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THURSDAY, May 3, 2012Volume 97, Issue 114

D A I L Y A Z T E CThursday,

May 3, 2012 N E W S2

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95

$504

23

400

2

50

Days proposed rolling strike would last

Amount of faculty belonging to CFA, in percentage

Number of CSU students estimated to be affected by potential strike, in thousands

Number of CSU campuses involved in bargaining process

Amount of CFA members who voted in favor of strike, in percentage

Cost of CFA bargaining contract, in millions

70 Amount of CFA members voting whether to strike, in percentage

3 Number of years the bargaining contract will financially affect the CSU system

CSU Faculty Strike

It was announced yesterday that 95percent of California FacultyAssociation members who voted onall 23 California State University cam-puses have approved to authorize astrike, if a bargain is not reached withthe CSU Chancellor’s Office.

CSU faculty members haveapproved a rolling two-day strike ifCSU Chancellor Charles B. Reedrefuses to settle a fair contract andimposes his demands. This verdictwas announced at a conference atCSU Long Beach.

According to Erik Fallis, CSU mediarelations manager, the CFA members— the faculty members whose votesdetermined the outcome of the strikedecision — account for roughly 50percent of all faculty members. Outof this percentage, only 70 percent ofCFA members voted on whether or

not to strike. Because of this, approx-imately one-third of faculty membersvoted positively to strike.

Furthermore, the opinions of theCFA and CSU regarding the bargain-ing process differ greatly thus far.

“As chair of the CFA BargainingTeam, I can tell you that negotiatingwith the representatives of the CSUand Chancellor Charles Reed hasbeen a difficult and disappointingprocess,” Andy Merrifield, chair ofCFA’s Bargaining Team, said duringthe news conference.

He said the administration andexecutives of the CSU system are notfully conscious of the difficulties thatoccur within the classroom.

On the other hand, Fallis said thecollective bargaining process is themain priority for the chancellor’soffice, and those involved in the bar-gaining on the CFA side have beenvery constructive.

“The bargaining team has agreed tocome back to the table with us, andwill actually be sitting down with ustomorrow,” Fallis said. “We think thereare only a limited number of issues wehaven’t come to an agreement on withthe Faculty Union bargaining team.”

Fallis said the vote will have noinfluence on the bargaining process.He then described this threat of strik-ing as “typical pressure tactics.”

“It’s not really relevant to what’shappening on the bargaining table,”Fallis said. “At this point, striking is ille-gal. So they couldn’t, even if theywanted to.”

CFA president Lillian Taiz, a historyprofessor at CSU Los Angeles,expressed how the current quality ofthe CSU system not only affects thefaculty, but also the students.

“During the past few weeks, wehave been showing our students thatthere are times when you simplymust stand up for the things youbelieve in,” Taiz said.

Taiz delved into the fact that stu-dents are accumulating more debtbecause of fee increases. She claimedthey are taking longer to graduatebecause they are unable to enroll inthe classes they need to completetheir programs in time. Taiz said theprofessors are not only fighting thisbattle for themselves, but to betterthe education of the students.

The contract would cost the CSUsystem $504.1 million throughoutthree years.

“Where does the faculty union lead-ership think (this money) is going tocome from, if not from loss of services

and educational access?” Fallis said.If a bargain is not reached in the

next process, the strike could poten-tially affect the approximately400,000 students expected to enrollin the CSU system next semester.

Opposition to the controversialCyber Intelligence Sharing andProtection Act heated up this pastweek after the legislation was rushedthrough the House ofRepresentatives last Thursday.

According to popular technologyblog Techdirt, the bill was originallyscheduled to be voted on lastFriday, but was moved forward tolast Thursday afternoon. Though

this move to quickly pass the high-ly debated legislation caused con-cern among much of the Internetcommunity, many more calledattention to the amendmentsincluded in the form of the bill thatpassed. The amendments essential-ly narrow down what the govern-ment can use data for, from anycybersecurity purpose to a specificlist of five, including protection ofchildren from exploitation.

While many are divided on the billas a whole, there are those whoclearly define their stance.Companies such as Facebook,

Microsoft, Verizon and IBM all placedtheir official support behind the bill.

In a statement to magazine PCWorld, U.S. House of RepresentativesPermanent Select Committee onIntelligence Chairman Rep. MikeRogers (R-Michigan) cited the cyberthreats coming from China and Russiaas the motivation behind the bill.

“America will be a little safer andour economy better protected fromforeign cyber predators with this leg-islation,” Rogers said.

Opposition includes Mozilla, cre-ators of the Web browser Firefox.

“The bill infringes on our privacy,includes vague definitions of cyber-security and grants immunities tocompanies and government that aretoo broad around information mis-use” Mozilla said in a statementreleased yesterday

President Barack Obama, who alsodenounced the bill, said it “fails toprovide authorities to ensure that thenation’s core critical infrastructure isprotected while repealing importantprovisions of electronic surveillancelaw without instituting correspon-ding privacy, confidentiality and civilliberties safeguards.”

The American Civil Liberties Unionalso mounted a letter-writing cam-paign against the bill, explaining howthe “broad legislation would give thegovernment, including military spyagencies, unprecedented powers tosnoop through people’s personalinformation — medical records, pri-vate emails, financial information —all without a warrant, proper over-sight or limits.”

CISPA still must pass through theSenate, and eventually land onObama’s desk, where he has threat-ened to veto the bill.

KKeevviinn SSmmeeaaddassistant news editor

As Republican candidate Mitt Romneygets closer to clinching the GOP nom-inee bid for November’s election, cam-paigning for the White House has offi-cially begun for the conservative can-didate and President Barack Obama.Among the first issues being contestedby the nominees is the potentialincrease in student loan rates.

The federal Direct Stafford Loaninterest rate is at 3.4 percent.

Student loan debt surpassed creditcard debt in 2010, and the loan ratewill double to 6.8 percent July 1unless Congress intervenes.

Obama went after the youth voteaggressively last week, stopping at col-lege campuses in North Carolina,Colorado and Iowa, as well as appear-ing on “Late Night with Jimmy Fallon,”stating the government should inter-vene to stop the interest rate fromdoubling.

“(Doubling the rate) means somehardworking students will be payingabout $1,000 extra just to get theireducation,” Obama said during his

appearance on Fallon’s show. “So I’vecalled on Congress to prevent thisfrom happening. What we said issimple. Now is not the time to makeschool more expensive for ouryoung people.”

Obama also touted his plan for low-ering student loans with personaltouches that further separate his posi-tion from Romney’s.

“This is personal for me becauseMichelle and I, we financed basicallyour entire college and law schooleducations with loans and debt, andfor the first 10 years of our marriage,we were still paying stuff off,”

Obama said to Fallon. “We didn’t fin-ish paying off all of our studentloans until about eight years ago.”

Romney, although unable to identi-fy with the common cash-strappedstudent, appealed to students in a dif-ferent manner. Last week, Romney vis-ited Otterbein University in Ohio,where he encouraged students to pur-sue education, despite the strugglingeconomy, by borrowing money fromtheir parents. Romney reportedly reliedon his family’s wealth during collegeby selling stock his father gave him.

“We’ve always encouraged youngpeople: take a shot, go for it, take a risk,

get the education, borrow money ifyou have to from your parents, start abusiness,” Romney said.

Despite the personal appeals fromboth candidates, Romney urged col-lege voters at Otterbein to focus on thefacts, not the stories.

“Words are easily malleable, butfacts, they’re stubborn,” Romneysaid. “And so I suggest that in thecampaign ahead and in the cam-paigns of various officers running forvarious positions ahead, that youconsider not just the brilliance oftheir words, but also the facts of theirrecord and what they’ve done.”

JJeennnnaa DDee SStteeffaannoocontributor

Controversial privacy law passes in house

Obama, Romney reach out for college vote

TTaarraa MMiillllssppaauugghhstaff writer

HHuuttttoonn MMaarrsshhaallllnews editor

Potential CFA strike announced at CSU Long Beach. | HALEY LIDDELL, DAILY 49ER PHOTOGRAPHER

CSU faculty union approves potential strike

UC Irvine put runs on the boardearly in a Tuesday evening contestat Tony Gwynn Stadium, and theSan Diego State baseball team wasnever able to recover.

In an unconventional pitchingmatchup, two left-handed pitcherswho had previously only been usedas relievers made their first starts ofthe season, with freshman BrandonThomas taking the hill for his firststart at SDSU.

It wouldn’t go as planned,though, as the Anteaters wasted lit-tle time and started quickly withthree first-inning runs by way oftwo walks and three singles.

The game would remain scorelessinto the third inning, when Irvinestruck again, putting up two runsagainst junior pitcher Travis Pitcher,who came on in relief of Thomas. Itwas 5-0 in favor of the Anteaters.

