WEEKLY PRINT EDITION
TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 10 – TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 17, 2015 VOLUME 102, ISSUE 14
SAN DIEGO STATE UNIVERSITY’S INDEPENDENT STUDENT NEWS SOURCE SINCE 1913
W W W . T H E D A I LYA Z T E C . C O M
NEWS
Next construction project begins P3
This year’s SDSU Homecoming Court candidates were allowed to apply using gender-neutral pronouns and the winners will not be refered to as king or queen. MEGAN WOOD, PHOTO EDITOR
#HOMECOMING2015
From Greece to Montezuma Mesa P5
OPINION
Where’s the crowd for SDSU football? P11
ARTS & LIFESTYLE
Student is a biker’s best friend P13 The Daily Aztec publishes its printed weekly edition on Wednesdays and serves the students, faculty and community of San Diego State University.
No king for homecoming MARIA DEL CARMEN HUERTA STAFF WRITER ____________________________ San Diego State will not recognize a homecoming king or queen this year. Instead, the honorees will be referred to as “royals,” a gender-neutral term. During the application process, candidates were allowed to select gender-neutral pronouns to identify themselves. These gender-inclusive pronouns aim to dispel the common gender binary of categorizing people as solely masculine or feminine. “I think homecoming is a great setting to have meaningful conversations and understanding about gender equality and ensure events on campus are welcoming and inclusive for all students,” said Christy Nierva Quiogue, director of the Center for Intercultural Relations. Nierva Quiogue said SDSU takes pride in creating a welcoming and educational environment that provides learning opportunities to increase students’ awareness of campus diversity and inclusion. SDSU has provided resources
SNEAKPEEK
SPORTS
to inform, educate and empower its students to embrace diversity and inclusion with events such as the One SDSU Community Receptions. This event brings together people from different communities to discuss the similarities that allow them to find common ground. Nierva Quiogue said the change in homecoming’s protocol is another example of raising awareness while also recognizing Aztecs’
system and so really recognizing that in a public way is really important and exciting.” Nare said the gender-neutral option is another step toward creating safe and brave spaces on campus where everyone will feel welcome. This progressive shift can be seen on other campuses across the nation, including Harvard University and University of Vermont, where gender-neutral pronouns are offered in the general admission process.
“ THE REALITY IS WE DON’T LIVE IN A GENDER-BINARY SYSTEM ... ”
- Jessica Nare, Women’s Resource Center Coordinator
achievements. Gender neutrality in the homecoming application is a step in the right direction, SDSU Women’s Resource Center Coordinator Jessica Nare said. “We are lucky to be on a campus that is really diverse, and so I think having systems in place that reflect the students on campus is a really positive thing,” Nare said. “The reality is we don’t live in a gender-binary
Out of all the submitted Homecoming Court applications, only 10 students were selected as part of the 2015 Homecoming Court. Each honoree was chosen by a committee of SDSU faculty, including Assistant Dean of Student Affairs Patricia LozadaSantone and Dean of Students Randy Timm. At this year’s Homecoming Court announcement party,
finalists were announced while the SDSU Marching Aztecs and Color Guard performed at the Conrad Prebys Aztec Student Union. The 2015 Homecoming Court honorees are advertising major Andrea Byrd, political science major Brenna Culliton, kinesiology major Brian Levett, interdisciplinary studies major Dezmon Monroe Robinson, finance major Emmanuel Uwakwe, health science major Jennifer Reyes, English and psychology major Angela Risi, English and speech, language and hearing sciences major Samantha Olivas, psychology major Keaujahn’e Polk and psychology major Shaan McGhie. “It feels amazing just to have so many supporters and to be able to represent the student body as a leader,” Reyes said. The 2015 homecoming game, themed the “San Diego State of Mind,” takes place on Nov. 14. at Qualcomm Stadium, where the Aztec football team will play the University of Wyoming Cowbows. The game is free for students who get a ticket in advance and show their Red ID at the stadium.
P14 Aztec Sweat workouts focus on process, not results
ROBERT PLANT, STAFF PHOTOGRPAHER
2 NEWS
NOV. 10 - 17, 2015 • THE DAILY AZTEC EDITOR: QUINN OWEN • NEWS@THEDAILYAZTEC.COM
#COLLEGEAREA
Off-campus housing laws tighten
“Mini-dorms” can lower the property value of residential homes in the area. TORREY BAILEY, ASST. NEWS EDITOR
ADRIANA MILLAR SENIOR STAFF WRITER ____________________________ In an effort to crack down on “mini-dorms” San Diego revised its definition of a rooming house in September. Mini-dorms, or houses that are rented to multiple tenants, have long been an issue in College Area. In 2008, the city launched a rooming house ordinance and a residential high occupancy ordinance to limit the
increasing amount of minidorms. Previously, conflicting definitions of a rooming house made laws difficult to enforce. Since it was changed on Sept. 16, the new rooming house is defined as, “A dwelling unit where three or more rooms, excluding kitchens and bathrooms, are rented to three or more individuals under three or more separate rental agreements or leases.” The rooming house
ordinance also includes stipulations of noise violation fines up to $1,000 per resident of a rooming house. The residential high occupancy ordinance requires owners to get a permit for single dwelling units inhabited by six or more persons 18 years of age. The permit also requires the owner to provide adequate parking. Mini-dorms are controversial because some owners rent out residential homes to as many as a dozen students. This causes problems in residential areas, finance lecturer Mark Goldman said. “You have, let’s say, a three-bedroom house with six people living in it, and each one of them has a car, and a lot of times younger people who are occupying space may tend to be a little more partyoriented than, say, an ordinary family,” Goldman said. “They do have the opportunity to destabilize a residential neighborhood.” International Security and Conflict Resolution senior Matt Weed lives in a minidorm in College Area. “People living in the College Area should probably
understand that they’re living in a college area, so people are going to be having parties,” he said. Mini-dorms can also lower the property value of residential homes in the area. “A lot of the times rentals, especially rentals to students, are not maintained as well as an owner occupant might, so that may cause some deterioration (to property value),” Goldman said Mini-dorms are particularly popular in the San Diego State area. There are 813 mini-dorms in College Area, according to The San Diego Union-Tribune, with 135 constructed in the last three years. Safety of the house, poor management and relationships with other renters are some of the problems for students living in mini-dorms, said Xudong An, a finance and real estate professor. “(It’s) better to stay in university dorms or managed apartments, but affordability is an issue,” An said. Mini-dorms are often the cheapest housing available in the College Area, with a single room usually costing around $500 to $600. Other student
apartments in the area cost between $900 and $1,200 for a single bedroom. Weed pays $500 a month for a single bedroom in an offcampus house with several other roommates. The rent is about $400 cheaper than his first apartment, he said. “You’re paying less for more,” he said. On-campus housing is limited to mostly freshmen, and rates include a required meal plan for those first-year students. With the cheapest meal plan option, students pay about $1,500 a month to live in a residence hall. An upperdivision apartment single for nine months costs about $1,075 per month. Goldman believes there must be a trade off between maintaining and protecting property value, but also having reasonably priced housing opportunities for students “At the end of the day, if the demand for student rental housing is so much greater than the demand for owneroccupied or family housing, for lack of a better comparative term, the market is going to sway that way,” he said.
