01-27-2011

SEIDLER SPEAKS

SPOTLIGHT

WONDERLAND

Find out what writer David Seidler has to say about his movie. page 2

Married professors dig up Mayan ruins.

Students have fun in the snow for a night at SDSU.

dailyaztec the

Thursday, January 27, 2011

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

Vol. 96, Issue 63

San Diego State University’s Independent Student Newspaper since 1913

INDEX:

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page 4

TODAY @ STATE Tae Kwon Do, Aztec Recreation Center Recreation Running, Aztrack

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

entertainment ... 2 features ... 3

news ... 4

classifieds ... 7

backpage ... 8

AZTECS

COUGARS

58

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MEN’S BASKETBALL

Jimmer hands SDSU its first loss MATT MCCLANAHAN S TA F F C O L U M N I S T

PROVO, UTAH — Jimmer Fredette made his case for National Player of the Year honors against San Diego State when the guard scored 43 points in a 71-58 victory against the Aztecs last night.

The loss snapped SDSU's 20game winning streak and dashed hopes for an undefeated season.

"That's a really, really good team that we played tonight with as good a player as I've ever gone in front of," head coach Steve Fisher said of Fredette. "He was sensational."

Kawhi Leonard, who was strapped to an IV before the game and wasn't feeling well with flu-like symptoms, scored 22 points and grabbed 15 rebounds. Malcolm Thomas was the only other Aztec in double figures with 10 points, and was the second leading rebounder with six.

But it wasn't enough on a night when, despite playing at its desired tempo, SDSU couldn't get its shots to fall — hitting just 35.5 percent from the field.

"We missed some easy layups," point guard D.J. Gay said.

The Aztecs didn't seem to get much help from the referees, either.

There was a 10-minute stretch in the second half when some calls could have gone SDSU's way, but never did.

"Maybe the next time we'll get some of those 50-50 calls," Fisher said. "But you can't blame that on the outcome of a game."

But you can blame Fredette for the outcome.

SDSU led the Cougars at halftime 31-30 following a 3-pointer by Leonard. But the second half would start the way it would finish: with Fredette scoring.

The BYU guard went on a tear in the second half, leading his team to an 8-2 run that gave the Cougars a 52-46 advantage with about 11 minutes to play. BYU and a hostile crowd of 22,000 fans didn't let the Aztecs back in it. The crowd would eventually storm the court.

Missed shots and no-calls seemed to fluster SDSU, particularly Thomas.

"I got frustrated, but I can't do that when we play good teams like this," Thomas said. "I can't let that happen any more. It won't happen anymore."

"I thought we got a little bit worrying about bumps and stuff and not about finishing plays, " Fisher added. "That might've affected us a little bit."

The Aztecs fall to second place in the Mountain West Conference with the loss.

"The nice thing is we got a game on Saturday and we have another opportunity in our building (against BYU) and maybe a third opportunity in the tournament," Fisher said.

SDSU will host the Cougars on Feb. 26.

The Aztecs will look to rebound against Wyoming at home this Saturday.

AT A GLANCE

VS. W H E N : 7 p.m.

W H E R E : Viejas Arena T V : The Mtn. T W I T T E R : @Edward-

FLewis, @Agustin_Aztecs

WHY TO WATCH:

SDSU will try to rebound from its first loss of the season against the Cowboys.

MCT Campus

WOMEN’S BASKETBALL

Cougars overpower Aztecs at Viejas SDSU squanders early lead, falls in key MWC matchup EDWARD LEWIS SPORTS EDITOR

File Photo

San Diego State women’s basketball senior center Paris Johnson scored 15 points and BYU 65 senior forward J e s s i k a SDSU 55 Bradley added 14, but it wasn’t enough last night as BYU beat SDSU 65-55 in front of 702 fans at Viejas Arena.

The Aztecs jumped out to a 10point lead early in the first half and

actually finished the first 20 minutes of action shooting 56.5 percent from the floor. But BYU, led by junior forward Kristen Riley, went on a 30-12 run to finish out the first half and went into the locker room up by five.

