09-02-2010

dailyaztec the

Thursday, September 2, 2010

Vol. 96, Issue 5

w w w. T h e D a i l y A z t e c . c o m

Tw i t t e r : T h e D a i l y A z t e c

2010 Football preview

14

is this the year? news ... 2 features ... 5 opinion ... 6 football ... 9 sports ... 17 entertainment ... 20 classifieds ... 23 backpage ... 24

2

The Daily Aztec THE

DAILY

AZTEC Editor in Chief

NEWS Campus pay phones removed

Thursday, September 2, 2010

Ruthie Kelly

Managing Editors Allie Daugherty & Sarah Grieco

ROBERT MORENO

Advertising Director

S TA F F W R I T E R

Robert Gilman

Art Director Brittany Paslawsky

News Editor Renee Villaseñor

Copy Chief Melissa Weller

Features Editor Matt Salwasser

Opinion Editor Thomas Hammel

Photo Editor David J. Olender

Sports Editor Edward Lewis

Entertainment Editor Maggie Pehanick

Web Editor Joseph Young

Those San Diego State students who relied on campus pay phones to make a call back home or because their cell phones died will no longer have that option. This is because SDSU removed all 17 of its pay phones during the summer.

Robert Schulz, associate vice president of operations, said the decision to remove all pay phones was based on economics.

“These pay phones were hardly used and therefore were an expense,” Schulz said. “In the past our pay phones generated income for the university, but this is not the case anymore since most students use cell phones to make calls.”

Schulz added that the removal of the pay phones is saving SDSU $14,000 a year. He said SDSU will spend that saved money on academics and student life activities that Aztec Shops supports. Aztec Shops owned all the pay phones on campus.

there is a building remodel or if a new building is put in place.

According to Duncan, there are more than 100 blue light emergency phones around campus.

Schulz said SDSU police recently announced they will now answer 9-1-1 calls from all landline phones on campus property and will soon be able to answer all cell phone 9-1-1 calls from campus property as well.

Rollo said the usage of pay phones at

SDSU may have declined throughout the years, but students should still be able to use them because not every student on campus has a cell phone According to Rollo, SDSU is the only pay phone-free college in San Diego. He said he does not expect other schools to follow suit.

The pay phones were removed from locations all across campus including high-traffic areas such as the Love Library, West Commons and Aztec Center.

A.S. Sales Manager David Bucklin

National Sales Manager MacKenzi Farsheed

Assistant Art Directors Daniela Anderson & Courtney Fone

Assistant News Editor Sarah Kovash

Assistant Copy Chief Kristen Caldwell

Assistant Sports Editor Agustin Gonzalez

Assistant Features Editor

“In the past our pay phones generated income for the university, but this is not the case anymore since most students use cell phones to make calls.”

Matt Doran

News Writers Danny Penera, Robert Moreno, Hutton Marshall, Ashley Morgan, Alejandra Paz

— Robert Schulz, associate vice president of operations

Sports Writers Beau Bearden, Dan Perez, Felina Tambakos, Matthew McClanahan, Chuck Herrmann, Eli Baldrige

Features Writers Chris Pocock, Hardik Shukla, Jessica Goodwin, Kristen Ace Nevarez, Mallory Sharp, Ahmanielle Hall, Anthony Artale, Daina Yousif, Emma Secker, Sydnee Brooker

Opinion Columnists Patrick Walsh, Andrew Slutzky, Patrick Glendening

Entertainment Writers Drew Scoggins, Erika Cueva, Hui Ling Tham, Katy McCreery, Paul Hernandez

Copy Editors Noah Henry, Tanya Huang, Julie Aeilts and Chris Pocock

Account Executives Elena Alikhanian, Drew Baker, Kyra Comber, Alan Hadaya, Jeanette Nguyen, Gina Remeiro, Arthur Sabat and Matthew Tobin

Production Designers Andrea Dicey, Angelyne Mabilangan, Tim Kolstad, Breanna Hill, Richard McPheters

Victor Rollo, president of the San Diego Payphone Owners Association, said he does not agree with the removal of all the pay phones at SDSU. At the center of the issue, he said, is student safety. Pay phones on campus give SDSU students access to report emergencies, Rollo said.

“San Diego State in my opinion probably should reconsider whether or not they need pay phones on their property and subsidize some of the cost so that they have access for individuals who don’t have cell phones and basic 9-1-1 access,” he said.

Rollo said he understands the economical impact behind the decision to remove the pay phones, but that from a humanistic standpoint it would be wise to keep some pay phones around campus. He added that several universities and community colleges have 9-1-1 access through the school’s pay phones.

SDSU Police Dispatcher Shawndalyn Duncan said additional blue light emergency phones will not be added to substitute for the pay phones. She said the only time the school will add more blue light emergency phones is if

Peter Kluch / Staff Photographer

Students will now have to rely on cell and landline phones as pay phones are no longer available at SDSU.

Accounts Receivable Clerk T.J. Bronson

Classifieds Lead

WORLD NEWS

Anna Cheuvront

Operations Manager Chris Jensen

A.S. Graphics Specialist Chris Blakemore

Office Supervisor Frankie Stahl

Hurricane Earl The U.S. eastern seaboard was affected by Hurricane Earl yesterday as it touched down along the coast. The Category 4 hurricane caused severe winds of 125 to 200 mph in some areas and is expected to cause rain during the Labor Day weekend. Some North Carolina residents and visitors were instructed to evacuate because of large sea swells. Earl is expected to take a turn toward the northeast, causing it to veer away from the U.S. coastline.

Obama addresses the Middle East President Barack Obama met with Israel’s Prime Minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, before giving a speech at the White House yesterday. Obama focused on a Middle East peace

settlement and referenced the large amount of work left to do. The president will meet with other Middle East leaders regarding peace settlements. He also addressed the recent Hamas-led attack on Israeli settlers.

The location for the peace settlement talks will move from the U.S. to the Middle East later in the month.

Drones at the border Beginning this month, Predator drones will patrol the southern U.S. border from Corpus Christi through eastern Texas. The additional drones will join three others that already patrol the border region from El Centro through western Texas. The unmanned aircraft has been effective in detecting illegal border-crossings and drug smuggling. Last month, the federal government sent the first

batch of 1,200 National Guard troops to help with security along the Mexico-U.S. border.

Both efforts to increase border security are part of $600 million legislation directed at decreasing drug violence in Mexico.

New iPods Apple revealed a new model for the iPod touch yesterday. The new model looks similar to the iPhone 4. It has a camera on the back and one on the front that can be used for FaceTime with other iPod touches and iPhone 4s. The gadget will be available next week for $229 for an 8GB, $299 for a 32GB and $399 for a 64GB model.

— World News was compiled by News Editor Renee Villaseñor and Assistant News Editor Sarah Kovash.

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FEATURES

Thursday, September 2, 2010

The Daily Aztec

5

TOP FIVE: BEST VIEWS OF SAN DIEGO AND BEYOND Being one of the most beautiful cities in America, San Diego deserves to be seen. But the question is, where are the most picturesque spots that can’t be missed?

The Daily Aztec has compiled a list of the top five places to see the best of San Diego.

Soledad Park Just on the other side of Mount Soledad is a great view of La Jolla, the Pacific Ocean, downtown and everything else in between. Just off La Jolla Scenic Drive (Mission Boulevard as a different name) viewers can get an amazing 360degree view from the base of the famous cross. While the fate of the religious war memorial is

unknown, the vista sure isn’t going anywhere.

