WEDNESDAYJanuary 18, 2012Volume 97, Issue 57

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Read about JamaalFranklin’s buzzer beateragainst UNLV.

W E AT H E R :

PARTLY CLOUDYHIGH: 66LOW: 43SUNSET: 5PM

S D S U ’ SI N D E P E N D E N T

S T U D E N T N E W S PA P E R

S I N C E 1 9 1 3

Companiesneed to stopabusing foreign student labor.

O P I N I O N

B AC K PAG E

... this year was anightmare onChristmas ... thefeast of St. Nickoff its axis and onits ass. Never haveI witnessed suchdepravity ... 16

3

On Dec. 13, Gov. Jerry Brownannounced an additional $100 millionfor the 2011-2012 year to be cut fromthe California State University budget.State funding support was alreadyreduced in May by $650 million.

This $750 million seems to be a per-manent cut according to the budgetproposal for the 2012-2013 year.

Lt. Gov. Gavin Newsom respondedto the additional $100 million cuts.

“What we have feared for months isnow our reality — and unless we cometogether to find new resources for K-12 and higher education, we are goingto surrender the current and futuregenerations and dismantle a once-proud public education system thatcan no longer meet the demands of agrowing economy,” Newsom said.

The $2.14 billion in state supportfunds to the CSU is the lowest it hasbeen in the past 15 years. The CSU isreceiving less state funding and serv-ing more students.

Employee layoffs, furloughs,decreased enrollment and cutting uni-versity programs have been the stepsthe CSU system has taken in recentyears because of deflated state fund-ing. Next year, the CSU system mayhave to increase tuition again. With a$750 million cut, tuition increases onlyincreased about $300 million, which isstill not enough.

Nursing junior Melanie Martinezsaid she was infuriated by the newsGov. Brown released.

“How are we supposed to make ourfutures better if we keep paying moreand more for an education but receivealmost nothing in aid?” Martinez said.“How does Governor Brown expectthe students to react?”

For the past decade, the average nettuition has increased annually for stu-dents while state funds have fluctuat-ed in decline. For example, for the1998-1999 year, state funds per stu-dent were $10,930 and the average nettuition per student was $2,572. For the2011-2012 year, state funds per stu-dent are $6,459 and the average nettuition per student is $5,517. Tuitionhas more than doubled since 1998.

Additionally, state appropriationsin 1998-1999 year were $2.16 billionand there were 273,928 full-timeequivalent students. For the 2011-2012 year, the CSU Allocation is $2.14billion and there are 331,716 students.For the past decade, as enrollmentincreased in the CSU system, statesupport has declined.

The CSU took action and reducedenrollment by 10,000 students while

still increasing tuition. The CSU systemwill continue to increase tuition andfees if state funding is decreasing thebudget to maintain a quality educa-tion experience. In addition, theChancellor’s Office reduced its fund-ing by 14 percent.

Annually, approximately 75 percentof the spending done by the CSU sys-tem directly supports students; 42percent goes to faculty salaries and

instruction, 11 percent goes to aca-demic support, 10.9 percent goes tostudent grants and scholarships, and10.8 percent goes to student services.The rest of CSU spending goes toinstitutional support, physical plantand public service.

CSU Chancellor Charles B. Reedsaid California needs to make publicuniversities a priority again.

“Our campuses have done every-thing they can just to get through thisfiscal year with a $750 million budgetcut,” Reed said. “We have only survivedby implementing numerous cost cut-ting measures, being extremely pru-dent with resources and spendingdown one-time reserves. However,we are just about out of options, and ifthe state does not begin to reinvest inthe CSU, we will need to take moredrastic measures including cuttingenrollment and programs, raisingtuition and reducing personnel.”

AAlleejjaannddrraa PPaazzstaff writer

Former San Diego Union-Tribuneowner Platinum Equity, an equityfirm based in Beverly Hills, recentlydonated $300,000 to San DiegoState’s School of Journalism & MediaStudies. The donation will not onlyfund the creation of the PlatinumProject in digital news literacy, it willalso help support instruction in dig-ital and social media.

The Platinum Project addressesthe growing need for digital literacyin the changing age of journalism.Social media has become a must-have tool for modern-day journalists.

“Digital media literacy is essentialfor college students, and audiencesin general, to become intelligent

consumers of online information,and, ultimately, informed citizens,”Diane L. Borden, director of theSchool of Journalism & MediaStudies, said in an article publishedon SDSU DigiMedia’s website.

The donation will also allow theschool to offer fellowships to a selectnumber of graduate students who

will assist professors in teaching thedigital media instruction course.

The curriculum contemporaryjournalism students encounter con-trasts sharply with what journalismstudents of the past were taughtduring undergraduate studies.Journalism junior Amy Williams seesthe future of journalism straying

away from newspapers in the tradi-tional sense.

“News is no longer delivered toeverybody’s doorstep; it’s deliveredthrough a multitude of platforms thatare constantly changing,” Williamssaid. “Students are taught digital andsocial media to be prepared for theevolution of the news industry.”

The donation comes just monthsafter Platinum Equity’s decision tosell the Union-Tribune to SanDiegan entrepreneur DougManchester, after buying the news-paper in May 2009.

The gift was made alongside fourothers; one of which was $25,000 toSDSU’s local broadcasting station,KPBS. Others to receive gifts wereAVID Center, Junior Achievementand Classroom of the FutureFoundation, as reported by SDSUNewsCenter.

HHuuttttoonn MMaarrsshhaallllnews editor

JMS receives $300,000 donation“Digital media literacy is essential for college students... to become intelligent consumers of online information ...”

Higher educationfunding continuesto diminish rapidly

ALLIE DAUGHERTY, EDITOR IN CHIEF

“How are we supposed to makeour futures better if we keeppaying more ... but receivealmost nothing in aid ... ?”

Melanie Martinez, nursing junior

CSU budget slashed again

Diane L. Borden, director of the

School of Journalism & Media Studies

D A I L Y A Z T E CWednesday,

January 18, 2012 N E W S2

Last weekend, a number ofreports were filed regarding suspi-cious persons in the College Area.

Sunday evening, a male suspectattempted to gain entrance to theZura Residence Hall onMontezuma Road. He was report-edly stopped by the residenceclerk, then explained he had lefthis wallet in a student’s room. Thestudent was contacted, butclaimed to have never heard ofthe suspect before. The resident’s

door had been left ajar. The sus-pect, an 18-year-old African-American male, was last seen in Hlot at approximately 8:30 p.m.

Later Sunday, between 7 and 10p.m., a vehicle was broken into inParking Structure 5. The victimreported cash and clothing hadbeen taken, and upon discoveringthe theft, the victim’s door was leftajar, leaving the thief’s method ofentry unknown.

On Saturday, a landline text wasreceived from a female who was

trapped in her apartment, tooafraid to call the police, becausethere was an unknown man insidewith her. The suspect wasdescribed as in his late 60s, with aponytail and a biker jacket. Thesuspect left through the front doorand traveled in an unknown direc-tion. The SDPD is currently han-dling the case.

On Friday morning at around7:15, a man was reported waving awalking stick outside of the 7-Eleven on College Avenue. The

suspect was said to have beenmentally unstable, yelling threatsat those around him. He wasdescribed as being a mid-30smale, wearing a white hoodedsweater and black jeans.

