Wednesday, Nov. 18 - Tuesday, Nov. 24 Weekly Digital Edition
Vol. 107, Issue 8 www.thedailyaztec.com
San Diego State University’s Independent Student Newspaper Since 1913
Aztec’s bounce back; beat Hawaii 34-10 In-person by
instruction on pause until next semester
Kyle Betz
SPORTS EDITOR
San Diego State football defeated Hawaii 34-10 in the team’s third home game of the season at Dignity Health Sports Park on Nov. 14. With another 100+ yard performance from senior running back Greg Bell, the Aztecs (3-1) broke away for a 28-0 halftime advantage and led comfortably the rest of the game. Here are three observations from Saturday’s game. 1. Aztecs rely on Greg Bell, ground game to move the ball The Aztecs started the game on offense with three straight punts. The only notable play that happened during those drives was a 40-yard run from Bell. Junior running back Jordan Byrd kept the momentum going during the Aztecs’ fourth drive, scoring
by
Photo courtesy of Derrick Tuskan, SDSU Athletics Junior linebacker Caden McDonald strip sacks Hawaii sophomore quarterback Chevan Cordeiro during the Aztecs’ 34-10 win over the Rainbow Warriors at Dignity Health Sports Park in Carson, Calif. on Nov. 14
the first touchdown of the game with a 51-yard run. Before the Aztecs’ next drive, Bell told Byrd he wanted a touchdown of his own. “We’re chasing each other,” Bell said of competition within the running back room. “Jordan breaks a long one, I come to the sideline, tell him I’m going
to get mine. If I break a long one (and one of the other running backs comes) to the sideline, (I) tell them to go get theirs. We just try to match each other’s intensity and it worked out well today.” Bell would end up scoring a 62-yard scamper on the first play of the next SDSU series, extending the
Aztecs’ lead to 14-0 near the end of the first quarter. But for Bell, things didn’t stop there. The Nebraska transfer scored another touchdown from three yards out to build upon the Aztecs’ already-commanding lead before halftime. see
FOOTBALL page 5
Prop 17 passes granting state parolees voting rights by
Catlan Nguyen
SOCIAL MEDIA EDITOR
Earlier this month, California voters passed five of the propositions on the ballot and rejected seven. Proposition 17, which allows state parolees to vote in California, passed with support from about 59% of voters, according to the Associated Press. “I just think that it was a step in the right direction, and it’s going to give people a voice who have always felt speechless before and like their voice never mattered,” San Diego State senior and parolee Sarah Norris said. “It’s a generational feeling. It’s a lot on our generation to educate those who can vote now.”
Brenden Tuccinardi
EDITOR IN CHIEF
About 50,000 new voters will be eligible to vote in future elections, thanks to Proposition 17. “There’s a huge population of people who are on paperwork who do want to vote,” SDSU alumnus and former parolee Moises Garcia-Perez said. “They have a political opinion that they feel towards their government, and they want their voice to be heard.” While the passage of Proposition 17 seems to be an indicator that Californians want to reform the state’s criminal justice system, other propositions that would do just that failed to garner voters’ support. Proposition 25 looked to replace cash bail with
a system based on public safety and flight risk, among other misdemeanor changes. “I’m gratified that voters saw fit to continue our state’s criminal justice reform,” Criminology professor and Executive Director of SDSU Project Rebound Dr. Alan Mobley said in an email. “And I’m surprised the proposition on eliminating cash bail failed to pass. I’m interested in (an) analysis that addresses this seeming discrepancy.” Norris said she wasn’t surprised that Proposition 25 didn’t pass because lots of money is made through the bail industry and the prison industrial complex. “I think (passing it) would make it more equitable for everybody when they are
arrested because as it is now, the only people who can make bail are people who have the money or their parents or family have that money,” Norris said. “That means it’s more of an upper-class, middle-class privilege.” Heavy hitters in the bail industry threw more than $11 million behind campaigns opposing Proposition 25, according to CalMatters. On the other hand, Garcia-Perez said he is in favor of keeping a cash bail in place. “If I wouldn’t have been able to get bailed out, I probably wouldn’t have finished school on time, and it would’ve just backsee
PROP 17 page 2
