03-07-2018

Wednesday, March 7 - Tuesday, March 13, 2018 Weekly Print Edition

The Housing Issue

Vol. 104, Issue 26 www.thedailyaztec.com

SDSU TO RENOVATE MAYA AND OLMECA HALLS

HOUSING HORROR STORIES

See story page 6

See story page 12

San Diego State University’s Independent Student Newspaper Since 1913

Protesters: ‘No hate, no fear, immigrants are welcome here.’

Students call for more resources to go to undocumented students

Two student activist groups demonstrated at San Diego State on Monday, both advocating for the university to provide undocumented students with more resources.

“No hate, no fear, immigrants are welcome here,” chanted members and supporters of the SDSU chapter of Movimiento

Estudiantil Chicanx de Aztlán as they marched to the steps of Manchester Hall.

The March 5 deadline for ending the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program came and went, but Congress’s failure to replace the program left many anxious and worried.

This prompted some students at SDSU to protest while urging university officials to turn their school into a sanctuary campus and create a new resource center

for undocumented students.

Child development senior Ana Hernandez spoke during the rally, voicing her concerns over what she said is lack of leadership from university officials on issues affecting undocumented students.

“We’re here, we’re lacking and we’re suffering,” Hernandez said after the rally. “Am I not important? Am I not part of the student body?”

Hernandez’s frustrations stem partly because other universities,

by Jasmine Bermudez ASST. NEWS EDITOR

like CSU Fullerton and CSU Los Angeles, have full resource centers while SDSU only has an “area” with a staff of one.

“We see other schools that have their (undocumented resource) center and they’re so wellestablished,” Hernandez said.

Sociology senior Sandy Ayala expressed concern over the possibility of Immigration and

A physical altercation with a security guard in the Malcolm A. Love Library on Feb. 27 ended with a woman being put into what some students said was a chokehold.

According to a statement from San Diego State spokesperson Cory Marshall, the woman was in an unauthorized area when she slapped a guard’s phone and struck his face with an open palm.

Raquel Herriott, a university police spokesperson, said the woman, Channell Williams, is not an SDSU student.

Marshall said the security guard then attempted to restrain the woman until police arrived.

Finance senior Krystal Nzeadibe said she is wary of Marshall’s statement because it is unclear what happened before the incident.

“I think it’s interesting for us to know (about) the situation as a whole, not just starting at certain points,” she said. “That makes me very skeptical of how our university is telling the story.”

Management information systems sophomore Adrian Garate works at the 24/7 Study Area in the library.

He said he and the security guard frequently complain to each other about Williams because she loiters there often.

SEE PROTEST, PAGE 2

SEE CHOKEHOLD, PAGE 2

Photos by Weicheng Han

Two separate groups of protesters gathered at San Diego State on March 5 to call for more resources for undocumented students.

by David Santillan SOCIAL MEDIA EDITOR

Video of woman put in ‘chokehold’ by library security goes viral

‘Black Lives Matter’ panelists discuss racism

by Pabel Lopez STAFF WRITER

A panel of San Diego State professors gathered to discuss the Black Lives Matter movement at Montezuma Hall in the Conrad Prebys Aztec Student Union on Feb. 29.

Although the event mainly focused on the movement, the panelists also covered the treatment — both past and present — of black men in American society.

It’s the third year in a row such a panel has been held at SDSU. The panelists this year included professors Frank

Harris III, Luke Wood, Paul Minifee, Luke Winslow.

Professor Antwanisha AlameenShavers mediated the event, and Interdisciplinary senior Shane James also took part in the panel.

They talked about various problems related to racism and shared personal stories on a number of subjects.

Some of the topics covered included the treatment of minorities by police, systemic racism in education, a new movement of films focusing on the experience of being black in the US and relations between black men and white women.

The organizers said though the

Black Lives Matter movement is centered on the treatment of one group, it’s open to all who are willing to help.

“The movement is focused on all black people, but the majority of the examples that are seen in the media are of black men,” said Wood, who teaches the “Black Minds Matter” class at SDSU. “Cases like those of Trayvon Martin, Michael Brown, Tamir Rice and here in San Diego with the case of Alfred Olango.”

Trayvon Martin in Florida, Michael Brown in Missouri and Tami Rice in Ohio all died at the hands of white police officers.

The officer who shot Olango

was Hispanic.

Joquel Vásquez, an SDSU student, was at the event and said he enjoyed it very much.

“I love it because it allows for a dialogue in which multiple people and

SEE BLACK LIVES MATTER, PAGE 2 Photo by Alex Vasquez

Luke Wood, professor of the “Black Minds Matter” course at SDSU, speaks the Black LIves Matter panel on Feb. 28.

2

News

The Daily Aztec

Protest:

continued from page 1 Customs Enforcement officers entering the campus.

“We need a sanctuary campus for students to be safe and navigate their classes safely.”

Across campus, the International Youth and Students for Social Equality chapter also rallied to advocate the protection of students under the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrival program.

Mechanical engineering senior and IYSSE president Anthony Delgado said they had originally planned on a joint protest with MEChA, but those plans dissolved after MEChA learned that the IYSSE was planning on using the protest as an endorsement platform for Kevin Mitchell, a congressional candidate from the Socialist Equality Party.

“We support the intentions of MEChA,” Delgado said, “but where we differ is our political outlook.”

Delgado said that asking for a sanctuary campus won’t change things for undocumented students.

“California is technically a sanctuary state, but in the past two weeks there’s been an unprecedented amount of ICE raids in the bay area,” Delgado said, referencing the ICE raids that targeted agricultural regions in California.

ICE officials confirmed that the operation led to the arrest of 232 individuals.

“We need a DREAM Act and we need it now,” Ayala said.

Interdisciplinary senior and SDSU MEChA chapter president Daisy Ramirez, hopes that starting talks now with the university administration will make it easier for new president Adela de la Torre to work with their chapter once she’s on campus in the fall.

“She has freely talked about being in favor of all students having access to this campus, regardless of (their immigration) status,” Ramirez said. “We’re hoping that with (the new) administration we can have a conversation.”

Dean of Student Affairs Randy Timm, who was present at the rally, mentioned some of the demands MEChA formally outlined in a letter to the university’s administration.

“They’ve made some requests for a lawyer,” Timm said, “They’ve (also) requested a meeting with our interim president Sally Roush.”

Timm said that he will be working to figure out which demands President Roush can address directly.

For the time being, federal judges have ordered the Department of Homeland Security to continue renewing DACA permits beyond the March 5 deadline, giving congress more time to plan a replacement program, but with no solution in sight.

Chokehold:

continued from page 1 “(Williams) went there Monday night and tried to do the same thing which is grab clothes from the lost and found,” Garate said. “(The) security guard told her she had to go because the library was closing down.”

Garate also said he spoke to the security guard after the incident and he said Williams came back and said she forgot something in the lost and found. “(He said) she he snatched the phone from his hand when he said he was going to call the police,” Garate said. “She took the phone from him and when he tried to grab it back, she got physical.”

Garate said the guard is not working in the library anymore.

“He actually got moved because of the bad publicity,” he said. “He was working at the library full-time for eight years.”

Herriott said details regarding the incident are still being reviewed by the San Diego City Attorney’s Office, which handles charges for suspected misdemeanors that take place within city limits.

Herriott said officers completed the investigation and cited the woman for battery based on interviews and evidence. She also said because the security guard is contracted with Elite Services, an event staff and security company, she can’t confirm whether the

March 7-13, 2018 EDITOR: Will Fritz, news@thedailyaztec.com

proper protocols were followed.

Nzeadibe said she was sitting in the library when she heard screams.

“The security guard had this black woman in a chokehold and there were two other security guards that were standing in front of (the guard) and were telling the lady to not move,” she said.

Nzeadibe recorded the security guard restraining the woman and posted it on Facebook. The video received more than 5,000 views and 40 shares.

“I wanted our community and the rest of the world to see that a lot of issues regarding police brutality can happen in spaces where we don’t typically see them,” Nzeadibe said. “So when I first saw what was going on I immediately had to share because this is obviously an issue with race, classism and gender combined into one.”

Business management sophomore Adrian Alvarado said he wasn’t at the library when the incident occured, but he watched the video and said he doesn’t think the security guard was wrong.

“Given the circumstances that it happened in where she struck the security guard first, I would say that was a necessary amount of force just to restrain her until the police got there to prevent her from going away,” he said.

Alvarado said he used to work in the library and knows the security guard takes his job seriously.

“It’s not about politics at all. It is about the facts,” he said. “It doesn’t seem to be racially motivated.”

Black Lives Matter:

continued from page 1 students to listen and hear about the Black Lives Matter movement, and not just the Black Lives Matter movement but all the issues that are pressing the community,” she said.

Vásquez said the panel gave the whole SDSU community the opportunity to take a look at their feelings on Black Lives Matter. “(It allowed) students to reflect on where they stand in themovement and just the antiblackness that we face in the community.”

The event ended with an opportunity for students and other members of the audience to ask the panelists questions.

One of the questions covered the idea that black women and black members of the trans community are not viewed equally with other groups.

“I think it’s very important to have this discussion because the perception of black men is something that has to be talked about,” James said. “I wanted to connect with other communities and topics because these problems also affect many other groups.”

Mar. 7 - Mar. 13, 2018

The Daily Aztec / 3

4

Opinion

The Daily Aztec

March 7- March 13, 2018 EDITOR: Dana Tsuri-Etzioni, opinion@thedailyaztec.com

University should ban straws The straw doesn’t just break the camel’s back, soon it will break the environment’s as well

by Cassidy McCombs SENIOR STAFF WRITER

According to a report released by the National Park Service’s Be Straw Free Campaign, 500 million plastic straws are used in the U.S. everyday – this averages about two straws per day for every person.

If nothing is done to change the amount of plastic consumed globally, by 2050 there will be more plastic than fish in the ocean.

For a California State University nestled in an ecofriendly beach city, San Diego State should set a precedent in curbing the over-consumption of plastic.

California is a leading source of information and progression in conservation efforts. An article published in the San Diego Union-Tribune references the state ban on take-out plastic bags as momentum to continue efforts to limit the consumption of plastic straws.

Illustration by Maritza Garcia

What concerns environmental activists is that straw use is habitual and therefore a result of lifestyle. How the environment is thought about and treated is essential to the progress of improving eco-friendly efforts to limit plastic.

California already recognizes the impact of banning plastic carry-out bags, so other fixes such as single-use plastic straw bans should also be implemented.

Local efforts are gaining more traction. The Surfrider Foundation San Diego launched a Plastic Straws Suck pledge as part of its Rise Above Plastics 2018 campaign which asks pledgers to say ‘no straw’ whenever they order a drink.

Alongside this pledge, SFSD also runs the Ocean Friendly Restaurant program, which urges behavior change to impact reducing plastic waste in restaurants.

This restaurant program works as a policy campaign that pushes a Straws Upon Request ordinance or plastic straw ban to be passed in San Diego.

The Ocean Friendly Restaurant program has gained incentivizing support through giving their approved restaurants ecofriendly media attention. Even cities within San Diego County are making individualized efforts to address single-use

plastic straws. The Encinitas Environmental Commission already voted in favor of asking the City Council to pass an askfirst distribution ordinance to all Encinitas restaurants.

SDSU should embrace ecofriendly movements — especially locally run and operated efforts.

SDSU should not only show loyalty to their environmentally conscious city and state, but should also be taking initiative to support the cultivation of ecofriendly habits and progressive lifestyles.

Green Love is a sustainability club at SDSU that shows students have a passion for helping the environment.

This should incentivize the university to take acknowledge a need to set an example for other college campuses.

SDSU is at a unique position of location, culture and influence and should be a leader in movements such as banning plastic straws.

Awareness of how damaging plastic is to the environment is key. Having a campus as recognized as SDSU implementing eco-conscious practices, such as a straw ban, will bring greater awareness.

Cassidy McCombs is a junior studying journalism and media studies. Connect with her on Twitter @Cassidy_McCombs.

Arming teachers not the solution Letter:

by Maya Parella CONTRIBUTOR

Debate arose on whether teachers should be armed in order to protect their students following the mass shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida.

