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Since 1960 Volume 84, Issue 26
Model Gets Easy Break
Campus Crusade for Christ
Campbell gets five-day janitorial OPINION, p. 4 duty for assault
Spotlight on international student NEWS, p. 2 organization
Daily Titan
Wednesday March 21, 2007
The Student Voice of California State University, Fullerton
Helping Women Off the Streets On-campus lecture focuses on prostitutes changing their lives By Melissa Fitzgerald
Daily Titan Staff Writer news@dailytitan.com
Prostitution is “alive and well,” according to Stacy L. Mallicoat. Mallicoat, a full-time staff member of the Division of Politics, Administration and Justice at Cal State Fullerton, was the speaker at “Lives in Transition: A Needs Assessment of Women Exiting from Prostitution.” Mallicoat covered a myriad of topics ranging from separating facts from myths of prostitution to discussing possible solutions to the types of programs that are available for recovery. A handout labeled “The Prostitution Test” was handed to the audience, which shocked several individuals after they found that all of the answers listed on the test were true. An audience member said she was startled that the job-related benefits that are appealing to prostitutes include flexible work hours and the risk, excitement and danger involved in the profession. “A surprising fact to me is that street prostitution is only about ten percent of all prostitution,” Mallicoat said. Another fact from Mallicoat’s test that surprised an audience member is that prostitutes do not find their job degrading. “When you talk to or interview prostitutes, the way they are treated by police when they are arrested is degrading,” Mallicoat said. Mallicoat also spoke about the way prostitutes feel about they how the police treat them. If their pimp or a customer beats or assaults them, they say they feel as though the police would label them as unworthy victims because of their profession. Assaults may go unreported because of the treatment from the police. “This is not exactly the safest occupation,” Mallicoat said. The city of sin was also discussed when the audience was asked if they knew if prostitution was legal or illegal in Las Vegas. As it turns out, brothels can be found outside the city but not inside, Mallicoat said. “You can’t have all your vices in one city,” she said. Though prostitution is illegal in Las Vegas, erotic services are still eas-
ily found through cabbies that can point visitors in the right direction, according to Mallicoat. “A cabbie in Vegas almost serves as a pimp,” Mallicoat said. The cabbies can receive up to 50 percent of the cost of the sexual act, she said. But Mallicoat added that cab drivers are not the only men who have taken advantage of prostitutes. A “vulnerabilities list” was distributed that showed circumstances that may make women more susceptible to selling themselves for money. She said being a survivor of childhood sexual abuse or of religionbased ritualized sexual abuse can contribute to a prostitute’s chosen path. Mallicoat shared some of her observations she had gained when she studied a transitional program that housed women in an eight-apartment complex. It’s name was withheld at the program’s request, The recovering prostitutes wanted rules established and situations resolved immediately. Because of their background and role in society, giving these underrepresented women a voice is key, Mallicoat said. After the presentation Brian DePaul, a 21-year-old criminal justice major, said that Mallicoat’s presentation was extremely informative. He said that a thirst for knowledge and extra credit for a class brought him to the presentation. “I was also quite shocked about the true and false test,” DePaul said, adding that he was surprised to learn that they were all true. Sue Passalacqua, the associate director of the Women’s Center, said she looks for presentations that affect women, and that Mallicoat made her subject interesting and informative with the true/false assessment, which also informed more people in an interactive way. “I think any issue that affects women is relevant to the education of our students,” Passalacqua said.“Her topic came alive.” “The reality is, this program is not going to solve the problem of prostitution with eight apartments … I told this organization that they couldn’t do everything,” Mallicoat said. Policing only adds to the problem by moving the prostitutes. Mallicoat said that the authorities are not solving the issue by conducting sweeps or by sending the prostitutes to jail. “It’s a revolving door,” Mallicoat said.
Brazilian Cultural Festival Educates By Ellice Soliven
Daily Titan Staff Writer news@dailytitan.com
by aline lessner/ daily titan staff photographer Real Life - “Dead Man Walking,” an honest view of a relationship developed on Death Row between a nun and an amalgam of prisoners, premieres with a mature content warning due to the graphic depiction of an execution.
