Aztecs bid farewell to a true Warrior

Check out today’s
letters to the editor.
page 3
Softball overcomes
weather for 12th
straight win.
sports
page 5
SAN DIEGO STATE
UNIVERSITY
opinion
T uesday,
April 25, 2006
VOLUME 91 ISSUE 112
www.thedailyaztec.com
Tomorrow’s weather:
Few showers; High: 61º F Low: 52º F
Thursday weather:
Rainy; High: 62º F Low: 53º F
I N D E P E N D E N T S T U D E N T N E W S PA P E R
SDSU tries
t o wa s t e n o t
Aztecs bid farewell
to a true Warrior
Gutierrez will pass spear to SDSU student
J ON GO L D
MANAGING EDITOR
Soon, it will all be over for
Carlos Gutierrez as the Aztec
Warrior. His cheers will continue, his place in the hearts of
countless San Diego State fans
will linger, his enthusiasm for
his job — for his life — will
remain.
But his conch shell will be
passed down to a young SDSU
student, to be chosen by a Aztec
Alumni Foundation committee
after tryouts on Wednesday.
It hasn’t quite sunk in yet
that, in less than a year from
now, someone else will be wearing his old uniform, but, then
again, maybe it never will.
For the majority of 13 years,
Gutierrez has been the Aztec
Warrior and the Aztec Warrior
has been Gutierrez. As much as
he has filled the uniform, the
uniform has filled him.
The shell and the spear and
the headdress have provided
more than just sideways
glances and mocking comments from opposing fans.
They’ve given Gutierrez an
identity, a mission.
“We counted it up and it’s
been about 13 years that I’ve
represented SDSU, on and off,”
Gutierrez said yesterday. “Even
when it was off, it was really still
on. It’s been a great, great experience to represent such a great
university and such great people.
“It’s what you make of it, and
I’ve tried to make it the best.
Not only for me but for the
fans.”
To hear Gutierrez talk about
his role is to hear a man who
truly has a zest for life. Each
word, each syllable, resonates
with authority. Gutierrez measures what he says, and he does
so because he realizes that each
word is precious — especially for
a man who is always active.
At football home games,
Gutierrez runs upward of eight
miles through Qualcomm
Stadium, making sure to stop
by every section to blow into his
Gutierrez (right) assists young Johnny O’Neill with his wetsuit before
participating in a half-Iron Man competition. Courtesy of Carlos Gutierrez
WEEKLY
M I C H A E L T R AC Y
S E N I O R S TA F F W R I T E R
A z t e c Wa r r i o r C a r l o s G u t i e r r e z c u t s d o w n a p i e c e o f t h e n e t
af ter SDSU clinched an NCA A Tournament berth. Derrick Tuskan / File Photo
conch and rally the troops.
When he’s not scurrying up
and down Section 8, Row 3,
Gutierrez isn’t at rest. He’s running or he’s swimming or he’s
biking. So much of his job relies
on his physique.
And what a physique it is.
Muscles upon muscles, a 24pack worth of abs. Biceps that
would impress Hulk Hogan.
But Gutierrez stresses that
his job is about more than just
his wardrobe, more than just
his triceps.
For the Aztec Warrior, nee
Monty Montezuma, the role is
as much laughter as it is lats, as
much charity as it chest.
Through his commitment to
the costume, Gutierrez became
involved with an organization
called Challenged Athletes
Foundation — a group that
helps people who have lost
limbs or were born with defects
to continue their athletic training. Gutierrez has committed
himself to the cause, participating in Iron Man competitions
and forming bonds with kids
such as Johnny O’Neill.
“We call him ‘Johnny O,’”
Gutierrez said. “He’s a stud
man. He was born with birth
defects, and he’s a doubleamputee above the knee and
he’s missing most of his right
arm. A couple of years ago, I
said that I wanted somebody to
inspire my team and to be
WORLD R
Iran unafraid of U.N. sanctions
Iranian President Mahmoud
Ahmadinejad said on Monday that he
did not expect United Nations sanctions to be placed on Iran’s nuclear
program and continued uranium
enrichment in the country.
“I think it is very unlikely for them
to be so stupid as to do that,”
Ahmadinejad told reporters when
asked about the possible sanctions to
slow Iran’s activities.
Ahmadinejad said he thinks the
few countries that oppose Iran will be
wise enough “not to resort to such a
big mistake,” according to Reuters.
The U.N. Security Council has
asked the International Atomic
Energy Agency to report on its
requirements for Iran’s nuclear program by Friday.
“It’s not like we just follow what-
Today’s surf:
1-2 ft., Occasional 3 ft.; Fair conditions
EPORT
ever they issue,” Ahmadinejad said
when asked about the council’s
demands.