If you have any informationregarding these incidents, pleasecontact the SDSUPD at 619-594-1991, or at police@mail.sdsu.edu.

–Compiled by Assistant NewsEditor Kevin Smead

CRIME BEAT

Some of the most frequented websitesare participating in a strike todayagainst the Stop Online Piracy Act inthe House of Representatives and thePreventing Real Online Threats toEconomic Creativity and Theft ofIntellectual Property Act of 2011,which is currently in the Senate. Sitesplanned to go dark, displaying links todifferent informational pagesdenouncing the two bills.

The two controversial pieces of leg-islature, which would expand thepower of the U.S. Department ofJustice to strictly enforce copyrightlaws on the Internet, have gained alarge number of opponents, including

President Barack Obama, in the pastseveral months.

The initial idea for the strike camefrom reddit.com, a popular socialmedia and news site.

“The freedom, innovation and eco-nomic opportunity that the Internetenables is in jeopardy,” the reddit teamsaid in a blog posted on Jan. 10. “Thereare powerful forces trying to censorthe Internet, and a few months agomany people thought this legislationwould surely pass.”

The team then went on to outline itsintentions to black out the site todayfrom 8 a.m. until 8 p.m., greeting visi-tors with a display of only anti-SOPAinformation and re-streaming thehearing of the bill that took place in theHouse last month .

Internet giant Wikipedia, which alsoopposes SOPA and PIPA, expressedintentions to join Reddit in the black-out shortly after. Unlike Reddit, howev-er, Wikipedia’s blackout, which is limit-ed to its English language site, lasts for24 hours. It began this morning, at

midnight Eastern Standard Time. “We believe that new proposed

laws like SOPA and PIPA, and othersimilar laws under discussion insideand outside the United States — don’tadvance the interests of the generalpublic,” Wikimedia FoundationExecutive Director Sue Gardner saidin an open letter to English Wikipediareaders and community.

Google is also participating in theday’s protests, though not with a totalblackout. Google users will be greetedwith an anti-SOPA / PIPA link. Twitterusers are also being encouraged bysopastrike.com to “tweet like crazy”using the hashtag #SOPASTRIKE.

Other participants today includeFirefox creators Mozilla, popularblogging site WordPress and theowners of the Cheezburger Network,who operate sites such as FAIL Blogand Memebase.

While SOPA has been put on hold inthe House, a vote on PIPA will takeplace in the Senate on Tuesday.

KKeevviinn SSmmeeaaddassistant news editor

Popular websites protest censorship

MCT CAMPUS

Reddit and Wikipedialead the chargeagainst SOPA / PIPA

D A I L Y A Z T E CWednesday, January 18, 2012O P I N I O N 3

merica isn’t just beauti-ful, it’s a land manyhope to live in; someeven die trying to gethere. Almost since our

nation’s founding, the U.S. has reliedon a system of foreign labor inexchange for benefits and tempo-rary residence on American soil.However, thanks to loose regula-tions and corporate bigwigs cheat-ing the system for a tax break, theForeign Students in Work VisaProgram, J-1, will be no longer be away for foreigners to experience allthis country has to offer.

College students around theworld usually jump at the opportu-nity to spend their summers in theU.S. working and studying abroad.The year-round program offerswork to students in resorts andtourist attractions. However,according to The Associated Press,the program is being scrutinized forwidespread abuse and a moratori-um has been put into place by theU.S. Department of State.

Reports of misconduct includeexploitation of foreign students.Complaints vary from participantsworking in strip clubs to being paidas little as $1 an hour. In responseto public pressure following theexposure of abuse, the departmenthas limited future participation ratesto the “2011 actual participant lev-els,” and will remain that way untilstronger rules are created andenforced. Stricter regulations on theprogram were created last summer,but complaints have remainednumerous. J-1 participation jumpedfrom 20,000 students in 1996 to

more than 150,000 in 2008 and willremain at that amount or feweruntil the freeze is complete.

Corporations — or “sponsors” —save 8 percent when hiring foreignstudent workers because they arenot required to pay social security,Medicare or unemployment; butoften the student sponsors makefraudulent job offers or cancel thejob upon arrival of the participant.Other complaints include absurdwork hours, unfair wages and issueswith housing and transportation.Workers have had to live in home-less shelters or other tight spaceswith as many as a dozen people atridiculous expense.

The most recently publicizedguest worker scandal was the unfitwork conditions visa students weresubjected to by the HersheyCompany. Hundreds of workersprotested outside the distributioncenter they worked at in August.The workers, who walked off thejob in protest, said they were beingpaid the required $8.35, but rentand living expenses, taken directlyfrom their paychecks, left themwith less money than it had costthem to get their visas in the firstplace. Night shifts were commonlyrequired of the workers, and laborbecame increasingly difficult astime went on. Soon, employeeswere expected to work faster andcomplete more than what was fea-

sible. Added to the controversy werethe multiple sex trafficking investiga-tions underway at nearly the sametime the protests began, with stripclubs in trouble for openly seeking J-1 workers in their job listings.

It’s no secret there’s a trend intopics the media chooses to focuson. But aside from gay marriage,immigration, a less-than-fabulousgovernment and a number of othermore “sensational” topics, thedepressing conditions hopeful for-eign students are experiencing havebeen swept under the rug for years.Millions of exchange students havecome to America on work visasduring the past decade. It’s embar-rassing to think of the reputationthese corrupt corporations are cre-ating for our country, both here andabroad. Smart and talented collegestudents are being used for taxbreaks, undocumented labor or sextrafficking. It’s shameful our country isbeing represented in such a disgustingmanner to foreigners who want to behere to experience all the freedomsand leisures of living in America.

We are a proud country. But as asupposed land of freedom andopportunity, it’s time we end this taxholiday for corporations, and startprotecting the dreams of foreignlaborers. If America is truly the placeto be, we should strive to prove it.

HHeeaatthheerr MMaatthhiissstaff columnist

MCT CAMPUS

Hold companies responsible for visa abuse

A

HHEEAATTHHEERR MMAATTHHIISS IS A

JOURNALISM SENIOR.

D A I L Y A Z T E CWednesday,

January 18, 2012 O P I N I O N4

Release CSU system from Trustee controlor years the CaliforniaState University system’sBoard of Trustees has beenthe villain everyone lovesto hate. Last year, the

board was criticized for increasingstudent tuition while giving SanDiego State’s new president, Dr. ElliotHirshman, a substantial pay raise. Ofcourse, the selection of Hirshmanwas arrived at with marginal univer-sity input, all while maintainingincredible indifference toward facultyand staff unions.

All criticism of the board eventu-ally settles on one key idea: Theboard is flawed because it is anunelected and undemocratic organ-ization. Of the 25 members on theboard, 21 are appointed to theirpositions, and none are directlyelected. Critics argue becausethey’re not directly elected by vot-ers, the trustees don’t feel the needto bend to the will of the people.

However, this political independ-ence is not the board’s flaw, butrather one of its greatest strengths.When the CSU system was created,it was required by the CaliforniaEducation Code to “be entirelyindependent of all political andsectarian influence.” Academicsshouldn’t have to bend to the willof the majority, but rather standfree of all outside influence.

The problem with the Board ofTrustees isn’t that it’s nonelected. Theproblem is the CSU system hasgrown far beyond the board’s abilityto effectively manage.

