WEDNESDAYMay 9, 2012Volume 97 Issue 118

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Clothing trucks drivelocal fashion to newer,trendier heights.

W E AT H E R :

SUNNYHIGH: 77LOW: 58SUNSET: 7:37 PM

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

Matthew Roccatalks cults,vampires andstudent acting opportunities.

E N T E R TA I N M E N T

B AC K PAG E

Although I’vegrown to loveyou, EastCommons, I’mlooking forwardto getting away from youfor the next fewmonths. I needmy space ...maybe we canstart again. 4

2

Next month, Californians will vote ontwo ballot measures that are quicklybecoming prominent as debate sur-rounding them heats up.

While Proposition 28 reduces termlimits for members of the state legis-lature by two years (from 14 to 12),Proposition 29 focuses on an issuethat directly affects all Californians.

The proposition, which was placedon the ballot by petition, wouldimpose an additional $1 tax on eachpack of cigarettes. This wouldincrease the tax on cigarette packsfrom 87 cents to $1.87. Proponents ofProposition 29 claim this tax wouldraise between $700 and $800 milliona year. This money would specificallyfund research to find cures for cancerand other tobacco-related illnesses.

“If I thought all that money wouldactually go to cancer research I mightbe for it. But I think it’s basically justanother way for the government totry and discourage smokers (alongwith all the extra taxes, non-smokingareas, warning labels, etc),” non-smoker Rachael Butcher said.

The proposed la,w titled Hope2010: The California Cancer ResearchAct, allots varying percentages offunds to different aspects of cancerresearch. Sixty percent of the fundsaccumulated will flow directly intothe Hope 2010 Research Fund, whichis the portion of the act set asidespecifically for research grants. Fifteenpercent of the funds will be puttoward providing equipment andfacilities to be used for the research.Twenty percent will be allotted to theHope 2010 Tobacco Prevention andCessation Fund, which focuses on theregulation and prevention of tobaccouse, including the implementation oftobacco education programs.

“I don’t necessarily think it’s fine totarget smokers only, but when it’s forsomething as important as cancerresearch, I don’t care at all.” television,film and new media senior and smok-er James Reese said. “You also have toconsider the fact that we, as smokers,may benefit later from the researchwe are helping to fund now.”

The remaining 5 percent is directedtoward committee costs and lawenforcement programs that combatthe sale of untaxed and illegal tobacco.

The implementation of thesemeasures is to be overseen by theHope 2010 Cancer Research CitizensOversight Committee, which ismade up of members from state

health offices and members of thescientific community.

The proposition is supported by theAmerican Cancer Society, the AmericanLung Association and the AmericanStroke Association, as well as manyother cancer-related organizations.

The ballot measure is not withoutits opposition, though. The “No onProp 29” campaign is very vocal inexpressing its stance, claiming theproposition is the brainchild of a“career politician,” and“the so-calledCalifornia Cancer Research Act, is aflawed and poorly drafted measurethat would create a new unaccount-able state bureaucracy filled withpolitical appointees.”

The group behind the campaigncalls itself Californians Against Out-of-Control Taxes and Spending. Withthe vote less than a month away,nearly $40 million has been spent onthe No on 29 campaign. The largestdonors include cigarette companiesPhillip Morris USA and R. J. Reynolds.

The rhetoric used by the anti-Proposition 29 group spotlights theomission of the state budget from themeasure, the potential wastefulspending, “conflicts of interest” andthe assertion that this measures cir-cumvents a tax requirement, whichmandates 40 percent of tax revenuemust go toward schools.

The measure will be voted onJune fifth.

Donning red shirts reading “I don’t wantto strike, but I will,” approximately 150faculty members from San Diego Stateto Humbolt State rallied at theCalifornia State University Chancellor’sOffice in Long Beach to protest the CSUBoard of Trustees meeting.

