MONDAYApril 9, 2012Volume 97, Issue 100

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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

Requirelabeling ofGMOs by foodcompanies inthe U.S.

O P I N I O N

B AC K PAG E

They share theirsilence while thetelevision flickerson one side of theroom. She reachesfor the glass ofwater again. Thistime it seems closer. She almosthas it when thetelevision cuts toblack ... everything expands ...

4

2

‘KONY’ sequel released

Last Thursday, Invisible Childrenreleased “KONY 2012: Part II BeyondFamous,” its sequel to the viral video“KONY 2012.” The release comesdespite worldwide criticism and therecent breakdown of the activistgroup’s co-founder, Jason Russell.

In an attempt to address the criti-cism “KONY 2012” has faced, such asthe Lord’s Resistance Army’s currentinactivity in Uganda, InvisibleChildren explains in the second videothat the LRA is still actively terrorizingareas of the Central African Republic,which borders South Sudan and theDemocratic Republic of Congo.

“In the four weeks since “KONY2012” launched, the LRA has report-edly abducted 57 more,” narrator andCEO of Invisible Children, Ben Keesey,said in the sequel.

Similar to the previous video, thefilmmakers urge viewers to take actionand make their voices heard to policymakers. The video reminds viewers totake part in the “Cover the Night”movement in which supporters andmembers have planned to take to thestreets on April 20 to spread the wordabout ending LRA violence.

Billy Hamlin, a computer science stu-dent at San Diego State, was involvedwith Invisible Children in high school.Hamlin reports becoming disillusionedto the goals of the organization.

“The day after doing research Irealized I wasn’t in support of thegoals; I’m not saying they’re bad,but I don’t agree with the goalsthey’re seeking to get there, such as

direct military action,” Hamlin said.“The biggest thing to do is to edu-cate people in general. When peoplewatch the video they need to domore than just watch. There areother possible scenarios and resultsthat could come from it.”

Sarah Nader, a business adminis-tration student, said the sequeldoesn’t give an in-depth analysisbehind LRA violence.

“I was aware of the atrocitiesagainst the people of Uganda andCentral Africa before watching thefirst video,” Nader said. “But afterwatching both “KONY 2012” videos, Istill haven’t learned much about thepolitical history and relationsbetween the LRA, Uganda andCentral Africa.”

Nader said what made the previous“KONY 2012” go viral was the emo-tional appeal used by Russell byincluding his son in the video.

“The video encourages viewers tobecome active, but before you fightfor something you need to know itshistoric background. You need toknow the cause and effect of whatyou’re fighting for.” Nader said. “I thinkit is precisely because of both thevideos’ lack of in-depth political andhistorical analysis that they havebegun to lose steam.”

Associated Students representativesmet with 53rd DistrictCongresswoman Susan Davis onWednesday to discuss the recentfinancial cutbacks to education.

A.S. Executive Board members andLobby Corp representatives spokewith Davis to gain a Washington per-spective on the cutbacks and to sharetheir own views.

Davis opened the meeting with thecomment, “There’s somehow thisbelief (in Washington) that if we givestudents too much in the way ofhelping them out with student fees, itwill only increase tuition in universi-ties and colleges,” as administratorswill think students have more money

to give. “We know that that’s not true;there are many reasons today thatcosts go up.”

Davis said the “competition for thebest and the brightest” is one of themain driving forces of fee increases.Universities feel pressure to con-stantly spend more on the mostinnovative technology, best-lookingbuildings and most qualified staff.While those investments do benefitstudents, “You can leave your stu-dents behind by doing that. Trying togive them the best (is good) but atthe same time can make it lessaccessible” by adding costs.

“Accessibility is next,” A.S. VicePresident of External Affairs KristaParker told Davis. “That’s terrifying forstudents who have worked their wholelives to get into a college and now

can’t even get into a state school.”Davis mentioned a lack of political

pressure as another reason for thedecreasing federal funding. She com-pared the United States to countriessuch as South Korea, Finland andSingapore, which have noticeablyincreased their math skills.

