Week of December 13, 2021 by Daily Titan

Monday, December 13, 2021

The Student Voice of California State University, Fullerton

Porcupine Pufferfish used in laboratory class. (Amanda Oropeza)

Volume 110 Issue 18

Thirteen lined ground Squirrel in wildlife. (Wyoming Game and Fish Department)

Lab animals used in campus research; university secrecy keeps details hidden SEE PAGE 5 NEWS CSUF racing team builds car for competition in May 2022

Spring 2022 commencement ceremonies to be held in person

SEE PAGE 4

LIFESTYLE Former Titan becomes first Vietnamese-American female professional wrestler. SEE PAGE 3

OPINION CSUF SWANA resource center is a long-awaited safe space that recognizes ethnic diversity. SEE PAGE 6

SPECIAL EDITION INSIDE

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Celebrations will be held from May 23 to 26 on the Intramural Field and in the Titan Stadium. ANDREA CLEMETT Staff Writer

Cal State Fullerton students can expect the spring 2022 commencement ceremonies to be held in person from May 23 through May 26. As the university continues to follow the COVID-19 regulations from the state and county health departments, any restrictive policies will be regulated and enforced in congruence with the ceremonies. The upcoming commencement will be held on the Intramural Field and in Titan Stadium beginning at 5 p.m. while running concurrent ceremonies in both locations on May 23. Over the following three days, May 24-26, ceremonies will resume concurrently at 9 a.m. and 5 p.m. During the ceremony students will walk across their designated stage as their names are announced. Both graduation venues will create similar experiences for students during the ceremonies. In June of this year, 2020 and 2021 spring graduates were able to have a combined graduation in person with limited restrictions. Nidia Nunez, a public relations major, said as many sporting events have opened up, she expects to see another in-person graduation without restrictions. The previous combined commencement included 10,000 graduates dispersed among 14 ceremonies at CSUF’s Intramural Field over a fiveday period. Each ceremony was designated by the various college departments with a specified arrival time and date. Due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic,

restrictions included social distancing and a limit of two guests per graduate. To accommodate additional guests who could not attend, the event was live-streamed via YouTube. During the 2021 ceremony, students scanned their grad pass and walked across the stage before stopping for a photo op near the audience. After the stage walk was complete, a photo station was set up for students and their guests. “I’d understand if they required a 24-hour negative COVID-19 test, but it would be so depressing to put a limit of two guests,” Nunez said. “I never thought attending a university would be in my future. Yet here I am, about to graduate and I’d be so sad to tell those that have played a huge role in me getting here, that they can’t share this

joyous experience with me.” The event team who planned the 2020 and 2021 commencement developed more than 17 scenarios and received feedback from graduating students, faculty and staff to reach their current commencement model. While the model was developed before the pandemic, students’ voices and concerns can be relayed through an ASI representative who will serve on the commencement planning team for next year. Graduating students can refer to the commencement page on CSUF’s website for further updated news when the information is available, Dani Bomgaars, the associate director of university events, said in an email.

Graduating students can refer to the commencement page on CSUF’s website for further updates. (Daily Titan) FOLLOW US: @THEDAILYTITAN

2 Lifestyle

WEEK OF MONDAY, DECEMBER 13

(New Line Cinema)

Nostalgic Christmas movies to revisit this season FRANK PORTILLO Editor

The holiday season is a great time to watch some feel-good, and maybe not so feel-good, Christmas movies. Some movies like “It’s a Wonderful Life” will always be at the top of the list, but not a lot of people watch

old movies, so we’re going to suggest some contemporary classics to check out this holiday season.

“Nightmare Before Christmas” (1993), directed by Henry Selick Arguments about whether this is a Halloween or Christmas movie have

been waged since its release. No matter where you stand in the debate, this Tim Burton classic has thematic elements that are synonymous with movies set during the holiday season. Following the Pumpkin King as he ventures into the world of Christmas, he decides the Halloween-skewed life he lives is no longer fulfilling, and

sets out to bring Christmas back to his home and take the holiday for himself and his friends.

“Elf” (2003), directed by John Favreau The creator of “The Mandalorian” also made one of the best contemporary Christmas movies of all time,

featuring legendary comedy actor Will Ferrell. Ferrell plays an oversized elf named Buddy who learns he actually isn’t an elf and was accidentally taken to the North Pole when he snuck into Santa’s bag of gifts as a baby. On a mission to find his real parents, he sets out on an adventure from the North Pole to New York City, where his father (James Caan) runs a publishing company. The story is an incredibly sweet one, tackling the loss of magic as we all get older. Buddy represents something long lost in his biological father’s life — the joy of living life. By the end of the film, the characters learn valuable lessons that we can all hold near and dear to our hearts — especially during this time of the year.

“Home Alone 2: Lost in New York” (1992), directed by Chris Columbus After being left home alone while his family went on vacation in the first movie of this series, the sequel finds Kevin (Macaulay Culkin) in the same situation, except this time he’s separated from his family at the airport. Written by Jon Hughes, in this sequel, Kevin finds himself in New York alone and on-the-run from Harry (Joe Pesci) and Marv (Daniel Stern), the two criminals whom he bested in the previous iteration. The film uses both the Christmas holiday and New York as backdrops to the hilarious hijinks that ensue.