According to a press release sentout by the California FacultyAssociation, the CSU trustees will belooking to revise their recently instatedpolicy allowing a newly hired CSUexecutive to receive a salary increaseno greater than 10 percent of theirpredecessor. This policy was imple-mented after the widespread criticismSDSU and other CSUs received afterpaying President Elliot Hirshman 33percent more than his predecessor,Stephen L. Weber.

The proposed change would capthe amount of money state funds con-tribute to salaries of newly hired CSUpresidents. Although the capped salaryincrease would remain at 10 percent,only non-state funds could pay forthese raises. The funds that would gotoward these salary increases wouldcome from the private donation-fund-ed foundations at each CSU School.

“So what the CSU is proposing is toactually freeze what presidents wouldget from the state side of CSU, tuitionfunds or anything like that, at the levelof the predecessor,” CSU media rela-tions manager Erik Fallis said. “So it’sactually a more strict policy than theprior one.”

Currently, Hirshman receives$350,000 in state funds and $50,000from foundation money. Faculty pro-testers call this move by the trustees a“shell game.”

“They say (the money for presiden-tial salaries) comes out of a differentpot, but all these pots affect studentsnegatively,” CFA spokesperson BrianFerguson said. “The foundations dothings like fund student activities andscholarships, and although the raises

would no longer come from the state-generated funds, it still comes out ofmoney that would as a result nolonger be spent on students.”

Meanwhile, the bargaining processbetween CFA and CSU administratorsremains unresolved. Their respectivebargaining teams convened last week-

end, but the discussion ended whenthe CFA walked away from the table.

“We sat down with them trying tocome to an agreement last week,they walked out of those contractnegotiations yesterday, and franklythe only issue we thought was stillunresolved when they walked washow much in state taxpayer and stu-dent tuition dollars went towardpaying their president and commit-tee action chair to do union and

political business,” Fallis said.He said the bargainers had come to

an agreement on faculty pay. “The faculty has been lying about

where we were about that issue,”Fallis said. “In fact, they sent a pro-posal forward on April 6 that essen-tially took that issue off the table.But they’ve been making statementson the contrary.”

On the other hand, Ferguson saidthe bargaining teams still have severalunresolved issues.

“The CSU says issues are resolved,in as much as they’re no longer will-ing to talk about them,” Fergusonsaid. “There’s 40 articles in our con-tract, and I think they’ve only agreedon 13 or 14 of them.”

Ferguson lists job security for lectur-er faculty and making sure facultyrather than administrators determineclass sizes as important issues yet to beagreed upon. He also claims facultysalary remains unresolved.

“There seems to be a fundamentaldisagreement between the sides onwhat it is we’re talking about,”Ferguson said. “We’re hopeful, butnot optimistic. The fact that theadministration has said they want totalk and want to talk often is a goodsign though.”

KKeevviinn SSmmeeaaddassistant news editor

HHuuttttoonn MMaarrsshhaallllnews editor

CFA protests CSU trustees meeting

Upcoming prop to tax smokers

Proposition 29 will add an additional $1 to the 87 cent tax on cigarretes. Most of its revenue will go toward cancer research. | THINKSTOCK

“There seems to be a fundamentaldisagreement ... on what it is we’retalking about. We’re hopeful, butnot optimistic.”

Brian Ferguson, California Faculty Association spokesperson

D A I L Y A Z T E CWednesday, May 9, 2012 E N T E R TA I N M E N T2

Balboa concertdraws a crowd

Those who did not go to BalboaPark’s Spreckels Organ Pavilion onCinco de Mayo missed a wonderfulevent. Sponsored by the KiwanisClub of San Diego and the San DiegoState School of Music and Dance,Concert in the Park is an event wheretalented students from SDSU per-form a free show for the public.

The concert opened with SDSU’sAztec Warrior taking to the stage to getthe crowd excited by blowing hisconch and yelling, “Let’s Go Aztecs!” Aswas to be expected, this led to thun-derous applause from the largelyenthusiastic audience.

