2008 04 09

Page 1

Features, Page 4

Study researches surfer’s sensation seeking habits

S  Volume 86, Issue 36

D T

Wednesday April 9, 2008

T S V  C S U, F

DTSHORTHAND Rec Center makes its official debut today Cal State Fullerton’s Associated Students Inc. welcomes campus and community members to the official debut of the $41 million Student Recreation Center from 10 a.m. to noon Wednesday . In addition to a 10 a.m. program featuring campus and student leaders and the unveiling of a cornerstone plaque commemorating the building’s completion, there will be tours of the 95,000square-foot center. It features a 38-foot-tall indoor rock-climbing wall, a three-lane elevated indoor jogging track, three basketball courts, a twolevel 15,000-square-foot cardio/ strength training area, two racquetball courts, three multipurpose rooms for drop-in fitness classes, a dedicated spin studio and outdoor swimming pool. The facility boasts more than 100 pieces of fitness equipment, as well as a big-screen multimedia cardio studio – the first ever on a CSU campus. As well as providing an exciting new venue for CSUF students, the Student Recreation Center also is a model of “green” building design and construction. Among its design strategies, the project emphasizes the benefits of daytime lighting and the use of sustainable and recycled materials in the building’s construction.

Campus Life: The fourth annual Hookah Titan Up will be held Monday, April 14, 2008 from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. in the Central Quad by the Middle Eastern Student Society. Students are invited to take advantage of henna tattoos, free food, free hookah and entertainment. A discussion called “Democracy Education: Democracy, Labor and the Prosperity Myth” will also be held on Monday in the Titan Student Union Pavillion C from 7 p.m. to 9:30. Michael Parenti will be speaking at the event hosted by the Alliance of Students for Equal Education & Students for Peace & Social Justice.

Baby with two faces born in India

Duking it out for a good cause

Over 46 dodgeball teams get a chance to compete for charity BY SARAH J. CRUZ Daily Titan Staff Writer news@dailytitan.com

T

he Staples Center hosted a charity dodgeball tournament to raise funds for a proposed youth shelter in Fullerton. Stand Up For Kids, a charity organization focused on helping young homeless and disadvantaged youth, organized the event in coordination with California State Fullerton Public Relations students and the Oxford Academy. The event featured over 46 local and national teams. The players competed for the championship trophy and the L.A. Dodgeball Society earned the first place award. Other teams banded together just to participate in the tournament. “It’s just for fun,” Priscilla Chang, a member of JackPotLuck, said. Her team was led by Steven Hwang who is a volunteer at Stand Up For Kids. Two years ago Hwang created the dodgeball tournament. This year the tournament moved to the Staples Center. Stand Up For Kids is the recipient of the proceeds from the event. The center wants to build a shelter in Fullerton for homeless and street youth to have a safehaven away from the street. “We rescue homeless and street kids,” Dijon Turner, executive director for Stand Up Kids, said. “We help them do the things they want to do. We

Event at CSUF hopes to encourage participation and a healthy outlook BY CARMEN DRUMMOND news@dailytitan.com

WEATHER WEDNESDAY Mostly Sunny: High: 67, Low: 51

THURSDAY Sunny/ High: 74, Low: 55

FRIDAY Sunny/ High: 82, Low: 58

SATURDAY Sunny / High: 82, Low: 59

SUNDAY

Mostly Sunny / High: 81, Low: 58

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

spend time with them. If they want to get a GED, get back in to school [or] get an ID, we go together to the DMV.” The costumed and mustached players with their retro athletic wear helped bring to light youth who have been forgotten, Turner said. “These are a group of people that are swept under the carpet,” he said. Stand Up For Kids provides food, hygiene items and counsel to children, teenagers and young adults. Turner said the charity exists for

two main purposes. “Our two main goals are to relieve suffering of street kids and homeless kids and to relieve the feeling of abandonment.” Turner hoped the event, held on March 22, would bring awareness and increased visibility. Five CSUF public relations students worked on the event as part of a requirement for their degree. Anna Ahle, one of the group members, said she encouraged students to participate in events such as the tournament.

“Some people think it’s too hard to get involved in volunteering,” Ahle said. “They think it takes a lot of time and energy.” The dodgeball tournament was a great way for people to volunteer and have fun without spending a large amount of time, she said Fullerton may seem to be an odd choice for a youth shelter, but despite its affluence, it is a gathering place for homeless and street youth, Turner said. “Fullerton is a hub. You have the train station and traveling kids stop-

ping in,” Turner said. Turner encourages students to not only become involved in Stand Up For Kids, but also to show respect and care for homeless and street youth they may meet around town. “Be kind and respectful if you see street kids. Go and talk to them,” Turner said. “They know people will give them money, but they would rather have people talk to them.” The Stand Up For Kids Web Site: www. standupforkids.org.