NEWS 3
NOV. 10 - 17, 2015 • THE DAILY AZTEC EDITOR: QUINN OWEN • NEWS@THEDAILYAZTEC.COM
#SDSUPD
Police evaluate after Yik Yak threat JASMINE BERMUDEZ STAFF WRITER ____________________________ Following an anonymous threat to Fresno State on Yik Yak on Nov. 2, the San Diego State Police Department assessed how it would handle a similar situation. The anonymous Yik Yak user, later identified as a walk-on freshman on Fresno State’s football team, wrote: “the time is here. @3PM I will release my frustrations. Tired of dirty looks, get rejected, nd being talked abt bc how I dress. My choice of weapon M4 Carbine and I will take a headshot at a hot blonde” SDSU Police Department Sergeant Steven Harshaw said although SDSUPD tries to monitor social media as much as it can, there is a limit. “We would like to monitor social media more fervently but we, nor any other agency, do not have the staffing to monitor as heavily as we would like,” he said. Police rely on students, faculty, staff and the
community to report suspicious activity to them. If people notice someone who is exhibiting signs of frustration or psychological issues, it should be reported, Harshaw said. One of the issues with modern communication technology is the false assumption that people are not held accountable when communicating on social media, Harshaw said. “We treat threats on social media as real threats,” he said. “We cannot afford to not take it seriously.” Rachael Record, assistant professor of communication, said social media users do not have a limit as far as what messages they communicate using social media. “When we think we are anonymous, it affects our behavior,” Record said. “We say things we would not otherwise say if our name or faces were attached to it.” She said users choose social media platforms based on the message they want to communicate, and some people are willing to say anything.
SDSU kinesiology student Saidee Espinoza said the Fresno State student probably posted the threat on Yik Yak because he thought no one would find out he was the one posting the threats unless he told them. “What I do not understand is what pushes a person to get the point of thinking that making a death threat is OK,” Espinoza said. “There are resources that students can access on campus for help. Why didn’t he reach out to them?” Harshaw said any threat reported to the police is taken seriously and followed up on as much as possible. In addition, SDSUPD prepares for future threats to avert any danger before it occurs, Harshaw said. “Law enforcement is always under the gun trying to answer the question of what they are doing to prevent danger from occurring,” he said. “The SDSUPD provides resources for anyone who would like to attend trainings to better prepare themselves on how to operate in dangerous situations.”
A threatening message was posted to the anonymous social networking site Yik Yak. PHOTO FROM YIK YAK
Police try to educate the community and students by giving them the tools needed to empower them, Harshaw said.
To report suspicious activity anonymously, contact the SDSU Police Crime Stoppers hotline at 619-235-8477.
#SDSUCONSTRUCTION
Science building construction kicks off
The Engineering and Interdisciplinary Sciences Complex groundbreaking ceremony kicked off the construction process. CALVIN EMBLETON, STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER
JACOB SISNEROS SENIOR STAFF WRITER ____________________________
Construction officially began for the Engineering and Interdisciplinary Sciences Complex at San Diego State on Friday, Nov. 6. Nearly 250 people, including donors, government officials and construction partners, attended a groundbreaking ceremony to celebrate the event. The five-story complex is the latest of SDSU construction projects and is scheduled for completion in January 2018. The 85,000 square foot EIS complex will connect the physics, physical sciences and engineering buildings
and will feature 17 research facilities for principal investigators. Each lab will have a faculty researcher from more than one college to encourage collaboration between disciplines. “This is important because there are really important problems in the world that you can’t solve from engineering alone or science alone,” Dean of Sciences Stanley Maloy said. “It’s this collision between the disciplines that will allow us to attack problems we couldn’t attack otherwise.” The Zahn and Lavin Entrepreneurship Centers
will move to the EIS complex under the name Zahn Innovation Platform as part of the William E. Leonhard Entrepreneurship Center. This is an effort to combine scientific and engineering talents with entrepreneurship. Maloy said entrepreneurship plays a key role because without it the products scientists and engineers develop wouldn’t reach the general public and wouldn’t have much of an impact on people’s lives. Dean of Engineering Morteza Mehrabadi said the complex is the engine that will boost SDSU into the top 50 of public research universities.
“To get to where we want to be, we need to attract the best and brightest graduate students, undergraduate students and also outstanding, very qualified faculty and the EIS complex will definitely help us do that,” Mehrabadi said. He said a team of faculty, deans and students met nearly every week to discuss what kind of facilities should be built in the complex. The new facilities will double the amount of instructional space available for engineering and include a Viromics Institute, Smart Health Institute and an imaging laboratory for brain research. Maloy said he is most excited about the shared spaces such as the coffee station, U-shaped quad and whiteboards in the hallways that will all promote collaboration and interaction. The EIS complex will be a LEED-certified building, meeting the same standards as the Conrad Prebys Aztec Student Union, South Campus Plaza and the recently renovated Zura Hall. The renovation of Zura Hall began May 19, 2014 and was completed Aug. 20 of this year, which Associate Vice President of Real Estate, Development and Planning Robert Schulz said was a quick completion for a project of its size.
“(Zura) was a brilliant success,” he said. “I wouldn’t call it normal at all. It was an awful lot of work done awfully quickly, and the team did a fabulous job.” Schulz said a collaborative design build method was used to complete the project in time, meaning they selected the architect and the builder as a design build team so the builder was involved in the design process. South Campus Plaza and the EIS complex are both collaborative design contracts. Schedule incentives were also used to ensure Zura was completed in time for move-in day, and Schulz said his department looked at the track records of the construction companies up for consideration when choosing who would get the job for the Zura renovation. “The trouble with student housing is if you’re late by a month you might as well be late by a year,” he said. Schulz said his department spends a lot of time looking at long-term enrollment projections and tries to plan for housing needs 10 years ahead. Students and faculty can track the progress of the South Campus Plaza and EIS complex construction via a live camera that is always streaming on the SDSU website.
4 NEWS
NOV. 10 - 17, 2015 • THE DAILY AZTEC EDITOR: QUINN OWEN • NEWS@THEDAILYAZTEC.COM
Who’sWho?
#SDSUCONSTRUCTION
Ceremony honors new Zura EMELY NAVARRO SENIOR STAFF WRITER ____________________________ A dedication ceremony celebrating the transformation of Zura Residence Hall will be held from 2-4 p.m. on Friday, Nov. 13. Last year, Zura underwent its first complete renovation since the dorm was built in 1968. The university decided to renovate the building after a facility condition assessment in 2012 identified significant maintenance issues. Following the analysis, housing administration conducted its own internal review of all on-campus student residential facilities, Housing Administration Director Eric Hansen said. Staff and students from the Facilities Planning, Design and Construction Division, Housing Facilities Services, Residential Education, and Housing Administration helped with the review. After evaluating the results of the internal review and the facility condition analysis, SDSU concluded Zura needed the most renovation out of all residential halls. “We like feel making the investment in our facilities assets will allow us to support the academic goals of the students, as well as meet our goals to operate increasingly sustainable buildings,” Hansen said. The building was designed and built by Balfour Beatty Construction, HMC Architects
and Mahlum Architects alongside SDSU representatives. The designers opted for a surf theme after asking students for input and seeing how many people brought surf gear into the residence halls. This led to collaboration with Jess Ponting and Carl Kish from the Center for Surf Research and the establishment of the new Adventures in Surfing and Sustainability residential learning community, which teaches students about environmental topics through a series of guest speakers, film screenings and various field trips. Once the hall was completed and opened for use, some students said the residence hall was too extravagant in comparison to the other ones at SDSU. Hansen said the hall looks this way because Housing Administration feels it is their responsibility to provide an environment that helps the residents thrive personally, socially and academically. ZURA’S NEW FEATURES: • Gender-neutral restrooms on each wing of every floor • Elevators that stop on every floor, instead of every other floor like before • Resident rooms for students in wheelchairs • More study and community space • Sixth floor observation deck
NEWS EDITOR Quinn Owen
SPORTS EDITOR Patrick Carr ASST. SPORTS EDITOR Ryan Posner ASST. OPINION EDITOR Joseph Ciolino ARTS & LIFESTYLE EDITOR Olivia Litsey ASST. ARTS & LIFESTYLE EDITOR Ryo Miyauchi PHOTO EDITOR Megan Wood DIGITAL CONTENT EDITOR Annalise Dewhurst VIDEO PRODUCER Daniel Galuppo Zura Hall opened at the begining of the fall semester after one year of construction. MEGAN WOOD, PHOTO EDITOR
“(The sixth floor) used to be a roof area that was not a safe place for students to gather,” Director of Residential Education Kara Bauer said. “The observation deck was intentionally created for students to enjoy.” There are 17 residential advisers, nine academic mentors and 673 students currently living in Zura. The building is also home to three learning communities: the Weber Honors Residential College, the Pride Community and Adventures in Surfing and Sustainability. Zura Resident Adviser Michael Gonzalez has been an RA for three years and was previously an RA in the Olmeca Residence
Hall. He said he notices students pride themselves for living in Zura, but also realize the privilege they have. “I love living in Zura,” said Tracy Bennett, a resident of the hall. “I think it is a very open and friendly environment. It’s super nice, but it still has the vibe of a dorm.” Gonzalez also said he notices many more students come to Zura to study because of the building’s open layout and study areas. For the hall dedication, the entire Zura staff will help give tours of the building and talk to guests about the changes and how beneficial they are to students.