The first half of the program wasmostly devoted to the SDSU JazzEnsemble, led by conductor BillYeager. The opening song, “South ofthe Border (Down Mexico Way),” hadthe band’s musicians singing theirmighty hearts out.

The second number was “Manha deCarnival (Black Orpheus),” a horn-heavy tune with an energetic tone. Itwas clear the show was runningsmoothly when Yeager bobbed hishead along to the upbeat rhythms.

After the ensemble played“Montuno Azul,” which included abig solo from percussionist LarryGrano, Master of Ceremonies BryanMain said the ensemble was “not badat all.” That was a low-key way ofsaying it was absolutely amazing.

It was then time for the SDSUChamber Choir, conducted by Dr.Patrick Walders, to sing several songsperfect for the festive holiday. “Sway(¿Quien Sera?)” was a great introduc-

tion for the choir. The group sangbeautifully, and there was even time toshowcase a sizzling dance between achoir member and a dance student.

The Chamber Choir’s renditions of“Son de Camaguey” as well as “BesameMucho” were mellow fun, and in a way,maybe the most relaxing part of thelively evening. The night ended withthe choir and jazz ensemble joiningtogether to perform a Chick Corea andJoaquin Rodrigo medley. For a fewseconds, it seemed like Concert in thePark was going to end on a melan-choly note, because the beginning ofthe final piece featured a sad interpre-tation from the choir. However, themusic became more upbeat as thesaxophonists, trombonists and trum-pet players turned it into a celebratoryanthem. After the melody, the maingroups played a brief encore of “Spain,”which strongly concluded this year’s“Concert in the Park.”

It is unbelievable how terrific theacoustics are in the outdoorSpreckels Organ Pavilion. No matterwhere one sits, the sound quality isexcellent. Unlike some indoor con-certs, the sound never becomesoverwhelmingly deafening.

“Concert in the Park” is a very suc-cessful show, yet it deserves to be evenmore popular. While there were plentyof older attendees, there were notmany SDSU students in attendance.

Hopefully, this account will encour-age college readers to check this high-light out next year, right before Cincode Mayo abruptly turns into Drinko deMayo. It also doesn’t hurt that it costs atotal of zero dollars for admission.

Information for “Concert in the Park”can be found atkiwanisclubsandiego.org/wordpress-blog/recent-projects.

Recent television, film and newmedia graduate Matthew Rocca isramping up production on his festi-val-bound, feature-length vampirecrime epic, “Bullets, Fangs andDinner at 8.” The independentlyfunded San Diego-based produc-tion boasts a number of San DiegoState TFM students in the cast andcrew. Rocca spoke to The DailyAztec about vampire stereotypes,fostering mutual understandingand how SDSU students can getinvolved with making the film.

The Daily Aztec: You describe yourfilm as “Dracula” meets “TheDeparted.” What else can you tell usabout the plot?Matthew Rocca: Without givingtoo many of the twists away,whenever I say “vampires” in thescript, I use a quote unquotebecause the vampires in our storyare human beings. Picture this inreal life, if a group of people gottogether who were extremists andwere very obsessed with vampiremovies and vampire lore. And theybelieved that if they kept drinkingblood they would become immor-tal eventually. It’s more about thisstory of a cult of human beingswho are causing all this mayhemas opposed to the stereotypical,supernatural story like “Twilight.”

And there is a whole war thatbreaks out between the church andthe vampires. What’s interesting,and a huge reason why this movieis so important to me, is the churchand the vampires find the dark sideof one another and also thehumanity. So it’s reflecting what Ibelieve is important. And that isaccepting others’ belief systems. It’snot just a typical good-versus-eviltale. And that balances out all thebloodshed, awesome, fun, action

gore that accompanies the movie.

