03-23-2016

weekly PRINT EDITION

wednesDAY, march 23 – tuesday, April 5, 2016 volume 102, Issue 28

W W W . T H E D A I LYA Z T E C . C O M

SAN DIEGO STATE UNIVERSITY’S INDEPENDENT STUDENT NEWS SOURCE SINCE 1913

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S.F. photographer to open gallery P13 The Daily Aztec publishes its printed weekly edition on Wednesdays and serves the students, faculty and community of San Diego State University.

jamie ballard news editor ____________________________ This year’s Associated Students election marked the highest voter turnout rate in A.S. history with 6,056 votes, up from last year’s total of 4,221 votes.

“I would say one of the biggest reasons (for the turnout) was that it was very competitive this year,” elected A.S. President Jamie Miller said. “Everyone who was running for the executive positions was a very strong candidate.”

Miller also said increased marketing efforts by the A.S. Marketing and Communications Committee and the A.S. Elections Committee were likely a large reason for the increase.

“They really did a great job making sure everyone was aware,” she said. “They made T-shirts, videos, and they were constantly posting on social media about the elections.”

The increase in A.S. voting appears to be a continuing trend. In 2014, there were only 2,916 votes counted, making up less than 10 percent of the general student body. This year, 20 percent of the student

SNEAKPEEK

Softball dominates over weekend P5

population voted.

The increased interest in student government was reflected in the turnout for the announcement of A.S. election results on Thursday, March 17.

The event welcomed hundreds of excited students who came out to support their chosen candidates, many wearing T-shirts with candidate names on them. Several of the candidates themselves were circling the room, thanking people for their support.

The campaigns lasted approximately two weeks, and included a series of debates, moderated by The Daily Aztec.

Candidates also spoke about their platforms to several on-campus organizations in an attempt to win endorsements.

The event was scheduled to begin at approximately 8 p.m., but didn’t start until nearly an hour later thanks to some last-minute tallying.

The Elections Committee called the meeting to order and announced the results, beginning with the A.S. University Council Representatives and leading up to the executive board results.

The A.S. President result was

the last announcement of the night. With 2,687 votes, or 48.5 percent, Miller was the elected A.S. President for 2016-17. The roar was deafening as a crowd swarmed around Miller, who was standing to the side of the room with her brother.

“It’s been the biggest roller coaster of my life,” an emotional Miller said. “It was very overwhelming. I’m not usually a crier, but there were lots of tears happening. It was very exciting, I was very relieved for the election process to come to a conclusion.”

Miller will be serving the SDSU community along with elected Executive Vice President Patty Masengale, Vice President of External Relations Dylan Colliflower, Vice President of Financial Affairs Alex Shapiro and Vice President of University Affairs Chimezie Ebiriekwe.

It was a close race for all of the executive positions. Masengale received 57.6 percent of the vote, Colliflower received 52.2 percent, Shapiro received 53.8 percent and Ebiriekwe received 51.7 percent.

Miller and Masengale campaigned with the “Empower SDSU” slate, while Colliflower,

Shapiro and Ebirekwe ran with “A.S. for All.” Miller said though the candidates ran with different slates, she is confident they will work well together since both groups had similar goals.

“I think we all had similar visions for what we want to see on campus,” she said. “There were two big things, one is looking at A.S. internally and making sure we’re the best organization possible, and we’re holding our members accountable. And the other one is outreach, making sure campus organizations feel supported by A.S. and that we understand what they want to see from us.”

After the election results, Miller said she went home to her sorority house, where her sisters were waiting for her.

“I opened the door and they all screamed and ran over to give me a hug,” Miller said.

“They’ve been really supportive throughout this whole process.

It was honestly unforgettable.”

Other election results included seats on the A.S. campus life councils and A.S. university councils.

Complete results are available at thedailyaztec.com.

P6 The future of Aztec men’s basketball

katelyn mulcahy, staff photographer

2 NEWS

MAR. 23 - APR. 5 , 2016 • THE DAILY AZTEC EDITOR: JAMIE BALLARD • NEWS@THEDAILYAZTEC.COM

#CAMPUSLIFE

Imperial Valley campus thriving WILL FRITZ STAFF WRITER ______________________________________ Located over 120 miles east of San Diego and just blocks north of the U.S.-Mexico border, San Diego State operates a satellite campus in Calexico.

The students of the Imperial Valley Campus may be nearly a two-hour drive from San Diego, but they want you to know they are Aztecs, too.

And in truth, you can find Aztec pride on this campus just as you can in San Diego. Students here walk around in the same Aztec gear sold at the main campus.

SDSU’s Imperial Valley Campus, or IV Campus, is tiny compared to the main campus, with approximately 1,000 students.

The primary IV Campus utilizes the former campus of the Calexico High School, which had grown too large for the space. There is another smaller facility in the town of Brawley about 20 minutes north.

Anyone can apply, but the IV Campus primarily serves students from the surrounding agricultural towns of Imperial County, including Brawley, Imperial and El Centro, in addition to Calexico. The entire 4,482 square mile county has a population of less than 200,000, a lower population than the city of Chula Vista.

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While the campus is able to offer only 12 majors, including criminal justice, mathematics and history, due to its small size. But its size can also be an advantage.

“I do like the small feel of it, and the community feel of it … it’s secluded, it’s like a fortress in the middle of the city,” said David Lopez, Associated Students President of the IV Campus.

The campus does have a small community feel to it. Every student Lopez passed seemed to know him, something that would likely not be the case at the main campus.

“I wish it would offer more programs,” Lopez said. “International business is a huge thing that the Valley does need.”

International business is one of the majors offered by the campus, but the website indicates that applications for this major are no longer being accepted.

A.S. also tries to make up for the campus’ size by offering many schoolwide events. This includes an art gallery event on Thursday and an A.S.-sponsored trip to Disneyland. A.S. also puts on school-wide sports tournaments.

The San Diego State Imperial Valley campus hosts approximately 1,000 students WILL FRITZ, STAFF WRITER

“We want to provide as much of a college experience for our students as possible,” Lopez said.

Other educational opportunities offered by the IV Campus include the Imperial Valley University Partnership, or IVUP, a partnership that allows students in the region to get a comprehensive four-year education at the IV Campus and the separate Imperial Valley College, a community college, without leaving the Valley.

The IV Campus is also able to accept 100 percent of qualified applicants and has a 93 percent freshman retention rate, two things that no other California State University campus can boast.

“If (applicants) meet the requirements, they are not going to be turned away,” said Miriam Castañón, director of Student Affairs.

Many of the IV Campus students are transfer students from the local community colleges who also work. In order to cater to these students, there are only four class blocks per day. Classes meet once per week.

Another unique aspect of the campus is that local judges and one local law enforcement official teach classes for the criminal justice program. It is similar for the other departments — many professors are also local professionals.

Lopez said he would like to fix or replace signage and build a new structure for Student Affairs, which is currently housed in a set of portables.

And recently, the campus’ Interim Dean Gregorio Ponce donated his car allowance to the school in order to purchase a new digital marquee.

There are many differences between the San Diego and Imperial Valley campuses. They are in two distinctly different regions and have wide variations in demographics, campus feel and funding, not to mention the distance.

But Lopez said despite this, he would like to see “more connection” between the two campuses, more shared activities and experiences, and more awareness of the IV Campus, because the Aztecs down in the Valley are just that — Aztecs.

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JAMIE BALLARD NEWS EDITOR ______________________________________ DISTURBING THE PEACE On Wednesday, March 16, before 10:30 a.m., San Diego State police responded to the Starbucks in College Square for a report of a subject creating a disturbance by speaking to himself. When officers arrived, the subject had left the area.

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ONGOING INVESTIGATION Police responded to a call about two men loudly arguing about stolen items in the student courtyard at 4:02 p.m. on March 16, Cpl. Mark Peterson said. One of the men had reported his brother was robbed of his property at the union. A suspect has been identified and police are continuing to investigate the matter.

BATTERY On Thursday, March 16, at 5:38 p.m., police responded to a call regarding a student who reported being battered by a

man near Campanile Walkway. Peterson said the victim indicated the suspect hugged and kissed the victim on the cheek without permission. He was described as having a heavy build and the left side of his head shaven. Police took a report.

PUBLIC INTOXICATION Police responded to a call at the Nu Alpha Kappa fraternity at 3:11 a.m. on March 18 regarding possible vandalism of vehicles.

Two SDSU students were arrested for disorderly conduct due to public intoxication, Peterson said.

TRESPASSING Officers contacted a suspect trespassing in Peterson Gym around 1:30 p.m. on March 19. He was found to be in possession of identifiable, found property, and had made no effort to return the property.

The subject was cited for trespassing and misappropriation of found property.

CHECK THE WELFARE A man in a hospital gown sitting on the side of the road clutching a blanket was reported to police shortly before midnight on March 20. The caller said the man seemed disoriented. Police arrived and assisted the man.

Staff writer Alex Piscatelli contributed to this report.

NEWS 3

MAR. 23 - APR. 5 , 2016 • THE DAILY AZTEC EDITOR: JAMIE BALLARD • NEWS@THEDAILYAZTEC.COM

#RESEARCH

Study examines microbe effects ADRIANA MILLAR SENIOR STAFF WRITER ______________________________________ A new study conducted by a San Diego State professor suggests a link between gut bacteria and metabolic disorders, which often occur with polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS).

Gut bacteria are microbes that influence immune responses in the body, among other functions, and metabolic disorders are abnormal chemical reactions in the body.

Lead researcher and biology professor Scott Kelley collaborated with UC San Diego researcher Varykina Thackary in a study published in multidisciplinary journal PLOS ONE in January.

Previous studies have found links between gut bacteria and metabolic disorders like obesity and diabetes, which are also common symptoms of PCOS, Kelley said.

