MUsTANG DAILY TOMORROW: Mostly sunny High 68˚/Low 39˚
CA L I F O R N I A P O LY T E C H N I C S TAT E U N I V E R S I T Y Glass artist speaks to packed house at Spanos Theatre on Monday.
District of Columbia council votes to legalize same sex marriage.
IN ARTs, 8 Volume LXXIV, Number 51
IN NEWS, 4
Leticia Rodriguez Summer students will have to pay for themselves 100 percent in order to be registered this year, a change from previous summers. To support this, Cal Poly and 21 of the 23 California State University (CSU) campuses will shift to a self support tuition plan. The change to self support is aimed at helping seniors graduate in a timely fashion and decreasing the number of in-state fulltime equivalent students (FTE). This summer will be the first time Cal Poly will use a self-support plan for summer quarter. Up until 2003, self-support was used by most universities for their summer term until the decision was made by the Chancellor’s office to convert summer term to state-support. Continuing education will be marketing the summer quarter because the program is always on a self-support tuition plan and has the financial procedures to make selfsupport possible. No summer school students will pay college based fees, or state university fees based on the amount of units taken. In summer 2009, a College of Liberal Arts undergraduate student at Cal Poly taking eight units or less paid a flat rate of $1,084. That same student taking eight units in summer 2010 would pay approximately $2,427.11, a $1,343.11 increase from the previous year. The change to a self-support mod-
Cost for Summer classes
$389 per graduate unit $359 per undergraduate unit plus $355.11 in fees Summer 2009, 8 units in The College of Liberal Arts cost:
$1,084
Summer 2010, 8 units in The College of Liberal Arts cost:
$2,427
el means the flat rate of $259 per unit for undergraduate students and $289 per unit for graduate students will extend to in-state, out-of-state and international students. As a result, outof-state and international students will see a significant decrease in their tuition while in-state students will ultimately pay more depending on the number of units taken. The ultimate goal is to reduce as many in-state FTE students as possible so that Cal Poly can meet its statemandated target of approximately 15,702 full-time in-state students (from more than 17,350). The main reason for the universities to shift to self-support is because the state won’t fund universities that go over the tar-
get number. Since each in-state FTE student’s tuition is matched by the state and the state doesn’t pay anything for out-of-state or international students, CSUs are emphasizing graduating on time. The self-supported tuition plan aims to accomplish just that. Although there will be a funding change, what courses will be offered is still being strongly considered. Dennis Parks, dean for continuing education and university outreach said the classes offered this summer will be the ones in high demand during the regular school year, classes with a highfailure rate, and courses needed for students to graduate. Cornel Morton, vice president of student affairs, said at see Summer, page 2
Concentrations lacking Jeremy Jauregiu and Alexandria Scott special to the mustang daily
Four of the 155 students graduating from the Orfalea College of Business (COB) will do so with a double concentration this fall. But starting winter quarter, the college will only note one concentration on a student’s transcript. In the COB, when students enter their junior year, they have to choose one of 10 different concentrations. A concentration is one particular area inside the major that students specialize in. COB staff and faculty decided to implement a single concentration. A main reason for the change is budget considerations said, Kris-
IN SPORTS, 16
Thursday, December 3, 2009
Summer fees increase, classes offered uncertain mustang daily
Joe Callero faces a familiar foe Thursday night.
tina McKinlay director of advising services. “It helps us to appropriately plan and fill seats so all students can get the classes they need,” she said. To help students understand the decision, Associate Dean Brian Tietje came up with an analogy. “Eight people are in a room with a pizza with 10 slices, everyone gets one slice and if there is enough left over then you can go back for seconds,” he said. The COB can guarantee every student the classes for one concentration; the budget cuts mean the college can’t provide enough classes for a second concentration. Michael Grimaud, business adsee Business, page 3
TOP
10
Business Concentrations
Accounting Entrepreneurship Financial Management Information Systems International Business Management Marketing Management Packaging & Logistics Quantitative Economics Real Estates Economics
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Cal Poly increases out-of-state recruitment effort Will Taylor mustang daily
Cal Poly has increased its efforts to recruit out-of-state students after approximately 1,500 California resident student slots were cut in a decision by the California State University (CSU) system. The move is an effort to recoup some of the lost money and fill the empty space where those in-state students would be. The CSU system as a whole is applying a 9.5 percent reductions to all of its 23 schools. Cal Poly will be reducing its resident enrollment slots from 17,350 Californian students to 15,702 because of the budget shortages, following the systemwide percentage. The empty places open the door for more out-of-state students to get into Cal Poly and the CSU system as a whole (eight to nine percent of Cal Poly’s students are out-of-state now, according to Cal Poly Admissions). Out-of-state students pay approximately $3,000 per quarter more than resident students, making their yearly (three quarters) tuition and fee total approximately $15,000. An in-state student pays about $6,000. Resident Californian student tuition is, in effect, subsidized by the state government meaning that the state absorbs the $9,000 per year for each in-state student. By cutting the state resident enrollment slots, the university prevents itself from losing more funds. However, a problem occurs because Cal Poly is currently already maintaining (in facilities, faculty and staff) the 17,350 resident students, plus out-of-state
students. The results if those slots are left unfilled are empty classrooms, unused equipment and extra faculty. “Cal Poly is equipped to support the amount of students they have now,” ASI President Kelly Griggs said. “We will now have an excess of stuff they have around campus to support the current 19,000 plus.” To cover this excess Cal Poly is “putting additional interest in students who show interest in Cal Poly from out-of-state,” Provost Robert Koob said. Because there are more open slots there are more opportunities for out-of-state students to come to Cal Poly, Koob said. Cal Poly Admissions has recently added to their efforts to bring out-of-state students to the school. Admissions accomplishes this goal by what they call the Outreach Recruitment Effort. James Maraviglia, the assistant vice president of admissions, recruitment and financial aid said that although Cal Poly hasn’t hired more staff to assist in the search for out-of-state students that they have increased efforts to bring them here. “It’s a multi-pronged effort to drive diversity and thought as well as maintain an overall size,” Maraviglia said. “We’d like to become more of a national draw.” Admissions purchases information about students who have taken the PSAT to target those best suited for the university. This gives them an idea of whether the student has the achievement level and interest level to succeed at Cal Poly. This effort was traditionally limited to the West Coast, but because of the budget shortages, they are now making a national push. Not only is admissions looking see Out-of-state, page 3
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Wednesdays Associated Students Incorporated board of directors meeting that a survey would be put together in the near future that would also help to inform the courses offered. “When you move a course from state-support to self-support, that course does not generate FTEs for the state so we can fairly rapidly take a big chunk out of that number we need to reduce by moving our summer term from state-support to self-support,” Parks said.“The idea is if we do this in the summer it will get us a lot closer to the number that we need for the upcoming academic year.” Kinesiology said she is looking to enroll summer school this year even though she will likely have to pay more. “They’re making sure people have to give them more money but all they’re doing is lengthening the time we have to be here if we can’t afford it,” Streder said. “$259 a unit sounds reasonable but that doesn’t really help you if you’re trying to knock out three classes. In self-support, the student is paying for themselves so out-of-state and international students will benefit because they will not have to pay out-of-state fees like normal. Business senior Ali Zikratch transferred to Cal Poly from Idaho two years ago and is still paying out-of-state fees, resulting in a fee of almost $3,000 a quarter. In summer 2009, tuition for a single four-unit class for Zikratch and international students would have been $2,036.This summer, out-of-state and international students will pay the same as in-state students, making the tuition cost for the same number of units for $644.89 less.While the change in fees
News editor: Tim Miller mustangdailynews@gmail.com
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will be a big decrease from what she is currently paying, Zikratch still doesn’t think the change is affordable for the majority of students and is angry that the university is using the change to push seniors out. “At this point what are we paying more for? Nothing. We’re paying more for less,” Zikratch said. “It’s exactly the opposite of what should be happening. We’re being punished because the school is suffering. If they want us to get out, they need to give us the resources to get done. I would be willing to pay more if I was guaranteed the classes.” No student is guaranteed classes, but Parks said that by offering more upper division major classes during summer, students will have a better chance of getting the classes they need to graduate. Parks said that registration will be the same and will be done through Cal Poly’s normal registering portal. The only difference is in where the money from tuition will go. In order for FTEs to not count against the university, tuition money will be classified in what CSU calls “self-support” as opposed to “state-support.” “Because we don’t have a historic track record here of running summer in self support we had to basically go back to square one and say ‘okay, how are we gong to make this happen? How are we going to do it so it has as little impact as possible on students?’” Parks said. “So that we can help the university meet its target, so that we can help students graduate faster, because that’s one of the big goals of summer and state fees continue to go up and there’s not really any indication that they’re not going to go up again for next year. I think as the campuses were looking at a way to be able to reduce their numbers, this was about the only option.”
