Thursday March 19, 2015 by Daily Titan

Japanese culture will be featured in expo News Thursday March 19, 2015

AVP hopeful leads forum

LA Fashion Week Spring 2015 recap

The Student Voice of California State University, Fullerton

Features

Volume 97 Issue 29

Space explorer pushes students to reach high

Benjamin Figueroa presented to staff Wednesday MEGAN MENDIBLES Daily Titan The search for a new associate vice president for business and administrative services continued Wednesday with a presentation by Benjamin Figueroa, the director of Resource Planning and Management for Academic Affairs at Cal State Los Angeles. Figueroa highlighted his time with the Cal State University system, where he started out as a bond financing manager for the chancellor’s office in the late 1980s before crossing over to CSULA in 2000. He credited his time at the chancellor’s office with helping him become project-oriented within the CSU system and campus level. “I’m used to starting and finishing things, and that I learned through my experience at the chancellor’s office,” Figueroa said. The growth of the campus makes Cal State Fullerton an appealing place to work, he said. “There’s so much going on here and a lot of it is virtue of your growth, virtue of initiatives, virtue of your strategic plan, virtue of your president,” he said. If he were to get the position, Figueroa said he would implement a continuous improvement process on campus. SEE SEARCH

AMANDA SHARP / DAILY TITAN

Anousheh Ansari, the first privately-funded woman to explore space, gave the keynote speech at Wednesday’s Natural Science and Mathematics Symposium. The symposium, hosted by the Natural Science and Mathematics Inter-Club Council, followed a theme of “Discovering New Frontiers: Reaching for the Stars.”

Keynote speaker emphasizes perseverence RUDY CHINCHILLA Daily Titan From the reaches of outer space to the ground of Southern California, astronaut Anousheh Ansari brought a message all the way from the stars—persevere to reach your goals. Ansari, the first female astronaut to explore space on a privately-funded flight, spoke about how she managed to achieve her dream of exploring space despite being born in Iran—a country without

an advanced astronaut program. She also discussed the future of space exploration and innovation at the 12th annual CSUF Science and Math Symposium, hosted by the Natural Science and Mathematics Inter-Club Council. Ansari was the second choice for last year’s symposium behind Bill Nye ‘The Science Guy’, Council Chair Jeremy Wilson said. “We were lucky enough that we got to have both in two years,” Wilson said. The raucous clapping of the audience in the Titan Student Union Pavilion as Ansari took the stage, and the number of smart phones recording video and taking photographs made up for the less-than-packed room.

Ansari began her presentation in front of a projected image of a space shuttle juxtaposed against her own childhood drawing of a rocket orbiting above Earth. The images reflected the theme of Ansari’s speech, “Reaching for the Stars and Getting There.” “Knowledge is absolutely very important, but you have to combine that knowledge with imagination to go beyond,” Ansari said. “As children we have great imagination—we use it a lot. As we grow older, somehow the society, the system and everything that we have to do beats it out of us.” SEE KEYNOTE

AMANDA SHARP / DAILY TITAN

Ansari takes a moment to answer a question from one of the crowd’s youngest members.

Baseball drops anvil on Roadrunners CSUF overpowers CSUB with timely hits and pitches MATT CORKILL Daily Titan Cal State Fullerton baseball returned with a bang to Goodwin Field on Wednesday night against Cal State Bakersfield, putting up 11 runs on 14 hits to snap its four-game losing streak. The Titan offense wasted no time scoring, their bats exploded for six runs in the bottom of the first inning, all coming with two outs as the entire order batted around. Junior second baseman Jake Jefferies led the game off for the Titans with a hard-hit single to third, before junior David Olmedo-Barrera was walked with one out and then freshman left fielder Turner Buis loaded the bases on another hard hit single to third base with two outs. Junior third baseman Dustin Va u g h t came

through with a hard-hit 2-RBI single through the left side before sophomore center fielder Hunter Cullen recorded his first career hit with his 2-RBI double to left. Sophomore shortstop Timmy Richards wrapped up the scoring parade with his 2-RBI single to left and gave the Titans a 6-0 lead going into the second. “After last weekend, I think we were really focused on sticking to our approaches, taking good at-bats today, and I think they were there in the first inning,” Richards said. Sophomore reliever Connor Seabold (2-1) earned his second win of the season with a gem, allowing no earned runs on t w o

hits with six strikeouts over 5.2 innings pitched. The Titan bullpen came in to seal the victory, throwing 3.1 shutout innings combined with four different relievers. SEE WIN 8

