2008 02 26 by Daily Titan

SPORTS: Serrano prepares for first home game back at CSUF, page 6

INSIDE: FEATURES

Professor eases the pressure in SCUBA class, Page 3

Since 1960 Volume 87, Issue 15

OPINION: Academy Awards fail to nominate worthwhile films, page 4

Daily Titan

Tuesday February 26, 2008

The Student Voice of California State University, Fullerton

DTSHORTHAND

Fitness

CSUF Idol Competiton RSA will be hosting a Fullerton Idol competition on Thursday March 6, 2008 at 8:00 p.m. in the Housing MPR Co-sponsored by Associated Students Inc. All CSUF students are able to compete, there will be prizes for the winners and free food for all. Students interested in competing must go to the RA Office in the Cypress house to pick up an information sheet.

comes first CSUF students joined in on National Intramural Recreation Sports Day By ERIKA CARMONA

Daily Titan Staff Writer news@dailytitan.com

Campus life Students interested in running for an elected position on the Associated Students Inc. Board of Directors can get an application in the ASI Executive Offices located in the Titan Student Union, room 207 or online at www.fullerton. edu/deanofstudents. All completed applications for candidacy must be returned to the ASI Executive Office by Friday, March 11, 2008 at 5 p.m. The CSUF Associated Students Inc. will hold elections for the ASI Board of Directors on Wednesday, March 26 and Thursday, March 27. Students will vote for representatives to be the voice for their academic college The ASI Board of Directors is responsible for setting policies for the ASI approves all funding allocations to programs and services. For more information, visit the Web site at http://asi.fullerton.edu or call the ASI Executive Office at (714) 278-3296.

Campus sports The baseball team has its first home game today against Loyola Marymout University. The game will take place at CSUF’s Goodwin field at 6:00 p.m.

Iowa is not Vegas DES MOINES, Iowa - A judge has denied an Iowa man's claim that he shouldn't have been fired for repeatedly requesting help to procure a prostitute. Neil Jorgensen, 62, of Kalona, worked at Riverside Casino and Golf Resort in Riverside After eating and drinking at a casino restaurant, he returned to his hotel room about midnight and later called hotel managers about hiring a prostitute. "The advertisement is that it's just like Las Vegas, so I thought I was in Las Vegas," Jorgensen testified at a hearing regarding his request for unemployment benefits. Hotel workers were sent to Jorgensen's room to ask him to stop demanding prostitutes. When they arrived at his room, Jorgensen answered the door in the nude. Jorgensen was fired the next day.

WEATHER Tuesday Sunny: High: 76, Low: 50

wednesday Partly Cloudy / High: 75, Low: 52

thursday Sunny/ High: 74, Low: 52

friday Mostly Sunny / High: 73, Low: 51

saturday

Partly Cloudy / High: 70, Low: 49

Main line: (714) 278-3373 News desk: (714) 278-4415 Advertising: (714) 278-4411 E-mail: news@dailytitan.com

In the courtyard between the Cal State Fullerton Student Recreation Center and Kinesiology building, students came by to celebrate National Intramural Recreational Sports Day. Passersby stopped and stared at the rock wall while others fearlessly climbed the wall in hopes to reach the top. Shay Spitz, a sophomore kinesiology major, made a $10 bet with his soccer teammate, Nick Dodd, a junior and communications major, that he would be able to climb to the top in the first attempt. “It was a great accomplishment getting to the top,” Spitz said. “I couldn’t get to the top on the first shot, but I did it on the second.” Like Spitz, many students filed a line to climb an approximate 20-foot rock wall. “We are just getting some excitement created of what’s going to happen when the center is open,” said Alain Bourgault, rock wall coordinator. “The rock wall is going to be very prominent, right in the beginning of the lobby area.” Bourgault said the new center will provide rock wall climbing classes for $25, By Daniel Suzuki/Daily Titan Staff Photographer equipment included. Students will have an opportunity to Breana Hope, left, and Kayla Douglass, right, climbing a rock wall outside the new Recreational Center.

try it out first and later they will be encouraged to participate in a two-hour-long safety certification class before advancing to other classes. “Our safety certification class will give them the opportunity to learn how to put on a harness, tie the knots and handle the ropes,” Bourgault said. NIRSA Day at CSUF mainly focused on fitness and well-being while promoting the new student recreation center among the students. Various activities such as rock wall climbing, a basketball free-throw contest, pingpong and exposition classes were made available to the students last Thursday. Music and free food were also available. Although the portable rock wall was the highlight of the event, many students were very excited about the basketball free-throw contest as well. Students waited their turn to shoot, in hopes of beating the winning score and earning a prize. “I wanted a free T-shirt. If you make 11 shots, you get a free shirt. I made 10,” said Jeff Ignacio, a senior business marketing major. A few feet away fitness instructors took the stage and presented a series of condensed classes, from Pilates to cardio-kickboxing to cycling. See NIRSA, Page 2

Sexual orientation implied by subtle acts Car thefts may pose a threat to CSUF

CSUF professor builds on the idea of “gaydar” by observing actions By SEAN BELK

Daily Titan Staff Writer news@dailytitan.com

About 10 years ago, Cal State Fullerton psychology Professor Richard Lippa walked up and down Brea Mall, perusing areas known to have gay populations. Whether at a beach or a festival, Lippa and a few students searched for certain physical characteristics in both gay and straight men, such as whether their hair swirled to the right or to the left. Every time they noticed a man’s hair whorl swirling in a counterclockwise fashion, they quietly pressed their left-hand clicker. For a clockwise whorl, they pressed the right-hand clicker. Click. Click. Click. By the end of his study, Lippa had assessed the hair whorls of over 1,000 men, and he found that about 21.3 percent of men at gay pride festivals had counterclockwise whorls, whereas a little under 10 percent of men in general had clockwise whorls. Lippa is quick to emphasize that most gay men (about 80 percent), like most straight men (about 90 percent), have the majority pattern: a clockwise hair whorl. But what interests him is, when compared to straight men, gay men had a higher frequency of counterclockwise whorls. While some might find this confusing or odd, Lippa speculates his study could add to recent evidence that sexual orientation is a trait someone is born with. Throughout his years of re-

Campus police said meth addicts are looking for something to feed habits By HEather perry

Daily Titan Staff Writer news@dailytitan.com

By SEAN BELK/Daily Titan Staff Writer Cal State Fullerton psychology Professor Richard Lippa has studied behavior in both gay and straight men and claims to be able to tell one from the other by particular characteristics such as the way men walk, talk and interact with each other.

