01-26-2015 by The Daily Aztec

MONDAY, JAN. 25 - WEDNESDAY, JAN. 28, 2014 • VOLUME 101 • ISSUE 37 News • P2

Opinion • P5

Is Greek Life to blame for sexual assault culture?

SDSUPD increases transgender training

#GREEKLIFE

Through various activities, Phi Kappa Theta members broke the school record for number of community service hours in a semester. COLLEEN LARSON STAFF WRITER ____________________________________

SNEAKPEEK

San Diego State’s Phi Kappa Theta fraternity broke the university’s record for the most community service hours completed by an organization in a single semester. Once the University verifies all hours, the fraternity will have earned a total of 3,025 hours last semester. Phi Kappa Theta was involved in a variety of community service events, such as feeding the homeless on Wednesdays and Thursdays, completing a breast cancer awareness walk, volunteering at the Boys and Girls Club, hosting a dodge ball tournament to raise money for charity, and participating in beach cleanups. Alex Shapiro, a political science sophomore and community service chair of Phi Kappa Theta, lead the fraternity to break the university’s record. He said one of his favorite memories came from volunteering at the homeless shelter one night when a group of his fraternity brothers decided to walk around the block and bring extra food to those who could not make it to the homeless shelter. There they met a man named Tony who began to tear up as he told the young men about his life. “He had a really interesting life story and it moved us all,” Shapiro said. “I

remember one fraternity brother in the circle actually started crying. We asked if there was any way we could help him and all he wanted was a sleeping bag, so we brought him one the next time that we saw him.” He said he looked forward to events such as feeding the homeless and

“

...WE ASKED IF THERE WAS ANY WAY WE COULD HELP HIM AND ALL HE WANTED WAS A SLEEPING BAG, SO WE BROUGHT HIM ONE THE NEXT TIME THAT WE SAW HIM.”

- Alex Shapiro, Phi Kappa Theta

working with the Boys and Girls Club because he was able to interact directly with the people he was helping. He said those experiences were humbling because it made him realize that his

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problems were not as serious as those other people are experiencing. Shapiro said his passion for giving back to the community sparked at a young age when his father would bring him along to various events such as the Special Olympics when he was three years old. In high school, Shapiro volunteered at a Relay for Life event in which he met a boy, Kevin, who was battling cancer at the time. A few years later Kevin lost his battle to cancer. Shapiro said the experience become a huge motivation for him to get involved in the community and give back to the less fortunate. This semester Shapiro plans to encourage the Phi Kappa Theta members to continue their heavy involvement in community service. He says a big part of keeping up the momentum is making the events enjoyable and getting as many people involved as possible. Executive Vice President of the national Phi Kappa Theta fraternity Robert Riggs said he is delighted to hear that Phi Kappa Theta members at SDSU completed a record number of community service hours. “We are extremely proud of their accomplishment,” Riggs said. “To be a leader in the community in such a positive way is a great achievement. At the same time, it is humbling to know how committed these men are to serving others.”

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2 NEWS

JAN. 26 - 28, 2014 • THE DAILY AZTEC EDITOR: DAVID HERNANDEZ • NEWS@THEDAILYAZTEC.COM

#ENTREPRENEURSHIP

Zahn Center begins funds contest JAMIE BALLARD STAFF WRITER ____________________________________ Nestled near the heart of San Diego State’s campus in the Industrial Technology building is the Zahn Innovation Center, an open office space where entrepreneurs bring their ideas to life thanks to the mentorship, tools and, for some particularly outstanding entrepreneurial teams, funding. The money that these teams use to further their ideas is earned through competitions such as the Zahn Challenge in which teams compete for a total of $25,000 in cash prizes. Applications for this challenge are now available online and are due by noon on Feb. 13. Students, faculty and staff at SDSU can compete in one of three categories: a social track, a commercial track, and the Zahn Innovation Center team track. The social track is for entrepreneurial ideas that address a social need and work toward a common good, while the team track is open to teams who are already accepted into the Zahn Center. Each category will award $5,000 to the first place winner, $2,000 to the second place winner and $1,000 to the third place winner. Additionally, there is an audience favorite prize of $1,000. All of the money comes from the Zahn family’s gifting branch called Moxie. In addition to the monetary awards,

winners will also receive automatic admission to the Zahn Center where they will have access to the H.G. Fenton Company Idea Lab as well as mentorship and other business resources. “The spirit of the Zahn Challenge is to seek the best and brightest ideas and put money behind that search,” Executive Director of the Zahn Center Cathy Pucher said.

many people would use the product, who the potential competitors are, how the team would make money, how the product would be sold, how motivated and dedicated team members are, and much more. “All you need is an idea,” Bhairvee Shavdia, director of social innovation for the center, said. “We’re looking for individuals from all of the colleges. It’s a

“

...IT’S A REALLY UNIQUE OPPORTUNITY TO GET A SIZABLE AMOUNT OF FUNDING TO DEVELOP YOUR IDEA, AND THOSE TYPES OF OPPORTUNITIES DON’T REALLY COME AROUND ALL THAT OFTEN. IF YOU HAVE AN IDEA, DON’T BE SHY.”

- Bhairvee Shavdia, Zahn Center’s director of social innovation

Teams are evaluated on a variety of factors, similar to teams applying for regular admission to the Zahn Center. The extensive application requires students to explain in detail the roles of various team members, the problem they’re looking to solve, what their solution is, the benefits the product provides, and who the target market is. Additionally, teams need to explain how

really unique opportunity to get a sizable amount of funding to develop your idea, and those types of opportunities don’t really come around all that often. If you

have an idea, don’t be shy.” Pucher estimates that there were fewer than 20 entries in the first Zahn Challenge, and fewer than 100 in the second competition. This year, she is hoping for at least 150 entries. From the applications, 15 teams will be chosen compete for funding by presenting to an audience and a panel of judges. After teams have been accepted to the center, there are several check-ins and milestones in which teams must report their progress and plans for the future. Pucher said approximately less than half of the accepted teams make it past the 180-day milestone. A huge hurdle to the teams can be the dedication and time needed to succeed. “They get a mentor and they’re expected to be in here touching base with their mentor on a weekly basis, so what you find is a trend for those who end up leaving, (which) is that they’re not really coming into the center, they’re not really meeting with their team,” Pucher said. “The teams that do really well are in here every day.” Selected teams will present to the judges on March 3, and an award ceremony will be held between 3 to 4:30 p.m. on March 6.

