Wednesday March 4, 2015

Updated access points to improve campus Wi-Fi News Wednesday March 4, 2015

Alumna produces new documentary series

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The Student Voice of California State University, Fullerton

A&E

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Volume 97 Issue 20

Jury convicts man in murder of student Samuel Lopez found guilty in 1994 killing of student SPENCER CUSTODIO Daily Titan Samuel Lopez was convicted by a jury Tuesday morning for the 1994 murder of former Cal State Fullerton student Cathy Torrez and is expected to receive

Social work degree expands

his sentence May 1.

Lopez will not be considered for the death penalty because it was a first degree murder with no aggravating factors. Instead he faces 26 years to life in prison, District Attorney Matt Murphy said.

Torrez’s mother and other family members were there to witness the verdict, tearing up when the verdict was given at about 11:05 a.m.

The verdict was delivered after three weeks of

trial, two days of closing arguments and two-and-ahalf days of deliberations.

Most of the evidence Murphy presented the jury was circumstantial.

There was no physical evidence that placed Lopez at the scene of the murder and there was no murder weapon found. The only fingerprint and DNA found in Torrez’s car, other than her own, were that of Xavier Lopez, Samuel’s cousin.

Xavier Lopez is being

tried separately for murder and his trial is scheduled to begin March 20.

Defense attorney Lewis Rosenblum told the jury numerous times that all the prosecution had was a story to convict Samuel.

He referenced the lack of physical evidence and the conflicting witness testimonies regarding the whereabouts of Samuel the night of the murder. Samuel and Torrez’s relationship status was also brought

into question.

Samuel killed Torrez over a rejected marriage proposal and jealousy, Murphy said throughout the trial and in his closing statements.

He acknowledged Xavier was a part of the murder, but maintained that Samuel was the mastermind behind it.

Murphy also told the jury during closing statements that Samuel isn’t a “shedder” of DNA. He also pointed out the possibility that

Samuel cleaned Torrez’s car or used a different car. He referenced Samuel’s behavior in the police interrogation room footage.

Samuel “does not shed a single tear,” Murphy said.

Rosenblum did not want to speak at the press conference following the verdict in order to “respect the family,” but took a few minutes to speak to reporters off-camera.

SEE

TRIAL

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Slapstick play to open Friday

Masters program will offer aging concentration KLARISSA ALCALA Daily Titan Cal State Fullerton’s Master of Social Work program will be offering a new concentration that will equip its students to deal with challenges of a growing elderly population.

The degree concentration in aging, which comes after years of planning and research, will be offered in Fall 2015 for master’s students in social work.

“Particularly in Orange County, one estimate is that by 2030 one in five people in the population will be 65 or older,” said David Chenot, Ph.D., department chair and associate professor of social work at CSUF. Social workers are involved with several fields that help older adults, such as caregiving services and protective services, Chenot said.

In addition to a periodic need for help and protection, elderly people have needs for medical, mental health, substance abuse, poverty, homelessness and even sexually transmitted diseases.

“Social workers particularly have a heart for, and are dedicated to helping folks who are low on resources,” Chenot said.

The Master of Social Work Association, a student organization at CSUF, provides community opportunities for students in the Master of Social Work program.

The organization is currently advocating that students, who are coming into the social work program, consider doing work with older adults.

CSUF professors David Cherin, Ph.D., and Dennis Kao, Ph.D., will be teaching classes in aging as part of the concentration. The pair have done extensive research in the aging population field.

Cherin specializes in Palliative care, which is the care of people with chronic and terminal illnesses and also teaches the Death and Dying class, which is a popular elective in the Social Work program.

SEE DEGREE

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ALEX FAIRBANKS / DAILY TITAN

Shakespearean comedy The Comedy of Errors opens Friday in the Young Theatre. Director Eve Himmelheber has kept the original text but has placed the show’s setting in a circus. The show features an abundance of physical humor to go along with the circus theme. The Comedy of Errors runs through March 22.

Shakespearean comedy to open with circus theme ALEX FAIRBANKS Daily Titan Cal State Fullerton’s Department of Theatre and Dance will put on a slapstick Shakespearean play, The Comedy of Errors,

Friday. The show is about two pairs of twins separated at birth, who reunite years later—leading to a hilarious case of mistaken identities.

The students involved in the play have been memorizing their lines since December and began rehearsals a week before the spring semester started, said Eve Himmelheber, associate professor of theatre and dance and the director

of The Comedy of Errors.

Everything in the play was put together by students in the theater department. The set design, set construction, costumes, make-up, lights, sounds and the acting is all done

by CSUF undergrad and graduate students, Himmelheber said.

The Comedy of Errors has been been adapted by Himmelheber and some CSUF students to fit into

a more unique modern setting.

“Our goal was to create a truthful adaptation; something that is very hard to do with Shakespeare is to conceptualize things outside of an Elizabethan kind of setting,” Himmelheber said. “We wanted to do a circus setting, like a dark circus, a little like Cirque du Soleil—so it looks like fun on the surface, but underneath it’s crazy and a

little scary.”

To match the theme, all of the cast members will be dressed up as some sort of clown that would be seen in a circus, Himmelheber said.

Miguel Torres, first year graduate Masters of Fine Arts student, will be one of those clowns. He is playing Antipholus of Ephesus, one of the twins.