This is just the latest event in the mass shooting epidemic that plagues the U.S. According to CNN, the Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School shooting is the ninth deadliest in the nation’s history. Out of the 34 shootings that made the list, 20 of them occurred since 2007, or the last decade.

President Donald Trump proposed arming teachers as a countermeasure to these attacks.

Advocates of this idea point to the alleged misconduct of the Broward County Sheriff’s Office as reason to support it. Broward County Sheriff, Scott Israel, is currently under intense scrutiny after his deputies failed to enter the building amid the shooter’s rampage.

However, training school teachers to shoot a gun is not the answer. It only serves as a temporary solution to shootings on a case-by-case basis, but does not solve the issue at its core. If anything, it perpetuates the idea that violence should be solved with violence.

Instead, there needs to be a mass overhaul on gun legislation within the U.S. This argument

has been going on for years but has yet to be resolved. The fierce dichotomy that exists between pro-gun laws and anti-gun laws citizens continues to hinder any possibility of consensus on changing current legislation.

Proponents for arming at least gun adept teachers argue that doing so will deter shooters in the future, or possibly help limit the damage they may cause.

But then the question arises of where these guns will be located.

If the gun is kept locked away on campus for safety reasons, how is a teacher supposed to reach it in a time of emergency?

There is no way to guarantee that the classroom or general area a shooter may target will be close enough to the emergency gun for school officials to make use of it. Keeping a locked firearm on school property becomes futile when no one can access it in a timely manner.

The type of gun the school or individual teachers are allowed to keep will affect the safety of the school. The Parkland shooter was reported to have used an assault rifle. A typical handgun pales in comparison, and unless the teacher is guaranteed to be quick and well-trained, they may not be able to take down the shooter.

Conversely, having an assaultstyle rifle on campus poses the same problem as it does for a policeman who must lock away his gun at home so his children don’t get ahold of it. Even high school

students are mainly minors, and their behavior is unpredictable.

On the other hand, if a certified and well-trained teacher with a gun is permitted to keep their firearm on their person or in their classroom, what is to ensure that a student will not try to steal it and shoot it themselves?

There are too many openended questions regarding the question of arming teachers. It is not realistic for any sort of legislation to be passed until every question can be answered and the safety of all those involved will be confidently upheld.

The role of a teacher is exactly that — to teach. The task of protecting schools from danger, such as shootings, falls on the shoulders of school guards and local police departments. This duty should not be placed on the shoulder of teachers .

The best way to solve massshooting epidemics at their root is to enact stricter gun laws that include regular background checks, mandatory training and retraining and restrictions on the type of gun a civilian can own.

It is important to note that enacting stricter regulations on the purchase of firearms does not take away a person’s right to own one. Rather, it prevents guns from falling into the hands of an inept or irresponsible owner.

Maya Parella is a freshman studying psychology. Connect with her on Instagram @mfparella.

Propaganda is not synonymous with P.R. The editorial, University has a clear transparency problem, was great.

Just one note, however, that I must raise with you in my capacity as a public relations educator, editor of the Journal of Public Relations Research and co-author of an internationally used textbook in public relations: Please do not equate “public relations” or “PR” with propaganda or publicity. Yes, it’s done all the time, but incorrectly.

Professional and ethical public relations is about building and maintaining relationships between organizations and their stakeholders, something that SDSU is not doing well these days (as many would say).

However, your editorial doesn’t use “public relations” in this sense. Rather, it is using public relations in the sense of propaganda, promotion and publicity ­— in which case using those words would be more accurate.

Bey-Ling Sha, Ph.D., APR is professor and director in the School of Journalism and Media Studies.

EDITOR IN CHIEF Andrew Dyer MANAGING EDITOR Lilly Glenister NEWS EDITOR Will Fritz ASST. NEWS EDITOR Jasmine Bermudez OPINION EDITOR Dana Tsuri-Etzioni MUNDO AZTECA EDITOR Jocelyn Moran ARTS & CULTURE EDITOR Cami Buckman SPORTS EDITOR Abraham Jewett DIGITAL SPORTS EDITOR Mary York ENGAGEMENT EDITOR Alex Piscatelli PHOTO EDITOR Kelly Smiley MULTIMEDIA EDITOR Mirella Lopez SOCIAL MEDIA EDITOR David Santillan ART DIRECTOR Noah Callahan VOLUNTEER COPY EDITORS Brian del Carmen Katherine Cooke GRAPHICS ASSISTANT Maritza Garcia

SENIOR STAFF WRITERS Julianna Ress Cassidy McCombs Nicole Badgley Sofia Bert Kayleigh Venne STAFF WRITERS Lauren J. Mapp Marissa Bell Kyle Saunders Kyle Betz Tristi Rodriguez Josh Rogers Bella Ross Pabel Lopez Carolina Lopez Shauny Silas Kelly Kerrigan Ceighlee Fennel CONTRIBUTORS Maya Parella Brenden Tuccinardi Shauny Silas Nicole Kern STAFF PHOTOGRAPHERS Petey Dyer Joe Kendall Sam Mayo Alex Vasquez Alby Sanchez David Cortez Weicheng Han Alex Vasquez Perla Sanchez ________________________________ ADVERTISING DIRECTOR Connor Brooke SALES MANAGER Peter Saridakis ACCOUNT EXECUTIVES George Saridakis John Weil Josh Diaz Rauda Valerie Barrientos Miguel Souza Kaden Cowles Garrett Munt ACCOUNTING & CONTRACTS Tyler Burnett Meah Mapp ________________________________ GENERAL MANAGER/ADVISER Jay Harn GRAPHICS COORDINATOR Quentin Skaggs ________________________________ EDITORIAL 619.594.4190 editor@thedailyaztec.com ADVERTISING 619.594.6977 advertising@thedailyaztec.com PRINT The Daily Aztec publishes 5,000 copies of its weekly print edition every Wednesday throughout the semester WEB Daily content is available at www.thedailyaztec.com QUESTIONS/COMMENTS letters@thedailyaztec.com ________________________________ The views and opinions expressed in this issue do not necessarily reflect those of The Daily Aztec.

Mar. 7-13Mar. 13, 2018

The Daily Aztec / 5

6

News

The Daily Aztec

March 7-13, 2018 EDITOR: Will Fritz, news@thedailyaztec.com

SDSU’s next president to move into $2.3 million home The Alvarado Estates home was purchased in 2017 by Aztec Shops, a university auxiliary

By Lauren J. Mapp STAFF WRITER

When San Diego State’s next president, Adela de la Torre, steps into her new position, she will be moving into a newly-purchased, $2.3 million home in Alvarado Estates.

Located in the same gated community as the previous president’s house, the property will be both a home for de la Torre and used to hold small functions for the campus. The decision to remain in the same community was partially based on

its proximity to SDSU, university spokesperson Jill Esterbrooks said.

“SDSU presidents have lived in the nearby Alvarado Estates since 2000,” Esterbrooks said via email. “The near-campus location helps strengthen the president’s connection to the university and College-area community.”

The procurement of the new property was deemed to be more economical than repairing and renovating the previous home. It was not purchased using student fees or state funds, Esterbrooks said.

According to meeting minutes from the Campanile Foundation board meeting on Sept. 14, 2017, the new house was purchased through Aztec Shops, a nonprofit auxiliary of SDSU. It is common for public and private universities to either own a home for the president or to compensate them with a housing allowance, Esterbrooks said. Some local colleges also provide housing or housing allowances for their school’s president or chancellor.

At UC San Diego, the chancellor resides in Geisel House — a reinforced adobe home originally

Photo by Lauren J. Mapp

San Diego State’s next president, Adela de la Torre will move into a $2.3 million home paid for by university auxiliary Aztec Shops when she takes office this summer.

purchased by the university in 1967. The home was declared uninhabitable due to seismic and utilities deficiencies in 2004. It was reopened in 2013 after an extensive renovation, which UCSD spokesperson Laura Margoni said cost more than $10 million and was paid for in gift funds.

The chancellor’s residence is used as both a personal home and for various university-related functions, Margoni said.

“Geisel House has traditionally been the home of uniquely UC San Diego events honoring faculty, staff and students, as well as

hosting large and small campus celebrations,” Margoni said via email. “Geisel House continues to host a variety of activities, from dinners to honor Nobel Laureates to alumni and advocate receptions to large events that celebrate students and student-athletes.”

California State University San Marcos President Karen Haynes does not live in a house provided by the university, but instead owns a home and receives an annual $60,000 housing stipend, said Margaret Chantung, the university’s associate vice president for the Office of Communications.

Photo by Joe Kendall

De la Torre addresses the SDSU community during her first vist to campus in February.

HOUSING

University to renovate Maya and Olmeca residence halls

by Shauny Silas CONTRIBUTOR

Renovations are set to begin on the Maya and Olmeca residence halls this summer, according to the San Diego State Office of Housing Administration and Residential Administration.

The renovations are planned

to be completed in two phases.

The Maya residence hall will be closed for renovations during the fall 2018 semester, and students will first move into Olmeca residence hall. Maya will then reopen and absorb Olmeca’s residents while that building is being renovated during spring 2019.

The renovations are anticipated

to improve living conditions for students.

Mold growth was reported by a student living in Maya beginning in November 2017. Affected rooms have since been cleaned and tested, Housing Director Eric Hansen told The Daily Aztec last month.

The two buildings, which exclusively house freshmen,

Photos by Alex Vasquez

San Diego State’s Office of Housing Administration is set to renovate the Maya (pictured) and Olmeca residence halls next year. Renovations will begin for Maya in fall 2018 and Olmeca in spring 2019. Neither building has been renovated since their construction in 1960.

both consist of three floors. Both residence halls contain various residential learning communities that students can apply for prior to move-in.

“Students should expect to see many upgrades including new paint, flooring, renovated restrooms, community spaces such as study spaces, floor lounges and more,” said Susan Nguyen, assistant to the director of housing administration.

The costs of the renovations will not directly increase student housing payments and will be factored into the overall payment rates for all the residence halls.

According to the San Diego State housing website, the projected rates for a dorm room during the 2018-19 school year will range from $14,005 to $18,493, depending on meal plan and room type.

The overall condition of Maya and Olmeca is what prompted the plans for renovations. San Diego State has been working to meet the increasing demands of housing that provides modernized living communities for incoming students.

“Maya and Olmeca are the next residence halls on our list to have system upgrades based on the overall housing refresh program,” Nguyen said.

Many students in the Maya and Olmeca residence halls feel that it is past due for the rooms to be updated.

Mechanical engineering freshman Marty Olivar lives on Maya’s third floor.

He said it’s unfair that Maya and Olmeca residents have to pay the same rates as students in other residence halls.

“The amount of money we pay to live in Maya and Olmeca is unfair compared to the benefits that other students get from living in the other halls,” he said..”

One issue that Olivar said he faces is the lack of study spaces offered in the residence hall.

“There is only one common area to study and it’s always crowded and dirty.”

Some students living in Maya and Olmeca said they enjoy the smaller community that the two residence halls provide.

“It’s small but we have the ability to connect with the people we live with, unlike other dorms,” Katelyn Robles, a speech, language, and hearing sciences freshman that lives on the third floor of Olmeca said.

“We’re all going through this together,” Olivar said. “The people are one of the few things good that are left about Maya.”

March 7-13, 2018 EDITOR: Will Fritz, news@thedailyaztec.com

News

The Daily Aztec

7

HOUSING

Are ‘resort-style’ apartments worth it?

By Bella Ross STAFF WRITER

Resort-style apartment complexes have become a competitive option when seeking housing by introducing a number of exclusive amenities. However, these special features come with a price.

The most popular of these apartment complexes are the BLVD63 Apartments on El Cajon Boulevard and Fifty Twenty-Five on Collwood Boulevard — both of which are about a mile from San Diego State’s campus. Unlike most standard apartment complexes, BLVD63 and Fifty TwentyFive offer shuttles to campus, large pools, entertainment areas and gyms. These complexes are also pre-furnished and embrace a modern design, according to their websites.

