Vol. XLIV, No. 6 Monday, November 15, 2010
THE INDEPENDENT STUDENT VOICE OF CALIFORNIA STATE UNIVERSITY, SAN BERNARDINO FOR 44 YEARS
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CSUSB students salute veterans By CHELSI CHASTAIN Staff Writer CSUSB students had a day off on Veterans Day, but for others, the day held a much deeper meaning; especially to those formally or currently in the military as well as their loved ones. The Student Veterans Organization (SVO) held its 2nd annual commemoration ceremony on Wednesday, November 10 in honor of Veterans Day. It consisted of speakers who spoke of the achievements and history of America’s veterans. “We can never repay our gratitude to the 600,000
soldiers we have lost in battle but we thank the 25 million veterans living today” said Richie Cuellar, veteran and president of the SVO, during the ceremony. CSUSB is home to 297 registered student veterans and 14 veteran staff members. Twelve percent of active duty soldiers are stationed right here in California. This amounts to over 100,000 soldiers. “Our nation honors her sons and daughters who answered the call to defend a country they never knew and a people they never met,” as was quoted from the Korean War Memorial ceremony in Washington D.C. Wednesday Nov. 10.
Veterans Day is very sacred to veterans and families of fallen soldiers alike. The holiday began as Armistice Day in 1919 to recognize the treaty that ended World War I on the 11th day of the 11th month. “The reflections of Armistice Day will be filled with solemn pride in the heroism of those who died in the country’s service and with gratitude for the victory,” said President Wilson on the day of the commemoration and dedication ceremony. In 1938, it became a legal holiday and a day dedicated to world peace according to the United States Department of Veteran Affairs website. After the end of World War II, Continued on Pg. 2
Brown talks budget with ousted governator
Courtesy of The State Governors Office
California’s newly elected governor, Jerry Brown, discusses the staggering state deficit left by outgoing Schwarzenegger.
By KATHERINE ORR Staff Writer
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overnor-elect Jerry Brown began the transition to become California’s new governor in Sacramento on Tuesday, Nov. 4. He met with Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger to discuss California’s budget deficit.
“I’m going to be looking for ways to trim the budget, and see what an astute, relentless inquiry will yield in terms of budget savings,” Brown said in a press conference. If he wants to be on time, Brown needs to be able to present his budget publicly on Jan. 10. In his first post-election visit to
the California Capitol, Brown met with Schwarzenegger, the state’s finance director, and Assembly Speaker John Perez, among others. At a press conference, Brown said it was a very sobering meeting. “It’s very daunting. It’s as bad as you could imagine.” Proposition 25 was approved on Nov. 2, lowering the requirement to send the budget to the governor to a simple majority of each house. “[The people’s] message was that we are fed up about gridlock, we are fed up of the partisan bickering that’s going on and we are fed up with our leaders lacking the courage to stand up to the special interests,” Schwarzenegger said in a speech on Nov. 4. Proposition 25 may make passing a new budget a timelier process, however it is not a guarantee that the budget will be passed on time. Students across the state are also looking to Brown for help, after dealing with a few of the most financially turbulent years in CSU history. “I care about this University,” Brown Continued on Pg. 3
FBI assists in hospital records raid By ORLANDRIA BRAZIER Staff Writer Arriving in unmarked vehicles, FBI agents and investigators raided Arrowhead Regional Hospital in Colton Thursday, Nov. 4. According to The Sun, District Attorney Michael A. Ramos released a statement saying the raid was a search and seizure of documents and that the investigation was being conducted by the San Bernardino County Joint Corruption Task Force, comprised of FBI agents and district attorney’s investigators. “The folks who talked to me have been very conscientious about trying to maintain their commitment to medical ethics by not giving me too many details, just to communicate to me that there’s been some wrongdoing, and there are obviously other authorities now looking into that,” said Ramos in a release statement. Swarming the hospital building on Pepper Avenue, authorities were seen hauling out boxes full of documents and files. According to an interview, Laura Eimiller, spokeswoman with the FBI, was not at liberty to give details about the investigation, but says that the FBI were called to the scene to merely assist local authorities. In the wake of the raid Jorge Valencia, spokesman for the hospital, declined to comment on the incident.
According to The Sun, within the past year, the hospital has been receiving complaints from its employees with several allegations about poor patient care and free medical treatment to county employees. However, these allegations have yet to be confirmed as the cause of the raid. County spokesman David Wert released a statement the day of the incident saying that the county and Arrowhead Regional are cooperating fully with investigators and assures that the investigation has nothing to do with the quality of the hospital’s patient care. He too refused to make any further comments on the incident in fear of interfering with the investigation or violating certain laws. However, he did say that hospital operation would not be affected by the situation. “It is also important to note that the matter has not and will not interfere with the operations at ARMC,” Wert told The Sun. According to the Redlands Daily, Supervisor Josie Gonzales also heeds cautions of interfering with the investigation stating that the admonishment stays in effect until the U.S. Attorney’s Office notifies county officials that the investigation has been completed or until a court orders disclosure of the information.
Former Coyote now top aid to Karnig By JOEY MONZON Staff Writer A former CSUSB student has become the right-hand woman of President Dr. Albert K. Karnig, thus proving that hard work, dedication, and determination pays off. Early this month, CSUSB alumnus Pamela Langford was named executive assistant to Karnig for external and government affairs “I’m delighted to have Pam join in promoting Cal State San Bernardino and its programs and initiatives to our local and state officials,” said Karnig on the University’s news site. Langford first joined CSUSB in 1982 as a student and has been involved with the university ever since. According to Joe Gutierrez, communication coordinator of public affairs, Langford will work with president Karnig to develop policies and work with local officials. “I’ll be primarily focused on building relationships with our local and state elected officials,” said Langford. Although Langford has been newly appointed, she is not new to the work she will be doing. “I’ve actually been doing some of this for the past two and a half years,” Langford said. One of her duties will be to get the local government more involved in CSUSB. Continued on Pg. 3
Courtesy of University Affairs Office
Pamela Langford, executive assistant to President Karnig.
News
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CSUSB one of safest campuses in state By MELISA BUIGES Staff Writer CSUSB has had no reports of violent crimes in the past five years and according to Chief of Police Jimmie Brown, is one of the safest universities in the state. Chief Brown answered a number of questions on a wide range of issues and topics regarding campus safety. “When it comes to ensuring high levels of campus security, we take a pro-active
approach when dealing with any situation,” stated Brown when asked what measures CSUSB enacts to promote safety. Retired CSUSB Police Chief Dennis Kraus introduced a Campus-Oriented Problem Solving (COPS) program in 1996. Under this program, several in-depth actions regarding a crime committed is enforced, focusing on different underlying issues to prevent a re-occurrence of criminal activity. “This program has been very effective
Ken Perry | Chronicle Photo
Police chief Jimmie Brown credits campus coordination and the community cooperation for keeping CSUSB a safe campus.
Coyote Chronicle Editor in Chief Managing Editor News Editor Features Editor Arts and Entertainment Editor Asst. Arts and Entertainment Editor Opinions Editor Sports Editor Online Editor Online Editor Photo Editor Copy Editor Advertising Sales
Richard Bowie Eric Brown MaryRone Shell Diana Cansino Justin Udenze Louis Penna Kati Smith Jesus Romero Ruben Reynoso Cameron Wright Monique McKinley Tyson Ellingsen Christian Martinez
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Staff Writers Steven Avila, Jennifer Baugh, Kristina Beltran, Monique Beltran, Andrea Brandstetter, Orlandria Brazier, Melisa Buigues, J. Levi Burnfin, Rachel Cannon, Monica Card, Chelsi Chastain, Justine Desautels-Zarbatany, Patricia Fischer, Sharonda Harris, Nicholas Holding, Courtney Keefe, Christian Martinez, Joey Monzon, Katherine Orr, Louis Penna, Courtney Poole, Ruben Reynoso, Elvia J. Rodriguez, Brittany Shaw, Matthew Shaw, Maude Teasdale, Isabel Tejada, Allison Upstill, Cody Williams
Contact Information California State University, San Bernardino University Hall, Room UH-037 5500 University Parkway San Bernardino, CA 92407 Office: (909) 537-5289 Advertising: (909) 537-5815 The Coyote Chronicle is published every Friday for distribution on Monday during the academic session by the Communications department. The opinions expressed in the Chronicle are those of the student writers and editors and do not reflect the views of the university, its faculty, or any other person or institution unless expressly noted. The appearance of any advertisement in the Chronicle does not represent an endorsement of the products or services advertised. Chronicle reserves the right to edit or reject all materials submitted to the paper.
in reducing crime here on campus. Communication within the community including partnership with the police department is the key to crime reduction,” said Brown. The CSUSB campus community is equipped with 24-hour protection including 18 highly trained sworn police officers and six full-time dispatchers. “All I require from my officers and staff is to be professional, treat others with respect and provide the campus community with excellent customer service,” said Brown. “We look for officers who are professional and approachable.” According to Chief Brown, thefts are the number one crime related issues on college campuses statewide. “We stress in our crime prevention programs, about leaving personal or valuable items lying around unsecured,” said Brown. “Crooks in general are lazy. They look for easy ways of taking your property and that requires a careless victim. You need to make sure to keep your property secure.” Stanford University, University of California-San Diego, San Diego State University, University of the Pacific, University of California-Riverside, California State University-Sacramento and the California State University-East Bay are among the top 25 California campuses that have experienced the most vehicle thefts over the past three years, according to the dailybeast.com.
However, CSUSB remains noticeably absent from the list. While our campus is safe, increases in crime do occur. “Crime comes in waves,” explained Brown. “There can be a month with an increased amount of vehicle burglaries and thefts, then six months of nothing. This does not mean that the CSUSB campus is unsafe.” Keeping communication open between students, staff and campus police can assist in preventing crimes. “Notify [campus police] when anyone sees something that is suspicious,” suggested Brown. In an effort to avoid criminal activity, services are offered to all CSUSB students and staff by the University Police Department. “We provide escort service 24 hours a day, seven days a week, 365 days a year,” said Brown. “Other services we offers is our lost and found, live scan (fingerprinting), crime prevention, crime victim’s information and police chaplains,” he continued. CSUSB peace officers have statewide police authority, and have law enforcement powers identical to those of the municipal police or sheriff’s department. The University Police Department is located at the University Police Facility (U.P.) at the northwest corner of the CSUSB campus.
