Daily Titan | April 24, 2023

State College Boulevard to be repaired

2018 and is expected to provide $3.5 million for the next fiscal year 2023-2024. Funding for the act comes partially from taxes on gas, which, as of last November, was 53.9 cents a gallon. However, federal gas taxes and local sales taxes also contribute to the rising cost of gas in the state.

The approximate cost to repave and relevel a mile of side streets is $1.8 million after taking into preparation, construction and inspection costs, said the city’s principal city engineer, David Grantham.

During the meeting, council member Nick Dunlap brought out a bag with pieces of the road from his district, showing the state of disrepair that many roads in Fullerton are in.

SEE ROAD 3

After a less than ideal start to the season, Cal State Fullerton softball is finally starting to find its footing with three Big West series remaining and conference playoffs looming.

Baseball defeats Cal State Bakersfield; extends win streak to 7

three saves and one win over the weekend.

Winning their eighth game in a row, the Titans remain first in the Big West after sweeping UC Santa Barbara in three games over the weekend.

CSUF’s dominant pitching led to the Gauchos’ worst offensive performance this season — the conference-leading offense only produced two runs in the series, which is their lowest total in a series this season.

Conversely, the Titans continued their offensive streak by scoring 23 total runs in the series, their highest mark since playing against Cal State Bakersfield last month.

SEE SWEEP 7

Continuing their strong regular season run, Cal State Fullerton baseball team won their eighth straight series in a weekend sweep against Cal State Bakersfield.

The Titans secured the series sweep on Sunday in a 5-2 win after initially winning the first two games: the first on Friday, 8-6, and Saturday, 10-5.

Throughout the weekend, the Titans made constant adjustments to all phases of their game as they worked to come back from early deficits in two of the three games.

In the opening game, Titans starting pitcher Tyler Stultz earned his fifth win of the season in a resilient pitching performance. After a rough second inning where Stultz allowed the Roadrunners to score three runs, he then bounced back to throw five more innings and lead the Titans to the win.

“It was huge, he was close to teeter-tottering, he could’ve went right or left, but I thought he did a good job, that’s kind of what his MO is, he battles for us, he competes,“ said Titans head coach Jason Dietrich.

The Titans’ bullpen efficiency was also key for the Titans staying in games as their relief pitchers allowed only two runs, while earning

Titans relief pitcher Peyton Jones continued his strong play earning his fourth win of the season. Jones entered Sunday's game with his team down 2-0 and was able to steady the ship, pitching 2.2 scoreless innings and only allowing one hit.

In addition to efficient pitching, Dietrich credited his team's strong defensive performance and ability to change their approach at the plate as reasons for the team being able to stay in the game despite early deficits.

In Friday and Sunday’s wins, the Roadrunners’ starting pitchers held the Titans to just two hits and one run through the first run through the lineup. This was before the Titans bats awoke, as they went on to produce eight runs through their second and third attempts against the Roadrunners’ pitching to retake the lead.

“They did a good job of changing their approach and putting some pressure on him, where he started I think giving us some freebees and our guys started taking advantage of that,” Dietrich said.

The ability to adapt will be important for the Titans as they prepare for two road games against Arizona State.

With this series win, the Titans remain atop of the Big West standings with a conference record of 15-3 and an overall record of 23-11.

First pitch against Arizona State is set for Tuesday at 6 p.m.

At its 10th annual Love Fullerton on Saturday, more than 2,000 volunteers participated in 80 different community service projects around the city, including a community clean up, school and park painting.

Love Fullerton was organized by the Fullerton-based non-profit, OC United, which is a collection of citizens, nonprofits and churches serving Orange County communities.

Every spring since 2014, the organization

has gathered Orange County residents, nonprofits and community organizations for a day of volunteering aimed to inspire the community to make Fullerton a better place to live, work, study and play.

Love Fullerton is fully funded from local businesses, organizations and residents. It also helps promote year-round volunteerism by encouraging volunteers to pick up trash at parks, help at local nonprofits and become regular blood donors.

SEE AID 3

IT head abruptly steps up

GABRIELA PEREZ- ORTA Sta Writer

Facing the urgency to find someone at Cal State Fullerton familiar with the academic faculty, President Framroze Virjee selected Amir Dabirian as the university provost and vice president of Academic

A ffairs in March.

In a process that lasted two weeks, Virjee began his search for an interim provost who was familiar with Academic

A ffairs and held experience in leadership positions.

The provost is responsible for all university academics and related programs. This includes ensuring students' success in the classroom by hiring the appropriate faculty, monitoring their work and working with the deans of each of the eight colleges. In addition, the provost is responsible for every academic and curricular role on campus.

President Virjee looked for an interim internal provost within the University and found Dabirian the best fit once he received multiple endorsements from Associated Students, the Academic Senate, faculty and sta ff

“He was the universal recommendation from our academic senate executive committee. They said they only gave me one name and Dr. Dabirian, he was also the universal recommendation from our ASI leaders, the President, Vice President, and the board's chairman,” Virjee said.

Dabirian was not interviewed for the position of provost. Virjee reached out to Dabirian to ask him to fill the position for a limited term of two years. Virjee wanted to ensure one person held the position through the interim president so that the permanent provost could be settled in once the permanent president settled in.