“When they looked at their stu-dents and their scores globally, theydetermined they would have a strate-gic plan and would do everythingpossible to make certain studentswere succeeding at higher rates andteachers were prepared,” Davis said.

The A.S. representatives alsobrought up the lack of communica-tion between students and legislators.Parker told Davis students are becom-ing politically active again and wantto know what’s going on, but it’s diffi-cult for them. According to LobbyCorp Chair Nicole Ganz, “Those who

need the most support (are the oneswho) go to night school because theywork all day. They don’t have the timeto meet with legislators or becomesocially active in campaigns.”

A.S. President Cody Barbo empha-sized to Davis the importance ofsocial media in informing students.“We really are looking at new ways toreach out to students that don’t liveon campus.” When 20,000 studentslive off campus and aren’t involved inextra-curricular activities, “Socialmedia is our best form of communi-cation,” he said. He advised Davis toincrease her social media activity.

After the meeting, Parker said sheappreciated the time Davis took tomeet with the representativesbecause Davis understands students,despite her limited amount of timeable to devote to communicatingwith students.

Davis provides insight for AS

IIllggiinn KKaarrlliiddaaggstaff writer

AAmmyy WWiilllliiaammssstaff writer

Latest InvisibleChildren videoaddresses criticisms

Congresswoman Susan Davis meeting with A.S. Executive Board members and Lobby Corp representatives. They discussed a range of CSU related topics. | PETER KLUCH, STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER

The release comes despiteworldwide criticism and therecent breakdown of theactivist group’s co-founder, Jason Russell.

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On Friday, a struggling Navy two-seater F/A-18 jet crashed into fiveapartment buildings in VirginiaBeach, Va. The two pilots, the onlypassengers aboard the plane,ejected safely and sustained onlynon-life-threatening injuries. Fourothers were also taken to theSentara Virginia Beach GeneralHospital with minor wounds. Theaircraft was not carrying live ord-nance and crashed 2.2 miles awayfrom the runway after a faultytakeoff, a senior DefenseDepartment official told CNN.After the wreckage site was extin-guished, rescue crews prepared tocomplete a thorough search forothers who may have beeninjured or killed Virginia BeachFire Department Battalion ChiefTim Riley said. Luckily the pilotsspilled the jet’s fuel prior to thecrash landing, thus minimizingthe inevitably fire-stricken land-ing; otherwise the wreck couldhave likely caused even moredestruction.

—Compiled by Copy Chief KristenCaldwell

NATIONAL NEWS

4T H R O U G HO U R L E N S

D A I L Y A Z T E CMonday,

April 9, 2012 O P I N I O N2

Advanced Test Preparation

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154

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80

54

Percent of packaged foods in the U.S. have GM products

Percent of genetically modified soy

Percent of genetically modified cotton

Percent of the worldwide GM crop production by the U.S.

Acres of GM crops in the U.S. in 2008, in millions

Countries using GM crops in 2008

14 Number of farmers who plant genetically modified plants, in millions

0 Number of consumers made aware by companies they are eating GM foods

FOR GENETICALLY MODIFIED ORGANISMS

nformation is power – espe-cially when it comes toknowing what we’re puttingin our bodies. Yet foodindustry giants appear hell-

bent on keeping that knowledge outof reach. And the government agen-cies responsible for regulating theindustry remain unable to enforce thekinds of protections we need.

Calls for the labeling of geneticallymodified organisms in food productshave been steadily gaining traction inrecent years. Now several grassrootscampaigns have petitioned the Foodand Drug Administration to createlabeling laws. The Just Label It groupsubmitted a petition to the FDA withmore than one million signatures.

The only government responsesso far have been negative or non-committal. The central problem isthe FDA’s position that GMOs are not“materially different” from otherorganisms, and no scientific evi-dence has proved them to be a dan-ger to human health. Therefore, thelabeling of GMOs is considered anissue of “consumer curiosity,” forwhich the FDA does not currentlyhave the authority to mandate label-ing. Not such a difficult fix: Congresscan give the FDA the authority byamending the Federal Food, Drugand Cosmetic Act.

