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UCSC professor gives guest lecture on East Asian community leaders.

Men’s basketball squares off against Cal State Fullerton.

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Wednesday, February 24, 2010

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Student suicide of concern on college campuses Mikaela Akuna mustang daily

Every two hours and five minutes, a person under the age of 25 commits suicide, according to the American Association of Suicidology (AAS). The association estimates that every year, more than one thousand of these are college students, making suicide their second leading cause of death behind motor vehicle accidents.

At a university such as Cal Poly, where academic excellence is a requirement more than just an aspiration, it’s not uncommon for suicide rates to be higher than those of other colleges. In the last decade, prestigious universities such as MIT and Harvard have ranked above the national average for suicides: between seven and 11 students per 100,000.

Cal Poly comparatively stands as one of the better engineering and

agriculture schools in the nation.

But how does it compare in student suicide with other universities?

In the wake of three suicides by Cal Poly students last year, many students have questioned how someone could become so unhappy that they would consider killing themselves.

In addition to a history of mental instability and general depression, the AAS said the leading causes of suicide in college students can be

attributed to financial and social pressures. The feeling of failure and decreased performance in school are also major causes.

“Our friend killed himself our first year at Poly,” Cal Poly alumni Jes Godsey said. “For awhile, I was the only person who knew he was feeling this way and I couldn’t tell anybody ... I regret that now.”

Godsey said she was extremely close to the victim and knew he wasn’t always in a clear state of

mind. She said he had spoken about being depressed and extremely unhappy. In hindsight, she wishes she could have done more to help him, she said.

Studies have found more than half of college students have thoughts related to suicide every year. Dr. Chris Marrer-Howieson, a licensed psychiatrist for the Cal Poly Health Center, said there is a see Suicide, page 2

IHOP serves more than 9,000 Recruitment program brings 200 high school free pancakes for fundraiser

sophomores to Cal Poly

Katie Grady mustang daily

anieca ayler mustang daily

IHOP’s fundraiser for Children’s Miracle Network brought hundreds of customers to its door Tuesday, where they offered free pancakes in hopes of receiving donations. Around 3,000 orders were served by 3 that afternoon, totaling over 9,000 pancakes, one of the cooks said. The restaurant was busiest in the morning; it was too busy to walk around, waitress Tania Unsinn said. Customers who donated at the end of their meal were honored with paper balloons with their names that were hung on the wall, and those who donated $5 or more received a $5 coupon toward their next meal at IHOP.

The top sophomore students from high schools with large minority populations in California visited Cal Poly as part of a pre-collegiate symposium to help them plan for higher education.

The program also serves to add diversity to the existing student body at Cal Poly.

The roughly 200 visiting sophomores spent 24 hours on campus receiving tours, doing group icebreakers and attending workshops.

“Most underprivileged students are in the larger cities like L.A. and San Francisco,” program coordinator Melissa Pierce said. “It’s definitely a program aimed at diversifying Cal Poly by informing these underrepresented students about the school.”

The two-day symposium was hosted by the Cal Poly Partners Program, a recruitment program that establishes formal partnerships with first generation, low-income high schools that have lower college attendance rates.

“I knew I wanted to work in education outreach,” Pierce said. “The lack of a level playing field at a lot of high schools motivated me to want to help change it.”

Beginning with 22 high schools in 1999, the university now has 182 partner schools from across the state.

Grant money and the university provide all the funding for the event including meals, transportation and facilities.

The program’s purpose is to inform minority students about the opportunities offered at Cal Poly, a challenge since many of the students

were unfamiliar with the university.

Mariah Espinosa traveled to San Luis Obispo from the Bay Area.

She said she didn’t recall ever hearing about Cal Poly until she saw the sweatshirts around campus and recognized the logo.

“I didn’t know if a four-year was for me but being here has opened my eyes to a lot,” Espinosa said.

To be invited, students need to have a minimum 3.6 GPA. Carol Mills, a counselor at Luther Burbank High School in Sacramento, chaperoned for the symposium for the ninth time.

“The more adventurous usually go. For those that don’t come, some have never been out of their neighborhood and aren’t willing to venture this far, or the parents won’t let them,” she said.

Nadia Ventura, a counselor from Santa Maria High School, was another returning chaperon this year.

“These kids haven’t had as many opportunities and most have never stayed overnight at a college campus,” Ventura said.

The students and chaperons were greeted by 15 Cal Poly group leaders, most of whom attended one of the partner schools.

“We see so many sophomores that come through and now they are Cal Poly students,” Pierce said.“They were shy and scared and now they are helping lead and run the event.”

Sociology junior Daniel Galvan and general engineering freshman Nick Simon helped lead the event this year. They graduated from Ramona High School.

“These are valedictorians and see Symposium, page 2

News editor: Kate McIntyre mustangdailynews@gmail.com

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Suicide continued from page 1

rise in suicide cases around certain times of the year. “(Suicide) is a very commonly presented issue on our campus,” Marrer-Howieson said. “Typically we find that we see more suicidality during high-pressure times like midterms and finals.”

A Cal Poly linguistics junior, who asked to remain anonymous, said the stress students feel in college can be overwhelming.

“I know what it’s like to feel like there’s not much left for you. It gets so stressful trying to make everyone happy, parents, teachers, your peers.

Especially during finals. I work to support myself and trying to find time to breathe between studying and working is hard. But counseling really helps and I hope others seek out the support they need, because it doesn’t seem like it but it is

all worth it in the end.”

There has been recent attention to the subject from major media outlets as well as from universities that have an above average suicide rate.

Last November, National Public Radio released a segment about the connection between cutbacks on education and counseling availability. With state funds so low, there isn’t always enough money to sufficiently staff mental health counseling on college campuses.

The University of Texas at Austin conducted a survey of 26,000 students across 70 colleges to learn more about suicidal thoughts. Fifteen percent of the people surveyed reported having had seriously considered suicide. More than 5 percent reported having attempted it at least once.

Additionally, more than half of the students who reported they have seriously considered suicide never received professional assis-

News

tance.

Many researchers agree another major contributor to the hike in suicides and attempts is that many students who have pre-existing mental disorders are able to get into universities because medication allows them to handle their stress. Unlike past generations, today’s youth can be prescribed medication that eases anxiety and treats chemical imbalances. While it might be sufficient in high school, adding the stress of being away from home for the first time, higher academic standards and social pressures puts these students at a much higher risk for suicidal thoughts and/or actions.

Organizations around the country have compiled information on how to recognize and help those who may be suicidal.

According to the American Foundation of Suicide Prevention, the major indicators that someone may be suicidal include uncharacteristic depression or rage, an increase in alcohol or drug use, complaining of sleep problems and recent talk of wanting “an escape” or wanting to die.

Research shows people who are suicidal will often begin to give away their possessions, especially meaningful ones. They might even write a will. People in this situation might begin to act extremely reckless and impulsive.

In some cases, there might also be a small period of extreme happiness following a longer period of depression right before the individual plans on attempting suicide.

The American Foundation of Suicide Prevention suggests a few major strategies to help those who appear to be or have expressed thoughts of being suicidal. One of

the biggest ways to help someone who might be suicidal is to express genuine concern for their wellbeing. Letting them know they are not being overlooked and giving them specific examples of why you are concerned is the first step in helping them.

Offering support and assistance

Symposium

students in on-campus housing to host one or two visiting students.

Before leaving, the sophomores are given a tour of two different academic colleges selected randomly, unless they show a specific interest in one.

“This is just to show them there are different options,” Galvan said.

“Most don’t really know what they want to do yet.”

College ambassadors gave tours of their academic departments. Graphic communication senior Rachel Hutchinson gave multiple tours Friday.

“We are asked to give our expertise on our majors,” she said. “The program emphasizes the importance of going to college and helps to broaden their understanding of what’s

continued from page 1

“Coming Attractions”

students at the top of their class most likely to go to schools like Cal Poly,” Galvan said. “We make sure they stay together and are having a good time.

They are only sophomores so we are planting a seed for them to come to Cal Poly.”

“When they hear about graduates starting up Jamba Juice and other senior projects, they get hyped,” Mills said.

For the evening, the chaperons stayed at Embassy Suites while the sophomores spent the night on campus through the Vista Host Program, a volunteer opportunity for enrolled

Typically we find that we see more suicidality during high pressure times like midterms and finals.

—Dr. Chris Marrer-Howieson Cal Poly Health Center psychiatrist

in finding professional help if they haven’t already attempted to seek it out is one of the most suggested ways of helping.