Dabirian served 15 terms on the Academic Senate and was involved with the executive committee for 12 terms. While he was working alongside his peers, Dabirian said he hopes to bring that collaboration along with his new position.

“I’m not going to be a caretaker in these two years. I am going to move the university forward,” Dabirian said.

Campus resource o ers free caps and gowns

In partnership with Titan Shops, Cal State Fullerton's Basic Needs Services is offering academic regalia financial support to any graduating CSUF students who are eligible.

For students who are experiencing an unanticipated expense or have a unique circumstance, through the academic regalia support, bachelor’s and master's students would receive a free CSUF cap, gown, tassel and hood for while supplies last.

Through the basic needs services website, students have until May 15, to complete an application and receive their cap and gown ensemble. The deluxe grad pack that includes the cap, gown, tassel and sashes costs $102 for bachelor’s students and $132 for master’s students.

Eligibility requirements include being a fall 2022 or spring and /summer 2023 graduating student receiving a bachelor's or master's degree. Students also must have an unanticipated expense or unique circumstance and no other available financial resources.

While the application closes on May 15, it is recommended that students apply as soon as possible, as supplies are running out quickly.

Kim Ball, the Titan Shops director, said when the university changed the gown from the traditional black gown to the CSUF color gown, they wanted to find a way to make sure students who have financial need can still participate in the commencement ceremonies.

Because of that, Titan Shops and Jostens decided to provide 200 sets of regalia for students needing support.

"Each year, we work with the basic needs office, and they work through the application process that they have for their other programs, and they identify students who might have this need," Ball said.

Ball added that the Basic Needs Services office would provide Titan Shops a list of students who are eligible for the program. They then give instructions to the students to come into the store and get their cap, gown and tassel.

Ball mentioned that last year Titan Shops and Basic Needs Services were able to help out 139 students. As of this week, Ball said they have already provided 143 sets to graduating students.

"There's still a few more weeks before commencement so that number could get bigger, but so far, we've been able to meet the need," Ball said.

The orders are processed in the order they are received and due to the high volume of requests, it may take four to five business days to receive a response, according to the Academic Regalia Support webpage.

"Please take into consideration that requests are not monitored after business hours, on weekends, holidays, and campus closures," Basic Needs Services stated on their website.

Victoria Ajemian, the director of Basic Needs Services, said she wants to help and support as many students as possible.

When students have competing needs, spending money and prioritizing a cap and gown might be something they can not do, Ajemian said. Graduating is a big accomplishment, and Basic Needs Services wants to help support students, Ajemian said.

"Students have worked really hard to get to this point, and people want to celebrate with their friends and family and be able to walk and to celebrate this achievement, and so we're really appreciative that Titan shop has been willing to partner with us to help provide this to students" Ajemian said.

Ajemian said that the academic regalia support is a great way to help celebrate our students and their achievement that they get to that finish line and graduate.

Titan Shops does not want financial reasons to be a barrier for graduating students to miss out on walking across the stage at commencement, Ball said.

While Titan Shops and Basic Needs Services plan on helping as many students as possible, there is no guarantee that every graduating student will receive the support for the academic regalia.

If you are still waiting to receive the cap and gown ensemble, Ball recommends reaching out to friends or classmates that have graduated already.

"You may have had people that graduated already that have a gown sitting in their closet that they might be able to use," Ball said. "You would just buy the cap or a tassel that is your degree color."

Another option students frequently use is sharing a gown and cap with friends in other departments.

"Maybe your ceremony is at one time, and maybe your friends have a different day and time, so maybe you can share it," Ball said.

Students with nancial needs may submit an application and pick up their graduation regalia inside the Titan shops once they are noti ed of approval.

ALEXIS DE LA CRUZ / DAILY TITAN

ALEXIS DE LA CRUZ Sta Writer

Aid: 80 projects to assist Fullerton community

CONTINUED FROM 1

Cal State Fullerton was a “Valencia Sponsor” of this year’s event for donating $1,500 in sponsorship.

CSUF Fraternity and Sorority Life coordinator Edwin Alarid said their leadership programs coordinator created two Love Fullerton project sites at schools with 40 volunteers.

“We brought in fraternity life members and members from community service area to come volunteer,” Alarid said.

Samantha Reynoso, a second-year communications major at CSUF, heard about the volunteer event through the Alpha Chi Omega sorority and thought it would be great to support the city.

“We do a lot of things and involvement, philanthropy things, on campus and I think it’s so great to support your city outside of your school,” Reynoso said.

Jay Williams, OC United Executive director, said that planning for the event typically starts in January.

Fullerton Collaborative board chair, Leanna Forcucci, emceed

Road: Project to cost $2.85

CONTINUED FROM 1

“It’s really nothing new. You talk to anybody around town and they’ll tell you we’ve got the worst rated roads and streets in all of the county,” Dunlap said. “I’ve been on the council now for three years, this is all just a continuance of what we’ve seen.”

Grantham showed the proposed list of roads to work on and explained that they are looked at on a case-by-case basis and that project numbers are not hierarchical.

State College Boulevard will see improvements from Yorba Linda Boulevard to the city’s northern limits. Other streets that are also expecting repairs are Commonwealth Avenue, Harbor Boulevard and Yorba Linda Boulevard.