CSUF goes for the gold with a More digits needed to 5k run/1k walk and health expo make a telephone call For the Daily Daily Titan

(AP) – A baby with two faces was born in a northen Indian village where she is being worshipped as the reincarnation of a Hindu goddess, her father said Tuesday. The baby apparently has a rare condition known as craniofacial duplication. The baby, named Lali, has all of her facial features duplicated except for her ears. New Delhi hospital officials said she can use both mouths and she opened and closed all four eyes at the same time.

BY CRAIG GROSSMAN/Daily Titan Staff Writer Dodgeball teams play on at Staples Center for the spirit of competition as well as to raise proceeds for Stand Up For Kids, a charity organization.

The first annual Going for the Gold 5K Run/1K Walk and Health Expo will be held Saturday. A Golden Idea grant awarded to the College of Health and Human Development funded the event. Going for the Gold is part of Cal State Fullerton’s 50th Anniversary celebration. The event, which is open to people of all ages, is a great “opportunity to reinforce healthy habits for yourself and members of your family,” said Alma Gonzalez, an event coordinator on the planning committee. “It’s a great way to meet new people [and] those that live in your community.” The event will consist of a 5K run and 1K walk. Late registration, which is now in effect, costs $25. The health expo is free and will last from 8:00 a.m. until noon. The health expo will feature various exhibitors providing health screenings and information on physical and emotional health, while other booths will provide information on serious issues such as cancer, diabetes and organ donation. The event will also feature fun activities such as face painting, crafts, an obstacle course and prizes that will be raffled off, including an iPod shuffle and gift certificates for local restaurants. “Through the vision of the Dean of the College of Health and Human Development, we combined the walk and run with the health expo to create a full menu of activities for our community,” said Dara

There will be a new way to call from CSUF and also a new OC area code

EVENT DETAILS CSUF is hosting Going for the Gold 5K Run/1K Walk and Health Expo on Saturday.

BY DAWN PETTIT Daily Titan Staff Writer news@dailytitan.com

Registration: Onsite registration opens at 7:30 am. Cash and checks only, no credit cards please. Please note that T-shirts are available while supplies last and we can not guarantee a shirt the day of the event. Thank you and see you on April 12th! Public Registration: $25. Student Registration: $15. Child Registration (12 and under): FREE Event Preparation: After parking in lot E, look for signs directing you to the Lawn Area between the Engineering Building, Education Classrooms, Student Health Center and the Kinesiology and Health Science building. Prizes are available, including: iPod Shuffle, Voucher for 1-hour free massage from Massage Envy, $25 Gift Certificates for A Snail’s Pace Running Shoes, BJ’s Brewery, Cheesecake Factory, Islands and Target.

Vazin, a lecturer for the health science department and event coordinator. A Snail’s Pace, one of the many sponsors, will be providing training programs for individuals interested in training before the event. The training provided at all four of their locations offers beginning to advanced levels of training. “This is a great program with people who have a big goal in mind and we are there every step of the way till they cross that finish line,” said Cali Kimble, the manager at A Snail’s Pace in Brea. “We will also

be there to answer any questions the runners or walkers may have in regards to proper shoes or training.” Running Quest, New Balance, Target, Trader Joe’s, Starbucks, Jamba Juice, Fresh and Easy Markets, and St. Judes Medical Center are just some of the many sponsors participating in the event. According to the Going for the Gold Web page on the CSUF Web site, proceeds raised from the event will go “to furthering educational research in areas such as childhood obesity, successful aging, and cancer disparities.”

A new dialing procedure is in place at Cal State Fullerton. Anyone using a campus phone to dial an off-campus phone number must dial 9, then 1 and then the area code and telephone number. Carol Bednar, the government documents librarian at CSUF’s Pollak Library, uses a campus phone regularly. She said the new procedure doesn’t affect her. “My campus phone works great,” Bednar said. “I can call on campus using only four digits and that won’t change.” Marci Payne, CSUF’s telecom support manager, said the new procedure on campus includes calls from residential, business, and cell phones. Therefore, calls to campus numbers from off-campus phones must be dialed as 1 plus the area code plus the telephone number. Angie Chavez, a 23-year-old broadcast communications major at CSUF, said she thinks the new procedure is ridiculous. “I would absolutely hate having to dial so many digits just to make a local call, especially if I needed to make a call while I’m driving or just in a hurry,” Chavez said. Although the new dialing procedure is currently in effect, callers can still use the old dialing procedure of dialing 9 plus the telephone number until Aug. 23. After this date, Payne said if callers do not use the new dialing procedure, their calls will not be completed, and a recording will instruct

BY THE NUMBERS Adding a new area code will enable users to have a continuing supply of telephone numbers

