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Since 1960 Volume 84, Issue 33
Titans Top Trojans
iPoD Generation
CSUF baseball combated USC Tuesday night SPorTS, p. 6
Has youth culture become oPINIoN, p. 4 addicted to iPods?
Daily Titan
ASI Trying to Pass Bill AB 302
Wednesday April 11, 2007
The Student Voice of California State University, Fullerton
Student Hospitalized After Crash
State Senate Legislation that may further financial aid for Grant B Program BY orIoN TIPPENS
Daily Titan Staff Writer news@dailytitan.com
The Associated Students Inc. is working toward the passing of AB 302, a new California Senate bill that may further help students receive financial aid through the Cal Grant B program. Introduced earlier this year, the AB 302 bill aims to amend California’s educational code by allowing Cal Grant B students access to their monetary awards for their total tuition and cost within their first academic year. Currently, only Cal Grant A recipients have access to both their tuition funds and aid for expenses for the freshmen year. Both Cal Grant A and B awards have the same monetary reward amount per year. Cal Grant B aid pays for tuition and fees based on the student’s income and economic disability after their first academic year. However, based on qualifications, some Cal Grant B students have access to their funds only for expenses such as books and related materials in that freshmen year. “It would be nice to have that money earlier, since it is yours. Why can’t you just use it all at your expense right away?” said David Sandoval, 22, a geology major, who feels the rising costs college expenses will affect the morale of new college students. ASI has undergone local efforts to draw support for AB 302. CSUF representatives of ASI have set up a petition letter campaign, and distributed information in an effort to provide awareness of the new bill. At the end of March, ASI reported that 324 CSUF student signatures were collected on campus for petition letters that will be passed on to legislators in an effort to gain support for AB 302. ASI plans to collect more signatures throughout the spring semester. “Arguably your first year in college is the most important,” said Curtis Schlaufman, ASI director of government relations, who said the effect stemming from a lack of college funds could impact the student’s motivation in the following years. The CSUs and the California State Student Association are working together in support for the passing of AB 302. Members of ASI and the association will meet on April 16 for the California Higher Education Student Summit to discuss AB 302 further and other financial aid related issues including the upcoming college tuition increase. ASI will push for further action at the ASI Lobby Corp. meeting on May 2 in Sacramento. “I’m pretty optimistic,” said Schlaufman, who said the only challenges for AB 302 is the bill’s passing through legislature and getting Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger to approve. “Knowing that they have that money sooner will be reassuring, and they will not have to wait,” said Jeremy Haug, 25, advertising major, who said he appreciates his job related tuition reimbursement during his first academic year.
BY ErIC VILLALoBoS/For The Daily Titan Campus Crash - This was the scene on State College Boulevard when the driver of a Maxima (not pictured) turned into the path of the Toyota 4-Runner, causing the SUV to collide with the Ford Ranger. The truck then slid across the sidewalk, sheared off a fire hydrant and crashed into the Infiniti, which was parked in Lot A. All drivers involved were Cal State Fullerton students.
BY mAGGIE HAUSEr
Daily Titan Staff Writer news@dailytitan.com
A four-car accident involving one parked car resulted in two injuries and a 50-foot-high column of water from a broken fire hydrant on Tuesday afternoon near Lot A at Cal State Fullerton. The accident involved only CSUF students and took place in the northbound lanes of State
College Boulevard south of Yorba Linda Boulevard. Rush-hour commuter traffic was diverted by University Police, and spectators gathered in Lot A while firefighters worked to turn off the broken hydrant. “Best we can tell, the Maxima tried to make a left turn out of Lot A and cut off the 4-Runner,” said Cpl. DeJong with the Fullerton Police Department. “The driver of the 4-Runner swerved and hit the Ford
truck. The truck then hit the parked Infiniti.” The accident was reported to University Police at 3:55 p.m. when a parking and transportation officer called in the incident, according to Brian Barnes, University Police lead dispatcher. Arturo Perez, advertising major, was the driver of the Maxima, which only sustained minor damage to the front end. “I was just trying to turn left,”
Perez said. “When I turned, I didn’t see [the 4-Runner], and I hit her.” The driver of the 4-Runner, Grace Aranki, was treated for an arm injury at the scene, and stood wet and shaking while she told her story to police. “I had no choice but to go either right or left,” Aranki said. “The airbag went off and I couldn’t see.” Aranki’s 4-Runner was substantially damaged and had to be towed from the scene.