“It's just a list of roads that are higher priority than the other road segments in the city,” Grantham said. “And then in theory, depending on the level of funding, on other utility work that’s going on in the city, any major private development. I will look at those streets, look at those other items, then make a determination or recommendation.”

To gain the grant money, the city must propose these projects in a public forum, which was done first in front of the

this year’s event and also represented local downtown Fullerton restaurant Matador Cantina, a sponsor of the event.

Forcucci said a citywide volunteer day is important because people have a heart to serve and may not always know where to go or what projects are legitimate.

Fullerton resident Tianna Barbosa heard about Love Fullerton on Facebook and took her kids, aged 10 and 12, so that they could experience what community service looks like.

“I want them to know there’s more out there than themselves and that

there’s ways to give back and to feel good about doing that,” Barbosa said.

La Habra resident, Cody Cain, said he has volunteered at Love Fullerton for about five years and participated in the Fullerton Tennis Center planting beautification project with his two sons.

Santa Ana residents Donna and Tom Pickel have also participated in the volunteer event for several years, they said, even though they do not live in Fullerton.

“There’s no boundaries when it comes to helping other people, so it’s just awesome to participate in an

million

Infrastructure and Natural Resources Advisory Committee at their meeting on Feb. 27.

During the meeting, the chair and vice chair of the committee spoke to the council and asked to be involved more in the planning processes for projects that impact the city’s cyclists.

“Most recently we’ve had two meetings where our engineering staff brought an associated road project before us,” said Jane Rands, vice chair for the Active Transportation Committee. “And it appeared the decision was already made before they were taking our input and our input wasn’t really incorporated into their plans.”

The chair of the committee, Anjali Tapadia, commented during the meeting that the city has participated in many reactive solutions to dangerous traffic, such as police enforcement and bridges, rather than proactive solutions like increased crosswalks and bike lane buffers.

“Please bring this before ATC so that we can get the experience of actual bicycle users and pedestrians to give their input on these projects.” Tapadia said.

The ATC takes into account how cyclists will be impacted by policies, projects and plans regarding roads. However, Rands said in recent months, they have seen a small number of projects coming onto their board.

FOR THE RECORD

Sports Editor Gottie Chavez

Deputy Sports Editor

Emily Wilson

Sports Assistants

Anthony Bautista

Elmira Darmanian

Alexis Brown

Braulio Cortes

Sergio Gonzalez

Lifestyle Editor

Borlen Chong

Lifestyle Assistants

Rachel Borchers Raniel Santos

Layout Editor Claudia Silitonga

Layout Assistant Alexander Alvarado

Marketing Coordinators

My Ly

Zayn Garcia

Isabel Guerrero Lubarsky

Multimedia Coordinators

Jay Song

Cody Sargenti Student Accountant Manager

John Thomas

© COPYRIGHT DAILY TITAN 2023 ALL RIGHTS RESERVED

organized event where you can help other people,” Donna Pickel said.

Williams said he thinks it is easy for people to complain about things in their city but volunteering is a chance for them to learn about different spots in their city.

“We’re in 12 nonprofits, we’re in all the schools. So, we really provide opportunities for people to see some stuff that they haven’t done and to get to contribute something,” William said. “We all want to do something that we feel like we give back and make something better, a place that we live.”

Social Media Editor Genesis Pavia

Head Illustrator

Sydney Carroll

Faculty Adviser

Walter Baranger

Distribution Manager

Chelsea Arangcon

Distribution Coordinator

Andrew Shin

Faculty Adviser

Michelle Kurland

CSUF Fraternity & Sorority Life coordinator Edwin Alarid (left) helped organize two city projects.

EMILY MELGAR / DAILY TITAN

OC United, the nonpro t behind Love Fullerton, has several volunteer events year-round.

EMILY MELGAR / DAILY TITAN

Tuffy's Table: Beat the heat with summer ceviche

GABRIELA PEREZ ORTA Staff Writer

Spring is in the air, and with the heat finally picking up, it is the perfect time to cool off with a refreshing mix of vegetables and shrimp in a Mexican-style ceviche.

Mexican-style ceviche is known for its distinctive red color, achieved through tomato juice and ketchup. This creates a flavor similar to a cocktail that makes up a vibrant seafood dish when mixed with serrano peppers, tomatoes and cilantro.

The exact origin of Ceviche is widely debated. However, it’s speculated to have come from the Inca civilization in Ecuador or Peru. Regardless of its origin, the dish is known today as a traditional South American dish served as an appetizer or a main course.

Peru’s national dish features raw fish marinated in lime accompanied by onion, orange, Peruvian corn, sweet potato, plantain chips and corn nuts.

Lime marination is a chemical process for shrimp, where the meat and the outer layer of the shrimp come out opaque and firm, similar to when it’s cooked, but the inside is raw.

How long you decide to marinate the shrimp comes down to preference. Measure the time based on how firm or cooked it will be served. In four hours, the shrimp becomes firm but maintains rawness on the inside. If left overnight, it becomes thoroughly firm and the

most similar to cooked shrimp without being chewy and overcooked.

As delicious as this dish may be, lime marination does not kill bacteria like boiling it does. To avoid contracting a bacterial infection or worse, blanch the shrimp in boiling water for 1-2 minutes before marinating or purchase pre-cooked shrimp.