U.S. Energy Secretary Sam
Bodman said Iran’s plans for a $7-billion gas pipeline deal with Pakistan
and India have encouraged Iran’s
ambitions, according to Reuters.
“The truth is that investment in
Iran is going well and we are not concerned,” Oil Minister Kazem Vaziri
told reporters at the Qatar oil forum.
“Enrichment means production of
nuclear fuel.
“We have passed the laboratory
phase of this science, and by God’s
will, the next step will be industrial
production.”
Source: Reuters
—Compiled by Assistant City Editor
Giselle Domdom
CAMPUS
inspired ... The year before last, I
towed him in a kayak for 1.2
miles and he jumped out and
tried to swim, and I had to get
him back in.
“Last year, he came out and
he did the swim in under one
hour.”
Wanting to make a difference got Gutierrez in the door,
but kids like Johnny O have
kept him inside. Through a 26mile marathon or a 112-mile
bicycle ride, Gutierrez perseveres, always thinking about his
CAF comrades.
He tells of one of his favorite
quotes, a saying that offers a
glimpse into Gutierrez’ heart,
which could be made of gold.
“Your pursuit is not necesarily to find a dream, but to track
down, step-by-step, that which
feeds your soul and fills your
heart,” Gutierrez said, his voice
cracking. “It’s not about becoming the millionare or becoming
the richest guy. It’s getting out
and living life, day-by-day.
Finding out more about you,
about what’s in you. It’s about
that interaction.
“You can have all the money
in the world, but if you don’t
have your friends to share it
with, what’s it worth?”
Editor’s note: Check back tomorrow to learn more about
Gutierrez and the search for a
new Aztec Warrior.
CALENDAR
Today:
D i v e r s i t y C a r e e r Fa i r
9:30 a.m. to 2 p.m., Centennial Walkway
All students are encouraged to survey
employment opportunities during the last
career fair of the spring semester.
Thursday:
Lecture by Nobel Laureate Lech Wa l e s a
10 to 11 a.m.., Montezuma Hall
Nobel Laureate and the former
President of Poland Lech Walesa will discuss “The Future of Democracy in the Era
of Globalization.”
When a wastebasket is filled in a San Diego
State residence hall, the trash is usually just
dumped down a long, dark chute to some out-ofsight dumpster never to be seen again.
A similar process is repeated constantly
throughout every residence hall on campus,
helping to contribute to the approximately
15,000 tons of waste SDSU produces annually.
And, as the garbage trucks head off to the landfills, concerned students are left to simply throw
away untold numbers of recyclable bottles, cans
and papers.
But SDSU Sustainability Coordinator Steve
Lincoln is trying to change all that by opening a
new recycling center. The facility opened last
Wednesday without too much public exposure.
This gives the center’s coordinators enough time
to work out the kinks and slowly expand from
recycling only beverage containers to everything
from newspapers to ink cartridges.
“There’s really not a lot of recycling going on
in the residence halls, so we wanted to provide
students with a place to at least bring their beverage containers,” Lincoln said. “And that would
kind of promote the ideas of recycling and sustainability.”
Another expansion Lincoln is hoping to
make is in the way students receive cash incentives for recycling. Currently, coordinators are
giving vouchers good for purchases at any Aztec
Shops outlet, but Lincoln is trying to install a
data and telephone line so that money can go
directly onto a Red ID card.
“I thought that it was something students
would really like,” he said. “Sometimes students
need a few extra dollars here and there because
money’s always tight.”
Criminal justice and Spanish sophomore
Kimberly Perry is a residence adviser in the
Living Learning Center where she and other
RAs have been taking it upon themselves to collect recyclables. She was pleased that the university was beginning to address the issue but was
also concerned that the new center would not go
far enough when it comes to effective recycling.
“There are so many students on this campus
and the amount of recyclable stuff that gets
thrown away is kind of ridiculous,” Perry said.
“So I think that (the recycling center) is a good
start but, I mean, it’s only open one day a week,
most students don’t know about it and it’s a long
time coming.”
Perry was also concerned that by only having
one location near the residence halls to recycle,
it would keep less motivated students from participating.
“If (students) know they can do it and it’s
easy for them, they’re going to do it,” Perry said.
“It just when you have to go way out of your way
— yeah, some people are still going to do it — but
people who aren’t really as ‘green’ are not going
to spend the time.”
But Lincoln has high hopes that students will
utilize the center.
He said there was a steady stream of students
who recycled on Wednesday, despite the lack of
advertising. The start of next semester will see a
grand opening of the facility, and students will
be hired to man the center several days a week as
opposed to just one day.
Kristina Maxwell, communications coordinator for the Office of Housing Administration,
said she was also optimistic about students recycling based more on the success of a pilot program that ran in Chapultepec Hall. This is where
the university tested student attitudes by providing bottle recycling receptacles.
