The Daily Aztec - Vol. 95, Issue 42 by The Daily Aztec

Tuesday, November 10, 2009

Vol. 95, Issue 42

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 STATE OF MIND

Intent to enroll fee increases Deposit increase aimed at avoiding low enrollment

FEE INCREASE President Weber implements a new fee for incoming freshmen without warning. page 2

TRAVEL & ADVENTURE

REAL SUPERHEROES This real-life superhero does his part to sweep the San Diego streets of crime. page 4

SPORTS

LOSING SKID The men’s soccer team lost two in a row after defeating three straight ranked opponents. page 6

TODAY @ SDSU Men’s Basketball vs Point Loma 7 p.m.,Viejas Arena The Aztecs take on the Point Loma Nazarene Sea Lions in their final exhibition game of the season.

For more of today’s headlines, visit:

www.thedailyaztec.com

CONTACT GENERAL INFORMATION 619.594.4199

EDITOR

IN CHIEF, FARYAR BORHANI 619.594.4190 EDITOR@THEDAILYAZTEC .COM

CITY EDITOR, KEVIN MCCORMACK 619.594.7782 CITYEDITOR@THEDAILYAZTEC .COM

FEATURES EDITOR, AMINATA DIA 619.594.6976 FEATURE@THEDAILYAZTEC .COM

J A N E L B R UA N S TA F F W R I T E R

Incoming freshmen will now be facing fee increases of their own. Last month, San Diego State President Stephen L. Weber approved to raise the intent to enroll deposit fee from $250 to $400, now effective for next fall. SDSU will begin sending admission decisions to prospective students in early March. Students are then given until May 1 to make their choice of whether or not they want to enroll at SDSU. The enrollment process requires the student to submit a nonrefundable deposit through the SDSU WebPortal to hold their spot. This deposit is not an additional charge, it’s applied to the student’s registration fees for the fall semester. Along with the fee, the other items that need to be sent are the student’s transcripts including their grades from the previous semester and any SAT, ACT or Advanced Placement test scores. If any of the items are not turned in by the set date, the student will lose their spot and deposit, and their spot will be made available to another applicant. “Over time, applicants felt they could walk away from it,” Sandra Cook, assistant vice president for Academic Affairs, said. “It ceased to be a good indicator of who was coming. You want to make sure you’re using all your enrollment slots.” According to Cook, students who wanted to keep their college attendance options open were putting down multiple deposits while trying to decide. “SDSU was approved to raise the fee … to better determine in a timely way if we’re going to have any additional slots available for our wait-listed applicants in time to accept the admission offer,” Cook said. “Many students walk away from the intent to enroll fee because they’re still making their

Glenn Connelly / Photo Editor

Students who are granted admission to SDSU next fall will have to pay a deposit of $400 to confirm their intent to enroll.

decisions; then SDSU could be under-enrolled. “SDSU has a waiting list, so if it appears there will be additional enrollment slots available, we can offer them to these students.” Cook said the intent to enroll deposit process has become prevalent recently because of the budget issues and mandated decreased enrollment.

The CSU system has a strict enrollment target that each campus cannot exceed. “Admission spots are getting precious given the budget and enrollment reductions, and the deposit helps assure that SDSU will meet its enrollment target,” Cook said. The intent to enroll process was first implemented in 2000 and the first deposit fee of $100 began that fall. The deposit fee was then

increased for the first time in the fall of 2007 to $250. Cook recommended that admitted high school seniors should plan ahead to be sure they will be able to cover the intent to enroll fee and, if applicable, the $800 housing deposit by May 1. Students also need to meet all deadlines or they risk having their admission rescinded.

Lab helps combat spread of flu

SPORTS EDITOR, EDWARD LEWIS 619.594.7817 SPORTS@THEDAILYAZTEC .COM

STATE

OF MIND EDITOR, ALLAN ACEVEDO 619.594.0509 OPINION@THEDAILYAZTEC .COM

TEMPO EDITOR, ANYA MOBERLY 619.594.6968 TEMPO@THEDAILYAZTEC .COM

ART DIRECTOR, ELENA BERRIDY 619.594.6979 ARTDIRECTOR@THEDAILYAZTEC .COM

PHOTO EDITOR, GLENN CONNELLY 619.594.7279 PHOTO@THEDAILYAZTEC .COM

WEB EDITOR, MYLENE ERPELO 619.594.3315 WEB@THEDAILYAZTEC .COM

ADVERTISING 619.594.6977

INDEX STATE OF MIND.............................................................2 TRAVEL & ADVENTURE.............................................4 SPORTS....................................................................6 CLASSIFIEDS....................................................................7 THE BACK PAGE...........................................................8

