Japanese children were forcibly evacuated and moved to internment camps during WWII. Photo courtesy of FlickR.com/FredMikeRudy

In the spring of 1942, hundreds of thousands of Japanese Americans were removed from their homes and forced into internment camps. Among those who faced this injustice, many were students who had to leave their studies.

The Nisei Diploma Project is a collaborative effort of all the current CSU campuses that had Japanese-American students who were removed and forced into internment camps during World War II. While Cal State Fullerton was not open at the time, six other CSU campuses were – Fresno, Pomona, San Diego, San Francisco, San Jose and San Luis Obispo.

Through the project, those removed and forced into internment camps will receive Honorary Bachelor of Humane Letters degrees.

According to the project’s Web site, the CSU system hopes to at least ease the pain of the incarceration the students faced, and welcome the students back into the CSU.

When Beverly DiDomenico heard about the project, she was overjoyed. Both of her parents were removed from their studies and placed in internment camps during the spring of 1942 and neither were able to complete their education later. “I know if the war hadn’t happened they would have finished school,” DiDomenico said.

Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger signed the bill calling for this project last summer. According to Colleen Bentley, who has been working on the project, the six campuses included began planning their ceremonies soon after and figuring out how to locate the students.

Unfortunately, many of the students who were removed from their studies are now deceased.

“Should we have done it years ago? Of course,” said Bentley. “It’s late, but it’s still a worthwhile program we put together.”

The internment of Japanese Americans began shortly after the bombing of Pearl Harbor in 1941. It was during that time that approximately 110,000 Japanese-Americans on the United States West Coast were interned – all under the justification of ‘national security’.

“It was an injustice upon people,” Bentley said.

DiDomenico’s parents were each placed in different camps – her mother, Ellen Kuyama-Matsumoto, in Poston War Relocation Center, and her father, Shigeki Matsumoto, in Gila River War Relocation Center.

“When I was young, my relatives would get together and talk about camp – I didn’t know what they were talking about. I didn’t find out about the relocation camp until I was taking American history in high school,” DiDomenico said.

Her mother, now 88, didn’t tell DiDomenico much about the internment. “She really wouldn’t talk about it (when I asked),” DiDomenico said. “It was the worst time of her life.”

Joy Sato’s parents were both interned in 1942 as well. “They said that they felt safe there. They were all together.”

Having heard about the Nisei Diploma project, Sato says she feels very happy for her parents. “It would have meant more to my father, because he studied very hard and then the war broke out and he had to stop.” Though Sato’s father did attend a Quaker college in Philadelphia for some time later, he had to leave in order to tend to his family’s farm back west. “He continued his education, teaching himself.”

Her mother, Mariko Sato, and her father, Jyuichi Sato, both attended what is now San Diego State University at the time of the relocation.

Sato and DiDomenico both found out about the project through letters from their parents’ schools. Their parents are among the approximately 250 other Japanese-American students that the CSU campuses are trying to find, though Bentley is quick to point out that this is not an exact number.

“It’s as close as they can get,” she said, adding that it’s believed that, statewide, as many as 2,500 students were removed from their school during the internment. That number comes from studies done by other Japanese-American organizations.

The ceremonies for the degrees are officially in May, but the campuses are being flexible with the dates, accounting for the schedules of family members attending and the wishes of the families.

“The campuses are being incredibly thoughtful,” Bentley said.

Eight months of planning and open-ended student surveys showed the band was favored alongside Lil’ Wayne, Kanye West and No Doubt.

“We’ve been planning the event since July,” said junior Michelle Carnero, Spring Concert Coordinator. Carnero’s first task was to discover which artists students cared to see perform on campus. Campus-conducted surveys showed that LMFAO was in the top 10.

“Afterwards, the majority of the year is spent getting the biggest artist we possibly can within our budget ($100,500 of the ASI budget has been allocated to the concert) and reminding people to save the date and just letting people know that the concert is coming up,” Carnero said.

After the original headliner, hip-hop artist Drake, unexpectedly backed out of contract, the chart topping, campus-friendly group was a favorable alternate.

“When booking a band, we contact an artist’s agent and ask for availability and interest and if they agree. Then Thomas Kocina, the ASI program director, and I will bring it to the Finance Committee to get it approved.

The Board of Directors approves the artists and then we can go into contract with the artist,” Carnero said.