PRODUCTION DESIGNERS Kaylee Andrews Hannah Lingle-Veale VOLUNTEER WRITERS Jimmy Janszen A.G. Priest Emely Navarro Jacob Sisneros Jasmine Bermudez Adriana Millar Sydney Olmstead Ken Priest Kris Keehl Joe Gilmore Christine Whitman Sarah Tanori Denise Chang Liliana Cervantes VOLUNTEER PHOTOGRAPHERS Calvin Embleton Kristian Carreon Katelyn Mulachy Sarah Smith Cristian Rangel VOLUNTEER CARTOONIST Annan Gaggi _____________________________ ADVERTISING DIRECTOR Radbeh Ravaz SALES MANAGER AJ Swamy
SDSU Police unveils safety app
San Diego State Police is releasing a new app to improve campus safety. MEGAN WOOD, PHOTO EDITOR.
The San Diego State Police Department will soon release a new mobile app to improve safety on campus and enhance communication between students and campus police. The app, called Aztec Shield, doesn’t have a set release date. But a trial version is currently available for download on iPhone and Android devices. The app will feature a crime map, GPS location of campus
MANAGING EDITOR Matthew Bain
ASST. NEWS EDITOR Torrey Bailey
#CAMPUSSAFETY
JACOB SISNEROS SENIOR STAFF WRITER ____________________________
EDITOR IN CHIEF Kelly Hillock
security escort services and the ability to send a picture or video to the campus police to report a crime or suspicious activity. SDSU Police Capt. Joshua Mays said the idea for the app came about when the department realized students don’t read emails often and don’t report crime because they don’t want to make a false report or get involved. He said he believes the option to report crimes anonymously will help this problem. When a user of the app sends a photo or video, it
will pop up on an SDSUPD dispatcher’s screen and populate some of the areas that provide useful information for the officer responding to the scene. The app also has a feature called Friend Watch, which will text the user’s location to a customizable list of emergency contacts so the contacts can monitor the user’s well-being. The user sets the activity he or she is doing, such as walking to class or jogging, and sets the amount of time it will take to complete, and if he or she doesn’t check in within the allotted time, an alert will be sent to the contacts on his or her emergency contact list. Users also have the ability to request a security escort from the app. The shuttles are GPSenabled so the user can track when the one will pick him or her up. “People don’t like waiting outside in the dark for the shuttle,” Mays said. “Now they will know when to step outside for the escort.” There is a panic button at the top of the screen when
the app is open, and when pressed, it will contact the closest emergency response number. Mays said the app isn’t just restricted to use on the SDSU campus and the mobile panic button will work wherever the user is. The app, developed by 911 Cellular, was funded by the university, money from the SDSUPD’s budget and an anonymous donation from a parent of an SDSU student. Hospitality junior Becky Baxter said she thinks students will use the app because it’s easy to access and users don’t have to memorize the emergency contact number. “I think people will feel safer knowing (the app) is there,” she said. Seventh-year senior Melvin Namo said he will download and use the app because taking a picture and sending it in is a lot easier than calling to submit a tip. The app will also include a reference guide for what students and faculty should do in various disaster situations, such as a fire, earthquake, power outage or an active shooter on campus.
ACCOUNT EXECUTIVES Alexis Evans-Bendel Alex Gamboa Christopher Garcia Kamisha McKnight Keon Siavoshani Kelsey Silver Camilla Vesterløkke Matthew Volk John Weil ACCOUNTING & CONTRACTS Alfonso Barajas Kalie Christensen _____________________________ GENERAL MANAGER Jay Harn GRAPHICS SPECIALIST Chris Blakemore _____________________________ ADVERTISING 619.594.6977 advertising@thedailyaztec.com EDITORIAL 619.594.4190 editor@thedailyaztec.com PRINT The Daily Aztec publishes 5,000 copies of its weekly print edition on Wednesdays. WEB Daily content is available at www.thedailyaztec.com MOBILE The Aztec App (available for iPhone and Android)
SOCIAL MEDIA facebook.com/dailyaztec twitter.com/thedailyaztec instagram.com/thedailyaztec _____________________________ Weekly in print, daily online. The Daily Aztec has been San Diego State University’s independent student news source since 1913.
NOV. 10 - 17, 2015 • THE DAILY AZTEC EDITOR: PATRICK CARR • SPORTS@THEDAILYAZTEC.COM
SPORTS 5
#AZTECVOLLEYBALL
From Greece, Psoma leads team new and different, so the girls are starting a new culture.” Life in America has been different from what Psoma is used to at home. One of her biggest challenges has been adapting to her academic environment. With time to adjust, she has been enjoying her time here on the other side of the Atlantic.
has been fun. I think there was an adjustment phase when she first got here, but we’ve seen her play some really great games.” Psoma looks forward to returning to Greece over the winter break and also in the summer to play on the Greek national team again. To an outsider, her hectic schedule of nonstop volleyball may seem excessive or overwhelming.
“IT’S ALWAYS INTERESTING TO BRING IN SOMEBODY NEW AND DIFFERENT, SO THE GIRLS ARE STARTING A NEW CULTURE.” - Deitre Collins-Parker, Volleyball head coach “The food is different and the area is much smaller than America,” she said. “Everything is big here, like the cars are bigger, the roads are bigger. It’s hard, with the language and everything, trying to understand class. And keeping up with class when we are traveling with the team is tough. I miss Greece, but I like it here.” While she’s adjusting to life in the U.S., her knowledge of the game has carried over immediately. “Her volleyball IQ is very strong,” Collins-Parker said. “Just seeing her settle in to being the volleyball player that we knew she was capable of being
San Diego State volleyball freshman outside hitter Alexandra Psoma (right) has 169 kills on the season. KATELYN MULACHY, STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER
SYDNEY OLMSTEAD STAFF WRITER ____________________________ Alexandra Psoma rises on the day that will mark the beginning of a new journey and boards the plane that will take her across the Atlantic Ocean. This 16-hour flight goes from Greece to San Diego State, where she has chosen to attend college. A vast array of emotions flows through her as she steps foot into her new home: happiness and excitement with a tinge of homesickness and anxiety. Psoma is a freshman on the SDSU volleyball team. Her hometown is Athens, Greece, where she was a member of the Greek national team at both the junior and senior levels. As a member of the Greek national youth team, she competed at the European Youth Championships in 2013 in Montenegro and placed fifth. The team also qualified for the Fédération Internationale de Volleyball (FIVB) Youth World Championships in Thailand in July 2013. Psoma also played at the U19 European Championships in Estonia in August 2014 where her team placed fourth. And all of this done before the age of
18. On the SDSU volleyball team, Psoma’s teammates, coaches and trainers have grown to become a second family to her. “I love all the girls and they are really helping me here,” she said. “Anything I need, I can ask coach or any girl on the team and they help me every time.” SDSU head coach Deitre CollinsParker was impressed with her when she first saw her in action. She was put into contact with Psoma through an unexpected acquaintance. “I had put my feelers out for a Greek player because I had gone to recruit at the European Youth National Championships,” she said. “Actually a teammate of hers was an American that had played in our conference, so she emailed me and a few other schools Alex was interested in and asked if we would be interested. And I had seen her play so of course I was very interested.” Psoma is third on the team with 169 kills and she averages 2.45 kills per set, which is highest on the team. She has also contributed 82 digs and 23 blocks throughout the season. But Psoma’s impact for the Aztecs goes beyond stats. “I think she’s just got a fun personality,” Collins-Parker said. “It’s always interesting to bring in somebody
But she wouldn’t have it any other way. When she finishes school, she wants to go back to Europe and play in a European league. “I like the competition we have on the court and the feelings you get if you lose or if you win,” she said. “I like that those feelings going up and down. I love playing volleyball and being a team. I’ll play until I can’t anymore.” For Psoma, volleyball has been so much more than just a game. It has allowed her to see the world, meet people she wouldn’t have met otherwise and play for the Aztecs.
