Volume 103 Issue 37
The Student Voice of California State University, Fullerton
Wednesday April 18, 2018
CSUF alum advocates for autism education, inclusion CSUF hosts speaker Lisa Boskovich, a researcher living with Asperger’s. OMAR SANCHEZ Staff Writer
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DIANE ORTIZ / DAILY TITAN
Cal State Fullerton’s Titan Well tabled on the backside of Langsdorf Hall on Tuesday.
STD testing on campus increases Cal State Fullerton health experts urge sexually active students to get tested, as some may be unaware of infection. CAITLIN BARTUSICK Asst. Copy Editor
DIANE ORTIZ Staff Writer
The nationwide rate of sexually transmitted diseases has reached epidemic levels over the last few years, with a reported 2 million cases in 2016, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. California ranked among the highest rates of primary, secondary and congenital syphilis contraction per population. In 2017, a total of 7,112 tests for syphilis, gonorrhea, chlamydia and HIV were conducted at the student health center. The tests found that eight Cal State Fullerton students tested positive for syphilis, 26 for gonorrhea and 142 for chlamydia, according to statistics provided by Student Wellness. No information was available on how many students, if any, tested positive for HIV. In Orange County, the number of cases involving syphilis, gonorrhea and chlamydia has dramatically increased since 2011, particularly for people between the ages of 20 and
24, according to the California Department of Public Health. “One of the reasons (for the rise) might be the lack of major concern about exposure to STDs. It’s almost a part of culture now,” said Dr. Richard Boucher, interim director of Health Services and chief staff physician of Student Wellness at CSUF. Currently, Student Wellness provides STD testing for a fee ranging from $3 for a syphilis test to $43 for a chlamydia test for students who do not qualify for Family PACT, a state-funded program. The center primarily tests patients based on their individual risk factors like sexual history. Some STD symptoms can go unnoticed by patients, which is why Kerri Boyd Crooks, senior coordinator of Student Wellness subdivision Titan Well, encourages students to get tested regularly. “If you don’t get tested, you don’t know your status. A lot of STIs are asymptomatic so you can’t assume you don’t just because you don’t have any symptoms,” Boyd Crooks said. An STI, or sexually transmitted infection, is an infection spread through sexual contact that can sometimes lead to a sexually transmitted disease, according to the American Sexual Health Association. In Orange County between 2013 and 2017,
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A lot of STIs are asymptomatic so you can’t assume you don’t (have one) just because you don’t have any symptoms.
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The Titan Student Union at Cal State Fullerton is illuminated in blue lights for the month of April in honor of Autism Awareness Month. The CSUF Center for Autism hosted Education Core coordinator Lisa Boskovich, who presented on autism, advocacy and neurodiversity in higher education Tuesday. Boskovich, a CSUF alumna and third-year Ph.D. student at Chapman University, detailed the time she dropped out of college because of difficulties learning mathematics, which she later learned was because she struggled with Asperger’s syndrome. “Everyone is unique. It’s not something that needs to be fixed. There is nothing wrong with anyone that is on the spectrum. I personally believe our brains think differently and process information differently, and that to me is not a disability.” Boskovich said. She said autism awareness and advocacy is important for educators. “When teachers know more, they can spot children who may need more help and refer them to help. Through awareness, things can change ... with silence, nothing can change,” Boskovich said. Leslie Martinez, another coordinator for Education Core, said people on the autism spectrum are often overlooked and feel like they need to be validated. “I think it’s important to be open minded,” Martinez said. “Even in our planning committee, some of our students have disabilities and you wouldn’t have even known. They can do everything everyone else can.”
KERRI BOYD CROOKS Titan Well senior coordinator early stages of syphilis increased 99 percent, chlamydia went up 65 percent and gonorrhea rose 129 percent, said Christopher Ried, medical director of HIV/STD services for Orange County Health Care Agency. Ried said a large portion of the increase in STIs between 2012 and 2016 came from 18 to 24 year olds, and a large part of the syphilis and gonorrhea increase stems from men who have sex with other men. He attributes the rise in STDs to several factors including lack of STD clinic funding, insufficient treatments for asymptomatic STDs and less condom usage. “There’s not that many STD clinics left in California. There’s very few. We are one of the only STD clinics in Orange County,” Ried said. “To have a clinic that is dedicated solely to STDs is very unusual.” SEE SEX
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Titans lose 10-4 at University of San Diego
Baseball gave up six runs in the fourth inning and couldn’t stop the bleeding. TAMEEM SAHAR
Asst. Social Media Editor
Cal State Fullerton baseball gave away a four-run lead, falling 10-4 against the University of San Diego at Fowler Park and Cunningham Field on Tuesday. After winning seven of its last nine contests, Fullerton dropped the ball in a game that could have brought its record above .500. Instead, the Titans are now 17-18. “Didn’t get all of the breaks, but that’s baseball and we’re going to move on to the next one. We all will continue to get better,” third baseman Brett Borgogno told CSUF Sports Media. It wasn’t until halfway through in the fourth inning, after the Titans scored their final run, when the game started to go downhill.
San Diego scored 10 unanswered runs, including six runs during the fourth inning. CSUF had no answer for the Toreros pitching, as Nate Kuchta and Anthony Donatella held the Titans scoreless for the final five innings. The umpires tossed Titans Head Coach Rick Vanderhook out for questioning a couple calls during the fifth inning. This is the second time in three games he has been ejected. The Titans scored all of their runs in the first four innings. Shortstop Sahid Valenzuela, designated hitter Jace Chamberlin and second baseman Hank LoForte each registered an RBI. Borgogno secured his fifth double of the season in the third inning. Shortly after, Nick Ciandro recorded his first ever collegiate hit, paving the way to bring Borgogno home.
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Hank LoForte recorded one hit and one RBI against the Toreros.
GABE GANDARA / DAILY TITAN FILE PHOTO
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