The foundation also warns loved ones that the individual should not be left alone at any time, any sort of weapon should be removed from the vicinity and the person should be taken to an emergency room at a psychiatric hospital.

The most important advice for those who are helping someone suicidal: if they are in imminent danger, do not be afraid to call 911.

Though not every person who

Wednesday, February 24, 2010 attempts or commits suicide exhibits warning signs, the American Association of Suicidology and Suicide.org agree that at least 75 percent of those who commit suicide show clear signs of depression and suicidal tendencies beforehand.

There are many places to turn to for help and support. Some of the most popular include the National Hopeline Network, and (800) 273-TALK. There are also support hotlines for deaf people.

Groups like “To Write Love on Her Arm” and Post Secret aim to help people cope with stress and depression. Both associations have a large support basis. Some groups even offer live support via Twitter and other Web-based mediums.

At Cal Poly, there are a number of groups provided to students that give counseling and support for those who need help coping with the day-to-day.

The Cal Poly Web site has a page dedicated to Health and Counseling Services where students can find tips on how to manages stress, download exercises and breathing techniques that aim to ease anxiety and find phone numbers to call for support.

There is also group counseling that students can participate in through the health center. Other groups on campus assist students in finding a community therapist.

The site also offers help not only to students, but parents and faculty as well.

“Don’t be afraid to ask. Often people feel comforted by being asked if there is something wrong.

And ask them what you can do to help them,” Marrer-Howieson said.

“It allows the person in crisis to dictate what they need.”

available.”

Hayoon Chung, a sophomore at the Los Angeles Center for Enriched Students, said she had originally planned on coming just to get a couple days off from school. Chung said she now thinks she wants to be an architect.

“In L.A., they talk about the Ivy leagues and the UCs,” Chung said.

“They don’t encourage the Cal States, so I never really looked into Cal Poly.

The professors seem personal and the architecture program seems more fun, but also hard.”

The students that come notice the lack of diversity on campus.

“When we leave, my kids often comment on how white the campus is,” Mills said. “I just tell them, ‘If you don’t go there, it will never change.’”

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Engineers create apps. on donated Google phones

$20,000 grant and 24 phones lead to student development of new applications Katie Grady mustang daily

The next time you’re stuck wondering if there’s an application for available phone reception in your area, the answer could be right down the hallway, where students are creating state-of-the-art programs for 24 “superphones” donated by Google.

Associate professor Dr. David Janzen and assistant professor Dr. Chris Lupo from the computer science and software engineering department received a Google Faculty Research Award in August.The award included a $20,000 grant to support academic research and promote a relationship between Google and academia.

The awards typically last for one year and range from $10,000-$150,000 depending on the type of research.

Faculty from Purdue University and Stanford University were also among those awarded funding from Google for 2009.

In addition to the grant, Janzen and Lupo’s primary contact at Google, Cal Poly alumnus and professional software developer Mark Lucovsky, encouraged the donation of the 24 T-mobile G1 phones equipped with Android software as a gift from the Android team at Google in April.

“Google wanted us to use the technology and do something interesting,” Lupo said. “There’s a buzz associated with (the Android software) and the market will continue to grow significantly.”

Dr. Lupo is teaching a senior project class, ENGR 470, which focuses on capstone projects or team-based designs extending over multiple quarters. One of the projects pitched by Lupo is a heart-rate monitor that connects to the Android phone imitating the functionality of a fitness computer.

Computer engineering senior Danny Walker is part of the project.

“Our application will effectively replace a bike computer,” he said. “It

can track your heart rate statistic, your speed and your type of workout. It will also use GPS to determine your location.”

What makes the project unique is the combination of expertise. The team includes six engineers of different specialties: four computer, one biomedical and one industrial.

“I think we have the right mix of majors to do this kind of project,” industrial and manufacturing engineering senior Brian Hockenmaier said.

Biomedical engineering senior Nathan Angel and computer engineering senior Felix Turgeon are working on the circuitry to filter the heart-rate signal as well as the packing system.

“It would have been really hard for all computer engineers to filter a heart-rate and know what to do,” computer engineering major John Leehey said.

What would set this team’s heartrate software apart from the iPhone is the ability to support multiple devices such as HDC, Motorola, Samsung, Dell and LG as well as being able to use Bluetooth.

“Because the device is so timely, it feels less disposable and less like a toy. It’s something they can take with them into their careers,” Lupo said.

The project is due to be completed at the end of this school year.

Dr. Janzen is teaching a new mobile application course in which students can design their own applications. The teams are encouraged to publish their ideas to the Android market, Janzen said.

“We can use (the phones) to get students excited about computing,” Janzen said. “They are writing things that could live well on past this class.”

Janzen is constructing a competition for the best application judged by a team of experts from places like Level Studios in San Luis Obispo and Skyhook Wireless in Boston.

One group is working on an application called “Sleeping Cycle.” It’s an alarm clock that has a movement sensor. By placing the phone next to your bed, it can detect what sleep phase you’re in based on movement, said Lucas Jarosch, a senior exchange student from Germany.

“The alarm wakes you up at a specific time before you get back into a deep sleep phase,” Jarosch said. “Some students already have this on their iPhone, and they say their mood is better and they aren’t as tired.”

Jarosch said they have to study the human sleeping cycle and implement an algorithm. The alarm won’t be your standard annoying ring but will fade in slowly over a 10-minute span with classical or nature sounds that slowly get louder, he said.

Other students’ projects include “Droititarian,” an application that notifies you of good deeds you can do, “Reception Mapper,” a map of available phone reception and “Punchd.”

Reed Morse and Grantland Chew, both computer science seniors, are working on “Punchd,” an application for virtual buy-10-get-one-free cards.

They are talking to customers like Quickly, Campus Dining and Jamba Juice.The idea is for businesses to have a bar code that a Droid owner could use to scan on to the phone’s video camera. A GPS system could see if you are actually at that location and would put a “virtual punch on your virtual card,” Chew explained.

“I have a thin wallet, and I don’t like having a lot of things in it,” Morse said. “I was thinking about something that bothers me and these stupid cards bother me.”

Programs like Twitter and Facebook will also be linked to the application, so when people do get “punchd” or when they redeem a card it will show up on their personal pages if they so wish. The team also wants to have an interface for businesses by creating a Web site that

could tell owners statistics on how many people are getting “punchd” on a regular basis.

“Filling apps is a new big thing,” Morse said. “Our goal is to have all the businesses in town using ‘Punchd’ codes.”

Even outside the classroom, the students have the phones at their disposal at all hours.

“I could put my SIM card in (the G1 phone) and use it as my own phone,” Morse said. “But if you go to the party and lose it, you have to pay $400.”

The 24 donated Google phones cost roughly $9,600 total.

The class will be holding a project fair open to the public to demonstrate their applications on Mar. 12 outside the Frank E. Pilling Computer Science Building. There will also be free downloads as each team is required to put a version of their application on the market as a trial.

Google is advocating for open source development to make this technology available to the world Janzen explained. The company is interested in getting more people to make more applications for the phones.The Android platform, currently at about 20,000 applications is competing with the iPhone, which has over 100,000 applications.

“I wanted to encourage teams to do something that benefits mankind or that’s entrepreneurial,” Janzen said.

Some of Lupo and Janzen’s students will apply for Innovation Quest, a contest hosted by alumni and faculty.Three prizes of up to $15,000 are given as funding for student-proposed projects.

“In both courses, students are more engaged in their work then with other technical classes,” Lupo said. “I think they are excited to be working on something state-of-the-art that feels very real.”

courtesy photo

A prototype of a student-designed application equipped with an alarm that will wake you up after analyzing your movements.

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Wednesday, February 24, 2010

News

Family’s outing becomes heart of Toyota controversy Justin Hyde detroit free press

SANTEE, Calif. — The Friday night trip began at the end of a week’s vacation, a family outing to a women’s college soccer game just days before Mahala Saylor, 13, would begin life as a high school freshman.

The trip ended in August 2009 with a 911 call and the fiery wreck of a loaner Lexus sedan, killing Mahala, her parents, Mark and Cleofe Saylor, both 45, and her uncle, Chris Lastrella, 38.

Even veteran investigators said it was the worst crash they had ever seen.

On Wednesday, Fe Lastrella, mother of Cleofe Saylor and Chris Lastrella and grandmother of Mahala, is to tell members of a congressional committee about her family and question whether a floor mat trapping the gas pedal — as regulators say they believe — is the sole reason for the accident.