It’s easy to see how the CSU sys-tem has grown far beyond theboard’s scope. The system as weknow it today was established in1960 by the California Master Plan.Since then, seven new CSUs havebeen added and the total studentpopulation in the system has morethan quadrupled, from 95,000 to412,000. Today the CSU system com-mands a budget of more than $4.7billion, larger than the GDP of SierraLeone. SDSU itself has a budget ofmore than $350 million.

The Board of Trustees, now anantiquated and heavily bureaucraticorganization, was simply notdesigned to deal with a system ofthis magnitude. The universitiesthemselves have grown from smallprofessional schools to hugeresearch and doctorate institutions.

The solution is simple: The boardshould free individual schools tobecome nearly autonomous schools,with total control of their owntuition, administrative selections andunion agreements. Individual univer-sities would then be able to respondto the unique challenges and oppor-tunities facing them, without having

to wait for the lumbering CSU sys-tem to react. This flexibility wouldbenefit schools greatly in dealingwith the challenges of the future andbenefit students by improving thequality of education, while alsoreducing tuition costs.

By allowing individual CSUs to settheir own tuitions and competedirectly with each other, there wouldbe more pressure to keep costs andtuitions to a minimum. Smaller andless established universities, such asCSU San Marcos, could compete forstudents by offering less expensivetuition fees than other CSUs. Larger,more established schools, such asSDSU, could compete by offering aworld-renowned education and agrowing research program, even if it

comes at a slightly more expensivecost. This internal competitionwould do more to control increas-ing tuition and improve the qualityof education than the board couldever hope to achieve.

Newly independent universitieswould also be free to form strongerties with their communities. A closerSDSU partnership with San DiegoCounty could provide a valuablesource of additional revenue in caseof future budget cuts.

Speaking of freeing extra revenue,redistributing responsibilities awayfrom the board to the universitymeans a slashing of the exorbitantsalaries of members of the board,many of whom make annual com-pensation of more than $400,000. Amore independent CSU systemwould mean the board could drasti-cally reduce the size, and cost, of thesystem’s bureaucracy. What is leftcan then focus on what it does best:ensuring high academic standardsare being met by all of the CSUs.

The Board of Trustees servedhigher education in California wellfor more than half a century. It grewthe CSU system into one of the beststate university systems in the world.But now, instead of promoting thissame growth and adaptability, theboard is turning the system into anunwieldy giant unable to accommo-date changing academic, demo-graphic and financial conditions.

It is time to cut the CSUs loose fromthe board and allow them to grow andchange as independent institutions.

LLeeoonnaarrddoo CCaassttaanneeddaasenior staff columnistF

It’s easy to see how the CSUsystem has grown far beyondthe board’s scope ... Todaythe ... system commands abudget ... larger than the(entire) GDP of Sierra Leone.

T H E D A I L Y A Z T E C . C O M

WWaanntt ttoo mmaakkee yyoouurr vvooiiccee hheeaarrdd??

Write for the Opinion section. Make a name for yourself among

your fellow students, all whileboosting your résumé.

RICHARD MCPHETERS, ART DIRECTOR

LLEEOO CCAASSTTAANNEEDDAA IS A

JOURNALISM AND

ECONOMICS

SOPHOMORE.

D A I L Y A Z T E CWednesday, January 18, 2012S P O R T S 5

MEN ’S BASKETBALL

Sophomore guard Jamaal Franklinwas having a great game againstUNLV on Saturday. Then he took atumble in front of the San DiegoState student section that appearedto be serious.

Junior guard Chase Tapley hadsome words for his teammate, whowas laying on the ground in pain.

“I said, ‘You’ve got to get up. Weneed you, you have to get up, bro.You’re not hurt,’” Tapley said in thepostgame press conference.

Franklin got up, checked back in thegame and made the biggest shot of theSDSU men’s basketball team’s season.

With the game tied at 67, Franklin hita game-winning layup with 0.3 sec-onds left to give the Aztecs a victoryagainst the No. 16 / 20 Runnin’ Rebels.

Franklin decided to take the ball tothe hoop at the end because he hadbeen struggling with his jump shotduring the course of the game.

“I knew time was going out, myjump shot hadn’t been falling, so I hadto get to the rim,” Franklin said. “I wasgoing to try to draw a foul, but (UNLVjunior guard) Anthony Marshallstepped up, tried to take a charge and Isidestepped and got a basket.”

Franklin never had a doubt that hewas going to come back in the gameafter he suffered his ankle injury.

“We’re a family,” Franklin said. “Ifmy ankle is broken and they want meout there, I’m out there.”

The win in the conference opener,which was in front of an electric sold-out crowd of 12,414 at Viejas Arena,improved No. 16 SDSU’s record to 15-2.

It was also the team’s sixth straightwin against UNLV and ninth in the last10 games against its conference rival.

RRaahhoonn aanndd FFrraannkklliinn:: ppaarrttnneerrss iinn ccrriimmeeFranklin was having a great gameeven before he hit the game-winning

shot. He finished the game with adouble-double as he scored 24points and recorded 10 rebounds.

He had a dazzling behind-the-back layup in the second half thatignited the crowd.

Franklin had a block, which wasquestionably called a foul, on a fastbreak that was one of his mostimpressive plays of the season.

The team was also helped by theeffort of junior guard James Rahon.

Rahon, who pulled out the “Tebow”in the pregame dance circle, scored22 points in what was his mostimportant performance as an Aztec.

Head coach Steve Fisher creditedRahon for hitting shots in crucialmoments of the game.

“I thought James Rahon steppedup and made some huge shots for uswhen we needed baskets,” Fisher said.

SSlloowwiinngg ddoowwnn tthhee RReebbeellssUNLV averages 81 points per game.They scored 90 points in a 10-pointwin against eighth-ranked NorthCarolina.

Against SDSU, UNLV scored 67points and only shot 35 percentfrom the field.

The Aztecs delivered their bestdefensive effort trying to contain thehigh-octane Runnin’ Rebels.

The SDSU coaching staff put in alot of time conjuring up a plan toslow down UNLV.

“I would like to single out BrianDutcher, Mark Fisher and TonyBland,” Fisher said. “They watched thelast eight games UNLV played. Ithought what they said we should dodefensively was very effective.”

Marshall was the only UNLV playerto score double-digit points. Hescored a game-high 26 points.

Mike Moser, who has put up hugenumbers in many games this year,was held to nine points on 3-of-11

shooting and grabbed nine rebounds.Fisher acknowledged that the

game was won on the defensiveside of the floor.

“We made it, for the most part,hard for them to get the ball in thebasket,” Fisher said. “We won thegame because we defended.”

TThhee SShhoowwIt was hands down the best atmos-phere at Viejas Arena this season. Thecrowd was just as good as the game.

There was a buzz in the arenathroughout the entire matchup.

Fisher gave high praise to thecrowd and named the atmosphere asone of the best he’s ever experienced.

“The crowd was absolutely sensa-tional,” Fisher said. “They helped usget this victory without a doubt.

“I told our players after the gamethat I watched the BCS NationalChampionship game and that I amgoing to watch the Super Bowl,”

Fisher said. “Most people, if they arehonest, would say that the BCS gameand probably the Super Bowl hails incomparison to the atmosphere.”

NNeewwss aanndd nnootteessThis was the second straight gameagainst UNLV that ended with the

Aztecs winning in the final seconds.The last time was when D.J. Gaybroke the Runnin’ Rebels’ hearts inlast year’s Mountain WestConference tournament.