For BLVD63, rent ranges from $1,825 for a studio to $725 for a shared room in a four-bedroom apartment, according to the complex’s website. According to the Fifty Twenty-Five website, students can live in a studio for $1,450 or choose between a number of shared accomodations, with the lowest priced at $675 for a shared room in a four-bedroom apartment.

For both complexes, the rent paid is dependent on the number of roommates and whether an individual chooses to live in a single or double. Both complexes

have accommodations for up to six roommates per apartment, according to their websites.

When considering the local market, neither apartment complex falls far from local rent averages. According to RentCafe, the average rent for a studio apartment in San Diego sits at $1,479.

With rent costs sitting very close to local rent averages, residents said the primary draw for them when they signed their leases were the amenities. Management and entrepreneurship senior Haily Morejon said she loved that BLVD63 looked newer and had an attached gym.

“Last year I lived in Aztec Corner and it didn’t really have many amenities,” Morejon said. “BLVD is a lot newer and cleaner.”

Morejon said that, as a downside, the shuttle was very inconsistent and became a big hassle in the mornings.

Morejon pays $825 in rent, with parking costs included, for a shared room in a four-bedroom apartment. She said that she’d like to see rent at BLVD63 go into the $700s, and that what she is paying right now seems a bit high.

SDSU student and BLVD63 resident Ashley Hunck said she loves living in BLVD63 and plans to renew her lease.

However, she said people can play their music very loud all throughout the week and that maintenance tends to be slow.

Hunck said she pays $800 in rent to live in a shared room and that she has four roommates. She said she also pays $40 a month to park her car in the BLVD63 parking garage.

Grossmont College student and Fifty Twenty-Five resident Fadiba Barry said she is currently paying $650 in rent for a shared room. Her apartment has four bedrooms and she said the space is split between six people.

“If you’re looking to have cheap rent, the living arrangement is kind of uncomfortable in a small space,” Castellani said. “If you’re looking to live with less people and pay more, then maybe it could work out.”

Barry said, overall, her experience at Fifty Twenty-Five has been very negative and that she will be moving to BLVD63 when her lease ends. She said, for instance, that a sprinkler malfunction had left water damage in one of the apartments, leading very to noisy renovations.

“Renovators came in at really bad hours of the day and did not take into consideration the people living there,” Barry said. “Then, we got charged for utilities due to their renovation. That didn’t get taken care of until months later even though we made sure we would not be charged.”

Barry also said she is skeptical about the way the complex pairs roommates.

“I think when it comes to setting people up with certain roommates, they don’t really consider their little survey,” Barry said. “I think they’re just putting anyone anywhere.”

Grossmont College freshman and Fifty Twenty-Five resident Sofia Castellani said she also found the roommate situation to be problematic. However, she said the complex has a designated day where residents can swap out their roomates.

Castellani said she was initially attracted to the complex because it had a pool, gym and convenient shuttle. She also said the location is very central, being very practical for SDSU students or anybody who likes to be in the middle of the action.

However, Castellani said the differences between the various buildings within the complex were questionable. She said students don’t get to choose the building they’re put in even though some have significantly higher ceilings and nicer furniture than others.

“You can swap whenever you want but there’s a transfer fee of $200 and I think most students are not willing to pay that,” Castellani said.

The rent was raised for residents who move in during 2018, but Castellani said she currently pays $650 in rent and has five roommates.

HOUSING

Next year’s freshmen will live on campus their second year

By Nicole Kern CONTRIBUTOR

As San Diego State gears up for the new Sophomore Success Program beginning in fall 2018, there will be many changes to on-campus living for particular SDSU students.

According to the SDSU official website, the program will be implemented in two phases.

2018-19 sophomores who are student athletes, out-of-state or international students, Guardian Scholars or students in the Nursing program or Honors College will be required to live on campus. Then, in fall 2019, the requirement will be extended to all sophomores.

Kara Bauer, SDSU’s director of residential education, discussed the university’s plan for the two phases of the Sophomore Success Program.

“When we get to the 2019-2020

academic year, we will house the entire population of non-local sophomores,” Bauer said. “Throughout both phases, local sophomores are welcome to apply to live on campus as a part of this program as well, even though they are not required.”

Since there will be more students living in on-campus housing, SDSU is in the process of making increased living accommodations to the campus.

This will include specific housing for just freshman students and just sophomore students.

According to the SDSU Housing website, the Montage on College, located on College Avenue, is currently under construction and will open fall of 2018.

This complex will be a housing option for sophomores in the Sophomore Success Program.

A new student residence hall is also under construction near Chapultepec residence hall. It’s expected to open in

fall 2019, and will house freshmen.

In fall 2018, freshmen will be placed in University Towers, Tenochca, one of the South Campus Plaza buildings, Zura, Chapultepec and Cuicacalli.

Some freshmen will also move into Olmeca residence hall in the fall, then switch to Maya as renovations conclude for that buildings and begin for Olmeca.

The SDSU housing website says that there will be 10 living options for sophomores in the program for the 2018 school year.

Students in the Sophomore Success Program will be placed in Granada, Piedra del Sol, one of the South Campus Plaza buildings, Montage on College, Villa Alvarado, Tarastec, Toltec and part of Cuicacalli.

The SDSU housing website also says that other living options for sophomores next year are the Huaxtepec and the Zapotec apartment buildings, located near Tarastec and Toltec on-campus

living facilities.

Resident Advisor Amy Moussa said residential staff are excited for the new program.

“We have the opportunity to help more students and we can serve more as a resource for sophomores and have more time to assist them with the transition into college,” Moussa said.

Kinesiology reshman Jillian Langer said she’s not sure what the benefit of the Sophomore Success Program would be.

“I don’t know how it could help you academically,” she said. “Ultimately it is up to the student to decide how involved (they want to be) or well they want to do in school.”

She said she doesn’t think living on campus causes students to study more or get more involved.

“It is all about how much you put into it and how social or outgoing you will be,” she said.

PACIFIC BEACH: 1079 Garnet Ave. • 858-273-6227 HILLCREST: 3862 5th Ave. • 619-298-4411 BUFFALOEXCHANGE.COM •

8

Mundo Azteca

The Daily Aztec

Estudiantes de SDSU demandan un campus santuario el 5 de marzo.

Foto por Weicheng Han

March. 7-13, 2018 EDITOR: Jocelyn Moran, mundoazteca@thedailyaztec.com

Irving Hernández, recipiente de DACA y graduado de SDSU, se dirige a la gente en el City College.

Foto por Carolina López

La falta de acción por parte del Congreso causa protestas en San Diego por Jocelyn Moran, David Santillan & Carolina López

Recipientes del programa Consideración de Acción Diferida para los Llegados en la Infancia y personas apoyándolos se reunieron en San Diego para protestar la falta de acción por parte del Congreso el 5 de marzo.

Esta fecha marcó el día donde el Congreso tendría que haber pasado legislación para reemplazar a DACA. Sin embargo, la fecha límite dejó a recipientes de DACA con incertidumbre y ansiedades.

Una protesta ocurrió en la Universidad Estatal de San Diego y otra en City College.

“Estoy aquí para decir que necesitamos una solución para el Dream Act”, dijo Sandy Ayala, estudiante en SDSU de cuarto año de sociología. “No necesitamos una solución temporaria. Necesitamos una solución permanente para todos los indocumentados, los soñadores y (personas con) TPS”.

Los estudiantes quienes participaron en la protesta en SDSU, la cual fue organizada por Movimiento Estudiantil Chicanx de Aztlán, demandaban un campus santuario.

Ayala, quien también es recipiente de DACA, expresó su frustración ante la gente, exigiendo acción de la administración de SDSU. “Esta protesta fue muy importante para mí para decirle a los de la administración

que tienen que encontrar una solución para hacer este lugar más fácil para navegar y que esté libre de migras, y que esté libre de policías y de ICE”, dijo Ayala.

Además de un campus santuario, estudiantes estaban demandando más recursos para estudiantes indocumentados

cuatro años en SDSU, lo único que la administración ha hecho es darles una área.

Actualmente, SDSU tiene una área para los indocumentados en el centro del Programa de Oportunidad Educativa.

Ana Hernández dijo que la área solo es

“Estoy aquí para decir que necesitamos una solución para el Dream Act. No necesitamos una solución temporaria. Necesitamos una solución permanente para todos los indocumentados, los soñadores y (los recipientes) de TPS”.

– Sandy Ayala, Estudiante de cuarto año de sociología

en SDSU. “(La administración) dice que son para todos los estudiantes”, dijo Ana Hernández, estudiante de cuarto año de desarrollo infantil y familiar. “¿No soy importante? ¿No soy parte del grupo estudiantil? Yo siento que soy, y nosotros tenemos necesidades que ellos no han cumplido”.

Ana Hernández dijo que durante su

un cuarto con dos mesas, dos sofás y una computadora.

“Ser indocumentada como yo lo soy viene con muchas complicaciones, financialmente y emocionalmente”, dijo Ana Hernández. “Yo soy de primera generación, entonces, siempre soy enfrentada con la batalla de que nadie se puede relacionar conmigo, familiarmente...Es mi viaje sola”.

Foto por Weicheng Han

Maricruz Carrillo, estudiante de bioingeniería, se dirige al grupo de personas durante la protesta en SDSU.

Randy Timm, decano de asuntos estudiantiles, estuvo en la protesta como observante, y mencionó unas de las demandas que M.E.Ch.A. puso en una carta a la administración de la universidad.

“Han pedido por un abogado”, dijo Timm. “(También) han pedido una junta con nuestra presidenta Sally Roush”.

Cynthia Torres, coordinadora de la Área para los Indocumentados, dijo que sintió que el mensaje de la protesta fue que los estudiantes están siendo vocales de cuáles sus necesidades son.

Torres también dijo que la Área para los Indocumentados está abierta para que estudiantes vayan a buscar recursos.

“Yo solo soy un mecanismo para conectar a la gente con recursos que pueden hacer cosas”, dijo Torres. “Yo solo necesito que los estudiantes vengan y nos den confianza.

No vamos a entregar ningún tipo de información a nadie. No voy a compartir ningún tipo de información con nadie”.

En la protesta en City College organizada por San Diego Border Dreamers, Irving Hernández, recipiente de DACA y graduado de SDSU, expresó sus opiniones ante la gente.

Hernández se graduó de SDSU con ingeniería aeroespacial, pero no puede agarrar trabajo porque no tiene el “clearance” que requieren las compañías.

“No hay lógica en esta batalla, pero hay mucha pasión en ella”, dijo Irving Hernández. “Seguiré luchando por esto, hasta que sea deportado o ya no tenga una voz”.

Foto por Weicheng Han

Alan Olvera, estudiante de cuarto año de ciencias de computación, levanta un cartel en la protesta de SDSU.

Mar. 7-13, 2018 • Editor: Jocelyn Moran • mundoazteca@thedailyaztec.com

The Daily Aztec / Section / 9

Foto por Alex Vasquez

Luke Wood, profesor de la clase “Black Minds Matter”, habla con la audencia el 28 de febrero.

Profesores hablan sobre tratamiento de afroamericanos en los Estados Unidos por Pabel ESCRITOR

López

Varios profesores de la Universidad Estatal de San Diego hablaron sobre el movimiento, Black Lives Matter, el 28 de febrero, donde docenas de estudiantes asistieron el evento en el teatro de la Unión Estudiantil de Conrad Prebys.

Aunque el evento llevó el nombre de Black Lives Matter, los panelistas enfocaron sus conversaciones en el tratamiento de los hombres afroamericanos por la sociedad en tiempos pasados y en el presente.

Los panelistas este año incluyeron varios profesores de SDSU: Frank Harris III, Luke Wood, Paul Minifee, Luke Winslow y la profesora Antwanisha Alameen, quien fue la moderadora de la discusión. Shane James, estudiante de cuarto año de estudios interdisciplinarios, también fue parte de la discusión.

Los panelistas hablaron de varios problemas relacionados al racismo y transmitieron sus historias personales para tocar en varios temas. Estos temas incluyeron el tratamiento de las minorías por la policía, el racismo sistémico en la educación, el nuevo movimiento de películas enfocado en la experiencia de ser africano en los Estados Unidos y la relación entre los hombres afroamericanos y las mujeres blancas.