MATT CORKILL / DAILY TITAN

Juniors Dalton Blaser (front) and Tanner Pinkston (back) come in to score the 10th and 11th runs for CSUF in their 11-0 victory over Cal State Bakersfield Wednesday at Goodwin Field. FOLLOW US ON TWITTER: @THEDAILYTITAN

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NEWS

PAGE 2 MARCH 19, 2015 THURSDAY

Council preserves properties Council also approves speed limit updates in Fullerton KLARISSA ALCALA Daily Titan Fullerton City Council designated two properties—one on Hillcrest Drive and another on Truslow Avenue—as historical landmarks during Tuesday’s council meeting. One of the properties, a home on HiIlcrest Drive, belonged to Anita Shepardson, a teacher at Fullerton Union High and Fullerton College from 1916 to 1945 who promoted cultural understanding during a time when Japanese Americans faced discrimination, according to the Fullerton Library. Shepardson’s home is also an example of Mission Revival architecture, a style that drew inspiration from

the late 18th and 19th century Spanish missions in California. The home on Truslow drive was designated as a historical landmark because it is one of the few apartment houses that remains from before the World War II era, and is considered a historical landmark because of it is a multi-family residential unit, which were rare in Fullerton. The council also heard a request to rezone the Hillcrest neighborhood to a preservation zone. Last May, the city received a request from eight property owners in the Hillcrest neighborhood to reclassify the neighborhood as a preservation zone. More than 70 percent of the neighborhood’s residents approved the rezoning as of March 17. Some of the legal concerns regarding the preservation zone were also brought up, including which

renovations and upgrades would be allowed. The council ultimately decided to approve the Hillcrest neighborhood as a preservation zone, recognizing the concerns with renovations but deciding that it would do more good than harm for the community. “Our country isn’t a country of unanimous, our country is a country of the majority and in this case with 72 percent of the neighborhood in support of this, that is an overwhelming majority,” Mayor Pro Tem Jennifer Fitzgerald said. Another item on the council’s consent calendar that received approval was the recommendation to install a no stopping zone during select hours on the south side of Hermosa Drive next to Hermosa Elementary School. The request was made to council after staff at the school noticed driver visibility was

AMANDA SHARP / DAILY TITAN FILE PHOTO

Fullerton City Council voted to preserve two properties as historic landmarks during Tuesday’s meeting, including one that belonged to a Fullerton Union High and Fullerton College teacher.

impeded and more traffic was created as a result of the parked cars on that street. Also approved were the new citywide speed limits presented for 18 streets throughout Fullerton and

the request for eligibility changes for Career Enhancement Pay for the Fullerton Firefighter’s Association. The speed limits include changes to streets around Cal State Fullerton,

including Chapman Avenue, where the limit would be increased from 35 to 40 mph. The area on Commonwealth Avenue from Chapman to Nutwood Avenue would also increase 5 mph from 30 to 35 mph.

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AMANDA SHARP / DAILY TITAN

Anousheh Ansari, the first self-funded woman to explore space, takes a moment to pose for a selfie with a member of the crowd. Her speech, “Reaching for the Stars and Getting There,” was the keynote for the Natural Science and Mathematics Symposium.

Keynote: Ansari speaks on achieving succcess CONTINUED FROM

Ansari detailed how people around her thought she was crazy for entertaining the idea that she could one day explore outer space. She stressed that people should follow their dreams and stay on track toward accomplishing them despite life circumstances that may derail those dreams. She also talked about how a foundation she works for, XPrize, successfully worked with NASA to show how private space groups and government agencies can successfully send more people into space through collaborative efforts. XPrize, a foundation

that promotes innovation through incentivized competition, aims to bring about “radical breakthroughs for the benefit of humanity,” according to the foundation’s website. “The democratization of space” and new technologies like 3D printing, Ansari said, might lead to innovations like building habitats in space, mining asteroids and creating new medicines. Independent space exploration, she said, will allow the world population to find other resources instead of depleting those on earth. During the question and answer portion, Ansari said she would like to see more women join STEM

programs. “I think women will bring unique ideas and designs to the field once they get involved,” Ansari said. Ansari highlighted her efforts to inspire women in the Middle East, as they rarely aspire to scientific or mathematical endeavors in that region, she said. “Something has been taught to (girls) that they’re not good enough to do it, or it’s too hard, or that they don’t have the capacity to learn,” she said. Six-year-old Hannah Figueroa, who attended the event with her father, produced audible cooing from the audience when she asked Ansari if she had ever been

