Volume 103 Issue 4
The Student Voice of California State University, Fullerton
Tuesday February 6, 2017
Fire breaks out on the 800 block of Moonbeam St. in Placentia near the CSUF campus.
CSUF alumnus Karl Sunglao found a passion in DJing while working at Titan Radio.
News 3
Lifestyle
Men’s basketball can’t shake off the losses from its recent slump in Big West conference play.
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Sports
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For Dreamers, DACA is the final hope
DALIA QUIROZ / DAILY TITAN
Meet Leo, Berenice and Ruben. All three of them study at Cal State Fullerton thanks to their legal status to work in the U.S. through the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program. Uncertainty looms over them, and many other student beneficiaries of the DACA program, as President Donald Trump’s March 5 deadline for Congress to legalize DACA approaches.
In September, Trump gave Congress six months to extend the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program. As the March 5 deadline approaches, CSUF students hang on to the remnants of their dreams. TATIANA DIAZ Staff Writer
Cal State Fullerton students Leo, Berenice and Ruben have more in common than their desire to further their education. They are also undocumented, and protected under the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program. Leo, a fourth-year business finance major, came to CSUF
because he felt it was a way to escape the negative influences in his neighborhood. Berenice, a fifth-year business administration major, attends CSUF to receive a college education with financial assistance. Ruben, a third-year business administration major, goes to CSUF because of its reputable
business program. Now the Trump administration’s plan to wind down the DACA program has thrown their prospects into uncertainty. President Donald Trump gave Congress until March 5 to legalize deferred action. SEE DREAM
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New club creates friendships Softball shifts focus to team bonds
Best Buddies International opens a chapter at Cal State Fullerton. CHELSEA HERNANDEZ Asst. Social Media Editor
Two Cal State Fullerton students recently brought Best Buddies International to campus to give students the opportunity to create deeper connections by pairing them with those with intellectual and developmental disabilities. The nonprofit organization seeks to create bonds, build confidence and simply help improve the quality of life for those with and without disabilities according to the website. The international program’s members range from middle school to college students. Co-presidents Brianna Stempniak and Valerie Schlieder of CSUF’s Best Buddies see the club as more than volunteering. Stempniak, a third-year biology major, has been a part of Best Buddies International since her freshman year of high school. During her senior year, she found a lifelong friendship with her buddy who has down syndrome, creating fond memories of hanging out at the park. “She’s nonverbal, but we’re very close friends to this day. We have a different way of communicating, and she is one of my best friends,” Stempniak said. She took initiative to start the program at CSUF fall 2017 and filled out a tedious amount of
The Titans ‘sisterhood’ may give them a shot at another Big West title. KATHRYNE PADILLA Asst. Sports Editor
KATIE ALBERTSON / DAILY TITAN
Brianna Stempniak, co-president of the CSUF Best Buddies chapter, and was excited to see that 65 people signed up at their booth on the first day of DiscoverFest.
paperwork, sought approvals and fulfilled all requirements just in time to become a registered club on campus before the spring semester began. Schlieder, a third-year kinesiology major, said that her life has been changed by one particular buddy named Linzey Borrelli. Six years ago, her older sister met Borrelli, who has Down
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syndrome, through her high school’s Best Buddies program during her senior year. Schlieder’s family offered Borrelli additional opportunities to develop new strengths and skills. “They’re very isolated sometimes, and they stick to their own people with disabilities, their own friends, because the world doesn’t always accept them. This
club really makes it feel like you are worthy of having a friendship just like everybody else,” Schlieder said. “We all can’t imagine our lives without a solid friend, but for them, that’s a lot of their realities – to not have someone who reaches out and wants to do things with them.” SEE FRIENDS
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Cal State Fullerton softball will make its return to the diamond next week to start the 2018 spring season, but the back-to-back Big West champions have more on their minds than just a third consecutive conference title. Fullerton was voted No.1 in the Big West preseason poll after going 17-4 during conference play last season, advancing all the way to the NCAA championship regionals before falling to UCLA. The Titans give themselves high standards, with players holding each other accountable for any issues that may arise within their squad. Though conference play has yet to begin, senior pitcher Nyah Rodman said the atmosphere around the team is different than previous years. SEE BONDS
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