting class at Cal State Fullerton. “Iʼm more of a mechanized kind of guy.” Although he may not have the build to fight in the military, Fisher has the drive to write about it. He was born in a small Indian town in Canada, northwest of Toronto, to parents that were both veterans of World War II. From a young age Fisher said he knew he wanted to travel and see the world, and his dad told him to find someone who would
SEE JOURNALIST = PAGE 3
Stefanie Short/For the Daily Titan
WORDS OF WISDOM: Matthew Fisher speaks to a public affairs reporting class Tuesday about his experience as a journalist embedded with the US Marines in Iraq.
Ad Students ‘Fitting’ to Win CSUF challengers put human-squeeze on national competition By Cristina Rodriguez
Daily Titan Staff Writer
Kevin Rogers/Daily Titan
SUPER SOAKED
Caine Jamal of Fullerton gets soaked as he runs through the shooting streams of water at the Fullerton Market last Sunday.
Info at the Touch of a Button New government hotline keeps public in the know, but is it a reliable source? By Cristina Rodriguez
Daily Titan Staff Writer
The federal government now offers a new solution to everyday, complex questions via a toll-free number. The hotline – 1-800-FEDINFO – offers assistance to the general public Monday through Friday from 5 a.m. until 5 p.m. During tax season, one might obtain information about the IRS. In some cases, however, what may seem like a simple question can turn into a complex situation depending on the circumstances of the inquiry. Rebecca Ewing, press contact
for the U.S. General Services Administration said the toll- free line tries to answer most questions or direct you to the right source. Passport issues are one example of this type of inquiry. The hotline will direct a caller to a passport agent to answer any questions concerning passports. In the instance that an agent is not available a list of options including passport information will be given. The caller can then choose the option, leave a voice mail or call back during business hours. Despite the numberʼs convenience, some are concerned about the quality and reliability of the information being distributed. Cal State Fullerton political science Prof. Raphael Sonenshein, said the toll-free number seems like a good idea,
SPORTS
WEB
BASEBALL
TRAVEL SAFETY
Chalk up Titan loss to poor defense on Goodwin Field
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pay for it. The 51-year-old journalist has traveled for 23 years covering wars in Africa and the Balkans and has seen various countries including Croatia, Bosnia, Kosovo, Chechnya, Rwanda, Somalia and Iraq. His first war was the Mozambique Revolution. Fisher attended York University in Toronto and graduated with a degree in fine arts. Before covering wars Fisher was a sports reporter for eight years and worked in television and
SEE TOLL-FREE = PAGE 3
INSIDE
From Milan to Morocco, safe travel tips for going abroad
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however, that does not mean it is the source of sources. “There is always that question if the information is reliable,” he said. “For example, the IRS has a line that provides information, and people have used it assuming they have the correct information and in actuality [they] have received incorrect information.” Sonenshein said he is mostly in favor of these methods that help the public obtain information about the government but sometimes these things can turn into a calamity. “Thereʼs always a curiosity about what these hotlines can do and what they canʼt do. It could turn into a catastrophe,” he said. “The Medicare hotline, for instance, is a disaster. No
Cal State Fullerton students are competing against 17 other schools across the United States for a chance to launch a new vehicle for Honda called the “Honda Fit.” The Honda Fit Marketing Challenge is sponsored by American Honda Motor Co. Inc. in conjunction with EdVenture Partners. A budget of $2,500 is allotted to each school to carry out a real advertising campaign. The CSUF Communications 451 students who are participating in the contest said they are gaining the experience they need to succeed in the real world. Led by part-time Prof. Ian Crockett, the team is geared toward success. “EdVenture Partners pairs advertisers with academia,” he said. “The project is two-fold. They gave us a budget to bring our ideas to life.”
SEE CONTEST = PAGE 3
Casting Call: Student Directors Need Actors By Erika Jenko
For the Daily Titan
Student director theater projects serve as a requirement for Cal State Fullerton theater majors, who have a directing emphasis, but also provide opportunities for non-theater majors. When it comes to putting together student director projects, the greatest difficulty for student directors is finding actors to bring their vision to life, said Robyn Gleason, a theater major with directing emphasis.
A lot of theater majors are busy acting in main stage productions at CSUF, which makes it difficult to find actors to participate in directing projects, she said. Gleason added that it is also difficult for theater majors to participate, because their required courses are often scheduled at the same time as the directing courses. This makes it challenging to attend the in-class performance sessions that the student directors must conduct, she said. Student directors are SEE DIRECTORS = PAGE 3
WEATHER
WEDNESDAY THURSDAY Sunny High: 80 Low: 47
The CSUF students succeeded in making their first marketing presentation to executives of the public relations agency, Rubin Postaer, who represents Honda, Crockett said. Mike Hurley, the research director for the Fullerton project, said the presentation went rather well, and they did their job. He said the research portion of the campaign consists of creating different online school surveys in order to understand the target demographic. The main goal is to grasp a target consumer market. “Weʼre aiming for a nonconformist audience, specifically students ranging in age from 18 to 25. We hope to target them in our ads,” he said. Hurley said the project is pretty fun as well as beneficial. “Our class of about 40 students has converted into a full service advertising agency called Impact Advertising,” he said. “There is a department for everything from finance to creativity to media and research. Itʼs all about team work.”