LMFAO, with three number one hits in 2009, performed at Florida State University and UCI, and will be opening for the Black Eyed Peas this spring, was one of the few acts within financial range.

“I think it is going to be a huge concert for Cal State Fullerton,” said junior political science major and ASI Chief Governmental Officer Gregory Washington. “LMFAO is really popular and I think this will be by far the most popular Spring Concert we have had yet.”

Last year, the Spring Concert was sold out, but only 2,000 people attended the show.

“This year we’re aiming for another sold out show as well as a completely packed stadium,” Carnero said.

The Spring Concert is limited to 3,000 students (2,500 students and 500 guests) and is considered a closed event.

“I would totally go see LMFAO. They are a really upbeat and energetic group that will definitely bring the school community together,” said senior child and adolescent development major Mary Jo Pluchino.

ASI made changes to the show in order to bring in greater audiences.

“We got a lot of complaints about the line being too long last year. This year, we’ve made adjustments to move the line twice as fast,” Carnero said. “Also, this year’s concert won’t have a rock band, unlike the last three years. We have one huge headliner and a more up-and-coming opening act rather than co-headliners like last year.”

The concert will take place at the Titan Stadium on the April 16.  Doors open at 6 p.m. and the event beings at 7 p.m.  Admission for students is free and the guest fee is $10.  Tickets go on sale at the TSU Info Services on Monday, March 22.

Cancer survivors start off CSUF's first Relay for Life event on the EC lawn. Photo by Nick Marley/Daily Titan Photo Editor

The second annual American Cancer Society Relay for Life Cal State Fullerton will give students, faculty and staff the opportunity to work together to fight against cancer.

Relay for Life will last 24 hours, beginning Saturday, April 10 at 10:00 a.m. and ending Sunday, April 11 at 10:00 a.m. Relay participants will walk around the Engineering and Computer Science building lawn to raise cancer awareness.

Relay for Life CSUF is a non-profit event that is part of the American Cancer Society Colleges Against Cancer Program that raises money for cancer research and programs. Donations will support the Road to Recovery program, providing cancer patients rides to and from their medical treatment.

Kaila Zamites, 18, the Fight Back Chairman for CSUF Relay for Life, said that the reason the relay will last 24 hours is because cancer never sleeps, so neither will the participants.

“One person from each team has to be walking at all times,” said Zamites.

According to the American Society of Cancer there were an estimated 1.4 million new cases of cancer in 2009.

“Everyone has been affected by cancer in some way,” Zamites added.

The event’s motto is “One Day. One Night. One Community. One Fight.”

The relay will start with the Survivors’ Lap, in which all of the cancer survivors at the event will walk around the perimeter of the lawn together to celebrate their victorious battle over cancer. After that, the teams will begin their 24 hour walk. Live bands, games and raffles will keep the participants entertained during the relay. Raffle tickets will cost $1 and all the proceeds will go directly to the American Cancer Society.

The second portion of the relay, the Luminaria Ceremony, remembers victims who lost in their battle with cancer. Candles are lit inside paper bags that display the name of a person affected by cancer. The participants will then walk a lap in silence and get a feel for why defeating cancer is such an important priority, Zamites said.

There were an estimated 562,000 deaths as a result of cancer in the United States in 2009, according to the ASC.

The Fight Back Ceremony wraps up the 24 hour event. Event participants will each sign a purple cancer ribbon which represents a pledge to help save lives by taking up the fight against cancer. According to Zamites, a list of cancer fighting organizations will be listed to provide participants the opportunity to contact an organization and volunteer.

Laura Lee, 23, a biology major and the event’s co-chair, has high expectations for this year’s event.

“Our goal is to have 45 groups participating and to raise $37,000,” said Lee.

Money is raised through registration fees, donations and fundraising events.

Registration is $100 per team or $10 for individuals who want to participate. Even though team captains must be CSUF students, faculty or staff members, everyone can take part of this event and join a team.

CSUF Relay for Life team development chairman Danielle Riniolo, 20, is taking part in the relay for her cousin.

“My cousin has had cancer since she was 8 years old and my main motivation is her,” said Riniolo.

She is also the captain of Team Infinity that has worked deals with local restaurants to host fundraising nights.

Cold Stone at the Orangefair Mall in Fullerton will donate 15 percent of customer purchases from 7:00 p.m. to 10:00 p.m. on March 22 to CSUF Relay for Life. On March 25, the Cantina Lounge in Fullerton will host an all-day event and donate 20 percent of customer purchases directly to the Cal State Fullerton Relay of Life.

