DATING & ROMANCE

IINNSSIIDDEE TTOODDAAYYOPINION

SPORTS

TODAY @ SDSU

CONTACT

INDEX

Monday, December 7, 2009 Vol. 95, Issue 55

Is Aztec Shops funding universityprojects instead of living up toits mission statement?

page 3

The men’s basketball team winsits second consecutive gameaway from Viejas Arena.

page 9

OPINION.........................................................................3DATING & ROMANCE.................................................5SPORTS............................................................................9CLASSIFIEDS..................................................................11THE BACK PAGE.........................................................12

SHOPS’ SCANDAL

HOMEMADE GIFTS

ROAD WARRIORS

MFA Musical Theatre Program

Moxie Theatre, 7:30 p.m.

San Diego State’s MFA MusicalTheatre students will perform songsfrom contemporary musicals such asShrek and The Producers.

Look inside for some cheaphomemade holiday gift ideas togive your significant other.

page 5

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As part of a dedication to maintainsustainability on campus, San DiegoState’s Associated Students fundedthe third and last installment of a124-kilowatt solar photovoltaic array.A ceremony was held last week inrecognition of the changes at theAztec Aquaplex, which is now com-pletely run by solar energy.

“Solar photovoltaic modulesmade up of individual cells convertsolar radiation into electricity,”according to Sullivan Solar PowerWeb site. “When the sun shines on

the modules, the cells produce astream of direct current (DC) elec-tricity and send it to an inverter.”

The solar array at the Aquaplexgenerates 124 kilowatts every hourfor an approximately eight-hour peri-od, which roughly equals 992 kilo-watts a day, A.S. GreenCommissioner, Grant Mack, said.

“Even if it’s cloudy outside, (thesolar array) will generate about 100kilowatts,” he said. “It’s still gettingsolar power regardless.”

“It (the solar array) is alsoextremely beneficial for the environ-ment since we are not purchasing‘dirty’ energy from the utilities com-pany that emit large amounts of CO2

(carbon dioxide) and we will have aconstant source of reliable renew-able energy,” he said.

Because the Aquaplex is the mostenergy intensive facility on campus,having it run by solar energy will saveA.S. significant amounts of money,Mack said.

Mack said 25 percent of all energyin California is used to pump water.

“So you can imagine that poolpumps use a lot of water and a lot ofenergy to keep the water heated andclean,” he said.

The newly installed energy effi-cient water pumps will offset 70 per-cent of the energy used at theAquaplex, Mack said.

The total project cost for the solarPV array was $744,088, but A.S.received a rebate check of about$268,000 from the California SolarInitiative, presented to them by theCalifornia Center for SustainableEnergy. So the final cost of the proj-ect is estimated $458,000.

Mack said the solar PV array isexpected to save A.S. anywhere from$40,000 to $50,000 a year.

“There really isn’t another facilitylike this around in the area,”Natalie Colli, A.S. vice president ofuniversity affairs said. “San Diegowas voted one of the top-10 citiesfor sustainability so it’s a hugedeal for the city as well.”

RREEEEMM NNOOUURRS TA F F W R I T E R

Associated Students completed a solar array installation project for the Aztec Aquaplex. A.S. expects to save approximately $45,000 annually by running the pool on solar energy. Lindsey Martin / Assistant Photo Editor

A.S. BRIEF

Budget solutionsAssociated Students is calling thisweek “Action Week” because ofbudget concerns affecting SanDiego State. There will be a meet-ing at 3 p.m. Friday at theBackdoor in Aztec Center to dis-cuss proposed solutions to budgetcuts. Each person in attendancewill receive one vote to use towardthe solution of his or her choice.The solution with the most votes

will be the one A.S. supports andtakes action with. Anyone interest-ed in going to the meeting needs toRSVP via e-mail toas.president@sdsu.edu.

ModernSpace debate tocontinueThis week, A.S. will vote on contin-uing with ModernSpace. The coun-cil will vote to either use available

funds to repair Aztec Center or tofollow through with plans to builda new student union. If A.S. votesin favor of buildingModernSpace, a student referen-dum will be held next semester todetermine if student fees will beincreased to fund the building.

Elections code makeoverA.S. has changed its elections code

after voting on the matter. Onechange is that A.S. cannot overturnelection code penalties. There willnow be a non-student appealsboard that will decide on penalties.

However, A.S. will still hold thepower to overturn elections. Thedecision was seen as a way to elim-inate bias in the elections process.

—Compiled by Senior Staff WriterSarah Kovash

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Monday,December 7, 2009 The Daily Aztec 3OPINION

he recent acquisition of Albert’sCollege Apartments by AztecShops, Ltd. is a concealed attemptat university growth during ourbudget crisis that fails to live up to

the company’s mission statement.Aztec Shops closed escrow last month on

Albert’s College Apartments for $24.5 million,plus additional costs. The deal includes sixapartment complexes that sit on 20 acres,located close to campus on 55th Street. Withthis acquisition, the company intends to helpmeet the demand of affordable, off-campushousing with the preexisting apartments.

The California State University Board ofTrustees approved the acquisition inSeptember. According to the minutes of theSept. 23 CSU Committee on Finance meeting,“the proposed acquisition plan supports theuniversity’s “Campus Master Plan” goal ofexpanding its existing portfolio of university-administered housing by 3,000 beds in thecoming years.” The deal is considered an aux-iliary project, not a campus project, and didnot come with the same kind of scrutiny andstrict standards required for university-sup-ported projects.