“Krampus” (2015), directed by Michael Dougherty This movie found itself on our previous list of must-watch Halloween films and it manages to snag a spot for this holiday as well. It has horror elements, but, like “Nightmare Before Christmas,” the themes that are explored in the movie are inherently Christmas-related. The movie features a fantastic ensemble cast in this Dougherty-directed genre-bender. The story follows a young kid named Max (Emjay Anthony) as he prepares for his Christmas family gathering. At a particularly delicate age, he’s bullied by his cousins and learns that perhaps Santa Claus isn’t real. In a fit of anger, he tears up his letter to Santa and tosses it out of his window. A gust of wind takes his letter, and like magic, it vanishes in the cold snowy night. Everything is going relatively well until Krampus pays the family a visit and begins to torment them. The end of the movie has a great Christmas theme, tying it together with a festive bow. VISIT US AT: DAILYTITAN.COM

Lifestyle 3

WEEK OF MONDAY, DECEMBER 13

CSUF alumna blazes trail in the wrestling industry ANGELO ESPINOZA Staff Writer

Victoria Tran stood in the ring at her match against Nyla Rose on Oct. 24 at All Elite Wrestling Dark in Orlando, Florida. (Victoria Tran)

shared sentiments about Tran’s impact on the Asian community in the business of professional wrestling due to her accomplishments which also involved performances on bigger promotions like AEW and the WWE. “She’s already been exposed to all that and I feel like no doubt she’s going to be one of the main divas superstars one day, no doubt,” Phong said. “I don’t see her as just a side character anymore. I do see her in the future being something impactful for the career as well as for the business and people like us.” Not only is Tran an inspiration and trailblazer in the Asian community,

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The 2020 Cal State Fullerton alumna Victoria Tran has made quite the name for herself since graduation by completing her life-long dream of becoming a professional wrestler. She has become the first female of Vietnamese American descent to join the industry. Known by thousands of fans as Viva “The Hell-Bent Vixen” Van, Tran recalls her college experience at CSUF as a positive one. “My college experience was great, I mean I had my go-to places, first thing I would always do is, I was a business student so first thing I would do is go to the Starbucks before any class,” Tran said Tran attended Mt. San Antonio College in Walnut, California prior to enrolling at CSUF and was originally an accounting major, but switched to marketing later in her academic career. Tran admits to some early struggles in her accounting pursuits and began to lean toward pursuing her passions of becoming a professional wrestler as a result of this. “I remember I was miserable in accounting, I wasn’t good at it at all and I’ve always had this secret dream of wanting to be a pro wrestler,” Tran said. “And I was like, ‘You know what, I’m just going to give it a shot, I’m still gonna finish school, but I just want to give this a shot,’ and I did and then I switched to marketing right after.” Not only has Tran dominated the ring, but she also has a knack for beauty products, especially makeup. With her marketing degree, Tran has been able to create her own business. Hellbent Glam is a vegan-based cosmetics and accessories company that promotes exclusive, anti-cruelty products. Jenna Charneco, Tran’s close friend and fellow wrestling colleague, had a firsthand experience with this and speaks highly of not only Tran, but Hellbent Glam as well. “She really knows what she’s doing

when it comes to makeup, I will say I actually modeled for her and when I was getting the makeup put on I was like, ‘Oh my gosh, how do you know how to put all these products together.’ I was just blown away,” Charneco said. “I actually own a few of her things because it’s just a really good product, like she really took her degree and is doing something outside of wrestling and then making a profit off of that.” Charneco also said that Tran definitely knows what she’s doing when it comes to Hellbent Glam. Due to her obtaining a marketing degree from CSUF, this has opened more doors for Tran to not only market her wrestling career, but also to bring in a new source of income. J.C. Ventura, Tran’s boyfriend of seven years, has been with her since the start of her career and said that her time at CSUF contributed to her overall success. She said that CSUF taught her valuable skills outside of the curriculum like public speaking, networking, punctuality and even how to market yourself. “Within the business of professional wrestling, being in that industry, I do definitely think that all the things she learned are applicable and you may not even know it at times too.” Tran has successfully collected belts from independent circuits like PCW Ultra, BTW, AWF and NTLL to become their women’s champion, cementing herself as one of the premier female wrestlers in the local wrestling scene. Owner of the PCW Ultra promotion Josef Samael spoke highly of Tran’s career thus far and acknowledged her natural star power as well as her work ethic as the main reasons for her ability to stand out in his promotion. “Well she’s a star. She has a look that is very unforgettable, she carries herself a certain way, and she has just a tremendous work ethic like you said,” Samael said. “Her look really has her stand apart and I think also her interaction with the fans and her passion for the wrestling business, she really wants to be here.” Samael said that she will be a trailblazer for other Vietnamese people and women who may not know about professional wrestling. Tran’s half-brother Bobby Phong

EDITORIAL

Victoria Tran is the first woman of Vietnamese descent in American wrestling.

but she is also an inspiration to any CSUF student who is interested in pursuing a career outside of their major. Tran is aware of the hardships potential students may face and advises students to dig deep in order to ensure that they finish their schooling before pursuing other things outside of their learning. “I know college is hard and a lot of us want to focus on our dreams, our goals outside of college, but it’s always good to just stick it out and have a backup plan,” Tran said. “And it’ll be over before you know it, I know it’s hard while you’re in the two years, the four years that you’re studying for your

finals, all the stress you go through, all the breakdowns, but it is worth it and it’ll pass.” Since graduating from CSUF in May of 2020, Tran has yet to make an appearance on campus, but she plans to go back in order to take the proper graduation pictures that weren’t afforded to her when she was a student due to COVID-19 pandemic. “I am planning to go back to finally do some graduation photoshoots in my cap and gown because I never got to do that, so I want to go back and do that,” Tran said. “But I wonder if anyone is going to look at me all weird with a 2020 sash.”