SEE COMEDY

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Titans surf to win over Waves Four pitchers combined for an eight-hit shutout

BASEBALL

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MATT CORKILL Daily Titan Cal State Fullerton extended their winning streak to four games and are now over .500 for the first time this season with their 3-0 shutout victory over the Pepperdine Waves at Goodwin Field on Tuesday night.

Freshman Connor Seabold got the starting nod against the Waves and shined, going four innings and allowing only two hits while striking out six.

“I thought that I kinda got away with some pitches, but I felt like I was able to keep guys off balance and do a good job out there tonight,” Seabold said of his performance.

“I’ve been itching to get the start at some point this season. It feels pretty good that we’re winning and that we’re above .500 now and that weight’s off our back.”

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VS

0 The Waves threatened to score with two runners on second and third with only one out in the top of the seventh inning against sophomore reliever Maxwell Gibbs, but the Titans were bailed out by freshman Scott Hurst’s spectacular catch while slipping to end the rally.

“I thought Connor did a really good job, he came in throwing two pitches for strikes, pounding the strike zone with his fastball and for me that was just setting the tone and he passed it on to the next guy and they kept doing it for the four guys that pitched tonight,” said Assistant Coach Jason Dietrich of his pitchers.

The Titan bats were alive early and gave Seabold and the Titan bullpen all the run support they needed, jumping out to a 3-0

MATT CORKILL / DAILY TITAN

Junior second baseman Jake Jefferies rounds first base after his single snuck through the left side in the third inning of the 3-0 victory over Pepperdine Tuesday at Goodwin Field.

lead on eight hits over the first four innings. Collectively, the Titans racked up 11 strikeouts against the Waves.

“I thought our pitchers

threw strikes and for the most part played really good (defense),” Dietrich said. “We had some good at-bats, we left some guys on base with runners on

third base with less than two outs, but our guys are battling and thats all we can ask.”

SEE WIN

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PAGE 2 MARCH 4, 2015 WEDNESDAY

Campus Wi-Fi set to improve

Replacing outdated access points to improve connection

NEWS

Campus WiFi Student Success Fee

SAMUEL MOUNTJOY Daily Titan Issues with campus Wi-Fi should be cleared up by the end of next week, said Amir Dabirian, vice president for information technology.

During winter break, IT upgraded the campus’ wireless technology, but older, existing routers caused connectivity issues once the semester began.

“It was very stable for a while, until the students got here,” Dabirian said at Thursday’s Academic Senate meeting.

Dabirian suggested using the Wi-Fi settings in devices to “forget” the CSUFGuests wireless network and to connect to the CSUF-Titans. Forgetting the network should alleviate the connectivity issues caused by

• Created funding to improve campus Wi-Fi • Wi-Fi will be improved in three phases

Access Points

ETHAN HAWKES / DAILY TITAN FILE PHOTO

Outdated access points will be improve connectability. More than 100 access points will be replaced, and Wi-Fi access should improve by next week.

bouncing back and forth between networks.

The department will replace about 110 access points over the next two weeks.

“My apologies to

FOR THE RECORD It is Daily Titan policy to correct factual errors printed in the publication. Corrections will be published on the subsequent issue after an error is discovered and will appear on page 2. Errors on the Opinion page will be corrected on that page.

Corrections will also be made to the online version of the article.

Please contact Editor-in-Chief Samuel Mountjoy at (657) 278-5815 or at editorinchief@dailytitan.com to report any errors.

everyone who had to go through this, I know this has been a little bit irritating,” Dabirian said.

The CSUF-Titans network was introduced in December when the Students-Secure

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All three phases of the fee, which will be fully implemented by 2017, will concentrate on different aspects of the campus Wi-Fi network, including Wi-Fi in outdoor areas.

Community group awarded $20,000 CSUF service group earned award for facilitating service DANAE RODRIGUEZ Daily Titan

Editorial

and similar networks were decommissioned.

Last semester, the IT division began upgrading campus Wi-Fi using revenue from the newly-imposed student success fee.

• 110 access points will be replaced by next week

A Cal State Fullerton group working to provide students with community-based, hands on research was awarded the New York Life Higher Education Civic Engagement award for its work in sustainable nutrition and agriculture.

CSUF’s Urban Agriculture Community-based Research Experience program was one of five universities nationwide to win the award for 2014. As part of the award, the program received $20,000 in scholarship funds to send up to four students to take part in the Washington Center’s Academic Internship program.

The Research Experience program gives groups of students the chance to work with Ladera Vista Junior High School, Pathways of Hope transitional living center, the Orange County Food Access Coalition and other groups to help address real-world issues while simultaneously gaining real-world experience.

“I think it’s a really good opportunity for students to

not only get involved in research, but actually apply that research to the community,” said Lidia Orozco, a psychology major in the U-ACRE program.

As criteria for winning the award, the Washington Center requires awardees to show leadership and innovation in defining and addressing issues of public concern, vision for change that is systemic and sustainable and depth and breadth of institutional commitment, according to the center’s website.

Andrew Shensky, a geography and anthropology major, works with Ladera Vista Junior High School in the school’s garden. Using the garden, students can participate in agriculture tutorials.

Shensky created an app for students to record their data and find plant information. Through that app, he said, students will be able to get more out of their time in the garden.

“There’s kind of a separation between their food and where it actually comes from,” Shensky said. “Having the app and the garden, they’re experiencing the garden and looking at things, but now they can look up information about the plant that’s right there.”

