Daily Titan: Tuesday, September 29, 2009

Page 1

Tuesday September 29, 2009

Since 1960 Volume 85, Issue 14

The Student Voice of California State University, Fullerton

INSIDE DT

Volunteers aid in Moon Festival By Nikki Mao

Daily Titan Staff Writer news@dailytitan.com

FEATURES: What to look for at Long Beach’s first Comic Con, page 3

OPINION: This week’s Devil’s Advocate delves into the topic of reviving Titan football, page 4

Members of the Asian community, including members from Association of Chinese Students, showed up on Sunday, Sept. 27 at Arcadia County Park to support and volunteer in celebration of the 2009 Harvest Moon Festival. “This is the second year we have helped at the Harvest Moon Festival, and each year has been memorable,” said Natalie Kha, the president of ACS. “It provides our members with the opportunity to give back to the Asian community and view the different aspects of the Asian culture.” According to LA 18/KSCI-TV, the event organizer, Asian food, music and performances were offered to entertain around 50,000 people who attended this event. The Moon festival, also known as the Mid-Autumn festival falls on Oct. 3 this year and is one of the most celebrated holidays in the Chinese calendar. It is a date that parallels the autumn and spring equinoxes of the solar calendar, when the moon is at its fullest and roundest, according to their Web site. “Members of different ethnicities come out to see the various performances such as the opening lion dance and the fan dance. Then they leave the event with new knowledge about the culture, memories with friends and free stuff from all the booths,” Kha said. As one of the two most important holidays in the lunar calendar, the Harvest Moon Festival is widely celebrated among Asian countries. Thus, members of ACS were “working really hard at the event in order to gain experiences about learning the Chinese culture and being active in the community at the same time,” said Jonathan Cheng, a junior finance major and ACS’ vice president. The ACS was approved on May 15, 2008, with the intention of creating a network for Cal State Fullerton students with a background or an interest in the Chinese culture; they currently have 100 members

By Ron fu/Daily Titan Staff Photographer Jack the Dog high-fives children at the Harvest Moon Festival in Arcadia on Sunday, Sept. 27. The Association of Chinese Students club from Fullerton also volunteered their time at the event.

Tusk Force boosts spirit By Kymberly Snew

Daily Titan Asst. News Editor news@dailytitan.com

SPORTS:

Former Titan baseball player Justin Turner called up to the big leagues, page 6

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Summer is not over. Cal State Fullerton students have one last chance to participate in fun summer activities and show school spirit by attending this year’s Titan Tusk Force spirit week, “Fall Back into Summer.” A pep rally kicked off this week in the Becker Amphitheatre and on Titan Walk with music, performances and fun spirit games to win prizes which include free food, snow cones, popcorn and candy. “The pep rally was to pump people up about the spirit week and to let students know about the events that will be going on this week,” said Michelle Vinal, administrative director for the Titan Tusk Force. The events coordinator of Titan Tusk Force, Dwayne Mason, was able to came up with the theme for spirit week, “Fall Back into Summer,” and helped coordinate the events that will occur throughout the week. “I was really, really pleased with the pep rally turnout and how we started the spirit week; it was better than I expected,” said Mason. “We got a lot of support from the ASI executive staff, great support from Greeks and the spirit squad. Dance and hip hop teams came to perform.” Spirit week will continue today with a fashion show. ASI Productions Street Team and Titan Tusk Force members will be modeling clothes from the Titan Shops at the Becker Amphitheatre from 12 p.m. – 1 p.m. “It is the 50th anniversary for the Titan Shops, and they will be having blowout sales and will be selling their orange Fullerton hats for $5; its original price is $20,” Vinal said. As the Titan Shops celebrate 50 years of service to the CSUF community, there will be a day of games, give-aways and deals. There will be a “sweet savings” event for students to pick a candy and unwrap deals. You can win from 20 percent to 50 percent off your next Titan Shops purchase at a “secret sale” from 11:30 a.m. – 2:30 p.m. and a Titan Gear Grab ‘n’ Go following the fashion show. Two students will be picked from a drawing, which will begin at 9 a.m.

