Since 1960 Volume 85, Issue 49
Monday December 14, 2009
The Student Voice of California State University, Fullerton
INSIDE DT FEATURES:
Anthropology intern fishes for knowledge, Page 5
Free H1N1 shots arrive By Nicole F. Park
Daily Titan Staff Writer news@dailytitan.com
A shipment of 600 H1N1 flu shots was delivered to Cal State Fullerton’s Student Health and Counseling Center Wednesday from the County of Orange. A free clinic will be held this Wednesday, one day only, in the Titan Student Union’s Pavilion C from 9 a.m. – 3 p.m. Doses will be administered on a first-come, first-serve basis to qualifying students with a valid TitanCard for no charge. “Most of our students are eligible to receive the vaccine,” said SHCC Associate Director Kathy Spofford. Due to a widespread shortage of the new flu shot, students interested in receiving a free dose on Wednesday must fit into at least one of the target groups prescribed by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Because of the atypical demographic being affected, those between 6 months and 24 years of age are a main priority for
OPINION:
Parents and teachers work together to teach children about sex, Page 6
SPORTS:
Men’s basketball trounces Occidental, Page 14
inoculation. Other priority groups outside of the age range include students who are pregnant or caring for a child 6 months or younger and students with underlying medical conditions, like asthma or diabetes, that could result in influenzarelated complications including death. The symptoms are nearly identical to the seasonal flu, said SHCC Health Educator Mary Becerra. (For the full story, visit DailyTitan.com/ H1N1Clinic)
When to Avoid the Shot: •You had the H1N1 flu this year •You received the H1N1 vaccination •You’re allergic to eggs. The vaccine production is aided by raw chicken eggs •You were born in the 1950s or earlier. It is likely that you already have the antibodies from an earlier related “swine flu.”
Blackboard use: 9 years later By Patrick Cowles
Daily Titan Asst. News Editor news@dailytitan.com
At the turn of the millennium, Cal State Fullerton implemented Blackboard into its campus culture. Nine years later, the learning management system (Web application) has become an important academic tool for students and faculty alike, yet some professors have chosen to maintain their own site. Tom Clanin, a communications professor, has used his own site hosted by the university since the 1990s for all of his classes. Since Clanin has used his site prior to CSUF obtaining Blackboard, his choice to continue maintaining his site is “mostly a learning curve, I know how to use it,” he said. The Faculty Development Center offers workshops on Blackboard to instruct campus staff and faculty on how to use the application. Those workshops range “comprehensively across
the board on all the (features) that Blackboard makes available (to) promote (faculty) use of more ... utilities. beyond just loading the course material,” said Tony Rimmer, director of the Faculty Development Center. Although attendance at the workshops is voluntary, “if a faculty member has a problem, they can call us and we’ll help them out,” Rimmer said. (For the full story, visit Dail y Ti t a n . c o m / BlackboardTechnology)
Blackboard Stats Active faculty accounts as of Fall 2001: 149 Fall 2002: 438 Fall 2009: 1369 Active student accounts as of Fall 2009: 33,421 Total course sections offered within Blackboard: 8,128 Course sections actively used as of Fall 2009: 3,457
Despite challenges, projects meet fruition Graphic Courtesy Lance Treadwell
ONLINE:
By Damon Lowney
Karlo Sy Su takes us through the top stories of the decade at DailyTitan.com/ DecadeStories09
Stay connected to the Daily Titan on:
WEATHER
TODAY TOMorrow
Daily Titan Asst. News Editor news@dailytitan.com
Courtesy of MCT Mountains of paper, glass and plastic waste are processed at San Francisco’s recycling center.
Recycling efforts hindered by funding By Greg Lehman
Daily Titan Staff Writer news@dailytitan.com
High: 74° Low: 48° Partly Cloudy
Visual Arts students of a different breed, See Page 10
By Kevin Jansen | Courtesy Chris Nielsen
High: 72° Low: 50° Mostly Cloudy
CONTACT US Main line: (657) 278-3373 News desk: (657) 278-4415 Advertising: (657) 278-4411 E-mail: news@dailytitan.com
A statute passed in 1999, Assembly Bill 75 Chapter 764, required an implementation of recycling programs at all state schools, according to the California Integrated Waste Management Board’s Web site. The statute requires that “Each state agency shall develop and adopt, in consultation with the board, an integrated waste management plan, in ac-
cordance with the requirements of this chapter.” The ruling places a quantity requirement on these recycling efforts, stating, “Each state agency and each large state facility shall divert at least 25 percent of all solid waste generated by the state agency from landfill disposal or transformation facilities by Jan. 1, 2002, through source reduction, recycling and composting activities. See RECYCLE, Page 2
Despite emerging challenges presented by budget cuts, Cal State Fullerton senior mechanical engineering majors presented designs for their senior projects Thursday morning. The eight designs were presented by teams of various sizes and included a lift chair, a burr coffee grinder, a heat pipe heat sink for a computer CPU, a remote control trailer mover, a CVT transmission bicycle, an elevator monitor, a hand powered spring winder and a FSAE (Formula Society of Automotive Engineers) racecar. Teams who have completed the design phase will start building their projects, some starting as early as winter break. Others will take more time to develop their designs. Kyle Minamide is only a couple weeks into his lift chair design due to complications with his original proj-
ect idea. “I was c o m ing up with an (automatic) quality control s y s t e m” to reduce h u m a n error and long-term costs for a company,” Minamide said. He received permission to use the design for his senior project from his branch manager; but the corporate office, located elsewhere, wouldn’t approve of the status reports he was required to give to his professors. He is now going to design a lift chair for his grandma, who recently had a stroke. It paralyzed the left side of her body, and she has trouble
Machining of the front wheel hub to the FSAE racecar might have to be outsourced and completed at a machine shop for around $1,500 said FSAE team leader Fred Hogarth. Teams will have to resort to outsourcing if the CSUF machine shop can’t be used.
getting out of her chair, Minamide said. The design isn’t close to being completed, but he has researched existing lift chairs for ideas, he said. “The senior project is supposed to span two semesters,” so he said, so he will stick to a simple design to make up for lost time. (For the full story, visit DailyTitan.com/SeniorEngProjects)
TECH RELATED MULTIMEDIA Various CSUF students from diverse majors talk about their digital illustration class on campus: DailyTitan.com/ CSUFDigitalIllustration
Students from the Video Game Design Club share their enthusiasm for video gaming and their passions in the field of computer science: DailyTitan.com/vgdc
Communications professors at CSUF talk about Blackboard and its uses in and out of the classroom: DailyTitan.com/ BlackboardTechnology
Page Two
IN OTHER NEWS INTERNATIONAL
Mexico’s Zetas gang buys businesses along border
MEXICO (MCT) – The Zetas, Mexico’s notoriously brutal group of paramilitary thugs, are expanding their role as bully businessmen along the Texas-Mexico border, branching out from traditional criminal enterprises such as extortion and drug trafficking and buying legitimate businesses, U.S. and Mexican law enforcement officials say. The group, which authorities say operates a weapons and drug distribution hub in North Texas, now calls itself “The Company” and has over the past year evolved from extorting large and small businesses to owning them outright, the officials say. Aside from money laundering, the Zetas are seeking legitimacy from those they have terrorized over the years, using methods such as beheadings and burning rivals alive. Investigators and civic leaders say the Zetas are trying to position themselves to become movers and shakers, even political players, in communities where they have a major presence. Authorities say their strongholds include Ciudad Acuna, Piedras Negras, Reynosa, Matamoros – where they were created – and Nuevo Laredo, their biggest base of operation. All five cities border Texas.
NATIONAL
Senate approves huge spending bill
WASHINGTON (MCT) – Federal agency operations got a boost Sunday as the Senate approved a $1.1 trillion spending bill that Republicans said will cost too much as the country continues to grapple with tough economic times. On a 57-35 vote, senators approved legislation that would combine $447 billion in funds for a variety of federal agencies and about $650 billion in payments for benefit programs like Medicare and Medicaid. The agency money is for the fiscal year ending Sept. 30, 2010. It doesn’t include defense spending. The bill now goes to President Obama for his signature into law. Passage of the bills came as lawmakers are negotiating a rise in the U.S. debt ceiling, now at $12.1 trillion. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi plans to push legislation increasing the borrowing limit next week.
STATE Senate approves huge spending bill WHITTER (MCT) – Officials and residents of the foothill communities of the San Gabriel and La Crescenta valleys continued hoping for the best and preparing for the worst late Saturday, as heavy rains were expected to continue falling on the denuded, already soaked hillsides near the Station Fire burn area. Saturday's rains prompted the evacuation of 44 homes, stranded 101 motorists who were caught up in mudslides on Angeles Crest Highway and forced firefighters to rescue four people who became trapped by floodwaters. No homes were reported damaged by debris flows. The National Weather Service predicted rainfall rates of up to threequarters of an inch per hour, and issued a flash flood warning at 3 p.m. Saturday that was to remain in effect through Sunday morning.
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 Skyler Blair at 657-278-5815 or at execeditor@dailytitan.com with issues about this policy or to report any errors.
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The Daily Titan is a student publication, printed every Monday through Thursday. The Daily Titan operates independently of Associated Students, College of Communications, CSUF administration and the CSUF System. The Daily Titan has functioned as a public forum since inception. Unless implied by the advertising party or otherwise stated, advertising in the Daily Titan is inserted by commercial activities or ventures identified in the advertisements themselves and not by the university. Such printing is not to be construed as written or implied sponsorship, endorsement or investigation of such commercial enterprises. The Daily Titan allocates one issue to each student for free. Copyright ©2009 Daily Titan
December 12, 2009
Students wrap up Titan Toy Drive By nicole f. park
Daily Titan Staff Writer news@dailytitan.com
Camp Titan supporters wrapped 572 brand new gifts on Saturday and watched the bright packages get torn apart on Sunday. As Cal State Fullerton’s official philanthropy, Camp Titan hosts a weeklong camp in Big Bear for underprivileged Orange County boys and girls every June. Around the holidays, camp staff invites all campers of the previous summer to celebrate the gift-giving season their parents might not otherwise be able to afford. The hundreds of new toys were donated from students, faculty, staff and alumni in Titan Toy Drive bins located across campus through Dec. 10. At Saturday’s wrapping party, members of the Cal State Fullerton Alumni Association, Student Alumni Ambassadors, Greek Life and Camp Titan staff spent the afternoon wrapping and labeling hundreds of toys at Santa’s temporary workshop in Fullerton at the George G. Golleher Alumni House. Alumni Association President Verne Wagner volunteered her time for the cause. “We’re in some tough economic times, but the worst thing is for a child to wake up on Christmas morning to no presents,” Wagner said. Wagner commended the generosity
of everyone who donated gifts to the cause. “It’s nice to see such generosity on a campus where faculty has taken a 10 percent pay cut and students are paying more in fees. People are still finding the money to donate, and I think that tells a lot about our campus,” Wagner said. St. Nick himself passed out presents the next day at the annual Camp Titan Holiday Party, held in the Titan Student Union’s Pavilions B and C from 1:30 p.m. – 3 p.m. Of this past June’s 140 campers, 60 children showed up to the party. The children were also given the opportunity to win one of two bikes, a scooter or a Nintendo DS in an raffle. Even the Christmas tree was given to a family without one when the event concluded. Co-director of Camper Relations Melyssa DelaCruz, 20, said Camp Titan is an important experience for these children because “kids need a chance to grow their personality outside the home, and this may be their only opportunity.” She also said the holiday party may be “the only Christmas some of them are going to have and definitely the biggest part of the holiday for most of them.” Co-director of Staff Relations Kim Fragola, 22, served the philanthropy first as a camp counselor on staff and is now serving her second year as codirector.
