Wednesday, Oct. 30 - Tuesday, Nov. 5, 2019 Weekly Print Edition
Vol. 106, Issue 12 www.thedailyaztec.com
San Diego State University’s Independent Student Newspaper Since 1913
University Towers rooms flood, residents relocated by Katelynn STAFF WRITER
Robinson
Residents of University Towers have been experiencing flooding issues on several floors throughout the semester, and this isn’t the first time it’s happened. The building has reportedly experienced flooding in the bathrooms and sinks within the individual rooms. Some of the flood damage was so severe that students were forced to move into different rooms. The cause of the floods in University Towers is clogged shower pipes due to missing shower grates, according to the Director of the Office of Housing
Administration Cynthia Cervantes. There have been multiple factors contributing to the clogging, she said. “There are some cases where the shower drain cover has been removed from the shower stall, and in cases where the shower drain is there, we’re noticing that the grid to the opening of the shower cover is wide enough to let a significant amount of hair through,” she said. “In cases where we have shower stalls with the drain cover on, lots of hair of other items are going down the pipe. In the cases where the shower drain cover is completely removed, obviously some larger items are fitting down there.”
Aerospace freshman Thomas Langston said his room flooded with “sewer water” after his shower drain got clogged. “I first saw the flood when I was sitting at my desk, about to write my paper, when I noticed water started to flood from the bathroom,” he said. “I went to check it out and I found that there was water seeping out of the drain itself, overflowing over the shower itself, and flooding bathroom and slowly engulfing the entire floor.” The flooding was so bad that it seeped into hallway. Langston said himself and his roommate had to UNIVERSITY TOWERS, PAGE 3
Photo by Alexa Oslowski
University Towers has experienced flooding throughout the semester that has often required residents to relocate to new rooms.
New men’s basketball season stars transfers by Kyle Betz ASSISTANT SPORTS EDITOR
San Diego State men’s basketball finished its 2018-19 campaign in heartbreak, following a loss in the Mountain West tournament championship against Utah State. The 2019-20 campaign marks the start of a clean slate. Head coach Brian Dutcher said the team’s expectation is to make the NCAA Tournament. “That has to be the thought every time you step out on the floor at San Diego State,” Dutcher said. “That’s why these kids came here. They came here because of the winning tradition; the fact that we’ve been in the NCAA Tournament seven out of the last 10 years.” The Aztecs return 10 players, including two-year starter and junior forward Matt Mitchell. Mitchell was the team’s thirdleading scorer last season with 10.3 points per game. According to Dutcher, Mitchell weighed around 235 pounds as a freshman but gained around 20 pounds his sophomore year. This offseason, he improved his diet and spent extra time in the gym to drop those pounds. Despite recently undergoing arthroscopic surgery to repair a meniscus, Mitchell currently weighs around 240. “Matt has been magnificent in his approach to his own body and the team,” Dutcher said.
“He had to miss six or seven weeks of practice. He’s just getting himself back into game shape. The weight has stayed off, but he’s got to get his game legs back underneath him.” Another returning starter is sophomore forward Nathan Mensah. Mensah burst through the scene last year, starting in the Aztecs’ final 20 games and leading the team in blocks per game (1.1) while collecting the team’s second-most rebounds per contest (5.5). He had surgery to repair a ligament in his right thumb in August but is expected to be ready for the regular season. SDSU welcomes three new transfers: junior guard Trey Pulliam (Navarro College), fifth-year senior forward Yanni Wetzell (Vanderbilt) and fifthyear senior guard KJ Feagin (Santa Clara). Wetzell, Feagin and forward Nolan Narain are the team’s only seniors. Although Wetzell and Feagin are graduate transfers, Narain said their leadership has already been beneficial to the Aztecs’ roster. “They were both pretty big guys at their previous schools, so coming in here, they already have a leadership role they’ve already adjusted to,” Narain said. “I think, with them coming SEE BASKETBALL, PAGE 6
College Republicans return with right-wing rebranding by Bella Ross & Brenden Tuccinardi
definitely have, shifted right.”
After a rough start to the calendar year, the San Diego State College Republicans are looking to make a comeback on campus. But the organization’s return to campus didn’t come without a major rebrand. SDSU College Republicans President Oliver Krvaric said, ideologically, their ideas probably land far from your grandma’s vision of republicanism. Krvaric said he rejects the “lukewarm” conservatism of the baby boomer generation in exchange for a new, more controversial approach. “Our stances in previous years have really toed the party line,” Krvaric said. “It’s really toed, you know, the (Republican National Committee) platform. It’s really toed conventional Republican talking points. (Our previous stances hadn’t) really pushed the envelope.” Krvaric went on to say, “We
A TWITTER COMEBACK The club’s new identity can be somewhat understood through it’s latest Twitter activity, breaking a months-long social media hiatus with a slew of tweets, a new layout and a bio that describes the club as “the vanguard of GenZ flavored Conservatism at SDSU.” The organization even shed it’s former elephant profile photo – the “mascot” of the Republican party – for an 80s-themed, meme-inspired appearance. “Come on, the elephant? Whatever,” Kravaric said. “That’s so boomer, you know?” The College Republicans returned to the platform in mid-October, and it’s tweets point toward the emphasis on controversy Kravric preached. On Oct. 14, the organization wished its followers a “very happy Columbus Day,” going on to say “We wouldn’t be here
ideologically,
without the uniquely European thirst for exploration that brought (Columbus) to the shores of the Caribbean over 500 years ago.” This comes amid growing controversy over the validity of Columbus Day as a holiday from those who reject the United States’ imperialist history. SDSU’s academic calendar even lacks reference to the holiday, instead referring to Oct. 14 as Indigenious Peoples’ Day. The account also features multiple interactions – in the form of retweets, likes and follows – with figures and organizations that have a history of being associated with white nationalism. The College Republicans follow and often interact with Vdare, an anti-immigrant news website and Southern Poverty Law Center designated hate group. The SPLC said the site “regularly publishes articles by prominent white nationalists, race scientists and anti-Semites.” As of Oct. 29, some
of the website’s most popular tags included: “War on Christmas,” “immigrant mass murder” and “anti-white hate crimes.” Kravaric said the club’s interaction with the website on Twitter is largely from an “antiinterventionist” perspective, and that he was not fully aware of the website’s platform. But one post on the club’s Twitter deflects from Krvaric’s claim, quoting a tweet from Vdare about immigation, proclaiming in response that the U.S. needs to “end the failed War on Drugs and build the wall.” But Kravaric asserts that any association of the College Republicans with white nationalist ideologies would be grossly incorrect. “That perception is one that would not be healthy for our club, but it’s also unwanted, completely rejected and disavowed entirely, I would say,” Kravaric said. Krvaric’s involvement on campus is not limited to the College Republicans. He is also
the vice president of SDSU’s Turning Point USA chapter, a non-partisan organization that he said promotes free markets and fiscal conservatism. He is also the son of San Diego County’s longtime Republican Party Chairman Tony Krvaric, but he said his father’s views do not always reflect his own. “I deviate from him in some of our priorities for sure,” he said. TROUBLE IN THE SPRING The last tweet to appear on the organization’s account before this October was made more than five months ago on April 2, marking the start of a temporary hiatus for the club. The quiet period was sparked as a result of conflict between SDSU’s College Republicans chapter and the state organization early this year. At the beginning of 2019, the SDSU College Republicans SEE REPUBLICANS, PAGE 2
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Republicans:
continued from page 1 were at risk of losing their official, recognized status in the California College Republicans. That was until the club, along with nine other campus chapters, voted to disaffiliate from CCR in January voluntarily. The drama, sparked by a Dec. 23 ruling by then-Associate Justice of the CCR judicial board Matthew Vitale, revolved around a private conversation between former SDSU College Republicans President Madison Marks-Noble and former CCR Chairwoman Ariana Rowlands, in which Rowlands referred to Chico State Republicans President Sarah Morcott as a “bitch.” Marks-Noble shared a screenshot of her and Rowlands’ conversation with Morcott, which according to Vitale’s ruling, violated CCR bylaws prohibiting “unauthorized, public disclosure of personal communications” in conversations over social media or within group chats. The decision resulted in the CCR judicial board rescinding Marks-Nobles and Rowlands’ good-standing with the organization. It required that to maintain recognized status, SDSU College Republicans had to elect a new president or restructure the clubs governing documents under new leadership. Marks-Noble stayed on as chapter president. On Jan. 24, SDSU College Republicans broke away from CCR, saying, in a joint press release issued by the 10 disaffiliated chapters, that CCR was a “defunct organization,” and the decision to leave was prompted by lost faith in statewide leadership. CCR issued a press release decrying the dissociation of the ten chapters as a “failed attempt to seize power.”
Oct. 30 - Nov. 5, 2019 EDITOR: Kaitlyn Little • news@thedailyaztec.com
Now, with a new executive board and as a chapter of the recently formed California Federation of College Republicans, the SDSU College Republicans are looking to move on from the scandal and get back to work, External Vice President and political science junior David Beck said. “We are a new executive board, so we have a different approach to certain controversial things that have happened in the past,” Beck said. “But we also want to be outspoken about what we believe in.” NEW YEAR, NEW PRIORITIES Right now, the club is seeking members, particularly SDSU students looking to get involved in conservative politics, Beck said. A primary goal of SDSU College Republicans is registering voters in the fall and volunteering with Republican campaigns, something Beck said they are looking forward to in 2020. “One of our goals for the club is to make sure members are competitive when they’re applying to political jobs,” Beck said. One way the College Republicans achieve this is by maintaining close relationships with the county and state-wide party apparatus. Through these connections, Beck said, the club can provide members with networking and volunteer opportunities as well as access to internships working with local candidates. Until election season, however, SDSU College Republicans are planning on leading the campus conversation around academic freedom, free speech and equal representation, Krvaric said. He plans on turning the club’s focus towards being a loud, alternative voice in the campus “culture wars.” “You’ll have some (executive boards) that are very interested in canvassing for local candidates, phone banking, volunteering
Screenshot from Twitter
A screenshot of the College Republicans Twitter page, a key part of the organization’s rebrand.
and trying to get candidates elected,” Krvaric said. “I’m trying to take it in a different turn, where I’m trying to involve the College Republicans more towards, I suppose, the culture war side of things.” He said, in many ways, this “culture war” is one between “the right and the right,” as he said the club’s main focus is on shifting the needle away from the conservatism of Reagan and Bush eras. But despite Krvaric’s focus on controversy and “culture wars,” he said he’d like to have a good relationship with other political student organizations on campus. In the spring, he said the club is planning to bring a prominent conservative speaker to campus, though he would not say whom. In October 2017, SDSU College Republicans were slated to host the controversial conservative commentator Milo Yiannopolous on campus. However, the university canceled the event due
to increased security costs and logistical challenges. Yet, Krvaric expressed optimism that this spring’s event will be less controversial. “The nature of any events we have in spring will be focused on conversations and the more uncomfortable narratives,” Krvaric said. “It’s about pushing the boundaries of what is considered acceptable speech on campus. So I wouldn’t say that hints toward extremism in any way.” Students looking to be involved in local politics and network with other Republicans are invited to join SDSU College Republicans at their next meeting on Oct. 30 at 7:30 p.m. in the Pride Suite. The club will meet every other Wednesday at this time starting Oct. 30. Editor’s Note: Oliver Krvaric works for The Daily Aztec as a staff writer for the newspaper’s opinion section.