Other program participants have extended their research beyond the garden

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The Daily Titan is a student publication, printed every Monday through Thursday. The Daily Titan operates independently of Associated Students, Inc. College of Communications, CSUF administration and the CSU. The Daily Titan has functioned as a public forum since inception. Unless implied by the advertising party or otherwise stated, advertising in the Daily Titan is inserted by commercial activities or ventures identified in the advertisements themselves and not by the university. Such printing is not to be construed as written or implied sponsorship, endorsement or investigation of such commercial enterprises. The Daily Titan allocates one issue to each student for free.

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DOJ to investigate murders The Mexican government has called on the United States Department of Justice to investigate three police killings of its citizens, including the fatal shooting of a Santa Ana resident, according to the Orange County Register.

Ernesto Javier Canepa Diaz, was killed after police stopped his vehicle, which matched the description of a vehicle in the robbery of a 63-year-old woman.

Diaz became uncooperative during the stop and it was during this time that the shooting occurred.

The other cases involving Mexican citizens include 31-yearold Texas resident Ruben Villalpando and 35-year-old Washington resident Antonio Zambrano-Montes.

- CECILY MEZA

to help students put healthier food on the table.

Xiomara Solis, an anthropology major, is aiming to instill better eating habits through cooking classes, she said.

“The whole idea of my project is to be able to make healthy meals in the same amount of time that it would take you to go to Jack in the Box,” Solis said.

Solis became interested in researching this topic when she noticed many people her age lacked basic cooking knowledge, she said.

“I see cooking skills as such a primary thing,” Solis said. “There’s a perception that cooking is hard, that it can be frustrating, it can be expensive thing to do, and it can be if it’s not properly thought about.”

Solis is in the process of contacting local chefs to get involved in the project, she said.

U-ACRE has been nationally recognized for helping facilitate student research— the program has helped more than 13,000 students become involved in the community by facilitating courses and volunteer service.

“Sometimes you think you have to go somewhere else to make a difference,” Solis said. “It’s kind of like, ‘create the community you want to live in’ and that’s part of U-ACRE.”

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DTBRIEFS

Man sentenced to death A 30-year-old man, who murdered members of his ex-girlfriend’s family was given the death penalty Tuesday afternoon, according to the Orange County Register.

Iftekhar Murtaza beat, stabbed and abducted the family from their Anaheim home in 2007.

Murtaza burned the bodies of Jayprakash and Karishma Dhanak, the father and sister of his ex-girlfriend, Shayona Dhanak, and disposed of them near a bike trail in Irvine.

Leela Dhanak, mother of Shayona Dhanak, was found unconscious on a neighbor’s lawn with her throat slashed and the family’s home on fire.

Murtaza believed that the family led to their break-up over differences in religious beliefs.

Murtaza is expected to be transferred to San Quentin within the next 10 days.

- CECILY MEZA

El Dorado classes resume El Dorado High School students resumed classes on Tuesday after a teacher was found hanging in a classroom Monday, according to the Orange County Register.

Grief counseling will be offered all week on the campus for all students coping with the death of teacher Jillian Jacobson.

Teachers at the school were all encouraged to create an open dialogue with students on the apparent suicide before returning to lessons.

A candlelight vigil was held Monday night, where students gathered in remembrance of Jacobson.

The alleged suicide is being investigated by police with no apparent motive or note left behind.

The room where Jacobson was found is now indefinitely closed.

- MEGAN MENDIBLES

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NEWS

PAGE 3 WEDNESDAY MARCH 4, 2015

Trial: Lopez found guilty in Torrez case CONTINUED FROM

MARIAH CARRILLO / DAILY TITAN FILE PHOTO

Sixteen members of ASI will be available to answer student questions over the coming week as part of a new campaign to increase student outreach.

ASI ready for conversation New campaign will let students voice concerns, questions NAYARA ASSIS Daily Titan Associated Students, Inc. will lend a willing ear to students at various days and times throughout the semester as part of campaign geared toward increasing student outreach and face-to-face interaction.

The “Ask me about ASI” campaign will encourage students to share their questions and concerns with one of 16 members of the Associated Students Board of Directors either by speaking with them in person or filling out a comment card on Associated Students’ website, sais

Associated Students Board of Directors chair Neha Ansari.

Each student on the Associated Students Board will have his or her own time, date and location to field questions and concerns from students, Ansari said.

Board officials are hoping to hear from at least 100 students a month to better understand what students perceive as problems, she said.

“This time is used to talk to students about their likes and dislikes about Cal State Fullerton and areas of improvement that they see,” Ansari said in an email. “Associated Students represents the student voice on campus so we are using the campaign to figure out how our students are feeling and what we can do to help.”

The campaign, which members of Associated Students came up with last semester, was titled “Ask Me About ASI,” because the members also wanted to use this time to introduce themselves as student leaders, she said.

The campaign’s purpose is not just to foster a greater dialogue, but also to facilitate change, Ansari said.

Board members will follow up with whatever concerns were brought up during table sessions and work to address those identified difficulties, she said. ”The campaign allows us as ASI student leaders to go back to the roots of student government, where we actually go out and talk to students whom we serve and represent each day,” she said.

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Murphy’s claims that Samuel is not a DNA shedder, that he may have cleaned the car or that he used a separate car should have been tested and submitted as evidence, he said.