“So we thought well, let’s look at this syndrome, because this is a major complaint with women with PCOS,” Kelley said.

PCOS is a hormonal disorder that affects about 10 percent of women globally, according to SDSU NewsCenter.

Women with PCOS commonly have increased levels of testosterone, menstrual cycle irregularity and cysts

on the ovaries, which lead to high rates of infertility.

“In the public’s mind it’s something

that does the conversion, and (the mice) get almost all the symptoms of PCOS,” Kelley said. “It seems like an excellent model of human PCOS.” The study found that mice with letrozole had much - Scott Kelley, higher rates biology professor of obesity and blood glucose levels.

The study also found that mice with the placebo had much higher diversity in gut bacteria than the letrozole group.

“After one week you see huge changes in the gut microbiome,” Kelley said. “Microbiome is all the microbes in a biome, in this case the gut.”

Thackary said the study demonstrates that there is an association between the mouse model of PCOS and altered gut microbiome.

“So if the mice have this PCOS syndrome, they have a different microbiome than control mice,” Thackary said.

Although the study found a strong correlation between gut bacteria

“ WE HAVE A LOT MORE DATA TO COLLECT AND HAVE TO DO SOME ANALYSIS BUT IT’S LOOKING REALLY GOOD ... ” Lead researcher and SDSU you can potentially have when you’re infertile, but what we’re interested as well is what are the other risks that are associated with this disorder,” Thackary said. “There’s actually a pretty high risk for disruption of your metabolism, which then leads to increased risk of diabetes and heart disease, and some other diseases as well.”

The study used a mouse model developed by Thackary, who is part of UCSD’s Department of Reproductive Medicine.

Half of the mice in the study were given the drug letrozole, which inhibits the the conversion of testosterone to estrogen, Kelley said.

The other half were given a placebo. “(Letrozole) inhibits this enzyme

and the symptoms of PCOS, the next step is discovering whether the gut bacteria is causative, Kelley said.

“It’s kind of like the chicken and the egg question: Does the change in the microbiome happen because of what PCOS has done to the body, or is it possible that the change in the microbiome has caused some of the symptoms of PCOS that we observed?” Thackary said.

Kelley and his collaborators are currently working to see if the gut bacteria is causative.

“So we have a lot of evidence that it’s looking like the microbes could play a role, but how do you prove that?” he said.

“So the next thing we’re going to do is just change the microbes, and not the drug.”

Kelley said the current data suggest it is transferable if microbes are changed.

“We have a lot more data to collect and have to some analysis, but it’s looking really good actually,” he said.

Thackary said the team hopes to be able to treat metabolic disorders in the future. Right now there is no cure for PCOS. “If we can figure out what in the microbiome is responsible for the effect, then potentially we could figure out how to treat it or prevent this effect basically,” she said.

#ASUPDATE

A.S. meeting: Spring events, sustainability JASMINE BERMUDEZ STAFF WRITER ______________________________________ The Campus Life Council Commission welcomed guests from Career Development, Recreation and Wellness, and the University Senate and Review Committee in its meeting on March 16.

CAREER DEVELOPMENT MANAGER San Diego State career development manager Bradley Loomis spoke about the graduate outcome survey that will be sent online to all graduating seniors on April 5.

He said it is a 5-7 minute survey with the purpose of finding out what students plans are after college.

DEAN OF STUDENTS Dean of Students Dr. Randy Timm said a new apartment-style residence hall

is breaking ground next year. He said it will be four stories tall and contain 350 beds.

Timm also said three gender-neutral bathrooms are being built. They will be located in the Love Library, Calpulli Center and Peterson Gym. “The goal is to have a gender-neutral bathroom within two minutes walking distance at all times,” Timm said.

RECREATION AND WELLNESS COMMISSION AND STUDENT SUPPORT COMMISSION Recreation and Wellness Commission Representative Michael Liu said President Hirshman joined students on a “Live Well Aztec Walk” on March 15.

Recreation and Wellness Commission Chair Chris Thomas said SDSU is the first school in the San Diego region to be an official Live Well partner.

SUSTAINABILITY/GREEN LOVE COMMISSION AND CAMPUS

COMMUNITY COMMISSION Sustainability/Green Love Commission Chair Megan Goodman said conversation about how SDSU can transition out of plastic bags in Aztec Shops is happening.

Campus Community Commission Representative Suraj Patel said he is receiving positive feedback from residents living in the SDSU area.

He said a resident told him that for the first time in five years an SDSU student living next door introduced themselves to him.

THE UNIVERSITY SENATE AND REVIEW COMMITTEE The University Senate and Review Committee asked the Associated Students Campus Life Council Commission questions to make sure A.S. is in alignment with the university.

College of Business Administration public affairs officer Suzanne Finch,

assistant professor of graphic design Patricia Cué and Associate Dean for Academic and Faculty Affairs Dr. Cathie Atkins made up the committee.

Cué asked the commissions what it does to attract diverse students.

“We ask students what they want to see and what they would like us to do for them,” Student Diversity Commission Chair Arnelle Sambile responded.

SPRING EVENTS Community Service Commission Representative Meghan Andrade said the community service fair will be on April 26.

Timm said OneSDSU Community is collaborating with the city of San Diego for a Cinco de Mayo event at Balboa Park.

Aztec Student Union Board Representative Vanessa Girard said ASUB is planning an event for late April called “Let’s Talk About Relationships.”

4 NEWS

MAR. 23 - APR. 5 , 2016 • THE DAILY AZTEC EDITOR: JAMIE BALLARD • NEWS@THEDAILYAZTEC.COM

Who’sWho?

#COLLEGESQUARE

EDITOR IN CHIEF Kelly Hillock MANAGING EDITOR Matthew Bain NEWS EDITOR Jamie Ballard ASST. NEWS EDITOR Jacob Sisneros SPORTS EDITOR Ryan Posner ASST. SPORTS EDITOR Anthony Reclusado OPINION EDITOR Joseph Ciolino MUNDO AZTECA/ASST. OPINION EDITOR Jose Guzman ARTS & LIFESTYLE EDITOR Ryo Miyauchi ASST. ARTS & LIFESTYLE EDITOR Olivia Litsey PHOTO EDITOR Cristian Rangel ASST. PHOTO EDITOR Sarah Smith DIGITAL CONTENT EDITOR Annalise Dewhurst VIDEO PRODUCER Daniel Galuppo PRODUCTION DESIGNERS Kaylee Andrews Hannah Lingle-Veale

College Square renovated The College Square building reopened on March 2.

SARAH SMITH, ASST. PHOTO EDITOR

WILL FRITZ STAFF WRITER ______________________________________ After an eight-month closure and $3.5 million in renovation costs, the College Square building at the corner of Lindo Paseo and College Avenue reopened March 2 for commercial use.

The rest of the building, which contains several classrooms, will be primarily used next semester by the College of Extended Studies.

The building is owned by Aztec Shops. “(The building) had a lot of structural issues … they pretty much gutted it and started from scratch,” San Diego State Dining Services Director Paul Melchior

said.

During the remodel, the building’s plumbing, electrical and ventilation systems were all upgraded.

Additionally, the building’s sprinkler systems were upgraded due to new fire code regulations that were not in effect at the time of the building’s original construction.

The building formerly contained a number of retail stores. However, none of these stores were very successful due to parking constraints, Melchior said.

Most of the building now contains new classrooms, and is home to just two commercial establishments: iGeek, an Apple product repair shop, and Starbucks, which was present in

the previous incarnation of the College Square building.

Starbucks was closed during the renovations and Aztec Shops, which owns the franchise rights to the location, took the opportunity to do a “slight remodel” of the facility.

The Starbucks location has been expanded slightly to include a new dry storage room.

It also features a new outdoor patio space.

Construction on the renovation project began in May 2015 and was completed in January 2016.

The project cost approximately $3.5 million and was jointly funded by the College of Extended Studies and Aztec Shops.

VOLUNTEER WRITERS Will Fritz Adriana Millar Jasmine Bermudez Zachary Engberg Joseph Faria Meghan Lanigan Brendan Price Kemi Giwa Andrea Lopez Villafaña Julio Castro Julianna McDowell Hannah Willis Hanna Moon Zoe Kaye Lanie Fraser Scarlet Keolanui Julianna Ress Christine Whitman Liliana Cervantes Alex Piscatelli VOLUNTEER PHOTOGRAPHERS Katelyn Mulcahy Kristian Carreon _____________________________________ ADVERTISING DIRECTOR Radbeh Rabaz SALES MANAGER Matthew Volk ACCOUNT EXECUTIVES Alexis Evans-Bendel Alex Gamboa Christopher Garcia Kamisha McKnight Keon Siavoshani Kelsey Silver John Weil ACCOUNTING & CONTRACTS Alfonso Barajas Kalie Christensen _____________________________________ GENERAL MANAGER Jay Harn GRAPHICS SPECIALIST Chris Blakemore _____________________________________ ADVERTISING 619.594.6977 advertising@thedailyaztec.com EDITORIAL 619.594.4190 editor@thedailyaztec.com PRINT The Daily Aztec publishes 5,000 copies of its weekly print edition on Wednesdays.

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MAR. 23 - APR. 5, 2016 • THE DAILY AZTEC EDITOR: RYAN POSNER • SPORTS@THEDAILYAZTEC.COM

SPORTS 5

#AZTECSOFTBALL

Softball sweeps San Diego Classic Junior right-hander Erica Romero leads the softball team with nine wins and is tied with a team-low 2.85 ERA. KATELYN MULCAHY, STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER

MEGHAN LANIGAN STAFF WRITER ____________________________________ San Diego State’s softball team was the only team to go undefeated (5-0) at the San Diego Classic II. This weekend provided multiple firsts for the team: Redshirt-freshman Katie Byrd hit her first collegiate home run — a grand slam. Freshman catcher Molly Sturdivant hit her first career walk-off home run and freshman right-hander Julie McDonald threw her first career complete game.

