Weds., Nov. 3 - Tues., Nov. 9, 2021 Weekly Print Edition
Vol. 108, Issue 12 www.thedailyaztec.com
San Diego State University’s Independent Student Newspaper Since 1913
NEWS SDSU Global campus to offer Esports certificate programs in Spring 2022.
OPINION Don’t take family for granted in new chapter of adventure.
ARTS & CULTURE Student Jalea Villarama’s authentic artistry gains recognition.
MUNDO AZTECA Seminario Anthropoló Información sobre los desaparedos en Guatemala.
SPORTS Basketball is back as both the men and women’s team begin their seasons at Viejas Arena.
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The Daily Aztec
News
Nov. 3 - 9, 2021 EDITOR: Katelynn Robinson • news@thedailyaztec.com
Esports courses to be offered through Global Campus, available Spring 2022
Photo courtesy of Freepik
SDSU Global Campus will offer Esports related certificates with a pathway in Esport Design and Esport Management.
by Sumaia Wegner CONTRIBUTOR
The new year will be the beginning era of electronic sports education. An Esports Certificate Program will make its debut at San Diego State’s Global Campus in January. Estimated total cost for the course is between $4,650 and $4,850. The program will offer two professional development tracks that students can
choose from: Esports Management and Esports Design. After taking three core classes, students can then customize their courses, according to the Global Campus website. SDSU students or anyone else interested in this program can earn a professional certificate in the business of Esports through a fully online eight -week course. This program has an elite group of advisors and instructors at hand,
including Newton Lee a ten-year game developer and producer at The Walt Disney Company and James “Bonzai” Caruso a six-time Grammy Awardwinning recording and mixing engineer. Program advisor Dane Henderson said the Global Campus wanted to provide an educational platform for the gaming community. “For us to be the home of Twitchcon, Comicon, Gamercon, Rockstar Games, and Sony, we wanted to make sure we had an education platform to be at our home base where the gaming community is,” Henderson said. “When we looked around, there was not any. We want to help create games. We want to help make the next generation of games, making sure those unreal engines are being used.” Advisor and game design instructor Wallace Wang said people do not take the gaming industry seriously. “The video game industry is a 100 billion dollar industry,” Wang said. “It is huge and yet so many schools don’t take it seriously. They don’t think of it as an academic area. They think it’s just fun and games, but it is really so much more. That is why we also wanted to start this program; it is a serious industry.” Goldman Sachs Inc. a leading global investment firm predicts “by 2022, the market for Esports will top $2.95 billion dollars.” “Everyone in this room (all the instructors) wanted to make sure the program we came up with would answer the call. At the end of the day, it is about helping them get the job,” said marketing and advertising instructor Katherine Amoukhteh. “We wanted to emphasize that the classes we produce and outline build a portfolio so that every student can go where they want with their career.” Broadcasting and streaming instructor
Eric Constein said, “We are pretty much making Esports soldiers. We hope that by having connections with major companies, this program can become a credit course”. The textbooks for these programs are written by expert teachers with industry experience according to creative development instructor Newton Lee. Teaching will help give the Esports program a valid structure, added team management instructor Sam Diamond. On Nov. 27, there will be an event hosted by these advisors and instructors at The Music Box for Esports and education for students, parents, and teachers to learn how to utilize this program. Aerospace engineering senior Keon Moore is a student advisor for Esports and the president of Aztec Gaming. “I think it is amazing that there are classes on Esports,” Moore said. “There has been a lot of momentum from faculty all around regarding Esports. I am hoping this serves as another way to get admins to push this program to start looking at us more and see that this is what a lot of other schools are doing. I am hoping this pushes for Esports to become more involved with the school directly and maybe become an official Esports program on campus and not just an online certificate.” Senior Cody Nephew, a student and gamer, is excited to learn about this new program. “I have seen a lot of people interested in it,” Nephew said. “I know SDSU hasn’t had something like this, so having this as an option is pretty cool.” With just two months away from the launch of this program, the education system for Esports is about to “change the game” for those who are seeking a career in this industry.
Anthropologists find missing persons in Guatemala by Lucelis Martinez SENIOR STAFF WRITER
A webinar titled “Pathways for Searching and Identifying the Disappeared” celebrated 24 years of hard work from the Guatemalan Forensic Anthropology Foundation (FAFG) on Oct. 26. Some of the event’s guests included Rosalina Tuyuc, Marta Macz, and Freddy Peccerelli. Peccerelli,a forensic anthropologist and executive director at the FAFG, explained the issues in Guatemala more in depth. “Let’s think that Guatemala is in the middle of an armed conflict which left 200,000 victims, 160,000 of these people killed in massacres and 40,000 of those people missing,” Peccerelli said. Peccerelli explained that most of the people “missing” were actually just killed and hidden during the Guatemalan Civil War. “The foundation arose in this space, where women like Rosalina Tuyuc, like lady Marta looking for their family members, looking for support,help,” Peccerelli said. “Someone who knew how to look and that they could trust. Then, they invited Dr. Clyde Snow.” Peccerelli commented on the relationship he had with Snow, who
was his mentor and close friend. “He taught me perhaps what was most important,” Peccerelli said. “That the work we do is an act of respect to the families. It’s in the act of giving answers to those families.” Snow is recognized as a forensic anthropologist, and in fact has been mentioned as a legendary detective, according to the New York Times. The same article mentioned Snow identified John F. Kennedy, the Nazi criminal Josef Mengle, and “the disapperead” in Argentina, amongst other peoples. He testified against Sadam Hussein and inspired a movement centered on using forensic anthropology to help with genocide cases in Kosovo, Bosnia, Rwanda and Chile. Macz, a Maya Q'eqchi community leader and another featured guest, founded the Council of Mayan Women in the northern region of Cobán, Guatemala. According to the foundation’s website, Macz was the first woman and first indigenous woman candidate for mayor of Cobán. She said the kidnapping of her brother was what originally inspired Macz to involve herself in humanitarian work. Photo courtesy of FAFG 's Instagram
"Pathways for Searching and identifying the Disappeared" webinar celebrated the hard work of forensic anthropologists.
SEE MISSING PERSONS, PAGE 3
Nov. 3 - 9, 2021 EDITOR: Katelynn Robinson . news@thedailyaztec.com
News
The Daily Aztec
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Hush Hush Auction raises $900 for breast cancer awareness, American Cancer Society by Adam Correa STAFF WRITER
On Oct. 28, the Hush Hush Auction was finally back in-person after being virtual last year due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The auction was located on the third floor of the Conrad Prebys Aztec Student Union in Council Chambers. The room was full of pink decorations and pink themed pictures for Think Pink Week and breast cancer awareness. Camille Pico — one of the hosts of the auction — said the turnout for the event exceeded Sigma Theta PSI’s expectations. “It means so much to us to see so much people coming out to support not only us but our cause as well, our philanthropy,” Pico said. Philanthropy is where you raise money for an organization other than yourself. Their philanthropy was to make strides against breast cancer and for the American Cancer Society. “It was just so good to see so many familiar faces. It almost felt the same just before COVID [in 2019],” Pico said. According to the National Breast Cancer Foundation, in 2021, approximately 43,600 women and 530
Photo by Adam Correa
Students and Greek Life gather to participate in auction for goody baskets to support "Hush Hush" fundraiser.
men will die from breast cancer in the U.S. One in eight women in the U.S. will be diagnosed with breast cancer in their lifetime. The auction started off with introductions, then Greek Life chants, trivia, raffles and auctioning goody baskets.
During the auctioning of the goody baskets, the Drake-themed basket was presented very enthusiastically. When Pico was describing the basket, “Way 2 Sexy,” by Drake was playing in the background. Alfredo Lezama — an auction attendee and Pico’s boyfriend — won
88TH ANNUAL HOMECOMING COURT ANNOUNCED by Eugènie Budnik STAFF WRITER
On Nov. 12 and 13, San Diego State Aztecs will be celebrating the university’s 88th homecoming celebration. This year’s homecoming celebration will be the first in person one since 2019, due to the COVID-19 pandemic. To celebrate this return to normalcy, the Homecoming Steering Committee chose the theme of “Together as One.” Homecoming includes events such as pep rallies, carnivals, football games and the crowning of two SDSU royalty. The Homecoming Court consists of ten SDSU students who are active members of an SDSU recognized student organization or hold a leadership role on campus. Nominees must also have completed 60 units by the time of nomination, and must be in good academic and disciplinary standing.
Interested students had to apply online via a comprehensive application. These applications were then reviewed by a team of faculty, staff, and alumni to choose ten distinguished students to serve as this year’s homecoming court. According to the official San Diego State University Homecoming website, the purpose of homecoming court is to “honor those exceptional students who have shown their dedication through extraordinary commitment to leaving a legacy of pride.” On Oct. 27 a crowd of students, including the Aztec Marching Band and the Aztec Cheerleaders, gathered in the Conrad Prebys Aztec Student Union to hear the announcement of this year’s homecoming court. “These individuals have achieved academic excellence and completed great community service,” said Associated Students Executive Vice President Karina Esteban.
