04-19-2017

weekly PRINT EDITION

wednesDAY, april 19, 2017 – Tuesday, April 25, 2017 volume 103, Issue 31

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

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

A.S. passes anti-Semitism resolution

jasmine bermudez Senior staff writer ____________________________

Students march through campus Monday, April 17 in support of changing the Aztec mascot.

Andrew dyer, opinion editor

Students march to change SDSU mascot Will fritz sENIOR sTAFF wRITER ____________________________ San Diego State students rallied on Monday April 17 to protest the Aztec mascot ahead of the University Council’s vote on a resolution to retire the mascot.

The Student Diversity Commission voted unanimously to send the resolution to the council during a meeting on April 10.

The resolution was initially submitted to Associated Students by the Native American Student Alliance.

Protesters first organized in front of Hepner Hall, waving signs and using a loudspeaker to express their opposition to the Aztec name and moniker.

Protesters later marched around campus, shouting their opposition to the mascot.

While rallying in front of Hepner Hall, MEChA member Michelle Parra directed her attention to faculty who stood nearby and observed the protest, and shouted at them to come closer.

“We’re here asking you all to represent us as students of color,” she said. “This is unacceptable that we are in this (educational system), and we are still having to deal with racism.”

Parra said she is not proud of the Aztec mascot or that many buildings on campus are named in the Aztec language, Nahuatl.

Participants in the rally said the Aztec mascot is racist, and a gross example of cultural appropriation.

One such student, creative writing master’s student Brooke Peterson, said it is not a

question for her whether or not the mascot is offensive.

“It’s controversial in terms of like, there are very much people for and against it,”Peterson said. “But I don’t think that the issue of ‘is this racist or not?’ is controversial at all. I think all the research backs up the fact that it is racist, and I think the personal experiences of people who have to live with the impact also backs that up.”

She mentioned Ozzie Monge, a lecturer who wrote his dissertation on the use of the mascot, and Lydia Wood, a graduate student who she said is currently writing a dissertation on colonization.

“There’s a lot of research being done right here on the

MASCOT continued, P3

Associated Students University Council voted to pass a resolution to condemn antisemitism on April 12.

The meeting began with public comment from SDSU students, alumni and staff voicing their concerns and opinions about resolutions to condemn anti-Semitism, retire the SDSU mascot and moniker and fight food insecurity through expansion of the A.S. food pantry.

A.S. University Affairs Board Chair Chimezie Ebiriekwe said the amendments that were made to the resolution were items previously taken out by the Campus Community Commission.

The University Council amended the resolution to include “the three Ds” - delegitimization, demonization and double standards regarding Israel - as forms of anti-Semitism.

The resolution passed 18-4, with five abstentions.

During the meeting, the University Affairs Board also adopted the United States Department of State definition of anti-Semitism.

This definition establishes anti-Semitism as, “a certain perception of Jews, which may be expressed as hatred toward Jews. Rhetorical and physical manifestations of

anti-Semitism are directed toward Jewish or non-Jewish individuals and/or their property, toward Jewish community institutions and religious facilities.”

The resolution says the U.S. Department of State recognizes anti-Semitism can come from language and actions related to Israel, but criticism of Israel that is at the same level of criticism of other countries is not anti-Semitic.

The resolution says it was not created to restrict free speech, academic freedom or participation in social activism.

“Its only purpose is to define the line between civil, academic debate and hate speech,” it reads.

The resolution lists incidents of anti-Semitism that have occurred at SDSU and universities across the country.

It reads that blatant antiSemitism must never be tolerated and Jewish people have a collective right to selfdetermination.

College of Arts and Letters representative Nick Elliott said he voted in favor of the resolution.

“When it was first presented (to the campus community commission), there were flaws,” he said.

Elliot said he encouraged sending the resolution to the Campus Community

RESOLUTION cont. P3

Zylan Cheatham announces intent to transfer tony zarate staff writer ____________________________ Only three days after his announcement as new head coach of the men’s basketball team, Brian Dutcher announced sophomore forward Zylan Cheatham will not be returning to San Diego State Wednesday, April 14.

After a meeting with each of the players, Cheatham expressed to Dutcher that he would like to explore other schools to play basketball.

“We appreciate all Zylan has brought to this university, both in the classroom, as he is a very good student, and on the basketball court, for his contributions to the success of the program,” Dutcher said. “We wish him well in his pursuit at another university.”

Since the SDSU men’s basketball team is losing playmaking seniors such as Dakarai Allen and Matthew Shrigley, Cheatham was expected to be one the leaders on the team along with junior forward Malik Pope.

“I want to thank everyone at the university for giving me the opportunity to play Division I basketball,” Cheatham said.

“I appreciate the support the coaching staff and team has shown me during my time at San Diego State and in helping me along my process of going from a boy to a man.”

The Phoenix native came to Montezuma Mesa before the start of the 2014-2015 season.

However, due to an ongoing foot injury, this forced the four-star recruit to redshirt his first year at SDSU. During his redshirt freshman campaign,

Cheatham averaged 7.6 points per game as well as racking up 36 assists in 38 games.

In his second, and final, season wearing the Scarlet and Black, the redshirt sophomore forward averaged 9.1 points on a 51.9 percent clip and a teambest 6.3 rebounds along with 43 assists in 31 games, including 22 starts.

In his final three games, Cheatham shot an even 50 percent from the field while averaging 7.6 points.

Cheatham did not give any indication when talking to the media of where he is looking to play for the upcoming season.

Since he already used his redshirt season, he will only have one year of eligibility left at his new school. He can petition the NCAA for a medical waiver for a sixth season of eligibility.

Redshirt sophomore Zylan Cheatham watches a play against Boise State March 9. kelly smiley, photo editor

2 news

April 19 - 25, 2017 • THE DAILY AZTEC editor: Kayla Jimenez • news@thedailyaztec.com

Panel talks Title IX at universities SDSU community discussed “Sexual Assault in the Current Political Climate” on April 13 ALLYSON MYERS STAFF WRITER ____________________________________ A question-and-answer panel on sexual assault titled “Sexual Assault in the Current Political Climate,” was held as part of Take Back the Week on April 13.

More than 100 students, faculty and community members attended the event organized by the Women’s Resource Center in the Fowler Athletic Center.

The panelists focused on sexual assault at SDSU, resources available to victims and legal concerns.

Catherine Valerio Barrad, the new general counsel for SDSU, addressed concerns about Title IX under Department of Education Secretary Betsy DeVos. “One of the big issues that’s facing our office today is, without a crystal ball, we’re trying to figure out what is going to happen with the current administration to the emphasis on Title IX that has been part of the Obama administration and other administrations prior to that,” she said.

Barrad said that while Title IX is currently enforced by the Department of Education through financial funding to universities, any change on a federal level will not impact SDSU’s compliance with Title IX as it is currently interpreted.

Guidelines made for Title IX in 2011 require universities to independently investigate and address sexual assault and

SAN DIEGO

violence on campus.

She said though there is a new administration focusing on different priorities than the past one, it should not have a constricting effect on how Title IX is evaluated and implemented at SDSU. Some questions focused on expanding access to resources for survivors of sexual assault who are not women, and changing the language of policies to be more inclusive of gender nonconforming people.

Emma Fuller is a women’s studies graduate student who works in the office of Assemblywoman Lorena Gonzalez Fletcher. She said that there is currently a trend toward increasing the use of genderneutral pronouns in legal documents.

“A lot of the language still in new laws about sexual violence might still be focusing on women,” Fuller said.

“But there’s definitely been a shift to make it gender-neutral, because there is acknowledgement that it’s not just women.”

Women’s Studies Department Chair Doreen Mattingly helped organize the event.

She asked the panel what resources a student has if they are assaulted on campus while under the influence of illegal drugs or while drinking underage.

CEO of the Center for Community Solutions Verna Griffin Tabor said the Rape Crisis Center run by CCS will support the victim in whatever they Hablamos Español

go go

GOTTA GO!

Did you know

750

YOU MAY BE ELIGIBLE NOW FOR

$

College Graduate Rebate toward the lease or finance of select new Toyota vehicles* Applies to consumers who have graduated a 2 or 4-year college, trade school, or degree program in the last 2 years, or will graduate within 6 months from the purchase date.

10

$

TARGET GIFT CARD WITH TEST DRIVE†

†No purchase necessary. Limit one card per household. Not valid on past test drives.

Must have valid driver’s license and proof of insurance. 100 Available. Must present ad to obtain incentive. Offer expires 4/30/17.

NEW 2017 TOYOTA

COROLLA S FWD Auto

100

$

LEASE FOR

5

The panelists discussed sexual assault at SDSU during a Take Back the Week event on April 13.

Allyson Myers, Staff writer

choose to do.

She said students who are afraid of retaliation do not need to decide right away whether to report a sexual assault to the police, but can prepare for that option by getting a rape kit at a hospital.

Rape kits are used mostly for collecting DNA evidence.

“Even then, with them collecting the DNA on [every] part of your body, you still don’t have to decide right then and there if you want to go ahead and report this crime,” Tabor said. “But by collecting the DNA, they can keep it and if you decide you want to go ahead, then it will be there

and it will be stored.”

Other questions focused on the fear of victim blaming or other forms of retaliation against victims of sexual assault by the university.

Women’s Resource Center Coordinator Jessica Nare said students who are victims of sexual assault should seek support from the on-campus advocate.

“I think the advocate on campus is the best neutral party to help students navigate whatever system they’re interested in pursuing, just because they can support students in all of their options,” she said.

Resolution: Council condems anti-Semitism

issue is whether or not calling out Israel for human rights violations, criticizing Israel or supporting BDS is a form of anti-Semitism.

He said he is curious as to what the impact of the resolution will be.

He said the resolution called for Associated Students to not facilitate or promote any events that are antiSemitic, which he said it already shouldn’t do.

“Associated Students resolutions are not really binding or super impactful on certain things,” Alemi said. “It will have a positive impact in that hopefully Jewish students feel safer on campus but I mean A.S. is not patrolling the streets or anything.”

Ebiriekwe said the resolutions are “strong recommendations” to the university administration.

The A.S.Board of Directors met on April 17 and voted against reverting back to the version of the resolution passed by the Campus Community Commission. They also voted not to name Students for Justice in Palestine in the resolution.

The University Council will vote on the remaining two resolutions on April 19.

Continued from P1 Commission “When Curtis (Copin) and Josh (Miller) turned it back to University Council, it was definitely in much better shape,” he said.

PSFA representative Samantha Ledesma said she voted against the resolution.

She said she would have voted in favor of the resolution if they had kept the original edits.

“I think we definitely undermined other students on this campus,” she said.

Students for Justice in Palestine President Mustafa Alemi said the main

at this offer

/mo + tax

Closed-end lease for new 2017 Toyota Corolla L FWD Auto for $100/month plus tax for 36 months on approved tier 1+ credit. Gross Cap Cost $19,431.01. Net Cap Cost $14,503.59. $4,761 due at lease signing after the application of $1,000 TFS lease cash rebate (includes 1st payment, $0 security deposit, $80 dealer document processing charge, tax, license, and fees). Drive-off example based on 7.75% tax rate and actual amount may vary. 12,000 miles per year with $.15/mile thereafter. Window tint is not included in advertised offer. Offer expires 4/30/17. *Valid on lease or finance of Camry, Camry Hybrid, C-HR, Corolla, Corolla iM, Prius (excl. Prius Prime), Prius c, Prius v, RAV4, RAV4 Hybrid, Tacoma, Yaris, Yaris iA, or 86. All new untitled Scion (discontinued 2016) vehicles are also included. Must provide proof of graduation and employment. See dealer for additional program details. $750 College Graduate Rebate will be applied to lease drive-off amount, or the down payment on finance contracts, subject to Toyota Financial Services approval. Offer expires 7/5/17.

