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TUESDAY, MARCH 12, 2013
WWW.DAILYAZTEC.COM
VOLUME 99, ISSUE 85
Student researchers present findings
MAR. 12, 2013
tuesday
TION VOTING UNTIL A.S. ELEC
Tasty Tuesdays: Mariscos El Pulpo
campus Will Houston Staff Writer
Last Friday and Saturday, more than 450 San Diego State students participated in the sixth annual Student Research Symposium in Love Library. During the event, graduate and undergraduate student researchers from an array of academic backgrounds exhibited their original research and discussed their findings with the public. Students presented their posters during a 1-hour, 45 minute discussion period and presenters were judged by faculty and staff members from various departments. Some students also explained their research in front of well-seasoned scientific research veterans. The students who excelled in these presentations received awards including money and a chance to compete in the annual California State University Student Research Competition. The poster presentations showed the various research topics, with subjects ranging from the use of zinc finger proteins in gene therapy to testing steel building components during earthquakes. A project by psychology seniors Dianna Welsh and Paul Gilbert examined how the brain separates similar memories using a process
Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week draws crowd fashion Chelsea Boggess Staff Writer Graduate student John Bellettiere presents ‘“How parental barriers to accessing a usual source of care affect children’s preventative health service use” by Bellettiere, Emmeline Chuong and Melbourne Hovell.
called “spatial pattern separation.” They tested behavior among young adults and plan to apply their results to in-depth psychological studies. “We’re hoping to learn a little bit more about pattern separation— where it is in the brain, what it does, when and why it declines,” Welsh said. “Then we’ll try to find out if it has any implications for other
patient populations, like those with Alzheimer’s, schizophrenia, anxiety disorders—lots of different things.” Some students paired seemingly incompatible disciplines. Aerospace engineering junior Francisco Candido combined the structural integrity of aerospace materials with the art of origami. Candido said this interdisciplinary approach
Spoken word sways Aztec women
campus
paige nelson , photo editor
is essential for generating innovative research ideas. “If you were just a regular student, you would never combine these two areas of study—art and engineering,” Candido said. “It’s the collaboration of different disciplines that bring new ideas to SYMPOSIUM continued on page 2
Online proxy marriages raise concern world Alicia Chavez Staff Writer
Guest Joanna Hoffman delivers a spoken word performance in honor of International Women’s Day. Hoffman discussed her personal experiences growing up as a homosexual woman.
Laura Nguyen Staff Writer
In honor of International Women’s Day, guest Joanna Hoffman delivered a spoken word performance discussing her personal experiences growing up as a homosexual woman on Thursday at the International Student Center. Hoffman, a poet, performer, teaching artist and advocate for lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender individuals questioning their sexual identity, presented a collection of interspersed video clips of current events and her poetry called “These Simple Truths” for students, staff and community members.
“These Simple Truths” featured poems focusing on personal, political and global issues, as well as, identity development, women’s rights, religious exploration and sexual identity. The poems also encouraged audiences to become global citizens. Being a global citizen means focusing on unifying themes that bring people together despite perceived differences. It’s about showing the humanity within complex national issues and how these issues are broken down to a personal level. “The political is personal and the personal is political,” Hoffman said. “Every issue comes down to human beings. We need to remember that these issues are happening to real people.”
christopher b . keller , staff photographer
What Hoffman enjoys about poetry more than anything else its human connection. She finds performing empowering and therapeutic. “The most gratifying response I receive is when a young gay teenager tells me they are now going to come out to their best friends or family and find the courage to tell their story,” Hoffman said. Through “Truths,” she has been able to express thoughts and experiences she didn’t think she could otherwise share. “It was nice to hear these topics put into a poem and delivered in a different way than in a magazine or a speech,” SPOKEN WORD continued on page 2
For anyone who’s involved in the fashion industry, designers, models, stylists, photographers, celebrities, bloggers, magazine representatives and fashion enthusiasts, Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week sits at the top of the food chain of fashion. Mercedes-Benz holds fashion week twice a year in global fashion capitals New York, Paris, London and Milan for renowned designers to showcase fall and spring lines. Both the show in New York complete and the one in Paris is still underway, it’s difficult to determine which is more talked about—the faces or the fashion. The best looks are completed with the famous faces of young catwalk veteran Karlie Kloss and British Fashion Awards Model of the Year Cara Delevingne.
Online dating has not only transformed the concept of courtship, it has revolutionized the practice of marriage. Couples are now Skyping their “I do’s.” These proxy online marriages— ceremonies allowing either party of the marriage to not be physically present—are now raising legal concerns. According to The New York Times, proxy marriages date back centuries. Even Louis XVI and Marie Antoinette are a prime example of the practice: The couple was first married in Antoinette’s native country of Austria, where Louis XVI was absent. Those concerned with the idea of proxy marriages fear the practice enables marriage fraud and even increases the number of sex trafficking victims. The Times reported immigration authorities still consider the practice to be new and most are unaware such ceremonies are taking place. However, anyone applying for U.S. citizenship must be interviewed by the Department of Homeland Security or state department officials, which investigate marriage
Kloss, who is ... 20 years old, ranked second on the Top 50 list by Models.com.
PROXY MARRIAGE continued on page 2
FASHION WEEK continued on page 6
Delevingne, who is 20 years old and was originally signed by the same scouter who spotted the legendary Kate Moss, is taking the fashion world by storm. Delevingne is the face of DKNY, and was chosen as the face of the new Burberry fragrance. Delevingne walked for lines by Derek Lam, DKNY, Diane von Furstenberg and Tommy Hilfiger in just one day and is already booked for future shows. The runway is a familiar place for her after being an angel in the November Victoria’s Secret Fashion Show. Kloss, who is also 20 years old, ranked second on the Top 50 list by Models.com. Landing huge designers and major campaigns are always easy tasks for