04-13-09

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Volume LXXII, Number 122

Shooter injures 3 then kills self at a college in Greece.

Find out what happened over the weekend in Cal Poly Athletics.

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Monday, April 13, 2009

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Lynch sentencing postponed; new federal policy possible Alex Kacik mustang daily

He had written his mother’s phone number on his arm before arriving at his sentencing as well as a letter to his family with various information they might need in his absence. At the Los Angeles federal courthouse on March 23, former Morro Bay medical marijuana dispensary owner Charles Lynch was prepared to go to jail.

“In a way I felt like I was going into my funeral, walking through all these people looking at me, wishing me well, feeling bad for me; it was just kind of an odd situation,” Lynch said.

However, the sentencing didn’t go as he expected. Federal Judge George H. Wu postponed sentencing until the Justice Department sends a written reply about a possible change in federal policy — a policy under the Bush administration that considered marijuana a “schedule one narcotic,” the same as heroin.

Wu’s request caught Lynch off guard.

“Yeah, actually I was pretty surprised at the judge’s decision, everybody was really,” Lynch said. “It kind of threw my case into the national news because of that. Here the federal judge is asking to hear what the new policy is, which has only been talked about, (saying) ‘I want it written down so I know what to do in this case.’”

Lynch’s case is the first nationally publicized trial brought before a federal judge since U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder declared “a new American policy” regarding medical marijuana, one consistent with President Barack Obama’s campaign position.

In August 2007, during his campaign, President Obama photo courtesy of friendsofccl.com said, “I would not have the Justice Department prosecuting or Charles Lynch, the former medical marijuana dispensary owner, disraiding medical marijuana users. It’s not a good use of our recovered his sentencing was postponed due to federal policy changes. sources.”

A day before Lynch’s original sentencing, Holder further explained the new policy: The Obama administration would not prosecute medical marijuana patients or providers if they were in accordance with state laws.

“In a way (hope) has already come with remarks by Eric Holder...,” Lynch said. “I don’t know if you noticed, but on TV these days there’s a lot of talk about legalization, not just for medical uses, (but for) for recreational uses. Even more states across the country are working on their medical marijuana laws, now that they know the administration will be a lot more compassionate, I think things are changing here.”

Lynch’s Central Coast Compassionate Caregivers dispensary was sanctioned by both state and local governments but was raided by federal agents in 2007 after San Luis Obispo County Sheriff Pat Hedges led a yearlong investigation that failed to produce any California law violations. One of Lynch’s convictions included distribution of medical marijuana to minors, defined as 21 and younger by federal law, rather than 18 and under as decreed by California law.

In addition, the federal court did not allow any discussion involving medical marijuana because it is not recognized under federal law — a decision Lynch believes caused him to receive an unfair trial.

“Morro Bay gave me their rules; 18 or older unless accompanied by a parent,” Lynch said. “The sheriff, the DEA and law enforcement are trying to destroy me essentially with the age discrepancy between federal and state laws. It’s a propaganda move on their part.”

San Luis Obispo Public Information Officer Rob Brynn maintained that Lynch had violated both state and see Lynch, page 3

Challenging season for Sierra ski resorts ending

Martin Griffith associated press

RENO, Nev. (AP) — Sierra Nevada ski resorts are beginning to shut down lifts for the season after what some operators are calling a “very challenging year” because of the economy’s downhill run.

The Boreal, Soda Springs and Homewood resorts around Lake Tahoe closed on Sunday, a week before the nearby Alpine Meadows, Heavenly, Northstar-at-Tahoe and Diamond Peak ski areas plan to halt operations.

In a message on the resort’s Web site, Alpine Meadows executives acknowledged the economy is prompting an earlier-than-usual shutdown of their slopes. Last year, the resort closed May 4.

Art Chapman, president of JMA Ventures, and Jim Kercher, chief operating officer and general manager of Alpine Meadows, said it was “a very challenging year” for the industry as skier counts and revenue were down sharply at all Tahoe resorts.

“Our decision to close April 19 was driven by the unfortunate fact that we are not seeing the number of skiers necessary to cover our operating costs on weekdays or weekends,” they wrote.

Alpine Meadows also wants to make sure it has the necessary capital to make upgrades for

courtesy photo

Due to a poor economic climate and low attendance, various Sierra Nevada resorts are closing up shop earlier than usual this season. next season, they added.

Other resorts said skier numbers were down, but for different reasons such as a later start of snow and a snowy Presidents Day weekend that kept crowds away.

“We weren’t significantly down because our prices are cheaper than other resorts,” Boreal spokesman Jon Slaughter said Sunday.

Vail Resorts Inc. spokeswoman Amy Kemp

said total skier visits for the company’s Heavenly resort on Tahoe’s south shore and four mountain resorts in Colorado were down 5 percent for the season as of March 1. Lift ticket revenue, which includes some season pass revenue, was down 8 percent.

“The ski industry is not immune to the economic climate,” Kemp said.

At an April 1 conference in Keystone, Colo.,

Vail Resorts Chief Executive Officer Rob Katz said his company also has faced a dramatic decline in ski school participation and high-end retail spending this season.

“We’ve seen such huge declines, especially during some of the key weeks,” said Katz, whose company is the nation’s largest ski operator.

Most Sierra resorts plan to close by late this see Resorts, page 2

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Monday, April 13, 2009

New Calif. homes would have to be energy producers Steve Lawrence associated press

SACRAMENTO (AP) — If state Assemblywoman Lori Saldana has her way, buyers of California homes built a little more than a decade from now would not have to worry about paying big electricity bills. The homes would produce power themselves.

The San Diego Democrat has introduced legislation that would require all homes built starting in about 2020 to be so-called zero net energy buildings. That means they would be extremely energy efficient and produce enough power to offset any electricity they draw from the grid.

That homegrown power would probably come from solar panels. But it also could be generated by nearby wind or geothermal plants, said Bernadette Del Chiaro, a clean energy advocate with the group Environment California, which supports the bill.

The measure is on the agenda of the Assembly Natural Resources Committee on Monday. It is one of more than 400 bills scheduled to be considered this week as lawmakers return from an Easter recess.

“What you do is use the grid like a giant battery,” Del Chiaro said. “You send surplus energy during the day to the grid and then offset that by draw-

ing energy from the grid at night.

That’s how you basically get the bill down to nothing.”

Saldana’s legislation would require new homes to meet zero net energy requirements by Jan. 1, 2020, or when the California Energy Commission determines that use of solar systems is cost-effective, whichever comes later.

Del Chiaro said she expects that currently available state rebates and federal tax breaks will create enough of a mainstream market for solar systems over the next 10 years to cut their cost in half.

Saldana said her bill would help cut the emissions blamed for global warming by reducing dependence on fossil fuels.

“About a quarter of greenhouse gas emissions are related to buildings — heating and cooling them,” she said. “Looking at ways to build smarter will have significant and beneficial impacts on reducing greenhouse gases and avoiding more impacts of climate change.”

Tim Coyle, senior vice president of the California Building Industry Association, said new homes being built in California today already are highly energy efficient. He said Saldana should be looking for ways to reduce electricity use in older housing instead of targeting new construction.

“If the goal is to reduce fossil fuel dependency, why not go where the problem is?” he said.

New solar-equipped homes are popular with buyers, he said, but including that equipment can add $15,000 to $50,000 to the cost of construction.

“That’s a pretty pricey premium to pay on a new home,” Coyle said.

Saldana said the additional cost could be recouped by cutting electricity bills over a period of years.

She introduced essentially the same bill last year. It passed the Assembly but died in the Senate. She’s hopeful that it will clear both houses this time.

Here are some of the other bills up for consideration this week: SHOPPING BAG FEES — Bills

by Assembly members Julia Brownley, D-Santa Monica, and Mike Davis, DLos Angeles, would require supermarkets, large drug stores and convenience store chains to charge customers a 25 cent fee for a single-use plastic or paper bag.

The nearly identical measures are intended to provide funding for littercleanup programs, prevent plastic bags from ending up in the ocean and encourage consumers to use cloth carryout bags. “By virtue of charging 25 cents, I think people’s awareness will

become more focused,” Brownley said. “The way around not paying the fee is the simple act of bringing your own bag to the market.” Both bills also are on the Natural Resources Committee’s agenda Monday.