Sunny High: 78 Low: 57
FRIDAY
SATURDAY
Partly Cloudy High: 71 Low: 54
Partly Cloudy High: 64 Low: 51
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W E D N E S D A Y, A P R I L 1 9 , 2 0 0 6
Baseball Team Outplayed to right field and ended up scoring when he tagged up on second baseman Justin Turnerʼs long fly out to center. In the eighth, left fielder Danny By Christen D’Alessandro Dorn started a small rally when he Daily Titan Staff Writer led off with a double and eventually scored off designated hitter For only the tenth time this sea- David Cooperʼs fielderʼs choice son, the No. 1 - ranked Cal State RBI to shortstop. Cooper advanced on two wild Fullerton baseball team picked up pitches and scored on center fielda loss when they were defeated by Loyola Marymount, 8-4, last night er Brandon Trippʼs sacrifice fly out to center. at Goodwin Field. Then in the bottom of the ninth, With eight runs, the Lions scored shortstop Blake Davis lead off with more runs against the Titans than a single and stole second. He later any other team so far this season. “It feels good to beat the No. 1 scored on Dornʼs ball to first. The Titans didnʼt have trouble team,” Lions Head Coach Frank with their Cruz said. offense, as “Theyʼre a great they comteam.” “With two outs, we left a bined for 11 LMU scored five runs off lot of guys on base, didn’t hits, while LMU only only three hits get the big at bat when we had eight. in the top of the needed it and stuff we hit “ W i t h first inning. two outs, “The story of hard was right at them.” we left a lot the game is how of guys on many runs you base, didnʼt score, it isnʼt Brett Pill get the big how many hits at bat when you get,” Titan Titans First Baseman we needed Head Coach it and stuff George Horton we hit hard said. “Thatʼs the was right game of baseball, you need those clutch hits at them,” first baseman Brett Pill when guys are in scoring position. said. Pill finished the game with two They did it and we didnʼt, unforhits, while other Titans contributed tunately.” The Titans also put up an unchar- offensively as well. Davis finished acteristic three errors, two of which the night hitting 4-for-5 with a stolen base and a scored run. were in the first inning. Tripp kept his 13-game hitting “We probably lost the game defensively more than offensive- streak going with a base hit in the fifth inning and chipped in with ly,” Horton said. Cruz said that his team got a an RBI. Hardman went 1-for-1, while break in the first inning with Titan Dorn had a double and an RBI. errors they normally donʼt make. It took the Titans seven innings Both Hardman and Dorn each scored a run, to keep the Titans to get their first run of the game. In the bottom of the seventh from being shutout. For the Lions, catcher Sean inning pinch hitter Clark Hardman got things started when he singled Dovel was 2-for-4 including a
SPORTS
S P O R T S @ D A I LY T I T A N . C O M
Titan fencing coach looks ahead and steps away from rigors of coaching
Titans outhit Lions but commit three errors to take 8-4 loss at home.
carlos delgado/For the Daily Titan
UP IN THE AIR: Titan third baseman Evan McArthur goes to snare a ball hit towards his direction. The Titans lost to LMU 8-3. home run in the eighth inning and a double in the first allowing him to have three RBIs. Third baseman and relief pitcher Kyle Mura had two hits including a double. Right fielder Erik Johnson continued his 24-game hitting streak with a double. Lions starting pitcher Brian Wilson earned the win to increase his record to 2-0. In six innings, Wilson allowed no runs. The rest of the Lions pitching staff allowed four runs to score. Titan pitcher Justin Klipp picked up the loss to drop his record to 2-
1. In two innings he allowed five runs. Adam Jorgenson finished the game allowing a home run and had three strike outs in two innings. Fullerton has now dropped to 28-10 overall, while LMU has improved to 16-25. The Titans have a three-game Big West Conference series this weekend at Pacific. “We noticed some things with a couple of their strokes, and weʼll address that [today] in practice and hopefully clean it up before we go up to Pacific,” Horton said.