SDSU will travel to Albuquerque,N.M. to play the New Mexico Lobos at7 p.m. tonight.

Franklin finishes off UNLV in final seconds

PETER KLUCH, SENIOR STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER

AAnnttoonniioo MMoorraalleesssports editor

SDSU 69 | UNLV 67

“I knew time was going out, myjump shot hadn’t been falling,so I had to get to the rim. I wasgoing to try to draw a foul, butAnthony Marshall stepped up,tried to take a charge and I ...”

Jamaal Franklin, SDSU sophomore guard

PETER KLUCH, SENIOR STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER

D A I L Y A Z T E CWednesday,

January 18, 2012 W H AT YO U M I S S E D6

news

Occupy SD rallies on

Occupy SD protesters were outraged with theSan Diego Police Department on Christmas Dayafter an American flag was confiscated from aformer U.S. marine protesting at Freedom Plaza.

SDSU’s College Republican’s Clubreleases “teach” and “preach” listThe SDSU College Republican'sClub released a "teach" and "preach"list, which labels SDSU professors aseither unbiased teachers, or"preachers" putting their own per-sonal opinions into their lectures.One professor found on the "preach"side is Dipak Gupta, founder of theISCOR program and this year'sspeaker at the Last Lecture Series.

CSU receives record numberof applicantsFor the third consecutive year,the CSU system has broken itsrecord of applications received.First-time freshmen and transferstudents submitted 665,860applications.

New bill proposed to cap CSU

presidents’ salaries

State Sen. Ted Lieu, D-Torrance proposeda bill geared toward capping the salariesof CSU executives, and would mandatepublic discussions of these executivesalaries, the SF Gate reports. The billwould also prohibit the raising of execu-tive salaries if there is a pending tuitionincrease, or if a tuition increase occurredin the last two years.

MCT CAMPUS

11 percent of San Diego speeding

tickets written on street near SDSU

Voice of San Diego reported 11 per-cent of all speeding tickets written inSan Diego County are done on a smallarea on College Avenue near SDSU’scampus, between Montezuma Roadand El Cajon Boulevard.

FILE PHOTO

D A I L Y A Z T E CWednesday, January 18, 2012W H AT YO U M I S S E D 7

sports

Ronnie Hillman leaves school

early to enter the NFL Draft

Sophomore running backRonnie Hillman decided toforgo his final two years of eli-gibility at San Diego State forthe chance to play in the NFL.Hillman will leave SDSU with3,243 career rushing yards and36 rushing touchdowns. In hisfinal game, against Louisiana-Lafayette, Hillman had a sub-par performance. The sopho-more ran for only 55 yards on24 carries. Despite an off per-formance in his final game,Hillman will be rememberedby Aztec fans for his electrify-ing runs, dazzling cuts andknack for the big play.

SDSU Men’s basketball enters

the Top-25 for the second

straight season

On Dec. 26, the Aztecs wereranked in the Associated PressTop-25 poll for the first timethis season.On Jan. 2, the team appeared

in the ESPN / USA TodayCoaches poll for the first time.It is the second straight sea-

son the team has appeared inthe national rankings.The team is currently ranked

16th, respectively, in both polls.

SDSU falters in R+L Carriers New Orleans Bowl

Senior quarterback Ryan Lindley led whatappeared to be a game-winning drive againstLouisiana-Lafayette in the R+L Carriers NewOrleans Bowl on Dec. 17.

That was until Ragin’ Cajun quarterback BlaineGautier (New Orleans Bowl MVP) and kicker BrettBaer had their say. With only 35 seconds left onthe clock, Guatier took Louisiana-Lafayettedown the field and set up Baer for a 50-yardfield goal attempt to win the game.

Baer nailed it and sent the Aztecs back toSan Diego with a loss and an 8-5 record tofinish the season.

SDSU finishes up non-conference play

The last five games of the Aztecs’ non-conference schedulewere against a series of lesser-known teams.SDSU won all games by a double-digit margin, with the excep-tion of an eight-point win against Chicago State on Jan. 10.

SDSU beats UNLV in the final second

In a battle between two Top-25 teams, No. 22SDSU defeated No. 12 UNLV 69-67.Sophomore guard Jamaal Franklin made alayup with .03 seconds left to push the Aztecspast the Runnin’ Rebels.

Franklin had 24 points and 10 rebounds, whilejunior guard James Rahon contributed 22 points.

The fans played their part, creating the bestatmosphere seen at Viejas Arena this season.

PETER KLUCH, SENIOR STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER

PETER KLUCH, SENIOR STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER PETER KLUCH, SENIOR STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER

PETER KLUCH, SENIOR STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER

features

Public Enemy brought West Coast rap and

oversized clocks to San Diego

Public Enemy played 4th and B on Jan. 15.Often controversial and always a spectacle,the group is celebrating its 30th year of music.

D A I L Y A Z T E CWednesday, January 18, 2012W H AT YO U M I S S E D 9

D A I L Y A Z T E CWednesday,

January 18, 2012 W H AT YO U M I S S E D8

opinion

Media giants will black out

against SOPA

Upcoming congressional votes onthe Stop Online Piracy Act and theProtect IP Act have Internet giantssuch as Google, Amazon,Facebook and Twitter debating a“nuclear option,” a potential planthat would mean the aforemen-tioned websites black out inprotest of SOPA. Other websitessuch as Wikipedia and Reddit havealready pledged to boycott inprotest of the two bills, shuttingdown their sites today.

Although these bills are intendedto target pirating websites such asPirate Bay, many argue their lackof clarity could expand Internetcensorship, thus endangering free-dom of the Internet.

American citizens can now be detained indefinitely without trial

The National Defense Authorization Act was signed into law on Dec. 31,allowing American citizens to be detained indefinitely without trial ifthey are considered terrorist threats. Essentially, this law is an extensionof the Patriot Act, expanding the executive branch’s ability to suspendhabeas corpus from perceived terrorist groups abroad to those livingand born on American soil.

MCT CAMPUS

DREAM Act lives on

A group intending to repeal the Development, Relief, andEducation for Alien Minors Act, a controversial bill thatallows illegal immigrants citizenship in exchange for militaryservice or college education, recently proved unsuccessful.

Children as old as 8 may be required

to use safety seats

Recently, child seat safety laws werebroadened to cover increased weight,height and age requirements. The newregulations are expected to boost thelife-saving potential of each seat, butcritics believe the laws, which requirechildren as old as 8 years old to usesafety seats, to be unrealistic.

MCT CAMPUS

More than 80 percent of

Medicare-related hospital

errors go unreported

A recent study by theDepartment of Health andHuman Services, Office of theInspector General revealedmore than 80 percent of hos-pital errors that affectMedicare beneficiaries —such as injuries, medicationerrors or infections — gounreported. Perhaps mostsickening about the study ismany hospitals, after suchirresponsible practices areexposed, do little or nothingto change their policies.

entertainment

NOFX rocked two shows at San Diego’s House of Blues

Skate-punk legends NOFX played two shows at the Houseof Blues. The 29-year-old band is still rocking and plans torelease another album this year.

COURTESY OF HOUSE OF BLUES

Lafayette Hotel rang in New Year with sold-out show

The Lafayette Hotel celebrated the arrival of 2012 with a sold outshow featuring The Silent Comedy and Transfer. Despite some reshuf-fling of group membership, The Silent Comedy continues to enjoylocal success and has begun forming a more widespread presence.