The Aztecs played five games in four days and beat Harvard University, 8-7, in eight innings, BYU, 3-2, Princeton University, 9-3, Cal Poly San Luis Obispo, 5-1, and UC Santa Barbara, 6-5.

“It was quite a weekend,” head coach Kathy Van Wyk said. “We found a way to win.”

The tournament spanned four days over two locations: the SDSU Softball Stadium and the Santee Sportsplex.

SDSU ended the first day of the Classic against Harvard. The Aztecs had a 4-1 lead in the top of the sixth when the Crimson broke it open and scored five runs to take a 6-4 lead. SDSU tied it up in the bottom of the sixth and sent the game into extra innings with a scoreless seventh.

It was in the bottom of the eighth when Aztecs junior second baseman Leia Ruiz doubled to right centerfield.

The walk-off hit scored senior right fielder Zaria Meshack and junior center fielder Jaylene Ignacio and gave the Aztecs the 8-7 win. SDSU had 14 hits and seven RBIs. Friday’s game against BYU had a slow start and the Aztecs found themselves down 1-0 in the bottom of fourth when sophomore catcher Jenavee Peres homered to left field.

BYU tied up the game in the the fifth on an RBI groundout by freshman catcher Libby Sugg. In the bottom of the sixth, with the bases loaded, SDSU senior shortstop Samantha Camello drew a walk, giving the Aztecs the 3-2 win.

The Aztecs’ bats tallied 14 hits in the game against Princeton and McDonald improved her record to 2-1 on the season with two strikeouts and one walk in her first complete game.

SDSU was down 2-0 to the Tigers in the top of the fourth when the team scored five runs on three singles, a double and a sacrifice fly. Junior first baseman Sydnee Cable and Meshack

both went 3 for 4 against Princeton, and Sturdivant went 2 for 3.

After coming off the 9-3 win against the Tigers in the early game Saturday, SDSU and Cal Poly were scoreless in the bottom of the fourth when Byrd hit a grand slam on the first pitch of her at-bat, giving the Aztecs a 4-0 lead. Byrd had gone 11 plate appearances without a hit before she homered over the center-field wall. Byrd and Peres both went 2 for 3 in that game and the Aztecs came away with five runs.

The last day of the Classic the Aztecs faced UCSB and were down 5-3 in the sixth when SDSU began the inning with a lead-off walk by junior catcher Frankie Orlando. Metcalfe replaced her as a pinch-runner.

Both Cable and Ignacio singled to load the bases. Meshack batted in Metcalfe and Camello singled up the middle to bring home Ignacio to tie the game.

Sophomore right-hander Alex Formby had runners on the corners in the seventh, but was able to get out of the jam.

Van Wyk said Formby had a turning point in the game against University of Washington in the Fresno State Classic and it helped her in the game against UCSB. “Before she would have crunched and fell apart,” Van Wyk said. “She’s doing a better job of throwing strikes and challenging hitters.”

Sturdivant came to the plate to lead off the seventh and hit the first pitch over the left-field wall to give SDSU the fifth win of the weekend.

“That’s what has been missing, at least offensively, the clutch plays,” Van Wyk said.

Peres had to come out of the game Sunday against UCSB with a knee injury. She saw the doctor Monday and Van Wyk said it’s not overly serious, but it looks like a knee sprain.

Peres leads the Aztecs with a .444 batting average and six home runs despite missing nine games due to a concussion she suffered on opening day.

Orlando came into the UCSB game to relieve Peres.

“Orlando came in and did a fantastic job,” Van Wyk said.

The team faces 24 conference games in a row, beginning Thursday, with a three-game series against UNLV. Van Wyk likes the schedule because it means no more mid-week games, which will give the team more practice

time.

“It’s a three-game series each weekend with one bye week and it’s only one game each day,” she said.

Van Wyk also said she likes the combination of senior right-hander Erica Romero with Formby coming in to relieve her. Romero is 9-4 on the season and Formby improved her record to 6-4

with the win against UCSB. “They’re very different styles of pitchers,” Van Wyk said. “We’ll keep working that combination.”

She said the team came into its own at the San Diego Classic II and it feels prepared for the upcoming schedule. “(We) feel confident going into conference,” Van Wyk said.

6 SPORTS

MAR. 23 - APR. 5, 2016 • THE DAILY AZTEC EDITOR: RYAN POSNER • SPORTS@THEDAILYAZTEC.COM

#AZTECMBB

What’s on horizon for Aztec hoops?

Zylan Cheatham, Matt Shrigley and Jeremy Hemsley will be joined by four new faces next season to help the men’s basketball team move on without Winston Shepard or Skylar Spencer.

KATELYN MULCAHY, STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER

ZACHARY ENGBERG STAFF WRITER ____________________________________ As seen year in and year out, college basketball is a sport based on transitions.

Transitioning within each season, from nonconference to conference play, and later into postseason play.

And, a more challenging venture, transitioning between classes of studentathletes.

San Diego State basketball will make that transition next season when it loses senior forwards Winston Shepard, Skylar Spencer and Angelo Chol .

In a one-and-done college culture, having strong recruiting classes each and every offseason is becoming exponentially more important to the sustained success of a program.

With that in mind, the class of players coming to SDSU in 2016 is valued highly.

With signing day still to come, the Aztecs have locked in four major keys to maintaining their success in the 2016-17 season.

This unit is made up of four prospects — sophmore guard Montaque GillCaeser, sophmore forward Max Hoetzel, freshman forward Nolan Narain and incoming freshman forward Jalen McDaniels.

McDaniels, who’s ranked as the No. 1 power forward in the state of Washington

by Scout.com, has been praised for his length, and has a very similar build to current SDSU sophomore forward Malik Pope.

At 6-foot-9, his talent lies in his versatility, much like many of the players that have come through Montezuma Mesa, such as Shepard.

“Jalen is a guy that can play all five positions,” Federal Way High head coach Jerome Collins said to The

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Seattle Times on Dec. 12 last year. “He’s multidimensional. He can cover the point.”

This past season, McDaniels led Federal Way to a 24-0 record and the second state title in the history of the program.

McDaniels is a player who knows what it takes to win, something that the Aztecs will have to do more of next season if they want to make it back to the NCAA tournament.

The other rookie in the bunch is freshman forward Nolan Narain, who redshirted this season.

Hailing from the land up north, the Canadian product is the No. 63-rated player by Rivals in the 2016 class.

Narain spent three years at La Lumiere School in Indiana before committing to SDSU. The 6-foot-9 forward is evaluated as a solid offensive prospect who is just as effective in the post as he is on the perimeter.

He has a similar build and skill-set to McDaniels, but because he graduated from high school a year early, Narain has had the advantage of spending the last year on the SDSU scout team, playing against and alongside the scholarship players on the roster this season.

SDSU head coach Steve Fisher said his inclusion on the scout team has been crucial not only for Narain’s development, but also for the growth of the current team.

“Now when you can put in Montaque Gill-Caesar, Max Hoetzel and Nolan Narain, three guys that we expect to be on the floor a year from now, they can really play. They can emulate what the opposing team is going to do and you better guard them or they will make you look bad,” Fisher said after beating UNLV on March 5.

“It is invaluable, and it has tremendous merit and benefit.”

The other two players that played on the scout team in 2015-16, GillCaesar and Hoetzel, are following in the footsteps of recent Aztec greats who

transferred to the Mesa.

Each of the past three years the team has had a senior who transferred to SDSU with Xavier Thames in 2014 (Washington State), JJ O’Brien in 2015 (University of Utah), and Angelo Chol this season (University of Arizona).

Each had an integral role in the Aztecs reaching two NCAA tournaments and one Sweet 16 appearance over the last three seasons.

Due to NCAA transfer rules, though, Gill-Caesar and Hoetzel were limited to just practicing with the team this season.

Gill-Caesar, coming to SDSU from University of Missouri, averaged 9.1 points and 3.0 rebounds in 24 minutes per game in the 2014-15 season.

The Tigers did not perform well for the 6-foot-6 guard’s first collegiate season, finishing with a 9-23 record.

He will add to the already-talented backcourt in freshman Jeremy Hemsley and sophomore Trey Kell, assuming they both stay for another year.

Gill-Caesar’s length makes him an X-factor, standing at least two inches taller than the both Kell and Hemsley, which is perfect for the press defense that coach Fisher employs from time to time.

The other transfer, Hoetzel, from Indiana University, will be a part of the trio that will attempt to fill the holes left

by Shepard, Spencer and Chol.

Hoetzel, who played his high school ball in Calabasas, spent one year with the Hoosiers, scoring 2.4 points per game.

He will pair with redshirt-junior forward Matt Shrigley and freshman guard Ben Perez as a sharpshooter for the Aztecs.

Twenty-nine of the 56 shots Hoetzel attempted in 2014-15 were from beyond the arc, and he shot 34.5 percent on those shots.

This season, SDSU lived and died by the 3 at times, but the team as a whole shot .319 percent from deep.

His shooting, along with the efforts of Gill-Caesar, Narain and McDaniels, will be integral for another seamless transition for SDSU.

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8 SPORTS

MAR. 23 - APR. 5, 2016 • THE DAILY AZTEC EDITOR: RYAN POSNER • SPORTS@THEDAILYAZTEC.COM

#AZTECMBB

SDSU basketball stuck in MW limbo BRENDAN PRICE STAFF COLUMNIST ____________________________

Senior forward Winston Shepard ended his career tied for most wins in MW history.

KATELYN MULCAHY, STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER

For the first time in over a decade, the Mountain West sent only one team to the NCAA tournament. As a conference, the 11 teams boasted a .547 winning percentage, the second worst in conference history. The worst record? Last year, at .545.