S A R A H K O VA S H S E N I O R S TA F F W R I T E R

When venturing to the bottom of the chemistry building to the Visualization Center, Dr. Eric Frost knows visitors have arrived before they even step into the office. Frost is the director of the Visualization Center and director of the Central Asia Research and Remediation Exchange. He is also co-director of the Homeland Security Program at San Diego State. On one of the many huge screens found on the lab’s walls, a live video feed displays a view of both the Visualization Center’s door and hallway. Lately, Frost has been working to distribute information regarding the H1N1 virus. He’s worked on various Web sites that offer public health information faster than fed-

eral institutions such as the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, where certain procedures and laws can slow the spread of information. “San Diego has really become an example that is used now widely in Washington for, ‘this is how a community can help itself rather than waiting for the federal government to do things,’” Frost said. The effort started when the first recognized H1N1 case appeared in Mexico and workers at the Visualization Center wanted to connect data from Mexico with people who were trying to get involved. The Visualization Center took into consideration the way Mexico handled the situation and according to Frost, the virus didn’t spread as quickly as it could have because of the actions taken. “The entire world owes Mexico a debt of gratitude because they took such aggressive action against it to

keep people from getting together, to isolating the people who have it,” Frost said. “That slowed it down from spreading around the rest of the world.” The Visualization Center has recently collaborated with Google.org, which is Google’s humanitarian-based Web site, to help spread awareness regarding levels of H1N1 activity. The “Flu Trends” section of the Web site features a color-coded map of the world showing the varying levels of H1N1 activity in different countries. Google can also detect where people are searching terms such as “swine flu symptoms,” by Internet service providers and correlate it to areas where there are cases of the H1N1 virus. According to Frost, the main concern regarding the H1N1 virus is not the health issues or number

of people who will die, but rather the economic impact. “The economic impact could be absolutely enormous,” Frost said. “The impact in other parts of the world is also going to be enormous.” Another Web site, www.racetoresilience.org, was created in the Visualization Center where they build data and share it nationally to spread health awareness. The Visualization Center has been influential in linking people to share information and find ways to get it out to the public, according to Frost. “They’re getting a community of people at San Diego (State) to work together, to exchange information, to actually know each other … that fits the university really well,” Frost said. “Because we’re a neutral party and so we can connect up people and do a bunch of things.”

The Daily Aztec

STATE OF MIND

FAIR AND BALANCED

Tuesday, November 10, 2009

FLAMING LIBERAL

President needs to Weber’s policies limit keep HIV travel ban community diversity

MCT Campus

HIV-infected individuals wishing to enter the U.S. are now allowed to enter the country with President Obama’s new policy. Foreign travelers were previously banned if they carry a life-threatening disease.

he most important task of a government is protecting its people’s safety, yet the White House seems to be intentionally avoiding that responsibility. President Barack Obama recently announced the U.S. will be lifting a 22-yearold immigration ban on people who are infected with HIV sometime next year. With this plan, infected visitors and people seeking residency in this country will no longer be denied entry. The new policy, which has been in development since the Bush administration, hopes to de-stigmatize the disease and rectify what many consider to be a law because of ignorance. Despite the president’s good intentions, his effort to be politically correct and appeal to his liberal base does not justify allowing carriers of a chronic, incurable and transmissible disease into this country.

“The new policy ... hopes to de-stigmatize the disease and rectify what many consider to be a law because of ignorance.” HIV is already an enormous problem in this country with more than one million people who have AIDS or are HIV positive. And despite a highly educated public and the widespread availability of condoms and testing facilities, more than 56,000 new cases are documented annually. Even though many people can afford the lifesaving medication, some Americans still fall through the cracks and can’t get the help they need. By reversing the ban, the Center for Disease Control and Prevention estimates an average of 4,275 HIVinfected people a year would come, potentially straining our health safety nets even further. With our limited resources to help those already here, it would be irresponsible to allow more people to enter the country and possibly spread the disease. Some activists have claimed there’s nothing discriminatory about maintaining our current immigration policy. It has been a long-standing U.S. policy to turn away people with infectious or communicable diseases. Easily transmittable diseases such as tuberculosis are a no-brainer, but even sexually transmitted diseases such as syphilis and gonorrhea are still banned. Why HIV shouldn’t be included in this policy confuses me. And of course, what opinion column would be complete without discussing health

