03-24-2014

VOLUME 100, ISSUE 53

Monday, march 24 - wednesday, MARch 26, 2014

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2 NEWS

the aztec • march 24 - 26, 2014

#ASElections2014

A.S. elects map out strategic plans The Daily Aztec talked to the newly-elected A.S. executive board to find out their plans for the upcoming year. jaclyn palumbo

staff writer

FEATURES EDITOR

Jonathan Cole

I hope to empower every member of A.S. to really be representatives for these student organizations.

The Daily Aztec: What is your strategic plan now that you’re elected?

Cole: The first action is to really go back to the organizations that feel really disconnected to (Associated Students).

Also, continue outreach to organizations we weren’t able to speak to (during campaigning) to make sure their voice is heard.

DA: Why are these changes important to you?

Cole: The first organization I got involved with on campus was the Student AfricanAmerican Brotherhood. The president was my (Resident Adviser). Those guys were my brothers. When I came to campus I felt lost, and getting involved really empowered me.

It’s all about service. I want to lead by example, and that’s how I define this position.

President

DA: How will you go about making changes?

Cole: With 300 plus organizations it’s not feasible for me to go to all the organizations.

the students at San Diego State?

Cole: (If students come to me with a problem) I will drop everything to see that problem is attended to. At the end of the day I’m a student representative. Students should feel 110 percent confident they can come to me. Above all else I want students to know I’m a trustworthy person that is a resource for them.

“It’s all about service.

I want to lead by example, and that’s how I define this position.”

- Jonathan Cole

DA: What promises do you have for

Kevin Hancock

Kevin Hancock

Executive Vice President

“I think more outreach needs to happen with getting students involved in committees.”

- Kevin Hancock

DA: What is your strategic plan now that you have been elected?

Hancock: I will continue to work with new student-parent programming, the office for intercultural relations, and residential education and welcome week.

Also, making sure that students in their first week on campus really have a safe place to meet other students and that current students and commuter students and transfer students all have those activities that they can take place in. After that, I want to continue to work on homecoming.

Some of my goals once in office are to really improve upon parts of campus life that have so much potential, but haven’t quite reached it yet.

One of the most important things that we need to do as A.S. is continue reaching out to all of the organizations so that their members are aware of the opportunities that are available on campus.

I think more outreach needs to happen with getting students involved in committees because that is one of the best ways to have your voice heard.

This year was a great year for the

Alex Padua

Alex Padua

Vice President of Financial Affairs DA: What changes are you going to make?

Padua: I think the most important thing is keeping that continuity from the old executives through this really important transition period.

I know that Aztecs Rock Hunger is a huge campus event, so I definitely want to raise the bar with that and that event, and in terms of raising the bar I personally want to have a 5k.

Another thing would also be increasing accessibility for A.S. student budget. I think it’s definitely transparent but the accessibility isn’t there for any student just to go online and easily find where money is being allocated to different parts of campus.

Last change I would definitely make would be increasing awareness for fundraising on campus for student

Jonathan Cole

Adriana millar

all photos by monica linzmeier, Photo Editor

restructuring of A.S., but I also think that next year we need to focus on the issues that came up, and one of those issues is transparency.

What I’ve learned so far from campaigning is that students feel a huge disconnect from A.S. and another thing we need to focus on is making sure that students understand that there are appointed positions that still need to be filled after the elections are done.

DA: What changes will Aztecs see and why are these changes important to you?

Hancock: One of the big changes would be working with the internal A.S. There are hundreds of different ways to get involved on campus and A.S. is just one of them but if you did choose to get involved in A.S., just ensuring the retention and development of our members.

If we can give students a part of thinking A.S. means something to them, I think that it would make a difference on this campus.

Since I’ve gotten a lot from A.S., I want to ensure that other students who choose that route get that experience as well.

If we had more rallies for football games, soccer games and baseball games I think more students would have a chance to go to organizations.

DA: How are you going to make these changes? You want to make information more readily available for students?

Padua: I think there’s a website that other (California State Universities) use that have a really visual way of presenting the budget and how it’s changed over the years, and the changes within the budget itself and that would be within the A.S. website.

DA: How would you get students to

“It’s my number one duty to have a positive impact and make sure the budget touches the most amount of students on campus .”

- Alex Padua

these athletic events and show their Aztec pride.

One of the many purposes of A.S. is to recognize SDSU as a great academic university but it is also a place where students can have transformational experiences and really feel like they’re a part of something, a lot of which takes place outside of the classroom.

DA: What promises would you make to SDSU students?

Hancock: The open-door policy, which is incredibly important. Any elected official who doesn’t have an open-door policy really needs to reevaluate that situation.

This goes without saying, but everything that I do will be with the best of intentions with the students in mind.

With my involvement in A.S. up to this point, every decision that I make and every conversation that I have really is with the best intentions and I always try to think of different ways of how things can benefit the students.

Also, really looking at the pros and cons of how things are going to affect campus life and the students’ experience here.

That’s what I want and that is what I am sure the other students want, ensuring that the students are my top priority. log into this website? Because only 9.9 percent of the student body voted in A.S. elections and that was held online as well.

Padua: Well it’s not a login, it’s just there —A.S. budget—you just click that and it would show our budget.

I’ve researched other CSUs and how they make this information easily accessible for students and its important; $7.8 million of the A.S. budget comes from student fees, so that’s a lot of money that people need to have access to see.

DA: What promises can you make to students for the upcoming school year?

Padua: It’s my number one duty to have that positive impact and to make sure the budget touches the most amount of students on campus, whether it be through program funding, or through student organization funding, making sure it’s having a positive impact on students.

See A.S. plans, P11

NEWS

march 24 - 26, 2014 • the aztec

#stem2

3

STEM2 unites youth with SDSU Adriana millar staff writer

The Pre-College Institute at San Diego State held an event Friday to encourage youth to explore careers in science, technology, engineering and mathematics fields.

STEM2 Exploration Day, which brought 165 lowincome middle school students to SDSU, featured various workshops and labs, as well as campus tours and a student panel.

The Pre-College Institute, which is part of the College of Education, has hosted the event since 2011. The event is funded through the Talent Search program and Talent Search grant, offered through the Pre-College Institute.

“This is the largest thing we put on ourselves,” Coordinator of Service-Learning for the Pre-College Institute Nadia Rohlinger said. “We also do high school college visits and high school presentations.”

Event attendees were from local schools Monroe Clark Middle School, Wilson Middle School and O’Fareel Community Charter School.

