Sleep pods installed
SB 1210 has many benefits
Napping pods delivered Wednesday to Student Recreation Center for trial run
The bill will allow undocumented students to procure student loans
News 2
Thursday October 30, 2014
Opinion 6
Volume 96 Issue 34
The Student Voice of California State University, Fullerton
Titan races to the top Mechanical engineering major wins $200,000 scholarship, on the road to driving success
RACHAEL GARCIA Daily Titan A Cal State Fullerton sophomore is careening through the amateur sports car ranks at amazing speeds for a chance at climbing the ladder to professional driver status, all while keeping up with the demands of school. Kenton Koch, a sophomore mechanical engineering major, whipped his car around corners and gunned it down straightaways in the 2014 Mazda MX-5 Cup on Oct. 3 to win $200,000 in scholarship money. “When you work that hard and then you actually achieve what you’re trying to get–there’s no better feeling than that,” Koch said. Mazda and Skip Barber Racing School teamed up to create a series of races where young adults between the ages of 18-22 have the chance to win scholarship money to continue competing with one thing in mind––being noticed in the racing world and eventually becoming a professional. “Driving isn’t just about turning the wheel and pushing the pedals, it actually takes some talent and effort and experience to learn how to do it,” Koch said. After the Mazda MX-5 Cup, the U.S. National Sporting Association selected Koch to compete against drivers from 11 different countries in the FIA Institute Young Driver Excellence Academy regional qualifier for the Americas this past week. “They could have chosen anyone. There are a lot of drivers in the U.S., but they chose me. It was cool to have been chosen,” Koch said. “To win basically says that I am one of the best drivers in the Americas.” Koch triumphed over the 11 other drivers, surpassing them in psychological, fitness and speed tests. This victory has guaranteed him a spot in the Young Driver Academy, which will be held in five different European countries over five separate weeks, starting at the end of November and ending in July. Koch has to balance his success as a driver with his responsibilities as a student. He explains that being on good terms with his professors is key, but some professors are not always willing to let Koch make up his missing quizzes or tests, so he has to work hard on other assignments to make up for it. “Race car drivers have a shelf life,” he said. “If you don’t make a statement within that age bracket, people won’t really look at you. You get too old, and people won’t want to see you.” Koch said he explained to his professors how racing isn’t only a hobby to him, but also a potential way of making a living. SEE RACE
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MARISELA GONZALEZ / DAILY TITAN
Ballet folklorico dancers twirl their dresses during Dia De Los Muertos celebrations on campus Wednesday. Celebrations will continue Thursday.
Celebrating the dead
Chicana and Chicano Studies Alliance club hosts Dia De Los Muertos celebration
CYNTHIA PLEITEZ Daily Titan The Chicana and Chicano Studies Alliance (C@SA) hosted its annual Dia De Los Muertos (Day of the Dead) celebration at Cal State Fullerton to commemorate the lives of deceased loved ones. Falling on Nov. 1-2 of each year and coinciding with the Catholic All Saints’ Day and All Souls’ Day holidays, Dia De Los Muertos is celebrated from Oct. 31 to Nov. 2 throughout Mexico and America.
A colorful, adorned altar covered with flowers, food, beverages and photographs was displayed in front of the Humanities and Social Sciences Building. In Mexican culture, the food and beverages represent the favorite indulgences of the now deceased members being commemorated. Adjacent to the altar, a cross and candles lay on the floor for students to pray, give blessings and celebrate the lives of those lost. A microphone was positioned in front of the altar for students to recite poetry. “We are basically trying to remember our loved ones who
have passed in a celebration. Instead of seeing death as a mourning process, we want to see death as a natural part of life and just take this time to commemorate all of those that passed along,” said Martha Contreras, co-chair of C@ SA. While the colorful altar adorned with sugar skulls may cause some students to confuse Dia De Los Muertos with Halloween, Contreras wants students to understand the cultural significance and difference of the two holidays. SEE DIA
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MARISELA GONZALEZ / DAILY TITAN
Agustina Aguirre, a senior health science major, shows off her face painted in the style of a calavera, or sugar skull.
Former Titan motivates students
Rodney Anderson uses his tragic story as a way to help inspire and guide students
DARRELL KING Daily Titan Rodney Anderson had dreams of playing in the National Basketball Association, but after an incident that left him paralyzed from the waist down, he found a new purpose for his life. Anderson, 33, who received a full basketball scholarship to Cal State Fullerton in 1999, went back home to Los Angeles to see his mother one night after returning from a trip with the team his freshman year. While hanging out in his old neighborhood in South Central, Anderson was shot in his back four times. He was 18-years-old. “I never saw his face before it happened,” Anderson said. “After he shot me, my friends ran because he was still shooting at them too.” When Anderson arrived at the hospital, he was rushed into surgery and was asked by a doctor if he wanted to stay awake or go to sleep. For Anderson, it was a no-brainer. “I just wanted them to put me to sleep, because I didn’t want to feel anymore pain,” Anderson said. Doctors believed that Anderson, who was in a medically-induced coma, wasn’t going to survive. They informed his parents
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YUNUEN BONAPARTE / DAILY TITAN
Rodney Anderson is a counselor for the Educational Opportunity Program and the coordinator for the Male Success Initiative program to help raise graduation rates for African-American male students.
that they gave Anderson 24 hours to live, but Anderson continued to fight. The 24 hours turned into 72 hours. Doctors couldn’t explain how Anderson was still living. They later informed his parents that while he was improving, there was damage done to his spine, and even if he did survive, he would never be the same. Anderson was put on life support for about a week, but defied the odds and made it out alive. However, he was deemed paralyzed. Anderson was forced to take an entire year off
from school for rehab. Playing basketball was no longer an option. Anderson had a difficult time coming to terms with that reality. His life at the time revolved around the sport. Everything, from his goals to the people he admired, was tied to sports. “It’s like everything you worked for your whole entire life has now been taken away,” Anderson said. Anderson decided to use his experiences to help students who grew up in neighborhoods similar to the one he grew up in. He is now the head coordinator of the Male Success
Initiative at CSUF. MSI is a program geared towards the academic and retention success of African-American males at CSUF. Anderson has become a mentor for students. His impact is evident. Trajon Felton, a sophomore and MSI member, considers him a huge influence. “Out of all of the people I’ve met here, he’s probably the humblest person you can meet. He’s a great guy to talk to about anything,” Felton said. Felton recognizes Anderson as an inspiration because he was able to turn
his negative situation into a teaching experience for students. Anderson has also impacted Demetrius Lykes, a CSUF senior. Lykes describes Anderson as a role model and a great advisor. “I think he is a big aspect to black students on campus and the black community … he’s just a great leader,” Lykes said. Although he is an inspiration to many, Anderson said that his family is the source of his motivation. His wife, Monique, played an integral part in his recovery. SEE MENTOR
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