SDSU answered back in its half ofthe third. Freshman catcher SebyZavala and junior first basemanJohn Spirk led the inning with con-

secutive singles and were subse-quently advanced to second andthird on a sacrifice bunt by fresh-man infielder Matt Munoz.Freshman outfielder SpencerThornton would then ground out toshortstop and drive Zavala in.Thornton has driven in at least onerun in four consecutive games.

The score remained 5-1 into theseventh, when UC Irvine padded itslead with an RBI single off sopho-more right-handed reliever TJKendzora. The Aztecs respondedwith a single run of their own aftersenior Jomel Torres walked,advanced to second on a Zavalasingle and was driven in by a singleto right field from Spirk.

It was 6-2 after seven innings,and that would be the final score asSDSU was held to six hits: twoapiece for Zavala, Spirk and sopho-more second baseman Tim Zier,who extended his current hittingstreak to an impressive 17 games.

With the loss, the Aztecs fell to20-26 on the season. The team willresume play at 6 p.m. tomorrow totake on UNLV at Tony GwynnStadium.

The San Diego State softball team islooking to continue its winning streakas it begins a three-game weekendseries head-to-head against BoiseState at 6 p.m. on Friday at the SDSUSoftball Stadium.

Although the two teams have neverplayed each other before, winning theseries could mean earning theMountain West Conference title theAztecs have been striving for all season.

This past week, SDSU (26-19, 6-0Mountain West) has been meticulouslypreparing for what could be one of themost important series that it will playin this season.

“Practices have been going verysmoothly,” head coach Kathy VanWyk said.

If the Aztecs win two of their threegames against Boise State (32-16, 6-3

MW), the worst they can do is tie forfirst in the MW with Colorado State.

In the tiebreaker, the title willautomatically go to SDSU because itswept its series against ColoradoState. Claiming the title will give theAztecs an automatic bid into theNCAA Tournament.

When asked about what herteam’s main focus is in securingthese victories, Van Wyk respondedshe believes her team’s performancewill be far better served by taking thegame as it unfolds.

“It’s important that we look at onepitch at a time. We can’t lose focuson what we need to be doing,” VanWyk said.

Because it will be the first time inschool history these two teams willface each other, SDSU will be exposedto new pitchers and an unfamiliaroffensive lineup. Luckily for the Aztecs,they do have some advantages.

“We had one advantage of seeingthem play against UNLV. We havevideo of the game, so we will bereviewing that,” Van Wyk said. “But ulti-mately, we just have to play the samegame we’ve been playing.”

Boise State, which is currently insecond place behind SDSU, will be

one of the Aztecs’ toughestmatchups this season.

“Offensively, we are pretty even atthe plate. We are very similar clubs andgoing head-to-head will tell us every-thing,” Van Wyk said.

Van Wyk said her team will befocused on preparing for the three-game weekend showcase againstBoise State.

D A I L Y A Z T E CThursday,

May 3, 2012 S P O R T S4SOFTBALL

DDaanniieellllee GGaauuttstaff writer

BASEBALL

MMiicchhaaeell MMaannbbeerrttstaff writer

vs.

AT A GLANCE

WHEN: 6 p.m. tonightWHERE: SDSU SoftballStadiumWHY TO WATCH: Thisweekend series may deter-mine whether SDSU willclinch MW conference title.

Follow me @ AntonioCMorales

SDSU wants to win the Mountain West Conference title to clinch a berth in the NCAA tournament. | PETER KLUCH, SENIOR STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER

SDSU looks to clinch title

The Aztecs host theBroncos in a three-game series

Aztecs chewedup by Anteaters

SDSU fell to 20-26 this season with a loss to UC I. | DUSTIN MICHELSON, STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER

D A I L Y A Z T E CThursday,

May 3, 2012 O P I N I O N6

ike many of you, I havean issue with the DrugEnforcement Agency. I’mno jaded, conspiracy-per-petuating stoner with an

ax to grind, nor am I crazy aboutwhite powder — unless it’s beingstirred into my morning coffee. ButI’ve always been an appreciator ofirony, especially when it centersaround a government agency pledg-ing to both protect and prosecutethe people it arrests.

Nothing solidifies that opinionmore than what happened to UC SanDiego student Daniel Chong, whowas arrested during a DEA bust onApril 20 — a holiday marijuanasmokers often celebrate with a copy

of “Dazed and Confused” and car-loads of Taco Bell chalupas. Chong,who had been celebrating the daywith friends, was arrested andthrown into a cell no larger thanyour average bathroom.

Five days later, someone finallyremembered to check on him.By then, Chong was in a wretchedstate. He had lived without food orwater for five days, having to resort

to cycling through his own urine tosurvive. He had no access to a bath-room and no lights to see throughthe darkness. He hallucinated andtore at the walls for water, all withhis hands handcuffed behind hisback. Fearing death, he allegedlybroke his glasses and attempted tocarve “sorry mom” into his own skin.Chong was nearly dead when thecell door was opened, his kidneysfailing from dehydration.

So, justice served, right?I’ll admit, there’s no way this was

intentional. As PR moves go, thisranks up there with Invisible Childrenco-founder Jason Russell’s nakedfrolicking in the streets of PacificBeach. In all likelihood, Chong was avictim of the forgetfulness of a fewagents; agents who are now, I’msure, busily perusing Craigslist foremployment opportunities.

It’s events like these that furthersolidify the need for a system that

treats drug users, not imprisonsthem. The DEA is on a fool’s errand,spending millions of taxpayers’ dol-lars hunting stoners with applebongs and wayward bath salt com-panies, of which products can belaboriously synthesized into artificialmarijuana. But let’s get real here:Imprisonment is not prevention. It isnot treatment. If Chong was guiltyof smoking marijuana, requiringtherapy or mandated trash pickupon the side of Interstate 8 wouldhave been far more effective.

Had I survived the same kind ofhellish circumstances as Chong, I

can tell you I would not take pity onthe DEA. I’d like to see the DEA suedfor every penny it’s worth. I’d like tosee dramatic, extended courtroombattles with sharp-tongued lawyersin sharp suits. And most of all, I’d liketo see the entirety of it representedin a Lifetime movie.

The DEA’s treatment of Chongmay have been unintentional, but itdoesn’t change the fact that theDEA’s carelessness is a symptom of amuch larger problem. If one believessmokers to be criminals, one willtreat them as such. And though theDEA has launched an internal investi-

gation into its abuse of Chong, I’d bestaggered if DEA agents shed a tearfor the lives it’s ruined simply forbeing in the “wrong place at thewrong time.”

To put it simply, smoking marijua-na is a victimless crime; the DEA’shandling of Chong was not. Chong,sue the DEA for everything it’s worth.I’ll be sitting ready with my remote.

CChhrriiss PPooccoocckkopinion editor

CCHHRRIISS PPOOCCOOCCKK IS A

POLITICAL SCIENCE

SENIOR.

MCT CAMPUS

He had no access to a bathroomand no light to see through thedarkness ... Fearing death, he allegedly broke his glasses andtried to carve “sorry mom” intohis own skin.

UCSD student should sue negligent DEA

L

D A I L Y A Z T E CThursday, May 3, 2012O P I N I O N 7

nce upon a time inAmerica, there was abill called the StopOnline Piracy Act. Thebill was seen as so

evil and vile that common men andwomen rallied against it alongsidemassive companies such as Googleand Facebook. Terrified by the fiercebacklash, Congress locked away thehated bill, thus saving Internet pri-vacy forever.

Or so we thought. Last Thursday,the House of Representatives passedthe Cyber Intelligence Sharing andProtection Act. This law, known asCISPA, is a frightening miscarriage ofprivacy law that makes SOPA seembenevolent in comparison. You’re for-given if you haven’t heard of CISPA.After all ,there have not been massiveonline protests seen like last timearound. There have been no Wikipediablackouts, no protest Doodles fromGoogle. The lack of outrage issimple;:the potential victims of thisnew attack on privacy aren’t websites.The victims are American citizens whouse the Internet.

SOPA, along with Preventing RealOnline Threats to EconomicCreativity and Theft of IntellectualProperty Act and the internationaltreaty Anti-Counterfeiting TradeAgreement, aimed to shut down

websites hosting copyrighted con-tent. CISPA, on the other hand, aimsto protect cybersecurity by allowingcorporations to record their users’data. The data can then be sharedwith other companies that might beat risk of similar cyber attacks, as wellas with the National Security Agency.

Basically, any website you usecan record all of your private data,such as personal messages, pictures,contact information, anything. It canthen take said data and do whateverit wants with it. The company canstore it for a rainy day. It can sharethe data with other companies withthe auspice of sharing informationfor protection from cyber attacks.And companies can give informa-tion to the federal government.