The goal was to inform students about opportunities in SDSU students and professors educate youth about opportunities in the STEM fields. Jenna Mackey, senior staff photgrapher math and science fields through hands-on activities. of Information Equals Insight and Better Decisions,” in “The future of the country is based on new innovations Student Science Association and an oceans lab from addition to a student panel fielding questions about college. in science, technology and engineering, and the Preoceanography professor Clive Dorman. Other events “We prompted them with a list of things they could ask, College Institute is dedicated to preparing and encouraging included a planetarium show from astronomy professor like how do you pick your classes, as something to build students to pursue higher education and careers in these Douglas Leonard and graduate teaching assistants Susan off of,” mechanical engineering sophomore and Pre-College fields by offering resources Kurth and Nicholas Earl and a Institute service-learning tutor Cassandra O’Shea said. “It and programs such as STEM2 workshop titled “No Brain, No showed although college is a challenge, it’s how you better Exploration Day,” Pre-College Gain” from the PSI Beta Club.

“The future of the country is yourself.”

Institute executive director There was also a lecture from based on new innovatations The event exposed children to a diverse learning and SDSU Teacher Education keynote speaker and Director of in science, technology and experience, O’Shea said. professor Cynthia Park said.

SDSU Computer Visualization engineering” “They definitely enjoyed not being in class all day,” O’Shea Workshops and presentations lab Eric Frost, who informed said.

“They were really excited to be learning something included “The Science Behind students about “STEMing - Cynthia Park new in a new environment.”

Silly Putty” from the Black the Tide of disasters: Flood

#A.S.Elections2014

A.S. elections see low voter participation

The 2014 A.S. elections closed with a 9.9 percent voter turnout. Many candidates in this year’s elections ran unopposed.

J.D. Hodges staff writer

The voter turnout in the 2014 Associated Students election was just below 10 percent of the student population, coming in 8 percent below last year’s turnout. Of the 22 positions up for election, 10 positions had only one candidate running.

All of the executive vice president candidates ran unopposed, and only two presidential candidates competed in the election.

A.S. Elections Coordinator and health science sophomore Jennifer Reyes said when fewer candidates run for the president and vice president positions, the voting rate tends to be around 7 percent.

The position of student-at-large campus representative received the most cumulative votes, with 2,789 total. The elections closed with 2,635 total votes for the presidential candidates.

Pre-med senior Dana Datuin said one reason for the poor turnout could be from the timing of the elections, which took place during midterms.

“I’m just too busy with school, and I haven’t been

Students gather to hear the results of the 2014 A.S. elections, which were announced Thursday. wesley beights, staff photographer

following it,” Datuin said.

Other students said they were not fully aware of the power of their vote, or the specific role of A.S. on campus.

“I don’t know that my vote will make a difference, and I don’t know what they can do for us,” interdisciplinary junior Sade Cooper said. “I have voted once, when I turned 18. It was for Obama’s reelection campaign. I’m not really passionate about politics, but I do think it’s good to vote.”

Some students said they just weren’t aware of the election.

“I didn’t know elections were happening,” Onu Cambo, an international student pursuing his MBA said. “I’m not sure if I could vote as an international student, but if I could I would; representatives of the university should be the right person.”

Pre-nursing sophomore Kirstin Visperas said she feels the campaigning process was not rigorous enough to

inform students about the candidate’s platforms.

“All I’ve heard in this election is to vote for this person or vote for that person, but I don’t know anything about any of them,” a pre-nursing sophomore Kirstin Visperas said.

“I do vote in local, state, and national elections though.

It’s easier to find out about the people running in those elections.”

The problem of limited publicity is something communications sophomore Luke Dzierzanowski, who was running College of Professional Studies and Fine Arts representative, took advantage of. Dzierzanowski, created a campaign video to get people to know his name, which ultimately received national attention.

Dzieranowski was running for one of three seats for PSFA representative against four other students.

Dzieranowski received the least amount of votes for the PSFA representatives, with 83 total.

4 OPINION

the aztec • march 24 - 26, 2014

#notech

No tech doesn’t mean no life kalah siegel

staff columnist Our generation is constantly being teased about how dependent we are on technology, and I bought into it. I thought I was no exception to being completely reliant on my phone and computer—until I actually tried going a day without my gadgets. Now, I can honestly say to all the critics of the millennials that we’re not dependent on technology, we just enjoy it.

I decided to take on this challenge because I was tired of my dad giving me a hard time. According to him I’m always “attached to my phone” because I “can’t live without it.”

So I did live a day without it. I didn’t use my phone or computer for 24 hours.

I took notes by hand in my classes and was forced to meet up with friends the old-fashioned way; walking and talking to them in person. It was hard at first, but at the end of the day I felt liberated.

In the morning, I found a comfy chair at the new student union and studied—like actually studied, with books, highlighters and paper. When I normally study, I use my computer and I’m constantly getting email notifications or texts that distract me from my work.

Without them, I was able to comprehend what I was learning much faster because my undivided attention was on my schoolwork.

As a result, I’ve stopped making study guides on my computer and started making them by hand. The difference

was so significant, I felt like it could involved in our dinner-date conversation completely change my study habits. In because I wasn’t thinking about why my this case technology may be the easier phone was buzzing in my bag. way to study, but I discovered that for The next day when I returned to the me, it’s not more helpful.

21st century, I was extremely nervous After studying, I met with my friend that I would have missed something vital at Starbucks. I was worried that I while I was away from technology for a wouldn’t be able to find her without a day. customary, “Hey, come find me in line” I had 34 text messages, 12 emails and text. However, we found each other seven Facebook notifications from my immediately and had a great, distractionday off. Despite the amount I missed, it free conversation. wasn’t anything urgent. The world still In class, I took notes by hand. I found functioned seamlessly while I was out of it extremely difficult to keep up with the touch. pace of the class without typing directly It was pleasantly surprising to discover on the PowerPoint that I don’t need slides posted technology to on Blackboard. function. We Even my boyfriend I managed, but millennials aren’t I’ll continue to quite as reliant on noticed I was take notes on my our devices as we’re more involved in computer from made out to be. We our dinner-date now on. Usually, can live without conversation I have the same technology, we because I wasn’t problem getting just don’t want thinking about why distracted with to. Therefore, my computer the critics of my phone was in class that I millennials can buzzing in my bag. do using it for quiet down. studying. However, We utilize our the necessity of surroundings to taking notes on my computer in class far give ourselves a better quality of life. outweighs the distractions.

We’re not slaves to our screens.

The rest of my day consisted of meeting Our way of life is easier with the up with friends and going to classes. I blessing of having information and thought it would be difficult to do, but communication at our fingertips. We again I found them without any issues are fortunate to have technology. We and we were more engaged than usual. don’t need it—but we love it, and there’s Even my boyfriend noticed I was more nothing wrong with that.