Editor-in-Chief Taylor Arrey Managing Editor Michelle Ibañez News Editor Lily Lopez News Deputy Emily Godinez News Assistants Jessica Benda Bryan Corrales Elena Hanna Spencer Otte Emily Melgar Jasmine Raine Rivera Opinion Editor Vanessa Siguenza Opinion Assistants Nollyanne Delacruz Kryrstin Huxtable Hugo Rios

Sports Editor Anthony Bautista Deputy Sports Editor Marisa Palmerin-Flores Sports Assistants Jeseny Escobar David Goodkind Navtej Hundal Lifestyle Editor Nicole Trinidad Deputy Lifestyle Editor Jessica Choi Lifestyle Assistants Ferry Baylon Darius Johari Eder Ramirez Layout Editor Amber Juarez Layout Assistant Therese Lim

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FOR THE RECORD In Wednesday’s paper, Keith Kesler’s name was misspelled as “Kessler” in the profile on Andi Stein. The Daily Titan regrets this error. Please contact Editor-in-Chief Taylor Arrey at (657) 278-5815 or at editorinchief@dailytitan.com to report any errors.

Victoria Tran posing backstage at All Elite Wrestling before she made her debut for the promotion in July 2021. (Speedy Photos) VISIT US AT: DAILYTITAN.COM

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4 News

WEEK OF MONDAY, DECEMBER 13

Titan Racing Formula team builds car for competition The group will represent Cal State Fullerton and compete in Michigan next May. PAUL MAGDALENO Staff Writer

The Titan Racing Formula team is revving up for the rest of the year as they continue work on their car. Along with being a club for underclassmen, work on the car is also a senior design project for the seniors majoring in mechanical engineering. The club is known as a legacy team that has been around since 2007. While most students will get to rest after finals week coming up, the team will continue to work throughout the winter break. This year’s team was assembled before the end of Spring 2021, started around June, and will continue to work until May. This all leads up to the big competition taking place in Michigan in May 2022. For the seniors, it is a reward for all of the hard work they have put in throughout the year. Kevin Estrada, one of the seniors, works on power training. “It’s a never ending process but we use this process to actually make something work. So it’s a lot of hours, but at the end of the day it’s gonna be worth seeing something creative based solely on our ideas,” Estrada said. “It’s pretty cool honestly.” Right now, the car is about 30% done. In the next month, they hope to start seeing improvements and keep advancing towards the completed product. Then, they will start to meet up with local Formula Society of Automotive Engineers teams to do friendly competitions to test out how the car is doing.

(Left to right) Daniel Cruz, the suspension lead, Eddie Park, project manager, Kevin Estrada, power training worker stand next to the racecar located in the Engineering & Computer Science building. (Paul Magdaleno / Daily Titan)

The main concentration of the car is to see how it behaves and handles rather than how fast it goes. This focuses on the way the car turns, when it accelerates and when it brakes. Although the car does have a max horsepower of 75 mph, only one of the competitions that the team usually competes in focuses on speed, while the others focus on how the car handles.

“Even though we are building a race car, this project is a mechanical engineering project first, and then a race car project last. So we focus more on the engineering aspect on how things work, how the vehicle will behave in certain situations, and we try to work around it,” said Eddie Park, the project manager and worker on the suspension team.

The COVID pandemic has affected the team as well, with some of the competitions being cut out. The team itself has been cut in half from its usual 20-25 people down to just 12, Estrada said. Daniel Cruz, the suspension lead for the team, said he is excited to see what the team can do. “This year, coming out of COVID,

building a brand new car from scratch. That’s probably the motivation I want to see. It keeps me here and aside from that the team aspect this year I think is pretty good, keeps us going and moving forward,” Cruz said. Though it’s primarily for engineers, anyone with an interest in cars or engineering is also welcome to join, Estrada said.

Sell back your textbooks & return your rentals December 13-17 Monday-Thursday 9am-6pm Friday 8am-5pm Check buyback prices online at titanshops.com

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News 5

WEEK OF MONDAY, DECEMBER 13

Details of animal facilities are hidden from the public The university uses lab animals for research on campus, but many of the specifics remain unknown as CSUF prioritizes secrecy over transparency. ANGELO ESPINOZA ALONDRA TORRES Reporter

AMBER JUAREZ FRANK PORTILLO Editor

The squirrels running around campus are not the only animals living on school grounds. Cal State Fullerton is home to other creatures, such as mice, rats, frogs and fish. Most of them are tucked away in Dan Black Hall, in housing that holds animals used in research. Dr. Paul Stapp, chair of the Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee, said the animals used in teaching and research projects also include live vertebrates, such as mammals, and are used in biology and psychology courses. The animal care committee is a campus organization of animal health and welfare experts who oversee the use and housing of all laboratory animals at CSUF.

“In general, on our campus, which has relatively little animal-related research and teaching, we typically have fewer than a couple of dozen lab rats and frogs on campus at any given time, a few captive small animals that are used for public education and outreach, and several dozen lab mice,” Stapp said. Stapp said some of the studies are to understand the basic biology of organisms and animal behavior. He said researchers use animals such as zebrafish, a type of minnow native to South Asia, as model organisms for investigating neurological processes corresponding with behavior, studying human diseases and disorders and basic physiological processes. “Other researchers study the behavior and population dynamics of wild fish and wildlife populations in field settings,” Stapp said. Stapp said that their activities involving dead animals are set with very strict guidelines. “Research and teaching activities that involve dead animals typically require them to be euthanized, following very strict guidelines set by the AVMA that are specific to a particular species and considered the most humane and

rapid,” Stapp said in an email. The AVMA is the American Veterinary Medical Association. He said that the number of animals used varies depending on the study. He added that the number of animals that CSUF houses also varies, sometimes daily. The Daily Titan requested public records from the university about what species are used, and their numbers. On Nov. 24, the Daily Titan requested public records from Anne Grogan, public records request coordinator, who said she would be able to deliver documents but would first redact some information. When requesting sales and purchases records, the Daily Titan was informed that CSUF had conducted a search and had determined that there were no documents available. However, three brief documents were received on Dec. 7. An annual report to the federal Agriculture Department’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service was one of the documents received. It states that species at CSUF that were covered by animal welfare regulations include the prairie vole, which is a small rodent; northern grasshopper mouse; plains harvest mouse; Ord’s kangaroo rat; hispid pocket mouse; silky pocket mouse; deer mouse; and 13-lined ground squirrel. The exact number of animals is unknown because the numbers were redacted. Although some of the animals are used for public education and outreach, Stapp barred reporters from touring the housing facility in Dan Black Hall and ultimately blocked the Daily Titan from having any access during the fall 2021semester. He also refused requests for permission to photograph animals on campus.