On the same day that San Diego County reported 718 new cases of COVID-19, San Diego State announced that its limited number of in-person courses would transition online and remain virtual for the remainder of the fall semester. The decision comes as news of positive developments in the race for a vaccine is overshadowed by yet another devastating and unprecedented surge in COVID-19 cases and hospitalizations across the country. In a university-wide email sent on Nov. 17, SDSU President Adela de la Torre and Provost Salvador Hector Ochoa announced approximately 2,100 students would not be returning to the classroom after the Thanksgiving holiday. “Further restricting the number of people physically returning after the Thanksgiving holiday will help us to mitigate the spread of COVID-19,” de la Torre and Ochoa wrote in the email. What Happens Next? The university recommends faculty make the switch to virtual instruction by Wednesday, Nov. 25 at the latest. Students enrolled in a course that consists of in-person activities will receive more information from their professors. However, many faculty see
IN-PERSON page 2
2
News
The Daily Aztec
Nov. 18 - Nov. 24, 2020 Editor: Jadyn Brandt
CSU launches center to aid minority K-12 students across California by Jadyn
Brandt
EDITOR IN CHIEF Brenden Tuccinardi
NEWS EDITOR
The California State University system held a virtual launch of the Center to Close the Opportunity Gap on Tuesday Nov. 10. The center was established at California State University Long Beach in order to better aid minority students in K-12 education. San Diego State has joined in partnership with CSULB along with California State University Fullerton and San Jose State University. At the virtual launch, California State Assemblymember Patrick O’Donnell, CSU Vice Chancellor for Academic and Student Affairs Dr. Loren Blanchard and other CSULB faculty all spoke to the benefit and purpose of the center.
PROP 17
continued from page
1
tracked me for my education,” he said. “I was already behind, and I just feel like people should be able to bail themselves out.” Garcia-Perez said his mom refused to pay for his bail, and he got another person to pay it. He also said people who get bailed out don’t go out and commit crimes immediately after being released. Another proposition that failed to pass was Proposition 20, which aimed to toughen sentencing in criminal cases and reduce the number of prison inmates eligible for early parole. “I felt like Proposition 20 was worded really confusing, and I’m really excited that it did not pass,” Norris said. “Now, with parolees being able to vote, I feel like it’ll make a big difference on stuff like Proposition 20.” Norris also said she believes many people think their vote doesn’t matter
NEWS EDITOR Jadyn Brandt ASST. NEWS EDITOR Katelynn Robinson OPINION EDITOR Trinity Bland MUNDO AZTECA EDITOR Daniel Guerrero Photo courtesey of the CCOG The goal of the center is to prepare K-12 students to be successful in their academic lives
“The ultimate goal of the center is to serve as a vehicle to explore new models, share best practices from exemplary schools and districts and convene practitioners and stakeholders from across the state,” said CSULB professor and co-director of the CCOG, Cara Richards-Tutor. The Dean of SDSU’s College of Education, Dr. Joe Johnson, was the keynote speaker at the virtual launch. Johnson is also the Executive Director of the
to the point where people who have always had that right still don’t exercise it. “I feel like (in) this election, a lot of people suffered from nihilism because they were like ‘oh, why does my vote matter,’” Norris said. “If collectively, people think it doesn’t matter, then it won’t matter.” Norris is excited about being able to vote, but she said she struggles to decide which party she identifies with. Norris said her dad is a “die-hard Republican,” but she doesn’t agree with all Republican views. Republicans aren’t in favor of restoring rights to felons or rehabilitating them in most, if not all, ways. In 2019, Florida’s Republican-controlled state legislature and Governor Ron DeSantis severely limited a voter-approved amendment to the state’s constitution, allowing an estimated 1.5 million former felons to vote. The legislation requires formerly see
ONLINE
National Center for Urban School Transformation. “The center is an acknowledgement of our charred responsibility to ensure that the American dream remains alive and healthy for all children in California,” Johnson said. “ I’m talking about the simple American dream that suggests that every child in this state will have access to a quality education that ensures them the capacity to keep learning and keep growing in this complex,
IN-PERSON
continued from page
1
indicated they had already planned to transition to online modalities for the final two weeks of the semester, the email stated. Off-campus teaching activities at non-SDSU institutions, like hospitals and clinics, are not impacted. Additionally, for juniors and seniors enrolled in research credit, paid research employees and graduate students approved, critical research activities will continue under the condition that public health criteria are adhered to. Impacts on Student Housing On-campus housing is not affected by the pause in in-person instruction and will remain open during the break. All students living in university housing must complete the Office of Housing Administration’s Thanksgiving Break Form indicating whether they plan to stay on campus, return after the break or remain home.