We are in the midst of the greatest budgetcrisis California and San Diego State haveseen. It is inappropriate for Aztec Shops, a not-

for-profit auxiliary, to throw around approxi-mately $24 million to basically fund SDSU’sprojects. That is not its purpose as an auxil-iary. The message it is sending is clear: We willuse your money to finance SDSU’s projects.

Aztec Shops is essentially acting like afinancing arm of SDSU in efforts of fulfillingthe “Campus Master Plan,” the comprehensiveplan to accommodate increased demand theschool will face through 2025. Acting as anauxiliary of SDSU, the company is not upheldto the same standards of transparency andcommunity discourse we expect from ourpublic school when decisions affecting stu-dents are made. This deal is yet anotherreminder of the severe disconnect betweenstudents and our self-serving university.

It’s obvious that the university was awareof the sensitivity and controversy such a multi-million dollar purchase would have created inthe midst of our budget crisis had theyacquired the property themselves. However,it’s no better to obtain the same goal byexploiting a campus auxiliary.

The company has tried to justify the dealby highlighting its intent to maintain afford-

able pricing. This is a lie. When the acquisi-tion was approved by the CSU Committee onFinance, it was stated,“The Corporation antici-pates that at some point during the first oneto three years of operation, increased enroll-ment will make it financially and operationallyadvantageous to enter into an operating agree-ment with the University’s Office of HousingAdministration to provide services related tomarketing, leasing, rent collection and on-site supervision.” However, once an operat-ing agreement begins with OHA, it won’t beconsidered off-campus housing anymore.Aztec Shops already owns UniversityTowers, which it purchased in November2000. Such an operating agreement withOHA is in effect for this residence, making itanother on-campus offering.

Further, according to the 2009-10 SDSUHousing costs, housing starts at $6,872 a yearwith no meal plan at Villa Alvarado andincreases up to $18,755 with a meal plan atAztec Corner for the academic year. It’s obvi-ous that affordable pricing is not in the works,especially considering the school requiresfreshmen to purchase a meal plan, thusincreasing the total cost of housing even more.

This deal is a further transgression of AztecShops’ own purpose. According to their mis-

sion statement, “Aztec Shops will provideeffective campus store and food service opera-tions for the San Diego State University com-munity. These services will be self supporting,sensitive and responsive to the campus com-munity, and will be based on the principle of‘value at a fair price.’” Nowhere in that missionstatement do I see real estate acquisitions as apurpose that serves the school community.What’s more, they label themselves as a not-for-profit corporation, which is ironic, consid-ering the multimillion dollar deal they justclosed. If the university feels compelled toexpand to meet its goals then it needs toacquire properties itself.

Aztec Shops is a not-for-profit auxiliaryoperating at the expense of the students itclaims to serve. Next time you buy your booksat the SDSU Bookstore or ring up a latte atStarbucks, know that the expensive prices andmoney you pay to Aztec Shops is not beingused in your best interest.

—Andy Lewandowski is a media studies senior.

—This column does not necessarily reflect the opin-ion of The Daily Aztec. Send e-mail to opin-ion@thedailyaztec.com. Anonymous letters willnot be printed. Include your full name, major andyear in school.

MASS MEDIUM

AANNDDYY LLEEWWAANNDDOOWWSSKKIIS TA F F C O L U M N I S T

MEET IN THE MIDDLE

Campaign promise to end war should be keptast year, I shook hands withPresident Barack Obama. Hewas a senator at the time andcampaigned through my home-town in Virginia, where I waslucky enough to meet him. I

recall him promising to bring our troopshome from the Middle East as he stood infront of thousands of people.

But it looks like he didn’t live up to hisword.

I suppose I shouldn’t be too disappoint-ed. After all, Obama is a politician and theytypically make promises solely to obtainenough votes to win an election. It is nowalmost a year after taking his oath of officeand he has yet to fulfill a multitude of hiscommitments, especially those involvingAfghanistan.

Last Tuesday, Obama announced he willsend 30,000 more troops to Afghanistan.Even though he is only sending a portionof the support Gen. Stanley McChrystalrequested, the decision to send thousandsof soldiers is excessive and irresponsible.This move isolates him from his own partywhile Republicans are increasing in num-bers and regrouping from last year’s defeat.

Ultimately, the generation that votedObama into office will feel the repercus-sions of his costly decision.

The surge is expected to cost about $30billion dollars for the U.S. This is financiallyirresponsible in a time when our country istrillions of dollars in debt and in the middleof a recession that has yet to fully recover.The money that will now go toward fuelingan unnecessary war could have insteadbeen better spent toward America’s crum-bling education system or to revive the jobmarket. Instead, the U.S. military will con-tinue to spend frivolously in Afghanistanuntil not enough funding remains.

America’s reputation that Obama spentmonths trying to rebuild has also lost cred-ibility with this surge. After the NorwegianNobel Committee awarded him the NobelPeace Prize, its hope was that he would useit to advance goodwill in his internationalpolicy. Many hoped when Obama gracious-ly received his prize, he would respond bywithdrawing troops from Afghanistan andtake his role as a peaceful leader seriously.Now he is advancing to war and creatingtension, not peace, with other nations.

Advancing further into this war will notonly harm foreign relations, but also causemore division here in the U.S.

It is obvious our military system isflawed when soldiers have turned to sui-cide or massacring each other in reactionto the prospect of being deployed. With a

surge, the future of the strongest militaryin the world does not look promising.There are still thousands of troops in Iraq.The cost of fighting two wars will weakenour forces and push many active dutymembers to take multiple tours to theMiddle East. The funding simply is notavailable to continue a war in Afghanistan,and to increase troop numbers willincrease America’s debt.