HEALTH CARE — Sen. Mark Leno, D-San Francisco, is picking up where one of his former colleagues, Sheila Kuehl, left off. For several years, Kuehl, a Santa Monica Democrat who was termed out of office in 2008, pushed legislation that would have created a state-managed universal health care system. It was vetoed twice

by Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger, but Leno has reintroduced the bill, hoping for a better outcome this time. It’s on the Senate Health Committee’s agenda Wednesday.

NEUTERED PETS — Sen. Dean Florez, D-Shafter, also is taking up a leftover fight. He has introduced a bill that attempts to reduce the number of unwanted dogs and cats by requiring pet owners to have their animals spayed or neutered, with some exceptions. A similar measure by then-Assemblyman Lloyd Levine, D-Sherman Oaks, died last year in the Senate. Florez’s bill is scheduled to be considered Wednesday by the Senate Local Government Committee.

Resorts continued from page 1

month, despite storms in recent days that dropped up to 20 inches of snow.

Northstar still has 7 feet of snow on top and 3 feet at mid-mountain, spokeswoman Jessica VanPernis said.

“But with spring, interest in skiing starts to wane a bit,” she said. “People put their skis away, and pull out their bicycles and golf clubs.”

MOTORCYCLE POLLUTION — Most motorcycles would have to pass the same smog inspections as cars and trucks under legislation by Sen. Fran Pavley, D-Agoura Hills.The measure would take effect in 2012 and cover about 72 percent of all motorcycles in the state — year 2000 and newer models with large, class-three engines. It’s scheduled to be considered Tuesday by the Senate Transportation and Housing Committee.

PERSONAL TRAINERS — A bill by Sen. Ron Calderon, DMonterey Park, would prohibit someone from claiming to be a personal trainer unless he or she had a degree in exercise science, kinesiology, fitness science or a related field or had been certified by an accredited organization.

The Senate Business, Professions and Economic Development Committee has the bill on its agenda Monday.

SCHOOLS-RELIGION — Students could express religious viewpoints in homework, artwork and other school assignments under legislation by Assemblywoman Audra Strickland, R-Thousand Oaks. The measure, which is on the Assembly Judiciary Committee agenda Tuesday, also would give students the right to form prayer groups or religious clubs.

Elsewhere around Tahoe, plans call for Sierra-at-Tahoe to close on April 20, Kirkwood on April 26 and Squaw Valley USA on May 10.

Mt. Rose above Reno plans to operate daily through April 19, then stay open only Fridays through Sundays until May 3.

As usual, Mammoth Mountain near Yosemite National Park hopes to stay open the longest — at least through Memorial Day weekend.

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President Obama’s daughters name their new puppy ‘Bo’ Philip Elliott associated press

WASHINGTON (AP) — Bo? No jest.

The first family has settled on a first pet — a 6-month-old Portuguese water dog that the Obama girls are naming Bo. The selection was one of the White House’s most tightly kept secrets.

President Barack Obama’s daughters, 10-year-old Malia and 7-year-old Sasha, picked a black and white pup, a White House official speaking on the condition of anonymity told The Associated Press Saturday night.

The dog is a gift from Sen. Edward M. Kennedy, D-Mass., who owns several Portuguese water dogs himself.

“We couldn<t be happier to see the joy that Bo is bringing to Malia and Sasha,” Kennedy said in a statement. “We love our Portuguese water dogs and know that the girls — and their parents — will love theirs, too.”

The Washington Post reported in its online editions Saturday night that Obama’s daughters chose the name Bo for the pup because first lady Michelle Obama’s father was nicknamed Diddley.The name for the dog was an apparent reference to the singer “Bo” Diddley.

White House aides told the AP that the office of the first lady arranged an exclusive deal on the dog story with the Post.The officials, who demanded anonymity because of the deal with the Post on exclusive details, said the dog was not in the White House as of Saturday evening.

Throughout the day Saturday, celebrity Web sites and bloggers were abuzz with rumors of the first family’s selection of a Portuguese water dog; one site even claimed it had pictures of the future first pet.

pete souza associated press

In this undated photo released by the White House, the Obama family’s new dog, Bo, a 6-month-old Portuguese water dog, is shown at the White House in Washington.

The president had embraced the frenzy: “Oh, man, now, that’s top secret,” Obama joked Friday to reporters.

Obama promised his daughters a puppy during the campaign.

“This is Washington. That was a campaign promise,” Obama said when he appeared on Jay Leno’s talk show

last month, as the audience roared with laughter. “No, I’m teasing. The dog will be there shortly.”

The president and first lady had said their choice was down to either a Portuguese water dog or a Labradoodle because they were considered good pets for children who have allergies, as Malia does.

Lynch continued from page 1

federal law.

“Charlie Lynch was making a profit off of selling marijuana,” Hedges said in an interview with ABC’s John Stossel on 20/20.

“Well you are making an assumption that he was helping people; he was primarily helping himself.”

Under federal law, 17-year-old bone cancer patient Owen Beck, who used medical marijuana to treat his bone cancer, is considered a minor even when accompanied by his parents. The medical marijuana eased phantom pain in his amputated leg while increasing his appetite, Beck said in a interview with Drew Carey on reason.tv.

“With the marijuana I could do what I needed to do during the day and not be in pain, be comfortable,” Beck said in the interview, adding that he felt like the “hardcore” pain medication would dull him out and would make him fall asleep.

Right after the Arroyo Grande resident was convicted, the judge held a conversation with Lynch, his attorney and the prosecutor, Lynch said. “(The judge) said he wanted to have some legal reasoning to get away from these mandatory minimums because they don’t seem fair in this case; even the judge knows that there is something really unfair going on here but since he’s a federal judge he would have to abide by federal laws,” Lynch said.

According to Lynch, who is possibly facing five to 100 years in

jail, the most important factor regarding his case involves the 10th Amendment and protecting state’s rights.

“The California state laws are based on the 10th Amendment, which talks about state rights; all these law makers swear to uphold the Constitution...” he said. “They should be punished for breaking our constitutional rights... to me this is a constitutional battle, not just about medical marijuana; it’s a fight for our rights as Americans.”

The only way to end this “civil war” is to release the prisoners locked up for using or distributing medical marijuana in compliance with California law, Lynch said.

“If Obama is really going to end this civil war then they should... release the marijuana patients in jail and stop taking prisoners such as myself and throwing them into federal prison — that’s how this war is going to end.”

Yet, sometimes it’s not so black and white, said Jerret Gran, San Luis Obispo County chief deputy district attorney.

“The problem with the passage of a new law is the potential of whether it’s going to be retroactive or not and how it affects people that have already been convicted of that crime or (are) awaiting sentencing,” he said. “You have cases pending; what if a guy served four years, how do you give those years back?”

Lynch’s sentencing will take place April 30 as long as the Justice Department sends a written reply of the possible policy change by April 17, Lynch said.

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LOS ANGELES (AP) — A Malibu man has pleaded not guilty in Los Angeles to sexually assaulting a Santa Monica College student at the school’s library.

The district attorney’s office says 40-year-old Chase Reynolds pleaded not guilty Thursday in Superior Court to felony sex and robbery charges. Prosecutors say he approached a female student late Saturday afternoon at the college’s library and sexually assaulted her, then stole her house key. Santa Monica police arrested the suspect Tuesday.

Reynolds faces up to 13 years in prison if convicted.

DOVER AIR FORCE BASE, Del. (AP) — The remains of five Army soldiers killed by a suicide bomber in Iraq were expected to arrive Sunday night at Dover Air Force Base.

The bomber driving a truck detonated a ton of explosives near a police headquarters in the northern city of Mosul on Friday, killing the men in the deadliest attack against U.S. troops in more than a year. The U.S. military said Iraqi police were the bomber’s target and that the Americans were caught up as bystanders.

Two Iraqi policemen also were killed in the midmorning blast near the Iraqi National Police headquarters.At least 62 people, including one American soldier and 27 civilians, were wounded, officials said.

ALONG THE ISRAELLEBANON BORDER, Isreal (AP) — Filmed with a nightvision camera just before Israeli narcotics officers pounced from nearby bushes, the video shows a Lebanese courier lobbing half-kilo packages of heroin over the border fence into Israel and an Israeli courier throwing back packages of $100 bills.

Israeli soldiers and Hezbollah guerrillas have been battling for years along this frontier. But a quieter war goes on here every night, one between Inspector Gal Ben Ish’s narcotics teams and the smugglers who have turned this jumpy border into the main conduit for heroin bound for Israeli drug markets.