The winners will be announced at the ASI fashion show and must be present to win. Students will be given 60 seconds to fit as much Titan gear as they can into a JanSport backpack. Students with the most Titan pride will have their chance to express it on Wednesday at the tailgate before the men’s soccer game against Cal Poly San Luis Obispo. Titan Tusk Force will be in Lot G across from the soccer field from 5 p.m. – 7 p.m. There will be competitions for students to participate in, a poster contest and the search for the student with the most school spirit. Students who demonstrate their Titan pride will win two gift cards, one to Yogurtland and another to In-N-Out Burger. “You can be face painted, whatever you think will be the most school spirited,” Vinal said. The poster contest will allow students to show their Titan pride and win a prize. The poster can be made before or during the tailgate while supplies last. They cannot show profanity or offensive words, and must support the CSUF’s soccer team, or stir up rivalry against Cal Poly. As a Titan Tusk Force member, Kim Ferrer, 19, kinesiology major said she joined the group at her freshman orientation to become involved on campus, meet new people and to go to games. “Going to games allows us to meet other supporters who are equally excited about the sport,” Ferrer said. “We get a huge turnout and great attendance to games when there is a tailgate. Everyone loves free food.” Among other events, the tailgaters “will be able to participate in fun spirit games such as team relays and pie-searching contests that will have students search through pie filled with whipped cream,” Mason said. Spirit week is a way for Titan Tusk Force members to become accessible to the student body, “we are spirited, loud, and accept everyone who wants to be a part of the Titan Tusk Force, we do not judge anyone based on an application, but it’s a way to show student pride,” Mason added. The last day to show CSUF pride is on Oct. 1 from 6 p.m. – 9 p.m. at the Titan Student Union Pub where students can

and always stay involved with others in the Asian community, according to their Web site. Besides celebrating and sharing the importance of Chinese culture, ACS members do have their own expectations toward the event. “My personal goals were to help out the community of my heritage and meet fellow involved peers. It’s a great time for the Chinese and Chinese-Americans to get together, learning and appreciating their culture,” said Roger Leu, a senior sociology major also a member of ACS. Tim Pham, a senior political science major, attended the celebration because he thought it was a good way to meet cute girls. At the same time, Cheng considered the significance of the Harvest Moon Festival and that it “is not only to learn, but also to get the organization (ACS) recognized and to be involved in the Chinese community on and off campus.” More than seven groups of cars brought over approximately twenty ACS members who volunteered for two shifts. The morning shift was from 9:30 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. with the afternoon shift from 12:30 to 5:00 p.m., said Crystal Ang, a business major student and the community liaison of ACS. “We didn’t spend any money on this event, but we got a lot from it. Every volunteer received a free shirt, lunch, and we all had a great time,” she added. The festival included various performers of dance, music and culture groups. YouTube singer David Choi and the winners of the third season of “America’s Best Dance Crew,” Quest Crew, gave their best on the stage to the visitors. Ang said she was lucky enough to be able to work backstage this year, and met some of the performers, such as Quest Crew, Paul Dateh and AJ Rafael. “I want ACS members to get involved in the community, but at the same time I want everyone to have fun, I think the Harvest Moon Festival did just that,” Ang said. “By volunteering in this event, we shared a great bonding experience to work together and gained leadership skills as well.”

Ready to rally

By jeremiah magan/Daily Titan Opinion Editor Rodrigo Calderon and other activists prepare for today’s protest by creating signs in front of Aloha Java café last night. Painted signs laid across the café’s tables among colored markers, coffee, wooden stakes and other supplies. The protest will begin at noon in the Quad.

“Win a Date” with an ASI leader. Mason and events coordinator, Melyssa Dela Cruz, who is also one of the co-directors of Camp Titan, will host the event. Interested students must bid at least $5 to win a date with a student leader. The winner of the date will have dinner, go bowling

and use the billiard tables provided in the Underground TSU for free. “This is a way to raise money for the ASI philanthropy and Camp Titan,” Vinal said. “ASI members will go bid to win a date because they know who the money is going to, we take these kids to heart.”


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