BIG

WE’RE REALLY

and very

Friendly

SAN DIEGO

VERY FRIENDLY

EXPERIENCE Work with San Diego’s friendliest sales & service staff

REALLY BIG SELECTION Over 665 new and certified pre-owned Toyotas on our 10-acre lot!

5910 Mission Gorge Road, San Diego, CA 92120 888-812-9524 • www.toyotasandiego.com

The University Council debates the anti-Semitism resolution during a four-hour meeting on April 12. jasmine bermudez, senior staff writer

news 3

April 19 - 25, 2017 • THE DAILY AZTEC editor: Kayla Jimenez • news@thedailyaztec.com

March addresses campus sexual violence JOCELYN MORAN senior staff writer ____________________________________ As part of Take Back the Week, organizers created a space for San Diego State students to share their experiences in order to spread sexual assault awareness on campus in the Lee and Frank Goldberg Courtyard on April 13 Take Back the Night is a non-profit that aims to end sexual assault, domestic violence, dating violence, sexual abuse, and all other forms of sexual violence through awareness events and initiatives, according to their website. Since the organization’s inception in the 1960s, over 600 campuses and communities have held Take Back the Night events in over 30 countries.

Womyn’s Outreach Association Executive Board Community Service Coordinator Julia Goldberg said the event’s focus was to create a safe space for survivors, and she thought the night went well.

“It’s really, really cool to hear how people can be vulnerable in the setting we create for them,” Goldberg said. “I think it’s a really nice thing because for survivors. It’s really hard for them to share their stories.”

Other events throughout the week included presentations and panels that focused on supporting survivors and the challenges facing sexual violence prevention.

Political science senior Jennifer Webber said she didn’t think one week was enough time to talk about sexual assault.

“Sexual assault happens every single night. It happens pretty much every minute,” Webber said. “It just shows the lack of consciousness, the lack of knowledge and the lack of respect for women.”

Webber said her favorite part of the week is Take Back the Night because of its impact.

“It’s showing you’re going to march, and you’re not going to be quiet about it,” she said.

Co-president of SDSU Womyn’s Outreach Association Charmay Porter said Take Back the Night was led by the organization.

“This is an issue, not just here, but out in the community and across the nation,” Porter said. “Being able to just open that dialogue with people, that’s why I’m here.”

Biology senior Andrew Suezaki said rape and sexual assault is a huge issue on college campuses, and there needs to be more events like Take Back the Night.

Goldberg said while the group was marching on-campus, people were cheering them on and telling the marchers thank you.

Some onlookers did not see the point in protesting.

“I think that the protesters are not taking the most efficient way to make a change on this campus,” economics

Students marched throughout campus in support of sexual assault awareness on April 13.

Elissa Tauscher, Staff PhotograPher

freshman Travis Miller said. “I just don’t think a march is the most effective way to go about changing anything on this campus — especially on a Thursday at 7:30 p.m.”

He said if someone really wants to make a change on campus and have an effect, they should go to Associated Students.

“Go to someone who actually has power,” Miller said.

Miller said he doesn’t think A.S. executive officers should participate in marches like Take Back the Night because it demonstrates bias.

“I don’t think it’s politically correct to take a side like that,” he said.

Accounting sophomore Zach Shefield said he thought the protesters were very close-minded.

He said he asked one of them what they were protesting about, and a protester told him “sexual violence” and did not care to give any other information about what they were doing.

“I just don’t think protesting is the answer, especially on a college campus,” Shefield said. “I’m not going to say (sexual assault) is not a problem. I think as a whole, our school is doing fine.”

Mascot: Students march to change Aztec Continued from P1 issue,” she said.

Other bystanders had mixed opinions on the protest and the Aztec mascot.

Sociology freshman Mykah Peters said she likes the uniqueness of the mascot, but understands the controversy over its use because it is an actual person.

“I don’t really see the Aztec anywhere else,” she said. “Like, when you think of a school, you think of an animal or something like that.”

Accounting freshman Nathan Youssef called the debate “stupid” and said the university is not going to change the mascot because students identify as Aztecs.

“I just think that it’s who we are,” he said. “And to change that is something that’s not right.”

Kinesiology senior Harrison Smith said he does not think the mascot has ever been a negative symbol.

“I think it always meant strength and power,” he said. “I don’t think they’ve ever appropriated Mexican or Aztec culture. I’m not for it or against it. I don’t think what they’re protesting against is true.”

Associated Students College of Arts and Letters representative Nick Elliott was present in the demonstration. He said he supports changing the mascot.

“I believe that it negatively affects a lot of communities on this campus,” he said.

Elliott said the push from alumni, athletics and other groups on campus to keep the mascot is misguided.

“I think that what they think they’re doing is right and justified, but I think they’re just blinded by privilege, frankly,” he said.

Center for Intercultural Relations Director Edwin Darrell called the protest an opportunity for students to voice their opinions.

“I think this is a student issue, at this point, and I’m here to support students to have these conversations,” he said.

Dean of Students Randy Timm said the university is making sure that there’s a space for students to be able to speak.

A.S. President-elect Chimezie Ebiriekwe said the protest was a great opportunity to bring awareness to the issue.

“Not a lot of students walking around campus know that there’s a resolution going through,” he said.

Ebriekwe said he would not take a position on the mascot until after he has been sworn out as Associated Students University Affairs Board Chair, and will oversee the vote.

Students march outside Love Library Monday, April 17 in support of changing the Aztec mascot. andrew dyer, opinion editor

4 news

April 19 - 25, 2017 • THE DAILY AZTEC editor: Kayla Jimenez • news@thedailyaztec.com

Wu-Tang Clan’s GZA discusses race

The rapper talked about globalization and hip-hop as part of a lecture series at the university Ariana Shier staff writer ____________________________________ The Beautiful Arts Club and Department of Classics and Humanities hosted an event on April 11 featuring renowned rapper GZA, also known as The Genius or Gary Grice.

The Department of Classics and Humanities invites three lecturers to campus every year through an

“These topics are extremely relevant in this political and social climate,” English junior Michael Shannon said.

Beautiful Arts Club Vice President of External Affairs and event coordinator Jamey Ketone said he purposefully made the event open to the public and students.

“We wanted to make this open to the public because we wanted to bridge that gap between community and the academy,” Ketone said.

“hip hop heals racial divides.”

- GZA (Gary Grice), Rapper

endowment. GZA was chosen as one of the three lecturers for the 20162017 school year. A grant to cover the remainder of the event came from the Student Success Fee. Grice co-founded the rap group WuTang Clan with his cousins who go by the stage names Ol’ Dirty Bastard and RZA. As a solo artist, he has released multiple albums, including “Liquid Swords.”

Grice spoke about race, globalization, and hip-hop in American culture to an audience comprised of both San Diego State students and the general public.

Ketone said he chose Grice because he is someone who can speak about academic topics while being relatable to students.

“I felt like not enough students were engaging in extracurricular academics,” Ketone said.

During the event, Grice spoke about how he incorporates science into his rapping and the importance of science for students. “‘Genius’ is a tangible manifestation of what we set out to do many years ago which is expressing brilliant universal

GZA addressed students and members of the public at a lecture on April 11.

Elissa Tauscher, Staff photographer

ideas in artistic ways,” Grice said.

Grice said that his schooling did not prioritize science, so rapping was an opportunity for him to combine his art and intellect in a meaningful way.

Grice said science is beneficial for students because it allows them to question what they learn to find a deeper meaning.

“I thought it was valuable to see how vast his knowledge is and how he applies that to the craft of hip-hop,” English

senior Mick Carreri said.

Grice also discussed the role of hiphop in race relations. He said that music bridges the gap between foreign lands because there is no language barrier.

“Hip-hop heals racial divides,” Grice said. “Music is universal, so race has nothing to do with it.”

Grice is currently working on his upcoming album titled “Dark Matter,” which he said will incorporate some of the topics discussed during his lecture.

Who’sWho? Editor In Chief Jacob Sisneros Managing Editor Jamie Ballard News Editor Kayla Jimenez asst. News Editor Adriana Millar Sports Editor Anthony Reclusado asst. sports Editor Austin Gayle Asst. sports editor, club sports Sydney Olmstead ARTS & culture Editor Christine Whitman asst. ARTS & culture Editor Lilly Glenister Opinion Editor Andrew Dyer mundo azteca editor Andrea Lopez-Villafaña Asst. Mundo azteca editor José Guzmán-Quirino Photo Editor Kelly Smiley video producer Adriana Heldiz art director Emily Lewis Graphic Designer Aidan Prehatny social media EDITOR Alex Piscatelli Copy Editor Brian del Carmen senior Staff writers Jasmine Bermudez Will Fritz Jocelyn Moran

Staff writers Kayla Asencio Cami Buckman Danny Dyer Alex Ellison Kemi Giwa Concepcion Guzman Allyson Myers Emely Navarro Alex Noble Mayer Pohlod Carla Rauseo Vladimir Salazar Ariana Shier Sarah Tanori Dana Tsuri-Etzioni Kayleigh Venne Tony Zarate Staff Photographer Kirby Crow Joe Kendall _____________________________________ Advertising Director John Weil Sales Manager Matthew Volk Account Executives Connor Brooke George Saridakis Peter Saridakis Kaylie Seacord Stephane Voitzwinkler Accounting & Contracts Tyler Burnett Kalie Christensen _____________________________________ General Manager/adviser 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.

Web Daily content is available at www.thedailyaztec.com Additional sports content is available at www.dailyaztecsports.com

April 19 - 25, 2017 • THE DAILY AZTEC editor: andrew dyer • opinion@thedailyaztec.com

opinion 5

Ugly texts about control Andrea lopez-Villafaña mundo azteca editor ____________________________________ The entire idea behind this biweekly sexual health and sexuality column was to confront the many issues women, especially college women, face by grabbing back and taking control of situations that often leave them feeling objectified.

It could be something like receiving an unsolicited dick pic, having their photograph posted on an Instagram account designed to reduce women to their physical attraction or getting a message asking for sexy pictures from someone who is practically a stranger.

All these instances are about control and often women ignore them because it’s easier to avoid the confrontation.

As a society, we have accepted certain norms that make it harder for women to speak up because they are afraid of the consequences they might face from standing up for themselves.

Jessica Nare, Women’s Resource Center coordinator, said it’s important to not only examine the individual, but also look at the culture of our community.

Rape culture in society is what makes women feel as if they won’t be believed if they confront the situation — that it’s easier to avoid it and stay quiet.

It could be easier to ignore the unsolicited dick pic from the star basketball player, the TFM Instagram account that placed your bikini picture on their page and tagged themselves on your breast or the guy who asked for a nude after months of not talking to you — it’s

time to stop ignoring those situations.

It’s time to grab back and take back.

One way to take back control is to refuse to do what they’re asking and let that person know that what they are asking for and their belief they will actually receive it, is disrespectful.

You are not a prude because you said no to something that you don’t feel comfortable doing.

The responsibility should not only sit on the shoulders of women, but also on a community as a whole. Condemning these actions as a community is crucial so the men committing the actions can understand that it’s damaging and feeds into the objectification of women.

“We are not a society that inherently sexualizes men’s bodies in the same way,” Nare said. “You can see men as sexual beings, but then we also recognize them for other traits so when men’s bodies are sexualized, we are not reducing them to sexual bodies in the same way we do to women.”

Women have historically been sexualized and endured more violence than men have simply because of the power dynamics at play.

If the script were flipped, it wouldn’t be the same because most men haven’t experienced the same victimization and loss of power as women, Nare said.

It’s entitlement that makes these individuals believe that they deserve to receive a “sexy picture,” or that women should be grateful to receive unsolicited dick pictures.

It needs to stop and we need to start showing them that there are consequences to their actions.

A text messaged received by the author.