SAN DIEGO STATE UNIVERSITY ALTERNATIVE CONSULTATION OPEN FORUM SCHEDULE STUDENTS MUST BRING VALID RED ID CARDS TO FORUMS! Date
Time
Location
Host
Wednesday, October 30, 2019
2:00 PM
Conrad Prebys Aztec Student Union, Tehuanco Suite
SHAC/Students for Public Health
Wednesday, October 30, 2019
3:30 PM
Conrad Prebys Aztec Student Union, Theatre
Associated Students
Thursday, October 31, 2019
10:00 AM
Calpulli Center, 4th Floor Conference Rooms
Friday, November 1, 2019
10:00 AM
Arena Meeting Center, A&B Classrooms
Friday, November 1, 2019
2:00 PM
Storm Hall, Room 109
Elymash Yuuchaap
Monday, November 4, 2019
1:00 PM
Conrad Prebys Aztec Student Union, Theatre
College of Sciences College Council
Monday, November 4, 2019
3:00 PM
Cuicacalli Suites Seminar Room
SDSU Ambassadors Student-Athlete Advisory Council
Monday, November 4, 2019
5:30 PM
Parma Payne Goodall Alumni Center
Tuesday, November 5, 2019
4:00 PM
Tula Community Center
Tuesday, November 5, 2019
7:00 PM
Conrad Prebys Aztec Student Union, Park Boulevard Room
Wednesday, November 6, 2019
10:00 AM
Tula Community Center
Wednesday, November 6, 2019
12:00 PM
EOP Learning Support Center, Student Services East
Wednesday, November 6, 2019
3:00 PM
Conrad Prebys Aztec Student Union, Metzli
Thursday, November 7, 2019
12:00 PM
Conrad Prebys Aztec Student Union, Student Life & Leadership
Thursday, November 7, 2019
2:00 PM
Conrad Prebys Aztec Student Union, Theatre
International Security & Conflict Resolution Student Society EOP Student Advisory Board
Associated Students: Your Voice Matters
Thursday, November 7, 2019
4:00 PM
Calpulli Center, 4th Floor Conference Rooms
SISSTER & FratMANers
Thursday, November 7, 2019
5:30 PM
Conrad Prebys Aztec Student Union, Center for Intercultural Relations
Womxn’s Outreach Association
Friday, November 8, 2019
3:00 PM
Conrad Prebys Aztec Student Union, Visionary Suite
Chinese Student & Scholar Association
Tuesday, November 12, 2019
10:00 AM
Conrad Prebys Aztec Student Union, Theatre
Business, Engineering & Health and Human Services College Councils
Tuesday, November 12, 2019
3:30 PM
Conrad Prebys Aztec Student Union, Theatre
Associated Students: Your Voice Matters
Wednesday, November 13, 2019
12:00 PM
Tula Community Center
Education Without Borders
Wednesday, November 13, 2019
3:00 PM
Conrad Prebys Aztec Student Union, Pride Suite
Afrikan Student Union
Wednesday, November 13, 2019
4:30 PM
Conrad Prebys Aztec Student Union, Pride Suite
The Black Student Science Organization
Thursday, November 14, 2019
1:00 PM
Calpulli Center, 4th Floor Conference Rooms
Active Minds
Thursday, November 14, 2019
4:00 PM
North Education Building, Room 60
Thursday, November 14, 2019
6:00 PM
Conrad Prebys Aztec Student Union, Council Chambers
Graduate Student Association
Thursday, November 14, 2019
7:00 PM
Student Services West, Room 1500
Aztecs for Education and Student California Teachers Association
Friday, November 15, 2019
11:00 AM
Conrad Prebys, Aztec Student Union, Theatre
Arts & Letters, Education & Undeclared College Councils
Friday, November 15, 2019
1:00 PM
Conrad Prebys Aztec Student Union, Park Boulevard Room
Andres Bonifacio Samahan
Additional forums are being scheduled, so please check the CFAC website at sdsu.edu/alternativeconsult if you don’t see an option that works for you. Students who are unable to attend a scheduled open forum may come to SDSU’s Testing Services through Friday, Nov. 15 (except for Monday, Nov. 11) to watch the full presentation and to complete your feedback form. Students can drop in between 8:00 a.m. and 2:00 p.m. Please bring your RedID Card and plan on being there for 45 minutes. Please note: If you require an accommodation for your participation in a scheduled open forum, please contact the Student Ability Success Center at 619-594-6473 or sascinfo@sdsu.edu. If you are interested in hosting a forum, please contact CFAC at cfac@sdsu.edu.
Oct. 30 - Nov. 5, 2019 EDITOR: Kaitlyn Little • news@thedailyaztec.com
News
The Daily Aztec
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Phi Kappa Psi fundraiser breaks SDSU Greek life record by Kaitlyn Little NEWS EDITOR
Phi Kappa Psi’s San Diego State chapter has broken the record for most money raised by a Greek organization on campus. In their breast cancer philanthropy event in October, the fraternity raised $32,053.97 dollars with 100% of the proceeds going to the Keep a Breast Foundation, according to Philanthropy Chair and marketing senior Jeff Peroutka. The idea for this event was something Peroutka said he had envisioned for a long time, and that he was super happy to do it before he graduated. The event’s focus on breast cancer hits home for Peroutka and other members of the fraternity who had been personally affected by the disease. “It was kind of an issue that was really resonating with me and with a lot of people in the house,” Peroutka said. “I mean, Breast Cancer Awareness Month was such a big month and kind of what we really wanted to do was we wanted to make a huge statement at SDSU, kind of for Greek life as a whole, and say this is what’s possible.” The fraternity began the fundraiser on Oct. 1 by selling shirts and bracelets promoting breast cancer awareness and reaching out to various businesses for sponsorship. Business
management sophomore and Phi Kappa Psi member Evan Ferguson helped with the organizational aspects of the event. “(Epic Wings) ended up donating a bunch of food to us and we had a fundraiser for it where we sold tickets, and Shake Smart too, they offered us 10% of all the proceeds if anyone mentioned our events for the whole week,” he said. Phi Kappa Psi also involved sororities to raise more money. They made it a challenge among the sororities to raise the most money, whoever did would have early access to their Oct. 11 event. Alpha Phi won, but was not able to participate in the event because the chapter is not allowed to participate in social events with the fraternity as it is under investigation, Chapter President Max Kyle said. On Oct. 11, Phi Kappa Psi finalized the fundraising with an event with a performance by deejays, Walker & Royce. In their house, they encouraged members to make final donations through Venmo. Kyle said they raised a couple hundred dollars that night alone. As a fraternity on interim suspension, Phi Kappa Psi faced opposition to them holding this event. Kyle said he received emails from both the interfraternity council and university advising to cancel the event
Photo courtesy of Phi Kappa Psi
Phi Kappa Psi raised over $30,000 dollars for their breast cancer philanthropy event.
because they were doubtful about the fraternities’ true intentions. “I have a lot of meetings with a lot of people and usually those meetings go something like, ‘Oh, you guys are guilty, we know what you guys are, what your plans are, we know what your intentions are. It’s always the same with all of you,’” he said. “And I think with this, even going into this philanthropy, a lot of people were telling us ‘Yeah, good luck with that record. Good luck.’” But, in the end, he said the chapter
was able to pull through and exceed its fundraising goal. “Our goal was $25,000 dollars and everyone laughed at that,” Kyle said, “and we destroyed that.” Peroutka said he hopes this event inspires others to follow. “I hope that other houses at SDSU continue to raise the standard and try to raise a lot of money,” he said. “I hope that there’s a lot of positive light shined on the entire Greek system as a whole for years to come.”
SDSU increases cash offer by $18 million for Mission Valley site by Michael Cline ASST. NEWS EDITOR
San Diego State has submitted a revised proposal to the San Diego City Council to purchase 135 acres of Mission Valley land critical to the university’s longterm expansion plans. In a letter submitted to the mayor’s office on Oct. 28, SDSU said it had upped its cash offer for the parcel to $86.2 million, up $18 million from the original offer submitted to the council Oct. 14. The $86.2 million figure is in line with an estimate of the land’s value published by the city’s Independent Budget Analyst on Oct. 11. San Diego City Council President
University Towers: continued from page 1
spend two nights in another room while his dorm dried out and got repaired. “It was the entire floor in here, almost,” he said. “It was at least maybe a quarter of an inch of water. It was enough I could kind of splash around, my friends got a few laughs from that.” Often times, when floods occur in the building’s rooms, Cervantes said the problem originates from the floor above the one that is flooding. “When we have gone in to repair these floods, obviously we will get a notice from a room saying their drain is backing up, the problem isn’t originating with their shower stall but typically the one above, or ones higher above that stack,” Cervantes said. Recently, wads of hair, plastic wrappers and washcloths have contributed to the backing up of drains at the residence hall, Cervantes said. “In the most recent cases we have found wads of hair, we most recently found a pickle wrapper, and in some cases washcloths,” Cervantes said. Cervantes said the flooding is abnormal, although University Towers has experienced floods in the past. But this semester marks the first time floods have occurred this frequently.
Georgette Gomez announced in an Oct. 29 tweet that the council would consider the revised proposal on Nov. 18. The university said it would also pay approximately $1,500,000 to account for an appreciation in the fair market value between 2017 and the closing date. SDSU anticipates to take ownership of the land in March 2020 after final approval from the city council comes the month prior. The California State University Board of Trustees is expected to approve all plans in January of next year, according to the letter. “SDSU believes a great opportunity awaits the citizens of San Diego with the transformation of the Mission Valley stadium site into a vibrant campus
community,” SDSU President Adela de La Torre said. In addition to an increase in the university’s cash offer for the parcel, SDSU also outlined other concessions in the letter to the mayor. The Murphy Canyon Creek parcel will be included “as is,” the letter said. SDSU previously requested the city perform deferred maintenance and other capital improvement projects on the site. And SDSU will provide $5 million for other traffic improvements “in coordination with the city,” the letter said. This comes after SDSU agreed to front the $22 million of construction costs for a new two-lane Fenton Parkway bridge over Interstate 8. The university expects to receive 75% of those costs
back from the city in the form of credits or other form or reimbursement. The 135-acre parcel is crucial to the university’s expansion project, named SDSU Mission Valley. The university plans to construct a 35,000 seat multiuse stadium, a public River Park, hike and bike trails, a campus Innovation District and residential units, of which 10% will be set aside for affordable housing. “SDSU’s proposed Mission Valley Campus Master Plan project has the opportunity to provide our region with increased educational access, advance our innovation economy and realize a vision that will serve San Diego for generations to come,” de la Torre said.
