2008 10 07

Features: Page 3

‘One Earth, One Dream Environmental Festival’

Since 1960 Volume 87, Issue 20

SPORTS: Titan volleyball wins its first two Big West games, page 6 OPINION: Senioritis, fact or fiction?

Ways for prevention, page 4

Daily Titan

Tuesday October 7, 2008

The Student Voice of California State University, Fullerton

Campus Life Guest speaker Barbara McDowell will talk to students, staff and faculty about elements of leadership and the ways that women have contributed in Room 205 of University Hall today from 12-1 p.m.

McDowell will discuss the effects self-esteem and its impace on leadership and gender.

This workshop will cover concepts of self-esteem, leadership and gender and its effect on socity and women.

For more information contact Sue Passalacqua at 714-2783651. There are 40 registration spaces available for this event.

Anyone can get fooled, just don’t be the next one (MCT) “No, you’ve got the wrong guy ... I can explain.”

Facing a domestic charge, a man in Portsmouth, N.H., didn’t want the police to know his true identity because there was a warrant out for his arrest, so he showed them his friend’s driver’s license. Unfortunately for him, there was also a warrant out for the friend’s arrest.

“I can’t describe their faces, officer, I was uh ... distracted.”

An 18-year-old boy on a bicycle was accosted in Stuart, Fla., by a group of semi-clad women wearing suspenders but no shirts or bras. They surrounded him, and, before he knew it, stole $100 from his back pocket. ”I must say sir, you are unusually patriotic.”

A man applying for job claimed to have been in the military, and listed his service dates which started before he was born.

“Oh god yes! I am healed.”

A Tucson, Ariz., man was arrested for setting up a “church” which, authorities say, was actually a massage parlor/house of prostitution. In his defense, the man said his goal was to comfort the afflicted through “the laying on of hands.”

The Japanese are creative when it comes to: ‘Bathroom pranks’

Outdoor portable restrooms are unpredictable as is but when Japanese pranksters get involved it is a different story.

This special restroom elevates itself onto the top of the portipotty while this man is using the restroom.

As embarassing as it is, it is also broadcasted on national televison and now all over YouTube as one of the many bathroom pranks.

WEATHER

TODAY

High: 88˚ Low: 62˚ Sunny

TOMorrow

High: 86˚ Low: 62˚ Sunny

CONTACT US Main line: (714) 278-3373 News desk: (714) 278-4415 Advertising: (714) 278-4411 E-mail: news@dailytitan.com

More apps, same budget Clinics

hurt by cuts

Opportunities for higher education are reduced among applicants by brian day

For the Daily Titan

news@dailytitan.com

Cal State Fullerton officials are advising incoming freshman and transfer students to get their applications for the Fall 2009 semester in early this year, as the newly adopted state budget does not account for the increasing number of applications that are expected.

Funding allows for no increase in the number of students accepted to CSUF next year, even as officials expect a 10 percent increase in the number of freshman applications filed, Vice President of Academic Affairs Ephraim Smith said.

“We’re communicating to community college students to apply early,” he said.

Slightly less than 4,700 freshmen will be accepted for the Fall 2009 semester, which is about equal to the number accepted this year, Smith said. The number of transfer students that will be accepted next year was not known.

“It’s a little too early to tell,” Smith said.

Due to a high number of applications, CSUF, along with at least five of the other 23 CSU campuses, will be closing its freshman application period for Fall 2009 on Nov. 30, CSU officials said in a written statement. The other campuses include Long Beach, Pomona, San Diego, San Luis Obispo and Sonoma.

Some community health centers will have to turn patients away by christee lemons

Daily Titan Staff Writer news@dailytitan.com

By Michael Thiele/Daily Titan Photo Editor Despite the anticipated 10 percent increase in student applications next fall, the budget does not compensate for a rise in those numbers.

The freshman enrollment period began Wednesday.

For the past five years, CSUF has been listed as an “impacted” campus for incoming freshmen, meaning the number of qualified applicants far exceeds the number of openings, officials said.

Smith said the enrollment constraints placed on the school by recent state budgets have made it more difficult to serve the area’s growing number of students.

Fullerton Joint Union High School District Superintendent George Giokaris said he does not

see the stagnant enrollment growth as a serious issue for district high school seniors preparing to graduate next year.

While CSUF expects to see an increase in incoming freshman applications, Giokaris said FJUHSD See ENROLLMENT, Page 2

Charity group quenches scandal Local foundation stops issuing controversial license plate frames by daniel xu

Daily Titan Staff Writer news@dailytitan.com

Brands inflating costs of products is a fact of life these days. Top-of-theline logos such as Gucci and Starbucks often promise luxury and class while also doubling the numbers on the price tags. For the most expensive brand of license plate frames listed on eBay, the sellers claim a different kind of perk: the potential to get away with traffic violations.

That alleged bonus of these frames issued by the 11-99 Foundation also translates to asking prices ranging from $349 to $800.

“The people who sell these license plate frames are criminals,” 11-99

President and Chief Executive Officer Edward Trickey said, “and whoever is buying from them is in for a rude awakening.”

After years of careful consideration, Trickey said the charity’s directors have recently reached a decision to suspend issuing the frames to members and will officially terminate that specific donor benefit program at the end of this year.

The Fullerton-based foundation is a private nonprofit organization that provides financial assistance to families of fallen California Highway Patrol officers and grants scholarships to children of CHP families. The name “11-99” comes from the callfor-help radio code CHP officers use when under distress.

Tricky said the foundation has given donors the distinctive license plate frames since its establishment in 1981. The goal was to start conversations and promote the charity

work done by the group.

The popular marketing tool came to a screeching halt in 2006, when the Wall Street Journal reported that drivers of fast cars stamped with the foundation’s frames were getting away with speeding tickets.