News
Thursday, December 3, 2009
U.S. acknowledges holding, extraditing Iranian arms dealer John Shiffman the philadelphia inquirer
WASHINGTON — Federal authorities on Wednesday revealed a major international undercover sting in which Philadelphia-based federal agents arrested an Iranian arms dealer in Eastern Europe and secretly extradited him to the United States. The Iranian, who has been quietly jailed in a Philadelphia-area prison for nearly two years, pleaded guilty to charges in 2008, officials disclosed Wednesday. The case had been sealed from public view while U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents scoured the dealer’s laptop to pursue hundreds of leads about Iran’s covert effort to acquire American military gear, law-enforcement sources said. “This guy was very prolific — there were five or six years’ worth of records related to Iranian procurement on the seized laptop,” a law enforcement official said. “His only customer was and always has been the Iranian government.” The 2007 charges against Amir Hossein Ardebili of Shiraz, Iran, were made public in Wilmington, Del., Wednesday morning by the U.S. attorney for Delaware, David C. Weiss, and the assistant secretary of U.S. homeland security for ICE, John Morton. “America’s most sensitive technology should never be allowed to
pass into unintended hands,” said Morton. Ardebili, a former Iranian government procurement official, pleaded guilty May 19, 2008 to violating the International Emergency
America’s most sensitive technology should never be allowed to pass into unintended hands. —John Morton assistant secretary of homeland security
Economic Powers Act, which essentially prohibits arms and other sales to Iran. He was also charged with money-laundering and conspiracy. Ardebili, whose nickname online was Alex Dave, negotiated the purchases of 1,000 state-of-the-art radar shifters, 10 gyro chip sensors used in advanced aircraft applications, and a digital air computer for an F-4 aircraft, prosecutors said. “Ardebili’s job was to illegally”
acquire military gear “in preparation for war with the United States,” said Ed Bradley, the Philadelphia agent in charge of the Defense Criminal Investigative Service. According to a document filed by Assistant U.S. Attorney David Hall, Ardebili was asked by undercover agents why he wanted the military parts, the Iranian replied: “If the United States come to war ... the government of Iran could defend ... Because they think the war is coming.” Ardebili’s lawyer, Edmund D. Lyons, declined to comment. U.S. officials said the Ardebili case was unusual because it involved the arrest of an arms dealer living in Iran and working almost exclusively for the Iranian government. The case is rarer still, the officials said, because it involves the successful extradition of an Iranian citizen from a third country to the United States. Law-enforcement sources said the undercover ICE agents in Philadelphia made first contact with Ardebili in 2004 over the Internet, and that he began to request a wide variety of military gear, including night-vision equipment and missile parts. In October 2007, the ICE agents lured Ardebili to an Eastern European country with the promise of buying gyroscopes and radar components. The law-enforcement see Iran, page 3
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Iran continued from page 2
sources declined to name the European nation involved, but another source confirmed that it was Georgia and that the sting operation took place in the capital of Tbilisi. The ICE agents, posing as shady U.S. arms salesmen, captured their negotiations with Ardebili on videotape, officials said, and he was arrested by Georgian police on Oct. 2, 2007. Prosecutors in Wilmington won his extradition to the United States from Georgia in January 2008. To pursue the leads from Ardebili’s laptop, U.S. authorities kept the case under wraps in Wilmington for nearly two years. But in recent months the Iranian government and associated groups had begun to make public but cryptic statements about Ardebili. In October, Iran’s foreign minister, Manouchehr Mottaki, complained to the United Nations that the United States had kidnapped or tried to seize four Iranians, including a man identified only by the last name Ardebili. Those reports focused on reports that some of the men were nuclear scientists. Ardebili is believed to be an engineer and arms dealer; there is no indication that he bought or tried to buy any nuclear-related items, a U.S. official said. According to an Iranian newspaper account translated by the BBC, the foreign minister alleged that Ardebili was a merchant who was improperly extradited from Georgia to the United States. According to news accounts at the time, the foreign
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mustang daily
Thursday, December 3, 2009 minister raised the issue of the four Iranians during a face-to-face meeting with U.N. Secretary General Ban Ki-moon. The ICE investigation is part of a larger effort to prevent sensitive and restricted technology from making its way to Iran and China. According to U.S. government reports, the majority of prosecutions in such cases — including the illegal export of stealth technology, military aircraft components, warship data, and nightvision equipment — have involved Iran or China. ICE, the FBI, and other lawenforcement agencies have arrested hundreds of people who have violated export laws that ban unlicensed sales of sensitive military equipment and any military sales to Iran and other hostile nations. In fiscal 2007 and 2008, ICE made 333 such arrests, the agency says on its Web site. Nearly all of those cases were made against buyers or sellers inside the United States. Last week, for example, a Belgian national pleaded guilty, following his arrest in New York, to conspiracy to export F-5 fighter-jet engines and parts to Iran. Later this month, a Chester County, Pa., business owner named Ali Amirnazmi is scheduled to be sentenced in Philadelphia for illegally selling chemical-related software to Iran. The Ardebili investigation is not related to a pair of terrorism cases unveiled last week in Philadelphia. In those cases, FBI and ICE undercover agents allegedly sold shoes, video games, and ultimately machine guns and military gear to people in Michigan, Slovakia, and Lebanon with links to the group Hezbollah.
News Business continued from page 1
ministration sophomore, said he didn’t expect the program to change to a single concentration. “I didn’t like the fact that the program didn’t discuss the issue with the students publicly,” he said. “The decision came out of nowhere.” Other students were upset but say they understand the situation. “It’s a nice privilege to be able to double concentrate in your own major,” business administration sophomore Jeff Bischoff said. “I think we should have that privilege but it’s unfortunate because of the budget cuts it’s not an option anymore.” Students can still take courses
to have a double concentration, McKinlay said. They just aren’t guaranteed the classes to fulfill the second concentration. “Overall it helps students graduate in four years,” she said. Concentrations aren’t acknowledged on diplomas, she said. They are only recognized on transcripts, and after fall graduation, the COB won’t note the second concentration. “Most employers don’t understand concentrations,” she said. “They want to know what a student’s major is and if they have graduated.” Students shouldn’t expect the double concentration to come back anytime soon, if at all, Tietje said. “If ever there was to be a financially good time again, there would be other priorities higher than this,” he said.