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Veterans Day not just a vacation, a commemoration in 1954 it was changed officially to Veterans Days to honor all service men and women who have served in the military rather then just those who fought in World War I. A mix up in dates happened in 1971 due to The Uniform Holiday Bill which made every federal holiday happen on a Monday. Veterans Day was returned to its final resting place of being celebrated on Nov. 11, 1978. Veterans Day is “a celebration to honor Americas veterans for their patriotism, love of country, and willingness to serve and sacrifice for the common good,” according to the CSUSB Veteran Affairs website. Veterans Day should be remembered not as a day out of class or work, but as a reminder of the honorable service the brave men and women across this country have given and continue to give as members of the armed services.
Crystal Cuyan | Chronicle Photo
CSUSB students take part in a Veterans Day celebration.
COYOTE CORRECTIONS -In the November 8 issue, the article “N.E.R.D. make a great something from Nothing” was printed as having been written by Jennifer Baugh. It was actually written by Patricia Fischer. -Also in the November 8 issue, the photo accompanying the article “Cross Country not surprised with success” was printed as having been taken by John Martinez Pavliga. It was actually taken by staff photographer Ben Delgado. The Coyote Chronicle apologizes for any confusion.
News
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Continued from Pg. 1
Hello Brown, Hasta la vista Schwarzenegger said during the California’s Governor’s debate on Sept. 28. “It is the key to our future; not only our technological future but our intellectual and civic future.” “So, I am going to do everything I can to protect the University and advance its cause. And I am going to do that by being tough on the budget, getting real with these legislators, living within our means and building up this surplus,” he continued Brown has a 12-point plan for overhauling education (K-12 as well as higher education) which will affect his drafting of the budget. The plan calls for more online classes, a larger focus on community colleges, an overhaul of state testing, and a
more creative school curriculum. “In order to get a successful job or career, a college degree is important,” said CSUSB senior Allison Mark. “You learn things in college that you wouldn’t have otherwise.” The 2010-2011 state budget, passed 100 days after the fiscal year began, provided an increase in state funding for the CSU that many students thought was well deserved and can do good for the CSU system. However, under Brown’s leadership, there could be a lot of changes to the budget. Next year’s estimated budget deficit is between $12 billion and $19 billion.
Brown says plans to make a realistic budget. “We have to be realistic about what the state can afford, and put an end to abuses of the system that cost millions,” Brown said in a press release. Not all of the students are happy with the results of the 2010 midterm elections. Allison Keen, a CSUSB senior said, “Once again after many years, the great state of California elects a man over a woman for something more than politics, and I again look to my suitcases, and ask if they’d prefer a ride away to somewhere far. A state where a vote is thought before placed? Quote my suitcase: ‘That place does not exist.’ ”
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Langford lands top spot alongside Karnig Although the new position may entail a lot of hard work, Langford feels she should be ready for the position. Langford has already accumulated an impressive resume and has put in a lot of work for CSUSB as it is, and her efforts have been duly noted with this new appointment. “:The university, our students and our alumni have already benefited greatly from Pam’s outstanding service as the director of alumni affairs, a role that she will continue,” said Karnig on the University’s news site. According to the site, Langford has
served as the director of Alumni Affairs for the past 15 years and the program has seen many successes due to her involvement. During her tenure she has helped triple membership in CSUSB’s Alumni Association, launch and successfully completing the Association’s first scholarship endowment fundraising campaign, creating a $400,000 endowment, and establishing an Alumni Scholars scholarship program which recruits and retains students from the area. Langford has also caught on to the trend of our technology based youth which has helped a great deal.
According to the Coyote Careers site, Langford has initiated a monthly online newsletter which reaches over 30,000 alumni, students and friends, developed a comprehensive online alumni community that draws more than 2 million hits annually, and attracted nearly $1 million in affinity partnership revenues. Langford has also created a program to show students that these all-nighters and stress will pay off in the end: the Alumni Professor for a Day program. This program was set up to bring accomplished alumni back to CSUSB so they could share their careers and road-to-suc-
cess stories with students. Langford has also been the Coyote Careers Project codirector and has been awarded two Council for the Advancement and Support of Education (CASE) Awards of Excellence for best practices in alumni relation. According to the CSUSB news site, Langford has recently, along with the Service Learning Office and the career development center, secured a $2.4 million Title V grant from the U.S. Department of Education which supports Coyote Careers, a program which has been recognized as a model program by the CSU system.
Opinions
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Monday, November 15, 2010
What are we fighting for?
By LOUIS PENNA Staff Writer Over 6,000 Americans dead. Over 30,000 wounded. $1.1 trillion debited to the American taxpayers. Civilian causalities estimated at anywhere from 80,643 to 100,420. 2,642 days since “Mission accomplished.” Almost a decade of conflict. These are the sorrowing statistics of the wars being waged every day in Afghanistan and Iraq. It seems like most Americans have lost the thread on these two wars since the attacks on September 11, 2001. Not too long ago you couldn’t turn on the TV without seeing someone in a bunker or military post with a microphone. Today, the mainstream media has shied away from covering what has become a very unpopular war. What was once front page news has turned to background noise. What happened to the war on terror? Let me elaborate.
On September 11, the international terrorist group known as al-Qaeda, led by Osama bin Laden, carried out the worst attack on American soil in history. On October 7, 2001 we began Operation Enduring Freedom and started military operations in Afghanistan. Since then, bin Laden has reportedly fled to Pakistan where he is “living comfortably” according to an unnamed senior NATO official. Fearing that the remaining al-Qaeda presence in Afghanistan may overthrow the current government, American troops remain in the region to eliminate the remaining insurgents. The war in Iraq is more of an embarrassing story. Our then president and politicians believed that there were weapons of mass destruction in Iraq under Saddam Hussein’s control. On March 20, 2003 we invaded Iraq based off this assumption. This decision was grounded on faulty evidence and lack of proper judgment by the then current
administration. Embarrassingly, no weapons of mass destruction were found, but while we were there we crammed a democracy down Iraq’s throat. Soon after, they regurgitated it. Civil war conditions emerged, religious sects of the Sunnis and Shiites began killing each other and our soldiers, and international terrorist organizations began to emerge in Iraq. The whole country was a cluster youknow-what. Feeling obligated to repair the damage done, President Bush enacted a surge of troops and it actually worked. For now we remain in Iraq because the government is as unstable as a Chilean mine shaft and the Iraqi military is failing National Defense 101. Most of this war has not been exactly flattering to the U.S. reputation. The U.S. is responsible for thousands of civilian casualties, and the Department of Defense has done a good job of leaving American citizens in the dark by not disclosing un-
savory statistics such as civilian casualties. Former U.S. Commander in the Iraq War, General Tommy Franks, was quoted saying, “We don’t do body counts.” Not one candidate during the entire midterm elections even bothered to mention the ongoing war. What used to be a Republican staple has turned to another “Don’t ask don’t tell” policy. The government has done a fine job of covering up this mess, or at least spraying enough Febreeze to get the smell out. Just recently however, WikiLeaks, a website that releases otherwise unavailable documents from anonymous sources, has leaked almost 400,000 called the Iraq War Logs. This release accounts for around 15,000 previously unaccounted civilian casualties and uncovers the raw devastation of the war in Iraq. So the question remains: Why are we still in this? The answer lies in the beneficiaries of war. The American military buys almost all of its war supplies and weapons from private companies, most of which have ties to government agencies and officials One of those companies is DynCorp. Headed by former Chief Security Officer of the Department of Homeland Security, Dwight M. Williams, they are responsible for training the Iraqi military to sustain the country. They have earned a profit of $1.44 billion since they were hired. At least America is nice enough to hire a company to clean up and repair the countries we help destroy, such as Halliburton. According to MSN Money, the company has billed the U.S. government to the tune of $17.2 billion from 2003-2006 alone. It’s all thanks in no small part to former vice president Dick Cheney who was chairman and CEO of this company right up until his inauguration. Simply put, there is a terrorist threat looming in Afghanistan and overthrowing the dictator Saddam Hussein was a good thing. But like most things this government tries to fix, they don’t. With the federal budget to be balanced, Republicans and Democrats will argue what to cut. But there shouldn’t be any argument that continuing to fund the longest and most inefficient war ever waged is a good thing. Stop the war. Support our troops by bringing them home.
Californians chose wisely in midterms By COURTNEY KEEFE Staff Writer A lot has been said about this last election for governor being a battle between the lesser of two evils. With names attributed to both candidates like “Moon Beam” Jerry Brown and “No Experience” Meg Whitman, it’s no wonder the public was confused who to trust. However, I do think that Californians came to the right conclusion when they elected Jerry Brown. Though Brown has taken a lot of criticism for being a little out there, when you look at all the things he achieved in his stint in office before, you can see he was definitely the right choice. When Brown was governor in 1975, he created the largest surplus of state funds in the history of California.
The surplus was in the ballpark of $5 billion. Not only did he save money by cutting government spending, he also took it upon himself to be part of the solution by living in a modest apartment instead of the governors’ house and driving a modest car instead of using the ever present governors’ limousine. With California’s growing deficit becoming a growing threat to our way of life. Brown, being a savvy spender in office, was a great choice. Maybe he can bring back some of the magic of his previous term and save us from the debt we have incurred. Sequentially, Brown also has proven himself as a true environmentalist, with the repeal of the “depletion allowance”, incentives for solar power energy, and funding of
I do think that Californians came to
the right conclusion when they elected Jerry Brown.
the improvements in better energy. With California trying to become greener and making improvements to better safe guard itself against environmental issues, Brown was the perfect choice. He has already proven himself as a friend to the environment, but is not overly radical on the issue. Thus being the perfect complement for our state. With just of a few of Jerry Brown’s achievements listed, it is no wonder he won the election for governor. He was definitely the perfect fight for California with his ability to cut the budget, saving billions of dollars and moving California closer to becoming a truly green state. As Californians, these are things that we definitely need right now in office. I have high hopes that Brown will came back stronger then even and continue on the path he set last time he was in office.
