Spartan Daily Vol. 161 No. 9

Community talks low-income housing

By Alina Ta ASSISTANT NEWS EDITOR

Santa Clara Valley Transport Authority (VTA) Board of Directors and San José City Councilmembers gathered Thursday night to vote on whether or not to push the city’s proposal forward to build low-income housing at Cerone Yard.

Cerone Yard is a 2.2 acre plot of unused land located near Coyote Creek and one of VTA’s maintenance facilities.

The VTA Board of Directors voted 9-2 majority to adopt and lease the unused land at Cerone Yard for the project, ending the meeting around 9:45 p.m.

San José Mayor Matt Mahan said the proposal includes the construction of 200 housing units at the site.

Mahan, who is also one of the members of the VTA Board of Directors, explained how the property will hold a maximum of 200 people with one person living in a single unit, each having their own bathroom.

“Tonight we have a vote in front of us that is a life and death decision,” Mahan said. “Maybe not for any of us [in the room], but certainly for many of our unhoused neighbors.”

In 2023, there were 6,266 unhoused people in San José, according to a summary from City Council.

43% of the homeless population in the summary reported they were living outside and not in a shelter, vehicle or any other form of housing, according to the same source.

Omar Passons, deputy city manager for San José, said the city’s staff are trying to meet local and state demands.

“I will tell you that there are thousands of people on the street and hundreds literally waiting for interim housing right now,” Passons said. “From our perspective, the mayor and council directed us as city staff to go forward and try to find locations. We have tried for months to offer to work with and create that community input

including with the workers and we’re very, very eager to try and make a difference here.”

Ragan Henninger, the deputy director for the housing department for San José, said the city currently has 500 beds available for the homeless, but is aiming to finish building enough housing options to hold 1000 beds.

Henninger also said the city currently has 300 people recorded on a waitlist ready to receive low-income housing.

“Currently there are over 300 people on the waiting list to get into these 500 beds,” Henninger said. “We’ve closed the waiting list for now because

employees shared a couple of concerns about the project.

Lawson said the employees are concerned about their emotional and physical safety, and the amount of traffic that can possibly occur once the project is finished.

“We are concerned about the impact on our workforce,” Lawson said. “This is a workforce that has been through a lot in the past few years in terms of the COVID epidemic, a cyber attack, as well as a mass shooting that took place at another yard that we have.”

He also explained to the board of directors that the facility at Cerone Yard is

Center near Mabury Road. Lawson said both sites can hold up to 70 units and are both near light rail stations.

“I’d also like to state that we would consider and hope that the board would consider over the next 30 days our ability to work with the city to resolve some of the following concerns,” Lawson said.

Mahan said although no site is perfect, Cerone is the only site large enough to accept the 200 units which the state of California has already agreed to provide for San José.

He also said every agency throughout the city and the state will need to be bold in order to

and private sectors as well as family child-care providers, according to its website.

She said the Board of Directors in the past have acknowledged VTA workers for their work and heroism in working through the pandemic, but do not appear to be listening to the workers’ concerns.

“They [VTA employees] make critical decisions every day to keep these riders in this valley safe,” Willette said. “Let’s be clear, no one’s against housing . . . We have an opportunity to have a win-win. We urge this board to accept the staff recommendations.”

Henninger said she believes the city has already addressed their concerns.

She said the city already operates safe and controlled sites in other areas of San José.

“We don’t have any data that suggests what we’re building here is a community safety risk,” Henninger said.

Henniger said the city is already running other lowincome housing programs safely by controlling who comes in and out of the sites.

“People are literally dying out in the streets, folks,” said William Chea, the president of Santa Clara County Association of Realtors.

Mahan said it’s time for the city and community to be honest with themselves.

“When we step back and ask ourselves, ‘Why haven’t we made faster progress in ending homelessness which our community consistently ranks as the number one concern [and] the number one priority?’ I think we have to be honest with ourselves that the reason is that we all too often find reasons to say ‘No,’” Mahan said.

Jim Lawson, the VTA chief of external affairs who provided the city a report on possible issues related to the proposal, said the VTA

going through a “climate and culture transformation” and had previous plans to use the 2.2 acres for other projects.

“As everybody knows land in the Silicon Valley is enormously expensive and difficult to get,” Lawson said. “Of the threeplus yards and one rail yard that we have in VTA, this is the only facility that has room for expansion.”

Lawson also explained there are two alternative sites both the city and the VTA are still considering to use for low-income housing.

