Wednesday, Dec. 9 - Tuesday, Dec. 15 Weekly Digital Edition
Vol. 107, Issue 11 www.thedailyaztec.com
San Diego State University’s Independent Student Newspaper Since 1913
Days after Spring Break decision, students continue to push back on and offline Brenden Tuccinardi and Alexa Oslowski by
Content Warning: mentions of extreme situations including death, suicidal thoughts, depression, anxiety Since San Diego State’s University Senate decided on Dec. 1 to replace the traditional spring break with four “rest and recovery” days throughout the semester, students have continued to express their anger and disappointment with the decision online and on-campus. Almost immediately after the announcement spring break was canceled, mechanical engineering first-year Khanitha Soeung
started an online petition to bring it back. The petition spread like wildfire among students on GroupMe, Twitter and Instagram garnering 10,000 signatures within 24 hours. At the time this article was written the petition had over 12,000 signatures. “If your students are telling you they don’t want this to happen and you proceed to go against them, what does that say about you as a university?” Soeung said. “Honestly with this decision, I have friends in high school who are applying to SDSU and now they’re telling me they don’t want to do it anymore. They’re pushing away future students.” Soeung said the univer-
Photo by Brenden Tuccinardi A few students marched through campus in protest of the Senate’s Dec. 1 decision to cancel spring break.
sity’s response, or lack thereof, to students’ concerns and anger show that administrators are detached from the struggles and challenges students face, especially in regards to mental health. “I recently delivered a
speech in front of President de la Torre and Dr. J Luke Wood during my Guardian Scholars Thanksgiving dinner and I emphasized mental health heavily because it hasn’t been an easy semester on my mental health,” Soeung said. “They don’t
realize what they’re doing to us. We’re the ones going through everything firsthand and they just sit there and watch from a distance.” Soeung also created a Google Form for students DAYS see page 2
Frustrated by meal plan options, residents start petition by
Patrick Doyle
STAFF WRITER
As the fall semester at San Diego State comes to a close, freshmen and other on-campus students have been expressing their frustration with the lack of food options available on their meal plan through a new online petition. The meal plan, which is mandatory for all on-campus freshmen, requires money to be pre-loaded for on-campus meals, and currently consists of three tiers. The “mini,” “select,” and “prime value” tiers all give students a weekly allowance ranging from $95$140 per week, where unused funds transfer to the next week but expire at the end of the semester. Some students, like biology first-year Sophie Rokaw, feel the meal plan is harmful to students since so many food options have
been closed due to the COVID-19 pandemic. “We aren’t really getting anything we’re paying for,” Rokaw said. “There’s nowhere to eat, and there’s not really any Aztec Markets nearby...hopefully we’ll have more options that are spread out and not just in one condensed area.” Rokaw’s experience of not having many breakfast places available on meal plan near her dorm, along with the news that Broken Yolk would be closing in the spring, caused her to create a petition requesting more food options such as East Commons be opened up like in previous years. Currently, 22 dining options are operational and available to on-campus students. Sixteen of these are open on weekends, but only 9 are open for dinner on weekends, according to
Aztec Shops. Additionally, SDSU Dining has brought in food trucks to Villa Alvarado apartments. Supporters of the petition, like journalism firstyear Lisa LeBel, feel the precautionary changes to meal plan have primarily impacted students in certain dorms like Villa Alvarado and the on-campus apartment buildings on 55th Street, referred to by students as “The Tecs.” “I know kids who live on the edges of campus that especially don’t have a lot of options for getting food since places near them are either closed or have hours that don’t work for the students,” LeBel said. “The results of this is that students have to resort to mainly going to the food options by South Campus Plaza, which takes time and energy on their part just to be able to get food.”