Opinions
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Monday, November 15, 2010
iLiterate: Trading books for computers By RUBEN REYNOSO Staff Writer Computers are replacing books as recreation for this generation. I hope that we are not the age that allows reading to die. Is it disinterest that severs this generation from picking up a paperback? Does the Internet contain something intrinsic that places value on immediate gratification? Students are busy people. After attending classes, studying for tests, working that part-time job, and the obligatorily call home, it seems so simple to finish a day watching YouTube videos before heading to bed. The summer best-seller stays on the bed stand, a casualty in this age of convenience. Magazines have felt this. Newspapers have dreaded this. A generation of non-readers will destroy the industry of print. When print plummets, I believe, so will literacy and so will our society. I still see people reading online though, so maybe hope is not completely lost. There are thousands of syndi-
cated feeds, online news outlets, and blogs for every sort of interest. With a quick connection, it would seem that there is a bigger library online than can ever be placed under a single roof. This shift to computers is not simply out of preference; it is a shift in our philosophy as a culture. It is a shift in our way of thinking. It is a shift in what we value. Canadian scholar Harold Innis believed that all media can be divided into two categories. The first is media that was created to last through time. The second is media which is intended to spread information across large geographic spaces. He believed that as a culture tries to spread its messages around the world, it would struggle to keep a single stable message at home. We value novelty over stability. We can see this with rising numbers of Internet downloads. Movies and television shows are illegally downloaded, watched, and deleted to make room for something new. In this age of Twitter and Facebook updates, it seems that users are more interested in getting a message out than
making it last. Cushing Academy, a private school in Boston suburb, got rid of all of its 20,000 library books in 2009. In their place, the school installed computers, televisions, and touch screens for students to do research. How can there be any motivation to read and learn if the information will literally be thrown out and replaced the very next day? Stability. If our entire generation were to stop reading, the rivers of a million tweets would erode the foundation of our culture. We must understand that our ways of life are being broadcast around the world. Everything that was uniquely ours is now packaged and sold. There is no America online. There are no people on the Internet. You and I and everyone we know exist in a real world that needs you to pay attention. You wanted a struggle for our generation? You wanted a frontline of ideas? This if for you. Read or die.
Richard Bowie | Chronicle Photo
People nowadays are increasingly turning away from the printed form and instead are looking towards their computer, phones and tablets to seek information and understanding. With the ever increasing ease of the Internet, print is dying.
Party loyalty preventing much needed reform By ALISON UPSTILL Staff Writer The partisan nature of our government is going to bring down the nation piece by piece. The way that Republicans and Democrats view and interact with each other is despicable. The House and the Senate were established so representatives of the people could make important decisions about policy and laws based upon the best interest of the people, not the best interest of their campaign, political career, or blind loyalty to their party. Unfortunately this extreme partisanship only seems to be getting worse. Republicans and Democrats are more divided than ever. Neither side will compromise, nor are there any decisions being made in the process. How can we expect change and reform in this country if we cannot get our representatives to agree on any new policies? Our country is in a unique position. The idea of reform seems to be on the minds of everyone, yet we still seem to be at the starting line. We have a high unemployment rate, our national debt is through the roof, and our politicians cannot come to an agreement on how to change this. Republicans want to cut nationally funded programs while the Democrats are pushing for higher taxes on the rich. I genuinely believe that there could be a middle ground. There needs to be collabora-
tion and compromises must be made to ensure that both polarized views are met to some degree. We need a focus on bipartisan politics. Unfortunately this is not happening, so we are left with no reform and back at square one. Both sides will not weaken their stance to come to a collaborative decision. I am not so naive to believe that this could happen overnight, or that all of our nation’s problems will be solved if “we could all just get along”. I know this to be impossible in some circumstances, and by all means, I encourage a debate on policies and the maintenance of an individuals’ views on stances they believe in. What I am referring to is the stubborn unproductive “fighting” that is happening between our government officials. This bickering is easily seen if you turn on any political news channel. They are not productively arguing, they are fighting to advance their party’s agenda. Yahoo! News reported in a recent story that, “many Americans feel that politicians are spending too much time and effort fighting, and it’s counter-intuitive to moving the country forward. . . To allow politics to divide our country isn’t just a bad sign for our political system, but for our society in general.” How distressing is it that we count how many Republicans and Democrats are in the House and Senate to decipher who will have control. By this alone, we assume that each member will always vote alongside their party. Let’s think about this for a second. We have come to expect that when we vote Senators or Congressmen into office they will vote with their party no matter what. By doing this and agreeing to this filibuster stance, we are not leaving room for debate or reform. Thus, they may not be doing what’s best for the people, but best for their party. How can we let this go on? It’s like once they are in Washington it’s a whole new world. Forgive me, but I don’t think that’s what democracy was intended to do. Members on both sides are discouraged from “crossing party lines” if they want to maintain their political career. “Crossing party lines” sounds rhetorically like a traitor in a war. Republicans and Democrats should not have the mindset of enemies but allies, all fighting for a common goal: the betterment of the American people.
Opinons
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Monday, November 15, 2010
Play responsibly By GABE ALVIZO Coyote Contributor One hotel room encounter, one tabloid publication and one too many voicemail’s would change the sports world and the lives of three icons of their respective sports. “With great power, comes great responsibility.” That was the most famous quote from one of my all-time favorite cartoons as a young kid, Spiderman. How I wanted to be him so badly! I even dressed up as him for Halloween for three straight years. Around that same time I was introduced to Brett Favre, the quarterback for the Green Bay Packers, and Kobe Bryant, the guard for the Los Angeles Lakers with his amazing 360 dunks. During the mid-to-late 90s Favre was turning the Packers into winners, Bryant was winning the hearts of basketball fans one dunk at a time, and Tiger Woods was starting off a golf career that would see him become the youngest to win the Grand Slam and the fastest to 50 tournament wins. These three men have been arguably the biggest icons of their respective sports. They all have unmatched talent, have dominated their sport at a young age, and seem to only get better with time. But even they could not weather the storms the years 2003 through 2010 would bring them. First, in 2003 Kobe Bryant would be accused of sexual assault. The superstar basketball player would admit on public television that he had indeed had consensual relations with another woman while being married. Next, the National Inquirer ran a story in November of 2009 accusing Tiger Woods of infidelity that would later lead to over a dozen women claiming to have had affairs with the golfing icon. Lastly, not even a year would pass when on October 8, 2010 it was reported that Brett Favre had been sending inappropriate voice messages to Jenn Sterger while they were employed with the New York Jets during the 2008 NFL season. Though Sterger has yet to press any charges and is ‘weighing her options’, the football star’s image as the “ideal Wrangler-wearing family guy” is now somewhat tainted. Back in 2004 in a conversational sit down with ESPN’s Suzy Kolber, Brett Favre was quoted as saying, “And having a strong family, you know we’ve lost some members of our family and had some setbacks, but I think a good family and kids all those things I thought at one time” You got to be kidding me. Those things are so important they enable you to go on.” Over the years Favre has repeatedly been the poster boy for a family man. When this scandal came out I was so let down. Really Favre? After all the things you and your family went through, this is how you show “they enable you to go on?” For Tiger Woods, having been caught in a sex scandal with multiple women,
things were more serious. Attempting to apologize with a scripted ‘I’m sorry’ address, his apology sounded more robotic and pathetic than anything. The least he could have done is been sympathetic and genuine about his apology, and not gone with what he practiced in the mirror over and over the night before. ESPN’s Stephen A. Smith called it “weak” and “fake”. I completely agree. Bryant at least had the decency, if that is even possible in a case like this, to have his wife seated next to him during a public apology. Anyone watching could see that he was genuine in his apology and took full responsibility for what he had done. So what does all this mean? Are Bryant, Woods, and Favre excused from their actions? Not at all. Are they just victims of a world that puts them in bad situations with women? Yes, it could be argued. If it was Bryant’s or Woods’ wife cheating on them, or Favre being stalked or harassed would it be different? Most likely, in terms of media coverage. Will they be first ballot Hall of Famers in their respective sports? Of course they will be. But that does not make it acceptable. It actually makes it even worse. All three of these men are sports heroes and looked up by kids of all ages. They have a duty to represent their respected sports, organizations, and communities. They have failed miserably at doing so. I did not like seeing any of these future Hall of Famers tarnish and taint there legacy because of some infidelities and poor decisions. Tiger Woods and Elin Nordergen are no longer together, and Woods’ comeback to competitive golf has been sub-par at best. Kobe has had the luxury of making his 2003 scandal an afterthought by winning MVP in 2008 and championships in both 2009 and 2010. As for Favre is concerned, well that’s pending, but no one would be surprised if he and Deanna Favre call it quits after the scandal settles or the season ends. In the end, what message are we sending to our youth? It’s OK to be unfaithful, have a family but still mess around with other women if you’re good enough to win championships, play professionally and break records until your 41, or be considered the best golfer in the world. No it is not. So let me reiterate my opening quote, “with great power, comes great responsibility.” These same kids that look up to cartoons wanting to be superheroes are the same kids who look to these men as leaders in their respective sports. These men need to think twice about what they’re going to do, and who their decisions are affecting. Remember professional athletes, current and future, you are role models. All I ask is that, in between that multi-million dollar salary and those multi-million dollar endorsements, you take it into consideration that countless youth look up to you. Until then, I’m going back to reading comic books.
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Remember
Superheroes may not be real, but at the end of the day, Spiderman can go home knowing that his morals are straightened out
professional athletes, current and future, you are role models. All I ask is that ... you take it into consideration that countless youth look up to you.
vs. Real heroes and role models for kids need to understand how their actions translate to their adoring and young fans
Arts and Entertainment
Chronicle Page 7
Monday, November 15, 2010
Photo courtesy of AMC
Director Frank Darabont has captivated audiences once again, this time with the ground-breaking“The Walking Dead.” The television series was adapted from the bestselling graphic novel series, and is already one of AMC’s biggest successes.
Zombies invade television sets with AMC’s new thriller By STEVEN AVILA Staff Writer Sunday nights now belong to the zombie. AMC, the cable TV network responsible for the Emmy-winning shows “Breaking Bad” and “Mad Men,” premiered its new show “The Walking Dead” Halloween night, with its third episode airing Sunday, Nov. 14. Even drama fans with no interest in zombies will have to take this show seriously. Nancy Dewolf Smith of The Wall Street Journal admitted the show is “so good that it has hooked even a zombie hater like me.” Adapted from the bestselling graphic novel series by Robert Kirkman, Tony Moore, and Chris Adlard, the show is in the hands of veteran film and television director Frank Darabont. The Oscar nominee, who has directed such powerful films as “The Shawshank Redemption” and “The Green Mile,” has an amazing ability of taking even the most unusual story premise—a zombie apocalypse, for instance— and shining the light on pure human emotion. “The Walking Dead” does just that. Andrew Lincoln especially stands out with his role as Sheriff’s Deputy Rick Grimes.