Think of it as a wiretap. If the FBIsuspects you’re up to no good, itcan ask a judge for a warrant towiretap your phone by presentingprobable cause. The FBI can theneavesdrop on your phone conversa-tions. Now, imagine a new law thatallows your phone company toautomatically record all of yourconversations, no warrants or prob-able cause needed. Then the FBI

can simply ask for those recordings,effectively circumventing any con-cept of due process, privacy or indi-vidual rights.

CISPA works by allowing compa-nies to record whatever they want.There is no risk to them if theytrack personally identifiable infor-mation that has nothing to do withcybersecurity. The federal govern-ment, specifically the NSA, canthen ask for a copy of that infor-mation. The key here is that theNSA can’t force companies to givethe information, and some compa-nies such as Facebook havepledged not to do so.

And maybe you think all thecompanies’ websites you visit, aswell your Internet provider, haveyour best interests at heart and will

defy the federal government to pro-tect your personal privacy. In thatcase, you have nothing to worryabout. But maybe you don’t trustthose multibillion dollar corpora-tions to really protect you. Maybe,as CNET pointed out, you remem-ber how in 2006 AT&T, Verizon andBellSouth voluntarily gave the NSAphone call records of tens of mil-lions of Americans. Or you mayremember when in 2007, Verizonadmitted to releasing phone recordsto federal agencies without askingfor a court order as required by law.

As many critics have argued, theact is written in language so vagueit is hard to know what exactlywould happen if it were to becomelaw. The likeliest outcome seems tobe that private companies would

begin to gather customers’ personaldata regardless of whether they planto share it. Once they have this pri-vate information it’s hard to imaginethey would deny the federal gov-ernment access to it. After all, theywant to seem patriotic and keep upthe perception they are doing thisfor the greater good. It also seemsunlikely that corporations such asFacebook, which thrive on personaldata, would sit idly by on this treas-ure trove of information about itsusers it could never have legallyacquired before.

Whatever the real outcome, thisact cannot be allowed to becomelaw. Today it sits in the Senateawaiting vote, despite PresidentBarack Obama’s veto threat. Tokenamendments have been proposedto make this intolerable breach ofpersonal privacy more palatable.But the core concept of allowingprivate companies to spy onAmerican citizens for the federalgovernment is one we cannot allowto happen. Whatever threats tocybersecurity this bill claims to pre-vent, the threats to freedom andjustice are far greater.

LLeeoonnaarrddoo CCaassttaanneeddaasenior staff columnist

LLEEOONNAARRDDOO CCAASSTTAANNEEDDAA

IS A JOURNALISM

SOPHOMORE.

CISPA works by allowing companies to record whateverthey want. There is no risk tothem ... The federal government,specifically the NSA, can thenask for ... that information.

US Senate must kill CISPA, SOPA 2.0

THINKSTOCK

O

D A I L Y A Z T E CThursday,

May 3, 2012 F O O D & D R I N K8

Some resemble scavenger hunts orflash mobs. Others have top-secret ren-dezvous, exclusivity and a whole lot ofmystery. However, anyone looking foran opportunity to enhance their diningexperiences may find undergroundsupper clubs to be the perfect fit.

What occurs within each supperclub varies, depending on the host‘svision, but the main idea is to hold asecret dinner or event. Some locationsmay be revealed mere hours before theevent via email or through social mediawebsites such as Facebook or Twitter.

This trend is taking place globally,from the UK to San Diego.

“The trend started in food-centriccities like San Francisco, but in the lastyear, groups have been popping upacross the country,” “Secret Suppers”author Jenn Garbee said in an inter-view with CNN.

These events are exclusivebecause participants and chefs oftenhost dinners in their own kitchenswithout a license. This offers a morerelaxed atmosphere where chefs canshow their work to a smaller audi-ence. Some events are fully bookedwithin a matter of hours.

San Diego offers a number of under-ground supper clubs and groups, eachwith a special focus.

Le Dîner á San Diego will be hostingits first event May 25. According to co-founder Nicole Benjamin, it aims to“celebrate the pleasure of dining ele-gantly and grandly.”

Le Dîner’s website describes theevent as a spontaneous, elegant “pop-up picnic” dinner feast inspired byother “flash mob” dinner parties thathave taken place in Europe andCanada. While Le Dîner held a SanFrancisco event last year, this is its firsttime to land in Southern California.

The event’s location is usuallyunknown and revealed to guests onlytwo hours before. What is known isthat it’s held outside and guests areasked to dress in all white. Participantsmust plan their outfits, as well as bring

their own meals and chairs. Onlytables and trash bags are provided, asthis is considered a “no trace leftbehind event.”

“People go out, it’s incredible,”Benjamin said.

The event allows participants to usetheir imaginations. According toBenjamin, in the past, each member ofa group focuses on one aspect of thedinner. One will focus on the food,while others put together the table set-tings and outfits.

Tickets for Le Dîner á San Diegoare $100 for a table, which seatsfour people.

The San Diego Burger Mob is anoth-er option for burger lovers looking for amore relaxed setting. Joining the mobis simple. According to its constitution,all participants have to do is join theGoogle group, go to the assigned loca-tion every month and vote for theburgers they liked the most.

All restaurants must be in San DiegoCounty, and burgers can’t cost morethan $14. Some restaurants assignedearlier in the year including LeRoy’sand Banging Burger. Next month’slocation will be Rocky’s Crown Pub.Participants can go any time during

the month and can even use Twitter tocommunicate with other mob mem-bers by following @SDBurgerMob orusing the hashtag #sdburgermob.

Thirsty locals with a penchant forall things eco-friendly may want totry Green Drinks.

This is a group for those who workwith environmental causes, buteveryone is welcome and encour-aged to join. The group’s onlyrequest is that participants mingleand meet new people at every meet-ing. Events are usually held once amonth and there is no specific agen-da. It’s simply a place to “shareinsights and provoke and exasperateand inspire and delight each other.”

Green Drink groups exist on anational and international level. For themonth of April, the Green Drink groupin San Diego met at Home Brews andGardens. The theme of the night wasto discuss truth, food justice and craftbeer for all mankind.

Whether locals are looking to befancy and spontaneous or solely wantto try delicious meals and meet peoplein a creative way, underground supperclubs and events are worth exploring.

SSaannddrraa DDee LLaa TToorrrreestaff writer

SD supper clubs stimulate social palates

San Diego is home to a variety of supper clubs, such as Le Dîner á San Diego, which will host its first event May 25. | COURTESY OF KAI NORWOOD

“The trend started in food-centric cities like SanFrancisco, but in the last year,groups have been popping upacross the country.”

Jenn Garbee, author of “Secret Suppers”

D A I L Y A Z T E CThursday,

May 3, 2012 H O U S I N G I S S U E10

The saying, “You have to kiss alot of frogs before you find aprince” doesn’t only apply tolove. Sometimes you have to livewith a few frogs to find the per-fect roommate.

Despite the millions of poten-tial roommates this world has tooffer, it can be a struggle to findsomeone who shares commoninterests and a

similar lifestyle. For this reason,apartments.com is hosting itsfourth annual “Roommate of theYear” contest to celebrate theselect few who have earned thetitle of greatness.

The contest’s main purpose isto demonstrate the importance offinding a compatible roommate.Entries can be submitted untilMay 21, then the selected winnerwill receive a year of free rentand $10,000 in cash.

“This contest gives people afun and creative outlet to show-case those roommate qualitiesthey believe to be the mostimportant,” apartments.comspokesperson Tammy Kotulasaid.

According to a survey conduct-ed by the website, “More than 63

percent of renters either cur-rently live with a room-

mate … or plan tomove in with one

when their cur-rent lease

expires.”

In order to participate, contest-ants must film a video no longerthan two minutes, showcasingthe qualities that make him / hera great roommate. There are fourdifferent categories participantscan choose to compete in, includ-ing the Loveable Compulsive, thePurr-fect Pet Owner, theEnvironmentalist and the All-StarRoomie, which is a distinctionmeant for those who fit multiplecategories or for those who are sounique they don’t fit any.

According to apartments.com,the Loveable Compulsive room-mate makes sure the householdstays in order, whether cleaningcommon areas or making surebills are paid on time. On theother hand, the Purr-fect PetOwner shows how he / she is thebest “roommate” for their furryfriends, while theEnvironmentalist displays howhe / she lives the “greenest”lifestyle at home.

“I’m the Loveable Compulsivebecause I’m a control freak and Itake care of my roommates,”journalism senior ChardonnayRay said.

This year, apartments.com willhold an additional contest called“Roommate Video Shorts.” Thiscontest is meant to recognize andaward roommates’ small actionsor special talents. It will offer theopportunity for greater participa-tion, with winners pocketingprizes of $250. Contestants needonly submit a 30-second videohighlighting their roommate’s

specific talents or contributions.Videos for the “Roommate of

the Year” contest will be judgedon three factors: originality, per-suasion and production style.Once videos are submitted, 15finalists will be chosen. Then thepublic will have an opportunity tovote for their favorite contest-ants. A combination of publicvotes and a judging panel willmake the final decision.

