The Daily Aztec - Vol. 95, Issue 49

SPORTS

IINNSSIIDDEE TTOODDAAYYOPINION

TRAVEL & ADVENTURE

TODAY @ SDSU

CONTACT

INDEX

Tuesday, November 24, 2009 Vol. 95, Issue 49

The Supreme Court has a bigdecision to make regarding lifesentences for juvenile offenders.

page 3

Get in touch with nature andexplore all that the Chula VistaNature Center has to offer.

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OPINION.........................................................................3SPORTS............................................................................4TRAVEL & ADVENTURE...............................................5CLASSIFIEDS....................................................................7THE BACK PAGE...........................................................8

LIFE IN PRISON

BULLDOG BATTLE

A ‘LIVING MUSEUM’

Celebrate Darwin Exhibit

Donor Hall, Love Library

Exhibit exploring Charles Darwin’s lifeand the theory of evolution. It featuresitems gathered during his historicvoyage to the Galapagos Islands.

Find out how the SDSU men’sbasketball team performed in itsroad matchup with Fresno State.

page 4

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Green plans for ModernSpace

Associated Students is planning forLeadership in Energy andEnvironmental Design certificationfor ModernSpace with the help ofgreen building consultants.

Green Building ConsultantLynn Simon, of Simon &Associates, Inc., was visiting SanDiego State to give a presentationat the A.S. meeting last Wednesday.Simon was hired by A.S. as a build-ing consultant to help obtain plat-inum status LEED certification forModernSpace.

“Everybody has a very specialrole when they’re doing a LEEDcertified project,” Simon said. “So

my role is to really sort of facilitatethat process and serve as aresource and technical support onthe project.”

LEED is a system developed bythe U.S. Green Building Council tocertify green buildings, accordingto its Web site.

Some ways of potentiallyobtaining LEED certification forModernSpace are site sustainabili-ty, storm water usage, water-effi-cient plumbing fixtures and recy-cled materials.

According to Simon, site sus-tainability is something that couldbe counted toward LEED certifica-tion because of SDSU’s proxim-ity to the trolley station andpublic transportation.

One possibility for the buildingis the installation of a vegetativeroof that would collect reusablestorm water.

“It could be possible that youcould gather all that water andthen clean it up and use it forflushing toilets,” GlenBrandenburg, director of theMission Bay Aquatic Center, said.“There are all sorts of differentways you can reuse water.”

Designing a building to achieveLEED certification adds to the over-all costs to build, but is expected tosave money in the long term.

However, it is too early in theprocess to know exactly how muchit will cost. A.S. decided that nomore than 5 percent of the totalcost would be spent on LEED certi-

fication, according to Brandenburg.“It was pointed out that the

national average is 3 to 7 percent,”Brandenburg said. “So they pickeda middle-of-the-road 5 percent.”

Many LEED qualifications arebeing considered right now, butnothing specific has been decided.A.S. is still in the early planningstages for ModernSpace,Brandenburg said.

“One of the key things of beingable to have a LEED building thatachieves platinum is teamwork,”Brandenburg said. “It’s extremelycomplicated to build a $50 millionand $70 million building. … So youtake that already complicatedprocess and add all these new ideasand so it really takes a person anda company to coordinate all that.”

SSAARRAAHH KKOOVVAASSHHS E N I O R S TA F F W R I T E R

Associated Students has hired a green building consultant to help ensure the ModernSpace project will receive Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design certification.Glenn Connelly / Photo Editor

Suspicious circumstancesNov. 11 – Police had to ask a manto leave campus twice. The manwas reportedly approachingfemales in front of CuicacalliResidence Hall and asking them tovote for him. The man was seenthere for approximately fourhours. Police interviewed the sub-ject, but no arrests were made.

Police initially received a callabout this incident because thereporting party believed the manmatched the description of a sus-pect involved in an indecentexposure case. The two incidentsare unrelated and police are stilllooking for the indecent expo-sure suspect.

On Nov. 9, a student reportedbeing a victim of an indecentexposure. After a brief conversa-tion, the alleged victim walkedwith the suspect, who wasunknown to the student, to the

Music building. After talking forseveral more minutes, the suspectexposed his genitals to the victim.

The suspect was described as amale, 35 to 40 years old, 5 feet 5inches tall and balding with brightblond hair. He also reportedly hadyellow teeth and a “strong muskysmell,” according to a crime alertthat was posted on campus andon the campus police Web site.

Multiple fightsNov. 12 – Officers from the SanDiego Police Department arrestedSan Diego State student ChristianBiofara on suspicion of publicintoxication. SDSU Police Lt.Lamine Secka said Biofara wasallegedly the main aggressor in thefight. Although the incidentinvolved 10 people, Biofara wasthe only person arrested andtransported to jail by SDPD.