Coronado to downtown A classic for anyone who has seen pictures of downtown before, a view from the northeastern side of Coronado offers a breathtaking view of the downtown skyline. Just an exit and a bridge away from Interstate 5, the city lights reflect off the harbor water so the view’s almost twice as impressive. Check out Bayview Park at First Street and I Avenue for this definite must-see.

Mount Soledad to Pacific Beach This one is a little less specific in

terms of directions, but great if Pacific Beach is the desired sight.

Drive north on Mission Boulevard, through P.B. and up the southern side of Mount Soledad. At about the fourth left up the hill, make a U-turn at Deerhill Court, ease along the curb and park it. Notice how Mission Bay, Mission Boulevard and the beach are on display only too perfectly.

Altitude Sky Lounge in downtown If a drink in hand is needed, and should said drink be needed downtown, check out the Altitude Sky Lounge. According to its website, “From 22 stories up, there’s

no better place to enjoy a cocktail and a fine view in San Diego.”

Within sight is Petco Park, the city skyline and the harbor, all from the seats surrounding the rooftop fire pit. If the view isn’t enough of a reason to stay, consider the music and full bar.

degree views of the college, Del Cerro and La Mesa neighborhoods. The 1.5-mile hike to the top is moderately difficult, but generally doesn’t take long. Be sure to watch out for the painted “S” landmark, an old tradition formed by San Diego State students in the early 1930s.

Cowles Mountain to College Area

—Compiled by Features Editor, Matt Salwasser

Visible from The Dining Room and most residence halls on campus, Cowles Mountain is not only great for a view, but for a hike as well.

Located about three miles from campus, Cowles Mountain is heavily traveled and also offers 360-

FEATURED THIS WEEKEND Friday, Sept. 3 Comedy Explosion and more From 9 p.m. to 2 a.m. tomorrow, San Diego State’s Aztec Nights program is hosting the Comedy Explosion in Montezuma Hall with an after-party in the Aztec Center courtyard. Guest comedians include Aida Rodriguez, the show’s host, Felipe Esparza, the winner from NBC’s “Last Comic Standing,” Roy Wood, Jr., a finalist from “Last Comic Standing,” Chris D’Elia and Lil Rel. “Comedy Explosion features some of the hottest comedians seen on Comedy Central, NBC, Showtime and HBO,” the Aztec Nights website as.sdsu.edu/aztecnights says.

Free popcorn, alcoholfree cocktails and VIP seating is included.

After the comedy show, Phi Beta Sigma, Inc. and Ko-Alition are hosting an after-party in the lower courtyard outside Montezuma Hall. Students must have their Red IDs available.

Thursday to Monday, Sept. 2 through 6 Festival of Sail at the harbor in downtown For students looking for a way to get away from campus this weekend, the annual Festival of Sail is beginning today and will end Monday.

“Cannon fire will salute the entrance of the tall ships from all over the world as they parade around San Diego Bay passing by Harbor Island, Shelter Island, Seaport Village and the Coronado Bridge ending up at the Maritime Museum’s docks,” the event website, sdmaritime.org, states.

Should anyone want to take to the high seas on one of the ships, a $10 “Passport” purchase is required, as well as the cost of the specific voyage. Prices range from $5 to more than $60.

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6

OPINION

The Daily Aztec

Thursday, September 2, 2010

CUT THE BULL

S.F. pet store ban is only one paw forward emember when Lassie would always save that darned kid from trouble? A growing battle between pet retail stores and animal rights activists reveals a recent role reversal for the famed dog.

The plot has changed, as the new casting call features legislation that attempts to rescue dogs and pets alike from a broken pet store system.

The Los Angeles Times reports San Francisco is not only considering a proposal to “prohibit commerce in cats and dogs as a way to discourage puppy mills and kitten factories” like the cities of South Lake Tahoe, West Hollywood, Austin and El Paso have, but also to ban the sale of birds, guinea pigs, mice, rats and hamsters in pet stores within the city’s 47 square miles.

The final approval must come from through San Francisco Board of Supervisors, the Commission of Animal Control and Welfare voted to postpone the date of the deciding vote on the ban back in July.

It doesn’t seem too crazy of an idea to see the issue of banning pet stores spreading to San Diego faster than fleas hopping from the “Yo Quiero Taco Bell” Chihuahua to Mr. Wiggles the guinea pig. There are two pet stores within a 10 minute drive of San Diego State, Petco, which owns the naming rights to the Padres’ stadium, and PetSmart.

The proposed ban may have good intentions, but it is only one small paw forward for protecting animals, not one giant leap.

The SF Gate claims the ban was originally meant to curb puppy mills and kitten factories, which are believed to supply many pet stores. The UC Davis School of Veterinary Medicine confirms that this mill-to-store connection exists. It also lists “none” for reasons why you should buy pets at pet stores, citing that puppy mill conditions are “poor and often inhu-

R

ANDREW SLUTZKY S TA F F C O L U M N I S T

mane,” and provide “no training or socialization” for dogs.

The ban proposal tries to refocus the public on adopting animals from overcrowded shelters — especially hamsters. As the SF Gate notes, they are the terrorists among pets in the home, often skittering around, chewing on wiring and running on their wheels at 2 a.m., constantly disturbing the owners that bought them on a whim.

This unfortunately leads many to their deaths — hamsters are one of the most euthanized pets on the market.

This ban could help weed out impulsive and poorly equipped window shoppers from responsible pet owners who can commit to their pets 24/7. People would have to check the classifieds, shelters reputable breeder listings and, God forbid, do research to find their pets.

While it seems I’m more pro-ban than Berkeley is liberal, I know bans can have unintended consequences and don’t always solve problems.

Bans can indirectly incentivize black market activity. Take marijuana, for example. Paradoxically, growers enjoy the ban because their product costs more illegally than it would on the legal market.

As of now, uncertainty surrounds exactly how many pets from pet stores end up in shelters. Advocates of the ban seem to suggest numerous, while a UC Davis and National Council on Pet Population Study and Policy in the SF Gate claims “only a small fraction of shelter animals (are) purchased at pet stores.”

One thing is for certain. We need to reform the animal care system.

The Animal Welfare Act, according to the Michigan State Legal Center, is the current federal legislation that leaves birds, mice, rats, fish and cold-blooded animals uncovered by regulations. Because the AWA is broad and has “a blanket exception for retail pet stores” unless they possess “exotic regulated animals” such as Asian tigers, states have taken the matter into their own hands.

The federal government needs to make explicit and universal standards covering all pets, while increasing transparency by publishing a website equivalent to Meghan’s Law that lists locations of pet store regulation violators. These violators should be issued a temporary suspension of operation if caught doing business with puppy mill and kitten factory markets.

Furthermore, pet owners should be

required to sign a “commitment-for-life” document that legally binds them to their pet until “death us doth part.”

I’m not a PETA fanatic who believes scaring people with grotesque images will move them to action. Though bans help, pet stores aren’t going to ditch the status quo unless the AWA is reformed and holds pet owners and distributors to higher standards. It’s the only way we can save animal care and the malnourished pets in cages — the Lassies we don’t see.

—Andrew Slutzky is a media studies senior.

—This column does not necessarily reflect the opinion of The Daily Aztec. Send e-mail to dailyaztecopinion@gmail.com. Anonymous letters will not be printed. Include your full name, major and year in school.

EXPOSING PUPPY MILL CONDITIONS Puppy mills are mass-breeding facilities that aim to produce puppies at a minimum cost for sale to pet stores or individual buyers.

An average puppy mill will keep between 65 and 75 animals.

Mothers and their litters often suffer from malnutrition, exposure, and a lack of adequate veterinary care.

