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News
The Daily Aztec
Oct. 13 - 19, 2021 EDITOR: Katelynn Robinson • news@thedailyaztec.com
President Ashley Tejada pulls from Peruvian roots as student leader by Jayne Yutig ASSISTANT MULTIMEDIA EDITOR
Associated Students President Ashley Tejada is the ninth woman to represent over 33,000 students that make up the San Diego State student body since 1921. She said it’s her Peruvian heritage that guides her in the role. Tejada said her first months as A.S. President were busy. SDSU students have returned and are still getting accustomed to in-person classes. A proposed controversial University Senate resolution sparked student outrage and opposition across campus. But during this period of adjustment on campus, Tejada said she remembers the stories from her Peruvian grandparents as her motivation to lead. During the over 3,000 mile flight from Lima, Peru to the United States, a propeller of the plane carrying Tejada’s grandparents failed. Tejada said the plane flew tilted in the air throughout the entire flight and metaphorically represented the journey it took for her grandparents to get to America. “It was a ride of fear and adversity,”
Tejada said. “It was such a monumental endeavor for them. And really just creating that legacy, my grandmother brought over her seven other siblings,” Tejada said. As Tejada navigates decision making in her role as president she said it’s all about her roots. “My grandmother was a very strong woman in leadership,” Tejada said. “That is something that I want to continue to live on.” Going out and connecting to other students of color within student leadership on campus is one of Tejada’s priorities. “Being in this role as a woman of color, also seeing others across campus, not just in A.S., being within their respective roles as well and the adversity they face,” Tejada said. “It’s important to myself to use the lessons from my family setting and carry it into this role.” Tejada is looking ahead to achieving the priorities of her administration, which include the message of community. “We noticed over COVID, virtual learning was not easy for a lot of our students,” Tejada said. “But our
Students cross the border to attend classes at SDSU
Photo courtesy of Ashley Tejada
Associated Students President Ashley Tejada said she is inspired to lead by the stories from her Peruvian grandparents.
retention stayed so high and I believe that’s not because of the academics but because of the community that exists.” Three weeks into a historic return to in-person classes at SDSU, a University Senate proposal by Cezar Ornatowski, a professor in the College of Arts and Letters sent shockwaves throughout the campus. The proposal would have provided
professors with discretion over the modality of their courses. Although University Senate proposals are not university policy and couldn’t change the modality of courses, students were outraged. SEE ASHLEY TEJADA, PAGE 3
$15 MILLION AWARDED TO SDSU FOR LATINX DISPARITY RESEARCH by Brittany STAFF WRITER
Cruz-Fejeran
The Faculty United Toward Excellence in Research and Transformational Engagement (FUERTE) program at San Diego State has been awarded a $15 million grant to dedicate research towards health disparities amongst the Latinx community while prioritizing diverse hiring for scientists who focus on this field of research. Health disparities are preventable differences in the burden of disease, injury, violence or opportunities to achieve optimal health experienced by socially disadvantaged populations, according to the Center of Disease Control and Prevention’s (CDC) website.
María Luisa Zúñiga, social work professor and co-leader of FUERTE with Mark Reed, a professor of public health said it was a natural move to apply for the National Institutes of Health (NIH) grant when she and Reed heard about it. “It’s such a huge lift to have the opportunity to bring 11 new colleagues to SDSU,” she said. “As faculty we are the stewarts of this opportunity and we want to do everything possible to make sure the faculty feel welcome and that they will be able to thrive with the rest of our community.” Of those 11 new faculty, three will work from SDSU’s Imperial Valley SEE DISPARITY RESEARCH, PAGE 4
Photo by Karelly Vidrio
Students who live in Mexivo cross the border on a daily basis to attend classes at SDSU.
by Karelly Vidrio CONTRIBUTOR
San Diego State has a community of Latino students who cross the border between Tijuana and San Diego in order to have an education on campus. Hundreds of students who live in Mexico cross the border port entry of San Ysidro every day to attend class. Mathematics freshmen Luis Vargas, explained his experience last semester of a student living in Tijuana and crossing the border every day in order to take classes. “I cross to have a better education, that was the idea of my parents,” Vargas said. “My day started at 3 or 4 in the morning.” Vargas explains this motivation comes from his parents who instilled the importance of hard work in him since he was a child. Since his childhood, he has been familiar with crossing from one country to another when it comes
to going to school. Some obstacles he faced included having to get up very early to be able to line up at the border by car when he had to travel from one country to another in order to take his classes in the United States. “I had the normal pass. Now, I have ready lane and it is much better than the normal line and lasted less time,” Vargas said. Vargas shared there are students who have certain types of passports that help them cross more quickly. Not every student has the same pass, however, and this greatly affects how they plan their class schedules because they need to be able to cross on time before class begins. Now that Vargas has the opportunity to live in the city of San Diego this
SEE BORDER , PAGE 3
The SDSU Latinx Resource Center is located on the first floor of the Love Library.
Photo by Noelani Sapla