“This is something that (has) become a pattern this semester for the first time, so you know I would say it’s just been a handful of them since opening, but it’s not really been a pattern with the building we’ve seen before,” Cervantes said. However, applied mathematics sophomore Lucas Martinez, who roomed on the fourth floor last year also had issues with flooding. “Every time the people above us showered, it would leak into our room onto the floor,” he said. And we submitted like five, maybe four, service requests for this and they just gave us a fan. A fan to dry off the floor.” Sustainability freshman Giancarla Gallo was living in University Towers on the seventh floor when the sink in her room flooded. She and her roommate were forced to move out of the room permanently and relocate to a different room in the building. “It was because the sink was filling up and then it flooded everything,” Gallo said. “It was from underneath the sink. We needed to take everything out of the room and had to move out to the eighth floor.” International business freshman Gabriella Spaethling and marketing freshman Alexis Durand said their second-floor room experienced flooding as well. “That day I was showering and the water pressure was super low, it was dripping out so I was a little weirded out,” Spaethling said. “Then the water wasn’t going down
the drain after the shower. And then we left and it was all down (the drain). Then we went down to go get dinner and we came up, Alexis was napping, and there was a huge puddle in the room. And it was coming from the shower.” Spaethling said her room was also flooded with dirty water. “It took awhile for them to actually come and help us,” she said. “It smelled really bad.” Television, film and new media freshman Maya Hennessey said their room was flooded with muddy water one day while they were in the room. “The sink flooded and we thought it was going to stop at the bowl but it didn’t and it just kept going, so the entire floor got soaked,” Hennessey said. “And it was muddy, like the water was muddy. And then after that we had to get it cleaned and we had to go through a whole process for that.” Hennessey and her roommate, communication freshman Odalis Oliva, decided to stay in the room even though it was flooded because they were told it would take just one day to get it cleaned. Business freshmen Daniel Traxler and Jules Auffray are roommates who had a severe flood in their room on the seventh floor. “I was training and when I came back and opened the door I saw it,” Auffray said. “The floor was so wet. It was unbelievable.
We couldn’t walk on it, it was too wet.” Traxler said he was at work when he got a call from his roommate saying he needed to come back to the room right away. Traxler was not able to leave work for another hour, but when he got back to the room, he saw the flood. “It just came up from the sink and it smelled really bad, it was not clean water,” Traxler said. “It was very nasty. It flooded about half the room. So I know my roommate’s bag got wet, but luckily I had all my stuff on top of my surfboard so it didn’t get much wet except my pillow.” Traxler and Auffray waited for several hours for maintenance to come clean their room and help them with the flood damage. “It took a good three or four hours until they came up to clean it, and they cleaned it,” Traxler said. “After we came back and it still smelled for like four days and then finally they came back to clean it again.” The Office of Housing Administration is addressing the issue of the floods by conducting monthly health and safety inspections and making sure the shower drains have covers. “We are going right into our next cycle of health and safety inspections,” Cervantes said. She said the inspections will be starting throughout this next month. News Editor Kaitlyn Little contributed reporting to this story.
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Opinion
The Daily Aztec
Oct. 30 - Nov. 5, 2019 EDITOR: Catherine Van Weele • opinion@thedailyaztec.com
Comparing yourself to others on social media leads to unrealistic expectations by Ellyse Logan STAFF WRITER
Comparison is the thief of all joy. This statement may seem cliche, but it holds a lot of power. Often college students compare themselves to their peers, and this is completely normal. Comparison is a fundamental human tendency. But in the age of social media and tech, comparison can quickly turn into an obsession or a competition. Being surrounded by different types of people and students on this campus makes it’s easy to compare your own accomplishments to others. Maybe someone did better on a test than you and now you create an image of what a better student they are compared to you. However, in our comparisons we often create false images of what other people are actually like. It’s common as a student to compare your experiences with those of others to gauge how well you are doing in a class. We even have Rate My Professor to compare our experiences with professors for other students to see. Although comparison like that may be helpful, it seems as if most of it is doing more harm than good in our society. We go on Instagram and can either feel amazing or terrible about ourselves because often our self worth is based on the amount of attention that other people give us. And we often believe everyone is exactly how they portray themselves on social media. Nowadays everyone wants to flex and those who can’t are left
feeling bad about themselves in the process. People on social media, and sometimes even in real life, only tell you about the good things they have accomplished, rather than any failures or let downs they have experienced. We are trained to see each other as competitors, so any failure we experience creates the sense that we are the weaker link. However, this is completely false. People who are able to learn and grow from their mistakes are more successful because they are not afraid of the possibility of failure. They are able to recognize the next step after the failure easier than someone who tries to be the alpha at all times. Sometimes we get so caught up in comparing ourselves to others, we lose track of what we were trying to accomplish ourselves. Allowing ourselves to be consumed by others is a product of the connected society we have created for ourselves. Social media and being tuned in to things happening around us isn’t necessarily the problem, but being consumed and obsessive about what your social media looks like or trying to achieve the look that social platforms encourage is the problem. If you force yourself to fit into this box, sooner or later it will be too uncomfortable for you to continue to occupy. Something we can all do to combat this problem is remembering to limit our consumption of social media and comparative thinking. Focusing on other people’s journeys and not being diligent to your own is a form of self-sabotage, and we
EDITOR IN CHIEF Bella Ross MANAGING EDITOR Dana Tsuri-Etzioni NEWS EDITOR Kaitlyn Little ASST. NEWS EDITOR Michael Cline OPINION EDITOR Catherine Van Weele MUNDO AZTECA EDITOR Alejandra Luna ASST. MUNDO AZTECA EDITOR Diane Lopez ARTS & CULTURE EDITOR Ceighlee Fennel SPORTS EDITOR Aaron Tolentino ASST. SPORTS EDITOR Kyle Betz ENGAGEMENT EDITOR Brenden Tuccinardi PHOTO EDITOR Alexa Oslowski MULTIMEDIA EDITOR Amal Younis ASST. MULTIMEDIA EDITOR Jack Molmud GRAPHIC DESIGNER Emily Burgess VOLUNTEER COPY EDITOR Noah Goldbloom
Photo by Alexa Oslowski
Malia Redmon (L) and Teagan DeLeon (R) using social media.
should have no part in that. Remember to go out into nature and to have meaningful in-person conversations. Surround yourself with people who support you and make you feel good, not people you feel superior to or those who constantly bring you down. It’s important in life to understand your own feelings and emotions so no one can
invalidate them. Know your own self-worth so it can’t be brought down by other people. This time in our lives is a major learning experience, make sure it isn’t ruined by unrealistic standards. Ellyse Logan is a sophomore studying international business. Follow her on Twitter @ellyselogan.
STAFF WRITERS Cristian Alvarez Roxana Becerril Trinity Bland Cristofer Garcia Aofia Gomez Daniel Guerrero Breven Honda Ellyse Logan Antonio Márquez Camille Montagu Juniper Perkins Katelynn Robinson CONTRIBUTORS Aaliyah Alexander Callista Hansen Oliver Krvaric SENIOR STAFF WRITERS Kelly Kerrigan ________________________________ ADVERTISING DIRECTOR Bryan Diamond
College is not always the right path for everyone by Catherine OPINION EDITOR
Van Weele
Since I was in middle school, teachers and faculty forced the notion that everyone should attend college after graduating high school. Taking an alternate route from the traditional college experience was supported, but it was always clear this option was quietly looked down upon. But now, as a student at a four-year university, I find myself, along with many others, questioning the worth of college. Today, more and more people are enrolling in college, but is it really worth it? It seems that many college students want a degree for better job opportunities later on. People with a bachelor’s degree still earn significantly larger salaries, specifically $33,000 higher on average, than people with only a high school degree. But that is not always the case. Students who graduate in the bottom 25% of their college class, take over four years to complete their bachelors or drop out of college are unlikely to see that pay bump. Students don’t usually cite the
enrichment of knowledge and cultivation of intellectual thought as a reason for attending college. In fact, the quality of higher education in the United States isn’t quite so high. College students in the U.S. rank behind on the world stage in critical thinking skills and in using digital technology for problem-solving. This is not an optimistic trend for the future of
learning. With schools admitting more students each year, lecturebased learning will only expand to accommodate for growing student population. This classroom structure does not translate well into the workforce. Individual-based assessments may be efficient for professors that grade the work of hundreds of students, but it doesn’t
“College has become an industry rather than a place of intellectual stimulation and growth.” our economy. At universities, the teaching style is often in the form of lectures rather than hands-on, interactive learning. Students are tested with a few examinations that make up the majority of their grades. Studying is usually crammed in right before an exam and the information is mostly forgotten after taking it. General education classes are especially problematic as students often skip classes and don’t have a strong interest in what they are
teach skills like collaboration, communication or creativity, all of which are skills prospective employers look for in hirees. A PayScale study found nine out of 10 recent college graduates felt they were well equipped to enter the workforce, while only half of employers thought the same. The more people with a bachelor’s degree, the less worth it holds in the workforce; and today having a bachelor’s degree does not guarantee a good job after graduating.
Despite the lower quality education and lack of workplace preparation, prices are rising rapidly and student loans are skyrocketing out of control. College has become an industry rather than a place of intellectual stimulation and growth. Because of this, many young adults are choosing to take a gap year before or during college, enroll in a vocational or trade school or enter straight into the workforce after high school. These are all perfectly viable options for people who decide not to take the “traditional path” to a university after high school. Carefully consider what you want to pursue as a career and whether a four-year college would help you achieve those goals, because the time and money spent on your college years are not always worth it. Learning and growing are not about what college you attended, how many units you get or the number of essays you write. It is about making the most out of the opportunities presented to you. Catherine Van Weele is a sophomore studying political science. Follow her Twitter @catievanweele.
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Oct. 30 - Nov. 5, 2019 EDITOR: Catherine Van Weele • opinion@thedailyaztec.com
Opinion
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5
A career in entertainment is possible by Trinity Bland STAFF WRITER
Over the years, the entertainment industry has been trashed in the press yet romanticized in countless movies and television shows. Despite the mixed connotations surrounding the industry, it still remains the ideal place for many who dream of having a career directly involved with music, film, television or all three of those fields combined. With all the hype and buzz consistently associated with the industry, one would think media and entertainment jobs are as glamorous as society makes them out to be. Through my experience of physically being on a set and having conversations with a number of individuals who have successful careers in the entertainment industry, I can testify that this is true. However, as with any profession, there is a lot of work involved in securing a job in entertainment. A college education may not be necessary to excel in this capacity, but learning from an expert in the field should go without saying. For one to want a career in entertainment isn’t far-fetched. Some may say it is unrealistic or that it is only for a certain group of people, but that is far from the truth.
Photo by Alexa Oslowski
Outside of the Don Powell Theatre at SDSU.