Mills usually sell puppies at six weeks of age while federal licensees are prohibited from selling puppies younger than eight weeks of age.

Puppies are often kept in small kennels with excessive amounts of their own excrement.

Thousands of puppy mills are currently unregulated and continue to mass breed without inspection by the USDA because informal sales to buyers cannot be traced.

Female dogs are bred twice a year and are usually killed when they are no longer able to produce puppies.

A significant portion of puppies die while being transported to pet stores or shortly thereafter.

MCT Campus

Many volunteers have been called to take care of rescued dogs from abandoned puppy mills. When consumers purchase animals from pet stores, they often indirectly support illegal mills. Buy your next animal from a shelter.

Hey Monet. Still need an exhibition? We print twice a week.The Opinion section at The Daily Aztec is searching for a volunteer staff artist who can contribute political cartoons, caricatures and sketches. Get your passion in print and apply today.

Contact us: Dailyaztecopinion@gmail.com or visit thedailyaztec.com or call (619) 594 0509

www.thedailyaztec.com

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FOOTBALL 9 Finally ready to run

Thursday, September 2, 2010

AGUSTIN GONZALEZ A S S I S TA N T S P O R T S E D I T O R

If you watch freshman running back Ronnie Hillman’s highlight tape from his days back at La Habra High School, you’ll see the kind of speed, hands and versatility that would make any offensive coordinator drool.

You’ll see Hillman splits out wide, burning both a cornerback and safety en route to a long touchdown catch, or catching a short pass and dancing his way to a big gain. Then, while he’s lined up at running back, he shows the quickness to get to the outside and an array of jukes and spin moves that would make you dizzy.

With all of the football Hillman’s played in his life, it’s ironic to think that the biggest competition on his rise to becoming a starting tailback at San Diego State came from an opponent off the field: the SAT. Hillman’s SAT score last May was significantly higher than what he scored on the college placement exam, drawing suspicion from an SDSU administrator, who asked for further review on the test results. While the investigation was ongoing, Hillman had to drop out of classes and leave the residence halls right before the football season started.

After all the hard work he put in, he never even got to play in a game.

“It was frustrating,” Hillman said.

“I was mad at first and I had to see it as an opportunity to better myself ... In the long run it helped me mature a lot more and now I’m here and ready to play.”

Although having football taken away from him was one of the hardest things he’d ever had to deal with, Hillman didn’t feel sorry for himself and did all the right things to work at getting football back in his life. He moved in with his mother in Atlanta and got a job and even took online classes. But the sport never left his mind.

“Between working and classes, I lifted weights and ran,” Hillman said.

“To be good at a sport you have to love it, and I love (football). Football was always at the back of my head and I couldn’t get my mind off it.

Working and seeing all the games on TV made me even hungrier ... I’ve been playing football my whole life and when you have (it) taken away from you (it’s hard).”

With the help of extra studying and the online classes, Hillman retook the SAT and passed again. He reenrolled at SDSU in time for the start of the spring semester and rejoined his teammates in January. Even after everything Hillman went through, he doesn’t blame anyone but himself.

“It was my fault,” he said of the situation. “I didn’t take the placement test seriously. I can’t blame anybody for that.”

By waiting until the spring semester to formally enroll at SDSU, Hillman is considered a greyshirt freshman, giving him an extra season of eligibility. This is good news for head coach Brady Hoke, who finally gets to use the tailback who accounted for 2,104 total yards and 27 touchdowns as a senior in high school.

The Daily Aztec

Last season, the Aztecs’ rushing attack ranked 116th in the nation (and dead last in the Mountain West Conference). To put this in perspective, only four teams had less rushing yards than the Aztecs in all of Division 1 NCAA football last year. The passing offense finished second in the conference, but the team was too one-dimensional to get enough wins to become bowl-eligible for the first time since 1998.

That’s where Hillman comes in.

He’s a tailback that can be dangerous in both the rushing and passing games, adding a weapon that SDSU didn’t have last year. Hillman is tabbed by several analysts to be a big contributor for the Aztecs, but he doesn’t feel the pressure to live up to other people’s expectations.

“You can’t think about that kind of stuff,” Hillman said. “You have to think about helping the team because we all have to buy in and help each other to win.”

Although he is penciled in as the starting running back, Hillman doesn’t have a sense of entitlement and completely buys in to the team-first attitude. His goal for the team this season is achieving something that the Aztecs haven’t since 1986 when they were still in the Western Athletic Conference: Win a conference championship.

“Team-wise, win the Mountain West Championship and go to a bowl game,” Hillman said. “We can’t fall short of that and we can’t let each other down. We have to come together as a team and win that championship.”

Helping Hillman in the backfield is last year’s leading rusher, senior Brandon Sullivan. Sullivan will be the fullback and Hillman’s lead blocker, which is exciting for the freshman.

“Brandon’s a tough guy,” Hillman said. “He’s not really a fullback so it’s like having two tailbacks back there.

He’s used to being a tailback so he can see what a tailback sees and not what a fullback sees. He knows how to read the blockers as a tailback, so if you follow him it’s most likely going to be a nice run.”

Hillman took what happened to him last year as a learning experience, and insisted it only made him a better player.

“I loved football last year, but having it taken away from me made it mean a lot more,” Hillman said. “It made me realize that it could have been my last day playing football so I have to go hard every day.”

No matter what legacy Hillman carves out for himself here on Montezuma Mesa, the Aztec faithful have to appreciate one thing: Through his whole ordeal, Hillman stayed loyal to the Red and Black.

“I made a promise to come here,” Hillman said about returning to SDSU. “Being here all (last) summer and being with the team, I really bonded with the guys and I couldn’t just leave them. The coaches … went to bat for me. I didn’t even think about going anywhere else after they showed all the concern. It was a pretty easy choice.”

David J. Olender / Photo Editor

Ronnie Hillman was supposed to be the star tailback last year, but a controversy forced him to sit out.

FOOTBALL

Thursday, September 2, 2010

The Daily Aztec

11

From bust to boom EDWARD LEWIS SPORTS EDITOR

Everybody talks about his story.

The man is 24 years old and is on the brink of a standout season. The football world is in love with his size, his leaping ability, his hands, his blocking and his leadership qualities.

But talk to anybody on the San Diego State football team who knows DeMarco Sampson, and the conversation always turns back to his story.

“I’m very happy at what he has become and where he is at this point,” receivers coach LeCharls McDaniel said. “And it’s a fantastic story because I know where he’s come from.”

“What he’s been through, hometown kid, where he’s come from,” quarterback Ryan Lindley added. “It’s an awesome story for anybody.”

He’s been at SDSU for six years and has seen enough hardships to last 27 years more. So pull up a chair, take a seat and read the story of how DeMarco Sampson went from an injured, loud-mouthed, bad seed to one of the Aztecs’ best young men. ***** DeMarco Sampson was a pretty good football player at Castle Park High back in 2003.

“Castle Park, that’s where I made my name at,” Sampson said.

He scored 18 total touchdowns in his senior season there. USC, San Jose State, SDSU and Wyoming all wanted a piece of him. But he chose the Aztecs because they threw the ball all over the football field, and as a diva wide receiver, that intrigued him.

It was 2003 when he committed and it was 2005 when he donned his first SDSU jersey. Why the two-year layoff? Because this is Sampson’s story, and there’s always a bump in the road.

Sampson couldn’t make grades to get on the Aztecs’ roster in 2004.

“I let it slip,” he said. “At the end of the year, I started messing around.

They gave me the scholarship to come here, so it was kind of like, ‘Well, I’m already going to college, I don’t really need to go to class.’”