It’s a mile walk from Huaxtepec apartments to The Garden dining hall. The petition also highlights how difficult it can be for students to maintain a proper diet when some of the already limited options on meal plan are closed on weekends. “I don’t think the meal plan offers a lot of healthy options for students,” LeBel said. “I think that’s also why a lot of students are frustrated with the closing of Broken Yolk, because it did offer some more healthy options like wraps, salads, and smoothies.” While the hours of operation of many of the locations on the meal plan is up to those individual vendors, the university still reserves the power to change the way meal plan functions. However, Rokaw says she is afraid SDSU will revert to a previous meal plan format for the spring
semester, one that involves a daily declining balance. “If they were to take away the roll away option, we’d be losing a lot of money,” Rokaw said. “As we understand that changes restaurant owners have made in the areas surrounding SDSU may adversely impact our students, we continue to encourage students to rely on a number of SDSU resources,” Aztec Shops said. “Students who need help accessing food can contact the Economic Crisis Response Team (ECRT) and the Food Pantry, both of which help connect students with healthy food options.” Rokaw’s petition currently has 795 signatures with a goal of 1,000. She hopes the petition will hit its goal within the next week and compel the unisee
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to share their feelings on the decision. The survey also asked participants to rank how satisfied they were with SDSU’s treatment and representation of students and faculty. The results were overwhelmingly negative for SDSU, Soeung said, with the majority of respondents strongly disagreeing with the university’s handling of the situation. Several students submitted anonymous comments detailing their personal struggles – both financial and psychological – with the pandemic and how the Senate decision impacts them. “The pandemic and SDSU tuition has already taken a heavy toll on my family’s income,” one student wrote. “The fact that I have to carry the burden of making their money worthwhile without even catching a break for one week will lead to an even steeper decline in my already deterio-
rating mental health.” Another student wrote about how replacing a nine-day break with four separate days off might seem trivial but has the potential to compound other challenges. “I have already struggled with depression and suicidal thoughts due to COVID,” the student wrote. “This might seem small, but the sheer disrespect from SDSU alone is enough to destroy my mental health.” Also among students’ primary complaints is that they deserve a break given the unprecedented adjustments they have had to make while learning in a virtual environment. This is especially true for international students, who must not only learn online but also from across the globe. That in itself produces unique challenges. “This fall semester has already been stressful because I’ve had to stay up from 1 a.m. to 7 a.m. for classes because I’m an international student,” a student wrote. “Missing a
Dec. 9 - Dec. 15, 2020 Editor: Jadyn Brandt
nine-day break would with- and restoration and reout a doubt put me in a spi- place them with four days of ‘rest and recovery’. One ral and would result in me of them actually falls on a being burnt out. I feel that Friday, and most students this is going to be a case for don’t even have school on many students and that the overall quality of academ- Friday.” In a statement, SDSU said ics in SDSU would diminish university leaders expect as professors will also be all faculty to follow the no burnt out.” work, no assignment guideOffline, students are lines established by the fighting back against the proposal adopted by the decision as well. On Dec. 2, a small in-per- Senate on Tuesday. However, according to a faculty son protest was held on campus, organized by ki- member who is not in the nesiology sophomore Me- Senate, professors have yet to receive any communicagan Allphin. The group of tion regarding the academabout 5 students marched ic calendar change from through campus starting at Hepner Hall and finish- the Division of Student Affairs or the Provost’s office. ing at the Conrad Prebys Senate Chair Wil Weston Aztec Student Union. They practiced physical distanc- told The Daily Aztec that ing, brought hand sanitizer, “it’s possible” for the senate to consider a revised prowore masks and carried posal, though he would not signs demanding the return make a firm commitment. of the nine-day break. Included here are the “This is a mental health issue, not a vacation issue. links to the Associated Students Your Voice Matters With online school, we can go anywhere we want any- form, as well as the Change. org petition and Khanitha time we want. Nothing is Soeung’s Student Input really stopping us,” Allphin Google Form. said. “It’s not fair to take away our nine days of rest
Aztec Mentor Program launches internship for SDSU undergraduate students by Jason
Freund
STAFF WRITER
Aztec Mentor Program has announced a new marketing internship program in collaboration with Conversion Marketing. Launched in Jan. 2017, Conversion Marketing is an agency that aims to help high-tech companies develop data-driven strategies to create action, develop revenue growth and spread awareness about various campaigns and projects. As stated on the application website, Conversion Marketing is looking for three San Diego State students enrolled in undergraduate degrees in marketing, communications, advertising or a similar field who “want to build a career in digital marketing, content and campaigns
strategy, advertising and social media.” The internship was created by SDSU Ad Club President Cassidy Gonzales and Conversion Marketing Managing Partner Matt Berry as a means of creating meaningful and relevant internships for SDSU graduates. Berry, who graduated from SDSU in 1996 with a bachelor’s degree in marketing, said the internship is also a way to give back to the university that prepared him for his current role with the company. “A lot has changed since I graduated SDSU,” Berry said. “The job market, COVID, and all these things are stressing students out… (students) need opportunities to learn and work in a real-world environment.”
