X24 Mexico simulates disaster Hutton Marshall
MONDAY February 20, 2012 Volume 97, Issue 76 W W W.T H E D A I LYA Z T E C . C O M
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INDEX: Last week, leaders from Mexico and the United States gathered at San Diego State’s immersive Visualization Center for the third annual Exercise 24, a disaster simulation that utilizes Twitter and other social media platforms to connect disaster control to necessary resources in a time of crisis. Last year’s X24 exercise simulated an offshore earthquake resulting in a tsunami striking San Diego. This year’s exercise created a scenario involving multiple disasters in Mexico, the most significant of which was an active volcano erupting near Mexico City. Once the disaster simulation began, participants interacted with one another through several communication media to find the most effective way to control the situation. The tools in SDSU’s Visualization Center ensured interconnectedness among the participants of X24 Mexico. “As soon as something happens, you’re all connected to each other,” director of SDSU Visualization Center, Eric Frost, said. “You can create a shared vision to cohesively respond to a disaster. Everyone knows the role they have to play.” According to Frost, making these connections prior to a real disaster is imperative in order to solve real-time problems in an effective manner. “If you’re exchanging business cards when the disaster happens, you’ve already lost. It’s already way too late,” Frost said. Director of X24 Mexico, George Bressler claims the simulation is beneficial not only in a communicationbuilding sense; much of the computerized simulation can also be applied scientifically to actual disasters. “During X24 San Diego, we explored a situation involving a tsunami in Southern California, which we then applied to the situation in Japan,” Bressler said.
ANTONIO ZARAGOZA, PHOTO EDITOR
“If something happens now, people will be connected to it. Twitter will make sure regular people are aware and involved in what’s happening.” Eric Frost director of SDSU Visualization Center However, Japan could have benefited even further from an X24 involving communication between it and the United States. “The single hardest part of the Japanese tsunami was Americans getting a travel voucher,” Frost said. “Nobody knew who to talk to, so it took two weeks to get people over there. Most people needing to be saved will be dead by then.” The X24 simulations are designed to overcome these problems before
any casualties occur. Despite working in a room filled with cutting-edge technology and software, Frost claimed Twitter has now become an invaluable resource for disaster control. The real-time, microblogging site is now in its fifth year of existence and is continually evolving. “If you want to accomplish something during a disaster, Twitter works in a dramatically effective way because it’s one-to-many,” he said. Overcoming the language barrier
Student union greets incomers Edward Henderson staff writer Last Saturday, the Afrikan Student Union at San Diego State hosted its 37th Annual High School Conference. The theme of the conference was “Education is the passport to our future.” More than 150 students from San Diego and Los Angeles-area high schools participated in the all-day event, which kicked off in the Aztec Recreation Center. The purpose of the event was to provide underrepresented and underprivileged students with information about the college admission process and an opportunity to interact with current SDSU students. ASU President Channelle McNutt said this interaction is important when trying to connect with high school students. “There’s a huge difference between hearing this information from a counselor or a teacher that’s a lot older than you are, verses college students who have just made the transition themselves or already have a few years of experience
under their belt,” McNutt said. The day began with presentations from the Office of Educational Opportunity Programs and Ethnic Affairs and admissions officers, detailing requirements and services offered by SDSU to make the transition to college easier. Students then enjoyed performances from the K.O. hip-hop dance team, Phi Beta Sigma and Kappa Alpha Psi fraternities, as well as a spoken-word poem from SDSU student E.J. Walls. Keynote speaker Frank Robinson, public affairs manager at Union Bank, spoke to students about the importance of accountability and hard work in all aspects of life. The event culminated with breakout sessions hosted by SDSU students and community volunteers, and a talent show in which students had the opportunity to perform for their peers. High school senior Drey Daniel shared his thoughts about the conference. “Today was very empowering,” Daniel said. “It inspired me to do better in school and reminded me that anybody can overcome their background to get where they want to be.”
