C A L I F O R N I A INDEX
C alendar & B riefs P erspectives S ports
Titan
S T A T E
2 4 8
The
Daily
U N I V E R S I T Y ,
W E D N E S D AY
VOLUME 66, ISSUE 15
F U L L E R T O N
INSIDE
Friday the 13th is coming—are you worried? See Perspectives, page 4.
M A R C H 11 , 1 9 9 8
Tesoro will run for top AS post
n ELECTIONS: AS Board
member Christian Tesoro looks to become the first new AS president in three years.
oro can win the election in spring. “He is only here to help benefit the students and I think the students will see that,” Archer said. Tesoro’s running mate for vice president will be Christine Buse,
By Jason Silver Daily Titan Staff Writer
RON SOLIMAN/Daily Titan
John F. Reid, director of the CSUF mentor program, stands before a portrait of the late civil rights activist Ralph John.
Ralph Johns was a white man in an era when fighting segrega-
Fighting way
of life
By STEPHANIE GUERRA Daily Titan Staff Writer
The late Ralph Johns was the first white vice president for a chapter of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People in North Carolina. His Woolworth’s lunch counter sitins in 1960 were a forerunner to Dr. Martin Luther King’s civil rights movement. He gave a young college student named Jesse Jackson a job at his five-and-dime store when blacks and whites were still separate. John Reid, director of the Teaching Ombudsman Action Program at Cal State Fullerton and a close friend of Johns, is
trying to get his autobiography published so that his legacy can inspire, encourage and teach others. Johns, formerly of La Habra, read a story in the Los Angeles Times in 1994 about low graduation rates for male, African-American athletes at CSUF. He called Reid, who had just begun to coordinate the Black Ombudsman Program, now called T.O.A.P., and insisted on helping with the program in any way. T.O.A.P. mentors students of all ethnic backgrounds on how to build self-esteem and cultural awareness. It also encourages students to intellectually grow in an academic environment.
see JOHNS/
Department chair charged with battery
n CRIME: Robert Emry is
accused of striking a secretary last month. By NICK BRENNAN Daily Titan Staff Writer
Robert Emry, chair and professor of Speech Communications, is charged with the battery of a secretary in his department, according to Detective Fred Molina of Public Safety. Emry was arraigned March 6, a pre-trial date has been set for March 26 and a jury trial is scheduled for April 2, according to North Orange County Municipal Court officials. The alleged incident, a misdemeanor, occurred on Feb. 2. Emry allegedly struck Roberta Grayson with the flat part of his hand five times on her right shoulder after
she asked if some drinking glasses sitting on her desk were his, Grayson said. According to Grayson, the incident occurred when she stood up from her Emry desk and almost knocked one of the glasses over. Grayson recalled Emry then saying, “Bobby always notices things that are wrong,” as he struck the top of her shoulder. “I remember it very distinctly because he hit me five times as he said it,” Grayson said. “There is nothing to support this kind of statement with any of the previous working relationships on campus,” Emry said regarding the charges.
However, he would not comment any further on the incident in question. The next day Grayson asked for Emry’s apology. He denied hitting her at first but then said he was only teasing her, she said. Darlene Trostad, another campus employee, witnessed the incident and apology, according to the police report of the incident. She would not comment on Emry’s alleged actions. Grayson said a bruise was left on her shoulder but she did not go to the doctor or take a photo of it. Lt. Jess Lopez of Public Safety said there is no record of Emry ever having been involved in such an incident before. Grayson also said nothing of the sort has occurred between Emry and herself or any other staff member before. “It hasn’t been real positive,” Grayson commented regarding the
n ASSISTANCE: The Psy-
Since the change, emotionally troubled students no longer need to share space with students who are diligently scanning job listings or seeking job leads on the Internet. Charles Buck, vice president of student affairs, said members of his department participated in a selfstudy at the end of the summer and one of the areas they found needed reorganization was the center. Buck said that through the selfstudy, members of the department of student affairs found that students are unaware that they could receive personal counseling from the center. Buck is the acting director of the new office until another psychologist is hired. Psychologist Kenneth Nash, who works in the Psychological
By LAURIE SCHULTZ Daily Titan Staff Writer
JEFF CHONG/Daily Titan
The Counseling and Psychological Services Center now has its own office in Langsdorf Hall.
dent, Grayson described the office interaction as “very strained.” However, six of Emry’s colleagues spoke favorably about him and his character. “He is one of the most sensitive persons I have ever met in my life,” Ellen Shaw, administrative assistant to the Vice President for Student Affairs, said. “He criticized in a sensitive, caring manner. He would always leave a person with their dignity.” She said the environment she worked in with him was pleasant and lacked hostility. None of the colleagues spoken to said they have ever known Emry to strike another person. They described him as courteous, sensitive and as always putting others before himself.