search, Lippa said he is now able to easily decipher a person’s traits and whether one is homosexual, which is commonly termed as “gaydar.” A CSUF teacher since 1976, Lippa appeared on the Tyra Banks Show in October, where he was asked to judge a panel of six men and decide whether each was gay or straight. By the way they walked, talked and interacted with each other, Lippa was, in fact, able to judge each person’s sexual orientation ac-

curately. But observing the 1,000 men for his recent study was more difficult, Lippa said. Lippa’s research comes on the heels of a similar study by biologist Amar Klar, who published an observational study in 2003 suggesting gay men are more likely to have counterclockwise hair whorls than straight men. In an attempt to replicate Klar’s finding, Lippa conducted his own research and found that the rate of

counterclockwise hair whorls is, indeed, about twice as large in gay men as in heterosexual men. The study left out women, because, Lippa said their hair tends to be longer and thus, harder to observe. His research not only looks at the patterns of people’s hair, but also whether they are left-handed or right-handed. This study concluded that more gay men (about 13 percent) than See LIPPA, Page 2

Cal State Fullerton civil engineering major Matt Rampone’s said his stolen car had a tainted feeling to it when it was recovered. “It was a crappy feeling realizing that my car was stolen, but it was even worse getting it back the next day because it had that dirty, scummy stolen feeling to it,” Rampone said. Even when precautions are taken, there is still a great possibility that grand theft auto may occur. Often times the assailants know exactly what they are looking for and exactly what they are doing, according to CSUF Police Detective Robert Botzheim. “Each crew has their own thing,” Botzheim said. “Some take the airbags to sell, some take the stereos and some take the steering wheels.” Between September and December, a huge spike in grand theft auto had occurred on campus due to a group of methamphetamine-addicted suspects who stole and burglarized 14 cars. In previous months, the amount of cars broken into or stolen was at See CAR THEFTS, Page 2

Page Two

IN OTHER NEWS INTERNATIONAL

Iran under heat again over nuclear program VIENNA, Austria (AP) – The U.N. nuclear monitoring agency presented documents yesterday that diplomats said Iran may have focused on a nuclear weapons program after 2003 — the year that a U.S. intelligence report says such work stopped. Iran again denied ever trying to make such arms. Ali Ashgar Soltanieh, the chief Iranian delegate to the International Atomic Energy Agency, dismissed the information showcased by the body as “forgeries.” He and other diplomats commented after a closed-door presentation to the agency’s 35-nation board of intelligence findings from the U.S. and its allies. A summarized U.S. National Intelligence Estimate, made public late last year, also came to the conclusion that Tehran was conducting atomic weapons work. But it said the Iranians froze such work in 2003.

NATIONAL

McCain’s next goal on the presidential race ROCKY RIVER, Ohio (AP) – John McCain said yesterday that to win the White House he must convince a war-weary country that U.S. policy in Iraq is succeeding. If he can’t, “then I lose. I lose,” the Republican said. He quickly backed off that remark. “Let me not put it that stark,” the likely GOP nominee told reporters on his campaign bus. “Let me just put it this way: Americans will judge my candidacy first and foremost on how they believe I can lead the country both from our economy and for national security. Obviously, Iraq will play a role in their judgment of my ability to handle national security.” “If I may, I’d like to retract ‘I’ll lose.’ But I don’t think there’s any doubt that how they judge Iraq will have a direct relation to their judgment of me, my support of the surge,” McCain added. “Clearly, I am tied to it to a large degree.” The five-year-old Iraq conflict already is emerging as a fault line in the general election, with the Arizona senator calling for the U.S. military to continue its mission while his Democratic opponents urge speedy withdrawal. While most Republicans still back the war, many independents and Democrats don’t. That presents a significant challenge for McCain and an opportunity for either Barack Obama or Hillary Rodham Clinton.

STATE

NASCAR: Edwards wins with four second lead FONTANA (AP) – For Carl Edwards, it’s a signal. At least one NASCAR Sprint Cup team is ready to take on Hendrick Motorsports. Edwards won the rain-delayed Auto Club 500 on yesterday, finishing ahead of Jimmie Johnson and Jeff Gordon. In a race that resumed with the 88th of 250 laps, Edwards assumed the lead for good with 13 laps left. “I hope it’s an indication we’ve caught up with them,” Edwards said after the eighth victory of his career. “They still were second and third and they were the guys to beat today.” Johnson took the green flag for the final restart in the lead with 26 laps left, but Edwards surged from third. He then showed fine form on his traditional victory backflip after capturing the checkered flag in a race that ended under caution when Dale Jarrett spun on the final lap. Edwards had it all but wrapped up at that point, driving his Roush Fenway No. 99 Ford to a lead of more than four seconds over Johnson. It was his first victory at Fontana but his seventh top-10 finish in eight starts at the track formerly known as California Speedway.

For the Record It is the policy of the Daily Titan to correct any inaccurate information printed in the publication as soon as the error is discovered. Any incorrect information printed on the front page will result in a correction printed on the front page. Any incorrect information printed on any other page will be corrected on page 2. Errors on the Opinion page will be corrected on that page. Corrections also will be noted on the online version of the Daily Titan. Please contact executive editor Ian Hamilton at 714-278-5815 or at ihamilton@dailytitan.com with issues about this policy or to report any errors.

Daily Titan Editorial Executive Editor Managing Editor News Editor Asst. News Editor Asst. News Editor Sports Editor Entertainment Editor Asst. Entertainment Editor Opinion Editor Features Editor Copy Chief Copy Editor Internet Editor Multimedia Editor Adviser Main Line (714) 278-3373 News Line (714) 278-4415

Ian Hamilton Julianna Crisalli Laurens Ong Urmi Rahman Jade Lehar David Carrillo Jennifer Caddick Richard Tinoco Johnathan Kroncke Nathan Wheadon Sofia Arvidson Karl Zynda Christy Orgeta Patrick Chavis Tom Clanin Editorial Fax (714) 278-4473 E-mail: news@dailytitan.com

Advertising Director of Advertising Asst. Director of Advertising Ad Production Manager Production Designer Classified Manager National Sales Promotions Account Executive Account Executive Account Executive Account Executive Account Executive Distribution Business Manager/Adviser

Main Line (714) 278-3373 Advertising (714) 278-4411

Stephanie Birditt Sarah Oak Keith Hansen Mike Gomez Glen Monroe Jackie Kimmel Jackie Kimmel Ailin Buigues Elizabeth Hernandez Juliet Roberts Helen Sim Kiran Kazalbash Santana Ramos Robert Sage