ever changing technological environment.” Johnson said he didn’t believe that the American dream was alive and well, rather that it is “on a ventilator” for some students. “It’s far too easy to predict how well any student will perform on almost any academic variable at any level,” Johnson said. “One only needs to know by variables race, ethnicity, family income, language, see
ONLINE
According to the email, many students intend to stay home for the final weeks of fall 2020. Mandatory testing will continue as scheduled after Thanksgiving. Given the increased risk of exposure for students returning to campus, the university will require all residents to get tested upon their return, according to an email sent on Nov. 2. Testing will be conducted between Nov. 30 and Dec. 2. Students should watch their official university email closely for more information and updates. “Again, we thank all members of our community for your continued understanding and for your dedication to your own teaching, research and learning,” de la Torre wrote in the Nov. 17 email. “We continue to see a stabilization of COVID-19 cases connected to our community and extend our deep appreciation for your efforts to keep health and safety at the forefront of all that you do.”
ASST. MUNDO AZTECA EDITOR Noé Sandoval ARTS & CULTURE EDITOR Devin Whatley SPORTS EDITOR Kyle Betz ASST. SPORTS EDITOR Luis Lopez SOCIAL MEDIA EDITOR Catlan Nguyen PHOTO EDITOR Alexa Oslowski ASST. PHOTO EDITOR Amanda Orozco VIDEO EDITOR Angela Kurysh ASST. VIDEO EDITOR Mackenzie Stafford GRAPHIC DESIGN EDITOR Emily Burgess
SENIOR STAFF WRITERS Ryan Hardison STAFF WRITERS Brandon Balayan Kayla Brown Jason Freund CONTRIBUTORS Riley Martinez Willem Quigley
ADVERTISING DIRECTOR Bryan Diamond MARKETING/PR DIRECTOR Roxana Becerril EDITORIAL editor@thedailyaztec.com ADVERTISING advertising@thedailyaztec.com PRINT The Daily Aztec publishes 5,000 copies of its weekly print edition every Wednesday thoughout the semester when we are not in a global pandemic. WEB Daily content is available at www.thedailyaztec.com SOCIAL MEDIA @thedailyaztec
@TheDailyAztec
/DailyAztecVideo
/thedailyaztec The views and opinions expressed in this issue do not necessarily reflect those of The Daily Aztec.
Opinion
Nov. 18 - Nov. 24, 2020 Editor: Trinity Bland
The Daily Aztec
3
Aztec Stadium will bring school spirit back to SDSU by
Willem Quigley
CONTRIBUTOR
Beginning in fall 2022, San Diego State will begin playing its football games at Aztec Stadium, a sleek and modern 35,000 seat facility that will be the hub of a larger development consisting of restaurants, hotels and parks. According to the Aztec Stadium website, SDSU expects the addition of a brand new stadium will not only bring more students to SDSU, but it will serve as the renaissance that the Aztecs have long needed, setting in motion a new culture of collegiate football. For over 50 seasons, the Aztecs football team has played in the decrepit SDCCU Stadium, formerly known as Qualcomm Stadium, roughly 15 minutes away from campus in Mission Valley.