Titans Head North for Weekend Series Road trip takes top ranked baseball team to do battle against Pacific By ADAM LEVY
For the Daily Titan
The top-ranked Cal State Fullerton baseball team takes their show on the road for a three game series with the Pacific Tigers at Klein Family Field in Stockton this weekend. The three-game match up marks the only 2006 regular season meeting between the division foes. The Titans [5-1 Big West, 2810 overall] are striving to keep their momentum going against an upstart Tiger squad that has posted an impressive 20-12 overall record heading into the series. “They are a high caliber competition and one of the most improved
In a League of His Own
teams in the conference,” Titan average and pitching with a 2.44 Head Coach George Horton said. team ERA. “It was only a matter of time before Pitcher Wes Roemer and Lauren Coach [Ed] Sprague got them play- Gagnier have co-anchored the Big ing better.” Westʼs best staff, with both hurlers ranking The Tigers amongst the will be looking for some top five in revenge in this Big West “They’re a scrappy team series after wins, ERA, that has come a long way the Titans outstrikeouts since last year. You can’t scored the and innings. underestimate anyone in Tigers, 28In a league 10 in a threeleading 83.2 this conference.” game series at innings Goodwin Field pitched, last year. Roemer has “Theyʼre a only surrenVinnie Pestano dered three scrappy team Titan Closer walks and that has come a given up one long way since home run, last year,” Titan earning Big relief ace Vinnie West player Pestano said. “You canʼt underestimate anyone of the week honors three times in the process. in this conference.” Pestano leads the Big West with The No. 1 ranked team by “Baseball America,” the Titans 11 saves, posting a microscopic have been equally impressive on 0.32 ERA. He has struck out 34 both sides of the diamond, leading batters in 28 innings with air of the Big West conference in both modesty on his ability to make hitting with a .304 team batting batters whiff.
“An outʼs an out,” Pestano said. “I consider myself a groundball pitcher knowing the great defense I have behind me in Justin Turner and Blake Davis.” In spite of the national rankings, the team disregards how good they appear to be on paper. “Itʼs great that we are number one, but those polls donʼt matter much to us,” Titan catcher John Curtis said. “[If] we could be ranked first or 50th, weʼre [still] going to go out and play hard either way.” The Titans have a dominating 18-4 record at Goodwin Field, but are looking to improve their record on the road, with a 10-6 record. Horton said that the team is only looking to play well for themselves and not necessarily for the sake of anyone elseʼs expectations outside the program. “We make an effort to get better every day based on our own criteria,” Horton said. “Be it in practice or against a weaker caliber team, we stay positive and focused on achieving the task at hand. Weʼre here to please ourselves, not the pollsters.”
Paris for two years to study at the Nationale Institute des Sport. “My French at the time was better than my English,” Okawa said. Okawa was to improve facets BY SEAN MCCORMICK of his game for the 1960 Tokyo For the Daily Titan Olympics where he was a member of the inaugural national fencing team Japan would unveil. An improved Okawa returned One of fencing greatest figures from Paris and won Japanese fencwill be leaving the sport for good. ing national titles in 1963, 1964, With 32 years of coaching under and 1967. The 1963 championship his belt, Cal State Fullertonʼs longsaw him winning with both the foil time fencing coach Heizaburo and epee. Okawa will call it quits in June. Okawa went on to participate in “[He] is one of the finest coaches the 1960, 1964 and 1968 Olympics and individuals I have worked with in Rome, Tokyo and Mexico. in my over 35 years in education,” In 1964 Olympics, Japan placed CSUF Athletic Director Brian fourth and Okawa took ninth overQuinn said through an e-mail interall in individual performance. view. “He is certainly one of the Okawa also won consecutive most respected coaches in his field national fencing titles in the United in the country and was honored by States in 1967 his selection and 1968. into the USA “I was realFencing Hall ly lucky,” said of Fame.” “I have never heard an Okawa, who A year and unkind word about Coach competed with a half ago 50 other fencOkawa from anyone, Okawa was ers to make it current student-athlete, diagnosed into the fourth with prostate alumni, faculty or staff.” spot on the cancer. Like team. many warriors, After a Okawa tried to heavily decoBrian Quinn fight until he rated career, had won over Okawa has Titans Athletic Director against his used his expeopponent, but rience not to cancer was a just to fence, different beast. but to coach Medication other fencers. makes him tired and coaching Okawa served as a coach for the requires an extensive amount of Japanese National team as they energy. participated in the junior and senior After 26 years at CSUF Okawa World Cup Championships, travelhas decided to retire at age 66. ing to Brazil, Venezuela, Mexico, “It is not fair for fencers if I am Buffalo, Cuba and Denver. not 100 percent.” Okawa said. At CSUF, Okawaʼs wealth of During Okawaʼs tenure, the experience has enabled him to pass Titan fencing program has risen on much knowledge and empathy to become a nationally recognized for those on the center stage and team and placed 14th nationally has proven himself, not only as a in 2005. player but also as a coach. In 1985 he participated in the “He has taught me a lot,” said training of what became the 6th best CSUF fencer Christine Kuark, a collegiate fencer in the nation. junior who has been coached by In 2006, his fencing team at Okawa the past three years. “He CSUF finished tied for 23rd place is a wise and enigmatic coach who at the NCAA has dedicated his life to this amaz“I have never heard an unkind ing sport.” word about Coach Okawa from Okawa said his greatest experianyone, current student-athlete, ence as a coach is watching student alumni, faculty or staff,” Quinn athletes improving, winning and said. “He will be greatly missed maturing. by everyone in athletics and in the “He has always pushed me and fencing community.” demanded perfection,” Kuark Assistant coach Michael Hinojo, said. who has worked with Okawa for She said that Okawaʼs fencthe last 17 years, will step up to ing experience and knowledge is take over for Okawa. something that she is impressed “He [Hinojo] is a really good with and leaves her in awe of the communicator with students,” legendary coach. Okawa said. “He has always humbled me with The soft-spoken modesty and his training he endured throughout generous smile of Okawa masks his fencing career,” Kuark said. a well-traveled, fierce competitor “He is amazing and intelligent…” who challenged the fencing world In retirement Okawa plans to in his life before starting up his give private lessons for young coaching career. children who are interested in the Okawa was born in Tokyo and sport. began his fencing career at a colKuark believes that Okawa has legiate level at Chuo University at many things he could teach and Tokyo in 1958. that he has inspired her to be the There, he was a two time nationbest she could possibly be. al collegiate champion, once in foil “A life lesson that an athlete in 1960 and once in sabre in 1961. could learn from this inspiring The winning did not stop for coach is to live life without showOkawa after he graduated with ing people your next move,” Kuark a BA in economics in 1962. The said. “Be precise and always be Japanese government sent him to ready.”