Out-of-state continued from page 1
to fill budget and student gaps but is trying to attract new and diverse types of students to Cal Poly, Maraviglia said. “This helps us diversify in areas that may be lacking of instate demand,” he said. “It attracts a different breath of student. How many kids from California come from a logging and fishing town? Not many.” Griggs said that it is unfortunate that the California government is giving an advantage to out-of-state students and not its residents. “The state is basically saying they can’t and won’t fund California students,” Griggs said. “When (the government) cut the money from the state they are reducing places for California students.”
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News
D.C. Council Lawmakers divided over votes to legalize Obama’s Afghanistan plan same-sex marriage David Lightman and William Douglas mcclatchy newspapers
Alexander C. Hart mcclatchy newspapers
WASHINGTON — The District of Columbia Council took a major step toward joining New Hampshire, Connecticut, Iowa, Vermont and Massachusetts in legalizing same-sex marriage Tuesday, approving the change by a vote of 11 to 2. Although the outcome was expected from the heavily Democratic city, the move remains controversial because of opposition from socially conservative churches. “Today’s vote is an important victory not only for the gay and lesbian community but for everyone who supports equal rights,” said openly gay Council member David Catania, in a statement. “Gays and lesbians bear every burden of citizenship and are entitled to every benefit and protection that the law allows.” The most vocal opposition came from the Catholic Archdiocese of Washington. Archbishop Donald Wuerl warned that legalizing same-sex marriage will force the church’s social services arm to scale back its efforts in the city. The law, as passed on Tuesday, would not make churches perform same-sex marriage ceremonies, but it would require employers doing business with the city, including churches, to provide health benefits for married same-sex couples. Providing those benefits would violate their religious beliefs, say church officials. Refusing to provide them, however, would make them ineligible to have socialservices contracts and partnerships with the city.
“We really don’t want to be in a position where we’re being asked to abandon one part of our faith to be able to live out the other part,” said Susan Gibbs, an archdiocese spokeswoman. “Our goal is to be able to provide the same level of services, but we have to be true to our faith.” Gibbs said the archdiocese was trying to work out a compromise allowing them to continue receiving city money to help provide social services but exempting them from recognizing same-sex marriages. She said the archdiocese currently had about $18 million to $20 million in city contracts. The debate over same-sex marriage also revealed a dichotomy in the district’s social politics. While about 75 percent of the majority African-American city’s registered voters are Democrats, who as a party tend to support same-sex marriage, some of the strongest opposition came from socially conservative African-Americans. Same-sex marriage “is unbiblical,” said Pastor George Gilbert Sr., who leads the district’s Holy Trinity United Baptist Church. “People of faith can be Democrats while disagreeing with them on some things.” The pastor, who spoke at several rallies opposing same-sex marriage, also rejected comparisons between the gay rights movement and the civil rights movement. “I am an African-American — I was born black,” he said. “Gays are not born gay. It’s a choice.” The council’s vote Tuesday is not final. The council must vote to see Marriage, page 5
mcclatchy-newspapers
Charts show the trend in the number of U.S. troops in Afghanistan and the war’s funding since 2001 and highlights Obama’s speech on troop buildup.
WASHINGTON — The Obama administration sent what many lawmakers saw as vague and sometimes confusing signals Wednesday about its intentions in Afghanistan, leaving members of Congress unsure how to proceed as they consider a plan to deploy 30,000 more American troops there. President Barack Obama had said Tuesday night that U.S. troops would begin leaving Afghanistan in July 2011, but under grilling Wednesday at the Senate Armed Services Committee, Defense Secretary Robert Gates suggested that date could change. He said that “we will evaluate ... whether we believe we will be able to meet that objective” when the president and his top aides conduct an official review of the war next December. While Obama said his troop buildup would last 18 months, Gates said it might last “18 to 24 months.” Further, while the president specified 30,000 as the number of additional troops to be sent, U.S. Ambassador to Afghanistan, Karl Eikenberry said Wednesday at a news conference, that as many as 35,000 more troops were being deployed. On Capitol Hill, no consensus was emerging on how to pay for the plan, which congressional experts estimate will cost around $40 billion a year — $10 billion more than the White House said — or whether it even should go into effect. Congress could block the effort by denying funding, and no action on funding is expected until spring. The problem, said Rep. Bill Pascrell, D-N.J., was “we were not asked to do anything last night.” After talking to colleagues, Rep. Jim McGovern, D-Mass., a leader
of about 70 liberals in the House of Representatives who are skeptical of the U.S. policy on Afghanistan, said he couldn’t get a fix on how lawmakers would proceed. “Depending on who you talk to, you get different views,” he said. Democrats control 258 of 435 seats in the House. When House Armed Services Committee Chairman Ike Skelton, D-Mo., was asked when he thought consensus on Afghanistan might develop in the party, he said, “Someday, I hope.” House and Senate members said they wanted time to study the proposal. “I was sympathetic to what the president said, but I want to hear more,” said Rep. William Lacy Clay, D-Mo. “We need a full debate,” McGovern said.“I want an exit strategy, and I didn’t hear one.” Liberals reported pressure from constituents to scrutinize the plan. “We go home and we’re getting hammered on domestic issues,” said Rep. Raul Grijalva, D-Ariz. “To justify another $30 billion a year for the war is a hard sell.” Congress could add the money to the fiscal 2010 defense spending bill, which is expected to be considered this month. That’s unlikely though, since Rep. John Murtha, D-Pa., the chairman of the Appropriations Defense Subcommittee, said Wednesday that he didn’t like that approach. Murtha, whose support the White House has tried hard to get, has been skeptical that the U.S. can succeed in Afghanistan. A second alternative, pushed by some House leaders, could be a “war tax,” but because of strong Senate opposition, Democratic leaders are say see Afghanistan, page 6
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State
National
International
SAN LUIS OBISPO (MCT) — Smoking and chewing tobacco will soon be banned at San Luis Obispo parks after a City Council decision Tuesday night. The ban could be expanded later to include other outdoor areas of the city. The council took that unanimous action after audience members overwhelmingly asked them to adopt the park ban, as well as ban smoking on public sidewalks, at the Thursday night Downtown Farmers’ Market and at other outdoor venues. The item on Tuesday night’s agenda was the ban in parks, but it also applies to Mission Plaza, the nearby downtown creek area and the city’s open space reserves at its edges.
Raleigh, N.C. (MCT) — People should disregard e-mails urging them to register personal information on an H1N1 flu vaccine registry with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, health officials warned Wednesday. The registry is bogus, and people who try to send the information to the CDC may instead get a virus installed on their computers. CDC officials have posted a warning about the e-mail scam on their Web page, and officials urged people to beware of e-mail solicitations that ask for personal or medical information.
TOKYO (MCT) — U.S. pharmaceutical giant Pfizer Inc., the world largest drug company, plans to enter the Japanese market for generic drugs in 2011, the firm’s Japanese arm said Tuesday. Israel’s Teva Pharmaceutical Industries Ltd., the world’s largest generic drug company, also is expected to commence business operations in Japan in January. The influx of major foreign firms is thought likely to increase the range and availability of cheap generic drugs in the country. Pfizer made a large-scale entry into the generic drugs business in the United States in spring, and entered the European generics market in September.
