INSIDE: FEATURES
SPORTS: Michael Jordan inducted into Naismith Hall of Fame, page 10
Preeminents pay tribute on 9/11, page 4
OPINION: Nerd’s love/hate relationship with Blizzard, page 7
Since 1960 Volume 85, Issue 6
Monday September 14, 2009
The Student Voice of California State University, Fullerton
Sex scandal discredits Duvall By Patrick Cowles
Daily Titan Asst. News Editor news@dailytitan.com
The TV camera sits innocently still viewing former California Assemblyman Michael D. Duvall (RYorba Linda) and current Assemblyman Jeff Miller (R-Corona) during a lull in their July 8 Assembly Appropriations Committee meeting. However, the topic of conversation between these two Orange County legislators during this break is far from innocent, as Duvall brags to Miller in graphic de- MIKE DUVALL tail about an affair he’s recently had with a lobbyist. A sergeant-at-arms hastily rushes towards the statesmen, and upon reaching them, Duvalls’ body language tenses up as he realizes he’s confessed on tape. Hours after the video and audio
were broadcast on television last week by KCAL, Duvall resigned. The next day, he denied having any affairs and confessed only to “inappropriate story-telling.” The video and audio, available widely on the Internet, shows Duvall bragging about sexual encounters with two women, including graphic details about how “messy” the relations were, and about how he enjoyed spanking during sex. “I want to make it clear that my decision to resign is in no way an admission that I had an affair or affairs,” Duvall said, in a statement posted on his Web site. “This is a private matter, and I ask that everyone respect the privacy of all involved.” One of the women Duvall bragged about having sex with is a lobbyist for Sempra Energy, a San Diegobased utilities company. News accounts have identified the lobbyist as Heidi De Jong Barsuglia, 36. Barsuglia has denied the affair, although she was suspended from her job this weekend, according to the Orange County Register. Since Duvall chaired a committee directly related
to the lobbyists’ industry, there have been ethical concerns regarding the affair. Duvall had represented the 72nd District in the state Legislature for three years, which includes Fullerton and the surrounding communities. Born in Alameda, Duvall is 54 and married with two adult children. Known as a “family values” politician, Duvall joined the Assembly in 2006. The Capitol Resource Institute gave him a 100 percent rating for voting to protect and preserve family in California over his years in the legislature. Prior to his service in the state legislature, Duvall held office as the mayor of Yorba Linda and served two presidential terms in their Chamber of Commerce. While at a Yorba Linda city council meeting last December, Duvall reportedly used language “that had folks at City Hall running for the edit button,” according to the Orange County Register’s Jessica Terrell. “The main ethical bridge for me is who the affair was with, since she’s a lobbyist,” Cerise Ostrem, a 22-year-
old criminal justice and psychology major, said. Since arriving in Sacramento, Duvall has voted against numerous renewable energy measures, including legislation that would require utilities to derive energy from solar, wind and geothermal sources by 2020, such as AB 920 which passed 51-26 on June 1, 2009, a solar power energy credit bill. According to Votesmart.org, Duvall voted no on AB 920. He voted no on AB 1470, the Solar Water Heating and Efficiency Act of 2007 that passed 44-34 on June 6, 2007. Sempra Energy has a well documented history of lobbyist investments and is currently invested in 170 pieces of legislation, according to the Los Angeles Times. Their spending spiked in 2002 reaching just under $2 million, peaking around $2.4 million in 2003. For 2009, Sempra has spent $735,499 so far. Since 2006, when Duvall joined the Assmebly, Sempra spent an average of $1.4 million. See DUVALL, Page 2
By Ron fu/Daily Titan Staff Photographer
Student paper censored SAM kicks off “It’s irrelevant to the story; it has nothing to “(The administration is) exercising censorship do with why they’re here,” Vaughn told the Reg- for all the wrong reasons in this case, in so far as ister. “I need to hear her rationale. If she has a there are right reasons. There might be a right reagood reason for putting it in the story, and we son if a student published in a student newspastill disagree, she gets to publish it as she wrote per, ‘On Monday we’re all going to bring guns to it. But open dialogue is an important thing for shoot the place up.’ OK, censor that. The mere us to have.” mention of Christianity and the fear you might The only reference to Christianity in the piece have to field a few phone calls on Monday is not reads: good enough. The First Amendment doesn’t care Alegre Foods identifies itself as “a Christian- if you have to field a phone call. And I think the based company” on its Web site and displays the California law supports me here,” she said. Bible verse Matthew 6:25 on its homepage (the California Education Code Section 48907 words “Matthew 6:25” also appear on the pepper states, “Pupils of the public schools shall have in Alegre’s logo). the right to exercise freedom “The purpose to serve God of speech and of the press ... through Alegre resonated clearly.” There shall be no prior reThe Web site states “… in the vistraint of material prepared sion and purpose to become the for official school publicanumber one full food service protions except insofar as it viovider for all Christian and Private lates this section. School offiSchools in Southern California ...” cials shall have the burden of Editor of Evolution, Taylor showing justification without Erickson, 17, told the Register, – Genelle Belmas, undue delay prior to a limita“(Vaughn’s) concern was that if a Communications professor tion of pupil expression under parent by chance took issue with this section.” Christianity, they would get a couVaughn told the Register ple of extra angry phone calls. They were afraid last week that she was not attempting to censor of the information and claimed it was irrelevant. the Evolution but allow it time to correct errors We were simply stating what the company was all in the paper. about. Our objective isn’t to please the adminisDean of the College of Communications and tration and show everything’s all hunky dory.” media law expert Rick Pullen said Vaughn may The school’s administration also threatened to have been unaware of the education code. stop future publications if they did not receive “Prinicpals frequently don’t understand proprior approval, according to the Register. visions in the education code. I certainly think “All future newspaper publications will be principals should know the law. And if they don’t, cleared by Sue (Vaughn) or I before being de- they are doing faculty and students a disservice,” livered to Maritza (Ahn, the school’s purchasing he added. technician) for printing,” Assistant Principal MiBelmas agreed. chael Ciecek wrote in an e-mail, according to the “I kind of think this principal kind of needs Register. “If you are not able to comply with this, a little First Amendment training. Read the ed. then the newspaper will no longer be published.” code. It’s pretty clear. And this is just amazing, asGenelle Belmas, professor of communications tounding to me that this happened. I mean, for and an expert on media law, said she was surprised god’s sake, if you can’t take that kind of heat, you that the principal censored the newspaper because should not be a principal. My dad was one; he the information in question was not worthy of took lots of heat,” she said. censorship.