Advertising Fax (714) 278-2702 E-mail: ads@dailytitan.com

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

February 26, 2008

NIRSA: A SHOWCASE of activities From Page 1

The exposition provided students a quick glance and feel for the variety of classes that will be offered at the center. “Pilates will be offered every Monday at 7:30 to 8:30 p.m.,” said Julie Fagundes, Pilates instructor. “It is free for students.” The body fat composition testing was also free on Thursday’s event. Normally, a procedure that would cost about $10 a session at the center

was made available for free during NIRSA Day. Student chose between two different methods: the bioelectric impedance analyzer or the skin fold measurement. “The bioelectric impedance [analyzer] is a non-invasive procedure, which is very comfortable to the client,” said Alison Wittwer, fitness and aquatics coordinator. The device measures body fat composition by sending an electri-

cal signal throughout the body, Erby Houston, a fitness instructor said. A more comprehensive test will be provided inside the new center by appointment only. The procedure is the same, but it includes a five-page summary with details on calorie intake to maintain current weight, exercise methods to burn calories depending on height and weight and many other details, Wittwer said. Personal training packages will

also be available at the center for students. Prices can be found as low as $25, Wittwer said. “I think it’s going very well compared to last year. This year we have a lot more people,” said Albert Beltran, intramural sports coordinator. “Things are running a lot smoother.” Further information on the center’s membership can be found at http://reccenter.fullerton.edu or by calling (714) 278-PLAY.

LIPPA: A Study into human behavior From Page 1

heterosexual men (11 percent) were left-handed, and similarly, more lesbian women (13 percent) than straight women (10 percent) were also left-handed. Although much of his findings show slight differences, Lippa said his research is still on the fringe of discovery. There are other factors that could make up a person’s sexual preference that should be taken into consideration. Other biologists, for instance, say that left-handedness and sexual orientation can be attributed to birth defects in the womb, Lippa said. “You shouldn’t take from this that you can look to see if you’re gay or straight,” Lippa said. Along with his other studies, Lippa is currently working with two biologists on DNA research to discover if there could be a “gay gene,” one that would provide evidence of whether someone is born gay, or bisexual in some cases. Jennifer Trevitt, CSUF assistant professor of psychology, said biological psychology is linking the physiological foundation with how people communicate. She said interlinking the two subjects can help shed light on certain diseases or conditions such as schizophrenia or Parkinson’s disease, which she is currently study-

ing. In Lippa’s study, she said the idea is that most traits can be linked to genes and some seem to travel together. “It seems kind of weird, but it may be the genes that show characteristics are closer together on the same chromosome. There are some things that are common underlying factors,” Trevitt said. “It’s very intriguing stuff.” Ali Mushtaq, a member of the CSUF Queer Straight Alliance, said he supports such research that dispels the stereotypes common in today’s media, such as that gay men are perceived to be more feminine than straight men. “We seem to attach behaviors with sexuality,” Mushtaq said. But for Mushtaq, who is also conducting his own research on sociological factors, such research can have a double effect on the perception of homosexuals. He said if studies show that homosexuality is an inherent trait, then the public would have a hard time discriminating against people that have no choice over their sex partners. But he also said it could lead to homosexuals being termed as “born deviant,” such as people with Attention Deficit Disorder who are commonly given the right to act different. “I know from personal experi-

ence that you do not choose to be gay,” Mushtaq said. “But you have to look at heterosexuals and homosexuals at the same time. You draw conclusions from what we get from those, and if that’s the case, then we’re going to say, ‘So you’re biologically wired to be deviant?’” Lippa’s wide range of research was recently published in the psychological journal, “Archives of Sexual Behavior,” in April 2007, for a special section attributed to studies based from a British Broadcasting Corp. Internet survey. The survey, taken by about 250,000 people worldwide, asked questions about gender differences, sex drive, behaviors and mate preferences, Lippa said. The survey was part of a 2005 BBC documentary “Secrets of the Sexes,” in which he explained that data pertaining to certain feminine and masculine traits are similar across 53 nations. The data included such findings as an overwhelmingly large proportion of men prefer goodlooking women when choosing a mate while women prefer honesty, humor, kindness and dependability more than physical attraction. Lippa said so far, it appears that men are the more “biologically” determined of the sexes, whereas women with high sex drives tend to desire both genders. As described in his book, “Gen-

der, Nature and Nurture,” Lippa said these findings implicate that sexual orientation is primarily diverse in men and women. “Women are more flexible and fluid than men, and tend to be bisexual,” Lippa said. “Men are usually either or.” While he said it might sound weird that a person’s hair whorl could be linked to sexual orientation, diet, drink, alcohol and infectious diseases could also affect developmental instabilities, Lippa said. Another study, where he worked with Canadian psychologist Ray Blanchard, shows gay men are more likely to have more older brothers, when compared to straight men, because of what is called “the fraternal birth order effect,” Lippa said. Prenatal hormone levels might contribute to both left-handedness and sexual orientation, from an immunological reaction, Lippa said. As a mother produces more children, the amount of male tissues decreases in the womb, which Lippa said could affect a baby’s sexual development. “This does offer a little bit of circumstantial evidence that maybe one of the factors that lead to sexual orientation is prenatal hormones,” Lippa said. “There are thousands of things that could affect development.”

CAR THEFTS: PROTECTING VALUABLES Man begs From Page 1

a very low level, according to University Police. “There are no cameras in the parking structure or the lots and there are very few on campus,” Operations Lt. Fred Molina said. “A lot of times, these are professionals.” In the month of December alone, seven vehicles had been stolen. The typical car up for grabs to potential thieves is often a Honda or a Jeep. “I didn’t know that Hondas were easy to steal until this happened,” Rampone said. “My friend told me, ‘Yeah, they’re easy to steal. I could show you right now,’ which is a bad feeling.” The group of assailants targeted CSUF along with other nearby campuses. “We have suspects and arrests have been made,” Molina said. “It was a group of guys who are nonstudents and non-residents who hit Brea, Fullerton [community college] and us.” Botzheim said the suspects were tracked down because the police were able to find physical evidence on the cars. Rampone’s car, a 1996 Honda Accord, was stolen Dec. 13, 2007 out of PS1 and recovered the next

night in La Habra. Rampone said he remembers the day, and the roller coaster of emotions he went through, very well. “It was finals week so I came to school to study and I was only here for about three hours. It was still light outside when I came back to my car. I came back to the spot where I had parked it and there was a different car there. I was 99 percent sure I had parked there, but I checked on the other floors just to make sure. Then I started freaking out a little bit,” Rampone said. When students exit their cars, they leave potential bait for the thieves. “All of the suspects were addicted to meth, so they would steal quick items like the briefcases with laptops inside on the seat and sell them quickly,” Botzheim said. “These were items that were easy to sell. They weren’t stripping the cars for parts.” Not only are the items easy to sell, but getting into the cars is an easy task as well. “Some are not experts, but we have suspects who can get into a car within a minute or two,” Botzheim said. “Sometimes they work together where a burglar will break into a car and pop the hood while another

