Getting swiped - The Collegian - California State University, Fresno
Transcription
Getting swiped - The Collegian - California State University, Fresno
The Collegian Multimedia Ryan Mathews runs for 233 yards on Saturday. Check out the highlights, Online Fresno State | Serving the campus since 1922 collegian.csufresno.edu Sports Trent Dilfer receives Distinguished Alumnus Award, Page 7 October 19, 2009 | Monday Getting swiped Shared Governance: A series exploring public access By Brian Maxey The Collegian The Associated Students, Inc. (ASI) tabled a vote earlier this month to amend student government bylaws due to inconsistencies and the fact that the current bylaws were out of date, as The Collegian reported on Oct.9. A majority vote was taken during the meeting while one of the senators was not present. Student activists and organizations immediately flagged ASI for not adhering to practices outlined in the current bylaws, prompting several students to contact members of student govern- “I t is a question of legality, because all 21,000 plus students at Fresno State are members of ASI." — Hector Cerda, Fresno State Graduate Student Photo Illustration by Matt Weir / The Collegian ment and university officials regarding matters of transparency and advisory for senate meetings. Following the meeting, ASI was criticized for taking action on bylaws without a full two-thirds majority and not making their bylaws readily accessible for viewing. At the heart of the disagreement is the balance between shared governance and the public’s ability to access information. The Collegian sat down last week with ASI executive’s president Jessica Sweeten, vice president of finance Lauren Johnson and executive vice president Alex Andreotti as well as members of various on-campus organizations and student activists to discuss the bylaws and recent actions taken by student government. Graduate student Hector Cerda said that he was unable to access the bylaws following the Oct.7 meeting. After the meeting Cerda went to the ASI office and requested a back copy of the bylaws but said that he was turned away. “I was told that bylaws were not kept at the ASI office and that they were housed at the library,” Cerda said. According to Cerda, when he went to the library to research the bylaws he was unable to find any of the back copies. “From my understanding, it is written in the bylaws that I can go in at anytime and be able to inspect the bylaws,” Cerda said. “I also tried going online as of the most recent senate meeting and couldn’t find [the bylaws]. By not having the bylaws posted online we are being denied our rights.” See GOVERNANCE, Page 6 Scammers take advantage of debit card popularity By Katie Robertson The Collegian Americans are increasingly using debit cards for purchases, many times without knowing the potential risks. Using a debit card for purchases immediately withdraws money from a connected checking account, leaving users vulnerable to instant theft in a scam known as skimming. According to Consumer Reports, skimming is an unauthorized capture and transfer of payment data to another source and occurs when equipment captures the magnetic strip and keypad information once a PIN is inputted at ATM machines, gas pumps, restaurants, or retailers. Debit cards are expected to account for nearly 60 percent of purchases made with plastic in 2009, according to a report by Consumer Reports in July 2009. By 2010, the U.S. Census Bureau projects that 185 million Americans will be debit cardholders. This is an increase of 9 million cards from the 2006 total, when there were only 176 million cardholders. The 2010 projection of total card holders indicates that individuals may hold more than one card. It is projected that there will be an increase of 130 million cards by 2010, a total of 484 million Visa and MasterCard debit cards, compared to the 2006 total of 354 million cards. Precautions are being taken at California State University, Fresno. “Since skimming typically involves an ‘inside dishonest employee,’ all association employees go through a fingerprinting process and a background check if their job duties require handling of cash or other for ms of payment,” said Debbie Dehner, an Auxiliary Corporations employee at Fresno State. “We follow strict guidelines that have been set by the Payment Card Industry (PCI) in the processing and handling of all credit or debit card transactions,” Dehner said. “We also These security measures are especially important considering the Census Bureau’s most recent projections. The Census Bureau estimates that in 2010 there will be 40.953 trillion point of sale (POS) transactions, 14.9 trillion over the 2006 total of 26.053 trillion POS transactions. A POS transaction is one that immediately deducts money from your account. An estimate for total purchase volume to be made with debit cards in 2010 is $1.6 trillion, a $600 billion “S tudents, faculty and staff need to be aware of the possibility of all types of credit and debit card scams, including skimming. An informed and knowledgeable public plays a significant role in preventing these frauds.” — Debbie Dehner, Auxiliary Corporations Employee work very closely with our credit card processor, First Data, in updating our current credit card terminals.” Dehner said that a physical inventory is maintained on all terminals, including make, model, serial number and their locations. These details allow for monitoring transaction activity by location in the event that there is any allegation of inappropriate activity. increase from 2006. And according to Consumer Reports, debit transactions are susceptible to scams in ways that credit cards are not. Unlike credit card thieves, who usually charge merchandise and then resell it to come up with money, people who create counterfeit ATM or debit cards by stealing your PIN and other See SKIMMING, Page 6 Opinion The Page 2 Collegian That’s What the People Are Saying On Obama vs. Fox News “T he administration was being attacked, members of this administration were being attacked, policies of this administration were being misrepresented -- and that’s a generous interpretation of how they were being described. At some point, the administration has to defend itself.” — Anita Dunn, speaking to CNN Opinion Editor, Haisten Willis • collegian-opinion@csufresno.edu • Monday, October 19, 2009 Balloon lesson #1: Hot air works One-Finger Salute T he pathetic cycle of national “news” last week centered on two subjects. The first was Rush Limbaugh’s “bid to buy the St. Louis Rams,” the second was the embarrassing “balloon boy” saga that was covered live, not only on CNN but also on Al Jazeera and the BBC. The end result of these stories was twofold: 1. The name “Rush Haisten Willis Limbaugh” became ubiquitous in the media and on the lips of everyone It makes me mad. Doesn’t it make from Wolf Blitzer to your grandma yet you mad? The altruistic rebel in me again. 