SEAN MCCORMICK/For the Daily Titan
A TRUE GREAT: Fencing Head Coach Heizaburo Okawa is leaving CSUF after 26 years of coaching and looks forward to retirement.
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TITAN EDITORIAL
Providing insight, analysis and perspective since 1960
ALL OPTIONS ON THE TABLE
T
he countdown begins, the missiles launch, and we are minutes away from the end of life on Earth as we know it. This scenario isnʼt taken from “Dr. Strangelove” or some doom-crying science fiction novel. This scenario is what we could be faced with should diplomatic options between the United States and Iran turn out to be as fruitful as U.S. negotiations with Iraq. Iran has instituted a uranium enrichment program and has managed to enrich some uranium, which it proudly showcased to the world. Iran said it will use the uranium to generate nuclear power, the Bush administration, which has very little experience with lying, doesnʼt believe them. They think the uranium enrichment program for civilian power might help mask a nuclear weapons program. Bush has refused to rule out a military option in the case of Iran, telling reporters that the U.S. would keep all options on the table. When asked by a reporter if that meant using a nuclear strike against Iran, the president repeated his mantra: All options are on the table. The president did add that he hoped for diplomatic solution. Iran did some saber rattling of its own when its president, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, announced that the Iranian army would, “cut off the hand
of any aggressor and leave the enemy covered in shame.” Meanwhile, delegates from eight countries, including the five permanent members of the U.N. Security Council met in Moscow to iron out a plan on how they should deal with Iranʼs nuclear ambitions. Iran has been given a deadline, April 28, to stop its uranium enrichment program. The past has shown us that some countries just shouldnʼt have nuclear weapons – especially those with unstable governments. We donʼt have to look any farther than our own Cold War enemy, the former Soviet Union, to see why. After the collapse of the Soviet Union we saw a disappearance of nuclear warheads and, during the post-Sept.11 media blitz on terrorism, it was speculated that the pilfered warheads may be used against the U.S. in a terrorist attack. While Iran should be granted every right to produce nuclear power to help its civilian population, the U.S. has a vested interest in ensuring that they donʼt produce nuclear weapons, and should pursue every avenue it can to stop them from obtaining them. But Bush should treat the situation with kid gloves. Our only options canʼt be nuclear war, or a sequel to the blockbuster war in Iraq. Tough talk about nuclear weapons mean nothing coming from the only man in the U.S. with a fallout shelter in which to hide.
Editorial Board Philip Fuller, Opinion Editor Nicole M. Smith, Executive Editor Kim Orr, Managing Editor 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.
OPINION
O P I N I O N @ D A I LY T I T A N . C O M
* Hockey’s Chilling Effect On Fans?
