11-02-2011 by The Daily Aztec

Aztecs ROCK college food drive

WEDNESDAY November 2, 2011 Volume 97, Issue 39 W W W.T H E D A I LYA Z T E C . C O M

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SPORTS

ANTONIO ZARAGOZA, PHOTO EDITOR

Antonio Zaragoza photo editor San Diego State won first place at the Colleges Rock Hunger Food Drive award ceremony, which occurred yesterday at the Hard Rock Hotel downtown. The award ceremony was the culmination of a 17day food donation campaign sponsored by the Jacobs & Cushman San Diego Food Bank. The food and fundraising event encompassed local universities including Cal State San Marcos, UC San Diego, Point Loma Nazarene and SDSU in a competition to see which university could raise the most food during the contest, which ran Oct. 5 - 21. Of the four universities that competed, SDSU collected the most food and took the top prize for the fourth consecutive year. In all, the university raised 54,526 pounds, greatly surpassing last year’s total. “I was extremely nervous … After talking with some of the other

schools, it seemed like they had some really great strategies to win this year. After we heard the thirdand second-place winners, I knew we had it in the bag. I was in shock when they told us we raised 54,000 pounds of food. It seemed unreal but I was so proud of the Aztec community and their willingness to give back to the San Diego Community,” Associated Students Vice President of External Affairs Krista Parker, who was among the SDSU representatives on hand to receive the award, said. SDSU President Elliot Hirshman was a guest speaker at the event. He spoke of the commitment and determination of SDSU students to make a strong impact in the community. “I think about what our students have seen in their lives and they’ve seen everything from 9/11, two wars, to significant environmental challenges to the severe economic issues and it would be very easy for them to become fearful, discouraged and anxious. But what I see happening every day on my campus

is that our students have become leaders. They have served our nation in our volunteer military; they’ve started environmental initiatives on all of our campuses; they are creating the entrepreneurial energy that is going to move us into an economical recovery. Our students are going beyond the classroom, applying the things that they’ve learned and really making the difference,” Hirshman said. This year, A.S. and various participating organizations and clubs used a variety of strategies to raise the most food. Vice President of Finance Rob O’Keefe spoke about the ideas, which were employed this year. “This year we took a more proactive approach to getting the whole campus community involved. Over summer, A.S. collaborated with Aztec Shops, the president’s office, Student Affairs and Student Life & Leadership, Cultural Arts and Special Events, Aztec Athletics, the Alumni Association, College Councils, Residence Hall Association and Greeks to make

sure everyone was on the same page. Each campus entity played a huge role in our campus’ success this year with Colleges Rock Hunger. We also focused on having internal competitions amongst the different on-campus entities in an attempt to make collecting food a fun and engaging activity. We did really well with our “Two Minute Madness” in the second quarter of the homecoming football game against TCU, where we had several student volunteers running down the aisles collecting change from Aztec football fans,” O’Keefe said. The Aztec community already has its eyes set for next year’s challenge. “With our efforts in this year’s food drive we were able to create a great sense of pride on campus in being an Aztec. Everyone that was involved hopefully can see what kind of momentum we can create when we band together to take on an ostentatious task. As for next year’s food drive, we definitely set the bar high,” O’Keefe said.

The Aztecs are preparing for their conference tournament.

T R AV E L & A DV E N T U R E Go wild on Aztec Adventures National Parks Road Trip.

SDSU service brings IT innovation Carl Hensley contributor As part of an effort to gear the university toward overall student and faculty success, San Diego State’s Instructional Technology Services has created a program that increases student productivity through smart classroom resources. On its website, the ITS program states, “Instructional Technology Services provides support to SDSU faculty and staff in the design, selection, production and distribution of instructional media.” The program is located in the basement of Adams Humanities and is home to several smart classrooms, a learning research studio, video conferencing facilities, video production studios and several other multimedia and training facilities for faculty. Director of the ITS program at SDSU Dr. James Frazee said it is designed to help students through

faculty with the use of technology. He also said the program is engaging and relevant for students because it lets them learn through mixed modalities in the classroom. According to Frazee, working in technologically equipped classrooms will also help students in the future because once they leave college for a career, they may have to use the same technology implemented in their classes. According to Frazee, about 93 percent of the classrooms are smart classrooms and, that statistic will increase to 100 percent within the next year or two. The technology used at SDSU includes Blackboard Academic Suite, Wimba, plagiarism-checking software such as turnitin.com and handheld clicker keypads used in large lectures. The ITS website also states the program teaches with “a process that uses instructional tools in conjunction with learning theories to

organize, sequence, present and reinforce information appropriately for particular teaching and learning situations.” Frazee said Blackboard is in the process of being updated for the coming semester and will allow students and faculty to be more interactive with one another. The new Blackboard version 9.1 will allow for Web 2.0 tools, blog posts and wikis, which can be made public or private to enrich course experience. Frazee said it will also encourage faculty to use formative evaluations throughout the semester. This will allow students to rate the course and the content during the semester rather than at the end. This process will help professors address student problems and better explain the course to the students while still in session. This new version of Blackboard will also allow teachers to post grades and course content faster and allow students to track their progress in a more timely manner. It

will also include a student progress warning system that will alert students about their progress in the course and provide them with feedback on assignments. “This makes instructors more efficient with their time in the classroom,” he said. “Teachers can post questions and students can answer them through Twitter by typing their answer and a predetermined hashtag to the course’s Twitter account.” Frazee is excited for the program’s future. Right now the ITS program is building a new multimedia classroom in Adams Humanities that will promote student success through the use of technology and student interaction with the content of the courses there. Frazee said the program is successful because of its “service orientation and single-minded focus on helping faculty,” which will nurture student success and create an efficient learning community at SDSU. More information about ITS can be found at its.sdsu.edu.