When brainstorming the idea of an internship, Gonzales and Berry wanted to provide applicants a chance to work side-by-side with others like them along with senior executives to guide them through the process. “We said, if we’re going to do this, let’s create a program where it’s really going to give the interns an idea of what it’s like to work in an agency,” Berry said. “We are going to frame out a project, maybe two, where there are goals and objectives and the three of them are going to have to go out and work as a team.” What the program won’t entail, however, is assorted paperwork that others in the company didn’t wish to complete. “It’s not going to be busy
work, filling out spreadsheets and stuff,” he said. “If you are going to do that, in my opinion, it is somewhat insulting. Don’t use free help to do your busy work.” While applicants of all backgrounds will be considered, interns will be expected to use their specific skills to collaborate with their team members to complete the given assignments. Berry told the Daily Aztec that the interns won’t be asked to be an expert in multiple subjects. Instead, they will have to excel at their own job to improve the overall work of their team. “That’s how it works in the real world, you’re an expert in something but you’re not an expert at evsee
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EDITOR IN CHIEF Brenden Tuccinardi NEWS EDITOR Jadyn Brandt ASST. NEWS EDITOR Katelynn Robinson OPINION EDITOR Trinity Bland MUNDO AZTECA EDITOR Daniel Guerrero 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 Breven Honda STAFF WRITERS Aaliyah Alexander Brandon Balayan Patrick Doyle Jason Freund CONTRIBUTORS William Quigley ADVERTISING DIRECTOR Bryan Diamond COMUNITY RELATIONS 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
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/thedailyaztec The views and opinions expressed in this issue do not necessarily reflect those of The Daily Aztec.
3 Opinion Consider taking a leave of absence Post War Reflection: Armenian students at SDSU/finals week Dec. 9 - Dec. 15, 2020 Editor: Trinity Bland
by
Trinity Bland
OPINION EDITOR
As the semester is quickly drawing to a close, there is one thing all students can agree on: online learning has been a challenge. I get distracted easily and sometimes have trouble verbally participating in class. I am more exhausted at the end of the day than I ever was with in-person classes and the motivation to sign into class on Zoom has long been depleted. Additionally, the lack of physical social interaction has taken a deep toll on me, to say the absolute least. Students cannot effectively learn online nor can they justify taking out student loans or paying
The Daily Aztec
full tuition to learn from home – especially if they live out of state or live in another country like a large part of San Diego State’s student population. It’s not worth it. Following the California State University’s announcement on Sept. 10 that the majority of courses will be held online next semester in addition to SDSU officials’ decision to cancel spring break and provide four “rest and recovery days” scattered throughout the semester in order to prevent another surge of COVID-19 cases, the university should have also reminded students of the option to take a leave of absence, along with the
Graphic by Emily Burgess
necessary steps to do so. This may be worthwhile for students, especially if they are not receiving the education they intended to receive while beginning their college career. A leave of absence means you are not enrolled currently, but you do intend to re-enroll and return. Individuals will need to speak with their advisors and the registrar, but there is typically no penalty implicated. Students can take a leave of absence for up to four consecutive semesters at SDSU without having to reapply for enrollment and they must file for a leave of absence on the SDSU Webportal. When students disenroll from classes, their financial aid is put on hold and they are not obligated to pay tuition fees. Their financial aid will reactivate when they re-enroll, which may be a sigh of relief for students who benefit from it. Scholarship policies vary, but some may require constant enrollment and can be retracted from students who take a leave of absence. see
by
Brandon Balayan
STAFF WRITER
As the fall semester comes to an end, students are nestled in their homes and must confront the burden of finals week. However, finals are an individual endeavor that many Armenian students struggle to place an immense amount of energy on. Armenians, as a collective – diasporans and nationals – have their minds occupied with the difficult realities of losing loved ones, their homes and the Nagorno-Karabakh war. According to the Council on Foreign Relations, Nagorno-Karabakh, also