Online classes can’t replace traditional learning staff columnist MOOC stands for “Massive Open Online Course,” which is exactly what the program is. More specifically, they’re online courses created by professors at degree-granting universities that are completely free to take. Of the many different MOOC providers, Coursera is the most popular and is responsible for 47 percent of course distribution.

MOOCs are offered in different languages, including Spanish, French, Chinese, German and Arabic. More than 30 universities have partnered with Coursera. Georgia Tech’s masters in computer science, which is offered completely online for credit, is a rare example.

Because they’re free and accessible to anyone with Internet access and a computer, these classes have caused a huge buzz, likely worrying many professors and college administrators.

There are currently 1.7 million people registered for Coursera classes. This might lead some people to wonder if MOOCs are the future of higher education. I say no.

As they function now, MOOCs are not the future of higher education because teachers and students have limited or no interaction. Their biggest advantages are that they’re online and free. There

Editor In Chief Leonardo Castañeda Managing Editor Ana Ceballos News Editor Hannah Beausang assistant News Editor Luke Henning Sports Editor Adriana Bush Opinion Editor Madison Hopkins Entertainment Editor David Dixon Features Editor Elisse Miller Copy Chief Caitlin Johnson Assistant Copy Chief Erik Dobko Copy Editors Terence Chin Kelly Hillock Maria Del Carmen Huerta Elpin Keshishzadeh Photo Editor Monica Linzmeier Art Director Carlos Jimenez Production Designers Mark Anthony Santos Gabriela Flores Web Editor Victor Escoto _____________________________________ Advertising Director Jesse Castañeda A.s. Sales Manager Jordan Kato Account Executives Tony Disarufino Chase Gillmore Matt Kilefner Radbeh Rabaz Marissa Walsh Adam Zabel Accounting & Contracts Michael Bratt Kim Le

#mooc

simon shieh

who’swho

are also distinguished professors from Harvard, Stanford, Princeton and other universities who’ve created MOOCs, making them that much more attractive.

But what they lack is the invaluable social aspect of learning: the dynamic aspect that engages students and gives substance to the educating process.

In a study of one million MOOC users conducted by the University of Pennsylvania, only 4 percent completed the course they registered for and 50 percent never viewed a lecture. These statistics point to a dimension of education that we may be starting to take for granted.

The emergence of online learning, even when it’s supplementing a non-virtual classroom, is great for disseminating information to a large number of people and is available for students to watch anytime, anywhere.

However, the problem with a class that is all online and free is that everyone (except the very interested or very selfdisciplined) will have little incentive to finish the class. The act of going to a classroom with a teacher that looks you in the eye, calls you by name and interacts with you directly is crucial to education and drives you to continue with the course materials. It bridges the gap between knowledge and application, and turns the act of receiving information into engagement with the

information.

Some MOOCs are interactive, meaning they have chat boxes where students can answer and ask questions, like many of the online lectures at San Diego State. Still, the student has to watch the lecture live in order to participate, and when the lecture is available at all times of the day, it’s hard to make that a priority. Interacting virtually is also different from interacting in reality, where communication is more direct and immediate.

The idea of “free learning” that MOOCs promise is a great one. I hope professors keep making them, and people keep watching them to supplement college courses or just to pursue interests. Education, however, requires a social component that is limited in MOOCs. Subjects of learning are forever situated in and relevant to the present, not a recorded lecture or a textbook.

Teachers feed knowledge to students with unique experiences who process it in their own way and who collaborate with each other to develop an understanding. This is a dynamic that I don’t think will ever be lost in education.

That being said, it can never hurt to have knowledge made available to large amounts of people for free. MOOCs will not take over higher education, but they can certainly work together.

Public Relations Kelly Hillock Christina Koral _____________________________________ General Manager Jay Harn Graphics Specialist Christopher Blakemore _____________________________________

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opinion

march 24 - 26, 2014 • the aztec

#studentsuccessfee

5

Aztecs deserve admin transparency Madison Hopkins Opinion editor

The Student Success Fee is happening.

Most of you probably know this by now. The topic has raged through campus during the past few weeks. Associated Students and the administration urged students to attend informational forums, members of this newspaper covered it extensively, and finally, once people realized this was actually going on, student protesters stormed through campus staging sit-ins, picketing and even silently protesting with tape-covered mouths at the Conrad Prebys Aztec Student Union dedication ceremony.

Well, that all essentially did nothing, but that’s not the problem. The real issue with this whole debacle is the inadequate communication from San Diego State’s administration to accurately inform students of the status of the decisionmaking process and its choice to ignore those who spoke out.

When the informational forums were still being held, The Aztec released an editorial calling on the administration to do all it could to better inform students of what was at stake and what they could do. We felt that both the administration, and our efforts as the student media, failed to reach enough students to encourage them to attend forums, and that the results would therefore not be representative of the entire student body.

Well, just like the protesters, our editorial also did nothing. Even though the administration did step-up its promotional game, the total amount of Aztecs who attended and provided feedback at a Student Success Fee forum was still sadly a feeble 1,015 students, or 3.5 percent of the total student body, the vast majority of who voted in favor of a fee increase.

But I don’t blame this poor turnout fully on the administration. Getting students to attend something referred to as an “informational forum” is a tough sell.

At the time, administrators were doing what they could to get students informed, a motive that apparently ended once the

results came out in their favor.

On Feb. 28, the Campus Fee Advisory Committee unanimously approved a $200 fee increase. That same day, a group of student protesters marched into Hirshman’s office demanding to have their voices heard. Hirshman refused to meet with them.

On March 3, Hirshman offered to meet with a small delegation of protesters on the following Thursday morning. That same day, he approved CFAC’s recommendation and sent his own approval of the fee to the California State University Chancellor, disregarding his future plans to meet with the concerned students. In an interview with The Aztec, Hirshman explained that at that point, communication with the protesters and his staff had lead him to believe that their demands were extreme, and their input would no longer be productive. However, this information was never passed on to the protesters, who continued to meet throughout the next few days.

On March 14, 11 days after he had officially recommended the fee increase to the chancellor, Hirshman finally announced his recommendation to the student body through a blog post.

Throughout this entire time period, Hirshman did not meet with the protesters once.

To be fair, these students would have had a better opportunity to speak out if they had attended forums and their tactics would most likely have been more effective there. But as I’ve mentioned, it took some time to get the word out, and clearly everyone wasn’t reached. Hirshman and the administration’s decision to ignore the protesters’ legitimate, although belated, concerns just because they missed a deadline tells the student body that it’s warranted to blatantly disregard their opinions. What’s more is they were strung along for days and placated by the administration to falsely believe they could actually still make a difference.