Los organizadores hicieron claro que aunque el evento fue centrado en el tratamiento de un grupo, el movimiento es para todos.

“El movimiento está enfocado en la

gente negra en total, pero la mayoría de los ejemplos que son vistos en los medios son de hombres afroamericanos”, dijo Wood, profesor de SDSU de la clase “Black Minds Matter”. “Casos como los de Trayvon Martin, Michael Brown, Tamir Rice y hasta aquí en San Diego con el caso de Alfred Olango”.

Wood habló sobre los casos del abuso por los policías y otras muertes de hombres afroamericanos. Estos casos incluyen a Trayvon Martin de Florida, Michael Brown de Missouri y Tamir Rice de Ohio, en donde todos fallecieron a manos de hombres blancos.

Joquel Vásquez, estudiante de SDSU, fue al evento, y dijo que le gustó mucho.

“Me encantó porque me gusta que los estudiantes puedan tener una conversación sobre el movimiento y los problemas en la comunidad”, dijo Vásquez.“Esto también deja que el público pueda reflexionar en lo que piensan del movimiento”.

El evento terminó con la oportunidad para estudiantes y otros miembros de la audiencia que hicieran preguntas.

Una de las preguntas que generó más discusión fue la idea que mujeres y miembros de la comunidad “trans” no son vistos en igualdad a otros grupos.

“Yo pienso que es muy importante que tengamos esta discusión porque la percepción del hombre negro es algo de que se tiene que hablar”, dijo James.

“Yo quería conectar lo que decían los panelistas a lo que otras comunidades y géneros pasan por porque estos problemas también afectan a muchos otros grupos”.

Foto por Alex Vasquez

La profesora Antwanisha Alameen, modera la discusión entre los profesores el 28 de febrero.

10

The Daily Aztec

The Housing Issue

March 7-13, 2018 EDITOR: Cami Buckman, arts@thedailyaztec.com

Decorating for any space on a budget

by Lauren J. STAFF WRITER

Mapp

Wallets might be extra tight for college students, but that doesn’t mean dorm rooms have to be lifelessly dull, undecorated spaces.

Here are some tips for dressing up living spaces, on a budget: Decorating for music lovers Have an affinity for music and want to show it off? There are plenty of ways to decorate while sharing a love for The Ramones, The Beatles or any other musical acts.

Vinyl collectors can use frames to adorn their walls with album covers.

CD owners can use a grid art frame to display multiple covers or display the cover and the disc in individual frames.

Make use of old band t-shirts by repurposing them into pillowcases for decorative pillows.

Start by cutting two square or rectangular pieces that are the size of the pillow you want to cover (one from the front and one from the back of the shirt), leaving at least a 2 inch border.

Next, cut 1 inch wide pieces of fringe along the border, making sure to match the front and back fringe pieces.

Tie the fringe from the front of the pillow to the back on three

edges of the case, then slip in the pillow before tying the fourth edge.

Two 18 inch by 18 inch pillow inserts can be purchased on Amazon for $16.

DIY Projects For the future Martha Stewarts of the world, designing and making decorations can be a fun side project when taking a break from studies.

The best part is being able to make custom pieces that other people won’t have and that fit any personal style.

Use removable wallpaper or decals to decorate desks, minifridges and other hard furniture and jazz up mini refrigerators with Washi tape.

All that glitters is silver and gold Adding a touch of metallic color can make any dorm room sparkle and stand out from the rest.

Gold figurines can be found in many shapes, such as pineapples, cats and balloon animals.

Rose gold jars can also be used for storage or to hold fresh flowers.

Green thumb or not, jazz up the space with a plant Tending to a small plant can bring life to the standard issue dorm room. Purchase a small succulent or cactus, then pop it in a decorative pot.

Make sure to leave the plant

Mix and match throw pillows to display a creative sense of style. (JCPenny, $40 to $52)

Photo by Lauren J. Mapp

Plants can be woven into dorm room decor without plant growing skills and dedication by purchasing faux cacti and succulents. (Urban Outfitters, $14)

in a window where it can get adequate light, and water it once a week.

For those who can’t be responsible for the life of a plant, opt for faux succulents that’ll outlast the average college career.

Light up the night with funky string lights Why use basic Christmas string lights to decorate a room when there are plenty of decorative options to choose from?

Photo by Lauren J. Mapp

Lights come in many different configurations to fit a desired theme.

Choose from geometric cage designs, football lights, makeyour-own neon sign kits, photo clip string lights, baseball and glove lights, Doctor Who T.A.R.D.I.S lights and more.

For a small desk decoration, purchase a decorative lantern and fill it with tiny, batteryoperated string lights. Take this idea a step further with a medium or large, brass lantern filled with two or three packs of string.

Pimp your desk Most students spend a significant amount of time on campus camped out at dorm desks working on projects and research papers.

Sitting at a cluttered desk can lead to disorganized thoughts, so try organizing and decking out the space to get the creative juices flowing.

Place a jumbo mouse pad on the desk for a pop of color and a laptop home base.

Purchase a creative container in the shape of a unicorn, donut or burger to store writing utensils and fill it with matching novelty pens.

For an academic aesthetic, try a desk globe, an hourglass, or add a study break element to the

desk by topping it with a mini, functional arcade game.

Adorn the walls Plain walls were meant to be decorated, and depending what gets hung on them, it can completely change the room’s vibe.

Tapestries cover a lot of space while simultaneously giving the room a home-like feel.

Wall art made from pieces of wood can show off hobbies, such as surfing and surfboard shelves can extend the theme further.

Hint at fandoms with subtle (and not so subtle) pieces, like a Deathly Hallows wall clock or a Star Wars, marquee light poster.

Proudly display allegiance to a “Game of Thrones” house by hanging a banner on the wall.

Set the ambiance with a flameless scent Can’t have candles or wax warmers in dorm rooms?

No problem. Use a wallflower plug from Bath and Body Works to add a fresh scent to your living space.

Plugs run from $4.50 for basic designs to $16.50 for elaborate designs with nightlights.

Scent cartridge refills are normally $6.50 a piece, but they are currently on sale for $3.50.

Be sure to read the online story for all of the links to decorating for every budget.

Mar. 7-Mar. 13, 2018

The Daily Aztec / 11

A sustainable, expanded and renovated ARC and field space to support the recreation, fitness and wellness needs of all SDSU students.

RECREATION FOR ALL

• • • •

Access for ALL students No new fee until 2021 Open during construction Eliminate monthly membership fees for students

• ARC expands from 78,000 sq.ft. to 148,000 sq.ft.

• Increased weights and cardio space • 7 courts for sports • 5 fitness studios • Social and study spaces • Wellness programming space • Healthy eatery • Indoor track • Space for adaptive sports • Student organization practice/meeting space • Designed for LEED Double Platinum

VOTE YES

ON THE SDSU WEB PORTAL

MARCH 6 & 7

as.sdsu.edu/TransformTheARC #RecForAll

12

The Housing Issue

The Daily Aztec

Housing horror stories

March 7-13, 2018 EDITOR: Cami Buckman, arts@thedailyaztec.com

“We had a roommate who would always steal our shampoo and conditioner, go through my desk and use my things without asking, stomping around, putting the garbage bags in the living room instead of out in the garage and talking on speakerphone around the house early in the morning.

When she sensed we would get annoyed at her for doing this she moved out and only told us a week before and said it was our problem to find a new roommate. She picked up all her stuff and moved out and now we have to all split extra rent every month. We haven’t spoken to her since.”

– Elexia Partida, Public administration senior

by Kelly Kerrigan STAFF WRITER

Welcome to San Diego State, where every month students pay their incredibly high rent to live in subpar housing and inadequate living situations.

College housing has created many interesting situations for students whether it’s horrible roommates, gross dorm life or awful housing arrangements.

If there is one thing college teaches you it’s that living with people can be hard, landlords suck and that dorms are the worst. It seems like every roommate is claiming they are the only one who ever cleans and a lot of the time living in close proximities with people creates a downward spiral of interesting roommate situations.

Every student has in some way experienced the negative effects of college living, whether it’s from living in a small space with multiple people or the poor qualities of on-campus housing.

Backyard PB TONIGHT | 8PM-10PM

Enter to win a

$1,000

· Walk or bike to the San Diego State University campus

GIFT CARD!

· Fully furnished apartments with leather-style furniture available · Academic Success Center with iMacs & free printing · On-site laundry facilities · Internet, cable TV, water, sewer & trash included · Joint & several liability leases

AZTECCORNER.COM Dates, prize, amenities & utilities included are subject to change. Limited time only. See office for details.

JH 831668 350

March 7-13, 2018 EDITOR: Cami Buckman, arts@thedailyaztec.com

The Housing Issue

“I lived in Cuic freshman year so I shared a suite with eight other girls. One of the girls was hard to live with to say the least. She used to sing at the top of her lungs in the common area FaceTiming her friends and harmonizing with them over the phone. She also used to leave out cups and bowls of food until they started molding. Her favorite pastime consisted of having really intimate conversations over the phone, we all unfortunately had to listen to. As the school year went by several fights broke out, one in which our RA had to come in and break up. It got to the point where our suite offered to pay her money to leave but she declined. So by the years end we printed out 100 room/hall switch requests and taped them to cover the walls, in the entrance of our suite, in her bathroom, on the ceiling above her top bunk, her desk, everywhere. She took the hint and finally moved out.”

13

The Daily Aztec

Illustrations by Maritza Garcia

– Kathleen Fong, Nutrition sophomore

“For my BIO 204 lab one of our assignments was to take home a petri dish and leave it open for an hour then let it grow for five days. I chose to place mine in the kitchen of my apartment at Aztec Corner. After five days what grew on the petri dish was mold and bacteria. I repeated this experiment again in the living room of my apartment and mold was again found on the petri dish.”

– Delaney Farley, Biology sophomore

“My freshman year I lived in Chappy and if that wasn’t already hard enough, everyone in the building was constantly getting sick from the air spreading through the vents. At the end of the year we heard a rumor that hand, foot and mouth disease was going around and then the building emailed us confirming it was true.

We all had to wash our hands a lot and sanitize every door handle around the place constantly to avoid getting the incredibly contagious disease.”

– Josh Goldstein, Chemical engineering sophomore

14

The Daily Aztec

The Housing Issue

March 7-13, 2018 EDITOR: Cami Buckman, arts@thedailyaztec.com

Snapshot: Residential Learning Communities provide a space for studying and socializing

by Kayleigh Venne SENIOR STAFF WRITER

Living in the dorms is not only a rite of passage, but also an experience that has a great influence on a student’s freshman year.

Fate ultimately determines which building, roommates and resident advisor a student ends up with, leaving little to a student’s control.

However, freshman do have the ability to choose which floor their room will be on if they decide to live in a Residential Learning Community.

San Diego State offers 18 Residential Living Communities that a freshman can choose to reside in as opposed to regular ol’ dorm life.

A few of the university’s residence halls house the RLCs. Each community is an entire floor dedicated to a specific topic of study.

The learning communities cover a vast area of interests and majors ranging all the way

Photos by Sam Mayo

Floor three in Zura Hall displays creative information boards.

from adventures in surfing and sustainability to visual and performing arts to pre-law.

Because the learning communities create a

collaborative environment, students can easily form study groups with one another as they help each other transition into dorm life.

Floor three in Olmeca decorates the halls as the journalism and media Residential Learning Community.

“Overall, our learning communities are very popular,” Residential Education Office Associate Director Jenna Hazelton said. “Numbers wise, business, health and healing and ‘Discover San Diego State’ seem to be requested the most each year.”

SDSU’s learning communities can be found in Zura Hall and Maya/Olmeca Hall as well as Cuicacalli Suites, although some are subject to change locations due to sizes and student requests.

“I loved living in the learning community as a freshman,” accounting senior Alex Purcell said. “It connected me with people who were in my major and had the same ambitions as me.”

The learning communities have evolved since their beginning in 2004.

Hazelton said they began as FGIs, or Freshman Interest Groups.

Those interest groups have since grown into a large community program which now includes one to two required courses.

“The only thing I didn’t like about the experience was that we had to take an additional class that was just a big waste of time,”

Purcell said. “But I still take classes with my old floormates today and it is really nice to have that smaller community of friends.”

