08-27-2012

Rent NOOKs in Media Center: P.6

THE NEWSPAPER OF SAN DIEGO STATE UNIVERSITY SINCE 1913 VOLUME 98, ISSUE 2

MONDAY AUGUST 27, 2012

CFA wants a transparent recruitment

New Aztecs join together

local

J. Hutton Marshall Managing Editor

Tara Millspaugh News Editor

When California State University Chancellor Charles B. Reed announced his retirement in May, the search for a new CSU Chancellor began. The pursuit for a wellsuited chancellor happened behind closed doors without faculty, staff or student input.

The lack of transparency within the search created uproar within the CSU community.

The California Faculty Association sponsored a resolution drafted by Assemblyman Richard Pan, which encourages the recruitment process to be a public and inclusive search.

The draft passed Aug. 22 and has moved to the assembly floor for further consideration.

“The CSU Chancellor is one of the most important public servants in state service.

As such, the recruitment and selection should be done publicly, not part of a backroom coronation that excludes key stakeholders,” CFA’s Associate Vice President Cecil Canton said.

According to Canton, the previous search for a CSU chancellor was a closeddoor policy without a public voting system. He said this CSU CHANCELLOR continued on page 2

New SDSU students and their families met at the Viejas Arena to celebrate the 2012 convocation, welcoming new Aztecs to the community.

Jenna De Stefano Staff Writer

San Diego State faculty, staff, students and alumni welcomed more than 3,000 new students and their families Saturday at the 2012 New Student and Family Convocation.

The convocation was an emotional event for students and family members, marking not only the beginning of the semester, but also the beginning of college experiences at SDSU. Speakers welcomed the new students and their families, each offering guidance about how to make the best transition to life at SDSU. Associated Students President

Rob O’Keefe offered advice to new students and reflected on his own college experience. O’Keefe told students about his freshman year, when he joined clubs and a fraternity to become involved on campus. O’Keefe also advised new students to remember that although college is an exciting time, it is also a learning experience with inevitable disappointments and obstacles.

After admitting to a few specific setbacks, O’Keefe encouraged students to accept changes and find new opportunities like he did by running for A.S. president.

“I wanted to let students know that it’s OK to fail and, while everybody’s experience is different, that some things are just not going

SDSU downs Seattle to go 4-0 ’

women s soccer

Christopher Stone Contributor

San Diego State entered Friday’s soccer match against the Seattle University Redhawks (1-2) after winning three games in six days and seeking the program’s first 4-0 start since 1996.

The Aztecs (4-0, 0-0 MW) remain undefeated after getting off to a quick start when redshirt senior defender Tiffany Hurst scored a goal in the first minute of the game off a crossing pass from sophomore forward Hannah Keane.

“We work on those plays a lot, getting to the penalty spot specifically,” Hurst said. “(Keane) played a perfect ball

Africana Studies calls off boycott

Redshirt senior defender Tiffany Hurst scored in the game’s first minute to help lead SDSU to a 2-0 win.

back and I was just trying to hit it on frame.”

The Aztecs added to their lead a minute later when sophomore

peter kluch, assistant photo editor

forward Haley Locker knocked in a goal after redshirt junior midfielder Sophie Metz fired a shot SOCCER continued on page 7

photo editor , paige nelson

to work out,” O’Keefe said after the convocation. “I went through a lot to get here, and a lot had to go wrong for it to go right in the end.”

Although the convocation was only one of many new student events, it is considered one bookend to a college career, with the other being graduation. A.S. Vice President of External Affairs Tom Rivera said the convocation is not just an event, but a custom.

“Students who attend convocation are part of one of SDSU’s greatest traditions,” Rivera said. “It really embodies what it means to be an Aztec and makes people feel much more connected to their new home.”

Two weeks ago, the San Diego State Department of Africana Studies held a meeting, planning to picket every single university event to protest what it sees as 10 years of neglect

by SDSU’s administration, beginning with a boycott of last Thursday’s convocation.

However, the boycott was cancelled three days before when Dr. Shirley Weber, chair of the Department of Africanas Studies, and President Elliot Hirshman came to a tentative agreement.

“The Department has no confidence in your administration, and believes it is useless to engage in further conversation,” Weber wrote in an email last fall, to Dean of the College of Arts and Letters Paul Wong and Provost Nancy Marlin. “We have decided to take our issues directly to President Hirshman and the Africana American communities on and off campus for resolution.”

According to Weber, the Department of Africana Studies is SDSU’s only academic department “that is completely self-contained, that has experienced faculty losses without any new hires.” Weber said the department lost many faculty members because of layoffs and retirements during AFRICANA STUDIES continued on page 2

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News

Monday August 27, 2012 The Daily Aztec

from CSU CHANCELLOR page 1

from AFRICANA STUDIES page 1

created negative communication between the chancellor and the community.

CFA wants to make it known that the chancellor’s search needs to be more public because he represents 23 campuses with 24,000 faculty, librarians, coaches, counselors and more than 425,000 students, according to a press release. His decisions affect all of these who fall under the CSU umbrella.

The CFA created an informal survey revealing faculty and student expectations for the new chancellor. The survey, conducted June 8-18 consisted of 1,431 responses by faculty, staff, alumni and parents.

The results of the survey revealed 93.5 percent of the voters would like the chancellor to express true commitment to maintaining and improving the quality of education at the CSU system.

The CFA survey also revealed that only 2.9 percent of voters want the same commitment and direction of the previous chancellor.

In June, the CSU system began the selection with an open hearing at CSU Long Beach.

This is the first time in CSU history a chancellor selection committee included faculty and student voting members.

The search for a CSU Chancellor is expected to conclude by the end of this year.

the last decade, but none have been replaced.

However, Weber called off the boycott when Hirshman agreed to a proposal, in which the department would be able to hire an additional tenure track professor for the Fall 2013 semester. Currently, the department has three full-time professors, now that Weber has retired from a full-time faculty position.