Local band came back on the scene withshow at The CasbahhGet Back Loretta and The Burning ofRome played a funky session at TheCasbah on Dec. 30. Some say the locallygrown band has been absent from theshow scene for more than a year.

Post-rock dance duo messedup timing for New Years Evemidnight kissAmid the parties and wub ladendance tracks playing throughoutthe city, El Ten Eleven brought apost-rock dance session to SodaBar on New Year’s Eve. The duotimed the countdown poorly,meaning members of the audi-ence paired off for the tradition-al midnight kiss mid-song. Theband then fooled everyone intothinking their clocks were twominutes fast.

COURTESY OF SARAH LOWRY

COURTESY OF SAN DIEGO RESTAURANT WEEK

San Diego Restaurant Week

San Diego Restaurant Week began on Jan 15 and is running through Jan. 20.This semiannual event boasts the participation of more than 180 San Diegorestaurants with prix fixe menus ranging from $10 to $40 per person. SanDiego’s varied palate is showcased with dishes ranging from Baja Fish Tacosat Cafe Coyote to an 8 ounce filet mignon at Island Prime.

Drive-In at The PearlThe Pearl Hotel showed The Hangover II on Jan. 11 at itsDive-In Theatre. This weekly event takes place at The Pearl’spoolside lounge and is free to the public. Enjoy a drink orbite at The Pearl’s poolside theater during its next showingof Borat on Jan. 25.

La Jolla Polar Bear Swim

The Annual Polar Bear Swim took place at 10 a.m. on New Year’sDay at the La Jolla Shores. Hosted by the La Jolla Cove SwimClub, members and general chill-seekers welcomed the new yearby choosing to jump in for a quick dip or endure the frigid oceanwaters during a two-mile swim.

MCT CAMPUS

COURTESY OF GIRL FEST

Girl Fest launch party

Girl Fest San Diego held its launch party on Jan. 13 atArtLab Studios in Normal Heights. Those in attendanceenjoyed art, spoken-word and comedy performances.Girl Fest’s mission is to prevent violence against womenand girls through education and art. This launch partyalso included interactive self-defense workshops andfood from the Thai 1 On food truck.

D A I L Y A Z T E CWednesday,

January 18, 2012 T R AV E L & A DV E N T U R E10

Imagine the experience that couldbe gained from approaching a for-eign city as a local instead of as atourist. Home exchange programsare one way to make this a reality.

The idea is simple: Throughonline exchange sites, an adventureseeker from one city can open his orher home and connect with like-minded travelers in different cities.Once an agreement is made, bothparties then exchange keys for agiven amount of time and enjoy thebenefits of local living in eachother’s homes.

This may sound innovative, but itis not a new concept. Intervac pio-neered the idea of home exchangingin 1953. It utilized a catalog wheremembers could list potential homesfor a swap. Today, everything is doneonline, and more people are utilizinghouse swapping to travel. Intervac’sonline membership has tripled in thepast eight years, from 10,000 to30,000 members.

Other than having a home, apart-ment or condo to exchange, themajority of home swapping web-sites require a fee for membership.However, if a fee assures a free placeto stay while traveling, the benefitsseem to outweigh the costs. Manysites’ fees range from $8 a month toan annual membership fee of $119.

Members on home exchangewebsites vary between families,small business owners, retirees, pro-fessors, doctors and other profes-sionals who share one commoninterest: traveling. Intervac claimsthe majority of its members rangefrom the ages of 35 to 60 and typi-cally have children. However, col-lege students should not feel leftout. Those looking for an alternativecan participate in youth exchangeprograms, which offers young peo-ple the opportunity to feel out differ-ent cultures while staying in some-one’s home.

Home exchange location optionsare nearly endless as many websitesoffer both national and internationaloptions.

San Diego Magazine writer, BrookLarios, wrote about her homeexchange experience when sheswapped her Carmel Valley condofor a humble apartment in The BigApple. She and her husband plannedtheir vacation during New Years Evelast year to cross one item off theirbucket list: watching the ball drop inTimes Square. The couple commu-nicated with their exchange partnervia phone before the big trip in orderto become better acquainted withher and make sure everything wasready. For the most part, their entiretrip went well. However, when theyarrived home their match didn’tmeet their standards of cleanliness.

“Our nonstick ‘green’ pan?Overscrubbed and attracting food toits now-adhesive surface.(Thankfully, we were able to bring allcookware back to homeostasis.) Thebathroom was visibly dirty, andthey’d used our gas barbecue,despite the fact that our bikes were

bound to it with locks. We foundbarbecue sauce on one bike rail,”Larios wrote.

While many may be afraid to swaphomes with a bad match, TonyDiCaprio, president of 1sthomeex-change.com, said, “Nobody is goingto fly across the ocean or drive 600miles to come steal your flat-screenTV. At the same time they’re stayingin your home, you are staying intheir home.”

It is best for both parties to thinkpositively and treat the other per-sons’ belongings with the utmostrespect. Small issues such as carscratches and wine stains are notunheard of, but can easily be takencare of if a contract or agreement iswritten beforehand. In the agree-ment, standards of how the houseshould be maintained are importantto include. After all, the purpose ofhome exchange is to travel and livelike a local, not get wrapped up inthe idiosyncrasies of another per-son’s lifestyle.

Ed Kushins, founder of homeex-change.com, said that in his 19 yearsin the business, he has never beennotified of a theft or malicious dam-age. Minor issues have occurred, butthe problems were handled privatelybetween both parties.

For those who are ready to trysomething new, home exchange canbe an appealingly intimate and cost-effective route. Travelers can explorenew cultures by living like locals, mak-ing connections that can turn intofriendships and experiencing moreflexibility and freedom. While offeringso much privacy at so little cost, thiskind of lodging cannot be beat.

SSooffiiaa CCaassiillllaassstaff writer

THINKSTOCK

Home swappingturns tourists intolocals overnight

Home exchange sites unlock adventure

D A I L Y A Z T E CWednesday, January 18, 2012H E A LT H & F I T N E S S 11

GRE

LSAT

GMAT

CSET

MULTIPLE SUBJECTS

SAT

CBEST

In order to achieve flawless, red-car-pet-worthy skin, a healthy skin careregimen is vital. Often, what peopleput into their bodies affects the skineven more than the products theyput on it. The long-standing saying“you are what you eat,” thoughcliché, is undeniable.

Several dermatologists have pub-lished works on how to achievehealthy skin through a healthy diet.Dermatologist Jessica Wu wrote abook called “Feed Your Face: Younger,Smoother Skin and a Beautiful Bodyin 28 Delicious Days.”

According to Wu, “Feed Your Face isdesigned to reduce the appearance offine lines and wrinkles, clear acne,soothe rashes and minimize the signsof sun damage — all while helpingjump-start your metabolism and sta-bilize your blood sugar.”

Immediate dietary changes can bemade to improve skin vitality, such asthoroughly checking nutrition labels,keeping a food diary, eating smallerand more frequent meals and snack-ing wisely.

“Regular snacking can help keepinsulin levels in check,” according toWu.

Choose foods that are usually hunt-ed or gathered. For example, instead ofwhite rice, choose brown rice, orchoose fresh vegetables instead ofcannes ones. It is also recommendedto cut back on full-fat dairy foods andtake calcium supplements with vitaminD. Following these steps will helphealth seekers attain beautiful skin bytheir next meal.