Injured in a police shootout, Grimes slips into a coma only to awaken to a world turned on its head. Lincoln does an incredible job of portraying Grimes not as the lone action hero common to many apocalyptic stories, but instead as a common man trying to survive in a world he no longer understands, a world full of “walkers.” Lennie James gives a moving performance in the series opener as Morgan, a man barricaded in his house with his young son. As they struggle to survive, Morgan is haunted by the presence of his wife, who is now one of the undead shuffling about outside. Of course, even with the focus on the living, you can’t have a zombie show without zombies. Those in “The Walking Dead” are some of the most realistic-looking to show up on either the big or small screen. There is undeniable hunger and emptiness in their eyes, and their speed—a source of debate among zombie fans—is neither too slow nor too fast. These are the zombies for a new generation. “The Walking Dead” marks a new resurgence of zombie popularity. With books like Max Brooks’s “The Zombie Survival Guide” and “World War Z,” movies like last year’s raucous “Zombieland,” and video games like “Left 4 Dead”
A mouse named Danger By JENNIFER BAUGH Staff Writer Listed as one of Esquire Magazine’s 75 Most Influential People of the 21st Century, Brian Burton is a mouse to be reckoned with. Since his 2004 release of The Grey Album, the visionary producer and DJ also known as “Danger Mouse” has collaborated and produced albums for Rapture and Sparklehorse, Beck, The Black Keys and the Gorillaz just to name a few. His 12-song debut, The Grey Album, is an experimental combination of Jay Z’s acapella version of The Black Album mixed with deconstructed instrumental sounds of The Beatles’ The White Album. Originally made for just his friends, the album was leaked and spread all throughout the Internet falling into the laps of thousands of viewers, including music critics. Rolling Stone magazine once declared it as “the ultimate remix record”. “I sat down and tried to make one track, and it happened really fast,” said Burton. “Then I tried to make a second song, and it took a lot longer, but it still worked.
And I thought, Wow. What if I can do the whole album? It was almost this Andy Warhol moment, where I made a decision to do something artistically without a clear reason as to why, except to show people what I could do.” ‘’It’s just unheard of for an artist to create that kind of awareness,’’ said Eric Garland, chief executive of consulting firm BigChampagne. The firm’s data reveals that more than 100,000 people have downloaded The Grey Album. Burton created the stage name, Danger Mouse, before his 2004 debut of Grey Album based on the British cartoon series, “Danger Mouse.” He is famous for periodically performing in a giant mouse outfit, giving the excuse that he was too shy to show his own face. Before his rise to stardom, Burton had already three albums under his belt and created theme music for Cartoon Network’s Adult Swim. He’s more recently known for forming Gnarls Barkley with singer CeeLo Green as well as the band Broken Bells with The Shins’ James Mercer. Rather than referencing to typical music legends as a muse, Burton centers his
and the “Resident Evil” franchise, our fascination with undead has never been more alive. But what draws our gaze to something so repulsive and yet so intriguing? It’s difficult to answer that with complete certainty, but perhaps it’s because zombies are as close to human as any movie monster can get. Fiction writer Adam-Troy Castro is quoted in John Joseph Adam’s anthology “The Living Dead 2” as stating “We laugh when the hero ... blows away the shambling rotter ... but we tend to forget that the rotter used to be a person.” “The Walking Dead” plays on that often ignored notion entirely. In a surprisingly sorrowful moment in the premiere, rather than going trigger-happy, Grimes says to an immobile zombie: “I’m sorry this happened to you.” Zombie fans and pure drama fans alike can’t miss this series. Like the Darabont works before it, this show is destined for greatness. “The Walking Dead” graphic novels are currently available with major booksellers. Tune in to “The Walking Dead” every Sunday night at 10 p.m. on AMC. Fair warning: “Don’t you get bit.”
inspiration from film directors. “Musically, there is no one who has the career I want. That’s why I have to use film directors as a model.” In an interview with The New York Times, Burton compares his philosophy of music production to the cinematic genius of Woody Allen. “Woody Allen was an auteur: he did his “thing”, and that particular “thing” was completely his own”, said Burton, “That’s what I decided to do with music. I want to create a director’s role within music”. As of now, Burton is in the works of an ambitious new project. The project was well kept under wraps until it was revealed in The Guardian recently, involving an Italian composer, Daniele Luppi, and film scores from the Spanish/Italian western spaghettis of the late 1960s, entitled “Rome.” The record will feature notable western scores of The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly as well as Once Upon A Time in the West all recorded with ‘old-fashioned’ studio equipment at Rome’s Forum studio. And if that’s not enough for the general public, there will be a string of surprising guest spots such as Norah Jones and Jack White included in the production of the album. As if the young producer/musician is not busy enough, he is also in the works of producing U2’s next album. This will, for sure, be a great year for this dangerous mouse.
Marcelo Teson | Danger Mouse
Burton’s unique style helps to set “The Grey Album” apart.
Chronicle Page 8
Arts and Entertainment
Monday, November 15, 2010
Costello composes musical storybook with new album By PATRICIA FISCHER Staff Writer
Photo courtesy of lilwayneonline
Weezy’s release from prison was marked with well wishes and celebration. He is already hard at work on an album.
Lil Wayne grateful after serving jailtime Latest release may be the most life-changing for artist By ISABEL TEJADA Staff Writer There seems to be no slowing down for artist Lil Wayne, even after serving jail time. Wayne is finally back to the “real world” after serving eight months of his one-year sentence at New York’s Rikers Island Jail. After Wayne’s release Nov. 4. Wayne met with his lawyers to finalize his probation in Yuma, Ariz. Thereafter, Wayne surprised fans in Las Vegas when he hit the stage next to his protégé Drake on his last “Light Dreams and Nightmares” tour stop on Saturday. The fans went wild to see Wayne stepping out and rapping about his return. “I was gone ‘til November, but I didn’t trip ‘cause I know he was gonna get ‘em,” Wayne rapped, changing his lyrics for “Miss Me” and pointing to Drake. “I’m back,” said Wayne. “It feels good to be back. If you love me like I love you, please make some motherfucking noise.” “It’s unexplainable,” Wayne said of his return to the stage to MTV. “Words can’t explain. I’m good with words and I can’t explain.” Young Money and Cash Money came together to celebrate Wayne’s return at his Welcome Home, Tunechi Party. There to support Wayne for his return were label members Drake, Nicki Minaj, Busta Rhymes, T-Pain, Jay Sean, and many other Young Money members. Rapper Busta Rhymes described the vibe on the red carpet as akin to that of a major awards show. “It’s gonna feel like us welcoming the return of a king,” he said to MTV. Artist T-Pain told MTV he couldn’t
wait to give Wayne a hug the moment he saw him. “I just wanna thank everybody,” Wayne said to MTV. “Not only MTV fans, but the fans across the whole world; most of all my family. I couldn’t do it without them and I would never do it without them.” Artist Nicki Minaj spoke with Atlanta radio station V103 on the reunion. “It all seems like very spiritual in a weird way, almost like a new beginning and ending for Drake, Wayne, and me at the same time, and for Young Money as a whole.” It seems to be everybody was excited to have Wayne back; even former President Bill Clinton had a few words to say about Wayne. Clinton had an interview with Pittsburgh radio station 96.1 Kiss FM about the elections; then he got asked what he thought about Wayne’s release. “This guy is smart. And he’s got abilities. And he’s got a new chance now. And what I hope is that this is not just something to brand him as a cool guy, but that it’ll never happen again to him. What I hope will happen is that he has a good life now and sets an example for his fans and peers,” Clinton said. Though it seems that Wayne has had a pretty hectic first week back to freedom, he is ready to hit the studio and start recording. According to MTV Wayne has been spitting verses over the phone for Young Money label Chief Mack Maine, so he’d have beats ready for him in the studio. Wayne is working on having his next album Tha Carter IV out by early 2011.
If you’re looking for a southern feel, new wave, or somewhere in between, look no further than Elvis Costello’s bold new album National Ransom. The album is a roller coaster of musical genres and provides a refreshing new look into the artists creative mind. Costello’s new album, National Ransom debuted in the U.S. on Nov. 2, and is more than an album, but rather a musical library of vast proportions. Declan Patrick MacManus, also known by the stage name Elvis Costello; London native singer/songwriter veteran has been involved in the music scene since the 1970s. Costello has been known for his diverse musical compositions, and the new album is indeed the prime example. Each track has its own personality and contrasting feel from its prior. Critic Randy Lewis from the LA Times describes the album best, “Costello’s infinitely gifted hands, pop music circa 2010 is anything but ‘only rock ’n’ roll’.” National Ransom was recorded in Nashville, and the funky beats and cowboy anthem definitely show its roots. Costello is not the only talent on the new album; it’s assembled with 30 musicians, and produced by T Bone Burnett. The album opens up with the title song, “National Ransom,” ambushing the listener with a deep southern feel with a fiddle and a nationalist message concerning the corporate bailouts. The second track from the album entitled, “Jimmie Standing in the Rain,” has a
different musical approach; using the piano, trumpet, mandolin, and the celesta. The message in this song is about an English cowboy’s dilemma in finding himself with a melancholy touch. Instead of having a deep southern feel, or a sultry jazz inspired touch, “Dr. Watson I Presume,” is a dedication to Dr. Watson, a gentleman Costello met in North Carolina who spoke so passionately about his own life, he inspired Costello to compose a poetic song based on his own life. This song is helped along with bluegrass ambiance and maturity. I couldn’t help but realize the shade of black and white between the tracks, but the developed montage provided an unusual cohesion in the album. Not only does the album have diverse tracks, it also has a unique style of play on words. From the song, “Dr. Watson I Presume,” the lyrics describe Costello’s life experiences. “This black and clipped misshapen thing / Hobbling on from claw to ring / Hung upside down and cawing / Pecking at carrion of the fallen battalion thawing.” Costello explains that he composes his songs like stories, “I want them to be vivid, easy to understand, and to unite people together.” Typically, the numerous types of musical genres found in Elvis Costello’s album, National Ransom, is not my cup of tea, but it definitely invites listeners into a diverse and foreign musical world not apparent in the music industry today.
