10-12-2010 by The Daily Aztec

BORDER CROSSING

BOOKSTORE PRICES

BACKSHOP BUDDIES

The U.S. / Mexican border is getting a new design to help with traffic. page 2

The bookstore explains why textbook prices are more expensive. page 3

One of The Daily Aztec’s superstar designers shows her great artwork. page 4

dailyaztec the

Tuesday, October 12, 2010

w w w. T h e D a i l y A z t e c . c o m

Vol. 96, Issue 26

San Diego State University’s Independent Student Newspaper since 1913

INDEX:

TODAY @ STATE SDSU Fights Hunger, today Martha Collins poetry reading, 7 p.m., Love Library

Tw i t t e r : T h e D a i l y A z t e c

sports... 1

opinion ... 2

news ... 3

backpage ... 4

BASEBALL

Gwynn’s bad news devastates Aztecs SDSU playing with heavy hearts after Gwynn tells his squad he has cancer EDWARD LEWIS SPORTS EDITOR

Tony Gwynn stood in front of his San Diego State baseball team and just couldn’t mutter the words. He’s a Hall of Famer with an indestructible career. He’s a .338 hitter who never breaks down. So how was he going to look this team of 18-, 19-, 20- and 21-year-old kids in the eye and tell them he had cancer? He talked for two minutes, choked up and walked away. “He came and talked to us and I had seen something in his face that was wrong,” junior outfielder Brandon Meredith said. “His whole right side of his face is not really functional right now. At first we thought he might have a stroke or something like that.”

Gwynn came back the next day. This time he gathered his squad in the locker room and told them the news he had tried to tell them the day before. “I have cancer,” he said. Veterans such as Meredith, Ryan O’Sullivan and Pat Colwell sank in their seats. “As soon as he started talking he started to get choked up and we knew something was wrong,” Colwell, a senior outfielder, said. “And I know myself, (Ryan) O’Sullivan, Brandon (Meredith), I could see all the returning guys’ faces kind of get choked up as well because we’ve known him for a while. And we got to see him and joke around with him and be joyful with him. And just to see him in that situation of vulnerability kind of makes it sad. It makes it real.” Gwynn revealed he has parotid cancer, a disease that affects the largest salivary gland. He told his team he would need chemotherapy treatments and wouldn’t be able to make it out to the baseball field for a while. Colwell was devastated. “I hope everybody in the locker room

made a choice to really give their all out on the field, if not for themselves then for coach Gwynn,” Colwell said. “Because we have a lot of new guys on the team who haven’t gotten to know him, but if they ask one of the older guys about him, they’ll see how we feel about him. We’re just really sad that he’s not able to be out here and enjoy this time with us.” SDSU assistant coach Mark Martinez is expected to fill Gwynn’s shoes while he’s recovering. Aztec players said they haven’t organized anything official for Gwynn yet such as flowers or cards, but they send him texts and phone calls daily, hoping their support can help the Hall of Famer get back on the field. “I know he wants to be back here as soon as he can and be around us because I know he misses being out here and we miss having him out here,” sophomore pitcher Bryan Crabb said. “It’s weird not having him out here and we miss him. We hope he gets healthy first of all and gets out here as soon as he can.”

David J. Olender / Photo Editor

MATT-ER OF FACT

Don’t blame SDSU, blame the zebras

ook at it. Do it in slow motion. Do it fast. Do it in reverse. Try different angles. Replay it and try, please try to tell me B.J. Williams didn’t strip that ball away from BYU and then recover it for San Diego State. The referees ruled it wasn’t a fumble. Head coach Brady Hoke challenged the call. He even broke a laugh with an official while waiting for the geeks in the replay booth to report what they saw. Hoke looked calm. He looked assured. Kind of like a coach who just recovered a fumble. But the umpire then upped his microphone to announce a zebra-striped propensity to fail. The Cougars kept the ball, scored their last touchdown and later won 24-21. No explanation from the referee. Nothing. Nada. Zero. If you feel the way I do, I’ve got several three-word phrases for both of us: Get over it. Suck it up. Quit your bitching. The Aztecs play Air Force this weekend. It’s the first time SDSU has hosted a conference opponent this season, and the Falcons are good. Ranked 25th, they exercise the top-ranked rushing attack in the nation, and rarely air the ball out, solidifying them as the biggest hypocrisy in collegiate football considering their branch of military. They ran for 343 yards against seventh-ranked Oklahoma and barely lost 27-24. It’s Air Force’s lone defeat. Oh, but those refs! Sorry Zuma. They blew it last Saturday. It was the second critical miscall this year against the Aztecs. The first was in Missouri when a crucial block in the back went uncalled on the game-losing play. I’m not sure which was harder to swallow: that whistle, or that loss. But don’t blame it on the referees, right? That’s football, right? Had SDSU been the better team on both occasions,