Photo courtesy of Associated Students
In recent years, SDSU has transitioned from nominating a king and queen to two royals to be more inclusive.
The students on this year’s court are Alexia Oduro, Meghan Mahoney, Jenna Meyer, Jacquelin Banal, Jacinda Molina, Setareh Sterling, Margot Elmer, Orlando Ochoa, Brenda Drew and Karla LoraAcosta. Integrated communications and marketing fourth year Jacquelin Banal, is involved in Kappa Delta and acts as the communications director of the Mortarboard honor society. Banal stressed the connection between her status as a transfer student and being nominated to the homecoming court. “As a transfer student, I think it's important for me to represent that population and show that transfer students are doing amazing things on campus,” Banal said. “A lot of the time, students taking a non traditional college route are kind of stigmatized.” Speech and language science third year, Alexia Oduro, is the Associated Students “Student at Large.” She described her nomination as a celebration for her community. “My nomination is important to me to uplift the communities that I’m a part of,” Oduro said. “I take being nominated not about me, but about my community and the work we have done together. I think it is awesome that I have the opportunity to support my communities in such a capacity.” Those on the homecoming court will be responsible for attending all of the homecoming events, as well as a special homecoming court dinner. All of these events culminate in the crowning of two homecoming “royals” at the Aztec football game against Nevada on Nov. 13. In recent years, SDSU has transitioned from nominating a king and a queen to instead nominating two royals in order to make the homecoming court tradition more inclusionary to those who do not identify within the binary genders. The two selected royals will be crowned at the Nov. 13 football game, and will also receive special recognition on campus.
a movie night basket that was sold to him for $180 and said he was glad he attended. “I told her (Pico) if I get those movie tickets we’re going to watch Dune,” Lezama said. “It is always nice to show support to the sororities and it is for a great cause.” The Daily Aztec tried to reach out to women attending the auction but they declined to be interviewed. Caroline Hall — another host of the auction — said her mom was diagnosed with breast cancer and recovered. “It is about seven years cancer free for her (Hall’s mother) now, that is a huge accomplishment,” Hall said. Hall was in middle school when her mom was diagnosed with breast cancer and tried to help her out in many ways. “I took on the role of being her nurse when she was going through breast cancer and thankfully she caught it early on so she didn’t have to go through chemo (chemotherapy) she just had to get surgeries but it was such a struggle,” Hall said. Sigma Theta PSI ended up raising about $900 from the goody basket auction and raffle.
Missing persons: continued from page 2
“[He] worked in cooperatives, that was his sin,” Macz said while visibly tearing up. “The cooperatives stopped existing and many people that worked in the cooperatives also disappeared.” The search to find her brother led her to hospitals, to the press and to knock on doors in different military zones. Her brother was kidnapped by members of military intelligence from the Guatemalan armed forces. They didn’t know what could have happened to her brother for 29 years. Macz said she met many “brave” women who had also lost people and they united to find their families. “In this organization we were primarily centered with getting the psychological attention that we all needed,” Macz said. Macz said a lot of the women who formed part of the organization lost their lands and were wandering from one place to another because they had nowhere to go. In February of 2012, Macz and her group were allowed to look in mass graves used to bury the disappeared close to the military center after many efforts from the forensic anthropologists who participated in the searches with them. “My brother was face down with a noose made from a military shirt around his neck,” Macz said. In 2015, she was given the the body, which she buried —fulfilling a promise she’d made to her parents —before they passed. Macz said she wasn’t counting on the presence of many people at her brother’s funeral service, due to the fear the military installed. To her surprise, at least 200 people showed up. Macz mentioned finally having a place to put flowers, including for Dia de Los Muertos. “Following a season of solidarity with each other the reports about sexual abuses against women, abuses against families who had members detained/disappeared initiated,” Tuyuc said. “We have the right to look for families, we have the right to demand justice and the right also to beat that fear which stayed behind after 36 years of militarization.”
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Opinion
The Daily Aztec
Nov. 3 - 9, 2021 EDITOR: Aaliyah Alexander • opinion@thedailyaztec.com
Don’t take family for granted in new chapter of adulthood
MANAGING EDITOR Trinity Bland NEWS EDITOR Katelynn Robinson
By Lindsey Anderson CONTRIBUTOR
Leaving home for the first time means leaving everything about childhood behind. In jumping into this new chapter, we bid a sweet farewell to all that’s familiar to us: our hometown, our long-time friends and our families. For many, this is the most appealing part of college. By the time we turn 18, we could not be more ready to go — chomping at the bit to pursue a life of independence in a city we can learn to call our own. Our newfound independence comes with the freedom to explore new relationships, seeking out new friends who match our current chapter (chosen as our people for reasons not tied to kindergarten). The clean slate that accompanies us into college allows us to pursue connections with people who resonate with us or who align with our lifestyle, thus building an army of individuals who fulfill many different pieces of our being. It is these people that are with us every single day — growing with us and supporting us — as we take on the college woes. With mere exposure and transformative shared experiences, these friends become our family almost overnight. Suddenly, going home is not important — all our friends are here. This new place has become our home, these people are now our family and this independence is now our life. We are so grown up and experienced that all of sudden our families are not a priority. We’ve decided that we don’t need our parents anymore; we can successfully live on our own. We don’t need familial support; we have our friends. We don’t need the presence of older people in our lives; we’re young and we’re cool. Right? Wrong. As we progress through our time in college, disregarding family is a huge mistake. Sure, we’ve developed a strong new sense of identity and built a village of people here with us, but that doesn’t mean we no longer have room for the home team who raised us. The appeal of establishing family in friends is understandable. These friends won’t punish us for coming home late or for drinking on a weekday. They won’t hinder our newfound freedom or question our motives; they’ll simply join us for the ride. We can tell these friends anything without judgement or unwanted advice and, not to mention, they tend to be more fun to be around as their interests align with ours. If anything, establishing these strong familial bonds with close college friends should be encouraged because we need this sense of support when we
EDITOR IN CHIEF Catlan Nguyen
OPINION EDITOR Aaliyah Alexander MUNDO AZTECA EDITOR Noé Sandoval ASST. MUNDO AZTECA EDITOR Karina Bazarte ARTS & CULTURE EDITOR Ryan Hardison ASST. ARTS & CULTURE EDITOR Cristina Lombardo SPORTS EDITOR Jason Freund ASST. SPORTS EDITOR Andrew Finley SOCIAL MEDIA EDITOR Amanda Orozco PHOTO EDITOR Noelani Sapla MULTIMEDIA EDITOR Mackenzie Stafford ASST. MULTIMEDIA EDITOR Jayne Yutig GRAPHIC DESIGNER Hemen Mesfin
STAFF WRITERS Adam Correa Eugenie Budnik Jayden Hanzy Austin Tarke Grace Brady Xiomara Villarreal-Gerardo SENIOR STAFF WRITERS Lucelis Martinez Sara Rott CONTRIBUTORS Lindsey Anderson Sumaia Wegner Samantha Muscio Maritza Camacho ________________________________
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Courtesy of Lindsey Anderson
The views and opinions expressed in this issue do not necessarily reflect those of The Daily Aztec.
Family can serve as a support system during adulthood as you try figuring things out, especially while in college.
become physically distant from family. But that doesn’t mean these friendships are a replacement for our familial relationships. Honestly, we should be striving to grow our families, not shrink them. As simple an idea this may be, so many students develop complete disregard for their families when they move away from home. We turn 18 and suddenly, we’re too cool for mom and dad. But believe it or not, our
parents did not send us off to school only for us to move on from them. They did not raise us to outgrow them, nor did they raise us to become “too cool” for their time. Not to mention, our parents become cooler the older we get. So, for the students who haven’t reached out to their families: you may feel like a big college hot-shot now, but before you know it you’ll be begging to go back home. What you’ll come to realize is that you miss being a kid again
and, sometimes, a break from adulthood is just the refresh you needed. So, please don’t cut those ties. Embrace the love your parents provide and allow yourself to be their child again, if only for a weekend. At the very least, take a step off your high horse and please, just call your mom.
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Lindsey Anderson is a senior studying rhetoric and writing.
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Nov. 3 - 9, 2021 EDITOR: Aaliyah Alexander • opinion@thedailyaztec.com
Opinion
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Fellow students: remember to take safety precautions living on campus By Lucelis Martinez SENIOR STAFF WRITER
One of my favorite things about going to San Diego State is the fact we have so much access to the outside world. Many organizations on campus have fun events week after week, whether that be online due to the COVID-19 pandemic or in person for students to have fun and get to know each other. We also have the ability to plan a trip by taking the San Diego Metropolitan Transit System like I did my freshman year when I took the trolley to Old Town and visited the haunted Whaley House for the first time. However, being a public campus comes with its own set of challenges. While I don’t mean to suggest we should be more afraid of people at SDSU than anywhere else, I do aim to remind us that we live within a community of thousands of students, faculty and San Diego residents, and we should always be aware of who we interact with on campus. According to usnews.com, SDSU is 560 acres, fitting a community of around 31,000 undergraduate students in 2020 alone. Within that wide range of people, there are bound to be many personalities. Mix that with the pressures of juggling college, family, mental health, finances and many other things life brings, it is easy to see how we can struggle with the day-today while being on campus sometimes. I lived on campus during my first month at SDSU and, to say the least, I was happy to leave. In my short time in the dorms,
Graphic by Aaliyah Alexander
It never hurts to be safe by carrying items such as pepper spray around on campus.