Photo courtesy of torrentsland
Costello’s new album National Ransom provides fans with a refreshing and soulful look into the stories of the artist’s life.
Arts and Entertainment
Chronicle Page 9
Monday, November 15, 2010
Slow down and find leisure in Riverside By MONICA CARD Staff Writer Whether you enjoy poetry in coffee shops, the raucous vibe of night clubs, or a quaint in between, a short trip to Riverside is sure to provide fun and entertainment has something for everyone. Many of us live in or near Riverside and do not even realize all there is to do in the city. Most people in the greater Riverside area don’t know about the events and attractions. One such location is Club VIP, located off Merrill and Magnolia . It is for an 18 years of age and older crowd and its doors are open seven days a week. Club VIP has something to offer every night. On Sundays, Tuesdays and Thursdays they have karaoke. Clubgoers can enjoy free pool all night Mondays. On Wednesday nights is their Spot Light Armature Drag show. Friday nights they host a show called Dream Girl Revenues, while Saturday nights they host a show called Flawless. Not to mention VIP has dancing and drinking every night. Sevilla Night Club, located right off the 91 freeway on Mission Inn Avenue, attracts many young and single people, with dancing and an operating bar open until 2 a.m. Sevilla is open 6 days a week and closed Tuesdays. Students aged 18 and older are welcome. If partying isn’t your thing, hookah
might be the thing for you. Starbuzz Hookah Lounge, located off Hole Avenue near the Galleria Mall, boasts a variety of different hookahs and a fun atmosphere for friends to catch up. Mazzaj Café and Lounge is another hookah bar in Riverside. According to their website Mazzaj Café and Lounge was designed to offer the ultimate atmosphere to relax with friends. They also offer a wide array of Mediterranean food and an outdoor patio. Mazzaj is located off Indiana Avenue and Tyler Street intersection. For a more historical scene there is the Fox Theatre in downtown Riverside off Mission Inn Avenue. The Fox Theatre has several shows including musicals, standup comedies and Broadway performances. “The Nutcracker” is being performed Dec. 9 - Dec. 12 and “Charlie Brown’s Christmas” is being performed on Dec. 19. Tickets can be purchased at the Fox Performing Arts Center box office or online through Ticketmaster. If you just want an evening with some serenity and good coffee, check out Back To The Grind, a coffee shop in downtown Riverside off University Avenue, which offers poetry in the basement every Wednesday. It is open-mic and several people get up and perform. There is no cover charge and no charge to talk on the mic. You can also catch live music from local artists and touring bands every Friday night. The spacious
While Robert Downey Jr. and Zach Galifianakis bring some laughs, they fail to meet expectations. Before heading to the theater, consider
Rescheduling your “Due Date” By BRITTANY SHAW Staff Writer The director and stars of “The Hangover” produced a movie that was funny, but not as funny as it should have been. “Due Date” stars Robert Downey Jr. as high-strung father-to-be Peter Highman who ventures across the country alongside curious stranger Ethan Tremblay played by Zach Galifianakis. The film was directed by Todd Phillips. Galifianakis plays an aspiring actor, who has a sweet soul but is a one man wrecking crew, both in character and to the actual movie. Downey plays type-A architect Peter who has a history of anger management issues, and who, after a conflict with a federal air marshal, is put on a homeland security no-fly list. He finds himself stranded with no wallet and no way to get home to his pregnant wife in Los Angeles, who has a scheduled C-section only a few days later. He finds himself forced to hitch a ride with Galifianakis’ character Ethan, a disaster magnet, which makes for a road trip full of obstacles and comic scenarios. Honestly it seems like they run out of funny material to work with before they get half way to LA from Atlanta. “This movie probably contains enough laughs to satisfy the weekend audience,” said Roger Ebert, whose statement was true, as there was laughs in the audience, but we spent most of our time waiting. The director of this movie took the time to find every opportunity to make things go wrong, and took it. Which honestly can be very exhausting for its viewers. Galifianakis was funny, but it seemed like they tried to capitalize on his success in 2009’s “The Hangover,” as the hilarious, bumbling Alan, rather than creating an original character of their own. They played too much on “Alan,” and not enough on Galifianakis’ new character or the situation. “Due Date” is like putting two very talented actors on a deserted island, which makes for a good time and sounds sensible until they run out stuff to work with and jokes begin
1Flatworld | Flickr
The Back to the Grind coffeehouse is just one of the several local hotspots that can be located just down the 215 freeway. two-story coffee house is home to several other events, meetings, lessons and support groups. The artistically inclined may find the Art Walk more their cup of tea. The event is hosted the first Thursday of every month. The art galleries downtown open their doors and provide live entertainment to attract people into their shops. Shopaholics and window-browsers can go to the Tyler Mall located off the Tyler Street exit on the 91 freeway. It has several dinning places such as the Cheesecake Factory and T.G.I. Fridays. The Tyler Mall also contains multiple shops. A few of my favorite include: Victoria Secret, Nordstrom, and Macy’s. If you have a need for speed, Adam’s Kart Track is an outdoor go-cart racing track. This is one of the oldest go-kart tracks in all of southern California. They are open seven days a week, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. You have the option of bringing your own go-cart or renting one. Operating
hours are Monday through Thursday noon to 10 p.m., Friday and Saturday 11 a.m. to 11 p.m., and Sunday 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. Adam’s Kart Track is located on Bell Avenue between Market Street and Hall Avenue. There are several movie theatres in Riverside. The Regal Cinemas in the Riverside Plaza has 16 theatre rooms, while AMC Theatre 16 in the Tyler Mall plaza offers IMAX and RealD 3D. AMC is using a new digital approach; as you can watch movies like they’ve never been seen before with amazing depth and clarity. And you can always hop in the car with all your friends and go to the Van Buren Drive-In Theatre off the 91 freeway off Van Buren Boulevard Lastly, Castle Park in south Riverside offers huge family entertainment with an arcade, mini-golf, and a small ride amusement park. The city of Riverside has several fun and entertaining things to do. What are you doing this weekend?
to fall flat. Just as in the movies, you would think that Downey and Galifianakis stuck in a car together would be a riot, but the script didn’t give them much to work with. Few actors today deliver choice insults better than Downey, and even fewer take in those insults better then Galifianakis, they are a marvelous equal of opposites, and their interplay is what elevates “Due Date” above its puzzling flat material. But it is anything but a rare film. This script mimics the 1987 movie “Planes, Trains and Automobiles,” where Steve Martin tries to get home for Thanksgiving and is forced to hitch a ride with John Candy, a cheerful yet overly talkative accident prone salesman. Expecting this movie to be anything like “The Hangover” would be a mistake, but this movie has its moments of comic relief. “Shockingly, it’s funny. Often in shocking or at least wildly inappropriate ways,” Roger Moore remarked in the Orlando Sentinel. “Due Date,” came in second place its opening weekend behind Megamind, making $32.7 million for Warner Brother Pictures, and falling short of 2009’s “The Hangover” and its opening weekend total of $45 million.
Features
Chronicle Page 10
Monday, November 15, 2010
Andrea Brandstetter | Chronicle Photo
People are not the only ones who need a hand during the holidays. Animals need to be taken care of during these tough times and cold weather, and the Humane Society of San Bernardino Valley offers volunteers the opportunity to help out.
Lending helping hand to those in need By ANDREA BRANDSTETTER Staff Writer As college students, it’s easy for us to get caught up in our own little worlds. Whether we’re studying for classes or hanging out with friends, our lives are usually busy. Despite this, we shouldn’t forget that there is a larger world out there that needs our attention. This world, with all of its problems and injustices, needs our time and help. If this sounds overwhelming to you, take a deep breath. Making a difference can be easy. There are countless, often small ways you can do so, particularly within your community. One of the ways you can give back is by volunteering. Regardless of whether or not you’ve volunteered in the past, it’s never too late to start. For those who are interested, there are many places throughout San Bernardino and the Inland Empire that offer wonderful volunteer opportunities. One is Hands on Inland Empire, a volunteer organization affiliated with Inland Empire United Way. According to the organization’s website, handsoninlandempire.org, individuals who are interested in becoming volunteers should first sign up to become a member. From there, interested persons can pick and choose which projects they would like to get involved in. Projects
vary in nature and include spending time with the elderly, giving food to needy families, and working with youth. The website also states that individuals can participate in long-term or one-day projects, depending on how much time they are willing to give. Those who have the desire to become heavily involved can even become project leaders. Another place that offers volunteer opportunities is The Humane Society of San Bernardino Valley (HSSBV). This is a non-profit organization that gives health and other related aid to neglected and abused animals and educates community members about animal welfare issues. Heather Clark, HSSBV’s Development and Volunteer Coordinator, believes her organization is a great place for volunteers. “The best thing about being here is that we’re focused on helping and serving our community. Being a volunteer is cool because you’re a part of that,” said Clark. People who are interested in volunteering for the organization can send in an application online at hssbv. org. Volunteers are chosen by Clark, who said applicants are screened based upon their time availability and areas where they want to get involved. HSSBV volunteers have the opportunity to care for animals coming out of surgery, help out at staff events and fundraisers, perform administrative tasks, and more. “We have a pretty unique set of volunteers here,” said
Clark. Volunteer opportunities also can be found at any local San Bernardino library. According to Janice Conway, the young adult program coordinator at the Norman Feldheym Central Library, volunteers are currently needed due to job cutbacks forced by the recession. Individuals who volunteer at their local library are designated to a particular department (circulation, literacy, etc) and may perform a variety of tasks which include shelving books and helping children with arts and crafts. “One of [the Feldheym Library’s] greatest needs is shelving,” Conway admitted. Those who are interested in volunteering can go to any local branch library to fill out an application. Conway believes that individuals who volunteer at the library enjoy their time immensely. “[Volunteers enjoy] meeting other people and the different job tasks they’re able to do,” she said. These are just a few places where you can volunteer. Get creative. Whether it is at a church, school, or the local YMCA, pick the place that’s right for you. Volunteering is a rewarding experience, one that you’ll never regret. The holidays are coming, and it’s time to bring that holiday care.