Rarely, if ever, has one family’s fatal crash had such an impact, forcing the world’s largest automaker to admit thousands of sudden-acceleration complaints, recall more than 8 million vehicles worldwide and answer growing questions from Congress and consumers about its safety record.

“They were a solid family. They were quiet people, but their presence was always felt,” said Charlotte Fajardo, president of the Bicol Club,

a San Diego group for Filipino residents that the Saylors belonged to.

“You don’t really appreciate it until it’s not here.”

The Saylor family lived in the sprawling San Diego suburb of Chula Vista, in a house filled with running shoes and soccer balls and scripture.

On the evening of Aug. 28, 2009, the four set out — to the best anyone knows — for the soccer game between the University of Southern California and the University of San Diego women’s teams, taking state highway 125 north from their house.

They were in a Lexus on loan from their Toyota dealer, a car they did not know had been reported by its previous borrower as speeding out of control.

They had no way to know their drive would become the epicenter of controversy and questions about Toyota’s sudden acceleration scandal.

Mark Saylor, 45, had worked an early shift at the California Highway Patrol safety inspection office in San Diego that day, overseeing reviews of school buses and tow trucks. A back injury had taken him off road patrols years earlier, but he still carried his ticket book and gun.

Cleofe Saylor, 45, was a biochemist and a senior research associate at genetics firm Ambryx in San Diego.

A native of the Philippines, she and Mark married 14 years earlier and

detriot free press Mark Saylor, his wife Cleofe Saylor, their 13-year-old daughter Mahala Saylor and Cleofe’s brother Chris Lastrella died when the Saylor’s 2009 Lexus crashed. were regulars in the Bonita Valley Community Church. They wrote Bible verses on note cards, and devotional messages such as: “What I want to accomplish today as a Christian.”

Her work involved developing

new genetic treatments for cancer and other diseases. The week before the game, she had taken a staycation — using vacation time at home to get Mahala ready for her first year of high school.

Barney Barrett, her co-worker

at Ambryx, said Cleofe Saylor was reserved but had a strong bond with her friends.

“She had this way about her that other believers were drawn to see Toyota, page 6

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Wednesday, February 24, 2010

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Word on the Street

“How do think the overall acceptance of the gay community at Cal Poly compares to your hometown?”

“I feel like this is a very liberal place to live and it is very welcoming and accepting.”

-Jonathan Withem, music junior

“I had tons of friends in high school who were gay and I think Cal Poly is still accepting but I feel like my hometown was more liberal.”

-Shelley Cooke, materials engineering junior

“It is more controversial here.

I am from Los Angeles and no one cares there. Now I feel like there is a fight here.

-Lenny Romero, graphic communication junior

“I haven’t really come in contact with any related issues but I do feel like there is a lack of diversity.”

Wire Editor: Jessica Barba

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Dalai Lama urges US to spread democracy James D. Davis Sun Sentinel

DAVIE, Fla. — Voicing admiration for American values, the Dalai Lama on Tuesday called for the United States to spread freedom to other lands.

“America is a champion of democracy and liberty; you should be proud of those values,” the exiled Tibetan Buddhist leader told more than 3,500 listeners at Nova Southeastern University in Davie.“When you deal with other countries, you must keep these things very important.”

His morning talk, “Universal Responsibility,” was delivered to students, staff and faculty at Nova’s Don Taft University Center. It was the start of a two-day round of talks in Broward and Palm Beach counties.

Believed by Tibetan Buddhists to be an incarnation of Chenrezig, the bodhisattva of compassion, the Dalai Lama said education and mass media had caused people to think in terms of respect and cooperation, rather than conflict.

“It is nearly 10 years since the start of the 21st century, but already much has changed,” he said at the gathering, co-hosted by NSU and Broward College. “Now, we should consider that every part of the world is part of me. We still need to educate people that our own interests depend on others’ interests.”

Some listeners found the Dalai Lama’s thick accent hard to follow.

But if the speech issues were a function of age, the 75-year-old remained limber enough to sit cross-legged on an easy chair for his addresses.

In his morning speech, he called for schools to teach compassion and responsibility, rather than just facts.

“With too much education, even a

brilliant mind can go wrong, to destruction,” he said. “Ultimately, inner values are essential.”

He compared the relationship of nations to the relationships of people to families and communities.

“In a family, each person carries some of the responsibility,” he said.

“The human being is basically a social animal. Each person depends on the community.”

The Dalai Lama said China deserves to improve its economy and to have a place among more powerful nations. He added that he admired the late Chinese leader Mao Zedong in the early years, but was puzzled by his subsequent aggressive actions in China as well as Tibet.

In a Q&A session, he drew laughs when he donned a visor that matched his maroon robes. Answering one question, he said his talk with President Barack Obama last week dealt with Tibet and the need to educate its young people.

He praised American news media for guarding democracy and said reporters “should have a long nose, like an elephant.” But he did fault the amount of “negativity,” saying it should be matched by positive content.

The Buddhist leader also said people should be given light but productive work between the ages of 50 and 70. Retirement homes would also benefit by letting the elderly mix more with children, he suggested.

“Inspiring” was the word Ryun McKenzie, a graduate pharmacy student, had for the Dalai Lama’s morning talk. Especially the teaching that people should separate respect for a person from his actions.

“He said lessons that we all know, deep down,” said McKenzie, 35. “It’s good to hear from somebody so in-

fluential.”

The 4,590 seat Taft Center was nearly filled for the afternoon public speech. He took a more personal turn, as he discussed his upbringing and education, his exile to India after China invaded Tibet, and his belief that attitudes are at the heart of most world problems.

“Fear, doubt, anger, negativity,” were on his list of basic ills. “We must counter with warmheartedness, compassion, taking care of the other.

Trust, friendship, honesty, brings us together.”

Cory Cohen, a senior in marketing and finance at NSU, said he admired the Dalai Lama’s simple message. “It was very elegant, honest, passionate. No B.S.” Cohen, 23, especially liked how the speaker “focused on what we could do as individuals, taking a step of compassion. If you affect someone on a small scale, it can be contagious.”

At a midday press conference, the Dalai Lama said he accepted the invitation to South Florida because of the chance to address several schools.

Wednesday, he plans to speak at Florida Atlantic University in Boca Raton, then a gathering of college and university presidents at Broward College back in Davie.

“A university is a place where you’re exploring human abilities, good qualities,” he said.

The future of his own office seemed to bother him less. When an audience member asked how the next Dalai Lama would be chosen, he said it didn’t concern him.

“The people will decide the role of the Dalai Lama,” he said. “In my life, I have to be something meaningful. After that, it is not my concern.

Lawmakers tweet up D.C.

-Hope Hanselman, modern languages and literatures freshman

Faye Fiore los angeles times

“I think its the same in both areas and I am from Southern California.”

-Morgan Podmajersky, liberal studies freshman

“I feel that San Luis Obispo in general is more liberal then nearby rural areas and is more accepting because of the larger population and higher education.”

-Philip Shephard kinesiology senior

compiled and photographed byJessica Barba

WASHINGTON — Congress has spent the past year learning to tweet.

More than a third of them are doing it now. And if you thought the minute-to-minute musings of your best friends were boring (“I need coffee . . . I just saw a snowflake”) just wait.

Now we know that at 1:41 p.m. on Dec. 15, Rep. Earl Blumenauer of Oregon set out to deliver his holiday fruitcakes. Or that on Jan. 21 at 6:13 a.m. Rep. Cathy McMorris Rogers of Washington was reading “Three Cups of Tea” and “liked it so far.” Or that at 7 p.m. on Jan. 30 Tennessee’s Rep. Zach Wamp was excited to learn his state’s own Stephanie Whittler took third place in the Miss America contest. “Strong woman. Great family!”

It came to our attention last year that lawmakers better known for bellowing and bloviating were starting to Tweet.We caught them doing it in the middle of one of President Obama’s first big televised speeches.

But whatever hope our nation held that its notoriously verbose legislators would lose interest in anything that cuts them off at 140 characters appears dead. Congressional tweeting is on the rise. The Congressional Research Service — Congress’ think

tank — noticed the trend and decided to spend 61 days last summer studying how technology’s latest craze was going over in a place that never got rid of its spittoons.

It turns out that more than 200 of 535 members have jumped on the Twitter train. Representatives do it more than senators; Republicans more than Democrats. Wednesday is their favorite day to tweet and their favorite subject to tweet about is a trip to the district. The California delegation has the most Tweeters — 15 of 55 members.