Other student groups will also host fundraisers on the day of the event, such as bake or craft sales.

Registration will be open until the day of the event at relayforlife.org/calstatefullertonCA. Even if an individual cannot attend the event, they can still help fight cancer by donating through the Web site.

“It’s a great cause. Sign up because you want to make a difference in someone’s life,” Lee said.

Jerry Amante speaks to Cal State Fullerton students about OCTA, his experiences as mayor of Tustin and about his political stance at the TSU on Wednesday. Photo by Katie Rossomano/Daily Titan Staff Writer

Chairman Jerry Amante is also the mayor of Tustin, a Republican candidate for state legislature and an experienced corporate real estate lawyer.

Students learn how to get involved at the ASI Open House event that was held on March 16. Photo by Ashley Luu/Daily Titan Staff Writer

The Associated Students Inc. Open House offered opportunities for students to get involved on campus by joining a committee, making their voices heard and meeting current leaders at the Titan Student Union Tuesday.

Students participated in the event by talking to various members involved with the Titan Tusk Force, Lobby Corps, ASI Productions and the Association for Intercultural Awareness (AICA).

Andrew Lopez, ASI chief communications officer, said that the purpose of the event was to urge students to get involved in programs, along with elections for board positions and the TSU governing board.

“This (event) is something we want to continue doing. We definitely like the fact that we’re getting out there and being as transparent as possible, showcasing the student leadership opportunities,” Lopez said.

Mark Hizon, administrative chair for AICA, said the event included everything that ASI encompassed, and offered information for students to get involved.

“We have great leadership opportunities that are all run by students, so this is a great opportunity for them to get involved and learn how to set those foundations when they get into the fall semester,” Hizon said.

Hizon said that AICA focuses on celebrating culture and is a program housed by ASI, rather than another college.

“It was through one of these events that I learned about it (AICA) and I got kind of sucked in. I said, ‘You know what? This is what I want to do for the rest of my college career,’” Hizon said.

At the TSU booth, graduate student Daniell Whittington said that jobs from the marketing department, executive services and titan bowl are being offered.

“(Jobs) allow students not only to work on campus, but to be a part of the Cal State Fullerton community,” Whittington said.

A job post displayed an opening for a graphic designer, services assistant, webmaster, desk attendant, recreation attendant, a Lindy-hop and Jitterbug instructor and a West Coast swing dance instructor.

Theatre major Lauren Kidwell, 21, said that she found out about the event through a friend, and was interested in learning about what was offered.

“There were good incentives and they (ASI/TSU members) were inviting. I think it’s good for freshman to know what goes on campus,” Kidwell said.

Since the turnout was not large, Kidwell said that events should be publicized in the Quad because people tend to flock to booths more.

Lopez said that he wants the open house and other events to take place in the Quad so more students can notice.

“Keep an eye out. As long as they’re (students) paying attention to all the marketing that’s going out there to highlight events, then they should be aware,” Lopez added.

Hizon said that any form of promotion helps because the opportunities offered at CSUF and ASI are a positive thing.

“They (students) have those leadership positions and can continue to grow in this organization (ASI) and as a part of this student government here at CSUF,” Hizon added.

For event information or interests in becoming an ASI member, go to: Asi.fullerton.edu/

Shakell Syed, a guest speaker for MESS, talks about the conflict in Israel and the hardships that the Palestinian people endure on Tuesday March 16th in the quad. Photo by Nick Marley/Daily Titan Photo Editor

The Middle Eastern Student Society held an event at the Quad Tuesday to bring awareness to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict and the conditions and struggles Palestinians are subjected to.

A wall featuring graphic pictures of injured Palestinian women, men and children caught the attention of students walking by. The wall also contained facts about the dangers Palestinians are faced with on a daily basis as well as historical and statistical information, such as death tolls.

“We are bringing attention to a side that’s not on the news. You always see Israel’s side and not what Palestinians have to go through,” said club member Ahmed Al-Hallai. “The media portrays Palestinians as terrorists and people who don’t want peace, but in reality they do want peace,” Al-Hallai said. “They’re being thrown out of their homes and tortured.”

In 1947, the UN divided Palestine into two states. Fifty-seven percent became a Jewish state and 43 percent became a Palestine-Arab state. Palestinians rejected this plan, which led to a war between Israel and the Arab states. Between 1967 and 2004, Israel invaded and took over Gaza and the West Bank, giving Israel 100 percent control of the land of Palestine.