Geeks, Games, and Gadgets
according to a set of user preferences, each page can be voted up or down. Reddit.com, and its Reditors are a little more sophisticated, voting topics into and out of popularity, clamoring for action on web pages as well as issues. Lastly, king of the Internet is Digg.com, where web pages are seriously ranked (or dug) by the sites members. Sign up and vote on what you like on the Internet today.
We take the hassle out of browsing the tech scene to bring you weekly news and our views on the wide world of phones, computers, TVs, games, and the Internet.
Message to the Valve team, from the “fabled” son
By ERIC BROWN
Son of Fable series mastermind Peter Moleneux, Lucas Moleneux, recently appeared on an unscripted video on Youtube, with the support of his father. In the video, the younger Moleneux calls for the developers at Valve to release the as of now unannounced Half-Life 3. Despite the joking of his father, in asking who makes better games. Come on now Valve, Lucas makes a good point. Where is Valve’s response? Since releasing in September, the video now has thousands of hits.
Managing Editor
A lesson in Internet phenomenons Ever wonder how the Angry Wow Nerd, the Rally to Restore Sanity, and Obama’s election death all became Internet phenomenons? Who is the lone soul who sits behind a computer and racks up tallies on a webpage so that it appears higher on the Google search engine? Enter the Internet hierarchy of Stumbleupon, Reddit, and Digg. Each site functions as a link to other sites that are viewed, voted, found and policed by site members. All are free to sign up, and offer a different view to the world wide web. Stumbleupon.com offers a way to kill time, as members stumble across web pages
Bringing down the sky with the Samsung Galaxy Tab To the dismay to the ever growing Apple following, the Samsung Galaxy Tablet will be released on Nov. 15, however early demos belie its excellence. Being bigger, but not better than a phone, the Tab is supposed to be the first real competition for the iPad, but unfortunately it doesn’t really qualify to be in the race. The innovations are nice however, and hopefully the Tab spawns new competitors.
Features
Chronicle Page 11
Monday, November 15, 2010
Fight the fall flu By JUSTINE DESAUTELS-ZARBATANY Staff Writer In the United States, the flu season is considered October through May. If not treated, it can result in serious consequences. According to Dr. Glenn D. Braunstein, chairman of the department of medicine at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, about 200,000 people are hospitalized with influenza each year. As for deaths, the numbers vary widely from year to year. Due to a variety of factors including the virulence of the flu strain, the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) estimates the death rate to be between 3,000 to 49,000 a year. These numbers show that we can’t take the situation lightly. There are a considerable amount of deaths for an illness that many consider as a little harmless annoyance. There are many factors that can cause the flu. The exact mechanism that explains the seasonal nature of influenza outbreaks is unclear.
One credible explanation is that after summer is over, kids and young adults return to school, and people start having encounters more often. How exactly is the flu transmitted? In general, people are indoors more often during the winter, so they are in close contact with others. This promotes transmission from person to person. Also, cold temperatures lead to drier air, which may dehydrate mucus, preventing the body from getting rid of viruses. You can get the flu if someone around you coughs or sneezes, or simply by touching a surface like a telephone or door knob that has already been contaminated. Usually, the virus stands in the air and can enter your body through your nose or mouth. If you’ve touched a contaminated surface, they can pass from your hand to your nose or mouth. You are at greatest risk of getting infected in highly populated areas, such as in crowded living conditions and in schools. Someone will usually feel symptoms one to four days after contracting the virus. The symptoms start very quickly and are:
Justine Desautels-Zarbatany | Chronicle Photo
Flu season here it’s important to keep your hands clean to avoid getting sick. To prevent the flu you can get a flu shot. headache, chills, dry cough, body aches, fever, stuffy nose and sore throat. If you experience typical flu symptoms as the ones listed, the recommendation is to stay home until at least 24 hours after your fever is gone. Some tricks might help you prevent the flu. First, wash your hands frequently with soap or an alcohol-based hand rub. Other tricks include: avoid contact with sick people, cover your mouth when you cough or sneeze - then wash your
hands again, or cover your mouth and nose with your coat or shirt sleeve. Don’t touch your eyes, nose or mouth, drink plenty of fluids, and most importantly, get enough rest and keep yourself active. If you follow these tips, you are less likely to get the flu. The main treatment for influenza is to rest adequately, drink plenty of fluids, and avoid any additional effort. Most people take several days to recover, depending on the nature of a person.
Students cut the fat talk out to change culture By RACHEL CANNON
Courtesy of Nick Romanenko
Sororities such as Delta Delta Delta and many others continually participate in Fat Talk Free Week, sporting very much the same “friends don’t let friends fat talk” t-shirt.
only negative comments. According to the organizers of Fat Talk Free Week, Staff Writer even statements which may appear positive, such as Do these jeans make me look fat? “You look great! Have you lost weight?” are part of the The Student Recreation and Fitness Center recently problem because they reinforce the idea that one must sponsored “Fat Talk Free Week,” a campus-wide event be thin to look good. in which students were asked to pledge not to discuss Graduate student Elisa Johnson said, “I think the their weight in an unhealthy way. concept of ‘looking good’ ought to be looking healthy Fat Talk Free Week originally started in 2008 by not just looking ‘skinny.’ I think way too many people Delta Delta Delta fraternity. In the years since then, it think that ‘looking good’ is being a Brad Pitt/Angelina has spread to campuses across the nation. Jolie look-alike, and that’s just not realistic.” The goal is to shift students’ focus from body imJohnson also pointed out that weight problems age to their health, raise awareness of body image is- aren’t always a result of mere overeating or lack of exsues, and fight the growing problem of eating disorders. ercise. “Over 10 million women are dealing with eating “I’ve seen members in my family who struggle disorders in this country, which is greater than the num- with weight problems because of genetic heritage... so ber of women suffering from breast cancer,” said Dr. [when I see an overweight person] my first thoughts are Carolyn Becker, Ph.D, and FAED, of Trinity University, usually geared towards genetics - if their family has a on the university’s web site. history of issues with weight than that person has no “Our hope is that people will help extend the cam- choice but to struggle with,” said Johnson. paign beyond just this one week and will remove ‘fat “Someone’s worth should not primarily be tied talk’ from their daily converup in their appearance, their sations and encourage others overall health should be to do so as well.” more important than this. With approximately Health includes physical, 72.5 million adults meetmental and spiritual health ing the definition of obesity and a whole person should in the US, according to the see appearance and body imCenter for Disease and Conage in this context,” said setrol (CDC), there are many nior Sean Doiron. Americans who suffer from Doiron also added the stigma associated with that peoples’ weights don’t being “fat.” generally affect his opinion Furthermore, recent reof them. Elisa Johnson search by leading universiWhile many stuCSUSB Graduate Student ties, the World Health Ordents participated and appreganization and the CDC have found that obesity isn’t ciated the purpose of the event, some felt that it was always related to diet but also genetics and sedentary counter-productive. lifestyles, meaning it is not wholly the fault of the indiMany had the opinion that by not discussing the vidual for their body image. problem of students being overweight, the issue was be“Sometimes, we don’t even realize how often we ing avoided rather than solved. talk negatively about our or others bodies,” said fresh“This nation is setting up a quandary by not wantman Cristhal Poron. ing to talk about an issue it wants to solve,” said CSUSB Such talk can play a major role in affecting a per- senior Stephen Jensen. son’s body image and sense of self-worth, Poron ex“We need to solve this problem and it can’t be plained. solved by putting [it] under the rug of political correctWhat is considered fat talk? Surprisingly, it is not ness.”
“I think the concept of ‘looking good’
ought to be looking healthy - not just looking ‘skinny.’ I think way too many people think that ‘looking good’ is being a Brad Pitt/Angelina Jolie look-alike, and that’s just not realistic.”
Features
Chronicle Page 12
Monday, November 15, 2010
Tips to stay sane while traveling By MATT SHAW Staff Writer Another holiday season is right around the corner and most people would agree that these times can be the worst for traveling. With stress high and funds low, here are a few tips on how to survive the holiday flying season. Firstly, you should be searching online for the best possible ticket prices. When shopping around you are always going to find prices that look too good to be true, and chances are they will be. Recently I purchased a round-trip ticket from a website advertising some of the lowest prices I could find. I called the company only to find that the prices they had advertised were only sample advertisements. How this is legal, I don’t know. After doing a little research, what I found is that ticket brokers will advertise these great looking prices online located conveniently next to a phone number. When a potential customer calls the number, an agent on the other line will admit those prices don’t exist as if you were silly for believing the advertisement. This is a bait-and-switch tactic that you should try to avoid. My best advice for you is to do a little research of your own. Read some of the many consumer reviews out there for airline ticket brokerage agencies. People are not afraid to talk about their bad experiences so there is much to be learned from the people who have been there before you. Trip itineraries are usually sent electronically by email. Do yourself a favor and check to make sure the airline or ticket broker spelled your name correctly and that the destinations and flight dates align with what you put a
lot of thought into planning. Stress caused by traveling can be avoided if you know what to expect before you even get to the airport. Get to the airport at least one hour before your flight is scheduled to depart. Those that are new to flying might want to arrive earlier to give you more time to locate your departure terminal and gate. Airport websites can be a good source for useful traveling information including how to pack your carry-on and any TSA requirements and restrictions. Knowing how to pack your carry-on items can often be the key to happy traveling. Jeanette Garcia is a senior here at CSUSB and is not a first timer when it comes to flying. “When I travel by plane I usually take a small foldable duffel bag instead of my purse with my carry-on. This allows me to bring an empty carry-on for the souvenirs that I
know I will be bringing home with me,” said Garcia. “In my duffel bag I try to keep a small blanket, snacks, my iPod, a book and a small flight approved bag for my makeup and personal hygiene items,” Garcia continued. When I fly somewhere I always carry-on my personal hygiene items, an extra pair of socks, underwear and maybe a fresh shirt just in case my luggage ends up flying to an opposite part of the world without me. When you get to your destination locating your luggage in baggage claim can be difficult if your case is not uniquely marked. Tying a brightly colored band around the handle of your case can make it easily identifiable and could save you some time from looking. I hope these travel tips will be useful to you as the holidays approach. Enjoy your travels!
Courtesy of the Daily Mail
Holiday traveling never gets any lighter but it can be easier if you know where to go and what to do, and thus avoid headaches as in the terminal pictured above.
