THE NEWSPAPER OF SAN DIEGO STATE UNIVERSITY SINCE 1913 VOLUME 99, ISSUE 25
TUESDAY, OCTOBER 9, 2012
Bill passed for free digital textbooks campus
David Hernandez
COUNTDOWN TO VOTER REGISTRATION DEADLINE:
Staff Writer
Gov. Jerry Brown signed two senate bills on Sept. 27 intended to reduce students’ educational costs. The companion bills, Senate Bills 1052 and 1053, will provide students with free digital access to core textbooks for 50 of the most widely taken lower-division courses offered by the University of California, California State University and California Community College systems. SB 1052 allows for the development of digital textbooks and creates the California Open Education Resources Council, made of faculty members, to develop a list of targeted courses and to create and take responsibility for the approval process. SB 1053 creates the California Digital Open Source Library to accommodate the textbooks and related material. San Diego State has thus far attempted to increase students’ savings by implementing digital course rental programs. According to the Director of Aztec Shops campus stores division Todd Summer, SDSU was the first campus to successfully implement an eTextbook program with CourseSmart, one of the largest providers of e-textbooks and digital course material. In January 2008, SDSU began offering materials for students to rent through CourseSmart, a company founded by five large, higher education publishers. Now, any title offered through
13 DAYS BURNING OF ROME PAGES 4-5
paige nelson , photo editor
CourseSmart is available for SDSU students in a print version. “For a number of years, we were CourseSmart’s number one partner,” Summer said. “We were the No. 1 campus in the country in terms of selling digital products to students.” He said the course material is available through CourseSmart, similar to renting an online textbook, is between 40 to 50
percent off the cost of purchasing a new textbook. Summer sees no negative side to the bill because it’s aimed to reduce student spending. “Our mission statement states that we are supposed to enhance the quality and affordability of every student’s educational experience,” Summer said. “So in that regard, if it does do that, it’s a good piece of legislation.”
Social Work freshman Jasmin Zafra commends Gov. Brown for signing the bills. “As a student, I care a lot about my education, but it is very costly and even one book that I didn’t have to pay for would make a huge difference,” Zafra said. The first free textbooks are expected to be available by the start of the 2013-14 school year.
App provides disaster relief ZocDoc
app finds care fast
state
health & fitness
A new mobile app brings patients closer than ever to fast, efficient health care Victoria Valenzuela Staff Writer
BACKPAGE STORY
Presumably I should go after 5foot-3-inch Latina girls calling them “chiquita.”
Aztecs outlast Rebels volleyball
Courtney Muller Contributor
the county and Cal-Fire. During his State of the County address in February, San Diego County Supervisor Ron Roberts promised a public safety app would be created to ease emergency communications and
Breaking out? Need to get your eyes checked? Have a toothache that won’t subside? When you need a doctor who can treat specific ailments, it’s important to find a reliable medical professional you can trust that also fits your exact needs. Similar to Yelp, students can find solace in a free website and app called ZocDoc, which takes the guesswork out of finding a local doctor in a convenient fashion. For students who aren’t native to San Diego, they might find their regular doctors reside in their hometown, leaving them without many options should they seek healthcare. While San Diego State provides basic
In front of an enthusiastic sea of red and black clad fans, the San Diego State volleyball team took on conference rival University of Nevada, Las Vegas Sunday afternoon at Aztec Court in Peterson Gym. SDSU dominated the Rebels early, winning the first set 2624. With a spread out offense, the Aztecs held the lead for the majority of the remaining set, only to see the Rebels tie the score at 23 and eventually take the 24-23 lead. But consecutive kills by junior outside hitter Raegan Shelton, junior outside hitter Summer Nash and senior middle blocker Andrea
FIRE APP continued on page 2
ZocDoc continued on page 3
VOLLEYBALL continued on page 6
mct campus
A U.S. Navy helicopter comes in for water at a temporary station in Anza-Borrego State Park. Military helicopters assisted firefighters battling the recent East County fire in August.
Stephanie Schauer Staff Writer
Disaster preparedness in San Diego has been upgraded to suit the 21st century. The county recently unveiled an SD Emergency App designed to help
residents be equipped when a natural disaster strikes. The app offers direct access to several informational tools, including a map detailing areas affected by the disaster, a list of shelters and their locations, as well as the latest updates from