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known as Artsakh, to Armenians, is a mountainous region located within Azerbaijan’s borders, but 95% of the population is ethnically Armenian. The conflict began in 1988 after the Soviet Union collapsed, and in 1991, the Republic of Artsakh declared independence from Azerbaijan. By 1994, Armenian forces won the war, and Russia brokered a ceasefire, but a peace deal was not reached. This year’s conflict between Armenia and Azerbaijan has reached an end with a peace deal which was also brokered by Russia. The cessation of the see
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Photo by Brandon Balayan
SDSU should bring mailboxes back to campus by
Willem Quigley
CONTRIBUTOR
Despite maintaining an enrollment of nearly 35,000 students, there is not a single United States Postal Service mailbox on San Diego State’s campus. During the 2019-2020 school year, there was a mailbox on the corner of Lindo Paseo and Campanile Drive. Upon going to drop off my ballot in late October, I came to realize this mailbox had been removed. According to the Postal Service’s P.O. Box, the nearest mailbox to campus is located in the Tal-
madge neighborhood, a 40-minute walk from campus for students without access to a car. Further, the closest Post Office is in City Heights, an even longer trek for students who need to mail large packages. It is ridiculous
that any student should have to walk or drive that far for mail services. San Diego State Mail Services old me that USPS collection boxes are strictly overseen by the Postal Service itself, making it all the more cu-
Photo by Willem Quigley
rious as to why the campus’ only mailbox was removed. For out of state students seeking to vote in their home states, they must send their sealed ballots via mail back to their home state before election day. As an out of state student, I can personally attest to the frustration of having to find a post office off campus in order to mail my ballot back to Washington state. Despite the digital age we find ourselves immersed in, traditional mail services are still critical to the fabric of our society. This year’s presidential
election proved just how important traditional mail services are. According to data from USA Today, 65 million Americans voted by mail in the 2020 general election. The precedent for mail-in votes can be directly attributed to the COVID-19 pandemic and the lack of in-person voting centers in many counties. Despite the record amount of mail-in votes during this year’s election, mailboxes and drop off locations were harder to find than ever. Leading up to the election, there was widespread concern over see
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The Daily Aztec
Mundo Azteca
Dec. 9 - Dec. 15, 2020 Editor: Daniel Guerrero
SDSU estudiantes muestran sus inquietudes sobre el cancelacion de las vacaciones de primavera by
Noé Sandoval
ASIST. DE MUNDO AZTECA
Después de que el Senado de la Universidad Estatal de San Diego canceló las vacaciones de primavera, los estudiantes han demostrado su desaprobación a la decisión universitaria. Muchos estudiantes han estado en contra y han habido varias formas de protesta. Horas después de que se anunció el resultado de la votación, se creó una petición exigiendo que se revoque la decisión. Khathina Soeung fue la estudiante que inició la petición. Hasta el viernes, la petición recibió hasta 12.000 firmas y se realizó una encuesta para que los estudiantes puedan expresar su opinión sobre el impacto de la decisión. En la petición y encuesta,
hay muchos comentarios negativos y en contra la petición “Nuestra salud mental se está deteriorando para todos los estudiantes y cancelar nuestro receso necesario durante el semestre solo empeorará”, dijo Carolina Fairbanks, una estudiante de SDSU que escribió en los comentarios de la petición. Los estudiantes argumentan que esto es una cuestión de salud mental. Aunque hay entendimiento que esta medida es para combatir la pandemia del COVID-19, los estudiantes expresan su preocupación de no poder descansar adecuadamente durante el semestre. Es probable también que esta decisión afectará a los estudiantes financieramente. “La pandemia y el costo de la matrícula de SDSU ya
han afectado mucho a mi familia”, escribió un estudiante anónimo. “El hecho de que tenga que soportar la carga de hacer que su dinero valga la pena sin siquiera tomar un descanso durante una semana conducirá a un declive aún más pronunciado en mi salud mental, que ya se está deteriorando”. Los líderes del gobierno estudiantil redactaron y aprobaron una carta a la presidenta de SDSU, Adela de la Torre, exigiendo la revocación de la decisión, durante una reunión del 4 de diciembre. La carta califica la decisión como “injustificable” y un castigo injusto para los estudiantes por el aumento de casos de coronavirus. “Si bien entendemos la creciente presión que nuestra universidad ha recibido del Condado de San Diego, este cambio de política en el calendario castiga in-
File Photo El Senado de la Universidad Estatal de San Diego votó durante una reunión del 1 de diciembre para cancelar las vacaciones de primavera. Los estudiantes han rechazado la decisión.
