The Daily Aztec - Vol. 95, Issue 103

Tuesday, April 13, 2010

Vol. 95, Issue 103

THE

DAILY

w w w. T h e D a i l y A z t e c . c o m

AZTEC

Tw i t t e r : T h e D a i l y A z t e c

San Diego State University’s Independent Student Newspaper since 1913

I N S I D E T O D AY TRAVEL & ADVENTURE

Budget sparks heated debate D AV I D J . O L E N D E R A S S I S TA N T P H O T O E D I T O R

BAREFOOT Find out why students were walking barefoot last Thursday in an effort to raise awareness. page 3

OPINION

EDUCATION ALLIES The lieutenant governor holds the power to help students during the budget crisis. page 4

SPORTS

SWEEP The San Diego State baseball team swept Air Force in the weekend series. page 5

TODAY @ SDSU Poetry reading 5:30 p.m.

SDSU Library, Room 108 Author Carolyn Forche will present a poetry reading. The event is free and open to the public.

For more of today’s headlines, visit:

www.thedailyaztec.com

The California state budget deficit has been a topic of concern for many students and community members for years. Most recently, the effects of the state budget crisis on San Diego State’s admissions policies has been criticized by opposition activist organizations, especially when it concerns the denial of local residents seeking admission.

Frente Universitario en Lucha, a student, educator and community coalition in San Diego, held a community forum with SDSU President Stephen L. Weber at Hoover High School last Thursday to voice concern, regarding some of the recent California State University budget issues and their effects on the local student admission guarantee. The agreement has historically guaranteed local, qualified high school students admission into the university. SDSU has had to scale back that guarantee, meaning many previously qualified residents have been denied admission.

“We wanted to share our solutions for a mutual agreeable outcome with regards to the local admission guarantee,” Adam Osorio, Chicano studies graduate student and FUeL organizer, said.

What was initially intended to be a shared panel discussion, in which both SDSU and FUeL were equally represented in an open dialogue, became a heated debate and ended in protest and what SDSU’s Director of Educational Opportunity Program and Ethnic Affairs Reggie Blaylock suggested was a “missed opportunity,” in which the basis of FUeL’s concerns were being directed toward the wrong people.

“I think if we spent more (time) working together to educate our legislators on how important education is in this community, we’d be more effective and we’d get much further along,” Blaylock said. “Right now we’re spending time pointing the blame at President Weber or the administration here as if we control

the budget for the state of California, and clearly we don’t control that.”

FUeL members and other community supporters gathered at the forum with mouths covered by inkinscribed cloth bound at the neck, which was intended to symbolize the groups’ frustration and concern at SDSU’s denial of FUeL’s representation on the panel.

“These (gags) were not part of the original plan,” Osorio said.

“What we had originally planned was shared space on this panel this evening and unfortunately the president’s office notified us Tuesday that they were uncomfortable with that format and that they would rather do the presentation themselves … so our community and our local students thought it was important to visualize what a step back that is in the dialogue ... we don’t have an equal space to speak.”

FUeL’s objective was to express the importance of reinstating the local student admission guarantee, in which its absence denied 1,740 qualified local students for next fall. FUeL also suggested SDSU admit those students.

FUeL claims the SDSU administration has previously attempted to forfeit the local admission guarantee and claims ulterior motives on behalf of the administration for doing so.

“This isn’t (the) first attempt to either remove or alter the local admission guarantee with high school students,” Osorio said. “The administration may be seeking to get rid of local San Diego high school prospects in (an) effort to gain more attractive features that our administrators might see as heightening the profile of SDSU, unfortunately at the cost of local high school students and our communities — putting pride and prestige over the needs and qualifications of local high school students.”

Conversely, Weber and accompanying administration said the intention is to submit and graduate as many students — local and non-local — as the university can retain with the current restraints of the budget deficit. Currently, the local appli-

David J. Olender / Assistant Photo Editor

cants who were not accepted have the option of appealing their denial, in which the university allots a certain number of spaces for potential enrollment for denied applicants who successfully complete the appeal process. Furthermore, a community college Transfer Admission Guarantee will be offered to the local high school students who were denied access.

“What we’ve done for the local students who were denied is offer a special transfer admission guarantee for them to come through community college as juniors,” Sandra Cook, assistant vice president for Academic Affairs, said. “It’s just for them. It gives them catalogue rights to the requirements in place as if they had entered now. It’s a new endeavor, but it’s a way to express that we do care about the local San Diego students and we want them to have this education, and since there is not the room to do it, the way we would all like to do it we are trying to offer this other guarantee.”

Aside from any progression or lack thereof, FUeL is determined to continue to voice its opinions pertaining to SDSU and the consequences the budget cuts have for local San Diego students and their

communities. FUeL is seeking more diverse forums and gatherings including Weber and accompanying administration in the near future.