In addition to making valuable friendships and class connections, the learning communities give freshmen access to an academic mentor who is trained to assist students with academics while living on their floor.

Academic mentors periodically meet with the students to check that they are enrolled in the correct courses as well as to help them plan their future semester courses.

“We try to place resident advisors and academic mentors on each floor where they are enrolled in the areas of study or have an interest in the topic area,” Hazelton said. “It may not always be possible, but most times we are able to accomplish this.​” Residential Learning Communities are just one of the many resources that SDSU offers in order to help freshmen ease into their higher education as an Aztec.

A complete list of the 18 Residential Learning Communities can be found at SDSU’s housing portion of its website.

cheba hut toasted subs goes Green for

St. Patrick’s Day Bring this ad in for a FREE NUG (4”) at either San Diego location 6364 El Cajon Blvd & 4651 Mission Blvd

March 7-13, 2018 EDITOR: Cami Buckman, arts@thedailyaztec.com

The Housing Issue

15

The Daily Aztec

Honors College learning community builds smart bonds through academics

by Julianna Ress SENIOR STAFF WRITER

Being accepted into San Diego State’s Weber Honors College is among the most prestigious recognitions a student can attain, but aside from the resume boost, it’s also a great way to build community among peers similarly committed to academic excellence.

The Honors College Residential Learning Community, or RLC, is located in Zura Hall, and the incoming freshman aspiring to live there must apply around January of their senior year of high school. Those accepted into the Honors College maintain an average high school GPA of 4.14, with the average GPA of Honors College graduates being 3.7.

Business freshman Doreen Hemmati is a resident of the Honors College RLC, and said she connects with other students on her floor through their shared dedication to schoolwork. “(Living in the RLC is) valuable in the sense that most of us value our education even more highly than usual, so there’s always someone ready to help you with homework,” she said.

“We all know that we are trying our hardest and take academics

Floor three in Zura Hall serves as the Honors College hall.

seriously.”

While other RLCs may focus on one area of study, the Honors College is open to all majors, and Hemmati finds that this diversity is beneficial to residents.

“I like hearing about different interests,” she said. “It’s cool to have a math major across the hall to help me with my calculus homework.”

Mechanical engineering sophomore and residential advisor for the Honors College

RLC Olivia Di Santo said doing homework together every day is a major way the community residents connect with each other.

“A big aspect of the community on our floor is that we do homework together in the common areas,” she said. “This creates a productive atmosphere in which we motivate one another to work hard and stay on top of our schoolwork. People literally fight for space in the

Photo by Sam Mayo

common areas to do homework together.”

She’s also found that being immersed in the determination of these bright freshmen has affected her own work ethic.

“Most of the RAs and (academic mentors) in the Honors College RLC are in the Honors College, but I’m not,” the RA said. “Being in (this community) has helped me with my time management and prioritization.”

As a RA, Di Santo didn’t

choose to be placed in the Honors College RLC, but she said being apart of the tight-knit community encouraged her to request to live in the same RLC next year when she re-applied for the position.

“This community is a group of intelligent, inclusive and hard-working individuals who are determined to make their schoolwork a priority while maintaining to make the most out of their college experience,” she said. “I am genuinely thankful for every single one of (the residents) because they have added so much value to my life and continue to do so every day.”

Di Santo said having the option to join RLCs is something all freshman should take advantage of.

“I think it is really important that these communities are options for (freshmen) because residents are able to find people that they have something in common with,” Di Santo said. “(It’s) very comforting to the residents since they are in a new, somewhat intimidating environment. Having a mutual interest is the first step to forming friendships and making the residence hall a home away from home.”

Please note that this product cannot be delivered on campus as SDSU is a smoke- and tobacco-free environment. Must be 21and older.

16

The Housing Issue

The Daily Aztec

March 7-13, 2018 EDITOR: Cami Buckman, arts@thedailyaztec.com

Transitioning from dorm room living to apartment life isn’t such a bad thing

by Ceighlee STAFF WRITER

Fennel

dorm to apartment: The social aspect of apartments is a complete 180 degree turn from that of dorms.

In the dorms people are always out and about, talking with everyone and basically all living together in one huge building.

However, in an apartment one cannot just go down the hall to hang out in their best friend’s room anymore.

Although, if someone dislikes being around certain people on their floor, apartment living is ideal because there is much more

Transitions can be rough. It’s like going from a cute kid to an awkward teen, or jumping from a hot tub to a freezing pool.

There are so many other hard transitions, including going from living in a dorm on campus to an apartment off-campus.

There are many options to choose from when picking the perfect apartment, so here are some things to think about when going through the transition from

Chase Schlein and Victor Karagiozov relax in their living room.

Photo by Joe Kendall

privacy and seclusion.

It could be a win or lose situation.

There are also no resident advisors anymore when living in apartments.

This is also good and bad because fewer people get in trouble for minor infractions which is a plus, but that also means loud neighbors that may keep people awake until 3 o’clock in the morning.

There is no front desk to check people in and out at, but there can be a main office where mail is kept.

Another main difference is the food situation.

Very few people off campus have meal plans which is a game changer. People now have to go grocery shopping which means they need to have a form of transportation.

In addition, when a fridge is shared with multiple college students things can get intense, so just be prepared to not have any fridge space and tell other roommates not to go overboard.

Dividing up fridge and cupboard space is really helpful.

Another exciting aspect of apartment kitchens is that everyone can legally own coffee makers and appliances, which is

an upgrade from dorm life.

Then there is the cleanliness problem.

There is no housekeeper who will clean up like there was in suite-style dorm living.

Now everyone is in charge of not only their rooms, but the living room, kitchen and bathroom.

A cleaning schedule is helpful to divide up tasks for roommates and not let anyone slack in doing their fair share.

The little things count too.

Items like toilet paper, kitchen towels, paper towels, trash bags, dish soap and anything along those lines creates a gray area.

Who pays for them?

If someone pays for one pack of paper towels, who buys the next one?

It is just a confusing situation that people moving in with a group of people should be prepared for.

Go into your living situation with a game plan or an idea that works for the group.

Some ideas are to Venmo one person, split the payments or rotate who buys things.

Safety is also a main concern now that there is no official security off-campus.

Personal items are stolen frequently and some apartment complexes do not have security

cameras.

Be aware of people taking advantage of college students.

It is a must to always lock the doors.

Make it a habit for everyone in a home to carry their keys so no one is locked out, except for the thieves.

In addition to this, unlike when living in the dorms, there is no more Aztec Recreation Center membership included.

People off-campus can get one, but they have to pay for it every month.

It’s also important to remember that air conditioning and other energy expenses are very costly.

Fans are a better choice to use because they use less electricity.

People have to separately pay for cable and electricity depending on the apartment complex, so be sure to keep these extra bills in mind when trying to budget.

There are many other transitions that people will need to make when moving from dorms to apartments.

If someone is really unsure about how to make a smooth change from one to the other, asking someone who currently lives in an apartment is a start to finding out the necessary steps for this process.

Get $50 plus Free Checking that rewards you.

1

Stop by our Cal Coast Campus Branch.

Get rewarded with Cal Coast Loyalty Rewards2 Free mobile banking, bill pay and mobile deposit3 Free 24-hour campus ATM with $5s and $20s 600 local fee-free ATMs and 24 branches Friendly staff and great service

Visit us today in the Conrad Prebys Aztec Student Union.

Limited time offer; program subject to change without notice. New member must be at least 13 or older to qualify. One-time $50 dividend bonus paid to new member’s savings account when qualifying accounts are opened within 60 days of membership date. Must maintain $25 minimum savings or checking balance. Bonus subject to tax reporting. Membership and credit subject to approval. Serving everyone who lives or works in San Diego or Riverside counties. A one-time $5 membership fee and savings account required. Cannot be combined with any other offer. Some restrictions apply. 2Restrictions apply. 3Check with your wireless provider to determine if data and text messaging rates apply. Federally insured by NCUA. 17-223 PUB 03/17

1

calcoastcu.org | (877) 495 -1600 | #CalCoastcuSDSU

March 7-13, 2018 EDITOR: Cami Buckman, arts@thedailyaztec.com

Arts & Culture

The Daily Aztec

SDSU senior represents San Diego County in Miss California pageant

by Sofia Bert SENIOR STAFF WRITER

San Diego State student Lauryn Ndoumbe will be representing San Diego County in the Miss California USA competition in December.

Ndoumbe is a junior international economics major and competing in Miss California will be her first major pageant.

“I have wanted to do this ever since I was a little girl,” Ndoumbe said.

Her father, Michael Ndoumbe, said that it didn’t surprise him when she applied for Miss San Diego.

“She was always very interested in pageants on TV — Miss America, Miss Universe, Miss California, always watching it and looking at dresses and everything,” Michael Ndoumbe said. “She’s very passionate about fashion shows, modeling, taking pictures and has always had that desire.”

Ndoumbe currently runs a fashion blog on instagram, @europeanfashionvictim, and is hoping to begin a YouTube channel and use her title as Miss San Diego to help promote it.

Although pageants are known at first glance for beauty, dresses, hair and makeup, there is a large philanthropy aspect to pageants as well.

Ndoumbe said that she wanted to be a doctor when she was younger. However while in college she switched her major to international economics.

Her desire to become a doctor stemmed from her time spent volunteering at a hospital while growing up.

Ndoumbe plans to use her title as Miss San Diego to engage herself in more philanthropy and helping the community.

Some of the companies she has reached out to include St. John’s Hospital.

She also wants to find a way for bakeries and restaurants to be able to donate their leftover food — since there is a law that allows and protects them to do so — and help solve San Diego’s hunger problem.

“I feel like our generation needs to be a little bit more giving, we’re so focused on social media and trying to appease other people, we have a lot more capability than just that. So hopefully I’ll be able to set a good example for people around me,” Ndoumbe said.

Ndoumbe also has looked for advice from Miss Teen Beverly Hills title holder AnnaNoel Olson. Olson has been in pageants for about two years and helps Ndoumbe with insider tips from being in the industry.

“More important than working out or picking out your outfit, I

would advise her to go out there, do events, network. You want to have those experiences that can’t be bought and heartfelt stories to talk about during interviews,” Olson said.

Olson said that the best part of pageants for her has been making lasting friendships with the girls who are also in pageants and helping other people at charity events.

Olson has been involved with an anti-human trafficking walk, has raised raised over $3,600 in two hours for the California fires and has met with a young girl with a heart condition, Zoey, and has spent time with her throughout her recovery.

Ndoumbe said she is hoping to make a lasting impact on people’s lives and hopes her title as Miss San Diego will help her do that.

Ndoumbe must first complete the application fee to receive her sash as Miss San Diego.

She is hosting a breakfast at AppleBee’s and she also has a GoFundMe page to help raise money.

The Miss California USA event is set to take place Dec. 7-9 in Long Beach.

The winner will go on to compete in Miss USA, and the winner of that will go on to compete internationally for Miss Universe.

17

Photo by David Cortez

Lauryn Ndoumbe will be representing San Diego County in the Miss California pageant.

Bahn Thai in University Heights dishes up traditional meals

by Josh Rogers STAFF WRITER

Bahn Thai is a local San Diego restaurant that is serving up traditional Thai dishes at affordable prices, all while making a name for themselves in the local food community.

Set against the quiet backdrop of University Heights located at 4646 Park Blvd., Bahn Thai sets itself apart from the local coffee shops and small restaurants. The restaurant sticks to its traditional dishes in order to draw customers in.

“I really like coming to Bahn

Bahn Thai’s popular dish includes this shrimp panang curry and pairs well with a Thai tea.

Thai because they really stick to the authentic flavors that I have grown to love in Thai food,” speech therapy junior Macayla Meyers said.

The restaurant’s menu has a wide variety of dishes ranging from noodles to curries and stir frys with prices ranging from

$9.95 to $12.00 per dish.

Some of the most popular dishes include the Pad Thai and the Thai fried rice.

If customers are looking for something different, the restaurant serves dishes such as a panang curry which is a creamy curry with a sweet hint of

Photo by Alby Sanchez

coconut milk, bell peppers and your choice of protein all served with jasmine or brown rice.