to the moon. She hasn’t, but Ansari encouraged Hannah to follow her own dreams. Daniel Figueroa, a CSUF alumnus and Hannah’s father, hoped that the experience inspired his daughter. “It just shows her the possibilities are out there, that there are no limits to what she can do in her future,” Figueroa said. Ansari encouraged audience members to use her story as a roadmap to accomplishing their own goals. “Not only can you find frontiers out there and discover them, but you will discover frontiers about yourself and what you’re capable of doing and accomplishing,” she said.

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NEWS

PAGE 3 THURSDAY MARCH 19, 2015

Search: Final presentation Thursday CONTINUED FROM

MEGAN MENDIBLES / DAILY TITAN

Benjamin Figueroa, director of Resource Planning and Management for Academic Affairs at Cal State Los Angeles, is one of four candidates vying for vice president for business administrative services.

As part of the process, he suggested using customer service surveys to gauge campus services and putting together focus groups to create an outreach and inreach approach. He also suggested using process mapping to keep track of where the papers go and increasing open communication within the campus community. During the Q&A session, a common concern was Figueroa’s belief that his CSU experience makes him a viable candidate for this position. “It’s a benefit because I understand the systems, I know the processes, I know the people,” he said. Figueroa held various jobs at CSULA including

positions as the assistant to the chief financial officer and vice president for Administration, director of Risk Programs and General Services in Administration and Finance, director of Research Administration in Academic Affairs and director of Science, Technology, Engineering and Math Programs. Figueroa left the CSU in 2008 to take a position as the associate vice president of research administration and director of Post Award Accounting Division at the Children’s Hospital of Los Angeles until 2011. The hospital’s affiliation to USC kept him tied to higher education, he said. Figueroa returned to CSULA as their director of Academic Resources Planning and Management in

Academic Affairs. Four finalists were picked to present at open forums for the vice president position. Two out of the four finalists presented their personal qualifications for the position on Monday and Tuesday. Cheryl Ross, current head of Special Projects for Global Financial Operations at Columbia University, presented on Monday and Tracey Richardson, controller for Hartnell Community College District, presented on Tuesday. Mary Wheeler, the assistant vice president for Finance at Stevens Institute of Technology, will be the last finalist to present. Wheeler will present on Thursday at the Pollak Library North room 130 at 1:30 p.m.

Japanese culture to be featured in expo HEAVEN OCAMPO Daily Titan Students will have the chance to observe and participate in Japanese cultural and artistic demonstrations during the fourth annual Japanese Culture Club Expo. The event will feature a variety of traditional performances and demonstrations, including an hour-long tea ceremony, a fashion show and a performance by the Senryu team of taiko, a Japanese percussion instrument,

said Amy Tsu, the expo organizer. The fashion show, a collaboration between the Japanese Culture Club and the Fashion Club, will highlight traditional and modern Japanese styles, she said. In addition, the event will feature musical performance with shamisen, a threestringed instrument similar to a guitar, demonstrations by the Shotokan Karate Club, Japanese flower displays known as ikebana and Japanese calligraphy. The presentations and demonstrations provide a chance for students to experience aspects of the culture that can be expensive or rarely demonstrated, Su said.

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She added that members of the club as well as student volunteers will be participating in the various performances, including the dances and an a capella group.

“

understand the different cultures on campus,” Tsu said. “We have Japanese language courses at school, so this is a way for them to learn about Japanese culture, since that is

I think it’s really important for students to understand the different cultures on campus ... this is a way for (students) to learn about Japanese culture.

“

Students will have a chance to participate in demonstrations

AMY TSU Expo Organizer By experiencing the culture and learning more about it, students will find interest in participating in other cultures, Tsu said. “I think its really important for students to

what they are interested in,” Tsu said. “For other students, it is a way for them to walk in and experience a little Japanese flavor.” Students will be able to do more than simply watch the

event, however, as many of the demonstrations provide opportunities for observer participation. Following the ikebana demonstration, participants will be able to create their own flower arrangements, and students will be able to take part in the tea ceremony as well, Tsu said. The ceremony will give students the chance to witness the traditional cleaning of utensils and preparing of tea in Japanese culture, she added. A traditional Japanese calligrapher, will demonstrate and speak on the historical significance of calligraphy before teaching participants how to do certain aspects of the art. This experience is

rare in the United States, Tsu said. The club is honored to have authentic calligraphy demonstration by Shouran at this year’s expo. This year, the culture club is bringing a new acapella group to perform at the expo, coordinated by cultural chair, Youshu Chen. “(We hope to) express Japanese culture to people and get involved in Japanese culture,” Chen said. The expo will be held March 22 in the Titan Student Union Pavilion. The event will start at 1:30 p.m., and performances will start at 2 p.m. Admission to the event is free. More information is available at CSUFJCC.org.