Photo by andrea lopez-villafaña

Someone sent you an unsolicited dick pic? Tell them it’s disturbing they sent you something you didn’t request or want.

Let them know what you felt and let them know that you will block them if they ever send something like that again.

Someone who you don’t talk to asked you for a “sexy pic”? Tell them exactly how that made you feel and that it’s rude.

It could lead to someone saying something rude in return — at that point just block them. However, it could lead to an apology and maybe that person will think twice before feeding into the objectification of women.

Students pay, then locked out Dana Tsuri-etzioni staff columnist ____________________________________ San Diego State requires non-local freshmen to live on campus during their first year. The new “Sophomore Success” program will also require non-local sophomores to live on campus, beginning with the 2017 freshman class. On-campus housing is important because it allows students to integrate into campus life and socialize.

However, there are underlying issues that need to be discussed.

One issue is the fact that the Office of Housing claims students pay for a full nine months of dorm residency and meal plans. In reality, many students can’t even access their dorms for all of winter break, or other breaks such as spring break.

“An expense calculation (has been made) for additional staffing. We don’t have to pay for (all the RA’s), if they go home as well (during those breaks),” said Eric Hansen, director of the Office of Housing Administration.

This, however, doesn’t explain why students are paying from December 21through January 16 when most can’t even access the dorms.

Even if the expenses students pay during that time frame go toward other operational costs and not the

actual housing, it should be explicitly stated. Instead, on the housing website under the pricing for meal plans and housing it reads, “Based on 9- month license agreement. Includes 9- month ARC membership, activity fee, and service fee.” Reading this, it seems as if students have complete access to their dorms for the nine months they pay. In reality, this isn’t true.

Students’ whole lives are in their

they would be forced to go through this process just to get into their own room.

The Sophomore Success program is being implemented starting next year. Its stated goal is to have a higher level of students graduate. The reason these two are correlated is because it was found that students living on campus perform better academically than those who don’t. It’s important to secure student success, but this program forces students to pay a large amount of money two years in a row.

“Although it costs more to live on campus, the return on investment in terms of student success more than outweighs that additional expense,” Hansen said.

“Students are graduating instead of leaving the institution without a degree or having to take extra years.”

Shouldn’t this be the student’s responsibility and not the school’s choice to make? Aren’t college students adults who can make these decisions on their own without the school making them pay for an extra year of on-campus housing?

Overall, changes need to be made regarding the policy of housing over breaks as well as the mandated requirements for students to live in on-campus housing for multiple years.

It shouldn’t be difficult for students to access their items, and they shouldn’t be forced to move to a completely different building if their hall doesn’t provide housing over break.

students’ whole lives are in their dorm rooms — it is their home for the school year. It is unjust for them not to have access during break. dorm rooms — it is their home for the school year. It is unjust for them to not have access to their dorms during breaks — especially long ones. If a student needs housing over break, they need to notify the school in advance and move their items to a residence hall that is open during those breaks.

When asked if students have access to items they really needed and forgot in their dorms, Hansen replied, “We will work with them, they’ll call our central office, and we’ll have them come in and be escorted to their rooms.” So even if someone forgot a really small item they felt they needed,

6 opinion

April 19 - 25, 2017 • THE DAILY AZTEC editor: Andrew Dyer • opinion@thedailyaztec.com

Missing girls are more than hashtags Social media uproar over missing black girls in Washington, D.C. overlook larger problems. kemi giwa staff columnist ____________________________________ Natalee Holloway and Elizabeth Smart were household names growing up.

I was young, but I vividly remember my parents pointing to these girls as reasons for me to stay home instead of attending my classmate’s birthday party or my best friend’s sleepover.

My parents even decided to purchase a security system right after the disappearance of Natalee Holloway.

The disappearance of these girls took over international news for years on end, and my parents grew overly protective. As a result, I became worried for my own safety.

Fast forward at least six months later, and the disappearance of Elizabeth Smart is still plastered all over television screens. Six years after her disappearance and Natalee Holloway still made headlines. Of course, I understood the outcry over these girls, but what about Sharneica Frazier, who went missing the same year that Natalee Holloway? Or Ashani Creighton, who disappeared shortly before Elizabeth Smart?

Were their disappearances not as worthy of headlines? Was it simply a coincidence? Or was it because they were black girls from low-income communities? Because they were part of a group of people who the media has shown are not valuable enough to receive airtime?

In 2014 the Black and Missing Foundation reported that more than 64,000 black girls across the country were missing. More recently, social media erupted in disbelief when attention was drawn to the number of missing girls in Washington D.C. The hashtag #FindOurGirls trended on Twitter for weeks. But, that was the extent of it. The discussion of these black and brown girls reached all corners of social media, yet got lost as a quick segment on the local news. It slowly became yesterday’s tragedy. As quickly as people began talking about it, they just as quickly stopped caring.

The idea that many of these girls could have possibly run away does not make them any less deserving of empathy. Instead, it should encourage investigators to work to see why they are doing so. Many people have implied that runaways

“choose to leave.” But girls of color who experience a disproportionate amount of violence at home and in the welfare or juvenile system may not have many places where they can feel safe and free. They are often treated unfairly and pushed out of schools through disciplinary practices that are often racist and sexist. Rather than understanding these children and their behavior, they are often criminalized for reacting to the violence they are subjected to. For this reason, it is impossible to talk about the missing girls without an in-depth conversation about their conditions.

Running away has become a method of escape from the stresses and trauma of their everyday lives. Ultimately, there is no distinction between girls who run away and those who are kidnapped. Until people acknowledge that, it will be harder to effectively address the fact that girls — especially brown and black girls — are not safe in places they are supposed to be.

However, the idea that the missing girls are missing because they voluntarily leave increases a black girl’s vulnerability to violence. It is not likely people will look for girls who

they believe willingly decided to leave.

So, while the epidemic of running away is an issue, we must make it an equal concern to address the large number of girls of color who are taken away by criminal enterprises such as trafficking and kidnapping.

It is not hard to realize why any parent of a black or brown girl would be especially wary of their daughter’s whereabouts. The lack of coverage in the media for girls of color has made them an easy target for sex traffickers.

Studies show that the press is four times more likely to report if a white person goes missing than a black or brown person.

That means if these missing girls in D.C. were white, there would constantly be search teams in the area.

But clearly, being a black or brown girl automatically deems one’s life as less valuable. It is time for authorities and lawmakers to listen to the concerns of women of color and for individuals to stop dismissing our feelings as invalid or as a result of being “fast” or “troubled.” Instead, it is important to give missing girls of color the same treatment and benefit of the doubt as we did Natalee Holloway.

MMA must do more to take care of fighters Dangerous weight-cutting techniques threaten the long-term health of athletes, sport. danny dyer staff columnist ____________________________________ Mixed Martial Arts have ballooned into an international phenomenon over the past decade. Whether it is the cobra-like ground gyrations of Jujutsu, the mighty body slams of Judo or the crowd-favored fist fight exchanges, MMA is finding more and more footing in the global sports community.

Ultimate Fighting Championship deserves credit for this recent ascent.

The UFC has been the vehicle needed for such an intricate web of selfdefense methodologies to evolve into a stadium-filing spectacle, competing with the likes of the NFL. For all its bubbling hype, however, the sport still has quite a few shortcomings it must remedy to ensure the highest level of safety for its competitors. The biggest of these regularly unnoticed faults is the infamous pre-fight strategy known as weight cutting.

Dr. Anthony Alessi is a neurosurgeon who has been working with the Connecticut State Athletic Commission on combat sports for the last 20 years.

He is featured in a video documentary on fighter Cris Justino’s YouTube channel.

“Weight cutting is trying to wring out as much water out of your system so you can get onto the scale at a low weight,” he said.

Many fans and MMA pundits claim this preparation routine allows fighters with overall larger frames to brawl at weight classes they realistically should never be in. Others point to CEO Dana White’s heartless business strategy, which demands fighters to either remain in shape or be out of a

job. Regardless of the reasoning, the process itself has escalated into one of the unhealthiest pre-fight tricks in a sport that is already a large cause of concussions and brain damage.

As of late however, this tactic has materialized into the public sphere via fighter confessions and footage of the grueling practice. One of the most disturbing examples is found in a biographical documentary about Brazilian UFC fighter Cris Justino, known best by her nickname “Cyborg.”

Compulsory whimpers shrill from the former Strikeforce Champion’s throat as her team cloaks another thick blanket around her sweat-caked body in an effort to dehydrate her and cut her weight. This is only one of the several inventively unsettling ways she and her team dehydrate her body.

Other methods include lengthy cardio workouts in plastic jumpsuits, extensive sessions in a sauna and, worst of all, submerging in scorching hot baths for long periods of time.

“I go inside the bath, and I pray there, and I cry,” Justino said in an interview.

Her natural weight is 175 pounds, yet the women’s weight classes in the UFC cap off at a ceiling weight of 145 pounds. The numbers alone do the talking.

All the same, the alarming truth behind this under-the-rug approach is that Justino is only one of many infusing these sorts of strategies into their fight camps.

Conor McGregor, one of the UFC’s biggest draws, illustrates the physical differences between that of a normal weight and a cut-down size from his sheer aesthetic alone. When fighting at 175 pounds, his face is a wholesome and full shape. Yet when cutting to 145, his frame is cadaverous, with veins

bulging from his muscles and sunken, skeletal cheeks.

Khabib Nurmagomedov may be one of the most tragic victims of this technique. Originally booked to fight Tony Ferguson at UFC 209 for the interim lightweight belt, he was hospitalized just a day before stepping into the Octogan. He was diagnosed as being near death.

While the UFC has recently upped its efforts to monitor dangerous weight cuts, the most obvious answer is one still not being taken seriously: incorporating more weight classes to

accommodate to fighters with larger figures.

Joe Rogan, MMA analyst and UFC’s long running fight commentator, is one of the most vocal advocates against this self-destructive system. “Weight cutting is the biggest problem in MMA. We need a solution where we transition towards fighters competing at their actual weight,” he wrote on Twitter.

As it is, MMA is a sport teetering back and forth between calculation and risk.

It is time for notable fight promoters such as the UFC to stop pushing more chips into an already dicey gamble.

April 19 - 25, 2017 • THE DAILY AZTEC editor: ANDREA LOPEZ-VILLAFAÑA • MUNDOazteca@thedailyaztec.com

Mundo Azteca 7

Haragán y Cía. tocan música única

El grupo de rock se presentaron en House of Blues en San Diego. carla rauseo, escritora

Carla Rauseo escritora ____________________________________ El Haragán y Cía. se presentaron en la House of Blues en San Diego para celebrar sus 27 años de carrera. Sus fans confesaron amar las letras de sus canciones y sus ideologías.

Sonia Cisneros, de 37 años, dijo que es fan de Haragán y Cía. desde hace más

de 15 años y aseguró que el grupo tiene muchísima gente que los sigue en los Estados Unidos dentro de la comunidad latina.

Jennifer Fuentes, de 18 años, y Alma Vega, de 37, se declararon “Super fans de el Haragán” y dijeron que los siguen desde hace muchos años y que aman las letras de sus canciones.

Luis Álvarez, conocido como “el Haragán” y el fundador de la banda de

Alumni.

Basketball.

College.

Dedication.

Education.

Fashion.

Government.

Humor.

Independence.

Journalism.

Knowledge.

Leadership.

Mobile.

News.

Opinion.

Politics.

Quality.

Research.

WE KNOW SDSU. Theater.

Usefulness.

Value.

Web. Xavier.

Youth.

Zura.

THE DAILY AZTEC NEWSPAPER | THEDAILYAZTEC.COM

rock, dijo que sus canciones son muy humanas, y que a pesar de haber crecido en la ciudad de México, sus canciones no solo narran lo que se vive en México, sino cosas que se viven en cualquier otra ciudad del mundo, con las que cualquiera se puede identificar.