So he didn’t go to class. And he couldn’t pass his SATs. He took that test “about six times,” he said. But he never got the score required to get into SDSU. At one point, he tried hard. He got a tutor, studied a lot and took the test.

But he failed.

Finally, on the sixth try, he decided this was it. He was done with taking the test. If he didn’t pass it this time, he was going to Grossmont College and telling the Aztecs he’d see them in a few years.

He didn’t study for it. His mom woke him up, fed him breakfast, took him to the test-taking place, stood outside the door and waited for him to zoom through the test.

A week later, Sampson got a call from SDSU’s then-head coach Tom Craft.

“Hey,” Craft told Sampson. “You made it.”

Sampson couldn’t believe it.

“I told my mom, ‘Mom, I made it!’”

he said. “She was like, ‘What? You made it!’ And I was like, ‘I’m just as surprised as you are!’ It was just a good feeling.”

He had to greyshirt and wait for the 2005 season to roll around before he could join the Aztecs, but at least he passed.

He was going to be a Division I football player. And he was going to be one with a chip on his shoulder. ***** Sampson used to hate LeCharls McDaniel, his new wide receivers coach. He couldn’t stand him. “Why are you always on my case?” he would ask.

Sampson was SDSU’s No. 1 recruit heading into that 2005 season. He was a huge wide receiver with all the talent in the world. But he had a mouth to match his giant potential.

“You don’t like me!” he’d tell McDaniel.

McDaniel punished him for everything. Sampson would watch his teammates hot dog their way through team drills, and he would do the same.

“You didn’t run it right!” McDaniel would yell.

“What do you mean? He did the same thing!” Sampson would retort.

Nearly every day, the two would go at it. And it almost always ended with Sampson doing up-downs after practice for an hour.

He was just a problem. He never wanted to listen and he didn’t want to take the coaches’ advice. All he wanted to do was catch touchdowns.

“He was a kid that needed to mature and grow up,” McDaniel said.

The Aztecs were loaded at wide receiver when Sampson came in, too.

They had Jeff Webb, Chaz Schilens, Robert Ortiz and Brett Swain. So they didn’t have much room for Sampson’s big body or his big mouth on offense.

So they parked him on special teams.

“It was a big adjustment from being the guy who gets the ball every play, both sides of the ball, being depended on, to come here and I’m not even in the offense,” Sampson said. “It was kind of eye-opening. It took me awhile to realize it’s not my world. So I had to readjust my goals and attitude toward college football.” ***** The next season was going to be the year Sampson’s walk finally matched his talk. His relationship with McDaniel had improved, partly because he realized McDaniel was just trying to help him, and partly because he realized he had to shut up and listen if he wanted to see the football field.

McDaniel named him the starting receiver heading into the 2006 season. He was ready to finally dominate the college game like he did at Castle Park. But this is Sampson’s story, so something had to go wrong.

SDSU was nearing the end of one of its offseason scrimmages when McDaniel pointed to Sampson.

“You know what, take this rep,” Sampson said McDaniel told him.

“Just take this last rep.”

File Photo

He reluctantly ran onto the field.

The play was supposed to be a run, but quarterback Kevin Craft audibled into a pass. Sampson couldn’t believe it. After a long, hard, tiring day of scrimmaging, he was going to have to run another route.

The ball came high, so Sampson jumped in the air. When he came down, his foot landed toe first – like a ballerina. Only when the rest of his 205-pound frame came down on top of his foot, it snapped like a twig.

He broke two bones and tore all the ligaments in his foot. They told him on the spot his season was over, and the season after that likely was too.

“I remember the disappointment in the young man’s eyes,” McDaniel said. “I remember a kid that didn’t know if he was even going to play football again. When they told him what it was, that was a hard thing. He kept saying, ‘I’m going to come back.’

But in my history, I had never seen anybody come back for one season.”

The injury was a Lisfranc fracture.

In Sampson’s case, it was one of the most severe Lisfranc injuries a player can suffer. He was told it would take 24 months to return back to full health. Two whole years.

“First I had three screws in my foot,” Sampson said. “When they took those out, they gave me this big-ass carbon fiber plate that wouldn’t bend at all. So I was walking with a limp. I couldn’t really do too much. I couldn’t even play basketball any more. It was another eyeopener. A lot of people say I have talent, but what am I really doing with it? Am I just wasting it by doing all

the wrong things? So it was kind of eye-opening.”

Sampson had transformed from a bad seed with ceiling-less talent, to a bad seed that couldn’t play football anymore. Naturally, he didn’t respond to the news too well. ***** Sampson did his best to come back.

He was a football player first and foremost, so he was going to try his hardest to get back to the football field.

But he just couldn’t stand new head coach Chuck Long or, outside of McDaniel, that whole coaching staff.

“I was injured; I never listened,” Sampson said. “I was always giving them attitude.”

In 2007, a full year removed from the injury, he wasn’t even close to 100 percent, and his attitude reflected his frustration.

Lindley was an incoming freshman at the time. He saw Sampson back talk coaches and was stunned.

“As a freshman, it’s different because you’re looking like, ‘Hey, is this what goes on?’” Lindley said. “He was one of the guys that didn’t exactly get with the program. It was something you could still see he had a lot of talent. It’s just there were some issues there – he was in the doghouse a little bit. But you could tell the guy had skill. You could tell he still wanted to play – that never left. You could still always tell he was a guy that loved football, but he just didn’t mesh with what we had going on.”

Sampson said he had a posse of sorts. Receivers Marcus Montgomery

see SAMPSON on page 12

12

FOOTBALL

The Daily Aztec

sdsu football preview

2010 linebackers

tight end

Every year, SDSU has a talented crop of backers, and this year should be no different.

Marcus Yarbrough, Logan Ketchum and Miles Burris should start the games and should make an impact in Rocky Long’s blitz-heavy defense. Last year, those three combined for 113 tackles, even though Yarbrough and Ketchum weren’t starters.

Alston Umuolo has gone from an unknown in former head coach Chuck Long’s offense to one of the Aztecs’ most explosive weapons in Borges’ system.

Umuolo was named one of 32 candidates for the 2010 John Mackey Award Watch List, presented annually to the nation’s top tight end, last month. Last year, he caught a career-high 22 passes for 243 yards and three touchdowns.

injured; I’m not going to be able to play anyway, so I slacked off. After that semester, that’s when I got kicked out.”

SAMPSON: He may be one of the Aztecs’ best players now, but things weren’t always good for the senior CONTINUED FROM PAGE 11 and Mekell Wesley and running back Brandon Sullivan teamed up with him to form a group of SDSU football players who spent a lot of time making Long’s job extremely difficult.

“We were inseparable, always getting in trouble,” Sampson said. “It was like if you seen one of us, you seen the other. If one of us was in trouble, we were all in trouble.”

That was rock bottom for Sampson. He still couldn’t get on the field because of his foot, he was still making life miserable for the coaching staff and once he started rolling with Wesley, Montgomery and Sullivan, his grades started to dip too.

“It wasn’t that I didn’t want to play, because you know I loved playing football,” Sampson said. “It was more like I’m

***** It was over. They kicked him out. His grades were terrible and he was hard to coach.

Sampson went home and decided he was going to transfer. His old coach, Craft, had gone up to Mt. San Antonio College to coach football, so that’s where Sampson was headed too.

But then McDaniel called Sampson’s mom.

“Get in touch with DeMarco,” McDaniel told her. “Tell him he needs to write a letter to the school to try to get back into school.”