Rendering courtesy of SDSU
Despite its 54,000 seat occupancy (nearly 70,000 for professional football), the average attendance for football games in 2019 was just over 29,000 fans. There is no surprise nearly 30,000 fans attended games, but the impact of these fans is less evident when they are spread out in an NFL sized stadium. Attending Aztec football games at SDCCU Stadium was clearly not a priority
for students. During my freshman year, I attended only one football game and was disappointed at the lack of students attending the game, most of whom left at halftime. From my experience, the student section was only about half full, and no one stood or cheered throughout the entire game. In essence, football games at the old Qualcomm Stadium felt boring.
College football thrives on vibrant and upbeat atmospheres on gamedays, but the massive concrete maze of SDCCU Stadium did not provide that. SDCCU stadium was only filling up half of its seats, which creates a quiet and unexciting environment. There are numerous factors that contribute to the lack of student enthusiasm for attending football games. The old stadium
suffered from poor audio quality, which is attributable to its awkward shape and architecture. Fans are also further from the field than they should be, a feature of it being both a football and baseball venue. These factors are only some that are exacerbated by the emptiness that can be felt when attending an SDSU football game. The SDSU football team is at a disadvantage for a couple of reasons when it comes to the excitement surrounding the program. Unlike small college towns where the university acts as the center of the city, SDSU is merely just a part of the larger San Diego metropolitan area. SDSU football is not a priority to students and alumni because there is simply so much else to focus on in the city. In college towns see
ONLINE
U.S. territories The performative nature of deserve more political social media activism representation by
by
Ryan Hardison
SENIOR STAFF WRITER
In the United States, Election Day is seen as the peak of democracy, as citizens far and wide 18 years and older cast their vote for president and other various high-ranking offices. As part of the 2020 election cycle, Joe Biden’s decisive presidential victory led to celebrations across the nation as people took to the streets to express their relief and excitement. However, once the confetti is swept and the celebrating stops we must ask ourselves as a nation, who is left out of this vital decision-making? Currently, a group of approximately 3.3 million people who were born on American soil are ineligible to vote. These disenfran-
chised people are the residents of U.S. territories. There are 16 U.S. territories, five of which are permanently inhabited (Guam, Puerto Rico, American Samoa, U.S. Virgin Islands, Northern Mariana Islands). Each territory has its own government, legislature, and governor, but lacks complete autonomy from the American mainland. Each of the five territories has a representative in the U.S. House of Representatives, however, they are all non-voting members and can only sit by in silence during most congressional deliberations. There are delegates who are elected every two years (in every territory except Puerto Rico) and a resident commissioner elected every four years see
ONLINE
Riley Martinez
CONTRIBUTOR
This year has been a whirlwind, but if there’s something we all have in common – aside from living in the midst of a pandemic – it’s our mutual exposure to a new age of activism. Modern social movements have transitioned online, much like the rest of our lives. With social media platforms remaining at the forefront of online communication, it has become more important than ever to reevaluate why and how we use these platforms, especially as they pertain to social movements. Instagram, with its incredibly platform-specific-spread, has mini slideshows of infographics. Twitter and Facebook both have catchy headlines and quips, bites of information from a wide range of
Graphic by Riley Martinez
credible and not-so-credible sources. Almost every form of social media has a way to disseminate information in bite-size chunks; that function is central to its purpose as social media. This is fine, except when it comes to activism. There are two sides to online activism: there are those who want to appear like they care about a cause, and there are those who actually do. A lot of