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SACRAMENTO (MCT) — The state put its residents on notice Tuesday: Prepare for the possibility of a fourth year of drought. Water deliveries from the Delta to two-thirds of Californians could be as low as 5 percent of the contracted totals, the state Department of Water Resources said. That’s the lowest initial allocation in history. Granted, it’s early December. Odds are high that the amount of water available will grow, particularly if the promise of a wet El Nino holds true.
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WASHINGTON (MCT) — Florida homeowners argued Wednesday before the U.S. Supreme Court that they should be compensated for a beach restoration project that leaves their private beachfront property open to the public. Though the case involves just six homeowners in Florida’s Panhandle, beach restoration advocates warn that a loss in court could slow efforts to shore up eroding beaches across the country. At issue is whether the Florida Supreme Court — by siding with state efforts to restore miles of beach in the Panhandle — took away homeowners’ property rights without offering them compensation.
•••
PAKISTAN (MCT) — As Pakistan’s military fights escalating battles with Islamic extremists and with the country’s civilian government, the country’s journalists, especially those who are critical of the military, are increasingly caught in the crossfire. An attack last weekend on the home of a prominent Pakistani columnist underscored the growing danger that Pakistani and foreign reporters are facing in Pakistan. At least five journalists have been killed this year in Pakistan, according to Reporters Without Borders, an advocacy group.
Bank of America to repay government $45 billion Rick Rothacker mcclatchy newspapers
CHARLOTTE, N.C. — Bank of America on Wednesday evening said it will repay all of its $45 billion in government loans, a move that helps remove the stigma of being a bailout recipient and potentially dials back government scrutiny of its operations. The repayment to U.S. taxpayers will be made after the completion of a securities offering, the bank said. Shareholders will be asked at a special meeting to approve an increase in the bank’s authorized shares as part of the offering. No date was set for the meeting. Bank of America had signaled its desire to pay back the loans as soon as possible and has been in talks with the government about the process. But payback had not been expected so quickly, especially with the bank searching for a replacement for departing CEO Ken Lewis. The U.S. Treasury said the repayment means Bank of America is freed from executive compensation restrictions imposed by pay czar Ken Feinberg, which have hampered its search for a new top boss. The bank also will not have to clear other executives’ compensation with Feinberg. And he will have no say on the final total compensation and pension for Lewis. The bank indicated that it has approval of the Treasury and regulators. A Treasury official said the agency is pleased the bank is mov-
Wire Editor: Jennifer Titcomb
mustang daily
Thursday, December 3, 2009
ing ahead with plans to pay back U.S. taxpayers. “As banks replace Treasury investments with private capital, confidence in the financial system increases, taxpayers are made whole, and government’s unprecedented involvement in the private sector lessens,” the official said. “While we
have more work ahead to improve lending and spur job creation, today’s announcement is another step in the right direction.” James Early, senior analyst with, the Motley Fool, said the move makes the bank more attractive to see Repay, page 6
pass the law again, which is expected to occur on Dec. 15, and then once signed by Mayor Adrian M. Fenty as expected, it is sent to Congress for review. If Congress takes no action to block the law within 30 legislative
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days, same-sex marriage will become legal. District politicians are optimistic that Congress will let the legalization of same-sex marriage pass. “All the indications have been that they won’t do anything,” said Doxie McCoy, spokeswoman for D.C. Council Chairman Vincent Gray. “But we thought we’d have voting rights by now, too.”
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ing privately that alternative is virtually dead. That leaves an emergency warfunding bill, an approach the White House had said last April that it wouldn’t use. But Murtha, whose opinion carries considerable weight among House Democrats, said he expected a Pentagon request for such funding, though he said it probably would take until well into next year to get approved. Obama did get support from moderate Democrats who dominate the Senate Armed Services Committee. Even there, though, concerns were voiced, as members heard from Gates, Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and Adm. Michael Mullen, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. Chairman Carl Levin, D-Mich., said he supported an accelerated transition to Afghan forces, but he
investors and CEO candidates. “It’s much less about the money than the government oversight,” he said. “Bank of America just wants to get the monkey off its back.” Nancy Bush, analyst with NAB Research, cautioned that the repayment didn’t signal the end of the government’s intervention in the bank. “It’s good to think that this is the beginning of their getting out from under the government’s thumb ... but the battle over ‘too big to fail’ and whether large banks should be broken up is going to go on for a while,” she said. The TARP repayment does, however, give them some breathing space, Bush said. “I hope — I’m not sure — it gets them out from under congressional committees and the inquisition they’ve been going through,” she said. “Hopefully it will make it easier for them to pay their people. But I still think there’s going to be a lot of scrutiny of executive pay at places like Citi and Bank of America, whether in TARP or out of TARP.” As part of the repayment, Bank of America said it agreed to increase its equity holdings by $4 billion by selling assets, actions that need to be approved by the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve and under contract by June 30. If the asset sales are not completed by the end of 2010, the bank said it has agreed it would raise capital through a common stock offering. Repaying the Troubled Asset Relief Program will save the company $3.6 billion in annual dividend payments, the bank said. To date, it has paid $2.54 billion in TARP dividends. The bank said the repayment is expected to reduce income available to common shareholders by $4.1 billion in the fourth quarter. That’s because the book value of the government’s preferred shares is less than the amount paid. Last month, the federal government asked the largest banks that still hold money from the Troubled Asset Relief Program, including Bank of America, to submit their plans for how and when they expect to repay the money. The banks must show they can raise money from private investors and that even without the TARP money they would still meet stringent capital requirements that the government put in place after stress tests in the spring. In perhaps his last public appearance in Charlotte as Bank of America’s CEO, Lewis received two standing ovations from a Charlotte
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Former Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld, pictured above with troops in 2006, is among those who think President Obama is wrong in requesting additional troops. wondered “whether the rapid deployment of a large number of U.S. combat forces, without an adequate
number of Afghan security forces for our troops to partner with, serves the mission.” While Obama’ strategy drew praise from Republicans, the timeline he proposed to begin a withdrawal disturbed many of them. “We don’t want to sound an uncertain trumpet to our friends in the region,” said Sen. John McCain, RAriz., Obama’s 2008 presidential opponent. Gates explained that the July 2011 date was selected because it will be two years after the Marines went into Afghanistan’s Helmand province in an aggressive push last summer. “I think it’s the judgment of all of us ... that we would be in a position, particularly in uncontested areas, where we would be able to begin that transition,” he said.
Gates also stressed that a timeline is needed to “build a fire” under the Afghan government to step up and take charge of its country’s fate and not be dependent on U.S. forces. He conceded that the other audience for the timeline is “the American people, who are weary after eight years of war.” In a related flap, former Defense Secretary Donald H. Rumsfeld issued a statement lashing Obama for what he called a “bald misstatement” Tuesday night, in which the president said that the Bush administration repeatedly had denied commanders’ requests for more troops in Afghanistan. White House press secretary Robert Gibbs said Obama was referring to requests made last year, when Gates was former President George W. Bush’s defense secretary. “I will let Secretary Rumsfeld explain ... whether he thinks that the effort in Afghanistan was sufficiently resourced during his tenure as secretary of defense,” Gibbs said. Rumsfeld did approve at least one such request, for some 2,000 Marines to help safeguard Afghanistan’s 2004 presidential and parliamentary elections. However, a recent report by Democrats on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee found that he’d rejected a 2001 request for additional troops to block Osama bin Laden’s escape from Afghanistan into Pakistan. A senior U.S. military official said that Rumsfeld also made it clear to commanders in Afghanistan that they shouldn’t ask for more troops, because those service members were needed to invade Iraq, while Afghanistan was an “economy of force mission.” The official spoke only on the condition of anonymity, as he wasn’t authorized to talk to journalists.