“The Iraq war drew the dominant shareof our troops, our resources, our diplomacyand our national attention — and that thedecision to go into Iraq caused substantial

rifts between America and much of theworld,” Obama said last Tuesday.

He acknowledges how devastating thewar in Iraq has been, yet he will put theU.S. through a similar situation. Troopswill be exhausted, resources will dry upand U.S. diplomacy will be weakenedwith the continuation of this war.Obama’s failure to recognize this makesme question him as a leader and as ourcommander in chief.

Our hope now lies in Congress,although if may not opt to not fund thissurge. In 2002, when Congress hastilyvoted to send troops to Iraq, mistakes weremade. Lawmakers have learned from theirerrors and recognize that Americans do not

need more war involvement. What we do need are elected officials to

stand up and voice their concerns onbehalf of Americans, and now is the time tocall upon our representatives and tell themto block the passing of this surge. Theproblems within the U.S. must be made atop priority. If Obama cannot see that, ourhope in him will diminish.

—Sarah Grieco is a public relations junior.

—This column does not necessarily reflect theopinion of The Daily Aztec. Send e-mail toopinion@thedailyaztec.com. Anonymous let-ters will not be printed. Include your fullname, major and year in school.

Congress should opt to not fund the expansion of the war. Obama needs to live up to his campaign promise of ending the war swiftly; we can’t keep waiting.MCT Campus

SSAARRAAHH GGRRIIEECCOOA S S I S TA N T O P I N I O N E D I T O R

T

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SDSU uses Aztec Shops to fund projects

OPINION Monday,December 7, 2009The Daily Aztec4

Walkouts not theway to fix the CSU

EVEN ARTICHOKES HAVE HEARTS

all semester is comingto an end, but unfortu-nately finals are in theway of freedom beforeWinter Break.

However, as the semester and yearend in the same manner as manybefore, looking back at the past fewmonths, no student can deny theobvious difference between thissemester and those past. The cur-rent state budget crisis has had sig-nificant effects on all students andfaculty of the California StateUniversity and the University ofCalifornia systems and has lefteveryone searching for a solution.

This year, San Diego State stu-dents endured a 32 percent increasein fees and cuts in class availability.Professors suffered a 10 percentsalary cut and, along with students,had to cope with the repercussionsof furlough days. These disruptedthe flow of courses, decreased in-class time and office hours and oftenresulted in students having to essen-tially teach themselves the materialat home without being offered thetime to review in class.

Throughout the semester, stu-dents have staged protests againstthe cuts, most notably withAssociated Students’ “They cut, weall bleed” campaign. The protestshave been met with mixed reac-tions as some find them uselessand unnecessary, while othersclaim they help raise the aware-ness of other students as well asgain the attention of administra-tors and the government.

I agree that student-led protestsdo raise awareness of the issue andcatch the eyes of legislators.However, I also believe this isnowhere near enough effort to makea significant change in the ways ourstate’s higher institutions are beingtreated. Students can shout andchant on the steps of ManchesterHall all they want, but nothing willnecessarily change. The greater prob-lem lies with the state government,not with SDSU officials who wishthe money was available just asmuch as students do. Walkouts andprotests during class actually harmstudents by taking away from thealready limited in-class time.

Rather than turning to tradition-al methods of displaying our dis-content, we must work toward cre-ative solutions to this uniquelycomplex issue.

Recently, the political sciencehonor society, Pi Sigma Alpha, helda forum on the budget crisis and itseffect on higher education inCalifornia. They invited various pro-fessors to serve on a panel thataddressed different aspects of thecrisis, including why it is happeningand what can be done to solve it.

This is the kind of activism thatwill help solve the assault beingcommitted against higher educationin California. Proactive student par-ticipation and organizing, educa-tional forums and lectures by guestspeakers can help students under-stand what has caused California tofall into this fiscal slump and howto remedy it. With this information,students will be able to make moreinformed decisions and take benefi-cial action. The campus walkoutorganizers should direct theirefforts toward organizing teach-ins,where guest speakers may educatethe student body on differentaspects of how the budget crisiswill affect them and how studentsmay alleviate the negative impacton their individual lives.

Students are not the only oneswho should create clever solutionsto the crisis. Professors must alsojoin the fight. Rather than simplycomplaining about furlough days tostudents and telling them thatdespite class time cuts, they are stillresponsible for the same amount ofwork, professors should be tryingtheir best to decrease the impact onthe quality of education they are pro-viding. Professors should takeadvantage of furlough days andschedule guest speakers to discussrelevant topics in their place. Also,professors can record otherwise can-celed lectures in advance so studentsmay access them usingblackboard.sdsu.edu on furloughdays. Professors can also plan classsessions in advance where studentsmust still meet and participate indetailed group assignments aimed atstudying the material they areresponsible for on that day.

The obstacles facing higher edu-cation in California are not going tobe overcome easily. Students, profes-sors, administrators and communi-ty members must work togetherand exercise all resources at theirdisposal. The greatest weapon wehave as members of academia isknowledge, and we must use it toour advantage by educating eachother on the current crisis and cre-ating proactive solutions to preservethe quality of our education.

—Renee Villasenor is a journalism senior.

—This column does not necessarilyreflect the opinion of The Daily Aztec.Send e-mail to opinion@thedai-lyaztec.com. Anonymous letters willnot be printed. Include your full name,major and year in school.