Nov. 15 – SDSU Police receiveda call regarding a fight on College

Place. The reporting party toldpolice that a group of people wasfistfighting in front of a fraternityhouse. The caller was uncoopera-tive, however, and refused to giveany additional information to thedispatcher. No case was generated,because police did not find any-body in the midst of a fight.

In a separate incident, policearrested two men after anotherfight-related call. A group of six orseven men allegedly surroundedanother man and pushed him intoa parked car. They proceeded tohit and punch the victim, an SDSUstudent. The suspects later ran offafter reportedly stealing the vic-tim’s skateboard. The incidentoccurred in an alley on CollegePlace. Police were able to locatetwo of the suspects in a nearbychurch parking lot. SedricJohnson, 20, and Keith Stewart,19, were both arrested and trans-

ported to jail on suspicion of con-spiracy to commit a crime, rob-bery and battery with injury. Bothmen are unaffiliated with SDSU.

BatteryNov. 16 – A faculty member waspushed by someone in ParkingStructure 8. The victim waspushed after he confronted thesubject for throwing cones off theside of the structure. The subjectwas reportedly upset that thecones were blocking parkingspaces. The faculty member filed acrime report with police, but thesubject has not yet been located.He was described as male, 5 feet 8inches tall and 180 pounds. Hewas seen wearing sunglasses, ablue shirt, dark pants and a brownbackpack.

—Compiled by Senior Staff WriterKristina Blake

CAMPUS CRIME

CITY Tuesday,November 24, 2009The Daily Aztec2

Dr. Tanis Starck’s CSP 310, Group Leader-ship in Educational Settings, class hostedSan Diego State’s first Black and Brown Sum-mit Nov. 7 at the Aztec Center.

The event, which is titled to symbolizeAfrican-Americans and Latinos, was spon-sored by the Aztec Parents Association andthe Office of Intercultural Relations.

“We have been working really hard toplan this event and it was very successful,”Nasnet Andemariam, a student in Starck’sclass, said.

The summit featured workshops dedicat-ed to engaging students in thought-provok-ing dialogues and was designed to spotlightcritical issues facing diverse communities,Dr. James R. Kitchen, vice president forSDSU Student Affairs, said.

Along with Kitchen, a number of guestspeakers, including Dr. Shirley Weber, whois chair of the department of Africana stud-ies, actor Mark Christopher Lawrence, whoplays Big Mike on the NBC series “Chuck”and Jose Preciado, member of the SDSUUniversity Senate Committee on Diversity,Equity and Outreach, were present to talkabout various issues, includingHollywood’s portrayal of African-Americans, women in the media and healthdisparities involving HIV and AIDS.

A panel featuring student representativesfrom different organizations, including theAssociation of Chicana Activists, Afrikan Stu-dent Union, Movimiento Estudiantil Chi-cano de Aztlán, Native American Student

Alliance, Student African American Brother-hood and Student African American Sister-hood, were there to answer questions fromalmost 200 people who attended the event.The panel, titled “What's Going on?” dis-cussed topics involving racism and otherissues different races face.

“I would like to thank Dr. Starck and theCross-Cultural Center for creating a summitthat is beneficial to our community,” Miche-lia Lowe, president of SAAS and volunteerfor the CCC said. “These are issues thataffect the community and these workshopsare very informative, providing informationon these issues.”

The Cross Cultural Center, located in theAztec Center in Room 202, hosts manyevents throughout the year, including theBlack and Brown Summit. All students, fac-ulty and staff are encouraged to come to sim-ilar future events.

“We want everybody to come out and seethings from a different point of view andlearn about problems that affect everybody,”political science student Shyrissa Dobbinssaid. “It’s celebrating everyone’s culture butrealizing how similar they really are.”

CCHHRRIISS AARREECCHHAAEEDDEERRRRAAC O N T R I B U T O R

““These are issues thataffect the communityand these workshopsare very informative,providing informationon these issues.”

—Michelia Lowe, president,

Student African American Sisterhood

SDSU’s first Black andBrown summit deals with

pressing topics

Students discuss race issues in summit

Glenn Connelly / Photo Editor

Tuesday,November 24, 2009 The Daily Aztec 3OPINION

After the U.S. Preventive ServicesTask Force recommended womenin their 40s should not worry

about routine mammograms, manywomen were left feeling confused.Women have been constantly told mam-mograms are needed to catch any abnor-malities and even breast cancer.However, the message was also thoughtto be a government policy, but this is notthe case. Health and Human ServicesSecretary Kathleen Sebelius correctedthe message by explaining that mammo-grams should remain an individual con-cern. Although the broadcasted messagewas supported by credible sources,there have been many disagreements byother companies. Sebelius understandsthat the issue of mammograms hasreceived different standards, which isthe reason for dueling theories on breasthealth, depending on the organization.The recommendation was made afterstudies showed women in their 40s,who received routine mammograms,ran a greater risk of obtaining falsebreast cancer positives, strong anxietyand unnecessary biopsies.