The foundation has always checked donors’ backgrounds and driving records before accepting them as members, and it has expelled abusive members who reportedly attempted to influence CHP officers during interviews. After The Wall Street Journal story, the group’s board of directors voted to increase the minimum donation amount for a “Life Membership,” in which donors could receive the frame, from $1,800 to $5,000.

If the move discouraged thrillseeking street racers from becoming members of the foundation, it did little to stop them from getting their hands on the actual frame. Spawning

online auctions and classified listings brought the increasingly recognized license plate frame controversy beyond its rumored dividend.

One seller who posted his frame on both eBay and Craigslist for $700 described it as a bargain compared to the $5,000 buyers would instead have to pay to the 11-99 Foundation. He said the frame belonged to a family relative.

Trickey was skeptical of where these sellers obtained their frames from.

“We receive a dozen reports a week from members who had their frames stolen,” he said. “These people just pull the frames off parked cars.”

One eBay seller has sold three 1199 frames in the past two months.

He still has one listed, along with several police sheriff license plate frames his ads say are “usually displayed” by “personnel related to law See FRAMES Page 2

Treating infections, removing cysts and extracting wisdom teeth are a few of the services provided by Lestonnac Free Clinic in Orange.

The clinic has 18 medical volunteers, which include primary care physicians, specialists and dentists, who treat approximately 12,000 people each year.

Although the clinic saves money by using volunteer doctors, it is still experiencing financial problems due to state budget cuts. Sixteen percent of the clinic’s funding comes from the state, which has been reduced by $14,000, said Ed Gerber, executive director of Lestonnac Free Clinic.

This will prevent Lestonnac from accepting 195 applicants as new patients.

The clinic services low income adults and children as well as Cal State Fullerton’s Guardian Scholars, Gerber said. Despite the clinic’s reduced funding scholars will still receive free medical care for any medical services not provided by the campus health center.

In addition to Lestonnac Free Clinic, many health clinics and social program centers throughout Orange County have been negatively effected by state budget cuts and the country’s declining economy.

Because businesses and corporations are experiencing financial hardships, they are giving less money out to clinics and service centers through donations and grants, said Martha Lester, executive director of the Gary Center in La Habra.

One of the yearly grants her community outreach center receives is usually $5,000, but this year it was only $2,500, she said. As a result of budget cuts, The Gary Center has to reduce the amount of paid staff members through layoffs. Even the food supplies used to stock the food distribution center are being affected.

“We have a food distribution center and the amount that Second Harvest (now known as Feeding America) gives has been cut,” Lester said.

The finances for the small center would be worse, Lester said, if it was See CLINICS Page 2

New law closes loopholes, protects advisers California Sen. Leland Yee is passionate about approved legislation by dhawani parekh

Daily Titan Staff Writer news@dailytitan.com

State Sen. Leland Yee (D-San Francisco) promised to protect the freedom of the student press and fight for journalism advisers’ and students’ rights. He authored Senate Bill 1370, the Journalism Teacher Protection Act, which allows for student newspapers to be protected from retaliation by administrators.

The Journalism Teacher Protection Act was signed by Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger on Sept. 28 after it passed on a 31-2 vote on Aug. 5.

The bill states that “an employee shall not be dismissed, suspended, disciplined, reassigned, transferred, or otherwise retaliated against for

acting to protect a pupil engaged in conduct authorized under this section, or conduct that is protected by the First Amendment to the United States Constitution or Section 2 of Article I of the California Constitution.”

“I am very pleased to see California continue to ensure true freedom of the press is alive and well on our campuses,” Sen. Yee said in a press release on his Web site announcing the bill.

“Allowing a school administration to censor in any way is contrary to the democratic process and the ability of a student newspaper to serve as the watchdog and bring sunshine to the actions of school administrators.”

This bill was added to the 2006 law, which protected students from being censored or retaliated against by administrators that was also prepared by Sen. Yee. “This bill was introduced to close the loophole in the 2006

law,” Adam Keigwin, communications director for Sen. Yee, said.

“The senator is a strong, open government advocate of the public and press who understands free press and the importance of student journalism.”

“

Senator Yee is really supportive of college media.

“

DTSHORTHAND

– Jay Seidel,

Advisor for FC Hornets

As a result of the 2006 law, since administrators were legally prohibited from retaliating against student journalists, they began to punish newspaper advisers, knowing they would not face any legal consequences for doing so, according to Jim Ewert, Legal Counsel for the California Newspaper Publish-

ers Association, in the press release announcing the bill.

“This is a very good thing for colleges and universities, but even great for high schools since they are the main ones to be effected,” said Jay Seidel, adviser of the Fullerton College Hornet and the faculty president of Journalism Association of Community Colleges.

One such case involved Janet Ewell, a Garden Grove teacher who was removed from her newspaper adviser position as a result of publishing a series of editorials that focused on the school bathrooms, cafeteria food and various issues.

Her students had won numerous journalism awards, according to the press release announcing the bill.

This is one of many cases that were reported to Sen. Yee’s office, according to the press release.

There have been cases in San Francisco, Los Angeles, Clairemont, Fremont, Novato, Oxnard, Rialto,

Garden Grove and others.

“We highly discourage any administrator from breaking this law since if they do, they will face public ridicule, which they do not want,” Keigwin said. “If the senator hears of any further cases of retaliation, then the senator will go down to the school and try to solve the issue one-on-one with the administrator.”

If that does not work, then the senator will join in any lawsuit needed and help the adviser collect their damages.”

If people find a loophole in this new law, then the senator will introduce another law that will close the loophole, Keigwin said.