“I do know that students were very receptive
to (recycling in Chapultepec), so we had to order
bigger and larger bins to accommodate for the
recycling,” Maxwell said. “The recycling center
on the east side of campus is really going to be
popular once the students learn about it.”
opinion
Tuesday, April 25, 2006
The Daily Aztec
3
WPA reform needed
to lift juniors’ burden
F
ROLLIN
or the past
progress.
few
If the class curriculum doesn’t
Saturdays,
seem to change much between the
students on their
lower division RWS 280 class and
way to junior
communication 310W, then why
class standing
are we being asked to do them
next semester
both? One of the reasons might be
have been trudgthat the university wants to be sure
ing back to San
its graduates’ writing abilities don’t
Diego State to
disappoint future employers.
take the Writing
Even with these testing requireProficiency
ments, it’s possible that students
Assessment
who need more help with their
V E RO N I C A
exam.
writing will slip through the
The WPA is
cracks. In their other classes, some
an unavoidable college chore. The
professors may only give construcuniversity mandates that students
tive criticism along with a final
must take this proficiency test to
score. Students who have problems
graduate. It’s an essay test used to
writing probably won’t get help
evaluate students’ ability to write a
before their lack of skills begins to
decent argument. Emphasis is also
affect their grades, and the testing
placed on writing structure, gramrequirements can be more of a burmar, syntax and diction, according
den than a aid.
to the SDSU Test Office’s Web site.
Unfortunately, many students
While the score is out of 12 possiwho’ve done well in their English
ble points, it seems as if there’s
and RWS classes end up in remedithree categories of scores: Seven or
al writing classes after taking the
fewer points earned requires taking WPA. These writing classes include
a lower-division rhetoric and writrepetitious writing exercises with
ing class and an appropriate upper- concepts that students should
division “W” course; eight or nine
already grasp. Instead of caring
points requires taking only the
about what they write, students
“W” course.
must invest time in mundane
Only a score of 10 or more
homework to get credit and move
clears the proficienon.
cy requirement and
Additionally, more
no additional class
students would pass
needs to be taken.
the WPA if one thing
The university’s
In many ways,
were different about
it’s similar to the
the exam: the essay
intentions are
English placement
prompt.
good, but its
test given to some
The topic I had to
incoming freshman.
write about asked for
method is
First-year students
counterpoint to an
unreasonable and aopinion
must take the EPT
that a profeswastes good
in order to detersor expressed in class
mine which compo— an incident that
writers’ time in
sition classes they’ll
only happened to me
order to help
be required to take.
once. The lack of
However, high SAT
students whose choices made it diffiscores can exempt
cult to think of a
writing skills
students from this
good subject and
exam.
elaborate. Working
are weak.
Pass, and the stuwith what little condent can enroll in
text I had, I scored
freshman composian eight, despite havtion.
ing done very well on class papers
Fail, and the student must take
since my second year of high
remedial composition classes first.
school. Had there been more than
Each person has three semesone prompt, there would probably
ters to clear the WPA requirement.
be far fewer students sitting bored
If they don’t fulfill it in time, then
in a remedial writing class that
their stay at SDSU will be short —
they don’t really need.
they can be kicked out of school.
The university’s intentions are
By passing the EPT requirement,
good, but its method is unreasonevery junior has already proven
able and wastes good writers’ time
they’re capable of writing coherent- in order to help students whose
ly, or they’d be juniors at a differwriting skills are weak. The remedy
ent college. Nevertheless, students
for this is simple and should be
are forced to fulfill a similar writing considered by the university:
requirement two years after already Change the prompt. Putting more
being tested.
choices in the WPA, some that stuIt’s dejá vu.
dents will have a realistically good
The tests’ consequences are the
chance of answering, would catch
same — students who don’t take
those who need writing assistance
the WPA also face expulsion.
without subjecting the ones who
It’s really annoying that the
don’t to more, unnecessary classes.
RWS classes that many students
—Veronica Rollin is a political science
take to fill EPT or WPA requirejunior and a staff columnist for The
ments are so similar. In my class,
Daily Aztec.
we write three papers, including a
timed essay. We also have a semes—This column does not necessarily
ter-long project, which is the only
reflect the opinion of The Daily
thing different from the RWS class
Aztec. Send e-mail to letters@thedaiI took two years ago for freshman
lyaztec.com. Anonymous letters will
composition. Students who are
not be printed — include your full
forced to take these classes don’t
name, major and year in school.
learn new writing skills as classes
“
”
LETTERS
Athletics draw attention,
awe and applicants
Another thing philosophers
are good for is attempting to
argue in such a way that that they
leave the illusion of their opinion being the only right opinion.
