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Since 1960 Volume 84, Issue 13
In His Drunken Opinion ...
His “Passion”
Atheist Dave Bruemmer touches on God of the Gaps OPINION, p. 9
Jaime Cardenas gives the dish on OPINION, p.12 the after-party
Daily Titan
Thursday February 22, 2007
The Student Voice of California State University, Fullerton
Obama Speaks in L.A.
Advocate for the Students
Presidential hopeful meets with voters in Crenshaw Complex
Asbestos found in a majority of the CSUF buildings
By urmi rahman
By SARAH GAMMILL
For the Daily Titan
news@dailytitan.com
Daily Titan Staff Writer news@dailytitan.com
By Cameron pemstein/Daily Titan Photographer
simply irresistible - Vice President of Student Affairs, Robert Palmer is known for his student-first mentality in the board room; The administra-
tor has vigilantly fought to better students’ educational inconveniences.
Vice President Palmer Fights for Students on Executive Level New York native strives to protect student rights at Cal State Fullerton By GRACE LEE
Daily Titan Staff Writer news@dailytitan.com
Cal State Fullerton’s Vice President of Students Affairs, Robert Palmer is revered by students and peers alike. “He’s very sensitive, easy to talk
SEE OBAMA - PAGE 3
to and a good listener,” said Ellen encouraged him and his siblings to Shaw, Palmer’s administrative assis- shoot for the stars. tant. “He has a “My mother sense of humor was optimistic, and tells great upbeat and enI think I have the best jokes.” couraged us to Born and do the best we job in the world. raised in Bufcould possibly falo, New York, do,” Palmer said. – George Horton Palmer grew up Palmer later Titans Baseball Head Coach in poverty like found himself at many families Indiana Univerin his neighborsity as an underhood. Yet despite graduate student their struggles, his mother always studying art. He continued his stud-
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The only Presidential candidate boasting a Kenyan father and a Kansan mother, a best-selling book about The Audacity of Hope ( which he admits is an idea he stole from his pastor) and less than one term in the Senate, attracted thousands of voters Tuesday at the Rancho Cienega Sports Complex in Crenshaw. Police officers, fire trucks and a helicopter secured the scene for the black, white, brown and yellow Democrats who, packed themselves into several basketball courts, curious to see what makes this candidate who he is. They held pre-made signs: “No More Drama, We Want Obama” and “Stop Bush Trauma, Vote for Obama.” The well-dressed, enthusiastic and initially patient crowd was directed onto the courts at 1 p.m., only to learn Obama would not arrive for several more hours. Before their arrival, photographers, cameramen and reporters had already created a backdrop for the burgeoning scene. Members of Cal State Fullerton’s Middle Eastern Student Society and Muslim Student Association volunteered at the event from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Some of those students belong to the Facebook.com “Barack Obama” support group. “Why is Britney Spears in the news?” asked one L.A. resident, Beth Brown, who said she had not seen enough coverage of
ies in the graduate program for his master’s in College and Personnel Administration. He described his experience in college as a great time in life. “It’s where you make life-long friends and have unique experiences; at the same time you’re preparing for your chosen career,” he said. After graduate school, he earned his doctorate degree in higher education at the State University of New SEE PALMER - PAGE 3
It’s Just Gourd–geous By Yvonne Villarreal
Daily Titan Staff Writer news@dailytitan.com
Two years ago, Cathy Corr received an unusual Christmas present from a close friend: a trash bag full of gourds. “I just mentioned how I admired my friend’s work, and the next thing you know, she shipped me a bag of gourds,” Corr said. A hobby was born. This past weekend Corr, a member of the Emmanuel Episcopal Church in Fullerton, shyly accepted compliments as onlookers admired her creations at the church’s “Fair of Sharing” event where parishioners gather to display their art. “It’s been encouraging because it gives me the idea that there is some talent there and that people enjoy them,” Corr said. Corr, of Buena Park, has designed
Safety Issues Arise