Videos for the “RoommateVideo Shorts” contest will bejudged by a panel, and winners

will be announced on a weeklybasis.

Roommates can play a signifi-cant role in the quality of one’slife, especially during college.While nightmare roommates mayoffer valuable learning experi-ences, memorable and positiveencounters should be celebratedas an example of how shared liv-ing should be.

For more information regard-ing the contest visit roommate-oftheyear.com.

Sandra De La Torrestaff writer

THINKSTOCK

First-year college students oftenlook forward to living independ-ently and finally breaking freefrom their parents’ restrictions.However, once they move out ofthe residence halls and into ahome or apartment of theirchoice, landlords often take theplace of the parental pressuresthey thought they’d so recentlyescaped. For this reason, renters

must learn the many tips andtricks they can use to manage liv-ing with difficult landlords.

“The tenant is very protect-ed by the tenant laws morethan the landlord these days,but landlords can take advan-tage by (requiring) a largerdeposit than necessary,” real-tor Emily Piemonte said. “Thetenant has the right to an attor-ney or to contact the fair hous-ing department to help themunderstand the laws.”

Before signing a lease agree-ment, renters should readthrough the document carefullyand make sure they fully under-stand every aspect of what theyare authorizing.

“Wear and tear on carpets,painting, bathrooms, etc. needsto be specified in the agree-ment,” Piemonte said.“Whoever pays utilities and anycosts per month above rentagreement should be inserted.When a landlord wants to lookat a unit, he or she must specifynotice time to enter in writing,excluding emergency entering.The prospective tenant shouldknow when rent increases, thecap on amount per specifiedtime and how many times peryear this occurs. Repairs andreimbursements are all definedin the agreement. The tenantcan add or deduct clauses in theagreement upon speaking withthe landlord before signing.”

Even when sufficient time anddiligence have been put into therental process, difficult landlordsmay still show their true colorslater in the game.

“Maria is the Piedra del Sollandlord and she has been diffi-cult,” integrated marketing com-munications junior AndrewRobinson said. “The Jacuzzi hasbeen broken all year and herexcuse is that it’s too expensiveto buy a new part. The elevatorsare broken every weekend andthey never get fixed. There isvomit in the stairs that never getscleaned up by the cleaning crewthat only cleans the courtyard.We get written notifications forwet suits on our balcony, musiccomplaints and she even haswritten us up for parking our

bikes outside our apartment.”When asked how he has dealtwith these issues he said, “Mythree other roommates and Ireread the lease.”

In a situation like this,creating a positiver e l a t i o n s h i pwith the land-lord andadhering toevery written noti-fication could provehelpful. In an eventthat the landlordbecomes unyielding,remember the aforementionedlaws that have been set to pro-tect the tenant. Further actionscan be taken in severe circum-stances. However, a little calmand professional communicationwith an unresponsive landlordcan sometimes go a long way.

“Overall, our landlord has beenvery flexible with us about rent,but there have been some issueswith the house that we have hadto deal with, like no screens onthe windows and little stuff likethat,” kinesiology sophomoreMax Monroe said. “At first, heignored our complaints, but thenour landlord took us more seri-ously when we wrote out a list ofwhat needed to be fixed and wecalmly talked to him.”

Negotiation and positivecommunication is key to a suc-cessful tenant-landlord rela-tionship. What landlords want

most fromtheir tenants is

rent that is paid on time. Aboveall, being a respectful tenant isequally as important as being arespectable landlord.

Renters should know theparameters of their lease, be con-siderate of their neighbors andbe responsible for their guests.They should keep the apartmentor house they live in presentableand avoid being overly demand-ing. If there is a problem that canbe fixed without the aid of main-tenance or contacting the land-lord, it should be repaired by thetenant.

When deciding on a rentalunit, knowing and approving ofthe landlord is just as importantas accommodations. However,when landlord troubles cannot beavoided, following these stepsshould help ease the woes manytenants face.

Brittany Fasanostaff writer

Savvy tenants skirt landlord squabbles

Contest awards praise-worthy mates

Landlords respect tenants who pay on time.| CHELSEA MASSEY, STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER

Avoid landlordstrains by knowingtenant rights

D A I L Y A Z T E CThursday, May 3, 2012H O U S I N G I S S U E 11

Some monsters live above the bed

Few people can claim theyhaven’t seen Michael Jackson’s“Thriller” music video at somepoint in their lives. Those whohave seen it instantly envision aseemingly innocent Jackson ashe escorts a date home afterwatching a scary movie. As heplayfully teases her about beingafraid of the film, the two arepursued by decrepit zombieslurking in the dark. The ghoulsclose in on their victims asJackson’s date turns and real-izes her only ally has morphedinto a zombie as well.

Terrifying transformationslike these are all too familiarwhen San Diego State studentsreminisce about horrible room-mate experiences. At firstglance, roommates oftenappear to be friendly, responsi-ble and considerate individuals.However, for those less fortu-nate, when the full moon risesand roommates reveal theirtrue colors, nightmares oftenbecome a reality.

Recently, SDSU students gath-ered around an imaginary camp-fire to share their own roommatehorror tales.

Not a fan of scary stories?Don’t worry, SDSU senior andresident adviser Daniel “Mick”Walsh offered his tips to avoidsimilar situations in the future.

The boyfriendLove is always in the air duringthe beginning of a new schoolyear. Beautiful weather andfresh faces serve as a perfectbackdrop for hookups andyoung romances. SDSU studentTemple Robinson shared herstory of the stress and discom-fort she experienced whenfaced with limited space andthe constant presence of herroommate’s new boyfriend inher freshmen residence hall:

“My roommate was a nicegirl: smart, funny and very

friendly. She alwayshad people in

and out of

our room, mostly boys. It didn’treally bother me that much,until she got a boyfriend. It’shard enough sharing a small,cramped room with a completestranger. Sharing it with a com-plete stranger and herboyfriend only made it worse.He was a great guy and a mutu-al friend of ours before theystarted dating, so I was OK withhim being over all the time atfirst. But then, they started act-ing like they had to spend everywaking moment of their livestogether. I woke up one morn-ing without my contacts on andstripped down to get ready formy shower. I went back into theroom after my shower, put mycontacts on and noticed that hewas in the bed with her thewhole time. Although I’m prettysure he was asleep the entiretime I was changing, the factthat he could have possiblyseen me naked was horrifying. Ifinally explained to her that Iwas uncomfortable with himalways being over, but that justmade things awkward betweenus. We could not see eye to eye,and she became very rude andcatty, so I arranged to move to adifferent room with a newroommate. It’s funny though, inthe end, I would much have pre-ferred having him as a room-mate instead of her”

Walsh said the best way toprevent situations like this

is to have conversationswith the roommate at thebeginning to set upground rules for visi-

tors. “I would say have lunchwith your roommate away fromtheir significant other and setup a schedule or weekendswhen they can come over. Youhave to be assertive and voiceyour concerns in the begin-ning,” Walsh said.

Trash towersOne of the most common issuesroommates struggle withinvolves cleanliness. SDSU fresh-man EJ Walls shared his story ofhow communicating the prob-lem with his roommate got lostin the clutter:

“In the beginning of the schoolyear I noticed that my roommatehad a lot more stuff than I did,but I thought we could manageit. As time passed, his thingsstarted to slowly trickle over tomy side of the room, especiallyhis trash. He was the type of per-son who would let a mess growin the room for two weeks thendedicate a day to clean it all up.After he mysteriously lost histrash can, we had to share onecloser to my side under a fulllength mirror. The trash began toform a tower that was starting tocover some of the mirror. Since amajority of the trash came fromhim, I felt it was his responsibili-ty. I decided to leave him a noteon the mirror that said ‘This isnot OK: Foulness’ with an arrowpointing down at the trash.When I came back later that day,the note was in the trash withmore trash piled on top of it. Hismom probably picked up afterhim a lot at home.”

Walsh said the type of indirectcommunication Walls used is notan effective way to get a pointacross. “Never leave a note. It’salways best to talk face-to-face. Ifyou’re not the type of person wholikes confrontation, try and bringit up in a friendly way, almost likeit’s a joke. This can make the con-versation a lot easier.”

The hamsterSDSU student Adrianne Baskinshared her story of how she stillloses sleep because of an unin-

vited houseguest, courtesy ofone freshman roommate:

“I shared a suite with sevenother girls. I walked out of myroom one day and saw a rodentscurry across the room. Itfreaked me out. I went back intomy room and put a towel undermy door to make sure it wouldn’tget in. I spent the next week anda half complaining to the frontdesk and housing director thatwe had rodents, but they didn’tdo anything about it. I decidedto take matters in my own handsand set up mousetraps in thehouse. I later passed the door ofone of my roommates and saw ahamster ball and cage. I couldn’tbelieve that she let it run aroundthe house by itself. We had averbal altercation, and I didn’ttrust her after that. I never sawthe hamster again.”