DA: What inspired you to make arealistic vampire film?MR: Before the (vampire) craze, backin 2008, I was taking a walk with afilmmaker friend of mine. And wewere talking about differentHalloween, scary monsters and tome, vampires were always the scari-est; the primal construct of it andinvading someone’s body and takingtheir blood like that.

Then as we were talking about this,we came across some homeless peo-ple. We tried to help them out, givethem some food, but one of themwas kind of persistent and getting inyour face asking for more. And then Isaid to my friend, “Wouldn’t it becreepy if that guy started biting yourneck?” And that started to put theimagery of the movie (together). Andthen I started to form it from there.

DA: How far into production are you?MR: Right now we are at the begin-ning of production. We started pro-duction in January and we’ve beenshooting since. But since most of thecrew are TFM majors, everyone hashad a lot going on the last couplemonths with finals. But now that it’ssummertime, we are going all outwith production. And that’s alsothe point of these fundraisers: togive us the money we need to getreal intense instead of just everyother weekend.

DA: What are your plans for the filmonce it is complete? MR: We have a plan to release it to asmany film festivals as we possiblycan. And, fingers crossed, we’re plan-ning to do some select theaters herein San Diego and possibly one or twoin LA. And, as far as online, I’ve heardof indie filmmakers making twicetheir budgets by putting their movieup online and on iTunes. This wouldbe a great strategy for us because wealready have such a fanbase and wecan continue to expand it.

DA: What made you want to makethis film independently?

MR: When I first started writing thescript, I was a student at SDSU andthat’s where I first started gatheringup crew. At first it was a matter ofpracticality. Where do I have the mostconnections? Who would be the mostinterested in helping me out? Andthen that extended after graduation.

And then as an artist, it’s betterfor me, because if I were to submitit to a studio, they could like thestory but then they could do what-ever they want with it. And thestory is so important to me that Iwouldn’t want to see it in someoneelse’s hands at this point.

DA: How are you financing the filmand how can those who are interest-ed contribute?MR: In addition to the fundraisers,we have our Facebook website“Bullets, Fang, and Dinner at 8.” OnFacebook, they have a little buttoncalled “FBML” under the info (sec-tion). Clicking on that takes you toPayPal, where you can donate assmall or as much as you want. Andalso, I’m starting up a “Kickstarter”website. And Kickstarter is reallywell-known for financing films.

DA: With summer around the cor-ner, how can people volunteer withproduction?MR: We are looking to expand ourcrew. Really, any department canuse some assistance. It’s a greatopportunity for people who are real-ly interested in the industry becausehaving a feature on your résuméreally helps with opening doors.We’re looking for assistants in thecamera department, gaffers andgrips and we’re looking for produc-tion design help and audio would bea huge one. And also, for peoplewho simply don’t know enoughabout film and still want to be a partof it, we’re always looking for pro-duction assistants. There’s lots ofways for people to get involved.

I should also mention for actors:This is one of those movies thathas a lot of scenes with differentextras and scenes with small dia-logue parts so we’re looking for awhole range of people for that aswell. There are so many interestingbut small roles. Actors, and evennon-actors who just want to havetheir face featured in a movie,we’re definitely looking for that.

For anyone interested in volun-teering or donating, go to “BFD8”on Facebook or contact MatthewRocca at mattrocca@ymail.com.Trailer and sample scenes availableat vimeo.com.

UNDER THE SCOPE

DDaavviidd DDiixxoonnstaff writer

AAnnddrreeww YYoouunnggeerrsenior staff writer

The recent TFM graduate is taking volunteers to act in his movie. | COURTESY OF MATTHEW ROCCA

SDSU grad talks about his latest movie

... One of them was kind of persistent getting in your face ...I said to my friend, “Wouldn’t itbe creepy if that guy startedbiting your neck?”