person pulls the wire for the alarm or disconnects the battery.” Many times, like when dealing with a Honda, it takes even less of an effort than that to get access into the car. “They use a pass key to get into the car,” Molina said. Most of the time when a witness is around to catch the burglar in action, they blow it off because alarm systems go off all the time. “A student could get an alarm system, but no one pays attention when they go off in the structure,” Molina said. There are possible alternatives. Depending on the cashflow, one could purchase a number of items to help prevent car theft from occurring. “’The Club’ is a good device,” Molina said. “And also, always lock your cars, and don’t leave them in the structure overnight or leave the windows down.” Although Rampone’s car was stolen more than a month ago, he is still dealing with the repercussions of grand theft auto. “This happened in December and I am still dealing with problems,” Rampone said. ”My car is in the shop right now because it takes the insurance company forever to get the ball rolling.”

jury for his life Associated Press

A former police officer sobbed and apologized for killing his pregnant lover and their unborn child as he appealed yesterday to the jury that convicted him to spare his life. “I accept responsibility,” Bobby Cutts Jr., 30, said from the witness stand. Cutts was convicted Feb. 15 of aggravated murder in the death of the nearly full-term fetus and of murder in the death of Jessie Davis. He could receive death, life in prison without parole or life with parole after 20, 25 or 30 years. If the jury recommends death, the judge can reduce it to life, something that has happened just seven times in Ohio in 27 years. Reading from handwritten notes, Cutts said he could not express in words how he felt knowing that he had killed Davis, 26, and the unborn girl.

February 26, 2008

Features

Professor teaches students more than scuba Larry “LT” Abbott teaches his students how to follow their dreams by sarah mendoza

daily titan staff writer news@dailytitan.com

With his white hair, Lawrence Abbott, or “LT” as his students and members of the department call him, can be mistaken for an aged man. But his youthful physique and light, fire-filled eyes will tell you otherwise. Originally from New England, N.H., Abbott is the perfect example of living life to its fullest, from climbing some of the highest mountains in the Western Hemisphere to scuba diving in the Red Sea. Before he was a mountain climber or scuba instructor, Abbott played professional baseball as a pitcher for the Kansas City A’s organization, after only one semester at the University of New Hampshire. He played in the organization for seven years and later moved to California where he pursued a career in law enforcement. He began working for the Orange County Sheriffs Department in March of 1971 where he served on the SWAT team for 10 years. He later retired as a sheriff after 33 years of service. Today, at the age of 62, Abbott teaches a number of lecture classes at the sheriff’s academy among many other jobs and says he is dedicated to teaching. “I enjoy public speaking and teaching. I am just comfortable doing it,” Abbott said. Abbott, an alumnus of CSUF class of 1978, received his masters degree in Behavioral Science. It wasn’t until later that he realized his passion for scuba diving and teaching. His wife began a scuba diving class at CSUF and brought her husband along for the ride. He began assisting the instructor of his wife’s scuba class and realized how much he enjoyed teaching. After a number of years assisting, Abbott was asked to lead instruction of his own scuba diving class when the previous instructor left. Gladly, he accepted the position and says it is a thrill to see the “ex-

citement students have when they get into the water for the first time.” “I enjoy seeing their enthusiasm when they discovered they have mastered a new technique,” Abbott said, father of two sons and a daughter. This feeling of excitement and enthusiasm resonates with Abbott’s students. Catherine Williams, a graduate student who took Abbott’s class last semester and who is currently enrolled in his class this semester, says “LT is our instructor, but he’s also like our dad and our best friend.” Williams says some students even come back to help with instruction because they “cant get enough of him [Abbott].” Abbott says his scuba diving class fulfills different needs for each student. Some are taking the class for certification to be a dolphin trainer or to be part of the coast guard. Some students don’t know what they want to do with scuba diving, and naturally just enjoy the sport. “He will not lie to anyone about the danger of scuba diving. He has a wonderful way to create a balance between danger and the beauty of the underwater world, so he really keeps everybody excited and interested,” Williams said. In any case, his students consider Abbott to be a hardcore scuba diver, with over 1,300 dives on his record. “Because of all the traveling I do, diving has changed my life,” says Abbott who has been diving now for 17 years. Abbott has experienced diving all over the world, from the Galapagos Islands to the Arabian Sea. He has traveled all over the world just to try out new diving spots. He is up to date with the latest news in scuba diving and is always up for a new challenge. As if he was not adventurous enough, Abbott has climbed Kilimanjaro, the highest mountain in Africa, and Mount Aconcagua, the highest mountain in the Western Hemisphere. Abbott admits he and his wife Cindy, also an instructor on campus, have their very own “bucket list” of the seven summits they plan to climb. He says next year they plan to climb Mount Elbrus, which is the highest mountain in Russia. The adventurer says his new and

scariest challenge is against nature. He simply has to live with the things his body will no longer allow him to do. This won’t put a damper on Abbott’s desire for life and extreme activities. Not just an adventurous soul, Abbott describes himself as loyal and dedicated. “If I were a parent of my students, I would want me as an instructor because I am an honest man and have the students’ best interest in mind,” the adventurer said. As a scuba instructor for the past seven years, Abbott says the biggest lesson he impresses upon his students is to focus. He leads his own life with a mentality that says, “Obstacles? What are obstacles?” He explains obstacles are what we see when we lose sight of our goals. If there would be one quote he lives by daily it would be, “It’s not what dreams do for you, but what you do for your dreams.” He reminds his students of this regularly and is an advocate for the quote by simply living the life that he has and will continue to live.

Photos By nicole padilla / For the Daily Titan Lawrence “LT” Abbott gives a hands-on demonstration for his beginning scuba class in the pool. Below: Abbott helps Joseph Skaggs demonstrate breathing equipment.