#SDSUPOLICE

SDSU police boosts transgender training CAMILLE LOZANO ASST. NEWS EDITOR ____________________________________ Last week the San Diego State Police Department underwent sensitivity training to better understand the transgender community. The training, “Getting to Know our Trans Community,” was conducted by two undergraduates through the SDSU Pride Center. Topics covered included archetypes and variations, inappropriate language, cultural sensitivity, and the relationship between the gender community and police, which Tiana Vargas, an undergraduate trainer, described as historically “tense.” “I shared some stuff that may be hard to hear, but it’s the reality,” Vargas said. Approximately 40 officers attended the hour-long trainings over a two-day period and were introduced to different genders and national research studies on the relationship between the police and the transgender community. SDSU Police Capt. Joshua Mays said the police officers are also trained each year on issues such as hate crimes, gender awareness, immigration policy, racial-biased policing, as well as victim and witness assistance. He said the training that took place last week focused on identifying gender stereotypes, terminology and language, cultural sensitivity, discussion on the difficulty of transitioning, pronouns, and interactions with the transgender community. Mays said this was the first time the police department worked with individuals through the Pride Center to conduct the training. He said the officers receive annual training around January on gender and transgender issues. He said he reached out to the Pride

Center to conduct the training this year because he felt it would be more beneficial to have interactive training through local experts. The previous trainings, titled “Gender Awareness,” were normally conducted using a DVD or video provided by the U.S. Attorney General’s office, Mays said. He added that in the past, police officers also used Lexipol, an online training program that covers similar issues. Since April of last year, Title IX, the regulation that protects people from discrimination on the basis of sex in federally funded educational settings and activities, has been updated to include “a sex discrimination prohibition on the basis of gender identity or failure to conform to stereotypical notions of masculinity or femininity,” according to the U.S. Department of Education. This update includes the rights and responsibilities of transgender individuals. Last week’s training didn’t specifically cover Title IX regulations, according to the training outline obtained by LGBT Weekly reporter Autumn Sandeen. Vargas said one of the biggest issues in the interactions between police and transgender individuals was that they are often misgendered or their identification may be different than the perceived gender, which often causes suspicion. Vargas added that transgender individuals don’t mean to be deceitful, but that transitioning is a process that should be treated with sensitivity rather than suspicion. “The bottom line is to check your assumptions about someone’s gender; if you don’t know just ask,” Vargas said. “You can say, ‘which pronouns should I use when I address you?’” Vargas said there was a good response from the officers with that piece of advice.

NEWS 3

JAN. 26 - 28, 2014 • THE DAILY AZTEC EDITOR: DAVID HERNANDEZ • NEWS@THEDAILYAZTEC.COM

#RESEARCH

Study connects HIV to hearing loss EMELY NAVARRO STAFF WRITER ____________________________________ San Diego State hearing scientist and professor Peter Torre recently conducted a study with colleagues from other universities to see if HIV-positive adults are more likely to experience hearing loss. “HIV tends to impair most aspects of the central nervous system,” Torre said. “Our hypothesis was to see what the effect, if any, of HIV infection on hearing sensitivity in adults (is).” The study found that adults who are HIV-positive are more likely to experience hearing loss in comparison to those who do not have HIV. According to an article published last month on the National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders website, researchers discovered through the study that this loss comes in both high and low tones, about 10 decibels higher than HIV-negative men and women, no matter how severe the disease is and whether or not the individuals are taking HIV medication. According to an article published on SDSU’s Newscenter about this study, the researchers used middle-aged HIV infected adults who participated in two previously long-standing HIV cohort studies. They used men from the Multicenter AIDS Cohort study and women from the Women’s Interagency

A micorscopic look at HIV. A San Diego State professor stuided hearing loss in HIV positive adults. THINKSTOCK

HIV Study. Torre designed a procedure to screen the participants for different symptoms

of hearing loss. After this screening, the patients had a basic hearing test at a university-based audiology clinic to

determine the variety of tones that they could hear, ranging from 250 to 8000 hertz. Researchers also took note of whether the participant had been taking HIV medication, as well as their white blood cell count and the amount of HIV virus they had in their blood. Torre said he expected to see hearing loss in the higher sequence of HIVpositive adults, but he was surprised that the study showed HIV positive adults had greater hearing loss in the lower frequencies. As of now there is nothing HIVpositive adults can do to reduce their chances of having hearing loss. “Just knowing that HIV-positive adults might be more at risk for hearing loss means they should be more aware of this,” Torre said. “Then simply take the necessary precautions that anyone else would like wearing hearing protection in loud environments, minimizing those experiences in loud settings, and try to control HIV as much as possible through proper medications.” The funding for this study primarily came from the NIDCD, as well as the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases and the Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development. Torre conducted the study alongside colleagues from Georgetown University, Johns Hopkins University and the NIDCD.

4 OPINION #LONGLIVEGREEK

JAN. 26 - 28, 2015 • THE DAILY AZTEC EDITOR: ELPIN KESHISHZADEH • OPINION@THEDAILYAZTEC.COM

Who’sWho? EDITOR IN CHIEF Monica Linzmeier

KEEP

MANAGING EDITOR Madison Hopkins

GREEK LIFE OUT OF IT

NEWS EDITOR David Hernandez ASST. NEWS EDITOR Camille Lozano SPORTS EDITOR Kristian Ibarra ASST. SPORTS EDITOR Matthew Bain OPINION EDITOR Elpin Keshishzadeh ASST. OPINION EDITOR Anthony Berteaux ENTERTAINMENT EDITOR Nick Knott ASST. ENTERTAINMENT EDITOR Ryo Miyauchi FEATURES EDITOR Kelly Hillock ASST. FEATURES EDITOR Olivia Litsey PHOTO EDITOR Jenna Mackey VIDEO EDITOR Wesley Beights

In a society filled with men who are uneducated about the definition of sexual assault, taking away the booze and the parties isn’t enough. Greek Life may be the destination, but it’s not the cause. ELPIN KESHISHZADEH OPINION EDITOR ____________________________

all

semester was equivalent to a season of “Scandal,” minus some presidential hook-ups. San Diego State had its work cut out with its majority of concerns surrounding sexual assault and Greek Life. With back-to-back public relations disasters, it didn’t take long for tabloids all across the nation to link the two major issues together — especially at SDSU. Greek Life soon became synonymous with an abundance of alcohol, which resulted in numerous sexual assault reports, leading to its current infamous reputation: Greek organizations are breeding grounds for sexual assault. As a writer who has criticized the intentions of fraternities and sororities on numerous occasions, I’m not necessarily gushing with support; But to pinpoint a single student organization as the overbearing cause of a prehistoric world-wide issue is not only amateur, but misinformed. It’s not to say fraternities shouldn’t be held responsible for the sexual assaults that take place under their roofs, but the long-term solution for sexual assault lies in education. Last semester, the connection between Greek Life and sexual assault was brought into the lime light when KPBS published an article stating “Experts and Greek insiders agree that a