M A T T MCCLANAHAN S TA F F C O L U M N I S T

they would’ve won. Right? Sure, whatever. A Barry Bonds-sized asterisk should be scribbled next to both losses. The Aztecs could very easily be undefeated, in the top 25, and in serious contention for the conference title with one game away from bowl eligibility for the first time in 12 years. Instead, they’re one game away from a deflated 3-3 record. It’s true SDSU couldn’t run the ball Saturday, and the defense couldn’t get off the field. But BYU outscored the Aztecs by a mere field goal despite being on offense three times longer. It was the largest disparity in time of possession ever for a Mountain West Conference game. There were three-and-outs on offense and SDSU couldn’t stop the run on defense. But still. The Aztecs still could’ve won. SDSU wasn’t sharp, but still could’ve beaten the Cougars on the road. All the team needed was a big play. Perhaps a fumble recovery by Williams would’ve sufficed. Heck, the Aztecs might’ve won had those referees … well … you know. No more whining. It’s done with. Nothing will change. Right now, Falcon football. But an apology really is needed. Not to me. I’m an unbiased journalist. But to all three of those Red and Black fans who traveled to that stink hole in Provo, Utah. And to every player who had their chance at winning the game stripped from them like the way Williams stripped that ball. But like I said, no more whining. Air Force is undefeated in conference play, and its triple-option offense has tilled quite a bit of gridiron despite losing its

entire offensive line from last season. While BYU running backs gave SDSU defenders piggyback rides last week, this defense held Air Force’s triple-option in check a season ago, never allowing the offense to reach the end zone. But the Aztecs turned the ball over six times, with two turnovers going for touchdowns. Ryan Lindley threw four interceptions with a damaged finger against the Falcons last season and was sacked three times. But he did complete a good percentage of his passes for 284 yards.

BEHIND THE NUMBERS

This weekend will be the biggest game thus far for SDSU. And because I told myself a while ago to quit my bitching, I’m left with nothing more to say. Other than this: Those referees sucked.

—Matt McClanahan is a journalism senior. —The views expressed in this column do not necessarily reflect the opinion of The Daily Aztec.

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The Daily Aztec

OPINION

Tuesday, October 12, 2010

NATIONAL ANALYSIS

Mexico border-crossing checkpoint overhauled

an Diego is just miles from the world’s busiest border-crossing point, or Land Port of Entry, at San Ysidro. According to U.S. General Services Administration, “Every day, this land port serves over 50,000 northbound vehicles and 25,000 northbound pedestrians.” Because the border-crossing checkpoint is infamous for gridlock and lengthy wait-times, a massive bi-national expansion project has been launched to ease the congestion. The expansion will consist of additional south and northbound car lanes, new primary and secondary vehicle inspection facilities, more pedestrian crossings as well as new administrations and operations buildings. The crossing is to remain fully operational throughout all phases of construction. The U.S. General Services Administration gave the design and construction contract to the award-winning Miller Hull Partnership architectural firm. The firm has assumed the goals to “improve operational efficiency, security and safety for crossborder travelers and federal agencies” by constructing “34 lanes of traffic — each with two stacked inspection booths, a 200,000-square-foot administrative and operations facility, 110,000 square feet of primary and secondary vehicle inspection canopy, a new northbound and southbound connection to Mexico’s planned El Chaparral Land Point of Entry facility and ancillary buildings for the Department of Homeland Security.” It is expected to earn LEED Platinum certification for environmentally friendly construction, much like the Modern Space project on campus. The

MCT Campus

INS agents often inspect vehicles crossing the San Ysidro border for illegal narcotics.

