Daily Titan: Wednesday, May 5, 2010 by Daily Titan

May 5, 2010

Vol. 87 Issue 40

Promoting positive images of female nerds MyNerdGirl.com proves that intelligence and quirkiness are beautiful too DETOUR, Page 4

DASH launched and ready to be picked up

WEDNESDAY

CSUF’s literary journal, a year-long production celebrating worldwide prose, is released DETOUR, Page 4

The NHL is falling behind the other major sports SPORTS, Page 6

The Student Voice of California State University, Fullerton

Budget cuts stall salary increases By TANYA GHAHREMANI

Daily Titan Staff Writer news@dailytitan.com

photo By Cort Tafoya/Daily Titan Staff Writer

Industries take over quad

The Enterpreneurial Society, inconjunction with Scion, displayed the 2010 Scion XB, which is custom painted in an Incredible Hulk motif, Tuesday.

By Cort Tafoya

Daily Titan Staff Writer news@dailytitan.com

Yesterday, various companies visited Cal State Fullerton to take part in a showcase event sponsored by the Entrepreneurial Society, an on-campus club. The businesses that participated included Scion, Apple, Lenscrafters, Bank of America and Best Buy. The event lasted from 10 a.m to 4 p.m. and featured a live band, a freestyle rapper, hot dogs and free goodie bags. “It’s crazy,” said Fernanda Zendejas, a 21-yearold student, when describing the car Scion brought

to the event. “It’s pretty spacious, it makes me want to race. I really like the TC. If I didn’t have a car already, I’d get a TC.” Scion undoubtedly stole the show, bringing two cars onto campus – the 2010 Scion XB and the 2010 Scion TC. The XB was painted in the form of a mural representing the Incredible Hulk. In the back was a built-in stereo system, a 37-inch plasma television and a Nintendo Wii. David Blumenthal, with Power Scion of Buena Park, was in attendance, and talked about some of the cool features included in Scion vehicles. “The TC is very sporty. It gets 21 miles per gallon in the city, 29 on the highway. The entire roof is a moon roof. All Scion vehicles have iPod in-

puts,” Blumenthal said. “Every vehicle Scion makes is loaded. We’ve got some really cool new cars coming out.” Scion is offering $1,000 off any of its vehicles to students who have graduated in the past two years or will graduate in the next six months. Under the Best Buy tent was a television that showed channels and films in 3-D. They also brought a Nintendo Wii and silent drum set. “Best Buy likes to come out to these events to showcase new products,” said Nathan Salazar, a Best Buy employee. “We’ll bring out the newest TVs, video games and stereo equipment.” See CLUB, Page 2

Community impact honored by college By Lauren Mccan

Daily Titan Staff Writer news@dailytitan.com

The decision of whether it should be a requirement for college and high school students to complete a certain amount of volunteer hours upon graduation is something many students fear. For recipients of the community engagement award at Cal State Fullerton’s Center for Internships and Community Engagement’s 6th annual award ceremony on May 4 at the Marriott Hotel, a required amount of hours is something that is not only easily attainable, but personally fulfilling. Throughout the reception, students like Paulina Salais, a senior child and adolescent studies major who has dedicated over 900 hours in the course of two years, were honored for demonstrating experiential community service in connection with CICE. “The commencement season is a great time of the year, because your (students) success is what we are working for,” said CSUF President, Milton Gordon. “Community engagement is a priceless way to prepare students for their future. Our job is to prepare them for the task ahead. My hope is that every CSUF student is inspired to make community service a part of their lives.” Salais was recognized for being

involved with AmeriCorps for two consecutive years, while concurrently completing the four-year school term. AmeriCorps is a domestic derivative of the Peace Corps. Over the course of a year, AmeriCorps members dedicate themselves to hundreds of community engagement hours. The three out of eight seniors who attended were given honorary sashes to wear at this semester’s graduation ceremony. “Even if volunteering sounds like too much, it’s intimidating and there isn’t any income coming in, I urge students to take the risk and strive for the goal you have,” Salais said. “Through internships I want students to be able to grow their confidence and have something to put on their resume,” said gerontology internship coordinator Peggy Weatherspoon, who was selected to receive the “Extraordinary Internship Coordinator.” Three students were honored with an “Extraordinary Acts of Service” award for their involvement over a three-week period with children in Shanghai, China. Through the department of Child and Adolescent Studies, 11 students traveled to Shanghai. The purpose of travel was to be interactive and conversational in the English language with the young children, all while experiencing what the prospective field of CHAD entails. See AWARDS, Page 2

See SALARY, Page 2

Gubernatorial issues focus of faculty panel

photo By Katie Rossomano/Daily Titan Staff Writer Matt Jarvis, left, and Steve Stanbough, right, CSUF faculty members, discuss the major issues California’s new governor will be facing this coming November.

By KATIE ROSSOMANO

Daily Titan Staff Writer news@dailytitan.com

Photos by nick marley/Daily Titan Photo Editor ABOVE: Daisy Villa, receives her AmeriCorps sash for two or more years of service from President Gordon at the Community Engagement Award Ceremony. TOP right: Peggy Weatherspoon enthusiastically receives the extraordinary Internship Coordinator award for her work in the gerontology department.