Photo By ron fu/Daily Titan Staff Photographer Sarah Duncan, 22, holds a handful of sporting equipment that needs wrapping at the Golleher Alumni House on Saturday for the upcoming Titan Toy Drive.
Fragola said there were enough presents to evenly distribute six gifts to each of the 60 children who attended the party with surplus to donate about 50 remaining gifts to the Fullerton fire station’s Toys for Tots drive. Campers were even able to bring along family members to join in the festivities. “It was amazing. We’re not only helping these kids, but we’re helping their parents. It’s hard for them to know they can’t provide extra for their kids,” DelaCruz said of Sunday’s party. In addition to age and gender-ap-
propriate gifts, the campers had fun decorating cookies, making tree ornaments and candy cane reindeer to take home. After the final days of this year’s Titan Toy Drive, DelaCruz said, “I’m still smiling. I feel selfish. This is for the kids, but I feel like it’s for me. We’re all so happy to see these kids. We sleep in the same cabins with them at camp and then we see them around home at the grocery store. You might not think there is a real need in your community, but these kids literally live down the street from us.”
recycle: CSUF waste is taken to outside facility From Page 1
“we have surpassed the state mandated 50 percent rate every year I This statute includes state uni- have been responsible for the reportversity campuses such as Cal State ing (since 2004).” The quantities of Fullerton under the term “state recycled materials pass through Ware agency.” Disposal, the disposal company that The recycling efforts have been collects garbage at CSUF. a success, exceeding “All campus the expectations laid waste is hauled down in the statto a Material ute, said Manager of Recovery FaLandscape Services cility in Santa Steve Dugas, who Ana operated reports the recycling by our curstatistics by annual rent campus – Willem van der Pol, waste contractonnage. Assembly Bill 75 requires Physical Plant tor, Ware Disthese quantities to director posal,” Dugas be reported annually, said, “where stating, “Each state all recyclable agency shall submit a report to the materials are sorted out from the board summarizing its progress in waste stream for recycling.” reducing solid waste.” “Due to camJason Rush, legislative director pus diversion efforts,” Dugas said, for Ware Disposal, said that garbage
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A lot of recycling is going on without people knowing about it.
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is brought to a facility after being thrown away at a pick up site. Rush said that at that facility the garbage is processed by a team of around 24 people who sort out which materials can be recycled. Willem van der Pol, director of the Physical Plant at CSUF, said that the school diverts “right around 60 percent” of its waste stream away from landfills through the use of separation facilities. “A lot of recycling is going on without people knowing about it,” van der Pol said. Though the recycling program at CSUF is currently operated only by Dugas, he has hopes for growth in the future. “It is my hope that sometime in the near future the campus will have the resources for a full fledged recycling department responsible for education, outreach and programs,” Dugas said. “Until
then, at least until the current waste contract runs out Oct. 31, 2011, we will continue to operate as is.” Dugas added, “The campus doesn’t have the resources or staff to run a proper recycling program.” If given more opportunity to expand recycling on campus, Dugas said he would “hire a recycling coordinator to manage it and implement programs.” The statute passed to implement recycling does say that any cost savings resulting from the recycling, “Shall, to the extent feasible, be redirected to the agency’s integrated waste management plan to fund plan implementation and administration costs.” This could mean that if more money is saved through recycling a larger program could result. In the end, Dugas reminds everyone at CSUF to “remember to always reduce, reuse and recycle.”
FEATURES
December 14, 2009
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Engineers harness power of wind Subsonic tunnels get air flowing at high speeds in student experiments
At Cal State Fullerton’s College of Engineering and Computer Science, engineering students have access to four wind tunnels on campus – three subsonic and one supersonic – to study the flow of air over different objects. By Damon Lowney Students use the wind tunnels in Daily Titan Asst. News Editor Mechanical Engineering 306B. features@dailytitan.com “We have six or seven experiments through the class. The wind A jet traveling at the speed of tunnel is one,” said Peter Othmer, sound covers about 1,100 feet ev- chair of mechanical engineering. ery second, slicing through the air Two wind tunnels no longer like a butcher knife cleaves through than large dinner tables and about meat. When the chest high are speed of sound powered by an is surpassed, electric motor Mother Nature plugged into protests the gross the wall. exploitation of Here stumetal and jet fuel dents learn in the form of an about lift and earsplitting sonic two forces – Paul Rahmanian, drag, boom. that affect every Engineering graduate Unfortunately aircraft and aufor her, the jet’s tomobile. pilot won’t hear A small airit. foil (wing) is attached to a scale in The sound barrier isn’t an easy one the test section of the wind tunto break through. nel. Like a butcher sharpening his “You can adjust the flap, the slat knife to cut through meat, engineers and the angle of attack (on the airspend considerable amounts of time foil) so you simulate take off and in wind tunnels studying airflow landing,” said Othmer. with the goal of streamlining airWhen the wind tunnel is runcraft. ning, students can see how lift and
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Sounds like you have a jet engine inside the building.
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Video Screen Grab By Damon Lowney/Daily Titan Staff Writer The fan pulls air through the wind tunnel and exits on this side. Students test different object such as a sensor-lined airfoil (wing). Flaps and slats are adjusted to create differences in lift and drag.
VIDEO SCREEN GRAB By Damon Lowney/Daily Titan Staff Chair of the college’s Mechanical Engineering Department points at a metal cone located in the test section of the supersonic wind tunnel. If the wind tunnel had passed its safety inspection, students could study airflow over the cone and other objects.
drag is affected by different airfoil configurations and airspeeds. Wedges, cones and spheres are tested as well, Othmer said. “Lift and drag go up together,” said Fred Hogarth, senior mechanical engineering major. “You want to make as much lift as the plane weighs,” for cruising to keep the drag to a minimum, he said. “There are some instances when you want a lot of lift and a lot of drag,” such as when landing a plane, Hogarth said. In another room reside the much larger and much louder subsonic
wind tunnel and supersonic wind tunnel. The subsonic tunnel runs the length of the room and it “Sounds like you have a jet engine inside the building,” said Paul Rahmanian, a graduate of CSUF’s engineering program. He said the wind tunnel is a valuable tool for students to learn about fluid dynamics, a topic covered only in books until they take EGME 306B. This wind tunnel is mainly used for a different experiment, however. A “whistling tube,” as Othmer calls it, is placed in the test section and
air is blown through it at different speeds. Two rings placed inside the tube disturb the airflow and produce whistling sounds, which are recorded and sent to a computer. “You got about a foot worth of screens that you can put in (the intake side of the wind tunnel),” Othmer said. “The more screens we put in the nicer the flow is on the test section,” because the flow is more uniform, he said. A 75 horsepower motor powers this wind tunnel’s fan, which pulls air through the tunnel, just like the two smaller ones. The biggest differ-
ence is size. To run this wind tunnel, a garage door needs to be opened to let air rush out the exhaust side. Other objects can be put into it as well, such as larger versions of the cylinders and airfoils used in the two smaller wind tunnels. The supersonic wind tunnel is out of commission, however, due to a leak discovered in an inspection, Othmer said. The school will only allow use of the tunnel if it can pass the inspection. Daily Titan Staff Writer Greg Lehman contributed to this story.
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FEATURES
December 14, 2009
PHOTOS By Ron Fu/Daily Titan Staff Photographer Above: Greg Campbell, 25, (left) logs onto the Internet in the computer science computer lab. Right: Students cram a computer lab in the College Park building the week before finals.
Students make use of computer labs and free Internet access features@dailytitan.com
One of the many benefits of being a student at any college is free access to the Internet, top-of-the-line programs and the space needed to complete student projects. Cal State Fullerton is no exception as it offers a very wide array of computers with an even larger number of programs to help students accomplish any goal a class requires. Every college on campus has a unique set of computers available to help students achieve their goals, but the three most unique computer labs on campus belong to the college of the visual arts, computer science and communications. The visual arts buildings on campus have several lab rooms, all of them containing similar, but not exactly the same applications and specs. “It’s catered to what the classes use it for,” said Rodrigo Calderon a volunteer lab monitor. “I like them, they have pretty good computers that run at good speeds and have different
programs … I make do with what’s available to me. I’m not a snob.” Some of these different programs are Adobe InDesign, DreamWeaver, Photoshop, Final Cut Pro and several illustration programs. However, the bad news is that the Visual Arts Labs are not technically labs thus not available to all students. “Basically, the labs in VA are not officially designated as computer labs,” said Ryder Smith the visual arts head lab technician, “They are for the use of Visual Arts students only and their use is part of the curriculum.” “We are Mac based with excellent hardware and software, and I have kicked out entire comm. classes and individual students who attempt to use our equipment,” said Smith. “We have no word processing and many labs have no printing available, and so hold little interest outside the major in any case.” One thing that many visual arts students complain about is the lack of an update to the Adobe Creative Suites in the labs as the communications building has the most recent version.
“I mean if anyone should have the CS4 suite I think it should be art majors’ cause they are the one who have to deal with industry standards as soon as they graduates,” said Rodrigo. “That makes sense to me; I would be for that. Where do I sign up?” The College of Communications, located at the College Park building, contains several top-of-the-line Macs within its labs in the basement. “Comm. has traditionally been one of the leaders on campus in terms of hardware and software upkeep,” said Michael Bedford, the instructional support technician and monitor of the Communication labs. “This is important because we especially need to have the latest software, or else students will bring data from home that might not be editable here.” For a while the labs also had free printing. Since this became a wellknown secret across campus, noncomm. majors began using it to print free of charge. “Our three teaching labs and one open (unscheduled) lab are intended mainly for comm. students, and they use them quite heavily,” said Bedford,
“We have switched to a TitanCard computer labs that contain Windows payment system for printing in our Vista-based computers with all the open lab, which has helped reduce latest computer science programs installed, and of course, the basics such as non-departmental traffic.” Another unique feature the commu- Word and Firefox. There is also a class nications computers have, is the ability room that doubles as a lab with Winto run a well known program called dows 7 on all the computers. The CS building even has one lab Boot Camp. on the second “Comm. is Intel floor containMac-based, with ing computers 20 inch white and with Linux OS, silver iMacs caa lesser-known pable of running operating sysWindows XP tem. That may via Apple’s Boot not be a big deal Camp in two of to most people our four labs (for on campus but those few software it is important titles for which – Michael Bedford, to those in the there is no Mac computer sciequivalent, such Technician ence world. as EZ News).” Although But for students who want to use Windows on a stan- most students may not find use for its dard PC but can’t get an opening in the computer science specific programs, library during finals, there is another the labs in the CS building are open option: the College of Computer Sci- to all majors. “I did one time find a business ence located in the CS building. Both the first floor and second floor student hanging out in the labs, but of the computer science building have he was just there to hang out with
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Comm. has traditionally been one of the leaders on campus in terms of hardware and software upkeep.
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By Skylar Smith
Daily Titan Staff Writer
students with other backgrounds,” said Hernan Manabat the operating systems analyst for the CS building. “The campus is welcome to use the labs here.” Just like any school break, you can expect the computer techs to be working hard to make sure all software requirements are met for the upcoming semester. “Hardware is updated frequently with the last refresh taking place last semester and another (possibly two) scheduled for this upcoming break,” said Smith. “What I do during the break is find out what the newest software (is), and if the instructor and classes support newer textbooks and with new textbooks we need new software,” said Manabat. “I have Apple’s new Snow Leopard operating system on hand and plan to upgrade to it for the spring, as well as install any new versions of any applications we use,” said Bedford. “Hardware upgrades will probably have to wait a year or two, but in terms of computers we’re in good shape for now.”