E N T E R TA I N M E N T

Etched across the Plexiglas window ... were the eternal words he intended to be written on his tombstone: Cold Cruisin’. B A C K PA G E

W E AT H E R : PARTLY CLOUDY HIGH: 78 LOW: 52 SUNSET: 5:52PM

D A I LY

AZTEC Wednesday, November 2, 2011

SPORTS WO M E N ’S S O CC E R

MEN’S SOCCER

UW drops Aztecs again Washington sweeps the season series from SDSU

SDSU ready for MW tournament Danielle Gaut staff writer

Ryan Schuler staff writer It was an up-and-down weekend for the San Diego State men’s soccer team. After beating Oregon State on Friday afternoon 3-0, the Aztecs entered Sunday’s match against the University of Washington looking for revenge for a loss suffered against the Huskies earlier in Pacific-12 Conference play. SDSU did not get its revenge. No. 19 University of Washington (11-4-2, 6-3 UW 3 MW), led by J a c o b SDSU 0 Hustedt’s two goals, defeated the No. 20 Aztecs 3-0 at the SDSU Sports Deck. The loss drops SDSU to 10-4-2 overall and 4-3 in conference, as well as into third place in the Pac-12 behind UCLA and Washington. “We just need to get our confidence back,” redshirt junior midfielder Chance Marden said. “We just need to start working harder. They outworked us the whole game, so we just need to pick it up.” Despite attempting corner kicks, 5-2, the Aztecs were unable to find a rhythm on the offensive side of the field, managing only six shots compared to Washington’s 17. Redshirt senior midfielder and co-captain Pedro Adan led SDSU with two shots, while midfielder Jose Altamirano, forward Miles Byass, midfielder Abraham Villon and defender Casey Meuser each had one attempt apiece. “I think (the Huskies) just stayed patient (on defense),” redshirt sophomore midfielder Morgan Sacco said. “A lot of our game is playing through the midfield; that is usually where our strong point is. I think they shut us down through there the most and made us tired. They didn’t let anyone in the midfield have a free ball and just outworked us in both the halves.” With three games left in Pac-12

As the Mountain West regular season came to a conclusion last Saturday, the San Diego State women’s soccer team began preparing for the Mountain West Conference Championship, scheduled for Nov. 2-6 in Albuquerque, N.M. “The goal each year is to win a Mountain West Conference tournament,” head coach Mike Friesen said. SDSU, which rounded out the regular season in second place with a 4-1-1 league record and 10-6-3 overall behind New Mexico clenched the second seed in the tournament after defeating UNLV, 2-1, in a double-overtime match on Friday. “We’re taking it one game at a time. We are playing well late in the season so I’m confident,” Friesen said. While New Mexico and SDSU notched the top two seeds, Wyoming earned the third seed, followed by fourth-seeded UNLV and fifth-seeded Boise State. TCU locked up the sixth and final spot in the MW Championship tournament after defeating Air Force 21 on Oct. 14 to determine the head-tohead tiebreaker. “I think it’s between us and New Mexico this year. It’s an even matchup. They have an edge playing on their home turf but I think it will be a good game to watch,” Friesen said. Because of the Aztecs’ outstanding league performance, they have earned a bye in the first round of tournament play and automatically advance into the semifinals.

SDSU will play its first match at noon MT Friday against the winner of the first-round game between Wyoming and TCU. Last year, the third-seeded Aztecs advanced to the tournament semifinals after shutting out Wyoming 4-0 in the quarterfinal round. Unfortunately, they were unable to advance any further losing 2-0 against No. 18 BYU.

“I think it’s between us and New Mexico this year. It’s an even matchup. They have an edge ...” Mike Friesen, women’s soccer head coach “Our format has changed a lot this year from last. The bye gives us a day to rest and since we don’t have a quarterfinal match, we don’t have to show up as early as the other teams do,” Friesen said. The Mountain West Women’s Soccer Championship match is set for noon MT on Sunday. The winner will receive an automatic bid into the 2011 NCAA Women’s Soccer Championships. “It’s ultimately going to be a team effort to win the conference tournament,” Friesen said.

SAM SPARHAWK, STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER

Conference play, the Aztecs will look to finish the season strong in order to help increase their chances of advancing to the postseason. SDSU will travel to the Bay Area to take on Stanford and California next, before finishing the season at home in a highly anticipated matchup against UCLA.

“We need to figure out what exactly it’s going to take to get these last three wins,” Sacco said. “Obviously, this (game) doesn’t help our chances to make it to postseason. We are going to need to do everything in our power to get these last games. These are mustwin games.”

MEN’S BASKETBALL

SDSU awaits exhibition Antonio Morales sports editor It’s been more than seven months since the San Diego State men’s basketball team has played a game. Players are anxious to get on the court and so are the fans, who have sold out tonight’s exhibition game against Cal State San Marcos. It will be the first chance for fans to catch the team’s new look. SDSU lost four starters from last season’s team and figures to be guard oriented this season. The two exhibition games, the other next Monday against Point Loma Nazarene, will help head coach Steve Fisher prepare his team for the start of regular seasongames on Nov. 11. The coach is ready to see his team perform under the lights of Viejas Arena. “I’m looking forward to putting a crowd in and seeing how we perform with people watching,” Fisher

said. “It’s an exciting time for us, a little bit nervous still.” Fisher is nervous because of the team’s lack of depth this season. The team only has nine scholarship players who can take the court this season and that number just took a hit. Sophomore guard Jamaal Franklin has been suspended for the two exhibition games and possibly more. According to The San Diego UnionTribune, Franklin was suspended for “inappropriate behavior.” Because of Franklin’s suspension, the team will enter its first exhibition game with only eight players. Fisher joked about the low number of players at a press conference yesterday. “We have eight scholarship players that will be playing tomorrow,” Fisher said. “So I’m going to have to have a talk with the officials before the game to make sure we don’t have to ask for six fouls.” No matter the amount of players, Fisher will have the Aztecs ready when they finally take court tonight and tip off the 2011-12 season.