Multimedia

Check out the PHUN Dodgeball Tournament promoting awareness for disease at: www.dailytitan.com/PHUNdodge

Following 2008-2009 fund negotiations, professors at Cal State Fullerton will not be receiving a salary increase as they have in the past in light of budget cuts the Cal State University system has been forced to make in the past year. Even though it is now 2010, collective bargaining is an ongoing process in which an agreement for 20082009 has not yet been reached, said Erik Fallis, media relations specialist in Public Affairs at the CSU Chancellor’s Office. According to accounting professor and California faculty Association rights representative for CSUF Mahamood Hassan, there are four types of salary increases – a general salary increase, which goes to everyone, an service salary increase, which is given each year a professor’s performance is satisfactory, an equity-based increase, and a post promotion increase, which is only given to full professors at the top of their scale. The PPI salary increase was given out, Hassan said, because the contract written up for it did not make this increase subject to budget cuts. The CFA had been negotiating with the CSU system for a few months before a fact-finder was called in to hear the issue and advise what should be done due to the current state of the school system’s budget, according to linguistics professor and the communications director for the CSUF chapter for the CFA, Robert Angus.

Watch the Comm. Week 2010 Textravaganza, an on-campus scavenger hunt at: www.dailytitan.com/Textravaganza

The “Countdown to the Election” panel on Tuesday consisted of four knowledgeable Cal State Fullerton faculty members who discussed the candidates for California’s upcoming primary election and the current political issues impacting the state. The event was hosted by CSUF’s Associated Students Inc. Lobby Corps. Among the topics that the panelists discussed was the state budget crisis and its impact on higher education, the impact of prisons on the state economy, the potential legalization of illegal immigrants who have been students in California schools since early childhood and the possibility of marijuana legalization and its impact on the state budget. The panel members were Matt Jarvis, political science professor; Jack Bedell, sociology professor and anthropology chair; Esiquio Uballe, associate dean of students and Steve Stanbough, political science professor. Gregory Washington, ASI’s chief governmental officer and chair of Lobby Corps, organized the event and chose the panel members by looking at their areas of expertise. See STATE, Page 2

May 5, 2010

IN OTHER NEWS

state: discussed

INTERNATIONAL

From Page 1

Pakistan questions at least 7 about New York bomb ISLAMABAD – Pakistani authorities Tuesday detained at least seven people whom they alleged are linked with New York bomb plot suspect Faisal Shahzad, as Shazad’s father, a retired high Pakistani military official, fled his home after local news media discovered him. The arrests occurred in Faisalabad in the center of Pakistan, Karachi in the south and may have extended to Peshawar, a city in northwest Pakistan on the edge of the militant-dominated tribal area, officials said. Shahzad’s father, Baharul Haq, a former senior Air Force officer, lives in an upscale suburb of Peshawar, according to security officials, who spoke on condition of anonymity because of the sensitivity of the issue. Said to be a retired air vice marshall, Haq hurriedly left the large family home in the Hayatabad suburb Tuesday, along with the rest of the family, when Pakistani media found the house.

NATIONAL

New sanctions on Iran would hurt U.S. NEW YORK – Iran’s president, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad predicted Tuesday that a proposed new round of sanctions aimed at his country would “backfire” and hurt the U.S., while having little effect on the Persian Gulf nation. In a world of free trade, economic sanctions are a “broken deal” that will only harm the economies of those who break off ties with a target nation, he said. “While we don’t welcome sanctions, we do not fear them, either,” Ahmadinejad said, speaking to reporters at a United Nations conference. During 31 years of global sanctions, Iran has shown that “it is able to withstand all the pressure brought by the U.S. and allies, and has been able to turn that to its advantage,” he said.

A custom Scion XB on display in the Quad.

photo By cort tafoya/Daily Titan Staff Writer

club: Hosts display From Page 1

Salazar described the way their silent drum system worked. “You plug in headphones and it plays in your ears, so you can play all night. It also has a built in instructor to teach you how to use the drums,” he said. Chuck Su, treasurer of the Entrepreneurial Society, talked about the main goals of this event. “ES is the first and only organization on campus that provides hands on ex-

perience and knowledge to own a business. We are, in a sense, a company,” Su said. “We planned this for twelve weeks. We plan in stages. Finance, market operations, that’s the backbone of this club.” Su also said that events like these are good for the group’s 25 members to network and make contacts. The Entrepreneurial Society puts on one big event per semester. Their last event was a hot dog eating contest last December. ES is open to all students, not just business majors.

