Chancellor Timothy White speaks with students in the Chicano Resource Center in the Pollak Library on Thursday (Robert Huskey/ Daily Titan).

CSU Chancellor Timothy White’s 12th stop on his tour of 23 Cal State Universities brought him to Cal State Fullerton on Thursday in an effort to see campus achievements and shortcomings.

As one of his first actions as chancellor, White vowed to visit 23 campuses within the first year of his term to assess the needs and differences between each CSU campus in person.

During his visit to CSUF, the chancellor danced, met with student leaders and professors and even took to the library to hand out cookies and wish students luck on their finals.

The chancellor spent the day with CSUF President Mildred García and many members of her cabinet. He quizzed the president as they walked and talked throughout the day.

While the Chancellor’s visit mostly centered around ceremonies and cheerful interactions with students and professors, White paid a somber visit to the Veterans Student Services office in University Hall.

Student veterans, friends and families had spent the previous weeks aiding in the search for Maribel Ramos. The CSUF student and Army veteran had been missing since May 2 and was found dead late Thursday night.

White offered his thoughts and prayers to everyone involved and shared that his wife had met Ramos a few weeks ago.

During a visit to the Pollak Library, White, García and other administrators handed out individually-wrapped cookies and wished students luck on their upcoming finals.

The library visit was the first of its kind for White during his state tour, but it was a tradition during his chancellorship of UC Riverside.

“It was kind of nerve-racking at first,” said Anna Gomez, a sociology major, after meeting White while studying for her final in research methods. “He came out of nowhere, but it was nice that somebody came up to us and gave us some encouragement about finals.”

The topic of online education came up again and again during the chancellor’s visits with students and professors.

While attending a Q&A session with students in the quad, Matthew Hendricks, 23, a graduate student of humanities, questioned White about his views regarding the perceived diminishing effects that online classes have on the accreditation of the CSU and the high rate of adjunct faculty teaching classes once taught by full-time professors.

White agreed that the economic downturn and budget cuts have caused a decrease in full-time and tenured professors.

He also said that online classes should never take over the CSU but that it should be seen as “one more arrow in its quiver,” since some students would like to attend a CSU school but face the difficulty of a long commute.

“I want to make sure that we view (online classes) as an expansion of technology enhanced education,” White said. “It’s not a silver bullet for economic woes or staffing woes or anything like that.”

During a meeting with the Executive Committee of the Academic Senate, Jon Bruschke, Ph.D., a human communication studies professor, raised his concerns that the new Cal State Online program is fundamentally flawed.

“These poor CSU Online students are paying twice as much as the students that are taking classes from us,” he said.

Bruschke said that he felt the structure of Cal State Online essentially privatizes that section of the CSU education by incentivizing it with more pay for professors.

Instructors who teach CSU Online courses are paid an additional 25 percent “overload fee” when he or she teaches online courses in addition to a normal load of face-to-face courses, explained Bruschke.

He said that the monetary incentive encourages professors to put more time and energy into online courses “at the expense of the rest of the students.”

“It just seems like we are solving a budget problem by privatizing part of our curriculum,” Bruschke said. “I believe the mission should be all students get the best education possible, not if you can pay double, you get it special.”

White requested that Bruschke write a summary of the issues he had with the program so the chancellor could take it to those who run Cal State Online.

“We’re making sausage in public and we’re going to screw things up,” White said. “I don’t want to hurt students, but part of innovation is screwing things up and learning from those mistakes.”

He added that he has never viewed online education as a cost-saving measure and views it as a way to increase efficiencies in the education system.

White also met with members of the Orange County Register and the Daily Titan, which gave him the chance to speak about the growing changes in regards to tuition, student admittance and salary increases for faculty and staff.

Speaking from the perspective of a product of CSU education by receiving his master’s degree from Cal State East Bay, White said he understood the importance that CSUs have considering low tuition costs and first-generation degree holders.

However, White said he would not make empty promises about putting a stop to a rising tuition, but instead stated that without tuition adjustments, CSUs would suffer dire consequences.

The chancellor outlined the choices the CSU has when the state’s support falls short of demand.

“One choice would be to say that’s the way it is,” White said. “Another choice would be to have a modest, predictable and well articulated way: raise tuition by one, two or three percent to get more resources to pay for the cost of delivering the education.”

While on campus, White was also in attendance for the award ceremony of the Carol Barnes Excellence in Teaching Award, the Outstanding Professor Award and Faculty Leadership Collegial Governance Award.

Sean Walker, an associate professor of biology and winner of the Carol Barnes Excellence in Teaching Award, said he was glad that White visited CSUF and feels that the chancellor’s priorities belong to the students and faculty.

Later in the day, Physical Plant director Willem van der Pol carted White through the campus explaining the history and details of every building during a lengthy tour of the campus.

The director explained different steps CSUF has taken to increase sustainability.

The tour made a brief stop to observe the operations of the 8,000 -square-foot Tri-gen energy plant, a natural gas power plant that generates over 4 million megawatts of electricity to be used on campus.

As the tour was winding down and the cart headed back to College Park, the tour of campus facilities was suddenly interrupted when the chancellor halted the cart as he saw graduating students posing for senior portraits.

White motioned President García over and the two posed for a picture with arms around Fallyn Mongold and Erin Chavez, both child development majors.

“We’re two of the signatories on your diploma,” said the chancellor.

The students confidently posed for an impromptu photo in full graduation regalia with White and García.

At Polly’s Pies, the Americana feel and atmosphere is matched with a casual, pleasant dining experience.

Located on North Raymond Avenue in Fullerton, the small family company has been serving its signature dishes and pies for more than 40 years.

Polly’s Pies is owned by brothers Don and Eddie Sheldrake. The Fullerton location is the first Polly’s within this franchise.

Today, there are 15 locations throughout Southern California, including Huntington Beach, La Mirada and Norco.

According to the restaurant’s website, the name Polly was chosen in honor of Polly Martin, the newborn daughter of Polly’s Pies’ first manager, and because the restaurant’s handles were shaped like the letter “P”

At Polly’s Pies, customers can enjoy a wide variety of dishes during breakfast, lunch and dinner.

For breakfast, there are many egg combos and omelettes to choose from. The Spinach Scramble is just one; it is made up of eggs blended with seasoned, sauteed spinach, bacon, mushrooms and sausage, and then topped with shredded jack cheese.

The Denver Scramble consists of eggs with sauteed diced ham steak, green and red bell peppers, and onions.

Their ABC Omelette is made up of avocado, cheddar cheese, Cherrywood Smoked Bacon, mushrooms and green onions.

Customers can also order the traditional Eggs Benedict, which comes with two poached eggs served over ham on English muffin halves, and then topped with hollandaise sauce.

Another popular breakfast dish at Polly’s is the Belgian waffle combo. The waffles are served with eggs, three strips of cherrywood smoked bacon or three sausage links, and hash browns. The combo comes with your choice of tea or coffee. A glass of orange juice costs $1.99 with free refills.

One thing to note about this combo is that the maple syrup isn’t your typical classic Aunt Jemima syrup. The syrup served with the Belgian waffles is less sweet, but still has an adequate amount of flavor.

For lunch and dinner, customers can enjoy numerous burger and sandwich combos, such as the Mushroom swiss burger, pepper jack burger and the old-fashioned chicken salad sandwich.

Each item comes with a fresh glass of strawberry lemonade and a side of fries or Kona chips.

The Pollymelt is made up of a grilled beef patty covered in grilled sweet onions, topped with cheddar or Swiss cheese and served on rye bread.

The zesty grilled chicken sandwich consists of a grilled tender chicken breast topped with lettuce, tomato and Ms. Polly’s spicy dressing on a cracked wheat bun.

If you’re looking for more of a hearty, “mom’s cooking” dish, Polly’s Pies offers a number of home-style dinners, like their famous “handmade” chicken pie.

It is made with lean chicken combined with savory gravy, celery, broccoli, cauliflower, peas, carrots, sweet onions and potatoes, baked in a pie crust. This dish is served with “skin-on” mashed potatoes and gravy, and freshly baked rolls.

Other home-style dinners include the traditional roasted turkey dinner, hearty country chicken fried steak and their BBQ ribs.

Although the restaurant features many mouthwatering meals, its pies are what put them on the map.

Pies are a major staple for this classic all-American diner.

The blackberry apple, the caramel custard crisp and Polly’s own Banberry pies are what make the restaurant an attraction.

Simply put, these are not your average store-bought pies.

There are also sugar-free pies available as well, such as the the cherry and lemon pies, to name a few.

Many customers purchase whole pies for special occasions, especially during the holidays.