In the second half, Riley continued to hurt SDSU and helped her Cougar squad pull away in the final 20 minutes. The junior posted a career-high 23 points and added seven rebounds, improving her team’s record to 13-7 (5-1 in Mountain West Conference play) this season.

“We hung together while playing with maturity and experience tonight,” BYU head coach Jeff Judkins told byucougars.com after the game. “We didn’t doubt ourselves. Kristen (Riley) came in and gave us a big lift, both offensively

and defensively. She really had a great game tonight.”

With the loss, the Aztecs fall to 810 (2-4 in MWC play).

“We hung together while playing with maturity and experience tonight. We didn’t doubt ourselves.”

— Jeff Judkins, BYU head coach

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The Daily Aztec

ENTERTAINMENT

Wednesday, January 27, 2011

UP CLOSE AND PERSONAL

David Seidler speaks of writers and kings MORGAN DENNO S TA F F W R I T E R

David Seidler has been a television and film writer for many years but had never achieved such a high degree of success until “The King’s Speech” was released this winter. The film explores the relationship between the late King George VI, or “Bertie” (played by Colin Firth) and his speech therapist Lionel Logue (Geoffrey Rush) during his accession into becoming the king of England.

Seidler was born in England and had a stutter when he was young boy, a speech disorder he had in common with the king of England at the time. As an adult, he wanted to explore the story of the king, whom he had admired as a child. However, he wasn’t sure anyone would want to see a movie about a “dead king who stutters.” It’s apparent from the incredible amount of praise that many agree the movie and Seidler’s script is a success. He was nominated for Best Screenplay at the Golden Globes and has also been nominated for an Academy Award.

too painful.’ So I thought, how long do I have to wait? She’s a nice old lady, but maybe a couple of years? Two, three years at most? 25 years later … just shy of her 102nd birthday, she left us.”

ON BREAKING INTO HOLLYWOOD: “I arrived in Hollywood very late, in my late 40s, just when everyone with any sense was leaving. I was very naïve … my first gig in town was writing ‘Tucker’ for Francis Ford Coppola … which was in production for about 10 years.

how real it is. Aaron said, ‘I’m not writing a documentary, I’m writing a movie.’ I’m torn about that. On one hand, I do agree with Aaron, that you are using facts to tell a story, and on the other hand, you are dealing with someone’s life.”

ON CASTING: “You get a good sense for a story; you can just smell it, and I had a sense that Lionel was the story. When I first sat down, my original assumption was that no one else in the world could play Lionel. In terms of Bertie, I have to

framing is very deliberate. Usually it’s a very dictatorial process, but not with Tom.”

ON HUMOR: “Tom took out some of the humor because he didn’t want people to think ‘Oh, this is just a comedy.’ The humor comes out of the characters, out of the situations. It’s not one-liners; it’s not gag humor. The humor comes out of the juxtaposition and the friction between the two very different characters. One’s a king, one’s a commoner. One’s an Englishman, one’s an Australian. They are

ON KING GEORGE VI: “I was a stutterer. It really is a miserable affliction, but my one great inspiration was King George VI. He’s not perfect, but he gave these magnificent, stirring addresses. Everyone listened to him very critically, syllable by syllable. He was a childhood hero of mine.

We’ve come a long way in regard to handicaps. The president of the United States was not often seen or photographed in his wheelchair because it was a sign of weakness.

Stuttering, or stammering, (in England it’s called stammering) was called a speech ‘defect.’ So if you had a speech defect, you were a ‘defected person.’ And you couldn’t have the king of England be referred to as a “defected person” so it was never talked about. And so his speech therapist was never talked about.”

ON WRITING AND THE QUEEN MUM: “They said, ‘You must get written permission from the queen.’ That’s when my American friends realized how British I really was. I wrote to the Queen Mum … and she said something like ‘Dear Mr. Seidler, please not during my lifetime because everything is still

Courtesy of Allied Integrated Marketing

Screenwriter David Seidler talks to an inquisitive group of SDSU students about his influence, experiences and the commonalities he has with a “dead king who stutters.”

