10-09-20109

Wednesday, Oct. 9 - Tuesday, Oct. 16 2019 Weekly Print Edition

Vol. 106, Issue 9 www.thedailyaztec.com

San Diego State University’s Independent Student Newspaper Since 1913

Scooter ban based on bad data

inconclusive about the role of motorized scooters in causing accidents, the University Senate followed through with the restrictions.

Richseon said the university community was not informed of the decision sooner because the ban still needed to be worked out with the scooter companies.

by Jack Molmud ASST. MULTIMEDIA EDITOR

San Diego State voted to restrict micro-mobility devices — both personal and pay-to-ride — based off ill-informed data and without telling the university community for months, according to a review conducted by The Daily Aztec.

In an August SDSU Newscenter article, the school said a Parking & Transportation Services report “showed a 22% increase in incidents involving bicycles, scooters and skateboards — both motorized and manual powered — on campus between 2017 and 2018.”

In analyzing the 22% statistic, there were several vague areas in the data the university used to justify its ban on electronic mobility devices.

These devices – most notably, dockless scooters such as Lime and Bird – had become a popular transportation option for students following their San Diego debut in 2017. But they’re popularity has been met with criticism over the safety of the devices and their practicality, as they are often found littering the streets in droves due to their dockless nature.

Birds parked in front of a residence in the College Area.

HOW THE BAN WAS PASSED The ban was passed by the University Senate in a March 5 meeting, a fact the SDSU community was largely unaware of. This is because there was no formal announcement of the decision until just ahead of the 2019-2020 school year in an Aug. 19 campus-wide email.

As part of the meeting, Parking and Transportation Services Director Debbie Richeson pointed to data that shows a 22% increase in bike, scooter and skateboard

Photo by Jack Molmud

incidents between Fall 2017 and Fall 2018, according to the meeting’s minutes. She said, considering the safety threat, geofencing should be instituted that would prevent certain dockless devices from being able to enter campus boundaries.

Although, when asked about the 22% increase in accidents, Richeson clarified “she can’t actually distinguish those (accidents) specifically related to motorized scooters.”

Although the data was

WHAT’S WRONG WITH THE DATA? The 22% figure used to justify the ban was collected from a spreadsheet of all the bike, scooter and skateboard accidents reported to Calpulli.

Richeson said the data spreadsheet was obtained per request from Student Health Services. It wasn’t until she requested the report that the department labeled the scooters as motorized or not, starting in February 2019. This means the data made it impossible to conclude, in some cases, whether scooter accidents were due to motorized or manually operated devices.

In addition to not mentioning the kind of scooters that caused accidents, the report failed to SCOOTERS, PAGE 2

CSU audit: SDSU labs fail to meet safety standards

by Jeanette STAFF WRITER

Giovanniello

San Diego State has failed to meet safety standards within the school’s science labs, according to a CSU health and safety audit published last month.

The Sept. 13 report – first reported by Times of San Diego – found several problems concerning safety procedures, and the school’s failure to submit reports and verification forms.

The university did not conduct regular maintenance inspections for safety equipment such as fire extinguishers, emergency eyewashes and showers, according to the audit. These appliances were also not installed in the required safety areas, which must be within a 10-second walking distance of hazardous materials, according to Larry Mandel, California State University vice chancellor and chief audit officer.

SDSU was denounced in its state report from last year, which had many of the same findings.

State regulations said equipment must be activated and inspected at least monthly, but the school’s average time between inspections of shower and eyewash flushes was nearly nine months, according to California State Auditor Elaine Howle, who conducted the 2018 audit.

This year’s audit noted findings

of chemical spills that were not cleaned for days, along with unlabelled hazardous waste and material containers, one of which accumulated waste for over a year.

Many containers had neither graphic warnings nor labels that identified contents or proper dates. This absence of proper labeling can risk the failure of disposing of these wastes too late, or worse, students and employees being exposed to the toxins. A fume hood holding some of these toxins was in need of a new filter for airflow, as well.

The school also failed to retain acknowledgment forms signed by students and members of the campus organizations. These forms would confirm students and employees are wearing proper lab equipment, received safety training and have a full understanding of procedures.

Despite campus officials confirming these policies, there was no documentation provided, according to the state audit.

Senior Director of Environmental Health and Safety Gillian Marks said the department ensures training for equipment, and that verification is collected as signatures that are audited periodically. However, due to the audit findings, EH&S plans on switching from this traditional format.

“In the near future verification

File photo

A state audit found SDSU failed to meet safety standards inside science labs on campus.

will be migrated to an electronic platform to provide more engaging training and to ensure tracking can be accomplished,” Marks said.

Many violations were linked to the use of labs by recognized student organizations. These clubs neglected the verification forms and proper disposal and labeling of wastes. There were also instances of food and drinks being consumed in the labs, or clubs storing specific substances prohibited by the school, according to Mandel’s audit. These organizations were unsupervised and, therefore, not subjected to mandatory training.

“We found that oversight and responsibility for safety at RSOs, including supervision of students working with various hazards and the administration of safety training, were not clearly defined and often was not documented,”

Mandel said. “There was also a lack of enforcement of campuswide safety standards in RSO workspaces.”

Marks said the department is unaware of which RSOs are in need of additional training, as they are registered through Student Life and Leadership. To decide which RSOs need more oversight calls for the help of administration.

“This requires collaboration between academic staff and the university administration,” Marks said. “Delivering relevant and important safety information depends on knowing the organizations leadership, needs and location.”

The audit states SDSU administration has agreed to make improvements for each of the issues addressed, and they aim to have these tasks completed by January 2020.

University proposes two fee increases for fall 2020

by Michael Cline ASST. NEWS EDITOR

Proposed increases to the Health Services Fee and Instructionally Related Activity Fee, slated for fall 2020, could see San Diego State students paying up to $113 in additional mandatory campus fees per semester to support additional mental health resources and identity and cultural centers on campus.

Now, the university is sponsoring an alternative consultation process to solicit student feedback on the proposed fee increases in public forums held throughout the fall semester.

The forums are scheduled to be held from Oct. 21 to Nov. 15, Associate Vice President for Student Affairs Andrea Dooley said.

Dooley also said the need for additional resources and support emerged through conversations between students, faculty, staff and administrators dating back to the previous academic year.

“We’ve had a number of conversations to explore what would be possible,” she said.

Under the current proposal to raise additional health fees, students could pay an additional $55, $61 or $73 to the renamed Student Health and Wellness Fee for the fall and spring semesters.

The additional revenue would be spent addressing the need for additional counseling resources to meet increasing campus demand.

“Revenue generated from this proposed increase will sustain existing, and allow the hiring of additional, counseling faculty and staff to meet the mental health needs of SDSU students,” according to the Budget & Finance website.

Director of Counseling & Psychological Services Jennifer Rikard said the increased fees are necessary to shrink the student-to-counselor ratio.

“The need for mental health resources is skyrocketing, both here at SDSU and across the country,” Rikard said.

SDSU students could see the ratio drop from one student per 1,500 counselors to one student per 1,000 counselors, depending on which fee option is recommended. And the amended Student Health FEES, PAGE 2

2

The Daily Aztec

News

Oct. 9 - 16, 2019 EDITOR: Kaitlyn Little • news@thedailyaztec.com

University, CSU sued after KPBS altercation

by Daniel Farr STAFF WRITER

San Diego State, California State University Board of Trustees, KPBS and a station employee are being sued following a fight between a current KPBS employee and a longtime KPBS employee’s son.

According to a court case filed on Sept. 4 with the Superior Court of California, San Diego, Peter W. Benke is taking legal action due to the fight that happened a year ago behind KPBS studios on Campanile Drive.

The lawsuit alleges Donald Benke, a long-time studio employee of KPBS and father of Peter Benke, came home earlier than usual after claiming he was called a

Fees:

continued from page 1 and Wellness Fee could raise between $3,797,500 and $5,043,500, according to the Budget & Finance office.

The university is also proposing a $40 fee increase per semester to support identity and cultural centers on campus.

The increase to the Instructionally Related Activity Fee would help support the existing identity centers on campus: the Black Resource Center, the Center for Intercultural Relations, the Pride Center and the Women’s Resource Center.

Women’s Resource Center Coordinator Jessica Nare said equality

Scooters:

continued from page 1 label the incidents as pedestrian collisions or single-rider accidents until Richeson requested they do so.

The data lists 139 incidents between August 2017 and February 2019. Out of the 139 incidents, 17.9% of those came from scooters and 8.2% came from bicycles.

Meanwhile, 73.9% of the accidents reported came from skateboards, another popular transportation option with students. Skateboards, unless they are motorized, are still allowed on campus.

Richeson said she did not look into the individual incidents if they were specifically related to motorized scooters.

“I didn’t go into detail with that, I was just looking at the flat number,” Richeson said. “I didn’t look to see if it was a skateboard, a scooter or bike. I just wanted to know what kind of injuries were happening on the campus.”

Richeson said safety was the main concern.

“We felt safety was the theme that went through the group,” she said. “We felt our campus is a small footprint and it can be somewhat difficult having the bikes, skateboards and scooters that are just self propelled. Bringing on this electric (device) was going to create more incidents and injury.”

A former A.S. executive who spoke on condition of anonymity worked on the board that helped to curate the micromobility restrictions.

They said the data was provided to the team, but safety was their top priority. “(The incident report) was provided but I didn’t go super deep into it,” the source said. “To be honest, the committee was not on my super high-end priority.”

FRAMING THE DATA When news of the decision to ban these

“Nazi” at work.

Peter Benke then took a book about the Nazis and went to KPBS studio to speak with his father’s co-workers. He went toward the locked main entrance, but a side door opened and he was invited inside.

The lawsuit said he was greeted by an employee before turning to a group of people and loudly asking, “Who wants a history lesson?” Moments later, Kevin R, Schrader, one of the defendants walked towards Peter Benke and said, “No, No, No.” A verbal argument was followed with Peter Benke allegedly spitting on Schrader, which led to the KPBS employee striking him in the chest. Unknown persons

separated the two men.