the former tend to fall into the brand/celebrity/ influencer category. In a digital age where social consciousness has become social capital, short bites of information have become a saving grace for the casual activist. Social media, for many, has become a tool to participate in social movements and keep up appearances see
ONLINE
4
The Daily Aztec
Mundo Azteca
Nov. 18 - Nov. 24, 2020 Editor: Daniel Guerrero
Actualización Azteca: el básquetbol masculino y femenil anuncia nuevos horarios, el fútbol se prepara para la competencia fuera de casa by
Daniel Guerrero
EDITOR DE MUNDO AZTECA
Si estaba buscando algo sobre los deportes de la Universidad Estatal de San Diego para entretenerse esta semana, entonces está de suerte. El martes se anunciaron nuevos anuncios para la temporada de básquetbol masculino y femenil 202021, así como cambios en la transmisión de fútbol azteca de esta semana. El básquetbol masculino de SDSU recibe un nuevo calendario de lanzamiento El básquetbol masculino de los Aztecs está a poco más de una semana de regresar, después de que anunciaron el calendario de la próxima temporada
File Photo El entonces guardia de segundo año, Téa Adams, conduce hacia el aro para una bandeja impugnada durante la victoria de las Aztecs por 55-45 sobre Cal State Fullerton el 17 de noviembre de 2019 en el Viejas Arena.
el martes. La conferencia Mountain West anunció el nuevo calendario para sus equipos masculinos para la temporada 2020-21. La temporada de los Aztecs incluirá 25 juego y cinco juegos que no sean de conferencia. Los Aztecs abrirán la
temporada con juegos en casa contra UCLA el 25 de noviembre y luego contra UC Irvine el 27 de noviembre antes de comenzar su temporada de conferencias. Debido a la pandemia de coronavirus en curso, el calendario de la confer-
encia Mountain West hará que los equipos jueguen dos series de juegos en la misma semana y en el mismo sitio para reducir los viajes de los equipos. Luego, los Aztecs comenzarán su viaje como los campeones reinantes de la temporada regular de Mountain West con juegos en Viejas Arena contra Colorado State University el 3 y 5 de diciembre. Los juegos que no sean de conferencia llenarán la mayor parte del calendario restante en el mes de diciembre. SDSU viajará a la Universidad Estatal de Arizona el 10 de diciembre y a Saint Mary’s el 22 de diciembre. Se quedarán en casa el 18 de diciembre para jugar contra BYU. El torneo del campeona-
to de la conferencia Mountain West está programado del 10 al 13 de marzo en Las Vegas Nevada en el Thomas and Mack Center. Hace un año, SDSU no pudo ganar el torneo de la conferencia a pesar de ganar el título de la temporada regular con un récord de 30-2. El básquetbol femenil aprende un nuevo calendario de conferencias, pero esperará anuncios fuera de la conferencia Así como el equipo masculino de los Aztecs se enteró de la nueva programación modificada para 2020-21 el martes, también lo hizo el equipo femenil. De manera similar, el see
ONLINE
El Condado de San Diego y SDSU retrocede al nivel púrpura registriendo más funciones públicas by
Noé Sandoval
ASST. DE MUNDO AZTECA
El día 10 de noviembre, el condado de San Diego anunció que volvió al nivel púrpura de riesgo de COVID-19. Estas medidas tomaron parte el día 14 de noviembre. El nivel púrpura requiere que muchos negocios y servicios no esenciales sean cerrados, lo cual quiere decir que lugares como gimnasios, algunos restaurantes, y cines deben cerrar. Esto no es solo el caso en San Diego sino en otros condados en California. “California acaba de superar un límite alarmante:un millón de casos de COVID-19, sin signos de que el virus se esté desacelerando “, dijo el gobernador de California, Gavin Newsom, en una declaración del 13 de noviembre
Siguiendo este anuncio, la Universidad Estatal de San Diego también actualizó su anuncio semanal para el alumnado y empleado de la universidad. La universidad avisa que continuará abierta pero siempre apoyando a la comunidad para tomar medidas saludables y seguras. El anuncio de la universidad también reportó el número de casos de coronavirus en el condado de San Diego, con 1,364 casos reportados. En la universidad han reportado 428 casos de estudiantes viviendo en el campus. Comparado al reporte del mes pasado, el número de casos en la universidad ha subido de 416 a 428 casos, subiendo un poco con 12 casos más. El requisito de tomar la prueba de coronavirus todavía está tomando parte para los estudiantes que
Foto por Brenden Tuccinardi San Diego, como muchos condados en el estado de California, retrocedió al nivel púrpura de los planes COVID-19 del estado. En la Universidad Estatal de California de San Diego, instan a los estudiantes a ser cautelosos con los próximos días festivos.