2. Nancy Grace and HLN now wants to do something about it. I want have at least two months of fresh fodto get loud and emotional and, and do der for their nonsense shows. something about it!! We’ve got to talk about something, But let’s be realistic here. Even with right? the megaphone of this column, I have The only problem is that, when digging deep enough, one realizes there was plenty of real news last week. epublicans are masters of this Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger technique. Just try and oppose vetoed two State bills last Sunday, bills like the “Clear Skies Act” and the affectionately named SB 218 and SB 86. SB 218 would have , in short, “Keep Terrorists Out of America Act.” made California State University schools disclose where their money is coming from and where no hope of raising concern about this it is spent. It passed the state Assembly issue. by a 67-0 vote (now that’s bipartisan) From watching out of the corner of only to die by “The Governator’s” pen. my eye last week I learned more than SB 86 would have prevented CSU I’d ever like to know about the balloon and UC executives from receiving pay family. I even know that the dad has a raises during times of economic crisis. creepy ‘90s haircut. Arnold terminated that one too, and Yet, I freely admit that if I didn’t the UC regents have already approved work for a newspaper I would have no $9 million in executive pay increases clue about the vetoes of SB 218 and SB for next year. We have fee increases 86, much less would I be angry enough and class cuts, they get pay raises. about them to want to “do something The Upper Upper Deck “R about it!” These bills don’t have a political problem, they have a marketing problem. The news media is a business and the ‘good guys’ need to learn to play the game. No one will ever remember names like “SB 218” and “SB 86”. They need to name these bills and name them right. Republicans are masters of this technique. Just try and oppose bills like the “Clear Skies Act,” the “Patriot Act,” and the “Keep Terrorists Out of America Act.” If Gov. Schwarzenegger had just vetoed the “Stop Abusing Student Money Bill” and the “No More Shady Business Tactics from the CSU Bill,” it might have been a bigger story, no? I know, it sounds a little goofy, but so does an international scandal involving a little boy in a hot air balloon flying over Colorado. We are always quick to blame the public for being uninformed and lazy, but when one turns on “the most trusted name in news” and is subject to an hour’s worth of a flying saucer hoax followed by Limbaugh talk, there is little else we can expect. Nor can CNN be blamed. Rush and Balloon Boy are fun stories and exciting talking points – they sell. So this one goes out to the few good guys at the top: we want to help you, but you’ve got to help yourself. Throw in some energy and scandal. Hop in the mud pit with Rush and Nancy and make us watch. Letters to the Editor Response to “Tell me Moore, Dr. Paul” The article published on Wednesday concerning the views of Ron Paul on the Federal Reserve is most disturbing. I would like to remind the author of that article that the Federal Reserve is there for a reason. It was created in 1913 to address the economic uncertainty inherent to the capitalist system. The author points out that the goal of the Federal Reserve was, “to stabilize the currency and prevent the economy from fluctuating from astronomical highs to devastating lows.” He then proceeds to argue the purchasing power of the dollar in 1913 as opposed to 2009. His argument does not hold water when you look at the fact that prices and wages have kept in line compared to 1913. He continues on to point to recessions that have occurred since the Federal Reserve was created, believing that such existence of economic downturns defeats the purpose of the Federal Reserve. However, if you looked at a chart showing the growth (and decline) of the Gross Domestic Product from the 1950s to the present (when the Fed was able to detach itself completely from politics and buy and sell bonds in an open market) you would see relative stability compared to the early half of the 20th century. As for the bill in the House regarding that the Federal Reserve be beholden to Congress, that is the worst idea ever because the idea of the Federal Reserve is to have it be independent from the political process so that it can make economically healthy decisions. Furthermore, the author’s implication that we are a Marxist economy is nothing more than empty rightwing rhetoric. We are a mixed economy like the rest of the civilized industrial world. Learn to live in it! Andrew J Madden THE Collegian The Collegian is a student-run publication that serves the Fresno State community on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays. Views expressed in The Collegian do not necessarily reflect the views of the staff or university. The Collegian California State University, Fresno 5201 N. Maple Ave., M/S SA42 Fresno, CA 93740-8027 News Line: (559) 278-2486 Business Line: (559) 278-5735 http://collegian.csufresno.edu Culled each week from discussions in The Collegian newsroom. Thumbs up Ryan Mathews Sam Bradford is hurt, Colt McCoy is overrated, Tim Tebow is a little too friendly with Urban Meyer and Jhavid (you da you da) Best obviously isn't. Give this man the Heisman! Thumbs down NFL throwback jerseys every weekend Next week the NFL should have a truly unique celebration -- regular jersey night. Thumbs up Rod Blagojevich on “Celebrity Apprentice” History has brought us many great pairs, peanut butter and jelly, Hall and Oates, chips with ripples. Now, together at last, the two best toupee’s in show business! Thumbs down “Balloon Boy” saga Downtown key to city success A city is a reflection of the downtown it maintains. Where is Fresno’s downtown? The diversity seen in this city is unmatched within the rest of the United States of America. At one point Fresno had the tallest building in all of California. What does this say about where we came from? That Fulton Street was one of the most happening places around. Since then we have fallen to stereotypical stigmas and rumors of our downtown. Recently, a movement has started to fix our downtown, to revitalize the districts and bring the city back inward. With the recession, this is the perfect time. Many people question or argue about what needs to be done to accomplish this, but there is only one thing truly missing from our revitalization efforts. Our city needs pride. There are landowners creating new projects, historic buildings accomplishing new purpose, and great festivals occurring every month. Until our populace takes pride in what our city has to offer, until our citizens