salary: stalled

“Rather than impact other priorities, such as financial aid for students, The fact-finder, San Francisco attor- CSU had proposed to distribute these ney John Kagel, reviewed the situation existing funds to target these deserving and determined that no SSIs (except faculty.” Equity-based salary increases, ac"in cases in which the SSI would address salary inversion and compaction") cording to Hassan, is “for everybody or GSIs were merited in the current who is an assistant, associate, or even a economy, according to the fact-finding full professor who are not at the top of report that is available on CFA’s web- the scale yet.” The information given by Fallis dissite. Also on the document is that the CSU claimed that the money generally putes information given by John Traset aside for salary increases is impor- vis, chair of the CFA Bargaining Team. “One million doltant for “other prilars was left over orities.” from the first year The “other priof the equity proorities,” according gram which was to a mass e-mail to be added to the sent out to faculty equity program by the acting associate vice president at – Robert Angus for 2008-2009, $700,000 was academic affairs at CFA director from another proCSUF, James Dietz, gram. That money, are “access to courses for students, access to financial aid, by the contract, was intended to go to (to) preserve as many jobs as possible, general salary increases. It could mean (and to) maintain the financial and fis- something like a $20 or $30 increase for the faculty,” Travis said. According cal integrity of the university.” “The administration makes vague to him, this money never went out – claims about serving students and though the CFA is still trying to get the maintaining classes, but it is very dif- money for faculty. “I do recall that at the time the GSI ficult to get an accounting of where the money available actually went. One and SSI were agreed to, CSU managepriority involved a new data system, ment had just awarded itself a 23 perat a cost of more than $800 million. cent across-the-board raise,” Angus said. Meanwhile, sections were canceled and “Evidently, it is a priority to maintain classes grew larger while students paid the salary schedule of administrators. The assertion of other priorities is a gemuch more,” Angus said. According to Fallis, the CSU pro- neric assertion that avoids accountabilposed that $1.7 million in unspent ity – if the administration claimed no rollover funds from the 2007-2008 sal- money but it were discovered through ary increases would go to equity-based some process that it in fact had money, legal problems would ensue.” salary increases in 2008-2009.

From Page 1

California can use $2 billion in local money

SACRAMENTO – A Sacramento Superior Court judge ruled Tuesday that California can take $2 billion from local redevelopment agencies for state budget relief, avoiding for now a pitfall that had threatened to exacerbate the state deficit. The California Redevlopment Association is meeting this afternoon to decide whether to appeal the decision. The group’s executive director, John Shirey, said if left to stand, the decision would spell disaster for major redevelopment funding and projects in California. “Not only does that mean a lot of community improvements won’t be done, but the thousands of people who could be put to work mostly in construction won’t get those jobs. That’s bad enough given the current economic climate, but the longer-term implications are even more severe. “If the decision stands permanently, then it could mean the beginning of the end for redevelopment in California.”

For the Record It is the policy of the Daily Titan to correct any inaccurate information printed in the publication as soon as the error is discovered. Any incorrect information printed on the front page will result in a correction printed on the front page. Any incorrect information printed on any other page will be corrected on page 2. Errors on the Opinion page will be corrected on that page. Corrections also will be noted on the online version of the Daily Titan. Please contact Executive Editor Sergio Cabaruvias at 657-278-5815 or at execeditor@dailytitan.com with issues about this policy or to report any errors.

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Evidently, it is a priority to maintain the salary schedule of administrators.

“

STATE

He said that Jarvis is very knowledgeable about California’s government, Bedell is a school board member and is especially familiar with local politics, Uballe is running for assembly in district 72 and Stanbough’s background is in campaigns and elections, particularly at the grass roots level. Washington facilitated the panel discussion and began by displaying a series of slides with basic information about the primary election candidates. His first question to the panelists asked about the biggest issues facing California currently and how the candidates have addressed them. The most visited topic was the state budget crisis. “The budget overshadows everything,” Jarvis said. Bedell agreed that California’s economy is the most significant topic that candidates need to address. “The biggest issues are money, money, money and who (which candidate) is going to be bold and creative,” Bedell said. Stanbough seemed unimpressed with the candidate’s proposals to help the economy. He said that none of the candidates have mentioned innovative ways to address the economical problem. Stanbough suggested that students “look for (the candidate) who has a way to restructure Sacramento.” However, Stanbough commented that Jerry Brown is the most experienced candidate. The funding for public higher education was a major area of discus-

sion. Jarvis said that the Cal State University system would see “sunnier days” from a Democrat but only because a Democrat would propose a larger budget overall. He did not think that either political side was willing to face the “ugly, ugly truth:” that the taxes collected are not sufficient to fund the services that California government seeks to provide. Washington asked the candidates how they felt about Gov. Schwarzenegger’s promise to veto any budget that does not fully fund higher education. Jarvis said that it was a “clever political ploy” which he used to “try to defer blame for cutting education to Democrat’s shoulders.” When Washington asked the audience for their questions, one student asked the panelists of they thought that the propositon to legalize marijuana would pass, and if it did what impact that would have on the state economy. Jarvis felt it was unlikely to pass and, if it did, the positive impact to the state budget would be minimal. To conclude the dscussion, Washington asked the panelists to leave the students with some voting advice. “Educate yourself about the issues, look who is behind these candidates...those are the individuals they (the candidates) owe. See if you want to be in a poliitcal bed with those persons,” Bedell said. Stanbough suggested that voters look closely at the initiative. “Those (the initiatives) are the things that really matter,” Stanbough said.