I enjoyed the company of many people while making friends I still have three years later. My only complaint was having to deal with random people showing up drunk to my dorm. The easy access to drugs and the pressure from peers to use them, coupled with the experience of being manipulated by someone who threatened to hurt themselves because I didn’t speak to them late one night (during my first week at State, not to mention), pushed me to make my decision to leave on-campus housing. Encountering intoxicated people on campus doesn’t even account for the other dangers we face like walking around campus at night, especially in areas that are not well-lit.
I’m not complaining about the realities of co-existing with others, and I acknowledge that life is hard and we all have our battles, but my goal is help diminish some of the everyday safety risks while living on such a public campus. SDSU has created many options for students to consider when trying to keep themselves safe. Some of the options include: self defense classes, emergency alert systems, multiple ways to report crimes, peer health education and our own police force with two stations on campus amongst other options. If you’ve seen tall towers labeled “EMERGENCY” on campus, you’ll note
Earn a full semester credit in four weeks and catch up/get ahead on your general education units. Classes are $46 per unit and available online so you can learn from anywhere.
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they include a “blue light” phone which provides immediate access to SDSU Police Dispatch by pushing a button. I’ve purchased a small alarm and placed it on my keychain to pull in case of emergencies and almost always keep both pepper gel and spray on me. There are times I will not be allowed either item as a student, and I find it problematic. According to the 2021 Campus Safety Plan, violent crimes are defined as willful homicide, rape, robbery and aggravated assault. There have been 16 on-campus violent crimes this semester. The 2020 Annual Security Report, which is prepared by the Campus Clery Director in cooperation with several entities on campus including the SDSU Police Department, the Residential Education Office, and Counseling and Psychological Resources, amongst others includes statistics about crime on campus for the three most recent calendar years. This report shows that SDSU had at least 99 on campus burglaries between Jan. 1, 2017 and Dec. 31, 2019. Again, while I don’t mean to scare any student, I do want to encourage us to be aware of the threats we face while on campus and to be aware of what we can do about them. Stay aware and stay safe Aztecs. Lucelis Martinez is a junior studying journalism. Follow her on Twitter @ Lucelispm.
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The Daily Aztec
Sports
Nov. 3 - 9, 2021 EDITOR: Jason Freund • sports@thedailyaztec.com
Column: Aztec men’s basketball hopes to remain king of the Mountain West By Jason Freund SPORTS EDITOR
Last year could’ve been seen as either a success or a disappointment for the San Diego State men’s basketball team. A 23-5 record. First place in the Mountain West Conference. Ranked as high as No. 16 in the AP Top 25. Winners of the Mountain West Tournament and granted a six seed in the NCAA Tournament. The same SDSU squad only lasted one game in the NCAA Tournament, getting thoroughly beaten 78-62 by the Syracuse Orange in the first round. But, it is a new season filled with new expectations. There were losses in the offseason, but there were plenty of additions to strengthen the team. With a blend of old faces and fresh blood, the Aztecs are once again looking to remain at the peak of their conference. However, the Aztecs will regain their top weapon that was taken from them last season. No, it’s not a new player coming off the bench. It isn’t an old scheme that head coach Brian Dutcher can properly utilize. It is the crowd. Gone are the cardboard cutouts of last year and in is a rabid fanbase led by one of — if not the most — passionate student sections who will watch each game with great interest: The Show. With their season opener against UC Riverside coming up on Nov. 9, here are three plot points for the upcoming season. Replacing lost production Believe it or not, nearly 50% of SDSU’s offense is no longer with the team. Matt Mitchell, Jordan Schakel and Terrell Gomez have all graduated onto the greener pastures of professional basketball. Last season, SDSU scored 2,062 total
Photo by Jason Freund
Senior guard Trey Pulliam and the Aztecs look to start where they left off in 2021 after winning the Mountain West Conference tounament, and finished the season ranked just outside the AP Top 25.
points. The trio of Mitchell, Gomez and Schakel combined for a total of 1,028 points on 44.6% field goal shooting. Even with those three gone, Dutcher has a plethora of options to fill the void. Seniors Trey Pulliam and Joshua Tomaic are back thanks due to an extra year of eligibility granted to all athletes by the NCAA. Seniors Adam Seiko and Nathan Mensah both enter their senior season after averaging 4.2 and 8.1 points per game, respectively, while sophomore Lamont Butler has nowhere to go but up after a promising freshman season. All of the above players bring different scoring capabilities to the team with one exception: three-point shooting. Last season, Schakel was the main shooter behind the arc, shooting 46.1% from the three point line. That is six points higher than the second-highest three-point shooter Gomez, who posted a 40.2 three-point percentage. Enter senior transfer Matt Bradley and
sophomore transfer Chad baker-Mazara. From Cal comes Bradley, who averaged 18 points per game and connected on 38.1% of his shots from three point land. Baker-Mazara, meanwhile, set the freshman record for three-pointers at Duquesne University with a sterling 41.7%. One of his best performances came against Fordham University, where 21 of the 23 points he scored came from beyond the arc. Pulliam, who has spent time in practice going one-on-one with Bradley, likes what he sees so far in the Cal transfer. “He’s a guy that can help bring up that scoring that we are losing,” Pulliam said. “He’s just a guy that can come in and we can rely on.” Plenty of depth, but who gets the starting nod? So Dutcher has options, which is always a good thing in a team sport such as basketball. But here’s the thing — there can only be five players on the court at a time. Someone will have to come off the bench.
It is safe to presume that Pulliam will be the starting point guard. Mensah started 27 out of 28 games as the primary power forward. Bradley will be leaned on as this season’s version of Gomez or Malachi Flynn. For now, the three mentioned above should be locks for the starting five. But from there, where do the Aztecs go? There are plenty of options to slot into the final two spots. Any combination of Seiko, Baker-Mazara or Butler can fit into the lineup to add versatility and offensive opportunities. SDSU could also go with an extra big man and slot one of Tomaic, senior transfer Tahirou Diabate or sophomore Keshod Johnson into the lineup. It is a good problem to have and one that can be tinkered with. Perhaps the Aztecs choose to load up on the defensive side of the ball or go heavy on the offense. A good defense is a good offense Ever since Steve Fisher served as the SDSU’s head coach, the Aztecs have been known for their defense. Last season, they finished the season with the 21st ranked defense according to KenPom. This year, KenPom places the Aztecs as the 10th best defensive team in the nation. Last season, the Aztecs were at the top of the MWC in both average points against (61.2) and steals (8.18). SDSU also placed within the top five in both offensive (279) and defensive (724) rebounds. Mensah was the overall leader in terms of rebounds with 170. He led the team in offensive rebounds with 56 while his 114 defensive rebounds were two less than Mitchell. “To be a great defensive player comes from your teammates. With the front court defensively, a big man struggles a lot with all the foul trouble you get when you drive to the paint,” Mensah said on his defense. “All credit goes to my teammates.”
Women’s basketball is eager to climb to the top in 2021 By Jayden Hanzy STAFF WRITER
Following a disappointing 2020-2021 season, the San Diego State women’s basketball team is looking primed and prepped to make a big splash this season. The Aztecs finished seventh in the Mountain West Conference last season, but have brought back most of their talent from last year and have brought in new pieces that should contribute to their success this year. During last season’s “COVID Year,” the Scarlet and Black found it difficult to find their groove. SDSU took on some tough opponents, and were able to gain experience through their difficult schedule. The Aztecs finished 7-17 while finishing 5-12 against Mountain West Conference opponents. During the Oct. 13 Mountain West Conference Media Day, head coach Stacie Terry-Hutson was more excited than ever about her team as she enters her ninth season as the Aztecs head coach. “They know what we are doing, they know what is going to be asked of them, and we have pushed them harder than they ever have been” Terry-Hutson said about players returning this year. “We have a level of expectations that has been raised and we are definitely doing everything we can to get better, and ultimately win a Mountain West championship.”
Photo by Kyle Betz
After an injuried filled season last year, SDSU’s women’s basketball team looks to climb to the top of the Mountain West Conference.
This year the Scarlet and Black have made major strides when it comes to the quality of their players. Through consistent hard work this offseason, both returners and new players have developed expeditiously. “It’s been really nice. We can go deep into our roster which allows our guards to get some rest and we won’t lose much as we sub,” Terry-Hutson said about the team’s depth.“We have a great deep team this year so I’m excited to see how that helps us move forward.”