quit turning farmland into strip malls, our downtown will remain a vacant memory of what Fresno once was. We can bring the fun back to downtown. Yet no one knows how to get the word to the public. None of us know how to tell Fresno that our downtown is safe, fun and unique. Let’s educate our fellow neighbors of the opportunity, history and good times to be had in Fresno’s historic downtown. We thought it wasn’t possible after Paris Hilton, Lindsay Lohan, Sarah Palin, Brett Favre and Tila Tequila, but it was: We’ve reached an unprecedented low in American pop culture stupidity. Thumbs up Pumpkins They’re more useful than you think! (See page 5) Thumbs down Fresno Grizzlies seeking lowered rent at Chukchansi Park A Collegian staffer tried the same thing last week. The landlord responded, “Get the hell out my office!” Christopher Turley Entrepreneurship Letters to the Editor (collegian@csufresno.edu) All letters submitted to The Collegian must not exceed 250 words in length, must be type-written, and must be accompanied by a full name and phone number to verify content. The Collegian reserves the right to edit all material for length, content, spelling and grammar, as well as the right to refuse publication of any material submitted. All material submitted to The Collegian becomes property of The Collegian. Each member of the campus community is permitted one copy of The Collegian. Subscriptions are available for $25, on a semester basis. Staff positions at The Collegian are open to students of all majors. Contact the Editor in Chief for details. All content Copyright © 2009 The Collegian. Editor in Chief News Editor Features Editor Arts & Entertainment Editor Sports Editor Opinion Editor Photo Editor Multimedia Director Webmaster Newscast Reporter Multimedia Reporter Online Sports Reporter Editorial Board Brian Maxey Jakob Smith Michelle Furnier Danielle Gilbert Logan Hopkins Haisten Willis Matt Weir Joel M. Ede Anna Jacobsen Whitney Vasquez Sergio Cortes Jimmy Graben Brian Maxey Haisten Willis Local Advertising Manager National Advertising Executive Business Development Executive Art Director Assistant Art Director Distribution Manager Accountancy Assistant Business Manager Advertising Faculty Adviser Editorial Faculty Adviser Online Faculty Adviser Lee Lawrence Landon Reda Mike Williams Brandon Ocegueda Edgar Vargas Savannah West Pasindu Samarasekera Virginia Sellars-Erxleben Jan Edwards Jefferson Beavers Reaz Mahmood Monday, October 19, 2009 The Collegian • Arts & Entertainment Arts & Entertainment Editor, Danielle Gilbert • collegian-features@csufresno.edu Taking the ‘treat’ out of ‘Retreat’ Box office Here are the top new films at the box office for the weekend of Friday, Oct. 16, through Sunday, Oct. 18, based on estimates of ticket sales compiled by Yahoo.com. 1. Where the Wild Things Are Distributor: Warner Bros. Pictures Weekend gross: $32,470,000 Overall gross: $32,470,000 Release weeks: 2. Law Abiding Citizen Distributor: Overture Films Weekend gross: $21,250,000 Overall gross: $21,250,000 Release weeks: 1 3. Paranormal Activity Distributor: Paramount Pictures Weekend gross: $20,163,000 Overall gross: $33,717,000 Release weeks: 4 4. Couples Retreat Distributor: Universal Pictures Weekend gross: $17,949,000 Overall gross: $63,339,000 Release weeks: 2 C VIDEO: Check out the new movie releases at The Collegian online http://collegian.csufresno.edu Review by Angelica Cano The Collegian Exquisite tropical locales and beautiful, bikini-clad women can’t rescue “Couples Retreat” from mediocrity. Black and white, vintage footage of couples throughout history opens up the movie “Couples Retreat.” As the montage progresses the images slowly become colored and display more modern looking husbands and wives, ending with the four couples of the film. Unfortunately, this is as interesting as the movie gets. From the start, it’s easy to see each of the four couples have their own set of problems. Dave, played by Vince Vaughn, tends to neglect his wife, Ronnie (Malin Akerman), after working long hours selling Guitar Hero. Shane (Faizon Love) is recently divorced, spending his time and money on a much younger girlfriend. Joey and Lucy (Jon Favreau, Kristin Davis) love each other until their daughter leaves the room. Jason and Cynthia, played by Jason Bateman and Kristen Bell, are contemplating a divorce and convince the rest of the group to attend the “Eden East” resort in Bora Bora, in hopes of restoring their relationships. Promised a vacation full of Jet Skis and snorkeling, the couples are irritated to find the resort’s itinerary of 6 a.m. wake-up calls and therapy sessions is mandatory. Couples Skill Building, a farcical assignment mandated by the resort, is composed of undressing in front of each other at the urging of a middle-aged French man, clothed only in a Speedo and a The daily crossword Puzzle by Mark Bickham C PUZZLE SOLUTION: http://collegian.csufresno.edu Copyright 2009. Tribune Media Services, Inc. 60 Norse war god 62 Four-on-the-floor, e.g. 66 Atomizer output 67 Division of society 68 Sunscreen ingredient, perhaps 69 __ helmet: safari wear 70 Ease, as fears 71 Home on a limb DOWN Movie review The cast members of “Couples Retreat” (clockwise from top) Kristen Bell, John Favreau, Kristin Davis, Faizon Love, Kali Hawk, Malin Akerman, Vince Vaugn and Jason Bateman. John Johnson McClatchy Tribune rattail haircut. The main obstacle of the film, written in part by Vaughn and Favreau, is its narrow portrayal of friendship. The characters of Dave and Joey don’t act like authentic friends, but merely as a set of ears for one another to complain to. Conversations circle around repetitive topics of marital discontent or spousal anger, but rarely break the surface of what the real issues are. Despite the paradise these couples are in, no one can stop griping long enough to enjoy the view. Gourmet meals, hot tubs with views of the ocean and the capacity to see fish through windows in the hotel room floors are not enough to satisfy these people. From the perspective of the viewer, the arguing and groaning doesn’t read as funny so much as self- indulgent. Overall, very little of “Couples Retreat” is original. Most of the jokes and punch lines are stale, expected and mildly repulsive. Of course the male yoga instructor with supermodel looks, big muscles and a tiny swimsuit is fond of inappropriate touching. Obviously the sleaziest guy of the group is going to (not so) hysterically sexually harass the young, attractive masseuse. Everything from the ball jokes and potty humor to the Guitar Hero showdown is infantile. The characters and storylines of “Couples Retreat” are more annoying than intriguing. Constant bickering and artificial friendships weigh down the almost two-hour movie. In the end, the only thing worth paying for in the film is the beauty of Mother