A S B E AT Restructuring Update The Restructuring Committee has agreed upon a new multibranch structure for Associated Students in which a board of directors, judicial board, university board and campus life board work together while remaining in control of their own committees. The university board will oversee all academic committees, the campus life board will focus on extracurricular programs and the board of directors will handle the corporate side of AS. Members of the Asian Pacific Student Alliance and the
between the United States and Mexico was another obstacle made easier through Twitter. More than 60 percent of Twitter is in a language other than English. Frost said the X24 simulations have benefited from several Twitter users who have been especially innovative in dual-language tweeting. “Shakira is the champion of duallanguage tweeting,” Frost said. “She now tweets in Spanish, English and French. When she tweets, it goes to 14 million people. The U.S. government isn’t capable of that.” X24 Mexico’s website featured three live Twitter feeds alongside a real-time map, making the emergency simulation easily understandable to outside viewers and inviting people from around the globe to participate. This year, the simulation attracted participants from 43 countries. “If something happens now, people will be connected to it,” Frost said.” Twitter will make sure regular people are aware and involved in what’s happening.”
Andres Bonifacio Samahan, a Filipino cultural group, attended the meeting to discover how the Committee would include cultural organizations. “My only worry is that … (the Restructuring Committee is) going to stick all the cultural organizations into one branch; and from that branch you’re going to have one representative to go to A.S. or the Board of Directors, and that one representative is supposed to represent all those organizations,” APSA member Devyn Brown said to the Restructuring Committee on Friday. This could potentially be a problem, because each cultural organization may have unique issues and concerns, and their voices could be pigeon-holed through having only one representative. The committee assured Brown the point of the restructuring was to ensure cultural groups would have more efficient representation.
-Compiled by Contributor Amy Williams
SPORTS
The Aztecs suffered a surprising setback from Air Force.
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“Normal” girls won’t cut it ... You’ll start dating girls ... in the wide aesthetic range between Katy Perry and Zooey Deschanel. B A C K PA G E
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W E AT H E R : PARTLY CLOUDY HIGH: 65 LOW: 44 SUNSET: 5:38PM
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AZTEC Monday, February 20, 2012
SPORTS
WO M E N ’S B AS K E T B A L L
MEN’S BASKETBALL
Fast start leads Air Force flies by SDSU Aztecs to win Ruben Meza contributor
SDSU 59 | AFA 46 For the second game in a row, the San Diego State women’s basketball team shut down its opponent in the first half and held on to earn its 20th win of the season. SDSU (20-5, MW 10-1) defeated the Air Force Falcons 59-46 in front of a season-high crowd of 1,763 at Viejas Arena on Saturday. Junior guard Chelsea Hopkins carried the Aztecs with 15 points and 10 assists, earning her fourth double-double of the season, while junior guard Courtney Clements led the team with 16 points and nine rebounds. AFA junior forward Dymond James, who led the Falcons with 16 points, put her team up 2-0 for its only lead of the game. Senior guard Sajoyia Griffin came off the bench and nailed a 3-pointer
followed by a layup to begin a 21-5 SDSU first-half run. On the following two possessions, Clements added back-to-back 3-pointers to set the tone in the conference matchup. “I told them ‘Force the action, don’t react,’” SDSU head coach Beth Burns said. “You can’t be reactive against Air Force, you need to take action and put them on their heels.” The Aztecs forced 13 turnovers to dig Air Force into a 33-15 hole entering the second half. The Falcons then started the second half strong with a 12-5 run after switching to a full-court defense, placing plenty of double teams on Hopkins. “They picked up their tempo and we had to adjust to it,” Hopkins said. “They were aggressive but when we play our game I don’t think anyone can stop us.” SDSU will attempt to extend its twogame conference lead in Laramie at 5 p.m. tomorrow against the Cowgirls at Arena-Auditorium. “If we really want to get that banner, we’re going to go out there and get it,” Burns said
WAT E R P O L O
UCLA secures Top-10 victory Laura Barrick staff writer
UCLA 9 | SDSU 4 The San Diego State water polo team hosted No. 3 UCLA on Saturday in one of the most anticipated games of the season. In the first quarter, UCLA took advantage of every opportunity and quickly grabbed a 3-1 lead. It was a struggle for SDSU to catch up to the Bruins in the second quarter, as it was outscored again by UCLA 3-1, making the score 6-2 at halftime. Junior utility Amber Pezzolla and freshman utility Taelor Moreno made sure UCLA didn’t build on its lead in the third quarter. Although the Aztecs did the best
they could to get back in the game, the Bruins were unstoppable. UCLA scored two fourth-quarter goals and defeated SDSU 9-4. Senior goalkeeper Kelly Campoli finished the game with eight saves, while Moreno and freshman driver Anique Hermann each contributed a goal. Senior two-meter defense Leanne Ford led the team with two goals. According to SDSU head coach Carin Crawford, the team wasn’t itself against the Bruins. “We had a lot of missed opportunities,” Crawford said. “Our outside shooting wasn’t especially on. The team just getting over various stages of illnesses, took its toll as well. “We lacked the energy necessary to get the heat behind our shots,” she added. “We started off pretty well; I don’t think we gave up anything easily, but we just didn’t have quite enough gas in the tank to do what we needed to do to score goals.”