Whole pies range from $7.99 to $9.99. Customers can also buy them by the slice for dessert. A single slice ranges from $2.99 to $3.99.

While prices may seem a bit high, Polly’s Pies portion sizes are very generous. One slice takes up an entire medium-sized plate.

The diner gets especially busy during lunch and dinner hours, but the atmosphere always remains calm and intimate.

Polly’s Pies is a very welcoming place for all ages looking to enjoy a wide range of country-style foods and spending time with loved ones.

–

Through six innings, Cal State Fullerton’s offense was as dead as a doornail. UC Irvine starting pitcher Andrew Thurman carried a 2-0 lead and a no-hitter into the bottom of the seventh, but the Titans rallied for five runs in the inning to come from behind for a dramatic 5-2 victory over their conference and county rivals Friday night at Goodwin Field in front of a national ESPN audience.

Thurman (5-4), who last year took a perfect game into the ninth inning against CSUF and also pitched a no-hitter against Long Beach State, ran out of gas after 120 pitches.

Titan center fielder Michael Lorenzen led off the seventh by taking advantage of a hanging changeup, smacking it up the middle to break up Thurman’s no-hit bid with a leadoff single. After a fielder’s choice, catcher Chad Wallach put CSUF (45-8, 20-14Big West) on the board with a ringing RBI double to right-center field.

With two runners on base and two outs, shortstop Richy Pedroza flared a game-tying single into shallow right field. Thurman was then removed for reliever Mitch Merten.

First baseman Carlos Lopez came to the plate with an opportunity to give CSUF the lead. With runners on the corners and still two out, Lopez fouled off nine consecutive two-strike pitches before he laced the 14th pitch of the at bat between the first and second basemen to drive in the go-ahead run.

“At a certain point I lost count, I mean, I knew it (the pitch count) was high, but I didn’t know how high it was,” Lopez said. “I just kept trying to battle, I mean, I knew they could throw any pitch—honestly they’re known for that. So pretty much.’

“ I was just trying to see the ball and hit the ball, and I got a fastball inside and stayed inside it,” Lopez said.

“That was a real clutch at bat,” said CSUF starting pitcher Thomas Eshelman (10-2). “I was shocked by what he did. I’ve been on the other side of that, and it’s frustrating as a pitcher. I’m glad he was on our side doing that.”

Designated hitter J.D. Davis then padded the lead with a bases loaded, two-run single into left-center field on a full count, bringing the score to 5-2.

“It’s contagious,” said Vanderhook of his team’s seventh inning rally. “Just like their inning was contagious, ours was just a little more contagious.”

Eshelman returned for the eighth inning after working the first seven effectively, but was relieved after a leadoff single. Left-hander Tyler Peitzmeier recorded the first out of the frame before Lorenzen pitched 1.2 scoreless innings for a five-out save, his 17th of the season.

Eshelman and Thurman traded zeroes until the top of the sixth when the Anteaters (31-20, 13-11 Big West) broke through for a pair of two-out runs.

Irvine first baseman Connor Spencer blooped an RBI double into shallow left field that bounded off tumbling left fielder Anthony Hutting and kicked into foul territory, allowing center fielder Dominique Taylor to score all the way from first base.

Third baseman Taylor Sparks followed with a rocket to CSUF third baseman Matt Chapman that took a wicked hop and ended up in left field, scoring Spencer from second.

For Eshelman, it was his last regular season home start of his freshman season. If the Titans advance to the super-regional playoffs, he could pitch at Goodwin Field once more.

“He’s definitely not a freshman anymore, his feet are plenty wet,” Vanderhook said. “He’s been in the spotlight more than once. Pitching on ESPN tonight, I thought he did what he’s done since the very first time he pitched.”

“Every Friday we’re excited to have him out there,” Lopez said. “He’s really quick, fast-paced, and it’s easy to play defense behind him. And all we gotta do is score a few runs because he usually holds the other team to one or two.”

By Chris Konte 

Courtesy of MCT

The latest movie in the space exploration saga proves that something this old can certainly live long and prosper.

2009′s Star Trek was a phenomenal reboot of the franchise’s original characters. Thankfully, Star Trek: Into Darkness continues that excellence and avoids the proverbial sequel slump.

The second film picks up with the crew of the U.S.S. Enterprise in the middle of a mission to stop an erupting volcano from destroying a primitive alien race on a distant planet.

They successfully do so, but at the cost of being seen by the planet’s inhabitants, who have yet to discover technology.

Chris Pine (This Means War) is Captain Jim Kirk, commander of the aforementioned ship, and upon returning to Earth, is demoted due to his lack of respect for Starfleet regulations.

First Officer Spock, played by Zachary Quinto (American Horror Story), truthfully reported on the events that got Kirk in trouble, citing that as part Vulcan, he cannot lie.

An explosion occurs at one of Starfleet’s secret buildings and the man responsible attacks an emergency meeting of leaders.

Kirk is quickly reinstated as captain of his ship and given the task to hunt down the terrorist responsible, Commander John Harrison, played by Benedict Cumberbatch (War Horse).

They track the villain to Kronos, a planet that belongs to the Starfleet hating, warrior race called Klingons. Kirk’s orders are to kill Harrison from afar by firing torpedoes at his location, but Spock convinces his friend that justice should prevail and the criminal must answer for his actions in court.

After a laser infused battle takes place, Harrison agrees to be taken into custody. The mystery surrounding the deep voiced villain and his motives slowly unravels in a riveting manner.

Director J.J. Abrams (co-creator of Lost) had the daunting challenge of producing a sequel that lived up to high expectations.

His original brought about the iconic cast of characters together in a unique way. The plot gave them a fresh start where they could create their own adventures, but still made them familiar enough for the series’ hardcore fans.

Abrams, who has also been chosen to helm the next Star Wars film, seems to have a knack for breathing new life into old properties.

In Star Trek: Into Darkness, the relationship between the two leading men becomes deeper. Spock urges Kirk to be more rational. Kirk encourages Spock to listen to his human half more often. It is an authentic friendship with a lot of heart.

The rest of the crew receive added depth, as well. Tension builds between Kirk and Scotty, the ship’s chief engineer.

Problems brew within the romance of Spock and communications officer Uhura.

It is a spectacular cast that works extremely well together, giving the impression that all the acting among one another is completely natural.

New faces also make great additions, with none more polarizing than that of the movie’s rogue antagonist. Cumberbatch’s evil portrayal of Harrison is brilliantly done, putting him in the upper echelon of villains; such as Javier Bardem’s Silva in Skyfall.

Accompanying the relationship aspect of the film are the numerous action sequences. The special effects during these scenes are out of this world, no pun intended. Everything shines with detail and transitions well into real life environments.

Sound effects and musical scores can be overlooked in big budget summer films that focus on fight scenes and huge explosions, but when used correctly, they really enhance the picture. In this case, subtle sounds keep the movie consistent and the large sweeping orchestral arrangements make it epic.

Working with a franchise like the storied Stark Trek is a difficult task that adds pressure to growing expectations. Abrams masterfully walks the tightrope between rabid fans and casual viewers, giving an experience that will satisfy both parties.

The film has a contemporary feel without depreciating the value of past scenes or simply repeating them.

Star Trek: Into Darkness continues the bright future of the franchise and is supremely entertaining. Go see why space is a frontier worth exploring in this summer’s first blockbuster.

Many students are breathing a sigh of relief now that homework, exams and quizzes will be finished. Freedom at last, but not for everyone.

When everything slows down for students and professors, there are still others on campus who do not have the luxury of having a two-month break during the summer.

Many areas of Cal State Fullerton remain open while most Titans are enjoying the extra sleep and the sunlight. The students’ minds may calm, but that does not mean the campus will become a ghost town.

According to Associated Students Inc., many campus dining locations and the Titan Student Union will stay open for the summer.

Some of these locations include Titan Bowl and Billiards, the food and dining area in the TSU, Starbucks in Mihaylo Hall and Nutwood Cafe.

Carol McDoniel, associate director of the TSU, said although many students and professors will have the summer to play and rest, she will continue working on campus.

“We work year round because our budget functions year round,” McDoniel said. “There are necessary things that happen in the summer that have to happen in the summer. We can’t just shut down for two months.”

McDoniel said these necessary things include the “behind-the-scenes” work around campus like taking inventory and auditing.

Since there are two summer school sessions there is not a lot of time to prepare for the fall, McDoniel said. By early August it is already time to get things in order for the new semester.

She said many campus facilities also operate in the summer to accommodate summer school students.

She added that there are still events on campus like the New Student Orientation, which require certain areas on campus to remain open.

The Student Recreation Center is also one of the places that will be open for use during the summer months, said McDoniel.