Matthew Rocca, director and recent SDSU grad

Vampirism and cultsfeature in MatthewRocca’s flick

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Mobile fashion trucks have become atrending phenomenon, introducing anew way to shop without setting footin a mall. Inspired by the food truckcraze, mobile shopping has emerged asa way for up-and-coming designersand shop owners to engage with thefashion-conscious public throughmobile boutiques that connect toshoppers with regular Facebook and

Twitter updates, sharing whereaboutsand upcoming events.

Jeanine Romo and Stacey Steffe,forerunners of the mobile fashiontrend, opened Le Fashion Truck lastJanuary. The Los Angeles-based storeoffers unique finds, from local design-ers to vintage goods, as well as Romo’spersonal jewelry line.

“What’s key for us is not beinggrounded in one location at a time,”Steffe said in an interview with FoxBusiness. “LA is a spread-out city, so wearen’t waiting for customers to come tous. We could never just pick up a brick-and-mortar and move it.”

Créme Tangerine is a trailer for themusically inclined, parked outsideUrban Outfitters in Costa Mesa. Bluessinger Parker Macy opened this quaintvintage trailer to buy and sell a varietyof rare vinyl, along with newer records.The classic, baby blue trailer housesrecords to satisfy all musical tastes,whether retro or modern.

San Diego’s very own fashion truck,Therapie Boutique, boasts its accessi-bility with its motto: “Style on the Go!”

Owner Kelly Carney has operatedboutiques in San Diego and worked at

Nordstrom for 15 years. “I was looking at what the food

trucks were doing and said, ‘If they cando it then I can,’” Carney said in aninterview with Any Second Now. “Allwomen need shopping therapy, and Iwanted to be able to bring my conceptand clothes to busy women all overSan Diego. My style is classic contem-porary with a little bit of edge. I offersomething for everyone no matteryour age, style or size. TherapieBoutique has something for everyone.”

Inside the stylized RV, all merchan-dise is priced for less than $75. This

includes a selection of purses, hats,scarves, jewelry and accessories, aswell as bottoms, dresses and tops forany body shape.

Therapie Boutique and VespaMotorsport held an event called Modade Mayo last Saturday, with festivitiesincluding music, live art, a fashionshow, food trucks and a raffle. A por-tion of the proceeds from the event

went to the San Diego Bulldog Rescue. Therapie Boutique can be found on

Fern Street and on the secondSaturday of every month at the PacificBeach Farmers Market. It can also befound on Baynard and Hornblendevery Tuesday and at North ParkFarmers Market every Thursday.

For those seeking a combinationof personal service and immediacy ,

retail trucks offer perfect harmony.In an interview with Any Second

Now, Carney explained the mostenjoyable part of her venture: “I amable to do anything — the sky is thelimit. I can go to people’s homes,farmers markets, local events andfundraisers. Therapie Boutiquebrings shopping therapy to everywoman: We are style on the go.”

BBrriittttaannyy FFaassaannoostaff writer

“I was looking at what the foodtrucks were doing and said, ‘Ifthey can do it then I can’ ... Allwomen need shopping therapy ...”

Kelly Carney, owner of Therapie Boutique

Clothing trucks draw curbside fashionistas

Therapie Boutique remedies locals’ fashion woes by delivering threads from the catwalk to the sidewalk. | MONICA LINZMEIER, STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER

D A I L Y A Z T E CWednesday, May 9, 2012 B AC K PAG E4

Difficulty Level: 3 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 Leaves with a