In his essay (“Give the people
what they want: bread and circuses,” April 17) Philosophy Chair
Steven Barbone would have us
believe that the San Diego State
administration is ruining our
university by irrationally funding the athletics department
instead of classrooms; in fact,
his logic is quite off.
In regard to great athletic
teams attracting more and better
students, he states, “Not only is
there is no evidence that it has
ever paid off, there is evidence to
the contrary.”
I did not see any such evidence in his essay.
When a university has nationally prominent athletic teams, its
name is more recognizable. High
school students want to go to a
university that they can brag
about, and if you think of a university as a brand name, the marketing makes sense. The more
people are exposed to a brand
name and/or a logo, the more
pleasing it is.
In fact, research shows that
after a school plays in a national
championship, it receives an
influx of applications. Former
Dean of Admissions Susan
Donovan of Syracuse University
said that, in 1987, after SU participated in both the football and
national
championship,
it
received a 23 percent increase in
applicants.
Let’s face it: Philosophy is not
sexy. Philosophy does not excite
THE DAILY AZTEC EDITORIAL BOARD
Raven Tyson • Editor in Chief
Jhen Kordela & Jon Gold
Managing Editors
Sam Hodgson • City Editor
Consuela Headrick • Opinion Editor
Editorial • 619.594.5975
Opinion • 619.594.0509
City • 619.594.7782
Advertising • 619.594.6977
Classifieds • 619.594.4199
e-mail • letters@thedailyaztec.com
people like athletic prominence
does. There are no television networks entirely devoted to philosophy as there are for sports. It
might not be right, but that’s the
way it is.
— J e remy D a v i s ,
class of 2005
Respect for SDSU bunnies
Upon reading Melissa Dudum
Maya’s column (“No respect for
bunnies,” April 18) I noticed my
toes curling because, once again,
someone had jumped to a conclusion and made a statement
without thinking about the situation from both sides.
Although college is intended
to facilitate academic prospering,
it’s also intended to accelerate
students’ social abilities, which
many argue is more pertinent to
the real world.
Dudum-Maya failed to take
into account that, although being
intelligent is extremely important, being able to communicate
with others and behave in a manner that enables ideas to be presented and trusted is just as, if
not more, applicable to pre- and
post- graduate success.
Being labeled as a top party
school means that in, addition to
being ranked in the top 6 percent
for academics on a national level,
San Diego State is also providing
a great deal of social situations
which will, in time, teach students how to deal and communicate with others more effectively.
It makes our school well-rounded, not less academic and creates
graduates who are articulate as
well as interesting and fun to be
around.
A Forbes study demonstrated
that more than 25 percent of all
Fortune 500 chief executive officers were members of college fraternities — a percentage that is
much higher than the ratio of
men in fraternities to the rest of
the male college population.
Therefore, the group of students who are known most for
their excessive social lives are the
ones who have the best chance of
succeeding once out of college.
In fact, here at SDSU, the average
Greek grade point average leads
the overall campus GPA, meaning that, even though they party
more, Greeks also work harder
and achieve greater academic
success.
Dudum-Maya must not have
been informed very well because
Alison Waite, the woman who
was chosen for the cover of
Playboy, is about to graduate
from SDSU with a master’s
degree — not even 50 percent of
women graduate college with a
bachelor’s degree. Thus, in addition to her beauty, Playboy is displaying Waite’s intelligence.
Just because a college woman
is conscious of her sexuality does
not mean she’s not working hard
to obtain her degree.
—Deva n B o n e b r a ke ,
psychology junior
LETTERS POLICY
—The Daily Aztec welcomes letters
on all subjects, sections and stories.
Letters may be edited for brevity,
libelous and overtly offensive content. Letters must include the
writer’s year in school and major or
professional title. The Daily Aztec
offices are located in the basement
of the Business Administration
building. Please send e-mail to letters@thedailyaztec.com.
THINGS THAT MAKE YOU GO “HMM ... ”
Normal News
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1921-25
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1925-60
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L i p o s u c t i o n i s a p o p u l a r o p e r a t i o n i n c o s m e t i c s u rg e ry i n w h i c h fa t i s r e m ov e d f ro m t h e b o d y.
You know this, but what you may not know is that ...
•Liposuction is not a low-effort alternative to exercise and diet; it’s a form of body contouring and not a weight-loss method.
•There’s a limit to the amount fat that can be safely removed in one session; the average amount is typically fewer than 10 pounds.
•There are negative aspects to removing too much fat — unusual “lumpiness” and/or “dents” in the skin can be seen in patients
who are “over-suctioned.” Hmm ...
Source: en.wikipedia.org
sports
Tuesday, April 25, 2006
The Daily Aztec
5
BASEBALL
SDSU scores a TKO
Team wins rubber game against Rebels, 16-8
J O E G I OVA N N E T T I
S TA F F W R I T E R
Muhammad Ali’s mantra of
“Float like a butterfly, sting like a
bee” serves as a one-phrase crash
course for boxers.