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FOR SDSU MEN’S BASKETBALL 0

Tickets left for tonight’s game

Scholarship players who can play tonight

Exhibition games to be played by SDSU

Wins for the Aztecs last season, a school record

Wins at home for the SDSU last season

Returning starter for the Aztecs

More days until the first regular-season game

Home games for SDSU this season

Advanced Test Preparation

Score Higher, Aztecs!

D A I LY A Z T E C Wednesday, November 2, 2011

OPINION

Compost plans Tax code heavy on courts no wasted effort n 1976, former President Jimmy Carter referred to the federal income tax system as “a disgrace to the human race.” His Republican predecessor, former President Ronald Reagan, shared similar sentiments, and in 1983 described the tax system as being, “utterly impossible, utterly unjust and completely counterproductive … (it) reeks with injustice and is fundamentally unAmerican.” The Post-Reagan tax code has only grown more complex and significantly longer throughout the years. The 2005 version of the Internal Revenue Code and Federal Tax Regulations had more than 60,000 pages and nearly 9 million words. To put this in perspective, the King James version of the Bible has slightly less than 800,000 words, making the tax code nearly 12 times the length of that Bible. According to the Internal Revenue Services, American taxpayers spend an astonishing 6.6 billion hours per year complying with taxfiling requirements, which includes preparation, planning and paperwork. This averages out to an astounding 21 hours of tax preparation for every American. Furthermore the cost of this compliance, including the cost of an accountant or software and all other economic costs, will surpass the $400 billion mark next year. With this serving as a backdrop, Republican presidential candidate Rick Perry recently unveiled his flat tax plan. Under Perry’s “Cut, Balance and Grow” plan, Americans will be given the choice to either pay a 20 percent flat tax rate or pay their current rate based on predetermined income tax brackets. His plan also aims to abolish the death tax, lower the corporate tax rate to 20 percent, balance the budget by 2020 and place a cap on federal spending at 18 percent of GDP. Perry views the flat tax as a key to stimulating growth; his support for the plan: “The way to stimulate the economy is not through temporary tax relief or government spending. It’s to stimulate private spending. The flat tax will unleash growth.” The first major problem with his plan, which guarantees failure, is the optional nature. If the loopholes of the old system are more advantageous, then why would anyone leave that system? In 2009, the average tax rate for all taxpayers was 11.06 percent. In fact, only one economic bracket, those in the top 5 percent, averaged paying income taxes of more than 20 percent, with an average paying rate of 20.46 percent. Perry’s plan almost guarantees none of the top earners will switch.

MCT CAMPUS

ver since I can remember, people have always been stunned by how much I can eat. I am always the first one at the dining table and I’m always the last to leave — a custom of mine that never ceases to puzzle and amuse my family. I am convinced I have a gift: the gift of putting food away in remarkable, and sometimes unexplainable, ways. To my dismay, most people I know do not share my seemingly rare ability. It’s for this reason the trash cans in our homes, and the ones lining the sidewalks outside, are always filled to the brim with half-eaten cheeseburgers and last night’s lasagna. Simply put, we are a country of food wasters. In fact, of the 243 million tons of municipal solid waste we generated in 2009, roughly 14 percent — or approximately 34 million tons — was derived solely from food scraps, according to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. How disgusting is that? Even worse, less than 3 percent was actually recycled. There are two solutions to this societal problem: We can either start digging through trash cans to determine who among us is the most wasteful and therefore deserves the blame, or we can be realistic about this and acknowledge the fact we are all part of this shameful problem. I’m not quite sure how or when it all started, but the “bigger is better” food phenomenon has taken control of most restaurants, and has subconsciously motivated us to cover every square inch of our plates whenever the opportunity arises. But where do you think most of those leftovers end up? In your trash, which ends up in the back of a dump truck on its way to a landfill. I don’t know if you’ve ever been to a landfill or seen pictures of one, but if you haven’t, you need to. Massive heaps of cardboard, water bottles, plastic bags, food, yard trimmings and grime cover additional heaps of sludge and trash beneath them. Somewhere in this terrain of waste is the trash bag you threw out last week, with your half-eaten sandwiches and the water bottles you should have recycled. On a grander scale, roughly 132 million tons, or about 54 percent, of the municipal solid waste we generated in 2009 ended up in landfills. Aside from recycling, though, what else can we do to rid ourselves of this repulsive habit? Well, my environmentally conscious friends, it’s time to learn how to compost. For those who aren’t sure what a compost is, it is a mixture comprised mainly of decayed, organic material that breaks down under certain conditions and provides minerals and nutrients for plants, animals and microorganisms, according to the

Stacey Oparnica staff columnist EPA. The best part? You’ll never run out of things to toss in there. From food scraps such as stale cereal, eggshells, plain cooked pasta and pizza crusts to bathroom items such as toilet paper rolls, urine (if you dare) and hair from your comb or brush, you can pretty much walk into any room in your house and find something you can compost. Of course, there are certain guidelines one should abide by, which online how-to videos and step-bystep instructions can assist you with. Or if you’d like to observe the process in person, look no further than the recycling program at San Diego State, which is currently one of 11 food waste recycling programs in San Diego. With the participation of West Commons, East Commons and the Cuicacalli dining hall, SDSU composts around three tons of food scrap every week at the Miramar Greenery composting facility. Because of that program, nearly 65 tons of waste from the landfill was estimated to be diverted through the food waste diversion program, according to the city website and the Overview of SDSU Management. I am proud to say that through the implementation of such programs, we actively stand out as a model university for environmental consciousness and responsibility. But what more can we do? Provide SDSU students the opportunity to attend regular workshops about food waste and composting. Perhaps students majoring in environmental studies would be willing to help host such an event where they can assist in providing a wealth of information on food waste, landfills and the consequences of both. The workshop could even offer a hands-on approach where students could actually create miniature composts they could easily duplicate at home. Informative booklets could be handed out. A food waste-based blog or YouTube channel could be created and updated by willing environmental studies students. Bottom line: We have to take initiative and motivate others to do the same. As much as we wish it were true, our trash doesn’t disappear into thin air after garbage collectors pick it up. With every day you waste, these landfills keep overflowing. Composting won’t singlehandedly end food wastage. But it’s one step against a huge problem that must be addressed.