Web site provides haven for waiters ‘stuck serving’ By KymBerly Snew
Daily Titan Asst. News Editor features@dailytitan.com
Do you feel occupationally trapped waiting tables? You’re not alone. Many in the food service industry feel the same and have come together to share their funniest, most frustrating and
embarrassing serving stories on a blogtype Web site, StuckServing.com. Cal State Fullerton graduate Blair Beauchemin, 24, created StuckServing.com late August in 2009. A site where waiters, waitresses, bartenders, hosts and anybody in the service industry can share their most memorable customer service stories. “It’s a good way to get some frustrations out, get a couple of laughs and see that other people have to put up with the same nonsense that you do at work,” Beauchemin said. After Beauchemin earned his bachelor’s in Business Administration with an emphasis in Management, it became tough to look for corporate business work. “I feel like I’m kind of stuck serving right now,” he said. Beauchemin began working for the food service industry in high school at a wedding reception hall, then became a bus boy at a Mexican Restaurant and currently works as a server at a local Italian restaurant. Web sites such as FMyLife.com and TextsFromLastNight.com have become a growing trend for people to post embarrassing stories about their daily life experiences, which inspired the creation of StuckServing.com. “I thought there are a lot of waiters out there and a lot of college students that work in restaurants … finish school and haven’t been able to find a job and are still waiting tables,” he said. Beauchemin said the Web site has been fairly successful so far and gets about 12,000 views a month. He currently has around 220 posts. Server stories that have been posted range from a hilarious throw up incident, needy customers who always seem to ask the most outrageous questions, to the benefits of being a server and getting the tips you hope for each night. But the most popular yet has been the spitter. The post, “The Spitter” was submitted by a host named Kourtney. It was a busy Friday night at a popular restaurant, and the wait was an hour and a half long. A man with a party of six was quoted an hour until he would be seated. He complained about how parties of two were being seated before him when they showed up after. The host explained that there are more two top booths than tables that can accommodate a party of six. The man got very angry and began to yell in the
lobby, “My manager talked to him, and he finally waited patiently until he was called, as I reached out my hand to grab his buzzer, instead of placing it in my hand, he spit in my hand. Not only did my managers not kick him out, they bought him dessert for his ‘troubles.’ Welcome to a corporate restaurant.” In reaction to “The Spitter” story, Mike Northrop, 22, international business major and server at T.G.I Fridays understood the craziness servers experience on an ordinary work shift. “You see people like (him) who don’t think before they act and think they should be given everything the way they want it.” Northrop likes working as a server because of the flexibility of working in a restaurant. “If I wanted to go to Vegas this weekend it would be easy to get my shifts covered,” Northrop said. He said serving is an easy job for a college student but would not see himself serving forever. Norma Martinez, 22, senior and server at Roy’s agrees with Beauchemin’s idea of being “Stuck Serving” and that serving is a good job while in college. “It’s an industry where young people really get stuck in and don’t really try to get into their careers because of the money, the convenience and the flexibility just seems so ideal. So many people get stuck serving, it’s just one of those industries.” Martinez makes about $130 - $150 average a night and has five to seven hour shifts. “I think it’s really good pay,” she said. “You get the cash at the end of the day and you don’t have to wait for a pay check. Sometimes I think our job is too easy to get that kind of money.” One thing Martinez hates about serving is how it can make you judgmental. “I do not want to think just because of a race that they are going to automatically stiff me but working in a restaurant you automatically judge them when they sit down,” she said. “I still want to give them good service and quality and give them the
benefit of the doubt, but it does suck when they prove you right,” Martinez said. As a server, making an income is based solely on tips, they don’t make anything hourly because they get double taxed on their paychecks. Some customers do not understand this and usually leave a server frustrated and upset at the end of the night. One of Martinez’s worst serving experiences was a recent table with four guests. She said she was being extremely personable with them and they were having a good time. When it came to paying the bill it came out to be $283. The man who paid got up and told her that he forgot to add the tip and told her that he was going to leave a really good tip. “It sparked some excitement in me and other servers are around me were wondering what the good tip was going to be,” Martinez said. He handed her the booklet with his check in it and when he left she looked at it and it said, $16! “The bill was $283, it was a huge slap in the face because they were there for about two and a half hours and I was catering to them,” she said. “Sixteen bucks is not even enough to tip out the runners, bar tenders and server assistants.” StuckServing.com is a place where people can go if they are bored or, “If you want to get a quick laugh, it’s a good place for that. Or if you have something funny you want to share or something that you are frustrated about that a crazy table did that drives you nuts that night,” Beauchemin said. “You can post it on the Web site and people will rate how funny or how ridiculous the situation is.” Beauchemin said he would like the website to get enough traffic one day to be able to sell advertisement space on it and make some money. “The whole reason I wanted to start this was because I have always wanted to start my own business and I figured that this was a really low cost business venture that has no financial risk.”
Blair Beauchemin
MultiMedia Check out DailyTitan.com/OLLI09 for a video on Osher Lifelong Learning Institute students taking up parking on campus
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FEATURES
December 14, 2009
Intern finds Archaeology Day rewarding By John Synco
For the Daily Titan
features@dailytitan.com
The end of a yearlong anthropology internship had finally appeared in front of me. I didn’t expect the conclusion to resemble an approaching parade of children kicking up dust down a trail in the Fullerton Arboretum, but if I had mentally grasped anything during this scientific journey, it would have been the understanding that observing an outcome is better than predicting one. Archaeology Day at the Arboretum happened on Dec. 6, and even with ominous clouds and random bursts of wind, the place was overflowing with life. Some people shopped for plants while others explored the lush grounds. But nestled up against the eastern fence sat 24 children ranging in age from 6 to 12, learning about some of the old traditions of Native Americans during an educational series titled, “California Indian Plant Uses from Past to Present.” I recognized the children’s interested expressions as they lined up for a brief introduction by archaeology professor Brenda Bowser, who, along with a group of anthropology interns Photo By John Synco/For the Daily Titan and colleagues, organized Archaeol- Anthropology intern Nhi Truong teaches the children who participated in Archaeology Day at the Arboretum on Dec. 6 about acorns ogy Day at the Arboretum. I didn’t and how to break them down into mush for food. catch even a glimpse of fear or hesitation in the children’s eyes. Maybe it was the age difference, but fear and ent species of fishes for the anthro- into the science of archaeology,” thropology intern. “The children love hesitation were exactly what I was ex- pology department’s comparative fish Bowser said in a phone interview. it; they’re happy with the food.” “(Also) to teach them about the lives These children had already figured periencing. I was full of doubt when I bone collection.” I felt the cold sensation of im- of Native Americans from the past out the last few lessons I learned durdecided to take my education outside minent failure blanket my nerves. I to the present in this region, and to ing my internship. Dive in, particiof the classroom. Over a year ago, I strayed from my didn’t have the confidence that these integrate concepts that teachers are pate and explore new things as often children seemed required to teach about archaeology as possible, and don’t be too scared to comfortable colaccording to the California state stan- try a prickly pear. to have. lege routine and “I like helping kids because I grew They calmly dards.” meandered into The children were taught how to up being a lifeguard helping kids,” marched on to Bowser’s office to the Sandbox Ar- smash and grind acorns into a floury said Jamie Gray, an anthropology ininquire about a chaeology Proj- mush, make stone tools out of obsid- tern. “I want the kids to (learn) that creative grant she ect site, sat down ian, make soap from soaproot, cre- Native Americans are still around and had mentioned and started par- ate rock art, play old dice games and these are the things they did.” in class. Receive a I didn’t get to try obscure fruit, but ticipating in all identify some of the plants within the grant and knock the education I received outside of the different ac- Arboretum. out a graduation They were also taught about Cali- the classroom provided me with a full requirement by – Jamie Gray, tivities that took fornia obsidian sourcing and were list of opportunities. over a year of exfishing? I had to Anthropology intern Soon after that initial meeting with tensive research given the chance to taste acorn pantry it. The strange and hard work cakes and prickly pears. They seemed Bowser, I was thrust into a world of idea fit my perbagging, tagging, logging, measuring, to prepare – and to truly enjoy the adventure. sonality perfectly, “We did acorn processing, which weighing, cutting, gutting, boiling, they excelled. and the project sounded easy. “The goal of Archaeology Day at was the biggest staple with Native freezing and stinking. That is, it sounded easy until “fishYeah, I stunk. There’s no getting ing” morphed into “collecting differ- the Arboretum is to engage children Americans,” said Holly Eeg, an an-
around it. In order to build up a comparative fish bone collection, one must first catch a fish and then proceed to remove all the fleshy bits from the bones, or in other words macerate the specimen. The work turned tedious in the last few months, but I accomplished my main goal. I supplied archaeologists and students with an array of fish and fish bones for their work in the field and future projects. Although the comparative fish bone collection is far from complete (I realized I wouldn’t be able to single handedly accomplish such a feat when I failed to catch any fish on my first day), the task has begun. Now students can pick up where I left off and go fishing for school credit.
I feel privileged to have been part of the beginning of a five-year educational journey between the anthropology department and the Fullerton Arboretum – and the only thing I had to do was dive in. “We developed a memorandum of agreement between the Department of Anthropology and the Fullerton Arboretum to give us five years to work on this project,” Bowser said. “We proposed that the first year would be spent in planning and that we would begin our public educational activities in our second year, so we’re right on schedule.” For more information about upcoming Sandbox Archaeology Project events, visit the Fullerton Arboretum’s Web site at FullertonArboretum.org.
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I want the kids to (learn) that Native Americans are still around and these are still around ...
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Photo By John Synco/For the Daily Titan Jeremy Long, 33, fishes off the Balboa beach pier. Nothing was caught during the five labor-intensive hours of fishing.
OPINION
December 14, 2009
Alien in America
Titan Editorial
Providing insight, analysis and perspective since 1960
Sex ed: a collaborative effort
There is a difference between encouraging children about the realities of being sexually active. and teenagers to hold off on sex until they are responThis issue is not black and white. There is no one sible enough to handle it, and willfully keeping them right way to teach children about sex – but there ignorant to the realities of reproduction. are many wrong ways. It is the responsibility of the Abstinence-only sexual education was, for many schools and families to teach children what they need years, the only education children received when to know about life. It is a collaborative effort and it came to sex, pregnancy and sexually transmitted neither group should be content to assume that the diseases, due in part to former President George W. other can handle the difficult task of properly educatBush’s abstinence-only sex education policy. Under ing children about any issue. his administration, teens were taught that the only According to a study from UCLA’s RAND Center way to avoid pregnancy and STDs was to not have for Reproductive Health, more than 40 percent of sex at all. There was little mention of condoms and teenagers engaged in sexual activity before they had other preventative practices. the “birds and the bees” talk with their parents. For his home state of Texas, many sex education It is the right of parents to decide when they feel programs taught students stereotypes regarding sex their children are ready to learn about sex, but the rather than teaching them facts. Instead of bringing longer they wait, the more likely it is that they will educated awareness to the students, they were taught receive the wrong information. Many teenagers learn on the level of Saturday morning cartoons. about sex from their friends; even if their friends have A study by two Texas State University-San Mar- received the right information about sex, it cannot be cos professors and the Texas-based advocacy group, assumed that they will repeat that same information Texas Freedom Network, found that 94 percent of correctly or completely. the 1,031 Texas school districts only taught abstiEven relying on a parent’s ability to teach their chilnence-only sex education with 2 percent ignoring sex dren about sex and the consequences that come with education completely, only the remaining 4 percent it can be less than comprehensive. Just because the taught students about sexually transmitted diseases parent had sex at least one time to create said child and contraceptives. does not mean that the parent knows everything there This has led to one teen pregnancy every 10 min- is to know about life between the sheets. utes in Texas, estimated the Texas Department of Education and health professionals should be the State Health Services’ Web site. In 2006, 101 out of ones to teach children about the realities of STDs and every 1,000 females between ages 15 – 19 in Texas pregnancy and how to prevent them. Parents should became pregnant. be responsible for teaching their children about Clearly, this knowing when was the wrong the right time is way to go about to have sex. Proit. It is undeniable fessionals should that sexual desire explain the cold is a product of inhard facts, and stinct; it cannot be parents should prayed away, and explain the morit cannot be igals of sex accordnored. Hormones ing to whatever wage war on the belief they subbodies and minds scribe to. of teenagers, and Teenagers will they deserve to always rebel no know what is hapmatter the consepening to them. quences, but makPresident ing the mistake Obama has cut of keeping them funding for Bush’s ignorant of what sex education will happen when programs and rethey do rebel will placed them with only lead to more more detailed and mistakes and thorough lessons Illustration By Jon Harguindeguy/For the Daily Titan troubled lives.