FEATURES

PAGE 4 MARCH 19, 2015 THURSDAY

‘Go-getter’ gets global health

Professor works to better healthcare in conflict zones. ADRIANA NAJERA Daily Titan

As a child, witnessing the struggles of her diabetic father—having to administer his insulin shots on a daily basis—Asma A. Taha, Ph.D., associate professor for the School of Nursing at Cal State Fullerton, was exposed to the world of healthcare at an early age. Now, with more than 26 years of nursing experience and 11 years as a professor of nursing, Taha has an avid passion for expanding global health in the Middle East and preparing her students for a successful career in nursing. Taha received her bachelor’s degree in her homeland at the University of Jordan while working to support herself and family. In between classes, she worked at the university hospital as a nursing aid, the university library and at a private hospital. Following undergraduate school, Taha extended her stay at the University of Jordan for another year as a clinical instructor for pediatrics. The following year, she moved to Qatar where she taught for 10 years. In 1999, Taha decided to move to America, where she immediately continued her education and received her master’s and doctorate degrees in pediatric nursing at Azusa Pacific University. Ruth Mielke, assistant

professor for the School of Nursing at CSUF, a long time friend of Taha from APU, has witnessed her ambition to succeed firsthand, during the Ph.D. program at APU. “The Ph.D. program is really hard to get through in four years, and Asma did it, she got through in four years, and I got finished in five years. She is quite a go-getter, very well organized,” Mielke said. “Asma really had come alongside me and I’m sure other people, and really helped support their work. I don’t want to say its unheard of, but its not typical. She is very collegial. It really has been a blessing.” An effort to go above and beyond for those around her, in the past, Taha has planned outreach trips for her former nursing students of Cal State San Bernardino, to expand their horizons and learn to work in culturally different environments, with limited resources. One outreach trip in particular was a 10-day mission trip to Jamaica in 2011. “I love the students, it’s really a privilege to be a part of their lives. I think it’s also a big responsibility that we get to mold them in a way that we want them to be excellent nurses,” Taha said. Taha is in the process of working on a proposal to hopefully identify some students who will be willing to help her collect data on children with physical instabilities and looking into the quality of life, spirituality, coping or depression among the kids and caregivers. They would be interviewing the

children and their parents, Taha said. She expects to be assigned to Loma Linda University Children’s Hospital, where she has continued her practice since 2005 in pediatrics and neurosurgery. Taha hopes her students “take this opportunity of being nursing students and make the best out of it,” she said. “They can be excellent caregivers in acute care and community health, and the global outreach. I think they are privileged to be in a program that will prepare them to basically meet the needs of our community and the globe.” Jennifer Vargas, nursing major, recalls a time during clinicals at Kaiser Permanente in Fontana, when she was enlightened by Taha’s devotion for caring for her patient in particular. “I had a patient and we were in there giving medication and usually when you are in there with your instructor, they are focused on that task. (Taha) had concerns for the patient regarding his coloring,” Vargas said. “That impacted me because I saw how she was really caring for this patient, not just passing medications—she was looking at the bigger picture and being a patient advocate.” Beside being an associate professor, Taha recently spoke at a conference held in Aqaba, Jordan, mustered by Jean Watson, M.D., and Watson Caring Institute; the event was held in Jean’s efforts to bring nurses together in the middle east to unite for peace. At the 3rd Annual Human Caring in a Time of

ADRIANA NAJERA / DAILY TITAN

Associate Professor for the School of Nursing, Asma Taha, Ph.D., has 26 years of nursing experience as well as 11 years as a professor.