“Sen. Yee is really supportive of college media. This is a strong enough law that gives us protection and we do not have to keep looking over our shoulders,” Seidel said. “Administrators will not be able to retaliate and thus they will have to deal with it and accept it.”

Page Two

2

October 7, 2008

IN OTHER NEWS enrollment: budget issues continue INTERNATIONAL

German test plant may lead to clean coal power

SPREMBERG, Germany (MCT) – In this old industrial town in the heart of the former East Germany, researchers have launched what could be a revolution for a much-maligned fuel: the world’s first nearly emission-free coal-fired power plant.

Coal-burning plants are the world’s biggest producers of electricity. But as climate change worries mount, the billions of tons of greenhouse gases they emit each year have put in doubt coal’s future as a cheap, home-grown source of electricity.

The United States, through the FutureGen project, had hoped to help change that by developing the world’s first full-scale nearly emission-free coal plant in Downstate Illinois. But with the billion-dollar project in financial restructuring and on hold, a small pilot plant in Spremberg is now spearheading the global push to make coal a clean fuel.

Built alongside a traditional power plant, the German test plant burns dirty brown coal with pure oxygen rather than air to produce nearly pure carbon dioxide emissions.

Those emissions are then condensed, liquefied and pumped into longterm storage, eventually in old gas fields or salt aquifers several miles below the earth’s surface.

NATIONAL

Ford feature lets parents set limits for teen drivers

DETROIT (MCT) – Ford Motor Co. announced Monday that it would introduce a new technological feature for its vehicles called MyKey, which is designed to help parents encourage their teenagers to drive more safely and use fuel more efficiently.

The feature will even mute the radio until the teenager buckles up.

MyKey, which debuts next year as standard equipment on the 2010 Focus coupe and will quickly become standard on many other Ford, Lincoln and Mercury models, allows owners to program the key to: _ Limit the vehicle’s top speed _ Limit the top audio volume _ Encourage safety-belt use _ Provide earlier warnings for low fuel, and _ Sound chimes as the car hits certain speeds, such as 55 mph and 65 mph. According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, teens are more likely to take risks such as speeding a contributing factor in 30 percent of all fatal crashes.

STATE

California man won’t give up his domain names

SACRAMENTO, Calif. – A Rocklin, Calif., man who claimed dozens of Web site domains in the names of local politicians says he won’t budge until they’re ousted from office.

Joseph Scharrer, owner of a research and development company, registered the domains through GoDaddy.com and is using elected officials’ own names against them.

He targeted those who he believes opposed a new charter high school, including the Rocklin Area Chamber of Commerce, City Council incumbents and Rocklin Unified School District trustees.

“I’m against anybody who’s against charter schools,” said Scharrer, who serves on the planning team for a proposed college-prep charter school, Western Sierra Collegiate Academy. “I’m hoping if I tear down the existing incumbents, useful people will be elected to office and make good decisions for the people they represent.”

For the Record It is the policy of the Daily Titan to correct any inaccurate information printed in the publication as soon as the error is discovered. Any incorrect information printed on the front page will result in a correction printed on the front page. Any incorrect information printed on any other page will be corrected on page 2. Errors on the Opinion page will be corrected on that page. Corrections also will be noted on the online version of the Daily Titan.

Please contact executive editor David Carrillo at 714-278-5815 or at execeditor@dailytitan.com with issues about this policy or to report any errors.

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Copyright ©2006 Daily Titan

From Page 1

does not forecast an increase in graduating seniors for 2009.

“We’re expecting things to be relatively flat,” he said, compared to the two previous years.

Giokaris added that school officials at district high schools are encouraging students to apply early to increase their chances of getting into the school of their choice.

Nearly every senior in the district due to graduate in 2009 has already had a conference with their

counselor both to make sure they are on track for graduation and are aware of their higher education choices.

“Our counselors are aware, and they have pretty much finished up with their senior conferences,” Giokaris said.

Fullerton College Transfer Center director Lily Espinoza said although the number students transferring from her college annually varies greatly from year to year, on average, about 1,400 students transfer every year.

The vast majority of those, which is 80 to 90 percent, generally transfer to CSUF, she added.

Espinoza said she, along with transfer center representatives from other community colleges throughout the region, met with state university officials Friday to discuss the effect the lack of enrollment growth at CSUF and other impacted schools has on community college transfer students.

“It directly impacts us,” she said.

“We need to really sort of build that awareness that it is getting stricter

to get into the campus, more competitive,” she said.

Students who are just barely getting by with a 2.0 grade point average – the minimum required to attend a CSU school – may not be able to get into impacted campuses such as CSUF. Espinoza added that, “CSUF has been really generous in communicating with us, and we are very pleased with the way that we have partnered with them. The economic situation does not affect the partnership we have.”

frames: will no longer be issued From Page 1 enforcement.”

Trickey said the foundation has stopped replacing stolen frames. Its board is also working on plans to recall the frames from members. In addition, the group contacted eBay to try and remove listings of the frames as stolen property, but the attempts have so far been unsuccessful.

Another eBay seller said as long as a car displays the frame he’s selling, police officers are not going to pull it over for a ticket.

Trickey said the frame “absolutely

does not get you out of tickets.” “(The eBay sellers) are not just thieves, but also scam artists,” he shouted with anger. “I really hope to see them behind bars.”

One important reason for abolishing the frames was to cease its bludgeoning of CHP’s reputation as well as the foundation’s own, Trickey said. CHP Spokeswoman Fran Clader said patrol officers use their own discretion to choose whether to issue a ticket or a warning. She said she did not know if there is a guideline to instruct officers what to do in specific scenarios.

“It’s not all cut-and-dry like that,” Clader said. “However, all our officers are under oath to enforce the law without fear, favor or discrimination.”