justamente al cuerpo estudiantil por el aumento en los casos de COVID a lo largo del semestre y es injustificable”, dice la carta. También, un pequeño grupo de estudiantes aparecieron en la Universidad Estatal de San Diego para demostrar su desaprobación a la decisión universitaria, el 3 de diciembre. La decisión fue apoyada por el departamento de
salud de San Diego. En la reunión del voto, el senado recibió una carta de la Oficial de Salud Pública, Wilma Wooten, expresando la importancia de no tener una las vacaciones de primavera. “Evitar esta vacación de nueve días es un enfoque proactivo para proteger a nuestras comunidades de brotes prevenibles”, dijo
Esta semana en deportes: el básquetbol masculino se clasifica como No. 24, y más by
Daniel Guerrero
MUNDO AZTECA EDITOR
Con las vacaciones y el final del semestre de otoño a la vuelta de la esquina, algunos deportes de la Universidad Estatal de San Diego siguen avanzando. Mientras que el equipo de básquetbol masculino consiguió un lugar en la clasificación nacional, el equipo femenil tuvo sus siguientes dos juegos cancelados debido a las precauciones contra el coronavirus. Para el fútbol americano de SDSU, el equipo está listo para viajar para un último juego de la temporada regular contra un oponente de mejor clasificado. Aquí está todo lo que necesitas saber para esta semana en deportes de SDSU.
Fútbol americano jugará No. 13 BYU para terminar su temporada El final de la temporada regular para el fútbol americano de los Aztecs está programado para este fin de semana. Se enfrentará al No. 13 BYU el 12 de diciembre para culminar la temporada modi-
ficada por coronavirus. Hace una temporada, SDSU derrotó a los Cougars 13-3 en casa para terminar la temporada regular 2019. Los Aztecs vienen de una victoria por 29-17 contra la Universidad Estatal de Colorado el 5 de diciembre. Fue una gran noche para
Foto por Kyle Betz El corredor de último año Greg Bell se apresura a anotar un touchdown durante la victoria de los Aztecs por 34-10 sobre Hawaii el 14 de noviembre en Dignity Health Sports Park en Carson, California.
los que regresaron patadas y despejes de SDSU. Corredor de tercer año Jordan Byrd tuvo un regreso de patada inicial de 93 yardas para un touchdown y sólo minutos después, el receptor de tercer año BJ Busbee devolvió una patada de despeje para 90 yardas para dar una ventaja de 20-10 en el segundo cuarto para los Aztecs. Basquetbol femenil comenzará su calendario de temporada de la Conferencia Mountain West fuera de casa contra Colorado State University Después de comenzar la temporada con dos victorias y dos derrotas, los Aztecs se dirigirán a la Universidad Estatal de Colorado, donde comenzarán su temporada regular de la Conferencia
Mountain West el 8 de diciembre. Como parte del calendario modificado debido a la pandemia de coronavirus, SDSU también jugará contra CSU el 10 de diciembre. En los últimos tres encuentros contra los Rams, los Aztec se han salido con tres victorias. La racha de tres victorias consecutivas contra CSU rompió la racha de derrotas de 11 juegos de los Aztecs contra los Rams El lunes, SDSU anunció que su juego en casa contra St. Katherine el 13 de diciembre se canceló después de que un miembro de su organización dio positivo por COVID-19. El juego no se recuperará. Aztecs clasificados see
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5 Sports Three observations: Scarlet and Black end losing streak, take down Colorado State on Senior Night
Dec. 9 - Dec. 15, 2020 Editor: Kyle Betz
The Daily Aztec
BY Kyle Betz SPORTS EDITOR
San Diego State football was able to keep its Mountain West Conference championship hopes alive following a 29-17 win over Colorado State on Dec. 5 at Dignity Health Sports Park. SDSU junior quarterback Jordon Brookshire earned his first-career collegiate start, throwing for 14-for-24 for 130 yards, one touchdown and taking 23 carries for 38 yards. The Aztecs (4-3, 4-2 MWC) were involved in a high-scoring affair by halftime (23-17), but SDSU was able to close out the conference portion of its schedule by shutting out the Rams (1-3, 1-3 MWC) in the second half. Here are three observations from the game.
Photo by Kyle Betz Junior wide receiver BJ Busbee returns a punt for a touchdown during the Aztecs’ 29-17 win against Colorado State on Dec. 5 at Dignity Health Sports Park.
1. Special teams comes through The Aztecs have dealt with special teams issues — primarily muffed punts — throughout much of the 2020-21 season. That changed Saturday.
