Mustang Daily, April 6, 2007
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ANGD ig\6 C A L I F C ■ POLYTECHNIC STATE UNIVERSITY 2007 Today’s weather Poly drops Big West home opener The Mustang Daily asks students what V to CSUN, 8-7 Easter means to them Partly sunny IN SPO RTS, 8 Low 50° High 69‘ IN SPOTLIGHT, 4 Volume LXX, Number 113 Friday, April 6, 2007 w w w .m ustan3daiiy.com MEXA m arches in Vv. m em oiy Wq o f Chavez ■ / rfifi „ ■ -. i ■ *. » ■ PATRICK TRAUTFIELD MUSTANG DAILY To celebrate the Cesar Chavez V Honorary March, students from V Cal Poly’s Movimiento Estudiantil Xicana/o de Azdan (MEXA) walked from Dexter Lawn to the University Union on Thursday. The marchers held signs and chanted in support of immigration reform and set up a display in the UU. Scooters, motoicydes a means of saving California Senate leader seeks Taylor Moore $6,(XK) and runs approximately 70 miles to the gallon. out-of-Iraq voter initiative MUSTANG DAILY Many used cars can have the same price as a new Vespa, but Wilmore said the typical car only gets 20 miles Marcus Wohlsen With gas prices now over $3 per gallon and campus to the gallon. ASStX:iATEI) PRESS parking lots crowded, many students are now looking at ”1 save roughly $180 a month on gas using my bike,” [f else alternate modes of transporution like motorcycles and Cuesta College junior Gene Daik said. BERKELEY, Calif.— The state motor scooters. Baik owns both a sport utility vehicle and a motorcy Senate leader on Thursday worlcs, then Students who ride their motorcycles to campus ben cle and drives roughly 200 miles a week for work and announced plans for an advisory efit with closer parking spaces and $90 annual parking school. Using just his SUV, Baik would spend upwards of ballot measure calling for the how about the permits as opposed to $270 for cars. $240 a month on gas. Driving his Suzuki, he spends immediate withdrawal of U.S. biggest state in “Parking is better,” said general engineering junior roughly $60 a month. troops from Iraq, hoping to Alan Hsu. “It is cheap and I can park next to building^.” Wilmore said motor scooters prompt debate among presidential the union rising Cal Poly offers a number of locations for motorcycle are also becoming more popular candidates campaigning in up to give a riders to park their bikes: by the with the college-aged crowd California. Alex G. Spanos Stadium, in front because of their physical appeal. The Vote Us Out of Iraq mea clear stat^|||en||| of the Performing Arts Center, by Vespa has marketed much of its prod sure would appear on California’s — Pemti the University Police station, by the ucts toward this age group by pushing Feb. 5 presidential primary ballot Robert E. Kennedy Library, next to new colors and unique styles of and is believed to be the first such Senate president pro tern (D-Oakland) Campus Market and more. bikes. proposal for a statewide advisory The readily available parking could However, there are reasons why vote in the nation. of President Bush’s “failed policy” be one of the attributing factors to the in Iraq, said Perata, speaking to [r many students, and drivers in general, are “We want every single candi increase in students using motorcycles and not turning in their car keys for a motorcy date coming to California to reporters from the steps of a city motor scooters as their primary mode of cle or motor scooter just yet. Many people square off on this issue,” said building dedicated to veterans. transportation. find bikes unsafe or unreliable. Senate President Pro Tern Don “If nothing else works, then Jim Wilmore of Wilmore Auto Works is “People haven’t taken to bikes as much Perata, D-Oakland. how about the biggest state in the the only Vespa and Piaggio motor scooter because of the safety risks,” Baik said. “They The proposal would have to union rising up to give a clear t dealer in San Luis Obispo. He said that since are a lot more dangerous than cars or statement?” he said. November, when he first began selling pass the Democrat-controlled trucks.” Legislature and be signed by Perata said he will introduce, Piaggios and Vespas, people have purchased Hsu agreed, saying that he has been the measure in the Legislature on over 40 scooten. Republican Gov. Arnold involved in an accident on his motorcycle. Schwarzenegger to make the bal Monday. “There is definitely an interest from young Another issue that affects many decisions to He announced the legislation people. However, older adults as well are com lot. use cars rather than motorcycles involves the While the advisory measure the same day the nonpartisan ing in looking for Vespas,” Wilmore said. weather. Motorcycles can be