“It’s a small step, but it’s important,” Weber said.

Media Relations Manager Gina Jacobs said the decision to hire an additional faculty member was the result of a direct appeal made to

Hirshman by the university senate, which includes Marlin. Marlin was subject to much scrutiny by the Department of Africana Studies after she excluded it from a list of departments in need of additional hires.

While Weber said the department is still far from where it should be, she considers this a victory. She praised Hirshman for acknowledging the dire situation of the department, something other SDSU administrators have not entirely accomplished. “(Hirshman) has been very supportive,” Weber said. “He’s listened, he’s heard, he’s been very reasonable.”

However, many involved with Africana Studies still see a long road ahead. Treasurer and Head of Publicity for the Association of Africana Studies Majors and Minors Shelly Stamps said while increasing the number of professors from three to four is an improvement, the small number of full-time faculty stretches the whole department very thin.

Stamps, who is double-majoring in Africana studies and art with an emphasis in multimedia, said the administration has been justifying its treatment of the department by pointing out the relatively low number of students majoring or

New spider family found Arturo Garcia Staff Writer

Biologists discovering a new family of spiders took San Diego State research to the California Academy of Sciences, where they uncovered an unusual finding in the field of arachnology.

Trogloraptor marchingtoni was found in a cave system in southern Oregon and in redwood forests.

California’s SDSU postdoctoral research associate Dr. Axel Schönhofer said he photographed and captured some specimens in the latter region.

Schönhofer brought his samples to SDSU biology professor Dr. Marshal Hedin who analyzed the spider and realized it coincided with current research being conducted at CAS. According to Schönhofer, there has been no new discovery in such taxo-

The Trogloraptor, a large tarantula, was recently discovered in caves in Oregon and the Redwoods.

nomic levels in the U.S. since 1893.

There have been revisions in taxonomic order, one of which Hedin participated in last June. This research re-ranked Ctenizidae, a type of tarantula, as a family clause in the infraorder Mygalomorphae, according to former SDSU biology master’s

courtesy axel schonhofer

student Jordan Setler. Interestingly enough, reconsideration of classification is more common than finding an entirely unclassified family, as in the case of the Trogloraptor.

Displaying what Schönhofer referred to as a “primitive” sexual apparatus, the Trogloraptor, com-

minoring in Africana Studies.

Stamps said this is something of a catch-22, because people aren’t motivated to join a major with so few faculty members and resources.

“It’s impossible for a department to strive with only three tenured professors,” Stamps said. “I’m taking 15 units this semester and four of my classes are with the same professor.”

Jacobs said Hirshman is committed to raising non-state funds to pay for the new professor’s salary for the next three years, after which the salary will come out of state funds. monly referred to as “the cave robber spider,” is an ancient family.

“Like a dinosaur found somewhere,” Schönhofer said.

For climatic reasons such as the relatively stable environment of redwood forests, many relict organisms are found in this area and are therefore unique to it. The large coniferous trees and other unchanged fauna of the forest aid in this prolonged stability, according to Schönhofer.

“They’re very important for biodiversity,” Schönhofer added.

“The forest needs protection.”

The Trogloraptor is about one and a half inches wide when its legs are extended, larger than a half-dollar coin.

Its raptorial claws, similar to the dinosaur, earned the spider its name.

According to The Telegraph Troglo- is Latin for “thriving in caves,” while the name “marchingtoni” honors Douglas County Sheriff’s Deputy Neil Marchington, who led scientists to the cave where the spider had been found.

FOOtBall HOMe OPeneR tH sePteMBeR 8 vs. aRMY

student tailgate

tailgate: 2PM-4PM Warrior Walk: 2:30PM

Qualcomm stadium • Parking area e4 Free Food, Music, games Pick up Your Free special edition “Fear the spear“t-shirt OnlY at the student tailgate

Pick up game ticket & Free trolley game day Pass at Viejas arena Box Office PResenting sPOnsOR OF tHe

2012 FOOtBall seasOn

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News

Monday August 27, 2012 The Daily Aztec

Aztecs return from Gaza Strip

Google challenges students Ethan Orenstein Staff Writer

SDSU Olive Tree Initiative members with professor Jonathan Graubart are in Tel Aviv with Gilead Sher, Israel’s co-chief peace negotiater.

Donna P. Crilly Staff Writer

“Imagine a class where you could expose students to all the different perspectives from different camps of Palestinians, different camps of Israeli Jews, and then actually go there and see how people are living,” San Diego State political science professor Jonathan Graubart said.

It’s what Graubart and a handful of students from the Olive Tree Initiative did during the summer.

OTI chapters from several California universities including SDSU recently returned from a 19-day summer trip to Israel and Palestine where members learned about conflict resolution. Through experiential learning, OTI students witnessed aspects of the conflict firsthand.

OTI met with more than 80 groups and individuals who either deal directly with the Palestinian-Israeli conflict or were directly affected by it.

SDSU OTI President, Lori Carrillo said the trip was “amazing,” but “physically and emotionally exhausting.”

Carrillo said it was jarring at first to pass through the various security checkpoints when moving from site to site, which is standard procedure.

“There’s soldiers with M16s (assault rifles) everywhere and you kind of get used to it. They ask a lot of ‘what are you doing? Where are you going?’” Carrillo explained.

When visiting Hebron, a city in the southern West Bank, Carrillo said a bulletproof glass wall separated the entrances to the holy site of Abraham’s tomb. On one side,

Muslims enter through a mosque.

On the other side, Jews enter through a synagogue. Neither party comes in direct contact with the other and neither party is allowed to enter through the other side. This is meant to prevent potential violence among the worshipers, according to Carrillo.

Graubart said it’s not unusual for the occasional riot to break out at the holy sites; although, OTI didn’t witness any during the trip.