The most expensive educationreform in state history has finallystruck California’s largest school

districts. An increase in class size, specif-ically in kindergarten through thirdgrade, will be implemented. Academicquality and performance are believed tobe affected by large class sizes. On aver-age, class sizes may increase by 24 to 30students. Schools used to be rewardedfor keeping class sizes at a minimum;however, because of the cuts in the edu-cation system, schools have been strug-gling to increase classes while still col-lecting $1 billion in state aid. TheClass Size Reduction program, created13 years ago, aimed to decrease classsizes and keep them at a minimum.Any class with 22 or more studentswould automatically be denied fund-ing. Now, the federal AmericanRecovery and Reinvestment Act award-ed California with $1.25 billion instimulus funds. This source of fund-ing aims to benefit large classes com-prised of low-income and minority stu-dents. Teachers and staff at elementaryschools can only anticipate the effectsthe decrease in money and increase instudents will have on education.

In a recent study conducted inSpain, large quantities of alcoholwere found to be more beneficial

for men. The study included 15,500men and 26,000 women, between theages of 29 and 69. They were instructedto document their drinking habits for 10years. In a country with small rates ofcoronary heart disease and great rates ofalcohol consumption, the geographicalregion of the study was perfect. Asidefrom alcohol providing some protectionto the heart, it also raises high-densitylipoproteins, or good cholesterol. Thereare about 1.8 million deaths globallyfrom alcohol each year. Although theresults of the research were positive, itdoes not mean individuals shouldincrease their drinking habits.

For the first time in the history ofthe European Union, two newpower positions have been voted

on. Last Thursday, the leaders of the EU,

comprised of 27 countries, unanimouslyvoted on Herman Van Rompuy, Belgianprime minister, as the EU’s first presi-dent. Catherine Ashton of Britain, thebloc’s trade commissioner, was selectedas high representative for foreign policy.Both members will take their new posi-tions on Jan. 1 of next year. After a longstruggle, the reconstruction of theLisbon Treaty allowed the creation ofthe two new positions. The positionswere designed to simplify managementfor the EU. This decision, however, wasnot met with much popularity. Thelow-profile status of both candidateshas been thought to highlight theproblems of Europe. Although it’s astep toward a solution, Europe is notin need of minimal action.

In 2005, Texas created a constitu-tional amendment that included asame-sex marriage ban. However,

after much investigation, Houstonlawyer Barbara Ann Radnofsky discov-ered that Subsection B of the amend-ment, which states, “This state or a polit-ical subdivision of this state may not cre-ate or recognize any legal status identicalor similar to marriage,” may jeopardize allmarriages in the state. According toRadnofsky, the wording in the subsectioneliminates marriage in Texas, includingcommon-law marriages. CurrentAttorney General, Republican GregAbbott, allowed the wording mistake inthe constitution. Radnofsky suggestsAbbott publicly acknowledge the errorand apologize. Also, it might be necessaryto insert another constitutional amend-ment to reverse the current one. KellyShackelford, president of the LibertyLegal Institute in Plano, Texas, comment-ed that Subsection B was written to pre-vent any arrangements allowing same-sexcouples the benefits of a marriage.Nevertheless, Radnofsky insists theclause will be subject to legal claims.

Last Wednesday, the Rev.Jesse Jackson spoke outagainst Rep. Artur Davis, a

Democrat, after he voted against theDemocrat’s health care bill. Jacksonsaid, “We even have blacks votingagainst the health care bill fromAlabama. You can’t vote againsthealth care and call yourself a blackman.” Although Jackson did notspecifically say Davis’ name, it wasimplied. Davis is the only African-American member of Congress whois from Alabama, and he was alsothe only member of theCongressional Black Caucus to voteagainst the bill. The reverend’s com-ments was made at an event held bythe CBC. In Jackson’s defense, hestated that his comment was notmeant to suggest members ofCongress should vote only one way,rather they should vote to help thepeople they are representing. InDavis’ situation, his opposing voteto the bill would have a negativeeffect on Alabama because it’s one ofthe poorest states.

—Compiled by Contributor Aileen Pantoja

NEWS TO KNOW

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entencing juveniles to life inprison without chance of parole iscruel and unusual punishment.