viven en el campus, según el aviso. Sin embargo, la universidad recomienda que todos los estudiantes, ya sea viviendo en el campus o no, se hagan la prueba regularmente. La universidad continúa ofreciendo prue-
bas de COVID-19 gratuitamente para sus alumnos y facultad. Con el feriado de Acción de Gracias llegando luego, la universidad anuncia que estará cerrada los días 26 y 27 de noviembre. La universidad sugiere a sus es-
tudiantes evitar cualquier viaje no esencial durante el feriado debido a la pandemia. Si viajar es imperativo, la universidad recomienda seguir las pautas y órdenes de salud del estado. Los essee
ONLINE
5 Sports Mallory Adams poised to return following knee injury Nov. 18 - Nov. 24, 2020 Editor: Kyle Betz
by
The Daily Aztec
Katelynn Robinson
ASST. NEWS EDITOR
San Diego State women’s basketball sophomore forward Mallory Adams is nearing the end of recovery from an ACL injury that ended her 2019-20 season early. Adams said she will be cleared to play near the start of the 2020-21 season, according to her trainer. “I’m most likely going to miss a couple of games like the Thanksgiving tournament we are supposed to play in,” Adams told The Daily Aztec. “But after that I should be good.” Adams said she is currently able to participate in drill and weight training with her team. She has not yet been cleared for threeon-three play. “For the most part, I’ve gotten to integrate some of the drills; I’m just not cleared for contact yet,” Adams said. “No three-on-
FOOTBALL:
continued from page
1
Bell became the first SDSU football player since Rashaad Penny to notch four straight 100yard games. He finished the night with 160 rushing yards and the Aztecs amassed 326 rushing yards altogether. A weak spot in the offense was sophomore quarterback Carson Baker, who only completed four passes on 13 attempts with 30 yards and two interceptions. Only one of those completed passes found the hands of an SDSU wide receiver. Bell said it was important to produce on the ground while the passing offense was struggling. “It was real big,” Bell said. “With the passing game struggling, that’s on everybody. I could do a better job blocking, receivers could do a better job running routes and everybody could just contribute more,
File Photo Sophomore forward Mallory Adams jogs down the court after sinking a shot during the Aztecs’ 55-45 win over Cal State Fullerton on Nov. 17, 2019 at Viejas Arena. SDSU president Adela de la Torre (second from left sitting courtside) is seen clapping after the play.