The entertainment industry is diverse in interests, careers, age, gender and demographics. Jobs are always available, whether it be in Los Angeles, New York or Atlanta, which is a newly popular city for entertainment. While seeking a career in entertainment, many people who aspire to work in the industry may have unrealistic expectations. They must, however, substitute their thoughts with the desire to get their foot in the door by applying to entertainmentrelated, entry-level jobs and working their way up to the
position they want. People must take advantage of opportunities that will propel them into places that allow them to learn more about the essential art of entertainment. They must gain the skills needed to thrive in various capacities within the industry as well as connect with people who can mentor them and help them prepare for the field. For college students who may be interested in entertainment and may want to pursue a career in the industry honing in on your craft is important so you can discover specifically what you
may want to achieve with your career. Here at San Diego State, we have one of the most prolific film programs on the west coast. Women like Darla K. Anderson, who produced the 2017 Disney Pixar film, “Coco,” and Kathleen Kennedy, president of Lucas Films, who produced legendary films like “E.T.”, “Jurassic Park” and “Star Wars,” are all prominent alumni of our School of Theater. Faculty members who teach and are affiliated with the School of Theater include filmmakers, directors, producers, screenwriters and individuals with strong connections in the entertainment industry. They want to set ambitious students up for success by connecting them with professionals in the field. Last semester, I took an introductory course in the film department at SDSU. The course was one of many factors that ignited my passion for cinematography as well as working artistically behind the scenes. That being said, I am currently working towards changing my major from journalism to television, film and new media as I intend on becoming a screenwriter, director, and producer in the future. I am confident that by the time I graduate, I will have gained enough knowledge from both the School of Theater and
the opportunities that it provides me to invest in myself to become a qualified individual to apply for work in the industry. By reading books about the specific branch of entertainment you want to pursue, listening to podcasts, watching interviews with professionals and even looking at the works by these professionals – you are investing in yourself and making yourself a better candidate for a job in entertainment. Networking is also essential to have a job in media or entertainment. Talking with other people who have careers in entertainment is important for expanding your knowledge and building connections. The way this logic goes is that from your experiences and from the insights of other people you work alongside who have established careers in entertainment, you too can pursue a career in your dream job. All in all, you have to position yourself to succeed in the entertainment industry just as you do with excelling in any other career. If you think otherwise, you have to change your mindset and set goals with the intention of reaching them. Having a stable career in entertainment is realistic. Period. Trinity Bland is a sophomore studying journalism. Follow her on Twitter @trinityaliciaa.
Big corporations are to blame for climate change by Oliver Krvaric CONTRIBUTOR
The ongoing dialogue surrounding the urgency of the looming threat of climate change has been successfully derailed into a conversation that places the primary responsibility for combating climate change on individuals and their lifestyle habits. Implicitly, this also bears with it blame on individuals and their lifestyle habits in the event that climate change isn’t reversed. Perhaps not as conspicuously as I’d like to think, corporations get off scot-free when it comes to mainstream social pressure. From a young age, we’ve always been told to take shorter showers, turn the faucet off while brushing our teeth, bring our own reusable bags to the store and bike or take public transportation to school or the workplace. This messaging pervades and transcends media. It’s reinforced in schools, parroted in political campaigns and legislation and highlighted in corporate advertising. The framing of this issue is nefarious and deliberate. While individuals upturn their whole lifestyle to limit their personal carbon footprints, just 100 companies are responsible for 71% of global carbon emissions since 1988, according to the Carbon Disclosure Project. While cities like London and Paris are pursuing initiatives to ban cars
from their city centers, it only takes 15 oil tankers to match the pollution of every single car on Earth. This is not to say that individuals should refrain from making changes to their daily lives that results in a smaller carbon footprint and reduces the amount of waste they’re personally responsible for. Nobody should be shamed for any positive impacts they can make in the fight against climate change, however small. Just the same, nobody should be shamed for any positive impacts they don’t make. Individual impact is so statistically insignificant, moral culpability can’t be thrown around. Only eight companies – all of them oil and gas suppliers – are responsible for 20% of anthropogenic carbon emissions since the onset of the Industrial Revolution. While these companies are profiting to the tune of billions of dollars, individuals and families bear the brunt of social pressure for the consequences. That is a serious problem. Why is this our first instinct as a society? A solution frequently touted is to “vote with your dollars.” This is ineffective for several reasons. For one, it locks an individual’s capacity to influence climate change-inducing industries to their annual income or their consumption habits. Second, it’s often used as a sufficient
alternative to actually voting. These corporations are voting with their dollars every day. They engage in extensive lobbying of our elected officials and donate millions of dollars to PACs supporting the re-election of our congressmen. Thousands of jobs across the energy industry are effectively held hostage by the prospect that the fossil fuel industry could one day be replaced by one far more conducive to a clean Earth. Voting with your dollars only works as large-scale collective action. As individuals, it accomplishes very little and guarantees your momentum remains scattered and atomized. Governments have a duty to protect their citizens, and only governments can hold corporate pollution accountable for the damage it can inflict on a worldwide scale if left unchecked. While I have a personal aversion to state regulation of private entities, there are less intrusive ways to guiding companies in the right direction. One that’s growing in popularity is the idea of a carbon tax that’s redistributed equally across all Americans. It works in two fashions. It incentivizes companies to more rapidly transition towards lower emissions, but it also empowers individuals to make environmentally sound consumption choices where they might not have had the financial ability to do so previously. Its
revenue neutral, meaning it doesn’t increase our deficit and draw upon more debt. Individuals have an important role to play when it comes to forcefully addressing climate change, but they should never bear the brunt of social pressure when they are not statistically responsible for ongoing climate change. Corporations like Saudi Aramco, Exxon-Mobil and even the ones that I’ve never heard of like RioTinto and Peabody are culpable. Some of these companies even have emissions that surpass multiple nations combined. Let’s redirect blame away from
friends and family and towards the actual culprits. Oliver Krvaric is a senior studying international security and conflict resolutions and is the president of SDSU College Republicans.
Graphic by Leilani Tashima
6
The Daily Aztec
Sports
Oct. 30 - Nov. 5, 2019 EDITOR: Aaron Tolentino • sports@thedailyaztec.com
Aztecs look to build off MWC tournament run by Breven Honda STAFF WRITER
San Diego State women’s basketball is trending upward heading into the 201920 season. In each of the past four seasons, SDSU has increased its three-point percentage, field goal percentage, assists and rebounds. And SDSU hopes to continue that into the new year. Despite being the seventh seed in the Mountain West Conference Tournament last March, the Aztecs pulled off an upset over No. 2 New Mexico and lost an overtime heartbreaker against No. 3 Wyoming in the semifinals. The victory over the Lobos – which included the Aztecs posting a conference record of 59 rebounds – was their first MWC tournament win in three seasons. It was also the first time since 2013 they beat two teams in the same tournament. Aztecs’ head coach Stacie Terry said the team used last year’s tournament as momentum into the offseason, hoping to expand off it when the season begins. “We bottled that up, took it with us in the summer and into the fall because we now feel worthy, or that we’re in the same league as some of the top teams in the Mountain West Conference,” Terry said. “We’ve kind of built on that and use that as fuel to show them how close we were to actually going to the tournament – winning the conference tournament and possibly going to the Big Dance.”
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continued from page 1 in, they’ll just help the overall team with experience.” Dutcher said he hopes experience, in addition to coaching, will help Feagin and Wetzell thrive. “I’m counting on experience for those guys,” Dutcher said. “I’ve taught them the way we do things here, combined with they way they’ve been taught over their careers. I think the combination is going to be a good one for us.” The most anticipated freshman to debut on The Mesa is forward Keshad Johnson, who was given a four-star rating and scout grade of 80 by ESPN his senior season at San Leandro High near Oakland. As one of the few underclassmen on the team, Johnson said adjusting to collegiate basketball has given him the opportunity to learn from the experienced players. “My whole life (I’ve been) used to being the best player on the team, just the go-to guy,” Johnson said. “But now, I’m starting to learn that it’s more things to basketball than always being the best. I’ve still got to learn. Being here, we’ve got a veteran team this year, which I’m glad I was able to come into it this year because I’m really learning from all the vets.” In addition to Johnson, the Aztecs have two new freshman guards to add depth to the squad: Mike Pope and Jared Barnett. Let’s also not forget junior guard Malachi Flynn, who redshirted last season due to NCAA transfer rules, is active this year. The Washington State transfer is expected to make an immediate impact for the Scarlet and Black after leading the Cougars with 77 made 3-pointers in 2017-18.
Photo by Kareem Jones
Then-sophomore guard Téa Adams attacks the post during the Aztecs’ 54-45 victory over Colorado State last season on Feb. 13 at Viejas Arena.
One of the standout players from last year’s team was sophomore guard Sophia Ramos, who was named to the Mountain West All-Tournament team (the only freshman on the team) and the Mountain West All-Freshman Team. Ramos was the only true freshman in the country to average at least 13.5 points, four rebounds and 4.5 assists per game. In addition, Ramos posted the most
points and assists by an Aztec freshman since 1992. Although Ramos posted 4.5 assists per game, Terry said she has seen Ramos’ growth but would like to her improve her decision-making. “She has so much confidence in her game and has consistently been really good in our practices so far,” Terry said. “She’s a different type of kid. She doesn’t do anything fast, she’s not crazy athletic,
but she is really efficient. One of our goals is to get her assists up and her turnovers down.” Ramos’ confidence from last season came from some of her teammates. “Last year, I got really lucky in having Najé (Murray) and Téa (Adams) be my people to help me be successful, help show me what is expected and make sure I was comfortable in that spot,” Ramos said. “It helped having Mallory (Adams) having (to) keep me calm, keep me sane.” Despite the loss of Ramos’ guardmate, Najé Murray, who transferred to California, the Aztecs were able to land senior guard Taylor Kalmer, who comes from an Oregon State program that went to three straight NCAA tournaments, including the 2016 Final Four. Terry, who is in her seventh season as head coach, said Kalmer gives confidence and maturity to a young team with aspirations. “With the addition of Taylor, we have some veteran leadership,” Terry said. “We got a year older, and we brought a senior in the mix. I think we’re experienced and we’re poised to make a run in the conference.” The Aztecs begin the season Nov. 5 at Hawaii before playing five straight home games, starting with Towson at noon on Nov. 9 at Viejas Arena. Aaron Tolentino and Cristian Alvarez contributed reporting to this story. Breven Honda is a junior studying journalism. Follow him on Twitter @BrevenHonda.
Dutcher said he expects Flynn to be one of the team’s primary scoring threats and was pleased with his performance in the team’s closed scrimmage against Point Loma Nazarene University on Oct. 26. “I know he’s going to score a lot of points,” Dutcher said. “In our closed scrimmage against Point Loma, he did a great job of moving the ball. He was really initiating… His playmaking is way better in a game situation than I’ve seen in practice, and that was really encouraging to me.” Another shooter, junior guard Jordan Schakel, hopes to compliment Flynn’s deep threat. Schakel was second on the team in 3-point accuracy last year, shooting 41.5% from beyond the arc. Flynn said his ability to shoot alongside Schakel is dangerous for the opposition. “We both can shoot the ball at a high clip, so I think it’s definitely going to be a problem when we’re both out there,” Flynn said. The loss of guards Jeremy Hemsley and Devin Watson and second-round NBA draft pick forward Jalen McDaniels still lingers, but the addition of players like Feagin and Flynn are encouraging replacements for the Aztecs. The Aztecs face several notable opponents throughout the next few months, including Brigham Young on Nov. 9, Creighton on Nov. 28, Utah on Dec. 21 and Utah State on Jan. 4 and Feb. 1. SDSU begins its season on Oct. 30 in an exhibition against UC San Diego followed by a regular season opener against Texas Southern on Nov. 5 at Viejas Arena. Aaron Tolentino and Luis Lopez contributed reporting to this story. Kyle Betz is a junior studying journalism. Follow him on Twitter @KyleBBetz.
File photo
Then-sophomore forward Matt Mitchell looks to drive to the hoop in the Aztecs’ 64-57 loss to Utah State last season in the Mountain West tournament championship game on March 16 at Thomas & Mack Center in Las Vegas.