She said even though students can use its services during the school year without paying, in the summer students will have to pay a fee to use the services the SRC offers. This is only if the student is not enrolled in summer classes.

The SRC is paid for with student fees. Students who are not attending school in the summer, will have to pay $50 for the season because they are not paying student fees.

McDoniel added that the price is the same for students who are enrolled but they pay earlier on after they register for their summer classes. The cost is included in their student fee upon enrollment.

Carly Jones, a senior communicative disorders major, said she decided to continue working at the SRC through the summer to make extra cash.

She is responsible for the front desk and is often seen folding towels. The summer months at the SRC tend to be slow, Jones said.

Jones said she is planning on working until her big move to Oregon for graduate school in the fall.

Even though she will be working, she hopes to learn to play the harmonica over the summer. She said she also wants to skateboard and buy a drum.

Eric Alcantara, a sophomore kinesiology major, said he is also going to continue working at the SRC during the break.

He said his motivation to stay for the summer includes making money, staying close to campus and being closer to his friends.

Aside from his responsibilities at work, Alcantara plans to stay involved with his fraternity over the summer.

He said that his employers work around his schedule, which makes it possible to still enjoy summer.

John Pekcan / Daily Titan

From something as elaborate as traveling outside of the country to simply hitting the beach, there is something to do for everyone, including many activities that won’t burn a hole in your wallet.

Jasmen Villagomez said she’s traveling to Germany to visit a friend who was a foreign exchange student at Cal State Fullerton last semester.

“We really got to connect and get really close, so I am going to go over there and go and hang out and experience what Germany has to offer,” Villagomez said.

Villagomez ideally wants to stay in Germany for a month but said as a student she has to budget well to make sure she has enough money for travel, hotel and in-case-of-emergency money.

She wants to make sure she can have fun while also planning smart for the trip.

For students who want to stay fairly local, Villagomez suggests a variety of options.

“LA always has wonderful things to offer, going to the Grove and heading out to see local museums is always really fun … or go and take a road trip out to the lake or wherever it is that you want to go. San Francisco’s very close, San Diego is very close to us … definitely take a roadtrip to every beach in the area and check out everyone’s summer body,”  Villagomez said.

Villagomez said her girlfriends are notorious for spotting celebrities in Los Angeles and were lucky enough to meet Jesse Metcalfe and Lauren Alaina when they were there and got to do a little singing with her.

In San Diego, students can check out the night life of the city, go to concerts, or enjoy a day at the zoo or Sea World.

So students may have the opportunity to meet celebrities if they venture out to LA.

Christine Schneider is taking two summer school sessions this year and is also making time to visit Hawaii and Laughlin.

“I love summer school … I literally recommend it to everyone, because I feel like I do better …  because it’s so fast paced that I remember things,”  Schneider said.

For students looking to stay within a tight budget this summer, Schneider is an advocate of using Groupon, a website where one can get deal-of-the day discounted coupons on such things as restaurants and stores in your city.

“There’s always fun activities like jet ski rentals, there’s always stuff like that going on,”  Schneider said.

Some students say they don’t have a whole lot planned this summer because of a full-work load and summer school.

Some students seemed skeptical about enjoying the break, while others spoke enthusiastically about their wide variety of plans.

“Six Flags, Disneyland, play a lot of sports, go out with friends,” Tri Phan said of his summer plans.

Phan encourages students to try out many of the fun and cost-effective things he is doing this summer such as venturing to Six Flags and the beach.

He’s also an advocate of visiting haunted places.

“We’re going to check out this park in West Covina called Galster Park … it’s an open park and I heard it’s really scary,” Phan said.

For those that are not fond of a good scare, another fun thing to do is take a train ride.

Trains provide a great avenue of transportation if one wants to enjoy the view and relax while traveling to such places as San Diego and Santa Barbara.

There is also a Pacific Surfliner train in downtown Fullerton that would suffice.

Students can use the summertime to try out new activities that they’ve always had an interest in but never got around to doing because of a busy schedule.

Ideas for students include taking a pottery class, cooking class or yoga class.

One can also unwind from the stressors of finals by taking a long drive with the windows down and good music.

Students can enjoy long summer afternoons by having a picnic in the park, reading a good book outdoors or enjoying a nice hike in  the hills of Fullerton.

Summertime is also the perfect time to catch up, reconnect and spend quality time with friends that may have been neglected during an ever-demanding school schedule.

While some may have summer school, work or other commitments this summer, one can still make time for themselves and allow oneself to rejuvenate.

Whatever your plans for the season, summer allows for  a break from a full semester of classes and what better a time than to try out some of the suggested activities from Cal State Fullerton students or fulfill one’s own own wish list of activities.

–

The time of complete bliss and celebration is almost near. By the end of this week, students at Cal State Fullerton will have finished another semester and be readying themselves to embark on a much highly anticipated season: summer break.

Students will unload by selling back textbooks and in return getting some spare cash.

The question is fresh in the air with solid freedom standing only one week away. Whether students spent class time studying or developing social skills, everyone has plans lined up for the hot summer days.

Photo by Deanna Trombley/ Daily Titan

“I’m looking forward to going home and hopefully getting a job,” said Kaylee Truenow, a freshman theatre major. “I’m trying to get a job as a waitress.”

Just like any college student, Truenow is happy to receive hard-earned cash from any places willing to hire her, so she doesn’t have any particular preferences on where to work so long as it’s close to home.

The most difficult part of her job was going through her first process of voice jury, a process or critiquing that all theatre majors have to go through.

Photo by Deanna Trombley/ Daily Titan

Katie Blashford, a freshman business major, also was thrilled to go back to her hometown.

“I live in Northern California, so I haven’t seen my family since spring break, and also see my dog,” Blashford said.

Blashford admitted that the hardest class this semester was business calculus.

“I can’t really explain, it’s just … I’m not good at math, it’s terrible,” Blashford added.

Blashford doesn’t have a particular final she’s dreading, but has plenty of studying to do for each class.

Photo by Deanna Trombley/ Daily Titan

Jasmine Aglugub, a freshman psychology major, is also looking forward to spend time away from school to hang out with friends.

“We go up to the mountains and hike,” Aglugub said.

The hardest part of the semester for Aglugub was studying.

“I don’t really study,” Aglugub laughed.

In truth, she’s not alone on that one.

Photo by Deanna Trombley/ Daily Titan

Alex Lao, an undeclared freshman, sounded motivated when he had summer classes to look forward to.

“Right now, I’m taking general education,” Lao said. “I’ll probably … maybe try out for accounting.”

Lao was fortunate to have already taken his most dreaded biology final last week.

Photo by Deanna Trombley/ Daily Titan

David Chavez, a freshman biochemistry major, is looking forward to make new memories over the summer.

“Concerts, relaxing, my dog, my really big bed and seeing people again,” Chavez said.

Chavez hopes to see post-hardcore band Pierce the Veil live during the summer.

“There’s a few (bands) my cousin is into, so I don’t know their names, they’re a hipster-indie thing … it’s an all-outdoor,” Chavez said.

No matter where students are planning to spend the summer, whether it’s at home or in the city, all students can relate to one thing: it will have been a hard-earned summer break after a full week of final exams.

By Deanna Trombley

Jimmy Huynh, 20, a business administration and finance major, is one of those students that will be graduating this week.

But for Jimmy walking out to the unexpected world does not seem so challenging and this can be due to the fact that he has a job lined up after college.

Jimmy was not studious his first two years in high school and did not receive the best grades. At that point, he did not believe he was someone who could go to college and his main goal was simply to get a high school diploma.

“I was once a failure, I never cared about the school system. I never thought I would be as smart as anyone else in the class,” said Jimmy.

Jimmy said although other students would be getting As he would get Fs.

Yet, everything changed for Jimmy as he became motivated by his older brother Johnny. Jimmy said he saw his brother Johnny do much better in school, he was getting scholarships, awards and honor degrees.

“I always looked up to him as being a more of educated person, I was just following … but making it my own still,” Jimmy said.

Wanting to compete with his brother, he decided to do better in school.

Johnny Huynh, 22, a student at UC Riverside and Jimmy’s older brother said their competitiveness has always existed and fueled good things for them.

“Our tough-love and competitive relationship has really driven us to achieve our goals and also learn from each other,” Johnny said.

Jimmy took extra steps during his remaining time in high school to qualify for college.

“I tried harder, I worked harder and I retook the classes that I failed,” Jimmy said.

Jimmy said this different attitude helped him and as he began taking classes at Cal State Fullerton, he decided to change.

“This is a new start, this a fresh beginning for me, it’s pretty much my time to shine.” Jimmy remembers telling himself.

Jimmy made a 360-degree transformation, since he is now graduating from Cal State Fullerton cum laude and in three years.

