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TOMORROW:
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Volume LXXIV, Number 25
Phillies rally in ninth inning, advance to face Dodgers in NLCS. IN SPORTS, 12
Wednesday, October 14, 2009
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Medical marijuana complicates dorm life Will Taylor mustang daily
More than 200,000 people in California have medical marijuana cards and that number includes some students living in University Housing. Medical marijuana has been a hotly-debated topic between the California and federal government since the inception of Proposition 215 in 1996, which legalized marijuana for medical recommendations in California. California universities have had to deal with the conflict between campus codes and state law, especially for students living on campus. It is against University Housing policy to smoke, be in possession of marijuana or have marijuana smoking paraphernalia; however, students with medical cards complicate those rules. Technically, the students have a right to have medicine recommended by their doctors. For instance, if the University Police Department (UPD) catches a student with a medical card and in possession of marijuana they cannot cite them by state law. Officers must follow state law before federal law. By federal law, marijuana use, even for medical purposes,
is illegal. “We’re not going to cite (students) if they have a medical marijuana card,” UPD Commander Lori Hashim said. A criminal defense lawyer in the San Luis Obispo area agreed. “As far as I know, (police) are honoring medical marijuana cards,” Bill McLennan said. University Housing is an entity independent of Cal Poly and has its own set of rules, further complicating the matter. As of now, University Housing does not have a specific policy towards medical marijuana use but takes each incident on a case-by-case basis. “You get into a situation there where this entity is trying to prescribe punishment for something that is legal,” McLennan said. One of these cases involved CJ Michaels (not his real name), then a freshman living at Sierra Madre. Michaels was in a friend’s room on the third floor of the Sierra Madre residence halls when resident advisers (RAs) knocked on the door, he said. The RAs said that it smelled like marijuana in the room and to set any paraphernalia on the floor in the middle of the room and that they had called the UPD, he said. Michaels said that he cooperated. “When [UPD] saw that I had a medical marijuana card they said,
‘C’mon keep it out of the dorms,’” Michaels said. Michaels talked to housing adviser, who said that because he had a medical marijuana card, he would get to remain in the dorm. A week later, Michaels received a call from saying he was to be kicked out of housing. Michaels appealed. He wrote essays, had friends write recommendation letters, “did hundreds of hours of research” and had his parents come down for a meeting with John Wood, the community standards program coordinator for residential life and education, Michaels said. As a result of his efforts, Michaels was moved to the North Mountain residence halls. “I’m one of two or three kids that haven’t been kicked out fully, upright,” he said. Although he was allowed to stay in on-campus housing, there were stipulations. “I wasn’t allowed to return to Sierra Madre for the rest of the year or go anywhere in the area, the volleyball courts, nothing, which really sucked because I had just made a bunch of friends,” Michaels said. University Housing said that see Marijuana, page 2
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Cal Poly to conduct largest on-campus health study Katie Koschalk mustang daily
Set to be the largest health study ever conducted on a college campus, Science through Translational Research in Diet and Exercise (STRIDE), a research project initiated in 2007 by the Cal Poly kinesiology department, will examine the physical health of college students and their awareness about their personal health. Slated to begin next week, the project, called FLASH, will evaluate about 3,700 freshmen from the 2013 class, measuring various aspects of students’ physical health including body mass index, resting heart rate and blood pressure, as well as analyzing how students perceive their personal health. Dr. Ann McDermott, the director of STRIDE, hopes that this research project will shed light on how and why a college student’s
health varies over their college career. “Statistics show that 37 percent of high school students are overweight or obese and that 67 percent of adults are overweight or obese. We want to find out what is happening in that four year period of time that is creating that big of a difference,” McDermott said. One reason that might account for the 30 percent jump in obesity rates is that college students have a skewed view of their physical health, McDermott said. Kyla Tom, a graduate student of kinesiology and student leader of FLASH, agreed that many college-aged people do not have an accurate understanding of what it means to be healthy. “I think that a lot of college students look at themselves physically and judge their health by if they look fit or not. In reality though, a lot of risk factors for disease don’t
depend on how low your body weight is,” Tom said. “College students might just not be aware.” Acquiring the participation of such a large volunteer group poses a challenge. “Getting freshman really interested in the study will be the hardest part. We’ve really been pushing social marketing and have been talking to the RAs to try to hype up the study,” Tom said. Some forms of social marketing STRIDE will use includes a video explaining the study, which will most likely be posted online, and fliers in the freshmen dorms, Tom said. Lauren Ferrigno, a parks and recreation administration sophomore, thinks that promoting the study is key in getting freshmen volunteers. “I would have been interested in doing it as a freshman if I had enough information about it and
knew a lot about why they were doing it,” she said. McDermott feels that there will be plenty of students interested in learning about their health in depth. “I think students will want to get involved because how many college freshman can say they have an accurate understanding of their body composition? I think many students overestimate their health,” McDermott said. Nutrition freshman Jocelyn Fry, who considers herself a healthy individual, expressed interest in participating in the study this fall. “I’d like to see how my body changes over the course of my time in college,” Fry said. Jenny Graser, a liberal studies senior, however, would not have wanted to participate in the study. “I think the study itself would be very beneficial and if they can get volunteers, then that’s great. I
personally wouldn’t want to do the study because I feel like it’s private information that I’d be giving out,” she said. Kelli DeAngelis, a kinesiology freshman, said that data obtained in California might be different from elsewhere in the country, but thought that it would reveal interesting information regardless. “I feel like people at Cal Poly are generally pretty active. There are a lot of options for ways to stay active like the outdoors. And it’s free,” DeAngelis said. The study will provide crucial information about Cal Poly students’ health that is currently missing for college-aged individuals. “Basically, we have information for high school students and we have it for adults. There’s a gap in between those two age groups where we are missing the data for college-aged people,” Tom said. see STRIDE, page 2
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Marijuana
STRIDE
continued from page 1
continued from page 1
they scrutinize each medical marijuana cases individually. “We do practice due process. We talk to the student and get their side of the story and make sure that they are aware of all policy,” Preston Allen, executive director of University Housing, said. “It helps us understand where we have mis-communicated with you about what you were doing.” Housing is taking its time making across-the-board decisions about medical marijuana. “We do accept all treating physicians requests, but we cannot supersede the law,” Allen said. “There’s still some time that needs to pass before [medical marijuana] becomes more recognized and accepted.” Unlike Cal Poly, University of California (UC) Berkeley and UC Davis would not kick a student out of housing if they had a medical marijuana card and were smoking on campus somewhere 25 feet away from the residence halls. Cal Poly requires students to be 20 feet away from buildings when smoking tobacco “Just because they’re a student, if they violate policy outside of our buildings it wouldn’t impact their housing contract,” Emily Galindo, director of Student Housing at UC Davis said. “If they get suspended from school or can’t go to classes in another situation, it by default, would affect their housing.” The UC system is also having an evolving discussion, according to representatives from the UC system. “We do reasonable accommodation on what happens on a case by case basis,” Martin Takimoto, director of marketing for residential and student services at UC Berkeley, said. The debate over medical marijuana in the CSU and UC systems will continue as more cases arise, Takimoto said.