RREENNEEEE VVIILLLLAASSEENNOORRS E N I O R S TA F F C O L U M N I S T

NEWS TO KNOW

Last year’s unsuccessful measuresattempting to remove the San Diego firepits has resurfaced. By extracting the

pits, it has been estimated that a total of$120,500 will be saved annually. The city aloneis facing a $179 million deficit, and while fireand police departments are also facing cuts,getting rid of the fire pits would be the mostlogical idea, as suggested by Mayor JerrySanders. However, this cut in recreational activ-ities for natives will not pass without a fight.The California Coastal Commission recentlydeclared that for Sander’s idea to be enacted,the city will need to issue a permit ordering theremoval of the pits. Last year, an anonymousdonor prolonged taking out the fire pits with$259,000; however, the funds will only lastuntil summer. A Facebook group created solelyto save the pits, titled “Save the San Diego FirePits,” has gained more than 3,400 fans. Thepurpose of the group is to create an alliancethat will be ready to protest if the permit forexcavating the fire pits is not enforced.

Migrant domestic workers in Lebanonhave been victims of work abuse. Thiscommon and ongoing problem has led

foreign maids to commit suicide. It has beenreported that in the last seven weeks, 10 sui-cides have been committed; either by hangingthemselves or jumping off buildings. Foreignmaids are forced to work 10-hour day jobs, areforbidden contact with their families and areisolated from the outside world. Aside fromsuicide, many attempt to escape from theiremployers, risking injuries and death. Themain groups of workers in the Middle Eastmigrate from the Philippines, Indonesia,Madagascar, Sri Lanka, Nepal and Ethiopia.The roots of these domestic abuse cases stemfrom prejudice and poor labor regulations. Themedia coverage of these events has not beenportraying the magnitude of the abuse.Instead, it has focused on the act of suicide andpotential deaths because of work accidents.

Last Wednesday, the New York Senatevoted 38-24 against a bill legalizingsame-sex marriage. If the measure had

passed, it would have been placed on the ballotfor the state’s public vote in next year’s elec-tion. However, the guaranteed defeat has offi-cially disabled the measure from reaching theplanned destination. The breakdown of votesresulted in the Senate’s 30 Republicans and eightDemocrats. The loss has been speculated to haveoccurred because of the more critical issues thenation is facing, such as the economy. Unlikemany voting sessions, some Senators approachedthis decision personally and even addressed theirreasons for their specific vote. The issue of same-sex marriage has been circulating in various states,and in most, like New York, the measures havebeen shot down.

Late-term abortions are not usually per-formed, but in a small clinic in Nebraskawomen can find comfort in making a late

decision. Dr. LeRoy H. Carhart began specializ-ing in this procedure after his colleague Dr.George R. Tiller was shot last May. Albeit, thelegal requirement disables a woman from get-ting an abortion after 24 weeks, Carhartexplains he will continue his procedures if thesituations medically call for them. After 24weeks, a fetus can survive outside its mother’swomb. For this reason, the abortions conductedby Carhart have made him a walking target.Anti-abortion groups, such as OperationRescue, are aiming at revoking Carhart’s practi-tioner’s license as well as pressing criminalcharges. The Nebraska law states that abortionsshould only be administered before the legalcutoff, or to save the mother’s life. Whicheverthe case, Carhart has assured the public he willcontinue his practices for the women who needand want abortions. To the groups against him,he suggests they file a claim.

Against contrary beliefs, mobile phoneshave been found to have insignificanteffects on an increase in brain cancer.

Radio frequency electromagnetic fieldsreleased by electronics such as cellular phoneshave been thought to be the culprit of braintumors. However, a biological feature has notbeen found that directly correlates with the fre-quency waves emitted by the phones. TheDanish Cancer Society studied 59,684 braintumor cases and monitored 20 to 79-year-olds.They concluded the number of brain tumorappearances since the dawn of mobile phoneshas not increased significantly. Also, if an indi-vidual were to develop cancer, they’d have to beusing their phones continuously for more than10 years. Although these results minimizescrutiny on cellular phones, they will not be dis-missed as causes for brain tumors. A new studythe DCS will be conducting will be comprised ofmore people for a longer period of time.

Last Thursday, President Barack Obamaaddressed at a forum that job accelera-tion needs to be put into place.

Unemployment has reached more than 10 per-cent and he assures that talks and work towardincreasing jobs have started. While some ideaswill be put into immediate action, others, hesaid, will have to be congressional considera-tions. He solicited innovative ideas that wouldproduce jobs for millions of Americans. Amongthe ideas, he mentioned making Americanhomes more energy efficient. At this momentin time, a “greener” America seems to be thebest project in which Obama wants to moveforward. Along with grassroots level of sup-port, Vice President Joe Biden encouraged bigcompanies, such as Google and GeneralElectric Co., to help the cause by becominggreener as well.

—Compiled by Contributor Aileen Pantoja

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Crystal Hoy / Contributing Cartoonist

www.thedailyaztec.com

Have an eye for politics and design?

The Opinion section is looking for creative cartoonists, graphic designers or artists whowant to combine their political passion withtheir creative side. The Daily Aztec is currentlysearching for a staff cartoonist to draw politicalcartoons that deal with both campus, state andnational issues.

This is a great way to expand your portfolio andgain experience on your resume. Questionsshould be directed to Opinion Editor AllanAcevedo at opinion@thedailyaztec.com.