peppery taste6 Experian, for-

merly9 FDR’s dog

13 Blimp filler15 Young gang

member17 Pilot Earhart18 Classic sitcom

sidekick19 Relationship

where three is acrowd

21 Makes level22 Nats’ MLB div.23 Entering-a-hot-

tub sounds27 Revival setting28 “Not another

word!”31 Swamp critters33 With agility34 [Headdesk]37 Mineral in the

raw38 Pebble Beach

prop39 Capp and

Capone40 Gamer’s screen

image42 Happy hoops

sound44 Original Tevye

player46 Feminizing suf-

fix50 Canal to the

Hudson River51 “__ we there

yet?”52 Roll-on brand53 “Forget it!”, and a

hint to thestarts of 19-, 28-and 44-Across

57 Warning oftenshouted too late

60 Emulate 17-Across

61 Health programsince 1965

62 Performer usinglots of notes

63 Beach toy64 Hot65 West Yorkshire

city

DDOOWWNN1 AprŹs-ski hang-

out2 Do away with3 Late news time4 Bit of muscle?5 Looks good on6 Piz Bernina’s

range7 Dangerfield of

“Caddyshack”8 “The World of

Suzie ___”: 1960film

9 Pistol, e.g.10 Player rep.11 Thai native12 Former Texas

governorRichards

14 Scuff up16 Texter’s roar20 How freshly

caught fishshould be kept

24 Actress Jessica25 Cross-country

course feature26 1974

Gould/Sutherland CIA spoof

28 Black-clad,masked hero

29 Newsman Roger30 One-eighties32 Give in to wan-

derlust34 Stupefy35 Walkie-talkie

word36 Big name in

espionage38 Experienced

trick-or-treater,perhaps

41 Pedicure focus42 Like crosswalks43 Leading lady45 About 30% of

Africa47 Emergency

room procedure48 Added some

color to49 Border neaten-

ers52 Ibuprofen brand54 Available sans

Rx55 37-Across carri-

er56 Utility bill item57 Little dickens58 Spot in the

afternoon?59 Reagan-era mil.

program

Solutions available online at www.thedailyaztec.com

TODAY’S BIRTHDAY (5/9/12) - One birthdaygift today is an exceptional charm withwords. Take advantage of the situation toreconnect with your network. Every yearthat goes by reinforces the power of yourfriendships. Your business grows this year,especially when propelled by purpose.Explore new frontiers.

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 an 8 -Expect a financially savvy phase for thenext couple of weeks. You can managemore responsibilities now. Keep reachingfor the perfect career. Practice makesperfect.

TAURUS (April 20 - May 20) - Today is an 8- You're even smarter than normal withMercury in your sign (starting today). Yourintuition is right on target. Listen to afriend.

GEMINI (May 21 - June 21) - Today is an 8 -With Mercury in Taurus for the next threeweeks, begin a lucrative phase. Appreciatethe finer things in life. Let somebody elsestir up the trouble.

CANCER (June 22 - July 22) - Today is a 9 -You'll work more effectively in groups forthe forseeable future. Someone from faraway (or even in a book?) inspires you tocreate.

LEO (July 23 - Aug. 22) - Today is a 9 - It'sgetting busy. Heed an older woman'sadvice. Your word is extra powerful, so diveinto passion projects. Love and money are

available.VIRGO (Aug. 23 - Sept. 22) - Today is a 9 -

Distant lands have a new appeal. Injectglamour into your work with a fantasytheme. A coming change is for the better.

LIBRA (Sept. 23 - Oct. 22) - Today is a 7 -Stick to practicalities. Stop and smell theflowers, or better yet, give them tenderlove. Pay off bills for the month, and workcontinues to go well.

SCORPIO (Oct. 23 - Nov. 21) - Today is a 9 -Listen to your mate's advice throughoutthe rest of the month. As long as you'rewilling to keep learning and challengingyourself, your endeavors will be extra fun.

SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22 - Dec. 21) - Today isa 9 - Home requires more attention now.And work demands more focus for thenext two weeks. Don't discuss personalmatters. Silence is more powerful. Handleit with love.

CAPRICORN (Dec. 22 - Jan. 19) - Today is a9 - Love is knocking on your door. Youhave more power than you know what todo with. Get help from a partner. Watchout for hidden surprises. Take notes.

AQUARIUS (Jan. 20 - Feb. 18) - Today is a 7- Spend more time pondering while youhave the time. Keep your promises.Visualize what you want creatively.Gambling is not a good idea.