Johnny also noticed Jimmy’s accomplishments and change.

“When he got into college … he took it seriously, to overall accomplish his goals,” he said.

When it came to choosing his career, Jimmy always knew he was drawn to a certain career.

Ever since he was younger Jimmy admired the job of a banker, he remembered going with his parents to the bank and desiring that career.

Yet Jimmy knew he had to start somewhere so he began working at Burger King as a cashier and after three months there he felt comfortable, so he decided to expand and applied at Sears.

At Sears, Jimmy became a cashier and once again exceeded all his expected duties.

During the holidays when there was a push to sell credit cards Jimmy said he impressed his bosses.

Naturally, Jimmy felt that the next step because of his familiarity with credit cards system was working for Disney Visa Reward Cards which was affiliated with J.P. Morgan and Chase.

In his time working with Disney, Jimmy would stand in Downtown Disney being the brand ambassador.

Jimmy helped promote the Visa credit card and assisted guests while they signed up for it.

Jimmy received recognition and awards for his work with Disney and was successful there.

Jimmy worked there while he was still attending the university at CSUF.

“He’s a very hard worker, going to school and working at the same time, is definitely hard, I couldn’t do that,” said Johnny, who is also graduating this year from UC Riverside with a bachelor’s degree in science.

With his continual achievements in his previous jobs, Jimmy decided to go for his goal and dream job.

Jimmy decided to look for the job in the field he had always wanted and began looking in to financial institutions.

Jimmy said he saw a lot of positions for teller and since that was one of the jobs that he wanted to be when he was a young child.

He applied for a job as a teller.

Bank of America was one of the places which Jimmy applied to, and he got the job.

He has currently worked at Bank of America for almost two years.

“I told my manager, ‘Hey, look, I’m successful at this role I want to expand. I want to be in the actual true job that I always wanted to be was as a personal banker,’” said Jimmy.

At that point, Jimmy applied for the job, was interviewed, passed the assessment test.

And accepted the job of a personal banker after he graduates CSUF.

Amado Perez, 28, one of Jimmy’s co-workers at Bank of America said he is happy for his promotion.

“(Jimmy’s) always friendly, always smiling … there’s no one at the office that has anything bad to say about Jimmy if anything we all look up to Jimmy just for his friendliness, his character and his overall work ethic,” Perez said.

Jimmy credits CSUF in helping him land the job that he has as a teller currently at Bank of America.

He encourages others to give back to their community.

“I recommend everyone to always contribute back to the community while you’re working, that’s one of the true passions that I’ve had, I think I’ve have and that’s one of the things that really helped me become the person I am,” Jimmy said.

With the spirit and passion that landed him his dream job as a personal banker, Jimmy is once again looking ahead to bigger things.

As Jimmy works for Bank of America as a personal banker, he will pursue his M.B.A. at UC San Diego.

Although he reached his dream goal Jimmy said he now hopes to go further and work for the finance department in corporate for Bank of America.

This is the attitude Jimmy wants to have in order to impact others.

“Even though I may not tell him often, I really admire Jimmy’s mentality in life,” Johnny said. “When I look at Jimmy, I see a good man with a bright future ahead.”

From Facebook

Maribel Ramos, a Cal State Fullerton senior and former Army sergeant, was found dead late Thursday night, concluding a weeks-long search for the student who was soon to graduate.

Friends and co-workers of Maribel Ramos spread their support in honoring the woman who has been described as a leader of students and veterans as police announced this weekend that Ramos’ body has been found and that her roommate has been arrested on suspicion of murder.

Her body was found in brush near Modjeska Canyon on Thursday. Police have reclassified her case as a homicide, and have placed her roommate Kwang Chol Joy under arrest, Orange police Lt. Dave Hill said.

Her roommate Kwang Chol Joy was questioned by police and voluntarily accompanied them to the police station, Hill said.

Joy, 54, was arrested on suspicion of murdering Ramos on Friday.

He has a court trial date set for Tuesday, according to county records.

In the past weeks, Ramos’ family and co-workers at University Outreach and Veterans Certification reached out to the university and local community for help in the search efforts.

Ramos, 36, was an Army sergeant who served tours in Iraq, Afghanistan and South Korea.

She was three weeks away from graduating with a degree in criminal justice at the time of her disappearance and was scheduled to be highlighted at a veterans appreciation dinner.

She had been missing for two weeks when police recovered her body in the wilderness of eastern Orange County Thursday night; the body was positively identified as Ramos the next day.

“Her light was put out way too soon,” said her co-worker Delia Tijerina, assistant director of University Outreach and Veterans Certification.

Active in the campus veterans community, Ramos had been planning on getting a job with the United States Department of Veterans Affairs upon her graduation, Tijerina said.

Orange police are now handing the case over to the Orange County District Attorney’s office, which is expected to release more information this week, Hill said.

Police have not released any information on a possible motive or other details behind the murder.

News of Ramos’ death quickly spread through social media to the campus community over the weekend.

“Since Maribel went missing earlier this month, our community has come together to spread the word about her disappearance and keep her foremost in our hearts and prayers,” CSUF President Mildred García said in a statement.

Search fliers had been set up around campus and student help in the search efforts were commemorated by CSU Chancellor Timothy White when he visited campus on Thursday.

“She was a wonderful role model for our students, faculty and staff. And we honor her for her past service to our country as an airborne paratrooper in the Army and her commitment to her education,” García said.

A co-worker of Ramos, Tijerina, who helped coordinate the civilian search efforts, said Ramos was a leader who demanded excellence of herself and others.

“I would want others to remember her passion; she saw a goal and pursued it passionately. She was confident and determined and as a result she accomplished so much in such a short period of time,” Tijerina said.

Ramos’ supervisor Brenda Estrada, veterans certification officer for University Outreach and Veterans Certification, said Ramos was a role model among her peers.

“We did not just lose a student assistant, we lost an amazing human being, someone that gave eight years of her life to fight for our freedom,” Estrada said.

Estrada had accompanied Ramos to a conference in Chicago about adjusting from military to student life.

Ramos went missing about 24 hours after she returned from that trip.

Many students via social media requested that Ramos’ degree be given to her family.

Megan Lott, a senior communicative disorders major, said that Ramos’ hard work should be recognized since she was only weeks from graduating.

“I hope the school does the right thing and acknowledges the unique and very unfortunate circumstances this is under,” Lott said.

Tijerina said plans are being made to commemorate Ramos’ memory on campus.

“I know that a seat will be saved for Maribel at commencement and her family will be there,” Tijerina said.

A representative planning the commencement ceremonies did not answer a request for comment over the weekend.

ROBERT HUSKEY/ Daily Titan

Whether on the field, hardwood or ice, there are differences and similarities that are important to each game.

Of all the commonalities that these sports have, there is one similarity that they all view as an important advantage—playing at home. Being the home team has tremendous value to each sport. Not only does a team have an advantage during the game, but also the host has the opportunity to expand its revenue.

Usually attendance and revenue correlate with how the team is doing, but the recent recession shows that this is not always the case.

Since the 2007-2008 season, revenue has decreased for every sport.

Cal State Fullerton baseball has seen revenue reduce from $77,300 in 2008-2009 season to $48,270 last season. Even though the team has played superbly in recent years, the recession has kept sales down as fans have been buying less and less.

Earnings have decreased, but alumni continue to buy merchandise. Darien Fehn, 18, a business major and saleswoman of merchandising, said that alumni help support the sports programs.

Fehn said that alumni usually turn up at baseball games, so they like to sport their baseball jerseys.

What helps boost merchandise sales for baseball is the trailer that the book store sends to every home game. Fehn said that baseball jerseys are the biggest seller when it comes to merchandise purchases due to the popularity of the sport at this university.

While the trailer creates plenty of revenue, it is not at all home games for the other sports, said Fehn. The trailer only appears at sport events such as basketball when it is a big game.

As earnings have seen a steady decline for baseball, its attendance has also followed. Though the team continues to play better, their audience continues to dwindle. The average attendance at games in ‘07 was 1,935, while last year it declined to 1,086.

Jennifer Rudy, the athletics tickets and marketing manager said the decline in attendance is due to the decrease in home games from past years.

While attendance at baseball games has steadily decreased, it is not noticeable to the athletes that play the game.

Anthony Hutting, a senior on the baseball team, said that it feels like there is always great fan support at games.

“We’ve always had great fan support since I’ve been here,” Hutting said. “I know Goodwin Field has been near the top of the attendance on the West Coast every year. Titan fans have been great since my freshman year.”

The senior also said that the team would love to have more fan support, but that the support for the team has been there. He also believes that as the team does better, attendance follows.