In order to prevent explosiveconfrontations with a roommate,Walsh said a simple word canmake a big difference. “Alwaysuse ‘I’ statements. Saying ‘Idon’t feel comfortable with yourhamster’ versus ‘This hamster isa problem’ is less offensive,”Walsh added.

Communication is clearly keywhen it comes to dealing withroommates. Selecting wordswisely can create a happy end-ing from any nightmarish room-mate scenario.

Edward Hendersonsenior staff writer

Some roommates have a penchant for building trash towers where they’re least appreciated. | KATIE FOSTER, STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER

Beware rooms with boyfriend infestations. | KATIE FOSTER, STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER

“I decided to leave him a note on the mirror that said‘This is not OK: Foulness’with an arrow pointing down at the trash.”

EJ Walls, SDSU freshman

D A I L Y A Z T E CThursday,

May 3, 2012 H O U S I N G I S S U E12

he end of thesemester is near.After spending ayear living in aroom the size of a

microwave or in an apartmentsurrounded by neighborsthrowing dance parties everyMonday night, it’s no mysterywhy many students seek theautonomy of off-campus hous-ing. However, while living in ahouse with your closest friendscan be a hoot and a holler, thequest for that house is nocakewalk. Here are a few tips

from someone who’s seenwhat works and what doesn’t.

To quote Peter Parker whenhe was looking for a house withhis friends in his college years,“With great housing comesgreat responsibility.”

The housematesYou and your friend get alonggreat. You hang out on week-ends, have fun at partiestogether and, for this reason,

you’ll be perfect roommates,right? Wrong.

Sometimes the closestfriends can become mortal ene-mies when they move intogether. While you may havea great time with your friendwhen the two of you go out onSaturday night, they might notbe the person you want to bearound when you’re trying tostudy on Monday morning.

While cleanliness, noisinessand sleeping habits are allqualities to pay attention towhen you choose your house-mates, they can be workedout. The friends you want tolive with are those you can stillenjoy being around withouthaving to do something funand exciting.

The locationSkipping class is more enticingwhen it’s a 20-minute driveaway instead of a five-minutewalk. Houses generally getless expensive the fartheraway you get from campus,but take into account the $135parking permit. From someonewho’s lived in Pacific Beachand in on-campus housing,you’ll probably have more funin PB. But it will most likely beat the expense of your GPA.

Also keep in mind, living any-where west of 54th Street onMontezuma Road will requireyou to climb a hill more daunt-ing than Mount Doom.

The landlord and neighbors Aside from roommates, yourlandlord and neighbors are twomajor externalities you shouldconcern yourself with, as far aspeople go. They’ll determinehow clean you must keepthe house, how loud youcan be on the weekends orhow quickly your toilet will getfixed after unexpectedly erupt-ing in fury. Having a friendly relationshipwith both is key. I know a groupof close friends who once got afree trip to Big Bear becausethey had a good relationshipwith their landlord.

Introduce yourself to yourneighbors and be wary of over-bearing landlords. One way toidentify the latter is to payattention to the behavior of thecurrent tenants. Speak to thepeople living in the prospectivehouse, preferably without thelandlord present. They couldhave had the option to livethere again, but instead they’redying to escape.

Finally, be proactive. Theearly bird gets the house withthe hot tub. You don’t want toneglect looking until it’s toolate, because then you’ll bestuck in the residence halls foranother year.

— Hutton Marshall is aninterdisciplinary studies junior.

Hutton Marshallnews editor

Homes open spaces for multiple rooommates.| ANTONIO ZARAGOZA, PHOTO EDITOR

As the school year comes to anend, so will many students’apartment leases. While someaspiring leaseholders may bethrilled to move out of the resi-dence halls or leave their parents’nest, they have a few pros andcons to consider before signingabove the dotted line.

Many find living close tocampus ideal. They don’t wantto worry about traffic, wake up

unnecessarily early or hasslewith parking, wondering ifthey’ll be lucky enough to find aspot in Parking Structure 4.Luckily for them, College Areais filled with options offeringjust that. The question is, howdo students find the apartmentthat’s right for them?

Aztec Corner is only steps awayfrom campus, with floor planoptions including 2 bedroom / 2bathroom and 1 bedroom / 1 bath-room that range in price from $629to $659 per month per person. Itincludes utilities such as cable TV,

Internet, water, sewer and trash.Aztec Corner offers furnishingsincluding full-sized beds and a din-ing table with chairs. This gatedcomplex also holds communityevents, offers a courtesy patrol,has helpful on-site managementand provides the services of anafter-hours, on-call staff.

Students new to the rentinggame may also be interested inCollege Campanile Apartmentsacross the street from AztecCorner. They can choosebetween one, two or three-bed-room floor plans that range from

650 to 1,700 square feet. CollegeCampanile offers barbecue areasand an Olympic-sized pool as itsmain amenities. However,despite its beautiful landscapingand large floor plans, it isn’tentirely perfect.

“The quality is like anyaverage apartment. Kind of onthe older side … there aresome bug problems. We had anexterminator three times,”journalism and media studiessophomore Lauren Yap, whorecently renewed her lease,said. Although CollegeCampanile offers on-site laun-dry, management and mainte-nance, it does not offer furnish-ings. Students who do not ownfurniture or have a way oftransporting it may want tochoose another location.

Hardy Avenue is anotheroption students may considerwhen looking to roll out of bedand onto campus in the samemotion. It offers a single floor planconsisting of three bedrooms andtwo bathrooms, which is ideal forsmall groups. Its amenities arebasic, including a dishwasher,electric stove and garbage dispos-al. Hardy Avenue’s stand-out fea-ture is a 24-hour emergency serv-ice and staff.

“The woman who ran theapartment complex was reallynice, along with the mainte-nance staff. They were usuallyavailable to cater to our needswhen necessary,” psychologyjunior Kristin Morse said.

However, she added, living withfour other girls did leave herfeeling cramped at times.

Sterling Alvarado, a similarbuilding to Sterling Collwood, isanother option located mere min-utes from campus. It offers studioapartments as well as two, threeand four-bedroom floor plans,some of which are furnished.Rates vary from $625 to $1025 perperson. Sterling strives to beenvironmentally friendly and pro-vides notable amenities, includ-ing an athletic center, privatestudy rooms and two pools. Eachapartment comes with a 42” flatscreen television, a washingmachine, a dryer and a patio.Though its amenities are impres-sive, some residents have foundissues with the complex.

“The complex was not quitewalking distance, which made itharder to get to school on time.The shuttle was small, crowdedand unreliable,” liberal studiesjunior Katelynn Abbott said.

Aztec Corner and SterlingAlvarado offer more amenitiesthan College Campanile andHardy Avenue, which may makethem more appealing to futurerenters. However, each of the stu-dents interviewed complainedabout the noise level that isinevitable when living so close toSan Diego State. Students whocame to SDSU to study free fromdistraction may want to keep thisin mind before jumping on theCollege Area bandwagon.

Laurela Balanguecontributor

Students share skinny on local housing

Home dwellers, be wary before renting

The College Area is chock-full of apartments and students willing to share dirty details.| DUSTIN MICHELSON, STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER

T

Does living on-campus make students smarter?

Information from SDSU News Center

D A I L Y A Z T E CThursday, May 3, 2012H O U S I N G I S S U E 13

SDSU housing holds history in its walls

Imagine living in the 1960s.Now imagine experiencing col-lege during the ‘60s while livingin the first on-campus dormito-ry, Zura Hall.

When San Diego State firstopened its residence halls, stu-dent life was tightly controlled.Though weekends were slightlymore flexible, women living oncampus had a curfew of 10:30p.m. on weeknights, offering astark contrast to the non-exis-tent curfew and bed checks ofthe residence halls today.

The school also utilized inno-vative elevators designed tostop at every other floor tokeep males and females frombumping into each other intheir gender-separated halls.During the ‘70s every resi-dence hall had this service.

Aside from being separatedby sex, additional regulations

included a strict dress codesreminding men that “T-shirtsand bare feet are never consid-ered suitable attire” whilewomen were not allowed towear bathrobes in public rooms.

Although SDSU was foundedin 1897, its first step toward theresidence halls students occupytoday was taken forty yearslater in 1937, when the school’sfirst off-campus residence hallopened. Quetzal Hall accommo-dated 40 female students whowere automatically given repre-sentation on the AssociatedWomen Students council.

However, by the late ‘70s,enrollment had reached 30,000and a lack of housing becameproblematic. This led to the build-ing of Tenochca Hall in 1981,which opened an additional 2,000rooms for student housing.

Because of a lack space inthe ‘80s, SDSU established alottery system that divviedremaining housing among stu-dents who had already com-

pleted their freshman year.This system continued until1990, leading the university toestablish a housing referralcenter that ran publicannouncements with localpress outlets, pointing out theschool’s desperate need for stu-dent housing.