“From the inside looking out”
Why I love American education by Isa Ghani
Daily Titan Multimedia Editor opinion@dailytitan.com
My sister says I complain too much. Apparently, all she’s taken away from reading this column is how much I don’t like America. This isn’t true – I love America. What’s not to love about it? There are beautiful women all over the place, garbage disposals in the sinks and George W. Bush will never be president of the United States ever again. But maybe it’s time to talk about what I love about America. One of the best things about my new life here is Cal State Fullerton. Hold on, before you put your paper down in disgust, hear me out. Yes, the CSU is in the dumps right now, and we all know the education system here is slowly turning into mush. But there is so much that is good about the system. Here, we get to pick what classes we want. Each course we take only lasts three to four months and then we never need the information we learned. In the British system, which is in use in many places around the world, every year consists of two exams – each worth 50 percent of your grade. Mess up once, and you have to retake an entire year. Oh, and did I mention that exams are all cumulative? Believe me, it sucks trying to remember two year’s worth of classes for one major exam. In college or university here, your professors are so relaxed, laid back and best of all, genuinely interested in what they have to teach. Fine, there may be some exceptions to this rule. But I have had
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By Skylar Smith
Daily Titan Staff Writer opinion@dailytitan.com
The Mac has always taken a lot of heat from the gaming community and much of the computer science and engineering community, rightfully so. Its recent advertising is made to poke fun at the PC world and has caused Windows to respond with its own anti-Mac advertising campaign. However, beneath all the bragging and beneath all the sleek advertising lies a solid machine capable of handling far more than people expect. Every program installed on Mac, made by Apple or otherwise, is custom tailored to fit that specific operating system and that specific arrangement of drivers and parts, thus, allowing updates to go smoother and programs to run faster. Go ahead and run any Adobe program on a Mac then run it on a PC with the same specifications and see the difference. Sure, you can get similar results with a custom built PC with much higher specs and cost, but there are many people out there who don’t have the time or knowledge to do that. Macs are also great because the
By Patrick Cowles
Daily Titan Asst. News Editor opinion@dailytitan.com
In July, I spent $1,300 on a new desktop computer from a small company that produces high performance PCs for people like me, avid gamers. I’ve grown accustomed to this price because every so often I need a new computer, since the hardware in my old one will no longer be capable of running newer games. And just above $1,000 is about the price I need in order to build a computer I won’t have to substantially replace within the next five to six years. With my PC, if I need a new video card, I can spend the $100 to $200 for a top-of-the-line card in between those years or a few dozen dollars on faster RAM, but those prices aren’t damning. With an iMac, every two to three years, it’s time for a new one. Can you simply replace the video card instead? No. Can you simply upgrade your RAM instead? No. I’ve been informed by an Apple employee about the hoops one must jump through to upgrade or replace their hardware, and it’s just not practical. You even void your legal warranty if you look
other people, I began to realize how great it was. Each time I discovered something new. Did you know there was a giant ice cream behind the Visual Arts Center? Or that a great bald eagle occasionally inhabits the upper roof of College Park? Plus, it’s pretty cool to say to people, “Yeah, my school has a bowling alley, so what?” We have a pub on campus, a gaming area downstairs, great computer labs and all sorts of activities available to us. I know I have given Associated Students Inc. some flak before, but kudos to them for organizing the Becker Amphitheatre shows on Wednesdays or the Pub Nights on Thursdays. And it’s nice to get free hot dogs once in a while, at least I know where some of my tuition fees are going … Just kidding, guys! So it saddens me when students come to school, go to class and take off as soon as class is over. I’m not advocating staying on campus all day, but it seems that with an enrollment of 35,000, there sure aren’t that many people on campus during the day. It’s the commuter school thing, I get it. But when we have an OC Weekly-selected “Best Downtown of Orange County” minutes away and some pretty nice hang out spots on and off campus, I don’t see why we can’t do all our hanging out here. It’s a bit of a shame that although I’m really enthusiastic about what my school here in America has to offer, no one else really is. It’s also a shame that I’m just getting into the swing of things and California cuts the CSU budget by over a billion dollars. Oh, I guess I just found something new to complain about. Yay.
But in America, we can set fire to school buildings, storm through classes and lead protest marches – amazing.
Which computer gives you more for your money, Mac or PC? applications that Apple makes are always top of the line compared to the competitors, and every program, no matter what the industry you work in other than computer science, the Apple application is the industry standard. Now, for the specific stuff. Most PC’s currently come with a 60-day trial of some security software, and after the trial is over, you are out of luck unless you buy a new annual subscription to new security software. On the Mac, there is no need for Anti-Virus software, thus, saving you hundreds of dollars. How about software and hardware problems? A diagnosis without warranty can cost $100 or more. A diagnosis at an Apple store? Free. Then there’s the bundle of features that come with “iLife,” which is pre-installed on every Mac and lets you organize photos and movies and share them with friends or family. There is also “GarageBand,” which is the most easily accessible and broadly used recording program for many podcasts and new music artists; and that’s free too. Hewlett Packard laptops or most Windows-based laptops have a battery life of about three hours at most. The MacBook Pro keeps users running and operating their programs for up to eight hours. At the end of the day, if you took the program costs, security costs and troubleshooting/repair costs that a PC user would require over the life of their computer – a MacBook’s out-of-the-box standards – it would cost close to $1,500. The PC user would pay around the same price as a Mac, and their PC would still not be running as smoothly.
professors at CSUF who speak about history as if it were their best friend. You won’t get that anywhere else, where elderly professors just drone on and on, teaching the same class, in the same way they have done it for years. What also gets me is the dynamics of the student-teacher relationship. Back where I am from, there is a big division between faculty and students. I’m not saying things are estranged between us, just rather … chilly. It’s a respect-your-elders thing, where you don’t cross lines and become overly familiar. Here,
inside the iMac (Incredibly Misleadingly Advertised Crap). Regardless of the software bundle you get with an iMac, the price of the machine you’re buying is disproportionate with the value of the parts, software and services you’re paying for (I got a software bundle and three year parts and labor with mine). I’m on the Apple Store Web site right now, looking at their iMac of comparable hardware to mine. For $2,000, you get half my RAM, meaning you’re a technological shift behind in graphics (which you can’t upgrade). But you have a slightly better processor. To have eight gigabytes of RAM like my computer, add $200 for four sticks at two GB a piece or $600 for two sticks at four GB a piece. Considering I bought Kingston Hyper-X with mine, you’ll probably have to add $600 to equal my power. Either way, if you buy the “closest” iMac to my PC, you’re paying much more for much less. Kudos, because I have $700 – $1,300 left in my pocket to buy tons of beer with in order to help fuel my latest crave … Fallout 3 (be quiet; I finally have a PC that can handle it). And by the way Mac-olites, when your power supply dies (very cheap “$50” and simple fix “under five minutes”), your iMac is legally dead, and you void the warranty if you replace it. Enjoy the wonders of the transportation industry if you ship it in for repairs. I drove my own car to pick up my PC, no two week waiting period necessary. P.S.: The comparable Mac Pro to my PC is $2,949. So, hey, Mac ... my PC may “crash” (rarely), but at least I’m not broke.
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my professors buy me a beer. In America, you get to protest. In fact, that’s almost all students are good for – protesting what they don’t like. I just learned about how in the 1970s CSUF students threw rotten fruit at Ronald Reagan. That just blows my mind. The last time I tried to organize a protest over some inane rules about girls not being allowed to wear miniskirts or shorts to school (true story), we ended up getting more rules imposed upon us and more rights taken away. But in America, we can set fire to school buildings, storm through classes and lead protest marches – amazing. Being a student at CSUF is wonderful. Recently, I’ve taken friends, my girlfriend and my sister on tours of the campus. And in showing it to
Nerdgasm
That’s So Gay
“Exploring the highs and lows of nerd culture”
“Out of the closet and into the limelight”
Enjoying the silence by ashleigh johnson
Daily Titan Copy Editor opinion@dailytitan.com
So there’s this series of games that’s been around for a while; it’s called “Silent Hill.” Maybe you’ve heard of it. Reader, let me tell you, I love me some “Silent Hill.” I love the (usually) superb storytelling, the creepy atmospheres, the mythology surrounding the fictional town. E-V-E-R-Y-T-H-I-N-G. “OK, I get it,” you may be thinking right now. “You really like a series of video games. Great.” Oh no, my friend. You most certainly do not get it. This is something much deeper than like. If Pyramid Head existed, he would take out a restraining order on me faster than you can say “rape.” So it’s no surprise that Christmas came early for me this year when it was announced that Konami would be releasing a remake (or reimagining or whatever the hell they’re calling it now) of the first SH game titled “Silent Hill: Shattered Memories.” Ladies and gentlemen, I nerdgasmed. Sure, the more recent installments of the series have lacked their predecessors’ brilliance, but I didn’t care. Like I said before, I like the series to the point where Konami could release a game about Stalin being a pretty cool guy and how he and Mecha-Hitler had many magical adventures with Mother Theresa to
fight poor people, and as long as they slapped a “Silent Hill” sticker on the box, I would sell someone else’s grandmother just to buy it. And so I spend the next few months salivating over concept art, promotional trailers, blogs, anything to scratch my “Shattered Memories” itch. I should probably mention now that, besides the downright amazing storylines (OK, generally amazing. “Origins” and “Homecoming” were definitely the mentally challenged cousins to SH2’s Einstein or the
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I can wait. See? Isn’t he awesome? Now, go listen to the revamped version of “Always on My Mind” that he recently released. Do it! Now! I’m not even joking. There’s been some talk for a while now that the SH series is effectively dead, that the franchise has fallen victim to the pressure of fans and its own past excellence. I was once more inclined to disagree. Sure, the new games weren’t all that great, but they still had the same creepy charm as the previous games. Much of the charm factor rested solely on nostalgia and Yamaoka’s near-genius ability to whip up some of the greatest video game music ever. I’m just going to go ahead and call it – time of death: 10:21 p.m. Sure, Konami can very easily hire another composer should it choose to continue the series, but it’s safe to say that said composer would be hired more on the basis of how similar they can make their pieces sound like Yamaoka’s. It wouldn’t be a replacement so much as a shoddy imitation. When finals are over, I plan on marching into my nearest video game store and buying myself a copy of “Shattered Memories.” If only because now I feel obligated. Or maybe I’ll wait for Santa to get it for me. That fat prick owes me big time after I didn’t go public with those pictures I took of him with your mother. The dirty whore. Happy holidays, everyone!