On Nov. 4, Stapp said in an email to Dail y Titan reporters that a tour would be granted if they received medi c a l clearance from the Environmental Health and Sa fe ty department. The medical clearance consisted of a questionnaire. Stapp said the clearance would take approximately two weeks and that the tour would most likely take place after Thanksgiving break.

to submit an Animal Handler Medical Questionnaire,” Chavoya said in an email to Stapp. On the same day, reporters reached out to Stapp in hopes of being cleared for a tour, but they were turned down. “The Director of Animal Care is responsible for the health of visitors to the animal facilities and he felt that visitors should have the health screening for everyone’s safety. I defer to his judgment and concur,” Stapp said in an email on Nov. 16. In the same email, Stapp said a new rule was in place that not only required documentation, but a separate physical exam that could not be completed in Fullerton and would not be paid for by Stapp’s department. Reporters contacted Chavoya on

Dec. 6 via email to confirm this new requirement. O n Nov. 16, reporters contacted Envi ron ment a l Health and Safety for a progress report on the clearance. Frank Chavoya, an occupational safety and health specialist, said that the questionnaire would not be necessary if the touring reporter does not handle animals. “As long as he will not be handling any animals, he does not need

Top right photo is a dead stingray used for research in class. (Amanda Oropeza) Left photo is a deer mouse in the wild. (National Park Service)

“Since Dr. Paul Stapp is the chair of the Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee, we will default to his decision on this as the best management practice for safety,” Chavoya said. Reporters were also denied permission to audit a class that conducts animal studies. Also unknown is the annual budget for purchasing animals, the amount of money used to house the animals and the budget for food. Stapp said that the committee does not keep the animal care annual budget, nor is it in charge of the budget.

Entrance to Dan Black Hall at Cal State Fullerton. (Amber Juarez / Daily Titan) VISIT US AT: DAILYTITAN.COM

6 News

WEEK OF MONDAY, DECEMBER 13

Lab animals: rodents, frogs and fish Biology Students and Animals

Amanda Oropeza, a sixth-year biology major, described her experience working with live animals as intimidating at first. She said a Cal State Fullerton lab was her first experience with live animals, and she had the help of a teaching assistant. “Beginning of the lab, the TA said, ‘OK, rule number one: Do not injure/ hurt the mice in any way. We don’t want to end up with any dead animals today,’” Oropeza said. Oropeza said she likes that instructors put a big focus on making sure students are taking care of the animals so that they do not get injured. She added that students are told the priority is the safety of the animals, even if it affects the data of their experiments. Her most recent experience was working with live mice. She observed the mice, looking for signs of distress as they are particularly sensitive to light, noise and movement. She described it as a good experience and said prior to that, she had wondered if working with live animals at CSUF was allowed. Oropeza has worked with live mice and fish, and has also dissected dead crawfish, grasshoppers, termites, worms and crickets. Oropeza said that working with live animals and getting hands-on real-world experience is something that she has enjoyed and feels that her education at CSUF has been enhanced. But despite having worked with animals on campus, she says she does not know where they are housed. “I’m not sure how they are kept. They don’t give us the details of where they come from or what room they are in or anything like that,” Oropeza said. Housing Stapp said that there is more than one housing facility on campus, but the university would not say how many

facilities there are. “Disclosing information on the number and locations of animal facilities creates an unnecessary threat to security and safety. We have multiple animal facilities on campus, housed in departments with researchers/instructors who use animals. Animals are cared for daily and the facilities are inspected regularly by veterinarians and federal inspectors,” Stapp said. The university will also not reveal how the animals are housed, fed, cared

for or used. According to the committee’s annual report to the Office of Laboratory Animal Welfare, animals were moved from one facility to other facilities nearby. The exact location of these facilities remains unclear, because the information was redacted by the university. The new campus animal facility is currently being constructed and its expected completion is early to mid 2022.

The report also indicates that the animals will be moved to the new facility with the consultation of the attending veterinarian and director of animal care. How Animal Use is Regulated When studies that involve animals are conducted, faculty members must submit a detailed application to the committee that explains what they want to do with the animal and why it is scientifically valid.

The committee reviews the teaching and research projects that include vertebrates to ensure that the use of animals is humane, that the number of animals used is appropriate and that everyone involved is properly trained. “They must explain why vertebrate animals are needed (instead of a computer model or organisms lower on the phylogenetic scale), why they need the number of animals they do and demonstrate that their methods are

Center top photo is a Flounder fish. (Amanda Oropeza) Left bottom photo is a Hammerhead Shark . (Amanda Oropeza)

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News 7

WEEK OF MONDAY, DECEMBER 13

on campus, but information scarce

Western harvest mouse in its natrual habitat . ( National Park Service )

One of the fish used in a Cal State Fullerton laboratory .(Amanda Oropeza)

Ords kangaroo rat. (Montana Field Guide)

well-planned, safe and humane,” Stapp said. Once their application is approved by the committee, researchers must send an annual report on the progress toward their project goals. Stapp added that the committee must report their compliance with federal and state regulations every year. During the school year, John Chappell, the director of animal care, and his employees are responsible for overseeing the animals. The employees are personally trained by Chappell and must complete lab safety training and health certificates. While the campus was closed during the COVID-19 shutdown, there were relatively few animals on campus, but some continued to be