He said these sites are Hostetter Station and Berryessa North Transit

decrease homelessness.

“I think we’re going to have to be willing to be bold and make some sacrifices, and make some investments across the board, every agency across our city, across our county and state, if we’re going to really get a handle on this crisis,” Mahan said.

Mullissa Willette, the president of Service Employees International Union, Local 521 (SEIU Local 521), said the board of directors are not listening to the workers’ concerns in the staff recommendations report.

SEIU Local 521 is a labor union that represents 53,000 workers from public, nonprofit,

Chea said regardless of whether or not the city and the VTA want to consider building low-income housing at alternative sites, the city needs to focus mainly on getting the homeless housed

“We need this housing, do the right thing,” Chea said. “If you think the other sites are great, awesome, let’s put them all online. Let’s get people off the streets with dignity. Please do the right thing and vote for this.”

ALINA TA | SPARTAN DAILY

Mayor Matt Mahan speaks at a Santa Clara Valley Transportation Authority meeting about creating low-income housing in San José on Thursday night at City Hall.

GRAPHIC BY ALICIA ALVAREZ

Community rolls through SJ streets

By Angel Santiago STAFF WRITER

The city of San José hosted the annual Viva Calle event for bikers, skaters, joggers and more on Sept. 10.

The Viva Calle event was between 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Various streets were closed to accommodate the event.

Some parts of the streets remained open to the public like San Fernando Street and Tenth Street to avoid creating traffic during the event.

Japantown, Tamien Park and Kelley Park hosted activities for the community including photo booths, food vendors and various informational sessions.

Catalena Oropeza, a teacher at a child development center at San José State who lives in Japantown, came to the event with her child.

“It’s been really awesome,” Oropeza said. “I feel like this one Viva Calle has had such a good turnout. Sometimes I feel like there’s not as many people but I was, like, it’s cool to see so many people. We’ve even seen a friend already just randomly come by too.”

In Japantown, there were resources for the community to learn about the city. There

Campus Voices

was information regarding conserving water and small businesses.

There was also a San José Sharks inflatable slapshot game and a live band.

On East San Carlos Street, Volunteers also handed out water bottles and wind spinner flowers while a DJ performed.

I think it’s very wholesome and it unites the community in SGA and those who visit to spend the day riding their bikes being recreational, with their neighbors and their families.

There was a professional wrestling performance in the center of South First Street and East William Street. Children were also able to ride their bikes with their parents to explore the city.

Yesenia Guzman Student Success unit administrative specialist

Local massage therapist Lisa Hill-Pierce said coming

out and riding a bike in the streets of San José is a great way to network and familiarize herself with the city.

“I like the feeling that my kids can just ride their bikes or scooters, or roller skates and not worry about cars,” Pierce said. “It often takes us to parts of the city [where] we don’t normally ride our bikes.”

At Tamien Park, there were many people who had the opportunity to learn about the park. There were

food trucks, staff employees giving out T-shirts and photo booths.

Yesenia Guzman is the administrative specialist for the student success unit, supporting Chicanx/Latinx Students Success Center at SJSU.

Guzman said she wished she would have found out about the event sooner because she would have participated.

She thinks having this event is one of the best ways to bring the community together and have the opportunity to have bikes, scooters and many non-engine vehicles out on the streets.

“I think it’s a great event,” Guzman said. “I think it’s very wholesome and it unites the community in SGA and those who visit to spend the day riding their bikes being recreational, with their neighbors and their families. I think it’s a great way to also explore the city of San José more.”

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What lessons were learned from 9/11?

“One event, as terrible and horrible as it is, does not define a person. It doesn’t define a group of people, it doesn’t define a race. So just remembering that, you know, even if someone who was a part of your community committed something terrible, you are not that same person. So just, you know, remembering to stay strong and stay true to yourself and stand by community.”

“I feel like just a lesson that I’ve always learned is just never take your days for granted. I feel like what happened on 9/11 was such a traumatic day for everyone that it kind of scared people but I just feel like we just need to, like, lean on each other in order to like to grow from that whole situation that happened.”

public health freshman r

“I think, even with how divided we are today, in times like that, in the most dire times. I believe that unity can be possible, but I don’t know how long that unity can really last. I mean, a decent amount of time has passed since then. But it’s kind of clear to see that the unity that had been built and established hasn’t really lasted. So I think we need to figure out how to sustain that going forward in ways that can impact us in the future.”