Two men, including Schrader, followed Benke out of the studio. They twisted Benke’s arm, put him in a headlock and forced him to the ground, according to the lawsuit. The litigant claimed he was pushed to the ground, lost consciousness and took multiple hits to his head, face and chest. The men refused to let Benke up for approximately two or three minutes.

University police responded to the incident and separated the brabble.

The Daily Aztec reached out to KPBS’ spokeswoman Heather Milne Barge, who declined to comment due to pending litigation.

Benke is suing CSU Board of Trustees, KPBS and a KPBS employee, for assault,

battery, negligence, intentional infliction of emotional distress and negligent hiring for an amount that exceeds $25,000.

SDSU has not yet received the lawsuit, according to CSU spokesperson Mike Uhlenkamp.

“The university has not formally received the lawsuit, but has previously investigated the underlying incident cited,” Uhlenkamp said. “That investigation revealed that the plaintiff was the aggressor, and that he trespassed into ‘employee-only’ locations in order to provoke an altercation with others. The university intends to vigorously defend this case.”

Both Schrader and Beneke’s lawyer, Stephen T. Cummings, were unavailable for comment.

and diversity are important values on campus. She also highlighted the need to enhance success for the students served by the centers.

“The increase to the (Instructionally Related Activity Fee) intends to close equity and achievement gaps on campus,” Nare said.

Additionally, Nare said funds would help launch new identity and cultural centers proposed by the student body, including the Asian American Pacific Islander Lounge, Latinx Resource Center and the Native Resource Center.

“While we have received some onetime funds, we are also looking for more sustainable funding to provide support and resources for these identity centers,” she said.

Budget and Finance Director Dana

Smith said the Campus Fee Advisory Committee, comprising mostly of students and some, will review student feedback before plans to submit a recommendation to the office of President Adela de la Torre.

A final decision on the proposed fee increases will be made before March or April 2020, when students begin to register and pay fees for the fall semester.

Students will be able to cover the proposed fee increases with financial aid should they receive it from federal or state sources. The university will also allocate 3% of revenue from each fee increases for return to aid — a program used in some universities, such as the University of California system, that reallocates funds back into a financial aid fund.

An ad for the alternative consultation process detailing the proposed fee increases first appeared in the Sept. 25 issue of The Daily Aztec.

According to Dooley, the university’s outreach campaign to engage students and ensure their involvement in the process will extend to student emails, Blackboard, digital displays on campus, social media and an informational video currently in development.

Dooley also said the university has extended its deadline for students to submit a statement in favor of or opposed to the fee increases to the Campus Fee Advisory Committee until Oct. 10.

Students currently attending SDSU’s Imperial Valley Campus would be exempt from any additional mandatory student fees.

devices was relayed to the university community, the 22% figure was attached with no clarification of the methodology used to obtain this number. The raw data behind it was located on the University Senate webpage.

Journalism and Media Studies professor Jayle Lee specializes in research methods. She said whenever statistics are published in this way, all information available on the data should be shared.

“When reporting data, I think it’s important to be transparent about the numbers, rather than only use some of them to support a desired outcome,” Lee said. “In this case, using a percentage could make it sound like more of an increase versus just sharing the numbers from year to year.”

Lee added the university needs to be more specific on the exact dates from when they collected data.

“The numbers might not look as exciting, but it is the truth,” she said.

The report shows 45 incidents on bikes, scooters and skateboards in fall 2017 compared to to 55 incidents in fall 2018. Meanwhile, there were 11 incidents in spring 2018 and 14 in spring 2019.

For scooters, there were only three incidents in the 2017-2018 school year which increased to 19 incidents in the 2018-2019 school year.

Although it is clear there was an increase in scooter accidents, the data – which was used to justify the motorized devices ban – still fails to conclude whether these accidents can be attributed to motorized or manually operated scooters.

The former A.S. executive from the board argued the best course of action would have been an exclusivity contract with just one e-scooter company. The one scooter company would give SDSU part of its profits and the company’s devices would be subject to a set speed limit and geofenced restrictions.

This plan never passed and the school followed through with the legislation in

place today.

“They obviously just decided to ban them outright,” the source said. “I see the risk in it, as someone who skates on campus. I think with almost everything the university does, the communication should have been better.”

extremely prevalent in San Diego despite SDSU’s decision. The ban limited scooters on campus to eight undocking stations, but most students have opted to leave their scooters just outside campus boundaries on College Area streets.

The issue spans beyond the College Area with an estimated 40,000 dockless devices around the city, devices that have resulted in countless injuries and even one death.

Dr. Bruce Appleyard is a city planning professor at SDSU. He said the school should take proactive steps to improve the safety of micro-mobilities, rather than restrict the devices altogether. This might include reducing blind spots in walkways and using the geo-fencing tech to reduce speeds.

He also said the university should view the scooter companies as a sustainability opportunity for the school.

“It’s a great opportunity for us to engage with the transportation and tech companies and leverage who we are to chart a more sustainable and livable world, especially with SDSU West coming,” Appleyard said.

COMMUNITY AND STUDENT INPUT Because the data compiled did not give a complete, detailed rundown of each incident, Richeson curated a team of university leaders to diagnose the issue to make the data more “robust,” she said.

This team included 12 individuals from Student Affairs, Business & Financial Affairs, Associated Students and University Relations and Development.

Of the 12 members on the team, two of them were students.

Richeson also said there was no point when a community meeting for input was proposed.

“I can’t answer why it wasn’t done,” she said. “Always looking back in retrospect you learn from how you do things. So, like I said, going forward I want to make (community input) a practice.”

Students have mixed opinions on the matter.

English junior Adan Cortes the change was weird to him.

“We still allow the regular scooters so I don’t see the point of why they did (restrict),” Cortes said. “I myself travel across campus to class, which is barely making your time or running through the courtyard. It makes it more difficult.”

Communications sophomore Ethan Cunningham said he doesn’t understand the criticism that the university should’ve solicited community input.

“I don’t think life changes at all (without electric scooters), and I do not think the school should’ve talked to the students at all,” Cunningham said. “They handled it fine.”

THE FUTURE OF MICRO-MOBILITY Dockless pay-to-ride’s are

still

Richeson chose not to comment on whether scooters would ever make a return to campus. She said any comment about the future of micro-mobility on campus would be uninformed without school input.

“That wouldn’t be my decision to make,” she said. “It would have to be a group decision of this transportation committee and, like I said, I would take it before other people as well to get the valued input we need.”

Richeson said she is forming a committee to analyze decisions like this in the future and harvest stronger community input.

Editor in Chief Bella Ross and Staff Writer Daniel Farr contributed to this story.

Oct. 9 - 16, 2019 EDITOR: Kaitlyn Little • news@thedailyaztec.com

News

The Daily Aztec

3

SDSU athletes, coaches react to state’s Fair Pay to Play act

by Daniel Guerrero STAFF WRITER

The college sports landscape could soon see monumental changes to how student athletes are compensated for their time and talents.

Senate Bill 206, also known as the Fair Pay to Play Act, was signed into law

by California Gov. Gavin Newsom on Sept. 30, paving the way for California student athletes to be eligible to make money off their names and likeness by 2023.

Opportunities for athletes to make a profit off their names and likeness could include revenue from sponsorships, merchandise sales and more.

Currently, student athletes are granted scholarships in exchange for playing their respective sports. But recently, calls have grown louder for student athletes to be paid beyond tuition and fee waivers.

Even though the rule is not expected

to go into effect until 2023, coaches and players in San Diego State’s athletics program have shared some speculation about the impact SB 206 could have on college sports.

SDSU head football coach Rocky Long declined to share his personal opinion on the passing of the bill during an SDSU football press conference on Oct. 1.

However, Long said the passing of the new bill isn’t on his mind since the changes won’t be in effect for another four years.

“It doesn’t happen until 2023, so I’m not thinking about it because it will change dramatically between now and then, so it is no big deal,” he said.

SDSU offensive coordinator Jeff Horton echoed Long’s sentiment.

“You know what? By the time that thing passes, you can find me on a golf course,” Horton said.

Some student athletes have expressed hope the bill will support players from disadvantaged backgrounds.

Aztecs’ baseball sophomore pitcher Aaron Eden said he believes the Fair Pay to Play Act opens up more opportunities for student athletes.

“Some kids don’t come from wealthy backgrounds, and it really helps for kids who struggle back home,” Eden said.

The bill does come with potential drawbacks that could impact SDSU athletics.

Since the bill signed into law only affects athletic programs in California, it’s possible in-state university athletic programs would be ineligible to compete for NCAA national championships.

Several California universities, including UC Berkeley, Stanford and USC, joined the NCAA in opposing the governor’s legislation, according to The New York Times.

SDSU football’s senior tight end Parker Houston said during an Oct. 1 press conference that it would be unfair for an entire school’s program to be barred from competition in NCAA championship games.

He said if football took advantage of the new legislation, other programs at the university who are also competing for titles could be disadvantaged.

“I think it really affects a lot of other teams,” Houston said. “I think guys like the basketball players, baseball players and some of the other sports, (like) the soccer players, I think they would really suffer.”

Houston said the change is a good start for players to begin receiving compensation for their time and effort they give to their school’s athletic programs.

“I definitely think it’s a step in the right direction because I think student athletes do a lot,” he said. “We’re here for most of our days. We give four or five years of our life to a university, so I think it’s something that’s going in the right direction.”

Kyle Betz and Michael Cline contributed to the reporting of this story.

CSU considers new quantitative reasoning course for applicants

by Jadyn Brandt STAFF WRITER

The California State University system is considering a proposal that would add an additional admissions requirement of a year-long quantitative reasoning course in math or science, a decision that could be made as early as November.

If approved, the new admissions requirements would go into effect in 2026.

The CSU says the new requirements would increase retention and graduation rates.