“This of course is the most personal thing I’ve ever done. After all, I’m a stutterer … well, ex-stutterer. People say ex-stutterer, but once a stutterer, always a stutterer. So it’s much more personal than anything else I’ve ever done. I’ve had a very scattered career. I’ve done everything from Kung Fu killers to animated features, TV movies … this was the most fun and the most satisfying.”

be honest. My original idea was that Paul Bettany, who looks a great deal like Bertie would play the part, but scheduling problems prevented it. (Hugh Grant was considered for the role and Robert Downey Jr. was mentioned). At first I wasn’t thrilled about the actor, mostly because he was known as Mr. Darcy at the time. Then, I saw ‘A Single Man’ (and realized) he is so much more than that.”

ON BIOPICS:

ON TOM HOOPER:

“My new best friend Aaron Sorkin (screenplay writer of “The Social Network”) says it best when he was asked about Facebook and

“Tom Hooper is a wonderful director for many reasons. He uses the scene really as a palette and when he uses the camera, his

truly the odd couple, so you get a lot of odd couple humor. My literary idol from when I was young, and still is, was George Bernard Shaw. From him I learned that the best way to say something serious is through humor.”

ON AWARDS SEASON AND SUCCESS: “It’s hard work! This is maybe why I’ve avoided success so far in my career. I’m very proud of it. If that’s the only thing I ever did in my life is create this movie, then I’d be well satisfied.”

SPOTLIGHT

Thursday, January 27, 2011

The Daily Aztec

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C l a s s w i t h D r. a n d M r s . I n d i a n a J o n e s Anthropology professor s teach, excavate, and live together in matrimonial and academic bliss M I C H A E L M I S S E LW I T Z , Staff Writer There are those professors among the faculty at San Diego State whose influence students will remember for decades to come. These mentors educate by example, depicting unique routes to success and conveying lesser-known methods of wisdom through sagas that teach more than any curriculum could offer.

For more than 30 years, anthropology professors Joseph Ball and Jennifer Taschek have been faculty of such caliber. Hired by SDSU in 1975, the duo was recognized in 1992 and again in 2004 by the University Research Council for their exceptional and extraordinary contributions to the research field of anthropology. They are keystone members of the anthropology department’s teaching faculty, and are among a unique collection of teacherscholars whom are trademark to SDSU. Ball and Taschek practice a dynamic rare to the scholastic profession: They teach, travel, research and write in matrimony. Their marriage has worked to the advantage of their careers — as well as their students — by implementing the benefits of healthy and functional family collaboration into the occupational realm.

Ball and Taschek met as graduate students at The University of Wisconsin, Madison in the late 1960s, a time when student activism surrounding the Vietnam War had reached a violent plateau on campuses across the nation. Protests at Madison had become so fierce that professors encouraged their graduate students to remain off campus, and instead do research in the field.

“The building we were in was torn apart by smoke grenades and student rioters running through the halls with the National Guard chasing them, often with bayonets,” Taschek said.

“Classroom teaching had become nearly impossible so professors said ‘Go! Get out in the field and stay there.’”

The duo moved to Merida, Mexico where they earned their masters and doctorates together living on remote archaeological sites, researching and working on their dissertations for nearly five years. There, in the depths of the Yucatán, seeded a bond and a shared passion for the Mayan culture that became the inspiration for the remainder of their careers.

Ball and Taschek are now internationally recognized Mesoamerican authorities, dedicated to the excavation of refuse left behind by the Mayan culture between 700 and 800 A.D. Through the span of their careers, the pair has worked on a variety of archaeological projects in the Yucatan

Peninsula, combining their individual expertise to unearth vast amounts of information about the Mayan culture.

“We have specialized in excavating garbage,” Taschek said, tongue-in-cheek.

The garbage Taschek refers to includes the bounty of Mayan ceramic wares the professors are dedicated to cataloguing. Among the most famous of their discoveries is the “Jauncy Vase,” a chocolate drinking vase that is now a designated National Treasure of Belize and on display in the foyer of the National Museum of Belize in Belize City.

Ball and Taschek perform field work in a manner made more efficient by the partnership they share.

“When we’re in the field, we have a divi-

Now that the field research for the Belize Valley project is complete, the professors currently spend the majority of their time in San Diego compiling their data and teaching classes.