The idea being that it’s tough to
hit a moving target.
On Sunday, San Diego State
senior Jordan Swaydan applied
Ali’s theory
SDSU
16 and registered
an
early
UNLV
8 knockout in
the baseball
team’s 16-8 win against UNLV at
Earl E. Wilson stadium in Las
Vegas.
Rebels starter Matt Luca
absorbed several big hits in his 1
2/3 innings of work, but the
game’s biggest probably came from
Swaydan’s 6-foot-2, 210-pound
frame.
With two outs and the bases
loaded in the first inning, Swaydan
hit a high chopper toward first
base. Luca sprinted off the mound
to cover the bag, but he arrived at
the same time as both Swaydan
and the throw from UNLV first
baseman Chris Bonnell. Swaydan
hit Luca, the pitcher landed on the
turf and the ball rolled away — as
did the game for the Rebels.
SDSU came out swinging
against Luca, scoring in each of the
first three innings to give junior
Bruce Billings (3-3) the early cushion he needed for an easy win.
Junior Brock Ungricht and senior Tim O’Brien both scored on
Swaydan’s play to put SDSU ahead
3-0. The blast by Swaydan rattled
Luca, who left the game the following inning after an RBI triple by
Ungricht.
“(Luca) wasn’t that sharp, especially after he got the wind
knocked out of him,” Aztec assistant coach Anthony Johnson said.
“We were able to get into their
bullpen, which is really important
in the third (game of the series).”
SDSU (15-28 overall, 8-5 in
Mountain West Conference play)
continued to land blows against
the UNLV bullpen, scoring nine
more times before the first Rebel
run crossed the plate. Senior Paul
Smyth was the heavyweight of the
Aztec lineup, going 2-for-4 with a
home run, two runs scored and
three RBIs.
The 13-run lead was more than
enough for Billings, who turned in
yet another quality start to earn his
second-straight win.
Billings threw seven innings of
three-run ball, shutting UNLV (1724, 4-9) out in his first six innings.
In his last three starts, Billings has
a 3.15 ERA in 20 innings, with 18
strikeouts and just 12 hits allowed.
For SDSU — winner of four of its
last six games — to continue to succeed, Billings and the other Aztec
starts must continue to pitch well.
Catcher Jordan Swaydan tags a runner out at home plate in a game earlier this year. Glenn Connelly / Staff Photographer
At 6:30 p.m. today, SDSU plays
at Long Beach State, which has suffered through a sub-par season
because of a non-conference schedule that was unkind to several of its
young players. However, the
Dirtbags have begun to hit their
stride in Big West Conference play.
Today’s game will serve as a
redemption opportunity for LBSU
third baseman and All-American
candidate Evan Longoria (.333 batting average, 8 home runs, 29 RBI),
who went 0-for-4 in the two teams’
first meeting on April 11.
AT A GLANCE
vs.
When: 6:30 p.m., today
Where: Blair Field, Long Beach, Calif.
Why to watch: San Diego State got the better of Long Beach in
the teams’ first meeting this, but a season sweep of the Dirtbags
will not come easy. The Aztecs stole a win against Long Beach on
April 11 by scoring three runs in the ninth to earn a 4-3 win. SDSU
junior first baseman Brock Ungricht’s game winning line drive with
two outs scored senior left fielder Paul Smyth from second base.
SOFTBALL
MWC games find a home
Aztecs overcome high winds, on new cable TV channel
blow Lobos away in big win
Weather doesn’t keep team from an easy sweep of New Mexico
M I L O S B L AG O J E V I C
S E N I O R S TA F F W R I T E R
The San Diego State softball
team has played in almost every
possible condition during its 10game winning streak.
Snow in Salt Lake City, frigid
temperatures in Provo, Utah,
even rain here in San Diego.
But in Albuquerque, N.M. on
Sunday,
SDSU expeAZTECS
21 r i e n c e d
omething
LOBOS
5 sthat
not
even head
coach Kathy Van Wyk had in
her more than three decades of
softball.
Against the New Mexico
Lobos, 30 to 40 mph winds blew
dirt from mounds near Lobo
Field, causing giant dust clouds
and sand storms that resulted in
several delays during the games.
Things got so bad that the
Albuquerque Fire Department
had to come out to wet down the
mounds of dirt near the stadium.
But the Aztecs didn’t let the
unusual environment stop them,
obliterating the Lobos 21-5 in
the second game of the doubleheader after taking the first
game, 8-6.
“In about 35 years of softball,
it was probably the most miser-
able day I’ve been on the field,”
Van Wyk said. “When there’s a
dust bowl around you and all of
our faces are wind-whipped and
sun-burned, it was miserable.