McDaniel wasn’t going to give up on the kid. He had been hard on him for a reason. He wanted to turn Sampson from a bad seed into a fine, young man, and he wasn’t going to let him leave SDSU. Sampson followed McDaniel’s advice, wrote the letter and mailed it in.

Thursday, September 2, 2010

2010 SCHEDULE 09/04/10 vs. Nicholls State

5:00 p.m.

10/23/10 at New Mexico

7:00 p.m.

09/11/10 at New Mexico State

5:00 p.m.

10/30/10 at Wyoming

11:00a.m.

09/18/10 at Missouri

4:00 p.m.

11/06/10 vs. Colorado State

7:00 p.m.

09/25/10 vs. Utah State

5:00 p.m.

11/13/10 at TCU

1:00 p.m.

10/09/10 at Brigham Young

3:00 p.m.

11/20/10 vs. Utah

7:00 p.m.

10/16/10 vs. Air Force

5:00 p.m.

11/27/10 vs. UNLV

5:00 p.m.

offensive line

secondary

Wide Receivers

quarterback

In defensive coordinator Rocky Long’s system, everybody plays. Ernie Lawson, Jerome Long and B.J. Williams will likely be the starters, but J.J. Autele, Eron Moses, Neil Spencer and Jacob Tauanuu will all see time. Regardless of who’s in, however, they’ll need to get more pass rush than last year. The squad only tallied 19 sacks last season, 10 of which came from the D-line.

The starters will be Tommie Draheim (LT), Mike Matamua (LG), Trask Iosefa (C), Nik Embernate (RG) and Kurtis Gunther (RT). They will face scrutiny nearly every week.

The offensive line has been SDSU’s biggest concern for the last decade. The Aztecs haven’t been able to run the ball very well, and their pass protection has been shaky in the past. But head coach Brady Hoke hopes he’s finally found the right combination of guys with this year’s group.

The leader of this unit and perhaps the defense as a whole is Andrew Preston, who will be playing the “Aztec” position.

He’s strong, fast and big. Last year, he tallied 46 tackles and one sack at the linebacker position. Now that he’s in the hybrid spot, he should have a huge year. Leon McFadden and Jose Perez, meanwhile, should get the starting nod at cornerback, while Brandon Davis and Dey Juan Hemmings take the two safety spots.

This year’s group of receivers might be the best crop SDSU has ever had. DeMarco Sampson and Vincent Brown have big-time NFL talent, and Dominique Sandifer should be the best slot receiver in the Mountain West Conference.

Last year, those three combined for 133 catches, 1,927 yards and 16 touchdowns. With Lindley still chucking the ball, the receivers should have another monster year.

The San Diego State football team has a lot of talent this year, especially on offense.

And Ryan Lindley is the cog that will make it all go. The junior threw for 3,054 yards and 23 scores last season in his first year in a pro-style offense.

Now that he’s had another offseason to learn offensive coordinator Al Borge’s system, he should be one of SDSU’s best players once again.

Somehow, it worked.

They told him he could only stay if he got a 3.0. So in the summer before the 2008 season, he got an A and a B-. A 3.33.

He started to turn things around then.

He still hung out with his crew, but he had separated himself from all the dumb things they used to do.

“It wasn’t until I separated myself from doing what we do at home: just hanging out, not doing homework, not going to class,” Sampson said. “It took me awhile to separate myself from that. And once I did it kind of took off in a good way.”

He was still playing for Long and that staff, but he had McDaniel pushing him.

He finished that year with 11 catches for 111 yards and a touchdown.

Then, everything changed. Long got fired. And Brady Hoke stepped in.

mess up a lot; you guys are the screwups on the team,” Sampson said Hoke told them. “I’m not going to let anybody else’s opinion affect my opinion of you.”

Hoke told him he had a clean slate. He didn’t care that Sampson used to make Long’s staff miserable. He didn’t care that Sampson had gotten kicked out of SDSU. He didn’t care about any of it.

“I just told him he obviously had a clean slate,” Hoke said. “But I had done some research of my own to find enough about some things that he needed to do better to be the man that his mom and his folks can be proud of.”

Hoke was a guy Sampson could play for. He told it like it was. He’s passionate about football, and if you can play it, he’s with you.

So Sampson worked for him. And just before the UCLA game last season, offensive coordinator Al Borges came up to him and told him he was going to be the Aztecs’ starting wideout.

“I was like, ‘What? What do you mean I’m starting?’” Sampson said. “And he was like ‘Well, I want you and (Vincent

defensive line

***** Hoke called Sampson and Wesley into his office before the 2009 season started.

“We’ve been hearing that you guys

13

Brown) to start the game.’ So then it was like readjusting to the game speed all over again.”

He caught four passes for 39 yards against the Bruins. From there, his season only got better. In the next five games, he posted 18 catches for 243 and two touchdowns.

“And then Colorado State kicked off,” Sampson said. ***** The statistics are too unreal to even be called Playstation-like. Fifteen catches, 257 yards and three touchdowns. In one game.

Superstar receiver Vincent Brown went down with a thumb injury late in the first half against Colorado State on Oct. 24 last year. Sampson knew he had to step up if his squad had any chance of beating the Rams in Fort Collins, Colo.

“I told myself, ‘This is it,’” Sampson said. “V.J. went down, so it was like if me, Alston (Umuolo) and Dominique (Sandifer), if we don’t do it, it’s pretty

much not going to get done.”

Sampson caught one touchdown. Then another. And then another. He caught everything. He jumped over CSU defenders, ran through them and drew double teams. This was the Sampson everybody had been waiting for.

He and Lindley combined to lead SDSU from down 21-7 at half to a 42-28 victory. It was an unbelievable performance.

Sampson finished last season with 62 catches for 851 yards and eight touchdowns. He was named second-team AllMountain West Conference at the end of the year. And that was supposed to be that.

His college career was supposed to be complete. He had exhausted his five allotted years. He wanted a sixth year, but the NCAA doesn’t just hand those out.

So he spent last spring planning out his future. He thought about the NFL and teaching at Castle Park. And then his phone rang. *****

Hoke was on the other line.

“Hey, you ready to come back?” Hoke asked Sampson. “I was like, ‘Oh, I got it?!’

And he was like, ‘Yeah, we start practice tomorrow, so be there.’”

He got it. A sixth year. This time, there was no bump in the road for Sampson.

“In your personal life, you want success for kids,” McDaniel said. “And then you see a kid who’s worked just to get into school and then to stay in school, and when you see kids that get to the point where they’re going to graduate from this university, you feel good about that.

And then the NCAA gives him another year and he can help this team get to where this team wants to get to.”

Sampson’s back. He’ll team up with Lindley and Brown to form potentially the best passing attack in the MWC. Plus, he’ll get one more year to grow into the man McDaniel has tried to mold him into for the last half a decade.

“I had a couple steps along the way and people boosted me up,” Sampson said. “A lot of people in my life, they’ve

running back

The Aztecs have read the articles and the stat sheets. They know they rushed for 78.3 yards per game last season, good for 116th in the nation, and they think freshman Ronnie Hillman might be the back that changes that. Hillman is an explosive back who can cut on a dime and break away from defenders. And if he can’t carry all the workload, running backs Walter Kazee and Brandon Sullivan will certainly help out.

taken a real liking to me. I don’t know why, but they have.” ***** “DeMarco!”

The gravelly voice boomed from the sideline during a practice on a warm August day.

“DeMarco! Put your toes on the 48yard line and tuck that shirt in!”

Years ago, Sampson might have just said no. He might have ignored the order, or even yelled back a smart-alec retort.