“We are hoping we can meet with the president again before the semester ends in a space where we do have an equal voice and where we can talk about some of our proposals on a more equal footing,” Osorio said.

FUeL offered Weber a petition calling for a more democratic meeting, in which both perspectives are equally represented. Weber declined to sign the petition.

The CSU system as a whole is reducing enrollment by 40,000 students, which means a 4,662 decrease in student enrollment at SDSU. This school year, SDSU had state funding cut by $55 million and the year before by $18 million — forcing the university to increase student fees, cut faculty, classes and programs and the rate at which students are admitted to the university.

“The main message is that California is withdrawing support for higher education,” Weber said. “The consequence of that is that fewer students can come into the CSU in general and fewer students can come into San Diego State … 4,662 fewer.”

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INDEX TRAVEL & ADVENTURE...............................................3 OPINION...........................................................................4 SPORTS.............................................................................5 CLASSIFIEDS....................................................................7 THE BACK PAGE............................................................8

Group claims marijuana is ‘safer’ A S H L E Y M O RG A N S TA F F W R I T E R

Students argued that drinking alcohol is more harmful than smoking marijuana last Thursday on the Free Speech Steps.

The nonprofit organization Safer Alternative For Enjoyable Recreation started the project with the purpose of “educating the public about the relative harms of the nation’s two most popular recreational drugs: alcohol and marijuana,” according to the group’s Web site. “In particular, the organization works to highlight the fact that marijuana is far safer than alcohol both to the consumer and to society.”

Undeclared freshman Colin Brown said the event was intended to “give information to people about how alcohol can be worse for a person than marijuana and that we should have the same punishment for alcohol as marijuana instead of everybody going a little bit more extreme with marijuana.”

Political science freshman Veronica Stetter, SAFER’s San Diego State spokesperson, passed out fliers, held up posters and rallied students for her cause.

“I’m trying to get an official campus organization set up, I’m on Facebook with it,” Stetter said.

“SAFER sent me some materials and I’m going to give them to President Stephen L. Weber. It’s a book written by one of the cofounders of SAFER and also a piece of paper that contains the emerald initiative, which is the plan for colleges to lessen punishments (for marijuana offenses on college campuses).”

Although the event’s turnout was small, Stetter said she believes the organization has a presence on campus and is looking to expand next year’s event.

In 2008, the Amethyst Initiative, a statement signed by 135 chancellors and presidents of colleges across the U.S., invited debate about changing the current drinking age because of the persistence

of drinking problems on campuses.

In response, SAFER has created the Emerald Initiative to encourage college administrations to allow students to use marijuana more “freely,” which the group said could result in fewer students engaging in dangerous drinking.

Thirteen campuses nationwide have adopted SAFER referendums and measures, including Ohio State, George Washington University and the University of Maryland.

“Well for one, nobody can O.D. on marijuana … I’ve had friends that have had to go to the hospital for alcohol poisoning, and I’ve had alcohol poisoning myself, it’s just a lot more dangerous,” biology freshman Cameron Blackburn said.

“Humans have used alcohol for several thousand years, making custom, not consideration, the basis for its legal and social acceptance,” SDSU psychology professor Robert McGivern said. “It’s hard to imagine getting FDA approval today for alcohol as a non-prescription drug if it had been newly dis-

covered in the past century.”

Still, recent studies in both animals and humans show that chronic, high-level marijuana use in adolescence and young adulthood impairs the normal development of attention and memory systems, and even when individuals stop using, the impairments can persist for years afterward.

“This is one area where marijuana’s long-term effects appear to be worse than those of alcohol, because alcohol impairments in heavy drinking adolescents are reversible if the individual stops drinking,” McGivern said. “An argument relying primarily on the fact that marijuana is better / safer than alcohol as a basis for legalization is specious at best.”

The event runs congruently with National Alcohol Awareness Month.

“The goal is to just educate people and I guess we go to a kind of party school, we have that reputation, but there are obviously safer alternatives out there and we just want to educate people about it,” Stetter said.

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Tuesday, April 13, 2010

TRAVEL & ADVENTURE

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3

Students forgo Comic-Con may leave SD their footwear F R A N C I S R . DE L A C R U Z S TA F F W R I T E R

Courtesy of Cynthia Tecson

Last Thursday, SDSU students walked barefoot in solidarity with TOMS shoes.

NICOLE C ALLA S F E AT U R E S E D I T O R

Students wear them every day.

Some use them as accessories, others will buy designer brands and most never leave the house without them. An everyday, basic addition to treading campus hallways, shuffling across floors at work and running on hard cement, many could not imagine life without shoes. But for many children who were not born in developed regions such as the U.S., they must pace the walks of life shoeless.

Many are unable to attend school barefoot, at the risk of contracting diseases, and must walk miles to seek basic necessities such as medical help, food and water.