•••

CAMARILLO, Calif. (AP) — The U.S. price of gasoline increased nearly 10 cents a gallon during the past three weeks, but remains well below year-ago prices.

That’s according to the national Lundberg Survey of fuel prices released Sunday.

Analyst Trilby Lundberg says the average U.S. price of regular grade gasoline was $2.05 a gallon Friday, when the survey was completed.

That’s up from $1.95 a gallon recorded on March 20, but down $1.27 from the price at this time last year.

•••

ALTON BAY, N.H. (AP) — A massive fire damaged or destroyed dozens of wood-frame buildings, mostly unoccupied summer homes, at a 146-year-old Christian center on Easter.

The fire erupted at 4:30 p.m. Sunday, when Christians were celebrating the resurrection of Jesus Christ.

But the season hadn’t begun yet at the Alton Bay Christian Conference Center on Lake Winnipesaukee, and state Fire Marshal William Degnan said no injuries to civilians had been reported.

Monday, April 13, 2009

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•••

“What breed would you choose for your presidential puppy and what would be the name?”

“I would choose an Argentine Dogo. I would name him Buzz Lightyear.”

-Kevin Gericke, agricultural business junior

“I’d probably go for a Husky and I’d probably name it Hank the Husky or something like that.”

-Eric Vallecillo, electrical engineering senior

JAKARTA, Indonesia (AP) — Conservationists have discovered a new population of orangutans in a remote, mountainous corner of Indonesia — perhaps as many as 2,000 — giving a rare boost to one of the world’s most endangered great apes.

A team surveying forests nestled between jagged, limestone cliffs on the eastern edge of Borneo island counted 219 orangutan nests, indicating a “substantial” number of the animals, said Erik Meijaard, a senior ecologist at the U.S.-based The Nature Conservancy.

“I’d get a Golden Retriever and name him The General.”

-Keri Scheidt, business junior

“I would get a Husky and name him Balto.”

-Eireen Escalona, biomedical engineering sophomore

compiled and photographed by matt Fountain

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Wire Editor: Cassandra J. Carlson

5

America’s uninsured haven’t Merchant ship captain grateful to shown collective power U.S. Navy for rescue from pirates Ricardo Alonso-Zaldivar associated press

If the uninsured were a political lobbying group, they’d have more members than AARP. The National Mall couldn’t hold them if they decided to march on Washington.

But going without health insurance is still seen as a personal issue, a misfortune for many and a choice for some. People who lose coverage often struggle alone instead of turning their frustration into political action.

Illegal immigrants rallied in Washington during past immigration debates, but the uninsured linger in the background as Congress struggles with a health care overhaul that seems to have the best odds in years of passing.

That isolation could have profound repercussions.

Lawmakers already face tough choices to come up with the hundreds of billions it would cost to guarantee coverage for all. The lack of a vocal constituency won’t help. Congress might decide to cover the uninsured slowly, in stages.

The uninsured “do not provide political benefit for the aid you give them,” said Robert Blendon, a professor of health policy and political analysis at the Harvard School of Public Health. “That’s one of the dilemmas in getting all this money. If I’m in Congress, and I help out farmers, they’ll help me out politically. But if I help out the uninsured, they are not likely to help members of Congress get re-elected.”

The number of uninsured has grown to an estimated 50 million people because of the recession. Even so, advocates in the halls of Congress are rarely the uninsured themselves.

The most visible are groups that represent people who have insurance, usually union members and older people. In the last election, only 10 percent of registered voters said they were uninsured.

The grass-roots group Health Care for America Now plans to bring as many as 15,000 people to Washington this year to lobby Congress for guaranteed coverage. Campaign director Richard Kirsch expects most to have health insurance.

“We would never want to organize the uninsured by themselves because Americans see the problem as affordability, and that is the key thing,” he said.

Besides, added Kirsch, the uninsured are too busy scrambling to make ends meet. Many are self-employed; others are holding two or three parttime jobs.“They may not have a lot of time to be activists,” he said.

Vicki and Lyle White of Summerfield, Fla., know about such predicaments. They lost their health insurance because Lyle had to retire early after a heart attack left him unable to do his job as a custodian at Disney World. Vicki, 60, sells real estate. Her income has plunged due to the housing collapse.

“We didn’t realize that after he had the heart attack no one would want to insure him,” said Vicki.The one bright spot is that Lyle, 64, has qualified for Medicare disability benefits and expects to be getting his card in July.

But for now, the Whites have to pay out of pocket for Lyle’s visits to the cardiologist and his medications.

The bills came to about $5,000 last year.That put a strain on their limited budget because they are still making payments on their house and car.

“I never thought when we got to this age that we would be in such a mess,” said Vicki, who has been married to Lyle for 43 years. “We didn’t think we would have a heart attack and it would change our life forever.”

While her own health is “pretty good,”Vicki said she suffers chronic sinus infections and hasn’t had a checkup since 2007. “I have just learned to live with it,” she said.

The Whites’ example shows how the lack of guaranteed health care access undermines middle-class families and puts them at risk, but that many of the uninsured eventually do find coverage. Lyle White has qualified for Medicare, even if the couple must still find a plan for Vicki.

Research shows that nearly half of those who lose coverage find other health insurance in four months or less. That may be another reason the uninsured have not organized an advocacy group. At least until this recession, many have been able to fix the situation themselves.

“The uninsured are a moving target,” said Cathy Schoen, a vice president of the Commonwealth Fund, a research group that studies the problems of health care costs and coverage.

But even if gaps in coverage are only temporary, they can be dangerous. “Whenever you are unin see Uninsured, page 7

Dena Potter associated press

Members of Capt. Richard Phillips’ crew have hailed their leader for saving them and their ship from being hijacked by pirates, but the skipper insists it’s the U.S. Navy and other rescuers who deserve to be called heroes.

“I’m just the byline. The heroes are the Navy, the Seals and those that have brought me home,” the shipping captain told his boss, Maersk Line Limited President and CEO John Reinhart, who relayed the phone message to reporters hours after Phillips was liberated Sunday from his captors’ clutches aboard a lifeboat.

Phillips, 53, of Underhill, Vt., emerged unharmed following a gary c. knapp associated press brief firefight that killed three of Maersk Line Ltd, CEO, John Reinhart speaks to the media on Sunday the four pirates who were holding in Norfolk, VA concerning the rescue of Richard Phillips, the captain him off the Somali coast, ending a of the Maersk Alabama from pirates off the East Coast of Somalia. five-day high-seas hostage drama in the Indian Ocean. Reinhart said leader of men. He’s a brave and der to leave the captain behind and Phillips was preparing to return courageous man. He persevered head for safe harbor in Mombasa, home in the next couple days along through difficult times and he’s Kenya, where they arrived Saturday with his crew, but was not specific. shown real heroism.” night.

Reinhart called it a good moCrew members said as pirates “But as mariners, they took the ment and a great day for the nation, hauled themselves on board the order to preserve the ship and they the industry, the military and for Maersk Alabama, shooting in the knew the Navy would preserve Phillips’ family. air, Phillips told them to lock them- their captain, so they did that tough “Richard exemplifies some of selves in a cabin and offered himself choice and they took the ship the best traditions and behaviors in exchange for their safety. away,” he said. “When I look at it, and skills of an American merchant Reinhart said the 19-member I think Richard has exhibited the mariner,” Reinhart said. “He’s a crew was challenged with the or- true spirit of an American.”

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Monday, April 13, 2009

Student shoots 3 in Greek college, kills himself petros giannakouris

associated press

Police stand outside a state vocational training college in western Athens, Greece, where a 18-year old student shot and injured a fellow student and two passers-by before fatally shooting himself in the head on Friday.

Derek Gatopoulos associated press

A teenage gunman who wounded three people at a college in Greece and killed him self had warned of the attack hours earlier on an

Internet posting that included photographs of him posing with weapons, police said.

The 19-year-old man, armed with two handguns and a knife, opened fire at the vocational training college in western Athens and

then shot himself in the head, authorities said.

He died in hospital several hours later.

One student was shot in the chest and seriously wounded and two men were shot outside the building and suffered less severe injuries, police and Health Ministry officials said.

The gunman left a note accusing his fellow students of picking on him, and posted the message on a social networking site.

“I have no reason to continue living. But, unluckily for you, I’m too selfish to leave and let you keep living ... ,” he said in the note which was written in Greek.

“For me, you are all garbage. ...Whoever I see on the morning of April 10 will immediately become a target,” he wrote, adding that he had been “rejected” by someone he had fallen in love with. “Until now, I have received nothing but rejection and contempt from those around me.”