In order to fill in the missing data representing college students, the freshman volunteers
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will take place spring quarter. Including both a questionnaire component and an objective measurement component makes this study potentially the largest research project of its kind, Tom said.
Wednesday, October 14, 2009
Questions surround female naval service Christine Clarridge
Basically, we have information for high school students and we have it for adults. There’s a gap in between those two age groups where we are missing data. —Kyla Tom kinesiology graduate student
will complete a questionnaire and/or a physical exam. The questionnaire will be emailed to volunteers and includes 117 questions about demographic information, perceived health, screen time (the amount of nonschool related time students spend in front of the computer or television), alcohol and drug consumption and physical activity, Tom said. In preliminary research conducted in spring 2008, residents from Sierra Madre and Yosemite dorms and students in large kinesiology lectures, such as KINE 250 (Healthy Living), took about 20 minutes to complete the survey. After filling out the questionnaire, students will be encouraged to have a physical examination, which includes taking measures of height, weight, waist circumference, resting blood pressure, resting heart rate and body fat percentage. The freshmen will undergo their first physical examination during their first quarter at Cal Poly, which is this fall. The next physical examination, conducted on the same group of volunteers,
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the seattle times
BANGOR, Wash. — Amy Augustine knows there are many wives and girlfriends who despise the idea of women serving at sea alongside their men in cramped submarines for months at a time, but she isn’t among them. “I have no problem with that,” said Augustine, 25, who is married to a submariner assigned to the Trident-class USS Ohio. “I trust my husband.” Her friend Trina Lopez, the wife of a Navy corpsman, agrees. “Women should have every opportunity men have,” said Lopez, 33, whose husband is not assigned to a submarine. “But everybody needs to be an adult, and the Navy should have them sign a waiver admitting that the guys are rude and crude and you’re not going to call harassment.” Submarine service, long among the last of the Navy’s male-only bastions, could soon be in for a drastic change after Adm. Mike Mullen, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, said he would like to see the Navy change its rule barring women from submarine service. In response, Adm. Gary Roughead, the chief of naval operations, issued a statement in which he said he is “very comfortable addressing integrating women” into the force, but added, “There are some particular issues ... we must work through.” The idea of women serving on submarines is old news in and around Bangor, where Naval Base Kitsap-Bangor is home to eight of the nation’s 14 SSBN-class submarines and two of its four SSGNs. The issue has been kicked around for years, say former and current sailors. “You have to remember, this was out on the table in the ‘90s,” said Eric Barnes, of Bremerton, Wash., who spent most of his 20 years in the Navy as a missile technician on fast-attack and Trident-class subs, most recently the USS Georgia. The official arguments against women serving in the “silent service” often focused on the crews’ lengthy deployments, the boats’ cramped quarters and the difficulty creating gender-separated sleeping and toilet facilities in the confined space. Unofficial arguments against in-
tegration, which still appear in Web discussions on the topic, include the potential for romantic entanglements, pregnancies, plumbing problems and the outcry of some Navy wives. “Just about every Navy wife I talked to did not like the idea one bit,” Barnes said. “They felt secure that when their husbands went to sea, they didn’t have to worry about them.” Lt. Cmdr. John Daniels, a Navy spokesman at the Pentagon, said that female officers could begin training as early as next year and report to ballistic-missile and cruisemissile submarines by 2011. Many of those women could be sent to Naval Base Kitsap-Bangor. The conversion to mixed-gender crews would begin with the Trident submarines because they’re much larger than fast-attack subs and “appear to require less modification,” Daniels said. “It would allow us to move out more quickly as we implement women into the submarine corps.” On fast-attack submarines, approximately 150 personnel live in space the size of a three-bedroom house. Officers sleep in threeperson staterooms, each the size of a small closet, and all 15 of them share a single shower, sink and toilet. For female officers to live on the submarines, some three-person berths would be reserved for them and they would share the bathroom — known as a “head” — with men in a time-sharing arrangement. The submarines would have to be modified to provide adequate privacy for enlisted women and men, senior officers said. Some local sailors, though, don’t welcome the idea. “We feel like we won’t be able to walk around or talk a certain way,” said a young submariner who was at the Horse and Cow, a Kitsap County bar popular with submariners. “Plus, don’t a lot of women have mood swings? I’m pretty sure they are more emotional than men and they could crack under stress,” said the sailor, who didn’t want to give his name or his billet. He went on to say, however, that he believes the first women who served on submarines would be well-qualified, professional and “super high up.”
mcclatchy-tribune Casey Vandeusen, left, Joshua Humphries, center, and Joshua Vankirk chat in the enlisted quarters aboard the USS Michigan. Berth curtains offer some privacy. Women may soon be allowed to serve on subs.
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Overhaul continued from page 4
D-N.D., proudly announced Tuesday, “There’s no government-run health care plan here.” Committee’s votes underscore, not all 60 Democratic senators support a public option, so final passage of legislation including one appears unlikely. Senate leaders wouldn’t say that, however, and indicated that some compromise could be in the works — perhaps a plan to allow states to set up their own government-run plans, or a “trigger” mechanism that would allow a nationwide government-run system to be created if insurers fail to meet certain standards in the future. “I favor a public option,” said Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, DNev.“We’re going to do our very best to have a public option. But remember, a public option is a relative term.” Other compromises are in the works. Senators expressed concerns about whether constituents could afford the new system and about its impact on Medicare recipients. “We’ve got a lot to do with respect to affordability,” said Sen. Ron Wyden, D-Ore. The Finance Committee bill would create a new system of coops — or nonprofit, member-run companies — that would organize on a state or regional basis, provide insurance to their members and contract directly with networks of health care providers. The government would use up to $6 billion to help the co-ops start up but wouldn’t be involved in any decision-making. The finance bill has another unique feature: It would impose a 40 percent excise tax on most high-
Wire Editor: Jennifer Titcomb
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Wednesday, October 14, 2009 cost insurance policies. The House prefers an income tax surcharge on wealthier taxpayers; that got virtually no Finance Committee support, as senators expressed concern that small-business owners would be hurt. Most of the finance bill is similar in both tone and detail to the other measures. It would make it simpler for lower- and middle-income families to buy coverage by providing tax credits for families earning up to 400 percent of the poverty level, or about $88,000. There was some concern, notably from Snowe, that penalties for not buying coverage could be burdensome to middle-class families; Baucus cut his original proposed penalty in half, to $1,900, and amendments reduced it even further. Now it would be phased in between 2014 and 2017, reaching a maximum of $750 per adult. As in the other legislative versions, the Finance Committee measure would prevent insurance companies from rejecting anyone because of a pre-existing condition or raising their premiums for that reason. It would require most employers to provide coverage, or else pay a fee to the government to help others get coverage. And insurers would have to offer everyone a basic benefits package that included primary care, hospitalization and prescription drugs. The bill aims to make coverage easier to obtain and less expensive by creating health insurance exchanges via Web portals that would show consumers all the available coverage in their ZIP codes. Consumers wouldn’t have to give up their current insurance, and insurers would be able to keep offering the coverage they now provide to those who already have it.