657

New area code added to the area served by the 714 area code

17

Communities in Orange County to be affected by area code

SEPT. 23

Date when new 657 area code may be assigned to phone lines SOURCE: Marci Payne, CSUF telecom support manager

them to hang up and dial again. “I also live in the area so it will affect my home phone and cell phone as well,” Bednar said. “I think one result is that I will program more local numbers into my phone so I won’t have to dial the extra three numbers.” A new 657 area code has been added to the area served by the 714 area code. Payne said this would affect anyone dialing a telephone number within the communities of Anaheim, Brea, Buena Park, Costa Mesa, Cypress, Fountain Valley, Fullerton, Garden Grove, Huntington Beach, La Habra, La Mirada, La Palma, Orange, Placentia, Santa Ana, Westminster and Yorba Linda. Now callers will be required to

See NEW NUMBERS, Page 2


PAGE TWO

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April 9, 2008

IN OTHER NEWS Civil War era-grave lootings becomes a concern INTERNATIONAL BOGOTA, Colombia (AP) – France called off a humanitarian mission Tuesday to treat and possibly free ailing hostage Ingrid Betancourt after Colombian rebels said they wouldn’t unilaterally release any more captives. France’s Foreign Ministry said late Tuesday that there was no longer any reason to keep the mission by France, Spain and Switzerland in Colombia. A French government plane has been waiting on a Bogota airstrip for days with doctors hoping to reach Betancourt, who was said to be depressed and suffering from hepatitis C. In a four-paragraph statement, the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia repeated what they have insisted on since 2005: that the government demilitarize two counties as the first step toward a broad hostage-prisoner swap. Only as part of such an exchange, they said, would Betancourt go free. French President Nicolas Sarkozy’s office said he is “deeply disappointed” he was unable to save Betancourt, who holds French and Colombian nationality.

NATIONAL

Polygamist compound rife with child abuse

ELDORADO, Texas (AP) – A polygamist compound with hundreds of children was rife with sexual abuse, child welfare officials allege in court documents, with girls spiritually married to much older men as soon as they reached puberty and boys groomed to perpetuate the cycle. The documents released Tuesday also gave details about the hushed phone calls that triggered the raid, by a 16-year-old girl at the West Texas ranch who said her 50-year-old husband beat and raped her. Days after raiding the compound, officials still aren’t sure where the girl is. Officials have completed removing all 416 children and have won custody of all of them, Child Protective Services spokeswoman Marleigh Meisner told reporters in San Angelo, about 40 miles from the compound in Eldorado. Court documents said a number of teen girls at the 1,700-acre compound were pregnant, and that all the children were removed on the grounds that they were in danger of “emotional, physical, and-or sexual abuse.” Another 139 women left on their own. Lynn McFadden, a Department of Family and Protective Services investigative supervisor, said the girls were spiritually married to the men as soon as they reached puberty and were required to produce children.

STATE

Medical Center’s employee breached records LOS ANGELES (AP) – The UCLA Medical Center employee who allegedly breached the records of dozens of high-profile patients is a 49-year-old administrative specialist who had worked at the hospital for 32 years, according to a published report. UCLA and state health officials have not confirmed Jackson’s identity. The Times reported it verified her identity with a person familiar with the matter. Fawcett is battling cancer. Her attorney, Kim Swartz, said last week that after an employee at the hospital accessed Fawcett’s medical records, details about her treatment showed up in the National Enquirer. In the interview with The Times, Jackson would not directly answer a question on whether she had ever spoken to the Enquirer. “I’m not going to answer that,” she said. “I’m scared to answer that ... I know I’m not the leak. I don’t believe I’m the leak.”

Associated Press

Working in secret, federal archaeologists have dug up the remains of dozens of soldiers and children near a Civil War-era fort after an informant tipped them off about widespread grave-looting. The exhumations, conducted from August to October, removed 67 skeletons from the parched desert soil around Fort Craig — 39 men, two women and 26 infants and children, according to two federal archaeologists who helped with the dig. They also found scores of empty graves and determined 20 had been looted. The government kept its exhumation of the unmarked cemetery near the historic New Mexico fort out of the public’s eye for months to prevent more thefts. The investigation began with a tip about an amateur historian who had displayed the mummified remains of a black soldier, draped in a Civil War-era uniform, in his house. Investigators say the historian,

Dee Brecheisen, may have been a prolific looter who spotted historical sites from his plane. Brecheisen died in 2004 and although it was not clear whether the looting continued after his death, authorities exhumed the unprotected site to prevent future thefts. “As an archaeologist, you want to leave a site in place for preservation ... but we couldn’t do that because it could be looted again,” Jeffery Hanson, of the Bureau of Reclamation, told The Associated Press. The remains are being studied by Bureau of Reclamation scientists, who are piecing together information on their identities. They will eventually be reburied at other national cemeteries. Most of the men are believed to have been soldiers — Fort Craig protected settlers in the West from American Indian raids and played a role in the Civil War. Union troops stationed there fought the Confederacy as it moved into New Mexico from Texas in 1862.