Another issue industry representa-tives love to bring up – and probablythe real reason at the root of govern-ment inaction – is the cost associatedwith labeling. The requirement tolabel any final products containingGMO ingredients would complicateentire supply chains. In this day andage when so much of our food ishighly processed, with a cocktail ofchemicals and novel-length ingredi-ent lists, separating GMO and non-GMO items would be no easy task forfood corporations.

But this issue isn’t such an insur-mountable hurdle as they would haveyou believe. Many other countrieshave adopted strict regulation ofGMOs and require labeling. TheEuropean Union member nationshave probably been the strictest. In2003 the EU adopted new regulationsand mandated labeling after lifting acomplete seven-year ban on GMO

products. Japan, China, Australia,Brazil, New Zealand and countlessother countries also require labeling.

Granted, GMOs may be much lesscommon in other nations – a recentGrocery Manufacturers Associationstudy found that 80 percent of pack-aged foods in the U.S. contain geneti-cally engineered components. Thatonly makes the need for labeling evenmore urgent. I don’t want to debatethe science or spread more sensation-alized “Frankenfood” rhetoric.Personally I believe it’s too soon tosay whether genetically engineeredfoods represent any human healthrisks, but my main issue is not on anindividual health level.

What I really fear is the effect GMOsmay have on a larger scale. This kindof danger is much harder to predictand prevent. And unfortunately, wehave a pretty poor track record of see-ing the danger coming. Geneticallyengineered agriculture could beanother environmental disaster in themaking, the next Deepwater Horizon.The real reasons consumers shouldbe wary of GMOs are not the onesyou typically hear about. They are

much more complex and subtle, yetultimately more frightening.

First of all, extensive genetic con-tamination of wild plant varieties hasbeen proven as a result of GMO crops.Last year, researchers found abundantpopulations of transgenic canolagrowing wild in North Dakota.Because it is irreversible and impossi-ble to control, gene flow into wildpopulations may lead to serious unin-tended ecological consequencesdown the road.

Biotech corporations such asMonsanto tout genetic engineeringas the best way to feed the worldinto the future, but in many waysthe widespread use of GMOs actu-ally reduces food security. A healthyamount of diversity means someplants will be more resistant to dis-ease, pests or environmental condi-tions. The reduction in geneticdiversity from switching to geneti-

cally modified seeds leaves ourfood crops vulnerable to massivefailure, hurting both farmers andthe people they feed.

Farmers also get the short end ofthe stick in terms of profitability.Biotech firms love GMOs becausethey are able to patent the seeds, giv-ing them much greater control ofwhat goes on at the farm. Farmers arestuck buying expensive seeds yearafter year because replanting harvest-ed seed is a violation of the firm’spatent on the seed’s genetic code.Monsanto has even sued hundreds offarmers who were the victims of acci-dental cross-pollination of GM crops.

Another added cost for farmers,and probably the most tangible envi-ronmental threat posed by GMOcrops, is the massive amounts of

chemicals they rely upon for suc-cess. Most bio-engineered seedsrequire huge inputs of fertilizers andpesticides, not to mention perfectenvironmental conditions, to reachthe advertised yield potential. Allthose chemicals are incredibly dam-aging to not only the surroundingarea, but even ecosystems thou-sands of miles away. Fertilizer runoffinto the Mississippi River has createda 7,000-square-mile hypoxic deadzone in the Gulf of Mexico.

Clearly consumers have a right anda responsibility to know how theirfood is produced. The stunning lack ofinformation available to consumers isa serious market failure. To those whosee mandatory labeling as a marketdisruption, I would ask: How can amarket function properly without

consumer information and input toguide producers? Regardless of scien-tific proof of safety issues, consumerchoice ultimately decides what is andis not produced. If food industrygiants are afraid putting more knowl-edge into the hands of consumers willlead to a loss of sales, perhaps theyshould consider alternatives.

A recent survey by the MellmanGroup found 91 percent of thosepolled would support GMO labeling.Such near-unanimous public opinionis certainly a rarity. Perhaps it wouldbe wise to listen.