T U C K E R W INCELE S TA F F C O L U M N I S T

care reform? Given the bills floating around Congress, there is almost unanimous support of ending the practice of excluding coverage for people with preexisting conditions. If insurance companies or the federal government with its public option were forced to help these extra people, we all would be forced to shoulder the bill, with either greater premiums or taxes. For example, the CDC estimates it would cost $94 million to treat a year’s worth of HIV-positive immigrants throughout their lifetimes. With the proposed reform at an already monstrous price of more than $800 billion and massive projected deficits in Medicare and Social Security in the near future, asking the American people to shoulder even more burdens in the form of HIV treatment is too much. This isn’t to say we shouldn’t help those around the world suffering from this terrible disease. A commonly forgotten achievement of former President George W. Bush was his commitment to combating HIV in impoverished countries. He oversaw a massive $15 billion commitment to fighting the disease, mostly directed at hard-hit African countries. Programs that encourage education, abstinence or protection as well as efforts to decrease drug prices for people who can’t afford them, are all laudable goals we should consider pursuing. But bringing those afflicted to the U.S., where critics of our health care system point to massive inefficiencies, waste, fraud and mistakes, simply doesn’t make sense. It would be more cost-effective and would better protect the safety of the American public to leave this immigration law in place. In short, there is much the government can do to help those with the disease and to reduce the untrue and harmful stereotypes associated with it. Education, both here and abroad, foreign aid and increased funding to find a cure are all perfectly acceptable courses of action. But accepting immigrants with expensive, transmissible diseases who jeopardize the health of this country is not one of them.

nough is enough. Student protests are all well and good, but if we can’t find a way to aggregate our interests and really make our voices heard, then we won’t be able to have the impact we need. There are certain things that are out of President Stephen L. Weber’s hands, but other things he has full control of and we should hold him accountable for those decisions. Recently, I called Weber’s office to ask about the increase in the intent to enroll deposit. This fee has increased from $250 to $400. When I called his office, the person I spoke with said she didn’t know anything about it and had no information about it to give me. She connected me with the admissions office. After speaking to two different people, a woman was able to bring up an email that notified them of this change. I was shocked this information had not gone public. Weber should be speaking about this decision and why it is necessary. From the date incoming students receive their letters of acceptance, they have until May 1 to make this payment and submit their transcripts before they are in danger of losing their seats. At least that is how it worked this semester, according to, http://arweb.sdsu.edu/es/admissions. This means there is a short period for students to hear back from other schools and make a decision about which school they will attend. For some people, $400 is an entire paycheck and students will have to think hard before making a decision. For others, parents can afford to whip out the American Express and charge a series of intent to enroll deposits until the student chooses a college. This is a luxury not afforded to everyone and because of this, Weber needs to speak out about why he increased this deposit. According to the Web site, the intent to enroll deposit is not refundable, but will count toward the full cost of tuition should the student follow through with matriculation. Again, some people can afford to waste the money on a couple of deposits while other people’s budgets will take a serious hit as they put down that money while they wait for scholarships and financial aid to come through. This deposit comes at a hard time for many students who, in May, are just gearing up to finish high school and should be celebrating their accomplishments. Weber’s new unilateral decision to increase this deposit will inevitably bar some students from entering this university. Despite working hard in school and earning good grades, Weber is setting up barrier after barrier for lower income — and many minority — students from attending San Diego State. This is not acceptable and it’s time Weber speaks out about his decisions and reasserts a priority for increasing student diversity on this campus.

A L L A N AC E V E D O S TAT E O F M I N D E D I T O R

This diversity Weber is supposedly so proud of will only diminish if he continues to implement institutional barriers to keep the very students he administers with education out of college. Weber might not have a say in how much money is allocated to this college, but he has every say in campus policies such as the local area guarantee and the deposit amount students must pay to reserve their seats. These detrimental policy changes are going to hurt this university in the long run. We may not notice right away with the first round of students admitted next fall, but in a graduation cycle, the face and feel of this campus will change dramatically. Weber can’t keep passing the blame to others for decisions that come out of his office and we need to let him know that. Student protests are important, and we’ve had a handful of them already, but we need to start to focus on a message. If you’re upset about furloughs and fewer course offerings, those are issues Weber cannot single-handedly fix and we should work with him to change them. However, if you’re upset about the mismanagement of enrollment management policies implemented, then yes, protest Weber’s office and demand he prioritize lowincome and minority students, many whom will not be afforded the opportunity to attend any other college. SDSU is supposed to serve as a public institution to educate the local-area workforce. If we keep setting up barriers that systematically keep these students out, then we will have a city and county in desperate need of educated employees. We will have to start importing people from out of the region and state, despite the number of people willing to get an education but are unable to be admitted to SDSU and unable, because of economic or family constraints, to travel away from their home to obtain an education. If Weber was really concerned about the diversity of the school, he would make it very well known that the deposit fee was increased so families can start to plan for this expense. I have not heard anything about it and had to dig until I found someone in the admissions office who could confirm it for me. If we don’t inform students about this now, then come this spring, it will be a surprise that some families will be unable to afford. Weber needs to think about all the current and future students on this campus, not just the wealthy ones.

