THE NEWSPAPER OF SAN DIEGO STATE UNIVERSITY SINCE 1913 VOLUME 99, ISSUE 30
WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 17, 2012
Party buses’ safety under speculation
campus
Christina Koral Staff Writer
Party buses may seem like a safe mode of transportation when going out on Saturday nights, but without proper research, party buses can be dangerous and unsafe. The evening of Sept. 29, the San Diego State Police Department and the California Highway Patrol stopped 16 party buses in the San Diego area. Of those 16 buses, four were deemed completely inoperable by the CHP. Problems included a welded shut emergency exit, fuel leaking from the gas tank and a lack of air brakes, SDSUPD Captain Lamine Secka said. Along with alcohol consumption, CHP violations can make for a deadly combination against party buses. In early August, a 25-year-old Santa Cruz woman died after she fell out of a party bus on U.S. Highway 17 during a quarrel with another woman. It is unknown how the bus doors opened, and because the passengers interviewed were drunk, little answers regarding the situation were given. Similar situations are becoming more common, and the SDSUPD is trying to crack down on party buses. Students use party buses in order to avoid driving drunk to events and parties. However, party buses don’t always reduce the number of alcohol-related injuries and can make it easier for minors to consume alcohol. Secka said after engaging in underage drinking, freshmen take
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mct campus
Young people casually drink inside a party bus. Before riding a party bus for any occasion, it is recommended to check the lations and safety of the driver and bus.
party buses early in the morning, which causes more problems by increasing alcohol-related medical issues in the residence halls. However, students don’t always keep safety in mind when selecting party bus companies. Few think about whether or not the company will enforce rules on drinking or safety. But not only can the bus company be cited for facility problems, the bus driver can also be at fault for not properly enforcing rules set by the CHP. “When searching for a party bus, the important aspects to
take into account are price and ambiance,” communication junior Kevin Shufford said. “Loud music, fluorescent lights and stripper poles give the party bus the ‘party’ atmosphere.” Secka advises students to not only consider fun, but also safety. “You get what you pay for,” Secka said. One compliant company is the Cali Party Bus of San Diego. This particular party bus provider ensures that the host of the party bus event signs a clear contract spelling out all rules and
regu-
restrictions. The company also makes sure that no one under 21 consumes alcohol while on the bus and assigns a chaperone to the bus for groups with a majority of the passengers under 21. Even though students don’t think signing a contract to party is very fun, it does protect passengers and their right to a safe night. Making sure safety guidelines are stated in a contract is important when looking for the right party bus for the night and will ensure maximum safety for all parties involved.
Earth-like rock found Taking more than 16 by Curiousity on Mars units may cost more Donna P. Crilly Staff Writer
Students who plan to sign up for more than 16 units in the spring semester may have to pay additional fees. In November, the California State University Board of Trustees will vote on whether
courtesy nasa-jpl- caltech /cornell /arizona state univ.
Ana Ceballos Assistant News Editor
Approximately two months after the Mars rover Curiosity touched the red planet, the third scoop of Martian soil was gathered yesterday and placed inside the rover’s on-board equipment for analysis. The first scoop was scraped on Oct. 7 from the Rocknest site, where the rover has been for more than a week. The scoop revealed a bright material in the sample. On Oct. 8, the “benign plastic” was identified as a piece from the rover. Another find during the rover’s extraterrestrial journey included a rock sample which NASA analysts
found resembled rocks from inside the Earth’s core. “This rock is a close match in
The third scoop of Martian soil was gathered yesterday ... chemical composition to an unusual but well-known type of igneous rock found in many volcanic provinces on Earth,” Curiosity co-investigator Edward Stolper of the California Institute of Technology in Pasadena MARS continued on page 2
wait for almost the drop time and then drop nine of them,” San Diego State University Senate Chair Bill Eadie said. Eadie said the surcharge will prevent students from taking the spot of someone who really needs the class. He said it’s common for students to “shop seven classes and then only keep four of
The CSU system is finding ways to close the budget gap as well as help students to graduate in four years. to charge an additional $372 per unit for students taking more than 16 units. The CSU system is finding ways to close the budget gap as well as to help students graduate in four years. Capping enrollment at 16 units and charging additional fees per unit may help achieve those goals, according to the CSU Chancellor’s office. “What they (the CSU Board of Trustees) didn’t want students to do is routinely register for 21 units and then
them.” Some students with earlier registration dates add certain classes in order to hold spots for their friends with later registration dates. Eadie said additional fees per unit may alleviate this problem. Eadie said SDSU will also make the add/drop system more efficient by changing the way crashers attempt to add classes. “We’re addressing that by implementing an automated waiting list system,” Eadie said.
Check out Cody Franklin’s review of Maclemore & Ryan Lewis’ latest.
Art comes alive at Chicano Park spotlight
Christian Benavides Staff Writer
Unity, pride, culture—all words flowing through the concrete walls of Chicano Park. Chicano Park, located near the intersection of Logan Avenue and Cesar E. Chavez Parkway, is more than a typical neighborhood park with a plain grass field and a standard playground. It isn’t a park with the most modern playground and fancy
The struggle for Chicano Park was one of the main struggles during the Chicano movement
Isidro Ortiz Chicano studies professor
benches. This park is more than a recreational area; it is alive and breathing, inhaling the customs, values and culture of the many people who visit and exhales its art, like tattoos with underlying meanings and bold statements. The murals covering Chicano Park are more than magnificent— they’re powerful. The location only adds to the gigantic spirit of this small park, sitting protestingly under the pillars of the San Diego – Coronado Bay Bridge and Interstate 5. Like its murals, this park has a lot of history and a powerful story behind it. CHICANO PARK continued on page 7