Police confirmed the man seen on the post-

ing on the site was the 19-year-old gunman, whom they identified as Dimitris Patmanidis, an immigrant from the Georgian breakaway region of Abkhazia. Included in the posting — put up about three hours before the attack — are 17 photographs, several of which show the man pointing a gun at the camera.

Police seized a computer from the youth’s home. They also said they were trying to determine where he got the weapons he used.

The youth had apparently planned to take more lives, police said, because he was carrying two guns and because of the language used in the Internet posting. He also had 66 9mm bullets, they said.

According to the police account, the gunman arrived around 8:45 a.m., a quarter of an hour after lessons had started at the OAED state unemployment agency’s training college in the Athens Rendi district.

He shot the student victim on a college stairwell leading to the second floor before running out. He then shot two workers at a nearby shop who tried to stop him, one in the leg and the other in the arm. Then he went to a park close to the school and shot himself in the head, police said.

The injured 18-year-old student was shot in the chest, arms and legs, and the other two men had lighter injuries, the Health Ministry said.

The two were identified by police as a 23-year-old Greek and a 47year-old Albanian.

Fellow students and college staff described the gunman as a loner who favored black clothing and long overcoats.

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Wire Editor: Cassandra J. Carlson

7

Differing views in GOP on voting rights case Mark Sherman associated press

The GOP’s struggle over its future and the party’s fitful steps to attract minorities are on full display in the differing responses of Republican governors to a major Supreme Court case on voting rights.

The court will hear arguments April 29 about whether federal oversight of election procedures should continue in 16 states, mainly in the South, with a history of preventing blacks, Hispanics and other minorities from voting.

In 2006, as Republicans sought to improve their standing with minorities in advance of congressional elections, the GOPcontrolled Congress extended for 25 years the Voting Rights Act provision that says the Justice Department must approve any changes in how elections are conducted. Republican President George W. Bush signed the extension into law.

But some Republicans said the extension was not merited and that some states were being punished for their racist past. A legal challenge has made its way to the high court.

GOP Govs. Sonny Perdue of Georgia and Bob Riley of Alabama have asserted in court filings that the continued obligation of their states to get advance approval for all changes involving elections is unnecessary and expensive in view of significant progress they have made to overcome blatant and often brutal discrimination against blacks.

Perdue pointed out that President Barack Obama did better in Georgia than did Democratic nominees John Kerry in 2004 and Al Gore in 2000.

“Congress’ insistence that Georgia has ‘a continuing legacy of racism’... is nonsensical when an African-American candidate for president receives a greater percentage of the vote than his white predecessor candidates,” Perdue said.

Riley said blacks in Alabama register to vote and cast ballots in proportions similar to whites and that black lawmakers make up about one-quarter of the Legislature, reflecting the state’s black population. In November’s election, however, Obama attracted the votes of only about 10 percent of white Alabamans; that was his worst showing among white voters anywhere.

Both Perdue and Riley face term limits that prevent them from running for re-election in 2010.

tim mueller associated press

Louisiana Gov. Bobby Jindal defends the speech he made in response to President Barack Obama’s address to a joint session of Congress on March 2.

Other Republican governors in states covered by the advance approval provision of the Voting Rights Act — including Haley Barbour of Mississippi and Bobby Jindal of Louisiana — are taking a different approach. They essentially are saying nothing about the case even as Democratic attorneys general in those states have said elimination of the provision “would undermine the progress that has been made under the Voting Rights Act.” About one-third of Mississippi’s residents are black. Barbour said he is not seeking to change his state’s status under the Voting Rights Act.

associated press

Graphic shows number of uninsured Americans and periods of recession

Uninsured

continued from page 5

sured, you are at risk,” said Schoen.

“People don’t plan very well when they are going to get sick or injured.”

Indeed, the Institute of Medicine, which provides scientific advice to the government, has found that a lack of health insurance increases the chances of bad outcomes for people with

a range of common ailments, from diabetes and high blood pressure to cancer and stroke. Uninsured patients don’t get needed follow-up care, skip taking prescription medicines and put off seeking help when they develop new symptoms.

Such evidence strengthens the case for getting everybody covered right away, Schoen said. But she acknowledges the politics may get tough.

Obama captured about 11 percent of the white vote there last year, according to exit polls.

“I’ve said for 25 years, I’ve testified in front of Congress, that the Voting Rights Act ought to apply to every state. Every jurisdiction ought to be covered,” Barbour said. Barbour also is term-limited, but has not foreclosed running for another office.

Jindal, widely considered a potential 2012 GOP presidential candidate, issued a brief statement through a spokesman.

“The governor has not reviewed this case or the briefs, but he has confidence in the attorney general to do the right thing for the people of Louisiana,” spokesman Kyle Plotkin said.

Emory University political science professor Merle Black said southern Republican politicians have every incentive to say nothing.

“If they come out against it, then their hope of getting any African-American votes in the future is even worse than it is now,” Black said. “If you don’t mention it, it’s the status quo, and they’ve been able to win with the status quo.”

All or part of three other Southern states with Republican governors must submit election changes. State officials in Florida, South Carolina and Texas have taken no position in the Supreme Court case, which comes from the Austin, Texas-area.

Outside the South, the attorneys general in Arizona and California are on record endorsing the voting rights law. California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger has not taken a position about the case, a spokeswoman said.

In Arizona, Gov. Jan Brewer supports the provision, known as Section 5.“She has not voiced a problem with Section 5,” said Brewer spokesman Paul Senseman. “She’s very familiar with it.”

Brewer was the state’s top elections official as the elected Arizona secretary of state before she became governor Jan. 20 when Democrat Janet Napolitano resigned after the Senate confirmed her to be Obama’s homeland security secretary.

Eight states are covered in their entirety under the provision: Alabama, Alaska, Arizona, Georgia, Louisiana, Mississippi, South Carolina and Texas. In Virginia, all but 15 cities and counties must comply with the measure.

Parts of California, Florida, Michigan, New Hampshire, New York, North Carolina and South Dakota also need permission to make voting changes.

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Monday, April 13, 2009

Arts and Entertainment Editor: Emilie Egger Arts and Entertainment Designer: Milena Krayzbukh

Take a Honeymoon in SLO — in the time it takes to eat lunch Bridget Veltri mustang daily

In need of a second honeymoon? Couples looking for love in the form of breakfast and lunch will no longer need to travel to Pismo Beach to indulge in the delights of Honeymoon Café.

The quaint café still resides in Pismo Beach but now has another location at 1074 Higuera St. in downtown San Luis Obispo. see Honeymoon, page 11

matt fountain mustang daily

The Honeymoon Café recently added a new Higuera Street location in addition to its site in Pismo Beach. The café specializes in organic treats that are simple yet fulfilling.

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arts & Entertainment

Monday, April 13, 2009 www.mustangdaily.net

Muralist Kent Twitchell shows L.A.’s many sides

Women remain under-represented in jazz, lecturer says

John Rogers

Matt Fountain

associated press

LOS ANGELES — No, Kent Twitchell says, he never set out to be the muralist who helped define Los Angeles’ quirky, eclectic edge by putting its larger-than-life pop stars, its movie heroes and its just plain hardworking folks on the sides of buildings and freeways everywhere.

He simply showed up one day, fresh out of the Air Force in 1966, and started painting on everything he saw.

Before he knew it, there was a portrait of Steve McQueen covering an entire side of a two-story home near downtown.Then a few years later pop artist Ed Ruscha emerged, six stories tall and gazing intently across the downtown skyline from the side of the federal Job Corps Center.

Nearby, a couple were celebrating their wedding on the side of an old factory building. On the other side of town, on a towering wall overlooking a cemetery, another couple’s wedding was being blessed by a rabbi. Meanwhile, members of the Los Angeles Philharmonic orchestra, instruments in hand, were spread out across the top of an eight-story parking structure overlooking a freeway.

“The hippie days were just beginning and everybody was just sort of expressing themselves in visual ways,” Twitchell, a modest, unassuming man of 66, said recently as he paused from overseeing installation of some of his works for a larger-than-life exhibition at a downtown gallery. “A lot of people were painting on clothes and vans and window shades and I was just one of them.”

Although he may have been “one of many” in a city where anyone with a can of paint can fancy himself a street artist, there was something different about Twitchell’s works from the beginning. Highly detailed and vivid in color, they more closely resembled those of the great Renaissance painters he admired.