Nature. Edited by Rich Norris and Joyce Lewis Los Angeles Times ACROSS 1 “Overhead” engine parts 5 Shoe undersides 10 __ the lily: ornament to excess 14 Doing the job 15 Between, quaintly 16 There oughta be one, so it’s said 17 “Keep out” sign 19 Turn on a pivot 20 Jungian feminine principle 21 Coll. major for a future concert artist 23 Anger 24 Pay for everyone’s dinner 29 Lively Irish dance 32 Peter, Paul or Mary 33 Not shut, in verse 34 German river 36 Like a cold, damp day 37 Type of notebook 40 “All exits are blocked” situation 43 Shiny photo 44 Delivery vehicle 45 WWII submachine gun 46 Floral welcome 47 Mexican money 49 Mag. staffers 50 Throng management 54 Witchy woman 55 Place for a ring 56 On-the-job reward Page 3 1 Musical finale 2 Soon, to a bard 3 Short skirt 4 Defeat decisively 5 Sault __ Marie 6 Possess 7 On, as a lamp 8 Like churches, vis-à-vis most taxes 9 Rooster’s gait 10 Tank filler 11 Unable to read 12 First lady before Michelle 13 Dork 18 Mai __: rum drinks 22 Small stores 25 Traveling show worker 26 Sedona and Sorento 27 Not made of interlaced parts, as fabric 28 Expansive stories 29 Author Erica 30 “American __” 31 Precious stone expert 35 Stitch over 37 Man of La Mancha 38 Acted like 39 Contact or zoom 41 “All kidding __ ...” 42 No-food protest 47 Snazzy entrance 48 Bursts into tears 50 Bite vigorously 51 Pie slice edges, geometrically 52 One of Caesar’s assassins 53 Actress Lindsay 57 Longest river 58 Roswell sightings, briefly 59 Printer’s “let it stand” 61 To the __ degree 63 One of many in the Aegean Sea: Abbr. 64 Windy City transportation org. 65 Computer feature that ends each of the five longest across answers C Complete the grid so that every row, column and 3x3 box contains every digit from 1 to 9 inclusively. SOLUTION: http://collegian.csufresno.edu Word of the Day Pisshap A mishap generally involving the mass consumption of alcohol and a misdirection of urine to an area other than the toilet. This usually occurs as the result of an alcoholic stupor. Source: UrbanDictionary.com Arts & Entertainment The Collegian Page 4 • Arts & Entertainment Editor, Danielle Gilbert • collegian-features@csufresno.edu • Monday, October 19, 2009 The ‘Stra’ that rode the horses back By Joel M. Ede The Collegian Another year of horse racing at the Big Fresno Fair is in the books, and aside from the excitement of a longshot winner or a photo finish, fans watched some of the most interesting jockeys in the sport. United States Racing Hall of Fame inductee Russell Baze, 51, has raced at the Fresno Fair sporadically since 1976. Baze is a household name on the circuit, an all-time jockey in thoroughbred horse racing and has banked more than 10,600 wins in his career. Baze also holds a record for winning more than 400 races in a year, which he has done on 10 separate occasions. In contrast to Baze’s hall of fame career, there was another compelling jockey who graced the dirt racetrack at the fair grounds this year that hopes to make a name for herself. Twenty-four-year-old Kayla Stra, an Australian-born jockey, moved to California in 2008 to try and break into the American racing scene after winning more than 500 races in Australia. For the past year Stra’s racing home has been the highly competitive jockey colony in Santa Anita, Calif. This year marked Stra’s first trip to Fresno. “I don’t think of [Fresno] any differently,” Stra said. “If I’m sitting on a Russell Baze e Fresno Fair Courtesy of Th horse it doesn’t matter where I am.” Although the Fresno races are cheaper for horses to enter (leading to smaller purses) than tracks such as Oak Tree or Del Mar, they still feature horses that can compete at a very high level. “They’ve got good purses here and during the fairs we’re not racing anywhere else,” Baze explained. “Unless you got enough money socked away that you can afford to sit around and be idle for two or three months every summer, the fairs are the place to come.” People outside of the horse racing world probably know Stra best by her appearances on Animal Planet’s documentary series, “Jockeys.” Stra said that she is no longer doing the show and will focus exclusively on riding. “I’m glad that it’s over because I’m back to being a jockey,” Stra said. “I don’t have to worry about cameras in my face.” One of the many issues addressed in the documentary was the partiality shown to female jockeys, some of which hamper their opportunities to break into bigger races. When asked, Baze commented on the lack of finishing strength most female jockeys display. “When I first saw Kayla ride I wasn’t very impressed, it just didn’t look like she was a very strong rider,” Baze admitted. “But recently I’ve seen a couple of her races and she looks like she’s doing a lot better … she’s improved quite a bit.” Stra doesn’t see it as a female issue, but instead a test of personal work ethic. “I think it’s an individual thing. I don’t think that its actually women being accepted. It’s more believing in yourself and people believing in you … I’m not trying to break any barriers or anything, I just want to ride,” Stra said. Stra said she would not be is Santa Anita much longer. She will soon join Baze at Golden Gate Fields, an American horse racing track located on the shoreline of San Francisco Bay, and has six mounts lined up on opening day alone. Although Stra wasn’t sure if she would be back to the fair next year, she was certain about her future in horse racing. “It’s my life. I couldn’t live without it.” Kayla Stra Courtesy of Th e Fresno Fair Monday, October 19, 2009 The Collegian • Features Features Editor, Michelle Furnier • collegian-features@csufresno.edu Page 5 Make a Difference Day Rotary Storyland and Sierra Foothill Conservancy By Kristin Berquist The Collegian Matt Weir / The Collegian The "Alice in Wonderland Maze" at Rotary Storyland that has been up for approximately 56 years will be a focus of Make a Difference Day. In past years Califor nia State University, Fresno has partnered with the City of Fresno to volunteer on projects for Make a Difference Day, a national day of service held on the fourth Saturday of every October. This year, Fresno State is changing things up a bit. On Saturday Oct. 24, students, faculty, staff and alumni will begin work on two longterm projects with the nonprofit organizations Sierra Foothill Conservancy and Rotary Storyland, said Renee Delport, special events and project coordinators for the Jan and Bud Richter Center for Community Engagement and Service-Learning. “We wanted something that was going to be long-term, have a lasting impact, something the agencies could fund, and it was going to be around for a long, long time and contribute to the educational experience for our students but also for other people in the community,” said Delport of Fresno State’s choice for partnering with the two non-profits. Rotary