When traveling between territories, OTI students witnessed some of the deplorable living conditions many Palestinians and Israelis experience.

Water tanks lined Palestinian rooftops, providing an alternative to the brackish water along the Gaza Strip, which is undrinkable, according to the Palestinian Water Authority.

In addition, members heard firsthand accounts of tragic experiences from various Palestinians and Israelis.

SDSU OTI Public Relations Representative, Sandy Chavez, said one story struck her deeply.

“We were at a graveyard and this Israeli guy was sharing an emotional story about his daughter,,” Chavez said.

According to Carrillo and Chavez, the child was on a bus with other children heading home from school when a suicide bomber blew up the bus. The children didn’t survive, but the young girl’s backpack stayed intact. Within the backpack, the father found his daughter’s diary and several drawings. He shared one of the drawings with several OTI members while he told his story.

“You could see it in his eyes.

courtesy prescott watson

When he’s talking, his throat still gets choked up. It’s just very very emotional,” Chavez said.

Graubart said there was a lot of crying during the trip because it seemed wherever they went, someone had a tragic story to tell. The University of California, Berkeley OTI Chapter brought its campus psychologist with them on the trip in case members needed counseling to cope with emotional challenges.

Chavez said she plans to share her experience with incoming OTI members, as well as the SDSU community.

“If I could describe the trip in two words, it would be ‘intense’ and ‘unique,’” Chavez said.

Five San Diego State students in Assistant Professor Dr. Andrew Baker’s Marketing 476 class finished among the top one percent in the Google Online Marketing Challenge after results were announced Aug. 9.

There were teams from more than 100 countries that competed in the challenge. Their challenge was to create a Google AdWords campaign for a small to mediumsized business or a nonprofit organization not already using the AdWords program.

Kai Burtyk, Ian Donahue, Alec Johnson, Trevor Morrissey and Mike Revie worked with Grammy’s Granola, a small business in Leucadia, which makes granola, breads and bars.

With a budget of $250, the students created and maintained an AdWords campaign for Grammy’s Granola for three consecutive weeks. The students used the program to choose terms and keywords associated with the small business. For example, when a customer searched for one of the key terms, an ad would appear next to the search results.

“The most challenging part of this project was finding a balance between bidding on optimum keywords and not consuming our entire budget,” Burtyk said. “Keywords like granola are expensive to bid on due to competition, but were not always the most beneficial to the

campaign. It is important to get creative with keyword selection, explore alternatives and put yourself in the mind of the end consumer.”

Creativity and adaptation contributed to the students’ success. An effective online marketing campaign requires attention to details and frequent changes.

“We spent a lot of time monitoring and changing our campaign, which was really the key,” Morrissey said. “Internet marketing is all about testing certain things to see if they work; and if they don’t, you just make the necessary adjustments.”

The competition allowed students to experience realistic challenges marketing and advertising agencies face on a regular basis.

Morrissey said exposure to experiences outside the classroom is a great way to get a perspective on the fast-paced marketing field.

Burtyk agreed that having a strong working knowledge of programs such as Google AdWords is important to prepare for careers in marketing and advertising fields.

“The experience within Google AdWords was great,” Morrissey said. “It’s a $20 billion per-year industry, so there are plenty of opportunities down that path.

We did exactly what you would be doing in a real-world scenario, so I’m glad we had Professor Baker, who introduced us to the competition.”

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FEATURES

Monday August 27, 2012 The Daily Aztec

Library’s Media Center offers NOOK rentals

These hidden treasures wait to be rented in the Media Center, an area many students have yet to explore

paige nelson, photo editor

Students access to technology increases at SDSU

marked up. However, the Digital Editions software on NOOK proves quite useful their computer in order to for research projects. For transfer their e-book rentals example, students required to to the NOOK. use several scholarly sources Finally, students who no longer need to check out purchase e-books from an Lauren Yap bulky publications and can online retailer such as Barnes Staff Writer simply load books on the & Noble can access content Recent innovation and NOOK. This e-reader also once they’ve registered the technology have fostered remains an ideal option for device. After registration, bookworms into the digital students without laptops who students can log into their age. The introduction of e- need access to online books. accounts and transfer their hard-core purchases to the NOOK. book readers cultivated a Additionally, reading revolution spreading literature lovers can check out Think back to the days all the way to San Diego several publications at once when it was courteous to State.

Love Library now and always have them at their rewind a VHS rental from carries a selection of more fingertips. There are several Blockbuster for the next ways to add reading person. The same concept material to the NOOK. goes for the NOOK, so be First, students can sure to unregister the device take advantage of the before returning it.

Hard-core literature millions of free books Readers who prefer to lovers can check out available online for stick to old-school print several publications at free. Many classic may be hesitant to embrace novels, short stories this modern medium. once and always have and scholarly journals Fortunately, the SDSU them at their fingertips. fall into this category. library and information The SDSU library website has plenty of website has an extensive resources and help for database with links to NOOK novices. The tips than 20 NOOKs from Barnes find free online books, collections & Noble, which are available e-book e-bookstores. for students to borrow. The and difference between an online Google Books is also Someone with a NOOK book and e-book is distinct. a great place to start Digital can get e-books from The former is viewed on a searching. computer web browser, while technologies librarian the Barnes & Noble, the latter is downloaded Keven Jeffery explains Google or Sony store ... directly to an e-reader. why Love Library In addition to portable chose to host the practicality, readers favor the NOOK instead of similar ee-link used on the tablets, other which make it easier to read readers, such as the Kindle.

“The section offers step-by-step in sunlight and easier on the Amazon eyes. The NOOKs are found reason we chose the NOOK downloading instructions in the Love Library Media was mainly because of the for all content options. The Center, located on the lower open e-book, EPUB standard information age remains level below the dome near the format, meaning someone in full swing and SDSU is laptop lounge. Any student, with a NOOK can get e- keeping up. staff or faculty member can books from the Barnes & check out either the NOOK Noble, Google or Sony stores 1st Edition or Simple Touch because the NOOK is more flexible in terms of content,” for as long as 30 days.