“We had six witnesses placing him at different times … at places other than the murder,” Rosenblum said. “I think the emotional component of the case was too difficult to overcome.”

“There was never a doubt in our mind,” Murphy said at the press conference regarding conflicting testimonies and the amount of circumstantial evidence submitted. “(The jury) put together all of the different pieces of the puzzle.”

Murphy told reporters that juries have been working on murder cases long before DNA testing and said juries had to put in the work, consider all the evidence and arrive at a verdict, just like this jury did.

Xavier has been cooperative with investigators for the past four years, Murphy said. The prosecution hopes to reach a resolution soon, but Murphy would not comment further on Xavier’s case.

“I respect the verdict,” Rosenblum said. “We felt we presented the facts.”

“Cathy’s life made a great impression on many people. We will carry that impression she made on us,” said a spokesperson for the Torrez family at the press conference.

Samuel Lopez, then-boyfriend of former CSUF student Cathy Torrez was found guilty of her 1994 Murder Tuesday.

Trial Developments July 3, 2007 • Cousins Samuel Lopez and Xavier Lopez were arrested in connection with the 1994 death of former student Cathy Torrez.

February 10, 2015 • Opening statements begin

March 1, 2015 • Closing statements conclude

March 3, 2015 • Samuel Lopez convicted of first degree murder

March 20, 2015 • Trial to begin for Xavier Lopez

Degree: Credential to focus on aging CONTINUED FROM

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Kao has done work on location for services provided to older adults, aging friendly communities and the accessibility of these services. In his research, Kao found that in general, minority populations tend to live in areas that don’t

have a lot of services or resources.

“The challenge in Orange County is that it’s so spread out (as a city) that the services also tend to be spread out as well,” Kao said. Kao will also be teaching at least one of the two concentration classes.

The importance of the

concentration rests in the fact that there will be many more elderly in the future, Kao said.

“Given the population and demographic trends, our population is rapidly aging and there’s going to be a desperate need for more social workers and other professionals,” he said.

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A&E Breaking the zombie-movie mould PAGE 4 MARCH 4, 2015 WEDNESDAY

DEANNA GOMEZ Daily Titan Life after college can be daunting for most people, and radio-television-film majors are no exception.

However, Cal State Fullerton Alumnus Carlos Cortes isn’t wasting any time trying to break into the industry that he loves.

“I’ve been working on several productions doing freelance productions, assistance work and also worked as a videographer for a small production company here in Orange County,” Cortes said.

Even more exciting, Cortes is also working on a project of his own. He and his crew are beginning to work on an original short film titled Rex. “It’s way bigger than anything I’ve done, so it takes a lot of preparation,” Cortes said.

Cortes wrote the script and collaborated with other CSUF screenwriters for the film.

Cortes describes the film as a zombie western that follows a zombie named Rex. Rex is not your typical flesh eating, brainless zombie that most people are used to in films.

Instead, he is a harmless zombie who—along with his companion a vigilante named The Shadow—is on the hunt for whiskey in a post-apocalyptic world.

While on their whiskey-hunt, they become the prey of a ruthless group of savage, human zombie hunters.

Cortes wanted the film to humanize zombies as some recent films, like Warm Bodies, have tried to do.

“

The zombies are the most human element of the whole story while the humans are more of the savages. We switched those roles to make it a more enticing story.

“

ASIP Film Festival winner to begin new western zombie film

CARLOS CORTES Filmmaker “It’s a very human story about a zombie trying to find his place in this world,” Cortes said. “The zombies are the most human element of the whole story while the humans are more of the savages.

We switched those roles to make it a more enticing story.”

This is not Cortes’ first original project. Last year his original short film, disconnected., won the Cal State Fullerton Associated Students, Inc. Productions Student Film Festival. “(Winning the film festival) felt great,” Cortes said. “When we made the film, we knew we had something special as soon as we stopped filming.”

COURTESY OF CARLOS CORTES

Former Titan and winner of last year’s Student Film Festival, Carlos Cortes, is set to begin production of his zombie western movie, Rex. The film is an adventurous story that will portray zombies in a more humanistic light.

Since the film’s win, it has received huge recognition online and is now available for viewing on Direct-TV. Those who have watched disconnected. will recognize a few actors in Rex once it is released.

Most of the crew that worked on disconnected. are now working with Cortes to produce Rex. This time, the crew will also include members from

Chapman University.

The crew plans on going into production in June.

Until then, Cortes will be focusing on getting funding for the project.

Originally, he had hoped to raise all of the funds through IndieGoGo, a site that allows people to donate money to a start-up. However, the deadline to donate was Feb. 19 and only $1,441 of the estimated $5,500 goal

was raised.

The next step for funding the project is to apply for grants.

Cortes doesn’t want to take any shortcuts in the production process, meaning he wants to have access to the best make-up, props and crew.

“It’s very exciting, it’s new territory for all of us,” Cortes said.

Once production wraps, Cortes plans on submitting

Rex to a few film festivals in Southern California. He originally planned to submit it to the Sundance Film Festival, but decided it would be best to hold off.

Cortes hopes his zombie western flick will surpass the success that disconnected. had.

This time, his dream to break into the industry begins and ends with determination with the help of a zombie named Rex.