Public announcementsinspired the community andgave the university an opportu-nity to expand by collaboratingwith privately run facilities thatworked to arrange future hous-ing for students.

More luxurious options havebeen developed in the past sev-eral years, starting withCuicacalli Suites in 2001. Now,spacious living arrangementsinclude amenities such as amembership to the AztecRecreation Center, cable andInternet connections, mainte-nance and laundry facilities.

The Dining Room atCuicacalli Suites, which alsoopened in 2001, is consideredanother major upgrade inSDSU housing history, offering

SDSU students more on-cam-pus meal options.

Current total residence hallcosts for the 2012-13 school yearrange from $12,209 to $13,377for a single-occupancy room and$10,249 to $11,417 for a doubleor small single-occupancy room.

According to the CampusMaster Plan, which was lastupdated in 2007, there are nofuture plans for campus hous-ing. There are also no proposedplans to upgrading existing res-idence hall structures.

Ana Ceballosstaff writer

The school also utilized ... elevators designed to stop atevery other floor to keepmales and females frombumping into each other intheir gender-separated halls.

With a history dating back to the 1960s, SDSU housing hasn’t always been what it is today. | ANTONIO ZARAGOZA, PHOTO EDITOR

An amplified experience of reality isno longer a futuristic concept withGoogle’s most recent creation:“Project Glass.” This is the company’sfirst step toward the production ofcomputerized glasses, which are notcurrently for sale but are being pub-licly tested by Google employees.

These glasses allow wearers to usevoice commands to send and receivemessages. There is also a built-incamera to record videos and takepictures, offering all the expediencyof smartphone technology in ahands-free device.

“We think technology should workfor you — to be there when youneed it and get out of your waywhen you don’t,” Project Glass stat-ed in a post on Google Plus. “A groupof us from Google started ProjectGlass to build this kind of technolo-gy, one that helps you explore andshare your world, putting you backin the moment.”

Those with prescription glasses donot need to fear being left out.Project Glass plans on being compat-ible with corrective lenses. Recently,tiny contact lenses have beenresearched, breaking boundariesbetween technology and biology.

On April 4, Google publicized avideo on YouTube titled “One day...,”offering viewers a firsthand look

into the life of a potential Googleglass user. In the video, the user exe-cutes tasks any smartphone oriPhone could accomplish, withoutthe touch of a single key. He sched-ules meetings, searches directions,checks the weather and texts friendsentirely through vocal commands,while maps and confirmations enterhis line of sight. In the end, the user isable to share a rooftop view with afriend by turning on the glasses’“view share” option, offering his

direct field of vision while she sits inthe comfort of her own home.

Google’s glasses have a sleekappearance, with a solid metal bandthat runs around the base of the fore-head and a display mounted on theright side.

On Google Plus, the company hasposted pictures and videos of whatthe technology might be able to do.

In February, The New York Timesreported Google was preparing torelease the glasses at the end of the year.

The New York Times conductedinterviews with users who have test-ed this Google prototype.

“They let technology get out ofyour way,” one product tester said. “IfI want to take a picture I don’t have toreach into my pocket and take outmy phone; I just press a button at thetop of the glasses and that’s it.”

Project Glass is one of various proj-ects currently being developed in asecret laboratory called Google X in

Mountain View. Google X is responsi-ble for the innovation of ultra-mod-ern ideas, such as space elevators,robots and self-driving cars.

Despite skepticism that theseglasses may intervene with daily life,be hard to use, limit social interactionor be scattered with ads, ProjectGlass’ technology remains unique tothe times. Soon, augmented realitywill no longer be a Star Trek fantasy:It will be a project model come to life.

D A I L Y A Z T E CThursday, May 3, 2012S C I E N C E & T E C H N O LO GY 15

BBrriittttaannyy FFaassaannoo staff writer

“Project Glass” tries to mitigate need forhandheld devices

Google prototype has ‘eyes’ on new device

COURTESY OF GOOGLECOURTESY OF GOOGLE

D A I L Y A Z T E CThursday, May 3, 2012T R AV E L & A DV E N T U R E 17

Tis the season for flower lovers atThe Flower Fields in Carlsbad as theGiant Tecolote Ranunculus is cur-rently in full bloom, covering acres ofland with a canvas of color.

Carlsbad’s flowers have beenblooming for nearly 100 years on arolling hillside overlooking the PacificCoast. In the early 1920s, growerLuther Gage began a process of floralcultivation by growing Ranunculusseeds in fields near Frank Frazee’svegetable farm, which is the samearea the fields populate today.

The father of The Flower Fieldsand a flower-industry icon, EdwinFrazee expanded the fields afterworking with the flowers and seedsfor many years. When Frazee decid-ed to retire, Paul Ecke Jr. teamed upwith Mellano & Company to focus ongrowing scenic flowers for the wholeworld to enjoy.

Without Gage’s vision, Frazee’screativity and Ecke’s charity, theflowers would not have thrived sosuccessfully. They will endure forfuture generations to come thanks tothese contributions.

“The Flower Fields decided tochange the pattern this year to makeit more visually appealing and sur-prise visitors with a new, more beau-tiful experience,” spokeswoman

Cambria McConnell said in an inter-view with the Los Angeles Times.

According to the LA Times, thefields’ “new motif will include rows ofred, orange, gold, yellow, white, rose,pink, merlot, salmon, café, flame andmixed colors.” All are aligned in pictur-esque rows expanding across 50 acres.

“The flowers have a life of aboutfour to six weeks,” supervisor PhilOkun said. “The season lasts fromMarch 1 until Mother’s Day.”

In addition to the Ranunculus, orPersian Buttercups, the flower fieldsoffer visitors many attractions,including a sweet pea maze, a cym-bidium orchid greenhouse, anaward-winning rose garden, a kids’play area, an antique tractor wagonride, sluice mining, picnic areas, apoinsettia display, fresh strawberriesand the Armstrong Garden Center.

Another attraction that drawsswarms of visitors is the patrioticAmerican Flag of Flowers, whichserves as a memorial for Sept. 11.

“The best place to take a picture of(this garden) is the Costco parkinglot,” Okun said.

Along with a plethora of addition-al features, The Flower Fields alsohosts special events throughout theseason, including a special Mother’sDay Celebration on May 13.

“Agro-tourism is a big thing,” Okunsaid. “Visitors from over seventycountries come to the flower fieldsevery year. We get about 2,500 visi-tors a day during midseason.”

Freshly cut flowers are available forpurchase along with an assortment ofother potted plants, bulbs and itemsat the Armstrong Garden Center.

The Flower Fields are open 9 a.m.to 6 p.m. daily through May 13.

“If you are looking for somethingdifferent to do on your weekend, Iwould suggest going to The FlowerFields,” San Diego State history sopho-more April Stefanik said. “For only $10,you can enjoy a nice afternoon in thesun browsing through these beautifulflowers. It’s a spectacular sight.”

BBrriittttaannyy FFaassaannoostaff writer

“For only $10, you can enjoy anice afternoon in the sun browsing ... these beautiful flowers. It’s a spectacular sight.”

April Stefanik,, SDSU history sophomore

Stop at Flower Fields and smell the roses

The Flower Fields in Carlsbad are teeming with Ranunculus blooms and will be open to the public until May 13. | BRITTANY FASANO, STAFF WRITER

Colorful bloomsblanket Carlsbaduntil Mother’s Day

D A I L Y A Z T E CThursday,

May 3, 2012 E N T E R TA I N M E N T18BOOB TUBE SCOOP

After the commencement cere-monies have died down and the lastcelebratory parties are finished, realityof being a 20-something collegegraduate will set in. This is where thenew HBO show “Girls” comes in: rightafter the first thousand anxiety attackscaused by being financially independ-ent from parents and no longer beingdefined by a class schedule. Theshow, which premiered April 15, is a

refreshingly frank account of being agirl in her 20s living in New York City,though the subject matter transcendsthe subway lines.

The show was created by, and alsostars, independent filmmaker LenaDunham, and totes Judd Apatow(“Superbad,” “Forgetting SarahMarshall”) as its executive producer.The cast of the show is centeredaround four main female leads shar-ing two apartments in New York.Dunham plays the protagonistHannah Horvath, who is trying tocope and overcome the loss of herparents’ financial good graces with nocurrent job prospects and an on-and-off, kinky male suitor. Allison Williams— NBC News anchor Brian Williams’daughter — plays Marnie Michaels,Hannah’s sweet roommate / best

friend and is a professional art galleryassistant. Marnie is in a rut with herlong-term boyfriend and questionsthe longevity of the relationship.Jemima Kirke and Zosia Mamet alsostar as the other main leads.