Senior Sophia Ramos said she is once again looking to be the catalyst for the team’s success. During the 2020-2021 season, Ramos averaged 15.7 points, 4.8 rebounds, and 3.5 assists per game. Ramos has received high praise from her head coach, and has the potential to carry her team to a Mountain West championship. “I am just going to be a leader. I have so much experience in playing basketball all around, and playing under coach Stacie for these last three years and having a relationship with her there is a good level
of trust between us,” Ramos said about her role on the team. “My big thing this year is just to be a leader and a coach on the court for us.” On a team with five seniors, leadership will be crucial on the court. SDSU has potential throughout their roster, and the experience that the returners were able to gain last season will be key for the team this year. Perhaps one of the biggest players to keep an eye on this year will be redshirt freshman Asia Avinger. Avinger won honors this year for Mountain West preseason freshman of the year. Avinger — fresh out of high school — is already putting the conference on notice and is becoming a key piece for the team. Ramos and Avinger are just two of the threats on the Aztecs deep roster. With their exceptional depth and wealth of experience, expect the Aztecs to have a bounce back year and become one of the biggest competitors in the Mountain West. In a few weeks, the Scarlet and Black are set to play the Biola University Eagles in an exhibition match that will kick off the season. The game on Nov. 1 will be the teams first game in the Viejas Arena this season and the commencement of another exciting schedule. Outside of their conference, the Aztecs take on some strong competition such as Ohio State, University of San Diego, and Ole Miss.
Nov. 3 - 9, 2021 EDITOR: Jason Freund • sports@thedailyaztec.com
Sports
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Matt Bradley: potential weapon for SDSU By Austin Tarke STAFF WRITER
In the last four seasons, San Diego State basketball — under head coach Brian Dutcher — has had nothing but success. With Dutcher, the Aztecs have made every Mountain West title game, had two March Madness appearances, had a 30-win team in 2019 and are now backto-back Mountain West Conference champions. Yet, there are question marks surrounding the team that lost 52% of their offensive production from the previous season. Who will fill the void? The answer: Matt Bradley. The incoming senior forward has a linebacker frame that stands at 6’4, 230 pounds and can score at all levels. He was picked as the Mountain West Preseason Newcomer of the Year. Bradley is a senior transfer from UC Berkeley. In his junior year, he scored 18 points per game, shot 37% from three and secured almost five rebounds per game. However, his team never had a winning record. “I’m intense, I really just want to win and play hard,” Bradley said. He said he’s buying into the Aztec winning culture that’s had 17 straight winning seasons and made eight NCAA tournament appearances. Winning basketball means playing as a team. Bradley said he’s not worried about his stats. “I’m trying to be a great teammate and be the best player I can be,” Bradley said. It has been a difficult adjustment for Bradley to acclimate to his new team from an offensive standpoint. He’s
Photo courtesy of SDSU Athletics
Transfer student Matt Bradley tore it up for Cal, scoring 18 points per game and shooting for 37% at the three poimt line,and now he’s ready to compete as an Aztec.
coming from a team where the ball was always in his hands. Now, he credits his tremendous teammates for taking some pressure off his game. “There’s a lot of dudes on this team that can score the basketball,” Bradley said. From a defensive perspective, Bradley said he is amazed at the level of play. “I don’t know any team that plays defense like San Diego State,” Bradley said. He said it’s always one against five as the team collectively guards the ball. The intensity on defense and battle for starting roles on the team has made for
competitive practices. “Practices have been harder than some games I played in the PAC-12,” Bradley said. Bradley has a a worthy basketball skillset. When asked what’s the best part of his game, he mentioned something that can’t be found in the stat sheet. “My competitiveness,” said Bradley. “When I compete, it can be taken as this dude’s angry, but it’s my passion for the game.” Bradley also mentioned his competitive teammates match his energy. “It’s fun going head to head in practice,”
returning senior guard Trey Pulliam said. “We feed off the energy.” While Bradley may be humble about his skillset, the other Aztec players rave about their new teammate. “He’s a dog,” sophomore guard Lamont Butler said repeatedly. Pulliam mentioned he’s versatile and will replace the talent we lost last year. Senior forward Nathan Mensah said Bradley has quickly bought into the San Diego State culture. Bradley gets into a zone when he laces up his sneakers. But he also prioritizes hobbies outside of basketball to clear his head. His excitement was evident as a big smile came over his face when he talked about photography. “Mount Helix is a nice spot, you can see anything from Mexico to the ocean and even see campus,” Bradley said. The newcomer to San Diego also said he likes trying different restaurants and his favorite location so far is Little Italy. On Nov. 9, the Aztecs tip off their season against UC Riverside. Instead of looking ahead to the following game, a rematch against rival BYU or a marquee matchup against top-ranked Michigan in December. Bradley says he focuses on one game at a time. “We have every game circled on the schedule,” Bradley said. Nevertheless on Nov. 9, 12,414 strong will be loud and proud in Viejas Arena as Bradley admits he’s anxious to be in front of one of the best student sections in college basketball, but he’s excited and looking forward to answering the question marks that this team has going into the season.
Alex Crain poised for big 2021 season By Katelynn Robinson NEWS EDITOR
Fourth year guard and business graduate student, Alex Crain said she is looking to be more aggressive on the court this season, alongside San Diego State’s women’s basketball team. Crain said she is looking forward to competing in what will be some of the most pivotal games of the season, including games against Ole Miss and Ohio State. “Those games will lead us into conference plays and that is always the best time of year because that’s when you really start to play for the tournament,” Crain said. Practices and training have started looking closer to normal this year, according to Crain. Athletes have more access to facilities and are able to fully practice as an entire group. This comes after last year’s limitations from practice hours to practice structures to their season being limited to 13 games. Although this is the case, Crain said the team still needs to “mask up and stay safe” in their training rooms. “I think right off the bat, it was just better vibes because we have more accessibility to the facilities and there were less restrictions in terms of how our team could interact with each other,” Crain said. “And then overall I think we just came in with a different mentality in terms of what we want for this season and our expectations. A big thing we have been talking about is being unselfish and rebounding. I think overall this year has been a lot more intense but also I think we’re also closer in a way.” Crain said the athletes were granted a “COVID year” meaning they will have
Courtesy of SDSU Athletics
Graduate student Alex Crain plans on taking her team to the top of the Mountain West Conference in 2021.
an extra year of eligibility due to the unorthodox 2020 season. “I love it here so, yeah, I want to come back for next year and you know, keep it rolling,” Crain said. Due to the additional year of eligibility, Crain described this season as her “pseudo senior year.” “I’ve worked really hard this summer just to improve my overall game and I think this season I just want to go in with a more aggressive mindset and just really go out there and leave it all out because this is like a pseudo senior year for me so I have all the experience and all the tools I need,” Crain said. If Crain chooses to stay with SDSU for an additional year, she said she has two
options academically. “I actually graduated in two years with my undergraduate, so right now I am finishing up my masters in business,” Crain said. “So, the plan is to either kind of get another year in my master in business next year or to start another masters program altogether.” Crain said personally, her mentality before each game is to “take no prisoners.” “I think before games the mentality has to be ‘take no prisoners’ like when I go out there I want to leave it all out because at the end of the day if you give 100 then you have no regrets,” Crain said. “I think this year taking those extra steps forward, being more aggressive, and being more assertive on the floor and then when I’m
speaking and how I carry myself is key for me and the success of our team overall.” Crain said her coaches have advised her to focus on her strengths as a defensive player; however, she said she likes all aspects of the game. “I like both sides of the ball because defense helps you win but you have to put the ball in the basket,” Crain said. “Plus, it is just fun getting those cool plays either an assist or a good ‘and one’ so I like both sides of the ball.” This year the team is stacked with returning players who have experience on the court and in competitions. Given the effects of COVID-19, the team has also had to be adaptive in the past. “The COVID year definitely matured us a lot,” Crain said. “So, we had quite a few freshmen come in last year and I’d say all of them have taken so many steps forward in terms of their maturity on the court and off the court. Our leadership of course has always been strong but I think this year we are even more so on the same page in terms of our expectations and our mentality. Overall, I would just say we are just a better team.” Last year SDSU women’s basketball joined the Jordan family, making them the 9th women’s team to ever be signed by the Jordan brand. Crain said it is an honor to be a part of his legacy “It [the gear] is so clean, like the shoes and the travel suits, we actually just got our practice jerseys and stuff so it is finally coming together,” Crain said. “Last year, we were having to use the older practice jerseys so now we have the new ones and we just look fresher. You know you look good, you feel good.” The Aztecs tipped off their season with an exhibition game agaisnt BIOLA, earning their first win 79-52 at Viejas Arena.