This Mexican-style ceviche is best enjoyed as an appetizer or light meal on a hot summer day. Serve with chips as a dip or garnish tostadas for a fuller meal. It’s straightforward to put together and doesn't break the bank, as most ingredients might already be in your refrigerator.

What you will need:

A cutting board and knife

A peeler

A medium bowl

A large bowl

A large shallow spoon

Ingredients:

2 pounds of shrimp

20 limes

1 large cucumber

1 medium onion

2 tomatoes

2 serrano peppers

1 roll of cilantro

1 avocado

1 cup of tomato juice

1 cup of ketchup

1/2 tablespoon of salt

1/2 tablespoon of black pepper

Preparation: Begin by dicing the shrimp,

Marinate shrimp with lime in this savory, seafood-based snack that is perfect for a hot summer day.

adding them to the medium bowl as you cut.

Cut 17 limes and squeeze the juice into the shrimp, making sure they're fully submerged in the lime juice. Add a cover and let them sit in the refrigerator for four hours or overnight.

Peel the skin off the cucumber and remove the pulp with a spoon. Dice the cucumber and add it to the large bowl. Optional: remove the seeds and

veins from the 2 serrano peppers, or add them in for a kick of spice, then dice the peppers and add them into the large bowl.

Cut and dispose of the root of the cilantro roll and continue chopping, but only add the leaves to the large bowl.

Dice the onion and two tomatoes and add them to the large bowl.

Pour 1 cup each of tomato juice and ketchup into the large bowl.

Hand mix with the large spoon, gently folding in the ingredients. Squeeze the remaining 3 limes into the large bowl, then mix.

Once the shrimp is ready, drain the lime juice, add them to the large bowl, and then mix.

Add the avocado and gently mix the ingredients.

Serve with tostadas or enjoy with chips.

Students promote cultural appreciation in fashion

people who have worn clothing from certain areas in an insensitive way. These areas included Afghanistan, Palestine, India, Vietnam, East Asia, the Pacific Islands and more.

Another thing that was discussed was the difference between appropriation and appreciation, which is something that has different meanings depending on the person.

Janelle Viste, a fourth-year women and gender studies student who works at APARC and helped put the event together, described appropriation as using something with no significance.

“Puka shells have a lot of cultural significance to Pacific Islander communities, but it's a very big 2000s trend and half of the time it's associated with the 2000s rather than Pacific Islander culture,” Viste said.

Another one of the APARC hosts, Anjali Acharya, a graduate student in the counseling program, explained appropriation as taking away from cultures.

bias and from a place of learning, then I feel like it's cultural appreciation,” Acharya said. Having this kind of event serves as a way to bring awareness to an issue that some may be unknowingly contributing to. As certain aesthetics start to become popular, such as Japanese looks stemming from anime or Korean looks from the rise of K-pop, it’s even more crucial to talk about appropriation.

“Having events like these promote education and awareness and start developing critical consciousness among students so that they can recognize the cultures and communities that's around them and how to treat them respectfully,” Acharya said.

Erykah Edora, a student double majoring in animation and sociology, said that while these may be common words, not everyone knows what it means. These events are crucial to educate people about this issue.

RYANN KIRK Staff Writer

Students came together in honor of Asian, Pacific Islander, South Asian, American, heritage month to talk about the misuse of cultural fashion in everyday life and share their experiences with cultural appropriation in general.

The Appropriation of Fashion Teach-In was

part of the Colors of the APISAA Mosaic: Piecing Together Our Diverse Stories, which is an ongoing program held by the Asian Pacific American Resource Center that allows those in the community to share their stories and culture while also challenging issues in society in order to promote better understanding.

They talked not only about general definitions, but also went into specific examples of

“Cultural appropriation is what happens when people, usually in positions of power in their identity, take away from communities and cultures and use their symbols as a trend or a fashion statement or something superficial,” Acharya said.

Acharya went on to define appreciation as something that comes from a place of respect.

“If the intention of using a cultural symbol is respectful and done with an open mind free of

“Just because it comes up a lot doesn't mean people are aware or have really internalized those ideas or even clear on what those ideas are. A lot of people don't know how to differentiate between appropriation and appreciation,” Edora said.

After the initial presentation, the hosts opened the floor to discussion. They also had falafel, Turkish delights and aguas frescas available for students to grab.

GABRIELA PEREZ ORTA / DAILY TITAN

Students gathered to discuss and educate themselves about cultural appropriation and appreciation.

RYANN KIRK / DAILY TITAN

Harry Styles night to light up the Titan Student Union

kept seeing that students are really engaging with it. And a lot of students’ feedback has been that it's been kind of hard to make friends and it's so nice to know that this many other people on campus also enjoy the same thing that I enjoyed. And so we really resonated with that as well because we're students,” Sanchez said.

Their goal is to keep it relevant in time to artists or music that is trending, making it more of a timely celebration for the students to enjoy and participate in.

Hernandez said she has had students come up to her after events about the space provided being a place where they could geek out about something or someone.

“I think I like creating that space for the students,” Hernandez said.

Hernandez and fellow ASI members hope to see people come out to the event and make friends, feel comfortable and enjoy all the goodies and festivities they have planned.

Sanchez also hopes that people come out and use the space as an escape from school.