When you help the American Red Cross, you help America. Call 1-800-Help Now or visit us at redcross.org

OPINION

Titan Editorial Providing insight, analysis and perspective since 1960

Virginia Tech’s gesture This past Saturday, in the wake of the shootings on the campus of Northern Illinois University, Virginia Tech offered the same support that they received from so many universities and professional sports organizations across the nation. In the days leading up to Virginia Tech’s men’s basketball home game, the university urged all fans attending to wear red and black rather than the familiar maroon and orange. This display of NIU’s colors was intended to represent a collective sense of empathy, an enormous embrace from miles away. When the idea came full circle, it offered a renewal of our faith in humanity. Fans filtered into Cassell Coliseum in Blacksburg, VA before the game’s tipoff and were given black and red shirts that read “Hokies for Huskies.” The shirts were provided by the Virginia Tech Athletics Department and Hokies United, a student volunteer group. Seeing the colors in the bleachers that belonged to neither of the teams on the court would send a shockwave of emotion through anyone. The demonstration of pure benevolence highlighted all the good in college athletics yet, at the same time, raised a few questions about the way we allocate our sympathies as a nation. Why did we hear so much about the shootings at Virginia Tech last April and at Northern Illinois earlier this month and so little about the tragedy at Louisiana Technical College? Certainly, there are logical explanations for this. For one thing, LTC holds a much lower profile than the other two schools and therefore, as the media has it, deserves less coverage. It doesn’t make it right, but it’s the truth. The fact of the matter is that a woman killing two other women and then herself in the middle of a classroom is a tragedy no matter how you slice it. But that’s the way things are in this country. The tragedy at Virginia Tech set the bar high as far as college shootings go. Thirty-three people lost their

Letters to the Editor:

lives that day. When the number is only three in Louisiana, many find it hard to care. It’s definitely easy to forget about the little guy – unfortunate, yet easy. When tragedies such as the one on the campus of LTC go by the wayside, it suggests that maybe there’s something wrong with all of us. What kind of an uncaring, insensitive nation are we living in that we now need a minimum body count before we can care about a tragic shooting? Does the next shooter need to top the record set in Virginia? Or perhaps we’ve been conditioned to demand a big name school in order to muster up any sense of profound caring. After all, most haven’t even heard of LTC, while Virginia Tech’s sports teams are featured on ESPN. If that’s the case, then we should probably do something to break the cycle. Tragic events like school shootings should not need to meet any qualifications to warrant the public’s sympathy. If there is an answer, we’d be doing ourselves a great service by finding it. More media attention for LTC would have proven that we can show compassion for anybody, which is surely something that we are able to do. Any semblance of recognition for LTC would be entirely appropriate and would pay tribute to our nation’s strength and unity. An exhibition laced with love, such as the one in Blacksburg on Saturday, is certainly as refreshing as it is inspiring. The act exemplifies American togetherness and should remind us of the things that make our nation great. Our nation is comprised of pride, strength and unity. At the same time, however, our neglect toward LTC points out our society’s tendency to pick and choose where we aim the majority of our support. And this must change. Mourning shouldn’t be a state with conditions, but rather a heartfelt reaction directed toward anyone who has fallen victim to tragedy.

Any feedback, positive or negative, is encouraged, as we strive to keep an open dialogue with our readership. The Daily Titan reserves the right to edit letters for length, grammar and spelling. Direct all comments, questions or concerns along with your full name and major to Executive Editor Ian Hamilton at ihamilton@dailytitan.com

February 26, 2008

Oscar Sunday a letdown The Academy Awards suffered from forgettable movies, performances By Daniel Monzon

Daily Titan Staff Writer opinion@dailytitan.com

The Oscars are a painful exercise that dares the audience to endure three-plus hours of torture as actors read off the teleprompter and people accept awards that no one cares about. The worst thing about it was Jon Stewart’s attempts at humor. It seemed as though the writers’ return didn’t help Stewart, or else he actually attempted to use material he had written himself. David Letterman’s Uma-Oprah fiasco was funnier than anything Jon Stewart said Oscar night. Let's hope he does not get invited back for a third time. Can the Academy of Motion Pictures Arts and Sciences do away with "who gives a crap" categories such as Costume Design, Achievement in Make-Up and Art Direction? I know they worked hard, but really, who gives a crap? The Oscars would be so much shorter, and more watchable, if they’d excise all of the excess categories and montages from the show. I don't care about 80 years of Oscar history or actors who died in the past year. Javier Bardem won the Oscar for Best Supporting Actor. But Hal Holbrook is 82 years old

and may not get another chance at Oscar glory. By no means am I saying he’s going to die soon, but Javier has so many more chances headed his way. Holbrook should have won. Best Supporting Actress was a toss-up category. Anyone could have won and it wouldn’t have mattered. There was nothing good about “Michael Clayton,” but someone has to win, so congratulations Tilda Swinton. I’ll hardly remember you won this award in a week, the way I forgot about Michael Clayton as soon as I left the theater. Marion Cotillard won Best Actress for her role in “La Vie en Rose.” Too bad. I wanted pregnant teens across our great nation represented in a positive light. They so often are unfairly the targets of people who don’t realize the joys of sex or being pregnant at such a young

age. So, sorry to Ellen Page and to all the current and future teen mothers. This recognition of your accomplishments is for you. A wonderful performance of the song “Falling Away” from the film “Once” was given by Glen Hansard and Marketa Irglova. It was great that Hansard and Irglova won for “Falling Away,” but Marketa was unfairly played off the stage. They let people from the smaller categories go on and on, so why play her off? Fortunately, they brought her back on stage to let her give her speech, which was nice of them. Diablo Cody won for Best Original Screenplay for her work on "Juno." The writing in that movie, down to every last bit of dialogue, spoken and unspoken, was some of the best I’ve ever experienced. “Juno” came away with the award that will reward us in the future with more films from Cody. I look forward to anything she writes. At first, I thought Betty Rubble

Donkeys and Elephants By Edward Peters opinion@dailytitan.com

The Democratic Party uses an archaic, anti-democratic nominating machine that is the “superdelegate” system. These superdelegates, comprised of 842 members of senators, representatives and DNC members, are unpledged political leaders. They are not chosen by the people and are free to support the candidate of their choice. Created in 1972, this system was designed to prevent a certain nominee that wasn’t for the party establishment from taking office. If Barack Obama or Hillary Clinton cannot win over the support of at least 2,025 delegates in the primaries, the decision will not lie in the people’s hands, but rather these superdelegates who are the candidate’s friends, cronies, financial backers and moneylenders. I predict that both candidates

will be asking for huge favors come nomination time. According to the nonpartisan Center for Responsive Politics, elected officials who are superdelegates have received at least $904,200 from both Obama and Clinton in the form of campaign contributions over the past three years. Currently, Clinton has the lead with 241 superdelegates to Obama’s 181, while Obama has an overall delegate lead of 1,362 to Clinton’s 1,266. Of course, the first candidate to reach 2,025 delegates will win the Democratic nomination for president. Clinton’s lead is not a surprise being that she is part of the old establishment, a forerunner of sorts that these superdelegates feel obliged to support. A theory was presented by Armstrong Williams of the conservative site Humanevents.com: “The word on the street is that the Obama campaign and New York Mayor Mike Bloomberg have already met and devised an incredible plan if Clinton wins the nomination. “Mayor Bloomberg would give nearly $1 billion to Obama’s cam-