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The Daily Aztec
Arts & Culture
Nov. 3 - 9, 2021 EDITOR: Ryan Hardison • arts@thedailyaztec.com
Student musician thrives on stage, creates feel-good music in studio By Samantha Muscio CONTRIBUTOR
Singer and songwriter, Jalea Villarama, a third-year management information systems student at San Diego State, has a passion for making music that illustrates her lively personality and creative expression as an artist. “I just want to stay true to myself and make music that inspires people to spread love,” Villarama said. Students and faculty who know Villarama as an artist know her for her performances on campus, specifically her performances for the Asian Pacific Student Alliance organization, which she is the cocoordinator for. Her first big performance at SDSU was in 2019 at the Night Market event in the Conrad Prebys Aztec Student Union. Hundreds of people gathered to watch her sing and play the guitar to three R&B songs. Villarama said she remembers feeling joy as the crowd started singing the lyrics along with her. After the Night Market performance, her recognition as an artist and support from SDSU students and staff emerged, leading to more performance opportunities for her on campus. Dr. Virginia Loh-Hagan, the director for the Asian Pacific Islander Desi American Resource Center, is one of Villarama’s biggest supporters on campus. “It is important to amplify APIDA artists especially in this time of anti-Asian hate,” Dr. Loh-Hagan said. “Jalea has so much to share with the world. Through her music, she serves as a voice for APIDA joy. I’m so proud of her.” Villarama said her passion for music
Courtesy of Jalea Villarama’s Spotify
(Left) Single cover for Villarama’s newest single “Hung Up,” (Right) Single cover her 2020 single “Close.”
dates back to when she began singing at only three years old. She grew up in a musical household singing with her parents and grandparents who have always supported her as an artist. Some of Villarama’s most memorable childhood performances include opening for Vhong Navarro, a popular artist in the Philippines at six years old and winning best talent at a pageant for singing Frank Sinatra for an audience of over 300 people at seven years old. “It feels like home for me on stage and I feel like I can be whoever I want,” Villarama said. “If there’s a chance for me to perform, I’ll take it.” As she got older, she continued to perform in talent shows, singing competitions and choir performances at her high school. Villarama said her experience as a performer and the support she has received as a singer is why she is
the artist that she is today. In 2020, Villarama released her first song, “Close” ft. Y.S.A., which now has over 4,500 streams on Spotify. The music video for “Close” produced by the music production group, Collective Society, shows her natural-born ability as a performer. Villarama’s music has an R&B style with elements from pop music. However, she does not limit herself to this label as an R&B artist. Villarama explained that her main goal is to create music that not only sounds good but also expresses her artistry most authentically without limits. “I think Jalea makes music that is relatable and extremely vibey. I would describe her music as feel-good music,” said third-year speech-language pathology student, Giselle Sarmiento. Her latest song, “Hung Up” was released in September 2021 and has already
received more than 1,700 streams on Spotify. According to Villarama, releasing music on Spotify is one of her biggest accomplishments. Both “Close” and “Hung Up” follow the theme of love, a topic which Villarama says she enjoys singing about the most. “I’m kind of a hopeless romantic so I like to portray that side of me through music,” Villarama said. Villarama, who once used to record music in her parent’s bedroom, is now writing and recording songs in music studios, doing different collaborations with other artists, taking part in music videos, and accepting every opportunity that comes her way. She spends her time in music studios, specifically Villa Vibes Studios, exploring her creative vision and writing music with help from her father. Villarama’s favorite aspect of the music-making process is creating satisfying harmonies. Villarama said music will always be a part of her life, and her ideal artistic dream is to produce an album, go on tour, and watch as her fans sing along to her lyrics. More importantly, Villarama said she wants to stay true to herself as an artist and continue to make music for the joy of it. She hopes to impact lives in a positive way and bring people together with her music. “I just want people to know that it’s okay to follow your passions and follow your dreams,” Villarama said. “It’s your life and it’s up to you on how you want to live it.” Check out her Instagram @juhleeyuh and stream her two songs, “Close” and “Hung Up” on all platforms now.
Students show cinematic chops at Halloween festival By Flower Smith & Cristina Lombardo SENIOR STAFF WRITER ASST. ARTS & CULTURE EDITOR
San Diego State’s School of Theatre, Television and Film department held their sixth annual Howling Halloween Film Festival in Montezuma Hall on Oct. 29. Over 100 people attended in-person and on Zoom to watch short horror films written, directed and produced by SDSU theater, film and media students. The spooktacular film festival showcased student and alumni films from throughout the years, but the festival really highlighted the amount of creativity and drive it takes to create a quick spooky story. The night started with eerie music playing right before the films began. As it got closer to showtime, the music gained momentum and became more ominous. Rich Underwood, the festival curator and professor at SDSU, kicked off the event with a quick welcome and introduction to the night. He asked the audience to howl as a metaphorical way to signify they would be howling with laughter and fear while enjoying the short films. Underwood asked the audience to participate in selecting the crowd favorite of the night by ripping a piece of the program brochure to indicate their favorite choice as a way to make the night even more memorable for everyone involved. “It’s interesting to see these things (the brochures) of what students think
of what’s scary and what scares them,” Underwood said. In total, there were 13 short films played. Each film was between a minute to 11 minutes long. There were many different themes and stories told, ranging from spine-chilling films to quirky and lighthearted. Nonetheless, they were definitely crowd favorites. The short film “Pumpkin,” directed by Casey Nakamura, was one of the top three favorites of the night. It centered on a tiny pumpkin in a pumpkin patch wanting nothing more than to be a Jack-O-Lantern for Halloween. This four minute and 20 second film showcased a lot about this little pumpkin’s journey throughout the Halloween season. It sees its friends get taken and put back, and also experiences the death of his friend as a little girl stabs another pumpkin right in front of him. The pumpkin reacts and its facial expression changes as it is soon put to bed and thrown out by the people working the pumpkin patch. But the tiny Jack-O-Lantern survives and makes it to Christmas where it becomes a part of the Christmas spirit and decor on a beautiful Christmas tree. This sweet film was definitely the crowd favorite and won the audience choice of the night. Following “Pumpkin,” and the theme of the spooky season, the runner-up was the short film titled “Madre Sagrada.” This short film, directed by Maximiliano Garcia, was one of the longer films with a run time of eight minutes and 50 seconds. This Spanish short film was in black-
Photo by Cristina Lombardo The Howling Halloween Film Festival hosted a night of spooktacular films from students and alumni.
and-white and included English subtitles. “Madre Sagrada” focused on Mexican folklore. The film follows a young girl’s mother being burned at the stake for witchcraft as the young girl tries to find her way to escape the same fiery fate as her mother’s. Rhetoric and Writing Studies student Althea Millman attended the Friday night festival and shared some of her thoughts about the film. “I really liked ‘Madre Sagrada.’ The cultural aspect was what made it the most cinematic,” Millman said. Some other crowd favorites were “Hanging By A Thread” directed by Chloe Cerami and “I Might Die Here” directed
by Tayo Oyekan. C.J. Villegas is an English major at SDSU and is a friend of Millman’s who also attended the festival. “I liked ‘Shutter’ honestly. All spooky and fun, it was cool to go to this,” Villegas said. Each film had the audience at the edge of their seats in anticipation of what was to come from the next showing. The TFM department’s next film festival is going to be Valentine’s themed, so be sure to keep a lookout if you are interested in attending. For more information about the Theater, Television and Film department at SDSU and their upcoming events, check out ttf.sdsu.edu.
Nov. 3 - 9, 2021 EDITOR: Ryan Hardison • arts@thedailyaztec.com
Arts & Culture
The Daily Aztec
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‘Scisters Salon’ takes eco-friendly strides by Eugènie Budnik STAFF WRITER
When clients walk into Scisters Salon and Apothecary located on University Avenue in La Mesa, one might notice something unique about this salon. Products in glass and aluminum bottles, hair being collected for recycling, and bamboo combs and brushes adorn the shop. This is because Scisters Salon and Apothecary is San Diego County’s first zero waste salon. The salon was opened in 2010 by co-owners and founders Melissa Parker and Easton Bajsec after they were paired together in a business class. The project they were assigned to do was to draft a hypothetical business plan. Parker and Bajsec, both interested in opening salons one day, decided to draft a plan for a salon. “We did it as if we were realistically going to open a salon, just to get the most out of it. In doing this project, we looked at each other and realized that we could financially make this work. We ended up using that as our actual business plan,” Bajsec said. Despite their environmentally conscious efforts, Scisters Salon was not initially centered around sustainable beauty.
