Financial Issue – Monday October 9, 2017

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Information Technology tests its security systems to protect private information from identity thieves.

News

Streaming services continue to dominate, as Spotify and Hulu collaborate for student deal.

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Lifestyle 5

Students already pay a lot of expenses, required textbooks shouldn’t be one of them.

Opinion

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2 NEWS

MONDAY OCTOBER 9, 2017

FINANCIAL ISSUE 2017

Prayer and Health Explore the Connection!

Finding God, finding health

Saturday, November 11th at 10:00 a.m. Free lecture by

Michelle Nanouche, C.S.B. International speaker, Michelle Nanouche, is a practitioner and teacher of Christian Science healing and a member of the Christian Science Board of Lectureship.

First Church of Christ, Scientist 1300 North Raymond Avenue Fullerton 92831 (714) 525-4062 christiansciencefullerton.org csfullerton@sbcglobal.net Christian Science is a Bible-based religion.

FOR THE RECORD It is Daily Titan policy to correct factual errors printed in the publication. Corrections will be published on the subsequent issue after an error is discovered and will appear on page 2. Errors on the Opinion page will be corrected on that page. Corrections will also be made to the online version of the article. Please contact Editor-in-Chief Zack Johnston at (657) 278-5815 or at editorinchief@dailytitan.com to report any errors.

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CSUF junior business major Shaun Igualdo lives in a two-bedroom, one-bathroom apartment at University Crossings East with three other roommates to help cut costs for renting the apartment near campus. While this is one solution to high living costs, others are driven away from Orange County.

OC housing costs rising The county’s rising property value is a direct reflection of population. CASSANDRA HEARN Staff Writer

Orange County may be known for its weather and beaches, but its expensive real estate stains an otherwise pristine impression from outside the bubble. Real estate prices continue to rise alongside population spikes in Orange County. As of January 2017, Orange County’s population was nearly 3.2 million, according to a census conducted by Cal State Fullerton’s Center for Demographic Research. There are over one million homes in Orange County. That’s a 3-1 person to house ratio. The same census totaled the population in Fullerton at over 142,000, making it the fifth-largest city in Orange County. The area is so expensive because it’s so populated, said Lingxiao Li, assistant professor of finance at CSUF. “If you compare different regions within the United States, California is much more expensive than other states,” Li said. “It’s a more active place.” The median price for a home in Orange County is $789,000 as of August 2017, according to the California Association of Realtors. In August 2016, the median price was $40,000 less. CSUF’s Center for Demographic Research released data showing that, as of June 2017, Orange County’s

property value was over $531 billion. Rising property values coupled with a demand higher than the supply indicate the housing market in Orange County will only become more expensive in the coming years. As of 2016, the median home price for the United States was $235,000, said CSUF student and vice president of CSUF’s Real Estate Association Steve Haddadin. According to housing estimates by Zillow, an online real estate marketplace, the median home price in Fullerton was $648,000 as of August 2017. “For any asset, the price is determined by the supply and demand,” Li said. “When the demand is much higher than the supply, you

County was 22 days, according to the California Association of Realtors. By comparison, the average time a house spends on the market in the U.S. is 28 days, according to the National Association of Realtors. “The rent is really expensive in this area as well. I think the medium rent in Fullerton is about $2,200,” Li said. “It’s more expensive than some urban areas in Los Angeles.” When surveying 13 complexes offering one-bedroom apartments within a 10-minute walk of CSUF, the average price for an apartment was $1,522 per month. Only five of the 13 had studio apartments, which had an average price of $1,260 per month. All but two of the 13 complexes offered two-bed-

For any asset, the price is determined by the supply and demand. When the demand is much higher than the supply, you see high prices compared to other locations where you have oversupply.

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LINGXIAO LI CSUF assistant professor of finance see high prices compared to other locations where you have oversupply.” California’s population continues to grow. The CSUF Center for Demographic Research estimates 3.5 billion people will reside in Orange County by July 2040, compared to almost 3.2 billion today. The speed at which a property in Orange County sells illustrates the area’s supply and demand problems. As of August 2017, the average time a house spent on the market in Orange

room apartments, which cost an average of $1,915 per month. In 2015, according to the most recent data available from the U.S. Census Department, national average rent was $928. “I think living right next to CSUF is really, really expensive, just because of how easy it is to get from your apartment to school,” said junior business major Shaun Igualdo. Igualdo learned in his economics class how Orange County’s growing businesses affect the

housing market. “A lot of young people are here,” Igualdo said. “All the businesses are moving here because of the younger generation, and because of that, it’s pulling in more demand for housing.” Igualdo has three roommates in his two-bedroom, one-bathroom apartment. It takes him two minutes to walk to campus. “It’s worth it to me,” Igualdo said. “I think the time for you to wake up earlier to find parking, it’s not worth the time. That’s time I (could) use to relax, study or eat.” Many of Igualdo’s friends also live in apartments with multiple roommates. “Right now, I know of a few of my friends who are currently staying at UCE (University Crossings East). There’s like four of them in one apartment,” Igualdo said. “For four people, that’s not a lot of space.” Graduate student Heather Lynch said she thinks most of the apartments around CSUF are too pricey to be worth the effort and moved to Lake Forest to find affordable housing. “I think the cheapest place I ever found was $1,300 for a studio apartment and that was probably a mile away from Cal State Fullerton,” Lynch said. “It was two other girls looking for a third to be able to split the rent.” For Igualdo, Orange County might soon become too expensive for him to purchase a home. “I do see myself owning a house, but not in Orange County,” Igualdo said. “With rates of apartments this high, what would it be for housing? I think it’s just too expensive.”

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NEWS 3

MONDAY OCTOBER 9, 2017

FINANCIAL ISSUE 2017

Tuition’s campus-based fees aid students The Student Success Initiative receives largest chunk of fees. JENNIFER GERBAUTZ Staff Writer

HANNAH MILLER / DAILY TITAN

After the California State University Board of Trustees approved a tuition increase earlier this year, undergraduate and California residents’ tuition rose to $2,220.79 for part time and $3,426.79 for full-time students. A sizable amount of this tuition goes to campus-based fees.

Centered Spaces, Embrace Diversity and Veterans, Improve Instructional Experience and Access Upgraded Technology. The Improve Instructional Experience and Access Upgraded Technology programs have resulted in increased Wi-Fi access in all common student areas, provided instructional academic software like Grammarly and Lynda to students, upgraded tablet and laptop checkout availability and improved technology in classrooms and the Pollak Library. “(The Information of

Technology) division has been working really hard developing all the tools that advisors, faculty and even students need to keep track of their progress and also to identify any gaps they may have,” Kim said. “A lot of systems are being developed to help these constituents.” The Student Academic Progress program has expanded academic advising, library hours and increased course availability. Many students like business major Carlos Ramirez have benefited from the extension of library hours. “I spend most of my

time at the library studying just because that is where I usually focus the most,” Ramirez said. “I’m also a nighttime person so that

the Expand and Modernize Student Centered Spaces aspect of SSI. Along with adding the scoreboard and LED lighting board for Ti-

Student Affairs is always creating different and new programs to support our students.

Earlier this year, the California State University Board of Trustees approved an increase in tuition. At Cal State Fullerton, the increase means California residents and undergraduate students had to pay $2,220.79 to attend part time (up to six units) and $3,426.79 to attend full time (seven or more units) for the fall 2017 semester. Of that tuition, $553.79 goes strictly to campus-based fees, which contribute to nine different categories that directly impact students. Among those categories that receive money from campus-based fees are the Associated Student Body, which receives $75.33 per student, student ID cards, which receives $4.07 per student and the Student Wellness Center, which receives $81.44 per student. However, the Student Success Initiative implemented in spring 2014 with the purpose of bettering students’ experience on campus receives the largest share of campus-based fees at $184.26 per student. “We have currently a plan this year in terms of all the programs the campus has to develop to support the Student Success Initiative,” said Vice President of Admission and Finance Danny Kim. There are seven different programs that are part of the SSI: Student Academic Progress, Enrich Student’s Path to Graduation, Support Titan Pride, Expand and Modernize Student

DANNY KIM Vice president of Admission and Finance usually benefits me a lot because of the late night studying hours.” Other students like CSUF women’s soccer player Nano Oronoz benefit mainly from

tan Stadium in the 20142015 academic year, the program has helped to improve athletic facilities and the lighting on the tennis courts and open fields.

“I enjoy the scoreboard because it gives us a chance to have pregame videos and celebration effects,” Oronoz said. The SSI still has much left to accomplish. For example, the Enrich Student’s Path to Graduation program is currently in the process of establishing learning communities which would give first-generation and disadvantaged students more opportunities at CSUF. “Student Affairs is always creating different and new programs to support our students,” Kim said.

CSUF tests security to reduce identity theft CAMERON CORONA Asst. News Editor

Amid tuition, classes and midterms, concerns about social security and identity theft just might be the last thoughts on a college student’s mind, but the blank credit records of many students make them some of the biggest targets for fraud. Identity theft can hurt students and alumni in numerous ways. Accounts can be opened in a person’s name without them knowing or money can be stolen. Recovering an identity can be a lengthy process and result in a student not receiving financial aid in time for class enrollment. Identity theft hit a record high in 2016, with 15.4 million incidents across the U.S., according to a Javelin Strategy & Research study released in February. California ranked fourth overall in most identity theft complaint rates and 10th in fraud complaints, according to the Federal Trade Commission’s 2016 Consumer Sentinel Network Data Book. A victim of social security fraud himself, CSUF communications professor and former senior editor for the New York Times Walt Baranger said that recovering from a stolen security number is nearly impossible. Baranger said the number can be sold and resold over and over again, and he expressed concern about the housing of social security numbers by the Cal State system.

“If your social security number is released, for the rest of your life that number is out there with your identifying information,” Baranger said. The campuswide data infrastructure that retains university records holds sensitive, personal information that identity thieves often chase, including social security numbers, dates of birth and addresses.

If your social security number is released, for the rest of your life that number is out there with your identifying information.

Breach warning systems, proactive self-hacking aid information protection.

WALT BARANGER Communications professor The Division of Information Technology also maintains an alumni database and works with the Division of University Advancement on fundraising for the university. Baranger said that alumni databases contain background and personally identifying information, such as addresses and phone numbers, which could easily catch the attention of hackers. “All of these things, you have to look at their systems and say ‘Is this secure?’” Baranger said. Mikhail Gofman, associate professor of computer science and director of the Center for Cybersecurity at CSUF, said the decentralized system used by the CSU is a more secure method of storing information because of the larger number

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of access points for a hacker to break through. This method results in fewer victims if the system is successfully breached. “There is also a mechanism for handling incident response. If we get hacked and student data gets leaked, there is a very worked out procedure for handling that, to evaluate what was compromised and what the threats are for notifying the liable parties and deciding the course of action,” Gofman said. The university also practices proactive security by having Information Technology professionals attempt to break into the university’s systems using the same tools and techniques as hackers to test for weaknesses in the databases, Gofman said. “It’s a very secure database. It’s password protected. Not everybody can get into it and it meets all the IT requirements as well as the data security for IT too,” said Katie McGill, director of development for the College of Communications at CSUF, who oversees alumni fundraising for the university. McGill also said that keeping sensitive information in separate databases means that access to student information is limited to specific personnel, with a unique coding system that has no correlation with student social security numbers. Still, Gofman said that no matter what the colleges do, no system is impenetrable. “Nowadays, when it comes to being compromised, it’s not really a question of ‘If.’ It’s more of a question of ‘When,’” Gofman said.

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4 NEWS

MONDAY OCTOBER 9, 2017

FINANCIAL ISSUE 2017

CSUF sees 202 percent increase in donations since 2012 LAUREN HOFER Staff Writer With state funding unable to meet the growing financial needs of Cal State Fullerton, fundraising efforts and subsequent philanthropic donations to the university have greatly increased. “While philanthropy will never fully make up what comes from the state, it is another revenue source that is really exceptionally worthwhile,” said Vice President of CSUF University Advancement Greg Saks. From 2012 to 2016, CSUF received a 202 percent increase in donations, partially due to the efforts of the University Advancement Development department. Five years ago, the department made a shift to focus more on the personal interests of potential donors. “It’s about connecting what’s interesting to our donors to what they want to have an impact on,” said executive director of Central Development for University Advancement Todd Fransden. The development team communicates with alumni and friends of the university by email, mailings, phone calls and in-person meetings. They let potential donors know what is happening in their specific areas of interest to see how their funds would be put to use. “The number one thing that donors want, and this is something that we’re always wanting to follow up with them on, is to be stewarded in the sense of what happened with their gift,” Fransden said.

These contacts often result in gifts that contribute to scholarships, academic divisions, special speakers, sports teams and other programs. Focusing on donor interests has proven to be a more effective way to fundraise. In 2012, CSUF received around $7 million in donations. In 2016, that number grew to over $22 million. The Titan Fund exists for unrestricted financial gifts, but in 2016 only .64 percent of donations fell into that category. The remaining donations were given by donors for specific purposes. “At the end of the day, the donor calls the shots,” Saks said.

While philanthropy will never fully make up what comes from the state, it is another revenue source that is really exceptionally worthwhile.

The Office of University Advancement connects donors to programs.

GREG SAKS Vice president of CSUF University Advancement CSUF chemistry professor Scott Hewitt has made numerous donations to the university during his 27 years as a faculty member. He said his donations are just about giving back to the school he’s spent so much time as a part of. “I’m really invested in seeing that things work well here. I give more money here than I actually do to my alma mater,” Hewitt said. During his time at CSUF, Hewitt has donated to areas pertaining to his own interests and work including: The chemistry department where

LAUREN HOFER / DAILY TITAN

Executive director of Central Development for University Advancement Todd Fransden said the majority of donations to CSUF come from alumni, community members, family, faculty and staff.

he currently works; the library, where he served as the interim university librarian and because he’s a long-distance runner himself, track and field. Hewitt also fronted the money for a university wide contest in which students could win cash prizes for writing sustainability project proposals, with the winners announced at the CSUF Sustainability Symposium. The first place prize was $250 and the runner-up prize was $150. “I don’t think there’s any place on campus that has enough money at this point,” Hewitt said. Hewitt believes that the general public is unaware of

the financial need faced by the university. “That is a consistent theme that I think all members of our campus community need to make sure people understand. We are state assisted and not fully state supported,” Saks said. While donations do contribute to budget relief, Saks said they are “really accentuating the student experience” more than anything. Every year University Advancement sets up financial goals for it’s different units, Saks said. The units consist of development teams in the various colleges and other departments like athletics and student affairs.

“Development team members are really motivated. The great thing about being on campus in a higher education environment is that you get to see students every day,” Frandsen said. Philanthropy as revenue is especially valuable to the university because there’s no restriction. “There’s no one out there saying, you can only raise this amount of money,” Saks said. Development also works closely with Associated Students, Inc. to make sure donations can go through the CSUF Philanthropic Fund. This fund ensures that eligible donors receive the full tax

deduction for their gift, Frandsen said. Most donations come from the approximately 285,000 CSUF alumni. Community members, family, faculty and staff also make considerable contributions. “The Titan family of donors gives everywhere from $5 to a million dollars or more. It’s that participation that we really cherish and value because those small gifts really add up to big things,” Frandsen said. Those who donate see it as an investment in the future. “I think education is the most important investment that we make. That’s the future of our country and the future of our state,” Hewitt said.

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LIFESTYLE 5

MONDAY OCTOBER 9, 2017

FINANCIAL ISSUE 2017

KIERA PEACE / DAILY TITAN

Spotify takes the lead for music streaming with 60 million subscribers, followed by Apple Music and Pandora. Netflix dominates movie and television show streaming services with over 100 million subscribers, followed by Hulu.

Column: Streaming services take over

KIERA PEACE Staff Writer

Tucked away in my pocket, my neon green iPod nano changed the way I listened to music. No longer confined to what was played on the radio, I could take music wherever I wanted and purchase individual songs for just 99 cents. iTunes was my go-to for listening to music, until online streaming services further shifted the music industry. Streaming services have recently taken over

entertainment, with Netflix and Hulu providing television and movies and Apple Music and Pandora offering unlimited music streaming. Spotify has taken the lead in recent years, with over 60 million subscribers and counting. The digital music service recently announced a new partnership with Hulu in September. The collaboration offers college students access to Hulu’s limited-commercials plan along with Spotify Premium for students, which has no commercials and unlimited skips. Students who already have the $4.99 plan with Spotify can now activate the Hulu subscription and start watching. The bundle may pique the interest of students who love music, movies and television, but don’t have the budget to subscribe to two or more platforms. College students who might have originally paid $13 a month for the cheapest plan on both services

combined would save nearly $100 a year. “I think it’s great,” said communications major Taylor Moore. “I probably wouldn’t have advanced to the package if it was even a dollar more, just because I’m on that student budget.” Around 1.5 million Americans stopped their cable subscriptions last year, according to research analysis conducted by the Jackdaw

subscription fees of streaming services. Ashley Shaw, a fourthyear history major, doesn’t have cable at all. Instead, she uses services like Netflix, Hulu and Pandora for entertainment because it’s cheaper. With a vast amount of entertainment options, it can be hard to decide which is best. Many music-streaming services have some type of

I probably wouldn’t have advanced to the package if it was even a dollar more, just because I’m on that student budget. TAYLOR MOORE CSUF communications major

Research technology firm, decreasing the number of homeowners that pay for TV to 99.4 million. While this still leaves 85 percent of all U.S. households with cable, college students are especially attracted to the low monthly

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Spotify and Hulu team up to give college students the best deal.

free plan. Both Spotify and Pandora’s plans come with limited skips, restricting users from choosing which song plays next. Apple Music and Amazon Prime have free trials but when the period ends, users are forced to sign up for a paid plan if

they wish to continue using the services. Up until the new partnership, I was using Spotify’s free plan because I was already paying for Netflix and Hulu. Both services provide me with different online experiences and options to pick from. I love Netflix because it doesn’t have commercials and I can watch all of my favorite childhood shows and movies. Hulu is my safety net when I don’t have time to sit down and watch TV shows live. It allows me to catch up on my favorite shows anytime. Unfortunately, Hulu has one thing a lot of viewers can’t stand: Commercials. “Hulu’s cool, but I really can’t get over the commercials,” said senior business accounting major Daniel Gomez. “I don’t think that their original content is as good as Netflix.” Netflix may have the upper hand when it comes to interruption-free viewing, but it does have its flaws,

such as its limited amount of up-to-date TV shows and the withdrawal of many of its well-liked programs. There are many variables to take into consideration between the two companies. Forty-nine percent of Netflix users watch content directly on their computers compared to 89 percent of Hulu subscribers, according to Nielsen. In addition to the amount of users, 73 percent of subscribers use Hulu for TV shows and 53 percent use Netflix for movies. Spotify and Hulu’s deal might be the most affordable option, but users continue to stay loyal to Netflix. “I think (Netflix has) such a big handle on the market that I don’t think it will really affect them. I don’t think that they really need to go out and make a partnership with somebody else,” Gomez said. Whichever option students choose, it looks like online streaming is here to stay.

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6 LIFESTYLE

MONDAY OCTOBER 9, 2017

FINANCIAL ISSUE 2017

Dependence on loans comes at price PAOLENA COMOUCHE Staff Writer

Whether students are dealing with the blood pressure-raising prospect of deciding on a career or chugging coffee to get through a particularly sleep-deprived finals week, there are tons of school-related stressors for them to experience during their college career. However, some of the biggest stressors for students don’t have anything to do with the process of getting their education, but rather how they are paying for it. In an increasingly competitive employment environment, college degrees have become a necessity to attain success in recent years. The price of education rises every year, making it increasingly more difficult for low-income families to obtain these necessary credentials. As a result, students are forced to seek financial aid. The annual report on student debt by the Institute for College Access and Success showed that about 70 percent of students who graduated from a public or nonprofit school deal with debt after leaving college. In the 2015-16 academic year, over $61 million in federal student loans were disbursed and about 30 percent of Cal State Fullerton students took out loans, according to the National Center for Education Statistics. Brandi Alexander, an account technician at Student Financial Services at CSUF, has daily interactions with

students who receive loans from the school. Many students depend on them to balance their finances. “There are people who call that are just like ‘I need it because I need to pay my rent. I need to go buy books,’” Alexander said. The CSUF alumna has experienced the impact of loans herself after graduating in August. “When I was in school, it’s like ‘Oh, problem solved: Loans.’ But I’ve graduated now, and I feel more pressure to get a job right out of college because I have these loans to pay back,” Alexander said. Kelly England, the interim director of Student Financial Services at CSUF, recommends that students take their career’s income into consideration before taking out loans to avoid issues when repaying them. England said that if a student does not pay their debt, their loans go into default. “Once you get to that point, it’s very challenging to resolve,” England said. When loans go into default, they can become more expensive due to collections fees and students will become ineligible for other forms of financial aid until their previous loan is repaid, England said. The Office of Financial Aid recommends that students contact their loan server because they may qualify for a deferment, in which the government pays for the subsidized interest on the student’s loans, England said. Additionally, loans that go into default can negatively impact a student’s credit score. This can result in difficulty obtaining home or car loans, cell phone plans, homeowner’s insurance and

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PHOTO ILLUSTRATION BY KATIE ALBERTSON / DAILY TITAN

After graduation, many CSUF students are faced with paying back their cumulated loans and encounter financial struggle when balancing payments with other responsibilities.

approval to rent apartments, according to the U.S. Department of Education.

debt when deciding to buy a car, and 55 percent are affected when trying to

I’ve graduated now, and I feel more pressure to get a job right out of college because I have these loans to pay back. BRANDI ALEXANDER CSUF Student Financial Services account technician

Fifty-two percent of students are affected by student

Loan debt can negatively impact buying a car or a home.

buy a home, according to a recent study conducted

by American Student Assistance. Furthermore, students often experience hardship when combining student loan payments with necessary household spending. Melissa Valdiviezo, a CSUF alumna who majored in radio-TV-film, pays $400 a month in student loan payments. The cost of her payments have made it difficult to keep up with the other bills she has, and

almost impossible to save up money. If Valdiviezo faithfully sticks to her payment plan, she thinks it will take 10 years to pay off her loans. “I’m trying to keep up with whatever happens, like if I -blow out a tire, I might not have the money to replace it right away,” Valdiviezo said. “It feels like I’m just working in order to make sure I keep up with payments and don’t go into default.”

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LIFESTYLE 7

MONDAY OCTOBER 9, 2017

FINANCIAL ISSUE 2017

Credit cards: Adulthood with benefits Paying with plastic offers financial rewards for students. MEGHAN KLIEWER Asst. Lifestyle Editor

Adulting can be a frightening concept, especially when it comes to balancing finances independently. While it might seem like another responsibility to worry about, being a credit card holder offers rewards for both purchasing necessities and weekend splurges. About 56 percent of college students are credit card holders and for students ages 18 to 24, establishing credit is the No. 1 reason for opening a credit card account, according to the 2016 Sallie Mae report. “My dad’s advice was to open a credit card and to start building a credit score and within a couple years, hopefully, I can buy myself a new house (or) a new car,” said 24-year-old Cal State Fullerton student Yesenia Higareda. A credit score doesn’t necessarily help or prevent a person from buying or renting a property, but it does affect the interest rates lenders may charge on a loan used to pay for it. According to the 2016 Sallie Mae report, a majority of students manage their credit cards responsibly. About 77 percent pay bills on time and 60 percent report never exceeding their immediate funds. Still, students often worry about missing payments. “I’d say it’s a general concern for people … Or if they add on a recurring payment that happens every month or every year and they forget about that, I think that can

be scary if you set that up and don’t remember,” said business management major Darren Benton. Some cards won’t charge a late fee for the first missed payment but in most cases, a missing or late payment will cost the cardholder. “I have to remember to pay it every month or I’ll get charged interest,” said 21-year-old CSUF fourth year Petra Palomera. “If I have like $400 left to pay and I can only pay $300, they’ll charge me $6 or $7 for that month.” Ease of access is another reason students use credit cards over cash or debit cards. Benton said credit cards are more flexible. It gives him the opportunity to purchase items even when he doesn’t have the money readily available and he can pay it back when he does. Many credit cards are also eligible for a cash-back reward system, with percentages varying between card types and banks. “You get three percent cash back for gas, one percent cash back for food … Also (the credit card) have features like if you spend a certain amount at a certain restaurant or a store, you get like 10 percent cash back,” Palomera said. Using a credit card also protects a person’s money. Stolen cash is irreplaceable, but a credit card can be reported lost or stolen and the holder will not be responsible for paying fraudulent charges. This often includes when a charge is made but the product is never delivered. Many banks offer credit cards specifically for students. Discover offers students five percent cash back

PHOTO ILLUSTRATION BY KATIE ALBERTSON / DAILY TITAN

Swiping cards is one of the most common ways to build credit and as many college students are transitioning into adulthood, signing up with providers can give them cash back and discounts.

on purchases for categories that change every few months (such as on restaurants) and one percent on all other purchases. It also rewards students $20 for each school year if they have at least a 3.0 GPA. At the end of the first year of owning the card, it pays additional cash-back matching the total amount earned for the entire year. Through Discover Deals, customers can find special discounts and coupons, while earning extra cash back by shopping certain online stores through the Discover website. Discover also has purchase and price

protection that includes extended warranties on qualifying items and refunds for the difference in price of an item already purchased at a higher cost. The Bank of America student card pays three percent cash back on gas, two percent for grocery store purchases and one percent cash back everywhere else. It also rewards a 10 percent customer bonus for transferring cash back earnings into a Bank of America checking or savings account. With a Wells Fargo student card, cardholders can earn three percent cash back for each dollar spent on

gas, grocery and drugstore purchases for the first six months and one percent for each dollar spent on all other purchases. Like Discover, Wells Fargo offers additional opportunities for earning cash back when purchases are made through their “Earn More Mall,” which provides special links to online stores. Chase does not offer a student-specific card but its Freedom card offers a $150 bonus after spending $500 within the first three months of opening the card account. Cardholders can earn five percent cash back for purchases in rotating

categories and one percent on all others. Due to the Fair Credit Billing Act, all purchases made with a credit card are protected from charges if a product is received damaged or defective. Many student cards do not charge an annual fee to open a credit card with them. Although the pressure of adding an extra monthly bill can seem petrifying, many card providers make it uncomplicated. The transition into full blown adulthood can be eased a bit with opportunities to earn while spending.

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8 OPINION

MONDAY OCTOBER 9, 2017

FINANCIAL ISSUE 2017

Free textbooks will lighten the student load Required reading materials can be a heavy burden.