unsafe when roads Field Research Corp. released a Wilmore is one of the top sellers in the would carry no authority, Perata are wet, and many drivers are wary to use them said joining it with California’s poll that found that the percent state. He attributes much of this to having the in places like San Luis Obispo where the climate new early presidential primary age of California voters who lowest prices in California and living on the brings many wet days. would help “set the pace” for the approve of President Bush’s per Central Coa.st, where residents tend to be Even with these setbacks, students are making the 2008 race. formance in office had dropped more environmentally and economically con transition from cars to motorcycles for the benefits, It would give C’alifornians the to 26 percent, the lowest mark scious. especially the monetary advantages. The typical motor scooter ranges from $3,(KK) to chance to voice their disapproval see Initiative, page 2 News editor: Kristen Marschall • [email protected] M u s t a n g D aily Friday, April 6, 2007 www.mustan3daily.comJ = NEWS = Villines, R-Cdovis, called Perata’s pro Initiative posal "an ill-advised political stunt that continued from page / will divide C'alifornians at a time when Morc than 57,000 fineshmen given any U.S. president in 30 years. our troops overseas need our unwaver Just 24 percent of the 1,('‘^3 regis ing support now more than ever tered voters interviewed said they sup before.” offered fall UC admission ported Hush’s handling of the war in A spokesman for the C!alifornia Iraq, and 59 percent said the United chapter of the Veterans of Foreign Wars Rachel Konrad May 1 to make their fall enroll freshmen are from families where States should set a timetable to with said the organization would oppose the ASStH IAIEI) I'RtSS ment decision. neither parent has a four-year draw its troops. measure. Several campuses increased the degree. About 35 percent come Perata said he would like to see “We should not set a date and say SAN FRANCISCO — The number of students who were from low-income families, and other states put similar measures on everybody must leave Iraq by that date. University of California system offered admission, including pres nearly a fifth come from high offered fall admission to a record their ballots during primary season to That to me is absolutely the wrong tigious UC Herkeley, which added schools in the lowest 40 percent of 57,318 high school seniors, and force a “national referendum” on the way to go,” said William Manes, the 289 offers for a total of 1,342 ('alifornia schools, as ranked by more than one-third of them war. chapter’s legislative director. offers. Other campuses, including Academic Performance Index come from families in which nei Anne Roesler, who said her son suf UC Davis and UC San Diego, score. Several cities around the country ther parent has a college degree. fers from post-traumatic stress disorder restricted admissions because they UCLA received more than have given voters the chance to weigh According to university-wide in on the president’s Iraq policies in after serving three Army tours in Iraq, had more acceptances from fresh 50,(KK) applications for fall 2007, statistics released Thursday, fall man last year than they anticipat more than any university in the recent years. The California measure spoke during Perata’s Herkeley news 2007 admissions increased 3.8 would be the first in the country to put conference to support the measure. ed. country, said UCLA Vice percent ftxsm fall 2(K)6. The UC system, which has Chancellor Janina Montero. The the issue of U.S. troop withdrawal to a “The people in this state do care Admissions officers for the uni more than 1 million alumni campus admitted 11,837 and has statewide vote. about the troops. And we do want the versity, which has a combined stu worldwide, offered admission to room for about 4,7(K). At least 336 troops from California war to end,” said Roesler, a member of dent body of nearly 2(K),0(M) stu all eligible freshman applicants, Montero said UCLA sets a Military Families Speak Out, an orga have died in Iraq, more than from any dents, said they anticipated the although students didn’t necessar high bar for academic perfor nization that opposes the war. other state. slight decline in exclusivity ily get their preferred campus or mance, but today’s high school She compared the ballot proposal to Schwarzenegger spokesman Aaron because the eligibility require start time. Some were offered Students should not be overly McLear said the governor has not the push for peace in Vietnam that ment increased, from a grade- winter or spring enrollment.