At its start, the salon was much like a traditional salon. However, as Parker and Bajsec started working in the industry, they realized how much plastic waste was being created through their business. “We had a real struggle of conscience in selling this major manufacturer’s product. We had like 150 skews of plastic bottles lining our shelves here,” Bajsec said. Parker and Bajsec set out to find a manufacturer who would sell them hair care products in bulk, to allow for refillable bottles to be sold directly to consumers in the salon. This proved challenging, as no manufacturer would budge on selling their products in bulk. So, Parker and Bajsec started to experiment with creating their own product. “We knew we wanted to do refillable items. So we looked for a place where we could find products in bulk so that we could have a sustainable refill program,” Parker said.“In trying to find something that was zero waste, and low toxins, as well as a product that works really well, we could not find anything. We decided we were going to make it ourselves.” After many months of testing out products on their own hair, Parker and Bajsec finally found products they were proud of and confident in selling to clients. But now, they had to define
Photo courtesy of Scisters Salon
From left to right: Melissa Parker, Katherine Olenski, Easton Basjec.
exactly what zero waste meant in their salon, as well as how they would practice it. “We define zero waste as doing what you can to not send anything to the landfill. We also try our hardest not to send anything to the recycling center. We are trying to make as circular an economy as possible,” Parker said. In order to accomplish this goal, Parker and Bajsec carry their products in strictly glass or aluminium containers at the salon. They also send waste items that cannot be reused such as disposable gloves or hair to the company Greencircle, which recycles the material in unique ways.
“Greencircle takes our hair and repurposes it. Just recently, they used hair to clean up the oil spill which happened off our coast a few weeks ago. It’s a pretty genius idea!” Parker said. Scisters Salon also strives to make sustainability an accessible, community affair. “Our hope is that we can be a resource to our industry, as well as all other industries and even individuals in their sustainability journey. Any effort is applaudable,” Parker said. Basjec expanded upon the fact that other salons across the country have reached out to their team about implementing more sustainable practices into their own salons. “Recently, we had a salon in Indiana reach out to us, saying ‘We love what you’re doing! What Products are you using?’ Hopefully, one day there will be a lot of salons doing this,” Bajsec said. Whether someone is just starting out in their journey of a sustainable lifestyle, or is a pro at living sustainably, everyone is welcome at Scisters Salon and Apothecary. “Our tagline has always been ‘Beautiful people. Beautiful community. Beautiful planet.’ “We always strive to live up to that line,” Bajsec said. Wanting to book an appointment at Scisters Salon? Visit their website.
Concert Roundup: Lord Huron are no ordinary cowboys By Ryan Hardison
surf guitar — portrayed this especially well. On these tracks in particular, Schneider is positioned as a frontier man who spins tales of remorse and despair. The night’s best songs undoubtedly came from “Long Lost,” with the overarching message of regret being extended the most throughout the concert. Schneider was inspired by the feel and stories of an old-timey studio the band began using to record this album, and decided to create a world rich with scenery and stories. This includes records like “Love Me Like You Used To, ” a track about begging for a chance at relationship redemption. There was also the title track “Long Lost,” the group’s biggest passion piece for nature and ode to struggling with one’s true purpose. It’s firmly evocative of the rural American landscape and the rockbottom feeling of hopelessness. In spite of the heavy subject matter, the show could be described as incredibly soothing. Matching with the laid back mood of most of the night’s festivities,
ARTS & CULTURE EDITOR
How do you know you’ve really lived until you die? To Lord Huron, there’s only one way to truly solve this ideological riddle: feel as much as you can, even the moments that haunt you. Elaborating on this theme, the Los Angeles-based indie folk quartet hosted a night of love, loss, regret and absolution at the Cal Coast Credit Union Open Air Amphitheater on Oct. 27. Lord Huron’s adventurous appeal translated to a truly stunning show packed with radiance and charisma while transitioning from resilient anthems to soft crooning. Pairing seamlessly with Lord Huron’s indie rock sound, the concert opened with Skyway Man, an eccentric personality with the same mannerisms and appearance of a quirky character who hangs on the outskirts of the Salton Sea. Despite his Bay Area origins, his music screamed New Mexico, with the same ominous tunes of the opening theme to “Breaking Bad.” For the main event, the stage was shone fully decorated with faded cardboard cutouts of cacti and rocky, desert landscape. A decorative tribute to the Old West or to “Woody’s Roundup” from “Toy Story 2.” With this style of saloon jukebox music, bolo ties and wool jackets would be the expected fashion on the menu. Instead, the band appeared as clean-cut, new age cowboys. Lead singer Ben Schneider jaunted around the stage waving his cowboy hat and flinging back his long, wavy hair. The wind flowing past his head created a shimmering, splendid figure, like a Jebediah Jesus. There is no better way to start a performance than by drawing attention to center stage with a spotlight, cultivating the entire crowd’s attention onto a single segment of space. For a solo under the lights, the band began with “The Moon Doesn’t Mind,” a goosebump-inducing appetizer, and the intro to the band’s most recent album “Long Lost” — a perfectlytailored concept album fit for a singing sidekick to a John Wayne action hero.
the crowd swayed from side-to-side matching the swiftness of the wind. For the more upbeat entries, people’s heads began hopping up and down, with bodies awkwardly flinging around like “Peanuts” characters. There were many light-hearted moments, including Schneider donning a Dia De Los Muertos-esque skeleton mask for a performance of “The World Ender,” and delivering jovial monologues after each batch of songs. Ultimately, the show’s climax was “I Lied” — a ballad that’s equal parts sorrowful and wistful about a married couple’s mutual failure to live up to their vows. It’s breezy production is evocative of how easy it is to drift in and out of love while feelings fade into the air. Soon after, the slow and contemplative “Where Did the Time Go” and an intimate performance of “The Night We Met” about a lifetime’s biggest regret, winded the proceedings down completely and left concertgoers to contemplate their own sorrow on the ride home.
Photo by Mariadelcarmen Zuniga
Lord Huron lead singer Ben Schnedier serenading the crowd with a performance of “Mine Forever.”
With full focus on Schneider, the song presented a haunting plea for peace where a disoriented soul begs for anybody to listen. It’s the group’s most ruggedly beautiful song, and should be four times longer than its bite-sized one minute runtime. Paired with a semi-circle crevice on the back wall of the stage, light began gradually rising up like the morning sun shining over the desert display. Throughout the night, the beauty of the music was extended by an extremely colorful light show matching the rhythm of the beat, especially on upbeat anthems like “Not Dead Yet.” There were lots of warm tones, with pink and yellow lights spinning around providing the most glow. Many of the band’s songs create a serene ambience referencing the glistening highlights of nature whilst reminiscing times of pure elation and scintillating regret. “Meet Me in the Woods” and it’s folksy companion piece “Meet Me in the City” — highlighted by a slow, twangy
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The Daily Aztec
Nov. 3 - 9, 2021 EDITOR: Ryan Hardison • arts@thedailyaztec.com
Community awakens at Night Market By Katarina Josifov STAFF WRITER
San Diego State University’s highly anticipated annual Night Market was back in-person at the Conrad Prebys Courtyard on Oct. 28. Hosted by Asian Pacific Student Alliances, One SDSU, and Asian Pacific Islander Desi American Resource Center for the eighth year, campus organizations set up shops selling cultural foods which were accompanied by lively student performances. Last year, the event was held virtually, showcasing cooking videos, acapella, and animated shorts from various AAPI organizations. The goal of the event, according to APSA’s website, is to serve as a “gateway for APSA to share the Asian and Pacific Islander cultures with the SDSU community.” With October being Filipino American history month, Night Market commemorated and celebrated Filipino heritage, culture, and achievements through delicious food and cheerful performances. Dr. Virginia Loh-Hagan, director of SDSU APIDA Center, said attendance this
Photo by Brittany Cruz-Fejeran
The APIDA Night Market contained multiple stalls with student organizations selling food and drinks.
year exceeded expectations with over 500 people dropping by to enjoy the exciting atmosphere. “We are highlighting and exemplifying Filipino talent,“ Loh-Hagan said. “It is so important to be able to celebrate APIDA talent, APIDA joy, and APIDA accomplishments especially at this time of anti-Asian hate.” While enjoying food such as spam musubi, rice balls, Thai tea, and vegetable lumpia from various Asian regions, students were entertained by numerous singers and dancers who graced the stage. Sara Rose Fausto, a third year integrated marketing communications major, blissfully performed “Good Days” by SZA. “This was my second performance on a stage in public,” Fausto said. “My favorite part is getting to meet new people. I think the goal of the event is to bring people together and learn about each other’s culture.” Another student, singer/songwriter Bryant Jordan who is a second year SDSU environmental sustainability major, performed his original track “Soulmate,” and a collaboration with South Bay Collective, “Make U Mine”’ in front of the delighted crowd. “It was a mix of nervousness and excitement,” Jordan said. “I have been manifesting this moment to be able to share whatever I need to share with the community. Being Filipino, there aren’t many holidays or times when we can really share our culture. The fact that we are able to make this community thing happen is big.” After another successful year, the Night Market at SDSU displayed a beautiful celebration of Asian culture thanks to AAPI organizations and students on campus. For future events, visit the APIDA Center’s page.
Photos by Brittany Cruz-Fejeran
(Top) Students from the Pacific Islander Student Association (PISA) performing a “haka,” (Bottom) Korean American Student Association (KASA) Ignite dance team performing their routine influenced by K-pop choreography.