This control has been maintained by a wall that was built in the West Bank that is 730 kilometers and eight meters high. The wall includes electric fences, trenches and military patrol.

Checkpoints have been built by Israeli Defense Forces of Border Police to limit the movement of Palestinians who lack necessary permits. All Palestinians need a permit in order to move place to place whether they are going to school, work or a store.

“It’s shocking to see all this information,” said Samantha Mondragon, 22, chemistry major. She added that it’s hard for students to inform themselves when they’re so busy with school.

“In America, we have such a high opinion of Israel and you just don’t expect to see how Palestinians are being treated,” said Katheryn Rendon, 19, biochemistry and anthropology major.

There are over 446 obstacles placed between roads and villages, including 88 iron gates and 74 kilometers of fences along main roads, according to the facts written on the wall. Two guest speakers attended the event to tell their first hand experience.

Radhika Sainath, an attorney and human rights activist, lived in West Bank for two years where she worked with the International Solidarity Movement. Sainath said people should care about what’s going on because it’s more than a humanitarian issue.

“It’s 40 years of military occupation; you have no rights, no citizenship. You’re basically living under the gun and Americans are contributing to this. We’re funding it and making it possible,” Sainath said.

Shakeel Syed, who is part of the Islamic Shura Council of Southern California and a human rights activist also lived there for two months, said he witnessed a pregnant woman trying to get to the hospital who was denied access past the checkpoint.

“Palestinians are deprived and subjected of basic human necessities. People are humiliated and stopped at multiple checkpoints,” Syed said. “Palestinians will continue to live as strangers and as prisoners in their own state as they have for 61 years.”

“How do we make a change?” someone in the crowd asked.

Syed responded by saying that it’s the small efforts that people undertake that will free the people of Palestine.

The Middle Eastern Student Society will be at the quad today from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Bracelets are being sold at the event and the proceeds will go to the Palestine’s Child Relief Fund.

Students at the Irvine campus partake in the free pizza that was offered to them at the Pizza with the Dean event held on March 16. Photo by Alison Munson/Daily Titan Staff Writer

Four large pizzas and three 12-pack sodas lined a long brown table in the Cal State Fullerton Irvine campus’s Titan Student Union at 5:30 p.m. The air-conditioned room was calm; students studied independently, some cramming for a quiz while others browsed the Internet on one of the 10 computers that lined the walls.

It was the kind of quiet that settles right before a storm. At 5:45 p.m. a pack of hungry students wiped out the buffet of pizzas and in approximately 30 minutes; only two pieces remained of the 11 pizzas that were provided by the Associated Student’s Inc. for the Pizza with the Dean event held Tuesday.

“Student’s kind of come in groups,” Irvine Campus Dean Susan Cooper said with a laugh. “Usually the pizza will last until 6:30, but today it didn’t.”

Cooper set aside one hour of her time to participate in the Pizza with the Dean event to get to know the students that she represents. The program began running this year at the Irvine campus, she said.

“I thought it was a good opportunity to sit with students and actually hear what they have to say, give them an opportunity to ask me questions or issues that they have and talk to me about it,” she said.

The event was held as an open forum with Cooper sitting in a chair near enough to be seen but relaxed enough to avoid an authoritative presence. Students were able to grab a bite to eat, and on the way to satisfying their hunger, Cooper was there for friendly conversation.

“I just go down and I sit in one of the big chairs so it looks like I’m sitting in the Santa Chair,” she said. “They can just come in and shake my hand and sit down and talk … it’s just a time for people to say what’s on their mind.”

Most students that appeared for the event grabbed the food before hurrying off to class or their study groups. Cooper was pleased with the turnout and the content of her conversations. One of the goals for the event was to act as a meet-and greet, she said.

“I think the core value of it is for (the students) to see the dean visibly on the campus, to see the dean as a person,” Cooper said. “Students don’t usually meet the dean… It’s kind of a chance for them to talk to a person who can find something out for them or make a decision or give them an answer that they haven’t been able to get before if they’ve been wondering why something is the way it is.”

The informality of the Irvine campus creates a sense of trust and reliability, Cooper said.

Students like Nathaniel McRoberts, a 22-year-old junior accounting major at the Irvine campus, were unaware of the program but appreciative of its intentions.