RANDY WILDE S E N I O R S TA F F C O L U M N I S T

firm hopes to achieve net zero energy in most buildings, a first for a constantly operating government facility. Traffic flow will be improved both by increased capacity and better connection to transportation networks. Although the development project has many environmental activists and frequent borderhoppers enthused, some concerned citizens worry that too much money is being spent on this state-of-the-art facility. The U.S. side of the project will cost at least $577 million, while Mexico will spend $54 million. Additional funding will have to come from Congress for completion. Many critics also believe the money would be better spent on

strengthening border security or installing more sophisticated screening technology. There are even claims that the project is more about real estate interests than improving cross-border travel. Regardless, the first phase has already begun, as American crews work on a 1600 foot-long pedestrian bridge. The new Land Port of Entry should be complete after 2016. It may take many years to judge whether the new facility will have a notable impact on crossing time and if it will stay on budget. Furthermore, there is significant potential for the project to become politically charged with the prominence of immigration issues in the upcoming elections.

— Randy Wilde is an international security and conflict resolution junior.

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Tuesday, October 12, 2010

NEWS

The Daily Aztec

Bookstore explains high textbook prices CYNTHIA WASHINGTON CONTRIBUTOR

The San Diego State Bookstore offers a less expensive alternative to purchasing textbooks with its Rent-to-Save program. According to the bookstore’s website, the store paid publishers 77.5 percent of every dollar made during the 2009-10 academic year. This percentage covered author income, printing and editing costs, marketing costs, publisher income and general administrative costs. The other 22.5 percent went directly to the bookstore. With that money, the bookstore covered the cost of personnel, store operations and other expenses. The money left over was put into projects and programs at SDSU, according to the website. Because the bookstore expanded its textbook rental program this fall, Director of Campus Stores for Aztec Shops Todd Summer said the percentage that goes directly to the bookstore will be less. However, Summer said the program was extremely successful. Almost all textbooks priced at more than $25 were available to rent. SDSU decided this would be a good time to start the program, especially with the state and federal government pushing it. About 27,000 books were rented this semester saving students more than $1 million. “When we were balancing our margins, which is what students want and need, we decided we needed to lower the price points for students,” Summer said. “We are going to make less margin on it but that’s OK.” Tim Wulfemeyer, journalism and media studies professor, has written a few textbooks that have been sold at the bookstore. Wulfemeyer, like other professors, wanted to

Audrey Rynberg / Staff Photographer

When compared to general reading books, textbooks are generally expensive because of the smaller audience and the amount of time that goes into writing them.

design exactly what is taught in class. He figured the amount he makes for writing a textbook comes out to less than minimum wage. “I am amazed at the cost of textbooks to students because I know what the publisher is charging the bookstore,” Wulfemeyer said. “(The bookstore is) nonprofit, yet you are marking up the books almost 100 percent and you will buy a book back for next to peanuts and turn around and sell it for $5 less than a new copy.” Summer described how the buyback price

of the book is calculated. First, the bookstore finds out if the book will be used the next semester. If so, the buyback price will be half of the selling price of the new book, so students who bought used books will be getting more than half back. But because not all books will be used the next semester, some fall to a national wholesale price and go to another store because they are not needed anymore, Summer said. Summer also explained textbooks have a smaller audience than general reading books,

which is why they are more expensive. The audience for a textbook is approximately 10,000 rather than a few hundred million. “(Writing a textbook) is a lot of work; it takes a lot of time and there is a much smaller market for it so that is one of the reasons why the pricing is more for textbooks,” Summer said. The bookstore is trying to balance making some money that will go back to students as well as keeping prices low, Summer said.

THE BACK PAGE

The Daily Aztec

Tuesday, October 12, 2010

DAILY HOROSCOPE

LOOKING THROUGH OUR LENS

BY LINDA C. BLACK, TRIBUNE MEDIA SERVICES

TODAY’S BIRTHDAY (10/12/10) You achieve balance this year as you pursue social and career objectives, while managing household issues imaginatively. Practical and ethical considerations occupy your thoughts and could detract from pursuing romantic interests. Don't let that happen! 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 Secrets have a way of becoming public information.Tell no one. Instead, remain open and friendly on every other topic of conversation. TAURUS (April 20 - May 20) - Today is a 5 - Although you'd like to maintain privacy within the family circle, good fortune arises from sharing feelings with others around you. Let go of fears. GEMINI (May 21 - June 21) - Today is a 7 Your favorite person has a dream or intuition that challenges you to explain exotic symbols. An Internet search produces great information. CANCER (June 22 - July 22) - Today is a 6 You discover something about the way people work together when you sit back and watch. People naturally pair off to get the job done today. LEO (July 23 - Aug. 22) - Today is a 6 Spread your arms wide enough to enfold both logic and passion. Others need your sensitive touch. Create a natural balance between comfort and energetic movement.