When the blog was finally published, it went relatively unnoticed. There was no email, no Blackboard announcement, nothing. To put that into context, all students received an email informing of the campus closure this past Friday because

Students protest the recently passed Student Success Fee. Wesley Beights, staff photographer

of the NCAA tournament. Apparently, the announcement that money will be taken out of every students’ pocket didn’t deserve that same courtesy. Hirshman’s justification for this was that fees are not traditionally announced and that he wanted to use the opportunity to provide a more meaningful explanation than an email would allow for.

“We wanted to find a way that could engage the campus community in a thoughtful discussion, not an inflammatory discussion, or a ‘Hey this is the way it is, that’s that,’” he said in an interview with The Aztec. “It’s more of a ‘Let’s think about these issues.’”

I agree with that sentiment entirely, but I somehow doubt that this was the honest intention. If he was actually interested in a “thoughtful discussion,” then why were the protesters ignored? Why was the decision kept quiet from the vast majority of students for 11 days? What was going on where the administration felt warranted to hold onto this information, despite the huge public interest the protesters had stirred up by this point? I understand that both feedback from the informational forums and the CFAC recommended a fee and so Hirshman took it. He listened to those students and did what he believed

was best for the university. The decision to pass the fee is not the point of this story.

What I am concerned about is the lack of communication and promotion the entire ordeal received. While the administration did make a few small announcements about the progression of the fee, this feeble attempt at transparency was as weak as the efforts to spread the word about the forums to begin with.

Regardless of the outcome of the fee, the bottom line is students deserve to be in the know. If a president is supposed to be the leader of an entire university, he or she is responsible for addressing student interests, not covertly making announcements and hoping everyone will diligently search for the answers they seek. This entire situation has been handled in a way that leaves students wondering about the motives and actions of their administration, not because they necessarily question the integrity, but because they simply don’t know the answers.

To clear confusion and prove honest intentions, the only thing to do is increase transparency at this university, starting at the top. From there, students can decide whatever they want.

Wherever, whenever.

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6 SPORTS

THE AZTEC • MARCH 24 - 26, 2014

#AZTECSMBB

Dwayne Polee II

SDSU dominates NDSU, heads to Sweet 16

Junior forward Dwayne Polee II helped lead the Aztecs to victory against NDSU with 15 points and 6 rebounds, making him the only other SDSU player to hit double digits in scoring.

MONICA LINZMEIR, PHOTO EDITOR

MATTHEW BAIN

SENIOR STAFF WRITER It might not be a winning equation for a deep run into the NCAA Tournament, but team defense plus Xavier Thames’ explosive offense led the San Diego State Aztecs (314, 16-2 Mountain West) to dominate the North Dakota State University Bison (267, 12-2 Summit) 63-44 and advance to the Sweet 16 in Anaheim.

Many sports pundits picked NDSU to upset the Aztecs in Spokane. When the score was knotted up at 20 with four minutes left in the first half, it seemed like those pundits could be right. However, SDSU ended the half on a 10-3 run and thoroughly outplayed the Bison in the second half.

NDSU entered this game with the nation’s best field goal percentage, just below 51 percent. However, the Bison hadn’t played a defense like SDSU’s, and the Aztecs limited the explosive offense from Fargo, N.D. to less than 32 percent from

the field. NDSU Summit League Player of the Year senior Taylor Braun scored just seven points on 14 percent shooting.

Senior forward Josh Davis said his team’s cooperation on defense led to the success.

“That was just a great team effort,” Davis said after the game. “Everybody stuck to their assignment, but we have been working hard, preparing for it. So, I’m just glad we were able to stick to what we planned on doing.”

Now let’s discuss the offense—or, rather, Thames and a little bit of junior forward Dwayne Polee II. That’s about it.

Of the eight players head coach Steve Fisher played 10 or more minutes, Thames and Polee were the only ones to score more than six points. Thames had a remarkable

game, scoring 30 points on 47 percent shooting with five assists. In fact, he set an SDSU record for points in an NCAA game.

And when Thames didn’t put it through the hoop, Polee did, netting half of his teammates’ points with 15 on the night.

SDSU’s offense lacked variety: In almost every halfcourt offensive sequence, Thames ran a pick at the top of the key and Josh Davis either created a shot for himself or dished it to Polee for an open shot.

But one can’t knock the strategy too much—it worked. The Bison simply couldn’t stop the senior Aztec guard. Thames gave a lot of the credit to his teammates.

“It wasn’t just me; it was my teammates getting me open, us playing team defense,”

“That was just a great team effort.”

Thames said. “But I did feel pretty good coming into the game, but without my teammates I wouldn’t have had the game I had.”

Now, there are a couple negative aspects to look at as well.

Sophomore forward Winston Shepard really struggled against NDSU, forcing shots and passing into lanes that were far from clear. Fisher played him only 15 minutes, as opposed to Polee’s 30 minutes off the bench. Although, as Fisher has said several times, Polee is not a bench player.

He’s SDSU’s sixth starter and often plays with the last unit on the court.

Like it or not, Thames and Polee won’t score like they did against NDSU every game. If the Aztecs want to make a deep run, players like Shepard need to get into a rhythm and step up on offense, too.

SDSU will next face University of Arizona or Gonzaga University this Thursday at the Honda Center in Anaheim. Red-and-black fans like to call the Honda Center “Viejas North.” Time to prove it.

SPORTS

MARCH 24 - 26, 2014 • THE AZTEC

#SDSUSLACKERS

7

They’re slackers, but they’re not lazy KRISTIAN IBARRA STAFF WRITER

Slacklining is hard. Really hard. Think learning how to walk again, except this time you’re in the dark and your legs are made of Jell-O. “In one word, it’s frustrating,” computer engineering freshman and SDSU Slackers Club Vice President Aidan Belleau said.

“Your leg doesn’t really know where to go; it just kind of wobbles back and forth. I think that’s really scary, because you don’t know what it is and it feels like you’re going to eat it right away.”

After weeks of walking past the shirtless group of guys and fully-clothed girls, you convince yourself you’re up for the challenge. You take off your shoes and proceed to walk up to the slack line. There’s just one problem—you’ve no idea how to get on for the first time.

Awkwardly standing there, you’re puzzled while you just stare at the line. Meanwhile, the purple nylon webbing harnessed between the two palm trees rests there, staring right back at you, briefly mocking you before it welcomes you to give it a shot.

Eventually, you find your method of hopping onto the line, likely by aid of somebody else’s shoulder.

“Find your balance,” mechanical engineering senior Lucas Zacharias said.

“Don’t look down and just focus on slowly letting go, letting your arms and hips do the work for you.”

You gain enough courage and try taking a step. If you’re human with a decent sense of balance, you probably fail.

That’s what learning how to slackline is like.

The group of people walking along the line is much less intimidating, though.