nearly 200 gourds, each with a different theme, shape and name, from “Farm in the Mountain” to “Razzle Dazzle.” A gourd is a hollow shell of a fruit in the Cucurbitacea plant family – the same family as cucumbers. Often referred to as “nature’s pottery,” gourds were originally used for their utility as containers or vessels before clay or pottery. Their function has evolved to include resonating chambers in musical instruments, a recorder of events in time and, now, as a source for crafty artists. “For somebody that started just two years ago, she is doing extremely well,” said Terry Tarazon, who traveled nearly 80 miles from Bonsall to attend the fair. “Her designs are just beautiful.” Corr’s eclectic designs are inspired from a variety of resources: books, photographs, art, her travels and from small craft classes. The vibrant colors that radiate off the
Tomorrow Introspect
overcoming the obstacles
INPIRATIONAL Nothing can stop Long Beach woman from achieving her goals
shells’ exteriors are painted with acrylics, watercolors, markers and shoe leather dyes. She took craft classes at Quail Gardens in Encinitas that introduced her to woodburning, a technique she said she loves to use in her designs. “When you woodburn, it smells like a camp fire,” Corr said. “It’s like existing with nature.” The 64-year-old said she was initially attracted to doing crafts with gourds because it doesn’t require too much artistic ability or creativity. “Almost anyone can do straight lines,” Corr said. “That’s all it is to me, a bunch of straight lines connected to create something beautiful.” Some of her designs feature elaborate leaves, wistful feathers, colorful skylines, homely villages and intricate geometric patterns. But her favorite illustration is of her grandparent’s quaint home in Illinois, with
By carlos delgado/Daily Titan Staff Photographer
Painting- Cathy Corr makes a variety of decorative vases, jars and works of art out of gourds, a type of pumpkin-like vegetable, at her home. her grandfather’s shed nearby and a towering tree equipped with a swing that she struggled to make sway as a child. Corr, a former accountant manager, receives her abundant supply of gourds from the Wellborn Gourd Farm in Fallbrook, one of the largest suppliers of hard-shelled gourds in
For the record ISSUE DATE: In our Feb. 21, 2007 issue the Daily Titan inaccurately reported that Orangwood was a part of the Orange County Social Service Agency. Orangewood is a private non-profit organization.
the nation. A gourd is a hollow shell of a fruit in the Cucurbitacea plant family – the same family as cucumbers. Often referred to as “nature’s pottery,” gourds were originally used for their SEE GOURD - PAGE 3
weather
TODAY
There may be a hidden danger lurking throughout the grounds of Cal State Fullerton’s campus, and its name is asbestos. Although many may not know of cancer-causing asbestos before, it is very much alive at CSUF. Being a naturally occurring fibrous mineral, asbestos was mined for its numerous functionalities years ago and made its way onto campus in the 1960s. Used in almost every aspect in the construction of a building, such as: floor tiles and adhesives, acoustic ceilings, drywall tapes, ceiling tiles, roofing materials and even air duct insulations, asbestos-containing materials were used throughout the campus’ various buildings. “Most of the materials they use in construction are in solid form. When it’s in solid form, no problem,” said Steven Kim, the associate coordinator of the Environmental Studies department. It was so widely used due to its flexibility, strength and resistance to fire, but the consequences of it were unknown. In 1978 asbestos was banned from production, still leaving remaining materials for use. Asbestos has the most chance of becoming harmful during construction and renovations at campus. The materials can become airborne when they are ripped out, leaving a person open to inhale the particles. “If the particles are small enough it will get trapped either in the alveoli or in any other part of the air passageway, and if someone is continually exposed to that it will cause scarring of the lung tissue or various tissues along that air passageway,” Kim said. “It’s a nasty way to experience cancer.” Asbestosis and lung cancers like mesothelioma can occur from long periods of exposure. Symptoms usually do not manifest themselves for a matter of 10 to even 15 years later. It just lays dormant, Kim said. “I’m not even a smoker someone might say, but why am I hacking like this? Perhaps 10 years ago or so he or she was exposed to high levels of asbestos, and that’s the first sign,” Kim said. Even though the asbestos can be found in over 20 facilities at CSUF from the mailroom to McCarthy Hall, it does not mean that there is cause for concern yet. “You don’t necessarily go through and remove material SEE ASBESTOS - PAGE 4
TOMorrow Cloudy High: 60 Low: 45
Cloudy High: 60 Low: 45