The NOOK Simple Touch Jeffery said. Students can boasts features such as a long- download either EPUB or lasting battery, portability PDF files on their computer and Wi-Fi. However, the and transfer that content to library hosts the most basic the NOOK via USB for onNOOK model, which is the-go convenience.

Fiction fans that want strictly for reading. Unlike fancy competitors such as content not offered at Love Want to write for the iPad, the Simple Touch Library, which primarily display is black and white hosts academic reading, can The Daily Aztec? and lacks video, gaming check out e-books from any Email features@ and music capability. For other public library for free. thedailyaztec.com that reason, these tablets Most public libraries use may not become textbook a system called Overdrive replacements because they to loan e-books. Students lack color and cannot be must download a free Adobe

WRITERS WANTED

SPORTS from SOCCER page 1

off the crossbar. The ball seemed to cross the goal line before quickly bouncing out where Locker was positioned. She didn’t hesitate to knock the ball in and added another goal to the Aztecs lead. Metz was credited with the assist.

A Seattle scoring opportunity followed when Aztec redshirt sophomore goalkeeper Rachel Boaz came flying out of the box to punch away a cross, only to have a shot come back her way on the rebound.

Boaz quickly dove to make the save, helping the Aztecs take a 2-0 lead into halftime.

The Aztecs looked fatigued in the second half, recording only two shots compared to the eight shots from the first half.

“Our legs were heavy in the second half and I think they did a good job just fighting,” Aztecs head coach Mike Friesen said.

Monday August 27, 2012 The Daily Aztec Boaz recorded SDSU’s fourth straight shutout to start the season.

“That’s an impressive thing - to go four straight games with shutouts,” Friesen said. “I think we’ve done a good job, not just in getting shutouts, but we really have eliminated the other teams’ chances to even get opportunities. That’s the thing that’s impressive for me.”

The Aztecs will face No. 8 Pepperdine at 7 p.m. this Friday at the SDSU Sports Deck.

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Long unsure about Huskies’ D football

Ryan Schuler Sports Editor

Last season, the University of Washington lost to Baylor University 67-56 in an exciting, offense-filled Alamo Bowl. The Huskies allowed 777 yards of total offense and 43 second half points to the Bears.

To make matters worse, the Huskies set school records last year for points allowed (467), pass completions (305), passing yards (3,700), average total offense per game (453.3), first downs (297), passing first downs (167), total yards (5,893) and total touchdowns (58).

As a result, Washington fired defensive coordinator Nick Holt and hired Justin Wilcox, former Tennessee and Boise State defensive coordinator.

Yet, what Wilcox’s defense will look like on the Sept. 1 opener in Seattle is what the Aztecs are worried about.

“What we have seen online, none of it’s even close to what he did at Tennessee,” SDSU head football coach Rocky Long said during last Tuesday’s press conference. “So we are going in a tunnel and it’s really dark, because we have no idea what they are going to do on defense, none whatsoever.”

In 2009, his final season at Boise State, Wilcox led the Broncos to a No. 14 ranking in total defense and scoring defense. The Broncos would finish the season undefeated after winning the Fiesta Bowl.

Wilcox spent the last two seasons as the defensive coordinator of the Tennessee Volunteers.

Waber leads Aztecs to win against Delaware

just clearing the air

It did not take long at Tuesday’s press conference for the topic of SDSU going for it on fourth down inside the opponent’s territory to come up.

Long recently made national headlines after saying the Aztecs will not punt or kick field goals inside the opponent’s 50-yard line, instead choosing to go for it on fourth down.

“I’m glad you brought that up because it has turned into that we are never punting,” Long said.

“That is not what I said. What I said was we are toying with the idea of once we get across the 50yard line, of going for it on fourth down. That’s exactly what we did in the scrimmage on Saturday.”

“The word has gotten out that we are never punting again, so that is not what I said and that is not what I meant,” he added.

“Whether that’s going to happen in the first game or not, that’s yet to be determined.” offensive and defensive lines still concerns

With less than one week until the season opener, Long says his top concerns remain the same.

“The D-Line is the biggest concern, and then probably the offensive line is the next biggest concern,” Long said. “So when you have a concern at the line of scrimmage that makes you a little nervous because we have really good skill.”

No starters return to the defensive line, while the offense line has two starters returning.

“We are coming along,” senior center Alec Johnson said.

“We are getting a lot of reps, which is good at our position, just to get consistency … We are not quite there yet, but we are making progress.”

“We have some talented guys up front, don’t get me wrong,” Long added. “But that’s where our immaturity is.” ex-aztec vincent brown breaks ankle

Sophomore outside hitter Michelle Waber had 16 kills in SDSU’s season-opening win against the Delaware Blue Hens.

volleyball

Courtney Muller Contributor

Even though classes were not in session, Aztec fans were out in full force supporting the San Diego State volleyball team Friday at Aztec Court.

The volleyball team opened the season in excellent form, sweeping the Delaware Blue Hens (0-2) in three straight sets, 25-13, 25-20 and 29-27.

The Aztecs (2-0) return 11 players from last season and also have some new faces that are sure to shine.

Sophomore outside hitter Michelle Waber had 16 kills in her first game wearing an Aztec jersey.

Waber, a native from Wildomar, redshirted last season after transferring to Montezuma Mesa

from the University of Hawai’i.

Middle blocker Andrea Hannasch kicked her senior season off with an impressive 11 kills and six blocks. Senior libero Kristi Jackels led the Aztecs with a team-high 14 digs in the match.

Although SDSU swept the Blue Hens, it did not come easy. Delaware came out fierce in the second set, going up on the Aztecs 17-13.