Kyle Jonke psychology sophomore

ANGEL SANTIAGO | SPARTAN DAILY

Community members bike in the streets of San José during the annual Viva Calle event on Sunday morning.

Angelica Marie Torres Hom biology senior Evelyn Espino

Students ‘Paint & Plant’ on campus

BY DYLAN NEWMAN | SPARTAN DAILY

#1: Software engineering seniors Joanna Doria and Christian Hernandez paint their plant pots together.

#2: Computer science junior Benny Le incorporates a polka-dot design for his pot.

#3: Computer science junior Guadalupe Ramirez and Biomedical engineering sophomore chat while painting.

#4: Mechanical engineering freshman Jacquline Martinez watercolors her planter.

#5: Students were given a ceramic flower pots and watercolor paint to make their own designs with.

#6: A variety of seeds for plants were available for antendees to take home along with their pots.

PHOTOS

Lover’s Peak performs at Philz

By Melany Gutierrez STAFF WRITER

Fans of local indie rock band Lover’s Peak gathered at Philz Coffee on the Paseo De San Antonio to thrift, sip and tune in to Lover’s Peak’s latest music on Thursday afternoon.

The event was hosted by lead singer, guitarist and film senior Ernesto Moran.

Moran also works at Philz Coffee and felt inspired by Hispanic Heritage Month to honor his own culture through the event.

“I wanted to do an event at the start of the semester

to appreciate Chicano artists,” said Moran. “I was trying to get more vendors to come out to support their art, just in all this is for Chicano arts.”

Lover’s Peak is a duo of twin brothers Ernesto and Ramiro Moran.

Management information systems senior Ramiro Moran and his brother founded the band in April 2020, when they released their first song.

“It was our first ever project doing any music in general, so we’re still relatively new,” Ramiro said.

Since 2020 and early 2021 the melodic postpunk band, originally from Monterey Bay, has developed a large following across the Bay Area.

The Moran twins have cultivated connections and a fanbase not only with fellow students but with owners of Downtown San Jose establishments and artists of all kinds.

Vendor and businesswoman Desiree Mejias, has run the independently-owned jewelry store Made With Taurus Love, for about a year.

Mejias first met the Morans at Philz Coffee six months before the event and was invited as a vendor.

“I never think I’m gonna sell a lot at these events but I do,” said Mejias. “Everyone comes out of their classes or just comes to get coffee, they all stop by and at least get one thing.”

Lover’s Peak has nurtured their popularity and their following through events at Philz and around Downtown San Jose before. They also play in Cupertino, Santa Cruz and Berkeley with fans who follow them wherever they go.

The event seemed to be a success according to Lover’s Peak, and they intend to follow up with another Chicano inspired event soon.

The duo will also take part in the upcoming Battle of the Bands at The Guild Theater in Menlo Park on Sept. 29 alongside two other SJSU bands, Itchy Knees and La Sombra.

The Morans have expressed their excitement and nervousness for the event being the only twopiece band playing. But their ambitions for their duo go beyond their current status.

“If we ever go on a lengthy tour we’ll probably consider getting a drummer and expanding,” said Ernesto. “Keeping the duel dynamic is important for now. Since we’re twins and we’re inspired by a lot of artists that stick to the duo like Hers, The Garden and so many others that inspired this project in particular.”

‘Layover’ by V is a multi-genre masterpiece

By Nikita Bankar STAFF WRITER

Imagine sitting in the corner of a colorful coffee shop, sipping a matcha latte as the sun slowly warms your face. That is what “Layover” by V, feels like.

V is the stage name of Kim Taehyung, who is one of the seven members of BTS. The group recently decided to go on a hiatus in order to fulfill their mandatory military service in South Korea.

Each member has released solo work within the past year, with Taehyung being the last of the bunch to do so. I am a fan of his soulful and husky voice, which is why I was looking forward to this EP.

Tae-hyung definitely did not disappoint.

“Layover” was released on Sept. 7 consisting of five tracks and an overarching breakup theme incorporated throughout. The EP is a true reflection of Tae-hyung and allows fans to peer into the complications of his life.

The EP is not simply one genre, displaying V’s ambitious attempt to tackle a style he has not utilized before in his music. I appreciate the fact that while “Layover” utilizes a jazz style that he previously shared a liking for with fans, he also explored aspects of R&B.

Before falling into K-pop and

BTS, I had never considered myself a fan of jazz at all. If it was playing I wouldn’t necessarily shut it off, but I couldn’t see myself getting up and dancing to it.