awards: presented From Page 1 “I really wanted to expand my horizons and see if this was my fit. I felt an attachment with the children and felt so comfortable. I thought to myself, ‘If I can do it here, I could do it in America.’ Everything was a first for me,” said CSUF alumnus Nghia Ho, who completed the program and peer mentored students of a later term. Ho relocated permanently to China over a year ago, where he has successfully established his own education center, Busy Bee Education. “For me, it’s more than just a program, it’s who I am. Professionally and personally, this program helps you to interact and figure out what your strengths are,” Ho said. On top of being awarded for her commitment to AmeriCorps, Salais was also recognized as an “Outstanding Student Leader” by her peers and mentors. During CSUF freshman orientation, Salias was presented with the limitless internship opportunities that are available to students. She

jumped on the chance to be involved with Jumpstart, a division of AmeriCorps that recruits and trains college students to work with preschool children from lowincome backgrounds. “The way people think of volunteering ... it’s a way to reflect on yourself. Like, ‘How does (volunteering) make me feel and what’s my place in my community?’ I made mistakes and it’s not a oneway street. The more you get involved, the more complete our lives become,” said Dawn Macy, CICE associate director. At the close of the ceremony, Daniel Cole, a human services major, was recognized for his continuous efforts in reaching out to the community to inform people about drug use and abuse. Cole established the group Substance Abuse Awareness and Prevention Student Association in hopes of educating students about drug abuse, after conquering his own battles with illegal substances. “My own personal journey was take, take, take. To get out of that lifestyle and to be able to give back is where my heart is,” Cole said.

May 5, 2010

Web perspectives Comments from readers of the Daily Titan

Re: Senator Leland Yee interviewed on public university transparency Chevron gouged $24 billion in excessive profits in 2008, as perTyrannyofoil.com. Schwarzenegger should put an excessive profits tax on these profits, instead of protecting the oil corporations from fair taxation, then there would be sufficient public funds for all the vulnerable, people programs. Big business lost the fight to eliminate domestic violence funding, so now they are coming back with a vengeance. There is no funding provision for battered women shelters in the proposed budget. Schwarzee picks on the most vulnerable, and not on corporate tax “deadbeats.” -Earl Richards Re: CSUF to acquire HIU campus I am a Cal State Fullerton student who lives in the Hope dorms. I can assure that Hope has not told any of their students or residents about the possibility of a sale. This is incredibly surprising and upsetting. And if the acquisition does go through, I hope CSUF has enough money left over to completely gut the place, especially the dorms. -Erin Re: Orange County Earthquake Expected It should be also noted that there is a couple of volcanos in the Mexicali-Imperial region. The Easter Day quake occurred near the Cerro Prieto volcano and volcanic field. In fact, the magma there is so close to the earth’s surface, that hot water steams there, and one can see it! There is even an active fumerole there on the black cinder cone. But we hear little of that. To the North, on the United States side of the border, there are the Salton Buttes, another volcano. Both sites have so much magma heated water, they are used to spin turbines for electricity. During the quake on Easter, many locals reported hot reddish water shooting up from the ground. What does this all mean? It means that the valley system, where the quake hit, is a part of a rifting zone. This is a place where the plates are pulling part. It is the tip of the larger mid-oceanic ridge, a very long

active spreading zone. In sum – Baja is drifting away from mainland Mexico, and is a part of the mechanics pushing and sliding the San Andreas Fault. -Carolina Liechtenstein Thats what I’ve been telling people since January 1. Geysers, Pinnacles, Mammoth, Lone Pines and Salton Buttes have all been very active recently. You think Katrina was bad, wait ‘till one or all of these rear their ugly head. In Southern California all our water, electricity, natural gas lines and major highways cross over the San Andreas fault line. California is one of the largest economies in the world. The whole world stands to suffer financially from the catastrophe to come. The 7.2 Mexicali earthquake was just the beginning, a reminder, that this is not over yet. A 8.0 is coming soon to California. We could all be through back into the Stone Age in a matter of minutes. -Tom Alan DeSoto Re: Palin Stanislaus controversy sparks fiscal... Notice Leland Yee and Jerry Brown use taxpayer money to “investigate” a private group that is raising money for a public institution under the guise of watching out for “taxpayer dollars.” This is so twisted an obviously political. California is a joke… Living here it saddens me to say that too. It’s no wonder why this state is holding on by a thread. Look at the leadership. Arnold is no better. There are no political parties here. They are all the same. -Simion Re: Lawsuits against Yaz, Yasmin It’s not about staying in business, it’s about Bayer taking the pill off the shelf and being accountable for the pain and damage they’ve put people through. People are suffering because of this pill. Keep your legs closed or switch birth control pills. The risk is too great. Unless you want to lose a gallbladder, then go for it. Keep taking Yasmin! -Caitlin

The preceding are the opinions of the www.dailytitan.com commenters and are not necessarily the views of the Daily Titan, its staff or Cal State Fullerton. Comments are edited for grammer and A.P. Style.

For the record Articles written for the Daily Titan by columnists, other Cal State Fullerton students or guests do not necessarily reflect the view of the Daily Titan or Daily Titan Editorial Board. Only the editorials are representative of the views of the Daily Titan Editorial Board.