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International
SAN JOSE (MCT) — The strongest October storm in 47 years is sweeping across the Bay Area today, forcing evacuations in the Santa Cruz mountains, wreaking havoc on commuters and causing power outages to thousands. About 60 homes in Davenport have been evacuated this morning as heavy rain has inundated the area burned in last summer’s Lockheed fire, raising the danger of mudslides, according to a Santa Cruz County spokeswoman. A reverse 911 system was activated at 8:30 a.m. to alert residents along Swanton Road to evacuate. A Red Cross center has been set up in Davenport to serve the evacuees. In San Lorenzo Valley, the schools were closed because of some flooding. Diana Henderson, a forecaster with the National Weather Service, said the last October storm of this magnitude to hit the region happened in 1962. ••• FRESNO, Calif. (MCT) — Supporters of legalizing marijuana and officers charged with seizing it have different opinions about the drug, but they agree on one point: It’s a valuable crop. Just how valuable, however, is another point of contention. With the arrival of fall, growers of the illicit crop are racing to harvest the plants while law enforcement officials rush to find and wipe out growing sites. In two recent seizures in Tulare and Fresno counties, officials destroyed thousands of plants, which they said were worth $7.2 million. That estimate is based on a formula used by the state Department of Justice: On average, each plant would yield a pound of usable marijuana over its remaining lifetime, and a pound of marijuana is worth about $4,000 when sold in small quantities on the street.
NEW YORK (MCT) — Disgraced Enron chief Jeffrey Skilling, who rose to infamy in one of the biggest corporate scandals in U.S. history while maintaining his innocence, has won his day before the Supreme Court after battling through the appeals process in the face of a 24-year sentence. The high court will take up Skilling’s argument that he deserves a new trial under his interpretation of a federal law that requires prosecutors to show that suspects acted in their own interests, rather than those of the company. Skilling in January had already won a pending re-sentencing in federal appeals court, after a 2006 jury found him and former Enron Chairman Kenneth Lay guilty of accounting fraud and orchestrating a series of off-the-books partnership that led to one of the largest U.S. corporate implosions. Lay died in 2006 about three months before his sentencing. Enron CFO Andrew Fastow is currently serving a six-year sentence.
DUBAI (MCT) — The Grand Mufti of Dubai has refuted allegations made by some quarters that ‘niqab’ is linked to extremism. “Niqab is never related to fanaticism or terrorism as some have wickedly alleged,” Ahmed Al Haddad told Khaleej Times in an exclusive meeting on Sunday. Hesaidthatbanningorseekingaban on ‘niqab’ restricts women’s freedom. “Muslim women have never been forced to wear‘niqab,’”he pointed out. He added that some of the Muslim women wear ‘niqab’ out of faith, but forcing them to abandon the ‘niqab’ would be “utter disrespect to her and to her creed, culture and traditions.” Al Haddad said the ‘niqab’ is also a symbol of modesty for the Muslim woman. A Canadian Muslim organisation had urged the Canadian government on Thursday to ban the ‘niqab’, claiming it was a “medieval and misogynist symbol of extremism.” The same day,Dr Shaikh Mohammed Saeed Tantawi, head of Egypt’s Al Azhar University, a centre of religious learning,said the institution will bar students and teachers from wearing ‘niqab’ in female-only classrooms. ••• DOHA, Qatar (MCT) — A reconciliation agreement between Fatah and Hamas, the rival Palestinian parties, has been delayed, following a bitter dispute over the Palestinian decision not to back a UN report on alleged Israeli war crimes. The deal was to be signed on October 25, clearing the way for Hamas and Fatah to co-operate in rebuilding war-damaged Gaza by preparing for Palestinian elections in the first half of 2010. Speaking of his disappointment to Al Jazeera on Monday, Mustafa Barghouthi — an independent member of the Palestinian parliament — said he believed Fatah and Hamas had turned a UN war-crimes report into a party-political issue, rather than into an honest attempt to seek justice.
•••
CHICAGO (MCT) — Coming soon: a 6-inch plastic doll of Michelle Obama for $12.99, being billed as an “action figure.” Sculptor Jason Feinberg of Brooklyn, N.Y., who’s behind the dolls, admits the term “action figure” is used loosely. The first lady, after all, sports nothing more lethal than her trademark sleeveless dresses (and enviable biceps). Buyers may choose from among the purple dress she had on when the Obamas shared their campaign “fist bump,” the red-andblack number from election night festivities in Grant Park, or the black-and-white floral frock she favored for television’s “The View.” Feinberg, founder and president of Jailbreak Toys, says he designed the dolls and they’re manufactured in China. He studied sculpture at Wesleyan University in Connecticut.
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Wednesday, October 14, 2009
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Senate finance panel approves health care overhaul David Lightman mcclatchy newspapers
WASHINGTON — The Senate Finance Committee voted 14-9 on Tuesday to back a sweeping overhaul of the nation’s health care system, clearing the way for a historic congressional showdown this fall over how Americans receive and pay for their medical care. Thirteen Democrats and one Republican, Maine’s Olympia Snowe, voted to approve the measure. It would require nearly everyone to obtain coverage, bar insurers from denying coverage because of pre-existing conditions, and make insurance plans easier to afford by providing lower-income consumers with financial help. It would cost an estimated $829 billion over 10 years and be paid for by taxes, fees and reductions in Medicare costs. Democrats hailed the vote as an important milestone, the first time in memory that such a comprehensive health care revision has gone this far in Congress. “This is our opportunity to make history,” said Finance Committee Chairman Max Baucus, D-Mont. But a lot of disagreements remain, and Democrats said that Tuesday’s vote, which triggers intense negotiations over the contents of final legislation, was only a step forward, though an encouraging one. “I think in spite of a lot of problems that I have with it, I think the dialogue is now for real,” said Sen. Jay Rockefeller, D-W.Va. Republicans saw the vote as an ominous sign that they’re barely being heard. Talks this summer between three Finance Committee Democrats and three Republicans to craft a compromise broke down last month. “What could have been a strong biparti-
mcclatchy-tribune
Table comparing the health care overhaul bill passed by the Senate Finance Committee with the Senate health committee bill and the House bill. san vote ... is now ending on another divided vote,” said Sen. Orrin Hatch, RUtah. About the only suspense Tuesday involved Snowe, the moderate Republican who said she backed the measure “with reservations.” She liked its help for lower-income consumers, expansion of coverage and features that should make it easier for small businesses and consumers to shop for policies. But, Snowe warned, the legislative process is far from over, and things can change. “My vote today is my vote today. It doesn’t forecast what my vote will be tomorrow,” she said. Senate leaders and the White House will now merge the Finance Committee measure with another version of the
legislation approved this summer by the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee. The merged bill could be ready for debate before the full Senate later this month. The Finance Committee measure, which the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office estimates would reduce the federal deficit $81 billion over the next 10 years, differs in one major way from the health committee bill: It lacks a government-run health insurance plan, or “public option” alternative to private insurance, which President Obama and Democratic congressional leaders want. Three committees in the House of Representatives have approved legislation that includes a public option. Those bills are being combined into one, and the full House is expected to debate the legislation later this month. Prospects for approval there look good. “We don’t intend to go to the floor without a public option in our bill,” House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., has vowed. The Senate, though, is torn. Three Finance Committee Democrats voted against the public option when the panel considered it last month, and Sen. Kent Conrad, see Overhaul, page 3
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Wednesday, October 14, 2009 www.mustangdaily.net
Word on the Street
“What do you think about the Michael Pollan controversy?”