Since 2004, the duo has been team-teaching the Roots of Civilization course at SDSU, with one of them lecturing and the other providing anecdotal commentary, dialogue and analysis.

“The building we were in was t o r n a p a r t by smoke grenades and student rioter s running through the halls ...” sion of labor based on our preferences and our background training,” Ball said.

“Jennifer is the field archaeologist and the restoration architect … my specializations are in laboratory work and specifically in ceramic and chipped stone analysis.”

The couple’s largest project, the SDSU MopanMacal Triangle Archaeological Project, was an ongoing excavation of sites in the upper Belize Valley that lasted nearly 20 years. Funded largely by the National Science Foundation, the Geographic Society and the United States Agency for International Development, the excavations have led to the discovery of burials and artifacts that reveal unprecedented knowledge about the daily life and customs of the region’s Mayan culture.

This project required a year-round presence in Belize, so for two decades the professors were commuting between San Diego and Belize to complete their research while simultaneously teaching courses at SDSU.

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“Sharing our research with students is just as important to us as publishing our research,” Ball said.

“What we’re doing is giving students some understanding of the cultures they are going to be dealing with or have dealt with for much of their lives. It helps to generate compassion between cultures.”

Successful in marriage, esteemed in scholastics and working toward a greater cause for humanity, Ball and Taschek are noble and inspirational examples for all students.

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NEWS

The Daily Aztec

Thursday, January 27, 2011

Scripps Lawn covered in snow for a night ARTURO GARCIA CONTRIBUTOR

Snow in San Diego is rare, which explains the draw of the final scheduled event of Aztec Nights, the student-centered late night events organized by Associated Students at the beginning of each semester. Twenty tons of snow covered Scripps Lawn last Saturday as students participated in games and contests in the third annual Winter Wonderland.

“Winter Wonderland is now an annual event on our campus that our students look forward to every year,” Randy Timm, Director of Student Life & Leadership, said. “It is great to see students, faculty and staff interacting in such a fun environment.”

Most of the students said the main attraction that drew them to the event was the snow. The small hill next to the turtle pond was transformed, covered by snow and organized into an area for sledding.

Music pumped through the air at the whim of DJ Cliff de Peralta, a regular feature at many events at San Diego State. Outside Scripps Cottage, a screened-off area provided a place for students to play Wii Sports, and inside the cottage, board game were laid out for a different kind of fun. A plethora of s’mores and hot chocolate was served.

Ashley Wagner, an event coordinator, estimated 1,000 students were expected to attend Winter Wonderland. The event had a budg-

et of $12,000, the majority of which went to funding the snow itself.

Students both creative and competitive vied to win a snowman-building contest using the hats, carrots, scarves and other accessories provided by the event organizers.

“Snow in California, wow ... the best thing ever ... thank you.”

— Priscilla Plamondon, SDSU student A particularly fashionable snowman stood out from the rest, built by foreign exchange students from Germany, Turkey, Saudi Arabia and Quebec, noticeably superior compared to many of the snowdeprived Southern Californian students’ works. Priscilla Plamondon, a student from Canada, declared the winner “a quality snowman.”

The winners received gift cards, but for the more snow-deprived students in particular, the snow itself was the prize.

“Snow in California, wow … the best thing ever … thank you,” Plamondon said.

Editor in Chief Ruthie Kelly contributed to this story.

Peter Kluch / Senior Staff Photographer

Peter Kluch / Senior Staff Photographer

Thursday, January 27, 2011

SPOTLIGHT

The Daily Aztec

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SDSU senior lends a hand to schools in Peru Jesann Spani embodies the Aztec spirit of combining education and charitable work M I R ANDA ADLER, Staff Writer

an i

Imagine washing your face with Purell hand sanitizer, showering with baby wipes and falling asleep with cement-caked fingernails. No, this isn’t an episode of “Survivor.” This is just one of the many occurrences San Diego State senior Jesann Spani has experienced during her numerous volunteer adventures. What drives Spani to push her personal limits solely in the name of helping others?

“Sometimes I feel like, why should I get all these opportunities?” Spani said. “I don’t think it’s fair.”