San Diego State, as well as campuses and communities across the world, were challenged by TOMS Shoes to take a step out of their small worlds to experience what it’s like to live as many children do every day. About a quarter of a million people around the world pledged to go barefoot for the “One Day Without Shoes” event last Thursday, including many SDSU students who were inspired by the cause.

International security and conflict resolution freshman Leah Iracleous was one of many students who decided to take part in the event.

“We are spoiled here in America,” Iracleous said. “No one is barefoot here. I feel a little connection to them in a way now. It’s nice to take away luxuries sometimes; it makes you see more to life and what to be grateful for.”

Iracleous started walking barefoot in the morning and said she would try to continue throughout the day, even while attending work. She, more than most, knows the potential effects and risks of walking without shoes. Her dad contracted a virus in Africa through his foot while walking barefoot. He nearly died when the virus travelled from his foot to his stomach.

Many others who live without shoes on a regular basis are also at risk of catching diseases.

Social science freshman Lisa Yim also vowed to walk sans footwear and said she could not imagine what it would be like to do so on a regular basis.

“We are so blessed to have the things we do,” Yim said. “And the fact that we can go one day without shoes is such a small thing that other people have to go through every day.”

Yim said she is planning to join the Peace Corps and wanted to get a preview of what she may be encountering while abroad.

“It’s also something I wanted to do for myself,” she said. “I mean, who could actually say they have gone 24 hours without shoes just to have a sneak peak of what others go through in their life.”

Political science senior Lauren Eccker, the SDSU campus representative for TOMS shoes, partnered with the campus Health Expo to coordinate the event.

Participants collectively walked around campus and painted their feet to showcase their involvement.

“I’m actually surprised that SDSU students have been so supportive,” Eccker said. “As a college student, we’re getting educated on what’s going on in the world and … it’s important to do something about what you’re learning about. This is a simple way to be really involved in making a positive change.”

The founder of TOMS Shoes, Blake Mycoskie, was inspired to create the One for One movement when he traveled the world to find Argentine children without shoes to protect their feet. Every shoe sold by TOMS would prompt another pair to be donated to regions in need of shoes including Ethiopia, Argentina and South Africa, according to Eccker.

For those who did not participate in the nationwide event last Thursday, there are many other ways to support the cause.

Students can join the student organization TOMS SDSU, apply for spring, summer and fall internships at TOMS Shoes headquarters in Santa Monica or simply buy a pair of TOMS Shoes to contribute to worldwide donations.

Every year, thousands of people all across the world come to the San Diego Convention Center for one of the biggest comic book and pop-culture events in North America: Comic-Con International. Started as an event with roughly 300 participants in 1970, attendance has increased to 126,000 visitors since last July. This international gathering has not only attracted tourism in San Diego and increased revenues, but has also filled the convention center, streets, hotels and parking areas in downtown for years.

But this massive event may be changing locations.

According to a recent report from www.signonsandiego.com, Comic-Con is not able to accommodate all of the exhibitors because the event is expanding so quickly. Comic-Con spokesman David Glanzer said in the report that space is a factor in considering whether to stay or leave.

In the meantime, three different cities have been vying to host Comic-Con. According to the San Diego News Network, convention and visitor bureau managers from Anaheim, Los Angeles and Las Vegas are actively pursuing ComicCon organizers to move to their respected cities. But for Comic-Con fans, changing cities could be detrimental, especially for San Diego dwellers. Each of the cities have their own strengths to prove they are worth considering.

Anaheim Located in the center of Southern California, Anaheim is a contender for hosting Comic-Con. According to the Anaheim / Orange County Visitor and Convention Bureau’s Web site, it has the largest convention center on the West Coast with a total coverage of 1.6 million square feet and can accommodate more exhibitors than San Diego.

In addition, Anaheim has many affordable lodging options for guests to choose from. Orange County has around 55,000 hotel rooms, 12,000 of them about a mile from the convention center and 7,000 within walking distance from the convention center. Not to forget, Anaheim is also home to

Glenn Connelly / Photo Editor

Each summer, the San Diego Convention Center hosts the popular event Comic-Con.

Disneyland, for attendees who are looking to extend their trip.

Even though Anaheim might have the largest convention center, a theme park and a safe city reputation, ACC can only accommodate 90,000 attendees, that’s 36,000 less than the SDCC can accommodate.

Los Angeles Los Angeles may have the biggest advantage in terms of location. The city is close to studios where villains, superheroes and aliens are created — Hollywood. But this city has more than just Tinsel Town to rally Comic-Con support. The city has the efficient and technologically savvy-designed Los Angeles Convention Center. It has 720,000 square feet of exhibitor space. Not far from the convention center is the 27-acre entertainment complex in downtown called L.A. Live.