However, the Aztecs fought back to tie the game at 17-17 and won the second set, 25-20. The third set was a nail-biter as Delaware battled back from trailing SDSU the entire set to tie the score at 23-23. The set continued back and forth, but the game ended when Waber fired home back-to-back kills, giving the Aztecs a 29-27 edge in the final set for the win.

“I think everyone did a great job staying together and keeping the energy and momentum up,” Waber said.

paige nelson, photo editor

“It was great,” SDSU head coach Deitre Collins-Parker said about the season-opening win.

“Delaware is a good team with a good record and they win their conference. These are wins that we need, so it was really great to start out this way.”

The Aztecs returned to the court Saturday night and recorded a five-set upset against the No. 17

California Golden Bears, winning the 2012 Aztec Invitational. Waber led SDSU with 20 kills and was named the tournament’s MVP. Hannasch added 19 kills and was named to the four-person alltournament squad.

The Aztecs will host the fourteam Holiday Inn Mission Valley Aztec Challenge on Friday and Saturday at Aztec Court.

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It was only a preseason game.

Preseason games are supposed to serve as warmup games for the regular season, not cause injuries to a team’s breakout players.

Yet, that is exactly what happened to former SDSU and current San Diego Chargers wide receiver Vincent Brown.

As Brown made a leaping 18yard touchdown reception against the Dallas Cowboys in the third quarter of San Diego’s second preseason game, he suffered a broken ankle, which is expected to sideline him for at least eight weeks according to U-T San Diego’s Kevin Acee.

“He’s had a great offseason, he’s in the middle of having an outstanding training camp, and he obviously is a playmaker,” Chargers coach Norv Turner said to the team’s official website.

Brown, who had 19 catches for 329 yards and two touchdowns, was San Diego’s third-round choice in 2011. He is still expected to make a contribution this season. Richard Goodman, Micheal Spurlock and Roscoe Parrish are expected to compete for Brown’s available position.

OPINION

Monday August 27, 2012 the daily aztec

8

Remember our troops Mike Heral Staff Columnist

L

ast week marked the deaths of 2,000 service members in Afghanistan. Combining the 4,486 killed in Iraq and the 59,515 wounded in both theaters of war and the number of dead or wounded Americans is larger than the population of Santee. San Diegans would notice if Santee’s residents disappeared. However, no one notices when it disappears halfway around the world.

It takes more than absent mindedly “liking” a meme on Facebook to support a veteran.

Support means holding ourselves accountable for letting those veterans down. Our Constitution states “we, the people” form our government; therefore, when our heroes clad in camouflaged fatigues fall, it’s because we let them.

Today, we wave tiny flags in parades or pin flags to our lapels and call it patriotism. Those hollow acts are a far cry from the Vietnam era, when Americans watched raw horrors daily. The carnage incited protests, pressuring Washington to end the hostilities. It’s a far cry from today’s invisible war fought by invisible combatants.

In July, 38 invisible soldiers committed suicide. The rate of suicides in 2012 has heightened throughout the past couple of months. Suicide is now the U.S. military’s second leading cause of death. The tragedy is that suicide is preventable.

We weren’t prepared for the psychological trauma our returning military faced. We don’t have adequate mental counseling available. We allow backlogs at the Veterans Administration—often a veteran’s only medical recourse— because we won’t sufficiently budget it. Until recently, the media was prohibited from filming American flag-draped coffins.

Those coffins are what we need to see to understand war isn’t as cool as watching a DOD-sanitized drone strike video.

Our neglect forced the military to undertake an overreaching role it wasn’t trained for. The nature of war demands unthinking, unfeeling automatons. Matters of the heart and mind must be subjugated to striking fast, striking hard. The military has long ridiculed those who cannot fight, coldly labeling all as malingerers. If the Pentagon has no need for those who are “sick, lame and lazy,” what will it do when a fighter says his brain is broken? Untreated mental illness doesn’t go away. It can eat away at the core of a man until he acts irrationally. We must take this burden away from the Pentagon by increasing awareness and acceptance of diseases, such as post-traumatic stress disorder.

We failed them long before a first shot was fired on desert sand. They trusted us to not be led down a rabbit hole, but they were dragged down under false pretenses. The passion-filled days following 9/11 made us act irrationally.

Until recently, U.S. media was barred from broadcasting images of flag-draped coffins arriving from Iraq and Afghanistan.

We gave too much power to an administration bent on using Al Qaeda as a catch-all justification for American imperialism. What we didn’t ask in our blind rush for revenge was whether or not we were unaware of mission creep.

Only eight months have passed since American troops in Iraq came home. In the ensuing months, the American-supported government in Iraq defied American-led sanctions against Iran. Financially aiding a country we consider an enemy calls into question the purpose of Baghdad’s liberation. It also threatens to render every American death on Iraqi soil as purposeless.

President Barack Obama

and presumptive Republican presidential nominee Mitt Romney ought to debate issues promoting the welfare of veterans instead of bickering about tax returns, as millionaires tend to do. They should pledge to stop placating the war industry by not engaging in missions without just cause. They must demand all veterans returning from combat undergo immediate mandatory psychological counseling and free post-deployment mental health care for a period of no less than one year—longer when deemed necessary by a physician.

We must stop pretending we aren’t still at war. We also must

mct campus

stop ignoring American heroes disappearing because of inadequate post-war care. It’s the least we can do for those who’ve selflessly placed their lives on the line on our behalf.

GIVE US YOUR TWO CENTS! become a writer for the daily aztec’s opinion section and tell san diego state students what you really think.

Email Editor: Leonardo Castaneda opinion@thedailyaztec.com

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opinion

Monday August 27, 2012 The Daily Aztec

The stories you missed while you were gone Opinion Editor

interview him after the incident.

Additionally, the U.S. Department of Justice neglected to notify Blythe he was wanted for manslaughter and shouldn’t travel to Prague.

