TUESDAYMarch 20, 2012Volume 97, Issue 93

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SUNNYHIGH: 66LOW: 49SUNSET: 7PM

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

A fan defendsFranklin’sgametime useof his middlefinger.

O P I N I O N

B AC K PAG E

Listen, numberone priority: Fixthose self esteemissues. Soon it’llreally start to sink in, become another layer ofyour skin.Epidermis, dermis,subcutaneous tissue, then below that, low self-worth. 4

2

Lama Tenzin heralds April visit

On Wednesday, San Diego Stateopened its doors to the VenerableLama Tenzin Dhonden. LamaTenzin, personal peace emissary forHis Holiness the 14th Dalai Lama’sspoke at the Parma Payne GoodallAlumni Center.

Lama Tenzin’s lecture encom-passed several different topics, fromthe basics of Tibetan Buddhism,such as the Four Noble Truths, tomore universal issues such as the

cessation of suffering. After the brieflecture, the floor was opened forquestions. Many in attendance, stu-dents and non-students alike, haddifficult questions for Lama Tenzin,which yielded difficult answers.

Most were curious regarding hap-piness and how one truly achieves it.

“Find what makes you angry anddo the opposite of that,” LamaTenzin said, making a joke inresponse to one student.

However difficult the questionsand answers were to process, manystudents left feeling fulfilled. JustinAncheta, a double major in sociolo-

gy and religious studies, said themost important question asked was“How do you get rid of the ego?”

Ancheta said Lama Tenzin’sresponse, that as human beings noone can ever get rid of the ego, wasa “crucial point” in the discussion.

John Davidi, a second-year politi-cal science major, said Lama Tenzinhad “a lot of wise words” to offer stu-dents. “He made things sound sim-ple, but also so complex,” he added.Lama Tenzin’s visit to SDSU is a pre-cursor to a three-day San Diego visitfrom His Holiness the 14th DalaiLama in April. The Dalai Lama will

speak at SDSU, UC San Diego andthe University of San Diego.

Melissa Henss, assistant directorof presidential events for SDSU, saidLama Tenzin “felt it was important tocome and lecture with our campuscommunity, to educate people on‘Compassion Without Borders,’ whatthat means, and really just to answerany questions people might havebefore His Holiness’ visit in April.”

The Dalai Lama visits SDSU at 9:30a.m on April 19 and will deliver alecture about “Upholding UniversalEthics and Compassion inChallenging Times.”

KKeevviinn SSmmeeaaddassistant news editor

The Venerable Lama Tenzin Dhonden speaking to a gathered group of students and non-students last Wednesday at the Parma Payne Goodall Alumni Center. | ANTONIO ZARAGOZA, PHOTO EDITOR

San Diego State held its annualExplore SDSU Open House event from9 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Saturday. It invitedprospective students to explore whatlife could be like as an Aztec.

Brandon Benson, a prospectivestudent for this fall, was impressedwith the overall presentation of theevent and everything SDSU has tooffer. Although Benson is still unsureif he will be attending the school inthe fall, the event helped him putthings into perspective.

“It was great to see how much hardwork the faculty and students put into create such a wonderful event forall the prospective students,” Bensonsaid. “Even in the pouring rain, clubsand affiliations tabling all over cam-pus still put their best foot forwardand made students feel welcome. My

favorite part of the day was touring afraternity house and learning moreabout Greek life on campus.”

Sigma Phi Epsilon Fraternity andAlpha Chi Omega Sorority were twoof the houses selected to give housetours on the day of the event. Inaddition to guided tours of Greekhousing, a tour of the campus, resi-dence halls and the AztecRecreation Center were also offered.

Parents accompanying their childrenat the event were also pleased with theorganization of the open house.

“Before attending the event, Iwrote down a list of questions Ihoped to get answered at the openhouse. By the end of the day all myquestions were answered and I waseven provided with more informa-tion I hadn’t thought about,” SeanBenson, father of prospective stu-

dent Brandon Benson, said. “If thisevent is any indicator of how thisuniversity is run on a daily basis, thenI will be more than satisfied if my sonchooses to attend this school.”

In addition to the tours and infor-mation sessions, live entertainmentand family-friendly activities werealso offered. SDSU alumni were wel-comed back to attend the event toreconnect with their favorite pro-grams and departments and exploreall that has changed on campus.

Emily Barkenbush, an admitted out-of-state student, highly recommendsattending Explore SDSU to future stu-dents interested in the school.