In a potential landmark deci-sion, the U.S. Supreme Court will

soon begin hearings regarding the constitu-tionality of life in prison for juveniles with-out the chance of release. The court will con-sider crimes that don’t involve murder. Twocases will be the focus of the hearings, caseswhere the offenders were sentenced to life inprison for crimes other than murder. Theupcoming ruling could offer a chance atparole for the more than 2,500 offenderscurrently serving life in prison for crimescommitted as juveniles.

In 2005, the Supreme Court abolishedthe death penalty for juveniles, includingthose sentenced to life in prison, ruling itunconstitutional. The upcoming proceedingsstem directly from this ruling, as its conse-quences have forced juveniles to die inprison with no opportunity for parole.

In the ruling’s majority remarks, JusticeAnthony Kennedy wrote, “Juveniles areless culpable for their criminal activitiesthan adults because they are less mature,less able to control impulses and resistpeer pressure and less able to appreciatethe full magnitude of their wrongdoing.”The same reasoning should be applied tothe upcoming proceedings.

No other country allows life in prison foryoung offenders. If the courts are going tolock them up for life, then they should atleast have a chance of release.

Existing rulings go against equal oppor-tunity for all citizens, regardless of age, thatAmerica has forever been known for. Bydenying these juveniles a chance at parole,we are denying them a chance at life. Theirlife sentences equates to death in prison.

People who commit crimes at such ayoung age are often the product of theirenvironment and of unfortunate circum-

stances, of which they do no have any con-trol. To judge them incorrigible is wrong.

By sentencing minors to life in prison,we are writing them off as hopeless andcondemning them to a life in the shadowof society. This is unjust. America promisesthe right of every citizen to live a life offreedom to its fullest. We are robbing theseyoung offenders at any chance of theAmerican dream. So to uphold such a rul-ing is un-American.

Rehabilitation should be at the forefrontof all cases involving minors. Citizensyounger than 18 have no tangible control oftheir environment. They are forced to copewith a life often full of adversities. Lowsocioeconomic status, poor housing condi-tions, drugs, crime and violence in theirneighborhood all affect their self-conceptand their actions. It is wrong to considertheir offenses in line with those of adults.They are kids who are emotional and stilldisplay a developing maturity. To treat themas adults is unfair.

“From a moral standpoint it would bemisguided to equate the failings of a minorwith those of an adult, for a greater possibili-ty exists that a minor’s character deficiencieswill be reformed,” Kennedy said. Hopefully,this same sound reasoning will be appliedwhen considering the constitutionality of lifein prison with no chance of release.

Let’s give them a chance to go to coun-seling, to give back to the community, to getan education and to discover a life outsideof the one they were born into. Many of thegreatest Americans, who so many peoplelook up to, are often the ones who over-come obstacles and defeat the odds. Wemust allow our youth to accept responsibili-ty for their mistakes and face appropriateconsequences, not simply throw them inprison to die.

The court has a moral obligation to pro-tect our youth, who are the future of ourcountry. No young citizen is less importantthan another. To deny a young offender achance at life is to deny them a chance atbeing an American.

—Andrew Lewandowski is a media studies senior.

—This column does not necessarily reflect theopinion of The Daily Aztec. Send e-mail [email protected]. Anonymous let-ters will not be printed. Include your full name,major and year in school.

AANNDDRREEWW LLEEWWAANNDDOOWWSSKKIIS TA F F C O L U M N I S TS

MASS MEDIUM

Crystal Hoy / Contributing Cartoonist

“No other countryallows life in prison foryoung offenders. If thecourts are going tolock them up for life,then they should atleast have a chance ofrelease.”

Think the Opinion section is a crazy leftist,liberal bastion of Republican bashers?Come fix it.

Opinion is currently hiring for the position of:Staff ColumnistsAll interested writers should inquire at The Daily Aztec officelocated at SDSU, EBA-2 to pick up the application.E-mails may be directed to our current editor [email protected] or call619-594-0509

Appeal life sentencefor young offenders

www.thedailyaztec.com

The Daily AztecTuesday,

November 24, 20094 SPORTS

Advanced Test Preparation

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Solo blocks for SDSU in 2009

Solo blocks against the Aztecs this season

Aces allowed by the Aztecs this year

Service aces for SDSU this season

Kills per set for SDSU so far

Kills per set allowed by the Aztecs

272 Kills for Lauren Alisbury this year, a team high

25 Service aces for Andrea Hannasch

FOR SDSU VOLLEYBALL

MEN’S BASKETBALL VOLLEYBALL

Mountain West Conference play is complete.But the San Diego State volleyball team

has one more match to play.SDSU will finish its 2009 campaign

against UC Santa Barbara at 6 p.m. today inthe Thunderdome.