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housed and maintained in the campus animal facility, Stapp said. “The director of animal care and his employees cared for animals during the shutdown, as they do during normal times. For some projects, the researchers and their students also helped with care of their animals,” Stapp said. According to a report submitted to the National Institutes of Health for 2019-21, the committee roster includes Chappell; the veterinarian of record, Dr. Scott Weldy; and four additional names that were redacted by the university. Of the four redacted names, three are scientists with doctorates and one is classified as non-scientist not affiliated with the university. The document defines non-scientists as members whose primary

concerns are in a non-scientific area such as ethicists, lawyers or members of clergy. UNIVERSITY REACTION Daily Titan reporters approached Stapp in November, but were rebuffed in their requests to view and photograph the animals. In addition, Daily Titan reporters were unable to obtain any financial records in connection with laboratory animals. Stapp rebuked Daily Titan reporters for contacting several university departments for additional information. “Your group has tried to gain access to animals through the IACUC Office, the NSM Dean’s Office, and through individual faculty members.

Island deer mice on Santa Barbara Island. (National Park Service)

Bottom left is a redacted report from Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee to the Office of Laboratory Animal Welfare. Bottom right photo is a redacted report to the United States Department of Agriculture Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service.

All these requests from different individuals to different offices create confusion and unnecessary work and stress for staff, and ultimately, fosters ill-will,” Stapp said in an email on Dec. 7,

“If you or any member of your group seeks additional information about IACUC-related matters, direct them to me, as Chair of CSUF IACUC, and do not bother these other offices or individuals.”

8 Opinion

WEEK OF MONDAY, DECEMBER 13

EDITORIAL

CSUF lacks tranparency in public records The relationship between a university and its students is rooted in trust. Students place their trust in the Cal State Fullerton educational system everyday. We trust our professors to prepare us for life after graduation. We trust the University Police to keep us safe. And most importantly, we expect CSUF to prioritize transparency of public information as a way to keep that trust alive. When university officials fail to be transparent with students about public records and information regarding their school, the trust that students rely on to attend classes everyday starts to fade in the face of university secrecy. The federal Freedom of Information Act and the California Public Records Act gives citizens — us — the right to request records from any federal or state agency. This includes federally and state-funded schools and universities like CSUF. Under this law, federal and state agencies are required to provide the public with records. The only way that a federal or state agency can deny record requests is if the information in the records qualifies under one of several exemptions, including national security concerns, personal privacy (such as social security numbers) and possible interference with law enforcement investigations. However, if a records request does not qualify for an exemption, then agencies are required by law to fulfill these requests and grant the public their right to public information, which are taxpayer funded. CSUF is a publicly funded state school, meaning that students have a right to request records and information from school officials; but even with that right, it doesn’t mean that the university yields to these requests as easily as they should. That needs to change. In April 2020, the Daily Titan requested public records from the University Police about the gender and racial makeup of their police department. The request asked for aggregated diversity statistics that did not identify the officers by name. If students visit the CSUF website, a similar set of data regarding students can be found on this page: http://www.fullerton.edu/about/default.aspx#facts. However, despite the anonymity of the statistics, the request was denied by Anne Grogan, the public records request coordinator, who claimed that public interest did not outweigh individual privacy rights. The Daily Titan appealed to President Fram Virjee via email, and received a response from John Beisner, the executive director of risk management and compliance. Beisner, replied on behalf of Virjee, and said that the “The CSU does not disclose data where the size of an individual department is small enough to allow the recipient of the data to readily identify the individual to the personally identifiable personnel information.” This information had previously been provided by the university and published on CalMatters over the past few years, but the updated numbers were withheld from Daily Titan reporters. The Daily Titan never received those records. This semester, the Daily Titan began working on another story concerning the classroom use of animals on campus. When reporters started working on the story, they contacted Dr. Paul Stapp, the chair of the Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee — known IACUC — to request a tour of the facility that houses the animals and permission to take photos. As part of a public campus funded by student tuition and taxpayer money, students have a right to access public facilities funded by the government, except when security or safety concerns outweigh that right. “In general, on our campus, which has relatively little animal-related research and teaching, we typically have fewer than a couple of dozen lab rats and frogs on campus at any given time, a few captive small animals that are used for public education and outreach, and several dozen lab mice,” Stapp said. If the animals are used for public education and outreach, then there should be no reason why student reporters cannot see the facility, take photos and inform the campus about how they are being used in everyday instruction, not just when the university sees fit to use them for “public education and outreach.” Daily Titan reporters requested a tour of the facility by contacting Stapp and Marie Johnson, the dean of the College of Natural Sciences and Mathematics. Both Stapp and Johnson requested that the reporter fill out a health survey that would take at least two weeks to be approved by Environmental Health and Safety before he could enter the lab. After the survey was submitted, a reporter contacted Frank Chavoya, a university occupational safety and health specialist, who responded via email, stating “As long as he will not be handling any animals, he does not need to submit an Animal Handler Medical Questionnaire.” When the reporter brought this to Stapp’s attention, Stapp said that, despite Chavoya’s email, the director of animal care, John Chappell, requested the health survey and added that the reporter would also need an “in-person physical that cannot be done in Fullerton and must be paid for by another source, since you are not a student involved with research.” Despite the reporter clearly working on an academic assignment as part of the COMM 471 class and Daily Titan’s overall academic mission, the university staff refused to cooperate. Stapp, Johnson and Provost Carolyn Thomas also denied requests for photos of the animals, citing the 2017 “California State University, Fullerton Animal Care and Use Handbook.” The handbook states, “The use of live animals in instruction and research is a very sensitive and emotional issue. Photography may also cause stress to the animals (people, equipment, light, etc.). Therefore, all plans to photograph animals must be authorized and reviewed by the Director of Animal Care.” Also: “Faculty, staff and students are advised to not attempt to answer questions from individuals not affiliated with CSUF regarding animal care and use at this institution,” a clear inference that Daily Titan’s queries can be answered. Photography is clearly not prohibited, and one reporter with an iPhone camera ensures that the animals will not be subject to stress from photography equipment and lights, thus negating a reason for refusal. The handbook goes on to address “Threats Related to Animal Use,” “Demonstrations,” and “Breakins, Theft, and/or Acts of Vandalism” and, most telling, “Inquiries from members of the media.” In none of these guidelines are CSUF students specifically barred from receiving information about how the animals are obtained, housed, fed, cared for and used. The Daily Titan also submitted requests to Strategic Communications for records that showed “purchase and sale records regarding the animals, cages/tanks/aquariums, and the procedures.” Grogan responded to that email and said that there were no responsive documents. After again appealing to Grogan, Daily Titan reporters received the IACUC’s 2019 Annual Report to the Office of Laboratory Animal Welfare, which had heavily redacted crucial information including the names of professors who work with the animals, and the locations of the animals — both pieces of information that do not reasonably fit within one of the nine exemptions of the open records acts. Another 2019 report from the university to the federal Agriculture Department’s Animal and Plant