PISCES (Feb. 19 - March 20) - Today is an 8- Your confidence is contagious. Surroundyourself by those who care about you. Youhave a satisfying dream. Love comes easilythese days.

©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

MISCELLANEOUS MUSINGS

ast Commons, you area place we all knowand (come noon, whenwe realize we forgot toeat earlier that morn-

ing) love. You have food, both healthyand not, tables and chairs — which alldisappear between the hours of 11a.m. and 2 p.m., so there are morepeople walking around looking forseats than there are people actuallyeating. We’ve grown used to you.We’ve come to accept your quirks.

You’re one of the central spots welearn about when coming to SanDiego State. I think during our firstweek living on campus, most of uscould find you easier than we couldfind our way back to our halls. I’vecome to learn that any place servingfood is one of the most familiar andfavored places on campus. Especiallywhen you’re willing to satisfy yourStarbucks addiction without judg-ment. And you, East Commons, cer-tainly fit that description.

You are a haven among build-ings that hold three-hour lectures,essay assignments and final exams,especially toward the end of theyear. You’re close enough to thelibrary to offer breaks after all-daystudy sessions. Every day, you letus take a bite out of you.

You provide an alternative to thelibrary as a place for a quick meeting— or a long meeting if we don’t minddirty looks from students who havebeen walking around looking for atable for 20 minutes.

However, as much as I’ve cometo love you during the past year,with your Panda Express and dedi-cated Starbucks team, I have a fewharsh words.

As much as I love the fun, ener-getic atmosphere of students asthey enjoy their lunch hours filledwith books they haven’t read anddeadlines they’ve missed, I don’tneed to be that close to it. When Ihave trouble getting in and out ofmy seat, because each table hasapproximately five inches of spacebetween itself and the next table, Iconsider that a problem.

Sometimes, the last available tableis three or four tables in. It’s like look-ing at an island in the middle of thesea without having the ability toswim. All I’m saying is, I reserve theright to get in and out of my seatwithout looking like I’m attempting tododge red lasers in an action movie.Because goodness knows, the lastplace I belong is in an action movie.

I’m not a huge fan of your loud-ness either. I get that we’re collegestudents and we’re “supposed” to beall about loud noises and chaos, butthat’s what parties are for. I don’tneed to hear students scream at thetop of their lungs about what theydid at so-and-so’s house last nightwhile I’m attempting to enjoy my

orange chicken. On that note, stu-dents need to watch what they say insuch crowded places. Some conver-sations just don’t need to be over-heard, especially while we’re eating.

Lastly, I would like to recommendyou invest in comfy chairs. The per-fectionist side of me appreciates thatall the chairs are the same and theymatch the tables, but the side of methat has been sitting here for the pasttwo hours working on articles andhomework (that would be my back-side) does not. I know there are somefabulous office chairs that wouldoffer comfortable support, as well asthe ability to spin around in circleslike a 6-year-old. They would havethe dual function of being comfort-able while allowing us to participatein the game of “who can spin thelongest without losing their lunch.”Just a thought.

Although I’ve grown to love you,East Commons, I’m looking forwardto getting away from you for the nextfew months. I need my space. I’mgoing to a place that appreciates me,has ample (and comfortable) seatingand doesn’t hang out with peoplewhose mothers forgot to teach themmanners. But maybe, once we’veboth been away from each other forthe summer and grown a little, wecan start again. But only if you giveme my Starbucks first.

—Bree Lutjens is a public relationsfreshman.

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BBrreeee LLuuttjjeennssstaff writer

PPLLEEAASSEE NNOOTTEE:: The views expressed in the written works of this issue do not neces-sarily reflect the opinion of The Daily Aztec. Letters to the editor can be sent toletters@thedailyaztec.com. Story ideas can be sent to tips@thedailyaztec.com.

‘Ode’ to East Commons

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