The numbers are damning and the reputation of the conference resembles spoiled food, which its ripeness has long since past.

The case could be made that the Aztecs may need to ponder a move out of the MW, in order to avoid the fate of programs like New Mexico State or Valparaiso University, perennial conference powers that have to win their conference tournament or never sniff the NCAA tournament come March.

The glaring problem is the Aztecs are in no position to move their athletic affiliation because there isn’t a logical landing point for them. The Pac-12 is not looking to expand, and San Diego State basketball may be able to compete, but football would be a struggle and might be seen as deadweight for a conference that doesn’t need

anymore of it. Moving basketball to the West Coast Conference is somewhat intriguing to join Gonzaga University and BYU, but SDSU doesn’t fit the league’s profile as a large, public, nonreligious school. Also, it would have to be a football-only member in another conference, ditto for a move to the Big West.

The Big 12 might come calling to SDSU, only if University of Houston and a couple other schools declined that move.

If no status quo, and no move, then what? Emulating Gonzaga and Wichita State is where the program needs to be.

Both are in leagues that have had their moments in the sun as a “mid-major” conference darling, and neither conference has been able to capture the temporary sparkle and convert it to permanent shine. These two programs go out and schedule tough games and do everything within their power to mediate their in-conference woes.

Equally important, each school has developed a recruiting niche and playing style that is uniquely its own. Gonzaga is known for its international recruiting quality shooting and Wichita State for its athletic and aggressive play on defense and rebounding.

The Aztecs now need to consider that as their form of relocation. They need to reduce their reliance on the MW being recognized as a good basketball conference with SDSU being the crown jewel, to SDSU being a good program stuck in midmajor purgatory. The potential is there for the team, with pro prospects, a strong fan following, a great destination and potential for media exposure, and enough name recognition to be able to court top recruits and transfers.

They already have the name recognition, buoyed by six NCAA tournaments in the last seven years. They have former players, most notably Kawhi Leonard, that have been successful at the next level.

There is a distinctive style of play and recruiting, focusing on hard-nosed defense and rebounding and turning athletic, defense-first players into players with offensive upside as well.

The ingredients are there for the Aztecs to make this shift, the impetus for that transition is here, in being relegated to the NIT. Now all that remains is to seen if they both can be mixed into a masterpiece, regardless of the rancid odor their conference gives off.

SPORTS 9

MAR. 23 - APR. 5, 2016 • THE DAILY AZTEC EDITOR: RYAN POSNER • SPORTS@THEDAILYAZTEC.COM

#AZTECSWIMANDDIVE

Swim and dive says bye to seniors

San Diego State’s swim and dive senior class helped guide the team to an 11-1 record in dual meets this year.

KRISTIAN CARREON, SENIOR STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER

JOSEPH FARIA STAFF WRITER ____________________________ San Diego State senior Taylor Johnson placed 32nd out of 57 racers in the 50-yard freestyle last Thursday at the NCAA Swimming and Diving Championships in Atlanta, Georgia, that ran all the way

through the weekend.

However, 32nd place wasn’t good enough to secure Johnson, SDSU’s lone competitor, a spot in the finals.

“I thought she did a wonderful job,” head coach Mike Shrader said. “She was in the top 1 percent of swimmers in the country all year long.

And she absolutely deserved

to be (at the national title meet).”

With her participation, Johnson kept the streak of consecutive seasons in which an Aztec has been represented at the NCAA Championships alive at seven in a row.

“I truly believe she’s the most improved swimmer of the year,” Shrader said. “She

continued to impress me and the rest of the coaching staff all season long. Taylor is a gifted athlete.”

University of Georgia, with a steady performance over the duration of the meet, finished with 414 total points to claim the national title, their seventh in program history.

Additionally, Bulldogs head coach Jack Bauerle won his seventh National Women’s Coach of the Year award, which was announced after the meet.

Other notable finishers were Stanford University, which placed second with a score of 395, followed by UC Berkeley (358), Texas A&M University (309) and University of Virginia (264).

“What can I say? The competition gets better and better each year,” Shrader said.

“The times (for the events) continue to decrease every year that I come here.”

Some highlights for SDSU this season included finishing third of the 10 teams at the 2016 Mountain West Championships in February.

And that was after posting an 11-1 regular-season dualmeet record.

On top of that, Shrader reached a milestone of his own by earning his 200th career victory when the team beat Grand Canyon University on Feb. 2.

His 17-year career record now stands at 205-27-1 and his mark as head coach of the Aztecs is 116-15 through nine seasons.

“The Lord has blessed me with incredible talent each year,” Shrader said. “But this year’s team might be the hardest to say goodbye to.”

SDSU swimming and diving will momentarily rest up following the national championships and then begin its grueling offseason before the regular season kicks off next August.

Not present next season will be current seniors Taylor Johnson, Laura Day, Shannon Herman, Savannah Miller, Natilee Ruiz and Whitney Weisz “I’m not lying when I say that this senior class is the best this program has ever had,” Shrader said. “They’ve shown what it takes to be a great swimmer and they will have a lasting legacy at San Diego State.”

10 MUNDO AZTECA

MAR. 23 - APR. 5, 2016 • THE DAILY AZTEC EDITOR: JOSE GUZMAN • MUNDO@THEDAILYAZTEC.COM

#CINELATINOENSANDIEGO

Ilustre estudiante con rol principal ANDREA LOPEZ-VILLAFAÑA ESCRITORA ______________________________________ La película Malaventura así como muchas de las películas que fueron presentadas en el cine AMC Fashion Valley 18 durante estos 11 días del San Diego Latino Film Festival fueron bien recibidas por el público que estuvo presente y fue costumbre ver las salas completamente llenas.

El director de programación del festival y estudiante de posgrado en la San Diego State University Moisés Esparza es responsable de seleccionar la mayoría de las películas para el festival.

Esparza dijo que se enfocan en escoger películas que celebran el cine alternativo y películas con más consumo comercial.

Malaventura es una película producida en México. Aunque se produjo con pocos recursos, esta película sedujo a una audiencia que quedó impresionada con el buen trabajo que se hizo en solo tres semanas de filmación.

Las mismas estrellas de la película Miri Higareda, Ruy Senderos y Santiago Michel estuvieron sentados con el resto del público y también se reían por las malaventuras que los personajes enfrentaban.

“Los festivales son la mejor oportunidad que nos pueden dar a gente como nosotros”, dijo Senderos después de la película durante el tiempo para preguntas y respuestas con el público.

El actor mexicano dijo que como la comunidad latina se convierte en una sola en los Estados Unidos, presentar sus películas en eventos como el festival

latino de San Diego es una ocasión para recibir la crítica de un grupo diverso.

A Esparza le encantaría ver a más estudiantes asistiendo el festival.

“La actitud es que para traer más estudiantes se tienen que enseñar películas con interés general”, dijo Esparza. “Pero lo que yo me he dado cuenta es que si te enfocas en sus intereses, pasiones y en los que los va a hacer pensar yo creo que es más posible que asistan al festival”.

Esparza dijo que vio muchos estudiantes asistiendo a la proyección del documental Indivisible el pasado 14 de marzo.

Indivisible se trata de estudiantes activistas indocumentados que con la acción diferida logran obtener un permiso para visitar a sus familiares en su país de origen y regresar a los Estados Unidos legalmente.

La acción diferida autoriza a estudiantes indocumentados a solicitar y tener permiso de trabajo y les da la oportunidad de quedarse en los Estados Unidos durante dos años.

Esparza, un beneficiario de la acción diferida, dijo que le tocó el corazón ver a tantos estudiantes activistas presentes apoyando el documental.

“Me encantaría que la comunidad de SDSU buscara más el cine y el arte que nosotros los latinos estamos ofreciendo”, dijo Esparza. “Creo que abriría la mente de muchos especialmente con los documentales”.

Esparza cree que aunque el festival de cine latino de Los Ángeles se descontinuó, el festival de San Diego ha estado funcionando durante 23 años y

Los protagonistas de la película en el festival de cine latino.

JOSE GUZMAN, EDITOR DE MUNDO AZTECA

cree que tiene muchos años por adelante.

Y añadió que ser parte del legado de este festival es algo muy importante para él.

Ethan van Thillo, fundador y director ejecutivo del festival, dijo que Esparza es un tesoro de San Diego y de nuestra organización por su dedicación y por ser muy trabajador.

Van Thillo agregó que para Esparza no es encontrar las películas más populares sino que las películas que se quedarán en las mentes de la gente de San Diego.

Higareda dijo que “ojalá cada vez se llenen más y más las salas de los festivales porque tenemos acceso a cosas

que no pensábamos”.

Hasta el momento no se tienen los datos exactos de cuántas personas asistieron este año al festival pero varias películas tuvieron que ser programadas para más exhibiciones de lo contemplado inicialmente. Esto refleja que la gente sigue interesada en películas que no tienen los presupuestos de Hollywood pero que son creativas y que acercan a las personas a otras culturas.

Además de las películas hubo conciertos y otros eventos culturales para los asistentes del 23º aniversario del San Diego Latino Film Festival.

#RAICESUNIDAS

Una ceremonia multicultural en SDSU

Los recién graduados y sus familiares disfrutan de la ceremonia el año pasado.

JOSE GUZMAN, EDITOR DE MUNDO AZTECA

JOSE GUZMAN-QUIRINO EDITOR DE MUNDO AZTECA ______________________________________ No todos los días alguien se gradúa de la universidad. Esto es especialmente cierto para los estudiantes de las minorías.

En 1999 tres organizaciones multiculturales de la San Diego State University decidieron formar Raíces Unidas, un grupo estudiantil que organizaría una ceremonia que lleva el mismo nombre para los recién graduados. En esta ceremonia, a diferencia de la ceremonia de graduación tradicional, podrían invitar

a tantos familiares o amigos como quisieran.