World Crisis: Transcending Culture and Boundaries conference, Taha spoke about caring in a conflict zone. Her presentation was based on research she conducted by looking at healthcare challenges in a highly-geopolitical atmosphere, which nurses in war zones have encountered during more than six decades of conflict between Israel and Palestine. The purpose of the study was to explore the experiences of nurses practicing in the West Bank, according to Taha’s abstract for the conference. Taha conducted an interview sample of 17 registered nurses working at an acute hospital in the West Bank

between 2012 and 2013. The interviews, ranging from 60 to 90 minutes, were guided by two main questions which aimed to reveal the experiences of the Palestinian nurses practicing in conflict zones. Through Taha’s findings, two main themes emerged: “a sense of duty and a sense of accomplishment. Both themes highlighted the factors that foster the nurses’ ability to continue to care regardless of the countless structural, political and environmental barriers.” “I have noticed from day one that their experience is different than our life in the western world as nurses,” Taha said. “I’m trying

to give voice for nurses in other parts of the world where they are not as privileged or they don’t have the resources that the western world have,” Taha said. Taha has been volunteering in the West Bank since 2006, and goes back at least once annually. There she works with local nurses and helps care for children with complex needs. “I think its very important to be concerned with social justice issues, not only at the local level, but at the global level. Especially because I have that background and I have that education in the U.S., so I feel like I kind of bring out the voice of those nurses,” Taha said.

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FEATURES

PAGE 5 THURSDAY MARCH 19, 2015

LA Fashion Week tries out couture

LA designers strut their duds on a glossy walkway LEON ROMERO Daily Titan

Within the Taglyan Complex hung an immense golden chandelier high above an immaculate runway. Photographers were poised along the runway, holding their large cameras anxiously waiting to capture plenty of shots of the runway shows to come. Art Hearts Fashion kicked off the fall and winter 2015 season of Los Angeles Fashion Week, with events from March 9 to March 12. President of Art Hearts Fashion, Erik Rosete and ParkerWhitaker Productions were in charge of organizing last weeks productions. During this four-day event 30 of Los Angeles’ top designers presented their collections on a glossy runway, including the

anticipated fashion labels Sue Wong, Mister Triple X, Hale Bob, MNM Couture and Cary Santiago. Sue Wong was the first designer of LAFW to showcase her “mythos and goddesses” inspired collection. At first, her audience was slightly disenchanted by the show, which started 70 minutes later than scheduled, but once it commenced there was nothing but “ohs” and applause from the crowd. Her runway show lasted 36 minutes and featured a total of 80 unique looks that were mostly accessorized with strikingly ornate Kicka Custom Design headgear. Wong’s design aesthetic is generally known for having a traditional and romantic air about it but surprisingly, this year came forth with a much edgier collection that captivated the audience immediately. Her previous spring and summer 2015 “sirens and fairies” runway collection was “a real hit,” said Blanca Dominguez, Wong’s customer service assistant and receptionist.

“We’re anticipating an even greater show next year,” Dominguez said. An innovative designer that showcased for the first time at the fashion week this year was MNM Couture, owned and designed by Cristian Muñoz Espindola. What sets Espindola’s label apart from the rest is his cunning craftsmanship, designing his same elaborate size 0 gown in a size 28. His goal is to please any size possible with his impressive couture designs. Similar to Wong’s approach this season, Espindola brought more edge to his typically glamorous pieces. “I wanted to make something edgy ... all my collections in the past have been a little bit more conservative colors, and this one I wanted to be more revealing,” Espindola said. And revealing it was. The MNM Couture runway models showed a lot more skin through the sheer fabrics he used in his designs. MNM Couture is expecting to open a 600-square-foot showroom in downtown Los Angeles in

the near future, which is also intended to serve as storage space for their inventory. Fashion photographer, Jon Malan, was one of the photographers at the end of the runway making sure to not miss a single captivating moment. Malan has shot runway shows for acclaimed fashion designers such as Betsey Johnson, Michael Costello and Walter Mendez to name a few. This was his second season shooting Art Hearts Fashion during the fashion week. “The LA Fashion scene, from what I’ve seen in the past six seasons, is surely making its mark in the Fashion Week circle. LA has certainly gained traction and momentum with local designers infusing their brands beyond the LA scene and everyone is taking notice,” Malan said. Los Angeles Fashion Week continues this week with Style Fashion Week events from Wednesday until Sunday. The upcoming events will be featuring fashion designers Daiki Shimizu, Ophelia Song and Coco Johnson.

PHOTO COURTESY OF JON MALAN

A model saunters down the catwalk for local LA designer Sue Wong during last weeks Art Hearts Fashion, LAFW event.