6 SPORTS
NOV. 10 - 17, 2015 • THE DAILY AZTEC EDITOR: PATRICK CARR • SPORTS@THEDAILYAZTEC.COM
#AZTECFB
Which rankings matter for SDSU? San Diego State football is 5-0 in conference play for the first time in its Division I history. KRISTIAN CARREON, SENIOR STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER
KRIS KEEHL SENIOR STAFF COLUMNIST ____________________________
championship game, but if no team is ranked by the CFP the host is determined by a composite ranking.
For this year’s San Diego State football team, six is the number that delineates bad from good. Six years ago was the last time SDSU football was ineligible for a postseason bowl, and six weeks ago was the last time the Aztecs lost a game. After starting conference play 5-0 for the first time as a Division I team, the Aztecs are one win away from becoming bowl eligible, winning the West Division of the Mountain West and putting themselves in the conference championship game. Group of Five teams need to win their conference championship. It’s the only way for these teams to be considered for one of the New Year’s Six set of bowl games, which means more notoriety and more revenue. The MW, lacking the legitimacy — in both fan bases and revenues — of a traditional Power Five conference, doesn’t play its conference championship at a neutral site like Power Five conferences, but instead opts for a complex formula to determine where championship games are played. The MW team with the highest College Football Playoff Selection Committee ranking will host the
THE RANKINGS USED BY THE MOUNTAIN WEST The MW uses four unique computerized football rankings that are averaged to determine each team’s composite ranking. The first is the Jeff Anderson and Chris Hester College Football Computer Ranking. This ranking reflects a team’s on-field accomplishments, and doesn’t include any sort of preseason assumptions about the team. Anderson and Hester’s rankings focus on strength of schedule for both the team being ranked and its opponents. This ranking also rewards teams for beating strong opponents, not obliterating weak ones. The second ranking comes from Richard Billingsley of the College Football Research Center. Billingsley’s rankings are based on a point system that increases with wins. Win values increase as the season progresses and based on the location of the game. Points decrease with losses. What makes Billingsley’s rankings unique is the strength of schedule isn’t based on the traditional win-loss record
of the opponent. The third ranking of the MW composite is the Colley Matrix, which rewards a team’s on-field performance, and not anything that could be considered subjective, such as game location. The Colley Matrix highly values strength of schedule, and does not reward large margins of victory. The final ranking system is the Wolfe Matrix. The Wolfe Matrix considers mutual opponents, the environment a team plays in and the amount of points a team scores, but it’s hard to say to what degree each is valued as the Wolfe Matrix is the least transparent of the rankings. COMPOSITE RANKINGS AND THE MOUNTAIN WEST Based on history, the MW does not have strong presence in any traditional ranking system. Boise State is the only team in the MW to be ranked in the Associated Press Top 25 poll this season.
During week seven, No. 21 Boise State lost to Utah State, which eliminated any chance a MW team would be ranked in the CFP Top 25 this season. Therefore, the MW composite rankings are incredibly important for all four teams that are vying for a spot in the MW championship game. SDSU is in the best position to win the West Division and play in the conference championship. The Aztecs’ composite ranking this week is 59.75, which slipped a bit after having a bye week. SDSU is likely to face one of three opponents from the Mountain Division: Boise State, Air Force Academy or Utah State. Boise State’s composite ranking is 40.5. Air Force’s composite ranking is 66. Utah State, which lost its second conference game and is least likely to make the championship, has a composite ranking of 76.25. While teams in the Power Five wait anxiously every week for the selection committee to come out with its CFP Top 25, teams in the MW have different polls to answer to throughout the season.
#AZTECSPORTSHISTORY
Aztec sports history PATRICK CARR SPORTS EDITOR ____________________________ NOV. 12, 1979 The late 1970s was a time of political turmoil. The U.S. embassy was seized in Iran and the country was still recovering from the Vietnam War. Meanwhile in San Diego, Aztec football drew a crowd one Saturday night against the University of Arizona, as 38,581 fans at what is now Qualcomm Stadium watched SDSU easily dispatch Arizona 42-10 behind 35 second-half points. The showstealer in those days, like it is today, was the defense. The Wildcats turned the ball over on five consecutive possessions and were limited to just 50 yards passing. Without a doubt, the game, which improved SDSU’s record to 7-2 (4-1 WAC), was one of the best defensive performances by Aztec football in its history. The defensive prowess included a
blocked punt, three fumble recoveries and an interception. One of the quirks from that game was the Aztecs alternating between quarterbacks Chris Schaefer, sporting an awesome curly afro and mustache look, and Mark Halda on every play. Every. Single. Play. The quarterback has a big influence on the offense, so switching signal callers on every play might throw a wrench in the offense. Something like that would require a lot of planning and practicing, right? “We decided to do it yesterday (Friday),” head coach Claude Gilbert told The Daily Aztec. They pulled it off pretty well, considering neither of the quarterbacks were particularly prolific in that game. Schaefer was 6-for-13 and Halda was 4-for-7. Not to be outdone was the conference’s leading rusher, SDSU running back Tony Allen, who had 28 carries for 151 yards two scores.
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NOV. 10 - 17, 2015 • THE DAILY AZTEC EDITOR: MEGAN WOOD •PHOTO@THEDAILYAZTEC.COM
#AZTECWBB
Gameday in Viejas: Women’s hoops
R FO G? IN US HO
LO O KI N G
San Diego State women’s basketball beat Point Loma Nazarene University 76-61 in its exhibition on Nov. 6. CRISTIAN RANGEL, STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER
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NOV. 10 - 17, 2015 • THE DAILY AZTEC EDITOR: MEGAN WOOD • PHOTO@THEDAILYAZTEC.COM
#AZTECMBB
Gameday in Viejas: Men’s hoops
San Diego State men’s basketball beat Cal State San Marcos 86-48 in its exhibition on Nov. 2. KRISTIAN CARREON, SENIOR STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER
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10OPINION
NOV. 10 - 17, 2015 • THE DAILY AZTEC EDITOR: MATTHEW BAIN • ME@THEDAILYAZTEC.COM
#BADSPELLING
Don’t worry about spelling skills
THINKSTOCK
JIMMY JANSZEN STAFF COLUMNIST ____________________________ Sorry National Spelling Bee winners, but your skill of spelling is useless. In contemporary society, technology is ubiquitous. Our commonly shared short attention span has been cut even shorter due to the autocorrect feature. The days of people using a common dictionary to look up a word are gone. They just Google it on their phones now.