It didn’t take a government study to figure out some of them do it better than others. The social media are amassing enormous political power.

Conservative rising star Sarah Palin lobbed her “death panels” grenade on Facebook and kept it alive on Twitter. (“R death panels back in?”)

But in Congress, not all who Twitter appreciate this power. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi — whose Tweets bring to mind mom’s list of after-school do’s and don’ts: “We Must Pass Health Care Reform” . . .“Watch the State of the Union” — doesn’t.

Sen. Jim DeMint of South Carolina — “It’s going to keep snowing in DC until Al Gore cries ‘uncle’” — does. The Republican’s tweet was widely cited by talking heads on both

sides of the climate change debate.

Twitter king, Arizona Sen. John McCain. Yes, the same 73-year-old McCain who admitted as a presidential candidate he didn’t even use a computer. He has racked up 1.7 million followers — more than half of what Oprah has — even though his tweets are kind of boring and sound suspiciously staff written. “Good morning! If you are up early in Phoenix turn on ABC 15 at 6:40 for my interview.”

Iowa Republican Sen. Charles Grassley, 76, has taken his place among the top five most popular congressional tweeters. His read like a teenager dutifully checking in with his parents and unpredictably popping off: “Ice cream stop at Culver Muscatine on way nxt town Meet.” . . . “When you are a ‘hammer’ u think evrything is NAIL I’m no NAIL.” That last one, directed at Obama after he told Congress to deliver on health care while he tooled around Paris, won acclaim for aggressive tweeting.

Past efforts by politicians to record their every thought have not always gone well.There were the unfortunate diaries of former Oregon Republican Sen. Bob Packwood. (“I could hardly see Lawmakers, page 7

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Briefs State VENTURA (MCT) — Technology titan Google Inc. plans to build an ultrafast broadband network in select communities, and Ventura plans to press its case to be one of those test cities.

Google announced this month that it will build and test experimental networks that will be at least 100 times faster than what is available for many users today.

More than two dozen people filled Ventura City Hall on Monday to voice support for a city application.

Ventura must complete a 20page response by the end of March, officials said.There are no other costs at this time, but Google has not said what it might require from chosen communities, city staff said.

•••

SANTA CRUZ (MCT) — State Sen. Joe Simitian, who represents part of Santa Cruz County and famously authored California’s hands-free driving law, now extended the policy to bicycles. The increase in penalties for automobile drivers and extend higher fines to bicyclists who talk or text behind the handle bars.

Simitian’s legislation would boost fines for driving while phoning from $20 to $50 and texting fines from $20 to $100-this is the same for biking. The amount violators would pay would actually be much more because of processing fees.

National

WASHINGTON (MCT) — Former Vice President Dick Cheney was admitted to a hospital overnight after suffering from chest pains.

Tests on the former vice president, who was said to be resting comfortably, showed “evidence of a mild heart attack,” an aide said.

Cheney, 69, wears a pacemaker and has had four previous heart attacks since he was 37 years old. He has had quadruple-bypass surgery and two artery-clearing angioplasties.

Cheney is expected to be released from the hospital by the end of the week.

•••

WASHINGTON (MCT) — The House on Tuesday approved “Billy’s Law,” a bill designed to aid families searching for missing loved ones, Janice Smolinski son, Billy, for whom the legislation is named, disappeared five years ago.

The measure, which seeks to expand online public information on missing persons and unidentified remains, comes in the wake of missing persons cases that have drawn national attention.

The legislation grows out of Smolinski’s search for her son, who went missing at age 31 in 2004 in Connecticut. She said authorities believe he was murdered. The legislation would require the FBI to share information, excluding sensitive and confidential data, with the public database.

Wednesday, February 24, 2010

News

Toyota

International

London (MCT) — Scottish & Newcastle breweries owner Heineken today forecast lower beer consumption in many regions of the world.

Heineken, like other brewers suffered from recession-conscious consumers drinking less beer in 2009, but succeeded in pushing through price increases.

“The global economic environment will continue to lead to lower beer consumption and downtrading in a number of regions in 2010,” Heineken said.

The Dutch company added that it was committed to maintaining or increasing prices and would continue to pass on excise duty rises to consumers.

•••

SUDAN (MCT) — The two partners of the Comprehensive Peace Agreement (CPA) agreed in a meeting held at the level of the Sudanese presidency to increase parliamentary seats to southern Sudan, but they are still differ on the final number of seat.

The agreement, however, ends quarrel by the National Congress Party and the Sudan People’s Liberation Movement over the result of the fifth census conducted last year. The SPLM threatened to not participate in the elections of national parliament if the dispute in not resolved.

continued from page 4

her,” he said.

Mahala was a forward for the Chula Vista Rangers soccer team.

Mark Saylor had been a coach in her previous league, becoming known as the soccer dad — complete with minivan — who stayed for all the games and practices.

Juliet Tengco’s daughter played with Mahala in one of her leagues, and she called the Saylors her “soccer family.”

“I always saw Cleofe and Mark at the games supporting Mahala and the team,” she wrote in a tribute.

“You could rely on Mark to have an extra ball, a pump, first aid supplies and anything else needed for the soccer season. They were definitely an involved family.”

Mahala wrote messages to herself as well on sticky notes: “Focus,” “Be a leader!” and “Take the trash out on Thursdays.”

In the backseat next to Mahala was Cleofe’s brother, Chris Lastrella, who was living with his sister’s family and working at a nearby university while trying to launch a career in voice-over work. He had left his previous career selling mortgages after the real estate bust, but had done well enough to take the extended family on a vacation to Maui.

It’s his voice, captured in a 911 call made 49 seconds before the crash, that has been the key evidence so far of why the Lexus

ES350 borrowed from a dealer sped out of control.

“Our accelerator is stuck. We’re on 125,” Lastrella says.

911 Dispatcher: “What are you passing?”

“We’re going 120 at Mission Gorge. And we’re in trouble. We can’t ... there’s no brakes. End freeway a half mile.”

Lawyers for families say that by the time Chris Lastrella dialed 911, they believe, Mark Saylor had done all he could to shut down the vehicle. They don’t ask dispatchers for help or how they can control the car; Mark Saylor has the vehicle’s warning flashers on, and may have been trying to warn other drivers.

The call ends with the men saying “hold on” and “pray,” before the sound of impact with the bank of a dry riverbed. The car went airborne and rolled twice before landing and catching fire, likely from its whitehot brakes.

The crash hit the Saylors’ community hard. More than 200 people came to their memorial service.

Twelve Chula Vista Rangers wore white jerseys in their Labor Day tournament, each with a letter made of blue tape that spelled out “MAHALA SAYLOR.” Today, the scene is marked by fading flowers. The two sections of post-and-rail fence replaced after the crash have almost weathered into the rest.

“It’s hard to not have her (Cleofe) around,” Barnett said. “Still to this day, I expect her to walk in the door.”

mustangdaily.net

Wednesday, February 24, 2010

mustang daily

www.mustangdaily.net

Military chiefs guarded on ‘don’t ask’ changes Julian E. Barnes

tribune washington bureau

WASHINGTON — In a sign of possible differences among top military officials, Army and Air Force chiefs voiced concern Tuesday about ending a ban on gays serving openly in the armed forces while the country is in the midst of two wars.

Army Gen. George W. Casey and Air Force Gen. Norton A. Schwartz both told Congress that they support the Pentagon’s plan to spend a year studying a change in the policy that allows gays to serve only as long as they keep their sexual orientation hidden.

However, both generals were mum about their own views on gays in the military and neither followed the lead of Adm. Michael G. Mullen, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, who earlier this month said gays should be allowed to serve openly.

The appearances by Schwartz and Casey will be followed Wednesday by Adm. Gary Roughead, the chief of naval operations, and Gen. James Conway, the Marine commandant.

Lawmakers and advocates are carefully watching the congressional testimony, trying to gauge where the various service chiefs stand on the issue of gays in the military as a barometer for the eventual outcome of the issue.

Opponents of the ban on gays, including President Barack Obama and many congressional Democrats, want to quickly overturn it.

However, supporters of the ban, including some congressional Republicans, are looking to the military officials for possible support for keeping the policy in place.

Casey and Schwartz carefully followed a middle path outlined in recent months by Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates, who supports Obama’s call to end the ban but wants any change to be made slowly and studied carefully.

Obama said in his State of the Union address in January that he wanted the 17-year-old policy known as “don’t ask, don’t tell” rescinded this year. Military officials earlier this month said they intend to spend the year on a study to assess the effects of a policy change.

