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may 7, 2013
Tuesday
Summer album reviews - page 6
TUESDAY, MAY 7, 2013
WWW.THEDAILYAZTEC.COM
VOLUME 99, ISSUE 113
LGBTSU embraces queer identity
campus Tara Millspaugh News Editor
The San Diego State Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender Student Union is changing its name to Queer Student Union beginning next semester. SDSU LGBTSU President Michael Manacop said the group could just keep adding letters to the name, but instead, it has decided to revamp it to include everyone, using the umbrella term “queer.” “There are so many identities in the community that we would always leave a particular one out,” Manacop said. “So, the best way for us to solve that would be to have one term encompass all identities in the community.” Manacop said the organization has noticed a campus change in atmosphere and environment. Once the new Aztec Student Union completes construction, there will be an LGBT resource center located within the Cross-Cultural Center and Unity House. When the organization found out that it would be getting a permanent spot, Manacop said discussion began on what the name of the organization should be. The organization was founded in 1975 as the Gay Student Union and the name has evolved since. “We have seen our community’s name grow from the ‘gay community’ to the ‘gay and lesbian community,’ then the ‘LGBT community’ and so on,” QSU president-elect
Savages, Vampire Weekend, Daft Punk, Disclosure and more bands will be releasing promising CDs this summer. Tasty Tuesday Spotlights - Page 4
Thomas Negron said. “Most recently our acronym has been often listed as LGBTQQIAA and it’s still growing.” As the future president of QSU, Negron said he thinks the word “queer” will be all-inclusive and will help shape the overall mission of the organization. “Our organization primarily exists to provide a sense of community for the sexually disenfranchised students at SDSU,” Negron said. “We want all members of our com-
munity to feel, not only welcomed, but included and represented.” Manacop said he understands people may still consider the word “queer” to be taboo or derogatory. “‘Gay’ used to be used as a derogatory term, but now it’s a politically correct term,” Manacop said. “We need to embrace this term (queer) so everyone is comfortable to use it.” Other California campuses, such as the University of California, Irvine have embraced the term “queer.” The Irvine Queers was
Sigma Chi faces investigation campus J. Hutton Marshall
founded in 1972. It’s comprised of gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgender, queer, ally and questioning students from UCI and the community. Women’s studies professor and adviser for SDSU lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender studies Esther Rothblum said terms for this community are very generational. “The name will keep changing. Twenty years from now, it’ll be something else, but for this generation it’s the term to use,” Rothblum said.
the daily aztec
Malaysian election results battle scrutiny
international
Managing Editor
The Delta Xi Chapter of Sigma Chi fraternity at San Diego State has been put on interim suspension pending an investigation by Student Life & Leadership. According to the San Diego Sigma Chi Alumni Chapter website, this is because of “actions that include an alleged hazing incident.” While Assistant Director of SLL for Greek Life Yvonne Hernandez could not give any details about the ongoing investigation or the alleged incident, she outlined what interim suspension meant for a fraternity, and the outcome of past incidences of hazing at SDSU. She also emphasized that an investigation by SLL does not in any way imply guilt. “The process that we do (when investigating a chapter) is that we will immediately put a chapter on interim suspension, to kind of get them to back down to basics,” Hernandez said. “If there is a hazing incident we also tell them that they shouldn’t have contact with pledges, so that way, if there is any behavior like that, it scales them back.” In the process of interim suspension, a chapter may only hold chapter meetings. Among other suspended rights and privileges, the chapter loses the right to vote
courtesy of thomas negron .
Left to right: Thomas Negron Jr., Samuel Forte, Jenny Truong and Naomi Caccam. LGBTSU will change its name to Queer Student Union next semester.
The outside of Sigma Chi fraternity house is on the outskirts of campus. The fraternity has been placed on interim suspension.
on Interfraternity Council or participate in university or Greeksponsored activities. Hernandez said the last time a fraternity was found guilty of hazing at SDSU was in 2011, when Chi Rho Omicron had its charter removed, which means it no longer exists in any way at SDSU. There may be a separate investigation by SDSU Police Department if the incident is suspected to involve criminal activity, although SDSUPD’s Capt. Lamine Secka said his department hears of several reports of hazing each year, few actually require police involvement. SLL handles disciplinary investigations involving organizations,
chelsea massey, staff photographer
while Student Rights and Responsibilities handles cases regarding individual students. If SRR and SLL deem the actions of members independent of the organization they are a part of, only SRR’s investigation regarding the independently acting individuals will continue. The national Sigma Chi chapter may also play a role in the situation if it’s deemed necessary. According to the San Diego Sigma Chi website, a board of Sigma Chi alumni will interview each active member in the chapter. If disciplinary action proves necessary, the national SIGMA CHI continued on page 2
Malaysian Prime Minister Najib Razak. Opposition claims fraudulent activity in the electoral process.
Donna P. Crilly Staff Writer
Malaysian Prime Minister Najib Razak was sworn in for a second term on Monday, after winning the 13th Malaysian general election. Out of 222 parliamentary seats, Razak’s Barisan Nasional or National Front coalition won 133, two seats fewer than in 2008, according to the Election Commission. Despite BN’s 56-year rule, popularity for the party continues to decline, with 2008 being the first year BN
michael wuertenberg via the world economic forum
didn’t hold a two-thirds majority in Parliament, BBC News Asia reports. Sunday’s election faced fraudulent claims by defeated opposition leader Anwar Ibrahim, whose coalition, Pakatan Rakyat or People’s Pact, won 89 seats. Ibrahim called the election “the worst electoral fraud in our history.” According to the election results, BN lost the popular vote, the first time a leader won with a minority of the ballots in four decades. Ibrahim said he and other opMALAYSIA continued on page 2