Sports 7 Washington State transfer poised to be offensive force
Oct. 30 - Nov. 5, 2019 EDITOR: Aaron Tolentino • sports@thedailyaztec.com
The Daily Aztec
Junior guard Malachi Flynn transfers from Washington State after averaging 15.8 points per game his sophomore year. by Aaron Tolentino SPORTS EDITOR
Though he has yet to suit up in a San Diego State uniform, junior guard transfer Malachi Flynn is already being regarded as the guy who will lead the offense. In his two years at Washington State, Flynn was an offensive force. Flynn notched a career-high 15.8 points per game during his sophomore campaign, which ranked 11th in the Pac-12. He also led the Cougars that year with 77 3-pointers made – the most in the program since Klay Thompson set the school record in 2011 with 98. Putting up those numbers at a Power Five school may seem like a situation most players wouldn’t walk away from. However, the problem was Washington State’s record stood at 12-19 and 4-14 Pac-12 play in Flynn’s final year in Pullman. Flynn wants to win. “Even these last two years, they went to the tournament,” Flynn said. “(Last season), they were one game out. That’s where everyone wants to play in college, trying to get to March Madness. They’ve shown they’re there the majority of the time. That’s big.” Compared to the Cougars’ zero appearances in the tournament in the last 10 years, the Aztecs have made it in seven of the last 10 seasons. The Aztecs have a history of capitalizing on landing a transfer from Washington State.
Like Flynn, former guard Xavier Thames transferred from Washington State to the Mesa. Thames was recently inducted in the 2019 class of the Aztec Hall of Fame – thanks to numerous accolades such as AP AllAmerican, Mountain West Player of the Year and All-Mountain West First Team. More importantly, Thames helped lead SDSU to three NCAA Tournament births. Only time will tell if Flynn will match the kind of success Thames had. He hasn’t even suited up yet, but Flynn already has a load of expectations to live up to. “I don’t think it’s something I shy away from or necessarily embrace,” Flynn said of the hype surrounding him. “I think it’s just you go along with it, you know (expectations) are there, so that’s obviously going to push you to work harder.” Flynn is fully capable of all of those accolades, but his main goal is to win. Junior forward Matt Mitchell said Flynn’s game and desire to win make him the ideal teammate. “Malachi is superior on the offensive side,” Mitchell said. “He just looks to win, and that’s why he came here. He was at Washington State. He could’ve stayed at Washington State and continued to put up numbers. “That’s somebody I want to play with – a guy that can put up numbers but doesn’t necessarily want to put up numbers. He’s just doing it because he wants to win.” Look for Flynn to be able to space out the floor with his shooting, adding to an already
deep lineup of snipers from the outside. Flynn joins shooters such as Mitchell (career 34% from 3-point range), senior guard KJ Feagin (career 39%) and junior guard Jordan Schakel (41% last season). If head coach Brian Dutcher decides to play small and have all four of them on the court, the Aztecs will have the ability to spread the floor with their shooting. Even just in practice, Flynn has turned some heads with his game. Freshman forward Keshad Johnson said Flynn caught his attention during practice and made him realize he is playing at a high level of Division I basketball. “One is Malachi Flynn. He can go,” Johnson said of who has caught his attention in practice. “It’s different when it hits you: That’s a D1 guy,” Johnson said. “That’s the guy that’s able to go to the league. I’m really here playing with him. “You can’t point to one thing about him. He can shoot it. He can get somebody else open. He just knows how to play, and when he plays, he’s like a dog. Where I’m from, coming from Oakland, that’s who we like – people that’s dogs. (Flynn is) one of them.” Johnson said Flynn’s Mountain West Conference scoring title is his to lose. “If there’s one thing I’m most confident about, it’s him leading the conference in scoring,” Johnson said. “That has Malachi Flynn’s name written all over it.” Aaron Tolentino is a senior studying journalism. Follow him on Twitter @atolent2.
Photo by Sam Mayo
Junior guard Malachi Flynn at SDSU men’s basketball media day on Oct. 23 at the Jeff Jacobs JAM Center.
Newcomer Taylor Kalmer brings winning experience to the Mesa by Cristian STAFF WRITER
Alvarez
This offseason, San Diego State women’s basketball welcomed the transfer of senior guard Taylor Kalmer. Kalmer joins the Aztecs after three years at Oregon State. She redshirted last season, but posted six points and averaged 17.7 minutes per game in the 2017-18 season as a junior for the Beavers. The Arizona native said she decided to play for SDSU because of the culture and the opportunity to be closer to home. “I was looking to be closer to family,” Kalmer said. “Previously (SDSU) recruited me so I was already familiar with the program. I was looking to play in a new
basketball system and fell in love with it here.” Kalmer said she’s excited to be a part of the Aztecs and looks forward to helping her teammates succeed. “I want to help us win in any way I can,” Kalmer said. “Wherever coach needs me to go, that’s what I’m looking to do.” Head coach Stacie Terry said Kalmer will help the team understand what a championship mentality is like – after Kalmer’s team went to the Final Four in 2016. “She was a part of (Oregon State’s) winning tradition,” Terry said. “She’s taken a piece of that and shown us what it’s like and how we need to mimic what they did as a program.” When it’s gametime you can expect Kalmer to be the most serious player on the court.
Her level of intensity is what separates herself from everyone else. Whether it’s playing against the No. 1 team in the country or simply shooting around in practice, Kalmer doesn’t let her guard down for anyone. She exemplifies what it means to be a grizzled veteran. Compare her to someone like Los Angeles Clippers point guard Patrick Beverley. Beverley is someone who is going to do everything in their position to disrupt and get under your skin. For Kalmer, it’s like this alter ego comes out during games where she plays with a chip on her shoulder. Kalmer said she has always had the desire to compete. “I love competing with myself and trying to beat the yesterday version of me,” Kalmer
said. “That drives me a lot. Everything I do is a competition to me.” The one thing Aztec fans should be looking forward to seeing from Kalmer is her versatility to be dangerous in many different ways. “I like to work hard in whatever category that may be,” Kalmer said. “Offensively or defensively, I’ll do anything that is needed at the time.” Kalmer said she appreciates the tight bond of everyone on the team and how smooth they made her transition. “Teams are built on and off the court,” Kalmer said. “The closer you are the better the team performs every day.” Cristian Alvarez is a senior studying journalism. Follow him on Twitter @AlvarezTheViper.
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8
Sports
The Daily Aztec
Oct. 30 - Nov. 5, 2019 EDITOR: Aaron Tolentino • sports@thedailyaztec.com
MEN’S PROJECTED STARTING LINEUP
F MATT MITCHELL 2018-19
MPG
PPG
RPG
26.4
10.3
4.1
F YANNI WETZELL 2018-19
MPG
PPG
RPG
18.5
5.9
3.8
G KJ FEAGIN 2017-18 (SANTA CLARA)
F NATHAN MENSAH 2018-19
MPG
PPG
RPG
18.9
5.6
5.5
G MALACHI FLYNN 2017-18 (WASHINGTON STATE)
MPG
PPG
APG
33.4
15.8
4.3
MPG
PPG
APG
35.0
17.5
4.0
Sports
Oct. 30 - Nov. 5, 2019 EDITOR: Aaron Tolentino • sports@thedailyaztec.com
The Daily Aztec
9
WOMEN’S PROJECTED STARTING LINEUP
G TAYLOR KALMER 2017-18 (OREGON STATE)
MPG
PPG
APG
17.7
6.0
1.9
C ZAYN DORNSTAUDER 2018-19
MPG
PPG
RPG
18.3
6.4
4.3
G SOPHIA RAMOS 2018-19
MPG
PPG
APG
34.0
13.9
4.5
F MALLORY ADAMS 2018-19
G TÉA ADAMS 2018-19
MPG
PPG
RPG
27.8
10.0
3.4
MPG
PPG
RPG
32.0
12.2
8.9
10
Sports
The Daily Aztec
Oct. 30 - Nov. 5, 2019 EDITOR: Aaron Tolentino • sports@thedailyaztec.com
Aztecs crack AP Top 25 after win over UNLV San Diego State football clinches fourth straight victory and now ranks No. 25 in AP Poll.
Photo by Kareem Jones
Senior quarterback Ryan Agnew (9) looks to scramble the ball with senior tight end Parker Houston (82) blocking on Oct. 26 at UNLV.
by Kyle Betz ASST. SPORTS EDITOR
San Diego State football entered the fourth quarter against UNLV with an 11-point lead last November. Long story short, that lead collapsed into a 27-24 Rebel victory. Fast forward one year later, the Aztecs held a 10-point lead going into the fourth quarter. UNLV junior tight end Giovanni Fauolo Sr. caught a two-yard touchdown to narrow the Rebels’
deficit to 20-17. After an SDSU three-and-out, the Rebels got the ball back with 3:44 remaining. It seemed like déjà vu. On fourth-and-24, UNLV redshirt freshman quarterback Kenyon Oblad connected with sophomore wide receiver Randal Grimes for a 42-yard reception – ultimately setting the Rebels up for a potential 42-yard gametying field goal with 37 seconds remaining. UNLV junior kicker Daniel Gutierrez drilled the upright, missing the attempt and giving the Aztecs a 20-17 win over the
Rebels on Oct. 26 at Sam Boyd Stadium. Head coach Rocky Long said the Aztecs (7-1, 4-1 Mountain West Conference) were lucky to have pulled off the victory. “It’s unbelievable how spoiled we are, including me, that you can win a football game and be mad,” Long said. “I mean, that’s ridiculous. We’re 7-1, we’re on top of the Western Division in our conference. We ought to be happy, we ought to be celebrating, but we’re not. I don’t know if that’s right or wrong. It’s probably not right.”
It was a tale of two halves between both teams. SDSU got off to a hot start thanks to a 49-yard touchdown reception by sophomore wide receiver Ethan Dedeaux on the Aztecs’ second drive of the game. The score marked the Las Vegas native’s first career touchdown – tied for the Aztecs’ longest pass play this season. With under a minute left in the first quarter, junior defensive back Trenton Thompson blocked a punt which was recovered by sophomore linebacker Caden McDonald in the end zone for a touchdown. The play turned out to be the Aztecs’ second special teams touchdown in the last two weeks. From then on, the Scarlet and Black were unable to reach the end zone again. Long said SDSU might have underestimated the Rebels after the Aztecs took an early lead. “I’m sure our team thought after we jumped out ahead that it was going to be easy,” Long said. “And that’s the dumbest thing any athlete can ever do – think it’s going to be easy. Now, that’s probably not right. I ought to give UNLV credit; their kids probably just bowed up and made it a
game.” SDSU’s defense, meanwhile, was pitching a first-half shutout until the 1:26 minute mark, when UNLV sophomore wide receiver Randal Grimes scored a 58-yard receiving touchdown to narrow the Aztecs’ lead to 17-7. Oblad found sophomore wide receiver Tyleek Collins for 28 yards on 3rd and 21 en route to the touchdown. Long said that third-and-long conversion changed the narrative of the game. “We go in at halftime, and instead of being way ahead and have the momentum in our favor, all of a sudden, it’s a close game and the momentum is in their favor,” Long said. That momentum seemed to continue into the second half, as the Rebels held an advantage in time of possession (18:55) and held the Aztecs to 116 yards, including 26 in the fourth quarter. The Aztecs, who entered the game as the third-ranked rushing defense in the nation, allowed 121 rushing yards – the secondhighest total they’ve succumbed all season. Kyle Betz is a junior studying journalism. Follow him on Twitter @KyleBBetz.