see Repay, page 7
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Word on the Street
News Repay continued from page 6
“What are your favorite holiday traditions?” “I like seeing my family, traveling, and relaxing.” -Dane Larkin, mechanical engineering junior
“I like making gingerbread houses and eating them afterward because they are delicious.” -Stephen Scruggs, mechanical engineering sophomore
“Christmas lights; we have this whole process. My dad is an engineer so he’s very meticulous with his lights.” -Brett Snyder, mechanical engineering junior
“Christmas trees, we always go out to a farm and cut one down. I used to always get the biggest ones, but now that I have to carry it I’m more conservative.” -Ryan Hourigan, mechanical engineering junior
“We always go to L.A. with family and watch a lot of football and eat a big ham and turkey dinners. I enjoy getting together with the whole family.” -Gracie Flint, communications studies junior
“Getting together with my family on Christmas Eve and playing the white elephant game.” -Aly Bonomini, materials engineering junior
compiled and photographed by jennifer titcomb
mustangdaily.net
Chamber crowd Wednesday but offered little insight into the hunt to find his replacement. More silver-haired than when he first spoke at the Chamber’s annual economic luncheon eight years ago, Lewis, 62, said he doesn’t plan to be CEO next year but that he’s still involved in normal planning duties as the bank’s leader. “I will be CEO
until I’m not CEO,” said Lewis, who declined to discuss the search before the luncheon. Under fire for his Merrill Lynch acquisition, Lewis announced Sept. 30 that he was stepping down at year’s end, but a search committee composed of six directors has yet to name a successor. The bank has said the board is considering internal and external candidates and that a decision will be made in the “near future.” The bank’s board has a regular meeting
on Tuesday. External candidates who have so far rebuffed the board are Citigroup director Mike O’Neill, BlackRock CEO Larry Fink and Bank of New York Mellon CEO Bob Kelly, sources said. Former Bank of America director Meredith Spangler, who attended the luncheon, said she couldn’t discuss the search. “It’s a big challenge,” said Spangler, who with her husband, C.D. Spangler, is the company’s biggest individual shareholder. “It’s very important for the bank.”
thursday, december 3, 2009
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arts & Entertainment editor: cassandra keyse
World-renown glass artist speaks at Spanos Theatre Kara Dimitriou mustang daily
World-renowned glass artist, Dale Chihuly spoke about his artwork at the Spanos Theatre last week. Chihuly’s glassblowing exhibitions and chandeliers can be found in more than 200 museums around the world, including the Louvre. He is also one of the main contributors of the Studio Glass Movement. “It’s amazing how you’re making something that no one has ever seen before,” Chihuly said. Chihuly was born and raised in Tacoma, Wash. His father was a butcher and his mother worked in the garden. After the death of his brother and father, he went off the College of the Puget Sound and later University of Washington. He traveled to Alaska to be a fisherman for seven months in order to
make some money. He also went to Venice to study glass, which became his favorite city. In 1971, Chihuly founded Pilchuck Glass School in Washington. Now, the school has around 500 students every year, and it has more glass blowing than Venice. During the event, Chihuly showed five 5-minute video segments on different projects he has worked on over the years; each segment was followed by question and answer sessions. The first segment consisted of his project in Nuutajarvi, Finland in 1995. This project was centered
on the river. It displayed the various chandeliers he and his team had created. “I don’t decide until just before we start blowing what I want to make, and even then I might change my mind,” Chihuly said. The second segment was from the 1996 project in Venice. This city was chosen for the water and elegant architecture.The third took place at Icicle Creek, two hours from Seattle. He had glass icicles made in Japan, designed for snow and wind. This project also see Glass Artist, page 11
courtesy photo
Dale Chihuly’s glass work has been displayed in more than 200 museums around the world, including the Louvre in Paris.
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Arts
Arts editor: Cassandra Keyse mustangdailyarts@gmail.com
University Jazz Bands blend classical and modern styles in fall quarter concert Leticia Rodriguez mustang daily
A wide range of jazz styles, student compositions and musical improvisations are just some of the treats the University Jazz Bands hope to entertain students and music lovers with at their quarterly concert tomorrow night. The concert will feature a mix of classical and contemporary jazz chosen by Paul Rinzler, director of jazz studies, and the student musicians. Some of the composition highlights will include “I’ve got you under my skin,” a song made popular by Frank Sinatra and “Peep,” a song composed by jazz saxophonist Michael Brecker. Rinzler said that audiences members should come to the concert expecting to be sur-
prised and to hear great music performed by great musicians. “Improvs play a large role in jazz, and in this concert a lot of students are going to be improvising,” Rinzler said. “Not only do the audiences not know what’s going to happen, but the musicians don’t know what’s going to happen in the concert. Hopefully that’ll keep everybody on their toes.” In addition to performing pieces composed by known jazz musicians, the bands will also be playing some composed by Rinzler, Cal Poly student Steve Carlton, and Gordon Au, the brother of trumpet player Justin Au. Rinzler’s own composition, “Babylonian Holiday” is his favorite piece that he has personally written and he is excited to hear it played by the students. Justin expects the
concert to be a good show and is excited to play his brother’s composition because of its complexity. “It’s actually a very challenging piece,” Justin said. “It’s kind of a fusion between jazz and funk and there’s a lot of time changes that make it very tricky but it’s an exciting tune.” While the complexity of the rhythms in this quarter’s concert are different, the difficulty of the pieces are similar to what band members have experienced in the past. Trombone player Maritza Spieller will play in her first concert as a member of the University Jazz Band. Spieller said that more than anything, she’s excited to play and hear the band play student compositions. “I’m excited, but I haven’t heard them yet,” Spieller said. “I’m more just excited because jazz is just more fun than classical music. I play trombone so in jazz, trombone gets more attention rather than classical see Jazz, page 11
“Branching out”
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consisted of a strip heater to melt snow when it was too cold. That weekend it snowed six feet, but the project survived through the winter. “Not one of the 1,000 pieces broke,” Chihuly said. The forth and fifth segments took place in Jerusalem because it is near the location where glass blowing was first invented. These are two of his most-known exhibitions. Chihuly in the Light of Jerusalem was the first, which consisted of 14 installations with pieces of glass as high as 45 feet tall within the Tower of David Museum. He later returned to Jerusalem to make Wall of Ice. With his team, he created a 6-foot wall with blocks of ice shipped from Alaska and high-
Jazz continued from page 9
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Thursday, December 3, 2009
is just more chords.” Justin said another highlight audiences should anticipate are the three vocalists that will accompany certain pieces. Two vocalists are students and the third is a professional who sang for Frank Sinatra and other notable jazz musicians. For Cal Poly graduate Mary Thomas, seeing the students perform in general is something she’s looking forward to. “Cal Poly always blows me away, especially in the smaller programs,” Thomas said. “Cal Poly students
Arts
lighted with colorful lights. Chihuly makes sure to give everyone credit that has helped him over the year. Everyone had a job and each was needed in order to complete every project. Spanos Theatre was completely full more than ten minutes before the event started. Several people watched him speak from two small televisions while standing in the waiting room of Spanos. “It’s amazing how many people showed up tonight,” agriculture business junior Elysse Reynolds said. “All the projects he did are beautiful and I didn’t realize how much work goes into each piece.” Sophomore Kendal Logins added, “I really enjoyed it, but it was a bummer to wait in the lobby instead of actually seeing him.” To see Chihuly’s work and more information about him, visit his Web site at www.chihuly.com.
are just always driven so when I’m going to see something, I’m always surprised at how professional it looks and how polished. So I’m sure it’ll be like actually going to see the symphony. They’re probably really good.” The concert starts at 8 p.m. and will be held in Spanos Theater. Tickets are on sale now at the Performing Arts Center ticket office. The office is open 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. and can be purchased at the ticket booth or by phone at 805756-2787. Tickets are $10 for the public, $8 for senior citizens and Jazz Federation members and $6 for students.
