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Students Could GetTax Break nFINANCE: Through various credit programs, people paying for college may be awarded a big return By Anna Buss
Special to the Titan
NEWS: Iraq still has not responded to Bush’s Sunday deadline, which makes war more likely
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Some parents or students can use one of the four new educational tax benefit programs, approved by Congress this year, to compensate for
part of higher educational costs. Two are educational credit programs and two are loan interest and tuition and fee expenses deduction. The Hope and Lifetime Learning Credits can be claimed and turned into tax credits and deductions that can add up to $3,500. The rules are not simple, and each student can only claim one of the credits for any year. Therefore, not everyone may benefit from them, but they may be worth looking into for some students. Only freshmen or sophomore college students can claim the Hope Credit, which is “100 percent of the first $1,000 spent [with qualified
tuition and related fees] and of 50 percent of second $1,000. The maximum credit is $1,500 per student per year,” said Gerald L. Fister, an income tax planner in Fullerton. Students using the Hope Credit must also be enrolled at least part time. Qualified tuition and related fees do not include the cost of insurance, student health fee, room, transportation and other personal expenses. Although junior and senior college students cannot use the Hope Credit, they may benefit with the Lifetime Learning Credit, which “is 20 percent of the first $10,000 spent for
[qualified] tuition and fees,” Fister said. It can only be used per return (or per family of a parent and a child, or two children), and the maximum credit is $2,000. The Lifetime Learning Credit, unlike the Hope Credit, is available for an unlimited number of years for any courses of post-secondary education and courses to improve job skills. Students are only eligible for the Hope and Lifetime Learning Credits if, as a single person one
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Holiday Spirit in Fullerton nEVENT: The city’s downtown area is looking to boost Christmas sales with its Winterfest By Olivia Maciel
Daily Titan Staff Writer
Back to the Daily Grind
With Christmas rapidly approaching and crazed shoppers looking for gifts, many major retailers are coming up with various strategies to bait customers. But smaller retailers, like those in Downtown Fullerton, are using a different approach. Winterfest, a holiday celebration held in Downtown Fullerton is the approach they hope will draw Fullerton residents and potential customers into their stores. The annual event will be held Dec. 7 from noon to 6 p.m. in Downtown Fullerton on streets adjacent to Harbor Boulevard, such as Chapman, Wilshire and Commonwealth avenues. The city plans to truck in 40 tons of snow for children to play in, hold a George Fullerton lookalike contest, schedule a classic car show, live entertainment and carriage rides. For the past six years the Fullerton Downtown Business Association, Fullerton Chamber of Commerce and the City of Fullerton, have hosted this event to entertain the community and to keep sales within the city. “This event gives families an opportunity to kick off the holiday season and to come together as a community,” said Michael Ritto, president of the association. “It’s also to show residents that this
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OPINION: Holiday shopping got you down? The magic of retail is just a mouse click away. Also, a “Diego and Rivera” cast member speaks Please see page 4
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LISSETTE LEBRILLA/Daily Titan
It was back to business as usual in the Pollak Library and Cal State Fullerton on Monday, as the weeklong holiday break ended.
CSUFWorkers Keep Busy DuringThanksgiving Break SPORTS: The Cal State Fullerton men’s basketball team picked up an 18-point win over Morris Brown College on Monday night Please see page 10
TITAN
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Check out the Daily Titan online this year at http:// dailytitan.fullerton.edu. New features and sections will be available this year!
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A new art exhibit utilizing paper will be in the library and more will be revealed. Read about it in tomorrow’s Daily Titan
nCAMPUS: While the school took a vacation, many faculty and student assistants worked on campus By Jill Daloria
Daily Titan Staff Writer Empty parking lots, wind blowing through a very sparse Quad and classrooms that were once filled with the hustle and bustle of students, were bare during the Thanksgiving break. Could it be that space aliens have taken over Cal State Fullerton and annihilated the student body? But wait ... some life forms have survived within the recesses and offices of the school, people who take their break time to keep the school running while others are at rest; they are the staff and student
assistants. These workers spent their Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday doing office work and trying to catch up while other students were away. “It’s not as hard as a lot of students make it seem,” said Shazia Peshimam, a worker for Freshman Programs. “I think our office is small and close-knit, different from large offices. Everyone who works wants to be here, and if you don’t want to work then you don’t have to be here.” Working during the break for staff and student assistants was optional in most cases. Aaron Salcido, a worker at the Academic Affairs Office, opted to work. “They asked me to come work so I was more than happy. I can work full time this week because I don’t have classes.” For student assistants like Salcido, the option to work during the break
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Aaron Salcido worked in the Academic Affairs Office during Thanksgiving break.
TOYA BAKER/Daily Titan
CampusVolunteer Group GivesTime andTurkeys nSERVICE: CSUF students pack restaurant site to help make a difference in Orange County By Margie Rivera
Daily Titan Staff Writer Dressed in white T-shirts emblazoned with orange and blue hand prints and the words “Lending a Helping Hand,” some of Cal
State Fullerton’s Human Services Student Association members met on Thanksgiving day to feed local underprivileged families. The “We Give Thanks” event, sponsored by La Casa Garcia restaurant in Anaheim, was the last community service activity the association organized for the fall semester. “Our primary goal is to link students to the community,” HSSA President Nicole Nanchy said. “We try to have fun events that concentrate in community involvement and student enrichment.” The association’s 150 active mem-
bers hold about 20 campus and community events per semester, including activities such as meetings and fund-raisers. Nanchy said 28 members including relatives and friends showed up at the restaurant parking lot on Chapman Avenue and Harbor Boulevard in Fullerton. “The gratification is great as you see everybody getting together as a community,” she said. Hundreds of volunteers from different organizations, schools, businesses and churches geared up early Thursday morning to set up the
annual banquet and serve free elaborate meals to thousands of needy residents. The response to the event was so overwhelming that many of those were asked to return home. “It’s about helping people even if it means just setting up trash cans,” said Mario Garcia, a junior human services major who is not related to the restaurant owner. “Volunteering gives you a satisfying feeling that you won’t know until you actually try it.” Nanchy said these types of activities provide students with the oppor-
tunity to reach out, make friends, have fun and experience self-gratification. Leigh Volker, the association community service coordinator, agreed. “I encouraged our members to get involved because this is a good chance to give back to the community,” Volker said. “As future human services workers, we need to make a difference around us.” The CSUF volunteers were assigned different tasks throughout the day.
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