The first three episodes aired haveyielded a steady audience of justbelow an average of one millionviewers. The subject matter of theshow is what separates it from othershows targeting the 18 to 49-year-old viewing range, both in a positiveand negative way. It is certainly notfor conservatives; the series has cov-ered the topics of opium tea, abor-tion, STDs and sexual orientation inan honest and scathingly realisticfashion. Even those who considerthemselves open-minded might findtheir cheeks a little blushed fromembarrassment when the topic ofHannah’s sex life with her malefriend is up for discussion.

“Girls” is a comforting look into thebeginnings of adulthood in a nouveau-American way full of comedic quipsand sarcasm and realistic interjections.This makes the viewer feel as if theshow was written about his or her lifein some slight way — if not from emo-tional rage tweets on Twitter thenbecause of the numerous failed jobinterviews to get a step in the door of asalaried career. It’s a chronicle of thewonderful ups and despairingly hope-less downs of growing up.

The show airs Sunday nights onHBO and has already been renewedfor second season.

CCoouurrttnneeyy RRooggiinnstaff writer

‘Girls’ relates to graduatesRELEASING FRIDAY

Nick Fury (Samuel L. Jackson) assembles S.H.I.E.L.D., recruiting super-heroes from around the world to combat a threat to humanity. JossWhedon directs an all-star cast as the five previous Marvel superheromovies culminate in one action-packed adventure.

Lead actress and creator Lena Dunham doesn’t shy from controversial topics. | MCT CAMPUS

HBO’s new showtouches close tohome for grads

Captain America and Thor team up with other heroes. | COURTESY OF ZADE ROSENTHAL

D A I L Y A Z T E CThursday, May 3, 2012E N T E R TA I N M E N T 19

AZTEC GAMING

This is definitely a “Diablo” game at itsvery core. Blizzard has done what itdoes best: churn out an updated,smoother-running, more simplistic yetequally difficult to master version ofthe genre-defining “Diablo II.” It’s fair tomention this year has been full ofaction role-playing games (“Path ofExiles,” “Torchlight II”) all vying forgamers’ attention, but “Diablo III”already sits at the top. Throughout thepast few months, gamers have had thepleasure of helping test the game’sbeta, and this is just a small preview ofwhat one can expect when the gatesof hell open on May 15.

Upon opening the game, the newbattle.net login screen meets gamers.This is a feature much derided bysome, but one that is nonethelesscommon among modern Blizzardgames. Once logged in and online,users have access to the character cre-ation screen. Entering the world ofSanctuary as a Barbarian will feel likehome for those experienced with pre-vious “Diablo” iterations, but with afresh, new paint job. Almost immedi-ately gamers will run into their firstenemy, but the moment players leftclick with that “bash” ability, the enemygoes flying out of sight.

This encounter might cause theBarbarian to lose a bit of health; adrink from a health potion elicits thesame health-potion sound thatended up ringing in gamers’ ears fordays after playing “Diablo II” for toolong. The same thing happens againwith the drop of coins. This is defi-nitely the “Diablo” gamers rememberand loved as kids.

However, there are some differ-ences. As with any addition in a series,things must change somewhere inorder to justify an entirely new game.The graphics have been boosted —admittedly not to the standards somepeople may want — but they aredecent and still draw users into theworld, which is sometimes darker inthese initial areas than “Diablo II.” Norainbows here, folks.

The gore is definitely intact. Asgamers fight their way through ene-mies, they will see them explode, bedecapitated and suffer any number ofother gruesome deaths.

A new skill system has beenimplemented that no longer requireslong, arduous amounts of time plot-ting out where to place every skillpoint gained with each level. Instead,users simply gain a predeterminedamount of stats, get a new ability orrune and can be on their way.

The interaction between skills andrunes is fun enough in the beta, giv-

ing users a few choices regardinghow they want to face their enemies.For example, the Barbarian has a“cleave” ability, which normallyincludes attacking multiple enemies.Once gamers get their first rune, itdoes its normal attack, along with thebonus of causing enemies who dievia cleaving to explode. And there arefour other runes still to unlock as pro-gression is made toward level 60.There’s a massive amount of uniqueabilities to harness as gamers level

higher up. Crafting is part of thegame, and it feels like it will serve wellat lower levels, but past that it isquestionable how well it’ll hold up.

This game has definitely beendesigned for the long haul, with manythings leading to the eventual end-game to create what will likely be oneof the best gaming experiences of theyear. Fans of the series should be con-fident that when they jump into thegame on May 15, it’ll be like the sum-mer of 2000 all over again.

SShhaannee CCaarrppeenntteerrstaff blogger

The smooth, sultry, contemporarysong stylings of James Morrison willbe echoing through Humphrey’sConcerts By The Bay this Saturdaynight. The British singer-songwriterrecently released his third album, “TheAwakening,” following his two previ-ous well-received albums. Morrisonhad his start in 2006 with the hit sin-gle, “You Give Me Something” and“Wonderful World” on his debutalbum, “Undiscovered.” His is soulfulmusic and warms listeners’ hearts.

For those unfamiliar with Morrison,

think a subtler version of GavinDeGraw, perfect for a classy summerdinner party on the patio. “TheAwakening” is an honest testament tothat, taking a page out of JohnLegend’s book for musical formation.“I Won’t Let You Go” and “Slave To TheMusic” shine on the album as magicaljam songs, prompting serene Sundaymornings or sultry Saturday nights.

James Morrison plays this Saturday,May 5, at Humphrey’s By The Bay withhoneyhoney supporting. Doors openat 7:30 p.m. and tickets start at $28 fora regular ticket and increase in pricefor the dinner show and Lexus-spon-sored premium seats, which can runupward of $200. The show is all ages.

CCoouurrttnneeyy RRooggiinnstaff writer

SNEAK PEEK

Latest in the genre-defining series delights, thus far. | COURTESY OF BLIZZARD ENTERTAINMENT

‘Diablo’ waxes nostalgic

A new skill system has beenimplemented that no longerrequires long, arduous amounts oftime plotting out ... every skillpoint gained with each level.

Morrison to playat Humphrey’s

James Morrison will bring smooth grooves to San Diego. | COURTESY OF STUNT COMPANY

D A I L Y A Z T E CThursday,

May 3, 2012 P H OTO S : G R E E N F E S T20

A circus performer hangs on giant ribbons, supported only by the way she wraps her body around them. | PETER KLUCH, SENIOR STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER

The SDSU students responsible for making GreenFest happen wave from onstage during the festival. |PETER KLUCH, SENIOR STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER

Headliner T-Pain raps at GreenFest. Editor’s note: This photo has been edited to remove

the explitive originally printed on T-Pain’s shirt. | PETER KLUCH, SENIOR STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER

D A I L Y A Z T E CThursday, May 3, 2012P H OTO S : G R E E N F E S T 21

Men’s basketball star Tim Shelton warms up the crowd. | PETER KLUCH, SENIOR STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER Performers Marc and Allister Blackham, aka the EC Twins, get GreenFest concert-goers excited. |PETER KLUCH, SENIOR STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER

D A I L Y A Z T E CThursday,

May 3, 2012 P H OTO S : S O F T B A L L22

PETER KLUCH, SENIOR STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER

PETER KLUCH, SENIOR STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER

PETER KLUCH, SENIOR STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER

PETER KLUCH, SENIOR STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER

D A I L Y A Z T E CThursday, May 3, 2012C L A S S I F I E D S 23

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n October 1998, the CentralTexas Flood swept through,claiming more than $750million in damages, as wellas 31 lives. Thousands were

uprooted. Everyone had a story. Thishere’s the story of Bart McCarther: hislife and death during the Flood.

Now, Bart made his money doingjobs most considered dirty. No taskwas too dirty for Bart. Running guns,blowing up cars (not his concern ifanyone was in them), setting fire to alocal gang’s bikes only to be hired bythat same gang to blow up the houseof the man that hired him to burn thebikes (funny story that one) — he didit all without blinking. It’s not that Bartdidn’t have morals. Money was justrenting them for the time being.

But, like his momma told himbefore she died, this line of workwould eventually lead him to anugly death.

Bart was a God-fearing man, buthe wasn’t a particular fan of pre-determined fate and all that. Thatwas for his momma to believe in herold age. After she passed, he filledout the paperwork and started walk-ing past the various units when hesaw the rain beginning. No big deal,it rained all the time in Austin. Thenews was blaring with reports aboutflash floods and warnings. Poor saps,he thought, there’s a lot more thatcan kill you than water.

Like a 9 mm pistol, Benelli shotgunand a Colt .44. Much like those carriedby the three men standing in thedoorway of the hospital. Yup, thatstuff can kill you a lot easier than aflood. The lead man, Benelli, pointedhis gun up and pulled the trigger. Theblast echoed throughout the hospital.“Everyone whose name ain’t BartMcCarther should leave now.”