competitive, testosteronedriven environment fueled by alcohol and casual sex is part of fraternities’ sexual assault problem.” Frankly, you don’t have to tell me twice. We live in a society where manliness is measured by physical strength, power, wealth and the ability to get it in. But this social shortcoming unfortunately doesn’t discriminate against men who don’t represent Greek letters. Sexual assault isn’t a fraternity problem — it’s a humanity problem. Men are raised viewing sex as an achievement and society pities the woman who stands in the way. A study published in “Violence and Gender” stated “31.7 percent of men said they would act on ‘intentions to force a woman to sexual intercourse’ if they could get away with it.” Even more disturbing were the 13.6 percent who admitted to having intentions of raping a woman if there were no consequences. Now, how can anyone possibly pin this disgusting epidemic to such a small population? Sure, maybe without fraternities and sororities a few parties would be missed, and a few jello shots would be left behind. But to think the removal of Greek Life will fix issues surrounding sexual assault is adding to the ignorance that has become the backbone of sexual assault. “I believe the absence of Greek Life will have little effect on sexual assault,” media studies senior Brandon Ikan said. “Parties will still occur and alcohol will always be present — it just wouldn’t be as organized as Greek Life is known to make it.” Last semester, all Greek social events were temporarily

banned after an incident between two fraternities and “Take Back the Night” protesters. It didn’t take long for party buses to line up on Campanile Walkway to take these events to other parts of town. One thing is for sure: Banning Greek Life will relocate the party but the stigma surrounding sexual assault mentalities will prosper. We live in a society where these men who were surveyed had to be given the definition of rape before they could provide an answer — all of whom were college students. That is the result of a failed education system, not a rager filled with polos and underaged college students who don’t know better. According to SDSU Police Department reports, 13 sexual assault cases were reported last semester. Seven of these cases occurred during some sort of Greek social event. It would be misguided to claim banishing these social events wouldn’t reduce sexual assault cases — at least by seven cases. But simply removing the playground doesn’t fix the mentality that is driving this problem — it simply becomes another bandaid solution. “To some degree the party lifestyle of Greek Life will perpetuate sex assault,” Alpha Gamma Delta sophomore Jessica Beeli said. “It’s still individual people choosing to sexually assault other people and the Greek community as a whole cannot be held responsible.” This “party lifestyle” is also referred to as the culture of fraternities, according to KPBS. Wesley Episcopo, member of Sigma Phi Epsilon, told KPBS the characteristics of a frat party, which include

loud noise, drinking, a crowd and a dark environment, all add to the environment most prone to sexual assaults. Although it may be true that frat parties, or parties in general, create a safe and familiar environment for perpetrators, the real problem lies in prehistoric way of thinking. Episcopo, the same fraternity member who understands why the environment of a frat party could be prone to sexual assault, told KPBS it’s important for members to understand even if girls are dressed a certain way at a party, they “...might not feel as if they are being slutty. So we teach [fraternity members] that’s someone’s sister, that’s someone’s daughter, that’s someone’s best friend.” They might not feel as if they are being slutty? These fraternities throw parties with themes such as “CEOs and Office Hoes” and now it’s considered progress to have mercy on these girls who might not know they’re being slutty? This is the same damaging mentality that places sexual assault on the large scale it’s now on. This is the same prehistoric point-of-view that allows for 31.7 percent of college-educated men to act on forced sexual intercourse if they could get away with it. The lack of education individuals have about sexual assault outweighs any other avenue simply posing as a temporary solution. Schools need transparency and education so students are aware of their actions — when young men don’t know what constitutes sexual assault that’s not a failure on Greek Life, but a failure on our education system.

DIGITAL CONTENT EDITOR Kelly Gardner ART DIRECTOR Kate Leonard VOLUNTEER WRITERS Colleen Larson Jamie Ballard Emely Navarro Rafael Avitabile Anthony Reclusado Patrick Carr Jack Haworth Sarah Tanori VOLUNTEER PHOTOGRAPHERS Kristian Carreon Andy Farra Chadd Cady _____________________________ ADVERTISING DIRECTOR Tony Disarufino SALES MANAGER Adam Zabel SENIOR ACCOUNT EXECUTIVE Radbeh Rabaz ACCOUNT EXECUTIVES Alfonso Barajas Jordan Dennison Peyton Fedorka Sarah Richardson ACCOUNTING & CONTRACTS Michael Bratt Kaile Christensen _____________________________ STREET TEAM Emily Alvarenga Shelby Snyder Conor Nordberg Paige Plassmeyer _____________________________ GENERAL MANAGER Jay Harn GRAPHICS SPECIALIST Chris Blakemore _____________________________

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OPINION 5

JAN. 26 - 28, 2015 • THE DAILY AZTEC EDITOR: ELPIN KESHISHZADEH • OPINION@THEDAILYAZTEC.COM

#BANGREEKLIFE

TIME TO ABOLISH

WHAT DO YOU THINK? We want to hear your opinion. Send us a Letter to the Editor or comment online.

CORRUPT GREEKS With the beginning of a new year, it’s time to reflect on last semester’s shortcomings with combating sexual assault by taking a retrospective look at the history of Greek Life and its current involvement with controversies at colleges across the nation. ANTHONY BEREAUX ASST. OPINION EDITOR ____________________________

n 1986, it was in response to a series of rape allegations and alcohol abuse occurring at San Diego State fraternities that Vice President of Student Affairs Daniel Nowak wrote an open letter declaring his zerotolerance for sexual assault in fraternities. Nowak warned them “neither the university nor your fraternity can afford the embarrassment of newsstories and police investigative report.” It was also during that same year that 60 students attended a Rape Action Forum, the first of its kind at SDSU, to discuss the necessity to protect women and end sexual assault on SDSU campus. This was 28 years ago and it’s in the modern context of campus culture today that we see an eerie familiarity with this narrative from the past. The consistency and familiarity of the situation tells us the narrative of Greek Life and sexual assault is by no means a modern issue, but one that has been allowed to continue for far too long. Greek Life has always been a destructive force on this campus. Within 2014, Greek Life has been associated with seven sexual assaults, a violent stabbing, premature death and a recent controversy involving “Take Back the Night” protesters, which lead a British publication to label the gentlemen of SDSU’s very own Delta Sigma Phi and Sigma Phi Epsilon as the “world’s worst humans.” Our administration’s attempt to win a losing public relations

battle regarding its out-ofcontrol Greek Life isn’t solving the issue at hand. The issues pertinent to Greek Life, such as sexual assault, substance abuse and violence, can’t simply be solved long-term with short-term suspensions. These actions suggest students should trust the very administration that has failed to protect its students, to reform an obsolete system that has continuously compromised our safety and security. Looking back at our past, it’s unreasonable to think suspensions and sexual assault seminars will alleviate the symptoms of Greek Life on campus. Looking ahead toward a new year, it’s time to consider the only viable option. Abolishing Greek Life is the only method in ending a cyclical culture that has allowed the occurrence of