“Both the scale and the detail are what sets his work apart,” says Peter Frank, editor of the arts publication THE Magazine Los Angeles and curator of the Twitchell retrospective at Los Angeles’ Look Gallery.

“What happens is when you see one on a wall, at first you see it from a distance and it’s almost like seeing a figure on TV,” says Frank. “But as you

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damian dovarganes associated press

Los Angeles muralist Kent Twitchell poses in his studio with a portion of his a mural showing music icon Michael Jackson, at his new studio downtown Los Angeles on March 24. get closer, the scale changes. Not the person but the scale. These are real people and he keeps them real despite the fact that they have assumed monumental size.”

The exhibition, “The King of Pop Meets the King of Cool: Exploring the Lost Works of Kent Twitchell,” opened Thursday and continues through April 24. Its centerpieces are a gigantic, never-before-seen painting of Michael Jackson and a new version of the two-story portrait of McQueen.

“That’s the first one that I did that I actually signed,” he says of the McQueen work that he completed in 1971. (As with all of his paintings, he got the owner’s permission before redecorating his building.)

He had been doing the kind of psychedelic paintings that were popular at the time,Twitchell says, when he decided to return to his roots. In the Air Force he had been an illustrator, and as a child he had always drawn people.

“As soon as I had his head done on that house, I knew I was home again,” he said.

The Jackson mural, eight stories high, was to have been placed on a

Hollywood theater as part of an urban renewal project. But about the time it was completed, the pop star became the target of a child molestation investigation and it was placed in storage.

Also on display are two other murals, as well as several smaller pieces.

Like all street muralists, Twitchell has fought his share of battles to keep his art before the masses.

He redid the McQueen mural for the show, his original having been painted over by mistake years ago. His Ruscha work was erased deliberately in 2006, in violation of state and federal laws, and Twitchell sued and won a $1.1 million settlement.

One of his best-known works, of Los Angeles marathon runners passing Dodger Stadium, has become so tagged by graffiti that it is almost unrecognizable, a fate common to many L.A. murals.

But seemingly driven to create, the small, slightly built, white-haired artist keeps cranking out new works, cleaning up the old ones when he can and then moving on to the next project.

Over the years he’s developed a technique in which he sketches out see Muralist, page 11

While women have managed to make significant gains in the world of jazz music, it remains a male-dominated genre with major hurdles for female artists, according to a noted music scholar.

Dr. Benjamin Piekut, music professor at the University of Southampton in England, who specializes in modern jazz and race and gender studies, presented “Gender and the New Thing: The Case of the Jazz Composers Guild” Thursday morning in a guest lecture on campus.

The lecture focused, using the shortlived Jazz Composers Guild as an example, on how jazz artists were advocates for equality through experimentalism, though often reinforced traditional gender and race biases.

The Jazz Composers Guild was founded by trumpeter Bill Dixon in 1964 as a cooperative organization that meant to organize events and promote New York’s avant-garde jazz musicians. That demographic, Piekut argued, was itself split along race — and later gender — lines and disintegrated after only six months.

Piekut discussed how the Guild succumbed to rivalries among black and white musicians who each sought to use the Guild for different purposes. According to him, many of the black artists wanted to use it as a platform for Black Nationalism and experimentalism, while whites artists aw it as a simple concert-producing body.

In researching the topic, Piekut interviewed various members of the Guild, including Dixon himself, something said he said was rewarding.

“It was a great experience,” Piekut said after the lecture. “He is an important (figure) — a fundamental one.”

While Piekut said race was a factor in the Guild’s downfall, he explained that its inclusion of pianist Carla Bley also proved extremely problematic and highlighted the bias against women among jazz musicians, a problem he said still exists today.

“I think one would have to be completely blind to not realize significant, incremental change,” Piekut said. “There are a lot of women in jazz. However, a lot of these kinds

of stories continue, and there are plenty of people a lot smarter than me writing and commenting about it… It’s still incredibly difficult for women.”

Piekut explained during his presentation how the fundamentals of jazz are centered in masculine concepts, such as the power and control of the jam session. Often — especially in the 1960s — women artists have not been taken seriously by their male counterparts.

“What’s incredibly interesting is that for plenty of women composers and performers of jazz often don’t want to talk about being women in jazz,” Piekut said. “There’s a doublebind there, where women have to become the representatives of the gender conversation. That’s why, for a lot of this talk, it’s important for me to concentrate on masculinity, not on femininity.”

Bley was a pioneering figure for women in jazz music, according to Piekut. He argued that before her, while there were numerous popular female jazz vocalists such as Patty Waters, Jeanne Lee and Abbey Lincoln, there were few female jazz composers and instrumentalists.

Piekut focused his presentation on 1960s New York, where divisions among race and gender were highlighted by the cooperative nature of the jazz scene.

“This is a period when categories of music, race, gender, nation, sexuality, are all being thrown into question and jumbled up with each other,” he said.“And I find that to be immensely productive as a scholar.”

The lecture was co-sponsored by the Cal Poly Ethnic Studies department, the Women’s & Gender Studies department, the Music department, the Multicultural Center and the College of Liberal Arts.

Ethnic Studies and Women’s & Gender Studies Assistant Professor Jane Lehr, who coordinated the lecture, said Piekut’s topic of jazz offered an excellent example to issues discussed in her courses.

“In the case of African American music in the 1960s, you have music and musicians extending the civil rights struggle into the world of music production,” Lehr said. “On the other hand, some of these same musicians reproduce gender norms in the context of their interactions with each other.”

“In my classes such as ES 112: Race, Culture and Politics in the U.S. and WGS 301: Introduction to Women’s Studies, we focus extensively on the role of popular culture in both reproducing and challenge norms related to race, gender, class, sexuality and so forth, she added. I am very excited for the opportunity for our students to see a popular culture scholar in action.”

Monday, April 13, 2009

Honeymoon continued from page 8

Cal Poly alumnus Christi Rivera, owner of the original Honeymoon location and Russell Thomas owner of Two Cooks Catering, met at Cuesta college years ago, and since opening the San Luis Obispo location together are not only friends, but business partners.

“You can’t just partner up with just anyone for something like this,” Thomas said.

For lovers that have difficulty tearing themselves away from the sheets and the loungers that just got a late start, Honeymoon Café serves breakfast all day long.

The bright but soothing interior, painted in plum, olive green and yellow will enhance the mood of those who are raring to go at 7 a.m. while gently soothing those whose eyes are still sleepy crusted. While the breakfast menu is not very intricate, it offers up basics like fruit, quiche, danishes, bagels, oatmeal, eggs and breakfast burritos. It has some specialties like huevos rancheros with corncakes and the machaca omelet with fork tender meat and served with black beans.The café also put its own special spin on the bagel sandwich; the Honeymoon version comes with avocado, cream cheese, lemon pepper, heirloom tomato, red onion and sprouts.

This cashier-style café is a conscious one, serving up quality ingredients while making a substantial effort to support local businesses.

“We are ‘localvores,’ “ Thomas said.

“I’m not a corporate minded person,” Rivera added. “We’ve got to keep it in the community.”

And while most of the food they serve is organic, they don’t do it for the bragging rights.

“Being organic is such a trend now,” Rivera said. “We don’t adver-

Twitchell continued from page 10

his works, then paints them in sections on what he calls parachute paper, a thin but durable substance. From there he applies them directly to a wall, a method that allowed him to mount a three-story portrait of basketball great Julius Erving, decked out in a chic, double-breasted suit, on a wall in Philadelphia in just one day.

It also allows him to cover his murals with protective coating and to remove them from a wall if necessary, as he did with the “Freeway Lady.”

mustang daily

arts & Entertainment tise because we just believe in good food.”

While currently closed on weekends, Honeymoon Café is serving up something for just about everyone.

They have the usual caesar and Cobb salads which are available with chicken or steak for an additional charge. But two of their side salads are the ones that shine. The strawberry fields salad comes with spinach, strawberries, goat cheese, pistachios, sugared bacon and red onions tossed in blueberry-pomegranate basil vinaigrette.The Tortellini salad includes cheese tortellini, black olives, artichoke hearts, sun dried tomato and dry salami in Italian dressing.

The café also offers daily soup specials that are served with pita and have a half sandwich or salad option. The butternut squash soup is good enough to make a daily trek downtown to see if they have it.

Honeymoon Café has taken standard sandwiches like the BLT and grilled cheese and made them unique.