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Oct. 30 - Nov. 5, 2019 EDITOR: Aaron Tolentino • sports@thedailyaztec.com
Sports
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Grad transfers hope to make immediate impact for Aztecs by Luis Lopez STAFF WRITER
San Diego State men’s basketball has just one returning senior playing in 2019. Senior forward Nolan Narain will be playing in his final year with the Aztecs and was almost the only senior on this year’s roster. Instead, head coach Brian Dutcher and the Aztec coaching staff went out to add experience to their roster, adding senior guard KJ Feagin and senior forward Yanni Wetzel. Both Feagin and Wetzel are coming in as graduate transfers, with Wetzel coming from Vanderbilt and Feagin from Santa Clara. Feagin is coming off a successful career for the Broncos, earning a spot on the all-West Coast Conference team twice in his time there, including an average of 17.5 points a game in his junior year. To find success in the Mountain West conference, Feagin said he just needs to play his game. “I just feel like basketball is basketball, no matter the conference, there’s good players everywhere,” Feagin said. “It may be a different style, but I feel like my game is equipped to play anywhere in any conference.” As for Wetzel, he has been
through the transfer process before, starting his college career at Saint Mary’s University before going to Vanderbilt. At SMU, Wetzel won Heartland Conference Freshman of the Year, and at Vanderbilt, averaged 5.9 points and 3.8 assists a game in his junior year. Originally from New Zealand, Wetzell said finding success in another program just comes down to being a team player. “It’s just about being a team player, being coachable and fitting in with the team,” he said. “When I moved to Vanderbilt, I fit in well, it’s just about chemistry and building connections with your teammates and the coaches.” That chemistry is something both Wetzel and Feagin have found quickly in their short time here on the Mesa. Narain said he was happy to have two more seniors on the squad. “It felt good, I came in with Jeremy, guys like Trey Kell, Max Montana and guys like that, so knowing that they’re not here anymore was kind of like ‘Damn, who am I going to hang out with this year?’,” Narain said. “With Yanni and KJ coming in, we got to meet on their visit, hang out over the summer and now we’re all roommates.”
In addition to good chemistry, the program as a whole appealed to Feagin and Wetzel for multiple reasons. “The proximity to home, and the ability for my family to see me play in almost every game, the coaching staff as well just really meshed with what I value in coaches, so I felt like the opportunity was a match made in heaven,” Feagin said. Feagin is originally from Long Beach, and his family currently resides in Carson, only a couple hours up the road – unlike Wetzel, who would have to catch a 14hour flight to get back home to New Zealand. Wetzel had two schools on his final list for transfering, one of last seasons’ Final Four teams in Texas Tech, and SDSU. Texas Tech was the national champion runner up. Wetzel said his excitement for the upcoming season is based on what the coaching staff has put together. “They’ve got a great history here,” Wetzel said. “I felt like with the recruits that they have and then the current players that were already on the roster, I thought that we could have a great year here.” Luis Lopez is a junior studying journalism. Follow him on Twitter @ Lopez509Luis.
Photo by Sam Mayo
Senior guard KJ Feagin at SDSU men’s basketball media day on Oct. 23 at Jeff Jacobs JAM Center. Feagin, a transfer from Santa Clara, averaged 17.5 points per game as a junior.
Sophia Ramos heads into year two after strong freshman campaign by Cristian STAFF WRITER
Alvarez
After making a splash across the Mountain West Conference as a freshman, San Diego State women’s basketball sophomore guard Sophia Ramos is eager to reach new heights this season. As a freshman, Ramos led the Aztecs in three categories: Points (13.9 per game), assists (4.5 per game) and 3-point percentage (.362 overall). Her contributions were not only the best on the team but also among freshmen players in the entire conference. The San Antonio, Texas native led all freshmen in scoring, assists, shooting percentage and minutes played. Ramos was the first Aztec since 2007 to lead in both points and assists. In 32 games last year, she had 27 separate instances where she recorded double-digit points. Terry said despite not overwhelming opponents with hops and blazing speed, Ramos finds a way to be successful. “She has a quiet strength and a high basketball IQ,” Terry said. “She has mastered getting to her spot and doing whatever it takes to get to where she wants to go.” Even after having a player’s ideal start to their collegiate career, Ramos is constantly looking for ways to improve. “I’m still trying to figure out ways to throw teams off,” Ramos said. “I’m looking to expand my game without having to change who I am as a player.” Ramos played a large part in the Aztecs’ run at the Mountain
Photo by Kareem Jones
Then-freshman guard Sophia Ramos looks to drive the ball down the lane in the Aztecs’ 87-81 loss to Fresno State last season on Jan. 23 at Viejas Arena.
West Championships in Las Vegas last season. The Aztecs came into the tournament as a No. 7 seed and defeated No. 10 Air Force in the first round. They followed it up with an upset win against No. 2 New Mexico. SDSU reached the semifinals but fell short following a 75-70 overtime loss to No. 3 Wyoming. Ramos scored 50 points (16.6 points per game) and dished out 10 assists (3.3 assists per
game) across three games in the tournament which landed her a spot on the Mountain West AllTournament Team – the only freshman and underclassman to do so. “We had a lot of fun last year,” Ramos said. “It was cool to shock and upset some of the teams. A lot of great memories were made.” Ramos’ highlight game this past season was against CSU Northridge on Dec. 9, 2018
when she scored a career-high 28 points while sinking in seven 3-pointers, including six in the fourth quarter alone. Her seven 3-pointers tied for second most in program history. She became the first Aztec to hit six 3-pointers in a quarter. Ramos’ efficiency on offense led to 446 points and 144 assists tallied overall this past season – the most points and assists as a freshman for the Scarlet and Black since 1992.
“Last year, I didn’t go in with that expectation for myself at all,” Ramos said. “Now that teams are able to see what I can do, it’s time for me to work on the things that make me successful.” Ramos is expected to make her season debut when the Aztecs begin their regular season on the road against Hawaii on Nov. 5. Cristian Alvarez is a senior studying journalism. Follow him on Twitter @AlvarezTheViper.
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Mundo Azteca
The Daily Aztec
Oct. 30 - Nov. 5, 2019 EDITOR: Alejandra Luna • mundoazteca@thedailyaztec.com
La educación bilingüe es crucial para estudiantes por Antonio Márquez, luna y Diane López ESCRITORES
Alejandra
¿Las universidades estadounidenses deben comenzar a desarrollar programas bilingües de relaciones públicas para sus alumnos? ¿Cuáles son las oportunidades y los desafíos de implementar este tipo de proyectos? Estas preguntas fueron abordadas el pasado 19 de octubre, en un panel moderado por Patrick Thelen, profesor asistente en la escuela de Journalism & Media Studies de San Diego State University, durante la conferencia PRSA Educators Academy Super Saturday. Los panelistas vinieron desde ambos lados de la frontera para compartir sus perspectivas sobre la educación bilingüe. Patricia Taylor, asesora senior de comunicación estratégica en CETYS Universidad, una institución de educación superior ubicada en Baja California, participó como panelista en la conferencia. “Ser bilingüe me ha abierto muchos caminos profesionales y no sólo en relaciones públicas”, expresó Taylor. “Es una habilidad que te hace especial que no todo el mundo tiene”. Taylor, quien es originaria de Mexicali, Baja California, señala que las universidades en ambos lados de la frontera deben trabajar conjuntamente ya que muchos de los universitarios de Baja California están muy conectados con la cultura estadounidense. Sin embargo, Taylor piensa que las universidades de EEUU no tienen mucho conocimiento sobre la cultura
Foto por Antonio Márquez
Presentaciones de los panelistas en SDSU.
mexicana. Según Taylor, esta falta de entendimiento se debe, al menos en parte, al miedo que sienten los estudiantes en EEUU de cruzar la frontera y conocer más allá de lo que escuchan. Para los participantes de este foro es importante que ambas culturas intercambien ideas y experiencias. El ser parte de una frontera hace a cada persona especial ya que mucha gente tiene una doble vida cada vez que cruza de un lugar a otro. “Lo que me pareció muy interesante de participar en esta conferencia, fue la
oportunidad de ver qué están haciendo en San Diego State con respecto a la educación que le están ofreciendo a sus alumnos de relaciones públicas”, señaló Taylor. Asimismo, el decano de la escuela de Periodismo y Comunicaciones en la Universidad de Oregón, Juan Carlos Molleda, comentó la importancia de tener clases en español ya que cada vez es más frecuente ser bilingüe
La Noche de Brujas, como lo conocemos los hispanos, y el Día de Muertos está a la vuelta de la esquina. Fueron contadas las veces que mi familia festejó Halloween y no por nuestras creencias religiosas sino porque en México era muy extraño festejar la Noche de Brujas y disfrazarnos. México no tiene muchos años celebrando este día y no estoy encontra de ello, lo que no me gusta es que muchas personas quieran mezclar las dos tradiciones o dicen que el Día de Muertos es como Halloween. El día de muertos es una tradición mexicana y no tiene nada que ver con Noche de Brujas y su “truco o travesura”. La mayor parte de mi educación fue en México, por lo que cada año mi escuela hacía un altar de muertos, bebíamos chocolate caliente con pan de muerto, lo cual solo lo venden a mediados de octubre y la primer semana de noviembre. Algunas personas creen que nos disfrazamos en el día de muertos, tal vez si se utilizan disfraces pero son simbólicos como es la catrina ya que a este personaje se le asocia con la muerte. En cambio, la Noche de Brujas o Halloween es solamente por diversión, la gente decora sus viviendas llenas de telarañas, tumbas, fantasmas y personajes de alguna película de terror. Para los niños es uno de los momentos más esperados porque se
pueden disfrazar de sus personajes favoritos y comer muchos dulces. Recuerdo que cuando era niña y vivíamos en Tijuana, mi mamá nos traía a San Diego a pedir dulces, fueron muy pocas las veces que veníamos el 31 de octubre. Mis hermanos y yo contábamos los días para usar nuestro disfraz y comer por días dulces y chocolates. Ahora que soy mayor y vivo en San Diego no me llama la atención festejarlo o disfrazarme porque mis papás no me acostumbrando a celebrarlo. El Día de Muertos es diferente a lo que muchas personas creen. Este día familias hispanas hacen tributo a sus seres queridos que partieron. Yo odiaba el Día de Muertos porque ese día es mi cumpleaños y todos me hacían burla ya que decían que era para los difuntos, ahora estoy orgullosa por haber nacido un 2 de noviembre. En el Día de Muertos se hace un altar donde cada objeto puesto en él tiene un significado. Por ejemplo, el perro es quien dirige a la persona a quien va dedicado el altar y un vaso de agua o leche por el largo camino que recorrió. Otras familias prefieren ir al panteón, llevar mariachi y convivir entre ellos. En otras ciudades de la república mexicana comienzan a festejar el 31 de octubre, hacen un festival dedicado al Día de Muertos y van por las noches caminando por las calles con cánticos y rezos hasta llegar al panteón donde ponen las ofrendas. Ambas tradiciones están bien, no digo que no las festejen pero creo que no se deberían mezclar ya que se puede perder el significado de cada una de ellas.