En la actualidad esta organización sigue trabajado en la organización de la ceremonia del año 2016 de la que cualquier estudiante puede participar.

Saúl Montaño, estudiante de ingeniería aeroespacial y secretario de esta organización, dijo que los estudiantes tienen hasta el 25 de marzo para pagar, registrase y formar parte de esta ceremonia.

“En el (año) 99, Alpha Pi Sigma, Gamma Zeta Alpha y Sociedad Latina formaron una alianza para patrocinar esta graduación para los estudiantes latinos”, dijo Montaño. “Desde

su creación, más organizaciones estudiantiles han contribuido y participado en este evento”.

Montaño dijo que lo que hace diferente a esta ceremonia es que tienen a un grupo de música regional mexicano tocando en vivo además de a un grupo mariachi que presenta a los estudiantes antes de su graduación. Además, como orador principal hay alguien de la comunidad latina que ha tenido éxito después de sus estudios. Por otra parte, dos estudiantes son elegidos para ser los oradores principales del evento. Uno hace el en español mientras otro lo hace en inglés.

“Cada año participan entre 40 y 50 estudiantes en nuestra graduación, y sería magnifico si la administración actual nos ayudara a informar a más estudiantes de esta graduación tan especial”, dijo Montaño. “Durante la ceremonia cada graduado pasa al podio a recibir un certificado y dos de sus allegados pueden subir con él”.

No es fácil mantener esta tradición, el comité encargado de planear esta ceremonia está formado por estudiantes que se van a graduar y antes de que termine el ciclo escolar se tiene que elegir otro comité.

José Preciado, que en un momento fue consejero de Raíces Unidas y en la actualidad es director de programas de compromiso académico, describió la ceremonia como un programa bilingüe, contiene entretenimiento cultural y sobre todo le permite a los graduados compartir el logro de obtener su título universitario con sus familiares.

Preciado resaltó que cualquier estudiante tiene la oportunidad de

participar independientemente de su nivel académico.

“Considero que esta celebración familiar que ya esta en su 18º aniversario necesita que la universidad le proporcione fondos económicos para sustentar el evento”, dijo Preciado.

“Sin embargo también aprecio esa autonomía que los estudiantes tienen al organizar este importante evento”.

Preciado aseguró que no le sorprende que esta ceremonia no reciba la atención de los medios de comunicación latinos, asumiendo que el factor principal podría ser que este evento se lleva a cabo los sábados.

Preciado destacó que este tipo de graduación cultural es distinguida por la oficina de diversidad de la San Diego State University.

Margarita Robles, alumna de la San Diego State University y que obtuvo un bachelor en psicología el año pasado, dijo que se interesó en este tipo de graduación porque durante su primer año de estudiante universitaria vio en las redes sociales videos de cómo en otras universidades se hacían ceremonias con música de banda pero dudó que existiera algo similar en la San Diego State University.

“Cuando oí hablar de Raíces Unidas y la posibilidad de un evento tan cultural en mi graduación con toda mi familia y amigos presentes, me emocioné bastante,” dijo Robles. “Fue una de mis mejores experiencias en mi carrera universitaria y definitivamente estoy orgullosa de haber participado y compartido con mi familia este logro tan significativo que fue recibirme de esta universidad”.

11

OPINION

MAR. 23 - APR. 5, 2016 • THE DAILY AZTEC EDITOR: JOSEPH CIOLINO • OPINION@THEDAILYAZTEC.COM

#KIDMILITIA

Who gave the kids weapons? Iowa JULIO CASTRO CONTRIBUTOR _____________________________ Do people kill or do guns kill?

Within this political reasoning, gun culture arises to exert its influence over such dilemmas. However, their influence is much more evident within legislation.

Especially during a time when the U.S. is divided on the issues of guns while both sides pursue a similar goal: promoting firearm safety.

One prime example is the current bill making its way to the state Senate after its vote by the House of Representatives, 62-36, on Feb. 23, that would call for the legalization of the act of

children 14 years or younger to operate handguns without supervision.

This makes the perfect case for gun lobbying groups and gun safety groups to collide head on.

Proponents argue if firearm safety is taught early on, then the misuse of firearms or accidental deaths involving firearms may be reduced dramatically.

It’s also important to point out that sport shootings are deemed as a popular recreational sport, making this bill heavily lobbied from such groups.

“Allowing people to learn at a young age the respect that a gun commands is one of the most important things you can do,” State Representative

Jake Highfill said.

“This is not about giving our children the combo to the gun safe … this is about allowing them in a supervised scenario, to learn a great sport,” said Brian Hood, head coach of one of Iowa’s youth sportshooting leagues.

From my understanding of this bill, if firearm safety can be taught early for children, then it can prevent the misuses of operating a live firearm and resulting in injury.

Or even if it’s for sport use, the key to safety comes within firearm education. However, what if parents, themselves, are not qualified to provide such firearm education to their children?

Even more so, there’s no

age limit under the bill. Can a 1-year-old then legally operate a handgun, too? Where’s the line drawn?

Contestants argue such legislation is ridiculous considering recent events involving gun violence, and how children possessing firearms can lead to increased accidental misuses or even school shootings. “(It) allows for 1-yearolds, 2-year-olds, 3-yearolds, 4-year-olds to operate handguns and we do not need a militia of toddlers,” State Representative Kristen Running-Marquardt said.

Iowa currently makes it legal for children to use long guns and shotguns under adult supervision with the exception of handguns.

It’s rather interesting to point out the ignorance of the recent “no-guns-at-all” culture that’s been arising, and as a result, people who have never been exposed to firearms do not agree other Americans should not be entitled to such.

On the other hand, with the acknowledgement that the second amendment indeed guarantees the liberty to arm oneself, incorporating gun legislation into controversial extreme open-carry legislation can be bothersome.

Nevertheless, both sides indeed provide compelling arguments, but whether this bill eventually passes as law or becomes struck down, I think it shall be an interesting sight to witness American gun culture at its finest.

#MILLENIALS4BERNIE

College students really feeling the Bern JULIANNA MCDOWELL CONTRIBUTOR _____________________________ We feel it while we’re in class, listening to our professors’ lectures, when we’re stuck in traffic, bingeing on coffee at the library, driving to the beach with friends, at the gym and in our apartments.

Regardless of when or where we are, one thing remains constant, we the millennials are feeling the Bern.

Bernie Sanders seems to have come out of nowhere overnight.

Appearing like a kind of Jewish, left-wing, socialist dream for liberal millennials. Sanders, the 74-year-old, two-term Independent senator of Vermont joined the Democratic race for president early last year.

With him, he brought his

passionate political drive, his Brooklyn accent and attitude, and his unforeseen ability to relate to millennials across the board.

But how does Sanders do this?

Why do, according to many polls, the majority of young people identify with one of the oldest presidential candidates in the nation’s history? Why are we rallying around Sanders and his self-proclaimed political revolution, making contributions and phone calls and knocking on doors for him, and voting for him in our states’ presidential primaries?

The answers to these questions lie at the heart of Bernie’s appeals to America through his unwavering policies and beliefs and his determination to prove that Americans can come together

to make real progress and change in our society through his political revolution.

His ideas and stances on climate change, wealth and income inequality, war and peace, student loan debt and free access to college for all students, raising the minimum wage, universal healthcare, fighting racism and oppression, immigration reform, legalizing marijuana, and women’s rights are many of his positions that are appealing to youth of America.

Sanders’ campaign is empowering us to be more aware, more politically inclined and most importantly, more vocal and active voters.

Despite his age, Sanders is articulating the issues that have resonated with young people for generations, and acting on them long before we ever heard

the word “inequality.”

The senator’s promise to govern based on his core values, thereby addressing these issues head on, is what stirs our passion and draws us to him.

We have willingly, without a lack of thorough scrutiny, accepted him as one of us.

We are seeing him plastered across our social media feeds, clothes buttons, T-shirts — commodities we gleefully buy to signify our support for the face of this movement, our movement.

We are feeling the Bern because Bernie’s passion is driving the “berning” passion within all of us to make this our election. We cannot continue to allow politicians, multinational corporations and faceless billionaires decide the fate of our generation anymore.

We are feeling the Bern because we can’t afford to let our America be run by leadership with intentions that only benefit the governing class, representing a small fraction of America.

We are feeling the Bern because Sanders is our best bet at making sure this country does not fall into the hands of leadership that does not have our best interests at heart.

Because his long-held core values align with our first- and second-time voters’ somewhat new social awareness and political affinity.

We are feeling the Bern because, as Sanders told the Associated Press the day he announced he would be joining the 2016 presidential race: “People should not underestimate me.”

Or us.

#SEXUALASSAULT

Sexual violence is still a big issue in college HANNAH WILLIS STAFF COLUMNIST _____________________________ According to the National Sexual Violence Resource Center website, “One in five women and one in 16 men are sexually assaulted while in college.”

College, the place where high school graduates go to further their education and transition into adulthood, might just be the place where sexual assault and violence takes place the most.

In an attempt to better understand this issue of assaults and violences occurring on campuses nationwide, I turned to Jessica L. Nare, coordinator of the Women’s Resource Center on

campus at San Diego State.

This issue of sexual violence and assault has been occurring steadily for some time now and isn’t just beginning to occur, Nare said.

Due to the rise in media attention on this topic, there has simultaneously been more national attention to this issue as well. Instead of focusing on how to decrease your chances of falling victim to an assault, Nare encourages focusing on preventing violence from happening in the first place.

“Women shouldn’t have to feel scared walking across campus,” Nare said.

The majority of sexual assaults are induced by someone the victim already knows, not some random

stranger, she said.

However, if you or someone you know is a victim of sexual assault or violence, there are many resources for you here on campus.

SDSU’s sexual assault victim advocate, Jenny Harper, is located in Student Health Services at the Calpulli Center.