Rene Cortez, the owner of the Infiniti, said he was in his history class when a university police officer notified him that his car had been involved in an accident. The parked Infiniti sustained only minor damages to the rear fender and was driven from the scene. The driver of the Ford Ranger, a male whose identity was not released, was transported to St. Jude Medical Center.
said Bruce Erickson, associate vice president of university communications and marketing, of the sign on the 57 Freeway. “It is a good way for us to communicate school events.” It is also a spot for advertising. The sign, which displays the Cal State Fullerton name, is carrying the means of payment for these renovations. The sign holds three billboards which can be used for advertisements. These spots are being sold to cover the cost of the renovations and Daktronics is handling the sale of the spaces. Currently, the company advertisements on the sign pay nothing to CSUF and haven’t been for about
two years, according to Steve Diltolla, the associate director of athletics. Construction on the boards should begin in the fall once the last advertiser signs on. The cost of advertising on the marquee costs about $250,000 a year and gets viewed by an estimated 300,000 vehicles a day carrying 1.7 drivers each, Erickson said. The main marquee was originally built in 1993 and was spearheaded by the athletics department to get word out about their games and events. Attendance for games has not been affected by the low-functioning marquees, but the new displays will allow for interactive involvement during sporting events with moving images
and cheerleading phrases. The sign has been in disrepair for over three years and while the construct gets regular repairs, it has been out of commission since early last fall. Its electronic display currently shows a seemingly random series of lit dots. However, the long delay for repair on the main marquee is unacceptable to some. “It’s a poor representation of the school,” said Ashley Mckell, a CSUF alumna. “We have a lot of quality programs on campus and [the sign] just doesn’t do us justice.” A committee of CSUF employees was formed to govern the new changes, including Ditolla, who also was on
the committee that oversaw the original installation. For a year the project was open to contractors until it went to Daktronics nine months ago. The delay has been attributed to the lengthy process of auctioning the contract and finding advertisers, Erickson said. According to Ditolla, the time taken to get the refurbishments underway has been rough on the current signs. Those that use it continue to work with the dilapidated systems while they wait for the next phase of development. “The new displays will be great,“ Ditolla said. “But our current stuff barely even functions. We’re lucky to get scores up.”
New Marquee Could Mean More Dollars BY JoSHUA BUrToN
For the Daily Titan news@dailytitan.com
Plans have been made to renovate the electronic marquee that faces the 57 Freeway as well as three other electronic signs throughout the campus. The signs at the soccer and baseball fields will get a new look and four-color electronic displays. new electronics will also be added to the score tables in the gym. Daktronics, the company that originally installed the signs, has been contracted to refurbish the constructs for about $1.2 million. “That sign gets a lot of eyeballs,”
Helping Businesses Succeed BY CASEY CHIN
Daily Titan Staff Writer news@dailytitan.com
The Family Business Council is one of Cal State Fullerton’s Centers of Excellence within the College of Business and Economics, and it attends to an array of needs and issues in the community. The council concentrates on helping established family-owned businesses through education so they can further develop and flourish while keeping unity in the family. Judy Harmon, a CSUF business graduate, founded the council in 1995. Harmon said she saw a need
for assistance in the family business community when Mass Mutual Insurance Co. conducted a survey about American businesses. The survey revealed 80 to 90 percent of businesses were family owned, however, only slightly more than 30 percent manage to pass ownership to the second generation. Harmon met with Ephraim Smith, dean of CSUF’s College of Business and Economics, at the time and began the process of raising money, getting sponsors, and recruiting businesses to join the council. Under the direction of the College of Business and Economics and Director Mike Trueblood, the council
Turn to Page 3 to read about the new abortion options available to women compared to the options available in 1972. To see the original article from May 12, 1972, visit the Daily Titan’s online archives at: http://www.dailytitan.com/archives
has recruited over 40 members including Freedom Communications Inc., Orco Block Inc., and Wahoo’s Fish Taco, according to Trueblood. Members of the council are given the opportunity to learn from experts through monthly workshops, events, discussion groups and courses. One course offered every semester by the council is Family Business Dynamics. The course concentrates on dealing with unique personal and interpersonal issues confronted by family-owned businesses. The course was first offered in 2001 after founder Judy Harmon
Tomorrow The Buzz
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ENTErTAINmENT ComPETITIoN
mULTImEDIA
STAYING AHEAD How film festivals, roller derby girls and bands deal with competition.
THEN AND Now
SEE FAmILY - PAGE 2
ArT SHow Check out a video of Brendan Cosgrove, an artist who has his work on display in the East Gallery of the Visual Arts Center through Thursday.
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Showers High: 67 Low: 49