“I think the more games we win and the better season we are having, the more people want to come out and watch us play,” Hutting said.

While it’s not only baseball that has seen decreases in attendance and revenue, there are other sports that seem to be keeping steady ticket sales.

The men’s basketball team has seen the average game attendance stay around 1,000. As the attendance has stayed the same, their revenue has dropped by $9,000, despite the increase in earnings that were seen last season. It was a bounce back year for the team in sales as they increased their earnings by $3,000.

Basketball is not the only team that has done well the past five years; the softball team’s attendance has also improved.

Softball has seen their attendance average continually rise since ‘07, when the average attendance was about 473 patrons. The last season they had seen the crowd rise to 514 people.

As the average attendance continues to rise for the softball team, so does their revenue. Trends have shown that merchandise and ticket sales continually stayed in the $50,000 range in the past five years and even peaked at $61,849 in the 2009-2010 season.

Rudy states that these increases are due to the tournaments that the CSUF softball team hosts. They hold the three day Easton Invitational, which consists of 10 teams and the five day Judi Garman Classic, which consists of 15 teams.

With numerous teams attending these tournaments, their fans come in droves to support their team, which resulted in increased ticket sales.

It goes to show that common perceptions about winning and attendance, do not always go hand in hand.

For more information on the entire catalogue of CSUF athletic teams and their upcoming schedules, visit Fullertontitans.com.

John Pekcan / Daily Titan

While students may be filled with excitement, there might also be feelings of anxiety for the future.

Job hunting today can be daunting and while it may not be easy to find a job, with a plan and preparation, jobs are attainable and some students around campus have positive outlooks and tactics they plan to use when snagging their first job.

Amy Tabback, a dance major and senior at Cal State Fullerton, said she plans to get a part-time or full-time job to support her more artistic ventures after she graduates.

“I’m kind of excited to see what’s out there, (I’m really) proud and confident that I am ready and I have the skills and I have the confidence and the training to get a job and I know that I could do it … but then that other half of me going, ‘There’s always someone better than you and there’s 10,000 dancers going to every audition and why you,’” Tabback said.

Still she feels that finding a job is attainable.

Timaeus Le, another dance major and senior at Cal State Fullerton, said with his major the jobs will not just come to him, he needs to be actively seeking them out.

“We really have to be hungry and go hunt for a job,” Le said.

He added that he thinks the Internet and word of mouth are the best ways to find a job.

“Our faculty … they have great advice, most of them danced professionally and now they’re here teaching us, so they have really good insight on what we need to do,” Le said.

In regards to attaining a career, students who prepare in advance and have a clear path of what they want to do, should be hopeful, said Jim Case, director of the Career Center.

“The first thing they have to do is they have to have some clear sense of what they want to do … the location they want to work in, the job function they want and the industry that they are interested in,” Case said.

He said that employers want a candidate that has a clear course of what they want to do and in what field, because although it’s OK to be flexible, employers don’t want a prospective employee to be without direction, looking for whatever they can get.

He added that it’s critical wherever possible to have a face-to-face connection with an employer.

Case said that it is absolutely critical that students begin their job search early.

He suggested that students start at least five months before they graduate and dedicate about five hours a week to the process.

Electronic tools, such as LinkedIn, should definitely be utilized as well, but not the only option.

Case said often times students passively look for jobs through career postings, which limits their opportunities.

Students should be networking with people who work in their desired career field and alumnis.

When looking for someone to network with, one should establish a rapport by reaching out to that person and expressing interest in the person’s career.

He suggested that students do this by first having an online discussion about their career of interest and asking for advice about how to pursue a similar career.

Doing this builds a sense of commonality and credibility, which is likely to shift to a face-to-face discussion.

In regards to other electronic tools, Case said students shouldn’t put any information on their Facebook page that they wouldn’t want an employer to see, because students may be passed up for jobs if employers don’t like what they see on their Facebook pages.

Case advises to also apply privacy settings to Facebook accounts.

Case said that he also graduated in a recession, but made a contact when he was in school with a guest speaker who referred him to his first employer.

Although he needed to be qualified for the job, the guest speaker was instrumental in connecting him with the job opportunity by giving him a good reference.

It is definitely beneficial for students to utilize the Career Center to aid in finding a job.

There are a variety of programs and workshops available that teach students how to write resumes, interview and prepare for seeking employment.

I am replaceable and invaluable. Unique and part of the crowd. The first of my kind and another cog in the machine.

Each of you are the same, dealing with the saddening and uplifting implications of numerous contradictions.

This is also your life and no one else’s. At some point, whether it’s physically, emotionally or both, you will be alone with only your survival instinct to keep you going.

The survival instinct is one I have been thinking about quite a bit recently. It might be due to my recent diagnosis of depression or my ongoing fascination with the differences between each human soul and how everyone reacts differently to the same world.

What is in the human spirit that decides who has that instinct? A person with every disadvantage in this life can rise to greatness while another of the highest privilege will slump down that path of darkness and never return.

The best way to turn this mystery into a beautiful answer is a dedication to self-betterment while maintaining a self-love.

Yes, this is the end for my time not just as a columnist at the Daily Titan, but to the paper altogether and as a student at this school. It has taken me six years to finish college, but here I am, ready for a new beginning. One thing I have never told anyone before is how much I view my life in beginnings and endings, as if they are such different concepts.

But the truth is they are synonyms because in every beginning there is an end, and vice versa.

When Harvey Milk died, it began a revolution. From an AIDS epidemic rose a legion determined to survive and eventually cure the disease, even though many will never see that cure.

With hope and the momentum of millions, the goal of marriage equality in this country comes closer to fruition. What will that begin? I am excited for this answer to play out.

Everyone should be looking to the skies for what dreams are left to achieve, because new ones are born every day.

Civil rights activists carry these visions. They are the dreamers, thinkers, hopers and demanders. Sometimes it can even hurt to always want more. That is why we also celebrate.

Thankfulness is our respite. Every victory must be counted.

This month alone, three states legalized gay marriage through legislation. Jason Collins became the first active male athlete in a major sports league in the United States to come out as gay. Barriers are shattering right before our eyes, and it is creating something beyond hope. It is now a promise to the future generations.

This is not their victory, it is ours. If you could not agree with this at any time during my column then I did not do my job.

I know I did, and it’s not because of a belief in my skill.

It is a truth called freedom that every human soul intrinsically needs in order to thrive. We want it for others, but our own fears can keep us from knowing that. Fear is an emotion as immortal as any other. I hope you know the importance of fighting with love instead of its adversary.

Before my final words, I want to thank some of those who helped make this column possible as well as others who truly made my time at the Daily Titan and the journalism program such a superlative experience.

First is adjunct professor and mentor Marie Loggia-Kee, who can connect with students such as myself like few can. She assured me during a critical time this past fall that I was doing everything I could during a hectic time at the Daily Titan. As it was such a crucial juncture in my life, I could never forget her influence.

Next is current Editor-in-Chief David Hood, who was a news editor last semester when I was on staff. If I had to pick one up-and-coming reporter to disprove the supposed death of fairness and objectivity in journalism today, it would be him. There is no better compliment for a man with goals like his. May it always stay that way. He also did an admirable job of making my news reporting worth a damn.

Ian Wheeler is the managing editor, but was also a news editor in the fall, and he was very encouraging and approachable. I was scared as a lowly staff reporter, but his patience and open-mindedness helped my confidence grow as the semester progressed. His reporting is also top notch, and his work with David always impressed me.

This year’s opinion desk heads, Ricardo Gonzalez and Matt Atkinson, gave my voice a new platform. The former, in particular, really took the time to give me feedback that was easy to take into practice. Ricardo took the chance of giving me the column this semester and it has been a life-changing experience.

Finally, I want to thank my loving and ever supportive girlfriend—and avid column reader—Rachael Hokenson for her belief in me during my best and worst times this year thus far. This past Saturday, she did the impossible and made time stop. I cannot find any words to describe how much love this makes me feel for her and the human race.

It is this adoration that keeps me going not just in life, but civil rights as well. Gay rights is me, through every beginning and end.

I promise.

Photo by Ray Gutierrez

The sun is finally a constant sight, the weather is warm and outdoor activities are at their all-time peak. Summer is here and ladies can consequently showcase some their favorite looks and styles.

From flirty summer dresses to more casual looks, women want their hair and makeup to complement their wardrobe. But with the heat, humidity and outdoor breezes that may inhabit the air, beauty maintenance can be arduous for those hot outdoor activities.

Pin-up model and YouTube sensation Cherry Dollface gives helpful tips and tricks on the how-to’s of summer hair and makeup.