“I feel like we both could resonate with hoping that students can de-stress, because finals are coming up. And it just be a good time to just not have to think about it and just enjoy. Enjoy your time,” Sanchez said.

Jocelin Morales, a fourth-year business administration major who will be attending the event, said it is important to attend an event like this because of the connections and community it brings.

ETHAN LUONG Sta Writer

Grab your feather boas, sequined cowboy hats, and platform shoes: Associated Students is hosting a full night dedicated to Harry Styles and his fans where students can

dress up, sing, dance and enjoy free activities throughout the night.

Harry Styles Night will be hosted at the Titan Student Union Pub on Wednesday and will run from 5 to 8 p.m.

Students can come dressed in their favorite Styles attire and the best dressed “Harry” will win a prize.

“We're gonna be having some photo backdrops, we're going to be having karaoke, we're gonna be having

Sta Writer

Cal State Fullerton students looking for a free carnival experience visited Associated Students’ fourth annual carnival, where they were able to enjoy games, food and rides.

The carnival was held at the intramural fields on Friday and was available to all CSUF students and their guests. Admission was free, as were the rides and games. 200 vouchers were provided for free meals at the Kala Latin Cuisine food truck and 150 vouchers were distributed for the Drizzle Funnel Cake and Ice Cream truck.

“The purpose of the carnival is to build unity among our campus and provide all CSUF students with an opportunity to engage with ASI. It also allows students the opportunity to relax and have some fun with their fellow Titans as we come close to the end of the school year,” said Cecilia Castillo, a programming coordinator from ASI in an email to the Daily Titan.

The carnival featured food trucks, music and carnival games. Rides at the carnival included a ferris wheel, swing ride, inflatable slides and an inflatable obstacle course. For the first time since the COVID-19 pandemic, photobooth opportunities returned.

Two types of photo booths were available for students. One took still photos and printed out a photo strip to take home. In the second photo booth,

students stood on a platform while a video camera rotated around them.

DJ Ryan Rena, a CSUF student, provided music for the carnival. Rena also performed at a past event, All Day ASI, last September.

This was the first ASI Carnival experience for Maddy Le, a fourthyear Biology and English double major, who attended to see all the fun things that are being offered on campus. Le said that she felt that this was a great chance to let off a little bit of steam before the end of the semester.

“I think it’s a really good opportunity to just bring out the students and give them a little time to relax from all the stressful environments and finals,” Le said.

The carnival was sta ffed by ASI employees and volunteers. ASI funded the event.

The Student Recreation Center provided carnival-themed games and activities, which gave out prizes such as plush toys, slinkies and sticky hands to the winners.

Raj Sengupta, a business information systems student, came to the carnival to have fun and relax with friends before finals. He especially enjoyed the rides and games and won a few plushies.

Like Le, this was also Sengupta’s first experience at the annual ASI Carnival. He wanted to take the opportunity to spend time with friends and even make some new ones.

“Think it's a great opportunity to just come out. Even maybe meet some people you haven't met before, socialize because it's mainly a

bracelet and necklace making, we're gonna have Harry's house paintings. We're gonna have trivia,” said Ashley Hernandez, a third-year entertainment and tourism major and the student programming coordinator. The event will also include activities such as billiards, bowling with free shoe rentals, shu ffleboard, table tennis and more, which are all free for the night.

This is the fourth music-themed event that ASI has hosted, with the last one being the K-pop night. They previously hosted nights for Bad Bunny and Taylor Swift. ASI Programming coordinator Cristian Sanchez said they wanted to host this event because of the feedback and success they have been receiving from previous events.

“Through those events, we've just

“It gives people a chance to get to know each other and like meeting people outside of, let's say your major, meeting people from different majors into different things like bringing everybody together,” Morales said.

Students interested in attending can show up to the TSU Pub in their best Harry Styles outfit, check-in and enjoy the night with fellow “Harries.”

Students

commuter school. So there's a good opportunity to just hang out,” Sengupta said.

He looks forward to coming back to the ASI carnival next year.

Aleishai Pena, a third-year biological sciences major, said she saw

the carnival flier on campus and thought it might be fun to attend. One of the things that she appreciated about the carnival was that the cost was covered by ASI.

“I’m happy that they provide everything for free, especially the rides and

they give you free food,” Pena said. Castillo hoped that the students enjoyed the carnival and all ASI’s other events as well. Following this, ASI will host the Spring Concert, which is taking place on May 6 at 4 p.m. at the intramural fields.

Ashley Hernandez (right) and Cristian Sanchez (left), program coordinators for Associated Students, are helping to organize Harry Styles night and bring fans a night of fun.

ETHAN LUONG / DAILY TITAN

MATTHEW ROSOFF

and guests participated in festivities at the ASI Carnival, which had free food, rides and games for everyone to enjoy.

MATTHEW ROSOFF / DAILY TITAN

LUIS LEMUS Sta Writer

I went back to my roots by going back to the community college that inspired me and my journey to come to Cal State Fullerton in mid April.

While attending Cerritos College spring semester of 2016, many professors encouraged me in different ways. Whether they told me to transfer and continue my studies or encouraged me to follow my passions, I am thankful for all of them.

Going through college with a disability can be challenging. According to a 2022 research article from the nonprofit science and medicine organization PLOS, researchers went through and graded 50 of the top-funded undergraduate programs on an A-F letter scale. They measured accessibility of the environment, grievance

Column: Back to my roots

policies, accommodations and reputation for inclusion to the public.