POINT
COUNTERPOINT
COOLEST GAME ON EARTH By Tim Young
Daily Titan Staff Writer
Highlight-reel goals, 90-100 mph slap shots and bone rattling body checks would seem to be what every passion crazed sports fan in America craves. However, even with such traits hockey has had a difficult time gaining popularity in Southern California and across the country, mostly due to peopleʼs unwillingness to understand hockey and give the sport a chance. To most spectators itʼs just a stupid sport that Canadians play. Well, try telling that to fans that have filled the Arrowhead Pond and the Staples Center in higher numbers than expected since hockeyʼs yearlong hiatus. The Mighty Ducks of Anaheim have increased attendance by 5,000 and the Los Angeles Kings increased by 27,000. Isnʼt high-speed action and intensity, along with legal violence, what most Americans enjoy, especially males? Hockey has more legal hitting and violence than football and, next to boxing, is the one sport where referees actually let the players fight. The most intense aspect of the game is the penalty shot, which offers the challenge of a single player bearing down, all alone, on an opposing goaltender while trying to score. Itʼs nerve-racking for the shooter and goalie, but for the screaming fans itʼs pure bliss and a great adrenalin rush. Besides the great individual battles and toughness the sport embodies, hockey players show another skill that other sports lack. For 60 minutes the players fly around the rink at high speeds on ice skates with mind-boggling agility and balance making sure they donʼt crash into the boards in
a harmful manner. From the players to how the sport is perceived in person hockey gives off an energy and intensity that spreads like a contagious plague throughout the arena. If you have never seen a hockey game, turn on television the next time the Ducks play in the playoffs, or go to the Pond, which can be one of the most deafening arenas in the National Hokey League. When a sport is struggling to gain popularity in a certain city it is often helped by a playoff push. Well, the city of Anaheim and the surrounding Southern California area might be getting just what it needs. The Ducks finished the season 43-27-12, clinching the sixth seed in the Western Conference playoffs. Their first round series will be against the Calgary Flames. Hopefully the Ducks will douse the Flames and take themselves one step closer to the Stanley Cup Finals and raise the popularity of hockey in the Southern California area. Another mistake people make is refusing to watch a sport dominated by Canadians and the northern U.S. states, like Michigan and Minnesota. Three of the past six Stanley Cup winners – Dallas, Colorado and Tampa Bay – have been south of the Mason-Dixon line. With a strong playoff performance, hopefully the Ducks can regain interest in local fans that root for the Lakers, Clippers, Dodgers and Angels. So the next time you hear about hockey or sees it on television donʼt just turn it off. Try to give it a chance and you might just start to enjoy the sport. Hockey will never replace Americaʼs pastime, but itʼs time people got on board with the “coolest game on earth,” the NHL.
FROZEN INTEREST By Jason Eichelberger
Daily Titan Staff Writer
As April steamrolls toward May, the sporting world, much like spring, is in full bloom. The new Major League Baseball season, full of grandeur, hope and excitement, is just beginning to blossom. The National Basketball Association is concluding itʼs regular season, while 16 teams will soon begin a fresh and re-energized quest to be crowned champion. Even the National Football League, though dormant from competition, is temporarily awakening from itʼs off-season slumber to prepare for the college draft, where new players will eagerly anticipate their chance to show their fresh faces and talents to the sports world. Indeed, there is much happening in the sporting world. For you knowledgeable sports fans out there, Iʼm sure you noticed the exclusion of another “major” sport that is also concluding its season and preparing to crown a champion. The question I pose is how many people truly are interested? If your still trying to figure out which sport Iʼm talking about, donʼt feel bad that you donʼt know. Youʼre probably not alone. And thatʼs exactly why its place in the American sporting landscape, as well as most peopleʼs conscious is almost non-existent. Ladies and Gentlemen, I give you the National Hockey League. The NHL, though one of the oldest and most internationally represented professional sports leagues in the county, is by far the least popular and least cared about league among the major professional sports in North America. Most people associate the league more so with brawls, scandal and labor trouble than with quality play and memorable on-ice moments. Ask the casual sports fan to name more than a couple players or the rules and regulations of
the game and you would probably encounter some major difficulties. What are the reasons for this lack of interest? There are many, however, I present you with three of the more prevalent explanations for hockeyʼs current plight. 1. Lack of Player Marketability and “Star Power”: Unlike their contemporaries in the other sports, hockey players do not seem to posses the appeal and lure that is embraced by the public and advertisers. Touchdowns, home runs and slam-dunks seem to impress the public and advertisers more than slap shots, power plays, and shootouts. Hockey also lacks recognizable names. Causal sports fans knew the names and faces of former stars Wayne Gretzky and Mario Lemieux. Todayʼs game lacks recognizable superstars that transcend sports and venture into mainstream America, a problem hindering hockeyʼs effort to grow. 2. The Lockout Effect: For any sport, a labor dispute is a public relations nightmare. It alienates fans and sponsors alike, people that play crucial roles in the success of a sport. For a sport that was already struggling to maintain its pace with the other major American sports, the season-long stalemate that cancelled entire 2004-2005 season was especially debilitating. It marked the first time that a major sport had a season cancelled due to labor unrest, and spawned sweeping rule changes in a desperate attempt to regain fans. 3. Lack of Diversity: Unlike other sports in North America, hockey has not experienced diversity among its players. In a country that has become a melting pot of races and ethnicities, hockeyʼs lack of incorporating more minority players has turned many away from the sport, further preventing expansion and the ability to improve itʼs dire position at the bottom of the American sporting world.
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NEWS
N E W S @ D A I LY T I T A N . C O M
IN
OUT
OTHER NEWS
N’ ABOUT
WORLD
ON CAMPUS TODAY AND THURSDAY: ASI elections will be held on campus.
Israel Points to Hamas
JERUSALEM – Israel said Tuesday that it holds the Hamasled Palestinian Authority responsible for the deadliest suicide bombing in nearly two years and debated whether to target it directly as an “enemy entity” – even though the attack was carried out by a different militant group. Mondayʼs blast outside a packed Tel Aviv fast-food restaurant killed nine civilians and wounded dozens during the Jewish Passover holiday, and troop reinforcements were deployed across Israel for fear of more attacks. The 21-year-old bomber, a West Bank university dropout, was sent by the Iranian-backed Islamic Jihad group.