Review: ‘Halloween Kills’ has no new tricks or treats to offer longtime fans
Review: Majid Jordan create retro love songs
By Sara Rott
By Trinity Bland
SENIOR STAFF WRITER
The “Halloween” franchise has been producing classic films since 1978, now with a total of 12 films produced. It’s only natural that it gives people all the spooky feelings. Laurie Strode (Jamie Lee Curtis) has been the star of the classic films for years. Her film debut was in the first original “Halloween” movie, playing a teenager hunted down by this killer. After playing in about three more sequels, Curtis asked to be killed off in “Halloween: Resurrection.” Then she revived her role in 2018, and it makes me wonder what changed her mind to debut in another revival of the film. *Spoiler warning for the last two recent Halloween movies* The ending of the previous 2018 movie concluded with Michael Myers locked in a flaming basement, which surely would’ve been the end of him. Well surprise folks! This turned out to be a total lie, because “Halloween Kills” picks up where the last movie ends. Laurie Strode, her daughter Karen (Judy Greer) and granddaughter Allyson (Andi Matichak) left masked monster Michael Myers caged and burning in Laurie’s basement thinking they’re watching Michael Meyers die. Laurie is taken to the hospital with the certainty that Michael is dead, and her
Courtesy of Peacock
Screenshot of “Halloween Kills” advertisement.
daughter Karen lets her believe it after Karen learns that the trap did not work. When Laurie did learn the truth, she was ready to get up and fight Michael even with a stab wound — who could blame her. The strange and gory deaths have you shy away from the screen, with eyes being popped out, people getting stabbed in the armpits and really bloody scenes that make your head turn. Not to mention the introduction of a mental patient that really wasn’t explained and only lives for about 15 minutes before falling to a gruesome death. The cringe horror stereotypes are plastered throughout the movie as well, like when a character locked the car doors after the car windows were smashed. The type of scenarios that leave you yelling at the screen. From the start of this movie, you are prone to think that this has to be the last “Halloween” film. Especially with the town coming together to take down the murderer and
classic characters from previous films coming back. The chant of “evil dies tonight” gets stuck in your head with this certainty that, “yes Meyers could not possibly survive this time around.” As Karen leads the mass murder out to the street and the crowd surrounds Meyers with bats and knives, this is the moment. Beaten to the ground, stabbed, kicked, punched and lying motionless on ground, could this be the moment that Michael Meyers dies? The classic line from “Avengers: Endgame” has to be going through everyone’s mind “Aim for the head” or the logic of zombies stabbing the brain or checking to see if he’s even alive. Wrong! Oh no, Michael picks himself off the ground and starts killing the people around him. Honestly, was anyone surprised? Yes, “Halloween” is a classic movie franchise with an immortal villain who is set on revenge and killing but how long are they going to milk this series? It’s starting to get old Hollywood, can we please let Mike Meyers go into the serial killer hall of fame and hang up his mask. Or at least come up with an adaptation that’s inspired by “Halloween” with a different twist to give another perspective. The last movie in the franchise, “Halloween Ends,” is scheduled for 2022 but who knows if that will really be the last time we see Michael Meyers.
MANAGING EDITOR
The 1980s have influenced pop music once again! Canadian R&B duo Majid Jordan — made up of singer Majid Al Maskati and producer Jordan Ullman — provided fans with their modern interpretation of radio pop music from the decade with the release of their latest album, “Wildest Dreams,” on Oct. 22. OVO Sound, the record label cofounded by Drake — who has a feature on the album in addition to Swae Lee and Diddy — produced this bass-heavy album that experiments with shimmering new sounds while introducing glossy nostalgic elements to create a hybrid of intricate R&B and pop production fused with decorated, pensive songwriting in “Wildest Dreams.” Ullman’s precise and meticulous engineering on this album leaves plenty of room for Al Maskati’s vocals to glisten with passionate expressiveness from start to end. It’s a main character project, revolving around a romantic interest who greatly surpasses their wildest dreams (“Wildest Dreams”), and the objective of the album is to share this escalating collection of deep feelings for this woman with her. A superstar at the very least, “she” can be described as a number of things. SEE ONLINE
Nov. 3 - 9, 2021 EDITOR: Noé Sandoval • mundoazteca@thedailyaztec.com
Mundo Azteca
The Daily Aztec /
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Las Aztecas del fútbol femenino empató 2-2 en el último partido de la temporada regular por Xiomara ESCRITORA
Villarreal-Gerardo
El equipo de fútbol femenino de la Universidad Estatal de San Diego (SDSU) empató 2-2 en el último partido de la temporada regular contra la Universidad de Nuevo México el jueves 28 de octubre. El SDSU Sports Deck retumbó toda la noche con la algarabía de los espectadores debido a que el partido se puso intenso. Las Aztecas anteriormente ya habían asegurado su asiento para el torneo llamado Mountain West Tournament ese mismo día. Sin embargo, con su buen trabajo de equipo y fuertes jugadas en el partido, lograron subir a tercer lugar en la liga con este empate. La noche comenzó muy especial honrando y celebrando a las jugadoras que están cursando su último año en SDSU. En la ceremonia de la noche de seniors, familia y amigos les llevaron flores y les tomaron fotos al igual que animaron el ambiente. Para el fin del primer tiempo de 45 minutos, las Lobas de Nuevo México iban dominando a las Aztecas 2-0 a pesar de que SDSU tenía más posesión del balón. El primer gol de Nuevo México fue un tiro de lejos y el segundo fue un tiro penal controversial que tuvo una reacción negativa de los fanáticos de SDSU. Sin embargo, las Aztecas regresaron de medio tiempo con más poder y seguridad. El entrenador Mike Friesen dijo que piensa que las Aztecas tuvieron muy bien controlado al primer tiempo aunque Nuevo México les iba ganando por dos goles. “Tuvimos muy buen control del juego, uno de los goles de Nuevo México fue tiro penal, el cual nosotros no estuvimos de acuerdo con eso, pero lo hicieron y lo marcaron”, dijo Friesen. “Pienso que debimos de haber metido tres o cuatro goles ya que hubo ocasiones bastante libres que perdimos”. En el minuto 53, la delantera senior Anna Toohey le tiró un fenomenal pase largo a Emma Gaines-Ramos, delantera sophomore, que iba corriendo rápido
Foto por Xiomara Villarreal-Gerarndo Las Aztecas de fútbol femenino se preparan para el partido contra Nuevo México en el SDSU Sports Deck, que resultó en un empate al los ultimos minutos.
rumbo a la portería de las Lobas. GainesRamos momentos después metió el primer gol para SDSU, cambiando la puntuación del partido a 2-1 y provocando que las gradas resonaran con gritos de emoción. Le quedaban tres minutos al partido y la puntuación seguía igual. Hasta que las Aztecas tuvieron la oportunidad de sacar un tiro de esquina. Fue la defensora junior Lauren Sanders quien preparó el tiro de esquina que la portera de Nuevo México bloqueó y causó que el balón se perdiera en el montón. La delantera senior Taylor Moorehead encontró el balón y vio la oportunidad de patear el balón entre las piernas de la portera de las Lobas causando un empate. Fue el primer gol de la temporada para Moorehead y dijo que está muy feliz que pudo ayudar al equipo con su gol. “Definitivamente fue abrumador
al principio porque tenía muchas emociones, pero en general estoy muy feliz”, dijo Moorehead. “Feliz de haber metido gol, feliz de haber podido ayudar al equipo a volver al juego y empatar el partido”. Al final de los 90 minutos, el partido estaba empatado 2-2. Así que los equipos se prepararon para seguirle en tiempo extra. Los dos tiempos extras de 10 minutos fueron intensos ya que los dos equipos intentaron tirar varios goles. Sin embargo, ningún equipo alcanzó a meter gol en el tiempo dado. Las Aztecas hicieron cuatro intentos más de goles que Nuevo México en todo el partido y sin duda fueron el equipo más fuerte en el campo. Friesen djo que está muy orgulloso del trabajo duro que dieron después del medio tiempo.
La delantera Denise Castro está en su primer año con SDSU y también juega para el equipo mexicano de la U-20 con el cual viaja internacionalmente. Castro dijo que le va bastante bien en la selección mexicana. “Me va muy bien en el equipo de Mexico, hace una semana acabo de venir de un campamento de allá y pues me ha estado haciendo bien”, dijo Castro. “Todos los días trato de hacer lo mejor de mi para poder seguir yendo a la selección”. Castro también dijo que está feliz que Moorehead metió el gol que necesitaba el equipo para empatar el juego y se siente muy motivada entrando al torneo “Me hizo muy feliz ver a una de mis compañeras conseguir el gol que necesitábamos”, dijo Castro. “Siempre deseo lo mejor para todas mis compañeras del equipo y me motiva como jugadora”.
Seminario antropológico virtual informa sobre los
métodos para encontrar desaparecidos en Guatemala por Lucelis Martinez ESCRTIORA PRINCIPAL
Gráfico por OpenClipart Guatemala ha tenido un gran número de desparecidos en el país y el seminario explica la razón porque es importante de saber del asunto.