The children buried there may have been local residents treated by doctors at the former frontier outpost, officials said. Federal officials learned of the looting in November 2004, when Don Alberts, a retired historian for Kirtland Air Force Base, tipped them off about a macabre possession he’d seen at Brecheisen’s home about 30 years earlier. Alberts described seeing the mummified remains of a black soldier with patches of brown flesh clinging to facial bones and curly hair on top of its skull. Alberts said the body had come from Fort Craig. “The first thing we did was laughed because who would believe such a story?” Hanson said. “But then we quickly decided we better go down and check it out.” Weeks later, Hanson and fellow archaeologist Mark Hungerford surveyed the cemetery site and found numerous holes — evidence of unauthorized digging. While records show the cemetery had been disinterred twice by the

Army in the late 1800s, it wasn’t known how many bodies remained. Hanson said ground-penetrating radar revealed the Army left behind about one-third of the bodies. A lack of funding and various federal procedures delayed the excavation until last summer. Brecheisen’s son told authorities where the mummified remains from his father’s home were, and a person who hasn’t been publicly identified handed over a more-than-century-old skull packaged in a brown paper bag. Alberts said that skull, which still had hair attached, was the one he’d seen years earlier. Authorities also found some Civil War and American Indian artifacts in Brecheisen’s home, but the display rooms that showcased Brecheisen’s collections had already been emptied out and auctioned off by his family after his death, Hanson said. Brecheisen was a decorated Vietnam veteran and flew for the Air National Guard during a 26-year military career.

NEW NUMBERS: A NECESSARY HASSLE? From Page 1

dial the appropriate area code assigned to the telephone number, either 657 or 714. To complete calls from off campus using a phone within the 714 or 657 area codes, callers must dial 1 plus the area code plus the telephone number. Payne said the reason the overlay occurred is because the available telephone numbers in certain areas of Orange County are insufficient for future growth in those communities. Adding a new area code will ensure a continuing supply of telephone numbers. Beginning Sept. 23, new telephone lines or services in Orange County may be assigned numbers with the 657 area code. Although Amie Davis, a 22year-old communications major at CSUF, isn’t directly affected by the new procedure, she said she isn’t happy about it either.

“My area code is 310, and I have overlay is customers may request to had to push 1 plus the area code for change their area code to the newly about a year already and yes, it is issued area code in order to obtain annoying,” Davis said. additional telephone numbers withPayne, in a spewho is recific prefix, Payne said. sponsible Chavez for informsaid even ing and though reminding cell phones the camhave speed pus comdials, she munity of d o e s n’t upcoming ever use changes, said there – Marci Payne, them. “It’s hecare many Cal State Fullerton telecom tic as it is benefits to support manager with seven the overlay. [ d i g i t s ] ,” “Customers within the overlay area are Chavez said. Lissa Camacho, a 26-year-old not forced to change their area code, whereas in an area code split some American Studies graduate student customers are forced to change to at CSUF, said the overlay doesn’t bother her. the newly issued area,” Payne said. “I use my cell phone all the time, Another advantage of an area code

Customers within the overlay area are not forced to change their area code, whereas in an area code split some customers are forced to change to the newly issued area.

France and Colombia fail to find solution

which requires me to dial the area code already,” Camacho said. “I formally worked in D.C. and Arizona and both places already require you to dial the area code first because of similar reasons. I’m completely OK with it.” Payne said campus callers should also be aware that in addition to changing the dialing procedure, all services, automatic dialing equipment or other types of equipment that are programmed with 9, plus the telephone number must be reprogrammed to use the new dialing procedure. Devices that are affected by the new dialing procedure are life safety systems, fax machines, Internet dial-up numbers, alarm and security systems, gates, speed-dial numbers, call forwarding settings, voice mail services and similar functions. Payne recommends callers add the area code to saved contact numbers in cell phones and e-mail clients.

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.

D T

The difference between a career and a purpose is about 8,000 miles.

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Life is calling. How far will you go? 800.424.8580 www.peacecorps.gov


OPINION

April 9, 2008

Titan Editorial Providing insight, analysis and perspective since 1960

Olympic-sized mistake The protests are just the tip of the iceberg. Serious problems arose for the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing seven years ago – when a committee choose to hold the games in Beijing. With only four months to go, the people of the world are speaking out and political pressure is coming from all sides. It seems that no one wants the games to be held in Beijing. That is, except for the Chinese government. And why wouldn’t they? This was supposed to be China’s big coming-out party. With more than a third of the world’s population, the communist state is starting to emerge as a major player on the world stage. And just like Adolf Hitler had envisioned in the 1930’s, China saw hosting the Summer Olympics as a way to show off their achievements and claim their place as the next superpower. But, like so much else in life, the idea has proven to be far more desirable than the reality. The glitter China’s newly elevated status in the world masks the foul underbelly of its inner workings. For one thing, China is the second-worst polluting country in the world – just behind the

Letters to the Editor:

U.S., according the British news Web site telegraph.co.uk. In at least one area of the country, people have to close their windows before going to bed at night, lest they literally wake up covered in soot. This and other pollution horror stories have made many athletes question whether they should be competing in such a harmful environment. Haile Gebrselassie, the world record-holder in the marathon, has said he will not run in Beijing for fear of the damage it may cause him. Other runners have said they will compete wearing masks over their faces to keep the soot and other contaminants out of their lungs. Aside from pollution, facilities have also been an issue. In accordance with the Communist philosophy, there is no private industry in China. Any and all construction must go through the government. And no one has ever accused a government of getting things done quickly. Now, protests around the world are drawing international attention to China’s pitiful human rights record. But it could be worse. The games could have been held in Iran.