“That being the case, the
girls did a great job of being
focused because it would’ve
been easy to focus on what a
miserable day it was.”
Added freshman first baseman Monica Alnes: “We just win
in the weirdest circumstances,
and I think today put a seal on it.
We adjust to the environment
that we’re placed in really well.
“It was a constant thick dust
blowing against our faces. Our
team really used that as motivation because we really wanted to
get out of there.”
The motivation was evident
in SDSU’s mercy-rule blowout of
New Mexico (21-25 overall, 2-12
in Mountain West Conference
play) in the nightcap.
The Aztecs (27-8, 12-0)
scored a school-record 21 runs
off 18 hits, while Alnes hit for the
cycle and notched career highs
of four runs and five RBIs.
Alnes also pitched the final 2
1/3 innings of the contest, striking out two and allowing only
two hits to pick up her second
win of the season.
“All day today, they couldn’t
find a way to beat her,” Van Wyk
said. “I didn’t realize until the
game was over that she hit for
the cycle. She was amazing.”
But Alnes’ heroics weren’t limited to the second game.
In the first contest, with the
score tied at six in the top of the
seventh inning, Alnes doubled in
the go-ahead run and eventually
see WINDS on page 6
Mountain West Conference Standings
SDSU
Utah
BYU
UNLV
Colorado State
New Mexico
—Standings as of April 23
Ove r a l l
27-8
28-14
31-16
20-31
23-19
21-25
Confe r ence
12-0
7-3
8-4
5-9
4-10
2-12
MountainWest Sports Network to launch this
summer — but problems remain for San Diego
A N D R E W S T E WA R T
S TA F F W R I T E R
More often than not, news
regarding the Mountain West
Conference is pushed aside.
Larger conferences with more
prestigious teams garner much
more national attention — conferences such as the Big 12, the Pac10 or the Southeastern conferences.
But now, the MWC has stepped
into the limelight with the unveiling of project that’s never been
seen before. Something that none
of the “big” conferences have
attempted.
During a press conference on
April 18 at the San Diego Marriott
Marina, it was announced that,
beginning this summer, the MWC
will be the proud home of the very
first “super-regional” college
sports network.
The new cable TV network is
aptly named the MountainWest
Sports Network, or simply “The
mtn.” The channel is affiliated
with College Sports TV, which
signed a seven-year, $82 million
deal with the MWC in August of
2004.
“It’s something that we’ve
talked about since the inception of
the deal,” MWC Commissioner
Craig Thompson said in the press
conference. “In fact, one of the
backbones and cornerstones of
our agreement with CSTV was the
formation of this super-regional
network.”
The first scheduled live broadcast for the new network will be
the kickoff of Wyoming’s football
season against Utah State on Sept.
2. However, throughout the
course of the year, The mtn. has
committed to televise 36 MWC
football games and 150 basketball
games, as well as 200 additional
MWC sporting events beginning
this summer. The channel will
also be region-specific, so San
Diego State fans will be able to see
SDSU games.
At least that’s the plan.
Cox Communications — the
largest cable provider in San Diego
— does not currently have CSTV in
the San Diego market.
Nor has CSTV reached an
agreement
with
Cox
Communications in Las Vegas —
another large market for the different MWC schools.
After Cox Company Vice
President Steve Schorr’s commented to the Las Vegas ReviewJournal that “no progress has been
made in talks” to carry CSTV or
The mtn. in the Las Vegas market,
there is speculation that progress
with the negotiations in these
markets is slow because of CSTV’s
reluctance to lower its price.
“It would drive up the rates for
our customers,” Schorr told the
Review-Journal on April 19. “It’s so
see CONFERENCE on page 6
6
Tuesday, April 25, 2006
The Daily Aztec
sports
CONFERENCE: More work to be done to
keep SDSU games available on Cox cable
CONTINUED FROM PAGE
5
outlandish, I won’t even consider it.
It’s so beyond even the acceptable
level. They’re talking about a multimillion-dollar, single-year contract.”
CSTV Regional Network President
Chris Bevilacqua wanted no part in
that discussion for now.
“I don’t think it’s fair to negotiate
in the press,” Bevilacqua said in the
press conference. “And I’d prefer to
keep that private between us and Cox.
“We have a great partnership with
Cox across the country — we’re on in
several of their markets, and it’s our
expectation that we’ll be on in August
come this fall.”
But problems with the Las Vegas
negotiations may not necessarily be
representative of the same situation in
San Diego.
“Each Cox system has their own
market, and they place the value of
the program,” Cox’s San Diego Media
Relations Manager Ceanne Guerra
said. “(Schorr) was speaking for the
(Las Vegas) market, and we can only
talk about our market.”