6

Monday,December 7, 2009 The Daily Aztec 5DATING & ROMANCE

What body language says about intentions

Often times in conversation aboutthe opposite sex, the words “con-fused” and “frustrated” are men-tioned. Since the beginning of time,men and women have been bewil-dered by one another and haveeither misunderstood what theother could be thinking or misin-terpreted body language.

Though people are often baffledby some of the more subtle bodycues, the human brain picks up onbody language automatically on adaily basis. For example, if a personis standing with their arms crossed,it is assumed they are being reservedor closed off and are probably notopen to sharing much information.

Other common clues to emo-tions and thoughts are when a per-son shifts their weight from foot tofoot, which gives off a sense of want-ing to be elsewhere. And when a per-son is avoiding eye contact, it usual-ly means they are not being truthful.

While common body languageclues are often easy to spot, it’s thelesser known body signals that couldgive a window into what people arereally thinking and feeling. This canbe a time-saver when it comes to dat-ing and forming relationships.

“Since nonverbal communica-tion is between 60 to 75 percent ofthe impact of a message, you coulduse the power of body language tobecome tremendously successful ...in your career, business, relation-ships, love life and anything else thatinvolves interacting or communicat-ing with people,” according to theWeb site of Kevin Hogan a body lan-guage, persuasion and sales expert.

One interpretive signal thatreveals a person may be lying is iftheir pupils contract or eyes flick tothe side. So if someone is talkingand their pupils shrink or flick, it issafe to assume what they are sayingmay not be the truth.

On the other hand, expansion ofthe pupils is said to be associated

with lust, or looking at something aperson finds appealing. So if a per-son asks someone out on a date andtheir pupils dilate, that might be asign the relationship has potentialwhile shrinking pupils shouldcause caution.

Lips can also give silent cluesinto a person’s mind. Parted lipscan signal interest and flirting,while pursed lips indicate anger ordisapproval with a person or some-thing they are doing.

Most of these body signals applyto both men and women, but thereare some that tend to be associatedwith one sex more than the other.

“Men and women behave andrespond to body movements in dif-ferent ways,” Hogan said. “So it’scrucial for you to suit your body lan-guage depending on the gender ofthe person you meet, or you coulddamage a relationship or businesswithout even knowing it.”

Women often show disinterestwhen being hit on, yet most menfail to pick up on the clues. Forexample, if a woman keeps lookingaway or is being abrupt, it is mostlikely a sign she is uninterested ordoesn’t want to be bothered. Menoften see this evasiveness as a partof the chase, and many think thatit’s just a “woman thing” to playhard to get by acting disinterested.

Also, if she is avoiding eye con-tact, it’s generally because she feelsuncomfortable, which can becaused by the situation or the atten-tion. In this case, if she proves unre-sponsive to further attempts forattention, it may be best to justaccept she may not feel safe in theenvironment or may be uninterest-ed in the pursuer.

As for a man, if he is focusingmore on other woman, it doesn’tnecessarily mean he is not interest-ed, but rather he is not looking tocommit to anything at that point. Ifthis occurs, look at his hands. If hispalms are facing upward, this cansignal sincerity and a general inter-est. So even if his eyes wander, hemay still be interested.

Then focus on his legs; if he issitting and his ankles are crossed,he is most likely relaxed and enjoy-ing himself. Also, if he is leaningtoward the girl as they talk, he ismore than likely open to get toknow her and pursue some sort ofrelationship.

Because people often hear a per-son has four seconds to make a goodimpression, it is wise to not only readanother person’s body language butalso be aware of one’s own. A personnever knows when a potential rela-tionship may spark, so make surebody language best represents think-ing patterns and feelings correctly,otherwise a man or woman may beput off by the signals.

MMAALLLLOORRYY SSHHAARRPPS TA F F W R I T E R

Crossing legs and arms signals being opposed to giving information or opening up to another person or romantic situation.Daniel Meza / Staff Photographer

Turning toward one another with open arms and smiling is associated with genuine happiness and interest in the conversation.Daniel Meza / Staff Photographer

A small amount of eye contact and facing away may indicate uninterest in the other person, which can be valuable when on a first date when people are most vulnerable. Daniel Meza / Staff Photographer

““Men and womenbehave andrespond to bodymovements in different ways. Soit’s crucial for youto suit your bodylanguage depending on thegender of the person you meet ... ”

—Kevin Hogan, body language. persuasion

and sales expert

Body positions easilyreveal more than

sexual interest

DATING & ROMANCE Monday,December 7, 2009The Daily Aztec8

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FOR SDSU WOMEN’S BASKETBALL

Face it — most students do not have the nec-essary funds to give their significant other thenew Mac laptop or PlayStation 3 they mayhave been eyeing for months. But workingwith a budget is an opportunity to think out-side the box. Instead of heading to the mallthis Christmas, students can get creative andgive a meaningful, handmade gift.

PhotosPick some of the most memorable picturesand make an album. Write captions on thebacks of the photos of why that day or eventwas special. A quick alternative is to pick onephoto and frame it. Then add a personaltouch by decorating the frame or writing asweet note on the back with a felt-tip marker.

For those who would rather use multime-dia approach, make a slideshow. This isanother great option because one can choosea variety of photos and add music in the back-ground. Be sure to give the file a meaningfultitle and don’t just name it “slideshow.”

CookCook someone their favorite meal or dessert.One can surprise their partner at work orschool by bringing them homemade cookiesor brownies. Plan a picnic at the beach orpark or stay indoors, set a table for two andlight some candles. The surprise in preparinga meal and creating a unique setting makes adelicious gift something to be remembered.