—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.

—Tucker Wincele is a political science and economics 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.

MCT Campus

President Stephen Weber may not control how much the school is allocated, but does control local policies.

STATE OF MIND

Tuesday, November 10, 2009

NEWS TO KNOW After the signing of Assembly Bill 37 on Oct. 11, CSU and UC schools, as well as community colleges, were to compile a list of students withdrawn because of the Japanese internment camps created in 1942 and award them with honorary degrees. The Japanese who were forced into these camps were not given the opportunity to complete their college education. For this reason, the opportunity of receiving a degree has been created. The process of finding the known alumni has started. Although many of the honorary degree recipients are in their late 70s and 80s, an heir will be chosen to receive the degree if the recipient is deceased. A $25,000 grant has been awarded to the cause by a Japanese cultural center in Northern California. San Diego State has not yet found any eligible recipients but will keep searching. After finding the degree recipients, it will be up to each campus to decide how the degrees will be distributed.

The attack last Wednesday on the private Bekhtar guesthouse in the Shar-i-Naw district had led to the relocation of 600 U.N. workers. Out of 5,600 workers, the U.N. has located up to 1,300 in Afghanistan. The workers have arranged to be gone for at least four weeks. During this time, most projects created by the U.N. will be on hold. Whether or not the attack was linked to the Taliban is still being investigated. Although security in Afghanistan has deteriorated greatly, the U.N. is determined to stay until their goals have been met. Also, U.K. forces are still on the lookout for the Afghan policeman who shot and killed five U.K. soldiers. This occurred prior to the attack on the U.N.

Governor of Rhode Island, Don Carcieri, has signed a bill making indoor prostitution illegal. Being one of two states allowing prostitution, Rhode Island has been known for its brothels. Now, prostitutes will face up to six months in jail if charged for a first offense; the second will lead to one year in prison. The same sentence applies to customers. The law took effect immediately following the signing. The goal of this legislation is to have brothels shut down either voluntarily or by legal charges and to monitor, and hopefully catch, ringleaders. To provide amnesty to women, they have the chance to be acquitted if they were either victims of human trafficking, held against will, violently threatened or have had immigration papers stolen.

The Daily Aztec

MEET IN THE MIDDLE A shooting at Fort Hood, Texas has left 13 people killed and 42 wounded. The suspect, Major Nidal Malik Hasan, opened fire at a Soldier Readiness Center, a setting where soldiers finish training before deployment or are medically tested upon return. After the shooting, Fort Hood was on lockdown for about five and a half hours. The violent act is thought to have been sparked by the recent announcement of Hasan’s deployment. He had finished his psychiatry training and was planned to be placed in Afghanistan or Iraq. His colleagues recalled his disapproval of the news. Hasan survived the multiple gunshots he received and is currently stable in a hospital in Texas.

Last Tuesday, Maine’s election resulted in the outlawing of gay marriage. Proposition 1 revoked the recent Maine state law that allowed gay couples the right to marry. As the sixth state to legalize the initiative, the results were 53 percent for Proposition 1 and 47 percent against it. Similar to the election in California last year, many younger voters turned out in opposition to the proposition. Although the Maine group Protect Maine Equality surpassed its opponents’ funds by more than $1 million, its efforts were not enough to win the election. Although this defeat was one that had a great impact, Maine citizens have not lost hope in the fight for marriage equality.

The flu vaccine shot has become the must-have item of the season. The vaccine has been offered from local clinics to Wal-Mart. Although the vaccine is recommended by most doctors, Desiree Jennings, an Ashburn, Va. native, was diagnosed with a rare neurological disorder called dystonia. She became victim of a rare side effect after receiving the seasonal flu shot. Although the location is not a factor to her condition, Jennings was inoculated at her local grocery store. She contracted the flu after 10 days and started passing out. She was hospitalized and recently suffered several seizures. She now has difficulty speaking, walking and eating. The side effects Jennings endures are not common, and her disease and symptoms are irreversible.