But Sampson quietly toed the 48-yard line, tucked his oversized grey undershirt into his mesh basketball shorts, turned his head and smiled at Hoke.

Minutes later, Sampson gathered the team in, led them in jumping jacks and broke them off into individual drills.

“You tend to appreciate him a little bit more if you knew how hard he’s worked, not only to become a better football player but become a better person,” McDaniel said. “I have a real tug in my heart for the kid.”

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FOOTBALL

Thursday, September 2, 2010

The Daily Aztec

15

Yes, this is the year elcome back to class, students. School sucks.

But to ease your mind, here’s something that finally doesn’t: San Diego State’s football team.

I know. Shocking, right? I’ve scribbled for the Sports section of this paper for three semesters now and I, too, just learned SDSU plays football.

And the Aztecs don’t just play football. They’ll be grabbing a piece of that postseason pie this year. Yeah, I said it. Didn’t even fondle a crystal ball. Because of budget cuts, they’re hopping on a bus instead of a plane, and the marquee across the windshield reads, “Bowl Bound.”

The 11-year postseason drought has induced a palpitating lust in SDSU’s locker room for a bowl game.

And in regards to that postseason pie, their stomachs are finally bigger than their pupils. The Aztecs have an NFLcaliber quarterback in Ryan Lindley throwing to one of the top receiving corps in the nation (Rivals.com ranks the receiving unit 11th best nationally). They’re returning the most starters in the Mountain West Conference with 16, and are in the second year under the new and improved coaching staff.

On top of these overwhelming pieces of bowl-bound evidence, SDSU will play a schedule softer than O.J. Simpson’s ‘95 verdict (then again, there was overwhelming evidence in that, too). The Aztecs have the 92nd toughest schedule in the nation,

W

File Photo

MATT MCCLANAHAN S TA F F C O L U M N I S T

according to college football blogger Phil Steele.

But saying SDSU is bowl bound isn’t the same as saying the team is good. More than half of college football’s 120 teams (68) are invited to the postseason. So really, the Aztecs will only need to achieve mediocrity — much like In-N-Out’s fries. And Ben Affleck.

But head coach Brady Hoke doesn’t want mediocrity. With a straight face, Hoke says the goal this year is a conference title. And his players are echoing that message.

“Coach Hoke has been harping on winning the Mountain West Championship,” senior offensive lineman Trask Iosefa said. “That’s what

File Photo

If everything goes well for SDSU this season, DeMarco Sampson and Ryan Lindley could be bowl bound.

thing former head coach Chuck Long we’re striving for.” ran was the program … straight into Hell, it’s not impossible. I’ve the ground. watched the movie “Rudy” since prepubescence, and if a hobbit from the SDSU will attempt to bolster the “Lord of the Rings” movies can make rushing attack by adding a fullback the team at Notre Dame, then SDSU position to the offense to help open can battle for a conference title. holes for freshman tailback Ronnie But to have a legit shot, they’ll Hillman, who has impressed coaches need to improve on two weaknesses this summer. But going to a two-back from last year’s 4-8 team that stare set will mean nothing if the offensive back at you harder than the prostiline can’t run block. tutes do on El The Aztecs Cajon Boulevard: have attempted So really, the to compensate for Overall defense and the rushing Aztecs will this by becoming game. These two considerably only need to things need stronger in the more work than achieve weight room. journalism They’ve also mediocrity — majors. been working on Defensive much like ingetting closer as coordinator n-out’s fries. a unit. “We’ve Rocky Long really kind of and ben inherited a gelled together defense last year affleck. and we’ve done a that allowed 37 lot of work over points per game the offseason,” Iosefa said. the previous season. I can barely even The road to the MWC promised count to 37 (maybe that’s why I’m majoring in journalism). Anyway, Long land this year will once again go judo-chopped that number down to through TCU, Utah and BYU. SDSU will 30 points last year, and he’ll want to need these teams to beat up on each keep chopping: No conference chamother, and for itself to win all the pions were trampled for 30 points per games it’s supposed to, and a couple game last season. In fact, only three it’s not. Either that or it’ll need to take teams that went to bowls gave up a baseball bat to the knees of every that many points.

TCU, Utah and BYU player. Well maybe A key to locking up the defense not BYU. That might be considered a will be for the secondary to play better man-to-man coverage, thus freeing hate crime (they’re Mormon). So swap the linebackers to blitz and put presBYU and add Alabama head coach Nick sure on the quarterback — something Saban to that list. Not because Saban the Aztecs didn’t do last season. has any real impact on the Aztecs seaAround this time a year ago, Long’s son, but because he’s a jackass (hmmm players were running around like cave… I wonder if Tonya Harding’s former men on a bad LSD trip while orienting bodyguard has work). themselves with the 3-3-5 scheme.

But it won’t be a disappointment if The coaches and players seem more SDSU doesn’t win the conference. comfortable about things this year.

What will be essential is getting rid of “It’s good to have the defense under the bowl drought. That’s the big, my belt for a year now,” starting junior linebacker Miles Burris said. “I’m smelly gorilla that hasn’t budged in the able to go out there and react more corner of the Aztec locker room for 11 than think.” And that’s a beautiful long years. The hairy bastard has gobthing, because thinking is something bled up a couple of coaching staffs and SDSU takes exception to. was a main reason some SDSU faculty I’m certain the defense will contincalled for the dismantling of the entire ue to improve. Long’s defenses at football program not long ago.

New Mexico were always solid. I’d be But all of that’s history. The Aztecs much more concerned with the rushare hopping on a bus, and the maring game if I were an Aztec fan. quee across the windshield reads Last year, the running backs were “Bowl Bound.” asked to run through holes tighter Are you ready to hop on the bandthan a hipster kid’s pants. Offensive wagon? coordinator Al Borges’ emphasis on the rushing game yielded only 62 more yards than the previous season —Matt McClanahan is a journalism — a season when the only sort of senior.

SPORTS

Thursday, September 2, 2010

The Daily Aztec

17

AT A GLANCE

FORECASTING THE MOUNTAIN Editor’s note: Each week, The Daily Aztec will pick the winners of every Mountain West Conference game.

THURSDAY, SEPT. 2 Utah vs. Pittsburgh SATURDAY, SEPT. 4 San Diego State vs. Nicholls State, Air Force vs. Northwestern State, BYU vs.Washington, Colorado State vs. Colorado, New Mexico at Oregon,TCU vs. Oregon State, UNLV vs.Wisconsin,Wyoming vs. Southern Utah NAME: Edward Lewis (0-0) TITLE: Sports Editor PREDICTION:

SDSU, Pittsburgh, Air Force, Washington, Colorado, Oregon, TCU, Wisconsin, Wyoming

SDSU VS NICHOLLS STATE WHO: SDSU vs. Nicholls State

WHEN: 5:05 p.m., Saturday

WHAT:

TV: None

The Aztecs finally kick off the season against the Colonels at home.

WHERE: Qualcomm Stadium

QUOTABLE: “Football’s back. Hooray.”

RADIO: AM 600 KOGO (San Diego) LIVE IN-GAME BLOG: thedailyaztec.com

NAME: Agustin Gonzalez (0-0) TITLE: Assistant Sports Editor PREDICTION: SDSU, Pittsburgh, Air Force,Washington, Colorado State, Oregon,TCU,Wisconsin,Wyoming

BEHIND THE NUMBERS FOR SDSU FOOTBALL

QUOTABLE: “If we lose to Nicholls State, I'll run across campus wearing only a sombrero.”