“Adequate preparation in quantitative reasoning leads to greater levels of student achievement,” CSU Senior Director of Public Affairs Mike Uhlenkamp said.

“Second-year retention rate is higher, the graduation rate is higher (and) they’re also more likely to complete the CSU’s own quantitative reasoning general education requirements.”

Uhlenkamp also sees this added requirement as a way to advance student opportunities in STEM. “The students that come with this requirement have increased opportunities to pursue degrees in STEM fields,” Uhlenkamp said.

In order to give students access to the proposed requirement, high schools would need to either find new teachers for the

subjects or train those already employed, although CSU doesn’t see this becoming a problem.

“We have something called the Math and Science Teacher Initiative where we have committed to increasing the number of math and science teachers every single year,” Uhlenkamp said. “And we’re providing additional funding with a $10 million dollar investment over the next four years.”

There have been questions raised about the ways students in underfunded or understaffed schools may be affected by the proposal.

“As we know, the more affluent areas have more access to teachers and resources that will help with this, as opposed to other areas where there’s more stretch between teachers and classes and even the quality of the class,” SDSU admissions student representative and interdisciplinary studies junior Kemahni Boozé said.

In order to aid students who may be unable to take the required class, the proposal would allow students to waive the required course.

“They’re saying it won’t affect (a student’s) application, but if you’re looking at a student who has the requirement versus a student who doesn’t, whether or not they filled out the waiver, I think it’s up in the air,” political science senior and California State Student Association President Michael Wiafe said.

File photo

Prospective SDSU students may soon be required to take a fourth-year quantitative reasoning course.

Wiafe said despite the potential to negatively affect some students, the proposal is not intentionally discriminatory.

“It is being pushed through by administrators of color,” Wiafe said. “The argument that this is a racist proposal or that they’re not trying to do what’s best for students, I don’t think that’s an argument that will stand. I think they’re trying to do what’s best.”

The controversy surrounding the proposal has stalled those who would be affected by the it from reaching a consensus.

The Cal State Student Association Board of Trustees has yet to take a position, Wiafe said. “Currently there is a letter of opposition

on the table,” Wiafe said. “We still have to wait for community colleges to say if this can happen. K-12 is all over the place on it, (and) teachers opposed it actually.”

Despite the opposition in some education circles, Wiafe said some schools with a fouryear STEM requirement have backed the initiative, including the Long Beach School District which already has this requirement.

The CSU would need to take the accessibility of the course into consideration if the proposal passes. But for now, they have until 2026 to get the details worked out.

“There are so many questions that are unanswered,” Wiafe said. “But I do think we have the time to answer them.”

Opinion SDSU should have listened to students before banning electric scooters, bikes 4

Oct. 9 - 16, 2019 EDITOR: Catherine Van Weele • opinion@thedailyaztec.com

The Daily Aztec

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 COPYEDITOR Noah Goldbloom

Graphic by Emily Burgess

The issue: SDSU banned mico-mobility devices on campus, a decision that was made based on ill-informed data and relied on little student input.

Our take:

This is the most recent exmaple of SDSU’s lack of transparency. The university needs to learn how to listen to students and be more open with its decisionmaking.

S

SENIOR STAFF WRITERS Kelly Kerrigan CONTRIBUTORS Roxana Becerril Alexa Gutierrez Ryan Jenkins Catlan Nguyen Natalie Wilson

The Editorial Board an Diego State has a nasty track record when it comes to transparency, and this isn’t the first time we’ve had to take to our opinion pages to discuss it.

When the university announced the decision to ban micro-mobility devices – including motorized scooters, bikes and skateboards – in a campus-wide email this August, our newsroom was shocked. Given the popularity of dockless scooters in particular, it seemed clear to us the student voice had been overridden.

Turns out, we were right.

Through an investigation conducted by one of our editors, we learned the ban was quietly approved by the University Senate an entire five months before students caught wind of it.

And, to make matters worse, the decision was made with almost no student input.

Director of Parking and Transportation Services Debbie Richseon told The Daily Aztec she compiled a team of 12 students and faculty members to “diagnose” the problem before taking it before the University Senate. Only two of the team members were students, and only two students with voting rights were present at the senate meeting where the ban was approved.

How exactly can four students speak to the interest of the almost 35,000 enrolled? Answer is: They

STAFF WRITERS Jadyn Brandt Patrick Doyle Daniel Farr Jeannette Giovanniello Daniel Guerrero Luis Lopez Antonio Marquez Caitlin Morris Juniper Perkins

________________________________

can’t, and they especially can’t when their presence has been watered down by 86 faculty, staff and administrators.

Why is it so hard to listen to students? It’s almost like they forgot we go into debt to pay their salaries.

And, to top it all off, the data the University Senate used to justify the ban was severely ill-informed.

According to the meeting minutes, Richeson told the senate there was no way to conclude whether an increase in scooter, bike and skateboard accidents can be connected to motorized scooters in particular.

Despite the lack of clarity, the ban was passed shortly after this.

Five months later, a story posted to the SDSU Newscenter website said the ban was adopted due to a 22% increase in scooter, bike and skateboard accidents. What it didn’t mention was that merely 17.9% of accidents can be tied back to scooters of all kinds, not just motorized ones.

Meanwhile, a whopping 73.9% of accidents occurred because of skateboards. If safety is the problem here, why not ban all skateboards?

It is still not clear why SDSU banned scooters, as claims of promoting safety seem diluted by the fact that the university has no way of knowing if motorized scooters are even the real problem.

Regardless, it is disheartening to witness yet another example

of SDSU not acting in the best interest of students, especially when these decisions are made behind closed doors. Just last semester, the university faced criticism for being untransparent about the harmful nature of the roof project on the Professional Studies and Fine Arts building, ultimately leading to over two dozen reports of illnesses from those who worked in the building.

When that happened, President Adela de la Torre told us things would change and that the campus had learned its lesson.

Clearly, that is not the case.

This feels particularly ironic given SDSU just embarked on its strategic planning process, a process that is highly dependent on student input. In a Sunday appearance at a fraternity event, de la Torre told the crowd, “Please participate because your input is important.”

Here’s some input from the students who know SDSU best: A university without transparency isn’t a university we can trust.

For a school that has ambitious plans of expanding to a second property in Mission Valley as well as improving on the Imperial Valley campus, embracing sustainable modes of transportation is paramount to SDSU’s motto, “Leadership starts here.”

Be the leaders you want us to become. Be transparent.

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Oct. 9 - 16, 2019 EDITOR: Catherine Van Weele • opinion@thedailyaztec.com

Opinion

The Daily Aztec

5

The meal plan creates hardships for students

by Patrick Doyle STAFF WRITER

It seems that every semester San Diego State finds a way to raise costs for freshmen, squeezing out every dollar we have. Tuition is rising and housing is becoming less affordable. But to me, the most egregious expense of them all is the mandatory meal plan.

At SDSU we have three meal plan options: Flex 5, Flex 7 and the Meals Plus Plan. Flex 5 is the most affordable, only allowing $25.52 to be spent per day with no money on the weekends. If you don’t spend all the money in a day, you lose it. Flex 7 is slightly less affordable but at least gives a weekend allowance of $15.25 each day, which also does not roll over to the next day if not spent.

The Meals Plus Plan simply gives students a declining balance of $1,786.50 per semester, which is completely lost if not spent by the end of the year.

The first argument against these plans is obvious: Why are we required to pay the school a balance that will be lost at the end of each day? Why not just use a debit or credit card at the restaurants on campus instead?

Journalism freshman Megan Oytas has the Flex 7 plan and said she struggles with the idea

of wasting her unspent balance.

“I feel bad when I have over one dollar left, I feel like I have to go out and spend all of it, because that’s my money basically, and that would be wasted the next day,” Oytas said.

“The meal plans teach students harmful habits in regards to food budgeting.”

Students often have issues with the Flex 5 and Flex 7 plans, specifically on weekends. The $15 allocated on Saturdays and Sundays are barely enough to buy a sufficient amount of food, especially considering how expensive most places on campus have become. And students on the Flex 5 plan have no choice but to spend additional money that they may not have, which should have just come from the balance they weren’t able to spend on the weekdays.

A 2016 study by the California State University Chancellor’s Office found that 41.6% of

CSU students experience food insecurity. Across all 23 CSU campuses, nearly half of students as of 2016 have difficulty affording meals. And due the increase of university fees recently, it’s likely this percentage has grown since the study.

I’m not claiming that meal plans are a significant cause of this figure. Financial hardships are more at play here. However, the meal plans teach students harmful habits with regards to food budgeting, and this can be attributed to food insecurity later on in college when the meal plan is no longer mandatory.

Take the Meals Plus Plan, for example. I am on this plan myself, and still find myself hating the system even if I don’t need to worry about losing a daily balance. The Meals Plus Plan teaches students to not worry about how much they’re spending and to just buy whatever they feel like because they have such a large balance.

I’ve found myself intentionally buying food from the Aztec market that I don’t really need, simply because I know I’ll lose the money eventually if I don’t buy a ton of food now.

This is an awful lesson to teach freshmen who are just coming out of high school and have no

idea what it’s like to buy their own food. In real life, you don’t lose your money for not spending it. Saving is a good thing, and the school is actively teaching us to spend more than we need.

The Flex 5 and 7 plans may be slightly better at teaching budgeting, but then there’s the problem of students going hungry. The declining balance makes it so students feel obligated to buy more than they need on weekdays, so they don’t go hungry on weekends.

If SDSU simply let us use a debit or credit card, and made the meal plan completely optional, then students could begin to learn how to save money and buy an appropriate amount of food.

But the university is denying us of this freedom. We have to buy their plan, even if it starts the formation of bad habits.

The bottom line is the mandatory meal plan is cruel. It is an awful system in all respects, and is significantly detrimental towards every freshman on campus who is forced to buy it.

SDSU needs to reevaluate the importance of letting students be able to freely spend their own money, and either make the plan optional or eliminate it all together.