Luis Flores, de 47 años, oriundo de la Ciudad de México, dijo que tiene mucho tiempo siendo fan de “el Haragán”. Le gustan mucho las letras de sus canciones y los apoya mientras digan la verdad.

Dijo que su canción favorita es “No estoy muerto”. Álvarez también es el compositor del grupo.

“No miento en ninguna canción. Todas son historias que he vivido”, dijo Álvarez y añadió que tal vez haya un par de canciones que no tengan su letra, pero han sido homenajes a otros grupos como “Los tigres del norte”.

A pesar de ser el compositor de la mayoría de las canciones, Álvarez se refiere siempre a “nosotros” y al grupo en todo momento, enfatizando que Haragán y Cía. no es una persona, es un grupo, es una familia y aspira a que lo vean como tal.

“Los medios masivos de comunicación especialmente en México y Latinoamérica se dedican a promover lo que no resulta peligroso para el sistema”, dijo Álvarez. “Los grupos como yo que hablamos de la realidad, que llegamos a analizar, a cuestionar, a denunciar a veces alguna situación, nos vamos

relegando un poquito de los medios masivos”.

Sin embargo, el grupo tiene seguidores de todas edades que los apoyan y disfrutan muchísimo de su música.

La apertura del concierto la hizo Marujah, una banda de rock establecida en San Diego, con miembros de todas partes del mundo, que se caracteriza por cantar canciones que hablan de derechos humanos y la libertad de expresión. La banda sin duda tuvo un gran recibimiento por parte del público y puso a bailar y a saltar a más de uno.

El concierto de Haragán y Cía. fue un derroche total de buena energía y talento de principio a fin. La afinidad que tiene el grupo no solo entre ellos, sino también con sus seguidores es obvia, se siente en el ambiente y se contagia.

El grupo tocó unas de sus canciones más populares como “No estoy muerto”, “El chamuco”, “Morir de noche”, “Hipócrita” y “Muñequita sintética” que pusieron a bailar, a gritar, a saltar y hasta a llorar al público.

Fue un concierto bastante emotivo.

El cariño que le tienen los seguidores al grupo se hizo presente en cada instante y la reciprocidad era notoria. Álvarez dijo que es la tercera vez que viene a San Diego y que lo disfruta mucho, que le encantaría volver.

Por su parte, el grupo va a seguir trabajando muy duro para hacer lo mejor y seguir complaciendo a todos sus fans, dijo Álvarez.

8 Mundo Azteca

April 19 - 25, 2017 • THE DAILY AZTEC editor: ANDREA LOPEZ-VILLAFAÑA • MUNDOazteca@thedailyaztec.com

Despensa de alimentos es temporal jocelyn moran escritora ____________________________________ Mientras estudiantes de San Diego State se preocupan por sus pruebas en las clases, otros enfrentan la preocupación de cómo podrán comprar su próximo alimento.

Un estudio fue publicado por la California State University en febrero del 2015 que mostró 21 por ciento de los estudiantes en las CSU’s enfrentan la inseguridad alimentaria. También indica que 8.7 por ciento no tienen hogar.

Once de las 23 universidades en el sistema CSU ya habían tenido programas que ayudaban a los estudiantes con inseguridad alimentaria antes de que SDSU incorporará la despensa de alimentos.

La despensa de alimentos en SDSU empezó en noviembre del 2016.

“Yo no lo llamaría una despensa de alimentos”, dijo Jeanette Corona, estudiante de cuarto año de español y estudios chicano y chicanas. “Yo lo llamaría una distribución temporal de alimentos”.

La despensa de alimentos no es permanente.

Estudiantes Asociados (AS) Vicepresidente de Asuntos Universitarios Chimezie Ebiriekwe dijo que SDSU tiene crédito con el Banco de Alimentos de San Diego que alcanzará hasta el fin del semestre de otoño del

2017.

Corona trabaja en el departamento de química y bioquímica, y en frente de su escritorio, hay latas y aperitivos que la gente puede llevarse.

“En general, el salario mínimo en San Diego no es sostenible y los precios de donde vivir en esta área no es sostenible”, dijo Corona. “Esto me afecta porque yo lo estoy viviendo”.

Corona dijo que llegó a SDSU en 2011 y desde entonces, ella ha peleado

del 2018.

Ella dijo que si no hay una para enero del 2018, quieren que la casa Agape obtenga alimentos.

“Les estamos dando tiempo”, dijo Beck. “Queremos que construyan una despensa de alimentos permanente en la universidad y que den comida a una organización en campus para que mientras tanto, estudiantes tengan a un lugar que ir”.

Ebiriekwe dijo que la resolución

“ Yo lo llamarÍa una distribuciÓn temporal de alimentos”

- Jeanette Corona, Estudiante de español y estudios chicano y chicanas

por más programas que SDSU pudiera adoptar que ayudarían a los estudiantes que están luchando debido a sus estatus económicos.

Exalumna de SDSU Rachel Beck y la casa Agape, Ministerio LuteranoEpiscopal del Campus, entregaron una resolución a AS que explica lo que quisieran ver pasar con la despensa de alimentos en el futuro.

Beck dijo que uno de los componentes de la resolución es tener una despensa de alimentos permanente en SDSU para septiembre

también se trata de ampliar la despensa de alimentos por lo menos dos días a la semana y cuatro horas más durante esos días.

“La mayoría de los estudiantes en el consejo universitario están en favor de la resolución”, dijo Ebiriekwe. “Si es pasado, todos nosotros en AS estaremos buscando maneras factibles para incrementar los días que la despensa de alimentos esté disponible”.

Ebiriekwe dijo que aproximadamente 90 estudiantes usan la despensa de alimentos en SDSU cada semana, pero

los números suben la primera semana de cada mes.

“Lo que yo supongo es que los elementos que contribuyen a esos números son la renta, la seguranza, biles de los carros y diferentes necesidades que estudiantes necesitan pagar o escogen pagar antes de la comida”, dijo Ebiriekwe.

Estudiante de primer año de negocios John Sheley dijo que ha usado la despensa de alimentos entre cinco y diez veces y su experiencia ha sido increíble.

“Solo vas cada jueves, les enseñas tu Red ID y te dan un poco de comida”, dijo Sheley. “Realmente te ayuda durante tiempos difíciles. Respeto la gente y el proceso”.

Ebiriekwe dijo que estudiantes están felices con la despensa de alimentos pero siempre hay espacio para mejorar.

“Nosotros siempre estamos tomando recomendaciones de estudiantes sobre lo que necesita ser cambiado”.

Ebiriekwe, con el resto de su grupo de campaña, habló mucho sobre la importancia de enfrentar la inseguridad alimentaria. Él dijo que como presidente de AS del próxim año, va a trabajar con Chris Thomas, el 2017-18 vicepresidente de AS, para tratar de continuar la despensa de alimentos.

La despensa de alimentos en SDSU es disponible todos los jueves a las 10 a.m. hasta las 3 p.m en el mercado productores.

April 19 - 25, 2017 • THE DAILY AZTEC editor: ANDREA LOPEZ-VILLAFAÑA • MUNDOazteca@thedailyaztec.com

Mundo Azteca 9

Celebrando cultura y comunidad Concepcion guzman escritora ____________________________________ Barrio Logan, una comunidad ubicada entre East Village, Sherman Heights y Logan Heights, se ha establecido como meca de encuentro y cultura.

Se encuentran restaurantes, cafés, galerías de arte, historia y un sentimiento de comunidad como en ninguna otra parte. La cultura de Barrio Logan se puede ver por todas partes, solamente tomando un paseo por cualquier parte de esta comunidad. En cualquier fin de semana, hay varios eventos culturales puestos por los mismos residentes o organizaciones culturales.

El viernes 14 de abril, se dio a cabo “El Otro Lado: Breaking Down Barriers”, un evento organizado por estudiantes del Departamento de Estudios Latinoamericanos de San Diego State University.

Este evento se realizó en Border X Brewing ubicado en Logan Ave. Border X Brewing, un lugar de encuentro como muchos lugares de Barrio Logan, es conocido por sus cervezas únicas y anfitrión de eventos culturales.

El propósito del evento fue exponer la cultura de las dos fronteras.

El evento trajo varios artistas como poeta Kenton, Baile Folklorico del grupo Huaxyacac, música y fotografía

de DJ Saul Q. También estuvo presente Andrea Castillo, periodista de Los Angeles Times.

“Acabo de obtener mi licenciatura en Chicago y me contaron que San Diego es un buen lugar donde vivir, y decidí venir”, dijo Ana Escoto, residente de San Diego. “Ahora, busco mi conexión a mi cultura mexicana y al chicanismo, creo que lo (he) encontrado aquí en Barrio Logan”.

Muchos como Escoto vienen a estos eventos no solo para apoyar, pero también para encontrar esa conexión cultural que tanto desean. Para personas como Escoto, es importante tener lugares como Barrio Logan para exponer los trabajos de los artistas.

El evento comenzó con Castillo y una presentación visual de sus artículos para L.A Times. Muchos de ellos tienen que ver con la inmigración, la política y reportes de la sequías de Californiana.

“La inmigración se cruza con la política, familia y el medio ambiente”, dijo Castillo.

Originaria de Seattle, se mudó a Fresno por tres años para cubrir esos temas y conocer los problemas más al fondo de la gente Hispana quien día a día luchan por pertenecer y no ser perseguidos.

“Es muy interesante su trabajo e inspirante”, dijo Danny Tamayo, nuevo residente a San Diego y originario de Chicago. “Es importante aprender

Periodistas en peligro vladimir salazar escritor ____________________________________ En las últimas seis semanas, cuatro periodistas han sido asesinados en México.

El asesinato más reciente ocurrió el 14 de abril, en La Paz Baja California Sur. En los años recientes, los periodistas en México han estado bajo ataque.

De acuerdo con la organización Articulo 19 en el 2016, fue reportado que de enero a septiembre, por lo menos 10 periodistas fueron asesinados. También, en ese mismo tiempo, periodistas reportaron 296 agresiones. Esas agresiones incluyeron amenazas, ataques físicos y materiales o acosos.

De las agresiones que fueron denunciadas por periodistas, solo tres llegaron a tener una sentencia condenatoria en contra del agresor. La mayoría de las denuncias quedan en el olvido, y las autoridades fallan a castigar o encontrar a los agresores.

Daniel Rubio, periodista para la revista Newsweek y El Sol de Tijuana, habló sobre la violencia que se ha vivido en México en contra de periodistas.

“Esta situación es preocupante porque no hay una respuesta satisfactoria por parte de la autoridad”, dijo Rubio “Nosotros como periodistas, no estamos pidiendo exclusividad o tratos especiales, solo queremos las garantías para cumplir nuestro trabajo”.

Rubio menciona que él no ha sido víctima de violencia física mientras ejerce su trabajo, pero sí de la violencia institucional.

“Hay distintos niveles de agresión o de presión o de censura, son una constante”, dijo Rubio.

Rubio relato que constantemente hay

un intento de censurar a los medios de comunicación o a periodistas, ya sea por no permitirles el acceso a conferencias de prensa o por negación a entrevistas por parte de las autoridades.

El problema con este tipo de agresiones en contra de periodistas es que no solo es un problema humanitario, pero es un peligro en contra de la democracia.

El trabajo de un periodista se enfoca en la transparencia y la libertad de expresión, y cuando este tipo de actos en contra de la prensa o de los medios de comunicación ocurren, se puede hacer el argumento de que un país en realidad no es democrático.

El problema de lo que está ocurriendo en México es que las autoridades no están haciendo algo al respecto, y la mayoría de los asesinatos en contra de periodistas son porque ellos estaban ejerciendo su trabajo lo cual como mencionó Rubio, es algo que también las autoridades deciden omitir.