“I don’t really do much in the way of events and stuff on the campus,” he said. “I think it’s good that she’s trying to get to know students at a more personal level. (If I were to talk to her) it would be just to talk.”

Other students recognized the goals and, though they didn’t speak with Cooper, felt the effects of the event.

“Now that I’ve seen her I know what she looks like. Before I would have had no idea who she was,” Allison Worthy, a 23-year-old junior communications major at the Irvine campus said. “It’s nice that she’s making herself more accessible to everybody.”

For students who go to the Irvine campus just to take care of business and who aren’t interested in traditional campus activities, administration still wants them to feel like they are welcome and that they belong, Cooper said.

“I’m happy to talk with them,” she added. “I want to know what their concerns are. We’re all about making this campus better for them.”

The Irvine campus is currently holding a food drive to support the participants of the Families Forward program, a non-profit organization that is dedicated to empowering families that have fallen into financial instability.

“I feel that it is our responsibility to take care of (people),” said Reneir Cruz, 26, a senior advertising major taking classes at the Irvine campus. “Just put ourselves in their shoes, meaning, if we were in their shoes, we’d want someone to take care of us.”

Food drives are a small portion of what Families Forward does to facilitate self-sufficiency in families. The organization has supported housing programs called “transitional homes,” back to school-assistance, career-coaching and life-skills counseling, all geared toward re-establishing families into their community.

For Robert Flores, the organization hits close to home. For a short time his family was a participant in the Families Forward programs.

“I’ve always given back to the organization because I believe strongly in their cause,” Flores said.

It was Flores who approached Families Forward in 2002 in search of a way to give back and ended up organizing the bi-annual food drives that go straight to what is called the “Food Pantry.”

“They serve a lot of families, and in order to keep their food bank full, they rely heavily on donations,” Flores said.

The Food Pantry is entirely dependent on what they receive from individuals and businesses to serve more than 150 families a week, he said. The Irvine campus donates approximately two to three boxes per drive but hopes to collect as many as 10, and with three weeks left to donate, there is still more time to accomplish that goal, Flores said.

“This food helps them to cover other monthly costs and regain financial stability,” he said.

Many of the families assisted by the program are homeless or near homelessness. Job loss, divorce and medical emergencies are among the top reasons why people end up out of their homes and into the streets, according to the Families Forward Web site. Mental illness and drug abuse account for only a small fraction of the homeless population.

“We live in a wonderfully rich country and it’s surprising that we do have homeless people or people that are really in need,” said Stephen Messina, 52, junior, finance major on the Irvine campus. “Somehow I just feel like it’s something that doesn’t need to be or something that should be really easily curable. We don’t see too many homeless people in Irvine. We’re just not really affected.”

Homelessness has become stereotyped, said Vanessa Gonzalez, 24, a graduate student enrolled in the Master’s of Business program at the Irvine campus.

“Sadly, I mean you wanna help them out and you wanna give them money, but there’s this stereotype that they’re just gonna take the money and use it for something else,” Gonzalez said.

Cruz agreed. “(Sometimes) I felt that it was just something they were doing on the side, I felt like just from their attire I could tell that they weren’t homeless. Most of the time I give the benefit of the doubt … and do my best to share as much compassion as possible.”

Though students are willing to help, many don’t know about the program or its cause, not even Gonzalez.

“If there’s enough information out there about what the food drive is for and whose gonna receive the items for the food drive, then they can know and feel that they’re gonna help out a good cause,” Gonzalez said. “But there has to be that information out there.”

Flores urges students to help any way they can and to commit to community service. Families Forward’s goal is to protect the innocent victims of circumstance, mainly the children of struggling families.

“Some people assume because the Irvine campus is in the city of Irvine … that there isn’t a need for services like Families Forward or food drives,” Flores said. “That belief is completely false. I hope students gain an awareness about their community and leave with the passion to continue their good efforts. Community service shouldn’t be a one day or one week event. It should be a lifetime plan and commitment.”

Although donating food seems like a small act and that not much can come out of it, the experience gives students a way to be a good person and do what’s right, Messina said.

“I think you can take away probably nothing much more than a great feeling of helping, doing something constructive or positive in the world,” Messina said. “You can walk away feeling like you did something good, like you made a difference in your small way.”

There are 26 transitional homes that the Food Pantry provides for. According to its annual report, 44 families were served last year and 83 of those family members were children.