Put their favorite food or candy in a glassjar. If they love to munch on M&Ms or trailmix, seal it in a jar with a ribbon and add anote. Remembering what a partner prefers isimportant because it shows them one is beingthoughtful of the details.

KnitTry knitting that significant other a scarf, hator beanie to wear when it is cold. For begin-ners, easy step-by-step instructional videoscan be found online. Add a personal touch byspraying cologne or perfume on the clothingitem. For those who would rather not knit,iron a favorite photo onto a shirt or pillowcasewith iron-on transfer paper.

AANNDDRREEAA MMOO RRAAS TA F F W R I T E R

WriteLeave a surprise note with a unique saying out-side their home or on their car windshield.Couples tend to develop an exclusive language.Write a letter and send it the old-fashioned way,he or she will be surprised to see it in the mail.

Make a card and write something sweet orfunny. Personalize the card by adding a wallet-sized photo of a memorable moment. If they havea favorite quote or song, add a lyric or quote tothe card. Writing “I love you” is great but demon-strating the reasons why is equally important.

MusicFor those who can play an instrument, sing orwrite music, writing lyrics or playing a tune can

be a memorable experience for both people. A quick alternative is to make a mixed CD.

This may have been practiced back in highschool, but who doesn’t like music? Compilesongs that remind one’s partner of a specialmoment shared. One can still appreciate theirpartner’s effort in taking the time to choosesongs and burn a disc.

The gift should be unique to the significantother’s personality and interest. Invest time inmaking something they will enjoy and cannot bebought in a store. The trick is spontaneity. Onewill be surprised to see their partner’s effort andappreciate the time they spent in making a mem-orable, nontraditional gift.

Show some love by making Christmas gifts

MCT Campus

Monday,December 7, 2009 The Daily Aztec 9SPORTSMEN’S BASKETBALL

After losing two of its first threeroad games this season — and look-ing awful doing so — the San DiegoState men’s basketball team cansuddenly do no wrong when it’saway from Viejas Arena.

On Saturday night, SDSU beatUC Santa Barbara, 69-61, at the

Thunderdomein SantaBarbara. Andwhile the victo-ry wasn’t pret-ty, the Aztecs

improved their road winning streakto two and their overall winningstreak to three.

“We fought hard,” head coachSteve Fisher told AM 600 KOGOafter the game. “To come on theroad and to come up here in a placethat’s always tough to play at andget a win; we’re thankful.”

Fisher’s squad started this sea-son 1-2 on the road, losing by 22 toSaint Mary’s and by eight to theUniversity of the Pacific but hassince won two in a row, including avictory against crosstown rivalUniversity of San Diego last week.

Against UCSB on Saturday,SDSU was able to get the win, but itwasn’t easy. In the first half, the

Aztecs built a 21-9 lead butwatched it disappear as the halfprogressed. SDSU headed into thelocker room at halftime up just 28-26 and logged 11 turnovers in thefirst 20 minutes.

“We had too frenetic of a pace inthe first half,” Fisher said. “Whenit looked like we were going to dosomething, we turned it over …We had to try to — all of us, fromthe coaches to the players — slowour pace down a little bit on theoffensive end when we got to thetop of the key.”

The Aztecs were able to slowdown the game in the second half,only turning the ball over fivetimes, but still needed standoutperformances from freshman for-ward Kawhi Leonard and sopho-more guard Tyrone Shelley to fendoff the Gauchos. Shelley picked up11 of his team-high 17 points andthree of his eight rebounds in thesecond half, while Leonard scored10 of his 13 points in the final 20minutes to help SDSU secure itssixth win of the season.

“(Leonard) is better than I hadhoped he would be,” Fisher said. “Ithought he did a wonderful job forus at the defensive end … He hasdone a great job in his young startto his career.”

Leonard, Shelley and the rest theAztecs won’t have to hit the roadagain until Dec. 19 and will playtheir next two games against CSUFullerton and Arizona onWednesday and Saturday, respec-tively at Viejas Arena.

Shelley nets 17 pointswhile Leonard hauls

in nine rebounds

EEDDWWAARRDD LLEEWWIISSS P O R T S E D I T O R

AZTECS 69GAUCHOS 61

Shelley and Leonard lead against UCSB

Glenn Connelly / Photo Editor

SPORTS Monday,December 7, 2009The Daily Aztec10

WOMEN’S BASKETBALL

Most coaches will say it’s important to havea balanced offensive attack, spreading theball around and getting all the players onthe court involved.

But sometimes letting the dominant play-ers take charge works just as well.

In Friday’s game against UC Riverside,the San Diego Statewomen’s basketballteam got 83.3 percent ofits points from the high-ly touted three-player

nucleus it’s relied on for the past three years.

Junior center Paris Johnson and seniorguards Quenese Davis and Jené Morris com-bined for 55 of SDSU points in a 66-59 vic-tory against the Highlanders in Riverside.

UCR jumped ahead by as many as 10points in the first half behind the hot shoot-ing of forwards Rivera and Amber Cox, butthe Aztecs’ speed proved too much for theteam from the Big West Conference.

Johnson dominated the boards pullingdown 15 rebounds (11 of which were off thedefensive glass) and recording two blockswhile shooting a perfect 5-5 from the free-throw line and netting 17 total points on a 6-12 shooting performance.

Davis also shot 50 percent from the field,hitting nine of her 18 shots while dishingout eight assists and racking up a game-high 20 points.