Playing on controversy for a crowd Against the odds female comedian cracks up the crowd FIONA PITT Daily Titan Maire Watschke rises from a shabby vintage couch to wait her turn aside the podium. It’s Stand Up Comedy Night at Max Bloom’s Cafe Noir in historic Downtown Fullerton. She’s been supporting her fellow amateur comedians all night, cackling at most of their jokes. With smooth olive skin and thick framed glasses, the 19-year-old Watschke appears innocent among other comedians. But when she gets on stage to begin her five minute routine, Watschke demands the crowd’s attention and woos them with scandalous and obscenity-laden comedy. By night Watschke is a local comedian, performing at venues from Max Bloom’s Cafe Noir to the Irvine Improv, but by day she is a sophomore English major at Cal State Fullerton. She’s been performing comedy for nearly two years and describes it as a “defense mechanism.” “I was funny and nice, because I was a fat kid. Those are the things I felt I had to be, so people would pay attention and like me,”

Watschke said. When she first signed up to do stand-up comedy in a high school talent show, her friends discouraged her. She thought, “But aren’t I funny?” They told her, “you are … but only in conversation. I don’t know if you’re actually funny on stage,” Watschke said. People who Watschke admired and thought would support her on starting such an endeavor, didn’t. They told her that Asians and women in comedy just don’t mix. Taken aback, Watschke entered in the competition anyway and ended up winning first place making her believe, “I can do this.” She’s ashamed of the performance now, joking that she just did terrible accents, imitating her mom. She doesn’t count that as a start to her career. However, it was the first time Watschke performed on stage, and she’s been loving it ever since. Now, laughter fills the room when Watschke gets on stage. She jokes about vulgar and controversial topics like abortion, religion, sex and interracial couples, where she draws from her own relationship. The racy topics and fiery language goes well with the typically young crowds that fill local comedy clubs. Watschke started a show at Kaiju of Comedy last year, “I come from California

YUNUEN BONAPARTE/ DAILY TITAN

Marie Watschke, sophomore at Cal State Fullerton performs a five minute stand up comedy route Friday night at Max Bloom’s Cafe Noir in Downtown Fullerton—pulling from racy subjects like sex, religion and abortion.

City. It’s a terrible place off the 14 (freeway). Don’t go there. There’s no reason to ever go there. It’s terrible, I looked at the demographic and we have a lot of rapes and murders every year,” she paused pondering, “But in 2004 there were none. I don’t know what happened in 2004 ... but everyone was so happy there just like, ‘you know this year, let’s just not rape and murder everyone, that will be nice.’” The audience takes her stand-up comedy well. Watschke has a vulnerability about her which makes

her likable, relatable and fearless. She joked about what people think when they see her from far away, “Like, ‘Why is that Samoan middle-schooler out so late at night? Doesn’t he have a football game tomorrow?” Joking about her age, looks and gender has proved to work for her. Being a woman in a male dominated line of work is difficult, Watschke admitted in her Women’s studies class at CSUF. Two female comedians she looks up to are Margaret Cho, because Watschke explained that Cho is

really the only Asian female in comedy right now, she said. Also, Amy Hill who Watschke can relate too because Hill is also mixed race of asian and white. “I have a really low barometer. I laugh at everything,” Watschke said. Even though she laughs and loves laughing at the same time she is more strict about what she thinks is funny for her own material on stage, Watschke said. She tries to make serious subjects funny. And from the reactions of audiences to her stand-up Watschke has a seemingly

burgeoning career as a female in stand up comedy. “One night I had such a great set. And when I got home, I was laying in bed thinking I am the funniest person alive. Comedy Central, here I come.” Watschke can be caught performing locally at Max Bloom’s Cafe Noir, Stand up Comedy nights at 7 p.m. most Friday nights. Their list of calendar events can be seen at http://www.maxbloomscafenoir.com/calendar/. Sarah Hemadi contributed to this report.