—Stacey Oparnica is a journalism junior.

Brody Burns

staff columnist

From an economic standpoint, the adoption of a flat rate would require a greater income tax payment, which would seem financially unappealing to the gross majority of Americans who actually pay income tax. In contrast, there is a significant percentage of Americans who pay no income tax. For instance, in 2009, 51 percent of American household paid no

advantages. First, a flat tax has been known to foster economic growth, and is currently employed by numerous countries around the world. For instance, Estonia first enacted a flat tax rate in 1994 and witnessed double digit economic growth by 1997, with a steady 6 percent annual GDP growth thereafter. The U.S. economic growth rate never surpassed 4.9 percent during the same time period. Russia, which began employing a flat tax rate in 2001, witnessed a 26 percent growth in the amount of income tax revenue the year after institution

The ... Internal Revenue Code and Federal Tax Regulations had more than 60,000 pages and nearly 9 million words. To put this in perspective, the King James ... Bible has slightly less than 800,000 words. income tax because of tax credits or deductions. These Americans would certainly not sacrifice paying nothing in income tax in order to paying something. So where does the growth happen? Americans who actually pay income tax . Other aspects of his plan are equally unbelievable. Reducing federal spending to 18 percent of GDP is appealing but impractical, as it would require nearly an additional $1 trillion in spending cuts. Our congress has lost traction, making a mere $100 billion in cuts; $1 trillion is entirely unbelievable. Finally, corporations are unlikely to flock back to America and bring their money with them, because a 20 percent rate is still significantly higher than what many corporations are paying abroad. In the end a flat income tax would almost certainly place a more significant financial burden on the poor. This is because numerous regressive taxes already exist, such as sales, sin (alcohol, tobacco, etc.) and payroll taxes. A regressive tax effectively takes a larger portion from a low-income person, than someone with a high income. Adding in a flat tax to these regressive burdens would have a greater financial impact on the poor. While Perry’s plan may not be viable his intent is noble, as drastic overhaul is needed. Last year, the IRS employed more than 94,000 people, and had an operating budget in excess of $12 billion. Simplifying this system would be a landmark achievement and in theory, a flat tax would have several

of the flat rate. A second major advantage is the direct simplification of the entire system. According to The Economist, “In a typical year, the IRS estimates that for every dollar it collects, another 19 or 20 cents is owed, but not paid.” This can lead to shortfalls in the hundreds of billions of dollars. Simplicity of the system creates a standard rate and directly combats the blatant avoidance of tax responsibilities. A final advantage of a flat tax would be the reduction of loopholes, which would directly correlate to a reduction in the number of lobbyists. Last year, there were 12,951 registered lobbyists and a shocking total of $3.51 billion was spent on lobbying. These lobbyists and the tax loopholes in our current systems are perpetually linked. Loopholes are exchanged for campaign contributions and electoral successes. Fareed Zakaria, contributing editor-at-large at Time magazine, sums this exchange, “In other countries, this sort of bribery takes place underneath bridges and with cash in brown envelopes. In America, it is institutionalized and legal …” In the end, as the percentage of federal revenues coming from individual and corporate income taxes decreases, and the amount of federal spending increases, an overhaul of the system is desperately needed.

BRODY BURNS IS SEEKING A MASTERS IN BUSINESS ADMINISTRATION.

MCT CAMPUS

D A I LY

AZTEC Wednesday, November 2, 2011

T R AV E L & A D V E N T U R E

Aztec excursion navigates natural wonders Aztec Adventures drives alternative to typical holiday fun Kambra Potter staff writer Calling all nature enthusiasts and adventure seekers: The opportunity of a lifetime awaits with the Aztec Adventures’ National Parks Road Trip. Explore the wonders of the natural world while learning environmental preservation skills, making new friends and experiencing cultures of local communities across the Southwest. Aztec Adventures has served San Diego State for more than three decades, providing students with outdoor adventure education and recreation. Aztec Adventures offers backpacking, camping, hiking, canoeing, cultural immersion, high ropes, rock climbing and wilderness first aid training. Among these excursions, this one has been recognized as “world famous.” The National Parks Road Trip takes place each year during Thanksgiving break and enables participants to experience Zion National Park, Bryce Canyon National Park, Lees Ferry, Horseshoe Bend and the Grand Canyon. The newest destination of the road trip is the Grand StaircaseEscalante National Monument in Utah. It is Utah’s newest national monument and is comprised of an impressive 1.9 million acres. The group takes its time exploring each park, stopping to take hikes to some of the most dramatic viewpoints along the way. Carl Richardson, a backpacking instructor and outings leader at Aztec Adventures, has been involved with the National Parks Road Trip for several years. He said some of the most fascinating sites he encountered on the trip were toadstools. He explained toadstools are mounds of hard rock supported by much softer rock. The supporting rock has been eroded away, leaving the appearance of a mushroom. “Each year you can see the difference in the shape. That’s how quickly the erosion takes place,” Richardson said. The primary goals of the National Parks Road Trip are to experience the magnificence of the natural landmarks and to immerse group members in local communities to gain appreciation for the cultural and physical geography of each destination. The five-day road trip is fun-filled