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 Opinion Editor Johnathan Kroncke at jkroncke@dailytitan.com

Dousing the flame of Olympic spirit

The Olympic torch met the streets of London and Paris this week. And like immature siblings, some people choose to attend the event with devious plots in mind. In the minds of the London big wigs who think up these sorts of things, everything seemed pretty well-planned leading up to the event. Ex-athletes, politicians and quasi-celebrities were all going to hold the torch for a few labored strides. There would be a bit of security, considerably less than at the average football match, and Britons would be well-behaved, like they normally are. Instead, what London got made the Terminal Five catastrophe seem like spilled milk. What should have been, literally, a leisurely walk in the park turned into a nightmare worse than a blind man running with the bulls. The protesters who lined the streets, shouting and waving signs, were expected. But the repeated attempts to put out the torch just seemed like childish attempts for attention. At several points during the relay, advocates for human rights and a free Tibet shoved and fought with torch-bearers in an effort to the put out the beacon. They also used fire extinguishers and water to douse the flame. This forced London authorities to encompass the torch-bearer in a protective human arc, making it hard for mild-mannered spectators to see. Now, I am not advocating China’s tyrannical rule over Tibet, nor agreeing that the country is even marginally a good place to hold the Olympic games. I also agree with ex-athlete Lord Coe, who was overheard referring to the Chinese bodyguards as “thugs.” They looked militant and overbearing, not the right approach

3

The Londoner

By Erin Tobin

opinion@dailytitan.com

for a supposed celebration. Yet, I was sickened to see grown men forced to protect a 95-pound female television celebrity. The flame is an important symbol, but not the type that people should be harmed over. Besides, what would dousing the flame say about the situation in Tibet? The meaning for their protest was certainly lost on me. A far better, and probably stronger, statement would have been made if the protesters simply turned their backs as the torch ambled past. Their actions looked like they simply wanted their five minutes of fame on a television camera. But instead, their antics have carried over to Paris and San Francisco, forcing more and more sections of the historic relay to be detoured or canceled. The fact of the matter is the torch doesn’t have anything to do with China. From its humble beginnings in Greece, the light is a bit like a study abroad student, being sent off to see the world and, in the end, becoming stronger. But as it got pushed, shoved and tussled, it seemed less like a proud young adult and more like a sad little kid stuck between two warring, divorced parents. The over-zealous protesters have ruined what should be a respectable, bonding event for the crowds that gathered this weekend, and they aren’t changing any minds. The Olympics will still be held in China this year, unfortunately. Look out California, this show is coming your way.

FIRE@WILL


FEATURES

4

April 9, 2008

Breaking down the psyche of big wave surfers Brave or crazy? Dr. Lenny Wiersma dives into the minds of big wave surfers BY JEREMIAH RIVERA Daily Titan Staff Writer news@dailytitan.com

Some surfers could talk for hours about their surfing experiences. Sometimes, the descriptions of surfing goes beyond words. Fore example, during one interview Cal State Fullerton’s Professor Lenny Wiersma conducted, a surfer held up his hand and folded his fingers in the shape of a wave. With his other hand, he pointed to his folded fingers and described his approach to dropping into a big wave. Big wave surfing legend Brian Keaulana described it best in the 1998 surfing movie “In God’s Hands.” “We understand the risk that is involved. We know exactly what we are up against, we know exactly what are bodies are able to do.” Some people accuse big wave surfers of having death wishes or just think of them as insane, but Lenny Wiersma of Cal State Fullerton is conducting research to find any trends among the individual psyches

of big wave surfers that explain their fearless nature. As associate professor of kinesiology, Wiersma deals with the advancement of athletes and studies sports psychology. Wiersma indirectly criticized past cases of research that attempted to analyze sensation and thrill seeking, more specifically, within the surfing culture. After reading one research case that compared surfers to golfers, Wiersma, needless to say, was not impressed. Other past cases attempted to analyze and summarize surfing through a questionnaire. Wiersma described his research as a very different approach to analyzing the psychology of a potentially dangerous activity. “You have to hear the stories for yourself and a lot of the research is simply listening and waiting for cues,” Wiersma described. “I am hoping to be able to find common themes among people from very different backgrounds doing the same activity.” The professor has not prepared an agenda for his interviews. After the exchange of introductions, signing the necessary paperwork and general small-talk, surfers began to tell stories of their big wave surfing experiences. Wiersma has chosen to keep