PETER KLUCH, SENIOR STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER
The Aztecs suffered from their third consecutive loss Ryan Schuler staff writer
AFA 58 | SDSU 56 This was not supposed to happen. This was supposed to be the bounce-back game for the No. 13 San Diego State men’s basketball team. After two straight losses to UNLV and New Mexico, Air Force seemed like the perfect candidate to
get SDSU back to its winning ways. Air Force had other things in mind. The Falcons defeated the Aztecs in Colorado Springs, Colo., 58-56, on Saturday afternoon to drop the Aztecs to 20-6 overall and 6-4 in the Mountain West Conference. With the loss, SDSU is in the midst of its first three-game losing streak since February 2008. To make matters worse, Air Force had not beaten a Top25 ranked team since February 1992. The already shorthanded Aztecs would play the game without starting sophomore guard Jamaal Franklin, who leads the conference in scoring with 16 points per game. Franklin, who sprained his ankle in the final minutes against New Mexico, participated in some pregame warm-
BEHIND THE NUMBERS
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FOR SDSU MEN’S BASKETBALL 2 34.6
Percent shooting for SDSU Turnovers for the Aztecs
17
Points for junior guard Chase Tapley
13
Points scored by senior forward Tim Shelton
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Shots made by junior guard James Rahon
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Advanced Test Preparation
Point loss to Air Force
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ups and was a game-time decision, but was ultimately kept out of the game. Senior center Garrett Green would start in place for Franklin, but Green was unable to escape injury as well. Eight minutes into the second half, Green also sprained his ankle, ending his night with five points and 10 rebounds. Junior guard Chase Tapley led all Aztec players with 17 points to compliment nine rebounds, while senior forward Tim Shelton posted the second double-double of his career, scoring 13 points and grabbing 11 rebounds. Air Force (13-11, 3-7 MW), which snapped an eight-game losing streak against SDSU, was led by junior guard Michael Lyons, who scored 27 points, including back-to-back 3-pointers when the score was tied at 48. “It’s hard to win anywhere, especially on the road,” SDSU head coach Steve Fisher said. “And it is especially hard when you shoot it as poorly as we did.” The Aztecs had a chance for a game-winning 3-pointer, but sophomore guard Xavier Thames’ off-balance shot was no good at the buzzer. The Aztecs went ice cold during one stretch in the second half, missing 13 straight shots and failing to make a field goal for more than 11 minutes, allowing Air Force to keep the game competitive. “I’m sure Air Force had a lot to do with it, but we have to be able to make plays and finish plays,” Fisher said. SDSU returns home to take on Wyoming at 7:30 p.m. on Wednesday.