three sadly, which is my favorite. I’ve also been doing a lot in the weight room and stuff.” Adams views the timing of the injury as a “blessing in disguise” since she was able to have her surgery at home and recover with her family. This is not Adams’ first ACL injury, as she went
through the same injury and surgery during her freshman year of high school. She felt isolated during that season since she couldn’t participate with her teammates. This time around, Adams knew the rest of her teammates were also at home while she was recovering, and that made her feel
better. While at home, Adams was able to focus on her recovery without worrying about going to class or team workouts. Adams will be playing with an A22 ACL knee brace, which is the lightest version of a post-ACL knee surgery brace.At first, Adams felt restricted by the brace but said she now
so that’s on everybody.” Near the end of the game, Hoke inserted Georgia Tech transfer and dual-threat senior quarterback Lucas Johnson. Johnson provided a spark on the ground during “garbage time,” collecting 47 yards on four carries. That drive culminated in a 36yard sophomore kicker Matt Araiza field goal to bring the score to 34-10. Hoke did not necessarily rule out the possibility of Johnson competing for the starting quarterback job during the postgame press conference. “I think this: we evaluate the guys on everything,” Hoke said. “We’ll go back tonight, obviously, and take a good look at the film, see where we’re at, see who gives us the best chance to be successful and we’ll go from there.” 2. Aztecs’ defense continues to be strong suit The Aztecs gave up 28 points last week against
San José State after only allowing 13 combined points in the team’s first two games. Against Hawaii, SDSU’s defense held its ground. The Rainbow Warriors only managed to put up 10 points — all in the second half. One play that preserved the first half shutout was a pick-six from senior linebacker Segun Olubi. Not only did it give the Aztecs a 28-point lead, but it was the first interception of Olubi’s collegiate career. Junior linebacker Caden McDonald also assembled another strong defensive showing. He tied for a team-high seven tackles, including three for a loss, two sacks and a forced fumble. Through four weeks, he leads SDSU in sacks (4.5). Last weekend, the Aztecs were prepared to face San José State graduate senior quarterback Nick Starkel but he was injured during the first drive of the game. The Aztecs then faced a
dual-threat quarterback in sophomore Nick Nash, who ran for 53 yards and a touchdown while handing SDSU its first loss of the season. McDonald said facing a run threat like Nash and having a full week of preparation had the defense ready for mobile Hawaii sophomore quarterback Chevan Cordeiro. “It was great coming off San José with a scrambling quarterback,” McDonald said. “Kind of taught us a couple of lessons there, so having a full week to prepare for Hawaii for another scrambling quarterback helped us out a lot.” 3. Halfway through With Saturday’s win, the Aztecs improve to a 3-1 overall record at the halfway point of the regular season. It’s the thirdstraight year SDSU has started its season 3-1. Since the Mountain West Conference announced the eight-game regular season, each game holds
feels more comfortable playing and lifting weights while wearing it. “I felt really restricted, but now it makes me feel more comfortable when I don’t have it on during weights or something,” Adams said. “I prefer to have it on. I think it’s just a mental aspect but it makes me feel better.” According to the National Library of Medicine and National Institutes of Health, female athletes are 3.5 times more likely to suffer an ACL injury playing basketball than males. “It’s literally too common for women, it’s sad,” Adams said. Adams was devastated when she heard her potential final season at SDSU may have been canceled due to COVID-19. In July, the 6-foot forward was granted an extra year of eligibility by the NCAA due to the injury, but she see
ONLINE
importance — especially with the lingering possibility of a COVID-19-related game cancellation. McDonald said he was happy the team was able to perform well against the Rainbow Warriors after last weekend’s double-digit loss. “It was really nice,” McDonald said. “We worked real hard all week long just to get better and improve from last week and have a performance that we did today. We still need to get better.” Despite having a positive record, Hoke said he’s not satisfied with where the team is at. “We’d rather be 4-0,” Hoke said. Up next is Nevada, who is one of the top teams in the conference so far this season. Led by sophomore quarterback Carson Strong, the Wolf Pack (4-0) have wins against Wyoming, Nevada, UNLV and most recently New Mexico.