That attitude has been instilled in Spani since her childhood in Seattle; her parents frequently donated to local charities, sponsored less fortunate families and helped at food banks. Throughout high school, Spani served as a volunteer officer, utilizing her school’s large population to help the community.

Spani recognized that many young adults don’t contribute because they think only monetary donations make a difference, so she got creative. Spani organized a toy drive for the Seattle Children’s Hospital in honor of a classmate’s sister and a canned food drive that allowed students to receive extra credit.

“I like to organize and it comes naturally to delegate,” Spani said. “Those experiences reaffirmed the fact that I could make a difference on a small scale.”

Before leaving for college, Spani was working

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as an intern where she became interested in microlending. She learned about how small loans support local entrepreneurs and encourage ideas for clients who have trouble receiving bank loans based on income or credit history. Helping others stayed on her mind as she enrolled in SDSU and became involved with Aztec Volunteers and served as the Greek Week community service liaison for her sorority.

Spani’s biggest endeavor so far has been her internship last summer. Spani and her boyfriend Claudiu Anton got in touch with Pamela Hoff and Melanie Ebertz, two sisters who started an organization called Comunidad, to reach out to a rural Peruvian community. Spani knew Comunidad was focused on education and nutrition, so she decided to start collecting supplies for the trip. Through sending letters and hosting a restaurant fundraiser, Spani and Anton raised more than $4,000 and headed to Peru with 12 suitcases full of books, school supplies, sports balls and water purification tools.

Hoff said she didn’t know what specific project Spani and Anton would find in the village. The group toured the three schools in the village and after seeing the dismal and unsanitary condition of the kitchens, Spani knew she had found her purpose.

“There were holes in the walls, bug nets and water from the Porta-Potties running through the kitchens,” Spani said. “The smoke from the wood stoves was making the teachers and students cough, too.”

For the next week, Spani, Anton, Hoff and some of the community members took the three-hour van ride to the supply store multiple times and began cementing floors, putting stucco on walls and installing new gas stoves and propane tanks. Spani and her team also set up a scholarship fund for students who plan on continuing their education in bigger cities, also sponsoring a “senior trip” to Machu Picchu, a sacred place to the Inca in Peru.

“Jesann and Claudiu are my heroes,” Hoff said.

Spani hopes to start a nonprofit organization of her own some day.

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SPOTLIGHT

The Daily Aztec

Thursday, January 27, 2011

M u r dered professor loved and respected by students Nichelle Nelson of the Child and Family Development depar tment is missed by those who knew her A M Y DEVITO, Staff Writer San Diego State is comprised of one united community of students and faculty. Aztecs are unique; not only do they fight and stand as an impenetrable family throughout the renowned accomplishments they achieve, but they also hold strong during times of sadness.

Unfortunately, during this past Winter Break the community lost a prominent teacher and mentor because of a domestic violence incident. Nichelle Nelson taught for just one semester in the Child and Family Development department, but within that short amount of time, she touched and inspired the lives of several students and professors alike. By educating the student body on her achievements, SDSU hopes to consecrate the memory of Nelson.

Nelson served a great purpose at the school, in addition to being a marriage and family therapist.

“Nichelle Nelson counseled hundreds of children and families over the 10-year period (as a marriage and family therapist),” Betsy Jones, child care consultant and advocate, said. “Nichelle believed strong families build stable, safe communities where all members actively participate to make dreams real.”

According to Dr. Shulamif Ritblatt, department chair of the child and family development department, Nelson took the time to familiarize herself with her students, spending a good deal of one-onone time with them. Ritblatt described Nelson as a happy, vibrant person to be around who was always smiling and kept a pleasant demeanor.

Dr. Ritblatt knew of the abuse occurring in Nelson’s life and put her best efforts forward to intervene and provide her guidance.

“You would think a professional, well-educated woman like Nichelle would (not) be prone to a situation like this, but it just goes to show that violence has no boundaries and nothing makes anyone immune to it,” Ritblatt said. She continued by expressing her gratit u d e toward students who indicated there was a b u s e occurring, which then allowed her to step in.

“I see t h i s issue as m y issue, an incident like this could really open everyone’s eyes to the complexity of violence and remind people to be more in tune with their surroundings.”