I’ll wait for Santa to get it for me. That fat prick owes me big time after I didn’t go public with those pictures I took of him with your mother.
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“Twilight” to SH2’s “Dorian Gray” – whatever floats your boat there, chief ), possibly my favorite aspect of the series is the moody, rich music created by series composer Akira Yamaoka. So, imagine my complete horror when I was told – brace yourself, you may want to sit down for this one – that Yamaoka has officially left Konami and that “Shattered Memories” would be the last SH game with his music. I know. I’ll give you a moment. Look, if you’re not familiar with his work, look the man up now.
Five Across the Eyes “A slap in the face to those most deserving”
Rich idiots in space by Jeremiah Magan
Daily Titan Opinion Editor opinion@dailytitan.com
There are many things billionaire and entrepreneur Sir Richard Branson has done in his life that people would call innovative, remarkable or ludicrous. He is best known as being the founder of Virgin Records and the companies and business ventures that followed. Taking a note from his airline division, Branson has introduced the world to Virgin Galactic, the first commercial spacecraft. The world has known about Branson’s plans to create a commercial space shuttle for years, but no one really expected him to actually pull it off any time soon. I always thought it would be a few more decades before we saw people with more money than common sense get shoved in a rocket and shot toward the heavens. Who knew we wouldn’t have to wait for the Earth to crumble beneath our feet before that would happen? These trips to the edge of the world are open to anyone. Well, anyone who happens to have $200,000 lying around. In all honesty, it’s not just rich
people who are among the first 300 individuals to purchase a ticket on Branson’s rocket ship to pointlessness. Natasha Pavlovich, a native of Serbia told the Los Angeles Times that she wanted to bring pride to her homeland … by going into space. “Serbs have gotten a bad name in the press. I want to uplift all Serbs,” she said. That’s a nice thought, especially
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hind allowing regular people to venture into the great beyond; it allows them to play out their wildest fantasies not involving sex or being a vampire. Though, I’m sure it won’t be long before we hear about the first two members of the 60-mile high club. I’m a nerd. I love “Star Wars” and other space-oriented science fiction, but I’ve never turned to my other nerd friends and said, “Hey, you know what would be cool? Avoid all the training and hard work that goes into being an astronaut and pay someone to launch my lazy ass into space.” This all just seems incredibly irresponsible. Sending just about anyone with a large bank account and too much free time on their hands into space in an experimental space craft sounds like a recipe for disaster. I’m sure Branson and his crew have worked out most of the bugs, especially after three of the employees were killed during an engine test in 2007. It’s probably completely safe. I mean if NASA has been sending people into space since 1958 and only a handful of their rockets have exploded, then I’m sure Branson’s VSS Enterprise will do fine with regular trips to the atmosphere on an experimental aircraft. What’s the worst that could happen?
Though, I’m sure it won’t be long before we hear about the first two members of the 60-mile high club.
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Letters to the Editor:
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OPINION
December 14, 2009
considering she had to put the purchase of her ticket on a credit card and borrow the rest from her family. Now that they are all in debt, I’m sure all of Serbia will benefit tremendously once Pavlovich has been shot in a rocket to space. But I am being overly pessimistic, I’m sure there are a number of positive things that will come from her trip into the atmosphere. I can’t think of what any of those things would be, but I’m sure she’ll come up with something. I understand the whole idea be-
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.
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.
As eager to learn as to inform by Daniel Batalla
Daily Titan Columnist opinion@dailytitan.com
“Be who you are and say what you feel because those who mind don’t matter and those who matter don’t mind.” As a child, I loved Dr. Seuss and his simplistic take on life, but I never thought that his words would still hold relevance past my adolescence. These past 18 weeks I’ve received numerous e-mails from people praising me in my efforts to break down stereotypes. Some have suggested I seek therapy while a couple of you expressed your immense disgust for same-sex relations. “Anonymous” took it one step further by sharing with me his hope of “eradicating” homosexuality. Some e-mails I read left me feeling empowered while some had me questioning if Cal State Fullerton was ready for an openly gay columnist. Most of my adult life I’ve been described as a fairly guarded person, but this column wouldn’t have worked if I hadn’t opened up. Regardless of where people stood on the issues, I felt a responsibility to put myself out there for those individuals who were struggling with their own acceptance. I wanted them to know that I understand how difficult the choice to come out can be. By opening up, I was able to reflect upon aspects of my life that, much like my sexuality, had stayed hidden for years. The point of my column was not only to educate and spread awareness of gay culture, but also for me to gain insight on views different than those of my own. I was just as eager to learn as I was to inform. It’s important to learn about queer history in order to understand how far the gay community has come since the days of Stonewall and how far we still have to go before we’re fully accepted by society. Lesbian author Joan Nestle once said, “To live without history is to
live like an infant, constantly amazed and challenged by a strange and unnamed world.” If we all took the time to learn about struggles previous generations have had to overcome, not only in the gay community but any minority group, our compassion for one another might outweigh the hostility we seem to have toward the unfamiliar. Over this semester, I spent countless hours writing, researching and discussing topics for my column. “That’s so gay” was never far from my mind. I’ve written columns in a broken down car waiting for a tow truck, on the back of crumpled up receipts and hung over after a night of partying. When I started, I wasn’t sure if I would be able to keep it up, if I would be able to come up with interesting and thought provoking topics of discussion week after week. But by digging into my past and talking to friends, even networking at clubs for just the right idea gave me all the material I needed to sustain my column. Plus, “I’m researching topics for a college newspaper. Can I have your number?” was a pick up line most guys hadn’t heard before. Talk about two birds with one stone. Now, as I’m finishing up my final column, preparing to officially graduate and enter the next phase of my life, I’m grateful to have been given an opportunity to introduce Orange
County and the World Wide Web to my views and perspective on life as a gay man. I’m anxious to see how and if our society will change its views on the significant issues that affect the gay community in my lifetime. Will future generations ask, “How could you think being gay was a choice?” I don’t know, but I sure hope we wise up and start taking steps toward fully embracing the LGBT community as equal members of society. Even my mother, who initially had a difficult time accepting my sexuality, has made recent attempts to patch up our relationship. This year for my birthday she sent me a Jonas Brothers e-card. I suppose it’s because she thinks all gays love boy bands. I’ve never expressed any interest in the pop trio nor do I necessarily think they’re that attractive, but I could tell she was making an effort. The sparkly pink graphic, which was clearly intended for a teenage girl, had a brief message wishing me a “Happy Birthday,” followed by, “You’re a fan of Joe Jonas, right?” Picturing my mother scrolling through Hallmark’s catalog in search of the gayest birthday card brought a smile to my face. A little effort is all it takes, whether that means sending your son a cheesy e-card with the intention of showing that you care or thinking twice before you blurt out, “That’s so gay!”
yo u r w e e k ly d o s e o f e n t e rta i n m e n t
December 14, 2009
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detour@dailytitan.com
Local indie-rock bands take over the HOB Anaheim
Photos By Skylar Smith/Daily Titan Staff Writer Orange County based band The Union Line perform a song at the Anaheim House of Blues in Downtown Disney. From left to right: Jordan Sabolick on guitar, Tony Tancredi on drums, Richard Theisen and Adam Sabolick on bass.
By Skylar Smith
Daily Titan Staff Writer detour@dailytitan.com
Last Friday, the Anaheim House of Blues in Downtown Disney showed off Southern California’s rising indie stars. The bands in attendance were The Union Line, The Living Suns, Moostache, The Rye Douglas Band and The Steelwells. The audience was mostly made up of friends, fans and family members of each of the bands, leading to an incredibly friendly atmosphere. Most of the people at the show knew the bands in some way or another, and several of the band members were on the main floor watching other bands with their friends. At most concerts there is a ten-
sion in the air between sets as everyone waits for the headliner to come on. However, between sets at this show, everyone was content to to grab a drink or meet with the band members at the merchandise booth. People went in and out throughout the night, and moments before the band they were waiting for took the stage, friends and family lined up at the front to support the band. Some of the audience stayed through the night, and some band members even sneaked friends back stage to hang out. The highlights of the show for me were The Union Line, The Steelwells and, surprisingly, Moostache. To be honest, when Moostache took the stage, I thought they were
a bunch of high school kids, but as soon as the lead singer, Patrick Wardell, started singing, I was taken aback by the amount of soul and maturity his voice had. Every one of their songs was catchy, and they looked extremely comfortable on stage. Wardell even hopped around on stage without any socks. The next band was the Rye Douglas Band that filled the venue with noise and reverb. The most impressive song on their set was a pitch-perfect cover of “Paranoid Android” by Radiohead. Although it wasn’t their own song, they got a lot of attention and several audience members were singing along. After that was Fullerton-native The Steelwells, who must have had a lot of fans, because once they took the stage, the venue began to
fill up quickly. Several women in the front row were singing along to nearly every song. The best things about The Steelwells were their songwriting and professional attitude. If there was any band there that night that had the audience transfixed, it was The Steelwells. Lead singer Joey Winter jokingly expressed the stress of being a modern indie band. “You’ve got to keep up with Twitter. You’ve got to keep up with Facebook and MySpace,” Winter said. With catchy songs like “El Capitan,” “Bones” and my personal favorite, “Big Yellow Sky,” The Steelwells are a band to keep your eye on and could easily become a local favorite. The most exciting act that night was The Union Line. Many of their members come from Saddleback College and the surrounding area, and brothers Adam Sabolick and Jordan Sabolick used to be members of a band called Spacepilot, which was made up of mostly Starbucks employees. The Union Line had most of the audience bobbing their heads from the beginning. Midway through the set, several audience members were shouting for them to play their hit “Pearls,” and they obliged. “What was that? ‘Pearls?’” Adam Sabolick asked, smirking at the audience. “Well, you’re in luck cause that’s next on the list.” Jordan and Adam were great at chatting up the audience, causing many laughs between songs, as the band members tuned their instruments and talked to the sound booth. The most interesting thing about The Union Line was how often several of their members traded instruments. Throughout the show, three of their five members played the bass, guitar, keyboard and the giant bass drum on stage at least once in the set. Once The Living Suns took stage, everyone was already in a great mood and several band members came out from backstage to check them out. All in all, it was a great night for getting to know Southern California’s local music scene. As the show ended, family, friends and fans of all the bands walked into a rain swept Downtown Disney.