“BLAT” doesn’t sound appetizing?

Well it is, adding mozzarella, avocado and arugula to the basic BLT. If you like the comfort that a grilled cheddar cheese sandwich provides, they have that, too but for those who dare to venture out, try the grilled cheese deux served on sourdough with fontina cheese, avocado and tomato. The Seven Peaks veggie sando is bound to tempt even the most ravenous of carnivores with pesto, roasted veggies, sprouts and mozzarella peaking up longingly from an open-faced pita.

The chicken fajita quesadilla is a fusion of Mexican favorite’s green and red bell peppers, Spanish onion, organic chicken, fajita seasoning, with sour cream and salsa.

Honeymoon Café also offers deli sandwiches as well as burgers and garden burgers.

So get away from it all and head for a honeymoon a little closer to home; if you’ve eaten at the original it will make you fall in love all over again.

The giant portrait of a wise-looking, white-haired woman greeted travelers along the Hollywood Freeway for years until it became scarred by graffiti.Twitchell removed it, and after the show he plans to install it on the wall of a Los Angeles art gallery.

He also keeps busy scouting new locations.

“My dream is to go around to all the major cities and do a mural two or three stories high of the great historic figures of that city,” he says.

“Couldn’t you see a mural of Mark Twain in St. Louis? We could do it in two months and then, bang, it’s off to the next city.”

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Monday, April 13, 2009

Editor in chief: Marlize van Romburgh Managing Editor: Giana Magnoli

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editors & staff editor in chief Marlize van Romburgh managing editor Giana Magnoli news editor Rachel Glas news designer Omar Sanchez wire editor Cassie Carlson sports editor Scott Silvey sports designer Kate Nickerson online editor Lauren Rabaino arts editor Emilie Egger arts designer Milena Krayzbukh copy editors Alex Kacik, Jennifer Titcomb, Breehan Yohe-Mellor, Megan Hassler head photographer Kristen Hays photographers Nick Camacho, Patrick Fina, Michael Constable, Megan Keating, Matt Fountain layout manager Andrew SantosJohnson advertising coordinator Jessica Lutey business managers Sarah Carbonel, Ian Toner, Brittany Kelley advertising managers Gaby Horta, Ashley Singer, Charlotte Lilley ad designers Daryl Daley, Justin Rodriguez, Andrew Santos-Johnson, Mai-Chi Vu, Jason Cope, John Dixon, Sara Hamling advertising representatives Megan Dilley, Jessica Schroeder, Kacy Shin, Jenny Staskus, Colin Princi, Brittni Kiick, Kristin Coplan, Adam Plachta, Erika Powers, Drew Toney faculty adviser Teresa Allen general manager Paul Bittick

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April 15 is the new July 4 I’ve always half-heartedly joked that when I make my first million, I’m going to stow it away on the Cayman Islands. The joke of course being that I’m a journalism major and won’t be making my first million anytime soon.

And besides, I shouldn’t be joking like that, it’s unAmerican. Haven’t you heard? April 15 is the new July 4.Tax day is just two days away, and according to VicePresident Joe Biden, now is the “time to be patriotic.”

If you’re like the average college student and have perfected the art of procrastination, you may well be scrambling to fill out that 1040 and get it mailed in on time. Many of us, however, tend to do this chore early so we can get that refund that much faster. I’m always bemused at how excited everyone, including me, gets at the sight of an IRS check in the mail — almost as if it isn’t just a refund of your own money, but actually a gift bestowed to you from your ever-caring government (How nice of Uncle Sam to send me some cash for beer, just when I was getting a little broke!).

Yet viewing a tax refund as a lovingly-conferred gift, rather than a refund of your own earnings, is a hazardous line of thought. Under this view, the fruits of your labor are only yours by the grace of government, not the other way around.

The new administration’s budget identifies $634 billion in tax increases and spending cuts to help pay for President Obama’s proposed government health care and other social programs. In a speech to Congress at the beginning of March, Obama said that his budget team has “already identified $2 trillion in savings” to help tame record budget deficits — yet about half of those “savings” are actually tax increases.

Since your income is White House slang for “savings,” it shouldn’t come as any surprise when our taxes start going through the roof in the next several years.

How else do you expect to pay for these trillions of dollars in bailouts, stimulus packages and war expenditures?

The Treasury’s printing presses can only roll so fast. And here in California — the American tax capital until a few weeks ago when New York stepped in to claim the honors — we’ve got a crippling budget deficit to deal with too.

Naturally, the government will look towards its main source of income to fund its ever-increasing appetite: you. Or rather, your income. In doing so, it hopes that you’ll forget that government mismanagement helped land us in this mess in the first place.

My fellow college students seem largely unconcerned about taxes. Maybe that’s because most have yet to earn enough money to notice when a fraction of it gets taken a way, or maybe a few more simply swipe Daddy’s credit card in blissful ignorance of how the real world works.

But for those of us who pay our own rent, food, gas and utilities, every dollar in taxes is sorely missed.

It’s even more disconcerting to realize that, thanks to our progressive taxation system, the chunk taken out of my paycheck — or if I’m lucky enough to start my own business one day, my profits — will only increase as I

become more successful.

And this, of course, is where two vastly different moral philosophies come into play.

Taxes have long been a point of contention between the presiding political ideologies of the day. Traditionally, liberals, in favor of big government welfare and expenditure programs, have favored the higher tax rates that allow them to fund these extravagances. Conservatives were supposed to be ones that believed in small government and low taxes — although that can hardly be said to hold true anymore either.

In this new “era of responsibility,” it’s more fashionable than ever to tax more, and the rich the most. Doing whatever it takes to benefit “the greater good” is back in vogue; taxes aren’t even seen as a necessary evil anymore, but as a patriotic duty.

In an interview with Kate Snow on “Good Morning America,” Biden leans forward and says “You got it, Kate.

It’s time to be patriotic, time to jump in, time to be part of the deal, time to help America get out of the rut.”

We have to spread the wealth — and pain — around.

I suppose it would be one thing if we were all “equally patriotic” in our tax-paying duties. But we’re not. Consider that the bottom 50 percent of taxpayers contribute only 3 percent of the nation’s federal income tax revenue, while the top 1 percent pays almost 40 percent. Under our progressive taxation system, the average American currently gives away 13 percent of his income in taxes, while the richest 1 percent gives away 23 percent. By the time you add state income taxes into the mix, the average person will work for 109 days this year just to pay their 2009 taxes.

Yet these statistics, shocking as they are, only begin to scratch the surface. Taxation is not only a huge burden on the backs of average working Americans, but it has a contractionary effect on business and the microeconomy as a whole that even the staunchest big-government Keynesians can’t deny. When you not only take a larger net amount of someone’s income based on how much they make, but a larger percentage, taxation acts as a disincentive for economic growth. Just what we need in a recession.

If you’re graduating in the next few years, consider how little of your future income you’re willing to live on. Sixty percent? Fifty percent?

You’re entitled to the money you earn, and the government has no business taking it to spend as it sees fit.

Increasing taxes are the last thing an already down economy and workforce needs.

Oh wait, I forgot, it’s that time of the year. Let’s be patriotic. Go on, put your right hand on your heart, and with the other, hand over those earnings.

Marlize van Romburgh is a journalism senior with an economics minor and the Mustang Daily editor in chief. “Business as Usual” is the new business column, appearing in the Daily every Monday.

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With all the abuses of illegal immigrants in the United States, the last thing these activists ought to do is to encourage more folks to illegally cross the border. That’s just what the Dream Act would do.

— Anonymous Response to “Students honor Chavez’s life, activism” I changed my name when I got married for two reasons. Neither had to do with tradition or expectations. First, I want to be easily recognized as being a duo and having the same last name makes that very easy in lots of ways. It sends the clear message that we are united.

Second, I want my husband, my kid and myself to be unified by our name. No hyphenated kid’s name or kid takes mom’s or dads and someone is left out.

My given name was awesome, beautiful even, but I changed it because the symbol of unity was worth it, weather I take his or he takes mine or we make up a new one. I am not into following tradition for tradition’s sake, but there is something to a married couple sharing the same family name. I have a brother and tons of male cousins to carry on the name for my grandma, the one who really cares about this stuff. If I didn’t, perhaps I would feel differently.

Plenty of women continue to use their original last names for work purposes but legally change it to their husband’s (Gwen Stefani). Whatever a person’s choice, they have to be happy with it.