The study showed 60% received a D or an F while only 6% received an A rating.

According to a study from the National Center for Education Statistics in 2015-2016, one in every five undergraduate college students reported having a disability.

The National Center for College Students with Disabilities in 2021 published a research brief that found that students with any type of disability do not feel welcomed or accepted on their college campuses. They also report higher rates of discrimination based on their speech, language, neurological and learning conditions on campus.

These facts hit close to home; I wanted to reach out to helpful professors from community college about their thoughts on feeling alone

in college, especially when living with a disability.

As the old saying goes, it is “water under the bridge.” I understand it’s that time of the year when professors are just trying to make it day-by-day with finals approaching, so it is OK with me, no hard feelings.

Fortunately, I got in touch with Angela Hoppe-Nagao, a communications professor at Cerritos College, who was very important to me as I was finishing my classes, ultimately inspiring me to keep progressing and moving forward, despite my disability.

Nagao said she doesn’t think school is meant to be done alone. We are in communities for a reason and should ask for help when needed.

“In addition to pulling ourselves up, wherever we can and whenever we can, I also really believe that we all need support. And being able to work closely together is something that is so important because we are fundamentally community creatures. We’re creatures

of community. We live and we work in groups,” Nagao said.

In addition, I would like to thank Professor Martinez, who I couldn’t contact, to thank her for being my inspiration to pursue a communications major. I would also like to thank Professor Brown for being an influence in my pursuit of journalism.

They were both key influences in deciding to go to Cal State Fullerton as well. They are kind people in my heart, and they were not available for comment, so I would like to thank them as much as possible. Being alone in school is definitely a difficult experience. But, I think that it’s still able to be done.

Difficult? Absolutely. Impossible? Not at all.

I greatly thank my support system of people who helped get me where I am now. By that, I am on the brink of (hopefully) graduating this semester. I need to thank not only my professors but also my parents and

siblings, who helped me get to campus, among other things.

Thanks to my community college professors and counselors at the Disabled Students Programs and Services office at Cerritos College, who gave me ambition and added fuel to my fire.

I am progressing as I aim to reach my ultimate goal. I thank them all for inspiring me to continue my schooling, leading me to reach you, the reader.

While I am paying homage to the professors who inspired me to go a certain way regarding my future, we have yet to cross the finish line, Titans. Honestly, that’s something I need to keep in mind. But the semester is ending quickly, much faster than I ever expected.

With all of this being said, who were you inspired by? And how were you inspired?

Cerritos College is forever in my heart, and I will always be a Falcon, as well as a Titan.

And I am sure proud of it.

Students deserves a break, here’s how professors can help

LUIS VIZCAINO Sta Writer

The looming threat of school deadlines, keeping up with basic responsibilities and working a parttime or full-time job, all while trying to maintain a work-life balance, can take a toll on students’ mental health. Juggling these stressors can lead to both psychological and physical health problems.

A professor’s class impacts students’ mental health through course workload and deadlines. The belief that academic success will lead to happiness ignores outside factors affecting students.

While academic success may contribute to happiness, the reality is that many things can become stressors for busy college students. Having more flexible policies on attendance and deadlines could relieve some stress.

Chronic stress can transform from mental

symptoms into physical issues, and the manifestation of these issues arising from stress can make it difficult for students to maintain their academic standing.

Insomnia symptoms contribute to the anxiety cycle by making it harder to sleep; this can lead to a downward spiral toward more stress.

Mental health and therapy have been seen as less taboo and moved to the forefront of health-related discussions. But, what causes stressors in our lives and how to properly handle and possibly dismantle the everyday stressors must also be discussed.

Professors can help improve students’ well-being by being less strict on attendance, allowing a limited amount of unexcused absences with no consequences.

While this can seem counterintuitive to a student’s learning since some students will

abuse this and not attend class whenever they want, the flexibility students gain would be beneficial long term.

A Massachusetts Institute of Technology study found that many students skip classes based on the course. They will not attend lectures if it isn’t challenging enough or if they have other class deadlines.

Allowing absences and having online lecture material for students to access would help students deal with issues that make it difficult to get out of bed in the morning, like depression or insomnia.

Of course, professors should not act as therapists or counselors for students. If they present themselves as empathetic rather than standoffish authority figures, it can help break down the wall between the struggles of students and professors.

As a faculty member in the psychology

department, James Garcia recognizes the stress that comes with being a college student and the flexible nature of deadlines.

“These deadlines, at this point, could be arbitrary and easily moved,” Garcia said. “So that's, I think, one thing that I think us as faculty need to see.”

If something comes up, students should be able to communicate with their professors about what is happening and why they need an extension without fear of pushback.

Students don’t exist in a vacuum; they have outside factors impacting their academic work. Professors need to recognize this reality and establish policies that give students breathing room for days when life feels a little too di fficult, or they do not have the energy to work on anything due to being overwhelmed with life itself.

Water polo finishes

Big West in last place

SERGIO GONZALEZ Asst. Editor

In their final conference game of the 2022-23 season, Cal State Fullerton women’s water polo lost 12-5 against No. 23 Cal State Northridge on the road Saturday.