At this time, the Food Pantry is looking for dried and canned foods, such as canned fruits, canned chicken and beef, boxed juice, canned or dried soup, rice and pasta. Donations can be made at the Irvine campus in Room IRVC-101 until March 26.

Cathy Housman directing, attendes to build a human tree in order to understand how a tree functions. Photo by Ally Bordas/For the Daily Titan

Cal State Fullerton hosted its own early Arbor Day event in the Arboretum March 14.

The event was hosted by Cathy Housman and volunteers. When Housman, a Fullerton native, discovered that CSUF’s Arboretum needed someone to direct an Arbor Day event, she stepped right up and volunteered herself.

“Trees have taken care of us for so long, now it is time to take care of them,” Housman said.

The event started with a brief orientation about what to expect for the next two hours and the history of Arbor Day. During the event, everyone participated in seven activities: “guess that tree,” “build that tree,” “camera game,” “meet a tree,” “silent walk through the Trail of Beauty,” “draw a tree” and a reading of the children’s book, “The Giving Tree.” For the meet a tree game, everyone was split into pairs. One teammate was blindfolded and the other teammate would lead their partner to any tree in the surrounding area. Once the team reached a tree, the person blindfolded would have to feel and/or hug the tree in order to try and get a sense of what it might look like. Their teammate would then lead them back to the starting line. The individual took the blindfold off and had to go search for their tree based on what they felt during their time blinded.

Jane Saunders, an attendee at the event and founder of See Jane Explore, which focuses on customizing events for families to attend in their local area, found her tree based on what the outside of the tree felt like. She said the experience was “surreal.” Not only did you have to trust your partner to lead you in the right direction, you got to experience nature in a whole new way.”

The Trail of Beauty was the last activity. Housman asked all of the attendees to silently make their way down a shaded path that had quotes hanging from the trees. Each of these quotes was about nature, the importance of preserving it and the beauty of what lies around us.

At the end of the event, attendees sat and discussed the activities and how they felt about the importance of Arbor Day.

“When it comes down to it, nature is important to the quality of life. I strongly believe in the preservation of nature,” said Sandy Marshall, an avid member of Save Coyote Hills, a group working to preserve natural space and habitats from becoming urbanized.

On the way out of the Arboretum, each of the attendees was given literature about how to get involved, how to conserve nature and basic information about the importance of Arbor Day.

A group of about 20 Cal State Fullerton students gather weekly for Candela Salsa, a salsa dance class led by senior Sean Nandayapa, the Candela Salsa president. Nandayapa started the salsa group four semesters ago and has brought the Cuban dance to CSUF students.

“I decided to start this group because of my experience in salsa. I started dancing in a club at Pasadena City College in 2003, and when I found out that there was no salsa club at CSUF, I figured that there should be one,” said Nandayapa, a 24-year-old kinesiology major.

Candela Salsa is open to all students, and no experience is needed.

Paola Gaona, an 18-year-old Spanish major and the Candela Salsa female instructor, said that beginners are welcome and that dance group instructors are more than willing to teach beginners even the most basics steps.

The group incorporates partner dancing along with solo dancing, and is working hard to perfect its routines and individual dance moves.

The fee to join the class is $25 per semester, or $3 a day for non-members. It is recommended to wear comfortable, loose clothing to practice, along with salsa heals, jazz shoes or sneakers.

The class is not just limited to teaching students the art of salsa dancing, but also embodies other aspects, such as the history of the Spanish dance and the different types of salsa dancing, including Bachata.

“We learn everything about salsa,” Nandayapa said.

Estella Maldonado, a 27-year-old kinesiology major, is a new member of the group who had never danced salsa before.

The CSUF senior said that she has learned the dance better in the one month she has been in the class, and has met new people along the way.

Maria Resendiz, a 24-year old math major, recently decided to check out the dance class because she wanted to increase her dancing techniques, and thought that the class would be a good experience.

“It was a good exercise. It was fun,” Resendiz said.

The Candela Salsa group has many performances and events coming up in April and May.

One of their events is a beginner’s salsa workshop on April 23 from 6 p.m. to 12 a.m. in the Titan Student Union, Pavillion A. The event will include a live performance by the Latin Beat Dancers, the more experienced salsa group on campus, and the Cal State Long Beach salsa group. Other salsa groups from UCLA, Cal Tech LA, Cal State LA and Pasadena City College have also been invited to perform at the event.

