January 28 - February 1, 2019

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Monday January 28, 2019 Friday February 1, 2019

Volume 105 Issue 2

The Student Voice of California State University, Fullerton

Human trafficking survivor shares story

Shari-Feng Ho describes her exploitated youth and path to freedom. KIM PHAM

Asst. Lifestyle Editor

After being deprived of her freedom for 20 years, ShariFeng Ho has dedicated herself to fighting human trafficking, using her story to foster hope among victims and inspire others to speak up. In her two books, “My Name Is Also Freedom” and “Finding Freedom Was Just The Beginning,” Ho writes about her history and experience as a human trafficking survivor who was enslaved at the age of seven by her father and remained a victim for 20 years afterwards. Since being rescued in 2005, Ho said she has made it her goal to help human trafficking victims like herself. As part of her mission to help other victims, Ho spoke at the “Freedom Has a Name” event at Cal State Fullerton on Jan. 19 in the Meng Concert Hall. She encouraged others to help those who may need it, instead of shrugging it off as “this is none of my business.” Sherry Ward, co-author of Ho’s second book “Finding Freedom Was Just The Beginning,” and CEO of Square Tree Publishing, organized the event’s proceedings filled with music, dance and a variety of vendors supporting the cause.

KIM PHAM / DAILY TITAN

Shari-Feng Ho recounts her experience of being sold into slavery and its aftermath at the ‘Freedom Has a Name’ event in the Meng Concert Hall at CSUF.

Ward co-authored Ho’s book because she said it inspires hope but, more importantly, because it is the push the world needs to take an offensive stance against human trafficking. “It takes the artist and the visionary together to spread the word about trafficking and make a lasting impact,” Ward said. Later in her speech, Ward also praised Ho for the role she’s played in the fight against trafficking.

“She has lightened the way for others to take action against human trafficking and she is taking a step forward,” Ward said. In her first book, “My Name Is Also Freedom,” co-authored by Melodie Fox, Ho tells her story as a victim and survivor of human trafficking, mentioning the importance of the different names she took on throughout her journey. While she was being held captive, Ho said she went by a

different name while enduring years of abuse by her captor. “This book isn’t just for me,” Ho said. “It is for a lot of human trafficking survivors.” In the making of “My Name is Also Freedom,” Fox said she struggled to capture Ho’s voice, a girl who didn’t have the opportunity to go to school because she was held captive as a slave. The result was a trip back to Taiwan in January 2018 where

Fox was able to put herself in Ho’s shoes but also observe Ho as she confronted the monsters of her past. “I remember when I was in Taiwan, feeling the weight of her story, I felt overwhelmed at one point and I even cried,” Fox said, on her fear of being unable to write a book that did Ho’s story justice. SEE FREE

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Arboretum funds may decrease Elevator upgrades begin University Hall and McCarthy Hall set to receive four new lifts. NOAH BIESIADA News Editor

Students from all majors use the Arboretum for studying, relaxation and even class projects.

Cal State Fullerton set to take operational control of the public garden. HOSAM ELATTAR Asst. News Editor

The city of Fullerton’s contract with the Arboretum will soon be coming to an end in December of 2020, after over 40 years of partnership. This will result in a loss of about $250,000 of annual funding that will not be offset by monetary support from Cal State Fullerton or the CSU System, according to the Gregory Dyment, Director of the Arboretum.

“That’s a big hit to our budget. We’re in the midst of looking at how we can adjust our operations so we can make up the difference,” Dyment said. “We’re going to have to generate more money on site and/or spend less money on site.” A decrease in the budget should not affect the estimated 4,000 species of plants from all over the world that live in the Arboretum as long as there is enough staff to maintain them, said Gregory Pongetti, the Living Collections Curator.The Arboretum is one of only 21 arboretums in the world to be awarded a level IV accreditation for its plant collection and educational value. “One minute you’re in the

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desert, and the next you’re in Mediterranean plants and then you got the Ombu tree. Being able to have all these different species here, it’s like you get to travel all over the world,” said John Vogt, a senior and cinema and television arts major, who was taking photos of the Arboretum with his friends. Students from various majors use the space not only to rest and relax but to study and complete Arboretum-related projects. “Classes come over here and use the arboretum as a teaching space,” Pongetti said. “I’ve been working pretty consistently for the last few years with Chemistry 492, and they come in and do a sustainability project. It’s basically

NATALIE MEDEIROS / DAILY TITAN

giving them real-world experience on some interesting topics at the Arboretum.” In October 1977, the Fullerton Redevelopment Agency signed a contract to help provide funding for the facility’s basic operations through Dec. 3, 2020. However, all of the over 400 redevelopment agencies in the state were dissolved in February 2012 to reserve funding for “core public services,” according to the State of California’s Department of Finance. The city of Fullerton is serving as the successor agency for the redevelopment agency until the contract comes to an end. SEE BUDGET

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Earlier this month, Cal State Fullerton began the first of several planned elevator renovations across campus by closing down one of the elevators in University Hall for repairs, and with plans to close McCarthy Hall elevators as well. An elevator examination last year showed which elevators were in need of replacement. Plans were drawn up to replace elevators across multiple buildings during the next five to seven years, according to Sarab Singh, director of construction management. “There’s a long term plan and it all depends on how the funding is going to be allocated to these things. We’ll keep doing the elevators after McCarthy and the next I think is the [Pollak] Library elevators,” Singh said. The process will cost several million dollars over the next few years, with each elevator costing around $500,000, according to Singh and Tuan Nguyen, the director of physical plant. Nguyen said the renovation is justified due to the issues the elevators have regularly. “I believe they were leaking and you can look at McCarthy Hall, I mean, they’re really outdated. Some of the cables have an issue and sometimes we have oil leaks we have to take care of. After a while it makes sense to replace it than to repair it, ” Nguyen said. SEE REPLACE 2 VISIT US AT: DAILYTITAN.COM


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January 28 - February 1, 2019 by Daily Titan - Issuu