Por ejemplo, periodista Miroslava Breach fue asesinada en marzo mientras dejaba a uno de sus hijos a la escuela, según reportó BBC. Breach había recibido amenazas en el pasado por su trabajo periodístico.

El trabajo periodístico de Breach se enfocaba mayormente en relatar la violencia en contra de grupos de derechos humanos o delatar sobre actos criminales cometidos por el narcotráfico.

Aunque este problema está ocurriendo en México, debería de ser considerada una situación alarmante para periodistas en Estados Unidos bajo el gobierno de Presidente Donald Trump.

Debería también de ser una causa alarmante para estudiantes de San Diego State que tienen la intención de tener una carrera periodística.

Bailadores durante el evento celebran su cultura con un baile tradicional.

Concepcion Guzman, Escritora

de lo que sucede en este estado visto como tan superficial, gracias a las películas y la farándula. Pero California tiene muchos problemas con inmigración entre otros”.

Patty Pacheco, originaria de Santa Bárbara y residente de San Diego, dijo que la razón por la cual ella apoya eventos como este es que ella cree que tienen mucho valor.

“Me encanta que la comunidad de SDSU, organiza estos eventos culturales que dan un enfoque

importante, especialmente hoy en día dando la situación política en nuestro país”, dijo Pacheco.

Castillo dijo que es importante tener eventos como “El Otro Lado: Breaking Down Barriers”.

“Me encantó el evento, fue un honor poder venir a San Diego y hablar de mi trabajo”, ella dijo. “Es súper bien que organizaciones estudiantiles puedan organizar eventos como estos.

Es muy importante también para la comunidad”.

10 SPorTS

April 19 - 25, 2017 • THE DAILY AZTEC Editor: anthony reclusado • sports@thedailyaztec.com

Top-25 state of mind for baseball Mayer pohlod Staff Writer ____________________________________ When it comes to all successful sports at San Diego State, there is a central question to be asked. It was asked of basketball before their last couple of down years, and football is currently in the conversation as well.

Is the Mountain West holding the bigticket sports back?

The answer is yes.

The conference is weighing down a team that should be receiving more national attention and deserves to be in the top-25 conversation.

Aztec baseball currently sits in second place in the MW with a 12-5 conference record, behind a University of New Mexico squad that sports an 11-2-1 mark to go along with a Rating Percentage Index of 39 in Division I of the NCAA. RPI takes into account a team’s record and its strength of schedule.

The men on the Mesa find themselves much farther down with an RPI of 101, which in itself is ridiculous, even with a relatively weak schedule.

The rest of the MW foes are ranked 149th (Fresno State), 214th (San Jose State), 222nd (University of Nevada, Reno), 227th (UNLV) and 240th (Air Force Academy). Wins against them aren’t going to do the Aztecs any favors in the rankings.

The 12-5 record against those teams isn’t terrible, but even five losses against

teams of that caliber are going to hurt the Aztecs, who have yet to play New Mexico.

What helps SDSU’s case is its overall record, which sits at 26-11 and includes a perfect 4-0 record against current top-25 teams in most major polls, including the USA Today Coaches’ Poll and the D1Baseball.com Top 25.

There’s their first one of the year, a 5-4 victory against juggernaut Cal State Fullerton in late February, who checked in with a No. 7 ranking at the time.

If you don’t like that close win, there’s a 10-1 drubbing of the University of San Diego, at that point ranked 25th.

Finally, there’s not one but two wins against Long Beach State, currently slotted in at No. 12 in Baseball America’s rankings. Those two victories, by the scores of 6-2 and 12-5, were not close wins. The latter showcases an offense that is one of the best in the country.

Compare that to New Mexico, who has played a handful of games against ranked opponents and hasn’t fared nearly as well. Their record against top-25 opponents is a miserable 1-10, including a three-game sweep at the hands of Fullerton and a 7-2 loss against USD. The Lobos’ lone win came against No. 23 Dallas Baptist in their second series of the season, but that win was bookended with losses. Dallas Baptist is no longer in any top-25 ranking and has an RPI of 63.

The point is if the Lobos have done enough to receive the title of 39th best team in the country, the Aztecs deserve an RPI much higher than 101st.

Senior pitcher Dominic Purpura winds up for a pitch against the University of Pacific.

Danny dyer, Staff PhotograPher

Does their smaller sample size against ranked teams immediately propel them higher than New Mexico? No, the Lobos are leading the MW for a reason, but SDSU has done more than enough to earn a higher ranking.

Standing at .318, the Scarlet and Black’s team batting average is tied with three other teams, including New Mexico, for the tenth best mark in the NCAA. It’s an offense that has scored 36 runs in its last two games, with 20-6 and 16-3 wins against UNLV. Led by a whopping 10 batters hitting over .300, including junior outfielder Tyler Adkison’s team-leading .392 clip, they have averaged 6.6 runs a game.

That doesn’t undermine their pitching

though, which is tied for 29th in the country with a 3.35 ERA. There are seven pitchers with at least 10 innings recorded that have ERAs under three. The bullpen, which includes five of those in the aforementioned group, has kept the Aztecs in games and held leads.

A stronger schedule is needed for SDSU to prove itself deserving of a top-25 ranking, but if the stats say anything, they Aztecs done enough to warrant consideration among the nation’s elite.

With a three game series against New Mexico coming up April 29 and another game against the Toreros later in the season, the Aztecs have the potential to prove that they do belong higher in the rankings.

Get $50 plus Free Checking that rewards you.

1

Stop by our Cal Coast Campus Branch.

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

Visit us today in the Conrad Prebys Aztec Student Union.

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

1

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

April 19 - 25, 2017 • THE DAILY AZTEC editor: anthony reclusado • sports@thedailyaztec.com

Sports 11

Aztecs attempt to fight off déjà vu Sydney olmstead Asst. Sports Editor, Sport Clubs ____________________________________ The San Diego State softball team has made 11 NCAA Division I tournament appearances since 2001 and holds a Mountain West-record seven regularseason titles in that span. That streak was snapped last season, as the Aztecs missed the postseason for the first time since 2007.

The team’s current 23-14 record is strikingly similar to last year’s 22-18 record at this same point. With just 12 games left in the season, nine of which are on the road, SDSU will have to push hard to return to the postseason.

Going into last weekend’s series against the University of New Mexico, the Aztecs’ bats were as hot as anyone’s in the country as they ranked fourth in the nation in batting average and 14th in runs scored. Every starter in the lineup was hitting over .300.

With the weekend sweep, the team was pushed into a tie for second in the conference with San Jose State.

While the Scarlet and Black are dominating opposing pitchers, SDSU’s 1-4 record on the road doesn’t bode well for the final stretch of games with only three on home turf.

However, the Aztecs had a bye weekend before the UNM series that head coach Kathy Van Wyk said helped rejuvenate the team and bring some

life back into its lineup.

“We hit a lull before and now I feel like we’re on our way back up,” Van Wyk said. “I’m really glad we didn’t have games over the bye week, because they needed the rest.

“Maybe we’re different than other teams, but we’re usually playing 14 players - the same players a lot - and those people need rest. So I think we’re kind of on our way up, we’re on an upslide.”

Some young talent on the team has played a major role in bringing success on the field and in the box so far this season. Freshman shortstop Shelby Thompson is batting .313 with 18 RBIs and is a wall in the infield, while freshman outfielder Kiera Wright is batting .317.

Freshman Marissa Moreno has been a force on the mound, with a 3.36 ERA and 42 strikeouts over 66.2 innings pitched so far.

“Coming in, were both (Thompson and Wright) studs,” junior catcher Jenavee Peres said. “Seeing them getting comfortable and finding their rhythm in the game is super cool.”

SDSU is currently three games behind Utah State, which is ranked first in the MW. There isn’t much room for error as the Aztecs head into the final 12 games of the regular season if they want to return the NCAA Regionals.

There are 291 NCAA member institutions that sponsor Division

Freshman utility player Kiera Wriight chokes up on the bat against UCLA on Feb. 10. kelly smiley, Photo Editor

I Softball teams and are eligible to compete in the National Championship. The tournament hosts 64 teams, 32 of which receive automatic qualification after winning their conference, while the other half are selected on an at-large basis by the Division I Softball Committee.

“Win every game,” Van Wyk said of the team’s mentality at this point in the season. “We have no options, we have to win games.”

The team’s offensive prowess has lent itself to a greater energy in the dugout and on the field. The chemistry on the

field has been developing throughout the season and junior outfielder Zaria Meshack feels it is peaking at just the right moment.

“The past couple weekends we’ve been changing it up with whoever leads off and whoever’s at the end, trying to figure out who fits where,” Meshack said. “We kind of tell each other ‘just get on,’ and we trust each other. I think we’re finally meshing, honestly.”

The Aztecs will first head to Boise before facing No. 1 Utah State between April 28-30.

THE CAMPAIGN FOR SDSU HAS RAISED MORE THAN

$750 MILLION TO SUPPORT DANIEL AND ENTREPRENEURSHIP.

GIVE.SDSU.EDU

April 19 - 25, 2017 • THE DAILY AZTEC editor: anthony reclusado • sports@thedailyaztec.com

Sports13

Aztecs’ bats come alive in Sin City Alex Ellison Staff WRiter ____________________________________ The San Diego State baseball team came out victorious in the desert, as it captured a series win against UNLV from April 13 to 15.

With the sun high in Sin City, the Aztecs belted 39 runs in three games, including 36 in the final two, for the most runs in any three-game stretch since scoring 42 runs in the 2012 Mountain West tournament. Despite the prolific scoring, the Aztecs only claimed two of the three victories.

UNLV 6, SDSU 3 The series opener came down to the two teams raking the ball out of the yard.

SDSU connected on two home runs, a two-run shot in the third off the bat of junior second baseman Alan Trejo and a solo home run in the seventh from junior catcher Hunter Stratton.

That was all the offense the Aztecs could muster in the opener as UNLV took charge.

The Rebels scored two in the second inning off of three singles and a sacrifice fly and opened up their lead with back-to-back home runs in the third by sophomore center fielder Kyle Isabel and junior catcher Payton Squier.

In the fifth, Isabel hit his second home run of the contest and the Rebels were able to comfortably win the series opener 6-3.

SDSU 20, UNLV 6 In the middle contest, the Aztecs’ offense exploded for a season high in both hits and runs. It started in the top of the first and never stopped as senior shortstop Danny Sheehan hit an RBI double and sophomore first baseman Jordan Verdon added another with a single as SDSU took a 2-0 lead.

In the second, Trejo singled in another run followed by senior third baseman Andrew Brown doubling in two more and Sheehan doubling in another.

The third inning brought more runs for the Aztecs. Sophomore catcher Dean Nevarez tripled to score two while junior right fielder David Hensley hit a sacrifice fly for another.

In the fourth inning, the Aztecs ended any doubt by adding seven more runs to the onslaught, but were not done as they added one more in the fifth and seventh innings and two more in the eighth inning.

In the end the Aztecs won the match 20-6 and totaled 24 hits, including four from both Trejo and Verdon.

SDSU 16, UNLV 3 The rubber match on Saturday was a continued display of offensive dominance from SDSU. After going down in order the first two innings, the Aztecs turned on the bats again. In the third, Nevarez doubled in Martinez, Brown singled in Hensley and Sheehan brought two home with a shot to left

Sophomore catcher Dean Nevarez makes contact against a University of Pacific pitcher. kirby crow, staff photographer

field to open up a 4-0 lead.

The fourth brought two more runs on two solo shots from Martinez and Nevarez while the fifth ended the Rebels’ hopes of a comeback. Nevarez had a two-run double, Hensley singled in Martinez, Brown hit a sacrifice fly, Verdon tripled home three Aztecs and junior left fielder Tyler Adkison made sure Verdon came in to score as well.