A spelling error has the potential to make the writer look uninformed or uneducated. Writers obviously want their work to look as professional as possible, and spelling is the first step to that. But spelling is a retro, useless skill. Plenty of smart individuals have problems with spelling, but it doesn’t affect their intelligence. Simon Horbin, English Professor at Magdalen College, Oxford, has argued knowledge of standard spelling should not be
confused with intelligence. Spelling is also irrelevant to comprehension. A research team at Cambridge University studied the phenomena of typoglycemia. It states words with their letters mixed up can be comprehended, as long as the first and last letter are the same. Here’s an example: I cdn’uolt blveiee taht I cluod aulaclty uesdnatnrd waht I was rdanieg: the phaonmneel pweor of the hmuan mnid. Confusing, yes. Not understandable, no. Even if someone were to write words
jumbled like this, autocorrect would immediately fix it to its proper spelling. Plenty of students stress over making the careless mistakes of misspelling on an assignment where spelling accuracy is crucial. Here at San Diego State, students in the School of Journalism and Media Studies are required to pass the Grammar, Spelling and Punctuation test with a score of 80 or higher in order to graduate. Students pay $25 to take this outdated test that looks like it was written on a typewriter with mushy, barely-readable ink. Spelling is the category with the most questions and all the answer choices look acutely similar. Why should students stress over a test that decides their fate of graduating? “I’m skeptical about its usefulness,” said Jeffrey Kaplan, SDSU linguistics professor. “I can think of better things for students to do with their time and energy than cramming to pass a test on this.” Kaplan doesn’t count spelling as a criterion for grading, but he does correct spelling errors on students’ work because “bad spelling can hurt one’s reputation.” Although he is forgiving when it comes to careless spelling errors, Kaplan does believe
that spelling matters — even in a time when autocorrect is ubiquitous within text-based technology. When asked in an email about the importance of spelling in today’s autocorrect society, Kaplan responded with: “Autocorrecting doesnt catch evry misteak, and if your speling is particulerly nonstanderd, people may thik you’re uneducated or simply to dum.” Professor Kaplan’s satirical response may be correct in the sense that autocorrect doesn’t catch every mistake — but it catches nearly 100 percent of them. If it doesn’t catch one or two, so be it. Humans are intelligent individuals, and can easily decipher the meaning of the misspelled word because humans are very comprehensive. It’s not an argument whether second graders should be taught the understanding of spelling in the sense of how letters relate to each other, but rather at the secondary level. Students shouldn’t be held accountable for knowing how to properly spell words like “ambidextrous” or “bourgeoisie.” Thank you, autocorrect. I couldn’t have spelled those two words correctly if it weren’t for you.
ANNAN GAGGI, STAFF CARTOONIST
OPINION11
NOV. 10 - 17, 2015 • THE DAILY AZTEC EDITOR: JOSEPH CIOLINO • OPINION@THEDAILYAZTEC.COM
#GENDEREUPHORIA
Bring positives to transgender talk A.G. PRIEST STAFF COLUMNIST ____________________________ Modern media seems to perpetuate the same transgender narrative over and over — the idea that someone was born in the wrong body, which leads to self-hate and discontentment. While this is true for some transgender individuals, there is a large problem in concentrating on this singular aspect of transgender identities. This particular transgender narrative focuses on gender dysphoria. Gender dysphoria
is characterized as “a marked difference between the individual’s expressed and experienced gender and the gender others would assign him or her,” according to the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders. While gender dysphoria is a common set of negative feelings experienced by transgender individuals, there is another aspect that should be addressed more often than it is now, and it is called gender euphoria. Gender euphoria is essentially the opposite of gender dysphoria. While gender dysphoria encompasses the
negative feelings toward one’s assigned gender or parts of one’s body, gender euphoria includes the positive feelings about presenting and being gendered as one’s gender identity. Gender dysphoria may lead someone to feel discomfort, anxiety and even disgust about his or her assigned gender. Gender euphoria describes elation and joy about identifying with his or her gender. Transgender individuals may experience varying levels of either dysphoria or euphoria. Euphoria in regards to being transgender can mean a lot
of different things to different transgender people, such as the satisfaction of presenting in a certain way, or the elation when someone publicly genders another correctly. Some transgender people feel neutral about their assigned gender, but gender euphoria may lead them to realize they would feel fulfilled and happier living and presenting as a different gender than what they were assigned with at birth. This transgender narrative is just as valid as any other. When discussing transgender identities, the negative aspects of being transgender
are brought too far into the limelight. Yes, being transgender can be traumatic, especially if one’s assigned gender is extremely disquieting to them. Dysphoria is very harmful and we should not downplay the effect of such emotions. But how do we reduce the negativity both in and around the transgender community? Let’s talk about gender euphoria more often than we do now, and emphasize that being transgender should not only be a source of unique pride, but an experience that can be filled with happiness.
#AZTECSTALK
Aztecs Talk: Why the football no-shows? FRESHMAN “Actually going to the game is such a commitment. Why would I go watch a single game when I can watch all of them at my house? I stay home so I can flip between all of the different games.” LINDSEY GERTH, JUNIOR, BUSINESS “I don’t go to the games because the stadium is too far away. I also don’t really understand football, and nobody is ever really excited to go watch the team play.” ANDRES MEZA, JUNIOR, PSYCHOLOGY “Before I came to campus, I thought I was going to go to every home game. Unfortunately, once I got here, I realized that going to games just wasn’t very fun. My friends never get excited about going because the team isn’t very exciting. I think it would be different if there were a stadium on campus.” ANTHONY DENNY, SOPHOMORE, CIVIL ENGINEERING “Honestly, the draw for me to go to Qualcomm is more about tailgating with my friends than it is to watch football. By the time the tailgate is over, I’m ready to go back to campus.”
ANNAN GAGGI, STAFF CARTOONIST
KEN PRIEST STAFF COLUMNIST ____________________________ While Aztec football has had its ups and downs this season, one thing has remained consistent: a lack of attendance in Qualcomm Stadium. Despite riding a five-game winning streak, San Diego State struggles to give away student tickets, let alone sell them to the public. In order to begin to examine why SDSU has such a difficult
time getting butts in seats, students around campus were asked a simple question: “Why don’t you go to Aztec football games?” Their responses are below. NICHOLAS FENNEL, FRESHMAN, CRIMINAL JUSTICE “I love watching college football — even more so than professional. I’ve attended football games in the Pac-12, Big-10 and SEC conferences,
and there’s so much more life surrounding their football games. Here at SDSU, it’s not like that whatsoever. Football is barely talked about among students like it is at other Division 1 schools. Because football isn’t hyped here, I don’t get into it. On Saturdays, I’d rather hang out at my place with a couple of friends and watch a good game on TV rather than go all the way to Qualcomm to see the Aztecs struggle to win.”
BRETT KIRCHICK, JUNIOR, KINESIOLOGY “I don’t go to the football games because the stadium is off campus. Qualcomm is also so big that it makes the crowd feel disconnected from the games.” DANIEL DE LA TORRE, SENIOR, ADVERTISING “I usually don’t go to the games because I’m too hungover to want to get on the trolley.” LOUIE CORTEZ,
STEVEN BECERRA, JUNIOR, CIVIL ENGINEERING “The atmosphere inside Qualcomm stadium just does not compare to other Division I schools. There is a stark difference between students’ level of interest in our football and basketball programs.” JOSH VILLANUEVA, SOPHOMORE, COMPUTER SCIENCE “Our football team isn’t very exciting on the field. They play a boring brand of football. I like football, and I love the Aztecs, but I’d rather watch on TV.”
12 ARTS & LIFESTYLE
NOV. 10 - 17, 2015 • THE DAILY AZTEC EDITOR: OLIVIA LITSEY • FEATURES@THEDAILYAZTEC.COM
#EXCEPTIONALAZTECS
Business student takes on bio-tech JOE GILMORE STAFF WRITER ____________________________ Taniya Navlani, a San Diego State student pursuing a master’s degree in business administration, has been making waves in the professional world. Her recent internship with Illumina is a tremendous accomplishment that shows her hard work and dedication has been paying off. Illumina is a San Diegobased biotechnology company creating gene sequencing instruments to analyze genes and develop personalized medicine. “It’s taking health care to another level,” Navlani said. According to its website, Illumina’s goal is to apply innovative technologies to genetic variation and function analysis and to make studies possible that were thought to be impossible only a few years ago.
