SPORTS: Stick with your superstars in INSIDE: FEATURES fantasy football, it is still early, page 6 Abuse of prescription OPINION: Mandatory advisement can painkillers, page 3 ease student angst, page 4 Since 1960 Volume 85, Issue 12 Wednesday September 19, 2007 DailyThe Student Voice of California StateTitan University, Fullerton DTSHORTHAND Cops taser student at Kerry speech GAINESVILLE, Fla. (AP) TITAN BATTALION – Video of police Tasering a per- sistent questioner of Sen. John Kerry became an Internet and TV sensation Tuesday, generating INDS ITS WAY fierce debate about free speech F and the motives of the college student involved – a known prankster who often posts practi- cal jokes online. University of Florida President Bernie Machen said Monday’s takedown, in which the student loudly yelled, “Don’t Tase me, bro!” was “regretful.” He asked for a state probe of campus police actions and placed two officers on leave. The student in the middle of it all, 21-year-old Andrew Meyer, had no comment after he was released on his recognizance on various charges following a night in jail. But details from his online writings and videos raised the question of whether his harangue during the forum was genuine or some kind of stunt. Meyer, a senior telecommuni- cations major from the Fort Lau- derdale suburb of Weston, has a Web site featuring several home- made videos. The site also has what is called a “disorganized diatribe” attrib- uted to Meyer that criticizes the Iraq war, the news media for not covering the conflict enough and the American public for paying too much attention to celebrity news. Another site had pictures of Meyer licking a woman’s face ROTC students take a trip down to Camp and making a suggestive pose as he stood behind a fake cow. The Pendleton to learn land navigation training site listed his activities as “getting wasted” and “being ridiculous.” BY RAE NGUYEN Daily Titan Staff Writer YOUTUBE: STUDENT [email protected] BRUTALLY TASERED early 60 Cal State Fullerton ROTC cadets headed to Camp Pendleton Marine Corps Base in San Diego for land navigation training. Cadet John Pak looked forward to the three-hour training. “This [exercise] should be fun because I’m here with friends. Jenny NCraig doesn’t have shit on ROTC. This is the real workout here,” Pak said. During the 35-minute drive to the marine base last Friday, Instructor Master Sgt. Dan Sturgell commanded the 56-passenger bus as if it were a military tank, maneuvering to different lanes and turning at sharp curbs at 65 mph with surpris- ing ease. While bracing themselves, the cadets were each given a plastic bag with a pro- tractor, pencil and topographic map. This shaky clip shows a Uni- Eighties music played with such deafening frequency that cadets have to scream versity of Florida student being at each other to be heard. forcefully removed and tasered by Smiling, Pak explained it depends on Sturgell’s mood if he wants to lower the police after badgering Sen. John volume. Pak has been with ROTC for three years, now a junior on his seventh trip Kerry during a question and an- to Camp Pendleton for land navigation training. swer session. The student never “I want to be responsible, become a leader,” Pak said. “I want to have the oppor- stops talking, even after the po- tunity to see the world and this is a chance to do it all, here at ROTC.” BY RAE NGUYEN/Daily Titan Staff Writer lice standing behind him tell him Top- Cal State Fullerton ROTC Cadet Matthew Bern is surveying Camp Pendleton off Basilone Road. See ROTC, Page 2 Above - Cadet/1st Lt. David Wurbel, Cadet Bern and Cadet Maj. Brian Van Breeman. to let Kerry answer his question. As they drag him out, he begins screaming and pleading with the police and surrounding audience members, who gasp in horror as he is pinned down and tasered. Duration: 3:55 Depressed real estate market hinders job opportunities CSUF students looking For people with poor credit, sub- ers, Countrywide Financial Corp., Correction prime mortgage loans were abun- made headlines recently when it cut Due to a reporting error, A.Y. to work in the industry dantly distributed. The minimal its workforce by 20 percent. Com- ‘Fred’ Ramirez was misidenti- also affected by downturn down payments left many borrowers pany executives cited soaring delin- fied in the article entitled “Pol- with a mortgage close to the total quency and foreclosure rates among lak Library to pay tribute to lu- value of the home. borrowers, in a Los Angeles Times minaries,” in the Sept. 18 issue. BY CHRIstIN DAVIS Most of the loans begin with a article. The company’s chairman and Ramirez is actually an associate Daily Titan Staff Writer low interest rate, which dramatically chief executive