the identity of his surfing sources confidential because he has noted in his research the prevalent drug use among a number of the elite athletes. Wiersma is not the first researcher to make a correlation between sensation seeking, social networks and drug use. The Questia.com Web site provided a 1999 research article titled “Sensation seeking and drug use by adolescents and their friends: Models for marijuana and alcohol” published by The Journal of Studies on Alcohol. The article “propose[s] that sensation seeking, an individual level intrapersonal trait and social influences are complementary rather than contradictory explanations of adolescent drug use and that both peer network factors and sensation seeking influence the likelihood of use.” Marvin Zuckerman of the University of Delaware is the researcher who developed the concept of sensation seeking in 1979. According to the National Institute on Drug Abuse Web site, his research found one could “measure an individuals differences in sensation seeking along four dimensions: thrill and adventure seeking, experience seeking, dis-inhibition and susceptibility to boredom. These four dimensions

encompass behaviors such as engaging in physically risky activities, pursuing new experiences through travel, music, art and drugs; seeking social stimulation through parties, social drinking and a variety of sex partners; and avoiding boredom produced by unchanging circumstances.” Because Wiersma’s research is still in the early stages, no correlations or conclusions can be drawn. Wiersma described a small group of a couple dozen surfers who regularly take on the massive waves of Mavericks, a notorious big wave surfing location in San Mateo County in Northern California, as an elite rare breed of surfers who combine elements of athleticism with desire and calculated risk. Some of the Mavericks surfers compete on the professional curcuit, others are just committed to the surfing lifestyle and courageous enough to ride the 20-foot-plus mountains of moving saltwater. To illustrate the pure enjoyment and satisfaction this elite group of surfers get from “living life on the edge,” Wiersma mentioned the January 12 big wave surfing competition held at Maverick’s. “There were six surfers left in the final heat. The final purse was

$75,000 with $30,000 going to the winner. Rather than competing for the prize money, all six surfers agreed they were going to surf – to surf, and split the money six ways,” Wiersma said. Afterward, Wiersma began to explain the role of rewards and how they affect an athlete’s performance in any competitive sport. “Competition and the expectation of intrinsic rewards can be detrimental to athleticism,” Wiersma said. “It can interfere with the quality of play. If they surfed [in the Mavericks competition] for money, they’d surf differently.” Unlike mainstream sports icons who flood television sets, big wave surfers potentially face death with every wave they catch. Yet they’re willing to split their paychecks with their competitors. “These people are amazing. You look at professional football and basketball players, any big money sport – No one can compare to the toughness and athleticism of big wave surfers,” Wiersma said. “There is absolutely no margin for error when doing what these guys do. It’s 100 percent motivation .... you’ve got to turn off your fear and worry. It’s impossible to think about failing and succeeding at the same time.”

Wiersma was working with former CSUF professor Michael Boyd on the project but is now conducting his research solo. Boyd gained notoriety last summer when his research on thrill-seeking within the skateboarding culture was published on the front page of the Orange County Register. Boyd’s research was designed to examine whether goal orientations and sensation seeking are related to psychological mood states among a sample of skateboarders. Wiersma predicts that it will be at least six months to one year before finishing his research. He said that his research project has given him “great street credibility” among his students. He also explained that no research he has done in the past has ever attracted such media interest. Wiersma said he takes pride in this. He said he does not expect his research to help save the world or be Nobel Prize material, but is optimistic that it will give others motivation and insight for dealing with fear. Although he is conducting his research almost exclusively with Northern California surfers, he is confident his results will share commonalities with surfers around the world. When his research is complete, Wiersma said he plans to submit his findings to a science journal for publishing.

BY NATHAN WHEADON/Daily Titan Daily Titan Features Editor

Fullerton University Artists offers students art gallery connections The Fullerton University Artists is an alternative to the other CSUF art clubs BY PAULINA WOODS Daily Titan Staff Writer news@dailytitan.com

With artwork hanging on all four walls, people lounging and music playing in the background, visitors were greeted like family at The Light Gallery in Costa Mesa. While walking through the gallery, visitors were exposed to many art forms and styles courtesy of Loriann Hernandez, President of the Fullerton University Artists. Hernandez has been interning at the Light Gallery this semester and was asked by the owner of the Light Gallery, Steven Borts, to set up a show. In doing so, she was able to showcase her work as well as alumni Carla Roque’s work.