4 NAME: Matt McClanahan (0-0)

SPONSORED BY Advanced Test Preparation

Wins from last season

280

Total points from last year

78.3

Average rushing yards per game last season

TITLE: Staff Columnist PREDICTION: SDSU, Pittsburgh, Air Force, Washington, Colorado, Oregon,TCU,Wisconsin,Wyoming QUOTABLE: “I like football.”

NAME: Dan Perez (0-0)

263.6 Average passing yards per game last year 4103

Total yards on offense last season

23

Touchdowns thrown by junior quarterback Ryan Lindley last year

8

Total rushing touchdowns last season

58

Total tackles by junior linebacker Miles Burris last year

TITLE: Senior Staff Writer PREDICTION: SDSU, Pittsburgh, Northwestern State,Washington, Colorado State, Oregon,TCU,Wisconsin,Wyoming

QUOTABLE: “Who the @#$! is Nicholls State?”

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Send cover letter, rĂŠsumĂŠ, and links to your portfolio to Dave Olender, the current Photo Editor, at djolender@gmail.com.

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The Daily Aztec

ENTERTAINMENT

Thursday, September 2, 2010

BETWEEN THE COVERS

What’s the haps?

You tell us!

Author’s sophomore novel is bittersweet

Have a keen eye for noteworthy events? The News section is looking for reporters to help spread the word about the goings-on at SDSU. To apply, send a résumé and writing samples to News editor Renee Villaseñor at cityeditor@thedailyaztec.com or call (619)594-7781 for more information.

www.thedailyaztec.com

Courtesy of Riverhead Press

New York native Sloane Crosley returns with a new collection of essays.

SARAH GRIECO MANAGING EDITOR

Finished with the newest People magazine and dying for something to read with a little more substance than a tabloid?

Well have no fear, Sloane Crosley is back with another book chock-full of entertaining essays, perfect for browsing in between massive quantities of required reading material.

Unlike her last book, “I Was Told There’d Be Cake,” which consisted mainly of comical tales about growing up and living in New York City, the newly released “How Did You Get This Number” is an emotional rollercoaster that, at times, gets a little dark, but then shoots right back up into the light at breakneck speed.

After a painfully boring and utterly uneventful first chapter, Crosley brings it back to her hilarious trademark monologue with a style only a woman will understand.

Sorry fellas, this book is definitely a New York gal’s shout-out to the ladies.

See, Crosley is the character women have been identifying with their whole lives. She is Liz Lemon; she is Elizabeth Bennet; she is Harriet the Spy. Except Crosley is not make-believe: She’s out there somewhere experiencing life as the everywoman.

This book, unlike its predecessor, focuses less on Crosley’s time spent in New York and more on the relationships

she has developed in her time spent there.

She also writes about her travels to different parts of the world, including an odd tale about a drunken night in Lisbon, Portugal and a depressing antic about getting kicked out of Paris. While the chapters previously mentioned are more often funny than not, it’s the trip to Anchorage, Alaska that shows the reader a haunting memory from the author.

From that point on, Crosley gets more serious in her writing, leaving little room for laughter and more space for thoughtprovoking clichés.

The final chapter is certain to be a tearjerker for all those nursing a broken heart.

Crosley reminisces about a relationship that was at first sweet and later went sour at the realization of her boyfriend’s scandalous affair with another woman. She parallels the story to a time she partook in a Manhattan furniture crime ring and appropriately titles the chapter “Off the Back of a Truck.” Here, Crosley identifies with all the ladies who’ve been cheated out of something worthwhile, and instead of ending with a punch line she indirectly tells the reader to remember the lessons their elders taught them. She suggests it is mothers who know best and have likely lived through enough heartbreak to know a thing or two about relationships.

Ending with a bittersweet note, one hopes Crosley will continue writing essays for all to enjoy. Hopefully next time, she’ll have a few happier tales to tell.

Title: How Did You Get This Number Author: Sloane Crosley Publisher: Riverhead Trade Grade: B+

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ENTERTAINMENT

The Daily Aztec

Thursday, September 2, 2010

SNEAK PEEK

Philly rockers come bearing classic ‘70s riffs Free Energy will bring tunes to a Solana Beach venue this Sunday.

MAGGIE PEHANICK E N T E R TA I N M E N T E D I T O R

Rolling Stone named it one of the top new bands of 2010. Spin likens its biggest hit, “Bang Pop” to “a perfectly tart, semi-glammy,

Thin Lizzy-style nugget of summery rock 'n' roll.” In a good way, of course. The members claim to be influenced by classic acts through the ages, from The Beach Boys to Nirvana to Daft Punk, and this Sunday Philadelphia quintet Free Energy will be performing at Belly Up Tavern in Solana Beach.

The young group includes Scott Wells, Paul Sprangers, Evan Wells, Geoff Bucknam, and Nick Shuminsky. Before they became Free Energy in 2008, the members were known as the now-defunct group Hockey

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Night. Since changing the name of their project, they’ve also adapted their sound, relying heavily on ‘70s-style riffs.

Since Free Energy’s album, “Stuck on Nothing,” premiered in March, the pop stars have been garnering some serious attention.

This is likely because “Stuck on Nothing” was produced by James Murphy, better known as the front-man for electro-punk sensation LCD Soundsystem, who volunteered to produce the record on his own label, DFA. The rockers also performed on the Late Show with David

Letterman this year, though Sprangers said the best moment of life on tour was playing at Bowery Ballroom in New York City, a venue where the band had seen many inspiring shows before.

When questioned about how it felt to hear its song “Bang, Pop” on the radio for the first time, Sprangers said it’s “like seeing a cute girl walk down the street.” If that’s the case, it must feel even better to play it to a packed crowd.

For tickets and more information about the show, visit Belly Up’s website at bellyup.com.

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THE BACK PAGE

The Daily Aztec

DAILY HOROSCOPE

TOADSTOOL CHRONICLES

English senior seeking young freshman woman

I

t’s the beginning of a new semester, a leap into the new year, and for some of you, it’s the start of a new life — a plunge into the unknown.

Freshmen, I’m talking to you.

For the unacquainted, allow me to introduce myself. I am Noah Henry, the resident Thursday Back Page columnist.

You’ll perchance get to know me throughout the semester, piece by piece, but I really don’t have the patience for that. I want to lay it all down on the line now, so that you can get to know who I am and what I’m about.

This is addressed to the freshmen women. I couldn’t give two s--ts about the freshmen males, and will ask you now, guys, to please pass this to a girl. This doesn’t concern you.

So, now that we’re alone, ladies, let me tell you a little about myself …

Seeking: A tan, toned cutie with a pretty face and a wonderful backside. A pretty face is a must. I don’t like seeing an attractive girl from a hundred feet away and then coming in close and finding a bucktoothed gremlin.

Monets are never fun. And the tanner the better. I like girls with tan skin instinctively because my skin is a shade of white that doesn’t exist in nature, and I’d like my future children to be able to go to the beach without spontaneously bursting into flames.

Longest relationship: two years. It all started in high school: Doves and rainbows painted the sky and a gentle breeze swept

Thursday, September 2, 2010

NOAH HENRY S TA F F C O L U M N I S T

past her hair when I asked her to be mine. My love was pure — like a fresh mountain stream after a delicate drizzle. Then we went to different colleges, and I heard she was cheating on me with three different guys. Her love wasn’t as pure as a fresh mountain stream. So for all of you lovely ladies involved with some guy who’s going to another school, let me assure you he’s probably cheating on you with three different guys, too.