Screening sparks racial conversations Justin Simien speaks about his social satire Dear White People KATELYNN DAVENPORT Daily Titan

Dear White People, a film written and directed by Justin Simien was screened last week in the Titan Student Union.

The film spreads the message that personal identities should be constructed by the individuals who possess them, and not asserted onto them by society’s assumptions. “(Just because) you happen to like Star Trek , or listen to this music, or wear these type of jeans, or date this person—it sucks that (you) have to answer for your entire race for decisions that just have to do with who you are and what you want,” Simien said during a Q&A after the screening.

Before the film began, the seats started filling up

slowly, then all at once.

At least one hundred seats were already filled when the hosts of the event brought out an additional mass of chairs.

Many of those who were in attendance were interested in the serious, racial identity issues being presented in the film.

“Being half black, I can completely relate to a majority of the characters there, not being black enough, or being too black,” said Kevin Garrard, 19, radio-tv-film major. “It’s really what society is trying to label you as and trying to fight those labels.”

Others there were also interested in Simien’s work from an artistic, thematic standpoint.

“I just wanted to come see the guy, see the movie, understand a little bit how the whole industry works a little bit more,” Garrard said.

Simien wrote Dear White People with four protagonists: a rebel, a

token, a poster child and a diva. Each of these characters struggle internally with issues that are external and being thrust upon them by those surrounding them.

Simien’s film is not intended to point any fingers, but rather to serve as a conversation starter for an intricate, serious issue.

“If you leave a movie that in any way, shape, or form is dealing with race, and you leave that movie feeling like things have been wrapped up and resolved, that movie lied to you,” Simien said.

The film manages to remain balanced, never tipping too far across the line separating humor from racism.

If an important conversation isn’t being done, it’s up to individuals to start that conversation, Simien said.

Dear White People opened up that conversation last week on campus, but in no way is that conversation over.

ERIC GANDARILLA / DAILY TITAN

Writer and director of Dear White People, Justin Simien, answers questions after a screening of his film in the Titan Student Union. The movie is a comedy about the issues that young black people face today.

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A&E

PAGE 5 WEDNESDAY MARCH 4, 2015

Plans This Week?

ASIP Concert: Summer Twins • Becker Amphitheater • Wednesday Noon • Free

ASIP Films: The Hunger Games: Mockingjay Part 1

COURTESY OF IMDB

Cal State Fullerton alumna and supervising producer at MadJack Entertainment, Nicole Black, is now involved in a documentary series about former criminals and keeping them out of prison.

• TSU Titan Theater • Thursday 4 p.m., 7 p.m. & 10 p.m.

• Free

Alumna makes it big in television industry

Fullerton Jazz Orchestra & Big Band

change their life for the better.

Black received her bachelor’s degree from the University of California, San Diego in communications and visual arts.

She then came to Cal State Fullerton and earned her master of arts degree in communications with an emphasis in film. She graduated in 1999.

While at CSUF, she was able to teach the multi-camera production class as a graduate assistant, where she earned an award for the graduate student of the year.

She began her career, while still a graduate student, in television and film as an intern at Codigo Films. Black was the assistant to a producer within the company.

After graduation, Black received her first job opportunity at a magazine called The Daily Variety, within the classified advertising department.

Black was later offered two jobs on the same day, one working with a country music video production company and the other was for a company that does clip clearances for reality television.

She chose to pursue a job within reality television.

Black worked her way

Smash

Former Titan working on new documentary series Breaking Point CECILY MEZA Daily Titan When it comes to reality television, it may be hard to decipher what truly is reality or what is scripted.

When it comes to Nicole Black, her work involved with a reality show gets extremely up close and personal with individuals that are desperate for help.

That’s where reality steps in.

Black, current executive in charge of production and supervising producer at MadJack Entertainment and adjunct lecturer of the radioTV-film department at Cal State Fullerton, is actively involved with the Investigation Discovery Network’s show, Breaking Point.

Breaking Point, a show similar to Intervention, follows the lives of individuals around the country who have a criminal history in order to bring them to reality about the consequences of their lives if they continue down the wrong path.

Breaking Point intervenes in the criminal’s life and involves their families to help stop their life of crime and

up the ladder and received high professional titles and promotions.

Finally she landed a job at MadJack Entertainment as a supervising producer.

As supervising producer she works on the logistics of the television show.

Some of her duties include managing the budget, structuring the show’s schedule and overseeing the staff and crew.

Black also goes out in the field to see what the crew is filming and expresses her empathy for viewing the raw footage.

“It’s shocking because it’s not part of my day-to-day life … it’s a sneak peek into a world that I don’t know on a personal level,” Black said. “I think that’s what viewers … like about the show.”

Black explains that the viewers get invited into a world they have never seen before and experience something that they are not normally involved in.

“That’s the scariest (thing), there are huge stakes because the criminal could end up in jail or even dead,” Black said.

Breaking Point airs on the Investigation Discovery Network every Thursday at 10 p.m. Full episodes are also available online at investigationdiscovery.com.

• Meng Concert Hall • Thursday 8 p.m.

• $15, $13 with Titan discount

• Hallberg Theatre • Thursday-Saturday 8 p.m., Sunday 2 p.m.

• $11, $10 with Titan discount

The Comedy of Errors • Young Theatre • Friday-Saturday 8 p.m., Sunday 2 p.m.