Mike Heral

Unknown Reason for Death

Leo Castaneda

Junior Seau committed suicide this year and a consensus quickly formed stating he was another ex-NFL star who lost his mind because of too many hits to the head. However, the Office of the Medical Examiner of San Diego County found traces of zolpidem—the active element in the insomnia drug Ambien—in his system. Zolpidem is widely known to cause erratic behavior and might be culpable for Seau’s suicide. Sadly, we may never know the definitive reason he ended his life, but the rush to blame the NFL appears premature.

Staff Columnist

Here are some of the stories we found the most interesting and underreported this summer, as well as the ones we’re keeping an eye on this fall semester.

Balboa Lily Pond A water gun

fight at Balboa Park earlier this month caused serious havoc to the lily pond in front of the botanical garden. The latest estimate puts the cost of the damage at $19,000.

The stunt now threatens to damage the campaign for mayoral candidate Carl DeMaio after his partner was accused of helping promote the event.

Balboa

Parking

Shuffle

Qualcomm founder Irwin Jacobs pushed for a new plan in city council that will make Balboa Park more pedestrian-friendly. The Plaza de Panama, currently home to parking spots and valet parking, will be car-free. An underground parking structure will be built to offset lost parking space, while traffic will be redirected with a new bridge bypass.

Though exciting for the park and its visitors, the renovations risk Balboa’s historical designation and

Junior Seau was beloved in San Diego during the 13 seasons he spent with the Chargers.

the grants, federal aid and tourism associated with it.

Congressional Witch Hunt

Congresswoman Michele Bachmann from Minnesota didn’t lose touch with her inner crazy, spearheading a group of five congressmen investigating alleged Muslim Brotherhood infiltration into the U.S. government. Bachmann and

her gang of Goofys must’ve watched Showtime’s conspiracy thriller “Brotherhood” much too intently.

Senator John McCain was eventually forced to take the extraordinary step of denouncing her on the senate floor.

Killer Rock Randall Blythe, lead

singer of the extreme metal band Lamb of God, was arrested for

mct campus

manslaughter in Prague. A fan was killed when he was pushed from the stage during a 2010 concert.

The Czech Republic alleges Blythe was culpable in violently removing the fan from the stage. Bizarrely, Blythe was forced to post bail twice before being released. According to Blythe, one reason for this was Czech Republic’s anger about the U.S. denying its request to

Rep. Michele Bachmann

mct campus

The biggest stories to watch this fall semester Battle of the Tax Hikes This

year’s ballot has three different tax increase propositions. Prop 39 is a multistate business tax that may become law long before anyone casts a vote. The other two are squaring off directly. On one side is Prop 30, Jerry Brown’s baby; on the other is Prop 38, championed by Molly Munger. It’s unlikely both will pass, and if they split the pro-tax vote, it can spell big trouble for state finances.

Nuclear Predicament The San The future of the San Onofre Nuclear Generating Station and its iconic skyline hang in the balance following a recent shutdown.

Leo Castaneda Opinion Editor

Mayoral Race This November

Democratic Congressman Bob Filner will take on Republican Councilmember Carl DeMaio for the keys to the city. With more than

MCT Campus

two months until Election Day, the campaigns are adopting the vicious personal tone of the presidential campaign. The choice between the hard-line conservative and a longtime Democrat will set the political tone in San Diego for years to come.

Onofre Nuclear Generating Station has been shut down for months because of unexpected degradation of internal tubes. Now, both sides of the nuclear debate are gearing up for a battle about the future of the plant. Southern California Edison, the company that operates the plant, hopes to have at least part of it up and running by the end of the year.

Meanwhile, opponents of nuclear power are calling for the permanent

shutdown of the plant. Look for the debates about the future of nuclear power in San Diego to get toxic as we get closer to a restart.

Fiscal Cliff Unless Congress can

reach a bipartisan compromise— what does that even mean?—by the end of the year, automatic tax increases and spending cuts will destroy the national economy. KPBS recently reported that San Diego’s large military and government contractor population may put it at greater risk if the federal government doesn’t figure something out. Cue the partisan bickering and fingerpointing in three … two … one …

rumbling about the inadequacy of Qualcomm Stadium. By the end of the year, we can expect whispered threats of a Charger departure and harebrained stadium plans from UT San Diego’s well-trained editorial staff. If the economy continues its tenuous recovery and the Chargers make it deep in the playoffs, stadium talks might actually get serious.

Recharging the Stadium Talks

Football season means we get to rehash one of the most tired and controversial issues in San Diego politics. As the Chargers power, or stumble, through a new season, we can expect their ownership to start

Rep. Bob Filner

MCT Campus

10

FEATURES

Monday August 27, 2012 The Daily Aztec

ARC trainer helps combat the ‘Freshman 15’

Late night binges and appetizing spreads from the ‘commons’ constantly tempt the tastebuds of freshmen on SDSU’s campus. Exercise and healthier diets can help shed the extra pounds that result.

April Stefanik Staff Writer

Roommate compatibility and class schedules are legitimate worries of incoming freshmen. However, one of the most notable concerns is the often joked about “Freshman 15.” Freshmen, wracked with anxiety, worry if this myth is true and if it’s going to happen to them.

Ask any of us older, wiser students (for yes, we have lived through such tragedies as the Freshman 15) and experiences will vary: some will cry, “It was like, the worst semester of my life” while others will casually come to tell you, “I didn’t gain an ounce,” forgetting to mention their lightning-speed metabolism.

Being thrown into this hectic environment where new people, parties, lack of sleep and excessive alcohol consumption prevail, aka the dorms, it’s no wonder students often gain a couple extra pounds.

“Mom isn’t there to tell you what to do and you have to be responsible for yourself,” San

Diego State student Lauren Bercha said. “I think that you just have to be conscious about what you eat and how much you work out.”