Clader said when CHP Commissioner Joe Farrow was made aware of the negative perception of 11-99 Foundation’s license plate frames, he issued an agency-wide memo intended to reinforce officers’ oaths to treat everyone equally.

David Caz, a traffic expert who helps people contest tickets, said there are more legitimate ways if drivers hope for slaps on the wrists

instead of fines.

“CHP officers are good, honorable people,” Caz said. “When you are pulled over, your best bet is just to behave politely and courteously.”

Trickey said he expects the decision to retire the membership frames will impact the foundation’s income from its “lifetime association program,” which accounts for roughly 45 percent of its $50 million revenue since 1994.

Nevertheless, he said the charity group will continue to devote to the welfare of CHP employees and their families.

clinics: forced to adapt to new budget From Page 1 extremely reliant on Medi-Cal payments from the state.

“We would have to see less people, we would have to lay people off …

We’ve already had to do that with how the economy is right now but we would have to re-visit that and do it again,” she said.

Though the Gary Center does not receive funding from Medi-Cal, The Sierra Health Center in Fullerton

receives half of its funding from the checks, said Veronica Flores, clinic administrator for the Sierra Health Center.

She said it also gets many other grants from the Coalition of Orange County Community Clinics.

According to the Web site, the coalition is a nonprofit organization that provides a forum where clinic representatives can discuss health care issues, advocate and find resources for their clinics and patients.

According to Flores, half of their

funding comes from Medi-Cal payments that have been delayed as a result of the state’s budget problems.

Clinics and centers are behind in paying bills because the state budget was 85 days overdue. According to the Sacramento Business Journal, some clinics in the state have had to choose between closing and taking out lines of credit to stay open.

If budget cuts continue, centers and clinics will be forced to find other sources of income, cut more staff members or reduce the amount

of people seeking assistance in order to stay in business.

“All of our patients are at or below 200 percent of the federal poverty level and have no insurance and over the past one-and-a-half years we’ve noticed and seen that loan officers, real estate agents have been increasingly coming to the clinic,” Gerber said.

“We can really slim down our budget,” Gerber said, but “the person that’s going to be hurting is the patient.”

Web expands ad opportunities for campaigns AUSTIN (MCT) – A campaign ad featuring Charlton Heston as Moses and mocking Barack Obama as the “anointed” one was never a TV commercial at all - yet millions of people saw it.

On Monday, Obama’s campaign launched a 13-minute Web video outlining McCain’s ties to Charles Keating, a banker eventually sent to prison for his role in a savings-andloan scandal in the 1980s and early 1990s. Within eight hours, half a million people had viewed the preview on YouTube pointing them to the Obama Web site for the full documentary.

And other than production costs, neither campaign had to spend a dime to put these messages before millions of voters.

“That is sort of the Holy Grail” of political advertising, said Aaron Smith, a research specialist at the Pew Center’s Internet and American Life Project.

Web videos like “The One,” which was picked up as news by the networks after the Obama camp dismissed it as “juvenile antics,” and “Keating Economics,” which made news before it was even released, have become the norm in a presidential race that has already broken new ground in cyber-campaigning.

They let voters in places like Texas - a solidly Republican state where neither campaign is advertising - stay tuned to what the campaigns are doing and stay in touch with each candidate’s message. For campaigns, they create buzz with very little cost or effort.

And in the final 30 days of the election, they allow the campaigns to sharply hone their attacks with more value for their money. Just for its length alone, the Keating video would be difficult to get on television _ and even if it could be done, the cost would be prohibitive.

“What the Internet has done by free-video sites is provided them a way to get their message out to a huge number of people and get it out for free,” said Jeff Emanuel, president of Lighthouse Strategies and Consulting and a director emeritus of a leading conservative blog, RedState.com.

“Then, when mainstream media or TV stations pick it up, not only does it get seen by a million people on the Internet, but it gets seen by millions of people who watch TV news. You can’t get better than free TV advertising in front of 10 million pairs of

eyes.”

That’s what happened with an ad featuring Paris Hilton that took a dig at Obama’s popularity. It aired only a couple of times, but millions saw it on YouTube and in news reports about the controversy it created.

Another ad got free airplay because of its controversial message. The McCain camp said Obama had pushed through a bill that allowed comprehensive sex education for kindergartners. It was widely declared dishonest, as the legislation had a broader focus, and Obama hadn’t sponsored the legislation.

Guaranteeing that the majority of viewers in the Dallas market were to see a TV ad at least once would cost about $150,000 for a weeklong run.

Around the state, it would cost at least $1 million.

The major benefits of blending the YouTube age with the most expensive and tech-savvy presidential campaign in history are not lost on

the candidates or the parties.

About 35 percent of Americans have watched a political ad online at least once, nearly three times as many as in 2004, studies show. And while made-for-TV ads must appeal to a broad swath of voters, an Internet ad can be sharper to appeal to hard-core partisans, who are most likely to see them.

The Republican National Committee and the McCain campaign, which had lagged behind the Obama camp in Internet fundraising and social networking, have raced to get out front in the video arena with quick-response Web videos that go straight to YouTube or his site at the rate of several a week.

McCain’s Web ads are highly partisan _ more so, as a general rule, than his TV ads are _ and can run much longer than the standard 30second TV spot.

The three-minute “Obama Love” video, for example, features pundits

talking about the media and throws plenty of red meat to conservatives who chafe at what they perceive to be bias in favor of the Illinois Democrat.

And in contrast to Obama’s videos, which are typically simple spots encouraging action or footage of rallies and speeches, the McCain productions resemble actual advertisements or highly produced minidocumentaries.