“I really encourage students tocome check out SDSU Explore OpenHouse. It really helped me to seewhat the university is like. Theyshared a lot of information givingme a better understanding of theclasses and requirements for themajor I am interested in,”Barkenbush said.

SStteepphhaanniiee SSaacccceenntteestaff writer

Despite rain, students explore SDSU

Prospective students walking through campus Saturday. | ANTONIO ZARAGOZA, PHOTO EDITOR

D A I L Y A Z T E CTuesday,

March 20, 2012 O P I N I O N2

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Seed of the Aztecs during the NCAA Tournament

Games won by SDSU’s men’s basketball team this year

Points scored by Jamaal Franklin against NC State

Points scored by SDSU against NC State

Games won by the San Diego State basketball team in Las Vegas this year

Championships won by the Aztecs in the NCAA Tournament this year

8 Games lost this year by the Aztecs men’s basketball team

1 Fingers extended by Jamaal Franklin at the NCAA Tournament

FOR SDSU MEN’S BASKETBALL

A defense of Franklin’s character

LETTER TO THE EDITOR

n the high profile world ofDivision one college basket-ball, student athletes areplaced under more scrutinythan ever before. One wrong

move and the media will be all overa 20-something-year-old studentathlete like vultures on a carcass inthe desert. This is the unfortunatescenario that befell San Diego State’sown Jamaal Franklin after he wascaught extending his middle fingerin the direction of referee RandyMcCall during the team’s loss toNew Mexico in the Mountain WestConference tournament final in LasVegas. Media members includingstaff of SDSU’s own Daily Aztec werequick to criticize Franklin before thewhole story emerged.

Despite what a column inMonday’s issue of The Daily Aztecstated, Franklin did not “flip the bird”at McCall, but at a New Mexico fanwho had been yelling racial slurs andinsulting Franklin’s family since the

team began warm-ups at theThomas and Mack Center.

Franklin, who apologized to histeammates at the team’s SelectionSunday viewing, stated, “I feel I letthe community down, this programdown and I let the school down. I letmy emotions get the best of me. Ididn’t give a finger to the ref. I wouldnever give a finger to the ref… But Idid give a finger out. I can’t denythat. I can’t lie about that. A Lobo fanwas bugging me the whole time. Hecalled me the n-word and talkedabout my family. He just got undermy skin. I should have never let himget under my skin.”

Many people do not believeFranklin’s story however, thinking it tojust be an elaborate cover up toensure that he was able to participatein Friday’s loss to North Carolina Statein the second round of the NCAATournament. Others have emerged insupport of Franklin’s story however. A

caller to Lee “Hacksaw” Hamilton’ssports talk radio show on XX1090 AMlast Monday who attended the tour-nament game between New Mexicoand Air Force, stated that he heardNew Mexico fans shouting racial slursnot only at Air Force players, but atmembers of the New Mexico squadas well. The situation became so badthat Thomas and Mack Center securi-ty eventually removed the offendingfan from the arena.

Franklin’s actions can hardly beconsidered the best course to resolv-ing the issue, but one can hardlyblame him for responding. Could hehave found a better way to solve thesituation? Yes. But at only 20 yearsold, Franklin let his emotions do thetalking and in all honesty he could ofdone a lot worse.

Sometimes I think society has toremember that these student-ath-letes are still kids who make mis-takes and use those mistakes to

grow not only as athletes, but alsoas people. Franklin took responsibili-ty for his actions and apologized notonly to his teammates, but also toSDSU, his family, his friends, and hisfans and what more can we ask?

Franklin’s teammate Chase Tapleysaid it best at his press conference lastMonday, “Personally I feel like he reallymanned up for that and accepting hisrole, what he did and it just made merespect him more as a man. For him toget up there in front of those peopleand him being emotional and apolo-gizing like that. I mean I could havedone it, but he did it the way I couldn’teven imagine him doing it. So it wasjust a good moment for the team andwhen he was finished I just wanted togive him a hug, give him a handshakeand embrace him. Just have to respecthim as a man for what he did and Ireally appreciate him for that.”

—Thomas Sholan, SDSU student

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

A clarification from the editorIn the letter above, it is stated that Kenneth Leonard, theoriginal author, only implied Franklin flipped off the referee.In fact, Leonard did mention the possibility of Franklin flipping off a fan of the New Mexico basketball team.