Homesickness, which often leads to those late night fast food binges, is no help either. “Being in

Excercise will keep your body running optimally through the demanding times.

Matt Dawson ARC Atheletic Personal Trainer the new environment was a little harder for me to adjust: the dorms, the food and the meal plan all led to some not so healthy eating habits,” Kate Murray, kinesiology sophomore said.

But do not fret dear freshmen— there are ways to prevent such causalities. With expert advice from our own personal trainer at SDSU, there are ways to forgo such onslaughts and maintain a

healthy diet and lifestyle.

“Eating healthy starts with drinking lots of water throughout the day,” Aztec Recreation Center athletic personal trainer Matt Dawson said. “Try to stay hydrated, eat fruits, veggies, and other whole foods with a small shelf life.”

Eating healthy is at the top of the list, but how can freshmen eat well when they are surrounded by fast food options, such as Rubio’s Mexican Grill, Panda Express and Taco Bell, that fall to the grips of their meal plan? Or when they are tempted to indulge in the deceptively fattening caramel frappuccino every morning before that 8 a.m. lecture?

“Be aware of what you are putting in your body. As in … not going to Jack in the Box late night,” Dawson said.

“Also, make sure you set up a healthy lifestyle by exercising and eating well most days of the week.”

While maintaining a healthy diet is just one of the hurdles students have to jump to stay healthy,

dustin michelson, senior staff photographer

exercise is another.

“Exercise will keep your body running optimally through the demanding times. Sweat almost every day through cardiovascular exercise. It will help release toxins, reduce stress and maximize your study potential,” Dawson said.

While the ARC offers all the conventional work out facilities such as treadmills, stationary bikes, weights and basketball courts. it also offers students alternative ways to stay in shape.

A variety of daily group classes such as yoga, Zumba and Total Body Challenge are sure to intrigue and satisfy any student’s exercise needs.

“The ARC offers a wide variety of coed sports to participate in,” Dawson said. “It’s a great way to meet people, have fun, and stay active.”

It shouldn’t be too hard to maintain exercise with an ARC membership and great facilities right? Wrong.

Many students, initially enthusiastic about this wonderworld of exercise opportunities at the ARC, find themselves slowly steering away from it as the school year progresses.

“You may take in excessive calories and develop inconsistent sleeping patterns, which could easily increase the possibility of weight gain,” Dawson says. As we move deeper into the semester, it becomes even more important to make the gym an investment of your time as a way to de-stress.

Striving for balance between school, friends, exercise and proper diet is what will ultimately lead to a healthier lifestyle.

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Monday August 27, 2012 The Daily Aztec

Nobody told me everyone was getting pregnant

humor

HOROSCOPE

by Nancy Black, Tribune Media Services

Today’s Birthday (8/27/12) - Take a moment to write personal, professional and community priorities. This year your career takes off through networking. Follow your passionate curiosity to learn. Share what you’re up to. Celebrate and appreciate people: They’re your opportunities and resources.

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 a 6 - You gain keener insight. Invent new opportunities and exceed your expectations, especially around the workplace. Push through to where you want to go. You win through persistence.

Taurus (April 20 - May 20) - Today is a 6 - What you need is closer than it appears, but your spirit of adventure may take you farther.

Transform your expectations to enjoy the experience. Don’t touch your savings.

Gemini (May 21 - June 21) - Today is a 5 - There’s no point even getting into the argument; nobody wins now. Don’t play favorites, either. Friends and lovers could compete for attention. Save for a special treat.

Cancer (June 22 - July 22) - Today is a 6 - A female shows you what really matters.

Don’t forget to call if you’re going to be late.

Save up enough to get the highest quality.

Postpone advertising expenses.

Leo (July 23 - Aug. 22) - Today is a 5 - Think about what you can do for others, but don’t forget to have your own oxygen mask in place first. Consider all possibilities, while saving as much as you can. Romance beckons.

For many women, starting a family at an early age is part of the American Dream.

Others, however, are left screaming to be woken up.

Hayley Rafner Staff Columnist

W

hen I was in middle school, I sat in my life science class and watched a video of a woman giving birth. It was supposed to be informative while educating us about the cycle of life and how we came into this world, but I think it scarred me for life. I never thought I would look at anyone the same way again. Not only was the birth totally and completely gross, but the video had to have been at least 20 years old, and, well, you remember grooming standards in the ‘80s.

Almost 10 years later, I can confidently say I feel the exact same way now about giving birth as I did then: horrified. If that video wasn’t supposed to be informative, it must have been our first form of subliminal contraception. I know with full confidence in my almost-22-year-old life, the thought of rearing a child is not only completely and totally blasphemous for too many logical reasons to count, but like, ew.

To be completely blunt, I don’t even have my life together. Sure, I just moved into a super cute apartment in North Park and I have a decent retail job. I also have a really good relationship with my parents and the best friends I could ever imagine. But sometimes I’m sitting pretty with $34 in my bank account to last me a week and a half. I’m not responsible. I’m not mature. I laugh at really stupid jokes. (Did you hear the one about the pizza? Nevermind, it’s too cheesy). I fall in love at least three times a day and I spend most of

GENERAL INFORMATION

my time trying to keep up with the Kardashians. Basically, what I’m saying is I can barely live my life as a successful young adult; so how am I supposed to bring a child into it? Besides, one key factor missing from the equation is a man. My feeling toward most of the male population of San Diego is simple: this city is filled with frat boy, Pacific Beach jerks. I couldn’t even fathom having a coffee, much less a romantic encounter, with even 1 percent of them.