THINKSTOCK

and adventure-packed, but not to worry, sustainability is also a main focus of Aztec Adventures. During the road trip, the group spends each night in a locally owned motel or hostel and

visits Grandma Tina’s restaurant in Kanab, Utah for a traditional Thanksgiving dinner. The views of the famous pristine landmarks, the cultural immersion and

“I would be going on these trips even if it wasn’t my job. Sharing the experience with others is a passion we all have here.” Carl Richardson, Aztec Adventures backpacking instructor and outings leader eats dinner in family-owned restaurants. Food for breakfast and lunch is purchased from small neighborhood grocers as well, and the group makes every effort to benefit the local economies of the towns it visits. Each Thanksgiving Day the group

the preservation of local economies provide substantial incentive for students to embark on this invigorating journey. The best part of the road trip may be found not in the breathtaking scenery or skills learned, but rather in the relationships made

during the experience. “One of the best parts is that you meet people,” Richardson said. “You will definitely come out of the trip with friends.” He met his best friend Kevin Bernstein, who also works for Aztec Adventures, on the National Parks Road Trip a few years ago. “I would be going on these trips even if it wasn’t my job,” Richardson said. “Sharing the experience with others is a passion we all have here.” Bernstein agreed. “What matched the experience of visiting these inspiring places was the comradery and connection I made with all of the trip members,” Bernstein said. “Sharing our time together and learning the history of these magnificent areas was the icing on the cake. I made lifelong friends and memorable experiences that I will forever carry with me.” Students at SDSU can now also receive course credit for attending the

outing. Geography professor Diana Richardson created the trip as a special studies opportunity for students to learn about geology and geography. Geography 499 will be offered this spring in correlation with the road trip. So what does an experience like this cost? For $699, travelers receive round-trip transportation in a 15-passenger van, five nights of motel lodging, five breakfasts, five lunches and van snacks. Also included are all park entrance fees, group gear and any personal equipment outfitting that may be needed, such as a sleeping bag or rain gear. The fee also provides the group with two highly trained Aztec Adventures leaders who assist travelers during the trip. Payment plans are available upon request. Space is limited, so visit the Aztec Recreation Center today to sign up or visit aztecadventures.sdsu.edu and click on National Parks Road Trip for more information about this and future trips.

D A I LY A Z T E C Wednesday, November 2, 2011

E N T E R TA I N M E N T

UNDER THE SCOPE

Minus the Bear tour to celebrate 10 years pretty amazing to be able to have most of your record collection on a little device and be able to go wherever you want with it. But I think it still remains a neat and cool experience to open up a record or an LP or something and actually flip the sides and kind of take time to listen to the lyrics and read along. Experiencing a record like that. It has changed but I think with the resurgence of vinyl sales, I think that’s a perfect example of the fact that people like to experience music the old-timey way.

COURTESY OF DANGERBIRD RECORDS

Andrew Younger senior staff writer Seattle-based Minus the Bear has crafted some of the most intricately layered and rhythmically complex indie rock of the last decade. In advance of its 10th anniversary tour stop at Soma tonight, bassist Cory Murchy spoke to The Daily Aztec about welcoming success, the importance of proper lifting technique and experiencing music the old-timey way. The Daily Aztec: When most bands look back at their careers nostalgically and go on tour without supporting a new record, a farewell or hiatus seems to follow. Will Minus the Bear

fans have anything to worry about after this tour? Cory Murchy: No, not at all. We’re actually going to be going in and recording at what looks like the end of the year. We’re going to wrap up writing when we get home and we’ve got a bunch of songs ready to record. So yeah, we’re going to record and get a new record out. That’s our plan. Nothing to worry about at all. We’re going to be busy.

record just because there was other stuff going on. At one point, a couple songs here and there but we really didn’t look back at the record as pulling too much from. But it’s actually been kind of cool to revisit some of the old songs that we’ve never really played live. And the perspective that has changed has been the fact that this actually translates pretty well live. So it’s kind of cool to learn new things about songs.

DA: For this tour, you are performing your debut album (2002’s “Highly Refined Pirates”) in its entirety. Has your perspective about these songs changed throughout the last decade? CM: Yeah, totally. The thing about perspective ... just the way we feel about them, yeah there was a long time where I didn’t even listen to the

DA: This month, you’re releasing ‘Highly Refined Pirates’ and your debut EP (2001’s “This Is What I Know About Being Gigantic”) on vinyl. Does the way music is stored, whether its MP3, CD or vinyl, change the way you experience music? CM: Yeah, I think it’s changed everyone’s way they listen to music. It’s

DA: “Pirates” has a fun, almost absurdist streak to it and your latest record “Omni” has sexual quality throughout. Do you write albums with a theme or concept in mind? CM: No I don’t think so. Jake (Snider) takes care of all the lyrics. I don’t think it’s set out as an actual, predetermined thing. It just kind of turns into a certain thing depending on where we’re all at. And themewise, I think a lot of the stuff ... The only thing absurdist really about “Pirates” and the early stuff were just the song titles. All the songs’ content were pretty straight-ahead stories and real life everyday things that happen to people. Some of the absurdist stuff is definitely in there but it’s also heartfelt love songs too. DA: With its glossier production and mellower rhythms, “Omni” sounds vastly different from your other albums. What influenced that change in direction? CM: It’s just where we were at musically altogether when the five of us were writing and who we were as people. I think all our records were great snapshots of where we are musically and personally. I think it

was the product of being together almost a decade. DA: Speaking of influence, with the burgeoning success of bands such as Two Door Cinema Club, mainstream rock seems to be shifting toward the sound you helped pioneer. Do you seek mainstream recognition? CM: We want to play to as many people who want to listen to us and buy our records. I don’t think we’re trying to ... We’re just trying to play our music and get it out to as many people who want to hear it. If it goes mainstream, awesome. If we’re part of that, yeah why not? It’s not like we’re going to say no to fans. I think if people like it, that’s awesome. DA: As the performer, what makes a Minus the Bear show memorable for you? CM: Just when I know the crowd is having a good time. Interaction between crowd and band is always good. Just as far as the energy that you get from people in the audience. I think that’s a real thing. Some shows are a lot more mellow and there is not that exchange of energy. It’s fun to feed off the crowd and to just get into it because everyone else is. It’s pretty cool. DA: What do you know now you wish you knew 10 years ago? CM: I would have paid attention to lifting with my knees and not with my back. I blew my back out a couple years ago so I would have stretched and taken better care of my back. That’s what I would have done. Minus the Bear plays tonight at Soma. Tickets are $25 and the doors open at 7:30 p.m.

