D E O D O I F S L N I A I E C U E SP ISS
THURSDAY, M ARCH 20, 2014
Volume 95, Issue 29
Once-a-month adventure
Student sounds off on ongoing Syrian conflict Activists staged 72-hour protest in Washington D.C.
SEE PHOTOS ON 5 AMANDA SHARP / Daily Titan The Arboretum conducts monthly nature tours where visitors can observe a variety of plants, trees, flowers and wildlife.
Keeping the door open NOTEWORTHY SERIES
Impacting the community by thinking outside of the box CSUF alumnus creates a new way to help businesses and schools AMAL ROCKN Daily Titan
Christopher Adrian helped his father create an even easier way to keep a door open in hopes to do away with traditional wedges that are sometimes difficult to use. Adrian attended Cal State Fullerton for both his
undergraduate and graduate education, and launched the new product with his father, David Adrian, called the Sure Stop Wedge. Adrian earned his bachelor’s degree in 2012 in business administration with a focus in management. He then earned an MBA in business administration, with a concentration in marketing, which helped him provide the marketing plan for the product. SEE INVENTION, 6
Courtesy of Mihaylo College of Business and Economics Cal State Fullerton alumnus Christopher Adrian along with his father, helped establish a new way to keep doors propped open with their invention of the Sure Stop Wedge.
CIVIL WAR
CECILY MEZA Daily Titan
-Conflict began in March 2011
Bayanne Kanawati made an impact in Washington D.C. last week by participating in a 72-hour demonstration outside the White House, helping to recite 100,000 names of those who have died in the ongoing conflict in Syria. Kanawati, a 19-year-old biology major and member of the Cal State Fullerton Muslim Student Association (MSA), is part of the Syrian-American Council (SAC), a nonprofit organization devoted to raising awareness and empowering the youth to help build a democratic, free Syria. Since March 12, Kanawati has been in the nation’s capital, bringing awareness to the third anniversary of the Syrian revolution. Kanawati and other SAC members have met with members of Congress and senators to bring up issues with the status of Syria. “It’s been three years now of what’s been going on in Syria and there hasn’t been any change yet,” Kanawati said. “Even the resolutions that were being worked on ... haven’t been passed yet.” SAC also held a fundraising dinner that raised over $560,000. That money will be donated to the Syrian residents who have lost their homes and families from the violence occurring there. “There were so many personal stories that we shared to the Congress and senators … with what happened to their families … it’s just something that we have to do,” Kanawati said. Kanawati and other SAC members took alternating shifts, ranging from 30 minutes to an hour, throughout the demonstration. “When you’re actually reading every single individual that has passed away because of this inhumane thing, it just breaks your heart,” Kanawati said. “I actually saw other parents that were crying because they saw their own child on that list or their own uncle or their
-Over 100,000 deaths as of July 2013; United Nations has stopped updating death toll -Over 2 million people have fled Syria own dad.” The emotional reading grabbed tourists’ attention and attracted some important Capitol Hill figures. After hearing the personal stories from those Syrian advocates, SAC was able to grab the attention of senators. Senators wrote letters to the Obama administration the second day while Kanawati and SAC members were out in D.C. stating they support their cause. Support was not only shown in Washington, but members of the Cal State Fullerton MSA were extremely proud of the work Kanawati was doing. Sarah Salama, the president of the CSUF MSA, showed major support for all the hard work and dedication that Kanawati has put in. “She’s amazing … she is so passionate about this cause … she was on the board last semester and right now she is just a member, a very active member,” Salama said. Students have also shown major support for all the work that Kanawati and the CSUF MSA has been doing for Syria. “I felt that our school do support us for what we are doing,” Kanawati said. “The positive feedback we get ... is just amazing … either if it’s just for MSA or for Syria we’re always getting those smiles, donations or whatever that people are giving us … it’s just great.” The next CSUF Muslim Student Association meeting will be held on March 24 at 2:30 p.m. and 5:30 p.m. in Tuffrey A. SEE PHOTO ON 3
Veggiepalooza will offer hundreds of exotic tomatoes, peppers Arboretum has added numerous new plants to annual sale CHRISTINA NGUYEN Daily Titan
The annual massive plant sale that has evolved into a full-grown “Veggiepalooza” will come to the Arboretum this weekend. The event attracts thousands of visitors each year, and its popularity has pushed it to expand beyond tomatoes and peppers, to other vegetables, fruits and herbs as well. The multicultural plant sale will divide the veggies by region.
Guests are invited to look through Asian, Mexican and Mediterranean gardens. During this time of year, weather conditions are perfect for the 250 different varieties of tomatoes and 190 varieties of peppers that are always popular during Veggiepalooza events. However, the plant nursery also made way to grow other plants for the sale. Some of the new offerings are flowers that are “companion plants” for the tomatoes. These plants serve the dual purpose of making the tomatoes look more appealing and helping develop a sweeter flavor in the tomatoes by feeding pollinating
insects. Other vegetables, including squash, cucumber and even quinoa, will also be available for sale. Brad Weldy, the web and communications coordinator of the Arboretum, said the switch to different kinds of veggies was made to revamp the event and to stay a step ahead of similar sales. Still, guests can expect to see the same peppers they have grown to love, but also some unique new varieties of peppers as well. “We were really one of the first ones, at least in Fullerton especially, to have a tomato and pepper sale,” Weldy said. “Since so many people are doing the same
TRIP TO TAIWAN Michael Stover, the president of OLLI, promotes lifelong learning abroad
SEE ARBORETUM, 3
Courtesy of the Arboretum The Arboretum will host its annual vegetable sale this weekend.
INSIDE
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thing, we really want to lead the pack, and we still want to offer tomatoes and peppers, but we want to offer more. So we are going to put the first foot forward and try to lead the way with Veggiepalooza.” This year, the sale boasts an inventory including the “Carolina Reaper,” which Guinness World Records has deemed the spiciest chili pepper in the world. The Carolina Reaper, which looks like a scorpion’s stinger, is 100 times spicier than the average jalapeno and is also spicier than pepper spray.
THE BIG APPLE A Cal State Fullerton journalism student shares her experiences with the glittering city FEATURES 6 VISIT US AT: DAILYTITAN.COM