In total, the Aztec offense scored eight runs in the inning and held a 14-0 lead after five innings.

UNLV pushed across its first run

when junior third baseman Austin Anderson tripled to bring home a run in the bottom of the fifth and added two more in the eighth on a fielder’s choice and senior second baseman Cooper Esmay’s double down the left field line.

SDSU answered those two runs with two of its own in the top half of the ninth to pour on to what was a 16-3 victory for the visitors.

The Aztecs head to Santa Barbara for a three game series against the UC Santa Barbara from April 21-23.

NCAA Tournament returns to Viejas Arena Anthony Reclusado Sports Editor ____________________________________ While the San Diego State basketball teams haven’t brought the excitement of the NCAA tournament to the Mesa for the last two years, the “Big Dance” is returning to the Mesa regardless.

For the fifth time since the buildings construction, Viejas Arena will host the first and second round of the 2022 NCAA men’s basketball tournament, announced by the NCAA on April 18.

SDSU will also host the first and second round of the tournament in

2018.

Aside from the 2018 championship, SDSU has hosted three previous NCAA Division I tournaments in 2001, 2006 and 2014.

The games in 2022 are scheduled to be played on March 18 and 20, which is a Friday-Sunday matchup that favors fvisiting fans, who have to miss less work than Thursday-Saturday games.

The other schools to host the first and second round of the 2022 tournament will be the University of Cincinnati, Furman University, Duquense University, Oregon State and three other off-site locations that will be hosted by

share

how to

the daily aztec with your

friends: 1. Read an article.

2. Tell a friend.

3. Repeat.

the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference.

The Regionals, or the site of the Sweet 16 and Elite 8, include Northwestern, University of Texas, the University of Pennsylvania and a site in San Francisco, which will be hosted by the Pac-12. New Orleans will host the Final Four for the first time since 2012.

If the men’s basketball team does qualify for the tournament in 2018 or 2022, they will be placed in another regional, as NCAA rules don’t permit teams to play in their home arena. In 2014, this forced the Aztecs to play 1,000 miles north in Spokane, Washington.

The closest venue to San Diego for

the first and second round in 2018 will be Boise State’s Taco Bell Arena and Oregon State’s Moda Center in 2022.

The West Regional will take place in Los Angeles’ Staples Center in 2018 and in 2022 it will be in the Golden State Warriors’ new Chase Center in San Francisco, which will open in the 201920 NBA season.

Newly minted head coach Brian Dutcher announced at his press conference on April 11 he was going to try his best to take SDSU where Steve Fisher didn’t: the Final Four. But first he has to get this program back to the NCAA tournament.

14SPORTS

April 19 - 25, 2017 • THE DAILY AZTEC editor: anthony reclusado • sports@thedailyaztec.com

Aztecs’ bats surge in series sweep Sydney Olmstead Asst. Sports editor, Sport Clubs ____________________________________ The San Diego State softball team went undefeated in its home series against the University of New Mexico from April 13-15, run-ruling the Lobos in two of the three victories.

The Aztecs (23-15, 7-5 Mountain West) are now tied with San Jose State for second place in the conference and two games behind Utah State for the top spot.

Going into the weekend, SDSU was the fourth-ranked offensive team in the nation with every starter in the lineup batting over .300. It’s offensive strength continued to shine against the Lobos (19-18, 5-7 MW), as the Aztecs scored 22 runs in 18 innings.

SDSU 4, UNM 1 In her 96th career start, senior pitcher Erica Romero dominated on the mound, allowing only five hits and striking out four over five complete innings.

A steady defense backed Romero up throughout the game, holding the Lobos to only one run, which didn’t come until the top of the sixth when junior catcher Chelsea Johnson hit a sacrifice fly to right field.

The Aztecs struck in the first inning

when junior catcher Jenavee Peres drove a two-run homer over the right field wall. In the bottom of the third, Peres hit a sacrifice fly to deep left field to bring in another run for the Scarlet and Black.

SDSU’s fourth and final run came across the plate in the bottom of the fifth with the help of an RBI double from sophomore second baseman Katie Byrd that brought junior left fielder Zaria Meshack in for the score.

UNM scored its run in the top of the sixth but was unable to rally against the Aztecs with two runners on and no outs.

Lobos junior pitcher Alex Formby came in to close the sixth inning and then induced a pair of popouts in the seventh and struck out the final batter of the game to clinch SDSU’s 4-1 victory.

SDSU 10, UNM 2 (5 innings) Aztecs’ freshman pitcher Marissa Moreno held the Lobos to just four hits in Friday’s run-rule Aztec victory.

SDSU’s offense got the ball rolling in the first inning with back-to-back RBI singles from Peres and senior first baseman Sydnee Cable.

The team tacked on four more runs to its lead in the second after singles from freshman shortstop Shelby Thompson, freshman center fielder Kiera Wright and Meshack loaded the bases with just one out.

A wild pitch brought one run across

Freshman shortstop Shelby Thrompson reacts to a hit by a UCLA batter on Feb. 10.

Kelly smiley, photo editor

the plate, and an RBI single from Byrd brought in another. When sophomore third baseman Molly Sturdivant came up to the plate, she raked an RBI double to left-center field, which brought the score to 6-0, Aztecs.

The threat of a run-rule loomed large in the bottom of the fourth after SDSU put three more runs on the board with the help of RBI doubles from Sturdivant and Cable. But the Lobos were able to

“We need to stay focused and have that one goal because in our conference, anything can happen,” Meshack said.

“So we need to remind ourselves don’t worry what everyone else is doing, just stay focused for us and I think we’ll be successful.”

SDSU 8, UNM 0 (6 INNings) Romero allowed just five hits and

“ We have no options, we have to win games.”

- Kathy Van Wyk, Softball head coach

bring in two runs in the top of the fifth to extend the game.

However, their two-run effort wasn’t enough to dull the spear of the surging Aztecs.

The game was brought to a swift close in the bottom of the inning when Byrd hit a walkoff RBI double that brought in the 10th run for the Aztecs.

With the end of the season quickly approaching, the energetic lineup will have to remain solid.

struck out five over six complete innings on the mound in Saturday afternoon’s shutout.

After three uneventful innings, the Aztecs broke through in the bottom of the fourth and never looked back.

Byrd led things off with a single to right-center field, followed by Peres taking a base on a dead ball and Sturdivant taking a walk. Cable then roped an RBI double up the middle, followed by two more RBIs later in the inning from Thompson and Wright.

In the bottom of the fifth, Peres raked a two-run homer over the center field wall, which pushed SDSU’s lead to 6-0.

Another two-run homer from Peres in the bottom of the sixth secured the team’s run-rule victory.

“Right now, I feel like we’re pretty solid,” Peres said. “The lineup is pretty locked in so far. We all just mesh together very well and if one person doesn’t get it done, then for sure the next person will and so on.”

With just over a month left of conference play, the team has high hopes for reaching the postseason. Its strong offense will be crucial leading up to playoffs.

“We have no options, we have to win games,” Van Wyk said. “The bottom line is we’ve tried to push being super productive at bat, making sure any outs we make are still productive outs.

“We’re focusing on that, we’re focusing on a short swing and keeping it simple.”

The Aztecs will hit the road April 21 to take on Boise State.

April 19 - 25, 2017 • THE DAILY AZTEC editor: anthony reclusado • sports@thedailyaztec.com

sports 15

Seniors fall in final match on Mesa Kayla Asencio Staff writer ____________________________________ On April 13, the San Diego State women’s tennis team prepared to take on Fresno State in its third conference match of the season, but for the seniors on the team, they were playing for something special.

For seniors Kennedy Davis, Olivia Larsson and Taylor Lederman, it would be their final home match of their collegiate careers, their final home match wearing the Scarlet and Black and their final home match at the Aztec Tennis Center under head coach Peter Mattera.

Before the match, each senior was honored in a pregame ceremony where each player was introduced and handed flowers by their loved ones in attendance.

There was a great turnout of SDSU fans, as students, coaches and players from other sports on the Mesa showed their support.

Davis made her way to SDSU from San Jose, California, and over the course of her four years, she’s shown her competitive nature.

She started her senior game on a positive note after winning her doubles match with freshman Mia Smith 6-3 over Fresno State freshman Juliane Triebe and senior Galina Bykova.

“She’s obviously very talented,” Mattera said. “She’s such a fun individual to have as part of your team.

She fights. She’s a great teammate.

Kennedy is very unique and I’m really going to miss her.”

Davis’ singles match showed the same fight that she has had in her this whole season.

She competed against Fresno State sophomore Emma Wilson and won the first set 7-6 in a hard fought battle that would continue the remainder of the match.

Wilson took the second set 6-3 and

despite Davis’ resilience, Wilson went on to win the match after winning the final set 6-4.

Although Davis’ final singles match at SDSU didn’t come wrapped in a win, it was her thoughts on leaving her head coach that made her fight back tears.

“He’s the best coach,” Davis said.

“I couldn’t ask for a better coach and being around the team and this location is beautiful, so I’ll definitely miss that.

Thanks (Mattera) for giving me a good four years here.”

Larsson and Lederman competed together in doubles and lost to Fresno State freshman Katerina Stloukalova and sophomore Olivia Noble 6-3.

Larsson, however, went on to win her singles match 7-6, 7-5 against Noble. She was the only Aztec to win a singles match in SDSU’s 6-1 loss to Fresno State.

“After that win it feels amazing,” Larsson said. “I’m sorry that we didn’t kennedy davis get the team win, but it felt good for me to end with this win since I’ve been having so many close matches this season.”

Larsson says that if she returns home to Sweden, she’s going to cherish the San Diego weather that she got to practice and play in it every day, but she’s also going to cherish her teammates.

“Being a part of a team that comes from different places, we get to know so many different people and learn about different cultures,” Larsson said.

“All of those things are things that you can take with you in life, and I’m always going to remember that.”

Mattera said it was nice for Larsson to get a win because she deserves it.

“She’s just a

Senior Olivia Larsson goes for a two-hand forehand against UCSD’s Alexandra Weil.

SDSU athletics

wonderful teammate,” Mattera said.

“She’s the first one to see if anybody needs help. She’s always there to lend a hand and that’s something really valuable when you’re trying to form a team out of people that are playing an individual sport.”

The final senior on this year’s team came as a transfer student from the University of Kentucky and has had her strength tested throughout her collegiate career.

After having a bad coaching experience in Kentucky and missing most of this year’s season due to injury, Lederman said she cherished her time on the Mesa.

“We have such a good team bond and our coaches are involved in that too,” she said. taylor lederman “No matter if we

lose it’s always a positive outlook on everything, and I think that’s something that I’ll take away and try to implement later in my life down the road.”

Lederman lost her singles match to Bykova after winning the first set 7-5 but losing the last two sets 6-0, 6-2.

In only her second match back from injury, Mattera said it was nice to have her back.

“It’s hard because she hasn’t had to concentrate on the court for that long, so every day she’s getting a little bit better and having a really good step forward,” Mattera said. “She’s been a great fighter for us too, and it’s really unfortunate that she hasn’t gotten a complete spring season, but I’m really hoping, and I think Taylor shares my hope, that maybe we’re going to be doing something really memorable and exciting at the end.”

Lederman praised her coach for his ability to keep her spirits lifted high through both hardships and successes.

“Coming from Kentucky was a bad experience coaching wise, and (Mattera) is super positive and always a good coach and a good role model, so thank you for that,” Lederman said.

The San Diego State women’s tennis team (5-16) will finish the regular season by traveling to the Bay Area to take on San Jose State on Saturday, April 22.

16 Arts & culture

April 19 - 25, 2017 • THE DAILY AZTEC editor: christine Whitman • features@thedailyaztec.com

Documentary tries to transform city kayleigh venne staff writer ____________________________________ Last week the, Women’s Resource Center and various student organizations collaborated to host San Diego State’s annual Take Back the Week to raise awareness about sexual violence.