Cherokee “Cherry Dollface” Meade, is a film production coordinator in her day-to-day life, but she is better known as a model, YouTube beauty guru and role-model for young women.

Although her unique style is more commonly connected to the rockabilly culture, Cherry Dollface offers tutorials on hair and makeup that can be useful to everyone from pin-up enthusiasts to the girls next door.

With summer rapidly approaching, Cherry Dollface discusses her style strategies for coping with summertime in L.A.

“I don’t live in a very humid region, thank goodness,” said Meade. “But I do work on Warped Tour so I have some tips and tricks for heat and sweat.”

She suggests using powder for shine control or blotting paper and avoiding heavy foundation or concealer “because it will cake.” Powder and blotting paper will help absorb natural oils without adding another product to the face.

“Stick with the basics—if you are a really sweaty person avoid makeup that will bleed (liquid eyeliner, non waterproof mascara, cream blush),” Meade added. “Summer is a good time to go natural anyway!”

Another way to lighten your look for summer according to Meade is to use light colors, nudes and pastels when it comes to lips. Whether it’s gloss, shimmer or lipstick, the lighter the better.

And when it comes to the eyes, there’s a little more room for personality and play. Your eyes are the windows to your soul, or so it goes. Jazz it up between daytime and evening lid looks.

“Same thing as lipstick, light colors in general,” said Meade. “Smokey eyes are good for night time. I love nude and glittery shades.”

Summer is the ideal time for women to loosen the load off their faces. It’s more appropriate to wear little to no makeup and to feel confident while doing so.

But if you are someone who wears makeup daily, Meade has suggestions for that as well.

“If you can tell you are wearing makeup there is too much. But even with more extreme looks you don’t want your skin to look cakey,” she added. “Just be sure you do your makeup in natural light so you can make sure there isn’t too much blush or shadow.”

Besides makeup tips to last throughout summer, Dollface has additional tips for keeping up your curls in the heat.

For those who prefer styling your hair with a curling iron or any heated curl set, avoid hairspray or too much product that will weigh the hair, thus the curls, down.

“I do my hair according to the weather and climate,” Meade said. “If I am in a humid place, I avoid styles that are down and curly. I also try to keep my hair off of my neck when it is hot.”

The beauty guru added that as far as hair color, summer is a difficult time to maintain those fun and colorful hues.

“Reds and bright colors are hard to hold onto through the summer because sun, salt, and chlorine will fade them,” she added.

Deep conditioning treatments are available in almost all drug stores and are just another way to ensure your hair stays healthy throughout the beach, pool and other sun exposed activities of summer.

For more makeup or hair tutorials be sure to check out Meade, aka Cherry Dollface, on YouTube or her website. Her beauty blog offers more detailed instructions for makeup and hair enthusiasts: CherryDollface.com, Youtube.com/thecherrydollface or Facebook.com/thecherrydollface.

And if one of her many hair or makeup tutorials seems too advanced, keep trying. Nothing is achieved by giving up, so keep plugging away at it. Even Meade had to have patience when she first started and now she’s an Internet beauty guru for women across the globe.

“I would look at a photo and sit and work at it until I figured out how to do it,” Meade said.

Photo illustration by Blanca Navarro

As students bid a farewell to study guides, pop quizzes and all-nighters, they say hello to road trips, sun-soaked activities and, more importantly, less clothing.

Summer invites midriffs, open-toe sandals and of course the iconic short-shorts.

For whatever spontaneous summer adventure that may come your way, here are summer fashion essentials to fully prepare you for any occasion.

Crop top

Crop tops have come a long way since their do-it-yourself days. Fashion bloggers and YouTube personalities would take a regular vintage tee, cut off the sleeves and cut across the midriff portion.

Although it was a trend that was suppose to stay in the ‘90s, the popularity of high waist bottoms and crop tops are a perfect union. This coupling hints the tiniest amount of skin.

Crop tops now come in a variety of styles such as bustiers, turtleneck, sleeveless mock tees, long sleeves and graphic vintage tanks.

Breezy maxi dress 

Save these for those lazy hot summer days when slipping on a pair of jeans and T-shirt requires too much effort. Go for light-colors or floral prints for a laid back ‘70s vibe. Stores such as Free People and Anthropologie are notorious for carrying these styles.

It’s all in the details for this trend. Don’t settle for a simple cotton ruched strapless maxi, spice it up. Look for chiffon or rayon material dresses with fringe, belled-sleeves or accented collars.

Wide-brim hat

Like sunglasses, hats are more than just an accessory. They provide your face with shade from harsh sun rays that can damage your skin.

While you may have become attached to beanies to keep you cozy during winter, it’s time to part ways and make room for a warm-weather accessory.

Go for a straw floppy hat to achieve a cute, feminine summer look.

Wide brimmed fedoras and panama hats will complete an outdoorsy, urban look. Brixton hats are known for taking this timeless style and modernizing it, while staying true to its traditional routes.

Lace bralettes

Sorry mom and dad, but bras are no longer just an undergarment. They’ve become risque accents in women’s summer wardrobes.

But you can’t just wear any bra. Wired bras are absolutely off limits and bandeaus are becoming played out.

However, delicate pastel-colored lace bralettes are accepted. Wear a sleeveless cut-off band tank that reveals the side. These feminine bralettes will tone down the grungy look with the feminine material and innocent color.

Circular sunnies

Last summer brought us cat-eye sunglasses. This retro accessory had girls obsessing over Kourtney Kardashian’s Tom Ford “Nikita” eyewear.

This summer invites round sunglasses, you can thank John Lennon for this one.

If you’re an avid follower of fashion magazines and style blogs, then you already know that this trend has been around for awhile now. If you’re new to the trend, start off with thin metal-framed or thick-plastic framed sunnies.

You’ll soon find out that these can instantly turn the drabbest outfit chic and fashion-forward.

Want to turn it up a notch? Steampunk flip-up shades will make you stand out. This accessory pairs perfectly with vintage baroque style prints, creating the ultimate cyberpunk look.

Summery sandals

Whether you’re chilling poolside, touring a foreign country or taking a brisk walk on the pier, the perfect “go anywhere” sandal is essential.

While designer trends may not be the most comfortable things to slip on, keep in mind that summer garments should not restrain you from having a good time.

Gladiator sandals, T-straps and lace-up sandals help keep your feet in place. These sandals come in various heights, from flat, kitten heels to platforms.

But don’t just buy any sandal, make sure to consider its uniqueness. Analyze its details, from the style, fabric, heel and its embellishments.

Overall shorts

Put a new spin on the classic summer short-shorts. Rekindle a past flame during your lunch box, swing set and sandbox days. Overalls aren’t just for kids.

Celebrities like Rihanna, Mischa Barton and Nicole Richie have sported this kid-friendly trend. Try loose denim overall shorts and pair it with a fitted white tank.

Wear floral-printed overalls and balance it out with a black crop top and black leather boots for a rebellious look.

However, unlike typical mini shorts that come in many varieties at pretty much every women’s retail store, overalls can be a difficult find.

Stores such as Bloomingdales, Gap and TopShop carry a decent selection of overall shorts. Online retailers such as Threadsence, Delia’s and NastyGal also sell a variety of this trend.

ROBERT HUSKEY/ Daily Titan

In a tie game with two outs in the bottom of the ninth, senior first baseman Carlos Lopez dug into the batter’s box with the game, series and a fourth straight Big West title on the line.

The stage was set as Lopez drove a no-doubt home run over the right field wall, his third of the season. His heroics gave the Titans (44-8, 19-4 Big West) a 3-2 victory over UC Irvine (31-19 13-10 Big West) that clinched the conference.

The ball soared high above the right field wall and bounced off the netting. The home crowd rose to their feet and cheered as Lopez trotted around the bases. Upon reaching home plate, he was met by his excited teammates.

The victory did not come as easy as the Titans would have liked, as the Anteaters battled back to tie the game in the ninth inning.

Michael Lorenzen came in from center field to pitch the ninth, hoping to protect a 2-0 lead and close the game out for the Titans for the second day in a row. He retired the first two batters quickly, but three hits and one error later, UC Irvine was trailing by only one run. With two men on base, UC Irvine’s Grant Palmer swung at a pitch in the dirt for strike three, but it got away from catcher Chad Wallach and the runner from third scored, tying the game at two. The last out was finally recorded on a groundout to the second baseman Matt Orloff.

Justin Garza, who came into the game with an 11-0 record and a 2.12 ERA, started for the Titans and threw exceptionally. The Titans’ bats came alive in the home half of the third when Michael Lorenzen drove in Matt Chapman and Carlos Lopez.