Getting more out of CSUSB By SHARONDA HARRIS Staff Writer Student cheat themselves out of what their money pays for at CSUSB. Quarterly, in order to maintain and enhance CSUSB, students spend lump sums of money on college tuition, but part of that money also goes to programs and events on campus. Despite CSUSB being ranked as one of the top commuter schools, both in California and the CSU system, there is reason to stick around when not in class. Several construction projects like the Student Health Center, Santos Manuel Student Union (SMSU), Student Recreational
Center and parking structures were remodeled to accommodate a vast range of students’ health, safety and comfort on campus but out of the classroom. “I paid a nice amount of tuition to be on-campus, why not utilize it to its full potential? I was a commuter last year, and I was fairly involved on campus. This school year I live on-campus and continue to stay involved,” said Morgan Strickland, a CSUSB student Morgan Continued, “There are students who do and don’t live on campus, and never involve themselves in anything but their classes.” Student tuition and fees also benefit the SMSU, and learning laboratories: like the Wedge. The SMSU will be holding a Student Dinner Food Drive, and sponsoring Lazer Tag on Nov. 17, Open Mike Nite on Nov. 18, Apollo night on Nov. 19; and last week in the SMSU Theater, the Cross Cultural Center hosted the theatrical play production “Pistols & Prayers,” by Ise Lyfe. “Get the full range of your college experience, college is more than doing well in class. A lot of learning happens outside the classroom,” said Tamara Holder, Coordinator of the Cross Cultural Center. “Free events are done on-campus to enrich all students. Do you know how many people wish they could have the opportunity to go to school? ” Holder continued. The previous facilities offer affordable services, entrainment and events fun filled seminars and production, health care plans, group sports and exercise, access to
the Internet, resourceful centers from Student Leadership and Development to The Student Legal Clinic. If you are a student, then you are able to check out what’s offered. Lyfe, executive director of “Pistols and Prayers” said, “We have a legacy that came before us and a legacy to build; and it’s easy to get caught up in college on a fun tip, and on an individual tip.” “What can make your experience rich is to define and activate a common goal to impact people way more than just yourself. I think the biggest lie young people are told is you’re the future. You’re not the future, you’re the right now, and what we do defines the time.” The SMSU is no stranger to events such as this, and was built to facilitate such collegiate activities. An example, of the outside world is
Lyfe’s company, Lyfe Productions which is social marketing firm. The key purpose of it is to educate youth, and for the two months Lyfe has been working with Kaiser Permanente and 17 young people prevent five major health disparities in the Bay Area. Students who missed out on Lyfe’s production last week, can look to similar and varied events in the SMSU and across campus that help elevate the college experience and connect us with the outside world. “I learned more and more it’s not about the outcome it’s about the process. I’m a wealth man, I have awards for speaking, traveling, performing, and people say ‘that show was a success.’ But building the show was a success, building my work has been a success,” Lyfe stated in a brief interview.
Sharonda Harris | Chronicle Photo
Students gathered in the SMSU to partake in the rendition of Ise Lyfe’s “Pistols and Prayers“ earlier in November.
Coyotechronicle.com
Chronicle Page 13
Monday, November 15, 2010
A case for veganism, part two By RICHARD BOWIE Editor in Chief In case you missed my piece last week, my name is Bowie and I encourage you to get to know more about veganism. A year or two ago I happened upon a video from PETA about the treatment of animals by the farming industry. I had already had an idea of how gross things were, but I didn’t know the bigger picture until I played that video. It was horrifying. About halfway through the short video I turned away in disgust. I made a pact with a friend that we would go vegan from that moment forward. That lasted a day or two. I just wasn’t committed and 19 years of food worship outweighed the two minutes of blood and gore I had peeked at from behind my hands. Even in my failure, the video had an effect on me. My awareness of what I already knew because I had seen it, if just for a minute. After making some wonderful veg friends and exposing myself more and more to the vegetarian lifestyle, I dropped meat all together at the end of 2009. That transition was brutal, but I got through it. Months later I watched the documentary Earthlings. It was without a doubt the most im-
pacting movie I’ve ever seen. Narrated by lifelong vegan Joaquin Phoenix and distributed by Nation Earth, the film explored humanity’s dependence on animals (for pets, food, clothing, entertainment and scientific research) while also illustrating humankind’s complete lack of respect for the creatures that give us so much. The first part of the film featured pets: pet overpopulation, puppy mills, the lack of spaying and neutering in the nation etc. The ramifications of domestication and the conditions pets live in once their owners tire of or can’t care for them anymore is something I was unaware of. The next part was about our reliance on animals for food. This was the big one and I made the commitment to actually sit through and watch everything. I was obviously aware of the slaughter that went on in slaughterhouses, but what I was oblivious to was the torture factory farmed animals had to go through. Factory farmed cattle live just about their entire lives inside extremely cramped, barely ventilated, extremely filthy pens and holding areas where they stand up to their knees in urine, feces, blood, vomit and pus (if you don’t think any of that stuff is getting into your hamburgers, you’re sorely mistaken) where they’re routinely and unabashedly stabbed with pitchforks, stomped, and punched.
There’s nothing more stupid than watching a full grown, suspender-clad man slapping and punching a 800 pound animal while calling her a bitch. And yet it seen as completely normal and happens consistently. Fine, I won’t eat beef anymore, you might be thinking. But if you’ve repulsed enough by the mere fraction of what I’ve wrote about here, you should know that dairy cows have it even worse. In order to keep the milk a-flowing, cows are kept pregnant the majority of their lives. When they do give birth, their calves are immediately ripped away from them and are usually placed in wooden crates just wide enough for them to be crammed in and tied down by the neck so their movement is restricted even further. This is done so their muscles won’t develop and their fed a seriously nutrient deficient diet so their iron intake is a fraction of what it should be. This keeps them weak and their meat tender. After a couple weeks of this, the young calves are slaughtered and sold as veal for the more discerning palate. Meanwhile, the dairy cows are drained and distraught but are given a generous day or two of rest before they’re pumped full of semen again. Don’t think this is an isolated incident either. This happens nationwide, and unless you shop at local farmer’s markets,
there’s an overwhelming chance you’re supporting animal cruelty. I’m sensing a pattern here. I set out to wrap up all these concise, nice points about why you should be down with veganism, but I’m not able to span everything I want; this was entirely about cows. And I know this installment of mine is around 100 percent less funny than my last, but listen, how we treat animals is important. If you couldn’t treat animals the way these farmers do yourself, then you shouldn’t support them in their cruelty. Not only are you contributing to the insane torture that would be intolerable if applied to cats, dogs or human beings; your paying someone to make torture their livelihood. If you consider yourself a compassionate person who cares at all about the well-being of animals, watch Earthlings; you can watch the entire film online for free. I promise you’ll take a great deal from it. Check in next week for another installment and the rest of my review on this amazing film. The beef industry has contributed to more American deaths than all the wars of this century, all natural disasters, and all automobile accidents combined. If beef is your idea of “real food for real people” you’d better live real close to a real good hospital. ~Neal Barnard
Sports
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Monday, November 15, 2010
Close, but no cigar By NICK HOLDING Staff Writer
Perfection is something that is rarely attained in sports, but the mare Zenyatta, who is the leading Horse of the Year candidate had just that chance as she sat in the starting gate at Churchill Downs Saturday Nov. 6 with a record of 19-0. As she began the race she did so in familiar fashion at the Breeders Cup Classic, starting last and holding her position in the back of the pack. As the horses came around the final turn, Zenyatta began to make her move and the 70,000 fans at Churchill Downs erupted as she mowed down and roared past the crowded field. Moving from last to second, the race closed in on its final moments with Blame holding the lead while Zenyatta made her furious charge. In the end, Zenyatta came up just short of her goal, losing to Blame by a head length in a photo finish. “She ran an excellent race and just came up a little short,” said John Shirreffs, Zenyatta’s trainer speaking after the race to reporters. “She ran her heart out.” Hall of fame Jockey Mike Smith, who appeared to hold back and started the mare’s charge too late in the race took the responsibly for the loss. “It hurts more than I can explain,” said Smith while speaking to reporters after the race as he was holding back tears. “Just because it was my fault. She should have won, and it hurts.” Zenyatta sitting with a record of 19-0 entered the race and gained the respect of her opponents, jockeys and trainers alike. “It’s mixed emotions because she’s been a wonderful ambassador of the game,” Blame’s jockey Garrett Gomez said of Zenyatta while speaking to the press after his
horse beat the favorite. “People that didn’t know anything about horse racing became fans because of her.” He continued, “She’s an amazing race horse, to plainly put it. She’s awesome. I wish she would have went 20 for 20 at the expense of someone else and not us. I’m very proud to say we beat her.” The thrilling result of the race opens a debate similar to one that raged last year after Zenyatta defeated the field made up
of all male horses at the 2009 Breeders Cup Classic. In 2009 Rachel Alexandra beat out Zenyatta to take the Eclipse Horse of the Year Award. A similar debate will rage this year as Zenyatta now sits in the same position as Rachel did last year. Going into the race, Zenyatta was a clear favorite. However Blame was on the radar as a possible threat to her perfection
Wikimedia Commons
Zenyatta winning the 2009 Lady’s Secret Stakes. Her 13th out of 19 career wins. One win shy of a perfect 20-0 record.
bid. The loss however did not cause Zenyatta to lose any of her luster. “In defeat, Zenyatta didn’t lose anything,” said Blame’s trainer Al Stall while speaking to reporters after the Cup Classic.. “I don’t think you’ll find anybody criticizing anything she’s ever done, much less today. It was just two very good horses and everybody talked about it coming down to these two for a long time. It played out that way.” In the history of horse racing very few have been considered to be the best of all time. Secretariat who is widely considered the greatest of all time had 16 wins (and lost five times) in all and in 1973 won the Triple Crown. Man o’ War also ranks among the best with 20 wins in 21 races. Seabiscuit, Seattle Slew, and Spectacular Bid are also thought to be in that group, some of the greatest ever. Now Zenyatta has joined the ranks of those great horses by dominating her competition despite the loss in this year’s Breeders Cup Classic. She has the swagger of a true champion. Before every race it seems that she poses for the camera (she lives in Hollywood after all), and it appears that she dances before each and every race. One almost gets the feeling that Zenyatta understands and knows that she’s the reason for the crowds. That people come to see her, and she certainly has put on a great show throughout her career. Only time will tell as to how history will remember Zenyatta, and where she ranks among the best in Thoroughbred racing history. One thing is clear however, we as fans have been witness to one of the greatest mares who has ever raced.