—Compiled by State of Mind Contributor Aileen Pantoja

Save California from becoming a failed state

t’s time to jump ship. California is failing and there seems to be no way around it. This recession has been a bad one, but no one has had it worse than the residents of the Golden State. Economically, California is a disaster. Unemployment rates are abnormal at 12 percent. Foreclosures are multiplying by the day. Money that used to be there has been drained, and budget cuts to the state have affected everyone. That’s just the short list of California’s problems. State health care is a mess, homelessness is a persistent issue and Southern California is running out of water. In addition, education, the backbone of California’s future workforce, has been denied the funding necessary for revival. The entirety of California’s welfare is at stake. What was formerly known as the land of sunshine and prosperity is now a barren wasteland at the brink of failure. But it doesn’t have to be this way. There’s still hope for California to emerge victorious from this recession. In order to rebuild, California is going to have to rely on its residents. More specifically, California will need its college students to implement change. We are the future of this state and have the power to help us out of this mess. The first thing we can do is elect officials who are genuinely concerned for California’s well-being. Our current representatives have allowed the state to deteriorate, and we can fight back by not re-electing them a second time. Instead, we should vote for those who have specific plans to solve the state’s problems. This is especially important in the governor election that will occur in one year. Both the Democratic and Republican candidates need to be properly vetted, and prove to their future constituents that they can balance the budget of the world’s eighth-largest economy. Once the best candidate has shown us that they can handle the task of restoring California, we must support them wholeheartedly and vote them into office. The next thing that we can do is vote for a colonial-style constitutional convention. Residents and state legislatures have called for a massive overhaul of California’s current constitution, which is more than eight times longer than the national one.

SA RA H GR I E C O A S S I S TA N T S TAT E O F M I N D E D I T O R

The nonpartisan group Repair California has proposed a plan that would allow Californians to vote for a statewide convention and essentially write an entirely new constitution. First, ballot measures need to be passed that would allow for a constitutional convention. Then delegates would be assigned at random from the 240 different areas of the state, and they would spend months restructuring the government. The constitutional convention proposed by Repair California will focus solely on governance issues, and not social reform. While this might be disappointing to many activists, fixing the government structure alone is better than fixing nothing at all. The final outcome of the constitutional convention would be a more efficient, stable government in California. A constitutional convention is essential to our future. The California Dream will die without reparations and the time has come for us to respond to the catastrophe of the existing state of affairs. Already, thousands are leaving California each year instead of coming in. If the state is not careful, it will lose some of the most talented and brightest individuals who would help in California’s reparation. The combination of better officials and a new constitution will not only ensure that California is prosperous, but it will also revive the state economy. What we can do is research who will focus on fixing the problems at hand and then elect them into office in the upcoming state and local elections. Also, we can get involved with the ballot measure on a constitutional convention by visiting www.repaircalifornia.org. Let’s turn California around before it’s too late.

—Sarah Grieco is a public relations 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.

The Daily Aztec

TRAVEL & ADVENTURE

Tuesday, November 10, 2009

The future of flying without breaking a leg Many airlines are offering original and futuristic amenities S HANNON C L A R K CONTRIBUTOR

Cheap airplane seats are cheap for a reason. Crowded seats, a bad inflight movie and the sound of the bathroom flushing a short distance away generally characterize what it feels like to fly coach. However, this version of the in-flight experience could soon be history as many major airports and airlines are incorporating new, innovative designs that can be enjoyed by anybody, regardless of ticket price. Virgin America, for instance, is now the first American airline to offer aircraft mood lighting, a series of tinted LED lights that are offered in first class and coach sections on all Virgin America Airbus A320 models. According to Budget Travel’s article, “Flight innovations you’ll love,” mood lighting allows passengers to enjoy 12 different tints and tones of violet, ranging from a lively blue / purple for daytime flights to a darker violet during red-eye flights. The lights are designed to help travelers sleep easier and more soundly to avoid the jet lag that follows long flights. Additionally, Virgin America is also the first to offer wireless Internet access on flights. Every seat has basic electrical sockets, USB ports and Ethernet plugs for charging phones, laptops and

other devices. These new airplane amenities should put travelers’ technological worries to rest and keep “all your favorite toys juiced up,” according to Virgin America’s Web site. Even the big, comfy first class seats are getting a run for their money. Cathay Pacific Airways has redesigned coach seating on its airlines so the bottom of the seat slides forward in the reclining position, but the back of the seat doesn’t move, preventing it from coming uncomfortably close to the person behind. American Airlines is developing similar seating, as are several other airline competitors.