RRaannddyy WWiillddeeassistant copy chiefI

Label GMOs to increase eating awareness

The only government responsesso far have been negative or non-committal. The central problem is ... GMOs are not(considered) “materially different”from other organisms.

Requiring GMOs to label their goods is an important — and necessary — gauge on potentially harmful elements we consume. | MCT CAMPUS

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AACCRROOSSSS1 Info in a folder5 Mystical secrets

11 Polynesian paste14 Prayer ender15 Mazda roadsters16 Landers with

advice17 Donald Duck’s

title adventures,in a ’90s Disneyseries

19 Vigor20 Ten

Commandments verb

21 The house, toJosé

23 __ pig: experi-ment subject

27 Hallway28 West Coast cap-

ital31 Retrace one’s

steps33 Lament for

Yorick34 Pan-cooked in

oil, say35 Reach one’s

limit on, as acredit card, with“out”

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ding brand47 Emcees48 “Dog the Bounty

Hunter” channel49 __ Pieces51 H.S. class with

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Guard rescues64 Native

Nebraskan65 Disruptive ’60s

campus gp.

66 “__: rewind”:VCR rentalreminder

67 Skinny

DDOOWWNN1 Website info

source2 Don of talk radio3 Jacob’s first wife4 Confines, as a

pet bird5 Violin maker

Nicolė6 Slowing, in mus.7 Siamese or

Burmese8 __ loss for

words9 Most common

food additive, toa chemist

10 Inquire about11 Tropical fruit12 “Almost ready!”

13 Garaged for thenight, gearwise

18 Heidi of “ProjectRunway”

22 Light rope24 Jeremy Lin or

Kobe Bryant,e.g.

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pianist29 Chicken __ king30 Southern Cal.

airport32 Popular sneak-

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Masters winnerSam

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symbol

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TODAY’S BIRTHDAY (4/9/12) Things thatseemed stuck now align with forwardmotion. Partners, family and friends serveas anchors and lifelines., despite thetemptation to spontaneously dash off onadventures. Career and finances lead tomore travel and education. Put aside amoney cushion. Grow leadership.

To get the advantage, check the day's rating:10 is the easiest day, 0 the most challenging.

ARIES (March 21 - April 19) - Today is a 6 -Expanding into adventure? Intriguing.You're gaining respect. Gather with family.There's a promise of more money comingin. Keep communication channels open.

TAURUS (April 20 - May 20) - Today is a 7 -Assemble the team. You have no troublegetting the message across, and the groupcontributes. Do the numbers. Authoritiesmay need persuasion. Ask for what youneed.

GEMINI (May 21 - June 21) - Today is a 7 -For the next two days, partnership is thename of the game. Hold off on travel.Impulsiveness causes accidents. Acceptmore responsibilities. Choose privacy overpublicity.

CANCER (June 22 - July 22) - Today is a 7 -It's getting busy, and your creative juicesare flowing. Get productive, and don't beafraid to be unorthodox. Price yourmaterials. Include your team. Save timeand money.

LEO (July 23 - Aug. 22) - Today is a 7 -There's another opportunity for income.Let your conscience be your guide. Avoidbig promises. Leave time to play like achild (or with one). Your friends are yourinspiration.

VIRGO (Aug. 23 - Sept. 22) - Today is a 7 -Make household decisions for the next twodays. Clean up a mess, figuratively orliterally. Consult a partner on a decision.Follow a dream to a mysteriousdestination.

LIBRA (Sept. 23 - Oct. 22) - Today is a 7 -Get a financial deal in writing. Learn fromfriends at a seminar or class. You've got thestudy advantage with your extra ability tofocus.

SCORPIO (Oct. 23 - Nov. 21) - Today is a 7 -The people around you are morerespectful. It's a good time to ask formoney. It could get spent easily. Keeptrack. Entering a two-day domestic phase.Express your sentiment artistically.

SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22 - Dec. 21) - Today isa 6 - Your confidence can make a bigdifference, like a sense of ease and space.With new freedom comes a newresponsibility and satisfaction. Enjoy thegrowth, and keep expanding.