“It’s just as important as a conferencegame,” junior middle blocker LaurenSalisbury said. “We’re looking forward to it.We want to end this season on a good note.”

In order to do so, the Aztecs will need tostep up their game. The Gauchos have hada very successful season at home and in theBig West.

In the Thunderdome, UCSB has only lostone of the 10 matches it has played this year.The last time the Gauchos won nine matchesat home was in 2004 when they went 9-2.That season, UCSB made it to the secondround of the NCAA Tournament before drop-ping a 3-0 decision to Georgia Tech.

The Gauchos just finished their confer-ence play last Saturday with a 3-0 sweep ofCal State Northridge. With the win, UCSBsecured second place in the Big West with a11-5 record. The Gauchos haven’t wonmore than 10 games in the Big West since2005 when they went 12-2 and won theleague title.

UCSB has been led by Rebecca Saracenothis season, but the senior outside hitter justreturned last Saturday after suffering a kneeinjury on Nov. 7 against Cal Poly. The All-American candidate appeared at full strength

against the Matadors though, finishing thematch with a team-high 10 kills and eightdigs. Saraceno currently leads the Big West inkills with 4.54 per set.

Meanwhile, SDSU enters today’s contestlooking to bounce back from a 3-1 loss to BYUlast Saturday on Senior Day. However, theAztecs were on a three-match winning streakbefore they dropped the match to the Cougars.The biggest victory during that stretch wasagainst Utah last Thursday in Peterson Gym.Behind double figure kills from four players,SDSU was able to get a big 3-1 win.

While getting a victory is obviously thegoal for the Aztecs today, it isn’t the onlything they will look to take away from thematch. Head coach Deitre Collins-Parker hasstressed improvement all season and thatwon’t change in this last contest.

“We’re going to practice like it’s anotherconference match,” Collins-Parker said. “It’sstill about us getting better. We get to play agood team (today), so that causes us to raiseour level another level.”

BBEEAAUU BBEEAARRDDEENNS E N I O R S TA F F W R I T E R

VS.

AT A GLANCE

WHEN: 6 p.m. today

WHERE: The Thunderdomein Santa Barbara.

WHY TO WATCH: TheAztecs will finish their 2009season on the road againstthe Gauchos.

After winning four of its last six matches and four of its last five road games, the San Diego State volleyball team will face the Gauchos in Santa Barbara tonight in its final contest of the 2009 season.

Kallie Larsen / Staff Photographer

Glenn Connelly / Photo Editor

Aztecs prep for finalmatch against UCSB

While the San Diego State men’s basketballteam is full of explosive talent and athleticism,it was the solid fundamentals of reboundingand late free throws that gave SDSU the winlast night over Fresno State, 62-58.

In a game in which neither team was ableto get a formidable lead, junior forward Billy

White led the Aztecs (3-1) with 22 points andeight rebounds. Butp e r h a p s h i s m o s timportant contributioncame in the final min-

utes when he went to the charity stripe andhit both his shots on two separate occasions.

“We’re going to have a lot of games likethis,” head coach Steve Fisher said to AM-KOGO’s Ted Leitner after the game. “We justhave to have poise under pressure and find away to make a play and compete hard whenthings aren’t going too well.”

Junior guard D.J. Gay did just that as hehad an abysmal night shooting from the floor(going 2-12) but found a way to make a hugeimpact on the game by pulling in sixrebounds and dishing out six assists to goalong with his six points.

Also making a major impression wassophomore transfer guard Tyrone Shelley

who had 17 points and six rebounds, the lastof which came in the final seconds of thegame. Shelley was promptly fouled and thendrained two free throws to ice the game infavor of SDSU.

“You hear the fans, you hear peopleyelling, but you’ve just got to zone that out,”White said. “Tyrone (Shelley) is a really goodfree throw shooter. He goes and knocksthem down like nothing.”

This is the first close game the Aztecs haveplayed in their young season as they blew outUC San Diego at home to start this year’scampaign, lost in a rout to St. Mary’s in Mor-aga and then won huge against Santa Claraback in San Diego in their last game.

But for a team with so much young tal-ent, some growing pains are to be expected.For White, he knows he is now the leaderhis teammates will look to, much like theway he used to look to Lorrenzo Wade andKyle Spain.

“In my first game back (from injury), wewere running a play and I looked up (to say)‘Lorrenzo!’, but Lorrenzo isn’t out there any-more,” White said. “So I have to be the veter-an with D.J. (Gay) and (sophomore forward)Tim (Shelton) and lead the young guys.”