“Cathay Pacific Airways has redesigned coach seating on its airlines so the bottom of the seat slides forward.” Airports are also joining the innovation craze. Many major airports, such as Houston’s George Bush Intercontinental Airport and Los Angeles’ LAX are now permitting travelers to check in by using their cell phones. During check-in, all a user needs to do is bring up the ticket bar code on their cell phone screen, either through text message or e-mail, which would be scanned in the place of a traditional board-

ing pass. A few airlines, such as Delta and Continental, aim to have this check-in option available at all of their boarding gates across the country. This would virtually eliminate the need for paper tickets, making check-in less of a hassle as well as eco-friendly. On an even more futuristic note, one London airport is testing “driverless taxi pods,” which would enable passengers to travel from terminal to parking lot much more easily than by shuttle or taxi. These pods currently operate on their own division of roads in London Heathrow’s Terminal 5. They can hold four passengers with luggage comfortably and are battery powered, making them environmentally friendly compared to traditional exhaust-emitting vehicles. Another major perk the pods offer is that the pods don’t work within a schedule, meaning passengers can board on their own time, as opposed to waiting for a bus or taxi. Not going to be in London anytime soon? Not a problem. Lindbergh Field, the international airport in San Diego, has designed a master plan called, The ‘Green Build’ to “provide facilities and services to make passenger travel more convenient,” according to the project’s Web site. The innovations, expected to reach completion in three to four years, will include smart curb technology, which will enable passengers to check in even before reaching their terminal. For more information on Lindbergh Field services and facilities, visit www.sanplan.com.

Courtesy of Virgin Atlantic

Many airlines are offering new perks for their customers to prove people can have fun while flying. With such cheap prices, there’s soon to be more traffic in the sky.

Superhero makes San Diego a better place K A R I L UU S TA F F W R I T E R

Courtesy of Mr. Xtreme

San Diegans can sleep safe at night knowing they have their own local superhero. Mr. Xtreme does numerous good deeds and aims to keep crime off the city streets.

To some, he’s just a man skulking through the night for an overdue Halloween party; but to others, he’s a symbol, a crusader and a giver. His identity is a secret. His weaknesses are on par with any other man, but he gets his kicks from doing good and his adrenaline rush comes from sweet justice. He’s just your neighborhood friendly superhero: Mr. Xtreme. Donning a lucha libre mask and armed with a utility belt stuffed with a tactical flashlight, pepper spray, handcuffs, first-aid kit and a stungun, Mr. Xtreme is a homemade superhero who patrols San Diego areas by night in an effort to prevent crime. He sifts through various San Diego areas such as downtown, City Heights, Pacific and Mission beaches and more. On patrols, he occasionally hands out food and drink to homeless people and sometimes works with a superhero from another town. Mr. Xtreme is one of the more active and visible members of the local Real Life Superheroes Organization, which is an international online community of nearly 300 comic book fans that stays connected through Web sites such as worldsuperheroregistry.com. These heroes spend their free time fighting crime and doing good deeds for society behind the anonymity of a mask and cape. By day, Mr. Xtreme works as a security guard. As a native San Diegan, he was a witness to the city’s wave of crime in the early ‘90s. He grew infuriated by the public’s apathy and began his mission three years

ago to deter crime in this town and promote safety awareness. Mr. Xtreme’s primary method of crime prevention is acting as a visual deterrent — raising awareness by being highly visible and intervening in situations when a victim is involved. However, he is often invigorated by the gawks and stares he receives because of his outrageous attire. “We’re not here to take law into our hands,” he said. “We’re not vigilantes. And we’re not here to harass people or violate their civil rights. Our role out there is a neighborhood watch: Deter crime and make sure it doesn’t happen in the first place or raise awareness: So I don’t mind if people get on their cell phones or call the police or try to shake me down.” Mr. Xtreme cares more about the message he sends to society rather than what people think of him. “At least I’m getting people to see what I’m doing and hopefully that will get them into the habit of calling the police when there are problems and suspicious activities,” Mr. Xtreme said. As a young man, Mr. Xtreme himself fell victim to various crimes such as physical abuse, bullying and was even held at gunpoint by a gang. From his experiences, Mr. Xtreme was inspired to become the neighborhood superhero. “I take the violent victimization of innocent people very personally,” he said. “Even if I don’t know the victims I feel that I can relate to them.” Although this is not something he can put on his resume, Mr. Xtreme is just in the business to do good. He uses his own money for most of the charity work he does, such as printing flyers when a violent rapist was loose in San Diego. He also distrib-

utes food to the homeless and even offered $1,500 of his own money to whoever caught the sexual assault suspect last year. He’s no sellout either. He was offered to be on a reality show, which he turned down. “I’m trying to give back to the community and do something positive,” Mr. Xtreme said. “All this apathy just kind of bewilders me and makes me kind of lose faith in humanity sometimes because nobody cares. ‘Another victim, another statistic’ and all we hear is, it’s time for a wakeup call and I’m tired of hearing of wakeup calls and instead of getting on with our lives we need to devote and dedicate our lives to take a stand.” Despite how some may scoff at Mr. Xtreme’s lack of experience and odd ways of applying his justice, he has been training for the last year by learning various martial arts such as jiu-jitsu and judo. He has also taken classes in defensive tactics, handcuffing, first aid, batons and citizen arrest procedures. “I’ve worked in the security field for several years and worked in a field that’s closely related to what I do here as Mr. Xtreme,” he said. “So I do have some experience in making citizen arrest, dealing with hostile aggressive people and dealing with the police.” Mr. Xtreme said he hopes to recruit more superheroes in the near future and patrol the College Area. “When I go out and do this it feels really rewarding,” Mr. Xtreme said. “I’m not bound by society’s rules, I don’t have to be a kissass and I’m trying to do something positive and give back to the community in a time when not too many people care.” For more information on Mr. Xtreme, visit www.reallifesuperheroes.org.