Appearing before the Senate Armed Services Committee, Casey

said he had reservations about the effect of a change on deployed troops.

“I do have serious concerns about the impact of repeal of the law on a force that is fully engaged in two wars and has been at war for 8 1/2 years,” Casey said. “We just don’t know the impacts on readiness and military effectiveness.”

“Exactly,” murmured Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz., in response.

Appearing at the same time before the House Armed Services Committee, Schwartz said there were few reliable surveys about what airmen and their families think of the policy. Schwartz acknowledged that Obama has stated he wants the current law to be changed, but said potential “complications” should be examined first.

“This is not the time to perturb the force that is, at the moment, stretched by demands in Iraq and Afghanistan and elsewhere, without careful deliberation,” Schwartz said.

As part of the 1993 law creating the “don’t ask, don’t tell” policy, the Pentagon is required to remove service members accused of being gay or admitting so. More than 14,000 service members have been booted out after being accused of being gay or having said that they were.

Sen. Carl M. Levin, the chairman of the Senate Armed Services Committee, may push for a congressional moratorium to halt discharges during the Pentagon’s study.

However, McCain, the ranking Republican on the committee, said that the moratorium would circumvent the purpose of the study.

On Monday, Army Gen. Raymond T. Odierno, the top commander in Iraq voiced his support for the Pentagon policy study. But unlike Casey, Odierno voiced personal support for changing the policy.

“My opinion is everyone should be allowed to serve, as long as we’re still able to fight our wars and we’re able to have forces that are capable of doing whatever we’re asked to do,” Odierno said.

But in a reflection of the complex military thinking on the issue, Odierno, like Casey, said his primary concern was for troops serving in war.

“We’re in two wars right now.

So I want to see it done properly,” Odierno said.

WHAT’S YOUR

RANT YOU WRITE IN

.

WE INVESTIGATE. m ustangda ilyw i r e @gm ai l . c o m

News Lawmakers continued from page 5

concentrate on her breasts.”)

And the meticulous diaries of exFlorida Republican Sen. Bob Graham. (“. . . . apply scalp medication . . . dress in khaki pants.”)

“Oh God, what happens if the staff for these members finally wakes up, realizes what they are doing and makes them stop?” said Salon.com’s Washington correspondent Mike Madden, who regularly fishes the Twitter streams for golden bits of candor. “A lot of them have aides follow them around so they won’t say something stupid in the hallway.”

Wire Editor: Jessica Barba

There is no question that American invention has revolutionized the Congress-constituent relationship.

Consider television, which gave us live pictures of senators passionately speechifying to an empty chamber.

And we can all thank the robocall for bringing recorded campaign messages directly into our homes, usually around dinner time.

Congressional researchers who conducted the survey hypothesize Twitter might one day enable real time exchanges with voters even as lawmakers head to the floor to vote, thereby enhancing the democracy.

After perusing the Twitter streams of Congress, this seems like a stretch.

Unlike the back-and-forth of the real world version,Twittering pols tend to do all the talking, but then, what did

7

we expect.

Still, something good could come of this after all. Tweeting requires nothing if not brevity, a skill lawmakers seem to lose whenever there is a microphone in the vicinity.

We now have proof it’s possible to condense a message and be done with it. Consider Grassley, who recently informed us he was caught in Washington’s blizzard, his flight got diverted, and he had to bunk in his office to make an early interview, all in a single glorious tweet: “Bad weather.Took 12hrs to fly bk DC. DCA shut down.Had fly BWI. Slept in office so b on Hill for CNBC intrvu 7am in 20min” If only they could do that on the chamber floor.

wednesday, february 24, 2010

www.mustangdaily.net Always in color

arts & Entertainment editor: cassandra keyse

restaurant review

Local keeps it simple but also takes risks

anieca ayler mustang daily

Fresh off a facelift, Local is an all-local-food restaurant and bar with relaxed, modern atmosphere and above-average bar food.

Anieca Ayler mustang daily

You can’t make a reservation. A hostess will not seat you. No one will come to your table and ask for your order. It’s policy.

Instead, you choose your own seat: a stool at one of the long high tables that seats at least 20. After browsing the chalkboard menu on the wall next to one of the two flatscreen TVs, you decide on a hot dog and fries. You walk to the bar centered at the back of the restaurant with shelves of bottles showcasing available types of alcohol framed by a rusty-metal-looking wall. Through the wall of beer-drinkers, you give your order to one of the bartenders dressed in black. You sit back down and wait for the food to be served, wondering what about this hot dog makes it $9.

Local, formerly Marti’s Bar and Grill, is a restaurant and bar whose main features include using food only from local vendors and keeping its doors open later than most San

Luis Obispo restaurants, serving food until 12 a.m. on weekdays and 1 a.m. on weekends. The Higuera Street establishment is geared to attract a customer base comprised mostly of college students.

As for that hot dog, the chef, Shaun King, will personally explain everything special about it after it’s brought to the table. He’ll tell you that the meat is from Hearst Ranch, a local farm that produces only grassfed and single-origin animal beef and identify the special details of the dish — that it’s the equivalent of two hot dogs, cut into quarters and served on a pretzel roll with mustard, white cheddar and homemade pickles.

The rest of the menu includes basic bar food like lamb, steak bites, chicken shake-n-bake, grilled cheese, Reuben sandwich, nuts and fries. All entrees and appetizers range in price from $4 to $12. Since Local uses only locally-produced food, menu options vary by season and sometimes daily, depending on the chef ’s whims.

But this typical assortment of see Local, page 11

10

mustang daily www.mustangdaily.net

Arts

Wednesday, February 24, 2010

Community leaders in Love’s history Asia parallel Cal Poly book column

is boundless

Megan Hassler mustang daily

A political science professor from University of California, Santa Cruz who studies the social organization of neighborhoods in China and Taiwan spoke at the University Union Monday.

His research provides context to two cultures that garner a lot of media attention.

“It seems like every time you open the newspaper there is another story about China and people have a lot of questions on their mind,” UCSC assistant professor Ben Read said.

Read attended public school in Beijing when he was 11 and later got his degree in Asian studies.

His research started after he came across a publication on resident committees in China.

By learning more about the operations of the resident committees, people can see how different it is from the average community group in America, Read said.

About 25 students attended the event and most of them study history or political science — a number of students attended for an extra-credit opportunity.

megan hassler mustang daily

UCSC professor Ben Read shows a photo he took of community members campaigning for neighborhood leadership positions.

Wine and viticulture senior Jenny Shieh, who has visited family in Taiwan and traveled to China, attended the presentation for her Southeast Asian history class.

“It is interesting,” Shieh said. “I have never heard anything about a neighborhood committee before.

I went to go visit my relatives (and) they never brought it up.”

Students at the presentation had questions ranging from Read’s research methods to whether he had considered China’s skewed results due to government censoring. He said he had considered this and attempted to conduct interviews individually, and take surveys over see Communities, page 11

“The History of Love” is an er storylines in Krauss’s novel. ambitious title. It promises to be Throughout each storyline is all-encompassing, thoughtful, wise, a pervasive feeling of sadness and charming, inquisitive, comforting dislocation. Alma (named for evand not to be trite, insignificant, dis- ery female character in Leo’s “The honest or insincere. Nicole Krauss’s History of Love”) and her brother novel of this name is at once all and Bird are precocious to a fault, prenone of that. sumably both by nature and as a “The History of Love” catches result of their unusual upbringing. up with Leopold Gursky at the end The loss of their father has created of his life when he is an undeniably in each a desire to hold on to his lonely old man who lost the only memory and each other in any way woman he ever loved half a century possible, and yet also distance themago. After being separated in the selves from their mother’s suffocatwar, the woman gave birth to Leo’s ing longing for the past. son, unbeknownst to him, and marMeanwhile, Leo, a cantankerried another man, believing Leo to ous old man who had the best be dead. When Leo finally located and worst years of his life in rapid her in America, she had already be- succession long ago, has lived his gun a life without him — one that many years since, in New York, as did not have a spot saved for him as an afterthought to his lost love. He her lover or his son’s father. Thus, struggles daily between an effort to Leo begins his life alone in the city, be seen and allowing himself to see working as a locksmith and keeping what he wants. So much so, in fact, careful track of the son who doesn’t that it is impossible for the reader know of his existence. to ever be certain if any of what he Leo, however, is not the only sees is actually there. narrator of this story. Though the Alma’s endeavor to reconcile the novel moves throughout the other classic pains and triumphs of growcharacters’ lives rather disjointedly ing up with her almost desperate and without much explanation, it desire to help her mother out of eventually becomes clear that each her crippling loneliness is heartone is interconnected, though some rending in its willful earnestness. relationships still remain hazy.