Customers can also try the popular Thai golden fried spring rolls with silver noodles, black pepper cabbage, carrot and a side of homemade plum sauce as a starter.

“The menu is so diverse and there are always so many options to choose from,” kinesiology sophomore Jillian Smiley said. “I try and stick to my regular order, but I try new things a lot.”

The restaurant also serves traditional desserts and drinks for customers to purchase as well.

“With every order I have to get a Thai tea, that’s my go-to and I recently got into their black rice pudding with coconut milk as my desert,” Meyers said.

Bahn Thai is a family-owned and operated restaurant with chefs Sam and Kate putting in their 20-plus years of culinary experience to provide the community with traditional Thai dishes using the best ingredients with no MSG additives, according to the restaurant website.

Customers can dine in or take out when ordering their food or have it delivered using the Postmates app.

Bahn Thai is open Monday through Thursday 11 a.m. to 10 p.m., Friday through Saturday 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. and Sunday 4 p.m. to 10 p.m.

18

Sports

The Daily Aztec

Week in review

March 7-13, 2018 EDITOR: Abraham Jewett, sports@thedailyaztec.com

NO

Photo Illustation by Mirella Lopez

March 1

March 4

MEN’S TENNIS

BASEBALL

SDSU - 0 vs. Cal - 4 Aztecs fail to win any singles or doubles games, fall to 2-9 on the season during their first home match in over a month.

SDSU - 7 at San Jose State - 2 Aztecs hit three home runs in the first game of a doubleheader. Junior pitcher Harrison Pyatt wins his first game of the season, allowing two runs in 5.1 innings with five strikeouts

SOFTBALL SDSU - 3 vs. UCF - 1 Aztecs record three hits in the fourth inning, win their sixth game in last eight tries. Senior pitcher Alex Formby gets the win after pitching four innings of scoreless relief.

SDSU - 11 at San Jose State - 1 Aztecs record 16 hits, score a season-high in runs to sweep doubleheader. Junior shortstop David Hensley records four hits with three RBIs and two runs scored.

SOFTBALL

March 2 WOMEN’S TENNIS SDSU - 0 at No. 33 Arizona State - 4 Aztecs fail to win any singles or doubles matches while losing their third straight match.

SDSU - 0 vs. Boston University - 1 Aztecs shutout for second straight game to complete the San Diego Classic I. SDSU failed to score despite putting runners in scoring position in both the sixth and seventh innings.

March 5

Freshman outfielder Janina Jusay slides into third base during the Aztecs 1-0 loss to Boston University on March 4 at SDSU Softball Stadium.

Photo by Perla Sanchez

Aztecs scoreless vs. Terriers to end San Diego Classic

SOFTBALL WOMEN’S LACROSSE SDSU - 6 vs. No. 20 Minnesota - 2 Junior second baseman Katie Byrd hit a basesloaded two-out triple in the bottom of the fourth inning to lead the Aztecs to victory.

SDSU - 0 vs. CSUN - 2 Aztecs leave five players on base and go scoreless in second game of doubleheader. Sophomore pitcher Marissa Moreno takes the tough-luck loss after giving up one run in 2.2 innings pitched.

WOMEN’S BASKETBALL SDSU - 72 at Nevada - 84 Aztecs drop the final game of the regular season while giving up 24 points off turnovers. Seniors McKynzie Fort and Geena Gomez lead SDSU with 19 and 16 points, respectively.

WOMEN’S LACROSSE SDSU - 19 vs. St. Bonaventure - 3 Aztecs jump out to a 13-2 lead at the half while snapping a two-game losing streak. Junior midfielders Jill Haight and Natalie Peel each record hat-tricks to lead the offensive attack.

MEN’S TENNIS Sophomore tennis duo Joel Popov and Arnaud Restifo advance to the round of 16 to highlight the first day of the Pacific Coast Doubles Championships.

March 3 WOMEN’S ROWING Aztecs open their rowing season with races against Stanford and UCLA, finishing second in the V4 and 3V8, and placing third in 2V8 and V8.

MEN’S BASKETBALL SDSU - 79 vs. No. 21 Nevada - 74 Aztecs end regular season with their sixth straight victory, clinch the number five seed in the Mountain West Conference tournament.

SDSU - 22 vs. Presbyterian - 2 Aztecs explode for a season-high 22 goals during their second straight home victory. Grace McGinty scores a career-high four goals ­‑ all in the first half ‑ to lead SDSU. WOMEN’S BASKETBALL SDSU - 84 vs. Nevada - 95 Aztecs lose in overtime in the opening round of the Mountain West Conference tournament after losing eight point lead at the end of regulation.

Senior guard McKynzie Fort led SDSU with 25 points in her final game in the Scarlet and Black.

WOMEN’S SWIMMING Senior diver Alexandra Caplan has the breakout performance of the day for the Aztecs on day one of the NCAA Zone E Championships, finishing in 13th place with a 266.90.

March 6 WOMEN’S TENNIS SDSU - 4 vs Furman - 1 Aztecs snap a three-game losing streak, winning the doubles point and three of four finished singles matches. SDSU evened its record to 7-7 on the season with the victory.

BASEBALL No. 25 SDSU - 4 at Arizona - 13 Aztecs get blown out in a rematch with the Wildcats. Freshman third baseman Matt Rudick gets three hits in four at bats for the Aztecs to raise his average on the year to a team-high .467.

WOMEN’S LACROSSE SDSU - 18 vs. Niagara - 16 Aztecs win their third straight match after holding off a late comeback attempt by Niagara.

Junior midfielder Jill Haight leads the Aztecs with four goals while redshirt sophomore goalkeeper Katie Sharretts finishes with eight saves.

WOMEN’S SWIMMING

MEN’S TENNIS Sophomore David Hough and freshman Ignacio Martinez fall in the quarterfinals of the consolation bracket, while sophomores Joel Popov and Arnaud Restifo lose in the round of 16.

Senior diver Alexandra Caplan qualifies for the NCAA Championships after finishing in fifth place in the 3-meter action at the NCAA Zone E Diving Championships. Caplan was the only SDSU competitor to reach the finals in the event.

Freshman Konner Dahlberg throws a pitch at practice on Jan. 30

Photo by Elissa Tauscher

by Tristi Rodriguez STAFF WRITER

San Diego State softball failed to score against Boston University on March 4, losing by a score of 1-0 to conclude the first edition of the San Diego Classic at SDSU Softball Stadium.

The Aztecs (8-12) went 2-2 in the tournament, defeating the University of Central Florida on March 2, before splitting a doubleheader on March 3 with a victory over the University of Minnesota before a loss against Cal State Northridge.

Sophomore pitcher Marissa Moreno pitched the first four innings against Boston, before being replaced by senior pitcher Alex Formby after senior outfielder Emma Wong hit an RBI triple which gave the Terriers the 1-0 lead.

Formby allowed two hits but no runs during three innings she pitched, while Boston freshman pitcher Cali Dolfi pitched a complete game shutout for her third win of the season.

Formby said that she relished the opportunity to play in front of the home fans in the tournament, fulfilling her own childhood dreams of playing softball.

“I love playing at home,” Formby said. “Today there was a huge fan base and I love playing with all the little girls that come out and watch us. I used to be one of them so I know what it means for them and I like being on the other side of it.”

SDSU made it interesting in the bottom of the seventh inning, but stranded runners on second and third after pinch-hitting sophomore catcher Anna Sherburne hit into a two-out grounder which ended the game.

“With runners in scoring position, we need that big hit,” head coach Kathy Van Wyk said. “I keep telling the girls that our time is going to come. I’m proud of them for battling until the end.

In the seventh inning having that many runners on base, it shows that we’re not giving up.”

Similar to in the teams 2-0 loss to

CSUN, the Aztecs were able to make powerful contact with the ball on multiple occasions, only for the ball to fly straight into the outfielders gloves.

“People are hitting balls really hard, they’re just not falling our way,” Formby said. “It’s the same thing that’s been happening all weekend.”

Despite some close losses, the team is keeping their head held high moving forward.

“There’s progress,” Van Wyk said. “I keep trying to tell my girls, progress means success. We just have to keep that in mind and not evaluate ourselves based on wins and losses right now.”

Sophomore shortstop Shelby Thompson went hitless in 12 at bats over the tournament, but said that the team can not be dissuaded by its offensive struggles.

“For us it’s just not to give up on ourselves and to just keep pushing,” Thompson said. “We’ve got to keep hitting the ball hard, because eventually they’re going to fall.”

Thompson said that overall hosting the tournament is a great honor, and a testament to the level of softball the Aztecs play.

“It’s a blessing to be able to be a top team that gets to host a big tournament like this with a lot of other really good top teams,” Thompson said. “It’s good competition.”

SDSU’s record has improved since a 1-8 start, and Formby said that even with their occasional struggles the team is back on the path to success.

“From where we started the year, I think we’ve made a lot of progress,” Formby said. “I think just keeping an overall positive feeling towards it is really important and just keep taking steps in the right direction.”

The Aztecs have a four day break before opening up the Louisville Slugger Invitational against Ohio State on March 9.

The tournament will run from March 9-11 and is being co-hosted by the campuses of Cal State Fullerton and CSU Long Beach.

March 7-13, 2018 EDITOR: Abraham Jewett, sports@thedailyaztec.com

Sports

The Daily Aztec

19

Lacrosse continues to surge on offense

by Kyle Betz STAFF WRITER

San Diego State lacrosse has been on a roll after winning three straight games to improve to a record of 5-2.

The Aztecs defeated Niagara by a score of 18-16 on March 6, one day before a 22-2 victory over Presbyterian on March 5, and four days after beating St. Bonaventure by a score of 19-3.

The team has been the beneficiary of strong attacking play from junior midfielder Grace McGinty, junior attacker Kirstie Greenlaw, junior midfielder Jill Haight, redshirt freshman attacker Lexi Tan and junior midfielder Natalie Peel.

Peel and Haight each netted hat tricks against the St.Bonaventure, while combining for seven total draw controls.

Haight also scooped up two ground balls and caused two turnovers against St. Bonaventure, and was named MPSF Defensive Player of the Week on March 5.

McGinty scored a career-high four goals while registering two draw controls against the Blue Hose, while Greenlaw, Haight and Tan each contributed hat tricks.

Prior to recent success, the Aztecs were coming off two straight losses against No. 21 Denver and No. 20 Colorado during a road trip to the Rocky Mountain State.

Still, even before the Aztecs took off with their current two-game winning streak, junior midfielder Harlowe Steele said the team has been clicking.

“I think everyone has been working really well together,” Steele said. “We’ve been getting people open. The past few games everyone’s been scoring, and it’s been really great.”

SDSU lost both games by a score of 1712, with the team finding themselves in deep holes going into halftime.

The Aztecs faced a deficit of 14-3 against Denver at the break, before Haight scored four goals to help the team storm back with nine second-half goals.

After the loss to Colorado, head coach Kylee White said that she wanted her team to play complete games.

“We need to just continue to push each other in practice and really make it more competitive so that we can start a game on top,” White said. “I think playing a full 60 minutes would probably be my goal for the next upcoming games.”

SDSU will conclude its four-game homestand when it takes on Boston College on March 10.

Boston College has had success in recent years, making it all the way to the NCAA National Championship last season before losing to Maryland.

Steele said that she expects Boston College to be a very challenging opponent.

“It’s a really great challenge for us.

They’re an amazing team and it’s gonna be a hard game,” Steele said. “I can’t wait to play them and show them what we’re made of.”

The Aztecs season has been highlighted by impressive performances from Steele, freshman midfielder Bailey Brown and redshirt sophomore goalkeeper Katy Sharretts.

Steele has 14 goals in seven games this season, and is off to a hot start after facing offseason adversity following an injury.

“I’m very impressed with (Steele’s) ability to come back from a major injury.

She had surgery in November, and she worked her tail off to get healthy and come back,” White said. “It shows great leadership just in her ability to work hard.

Steele was named MPSF Offensive Player of the Week on Feb. 12 and Feb. 19, and she scored four in the Aztecs season opener against Cal before notching a career-high five goals against Arizona State on Feb. 17.