Supplementing an unhealthy dietwith wholesome alternatives not onlybenefits the skin, but also every otherpart of the body, including hair, nailsand weight. Blackberries, blueberries,strawberries and plums are vital fruitsfor a wholesome diet. The commonlink between these foods is their highantioxidant content.

Salmon, walnuts, canola oil andflaxseed supply essential fatty acids,which are crucial for healthy skin.These foods leave skin lookingplumper and younger. They alsohelp soften dry skin by keeping itlubricated. Because oils are high incalories, no more than two table-spoons a day are necessary.

Whole wheat bread, muffins,cereals, turkey, tuna and Brazil nutscontain the mineral selenium, whichis also beneficial for healthy skin.

According to Wu, “Pizza can be agood choice for your skin. Just orderthin crust (whole wheat if possible),go light on the cheese, and load itwith the right kinds of protein andveggies that help fight wrinkles.”

Foods containing zinc help healwounds by restoring damaged skin.while also protecting it from futuremistreatment.

“Studies show that zinc supportsthe production of elastic tissue. Eatzinc-rich foods, such as red meat(particularly beef and lamb), raw oys-ters and shellfish, kidney beans andlentils and eggs to maintain your skinselasticity,” Wu wrote.

Green tea may be vital to overallhealth, but it also works wonders forthe skin because of its anti-inflamma-tory and anti-aging properties.

Wu’s followers, including KatherineHeigl, Roma Downey, Maria Bello andKimora Lee Simmons, attest the mostimportant ingredient in their healthy-skin diet is water. Approximately eightglasses a day is ideal for the averageperson in order to stay hydrated andreplenish moisture. Water helps cellsmove nutrients in and toxins out.

Processed foods are usually filledwith sugar, salt, unhealthy fats andprocessed grains. The body absorbsthese ingredients, which negativelyaffect body and skin health. Eatingmore fruits, vegetables and wholegrains provides nourishing vitamins,minerals and other essential nutrientsthe skin and body need.

Reducing the intake of processedfoods, eating more fruits and vegeta-bles and following a healthy skin careregime, such as Jessica Wu’s skin diet,are a few simple steps that can helpanyone achieve a goal of healthy andbeautiful skin. Also, be sure to visit adermatologist, remove makeupbefore bed and wear sunscreen toachieve a radiant look.

BBrriittttaannyy FFaassaannoostaff writer

LAUREL ATKINSON, STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER

Wholesome diets nourish skin deep

D A I L Y A Z T E CWednesday,

January 18, 2012 E N T E R TA I N M E N T12

Bravo, Steven Spielberg. Not manyHollywood directors can say theyhave released two outstandingmovies within days of each other.Spielberg has done just that withthese big-screen achievements.

The Adventures of Tintin“The Adventures of Tintin” is amotion capture adaptation of theinternationally popular comic bookseries by Belgian artist, Hergé. Tintin(Jamie Bell) is a journalist who lovesto solve mysteries and always seemsto find himself in perilous situations.Accompanied by his loveable dogSnowy, and new friend alcoholicmerchant marine Captain Haddock(Andy Serkis), Tintin goes on a dan-gerous search for a sunken shipknown as the Unicorn.

Of all the motion capture picturesto be released recently, such as thecorny “Mars Needs Moms,” “Tintin” isa better example of how this kind oftechnology can be used to create amemorable voyage. This goesbeyond the visuals on screen; eventhe misfires are aesthetically pleas-ing. The enjoyment in “Tintin” lieswithin the three screenwriters,Steven Moffat, Edgar Wright and JoeCornish, each of whom are verycomfortable giving this type of spec-tacle the kind of wit and intelligenceneeded to make it stand out fromgeneric dreck.

Spielberg has never directed a full-length animated feature before, andsaying “Tintin” is a strong debut forhim would be an understatement. Itis easy to imagine he had a blast

while making this productionbecause there is a playful tonethroughout most of the runningtime. Several individual scenes arebreathtaking to watch, while othershave the zippy energy of a grade-Atheme park attraction.

With so much eye candy, does“Tintin” have a soul? Surprisingly, yes,through the bond that formsbetween Tintin and Haddock. Bell isperfectly cast as Tintin, creating awhip-sharp lad without being anobnoxious know-it-all. While Bellshines, the best material is saved forSerkis. Serkis has become a scene-stealing character actor as evidencedin his dramatic, computer-generatedroles in “The Lord of the Rings” aswell as “Rise of the Planet of theApes.” Here, Serkis gets to let loosewith an array of deliberately goofydialogue. Tintin and Haddock helpeach other in times of need, and notalways because of an actionsequence. This relationship adds asurprising amount of depth to such afast-paced affair.

Only adults will nitpick at flaws inthe villain, Ivan Sakharine (DanielCraig), who lacks three-dimension-ality. Craig’s vocal delivery is enter-tainingly menacing, though thecharacter is similar to an over-the-top evil mastermind typically fea-tured in Saturday morning cartoonshows. Still, it must be rememberedthe film is meant for family audi-ences and designed to appeal toanyone older than seven.

“The Adventures of Tintin” isSpielberg’s most fun and upbeat filmin years. It concludes with a clearopening for a sequel, which maysound groan-inducing, but thebuildup to this moment is so cleverthat hopefully a second installmentwill be just as delightful as the first.

War HorseIf “The Adventures of Tintin” is fromthe imagination, “War Horse” is fromthe heart. Based on the book andplay of the same name, “War Horse” isa beautiful exploration of what peo-ple and animals will do out of love.

Set in England during World War I,Joey is a horse sold to a family dur-ing an auction. The son of the buyer,Albert Narracott (Jeremy Irvine),immediately grows close to Joeyand they become great companions.Unfortunately, Joey is sold to thecavalry to help the British in battle.This sparks the beginning of anodyssey in which Joey will discoverfirsthand the ugly and miraculousnature of life.

Spielberg consistently moves theaudience, and does so by way of hisgenuine investment in the material.He cares about every major charac-

ter Joey encounters, which leads topersonal attachment to more than afew individuals.

The cast is strong throughout, andit is hard to believe numerous horsesplay Joey. They blend so seamlesslyit becomes easy to accept Joey as asingle, memorable horse. Many ofthe actors who walk on two feet alsodeliver fine performances. Irvine isso kind, natural and determined asNarracott, it is amazing to think thisis his first major leading role.

There is also an acclaimed Frenchactor, Niels Arestrup, who is in the pic-ture less than the boy and his horse,yet he leaves just as big of an impres-sion. He plays an elderly man whomeets Joey through unlikely circum-stances. Arestrup can be poignantwith just a simple gaze and he pro-

vides so much loving warmth hispresence is missed while he is away.

John Williams’ score deservesOscar consideration for its impact.At times, it is reminiscent of thegrand style of an old-fashioned clas-sic such as “Gone With the Wind.”The best aspect of the soundtrack isthe recurring theme that symbolizesthe affection between Albert andJoey. Whenever the motif plays, itadds such a bittersweet dimensionto their companionship that viewersmay get choked up.