“Dead Man Walking” Premieres By Erin Tobin
Daily Titan Staff Writer news@dailytitan.com
One of Cal State Fullerton’s newest theatrical productions has a mature content warning. The university’s run of “Dead Man Walking” started March 16 and those involved didn’t hold back when it came to the play’s deep look at the death penalty and the life of death row inmates. In fact, Jim Volz, the media contact for CSUF’s Theatre and Dance Department, said he hopes the students’ performances stir something in the audience. “That’s part of the excitement that comes with doing live theater,” he said. “We’ll warn people ahead of time, but we still like to surprise
them.” The play is an interpretation of the book written by Sister Helen Prejean, a nun who spent years providing religious services to death row inmates. The plot details her work with Matthew Pouncelot, a conglomerate of many of the men she had met during the experience. For director Patrick Pearson, the production offers a chance to approach an issue that is literally close to home. Pearson said he grew up in Texas and attended school not far from a prison that housed death row inmates. “The death penalty is very much in my social conscious,” Pearson said. “Dead Man Walking” is the last in a long line of shows that Pearson has directed as a student at CSUF and it is a far cry from the upbeat production of “Seussical the Musical” he directed last semester. “I wanted
to balance things out. I wanted to do something that was socially relevant, not just entertaining,” Pearson said. “The show won’t change anyone’s mind, but that’s not the point. The point is to get them thinking about it.” In order to get the actors thinking about the situations and topics the play brought up, Pearson gave them a rare opportunity to develop their characters. In addition to reading Prejean’s book and conducting research, a large portion of the cast and crew took a trip to a prison in Chino to get a greater understanding of life behind bars. “If they weren’t terrified before, they w e re t h e n ,” s a i d Pe a r SEE SHOW - PAGE 2
While a Catholic holiday wouldn’t usually involve scantily-clad girls dancing and a group of men fighting, the Brazilian Carnival was an exception. At the Titan Student Union Pavilion C, the Latin American Studies Student Association presented a night full of Brazilian cultural festivities. In honor of the Lenten holiday, the event featured a guest speaker, capoeira and samba performers, and an array of Brazilian food and beverages. As attendees walked through purple, gold and green streamers blowing from the doors, they were greeted by Brazilian music laced with heavy drum beats blaring through the speakers. Association officers handed out Mardi Gras-type beads and directed people to bright yellow tables. The room’s decorations screamed “Party time!” with yellow and blue balloons everywhere and green, gold and purple masks on the walls. Gold star centerpieces resembled fireworks exploding from the table. A few people wore colorful cutout masks that were provided for them as well. Portuguese Professor Ronald Harmon started the night with a presentation on the history of “Carnaval.” Attendees learned that it is a celebration much like Mardi Gras, before the start of Lent, in which there are costumes and samba dancers who perform for a half-mile amidst floats in the parades. “People worldwide travel to Brazil to participate in ‘carnaval,’” said Sandra Perez-Linggi, Latin American studies professor and social adviser for the association. “The floats from the different samba schools spend months and a lot of money putting them together. So they’re huge, huge, huge productions.” People equate “carnaval” with partying, she said, but it’s not just random partying. There’s a historical and religious significance. The event had its own samba dancers, two young women in white, SEE CULTURE- PAGE 2
Concrete Floats Their Boats In San Diego Competition By VINCENT CABRERA
Daily Titan Staff Writer news@dailytitan.com
Computer Science and Engineering students and members of the American Society of Civil Engineers are constructing a concrete canoe as part of an upcoming competition hosted by UC San Diego. The 2007 Pacific Southwest Regional Conference competition will be held April 12 to 14 and Cal State Fullerton students are currently in preparation for the event. The competition will include universities in the Pacific Southwest region. Engineering students at
UCLA, USC and the University of Nevada at Las Vegas will be competing against CSUF students in several events that will test their engineering and athletic skills. “Last year’s canoe was not successful,” said Scott Johnson, a member of the engineer society. “This year we are starting over, whereas other schools have something to build from.” Johnson, 22, did not have any experience in canoe building prior to this project, but has played a major role as the project manager in the design and construction of the canoe. The students applied three coats of a concrete mix to a wooden mold.
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MULTIMEDIA The mix was designed and made by the students and the application process took one day. Orlando Martinez, 23, president of the society, said the competition from other schools is at a high level. Martinez stressed the factors that are vital in building a fast canoe. “We are actually trying to get weight reduction and build a boat that won’t crack while we are in the middle of rowing it,” Martinez said. “There are a lot of factors that go into creating a successful canoe and
o Check out dailytitan.com for a video of the ECS boat-building competition.
then we worry about our rowers being able to row fast and compete.” Binod Tiwari, the faculty advisor to the society, said he is hopeful CSUF can win some of the events unlike in years past. According to Tiwari, the students are getting a lot of support from the engineering and computer science faculty and more students are determined to put forth the effort. “The number of enthusiastic students are increasing,” Tiwari said. “The students designed the canoe
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appropriately and hopefully it will go fast and we can win something this year.” Tiwari was assigned as the faculty advisor in fall 2006 and has continued to support students. Tiwari said that the students are highly involved and as the faculty advisor he is just around to oversee the projects. Jose Gonzalez, 23, an engineering and computer science major, said students such as himself have been working on this canoe for the past six months. “A lot of hours ... a lot of hard hours,” Gonzalez said. “We started on the design last semester and now we are in fabrication mode as we get
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more members involved.” According to Gonzalez, the students who were involved since the beginning are welcoming students who are becoming interested. James Michael Phillip Weldon III, 25, an engineering student, recognizes this process as a chance to get together, work hard and make friends. Weldon emphasizes that being in a group, such as the engineer society, is about making life-long friendships. “It’s a lot of fun for us,” Weldon said. “This is a time when everybody comes together and works hard for the same goal.”
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