TODAY: ASI hosts a concert featuring Long Live Logos at noon in the Becker Amphitheater. TODAY: Get your questions answered from the CSUF president & the ASI president at Pizza with the Presidents, a biannual event sponsored by Associated Students Inc. and the Cal State Fullerton Presidentʼs Office, from noon to 1 p.m. in the Quad.
Oil Prices Hit Record-High SINGAPORE – Oil prices hit a new intraday high Tuesday, surpassing the previous record of $70.85, amid worries about supply disruptions in Nigeria and international tension over Iranʼs nuclear program. Light, sweet crude for May delivery briefly rose to $70.88 a barrel in electronic trading on the New York Mercantile Exchange, before easing back to $70.75 a barrel, up 35 cents from Monday, when the contract settled at $70.40 a barrel, a record close.
NATION
Allegations Incite Protests DURHAM, N.C. – More than a month after a stripper told police she was raped at a party thrown by Duke Universityʼs lacrosse team, a grand jury charged two players in indictments that remain sealed, a defense attorney said. The racially charged allegations have led to near daily protest rallies. The school canceled the highly ranked teamʼs season and accepted the resignation of coach Mike Pressler.
Chief Re-energizes Team WASHINGTON – President Bushʼs new chief of staff said Monday it was time to “refresh and re-energize the team,” and he told senior White House aides who might be thinking about quitting this year to go ahead and leave now. Taking charge in a time of crisis, with Bushʼs poll ratings at their lowest point ever and Republicans anxious about the November elections, Bolten laid down his pointed directive at his first meeting with top presidential aides.
LOCAL
Director Admits to Lying LOS ANGELES – A somber “Die Hard” director John McTiernan stood before a federal judge and said he made “knowingly false” statements to an FBI agent about Anthony Pellicano, the celebrity private eye he admitted hiring to wiretap a business associate. He is the highest-profile figure yet to be named in the investigation of Pellicano, who is accused of bugging phones and bribing police to get information on celebrities and others. Pellicano has pleaded not guilty. McTiernan, who pleaded guilty Monday to making false statements, faces up to five years in prison when he is sentenced July 31.
Reports compiled from The Associated Press
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Kevin Rogers/Daily Titan
EASY, TIGER
Sarah Shaw, a liberal studies major, does not shudder at the sight of this giant tiger. It is a vintage woodcut poster advertisement for “King Bros. Circus,” on display as a part of “Designed to Sell: The Art of Advertising” in the Atrium Gallery.
DID YOU KNOW?
FRANKFURT – A sex expert at the retrial of a German cannibal jailed for killing a man and feeding on his flesh said Tuesday the defendant had not been motivated by a desire to kill but by his victimʼs wish to be eaten. Armin Meiwes, who was jailed two years ago for killing a computer engineer who had begged to be eaten, is standing trial for the second time after Germanyʼs top criminal court ruled that his eightyear sentence for manslaughter was too lenient. Prosecutors, hoping to secure a murder conviction, need to show that Meiwes killed his victim to fulfill his own sexual desire or that he planned to distribute for profit part of the videotape he made of the crime. Meiwesʼs defense hinges on his victimʼs request to be eaten and that he was simply fulfilling this desire, a view backed up by a sex psychologist who addressed the
court in Frankfurt. “He (Meiwes) was convinced that he wanted it and that he would live on within him,” Klaus Beier told the court. “His motivation was not to kill.” Beier described Meiwes as an affable, self-confident and positive man, who apart from his crime would have done little to attract attention. He told the crowded court how Meiwes had searched the Internet for a suitable partner, trawling through advertisements including one from a 26-year-old who was looking for “a likeable, older gentleman to read me my death sentence.” His search had been fruitless, however, until he met BerndJuergen Brandes, who had advertised for someone to “obliterate his life and leave no trace.” Of the handful of men he met, Meiwes had said, only Brandes had been a truly willing victim. “He never had to doubt Brandesʼs willingness,” Beier told the court Tuesday. Beier said that Meiwesʼs fantasy had its roots in his fatherʼs departure from the family home
and a domineering and embittered mother. His desire to eat someone stemmed from his wish to find a partner who would not abandon him. At an earlier hearing in January, Meiwes told judges how he had severed Brandesʼs penis and that both had tried to eat it, without success, although Meiwes later ate flesh from the body. After heavy bleeding, Brandes finally fell unconscious. Believing his victim to be dead Meiwes laid his victim out on a bench and plunged a knife into his neck. He said that only when he later saw his videotape of killing did he realize that Brandes had still been faintly breathing. Germanyʼs top criminal court said the first trial court had ignored the fact that Meiwes had filmed the slaying for later sexual gratification. Meiwesʼs lawyers, however, have said that he had released four potential victims who had changed their minds at the last minute and initially driven Brandes homeward after he appeared to lose his nerve. Report compiled from Reuters
FRIDAY: Deadline to enter the inaugural Pollak Library Prize for Undergraduate Research Papers and Project. All CSUF undergraduates who completed a research paper or project for class credit during the summer 2005, fall 2005 or spring 2006 semesters are eligible. SATURDAY: The second annual Social Justice Student Summit will be held from 9 a.m. to 3:45 p.m. in the Titan Student Union. The summit will feature interactive, thoughtful and engaging workshops on the ongoing civil rights movement, environmental movements, labor movements, womenʼs struggles, immigrant rights struggles, grassroots organizing, fair trade and sweatshop-free awareness, community development and activism. The event is free for students and will include lunch. For a detailed schedule or to register go to www. fullerton.edu.