Patrick Doyle is a freshman studying journalism. Follow him on Twitter @PatrickDoyle100.

Graphic by Emily Burgess

Gender stereotypes further enable the wage gap

by Ryan Jenkins CONTRIBUTOR

No matter what country you are in, there is a plethora of economic issues that can be debated.

Not all these issues are necessarily relevant to most people, but the gender pay gap is something worth observing.

Data taken from the U.S. Census Bureau in 2018 shows us that Hispanic women on average reported earning only 54.5% of the income that White men reported, but that same number was 83.8% of the income earned by Hispanic men. Asian women earned 90.2% of the income that White men reported, but that number was only 79% of the income that Asian men earned, showing that Asian men earn less than their white counterparts. This tells us that not only is income correlated with gender, but race as well.

The gender pay gap affects both men and women around the world, including many here in San Diego. One of the groups to be most affected by the gender pay gap is Hispanic females, according to multiple studies, including one performed by the Institute for Women’s Policy Research.

The institute is showcasing major scientific work done by professionals across the nation to describe and provoke public change to alleviate the gender pay gap.

Statistical data has shown us that some of the disparity between the wages earned by men and women can be attributed to the choice of many women to pursue motherhood. There are physical

Graphic by Emily Burgess

limitations of new mothers regarding their children. Children need time, supervision, love and a million more things.

The responsibility of childrearing can be traced back to the hunter-gatherer era. Many women would take their children to gather so the hunters wouldn’t have to worry about keeping their child quiet while stalking animals.

This allowed them to watch their children in the field and provide utility to the group.

This lifestyle choice of having children has affected career aspirations of women who want to be a mother over the years and continues to affect women today.

This, however, is not the entire story.

Women who are pursuing

degrees in science, technology, engineering or mathematics face not only academic challenges, but cultural and lifestyle challenges as well.

Shelley Correll is a published scientist at Harvard who has studied the issue in depth, written multiple articles and conducted experiments focused on the gender pay gap. She argues the largest factors affecting the wage gap are career preferences and motherhood. These are unsurprising conclusions to some, but Correll took it a step farther to examine how career preferences can change in university students.

Correll’s experiment published from the American Sociological Review in February 2004 included 94 gender randomized, first-year undergraduate students. She

wanted to test the existing theory that women were underrepresented in STEM fields due to stereotypes of male competence both in specific tasks and in general.

This experiment gave students a series of arbitrary tasks they were told measured a nonexistent skill or ability. The test was designed to fail and the scores that the students were given meant nothing.

Before beginning one task, the students were told men generally performed that kind of task better than women. Before other tasks the students were told men and women performed equally. The students were then given criticism over their work and were asked to review their own performance and overall aptitude.

The experiment found women rated their own performance more negatively than men. These students all failed the same tasks, but the women were harsher with themselves than the men were.

The experiment also found that the women rated their own aptitude lower after completing the tests, while men reported their aptitude higher. Women saw their own ability diminished even though the test and results were identical to the men.

Correll continued to ask the students if they had any interest in a field of work that would require this fake skill, and women reported less interest than men in pursuing a career in a potentially profitable field related to the false ability.

These findings can be applied to women pursuing degrees in STEM fields. STEM workers tend to earn more on average than their nonstem counterparts. STEM is also one of the most male-dominated

areas of study. In my opinion, women are capable of attaining high-paying jobs in STEM fields, and it would be a shame for a prospective woman in the STEM field to be discouraged from pursuing a career in STEM due to narrow-minded stereotypes.

Just because a stereotype exists, it doesn’t mean it holds true in every case. Failing at one test or one task doesn’t necessarily predict later performance. Women pursuing degrees in STEM fields are facing large cultural barriers in the form of stereotypes and career aspirations could be thwarted by insecurity over level of performance or aptitude, when in reality this may not be the case.

Social change rarely comes from inaction. If we, as a society, want to see a change in the wage gap, it will require action on the individual level. Women pursuing high-paying STEM jobs are creating change that they want to see in the world and the positivity is contagious.

Everyone will fail and receive criticism, these are barriers that we must overcome in life if we ever want to see success. I have failed more times than I can count, and I know that sometimes the best way to do something right is to first mess it up in every way imaginable.

By pursuing a STEM degree a student can not only work to end the wage gap by attaining a high salary, but also can help to change public image and kill the silly stereotype that male competence is greater than female competence.

Ryan Jenkins is a senior studying economics.

6

The Daily Aztec

Sports

Oct. 9 - 16, 2019 EDITOR: Aaron Tolentino • sports@thedailyaztec.com

Barcoo, Smith propel Aztecs in win over CSU

by Kyle Betz ASST. SPORTS EDITOR

In Tuesday’s news conference, San Diego State football senior cornerback Luq Barcoo said he wanted to create more turnovers. “(Colorado State has) a new quarterback,” he said. “There are definitely going to be some opportunities for turnovers, so we’ve just got to take advantage.”

Barcoo took advantage.

He tallied three interceptions in the Aztecs’ 24-10 road win over Colorado State on Oct. 5 in Fort Collins.

All three of Barcoo’s interceptions came in a span of three consecutive defensive snaps.

Barcoo’s first interception occurred with 2:36 left in the third quarter.

On the first play of the Rams’ next possession, Barcoo caught another interception off junior quarterback Patrick O’Brien.

With 13:07 left in the fourth quarter, Barcoo hauled in his third pick – this time off Rams sophomore quarterback Justice McCoy. The last time an SDSU player had three interceptions in a game was Damontae Kazee against San Diego on Sept. 5, 2015. Barcoo now has the second-most interceptions in the country with four.

Head coach Rocky Long said he’s never seen someone record three interceptions in as many plays.

“Never,” Long said. “I’ve been lucky enough to have been in a couple games where a guy had three interceptions for the

Courtesy of Michael Brian, Colorado State Athletics

Sophomore wide receiver Kobe Smith secures his first of two touchdown catches during the Aztecs’ 24-10 road win over Colorado State on Oct. 5 at Canvas Stadium.

game, but not back-to-back-to-back. That’s very unusual, I’m sure.”

Not only did the Aztecs (4-1, 1-1 MWC) allow 10 points, but they also forced four total turnovers.

Senior linebacker Kyahva Tezino forced Rams senior running back Marvin Kinsey Jr. to fumble on the first play of the second half. The ball was recovered by junior defensive back Dwayne Johnson Jr. The Aztecs were able to put 14 points on the board as a result of Colorado State miscues thanks in part to Tezino’s 13 tackles, one sack and forced fumble.

Defensive coordinator Zach Arnett said SDSU’s defense created more opportunities for the offense through turnovers.

“We created a lot of extra possessions,” Arnett said. “They did a nice job of executing the gameplan. I think we probably had the fewest assignment errors of any game so far.”

SDSU’s offense played a big role in making sure those turnovers were capitalized upon.

Tezino’s forced fumble gave the Aztecs possession in the red zone. Sophomore wide receiver Kobe Smith caught an eightyard touchdown pass to extend the Aztecs’

lead to 17-3.

The Aztecs scored off another turnover.

This time it was from senior running back Juwan Washington, who caught a threeyard touchdown reception early in the fourth quarter.

The game marked Washington’s first action since Sept. 7 when he suffered an ankle injury during the Aztecs’ 23-14 win over UCLA. Washington finished the night with 85 yards on 22 carries, including the fourth quarter touchdown reception.

The Aztecs’ offense seemed to have been fueled by its fast start.

On the first play of the game, sophomore wide receiver Kobe Smith caught a 42-yard pass to put the Aztecs in opposing territory.

Two plays later, senior quarterback Ryan Agnew connected with Smith from 18 yards, putting the Aztecs on the Rams’ three-yard line. The red zone trip ended up in a 22-yard field goal from redshirt freshman Matt Araiza, giving the Aztecs an early 3-0 lead.

The Aztecs’ fourth drive of the game was capped off by another eight-yard touchdown catch by Smith, giving SDSU a 10-3 lead early in the second quarter.

Smith ended the game with seven catches for 101 yards and two touchdowns.

“Now you can really see him maturing,” offensive coordinator Jeff Horton said. “He’s starting to understand the nuances of the offense and he’s really starting to come into his own.”

Kyle Betz is a junior studying journalism. Follow him on Twitter @KyleBBetz.

SDSU hosts MWC opponent Wyoming in clash of 4-1 teams

by Kyle Betz ASST. SPORTS EDITOR

San Diego State football returns home on Oct. 12 to take on Wyoming.

The Cowboys (4-1, 0-0 Mountain West Conference) defeated Missouri, Texas State and Idaho to start their season before falling to Tulsa on Sept. 21.

SDSU (4-1, 1-1 MWC) head coach Rocky Long said he wasn’t shocked to see the Cowboys beat Missouri in their season opener.

“It didn’t surprise me a bit,” Long said.

“Our league this year is so close from top to bottom, we don’t have a dominant team in this league and we don’t have any weak links in this league.. We proved it (after) a whole bunch of our teams beat Power Five teams this year.”

Now, Wyoming is coming off a bye week following a 53-17 drubbing of UNLV on Sept. 28.

Redshirt freshman quarterback Sean Chambers captains the Cowboys offensively and leads them with 562 passing yards and three touchdowns.

The dual-threat athlete also leads the team with 381 rushing yards and six rushing touchdowns.

Long said Chambers is a vital part of the Cowboys’ ground game.

“They’re in wildcat all the time because their quarterback – who actually can throw the ball very well, too – is a big, strong guy that they use in their running game,” Long said.

Chambers’ ability to run the football is complemented by two underclassmen running backs.

Freshman running back Titus Swen and sophomore running back Xazavian Valladay have split carries on offense due to an ankle injury suffered by senior running back Trey Smith on Sept. 21, who is expected to miss eight weeks.

Swen is second on the team in rushing with 302 yards and a touchdown, and Valladay is right behind him with 225 yards with three touchdowns.

Defensive coordinator Zach Arnett said Wyoming’s rushing attack will be difficult to stop.