The Highlanders held their lead goinginto halftime with a two-point advantage.But both teams came out firing after the

break until SDSU began to pull away withabout six minutes left in the game as Morrisbegan to heat up.

The All-America candidate shot just 6-17but recorded five steals and went 2-3 from 3-point range to net 18 points and clinch thewin for the Aztecs.

Also working strongly to SDSU’s advan-tage was the outstanding free-throw shoot-ing of the entire team. Morris and Johnsonwere both perfect from the charity stripe aswell as junior forward Jessika Bradley andsophomore forward Candace Chambers.For a team that struggled mightily from theline last year, a 15-17 performance is some-thing to build on.

Aside from Morris, Davis and Johnson,the only other players to score double-digitpoints were UCR’s Cox and Rivera. Cox ledher team with 18 points along with fourrebounds while Rivera netted 16 points anda team-high nine total rebounds. While theHighlanders bench saw very limited playingtime, the Aztecs didn’t allow a single pointfrom a UCR non-starter.

SDSU’s next game will come at 7 p.m.tomorrow night at Viejas Arena when theAztecs take on Pepperdine.

‘The big three’ too much for UCR to handle

DDAAVVIIDD PPOOPPEEA S S I S TA N T S P O R T S E D I T O R

SDSU 66UCR 59

Glenn Connelly / Photo Editor

Johnson, Davis and Morriscombine for 55 points in theAztecs’ victory in Riverside

“Paris Johnsondominated the boards,pulling down 15rebounds and recordingtwo blocks while shoot-ing a perfect 5-5 fromthe free-throw line.”

MondayDecember 7, 2009 The Daily Aztec 11CLASSIFIEDS

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NONEWSIS

BADNEWS.

So be sure to stay informedby picking up a copy of

The Daily Aztec everyday at one of the many paper racks

on the SDSU campus!

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EEDDIITTEEDD BBYY RRIICCHH NNOORRRRIISS AANNDD JJOOYYCCEE LLEEWWIISS

The Daily AztecMonday,

December 7, 200912 THE BACK PAGETODAY’S BIRTHDAY (12/07/09) Use any

money that comes your way this year tocreate a career vehicle that can carry youfar into the future. Avoid all spending thatdoesn't promise to help your work. Unlessyour car dies, you probably don't reallyneed a new one.You do need a new leaseon enthusiasm and optimism. Grow yourswith positive thoughts.

ARIES (March 21 - April 19) - Today is a 6 -People are drawn to you like magic. Doyou know what to do with that energy?Choose constructive change every time.

TAURUS (April 20 - May 20) - Today is a 7- How many irons do you have in the fire?Probably too many. Choose wisely andyou'll get a lot done.

GEMINI (May 21 - June 21) - Today is a 7 -You may get more done today than all oflast week.You have brilliant ideas, practicalmeans, and people with whom to shareideas.

CANCER (June 22 - July 22) - Today is a 6 -Pressure is applied from all sides.You getto choose which person takes priority. Bepractical but compassionate.

LEO (July 23 - Aug. 22) - Today is a 6 -Other people give you a long list of tasks.You have your own agenda, though. Checkthings off both lists.

VIRGO (Aug. 23 - Sept. 22) - Today is a 5 -

There's a lot of talk today but seeminglyno action.This turns out to be a goodthing.Tomorrow you move ahead.

LIBRA (Sept. 23 - Oct. 22) - Today is a 6 -Take time today to listen.You have plentyto say, but now you can increase yourpool of information with your ears.

SCORPIO (Oct. 23 - Nov. 21) - Today is an 8- Focus on what's important. Brainstorm inthe morning.Then make some serious choic-es. By afternoon, everyone gets the details.

SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22 - Dec. 21) - Todayis a 6 - This is going to be a busy day.Convince others to work with you. Showresults to a superior by day's end.

CAPRICORN (Dec. 22 - Jan. 19) - Today isa 6 - You get a feel for how to bring anidea into the real world.Words and a littlebit of elbow grease accomplish thedesired result.

AQUARIUS (Jan. 20 - Feb. 18) - Today is a 7- You may have to give up your independ-ent attitude so that detailed work getsdone.Then, do the writing in seclusion ifpossible.

PISCES (Feb. 19 - March 20) - Today is a 6 -Apply yourself to the task of understand-ing what others really mean.This requirespatience and good questions.

© 2009,TRIBUNE MEDIA SERVICES INC.

Level: 1 2 3 4

AACCRROOSSSS1 Ringing phone on

stage, e.g.5 Place to unwind

10 Complacent14 Medal recipient15 Panama divider16 Ice cream parlor

order17 Some lemony

quaffs18 Spring up19 Took the subway20 Prospecting swin-

dle23 USN rank24 Utmost degree25 Shadow27 Suffix with farm

or home29 Fly in the ointment32 North Pole toy

maker33 Thinner, as smoke36 Temptation on a

hook37 Multilevel invest-

ment swindle40 Stratagem41 Accomplished

with a single try42 Slip signed by a

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64 Like the stepsistersin “Cinderella”