was accepting on behalf of Cody, but then I realized that was her. Honest mistake. Daniel Day-Lewis won in the Best Actor category for his powerful performance in “There Will Be Blood.” I drink your milkshake Daniel DayLewis. I drink it up! As for George Clooney, he’d have won if only the last 10 minutes of “Michael Clayton” were nominated. Viggo Mortensen's performance in “Eastern Promises” was weak, but then again, so was that movie. I loved “Sweeney Todd,” but it’s definitely not Johnny Depp’s best performance of his career. Good – just not Oscar-worthy. Look, I haven't seen "No Country for Old Men," but I was rooting for either "There Will be Blood" or "Juno." Although, even I think "Juno" would have been a surprise if it had won. It would have been like the year "Shakespeare in Love" beat out "Saving Private Ryan." Two last thoughts about the night. First, what were Miley Cyrus and The Rock doing at the Oscars? And second, this has probably been done before and I never paid attention to it, but why was the Oscar for Best Actress given before Achievement in Editing and Achievement in Cinematography? A bit sexist, wasn’t it, Academy? Has the performance by a lead actress been supplanted by editing and cinematography in terms of importance? Try that with Best Actor and see what happens.

Superdelegates should not decide our elections

paign after which Obama would bolt from the Democratic Party and run as an Independent candidate with king-maker Bloomberg as his running mate. “The Obama campaign realizes that Obama is too new at this game and doesn’t have the political weight of the Clintons to bring in the true heavy-hitters [superdelegates] of the party’s hierarchy.” Clinton is betting that the very powerful and influential DNC superdelegates will vote for her and not Obama. So realistically, it wouldn’t be a surprise if Bloomberg and Obama do team up, as reports indicate they already have. The Democrats will do anything to get into office, even if that means evading democracy. What’s very ironic is the Democratic Party, that should be standing for democracy, is actually very antidemocratic when the decision must come down to these superdelegates that are nothing but party loyalists. According to Richard Herrera, a political scientist at Arizona State, “Though it might seem undemocratic to allow elected officials who have received money from the candidates to have such power in picking their

party’s nominee, the process was not meant to be democratic. If anything, it was meant to take it out of the democratic process.” It only seems fair that these superdelegates be bound by some rules in order to make the process more democratic. Having 800-plus elected officials deciding the vote goes against everything that is democratic in this country. When I say the system is corrupt and all politicians are corrupt, I damn well mean it. Yes, every single one them are criminals looking to indulge private interests. Evidently, money buys power, backing the assumption that money dictates votes, not the voters. Just as long as they are all part of the system, they all remain to be crooks. And the superdelegate system is further proof that America is living under an oligarchy rather than a democracy. When the decision lies with elected officials rather than voters, it is very hard to believe otherwise.

Your ad here Your ad here

CLASSIFEDS

February 26, 2008

Index Announcements 1100 1200 1300 1400 1500 1600 1700 1800 1900 2000 2100

Campus Events/Services Campus Organizations Greeks Legal Notices Lost and Found Miscellaneous Personals Pregnancy Research Subjects Sperm/ Egg Donors Tickets Offered / wanted

Merchandise 2200 2300 2400 2500 2600 2700 2800 2900 3000 3100 3200 3300 3400 3500

Appliances Art/Painting/Collectibles Books Computers/Software Electronics Furniture Garage/Yard Sales Health Products Miscellaneous Musical Instruments Office Equipment Pets Rentals Sports Equipment

Transportation 3600 3700 3800 3900

Auto Accessories/Repair Auto Insurance Miscellaneous Vehicles For sale/Rent

Travel 4000 4100 4200 4300

Resorts/Hotels Rides Offered/Wanted Travel Tickets Vacation Packages

Services 4400 4500 4600 4700 4800 4900 5000 5100 5200 5300 5400 5500 5600 5700 5800 5900 6000

1-900 Numbers Financial Aid Insurance Computer/Internet Foreign Languages Health/Beauty Services Acting/Modeling Classes Legal Advice/Attorneys Movers/Storage Music Lessons Personal Services Professional Services Resumes Telecommunications Tutoring Offered/Wanted Typing Writing Help

Employment 6100 6200 6300 6400 6500 6600 6700 6800 6900 7000 7100

Business Opportunities Career Opportunities P/T Career Opportunities F/T Child Care Offered/Wanted Help Wanted Actors/Extras Wanted Housesitting Internship Personal Assistance Temporary Employment Volunteer

Housing 7200 7300 7400 7500 7600 7700 7800 7900

Apartments for Rent Apartments to Share Houses for Rent/Sale Guest House for Rent Room for Rent Roommates - Private Room Roommates - Shared Room Vacation Rentals

Advertising Information To place a classified ad, call

714.278.4453 By Fax: 714.278.2702 By Email: classified@dailytitan.com By Mail: The Daily Titan College Park Bldg. 2600 E. Nutwood Ave. Suite 660 Fullerton, CA. 92831-3110 Office Hours: Monday-Friday 9 am - 5 pm Rates: One insertion, up to 20 words .........................................$5.50 each additional word........$0.39 12pt Headline...................$1.75 16pt Headline...................$2.50 Border..............................$5.50 • Weekly and monthly rates are also available. • For classified display ads, please see our rate card for rate information. Deadlines: Classified Line Ads: 3 Business days before printing @ 12 noon. Classified Display Ads: 3 Business days before printing @ 12 noon. Payment: Please make checks payable to: "The Daily Titan" We also accept Visa and Mastercard Read the Daily Titan online @

www.dailytitan.com

4000

6200

6500

Resorts/Hotels

Career Opportunities P/T

Help Wanted

Movie Extras Wanted! Local! Actors, Model! Make $100$300+day. No experience required, meet celebrities, Full Time/ Part Time, All looks Needed! Call Now! 800-340-8404 Ext.2743.

TEACHERS/ TUTORS: After school tutoring (ages K-12), high Math a plus, $10-$15+/hr doe, M-F in Aliso Viejo, Call Jenia @ 949.305.8700

Cabo San Lucas Spring Break! Junior Suite at Sunset Beach Resort, 3/29-4/5: $1,000. Can sleep 4! Details: (626)533-3337.