In the first half, special teams made up for many of the points conceded by the Aztecs’ defense. Following a CSU field goal, junior running back Jordan Byrd took off for a 93-yard kickoff return with
11:54 left in the second quarter. Junior wide receiver BJ Busbee took a punt 90 yards to the house after the next CSU drive (which resulted in a three-andout).
Hoke credited special teams coordinator Doug Deakin after the game and said he was happy with the performance on special teams. “(Deakin) is probably one of the better guys in this country as a special teams coordinator, but that group did a nice job,” Hoke said. “When you’ve got some guys that can do a great job getting north and south, that’s what you want to get and we blocked it all up pretty well.” Byrd and Busbee weren’t the only Aztecs to get involved on special teams, however. Sophomore kicker Matt Araiza missed a PAT attempt after Busbee’s score, but he made up for it by knocking through three field goals on three atsee
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SDSU versus St. Katherine canceled on December 13, team prepares for first conference game BY Breven Honda SENIOR STAFF WRITER
In a news release, San Diego State women’s basketball announced its game against St. Katherine on Dec. 13 is canceled due to a positive coronavirus test coming from the Firebirds’ program. Sunday’s game will not be rescheduled and will not count toward either team’s records. The Aztecs are coming off a victory over crosstown rival University of San Diego on Saturday, winning 64-56. SDSU jumped out to a 20-6 lead after the first quarter and held on for the victory at Jenny Craig Pavilion. Senior guard Téa Adams led the way for SDSU (2-2), scoring 19 points on 9-of10 shooting to go with two assists and two steals.
Photo by Kyle Betz San Diego State women’s basketball head coach Stacy Terry-Hutson (left) draws up a play near the end of the Aztecs’ 75-71 loss to Cal Baptist on Dec. 2 at Viejas Arena.
In addition to Adams, junior guard Sophia Ramos recorded her second double-double of the season, posting 15 points and 10 rebounds to go with four assists and a perfect 5-for-
5 at the charity stripe. The Scarlet and Black had a third scorer in double figures in junior guard Mercedes Staples, who had 12 points and seven rebounds.
Although the Aztecs do not play on Sunday, SDSU will gear up to take on Colorado State in Fort Collins, Colo. for its first of two games in the Rocky Mountain State on Dec. 8 and 10.
It will be the Scarlet and Black’s first two Mountain West Conference games before coming home to play UC Irvine on Dec. 19 at 4 p.m. and Cal Poly on Dec. 21 at 2 p.m.
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Arts & Culture
Dec. 9 - Dec. 15, 2020 Editor: Devin Whatley
Year in Review: The DA’s Best Albums of 2020, Part One Ryan Hardison, Trinity Bland, and Aaliyah Alexander by
After a stressful year exacerbated by a devastating pandemic, a tense presidential election, and the increasing effects of climate change, the year 2020 is finally coming to a slow-moving conclusion. To commemorate the abundant year of music we’ve been blessed with despite the year’s constant chaos, here are the best albums of the year, voted on by The Daily Aztec writers. Ryan Hardison, Arts & Culture Senior Staff Writer: Rina Sawayama “SAWAYAMA” On Oct. 26, 2020, versatile pop singer Rina Sawayama graced the virtual stage of The Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon, marking her first TV show perfor-
mance and a sensational hook and back throughout. primetime appearance for Sawayama’s tendency to the artist. Though her fans take risks and perform mulhad known this for a while, tiple genres while emphaher live rendition of “XS” sizing aspects of current demonstrated why Sawaya- pop production makes her ma is a generation-defining music sound both nostalgic artist. and futuristic. Nearly seven months priFor instance, the invigoor, Sawayama released her rating “Dynasty” feels like debut album “SAWAYA- a depth-defying drop on a MA,” a self-assured work rollercoaster ride of art, filled with layered and marks a bold yet tunes that paint a polished graceful extension from picture of her existence. her previous sound. It The powerhouse tracks pairs nicely with the exploof “SAWAYAMA” are built sive “STFU!,” a song that with extensive influence chronicles the frustrating from colossal turn-of-the- stereotyping and microcentury rock and metal aggressions she’s experibands to create some- enced and inspires victims thing more innovative of these racist encounters than what’s expected of a to fight back. pop artist. Within numerOther standouts include ous songs on the project, the sleek and glamorous Sawayama seamlessly dash- “Tokyo Love Hotel” that es from a Y2K-esque pop underscores her expansive tune to a riotous nu-metal vocal range over dance-pop guitar riff to a luscious R&B production. Also, the cap-
Graphic by Emily Burgess
tivating “XS” and groovy “Comme De Garcons (Like the Boys),” both of which offer strong rejections of toxic societal norms. While “XS” attacks the excessive opulence of mass consumption, “Comme De Garcons” champions female empowerment and confidence. However, Sawayama’s finest songwriting comes out when she reminisces. Her sorrowful and empa-