SDSU will stay in the Central Valley of Cal-ifornia for their next game when they take onPacific at 7 p.m.tomorrow in Stockton.

DDAAVVIIDD PPOOPPEEA S S I S TA N T S P O R T S E D I T O R

SDSU 62FRESNO 58

White leads SDSU totight win in Fresno

Tuesday,November 24, 2009 The Daily Aztec 5TRAVEL & ADVENTURE

In Mission Beach, downtown,Carlsbad, the Temecula wine coun-try, Balboa Park and all throughoutSan Diego, people are running. Butfrom what? San Diegans are run-ning to help benefit others, whilebuilding friendships and throwingparties along the way.

The Sun Strides Foundation isputting on the Temecula TurkeyTrot 5k and 10k at the Cougar

Vineyard & Winery this Saturday.One hundred percent of thefundraising from the five and 10kilometer runs will support SunStrides Foundation’s projects. Thisorganization supports safe, free andrenewable energy for people indeveloping countries.

“Currently, we are raising fundsfor a biogas conversion tank for anorphan village in Arusha, Tanzania,”Race Director Rachel Hiner said.“It’s a great cause and it’s different.The race itself is on a dirt road.”

Check-in begins at 8 a.m. and thefirst race starts at 9 a.m. Registrationis $25 to $30 and free wine tastingwill be available for 21 and olderparticipants after the race.Volunteers are still needed.

Upcoming marathons in SanDiego One of the upcoming marathons isthe award-winning “boutique style”Tri-City Medical Center CarlsbadMarathon that will take place Jan.24 of next year. The race will beginat 6 a.m. and with more than 10,000participants, this winter marathon isalready sold out. The race includes ascenic costal route that passesthrough Buena Vista Lagoon andHighway 101, performances of morethan 23 live bands and many specialfeatures and awards. The race givesawards called “Heroes of theMarathon,” which are given to “ordi-nary people doing extraordinarythings,” according to the marathonWeb site. Mason Smedley, a patient

of Juvenile Dermatomyositis, wonthis award last year. His fatherpushed him through the halfmarathon in his wheelchair to raisefunds to fight the disease.

Participants have the option ofdonating to 19 different charities,including the American CancerSociety, Children’s Heart InstituteFund, Heart for Africa and NorthCounty Community Services FoodBank. Although the marathon issold out, volunteers are still neededand anyone can transfer their entryto another person.

A health and fitness expo at thePlaza Camino Real shopping centerwill be open to the public Friday,Saturday and Sunday and will havean array of vendors, displays and bar-gains on apparel and equipment. Itwill be located in the same spot as thestarting point of the race.

“Obviously, we do this out ofappreciation for the sport, but it’s alsovery good for the community,”Founder and President of In MotionInc. Lynn Flanagan said. “It’s verygood for the economy but also theoverall health of the community. It’san opportunity for people in the areato come together and produce thisnationally recognized event.”

Kathy Loper Events is an organi-zation that attracts families and ath-

letes throughout Southern California.A computerized race system is used atthese marathons to ensure accuracyand order. Its next race, the PureFitness Run for the Hungry 10k and5k Run Walk, will be held downtownon Thanksgiving to benefit the SanDiego Food Bank and Foodmobile.

Balboa Park will hold the JingleBell 5k Run Walk for the ArthritisFoundation on Dec. 12. Next year’sSuper Run will take place on Feb 6 inMission Bay to benefit Water forChildren Africa. Many other upcom-ing events are listed at www.kathylop-erevents.com.

Training for the marathon As far as training is concerned, SanDiego State students can no longerdepend on the Aztec RecreationCenter track. Because of budget cuts,the track closed for the remainder ofthe semester last Wednesday.

The San Diego Track Club offersmembers to take advantage of otherfacilities in the area where partici-pants can train and benefit fromstaged races, free counseling andcoaching. It is the largest runningclub in the county.

“Don’t let the title ‘San DiegoTrack Club’ fool you. Our member-ship spans a broad range from recre-ational joggers to elite athletes, withthe majority being recreational run-ners who take in some local roadraces, marathons or multi-sportevents during the year,” SDTCMembership Committee contactRichard Williams said. “SDTC is a501(c)(3) organization providingdonations to the Balboa ParkFoundation for park improvementsand scholarships for local students.”

Memberships expire at the endof the year and rates start at $40and decrease to $15 during the latesummer months. More informationcan be found at www.sdtc.comincluding group run details suchas the Wednesday night PacificBeach runs.