• $11, $10 with Titan discount

ALEX FAIBANKS / DAILY TITAN

In The Comedy of Errors, two sets of identical twins are seperated at birth and reunite years later, making for a hilarious story of mistaken identity. The shakespearean comedy opens Friday.

Comedy: Conceptual play to open in the Young CONTINUED FROM

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Torres described the humor of the play to be very slapstick and very visual.

“A lot of the humor you will see is slapstick, it’s body humor. It’s either us hitting our servants, the VISIT US AT: DAILYTITAN.COM/AE

Dromios, or jumping. It’s a lot to do with our bodies and a lot of things with props—things you would see Charlie Chaplin doing or you would see the three stooges doing,” Torres said.

The Comedy of Errors

will be held in the Young Theatre inside the CSUF Clayes Performing Arts Center.

The play opens Friday at 8 p.m. and runs through March 22. Tickets are $11 at the door, or $10 with a Titan discount.

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OPINION

PAGE 6 MARCH 4, 2015 WEDNESDAY

Smart watches are a waste of time VIVIAN CHOW Daily Titan Amid the buzz over the impending release of the Apple Watch this spring, the hype over smart watches deserves a more scrutinizing review.

Sure, the idea of having text messages filtered through your watch face sounds fun and quirky, but that’s really all it is.

Smart watches are a

novelty item, created by phone and tech companies to swindle cash from today’s tech-obsessed consumers.

There’s no doubt of the technological feat a smartwatch embodies; email, text, social media and fitness tracking, packed into a device less than 2 inches wide and half an inch thick. It’s an extraordinary achievement.

But in its nascent state today, a smart watch is nothing more than a limited accessory to a smartphone.

It doesn’t help that smart watches are larger than a typical watch, making the novelty of wearing one about as cool as wearing a calculator watch.

It’s fun for a second and then it’s just a clunky plaything soon to be relegated to a box in the attic.

Smart watches won’t come at a cheap price, either.

touch screen.

Anything remotely decent looking and feature-filled will cost a small fortune.

LG’s G Watch is priced at $229, the Samsung Gear S is

“

Don’t buy into the smart watch frenzy, it’s a useless toy

“

Despite what tech companies want you to think, the smart watch isn’t worth it.

One of cheapest smart watches, the Kickstarter-backed Pebble, runs for $99.

The low-end Pebble watch is pretty basic. It offers a small black and white electronic paper screen, a lackluster plastic body and no

$349, the Moto 360 starts at $249, Sony’s SmartWatch 3 is $229 and the Apple Watch is estimated at $349, according to Apple.

However, some analysts project the actual cost will be close to $500.

It’s absolutely nuts to be

paying such an exorbitant amount of money for nothing more than a glorified wristwatch.

Smartphones have become a fabric of modern society, inching close to becoming a necessity.

The inseparable relationship between consumers and their smartphones won’t change.

Although a smartwatch might make things like messaging, social media, or fitness tracking easier, the pros don’t outweigh the cons.

Right now, the smartwatch is new, unchartered technological territory.

Let it work itself out and

keep advancing with every year.

Despite what tech companies want you to think, the smart watch isn’t worth it.

It’s not to say smart watches won’t become useful in the future, but right now, save your money and future regret by waiting for the market to run its course.

New companies are developing affordable smart watches every day in an effort to make purchasing this accessory more reasonable and less wallet-breaking.

Sit back and let the technology race begin; it’s a buyer’s market now.

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Reality shows like Keeping Up With the Kardashians are far from realistic, scripting and preplanning most of the interactions and events that make it on air.

Reality TV dupes mass audiences NAYARA ASSIS Daily Titan

It’s difficult to understand how little reality shows are based in reality, given their name.

Many of the situations and conversations in these shows are scripted. What’s actually happening on screen has been planned far ahead in advance.

Americans are addicted to reality shows and many make sure to never miss an episode of their favorite series. But do they really believe the content on TV is true? The word “show” strung along with “reality” should be enough to explain that everything is planned.

One show that’s particularly guilty of this is MTV’s Pimp My Ride, according to the Huffington Post.

This show is no longer airing, but while it was, the mechanics in the show transformed people’s old and damaged vehicles into cool, tech-filled versions of themselves.

After they finished overhauling the cars, they revealed the cars to their owners. Every big reveal was met with loud and FOLLOW US ON TWITTER: @THEDAILYTITAN

energetic reactions.

However, these reactions weren’t entirely genuine.

The people behind the show oftentimes told participants what kind of emotions they needed to present on screen.

There were also times after cameras stopped rolling, where upgrades to the vehicle that were only there for filming purposes were removed. Editing is also a big part of reality shows that people don’t take into account.

“

The people behind the show oftentimes told participants what kind of emotions they needed to present on screen.

“

Reality television is far from its namesake

Someone watching the show at the time might have thought people got their cars back a week or two after dropping it off, but the reality was far from a few weeks; it was more like half a year.

This is not only disingenuous for the viewers watching the show, but also for the participants that might have seen this show and later became part of it only to realize they would be out of a car for half a year.

A small but notable

example can be seen on E!’s Keeping Up With The Kardashians. Kim Kardashian recently revealed the exteriors of both her and the Jenners’ house are not actually their homes.

This is for security’s sake but still, it shows nothing can be believed in reality television; not even something as simple as an exterior shot of a home.

Reality show audiences are only growing every year since 1948’s Candid Camera, TV’s first reality show.