A student who is determined to stop binge drinking or is an emotional wreck after ending a relationship no longer has to go to the Career Development Center to seek help. They can now receive counseling at the Psychological and Counseling Center, located next door to the Career Development Center in Langsdorf Hall. The Career Center and Counseling Center separated into two different offices at the beginning of this semester.
and Counseling Sevices office, said originally the two departments were separated but they were merged because of budget constraints. “One of the benefits of having a separate area for those who need help with personal problems is that they have a place to cry, to feel bad and to be in distress.” “That they don’t want anyone to know they are seeking help for personal problems was an obvious problem with housing the two offices under the same roof,” Nash said. “A student assistant using the computer to schedule an appointment could find out that a student was coming to the center for a personal problem. The separation of the departments ensures that we can maximize confidentiality.”
Copyright ©1998, Daily Titan
Tesoro
“I feel I have the drive and hunger to make the best of my time here at Cal State Fullerton.” Christian Tesoro, —AS presidential hopeful
the current AS Director of Advancement. Buse said one of her goals, if elected to the position, is to increase student involvement in AS. Buse also said she intends to increase the amount of AS scholarships.
O’Brien lives on
n MEMORIAL: As Kyle
O’Brien’s murderer is brought to justice, memories of the AS officer linger in office environment. Since the incithe hearts of his peers.
A new location to seek counseling
chological and Counseling office finds a home.
Christian Tesoro became the first person to announce his candidacy for Associated Students President at the AS Board meeting on Tuesday. Tesoro delivered a speech to the board emphasizing his plans to improve student parking and ensure student representation on a statewide level. “I feel it is time for me to take a more active role in student government. I feel I have the drive and hunger to make the best of my time here at Cal State Fullerton,” Tesoro said in an interview after the meeting. Tesoro, who has worked in student government for a year and a half, currently holds the position of vice chair on the Board of Directors. During his stint on the board he has served on the Finance and on University Affairs committees. Tesoro is a political science major and represents the School of Humanities. “Christian is definitely qualified to be AS President,” said William Archer, AS director of administration. “He is very comitted and he is very goal oriented. He is definitely an advocate of the students.” Archer said he believes that Tes-
By JULIE HARDEN Daily Titan Staff Writer
Few people leave this world without burning even a few bridges. But Cal State Fullerton’s Kyle O’Brien served his 22 years of life as an incredible bridge builder. “Kyle was such a phenomenal human being that you will never hear anyone tell you differently,” said Kristine Buse, Associated Students director of advancement. Buse enjoys her memory of spending time with O’Brien during a leadership retreat in Laughlin, Nevada last year. “I was too young to go out dancing with everyone else and instead of leaving me behind, Kyle offered to sacrifice his fun to be with me,” Buse said. “We walked the river walk and ate ice cream, talking about every facet of our lives that night. It’s funny because so many people think of Kyle as being shy, but he didn’t shut up for five minutes that entire night.” “When he died, I felt I lost a friend that I had known all my life rather than the year I had,” Buse said. “You won’t find anyone to talk bad about Kyle. He excelled at everything he did and when he was killed, it wasn’t just a loss for his family but for society in general,” said AS President Heith Rothman. Before O’Brien’s tragic death last summer, he served as the AS vice president of finance, which made him responsible for implementing the budget, as well as chairing the finance committee, the IRA committee and the Innovative Projects committee.
In addition, O’Brien served as a student representative on the CSUF Foundation Board and was an officer of Sigma Nu fraternity. He was recognized as a standout fencer and was to serve as captain of the nationally ranked team this year. O’Brien planned to graduate this June with an anthropology degree and was a member of two Greek letter honor societies, Order of Omega and Gamma Sigma Alpha. As many of O’Brien’s friends remember him as a tremendous campus leader, honor student, athlete and fraternity brother, each reacted differently to the recent conviction of his murderer.
O’Brien Buse found consolation in the first degree murder verdict, but said, “I don’t think any of us are used to him being gone still. It’s only been seven months.” Rothman found the verdict “a little disappointing” since the charge that would have automatically sent 21-year-old Gilbert Acosta to life in prison without parole was found untrue. But with a minimum sentence of 25 years to life for Acosta, Rothman added, “I just hope that
see O’BRIEN/