Adjacent to Staples Center, L.A. Live features the Nokia Theatre, where American Idol finals usually take place; Nokia Plaza, a 40,000 square foot open-air plaza and Regal Cinemas LA Live, a chain of 14 cinema halls. It also has plenty of restaurants to choose from.

According to the San Diego News Network’s Web site, Michael Krouse, the convention center’s senior vice president of sales, said that the total capacity would allow Comic-Con to accommodate 140,000 attendees. And for lodging, attendees have 94,000 rooms to choose from in the Los Angeles County, and 5,000 of them are within eight blocks of the LACC.

Las Vegas Last but not least is Las Vegas. This city is not only a popular place to

spend weekend getaways and Spring Break, but is also ranked number one in trade shows. This city boasts the biggest exhibit space among the four cities. The Las Vegas Convention Center has approximately 2 million square feet of space and is conveniently placed near the Las Vegas strip.

In addition, Las Vegas has numerous hotel rooms to choose from. Las Vegas has around 140,000 rooms county-wide.

However, during the month of July, this city can get exceptionally hot.

According to www.vegas.com, the average temperature in July is 106 degrees, the highest of the year.

Whether Comic-Con stays in San Diego or not, it isn’t only bureau managers trying to convince the Comic-Con board to relocate. Bloggers and Facebook users are also creating fan pages to support their cities.

According to The Associated Press, the SDCC has decided to perform $750 million worth of renovations to the convention center, with hopes of keeping Comic-Con a client.

The Comic-Con board hasn’t release any decisions about future locations, but one local San Diego State student strongly believes that this event should stay in town.

Advertising senior Paulo Delacruz is one of the many advocates for Comic-Con to stick to its San Diego roots.

“Comic-Con should stay in San Diego because it was born and raised here,” Delacruz said. “It has been an annual staple of San Diego tourism for 40 years now. It has become a part of San Diego’s identity.”

4

The Daily Aztec

OPINION

Tuesday, April 13, 2010

FLAMING LIBERAL

Hahn is the best bet to fight for students

T

he end of the school year is almost here; May is just a few short weeks away. It will also likely be the month the California State University Board of Trustees will review the 2010-2011 Support Budget and potentially vote to increase our fees by at least 10 percent — as it’s done at the May meetings the previous two years when students are busiest with finals and graduation.

Our system and structure must change to be more responsive to students so we can find real, long-term solutions to these budget shortfalls that leave students with a lower quality of education and more debt.

I’ve always encouraged people to turn to elected officials, but with few champions for higher education in Sacramento, students are always left wanting more. Luckily, right now we have a chance to change that.

As I prepare to attend the California Democratic Party State convention in Los Angeles this weekend, I reviewed all the candidates running for statewide office — many of them virtual unknowns to the general population — and a solution came to me. It’s something that has been under the noses of students all along.

This November, we will elect a new lieutenant governor.

While this office may be one of the lesser-known offices in the state of California, this should change, especially for students in the University of California and the CSU systems. The lieutenant governor sits as an ex officio member on both the UC Regents and the CSU Board of Trustees.

This means the lieutenant governor is one of the only positions on this governing board we get to elect — the other officials are the governor and superintendent of public instruction, who also serve as ex officio members on both boards.

We have few ways of influencing the way this board works because we don’t have a voice about how these people are placed in a position of power. The UC Regents board is comprised of 26 members, 18 of which are appointed by the governor for 12-year terms and the CSU Board of Trustees has 24 members with 16 of which

A L L A N AC E V E D O OPINION EDITOR

are appointed for 8-year periods.

This system underrepresents students. I remember sitting in the gallery during last summer’s CSU Board of Trustees meeting on July 21, when the trustees voted 17 to 1 to increase our fees an additional 20 percent after already increasing our fees 10 percent at the May meeting. This was shocking as even student trustee Russel Statham voted for the fee increase. This was a disappointing vote from Statham, especially as July marked his first meeting as a voting member.

The only person who voted against the fee increases was then Lt. Gov. John Garamendi. He spoke against balancing the budget on the back’s of students and expressed support for Assemblymember Alberto Torrico’s Assembly Bill 656 that would tax oil extractions and directly fund higher education in California. As a lone vote, he was ignored. This was because he did not work with students to lobby other trustees before the meeting to educate them and garner more support for the bill.

We have a chance now to work with and help elect our next lieutenant governor. Once elected, we must use the networks we’ve built to hold the boards accountable to the needs of students and California’s future.

The two leading Democratic candidates are San Francisco Mayor Gavin Newsom and Los Angeles City Councilmember Janice Hahn.

Of the two, Hahn has distinguished herself as a strong advocate for working-class families, many of whose children attend public schools in California. Hahn is a former schoolteacher and understands the need to prioritize education. In Los Angeles, she is very popular as an elected official and also has widespread support from organizations such as the San Francisco Young Democrats, the San Diego Democratic Club and even statewide support from the California Federation of Teachers, according to her campaign Web site.