La Doctora Arion Mayes es una profesora en la Universidad Estatal de San Diego (SDSU), quien promocionó un seminario en la Internet titulado “Caminos para ayudar en la búsqueda e identificación de los que han desaparecido”, para conmemorar 24 años de arduo trabajo de la Fundacion de Antropologia Forense de Guatemala (FAFG). Mayes compartió información sobre el evento a sus estudiantes de antropología forense. El seminario tomó lugar el 26 de octubre. Algunos de los invitados incluyeron: Rosalina Tuyuc, Marta Macz y Fredy Peccerelli. Peccerelli es un antropólogo forense y el director ejecutivo en la Fundación de Antropología Forense de Guatemala (FAFG). “Pensemos en que Guatemala está en medio de un conflicto armado el cual dejó 200,000 víctimas, 160,000 de esas personas muertas en masacres y 40,000 de esas personas desaparecidas”, dijo Peccerelli. Peccerelli quiso que la audiencia
recordará que cuando él dice desaparecidos, habla de las personas que fueron tomadas por las fuerzas de seguridad de Guatemala para después ser matados, sus cuerpos escondidos durante la Guerra Civil de Guatemala. “La fundación [FAFG] surge en ese espacio, donde mujeres como Rosalina Tuyuc,como doña Marta buscando sus familiares, buscaron un apoyo, ayuda”, Peccerelli dijo, “Alguien que supiera buscar y en que confiaran. Entonces invitaron al Dr. Clyde Snow”. Peccerelli comentó en la relación que tenía con Snow, fue su mentor y amigo cercano. “Me enseñó tal vez lo más importante”, dijo Peccerelli, “Que el trabajo que nosotros hacemos es en función de respeto a las familias. Es en función de dar respuestas a esas familias”. Snow es reconocido como un antropólogo forense, inclusive se le ha mencionado como detective legendario, de acuerdo a un artículo. El mismo artículo menciona que Snow identificó a John F. Kennedy, el criminal Nazi Josef Mengle, y “desaparecidos” en Argentina, entre otras personas. Testifico CONTINUACIÓN EN EL BACK PAGE
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The Daily Aztec
Seminário Antropológico continuación desde página 7 contra Sadam Hussein e inspiro un movimiento centrado en usar la antropologia forense para ayudar con casos de genocidio en Kosovo, Bosnia, Rwanda, Chile, etc. Macz también formó parte del seminario. Macz es una líder comunitaria Maya Q’eqchi, quien fundó el Consejo de Mujeres Maya, Región Norteña, Cobán. De acuerdo con la página oficial del FAFG, debido a su involucración con varias organizaciones ella fue la primera mujer y primera mujer indigena candidata para ser la alcaldesa de Cobán. El secuestro de su hermano inspiró a Macz a involucrarse originalmente. “Trabajaba en cooperativas, ese fue su pecado”,dijo Macz, entre notas de emoción, “Las cooperativas dejaron de existir y mucha gente que trabajaba en las cooperativas también desaparecieron”. La búsqueda para encontrar a su hermano la llevó a hospitales,a la prensa y a tocar puertas en zonas militares en diferentes lugares. Su hermano fue secuestrado por la G-2,quienes son miembros de la inteligencia militar del ejército de Guatemala. “La desaparición forzada que sufrió mi hermano es una táctica que utilizó el ejército para crear el miedo, el terror, la incertidumbre y el dolor en las familias”, Macz dijo. No supieron qué le podía haber pasado a su hermano por 29 años. Macz conoció a muchas mujeres “valientes” quienes habían perdido a personas también y se unieron para encontrar a sus familiares. “En esta organización nos centramos primero en la atención psicológica que todas necesitamos”, Macz dijo. Macz dijo que muchas de ellas perdieron sus tierras y estaban deambulando de un lugar a otro porque no tenían donde estar. En febrero 2012, después de muchos esfuerzos por los antropólogos forenses quienes participaron en las búsquedas con Macz y su grupo de mujeres, se les concedió buscar en grandes fosas usadas para enterrar a los desaparecidos cerca del centro militar. “Mi hermano estaba boca abajo con una soga de una camisa militar al cuello”, dijo Macz. En 2015, 5-G le entregó el cuerpo,el cual ella enterró cumpliendo una promesa que le había hecho a sus padres,antes de que fallecieron. Macz no contó con la presencia de muchas personas en el servicio funerario de su hermano, por el miedo que los militares instalaron. Para su sorpresa, llegaron por lo menos doscientas personas. “Ahora que llega el primero de Noviembre, tenemos donde poner flores”, dijo Macz. El trabajo continua, para Macz y para Tuyuc quien también compartió en el informatorio. Tuyuc es una activista de los derechos humanos Maya y recibió el Premio de la Paz Niwano en el 2012, de acuerdo con un informe. En 1988, Tuyuc ayudó a fundar la Coordinadora Nacional de Viudas de Guatemala (CONAVIGUA). “Al tener todo esta etapa de solidaridad entre nosotras inició entonces la denuncia sobre los abusos sexuales contra las mujeres, los abusos contra las familias que tienen personas detenidas/ desaparecidas”, dijo Tuyuc. “Tenemos derecho a buscar a las familias, tenemos derecho a hablar, tenemos derecho a existir, a exigir justicia y derecho también a vencer ese miedo que dejo toda la etapa a los más de 36 años de militarización”.
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Nov. 3 - 9, 2021 Editor: Noé Sandoval • mundoazteca@thedailyaztec.com
Dia De Los Muertos en SDSU La univeridad conmemora la tradicion de honrar a sus seres queridos fallecidos.
Foto por Noé Sandoval El altar en la biblioteca fue criada por estudiantes y facultad de la universidad, conmemorando las vidas perdidas durante la pandemia y el altar estará disponible todo el mes.
Foto por Noé Sandoval
Foto por Noé Sandoval
Los invitados de la recpción comparten comida y conversaciones en Scripps Cottage en la universidad.
Esta corona esta decorada con calaveras que representan las vidas de seres queridos fallecidos.
por Maritza Camacho y Noé Sandoval
Graduate Life and Diversity organizaron una recepción para la celebración con comidas y juegos en Scripps Cottage de la universidad. Rosalia Arellano es profesora del departamento de terapia física y ella asistió el evento con mucha alegria. “Estamos felices de poder tener el permiso y organizar esta fiestecita para nuestro evento anual” dijo Arellano. “Este evento ha sido una forma para reunir a la comunidad en celebrar la tradición de conmemorar nuestros seres queridos fallecidos” La celebración estuvo llena de estudiantes y facultad juntándose y compartiendo conversaciones y comida en la mesa. Sirvieron tacos y otros platillos típicos mexicanos ofrecida por Taquizas José. Tatianna Guillen es una estudiante de biologia marina en la universidad y ella estuve en la recepción con sus amigas. “Yo y mis amigas que vinieron somos hispanas y Dia De Los Muertos forma una gran parte de nuestra cultura” dijo Guillen.”Esta celebración no es triste al contrario debe de ser feliz porque aun estamos celebrando las vidas de nuestros seres queridos y no de la muerte”.
CONTRIBUIDORA Y EDITOR DE MUNDO AZTECA
Después de casi dos anos en estar virtual en la universidad debido a la pandemia, el Centro de Recursos Latinos en la Universidad Estatal de San Diego organizó eventos para conmemorar el Dia de Los Muertos para la comunidad universitaria. Festejaron todo el dia el 1 de noviembre Este evento anual honra la tradición de conmemorar las vidas de nuestros difuntos. Esta tradición es prevalente en América Latina. Aqui en SDSU, el LRC crió un altar con fotos y recuerdos de los queridos fallecidos de la comunidad. Al medio dia, el LRC tuvo una ceremonia para celebrar el trabajo de La Dra. Norma Iglesias-Prieto y el Departamento de Estudios Chicana / o en la creación de un altar comunitario este año y continuar esta importante tradición. La Dra. Prieto-Iglesias comenzó la creación de altares elaborados y la tradición del Día de Muertos en SDSU hace dieciocho años en colaboración con estudiantes de CCS.
“La razón por esta celebración representa las comunidades que fueron más impactadas por la pandemia” dijo Iglesias-Prieto. “Trabajadoras migrantes indocumentadas y trabajadores esenciales han sido desproporcionadamente impactados por COVID-19”. El tema de este año es “En Amor y Honor: Honrando a los seres queridos que hemos perdido por la pandemia de COVID19 y más allá”. Los últimos 18 meses han tenido un impacto específico en nuestras comunidades. Han habido familiares y amigos a causa de COVID19 o conocemos a alguien que se vio afectado directamente. Ha habido mucha pérdida, pena y dolor; el centro invitó para estar en comunidad para elevar y honrar colectivamente a nuestros seres queridos a través del recuerdo colectivo, recordando sus recuerdos y legados. La ceremonia duró una hora finalizando con una rendición de la canción folclórica, “La Llorona” cantada por una invitada, Coral. Al atardecer, El Grupo de Recursos para Empleados Hispanos de Latinx Chicanx (LCH FSA ERG) y Office for
