Aztecs react to Martin killing Edward Henderson
TUESDAY April 24, 2012 Volume 97, Issue 109 W W W.T H E D A I LYA Z T E C . C O M
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senior staff writer The upcoming trial surrounding the Feb. 26 fatal shooting of 17-year-old Trayvon Martin by community watch volunteer George Zimmerman in Sanford, Fl. looks to be one of the most highly covered cases by national news this year. Zimmerman was released on $150,000 bail early Monday and is being tried for second-degree murder. San Diego State Students react to the controversy. According to The New York Times, Zimmerman, 28, told police he spotted Martin walking through the gated community he was patrolling late that night. He told dispatch that Martin, who was wearing a hooded sweatshirt, looked suspicious and could have possibly been on drugs. He pursued Martin despite direction from dispatch not to. Zimmerman would later tell police he lost sight of Martin and was returning to his SUV when the teen approached him from behind and asked him if he had a problem. Zimmerman said the two exchanged words before Martin punched him to the ground then repeatedly slammed his head into the sidewalk in the moments leading to the shooting. When police arrived on the scene, Zimmerman told officers he had cried out for help but no one had come. Martin was unarmed and autopsy reports did not find any drugs in his system. Sanford Police Department surveillance videos show Zimmerman being taken in for questioning without any signs of injury. Zimmerman, who claimed the shooting was in self defense, was not arrested because of Florida’s “Stand Your Ground” law. The law stipulates that individuals who feel their life is in danger may use lethal force to defend themselves. Martin’s parents, along with members of the African-American community in Sanford, said the shooting was racially charged. Zimmerman, who is white and Hispanic, denies this claim. Kevin Maule, fifth-year senior at SDSU, has tried to keep an objective opinion about the case. “I think it’s a tragic event, but I also know there are two sides to every
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Zimmerman appearing before Circuit Judge Kenneth Lester in a suit and handcuffs, flanked by Florida police officers. | MCT CAMPUS
“I think it’s a tragic event, but ... there are two sides to every story. I don’t think (he) is a racist. He was just in a terrible situation and didn’t act wisely.” Kevin Maule, SDSU Senior story. I don’t think Zimmerman’s a mass murderer or a racist,” Maule said. “He was just in a terrible situation and didn’t act wisely.” The story of Martin’s shooting spread throughout social media networks, sparking demonstrations around the nation by community members, celebrities and athletes. The most popular demonstration involved individuals taking pictures of themselves in hooded sweatshirts with their heads bowed. Muhammad Ali has taken a photo with a hooded sweatshirt as well as the entire Miami Heat roster. Students from local universities and community members also held
A S B E AT The San Diego State Facilities Board submitted new name proposals for the rooms in the Aztec Student Union building on Wednesday. The original names, Tlitic and Chiciltic, which mean “black” and “red,” and Tenochtitlan, which is the name of the capitol of the Aztec Empire, were changed to simpler words in order to make pronunciation easier for students at the recommendation of the signage company. They were replaced with Tehuanco, which means “our place,”
Metztli, which means “moon” and Aztlan, which was a room name previously used in Aztec Center. Washington Navarette, of the Movimiento Estudiantil Chicano de Aztlan, protested the changes, and said it was disrespectful to the Aztec culture to change the names for student convenience. Supporters of the change said it is more disrespectful to keep complicated names students will just shorten on their own. the council voted to send the names back to The Facilities Board for further deliberation. Associated Students President Cody Barbo encouraged Navarette and any others interested to attend the next few Facilities Board meetings. The board meets every other Monday at 10 a.m. in Aztec Mesa 107. Two name changes were approved by the council: Warrior Room was changed to Spirit Room and Distance Learning to Diversity Suite.
Finances The Finance Board finished allocating funds for the 2012-2013 school year. A.S. will vote on the budget at its last meeting of the semester. Once approved, it will be
similar demonstrations in San Diego. SDSU senior Chad Washington said these acts are not enough. “It’s disgraceful that things like that still happen in this day and age. It seems like everybody’s all about support after it happens, but I want to find ways to prevent stuff like that from happening,” Washington said. Media networks have garnered criticism from the public because of their coverage of the shooting. The most controversial issue has been the photos of Martin and Zimmerman used in newspaper articles and television coverage. SDSU freshman Jose Escoto echoes these sentiments. “I feel like
combined with the Campanile Foundation, SDSU Research Foundation and Aztec Shops budgets and sent to President Elliot Hirshman to be signed. The Asian Pacific Student Alliance and the Association of Chicana Activists successfully appealed their budget allocations on Monday. APSA received an additional $136, and AChA received an additional $180. A.S. Vice President of External Affairs Krista Parker confirmed the upcoming budget forum with Hirshman will not be solely a presentation, as many students are concerned. There will be a 15minute presentation, and then a Q-andA forum. Students can send questions ahead of time to be answered in the presentation or can ask during the forum. Video of the forum will be uploaded to the Budget Central website for those who cannot attend. California State University Chancellor Charles Reed announced last week that Cal Grants will not be cut for the 20122013 school year for graduate students. A.S. Vice President of University Affairs Mina Azim confirmed a café will
there aren’t enough facts out there. A lot of people are making decisions as if they were there and saw what happened,” Escoto said. “The media is doing a bad job of portraying them equally. A lot of the pictures you see of Trayvon Martin are him in his football jersey. They show Zimmerman in his jumpsuit from jail. Why don’t they go out and show people pictures of him at work in his suit? The media’s feeding bias to people and it’s affecting (the case).” Florida State Attorney and Prosecutor of the case Angela Corey reopened the case in response to the public outcry for Zimmerman’s arrest. Zimmerman, who is being charged with seconddegree murder, turned himself in to the police on April 11. SDSU sophomore Marissa Sullivan isn’t satisfied with the charge. “It would be hard to get a conviction that the public is looking for at this point. I think it should be firstdegree,” Sullivan said. “(Martin) didn’t have a weapon. It was basically all on Zimmerman and I don’t think (the killing) was justified.”
be built in the library this fall. The Library Advisory Committee is attempting to allow meal plan acceptance at the café.
SDSU continued its hot streak against New Mexico.
OPINION An atheist’s defense of the remembrance cross at Camp Pendleton.
—Compiled by Staff Writer Amy Williams
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LO O K I N G T H R O U G H OUR LENS
Restructuring At Friday’s restructuring meeting, the Marketing and Communications Department was taken off University Affairs Board and placed within the Board of Directors because MarComm takes part in internal and external affairs. The Awards Committee was taken off of Cultural Arts & Special Events and placed within Judicial Affairs Council to increase accountability and transparency. Discussions regarding the Honors Program and Graduate Student Association continued. If honors students have special representation in A.S., it will be through the Honors Program, not the Honors Council. Both still have a chance to keep their seat on A.S., but nothing is official until the entire A.S. council votes on the restructuring.
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... I’m actually an expert on every campus that’s ever existed. Almost a year of school will do that for someone, you know. B A C K PA G E
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W E AT H E R : CLOUDY HIGH: 67 LOW: 57 SUNSET: 7:26PM