CAPRICORN (Dec. 22 - Jan. 19) - Today is a5 - Renew yourself through privateexamination, perhaps in the shape of anartistic project. Don't worry about themoney. Conserve resources out of habit.Create beauty.

AQUARIUS (Jan. 20 - Feb. 18) - Today is a 5- See how you can use your connectionsto generate new income. You'd rather playthan work now, but what if you couldcombine both? Choose romance. And fun.

PISCES (Feb. 19 - March 20) - Today is a 5 -Your community participation and creativemind for problem-solving makes you quiteattractive. Listen to someone who lovesyou. It's guaranteed to be better thaninternal radio.

©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

FREAKIN’ TWEET!FREAKIN’ TWEET! / THEDailyAztec

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

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Editor in Chief Allie Daugherty captured this photo of the Young Choreographers Showcase and Prize put on by

Jean Isaacs San Diego Dance Theatre at the Neurosciences Center.

RIDING THE DANCE WAVE

LOOKING THROUGH OUR LENS

D A I L Y A Z T E CMonday,

April 9, 2012 B AC K PAG E4FICT ION

o you rememberwhen we were juststarting out?” She asksas they get into bed.Blue light from the

television screen drapes over thefurniture and casts shadows alongthe far side of the room.

“We could barely afford a mattress.We had to sleep on the floor formonths. My back remembers.”

“It wasn’t so bad. At least we hadeach other. Sometimes I thinkabout what we’d give our kids if wedied. That’s something we shouldbe planning for.”

“We don’t even have kids yet,” hesays and turns the television onmute. “We should plan that first,before we worry about willing ourhand-me-downs to them.”

She twists around to face him.She can’t make out his expressionwith the television burning brightbehind him until the news programcuts to a commercial, and a dark-ness falls over everything. Justbefore her eyes are allowed toadjust, the commercials begin again,and the artificial light swallowseverything before her. “How oftendo you think about having kids?”

He doesn’t answer. The blanketsrise almost imperceptibly, then fallagain, as if the bed was some sort of

amoeba and they were trapped with-in it, waiting to be digested.

“Are you sleeping?” She asks. “I wasn’t.” “That means you were.”“You tell me first,” he says. “Do you

think about kids often?”She rises in bed and reaches for

the glass of water she placed on thedresser. It’s too far away and too cold,and she feels something pinch whenshe stretches that far, an old injury.She sinks back, the pain radiatingthroughout her midsection. Thedresser wobbles and the water teasesher. She sighs. “The thing is, when Ido think about kids, I fixate on beinga parent when they’re a little grown.Like, not little anymore. You know,the early years, that sounds fun tome. It’s long, time-consuming work,but it’s easy. Definitive. They have aproblem, there’s one correct answerin solving it. All you have to do is findit. But what about when they startmiddle school? You remember mid-dle school? Everything becomes aproblem, and nothing’s black andwhite anymore. So do you help them,even when they don’t want yourhelp, or do you force them to help

themselves, even when they do wantyour help? How do you know you’remaking the right decisions?”

“Sounds like you think about thisa lot.”

“I guess I do. Sure seems like itnow that it’s out in the open.”

“That’s OK. I think about it too.But when I think about havingkids, I never get too far. Whatscares me is if the kid will be bornhealthy or not. What’ll we do ifhe’s like my brother? What’ll we doif he’s born … different?”

“Don’t worry about that. We’ll fig-ure that out.”

“What if we can’t even have kids?What then?”

They share their silence while thetelevision flickers on one side of theroom. She reaches for the glass ofwater again. This time it seems closer.She almost has it when the televisioncuts to black and everything expandsaway from her. There’s a tiny fearsnaking through the darkness, shecan hear it approaching. She gives upthe water and moves to embracehim, but in the darkness he seemsfurther away then she remembers,further away and comfortable withhis own distance.

— Mason Schoen is a creative writinggraduate student.

MMaassoonn SScchhooeennfiction writer

When we had each other

D