Having some run support, Garza went back out to the mound in the fourth but encountered some trouble. After a walk to designated hitter Jerry McClanahan, the bases were loaded for left fielder Jeff Stephens. Garza got Stephens to ground out to shortstop Richy Pedroza to escape the inning without giving up a run.

He was later struck in his leg in the seventh inning by a screaming line drive, but remained in the game.

He was relieved of his duties pitching 7.2 innings, giving up five hits and no runs while striking out four.

Only a three-game series remains for the 2013 Big West champs, and it will take place this weekend at Cal State Northridge beginning Thursday.

For more information, visit FullertonTitans.com.

All good things must come to an end. Apparently, all mediocre things must as well.

Yes friends, family and five other assorted readers, this is the last #this that shall grace the oversized pages of the Daily Titan. As I write this, with Facebook and Twitter open in adjacent tabs and Pandora blasting the very somber “Die Walküre” by Richard Wagner into my degrading headphones, I’m reminded of why I started this little exercise in self-indulgence.

Because that’s what #this has been. I began this column during a time when I first found myself enraptured by the concept of online persona. I had something of a Twitter renaissance, my manic shouting into the echoing ravine of social media finally gaining the attention of triple-digit followers. I had people who (at least I perceived) actually cared a tiny bit about what I had to say.

And you know what? I liked that.

I liked it so much that I increasingly spent more time on Twitter. I would spend half the day “composing” tweets, many of which would say next to nothing, yet would garner attention nonetheless.

Not any kind of significant attention, mind you, not anything that would amount to even a bug on the windshield of a car traveling down this information super highway. Still, the little response I’d garner from doing practically nothing was enough for me to set aside (even waste, if you can imagine) hours upon hours just shooting the proverbial breeze with my new anonymous compatriots.

Once the initial zeitgeist of “Internet cool” wore off, that’s truly what I was left with—a new group of friends and yet another distraction in my life.

While many of the friends I made in those early days continue to pervade my life (a fact I’m thankful for), it became increasingly difficult to justify yet another distraction had entered my life. More than that, it was a distraction that seemed to serve no real purpose. Obviously that wasn’t true, right?

Well, it was and it wasn’t.

Thus I set out on a quest to find that thing, that je ne sais quois of social media that made it so dang appealing to so many dang people. It wasn’t a good quest, more Monty Python and the Holy Grail than Excalibur, but I learned some things nonetheless.

We live in a world that is different and moving much faster than seems conceivable at times. At the center of much of that is social media. Some of these rapid changes have almost forced the face of media to change, to become more pervasive and flexible with how we humans desire to communicate.

In an odd “snake eating its own tail” fashion, social media has in turn greatly altered how we as humans communicate in general.

So we return to me and the rationale I had for creating this column in the first place. We as humans seem to have grown just as interested with our own voices as we once were with the voices of others. It’s not a new development—the existence of personal diaries or journals is evidence to that—but now we’ve created an odd quantification for whose stream of thought is best. It’s something of a game and it is quite fun in its own right.

It’s also a horribly narcissistic practice. Please believe the irony is not lost on me that writing a column—a narcissistic endeavor in and of itself—attempting to justify my social media use to myself is utterly ridiculous.

Hence, #this has evolved (or mutated, I suppose) into more of a study on the stories, oddities and trends that make social media such a beast. I chose to examine what it is rather than why it’s good, why you should use it and why I myself can’t even finish this article without checking back on my Facebook and Twitter every other minute.

Let’s face it, you’re going to use social media or not use social media based on your own merits, not some flimsy projection that it is the future of anything and everything.

Social media is … a thing. It is the people who use it and the purposes it is used for. This means sometimes it is capable of the pinnacle of human kindness and ingenuity. It’s also capable of horrors and wallowing in the doldrums of society’s filth.

It really all depends on you. Tweet each other right, and I’ll see you on the other side.

For many, this represents the end of their school worries for a while. For others, it is the beginning of brand new worries as they look toward an uncertain future outside of education. Among the stress and festivities (stress-tivities?), it is easy to forget that a new generation is joining the academic landscape.

Or are at least attempting to.

Something we seem to forget once in college is the idea that getting admitted is difficult. In another time, I found myself waitlisted for CSUF. Already having spent three years in a junior college—time well spent, but an era that was rapidly reaching diminishing academic returns—I had to face the very real possibility of spending another sizable chunk of time outside of a university.

Of course, I eventually got in quite easily. However, others have a much more difficult time. There’s indication that most major university admission rates are down. California’s economic and educational worries suggest there’s little relief from such issues on the horizon.

Naturally, desperate times can call for desperate measures, but to appear desperate is probably the last thing someone should do.

Earlier this month, the New York Times did a feature on students who send exorbitant amounts of gifts and supplementary materials to schools they desire admission into. Videos are made, cookies are baked and myriad letters concerning students’ love of the respective school they’re applying for are sent out.

And while many schools seemed to admit at least taking some kind of interest in applicants who went the extra mile and a half, there were just as many (likely more) cases of schools either being completely disinterested or put off by this one-sided show of affection.

But rather than spend time heaping onto these poor, slightly misguided students, instead I will make a singular plea.

Let’s take it back to basics.

Education, in much of its aspects, has become too “gameified”; it’s become something far more trivial than its original intentions. Much of that does have to do with the concept of supply and demand—the idea of exclusionary value placed on most schools—but acceptance into a university should be more of an acknowledgement of hard work.

It shouldn’t be like a nagging partner who doesn’t want you to do the laundry, really wanting you to want to do the laundry.

The idea of “Cs get degrees” is kind of missing the point, isn’t it? When the mentality of high school graduates becomes less about “grades not being enough” anymore, and becomes “grades aren’t as important as playing the game,” then maybe it’s time we readjust the perception of higher education.

I’m not saying this is universally practiced, but there are people who seem to be placing a greater emphasis on a perceived song and dance. The courtship comparison is apt. Frankly, I would not be surprised if we’re getting progressively less prepared for real-world employment because we seem more concerned with how to obtain the job rather than how to do it properly.

Thus, with the final issue of the Daily Titan this semester, I urge you: if you happen to be returning next semester or if you’re the odd incoming student that has happened to get your hand on this story, take your education seriously.

Because when it’s over, you’re not going to be left with the name of the school you went to. What you’re going to be left with is the lessons you learned getting there and the ones you learned while attending.

Don’t make one of those lessons how to put together a thoughtful fruit basket.

Courtesy of MCT

It happens year after year. Summer comes as quickly as it left and students are once again planning their concerts, trips and Fourth of July celebrations for the summer.

More often than not, the customary summer vacation is planned with an over-hyped trip to Las Vegas, where the young crowd will typically drink in excess, lose money at the blackjack tables or commit a worse offense that isn’t even worth mentioning.

But it definitely involves the infamous slogan, “What happens in Vegas, stays in Vegas.”

If a gritty, smoky weekend in Vegas doesn’t appeal to you, or if you are just looking for a new, unique affair to attend this summer then rest easy, here are some alternative summer events to help those who want a little less Vegas, and perhaps a little more art, music and live entertainment.

Ink-n-Iron

After the success of the 2003 Long Beach Tattoo Convention on the Queen Mary, the Ink-n-Iron Kustom Culture Festival was born. Since its launch, the event has only grown in attractions, attendees and overall excitement.

Hot-rods, live music and pin-up contests are among the few things to expect at the convention.

With dolled-up rockabilly girls roaming around and burlesque shows, there’s no shortage of people watching.

But the most popular item on the menu isn’t the pin-up pageant or the shopping; it’s actually the tattoo convention.

Tattoo artists and their booths take up the entirety of the Queen Mary’s inner three floors.

Artists from 30 states and 25 countries will be in attendance for this year’s festival.

Art and tattoo competitions will also ensue over the three-day event.

In addition to the art and hot-rod aspect of the event, attendees can also see live music at any of the five stages placed throughout the grounds.

The stages this year will offer Sublime with Rome, Iggy and the Stooges, The Offspring, Wanda Jackson and NOFX among many, many others.

Ink-n-Iron will take over the Queen Mary, and Long Beach for that matter, from June 7 to June 9.

If you’re interested in attending the 10th annual Ink-n-Iron festival for its various attractions, visit its website for ticket and event information. Ink-n-Iron.com.

Hootenanny

The definition of hootenanny is “a social gathering or informal concert featuring folk singing and, sometimes, dancing.”

There is no better way to describe the one-day event that takes over Oak Canyon Ranch every early July.

Although now it is definitely a little more formal in the way of it’s planning and preparation, the laid back outdoor festival offers live music, pin-up pageants and classic cars.

Hootenanny began its run in 1995, and since then has only gained momentum.