“They’re running the heck out of the ball,” Arnett said. “(Chambers) is like another tailback back there. They’ll have 10 or so designed quarterback runs where the tailback essentially becomes the fullback.”

The Aztecs look to counter with their own ground game. Senior running back Juwan Washington made his return from an ankle injury last Saturday against Colorado State.

Washington totaled 85 yards on 22 carries, including a three-yard touchdown catch/ Against the Rams, Washington received more touches than any other SDSU running back but did not start the game.

Long says the Aztecs will continue to run a by-committee system in the backfield until Washington has fully recovered from his injury.

“I think Juwan’s a lot better, but I don’t think he’s 100%,” Long said. “We’ll continue to use all the running backs that are healthy and hopefully get him where he gets to 100%, then he would be the primary ball carrier, (but) he’s not ready to be yet.”

The Aztecs’ backfield also saw the return of senior fullback Isaac Lessard last Saturday.

Lessard made his return to the field three months ahead of schedule after tearing his ACL and MCL in his left knee in March.

Offensive coordinator Jeff Horton said the return of Washington and Lessard can help the Aztecs generate more explosive run plays.

Photo by Kareem Jones

Aztecs senior running back Juwan Washington look to run past the UCLA defense during the Aztecs’ 23-14 victory over the Bruins on Sept. 7 at the Rose Bowl in Pasadena, California.

“That’s what we’ve lacked this year, is having those big, long runs – either for touchdowns or big gains,” Horton said.

“We haven’t done that, and that’s where we need to really improve. But Juwan brings an added element, because he’s done that in the past.”

Although SDSU welcomed back two offensive starters to the lineup, senior defensive back Kyree Woods suffered a torn ACL against the Rams, ending his season.

Woods became one of the most utilized players in the secondary this season due to his versatility to play both strong safety (warrior) and cornerback.

Long said Woods was a reliable depth player in SDSU’s secondary.

“Kyree was having a great year; he was playing really, really well,” Long said.

“What he did was give us real depth.

(By) losing him, we basically lost two players.”

Kyle Betz is a junior studying journalism.

Follow him on Twitter @KyleBBetz.

Oct. 9 - 16, 2019 EDITOR: Aaron Tolentino • sports@thedailyaztec.com

Sports

The Daily Aztec

7

Volleyball snaps two-game skid in win over New Mexico

by Breven Honda STAFF WRITER

San Diego State volleyball beat New Mexico in four sets (2518, 18-25, 25-18, 25-21) on Saturday Oct. 5 at Peterson Gym. Head coach Deitre CollinsParker said the team, coming off two losses, needed to rebound.

“Anytime we have a loss, it’s an opportunity to learn and we felt like we could raise our level of intensity,” she said. “We came out a lot more focused (and had) a desire to win.”

Collins-Parker said she is starting to learn what options they have four games into Mountain West Conference play.

One of those options who has emerged is junior outside hitter Erin Gilchrist.

Collins-Parker said Gilchrist was a key player for SDSU (9-6, 2-2 MWC) against the Lobos (511, 0-4 MWC).

“Erin really stepped up on the right side, being able to block and hit,” Collins-Parker said.

“That was important for us. She hit (.409) and led to run on passing and we did a good job.”

The 6-foot-1 junior recorded 11 kills with a .409 hitting percentage and defensively, posted four block assists.

Gilchrist said the team’s energy level started in practice on Friday.

“We run a fast offense (to) get past those blockers as fast as we can,” she said. “Today and (Friday) in practice, we stressed getting on top of the ball, running tempo with our setters and communicating some different plays.”

The change in offense helped SDSU as Gilchrist was one of four players to post 10 or more kills.

Senior middle blocker Tamia Reeves (10 kills), senior outside Hannah Turnlund (team-high 13 kills) and sophomore outside hitter Victoria O’Sullivan (12 kills) were the others to record more than 10.

In addition to O’Sullivan’s dozen kills, she had two solo blocks and a block assist.

O’Sullivan said it was key to have her and her three other teammates record 10 or more kills.

“It’s good having multiple people feeding points for our team,” O’Sullivan said.

Defensively, SDSU had junior libero Loren Teter (game-high 13 digs) and junior defensive specialist Sam McGrath (11 digs) to record 10 or more digs.

SDSU also changed its back row positioning by moving Teter

to the left and inserting McGrath into the middle.

Collins-Parker said McGrath, who posted a season-high 11 digs, gives the team more opportunities in the back of the defense.

“Sam was really solid today,” Collins-Parker said. “(She was) able to step up into that middle back position. She served well and did a good job passing. It’s about options and being able to move people where we think we need them most.”

The Aztecs play four straight road games, beginning with Wyoming (8-7, 3-1 MWC) on Thursday Oct. 10. The Aztecs return home on Oct. 24 when they face Boise State at Peterson Gym. Gilchrist said it was important to get to an even conference record before going on the road.

“We needed that confidence before heading out of our gym,” she said. “It is always harder on the road and you don’t have people cheering for you, so that was something that we needed just to be confident heading into these away matches.”

Breven Honda is a junior studying journalism. Follow him on Twitter @BrevenHonda.

Photo by Sam Mayo

Junior outside hitter Lexie Hamrick (20) and senior middle blocker Tamia Reeves (18) both attempt a block during the Aztecs’ 3-1 loss to the Rebels on Oct. 3 at Peterson Gym.

Aztecs begin longest road trip of the season in Wyoming

by Breven Honda STAFF WRITER

San Diego State volleyball enters its longest road trip of season.

The Aztecs will play four Mountain West Conference road games in the next two weeks and travel a total of more than 5,000 miles.

SDSU (9-6, 2-2 MWC) starts off by heading to Laramie, Wyo. to take on the Wyoming Cowgirls (8-7, 3-1 MW) at 6:30 pm MT on Oct. 10.

Then, on Oct. 12, they travel to Fort Collins, Colo. to take on No. 15 Colorado State (14-1 4-0 MWC). Two days later, they travel up Interstate 5 to take on Fresno State (10-6, 4-1 MW).

The final game of the trip will be heading back to Colorado to take on Air Force (4-12, 1-3 MWC) on Oct. 19 at 1 p.m. MT. Head coach Deitre CollinsParker said they will focus on fundamentals each match.

“We’re going one game at a time,” Collins-Parker said. “For us, it’s about our ability to come in, do the basics – pass, set, hit – and manage our side of the court. We know what they’re going to do. We’re going to be compared as we always are, as long as we take care of our side, we’ll be able to battle with anyone.”

As the season goes on, Collins-Parker said she has made adjustments to benefit the

team.

“We have to make changes,” she said. “Every team is different and the more options we have, the better chances we have.

We have teams where we need to have four big bodies (at the net).”

As those adjustments are made, sophomore outside hitter Victoria O’Sullivan said the team will need to focus on the game ahead. “(We need to stay) fresh, coming in with the right mentality for every game,” O’Sullivan said. “We’ll be tired, but it’s all in your head. (It will be a) good challenge for us.”

When SDSU beat New Mexico on Oct. 5, the Aztecs came into

that game 1-2 in conference play.

O’Sullivan said the team had compete.

“The mentality was ‘we had to win,’” she said. “Everybody go in hard, we knew what we had to do and it was all about executing.”

Four players executed and got 10-plus kills against the Lobos.

Junior outside hitter Erin Gilchrist was one of those players to record double-digit kills as she got 11.

Gilchrist said it was crucial to get back to 2-2 in MW play before the two-week road trip.

“We needed that confidence before heading out of our gym,” she said. “It is always harder on the road and you don’t have

people cheering for you, so that was something that we needed just to be confident heading into these away matches.”

The 6-foot-1 outside hitter said the team’s goal during the road trip will be to focus but to also stay in the moment. “(We have to get) a lot of rest and be ready,” Gilchrist said.

“These are some big teams in conference and we have to go after it. We’re trying to focus on our side of the net as much as possible, but get a good scout.

The more we focus on our game the better we play.”

Breven Honda is a junior studying journalism. Follow him on Twitter @BrevenHonda.

8

Sports

The Daily Aztec

Oct. 9 - 16, 2019 EDITOR: Aaron Tolentino • sports@thedailyaztec.com

Aztecs’ win streak hits three against Nevada

by Alexa Gutierrez CONTRIBUTOR

San Diego State women’s soccer’s winning streak has reached three games following a 4-1 victory over Nevada on Oct. 6 at the SDSU Sports Deck.

The win places SDSU in third place in the Mountain West Conference standings with a 3-1 record (4-6-1 overall).

Head coach Mike Friesen said he knows how tough it is to be a student-athlete and is aware that the series of wins have been a huge accomplishment.

“Student-athletes have so much going on in their life and to compete at the highest level every single game is awesome,” Friesen said. “At the same time, we need to celebrate our victories but step back and refocus on one game at a time.”

The Aztecs had a total of 20 shots, including eight shots on goal. Junior midfielder Chloe Frisch opened the Aztecs’ scoring account in the 24th minute with her third goal of the season.

“I also have a hunger right now to score goals,” Frisch said. “You never want to expect anything, you just have to expect that you’ll work hard to

Photo by Sam Mayo

Junior outside hitter Lexie Hamrick (20) and senior middle blocker Tamia Reeves (18) both attempt a block during the Aztecs’ 3-1 loss to the Rebels on Oct. 3 at Peterson Gym.

win.”

SDSU freshman forward Rachelle Elve began the rally of goals in the second half in the 46th minute, which was assisted by Frisch.

Sophomore forward Taylor Moorehead followed that up with a strike in the 61st minute on an assist from senior

forward Darcy Weiser. Junior midfielder Phoebe Leitch went on to yield the Aztecs’ fourth and final goal in the 67th minute.

Nevada had a total of seven shots and four saves, along with a goal seconds after the Aztecs scored its second goal in the 46th minute.

SDSU junior midfielder Malia Kaleiohi ended the game with three shots and one assist.