Q& A w ith F u l l e r t o n’s
The Steelwells By Skylar Smith
Daily Titan Staff Writer detour@dailytitan.com
Local Fullerton indie-rock band discusses life as an indie band and what inspires them to make music. The Steelwells are: Joey Winter – vocals and acoustic guitar Andrew Eapen – lead guitar Robbie Gullage – bass Brian Manchester – drums and percussion Billy Kim – keys, guitar, etc. Daily Titan: How is touring life as a modern indie band? Andrew Eapan: Our whole thing is we want to do it on our own, just because it will be our thing. We are not closed to something like a record deal, but we aren’t really looking to get signed. Joey Winter: Financially, it would be easy to sign to a label. We know people in bands who have been signed, (but) we feel like you lose something, a little bit, in that process. I think if you can make it on your own, and you can do it on your own then that’s the way to go. Try and get signed and see what happens. For now, we are going to make this our business and see what happens. DT: What influences do you have from your past life that helps you write songs? JW: I’m getting older now, and I’ve experienced a few things in my life. I’ve definitely been through a number of experiences that have caused me to be introspective. I do my best to interpret what I’ve experienced and put that through into the music. It’s important to me that the music and the lyrics compliment each other and make sense with each other. I write so that it has a lot to do with how the music feels. It’s a symbiotic thing. One of our songs is about the band, and it has to do with us moving forward and making it on our own. Another song has to do with a failed marriage of mine. DT: What suggestions do you have for any local indie artists to be successful? JW: From my stand point, if you’re going to be a song writer,
Joey Winter of The Steelwells sings to an attentive crowd at the House of Blues.
don’t waste your time making songs to make other people happy, make sure you're making songs to make you happy. Be honest and make what you feel. Don’t try to make a scene or be hip. You don’t have to wear the leather boots just because everyone else is. AE: It’s also really hard; don’t think it’s easy. It’s a lot of work; we put in a lot of hours. JW: We walked into this thinking that it was going to be easier than it is now. We’ve had to step back, reassess and say, "All right well, let's put our heads down and make this happen." I think a lot of bands will get to that point and say, "Forget it, it’s too much work." Brian Manchester: I’d also say, whether you have high-caliber musicianship or not, set up a practice schedule and actually practice. I know of friends who try to start up bands and they are not very proactive about their schedule, so after a few months it fizzles out. So that it doesn’t fizz out, make a schedule and stick to it. DT: What should be the first Steelwells' song to listen to? JW: Honestly, I’m going to say “El Capitan.” Really encompasses in different places in the song what this is about, both musically and lyrically. It’s about leading the ship to failure. Lyrically, it’s a warning sign for us, and that this band is about being honest and true to ourselves, or else you sink the ship by filling it up with too much bullshit. The Steelwells will have a residency at Silverlake Lounge in Los Angeles and will be playing every Monday night in January.
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DETOUR
December 14, 2009
GAME
By SKYLAR SMITH
Daily Titan Staff Writer detour@dailytitan.com
My holidays as a child were spent driving from one relative’s house to another. What did I do in the car? Play my Game Boy Color. What did I do when I got to my relatives’ houses or got back to my own? Play video games with all my cousins, uncles, my parents and occasionally, my friends. For this reason, I recommend New Super Mario Bros. for the Wii to any parent wishing to give their child this experience or to anyone who just wants to be reminded of the good ol' days. All nine worlds the game has to offer feel like the same Super Mario levels you played on your SNES in the ‘90s, only much prettier. The music is straight out of the Mario composition books only with a modern sound system; the enemies even dance to the music occasionally. Everything in this game will send a hardcore gamer’s heart a-flutter and even though towards the end it gets pretty hard, new comers to the gaming world will be able to get the hang out it in no time.
The game has added a couple of new elements to the 2-D Mario universe. There are new power ups like the penguin suit that turns Mario or Luigi into an adorable penguin and the helicopter helmet that sends your character flying into the air or spiraling into the ground to hit enemies when you shake the Wiimote. The biggest addition however is that the game supports up to four players in a co-op mode, a point competition mode and a coin collection mode. This is where it gets hectic; Players often accidentally, but sometimes on purpose, sabotage the other by jumping on their head or throwing them into a pit of lava, off a cloud or into a poisonous forest river. There is sure to be some yelling, but it is all in good fun in the end; just be sure to not throw a shell at your buddy, they may return the favor. I hope anyone who owns a Wii and has played any Mario game in the past gets this game. It’s great to play alone, but fantastic to play with friends and family.
CAR
By DAMON LOWNEY
Daily Titan Asst. News Editor detour@dailytitan.com
Truly a car for either the next generation or for those obsessed with Japanese culture, Nissan’s aptlynamed Cube, which has been out in Japan for years, has finally made it stateside and is being marketed to the nation’s youth. That means high school and college students, me and hopefully nobody over 30. Mom, please don’t buy this car! When I walked up to the gray base model I would be driving, I was slightly surprised that it looks more like a real car than in photos. It looks less cartoonish. The rear hatch window is made to look like it wraps around and connects with the left-rear side window, but doesn’t do the same on the other side. The ceiling fabric ripples outward from a central light; the speakers get the same treatment. Step up to the next model and you can get floor lights and an upgraded sound system. This car simply oozes style. I tried a car with a six-speed manual transmission, the transmission of
choice if you want to use every bit of the 122 horsepower provided by the 1.8 liter four cylinder. Choosing the automatic will get you two fewer gears and slower acceleration. The interior, including the back seats, is spacious for a car of its size and all seats in the car lean back almost flat, making it the perfect secondary dorm room when your roommate just won’t give you 15 minutes. It would also be good for road trips. As for the drive, the car is quick enough (again, with the manual transmission), but it won’t be winning any races. With six gears to row through, acceleration to freeway speeds is acceptable, but not mindblowing. Personally, I would buy a first generation Scion xB over a Cube, but I would buy the Cube over the current xB, purely in terms of style. The Cube is a bit too vibrant and abnormally styled to make it an instant buy for me, but I prefer it over the bigger, tamer second-generation xB.
SOFTWARE
By Patrick Cowles
Daily Titan Asst. News Editor detour@dailytitan.com
Through Windows 7, Microsoft has taken operating systems to a new level yet again, while scaling back the technical jargon for common terms. Want to change your monitor resolution? Go to “Display.” Want to change your desktop background? Go to “Personalize.” Need to uninstall something? Go to “Programs.” Windows has also added a new “Libraries” feature for documents, music, movies and pictures. Have music saved in your Windows Media Player folder and your iTunes folder? Simply go to your “Music” library and implement the WMP folder and iTunes folder with your library and all your songs will appear in one window. The Action Center consolidates the clutter of warning messages into a one-stop shop. Simply click the flag icon within your notification area on the taskbar (far right, just left of the time and date) to view your vital security and maintenance messages. However, the greatest improvement Windows 7 offers Windows
users beginner and expert alike, is the taskbar. In an effort to reduce desktop clutter, Microsoft adopted a “pinning” system similar to newer Mac operating systems to replace desktop icons and taskbar bubbles. The true genius behind the revamp is the ease of accessing multiple windows within a single program; The system Windows uses now is similar to the “Grouped” option in XP, but better. Have AIM open with multiple IM windows? The AIM runningman will be the only AIM related icon you see in the taskbar. Hover over that icon, and each window you have open will be displayed above, below or to the side of the icon (depending on where you place the taskbar), simply click the window you desire to activate or click the “X” to close the window. For die-hard Mac users, this is the best Windows candidate thus far to change your mind. For Micro-softies, this is what we’ve been waiting for since 2001.
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DETOUR
December 14, 2009
Students design their way into the future
illustration by Diane Schulz
The campus’ Video Game Design Club offers its members a place to relax and learn among friends By SKYLAR SMITH
Daily Titan Staff Writer detour@dailytitan.com
Many people may not notice it, but Cal State Fullerton has a rich community of video gamers on campus; just take a peek into the TSU underground and you will see several laptops running a video game or another. Walk down any hallway near the computer science building and you will see at least one Playstation Portable or Nintendo DS. One of the major gamer groups on campus is the Video Game Design Club. “This week and next week are finals week so we are trying to keep it quiet. During the normal semester a lot of people come in here in-between classes for five to ten minutes and relax … and also make games
and play some games in here too,” said club president Daniel Selnick, 21, computer science major. The club was initially organized in 2006 by Jason Alan Jackson, a CSUF graduate. Jordan Gallego, an active member of the club since the beginning said, “I’ve been a member pretty much since the first semester it was organized in spring 2006. We didn’t get officially recognized by the campus until 2007, in the fall.” Gallego added, “But I’ve been there since that first spring semester with the founding members.” “This semester was kind of a reboot because we came into it with a very very small member base,” said Selnick. “Leading this semes-
ter we have about 20 or 30 very active members, and next semester we hope to have more members.” The club’s main initiative is to encourage and help other computer science majors get good grades and learn the programming required to achieve their goals in the video game industry. “The people are the greatest thing about it. And the help. Computer science is a pretty hard major and they help me with math and programming,” said member Macario Lopez. Selnick said this semester was about making friends and helping each other in classes, but next semester they are going to put a big emphasis on making games. Florian Zitzelsberger, another club member has already made a game called Irides: Master of Blocks. “He presented his iPhone and Dreamcast game at one of the meetings,” said Selnick. “He also showed us the game in action on his iPhone. He had us ask questions and it was pretty cool. His game is already published on iPhone and will be published on Dreamcast soon.” Making a successful video game by yourself or with friends in this current economic climate can be tough; and much like the music industry, a lot of the emphasis is now on indie developed projects. “Big publishing (venues) like Xbox Live Arcade require a lot of resources and a lot of time because they are very strict on the quality control of the content that gets published on there,” said Selnick. “You have to do a lot of work. I think most of us will focus on the indie type games.” “Some students go off and make their games solo and some students work in groups. Most of the time it’s always in a group because it requires a lot of work,” said Selnick. “For even a simple indie game it requires a lot of forethought in the preplanning and preproduction and creation of art assets and sound assets and making sure its fun for play testing. It’s a very involved process.” Joining the club can be beneficial because your friends now may be your connections later. “In the game industry its networking and this club has helped me a lot with that and getting to know people in the industry and what I need to do
to get there,” said Gallego Aside from making video games and working on class projects, the students like to have fun playing games in their club room and at tournaments. A tradition of the Video Game Design Club is a Halo tournament on Halloween appropriately titled “Haloween.” “We actually got four Xbox 360s and linked them together on LAN and had a four vs. four vs. four vs. four, 16 player halo LAN party,” said Selnick about this year’s Haloween, “It was one of the club’s first events that was pretty big so it’s a tradition now.” “Everyone’s invited to the tournaments, we have forums and a mailing list which are both open to anyone who wants to join them,” said Selnick. The Video Game Design Club also has plans to create a much larger tournament and is trying to get access to the Xbox 360s in the underground for a day to hold their tournament there. With new tournaments coming up, plans to produce several indie games next semester and an expanding member base, the Video Game Design Club is sure to become a staple of CSUF and its computer science program.
illustration by jeff
illustration by joe devera
VA 363B offers art-inclined students digital skills to enhance their illustrations and photographs By patrick cowles
Daily Titan Asst. News Editor detour@dailytitan.com
“In the Digital Illustration class (ART 363B), we teach the same concepts and principles of illustration as in Traditional Illustration (ART 363A). However, we use Adobe Illustrator and Photoshop instead of p e n - cils, pens and paint,” said Chris- tian Hill, associate professor of illustration and sequential art. Compared to pens and p e n - cils, digital illustration grants artists “the ability to rea l l y get in there and explore a n d experiment,” said Chris Niels- en, a CSUF grad and i l l u s - tration instructor. “Any m i s - takes are easily cleaned u p and you have so much m o r e creative possibilities with t h e use of filters, layer styles a n d graphic effects.” However, 10 years ago I’d be describing an incredibly differ- ent class experience bec a u s e of the technology utilized in the course today. “The programs have gotten more sophisticated,” said Niels- en. “I’ve had to evolve m y assignments to keep up w i t h the technology.” Now students arrive to c l a s s with their own equipment: high performance fisher laptops (some now better
than the campus-provided computers) and Wacom drawing pads are some common pieces of technology Nielsen has seen students utilizing in class more over the years. “So the way my students are coming in…they can pull off a lot more,” said Nielsen. Despite the convergence in technologies students bring to class, the two programs taught in VA 363B, Adobe Photoshop and Adobe Illustrator, are fundamentally different programs. Illustrator is a vector-based graphics program that uses “anchor points” to connect a series of dots that form individual shapes. The program uses sophisticated mathematics to bring about the images it produces. “It is technically like drawing with math,” said Nielsen. This gives Illustrator-generated images certain benefits over Photoshop-generated images, including speed. “You can just do a lot more a lot faster,” said Jeff Fisher, a graphic design major. “I can draw things out really quick with the mouse, so that comes in handy,” said Laura Bok, a graphic design major. “When used correctly, it significantly cuts down on the production time to finish complicated illustrations,” said Nielsen. Students have also been able to bring in their hand-sketched work, scan it into the computer, and begin editing the image within either program. “We all start off with sketches,” said Run. “Then you can scan them in and use them in your design.” Since the images are produced using mathematics through anchor points, image quality never changes when the image is re-sized. Whether your image is cut down to the size of a business card or gracing the side of a building, “the final illustration can be re-sized to any scale without losing any image integrity at all,” explained Nielsen. For Photoshop, the images are based on pixels. “The general rule with Photoshop is, the bigger you blow up the image, the worse it gets,” said Nielsen. After five major projects, 10 emailed pop-quiz image files, two copyright law tests, the mid-term and final; the students of Nielsen’s Wednesday 363B section are relieved to have finished their semester’s worth of work but will be -taking their work produced in class with them along with the knowledge they’ve gained about utilizing digital illustration for their own artistic endeavors.