She will be able to help navigate what exactly is available for the survivor on and off campus. Also, because she is a confidential, non-mandated resource, if someone mentions being a victim to an assault, she isn’t legally required to report it.

She can also direct you to various other on-campus resources, such as the Title IX office, the SDSU Police Department and Counseling

and Psychological Services.

Being able to discuss a traumatic event, like an assault, and have various resources available on and off campus is crucial and necessary for colleges and universities nationwide.

The American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) estimates that 95 percent of U.S. campus rapes go unreported. This is partly due to today’s modern culture, which often blames the victim, so they feel at fault — such as, accusing a female of “asking for it” when she dresses in a revealing or promiscuous fashion.

The truth of the matter is, women shouldn’t be bashed for being sexual beings or even for showing a little cleavage or a lot of leg. They

are human beings regardless of their clothing and deserve to be treated equally and respectfully.

Victims also remain quiet because they are scared and vulnerable, or might feel that there will be no justice toward the perpetrator.

SDSU does its best to ensure all victims’ voices are heard and offer various resources to survivors, which allows them to recover mentally and physically, and receive the justice and security they deserve.

I encourage all SDSU students to visit the Title IX website and take the “It’s On Us” pledge. In doing so, we will all become better allies for the survivors and help keep our campus safe.

OPINION 12

MAR. 23 - APR. 5, 2016 • THE DAILY AZTEC EDITOR: JOSEPH CIOLINO • OPINION@THEDAILYAZTEC.COM

#JUSTICESYSTEM

Our flawed system is discriminatory KEMI GIWA STAFF COLUMNIST _____________________________ Despite the ongoing decline in crime since 1980s, the U.S. prison population has grown exponentially.

This is extremely disturbing, especially when one considers that the U.S. accounts for 25 percent of the world’s prisoners, yet only 5 percent of the global population.

As one would imagine, keeping up with this severe overpopulation requires a significant amount of funding for prisons — and less in areas like education.

Lack of proper funding in an area as pertinent as education will have dire consequences.

An entire generation of illeducated children will turn into ill-educated adults who will be unable to attend college or

obtain a well-paying job. As a result, entire groups of people will fall deeper into the depths of poverty, reliance on government assistance and crime.

Despite how mass media portrays African-Americans and Latinos, they are not more criminal than their Caucasian counterparts. Rather, this is due to police discrimination, the war on drugs targeting poor communities of color, and lack of counseling for the poor and racial disparities when sentencing for crimes.

Many offenders with mental illness do not receive treatment during incarceration, according to the U.S. Department of Justice. Without treatment, conditions can only worsen and prisoners will become a greater threat to themselves and others.

Furthermore, mentally ill prisoners are placed into crowded prisons and subjected

to punishments inappropriate for their conditions.

In addition, due to their imprisonment, an individual with mental illness may have lost their job or access to programs that have sustained them. This increases the likelihood of homelessness and recidivism.

Inmates are not being properly reformed in the “correctional” system. Rather, rehabilitation has taken a back seat and prisons are focused on a “get tough on crime” approach, which sees punishment as a prison’s main function. This permanently prevents an exprisoner’s ability to reform and adjust to society upon release.

Once released from prison, it is almost impossible to function in society. Not only does imprisonment destroy families, but ex-felons are barred from being able to contribute to society, such as not being able

to vote.

Furthermore, upon release, it is much harder for ex-felons to get jobs, especially those of color.

A study by Harvard professor Devah Pager demonstrated employers who were unlikely to check on the criminal history of Caucasian male applicants seriously discriminated against African-American applicants and even moreso if they had a criminal record.

In addition, ex-felons face barriers to finding housing and employment, regaining custody of their children, receiving personal loans or financial aid toward school, or possessing other resources necessary for reintegrating into society.

Ex-felons’ inability to effectively re-enter society essentially prolongs their punishment past imprisonment and presents a myriad of

barriers to improving their lives and providing for their families.

According to the U.S. Department of Justice, within three years of release, two-thirds of the state prisoners were rearrested.

Ultimately, many fail to notice the issue of the prison system in the U.S. because the media plays such a large role in molding a false perception of prisoners, which causes resentment and a lack of empathy.

Nearly 75 percent of the thousands of people in local jails are there for non-violent offenses.

One must consider if the right place for non-violent offenders is prison and not alternatives, such as rehabilitation facilities All in all, it is critical to understand that this is a system based off of privileges that aim to protect Caucasians, wealthy and mentally stable.

#WATERCONSERVATION

SDSU: Good conservation, bad sprinklers ZOE KAYE CONTRIBUTOR _____________________________ The essence of San Diego State’s campus is epitomized by the iconic Hepner Hall, where a Spanish aura radiates throughout campus, creating an ideal setting for an Aztec.

At all hours of the day, this monumental structure is surrounded with the bustle of life. Pedestrians, skateboarders and cyclists move, meanwhile stillness is observed by verdant grass and vibrant flowers.

During a late-night trek home from the library last week, I noticed sprinklers gushing on the lawn in the midst of a rainstorm. I thought, SDSU has made so many water-wise achievements in response to

California’s drought, why was this happening?

Hundreds of gallons of potable water were being wasted doing a job that the environment already was taking care of.

Obviously, this was shocking to see because California is amid one of the most serious droughts on record.

But what shocked me was that, despite SDSU’s many thorough efforts to conserve water, no one seemed to be monitoring irrigation systems during the downpour.

Usually automatic sprinklers are a good thing, especially in San Diego where the weather is generally predictable. However, turning off irrigation systems during a storm is common sense, and San Diego County Water Authority encourages turning

them off for the following week as well.

Government officials are telling us to conserve, making me wonder why vast amounts of campus are still covered in lawn.

SDSU has made many smart landscaping decisions, like in the Conrad Prebys Aztec Student Union. Many students might not know the student union is served by an intricate rainwater collection system.

This system consists of two underground tanks that can hold up to 50,000 gallons of captured rainwater, which is then reused to irrigate campus.

Carefully designed pavement in the student union allows for storm water collection, which then goes into a storm water tank, helping the environment by eliminating discharge into a

storm water system.

Finally, the collected rainwater goes to an underground stormceptor that removes pollutants from the run-off.

The student union is the zenith of SDSU’s water conservation efforts, but the campus should have stricter limits on when it can be used. Watering during a downpour should be off-limits.

SDSU has created droughttolerant landscapes in certain areas of campus, proving that saving water does not have to be high-tech to be effective. One specific water-wise landscape is the Mediterranean Garden near the Physical and Life Sciences Buildings.

This area, planted with drought-tolerant specimen from five continents, was created in the 1990s by our staff and

faculty. Two decades later, it still provides a diverse yet sustainable and aesthetically pleasing hangout for students.

While verdant lawn and flowers are lively and beautiful, the Mediterranean Garden thrives because it mimics native conditions.

SDSU’s response to the drought is thorough and effective, which only magnifies the mistake of leaving the sprinklers on during the rainstorm. Greenery is a gift — if lawn is going to continue covering thousands of square feet of campus for purely decorative purposes, it should not be watered excessively.

Just enough to preserve the beauty and livelihood of campus while adding to Hepner Hall’s quintessential glory.

#MYSTERYTUITION

I’ve paid tons of money, where’s it going?

HANNA MOON CONTRIBUTOR _____________________________ In the 21st century, it’s expensive to be a student.

Apart from the living expenses that easily reach nearly $20,000 annually in sunny San Diego, the relatively low public university tuition is rising. Unfortunately, the intriguing breakdown of the tuition is made unknown to the buyers.

Students pay tuition for an education, a degree and for an experience. College provides an experience that is unique and growth-provoking, yet it’s hard to ignore the fact that it comes

with an exorbitant price tag.

Without doubt, San Diego State is ranked significantly high in the “best-value” university lists. However, it must be acknowledged that every year, the price is going up.

This upcoming year, the in-state tuition silently rose to $7,084 from $6,976. It may only be 1.5 percent increase, but this amount is an extra $108 going out of the students’ pockets and altogether, from 2014 statistics of enrollment, the anticipated amount of the extra money collected from the increase comes out to be over $3 million.

Now, that is a lot of money unexplained.

In addition, I cannot recall all the times I was charged in my e-bills saying I owe some amount, unspecified, to the university as a “student fee.”

This is not to question the competence or the integrity of the administrators, but to say that the tuition students pay disappears as “ghost money,” and it’s an upsetting reality students have no control over.

We aren’t talking about paying a few hundred for groceries, and even grocery stores give you a receipt telling you where your money was spent. This is a $7,000 investment in our future — summing up to a total cost of over $28,000 by the time we

graduate (assuming there isn’t going to be a further increase of the tuition over the next few years, which is very highly unlikely).

We understand the professors’ salaries are expensive and renovation of dorm buildings are expensive.

It’s expensive to run a university, not to mention the complexities of the budgeting process.

However, it doesn’t mean it’s impossible for the budget proposal to be distributed.

Even the most complex budget spending — the White House budget — can be found on the government website.

On the website, detailed

explanation and justification for fiscal budget breakdown can be found. Therefore, it doesn’t make sense for students to be completely uninformed of the budget breakdown of the tuition.

Students are only aware of what our tuition does not cover, rather than what it does.

The university makes it very clear that the tuition does not cover books, career services, transcripts and, of course, the scantrons.

As an investor, as a consumer, students deserve to know the total breakdown of their tuition — a better explanation than just one word, “tuition,” to justify the unfathomable debt.

MAR. 23 - APR. 5, 2016 • THE DAILY AZTEC EDITOR: RYO MIYAUCHI • ENTERTAINMENT@THEDAILYAZTEC.COM

ARTS & LIFESTYLE 13

#DOWNTOWNGALLERY

Gallery bridges photos and music LAINIE FRASER STAFF WRITER ____________________________________ San Francisco Bay Area artist Jeff Ray typically photographs the geographical surroundings close to him.