When her mother is commissioned One of these intersecting plot to translate “The History of Love,” lines is narrated by Alma Singer, a it is Alma’s search for the author of 14-year-old girl whose mother and see Love, page 11 brother cannot get over the loss of their husband/father and, as a family, have more than enough quirks to go around.

The other main plotline c e n t e r s around Zvi Litvinoff, who publishes Leo’s novel “The History of Love” (herein enters Krauss’s novel’s namesake) without Leo knowing, as Zvi is also under the impression that Leo has died. To Leo’s k n ow l e d g e, the book was lost years ago and never published. However, though it courtesy photo was not widely “The History of circulated, its Love” is Nicole Krauss’s secpublication did have a profound efond novel. It was released in May 2005. fect on each of the oth-

Wednesday, February 24, 2010 www.mustangdaily.net

Local continued from page 8

food comes with something unfamiliar to the food group that usually consists of mozzarella sticks and chicken fingers.The steak bites come with a side of roasted bone marrow; the grilled cheese is a hefty sandwich grilled with mushrooms; the cobb salad is one of King’s favorites, and he describes it as a “man salad,” overflowing with avocado, two slices of homemade applewood-smoked bacon brushed with maple syrup, hard-boiled eggs, cheese and the usual grains.

The simplistic options listed on the menu are much more complex and thoughtfully-constructed than they appear.

King said he wants to evoke a certain shock value with his highlevel, rustic food. “I’m basically trying to create with every dish that fajita platter,” he said. “ The visualization of that fajita platter going to the table (at Mexican restaurants) — it creates drama. So the food I’m trying to do — it creates drama.”

Mathematics junior Jose Valdez praised the quality of the food and the service but said that he went when the restaurant wasn’t very busy.

“As far as the food goes, it was excellent. The service was even better,” he said. “I felt well taken care of. But, I feel like it if would’ve been busier, the service wouldn’t have been as good because we had to get their attention; if we wanted something, it was more on us than on them.”

This service style, however, feeds into the mood King, manager Brad

Sturgis and owner Billy Hales want to create in their restaurant — casual yet upscale — that also applies to the food.

“I wanted to create bar food done really, really well and at a high level where it felt casual but not pretentious,” King said. “If I had white linens up all over this place, it’d feel really stuffy. I still want to be able to play sports, I still want to have some good music going, I still want to keep it a bar.”

Large, spherical lightbulbs radiate softly in the square, high-walled room. Cream-colored walls contrast with the dark, rich wooden tables highlighted by small yellow candles. Exposed wooden rafters in the ceiling give it a still-in-construction look, but carefully contradicts the clean, modern attributes. A projector displays sports or game shows on an otherwise blank wall. Chattering from the bar cascades through the rest of the room coupled with mellow music that blends to create a lively animated, but manageable soundscape.

“It seemed lively but at the same time I could still talk to the people next to me without having to yell,” Valdez said.

Customer Elaine Ball likes the new, changed atmosphere and complimented the long, skinny tables and background music.

“I think it’s a big improvement,” she said. “Marti’s was like a cowboy bar with really bad style. (Local is) a little classier.”

Local is open Tuesday and Wednesday 4 p.m. to 2 a.m., with the kitchen closed at midnight; Thursday through Saturday 4 p.m. to 2 a.m., kitchen closed at 1 a.m.; Sunday 4 p.m. to 11 p.m.

11

mustang daily

Arts Love continued from page 10

the novel that eventually leads her to Leo. There is not a single character in the book who could be considered happy, and yet, none of them can be purely classified as unhappy either. While this is an undeniable testament to human nature, Krauss’s decision to disallow the fulfillment of anyone’s deepest desires, at least

Communities continued from page 10

the phone and door-to-door to ensure that people had different avenues to contribute.

When he asked people in Beijing what would happen if there were no neighborhood organizations, they overwhelmingly said it would cause big problems. When this same question was asked in Taipei, the majority said there would be minimal problems. However the distribution of responses for how satisfied people were with their neighborhood organization was very similar.

Although there aren’t groups

within the pages of the book, gives the whole novel a disappointed and plaintive feeling.

That being said, there is beauty in the poignancy and heartbreaks of the novel, and there is also hope. If not for Leo or his son, then at least for Alma and her family, whose ties to Leo through his book ensure that he has not disappeared.

Krauss’s “The History of Love” is written with intense feeling and flashes of humor that create a unique and eclectic cast of char-

exactly like these in the United States, they can be compared to other organizations in America.

Some of the main responsibilities of community and resident advisers at Cal Poly include planning social events, solving conflicts and supporting the community as a whole — all activities that are shared by the neighborhood leaders in East Asia.

One student in attendance works as a Cal Poly community adviser at Cal Poly. Recreation, parks and tourism administration sophomore Kaitlyn Cutler said she connected with the presentation.

“I could relate (it) to being a adviser. You have to be a community presence,” Cutler said.

acters. The novel’s organization and conclusion feels unnecessarily abstract at points, yet the interwoven structure of the storylines is an imperative part of the novel’s grace. Krauss defies limitations as she jumps between and interlaces each storyline to give just a small sampling of what the history of love entails.

Virginia Fay is an English sophomore and Mustang Daily book columnist.

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editors & staff editor in chief Emilie Egger managing editor Alex Kacik news editor Kate McIntyre wire editor Jessica Barba arts editor Cassandra Keyse online editor Megan Hassler sports editor Brian De Los Santos design editor Kevin Black copy editors Beth Shirley,Tim Miller, Haley Nahman, Will Taylor 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 managers Kristin Coplan, Giana Ronzani ad designers Mai-Chi Vu, Sara Hamling, Justin Rodriguez, John Dixon advertising representatives Erika Powers, Giana Ronzani, April Manalotto,Tarah Brinkerhoff, Lindsey Bly, Jenelle McDonnell, Amanda Dennin,Tess Capacasa, Cambrie Marks, Erica Savage, Breann Borges faculty adviser Brady Teufel general manager Paul Bittick

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Wednesday, February 24, 2010 Volume LXXIV, No. 81 ©2009 Mustang Daily “That unethical pizza tastes sooooo gooood.”

opinion/editorial Wednesday, February 24, 2010

Editor in chief: Emilie Egger Managing Editor: Alex Kacik

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Glenn Beck calls out ‘progressives’ on misnomer Glenn Beck has done it again.

During his moving speech at the Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC) last Saturday, Beck argued that the single largest problem facing the nation, ironically, is “progressivism.”

It seems almost contradictory that a movement called progressivism would have any negative consequences. As Americans, we are always looking for progressive solutions to make our lives better.

We are all about moving forward and dealing with daily issues in a progressive way. This word is so infused in our culture that when it received a political meaning, we never knew what hit us.

As Beck explained, progressivism is really just a nicely packaged form of radical liberalism.

Liberal thinkers have always had a way with candy-coating extreme ideas throughout history, and progressivism is a prime example of this trend. After all, progressivism sounds much better than “deficit spending” or “higher taxes,” let alone “socialism.”

Progressivism means extended government control and reckless spending. It’s not about moving forward; it’s about reverting back to the same methods that led us into the Great Depression, and bringing the nation closer to the principles of communism. As Beck clearly asserted, the Roaring ‘20s came to a halt when the government became looser with its purse strings during the Hoover Administration. The only difference between Hoover and Roosevelt was that Hoover didn’t try to be creative when he realized the American economy was taking a dive. Oh, and by the way, it was not drastic domestic spending that got us out of the Depression; it was a little something called World War II. Although its short-term results seemed promising, Roosevelt’s “New Deal” really just put us deeper into the endless pit of national debt.

It seemed shocking at first to see Beck reprimand the Republican Party at the CPAC of all places, but he made it clear that the Democratic legislators are not the only ones to blame. Republican lawmakers have started to drift away from truly Republican values over in Washington. The progres-

sive movement has infiltrated the Republican Party ever since Theodore Roosevelt came to office. Values like the “right of the individual,” “the American Dream” and a dedication to our first principles have suddenly dissipated as progressive solutions have promised to save us from life’s struggles. Instead of working things out, America has tried to take the easy way out by allowing the government to rescue them. And rather than being realistic, some Republican politicians have acquiesced under the pressure in order to avoid being afflicted with shame by the opposition.