thetic “Bad Friend” and the LBGTQ anthem “Chosen Family” emotionally portray her struggles to find a true family. These passionate records create a peaceful space for listeners yearning to be accepted and helps to find solace in the changes we don’t see coming. Regardless of her lack of Grammy nominations, and see
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SDSU alumni starts new podcast to empower Gen Z by
Alexa Oslowski
PHOTO EDITOR
Podcasts are the new blogs. Everybody seems to have one, and it’s easy to see why. The barriers to entry are low. All you need is a computer, microphone and a desire to share. 192,000 podcasts launched in 2019, according to Forbes. In 2020, that number is expected to grow and at least three San Diego State alumni will be among a new crop of podcasters. In August, Alex Piscatelli (‘18, Public Relations) and Emely Navarro (‘18, Journalism) launched their news and pop culture podcast “What A Week.” Every week the co-hosts break down the top headlines from their never-ending newsfeeds. “We wanted to make it like The Daily, or other shows,” Navarro said. Navarro said “What A Week” is talk radio for a younger demographic. “NPR has great stuff but it’s very much for people in
their late twenties or people who are super educated and always informed about the news,” she said. “And that’s not our audience, our audience is everyday college students and really 18- to 26-year-olds.” Especially in the weeks leading up to the election, Piscatelli and Navarro focused their episodes on researching and breaking down each proposition that was on the ballot.They featured a visual guide to each proposition on the podcast’s Instagram and encouraged followers to tune into the podcast for their in-depth analysis of each proposition.
“I had the idea that I wanted to talk about politics and news and also talk about entertainment in the same kind of capacity, and make it by people who are our age and for people who are our age,” Piscatelli said. “This information is out there and it can be digestible. That’s sometimes what frustrates me when watching media outlets, they don’t make it understandable for everyone. Shouldn’t these things be accessible to people and easy to read and understand?” Piscatelli and Navarro aren’t the only former Aztecs to pick up the microphone
Screenshot from “What A Week” on YouTube SDSU alumni Alex Piscatelli and Emely Navarro talk about current events and pop culture on their weekly podcast “What A Week.”
and put their voices out into the podcasting world. Michael Wiafe (‘20, Political Science) is currently pursuing his master’s at UC Berkeley. He co-hosts his podcast PolicyWise with another graduate student and fellow member of Young Leader’s Institute Demi Wack. Each week, PolicyWise goes behind the scenes of policymaking by interviewing those who work firsthand in the field. The hosts bring in a person from Generation Z and a professional in the field of policy to discuss issues present in today’s society. “There’s a lot happening right now and in the past few months and it felt very odd that to have so much going on and not really have space to truly talk about it other than on social media,” Wiafe said. “It felt like we’re not really able to have deep conversations and unpack all the things that are happening right now, but specifically for people that are our generation and our age group.”
In recent episodes, “PolicyWise” has created conversations surrounding sustainability, environmental justice and California’s Annual Economic Summit for civic leaders. People from Generation Z have sat down with state assemblymembers and current policymakers with the focus on encouraging young people to vote and use their voices. “We’re trying to get young people who are passionate about these issues, but maybe they don’t have as much experience and they might want to get into it in the future, to sit down with someone who has been working on this for a long time and who is developing policies now,” Wiafe said. “They can have a conversation about an issue they are both passionate about from the view of two different generations and find common denominators. “What A Week” and “PolicyWise” can both be streamed on Spotify or Apple Podcasts.
Senior Farewells Senior Farewell: Roxanna Becerril Dec. 9 - Dec. 15, 2020 Editor: Devin Whatley
by
Roxana Becerril
COMMUNITY RELATIONS DIR.
During an ordinary fall semester at San Diego State, I made one of the best decisions in my junior year of college. I joined The Daily Aztec. Within just over a year, the paper has given me the opportunity to author over twenty articles about art, culture and news in both English and Spanish. All of this, in addition to promoting me from staff writer to engagement editor, and finally, to my current position of community relations director. A byline and promotions weren’t the only things that made my time at the newspaper memorable. Meeting inspiring people from my community, sharing their stories, making life-long friendships and seeing my words in print are also at the top of my list.