Heading into the match, both teams mightily struggled in conference play, each holding a Big West record of 0-6. With the win, CSUN avoids a last place spot in conference standings.

Matadors Dorottya Telek led the way with a game-leading three goals on the day, while also breaking CSUN’s single-season scoring record.

CSUN played a very efficient game offensively, producing a 36.4% scoring percentage on 33 shot attempts against Titans goalkeeper Haden Skye Bates. Eight different Matadors scored a goal.

Although outnumbering CSUN in shot attempts with 34, CSUF only scored 14.7% of their shot opportunities, a poor display on the attacking front.

Freshman standout Gabrielle Zaretskiy totaled 2 goals on Saturday, finishing her remarkable season with a team-leading 66 goals.

The game got off to a competitive start, as the first period ended with a 2-1 CSUN lead after a last-second goal by Titans Zaretskiy. Yet the game quickly got away from the Titans, as CSUN responded with 4 unanswered goals in the second period, setting the tone for how the game would unfold.

The Titans finished their regular season with a losing record of 12-19 and a dismaying conference record of 0-7.

With the regular season coming to a close, the Titans now look ahead to the Big West Conference Tournament. As the last seed in the conference, CSUF is positioned to face No.1 seed UC Irvine on Friday at 9 a.m.

Track and field finishes first at Battle in the OC invitational

EMILY WILSON Deputy Editor

For the second year in a row, Cal State Fullerton outdoor track and field won the Battle in the OC Invitational on Thursday at the Titan Track and Field.

Both teams combined for 325 points to place first, followed by UC Irvine scoring 291 and Pepperdine finishing in third with 94 points.

The men’s team dominated the invitational, breaking three tournament records and beating the second-place Anteaters by 69 points and placing first in nine of the 15 events at the meet.

Titans Matthew Uballe set a new meet record and college career high in the men’s 110-meter hurdles event with a time of 13.87 seconds. Uballe became the first Titan in program history to run the men’s 110-meter hurdles event in under 14 seconds, clearing the previous record of 14.04 by Titans alum Charles Kelly set last season.

Uballe’s time also places him atop of the Big West conference competitors for the season.

In the men’s 200-meter dash, three runners finished above the previous record of 21.87 seconds set by Isaiah Matthews, who competed in the invitational without being a ffiliated with a school, in 2017. Titans Chris Goode set a new personal record, finishing third in the race with a time of 21.57 seconds.

Titans Sam Heinrichs and Ernesto Collazo were two of three competitors to beat the pole vault record of

4.65m, previously set by Cal Poly Pomona’s Kyle Victoria in 2017. Heinrichs finished first with a Big West second-longest distance of 5.33 meters, which also marks his personal best. Additionally, Collazo finished second with a distance of 5.18 meters, earning 4th place in the Big West and a college career high. Individually, the women finished second behind UC Irvine, earning 157 points to the Anteaters’ 192. Despite finishing in second place for

the shot put, Titans Teresa Chang beat the previous Battle in the OC record set by UC Riverside’s Natalie Mitchell in 2018. Chang threw 14.01 meters to Mitchell’s 13.30 meters, but ultimately lost the event to Anteaters Deandra Tyler who threw 14.86 meters.

In the discus throw event, Titans Kyliegh Wilkerson and Kaylah McNairy placed 1st and 3rd, respectively. Wilkerson placed first with a personal-best throw of 48.64 meters.

Six Titans finished among the top

eight in the 1500-meter run, with Titans Dana McGrath finishing in first place with a time of 4:42.63.

Titans Tayla Brunger and Deja Thomas took the top two spots in the 400-meter run. Brunger finished with a time of 57.46 seconds while Thomas earned a 58.69 time.

Next, Titans outdoor track and field team will compete in the Steve Scott Invitational on Friday and Saturday in Irvine for their final competition before the Big West championships.

Sweep: Softball wins eighth straight

CONTINUED FROM 1

Adding on, CSUF also had their highest scoring inning for this season, a nine-run explosion in the fourth inning of Saturday’s first game.

Designated hitter Deshea Hill had her best series of the season, batting an outstanding .857 and recording seven RBIs.

While five di fferent players have started as designated hitter in conference play, Hill has made the biggest impact offensively, especially recently.

Hill, who made the All-Big West first team in 2018 and 2019, has performed well offensively

after starting the team’s last five games. Hill has recorded at least one hit and one RBI in her past six appearances, all wins.

“I just took this opportunity and tried to step up. Especially being a senior, and having the experience, I just wanted to do it for my team,” Hill said.

In addition to Hill’s streak, the Titans’ offense was well balanced this series, a trend consistent with their recent stretch.

Over the course of the series, nine di fferent players recorded at least one hit while six recorded at least one RBI.

“We’re just trying to give our pitchers some leeway, because we’ve had a lot of close games in the past. So

it’s just nice to give them some room to breathe and not be all tight all the time,” Hill said.

Pitcher Myka Sutherlin started on Friday and in Saturday’s second game, while Haley Rainey took the mound in Saturday’s first game.

Both pitchers continued their effective pitching from last weekend, where neither gave up a run in 18 combined innings pitched.

“Last weekend, we were on kind of a high from the pitcher’s standpoint. I just rode that high all the way through the games today,” Sutherlin said.