Taste in music: I like rock, punk and punk rock. I know, weird, right? By now you’re probably being coaxed into the sorority way of life, listening to what they tell you to and being castigated if you mention any personal taste. They’ll soon put you on an assembly line where others just like you — girls with brownish hair, blemishes or slightly imperfect nuances — will be conditioned into blond-haired, blueeyed soldiers of the Theta army.

Their propaganda will suck you in, and you will be indoctrinated in their styles, tastes and extensive knowledge of headbands.

You’ll say, “Please, Dad, I really want to be in a sorority. They do philanthropy!” But what you don’t understand is that “philanthropy” is code for lobotomy.

You didn’t know, did you?

There’s something funny going on behind those Greek walls. I can feel it.

Do you want children?: I want children like I want herpes.

Describe a first date: Well, I’d probably swing by your place around 8 p.m., open the door for you and woo you charmingly.

We’d arrive to my favorite nightspot, the lavish Oscar’s Taqueria, and we’d be seated in an exclusive VIP area. I have connections. After some wine, some teasing and delectable entrées, I’d pay with cash, give the waiter a hefty tip so you’d know I’m for real and then we’d depart. By this time you’ll probably be flush with desire, desperately trying to mask your attraction. I’d then drive you back to your residence hall and go in for the kiss. It will be sensuous but brief, and I’ll say goodnight and wave as you disappear Zura. I’ll get back into my car and sit in the front seat. Then I’ll floor it to 60 and get to my house in a matter of seconds, log on to Facebook, find your profile and see if you’re 18.

Well, that concludes my dating ad. My e-mail address will be at the bottom of this column if you’d like me to get you “acquainted” with the university.

Send a picture as an attachment.

Have a fruitful four years here at San Diego State, young ones. It goes by quickly.

Find me at toadstoolchronicles@gmail.com.

BY LINDA C. BLACK, TRIBUNE MEDIA SERVICES

TODAY’S BIRTHDAY (9/2/10) You spread love and compassion throughout your family, partners and associates.They may not feel very generous, but you model qualities that they can copy at first and later take to heart as their own.You experience great good fortune in the bargain.

ARIES (March 21 - April 19) - Today is a 5 You and your favorite person have everything in place to have a marvelous day.

Handle email or other communications early, and then go outdoors.

TAURUS (April 20 - May 20) - Today is a 9 - All the team members are on the same track, but one is more serious than the rest.Your best efforts include clear, logical communication.

GEMINI (May 21 - June 21) - Today is a 7 Focus on communication today, and use a balance of imaginative and logical language.

Draw upon images from dreams or meditations for inspiration.

CANCER (June 22 - July 22) - Today is a 6 Family-related activities require that you remain at home and work in private.

There's uncertainty concerning finances.

Take time for logical organization.

LEO (July 23 - Aug. 22) - Today is a 7 Develop balance between logic and passion. Allow your imagination to range freely.Then identify choices that appeal to your feelings. Group energy helps.

VIRGO (Aug. 23 - Sept. 22) - Today is a 5 Someone at work questions your logic

and motives.You feel you don't deserve the criticism and could snap back.Try to understand their position.

LIBRA (Sept. 23 - Oct. 22) - Today is a 9 You may wish you had your own wings to carry you off to a distant holiday escape.

Be sure to confirm travel arrangements in advance.

SCORPIO (Oct. 23 - Nov. 21) - Today is an 8 - Imaginations work overtime today to get everyone excited about your plans.

Bring it back to Earth by scheduling how it will play out.

SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22 - Dec. 21) - Today is a 9 - All the components of your plan come together when the group sits down to discuss the details. At first they don't like the structure, but eventually agree.

CAPRICORN (Dec. 22 - Jan. 19) - Today is a 6 - Take your love affair on the road.You may need to moderate behaviors in social circumstances. Spend something to up the glamour ante.

AQUARIUS (Jan. 20 - Feb. 18) - Today is a 9 - Use your imagination to independently modify communication structures. Beautify your emails or expand your website.You have plenty of ideas.

PISCES (Feb. 19 - March 20) - Today is a 5 Extra energy goes toward clearing up questions concerning major changes. At least two other people contribute significantly to your decision. © 2010,TRIBUNE MEDIA SERVICES INC.

SUDOKU

BY THE MEPHAM GROUP

Level:

1 2

3 4

Instructions: Complete the grid so

—Noah Henry is an English senior.

each row, column and 3-by-3 box (in bold borders) contains every digit 1 to 9. For strategies on how to solve Sudoku, visit www.sudoku.org.uk.

—This column does not necessarily reflect the opinion of The Daily Aztec.

Solution available online at www.TheDailyAztec.com

Calling all future novelists ... ... The Daily Aztec’s Back Page is looking for creative writers for its new Fiction section. Send your content in for submission to the Features e-mail. Publication is not guaranteed. Stories must be 500 to 700 words.

www.thedailyaztec.com

CONTACT GENERAL INFORMATION

FEATURES EDITOR, MATT SALWASSER

ENTERTAINMENT EDITOR,

619.594.7279

MAGGIE PEHANICK 619.594.6968 ENTERTAINMENT.AZTEC@GMAIL.COM

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EDITOR

IN CHIEF, RUTHIE KELLY 619.594.4190 EDITOR@THEDAILYAZTEC .COM

SPORTS EDITOR, EDWARD LEWIS

CITY EDITOR, RENEE VILLASEÑOR

OPINION EDITOR, TOM HAMMEL

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© 2010 The Mepham Group. Distributed by Tribune Media Services. All rights reserved.

CROSSWORD ACROSS 1 Yankees’ div.

7 Deal 11 Jenny or jack 14 Alter, as boundaries 15 Slain shepherd 16 “Fer sher” 17 *Dense fabrics 19 Prior to, to Prior 20 *Ready to blow?

22 Fettuccine follower 25 Aborigines of Hokkaido 26 Compress, in a way 27 *It’ll keep your hat on 32 Cat tail motion 35 Specialty 36 Three pairs of them end the answers to starred clues 40 Lots 41 Area 51 location 44 *Carquest stock 49 15-Across’s dad 50 Bingo call 51 Kettle pair 54 *“Top Chef ” spin-off involving competitive baking 59 www address 60 *More than just grumble 64 Messenger letters?

65 Ain’t right?

66 Have suspicions about 67 One hairpin turn after another 68 Cribbage markers 69 Quixote’s squire __ Panza

EDITED BY RICH NORRIS AND JOYCE LEWIS

Solution available online at www.TheDailyAztec.com DOWN 1 Not easy, to a Cockney?

2 MGM mascot 3 59-Across ending 4 Botanical gardens 5 Soother 6 Rough wool cloth 7 Six-pack units 8 Notice with a bio, often 9 Czech hockey player Nedved 10 Threat ender 11 Music to a captain’s ears 12 Star sometimes seen opposite Venus?

13 Stepped on it

18 McDonald’s founder 21 Gathered dust 22 Six-pack units 23 Postgraduate study 24 Emma Peel’s hairstyle 28 “I wish I __ seen that” 29 Factory outlet tag abbr.

30 Vegas gas 31 Identical 33 Show enjoyment at a show 34 __ high note 37 Where the Lofoten Isl. are 38 Northwestern University city 39 Teen safety org.

42 Skip over water, as stones 43 Doc bloc 44 Officially retract 45 One-way street no-nos 46 Magnetic measures 47 Hudson Bay prov.

48 Hook’s right hand 52 Saudis, usually 53 On the Aegean 55 Water waster 56 Slack off 57 Participate in karaoke 58 Grounded jets: Abbr.

61 Ltd. relative 62 Nonspecific extreme 63 “Koochie-__!”