D A I L Y A Z T E CTuesday, March 20, 2012C L A S S I F I E D S 3

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D A I L Y A Z T E CTuesday,

March 20, 2012 B AC K PAG E4

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 Stove fuel4 Consent (to)

10 Sauna sounds13 Tiny trouble-

maker14 Drink ordered

dry or dirty16 Cheer word17 *Where some

carry keys19 Pie __ mode20 New Mexico art

colony21 Volcano output22 Flavor24 Author Ferber

and actress Best26 *Behind-the-

scenes area29 Reno roller30 “Now I __ me

down ...”32 One more33 Two-time N.L.

batting champLefty

35 The Beatles’ “__Love You”

36 Physics particle37 *Peugeot or

Renault, e.g.40 Coppertone let-

ters42 Remote batter-

ies43 Krispy __

doughnuts46 Nonbeliever48 “This __ ripoff!”49 Farm worker?51 *Campaign in

rural areas53 Slow, to

Schumann55 Brazilian writer

Jorge56 Velvet finish?58 “Gypsys, Tramps

& Thieves”singer

59 Grafton’s “__ forCorpse”

60 Schoolentrances, or, ina way, whateach answer toa starred cluehas

64 One for Monet

65 Evaporated66 MGM mascot67 Airline to

Stockholm68 Trattoria

desserts69 Time workers:

Abbr.

DDOOWWNN1 Like geniuses2 Medium with a

lot of talk3 Ate, as soup4 Price to pay:

Abbr.5 Bullfighter’s

cloak6 “Road” film

co-star7 __ Sketch:

drawing toy8 Hägar creator

Browne9 Suffix with

benz-

10 Wind RiverReservationtribe

11 Kind of lampwith a tungstenfilament

12 One who does-n’t hog

15 “__ Easy”:Ronstadt hit

18 Decoding org.23 Something to

wear25 Sot’s speech

problem27 Money28 Atlantic Division

NBA team31 Balt. Orioles’ div.34 Step on some-

one’s toes, so tospeak

35 Mac alternatives38 Brussels-based

defense gp.39 Shrinking sea

40 Marathoner’sneed

41 They may becoined

44 Street opening45 Became a con-

testant46 Gadget you can

count on?47 “This ___”: “How

strange”48 Well-heeled

Marcos50 Sculptors’ sub-

jects52 Resist authority54 Earth-friendly

prefix57 Neither an ally

nor an enemy:Abbr.

61 Common URLender

62 Slangy about-face63 Printer resolu-

tion meas.

Solutions available online at www.thedailyaztec.com

TODAY’S BIRTHDAY (3/20/12) Expectchanges and the unexpected this year asUranus, continuing in your sign until 2018,joins forces with your Sun. What's reallyimportant becomes apparent. A partnerhelps you achieve the next level. Take thephilosophical high road when you choose.Stay true to yourself and to your word.

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 7 -The pressure you've been under is easing.Relax and enjoy the view, as you guesswhat to watch for next. A sense of humoris key. Stick to simple work.

TAURUS (April 20 - May 20) - Today is an 8- Use caution while others around you areimpetuous. Something you thoughtwouldn't work does. Seek funding. Trustlove. Explore every lead. It's basic.

GEMINI (May 21 - June 21) - Today is an 8 -When organizing, only keep the very best,and give the rest away. Your partnerprovides an answer. Peace, quiet andstability rejuvenate. Share good food athome.

CANCER (June 22 - July 22) - Today is an 8- Aim for high marks, as there's a testcoming up. Your willingness to learn newtechnology gives you an edge. Don'tlaunch until ready. Expand options.

LEO (July 23 - Aug. 22) - Today is an 8 -Travel and new endeavors are favored withthe Sun in Aries (double-check schedules,with Mercury's retrograde). Keep a solidfinancial plan, and take a familiar road.

VIRGO (Aug. 23 - Sept. 22) - Today is a 7 -

With the Sun in Aries for the next month,get even more organized than usual,especially when it comes to finances.Replace something broken at home.Abundance beckons.

LIBRA (Sept. 23 - Oct. 22) - Today is a 9 -You're getting busier by the minute.Organization and optimism work togetherto bring you what you want. What ifsuccess is doing what you love? Nocomplaining.

SCORPIO (Oct. 23 - Nov. 21) - Today is an 8- Your creative wild side is an asset. Addingstructure will give you the strength youneed to move to the next level. Yourintuition's excellent.

SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22 - Dec. 21) - Today isan 8 - You move the idea outside the box,and it has room to grow. Avoid a conflictin scheduling by checking it twice. Preparemore than you think necessary.