They’re actually some of the nicest people around campus, genuinely wanting every passerby to join in on the balancing act they’ve come to know and love.

“We have people of all sizes, genders and backgrounds come and try it,” Belleau said.

“There really isn’t a bar that says, ‘Hey, wait no, you can’t do this.’”

They’re not just a group of friends passing time in between classes, though.

It’s an official, university-recognized club.

According to the Facebook group page, the SDSU Slackers house 90 members. In actuality, the number’s much closer to 40 or 50, Belleau said.

Some students have been slacklining on campus long before it became an official club.

“I did it back in a time when there was

really nobody else doing it here,” Zacharias said. “I’m not going to lie, I’m a little bit of a slackline hipster.”

Contrary to what your mind tells you, they do notice every passerby who stares in amazement. They’ll typically ask anybody with a glimmer of interest to give it a try.

Most people don’t. “‘I’ll hurt myself,’ is a

common excuse,” B e l l e a u said. “And then you go, ‘Well, what’s fun if you don’t get hurt in life? You have to try something risky every once in a while.’”

Every once in a while, though, somebody decides to slip off his or her shoes and give it a go.

Kinesiology freshman Dominique Williams was finally convinced to try it out last Wednesday.

A cheerleader in high school, she said her cheering days didn’t help her prepare her.

“Backflips are way easier than this,” Williams said, while letting out a frustrated laugh. “I wasn’t even on the line for two seconds before I came right back down.”

She was able to get four steps in by the end of her first day. By day two, she was making it to the halfway mark of a 50-foot line.

“It’s very addicting,” she said. “Once you try it once, you feel like you have to keep coming back.”

The addiction, as it turns out, urges some of these Slackers to take their skills to new heights—literally. Some of the Slackers are motivated to try and walk across the line while hundreds of feet up in the air.

“We could maybe do it in front of Hepner Hall in between those two palm trees right there,” Zacharias, said pointing toward the trees and laughing. “That would be so awesome if we could pull that off right there.”

Dylan Steinhauer makes his way across the slack line.

KRISTIAN IBARRA, STAFF WRITER

8 Entertainment

the aztec • march 24 - 26, 2014

#springawakening

Talking theater with musical lead david dixon

entertainment editor Dave Thomas Brown stars in Cygnet Theatre’s production of “Spring Awakening,” directed by San Diego State alumnus Sean Murray. Brown plays Melchior, an intellectually charismatic German student in the 1800s who falls in love with a pupil from an all-girls’ school.

During a phone interview with The Aztec, it quickly became clear that Brown had the personality and the experience to play the prominent role.

He knew he wanted to be involved in theatre after watching “Cats” on Broadway.

“I was eight years old and during the sequence where all the cats come into the audience, a really beautiful cat came over to me and started caressing me and licking my face. I thought to myself, ‘if this is theater, I want to do this for the rest of my life.’ I actually got to meet the woman who interacted with me in the audience, and I thanked her for getting me interested into theater,” Brown said. “She was apparently really high during that performance.”

When asked about who influenced him as an actor, Brown mentioned that when he was younger, many adults inspired him.

“As a theatre kid, you get to be fostered

by a lot of adults. I was influenced by the generosity of older actors and them treating me like an adult, not just a little kid,” Brown said. “That gave me the confidence to take acting seriously.”

“A celebrity who inspired me was Daniel Day Lewis,” Brown said. “He is so specific with everything he does. He is the most unlazy actor I’ve ever seen.”

Brown is familiar with the 19th century play that inspired “Spring Awakening,” and said the play is tonally different from the musical.

“The musical is very dark and also very hopeful while the play is very, very dark,” Brown said, “It paints a bleak picture of students who are forced to stick to the rulebook. The original source material was a great play to fill in some of the gaps of the musical.”

Brown said the Calliope Theatre Company’s production of “Six Windows Presents: a Hero of Our Time” was one of his most memorable theatrical experiences.

“It was really beautiful and a love letter to theatre,” Brown said. “I love doing work that people haven’t seen before and reinventing ways to tell stories.”

Brown said the Cygnet’s production of “Shakespeare’s R&J” was a show he really

enjoyed being a part of. The play follows the lives of four Catholic schoolboys who reenact “Romeo and Juliet.”

“That made a huge impact, because the play gave the cast the opportunity to tell a classic tale in a different way,” Brown said.

There are many characters that Brown would love to play onstage, including Billy in Edward Albee’s “The Goat, or Who Is Sylvia?” He aspires to portray Matthew in “Equus” and Sebastian in “The Twelfth Night.” Noting that, his babyface might work

in his favor.

Brown’s advice for SDSU students pursuing acting is to “take big risks.”

“If there’s a play you want to do, you look up every theater that’s doing it,” Brown said. “Live dangerously and knock on doors. I felt I did the best work when I put my foot down and chased after something. You won’t hear about many actors getting roles by just putting headshots on a desk when auditioning.

You will get work if you work hard enough.”

Dave Thomas Brown (center) is the star of “Spring Awakening.” courtesy of daren scott

#shortterm12

Reality inspires filmmaker’s second feature film lawson navarno contributor

Former San Diego State film students Destin Cretton and Ron Najor visited the Don Powell Theatre on Wednesday, March 19, for a screening and Q&A session for their most recent indie film, “Short Term 12.”

“It was something that Destin and

myself wanted to do; it was just a matter of finding the right time to do it,” Najor, a producer and frequent guest lecturer, said. “When we were film students we didn’t have that many people come and talk to us that were from the industry.”

Najor has done several lecture series for film students at SDSU. The workshops provide valuable information ranging from ways to break into “the biz” to

Writer and director Destin Daniel Cretton met San Diego State film students on campus. courtesy of lawson navarno

funding the first indie feature. pursuing film at SDSU. Cretton and Najor directed and “Every movie that I make becomes produced, respectively, their first this snapshot of a time in my life,” two features together, “I Am Not a Cretton said. “It’s a story that represents Hipster” and “Short Term 12,” and have the ideas and questions that I was maintained a close relationship with thinking about at that time.”

SDSU. Najor shared similar sentiments.

“I always get “I am very lucky excited to come that I got to be a back,” Cretton part of a movie that “It’s easy to think said. “I am really I really believe in grateful to this the message, story that there’s a right school teaching and people that way and a wrong me what I was were trying to make good at and what it,” Najor said. way to get to a I wasn’t good at. I Following the certain point in life, really discovered a screening, a small lot of things about reception was held but it’s never true.” myself while I was in the Dramatic - Destin Cretton here.”

Arts building where The short some film students version of “Short got the chance to Term 12” won the Jury Prize at the speak with Cretton.

Sundance Film Festival in 2009. After the Television, film and new media success of the short, Cretton wrote it into production senior Eduardo Alejandre a feature length adaptation. It won the attended the event.