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VIRGO (Aug. 23 - Sept. 22) - Today is a 5 Get both genders on the same page for maximum creativity. Combined efforts produce the change you desire. An associate points out an obstacle. LIBRA (Sept. 23 - Oct. 22) - Today is a 6 Personal effort overlaps with group activities. Schedule time for your own projects, separate from the pack.That way you meet your own needs, too. SCORPIO (Oct. 23 - Nov. 21) - Today is a 5 - If you were by yourself, you'd enjoy getting your work done without stress. Others want you to play now. Get them to help with the work first. SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22 - Dec. 21) - Today is a 6 - The stagecoach races with you at the reins. Make haste without tiring the horses or overturning the carriage. Slow down to get there faster. CAPRICORN (Dec. 22 - Jan. 19) - Today is a 7 - A dream provides a new philosophical perspective.You see beyond the obvious to identify idealistic potential. Don't force the issue. AQUARIUS (Jan. 20 - Feb. 18) - Today is a 6 - You lead in an independent direction today. When others pose questions, your answers reveal this. Wait until tomorrow for a peaceful resolution. PISCES (Feb. 19 - March 20) - Today is a 6 Don't take no for an answer. Maybe it's workable, so go with that and revise details along the way.You'll get a yes soon enough. © 2010,TRIBUNE MEDIA SERVICES INC.

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CROSSWORD ACROSS 1 See 4-Across 4 With 1-Across, fix à la MacGyver 8 “__ Bovary” 14 Suffix with stamp 15 “Lonely Boy” singer 16 Hypothetical primate 17 “Vicious Circle” stand-up guy 19 Explosion sound 20 Spiral-shelled mollusk 21 Uncover, in verse 23 River inlet 24 Whit or bit 25 Stand-up guy who played Tobias Fünke on “Arrested Development” 29 Carpenter’s fastener 31 Regis and Kelly, e.g. 32 Big initials in nutritional supplements 33 Hot day coolers 35 Clear the chalkboard 36 Stand-up guy with his own sitcom, 1995-2004 39 Horrendous 42 NYSE debuts 43 Enzyme suffix 46 Predicting a market decline 49 Husky, e.g. 51 Stand-up guy with multiple “SNL” personas 53 Start from scratch 54 The Trojans of the Pac-10 55 Luggage-screening gp. 56 __ Lama 57 Platitude

EDITED BY RICH NORRIS AND JOYCE LEWIS

Solution available online at www.TheDailyAztec.com 8 Just about manage 9 Therapists’ org. 10 Society newcomer 11 Loving, to Luisa 12 “Little Red Book” adherents 13 How stadium crowds move 18 Mideast carrier 22 Photo DOWN 25 “Bro!” 26 From the start 1 Joe Louis Arena 27 Word preceding hockey player a 22-Down 2 Pocatello resident 3 Like some finger- 28 Golfer Sabbatini 30 Marinara clove prints 4 Tire-changing aid 34 Lab subj. 5 Game with Draw 36 Commercial battery prefix with Two cards “cell” 6 “King Kong” studio 37 Semicircular 7 Comedian recess Smirnoff

60 “Superman” publisher, and this puzzle’s title 63 Little laugh 64 Large-scale work 65 Rebellious Turner 66 Iraqi neighbor 67 Loser to paper and winner over scissors 68 USN rank

38 __-poly 39 Kidnaps 40 Potter’s friend Ron 41 More decorative 43 “Sweet” girl in a barbershop song 44 Recycled item 45 Ones with Istrain? 47 Glossy fabric 48 Noon and midnight: Abbr. 50 Wee weight 52 Skywalker’s nemesis 56 Pier 58 T’ai __ 59 “Isn’t __ riot?!”: “Funny guy!” 61 Naval noncom: Abbr. 62 Pres. title