Panicked people ran past the trio,splashing water everywhere. Thunderrolled and lightning flashed. Rain mustbe picking up, Bart thought. No timeto think about that though. Benelliwas aiming for him.

Bart dove behind a reception deskas round after round began to deci-mate it. Screw this, he thought. Timeto go on the attack. Bart grabbed afallen fire extinguisher and threw ithard over the desk. A small explosionconfirmed his hope: They’d boughtthe misdirection and blew it up withgunfire, leaving themselves blinded.

Bart slid out from his spot anddashed for the elevators. Watersplashed at his feet. There must be aleak somewhere, he thought. Hewent to the third floor: Children’sBurn Unit. As he exited he pressed thefire escape button. That should takesome time. He blocked the stairwelldoor anyway to stall.

The place seemed deserted. Anopen window nearby had been leftopen. Water and mud had beentracked in. The gale winds wereblowing the curtains and rainpoured in. He rushed into the near-est empty room. Or so he thought.He crouched against the doorway,eyes trained on the stairwell door. Atiny voice from behind startled him.“Who are you Mister?” It was a girl,burned on the face and hands. “Burnunit,” Bart muttered, “right.”

“Look don’t mind me little lady, youjust get under that bed there andkeep your head down.” He turnedaround as he heard steps comingfrom the stairs. The girl ignored him

and came over next to his side. Shewhispered, “Are bad men coming forme again?” Bart twisted his headtoward her. Jeez this girl doesn’t giveup. “What do you mean, ‘again’?” heasked. She whispered, “I was playingin my house and there was a boom,and then the house was on fire andmy daddy wasn’t there. He wasalways busy hanging out with hisfriends I think … Mommy tried to pullme out, but not before this hap-pened,” she said, pointing to her face.

Bart was stunned. In his profes-sion, men weren’t stunned easily.But there she stood before him. Theevidence was damning: Could thisbe the daughter of the biker whosehouse he set fire to? His thoughtwas interrupted by another gunshot.Benelli kicked the door in, scream-ing, “Come out McCarther! I’ll shootevery damn kid in here until youdo!” Wind and rain beat against thewalls. Water soaked everything.

Bart stared at the girl. She had rununder her bed, scared. He couldn’tchange what had happened.

…Well friends, I wish I could say that

Bart drew his gun and shot it out withthose three men; that he walked outof that hospital wounded but alive.But he didn’t. I don’t know what wenton in his head those last few seconds.Maybe he thought about God andwhy he’d been put in this position.Maybe he thought about his mother’slast words. Or maybe he thoughtabout the little girl he had maimed.But he didn’t.

He walked into the hallway,unarmed, and died a man. Little morecan be said about the life and deathof Bart McCarther.

— Max Saucedo is a criminal justicefreshman.

D A I L Y A Z T E CThursday,

May 3, 2012 B AC K PAG E24

Difficulty Level: 4 out of 4

Instructions: Complete the gridso each row, column and 3-by-3box (in bold borders) containsevery digit 1 to 9. For strategieson how to solve Sudoku, visitwww.sudokudragon.com

Solutions available online atwww.thedailyaztec.com

©2012, TRIBUNE MEDIA SERVICES INC.

AACCRROOSSSS1 River movement5 You can count

on them10 Braff of “Scrubs”14 Cleanse15 Does a scrap-

booking task16 Away from the

wind17 Tension-easing

activity19 Breathing organ20 In accordance

with21 Road trip respite22 Triangular archi-

tectural feature23 Music to a col-

lector’s ears28 Pursue quietly30 IRS business

designation31 Partner of cien-

cias32 Perfect36 Warsaw __37 Drink suggested

by the starts of17-, 23-, 47- and58-Across

39 Ancient gather-ing place

41 Fried, filled tortilla43 All-out44 Be gaga over46 Keystone State

team, familiarly47 New Orleans

tourist spot52 Patron saint of

girls53 Campaigned54 www address57 Men’s clothing

cut58 Starlet’s bene-

factor, perhaps62 Alien-seeking

org.63 Circle64 Thunder sound65 African antelope66 Mixer that com-

pletes 37-Across67 Start of North

Carolina’s motto

DDOOWWNN1 Turn on a grid-

dle2 Doily material3 Outclass4 “Charlotte’s __”5 Cut taker6 White-wine

cooking liquids7 Diving bird8 Hook shape9 Leb. neighbor

10 Big name inrestaurant sur-veys

11 Out12 Yo-Yo Ma’s

instrument13 Abductee of

Paris

18 Skating venues22 George who

famously askedKnute Rockneto “win just one”for him

24 Ellington’s “__Song Go Out ofMy Heart”

25 Eyepieces26 Thing to pass in

class27 Word with gum

or rain28 Gullible sort29 Gillette’s __ II33 “Tender __

Night”34 Rebellious dis-

positions35 Wassailer’s song37 Olympic sport in

which belts areworn

38 Second word ofmany fairy tales

40 They’re rolled inSpain

42 Chocolate crit-ters

43 Turn over45 Company with a

spokesbaby47 __ profundo:

low voice48 Obvious flirt49 Kwanzaa princi-

ple50 Alternate song

recording51 Less grilled, say55 Nutritional figs.56 Singer Lovett58 Hem, say59 Sch. founded by

Jefferson60 Heater61 King Kong, e.g.

Solutions available online at www.thedailyaztec.com

TODAY’S BIRTHDAY (5/3/12) - Leverageyour contribution by getting involved ingroup activities that benefit others. Youcan be a motivational force of nature.What adventures await this year? Avoidsummer or fall travel, or get into an onlineeducational journey instead. Culturalexchange intrigues. Explore.

To get the advantage, check the day's rating:10 is the easiest day, 0 the most challenging.

ARIES (March 21 - April 19) - Today is an 8 -A quiet morning suits you. Take it slowlyand carefully to avoid costly mistakes.Engage in a romantic activity later. Dust offan old poetry book. Get sucked into agood movie.

TAURUS (April 20 - May 20) - Today is a 9 -Leave your money in the bank. A setbackinspires you to try harder. Your quick wit'sappreciated. You have inside informationthat could bring a nice bonus.

GEMINI (May 21 - June 21) - Today is a 7 -Keep your head down, and you're quiteproductive. Finish a project for a carefreeevening. The conversation is just gettinginteresting, with art, music and beauty.

CANCER (June 22 - July 22) - Today is a 6 -Don't bet on a far-fetched scheme. Take onmore work, even if it makes life morecomplicated. Disruptions at home couldcause chaos, too. Accept offers of help.

LEO (July 23 - Aug. 22) - Today is a 7 - Nogambling (except in love). Defergratification for later. Make connectionswith friends. A change of scenery togethercould lead to unforgettable moments.Catch a nice view.

VIRGO (Aug. 23 - Sept. 22) - Today is a 9 -

Carefully evaluate your economicsituation. Don't jump to conclusionswithout looking at all the facts. In the end,you may have more wealth than youthought.

LIBRA (Sept. 23 - Oct. 22) - Today is a 9 -You're especially keen at discoveringerrors. Figuring things out is part of thefun, and it's also a great learningexperience. Others speak well of you.

SCORPIO (Oct. 23 - Nov. 21) - Today is a 7 -You pull through despite unexpectedevents. Your confidence is enviable (andcontagious). Remember, you're not thecenter of the universe. Contribute, andaccept contributions.

SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22 - Dec. 21) - Today isa 7 - Invent new boundaries beyond theusual. Discover something when you cleanup a mess. Love and be loved. Avoid goingdown the jealousy tunnel. No cheesethere.

CAPRICORN (Dec. 22 - Jan. 19) - Today is a7 - You may have to take a detour on yourroute to a perfect career but not withoutreward. Go beyond sightseeing to immerseyourself in the experience. Earn new skills.

AQUARIUS (Jan. 20 - Feb. 18) - Today is an8 - Not everything will transpire asexpected today, but that's not a problemsince you're ready for adventure. Learnmore about love in the process. This couldbe enjoyable.

PISCES (Feb. 19 - March 20) - Today is a 7 -You're inclined to challenge authority. Yougain points for being respectful as well asfor being positive and supportive. Let themhave a say in the matter.

©2012, TRIBUNE MEDIA SERVICES INC.

BY NANCY BLACK,TRIBUNE MEDIA SERVICESHOROSCOPE

BY THE MEPHAM GROUP,TRIBUNE MEDIA SERVICESSUDOKU

BY RICH NORRIS & JOYCE LEWIS,TRIBUNE MEDIA SERVICESCROSSWORD

FREAKIN’ TWEET!FREAKIN’ TWEET! / THEDailyAztec

FICT ION

MMaaxx SSaauucceeddoostaff writer

Fires during the flood

I

PLEASE NOTE:The views expressed in the written works of this issue do not necessarily reflect the opinion of The Daily Aztec.Letters to the editor can be sent to letters@thedailyaztec.com. Story ideas can be sent to tips@thedailyaztec.com.

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