peers and that sorority women are 74 percent more likely to be sexually assaulted. This is no exception at our school. What’s even more shocking is it’s taken seven sexual assaults and a PR disaster for our fraternities to be held accountable and for there to be initiative for change. Tyler Dabovich, communications senior and former member of Sigma Chi, said there is an overwhelming lack of administrative check on fraternities. “I believe 100 percent, fraternities are going unchecked,” he said. “I think definitely our administration needs to take a finer look at the sexual assault issue in fraternities. Sexual assault is the worst thing you can do from a brotherhood standpoint. I know that there are certain secrets that go on amongst fraternities. If there’s

within the Greek system is the reason why crimes, such as sexual assault, have been allowed to run rampant on this campus. Perpetrated by the elitism and exclusivity that has divided this campus between class, gender and age, this lack of transparency within the Greek system has threatened the safety of students for decades. In the 1980s, 29 members of the Pi Kappa Alpha fraternity of SDSU were found guilty after a sorority pledge revealed she was raped by several men at a Pike party while brothers stood by and took pictures. It was also in the 1980s when Delta Sigma Phi was under investigation for secret twoway mirrors in its fraternity bathrooms. Furthermore, throughout the 2000s seven fraternities were expelled or found guilty of hazing their pledges, reports

THE ISSUES PERTINENT TO GREEK LIFE, SUCH AS SEXUAL ASSAULT, SUBSTANCE ABUSE AND VIOLENCE, CANNOT SIMPLY BE SOLVED LONGTERM WITH SHORT-TERM SUSPENSIONS such atrocities without the consequences of stricter punishment. It’s a culture where sexual assault, violence and substance abuse have become such a commonality that it’s greeted with little surprise when it occurs. Out of the 17 on-campus sexual assaults reported in 2014, seven were fraternity related. While the simple existence of Greek Life is not the sole cause of sexual assault on campus, it can’t be denied that Greek Life social events perpetuate sexual assaults that would otherwise not occur. Recent studies have shown fraternity men are three times more likely to sexually assault someone than their non-Greek

a sexual assault happening, I guarantee that that’s not the only thing that’s going on.” The secrecy of Greek Life has lead for public awareness of crimes involving fraternities and sororities to be stagnant. Last February, when Sigma Alpha Epsilon brother Thomas Reverend died from reasons still unknown, the coverage following was a testament to the lack of transparency within Greek organizations on campus. “They had a gag order on the entire Greek system, so they really couldn’t talk to us about it,” former Daily Aztec staff member Luke Henning said to Fox News. The lack of transparency

ranging from alcohol abuse to physical abuse. Delta Sigma Phi, one of the fraternities banned from campus in 2008, was found guilty after three of its pledges kidnapped a fraternity member, bound him with duct tape, force-fed him beer, stole his wallet and dropped him off on Mission Gorge Road. This was one of the two reported acts of secret violence that occurred over initiation week. Gabriel Ruiz, chapter president of Delta Sigma Phi at the time, said in an interview with U-T San Diego the kidnapping should have been “fun, not dangerous.” Perhaps the most infamous moment in SDSU Greek Life

culture came during the 200708 academic year, when Alpha Phi sister Jenny Poliakoff and Mira Mesa student Kurt Baker died of fraternity-related drug overdoses. Their deaths instigated the investigation leading to the well-remembered drug bust of 2008 called Operation Sudden Fall, which unveiled seven fraternities guilty of being involved in a mass drug ring. Despite an investigation that exposed a secret system of $100,000 worth of drugs, including pounds of marijuana, cocaine, ecstasy and prescription drugs, the issue of substance abuse within fraternities didn’t fade away. In 2012, Sigma Alpha Epsilon president, Barzeen Barzanji was found dead from an overdose of Oxycodon and Xanax at a Phi Kappa Theta party. To continue to keep Greek Life on our campus despite these recurring incidents of sexual violence, physical abuse and substance abuse is to say that we accept these deplorable acts of injustices as a necessary byproduct of the brotherhood and sisterhood of Greek Life on campus. Students are compromising their safety for the sake of the existence of current Greek Life. No matter how proudly they brag about their brotherhoods, sisterhoods and philanthropies, the good aspects of Greek Life will never compensate for their destructive nature. It is a bigger threat than it is a contribution. There have been too many victims in the face of a culture that deliberately facilitates this deviant and defiant behavior. They have eaten their cake and taken ours too. It’s time to put an end to a culture that has clearly lost sight of its true essence, in turn bringing harm to this student body.

JAN. 26 - 28, 2014 • THE DAILY AZTEC EDITOR: JENNA MACKEY • PHOTO@THEDAILYAZTEC.COM

PHOTO 7

WINTER BREAK MEMORIES DAILY AZTEC PHOTO STAFF

BORREGO DESERT JENNA MACKEY, PHOTO EDITOR

SK8TER KRISTIAN CARREON, STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER

HAWAII ANDY FARRA, STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER

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GETTY CENTER JENNA MACKEY, PHOTO EDITOR

PINE VALLEY CHADD CADY, STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER

8 SPORTS

JAN. 26 - 28, 2014 • THE DAILY AZTEC EDITOR: KRISTIAN IBARRA • SPORTS@THEDAILYAZTEC.COM

#AZTECMBB

Rams buck Aztecs in Colorado RAFAEL AVITABILE STAFF WRITER _____________________________________ The San Diego State Aztecs fell 79-73 on the road to the Colorado State University Rams on Saturday night, snapping their four-game conference win streak. SDSU is now 15-5 on the season and its 5-2 conference record moves it into a threeway tie for second place. Freshman forward Malik Pope and redshirt-sophomore guard Matt Shrigley sunk back-to-back 3-pointers to cut the Rams’ lead to one point with four minutes and 20 seconds to go in the second half, but the Aztecs finished the final minutes with no baskets and just one successful free throw on four attempts. CSU set the tone early in the first half with hot shooting from senior forward J.J. Avila and senior guard Daniel Bejarano. Six of the Rams’ seven made field goals to start the game came from behind the arc, and they went on to finish the first half with an 8-11 clip from deep. “They made every shot that they took early,” SDSU head coach Steve Fisher said. “And some of them it looked like they made it twice … I know they made eight out of 11 3-pointers in the first half, and when they shoot like that they are a hard team to defend.” Colorado State’s 46.3-percent shooting from the field and 57.1 percent on 3-pointers are the highest shooting marks by any Aztec opponent all season, and its 79 points were the highest total in regulation given up by the Aztec defense this year. Avila scored a game-high 29 points for