However, because of V, my opinions have started to change. I now constantly find myself drawn towards his music taste.

After numerous teasers on the social media platform “Weverse,” Tae-hyung shared the song “Love Me Again,” one of the two prerelease singles. I instantly fell in love with the electric guitar that strums four dreamy chords before V’s voice enters and blends into the beat.

My favorite part of the song is when he sings “Lost without you baby,” using a higher tone of his voice that he does not typically rely on. It was a refreshing segment and introduced a unique style I had not heard from him before.

I had to rewind that portion of the song as my jaw dropped. It was such a beautiful run and I fell in love with it instantly.

In the music video of “Love

Me Again,” V shines in sparkly red and gold sequined outfits as he sings into a microphone. While it’s simple, I loved his rock star-like persona and his alluring facial expressions.

The second pre-release track, “Rainy Days,” is easily my favorite

of the EP. The song starts with a soft piano melody, with natural sounds of texts being sent and people speaking in the background.

The lo-fi-style post-breakup song uses a simple melody for the chorus, yet Tae-hyung weaves both lower and higher notes of his vocal register during later segments. The video shares a softer side of Taehyung, as he lounges around in a hoodie and jeans with a dog similar to his own.

The cover of “Layover” is his actual dog, Yeontan. Taehyung was sure to share his love for the Pomeranian on the front of the album, which I found incredibly sweet.

“Blue” is the next track and is definitely on the simpler side. Despite this, it showcases a gentle beat and Tae-hyung’s higher vocal range as his voice echoes in the background before and after the chorus.

“For You” kicks off with a higher female voice singing, which was unexpected. However, Taehyung dives into the chorus and sings “I wish I could stay with you” in a beautiful falsetto that I absolutely adore.

I love when the song shifts entirely into a higher key near the middle, giving a new sense of character to the song. The broken lyricism clearly stemmed from personal experience for V, backed up with a stunning piano piece.

The music video for the last track, “Slow Dancing,” was released the same day as the EP. The video shared a playful Tae-hyung, as he was seen laughing with friends on the coast of Majorca, Spain.

The song reminded me of tracks from the 1970s, encompassing a calming, romantic and soulful style.

I think that if Tae-hyung

was a song, it would be “Slow Dancing.” The beat, instrumentals and melody all encompass everything he loves and the song is executed beautifully.

Within the music video, I noticed that as Tae-hyung takes a polaroid of him and his friends, the result is simply multiple versions of himself.

It makes it seem as though he is dreaming of being with others, yet is

stuck in his own mind, which made me consider what complications he may be experiencing.

The next time you’re studying or sitting in your favorite coffee shop sipping a matcha latte, take a few minutes to listen to “Layover.” I promise, you won’t be disappointed.

MELANY GUTIERREZ | SPARTAN DAILY

Ernest and Ramiro Moran perform at Philz Coffee on the Paseo De San Antonio to support Chicano arts and vendors on Thursday aft ernoon.

Spartans corral Mustangs

By Nathan Canilao

SENIOR STAFF WRITER

San José State

(1-2) rushers ran for 267 yards and 5 touchdowns in a 59-3 blowout win over Cal Poly San Luis Obispo (1-1) on Saturday at CEFCU Stadium.

Senior running back Kairee Robinson returned from injury and rushed for 124 yards with 2 touchdowns.

Quarterback Chevan

Cordeiro completed

15 of 21 passes and threw 2 touchdowns and rushed for 1.

It was the largest margin of victory for a Spartan team since 1949 when SJSU defeated the University of Mexico 103-0.

Saturday’s game had a rare weather delay. At

MUSTANGS 3

SPARTANS

the 13 minute mark of the second quarter, the game was stopped for 45 minutes due to a lightning warning.

“It’s been a hard couple of weeks for our team,” said SJSU head coach Brent Brennan.

“I thought today was just a great example of the team coming together and being really committed.”

The Spartans set the tone of the game from the opening kickoff.

Senior linebacker

Jaylan Lawson delivered a thunderous hit on Cal Poly returner Xavier Oliphant which popped the ball loose and was recovered by SJSU sophomore cornerback Jalen Bainer.

The Spartans scored a field goal on the ensuing possession and proceeded to rattle off 38 first-half points. At halftime, the Spartans led 38-3.

SJSU continued its dominance in the

second half, scoring 21 straight points in the third quarter while the defense proceeded to shut out the Mustangs in the second half.