“The McCain campaign has skillfully taken advantage of the phenomenon of ghost videos, which are designed and intended for potential television release, and they may actually run once in a market some place,” said Andrew Rasiej, co-founder of TechPresident.com, which tracks the effect the Internet has on the campaign. “They put them online knowing full well that supporters will distribute them for them, regardless of whether the campaign continues to promote them or not.”

October 7, 2008

Features

3

OC feels impact of Earth celebration The individual and the environment are both celebrated and discussed at the One Earth/One Dream Environmental Festival

By Eui-jo Marquez

Daily Titan Staff Writer features@dailytitan.com

Laguna Canyon, nestled in the San Joaquin Hills, is well known for its artsy and progressive attitude, so it is no surprise that seeds of the green movement should sprout there. This weekend at the Festival of the Arts grounds, Orange County residents celebrated the One Earth/ One Dream Environmental Festival, which featured two events: the “Life on the Edge Symposium” and the “Autumnal Green Festival,” hosted by the Endangered Planet Foundation.

The festival began Thursday night with a keynote speech from National Geographic EcoAmbassador and photographic artist Chris Jordan, and ended Sunday afternoon with marine life artist Andrew Wyland.

“The vibe I’m getting from this gathering so far is heart,” Jordan said. “It’s moving and inspiring. If this is the way it’s going to be this weekend, I can’t wait.”

The “Life on the Edge” symposium, held at the Festival of Arts’ Forum Theater, was chaired by United Nations Former Under-SecretaryGeneral and High Representative Anwarul Chowdhury, and included presentations from environmental mavericks from all over California, panel discussions and film screenings. Topics included sustainable buildings and communities, fuel cell technology, solar energy and the global environment.

“In the global world there is no level playing field,” Chowdhury said.

The goal of One Earth/One Dream is to increase the awareness of individuals of their impact on the planet and explore what individuals

ByEui-jo Marquez/Daily Titan Staff Photographer The Earthroots Field School exhibition at the Festival displayed art work done by Indonesian children to express their hopes and concerns about their environment.

can do to help sustain the planet, according to Charles Michael Murray, the founder and chief executive officer of the Endangered Planet Foundation, on the press release announcing the festival. “Everybody has a role,” Wayne Nastri, Environmental Protection Agency regional administrator, said. “It all adds up.”

Nastri advocated small changes: printing double-sided, turning off computers, driving less and slower, and checking tire pressure and air filters regularly. Still, to some people, such small steps can seem useless.

“I am one out of 6.6 billion and that’s a really, really, really, small number,” Jordan said. “Does it really matter to reach down and unplug one little modem?”

According to Jordan, such measures do matter, and he thinks others agree. “There’s a craving right now, around the world, for a different way of being,” Jordan said. “This is

movement that goes across all cultures, all languages, all religions ... it’s happening.”

While the some guests attended the symposium inside, the party raged all weekend outside with the “Autumnal Green Festival.” Visitors were entertained and educated all day by performers and lecturers.

Emilio played modern gypsy music Friday night, Roots Foundation jammed Saturday and Akyaa and Bolga Zohdoomah, an African music and dance group, had the audience dancing on Sunday.

Visitors of all ages mingled and meandered through the maze of vendors and exhibitions. Children and artists Gary Palmer and Lorenzo painted several 5-by-12-foot murals for The Art Miles Mural Project, which was founded by Joanne and Fouad Tawfilis. The project plans to compile 12 miles of murals based on 12 different themes (such as celebri-

ty philanthropy) that will be used to cover an as-yet unbuilt fourth pyramid in Egypt. The murals are painted mostly by children from various locations around the world.

“The project is to help (children), through art, find a little happiness in their lives. A little hope,” Laurie Brooks, the celebrity mile coordinator, said. “This is really about hope, unity and the environment.”

The happy mood prevailed all weekend until the end of the festival on Sunday afternoon.

“The minute you walk up here you can feel the energy,” marine life artist Wyland said. Wyland has the same idea as the Art Miles Mural Project: to focus on the next generation.

“One person can make a difference. We’ve heard that a million times. But one child can change the world. Imagine how many we can affect with the message of this beautiful festival,” he said.

By Eui-jo Marquez/Daily Titan Staff Photographer Kristofor Szasz, Art Miles Mural Project Poet Laureate, performs acoustic guitar at the “Autumnal Green Festival” in Laguna Beach

By Eui-jo Marquez/Daily Titan Staff Photographer Gary Palmer works all weekend on a mural for the Art Miles Mural Project.

opinion

4

Titan Editorial Providing insight, analysis and perspective since 1960

Where an idol once stood We all have the memory. It is as big a part of American pop culture trivia as The Beatles or “The Simpsons.”

Except this memory is not so cheery. When people tell this story, no one will be laughing.

About 14 years ago, a white Ford Bronco sped down the freeway in an attempt to escape from a murder rap. The world watched in awe as a former running back eluded not linebackers, but police officers.

The first man to ever rush for 2,000 yards in a single NFL season could not be dragged down by opposing defenses, but even he could not escape the law.

Fast forward to the present and once again, Orenthal James Simpson finds himself in the limelight.

And while he was able to juke his way out of a murder sentence 13 years ago, this time he was not so fortunate.

Last week he and co-defendant Clarence Stewart were found guilty on 12 charges, including armed robbery and kidnapping, according to a report on CNN. com.

Reports say that he could face anywhere from 15 years to life, but at 61 years old, even the minimum sentence could be the last we ever see of the former football star.

Letters to the Editor:

Fred Goldman – the father of Ronald Goldman, who along with Nicole Brown Simpson was a victim of the murder Simpson was tried for – spoke out against Simpson after Friday’s verdict.

He said he was thrilled that Simpson could potentially spend the rest of his life in jail and that Simpson is a “scumbag,” according to CNN.com.

Guilty or not, there is one thing that everyone should take away from this – celebrities are meant to entertain, not to serve as role models.