Marathon runners get in shape for a cause

SSYYDDNNEEEE BBRROOOOKKEERRC O N T R I B U T O R

Building friendships,health and money

for the greater good

““Obviously we dothis out of appreciation for thesport, but it’s alsovery good for the community. It’svery good for theeconomy but alsothe overall healthof the community.”

—Lynn Flanagan, president of In Motion Inc.

Running a marathon is on some people’s bucket list of life accomplishments. Not only do marathons provide a sense of personal achievement, they also make runners’ efforts benefit and fund cancer and disease research, which extends beyond self-gratification.

Courtesy of Rock ‘n’ Roll Marathon

Some marathons available in San Diego include the Rock ‘n’ Roll San Diego Marathon benefiting The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society and the Jingle Bell 5k Run Walk raising money for the Arthritis Foundation.MCT Campus

The Daily Aztec6

At first glance the Chula Vista Nature Centermight appear to be a typical aquarium withsharks, fish and sea horses. However, a clos-er look at this self-proclaimed “living muse-um” reveals the CVNC as more than a repli-ca of SeaWorld. Instead, it’s a center of sus-tainability in San Diego County located onone of the few remaining wetlands in all ofSouthern California.

Originally owned and managed by theSan Diego Oil Products Corporation, themarsh and wetlands of Chula Vista havecome a long way since the fight for sustain-ability began. As part of the last 5 percent ofremaining wetlands in San Diego, the marsh-lands on which the CVNC are now part ofthe National Wildlife Refuge System and areprotected from any further human develop-ment. Additionally, unlike any other aquari-um one can visit in San Diego, all the animalsin the center are native to the San Diego Bayand are noninvasive.

“We’re the only zoological institution intown that’s in the middle of the refuge,”Executive Director of the Friends of theChula Vista Nature Center, Dr. Brian Josephsaid. “We focus (solely) on the wetland envi-ronment of San Diego. No one else inter-prets that. Only 5 percent of original wet-lands are left here … (The refuge) is veryimportant for wildlife.”

In addition to providing the public withexhibits such as “Shark & Ray Experience”and a variety of local birds, the CVNC offersmany classes and seminars in compostingand water conservation areas. The center cur-rently operates an advanced composting pro-gram, complete with tips and answers to fre-quently asked questions. Other little knownbenefits offered by the CVNC are activities forchildren, free tours and a series of refugetrails that are situated around the center.

“The general purpose of the CVNC is toteach people the importance of wetlands andestuaries, and leading a sustainable life,”Joseph said. “It’s not just about preservation,it’s about sustainable resources.”

The center doesn’t slack off on sustain-ability either. All exhibits run on energy effi-cient LED lights and the on-site voltaic cellsgenerate a large amount of the institution’senergy. Additionally, all plants found at theCVNC are native to San Diego and thereforerequire much less water than invasivespecies would.

Unfortunately however, the City ofChula Vista is cutting the budget of thenature center to less than one-third of itsoriginal funding, giving the center less thana year to raise the funds needed to stayopen. This setback has posed complicationsfor the center, which now only employsseven workers. The rest 75 to 80 in all,Joseph estimated, are volunteers.

“If we had to live only on what the cityprovides we’d be closed,” he said. “We’regoing to be successful, but it’s going to be anuphill battle.”

As an alumnus of San Diego State,Joseph feels that for students, visiting orvolunteering at the nature center is a bene-ficial experience for any major.

“It’s one thing to sit in a classroom,” hesaid. “It’s another thing to come here and seeliving in action.”

For more about the Chula Vista NatureCenter or volunteering opportunities, visitwww.chulavistanaturecenter.org.

Local nature centerdrives sustainability

SSHHAANNNNOONN CCLLAARRKK

C O N T R I B U T O R

““We’re the only zoological institutionin town that’s in themiddle of the refuge.We focus (solely) onthe wetland environ-ment of San Diego.”

—Dr. Brian Joseph, executive director,

Friends of the Chula Vista Nature Center

TRAVEL & ADVENTURE

MCT Campus

Tuesday,November 24, 2009

MCT Campus

MCT Campus

Tucked away in Chula Vista is an internationally recognized nature reserve that promotes sustainabilityand shelters endangered, exotic animals and native San Diego water fauna such as Green Sea Turtles.

Courtesy of Chula Vista Nature Center

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The Daily AztecTuesday,

November 24, 20098 THE BACK PAGETODAY’S BIRTHDAY (11/24/09) You've

thought that you deserved more than yougot.This year, make every effort to man-age your money carefully. By your nextbirthday, you'll find that you have far morethan anticipated.

ARIES (March 21 - April 19) - Today is a 6 -An older person offers you a chance tofollow your heart's desire. Give your imag-ination free rein.