Tuesday, November 10, 2009

DATING & ROMANCE

The Daily Aztec

Double the fun or double the problems?

Liquid Library

Double dates can make for a great date night, depending on who you go with. Making sure you’re in the right company is key in having a successful double date.

For more information contact: College of Education Office of Student Services EBA 259 Phone: (619) 594-6320 Email: coeadvis@sdsu.edu

t’s finally date night and there is an array of choices to be made. Should it be dinner, a movie or both? Or maybe the date should be something more exciting and less cliché. Then another question arises: Should we go solo or invite another couple? While each experience is different, there are several pros and cons to going on a double date. Although many students at San Diego State prefer single dates, there are positives that come with double dates that can’t be found on a single date. For those who are single and trying to get into the dating scene, it can be scary to go out with someone you don’t know very well. Having another couple tag along can ease the tension and awkwardness that often accompanies a first date. It also takes pressure off the formalities that accompany a first date and allows for more open conversation. It is also an opportunity for a person to see how their date interacts with other people. Someone’s personality may be different when they are around a friend because they tend to ignore social norms and the façade expected on a first date. For those who are already in a relationship, it can be more fun to double up on dates, and it is an easy way to catch up with friends. Double dating can also be cost effective by splitting and sharing food as well as dividing the bill four ways instead of two. Some places

M A L L O RY S H A R P CONTRIBUTOR

even offer group rates and carpooling can save money on gas, especially if the plan is to go out of town for the date. But there are some downsides that might have some people deciding to fly solo on date night. Doubling with a friend might seem like a recipe for fun, but complications can quickly arise when only two of the people in attendance are friends.

“Having another couple tag along can ease the tension and awkwardness that often accompany a first date.” “Friendship between the two people may become the focal point of the evening, which can leave their dates feeling out of it,” according to Susan Rabens’ book “The Complete Idiot’s Guide to Dating for Teens.” Rabens states in the book that an easy fix to this problem is to “make sure you pay at least as much, or perhaps even a little more, attention to your date as you do the rest of the people with you.”

Another issue that can complicate the date is how people tend to act differently when placed in a group setting. People in groups are likely to feed off the energy of the people around them, so if someone is in a bad mood, it might affect your date. Dating in pairs can add to the conversation, but the intimate faceto-face time can be lost. Journalism sophomore Jennifer Meram said single dates allow for getting to “know the person a lot better because there is no one else but you two.” By losing that valuable face-toface time, you also lose the ability to see if there is a real connection between you two, sociology junior Jessica Foster said. The romance that goes along with dating also tends to be blurred and forgotten when other people are involved. It’s difficult to woo a person when friends are sitting mere inches away, which can dull the luster of the night. So when planning the next date night, think about what kind of night you want to have before inviting another couple to join. For someone looking for more of a romantic, lovey-dovey night they should skip calling a friend and do something alone with their significant other. On the other hand, if feelings of nervousness are too overwhelming, calling in reinforcements might be a good idea. Whether choosing to go solo or making it a double, remember the idea behind dating in the first place is to have fun and enjoy the company of that special someone.

The Daily Aztec

SPORTS

Tuesday, November 10, 2009

VOLLEYBALL

MEN’S SOCCER

Aztecs defeated by Van Orden relishes in her added pressure Beavers at home B E AU B E A R D E N S E N I O R S TA F F W R I T E R