OFF CAMPUS THURSDAY: Newport Beach kicks off its seventh annual weeklong film festival. It features 350 films from the independent and studio worlds. For a detailed schedule and tickets visit www.newportbeachfilmfest. com. If you would like to submit an event to Out nʼ About please e-mail news@dailytitan.com
N E W S @ D A I LY T I TA N . C O M
TOLL-FREE FROM PAGE 1 one can get through, the lines are always jammed or people receive incorrect information. This one seems like a potentially good idea though.” “There are times I will give you incorrect information,” said Warren Snyder, manager of the National Contact Center for the office of Federal Citizen Information. “Our main focus is on content development, that our agents have the tools necessary to provide accurate information.” While this phone number is fairly new the concept is not. “In 1966 the first information center opened in Atlanta,” he said. “People really didnʼt know where to go for information. They eventually gave out a phone number.” Snyder said once the center received more phone calls than
CONTEST FROM PAGE 1 Hurley and Crockett agreed the best part of the project is the real life experience. “This experience is resume material,” Hurley said. “When they venture for a job they will have real life experience to talk about.” Students participating are confident that the project will benefit their future, since most students stepping into the job market have little or no experience. The students are currently helping to organize two events: the Battle of the Bands – Saturday at the Off Campus Pub – and a contest to be held on campus Tuesday, April 25, Rachel Kaizoji said. The contest involves what Crockett called a throw back to other popular contests done in the 1960s. “There used to be competitions to see how many students could fit in a telephone booth or a VW bug, our contest will be done using the Honda Fit,” he said. Hurley said they are placing
walk-ins, the agency soon developed small information centers, which gave a local number, he said. These small information centers were eventually contracted out in the 1990s. Today these information centers have become what is 1-800FED-INFO. “This number has existed since about 2001,” he said. Snyder said that the agents are tested on phone conversations, which include background noise such as sirens and screaming babies. The future agents are then required to repeat the original conversation. Along with the phone test, a two-week training course is required, he said. “Although education and background is nice, it is less important than motivation and the ability to deal with the public,” he said. Snyder said people could also ask questions via the Web site: http://answers.firstgov.gov.
NEWS
JOURNALIST FROM PAGE 1 radio. He now works for Canwest, which he said is Canadaʼs largest newspaper. He is based in Jerusalem. Fisher covered both Iraq wars in 1991 and 2003 and has faced many experiences in doing so. In 2003 he traveled 400 miles in the fourth armored fighting vehicle of 100 upon entering Baghdad. “We were surrounded in a 360 degree ambush by an Iraqi brocade,” Fisher said. “The sky lit up. All hell broke loose.” Despite the unexpectedness and fear of the attack, Fisher said he was impressed with the skill of the Marines. “They were so welltrained,” he said. “Itʼs like the ballet the way they attack – itʼs choreographed.”
DEVEREUX FROM PAGE 1
ads in the Daily Titan for both events with heavy emphasis on the April 25 event where the vehicle will be present on campus. “Itʼs currently a work in progress,” he said. “Weʼre trying to recruit a lot of organizations and sororities, but it is not limited to these campus organizations.” Hurley said they hope to have online registration available on the school sponsored Web site: www.fitthefit.com. The first place team in the contest will win a cash prize of $500. The entire competition will end with final marketing presentations to be made by the top three schools to Honda executives. The first place school receives a $5,000 cash prize, second place a $3,000 cash prize and third place a $2,000 cash prize. “I hope to guide them in the right direction [and] not to do the work for them. Itʼs been difficult,” Hurley said. “In spite of heavy competition I expect them to win. Iʼm so proud of my students,” Crockett said.
“I get extra time on my tests, and I have special desks in my art classes so itʼs easier to draw and paint,” he said. The 24-year-old geography major said he was diagnosed with muscular dystrophy when he was about 3 years old. His mother, Lisa Devereux, said early symptoms as a child included toe-walking and stiff legs. Devereux endures many challenges being a college student with a disability. Along with facing the stress of homework and exams like other students, he also is challenged by physical limitations. “He canʼt walk around,” his mother said. “He canʼt socialize so easily.” The condition is also challenging for Lisa Devereux, who said it is difficult having to lift him
DIRECTORS FROM PAGE 1 required to direct three scenes during the first semester and second semester of study, as well as one 10-minute play. The opportunity to act in these projects is extended to freshmen theater majors, nontheater majors and non-CSUF students. “Some actors are used too much,” said Eve Himmelheber, head of the musical theater bachelorʼs of fine arts program at CSUF. “Sometimes they like to use actors people havenʼt seen.”