Probably the most dramatic example of this is the 2008 financial meltdown. Back in the ‘90s, Rep.

Barney Frank and his cronies tried to demonize Republicans that disagreed with Clinton’s economic policy. Republicans tried to fight against Clinton’s massive Wall Street bailouts and the risky practices of Fannie and Freddie, but this powerful minority muted them.

And look where we are now:The government’s recent bailout of Wall Street had little success, and even Frank, who previously wanted to “roll the dice a little bit more” with Fannie and Freddie, now wants to abolish the two giants. We probably could have halted the economic crisis before it metastasized to a full-on recession, but we didn’t because we were plagued with the demands of progressivism in Washington.

We have allowed the government to interfere with our personal lives to a point where individual hard work and merit have almost become inconsequential. “When did it become an object of shame and ridicule to become a self-made man in America?” Beck asked. Small business has kept Americans employed, and yet they receive no mercy when the economy takes a dip. As Beck said, “(Small business) employers are the people who are really struggling, and those are the people we are hardly noticing anymore.”

The government has no concern for the heart and soul of our economy, as it is under the false impression that spending money will solve all our problems.

It’s never good to be behind the times, but progressivism is far from progressive. The government needs to stop getting in the way of the American Dream, and to let the movers and shakers of our economy see the fruits of their labors. Otherwise, we will remain trapped in the cycle of progressive failure.

Brendan Pringle is an English sophomore and Mustang Daily political columnist.

john kraus newsart

Wednesday, February 24, 2010

13

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op/ed

Tiger and Toyota must rebuild brands in face of adversity Tim Rutten los angeles times

Tiger Woods' strained — actually, rather bizarre — appearance before the television cameras Friday and next week's appearance by Toyota Motor Corp. President Akio Toyoda have more in common than it might appear.

Start with the fact that Woods is an athlete who performs like a machine; Toyotas are automobiles that — until recently, at least — performed the way machines are supposed to but almost never do.

More important, the golfer and the carmaker are both beneficiaries of the way popular culture seems to be blending two powerful social forces — the culture of celebrity and brand loyalty — into a single new commercial imperative.

As the Irish political commentator and cultural critic Fintan O'Toole has pointed out: "Celebrity culture thrives on two qualities.

One is a false intimacy: the belief that a famous person is known to us in the way our friends, family and neighbors might be. The other is blankness: the celebrity is a screen onto which we can project whatever feelings, thoughts or desires we choose at any given time."

What marketing people like to call "brand loyalty" is the con-

sumer economy's equivalent of the culture of celebrity. We'd all like to think our material purchases are supremely rational, but the truth is our deep-seated preferences for certain brands are based on considerations beyond the physically qualitative.

Woods' celebrity is based not only on the perfection of his swing, but also on the idea that his modest origins and mixed racial heritage democratized and integrated a sport that hadn't fully shaken the shadows of its historic elitism and exclusionism. To many, Woods, like President Obama, stands for the emerging reality of a post-racial America.

For its part, Toyota has

rate culture fears contradiction, the golfer simultaneously apologized to the world for behavior that occurred in the most private part of a person's life, then castigated the media for invading his family's privacy.

There were a couple of novel touches. Anybody familiar with the 12-step programs derived from the Alcoholics Anonymous model probably recognized the imperative to acknowledge the hurt done to others as a "step" toward recovery.

Woods confirmed that he has been in a treatment program and planned to return to it. Enlisting Americans' reverence for the therapeutic experience is an interesting tactic for rebuilding the brand. Similarly, he

tion and its tour, which has seen its attendance and TV ratings tank without Tiger.)

It will be interesting to compare Woods' performance with Toyoda's.

The Japanese have a well-developed culture of apology. It's considered essential to a tradition that values consensus and social peace.

By apologizing, a powerful figure does not so much accept individual responsibility as acknowledge the injured party's pain. When Toyoda made that sort of apology in Japan, Roland Kelts, from the University of Tokyo, pointed out to ABC News that the executive had

come to stand for utter reliability, financial prudence and a certain intelligently independent style. From that perspective, the Prius hybrid represents an America in which personal mobility and personal responsibility are happily compatible.

Woods' relatively brief appearance Friday had more the aura of a corporate announcement — subdued backdrop, handpicked audience, no questions — than it did an athlete's news conference. Because neither the celebrity nor corpo-

deftly pirouetted from the expected by not doing what most sports celebrities in trouble do: announcing he'd "found Jesus." Instead, he expressed regret at failing the Buddhist principles he'd learned from his mother.Very multicultural.

Here, though, the Toyota parallel remerges, for as Woods presented it, his treatment seemed less like therapy and more like a recall, right down to the promise to be back on the road soon. (That's good news for the Professional Golf Associa-

bowed very deeply. "The deeper the bow," said Kelts, "the greater respect you show, and quite literally you are exposing the back of your neck. In samurai days, you were offering your head, which could be cut off." (Something similar might be said of the American plaintiffs' bar, but that's

Winter Olympics are a celebration of the human spirit mcclatchy—tribune news service

The Vancouver Winter Olympics are offering a brief but important opportunity to see that the modern world is not as frightening as it's often depicted.

Just 20 years ago nations such as Ukraine, Latvia and Georgia were still under the Soviet yoke.

Germany had just unified.

South Africa was starting to free itself of apartheid.

In fact, using the Olympics as a barometer of global health makes it clear that much is well with the world.

For decades the games were highly politicized, and often polarizing, reflective of a deeply divided world.

The 1916 Olympics were canceled because of World War I, and when they returned in Antwerp in 1920 it was in honor of the 16 million who died in that conflict.

In the 1936 games in Berlin, where Adolf Hitler set a stage to prove Aryan superiority, he was deliciously defeated by a tour de force from sprinter and long jumper Jesse Owens.

After the final ceremonies in Berlin, the world was too damaged to gather again until January 1948 in Switzerland.

The contentiousness didn't stop

there. In 1956, nations boycotted the Olympics to protest the invasion of Hungary, the Suez Crisis and the participation of Taiwan.

Games in Mexico City in 1968 followed gunfire directed at students.

The Palestinian-Israeli crisis spilled into the 1972 Munich Summer Olympics, leaving 11 Israeli Olympic team members dead.

Just 30 years ago, the United States led 62 countries in boycotting the 1980 Olympics in Moscow.

The boycott was a direct reaction to the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan.

It was one more in a series of East-West stare-downs, the first and second world powers flexing their nuclear arms.

And the Soviet Union retaliated by leading a 14-nation boycott of the 1984 Olympics in Los Angeles.

The Vancouver games and the 2008 games in China show a far more unified globe.

Even the Doomsday Clock, which symbolically represents the manmade dangers to mankind, has moved backward this year.

This isn't to be Pollyanna. The United States and three dozen allies still fight for a better future for Afghanistan, and Iraq remains a troubled nation.

Islamist extremism is a growing

threat in parts of the world.

Of course the world has many problems. The soaring security costs at recent Olympics to detect and deter international terrorism are clear indicators of the times.

But the Vancouver Winter Olympics are putting a diverse planet on display, newly free countries competing with former oppressors. They are a great reminder that despite the problems of the day, we could be, and often were during the past century, much worse off.

Times such as these, when sport can simply be sport, should be celebrated.

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for Toyoda to discover.)

There are some old-fashioned questions that could be asked, of course:Who cares what Tiger Woods did in bed or with whom? Isn't that an issue for him and his wife to sort out? Why not either watch the guy play golf or forget him? There's the rub, and his dilemma: Neither the PGA nor his sponsors can afford to let you forget Tiger Woods the brand any more than Akio Toyoda c a n afford to let you forget the Prius.

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Basketball continued from page 16

going 19-32. The Titans went 30-37 making 80 percent of their free throw attempts.

The game against the Titans will be a key conference match, as the Mustangs are one game behind Fullerton in the conference standings. Still up for grabs is the number three seed in the Big West tournament, which would belong to Fullerton if the season were to end today.

Freshman guard Kyle Odister knew that the season is far from over as Cal Poly will battle for leverage in the tournament.

“Everybody’s going to have to step up. We know what they’re going to do now and we know the scouting report,” he said. “We knew nothing was going to be handed to us this whole year.”

At the beginning of the season, Cal Poly was projected to finish at the bottom of the Big West. Last season, the Mustangs finished 3-13 in conference — Cal Poly has already doubled the number of wins in conference this year.

Despite its success, Callero is trying to focus his team on the game in front of them.

“The eyes are on you and the lights are turned up — its game time,” he said.