He explores the natural coast, World War II bunkers abandoned on the coast, as well as St. Mary’s Cathedral in San Francisco.

His upcoming exhibit “Cathedrals” at the San Diego State Downtown Gallery is a collaborative work with Aztec students.

The immersive and visual art experience will be hosted at the gallery from April 7 to June 12.

Ray’s goal with this installation was to create a site-specific, multi-sensory experience and bring a new narrative to his photos. He did this by altering his photos in a variety of ways.

Some alterations are digital and involve Photoshop. Other alterations involve ink or watercolor applied directly to the photo to create graphic elements of lines and shapes.

Through these edits, Ray hopes to bring a sense of fantasy to the work.

“Every art project I take on is an exploration and journey,” Ray said.

“I want the viewers to also be on a journey: the feeling of exploring space and sound.”

Ray hopes to take his viewers on this journey by elevating his photographs even further. At the exhibition he is adding an original musical composition to each piece, corresponding to the shapes on the photographs as the viewer walks from left to right.

Ray created all of the music himself, with a little help along the way.

“Cathedrals” will pair photography and original music compositions by him with the SDSU Composition Laboratory, which is under the direction of SDSU professor of music and composition Joseph Waters.

“Jeff has held an open door and encouraged my students to be centrally engaged in the creative process of his work,” Waters said. “He has given them complete reign to integrate themselves with his work in any way they choose.

This has generated in us a sense of exploration, fun and an irresistible urge to wholeheartedly engage with full enthusiasm.”

The SDSU Composition Laboratory students have been able to learn from Ray, as well as have the opportunity to get their original compositions out for the public to hear.

“This has been really exciting to have the opportunity to collaborate with schools and professional artists,” Downtown Gallery program coordinator Chantel Paul said. “Bringing in Jeff as an outside artist offered an opportunity

#IMPROV

Grads and improv

Two San Diego State alumni have found a welcome community in National Comedy Theatre’s improv team.

COURTESY OF NATIONAL COMEDY THEATRE

SCARLET KEOLANUI STAFF WRITER _____________________________________ Positive energy, self-confidence, selfexpression, fun and real-world experience are the qualities shared by two San Diego State alumni who are part of the improvisation community of the National Comedy Theatre, located on India Street.

The National Comedy Theatre provides an array of different shows throughout the week, with its main attraction, the Mainstage shows, on Fridays and Saturdays at 7:30 p.m. and 9:45 p.m.

Alison Ramsay graduated from SDSU in 2011 with a bachelor’s degree in journalism. Today, she performs in several ensembles as a cast member at the National Comedy Theatre.

Ramsay began her improv career at SDSU by joining Iota Eta Pi, an improv team on campus. In 2012, Ramsay’s dreams came to fruition when NCT brought her on as part of the Mainstage team.

Ramsay said improv has been an integral part of her life because it has allowed her to express herself outside of a serious workplace setting, as well as perform and have fun. She’s also gained experience from improv that she’s been able to take into the workforce. It has helped her specifically with job interviews

to feel more comfortable in the interview process.

“You could bomb onstage and feel like the biggest failure, and you move past it and you can (feel like you can) do anything,” she said. “You can answer a question really (badly) in an interview and it’s not the end of the world. (You) see how you handle the situation, which is universal.”

Mitchell Simon, who graduated from SDSU in 2007 with a bachelor’s degree in journalism and linguistics, is also a key member of the NCT community. He serves as Mr. Voice at the theatre, where he is in charge of all front-of-house duties.

Simon said improv is much more than a hobby and results in helpful skills for the workplace, classroom and even personal relationships. Besides building relationships with his castmates, Simon said improv has given him a more openminded perspective on life. “(There is) something about that building’s energy that builds positive energy,” Simon said. “Because you are in a building with so much (positive) energy, you can feed off of it and move forward with it.”

Ramsay encouraged SDSU students interested in getting involved in improv to audition and come to shows. The National Comedy Theatre website also lists opportunities for classes and workshops.

For his work at the Downtown Gallery, photographer Jeff Ray collaborated with SDSU musicians.

COURTESY OF JEFF RAY

to bridge the two things together and to create a cross-disciplinary program that will end up being unique for the students, the gallery and the San Diego community.”

At 6 p.m. on Thursday, April 7, there will be an opening reception at the gallery.

It will include a live musical performance by Ray and an acknowledgment of the SDSU students involved.

The SDSU Downtown Gallery is open Thursday through Monday from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. and is free to students and community members.

14 ARTS & LIFESTYLE

MAR. 23 - APR. 5, 2016 • THE DAILY AZTEC EDITOR: RYO MIYAUCHI • ENTERTAINMENT@THEDAILYAZTEC.COM

#OPENMICNIGHT

Open Mic Champs team up to win

The Open Mic Champs impressed at Battle of the Bands despite its last-minute assembly.

COURTESY OF OPEN MIC CHAMPS

JULIANNA RESS CONTRIBUTOR _____________________________ Student band The Open Mic Champs formed in order to compete in Aztec Rock: Battle of the Bands, but its victory proved their true potential as a group.

Public administration senior Paige Koehler, a guitarist and singer for the band, described The Open Mic Champs’ formation as

last-minute.

Koehler asked international business senior Kelby Kupersmid in January if he was interested in teaming up for Battle of the Bands.

The two had performed in Open Mic Nights at San Diego State together along with recreation and tourism management senior and drummer Spence Noble — hence the band name.

The trio later decided to make the group official and

added public administration senior Andrew Higdon on trumpet and recreation and tourism management junior Kasey Dring on bass.

“After the first time we played, the five of us together, there was actually a good energy, which doesn’t always happen when you jam with people,” Higdon said.

Despite the group’s recent formation, The Open Mic Champs was victorious at Battle of the Bands on

Tuesday, March 9. The members successfully brought eclectic genres together to form an upbeat groove.

The group labels its music as alternative, hip-hop, soul and funk — genres drawn from each members’ individual musical upbringings.

“It’s probably a testament to the musicians we are, considering that we do come from so many different backgrounds,” Dring said.

“But I would say we are more than capable of making (the band) work beyond what we expected.”

The fusion of the members’ different styles is what makes band strongest because, at its core, The Open Mic Champs is a collaborative effort.

“If you listen hard enough you can definitely see how each one (of us) is contributing and how it brings (the music) to what it really is,” Dring said. “It’s beautiful.”

The Open Mic Champs’ victory awarded the group an opening spot at the GreenFest concert on April 21 at the Cal Coast Credit Union Open Air Theater. Kupersmid said he wanted to win Battle of the Bands for some time now.

“Since freshman year, when I saw Macklemore (perform at GreenFest), I’ve wanted to be

on that stage,” he said.

This semester was the first time any of the members had performed at Battle of the Bands, and they had a great deal of fan support at the event. At one point, Kupersmid asked if there were any audience members who attended just to see The Open Mic Champs, and he was answered with a roar of cheers.

“This was our last semester to finally (perform at Battle of the Bands), and to have all of our friends show up, all of the people who we love to play for and who love to hear us play, was just the coolest feeling ever,” Koehler said “(The performance) was incredible,” said Ari Lerner, film junior and avid supporter of the group.

“They just got the crowd moving. (Their music) is such a good time.”

While the group currently prepares for its GreenFest performance, which will be the biggest show any of the members have ever played, the members also hope to put out more original music in the future.

“I’m really looking forward to writing a song between the five of us,” Kupersmid said.

“That will be the real test.”

#STUDENTFILM

Seniors discuss sexual assault with film CHRISTINE WHITMAN SENIOR STAFF WRITER _____________________________ According to the Rape, Abuse and Incest National Network, one in six American women and one in 33 American men have been the victims of an attempted or completed rape in their lifetime.

Although the above statistic may come as a shock, it’s real.

For their final film thesis, television, film and new media production seniors, including producer Breanna Burnworth and director Xavier Cruz-Garcia, wanted to create a serious conversation about rape, sexual assault and the victims who experienced it. The group also includes another television, film and new media production senior Isaac Banuelos and English junior John Chapman, who served as additional screenwriters.

The group’s short film, “Tomorrow Will Be Better,” originally written by CruzGarcia, tells the story of therapy group member Elia, 16, who retreats into her own fantasy world in order to cope with being raped by a close companion.

The group hopes to use its film to highlight the powerful message that many women have to deal with in their lifetimes

and address the issue of rape and coping with the aftermath in a world which often ignores sexual assault.

“There’s no sense of humility or recognition that we’re all part of the problem,” Chapman said. “We need to change the mentality that it’s OK to force sex on anyone and the importance of asking for consent.”

The film itself is comprised of three minutes of animation and two to three minutes of live action footage, making the short film a combined total of five to six minutes.

The group hired Xavier Segura, a freelance artist who lives and works in Spain, to complete the animation.

“It’s imperative to show the difference between her distorted fantasy world and her real world with the animation,” Burnworth said.

“The fantasy world is from the point of view of the victim, which of course is the most important,” Chapman said.

“But we wanted to make the live action as unbiased as possible, show what really happened and let the audience make up their minds about what really happened.”

The group held auditions Feb, 24, 26, 29 and March 3 and 4 and received a large number of actors by advertising on acting pages, theatre pages and

Backstage, an online casting resource. After what Burnworth described as successful and positively received auditions, the group casted the film’s three leads, supporting members and extras. Altogether, the cast is 10 to 15 people.

To accurately depict rape and sexual assault in accordance with victims’ experiences, the group spoke with a collection of different therapists and counselors who work with women.

“Obviously, the three writers — we’re all men,” Chapman said. “As much as we all care about the topic, there’s only so much we can provide to it because we have not experienced it for ourselves.”