compared current professor of Secondary Education [email protected] jumps in the second or third year. home price depreciation to that of the at Cal State Fullerton. The Daily Often times, the borrower would Great Depression. Titan regrets this error. As the real estate market continues then refinance using Now, as the to flinch at the nationwide talk of a their home’s value as mortgage indus- crisis, Cal State Fullerton students are collateral, expecting The real estate try tightens lend- WEATHER not concerned about finding work in the value of the home market is just like ing standards, the industry. to consistently rise. “ homeowners are “The real estate market is just like When the housing every other business- left facing the every other business – it goes up and TODAY TOMorrow boom slowed, home “ unavailability of down,” said senior Ramon Cardenas, value also dropped. it goes up and down. refinancing or a finance major who also works as a Refinancing became – Ramon Cardenas, access to a loan real estate agent for RE/MAX online. less of an option and Real estate agent at all. BY DANIEL SUZUKI/For the Daily Titan After a boom, house prices have depreciated over the last several years. “100 percent financing is going away, the higher mortgage For CSUF the prices will drop a bit more and payments were due, students nearing Job searchers can also rest assured may be more jobs helping borrowers High: 70 High: 67 banks will start refinancing. It’s not a leaving some people graduation and because, “Orange County is such a restructure their loans or jobs manag- bad market.” Low: 57 Low: 53 facing eviction. hoping to enter a career in the real es- strong market that it doesn’t get hit ing and selling properties that lend- In recent years, home buyers have The current credit crisis ensued tate market, the so-called crisis seems nearly as bad as everyone else,” Heim- ers have acquired because borrowers Mostly Cloudy Few Showers displayed financial overconfidence when mortgage-lending companies like a little more than a bump in the lich said. defaulted.” in purchasing property and many began reporting an increase in miss- road. Professor of finance and real estate Professor of finance and real estate borrowed against their homes while ing payments from clients. Senior Kevin Heimlich, business Michael LaCour-Little, who is also Michael LaCour-Little, who is also CONTACT US property prices towered. When the In response, Wall Street banks finance major and president of the codirector of the campus Real Es- codirector of the campus Real Es- so-called “housing bubble” burst, withdrew much of its financial back- CSUF Real Estate Association, said in tate and Land Use Institute said he tate and Land Use Institute said he Main line: (714) 278-3373 home prices decreased and left many ing. Multiple lenders and investment a phone interview the students who agreed. agreed. News desk: (714) 278-4415 owners holding negative equity – funds have since been sacrificed to are going to work hard in the indus- “There will be different kinds of “There will be different kinds of Advertising: (714) 278-4411 mortgage debt higher than the value E-mail: [email protected] bankruptcy. try will find jobs but “will just have to jobs available, but there will always be jobs available, but there will always be of the property. One of the largest U.S. home lend- work that much harder.” continued demand,” he said. “There See Real Estate, Page 2 Xxxxxxx X, XXXX NEWS X 2 Page Two September 19, 2007 INTERNATIONAL NEWS Iranian-American reporter is allowed to leave Iran ROTC: LEARNING to FIND THE RIGHT DIRECTION Since the exercise took about two TEHRAN, Iran (AP) - An Iranian-American reporter who was trapped in and a half hours, cadets were pressed Iran for months on suspicion of trying to stir up a revolution was allowed to for time and urged to eat before or leave the country Tuesday and return to the United States, her employer said. en route to their destination. Parnaz Azima was one of four Iranian-Americans charged with endangering Bern led the way with Cadet 1st national security, an accusation they denied. Another of the four was released Lt. David Wurbel, Cadet Maj. Brian earlier. Azima “left Iran today and is on her way to the United States,” Sania VanBreeman and media relations of- Winter, a spokeswoman for Radio Free Europe-Radio Liberty, told The As- ficer, Gina Roh. sociated Press from Washington. She would not give further details. Unlike At first, Bern struggled with the other three Americans, Azima, who works for RFE-RL’s Farsi-language which direction to go. VanBreeman service Radio Farda was not imprisoned but authorities confiscated her pass- directed him to the right location.