W E D N E S D A Y, A P R I L 1 9 , 2 0 0 6
Fisher spent six weeks with the Marines and was the only Canadian journalist among 690 other journalists who were embedded with a fighting unit. At the time other journalists refused to embed for fear of compromising their ethics and morals while reporting from the war zone. He said a few weeks ago 26 Canadian journalists embedded with troops, citing a change from only three years ago. “The only way to get good coverage is to embed,” Fisher said, although he had to sign a secrets agreement that promised he wouldnʼt divulge secrets in his coverage. The Marines only allowed him to bring five to six pounds of gear, including only six pairs of underwear for a six-week period. He said he also packed a good sleeping bag, insect repellant, antibiotics and a chemical warfare suit. several times a day. She also pushes Devereux around campus and sits with him during his classes. “He writes his own notes, but Iʼm back up – just in case.” For students in wheelchairs, like Devereux, CSUF installed curb-cuts, ramps and devices that when pushed will open doors automatically. His mother said she appreciates a separate restroom in the library that allows her to take care of Devereux properly since they are different sexes. “They offer enough help as far as Nick goes,” Lisa said of the program. “I would like him to be able to use exercise equipment, though, like the equipment in the gym of the Kinesiology Building.” Outside of the parameters of CSUF, Lisa Devereux said she wished there was more assistance. “I feel that there are not enough services -– not with the school, but medical services,” she said. Theater majors typically have a greater knowledge of theater vocabulary, said Jim Taulli, associate professor of theater. He added by utilizing nonmajors as actors, student directors are able to obtain the skill of finding different ways of communicating with actors. “Weʼve had some kids come in who are really good,” Himmelheber said, in response to performances sheʼs seen by non-majors. Non-majors interested in theater still have a chance to act on-campus. There are many CSUF students who were exposed to theater in high school, but chose to focus their college degree on another
Another challenge for the journalist was using technology that could hold up in Iraq. Fisher used a computer called a Tough Book that is resistant to sand and rain and sports a satellite cell phone. “One of the keys in journalism in the military is, if you canʼt communicate you may as well not be there,” he said. This also proved to be a problem for Ronald Paul Larson who traveled to Iraq to cover the war for the Daily Titan. Larson said his laptop, mini camcorder and 35mm camera all failed because of the sand. “My main concern was going there,” Larson said. “Not getting killed or hurt but being able to do my job.” He added it was a learning experience. Despite knowing the risks of death and violence involved with the job, Fisher has gone to Iraq seven more times.
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“Itʼs very interesting to be in those situations,” Fisher said. “Some would say itʼs thrilling -– I donʼt know if I would call it that. You feel you have a privileged seat in history.” Steven Walters, a 21-year-old communications and American studies major, was motivated by Fisherʼs lecture. Walters said he was interested in the preparation Fisher had to take in Iraq since he is considering a career as a foreign war correspondent in the future. “Iʼve always been interested in war,” Walters said. “My brother is in the Army.” Following his lecture Fisher will continue his dream of traveling. He plans to spend the next few weeks in New York, Toronto, Ottawa and Indonesia. In a few months he plans on going to Afghanistan for six to eight weeks followed by a return to Iraq.
This would include equipment to help Devereux stand. “Theyʼve ruled it out, but I disagree.” Lisa, who would describe
Devereux as quiet, witty and fun loving, commends her son for how he has grown up with his condition. “He is patient about it,” she said. “Heʼs learned to live with it.” Colcol also learned to live with a disability as a college student. Despite having mild cerebral palsy, she graduated from CSUF with a bachelorʼs and a masterʼs degree both in American studies and a teaching credential in special education. “Everyone was very supportive,” Colcol said. “I got accommodations and got to meet other disabled students and make friends with them. It let me know that I wasnʼt the only one.” In addition to the services offered to disabled students, support is important. “The great majority of students and professors are very understanding and accommodating,” Colcol said.
area of study, she said. “I love directing because I give people opportunities to perform who may not have an opportunity otherwise,” Gleason said. Taulli said performers must be available for rehearsals as well as attending the directing class on a specific day to present the scene to the class. Himmelheber said directors require no acting experience from students interested in acting. Sometimes student directors are searching for a particular character type such as the “bully” or “girlnext-door.” It is also important to be available for rehearsals, she said.
“The best trait is to be available,” Gleason said. Non-majors can also receive credit for volunteering to act in a student production. The credit can go toward upper-division or electives. Students are encouraged to speak with an adviser regarding credit that they could potentially receive. For more information regarding upcoming scene work opportunities, Himmelheber recommends that students check the callboard located at the southwest corner of the older Performing Arts Building. The callboard contains audition notices and contacts for student directors.
Elizabeth Simoes/Daily Titan
DESIRE TO LEARN: Nick Devereux, a 24-year-old geography major, was diagnosed with muscular dystrophy at the age of 3 and a half.