TAURUS (April 20 - May 20) - Today is a 5- Today you get to present practical ideasin imaginative ways. An older person influ-ences you to adjust your focus.

GEMINI (May 21 - June 21) - Today is a 5 -Take care of business today. Check itemsoff your to-do list.You'll be glad you did.

CANCER (June 22 - July 22) - Today is a 5 -Take time today to accomplish your top-priority item. Make a list for tomorrow,when you'll have more energy.

LEO (July 23 - Aug. 22) - Today is a 6 - Takecare of errands close to home. Line upeverything you need for the next severaldays. Bake dessert today.

VIRGO (Aug. 23 - Sept. 22) - Today is a 6 -Take care of priorities and start early.Emotions enter the scene around midday

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you can get past the obstacles within yourown mind, you can gain clarity with co-workers. Persuade, don't push.

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SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22 - Dec. 21) - Todayis a 5 - This is a good day to work on yourown assigned tasks and let everyone elsestick to theirs. Plenty of time to assessresults tonight.

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© 2009,TRIBUNE MEDIA SERVICES INC.

Level: 1 2 3 4

AACCRROOSSSS1 Job detail, briefly5 First appearance

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© 2009 The Mepham Group. Distributed byTribune Media Services.All rights reserved.

Instructions: Complete the grid soeach row, column and 3-by-3 box (inbold borders) contains every digit 1to 9. For strategies on how to solveSudoku, visit www.sudoku.org.uk.

SSoolluuttiioonn aavvaaiillaabbllee oonnlliinnee aattwwwwww..TThheeDDaaiillyyAAzztteecc..ccoomm

ne day, I was sittingin a patch of autumnsunlight at mybeloved turtle pond,trying to breathe

before going back to the Artbuilding to finish seven paintingsin less than a week. But, I wasn’tenjoying myself thanks to theever-present stress that had beenputting bags under my eyes and ajiggle in my midsection.

As I was starting to feel sorryfor myself, the best thing thatcould have happened did. Twofraternity pledges (unless theywere wearing matching ties forfun) were coolly sprinting sideby side down the hill. I won’t gointo detail about what color tiesor shirts they were wearing,because I don’t want to say badthings about any one fraternity inparticular — but I started laughingimmediately. It’s as if those twoboys knew how bummed I was.There is nothing as funny aswatching nonathletic runningoccur in nonathletic places.

Is it not funny to you yet? Twoboys sprinting in dress shoes andill-fitting pants, not smiling. Theywere taking themselves very seri-ously while running for purposesnot intended for exercise. Justsprinting for reasons I can only

assume relate to the same frater-nity they are carrying mints for sothey can pay lots of money to bein next semester.

Just when I was walkingtoward my next class, thinkingabout how it’s so funny to seepeople run in “civilian clothing,”it happened again. I’ll just saythat this man was not fromaround here. He was also particu-larly short and he was holdinghis backpack in his hand andrunning with all he had.

Young sir, did you steal some-thing? Isn’t the trolley stationthe other way? What class is itthat you fail if you are two min-utes late? Where the hell are yourunning to, boy?!

Just when the waddling gaitand the absurdity of how fast hewas running made me crack asmile, he stopped running,which is really the funniest partof nonathletic running innonathletic places.

Well sweet Jesus, why did youstop running? Were you just try-ing to burn a few caloriesbetween classes, despite thescene you were creating? Because

you know everyone notices some-one who is running that fastwhen the vast majority is casuallystrolling. Did you decide that youwere ahead of schedule enoughwith that little boost across thequad? I mean, you had everyonelooking at you. It was your timeto show off how fast you couldrun in Levi’s and you’re justgoing to start walking while wecan all see you? What a shame …

That’s the thing about nonath-letic running in nonathletic cloth-ing. Everyone is obviously watch-ing you, but you have reasons towarrant such scrutiny. We are allwondering where you are goingor coming from and why it neces-sitates urgency, but there is a rea-son that nobody else under-stands that makes the blistersyou must be forming from thosenonathletic shoes worth it.

There are so many questionsthat go unanswered and theabsurdity of the mystery cracks meup, even when I’m all by myself.

—Patricia B. Dwyer is a journalismjunior.

—This column does not necessarilyreflect the opinion of The DailyAztec.

PPAATTRRIICCIIAA BB.. DDWWYYEERRS TA F F C O L U M N I S TO

HUMOR: PATI’S TAKES

LOOKING THROUGH OUR LENS

Assistant Photo Editor Lindsey Martin shot this photo in Peru of bird tracks in the dense, watery mud after sunset.

GOOD ENOUGH TO WRESTLE IN

Don’t run, you look funny