NFL borderline soap opera Arrests, star player injuries, fired coaches and teams that had few wins the previous season are now on top of the division. By CHRISTIAN MARTINEZ Staff Writer
The NFL season is only halfway through, and has already been plagued by upsets, player safety issues and key injuries. Around 225 injuries, rule changes, coaching unemployment and underdog teams taking initiative to try and win a championship have been the story this season. Player safety has been on the spotlight of all NFL players in the 2010 season. Helmet-to-helmet collisions have been noted to cause concussions for several players this year and Commissioner Roger Goodell has taken full action to impose disciplinary punishments on tackles by that are deemed improper and unnecessary on the field. Owners of all 32 NFL teams came to the conclusion that adapting new polices for dangerous tackles only benefit the team and the players on public safety. “One of our highest priorities is player safety. We all know that football is a tough game that includes hard contact. But that carries with it an obligation to do all that we can to protect all players from unnecessary injury caused by dangerous techniques from those who play outside the
rules,” said Goodell in a memo to NFL players and owners on the matter. Injuries have been a critical setback to teams that are losing a grasp of a winning season. Key players such as Tony Romo of the Dallas Cowboys, Reggie Bush of the New Orleans Saints, Antonio Gates of the San Diego Chargers and Ryan Grant of the Green Bay Packers are just a few that have been slowed with impairments this year. Although those are some of the NFL superstars that have been noted to injury, an average injury report of 10 players have clearly been an effect on every single team. The year’s biggest flukes come from the teams that are in losing contention although success was anticipated. At the end of week nine, the Dallas Cowboys 1-7 record hasn’t been just the talk of the Lone Star State, but it has been the talk of the league. After a 45-7 recent loss the Green Bay Packers, the Cowboys released Head Coach Wade Phillips after a horrific and unexpected start to the season. Wade Phillips demonstrated to be successful in his coaching endeavors in the past with the Cowboys, but it proved to be not good enough for America’s Team. Jason Garret, assistant head coach of the Cowboys,
will continue the rest of the season as the interim lead role of the team. The Cincinnati Bengals were a team that had high expectations, but are not performing at a high level. After a successful 10-6 season last year that led them to the postseason, a 2-6 start is nearly devastating any playoff hopes. The Bengals hope to turn the season around by having everyone step up with prominent skill as they did just a year ago. On a complete opposite note, teams with a previous season losing record, such as the Kansas City Chiefs and Tampa Bay Buccaneers, have successful thus far in the season and have proved to be a tough competitor against any team with any record. The AFC West division will turn into a three team race until the very end. The Oakland Raiders have surprised everyone including themselves, but are tied for first in the AFC West. Chiefs are tied with the Raiders for tops of the division as well. With so much drama in the NFL, it’s kind of hard taking a stab at who will be playing Feb. 6 in Arlington, Texas for Super Bowl XLV
Sports
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Monday, November 15, 2010
Fan blown away by another atmosphere By J. LEVI BURNFIN Staff Writer
CSUSB is missing the ultimate college experience. Tailgating is a time-honored tradition. Fans of college teams come out in the early morning to not only show support for their team but to enjoy a morning and afternoon with close friends, good food and other rabid fans. This morning, fans had come in the thousands to support their number one ranked Oregon Ducks football team. In the early morning light, the smell of pancakes and eggs permeated the air so strongly that even rainfall could not dampen the spirits of the fans who struggled to finally wake. The morning rain gave way to sunlight that prompted tailgaters to begin such classic tailgating games like horseshoes, bean bags and of course beer pong. As the morning progressed, the smell of hot dogs, hamburgers, sausages, carne asada among other meats drew hungry fans back into their tents so they could prepare to enter notoriously rowdy Autzen Stadium with a full stomach. As I walked through the thousands that had braved the early morning rain and cold to tailgate before the Oregon Ducks football game, all I could think about was how students at CSUSB miss out on the ultimate college experience. While CSUSB does not have a football team, for a plethora of reasons, one
of the reasons does not include CSUSB’s ability to field competitive teams. CSUSB boasts several teams that are or have been ranked in the top 25 of the Division II California Collegiate Athletic Association (CCAA) in the last couple years. The women’s volleyball team clinched the CCAA title in the 2009-2010 season and went on to win the regional championship. The men’s soccer team, the men’s basketball team, the baseball team and the women’s cross country team all advanced to their sports respective playoffs. “(Fan turnout) is decent . . . but it should be better because we have great teams here,” said Dr. Kevin Hatcher, CSUSB’s Director of Athletics. Part of the problem is that CSUSB is a commuter school with only 1,500 students living on campus, compared to the University of Oregon which houses over 3,000 students on campus. Dr. Hatcher realizes that it is difficult to stay for a game starting at 7 p.m. when a student has to drive to and from school, but it has not stopped some sports from drawing a sizeable amount of fans. Men’s basketball has had the highest attendance totals for many seasons; Dr. Hatcher estimated 800 to 1,500 fans per game. Dr. Hatcher also estimated women’s basketball has about 200 to 600 fans per game. However, Dr. Hatcher and CSUSB’s Athletic Department are not satisfied with those numbers, so they set a goal for each sport to increase attendance ten percent.
J. Levi Burnfin| Chronicle Photo
Crazy fans at Autzen Stadium for the University of Oregan vs. University of Washington football game in Eugene, Oregan.
Jesus Romero | Chronicle Photo
A comparatively much smaller crowd of coyote supporters on the night CSUSB women’s volleyball team won the CCAA.
Sports
Monday 11.15.10
Bleed Coyote Blue By KRISTINA AND MONIQUE BELTRAN Staff Writers
With a team where more than half of their players are new, step one is building chemistry. The CSUSB women’s basket ball team has a lot of new faces and the newcomers are working to find their place on the team. “As with anything, the new players are learning the system and how they fit in. They certainly are working hard every day and competing to get better,” said Head Coach Kevin Becker. “Right now, we are trying to develop a post-game inside, and working on becoming a better defensive team and a better rebounding team,” continued Becker. Most of their new players are not entirely new faces; rather they were redshirts who did not compete last season. The only returner who saw playing time last season is Kymberly Ooten named all CCAA last season. She led the team in rebounds and started in 20 games. Sabrina Gonzalez is the team’s point guard and wing
player who is quick with the ball and can put points on the board. Jasmine Blanche is the brain of the operation, with smarts on the court and the ability to lock players up on the defensive end. Emily Nichols is a threat behind the arc, and is another certain to put points on the board. Other newcomers include point guard Eisha Sheppard who previously played at Oregon State. She is a player who can score, and create opportunities on the court. Small forwards Danielle Shows and Angela Streets, both transfer students, are an asset to have on the court, bringing depth and athleticism to the team. “I believe that we have good depth, especially at the guard positions. We have some size there, speed and quickness, and can score in a variety of ways,” said Becker. The team has some tough competition this season. “The CCAA is loaded with good teams with return-
ing experience like UC San Diego, Chico State, Cal Poly Pomona, Humboldt State to name a few,” said Becker. The team refuses to let this discourage them. If anything, it motivates them to work harder. “We work on a variety of skills at practice, from individual and team offense and defense skills passing and ball handling, shooting, screening and rebounding in addition to our plays and strategy,” said Becker. The team is working to improve their offensive abilities, and becoming a better rebounding team, grabbing offensive boards and developing a presence in the paint. “We were picked eighth in the pre-season CCAA coach’s poll but we are aiming for a higher finish. We want to compete for the CCAA championship, and qualify for the CCAA and hopefully, NCAA tournament,” said Becker. The team definitely has the talent to achieve these goals. Come out to support the Women’s basketball season as they work for a successful season.
Ooten leads the Pack Veteran player aims to take team to CCAA tourney By KRISTINA AND MONIQUE BELTRAN “We definitely expect to be top in the egain reCCAA tournament. We want regain rdogs,” spect. Right now we are the underdogs,” said Ooten. o has As for Ooten herself, she also ason. some personal goals set for this season. w as a “For myself, I expect to grow player. There is so much talent on the team, I could learn from them and become a better player,” said Ooten. tball Ooten has always had basketball y run on the mind, and the desire to play in her family. rson. “I’ve always been a sports person. My brother plays at Cal State Stanoth in islaus. It’s fun because we’re both the same conference. We keep it all in the family,” said Ooten. CSUSB was a smart choice for Ooten. nd “I was not ready to leave and y it was close to home. I got really good vibes from the coaches, and I knew it was a place where I could d grow,” said Ooten. After CSUSB Ooten says she he has big plans for her future. “I’m trying to give my all thiss season, and if the opportunity arises, I would play overseas. If not, I want to go out of state to work on my major,” said Ooten. Ooten and her teammates are working hard to put on an exciting season, so come out and watch the CSUSB women’s basketball team!
- Avg 11.4 points a game. (2nd on team)
- Avg 5.9 rebounds a game. (1st on team) - 15 games with at least ten points
Staff Writers
Bleed Coyote Blue. That’s the women’s basketball team motto this season, and returner Kymberly Ooten is doing her best to echo this to her teammates. Ooten is the only returner on the women’s basketball team who saw playing time last year. This makes her a role model for the team. “It’s a little bit of pressure. There are high expectations of me and of the team, but this year the team is really competitive, which makes it easier. I’m trying to rise to the occasion,” said Ooten. Ooten has taken her role very seriously. She knows the team looks up to her and she must be an example to the team. “My job is to echo the coach. I have to be the voice for the team and make sure the team knows what the coaches need. I have to be the voice of the team outside the coaches,” said Ooten. The team is made up of quite a few new players so they have to build chemistry in order to play well together. They have team dinners every week to build the chemistry. Every player also has a team buddy, who is a person they can go to if they ever needed anything. “It’s a whole new group of personalities. All the girls are so much fun to be around, we have fun together. We are all really close, which makes playing together easier,” said Ooten. The team is determined to prove themselves this year. They all want to do well and get respect from other teams in the league. “Everyone wants to win. We will do whatever it takes. Bleed coyote blue. That’s our motto for this year,” said Ooten. Both the coaching staff and Ooten have high expectations of the team this season.
2009 Stats:
- Started 20 games out of 28.
Ooten
named second team All CCAA in 2009 Ben Delgado | Chronicle Photo