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By Sergio Cabaruvias
Daily Titan News Director news@dailytitan.com
An Orange County principal violated a state education code that provides First Amendment rights to high school journalists when she halted the printing of the school’s newspaper, Evolution, last week, experts say. “In this case, technically, the principal was out of line,” said Jay Seidel, an instructor and journalism adviser at Fullerton College. “It was illegal what she did according to the California education code. She violated the student (writers’) rights.” Sue Vaughn, principal of the Orange County High School for the Arts, the largest public charter school in Orange County, temporarily halted publication of the school newspaper. She told the Orange County Register that she delayed publication a week so she could hear the reason for including in a news story the fact that the new managing company of the school’s cafeteria is strongly Christian-based.
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By todd barnes/Daily Titan Photo Editor Orange County High School of the Arts in Santa Ana.
(The administration is) exercising censorship for all the wrong reasons in this case...
DT SHORTHAND Nudies lose habitat Yesterday a rally of sunbathers opposed to a ban on nudity met at San Onofre’s Trail 6. For over a year the State Department of Parks and Recreation said they would cite nude sunbathers after Labor Day at the traditionally clothing-optional beach. State rangers didn’t issue any citations last Tuesday – the first day of the ban. The state’s move came after an appellate court ruled in its favor. The nudists have appealed to the state’s Supreme Court. Over 100 people gathered on Sunday denouncing the state’s
crackdown. Some nudists said they saw nothing wrong with being nude, and if people did not want to see them they could enjoy the beach elsewhere. The nudists’ attorney Elva P. Kopacz contends issuing citations would violate California law. She said a Superior Court ruling siding with the naturists will stand until the state’s Supreme Court can hear an appeal. The State Attorney General’s office says rangers do have the right to write citations, said state park spokesperson Roy Stearns. PHOTO COURTESY MCT
first Mihaylo Day By Patrick Cowles
Daily Titan Asst. News Editor news@dailytitan.com
An eruption of applause greeted Steven G. Mihaylo, guest speaker for the Society for Advancement of Management’s Mihaylo Day, sponsored by Rubio’s. Mihaylo quieted the audience before his speech at the first Mihaylo Day, on Sept. 10. “Well it’s good to be here,” Mihaylo said. “I went to school here, graduated in June 1969, 40 years and 2 months ago.” SAM offers Cal State Fullerton students the opportunity to see many guest speakers throughout the year. “We try to have one a month,” said Anthony Epperley, 22, a 2008 alumnus and former SAM president. However, 2009 marks the first year of the soon-to-be annual Mihaylo Day. The idea is to have Mihaylo come back every fall to open the school year. “We want to continue this every fall,” said Roland Bassily, 25, an operations management major and current president of SAM. After his speech, Mihaylo told the Daily Titan he would surely return. The idea for Mihaylo Day came about over the summer when Epperley asked Mihaylo if he’d like
to come speak in the fall. Having known Epperley for a few years, Mihaylo agreed. In an open forum address, Mihaylo gave a short four minute speech to approximately 200 students in attendance. He spoke of his time at CSUF, when the tallest building on campus was Langsdorf Hall, which was built the year he graduated. Mihyalo also gave a short autobiography of his life. A native to Los Angeles, Calif., Mihaylo spent his entire youth in Southern California before moving to Arizona in chase of work during his early adulthood. His parents divorced when he was nine, and he began to move frequently around Southern California. Before his senior year in high school, Mihaylo dropped out of school. He joined the Army and served in the 101st Airborne for a few years. While in the Army, he finished his senior year of high school in three years, then he began his electrical training. After he left the Army, Mihaylo worked for Western Electric as a field engineer before attending college. “I decided I needed to get out See MIHAYLO, Page 2
Festival of Philippine Art and Culture See page 3