The slowly revealed message inthe film is that of the moral code ofmen. There are moments when sol-diers on both sides of the battlefieldshow their own sets of principles,more complex than the rules of bat-tle would suggest. It is an interesting

lesson and a bit shocking comingfrom the man who made “SavingPrivate Ryan,” which depicted oppo-nents of the U.S. as ruthless enemies.

Should tissues be brought to “WarHorse”? Better bring a box to be safe.Joey is introduced as a baby and togo on a grand emotional journeywith him is to empathize deeply withthe horse. By the time the final 15minutes arrive, Joey’s fate leads to afew human interactions that mayresult in uncontrollable crying.Instead of feeling manipulated, theclimax and resolution earn its pathos.

As far as affectionate entertain-ment goes, it is hard to beat “WarHorse.” The epic is a cinematic high-light of the winter season.

MCT CAMPUSMCT CAMPUS

PASS THE POPCORN

DDaavviidd DDiixxoonnstaff writer

Movie: THE ADVENTURES OF TINTIN

Distributed by: WARNER BROS.

Directed by: STEVEN SPIELBERG

Release Date: DEC. 21, 2011

Grade: A-

Movie: WAR HORSE

Distributed by: WARNER BROS.

Directed by: STEVEN SPIELBERG

Release Date: DEC. 25, 2011

Grade: A

Spielberg delivers two Oscar favorites‘Tintin’ and ‘WarHorse’ are heartfelt,award-worthy films

If “The Adventures of Tintin” isfrom the imagination, “WarHorse” is from the heart. Basedon the book and play ... “WarHorse” is a beautiful explorationof what people and animals willdo out of love.

D A I L Y A Z T E CWednesday, January 18, 2012DA S T Y L E 13

Go to www.thedailyaztec.com/jobs and apply today!LET YOUR VOICE BE HEARD!

Apply to be a Writer or Web Editor for the Spring 2012 semester

WRITE HERE,WRITE NOW.

Three ways to wear the little black dress

Campus Bound. A schedule with back-to-back classes calls for a comfortable and easy outfit. Tuck the dress into a maxi skirt, and leta fringed shoe peek out from underneath. Offset the basic black top with a pattern full of warm colors.

For most students, college is nota time of abundant wealth, andthere’s little cash for fashion. But,though your eyes may be biggerthan your wallet, there’s no needto skimp on style. Need proof?

Check out DA Style’s first-everphoto shoot, where style blog-gers Sarah and Venice showhow to take ModCloth’s cutesplurge-worthy dress fromschool to work to a night out.

Working Girl. For a casual day at an internship, let the dress work overtime as a shirt.Wrap a belt around your waist, and pull the fabric upward until the material drapesover the belt and the hem reaches your hips. Play upon the classic black and whitecombination with a striped blazer, dark skinny jeans and nude pumps.

Out on the Town. What’s more essential for a date night with that special guy thana little black dress? Show off your legs and the frock’s flirty hem by donning thehighest heels in your closet. A thin printed belt adds a small dose of fun to the oth-erwise subdued ensemble.

To read DA Style andother blogs, go to blogs.thedailyaztec.com

PPhhoottooggrraapphheerr:: Marcus Elario | SSttyylliissttss:: Venice Fahey & Sarah Weinberg | MMooddeell::Alaina Munoz | AAddddiittiioonnaall ccllootthhiinngg pprroovviiddee bbyy:: The Closet in Horton Plaza Mall |BBllaacckk DDrreessss:: ModCloth‘s Fly By Night dress

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D A I L Y A Z T E CWednesday, January 18, 2012C L A S S I F I E D S 15

THE DAILY AZTEC DOES NOTENDORSE OR SUPPORT ANDHAS NO AFFILIATION WITH THEPRODUCTS OR SERVICESOFFERED IN THE CLASSIFIEDSSECTION.

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D A I L Y A Z T E CWednesday,

January 18, 2012 B AC K PAG E16

Difficulty Level: 2 out of 4

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

Solutions available online atwww.thedailyaztec.com

©2012, TRIBUNE MEDIA SERVICES INC.

AACCRROOSSSS1 Summoned,

with “for”5 Skedaddle9 Travolta facial

feature14 Symphony

member15 Okla., from 1890

to 190716 Pick up17 Carnival sight18 Slight advantage19 Plus20 Redundant

position?23 “The Time

Machine” peo-ple

24 Low in a lea---25 Redundant

alert?32 Traffic stopper33 Beauties34 South American

vacation spot35 IRS employee36 Pay38 Pizzeria fixture39 Poetic time of

day40 View from

Toledo41 Sitcom set at

Mel’s Diner42 Redundant

habit?46 Nothing but __:

perfect hoopsshot

47 Kiss and cuddle,British-style

48 Redundantguesses?

55 Trunks56 Prefix with stat57 All-night party58 Oscar night VIP59 Detective Peter

of old TV60 Canadian tribe

61 Hamlet in“Hamlet” andothers

62 Auto pioneer63 Driven drove

DDOOWWNN1 VMI program2 Victim in

Genesis3 Taboo4 Settles a score5 Apply, as a

brake6 Comedian __

the Entertainer7 Golden Fleece

vessel8 “Jurassic Park”

menace, briefly9 Dins

10 Tissue abnor-mality

11 Houston-to-Tampa direction

12 Glenn of TheEagles

13 Explosive letters21 Stylish vigor22 Mosque officials25 Anouk of “La

Dolce Vita”26 Sturm und __27 Halloween van-

dal, perhaps28 Teeny29 “The Empire

Strikes Back”directorKershner

30 Reunionattendee

31 Departed32 Silver fineness

meas.36 Ire

37 __ Jordan: Nikebrand

38 Member of asmall rulingclass

40 Poetic laments41 Speck43 New44 Belgian seaport45 Marriages48 1960 Olympics

city49 Sea predator50 Consequently51 Rabbi’s house of

worship52 Container

weight53 Penultimate

fairy tale word54 Future flower55 Address bk.

entry

Solutions available online at www.thedailyaztec.com

TODAY’S BIRTHDAY (1/18/12) Take somebirthday time to think over your next year:where to travel? What to learn? Who tostudy with? What projects to develop?Which market to tap? Choose partners andplaymates for skills and fun. Whatdifference would you love to make?

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

ARIES (March 21 - April 19) - Today is a 9 -Productivity is yours, but your wanderlustmay be acting up. Some dream from thepast could come calling, and what wasstuck before now flows easily.

TAURUS (April 20 - May 20) - Today is an 8- A congratulatory note arrives. Add it tothe positive testimonials on your website.Go over the financials, too. Paint apersuasive picture of your goals.

GEMINI (May 21 - June 21) - Today is a 7 -Lively discussions ensue. Seemingly closeddoors now open. Hold off on travel justnow. A caring soul is there to help with abig decision.

CANCER (June 22 - July 22) - Today is an 8- Dig into a big job, and get lost in creativeeffort. Put together the budget, and yourskills with penny-pinching are appreciated.Innovation saves time.

LEO (July 23 - Aug. 22) - Today is a 7 - Arethere any jobs that need to be done first?Mop up messes before you play. A lovedone encourages you to take on achallenge that inspires. It could cost extra.

VIRGO (Aug. 23 - Sept. 22) - Today is an 8 -Get into a homebody phase for the nextfew days. Start a project, clean closets orjust laze around. Follow another'ssuggestion for a pleasant surprise.

LIBRA (Sept. 23 - Oct. 22) - Today is an 8 -All of a sudden, things start making sense.There's plenty of work, and more coming.Extra effort makes a difference. A surpriseboosts self-esteem.