On Friday, Sutherlin pitched a complete game and recorded 14 strikeouts, which matches her highest total against a conference opponent.

She continued her good form into Saturday’s second game and pitched six scoreless innings while only giving up two hits.

On Saturday, Rainey pitched four scoreless innings and earned her seventh win of the season.

The second win of the series marked CSUF’s softball program’s 1,700th win. The Titans are the eighth program in NCAA history to reach this mark.

The Titans will look to continue their momentum towards Cal Poly San Luis Obispo, who they will face in a three-game series starting Friday. First pitch is set for 4 p.m. at Bob Janssen Field.

Titans finish season with 4-1 victory over UC Riverside

Kaytlin Taylor swept Highlanders duo Serina Saltzen and Niki Shahbazi, 6-2.

GABRIELA PEREZ ORTA Sta Writer

Before heading to the first round of the Big West championship, Cal State Fullerton women’s tennis team won their final conference match of the regular season, defeating UC Riverside 4-1.

The Titans improved their record to 15-7 overall and 6-3 in the Big West. As a result, they are entering the Big West playoffs as the third seed, despite being in a five-way tie in terms of conference record.

The Titans earned the doubles point, taking an early lead against the Highlanders.

Beginning the doubles match, Titans Zoe Olmos and Megan Tagaloa defended their home court against the Highlanders duo Brionna Nguyen and Sydney Tran, beating them 6-2.

Next to secure the doubles point for the Titans, CSUF duo Diana Yanotovskaya and

Heading into singles matches, the Titans carried their momentum from doubles.

Titans Mariia Nikitash, in a near spotless sweep, defeated Shahbazi during the first set 6-0 and again in the second, 6-1.

Following Nikitash opening match, Titans Olmos beat Highlanders Kamya Nair with ease, winning both sets with a 6-2 score.

Down 3-0, Highlanders Sofia Lazzaroni put together a final stand to help her team avoid the match sweep.

Lazzaroni defeated Titans Natalie Duffy in a close first set 6-4. In the second set, Lazzaroni picked up the first point for the Highlanders, 6-1.

Finishing off UCR, Titans Camila Garcia beat Tran, 7-6 in the first match and 6-3 in the second. This would prove to be the match-winning point, as the Titans only needed four points to earn the victory.

The Titans will play their first match in the Big West playoffs against No. 6 seed UC Santa Barbara, Thursday at 9 a.m., in San Diego’s Barnes Tennis Center.

Freshman Milena Gevorgyan competed in an un nished singles match against Highlander Brionna Nguyen.

GABRIELA PEREZ ORTA / DAILY TITAN

Senior Matt Cohen took rst place in the men's 400m hurdles event with a time of 53.57 at the Battle in the OC invitational. ROSEMARY MONTALVO / DAILY TITAN

Follow @thedailytitan and submit your answer on Instagram for a chance to win a $25 Titan Shops gift card!

ARIES This is the week to explore yourself and embrace a new side of yourself! The moon and Jupiter meet in your sign, Aries, which can find you feeling especially open and easygoing. Take this week as an opportunity to do some exploring.

TAURUS Taurus! This week is a powerful time to address your work life balance! You may be connecting with your intuition in some deep and significant way as the moon meets Jupiter in Aries. It’s time to carve out time to rest, unwind, and catch up on quality time with yourself.

GEMINI Gemini, this is your lucky week! Your social circle may be expanding in some exciting way as the moon meets Jupiter in Aries. The solar eclipse in Aries can find you connecting with a group or community that impacts your life in an important way!

CANCER Cancer! If you are thinking of pursuing a new career goal, this is your week! A great achievement can be made in your career as the moon meets Jupiter in Aries!

LIBRA Libra, chance meetings may take place this week! Exciting connections can form today as the moon and Jupiter meet in Aries, plus the solar eclipse in Aries inspires radical change in your relationships.

SCORPIO You may be in an especially productive mood as the moon and Jupiter meet in Aries. You could be starting an exciting new project or taking on a new wellness routine during the solar eclipse in Aries, too!

SAGITTARIUS Are you expecting a celebration this week? The moon joins your ruling planet Jupiter in fellow fire Aries, inspiring romance and creativity! A powerful love connection can grow even stronger!

LEO Leo, you are so adventurous! The moon in fellow fire sign Aries meets Jupiter, which can find you embarking on a new adventure, and indeed this journey is a remarkable, once-in-a-lifetime thanks to the upcoming solar eclipse in Aries!

VIRGO Virgo! This week is your financial week! A wealth of resources may become available to you as the moon meets Jupiter in Aries. You could be embracing a totally new approach to managing money.

CAPRICORN An energy of expansion or luck flows at home as the moon meets Jupiter in Aries. You could be moving, rearranging your space, connecting with family, or connecting with the past in some new and significant way during the solar eclipse in Aries.

AQUARIUS This might be the week you connect with your neighborhood in some new and exciting way! Inspiring ideas can be shared as the moon meets Jupiter in Aries, plus today’s solar eclipse in Aries marks the start of an important new discussion.

PISCES The moon meets your ruling planet Jupiter in Aries, which can bode well for you financially! Plus, the solar eclipse in Aries might bring an exciting gift, or find you gaining a new source of income, discovering a new talent, or creating more security or comfort in your life.

SCORE: player 1: player 2: