2007 Graduation Guide
A LOOK AT FULLERTON’S FINEST
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Letter From The Editor Graduation. According to Webster’s dictionary it is “the ceremony of conferring degrees or diplomas, as at a college or school.” While accurate, these words only give us a surface level understanding of the implication of what is to occur. And soon, over 5,000 Titans will walk the aisle in cap and gown and receive that coveted document that certifies an understanding of the craft they have chosen to ply in their studies here. But beyond that, it also certifies that each of the 5,000 have persevered through the trials and tribulations of collegiate life – the long lines for registration, balancing work and school, studying till dawn for finals and everything in-between. Those about to don the regal outfit have weathered the storm and made it through to the bright spring day where they will be deemed Titan alumni, ready to conquer the big scary world in front of them with the confidence of an elephant, based on the tutelage they received on this wonderful campus. And at the end of the day, when the tossed caps are recovered and fresh grass is trampled by the hordes of friends and family present to witness the special proceedings, we will only have our memories of the times that were. We hope yours were rich and your futures are equally bright...
Adam Levy Executive Editor, the Daily Titan Spring 2007
EXECUTIVE EDITOR Adam Levy PRODUCTION CONSULTANTS Jickie Torres, Ian Hamilton and Jackie Kimmel COPY EDITORS Joey English, James Thompson, Johnathan Kroncke and Yvonne Villarreal DIRECTOR OF ADVERTISING Emily Alford ASSISTANT DIRECTOR OF ADVERTISING Beth Stirnaman AD PRODUCTION MANAGER Keith Hansen ACCOUNT EXECUTIVES Kathleen Cisneros, Stephanie Birditt and Kevin Fredrickson The Daily Titan 714.278.3373 The Buzz Editorial 714.278.5426 thebuzz@dailytitan.com Editorial Fax 714.278.4473 The Buzz Advertising 714.278.3373 ads@dailytitan.com Advertising Fax 714.278.2702 The Buzz , a student publication, is a supplemental insert for the Cal State Fullerton Daily Titan. It is printed every Thursday. The Daily Titan operates independently of Associated Students, College of Communications, CSUF administration and the CSU 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. Copyright ©2006 Daily Titan
The Past and Present of the Ceremony of Commencement by Jake Kilroy Daily titan staff writer Graduation shouldn’t be anything new to anyone reading this. Though the most high school students experience the celebration, the history of the event rarely makes its way into graduation speeches. And since the ceremony is nearly 600 years old, it should gets it due some time. Legend states that the Baccalaureate ceremony originated back to a statute dated 1432 at Oxford University. It required each bachelor to deliver a sermon in Latin as part of his academic exercise. As the earliest universities in this country were founded primarily to educated ministers, the British practice of a Baccalaureate service continued. Today, the service is usually an interfaith one
that celebrates the completion of an undergraduate academic career, according to brownielocks.com. The accessories to the event developed over the next couple centuries. The traditional hoods of many gowns are derived long ago from the Druids, which were Celtic priests. The Druids, educated in a variety of academic studies, became a symbol in the Middle Ages of knowledge. Thus, their hoods and symbolism crept into the tradition of graduation ceremonies. The hoods evolved into caps. In 1835, the first class rings were worn. They were for West Point U.S. Academy. Traditionally, the class ring is to remain on the third finger of the right hand. The traditional anthem composition of graduation, “Pomp and Circumstance” by Sir Edward
Elgar, was first performed on October 19, 1901 in Liverpool, England. Diplomas given at the graduations were made out of sheep skin until only 100 years ago. The parchments stopped being handed out rolled up in the early 1900s, but began to be presented in leather binders. In just the last half of the 20th century have graduation gowns been a fair representation of school colors. Before the 1950s, graduation gowns were traditionally gray.
So, that’s the past. The future is up to graduates to decide how they’ll spend it. Using her new degree, Jody Cason, a 42-year-old radio-TV-film major and print journalism minor, who has worked as a waitress for 24 years, plans to go into the journalism industry. “Newspapers probably, or whichever ones are left,” Cason said. “I’d like to do storyboarding for movies or illustration for children’s books,” said Curtis Thompson, a 23-year-old illustration major. “I want to move somewhere kind of far, but I don’t know where I’d go,” said Lacey Welborn, a 22-yearold double major of advertising and radio-TV-film. “And I have nobody to go with. I kind of want to stay in school, and not ever enter the real world,” Welborn said with a laugh.
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Graduation Preperation by Florance chung daily titan staff writer In the midst of final exams, unfinished business and procrastinated projects, finding the time to plan and prepare for graduation can be hard. Grad Fest helped with the announcements and the cap and gown. However, there is still more to graduation than simply showing up with the family and friends in tow. What do you need to know about the big day? First, plan for the weather. Will it be scorching hot or pouring rain? Either way, it is important to be ready for both. “All their faces were cherry red and they were dehydrated because they hadn’t thought to wear hats or sunscreen or bring water to drink,” said LaRue Novick, who graduated in May 2000, of her family and friends on her very hot graduation day. They were in the stadium for their ceremony and right out in the sun’s rays. She advises wearing sunscreen as she was sunburned everywhere that wasn’t covered, leaving her face half burnt. She also has tips for rainy weather. “If it’s cloudy, which it was when my friend graduated from CSUF last year, bring an umbrella,” said LaRue. “Don’t think you can leave it in the car because it won’t rain, because you never know.” Besides sunscreen, what else should you wear? This is one area where everyone offers a different opinion. One obvious faux pas would be what Robin Williams wore in the Patch Adams movie – nothing. “I’ve seen people dress casual, but it’s a big day and I think it deserves a bit of dressing up,” said Magda Liszewska, who graduated in December 2001. “Slacks and button shirt for men, a dress for women under the cap and gown.” However, comfort and stability in the choice of footwear is essential, because the ceremony will take hours. “Don’t wear shoes you might trip in,” Novick said. “You don’t want the last memory of school to be you crashing into the department chairperson as he or she is handing you your diploma.” According to Josten’s, the company that provide graduation supplies and announcements, the cap should be worn flat on the
head with the tassel hanging from the right side. It switches to the left when graduates receive their diplomas. Now that you look good, it’s time to find the people who have come to watch your big moment. Considering how many people are graduating, it will be a challenge to hunt down family and friends. Utilizing the process of elimination and waiting for everyone to leave is not an option. “Students need to plan ahead if they expect a large group of family and friends to join them in celebrating on campus,” said Robert Flores, an assistant coordinator of student programs. “There’s nothing worse than having a panicked relative or friend who is lost call you on your cell phone just before you walk.” He suggests providing everyone maps of the campus and marking places to park and the meeting place. Novick found a cell phone to be helpful in finding friends and family. Flores, Novick and Liszewska all agree that the graduation is filled with anticipation and waiting. Waiting for hundreds of names to be called can be a daunting experience. Since no one can leave in the middle, it is best to make the best of it. “Tell your family and friends to bring something to entertain themselves. If you’re sitting in the last row, they’re going to be waiting a long time just to see you walk by,” Novick said. “A tiny speck on a stage far, far away.” However, in the end, the most important thing about preparing for graduation is having the right mindset. It is a day of celebration and being with friends and family. “Even though it may seem like a long day is head of you it will be over in the blink of an eye,” Flores said. Liszewska takes from her graduation experience a sense of appreciation for her family, her friends and her hard work. Not only did her Polish family come, the “second family” she had when she first came to California was there too. “You’ve worked hard to get to this day,” Liszewska said. “This is the moment to make all about you and the people who helped you get there.”
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95-Year-Old Nola Ocha Sets A Guiness World Record With Bachelor’s Degree By Will Manly University Leader (Fort Hays State U.) (U-WIRE) HAYS, Kan. - A Google search for “Nola Ochs” reveals about 171,000 hits, the first of which is a story in The University Leader archives published last August. Ochs, the 95-year-old Fort Hays State University senior who will become the world’s oldest college graduate May 12, has become something of a celebrity over the last few months. Television crews were on campus earlier this week. She’s scheduled to appear on “The Tonight Show with Jay Leno” and “The Today Show.” Other worldwide news outlets are interested in this woman who is being called an inspiration. The most amazing thing, perhaps, is that she doesn’t know what all the fuss is about.
“Ever so many have done what I’m doing,” she said. “I haven’t done anything unusual at all.” Yes, she’s 70-some years older than most of her classmates. Yes, she grew up in a world much different from the one of a traditional college graduate. Yes, she remembers the Cold War. (And even World War II, even some of World War I.) So she’s 95. Who cares? she asks. “Why does that make any difference?” she said. Ochs is just another college student, as far as she is concerned. She lives in a spartan one-bedroom apartment on campus. A Fort Hays State University flag adorns the back of her desk, a backdrop to her laptop computer, where she was working on her homework before being interrupted for another interview. Some of the attention she’s received -- from reporters with The
University Leader and from reporters with El Murcurio, a newspaper in Santiago, Chile -- is flattering to her. But it also can get in the way of things most college students do just before finals week: Studying. “I was studying. It kind of interferes with things. It hasn’t been altogether easy,” she said. “But I’ve thoroughly enjoyed it.” The stress of college life -added to the joys that come from minor celebrity status -- has not been entirely unique to Ochs. Her granddaughter, senior Alexandra Ochs -- who also will graduate May 12 -- has served as something of a personal representative at times. In addition to setting up the occasional
interview, Alexandra has been put in charge of a few occasional chores, like figuring out where the pair is assigned to sit during the graduation ceremony. That kind of thing has been a relief to Ochs, because she has one less thing to worry about. “She has totally enjoyed this experience, she really has,” Alexandra Ochs said. “But she is 95.” Having a grandmother as a classmate has its inherent advantages. “It’s been really good with both of us,” Alexandra said. “I saw her a lot when I was younger. But for a span of maybe 15 years or something, I didn’t hardly ever see her, except at Chirstmas and that sort of thing.” Last semester, the two took a course together. This semester, they meet a few days a week to organize something or meet with another reporter. Nola Ochs’ educational saga
began in the 1970s, when she was looking for something to occupy her time after her husband’s death. Education was a positive road to follow. She took a tennis class from Dodge City Community College. When that class ended, she decided to take another class here, another class there, and so the story goes. And now, three decades later, after two semesters of taking 15 hours apiece, she’ll set the Guiness Book of World Records mark for the oldest person to ever earn a bachelor’s degree. “I just wanted something to get out of the house, away from home,” Ochs said. “My husband had been gone since ‘72, and I just wanted to do something to entertain myself. And I liked being on the campus. I was well accepted.”
Internships are an Intergral Part of the Graduation Process at CSU Fullerton Majors require work experience, though students are allowed to walk without By Laura McKinney Daily Titan Staff Writer Graduation marks an important achievement in students’ lives and is the end result of a culmination of hard work and dedication that took years to accomplish. For some, not all requirements will be met when they graduate on May 19 and 20 because of internships that they will be completing over summer. Most majors require that students take an internship before graduating to gain skills they will need before they acquire a job in the field that they are studying for. For some seniors graduating this May, the last requirement that they will be fulfilling to graduate is their internship. CSUF now allows seniors to walk at commencement ceremonies being nine units short of the university requirement of 120 or more units to graduate. This means that students can still walk at commencement ceremonies before completing an internship. Senior Kyle Wilkins, a Computer Science major, says that he is doing his internship over the summer and
walking at graduation in a couple of weeks. “It’s cool that they [the university] allows us to walk at graduation without completing all of our classes,” he said. “I would have had to wait until next spring to graduate if I wasn’t able to do my internship and a few online classes over summer.” Most other Cal State Universities allow students to complete an internship over summer, but Fullerton has recently approved students graduating being nine units short, opposed to a couple years ago where students could only be six units short. This may alleviate some of the stress that students feel to graduate on time, said 20-year-old child and adolescent development major Monica Lopez. “I’m walking at graduation next spring and I was really stressed out about not having enough units to graduate,” she said. “I’m going to do my internship next summer teaching at a preschool because I am too busy to do it during the regular school year.” For seniors, the internships they will be doing over the summer are the last college requirements they
will be fulfilling as a CSUF student. “It’s amazing how quickly college has gone by,” said 22-year-old marketing major Tammy Le at last week’s Internship and Job Fair. “It’s kind of surreal that all I have to do is my internship over the summer and then I’m off into the real world.” 23-year-old senior Brian Welch says that he is glad that he already finished his internship before he walks at graduation. “I like that I’m all done with my internship because I think it would be weird walking at graduation with all my family there and still having to do a bunch of requirements over the summer,” he added. “So technically you’re not graduating if you still have more requirements to do.”
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Post Graduation Vacations On The Horizon by Carla Boubes Daily Titan Staff Writer
Comedy Central’s The Colbert Report offered some advice to college graduates traveling abroad this summer. “Don’t go to Europe to find yourself,” said host Stephen Colbert. “You’re far more likely to lose yourself there along with some electrical equipment that gets stolen at a youth hostel in Paris on your last night there.” Despite Colbert’s advice, Europe continues to be a popular travel destination for college graduates according to Amanda Webb, Corporate Communications Coordinator at STA Travel North American Headquarters. “Popular destinations for graduating students include backpacking trips through
Europe,” Webb said in an e-mail. “During the summer students have more time to travel and plan to visit several different countries along the trip,” Webb said. “The European Rail System and backpacking tours give students the perfect opportunity to visit several different countries during the trip.” Backpacking is economically friendly and ideal for college students traveling on a budget. By backpacking, students can take advantage of seeing more at each destination, Webb said. Backpackers looking for an affordable place to stay during their travels can rent a bed at youth hostels. Guests can rent a bed or a bunk bed in a common room they share with other travelers. Private rooms are also available at certain
hostels. The European Rail System makes traveling across Europe more convenient for tourists, it can also be confusing for those unfamiliar with the train system. Eurail and Eurostar are among the popular high-speed rail lines, which offer services to many European cities. Eurail now serves over 30,000 cities according to its Web site. Last year, Eurail introduced a
Reaching The Collegiate Finish Line by Kate Stevens arizona daily wildcat (U-WIRE) TUCSON, Ariz. - College is often a trial by fire for young adults who are faced with the emotional challenges and the financial and time constraints of living on their own and attending school full-time. When University of Arizona seniors don caps and gowns this week for commencement, the achievements they are recognized for will not just be good grades or community service. It will also be the culmination of dreams, desires and inner strength finally paying off. “The hardest thing I had to get through was in October 2005, when my mom passed away,” said Alicia Alvarado, a political science senior. Alvarado was making her way through college when her mom was suddenly diagnosed with cancer and died four weeks later. She took off the rest of that fall semester and returned months later during the spring. “It was hard at first, and I wasn’t motivated,” Alvarado said. “Eventually, it helped me to cope; it kept me busy.” Alvarado said although she is sad her mother will not see her graduate, she knows graduation would have made her mother happy. Other students found ways to stay focused at UA with support from people they trust.
“I had really good friends and a really great support system, and that’s what made (college) so easy,” said Michelle Wiening, a psychology senior. Wiening also credited a campus minister she met when she first came to UA for helping her through. Another student said natural science classes were a particularly difficult aspect of college. “I seriously think that is the hardest part about U of A is staying awake through gen eds,” said Brandon Dow, a philosophy and political sciences senior. Graduating seniors also faced financial challenges. “I had to pay for everything by myself and do everything by myself,” said Samantha Willey, a sociology senior. “Navigating through the bureaucracy of UA was kind of difficult.” Willey said she was forced to learn how to juggle two jobs along with a full-time school schedule and she
still had to take out student loans. “I found it almost easier, because I had less time to be lazy and it pushed me to work harder,” Willey said. The adjustment of moving away from home and learning to live on her own was the most difficult part for her. “I am really close to my mom. She just wanted me to learn independence and how to take care of myself,” Willey said. “I am actually pretty thankful that I had to do it.” Graduating seniors also faced financial challenges. “I had to pay for everything by myself and do everything by myself,” said Samantha Willey, a sociology senior. “Navigating through the bureaucracy of UA was kind of difficult.” Willey said she was forced to learn how to juggle two jobs along with a full-time school schedule and she still had to take out student loans. “I found it almost easier, because I had less time to be lazy and it pushed me to work harder,” Willey said. The adjustment of moving away from home and learning to live on her own was the most difficult part for her. “I am really close to my mom. She just wanted me to learn independence and how to take care of myself,” Willey said. “I am actually pretty thankful that I had to do it.”
single-country rail pass that allows visitors to spend more time in one of the 9 countries included in the Eurail National Pass program: Finland, Greece, Holland, Hungary, Norway, Poland, Romania, Spain or Sweden. “The new pass will allow them [visitors] to comfortably explore one country in depth in one trip,” said Eurail’s Managing Director Rene de Groot in a press release. Eurostar directly links the United Kingdom to France. Eurostar offers connecting tickets to over 100 destinations across France, Belgium, Germany and the Netherlands. Backpacking can be a rugged journey and might not be for everyone. Webb also lists South America as a great place for graduates. Students can backpack through the
continent or travel to one of the many culturally diverse countries in the region. Webb suggests college students should take advantage of their time and travel as much as possible before starting their life in the real world. “Many post graduates take, what we call, a ‘Gap Year’ where they use a year between school and entering the “real world” to travel or live abroad,” Webb said. “After graduation is the perfect opportunity for students to travel when they have both the time and resources available.” Spanish major Alejandra Garcia has different plans this summer. While she does have a couple of trips to Argentina and Spain lined up, Garcia, 22, plans to volunteer at a Paint-A-Turtle camp this summer.
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The map above shows the location of the graduation ceremonies for each of the individual colleges. The markers on the map indicate the exact location where each commencement ceremony will take place throughout the Cal State Fullerton campus. Commencement will be on Saturday May 12 and Sunday May 13 from 8 a.m. to 12 p.m. The colleges include: the College of Communications, the College of Education, the College of Health and Human Development, the College of Business and Economics, College of the Arts, the College of Engineering and Computer Sciences, and the College of Natural Sciences and Mathematics.
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Graduation First Step In Healing Process For VT By MATT SEDENSKY and KRISTEN GEL Associated Press Writers BLACKSBURG, Va. (AP) - The workers stand near the 50-yard line in Lane Stadium, unfolding flimsy black chairs and setting each precisely in place, one beside the other, row after flawless row. It has been this way every graduation at Virginia Tech, mundane and methodical, chair after chair. Until now. This year, some of these seats will go unfilled. For all the losses here, 33 lives, a carefree joyfulness, an innocence time creeps forward. So blackrobed students will still file into the ceremony Friday, they will still celebrate, all the while battling the realization that sadness is fighting happiness, that normalcy died too, that everything has changed. Chair after chair, carefully, perfectly. H.C. Price has done this nearly each of his 26 years here. There is always an emptiness when the stadium is vacant, but even when it fills for graduation, he knows it will still be felt. “We hate to think of it as a special occasion because it’s going to be different,” Price said. “We know what we got to do, but this year we know it’s going to be more special.” It will be a graduation unlike any other because no university has suffered as Virginia Tech has suffered. Celebration amid mourning is playing out on this large campus and in this classic college town tucked between the Blue Ridge and Allegheny mountains. ___ At the hospital, this morning brings cause for celebration. Sean McQuade is sitting up in a chair having breakfast. Later, as his mother writes on the family Web site, the 22-yearold senior walks around the nurse’s station. McQuade is recovering from a gunshot to the face, the last survivor of the massacre to remain hospitalized. But this is a good day. On campus, some of his classmates are celebrating their imminent freedom. But McQuade’s family is marking other victories: The day the breathing tube came out of his mouth. The day he walked 200 feet. The day he smiled at his mother. He yearns for his shattered jaw bone to heal so he can chew real food. He hums the Quiznos theme song and writes a list of what he wants to eat when he is better: a burger, a steak and a Coney Island
hot dog. But the road ahead remains uncertain. Jody McQuade wonders how her son will handle the realization that he has become a source of hope to so many. In a way, she wishes she could keep him sheltered. “There are days when I can’t stop saying, WHY,” she wrote. “Why did this have to happen to so many innocent kids....why my Sean. Just the look in his eyes sometimes when he looks at me....I see the question that he never says....why me, mom, why me?” ___ In the bright noontime light, the faint traces of blood are still visible on the sidewalk. The wind still blows through the shattered windows of Norris Hall, where 31 died April 16. The flowers left to remember the dead have browned and crisped, but the lines of people who pass before them remain. There are dueling realities on this campus. Inside a Chinese restaurant, a student playfully drums on his friend’s head with a pair of chopsticks, while on the main field, a man kneels before a memorial stone and cries. Two girls in bright colors giggle as they exchange phone numbers, while a woman who says she’s trying to express her mourning still wears just black. Soccer balls and baseballs have returned to places where, for a time, only the grief-stricken stood, yet the grief lingers on in so many ways. It is felt everywhere an orangeand-maroon ribbon is pinned to a jacket or tied to a tree, each place a “We Are All Hokies” sign is hung. It stretches to Egypt and Peru and India and all the other places the slain called home. The horror of that Monday morning was so unspeakable, many students don’t try to put it into words. “After what happened,” they’ll say. Everyone knows what they mean. ___ After the shootings, on one of those afternoons too perfect to come anytime but spring, Amanda Rader went outside, reveled in the gorgeousness of the day and immediately felt guilty. How could she bask in the sunlight when so many others were forced into darkness? She can’t feel this way forever. She thinks graduation can be a powerful moment. She will move on to a new life.
Rader has packed up her room, one she hasn’t slept in since gunshots killed two people at a dormitory not far from hers. But she knows she can’t disguise how it feels. “There’s no way to hide the fact that this happened. I know it’s going to make graduation sad,” she said. “But it’s going to be a happy day too.” Rader is 21, with big hazel eyes. She has finished school in just three years and remembers when she first really started thinking about graduation, in early April. “It’s really happening, it’s really happening,” she thought. This isn’t the way it was supposed to be. But she says it has brought good changes to her life, too. She doesn’t worry about the little things. She has slowed down. She enjoys walking in the sunshine. ___ The graduates must line up precisely right, the chairs must be anchored to the ground, and a thousand other things must be considered for the ceremony to go properly. Ed Henneke is in charge of them all. And it is a blessing. It helps get his mind off that morning in Norris Hall, when a colleague who had visited his thirdfloor office ran back moments later to say she couldn’t get out because the doors were chained. He later heard gunfire. Some of the engineering dean’s close colleagues were among the dead, so the task of heading the commencement planning committee has been a needed outlet. He has been involved with it for 35 years. This is his last. He will retire this summer and move out of state. He wonders if leaving this tightknit town will soothe his anguish or prolong it. ___ Day is fading to night and just west of campus about five dozen students gather at the home of the Rev. Glenn Tyndall, the Methodist minister who has served this campus for 33 years. They are dining on chicken casserole and sharing lighthearted banter. They are not talking about what happened. It scares Tyndall.
He wonders what will happen when they no longer are surrounded by friends who understand. Will depression sink in? Will nightmares haunt them? He admires the hope and optimism of these young people. How they’re restoring their lives and looking ahead. No matter how they try, though, this place will never be the same. “I’m trying to avoid the statement that things are normal,” he said. “I don’t think they ever will be normal. But I think people have gotten back to a sense of normalcy as best they can under the circumstances.” ___ Mark Gerald is conflicted. He is standing in a bar at 1 a.m., surrounded by his friends, five days from graduation. He is downing a shot to celebrate a buddy’s 21st
birthday. He is laughing over the music and hugging a grinning girl. He is also suffering. His friend Jarrett Lane was slain just three weeks ago. And he does not know how to feel. “I’ve thought about staying in, but if I stay in, I’m just gonna dwell,” he said. “I gotta be with my people.” The 21-year-old biology major’s face alternately lights up and crumbles as he talks about his friend _ a guy who went home to see his mom the day before he died so they could attend church. A student whose harshest words were, “Aw, shucks,” when things went wrong. “If you could be somebody,” Gerald said, staring vacantly past the bartender, ignoring the cacophony of voices around him, “that’s the guy you wanna be.”
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