L I V E A N D DA N G E R O U S

Deadmau5 overcomes hitches to rock Petco Andrew Younger senior staff writer As the houselights pulsated to the hihat splashes of “Where My Keys,” the curtain in front of the stage fell to reveal dance music icon Deadmau5 in his cartoon-mouse-helmet-festooned glory. His disc jockey console depicted a rotating 3-D Rubik’s cube that became an appropriate metaphor for the challenge of enlarging club atmosphere to stadium proportions. Those challenges arose when Deadmau5 moved the event from the 2,500-person capacity venue Soma to the 15,000-capacity field at Petco Park that subsequently led to an increase in ticket prices to $90 — more than the cost of a one-day pass to this year’s Electric Daisy Carnival — before weak sales forced promoter Live Nation to cut prices to $65. After waiting an hour in will-call lines and being subjected to a convoluted system of barricades on the floor of the stadium that nearly caused multiple fistfights, the audience struggled to respond to Deadmau5’s progressive first hour of heavy house. Instead of drumroll crescendos, Deadmau5 favored slow, smooth transitions that often withheld bass drops for several minutes. While these gradual transitions allowed the synth lines to soak into the crowd, the momentum came to a standstill, even on fan favorites such as “Slip” and “Some Kind of Blue.” With the exception of “To Play Us Out,” which featured the vocal line from Fatboy Slim’s “Star 69” and Bill O’Reilly’s profanity-laden tirade was printed karaoke-style on screen, there was little crowd interaction during the first hour.

The turning point of the set came when singer SOFI joined Deadmau5 onstage for the electro single “Sofi Needs a Ladder” and the dubstepdriven “One Trick Pony.” Her infectious energy transformed the crowd into a bouncing mass as she traded off lyrics with the audience and shifted the set toward a more bass-heavy sound. The transition led to a live mashup of “FML” and “I Remember” as the triplet beat pounded away at the dancing audience. Another high point of the second hour came with the Ed Banger-esque unreleased track “Professional Griefers.” With its Daft Punk “Discovery”-era style synthesized guitar line, Deadmau5 fittingly dropped “Harder, Better, Faster, Stronger” and Justice vocal hits into “Griefers” to rapturous applause. Deadmau5 finished his second hour by layering Rob Swire’s vocals with “Moar Ghosts ‘n’ Stuff” while dressed like the ghost from the music video. Afterward, he launched into a threesong encore consisting of the chiptune-inspired “Meowingtons Hax Enabled” and the electro-house track “Animal Rights” before closing out the set with an epic 11-minute version of his single “Strobe.” As electronic dance music hits the mainstream and more DJs become arena-sized acts, each artist will have to overcome the growing pains associated with the increase in popularity. The change in venue created an energy problem that took half of the set (and SOFI’s amazing vocals) to solve. As the last notes of “Strobe” rang out, the words “Game over” printed in arcade font across the LED backdrop. The game was done and Deadmau5 pulled an upset victory.

COURTESY OF WILL MERYDITH

D A I LY

AZTEC Wednesday, November 2, 2011

E N T E R TA I N M E N T

U N PA U S E D

‘Battlefield’ ravages rivals despite bugs Cody Franklin staff writer The long-awaited “Battlefield 3” was released last week and fans know the wait was well worth it. The wildly successful franchise’s latest installment does not disappoint. Technology-wise, “Battlefield 3” is stunning. Gamers will be hardpressed to find anything that doesn’t look meticulously textured. The lighting in particular is breathtakingly realistic, though at times DICE seems to have gone overboard with J.J. Abrams-style lens flairs. In addition to the graphics, DICE has once again proven how powerful sound can be in a gaming experience. The studio has gone to great lengths to provide top-notch sound effects. DICE’s approach to sound involves going on location and recording highdefinition audio; the effort has paid off. DICE has crafted maps that take advantage of the destructible environments the Frostbite engine is known for. This has contributed to combat that is exhilarating and intense at levels other shooters just can’t match. Trying to hold out as tanks, helicopters, mortar strikes and infantry all converge on a single point elicits a feeling of being at the Alamo. In addition to the serious punch and range of shotguns, gamers can use the weapons to rack up suppression points, a new type of point bonus awarded when bullets hit near an enemy. The suppression causes the enemy to go into a suppressed state, reducing their vision.

MCT CAMPUS

Teamwork is more important and rewarding than in any previous Battlefield game. Bonuses from suppression, spotting, repairing, resupplying and healing teammates racks up quickly. Players can use lasers to designate targets for planes and helicopters, a welcome addition to the franchise. All four player classes feel necessary and rewarding. Players have a plethora of vehicles to choose from on the PC version’s 64-player maps, and this is where the engineer really shines. Vehicles enter a disabled state for a period of time before blowing up, giving the engineers time to repair if

opponents don’t keep up the pressure. Every class has numerous weapons and equipment to unlock, and each primary weapon has 10 uniquely unlocked attachments. Vehicles have their own collection of unlockable upgrades as well, all meaning it will take a very long time for players to wear out the leveling system this time around. Vehicle upgrades have become a matter of some concern. Aircraft in particular are very fragile and lightly armed until upgraded, and new players may find it quite difficult to survive long enough to do enough