It is because of The Daily Aztec that I’m most proud of being an Aztec. Sharing your work – creative or not – with the entire student population at State sounded nerve-wracking during my first three years at State. Thanks to the supportive and involved community at The Daily Aztec, the fear of publishing my work was abandoned and my confidence as a young journalist was boosted. Once I finally reached out to the student newspaper, everything changed. I joined the paper during Hispanic Heritage Month and the first story I ever pitched focused on mine and my classmates’ experiences as latinas. I was terrified. Nervous and unsure of what I was doing, I made calls, had multiple interviews and ended up with 11 pages of notes to be exact. I thought about
what being Mexican meant to me, condensed my thoughts to 500 words or so, put them on a Google document and shared it with my editor. A few days later, I headed to campus and picked up the latest issue of the paper. An illustration of a ballet folklorico dancer painted the cover of the Hispanic Heritage Month issue with colors of blue, yellow and pink accompanied by blocks of text. Right above them, a byline with my name on it. My story had made the front page. It was because of The Daily Aztec that I finally started to believe in myself, my craft and my potential. There is still room for improvement, there will always be. Nonetheless, The Daily Aztec provided me with a platform to communicate the messages most important to
The Daily Aztec
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Photo courtesy of Roxanna Becerril
me and my community. It also brought me to a lot of dedicated and passionate people who I get to call friends. Like most good things, my time at the paper must come to an end. The good
news is, every ending is just a new beginning.While I will no longer be a writer, editor or director for The Daily Aztec, I’ll always be an Aztec. From the bottom of my heart, gracias.
Senior Farewell: Daniel Guerrero by
Daniel Guerrero
MUNDO AZTECA EDITOR
There’s so much I’m going to remember from my two and a half years at San Diego State, but none of it will be from my classes or from SDSU itself. All of it will be from my time at The Daily Aztec. I never thought that The DA would be the best thing to happen to me in my professional, academic and personal life, but it was. The DA provides an opportunity for students who want to pursue a career in media, but you have to work for it. I was able to build myself up to earn internships at great places where I met even greater people. The DA helped me join the National Association of Hispanic Journalists where I have been able to meet journalists from around the nation. When you read my bi-
ography on my DA author profile, it says my career goal is to be an MLB baseball writer – which is something that still holds true among other goals and aspirations I have for myself. The DA gave a sample of that as I covered SDSU baseball and became the resident “baseball insider” in our newsroom. Most of all that I’ll forever cherish about my time at the Daily Aztec will be the people I met inside the newsroom and the memories that came with the new connections. I made friends that I’ll have for life and that I know I’ll cross paths with professionally down the line. I never really lived the “college life” at a school that’s seemingly only known for partying. While some students were living it up on the weekends, I was living it up inside the Ron Fowler
Press Box at Tony Gwynn Stadium and at the SDSU Sports Deck. When students traveled for winter break, I was driving at 5 a.m. to Albuquerque with my two best friends on our way to cover SDSU football’s New Mexico Bowl game in what is undoubtedly the best road trip I’ve gone on. A road trip with the foos, what more can anyone ask for? Yet, even after late nights covering SDSU sports when I saw my Instagram feed filled with people going out and doing what young adults are supposed to do, I knew I loved what I was doing. When I made the latenight walks down Montezuma Road on my way back from covering SDSU games and saw students walking to and from parties, I never thought I wanted to swap places. Every story I wrote, in-
Photo courtesy of Daniel Guerrero
terview I did or event I attended as a staff writer and as Mundo Azteca editor allowed me to share the stories of students, clubs and the faculty of the SDSU community. The late nights spent in our rundown and outdated newsroom felt worthwhile knowing we were making an impact. Call it nerdy or boring or whatever you want, but in my eyes, it was the complete opposite of that. There isn’t a thing I’d change about my experience at SDSU and it’s all
thanks to The Daily Aztec. Yet, none of this would have been possible without the people who got me here. Without the foundation they laid for me, I couldn’t be who I am. I wouldn’t have had the opportunities I got without their sacrifices. My mom, dad, my brothers, grandparents and other family members who supported and believed in me along the way, I love you all more than you know. Thank you for always supporting me. This one’s for you.