Kaleohi said knowing the opposition’s tendencies gave the Aztecs a confidence boost.

“We worked on knowing what our opponents’ weaknesses were and how we could expose them,” Kaleohi

said. “A huge focus for this week was working on gaps and to keep our winning streak.”

SDSU now faces four upcoming away games, including its first against Boise State on Oct. 11.

Alexa Gutierrez is a junior studying journalism.

COLUMN

Back from injury, Darcy Weiser makes immediate impact

by Luis Lopez STAFF WRITER

Anytime an athlete comes back from injury, it usually takes time to get back to top form.

Unless you’re San Diego State women’s soccer senior forward Darcy Weiser.

After missing the first eight games of the season because of a lower body injury, Weiser has already scored two goals and notched an assist in just four games – including a gamewinning goal against UNLV on Oct. 4th.

Weiser, a native of Huntington Beach, California, said she simply wants to contribute in anyway she can.

“My goal now is to just run around and make a difference,” Weiser said. “Do what I can up top, and be there to score goals, assist goals, do what I can as a senior.”

It’s experience that Weiser has drawn from to find early success in her fourth year at the Mesa.

Weiser has seven goals, along with an assist, in her career as an Aztec – adding Mountain West Offensive Player of the Week honors in 2018.

Her experience is something that Aztecs head coach Mike Friesen is excited to have back on the squad.

Friesen said Weiser’s experience helps a team that is as young as SDSU. “She does some of the little things,” Friesen said. “Where we’re struggling right now is

doing a lot of things well.

“Just in her limited minutes... doing the hard work, even though she’s still laboring in her movement, she’s showing up in the right spots,” Friesen said.

Weiser and the Aztecs look to continue their three-game

when we’re young, when we have older players that can show them how to do things, we haven’t had that.”

SDSU currently has nine freshmen on the roster, including three redshirts.

Anytime a senior shows her experience, it’s something Friesen hopes his younger players can look up to.

That has trickled down to players like freshman midfielder Kiera Utush who has scored two goals and an assist.

Utush said having Weiser back and seeing her play is

something that helps the team realize its full potential.

“A big influence she has on the freshman is that she just goes for it,” Utush said. “Sometimes we lack confidence, but she helps bring the confidence out of us.”

Weiser’s presence back on the pitch is something that has benefitted the team immensely so far, and part of that is because of her willingness to leave everything on the field.

Friesen acknowledged that while there is still some recovery for Weiser to do coming off an injury, she is still

winning streak on Oct. 11 against Boise State, who SDSU is tied for first place in the conference.

Luis Lopez is a junior studying journalism. Follow him on Twitter @Lopez509Luis.

Photos by Kareem Jones

(Left) Senior forward Darcy Weiser attempts to shoot the ball during the Aztecs’ 2-0 victory over Colorado State on Sept. 29 at the SDSU Sports Deck. (Right) Senior forward Darcy Weiser dribbles the ball during the Aztecs’ 2-0 victory over Colorado State on Sept. 29 at the SDSU Sports Deck.

Oct. 9 - 16, 2019 EDITOR: Alejandra Luna • mundoazteca@thedailyaztec.com

Mundo Azteca

The Daily Aztec

9

Primera astronauta hispana recibe honores por Caitlin ESCRITORA

Morris

Ellen Ochoa, primera astronauta hispana y ex directora del Centro Espacial Johnson de la NASA, visitó la Universidad Estatal de San Diego para recibir honores.

El evento se llevó a cabo el 2 de octubre, donde a Ochoa se le otorgó el título honorífico de ciencias por su extraordinario papel en la exploración espacial y a su compromiso con la educación científica de los jóvenes de todo el país.

Este premio posicionó a Ochoa a estar entre los 51 ganadores de títulos honoríficos a lo largo de la historia de SDSU. En 1980, Ochoa fue alumna de esta universidad donde adquirió su título universitario en física y ofreció más de 300 presentaciones para promover la licenciatura de ciencia e ingeniería.

Al mismo tiempo, Ochoa representó motivación para otros estudiantes, el trabajo en equipo y la educación superior.

La familia es muy importante para Ochoa y es por eso que una de las más grandes inspiraciones fue su mamá.

Algunos de los miembros de su familia pudieron estar presentes

Foto por Caitlin Morris

Ellen Ochoa con Adela de la Torre, profesor Davis y el profesor Roberts.

cuando la presidenta Adela de la Torre le hizo entrega de su título.

Según Monty Ochoa, hermano de Ochoa, toda su familia la apoyó mucho.

Los estudiantes de SDSU y otros asistentes también se sintieron inspirados y satisfechos con la presentación.

Saltanat Saltnik, estudiante de intercambio de Baikonur, Kazajstán, dijo que se sintió feliz poder convivir con gente como

Ochoa.

“Para mi es una buena forma de conocer a grandes académicos y escuchar su experiencia ya que no es un camino fácil para lograr sus sueños”, dijo Saltnik. “Además, fue muy interesante escuchar a Ochoa describir su experiencia como una mujer astronauta”.

Saltnik agregó que no todas las personas saben cuál fue la primera y más grande instalación de lanzamiento espacial del

mundo.

Incluso, Saltnik señaló que Cosmodrome se encuentra en Baikonur, Kazajstán, y fue el primer satélite artificial junto con Vostok 1 que fueron lanzados desde Baikonur, como también el primer vuelo espacial humano salió de su ciudad natal.

Jeffrey Davis, profesor de física, quien actualmente dirige el Programa de Óptica, recordó que Ochoa fue una de sus primeras

alumnas en SDSU. Davis mencionó que cuando Ochoa comenzó a hacer su tesis ambos se convirtieron en compañeros de trabajo y juntos vieron lo que Ochoa necesitaba para llegar al siguiente nivel y poder viajar al espacio.

Ochoa habló sobre sus antecedentes y experiencias, mostró una presentación de uno de sus viajes al espacio donde trabajó en la construcción del Centro Espacial Internacional.

Al final del evento, la presidenta Adela de la Torre sorprendió a la Ochoa con una actuación especial de la banda de música de SDSU, en donde Ochoa tuvo emociones encontradas y se remontó a su vida universitaria.

Ochoa, no sólo se estaba especializado para ser astronauta, sino también fue miembro de la banda.

Los asistentes al acto tuvieron oportunidad de hacerle preguntas durante un foro de interacción, quienes también aprovecharon y se tomaron fotos con la astronauta.

Ochoa dijo que se inspiró en reconocidas astronautas femeninas y espera que su historia y sus logros sirvan de inspiración para que los jóvenes logren alcanzar sus metas.

Consejera utiliza su arte como representación a su vida por Antonio ESCRITOR

Márquez

Al entrar a la oficina de Michelle Cadena, te encuentras no sólo con diplomas y fotos familiares, sino también las paredes llenas de arte.

Paredes que simulan ser parte de una gran obra de una excelente pintora.

Lo que muchos estudiantes no saben es que esa gran artista es Cadena, consejera de la Universidad Estatal de San Diego.

Las metas y obstáculos que ha pasado Cadena como hija, estudiante, consejera y humana, se han reflejado en su arte, lo cual dan un vistazo a lo que ella es en diferentes aspectos de la vida.

Cadena nació en Chula Vista pero se crió en Tijuana, donde vivió por 17 años.

Su madre por un tiempo fue madre soltera, pero con el apoyo de sus abuelos maternos.

Cadena creció con apoyo familiar que la llevó a un buen camino.

En su último año escolar, Cadena decidió regresar a los EEUU para terminar la preparatoria, y así tener una oportunidad de ingresar a una universidad, donde tendría más oportunidades para trabajar en su campo laboral especializado en psicología.

“Era muy diferente mi escuela en México ya que era una escuela pequeña comparada a la prepa”, dijo Cadena. “Muchas de mis clases no se revalidaron”.

Ya que la madre de Cadena

no entendía el sistema escolar, Cadena asistió a clases de ingles en Tijuana pero no se le dio la oportunidad de revalidaron las clases tomadas en México, ni de inglés o de matemáticas.

“Nadie me dijo nada, no visité a un consejero y me pusieron en clases de inglés como segundo idioma”, mencionó Cadena.

“Nadie abogó por mí y no sabía cómo abogar por mí misma”, comentó Cadena.

Después de terminar la preparatoria, se fue al colegio comunitario de Southwestern, donde recibió su título en psicología y se transfirió a SDSU, en donde obtuvo una licenciatura en psicología y una maestría en asesoramiento multicultural.

“Siempre supe que quería seguir la psicología desde una temprana edad porque me gusta apoyar a la gente”, aseguró Cadena.

Poco a poco Cadena fue viendo como su trayectoria podía brindar apoyo a otros ya que la falta de equidad y educación fue algo relevante que ella vio en su comunidad.

“Cuando empecé el colegio aquí, yo quería compartir mi conocimiento”, señaló Cadena.

Después de graduarse, Cadena se fue a Los Ángeles donde no sólo aprendió de sí misma, pero también de la política detrás de la educación y migración.

“Una gran parte mía es trabajar con inmigración”, explicó Cadena. “Es una gran pieza porque inmigré a mis padres cuando tenía 21 años.

Es importante saber que la

política de aprendizaje para poder apoyar”.

Cadena entiende que a veces es difícil encontrar recursos de confianza y pese a eso, ella sigue con la misma idea para sus estudiantes.

“El conocimiento es poder y educar a mis alumnos sobre cómo abogar por ellos mismos es realmente importante”, dijo Cadena.

En Los Ángeles también renació las ganas de seguir su arte ya que desde una temprana edad su madre le brindó apoyo a seguir su lado artístico.

“Realmente nunca supe que podía pintar hasta que mi abuela falleció y comencé”, comentó Cadena. “Era la única forma en que podía liberar mi emoción era pintando mi armario o las paredes”.

Cadena describe su arte como un espacio donde no tiene que pensar de nada o donde puede sacar todo cuando se siente abrumada.