Years since Air Force has beaten a ranked team Consecutive losses for SDSU
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AZTEC Monday, February 20, 2012
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Damn, it really feels good to be a hipster was 15 years old when I encountered my first hipster in the wild. Admittedly, it was a confusing sight. He was paused at a stoplight on a fixed-wheel bike, V-necked, skinny-jeaned and hosting enough bright plumage to make the average female peahen go, “Skah ah ah ah!” I didn’t understand what could drive a perfectly sane human being to dress in such a manner. It’s taken a few years, but I finally understand. I’ve even come to look a thing or two like that anonymous hipster. Believe me, it’s not something I actively sought. Had you told me six years ago I’d end up like that guy, I would have said you’re nuts and swiftly returned to watching music videos on FUSE. But after years of oppression for wearing junk-cradling pants and chest hair-exposing shirts, I’m finally confident enough to admit something I should have eons ago: I’m a hipster. And friends, it’s not so bad. If you’re reading this, chances are you’ve already noticed the glaring roots of hipsterhood. It begins when someone compliments your obscure taste of music. “Arcade Fire?” you ask oh so nonchalantly. “Yeah, they’re cool. Their (insert never-heard-of b-side album here) is better though.” It’s at that moment of cherished pretentiousness it begins: the backward slide into the hipster deep. You’ll spend dark nights searching dingy, dark-
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Chris Pocock opinion editor alleyed avenues of the Internet for music written by one-hit wonders and small-town musicians. Shirts featuring witty band names become a prized but common staple of your wardrobe. And though you’d like to pretend the stray “Hey, I like that song. Who’s it by?” doesn’t mean much, you inwardly hold on to that feeling like Smeagol clutches his precious ring. Then it will start to influence your style. It might begin with a sweet pair of woolen socks you’d like to show off, or a pair of pants you bought that are meant for someone three inches taller. “No harm in a little cuffing,” you’d probably think. But it’s only a matter of time before you’ll start buying pairs of V-neck shirts and cardigans “for the ventilation.” Inevitably, it’ll lead to one thing: skinny jeans. You’re likely wondering what would cause a grown, dignified man to purchase such pants. Sure, they keep the family marbles toasty and in working order, but there’s really only one reason why guys would wear something that prevents them from being able to pick up their favorite Kurt Vonnegut novel off the ground: Ass-entuation — or ass accentuation for the layman. I’m not proud of this fact, but hear this, nonbelievers: Don’t think for a sec-
ond we’re the only ones looking at the nether (nether) regions of the opposite sex. Believe it or not, wearing those clothes will influence your attraction to the female folk. “Normal” girls won’t cut it anymore. Chances are, you’ll start dating girls who look anywhere in the wide aesthetic range between Katy Perry and Zooey Deschanel. Bonus points if they play music and wear thick black-framed glasses. Of course, buying nut-hugging jeans from stores blasting music from your favorite body part (The Shins, the Head and the Heart, The Flaming Lips — take your pick) and dating indie girls will take a toll on your wallet. When you see your crippled bank statement, you will weep silently into your eco-friendly OBEY T-shirt. You’ll have less money to spend going out, but the need to satisfy that ravenous complimentreceiving itch will continue. Sometime between updating your Pinterest account and FourSquaring the particularly hipster-ridden drinkery you’re at one night, you’ll notice a smeared, chalk-written add-on at the bottom of the beer list: Pabst Blue Ribbon. Friends, a warning — if you make it this far, you’re never going back.
CHRIS POCOCK IS A POLITICAL SCIENCE SENIOR.
TODAY’S BIRTHDAY (2/20/12) A loved one thinks you can do anything. You know it's an illusion but leave the magic anyway. Home, family and entertaining friends are priorities this year. Pay down debt. Compromise. Your faith keeps your heart thriving. To get the advantage, check the day's rating: 10 is the easiest day, 0 the most challenging. ARIES (March 21 - April 19) - Today is an 8 The next solar month brings a phase of compassion, spirituality and helpfulness. Ride these winds to build positive community structures. Beauty, art and love seduce. TAURUS (April 20 - May 20) - Today is an 8 - Save big bucks by making something beautiful for your home. Balance physical work with social demands. Settle on individual roles. Gain respect and status. GEMINI (May 21 - June 21) - Today is a 7 With the encouragement of someone you trust, your drive helps your career take off like a rocket. Big rewards usually entail some risk. Keep your promises. CANCER (June 22 - July 22) - Today is a 6 Don't give your money away, even if tempted. Balance studies with socializing. Enjoy a delicious meal. Chocolate figures in the plan. LEO (July 23 - Aug. 22) - Today is an 8 You're especially keen for business. Create new opportunities for you and a partner. Add artistic flair to the work. Others are saying nice things about you.