Freshman forward Malik Pope scored a career-high 22 points against Colorado State University on Saturday. CHADD CADY, STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER

the Rams on 12-16 shooting from the floor, including 2-4 on 3-pointers. Avila did most of his damage inside after making his two 3-pointers within the first four minutes of the contest. “Avila was tremendous,” Fisher said. “We have to do a better job on him. We wanted to double him when he got it in there (the paint). Sometimes, though, he got it too high up where it is hard to double. Other times we were going with

a different lineup and Malik was the guy who was supposed to double, but he was hesitant to do the double while guarding (Stanton) Kidd.” Bejarano had 14 points of his own and recorded five assists. Pope led all Aztecs with a career-high 22 points off of the bench on 9-11 shooting, including a perfect 4-4 on 3-pointers. He also pulled down a team-high seven rebounds. Shrigley set a career-high of his

own with 16 points, and senior forward J.J O’Brien’s 14-point performance was his best offensive output of the season. At 5-2 in the Mountain West, SDSU sits in a three-way tie for second place with CSU and California State University, Fresno. The Aztecs will regroup and prepare for their next game at home on Tuesday against the Bulldogs, who upset the Aztecs in their first conference matchup in Fresno.

#AZTECWBB

SDSU stifled by Colorado State defense ANTHONY RECLUSADO STAFF WRITER _____________________________________ The San Diego State women’s basketball team was on the bad end of a defensive battle Saturday afternoon, falling to Colorado State University 49-36 in Viejas Arena. In what has been a recent trend in Aztec losses, this game was a tale of two halves. SDSU’s defense shined in the first half, holding CSU to only 22 points on 33.3-percent shooting, and more importantly, holding them to 3-14 shooting from beyond the arc. However, in the second half it was the Rams’ offense that stole the show as they scored 27 points in a span of 11 minutes, 46 seconds at a clip of 45.8 percent. But as mentioned, this game was between defenses and it just so happens that Colorado State has one of the nation’s best, coming into the match ranked 20th in the country in opponents’ field-goal percentage at 34.9 percent and 42nd in scoring defense with 56.9 points allowed per game. Those stats were buffed after this game as the Rams held the Aztecs shooters to 29.8 percent from the field. CSU (14-4, 6-1 MW) also held SDSU (6-12, 3-4 MW) to its lowest scoring performance, 36, on the season by implementing a 2-3 zone for the majority of the game. “They exposed us,” Aztec head coach Stacie Terry said. “They were a very good team defensively to take away our strengths.” Even though there was 40 minutes of action, this game in reality was decided in only 10 minutes. Both teams made runs

Freshman point guard McKynzie Fort led the Aztecs with 12 points Saturday afternoon. CHADD CADY, STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER

during the span, but in the end the Rams had too much firepower for the Aztecs to overcome. With a little more than five minutes to play in the first half, the Aztecs faced a

17-6 deficit and went on a 11-0 run, on 5-6 shooting, to tie the game. Freshman point guard McKynzie Fort sparked the run with a short jumper outside the restricted zone, followed by redshirt-junior forward

Erimma Amarikwa’s layup. Fort converted two more field goals, with senior forward Chairese Culberson splitting her younger teammates’ successful attempts by hitting SDSU’s only 3-pointer of the game. With the momentum clearly in favor of the Aztecs, CSU head coach Ryun Williams took a quick timeout that effectively changed the outlook of the game. In the final minute and a half, Rams’ junior forward Alana Arias went on her own 5-0 run that pushed CSU’s lead to 22-17. “I felt like we were ready and we were prepared for (the second half),” Fort said. “I think we just started off slow.” The Aztecs missed their first eight shots to start the second half and saw the Rams go on a 15-3 run, hitting their first five shots and going 6-8 over that span, pushing the lead to 37-21. Disheartened, SDSU was never able to mount a comeback, even though CSU’s final point came with 8:14 left on the clock. “We didn’t make baskets, our defense should have won this game,” Terry said. “It was a good enough defensive effort for us to be competitive and we just didn’t make shots. They took away our low post game and forced us into jumpers and that is why we lost.” With her ever-growing role Fort started her seventh straight game and was the lone bright spot for an otherwise dismal offensive effort by SDSU. She shot 5-7 from the field for a team-high 12 points, while also bringing down four boards and lassoing in two steals. Up next for the Aztecs is a road trip to Fresno where they take on the 15-3 Bulldogs who are currently 7-0 in conference play. Tipoff is at 7 p.m. on Wednesday, Jan. 28.

SPORTS 9

JAN. 26 - 28, 2014 • THE DAILY AZTEC EDITOR: KRISTIAN IBARRA • SPORTS@THEDAILYAZTEC.COM

#AZTECMBB

COMMENTARY

Shooting decisions doom SDSU

PATRICK CARR SENIOR STAFF COLUMNIST ____________________________________

ans left Viejas Arena scratching their heads after Saturday’s game against Colorado State University. With CSU up by double digits for most of the second half, one would think San Diego State women’s basketball head coach Stacie Terry would impart a sense of urgency to her team. “Go McKynzie! We don’t have time to stand around!” Terry yelled from the sideline to her freshman point guard McKynzie Fort, who was bringing the ball up the court. There must have been a miscommunication. Time after time, SDSU fiddled around with the ball, passing it around the 3-point line and winding down the shot clock to single digits before hauling up a brick. There was no urgency, even when

there were less than four minutes left and the Aztecs trailed by double digits. They still passed it about. But, why? Most of the inside players are juniors and seniors, so why would they not say something or try and step on the gas pedal? SDSU’s defense was outstanding once it grabbed hold of the Rams. CSU was scoreless for the last 8:14 of the game. But during that stretch, the Aztecs only scored five points. There was more than enough of an opportunity for the Aztecs to charge back into this game. Why wouldn’t they shoot the ball? They were down the entire game. They were getting defensive stops. At least take a shot. What are the coaches going to do? Pull you out of the game for taking a shot when your team is down 15 with three minutes to go? Speaking of shooting, that comes up every time the Aztec men take the floor. They just finished their whirlwind trip of going to Colorado to play the Air Force Academy, back to San Diego, then back to Colorado on Saturday to play Colorado State’s men’s team. The first leg of that, at Air Force, brought some much-needed

therapeutic relief to the beleaguered SDSU fan-base that’s taking more heart medication these days. That hot-shooting Aztec team that trounced Air Force didn’t show up to Moby Arena until the second half when the Rams and their sizzling offense were up double digits. But just as everyone has seen this season, SDSU can come back even after falling behind. This time it was thanks to redshirtsophomore guard Matt Shrigley and a long-awaited breakout performance from freshman forward Malik Pope. In the end, the hot hands of Shrigley and Pope weren’t enough, but they should’ve been. The whole second half was a comingout party for Pope, the five-start recruit from Elk Grove, California, Shrigley had lit up the first half. Yet, neither Pope nor Shrigley took a shot in the last 4:20 of the game. Credit head coach Steve Fisher with leaving Pope in the game and taking out junior forward Winston Shepard, who finished with no field goals and just two points. In crunch time, senior guard Aqeel Quinn and senior forward J.J. O’Brien