FOR THE RECORD
Monica Alnes swings earlier this year. Alnes carried the sof tball team Sunday against New Mexico,
hitting for the cycle and pitching 2 2/3 innings in the second game. Daniel Sakow/ Staff Photographer
A track and field photo on April 19 misidentified the athlete as
Nicole Stone. The correct athlete was sophomore Raquel Butler. On
April 24, a track and field photo misidentified the athlete as Shana
Solomon. The correct athlete was sophomore Brittani Dudley. The Daily
Aztec regrets the errors.
WINDS: Ross gives up five runs but earns victory
CONTINUED FROM PAGE
5
scored on a bases loaded walk by senior Bree
Boyer.
“My favorite situations are coming up there
with the stress on,” Alnes said. “I kind of did
what I could with that.
“I just knew that I had to hit it hard somewhere, and it turned out to drop.”
For most of the game, it didn’t even seem
like any stressful situations would arise for
SDSU, as it jumped out to an early 6-0 lead
thanks in large part to sophomore designated player Megan McDonald’s grand slam in
the fourth frame.
But the league’s top pitcher, sophomore
Christina Ross, was unable to hold off the
Lobos as she pitched 4 1/3 innings and allowed
five earned runs on seven hits.
“It looked like we had a secure win, but New
Mexico is always a team that fights to the end
and they got key hits in key situations, and they
put themselves back up on the board,” Alnes
said. “That just kind of made us realize that we
need to step it up.
“It was our team, again, being able to
adjust to the situation like we’ve been doing
really well.”
From redshirt freshman to fifth-year seniors,
the sports section needs writers.
If interested, please call Devin at
619-594-7279.
tempo
Tuesday, April 25, 2006
The Daily Aztec
7
IN FOCUS
Goofy stunts give serious laughs
Comedy group Mega 64 parodies video games and wreaks havoc in SD
FERNANDO R AMOS
S TA F F W R I T E R
(Lef t from L to R) Derek Acosta
and R o c c o B o t t e , c o - c r e a t o r s
of San Diego comedy group,
Mega 64, strike a pose.
Photos courtesy of Rocco Botte
ALBUM REVIEW
‘Transit’-ioning
i n to new te r r i to r y
What started out as a small public-access show soon turned into a
full-blown phenomenon for a
group of San Diego filmmakers.
Comedy group Mega 64 —
which is featured in Electronic
Gaming Monthly, Nintendo Power
and has commercial deals with
Ubisoft and Microsoft — is popular
with San Diegans and Internet fans
alike.
One might describe the show as
“Jackass” meets video games, but
that wouldn’t do it justice.
It’s also insufficient to simply
talk about the offbeat premise
wherein mad scientist Dr. Poque
(played by series creator Rocco
Botte) takes “two extraordinary
subjects,” Rocko (Botte again) and
Derek (co-creator Derrick Acosta)
and enslaves them in a beta-testing
camp for a new console — the Mega
64. The unique feature of the Mega
64 is that it taps into the human
mind for a full-immersion experience, giving them the excuse to
perform skits inspired by games
around San Diego.
“We do what we find funny,”
said Shawn Chatfield, who plays
Sean, an e-mail deliveryman turned
into yet another specimen.
In fact, the one reaction that
bothers Botte is the complete lack
of a reaction.
“When planning (a skit), we do
it if we can find that, one, it parodies the game effectively, two,
makes people laugh and, three, if it
makes someone mad,” he said.
Indeed, it’s a rare occasion that
the viewer doesn’t see someone
shoo Solid Snake (of “Metal Gear
Solid” fame) out of a yogurt shop, a
track and field audience become
enraged at Mario and Luigi interrupting a race, or at least a family
disdainfully looking at a fallen
Tetris block.
“At first we were really scared,
but then we just stopped caring
about getting caught,” Botte said of
the progressively intrusive nature
of the skits.
One such example is an
Internet ad made for the adventure
game “Myst V: End of Ages,” in
which Botte manages to get into
the preparation area of a restaurant, as well as the back areas of the
Reuben H. Fleet Science Center,
without so much as even breaking
character.
They make no apologies for
their skits or for their infamous
prankster antics at conventions,
such as throwing attendee’s member badges and forcing them to
catch it.
“We’re the abusive boyfriend
who keeps hitting you and hopes
you come back for more,” Botte
said. “To get the best stuff, (we) just
go do it.”
But Mega 64 is more than just a
bunch of goofy guys dressing up
and performing stupid stunts in
public — it’s also a bunch of goofy
guys dressing up and performing
stupid stunts in their own garage
with zero-budget sets.
The group’s two-disc DVD set,
“Mega 64: Version 1,” shows the
boys in top form.