As an internal audit intern, Navlani is responsible for internal audits within the company and compliance with the Sarbanes-Oxley Act, an act passed in 2002 to protect shareholders and the public from accounting errors. She has been working on testing internal controls most recently. “I find what risks there are in the organization and how they can be controlled,” she said. “We are trying to figure out if the controls address every risk in the organization.” Navlani is an international student from India who started attending SDSU in fall 2014. She believes that her time and experience in SDSU’s accounting classes were instrumental in helping her land the recent internship. “I took a basic accounting class, and then I took a financial statement analysis class and that was really helpful to me,” she said. Navlani also has previous
experience with audit reporting. She worked with external auditing for Deloitte U.S.’s India offices for nearly two years prior to starting her MBA. “It’s not just about financial reporting. It’s about all aspects of business that we have control over,” she said. “I need to know everything about the business.” As an international student, Navlani faced a lot of challenges landing an internship. After applying in the winter for summer internships without success, she was a little discouraged until she received word Illumina was interested in her. After researching the company and learning it was in line with her goals, she was able to secure the job. “I feel now that I couldn’t have got anything better,” Navlani said. “The company culture is so good. They are very involving. There’s a lot of
San Diego State student Taniya Navlani is interning with Illumina. COURTESY OF TANIYA NAVLANI
inclusion — I never felt like an intern. Here, they treat me like a full-time employee.” Natalie Rocha, Illumina lead internal auditor and Navlani’s mentor, said Taniya is a great addition to the team and described her as organized, detail-oriented and reliable. “It is a true pleasure working with her, and I
appreciate her exuding positive attitude and energy,” Rocha said. “I look forward to working with her in the future.” Navlani plans to graduate with her degree and a specialization in finance this spring, and she is hoping for a full-time opportunity with Illumina.
#ASTRONOMY
Astronomy major runs tight-knit program the only astronomy program in the California State University system. Professor and astronomy department chairman Allen Shafter, Ph.D., said there are typically five undergraduate students per calendar year. “With such a small number of graduates, the statistics of men and women are irregular from year to year,” Shafter said. Professor and student adviser Jerome Orosz, Ph.D., said the field of astronomy is
learning experience. When a student in the astronomy department becomes a senior, he or she has the opportunity to design individual projects or complete six hours of lab work and compile a research report. As written in the general catalog, “Some areas of study in astronomy include the sun, the solar system, the stars, and the Milky Way, the galaxies and cosmology.” The department also offers the opportunity for students
“
I LOVE THE FACT THAT IT’S A SMALL, TIGHT-KNIT MAJOR. I’M ABLE TO EASILY KEEP IN TOUCH WITH MY PROFESSORS.”
- Serena Garcia, astronomy sophomore
THINKSTOCK
CHRISTINE WHITMAN SENIOR STAFF WRITER ____________________________ San Diego State offers an abundance of majors to choose from, but there are definitely some lesser-known ones that deserve some recognition. One such major is astronomy, having only a small number of graduates per academic year. SDSU offers a Bachelor
of Science in astronomy associated with a degree in applied arts and sciences, as well as a Bachelor of Arts in astronomy in the category of liberal arts and sciences. Each degree, Bachelor of Arts or Bachelor of Science, has similar coursework requirements in astronomy, as well as other related topics. However, the Bachelor of Science has a larger emphasis on mathematics in comparison to the Bachelor of
Arts. According to the university’s Analytic Studies and Institutional Research Department, there was only one female graduate for the 2013-2014 calendar year, a significantly lower value in comparison to other majors offered by the university. Many of the professors in the astronomy department are unsure as to why the numbers of graduates are so small, especially because SDSU offers
typically smaller than other scientific fields. “I believe there are fewer numbers in professional astronomy society compared to the professional societies for physics, chemistry, and biology,” he said. Even though there are only a small number of graduates each academic year, the astronomy major is still considered an impacted program. In order to be admitted, a student must complete a series of classes with a grade of C or better and have an overall cumulative GPA of 2.0 or better. The major offers a variety of labs, mathematical courses, experimental topics and projects at the upper-division level to give students the full
to conduct research at the Mt. Laguna Observatory, on the edge of Cleveland National Forest. “I’m excited to research at Mt. Laguna in the future,” astronomy sophomore Serena Garcia said. “Being able to work with all of the telescopes and at the planetarium is going to be awesome.” The combination of the large number of resources available to the astronomy department, as well as the low number of students, provides adequate time for each student’s learning needs in fully understanding the complex subject. “I love the fact that it’s a small, tight-knit major,” Garcia said. “I’m able to easily keep in touch with my professors.”
NOV. 10 -17 , 2015 • THE DAILY AZTEC EDITOR: OLIVIA LITSEY • FEATURES@THEDAILYAZTEC.COM
ARTS & LIFESTYLE13
#THEBIKESTAND
Campus bicycle stand repairs solo DENISE CHANG STAFF WRITER ____________________________________ On Thursdays at the San Diego State farmers’ market, environmental engineering senior Chad Larrieu works on a bicycle mounted on a stand. His hands are usually busy, either replacing a flat tube or working on the chains. Sometimes, students will stop by with their bicycles to pump up their tires or get help with their brakes. He works all for free at The Bike Stand. “Chad is pretty much a lifesaver,” biology senior Eric Barbret said. “One of the times when I was getting help fixing a punctured tube, he noticed that I didn’t have front brakes. He went into his cart and pulled out all of the necessary parts to fix me up with some brakes. I had no idea I could even get my front brakes fixed.” According to the stand’s business card, The Bike Stand is a community bicycle repair space where SDSU students can learn how to fix their bikes. Larrieu is currently the only active member working, and he said he loves what he does. “I enjoy seeing how it helps people,” Larrieu said. “When you make their day and fix their bike, their main form of transportation, it’s like giving them a gift.” Services at The Bike Stand include fixing flat tires, shifting issues and brake issues, as well as replacing tubes and more. Unless extra repairs are necessary, Larrieu said he tries his best to help bikers. A donation box sits quietly by the equipment cart. However, Barbret
Engineering senior Chad Larrieu repairs bikes for free at The Bike Stand at San Diego State’s weekly farmers’ markets. DENISE CHANG, STAFF WRITER
bought him a burrito for his services. “Chad does what he does out of the kindness of his heart,” Barbret said. “He never expects anything when he helps others, but it’s always good to show that we really appreciate what he does.” Larrieu’s approach is hands-on as he teaches student bikers how to fix the problems for future reference. “What Chad is doing is extremely helpful and a great learning experience,” Barbret said. “The Bike Stand isn’t a place to just get your bike tuned up, but an
active learning experience where you’re taught how you can fix your own bike.” Larrieu has maintained The Bike Stand for two years, but he said it has been a challenge since relocating from Campanile Walkway. “It was right by the bike path,” Larrieu said. “Now, we only have people who knew about it before and are coming back. We’re not really drawing in more people.” Larrieu will be graduating this December, but there is no one lined up
to take on the stand. He said it would have to be someone familiar with Aztec Adventures and the Aztec Recreation Center, where all of the equipment is stored. “It would be a huge bummer if they couldn’t find someone to take over,” Barbret said. “It is really cool to know that you can find help for bike problems on campus for free.” The Bike Stand is located between the e3 booth and the record booth at the farmers’ market on Thursdays.
