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The Daily Titan News Brief – Your daily update to what’s happening in and around CSUF.
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PRESIDENTIAL CONTESTANTS FACE OFF
STATE | Undocumented
Brown signs bill for licenses
CAMPUS | Funding
Graduate students funded EPOCHS program provides opportunities for Hispanic graduate students
Some say law is redundant becuase Deferred Action law is already in place
IRMA WONG Daily Titan
SUE LAGARDE Daily Titan
Earlier this week, Gov. Jerry Brown signed a new law, AB 2189, that will allow thousands of undocumented immigrants to obtain driver’s licenses. At the same time, Brown vetoed the Trust Act, which would have prohibited local law enforcement from helping federal authorities detain undocumented. His actions were announced Sunday as the deadline neared to finish work on nearly 1,000 bills sent to him by the state Legislature this year. The passing of the bill AB 2189 instead of the Trust Act sparked protests and lobbying efforts by immigrant advocacy groups like the Dream Team Los Angeles (DTLA). DTLA has been organizing locally and nationally for the empowerment and right to the legalization of undocumented youth. Carlos Amador, a national immigrant youth leader and organizer with DTLA and a Cal State Fullerton alumnus, said the bill is not any different from other state departments. “The California Department of Motor Vehicles that already states that those individuals with a work permit can get such state benefit,” said Amador. According to Amador, AB 2189 is no more than a symbolic law that says that only those who have a work permits can apply for drivers licenses. SEE LICENSE, 2
Joe Wolfe
WILLIAM CAMARGO / Daily Titan
Students in the Titan Student Union watched Gov. Romney and President Obama duke it out in their first of three presidential debates. The next debate will be aired next Thursday between vice presidential contenders.
Obama and Romney debate Candidates debate economy, healthcare and other domestic issues in the first of three presidential debates DOMINIQUE ROCKER Daily Titan
The first of three presidential debates was held Wednesday night at the University of Denver and aired across the nation. President Barack Obama and Gov. Mitt Romney discussed several topics under the domestic policy umbrella. Topics included federal regulation, social security, the legislature, and the role of the federal government, along with hotter topics like the economy and healthcare. The debate was broken into six segments
that were planned to be 15 minutes each, with two minutes to each candidate to give their statements before rebuttals. Both candidates, however, talked over the moderator and over the designated fifteen minutes, which resulted in only three minutes to spare for the final segment before closing statements. Stephen Stambough, Ph.D., a Cal State Fullerton political science professor, noted this run-over. “Both candidates came across aggressively toward the moderator, which was not a good thing,” said Stambough.
The opening segment, on the U.S. economy, showed the first clear separation between the candidates. Arguments began to get heated in regard to Romney allegedly proposing a $5 trillion tax cut, and it was never really resolved. Both discussed the importance of the middle class, but views on the president’s handling of the middle class were contested. “Under the president’s policies, middleincome Americans have been buried–they’re just being crushed,” said Romney. SEE DEBATE, 3
WOLFE ARRAIGNED IN KELLY THOMAS CASE
This week marks the start of the third fiscal year for the program Enhancing Postbaccalaureate Opportunities at Cal State Fullerton for Hispanic Students (EPOCHS), which provides a variety of services for graduate students on campus. As a Hispanic Serving Institution (HSI), where more than 25 percent of students are Hispanic, CSUF was awarded a five-year $2.5 million grant by the U.S. Department of Education to increase the amount of Latino students who enroll and complete a postundergraduate degree. The program began September 2010 and has been able to provide over 2,000 services to students by targeting four major goals to fulfill its purpose. “Our point is to offer the services to the students who are disadvantaged or Hispanic, who have need and who will respond to and benefit from them,” said Katherine Powers, Ph.D., director of graduate studies. One of EPOCHS’ objectives is to outreach and promote graduate education by partnering with community groups. “My goal is to encourage the community to go to grad school as well as meeting the goals for the grant,” said Catalina Olvera, EPOCHS director. With the help of graduate assistants, EPOCHS is able to promote graduate education in both Spanish and English to the community by tabling at career fairs and having an annual Welcome to Fullerton Day specifically for graduate students. SEE GRAD, 3