A DJ and live salsa band are scheduled to play as well. The event is open to the public and admission is $5.

The Candela Salsa team will also be performing at CSULB on April 24, and has been invited to perform at the College Salsa Congress in Pasadena in May.

Gaona encourages students to join the dance group and said that it is an awesome way to meet new friends and get involved on campus.

“This club is a great way to establish new skills with people in the same age range, making salsa much more enjoyable. It is a great way to learn the dance,” Nadayapa said.

Professor Joe Cariati (right) assists students in his glass-blowing class. Photo courtesy of John Leighton

In the face of budget cuts, art students recently took matters into their own hands by raising funds to hire back a popular professor and saving a critical class in the ceramics/glass department.

Students were told late last fall that adjunct professor Joe Cariati would not return for the spring semester and his upper-division glassblowing class would be cut from the program.

John Grace, 55, an extension student in Cariati’s class, was taken aback when he heard about the layoff.

“Joe is an outstanding teacher,” Grace said. “He’s a unique teaching resource and I was amazed they would allow him to leave.”

Grace decided to do something about it. He put up part of the funds to hire back Cariati and then rallied other students with a challenge grant to come up with the remaining funds. Another glass student heard about the layoff and contributed, as did the student’s mother, an art patron.

The funds were funneled through a Cal State Fullerton philanthropic account called Friends of Glass, which allowed Cariati to be re-hired as a visiting artist for the spring semester. To date, enough funding has been raised to pay for nearly half of Cariati’s salary for the fall semester.

Kimberly McKinnis, 27, a bachelor of fine art student with a concentration in ceramics/glass, said she wasn’t surprised to hear about the layoff given the cutbacks and tuition increases that had already taken place.

“It’s very disheartening to not know what is in store for you as you try to plan your upcoming semester,” she said. “We were given very little warning that this upper division class was being canceled.”

McKinnis heard about the challenge grant through word of mouth and was relieved when the glassblowing class was reinstated and Cariati was hired back. She called Cariati one of the best teachers she has studied with at CSUF and credits his teaching methods with pushing her forward in her art-making abilities.

Cariati said when he was told that he was not returning for spring he felt a “tremendous amount of loss.” He heard about the challenge grant but didn’t get involved in the details.

“My responsibility on campus is generating energy and excitement about the creative process of glassblowing for 22 students, so my head is always a little bit in the clouds about anything outside of that, even during a budget crisis,” he said, adding that he is honored to carry on and continue to educate students in the glass program.

Cariati was hired at CSUF in 2004 as a part-time lecturer and to help re-design the glass curriculum.

“Joe is a major asset to our glass program and it seemed especially tragic to lose this amazing adjunct professor to save a few thousand dollars per semester,” said John Leighton, an associate professor of glass.

Leighton said that in his 35 years of glass education, he has never met another instructor who can excite and inspire his students to worker harder and improve more in less time than Cariati.

Cariati’s students attend workshops like the prestigious Pilchuck Glass School and the Penland School of Crafts in North Carolina. Many receive scholarships to attend regional and national conferences. In 2009, his students were invited to do glassblowing demonstrations at the International Glass Art Society’s annual conference in Corning, NY.

Many of Cariati’s students go on to win international competitions and have their work displayed in the most prestigious galleries in the world.

Although the university provides some of the major pieces of equipment, like the glass melting furnaces, much of the funding for the program comes from the students themselves, Leighton said.

The Hot Glass Club holds sales each semester with the proceeds providing about half of the operating budget each year, which is a substantial amount, Leighton explained.

To contribute to Friends of Glass, contact John Leighton at (657) 278-2771.

The night consisted of cultural dances, music performed by Pau Hana, a roots/Hawaiian/reggae band and a variety of Hawaiian food such as chicken katsu, teriyaki beef, macaroni salad, rice and haupia (a Hawaiian dessert).

“We put this event together to show people our island culture and bring people together,” said Djon Raffniel Marcos, SPICA member.

The luau began with a conch-shell performance followed by dinner. Throughout the night, attendees were introduced to various Pacific Islands including New Zealand, Tahiti, Hawaii and Samoa. The highlight of the night was the traditional dances performed by SPICA members.

“We like to get together and eat and dance. It’s part of our culture,” said Bri Sarno, SPICA member.

The first performance was a New Zealand war dance called Timatanga performed by the men of SPICA. Timatanga is chant that pays respect to the ancient creators of the world for blessing the Maori people with spiritual, mental and physical greatness, said Sarno.