Alien in America “From the inside looking out”

The casualties of casual love by Isa Ghani

Daily Titan Multimedia Editor opinion@dailytitan.com

Since coming to America, I have yet to date an American girl. No, I’m not sure why that’s the case either. I have dated somewhat successfully, however, I have yet to find someone I can really connect with over here. Frankly, I’m disappointed. Wasn’t this supposed to be the land of opportunity? I swear on the Malaysian flag that the following stories are true. They seem far-fetched, even to me, and hey, I experienced them first-hand. Or perhaps they only seem that crazy to me, an immigrant in America. You be the judge. I once dated a girl who had three, (that’s right, uno, dos, tres) abortions. She’s had more abortions than I’ve had major surgeries. All of them were accidents and all of them were with different guys – and she was only 22 when she told me this. That conversation kind of ended the relationship. I’m sorry, but I just didn’t want to go where many men (and gynecologists) have gone before. One girl told me that everyone in her household (except the cat and the dog) has had an STD. That’s just great; the domesticated animals have better sexual health than the humans. Another girl I asked out told me that she has never had a single

Letters to the Editor:

long term relationship – one or two months at most. When I asked her what she has been doing for the past 21 years of her life, she replied “Oh, just hooking up.” This bothers me, and I’m not entirely sure why. Don’t get me wrong, I’ve heard worse stories from guys, but I’m not trying to date men. Learning that here in America, sex is a la carte and is almost as casual as kissing, bugged me. Maybe I’m old fashioned and maybe I’m a hypocrite, but I feel deep in my bones that there is something really wrong with that. I feel that we’re all missing something in the quest to find love, and the immense fear of being alone makes us desperate to attain love in whatever way we can. It appears the weapon of choice here is sex. I once waited six months to kiss a girl, because I felt she was worth the wait, and that’s special to me. I’m proud of it, because I knew she was worth waiting for. I’ve also jumped in the sack with someone I barely knew. I’m not proud of that because I feel I lost a little piece of me in that bedroom.

I’m still looking for love, and this one couple I know from work gives me that little bit of hope. They have been together for years, and currently live together. I haven’t really been around them much, but from what I hear, they have the sex, safety and security we all crave. And they are happy. I’m envious, but very proud. Maybe there’s a little hope for all of us yet. On the other hand, all around me I see people who shouldn’t be involved with each other get married, lie, cheat and get knocked up. I know people who have been pregnant, engaged, and then dumped by the age of 20. One of them is now a single parent to a 1-year-old boy. It’s sad, and very disheartening. Where are the romances of yesteryear, where men were still men, women were still women and sex was still sexy? Maybe it’s just me; maybe I have a knack for picking the real crazy ones. Perhaps I just attract psychos. I just hope that one day I’m proven wrong. Call me a hopeless romantic, call me an old fashioned soul, or just call me at 1-800-Alien-in-America.

Any feedback, positive or negative, is encouraged, as we strive to keep an open dialogue with our readership. The Daily Titan reserves the right to edit letters for length, grammar and spelling. Direct all comments, questions or concerns along with your full name and major to the Daily Titan Opinion Desk at opinion@dailytitan.com.

May 5, 2010

‘Nerdy’ girls redefine beauty by james gobee

Daily Titan Staff Writer detour@dailytitan.com

Is it nerdy to go to comic book conventions, or to have interest in anime and a passion for theatre? Well, 29year-old Cal State Fullerton graduate and Chapman College English professor Jackie Fleishon doesn’t care if it’s nerdy or not. “Embrace your nerdiness,” Fleishon said. Fleishon is a part of a website called MyNerdGirl.com, created by 30-yearold Chapman College professor Cindy Chaney. Fleishon is an honorary “Nerd Girl” and has been a part of the site for three years. MNG is a website that has been dedicated to showing women and young girls that true beauty can be found through intelligence, and not just the physical. Fleishon received her teaching credentials from CSUF in spring 2009. “(Chaney) and I met at Westwood College, as both of us were teachers, and she told me all about the website, and I absolutely loved the concept,” Fleishon said. Fleishon and other Nerd Girls have attended comic book conventions like Comic Con 2008 in San Diego, where they unveiled the website to the public. “It was an exciting time for me and all the other people like the Nerd Girls who helped me put the site together,” Chaney said. On the website, each Nerd Girl has her own profile page. It adds a little reality to the site, showing that the Nerd Girls are real people. “Half of Hollywood is airbrush and make up,” Fleishon said. “We’re normal girls that can be confident of who we are. We like going out dancing at clubs and stuff but we also like being smart.”

The profiles on the website show their interests, from movies, to books, to favorite graphic novel, and it also includes the nerdy events they have attended. Fleishon says that her favorite MNG trip she went on would have to be the trip that MNG took in 2008 to Las Vegas for the Star Trek convention at the Hilton Hotel. “It was amazing, seeing people dressed up and so excited about it was so much fun,” Fleishon said. Evidently, it goes beyond just expressing interest in something like comic books or games like Risk or Dungeons and Dragons. “What makes it nerdy is when you’re overly enthusiastic about something intellectual,” Fleishon said. While attending CSUF, Fleishon recalls seeing some girls that looked to be nerds. “I think that CSUF probably has more nerds than expected,” Fleishon said. “Although, it seems that people think that in order to be cool or attractive, they need to fit into this OC superficial image.”

Fellow Westwood literature and writing professor, 37-year-old Nerd Girl Katheren Dickinson, feels the same. “I think that it’s B.S. that it seems in order to be ‘cool’ in OC, you gotta find some sort of clique to fit into,” Dickinson said. Fleishon, Chaney, Dickinson and the rest of the Nerd Girls are trying to show women and younger girls that it’s ok to be smart and a little nerdy. “As young girls grow up, who may be a little nerdy, I want them to know that they don’t have to fit into a certain role that they can be their own person,” Fleishon said. “Be proud of the nerd you are!” This is advice that is carried on throughout a lot of the Nerd Girls. “I think that being a Nerd Girl has helped me follow my own advice that I give to younger girls who are growing up a little nerdy,” Dickinson said. “You have to embrace who you are because there is always going to be detractors in life and you have to make yourself happy.”