BY NANCY BLACK, TRIBUNE MEDIA SERVICES VIRGO (Aug. 23 - Sept. 22) - Today is a 9 Someone's in love. Add a touch of adventure to your routine. Your creativity's welcome, even if it doesn't feel that way. You do great work. LIBRA (Sept. 23 - Oct. 22) - Today is an 8 It's all about new partnerships until the middle of March. Go out and meet new people. You're growing more attractive with age. Show respect and gain love. SCORPIO (Oct. 23 - Nov. 21) - Today is a 6 Being polite gains you extra points. It's easier to deal with problems. You're lucky in love. You get more with honey than vinegar. SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22 - Dec. 21) - Today is an 8 - Family's extremely important right now. They can support you in your goals. Love's getting interesting. Accept an invitation while you can. Find beauty. CAPRICORN (Dec. 22 - Jan. 19) - Today is a 9 - Keep your eyes open for income opportunities, but don't get greedy. Others love your ideas, so keep them coming. Be thankful for what you have. AQUARIUS (Jan. 20 - Feb. 18) - Today is a 9 - Go ahead and chase a white rabbit. Your curiosity gets rewarded in the next four weeks, but you may have to take some risks. Are you ready? PISCES (Feb. 19 - March 20) - Today is a 6 You could rake in a lot of money. Don't sprint before you've warmed up your muscles. You might find some bumps along the romance trail. ©2012, TRIBUNE MEDIA SERVICES INC.
BY THE MEPHAM GROUP, TRIBUNE MEDIA SERVICES
SUDOKU
Difficulty Level: 1 out of 4 Instructions: Complete the grid so 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.sudokudragon.com
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CROSSWORD
SALT ‘N’ PEPA Photo editor Antonio Zaragoza “spotted” this dalmation standing at attention in front of Hepner Hall. Let’s hope her bark is better than her bite.
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ACROSS 1 Like Eastwood’s Harry 6 Aromatic resin 11 Emeril catchword 14 Start of un aĖo 15 Add to the mix 16 Freudian subject 17 *Get really angry 19 Cocktail cooler, in Coblenz 20 Paris airport 21 Having trouble deciding 22 Hindu social division 24 Fish eggs 25 *Belfast-born flutist 27 “For shame!” 29 Sedative 30 Suffix with bed or home 31 Arthur of tennis 34 Selected on a ballot, with “in” 35 *2004 loser to George Bush 39 Source of quick cash, briefly 42 Operating system since the ’60s 43 Ball hit over the wall 47 Steals 50 Title street of kids’ TV 51 *Sandwich request 55 Accomplished 56 Islamic deity 57 College head 58 Shower affection (on) 59 __ tai: cocktail 60 One of the four that end this puzzle’s starred answers 63 Rock producer Brian 64 Stealthy craft
BY RICH NORRIS & JOYCE LEWIS, TRIBUNE MEDIA SERVICES
Solutions available online at www.thedailyaztec.com 65 Zellweger of “Chicago” 66 Room with bookcases 67 Tolerate 68 Flowers with swordlike leaves, briefly DOWN 1 Expels from the country 2 “Should I deal you a hand?” 3 Abundantly supplied (with) 4 Helen of __ 5 Partner of hither 6 __ salts 7 “Filthy” dough 8 Preppy collars 9 Downed Russian space station
10 Mushroom with a black-edged top 11 Secretion used in hives 12 Stir up 13 Strolled, as to the saloon 18 French state 23 “Float like a butterfly” boxer 25 Karate relative 26 Habitué 28 __ Mahal 31 Landers or Lee 32 Enjoy the slopes 33 Put a spell on 36 Awed crowd reaction 37 Stat start 38 Casual hellos 39 Humiliated 40 Like many rural roads
41 Thousand thousand 44 “Papa Don’t Preach” singer 45 Radiated 46 Flights leaving around midnight, usually 48 iPhone, e.g., briefly 49 Rules of conduct 50 In __: harmonious 52 Twin Cities suburb 53 Subatomic particle 54 Oohed and __ 58 Face-off with pistols 61 Squealer 62 Nonprofit’s URL ending