White said that Steele is a force to be reckoned with on the playing field.

by tony zarate STAFF WRITER

Junior midfielder Harlowe Steele runs up the field during the Aztecs 22-2 victory over Presbyterian on March 5 at the Aztec Lacrosse Field.

“(Steele’s) just making plays all over the field and she’s kind of being a spark for people to follow,” White said. “She doesn’t get intimidated by anyone. I like that about her.”

One of Steele’s favorite parts about playing lacrosse at SDSU is the support and encouragement she receives from her teammates.

“Everyone’s so welcoming. I was so nervous to leave home and come to a different state, but everyone’s been so awesome,” Steele said. “We all take care of each other. We’re like sisters out there, and it’s amazing.”

Brown, who is competing in her rookie season on the Mesa, shares a similar experience to Steele’s and comes from a different lacrosse environment.

“I’m from Texas, and lacrosse is not that big, so coming here is super fun and a lot more competitive,” Brown said.

Brown has made a statement off the bench, tallying four goals, 24 draw controls, seven ground balls and three caused turnovers in seven games.

She was named MPSF Rookie of the Week on Feb. 19 and Feb. 26 for her performances against Arizona State, Denver and Colorado, respectively.

“Being able to have the opportunity to be on the field, and being able to be named Rookie of the Week is a huge accomplishment to me,” Brown said. “I’m thankful for my teammates to help me get there.”

Sharretts, meanwhile, has solidified her role as the Aztecs starting goalkeeper, appearing in all six games this season.

Sharretts has 59 saves and nine ground balls in seven starts this season, and was named MPSF Defensive Player of the Week on Feb. 26 after recording 14 saves in both performances against Denver and Colorado.

“It means a lot to me,” Sharretts said about receiving the award. “I saw that I was nominated at first and it was cool, but then to receive it was awesome and I worked my butt off to get to this spot.”

White believes that Sharretts will continue to improve as the Aztecs starting goalkeeper. “(Sharretts) is getting better and better with every single game,” White said.

“She’s keeping us in things right now, and honestly I think she’s an unbelievable goaltender and I’m excited to see how she

develops over the next three years.”

Brown echoed White’s praise for Sharretts’ recent string of impressive performances.

Photo by Sam Mayo

“I’ve never seen a goalie so athletic like that. She’s insane,” Brown said. “She’s very fast and I don’t know how she makes half the saves she does.”

20

Sports

The Daily Aztec

March 7-13, 2018 EDITOR: Abraham Jewett, sports@thedailyaztec.com

Aztecs team up for doubles championship

by Marissa Bell STAFF WRITER

San Diego State men’s tennis completed the 129th annual Pacific Coast Doubles Championships at La Jolla Beach and Tennis Club on March 2-3.

The Aztecs have a record of 2-9 on the season, but competed well in the tournament, compiling eight total wins on day one.

The tournament is one of the longest running events in organized tennis, which Aztecs head coach Gene Carswell credited with being the foundation of the Davis Cup, also known as the World Cup of Tennis.

“It’s actually the foundation of what is actually now the Davis Cup, which is between countries all around the world,” Carswell said.

Carswell said two days before the tournament that he had high hopes for the event, and saw it as an opportunity for his team.

“It’s a great opportunity,” Carswell said. “Not only do you have all the great teams in the West but you have teams from all over.”

Carswell and Aztecs assistant coach Jeff Thomsen competed in the tournament and teamed up for a victory over the

Junior Sander Gjoels-Andersen (front) and sophomore Nicholas Mitchell compete in doubles against Cal on March 1 at the Aztec Tennis Center. The match was suspended with Cal winning 4-3.

Pomona-Pitzer duo of Joshua Gearou and Marko Mandic in the round of 64, but were then eliminated after losing 8-2 to Daniel Cukierman and Tanner Smith from the University of Southern California.

Sophomores Joel Popov and Arnaud Restifo advanced the farthest for the Aztecs, making

it all the way to the round of 16, after collecting a 3-0 record on day one, before falling 6-1, 6-4 in the main draw against Uros Petronijevic and Zachary Svajda on day two.

SDSU junior Sander GjoelsAndersen paired up with sophomore partner Nicholas Mitchell, with the duo winning

Photo by Joe Kendall

their first match, before falling 8-6 against Stanford.

Gjoels-Andersen said two days before the match that that he was excited about the opportunity to compete in the tournament against some good talent.

“We are going to have a pretty good draw,” he said. “I think it’s

a good opportunity for us to get some good practice for the next few months.”

Junior Raul de la Torre and freshman Jan Kirchhoff picked up two wins on day one of the event, combining to beat Mason Hansen and Luca Marquard of UC Irvine (8-5) and Phillip Martin and Matthew Sah (9-7).

De la Torre and Kirchhoff’s run came to an end in the round of 32 after losing 8-5 to the fifthseeded duo from University of California, Los Angeles in Austin Rapp and Keegan Smith.

Aztecs senior Santiago Cevallos and sophomore Rafael Gonzalez Almazan defeated Boise State’s Max Blancaneaux and Harvey Shackleton by a score of 8-6, but lost 8-4 to Oklahoma State’s Artur Dubinski and Jurence Mendoza to see their tournament hopes end in the round of 64.

Next up for SDSU is the San Diego Spring Break Tournament, which is starting on March 15 against a yet-to-be-determined opponent.

The team will then continue its Mountain West Conference schedule, before completing the season with the MW Championships starting on April 27.

Women’s basketball falls in opening round of MW tournament

by Kyle Saunders STAFF WRITER

Freshman guard Naje Murray looks on from the bench during the Aztecs 85-78 victory over San Jose State on Feb. 24 at Viejas Arena.

Photo by Kelly Smiley

San Diego State women’s basketball came up short in the Mountain West tournament against Nevada on March 5, losing 95-84 in overtime.

The Aztecs had an eight point lead with just over 3:30 to go in the final period, but Nevada senior guard T Moe evened the score by scoring eight of her total 29 points to send the game to extra time.

“Neither one of those teams really deserved to lose. Both of us battled, played really hard,” head coach Stacie Terry told to

the Mountain West Network. “I thought our girls came out and believed that they could win, played like they could win, and just came up short.”

Senior guard Mykenzie Fort led the 10th seeded Aztecs with 25 points seven rebounds and six assists.

“The outcome wasn’t what we wanted, but the fight that we showed is something that we were capable of playing with all year,” Fort told the Mountain West Network. “I’m proud of my team for the effort and the fight that each of other players have, and each player is capable of doing something to help this team.”

SDSU finished the season 1-2

against Nevada and 11-19 overall.

Terry told the MW Network that it was a tough defeat.

“I love this group,” she said.

“We’ve been through a lot. And I think we’re all disappointed with the outcome. So it was hard.”

This is the fifth straight year with a record under .500 for the Aztecs, with their last winning season coming in 2012 when the team went 27-7.

This was the third time this season SDSU went into overtime, in February the Aztecs dropped a game to UNLV 73-67, and they also lost 85-76 in extra time to Central Michigan during a November tournament in the Bahamas.

Sports

March 7-13, 2018 EDITOR: Abraham Jewett, sports@thedailyaztec.com

The Daily Aztec

21

Water polo set to host Aztec Invitational

by Abraham SPORTS EDITOR

Jewett

San Diego State water polo is finally coming home.

SDSU’s season started officially back on Feb. 3, when it defeated Harvard University by a score of 10-8 in Providence, Rhode Island.

Over one month later the Aztecs are 13 games into their season, and yet to play a match in the home pool at the Aztec Aquaplex.

SDSU will christen the home pool in their official home opener against Loyola Marymount University on March 9, before hosting the Aztec Invitational which runs from March 10-11.

Harvard University, Sonoma State, No. 5 University of Hawai’i and Bucknell University will all be participating in the tournament alongside the Aztecs.

SDSU head coach Carin Crawford said that the school is excited to play host.

“I’m really looking forward to welcoming all those teams,” Crawford said. “They’re all on their spring break, so we really get to show off this environment, and they really like to come to San Diego and play outdoors.”

Junior driver Hannah Carrillo, who is second on the team in

Junior driver Hannah Carrillo throws the ball during the Aztecs annual alumni game at the Aztec Aquaplex on Jan. 27.

goals scored with 18, said it will feel good to be back on the Mesa.

“We’re just really excited to be back here,” Carrillo said. “It’s just always fun to see the pool set up over here, and it’s just a lot more competitive... it’s about time.”

The Aztecs have struggled to an overall record of 5-8 this season, after playing in tournaments in Rhode Island, La Jolla and Newport Beach.

Despite its record, the team is still ranked No. 20 in the nation, and will have an opportunity

to show their home fans that brighter days are ahead as the schedule inches closer to Golden Coast Conference play.

“We are still in the beginning part of our season and it’s just tournaments,” Carrillo said. “It’s the time to really learn from our mistakes and just kind of figure out what we are going to do for conference.”

Freshman utility Emily Bennett leads the team in goals with 28, and will be playing in her first home game for the Aztecs.

Photo by Sam Mayo

“I think if we have a lot of people in the stands we are definitely going to have a very hyped game,” Bennet said. “I think that will push us to work even harder, and we want to show what we can actually do.

All the people in the stands will be like ‘wow they’re here to play.’”

The Aztecs will open the invitational with a rematch against Harvard on March 10, when the Crimson will look to avenge their loss from February.

“(Harvard’s) a fast team, so I think we match up well with mobile teams versus real big kind of physical teams,” Crawford said. “I think we have a little bit better idea of how they play, but I know they’ll be looking for revenge.”

SDSU will start day two of the event with a match against No. 5 Hawai’i, which will be a chance for the Aztecs to get some revenge of its own after losing to the Rainbow Wahine 13-4 on Feb. 23.

Crawford said the Aztecs will benefit from having already played Hawai’i .

“Familiarity is a great benefit,” she said. “Just knowing that we are going to get a second crack at them at home is something we’re all looking forward to.”

The Aztecs wrap up the event later in the day with a matchup against Bucknell, which will be their fifth game in three days and fourth in two days for the Bison.

Crawford said that the team with the most energy should come out the victor, and she likes the Aztecs chances.

“That should be a great game and kind of a test of who’s the fittest team,” she said. “I will say we’ve got great depth on this team... I think we’ll have a size and speed advantage.”

Tennis player making her presence known out on the court

by Marissa STAFF WRITER

Junior Jenny Moinard competes during the Aztecs 5-2 loss to UCSD on Jan. 27 at the Aztec Tennis Center

Photo by Weicheng Han

Bell

San Diego State women’s tennis player Jenny Moinard has made quite a racket on the court this season.

The junior transfer from Clemson University has won the most singles matches this year for the Aztecs, currently boasting a record of 16-6.

Moinard has received recognition off the court for her success, as she was named the Mountain West Women’s Tennis player of the week on Feb. 21.

“It really means alot,” Moinard said about winning the award. “(Transferring from Clemson) obviously my goal

was to really make a change and to have a big impact.”

Moinard said that the recognition from the award is important to her because it helps validate her performance on the court.

“I think it shows I have worked hard and I am very dedicated to the team,” she said.

Head coach Peter Mattera is proud of Moinard for receiving the award and what it means for the rest of the team as well “I tell my team that any time one of them wins something like that, it makes us all look good,” Mattera said. “It was a great award for (Jenny). It was very well deserved.”

Moinard said that while she

Thank you San Diego for voting for us!

TRUSTED...

CONVENIENT...

AFFORDABLE.

• • • • •

Access 365 Days a Year Month to Month Leasing Digital Video Recording Computerized Access Codes Student Discounts

TAKE A VIRTUAL TOUR AT:

www.storem.com

Also located in Escondido, Carlsbad, Vista & San Marcos.

appreciates the award, her main focus is on the success of the team going forward.

“Of course personal accomplishments are great, but I really hope as a team we continue to play well,” Moinard said. “We all have the potential to play great and go out there and win as a team”.

Moinard has been performing well in her doubles matches, where she is 12-6 with her primary partner, sophomore Mia Smith.

“Moinard has been really good for us both in singles and doubles,” Mattera said.