6200 Career Opportunities P/T Expansion program of Starpoint Trading Store, A small company is looking for SALES CLERK , Please contact us for more details. Requirements - Should be a computer Literate. 4-6 hours access to the internet weekly. Efficient and Dedicated. If you are interested and need more information,Please send e-mail to clearicaloffice1564@yahoo.com Marketing Help: TriLeaf Marketing at home work, comp. skills needed. Pay $150-$700 per week. More info www.mynetadspro.com Looking To Become A Nurse? Get your nursing degree now. Start your career in the medical feild. Accredited schools for nursing degrees available from top schools and online too. www. topnursingtraining.com 10 reasons to work from home College student-at home momanyone. Great product-Great opportunity. Work around your schedule. Thegreatproduct.com/ 4healthylife. (909) 509-3059 $25k/month Business Opportunity Have you watched the “Secret Movie” online? This opportunity could change your life. FullertonCollegeStudents.com

Research Assistants needed

6500

At social Science Research Center to conduct telephone interviews. On campus, flexible schedule, great research experience! English, Spanish, and Korean speakers needed. $10.94/hr. Apply at MH-038(basement) or contact emily(714) 278-7690.

Help Wanted Circuit Training Study@CSUF Are you a female between the ages of 25-55? Wanna get in shape for free? Graduate student seeking participants for 6 week circuit training study...ktarin@fullerton.edu (310) 890-7982

Part-Time Child Care needed for girl 9 and boy 13. 2:45-6:45 MF. Trabuco Canyon/RSM area. Loving care, homework, kids laundry, light cleaning. $10/hr. More hours for summer. Ask for Larry (949) 233-3140.

Math Tutor needed part time evenings. Math credential (may be in progress) and teaching experience required. Email resume: lisa@ northstarlearningcenter.com Wanted! English and Math majors to tudor younger students(k-12) Call (714)577-8540.

Earn $800-$3200 a month to drive brand new cars with ads placed on them. www.adcarclub.com.

Tutor for Fullerton Area

Looking for college students to tutor in math.english for part time. Work with elementary students. Afternoons, good pay, please call (562) 631-4788. Babysitter needed for 9-½ year old boy. Occasional night/weekends. $10/hr. Contact Mr. or Mrs. Pease at 714-970-2853.

just read it.

Speedy Typist! professional, reliable, and fast typist available for your school projects. 24 hour turnaround available. Call Susie (909) 597-0775.

Humorscopes brought to you by humorscope.com

Aries (March 21 - April 19) Today you will make new friends, one of whom will eventually borrow a large sum of money from you, prior to skipping town. Try to avoid fatty foods.

Taurus (April 20 - May 20) Everyone who drives by today will stick their head out their car window, give you a big dopey look, and ﬂop their tongue around in the wind. If you had known this was “act like a dog” day, you might have been better pre pared.

SUDOKU

Gemini (May 21 - June 20) Hmm. Hard to read this one. The carrot stopped right between “kidnapped and tortured” and “wins the lottery.” Probably a little of both, I’d guess.

Cancer (June 21 - July 22) You have exactly as much chance of hav ing a decent day as you have of develop ing amazing telekinetic abilities that let you secretly give innocent passers-by a wedgie. Stay home. Breathe normally.

Leo (July 23 - August 22) When’s the last time you did something nice for Doug? Sure, he’s cranky a lot, and dress es funny, but he’s a good person. Perhaps you should take him to lunch?

Virgo (August 23 - September 22) Good day to review what you know about hamsters. I think that’s all I should really say, except possibly that it’s often considered impolite to see how much food you can pack into your cheeks, when dining out.

Libra (September 22 - October 22) Several people, quite independently, will tell you moose jokes today, or otherwise attempt to discuss moose with you. This is their subtle way of telling you that you’re having a “bad hair day.”

Scorpio (October 23 - November 21) A scruffy-looking fellow who you’ve never seen before will come up and offer you a very strange-looking raisin mufﬁn. Good idea to decline, in this instance.

Sagittarius (November 22 - December 21) You’ll feel a little tired and run down, today. Just a hunch, but that could explain those tire tracks on your shirt, as well...

Capricorn (December 22 - January 20) Good day to make as much goulash as pos sible.

Aquarius (January 21 - February 18) Good day to curl up with a good book. Later, you will build a fort out of your furniture and some sheets, and shoot rubber bands at people.

Pisces (February 19 - March 20) The mythic asteroid Chaeron, in collaboration with the uneasy spirit of Atahualpa (the last Inca king), will act to produce a gastric upset of epic proportions, today. Keep your chakras clear, and carry some Immodium.

HOW TO PLAY: Each row must contain the numbers 1 to 9; each column must contain the numbers 1 to 9: and each set of boxes must contain the numbers 1 to 9.

Sudoku is made possible by the people at www.dailysudoku.com

SPORTS

Baseball Weekend Recap The Cal State Fullerton Baseball team opens the season, 2-1 by tom sheridan

Daily Titan Staff Writer sports@dailytitan.com

Cal State Fullerton baseball got back in action this past weekend when they opened the season against Texas Christian University at Lupton Stadium. The Titans (2-1) used solid pitching and some hot hitting to take the first and third games of the three-game set against the Horned Frogs (1-2). “Going into every weekend series, we, as a team, are looking to come away with a sweep, but we are definitely pleased, having taken two out of three from a very good TCU ball club,” CSUF Head Coach Dave Serrano said. In the first game of the series on Friday, the Titan bats were on fire. Erik Komatsu helped lead the Titans to a convincing 11-5 victory. Komatsu finished a single shy of the cycle and knocked in five RBIs. Josh Fellhauer accounted for four of CSUF’s 18 hits in the game. His hit with the bases loaded in the top of the ninth inning stretched out the Titans’ lead and helped secure the win for starting pitcher Jeff Kaplan. “The coaching staff was very pleased with the offensive performances on both Friday and Sunday,” Serrano said. “Coach Bergeron [of CSUF] runs a very aggressive and exciting offense that forces the opponent’s defense to be on its toes at all times.” The second game Saturday was a different story for the Titans as they suffered a 4-2 defeat at the hands of the Horned Frogs. The CSUF hitters couldn’t get anything going offensively against TCU starting pitcher Steven Maxwell (1-0). Maxwell pitched seven strong innings and allowed just two runs. “We didn’t have any major

breakdowns on Saturday. We just faced a good pitcher in Maxwell and got beat,” Serrano said. CSUF’s starting pitcher, Corey Arbiso (0-1), picked up the loss after giving up all four of TCU’s runs in six innings of work. Komatsu was the only Titans hitter to get to Maxwell. His tworun blast in the top of the sixth brought home Khris Davis and sliced the TCU lead in half, making the score 4-2. That was it for the Titans at the plate and the rubber match would have to be decided in game three Sunday afternoon. In the series finale, the Titans used a late inning rally to jump ahead of TCU and pick up the 7-4 victory and 2-1 series win. Brian Wilson (1-0) got the win in relief for the Titans after giving up two hits in 2⅓ innings on the hill. Starter Adam Jorgenson was chased from the game in the top of fifth when he allowed the Horned Frogs to tie the game up with a three-run rally. In a 4-4 stalemate, Serrano sent pinch hitter Shevis Shima to the plate to give the Titans’ offense a spark. Shima made his coach look brilliant and promptly delivered a double to left center field off TCU relief pitcher Dillon Farrish. After a Horned Frogs pitching change, Joel Weeks laid down a bunt that brought home Shima with the go-ahead run, making the score 5-4. The Titans got a couple more insurance runs off a Fellhauer home run and a steal of home plate by Jeff Newman. The Titans take the field tonight at 6 p.m. for its home opener at Goodwin Field. The Titans will send Michael Morrison to the mound to face Loyola Marymount University. “We’re excited to get back on the field on Tuesday versus LMU,” Serrano said. “Getting more games under our belt early will afford us opportunity to find out more about our players and gain more experience heading into Big West Conference play.”