Storyland in Roeding Park, with its fairytale-theme and promotion of early childhood literacy, was an obvious fit for a long-ter m project, Delport said. The first job will have volunteers demolishing the "Alice in Wonderland" display at the park in preparation to rebuild a new display next semester. Sophomore Amanda Fadal, community service coordinator for the Craig Scholars, will be volunteering at Storyland with five others from the club. Having to tear down the display is sad, Fadal said in a phone interview, but she looks forward to rebuilding it in the spring. “We hope to make a difference with the park,” she said. Fadal explained that a few of the Craig Scholars members have been to Storyland before and wanted to be a part of rehabilitating and improving the park so other kids can enjoy it. For the second project, Fresno State volunteers will clear a hiking trail in the McKenzie Table Mountain P re s e r ve. T h e p re s e r ve, located on the north side of Auberry Road between Friant and Prather Avenues, has a lot of Native American history, Delport said. Trails that currently exist on the preserve correspond with a guidebook designed to educate school groups on different types of vegetation and the environment. “By Fresno State participating with these agencies, we’re not only enhancing our student’s educational experiences and giving them an opportunity to give back to the community, but we’re also going to give back to the educational experience for the whole community, for students that will come years and years from now,” Delport said. Alpha Zeta Cal Epsilon, a co-ed honorary Ag fraternity, will have 15 members volunteering at the preserve. Senior Aimee Meidinger is censor (vice president), of the fraternity and said in a phone interview that the team is excited to take part in the service day. “It’s a good opportunity to get outdoors together as a group,” Meidinger said. The volunteer experience will also allow the fraternity to get to know the new pledge members as they work side by side as a team, Meidinger said. Volunteer spots for the Rotary Storyland project are already filled. In her five years as coordinator, Delport said she has never had a project site full the week before the event. The Sierra Foothill Conservancy project has 70 total volunteer positions, of which 35 are still vacant. Volunteers will meet at their respective sites on Saturday morning to check-in, receive directions and start on their projects. The service day will go from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. Make a Difference Day will kick start the long-term projects that will likely span two to three years, Delport said. Fresno State plans to send volunteers to these sites once or twice a semester until the work is complete. “We’re trying to really focus on getting some work done and making an impact,” Delport said. Food Review Pumpkins: more than pie and for carving Review By Lacee Solis The Collegian October marks the seasonal transition from summer to winter, providing salvage from the heat with cooler temperatures and forecasting the holiday season ahead. Leaves that once radiated with green pigments turn a vibrant golden-orange, ghoulish decorations and costumes line store shelves. And one harvest item takes center stage - the pumpkin. Pumpkin history The pumpkin is popular this time of year for its carving potential, with the diverse jack-O-lantern creations of children and adults adorning front porches in neighborhoods everywhere. As the signature icon of the Halloween season, the pumpkin’s elaborate history proves it’s good for more than just hacking into. The pumpkin has been domestically grown in North America for 5,000 years and was a fundamental part of the Native American diet centuries before colonists arrived. Once arriving, colonists quickly adopted the versatile fruit (yes, fruit) to their menu. The origin of pumpkin pie is believed to stem from the colonial practice of slicing off the pumpkin tip, filling the hollowed pumpkin with milk, spices and honey and then baking it in hot ashes. Pumpkin is a variety of squash belonging to the gourd family, which also includes cucumbers, squash, and melons. It can range in size from less than 1 pound to over 1,000 pounds. S i x o f t h e s eve n c o n t i nents are able to grow pump- kins, with the exception of Antarctica. The top states in the U.S. for producing pumpkins are Illinois, Ohio, Pennsylvania, and California. The self-proclaimed pumpkin capital of the world is Morton, Ill., home of Libby’s Corporation, whose canned pumpkin products are a staple in many homes during the holidays. Cooking pumpkins Fresh pumpkins contain an earthy, rich flavor perfect for pies, soups, and breads and succulent when included in savory dishes. The pumpkin is low in calories, with only 49 calories per cup. They are also high in fiber, and are a good source of potassium, iron and protein. Smaller pumpkins, also known as a “pie pumpkin” or “sugar pumpkin,” are best when choosing a variety to cook with. Since pumpkins are 90 percent water, the large pumpkins more commonly used for decoration are less flavorful. Pumpkin can be cooked like any winter squash. It can be roasted, mashed, or pureed depending on what the recipe calls for. One way to prepare pumpkin, according to the Food Network Web site, is to first cut it in half lengthwise and, as traditional practice, scoop out the seeds and the stringy flesh (save the seeds). Place the pumpkin, cut side down, in a roasting pan with about half a cup of water and bake at 350 degrees until tender. After cooling, remove the flesh from its shell and mash with a potato masher or puree in a food processor. Pumpkin seeds can be rinsed, dried, and roasted in the oven with a little olive oil, salt and pepper. The seeds can be enjoyed as a snack or to top off a salad. With 80 percent of the pumpkin supply available in October, take advantage of fall’s harvest offerings. Grab one for fun and another for dinner. Pumpkin world records The world record for the largest pumpkin grown weighed in at 1, 725 pounds and was set by two Ohio pumpkin growers. The largest pumpkin pie in the Guinness World Records was 12-feet long and 2,020 pounds, made by New Bremen Giant Pumpkin Growers from Ohio. Page 6 The Collegian • News News Editor, Jakob Smith • collegian-news@csufresno.edu GOVERNANCE: Conflicting accounts over student access CONTINUED from page 1 However, the ASI Web site has been under construction since the summer. The revamped Web site went live last week, according to ASI executives. “We started this summer redesigning our Web site because we realized “A interested in obtaining specific documentation. The three executives said that no students have ever been denied copies of the bylaws. Physical copies of bylaws, however, are not kept inside of the library. At the