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Senate isn’t the place for ideological debate In 2005, 19-year-old Jamie Leigh Jones, an employee of a Halliburton subsidiary called KGB, was brutally gang-raped by seven of her fellow employees in Iraq. Jones suffered vaginal lacerations, a torn pectoral muscle, and ruptured breast implants. She will be disfigured for the rest of her life because of this brutal crime. Because of our laws regarding rape crimes, it’s natural to assume that the men were prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law and are in jail today. But this isn’t the case. Because of the fine print in her contract with the Halliburton subsidiary, Jones was limited to pursuing this crime through arbitration. The Department of Justice (DOJ) has never brought any charges against the men who raped her, and the only option Jones has been left with is a civil suit. Jones says that the men who raped her still work at Halliburton, which has contracts with the US government and receives payment by our tax dollars. Terri Poore, policy chair of the National Alliance to End Sexual Violence, said of the case, “No survivor of sexual assault should be denied the ability to seek justice. “Asking a victim to enter into arbitration with someone who raped her or a company that wouldn’t protect her is outrageous and sends a clear message that such violence is simply not taken seriously,” she continued. The fact that the DOJ has yet to bring charges against the men despite the evidence against
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Editor in chief: Emilie Egger Managing Editor: Alex Kacik
them, is definitely an example of the injustice that occurs as a result of inaction by our government, and it should make women all over America and at Cal Poly angry. In October, Senator Al Franken (D-MN), brought forward an amendment that “would withhold defense contracts from compa-
Stephanie England is an English senior and Mustang Daily political columnist.
paul lachine newsart
food takes more resources to make, thus making it more expensive. The yields are also lower, so there is less food. If you care to end starvation you will eat processed food. Processed, factory food is angry food. I prefer to consume happy food, grown by happy farmers.
—Chris In response to “Are the health benefits worth the extra cost of organic food?”
—Anonymous In response to “Are the health benefits worth the extra cost of organic food?”
I’m pretty sure lower yields has nothing to do with starvation, at least in the United States anyway. After all doesn’t our government subsidize farmers to stop growing certain crops. Crop yields have more to do with economics and profits then getting starving people food.
It sure would be great if we could all eat organic. Unfortunately that is impossible. Organic
nies like Halliburton if they restrict their employees from taking workplace sexual assault, battery and discrimination cases to court,” according to the Minnesota Post. It passed the Senate 68-30. What’s interesting is that 30 Republican men voted against the amendment. Why? Well, accord-
ing to the Minnesota Post article, “Sen. Jeff Sessions of Alabama... maintained that Franken’s amendment overreached into the private sector and suggested that it violated the due process clause of the U.S. Constitution. Sessions also pointed out that the Department of Defense opposed the amendment.” Really? You and the thirty other Republican Senators with you are going to use your vote to proffer your ideology of keeping the government and private sector separate, instead of ensuring that women who are raped while they’re doing a job for a company being paid by the government get a chance to face their accusers in the court of law? That’s what needs to change in politics. Our Senators are in Washington, D.C. to work on behalf of us--the people. They’re not there to promote and sustain their ideological principles. Al Franken understands this. And in the end, I don’t think it will be the idiosyncrasies of their Tea Party rallies, or the unethical bias of Fox News, or the propaganda and lies from talking heads Eric Cantor and John Boehner over health care reform that will cripple the Republican Party. It will be their unwavering adherence to an ideology over solid ideas to fix our country’s problems, and this is a prime example for the history books.
—Troy In response to “Are the health benefits worth the exta cost of organic food?” We are technically at war with poverty too, Bush had a great strategy to win that one….give tax cuts to people who don’t need them. Clearly Bush has been completely wrong about how to handle these “wars”, how about we try something new that make logical sense. —Jim In response to “Sept. 11 mastermind should not be unfairly tried on U.S. soil”
Oil is outdated in respect to other new promising sources of energy. People still “hit the road” before asphalt, and many of these roads exist today. —Mr. Lobdell In response to “BLOG: AB 656 more complicated than at first glance” NOTE: The Mustang Daily features select comments that are written in response to articles posted online. Though not all the responses are printed, the Mustang Daily prints comments that are coherent and foster intelligent discussion on a given subject.
Thursday, December 3, 2009
op/ed
Spruce up winter break by volunteering For many of us, winter entails a month of anticipation and exhilaration. We kick off the holiday season stuffing ourselves at a Thanksgiving table, then flock to the stores in the middle of night for Black Friday. And then to top off that weekend, there’s Cyber Monday, where we pick some more gifts sure to thrill the recipient. We expect to hear Christmas music, to be surrounded by holiday paraphernalia in stores and to receive tons of cards in the mail. We’re accustomed to getting our trees, stringing up twin-
kling lights and carefully hanging ornaments on their delicate limbs. Brightly wrapped packages, Advent calendars packed with miniature chocolates and stockings so full they require sturdy holders to keep them on the mantel. We look forward to a Christmas dinner surrounded by family. These traditions are the norm for us. But for millions nationwide, that may not be the case. The U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey reported data that an estimated 13.2 percent of the U.S. population lived below the poverty line in 2008; in California, it was 13 to 15.9 percent, or
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roughly 4,778,118 people — more than any other state. And as a result of the economic downturn, the estimated number of people in poverty increased by 1.1 to 39.1 million in 2008. I realize most of us are pennypinching, struggling college students surviving off dollar store pasta and Costco pizza, so I’m not asking that you donate your entire bank account into the nearest Salvation Army collection tin, though the ringing bell is very gratifying. Instead, I urge you to sign up and volunteer. You may be thinking, “I’m a (fill in the blank) major; I have no time for myself, let alone to volunteer,” but hear me out. We’ve got three weeks of vacation coming up. Even if you’re studying for the GRE, hibernating after spending the last 11 weeks in a lab or spending half of it on a bus to Canada, I’m positive you have a couple of free hours in there somewhere. So this is the perfect time to volunteer, which is just as gratifying as donating some money. Nationally, a volunteer is wo r t h
$20.25 hourly, according to the Corporation for National and Community Service. If you had a couple extra zeros in your monthly paycheck, wouldn’t you think about donating some to your favorite charity come the holiday season? But since many of us are making minimum wage and consider Costco’s samples a dietary staple, volunteering can be our way of contributing to our communities. This isn’t a new idea; I’m sure you’ve heard it before. Many of you probably already volunteer sometime during the year. Nearly one-fourth (24 percent)of all college students in California volunteered in 2008, ranking 37th in comparison with other states’ collegians and just below the national average of 26.3 percent. So if you were already planning on volunteering, kudos. If you haven’t, why not sign up to serve food at a shelter or spend some time at a retirement home? The top four volunteer activities in 2008 were fund-raising, collecting and distributing food, teaching and general labor. Not down for one of those? Call around and see what organizations need help with. Trust me, the time you spend volunteering will be a highlight of your vacation.
barry maguire newsart
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RANT YOU WRITE IN
. WE INVESTIGATE. mustangdailywire@gmail.com
Kate M c I n tyre is a journalism senior and Mustang Daily reporter.