#SANDIEGOMUSICTHING
San Diego Music Thing hosts great acts SARAH TANORI STAFF WRITER ____________________________________ With the rise of commercial music festivals in San Diego, such as the CRSSD Festival and KAABOO, it can be difficult to find larger-scale events that host smaller and less mainstream acts in the city. San Diego Music Thing sheds light on such groups with a three-day span of shows throughout the city and a weekend-long conference that satisfies alternative music lovers in San Diego. Here are The Daily Aztec’s picks for San Diego Music Thing weekend: BABES Think driving on a sunny day with an existential crisis. Babes’ twee pop sounds optimistic while its lyrics come from heartbreak and nostalgia. Dedicated to the wounded hearts, Babes’ music is both pleasant and brutally honest as the band’s songs go about love in all the wrong ways. Recommended for fans of: Camera Obscura, Tennis When/Where: Saturday, Nov. 14, The Merrow YO LA TENGO Fans of The Velvet Underground,
get ready: Yo La Tengo brings the spirit of Lou Reed to each song with sensible vocals and calming guitar riffs. The band can be paired with any mood. Cry with them or rejoice with them — either way it will end with a warm heart because it’s Yo La Tengo. Recommended for fans of: The Velvet Underground, The Magnetic Fields When/Where: Thursday, Nov. 12, North Park Observatory SUMMER TWINS Listening to Summer Twins is a lot like a summer romance — indulgent, cute and fun. Its ‘60s girl-group-inspired tracks bring the Los Angeles sun and the innocence of first love. The Ritchie Valensesque guitar melodies and vintagesounding drums make the band a doo-wop dream. “I’m most excited to see Summer Twins at SD Music thing,” art junior Natalia Gonzalez said. “They’re so unique. I don’t see a lot of bands out there doing what they’re doing. They take old sounds like the Supremes and the Ronettes and make it something that young audiences can enjoy and appreciate.” Recommended for fans of: She and Him, Vivian Girls
When/Where: Friday, Nov. 13, The Merrow MRS. MAGICIAN These San Diego surf-punk natives create beach music that makes listeners want to be buried in the sand rather than play in the water. Mrs. Magician makes a mockery of every bad thing there is to life and turns it into a silly ode to self-deprecation. The band is both reflective and ironic, enough to redefine its surf rock as something more than just hitting the waves and living a life of carelessness. Recommended for fans of: Heavy Hawaii, Wavves When/Where: Thursday, Nov. 12, The Irenic
WILDHONEY Wildhoney exists somewhere between the spectrum of shoegaze and dream pop. The band’s music provides the sad type of sweetness one experiences when waking up from an unbelievably good dream. The music relaxes and the lyrics bite. After finishing any of its songs, listeners are left with an enjoyable emptiness. Recommended for fans of: Slowdive, Beach House When/Where: Thursday, Nov.12, The Casbah
14 ARTS & LIFESTYLE
NOV. 10 - 17, 2015 • THE DAILY AZTEC EDITOR: OLIVIA LITSEY • FEATURES@THEDAILYAZTEC.COM
#AZTECSWEAT
Students sweat it out in SDSU program Frisbee. Yoga stretching positions aimed at improving flexibility are occasionally incorporated into the three- or four-minute warmups, as well. “What I honestly love is the mobility and stretching exercise portions of the workout because that’s my area of weakness,” nutrition junior Kayla Dodge said. “You don’t think the small movements are working, but after a few reps
said. Tabor’s approach to fitness with Aztec Sweat is to help students focus and enjoy the process more than the end result. “People make progress all the time that goes completely unacknowledged,” he said. “Going from five push ups to 20 push-ups is a really big improvement, but it’s the type of accomplishment that
“
THE GYM IS ONLY A SMALL PIECE OF A LARGE PIE.”
- Brian Tabor, Strong Made Simple personal trainer
Aztec Sweat workouts are held Tuesdays and Thursdays from 11:30 -11:50 a.m. on the ENS 700 field. CHRISTINE WHITMAN, SENIOR STAFF WRITER
LILIANA CERVANTES STAFF WRITER CHRISTINE WHITMAN SENIOR STAFF WRITER ____________________________ Twenty minutes is all the time students need to get active, move toward goals and have some fun between classes with new Aztec Sweat workouts. An alternative option to going to the occasionally intimidating
gym, these short, breezy 20-minute workouts get the average student comfortable with being more active. These free, on-campus workouts are held from 11:3011:50 a.m. on Tuesdays and Thursdays at the ENS 700 field by Campanile Walkway. Most of them are led by Brian Tabor, a Strong Made Simple personal trainer at the Aztec Recreation Center. “People get caught up with
the idea that being more fit and more active just means going to the gym and running on the treadmill,” Tabor said. “The gym is only a small piece of a large pie. There (are) a ton of ways to stay active, so I want to highlight that for people that want to get active and do more on campus.” Students can typically expect strength and balance exercises followed by various games such as dodgeball or ultimate
you realize your muscles are burning.” Aztec Sweat was created through a joint effort between Tabor and the Recreation and Wellness Commission within Associated Students. The goal is to further promote health, fitness and exercise on campus. “I also love the mobility and stretching portion,” kinesiology junior Courtney Trueblood said. “(Tabor) incorporates a lot of small movements that work really well, but you wouldn’t expect them to.” Tabor said 20 minutes of daily activity adds up more than most people realize. “It’s more about doing a little bit more than you did yesterday and just trying to challenge yourself and move forward,” he
doesn’t get celebrated nearly as often, and then people lose motivation.” In addition to infrequent exercise, students often struggle with unhealthy habits such as an unbalanced diet or lack of sleep. Tabor encourages his clients to develop small habits that will improve their health. This can be small as flossing teeth or eating at least one vegetable every day. With Aztec Sweat, students celebrate their improvements and are encouraged to bring their friends to support each other. “Some days we get a little out of breath and sweaty, but some days we just laugh a lot and roll around,” Tabor said.
#SUFFRAGETTE
‘Suffragette’ fights for women’s rights CHRISTINE WHITMAN SENIOR STAFF WRITER ____________________________ The discussion of equality and women’s rights has been a reoccurring theme in today’s media, especially with the rise in recognition of the Feminist movement. Although women who fight for equal rights have been recently identified using the term, “feminist” the movement has existed far longer under a different name. “Suffragette,” directed by Sarah Gavron and written by Abi Morgan, centers on the civil disobedience campaign of activists for women’s right to vote, and conveys a large portion of neglected British history. For more than half a century, women had peacefully protested their government for the right to vote, but were consistently ignored and denied, causing the fight for equality to become increasingly militant. As the activities of suffragettes became more militant over time, the film makes it clear although
suffragettes damaged property, they would not endanger human life. The film takes its audiences on a trip to the epicenter of London to follow a small group of suffragettes throughout their quest for equal rights. The group faces several problems during their activities, including some brief stints in jail. Rather than following a high-profile activist, such as historical figure Emmeline Pankhurst, portrayed by Meryl Streep, the film focuses on Maud Watts, a working-class laundress, wife and mother portrayed by Carey Mulligan. “They had the most to lose and made the biggest sacrifices,” Mulligan said. “Women realized that they needed to fight for this cause and they didn’t have a choice anymore.” Although Watts accidentally finds herself unwillingly involved with the suffragette movement at the start of the film, she is consistently appalled with the way women — especially working class women — are treated in society. Working class women worked
“Suffragette” focuses on the civil disobedience campaign of activists for women’s right to vote. PHOTO FROM SUFFRAGETTEMOVIE.COM
longer hours and received far less pay than men at the time, demonstrated through the interactions between Watts and her husband Sonny, portrayed by Ben Whishaw. Watts’ socioeconomic status makes identifying as a suffragette increasingly difficult throughout the film, having significantly more to lose than privileged women involved with the movement. Although Watts faces greater challenges than her
counterparts, her involvement only increases with time. The film creates a clear and concise message of the time period, but audiences may leave the theatre with a sense of confusion after understanding the activities of suffragettes did not result in women finally receiving the right to vote. The film shows audiences the courage, conviction and sacrifices suffragettes made for equality. “(Audiences) are seeing a
snapshot of history,” Mulligan said. “There are so many other stories to tell in terms of women’s suffrage.” But more importantly, audiences will realize many issues portrayed in the film are still relevant in today’s society — which is the entire point of the film. The film was left unresolved as a social commentary that, despite progress, women are still denied the right to vote in countries all over the world.
ARTS & LIFESTYLE15
NOV. 10 -17 , 2015 • THE DAILY AZTEC EDITOR: OLIVIA LITSEY • FEATURES@THEDAILYAZTEC.COM
#ROCKNROLL
Rock ‘n’ roll mural returns to SDSU
San Diego State professor and historian Seth Mallios unveils the restored campus rock ‘n’ roll mural. KELLY HILLOCK, EDITOR IN CHIEF
KELLY HILLOCK EDITOR IN CHIEF ____________________________________ San Diego State unveiled the restoration of a campus rock n’ roll mural in the Love Library on Thursday, Oct. 29. The mural was originally at the old Aztec Center — specifically, the mural hung in the back of the popular underground music venue, “The Backdoor,” located behind the bowling alley.