Ritblatt suggested there be an annual day of remembrance for Nelson to help raise awareness about domestic abuse as well as provide a place for students and faculty to talk about violence.

It’s a difficult situation when becoming involved in the personal life of a fellow peer or even a pro-

fessor, especially when it would seem intrusive. But when it comes to violence, there is a crucial point when something needs to be done for the welfare of the person at risk. It may seem that students and faculty have barriers between their worlds, but in this case Nelson’s students stepped up, recognized the problem and addressed it.

“ U n f o r tunately ... the community lost a prominent teacher and mentor because of a domestic violence incident.”

“Our hearts are heavy and we're working on starting a support group that perhaps others on campus who have experienced something like this may also want to join,” Shane Padamada, an SDSU student, said. “I'm sure others have experienced something similar and feel a lack of support and isolation. I'm hoping we can do something to change that and let everyone know that if they ever go

through abuse, there is a strong network of people right on campus that genuinely wants to help and support them.”

Although domestic violence affects men and women every day, abuse can be prevented through resources within the local community. Hotlines, shelters, counselors and protect i v e services can aid vict i m s w h e n needed.

“It’s imperative to educate the public on the issues we deal with when it comes to the underlying causes of oppression, which occurs whenever there is an imbalance of power which leads to abuse,” Noel Harlow, legal and advocacy services director at Center for Community Solutions, said.

“Staying supportive is the key. It’s easy to become frustrated with him or her but you cannot be judgmental or isolate them. You must keep your heart open.”

Aztecs stand united through achievements and downfalls. No matter the circumstance, student or professor, SDSU remains as one.

In loving memory of Nichelle Nelson.

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DAILY HOROSCOPE

FICTION

A daughter’s search for daddy

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wo months ago I received an e-mail from omnitrace.com. It was in my junk folder and sandwiched between “Rare naked pictures of Marlon Brando” and “I’m a Nigerian prince, and I need your help.” The subject read: “Adopted? We’ll help you find your real parents.”

The Marlon Brando e-mail was, of course, not true; they were blurry, and I had to use my imagination. My Stanley Kowalski obsession continues. I didn’t open the one from OmniTrace, but it got me thinking about what I had given up years ago: finding my birth parents. It’s every adopted kid’s dream: Your birth parents didn’t want to give you up. There was a mix-up at the hospital, and somehow they ended up with the wrong baby and you were left all alone. I love my parents, the ones who raised me and loved me and still do. But I always wanted to meet my real parents.

I knew dwelling on it wouldn’t do any good, so I deleted the email, opened a bottle of Argentine shiraz and watched “On the Waterfront.” But lying in bed that night I couldn’t stop thinking about the e-mail. I wondered if I should try again. When I was 14, I vowed to find my birth parents.

My parents were supportive, and thinking back I can’t imagine how hard that must have been on them, to see their only child want to replace them. I spent Saturdays in city and county records offices, and after a month of running around, reading dusty pages in black three-ring binders and hitting wall after wall, I gave up. My parents told me lots of adopted kids never find their birth parents and maybe it was for the best.

Being a bitter, impressed upon, angst-ridden teenage girl, I had no alternative but to believe my real parents had hated me so much and never wanted to meet me, they covered their tracks so thoroughly to erase any evidence of their daughter. I never seriously pursued the idea again.

But the days of red wells and banker’s boxes have passed. You can find anything on the Internet.

I can see on Facebook how far the hairline on my ex’s forehead has

C O N T AC T

MATT DORAN F E AT U R E S E D I T O R

receded. I can watch Japanese cooking videos on YouTube and learn how to make okonomiyaki. I can read uncovered highly classified documents on WikiLeaks. If I can do all this in my pajamas, I’ve got to be able to find my real parents, or at least someone who knows who my real parents are.

I went to the OmniTrace website and filled everything out. It was all boilerplate stuff. I don’t know how they used what I gave them to conduct their search, but two days later I received an e-mail saying they had found my father.

My father. My real dad.

I immediately slammed down the cover of my laptop. In those two days, so many things had gone through my head: What would I do if I found them? What if they still don’t want to meet me?