Cal Poly’s offense managed just 169 total yards for the game and was 2 for 14 on third down.

Former University of Washington fivestar-quarterback Sam Huard was shut down, passing for 66 yards and throwing an interception a week

after he threw for over 300 yards and a touchdown in his Cal Poly debut last week against the University of San Diego.

“Starting off 0-2, we needed this win,” said SJSU quarterback Chevan Cordeiro. “It was an eye-opener for us, and really changed our mindset heading into this week.”

The Spartans will play the University of Toledo at 4 p.m. on Saturday at

By Nathan Canilao SENIOR STAFF WRITER

Before the start of the season, San José State head coach Brent Brennan emphasized the need for a more efficient running game.

“I’m hopeful that we’re more effective running the ball than we were a year ago,” Brennan said during an Aug. 22 press conference.

In SJSU’s first two games of the season against No. 6 USC and No. 16 Oregon State, the running game was inconsistent, but after the Spartans 59-3 win over Cal Poly San Luis Obispo Saturday, SJSU may have unlocked the run game that Brennan has been hoping for.

Spartan ball carriers ran for 267 yards on 43 attempts while scoring 4 rushing touchdowns.

Senior running back Kairee Robinson rushed for 124 yards and 2 touchdowns while junior running back Quali Conley rushed for 60 yards and 2 touchdowns.

“I think we’re gonna be a big help to the offense for sure,” Robinson said after SJSU’s win over Cal Poly on Saturday. “I feel like [Quali and I] bring a lot of energy and versatility to the game for sure.”

Robinson missed SJSU’s last game against Oregon State due to injury. His absence showed as the Spartans only rushed for 56 yards on 22 attempts in a 42-17 loss to the Beavers.

The dynamic of the offense changed completely against Cal Poly on Saturday. Robinson started the game as a first and second down back on mostly outside zone runs and sweeps to the outside while Conley the short yardage, between the tackles back.

The duo found success early in the game with Conley scoring a pair of 10-yard rushing touchdowns in the first quarter. Robinson owned the second half, scoring his two touchdowns in back-to-back possessions.

“It was great to have Kairee back,” Brennan said after Saturday’s win. “He’s a player that has been an awesome player for us for a really long time. He’s a leader.”

Quarterback Chevan Cordeiro rushed for 34 yards on 11 attempts which included a 15-yard QB-designed run for a touchdown. Junior wide receiver Isaac Jernagin had the longest run of the game, taking a wide receiver end around for 45 yards down the field.

“When the run game is working, it opens up the pass,” Cordeiro said. “Linebackers start coming in, safeties start coming in with their eyes. It’s always good when the running backs are scoring touchdowns.”

Glass Bowl Stadium. The Rockets are the reigning Mid-American Conference champions and defeated Texas Southern University 71-3 in their Week 2 matchup.

SJSU will need the run game in its upcoming games as the Spartans will face stingier defenses going forward. The Spartans’ next game will be against the University of Toledo who’s pass defense held Texas Southern University to just 97 yards passing.

“We’re playing the defending [Mid-American Conference] champions,” Brennan said. “They’re super well coached and playing there in the glass bowl is just a hard place to play. It’s just a great environment. So it’s just a huge, incredible challenge facing us.”

BRANDON NICOLAS | SPARTAN DAILY

SJSU junior wide receiver Charles Ross catches his first touchdown pass of the season putting the Spartans up 37-0 at CEFCU Stadium.

BRANDON NICOLAS | SPARTAN DAILY

Senior running back Kairee Robinson (32) celebrates after scoring a 33-yard touchdown in the third quarter.

Cal Poly had no answers for SJSU’s run game

Spartans blank Thunderbirds

By Julia Chie STAFF WRITER

San José State women’s soccer team claimed its first home win against Southern Utah by a score of 4-0 at the Spartan Soccer

THUNDERBIRDS

SPARTANS

Complex on Sunday.

The Spartans (2-3-2) got to work early against the Thunderbirds (0-4-4) with a goal from junior midfielder Taylor Phillips in the 8th minute putting them up 1-0.

“We played them my freshman year and it was a completely different team, but we knew we wanted to go into the game getting goals,” Phillips said. “That was our goal of the game, so I think we did that, especially as a team. ”

Phillips would go on to score again in the 37th minute off an assist by junior forward Bella Flocchini extending the Spartans’ lead 3-0.

“I was just looking to connect

with my teammates, especially Kennedy [Mayo], Flo [Bella Flocchini], and I just wanted to put them in good positions,” Phillips said.