The second performance was a Tahitian dance where the dancers shook their hips to the rhythmic beats of drums. Immediately after a solo dance was performed by a dancer wearing a red skirt and a red-feathered headdress.

Following this performance was an opportunity drawing. The prizes included T-shirts, mugs and tickets to Kutturan Chamoru dance performance that will be held on campus April 10.

The third performance, a warrior dance from Guam, was the crowd’s favorite. The men donned nothing but sadis, which is similar to a loincloth. The audience cheered as the men made their way on stage. They delivered a performance that consisted of fighting scenes with sticks. After the dance was over, audience members were invited on stage to learn a couple of moves from the dance.

Next up was a traditional hula dance.

“This hula talks about the beauty of seaweed,” said Marcos. “It takes you though a day of gathering lipoa (seaweed).” The dancers wore a red dress embellished with white flowers and a matching flower in their hair.

Following this dance was a solo performance. The dancer wore a grass skirt, lei and used two Hawaiian musical instruments. The first was a hollowed out gourd filled with small seeds adorned with red and yellow feathers, and the second were bamboo sticks.

During intermission, attendees were able to purchase items that were being sold by vendors such as Hawaiian flower hair accessories, bracelets, necklaces, wooden bracelets, T-shirts and CDs while enjoying a performance by Pau Hana.

Back inside, a tribute to the victims of the Samoan tsunami was presented. A picture slideshow featuring the aftermath of the tsunami filled the screens as the audience bowed their heads in a moment of silence.

The last performance was a dance from Samoa performed by both men and women. The women wore yellow ankle-length skirts and matching yellow tops with a red flower in their hair. The men wore yellow skirts that matched the women’s dresses. The performance began with the dancers singing and most of the dance was performed sitting down.

“My favorite part of tonight were the performers and dancers, especially the boys. They took great pride in their heritage,” said Marie Adamos, an attendee.

The night ended with a recognition of senior SPICA members. Graduating seniors were presented with blue silk sashes. SPICA was also presented with an award that recognized the work they have done for the Hawaiian and Pacific Island community.

The Clothesline Project was started in 1990 in Cape Cod, Mass. to raise awareness of violenceagainst women. At Cal State Fullerton the project includes anyone affected by violence, stereotypes or hate. Photo by Brenna Phillips/Daily Titan Staff Writer

Associated Students Inc. and the Association for Intercultural Awareness (AICA) hosted a “Rally Against Hate” cookout March 11 to bring awareness and tolerance in their fight against hate.

“The event is mostly geared towards AICA and is held because of recent events that have happened on campus, like people hanging nooses up at school,” said Genevieve Eldred, the ASI supervisor of elections. “We are a community and we need people to get together.”

Students congregated at the Quad to get their free hot dogs, peanut butter and jelly sandwiches and drinks throughout the afternoon. There were also several booths set up by members of AICA where students were able to sign pledges on cards detailing what they would do to counter hate and learn about recent issues of hate on campus.

“There are a series of things we do for the ‘Rally Against Hate,’” said Mark Hizon, administrative chair of AICA. “It shows ASI’s commitment to the fight against hate.”

Students were allowed to write out any acts of hate that they have experienced on a white shirt as a part of the Clothesline Project, a program that began in 1990 in Cape Cod, Mass. to address the issue of violence against women.

However, at Cal State Fullerton the “Rally Against Hate” has expanded the Clothesline Project to include any person on campus who has been affected by violence, stereotypes or hate. The shirts that were collected were added to the existing ones and will continue to be hung throughout the semester at future ASI events.

“We are also giving away necklaces with one puzzle piece on them to remind students that they are pieces of the solution,” Hizon said.

Even though the main focus of the cookout was to educate students about instances of violence and hate, ASI also had a booth that encouraged students to get involved on campus by running for office in the upcoming ASI elections.

Members of ASI also encouraged students passing by to express their concerns about campus and school life by writing them on a large piece of parchment paper, which contained statements like:
“Classes are too packed.”
“I don’t pay not to go to class.”
“I miss having money.”
“Keep the guitar program.”

Members of ASI then take these comments and send them to the state legislature as an act of lobbying on behalf of the students.

“It is always good to raise awareness,” said Andreana Pettersen, a 26-year-old communicative disorders major. “Supporting these causes is always important especially if there are instances on campus that allude to hate and intolerance.”