The Women’s Resource Center and various student organizations collaborated to put on events throughout the week including guest speakers, film screenings, healing circles, and more.

On Wednesday, April 12, the Women’s Resource Center hosted the film screening, “No! The Rape Documentary,” followed by a Q&A with director Aishah Simmons in the Conrad Presbys Aztec Student Union Theatre from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m.

The film was originally released in 2006 and has won a more than a dozen awards ever since.

According to the film’s website, Simmons was also one of twelve women to be awarded the Leeway Foundation Transformation award “recognizing her work using video as a tool for community transformation” in 2005.

Simmons is a black, feminist lesbian activist, filmmaker, lecturer and writer.

She is also a survivor of incest and rape and shared this with the audience before the beginning of the film.

Jessica Nare, the Women’s Resource Center Coordinator, introduced Simmons before the audience welcomed her to the stage.

“The making of the film started in 1994 and took 12 years to make,” Simmons said. “The film took so long to fund, because funders didn’t want to fund a documentary that was about the black community and rape.”

and showcases emotional poetry and dance throughout. Men are also included in the film, which is something that Simmons did not want to include at first.

“Initially, I did not want to include religion or men,” Simmons said.

Now she said she is glad that she did.

By including black male activists, Simmons provided another important

“ nowadays, more of us are talking on instagram and facebook, but there is still silence and victim blaming. we need to react as a community and not treat rape as only the indivudlas problem.”

- Aishah Simmons, Filmaker, lecturer and writer

“No! The Rape Documentary” features first-hand accounts of sexualviolence survivors as well as the history of activists throughout the black community in the United States who have fought and continue to fight to raise awareness and end rape.

Multiple sniffles were heard throughout the audience as black women told their experiences of sexual violence throughout the film.

The film also explores black culture

and differing perspective on sexual violence.

Simmons included her father in the film. He is featured at the end of the film and shares an account of him being robbed.

Her father mentions that after just having personal items stolen from him, he cannot even begin to imagine the intense trauma that sexual assault survivors endure.

After the film, Simmons took to

the stage for a Q&A with audience members. Simmons shared that her own healing process began with meditation and therapy.

“Nowadays, more of us are talking on Instagram and Facebook, but there is still silence and victim blaming,” Simmons said. “We need to react as a community, and not treat rape as only the individual’s problem.”

Simmons also touched base on the fact that perpetrators get no counseling, and discussed how this could change.

As soon as a rapist is released, they are likely to go out and rape again.

Counseling for the perpetrators could potentially stop this.

Simmons said that the initial response is to protect the person who has harmed and his is something that needs to change.

“We need to understand as a community,” Simmons said. “And we need to address the issue in all communities.”

Other Take Back the Week events included a workshop on redefining masculinity, discussions about the importance of consent, healing circles, support groups, trauma-informed yoga and several other events.

“All of these events ... were either initiated by students, or students said they were topics that haven’t been talked about in relationship to sexual violence so we really need to talk about them,” Nare said in a previous interview with “The Daily Aztec.”

April 19 - 25, 2017 • THE DAILY AZTEC editor: christine whitman • features@thedailyaztec.com

Arts & Culture 17

Review: Icon returns with ambition andrew dyer opinion editor ____________________________________ Father Josh Misty’s Coachella warmup gig in San Diego at Humphrey’s by the Bay was a tale of two shows: one, a polished and prepared set destined for the Coachella masses and another, in which the indie-folk crooner stood alone on-stage with his guitar and struggled to come up with songs to play or remember their lyrics.

Josh Tillman, performing under the pseudonym “Father John Misty,” is on tour in support of “Pure Comedy,” his third full-length album since abandoning his drumming duties with Fleet Foxes.

The album is Tillman’s most ambitious to date, exploring themes of religion, fame, entertainment and the basic banality of human existenc. It is a 75-minute existential crisis.

The first half of the album is its strongest. Radio-friendly songs such as the title track, “Total Entertainment Forever” and “Ballad of the Dying Man” have all been released as singles and were the first songs Tillman played at his San Diego show.

“Pure Comedy” is very much an album of its time, reflective of the social anxiety and existential dread many are experiencing under Donald Trump as people retreat into their technological and ideological bubbles.

On “Pure Comedy,” Tillman is almost an atheist evangelist taking the faithless to church to reassure them that no, they’re not going crazy, everyone else is.

The scope of some of this highmindedness is tempered somewhat by Tillman’s self-awareness and humor, its

more serious lines delivered with a wink and a nod.

The album swerves into self-indulgence at points as Tillman lets his ambition get the better of him, like on the 10-minute “So I’m Growing Old on Magic Mountain,” or the 13-minute “Leaving LA,” an autobiographical guitar-and-strings ballad. “Leaving LA,” despite its almost indigestible length, is also one of the album’s most touching and beautiful. In it, Tillman recalls choking on a piece of candy at a JC Penny’s as a child.

“I relive most times the radio’s on/ That ‘tell me lies, sweet little white lies’ song/ That’s when I first saw the comedy won’t stop for/ Even little boys dying in department stores.”

It is Tillman’s lyricism that gives “Pure Comedy” its punch. It is full of little moments that transcend pop, where Tillman explores ideas many people think about but don’t know how to put into words.

On his last record, “I love you, Honeybear,” a newlywed Tillman sang of a boundlessly optimistic love. He touched on some of his darker, nihilistic themes on “Honeybear,” specifically on the track “Bored in the USA.” His songwriting is still his greatest strength and has grown since “Honeybear,” but fans of that album will find little to none of its romantic sentimentality on “Pure Comedy.” And that’s OK. Tillman is a skilled-enough songwriter to tackle darker themes and melancholy with a deft melodious sensibility that sweetly sugarcoats his bitter-pill message.

Father John Misty raced through the first half of his set at Humphrey’s, but once he had exhausted his Coachella set list, his band, horns, strings and all, left the stage,

Josh Tillman, performing under the pseudonym “Father John Misty, at Humphrey’s by the Bay. andrew dyer, opinion editor

leaving Tillman alone in the spotlight with his acoustic guitar.

“What do ya’ll want to hear?” he asked the crowd, who began shouting requests.

“Can ya’ll pick a spokesperson or a representative?” Tillman asked, laughing.

He played a few fan favorites, but struggled to remember the lyrics of “Holy S--t,” a song from his last album.

He ended the song prematurely, laughed and asked the audience for more requests, mentioning he had more contractually obligated performance time remaining.

He stopped the concert at one point during the one-man-band portion of the show when an audience member began urinating in the middle of the crowd.

“This looks like an ecstasy scenario,” he said, trying to laugh off the episode and move on with the show.

But Tillman never really recovered, and what up to that point had been a

slightly unravelling intimate engagement with a small Humphrey’s crowd became completely disjointed.

The spellbinding dynamic that sometimes forms between an artist and their audience was broken by the phantom pisser.

Tillman played a few more songs and ended the affair without a crescendo or an encore. Father John Misty will return to San Diego in October for a doubleengagement at the Observatory in North Park.

His stage performance should be much improved after tweaking and reworking some of its elements over the coming months on the road.

“Pure Comedy” is, more than anything, an album of its time. And while it has been panned by the hipper-than-thou crowd, it is an enjoyable listen, poignant and beautiful and worth 75 minutes of anyone’s time, existential crisis or not.

Finding delicious food and great fun in Rome emely navarro international staff writer _____________________________________ Rome is one of the world’s most historic, influential cities, with an average of 7 to 10 million people visiting every year. I decided to become one of them during my semester abroad by taking a quick trip from Spain to Italy.

First impressions Before arriving, I thought Rome would have beautiful architecture and clean streets, but I was wrong. Although overall Rome was spectacular, I was surprised at how much graffiti there was throughout the city.

Of all the places I have been to, Rome was the worst-kept city. Considering how much of the city relies on tourism, I was surprised to see almost every street had graffiti, with the exception of the streets around monuments.

Food It’s fair to say I gained at least 10 pounds in Rome. The gelato, pizza and pasta were all incredible. The hype about Italian food is 100 percent true.

The most surprising thing was how different the pizza in Rome was. Contrary to the pre-cut triangle slices sold in the U.S., pizza in Italy is sold by the pound.

First the pizza is made in a large rectangle, and when you choose a slice you tell them how big or small you want the slice.

The dough is thin and usually the pizza is just dough, cheese and toppings. Very few types of pizza had any sauce on them.

After you choose the slice, they weigh it

and charge you by the pound.

Colosseum The Colosseum is one of Rome’s most famous landmarks and biggest attractions.

It is better looking in real life than in pictures, and to me it smelled like death, considering the hundreds of people who died there as part of the gladiator battles in ancient Rome.

For about five euros I got a tour of the Colosseum, which was well worth it. I got to learn more about the history of the building and our tour guide clarified some rumors.

Vatican City Visiting the Vatican was one of the most beautiful experiences of my life.

It was definitely a moment I will never forget, stepping into St. Peter’s Basilica and seeing the magnificent architecture, sculptures and paintings across the building.

Within minutes inside I started tearing up because I had always dreamed of visiting the Vatican. I was raised a Catholic. I have completed all the sacraments in the Catholic church, baptism, communion and confirmation, so I felt like I had achieved my Catholic duty by visiting this holy place.

I was fortunate enough to confess to a priest inside the Vatican, which was my favorite memory of my entire European experience.

What made it so special was that after I confessed the priest asked me to come to the front to see him. He smiles at me and gives me a postcard with the Virgin Mary in the front. He said “take this with you on

your travels and keep being a good girl.”

I don’t know if the priests do this often, but I had never had a priest give me anything more than a blessing before, let alone a priest at the Vatican. As weird as it may sound, I felt God with me at that moment and it was magical.

Climbing up to the dome at St. Peter’s Basilica was worth the exercise and extra cost. Visiting St. Peter’s Basilica is free, but climbing the dome costs five euros.

Michelangelo himself designed the dome that is 450 feet above the ground and 139 feet in diameter. After admiring the dome, you can climb stairs that take

you above Michelangelo’s work for a full 360 degree view of the Vatican City.

Overall Rome was not built in a day and it can’t be seen in a day or two or three either. The Vatican City alone takes about two days to see. If you are planning a trip to Rome, I would definitely advise saving at least a week for it.

I would also recommend staying near the main tourist attractions or in the Vatican City. Even though I did save money staying outside the city center, the center of town felt much safer overall.

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

18 arts & Culture

April 19 - 25, 2017 • THE DAILY AZTEC editor: christine whitman • features@thedailyaztec.com

Increasing sexual assault awareness Alex Noble staff writer ____________________________________ In solidarity with the Take Back the Week series, an event titled “#NotSilentBecause: An Honest Discussion about Sexual Assault at SDSU” was held Tuesday, April 11 to engage students in conversations about sexual assault and increase awareness about the resources available on campus.

Organized by the Women’s Resource Center and the “Let’s Talk” initiative, as well as student groups FratMANners and SISSTERS, the event’s lineup of speakers covered various facets of sexual assault education.

Jessica Nare, Women’s Resource Center coordinator and faculty member in the Women’s Studies department, also helped to facilitate “#NotSilentBecause.”

“Sexual assault is common everywhere,” Nare said. “It isn’t an issue that is particular to college campuses. I think, we see increased conversations about institutions like universities because they are microcosms of society and have the ability to create change within their structures.”

Nare led the first portion of the event, a discussion about society’s perpetuation of rape culture as well as ways to combat it.

In an environment in which acts of sexual violence are often minimized, tolerated and excused, what students can do is use their voices when faced with injustice.

Nare ended her presentation by imploring students to ask themselves, “If we don’t want to be a rape culture, what kind of culture do we want to be?”