What if they live too far away?

What if they’re dead? Now that I know at least my father is alive, I’m not even sure I want to contact him. He hasn’t come looking for me after all these years, so why the hell should I chase him? Despite all those questions, I guess I was too pessimistic to believe anything would come of it. How could my license plate number help find my parents? But it did.

I went 42 minutes before I grabbed the phone and dialed the nursing home. A youngsounding Cuban woman answered, “Mr. Lou is sleeping now. You want me to have him call you when he wakes up?”

“No,” I said as quickly as possible. “I’ll call back later.”

I waited until 8:15. I figured he would be long done with dinner, in his room but not yet ready for bed. I don’t know why I thought this. I had nothing to go off of. He could have been in a heated debate about lace or Velcro shoes at that moment. But he wasn’t. He answered.

“Hello?”

His voice immediately reminded me of a washed-up wise guy from a Scorcese movie. I imagined him on the other end of the line with a toothpick in his mouth, a dark, Florida leather tan, a Viet-

nam veteran tattoo on his arm and a big ring on his finger.

“Hello?”

“I, um, is this Louis Imbroto?”

“Yeah, who’s calling?”

“The Louis Imbroto who used to live in Lawrence, New York?”

“Yeah, how’d you know that and who is this?” He was becoming impatient.

“My name is Regina Crane. I, I grew up in Inwood.”

“Oh, OK. Well what are you calling me for?”

Of course I knew he was going to ask me that, and I had been practicing my answer since my parents told me I was adopted. I’m your daughter, the one you were supposed to raise, the ones those careless nurses at Long Island Jewish switched out for some other baby, the one who has been looking for you her entire life. But of course I didn’t say any of that.

“I, I’m Regina Crane. I’m your daughter.”

“What? I don’t have a daughter.”

“Yes, you had a daughter, and you put her up for adoption.” He was silent. “I’m her.” I heard him let out a long breath into the receiver, and then I heard him chuckle.

“Listen, I don’t know what you’re trying to pull lady, but I never had no daughter. Maybe you got some bad information, and I’m real sorry about that. But I’m not that guy.”

I couldn’t say anything. It didn’t matter if this man was my father or not. He was still rejecting me.

“Listen, uh, now that we got this father-daughter thing cleared up, how about we chat for a few minutes?”

I wanted to hang up but couldn’t. If there was even a chance he was my father, I had to listen to what he had to say, even if he didn’t want to listen to what I had to say.

“So, uh, you sound like a nice girl. A pretty girl. Eh, tell me, eh, what’re you wearin’ right now?”

Then I hung up.

-This piece of fiction does not necessarily reflect the opinion of The Daily Aztec.

ENTERTAINMENT EDITOR, DREW SCOGGINS

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SPORTS EDITOR, EDWARD LEWIS

ART DIRECTOR, BRITTANY PASLAWSKY

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NEWS EDITOR, SARAH KOVASH

OPINION EDITOR, TOM HAMMEL

WEB EDITOR, JOSEPH YOUNG

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EDITOR

BY LINDA C. BLACK, TRIBUNE MEDIA SERVICES

TODAY’S BIRTHDAY (01/27/11) Give up the idea of "starving artist." There are plenty of successful creatives in the world, and some of them make billions of dollars.

Don't measure your success by the balance of your checking account, but by the joy in your heart, your contribution to others and your peace of mind.

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 9 Be confident in following your instincts.

They're pointing you in the right direction, and you know it.This supports a previous plan.

TAURUS (April 20 - May 20) - Today is a 6 - You have big ideas and limited time.

Don't distract others with your enthusiasm. Share what's so exciting over dinner, when they can listen.

GEMINI (May 21 - June 21) - Today is a 7 You wish you could ease into changes, but they may be abrupt. At least check how deep the water is before diving in.

Everything works out perfectly.

CANCER (June 22 - July 22) - Today is an 8 - The changes you have in mind provide fortunate circumstances for family and social contacts. Do the groundwork yourself, and ask for assistance later.

LEO (July 23 - Aug. 22) - Today is an 8 - If you rush too fast to complete something, you may hurt yourself. Communicate the need for extra time.Take a deep breath, focus on the task at hand and take it slow.