— Brian De Los Santos and Zach Lantz contributed to this article.

15

mustang daily

Wednesday, February 24, 2010

sports

U.S. men know they can’t look past Swiss Arthur Staple newsday

The U.S. men’s hockey team’s architects and players loudly and gladly told anyone who would listen that the Americans were huge underdogs for a medal heading into the Olympics.

After last week’s three-game sweep, capped by a stirring 5-3 win over Canada on Sunday, you can forget about that whole “Miracle on Ice II” story line.

“I don’t think we’re going to surprise anyone anymore,” said Red Wings defenseman Brian Rafalski, Team USA’s leading scorer with four goals and an assist.

So now it’s the beginning of life as a favorite. Wednesday’s quarterfinal with Switzerland is no sure thing, even though the Americans beat the Swiss, 3-1, eight days ago in the Olympic opener. Of Wednesday’s quarterfinal matchups, the United States’ seems the easiest, well-earned after picking up the No. 1 seed; Canada, after defeating Germany last night, will face Russia tonight, a meeting of the two best teams on paper coming into Vancouver.

U.S. general manager Brian Burke decided to start a new line of motivational techniques by telling reporters Monday that he wasn’t thrilled by his team’s play thus far; Burke was the one claiming that no one had bet a nickel on the U.S. team coming in, so maybe

this trope will work, too.

“I think Burkie’s trying to keep us where we need to be,” Ryan Miller told reporters in Vancouver, “which is probably paranoid. Beating Canada wasn’t the goal coming here. It was beating any team in our way.”

It’s the Swiss Wednesday, once again. Islanders defenseman Mark Streit and Ducks goaltender Jonas Hiller got their Swiss squad under Canada’s skin by taking the host team to a shootout, little did the Canadian fans know that was just a small disappointment compared to what came next against the United States, but Switzerland struggled to down Norway in overtime, and squeaked by Belarus in a shootout in yesterday’s qualification round.

The way the Americans are playing, with coach Ron Wilson having found some reliable forward lines and a top defensive pair with the 36-year-old Rafalski and Predators defenseman Ryan Suter, this game should not be a problem.

It will be one, though, if the Americans start believing the hype.

Patrick Kane noted that “it felt like we shut the whole city down.”

This is still a young bunch, so it’s up to the braintrust and the leaders such as Rafalski, Chris Drury, Jamie Langenbrunner and Miller to keep hammering away at the “we haven’t won anything yet” theme.

An undefeated team has been bounced in the quarterfinals in each of the last two Olympics, Slovakia

by Czech Republic in 2006 and Sweden by upstart Belarus in 2002, so nothing is assured by winning through the preliminary round.

But the United States has the best goaltender in the tournament right now in Miller, Henrik Lundqvist still hasn’t allowed a goal, but

he hasn’t had to be as great as Miller was against Canada, and that goes a long way toward giving everyone else confidence.

“People can start believing if we put in a solid effort (Wednesday) and a solid effort again after,” Miller said.

mcclatchy-tribune

The U.S. Men’s hockey team completed a 5-3 upset over Canada Sunday.

Today, the U.S. will take on Switzerland in the quarter finals.

mustangdaily.net

Wednesday, February 24, 2010

SPORTS

sports editor: Brian De Los Santos

mustangdailysports@gmail.com

MUSTANG DAILY

Mustangs will use home-court advantage against Fullerton Daniel Triassi mustang daily

For many of us, it’s like the phenomenon of a home-cooked meal.

Food always tastes better when it comes from your mom’s oven.

At Mott Gym, the concept is the same but the scent is entirely different. Here, it’s more of a newsneaker smell mixed with pebblegrain leather and the acrid, pharmaceutical scent of athletic tape.

Or maybe it’s the scent of flesh and floor varnish.

Take a whiff. This is the home of the Mustangs.

Tonight, Cal Poly (10-16, 6-7 Big West) begins a season-ending three-game home stand as they host Cal State Fullerton (14-12, 7-6) in a game televised on FSN West.

Homecourt advantage is something the Mustangs have benefited from this season. The Mustangs have posted a 5-4 record at home as opposed to a 5-12 record on the road.

The advantage is something head coach Joe Callero said is integral to his team’s success on the court. At the beginning of their season, Callero commented in a video about Mott Gym’s homecourt legacy.

“When we pack Mott Gym, when we make the walls of Mott Gym sweat, when we get the Maniacs here,” Callero said. “Everyone jumps higher, we shoot better and we play better defense … it’s the

home court advantage we look forward to.”

With these high hopes, when asked about the home-court advantage so far this season, Callero explained the advantage for his team is familiarity.

“My 10-year-old daughter asked me why it’s so important,” Callero said. “I asked her in simple terms: Do you sleep better in your own bed or in a hotel room? I said you always sleep better in your own bed, just like you shoot better in your own gym.”

The team has proven Callero’s comparison true. The Mustangs total game attendance averages 400 more fans than last year — with three home games left in the regular season.

“Its really been building and getting better and better each game. We averaged over 2,000 fans the last four games,” he said.

Ryan Darling, senior forward, said he likes the home-court atmosphere.

“We want to let them know we appreciate them, and we’re here to represent their school,” Darling said.

While on the court, the game is his main focus, but the crowd still has an effect.

“I want to say I tune the crowd out, but when something is done well, it’s amplified and when something is done poorly, it’s amplified, too,” he said.

In their previous match up back on Jan.14, the Mustangs fell to the

nick camacho mustang daily file photo

Senior guard Lorenzo Keeler scored 13 points in the Mustangs first contest against Cal State Fullerton this season. The secind-leading scorer in the Big West is averaging 18.8 points through conference play.

Titans by a score of 68-54 at Fullerton. This time around, the game will be played on the Mustangs’ home court.

In that game, guards Shawn Lewis and Lorenzo Keeler were the only players to score in double

figures in what was one of the lowest offensive outputs by the team this season.

“I think it’s a team that can score … so it really comes down to they have great athletes and we got to be able to defend them and hold

them under 70 (points) and obviously the key for us is scoring over 70,” Callero said.

In the game the Mustangs converted 59 percent of their shots see Basketball, page 15

Baseball rides the Waves out of Malibu, 12-4 mustang daily staff report

Cal Poly freshman pitcher Joey Wagman allowed one run through six innings to push the Mustangs (2-2) past Pepperdine (2-2) by the score of 12-4 Tuesday.

Cal Poly’s starting rotation has been consistent through four games; so have the relievers. The starters have a combined 2.82 ERA while the relievers’ ERA is 24.78. The starters have given up three fewer earned runs (8) despite notching 17.6 more innings than their counterparts coming out of the pen in four games.

Left fielder Bobby Crocker carried the offensive load for the Mustangs, scoring six runs on three hits, highlighted by a three-run bomb in the fourth inning. Sophomore

second baseman Matt Jensen drove in three runs on two hits and freshman right fielder Mitch Haniger scored four runs on three singles.

It took the Mustangs three innings to get on the board. They cashed in on one of Pepperdine’s four errors when Jensen hit a tworun double after Pepperdine pitcher Alex Najera threw a ground ball away.

Cal Poly added four more in the fourth after two singles, a walk and a Crocker’s three-run homer to open the lead up to 7-0.

Pepperdine’s offense sputtered until the fifth inning. The Waves managed three singles to push a run across the plate. Wagman found himself in trouble with the bases loaded and two out. It took him four pitches to strike out Pepperdine hitter Aaron Gates and get out of the jam. Wagman retired the side in order with a 10-pitch sixth inning after Cal Poly added two more runs in the top half of the sixth.

Cal Poly ran into some trouble in the home half of the eighth inning when Tommy Erlin came in to relieve DJ Mauldin, despite retiring four out of five batters. Erlin gave up a double to the first batter he faced and was immediately yanked. Reliver Jeff Johnson didn’t do any better, giving up a double and two-run home run as the lead narrowed, 10-4.

Pepperdine’s top hitters were left fielder Tyler Brubaker who hit a two-run homer, catcher Nate Johnson and second baseman Joe

Sever who both had two hits.

Najera, a freshman southpaw, gave up seven runs and seven hits in four innings with two walks.

Cal Poly will play a three-game non-conference series at the University of San Francisco (1-2) this weekend.

nick camacho mustang daily file photo

Left fielder Bobby Crocker finshed the game 3-5 with six RBIs. Crocker’s offensive performance was highlighted by a three-run home run in the fourth inning. Sceond baseman Matt Jensen drove in three runs off two hits.