DICE has crafted maps that take advantage of the destructible environments ... this has contributed to combat that is exhilarating and intense at levels other shooters can’t match.

damage to unlock the better options. The game does have some serious issues that need to be addressed. Currently, playing on the larger servers is blighted by intense lag and rubberbanding for many players, making play almost impossible at times. Attempting to join a server with friends is difficult. Even when joining as a party, the game often splits groups into different squads or different teams entirely. The limited number of squads can also make it hard to form a group with friends once in-game. At times, spawning will force players to appear right in front of an enemy player or in odd places far from the nearby capture points, leaving the character open and exposed to enemy fire. The game’s co-op mode is filled with bugs at the moment, with enemies not visible on both players’ screens, events not triggering and an enemy artificial intelligence that often will break missions by getting stuck in walls. However, when these issues aren’t occurring, “Battlefield 3” is a riveting experience. Overall, the game is highly recommended for players seeking intense teamwork, huge vehicle battles and intense infantry combat. A bug-free release is rare and DICE appears to be working on the glaring issues. Already improvement to the beta has been seen, when squads were far less functional. When all aspects are working, there really isn’t any other shooter that can come close to the intensity, varied gameplay or sense-overloading greatness present in “Battlefield 3.”

D A I LY A Z T E C Wednesday, November 2, 2011

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D A I LY

AZTEC Wednesday, November 2, 2011

B AC K PAG E

FICTION

Commence cold cruisin’ fter the funeral, Jimbo’s family joined hands and made a circle around his Rocketcoffin’s launch pad. His casket sat upright like a big black refrigerator, and the engines beneath it began to growl and spew out grey smoke in preparation for the coming flight. Patti, the eldest, was in charge of the funeral arrangements. She’d opted for the windowed model of the Rocketcoffin9000, knowing her mother wanted the closest alternative to what was once known as an “open casket ceremony.” In the cold wind, Patti clutched the sweaty hands of her two youngest brothers, both gray-faced and silent against the light rain, their ears plugged with cotton balls to dull the impending roar of the coffin’s engines. Her eyes were watery as she stared through the prelaunch smoke obscuring the body-length Plexiglas window, knowing these would be the last moments she would ever spend in the presence of her father’s body. Though his skin was gray and freckled with bullet holes, Patti had to admit the undertaker did a pretty good job, and her father would at least be comfortable inside his Rocketcoffin9000. Inside, Jimbo was clad in his favorite silk Hawaiian shirt adorned with a tan, large-breasted woman drinking from conch shells. He wore his favorite knee-length swim trunks and hemp sandals, and Patti paid the mortician an additional 30 credits to hang his favorite pair of yellowrimmed sunglasses from his unbuttoned shirt. For an additional 150 credits, the coroner formed Jimbo’s cold hand into a shaka sign, and agreed to place it over the dead man’s bullet-filled heart. “It’s just like the Pharos in their tombs we read about, remember?” she yelled to her bothers above the prehover boosters, “He’s got everything he needs for the trip in there.” “Won’t he get hungry?” the youngest of the Reeves twins Reggie yelped. “He has his clothes but what about food? Can’t we get him some

BY NANCY BLACK, TRIBUNE MEDIA SERVICES

HOROSCOPE

Conor Higgins contributor fiber pellets from Proto-Burger before he goes?” “No, no don’t worry,” Patti said squeezing the boy’s bony palm. “There’s plenty to eat where he’s going, and we just wanted to make sure he had his comfy clothes on. He’s got a long trip ahead of him.” “I woulda wanted my jammies,” Corey squeaked, unheard by his brother and sister. The wind whipped the mourners’ hair into their eyes. Patti had almost forgotten to reveal the inscription to the mourners. Since the outlaw of earthly burials, Patti agreed to also cover the finances for some sort of tombstone to be made. Her mother thought an actual stone to be an overpriced, entirely unnecessary purchase, so they agreed to have an inscription written directly on the Rocketcoffin. At 88 credits per character, they had to keep it brief. Patti peeled the wax paper from the glass. Etched across the Plexiglas window, in what Jimbo called “That Old English, gangster-ass font” were the eternal words he intended to be written on his tombstone: Cold Cruisin’. “Thank you all for coming to the burial, or whatever,” Patti yelled above the engines. “We loved you, Dad, despite everything.” As the primary engines began to glow green on the launch pad, the circle of mourners disbanded then huddled in front of the Plexiglas window displaying the dead Jimbo Reeves. Patti’s mother held a batch of inflated red balloons in her spotted hands, passing out a balloon to each of her children as they took their places in front of the window. Their eyes began to pour as they stared into Jimbo’s gray face obscured by swirls of engine smoke and shiny Plexiglass, his arms crossed over his chest as if he were about to fly down a towering waterslide. Each of Jimbo’s nine children

tied the balloon strings through their hands, eagerly waited for the launch technician to confirm when their father’s coffin would hit 30,000 feet. The Rocketcoffin9000 slowly rose from the platform. Corey let his balloon go early to cover his wet face, not wanting the see the waxy skin on his father’s cheeks pulled down by the rocket’s force. The balloon exploded in a violent pop as it was sucked into the fiery engines, now humming 50 feet above the scarved heads and umbrellas and black clothes. “The launch will commence within the next 15 seconds,” Father O’Malley screamed above the Rocketcoffin’s roar. He swallowed an enormous breath, and began to shout, “Forasmuch as it hath pleased Almighty God of his great mercy to take unto himself the soul of our dear brother Jimbo, we therefore commit his body to the deepest regions of space; earth to earth, ashes to ashes, spacedust to spacedust; in sure and certain hope of the Resurrection to eternal life, through our Lord, who shall change our vile body, that it may be like unto his glorious body.” After another gulp of air, Father O’Malley continued. “Now — say it with me everybody, 10 ... nine ... eight …” the mourners began to chant. “Seven ... six ... five ...” Patti thought of her father’s hands on her shoulders, how he was always late to pick her up from Counter-Strike 8.4 practice. “Four ... three ... two ...” She thought of the phone call the night of the shooting, “One ... zero …” She thought. “Wooooo!” Moments later, after the primary launch boosters had fired, the usher gave the family a firm thumbs up, confirming Jimbo’s body had been launched to 30,000 feet. Jimbo’s family sent the cluster of red balloons spiraling toward him, unaware that as they let out another ceremonial cheer, his fingertips and eyeballs had begun to freeze in the stratosphere.