— Nadia Response to “Hypothetical husband, I’m not giving up my name” Who cares? Did someone make this an issue, or are you just letting us know in case we had you on our list of potential wives?

— Scott Response to “Hypothetical husband, I’m not giving up my name” I think this is a great stance to take. My mother never officially changed her name because, as you say, her identity was closely tied to her work. My brother and I took our father’s last name, but at no point in time did our mother having a different last name confuse us, hurt us, or make us feel left out. As for my parents being a strong couple, they have been happily married for 25 years as of September.

But Nadia brings up one good point, as long as you are happy, does it really matter?

— Nat Welch Response to “Hypothetical husband, I’m not giving up my name”

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Monday, April 13, 2009

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Korea’s missle launch: ignoring rules may give green light to other nations

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launching april 13, 2009

It’s a well-known adage that rules are made to be broken. Although there is some truth to that statement, it stops well short of its inevitable ending: the consequence.

In some cases, however, rules truly are made to be broken. It all depends on who is making the laws and how serious they are about carrying them out. For example, I have never been pulled over for not wearing my seatbelt. That’s against the law. Point being that a rule is only as strong as it’s enforcer.

Last Sunday, North Korea put that saying to the test as they launched a rocket from Pyongyang that sailed over Japan until it finally crashed in the Pacific Ocean. In doing so, they disregarded two UN resolutions.

The launch is seen by South Korea, the United States and Japan as a threat, a disguised test of a long-range missile designed to carry warheads to the U.S. However, North Korea claims a satellite was launched in the process.

Reports from Japan claim that no satellite was released during the flight.

Immediately following the launch, North Korea warned that they would take “strong steps” if any action was taken against them in response to the launch. They threatened to boycott six-nation disarmament talks and restart a plant that makes bomb-grade plutonium. They also warned of military action if anyone tried to retrieve debris from the rocket.

Now, the UN’s five permanent members — the United States, Russia, China, France and Britain — and Japan have a critical decision to make. Are they going to punish North Korea?

Or give them another warning?

Are they going to stand behind the rules they made? Or, downplay the event and let them off easy?

The UN is split about the decision, but is currently working on compromise that would make a statement (a step less than a resolution) tightening existing sanctions by singling out North Korea.

Japan, the U.S. and South Korea were actively pursuing a more serious reprimand of North Korea. However, China and Russia were holding back, saying that any punishment would be “counter productive.”

Clearly, getting involved in a military show down would not be a good decision. The UN just doesn’t have the military stamina to get involved in a potential war.The world is exhausted by the Iraq war, even outside parties.

However, a legitimate response to the North Korea’s provocative act would be to issue economic sanctions. China supplies North Korea with 8090 percent of its energy, as well as food and other humanitarian needs. The problem with this solution is that China did not want to do anything. I guess when they drafted the original resolution they never actually thought they would have to stand by it.

An outside aspect of this dilemma is that whatever the UN chooses to do, Iran is watching closely and making decisions based on the precedent.

“The response of the UN to date has simply indicated to Iran that it’s got a green light,” senior fellow at the Hudson Institute and UN critic Anne Bayefsky said. “They’re not serious about sanctions.”

It turns out that rules are made to be broken, or at least that’s the message that the UN is sending to the rest of the world.

Rules are made to be broken, or at least that’s the message the UN is sending to the rest of the world.

Clinton McGue is a journalism senior and Mustang Daily reporter.

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Facebook continued from page 16

to follow recruiting guidelines could face penalties such as being denied tickets or even being formally “disassociated” from the athletic program.

Adam Kissel, director of the Individual Rights Defense Program at the Foundation for Individual Rights in Education, said the NCAA can impose rules on its member colleges.

But universities — especially public ones — can’t enforce them if it means punishing students in any way for expressing an opinion.

“A student doesn’t lose First Amendment rights because of a contract the university signs with (the NCAA),” he said.

Moseley, the student, didn’t respond to a request for comment, but the group has been renamed “Bring a National Title back to NC STATE!” and features a photo of Wall.

Though Lee sent Moseley the tough warning, even she finds the rule exasperating. The NCAA, she

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less to say the time they spent at the ballpark was probably the most enjoyed.

Pacific apparently got enough kids to come and try out this year and was able to put together a team. I think it’s really neat that all these other schools are trying to get their sports programs competitive, though it might be best to take it a little slower and maybe set up some games with Barstow Community College, or Taft, you know some confidence builders before they have to play Poly.

It was a great weekend to rehabilitate one of our veteran catalysts, someone Cal Poly has counted on for three years, Wes Dorrell, that’s right, he’s back. In lieu of his absence however, our rooks have been getting out there and doing damage; case and point, Matt Jensen. Have you been to a game yet this year? If you have then you’ve seen his work, usually along the lines of doubles in the gap, line drives through the infield and nine home runs in the first half of the season. The kicker is that he isn’t even an honorable mention for freshman of the year. Yeah, pretty ridiculous, but definitely the likes of a freshman all American. Is it to early to speculate? Not in my book.

The Mustangs took two out of three from the Tigers while Pacific learned a valuable lesson this weekend. Cal Poly was able to get a few new guys in the lineup to see some action, as well as regulars, such as Yoder, who was able to raise his average by nearly 20 points hitting

sports

says, simply isn’t keeping up with the technology reality.

“I think nationally the NCAA needs to address further Facebook and how these groups play a part in recruiting,” she said. “Is it realistic for us to be able to monitor them? What harm is a group like this causing? But as the legislation stands right now, this is the position we have to take.”

NCAA spokesman Erik Christianson said the group considers its rules “technology neutral.” A Facebook page is simply a high-tech way to try to influence recruits.

The NCAA’s concern is “intrusions into a high school student’s life when they’re trying to decide where to go to college,” he said. He said the NCAA is keeping up with technology, noting new rules on text-messaging from coaches.

Christianson said the NCAA expects institutions to act as N.C. State did, reaching out to the creators of such groups to “educate” them about the rules. He added he was not aware the NCAA had ever initiated any action related to a Facebook group or notified an institution about one.

But dozens of Facebook groups

are still up in plain site for current recruits, including Wall, and other top undecided basketball players such as Xavier Henry and Lance Stephenson.

Wall, a 6-4 playmaker, averaged 21 points, seven rebounds and nine assists for Raleigh Word of God this past season. He’s the No. 1-ranked recruit in the country by both Rivals.com and Scout.com, and among the last top players yet to commit. A Facebook search reveals groups including “Bring John Wall to Baylor,” ‘’John Wall Belongs at UNC” and “John Wall, come to DUKE!!”

There are at least four groups encouraging Wall to pick Kentucky.

Through an athletic department spokesman, UK head of compliance Sandy Bell declined to comment on whether the department has taken any action in response to such groups.

Facebook did not respond to an emailed request for comment.

Kissel, of the education rights group, and Aden Fine of the American Civil Liberties Union, said that while the NCAA — a private entity — could pursue sanctions against a student like Moseley (such as denying him access to an entirely NCAA-run

.500 for the weekend.

As far as the trials of monotony go, you probably didn’t hear a bunch of whining and complaining when the Mustangs got on the bus and headed for Stockton. No remarks like, “Coach, do we really have to spend the whole weekend up there? Couldn’t we just send 12 guys to go play them?” The ball club sucked it up and did what they were supposed to do, which I’m sure that Pacific truly appreciates it.

On the upside at least our ball club got something out of it, a series victory. Thank you UOP. As for the games this week; Santa Clara is going to lose some sleep followed up by a long weekend for the Aggies as UC Davis comes to town for a three-game series. The games might be a bit one sided this week, but hey, that’s good for our boys isn’t it? Keep wining games regardless of how the competition

plays; sure it may not be an action packed edge of your seat nine innings, but there is so much more that the ballpark has to offer.

Take for example the second biggest rivalry on the Central Coast; 6-year-olds vs. the event staff. It’s amazing, every time a foul ball is hit the scene is reminiscent of the beaches of Normandy in ’44.You’ve got a herd of roughly 30 “knee high to a grasshopper” kids doing about 120 mph toward their prize.

As the dust clears you can begin to make out a yellow jacket which in disbelief appears to be demanding the kid give up the baseball… right, great idea Jim, might as well jump into pool of ravenous perch with squid tied to your nipples.