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EPA releases finding on greenhouse gases suppressed by Bush administration Jim Tankersley and Alexander C. Hart
“I think it’s pretty ridiculous because he’s just coming to say his opinions and I don’t think it’s going to change very much.” -Jordan Sauvain, wine and viticulture senior
“I’m interested to hear what he has to say. But he probably won’t change my thinking too much.” -Gretchen Wulff, agricultural communication junior
“I think his point of view is interesting and has good ideas but not on a large scale. You can’t feed America without feed lots especially in the cities.” -Caitie Evans, animal sciences senior
mcclatchy newspapers
WASHINGTON — The Environmental Protection Agency on Tuesday released a copy of a longsuppressed report by officials in the George W. Bush administration concluding that, based on science, the government should begin regulating greenhouse gas emissions because global warming posed serious risks to the country. The report, technically known as an “endangerment finding,” was prepared in 2007, but the Bush White House refused to make it public because the administration opposed new government efforts to regulate the gases most scientists see as the major cause of global warming. The existence of the finding — and the refusal of the Bush White House to make it public — were previously known. But no copy of the document had been released until Tuesday. The document “demonstrates that in 2007 the science was as clear as it is today,” said Adora Andy, an EPA spokeswoman. “The conclusions reached then by EPA scientists should have been made public and should have been considered.” The Bush EPA draft was released
in response to a public records request under the Freedom of Information Act. A finding that greenhouse gases and global warming pose serious risks to the nation is a necessary step in the process of instituting government regulation. President Barack Obama and congressional Democrats are pushing for major climate legislation, but if Congress fails to act, the administration has raised the possibility that it would use an EPA finding to move toward regulation on its own. In April, the administration released its own proposal for an endangerment finding. The newly released document from the Bush EPA shows that much of the Obama document embraced the earlier, suppressed finding word for word. “Both reach the same conclusion — that the public is endangered and regulation is required,” said Jason Burnett, a former associate deputy administrator who resigned from the EPA in June 2008 amid frustration over the Bush administration’s inaction on climate change. “Science and the law transcend politics.” The 2007 draft offers an unequivocal endorsement of the prevailing views among climate scientists. It includes a declaration that the “U.S. and the rest of the
world are experiencing the effects of climate change now” and warns that in the United States, those effects could lead to drought, more frequent hurricanes and other extreme weather events, increased respiratory disease and a rise in heatrelated deaths. The Obama version of the finding has gone through a required process of hearings and public comments. Now, the EPA is working out a final version of the finding, which is expected to be released in the near future. While the 2007 Bush EPA finding and the 2009 Obama finding are nearly identical in their conclusions about climate change and the scientific foundations of the problem, the Bush version is far less detailed. A current EPA official, speaking on condition of anonymity because he is not authorized to discuss the issue publicly, said the sparse descriptions of the 2007 version suggest that the EPA officials who signed off on the finding had been worried about how the White House would respond. “They honed it down to the essential language to explain an endangerment finding,” the official said. “In 2009, those constraints are removed. ... You don’t see those same linguistic gymnastics.”
Bills to lift Cuba travel ban gain support in Congress
“I think he’s too forward and not listening to farmers. He’s trying to rush. Conventional farmers have been doing it for a long time.” -Brad McKinsey, crop science junior
“Conventional farming feeds the world. You can’t feed the world on organic. I don’t agree with how they went about bringing him here. The ag department could have spent the money better.” -Katie Dirkes, wine and viticulture senior
“I think it’s good that they opened (the discussion) up to more than just him. Whether you agree or not, it’s good to hear about.” -Corey Fujioka, food science senior
compiled and photographed by jennifer titcomb
WASHINGTON — A powerful campaign to allow all Americans to travel to Cuba is rumbling through Congress, with both backers and opponents predicting eventual victory and a Cuban-American senator promising a key vote against the effort. Approval of the measures would have a profound impact on U.S.Cuba relations, unleashing an estimated one million American tourists to visit the island and undermining White House control of policy toward Havana. “There would be an explosion of contacts between Americans and Cubans ... that would almost overshadow what the two governments are doing,” said Phil Peters, a Cuba expert with the Lexington Institute think tank in suburban Washington. Cuban officials have told recent U.S. visitors that while President Barack Obama’s policy changes so far have been too timid to require a Havana reply, ending the U.S. travel ban would be significant enough to require some sort of Havana concession. Many Cuba-watchers on Capitol Hill say the effort is likely to fail. But even opponents of the free-travel bills in the House and Senate admit the campaign for ap-
proval is powerful. “I have never seen a stronger effort,” said Mauricio Claver-Carone of the U.S.Cuba Democracy political action committee. Backing the change has been the U.S. travel industry — Orbitz says it has 100,000 signatures on a petition — and dozens of newspaper editorials, large agricultural companies, former Secretary of State George Shultz, New Mexico Gov. Bill Richardson and groups that traditionally oppose U.S. sanctions on the island. “Our goals should be to get rid of the travel ban in the next six months,” Richardson said Friday during a speech to the National Democratic Network in Washington. “This is a step in the right direction,” Shultz declared last month. Polls show 60-70 percent of all Americans favor lifting the travel restrictions, and one House bill championed by Rep. Bill Delahunt, D-Mass., has gathered 180 sponsors — 38 short of the 218 votes required for passage. Obama ended all restrictions on Cuban-Americans’ travel to the island on Sept. 3. But other U.S. citizens and residents can travel only under special permits for groups such as churches, academics and
business — not for tourism. That was allowed, however, from 1977 to 1982 under former President Jimmy Carter’s efforts to normalize relations with Cuba. Most of the public attention has been focused on the House bill backed by Delahunt and Rep. Sam Farr, D-Calif. Farr, noting that U.S. agricultural sales to Cuba are allowed but not tourism, has repeated several variations of the line that “We can send American potatoes to Cuba, but not American people.” But a lesser-known version has a better chance of passing because it also eases restrictions on U.S. agricultural and medical sales to Cuba, in hopes of gathering support from those lobbies, said a Senate Republican staffer monitoring the progress of the travel bills. The main Senate version of the measure — with 25 co-sponsors from both parties at last count — is being championed by Senators Chris Dodd, D-Conn.; Byron Dorgan, D-N.D.; Michael Enzi, RWyo.; and Richard Lugar, R-Ind. But backers of the changes say the bills have not moved forward through the congressional maze so far because of the lack of active support from the Obama administration and the Democratic leadership in both chambers.