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Health Protection Service, included the species of animals on campus but not their populations — more public information redacted without reason. It should not really matter to university security whether CSUF is home to one or 100 prairie voles. These barriers to public information, which were so forcibly thrown in front of reporters, create a culture of secrecy on campus, presupposing that students should simply accept what the university says without asking questions. CSUF prides itself on fostering strong, analytical and curious minds that think critically about the world around them, and that world includes looking closer at their own university. School officials cannot expect students to turn off their critical thinking skills when it comes to matters of the university that were bought, maintained and used at student expense. If students want to request public information and records, the university has a legal responsibility to answer those questions completely and honestly. If the university fears embarrassment or public criticism, they need not look further, because the cause is their own penchant for secrecy. Rumors and misinformation flourish in a vacuum. A lack of transparency on campus not only fuels a lack of trust between students and their school, but also suggests that the university either disregards students’ rights to public information or they feel the need to hide aspects of the school — both of which do not justify withholding public information. If the university continues to engage in this level of secrecy regarding public records, students will begin to distrust their school and feel animosity toward an institution that is meant to serve them, the people of California and American taxpayers. The California State University system and Cal State Fullerton need to be forthcoming with public information requested by their students, as envisioned by the state legislature and Congress. By making open public information the forefront of transparency, the university can rebuild a sense of trust and communication between students, faculty and staff while ensuring that CSUF stays accountable to the community that relies on it the most— its students.

Opinion 9

WEEK OF MONDAY, DECEMBER 13

Expected SWANA resource center cannot face setbacks Southwest Asian and North African students should not have to wait any longer for a safe space on campus. NOLLYANNE DELACRUZ Asst. Editor

VANESSA SIGUENZA Editor

Long-awaited, students of Southwest Asia and North Africa, or SWANA, descent will receive a resource center on campus by 2025 with the collaboration of CSUF’s Student Affairs. The SWANA resource center has to be representative of students that have long searched for a hospitable and diverse safe haven. SWANA students cannot be subject to unprecedented setbacks that scatter them from forming a tight-knit community. The abbreviation of SWANA, is an inclusive and decolonized label for people of Middle Eastern and North African descent. Since 2018, SWANA students have protested the lack of a resource center which drew a veil over their ethnic identities and cultural bonds. The university did not disclose why the SWANA resource center could not be completed in less than a four-year span. SWANA college students have been forced to create accommodating and culturally inviting environments, because they do not identify with any of CSUF’s Diversity Initiatives and Resource Centers. To their dismay, SWANA students were grouped with Asian Pacific Islander and Desi Americans under the Asian Pacific American Resource Center. Mary Chammas, the founder and president of the SWANA club, said that her organization and Students for Justice in Palestine began flooding into Asian Pacific American Resource Center. However, they were met with a multitude of obstacles, starting

From left to right, Talia Boukhalil, Mary Chammas, Maya Ady and Maysem Awadalla embrace in Chammas’ office in the Titan Student Union. (Vanessa Siguenza / Daily Titan)

with Asian Pacific American Resource Center’s small capacity. “We started sitting on the floor. So we’d sit on the floor and then the person working was a SWANA student. The person working in (Asian Pacific American Resource Center), she was a SWANA student. She had to kick her own community out because we were ‘fire hazards,’” Chammas said. SWANA students soon realized that Asian Pacific American Resource Center was not their home. Chammas added that cultural differences and the students’ desires conflicted as some wanted to study while others wanted to communicate with their peers. They shouldn’t have to battle for space that they felt wasn’t designated for them in the first place. Lumping in SWANA students with Asian Pacific Islander and Desi Americans overlooks the unique struggles they face. A

dedicated resource center prevents the reinforcement of a monolithic Asian American narrative. SWANA students constantly search for an ethnic community to join that accurately reflects their cultures and traditions. Unfortunately, in the United States, SWANA students feel as though they have to choose one identity over another. “Being here, I am too Arab, but back home I’m too American. So it’s really hard to find that balance,” Chammas said. While this can apply to practically all people with diverse backgrounds, other ethnicities have dedicated spaces allowing representation provided by the school. Some incoming South Asian and North African college students were perplexed at the lack of a SWANA Resource Center, considering the

growing SWANA community. Maya Ady, the events chair of the SWANA club, said she felt unsettled during her freshman year at CSUF. “I came in knowing nobody. I had not one friend coming into Cal State Fullerton. At that time I would go sit in the library, sitting alone, hoping that someone from the SWANA community is speaking the Arabic or Farsi language or Armenian language to just be like ‘Hey, I’m a part of it, I’m close by’ as community.” The SWANA resource center will mark the formal recognition of the campus’s community of people of Southwest Asian and North African descent. There should be no obstacles in the creation of this resource center, that way future students can be provided with a welcoming and inclusive gathering space. In February, SWANA students’ determination made demographic