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hat T e m a G Play The ge Your Life... Will Chan
Halloween vs. Día de Muertos por Alejandra luna EDITORA
“En realidad se escucha mucho el español en Oregón porque muchos de los estudiantes vienen de México o de California,” dijo Molleda. “(Los estudiantes) vienen de familia hispanas y vienen por supuesto de otras partes de Latinoamérica y España”. Molleda también se refirió a las diferencias que existen en cuanto a la población hispana en diferentes zonas geográficas de los EEUU. “La población de San Diego es muy diferente a la que está en Oregón y muy diferente la que está en Florida”, añadió Molleda. “No solamente te tienes que interesar en el idioma o en la lengua, también te tienes que interesar en la población y los retos que enfrentan”. Arturo García, graduado de SDSU y coordinador de marketing y comunicaciones en el Museo de Artes Fotográficas (MOPA, por sus siglas en inglés), añadió que es importante que la educación bilingüe se enseñe en las escuelas como SDSU. Durante su paso por SDSU, García fundó Mundo Azteca. “Siempre fui dominante en español hasta que llegué aquí a SDSU, donde estaba aprendiendo vocabulario nuevo e información en inglés, así que ya no estaba practicando mi español”, dijo García, al referirse a los principales motivos que lo impulsaron a crear la sección en español del Daily Aztec.
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Oct. 30 - Nov. 5, 2019 EDITOR: Alejandra Luna • mundoazteca@thedailyaztec.com
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La importancia de conquistar el corazón del consumidor latino en EEUU
Foto por Cristofer
María Amor hablando con invitados que atendieron su presentación en SDSU.
Foto por Cristofer García
María Amor hablando con invitados que atendieron su presentación en SDSU.
por Roxana Becerril y Cristofer García ESCRITORES
El pasado 19 de octubre, Maria Amor, vicepresidente de Havas Formulatin, una agencia hispana de relaciones públicas, realizó una presentación sobre los consumidores hispanos en EEUU durante la conferencia Educators Academy Super Saturday, que fue organizada por la Sociedad de Relaciones Públicas de América, (PRSA, por sus siglas en inglés) en la Universidad Estatal de San
Diego. Durante su presentación, Amor no sólo se refirió a los hábitos de consumo de la comunidad latina, sino que también a la forma en la que las organizaciones debiesen llamar la atención de las audiencias hispanas. La población hispana en Estados Unidos alcanzó un nuevo récord de 59,9 millones de personas en 2018, de acuerdo con datos de la Oficina del Censo. Sumado a lo anterior, el reporte anual de Economía Multicultural elaborado por el Centro Selig,
de la Universidad de Georgia, señaló que la comunidad latina en EEUU tiene un poder adquisitivo estimado en $1,5 billones en 2018. “Muchas veces estas estadísticas no reflejan la cantidad de dinero que las empresas gastan en publicidad y en relaciones públicas”, señaló Amor. Para atraer de mejor forma a los hispanos, Amor mencionó que las organizaciones deben comprender los valores y la cultura de la comunidad latina. Según la Oficina del Censo, en 2015, el 73% de los hispanos
hablaba español en su casa. “El idioma es una manera de conectarse con nuestra cultura, no es la única manera de conectarse con latinos”, dijo Amor. Patricia Taylor, asesora senior de comunicaciones estratégicas en CETYS Universidad, quien también estuvo presente en la conferencia también se refirió al rol del idioma. “El idioma es solo un componente (de la comunidad latina) que no ha sido tan importante últimamente...Se trata de cultura, experiencias y lo que nos hace únicos”, expresó Taylor. Arturo García, coordinador de marketing y redes sociales en el Museo de Artes Fotográficas (MOPA, por sus siglas en inglés), también estuvo presente en la conferencia . García señaló que este tipo de eventos fomenta crean diversidad que ayuda cultivar crear mejores relaciones. Asimo, durante su presentación, Amor compartió algunos ejemplos de compañías que han adaptado su contenido para satisfacer a sus consumidores hispanos. Netflix, por ejemplo, tuvo mucho éxito con La Casa de Papel, la serie de habla no inglesa más vista de la historia de Netflix. Por otra parte, Amor también se refirió al esfuerzo que han realizado varias ligas como la NFL y la MLB por desarrollar su contenido en español y atraer a los hispanos.
Amor dijo que esforzarse por complacer a hispanos tiene sus beneficios. “Somos comprometidos”, dijo Amor. “Si vemos un reflejo de nosotros en una campaña, podemos ser leales (a esa compañía)”. Sin embargo, lo que las compañías tienen que recordar, dijo Amor, es que no todos los hispanos son iguales y que no son solo una estadística. “Si hay una cosa que quiero que se acuerden de esta presentación, es este video”, dijo Amor, antes de presentar un video creado por su agencia para educar a empresas sobre la diversidad entre los consumidores latinos. El clip mostró a hispanos y latinos de varios orígenes y edades hablando en inglés y español directamente a la cámara con la meta de contradecir los clichés sobre latinos que residen en EEUU. Algunos decían que no todos son mexicanos y que no todos hablan español mientras que otros le recordaban al público que tienen mucho dinero y que están dispuestos a gastarlo. Los actores concluyeron el video con una frase que resuena con el mensaje clave de la presentación de Amor. “Antes de que trates de ganar mi dinero, gana mi corazón”. Historia para ser evaluada por maestro.
Profesora de SDSU el potencial del periodismo colaborativo por Sofía Gómez, Camille Montagu y Daniel Guerrero
ESCRITORES
Amy Schmitz Weiss, profesora de la Escuela de Periodismo y Estudios Mediáticos en la Universidad Estatal de San Diego, presentó sobre periodismo colaborativo el pasado 19 de octubre en una conferencia organizada por la Sociedad de Relaciones Públicas de América (PRSA). Durante su exposición, Schmitz Weiss se refirió a lo importante que puede ser para los periodistas colaborar en diversos proyectos periodísticos. “Hay poder en los números”, dijo Schmitz Weiss. “Trabajar en conjunto con otros periodistas permite elaborar reportajes de gran calidad”. El periodismo colaborativo se puede desarrollar en un nivel local, nacional e internacional. Los dos ejemplos de periodismo colaborativo más conocidos son los Papeles de Panama y los Papeles del Paraíso. Tal como sucedió con los Papeles de Panamá, la filtración de los Papeles del Paraíso se produjo gracias al trabajo realizado por dos reporteros de Süddeutsche Zeitung, un periódico alemán. El diario alemán contactó al Consorcio Internacional de Periodistas de Investigación (ICIJ, por sus siglas en inglés), para pedirle su asistencia en el proceso investigativo. Estas prácticas también están presentes en la frontera entre México y los Estados Unidos. Por ejemplo, dos periodistas (uno mexicano y
el otro estadounidense) trabajaron en conjunto para informar a la ciudadanía sobre la migración y los centros de detención en Texas. Ambos reconocieron que no podrían haber logrado este resultado por sí solos. En San Diego, NBC y el diario San Diego Union-Tribune han colaborado con los medios de comunicación locales con sede en Tijuana. La colaboración transfronteriza de periodismo es un tema que será fundamental para las escuelas de periodismo. Schmitz Weiss piensa que en el futuro aumentará la demanda por reporteros con experiencia en periodismo colaborativo. “Las salas de prensa van a reconocer la necesidad de este tipo de periodismo”, mencionó Schmitz Weiss. “Puede ser una buena oportunidad de empleo para los estudiantes que se han graduado recientemente”. Pese al creciente número de iniciativas que se han desarrollado durante los últimos años, aún no se imparten muchos cursos sobre este tema en SDSU. Paloma Zaizar, una estudiante de relaciones públicas en su último año, cree que es importante que SDSU comience a ofrecer este tipo de oportunidades a sus alumnos. “Es necesaria que los profesores nos introduzcan al periodismo colaborativo lo antes posible”, dijo Zaizar. “Tenemos acceso a la frontera y eso nos brinda muchas oportunidades que debemos aprovechar”. Arturo García,coordinador de marketing y comunicaciones en el Museo de Artes Fotográficas de San
Diego, también estuvo presente en la conferencia y se refirió a los cambios que ha generado el periodismo colaborativo. Según García, fundador de Mundo Azteca y egresado de SDSU, el periodismo colaborativo valora la importancia de crear comunidades informadas por sobre el valor de una primicia. “Realmente no te importa tener la primicia y se está generando un periodismo más colaborativo”, expresó Garcia. “Creo que esto es fascinante”. WhatsApp, una aplicación de
mensajería de redes sociales, es una de las herramientas que se han utilizado para generar periodismo colaborativo. Pese a que no existe una fórmula única para realizar este tipo de colaboraciones, Schmitz Weiss compartió algunos consejos sobre cómo comenzar a realizar este tipo de trabajo en conjunto. “Si quieres trabajar en un proyecto de periodismo colaborativo, primero debes identificar a las personas con las que quieres trabajar”, explicó Schmitz Weiss. “Luego, debes contactarlos para discutir el tema que deseas tratar. Estas personas pueden
proponer colaboradores adicionales, lo que aportará valor añadido al proyecto”. Por su parte, García dijo que ver a los periodistas compartir información en lugar de competir por ella sirve para mejor a la comunidad. “El objetivo final del periodismo es que las personas tengan esa información”, dijo Garcia. “Si estás ayudando a difundir esa información a través de colegas, entonces estás haciendo tu trabajo”. Historia para ser evaluada por maestro.
Foto por Camille Montagu
Profesora Amy Schmitz Weiss presenta sobre periodismo colaborativo el 19 de octubre en SDSU.
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The Daily Aztec
Arts & Culture
Oct. 30 - Nov. 5, 2019 EDITOR: Ceighlee Fennel • arts@thedailyaztec.com
Halloween decor for the spooky season by Aaliyah Alexander CONTRIBUTOR
‘Tis the season to be spooky! Students have been eagerly anticipating Oct. 31 and the wait is finally over. Costumes? Check. Scary movie marathon? Check. Spooky playlist? Check. Halloween themed room? Oh no... No need to get spooked, there is still time to spice up your dorm with these quick and easy do-it-yourself decor ideas, featuring everything from traditional carved pumpkins to spider-lighted mason jars. CARVED PUMPKIN The first do-it-yourself project is a carved pumpkin – a classic staple for Halloween. This DIY project allows you to be as creative as you want. The only essentials you’ll need are a pumpkin, carving utensils and LED light(s). You can make it simple or detailed, scary or inviting, big or small. Although this project will eventually rot, it is perfect to showcase for a limited time in your room or outside of your door. SPIDER-LIGHTED MASON JAR Next up is a spider-lighted mason jar. For this project, the only items required are a mason jar, fake plastic spiders, cotton balls and an LED light. All you do is stretch out the cotton balls, stuff them in the mason jar along with the LED light in the center then add your spider on the outside of the cotton. This piece of decor is perfect to display on your desk, dresser or shelf. This takes less than 10 minutes to put together and adds the right amount of spookiness to your space.