Wednesday, october 14, 2009
arts & Entertainment editor: cassandra keyse
Local bands take to the Mother’s stage Erin Hurley mustang daily
Mother’s Tavern is hosting two of San Luis Obispo’s musical groups, AVANTI and the Damon Castillo Band, tonight at 9 p.m. AVANTI, which began in spring 2009, is made up of musicians from all over the Central Coast, including a few Cal Poly graduates. The band has performed in several California cities, including Santa Barbara and Gilroy. “San Luis Obispo is a very cool community,” said AVANTI’s lead vocalist, guitarist and songwriter Michael Annuzzi, who graduated from Cal Poly in June with a degree in music. “Cal Poly students love hearing new music, and we feel very supported and encouraged by the school and the city. We’re currently booking more shows around the state on week-
ends and school breaks.” Each member of AVANTI has their own style and makes a unique contribution to the band’s music. “We try to play music that is appealing to diverse audiences. After working in the business end of the music industry for the past few years, it feels great to be on this side of the microphone,” Annuzzi said. AVANTI plans on releasing their debut album this winter, including live tracks that will be recorded at tonight’s show. “Connecting with the audience is the most important thing — we feel that by playing a variety of music, we’re building a real relationship,” guitarist Jason Gallo said. “You’ll laugh, you’ll cry, you’ll dance!” In addition to performing in see Bands, page 8
courtesy photo
Drummer Nolan Robison (left) and vocalist Mike Annuzzi are two members of AVANTI, a San Luis Obispo band performing at Mother’s Tavern tonight.
Entrepreneurship club turns ideas into reality Kate McIntyre mustang daily
To add to the laundry list of successful businesses founded by Cal Poly graduates, the Cal Poly Entrepreneurship Club invites students from different colleges to learn about the fundamentals of starting a business during bimonthly meetings on campus, including one tonight at 8 p.m. in room 133 of the Mathematics and Science building. The club was originally inspired during associate professor Jonathan York’s Business 310 “Introduction to Entrepreneurship” class last spring. York has 19 years of entrepreneurship experience, beginning when he founded Fourth Channel, Inc., a Web-based supply chain software company. He became a professor to impart his knowledge and passion for entrepreneurship upon students, he said. When he found out the entrepreneurship club at Cal Poly had disbanded, he asked his students if they would be interested in reviving it. He said the officers are treating the club like a new business, which means making decisions, one of York’s favorite parts about being an entrepreneur. “It’s your baby and you make the decisions, and those decisions determine whether you succeed or fail. There are risks but there also big rewards, financially but also personally,” he said. Business junior and club president Luke Richter said the club’s purpose is to bring students interested in innovations and inventions together so they can develop their ideas. “We’re trying to get people aware of the possible networking opportunities between different colleges and get people interested in the entrepreneur process, especially with the economy the way it is,” Richter said. Business senior and the club’s vice president Ian Drogin said they are looking for motivated students who want to have an active role in forming the club to meet their specific needs.
two mechanical engineering seniors, Billie Fritz and Toby Lloyd. Sparked by a need from avid motorcyclists Fritz and Lloyd, the trio is working on a motorcycle headlight that will make riding around corners at night safer. Fritz said that York and mechanical engineering professor Joseph Mello brought the engineers and Richter together in an attempt to produce senior projects that could evolve into an entrepreneurship. Lloyd said the collaboration between the engineering students and business student has benefited the project, which for the engineering students will last three quarters. “Business and engineering are a really good combination. They have to work together a lot and we don’t get to do that in the College of Engineering,” he said. If the prototype is efficient and they receive positive reviews from testers, Fritz said they will consider developing their project into a business by altering the headlight to fit different motorcycle brands and models. Entrepreneurs from Cal Poly will speak at a meeting tonight, including Kyle Wiens from iFixit and other small companies started by Cal Poly students. Owners Wiens and chris van es newsart Luke Soules started iFixit, which sends customers Industrial technology chair parts and instructions to fix their Lou Tornatzky said the club is an Apple products, in their Yosemite excellent way for people across the dorm room in 2003. They had to maintain a procampus to share ideas and promote entrepreneurship; involvement fessional image while attending will positively affect members’ ca- school, which was the hardest part about starting their business, reer plans. “I think some students envision Soules said. While he and Wiens started a career or direction that will involve some sort of entrepreneur- their company on their own, “It’s ship; they can only gain from par- certainly very helpful to be able to talk to people who are either ticipation in this,” he said. The club is looking to produce trying to start something or who tangible results with projects on have started something instead of going about it on your own,” he campus and in the community. “Right now we’re trying to said. The Entrepreneurship Club is get people together, engineers and business people, to do senior proj- a great idea, Soules said, because it helps students who are looking to ects,” Richter said. Richter is currently collaborating on his senior project with see Club, page 8 “The club will help provide networking support, a forum for discussing ideas and collaborating on creating new products for either scholastic or commercial uses and education from guest speakers,” he said. Some of the topics officers and guest speakers will cover include how to create an idea, start a business and network. The club will also be working in connection with the Ray Sherr Venture Challenge, allowing members to compete for prize money by developing and presenting new products and services.
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Wednesday, October 14, 2009 www.mustangdaily.net
Arts
Arts editor: Cassandra Keyse mustangdailyarts@gmail.com
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book column
WHAT’S YOUR Piecing together the “Catch-22” puzzle
RANT YOU WRITE IN
. WE INVESTIGATE. mustangdailywire@gmail.com
Joseph Heller’s “Catch-22” was published in 1961 but focuses on the tumultuous wartime era of the 1940s. Named after a now popular phrase, “Catch-22” is the epitome of a “damned if you do, damned if you don’t” situation. T h e story follows Yossarian, a bombardier (one of the crew members on a
fighter plane) w h o is stationed on the coast of Italy, as he discovers the evils of war. One of the driving contradictions i n this novel that make t h e name Catch 22 appropriate is Yossarian’s ploys to get out of service. He goes to his superiors in an attempt to get sent home, yet his superiors tell him that the only way that he can be discharged is if he is insane; the only way he can be deemed insane is if he denounces personal safety and continues to
fly missions. Yossarian’s attempts at claiming insanity are only denied because he can’t possibly be insane if he is recognizing the danger he is in and asking to be grounded. Essentially, he’s been cornered into this situation to remain in his post as a bombardier, because he can’t prove that he is crazy — but his position there is literally slowly driving him into insanity. Either way, he’s stuck in a bad situation. It sounds like a ridiculous situation and it is, but when you read the book, it makes sense. After a few chapters, you begin to understand Yossarian’s way of speaking and can follow along with what he is doing. It is almost as if by following his spiral into insanity, you lose focus on the things that would normally be required to understand a book and simply follow him in his confusion. To compliment the idea that Yossarian is spiraling deeper and deeper into insanity, the book itself is written in a very sporadic fashion, mirroring this inner chaos of the characters. The chapters skip around in chronologically and many stories are left hanging. This can sometimes be a deterrent to liking a book, but in this case, I find that the confused structure of the book adds depth to the novel as a whole. Heller writes about the inner workings of a World War II soldier as he witnesses the many atrocities of war. The main character is
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far from neat and orderly himself, so don’t expect the format of the book to be either. I am reminded of a quote by a classical literary scholar, Longinus: “Disorder contains a certain element of order” (“The Sublime” part six, chapter 20). This seems fitting because, although the book contains no clear sense of order, the movement and the jumping becomes clear after a while. Once you connect with the main character, Yossarian, you are willing to follow him through his disordered thoughts and confused ramblings. These ramblings are not without a purpose — even something as simple as a trip to the infirmary often has a deeper subtext hidden within; this book challenges the reader to look beyond the obvious and discover what the meaning of this confused rambling actually is. So, I’ll admit it — I’ve actually read this book at least three times, and there are still new things that see Novel, page 8
“Raindrops Keep Falling On My Head”
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Wednesday, October 14, 2009
Arts
Club
Novel
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start their own businesses. “I think it’s a great idea. There are lots of people who would love to stay in the San Luis area but can’t. This encourages people to make their own career instead of getting a job with an established company.” Soules’ best tip for student entrepreneurs: “Pick a business you care about and are really passionate about, not the one you think will make the most money. You’ll enjoy it a whole lot more.” The club is in the process of creating a Web page, but does have an e-mail address: cpentrepreneurs@ calpoly.edu.