breakthroughs in the Cal State application. Cal State Apply compelled prospective students to identify themselves as white, since there was no box that showcased their Middle Eastern and North African ethnicities. Their protests to the application reached the chancellor who verbally supported the identity proposal, and asked for the Cal State Student Association to advocate and support for the use of a SWANA category. The designation of a SWANA resource center for CSUF students would ensure a culturally welcoming environment with various resources at hand. Adam Abdi, president of the Afghan Student Association, recommended some paths that the SWANA resource center can take. “A community-based atmosphere like some activities, maybe a day where there is networking events, how to get acclimated to college, study sessions and even if they have any specialized therapy for people in the SWANA community because that region has been facing a lot of political issues and just everything. So as long as they have those key things I think the SWANA Center would be awesome,” Abdi said. Many students anticipate the creation of a SWANA resource center as it would cultivate a diverse climate sympathetic to students’ needs. At the same time, CSUF has to continue uplifting SWANA students’ efforts to establish a cultural setting for everyone to gather, converse, build friendships and, as a collective, learn more about Southwest Asian and North African traditions. Invisibility should not be associated with SWANA students whose outcry has finally been heard. Their resource center is a symbol of the visibility and validation that every ethnic group on campus must be afforded.

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10 Sports

WEEK OF MONDAY, DECEMBER 13

Sophomore Julia Crawford spiked the ball against Cal State Northridge on Oct. 8. and earned a Big West Honorable Mention accolade, after leading the Titans with 354.5 points this season. (Marisa Palmerin-Flores / Daily Titan)

Fall 2021: Here’s what happened in sports Catch up with the eight teams that began their seasons this semester. TRAVIS JEPEWAY Staff Writer

Here is a wrap up of the sports that have taken place and ones that are currently still taking place.

Women’s Volleyball Cal State Fullerton women’s volleyball posted a 12-15 overall record and 9-11 in conference play. Those nine conference wins were the most that the Titans have had since 2012. Sophomore outside hitter Julia Crawford finished the season with a team-leading 354.5 points. Following Crawford in scoring was junior right side hitter Gabrielle Barcelos who scored 242.5 points. Crawford also earned a Big West honorable mention alongside teammate and setter Elizabeth Schuster. Schuster earned the honorable mention due to her spectacular setting, particularly for Crawford’s attacks.

Women’s Tennis Women’s tennis just started their 2021-22 season, but the Titans have played in three tournaments and a fundraising event thus far. The Titans started off with the Long

Beach State Invite where Kaytlin Taylor and Juliette Daries earned a doubles win in a flight C winners bracket. The Titans went to San Diego for the ITA Regionals in October where they struggled against their opponents and faced bad weather. Students can see the women’s tennis team in action next at the CSUF Spring Invite, Jan. 21-23 on campus. Conference play for the team will start on Feb. 12 when the team faces UC Riverside.

Women’s Soccer Women’s soccer finished the 2021 season with an even 10-10 record and 7-3 in conference play. The season started slow for the Titans as they were 0-6 before they earned their first win. They eventually changed course and went on a six-game winning streak to end the regular season. Fullerton’s season ended with a 2-0 loss against Cal Poly San Luis Obispo in the Big West Tournament. Senior Callie Petrey-Juarez led the team in scoring with eight goals this season. Senior Haley Brown followed up Petrey-Juarez with six goals In the 10 conference games, both Petrey-Juarez and Brown scored four goals each.

Women’s Golf For the fall portion of their schedule, women’s golf played in a total of four tournaments.

The season opening tournament, the Jackrabbit Intercollegiate, was the highlight for the women’s golf team this fall. Junior Elina Saksa finished the tournament with an individual first place finish for the first time in her career, while the team came in third place. CSUF placed 20th at the Golfweek Conference Challenge in Wolcott, Colorado, tied for ninth at the Jack Lesser-Harbottle Invitational in Lakewood, Washington, and fifth at the Rainbow Wahine Invitational in Kapolei, Hawai’i.

Women’s Basketball So far this season, the women’s basketball team has a 5-4 record with a 4-1 home record. Fullerton has 21 more games left this season, but with 11 scheduled to be played at home. Freshman guard Lily Wahinekapu has led the team in points so far this season, averaging 13.6 points per game. Sophomore center Ashlee Lewis is second in scoring with 102 points and averaging 11.3 points per game. Following Wahinekapu and Lewis is junior guard Fujika Nimmo who has scored 96 points overall and is averaging 10.7 points per game.

Men’s Soccer CSUF men’s soccer ended their season with a 3-11-3 overall record while going 1-7-1 in the conference. Sophomore midfielder Sebastian Cruz led the team in scoring and

assists with seven goals and three assists on the season. His performance earned him a Big West honorable mention as he finished third in scoring in the conference. The only other Titan player to score more than one goal this season was sophomore forward Samuel Owusu with five goals.

Men’s Golf Men’s golf played in four tournaments for the fall portion of their schedule. The Titans started off slow with a twelfth place finish at the Ram Masters Invitational in Fort Collins, Colorado. The Titans then had their best performance of the fall at the Nick Watney Invitational in Fresno, California, where they took first place. The Titans then placed third at the Bill Cullum Invitational in Valencia, California, and finished the fall with a sixth-place finish at the Hoakalei Country Club Invitational in Ewa Beach, Hawai’i. Students can see the men’s golf team in action next on Feb. 7 and 8 at the Orange County Collegiate Classic in Coto De Caza, California.

Men’s Basketball Men’s basketball has a 5-5 overall record this season while scoring close to 70 points per game. There is still time to turn things around, however, as the Titans have 21 games left in the season; 20 of those games will be in conference play.