How many of us grew up with posters on our walls, idolizing an athlete, actor or musician?

How many of us look to celebrities to tell us how to dress, what to eat, or perhaps most dangerously, what to think?

It is easy to fall into this trap because the media portrays celebrities as infallible. We see them as different from the average human being.

Somehow their ability to shoot a jump shot or belt out a perfect baritone masks the fact that they are just regular people with regular problems.

The truth is that it is dangerous to idolize any one person; it only sets people up for disappointment when they discover that their idol is as flawed as they are.

Any feedback, positive or negative, is encouraged, as we strive to keep an open dialogue with our readership. The Daily Titan reserves the right to edit letters for length, grammar and spelling. Direct all comments, questions or concerns along with your full name and major to Daily Titan Opinion Editor Austen Montero at opinion@dailytitan.com.

Life is what you make it I sat in front of my computer staring at a blank Word document.

I had to write a column and was feeling a case of writer’s block. So I did what any writer does when this agonizing, yet common bug hits; I procrastinated.

I decided to surf the Web – excuse the 1997 lingo. I skipped checking my e-mail, bank account and school portal in favor of the latest popular social media friend sites.

So I jump to Friendster, MySpace and Facebook. I check out my profiles and am immediately treated with a female friend’s photo album titled “a crazy night,” which features 29 photos of her in an identical pose with an inter-changeable friend in each one.

As crazy as it is, it doesn’t keep my interest, so I scope ESPN.com. After all, I haven’t seen SportsCenter since last night’s episode when Jon Anderson was really on his game.

Loading … loading ... cannot

find server.

No! I’ve lost connection! After hitting the refresh button at least 48 times I come to the acceptance that my Web-fueled procrastination session has been cut short.

What was I to do now?

I realized there still was another desktop feature I could waste time with: Solitaire.

Good old Solitaire, the timeless virtual card game that’s served as a decent time-passing tool for decades.

Solitaire is actually the primary reason I’ve longed for my very own laptop. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve sat in class and become jealous of the student to my left who sits lost in a game of Solitaire.

“How does he not see the six of hearts is open for the five? If he puts the five on the six that totally frees up the king of spades, which has a whole row waiting for it! He’s starting a new game? I would’ve had that

October 7, 2008

Castle’s Corner

By Ryan Castle

Daily Titan Columnist

game in the bag. MAN I wish I had a laptop!”

Many people don’t realize this, but these desktop games are not just leisure activities to cure boredom, they are also life-lesson educators.

Why do you think they’re available on every computer?

Each game will subtly teach you valuable lessons of morality.

Solitaire teaches you to organize all changeable life entities before moving forward with any bold decisions.

Spider Solitaire teaches you the optimism of random occurrences; are you going to ruin your set up with the addition of a fresh row, or reveal the piece you were looking for?

Mine Sweeper teaches us to double check all surrounding scenarios to assure your selective advances won’t backfire.

And 3D Pinball teaches us how to play pinball.

At this point you may be asking yourself, what is he writing about? Is he really devoting an entire column to Solitaire?

I just want to demonstrate how

easily positive inspiration can be established. Motivation can be found all around us, you just need to keep your eyes open and your mind positive. Draw inspiration from the lyrics of a song you hear on your way to work. Do they speak to your personal situation?

Positive thinking brings about positive minds, which induces a positive outlook which generally develops a positive outcome.

So while you may see a simple card game used to kill boredom, I see a message of optimism.

You can choose to see the things around you as they appear or you can go deeper and ponder if perhaps there’s a divine power that has put these things around you for a reason.

Does everything happen for a reason?

I’d like to think so, but whether it does or doesn’t, I can tell myself things are happening for whatever reason I want.

We can’t control our own destiny, but if we see things the way we want to see them, maybe we can.

Senioritis: Not just for high school students anymore

By Noella May hebert

Daily Titan Staff Writer opinion@dailytitan.com

Being a student is not easy – there's always a paper to write, an exam to cram for or a Shakespeare play to be read, but barely understood.

Beyond all, being a student entails debt and being broke all the time.

Sometimes we're so broke that the only vacation we can afford involves that interesting destination with cheap drinks where they are filming "Girls Gone Wild!"

The coined phrase, "senioritis" has mostly been associated with seniors in high school.

But what about seniors in universities?

Senioritis isn't just a term, it's a feeling.

Awaiting graduation, the most common feeling is lack of motiva-

tion. The light at the end of the tunnel is there, but something happens in that final semester, maybe even that final year, where the feeling of surrender takes over.

The other day I was about to clean my toilet before I started doing some much-needed studying when I got to thinking, "Really? I'd rather spend the time cleaning my bathroom instead of reading about media law."

As there are steps in any healing process, the first step in untying the senioritis knot formed in the pits of so many students stomachs over the semesters, is to embrace and replace the feeling.

Having a hobby and allocating time for family and friends – and using that time for loosening up – needs to be balanced with setting specific time aside for that dreaded homework.

I find my escape at my ballet

class through my inner thoughts.

It's where classical music floods the room and reverberates through wooden floor beams beneath my soft pink slippers.

While I hold onto the wooden bar with only my fingertips, I can feel the warmth of the sun reflecting off the mirrors.

I take one last look out the breezy french doors at the wildly blue ocean as I take deep breaths and lunge forward to stretch out the daily stress.

With a sigh of relief I feel the salty air whisper across my temples, once tightened by worries only an hour before.

The class leaves me with a feeling of relaxation and determination.

Clubs are another great way to overcome that lethargic feeling.

When my brother was in the master's program at Cal State Fullerton he took the opportunity to join a

club and meet other graduate students and business executives.