Obama gave flexible plan in Tuesday’s speech kansas city star
Saying that fighting extremism in Afghanistan is vital to American national security, President Barack Obama on Tuesday announced the rapid deployment of 30,000 additional U.S. troops. But what mattered most in the president's nationally televised speech from West Point was that he clearly defined the mission and the exit strategy for a conflict that he rightly described as having drifted for the past several years. Obama's goals: "We must deny al-Qaeda a safe haven. We must reverse the Taliban's momentum and deny it the ability to overthrow the government. And we must strengthen the capacity of Afghanistan's security forces and government, so that they can take lead responsibility for Afghanistan's future." His plan follows the wishes of his military advisers, though he will rely on the 40 other nations involved there to kick in some of the requested troops. It will create a combined force of about 150,000. While Obama's strategy is sound, his timeline will require an amazing amount of work and more than a little good luck. His plan states that the troop surge will arrive in Afghanistan within six months, and will set to work on shutting down the Taliban and al-Qaeda in contentious areas, and training Afghan forces. But the plan doesn't leave much time. Obama said U.S. forces will start to leave in 18 months, handing security over to those newly trained Afghan forces. Aides have said he wants almost all U.S. troops out of Afghanistan before his term ends, in January 2013. At that time, he expects the Afghan military to
boast 240,000 soldiers, and the police to have another 160,000 security officers. Today, after eight years of U.S. involvement, Afghanistan has about 95,000 soldiers, and 92,000 police. Obama's expectation will require a less corrupt and better functioning Afghan government, if it is to double its military strength so quickly. It's an ambitious goal. Obama's policy has wiggle room. Decisions will be guided by facts on the ground. And he wisely calmed nerves in Pakistan by promising that America would remain a strong ally, a relationship based on "mutual interests, mutual respect and mutual trust." The president's speech bore a message for the world. He explained that the United States did not want this war, and does not want to occupy Afghanistan, or any nation. The United States does not seek world domination, but bears the cost for world peace. "What we have fought for, and what we will continue to fight for is a better future for our children and grandchildren, and we believe that their lives will be better if other peoples' children and grandchildren can live in freedom and access opportunity." But Obama's policy is clearly aimed at getting the United States out of Afghanistan. He correctly rejected an open-ended mission "because it sets goals that are beyond what we can achieve at a reasonable cost, and what we need to secure our interests." Instead, he focused on American interests, as he should have.This nation is just completing its deadliest year yet in Afghanistan — a country that defies easy answers. Obama's pragmatic approach seeks the best and quickest conclusion.
games Help Wanted
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Help Wanted
NEED Graduation Tickets for Dec12, 1p.m. ceremony. Please call (805)886-8884 or email at sierra.e.davis@gmail.com to discuss
For Sale
To book flights, cruises, hotel and car rentals at competitive prices, please visit: www.theticketpavilion.com. 1996 BMCW M3 113kmi mods: coilovers, brake kit, exhaust, $8,999 (805)704-3311
For Sale
Free List of Houses and Condos For Sale in SLO. Call for info on Federal Credits & Buying at Bottom of Market. Nelson Real Estate (805) 546-1990
FOR RENT Room w/students ranch near poly. $435/mo call (805)543-5157 5-9pm or leave message and number
Events
SLO night writers holiday party, Dec. 8th, 7p.m., 4100 Vachell Lane with refreshments and entertainment among fellow writers contact: slonightwriters@gmail.com
Announcements “WHO IS THE WILD CAT?” We DESERVE answers! Email: whoisthewildcat@yahoo.com. Serious Inquires ONLY.
Lost and Found
IPOD found in Business Building Room 112! Email rwasilco@calpoly.edu to describe and claim your ipod. (530)368-1951
Perfect for 1 person morro bay studio apt, 2nd floor ocean view, small kitchen, large closet, 3/4 bath, off street parking, pets? $525/ mo 772-7400 or 772-7479
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Recruits
Seattle
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ognition last year. “She is a true point guard, someone who all the Pac-10 teams wanted,” Mimnaugh said. Two years ago, Elegado averaged 8.8 points, 2.4 steals and a teambest 3.9 assists per game for the Torreys, who finished 26-6, captured the Coastal League title with a 8-0 mark and finished as CIF Division IV state runners-up. As a freshman during the 2006-07 campaign, Elegado assisted La Jolla Country Day School to a 24-8 record, a 7-1 Coastal League title mark and a place in the CIF Division IV Southern California championship contest. “Ariana has incredible skills and a desire to win. Her rare ability to see the play before it happens is what separates her from the ordinary point guard,” Mimnaugh added. “Any team Ariana leads will be a championship contender because of her unselfish play. She has the strength to finish plays, even with defenders hanging all over her, and the guts to take the big shot.” Cal Poly (3-2) completes a season-long five-game homestand with a 2 p.m. matchup against San Diego on Saturday, Dec. 5.
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players coming into that program.” That tradition of winning has attracted attention from other schools as well as three new players to a squad returning eight starters. One of those is transfer forward Charles Garcia. The junior is a huge key to Seattle’s team, Callero said. Garcia is posting monstrous numbers this season including 26.6 points and 9.4 rebounds per game. He is considered a high to major NBA prospect, Callero
Davis continued from page 16
Jones, who have sniffed around in the past, still might consider lending their names to a group. More intriguingly, one multimillionaire sports figure who does not wish to be identified has several times over the past 18 months expressed an unwavering curiosity. A longtime fan of the team, he is displeased about its decline and, moreover, says he is in contact with one or more billionaires with a definite interest. So the desire to buy is there. The money is there. A deal probably could be assembled and presented in a matter of weeks. The biggest hang-ups, the only hang-ups, are stipulations regarding percentage and control. The last time Davis sold a portion of the team was in 2007, when he added three minority partners. They are considerably younger than the other partners; they did not, according to the Raiders, receive an option to buy. They probably wish they had. After the sale was completed, Davis decided to "make it rain" in some of the unlikeliest places, sprinkling gargantuan deals to the likes of Tommy Kelly, Javon Walker, Terdell Sands, DeAngelo Hall and Gibril Wilson, none of whom has proved a sound investment. Though it's unlikely another bucket of gold would lead to similarly irresponsible spending, it's only reasonable that any new investor would demand some in-
sports
said. “He has been putting up big numbers, he’s impressive; big body, long arms, good athlete,” sophomore forward Jordan Lewis said. “We will execute our game plan and play good team, physical defense and won’t allow any easy shots.” Lewis has found success on the court this year for the Mustangs. The sophomore has etched his name into the starting line-up, despite seeing limited paying time last year. Lewis is averaging 7.8 points per game this season, but brings much more to the court than just scoring, Callero said. “Jordan came into this year as an unknown and is (near the top) of our team in minutes,” Callero said. “He brings so much basketball IQ
fluence. Just because the NFL is a cash cow doesn't mean carelessness is acceptable. The only way new partners could ensure their participation in the decision-making process is if Davis were to relinquish a measure of the control he has had for more than four decades. Anybody checking the team's books would find compelling evidence toward that end. They'd discover Oakland is an NFL-worst 27-80 since losing the Super Bowl after the 2002 season, growing distrust in Davis as a deal-maker and team-builder and, above all, in the language billionaires speak fluently, depreciation of a franchise in a league where depreciation typically does not exist. After years of rising despite declining performance, the value of the Raiders dropped from an estimated $861 million in 2008 to $797 million in 2009, according to Forbes' annual report. That figure is the league's lowest, roughly half that of Dallas and Washington, and others speculate it should be lower. So moving a piece of this team under the current conditions won't be as easy as it should be, if it can be done at all. There is plenty of potential for growth, though, if you bring plenty of money, gain the trust of Al and persuade him to at least share authority. Good luck getting a man with the heart of a gladiator to budge from his favorite seat.
to what we do offensively and defensively.” Jordan is a 6-foot-4 forward that is falling short in terms of height. “What you see when you’re just two-to-three inches shorter at these positions, you give great effort, great game-plan, great execution, but guys two-to-three inches taller simply can make shots,” Callero said. Fans will get their first glimpse of this year’s team on Thursday. The Mustangs were 3-12 at Mott Gym last year and senior guard Charles Anderson said the Mustangs need to change that this year. “It’s the first game our crowd gets to see us play. We just want to come out and excite our fans,” he said.