Courtesy of www.janicehahn.com

City Councilmember Janice Hahn is a former schoolteacher and would be a champion for higher education.

Hahn knows our concerns and will fight for us on boards where students are placed last on the priority list. Hahn will bring creativity and leadership to these boards to make sure they do not just serve as rubber stamps for someone else’s budget.

If we work with Hahn now, we can build the momentum she has already created and help her win the nomination in June and the election in November. This will allow us to create strong bonds with her and give us time to educate her about the issues that matter most to students so she can fight for us and our futures.

If we put the time in now to inform ourselves and others, we will benefit from our new understanding of government and by having a new ally on the governing board of the UC and CSU systems.

—Allan Acevedo is a political science and comparative literature junior.

—This column does not necessarily reflect the opinion of The Daily Aztec. Send e-mail to opinion@thedailyaztec.com. Anonymous letters will not be printed. Include your full name, major and year in school.

LOYAL DISSENTER

We should move toward direct democracy

I

usually don’t argue semantics, but in this case, it makes all the difference.

Alpine School District in Utah has recently witnessed a heated debate about a word in the district’s mission statement. The statement includes the phrase “Educating all students to ensure the future of our democracy.”

Concerned parents worry about the use of the word “democracy” in the mission statement. These parents rightly argue that our nation is not a democracy, but, rather, a republic. Parents allege this terminology is being used to pursue some sort of socialist agenda.

While it is admirable to want our students to receive the best and most accurate interpretation of our nation’s history, these conservative parents — some of whom are represented by Utah’s Republic, a group that believes in a strict interpretation of the U.S. Constitution — are mainly concerned with upholding its own anti-progressive agenda.

“The Constitution guarantees every state a ‘republican form of government.’ Karl Marx said, ‘Democracy is the road to socialism,’” Oak Norton, the founder of Utah’s Republic, said. “A true democracy relies solely on majority rule and inevitably devolves into anarchy, which then sprouts socialist dictators.”

These parents object to the use of the word “democracy” because they fear democracy will lead to socialism in America.

S A L LY S C H I L L I N G S TA F F C O L U M N I S T

“There seems to be a segment of the population who is worried not just about being technically precise on these words ... but somehow interprets a move to democracy as some type of a progressive movement that needs to be stopped,” Kirk Jowers, director of the University of Utah’s Hinckley Institute of Politics, said.

The issue here is one of petty political spin. However, we should look at these parents’ concerns and at the bigger picture.

Our institutional history, as taught to us in public schools, teaches us to be complacent and paints a romantic view of the democracy and direct elections we enjoy in America. This education is inaccurate and I agree with changing the mission statement to reflect the fact that our nation is a republic, but for different reasons.

While a term in a mission statement itself will have little impact on the knowledge of the students, there is an issue with representing our nation as a democracy in schools. Falsely deeming our nation a democracy demonstrates the tendency of schools to project a false, glorified image of our nation’s governance.

Presenting our nation to impressionable

youth as a democracy actually helps conservatives because it keeps further democratic aspirations at a minimum.

This inaccurate interpretation of our governmental structure is something conservatives should support because it makes people less critical of our current republic.

America is far more anti-democratic than people believe, both at the time of its founding and today.

While you cannot present a completely objective view of history, you can attempt to cover all the facts impartially. The reality is our founding fathers were not heroic champions who gave power to the people.

Since our founding, American citizens have frequently fought against the founders for more democratic policies, such as women’s suffrage and the Voting Rights Act of 1965.

This can be a troubling reality to confront because we like to think we are all in control of our own political course, at least by means of voting. However, our seemingly democratic system of voting is questionable.

There are people who acknowledge the less-than-democratic structure of our nation and want to keep it that way. They approve of the lack of direct democracy and the control of the government by the wealthy.

The false portrayal of our nation as a democracy hurts liberals and helps conser-

vatives such as those in Utah because it makes the country appear to already be highly democratic when in fact, it is not.

We are taught that we already live in a democracy. Some people believe that we have the best model of government. We need to break down these false perceptions and teach the truth.

Knowledge itself is power, which is precisely what was meant by the mission statement in the first place. Educated citizens are important for a developed and advancing society, whether you deem it a democracy or a republic.

Norton is right about a true democracy giving political power to the people.

To those similar to Norton who fear a progressive or socialist uprising, I would say, there is nothing wrong with more direct democracy if it springs from a better educated citizenry. And the better we educate our citizens, the more informed we will be when given more power in our decision making process.

—Sally Schilling is a political science senior —This column does not necessarily reflect the opinion of The Daily Aztec. Send e-mail to opinion@thedailyaztec.com. Anonymous letters will not be printed. Include your full name, major and year in school.