The role she was asked to step into as a freshman was a big one. Lauren Van Orden would start alongside senior setter Leah Lathrop in the San Diego State volleyball team’s 6-2 offense. It could have been a difficult transition, but Lathrop proved to be a driving force in Van Orden’s development as a player. “(Van Orden) has played in a bunch of different positions, she is a great hitter, so it makes her a threat in all different aspects,” Lathrop told The Ross Report on goaztecs.com prior to the start of last season. “But she is also a great leader and very, very passionate about the game. So she is going to be fun to play with because I feel like we are similar in that aspect.” The duo found success in the second game of last season, as Lathrop and Van Orden recorded 27 and 24 digs respectively in a 3-1 victory against Albany on Aug. 30. And by the time Mountain West Conference play started, Van Orden was putting up solid numbers for SDSU. She had a great performance in a 3-1 win against UNLV on Oct. 31 as her .632 attack percentage was a personal best. Van Orden also added 13 kills and 28 assists that evening to notch her 10th double-double of the year. She would end her freshman campaign ranking second on the team in assists with 454 and fourth in kills with 182. This season, Van Orden knew she was going to be depended on much more as Lathrop graduated. “It was a role that I knew I had to step into,” the sophomore setter said. “It’s not a position that I’ve been doing for that long. So I was kind of worried about it, but it’s my teammates. And if I’m not making them better, if I’m not making them succeed, then I’m not doing my job.” Van Orden has been consistent for the Aztecs all year, as she leads in assists both overall and in MWC matches. She also tied her SDSU season-high and career-best in digs on Oct. 3 when she notched 12 against TCU. And her five blocks against Colorado State last

month matched her career-high, which she set against San Jose State back on Aug. 29. “She has matured so much as a player and teammate,” junior outside hitter Kelsey Manasco said of Van Orden. “And has helped this team get to where we are now.” The Aztecs will head to Van Orden’s home state of Colorado this weekend as they battle Air Force at 5 p.m. MT on Friday at the Academy in Colorado Springs. But it will be a short trip for the Denver Nuggets fan, as SDSU (11-13, 5-8 in MWC play) will be back in San Diego to face Cal State Bakersfield at 2 p.m. on Sunday in Peterson Gym.

Kallie Larson / Staff Photographer

Taking over for Leah Lathrop, Lauren Van Orden has thrived with her added responsibility as setter.

AT A GLANCE Glenn Connelly / Photo Editor

Nick Cardenas scored the only goal for SDSU on senior day, but it wasn’t enough as the Aztecs fell 2-1. It was the second consecutive Pac-10 loss for SDSU which was coming off a three-game winning streak.

WHEN: 5 p.m. MT on Friday

D AN P E R E Z S TA F F W R I T E R

Not since September has the San Diego State men’s soccer team been through a slump like the one it experienced last weekend at the SDSU Sports Deck. No. 25 SDSU (6-6-5) dropped both games it hosted, the first loss coming on Friday against University of Washington 2-0 and the second being handed to the Aztecs on senior day 2-1 by Oregon State. “This weekend was real disappointing,” senior tri-captain midfielder Jamel Wallace said. “In the past senior days, at least for all OSU 2 the ones I’ve been here SDSU 1 for, we have failed to get a victory. We really wanted to get out of here with a good win especially for our seniors, we just couldn’t pull it off.” The two losses mark the first time this season SDSU has dropped two consecutive games, and it couldn’t have come at a worse time with the Aztecs jostling for position and a berth in the tournament. “It has put a lot more pressure on us heading into our last game of the season,” Wallace said. “We went from pretty much being secure in the tournament to now being back on the bubble. The only way to make that disappear though is to win next weekend.” SDSU found itself down early against the Beavers on Sunday, down two goals just 15 minutes apart. OSU got on the board in the 23rd minute as the Beavers’ Danny Mwanga

beat an Aztec defender and rocketed a shot past junior goalkeeper Brad Byrns for the first of his two goals. Mwanga would add another goal in the 37th minute as he capitalized on SDSU’s mistake and put a shot into the back of the net. “We found ourselves down early, and we just couldn’t get anything going,” senior tricaptain forward Matt McManus said. “It has always been difficult to pull yourself out of a hole, and with all the emotions flying around we just weren’t crisp like we should be.” The game started to settle down in the second half as the Aztecs began to control the game, not allowing OSU to keep the momentum going. SDSU began to rally late and finally got on the board in the 90th minute by senior tri-captain defender Nick Cardenas’ goal. “It was good to see Nick (Cardenas) score, even though we all know he would have preferred the win,” McManus said. “But it wasn’t a shutout, and on a personal level, that goal will mean a little to Nick. As time expired, the Aztecs were on top of shots, shots on goal and corner kicks all of those failing to result in a win for SDSU. “Even though we battled, we weren’t aggressive,” Wallace said. “We didn’t have that fire that we usually have and we weren’t in the game like we should have been. If we want to get a win next weekend, we can’t play like we did this weekend. For us to end on a victory we need to not focus on anything except how to win next week.”

VS.

WHERE: The Academy in Colorado Springs, Colo. WHO TO WATCH: The Aztecs will look to pick up their sixth Mountain West Conference win this season when they face off against Air Force.

BEHIND THE NUMBERS