“It was the most beautiful thing, really. A body in full swing, mid-air, no boundaries, just struggling for the sake of his own breath. His belly drooped and swung like a wrecking ball land his boots kicked and begged for substance as his arms lost more and more of their grasp. His swaying paralyzed my consicience into numbing reverence, so there really was no possiblity for me to move even if I wanted to, what with him waving before my eyes like a hypnotist’s pendulum. Never had it occurred to me that this drunken burping sponge could be so astonishing, so intrinsic with life and breath and humanity in one moment. With that, I raised my camera to my right eyes. ‘You will never be beautiful again.’ With a click, I captured it.” - Excerpt from Lille, by April R. Ehrlich

photo courtesy Brian Black Jackie Fleishon combines beauty and brains and is part of the website MyNerdGirl.com, which sends a positive and welcoming message to women.

Photo By charles purnell/ Daily Titan Staff Writer Jesse La Tour, an English instructor at CSUF and co-owner of downtown Fulleton’s art gallery, the Hibbleton, reads a selection out of DASH on the night of April 29 at the Muckenthaler Center.

CSUF’s DASH Literary Journal is an annual publication which comes out in the spring semester. To celebrate this year’s journal, a launch party was held Thursday, April 29 at the Muckenthaler Cultrual Center in Fullerton. Submissions for the journal are accepted from all over the world. For more info, visit DashLiteraryJournal. com.

REVIEWS

Asylum.com: The sloppy seconds of the comedy world

A Nightmare on Elm Street by Katie rossomano

Asylum.com

Daily Titan Staff Writer detour@dailytitan.com

I walked into the theater with haunting childhood memories of Wes Craven’s 1984 original A Nightmare on Elm Street. The only way a modern version of such a classic could succeed is through use of incredible and fantastic special effects (that were not available in the ’80s) and the introduction of new terrifying elements to complement and enhance the original story. Unfortunately, this remake is just that: a remake, and one that lacks the energy of the original. Five teenagers who live on Elm Street are tormented by nightmares of a man with a melted face who is trying to kill them. But dreams aren’t real – are they? Maybe not, but Freddy Krueger is. Sleep sends these teens directly into Freddy’s hellish realm, where death in dreams means death in reality. Beware, if you fall asleep during the movie, you may wake to the screeching noise of Freddy’s finger-knives being dragged across a chalkboard. Sure, Freddy is as scary as a horrendously burned pedophileturned-dream-stalking-murderer inherently must be, but Jackie Earle Haley’s version lacks the energetic slasher charisma that made the original Freddy (Robert Englund) so disturbingly entertaining. Nancy (Rooney Mara), Freddy’s favorite victim, is too reserved

by jeremiah magan

Daily Titan Managing Editor detour@dailytitan.com

throughout her performance. Her reactions may have been intended to display emotional strength, but instead she just seems inappropriately calm. At least Paris Hilton – I mean “Kris” – gets hacked, but even her death was unimpressive. Freddy is a creative psychopath, would he really slash another blonde the same way he did in 1984? The dialogue between the characters is underdeveloped and boring. Only the skeletons of their relationships and personalities are established before Freddy starts picking them off, so there really isn’t a reason to care when they’re killed, or about to be killed. Even the scenes intended to make you jump fail because they are entirely predictable. For those horror fans who don’t know Freddy (shame!), stick to the original.

FreddieBlack.com by Adrian gaitan

Daily Titan Copy Editor detour@dailytitan.com

Let’s face it: I have a problem. I’m addicted to anything and everything that has to do with fashion. But in my defense, I wasn’t looking for another fashion site to appease my addiction. This time the fashion site found me.

Asylum.com caters to a man’s desire to multitask, allowing them to masturbate and laugh at the same time (at the screen, and not at the joke in his hand). Pegged as a comedy website for men, Asylum is part of the growing wave of comedy video/article websites that are flooding the Internet, boasting regularly updated content including commentary videos, entertainment and “weird” news, do-it-yourself guides, humorous takes on current events and a shameless section titled “Hot Girl Cool Job.” Comedy websites are a dime-adozen and most are created and run by people who made their officemates laugh once with an offhand fart joke and decided they would better serve the world by running their own comedy websites, which end up being large steaming piles, staining the orange shag that is the Internet. There is a spectrum when it comes to the level of humor that can be found on any of these websites. On the good side, there are sites like FunnyOrDie.com, with content generated by professional comedians having fun during their down time. On the bad side, there are sites like TechComedy.com, which caters directly to people who work in technical support, allowing them a place to vent their frustrations about stupid Freddie Black is a self-proclaimed man, myth and lifestyle. On the handy little tab labeled “Who is Freddie Black?” The site describes Freddie Black as a man who “fixes a stranded girl’s tire in a threepiece suit. Freddie replies in French when dining in Paris. He shoots photos and pool with equal ease. At Freddie, we will help you do as he does, live a life of equal decadence, and love every minute of it.” Lame, right? I think so too.