Grand Jury Narrative Feature Award and “It helps motivate the people that the Narrative Feature Audience Award question whether they can make it big or at the 2013 South by Southwest Film not in the film industry,” Alejandre said.

Conference and Festival.

“You see different film schools like “It’s easy to think that there’s a right University of Southern California help way and a wrong way to get to a certain each other,” Najor said. “Because they point in life, but it’s never true,” Cretton are all coming back to bridge that gap said. between film school and the professional “Short Term 12” follows Grace (Brie world, it helps a lot of young students Larson), a supervisor at a foster care make that crossover.” facility for at-risk teenage youth. It is “Short Term 12” is available on based off of Cretton’s experiences at iTunes, other on-demand venues and a similar facility he worked at before Netflix.

march 24 - 26, 2014 • the aztec

#stvincent

Entertainment

St. Vincent lives up to expectations ryo miyauchi

senior staff writer

St. Vincent performed at the House of Blues on March 19, supporting her latest new album, “St. Vincent.” courtesy of renata raksha

9

On March 19, rock musician Annie Clark, who records music with the name St. Vincent, returned to San Diego to perform at the House of Blues. Joined by solo musician Noveller, Clark is currently on tour supporting her latest album, “St. Vincent,” which includes some of the musician’s most rhythmic songs to date.

Performed live, the new material proved to be dance-friendly. St. Vincent started the show with “Rattlesnake,” the opening song on her latest self-titled album, and got bodies moving with the song’s skeletal beat. Following “Rattlesnake,” other new songs such as “Digital Witness” got a similar response from the crowd.

When St. Vincent entered the solo for “Rattlesnake,” she played with a different approach in her performance for this show compared to her last solo tour. She no longer played her guitar in an unhinged style as before. Instead, St. Vincent gave off an effortless cool as she entered the manic solo.

Perfection mattered more than showing off her skills, and she controlled every chaotic buzz roaring from her instrument.

St. Vincent and her live band used the stage to their advantage for the whole show. A memorable part came during the breakdown of “Birth in Reverse.” As St. Vincent and her other guitarist stood sideby-side, the two shuffled back and forth on stage to the music. Without their feet visible from where I was standing, the two glided as if they were on a conveyor belt, alternating positions in perfect sync.

The newest addition to the “St. Vincent” show was a pink platform, similar to the throne Clark sits on the cover of her new album. Atop the platform, Clark performed her most declarative songs, including “Cheerleader,” “I Prefer Your Love,” and a quiet rendition of “Strange Mercy.” Toward the end, after a sprawling solo, she slowly crawled down the steps and lay upside down in a dramatic fashion until the lights went out.

St. Vincent finished the show with “Your Lips Are Red,” a song off of her first album, “Marry Me.” Though the set consisted of mostly new material, she included a few older songs in between. Whether a fan from the beginning or a newbie who heard the new record last week, the show definitely satisfied all of her fans.

Trying to decide if the USC School of Social Work is right for you?

Join us this spring in San Diego for one of the following events, before our application deadline.

Academic Center Tour & Speaker Panel Friday, April 11, 2014, 5:30pm - 7:30pm Mental Health Social Work Day at the Padres vs. Giants game, Petco Park Saturday, April 19, 2014, 4:00pm RSVP to sdac@usc.edu 619-726-4235 www.usc.edu/socialwork

10 SPORTS COLUMN

THE AZTEC • MARCH 24 - 26, 2014

#CAMERONSCOLUMN

Screenshot of user Mike B.’s bracket from The Daily’s Aztec’s Bracket Challenge

So, how’s your bracket doing?

CAMERON SALCE CONTRIBUTOR

I am beginning to wonder why they call it March Madness. Maybe it’s my original assumption that the NCAA men’s basketball tournament provides insanely great matchups that go down to the wire with upsets left and right. Or perhaps it’s because the average fan pays zero attention to college basketball until the tournament begins in mid March.

It’s crazy to me that when it comes to most sports fans, college basketball is put on the backburner to the NBA and even the NFL offseason. However, when March hits, the only thing that matters is that pesky bracket of yours, right?

The obsession over college basketball brackets is truly mind-boggling to me, but I would be lying if I said I was not obsessed as well. I’ve filled out a bracket every year

since I was in middle school, but I wouldn’t consider myself an avid college basketball fan until I came to San Diego State. It seems as if everyone wants to test their basketball knowledge this time of year. Maybe everyone just wants the chance to be right when most others are wrong.

Or maybe it’s the tremendous amount of cash that can be won because of the madness of March. Some people join groups where they can turn a small amount of money into a large profit. But where the big money is won is on online bracket contests with big prizes for the best bracket.

The craze has swept the nation so much that even the most powerful people in the world, including President Barack Obama, is interested in the NCAA tournament. This year the second richest man in America, savvy investor Warren Buffet, has bet $1 billion dollars that no one on Earth will fill

out a perfect NCAA tournament bracket.

Sounds risky to bet $1 billion on anything, but he didn’t become the second-richest man in America overnight. The odds of filling out a perfect NCAA bracket are an astonishing one in 9.2 quintillion.

After the first day of the NCAA tournament, Buffet is looking like a genius. For example, more than 11 million people entered into the bracket challenge on ESPN.com and out of that group only 18,741 brackets remained unblemished after only the first day of games.

The No. 3 seed Duke Blue Devils did not make things any easier on the second day of the tournament, losing to No. 14 seed Mercer University. Duke’s loss cut the total number of perfect brackets down to a measly 2,185 out of 11 million entries before the second round of games even started. By the end of the first round there were zero brackets in the world that remained perfect.

Which brings me back to my original question. Why do we call it March Madness?

Are we all going mad? Why do we spend so much time making brackets, searching for expert knowledge and spend money on something nearly impossible to get right?

It’s the same reason why people buy lottery tickets to win the Mega Million jackpot.

There’s hope and excitement that comes with buying a lottery ticket, and there’s that same type of hope and excitement when you fill out a NCAA tournament bracket.

Suddenly every game on TV has meaning and you become fans of teams that you didn’t even know existed until that week. Every game can make or break your bracket and your bank account.

That’s the beauty of March. For a couple of weeks, sports fans forget about real-life problems and their emotions are based off one question: “How’s your bracket doing?”

I don’t know how I ever lived without the Aztec app. download it today

NEWS

march 24 - 26, 2014 • the aztec

A.S. plans: commuters and student orgs Continued from P2

Corey Polant

Vice President of University Affairs

Corey Polant

DA: What’s part of your strategic plan for next year?

Polant: First I want to make sure whatever Morgan (Chan) has been working on the past year gets finished.