end of the academic year, agenda ccessibility has never been a problem.” it wasn’t really accessible in terms of layout for students,” Andreotti said. “So we decided to revamp it, which took a lot longer than we expected because of different issues with codes and passwords.” Andreotti said that previous versions of ASI bylaws are always on the Web site. "Accessibility has never been a problem," Andreotti said. However, Andreotti acknowledged the fact that documentation was still being uploaded to the site. Andreotti also said that students are welcome to visit the ASI office and request a copy of the bylaws or fill out a public records request if they are — Alex Andreotti, ASI Executive Vice President packets and minutes from the biweekly senate meetings throughout the year are collected and placed in a binder. The binder is then copied and sent off to four separate places on campus for archival purposes. Still, Cerda feels that ASI has been negligent in making bylaws available for students and that actions taken by the executives have been disreputable. “I think that it is important that those bylaws are always made available for any student who wants to access them,” Cerda said. “It is a question of legality, because all 21,000 plus students at Fresno State are members of ASI.” SKIMMING: Businesses take extra precautions CONTINUED from page 1 account data can simply pull cold cash from your bank account, according to Consumer Reports. Mana g ers and employees of University Market, located on the southeast corner of Shaw and Willow avenues, said they are well aware of debit card skimming scams. To ensure that debit card skimming does not occur at this facility, meetings are held to educate employees about what to look for when cleaning equipment, refilling supplies and helping customers daily. The store is open 24 hours, and there is ongoing surveillance from several locations. Therefore, the store is never left unattended by employees, who could promptly address suspicious characters and issues that may occur. “Cameras are deterrents,” University Market manager Chris Benjamin said. “People are able to get into the system through working for pump repair or pump installation companies,” Benjamin said. “You’re not going to see it as much because of new systems.” If fraud did occur, Benjamin said that University Market is prepared with phone numbers for fraud response hotlines. The manager of Dog House Grill, Matt Billingsley, said that they have never experienced debit card skimming. The only type of plastic accepted by the restaurant is credit, and identification is checked with each card, Billingsley said. The computer system used by Dog House Grill employs top of the line security for credit card theft and only shows the last four digits of a credit card number. Billingsley said that the only way a server could obtain a full card number is if they wrote the number down while handling the customer’s card. Any incor rect usage of a card, such as not checking ID or using the wrong card in a transaction, results in employee termination, Billingsley said. “As a restaurant, we pride ourselves on customers using their credit cards and that it is indeed the card owner, knowing every time a person uses a card it was as if we were using our card,” Billingsley said. “We want the same protection.” Dehner advises individuals to keep an eye on their debit card, to keep their receipts and to compare them to their bank statement at the end of each month. “Students, faculty and staff need to be aware of the possibility of all types of credit and debit card scams, including skimming,” Dehner said. “An informed and knowledgeable public plays a significant role in preventing these frauds.” Debit Tips Consumer Report shares these recommendations to help you avoid getting scammed. • Don't type your PIN at the pump. Instead, identify your card as a credit card. That way it will be processed through a credit card network, and you will have greater protection. • Use ATMs located at banks. Attaching and retrieving a device used for scams is more likely to happen at a non-bank setting. • Closely monitor your bank accounts. Debit card fraud can have a greater impact on your finances than credit card fraud. If you notice suspicious activity on your accounts, report it to your bank immediately. Monday, October 19, 2009 Astronomy team finds dwarf galaxy By Bill McAuliffe McClatchy Tribune MINNEAPOLIS _ In some ways, discovering a new galaxy is all in a day’s work for John Cannon, Macalester College assistant astronomy professor. “We find new galaxies every day,” he said. “It’s actually kind of boring.” But having found a galaxy unlike all the others _ all the millions seen so far, that is _ Cannon, a team of fellow astronomers and now some Macalester students are pondering some new questions about the universe, including how the very stars are formed. Since 2001, Cannon and his fellow researchers have been examining a pinpoint of light 140 million light years from Earth that one of his colleagues spotted during a scan for “dwarf” galaxies. It might be described as a routine scan, except that it was performed by the massive Arecibo Observatory telescope in Puerto Rico, which was featured in the 1997 movie “Contact.” Cannon and his team noted several peculiarities about the object they saw and decided to take a second look through a telescope at the Very Large Array, a huge radio astronomy observatory with more than two dozen antennae in New Mexico. Cannon said he was “flabbergasted” by what they detected. Usually a galaxy, such as the Milky Way, where Earth resides, holds a lot of solid material _ stars, large and small, that are formed as gravity compresses the hydrogen between the galaxy’s solids. But the galaxy Cannon and his team described in a recent article in The Astrophysical Journal instead has a tiny solid mass at its center surrounded by a disc of gas far out of proportion to its star mass _ as big as the Milky Way, though it has only about 2 percent of the star material as the Milky Way. In fact, the galaxy has the largest known gas-to-visiblestar ratio of any galaxy yet observed. Despite that vast field of hydrogen, it apparently isn’t creating any stars. “This is an inherently interesting galaxy,” said Leo Blitz, professor of astronomy at the University of California-Berkeley, who studies galaxy formation. “Finding a galaxy like this, that’s evolved in isolation, can ultimately tell us how galaxies themselves form. You don’t see that very often.” Cannon has been teaching it at Macalester for three years and expanding his research into the mysterious dwarf galaxy. “The first time we looked at the data we had no idea what to do with it. It was one of these ” Cannon said. “All of this material in the outer part of the galaxy is just sitting there not forming stars, and we