For the students whose budget doesn't allow for a hobby or for visiting their families that live further than a hop, skip and a jump away, there are several options at hand on the CSUF campus.

There are clubs (many that are free), sports and other organizations available to join – specifically a fraternity or a sorority.

There is also a counseling center on campus for those that need help tying up that loose end of the knot.

Just remember during that last little push through that last semester, it's almost done.

Though I may be on the "Van Wilder plan," I keep my inner strength by knowing that the feeling of accomplishment on my graduation day will be nothing short of amazing.

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Resorts/Hotels Rides Offered/Wanted Travel Tickets Vacation Packages

Services 4400 4500 4600 4700 4800 4900 5000 5100 5200 5300 5400 5500 5600 5700 5800 5900 6000

1-900 Numbers Financial Aid Insurance Computer/Internet Foreign Languages Health/Beauty Services Acting/Modeling Classes Legal Advice/Attorneys Movers/Storage Music Lessons Personal Services Professional Services Resumes Telecommunications Tutoring Offered/Wanted Typing Writing Help

Employment 6100 6200 6300 6400 6500 6600 6700 6800 6900 7000 7100

Business Opportunities Career Opportunities P/T Career Opportunities F/T Child Care Offered/Wanted Help Wanted Actors/Extras Wanted Housesitting Internship Personal Assistance Temporary Employment Volunteer

Housing 7200 7300 7400 7500 7600 7700 7800 7900

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a National Leadership and Honors Organization with over 75 chapters across the country, is seeking motivated students to assist in starting a local chapter (3.0 GPA Required). Contact Rob Miner, Director of Chapter Development at rminer@salhonors.org.

Language Door Inc: We teacher over 20 languages: Go to www. languagedoor.com!Contact: oc@ languagedoor.com 949-833-0900 Fiscal audits of the Associated Students and Titan Student Union for the year ending 6/30/08 may be reviewed in TSU-218 during normal business hours.

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Register free for jobs near campus or home. www.student-sitters.com Kid’s Nite Out is hiring childcare professionals! Positions are part-time with flexible scheduling. Call 321-278-7410 to schedule an interview.

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Gemini (May 21 - June 20) A Ph.D. degree in parapsychology is in your future. Despite what you may have heard, however, the corresponding career path is not terribly rewarding. You will get to see a lot of furniture move by itself, of course, so that’s a plus.

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sports

6

October 7, 2008

Volleyball spikes Big West teams Titans snap three-match losing streak by defeating UCR and UCI on the road to even conference record sports@dailytitan.com

The Titans (8-10, 2-2 in the Big West) took on UC Riverside and UC Irvine on the road, and Head Coach Carolyn Zimmerman said that the wins helped the Titans see their potential and boosted their confidence.

“I feel like before we felt like we weren’t able to win, so I feel like after this weekend we know what we can do,” freshmen Sydney McDowell

said.

On Saturday the Titans played UC Irvine (7-9, 2-1 in the Big West) in a tough four-set match.

In set one the Titans started off down 0-4, but after two kills in a row by Moore the Titans were on their way.

A back and forth battle ensued between the Anteeaters and the Titans until CSUF pulled away at 16-15 and took the set from there.

The Titans started with the lead in set two but lost it early on. Another kill from Moore helped the Titans

tie the score at 7-7, when they took to gain an advantage in the match.

“The girls came in excited to play. control of the match.

Set three was a struggle from the They came in ready to play. They came in with a winning mindset and beginning.

After starting off down 0-2, a kill attitude and they executed the plan,” from sophomore Erin Saddler tied Zimmerman said. the score at 3-3, but a seven-point Moore also led the Titans with 21 run put the Anteaters up 7-18 and kills a .264 hitting percentage, and 21 the Titans couldn’t regain the mo- digs in the five-set battle against UC mentum.

Riverside on Friday evening (22-25, In the final set of the match, a 25-21, 25-15, 12-25, 15-10). battle at the net that McDowell won After having a difficult fourth set, put the Titans up 4-3. the Titans came out strong in set five The momentum they gained from and took a 10-2 lead after a pair of there had the Titans up 20-13, but aces by Saddler and kills from both the Anteaters put Moore and Edup a fight and mond. came to within The Highlandthree points of the ers nearly came Titans at 21-18. back at 14-10, but The Titans the Titans had all pushed through the momentum and a pair of kills they needed to

by Saddler and take the match.

– Carolyn Zimmerman, Moore led the TiMoore wasn’t Head Coach tans to victory. the only Titan Moore finished with impressive the night with anstats in the match. other double-double, posting 25 kills Junior Alex Wolnisty posted 14 and 11 digs. She added one block kills a .400 hitting percentage and solo and two block-assists in the win four block-assists, and Saddler add(25-18, 25-17, 11-25, 25-21). ed 13 kills and five aces to the ofSaddler added 10 kills, a .412 hit- fense. Ragan had 46 assists and four ting average, and four service aces in block assists, Croteau added 12 digs the win. and junior Ashley Collier posted six Freshmen Andrea Ragan had 43 of her own to push the Titans to vicassists, freshmen Jennifer Edmond tory. posted six kills, and sophomore “They came out of that win with a Cami Croteau led the defense with lot of confidence. They shook game 17 digs. four off no problem, it was a down “I thought we played really well. set for us, and they just worked as a Our energy was really high, and I team,” Zimmerman said. don’t know about game three, but The Titans will travel to face Cal the first, second and fourth games State Northridge in a conference I thought we had momentum,” match-up on Saturday at 7 p.m. beMoore said. fore returning home to face Bucknell Both Moore and McDowell said in a non-conference matchup on that the team’s energy helped them Sunday at 4 p.m. at Titan Gym.

“

(The team) came in with a winning mindset and attitude and executed the plan.