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OPINION

PAGE 6 MARCH 19, 2015 THURSDAY

Creative writing needs to be preserved Writers motivated by profit have killed the art of the novel ANTHONY BAGHDADY For the Daily Titan The death of an artform is no laughing matter. The novel is suffocating slowly and though it may never completely die out, it will become weaker as time goes on. Novels carry a level of meaning that movies, music, painting and other artforms simply aren’t able to attain, and are therefore indispensable. Writing is the most effective artform, and the novel is the apotheosis of writing. The novel is dying, truly. According to the Pew Research Center, the number of non-book-readers has nearly tripled since 1978. With all of the avenues available to writers, and the lack of income available for writers of fiction, the novel seems to be giving way to alternative means of storytelling. People prefer to see a movie, wade the endless stream of the internet or subscribe to a magazine to gain information and

entertainment. As television viewing has become the normal pastime for many people, it’s taken away the opportunity to enjoy quieter pursuits like reading. Television is much less difficult than deciphering James Joyce. Yet television does not offer the amount of depth and stimulation that comes from reading. All reading requires is a bit more effort. Once upon a time, Hemingway was the most popular American writer. What is mostly read in this country today is written by Stephenie Meyer and L. Ron Hubbard, and what’s been written by them, is no book in my book. The novel, central to our conception of art and way of life, is centuries old. Perhaps there is a reason it has been around for so long. Another threat to the novel is a lack of good writers. The good writers prefer to go elsewhere, where there is money to be found: screenwriting, advertising and journalism. Breaking into the book industry is difficult and hence, there is no reason for good writers to compose them. The novel is not for

COURTESY OF FLICKR

In the modern age of digital trends, creative writers have been led astray due to the lack of profit in novel writing. This has led to a great slump in original voice and storytelling, especially when it comes to good old fashioned books.

everyone. Some writers prefer to express themselves in alternative forms, like screenwriting, and that is wonderful; the screenplay is a valuable artform. However, it’s a shame when countless writers who are worth their weight in gold,

end up going into television and advertising. When I think of all the advertisers, all the television writers, all the journalists and the college professors who would’ve been wonderful had there only been a large enough

audience to accommodate them as novelists, it burdens me. Being a writer is difficult. Literary doctors work just as hard and receive half as much. There isn’t much money in the career, and it takes

years of education and meticulous study. More so, novelists are not valued the way they should be; rockstars command more respect than most novelists could ever dream of. Creative writing is dying and it needs a savior.

Spotify nurtures the music industry Streaming music helps artists connect with their fans SERENE GETTLER For the Daily Titan The way we consume our music is constantly changing. From records and cassette tapes, to CDs and iPods, the musical landscape grows as technology flourishes. Sure, some may prefer putting on a record instead of listening to a downloaded album through headphones, but one cannot discredit the ever-evolving

technology. Streaming music is the latest addition to our musical consumption and Spotify successfully provides music to those who want to listen, while ultimately benefitting the artist. The main argument against Spotify is that artists are getting paid too little for their music. “When you knock it down to a per listen basis, Spotify pays a hell of a lot more” than radio and iTunes, though the amount looks less because it’s incremental, according to Techdirt.com. When analyzed per listen, Spotify pays out

a significantly higher amount than the one-time, upfront iTunes download. These figures do not even include what artists make through concerts, merchandise and other ventures. Taylor Swift recently decided to pull her music from Spotify, claiming that it devalues the work of featured artists. Despite Spotify’s presence in the music industry, Swift sold 1.28 million copies of her latest album “1989” in its first week, according to Billboard Magazine, revealing that consumers are continuing to purchase albums, but only from the largest stars in

the world. What about all the other lesser known musicians out there? In response to Swift’s decision, Daniel Ek, Spotify’s chief executive, said in a blog post that Spotify’s “reason for existence is to help fans find music and help artists connect with fans through a platform that protects them from piracy and pays them for their amazing work.” And they are doing a pretty good job at that. Spotify undoubtedly helps artists through exposure and overall availability. With a large selection of

music and artists, it’s simple for users to type in a song and instantly hear it without having to purchase the entire album or download the song illegally. Spotify’s homepage includes sections for new releases, top lists and even aggregates music based on moods like “party” or “workout.” It’s a great platform for consumers to find new music, making Spotify especially beneficial to upcoming artists without a large following. CD and digital sales have dropped by about 20 percent in 2013, according to Nielsen’s 2014 year-end

report, whereas streaming has increased by over 54 percent. This has inevitably benefitted musicians by creating a platform where listeners can browse and stream a band’s entire catalog without paying an exorbitant price. Spotify also pays artists per stream and some money is better than no money at all, especially in this tough industry. The power of the Internet grows everyday and streaming music is the future. The sooner artists realize this, the smarter and more successful they’ll become.

VISIT US AT: DAILYTITAN.COM/OPINION

PAGE 7 THURSDAY MARCH 19, 2015

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