The Fullerton University Artists is proud to offer this kind of connection to art galleries to its members along with a lot of other little perks. Last year Sariah Ha started the Fullerton University Artists Club at Cal State Fullerton for those students who didn’t seem fit into the other art clubs on campus. This acceptance of different styles is what drew Hernandez to the club. The day of the exhibit, March 8, she showed a piece at the gallery where, with a ballpoint pen, she drew a large portrait of a woman in a Buddhist meditation pose. “The style I use is done in pen and ink. I used 20 new black pens and had to hire someone to help me finish on time,” Hernandez laughs. “My mother did the graffiti.” This draw toward creating unique work has the artists in the FUA sleeping, eating and breathing art and sometimes staying long hours in the studio. “It’s not uncommon for us to fall asleep and wake up two hours later

and start working again,” Hernandez said. Not only is there food, but many times a live disc jockey is brought in to help the creative flow. From graphic watercolor, graffiti, drawings and mixed media, the blending of newspaper with painting, each member brings a different style to the club. In an effort to help students network, the FUA has guest speakers and featured artists come to campus and speak to students during the Thursday night meetings. Jeni Carle, a drawing and painting major, while not a full member of the club, has been to a few of the presentations. She was out at the Light Gallery to show her support to the FUA. “I tend to draw more portraits with my friends and family posing,” Carle said. “Sometimes I might draw from a photo.” People who want to draw in a portrait style are given a chance to do so during the FUA life-drawing

sessions. Members pose in many forms of dress from punk rock to Wild West-style burlesque and artists are charged a small fee to recreate the models. The FUA hopes to offer a scholarship for students in the Orange County area where art and music funding has been cut from local high schools. This will allow many students to go on to college. “They really don’t get the opportunity to explore the arts prior to college,” Hernandez said. With their connection to art galleries and artists, mostly alumni, the FUA believes they have many valuable resources to offer student artists. “Our club involvement on campus helps aspiring artist[s] get their work into galleries, get recognized by collectors, develop a following and get real life experience – not just classroom experience,” Hernandez said.

BY LORIANN HERNANDEZ/For the Daily Titan Fullerton University Artists President Loriann Hernandez uses alternative tools for her art, including ball point pens for this piece at the Light Gallery in Costa Mesa.


April 9, 2008

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Humorscopes brought to you by humorscope.com

Aries (March 21 - April 19) Don’t go out today, without a spatula. I can’t say more.

Taurus (April 20 - May 20) A hive of naked mole rats will move in with you today. You will find that they are rela tive ly tidy creatures, but that it’s a trifle difficult to explain their presence to your friends.

Gemini (May 21 - June 20) Good day to make a nice pot of gruel. Isn’t it strange, how difficult it is these days to find gruel on the menu at restaurants? Perhaps you should start your own restaurant (e.g. The Gruel Pot) to rectify that situation.

SUDOKU

Cancer (June 21 - July 22) Remember: you can’t tell your boss to get lost. You can, however, give him the wrong directions.

Leo (July 23 - August 22) Go wild today! Try a different brand of ramen noodles -- or even go so far as to sprinkle a little chopped green onion over them!

Virgo (August 23 - September 22) A man dressed like a giant shrimp will roar past you in an experimental hovercraft, today. (Again.)

Libra (September 22 - October 22) You will finally begin your novel! This is very good, since if you’d decided to write a screen play, you would have had to move to California and drive a taxi.

Scorpio (October 23 - November 21) Those spiders are growing larger around your house, and it’s becoming more of a challenge to escape. You may want to con sider acquiring a flame thrower. (Hint: illicit nuclear dump nearby.)

Sagittarius (November 22 - December 21) Try not to be too impulsive, today. Ask you self if you really need that howitzer, or if you just think it’d be fun to have.

Capricorn (December 22 - January 20) Nothing ventured, nothing gained, is the rule for now. In fact, “nothing” will play a very large part in your future.

Aquarius (January 21 - February 18) Money will come from an unexpected source. If you put it in a mesh bag and run it throught the washer, you’ll get most of the smell out.

Pisces (February 19 - March 20) Someone will try to give you an egg salad sandwich today. Refuse them. Be polite, yet firm.

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

6

April 9, 2008

Table tennis tournament features the best of the best Participants discuss the seriousness of the sport and the fun of the CSUFhosted tournament

Five reasons why the Anaheim Ducks will win the Stanley Cup BY MICHAL OLSZEWSKI Daily Titan Staff Writer sports@dailytitan.com

BY ANDREW MEZA Daily Titan Staff Writer sports@dailytitan.com

Before he stands at the court, he prepares himself for the tournament ahead. He pulls out a small screwdriver to unlock his paddle from a small wooden case that is used to protect and lengthen the paddle’s use. He takes some practice swings and jumps in place to get his energy up. The first match is upon him. His competitor is already waiting for him inside the enclosed court. His shirt is drenched in sweat. For some, table tennis, or pingpong, isn’t considered a serious athletic sport. Do not tell that to the participants in Titan Recreation’s Table Tennis Tournament. The tournament took place Tuesday in the new Student Recreation Center. It was scheduled to have 16 participants. Only six players showed up to the event, but the low turnout did not stop the tournament play and competition. Attitudes were light and opposition was friendly. Often, competitors would tell each other what they were doing wrong and how to improve their swing and footwork. Some players stood nearly five feet away from the court, stomping with every step to chase the next ball. Before each serve, they hold the ball and paddle in a praying-mantis-like position while staring at the ball as if sending a telepathic message, telling it where it should land. A few of the participants play in outside leagues and are frequent visitors to the Titan Student Union Underground Pub, which is the only place on campus where table tennis enthusiasts can play. However, according to some of the participants,