Graphics by Emily Burgess and Tobias Graves-Morris
FLOATING WITCH’S HAT The floating witch’s hat is perfect to add a creative twist to traditional Halloween decor. To complete this project, you need string, tape, safety pins and as many witches hats that you want. You can go for colored hats or just traditional black ones to match the color scheme of your space. Then, you hang these hats from your ceiling to impress your friends whenever they come over. SPIDER WALL TRIAL The spider wall trial only takes about 10 minutes to put together. This project only
requires two items: fake plastic spiders and command strips. You can get creative with the design by placing the spiders in a way to create a specific shape, symbol, letter or you can arrange them going in different paths around the room. You can place the crawling spiders on your door, wall or even your ceiling to enhance the Halloween vibes in your space. “CHAMBER OF SECRETS: HARRY POTTERINSPIRED MIRROR The last do-it-yourself project is for all the Harry Potter lovers out there. You will need paint markers and a mirror to write
on. The perfect message to write is inspired from “Harry Potter’s Chamber of Secrets”: “The Chamber of Secrets has been opened, enemies of the heir beware.” If you’re not a Potter fan, then you can be creative and find another quote that resonates with you. But even for non-Potter fans, this quote is enough to spook visitors. Complete your Halloween checklist and transform your space for this season with these quick, easy and affordable DIY projects. Aaliyah Alexander is a freshman studying journalism.
‘Queer Crafternoon’ creates community with fun crafts by Juniper Perkins STAFF WRITER
San Diego State’s queer community and allies gathered for an afternoon of self-care at the Pride Center on Friday, Oct. 25. The event, “Queer Crafternoon,” featured succulent planting and karaoke. “Even if it isn’t your thing, it’s so nice and refreshing to sit in a space with other queer people,” Pride Center media team member and English junior Miles Reyes said. “Being in the Pride Center (replenishes) energy.” Reyes said one of their goals is to organize more events like this for shyer members of the LGBTQ community. The introverted attendees weren’t comfortable commenting on the event. “I’m trying to create more quiet events for introverted queer people,” Reyes said. “Some that don’t cause anxiety. I’m excited to be planning more.” Pride Center peer educator and math education junior Christion Covington said the event was a nice contrast to ones previously organized by the center. “I didn’t feel forced to talk,” Covington said. “I could just sit and be. The energy brought out the extrovert in me because there wasn’t the pressure that I had to interact with someone.” The event began with an abundance of pots to paint and seeds to sow. There were several seeds to choose from including basil, mint, sage and dill. The table was also decked out with markers and coloring sheets. One of the event’s main focuses was encouraging self-care, a practice that takes many forms depending on the person. Reyes said he’s in the middle of redefining self-care right now, but some of his favorite forms are watering his plants - Walt, Oscar and Zora - and holding their leaves like
someone’s hands. “I’m giving myself space to be frazzled and giving myself time and permission to be stressed,” he said. “Self-care is beyond the bounds of capitalism. I’m incorporating it into all aspects of my life.” For others, self-care can be experimentation. Covington said if she’s stressed, she’ll try something new with her hair. “For me, I’m defining self-care as whatever makes me feel emotion,” she said. “People try to define self-care for you, but for me, it’s sitting in my own feelings.” Karaoke, or “queeraoke,” commenced after plant potting. The calm energy quickly shifted to an energetic atmosphere as people sang along and cheered for each other’s performances. “I listen to so much rap lately,” Covington said. “A lot of rap is black voices and I’m trying to be more in tune with my blackness and not letting it stress me out.” From Mario’s “Let Me Love You” to Little Mix’s “Black Magic,” people sang their hearts out and clapped along to the beats. There was enough energy to carry the event past it’s scheduled end time. The turnout exceeded the Pride Center’s expectations, largely due to the media team’s flyers scattered around campus. Reyes said they were expecting around 30 participants, but the center ran out of pots to paint. “I’m so excited about how many people came out,” Reyes said. “I had a good time and (the pots) looked really cute.” Covington said a big part of the Pride Center’s mission is to recognize those who differ from a cisnormative, heteronormative perspective. “You are enough and I see you,” Covington said. Juniper Perkins (they/them/their) is a sophomore studying journalism.
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Oct. 30 - Nov. 5, 2019 EDITOR: Ceighlee Fennel • arts@thedailyaztec.com
Arts & Culture
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10 trends bringing fall vibes to sunny San Diego by Kelly Kerrigan SENIOR STAFF WRITER
Fall weather is upon us. That means Halloween is coming, the leaves are changing and football season is here to stay. Around the country, people are pulling out their winter coats and snow boots, but here in San Diego people barely feel the effects of the seasons changing. However, that doesn’t mean San Diego residents don’t want to dress to fall’s latest trends, they just have to do it in moderation. BOOTS Doc Martens have made a comeback and while they tend to be pricey, the quality of the boots seems to make them eternal. Throw on the “Jaden” platforms with a pair of shorts and you’re set to go. The 60s style below-the-knee boots are one of the many trends that surfaced during New
York Fashion Week. Adding boots to your favorite sundress is a perfect way to tie in falls trends with San Diego’s warm weather. MINI BAGS Large purses are out, mini bags are in. These bags are just enough to inspire people to practice minimalism and only travel with the most necessary items. They’re charming, classy and sleek and can make any outfit look ready for the runway, even if that runway is Campanile Walkway. LEATHER Leather shorts, hats, jackets and pants are a staple for San Diegans fall wardrobe. Pleather, or “vegan leather,” is the way to go to ensure no animals are harmed in the making of the outfit. When the nights get cold, throwing on a leather jacket adds an edge to your look and keeps you warm.
Photos by Kelly Kerrigan
STATEMENT HATS Bad hair day? No problem, hats are here to save the day. From berets to fedoras to beanies and do-rags, hats can be a staple for fall style here in San Diego. “BOYFRIEND” STYLE DENIM Loose jean shorts and pants mean no more unbuttoning your pants after eating too much In-N-Out. From BDG to Levi’s, you can find this style denim almost everywhere. Wearing this with a light sweater is a perfect autumn style. ANIMAL PRINTS Over the past year, animal prints have lasted in the fashion world from spring through winter. Cheetah print could have been found anywhere last fall, but this fall the safari trend is ranging from zebra print to cow print and everything in between. Animal print is easy to incorporate into any outfit whether it’s a bag, boots or even a simple scrunchy. BACK TO BLACK Black is the new black. Using black to accessorize or prioritize an outfit is an easy way to partake in the spooky season. It’s
slimming, easy and chic. MIXING COLORS Mixing two completely different colors in an outfit isn’t easy to do, but when done right it can make anyone look stylish. Try wearing lavender and red, yellow and pastel blue, pink and red or white and black to look like you just walked off the runway. BIKER SHORTS Contrary to the name, biker shorts do not require any physical activity when wearing them. They are comfortable and modern and can easily be dressed up or down depending on the outfit. They look the best with an oversized band shirt, a warm fuzzy sweater or a denim jacket. OVERSIZED EVERYTHING This trend ensures maximum-9 comfort no matter what you are doing. Oversized tees, jackets and sweaters are easy and affordable and can promote sustainability by shopping for this style at Goodwill or other resale shops. Kelly Kerrigan is a senior studying journalism.
‘Spike Balls Not Drinks’ engaged students with games and lessons by Callista CONTRIBUTOR
Hansen
‘Spike Balls Not Drinks’ Event on Campus Encourages Student Engagement in Raising Awareness for Sexual Violence Prevention: By Callista Hansen San Diego State FratMANners and SISSTER program hosted its Spike Balls Not Drinks event Thursday night on campus where students were able to learn about consent, sexual violence prevention and awareness. According to health educator and facilitator of the FratMANners and SISSTER active-course Melanie Amacker the FratMANners and SISSTER program created this event to raise and spread awareness on sexual violence prevention as well as to promote resources that are available on and off campus for students. This event creates a culture around the idea of going out and having fun without being in a “party environment” that’s surrounded with alcohol. The event was successful in amassing over 350 student attendees, which is its largest turnout to date. FratMANners and SISSTER are peer health education programs that train fraternity men and sorority women on topics surrounding sexual violence and its prevention. The program’s main goal is to raise awareness and open a dialogue on campus to shape the type of culture that is expected of students at SDSU. Amacker clarifies why they created this event and what it hopes to accomplish. “The main goal is to get an activity out for students to not drink and to come do something fun while raising awareness about the topic,” Amacker said. “I think a
lot of people, when they first get to campus, don’t know these resources exist. So, we want to tell people, ‘Hey, we are here if you ever need services or assistance or things like that.’” The event was created around the concept of spikeball – a game similar to volleyball, but with a twist. Students signed-up in teams and played against their peers in spikeball matches. Bag-toss games were also available for participants to win prizes, as were informational booths. The informational booths had activities and materials covering topics concerning issues centered around consent and sexual violence. The booths were directed by fellow students who have already taken and passed FratMANners and SISSTER courses on campus. This allowed students to learn from one another. Computer science junior Andrew Barrott said the booths included various materials and interactive activities. These activities provided students with information on bystander intervention, giving and receiving consent and the FratMANners’ and SISSTER’s social media. His section of the booth worked to teach students about the concept of consent in particular – what consent is and is not. They had laminated slips with different examples of situational phrases a student may encounter. Students had to read them aloud to determine if consent was established. “For example, ‘Are you down to have oral sex?’ does establish consent,” Barrott said. “It’s very specific, it’s explicit and it happens before the act.” Kinesiology junior Blanca Agustin attended the event in support of the SISSTER program. She talked about the event’s impact on campus and its bigger picture.
“I do think having an event like this is beneficial to have on campus. This event helps to start the conversation,” Agustin said. “SDSU I know does have the reputation of being a party school, so I feel like it is very important that it’s not just left at that, and
that there is very much an active movement here to educate people on a bunch of different topics.” Callista Hansen is a junior studying journalism.
Photo by Alexa Oslowski
Teams participated in the spikeball tournament on the ENS field with different stations scattered around the field.
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The Back Page
The Daily Aztec
Oct. 30 - Nov. 5 2019 Editor: Ceighlee Fennel • arts@thedailyaztec.com
Can’t carve a pumpkin without pictures 2 8 It’s photo competition time! Look at the carved finalists. The Daily Aztec held a photo contest on its Instagram this past week! The winner’s got a chance to be published on the backpage, ranked below starting with our top picks. 1. Kyle Gasteiger - the thriller trio 2. Heaven Heatherly - the delicate butterfly 3. Jordan Foster - the white mushrooms 4. Maddie Chavez - the starry eyes 5. Amanda Oldham - the winker 6. Waverly Hail - the lovestruck vampire
put them out on your porch. For those of you who live in dorms, small pumpkins can still be painted. A trend this year has been to paint your pumpkin, which could also be an option for you. Painting a pumpkin reduces the mess. Whether you paint a pumpkin or carve one, have a great Halloween! Thank you to all of our contributors!
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7. Jack Molumd - AKU from “Samurai Jack” 8. Julia Karczewski - the yellow sun 9. Becca Roer - the starry night 10. Jess Hennies - the tiny face
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If you didn’t get a chance to submit your pictures, don’t be frightened! Your spooky designs can still scare the neighbors if you
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10 AZTEC RECREATION Associated Students / SDSU
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FITNESS FRIDAY
9 Get your weekend off to a great start! Every Friday at 5pm try a different group exercise format.
Booty Sculpt