are players Fisher can rely on. But against CSU, Pope and Shrigley should’ve taken the shots. Sure, I get the “give the ball to your experienced veteran leaders” argument, but hot hands are few and far between for the Aztecs and they need to take advantage of them. Pope announced himself — hopefully — to the coaching staff with his careerhigh 22 points on a ridiculous 9-11 shooting, a perfect 4-4 from 3-point land and seven rebounds. And 13 of those points were in the second half, including a streak of four straight made shots. Granted, CSU finally found the wherewithal to actually guard Pope (and played a great game), but O’Brien isn’t the guy to take 3-pointers when the game is on the line, even though he was outstanding in the second half. Let’s look at the numbers. Shrigley went 6-7 from the field and 4-5 from 3-point range. Quinn was a chilly 3-12 from the floor, 0-6 from beyond the arc and tried to win the game by himself by calling Pope up to screen a defender. The Aztecs don’t shoot well. When they do, give it to the hot hands.

#AZTECMBB

Aztecs seek payback against Bulldogs MATTHEW BAIN ASSISTANT SPORTS EDITOR _____________________________________ Last time Steve Fisher and company duked it out against California State University, Fresno, three things happened. One: the Bulldogs outscored the Aztecs 34-19 in the first half and handed them their first conference loss. Two: SDSU’s in-state winning streak of 47 games reverted back to zero games. Three: the Aztecs didn’t receive any votes to be in the Associated Press top 25 for the first time since Nov. 2013. Now, three weeks later, these teams sit tied for second in the Mountain West with a 5-2 conference record. San Diego State has gone 4-1 since its big-time loss in Fresno, beating the University of Wyoming in Laramie but losing a 79-73 heart-breaker at Colorado State University on Saturday night. Fresno State has also gone 4-1 in the last three weeks, with its only loss coming in a three-overtime battle at home against Wyoming. The two meet for the second and final time Tuesday night at Viejas Arena, and Aqeel Quinn says the loss in Fresno will still be fresh in the team’s head come tipoff. “Any time you lose a tough game like that, I think it sticks with you,” Quinn said before the University of New Mexico game. “When Fresno State comes back here, that game is for sure going to stick with us.” DEFENSIVE KEY TO THE GAME Bulldog junior guard Marvelle Harris has thrown his name into the MW Player

of the Year conversation, averaging just more than 20 points in his last five games, including a video-game-like 40-point performance at University of Nevada, Reno. He was the catalyst for Fresno State against SDSU in early January, and Quinn will be tasked with preventing him to do so again. Quinn has proven his skills as a perimeter defender this season, namely holding NCAA-player-of-the-year candidate Delon Wright to just seven points on 2-13 shooting in SDSU’s second game of the year. But Harris put 25 up on the Aztec guard in their first head-to-head matchup. You can bet Quinn will do everything in his power to keep that from happening again. OFFENSIVE KEY TO THE GAME Freshman forward Malik Pope showed us all why he was a five-star recruit coming out of high school Saturday night. Twenty-two points. Nine-of-11 shooting. Seven rebounds. Twenty-eight minutes on the court. All career highs, by the way. SDSU truly locked in last year when senior forward Dwayne Polee II found his rhythm and became a dominant sixth man full of energy and oodles of talent. We saw something very similar to that in Pope’s performance. If the freshman can do the same thing against the Bulldogs, SDSU should pull out a tough win and Fisher will have his new sixth man. Student tickets are sold out for this game, but fans can still watch the game Tuesday night at 6 p.m. on CBS Sports Network.

WHO CAN STOP MARVELLE HARRIS’ HOT STREAK? 1/24 vs. Nevada: 15 points, 7 rebounds, 3 assists 1/17 vs. Wyoming: 13 points, 3 rebounds, 4 assists 1/14 at San Jose State: 15 points, 6 rebounds, 4 assists 1/10 at Nevada: 40 points, 3 rebounds, 2 assists 1/7 vs. Utah State: 18 points, 7 rebounds, 6 assists

• • • •

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10 ENTERTAINMENT

JAN. 26 - 28, 2015 • THE DAILY AZTEC EDITOR: NICK KNOTT • ENTERTAINMENT@THEDAILYAZTEC.COM

#NETSKY

EDM artist walks to his own beat JACK HAWORTH STAFF WRITER ____________________________ Belgian drum-and-bass producer Netsky performed at House of Blues, San Diego last November. The Daily Aztec spoke with the producer about his recent success, live band and more. DAILY AZTEC: THIS YEAR YOU GOT TO PLAY MAIN STAGE AT YOUR HOME COUNTRY’S FESTIVAL, TOMORROWLAND. WHAT WAS THAT EXPERIENCE LIKE? NETSKY: It was fun. I played there quite a lot actually when I was younger at the small drum-and-bass stage up the hill. Just playing the main stage though and having a drum-and-bass act on the main stage was a really cool thing to do. DA: YOU SIGNED WITH HOSPITAL RECORDS AND A YEAR LATER WON AWARDS FOR BEST DNB NEWCOMER PRODUCER AND ALSO BEST ALBUM. WHAT WAS THAT

YEAR LIKE FOR YOU PERSONALLY? N: It was amazing. At the time I was still studying at university and I told my family I needed to do something else other than studying. It was a dream come true to be able to do something I loved, rather than sticking to study that I wasn’t good at or wanted to do. It was an amazing year for me with all the traveling and all the friends I’ve made. However, those guys at Hospital Records are like family to me. I’ve changed labels now but they were there for me since the very beginning. DA: WHAT WOULD YOU ATTRIBUTE YOUR SUCCESS TO? N: It was lots of luck and being in the right place at the right time. I think it is important to have a bit of a personality in your project rather than just being another DJ like anyone else. I like to make shocking singles where people hated it and I loved it. I did not want to stay in the same bubble; experimenting

“

EXPERIMENTING AND TRUSTING YOURSELF IS CRITICAL AND NOT JUST FOLLOWING THE MASSES.”

