Thursday, September 19, 2013

Page 1

Volume 94, Issue 10

THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 19, 2013

dailytitan.com

NEWS | TITAN STUDENT UNION

TSU master plan approved The concept for a massive renovation of the TSU changes student spaces MIA MCCORMICK

Daily Titan

MIKE TRUJILLO / Daily Titan

International students cope with change assimilating into Southern California culture. CSUF had students from 79 different nations in the fall 2012 semester, according to the school’s website. Jean Hotta, an international student adviser, says that IEE is conducting a census for this semester’s statistics. The list of obstacles each international student must overcome is endless. Although some students struggle with applying to school, international students face ordeals from immigration, language differences, currency exchanges and much more. The IEE advisers help students adjust to a new life on campus. “We offer advising on their adjustment to living in the United States,” Hotta said. “Our expertise is in immigration. We don’t stop at immigration, we continue on with academic (issues), with culture shock, with adjustment.” IEE offers a number of services to help students adjust, the most valuable one being the

There are currently 79 different nations in partnership with CSUF ERICA MAHONEY Daily Titan

A handful of foreign exchange students sat with cups of coffee and stuffed notebooks, puzzled over the term “s’more” during the International Coffee Break last week. The conversation played out like a scene from The Sandlot, with explanations of the s’more producing even more mystery around the classic roasted marshmallow treat. Eventually, “s’more” went onto their list of items to bring on an upcoming beach trip. International Coffee Break is hosted by Cal State Fullerton’s International Education and Exchange office (IEE) every Wednesday at 1 p.m. The International Coffee Break acts as a way for students to mingle, make friends and talk about all the ups and downs of

ERICA MAHONEY / Daily Titan

International students mingle at the weekly International Coffee Break event hosted by the International Education and Exchange office.

NEWS 3

Tobacco workshops aid smokers to quit OPINION 4

Naval Yard shooting reignites gun control debate FEATURES 6

Popular campus clubs bring community to students SPORTS 8

Men’s soccer look to end winless road trip strong

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one-on-one counseling, where students can discuss any kind of difficulty they are experiencing and receive tailored advice. Hotta also said that every student’s threshold for adapting to change is different, which is why the one-on-one counseling is so important. However, there are some common challenges that every international student faces, regardless of their home country. Transportation, for example, is very difficult. Most foreign students do not have cars and/or licenses, and California’s troubled public transportation system makes mobility a problem. The English language in general can be trying for some international students, but slang words pose a whole new set of confusion. Balakrishna Arun, a 24-yearold student from India majoring in computer science, explained his trouble with a common salutation. “Here, you ask, ‘How are you doing?’ and that was a bit new to us because we greet by saying ‘Hello,’” Arun said. Arun said he was perplexed by why a stranger would be inquiring about his physical actions as an introduction. Sepideh Sheybani is an electrical engineering student from Iran in her third semester graduate program. She said that the hardest part about being an international student is being away from her parents. Feeling homesick is a familar struggle many students face, whether they’re international or native born. SEE COFFEE BREAK, 5

A master plan for major renovations to the Titan Student Union that aim to create a more open and welcoming atmosphere for students was unanimously approved Thursday. The plan, approved by the Titan Student Centers Governing Board, was designed with the goal of giving the TSU a more “campus life” vibe. Robert Braun, the senior associate principal director of design for Langdon Wilson International, presented the proposed master plan to the board on Thursday. The new TSU, with the implementation of this master plan, will include more “see and be seen social spaces,” said Kurt Borsting, TSC director. A space that will connect all three stories will replace the current main entry near the food court. It will direct students to the other locations of the building and give them a sense of the areas available to them.

“There was a sense that the building didn’t tell its own story,” Borsting said. “These concepts speak to those shortcomings.” Based on surveys done in the planning for this project, most Cal State Fullerton students are not aware of many of the spaces within the TSU which are accessible to them, including spaces on the second floor and in the TSU Underground. “When you walk into that space you have a sense of where you are and where you want to go,” Braun said. This new space will have approximately the same area as the entry to Student Recreation Center. The plan also conceptualizes a new quad that will stretch from the State College parking structure through to the center of the existing TSU, taking the place of the plaza between the Portola Pavilion and the food court. “It will increase the energy and increase the foot traffic instead of people cutting across and going on the east side of the bookstore towards the library,” Braun said. SEE STUDENT UNION, 2

ETHAN HAWKES / Daily Titan

Robert Braun, senior associate principal director of the design, explains the concept to the Titan Student Centers governing board on Wednesday.

NEWS | ORANGE COUNTY

Bill could prevent budget cuts in OC

County layoffs could be averted with a resolution of vehicle fee formula MATTHEW HADDIX

Daily Titan

A bill that could prevent drastic budget cuts by settling a fee formula dispute between Orange County and California has been

sent to Gov. Jerry Brown. With $53 million in impending Orange County budget cuts, Assembly Bill (AB) 701 was created and pushed by freshman Assemblywoman Sharon QuirkSilva (D-Fullerton) who rallied bipartisan support for the bill, which passed in the state Senate unanimously on Sept. 12, one day before the last day for bills to be signed for the legislative year. “I know that when I knocked on the doors in Orange County, they wanted to see us work together,” Quirk-Silva said. Assemblywoman Quirk-Silva served two terms as Fullerton’s mayor before being elected as the Democratic candidate to the 65th district of the State Assembly in 2012, replacing Republican incumbent Chris Norby. SEE COUNTY, 2

SPORTS | VOLLEYBALL

Titans travel to top ranked Trojans’ colosseum CSUF will face off against two opponents this weekend, including the former No. 1 USC Trojans IAN O’BRIEN Daily Titan

Cal State Fullerton’s women’s volleyball team has concluded their road trip to Lubbock, Texas, and they returned home after winning two out of three games at the Lone Star Showdown. This was capped off by a victory over Texas Tech in three

straight sets. Senior outside hitter Bre Moreland and freshman outside hitter Paige Reed made the alltournament team for their performances over the weekend. The Titans currently hold a 7-3 record and a tournament victory when they hosted the

Fullerton Classic. They have won seven of their last eight matches since losing their first two of the season. Senior right side hitter Alyse Hensley leads the Titans with 106 kills and also has 108 digs. SEE VOLLEYBALL, 6

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