Senior forward E.J. Anosike leads the team in scoring with 17.2 points per game as well as rebounds with nearly eight rebounds per game. Anosike also leads the starting lineup in field goal percentage at nearly 56%. Senior guard Tray Maddox Jr. is close behind Anosike in points per game with 10.4 points. Maddox Jr. also leads the team in assists per game with 2.4 per game.

Cross Country Men’s cross country started the fall season off strong with a first -place finish at the Mark Covert Classic, with redshirt senior Sam Ayala and sophomore Alexis Garcia coming in second and third individually. Women’s cross country placed first with senior Trinity Ruelas coming in first and sophomore McKaylie Caesar coming in second individually, followed by junior Dana McGrath coming in eighth. The men’s team placed second at the Highlander Classic in October, then third as a team in the Big West Cross Country championships. Individually, Sam Ayala placed first and Alexis Garcia placed fourth. The women’s team struggled as well with a few tournaments, but placed first in the Highlander Invitational for the 6K race, second in the Titan Invitational and second in the Big West Cross Country championships. In the Big West Cross Country championships, Ruelas placed first with McGrath in eighth and Caesar in 11th.

CSUF Athletics to require proof of vaccination at indoor events JON BUZDAR Staff Writer

Cal State Fullerton Athletics will require fans to present proof of vaccination or a negative COVID-19 test within 72 hours before attending any indoor sporting event starting Jan. 1, 2022. The CSUF Athletics Department released an official announcement stating that any person ages three and up will have to present official VISIT US AT: DAILYTITAN.COM

documentation indicating that they are vaccinated in order to attend any indoor athletic event. The accepted forms of documentation include: a vaccination record card, photo of vaccination card, documentation of vaccination from a medical provider or a State of California Digital COVID-19 vaccination record. The official announcement states, “a person is considered fully vaccinated for COVID-19 two weeks or more after they have received the second dose in a 2-dose series (Pfizer-BioNTech or

Moderna or other vaccine authorized by the World Health Organization), or two weeks or more after they have received a single-dose vaccine (Johnson and Johnson [J&J]/Janssen).” Those who are not fully vaccinated will have to present documentation indicating that they have tested negative for COVID-19 within 72 hours of the start of the event. The documentation required for those choosing to show a negative COVID-19 test includes a printed document from the test provider or

laboratory or an electronic test result presented on a phone. “Cal State Fullerton Athletics is complying with California’s mandates for indoor events which require proof of vaccination or a negative Covid test within 72 hours of the event,” said Greg Paules, senior associate athletics director. Proof of vaccination or a negative COVID-19 test must be shown at a designated location outside of the event. Individuals 18 years or older will also have to present valid identification

to confirm documentation. All fans two years or older will also be required to wear a mask during the event unless they are actively eating or drinking. “There is no timetable as to how long the mandate will last as of right now. We are following the state of California’s guidelines and what they require for indoor events. The athletics department will continue to work with the university as well as the California Department of Public Health,” Paules said. FOLLOW US: @THEDAILYTITAN

Leisure 11

WEEK OF MONDAY, DECEMBER 13

WRITTEN by Stepheny Gehrig

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ARIES You might need an energy boost this week. As you go through the week, you may feel drained by work, school or even your relationships. Take it easy and don’t push yourself too hard to get everything done right away. TAURUS Your emotions might make you feel weird this week like you might need to be more expressive. This week might lead to an emotional overload; try to confide in some people and seek advice from those you trust. GEMINI You may feel a little outspoken this week. Use your voice to get your own opinions and ideas out into the world. This new confidence will lead to some positive changes in your life. CANCER This week will be a great time to find out what your priorities are. You’ll find, this week, that you’ll be thinking clearly. Use this clarity to find what you want to prioritize in your life and set some new goals for yourself. LEO Leo, your week will be rocky as you notice some friendships fade away. Although they may have been good relationships in the past, take some time to recognize that change and moving on is a part of life and not something you should be upset about. VIRGO Virgo, you have been facing some rough patches this month, but this week will bring you joy and ease. Use this week as a much needed break.

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LIBRA Be careful with who you confide in. You might find that they are not to be trusted.

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SCORPIO Some big changes

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are awaiting you this week. Opening up to others this week will prove to be helpful as you try to navigate hard feelings. Depend on friends and family, as they can offer you support that you’ll need. SAGITTARIUS You may feel more creative this week! Let this creativity shine; host a dinner with your friends or buy some arts and crafts supplies and learn a new hobby!

CAPRICORN This week will be filled with good emotions. Optimism will grace your week and you’ll feel like things are going just the way you want them to.

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AQUARIUS Miscommunication will burden your week, Aquarius. It might hinder your ability to get your points across, but keep an open mind as you express yourself. Be open to explaining yourself and don’t be afraid to change your mind.

PISCES You may feel overwhelmed or like you need to isolate yourself due to new stressors. Use this week as a self-care week, focus on yourself and allow yourself to destress.

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Mistletoe Ornament

Q W L A D U P C F E I K E R A

Nutcracker Elf

S L S E R T M O E E T

Fuletide Carols

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A Moment of Magic A Moment of Magic is a national nonprofit organization that provides medically vulnerable and underserved children with unique programming to improve their quality of life. Members who decide to go through an audition process are provided with a high-quality costume and training to help them portray a character such as a superhero or fiary. Whether or not a person decides to become a character, it is still possible to bring joy to these children out of costume as a Magic Maker. Four of our members recently volunteered for Olive Crest, a foster care organization in our community, and gave children the opportunity to meet princesses and even villains from popular kid’s television channels and movies. Those interested should follow us on Instagram @amomentofmagiccsuf to learn more about the things that we do. For your club or organization to be featured, email production@dailytitan.com with photo(s) and a description with no more than 125 words. VISIT US AT: DAILYTITAN.COM

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