customers and bosses. Despite a lack of original content that goes beyond transcribing moronic customer calls, TechComedy.com lacks appeal for a wider audience. Asylum.com falls somewhere in the middle of this spectrum, below Cracked.com and TheOnion.com, but above sites like TheApiary.org. Asylum does have a lot going for it; by becoming the new home of former Cracked.com columnist Gladstone and his show “Hate By Numbers,” Asylum has picked up his already sizable following. Asylum also features the occasional semi-celebrity cameo with videos starring people like the UFC’s Chuck Liddell and NBC News’ White House Correspondent Chuck Todd ... they have a lot of Chucks. Two of the video series exclusive to the site include “A Woman’s Perspective,” which reinforces negative stereotypes about women in a tonguein-cheek fashion, and “Asylum Trend

Investigation,” which features a knowit-all host talking about obvious trends (the popularity of mixed martial arts) and calling things trends even though they aren’t (forehead tattoos). Filling out Asylum’s “Sex” section is a regular feature titled “Is It Porn?” This tab leads to a series of photos and videos of people doing things that could be considered porn if you use your imagination, this is accompanied by a poll where viewers can vote, determining once and for all whether the man in the latex Spider-man suit is pornographic or just a superhero relaxing on the couch. The short answer to all of these questions is yes, it is always porn. Under a tab labeled “Humor” is a section titled “Would You Rather?,” which gives visitors two photos to choose from, with idea that in a hypothetical world they could only have one of the two things pictured. One is always a photo of some new technol-

ogy or interesting piece of art (often centered around steampunk or nerd culture) and the other is of an attractive woman scantily clad or in a provocative pose. Visitors vote on which they would rather “have” and more often than not, the woman is the overwhelming choice. Why would anyone want metal-detecting sandals over a woman who doesn’t speak English? Many of Asylum’s articles fall into more than one of its sections, appearing as though the site has more content than it actually does, but the articles are, for the most part, funny enough to waste five minutes of your day. Asylum obviously knows who its target demographic is, and even though the editors of the site acknowledge that they are playing into the depraved interests of their visitors to some degree, they obviously strive to be more than just a webpage of boobs and fart jokes.

With that tidbit aside, FreddieBlack.com isn’t all that bad. The site is very simplistic and easy to navigate through, although I think the color scheme the use needs to be changed – talk about dull. Fashion, food, nightlife and, of course, sex are all popular issue discussed on the site. Aside from fashion and sex, my favorite category on the site is style. One of my favorite style pieces is “The Best Footwear for This Time of Year.” This is exactly what I wrote about in my “Spring Fashion Guide” article back in the March Spring

Break Guide – which I wrote in January, just by the way. Jared Scott Tesler, Freddie Black’s style correspondent, is a pure fashion genius. He compares the little black dress that’s found in almost every girl’s closet to a little black sweater – something that should be an essential in every guy’s wardrobe. From how Freddie Black describes himself, you would think the article, “The Art of the Kiss” would be irrelevant, after all every suave and debonair man should know how to kiss. “The Art of the Kiss” is some-

thing everyone should read, either for laughs, or if you need the advice, which I hope you don’t by this point in your life. “The Four Things You Must Do During Sex” is another must-read. Not only does it give great advice about always wearing condoms – prudes – but it also gives the advice to “always fuck up, meaning fuck people much richer or more powerful, or better looking or whatever, than you.” For more FreddieBlack advice, follow him on Twitter at: Twitter. com/LiveInTheBlack.

May 5, 2010

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Capricorn (Dec. 22-Jan. 19) Challenge yourself to produce practical results today. You have all the materials you need and the approval of co-workers. Get it done!

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Sagittarius (Nov. 22-Dec. 21) A stubborn person challenges you to redirect your thinking. Although you don’t want to, you may discover that tweaking your message brings everyone into agreement.

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Virgo (Aug. 23-Sept. 22) To succeed independently, first solidify relationships within your peer group. You’ll get twice as far with your friends behind you.

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Leo (July 23-Aug. 22) You’re in the spotlight. There’s no way you can escape publicity, but you can choose just the right words to thank supporters.

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Cancer (June 22-July 22) There’s at least one stubborn person who doesn’t want to go along with your plan. When you offer to pay, suddenly agreement comes easier.

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Gemini (May 21-June 21) Bring your running shoes with you. There’s no sitting around in the office today. In fact, you may need to travel.

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Taurus (April 20-May 20) You’re all too aware of your independent ambitions. Now, however, apply that enthusiasm to the basics. First do the homework, then take on the world.

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NHL needs a star makeover Angels set to face former ace By oscar romero

Daily Titan Asst. Multimedia Editor sports@dailytitan.com

Finding a hockey game on the television is near impossible. Even in the drama that is the playoffs, a game is more difficult to find than getting the pope to kick out a priest for child abuse. But why has the National Hockey League fallen so behind the three other major sports leagues in North America? The NHL was considered one of the top leagues in American sports. Superstars like the great one Wayne Gretzky and “Super” Mario Lemieux made their mark during the heyday of the league. Even Los Angeles caught hockey fever when Gretzky was traded to the Kings back in 1988. The situation is the marketing ploy that the NHL has used over the past couple of years that has left the league in obscurity. Hockey is not found on a continuous basis on any of the major broadcast networks. On special occasions, hockey peers its head on NBC. The only way to find the games is by tuning in to the local sports networks. The NHL currently has a TV deal with the cable channel the Versus Network. “They’re giving us the most promotion and attention that we could ask for from a cable and TV partner and, quite frankly, we are the most important property that they have,” said NHL commissioner Gary Bettman during a radio interview. The only problem is that the Versus network is not a common staple in the channel lineup for many cable providers. Coverage on ESPN is abysmal in comparison to the other sports in their newscast, adding to the league’s woes. Living in Southern California, the only games available are the Ducks and Kings, and the occasional Sunday hockey game on NBC. Unless you have the Versus network, hockey is pretty much a luxury when it is available.

photo courtesy mct Washington Capitals’ left winger Alexander Ovechkin celebrates after scoring a goal.