TATIANA TORRES Asst. Copy Editor

With broke college students paying thousands of dollars in tuition, buying textbooks is the last thing they should be wasting their money on. Students are constantly asked to pay additional fees for things like parking permits, gas and in some cases, rent. If universities took away the burden of buying books, they could lessen the hole burnt in student’s wallets. Providing textbooks to students should be included in the tuition students are already paying. If the Student Recreation Center and the Student Wellness Center are included, then providing a copy of something that is absolutely essential to a student’s education should be the norm. Students spend roughly $1,250 a year on textbooks, roughly one-third of the cost of tuition at Cal State Fullerton, according to College Board’s 2016-17 Average Estimated Undergraduate Budgets. California minimum wage is $10.50 an hour which means, on average, students would have to work 119 hours to earn enough money to pay for books. These are 119 hours that the student is not studying, participating in activities on campus or getting school work done. Freshman business major Carla Sanchez said she spends most of her time at school or work and the money she makes from work is limited. “It usually just goes to my textbooks and I can’t spend it on other more important stuff that I need,” Sanchez said. Although working for something gives a sense of

KATIE ALBERTSON / DAILY TITAN

Students already have enough things to pay for like parking permits and gas. Book purchases shouldn’t be forced onto students. For a student with a minimum-wage job, it would take a total of 119 hours to pay for the average costs of books.

accomplishment, debt tends to add stress to students’ already full plates. Those who can’t find the time to work often turn to loans to help them out. “Financial aid covers the majority of my tuition, but having to pay for all those books is still really expensive,” said freshman psychology major Carolyn Hernandez. “I had to turn to loans which is the last thing I wanted to do.”

Many colleges don’t take into account the other expenses that students and their parents have. With mortgages, car payments, groceries and other daily needs, books tend to make their way to the back of the list. If colleges provided students with books, or even a PDF version of a book, financial burdens and stress could be eliminated. Students could then focus on

succeeding in school and in their careers. Some professors have copies of the required books, but few provide their students with the material. In many instances, the authors of these textbooks are professors themselves, so purchasing the book directly benefits the professor. However, if they have the material, a simple scan of the pages for the week sent out in an email to students would help

students out in a financially difficult world. “This one professor that I had, had the book on him (but) he was literally telling us to buy it … So we had to buy it,” Sanchez said. “Why couldn’t he just give us the online code or anything?” While there are cheaper options than the Titan Shops, like Amazon and the Little Professor Book Center, universities should still lend out books every semester.

In high school, students are given textbooks that they bring back at the end of the semester, only having to pay if the book is damaged or lost. This option ensures that money is not wasted and students can put their funds to better use. “Sometimes in some classes you literally only use it one time or twice,” Sanchez said. “So sometimes you don’t even need the textbook.”

Paying interns has value Students would be more willing to work if employers paid.

at the

FULLERTON MUSEUM BEER GARDEN

RICK PIÑON

Asst. Opinion Editor

Despite the busy lifestyle of most students, employers continue to hinder and selfishly take advantage of them through unpaid internships. If the employers were to pay their student interns, they would realize there is benefits to reap. Students would be able to dedicate not only their energy and time but their true focus to understanding and learning what the internship offers. They wouldn’t be distracted from taking these lessons with them after the internship is over. “If it’s a paid position, interns are going to work hard. They are going to be committed to the position. They’re not just going to bail or leave ... Or show up late because they feel the company has invested in them, has invested in their talents and is honoring them,” said NBC campus recruiter

Thursday, October 12 HANNAH MILLER / DAILY TITAN

Paid internships would benefit both the employer and student because they wouldn’t have to worry about getting another job, allowing them to focus on their internship and school.

Candice Burgess. Companies will ultimately find that the benefits of paying interns would outweigh their monetary loss due to regular paychecks and would increase the chances of finding someone willing to stay with the company. Interns who obtained paid internship positions received more job offers after those internships, according to a 2014 student survey report conducted by the National Association of Colleges and Employers. “If a site offers a position at pay and if they do offer

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it at pay it must meet minimum wage standards as far as the states concerned, they tend to draw more applications,” said Community Engagement Partnership coordinator Andrew Gonzales. Companies should realize that paying interns is a long-term investment for the company itself. If the intern realizes how much work the company is putting toward teaching useful skills and actually paying them, they’ll work harder to nab a follow-up job within that same company. “It becomes a recruitment

tool with an infinite number of benefits and outcomes,” Gonzales said. Companies that offer financial compensation would more likely than not, attract more motivated interns willing to work. The money will also allow interns to focus more on their tasks for their internship without having to worry about making money elsewhere. Paying interns would be an easy fix for companies attempting to grow and widen their talent pool, creating a win-win for both interns and employers.

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LEISURE 9

MONDAY OCTOBER 9, 2017

FINANCIAL ISSUE 2017

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Your sudden outburst might surprise those closest to you, but they should have seen it coming. If you are keeping your feelings hidden, someone’s behavior could act as a trigger today, unleashing your pent-up emotions.

TAURUS

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You can put your best foot forward today, convincing everyone that you have everything under control. However, your thoughts are tumultuous. Although you cannot rein in your fantasies, you could minimize their negative effects by burying your feelings.

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An abrupt shift of direction at work may be upsetting at first, especially if you are comfortable with your current assignment. However, you quickly could see the big picture now, seizing the opportunity to become an integral part of the team.

You may be shocked out of your ambivalence by someone’s radical behavior today. Although you accept the fact that you’re not calling all the shots, you wish everyone would play by the same rules as you do.