Flocchini also got in on the action with two goals of her own. Flocchini leads the Spartans in goals, tallying 5 this season.

“I was just looking to just help the team out, either getting the goal or [an] assist before the game ends,” Flocchini said. “When I got my first goal, I passed it off to Kennedy [Mayo], and then [Kennedy] played a really good ball across, and then I just slotted it in.”

Flocchini had a season-high 2

goals in the match, and one assist.

“[Southern Utah] had some pretty fast forwards and I thought they honestly combined the ball pretty well, but I think our team just came out and played really well” said Flocchini.

Spartans’ head coach Tina Estrada said Flocchini is a game changer, goal scorer and playmaker.

“There’s a reason why she, in her high school career, was Gatorade Player of the Year for the state of Nevada. [...] She’s kind of the full package type of player. So we’re seeing that now, in only her second year of playing,” Estrada said.

Estrada also said Southern Utah is a well-coached team playing on a short week. .

“They had a tough weekend. We didn’t have a game on Thursday, they played on Friday night against the Good Pacific team. And so, you know, we had to make sure that we had a lot of energy in this game and take advantage of that,” Estrada said.

The Spartans are scheduled to play California Baptist University on Thursday at 7 p.m. at the Spartan Soccer Complex.

San José State junior midfielder Tiana Cello (12) battles off a Southern Utah defender in the Spartans’ first win at the Sparta n Soccer Complex on Sunday.

Fans should stick to concert etiquette

dont want it, now mid show i gotta move it, whats the logic fucking stop thanks b,” He tweeted.

A big part of attending concerts is behaving decently. While concerts are a perfect place to dance and sing to your heart’s content, they are not an invitation to disrespect the artist you have paid so much to see.

I don’t understand how people enter an arena and suddenly lose every modicum of common sense. It’s infuriating to witness artists being disrespected, despite their efforts to please their fanbases.

Many fans believe concert venues allow them to blend in with others and remain anonymous, giving them an excuse to act out. However, attempting to grasp

a New York Times article.

During the Astroworld festival, 50,000 fans began pushing towards the front stage, in hopes of getting close to Scott as he performed, leading to a case of mass compression asphyxia, according to an NBC News article.

Bankar STAFF WRITER

Imagine attending the concert of your dreams, a concert in which you’ve been saving up your minimum-wage salary for years in advance. However, rather than dancing or singing your lungs out, you are reprimanded by the performer because of pushy fans who lack selfawareness.

Concerts are supposed to be a place where fans and artists can connect with one another and enjoy their love for music. When did audiences suddenly start slipping out of control?

Fans shouldn’t have to worry about an artist yelling back at the audience because one idiot doesn’t know how to behave.

In March of 2022 rapper Tyler, the Creator posted a tweet about fans throwing unnecessary items on stage. “Stop throwing your shit on stage, i

There have been numerous situations recently where fans have completely forgotten what concert etiquette actually means.

During his sold out ‘Love on Tour,’ Harry Styles was hit in the eye with a skittle thrown by a fan in Los Angeles on Nov. 14, 2022. Lady Gaga almost fell

victim to raucous crowd behavior when she was nearly hit in the face with a teddy bear in Toronto on her Chromatica Ball Tour on Aug. 6, 2022.

the artist’s attention and seeking a few seconds of fame is a selfish approach, especially when the artists’ safety is at stake.

Not only is it irritating to see artists be mistreated, but it also bothers me when fans think concerts are the correct forum to throw spatial awareness out the

window.

During Travis Scott’s two-day Astroworld festival, 10 people were killed and hundreds were injured, according to

Compression asphyxia happens when there is an external force limiting the ability of the chest to expand, disallowing air to get into the lungs, according to Eric Adkins, an M.D. and emergency medicine physician at The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center.

I still remember feeling sick after hearing about Astroworld. Concerts are supposed to be a place where fans can feel safe and comforted, recently it’s been the opposite.

Safety was not at all a concern of mine when I attended Shawn Mendes’ The Tour in 2019, or the Agust D concert with my sister in May. However, with crowds getting crazier, it’s something I have to be wary of.

Concerts should be a place that brings people together not only physically, but emotionally. They should also never be a place where safety is questioned.

Nikita

Not only is it irritating to see artists be mistreated, but it also bothers me when fans think concerts are the correct forum to throw spatial awareness out the window.

GRAPHIC BY ALICIA ALVAREZ