“Los árboles representan ponerme a tierra y representa crecimiento”, dijo Cadena.

Aparte de árboles, Cadena dibuja flores para representar su crecimiento y ojos ya que ella siente que son una ventana para ver lo que hay alrededor.

Su arte es muy personal y no la enseña en galerías o la vende porque es algo valioso y representativo para ella.

A Cadena también le encanta hacer manualidades donde puede crear artículos que representan como ella sigue su corazón ya sea en el trabajo o en lo personal En un futuro le gustaría

vender su arte y ponerla en una galería pero es algo que será en un lejano futuro.

Cadena señaló que una cosa que se diría a sí misma y que es relevante para los estudiantes de hoy en día es ser paciente

consigo mismo y amarte un poco más.

Cadena sugiere ser paciente con uno mismo porque cada día es un día de crecimiento personal ya sea en su carrera o en su arte.

Foto por Antonio Márquez

Cadena muestra una de sus piezas en su oficina de SDSU.

Arts & Culture Student sings his stories during Nooner set

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Oct. 9 - 16, 2019 EDITOR: Ceighlee Fennel • arts@thedailyaztec.com

The Daily Aztec

by Catlan Nguyen CONTRIBUTOR

Psychology freshman Grant Jordan performs on Oct. 9, as the Nooner performance. The Nooner is held in the Aztec Student Union courtyard from noon to 1 p.m.

Jordan has been singing and creating music for about seven years. He plays guitar, bass, ukulele and piano. He also produces soundtracks and collaborates with other musicians often.

According to Jordan, his favorite aspect of music is the storytelling element and he incorporates this often into his original music. He does this by writing descriptive, visual lyrics for his songs. Jordan notes how many of his listeners make their own interpretations and stories while listening to each song.

“My favorite part of music is the cathartic and therapeutic attributes that it has,” Jordan said.

“With all my songs, I’m always thinking ‘What is this song doing for me on a psychological level?’”

While his love for music spans many different reasons, he said how he dislikes the business part of the music industry.

“I don’t like when it becomes more about the image than the music,” Jordan said.

Jordan is most looking forward to playing his unreleased, original song “With Love” at the Nooner performance because it’s one of his most energetic songs and will

by Natalie Wilson CONTRIBUTOR

Photos by Catlan Nguyen

Grant jordan practices with stand in band members for his Nooner performance happening today in the Aztec Student Union starting at noon.

include a twist he’s never done before while performing.

Grossmont College freshman Gigi Hewitt, is one of Jordan’s close friends. She has supported him throughout his musical career.

“Grant’s lyrics make me cry, laugh… and force me to think,” Hewitt said. “He has a way of connecting to his audience through his music in a way that feels like he’s talking directly to them. I’ve always been fascinated by his dedication to his musical career and how humbled he is towards his talent.”

His setlist will include a mix

of covers and original music which will be performed either acoustically or with the full band.

He will be accompanied by a band that will provide backup instrumental. He works with a variety of rhythmic guitarists, bassists and drummers so when he wants to perform he has alternatives if the others can’t make it.

Jordan also hosts a radio show called Unknown Pleasures through KCR on Sundays from 10 to 11 a.m. where he analyzes music with two other music enthusiasts.

The Nooner performance is free and open to all students.

“The Student Union is like the campus living room, so anything you would do in the living room, you would do here,” Aztec Student Union Programming Assistant Alex Rooney said. “Sit, listen to music and hangout with friends, we want to provide that for students.”

For more information about Grant Jordan, follow his Instagram page @itsgrantjordan.

Catlan Nguyen is a junior studying journalism.

SDSU symphonies play by the sea

Photos by Sharon Lucas

The SDSU Symphony Orchestra and Wind Symphony perform at Imperial Beach at sunset.

by Juniper Perkins STAFF WRITER

Imperial Beach hosted its annual Symphony By the Sea on Oct. 5, featuring San Diego State’s Symphony Orchestra and Wind Symphony with a special appearance by the Mar Vista High School Band.

“I want to thank our awesome SDSU Orchestra and Wind Symphony,” Imperial Beach Mayor Serge Dedina said during the opening of the free show at 6:30 p.m.

He shared stories about his late father’s career at SDSU, and his childhood adventures to every free concert offered by the music department. This symphony was the first without his father, but Dedina reminded the audience that his father was there in spirit.

The orchestra began with Francis

Families find home on campus for the weekend

Scott Key’s “Star-Spangled Banner” and celebrated the anniversary of two musical icons — Ludvig van Beethoven and Stephen Sondheim — with their following pieces. In commemoration of Beethoven’s 500th anniversary, the orchestra performed his “Egmont Overture.”

It was a favorite among the orchestra members performing that night.

“It’s a very cool piece,” film sophomore and clarinet player Joshua Lee said. “Especially the dynamics between the softer sessions and louder sessions toward the end.”

They closed their portion of the night with an ensemble of pieces written by Stephen Sondheim in celebration of his upcoming 90th birthday. He is a composer and lyricist known for his contributions to musical theatre. “(This event) is a great opportunity to celebrate this

genius,” professor and conductor Micheal Gerdes said.

They closed the musical theatre portion with “Sunday” from “Sunday in the Park with George,” bringing all six students, pursuing fine arts masters programs, to the stage to sing in harmony.

The juxtaposition of Sondheim’s “blue, purple, yellow, red water” and Imperial Beach’s cottoncandy sunset received thunderous applause and was a lovely finale to the orchestra’s time on stage.

Before the SDSU Wind Symphony took the stage, Mar Vista’s High School Band performed a trio of classic film theme songs. Flute performance Masters student Anna Sharp emphasized the importance of spreading music throughout a community, especially in reference to Mar Vista High School’s appearance at the event.

“I think for an event like this it’s important that we do community outreach,” she said.

From “Jaws” to “Jurassic Park,” the Mar Vista High School Band’s energy reverberated throughout the crowd. A real-life scream from the back of the crowd made the “Jaws” theme come to life.

“The music department has a community of its own,” music education sophomore Samuel Jimenez-Romero said. “I wish the school would give a little more support (and) that one day our program can grow.”

The Wind Symphony opened with the SDSU Fight Song, inspiring chants from the audience.

They quickly transitioned to “The Jedi Steps” and “Finale” from the first movie in the latest “Star Wars” trilogy, “The Force Awakens.” The music transported the audience into the films.

Then they performed a patriotic salute with “For the Fallen.” Other compositions included “Bugler’s Holiday” by Leroy Anderson and “Galop” by Alfred Reed.

They welcomed Carl Holmquist — composer of “Within Our Reach,” a piece featuring narration with excerpts from several speeches by Barack Obama — to the stage. Narration was provided by music education and Spanish junior Uriah Brown. The Wind Symphony played while Brown sang a powerful rendition of “America the Beautiful” arranged

by Ray Charles. The audience clapped and sang along while stage lights turned red, white and blue.

They performed several Armed Forces Salutes with Brown announcing various forces, encouraging audience members who were or knew someone affiliated with them to stand for recognition. Finally, the Wind Symphony ended the night on a patriotic note with “Stars and Stripes Forever,” receiving a standing ovation from the audience with whoops and cheers abound.

“It’s days like these we remember for the rest of our lives,” Dedina said.

Juniper Perkins (they/them/their) is a sophomore studying journalism.

Every year in October, San Diego State invites students’ families to campus for Family Weekend.

Many students have found this to be one of the most exciting weekends at San Diego State -- taking place annually on Oct. 11 and 12 -- because it allows them to show their family their everyday life as a college student.

Marine biology junior Sofia Parker said it lgives her the opportunity to show her parents a glimpse of her life as a student at SDSU. “I am from out of state, so the only times I get to update my parents about my life is over the phone,” Parker said. “This weekend allowed me to actually feel like they can get a visual about what I explain to them over the phone.”

SDSU also hosts events for families to attend. Some of them include a tailgate before the football game and a movie night in the Aztec Student Union.

Many of the events provide informational sessions about on campus clubs and facilities such as sessions like The Pride Center open house and University Library tours.

“I remember thinking this was more of a freshmen event, but I actually got a lot out of it being a sophomore,” Parker said. “I remember going to the Women’s Resource Center open house and learning so much.”

Some parents have explained how family weekend has allowed them to feel more at ease with knowing what SDSU has to offer their children.

Jane Kirshner, a mother of a junior at SDSU, attended family weekend in 2018. She explained how her experience made her feel more involved with her child.

“It can be scary sending your child across the country while also paying tons of money,” Kirshner said. “However, when I went to this event that the school held I was able to not only spend time with my kid, but also experience what she goes through everyday. As a mom, it helped me feel more confident and excited in the school and my little girl.”

The weekend also has staff that can guide families.Katie Thielges, a mother who has attended family weekend the past two years, said how helpful the staff was.

“My daughter and our family are from Long Island, so coming all the way to San Diego for the weekend is a big event,” Thielges said. “However, I remember being guided every step of the way and feeling relaxed throughout the whole weekend. I definitely was able to make the most of it.”

Schedules and prices can be found on at SDSU’s family weekend website.

They also provide travel discounts for hotels and transportation around San Diego.

Natalie Wilson is a junior studying journalism.

Oct. 9 - 16, 2019 EDITOR: Ceighlee Fennel • arts@thedailyaztec.com

Arts & Culture

The Daily Aztec

11

President de la Torre hosts fireside podcast

by Devin Whatley STAFF WRITER

Hidden in the hallways of the KPBS building, President Adela de la Torre sits in a chair with a two person crew in a small studio.

De la Torre is not there to film a video or make music, she is recording the latest episode of her podcast “Fireside Charla.”

De la Torre started the podcast in March, and worked with Presidential Communications Director Maria Keckler on planning a vision for the podcast.

“Podcasts are a growing medium worldwide, many young people are listening to it, and so I proposed it to her and she thought it was a great idea,” Keckler said. “She is always looking for out of the box ideas, so this was a natural progression of expanding her reach through these channels that can help her touch many more people that she may not be able to sit with.”