After meeting with therapists and counselors, the group met with Jenny Harper, the oncampus sexual assault advocate at Student Health Services who informed the group of the fight, flight or freeze responses to assault.

Many people are familiar with the original concept of a fightor-flight response, a physical reaction to an imminent threat.

However, experts have recently transformed this concept to include a freeze response.

According to Trauma Recovery, a website developed by the Manitoba Trauma Information and Education Centre, a freeze

Spanish artist Xavier Segura designed the animation for “Tomorrow Will Be Better.”

COURTESY OF XAVIER SEGURA

response is also associated with a threat to survival but is met with feelings of numbness, stiffness and heaviness.

Harper also referred the group to an advert published in the Telegraph, which may be graphic to some viewers. This caused several rewrites of the original script.

“We’re really trying to show that rape is not someone in an alleyway that’s going to do it violently and viciously,” Chapman said. “It’s usually someone you know, someone you care about or someone you’re interested in romantically and you don’t expect it to happen.”

MAR. 23 - APR. 5, 2016 • THE DAILY AZTEC EDITOR: RYO MIYAUCHI • ENTERTAINMENT@THEDAILYAZTEC.COM

ARTS & LIFESTYLE 15

#STRAWBERRYFIELDS

World of fantasy fills new opera LILIANA CERVANTES STAFF WRITER ______________________________________ With just a little imagination, an average day can be transformed into a lively opera filled with glorious music and theatrics.

Enter the enchanting world of art and music as seen through the eyes of character Adeline from the dreamyopera, “Strawberry Fields.” This one-act opera, composed by Michael Torke, runs April 8-10 at Smith Recital Hall.

Set during autumn in Central Park, New York, at the Strawberry Fields memorial for iconic musician John Lennon, the opera tells a story of fantasy clashing with reality.

Sweet but confused Adeline is an elderly woman struggling with dementia. After befriending a student, the two embrace an imaginary world together that takes the audience to the opera. Adeline’s adult children’s attempts to take their mother to a retirement home in between the opera serve as a reminder of reality.

Directed by Julie Maykowski, the SDSU production of “Strawberry Fields” double-cast the roles of Adeline and the student. Music education sophomore Marielena Teng is one of the cast members who plays the role of Adeline.

“She’s an exciting character,” Teng said. “She’s in her own little world — little bubble — and in a sense she is

like a child. She sees the opera at the park and that’s like her playground.”

Maykowski said the charming story of “Strawberry Fields” and its contemporary score make it a very active and humorous production.

“We get that nice contrast between the score reflecting the agitation of the people that have to live with (Adeline) and then we get parts of the score that really reflect her love of music,” she said. “It’s a really clever score.”

A John Lennon tribute will also be featured with the cast singing his beloved single “Imagine.” A collage of quotes will tell the story of Veredi, Adeline’s late husband, and then touch on Lennon’s own life. “(‘Strawberry Fields’) is very much about how important music and art are and I can’t help but think by using Verdi and Lennon that (Torke) is trying to spread the word about peace,” Maykowski said.

Music entrepreneurship and business senior Yo Oh looks forward to playing the role of the student, whose character goes along for the ride with Adeline.

“I think he’s probably ditching a class to go to a park — he enjoys being out in nature and reminiscing about home, pondering about life,” he said.

“Then he sees this old lady and he is just really intrigued.”

Vocal performance major Camille Anderson said the relationship between the elderly Adeline and

CROSSWORDS

ACROSS 1 Tatum O’Neal played one in “The Bad News Bears” 7 Burn a tad 11 Keystone bumbler 14 Running by itself 15 Drought-ridden 16 Suffix with infant 17 *Freebie with fries 19 Woodworking tool 20 Kosher deli offering 21 Sipped sherry, say 23 Nails, as a test 24 Baptism receptacle 25 How some Bibles present Jesus’ words 28 Secure with a seat belt

30 Stool pigeon 32 Barrister’s topper 33 Playing card symbol 34 Chief Valhalla god 35 Whiskey barrel wood 38 *Spicy Chinese dish with chicken and peanuts 41 Big name in ice cream 42 It may be gray 44 In medias __ 45 Dr. Mom’s forte 47 Source of early clothing?

49 With 56-Across, blamed for 53 Antique photo 54 Heavy hauler 56 See 49-Across 57 Recognition 59 Fund 60 Part of dpi

THINKSTOCK

young student is sweet.

“These could be very real people, could just be very relatable for audiences and that’s partly why it’s so tender,” she said.

Maykowski said a performance in Smith Recital Hall is intimate with the audience because of the venues small size.

“In opera we don’t use any microphones ever,” she said. “It’s

totally acoustic. There’s something really amazing about sitting in a room and feeling the human voice bounce off of you. It’s more visceral than anything that you can experience on the radio or television.”

Tickets for “Strawberry Fields” will be $10 for students and $15 for general admission. The show begins at 7:30 p.m. Friday and Saturday, and 2:00 p.m. on Sunday.

CLASSIFIEDS

62 *Of its species, only the emperor is larger 64 747, e.g.

65 Cyberzine 66 Inner strength 67 Wily 68 Very best 69 Verne __, Mini-Me portrayer in Austin Powers films DOWN 1 Gertrude Stein confidante Alice B. __ 2 Like Chekhov’s “A Marriage Proposal” 3 “As a __ of fact ...”

4 Firewood-sizing tool 5 Will-wisp link 6 Thou, now 7 Political channel

8 Intellectually stimulating experience 9 Conquistador’s chest 10 Weave anew 11 *South Korean subcompact 12 Antique 13 Brick-shaped candy 18 Unit of loudness 22 It may be supplied at a booth, briefly 24 Work (out) 26 Writer Bagnold 27 Seventh Avenue fashion initials 29 Water__: oral irrigator 31 “So what?” feeling 33 Family-friendly ratings 35 Big galoots 36 Grammy winner India.__ 37 *Beer pong venue 39 “Ready for forty winks?”

40 Portuguese hi 43 Symptom ending 46 Held fast 48 Dishonest activity 49 Kid’s summer spot 50 Mil. grunt work, and a hint to the answers to starred clues 51 French star 52 Real drag 55 Gibson’s “Lethal Weapon” role 58 Stretch __ 59 Cabinet dept.

60 Nightcap complement 61 Sushi fish 63 CPR pro

Help Wanted

Miscellaneous

TUTORING TEACH-N-TUTOR IS LOOKING FOR TUTORS TO HELP STUDENTS FROM GRADES K - 12 IN MATH AND LANGUAGE ARTS. CANDIDATES MUST HAVE AT LEAST AN AA (ASSOCIATES OF ARTS) DEGREE OR HIGHER AND AT LEAST ONE YEAR OF TUTORING EXPERIENCE. THE TUTORING TAKES PLACE AT THE STUDENT’S HOME OR AT A LOCAL LIBRARY. EMAIL MRG1119@COX.NET

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your paper.

16 THE BACK PAGE

MAR. 23 - APR. 5, 2016 • THE DAILY AZTEC editor: RYO MIYAUCHI • FEATURES@thedailyaztec.com

#FRIENDSHIP

The phone call I wish I didn't have THINKSTOCK

CHRISTINE WHITMAN senior staff writer ____________________________________

I

t’s said that one phone call can change your life. As cliche as that statement is, I never realized how true it was — until recently.

Two weeks ago, I received what I thought was just an ordinary phone call.

The voice on the other end of the line was one I happily recognized but spoke words I didn’t understand.

“Christine, I really don’t know how to tell you this,” the voice said.

“Tell me what?” I replied.

After a moment of hesitation, the voice finally responded with a quick and jumbled collection of words that just happened to somehow form an audible sentence.

“I’ve been diagnosed with cancer,” the voice said.

I went to speak, but I choked — my first word inaudible. I couldn’t believe what I had just heard. We’ve been best friends for almost eight years and I’ve always known what to say, until that exact moment.

Anyone who knows me well, or has ever spent longer than five minutes with me, knows not only am I a great listener but an even better talker. But how was I supposed to react? Was there a textbook reaction I didn’t know? To my dismay, finding out one of your best friends has cancer doesn’t come paired with a guide book.

As the accumulation of thoughts rushed through my head, time seemed to slow down — almost stand still. There was a dead silence shared between us, a silence in which 15 seconds felt like a lifetime. After a whole 15 seconds had passed, I answered in the only way that made sense to me at the time.

#DASNAPSHOTS

“You’re joking, right?”

In retrospect, that was probably not the greatest opening line, but it made the most sense in the senseless situation we found ourselves in . When I received confirmation that this was not in fact a joke, I went from a slight sense of nervousness to complete panic.

This newly found anxiety caused me to talk faster than a thoroughbred in the Kentucky Derby. My mind filled with questions, which I seemed to blurt out in sets of threes without waiting for an answer.

Throughout all of the questions I asked in a 30-second period, three stood out to me the most: “When did you find out? How bad is it?” And finally, “What happens next?”

Although the first two questions were met with immediate responses, we’re all still searching for the answer to question three. Apparently, removing

cancer has a lot of steps.

I was angry for a while, having the whole “why do bad things happen to good people” mentality. But I realized, bad things can happen to anyone, at any time, without warning.

It’s difficult to put the entire process into words, but one word that comes close is unsettling — it’s the first thing I think of when I wake up and the last thing I think about before I go to sleep.

Every day is met with an overwhelming sense of worry, and it’s only been two weeks. It’s a strange feeling, someone so close to you having cancer. So far, the hardest part is the overwhelming wish and the irresistible desire to do more but knowing you can’t.

Although I know this process is met with a long road ahead, I try to remain strong and optimistic — because after all, what are best friends for?

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

Difficulty Level:

2/4

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spring in bloom

Nursing senior Rebekah Chung took this photo of a cherry blossom tree at the Japanese Friendship Garden in Balboa Park.