don’t know why. Right now the big question is: How common is this?” Cannon’s students are helping him seek answers. Juniors Palmer Fliss of Medway, Mass., and Eric Engstrom of Apple Valley, Minn., spent part of last summer collecting data and steering the massive Green Bank telescope in West Virginia. “It’s captivated me,” Fliss said of the project. “If you can find that sort of thing you have a passion for, it intrinsically motivates you to keep going.” For Engstrom, the stars pulled him away from plans to major in economics. “I really liked physics in high school, but we never got to talk about stars and black holes and galaxies,” Engstrom said. “Actually looking at that in depth really opened up a brand new world for me. It showed how small we really are and how much we have to learn about the world around us.” Monday, October 19, 2009 The Collegian • Sports Sports Editor, Logan Hopkins • collegian-sports@csufresno.edu Dilfer is ‘Top Dog’ Former ’Dog Trent Dilfer is honored with Distinguished Alumnus Award the field, obviously my wife. Funny story though, we actually dated as freshmen and she told me I was too boring, so we should just be friends for a couple years. So we were friends for a few years after the initial bad dating experience, then I manipulated her By Chris Aguirre over time. The Collegian Q: You are an NFL analyst on ESPN now, is that something The Distinguished Alumnus you always wanted to do? Award is the highest honor A: I never wanted to be on g ive n t o a n a l u m n u s o f TV. In fact, I didn’t like the California State University, people on TV, when I was playFresno. The award is based ing, so no. It’s something that on scholarship, leadership I just kind of fell into and I and service to the university, really enjoy it way more than the San Joaquin Valley and I thought I the State of ever would. Califor nia. It keeps you It has been in the mix, established it keeps you to provide relevant sp ec i al recwith footognition to ball. an individual Q: Now you who has dishave a fountinguished dation called himself/herTD4HIM can self through you tell me outstanding a little bit achievement about that? during his/ A: It’s her post-collea foundagiate career. tion that This past was birthed F r i d ay, f o rout of the mer NFL t r a g e dy o f quarterback losing our and Super son Trevin. Bowl champ Really it’s a Trent Dilfer fo u n d at i o n was honored of partners with the diswith other tinguished foundations a l u m n i Brianna Campbell / The Collegian and other aw a rd f ro m t h e F r e s n o Trent Dilfer, former Fresno State quarterback, was honored on homecoming non-profits t h at wo rk State Alumni weekend as the Distinguished Alumnus at the university’s Top Dog Gala. on putting A s s o c i at i o n smiles on a t t h e To p year of school that I realized kids faces. It’s a lot more comDog Gala. The Collegian had that it was going to be a posplex than that, but at the end the chance to catch up Dilfer. sibility and then it became a of the day we want to partQ: How does it feel to get the dream. ner with other non-profits distinguished alumni awards Q: You have had many great that really have strong focus from Fresno State? moments at Fresno State, like toward putting smiles on kid’s A: Its humbling, as you get winning the 1992 Freedom faces. older your legend grows you Bowl against USC, winning Q: What do you say to the become a better player than conference championships, Fresno fans that consider you you really were, I’m used to you broke records and you also still one of the greats to play getting some of the athletic met your wife here. So could football at Fresno State? achievements, but to get someyou give me moments on and A: Thank you more than anything from the university off the field that were special thing else, obviously the fan itself it’s really special and to you? base in the Valley is so strong Fresno State is really dear A: One of the most special and so big and has always been to me. So it’s just a humbling is beating San Jose State my so incredibly supportive of experience. redshirt freshman year. Mark me, but thank you. It has been Q: You seem to come back Barsotti was the starter, he an honor to perform in front to Fresno a lot, is it because got hurt and I played the secof them in college and to know Fresno has a special place in ond half of the season and we that they were following me your heart? beat San Jose State at the end when I was playing in the NFL A: It really is, a lot of my of the season to win the conand know that they’re tuning wife’s family is here and ference championship. Off into me now that I’m on TV.” my closest friends on earth Classifieds Are you waiting for each print edition to read the newest classifieds? Check them out 24/7 online at: http://collegian.csufresno.edu Click on classifieds. The Collegian is not responsible for nor does it assume any liability for its advertisers. We caution our readers to check out the legitimacy of all advertisers before doing business with any of them. HELP WANTED STUDENTPAYOUTS.COM Paid Survey Takers Needed In Fresno. 100% Free To Join! Click On Surveys. JOBS Marketing Position – State of the art orthodontic office seeking motivated, energetic, team player. Marketing experience required. Fax/email to 559-435-5851/Rachel@ drloweortho.com are here. We’ve had a lot of great experiences in Fresno and some tough ones to, so this place is very dear to our hearts. It’s will always be a part of our lives. Q: After playing three season here at Fresno State from 1991-1993. You got drafted with the 6th overall pick of the 1994 NFL draft by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, did you always want to go to the NFL coming into college? A: When I got to college, no, I was not highly recruited. Fresno State kind of took a chance on me as an athlete. It wasn’t until about my second Page 7 HOPKINS: Mathews’ stats tell the real story Brianna Campbell / The Collegian Ryan Mathews may not be eligible to run for president until 2024, but the nation’s leading rusher might make a serious run at a Heisman Trophy. CONTINUED from page 8 Saturday night, he continued to impress potential voters. Each time the junior tailback touched the football, Bulldog Stadium echoed with a collective gasp, each fan holding their breath waiting to see what the calm and collected candidate would do next. Would it a be a 33-yard run finished with a straight arm that sent San Jose State’s best defender on a one-way trip to his back? “[The straight arm] is a good weapon to use,” Mathews said. Sounds like a potential commander in chief to me. Would it be an untouched 59-yard touchdown run? “I was thinking to myself that I don’t want to get caught,” Mathews said. “That would be embarrassing.” He’s playing this close to the chest, but he knows he’s so far ahead in the polls that no one