DETOUR
December 14, 2009
11
Breaking through boundries of frames and art Local artist brings the same philosophy to her class as she does to her art By Charles Purnell For the Daily Titan
detour@dailytitan.com
A new mosaic fine art exhibition, “The Big Breakup,” will run through Dec. 30 at Graves Gallery located at 114 E. Amerige Ave, in Fullerton. The show is a celebration of the beauty of mosaic art by local artist and art instructor Katherine England and her students, The ArtBreakers. About 25 of England’s didactic mosaic creations are on display along with 25 glass works from England’s top students, who have been meeting with England every Monday night for the past four years. “They didn’t know each other before they started,” England said. “Some have no kids, some have six
kids, some are super born again, and some are lesbians with their own children. Everybody’s lifestyle is completely different and they've become this amazingly creative group. That’s mostly whose artwork you see here.” Sue Ferrante and Shelley Mills are in England's Monday night class. The two of them sold their first mosaics last year at the “Green Scene” in the Arboretum. They both said they made “pretty good money.” Ferrante won the Orange County Fair’s “Grand Champion” award last year for her “Buddha Head” mosaic skull that is on display in Graves Gallery. “Please don't say we’re like a special class for the elite or something, Ok?” Mills said. “Because Tuesday night’s (class) thinks we are.” Most of England’s mosaics in the exhibit are for sale. She admits however, that she generally does not make mosaics with the intention of selling them. “Rarely does it pay off to make a mosaic to sell,” she said. She usually makes them when people take her classes, and then she
gives them away. Her highest priced mosaic in the exhibit is “My Kingdom,” one of five mosaics she made as part of a Shakespeare series. It is priced at $2,800. Mosaics such as her “Hand and Cheek,” another one in her Shakespeare series, costs $1,400. On the lower end of her Shakespeare series mosaics are: “Heavy is the Head,” for $700 and “Oh That I Love You,” for $500. On an ever lower end, there are smaller glass patchworks in her collection which look like gaudy makeup mirrors. They have a value of $180 on them. In addition, there is an array of mosaic light switch plates that are $80. A couple out of the dozen or so people at Saturday’s reception happily purchased a mosaic switch plate. England also has mosaics on display that are not for sale because they belong to someone other than her. “Hugo,” the first mosaic portrait she made as a teacher at the Muckenthaler Cultural Center is not for sale. It belongs to Hugo, who works at the Muckenthaler. A tightly cropped picture of Hugo’s face is pinned underneath the mosaic portrait on the museum’s wall. In the mosaic portrait, Hugo’s face is off-center, to the left and in a long rectangular frame. Fragments of dark stained glass make up an ocean scenery.
White crystals form the sun and its reflection on the water. England used tan and brown pieces of glass to form rocks on the shore. She said the challenge in this mosaic was taking the face and putting it in a different ambiance. The scenery is of Crystal Cove and comprised of three separate landscape photos she taped together. Making the white reflection Photos By Ron Fu/Daily Titan Staff Photographer of the sun in the Above: Admirers stroll the gallery at the opening reception on Saturday. Below left: Mosaic art pieces by Katherine water was also a England and her students, the ArtBreakers, are on display at the Graves Gallery in downtown Fullerton. challenge for her. The composiists of the ‘60s: Peter Max, Andy tar and a historical site. tion proves England is a master of Warhol, Richard Blake, and David England said she defines mosaic the mosaic. Hockney. as a conversation between things She explained that the mosaic England makes quite a bit from that are broken. styles that she applies are very new selling her mosaics, but she is actuShe tells her students that they and modern forms of the disci- ally a muralist. can create mosaics the same way pline. She has actualized about 17 they deal with life: by taking chaotEngland said she has learned the murals in Fullerton, and one is ic materials and forming them into rules so now she can break them. the Fender Guitar wall in an alley something that represents order. Until recently, she said, mosaic around the corner from the Graves “Making mosaics is sometimes was very rigid with strict rules about Gallery. mindless fun. It’s just relaxing,” Fermaterials and proportions. Now it’s It’s where Leo Fender invented rante said. “It’s very addicting. You much more fluid. the Stratocaster, she said. The city can give gifts, you can give your England said she was profoundly asked her to do a mural, 20 feet by 6 stuff away, you can sell your stuff. influenced by the largeness and feet, to celebrate Fender’s creation. It’s fun. And it will be there a long brightness of the stylized pop artThe mural is an all glass giant gui- time. It’s a mosaic in concrete.”
Veteran actors bring ‘heart’ to new movie coming country singer, Tommy Sweet (Colin Farrell). Their journeys detour@dailytitan.com seemed on the same path until they came to a fork in the road; Bad went Legendary actor Jeff Bridges, down the path of sticking to the old of The Big Lebowski cult fame, is way of country music and playing dressed simply in a brown jacket, a for the love of playing and Tommy gray shirt and jeans. He’s friendly, all went down the path of modern popsmiles and throws in some “dudes” country music, merging into the and “man” as he speaks. mainstream and playing to sold out In his new film, Crazy Heart, stadiums. Bridges plays a washed up 57-yearBridges seemed to admire Farrell old country singer trying to make as he spoke of their working relaends meet by playing hole-in-the tionship and their time together on wall bars in small towns across screen. America. “We hit it off To make the right off the bat character of counand we kind of try singer Bad approached the Blake truly come work in a simito life, Bridges had lar away and got to utilize his vocals, along great and it and sang spectacuwas a joy worklarly. ing with him. So what did it I admired him. take for Bridges to And then singing get on board with together, that’s a – Maggie Gyllenhall, great way to strike the script, to not only act, but to also Actress, Crazy Heart up a relationship sing in a film? with your fellow “When I first actors and hargot the script, there monize and stuff,” wasn’t any music attached to it. So Bridges explained. I took a pass on it and then when Oscar winner Robert Duvall I found out from my good buddy, played duel roles as both an actor (singer) T-Bone (Burnett), that he and producer for Crazy Heart, and was going to do it if I was going to Scott Cooper cut his teeth on this do it, then that filled in that empty, project as a first-time director. missing piece. So when he got inBurnett, a singer as well as a music volved, I knew the music was going producer, who was heavily involved to be top-notch and that got me to in the project, called Duvall the the party real quick,” Bridges said. “Patron Saint” of the film; Cooper The character Bad Blake acts as calls him the godfather of the film a mentor to young and up-and- and Duvall modestly declines both By Summer Rogers
Daily Titan Staff Writer
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I had this kind of really strong hunger to express something that I hadn’t had for a while.
compliments. “No, no, don’t say that, (Cooper’s) just saying that; he’s a good politician. Nah, I helped. It was my company, Butchers Run Films; it was Robert Carliner, Judy Cairo, and Scott Cooper together as a unit, with ICM and Jeff Berg going after the money, they were like the driving force,” Duvall said, his blue eyes shining brightly as he spoke. In 1983, Duvall played a downand-out country singer, similar to Bad Blake, in the film Tender Mercies. Duvall elaborates on the differences between the two characters. “Horton Foote, great writer, (wrote) an original script for (Tender Mercies). (Crazy Heart) is from a book that (Foote) made a very good adaptation of. (These characters are) two different guys, two different perceptions, but similar demons, but like I said before, my character in (Tender Mercies) had a support group. Here, Jeff’s character has nothing, he blows everything,” Duvall explained. Maggie Gyllenhaal plays single mother Jean Caddock and serves as the love interest and muse of Bad Blake. She smiles sweetly and genuinely, despite being in a room full of journalists, and hesitates slightly before discussing her personal life and the strong hunger for acting that Crazy Heart has fulfilled for her. This is the first film she has spent a great deal of time on since giving birth to her daughter, Ramona, three years ago. “My daughter was almost two when I made (this) movie and I kind of got to this place … and I felt like,
‘I am also me, you know, I am also an actress.’ I had this kind of really strong hunger to express something that I hadn’t had for a while,” Gyllenhaal said. Since becoming a mother, Gyllenhaal feels she has changed, not only as a person, but also as an actress. “Everything in my life has changed absolutely and completely as a mother. The other things I’ve done that I’ve been really proud of, I’ve kind of bulldozed through, I’ve played these fierce, wild people and she’s quieter, and that’s so much more vulnerable.”
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Sports
12
December 14, 2009
Women’s basketball loses fourth straight game By Cesar Gonzalez
Daily Titan Staff Writer sports@dailytitan.com
The Cal State Fullerton women’s basketball team was unable to come back from a deficit and lost 75-72 to the Cougars of Brigham Young University at Titan Gym Saturday night. “It was a good effort tonight by our team; the defense was better tonight,” said Titan Head Coach Marcia Foster. “Finishing the game and little mistakes are hurting us and not allowing us to close out games.” The Titans were led by sophomore guard Megan Richardson, who had 24 points on 8 of 18 shooting, including 8 of 9 from the free-throw line. Junior guard Lyndsey Grove added 15 points on 4 of 9 shooting, including 3 of 5 from the three-point line. The Cougars were led in scoring by junior guard Mindy Nielson who had 24 points. “We played well tonight; (our) defense was OK,” Grove said. “Our mistakes have hurt us the last two games.” The Titans had a run seven minutes into the game as freshman forward Mya Olivier capitalized on a
Cougar turnover and had an easy Jazmine Foreman, which gave them a 38-34 lead. score. CSUF came back with a 6-0 run The next possession down, junior guard Ashley Richie knocked down of their own, led by Crisp and a a three-pointer and capped a 5-0 three-pointer by Grove. The second half consisted of a cat run for the Titans and gave them a and mouse game as both teams trad13-7 lead. In the remaining 10 minutes of ed baskets, and neither team could the first half, both teams had mini gain a real advantage. The most important run for BYU runs. The Cougars were down by seven was when they were trailing 63-58 with 3:45 left in points, but they the game. had a 6-0 run, The run was lead by Nielson facilitated by who started the redshirt freshrun with makman forward ing two free Alexis Kaufusi, throws and then who had two had a layup. The Titans easy layups. ended up hangCSUF took a ing onto the one-point lead lead and led at – Megan Richardson, with 1:40 left in the half 29-28. the game on a Sophomore guard The Cougars layup by junior were able to forward Jenna keep the game Breite. close due to The Cougars poor shooting from the Titans. came down and junior forward CoRichardson and freshman guard riann Wood hit a huge three-pointer Alicya Crisp lead CSUF at the half to give the Cougars a two-point lead with nine and six points respective- with 1:22 left in the game. ly. Grove drove to the basket and Nielson led BYU with 10 points. was fouled. She calmly sank both At the start of the second half, the free throws to tie the game at 67Cougars came out motivated and in 67. a one-minute span, they were able Nielson made another layup to to knock down two three-point- give BYU a two-point lead with less ers, one by junior forward Keilani than a minute left in the game. Moeaki, and one by junior guard On CSUF’s next possession, they
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Obviously we tried to take the best shots. Defensive errors towards the end of the game hurt us.