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10 OPINION

MONDAY OCTOBER 9, 2017

FINANCIAL ISSUE 2017

Pirates are stealing money from musicians Streaming music on sites like Spotify hinders artists.

SOPHIA ACEVEDO Asst. Opinion Editor

Any music lover can relate to the rush of excitement one gets immediately after a new album drops. A dozen or so brand-new songs can be played a thousand times on repeat and it can make any boring day slightly better. In order to keep music artists inspired to write more great music, students need to be willing to pay for it. Imagine getting a sizable cut from a paycheck after working for weeks. That’s the struggle music artists face because of illegal music downloading. Thirty-five percent of internet users get access to music illegally, according to the International Federation of the Phonographic Industry. Of those who download music illegally, 49 percent of 16-24 year olds use sites like YouTube to freely view content. Some might try to justify their actions by assuming artists make enough profit, or that they would buy the music, but are too broke to afford it. By illegally downloading music, millions contribute to major losses in the music industry every year. If fans refuse to pay, music companies can easily drop artists who aren’t profitable. It can also affect struggling artists by causing them to take longer to produce or worse, become nonexistent. Paying for artists’ music directly contributes to their success. If doing the right thing and making sure artists are compensated for their work isn’t enough motivation, students should also be aware of the risk of being caught by the Recording Industry Association of America. Those who are caught making unauthorized music copies of songs can face up to five years of jail time and fines up to $250,000. People aren’t likely to steal a packet of gum or a candy bar — both of which cost about the same amount as a song — simply to get it for

HANNAH MILLER / DAILY TITAN

Musicians are facing financial burden because of people who choose to illegally download or stream their content on sites like Spotify, Pandora or Apple Music. If students bought the songs or albums, it would allow the artists to create more content.

free. Most people know better than to do something as silly as stealing, not because they are morally right human beings, but because they don’t want to get caught. The same mentality needs to be applied to music downloads. Don’t get caught doing something stupid and end up paying thousands in fines for a song that only costs around a dollar. While choosing to stream

music with popular streaming services like Spotify, Apple Music and Pandora may seem more convenient and ethical, it can also cause problems for artists. These are better methods but the amount these streaming services pay the artists can be ridiculously low. For example, artists earn $0.00014123 per stream from ad-supported streams on Spotify, according to Digit

Music News, which means artists would need to have their song streamed 703,581 times to earn $100. Popular artists might not struggle to get their music streamed millions of times, but the thousands of lesser-known artists don’t find it as easy to make a profit they can live by. There are millions of musicians out there but only 650 artists, groups and collaborators

appeared on the Top 200 Song Consumption chart in 2016, according to Nielsen’s 2016 U.S. Music Year-End Report. For those hesitant about buying a certain song — or those just too broke to buy it — it’s perfectly fine to use a streaming service. Spotify has over 140 million active users and Pandora has over 76.7 million active listeners. It’d be unreasonable to

suggest that students should abandon their accounts. However, students shouldn’t use streaming services as their only means of listening to music, especially when it comes to lesser-known artists. Even if it’s their passion, talented artists won’t produce music if they can’t make a living from it. If students want more new, good music, they need to pay for it.

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SPORTS 11

MONDAY OCTOBER 9, 2017

FINANCIAL ISSUE 2017

Titan athletes manage tight budgets

Scholarships don’t mean splurging for CSUF players. YARESLY SANCHEZ-AGUILERA Sports Editor

Professional athletes in the United States are among the highest-paid individuals in the world, but despite making a comfortable living, many of them don’t have the education necessary to save the money to fund the rest of their lives if an unfortunate event claims their career early. A study conducted by Sports Illustrated showed that about 80 percent of pro athletes in the NFL and NBA go broke two years after retirement, mainly due to the fact that these athletes are splurging on unnecessary things like luxury cars, exotic animals or enormous houses. Their collegiate counterparts have the opposite problem. The NCAA offers almost $2.9 billion in scholarships to Division I and Division II colleges and universities in the U.S. Although the NCAA covers more than 150,000 students, only about two percent of college athletes attend school on a full-ride scholarship. Cal State Fullerton athletics are a part of the Division I program, allowing some of its student-athletes to be covered for room and board, tuition and other means of basic living necessities, but not much else. Student-athletes like CSUF men’s soccer forward Bass Sarr is one of the few students who was lucky enough to receive a full-ride scholarship to bear the colors blue and orange, but the hours required to be a successful student-athlete

PHOTO ILLUSTRATION BY KATIE ALBERTSON, BAILEY CARPENTER AND TRACY HOANG / DAILY TITAN

Cal State Fullerton athletics are a part of the highest level of intercollegiate sports in the NCAA, allowing the Titans to award some of their student-athletes full-ride grants to cover their tuition, room and board and other necessities.

makes his scholarship his only form of income during the school year. “I make sure that I do things the right way and spend my money on things that I need and not things that I want,” Sarr said. “I have enough for me to stay through the month until my next payment comes, but I try to manage my money and my time as much as possible.” Sarr said that although he is not working a typical college students’ job, his time on the field is enough work, even if it can get a little expensive. “This is my workplace, and that’s my office,” Sarr said of Titan Stadium. “They don’t know the struggle we go through … We need to eat