Also creating relationships with administrators on campus. I’ve had amazing opportunities by knowing and meeting administrators through my various organizations and leadership positions, and really solidifying those relationships.

I’m using the summer as a big transitional period so I can really start the school year really head-on. I think the summer will be a really critical period for all the incoming executive members.

DA: How will you provide support for commuter students?

Polant: This campus has really become my second home. I’ve had an incredible amount of opportunities to really develop that campus connection, and if I didn’t I would have probably transferred back to New York because its really my involvement in organizations and meeting with students that really kept me here.

To hear that there are students who

“You have to go to the students, you can’t just expect them to come to you.”

- Corey Polant

Jacqueline Karczewski

or target markets that they want to reach so that their event can be more successful than they were in the past.

DA: What is your strategic plan now that you have been elected?

Karczewski: I really want to take marketing in the surrounding San Diego community to the next level. “The State Report” just came out this year and it lets students know what is going on around campus. I really want to make sure that people know what that is.

I also really want to utilize the AzteCast app, an app that allows student organizations to put their events on that app and then they can share it with whoever has that app.

I also want to provide organizations with a marketing sheet to market their events. That would be a list of things that they can check off to make sure that they have reached all students, organizations

DA: What changes will Aztecs see and why are these changes important to you?

Karczewski: They’ll see a lot more of me and my team. We want to have more of a presence and be more transparent and connected with students.

We want to be out there and connected

Vice President of External Relations

Jaqueline Karczewski

commute to school that have those opportunities and don’t understand how to use them, or they don’t understand that they’re here for them, it really made me upset, to be honest.

I want all students to have the opportunity to get involved on campus and have the experiences that I’ve had the past three years because it has literally transformed my life and the person I’ve become. Next year I can promise I’ll be working a lot with providing commuter students a place they can call their second home, and make them feel comfortable to get involved on campus, and use the academic resources and college counsels that are valuable to them, and resources all over campus to really have a connection to their universities.

“I really want to take marketing in the surrounding San Diego community to the next level.”

- Jaqueline Karczewski

11

DA: How will you encourage students to get involved on their college counsels?

Polant: Over the summer and going into next year we’re going to start having meetings with college deans and letting them know this is something I plan on taking on heavily.

It’s going to be a lot of going to classrooms. I don’t think we can just hand out fliers and hand out emails and expect students to come to us. Will some come to us? Yes. Will the majority of students?

Probably not.

That’s just something I realized in any organization I’ve been a part of. You have to go to students, you can’t just expect them to come to you.

College counsels know their students the best. And a lot of students don’t realize these counsels exist. So I want to let them know, a) there is a college counsel for your major and b) if you want to get involved on campus and if you want to get involved with its resources, internships, meeting administration, meeting all the students, letting your voice be heard in terms of comments and suggestions for your college counsel, which will be even more important with the Student Success Fee. It’s just a matter of letting them know A.S. is here for you.

to them because before we are A.S. executives, we are students. And just letting them know that we are here as a resource. We’re here to serve them.

These changes are important to me because I love San Diego State and it has served me so much over the past three years that I’ve been a student here and I could have found ways to get involved on my own but this will be a great too for students who don’t know how to get involved but don’t know how to.

DA: What promises would you make to SDSU students?

Karczewski: I want to be a friend to students, I want to be a resource, and I want to be available to them. I promise to be accessible and willing to help. Students come before everything else because we are here to represent them. You’ll be seeing more student resources utilized.

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12 THE BACK PAGE

the aztec • march 24 - 26, 2014

#humor

Gov’t hot air, on the air

“W

elcome back to 98.3 CRK Radio. I’m your host, ‘Mayday’ Jane Cornett. Today I’m joined by the deputy governor, Mr. Ronald Avery. How are you, Mr. Avery?”

“Jane, there’s no need for formalities, call me Ron. It’s great to be here on the show; I love it.”

“So Ron, how are things down at the governor’s mansion? Is there anything we should expect to see coming out of there in terms of some new policies? I haven’t had a lot to talk about the past few months.”

“It’s funny you should mention that Jane, because I actually have a portfolio on me of what this year’s budget and planning looks like. We’ve increased new jobs this year by about 7 percent, and all the statistics put us on track to be back within the top 50 states in the country.”

“May I ask why we’re not on that list right now?”

“Well, I’d rather you not.”

“So where are these new jobs coming from? I’d love to see them.”

“Well we’ve hired a new chef down at the mansion.”

“Oh really?”

“Yes, he’s from France. See, he does this trick where he pours alcohol on—“ “Let me interrupt you for a minute there, deputy—the people of this state would like to know that their taxpayer dollars are going to good use. Now I’m holding the educational budget in my hand and it’s feeling a little light if you catch my drift…”

“Here’s the thing on education Jane—you can’t really combat it can you?”

max saucedo staff writer

“I beg your pardon; ‘combat education?’”

“Right. I can’t go to the state senate and ask for more money on the war against education.”

“I see…”

“Now, if I go there and do that, I’ll get roasted alive for not being sensitive to the needs of every red-blooded citizen.”

“But Ron—“ “A good thing to ask for is a resolution.

Last year I’d say I managed to put together at least 50 resolutions. Resolutions look good because it means we get to take a photo together shaking hands. The press eats that stuff up. Sometimes we get a community leader out there to join in the fun too. It’s great stuff.”

“Okay, none of that makes any sense, but I’ll move on. What can you say about this year’s upcoming budget cuts to social welfare programs such as Medicaid and Medicare?”

“See, there you go again asking about such silly things. Why don’t you ever ask the good questions? Like how long can I hold my breath? Watch … 10 seconds! Almost beat my record.”

“I think people still have a right to know why these programs are being cut instead of other things.”

“Jane, I love you. But there is absolutely no way that we are cutting the annual Thanksgiving Turkey Trot. You know I’m already conditioning for that. This state has sponsored that program since time immemorial, and to cancel it now would mean the destruction of the values we hold near and dear as citizens of this beloved country.”

“But it’s completely unnecessary.“ “Oh say can you see … by the dawn’s early

words

Across 1 Set count 5 Ally of Sun 11 Relocation aid 14 Unrestrainedly 15 Divulges 16 As per 17 Liner with Intel inside?

