Features, Page 4
Performing Arts students prepare for opening night
Since 1960 Volume 86, Issue 21
Daily Titan
Thursday March 6, 2008
The Student Voice of California State University, Fullerton
DTSHORTHAND Mothers duke it out at Chuck E. Cheese
NATICK, Mass. (AP) - A child’s birthday party at a Chuck E. Cheese restaurant was cut short after a fight broke out between two mothers. Natick police said the mom of the 9-year-old birthday boy apparently became enraged because the other woman’s son was “hogging” an arcade game. Sgt. Paul Thompson said Catherine Aliaga, 38, and Tarsha Williams, 33, both of Boston, would be summoned into court to answer charges of simple assault and battery stemming from the scuffle.
Tijuana’s orphans
By URMI RAHMAN
Daily Titan Assistant News Editor news@dailytitan.com
Campus Life: The CSUF Department of Theatre and Dance will be presenting the performance of “A Midsummer Night’s Dream” by William Shakespeare. The play, directed by Denise Schulz, runs March 7-23. On March 7-8, 13-15 and 20-22 the show will run at 8 p.m. On March 6 the play will run at 6 p.m. and on March 9, 15, 16 and 22 the show will start at 2 p.m. “A Midsummer Night’s Dream” can be called one of Shakespeare’s most popular plays, written around the same time as :Romeo and Juliet.” Many of the same themes are present in this play such as passion, secret elopement and seperation. However, this play has a comedic feel to it, which is filled with surprising situations. The play will be held at the Young Theatre at CSUF and tickets are $9 regularly and $8 with Titan Discount or CSUF ID.
Correction: Due to a reporting mistake, in Tuesday’s edition of the Daily Titan, in a story titled “A hands on approach to nursing studies,” the quotes attributed to Mary Wickman, were actually made by skills Lab Coordinator Barbara Doyer.
Video Street Scene:
Jose Ecruz, 6, waits for a chance to play a game of soccer with one of the volunteers at the Casa Hogar Esperanza orphanage in Tijuana.
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By RON FU/For the Daily Titan
CSUF volunteers travel to Mexico to help children in need By SARAH CRUZ
Daily Titan Staff Writer news@dailytitan.com
Student volunteers teamed up with Corazon de Vida, a local nonprofit organization, on Friday to spend time with the children at an orphanage in Baja California, Mexico. The students, members of Cal State Fullerton’s Volunteer and Service Center (VSC), went on a trip with Corazon de Vida, an Irvine-based group that seeks to improve the quality of life for the orphaned children. Some students brought supplies such
as toilet paper to the orphanage. Corazon de Vida works with 14 orphanages in the Baja California area. “They provide basic necessities for the children to live,” Amy Mattern, coordinator for the VSC, said. These necessities include food, clothing and other basic supplies for the orphanages. The all-day trip included a bus ride to and from Baja California, a short training session while they traveled and a day of interaction with the children of the orphanage. “We basically went there to
hang out with the kids [and] to show them how much love there is around them,” Ally Bordas, project coordinator for the VSC said. “We wanted them to know that there are people that love and care about them.” Bordas, a freshman communications major, never planned on volunteering before she arrived at CSUF. “During my first semester here, [Mattern] came in to my class and gave a presentation,” Bordas said. “I just knew it was something I wanted to be involved with.” Bordas said she immediately signed up for volunteer projects.
This is her second semester working with the Center and she said she loves working for a cause that is purely volunteer-driven. While in Mexico, Bordas said she was impressed by the small children who had big hearts. “These kids have so little. Even though they have never been loved, they are so open to it,” Bordas said. “They make me want to be a better person.” The children did not care if the volunteers spoke Spanish or knew the games they wanted to play, she said. They just welcomed the company. See TRIP, Page 3
Smashing the increasing cost of textbooks ASI’s Lobby Corps holds a rally to make the students aware of issues
Presenting the Street Scene like you’ve never seen before, in video form. Each week tune in to see the latest and the hippest fashions currently walking the runways of CSUF. These informative blurbs will run about a minute long a week asking questions such as, where do students find the best garments, where do these fashion forward students get their inspirations from and what does fashion mean to them? Look on the Daily Titan Web site under Multimedia to get a street scene fix for the week.