6
The Daily Aztec
Arts & Culture
Nov. 18 - Nov. 24, 2020 Editor: Devin Whatley
Console Wars: Play Station 5 vs. Xbox Series X by Jason
Freund
STAFF WRITER
Let the console wars begin – again. Seven years after the release of the PS4 and Xbox One, Sony and Microsoft announced their next generation of video game consoles in 2019. The Xbox One X and PS5, released on Nov. 10 and Nov. 12, plan to usher people into a new realm of gaming. High-quality graphics, fast gaming engines and new user-friendly capabilities are a major focus. Unlike previous years, both companies have announced two versions of their consoles instead of one. Along with a console featuring a physical disc drive, both companies are offering a “digital-only” console with no disc drive at all. With the “digital-on-
ly” versions, gamers are restricted to only virtual products and cannot insert physical discs to play games or watch movies. The “digital-only” consoles, the PS5 Digital Edition and Xbox Series S, do come at a lower cost than their counterparts. Each console offers exclusive benefits that the other doesn’t. However, it is up to the consumers to determine which console they will purchase come release. So, which option is better for SDSU students? Let’s see what these consoles have to offer. Microsoft Xbox Series X Aesthetically, the newest generation of Xbox is unlike any that has come before it. While previous iterations were designed to sit on its side, the Xbox
Graphic by Emily Burgess
Series X, at 301 mm high, is designed to sit vertically, similar to a PC. The Xbox Series X was initially announced at The Game Awards 2019 and continued to release information about the console in the months after. While the regular version can only stand upright, the digital Xbox Series X has a unique design that allows it to not only stand,
but also be displayed horizontally. In terms of processing, the Xbox Series X is a tank. With a graphics processing unit packing 12 teraflops of power (a data measurement used to process polygons to make games have sharp visuals) and 16 GB of RAM, the console can render games up to 4K resolution at up to 120 frames per second.
Its digital counterpart is no slouch in terms of processing capabilities either, but with only 4 teraflops of power and 10 GB of RAM, the Xbox Series S can only render at up to 1440p, albeit at 120 frames per second. Perhaps this is why Microsoft made the smaller S console cheaper than its see
ONLINE
With the 2020 election over, SDSU Review: Chromeo’s Democrats, Republicans and political “Quarantine Cassanova” echoes feelings of love & scientists see polarization rising hope during pandemic B B by
randon
STAFF WRITER
alayan
If one were to observe Newton’s cradle, they may notice the outer spheres are creating the continual momentum, and the ones in the middle remain still. Like Newton’s cradle, political polarization during the 2020 Presidential Election fringe groups created the most noise, and the moderates who absorb the brunt of the impact and are sticking with the parties they already identified with. After President-elect Joe Biden’s victory, polarization amongst supporters on all ends of the political spectrum grows, as accusations of “voter fraud,” “stopping the count” and others have been spewed out on social media. Despite the amount of
by
Kayla Brown
STAFF WRITER
Photo courtesy of Turning Point USA at SDSU Political groups SDSU Democrats and Turning Point USA at SDSU both believe polarization has increased throughout politics in recent years.
noise extreme activists make, and attention they draw, the perception of polarization is different among average Americans and political scientists. “American society is not as polarized as the social media depicts,” said San Diego State Professor Emeritus of political sci-
ence Ronald King. “Activists are more polarized.” As a result, King believes the average voter has been slightly pulled towards the margins and Americans dislike the other party more than they like their own. see
ONLINE
With life moving from in-person interactions to online platforms because of COVID-19, the dating scene has looked quite different since last March. For one music group, it influenced their latest album. Chromeo, a Canadian electro-funk music duo led by David “Dave 1” Macklovitch and Patrick “P-Thugg” Gemayel, have been creating music about the perils of dating for the last two decades. They released “Quarantine Casanova,” an album about love and hope during this COVID-19 pandemic, last June. The ten song EP brings upbeat funky vibes with influence from multiple decades. The music is
about feelings regarding social distancing, romance, boredom and depression throughout this pandemic. Five of the songs have lyrics, while the others are instrumental versions of the first five. Listening to the subtle boom of Macklovitch’s bass guitar, drums and the synth beats from Gemayel’s keyboard instantly lightens the mood in any environment. It is hard not to sway to the rhythm, even when feeling down from all of the uncertainty of this year. In “Six Feet Away,” Macklovitch sings a classic love anthem – telling his muse that although they are apart because of quarantine, he’s still going to love see
ONLINE