SCORPIO (Oct. 23 - Nov. 21) - Today is a 9 -There's more money to be made, if you'rewilling to work. Stick to the budget, and it'llbe easier to make household changessoon. A loved one has a brilliant idea.

SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22 - Dec. 21) - Today isa 7 - Enjoy the next two days in thelimelight. Use your extra self-confidence toaccomplish things that stopped you before.The outcome's fantastic.

CAPRICORN (Dec. 22 - Jan. 19) - Today isan 8 - Don't sweat the small stuff; there areplenty of big dreams to focus on. Keepyour eye on the ball; be the ball; dowhatever it takes to get past limitations.

AQUARIUS (Jan. 20 - Feb. 18) - Today is an8 - Others are paying attention to yourmoves. Don't be afraid to serve as aninspiration. There's much to learn, but alsomuch to teach. Build on solid ground.

PISCES (Feb. 19 - March 20) - Today is an 8- Service to others brings your personalgrowth to the next level. Avoid distractionsthat keep you from completing your tasks.It's satisfying. Embrace change.

©2012, TRIBUNE MEDIA SERVICES INC.

BY NANCY BLACK,TRIBUNE MEDIA SERVICESHOROSCOPE

BY THE MEPHAM GROUP,TRIBUNE MEDIA SERVICESSUDOKU

BY RICH NORRIS & JOYCE LEWIS,TRIBUNE MEDIA SERVICESCROSSWORD

WWW.THEDAILYAZTEC.COM

ext year I’m stayinghome for Christmasand orderingChinese. I don’twant to be any-

where near trees, roasting pans, in-laws, pine-scented candles, geri-atrics, newborns, ornaments, carolsand their sappy singers, twinklinglights, napkin rings, wrapping paper,sweaters and all the other trappingsassociated with the day a rotund fel-low in red squeezes his way down achimney to leave capitalistic good-ness for the good little boys and girls.To say I’m bitter toward Christmas isa bit of an understatement.

Why would I opt for moo shu porkinstead of suckling pig withTiny Tim and the gang?B e c a u s ethis yearwas then i g h t -

mare on Christmas. This wasn’t someaggrandized Griswold Christmas spunout of control. No, this was the feast ofSt. Nick off its axis and on its ass. Neverhave I witnessed such depravity anddiscord on what should have been aday of merriment and harmony. TheKinkeads made that impossible.

Alice isn’t like them, though. She’snormal, except for her obsession withall things Cyndi Lauper. We’re nottogether anymore, largely becausethere was no way I, a Carlyle, wasgoing to marry into the Kinkeads. Noway. I did love her, but I just couldn’treconcile that family of hers. Let meshow you what I mean.

Alice had flown into Boston onChristmas Eve a day ahead of me andpicked me up at Logan when I landed.We drove for a few hours into NewHampshire, past quaint decoratedhamlets bedecked in Christmasregalia, gently rolling hills dusted withsnow, bare birch trees and ice-cov-ered ponds. How adorably precious.

We pulled up to a house that lookedlike a barn, but a cute barn. It wasn’tdilapidated or shrouded in ruraldespondency. It was adorned in justthe right amount of Christmas cheer,not gaudy and not pathetic. MarthaStewart (pre-house arrest, of course)would approve. The warm sceneeased my anxiety about meeting myfuture in-laws.

But as we walked up the stone pathto the bright red door, my muted anx-iety was immediately replaced with

abject horror. Before Alice’s handreached the knob, a naked little boyopened the door and darted past.He ran into the yard, toddledthrough the snow, put one hand onhis fleshy hip and the other on thetip of his penis, and let fly a goldenstream of holiday joy.

“Aunt Alice, look, I’m writing yourname,” he shouted back over hisshoulder, careful not to let go and riska spelling mistake. I looked at Alice,hoping to see her equally aston-ished, but she just shrugged,

“Timmyh a si s s u e sw i t hclothes.

It’s really cute.” I didn’t share

her appreciationof Timmy’s charming aversion toapparel. I also couldn’t help butnotice he wasn’t being chased by amother, father or anyone who maybe upset at this ruffian paradingaround in his birthday suit inscrib-ing his aunt’s name in urine on thefront lawn. What would the neigh-bors think if they saw this? Anddon’t they care at all about makinga good impression on me as I dothem? But Timmy was young. Itwould be unfair to judge the entirefamily based on the impish antics ofa fledgling exhibitionist.

Upon crossing the threshold, Irealized it’d been quite a drive and Ineeded to use the bathroom. Iwanted to meet her family but didn’twant to make my introduction withpee stains on my pants, and while itmay have been Kinkead custom towrite uric odes to loved ones in theyard, I went the traditional route andasked to use the bathroom.

Alice told me it was upstairs and tothe left. I knocked, and, hearing noreply, opened the door. The room wasredolent of Christmas potpourri andstale poo. Sitting on the toilet was aslumped-over elderly man. His cor-duroy pants sat around his ankles, hisred and green argyle socks protrudingslightly above them. Fearing he hadsuffered a heart attack, I checked tosee if he was alive.

“Hey, buddy, you OK?” Nothing.This time I poked his side. “Heyman, you there?”

“What the f—? Get outta here youpervert! What the hell do you thinkyou’re doing barging in on an old mantaking a s—?”

“I, I, I’m sorry. I thought—”“You were thinking you could come

in here and steal my wallet! Not onmy watch, buster! I’m a marine!”

Who? What? I …I slinked downstairs and relayed

the story to Alice. She told me UncleDennis is narcoleptic and fairly senile.I used the half-bath behind thekitchen. It was hostile octogenarian-free and smelled of pine detergent.

After relieving myself, I wasready to meet the family.

They seemed

pleasant enough,shook my hand, con-gratulated Alice and Ion our engagement

and asked about my work. Iwas particularly pleased athow relaxed and mellow herfather was. I had feared the

stereotypical father-in-lawbullying and haggling, but he was

kind and gracious. I was touched byhow quick he was to embrace me, lit-erally and figuratively.

When the introductions were fin-ished and most of the names forgot-ten, Grandpa offered me his seat onthe couch. I declined, but he insisted.He rose and went into the kitchen. AsI took his seat, I realized it was warmand wet. Grandpa had pissed himself.I did my best to act casual. I tried toget Alice’s attention to tell her whathappened, but she was too busycatching up. I was stuck, figurativelyand literally (my dry pants werewelding to the wet sofa).

When Grandpa came back from thekitchen with his scotch refilled, he saton the couch across from me, winked,took a sip of his drink and placed itdown on his coaster, which uponobservation proved to be a copy ofthe AA manual. Where in the 12 Stepsdoes it say, “Drink so much you pissyourself and blame it on a stranger?”

I wasn’t about to budge until it wassafe. Thankfully, it was Kinkead tradi-tion to open presents before dinner, soI could stay put for the time being.Everyone forced their way into the liv-ing room. The ghoulish spectacle thatfollowed still haunts me. I know if Iwere watching it in a movie it wouldmake me laugh, but having satthrough it, participated in it, it onlymakes me cry.

-Matt Doran is a creative writing grad-uate student. Email him at matthewt-doran@gmail.com to share your holi-day misadventures.

MMaatttt DDoorraannsenior staff columnist

FICT ION

N

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Xmas with the Kinkeads

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