I discover every time. I can’t tell you exactly what it is that keeps bringing me back to this book, but I think it has something to do with the fact that it’s like a puzzle. You have to take all these chapters and pieces of stories and try to make some kind of sense out of it. It takes work, but it is worth it, because amidst the confusion and the somewhat insane ramblings, there are moments of wisdom, of understanding and of insight into the human condition.
Bands continued from page 6
town this week, AVANTI will be playing on campus on Nov. 6 at 8 p.m. in the Chumash Auditorium. Performing alongside AVANTI is the Damon Castillo Band, another group with roots in San Luis Obispo. “All of us met and started playing here in San Luis Obispo. Everyone in the band is so talented I’m really lucky. We’ve performed together all over the country, but it’s always great to come back home,” lead vocalist Damon Castillo said. The band has released four al-
bums, the most recent in 2008. On their latest album, “Laurel Lane,” the Damon Castillo Band performed with artists who have worked with bands like the Wallflowers, Supertramp and John Mayer. The band has also produced several very popular music videos. They have performed at multiple Cal Poly events in the past, including a performance with the San Luis Obispo Symphony. Tonight’s performance at Mother’s Tavern is just one stop on their 2009 national tour. “There’s a lot of great music in San Luis Obispo and so many great venues to play at. A real band feeds off of the energy of the crowd, and we’re gonna play our hearts out and get the party started,” Castillo
Melinda Truelsen is a literature graduate student and Mustang Daily book columnist.
said. Cal Poly food science sophomore and Oregon native Emma Kitchen thinks it’s great that San Luis Obispo has local talent but that it seems like many people don’t know about it “Being out of state, I don’t know a lot about local bands, and I’m sure that’s also true for people from California, so these venues are a really good way to introduce people to new types of music and get publicity for some of the less well-known artists,” Kitchen said. Tickets to the show are $10 at the door, $9 in advance and $7 for students. They are available at Mother’s Tavern, Boo Boo Records or the Top Brass Productions Web site at http://topbrassprod.
opinion/editorial Wednesday, October 14, 2009
Editor in chief: Emilie Egger Managing Editor: Alex Kacik
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mustang daily The voice of Cal Poly since 1916
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Everyone should be equal under the law: In America, there shouldn’t be exceptions Last Sunday, thousands of gay activists exercised their right to free speech during a march from the White House to the Capitol, demanding that President Obama keep his word. Obama has promised to “end discrimination” against gays and allow them to serve openly in the military. At the National Equality March last weekend, activists claimed, “If somebody doesn’t have equal rights, then none of us are free.” In a certain sense, these activists are right. Although it is impossible to create equality in every level of society, we as a nation must work to ensure the equality of opportunity guaranteed by our democratic principles. Take for example Bill Gates and my friend Mike. They were both born here in America into upper-middle class families. At birth, both had an equal opportunity for success. Mr. Gates’ decisions (or luck) may have granted him an empire, but even considering their age difference, neither Mike nor Bill would be treated differently under the law. Both still enjoy the same fundamental rights to things such as a fair trial. While there are still discrepancies, understandable given the imperfect human condition, current government policy in America is blind when it comes to administering the law. The Local Law Enforcement Hate Crimes Prevention Act of 2009, passed in the House 281146 along with a military spending bill, grants individuals special rights based on their sexual behavior. Individuals with any of the 547 forms of sexual deviancy or “paraphilias” listed by the American Psychiatric Association would be specially pro-
tected under federal law. For example, if an exhibitionist exposed himself to a woman and she responded by slapping him, as many would, he would have committed a misdemeanor and she a felony. This hate crimes legislation is awaiting vote in the Senate. The bill, H.R. 1913, has the right intention but is critically misguided. It brings up the case of Matthew Shepard, a gay college student murdered at the University of Wyoming. Although direct correlation between the murder and Shepard’s homosexuality is under debate, the murder did spark legislative initiatives against hate crimes throughout the country. This legislation is intended to protect gay individuals from crimes against them. But in actuality, it creates a special class of citizens specially protected under the law. Furthermore, these protections come at a cost to individuals who are not protected.
Consider this clarification given by Texas Rep. Louie Gohmert: “It could include urophilia (sexual arousal associated with urine), voyeurism. You see someone spying on you changing clothes and you hit them — they’ve committed a
misdemeanor; you’ve committed a federal felony under this bill.” That sounds extreme, but even the amendment offered by Rep. Steve King, D-Iowa, to exclude pedophilia was rejected. Moreover, simply speaking out against any one of these protected categories could make you a felon. If your words influence someone who acts against a protected group, you could be tried in federal court. In short, these protected groups would receive elevated protection under the law, before children, seniors, veterans and churches. If the hate crimes bill passes in the Senate, it will certainly mean the subversion of equality. Nathan Tsoi is a computer science senior and Mustang Daily political columnist.
How hard is it to send an e-mail?