February 26, 2008

Women’s Basketball falls to UC Riverside “ CSUF had a hard time after UC Riverside ran up a lead against them by tom sheridan

Daily Titan Staff Writer sports@dailytitan.com

Toni Thomas helped spark a late second-half surge, but the hole was just too deep for the Cal State Fullerton women’s basketball team to climb out of. UC Riverside opened up a 17point lead midway through the second half and held on for a 64-58 Big West Conference win Saturday. The Titans (8-18, 6-8) seemed poised to complete the season sweep of the Highlanders (13-11, 10-2) early on behind their resurgent captain Thomas. “She had a Toni Thomas game,” CSUF Head Coach Maryalyce Jeremiah said. “That’s the way she’s been playing. Not this year, but in previous years.” Thomas broke out of her slump in a big way, finishing with a double-

double. Her 24 points and 10 rebounds were both game highs. The Titans got on the board when Thomas knocked down a jumper to tie the game at 2-2. The Titans’ second bucket came when Lauren Chow, who scored 14 points in the game, put back an Ashley Richie miss to make the score 4-4. Less than a minute later, Alison Bennett found Chow all alone beyond the three-point arc. Chow hit the three and the Titans were on top for the first time, 7-6. “She’s a great shooter,” Jeremiah said. “When she’s open, she has a license to shoot the ball. She always has the green light because she can shoot the three better than any player we have ever had here.” The back-and-forth play continued throughout the half with both teams taking the other’s best shot. With 3:32 left before halftime, Thomas took Bennett’s pass hard to the hole and hit a layup to put Cal State up 27-25. “She came out and did everything we needed her to do,” Jeremiah said.

She’s a great shooter. When she’s open, she has a license to shoot the ball.

“

– CSUF Coach Jeremiah,

Speaking of Lauren Chow

After that, the Highlanders went on an 8-2 run and headed into the locker room up 33-29. “We’re a young team and it seems that in every game they get a run,” Jeremiah said. The second half started much the same way the first half ended. Bennett hit a jump shot for the Titans a minute and a half in, but UCR answered right back when Syram Gbewonyo stretched the Highlanders’ lead to 10 points. CSUF had problems with ball handling all night, which led to 18 turnovers for the game. They turned the ball over five times in a three minute and thirty second stretch as they watched the Highlanders bust open a 17-point lead.

Thomas’ layup, with 10:05 left in the game, made the score 54-39 and started an 11-0 run by the Titans. The Titans gave UCR a few points back when the Highlanders’ Vanessa Campillo hit teammate Roney Friend for a layup to make the score 58-48. No matter what the lead was, the Titans never let up. Chow knocked down a three-pointer to cut the deficit to five. Then, Thomas converted two free throws, getting the Titans score within three points at 61-58. “We have to keep the team intensity up,” Thomas said. “I think we did a good job of that tonight.” That was the closest they would get the rest of the way. After a Highlander free throw put the Titans down by two scores, Chow had two three-point tries bounce off the rim. “After I shot the three I realized I could have shot the two,” Chow said. “Maybe I should have done this or that, but I shot it, so you can’t go back.” The Titans next game is at Cal State Northridge on Thursday.

Titan Fencers battle at last tournament of season The Titans look forward to NCAA West Regional hosted at CSUF by haley Barnett

Daily Titan Staff Writer sports@dailytitan.com

The Cal State Fullerton men’s fencing team placed fourth overall, while the women’s team took fifth at the last regular season tournament of the International Fencing Conference of Southern California held at UCI Saturday. The tournament’s results were cumulative and based on the outcome of a previous Southern California competition held Feb. 10 at CSUF. Competing against nine other universities, the Titan fencers had an optimistic attitude going into one of their last tournaments of the season. “We are going to kick butt,” fresh-

man Eugene Park said. “We are one of the only division one teams here, most of the other teams are club.” Both the men’s and women’s teams entered the tournament at fourth place overall in the IFCSC. CSUF Head Coach Michael Hinojos expected the team to excel in both epee and sabre. “We’ve been doing better than expected this semester with such a raw team. We have a lot of freshman,” Hinojos said. The men’s epee team had a triumphant day, beating out all of their competitors and placing third overall. Among the team’s freshmen is experienced fencer Jonathan Ott, who placed third in individual sabre. Ott, who came to CSUF from Colorado on a fencing scholarship, placed 15th at the last Junior Olympics. Along with Ott, Jake Jennings took fifth in individual sabre, while junior John Bellone took eighth.

The women’s team seems to agree that the men’s fencing team is a strong competitive force. “Our guys kick butt,” Amber Stumpf said, who placed fourth in women’s sabre. CSUF’s Teresa Elliott placed fifth in sabre, while Erika Diaz took eighth. The women’s team had a strong start, but was extremely debilitated by a teammate’s injury. While competing in the women’s epee, Danielle Palmer suffered a possible broken wrist. “We were fencing against ASU when her opponent’s epee hurt her wrist,” teammate Raziel Gamboa said. With Palmer eliminated from the competition, the chances of women’s epee placing were diminished. “All of the teams are really nice,” Gamboa said. “When Danielle got hurt they offered to postpone the match until we found out if she was

going to be alright.” Despite their teammate’s injury, the women’s fencing team enjoyed the company of their fellow competitors. “We like hanging out with the other teams,” women’s sabre contestant Erika Diaz said. “We’re competitors on the strip, but off of the strip we hang out.” With the local tournament behind them, the Titan fencers look forward to competing against the sport’s best at the Western Regionals. “Western Regionals are going to be harder,” Ott said. “Stanford’s coming. It will be a good tournament.” Along with Stanford and the Air Force Academy, Cal Tech and UCSD will be competing for a chance to qualify for the fencing nationals. The NCAA Western Regional Conference will be held at CSUF March 2.