- Netsky

and trusting yourself is critical and not just following the masses. DA: WHAT DREW YOU TO DRUM-AND BASS AS OPPOSED TO HOUSE OR DUBSTEP? N: I think it was really the energy. House music was lacking a bit of the energy and randomness to it. I like shuffles and a more jazzy-kind of sound. Drum-and-bass also has the real impact and energy that sometimes you miss in house music. I still love house music though and make some house music now. DA: YOU STARTED PLAYING WITH A FULL BAND IN 2012. IS THAT SOMETHING YOU WANTED TO DO ALL ALONG OR SOMETHING

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THAT JUST KIND OF HAPPENED? N: It was always in the back of my head. When I made music I always imagined people playing it live on stage like a rock band, so it kind of made sense that I do this. I met up with Michael (Schack), our drummer, and we started jamming together in his basement and it started to take shape after a couple months. DA: WERE THERE CHALLENGES AT FIRST WITH THE BAND? N: I think the biggest challenge was to trust someone else to play for you. I’m so used to producing everything and compressing the song to get it ready for a club. But realizing music can be played with a band like this

actually took me about a whole year to get used to. DA: HOW’S YOUR MINDSET DIFFERENT WHEN YOU GO OUT THERE FOR A DJ SET AS OPPOSED TO THE FULL BAND? N: My mindset with the band is that you have good days and bad days. You have to put a lot of effort into it to not make any mistakes and have the timing right. You can really feel when you are having a good day or a bad day. With a DJ set there is much more freedom; you can play whatever you want and your emotions come into your set. I love doing both and couldn’t stop doing either of them. DA: ANY OTHER BIG PLANS FOR YOU? N: Yeah I’m in the middle of finishing my album now. There should be a single in April or May. It is super busy for us but after that I can finally get some sleep again. We will probably be touring in America again from April to June and try to do some festivals here.

ENTERTAINMENT

JAN. 26 - 28, 2015 • THE DAILY AZTEC EDITOR: NICK KNOTT • ENTERTAINMENT@THEDAILYAZTEC.COM

#HOWARDIAN

Washington rocker debuts solo project Garage rockstar Ian Vanek opens the door for audiences to sample his latest album SARAH TANORI SENIOR STAFF WRITER ____________________________________ Ian Vanek is the drummer and vocalist of art-rock group Japanther, and the artist now focuses his time on Howardian, a solo side project of pure Pacific Northwest rock and roll. He recently put out Howardian’s debut album “Land of the Low Tides” on Jan. 13, released from Bufu Records and Japanther’s own label Tut Tut Now Shake Ya Butt. First of all, what is a Howardian? It’s a combination of one of Vanek’s childhood names “Howie” and his first name “Ian.” Howardian is also not a new project whatsoever. It’s began in 1995 and is now solidifying its place in the garage-rock scene 20 years later. Howardian started largely as a personal project for Vanek, where he created small EPs for friends and family. However, surrounded by the exciting Washington music scene, Vanek was inspired to get on the level of these rising bands and started his current album, beginning the new direction of Howardian. Though it plays as an important

inspiration, Washington’s music scene isn’t the only prominent influence in the band’s new album. Vanek notes the nature in Washington as a large inspiration. Songs such as “Be Fruitful” and “New Leans on Old Loans” pay homage to the murky and grey of the Northwest with its heavy layers of guitar and bass. Vanek categorizes Howardian’s music as a mix of art rock, Northwest garage rock, and adult-contemporary punkrock hip-hop. The latter might confuse some as punk and hip-hop are rarely merged, but the combination has a heavy presence in Howardian’s latest. Rigging hip-hop with rock and roll is what distinguishes “Land of the Low Tides.” At surface level both genres seem so opposing, but rock and roll and hip hop embody the same spirit of defiance. That spirit is translated in Howardian’s openers track “Chunking” that begins with the statement “they’ve won the battle but they haven’t won the war.” Another song, “Can’t It Wait”, also brings in a Run-D.M.C-type sound before explosive guitars come in and change the sound. “Land of the Low Tides” is out now, but what’s next for this solo project?

COURTESY OF HOWARDIAN

IN YOUR EARS... LAND OF THE LOW TIDES NEW ALBUM BY HOWARDIAN FEATURED SONGS “CHUNKING”, “BE FRUITFUL” OUR RATING

««««« Howardian plans to embark on a 49-state tour in the coming year and is currently working on a split EP with Hundreds of Thousands. Until then, the deep-rooted Northwest grime and heavy commitment to hip-hop beats of Howardian’s new album make for a must-listen for any music fan.

twitter twitter.com/thedailyaztec

59 Hectic predeadline period 61 Thought from la tête 62 Hayes or Hunt 63 Slaughter in the Baseball Hall of Fame 64 Surrender, as territory 65 Grab 66 Emailed DOWN 1 Musical set at the Kit Kat Club 2 Guacamole fruit 3 Tear gas weapon 4 Margaret Mead subject 5 Georgia and Latvia, once: Abbr. 6 Horseplayer’s haunt, for short 7 Island near Curaçao 8 Perry in court

G? IN US HO

34 Greek messenger of the gods 35 Dramatic weight-loss program 38 Geek Squad member 41 Fireworks reaction 42 EPA-banned pesticide 45 Roger who broke Babe Ruth’s record 46 Refusals 48 Prior to, in poems 49 Deadeye with a rifle 53 “A Doll’s House” playwright 55 Decorative inlaid work 56 Watchful Japanese canines 57 Comet Hale-__

R FO

ACROSS 1 Parking lot fillers 5 “Me too!” 10 Cutlass automaker 14 Nike competitor 15 Valuable violin, for short 16 Genesis or Exodus, e.g. 17 Like the 1920s-’30s, economically 19 Wild revelry 20 Audition hopefuls 21 Enjoyed a sail, say 23 Indian melodies 24 Excellent work 27 Dean’s email suffix 28 Japanese sash 30 Back of a flipped coin 31 2,000 pounds 32 Uncooked

9 Convention pin-on 10 Section of a woodwind quintet score 11 Conrad classic 12 Guard that barks 13 Big __ Country: Montana 18 Approximately 22 One-to-one student 24 Prejudice 25 Corrida cry 26 Undergraduate degrees in biol., e.g. 29 Scottish hillside 33 Detective’s question 34 Sunshine cracker 35 Massachusetts city crossed by four Interstates 36 Insurance covers them 37 “Please stop that” 38 Film lover’s TV choice 39 Corn serving 40 Hardly roomy, as much airline seating 42 Preordain 43 “It’ll never happen!” 44 Most uptight 47 Many a Punjabi 50 Goldman __: investment banking giant 51 New employee 52 Eyelike openings 54 Tugs at a fishing line 56 Clearasil target 57 Clic Stic pen maker 58 Poem that extols 60 Pince-__ glasses

LO O KI N G

CROSSWORDS

Place an ad in the new and improved Daily Aztec Classifieds! Whether it’s a one, two or three-bedroom apartment, or just a room for rent in a house, you’ll be able to find your ideal living situation on