SPORTS

Tuesday, April 13, 2010

BASEBALL

The Daily Aztec

5

SOFTBALL

SDSU picks up win, Offense leads Aztecs sweeps Air Force in perfect weekend Junior pitcher Samantha Beasley dominates again as SDSU moves into first place D AN P E R E Z S E N I O R S TA F F W R I T E R

Glenn Connelly / Photo Editor

F E L I N A T A M BA KO S S TA F F W R I T E R

The San Diego State baseball team’s totals this weekend resembled those of a football game. In the course of the three-game series at high elevation, SDSU scored 38 runs against Air Force in Colorado Springs, Colo.

With 14 runs Friday and 16 Saturday, the most intimidating was the low-scoring game Sunday afternoon.

Despite back and forth scoring, the Aztecs had enough runs to maintain an 8-7 victory and swept the Mountain West Conference rival Falcons.

“Coming up here the thought is that we’re going to have double-digit scores every game,” head coach Tony Gwynn said. “We didn’t today, but luckily still got the win.”

Sunday’s scoring started early for SDSU thanks to freshman first baseman Blair Moore. Moore knocked a three-RBI double down the left field line, helping the Aztecs produce their seventh consecutive game in which they brought in the first runs of the match.

The lead was stretched to 4-0 at the top of the third when sophomore Chris Wilson was able to score from third on a wild pitch over the Air Force catcher’s head.

The Falcons started to fight back in the bottom of the inning when they managed two earned runs off SDSU freshman starting pitcher Ethan Miller.

The Aztecs responded with an RBI single in the sixth by sophomore outfielder Brandon Meredith. SDSU held the lead at 5-2 until the bottom of the seventh when Miller gave up a three-run homer to tie

the game.

“It’s just a different atmosphere when you’re out here,” sophomore reliever John Pecoraro said of Colorado. “Here, guys lift balls that are usually fly balls back in San Diego.”

Jordan Van Hoosier, freshman designated hitter for the Aztecs, proved that when he hit a solo home run in the top of the eighth inning, his first of the year.

Unfortunately for SDSU, an Air Force run was scored in the bottom of the ninth as well, sending the game into extra innings, 6-6.

The Aztecs had a strong top of the 10th, scoring two runs — one from junior catcher Matt Parker’s sacrifice fly which brought Meredith from third, and what would eventually be the game-winning run off the bat of a single from junior outfielder Cory Vaughn.

The Falcons struck back with a solo home run in the bottom of the 10th, but it wasn’t enough to take the victory from SDSU, or Pecoraro, who received his second win of the series in Sunday’s game.

“I wasn’t too worried about the home run, we were still up one with two outs,” Pecoraro said. “I was just worried about winning in the 10th and not making it to an 11th.”

With the sweep in Colorado, the Aztecs’ win streak goes to five and they now hold a tie with BYU for fourth place in the MWC. “Today’s game wasn’t really indicative of what they can do, but with five wins in a row, hopefully we can continue to get better and keep winning ball games,” Gwynn said.

“When you look at this series on paper, you’d see that we were supposed to win three games, and we did that.”

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Hits for Aztec designated hitter Jordan Van Hoosier on Sunday

3

Hits for SDSU’s Brandon Meredith on Sunday

3

RBI for first baseman Blair Moore against the Falcons

3

Wins for pitcher John Pecoraro this season

4

Wins for the Aztecs this season in MWC play

15

Victories this season for SDSU

17

Losses for the Aztecs this year

Advanced Test Preparation

Score Higher, Aztecs!

As junior shortstop Jen Wisneski entered the dugout after her solo home run to lead off the bottom of the sixth, she had a question for her coach.

“Was that one a strike?” Wisneski asked.

She had struck out looking the at-bat before and made sure she wouldn’t do that again. She swung on the first pitch and sent it skyrocketing over the left field fence.

“I was upset with myself for striking out like that,” Wisneski said.

“I don’t usually do that SDSU 6 and I went into that atCSU 1 bat with the mindset of making contact and taking good swings. And taking that first pitch deep was more than I expected to get.”

The home run added another run on top of the San Diego State softball team’s commanding 6-1 lead. Junior pitcher Samantha Beasley blanked the opposing Colorado State Rams in the top of the sixth, ending the game with her 12th strikeout.

“The entire weekend felt really good,” Wisneski said. “The wins came from a lot of hard work and seeing the ball well. We’ve

done that with a positive attitude knowing we can win any game.”

SDSU (25-10) opened Mountain West Conference play last weekend at the SDSU Softball Stadium against New Mexico and CSU. The Aztecs went 3-0, with a run differential of 21-3.

“This weekend we came out swinging and we got nice leads,” head coach Kathy Van Wyk said. “With those big leads, they let Sam (Beasley) feel a lot easier on the mound but it also spells out that we can have real productive games against conference opponents.”