TODAY’S BIRTHDAY (11/2/11) Your new year begins with opportunities to put finances in order. Don't mix friends with finances (at least for now). Learn what you need. Put your talents and sensibilities to work for a good cause. This is the work that feeds your soul. 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 7 Take care of the basics, and plan an escape as early as you can with someone dear to you. Even if it's just to catch up over coffee, you appreciate the heart-to-heart talk. TAURUS (April 20 - May 20) - Today is a 7 Everything turns out, thanks to your wisdom and charm. Don't get distracted from what's important. Surround yourself with people who adore you. You may not always agree. GEMINI (May 21 - June 21) - Today is a 7 Tell your people how much you appreciate them. Don't worry about huge productivity or results today. Put greater focus on human resources. Spread the love around. CANCER (June 22 - July 22) - Today is an 8 - Study the history before making a decision. Patience. Adventures and travel are better in discussion and planning than actuality. Plot the itinerary. LEO (July 23 - Aug. 22) - Today is an 8 Romance and artistic creativity provide the context this month. Who could you invent yourself to be? What could you create? What fun? Make a glorious mess.

BY THE MEPHAM GROUP, TRIBUNE MEDIA SERVICES

Difficulty Level: 2 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 Solutions available online at www.thedailyaztec.com ©2011, TRIBUNE MEDIA SERVICES INC.

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DAY OF THE DEAD Photo editor Antonio Zaragoza captured this photo of Educational Opportunity Programs Assistant Director Cynthia Torres celebrating a haunting tradition with understated elegance.

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PLEASE NOTE: 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. Story ideas can be sent to tips@thedailyaztec.com.

SUDOKU

— Conor Higgins is a creative writing graduate student.

LO O K I N G T H R O U G H O U R L E N S

VIRGO (Aug. 23 - Sept. 22) - Today is a 7 Beware of stifling your ambition by burying yourself in busywork. A stroll around the block or on a trail can revive. Breathe deeply and take peaceful breaks. LIBRA (Sept. 23 - Oct. 22) - Today is a 7 Your communication is at a peak until about the end of the year, while Mercury and Venus are in your third house. Take advantage. SCORPIO (Oct. 23 - Nov. 21) - Today is a 7 It's a good time for home remodeling, but don't spend more than you need to. Use what you have, with a dash of imagination. Get chores done, and play outside. SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22 - Dec. 21) - Today is an 8 - Allow yourself to play with what you have, and don't take any loans. Venus and Mercury enter your sign today, giving you an extra oomph in love and interaction. CAPRICORN (Dec. 22 - Jan. 19) - Today is a 9 - Seeds gestate deep in the ground. Privately prepare. Five minutes of meditation can increase your output. Enjoy time at home. AQUARIUS (Jan. 20 - Feb. 18) - Today is a 7 - You might talk about distant places or write about them ... just don't go very far, if you can avoid it. Enjoy simple luxuries like a hot shower. PISCES (Feb. 19 - March 20) - Today is a 7 You may like the idea of travel or discovery, but getting moving is another thing. Diligence and thrift serve you well now. Write, and plan for tomorrow.

ACROSS 1 Nice forecast 5 Blatant promotion 9 Entertain 14 Shoppe modifier 15 Hoosier city 16 Kitchen gadget 17 Sachs 20 Texas longhorn, for one 21 Shocked reaction 22 45-Down et al. 23 Hai or oui 25 Atop 27 Sacks 35 Detours, e.g.: Abbr. 36 Kitty 37 “Awakenings” actress 38 Start to sing? 39 Fawned over, with “on” 42 Uncertain word 43 Warren Buffett’s city 46 JFK listing 47 Matchmaker.co m connection 48 Saks 52 __ bargain 53 Crunch targets 54 Uffizi offering 57 Couples with clubs 60 Comic pianist Victor 64 Sax 67 Audibly 68 Taj Mahal site 69 “Yikes!” 70 Sounds from pounds 71 Maintain 72 Conifers with elastic wood

/ Daily Aztec BY RICH NORRIS & JOYCE LEWIS, TRIBUNE MEDIA SERVICES

Solutions available online at www.thedailyaztec.com DOWN 1 Turns opaque, with “up” 2 Loads 3 Run in place 4 Late-night flights 5 Couples’s org. 6 Clubber __, nemesis in “Rocky III” 7 Bear in the sky 8 Plaster of Paris component 9 Financing letters 10 Daytime fare 11 Coffee hour sights 12 Ooze 13 Misses the mark 18 GI rations 19 Date with an MD

24 Dirty Harry’s org. 26 Resistance unit 27 Refrigerant gas 28 Announcement at the door 29 Took in again 30 Pal of Tigger 31 Playful aquatic critter 32 Actor Malcolm__ Warner 33 Speak with style 34 Tylenol alternative 40 Summer on the Seine 41 Computer fodder 44 Really enthused 45 Buddy List co. 47 Act rebelliously

49 Homeowner’s option, in brief 50 Ancient Egyptian temple complex 51 “Fernando” quartet 54 Sports schedule column 55 Audition aim 56 Word with box or belt 58 On __: nervous 59 Calamitous 61 Storm 62 Eat away 63 Actor Byrnes and announcer Hall 65 OED entries 66 Suede feature