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Off the “fiscal cliff” and into “the abyss” FEATURES 6
Greek life motivates students
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Volume 93, Issue 13 CAMPUS | Objectives
Committee plans to achieve 5-year goals This years focus is to raise funds to add a biomedical annex for Dan Black Hall MICHELLE TUYUB Daily Titan
The executive committee for the College of Natural Sciences and Mathematics has approved a fiveyear strategic plan to improve the infrastructure, refine student retention and graduation rates, and increase external revenue. A strategic plan is a set of goals and objectives composed by the chair of each department of the college. According to the Strategic Plan, the college is hoping to accomplish all goals by the end of the 2015-2016 school year. The committee hopes to prepare students for advanced degrees and successful careers in the field of science and mathematics. The focus for this year is to raise funds to add a biomedical annex for Dan Black Hall. David Bowman, Ph.D., chair of
SPORTS 8
Titan men play last two games at home
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THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 28, 2013
IMPROVING URBAN FARMING METHODS
the Geological Sciences Department, said the annex will be dedicated to lab space for the growing biomedical student-faculty research programs within biology and chemistry departments. That decision will need the approval of the college dean’s philanthropy task force and the Executive Committee. The new science lab building would be built between Dan Black Hall and Nutwood Avenue. The plans for the biomedical annex will be completed when the university succeeds in raising sufficient funds. According to the strategic plan, the college hopes to raise $650,000 through private funds, which may include grants and donations received by the college. Established in June 2011, the Strategic Plan is progressing in its second year of operation, with the college publishing goals for each academic year. SEE GOALS, 2
CAMPUS | Research
Research seeks end to parasite suction LAUREN DAVIS Daily Titan
Research surrounding the insights to the mechanisms of host attachment and colonization by the widespread parasite Giardia intestinalis was presented by Scott Dawson, Ph.D., a UC Davis professor, on Wednesday. Dawson’s research on parasitic protists is more commonly known as Giardia, a single-celled organism and waterborne pathogen that lives in most water supplies. Parasites live on or in a host organism, causing harm to the host. Dawson gained an interest in protists while completing his doctoral dissertation. It was during this time that he came across protists in an anoxic environment, an environment absent of oxygen. His ultimate interest resides in how and why these eight Giardia
flagella are uniquely specified in their function. Flagella are hairlike structures within a cell that help the cell travel. At the event, sponsored by the Biology Department and held in McCarthy Hall, Dawson explained how Giardia intestinalis are the most common causes of protozoan intestinal infections in the world, therefore affecting humans and animals by attaching to the small intestine in the form of a suction cup, and residing there for as long as a few months. There are about 2.5 million cases per year in the U.S., and one billion people are affected worldwide by microscopic Giardia. A person infected with Giardia will loose an average of about 20 pounds and experience frequent symptoms of diarrhea. SEE PARASITE, 3
ROBERT HUSKEY / Daily Titan
Calvin Lung, 22, a biology major, grabs worms that will be used for his 10-week long research experiment inside the Arboretum.
Worm excretions create fertilizer CSUF biology student studies how two different diets affect worms SAMUEL MOUNTJOY Daily Titan
A Cal State Fullerton student began a 10-week long research project at the Arboretum on Wednesday to study how worm excretions can improve urban farming. Calvin Lung, 22, a biology major, will be studying how two different diets affect the population and health of the worms as well
as the quality and quantity of the worm’s excretions, called castings. Worm castings can be used to create an organic, natural fertilizer called vermicompost. They have shown promise as an organic fertilizer that provides plants with beneficial microbes and nutrients according to CalRecycle, a government organization. “It is a need that we produce this because a lot of farms use it especially with the organic movement now. It means less pesticides and less genetically modified foods,” said Lung. “This is something that we do need to lessen
our dependence on synthetically created fertilizers.” Lung will be conducting his experiment at a plot of land on the east side of the Arboretum. During the course of his experiment, he will divide worms into two groups of seven and place them in 14 bins. The worms will be fed food scraps obtained from the Gastronome. Eleven pounds of Eisenia fetida, commonly known as red wigglers, will be distributed equally into the bins. The amount of bins assures statistical reliability and is a safe-
guard against contamination by weather or wildlife. Paper, soil and coconut fiber will be placed into the bins with the worms and they will receive 150 grams of food per day, as appropriate. The two groups, the control group and the experimental group, will receive differing diets. The control group will receive a “random diet,” a meal of anything not eaten by Gastronome patrons: pasta, oranges, fish, meat, bread and anything else thrown out that day. SEE WORMS, 2
FEATURES | Culture
SPORTS | Baseball
Cultures collide at festival
Titans welcome former coach back to Fullerton Undefeated men’s baseball team looks to extend hot streak against familiar foe
CHELSEA BOYD Daily Titan
CHRIS KONTE
The Titan Student Union Pavilions were transformed into a cultural oasis Tuesday night when the Association for InterCultural Awareness (AICA) held its thirdannual Culture Couture event. Guests at the event were transported across the globe by way of artistic expression from a host of cultural performers. The three-hour show featured fashion, art, music and dance performances from students as well as guests. Carlos Navarro, 21, AICA administrative chair, said although the association puts on many different events throughout the school year, Culture Couture puts an important emphasis on art. “This event is focused more on the artistic expression, so of course we wanted artwork, we wanted fashion, performances, we wanted
In his 11 seasons as the head coach of Cal State Fullerton’s renowned baseball team, George Horton led the Titans to six College World Series appearances, including a National Championship in 2004. Among the many who took notice of Horton’s success was the University of Oregon, who lured him north with a guaranteed annual salary of $400,000 after the 2007 season. Oregon, which has many of its sports teams sponsored by Nike, was in the process of rebuilding its baseball program at that time. The sporting goods juggernaut announced that it would finance a brand-new, $20 million stadium and a “significant travel budget,” according to the Orange County Register. Now in his fifth season, Horton
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VANESSA MARTÍNEZ / Daily Titan
A member of the Association of Chinese Students performs a traditional Chinese ribbon dance.
food, all so that students can learn a little about each other’s culture,” said Navarro. The night began with Baba Storyteller, who whimsically transported the audience to ancient Africa using an authentic African harp. From there, guests were taken to
China, Sudan, the Philippines, Japan and more, all before intermission. The Japanese Culture club, whose membership includes a broad range of ethnicities, brought both modern and traditional entertainment to the show performing a K-Pop
routine followed by a traditional Japanese storytelling dance. After the intermission, the cultural journey resumed in the Caribbean Islands with a crowd pleasing dance performance. SEE AICA, 5
has transformed the Oregon Ducks into a Division I championship contender. Last year at the helm, Horton guided Oregon to a 46-19 record, finishing third in the Pac-10 conference. Horton and his Ducks (7-1) fly south to take on Rick Vanderhook’s undefeated Titans (8-0) in a threegame showdown at Goodwin Field beginning Friday night at 7 p.m. The teams also play Saturday at 6 p.m. (Senior Night) and Sunday at noon. Both teams are ranked nationally; the Ducks sit at No. 14 while the Titans occupy the No. 17 spot. The Titans have equaled their best start in school history by winning each of their first eight games. The 2003 team, which also started 8-0, also managed to compile a 15-1 record through 16 games. That squad belonged to Horton. CSUF is coming off a three-game sweep at No. 22 TCU that saw the Titans outscore the Horned Frogs by a 20-4 margin. SEE RETURN, 8
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