will catch him. Mathews finished with 233 yards and one touchdown, averaging 11.6 yards per carry and boosting his season total to 974 rushing yards. Mathews is still leading the nation in rushing, now with 162 yards per game – 26 yards per game ahead of the nearest challenger. But, always quick to deflect praise to his campaign team (offensive line), he doesn’t take the credit. “I don’t think I’m better than anybody,” Mathews said. “I don’t pay attention to that stuff. It’s all just numbers.” But most people cannot help but pay attention to the numbers. This is a landslide like Ronald Reagan in 1988. Mathews has two of the season’s top 10 rushing games: 238 yards against Boise State and 233 yards against San Jose State. He’s the only player with two games in the top 10. He is currently 11th in the nation with 169 all-purpose yards per game, which totals rushing and receiving yards, as well as kick and punt returns. Mathews is the only player in the top 25 in all-purpose yards per game without even one kick or punt return yard. In the total offense per game category, Mathews actually ranks quite low. For all the naysayers out there, there is finally something to put in those nasty campaign commercials. Mathews ranks 99th in the nation in total offense. But that low ranking might be skewed. He’s the only player on the list of 100 that doesn’t play quarterback. Everything is lining up for Mathews. He has a strong campaign platform, is impressing voters and is getting results even before he takes office. It’s just too bad that he’ll have to wait until 2024 to officially run for president. Wait a minute – instead of waiting to run for president, why doesn’t he just campaign for the Heisman Trophy this year? C MULTIMEDIA: For a Bulldog football video and podcast visit http://collegian.csufresno.edu BULLDOG VOLLEYBALL ’Dogs picks up fourth WAC win By Collegian Staff The Fresno State volleyball team won its fourth Western Athletic Conference (WAC) game Saturday defeating the Boise State Broncos in five sets. With the loss, the Broncos’ record fell to 2-18 and 2-6 in the WAC. The set scores were 19-25, 25-21, 25-18, 20-25 and 15-11. In the first set, Fresno State took an early 3-0 lead after two service aces by senior Allanah Munson. After a rally, the Broncos seized the lead early in the first set 10-5 and never looked back, winning 25-19. After 10 lead changes in set two, the ’Dogs won the set 25-21, led by Baylee Platt’s seven kills in the set. In set three, the Bulldogs had an 18-11 lead, however, a Boise State rally cut the lead to three 20-17. The ’Dogs held off the Broncos and won the set 25-18, hitting .312 in the set. The Broncos rallied and won set four, which was back at fourth and was tied midway through at 15 apiece. However, a late rally by the Broncos gave them the 25-20 win in set four. Once again, behind the serving of Muson, the Bulldogs jumped out to a 6-0 lead and were able to hold on and put the Broncos away in the fifth and final set, winning 15-10. The ’Dogs were led by Platt, who had 15 kills, followed by Lauren Berger with 13 and Kelli Parker, who posted a new career-high, with 11 kills. Munson led the team with 24 assists and Lisa Gera contributed 17. Kelly Mason also had 20 digs for the ’Dogs. With the victory the Bulldogs improved to 11-8 and 4-3 in WAC play. The four wins in the WAC are the most wins by the Bulldogs since 2004. Fresno State now heads to Las Cruses, N.M., on Oct. 22 to take on the Aggies of New Mexico State. Home schedule The Bulldogs have five remaining home games, all at the Save Mart Center. • Oct. 29 v. Hawaii • Oct. 31 v. San Jose State • Nov. 9 v. Nevada • Nov. 12 v. Louisiana Tech • Nov. 14 v. New Mexico State Sports The Collegian Page 8 Bulldog sound bite of the week “I don’t think I’m better than anybody.” -Tailback Ryan Mathews Sports Editor, Logan Hopkins • collegian-sports@csufresno.edu • Monday, October 19, 2009 FRESNO STATE BULLDOGS 41, SAN JOSE STATE SPARTANS 21 Spartans get San hosed Brianna Campbell / The Collegian Tailback Ryan Mathews, the nation’s leading rusher, continued on his unreal pace, rushing for 233 yards on 20 carries against the San Jose State Spartans on Saturday night’s homecoming game. The Collegian’s Players of the Game Vote Ryan Mathews for president, 2024 I Ryan Mathews Offense Moses Harris Defense Seyi Ajirotutu Special Teams The Collegian hands out game balls to its Players of the Game following every football game. Offense: For the fifth straight week, Ryan Mathews has earned offensive player of the week honors. Mathews rushed for 233 yards on 20 carries, adding one touchdown. Defense: The senior strong safety totaled eight tackles and seven of them were solo. He also had one tackle for loss. Special Teams: Normally a starter at receiver, Seyi Ajirotutu was on the punt block unit Saturday night, blocking a punt in the second quarter that set up a field goal. Coming up next ... For the first time in 2009, the Fresno State Bulldog football team is on winning streak. Pat Hill and the boys will hope to extend the streak at New Mexico State Saturday night. The game was originally scheduled as an afternoon start, but it has been pushed back to 7 p.m. and ESPNU picked up the coverage. The Aggies are 3-4 and coming off a 45-7 beatdown by Louisiana Tech. t is about time. It has just become unavoidable at this point. I cannot keep my mouth shut any longer on this issue. I made a deliberate decision to avoid this topic, racking my brain for story ideas, but it’s time. At least I made it to the midpoint of the season before caving in. Alright, here goes, Red Wavers… Logan It is finally the right time for the “Ryan Mathews is the best player in college football” column. Before I gave into peer pressure and while I was still racking the brain this weekend, I went to this newspaper’s handy-dandy Web site and typed “Ryan Mathews” into the search bar. I just wanted to make sure that I didn’t repeat any old, worn-out ideas, you know? In only .40 seconds, The Collegian Online produced 145 stories, columns and multimedia results. Just for fun, I searched “Barack Obama.” Only 141 results. Mathews is more popular than the president of the United States and the leader of the free world – at Fresno State at least. Now that’s a column idea. If this was an election year, I’m sure that Mathews, even though he is only 22 years old, Hopkins would receive thousands of write-in votes on the ballots across the Valley. I could already imagine shirts with “Vote Green ‘V’ Party” strewn across the chest. It doesn’t matter if you lean left or reside on the right; you cannot deny that Mathews is an astonishing talent – quite possibly the best to ever play for Fresno State. It’s hard to believe USC recruited him to be a cornerback. The Lo Down See HOPKINS, Page 7
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