Thousands of reality shows occupy a space in Americans’ everyday lives and have shown networks they are here to stay.

But this only forces out quality programming on television.

Networks and producers will now fill their schedules with more and more reality television, loving the low production costs and high viewer ratings they garner.

It seems audiences sometimes know the reality programming being shown is not completely real, yet they still enjoy watching these shows every week.

Maybe it serves as a distraction from every day life, but it’s sad that quality programming has to suffer. But if it’s what the people want, it’s what they’ll get.

So let the shows sadly continue.

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PAGE 7 WEDNESDAY MARCH 4, 2015

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ARIES

CANCER

(MARCH 21 - APRIL 19):

(JUNE 21 - JULY 22):

TAURUS

LEO

You’re ready to hit the accelerator and show the world what you can do now, but a more rational voice advises you to be responsible.

(APRIL 20 - MAY 20):

It seems as if you are being covered by a warm and cozy security blanket now that your key planet Venus is taking up residence in a fellow earth sign.

GEMINI

LIBRA

You might think romance should be like a walk in the park with charming Venus now strolling through your 7th House of Partnerships.

It’s not that the party is completely over yet, but you might catch glimpses of a more serious future. Although all good things must come to an end.

Beware of unnecessary detours when it comes to relationships, since you may have a few weeks of complications ahead. You naturally prefer splashing around in the surf

(AUG. 23 - SEPT. 22):

You’re in for a round of self-criticism as you examine the reality of your feelings, your home and those structures that cannot easily be changed.

SCORPIO

(JULY 23 - AUG. 22):

VIRGO

(MAY 21 - JUNE 20):

(SEPT. 23 - OCT. 22):

(OCT. 23 - NOV. 21):

Your professional trajectory may not be progressing as you wish. Fortunately, you’re quite willing to jump in and deal with the issues.

SAGITTARIUS

(NOV. 22 - DEC. 21):

It’s not always easy to let someone get to close to you, but resourceful Venus now rides to your rescue as she travels through your 5th House of Love and Romance.

You may be somewhat unsure of your emotions today, even if you thought you knew how you felt yesterday. You normally lead with your heart, inspiring yourself and others with your passion.

CAPRICORN

(DEC. 22 - JAN. 19):

In your heart of hearts, you might not believe that money and love should come without a cost.

You’re accustomed to working hard for what you receive and, luckily, your efforts will be rewarded.

AQUARIUS

(JAN. 20 - FEB. 18):

You’re more attracted to fantasy than to reality now that Venus is hiding out in your 12th House of Escapism.

PISCES

(FEB. 19 - MARCH 20):

Even your most meaningful encounters now take on an air of casual friendship. Passions are subdued with Venus the Goddess of Love visiting emotionally conservative Capricorn.

!

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JOKES OF THE WEEK

BEFORE YOU POST

Q: Why did the cookie go to the hospital?

A: He felt crummy!

Cyberbullying was found to have catastrophic effects upon the self-esteem and social lives of up to 70% of young people.

Q: Why were the teacher’s eyes crossed?

studies foind in http://nobullying.com/cyber-bullying-statistics/

A: She couldn’t control her pupils!

Q: What do you call a guy who never farts in public?

A: A private tutor.

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SPORTS

PAGE 8 MARCH 4, 2015 WEDNESDAY

AMANDA SHARP / DAILY TITAN FILE PHOTO

Junior second baseman Samantha Galarza gives high fives during pregame introductions. The Cal State Fullerton softball team will be tested this weekend, hosting three top-25 teams in Michigan, Arizona State and Auburn. The Titans will also face Iowa and San Diego State during the Judi Garman Classic at Anderson Family Field.

Softball to face top competition The Titans’ fortitutde will be tested by three top-25 teams RUDY CHINCHILLA Daily Titan The Cal State Fullerton softball team’s mettle will be tested when it takes on three nationally ranked opponents as it plays the University of Michigan Wednesday and hosts the Judi Garman Classic over the weekend.

The Titans will face an uphill battle against the Michigan Wolverines, who are ranked No. 2 and No. 3 in the nation by ESPN.com/USA

Softball and USA Today/National Fastpitch Coaches Association, respectively.

The Wolverines are riding high on the back of a 17game winning streak that has them sporting an 18-1 overall record. Meanwhile, the Titans enter Wednesday’s game riding a two-game winning streak after having recovered from last Friday’s blip against Northwestern at the Long Beach Louisville Slugger Invitational.

Whichever pitcher Head Coach Kelly Ford gives the starting nod will have to be at her absolute best to combat the Wolverines’ Sierra Romero and Kelsey Susalla. Romero has started all 19

Michigan games this season, compiling a .500 batting average to go along with six home runs, 23 runs batted in and a .976 slugging average.

For her part, Susalla sports a .407 batting average that has yielded five home runs, 20 RBIs and a .889 slugging percentage.

By comparison, the Titans are only batting at a .287 average. While leading hitter Missy Taukeiaho’s seven home runs, 18 RBIs and .407 batting average are nothing to scoff at, they are still eclipsed

by Romero and Susalla’s numbers. The Titan pitching staff are also trailing Michigan; Fullerton carries a 4.65 earned run average, while

the Wolverines sport a much more impressive 1.44 ERA. After the Michigan game, Fullerton will return to action Thursday in its first of four games at the Judi Garman Classic.