If that doesn’t catch your fancy, then there’s always Krukow corner, all you can eat, drink and heckle for an incredibly fair price. Ultimately I can say with confidence

Sports designer: Kate Nickerson

15

associated press

High School basketball phenom John Wall, shown above, is being heavily recruited by students at several universities through Facebook. event), it was troubling that the letter Christianson dismissed the free and threatened sanction came from speech argument, saying courts have the university. upheld the NCAA’s right to set re“The school is potentially finding cruiting rules for members. themselves in a tricky situation, be“We don’t see it as a free speech iscause of the NCAA rules, but that sue. What we do see it as is a recruitdoesn’t mean public universities can ing issue,” he said. “We want to be censor lawful speech,” Fine said. sure that we limit that level of intruthat there’s something for everyone Central Coast in the spring. Until at the ballpark, be it baseball, food next week. or sundresses in the warm spring air, irony or the foul ball crew. Re- Jacob Ewing is an animal science senior gardless of your preferences, how and a Mustang Daily guest columnist. bad could it be? It’s baseball on the

mustangdaily.net Monday, April 13, 2009

SPORTS

sports editor:

Scott Silvey mustangdailysports@gmail.com

MUSTANG DAILY

Hittin’ it where they ain’t

WEEKEND softball

game 1 no. 25 cal poly 1, long beach state 0 game 2 no. 25 cal poly 2, long beach state 1 game 3 no. 25 cal poly 2, long beach state 1

nick camacho mustang daily

Cal Poly’s Stephanie Tam, shown above, scored one of two sixth inning runs to propel the Mustangs past Long Beach State on Sunday.

Cal Poly (28-9, 7-2 Big West Conference) came away with a sweep in a critical three-game set against conference-leading Long Beach State on Friday and Saturday. The Mustangs rode three sensational pitching performances, allowing just two runs in the three game series.

Cal Poly entered the series trailing the 49ers by a game in the Big West but with the sweep is now tied with Cal State Fullerton (19-17, 7-2) for the conference lead.

The Mustangs lost two of three to the Titans earlier this year meaning Cal State Fullerton would cur-

rently own a tiebreaker.

Junior first baseman Krysten Cary’s 12th home run for the Mustangs, provided the only run in Cal Poly’s 1-0 series-opening win on Friday.

Sophomore lefthander Anna Cahn (18-5) scattered just five hits in the shutout win.

Cahn’s performance was matched in game two by junior Helen Pena (9-4) who struck out six 49ers in the second game of Cal Poly’s doubleheader sweep on Friday.

Saturday saw Cahn pick up where she had left off. Not only did she allow just one run in another complete game effort, she also drove in the tying and eventually the winning run in the sixth inning. Her single scored senior second baseman Stephanie Tam and a throwing error by Long Beach State’s Casey Burba allowed sophomore catcher Stephanie Correia to score the eventual winning run.

The Mustangs go on the road for two weeks beginning Saturday with a three-game series at Cal State Northridge.

commentary

Thompson en route to an easy win over the Tigers (12-18, 5-4 Big West Conference).

Junior righthander DJ Mauldin threw eight innings allowing 12 hits and five runs before freshman Jeff Johnson closed it out in the ninth.

The Mustangs wasted a solid start from freshman righthander Mason Radeke on Friday. Radeke gave up two runs in 6.1 innings leaving with a 4-2 lead in the seventh inning.The Tigers would roar back to take the win with three runs in the ninth, capped by a game winning single by leftfielder Allen Riley.

The Mustangs would storm back in the series’ rubber match on Saturday as senior Jared Eskew (5-1) would get the win in relief. Sophomore designated hitter D.J. Gentile, junior leftfielder Luke Yoder and junior shortstop Kyle Smith each collected three hits.

Cal Poly will be back in action Tuesday when they travel to play at Santa Clara.

a men¹s match-play golf dual Saturday afternoon at the Bakersfield Country Club.

Mustangs Geoff Gonzalez, Colin Peck, Jarod Knight and Grant Martens won for Cal Poly.

Gonzalez defeated Adam Frey 11-7, while Peck was a 9.5-8.5 winner over Richie Kernagis and Knight posted a 9.5-8.5 win over Nick Baratelle.

Martens beat Jason Errecart 10-8 to secure the win for Cal Poly.

The Mustangs will host the Big West Conference Championship on April 20 – 21 at the San Luis Obispo Country Club.

men’s tennis

cal poly 4, uc davis 3

The Mustangs swept doubles and won three singles matches en route to clinching third place in the Big West Conference.

Cal Poly (10-9, 3-2) got singles wins from sophomores Alexander Cal Poly sophomore Boris No- Sonesson and Blake Wardman vachkov won five matches on his and junior Robert Foy to secure way to the FILA Junior National the victory. game 1 After dropping the first two Championship on Saturday in Las singles matches, Sonesson defeatVegas. no. 16 cal poly 12, Novachkov, who redshirted ed Hunter Lee 3-6, 6-4, 7-6 (3) at pacific 7 last year at Cal Poly, beat Missouri No. 3 singles to get Cal Poly on game 2 freshman Nicholas Hucke in the the board. Foy followed that up at final match. Novachkov executed No. 4 with a win over Tyler Lee, pacific 5, a two-point maneuver during the 6-3, 6-1. no. 16 cal poly 4 Wardman secured the victory final period which broke a 2-2 tie. with a 6-4, 6-3 win over Nick game 3 Novachkov will continue to Amaroli. train while looking for a spot on no. 16 cal poly 13, “It was great to get another the U.S. Junior World Freestyle pacific 8 conference win,” Cal Poly head team in May. coach Justin McGrath in a stateDespite blowing a two-run lead ment. “I give a lot of credit to UC in game two, Cal Poly was able to Davis.

They fought really hard tomen’s beat Pacific twice in three games day and nearly pulled out a viccal poly 55.5, over the weekend at Klein Family tory.”

Field in Stockton.

CSU bakersfield 52.5 Cal Poly will compete in the In Thursday’s series opener, Cal Big West Conference ChampionPoly got three hits and four RBI The Mustangs won four of six ship beginning Friday when they from sophomore third baseman J.J. matches over the Roadrunners in take on UC Riverside.

wrestling

RALEIGH, N.C. — College sports fans, be careful of the company you keep on Facebook.

You might get yourself — and the program you support — in trouble.

That was the lesson this week

If checking the box score during a morning cup of coffee is your idea of “following baseball,” then indulge your interest and hopefully I can add a bit of perspective to a set of numbers.

Let’s hope a bit more competition can make it to San Luis Obispo this coming week or we might be in for some doldrums. I’m sure our boys on the field would enjoy some competition as well.

Saint Mary’s, which some said would be a tough task, did little for the sport of baseball Tuesday night.

If you saw their performances at the plate, I’m sure you would have enjoyed it too. I believe it was the sixth inning when the Gaels coach told the on deck hitter to get a tennis racquet before he got in the batters box.

golf

for Taylor Moseley, a North Carolina State freshman who expressed a common-enough opinion on campus when he started the Facebook group called “John Wall PLEASE come to NC STATE!!!!”

More than 700 people signed up for the group encouraging Wall — a local standout and the nation’s No.

1 basketball recruit — to pick the Wolfpack by national signing day next week.

But the NCAA says such sites, and dozens more like them wooing Wall and other top recruits, violate its rules. More than just cheerleading boards, the NCAA says the sites are an attempt to influence the college

nick camacho mustang daily

Sophomore DJ Gentile, shown above, is one of seven Cal Poly hitters currently batting above .350 this season.

choice of a recruit.

Moseley got a cease and desist letter from N.C. State’s compliance director, Michelle Lee, warning of “further action” if he failed to comply.

In an interview Friday, Lee said that people who act as boosters but fail

The final score was 5 to 4, but in all seriousness, watching the game made you appreciate the fact that it wasn’t a three-game series. Just ask the strong contingent of 10 St. Mary’s fans that made the arduous trip down to Baggett Stadium.They were happy it was only a day trip.

Why? For the simple fact that Saint Mary’s looked scared. They played scared, they pitched scared and oh boy did they get up to the plate scared!

You felt a bit embarrassed for them at first, but ultimately what do you expect? They come to our field to play a team that already beat the No. 3 team in the nation; they did well to keep it close.

As for the past weekend, Poly has been enjoying the many wonders that the town of Stockton has to offer, like the Delta Casino; it even has its own MySpace page. Need

see Facebook, page 15

see Baseball, page 15

Student warned over Facebook site wooing prospect Justin Pope

Jacob Ewing on cal poly baseball

baseball

kate nickerson mustang daily graphic

associated press

Beating up on inferior competition?