Professors don’t go out of their way to inform students
margartet scott newsart
formed that our professor was sick and although there was some complaining about the lack of e-mail notification, we went on with our day. Imagine the shock of the class when we sat in the same classroom, damp from the inclement weather, until 9:20 on Tuesday morning without any such notice from the professor or the communication department as to whether the class was going to be canceled for the second day in a row. One student actually had to call the department’s office to ask whether the professor was coming or not. Had this been any other day, I would have probably just let it go, grabbed an iced coffee and read the Mustang Daily as usual. The
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editors & staff editor in chief Emilie Egger managing editor Alex Kacik news editor Tim Miller wire editor Jennifer Titcomb arts editor Cassandra Keyse online editor Megan Hassler sports editor Brian De Los Santos design editor Kevin Black copy editors Scott Silvey, Katie McIntyre, Beth Shirley, Susie Kopecky photographers Ryan Sidarto, Nick Camacho, Patrick Fina, Elizabeth McAninch, Daniel Triassi advertising coordinator Stephanie Murawski production manager Andrew Santos-Johnson assistant production manager Jason Cope business managers Brittany Kelley, Joe Merkel marketing manager Kelsey Magnusen advertising manager Kristin Coplan ad designers Mai-Chi Vu, Sara Hamling, Justin Rodriguez, John Dixon advertising representatives Erika Powers, Giana Ronzani, April Manalotto, Brittni Kiick, Adam Plachta, Tarah Brinkerhoff, Lindsey Bly, Jenna Perkovich, Jenelle McDonnell, David McCutcheon, Amanda Dennin faculty adviser Brady Teufel general manager Paul Bittick
write a letter
margartet scott newsart
On a rainy Tuesday, I left home for my 9 a.m. class with a warm coat and umbrella in tow. I joined the crowds of hooded and self-sheltered students shuffling from over-hang to covered hallway on the journey from the parking structure to my communication class in the Erhart Agriculture building. On Monday, the same class had been promptly i n -
Graphic Arts Building, Suite 226 California Polytechnic State University San Luis Obispo, CA 93407
break would have been duly welcomed. But as I walked away from the Erhart Agriculture building in the rain without a single thing to do until my next class at 11, I got angry. How hard is it to send out an email to let your students know that class is canceled? In my experience, just three or four words would have gotten the job done: “Class canceled Tuesday.” Then push send. To throw in a pop-culture reference, “It’s so simple, even a caveman could do it.” There is no need to even sign the email, because seeing the professor’s e-mail address would be enough. With the technology that we have at our fingertips, it’s ridiculous that students should have to accept that some professors simply “don’t use email” as a form of communication, and especially ironic coming from a communication professor. In fact, it’s downright unacceptable. To be fair, I did receive an e-mail
from someone in the communication department — at 9:57 a.m., three minutes before the class in question would have let out anyway— informing us that the class we had already dispersed from was indeed canceled. Thanks so much for the after-the-fact consideration. Let’s get real, Cal Poly. With faculty furlough days already in play, students are already paying more money for less class time. The next step might be for students to start billing professors for extra canceled classes. It’s only fair if they cannot find a spare two minutes to notify their students of an unexpected absence in advance. Next time, just get out of bed and send an e-mail. It sucks that you’re sick, but it’s plain common courtesy. Cassandra Keyse is a journalism senior and Mustang Daily arts editor.
Mustang Daily reserves the right to edit letters for grammar, profanities and length. Letters, commentaries and cartoons do not represent the views of the Mustang Daily. Please limit length to 250 words. Letters should include the writer’s full name, phone number, major and class standing. Letters must come from a Cal Poly e-mail account. Do not send letters as an attachment. Please send the text in the body of the e-mail. By e-mail: mustangdailyopinions@gmail.com By mail: Letters to the Editor Building 26, Room 226 Cal Poly, SLO, CA 93407 Online: mustangdaily.net/letters
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Wednesday, October 14, 2009 Volume LXXIV, No. 25 ©2009 Mustang Daily “At least my sluttiness is contained to Scrabble.”
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Wednesday, October 14, 2009 www.mustangdaily.net
Phillies
Bly
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one out, then was replaced at first by Victorino on a force out. After Victorino advanced to second on defensive indifference, Street walked Utley, bringing Howard to the plate with two outs. The player Manuel has dubbed the Big Piece responded, lacing a two-run double to the rightfield corner that tied the game. Werth followed with a single to center for the go-ahead run. “It was all on my shoulders right there,” Madson said, “and they took it all off.” For the second straight night Lidge was forced into action after another Phillies rally in Game 3, Troy Tulowitzki represented the final out. For the second straight night, Lidge came through, this time striking him out and jumpstarting yet another clinching celebration. “Obviously, winning the World Series is the ultimate goal here and nothing is going to top that, and hopefully we can do it again,” Lidge said. “But this was a lot of fun for me here.” And it was a lot of fun for Manuel, who, it turns out, pulled all the right strings, right down to the final out of the series. Afterward, Rockies general manager Dan O’Dowd interrupted Manuel’s moment of Zen to offer a congratulatory handshake. A lot has changed in a little more than two years. Outside, the fraternity party raged. But Manuel stayed put. He likes that office just fine.
team leader. “For what coach is looking for, what he’s trying to build, as a player, being a veteran guy, I should’ve been smarter,” he said. “It was a bad choice of mine and I’m sorry.” The 49ers released veteran kick returner Allen Rossum, whose 14,987 career return yards rank second to Brian Mitchell (19,013). His departure opens a roster spot for recently signed draft pick Michael Crabtree. Rossum, 33, was a healthy scratch for the past two games. “These last two weeks before every game they’ve been shocked that I’m not up,” Rossum said. “I know I’m doing something good when those teams approach me and say, ‘Hey, man, we’ve been preparing for you all week.’ I’m not worried about it.” Rossum ranked first among active players in punt return yards (3,056) and kick return yards (11,931). This season, he averaged 21.7 yards on his seven kick returns. He said he would consult his family before deciding whether to continue his career. “If my time has come, my time has come,” Rossum said. Delanie Walker will return kickoffs and Arnaz Battle will return punts. Strong safety Michael Lewis and linebacker Jeff Ulbrich face uncertain futures because of recent concussions. Lewis came out of Sunday’s game after suffering his third concussion since Aug. 18. Singletary
sports
said, “Now it’s one of those things we really have to look at and watch day to day and see where it goes.” Lewis was unavailable for comment, but Nate Clements said of the three concussions in a short span: “That is definitely a concern. His health is No. 1 in terms of importance.” Ulbrich, a 10th-year veteran, is scheduled to see a neurologist at Stanford Hospital on Wednesday. He said he is trying to take it day by day, although there were indications he would consider retirement. Asked about his family and his long-term health, Ulbrich said: “I have to take all those things into consideration.” Singletary said the 49ers would use the bye week to evaluate changes to the roster and starting lineup. When pressed, he acknowledged that it’s “quite possible” right guard Chilo Rachal would lose his starting spot. Rachal had his second consecutive poor game Sunday. Speaking more generally, Singletary said the biggest goal during the week off is “to make sure we have the 53 guys that are going to be with us these next 11-plus games going forward.” The 49ers will practice today and Wednesday before getting some time off. Crabtree, however, will stick around for extra work. “He’s already had his bye week — a long bye week,” Singletary said. The 49ers rank 29th in total offense. They are ahead of (in order) Kansas City, Cleveland and the Raiders. The 49ers released guard Drew Radovich from their practice squad.
Cal continued from page 12
motivated, to keep their confidence up and keep them together is a big thing.” Following the 42-3 loss at Oregon late last month, Tedford was asked about his team’s state of mind, whether the psychological fortifications were in place to prevent another collapse. “We’ll spend a lot more time talking about things we need to do instead of just X’s and O’s,” he said. “There are a lot of guys on this team that went through that, that understand that, and so I don’t know that that’s going to be an issue.” Then USC brought the hammer, to the tune of 30-3, and dark clouds gathered over Memorial Stadium. Tedford can spin the situation however he wants. But the only way the Bears can prove this isn’t ‘07 all over again, to their fans and themselves, is to do what they couldn’t do back then: Beat somebody other than Washington State. They don’t need to dominate UCLA. They don’t even need to look good. But they must win— doesn’t matter if it’s 49-48 or 4-3. Given the tepid schedule ahead, a victory would have the added benefit of putting Cal (3-2, 0-2) back on track for an upper-lever finish in the Pacific-10 Conference. You could make a pretty good case for the Bears reeling off three or four victories in a row if they win Saturday. But just as victory could propel Cal to a first-rate season, defeat, especially a resounding, lifeless defeat,
would surely accelerate its demise and raise legitimate questions about Tedford’s future: Has he taken the program as far as he can? If he was the perfect coach to raise Cal from the ashes, is he the wrong coach to lead it to the conference title? In that sense, Saturday’s game could close the Tedford circle. It comes five years and one week after the performance that made his career, a 23-17 loss in the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum to a USC team that stands as one of the greatest in Pac-10 history. Coming within a few yards of toppling the Matt Leinart- and Reggie Bush-led Trojans cemented the Bears’ ascendancy under Tedford. Now they’re headed back to Los Angeles, trajectory unknown. Can they continue the climb? Have they, as many believe, stagnated? Or are they headed for another free-fall? The next seven games will tell us everything about Tedford’s future. Saturday sets it all in motion, for better or worse.