There are several stages with bands performing all day, a dusty field with hot-rods and classic cars perched across the grass, vendors, food, a pin-up pageant and, of course, beer.

“Hoot” will take place Saturday, July 6. The event will feature performances by Dave Hause, Vinnie and the Hooligans, Face to Face, Gambler’s Mark, Old 97’s and Orange County music legend, Social Distortion, among others.

Those who wish to attend should be aware of one thing; the remote canyon location does not lend itself to our technological needs.

It is likely that there will be absolutely no cell service. So be sure to plan ahead on where and when you want to meet friends.

For more information on tickets, bands or the event, visit TheHootenanny.com.

Orange International Street Fair

If the rock-n-roll type events are not quite up your alley, then the non-profit family friendly event may be the thing for you.

The Orange Street Fair is in its 41st year and dedicates itself to arts, entertainment, food and beverages from around the world.

There will also be crafts and vendors that may have a stronger appeal to the younger attendees.

The three-day fundraising event will be held over Labor Day weekend, beginning Friday, Aug. 30 through Sunday, Sept. 1.

Every penny that fair-goers spend will go towards non-profit charities that help the city of Orange and its surrounding communities.

For more information on the Orange Street Fair, its international cuisines or entertainment visit OrangeStreetFair.org.

Orange County Fair

The Orange County Fair is a staple in summer tradition for Orange County.

Although a mainstream attraction for younger crowds, groups and even families, the fair still offers a fun and different way to spend a summer’s day.

With rickety thrill rides, deep-fried anything you can imagine and amusements that range from hypnotism to live music, the fair literally has something to offer everyone.

Some of the live performances scheduled for this summer include The Go-Go’s, The B-52s, Joan Jett and the Blackhearts, ZZ Top, Styx and Weezer.

The Fair opens its gates for business on July 12 and closes down for the season on Aug. 11, with blackout days on Monday and Tuesday.

For ticket prices, entertainment schedules or other information, visit OCFair.com/2013/.

Whether you’re looking for a fun family atmosphere or something more alternative and rock-n-roll in its setting, there’s plenty to do in the local area without having to leave the state for Vegas or other party destinations.

Over the past two semesters I’ve written about video games, movies, the Internet and a myriad of other nerdy interests and pastimes. And now here I sit typing the final column I shall write for this paper.

While there are plenty of thoughtful, introspective articles regarding this subject, this column isn’t really worthy of that same tone.

Despite my articulations that video games can be art and that geek culture isn’t so weird as it’s often simplified, the fact of the matter is that I write about entertainment. In the grand scheme of Life, the Universe and Everything there are far more important things than video games and comic books.

Like how many roads a man must walk down. That sounds pretty good and deep, right?

So rather than contemplate my existence as a writer or debate whether or not it was meaningful to write about what I chose to write, let’s take a step back.

I write about entertainment. My work on the subject probably won’t ever win a Pulitzer prize. Nothing here or anything written on this subject will drastically alter the world as we know it. No revolutions will be started or stopped based on how good or bad the new Star Trek movie is (personally I thought it was pretty great despite some pacing issues in the last third, but that’s not important right now).

While we can analyze media in all forms, looking for deep meaning, socio-political satire and even insightful understandings of the human condition, the point of media—plain-and-simple—is to entertain. Sure, there are games, comics, books and movies that contain these things, and I truly believe that there is potential in those mediums beyond simple entertainment, but at the same time each operates as an entertainment business.

If a movie doesn’t make a profit, don’t expect to see a sequel. If a game doesn’t receive enough downloads, it will be harder for the creator to make more games in the future.

And we should keep this in mind when we react to media too. Nerds are known for their rage when things don’t go their way. In the end we should understand that no matter how much we like the original, it is above neither criticism nor alteration.

I’m sure there are many ardent Star Trek fans who disagree with me and are displeased with the recent Into Darkness (though after 2009’s remake I don’t know what they expected). Similarly, even as someone who only just read the book, I am among a group that looks at the upcoming World War Z as a complete butchering of the excellent novel.

In the end it doesn’t really matter. The original works are still there to enjoy and the new versions can be ignored if one desires. Why get mad about something you cannot change?

So while I shall continue—even after I graduate next week—to write about video games and other entertainment, it’s important to keep in mind that is just that: entertainment. It’s not to say that works in these mediums cannot convey greater messages, but that their starting point is not to be works of art.

Therefore, neither is this column.

And that’s OK. We seem to look down on entertainment, as if it’s not worthy of appreciation unless it has some other artistic value. There are times and places for schlocky fight scenes, gratuitous explosions and exploding barrels. Sometimes it’s OK to like something, even while understanding its fleeting value.

I will continue to search for the deeper, more meaningful aspects of my favorite pastimes, but it’s important to remember that not everything needs that depth.

Enjoy what you enjoy, and don’t get so involved that you stop having fun with it. Sometimes you have to call a spade a spade. Otherwise you run the risk of digging so deep you can’t see the light.

Courtesy of MCT

With an “X” tattooed across his chest, long goth-like hair and theatrical face makeup, you might think Chris Corner is a hybrid of Marilyn Manson and David Bowie.

However, with the release of five successful albums the Brit-pop artist has created a sound all his own.

Upbeat electro-dance beats combine with soft, trance-like vocals in IAMX’s fifth album The Unified Field.

The album, which was released in March of this year, showcases Corner’s musical growth since going solo in 2004.

Corner, who produces all his own music, from songwriting, performance and production, was former member of England-based trip-hop group Sneaker Pimps. The band is known for their 1996 release, Becoming X, hence Corner’s alter-ego stage name IAMX.

The Berlin-native dedicated the album’s title and theme to a scientific theory that explains different forces of the universe combining into one equation.

The Unified Field interprets this complex argument.

But don’t expect a sci-fi soundtrack. Corner goes beyond his comfort zone, experimenting with different sounds, instruments and an entirely new production process.

IAMX’s 2004 debut album Kiss + Swallow quickly defined Corner’s unique style of music dubbed “glam noir.” This type of music blends electro, pop and rock sounds into a dark and sensual dance melody.

Corner channels other 80s glam-pop artists in his follow-up album, The Alternative. The album features songs reminiscent of other electro-dance artists such as Scissor Sisters and Mika, known for his 2007 catchy single “Grace Kelly.”

The Alternative, released in 2006, was voted number one album in 2007 by XM Radio in U.S.

His third album release, Kingdom of Welcome Addiction, showed a much more raw and intimate musician. With introspective lyrics touching on deeper themes such as sex and drugs, Corner beautifully expressed dark emotions through music.

In his 2011 release, Volatile Times, the artist digs up even deeper even emotions through electronic synths. Corner hints the superficial nature of the music business in the song “Volatile Times.”

Unlike IAMX’s previous four albums, which contained a teenage emo vibe, Corner reveals a more mature musician and lyricist in The Unified Field.

The album opens up with an eerie and haunting track called, “I Come With Knives.” The beat paints a mysterious, goth-like picture as a woman’s voice whispers the chorus in German, Corner’s second language.

Two entirely different elements combine in “The Unified Field.” Corner’s celestial, smooth vocals are blended with a deep bass and a hypnotizing dance beat.

Corner analyzes science and religion with lyrics like, “We are all insane. Counting down every single living day. We are prisoners of fate. I smile at the way everybody accepts the pain.”

Although, his music is made up of heavy synths and instrumentals, the chaotic arrangements are made up for with Corner’s controlled, thought-provoking vocals.

“Quiet The Mind,” strips Corner of his dominant electronic sound, as his theatrical vocals pulsate through the emotional ballad piece.

Along with a mix of various instruments such as the guitar, bass, drums and synth, Corner incorporates non-traditional band equipment to his fifth outing.

In The Unified Field, Corner experiments with instruments including the vibraphone, glockenspiel, celesta and harpsichord that add a complex and theatrical touch.

IAMX’s first four albums were entirely produced by Corner himself. This time around the one-man band collaborated with Jim Abbiss, who has helped produce artists like Adele, Arctic Monkeys, Temper Trap and Sneaker Pimps.

Corner also collaborates with former Sneaker Pimps bandmate, Liame Howe, who has written and produced for artists such as Lana Del Rey, Elie Goulding and Marina and the Diamonds.

The solo artist currently produces his music in a rundown factory outside Berlin. The building has been converted into an arts and entertainment playground. It used for recording, rehearsals, photo shoots and even music videos.

Here, IAMX has collaborated with well-known artists such as Grammy-winning indie-electro multi instrumentalist Imogen Heap.

The Unified Field, is available on Amazon, iTunes and IAMX’s official website.

For latest news and tour dates check out IAMX’s official site at IAMX.eu or Facebook page Facebook.com/IAMXOFFICIAL.