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12 THE BACK PAGE

JAN. 26 - 28, 2015 • THE DAILY AZTEC EDITOR: KELLY HILLOCK • FEATURES@THEDAILYAZTEC.COM

#CONFESSIONS

Diary of a hypochondriac JENNA MACKEY PHOTO EDITOR _____________________________________

ccording to Web MD, I’ve had brain tumors, lung cancer, heart attacks, leukemia, food allergies and numerous diseases you can only get from rural jungle areas in the Amazon. According to my doctor and various extensive tests, I’m an extremely healthy 20-year-old woman with generalized anxiety disorder and a knack for being dramatic. My name is Jenna Mackey and I’m a hypochondriac. In the third grade I was a dying 8-yearold. I was convinced the normal aches and pains of growing, which my mom aptly called “growing pains,” were really the signs of my demise. Who had time for spelling bees and playing house when you were dramatically planning on how you wanted to spend the last days of your little life? To answer all of your questions: watching Arthur and eating popcorn was how. During that time my loving mother (who was blessed with the patience of a saint) decided that the only way to convince me I wasn’t dying of some mystery sickness was to take me to the doctor. This marks the first of many embarrassing doctors visits when they would ask what was wrong and I’d list off a bunch of unrelated and minimal

symptoms. By the time the list came out of my mouth on this visit I suddenly began to connect all the symptoms together in my little mind. I wasn’t a doctor and never attended medical school but I knew what was wrong with me: absolutely nothing. The rest of my life up until now has been a series of having the urge to look up symptoms online and resisting that same urge in fear of absolutely ruining the rest of my week. One thing all hypochondriacs, like myself, experience is the utter joy of WebMD.com and how

I WAS CONVINCED THE NORMAL ACHES AND PAINS OF GROWING... WERE REALLY THE SIGNS OF MY DEMISE. much of a downer that website is. If you’re ever in the mood to really freak yourself out with waves of panic just check the symptom boxes for a stomach ache and dizziness and see what they predict for your future; super fun stuff. Yet somehow every time something seems amiss with my health, I go back for their dire diagnosis and advice to check with

#DASNAPSHOTS

my own doctor because “the content is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment.” Good to know. College continued my streak of hypochondria as I spent the first few months of my freshmen year waking my parents up in the middle of the night because I thought I was going to be sick and couldn’t sleep. That’s right everybody, freshmen year of college I was waking my parents up to complain about my tummy. I have no shame. What I didn’t realize is that I was experiencing the real anxiety of transitioning from a small-town school to a school of more than 30,000 people. While I thought I was suffering from some mystery internal disease, it was my anxiety disorder showing up in physical form. With a few changes to my diet (bye, bye caffeine) and some tactics to manage my anxiety, I have found ways to stop freaking myself out. My parents are certainly enjoying getting to sleep through the night. Although none of my alleged diseases ever turned out to be real, I’m thankful for my parents, boyfriend and anyone else who still listens to my worries and continues to be sympathetic. Despite not going to Disneyland recently and having all my vaccinations, if I suddenly come down with the self-diagnosed measles tomorrow I know I’ve got some great people to take care of me.

SUDOKU

HOW TO PLAY: Complete the grid so each row, column and 3-by-3 box contains every digit 1 to 9. DIFFICULTY LEVEL:

2/4

WINTER BEAUTY

Features Editor Kelly Hillock captures a sign of Spring after her hometown of Temecula is dusted with snow.

PLEASE NOTE: The views expressed in this issue do not necessarily reflect those of The Daily Aztec. Express your concerns by emailing letters@thedailyaztec.com

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HOROSCOPE HAPPY BIRTHDAY (1/26/15) - Fortune smiles on teamwork and partnership this year. Get involved in community projects. Take leadership and strengthen support networks. Save the gravy from a profit surge after 3/20. A new phase in romance arises after April, and you could be tempted to bold adventure. Grow family prosperity this autumn. Ignore petty distractions. HOW IT WORKS: 10 is good, 1 is bad. ARIES (March 21 - April 19) - Today is a 9 - Focus on making money today and tomorrow. Cash flow improves nicely. Enjoy this lucrative phase. Take advantage and keep accounting current. Record where the money's coming from and where it's going. TAURUS (April 20 - May 20) - Today is a 9 - No more procrastination. Tackle a personal challenge. You're stronger for the next two days, with the Moon in your sign. Things go easier, and you're especially suave and debonair. Someone's paying attention. GEMINI (May 21 - June 21) - Today is an 8 - You're especially sensitive and intuitive today and tomorrow. Get quiet and listen to the unspoken clues. Contemplate your next move. Something's coming due. Worry wastes time. Review priorities, and plan the steps to take. Slow down. CANCER (June 22 - July 22) - Today is an 8 - A friend comes up with a new money-making scheme. Shipping or mechanical delays could disrupt the plan. Support their game and they'll be there for you. Encourage and propose solutions. Provide food. LEO (July 23 - Aug. 22) - Today is a 9 - Crazy dreams seem possible. Take on more responsibility over the next few days. Forge ahead with a career upgrade. Assume leadership. Talk over the possibilities with your partner and friends. They can see your blind spots. VIRGO (Aug. 23 - Sept. 22) - Today is an 8 - Craft your itinerary over the next two days. Make plans and reservations. Research the best prices and locations. Expand your territory and your mind. New opportunities for adventure present themselves. Explore new flavors and exotic ways of thinking. LIBRA (Sept. 23 - Oct. 22) - Today is a 9 - Attend to shared finances over the next two days. Manage accounts and file documents. Prepare to negotiate carefully. Keep insurance, fees, bills and policies current. You can get the terms you want. Ask for specifics. SCORPIO (Oct. 23 - Nov. 21) - Today is a 7 - Negotiate for the long run. Let a strong leader take charge. Listen graciously. Your partner really shows up over the next two days. Your admiration grows. Share you appreciation. Give in to romance and caring. Love fills you up. SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22 - Dec. 21) Today is an 8 - It's getting busy. Add elegance to the proceedings by dressing professionally. The pace quickens. Put your back into your efforts. Follow the rules. Provide value. Over the next two days, work to get your ideas into action. CAPRICORN (Dec. 22 - Jan. 19) - Today is an 8 - Play the game you've been practicing. Apply your creativity to artistic pursuits. Make decisions about color and design. Spend time with family, and relax with hobbies, sports and amusements. AQUARIUS (Jan. 20 - Feb. 18) - Today is an 8 - Stay close to home for a couple of days. Get into interior decoration and style. Plan a project, and put together a budget before you shop. Household matters need attention. A little color goes a long way. PISCES (Feb. 19 - March 20) - Today is an 8 - You're extra brilliant for the next two days. Dig deeper into a favorite subject. You feel like you're emerging from a cocoon. Talk about a transformation you're experiencing. Share it with someone who could benefit. Teach what you're learning.