The league is not lacking superstars. In fact, it has two of the best athletes in sports, engaging in one of the most fierce and captivating rivalries in in the sporting world. Alexander Ovechkin, cleverly named “Alexander the Great,” is undoubtedly a spectacle when he takes the ice. His flamboyant persona and superb skills are displayed game in and game out. Ovechkin brings the pain to opposing players and has the ability score and maneuver the puck masterfully. Rivaling the Russian superstar is Canada’s boy, Sidney Crosby. Despite lacking the hitting power, Crosby dominates the puck like no other. His awareness on the ice makes his teammates better and makes him a deadly threat against goalies and defenders. One of the bigger mistakes with the NHL’s marketing strategy is its focus on only two of its brightest stars. They fail to promote the other players in the league, like Henrik Sedin of Vancouver, who led the league in scoring, or the young scoring machine down in Tampa Bay named Steve Stamkos. The NHL has many

viable ambassadors who can promote the league to the open market. Right now, we are witnessing the early years of young bright careers that can hopefully propel the NHL into reclaiming its place as one of the “big four” leagues in American sports. Ovechkin is gone from the playoffs, and some feel that the playoffs has lost some of its muster since the rivalry between “Sid the Kid” will not be renewed this year. The NBA does not solely rely on the game of Lebron James to maintain its spotlight. The NFL never fixates itself on a lone superstar, not to mention the MLB has a vast number of international athletes they market. Both leagues have a core of superstars that they push to the public. In order for the NHL to appeal to a broader audience, it needs to put its product on mainstream networks. Even though that aspect of the problem might not be feasible, the ability to promote other league stars is possible.

(MCT) – Scheduled to start for the Boston Red Sox tonight, John Lackey downplayed the awkwardness of facing his former team for the first time and said “it’s going to be fun.” But he also aimed a high, hard one at the organization that gave him his start in professional baseball, handed him the ball as a rookie in Game 7 of a World Series and paid him more than $27 million over his first seven years in the big leagues. “It is different,” Lackey said when asked about the Angels’ tendency to watch their own players leave when they reach their free-agent years rather than match or top offers from other teams. “The way they preach the team game and the way you’re supposed to give it up for the team –ß that’s a little suspect. You’re supposed to give it up for the team. Then when it comes time, they might not want to give it up for you... I totally knew what the situation was (when he reached free agency). I knew it was a possibility. I was prepared for that. That’s the nature of the game today.” The Angels “definitely made a run to try and keep me,” Lackey said. But that effort (believed to have topped out at about four years and $60 million) fell well short of the five-year, $82.5 million contract Lackey signed with the Red Sox. Considering the history between the Angels and Red Sox –ß particularly during the heart of Lackey’s career with the Angels – Lackey’s decision to move to Boston was not the expected outcome of his freeagent winter. “Absolutely not – that would have been the last team I would have expected,” Angels right-hander Jered Weaver said. “But when you think about it, when a guy like that goes into free agency, there’s really only three teams that are going to be able to sign him (because of the size of the contract). So you could see it happening.” The move to Boston was also surprising because of the pride Lackey took in being the ace of the Angels’ staff – the “lead dog,” as Manager

Photo courtesy mct Former Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim pitcher John Lackey is pumped up after getting out of a jam against the New York Yankees at Angel Stadium of Anaheim on Oct. 22.

Mike Scioscia likes to put it. In Boston, Lackey is the No. 3 starter behind Josh Beckett and Jon Lester. “It’s kind of fun to relax a little bit,” Lackey said. “We’ve got a bunch of guys who can do it, who’ve done it for different teams. “Whatever. It is what it is. I know what I am. I know what I’ll be in the end. It doesn’t matter. It matters about being in the playoffs and pitching.” Lackey (2-1, 4.50) and the Red Sox (12-14) aren’t off to the best of starts. That, Lackey said, will be his focus when he takes the mound today – not any emotions over who he is facing. “We just need to win right now,” Lackey said of the matchup. “I guess maybe a little (emotional), for sure. But right now, we just need to win

games. Honestly, I don’t have a lot of concern about who we’re playing.” “You look at their lineup right now – there’s a lot of guys I’ve faced with other teams. The turnover since I’ve been there, it’s been pretty great. There’s not a lot of guys I played with for a long time.” There is only one teammate remaining who shared the 2002 championship experience with him in Anaheim. “It’ll be weird,” Angels reliever Scot Shields said of seeing Lackey on the mound in a Red Sox uniform pitching against the Angels. “But, you know what, he did what he had to do. I’m happy for him. He got a pretty good contract.” “It’s always hard to picture one of your teammates leaving _ especially, prior to last year, with our past here. It’ll be weird.”