65 Red Sea republic66 Ready to drive,

as a golf ball

DDOOWWNN1 Parts of a cycle2 Stinging crawler3 Ultimatum words4 Big name in

breakfast cereal5 Barely adequate6 Stereotypical

pirate’s cry7 Part of ICU8 Poet Ogden9 Toward the shel-

tered side10 Curtain material

11 Ray from a natu-ral satellite

12 Be situatedbeneath

13 “My goodness”21 Gandhi’s land22 Java holder26 Shipboard direc-

tion28 Bad way for plans

to go29 Go-with dishes30 Loch of lore31 St. Louis’s

Gateway __34 Reason for an air

quality alert35 Bullet-on-metal

noise36 Second in a series

37 Cooking up a coup38 Like kids’ enthusi-

asm39 Folderol40 Actress Zadora43 Before, of yore45 Derek Jeter, e.g.46 Busy47 Wailed49 Culturally preten-

tious50 Hackneyed51 Home builder’s

afterthought54 Notice55 Nat or Natalie56 School reunion

attendee57 Hops oven58 Singer Rawls

CROSSWORD

BBYY TTHHEE MMEEPPHHAAMM GGRROOUUPPSUDOKU

BBYY LLIINNDDAA CC.. BBLLAACCKK,, TTRRIIBBUUNNEE MMEEDDIIAA SSEERRVVIICCEESSDAILY HOROSCOPE

SSoolluuttiioonn aavvaaiillaabbllee oonnlliinnee aatt wwwwww..TThheeDDaaiillyyAAzztteecc..ccoomm

© 2009 The Mepham Group. Distributed byTribune Media Services.All rights reserved.

Instructions: Complete the grid soeach row, column and 3-by-3 box (inbold borders) contains every digit 1to 9. For strategies on how to solveSudoku, visit www.sudoku.org.uk.

SSoolluuttiioonn aavvaaiillaabbllee oonnlliinnee aattwwwwww..TThheeDDaaiillyyAAzztteecc..ccoomm

HUMOR: 7 2 OFF SUIT

ne might ask me,“What causes sisterrivalry?” The answeris simple: It iscaused by having

more than one daughter. It wasn’tmy parents’ fault; it’s not like theyhad a “Child of the Month” wallto keep us competing or anything.But when you have one front seatand two sisters, the rules of shot-gun no longer seem adequate.However, unlike Serena andVenus Williams, we can’t hit ten-nis balls at each other until some-one is declared the victor. So mylittle sister and I are left to solveour issues the old-fashioned way.

Event 1: FinancesThe who-has-more-money contestis fairly universal but is best illus-trated by the 1994 unsolved casefile of “Piggy’s Death.” Fifteenyears ago my sister and I eachhad a beautiful porcelain piggybank we kept in my dad’s office.My sister’s pig grew steadily heav-ier, while mine remained ratherempty. But one fateful day, herpig suddenly felt depressed andjumped off the desk to its death.My pig was sad it lost its friendand gained a significant amountof weight in its depression. That’smy story and I’m sticking to it.

Winner: Big Sis.

Event 2: Height and weightThere comes a sad, sad day in thelife of the firstborn. The day yourlittle sibling becomes taller thanyou. It’s just a fraction of an inchat first. But from that day for-ward, during every family picture,you will be on tiptoes trying tocover that stupid inch (or in mycase, the cursed 3 inches). The

weight issue is another beast. Itake the occasional Pilates class,while my sister hits the gym everysingle night. As I happen to beshorter and, as I prefer calling it,less slender, my only fallback isto inform her that fat kids areharder to kidnap.

Winner: Little Sis.

Event 3: Social lifeI’ll admit it: It’s hard to judgewho has a better social life. Butwhen we were on the dirty streetsof the public school blacktop,this issue was solved with the “YoMamma” throwdown of “I havethree best friends, and you onlyhave one!” So I will take that logicand combine it with 21st centurytechnology to present genuineproof of my superior circle offriends on Facebook. I finallyhave more Facebook friends thanshe does, and therefore, morepeople skills. Speaking of which,all readers now have permissionto add me on Facebook becauseshe’s catching up.

Winner: Big Sis.

Event 4: Wardrobe andstyleI had the lead for a while. Shewas stuck in my hand-me-downs for a good eight years.Now my sister has 45 pairs ofshoes and knows how to applyliquid eyeliner. Yesterday, Ilearned that Louis Vuitton is aluxury leather goods brand, nota French monarch of theGolden Age. Oh, and apparently

Dolce and Gabbana are notneighboring countries in SouthAmerica.

Winner: Little Sis.

Event 5: Getting caught andtattlingDid I mention my sister and I areroommates? ... At my parents’house. As kids, when I found herborrowing my Pikachu stuffedanimal, I had only two coursesto avenge the kidnapping of theadorable, ground-dwellingrodent notable for its electricabilities. No. 1: Physical. I wouldproceed to chase her out of myroom screaming that I shouldhave flushed her down the toiletwhen she was small enough. No. 2: Mental. I would calmlyinform her she’s adopted (andunlike last time I had made thatclaim, now I had proof).However, we are presently bothresponsible adults, more reason-able than our 5-year-old counter-parts. So when I catch her “bor-rowing” my eye shadows, I solvethe problem maturely — byscreaming for my mother.

Winner: TieI promised my parents I

wouldn’t solve things the wayCain and Abel did. So we’re at anever-ending standoff. Like aFacebook “Poke” battle. Secretly,I love my sister. And as soon asshe admits I’m a better driverthan her, I’ll admit that undis-closed fact to her face.

—Kristen Nevarez is a general the-atre arts junior.

—This column does not necessarilyreflect the opinion of The DailyAztec.

KKRRIISSTTEENN AACCEE NNEEVVAARREEZZC O N T R I B U T O RO

LOOKING THROUGH OUR LENS

Assistant Photo Editor Lindsey Martin captured this long exposure shot on the Embarcadero in the heart of a

bustling San Francisco.

LIVING IN LIGHTS

Battles of sister rivalry