“She is very intense… makes us competitive and I think that makes us all better.”

Voted as one of the top 5 storage companies in San Diego for five years in a row!

Mar. 7-13, 2018

The Daily Aztec / 22

March 7-13, 2018 EDITOR: Abraham Jewett, sports@thedailyaztec.com

Sports

The Daily Aztec

23

Aztecs take down Wolf Pack in finale

by Abraham SPORTS EDITOR

Jewett

By the time San Diego State men’s basketball tipped off at 7:00 p.m. on March 3, the fate of its Mountain West Conference tournament seeding was in its own hands.

Just an hour before, the University of Wyoming lost to Boise State University, paving the way for SDSU to clinch the No. 5 seed – and the first-round bye that comes with it – in the conference tournament starting on March 7.

The Aztecs took care of business, defeating the MW regular-season champion No. 21 University of Nevada by a score of 79-74 in front of a packed house of 12,414 at Viejas Arena.

The win was a season-high sixth in a row for the Aztecs (19-10, 11-7 MW), and ended a six-game win streak for Nevada (26-6, 15-3 MW).

“We believe we’re the best team in this conference, so we have to prove it every time we go out there,” head coach Brian Dutcher said. “I thought our kids did it tonight.”

SDSU led 72-64 with just under three minutes to play, before the Wolf Pack stormed back behind eight points from junior forward Jordan Caroline (29 points, six rebounds) to pull within 74-72 with 1:07 left.

“Caroline’s a monster,” Dutcher said.

“It was a fantastic performance from him tonight and we’re very fortunate to come out of here with a win because they’ve got a very good team, which is very obvious to everybody.”

The Aztecs then cleared the floor for senior guard Trey Kell (17 points, nine assists, five rebounds), who proceeded to swish a jumper with a man in his face to give the team a 76-72 lead.

“I just decided I had the confidence in myself, I know it’s a shot I could get to at any time,” Kell said. “I saw he was giving me space, so I just rose up. I’m glad I made the shot for the team.”

The shot broke the back of the Wolf Pack, who missed a shot and had a turnover on their next two possessions before the Aztecs sealed the game at the free-throw line.

Dutcher said that Kell’s final shot was something he had been looking forward to seeing from his senior leader, who has been bogged down by a variety of injuries this season.

“This is what I’ve been waiting for for (Kell),” he said. “To be in close games and get him the ball and let him make plays to win or lose games for us.”

Senior forward Malik Pope and senior center Kameron Rooks joined Kell in double figures with 16 and 12 points, respectively.

It was a season high in points for Rooks, who finished a perfect 6-6 shooting after not having scored more than four points since November.

“It’s been a frustrating journey,” Rooks said. “But I’m glad that the coaches gave me the opportunity to go out there and play, and show everybody what I can do and for me to help this team get a W.” Dutcher said that Rooks, who was relegated to the bench after starting the season as a starter, has had a tough season. “(Rooks) has the hardest job in the world.

He started the first 10 games or so, and then he went to the bench and his minutes dwindled,” Dutcher said. “If you’re playing well, you’ll be on the floor. If you’re not, we’ll have someone in for you and you’ll have another opportunity the next game.

Kam was playing well so his minutes grew.

He was invaluable on the floor tonight for us.”

The Aztecs appear to be clicking at the right time, and Pope said that the team has finally found its footing as it heads into the conference tournament.

“We’ve done a great job fighting through adversity,” Pope said. “I think we really

Photo by Joe Kendall

Freshman forward Matt Mitchell carries the ball up the court during the Aztecs 79-74 victory over No. 21 Nevada on March 3 at Viejas Arena.

just adjusted, we found our chemistry and learned a lot about each other throughout the process.”

Had SDSU finished in the sixth seed they would have had to win four games in four days, but would have started the tournament against San Jose State, which sits in dead last in the conference with a record of 4-25 (1-17 in conference).

As the fifth seed the Aztecs now have a first round bye, before playing Fresno State in the quarterfinals on March 8.

The first round bye means that the Aztecs only must win three games to win the tournament, which Pope said will give the team more time to prepare to play Fresno State.

“It’s definitely something that we can look forward to, and having more preparation time,” Pope said. “I feel like we can take advantage of it and use it the best way we possibly can.”

The winner is slated to potentially meet Nevada in the semifinal game, whereas Wyoming (as the sixth seed) would not meet the regular-season conference champs until a potential matchup in the finals.

If the Aztecs compete as they did tonight, when they play the Wolf Pack will not matter.

“We’re ready for Vegas,” Dutcher said.

“We would have been ready to play four games or three, its about how your playing, not how many, and we’re playing good basketball.”

With the team on a six-game win streak and back-to-back victories over the conferences top two teams, Kell addressed the suggestion that they are now the favorite going into the tournament.

“For us, we believe we’re the best team, but I don’t think the media or the outside world is going to all of a sudden think we’re the best team because we’re on our little bit of a roll,” Kell said. “To be honest, we don’t really care.”

Nevada got 35 points from junior forward twin brothers Cody Martin (13 points) and Caleb Martin (22 points), who combined with Caroline to score 64 of 74 points for a Wolf Pack team which had zero points come from the bench.

“Nevada plays their hearts out but they have a short bench,” Dutcher said. “We’re playing nine or 10 deep and that makes a difference… hopefully that will really make a difference next week in Vegas.”

SDSU was trailing by 10 points with just under five minutes left in the first half, but

Senior forward Malik Pope rises up for a shot during the Aztecs 79-74 victory over No. 21 Nevada on March 3 at Viejas Arena.

went on a 12-0 run to go into the break with a 36-34 lead.

The run included back-to-back three pointers from Kell and freshman guard Jordan Schakel, before a tip-in by Rooks with four seconds left gave the Aztecs the halftime advantage.

Nevada would not score for nearly the final five minutes of the half, turning the ball over five times in that time.

The Aztecs were hot to start, making seven of their first 11 field goals and staking themselves to a 15-9 lead just over six minutes in.

Nevada took control at that point, going on a 15-0 run to grab a 24-15 lead with 9:10 left before the half.

Caroline scored seven points during the run, and finished the first half with 14 points to lead Nevada.

The Aztecs went on a 7-0 run to get to within 24-22 with 7:05 left, before a quick 8-0 run, which included back-to-back threes by senior guard Kendall Stephens and Caroline, staked the Wolf Pack their largest lead of the half at 32-22 with 5:20 left before the break.

Photo by Joe Kendall

LOST JORDANIAN PASSPORT NAME:

Michael Nader Michael Sindaha PASSPORT NUMBER:

0832351

If found please call (619)-560-8450

24

The Back Page

The Daily Aztec

March 7-13, 2018 Editor: Cami Buckman • arts@thedailyaztec.com

The Daily Aztec wins multiple awards at national journalism conference The Daily Aztec won a third place “Best of Show” award for its print newspaper and a fifth place “Best of Show” award for its website at the 2018 Associated Collegiate Press Midwinter Conference in Long Beach over the weekend.

The conference, held over three days, attracted hundreds of students and advisors from universities and colleges across the country.

At the California College Media Association awards banquet, held in conjunction with the convention, Daily Aztec writers and photographers also won several individual awards, including first place awards for news series, arts and entertainment writing and feature photography.

News Editor Will Fritz, Assistant News Editor Jasmine Bermudez and Staff Writer Bella Ross won first place for a series of news stories on the Aztec mascot controversy. Photo Editor Kelly Smiley and Senior Staff Writer Julianna Ress also received first place awards.

ACP 2018 Midwinter Conference Best of Show: Four Year Weekly Newspaper Third Place: The Daily Aztec Website, Large School Fifth Place: The Daily Aztec

Staff of The Daily Aztec at the 2018 CCMA Awards in Long Beach, CA. Left to right: David Santillan, Andrew Dyer, Will Fritz, Bella Ross and Kelly Smiley.

Editor in Chief Andrew Dyer and Multimedia Editor Mirella Lopez display their awards.

2018 CCMA College Media Contest Best Newspaper Website Second Place: The Daily Aztec Best News Series First Place: Will Fritz, Jasmine Bermudez and Bella Ross “Mascot controversy series” Best Arts and Entertainment Story First Place: Julianna Ress “Revisiting my hometown through ‘Lady Bird’” Best Feature Photo First Place: Kelly Smiley

Best News Video Second Place: Diana Guerrero, Carolina Lopez, Mirella Lopez “Campus prepares for ‘Great Shake’” Best Headline Portfolio Third Place: Cami Buckman Best Sports Photo Honorable Mention: Kelly Smiley Best Infographic Honorable Mention: Noah Callahan Kelly Smiley’s photo of a family reuniting at Friendship Park from the Nov. 29 issue of The Daily Aztec won first place for Best Feature Photo at the CCMA 2018 awards banquet.

The struggle of housing, as told by a freshman

by Brenden CONTRIBUTOR

Tuccinardi

It is January. Classes have just started back up and I am logging on to the housing portal for the first time since August. It was hard for me to believe that in just a few short months I would be leaving the residence halls behind, moving onto bigger and better things. I was excited to finally get my own bathroom and kitchen. Unfortunately, this excitement was short-lived, and the struggle became very real.

As a member of the Weber Honors College, I am required to live on campus next year, along with athletes, Guardian Scholars, nursing and international students as well as out-of-state residents. I am not opposed to this since research has shown students who live on campus tend to have higher GPAs. I knew what I was getting myself into when I applied, yet I still had some concerns.

The biggest question on my mind was if I would end up with a room in my first choice apartment with my friends. When starting the process of applying for housing I was optimistic. I had researched my options and determined that Piedra Del Sol was the best fit. It has the best location, 9-month leases and is nicer inside compared to the

other apartments managed by the housing office. I planned to live in PDS and didn’t bother coming up with something to fall back on.

I was naïve to think that everything would go perfectly to plan. Currently, SDSU has the ability to house a little less than 6,000 students. Last year SDSU received a record number of applications: 93,610.

If my math is correct, and the university’s acceptance and enrollment rates remain similar, there will be around 6,880 students in the class of 2022.

That leaves very little housing for the students required to live on campus even with the addition of Montage on College.

I did not know these statistics before I began the application process, and the Office of Housing Administration and Residential Education Office did very little to make this information, or any information readily available.

I was going into it blind and expecting everything to work out. One of my biggest struggles as a first-year student looking for housing on campus was not having all the information I needed.

There are barely any resources available to help with almost every step of the process. Requesting roommates was complicated, and there were no clear directions on

how to make sure we all ended up together. When it came time to submit the license agreement, several rumors circulated about roommates all having to submit at the same time. There was no way to substantiate these rumors besides emailing the Office of Housing Administration directly, and even then their answer did not provide much clarity.

The most traumatic chapter of my housing saga was room selection day. The housing office split this up into three days. As an honor student, I was given priority selection for the honors floor in South Campus Plaza on the first day. Since I chose not to take that opportunity I was assigned the last day at 12:30 p.m. My initial reaction to this was indifferent. I thought that 12:30 p.m. was pretty early compared to the times that some of my friends were assigned and I was mildly optimistic I would be able to get a spot in Piedra Del Sol. My optimism was crushed when I began hearing, via rumors, that PDS was full, along with many of the second best options such as Grenada and Montage on College. After going to the Housing office above the Starbuck in College Square, along with many other angry and confused students, my worst fears were confirmed.

After receiving the bad news I went into crisis mode. All excitement was gone and I was now dreading living on campus next year. So many different scenarios and possibilities were going through my mind at once.

At one point I considered dropping out of the Weber Honors College and trying to find housing in an apartment off campus, seeing as that seemed to be the easiest and least stressful option. After the initial shock wore off I decided to do some more research and reevaluate my options. However, the struggle was far from over.

When my selection time rolled around my future roommates and

I chose to live Zapotec, but even selecting my room proved to be yet another struggle. After hours of uncertainty and even more confusion, I ended up selecting a single bedroom, double occupancy apartment with only one out of the five people I had planned on living with next year.

The lesson I learned from this was to always expect the unexpected and plan for things to go wrong. However, I believe that if the Office of Housing Administration and Residential Education Office were more upfront about the application process my struggle and many other students’ struggles could have been avoided.