19 One may be flipped 20 When many night visions occur?

21 Revealing garb 22 Nylon notable?

25 Bag 29 High mountain 30 “Yikes!”

31 Lock 34 “Gerontion” poet’s monogram

37 Get one’s kicks in a painful way?

41 Rush participant’s prize 42 Fields 43 Give for a while 44 Music-licensing org.

45 Meshes 47 Principal plant?

53 Playground bouncer 54 Like some important letters 59 Pay stub?

60 Surprise the neighborhood?

62 Take home 63 University of Minnesota mascot Goldy __ 64 Unsigned, briefly 65 Private __ 66 Professorial duds 67 Numerous

Down 1 Scrape 2 Mideast VIP 3 __ sci 4 Take from the top 5 Dress 6 ‘20s-’30s skating gold medalist 7 Personal answer 8 “My Name Is __ Lev”: Chaim Potok novel 9 “__ can’t” 10 57-Down measure 11 Bona fide 12 Dress style 13 Floor 18 Pool lead-in 21 Tourist’s guide 23 Secure at the dock 24 Otherwise 25 Highest power?

26 Petri dish filler 27 Vacation destination 28 Chemical suffix 31 Digital temperature gauge?

32 Genetic messenger 33 Unexpected fictional visitors 34 You, to a Friend 35 Function in 39-Down 36 Scraps 38 “__ Said”: Neil Diamond hit 39 It involves angles, for short 40 35mm camera option 44 Marathon unit: Abbr.

45 Trains may stop at them 46 Smooth-talking 47 Chophouse choice 48 Tin Man actor Jack 49 Make merry 50 Breadth 51 “Wag the Dog” actress 52 Ticked 55 Hoax 56 New York college with a mascot named Killian 57 Coll. major 58 Fashion letters 60 York, for one: Abbr.

61 Do-it-yourselfer’s concern

light…”

“Not to mention we are living in a financial crisis…“ “…What so proudly we hailed … at the twilight’s last gleaming…”

“Moving on now, I wanted to get your opinion of this administration’s latest stand on immigration.”

“Well that’s an easy one there Jane, I appreciate your candor. The official position of the governor is that there is no position.

Much easier that way I think.”

“You can’t be serious? How can we put trust in a man to lead us if he can’t even make up his own mind?”

“Well, as you know Jane, the governor has always had a bit of a problem with coming to such an absolute stance on certain things.

The landscape of this country is always changing.”

“Is there anything else that he has a hard time making his mind up about?”

“Christ, have you seen the man trying to figure out what socks to wear? You’d think he was balancing the budget or asking for money for the war on education. Absolutely ridiculous, if you ask me.”

“I wasn’t…”

“Suffice to say that the governor is a very busy man and—hang on a moment. I’m getting a call. Hello? Yeah I’m in the studio right now. Have you been listening? It’s a real crackerjacker isn’t it? What’s that? Well I don’t think I really can I’m booked for another 30 minutes but … well there’s no reason to be so cross about it, Davey, I’m only answering the woman’s questions. Uh … there appears to be only one exit at the moment. Reaching it would require me going past her, but I think, hold on, she’s looking at me, I need a minute…”

“Mr. Deputy Governor, thank you for your time.”

“Right, I think I have an opening! Bye!”

numbers

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

ALL SOLUTIONS AVAILABLE ONLINE AT WWW.THEDAILYAZTEC.COM or IN OUR NEXT ISSUE’S CLASSIFIEDS CROSSWORDS, SUDOKU, AND HOROSCOPES COURTESY OF TRIBUNE MEDIA SERVICES INC., ©2014.

disclaimer

The views expressed in this issue do not necessarily reflect those of The Aztec.

Express your concerns by emailing letters@thedailyaztec.com

thefuture

your Birthday (3/24/14) - Talk about what you love this year. Keep building communications skills; greatest personal and professional gains come from expressing passion. Fun with kids, family, friends and teams grows your heart and community. Home beautification over springtime sets the stage for a boost in your fortunes after August. Fertile creativity overflows into autumn. Grow your image and brand after October. Follow joy.

HOW IT WORKS: 10 is good, 1 is bad.

Aries (March 21 - April 19) - Today is a 7 - A group decision provides an opportunity.

Consider it, without taking action yet. Look at all options. A rise in status or pay is possible.

Clarify your dream, map out a plan, and prepare your move.

Taurus (April 20 - May 20) - Today is a 7 - Plan your next trip, but don’t go yet. Handle responsibilities, make preparations, pay bills and repair equipment. Delegate or complete obligations. Verify reservations. Dream about the upcoming adventure. Determine intended outcomes and priorities.

Gemini (May 21 - June 21) - Today is a 6 - Resist the temptation to deplete shared resources. Follow an expert’s plans. Work closely with your partner. Ride the wave, without testing physical limitations. Anticipate controversy and head it off with clarification.

Don’t react without thinking. Send someone ahead.

Cancer (June 22 - July 22) - Today is a 7 - Aim high and rely on partners, especially to navigate breakdowns smoothly. Delegate more this week. Streamline a work routine.

Postpone relaxing in luxury. The more energy you put in, the more benefits appear.

Your credit rating’s rising.

Leo (July 23 - Aug. 22) - Today is an 8 - You don’t have to pay for everything. Streamline a routine. You’re a lucky winner. Wait to see what develops. Don’t make outrageous promises. No fair cheating. In other words, don’t take big actions. Sit quietly.

Virgo (Aug. 23 - Sept. 22) - Today is a 7 - The tide shifts in an unexpected direction today. Get family to help. Give everyone a chance to voice their opinion. Have what you need delivered. Increase efficiency, and consider all possibilities. Look for fun.

Libra (Sept. 23 - Oct. 22) - Today is a 7 - Don’t show unfinished work to a critic.

Irritations and breakdowns at home could throw you off your stride. Schedule carefully.

Remain gracious, especially around those lacking manners. Nip disagreements in the bud. Map out a dream privately.

Scorpio (Oct. 23 - Nov. 21) - Today is a 6 - Adapt to changes with flexibility and optimism. Reassure a loved one with your wry sense of humor. Opportunities and new ideas hide in the chaos of fears about the future. Recognize lurking shadows and banish them with light.

Sagittarius (Nov. 22 - Dec. 21) Today is an 8 - Give yourself permission to dream about money. How much would you like to make? Check out an interesting suggestion. Expand your heart. Clean up messes. Finish up old business. Test your hypothesis. Don’t take anything for granted.

Capricorn (Dec. 22 - Jan. 19) - Today is an 8 - Determine priorities to fulfill a personal dream. Use more imagination than money. Act from wisdom, not impulse. Sell stuff or get it appraised. Clean up messes.

Test ideas in private before going public. Let the family help.

Aquarius (Jan. 20 - Feb. 18) - Today is a 7 - Get your team moving. Schedule carefully to fit it all in. Stop worrying... meditate or go for a walk for some peace.

Others ask your advice. There may be institutions or health issues involved. Friends are with you.

Pisces (Feb. 19 - March 20) - Today is a 6 - Keep increasing your understanding, or you can just rely on faith to pull you through.

Avoid a disagreement about priorities by clarifying them early on. Invite participation.

Friends and associates get behind you.