While the Mustangs are looking to get better, the Big West Conference itself has shown signs of great improvement. UCLA, a perennial national power, has fallen victim to two Big West teams this season. The Mustangs will have to contend with what is likely going to be a more difficult conference schedule this year. “December starts a brand new month for us,” Callero said. “Now we’re starting to be able to see the benefits of our road trip.” Tip-off is set for 7:05 p.m. and will be broadcast on ESPN 1280 with Tom Barket providing playby-play. Jeremy Jauregui contributed to this article.
mcclatchy-tribune
The Oakland Raiders have posted a 27-80 record since losing to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in Super Bowl XXXVII, an NFL-worst since 2002.
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Thursday, December 3, 2009
SPORTS
sports editor: Brian De Los Santos
mustangdailysports@gmail.com
MUSTANG DAILY
Seattle’s old cup of Joe: Cal Poly vs. Seattle Women’s
basketball inks two recruits
mustang daily staff report
Progress is one gift that the Cal Poly men’s team can take from an 0-5 start this year. In a season filled with losses and traveling, head coach Joe Callero and his players feel they’re getting better. “More important that winning is continual improvement,” Callero said. “We’ve seen that in five games.” Heading home from a seasonopening road trip Callero and the Mustangs will face a familiar opponent, as he squares off against Seattle University — his old team — Thursday night in Mott Gym. “The best thing about playing against Seattle is that I have a good scouting report on the existing players, ” Callero said. “I know what we’re in for as far as their motivation, their discipline and their hunger to continue to have success.” Callero, who became the fourth coach to lead Cal Poly since the team made its transition to division I in 1994, spent eight seasons as head coach of the Redhawks, coaching them to a 117-105 record. In his final season he posted a 21-8 mark in the school’s first year of transition back to the Division I level. The Cal Poly coach has been acclaimed for having a knack for revitalizing basketball teams, in his prior duties. Under Callero, Seattle posted four consecutive winning seasons. In that span Seattle boasted a 75-37
mustang daily staff report
There is the hope that former 49ers Steve Young and Brent
Already the tallest program within the Big West Conference and one of the wealthiest at the guard position, the Cal Poly women’s basketball team recently strengthened both areas with the confirmation by 13th-year head coach Faith Mimnaugh that 6-5 center Molly Schlemer (Righetti HS/Santa Maria, CA) and 5-6 point guard Ariana Elegado (La Jolla Country Day School/San Diego, CA) have inked National Letters of Intent to join the Mustangs for the 2010-11 season. “I’m exited about both our signees,” coach Mimnaugh said. A three-year letterwinner, Schlemer earned All-PAC 7 League second team praise as a junior last season after leading the Warriors with 8.4 rebounds and 1.4 blocks per game and finishing second with 11.7 points per contest. As a sophomore during the 2007-08 campaign, Schlemer led all PAC 7 players with 2.1 blocks per game and paced Righetti HS with 5.3 rebounds per contest. With Schlemer in the lineup, Righetti HS has posted consecutive second-place showings in the PAC 7 standings and reached the California Interscholastic Federation Southern Section playoffs twice. “Everybody loved how (Shlemer) had great size and great potential,” Mimnaugh said. “Santa Maria has been very good to us.” Current Cal Poly junior forward Kristina Santaigo also graduated from Righetti HS. Including National Letter of Intent signees and returning players, Schlemer would become the tallest player in the Big West Conference next season. Cal Poly currently features nine players who reach six feet or taller. “It’s been a number of years since we’ve recruited a player with Molly’s size.The rapid improvement in Molly’s game from her freshman year of high school to this point in her career has been nothing short of astounding,” Mimnaugh said. “Molly’s passion to improve, her work ethic and the coaching that she’s received thus far has put her in position to become a dominant Big West player. Molly constantly requires a double or triple team and has faced plenty of defenders to know how to handle herself in those situations.” A four-year letterwinner at La Jolla Country Day School, Elegado earned All-CIF San Diego Section second team praise and All-Coastal South League first team honors following her 2008-09 junior campaign after leading the Torreys with 13.3 points and 4.7 assists per game and shooting 41.0 percent from the three-point arc. Elegado also garnered All-North County Times and maxpreps.com first team rec
see Davis, page 15
see Recruits, page 15
nick camacho mustang daily file photo
The Mustangs return home after posting a 0-5 record on an opening season road trip. Senior guard Lorenzo Keeler is the leading Mustang scorer, averaging 12.8 points per game. mark. The run highlighted the first time in 36 years the Redhawks had four straight winning campaigns. Without their former coach, Seattle (5-3) has gotten off to a solid
start, with wins against Utah and Weber State and is not ready to forfeit its new tradition of winning. “This is a program and a team that has won the last three or four
years, ” Callero said. “(Seattle) has averaged 19-20 victories per season. They have a lot of confident see Seattle, page 15
It will be hard getting Al Davis to budge from his beloved Raiders’ Monte Poole the oakland tribune
The plight of the Raiders was discussed in a recent conversation with one of the team's former stars. Slinging theories is popular among the distinguished alumni, nearly all of whom have one. But I'd never heard anyone express his so bluntly. "I hate to say it, because the old man is a legend," the former player said. "But I think we're going to be like this as long as he's around to run things. And I really don't see him giving that up." The conventional thinking is that Al Davis never will sell the
Raiders, for they are his life's passion. That's the feeling among explayers, former employees and the broad variety of people who make up the fan base. Indeed, thousands of fans came together to raise enough cash for a billboard advertisement that went up Tuesday, visible from northbound I-880 above High Street, about a mile south of the Oakland Coliseum. It depicts a Lombardi Trophy, and a plea for the 80-yearold owner and general manager to hire an actual GM. These fans weeks ago constructed a Web site, messagetoal. com, that, along with record-low attendance, makes clear the widespread disgust with the steady decline of the franchise. Asking Davis to sell, however, sends a message too easily dismissed. It is entirely coincidental that this billboard went up two days after it was reported, for the second time since January, that Davis is trying to sell a portion of the Raiders. If Fox Sports reporter Jay Glazer is right, and everything I've heard indicates he is, at least 10 percent of the franchise is very available. Davis owns by far the largest percentage of the team. While there are numerous -wealthy shoppers gazing at that
mcclatchy-tribune
Raiders owner Al Davis has been under scrutiny over the past couple of years. Many Oakland fans have been awaiting the end of his tenure. Silver-and-Black slice of the NFL's massive pie, nearly all have no desire to invest heavily in the organization as currently being operated.