SPORTS | Conference play
Men’s soccer hopes to win on the road
CSUF soccer looks to improve its Big West record in two conference games to snap winless conference play
Jay Cicinelli
GABY MARTINEZ Daily Titan
Manuel Ramos
WILLIAM CAMARGO / Daily Titan
ADREANA YOUNG Daily Titan
A year and three months after the beating and death of Kelly Thomas, a third former police officer was charged with involuntary manslaughter and using excessive force. Former Fullerton officer Joe Wolfe was arraigned Thursday by the Orange County District Attorney’s office and faces up to four years in prison if convicted, according to a statement from the District Attorney’s office. Wolfe’s attorneys, Vicki Podberesky and Michael Nasatir, told Orange County Register reporters “whether this change (by the prosecution) is the result of well-meaning but misguided external pressure upon the District Attorney’s Office or a political effort to quell perceived public unrest,” and they are confident Wolfe will be exonerated. CONTACT US AT DTNEWSDESK@GMAIL.COM
A video of the Thomas beating shows Wolfe initiating the first hit to the back of Thomas’ leg with a baton. The 34-minute video shows former Fullerton police officers Manuel Ramos and Wolfe talking with Thomas. Wolfe began searching through Thomas’ backpack and found what he said in the video was stolen mail. After Ramos and Wolfe began beating Thomas, other officers, including former police officer Jay Cicinelli, arrived on the scene. Cicinelli appeared to begin tasering Thomas. Ramos was charged with second degree murder and involuntary manslaughter in September 2011 and faces a maximum of 15 years to life in prison. Cicinelli was also charged with involuntary manslaughter and excessive force and faces a maximum of four years in prison if convicted. “Since (the first two former officers were indicted), the
OCDA has actively continued its investigation and legal review and decided to seek an indicted against Wolfe following extensive legal and factual analysis and development of evidence,” said the statement. The Orange County Grand Jury heard 10 witness testimonies and examined 113 exhibits of evidence over a three day period. An indictment for Wolfe was returned Sept. 24. The altercation took place outside of the Fullerton Transportation Center, which is located about three miles from Cal State Fullerton. Although there appeared to be three additional officers involved in the July 2011 altercation, no charges have been filed against Officer Kenton Hampton, Sgt. Kevin Craig and Cpl. James Blatney and criminal charges have not been filed against them due to lack of evidence.
Cal State Fullerton men’s soccer team (4-7-1, 0-1-1 in conference) looks to bounce back this weekend in two away games against Cal State Sacramento and UC Davis on Friday and Sunday respectively. The Titans look to regroup after a disappointing loss to Cal Poly San Luis Obispo and a tie to UC Santa Barbara. The Titans lost 2-0 to Cal Poly SLO and could not muster any offensive firepower. They managed only one shot on goal in the loss. The team was just outplayed and outworked by the Mustangs. Although the Titans did not win against UCSB, they played excellently. They held the Gauchos to only 22 shots and junior goalkeeper Robbie Hannon recorded his second shutout in his second start this season. The Gauchos had not been shut out in 22 games. The last time they were shutout was on Oct. 1, 2011. UCSB is 7-0-3 overall and 1-0-1 in Big West competition. The Titans, 4-7-1, look to improve their Big West Conference record this weekend to have a chance to make the playoffs. Currently, the Titans are 0-1-1 in Big West games. The next game against Sacramento State will definitely be a tough challenge. Sacramento State is the only undefeated team in Big West play with a 2-0 record. They defeated UC Irvine and Cal State Northridge. The Sacramento State Hornets have received an increase in offensive support scoring six goals in their two wins. The Hornets also captured both offensive and defensive Big West Conference players of the week. SEE MEN’S SOCCER, 8