I think if the generation I’m a part of is known for one thing, it’s breaking boundaries. I wish I could say I was talking about boundaries that actually mattered. It’s not boundaries of

How can the lack of a steady relationship not factor into whether or not having a baby is a good idea? medicine or science. We aren’t discovering new planets or curing cancer. We’re breaking social boundaries. We’re killing social norms. We’re wearing slutty clothes when we’re teenagers, we’re caking on makeup fresh out of middle school and we’re having sex and getting drunk when we’re freshman in high school. Now, I say “we” as the “royal we.” I never did any of that. My mom wouldn’t let me wear makeup until I was 16 and I had my first sip of alcohol (which I didn’t

:

619.594.4199

PLEASE NOTE :

Virgo (Aug. 23 - Sept. 22) - Today is a 7 - You’re a love magnet. Your mind is on fire and full of ideas. Tight scheduling is the key to your success. Check work orders for changes.

Libra (Sept. 23 - Oct. 22) - Today is a 7 - Wait until things cool down to travel. Sexual magnetism is on the radar. New methods temporarily upset the routine. Jump-start your next project. Studies lead to a discovery.

Scorpio (Oct. 23 - Nov. 21) - Today is a 6 - This job is almost fun, but you may have to ask for help. In being gracious, you have the power. Change is good. New chores could interfere with family plans.

Sagittarius (Nov. 22 - Dec. 21) - Today is a 5 - There are new income opportunities, but save time for family, too. They love you.

Let go of something you don’t need for a new sense of harmony.

Capricorn (Dec. 22 - Jan. 19) - Today is an 8 - Romance fills the frame now, if you know how to think for two. You’re on top of your game and that could provoke jealousies.

Schedule carefully. Delays cause irritation.

Aquarius (Jan. 20 - Feb. 18) - Today is a 5 - Stay out of a controversy that doesn’t involve you. Put family first. Get the facts you need before taking the next step. Keep enough out for necessities.

Pisces (Feb. 19 - March 20) - Today is a 6 Don’t be judgmental. Take care not to offend your friends. Soak up the love, grow and bloom. There’s still much to learn, and that’s part of the fun. Stash away the surplus. ©2012, TRIBUNE MEDIA SERVICES INC.

thiinkstock

even like) when I was 17 while I was hanging out with my older friends. Every night after dinner I played H.O.R.S.E. with my stepdad in the cul-de-sac outside our house. I liked spending my Saturday nights having sushi with my dad instead of hanging out with friends and being an idiot.

I know I’m not weird. I know I’m not the only person like this.

But it doesn’t matter because every time I log into Facebook and scroll through my newsfeed, six more people I went to high school with are pregnant. I sit there and think to myself how this can even be possible when the only thing on my mind is whether or not wearing glittery eye shadow during the day is socially acceptable. How can people my age be ready to have kids? How can the lack of a steady relationship not factor into whether or not having a baby is a good idea? And why is Instagraming a picture of yourself holding your positive pregnancy test (complete with a duckface) allowed? These are the moms of the future.

The moms who will dress their babies like hipsters. The moms who will get stupid tattoos about being moms. The moms who will single-handedly create a generation of too-young mothers raising their kids to be just like them.

Meanwhile I’ll be sitting at home sleeping until noon, being irresponsible and wasting my money on leopard jeans while they’re all out buying diapers and wondering where their golden years went.

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The views expressed in the written works of this issue do not necessarily reflect the opinion of The Daily Aztec. Letters to the editor can be sent to letters@thedailyaztec.com

SUDOKU

by The Mepham Group, Tribune Media Services

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.

Solutions available online at www.thedailyaztec.com ©2012, TRIBUNE MEDIA SERVICES INC.

LIKE SDSU news?

CROSSWORD Across 1 Some Ford autos, briefly 6 Mocking remark 10 __ team: police crisis unit 14 With good cheer 15 Airline to Tel Aviv 16 Hawaiian seaport 17 High-performing Wall Street investment 19 Giggly Muppet 20 “He’s __ no good” 21 Distribute in portions 22 Resume the original speed, in music 26 Salmon, trout, cod, etc.

29 Double-check, as in a lab 30 Netherlands airline 31 Farm pen 32 Sp. maiden 33 Like the area under an awning 36 Big day for a new store, or an apt description of each part of 17-, 26-, 50- and 58-Across 41 Giorgio of fashion 42 Per __: daily 44 Ship’s pronoun 47 Have the flu 48 Scrabble 10-pointers 50 Past all major obstacles 53 Borgnine who did voice work in “SpongeBob SquarePants” 54 Fowl pole 55 Swim meet assignment 57 Stops hedging 58 Unifying connection 64 Beekeeper played by Fonda 65 Throat-clearing sound 66 Ready for bed 67 Fathers 68 Bull in a corrida 69 Popular toaster waffles Down 1 British sports cars 2 __ de toilette 3 Tear at the seam 4 NFL’s Browns, scoreboardstyle 5 Pancake toppers 6 Rocker Joan

/ Daily Aztec

by Rich Norris & Joyce Lewis, Tribune Media Services

Solutions available online at www.thedailyaztec.com 7 Emotionally detached 8 Gp. providing campaign funds 9 Fraternal society member 10 Knickknack holder 11 “The Sixth Sense” star Bruce 12 “Close, but no cigar” 13 Like Alfred E. Neuman’s grin 18 Dalmatian feature 21 Product pitchers 22 __ gratia artis: MGM motto 23 Contract period 24 James or Jones of jazz 25 Stiller’s comedy partner 27 Giraffe cousin 28 Merrie __ England 33 Like dry bread 34 Sugar substitute?

35 Bumped off 37 “Make today delicious” food giant 38 Mideast chieftain 39 Luxor’s river 40 Thousands, to a hood 43 Denver hrs.

44 Turin treasure 45 Fanfare 46 Gushed on stage 48 Stoicism founder 49 Thirty, in Montréal 51 Double curves 52 Toondom’s Fudd 56 Gun filler 58 Calico pet 59 “Well, well, well!”

60 Sizable 61 URL ender for a charity 62 Prefix with natal 63 Cavity filler: Abbr.