With the dominating performance at the plate throughout the weekend, SDSU raised its team batting average to .299 — which, if the season ended today, the Aztecs would earn an all-time season record for team batting average.

“The batting average shows a lot for where we have come as a team,” Van Wyk said. “Our pitching has always been here, our defense has always been here and we usually played small ball. That was us, but now we have become a force with a bat and it gives us a great edge and opportunity to control a lot of our conference games.”

The other dominant force on Sunday was found on the mound. Beasley allowed only one run on four hits and silenced the Rams at the plate with a 0.74 earned run average.

“Sam (Beasley) has been what she has all season: our ace,” Van Wyk said. “Every time she’s on the field we have a chance to win and I feel we’re never the underdog with her.”

CLASSIFIEDS

Tuesday April 13, 2010

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A fun rewarding job working with children and teens, ages 5-14. AM/PM hours available, M-F 15/25 hours per week. Min of 48 college units (or passing CAPE test) and min 6 months experience working with children. Pay rate at $10.16-$11.00 p/h.

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THE DAILY AZTEC DOES NOT ENDORSE OR SUPPORT AND HAS NO AFFILIATION WITH THE PRODUCTS OR SERVICES OFFERED IN THE CLASSIFIEDS SECTION.

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DAILY HOROSCOPE

HUMOR: TWISTED WIT

Good old fashioned ‘90s nostalgia and memories

I

think growing up during the late ‘90s has spoiled us.

Sure, maybe it’s embarrassing that fads such as collecting Pokémon cards were so popular, but damn it all if that kid down the street was going to take your 11-year-old girlfriend just because he had a Charizard card. It was more of an obligation to win, really.

And sure — even now, I’m still a little upset that artists such as Céline Dion were once able to top music charts around the nation, but that being said, it really could have been a lot worse. I for one would rather have nerd-tastic Pokémon battles with “My Heart Will Go On” blaring in the background than parachute pants any day of the week. I’m looking at you, MC Hammer.

Still, some of my fondest memories come from that decade.

Remember that smooth kid with shaggy, sun-bleached hair and rows of pearly white puka shells dangling from his neck?

The one who spent his time casually strumming his guitar to whatever Smash Mouth song was popular on the middle school steps and simultaneously melting the hearts of all of the sixth grade girls?

Tuesday, April 13, 2010

CHRIS POCOCK S TA F F W R I T E R

Yeah, that wasn’t me.

I was, and to this day remain every Michael Cera character he’s ever performed, rolled into one awkward body.

Most days after school in the ‘90s, instead of playing sports, reading a book or doing something generally rewarding, I would play one of my favorite skating games — Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 2.

I’m not sure why I liked the game so much. It may simply be because I enjoyed the idea of skating, but disliked the skullcracking, spine-breaking, and the bloody cuts and bruises that often accompanied the hobby.

Perhaps it has something to do with my lack of hand-eye coordination, which at the time seemed to rival most toddlers.

When I played Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 2, however, skating became easy. I could press a few buttons and perform a 720 or a 900 just as easily as I could twist the cap off a brand new bottle of Mountain Dew Code Red, which I frequently ingested.

Kick-flips and ollies became child’s play, and I could practi-

cally perform wall-slides or grind any ramp blindfolded.

This was, of course, a result of the many cheat codes I used, but that’s neither here nor there.

It’s been a good few years since I’ve played that game. I’ve grown up quite a bit and lost my affection for soda and playing video games all day, but I still have an appreciation for all the of the good times that game has provided me.

Recently, while working at my job at a coffee shop, I was shocked to see Tony Hawk waiting in line. My mind churned as I tried to think of something smooth, clever or even passably intelligent to say to my past hero.

“You’re … you’re Tony … You’re Tony Hawk!” I sputtered.

Yes, it seems as though my near 20 years of schooling have indeed served me well.

“Yes, yes I am,” he said. He quickly ordered his coffee and left me lost in a fit of ‘90s nostalgia.

Oh well. Better work on what to say if I ever meet anyone from the Harry Potter movies.

BY LINDA C. BLACK, TRIBUNE MEDIA SERVICES

TODAY’S BIRTHDAY (4/13/10) Don't shy away from your desire to make a difference. Focus on your objectives and go after them! Bold, passionate action works better than ruthlessness.You'll gain recognition if you take a few chances this year.

ARIES (March 21 - April 19) - Today is a 7 A super-demanding individual wants to control your every move.This leaves no room for creativity. Just do what you're told.You get your turn later.

TAURUS (April 20 - May 20) - Today is a 7 - Part of you wants to be in the spotlight, soaking in that applause. Another part of you just wants control. Package your act with enthusiasm.

GEMINI (May 21 - June 21) - Today is a 7 Ease into group activities.Your enthusiasm can carry events forward if you reserve it for the right moment. Act like there's no pressure.