Through the span of six
episodes, Rocko, Derek and Sean
fight off viruses, a smarmy puppet
roommate named Marcus (voiced
by Chatfield), a laid back Mexican
roommate (Acosta) and even a
malicious prepubescent hacker
(played by Chatfield’s younger
brother). The disc ends with a
cliffhanger — Dr. Poque is revealed
to be working with menacing, possibly alien creatures (one of which
is voiced by Kylie Baer, who played
Gohan on “Dragonball Z”), which
have a vested interest in the Mega
64’s success as a console. Alliances
are broken and a major cast member is left wounded.
As far as what their next release,
creatively titled “Version 2,” holds
in store, Botte is keeping quiet. He
is quick to mention, however, the
inclusion of skits for “Grand Theft
Auto,” “Katamari Damacy” and
“Resident Evil 4.”
“We have a new camera,” Botte
said. “It’s going to look like a real
action movie.”
This, as opposed to the nobudget camera work that both
plagued and contributed to the
first season’s charm.
“We know everyone is going to
say, ‘I liked it better when it was
just two guys in a garage,’” Botte
said. “We can’t wait … but it’s really
just the same show.”
When asked what the future
holds, Chatfield joked about the
possibilities of Version 16.
“I love where (our storyline) is
going and don’t care what other
people think,” Chatfield said.
However, Botte is more
reserved.
“When it stops being fun, we’ll
stop,” Botte said. “But I’m enjoying
(it now) as much as day one.”
Acosta, true to the anarchistic,
never-say-die spirit of the show,
calmly said, “We have one goal — to
outlast ‘The Simpsons.’”
—‘Mega 64: Version 2’ is due to come
out sometime in summer 2006, and
this release date is subject to change.
In the meantime, check out the Web
site at www.mega64.com.
Andrew McMahon leaves ‘Corporate’ life for side project
transitioning back and forth between upbeat
Beach Boys-inspired songs, such as “Miss
S TA F F W R I T E R
Delaney,” to highly emotional, slow songs,
such as “Rescued,” giving insight to the roller
Andrew McMahon, the piano-playing coaster he experienced upon his return
front man of the emotionally charged rock home.
band Something Corporate, pulled out all the
In an almost spooky way, the lyrics tell a
bells and whistles for his musical side-project, tale not only of his external problems with
Jack’s Mannequin.
life without the band, but his internal sickFrom trumpets to harness, as well. The day
monicas to McMahon’s sigMcMahon finished mastering
nature piano playing, Jack’s
“Everything in Transit,” he
Manequinn’s first album,
learned he had leukemia.
It’s a brutally
“Everything in Transit,” feaAlthough he was unaware of his
tures sounds that set it apart
illness during the recording
honest album
from
mainstream
process, it’s clear “Everything in
containing
lyrics
“emo”/pop-punk music.
Transit” is truly from the heart.
riddled with pain,
“Everything in Transit”
But engaging lyrics aren’t the
embraces a style all its own.
only thing “Everything in
truth and even
It’s pop, but not in a Britney
Transit” has to offer. The instruthe occasional
Spears way; it’s “emo,” but
ments reel in the listener. With
cuss word.
undeniably catchy tunes and
not in the cry-yourself-toout-of-the ordinary rhythms, it’s
sleep way; and it’s even
not unusual to involuntarily
somewhat of a throwback to
sway to the beat.
McMahon’s former group
Synthesized sounds add
Something Corporate.
dimension, voice-overs add variAlthough it’s clear that
ety and playful guitar riffs keep
McMahon found his unique
voice and distinctive style with Something listeners on their toes.
The album makes it a point not to be
Corporate, there’s at least one thing that sets
his new band apart from the last — the lyrics. polite, safe or fake. It’s a brutally honest
Something Corporate is known for its dif- album containing lyrics riddled with pain,
ficult-to-dissect lyrics that often make little truth and even the occasional cuss word.
Overall, it’s unlikely that “Everything in
sense, but somehow still manage to form an
unforgettable song.
Transit” has something to offer everyone,
Jack’s Mannequin, however, takes a turn from Atreyu lovers to Good Charlotte fans,
for the traditional in the sense that the lyrics but with such musical variety wrapped up
create a cohesive story. It’s a story that depicts into one album, it certainly has enough to satMcMahon’s return to the home he left after isfy every Something Corporate loyalist.
high school, when Something Corporate
—Jack’s Mannequin will be playing with O.A.R.
went on tour.
McMahon takes the listener on a ride, at 8 p.m. on June 10 at the Open Air Theatre.
J E S S I CA B U R K A R D
“
”
Something Corporate front
man, Andrew McMahon,
lends his talents to side
project, emo/pop group
Jack’s Mannequin. KRT Campus
8
The Daily Aztec
Tuesday, April 25, 2006
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