Interestingly, these presentations were located throughout the campus to represent the prevalence of sexual assault.

The next speaker was Samantha Greeney-Hamlin, a health educator who oversees the operations of the Greekaffiliated FratMANners and SISSTERS programs.

Greeney-Hamlin educated the group on affirmative consent as well as the correct process and importance of attaining it.

The following presentation took place in front of the Calpulli Center to educate the audience on the resources available on campus.

Martin Ducep, associate director of Counseling and Psychological Services, and Jenny Harper, sexual assault victim advocate with the Center for Community Solutions, shared information about services their programs provide.

This could include anything from accompaniment to court, to emotional support to ensure that students feel safe and heard.

The last hour of the event was a lecture from Trisha Amador, deputy district attorney for the Sex Crimes Unit of San Diego County.

The talkative crowd fell silent for Amador’s emotional yet straightforward account of what she calls the “best and worst job ever.”

She shed light on the process of taking

Samantha Greeney-Hamlin educates the audience on affirmative consent. alex noble, staff writer

these cases to court, an experience that is harsh for perpetrators and unthinkably horrific for victims, all because of one bad moment one bad night.

Amador ended her speech by reminding the audience that, students are ultimately responsible for one another.

“Listening to the discussion on sexual assault was incredibly eye-opening and informative,” said Brandon Lim, a journalism and psychology sophomore.

“I learned a lot about such an important and prevalent issue not just on our SDSU campus but in our society as well.”

Although she acknowledges that it will require considerable time and cultural change, Nare said she believes in a future where sexual assault is no longer an issue at SDSU. “There are a lot of layers to the issue of sexual violence,” Nare said. “Gender roles, lack of comprehensive sex education, misogyny and identity-based forms of oppression to name a few. We need to work to educate folks at younger ages about these issues so that when they begin intimate relationships, they are better prepared.”

arts & culture 19

April 19 - 25, 2017 • THE DAILY AZTEC editor: christine whitman • features@thedailyaztec.com

Downtown Boys bring activist punk Sarah Tanori staff writer ____________________________________ Downtown Boys’ brand of political music did not arise in the era of Donald Trump, it has been its response to a culture that’s been in place for decades.

The Rhode Island band writes songs that empower communities of color and calls out systems of oppression.

Downtown Boys’ fast-paced and enraged punk songs provide a sense of catharsis for fans as they confront the realities of being marginalized individuals in today’s world.

The band tackles difficult conversations that are avoided in most institutions, even music spaces at times.

They take on topics such as racism, capitalism, sexism, queerphobia, fascism and more, not only addressing these issues but stressing the importance of dismantling the values behind them.

“It’s hard because I feel like we’re talking about the same things, but it’s evolving and people are starting to learn more about these things,” drummer Norlan Olivio said.

Although many of their song themes are relevant to the current political landscape, most of them were written before Trump was in office.

“Trump becoming our president proved our point that these issues are still going on and they still need to be talked about, and that our songs are still valid,” Olivio said.

More than anything, Downtown Boys challenges listeners to examine their identity and experiences to find the root of their self-perception and pain.

“Keep trying to understand what is making you hate yourself and what is keeping you from feeling fully free,” guitarist Joey De Francesco said.

The band forms intimate connections with fans by providing a safer space for them where they can share their opinions and validate their truths, no matter what level of knowledge an individual is at or where they are in their growth.

Downtown Boys offer songs of unity for people and groups who feel displaced in a world that doesn’t acknowledge their rights and humanity, especially at this time of political unrest.

“A lot of people of color come to our shows and surprisingly we’ve become their relief and we’ve been their moment of resilience,” lead vocalist Victoria Ruiz said. “I think that’s important because it’s still pure, carefree, fun but having the ability to have a band that has a stand that in a way can hold a mirror for people of color to say you exist, and your resistance is important.”

Punk has been historically white but Downtown Boys are unapologetically brown.

They continue to create music and scream political lyrics with an unwavering confidence, one that seeks to tear down all walls of comfort and complacency.

CROSSWORDS

Across 1 Overzealous 6 Emotional states 11 Big name in home security 14 Work together 15 Golfer’s birdie, often 16 “I’ve seen better” 17 *Droopy-eared dog 19 King Kong, e.g.

20 Home buyer’s choice 21 Annoyed reply to “Are you awake?”

23 Hog fare 25 *Testimony preceder 28 Pan flying 30 Present mo.

31 Bone, to Botticelli 32 Quick snooze 34 “Darn it!”

37 Pop singer

Grande’s fragrance 38 *Garage alternative 40 Price of admission 43 The Euphrates flows through it 44 Like King Kong 46 Shepherd’s dinner, perhaps 49 Coffee maker unit 51 Impudent 52 *Common cause of food poisoning 56 Perlman of “The Mindy Project” 57 Racer’s swimwear brand 58 __ setter 60 Country that won the most Olympics medals in Rio 61 *Garment with a fitted waist and flared bottom

Downtown Boys made their first San Diego appearance on Sunday, April 16 at the Soda Bar. lilly glenister, assistant a&c editor

Downtown Boys go beyond Donald Trump and the current administration, it addresses the history and reality behind these institutions of power, privilege and oppression as a means to stand in solidarity with marginalized communities.

Downtown Boys made its first San Diego appearance playing at Soda bar on Sunday, April 16.

The band’s next show is on Thursday, April 20 at the Teragram Ballroom in Los Angeles. Tickets are currently listed at $15.

Classifieds

66 Something to chew 67 Ship with liquid cargo 68 Security breaches 69 Officejet printers 70 Polishing targets 71 Pearl Jam frontman Vedder Down 1 Barbecue spice mixture 2 Santa __ Mountains 3 Twice-baked cookies 4 “Come right on in!”

5 Celebrity chef Paula 6 Highest peak in Ore. 7 “Well, looky here!”

8 Christian sch. in Tulsa 9 Vest fabric 10 It often has four doors 11 Some kitchen appliances 12 Bus stations 13 “Tommy” band 18 Pts. by Vikings 22 Irrelevant 23 Critter rescue org.

24 Big name in business jets 26 Electric guitar pioneer 27 Cave feedback 29 Like “Fifty Shades of Grey” 33 Golfer’s four, often 35 Hosp. areas 36 Handle on many elevators 39 Bento box staple 40 Ingredient in some Asian soup, or, literally, what each answer to a starred clue has 41 Facility 42 “Only Time” songwriter 43 A handful 45 Color named for a planet 46 In itself 47 Devours eagerly 48 Responds in court 50 Tool box item 53 Has too much of, briefly 54 Finnish tech giant 55 Flight stat.

59 On the sidelines 62 Legendary fighter 63 Business card no.

64 Hit the slopes 65 Dallas-toHouston dir.

Internships

Announcements

Seeking Social Media Climate Action Intern

Preferred Valet Parking Now Hiring Preferred Valet Parking is hiring!

Groundwork seeks a 10/hr week Spring/Summer intern ($12/hr) to support a climate action campaign in the Chollas Creek Watershed.

Excellent writing and communication planning skills required .

Send letter of interest to Leslie@ groundworksandiego.org. www.groundworksandiego.org ________________________________

Thank you for your interest in Preferred Valet Parking. We are constantly in search of energetic and customer service oriented applicants and encourage you to fill out our online application. Part-time and full-time work is available. *ALL JOB INTERVIEWS ARE BY APPOINTMENT.

follow us on

twitter twitter.com/thedailyaztec

WWW.PREFERREDVALETPARKING. COM ________________________________

20 The back page

April 19 - 25, 2017 • THE DAILY AZTEC editor: christine Whitman • features@thedailyaztec.com

Naked and afraid in South Africa cami buckman International staff writer ____________________________________ Here’s a story about my personal episode of Naked and Afraid: South Africa edition.

I have been living in South Africa for almost two months studying abroad at the University of Cape Town. For the long Easter weekend, three friends and I decided to rent a car and drive along the south-eastern coast of the country.

If there was any indicator of how our night at Jeffreys Bay would be, it was when we arrived at the Airbnb.

We pull up to a house and ring the doorbell. No answer. Eventually, a woman walked out of the house and confusingly approached us. Turns out our correct place was two houses down the road.

After finally arriving to the correct home, we enter the beach house and are greeted with the booming sound of the house alarm. In a panic we tried to disable the alarm, but the code provided to us wasn’t working. Five minutes passed and the alarm was still going off.

Eventually, we figured out how to disable the alarm and began unpacking our bags. All of this, of course, was explained to the police officer that

knocked on our door ten minutes later investigating a possible home invasion.

What a way to be welcomed to the neighborhood.

Later that evening, we thought it would be a fantastic idea to go skinny dipping.

Four American ladies, swimming naked, in a city we know nothing about: What could possibly go wrong?

We all hopped in the car and headed to the beach. We parked in the empty

Our stuff was gone.

There we were, four naked American women on a beach in South Africa with no idea where our stuff was.

Still shocked and confused as to what was actually happening, we looked around to see if we could find anything.

To my delight, I found my pair of shorts and flannel shirt still on the sand. Literally every other belonging of ours was gone except for my clothes.

There we were, four naked american women on a beach in south africa ... lot and excitingly ran over to the darkest spot on the shore. None of us brought any belongings. Just ourselves and the car key. I brought a towel in case I was cold and given the impending circumstances, I predicted I would be.

So we dropped trou, freed the nipple and galloped into the chilly ocean water.

Here we all were, naked, laughing, swimming, taking in the moment.

Once the actual dipping was done, there wasn’t really much more to do. After maybe five minutes we made our way back to the shore to grab our clothes and leave. We got to our spot and saw nothing.

#DASNAPSHOTS

PHOTO GOES HERE

I guess the thief didn’t like plaid. Then we remembered the car. I threw on my clothes and ran up the shore, over the stairs to the parking lot to see if the car was still there.

Thankfully, it was parked right where we left it. I ran back down the shore toward my naked friends and told them our car hadn’t been stolen. A few moments later we spotted a group of guys on the beach walking up the stairs to the street. I ran over to them and put on my “intimidating” face.

“Hey guys,” I said. “All of my and my friend’s stuff was taken. Did you see

anything?”

I was suspicious, of course. I had three naked friends on the beach.

While I was thinking about what to do next, I noticed a few of the guys giggling at something behind me. I turned around to see my friend Rachel confidently marching toward me and the guys.

Why exactly did Rachel approach me?

Well, while I was talking to the guys, the other three of my friends were concerned I was gone for so long. So, Rachel decided to take it into her own hands.

“I’m gonna go get Cami,” Rachel told my friends. “I don’t care if I’m butt naked, I’ll fight anyone!”The guys ended up being very helpful, so Rachel’s fighting skills weren’t necessary. One guy handed Rachel his jacket and two other jackets for Erika and Cat who were still hiding in the bushes.

So there we were, four semi-dressed American girls with eight young men on a beach in Jeffreys Bay. A few minutes into the walk down the beach, Rachel noticed something shiny in the sand. Miraculously, like a scene out of a movie, we found our car key.

Editor’s Note: For an extended version of this article visit thedailyaztec.com

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

Difficulty Level:

3/4

CROSSWORDS & SUDOKU PUZZLES PROVIDED BY TRIBUNE MEDIA SERVICES INC., ©2017 PUZZLE SOLUTIONS AVAILABLE ONLINE AT THEDAILYAZTEC.COM SUDOKU PUZZLES SPONSORED BY AZTEC RECREATION

it’s golden

Staff photographer Kristian Carreon snapped this photo of the Golden Gate bridge.

PLEASE NOTE: The Daily Aztec does not endorse or support and has no affiliation with the products or services offered in the Classifieds section. To place an ad in the Classifieds section, please visit thedailyaztec.com/classifieds ______________________________ The views expressed in this issue do not necessarily reflect those of The Daily Aztec. Comments? Email us at letters@thedailyaztec.com