CAPRICORN (Dec. 22 - Jan. 19) - Today is a7 - Passions are running hot, socommunicate clearly to avoidmisunderstandings. Your family helps youto move forward. Keep questioning, andyou'll get an answer.

AQUARIUS (Jan. 20 - Feb. 18) - Today is an8 - Use the attention you're attracting togather supporters for your goals. Worktogether to improve the economy. Noteverything goes according to plan.

PISCES (Feb. 19 - March 20) - Today is a 9 -Everything looks more promising now. Youhave new opportunities for income for thenext four weeks, but don't fall asleep onyour laurels. Keep pedaling.

©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

LIKE SDSU news?LIKE SDSU news? / Daily Aztec

PLEASE NOTE:The views expressed in the written works of this issue do not necessarily reflect the opinion of The Daily Aztec.Letters to the editor can be sent to letters@thedailyaztec.com. Story ideas can be sent to tips@thedailyaztec.com.

C O N TAC T :GENERAL INFORMATION

619.594.4199FOR ALL OTHER CONTACTS, PLEASE VISITthedailyaztec.com

he next time you can’tsleep, take a nice hotshower. Let the waterrun a minute or twobefore you begin to

wash. The steam will help get rid ofthe oil on your hands. Don’t thinkabout your car’s clutch, how youinvariably failed your own repair again.

You won’t notice the scratchesuntil the water reaches them. Cleanthem well, that’ll make them hurtless. If you convince yourself there’sno pain, there won’t be. You learnedthat skill in middle school, whenDanny Mako pulled your arm out ofits socket on the soccer field at lunchbut you didn’t scream. You finishedthe fight. Survived through 5th and6th periods and the two-mile walkhome, and you didn’t cry until youmade it past the threshold whereyour mother found you and took youto the hospital where you begged hernot to call the principal or Danny’sparents, and finally she agreed. That’swhen you learned even adults lie,you could tell by the way her eyesturned dull as clay when she prom-ised not to intervene. Remember thatday. No one can take that away fromyou. You proved yourself once, youcan do it again.

Try not to think of your faults.That’ll only make things worse, andwhen Rachel comes over she’llsense it on you, a sourness the soap

couldn’t wash away. And besides,she’ll already know you failedbecause the car’s still on blocks inthe driveway, and the garage door’sclosed, with no lights on, so don’tact like you know what the nextstep is, what you’ll fix tomorrow.

You have questions about therelationship. So, here’s your answer:The fact that she doesn’t mentionyour failures. That’s how you knowshe’s worth keeping.

You’ll stay up thinking about allthese insignificant questions that feelinsurmountable. That’s normal. Youdon’t get over that. The questionsand regrets evolve, but the anxietyremains. You learn to live with it,same as how you learn to live withRachel’s little tics — the way sheunwraps her gum, careful, as if tryingto teach herself origami. The way shebreezes through stop signs. How shecan watch a television show over andover and still laugh at expectedpunch lines. It’s just like the way shecan enjoy a beautiful day. Admirehow she smiles freely when you’redriving toward the ocean with thewindows rolled down, her right armreddened subtly by the sun. Look atyour reflection in the rearview. Try to

unload the anchors dragging on yourneck, pulling your head down. Makea conscious effort, for both of us.

Don’t be jealous of Rachel’s abilityto live. She’s closer to happiness thanyou are. That’s not ignorance, that’swisdom. It’s a skill. It requires a ton ofpractice. It’s proof she’s willing towork at becoming what she wants tobe, at becoming a better person. Andreally, you’re not perfect, so stopdeluding yourself.

Listen, number one priority: Fixthose self-esteem issues. Soon it’llstart to really sink in, become anoth-er layer to your skin. Epidermis, der-mis, subcutaneous tissue, thenbelow that, low self-worth. Prettysoon people won’t want to bearound you anymore, so fake confi-dence if you have to. You don’t wantto be alone again. When you’realone, you see things clearly, andreality is terrifying. Hold these thingsin the way you tucked your dislocat-ed arm inside your sweatshirt.Remember how, although attachedto your body, the numbness made itfeel like it wasn’t yours, a secret youwere protecting for a friend. Holdyour losses close to your chest.

Then, when the time’s right, forcethem back into yourself so you canbegin to heal.

—Mason Schoen is a creative writinggraduate student.

FICT ION

Letter to my past selfMMaassoonn SScchhooeennfiction writerT

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

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