Thursday will see the Titans take on another nationally ranked opponent, as they face the Arizona State Sun Devils, ranked No. 22 by USA Today/NFCA and No. 23 by ESPN.com/USA Softball. The Sun Devils are currently batting at a .303 clip led by Amber Freeman, who has registered six home runs and 21 RBIs to go with her .368 batting average.

Fullerton will have to continue weathering the storm

Friday, when it faces off against Auburn University, ranked No. 14 by USA Today/NFCA and No. 18 by ESPN.com/USA Softball.

Tiffany Howard’s .559 batting average currently leads the War Eagles, but the real threat will come from Emily Carosone, who has recorded seven homers to go along with her 30 RBIs from 54 at-bats.

The Titans will finally get some reprieve Saturday, when they play the University of Iowa Hawkeyes. Iowa will be the only team the Titans will face with a worse ERA than that of their own.

The Hawkeyes carry with them a 4.81 ERA, and their

6-11 overall record reflects their propensity for giving up runs.

Sunday will see the Titans close out the tournament by facing off against the San Diego State Aztecs. San Diego has had a rough time at the plate, compiling a .278 batting average on the season.

Fullerton will also be buoyed by the fact that they have three batters with a better batting average than leading Aztecs batter Lorena Bauer’s .345 average.

First pitch for the Michigan game is scheduled for 6 p.m., while the Judi Garman Classic kicks off Thursday at 6:30 p.m. at Anderson Family Field.

Win: Titans blank Waves CONTINUED FROM

MATT CORKILL / DAILY TITAN FILE PHOTO

The Cal State Fullerton women’s basketball team is in search for a boost this weekend to catapult them into the Big West Conference Tournament with confidance. The Titans will host UC Irvine Thursday before traveling to Honolulu for a matchup with the Hawaii Rainbow Wahine.

Women’s hoops seeking momentum Titans hope to find groove before Big West Tournament JACKIE TAMBARA Daily Titan Titan women’s basketball has an opportunity to shake off their latest losses to Cal State Northridge and Long Beach State by conquering UC Irvine and Hawaii in their last two regular season games this weekend.

The final two games leading up to the Big West Conference Tournament are crucial for Fullerton. The Titans’ overall season record is 10-17 and their conference record sits at 4-10.

CSUF is currently holding the seventh seed in the Big West, tied with UCI. The Titans could still punch their ticket to the tournament if they lose both games this weekend and UC Santa Barbara fails to win a game this weekend, but it would benefit them to win and carry some momentum into the tournament.

Thursday night, the Titans will host UCI at 7 p.m.

Both teams will fight for sole possession of seventh place and a secured position in the Big West tournament. Irvine has been victorious in its last two games against UC Santa Barbara and Cal Poly San Luis Obispo.

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Earlier this season, the Titans were victorious in their first game against UCI, with a 62-51 win. The Titans put on a compact defense that the Anteaters could not barge through.

The first half of the game was record breaking for the defense, UC Irvine only managing to score 12 points, which put the Titans at a huge advantage for the win.

The Titans will travel to Honolulu for the last regular season game against Hawaii Saturday at 7 p.m. The Rainbow Wahine are on a 12-game winning streak dating back to Jan. 17.

Hawaii, the regular season conference champion, has proven to be a tough

matchup against Fullerton, both physically and mentally.

After their first game against Hawaii, Head Coach Daron Park said their opponent was in control of the mental aspect of the game and naturally dominated the physical side.

Hawaii’s leading scorer, Shawna-Lei Kuehu, could not be stopped in the second half of their previous game. She managed to score 15 points in the last 15 minutes of the game against the Titans.

Fullerton struggled from the 3-point line that night, as Hawaii towered over them with eight blocks. The Titans lost to Hawaii by a

score of 54-43.

Fullerton’s offense contains versatility with their high-scoring guard, Chante Miles, and forward Kathleen Iwuoha.

Miles is the second highest scorer in the Big West, averaging 20.2 points per game.

Iwuoha is known to crash the boards and grab as many rebounds as she can on offense and defense.

Iwuoha is the leading rebounder in the Big West, averaging eight boards per contest.

The Titans will power through these final two games of the regular season, carrying high hopes of a deep run at the Big West Conference Tournament.

1

Offensively, the Titans were led by junior designated hitter David Olmedo-Barrera, who went 2-for-4 with an RBI single, a run scored and a stolen base.

“I was trying to keep the same thing, just staying on top of the ball, beat their infielders and try to get your pitch, not chase a lot of stuff,” Olmedo-Barerra said of his approach. “I got away from it a few at-bats, but came through when we needed it I guess.”

The aggressive, yet focused, approach at the plate has been effective for Titans over the winning streak, as they have collected 47 hits and 31 runs.

The offensive onslaught will need to continue this weekend if the Titans (6-5) hope to continue their winning streak against visiting powerhouse No. 5 Texas Tech (10-1). The baseball clubs will meet for a three-game home stand starting on Friday at 7 p.m. at Goodwin Field.

“We need to do what we do and, like I said, keep it simple, and not try to do too much.

Just kinda go out there and ... throw strikes, trust our defense, put quality at-bats together,” Dietrich said of the upcoming series. “We like challenges and that’s why we have this schedule—to play the good teams to see where we’re at, to challenge ourselves before conference.”

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