24/7 so I think that’s why people think we can’t manage our money. We manage our money well, but we wish we could have more.” Sarr recently transferred to CSUF from State University of New York College at Buffalo. As a first-time scholarship recipient, he believes his money is managed responsibly — with a little help from the athletics department. “They give (us an installment) every month, we have to pay rent, buy groceries (and) food,” Sarr said. “I think it’s a better idea because if you give it to us all at once … We don’t all know how to manage our money.” Sarr isn’t the only Titan on the men’s roster who receives

a scholarship. Alex Juarez, a freshman from Downey, California, joined the men’s soccer team straight out of high school. His performances as part of the LA Galaxy Academy earned him a spot on the scholarship list. Juarez also receives his scholarship in monthly installments. Although Juarez still lives at home, he said that the extra money he receives doesn’t give him an itch to splurge on unnecessary items. “I like that they give it monthly because I have (a) budget so I don’t spend it on whatever,” Juarez said. “I keep an amount and put some away for when I need it or

when my parents need it.” Juarez said that often, professional athletes go broke because they let the money “get to their head” and advises that huge income should be taken as an opportunity to make huge investments. Although Juarez doesn’t have the means of investing as he finishes off his first season as a collegiate athlete, there is one takeaway from his spending activity that he learned early on from his parents. “If I see something that’s too expensive...I think to myself, ‘I could find something else,’” Juarez said. “I don’t like to spend too much.” But despite Juarez being able to limit himself from purchasing expensive

accessories, the biggest contributor to the holes burning through the pockets of collegiate athletes, and anyone else for that matter is the need to eat. Juarez and Sarr both agreed they spend the most money on food, and that it’s inevitable that an athlete who trains almost every day for an intense amount of hours is going to have a huge appetite. Sarr said the way to work around this is to fire up the stove and stay home, something that can help even the most basic of college students. “Rent, food, and bills,” Sarr said. “I don’t really go out, especially when I’m in the season I like to focus.”

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12 SPORTS

MONDAY OCTOBER 9, 2017

FINANCIAL ISSUE 2017

OPINION

Professional athletes can’t afford loyalty Players can’t be slammed for choosing money over laundry.

MARIANA VERA Asst. Sports Editor

Sports fanbases can sometimes take supporting their teams to the extreme by doing things like covering their entire bodies in paint or tailgating for hours on end, all because they’ve become emotionally attached to the players and franchise. But while fans romanticize the idea of teams and athletes being a part of their family and the idea that they’re part of the team by wearing a jersey on game day, many people forget that playing sports is a career choice for athletes and that it is also a business. The majority of players have to think like individuals outside of the playing field when they’re choosing where they want to work. Shaquille O’Neal demanded a trade from the Los Angeles Lakers in 2004 when the team chose to commit to Kobe Bryant instead. Though the pair won three consecutive championships together, victory was not enough to keep them on the same team. After he infamously yelled at Lakers owner Jerry Buss as Buss sat courtside, it was clear O’Neal wanted to get paid what he

was worth. The Lakers decided they couldn’t afford to give gargantuan contracts to both him and Bryant, and conceded to O’Neal’s trade demand, sending him to the Miami Heat for Lamar Odom, Caron Butler, and Brian Grant as well as firstround draft pick that became Jordan Farmar. Bryant and O’Neal could have brought the franchise more titles, however, the Lakers ultimately decided the better business move was to trade O’Neal, while he chose to maximize his income during the relatively short window athletes have to demand their full value. Similarly, pitcher Zack Greinke had his best year in 2015 with the Los Angeles Dodgers. He finished the season with the best ERA in the league (1.66) and his second Gold Glove Award. In that same year when Greinke became a free agent, he showed no loyalty to the team he had his best performance on, but instead to himself. Rather than take a one-year $15.8 million qualifying offer from the Dodgers, he left the team to sign a six-year $206.5 million contract with the Arizona Diamondbacks. Greinke’s choice to take a higher-paying job is something nearly everyone would do if offered the same two options without considering any sentimentality some had for the uniform they wore. Pro sports are the only job where the latter is supposed to matter more than the former. No one would accuse a McDonald’s cashier of being disloyal if they became a manager at Burger King. Athletes don’t just have to think about who is offering the most money either.

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Former Oklahoma City Thunder forward Kevin Durant took a pay cut when he prioritized his individual desires over a higher salary. Durant traded in his OKC jersey for a Golden State Warriors jersey after making the difficult decision.

Kevin Durant recently took a pay cut when he became a free agent and left the Oklahoma City Thunder for the Golden State Warriors. Thunder fans were disappointed with Durant because he left money on the table and ditched teammate Russell Westbrook, because the two were considered the dynamic duo of the team. It’s unfair for society to judge Durant for his actions when he is making decisions based on finding his own

happiness, something everyone would consider in their career given the chance. Durant released a statement explaining how his decision to leave wasn’t easy. Ultimately Durant wanted to live in California and enjoyed how selfless Golden State’s style of play was. The small forward gave up money — and being loved in OKC — to fulfill personal desires he wanted to gain from his place of work. Whether Durant wanted to

play with more pass-happy players or just to win a ring, he did the same thing basically anyone would do when choosing where they wanted to work: He looked at what was most important to him and picked the option closest to that. The only way OKC fans could have survived this heartbreak is by understanding that players don’t buy into the mythology of laundry the same way fans do because they can’t. As fun

as sports are, they’re also an athlete’s job. Sure, fans can pick a team and stick with it, but they should be aware of an athlete’s situation. They need a retirement plan and have to consider their families or personal desires just like everyone else when choosing a place to work. If fans put themselves in an athlete’s shoes and think about what they’d do, maybe it would make more sense how they wear them.

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