De la Torre said the reason why she wanted to create this podcast was to tell a story.

“The impetus was really to get out the message about SDSU and to tell the public the story of our great faculty and our great students so that they could understand us by not just in terms of what they may perceive we are, but who we really are,” de la Torre said.

Her latest episode, set to be released in November, talks about the “RE:BORDER Conference.” It is a new collaborative conference exploring key transborder, binational issues and innovative solutions.

She spoke with three members of San Diego State’s Blue Gold group, which has interdisciplinary faculty and students at SDSU devote their time to finding

solutions to water problems in the San Diego and Mexico border region.

One of those members, environmental science and geography professor Trent Biggs, enjoyed the experience of being a guest on the podcast and found it to be an insightful opportunity.

“It was really fun,” Biggs said. “It was nice that there were three of us to chime in with different perspectives and the president was really open and interested to hear what we had to say.”

De la Torre also said that venturing into the medium of podcasting has taught her one important thing about everyone on campus; dedication.

“What has really surprised me is the dedication of the faculty and students to San Diego State and pushing it to the forefront in making the type of social change so that our campus can be known as impacting the transformation of our students so that they can become leaders of the future,” de la Torre said.

At the end of the day, de la Torre hopes the podcast shares the different stories at SDSU. “I think if we can reach out with these stories to the world, we’ll have an impact that will make San Diego State be in the forefront of change for the future,” de la Torre said.

Her first episode was released on March 1 this year. Since then, she has released 11 other episode ranging from topics about shared governance to SDSU’s global impact To learn more about “Fireside Charla,” listen to Devin Whatley’s one-on-one interview with de la Torre.

Devin Whatley is a sophomore studying journalism.

Photos by Sam Mayo

President Adela de la Torre discusses topics in podcast with other leaders on campus. Devin Whatley gets inside look.

Crack Taco Shop cooks up locally famous Cardiff ‘crack’ tacos

by Roxana Becerril CONTRIBUTOR

Taco Tuesdays are a weekly festivity taken very seriously in my Mexican household.

Although postponed to a Thursday, my latest “Taco Tuesday” took place at Crack

Taco Shop, a Mexican restaurant 11 minutes away from San Diego State, but it took zero minutes to take all of my money.

The Chaldean-owned restaurant made its debut on Camino del Rio North in May, but it wasn’t until a month ago that I first fell captive to its specialty “crack” tacos.

Photos by Roxana Becerril

“Crack” tacos are made without crack, but gained their name from their addicting qualities. Students back this up.

The restaurant’s owner, Ron Abbo, believes his taco shop has gained recognition for its fresh corn tortillas, el pastor tacos and most importantly, its signature “crack” tri-tip steak.

Its four-star rating on Yelp is most likely accredited to its affordable, high quality Mexican food that’s served in a casual yet aesthetically pleasing setting, which feels more elevated than your typical taco shop.

Unlike the name suggests, the restaurant’s specialty meat earned its title from Pete Majjor — Abbo’s business partner and owner of Seaside Market in Encinitas.

Majjor created the famous “crack recipe” over 25 years ago when he first began to marinate tri-tip steaks in a compound of burgundy wine and pepper. Eventually, the recipe gained popularity and Encinitas locals started calling it “Cardiff crack.” “(The crack tri-tip steak) is very tender and moist and the marinate is packed with flavor,” Abbo said. “We serve it in a taco and a burrito. People love it.”

The outside patio is occupied by colored tables and chairs that are enclosed by a short wall of flower-shaped concrete blocks. Its gray, non-intimidating exterior would never indicate that a colorful setting resides within the building.

Murals of spray-painted art cover the back walls of the taco shop and the same multi-colored chairs and tables from the patio are found around a brick wall with a block of wood covered in decorated skulls.

The contrast of vivid colors, black walls and dim lighting helps establish a more intimate and edgy feel to the space.

Business management junior Cristina Morales and marketing senior Alexis Jimenez put the famous tri-tip “crack” steak to the test.

Morales, the daughter of a Tijuana taco shop owner and “la reina de los tacos (the queen of tacos)” according to her Instagram

bio, believes the ideal taco must abide by three guidelines.

“The tortillas must be handmade, the meat has to be cooked on a grill and the quality of the meat really makes a difference,” Morales said.

After showering her tacos with lime juice and green salsa, Morales sunk her teeth into the guacamole, cilantro and onion topped “crack taco.”

“The meat was cooked nice and tender and not crispy at all,” Morales said. “The green salsa was a little spicy, but not too overwhelming and the tortillas are so soft and obviously handmade.”

The Crack Taco Shop has vegetarian options too, like Jimenez’s order - a cactus taco and two baja shrimp tacos. Although she doesn’t identify as a vegetarian, Jimenez tries to reduce her meat consumption to as little to no meat as possible. Her initial reaction to the cactus taco was positive.

“The tortilla is bomb, it just melts in your mouth,” Jimenez said “(The cactus) tastes like bell peppers and the flavors work well together.”

Jimenez later said the cactus tasted rubbery, but wasn’t sure if that was supposed to be its normal consistency as it was her first time trying cactus. Morales agreed with Jimenez and suggested the cactus squares might had been from a can.

Jimenez then ate two grilled shrimp tacos covered in light green shrubbery and chipotle sauce.

She left nothing on the plate but a few strands of cabbage.

Crack Taco Shop isn’t just improving the quality of a typical carne asada taco, it’s modernizing the taco shop experience and providing high-quality tacos at an affordable price, in a convenient location.

Roxana Becerril is a senior studying advertising.

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The Daily Aztec

The Back Page

Oct. 9 - 16, 2019 Editor: Ceighlee Fennel • arts@thedailyaztec.com

My golden ticket to see Greta Van Fleet

Photos by Kelly Shea Kerrigan

Greta Van Fleet pleased their audience with hits and top tracks in the Cal Coast Open Air Theatre on September 29.

by Kelly Kerrigan SENIOR STAFF WRITER

Picture this: After coming home from spring break, you find a large yellow envelope addressed to you in your mailbox.

You cannot seem to remember ordering anything online in the past few weeks.

You rip open the package assuming its junk mail, but inside you find another gold envelope with your name written on it in black sharpie. You carefully tear the sides and white rose petals flutter to the ground.

You see two front-row concert tickets to your favorite band’s upcoming show.

Who sent you this?

The final item you uncover is a handwritten note reading, “Thank you for being apart of the Peaceful Army. We look forward to seeing you soon. Peace, Love

and Unity,” signed Greta Van Fleet.

To this day, I am not exactly sure how the band discovered my existence, but I do know it was the most wholesome feeling knowing the band I had spent countless hours listening to acknowledged me.

Fast forward six months, I eagerly took my hand painted Greta Van Fleet denim jacket out of my closet, whipped out my black leather pants and stepped into my snakeskin boots.

This was my fifth time seeing Greta Van Fleet, except this time I felt like my life had been ripped out of a scene from Cameron Crowe’s notorious movie, “Almost Famous.”

The lights dimmed at Cal Coast Open Air Theatre on the evening of Sept. 29 as Josh, Jake and Sammy Kiszka ran onto the stage following the drummer and the band’s long-time friend Danny Wagner.

Since the last time I saw Greta Van Fleet, the band won their first Grammy for their double EP, “From the Fires,” received a huge partnership with Bose speakers and announced a tour with Metallica.

From the entrance alone I recognized a new era of America’s new favorite rock band.

They were no longer the band of brothers from Michigan trying to do the whole “classic-rock thing,” but instead showcased a new stage arrogance that was seemingly glorious.

After being bashed by Pitchfork and other notable rock critics, the band has walked through the fire of hate and arose from the black smoke ready to show the world that they are never leaving.

They opened with their hit, “When The Curtain Falls,” which appears on the band’s first full album, “Anthem of the Peaceful Army.”

The crowd jumped in excitement, releasing the anticipation they felt waiting for this show.

The band continued the performance with their top tracks including “Highway Tune,” “Black Smoke Rising” and my favorite, “Flower Power.”

Lead singer Josh Kiszka led into the anthem saying, “This next song is one of

the first we ever wrote together. And so it’s been apart of the score of the dance. One of my favorites. You ready?”

Like “Flower Power,” many of the band’s tunes feature lyrics of peace, love, serenity and self-discovery.

So much so, they’ve titled their fan club as The Peaceful Army, which promotes knowledge, connection and equality.

The crowd itself embodied this mentality as they made conversation with one another, talking and connecting about their favorite songs, where in the world they were from and what they were most excited for.

The concert included a cover of “The Music Is You” by one of the band members’ favorite classic artists, John Denver, as well as a Labi Siffre cover of “Watch Me.” They continued with a Black Flag exposition which led to 10 minutes of the band jamming out, showcasing their onstage abilities.

Lead guitarist, Jake Kiszka, flipped his guitar over his head playing flawlessly along to the song.

This trick is equally as exciting every time I’ve witnessed it.

The following song was the band’s acoustic bop, “You’re the One,” a lighthearted track on the conquest of love.

Josh smirked off into the audience, blew

kisses into the crowd and talked to some fans flirting with the ideas of the song.

The encore closed the night with a single off of the “Anthem of the Peaceful Army” album called “Lover, Leaver (Taker, Believer),” which lasted 15 minutes.

It was in this encore that I felt a deep sense of pride over watching one of my favorite bands look better than they ever had before. It appears to me that the members have aged with wisdom, even though they are only in their early twenties.

The band has posted about the time they’ve dedicated to living in nature while writing and rehearsing music. I could feel the band has been reborn from its past self.Greta Van Fleet has toyed with the discussion of a new album being released in the coming months. I am hopeful that when that does happen, the new energy the band has resurfaced with will be reflected in that album.

As I looked around the packed stadium, I was able to see that Greta Van Fleet had accomplished the things they had wished for: a sea of people connecting in unison over the themes and messages that were rooted collectively from their own minds.

Kelly Shea Kerrigan is a senior studying journalism.