VIRGO (Aug. 23 - Sept. 22) - Today is a 6 Reorganize your space to accommodate individual needs. Let each person choose decorating colors or new arrangements. A little paint goes a long way.

LIBRA (Sept. 23 - Oct. 22) - Today is a 6 You want to make significant changes, and a partner offers creative suggestions.The first step may seem painful, but stress relaxes as you move.

SCORPIO (Oct. 23 - Nov. 21) - Today is a 6 - Old habits die hard, but today's a good day to change things up.You may feel some stress but see future opportunities everywhere. Dive in!

SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22 - Dec. 21) - Today is a 7 - An emotional release leaves you feeling cleansed by the tide. Put a great new idea into practice as soon as you can.

The results are virtually immediate.

CAPRICORN (Dec. 22 - Jan. 19) - Today is a 7 - Team members need to draw creative threads together to finalize a project.

If someone else takes charge, that works better for you. Relieve stress with treats.

AQUARIUS (Jan. 20 - Feb. 18) - Today is an 8 - A personal habit could get in the way of creative communication.You don't need to come up with all the ideas yourself.

Group members contribute.

PISCES (Feb. 19 - March 20) - Today is a 7 Later in the day you feel fulfilled. Change was managed with little stress, and new opportunities open as a result. Stay in the flow. © 2010,TRIBUNE MEDIA SERVICES INC.

SUDOKU

BY THE MEPHAM GROUP

Level:

1 2

3 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.sudoku.org.uk.

Solution available online at www.TheDailyAztec.com © 2011 The Mepham Group. Distributed by Tribune Media Services. All rights reserved.

-Matt Doran is a creative writing graduate student with a man crush on Marlon Brando.

FEATURES EDITOR, MATT DORAN

GENERAL INFORMATION

Thursday, January 27, 2011

CROSSWORD ACROSS 1 Checkbook no.

5 Mason of “The Goodbye Girl” 11 Cinephile’s cable channel 14 Par 15 Delta competitor 16 “Turn on the heat!”

17 *Yellowstone Park beast 19 The Mustangs of the NCAA’s Conference USA 20 Work like a dog 21 Flooring material 23 The Grammys, e.g.

25 Egyptian Christian 27 Prado hangings 28 *Fort McHenry defended it in 1814 31 Norwegian noble name 32 “__ Yankee Doodle ...”

33 Swelter 34 50-Across’s st.

35 A director may ask for more of it 37 Justice Dept. agency 40 Curly smacker 41 Lacto-__ vegetarian 42 Provoke 43 *Medical professional 48 Puts on the tube 49 Tampa Bay squad 50 Home of Creighton University 51 Seasonal pharmacy offering 53 Red ink 54 Served dinner 55 *Feature of many customer service calls 60 Race segment 61 Spoke out 62 Fit to be drafted

EDITED BY RICH NORRIS AND JOYCE LEWIS

Solution available online at www.TheDailyAztec.com 63 GPS heading 64 Martial arts instructor 65 “My word!”

DOWN 1 “Hulk” director Lee 2 __ anglais: English horn 3 Forensic test site 4 Celebrity gossip show 5 Ponder 6 Unspecified amount 7 Messy barbecue morsel 8 Grassy plain 9 Nutritionist’s recommendation 10 Hit __ spell

11 Engross 12 Sleuth played by Peter Lorre 13 Less refined 18 Pasta often baked 22 On one’s guard 23 Black, in stanzas 24 Low area 25 “We get letters” ’50s-’60s TV singer/host 26 Rhetorical skill 29 Group that goes through the motions?

30 “Prince Valiant” character 35 Dawn goddess 36 Currier’s colleague 37 Inexpensively 38 Spirited party

39 “What’s the big __?”

40 Pageant title 42 Sam Spade, e.g., slangily 43 School fund-raiser 44 Astronaut Collins 45 Feeling of resentment associated with the last words of the starred answers 46 Dirties the dishes 47 Cinematic showdown hour 52 Wellness gps.

53 City near Sacramento 56 Aetna’s bus.

57 So-so grade 58 Rural expanse 59 Pops