Breaking down murdersuicides
By ALYSSA DIKITANAN
Daily Titan Staff Writer news@dailytitan.com
The Associated Students Inc. Lobby Corps rallied support Wednesday in hopes of establishing a campus committee of students and faculty to tackle the issue of textbook affordability, all while having a piñata students could take their frustrations out on regarding the matter. “The cost of textbooks skyrocket every year in this supply-side demand market,” said Michael Ryu, vice chair of Lobby Corps, an organization which advocates student interests on state and federal issues. “This market is based on the publishers and in the end they set the price, but we want to inform the students on alternatives to these ridiculous textbook prices and that students do have a say.” Ryu said with the publishers in control of the textbook market, they continuously increase prices through new editions and bundling, in which the textbook is packaged together with a study guide, a CD or a special access code. “We just want the book,” Ryu said. The committee is looking to create a group comprised of faculty, administration members of Titan Shops as well as students, said ASI Chief Governmental Officer An-
By XAVIER HERNANDEZ/Daily Titan Staff Photograph CSUF senior Chris Pionke hits a ‘piñata’ representing overpriced text books.
thony Martinez. “The campus committee would be ... working to define the problem of high textbook prices and
looking for options to solve the problem on our campus specifically,” Martinez said. Passing students were informed
of textbook statistics through chalk drawings on the sidewalk about how buying used textbooks can result in savings of 25 to 30 percent and how buying digital books can result in savings of 30 to 50 percent. The statistics were found in a recent report published by the CSU Textbook Affordability Task Force, Martinez said. “Students are impacted the most by the cost of books and to rally around the rising prices is one of the core functions of student government,” said ASI Director of Programs Support Anthony Ragazzo. “For years ASI officers have been talking to the bookstore and the faculty to advocate on behalf of all students on the rising costs of textbooks.” Lobby Corps passed out free TShirts and advocacy pins as well as candy and goodies for those students who wanted to “beat out frustrations” on the textbook piñatas, Ryu said. “We are looking for enough interest from the students through their signatures to demonstrate our concerns to the administration and it doesn’t seem like we are having any trouble demonstrating our concerns,” Martinez said. Lobby Corps will continue to collect student signatures for support of a campus committee in order make the committee a reality. “It’s great what ASI is doing and that they really care about students here on campus by making them aware of such issues,” CSUF student Lisa Wilson said. “Maybe if more people get involved, we can actually make a difference.”
As funeral services are held today for a mother and three siblings, a 14year-old boy is slowly recovering. On Feb. 23, Ian Mercado’s stepfather allegedly attempted to murder his entire family in Yorba Linda. Mercado underwent surgery after Orland Cho reportedly shot him in the torso. As he recovers physically from the gunshot, he will be faced with another daunting psychological journey with intense questions about what went on inside the mind of his stepfather and why he is the only survivor. “I can’t think of a worse hell for him,” said Cal State Fullerton Professor of counseling Joseph M. Cervantes. Reactions to severe trauma occur in varying stages and depend on the individual, Cervantes said. Phase one usually involves shock and disbelief in which the victim feels that people are lying about the facts. Phase two is mixed with self-denial, anger and even suicidal thoughts for some. Mercado could feel guilt and question his survival. Much of his recovery depends on family or community support and psychotherapy. Recognizing what actually occurred could take up to a year and the victim will still need time to properly mourn, Cervantes said. “It’s not something you ever recover from, it’s something you accept,” said Mindy Mechanic, assistant professor of psychology. Even though Mercado was able to recall the traumatic events when he was interviewed by police on Feb. 25, two days after the shooting, that is not a sign of recovery. “It could be traumatizing [and] he could go into shock,” Cervantes said. He said children who experience trauma need to recall events at their own pace and understand the concept of taking it slow. “The police will not act that way simply because they want to solve the case and [Mercado] will not get that warning [from counselors],” Cervantes said. He may need additional surgery even after he is released from the hospital, Lt. Jack Conklin of the Brea Police Department said. Mercado could experience spiritual transcendence and move past the events if he is able to accept them in the third phase. Even so, he will not be able to go back to the person he was before the shootings. There are two life paths the teen may choose to lead, Cervantes said. He may choose a low-profile, highly troubled life in which he cannot maintain stable relationships. The other would require spiritual growth, mental strength and sufficient time. “He has got a lot of healing to do. Support will determine how he puts all this together,” Cervantes said. “He’s not going to be a normal citizen. He has got too much trauma and blood in his background.” As for a father who could pull the trigger on his children and spouse, experts in psychology and counseling on campus said there had to be some pre-existing mental illness, domestic violence or problems that seemed unmanageable. “Clearly there were some demons,” Cervantes said. “[There are] two illnesses for this scenario – bipolar disorder or schizophrenia.” Schizophrenia is a chronic brain disorder that could involve social withdrawal, hallucinations, delusions and illogical patterns in thinking. People with schizophrenia are usually not violent and prefer to be alone. If someone with the disease becomes violent however, it is usually directed at family members and takes place at home, according to the National See MURDERS, Page 2