NHL Playoff Predictions

BY KATHERINE BILBREW/Daily Titan Staff Photographer Vincent Troung, left, waiting for the serve of Moritz Pfeiffer during a table tennis tournament held Tuesday.

carpeted floors do not give much traction and space is limited. With the new Recreation Center, they hope competitive table tennis can grow on campus. This may seem like great news for those who float in and out of the Pub with no organized club to call their own. Moritz Pfeiffer is one of these individuals. With a towel around his neck and a shirt that reads “We Are The Champions,” he adjusts his glasses and looks at the game taking place before him. An exchange student from Germany studying business, Pfeiffer has played table tennis since he was 8. “It’s too bad it’s not a major sport here in campus, [or] in America for that matter. In Europe and Asia, table tennis is huge,” Pfeiffer said. “I’m excited to go back home so I can feel that energy again.” Pfeiffer is a member of a junior league in Germany. He said he has

found it difficult to adjust to the atmosphere at Cal State Fullerton. “It’s hard to find good players – even amongst 40,000 students. [There is] no real training here,” Pfeiffer said. “Training to me involves coaches, trainers [and] a gym full of tables. Here, I’m playing in a racquet ball court … but it’s better than nothing.” He said he admits that although it is a fun sport and more people should participate, he thinks that a style and difficulty level like that of his and other players intimidates people who show up to play casually. Vincent Truong, another participant in the tournament, agrees after having a hard time finding a practice partner. “No one could return back to me,” Troung said. “You start to lose your reflex skills because of that. People say, ‘You hit too hard.’” Last semester, a table tennis tour-

nament was held at the TSU. Pfeiffer played in the final game against Albert Huang. Pfeiffer lost, but gained a peer in Huang. “It’s a real sport,” Huang said. “It’s harder than people think.” Huang watches one of his friends, James Lee, a casual player, compete against the hard-hitting Truong. “James is going to lose,” Huang said. “He just came to have fun.” Huang’s prediction came true as Lee was swept in three sets, but Lee walked out proud to have scored a point in each match. The final match was between Huang and Truong. Huang was victorious and retains his title as the CSUF champion. He left walking away with a Recreation Sports Champion T-shirt, high-fives, and, of course, respect. “I still need the T-shirt I won from last semester,” Huang said. “I’m a finance manager, so I expect interest.”

The Anaheim Ducks head into the playoffs as defending Stanley Cup Champions. With their recent hot streak, they are poised to become the first back-to-back champions in 10 years. Here are five reasons why the Ducks will repeat: 1) Defense wins championships. The phrase has been beaten into the ground from every analyst in every sport, but there’s a reason why – It’s what wins. Whether it’s the Phoenix Suns in basketball or the Ottawa Senators in hockey, offense can only take you so far. The Ducks proved that last season with a mix of solid offense and the best defensive core in the playoffs. The addition of Mathieu Schneider and the return of Scott Niedermayer gives the Ducks the best four-man defensive rotation in the league. Niedermayer and Chris Pronger have both been Norris Trophy winners for the league’s top defenseman in their careers, and with Jean-Sebastian Giguere in goal, opposing teams will find their chances few and far between. The combination helped Anaheim in the regular season by allowing 184 goals, second fewest in the league. 2) Leadership. Just about every Duck now has a championship ring from last season, but they have plenty of big game players that other teams would be lucky to have. The Ducks have two Conn Smythe Award winners in Niedermayer (2007) and Giguere (2003) for playoff Most Valuable Player and a Hart Trophy winner in Pronger (2000) for the regular season MVP. 3) The Ducks are the most

rested team in the playoffs. The off-season story lines of whether or not Niedermayer and franchise leading scorer Teemu Selanne were answered as both players returned to pursue back-to-back titles. The veterans came back on their own terms and are geared up for another title run. Niedermayer only played 48 games out of the 82-game schedule and Selanne came back for the Ducks final 26 games. The Finnish Flash scored 23 points in the 26 games and Niedermayer had 25 points and was named to the Western Conference All-Star Team despite missing most of the first half of the season. Pronger was given a blessing in disguise at the end of the season when he was suspended for eight games. Although the incident tarnishes the superstar’s reputation, he was able to rest and get ready for the title run. 4) Record versus top teams. The Ducks struggled against their first round opponent, the Dallas Stars, at the beginning of the season, but rebounded and won their final two games. Meanwhile, the Ducks were able to compile a 17-9-2 record against the rest of Western Conference opponents, including 7-3-2 against the two top seeds in Detroit and San Jose. The Stars also have not made it out of the first round of the playoffs in their last five tries. 5) Hot streak. Anaheim has been on an absolute tear since the return of Selanne. The rejuvenated forward paved the way for a 20-5-1 record since his return. The Ducks look to take the forward momentum for a quick series against the Stars, who have backed their way into the playoffs with a 4-8-2 record since March.


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