CANCER (June 22 - July 22) - Today is a 6 You may want to be ruler for a day. Start with your partner and demand support.

Be prepared to either shell out significant cash or revise your goal.

LEO (July 23 - Aug. 22) - Today is a 9 - Coworkers think today's all about them.

That's funny ... you thought it was for you!

Don't try to change their direction.That would be futile.

VIRGO (Aug. 23 - Sept. 22) - Today is a 7 Emotional inspiration gives a push to a cre-

ative project that had stalled out. Bring associates into the mix to add flavor and spice.

LIBRA (Sept. 23 - Oct. 22) - Today is a 6 You may have a problem getting all of your homework done on time. A close friend boosts your motivation by providing a reward.

SCORPIO (Oct. 23 - Nov. 21) - Today is a 7 - Your persuasive talents work beautifully now. Others may respond negatively at first, but a short conversation achieves near-total agreement.

SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22 - Dec. 21) - Today is an 8 - There's a big difference between duty and capitulation to the demands of others.Your mission is to handle the situation with grace and firmness.

CAPRICORN (Dec. 22 - Jan. 19) - Today is a 7 - Transformation is a good thing.You find that you've been wanting something new, and now you feel creative enough to take on the challenge.

AQUARIUS (Jan. 20 - Feb. 18) - Today is a 6 - Guard your own time and space in order to maximize accomplishments today.

Respond to a creative question, then go back to your own work.

PISCES (Feb. 19 - March 20) - Today is a 5 You don't have the power to make an executive decision today.You do have the energy to carry out orders from above.

Do this cheerfully. A bonus is possible. © 2010,TRIBUNE MEDIA SERVICES INC.

—Chris Pocock is an English sophomore.

—This column does not necessarily reflect the opinion of The Daily Aztec.

SUDOKU

BY THE MEPHAM GROUP

Level:

1 2

3 4

Instructions: Complete the grid so

LOOKING THROUGH OUR LENS

each row, column and 3-by-3 box (in bold borders) contains every digit 1 to 9. For strategies on how to solve Sudoku, visit www.sudoku.org.uk.

Solution available online at www.TheDailyAztec.com © 2010 The Mepham Group. Distributed by Tribune Media Services. All rights reserved.

CROSSWORD

FEROCIOUS FEEDING Staff Photographer Peter Kluch snapped a picture of this powerful lion eating a raw piece of flesh at the San Diego Zoo.

ACROSS 1 Fuzzy fruit 5 Royal headgear 11 “... __ an ill cook that cannot lick his own fingers”: “Romeo and Juliet” 14 Viking war god 15 Draw in 16 Pictures on the wall 17 Manhattan rail hub 19 Vert. opposite 20 Lose support 21 Go bad 22 Ida of Hollywood 24 “The March King” 27 British boarding school 28 First name in spydom 32 Mattress support 35 Like many notebooks 38 Unmoved 39 Cherished 44 Hi-tech greeting 45 Dogpatch cartoonist 46 “Hold your horses!”

50 Highland toppers 51 Part of BTU 52 Fast partner?

55 Social service?

58 R.E. Lee follower 59 Hef ’s party wear 62 Downed Russian orbiter 63 1980s Nell Carter sitcom, and a hint to the puzzle theme found in the ends of 17-, 32-, 39and 46-Across 67 Educator LeShan 68 Worldwide 69 Gutter site 70 One of the states of matter

EDITED BY RICH NORRIS AND JOYCE LEWIS

Solution available online at www.TheDailyAztec.com 71 Summer ermines 72 Oedipus’ arrogance, e.g.

18 18-yr.-old high schoolers, usually 23 Ideal 25 What’s-her-name DOWN 26 Car bar 1 “Keystone” bun28 AOL rival glers 29 Barbary beast 2 Inventor’s starting 30 Relative of Juan point 31 Rap sheet listings 3 Hospital section 33 Former Cubs 4 Quaint stopover slugger 5 “Star Wars” sur34 Sci-fi author name?

Frederik 6 Where to find 36 The Coasters’ three men? record label 7 Firm pro: Abbr. (coincidentally, all 8 CCLI x II its letters appear 9 Earth Day sci. in their name) 10 List of options 37 Bread knife target 11 Island from which 40 Like some tough the Bounty sailed tests 12 Attach, as a patch 41 Org. for drivers 13 Able-bodied 42 Tach no.

43 “Decorates” with bathroom tissue, for short 46 Nog spice 47 New York tribe, city or lake 48 Pageant winners’ wear 49 Tried to rip open 53 Shuts tight 54 Recede 56 Quiche base 57 Pinball foul 59 Ring out 60 Joe 61 Depict in a biased way 64 Bovine bellow 65 Wall St. exec’s degree 66 NFL whistle blower