“

By Crysania Salcido

Daily Titan Staff Writer

The Daily Titan has started a sports blog on its Web site to bring CSUF athletics closer to students and fans with personal experiences with the teams and players.

To view, please visit www.dailytitan.com/sports/blog

Photos by By Brad Goldman/For the Daily Titan Top: Brittany Moore spikes the ball in the women’s volleyball teams win against UCI at the Bren Events Center on Saturday. Left: Ashley Collier, left, and Erin Saddler celebrate during the Titan’s win against the Anteaters.

VOLLEYBALL SEASON STANDINGS School

Big West W L %

Overall W L

Cal Poly UCSB Pacific UC Irvine

4 3 3 2

0 1 1 1

1.000 .750 .750 .667

9 7 3 7

CSUF

2

2

Long Beach St 1 UC Riverside 1 UC Davis 0 CSUN 0

1 2 4 4

%

6 8 9 9

.600 .467 .250 .438

.500 8

10

.444

.500 .333 .000 .000

3 12 9 12

.786 .333 .471 .294

11 6 8 5

Californians try to fulfill hockey dreams

By Jessica Cartie

For the Daily Titan

sports@dailytitan.com

For 63 men, the dream of playing professional hockey was left to remain a dream after they were cut from the open tryouts held for free agents Sept. 27 – 28 by the Ontario Reign, an affiliate of National Hockey League team the Los Angeles Kings.

Players from all over the U.S. and Canada came to demonstrate their skills at the open tryouts for a chance to play for the newly developed semiprofessional team.

One of the local players who came ready to play was Cal State Fullerton senior Paul Smyth, 23.

During the tryouts Smyth sported number 11 on the navy blue Ontario Reign practice jersey he was provided.

“Playing professional hockey has

been a dream of mine since I started playing at age five,” the anthropology major said.

Although he did not make the cut, Smyth will continue playing the sport he loves.

“I am planning to play for the Cal State Fullerton team, which is currently being redeveloped,” he said.

Playing alongside Smyth at the free agent camp was 25-yearold Christopher LeCornu from Ridgecrest, Calif.

Like Smyth, LeCornu also played hockey growing up, later scoring a spot on the Denver University club ice hockey team for at least two years, according to Ritchie Kendal, who played with LeCornu on the team.

Although the Ontario Reign is not quite at the NHL level, it is LeCornu’s “lifelong dream” to play hockey at any professional level.

“It would be something I could

check off my list of life goals,” he said.

Smyth, LeCornu and the other players were split into four teams, each with two games and conditioning drills to follow.

Head Coach Karl Taylor silently jotted down notes as he stood amongst the players’ supporters in the stands above the rink, where he could get a better view.

“I am looking for hockey players,” Taylor said. “These are guys that are fighting for a chance to make it – their odds are long.”

Six players made the cut and are still fighting for their chance at the Reign’s training camp, which started on Friday, Oct. 3, while the other 63 skaters may have better luck next year.

Until then, those 63 hockey enthusiasts can join the rest of us watching the Reign from the stands starting Friday, Oct. 10.

Think Different. Think Simon.

Dear Dodger fans: Please disregard my previous column

By Simon Liang

Sports Columnist

sports@dailytitan.com

OK, I’ll admit it. I was way off when I said the Blue Crew wouldn’t make it anywhere in the postseason.

Something magical happened in that Dodger clubhouse and they swept the Chicago Cubs, who I thought had a great chance to advance to the World Series.

I was bagging on their starting rotation, but they all delivered and brought their “A” game to the divisional series. The three starting pitchers combined for 19 innings with a 1.42 ERA while striking out 17 batters in the process.

The bullpen was superb, however Takashi Saito didn’t look too comfortable. Jonathan Broxton should be able to fill in if need be.

I was most surprised by the power the Dodger lineup showed, with four home runs in three games. Of course, Manny Ramirez was being himself, with five hits and two home runs for the series.

I’m thinking the Philadelphia Phillies will try to walk Manny more in order to put more pressure on the rest of the lineup to come through.

Russell Martin and James Loney came alive in the NLDS with pivotal hits. The most important was the grand slam that Loney hit off Ryan Dempster in the Game 1 victory.

All of this is even more remarkable considering they are missing Brad Penny and Jason Schmidt from their pitching staff. They are also missing Andruw Jones in the outfield, and Torre has chosen to start Blake DeWitt at second base instead of beloved veteran Jeff Kent.

As we look ahead to the NLCS against the Phillies, we shouldn’t get ahead of ourselves by anointing the Dodgers NL Champs just yet. Surely this year’s team has made me more of a believer and it seems like their quest for the title won’t stop in the city of Brotherly Love.

The Phillies have all the big names on their squad, but it all begins with their ace Cole Hamels. He is one of the best left-handers in the game today and he has a great change up.

The rest of the Phillies staff is questionable, especially 45-year-old Jamie Moyer. He has played in the majors longer than most of you reading this have been alive (he was drafted in 1984).

Although starting pitching is not

their strength, they make it up with their bullpen. Their middle-relief is one of the best in the league. After that, they end the game with Brad Lidge, who was 41-for-41 in saves during the regular season. Talk about lights out.

But ultimately, for this team, it all starts with 2007 NL MVP Jimmy Rollins. He is the sparkplug for the team, and after him you have to go through the heart of the lineup, which is tough to beat. Chase Utley, Ryan Howard and Pat Burrell combined for 114 home runs during the season. Talk about power.

The Dodgers won’t be too intimidated after blowing the Cubs out of the water. I’m sure their confidence is high. However, they still need to play like there is a chip on their shoulder so they don’t lose focus.

This is going to be a hard-fought series.

The road to the World Series does not look far. I am bleeding Dodger blue. Dodgers in six.