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TRADITIONAL HISPANIC FARE ENGAGES TITANS
CAMPUS | Remote desktop
IT dept touts access and convenience Students can use school servers to use programs like Maya and Adobe for free RAYMOND MENDOZA Daily Titan
For many students at Cal State Fullerton, there are two things that are coveted above all else: the need of a quiet place to study and affordability. Unfortunately, computer software is not cheap and computer labs can be both crowded and distracting. However, with the CSUF Virtual Computer Lab (VCL), students can now use a variety of programs on their PC or Mac at any time of day at any location where the Internet is available. The VCL, run by CSUF’s Information Technology Services, has more than 20 types of software available for student and faculty use, including Adobe Photoshop CS5, IBM SPSS 19 and Office 2010 edition. SEE REMOTE, 3
LOCAL | Clergy and activists
WILLIAM CAMARGO / Daily Titan
Mariachi Continental, a mariachi group from El Monte, serenade passing students in the Quad as part of National Hispanic Heritage Month.
Latino culture showcased
Props weighed with morality Local religious leaders and activists rally together Wednesday in Orange
Mexican traditions, including mariachi, tied in with National Hispanic Heritage Month ERIC FARRELL Daily Titan
With their matching wide-brimmed hats and embroidered charro outfits, the Mariachi Continental group garnered student attention Wednesday in the Quad during an event that was part of the larger celebration of Latino culture this month. “El Mariachi Showcase,” organized by the student group Mesa Cooperativa, featured Mariachi Continental, of El Monte, playing various songs through the ages of mariachi history, with Victor Oropeza narrating the story of Mexico’s famous genre of music. “The whole point of today is to show students how
mariachi bands came to be, and how today they’re integrated more into the U.S. mainstream,” said Oropeza. In his presentation, Oropeza described how the earliest mariachi bands did not feature a brass section. They also didn’t wear the matching Charro, or horseman, outfits that mariachi bands are known for today. To demonstrate, select members of Mariachi Continental performed an early song without the brass section while wearing the mixed outfits characteristic of the time. “The most important revolution in mariachi music took place when trumpets were incorporated, creating the unique and brassy accent distinctive of mariachi,” Oropeza said.
PROFILE | Overcoming obstacles
Student undeterred by blind disability JAZMIN SANCHEZ Daily Titan
A double major in political science and philosophy with a minor in religious studies, Cal State Fullerton student Jestin Samson, 23, is not your typical student. Not only does he possess the ability to excel in three different areas of study, but he is also one of 60,000 people affected by the genetic condition aniridia. The term “aniridia” translates to “without iris”—this means that a person born with aniridia is born without a fully developed iris (the colored part of the eye). Aniridia is a panocular condition, meaning it can also affect the cornea, retina and lens of the eye. Glaucoma, foveal hypoplasia, nystagmus, strabismus, dry eye, corneal degeneration and cataracts are all conditions that can develop as a result of aniridia, according to VisionForTomorrow.org. “I guess the way to describe this is if you walk into a movie theater your pupil acts as a camera lens,” said Samson. “Since I have no pupil and it’s always dilated, when I go in (somewhere) from dark to light and vice versa a whole host of light comes into my eye. I hate glare.” Samson also has glaucoma, which he describes as pressure in the eye.
“To be fair I’ve had better vision earlier in life,” Samson said, “but it’s kind of deteriorated over time. The best way to describe what I see now is about—I’ve been told by individuals—my vision is between 5-15 percent.” Samson has never let his vision hinder his social skills or affect how he interacts with others. “I’m very blessed to have people who understood me and people who tried to understand me. People who actually make the effort to try to talk to me,” Samson said. As a public speaker for the Disability Awareness Foundation, Samson is able to go to schools and talk to children about disabilities. “(We help others) to see that even though people look different or do things different they are still able to do the same tasks (as people without disabilities),” Samson said. “So I kind of tell the students, for example, how do you get from point A to point B? You drive a car. What if I said I take the bus? Is that any different? I still get from point A to point B. Same thing with writing, I use braille. I’m still doing the work it’s just done differently,” Samson said. SEE SAMSON, 6
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One such song that featured the trumpets was “Ella,” originally written by José Alfredo Jiménez, who Oropeza said was one of the most famous Mexican composers. “Ella” is a song about a man “who got dumped,” and subsequently went to drink at the nearby cantina, Oropeza said. “Mariachi music has a wide array of different styles. The most popular ones are rancheras, which would be the same as country music. They have waltzes, polkas and huapangos. There are many different styles that encompass all of what mariachis actually play,” Oropeza said. SEE LATINO, 3
BEVI EDLUND Daily Titan
Faith leaders and community activists spoke for and against propositions Wednesday in a statewide day of action called Faith Out Front at the Orange County Labor Federation headquarters in Orange. Leaders and activists focused on Propositions 30, 32, 34 and 36, they believe the outcome of these propositions have the greatest effect on the community and California. “We are putting our Faith Out Front by calling on voters and politicians to better serve and protect all Californians,” said Wendy Tarr, executive director of Clergy and Laity United for Economics (CLUE) Justice in Orange County, and organizer of the interfaith public event, in a statement. SEE INTERFAITH, 2
DT EXCLUSIVE: SIT-DOWN WITH GARCIA President Mildred Garcia, Ed.D., has agreed to sit down with the Daily Titan to discuss her past, current projects and vision for the future of the university. After serving as president of Cal State Dominguez Hills, Garcia succeeded President Milton A. Gordon when she was appointed as the seventh president of Cal State Fullerton in June. She remains the first Latina president in the CSU. Garcia will hold a town hall meeting Friday from 9 a.m. to 12 p.m. in the Portola Pavilions in the Titan Student Union. Her exclusive interview will be featured in Monday’s issue of the Daily Titan.
WILLIAM CAMARGO / Daily Titan
FOR THE RECORD: Wednesday’s article, “Patrons fight to ‘save Twilight,’” was written by Daily Titan Staff Writer Loren Manning, not Jonathan Winslow.