mustangdaily.net
Wednesday, October 14, 2009
SPORTS
sports editor: Brian De Los Santos
mustangdailysports@gmail.com
MUSTANG DAILY
Deja vu all over again: Phillies, Dodgers in NLCS
mcclatchy-tribune
With a three-run home run in the 9th inning, the Phillies push past the Rockies and advance to NLCS. David Murphy philadelphia daily news
DENVER — It is a habit now. As a veritable fraternity party rages in some major league clubhouse, with champagne spraying and beer dumping and grown men in goggles laughing and rolling and wrestling on the floor, the battletested skipper retreats to his office and sits in his chair and exhales the stress that tends to accumulate in a do-or-die series. Charlie Manuel doesn’t feel the need to hoot and
holler and douse himself in alcoholic beverages. Frankly, he’d rather just sit and think. Monday night, after the Phillies manager completed what might just be his most impressive feat to date, piecing together an injurydepleted bullpen just long enough to send his formerly embattled closer to the mound for a one-out, NLDS-clinching save, there was no doubt how he would celebrate. This time, though, the office in question, the chair in question, held a different meaning.
It was an old nemesis. And, at the same time, an old friend. “We’ve come a long way,” Manuel said as he walked through a tunnel beneath Coors Field following a three-run, ninth-inning rally that lifted the Phillies to a 5-4 victory over the Rockies and a second straight National League Championship Series berth against the Dodgers. “We’ve come a long way as far as learning how to play in the moment and how to handle the game.” Two years, six days ago, Oct. 6,
2007, the Phillies played a drastically different elimination game on this same field. Afterward, Manuel retreated to the sanctity of the visiting manager’s office. He shut the door, and he sat down, and he let 165 games worth of thoughts and emotions run through his head. A moment he had worked his whole professional life to experience had ended after only four days. His team had not just been defeated, it had been embarrassed, swept out of the National League Division Series by a red-hot Rockies team. Trailing, 2-1, in Game 3, a young slugger named Ryan Howard had struck out looking at a 1-2 pitch, setting the stage for a quick 1-2-3 inning that ended both the season and the dream. Monday, that same slugger stood in the center of the visitor’s clubhouse and rejoiced as a teammate poured two cans of beer over his head. Ryan Howard was one of several heroes Monday night, his tworun, two-out double off Rockies closer Huston Street in the ninth scoring Shane Victorino and Chase Utley and tying a game that just an inning before the Phillies appeared to have blown. Later, Howard scored the game-winning run on an RBI single by Jayson Werth, setting the stage for injured veteran Scott Eyre and Brad Lidge to shut down the ninth for an improbable, 5-4 win. Two years after one of the most bitter defeats of Manuel’s career, his team is headed back to a second straight National League Championship Series, the dream of repeating as World Champions still very much alive.
“I think the fact that they did beat us three years ago, three straight, I think that kind of told us that we weren’t quite ready,” Manuel said, “and that we had to improve mentally and physically. We used to talk about this. My first meeting in spring training, we used to talk about it, and it used to get a little hot. I’d call guys out and tell them that they couldn’t be scared.” Monday, when they had every reason to give in to the fear, the Phillies fought it. A fielding error on Jimmy Rollins on what should have been a force play at second base set the stage for the Rockies’ three-run rally off righthander Ryan Madson in the eighth. When the frame ended, a 2-1 lead had turned into a 4-2 deficit, and the Phillies were down to their final three outs. A second straight brilliant outing from ace lefthander Cliff Lee, who allowed one run in his 7+ innings but left with two more eventual runs on base, seemed to have been squandered. A decisive Game 5 in Philadelphia Tuesday night seemed imminent. But then the fear vanished. “I came running off the field with the thought that we were going to win the game, and when I got in the dugout, everybody was on the same page,” Werth said. “Everybody was cool, calm and collected, I guess you could say. Everybody knew what we had to do, and we did it.” Rollins, who jump-started the game-winning rally the night before, singled up the middle with see Phillies, page 11
Dre’ Bly: “I should Cal on the brink of another collapse have been smarter” Jon Wilner san jose mercury news
SANTA CLARA, Calif. — A day after insisting that “Dre’ is going to be Dre’,” cornerback Dre’ Bly was contrite. He took the podium during coach Mike Singletary’s weekly news conference Monday to apologize for his antics during a 45-10 loss to the Atlanta Falcons. “I just got caught up in the moment, but it was totally inappropriate,” Bly said. “Being a veteran guy, I should have been smarter, and it was a bad choice of mine. I’m sorry.” On Sunday, Bly intercepted a pass
and began showboating during the return. He preened Deion Sanders style, cocking his right arm behind his helmet as he strutted toward the end zone. He gave the ball right back, though, as Falcons receiver Roddy White hustled from behind to knock the ball loose from Bly’s careless left hand. The 49ers trailed 35-10 at the time. Bly was ridiculed on the highlight shows, especially because he was unrepentant in the postgame locker room. But he said his cell phone “blew up. But I didn’t need to talk to anybody. I’ve played this game for a long time. I know what’s right. I was raised right.” Bly approached his coach Monday morning to apologize. Singletary responded by telling Bly to reiterate that message in front of the microphones and cameras later that afternoon. It didn’t end there. “Dre’ is going to apologize to probably everybody in the building,” Singletary said. During the news conference, Bly seemed particularly embarrassed that he betrayed his role as a see Bly, page 11
mcclatchy-tribune
Coming off consecutive losses, the Bears look to rebound this weekend against conference foe UCLA. Jon Wilner san jose mercury news
The Rose Bowl isn’t on the line. First place isn’t at stake. The game won’t make or break Cal’s chances for a bowl bid. But the outcome of Saturday’s game at UCLA will shape the rest of coach Jeff Tedford’s tenure in Berkeley, whether it lasts two years or 10. Following blowout losses to Oregon and USC, the oncesoaring Bears are on the brink of a
midseason collapse. Another midseason collapse. Two years ago, they zoomed to a 5-0 start and were on the brink of a No. 1 ranking before splitting apart at the seams. They lost six of their final seven regular-season games and spent the winter searching for answers. Tedford determined that poor communication was to blame for the frayed locker room and took steps to correct the problem, going so far as to remove himself as offensive coor-
dinator and take on more leadership responsibilities. “Back then, I just focused on X’s and O’s,” he said. “They were tough losses, and instead of spending time, looking for things in the locker room that were maybe getting us down, I spent all my time trying to come up with plays. “So I learned a lot as a coach that year that there’s a lot more to it than just X’s and O’s. To keep your team see Cal, page 11