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Miscues in closing seconds lead to another home loss for the Titans
were unable to score, so they had to foul junior guard Haley Hall. Hall went to the free-throw line and was able to make the first free throw but missed the second. Grove said that not being able to get the rebound on the missed free throw was an important possession, but no play makes or breaks the game. The Titans were forced to foul again, and Foreman only made one of two free throws. The Titans pushed the ball up the court, and Richardson was able to score on a layup to cut the lead to two with 11 seconds left. Nielson then made two free throws and increased their lead to 73-69. On the next possession senior guard Jasmine Scott knocked down a three-pointer to cut the lead to one with two seconds left. The Titans fouled and Foreman was able to make both free throws. The Titans’ last chance was on a desperation three-pointer by Richardson, which fell short. “Obviously we tried to take the best shots,” Richardson said. “Defensive errors towards the end of the game hurt us.” She added that the team is playing better overall and not making as many mistakes on offense. The Titans will look to get back in the win column against Eastern Washington on Dec. 21 at Titan Gym.
photo By Ron Fu/Daily Titan Staff Photographer The Titans sophomore guard Megan Richardson draws a foul on a BYU defender.
Alabama’s Ingram becomes program’s first Heisman winner The emotion wasn’t as overwhelm- father. counted out of the race following his ing until Ingram’s eyes fixed in on the When it came to the performances season-low 30-yard game at Auburn rock of his family, mother Shonda needed to make history Saturday and Colt McCoy’s big game at Texas Ingram. night, few were bigger than the SEC A&M. She was bawling and soon, too, Championship Game a week earlier But only 10 percent of the elecwas her newly imwhen Ingram rolled tronic votes went in after that game. mortalized son. up 189 all-purpose In the past weeks, Heisman projec“It kind of made yards and three tion Web sites had Ingram the leader If we go out there me break down too,” touchdowns in the in the clubhouse, but only a fraction he said. “It was just a and have a great 32-13 win over of the final votes were accounted for real special moment game in the national Florida. by StiffArmTrophy.com. for me that I will championship, that Tebow, who adApparently, Ingram never looked cherish for the rest of mitted he knew at those sites. would mean a lot my life.” there was no shot at “It was real overwhelming,” he His father, though, more to me. claiming his second said. “I was kind of like in a daze was not in the Nokia – Mark Ingram, Heisman on Satur- even when I was sitting doing my Theater on Saturday day, was sure that interview after it, I was just kind of Alabama running night. game made the dif- staring off in space in a daze.” back Not far from the ference. And so the fantasy season continues glitz and glamour “It capped it off for Ingram. He has the school record of the Time Square for people who were for single-season rushing yards with venue where he made history, the in doubt,” Tebow said after the cer- 1,542, now the Heisman Trophy, and father with whom Ingram shares a emony. the hunger to not stop there. name sat in a much less welcoming And 89 percent of the voters sub“If we go out there and have a great environment. In the city where Mark mitting ballots in the final week, his game in the national championship,” Ingram Sr. played for the Super Bowl turnaround made a difference. Only he said, “that would mean a lot more champion Giants in 1991, he now a week earlier, Ingram was being to me.” sits in a prison cell stemming from bank fraud and money laundering. Mark Jr. said he spoke with his father earlier in the week by phone and his mother said they weren’t sure if a visit could be pulled off in the time Dec. 10, 2009: In the article “Nastia Liukin comthey’re in the city. ing to CSUF campus to help save gymnastics proBut Mark knew dad was watching. gram,” Liukin was incorrectly cited as a “Cal State “He just told me to enjoy it and have Fullerton alumna.” fun and live in the moment,” Ingram said of the discussion he had with his
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PHOTO COURTESY MCT Ingram’s breakout performance came against Florida in the SEC Championship game.
(MCT) – Tim Tebow had a hunch, and Mark Ingram the nerves. Sensing the Alabama sophomore was about to make history, the Florida quarterback, who won the Heisman Trophy two years earlier, approached Ingram before Saturday’s ceremony in New York. Ingram was shaking, and Tebow was calming. A quiet room and a quick prayer later, Ingram was ready. History soon followed. In the closest vote in Heisman Trophy history, Ingram became the first Alabama winner of college football’s most prestigious honor since just 28 votes separated the Crimson Tide running back from Stanford’s Toby Gerhart. The tears came soon after hearing his name called and Ingram struggled with his words when it came time for the winner’s speech. But just like before the ceremony, former winners were there for him. The pack of past champions standing behind him offered words of encouragement as the emotion melted through Ingram’s 5-foot-10, 212-pound frame. “I was pretty relaxed for most of the show, but when he started reading that letter, my heart starting beating – I could feel it beating real fast,” Ingram said. “And when he read my name, I was excited. And they he caught a glimpse of his mother.
Correction
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SUDOKU 1
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14
SPORTS
December 14, 2009
Gymnastics program raises funds By samantha dabbs For the Daily Titan
sports@dailytitan.com
photos by Chad uemera/Daily Titan Staff Photographer A gymnast at the Southern California College Preview performs on the balance beam.
Two teams, one goal, and 2008 U.S. Olympic gold medalist Nastia Liukin brought Southern Californian gymnastics fans to Titan Gym during the Southern California College Preview on Sunday. Cal State Fullerton and UCLA gymnasts gave the 1,152 fans a preview of their upcoming season’s routines, while Liukin emceed the event. Vice President of Student Affairs Robert Palmer brought greetings from President Milton Gordon and showed his support by introducing Liukin to the audience. Palmer said, “We will indeed do all we can to support these magnificent ladies.” Due to budget cuts at CSUF, the Titan gymnasts were told that they would have to raise their entire budget, which is $280,000 by May, according to Titan gymnastics Head Coach Jill Hicks. This left only two gymnastic teams in Orange County with one goal in mind - to save gymnastics at CSUF, said Hicks. Along with the preview, Titan gymnastics held a luncheon before the event with Liukin and raised about $15,000. Liukin heard of the event through Hicks’ close friend, UCLA Head Coach Valorie Kondos Field, and she jumped on board as soon as she could, said Hicks. “I was able to accomplish my dreams and goals last year in Beijing at the Olympics, and I know not every girl’s dream is to go to the
Olympics, but so many girls would absolutely love to compete for their college,” said Liukin. “You’re possibly taking away some little girl’s dream to compete for CSUF.” Throughout the preview Liukin answered questions from the crowd, most of them from young aspiring gymnasts, but laughter shook the gym when a young male asked her if she had a boyfriend. The Olympian laughed as well and assured the crowd that she did not. Kyla Ross, 2009 Junior National Champion, also showed her support and gave the audience a bar routine during the preview. The two teams sat side by side next to the mats, cheering and supporting each other during each of their events. “There was no fabrication of love and support here, it was all real, and I think everyone in this arena could feel it,” said Kondos. “It was literally two teams, one goal.” Following the preview, the young gymnasts in the crowd rushed down and danced with the two teams to the Black Eyed Peas, “I Got a Feeling,” in celebration of the outcome of the event. Shannon Kawada, a senior on the Titan gymnastics team said, “I think it’s truly amazing that another Southern California team can come and help us save Fullerton and just give us all of their support as well.” In addition to this preview, CSUF gymnastics will hold another event in February to help raise money, according to Hicks. “Our goal was not monetary for this event,” said Hicks. “It was to create a buzz in Southern California, and that we did.”
2008 U.S. Olympic gold medalist Nastia Liukin speaks to a crowd of CSUF gymnastics supporters during yesterday’s Southern California College Preview at Titan Gym.
Occidental no match for the Titans sports@dailytitan.com
The Cal State Fullerton men’s basketball team came out strong as they were able to easily beat the Tigers of Occidental 97-59 Saturday night at Titan Gym. Junior guard Devon Peltier came off the bench and led all scorers with 21 points on 8 of 12 shooting from the field, including 5 of 9 from the three-point line. “Coach gave the green light tonight and after making my first shot, every shot after that felt like water,” Peltier said. Peltier added that they had better ball movement and ball pressure was the key to tonight’s win. Junior center Bryce Webster contributed with 16 points, junior forward Jer’Vaughn Johnson added
13 points and senior guard Aaron Thompson added 8 points. “We played good tonight. We accomplished a lot from the defensive side,” said Thompson. Thompson added that they executed well and being able to play the bench built up a lot of the guys’ confidence. Eight minutes into the game, the Titans went on a huge 13-0 run to take a 22-5 lead on the Tigers. The run was started by a three-pointer by senior guard Aaron Thompson. The next possession down, junior center Bryce Webster had an easy layup, got fouled and made the free throw for a three-point play. Johnson had a layup, sophomore forward Orane Chin knocked down a three-pointer and Peltier capped off the run. The Tigers tried to claw themselves back into the game, but CSUF kept
scoring point after point. Eleven In the second half, the Titans minutes into the half, everyone on started off by scoring the first six the court had contributed to another points to extend their lead to 44 streak; this time an 11-0 run. points. The Titans just kept pourWebster had a layup and Chin hit ing it on and were able to maintain a two free throws, then Johnson made huge lead in the first few minutes of a couple of free throws. Thompson the second half. hit a jumper, and following his score, Titan Head Coach Bob Burton Peltier knocked down a three-pointer had the opportunity to play everyto give the Titans a one on the bench comfortable 38-12 and give them lead with about 6 some minutes on We had three minutes left in the the floor to be goals tonight: Play half. able to contribute The Titans’ defense, run our fast to the huge lead. thirst for points This gave Burgrew from another break, and move the ton a feel of what 11-0 run with 3 ball. players he could minutes left in the – Bob Burton, insert off the half, the lead balbench when there Head coach looned up to 58is a close game in 19 at the end of the future and to the first half. find out which The Titans as a team shot 21-30 group of guys can work together off (70 percent) from the field and 10- the bench 15 (67 percent) from the three-point “What we needed to do was play line, compared to the Tigers who good defense and we did that toshot 7-22 (32 percent) and 1-4 (25 night,” said Burton. “We had three percent) from the three-point line. goals going into tonight: play dePeltier led the Titans in points at fense, run our fast break and to the half with 14 on 5 of 6 attempts. move the ball.” Johnson added 11 points, while Burton also added that they Webster and Thompson each added played together as a team and played eight points by halftime. good defense. The Tigers’ leading scorer at the The Titans will travel to Logan, half was Eric Leider with seven Utah on Dec. 21 for the Basketball points but he shot poorly from the Travelers’ Tournament for three field. games.
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By cesar Gonzalez
Daily Titan Staff Writer
Photo By Ron Fu/Daily Titan Staff Photographer Sophomore forward Orane Chin goes up strong for a two-handed dunk during the Titans 97-59 victory over Occidental Saturday night at Titan Gym.
Aspiring journalists needed!!! The Daily Titan is currently looking for: - Sports writers - Sports columnists - Sports photographers If interested, please submit a sample of your work to dtsportsdesk@gmail. com Anyone interested in shooting video for the Multimedia section can also contact dtsportsdesk@gmail.com