Four years ago, when the student body voted to renovate Aztec Center to become the Conrad Prebys Aztec Student Union, the mural was scheduled to be demolished. A crowdsourcing campaign saved the mural with a minute to spare. Now, just this past week, the historic campus mural was unveiled to a gathering of faculty, alumni, students and community members. The reception was held on the third floor of the Love Library and featured
Aztec-themed guitars and a live performance from local band, Bread and Jam — which incidentally, is a band comprised of local SDSU and University of San Diego professors. Then, notable university figures addressed the crowd and all emphasized the importance of art on campus. Dean of the Library Gail Echmeyer welcomed the reception guests and emphasized the importance of the arts on campus to stimulate and help grow the SDSU community. Echmeyer served a pivotal role in preserving this mural. Associated Students President Blaire Ward praised the combined effort of students, faculty and alumni it took to save this historic mural. “Cultures truly depend on art to capture the feeling of a time when words can’t,” Ward said. President Elliot Hirshman spoke to the cultural importance of preserving art on campus. “Our aspirations to be a great university must include arts programs,” Hirshman said. Anthropology professor and campus historian Seth Mallios served a key role in restoring the mural and upholding its legacy. In addition to the mural restoration, Mallios and Interim Director of SDSU Collections Jaime Lennox partnered to publish a five-volume anthology on the rich musical legacy at SDSU, which was available for purchase at the
ceremony. In his speech, Mallios detailed the origin of the mural and gave an overview of some of the legendary musical acts that have traipsed through the campus through the decades. “Our quantity of concerts is only rivaled by its quality,” Mallios said. In fact, in a recent seven-day period, SDSU hosted a spectrum of musicals acts, such as Florence and the Machine, Janet Jackson, Hozier, Of Monsters and Men, Twenty One Pilots and My Morning Jacket. The mural was painted by Chicano Studies professor Arturo Anselmo Roman and his Chicano mural arts class in 1976. The mural is vividly energetic. Mallios referred to the mural as “Simspons-esque,” in reference to the longest-running sitcom where a lead character is voiced by an SDSU alumna. The ceremony ended with a performance by SDSU alumnus and successful songwriter Jack Tempin. Tempin is famed for hits such as “Already Gone,” which he performed at the ceremony. With a mural that pays homage to pop culture and Aztec culture, a nod to The Eagles and the growing list of musical acts that grace Montezuma Mesa with their presence, this rock n’ roll mural is sure to be the backdrop for many more performances on the Mesa.
CROSSWORDS
ACROSS 1 __ Khan: Rita Hayworth’s husband 4 Composure 10 Turkish title of honor 14 Life story, briefly 15 Cigar-smoking George’s spouse 16 Swag 17 *One of three in a daily diet 19 Former Mississippi senator Trent 20 Where sailors go 21 Like a disengaged engine 23 Plant anchor 24 *A roll of two, in craps 26 Bring up, as a topic 29 Grant
permission 30 “Dig in” 31 Glacial historic period 34 The Macarena, pet rocks, etc. 35 Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers, e.g., and, literally, what the first words of the answers to starred clues can be 39 One, to Beethoven 40 Regular practice 41 Quagmire 42 Fed. assistance program 44 Key related to D major 48 *Opening night “Best of luck!” 52 Pear center 53 __ powder
54 Unevenly balanced 57 Confident “Are you the one for this job?” response 58 *Guffaw from the gut 60 Copenhagen native 61 Abode that’s abuzz 62 Hawaii’s Mauna __ 63 Those, to José 64 Shorthand pros 65 Sinusitistreating MD DOWN 1 Soak up 2 Bar bottle contents 3 “I’m not the only one?” 4 Farming prefix 5 Air Force One
VIP 6 Metal-threaded fabrics 7 Atlantic or Pacific 8 Soccer star Hamm 9 Resemble 10 TV’s “Kate & __” 11 Name on a blimp 12 Detective’s promising clues 13 Swears to 18 Reaches 22 Trawling gear 25 Red flag 27 300, to Caesar 28 “__ Haw” 32 March follower 33 Moo goo __ pan 34 Woman’s name from the Latin for “happy” 35 Scenes in shoeboxes 36 Actress Jolie 37 Place for a bath 38 ‘60s war zone, briefly 39 Drop in the sea 42 Product identifier similar to UPC 43 Ballroom dances 45 Little lump 46 West Coast state 47 Cardinal’s headgear 49 Entr’__: play intervals 50 “Dallas” Miss 51 __ Heights: disputed Mideast region 55 Fire: Pref. 56 Stone and Stallone 59 Able, facetiously
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NOV. 10 - 17, 2015 • THE DAILY AZTEC EDITOR: OLIVIA LITSEY • FEATURES@THEDAILYAZTEC.COM
#BLUEHAIR
My life with blue hair ELLEN REX CONTRIBUTOR ____________________________________
W
henever you turn on the TV, read the news, or even browse through Facebook, you can usually find a few articles about the way people treat others differently based on physical appearance. While I knew this was a common phenomenon, since I never found myself doing it, I never really thought about it in any realistic sense. This was the case until I dyed my hair bright blue — think mermaid meets smurf blue. While I love my hair, I have noticed a significant change in the way many people address me. The biggest change comes from the way strangers address me. Suddenly, with blue hair I am either really cool and approachable or really eccentric and rebellious — but not in a good way. It doesn’t seem to matter that my personality hasn’t changed in the least — I’m still the same introverted girl constantly listening to music on her way to class. Yet, I’ve had people that would have never spoken to me if I had brown hair
come up to me just to tell me they love my hair and ask me questions about going blue. There also seems to be this strange camaraderie around people with not just blue hair, but colored hair in general. When I walk past someone else with blue hair, they notice me almost immediately and greet me like we’re lifelong friends. As if having the same unnaturally colored hair immediately makes us buddies. Don’t get me wrong, I
I have a job. Others believe I am suddenly a devilworshipper. I was raised Catholic. Most of these come from strangers that don’t know me to begin with, there is also a distinct change in the way some friends and family treat me. Suddenly the girl getting a degree in business from one of the best California State Universities is no longer a good role model for
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I'M STILL THE SAME INTROVERTED GIRL CONSTANTLY LISTENING TO MUSIC ... love that my hair color is a conversationstarter with people I would have never spoken to before, but it does make me wonder why we treat people so differently based on one change in appearance. How far does that change in attitude go? Although having new people talking to me and complimenting my hair is great, not all changes in attitude are good. Others seem to think it makes me too rebellious and eccentric. People that would have never had a problem with me or my brown hair before suddenly give me dirty looks as I walk by or take it upon themselves to inform me I will never get a job with colored hair and a nose ring.
their children. Because she has blue hair. Nothing else about me, including my personality, goals and beliefs, has changed, yet people still alter the way they treat me. This experience as a whole has made me wonder how far that change can go. Would I ever even know that sorority girl’s name if she hadn’t come up to me to ask about maintaining blue hair? Would I even notice other people with blue hair if my own hair was not blue? Exactly how many great people do we miss out on due to our own predisposed ideas and judgements about who they are based on their physical appearance?
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EYE SPY WITH MY LITTLE EYE...
Staff Photographer Sarah Smith, currently studying abroad in England, took this great shot of the London Eye.
PLEASE NOTE: The views expressed in this issue do not necessarily reflect those of The Daily Aztec. Express your concerns by emailing letters@thedailyaztec.com
HOROSCOPE HAPPY BIRTHDAY (11/10/15) - Unite for common good this year. Sharp moneymanagement practices fatten accounts. Collaborate to amplify individual power. New passion leads to a change in plans after springtime eclipses. A group discovery next autumn leads to a shift in a romance. It's all for love. HOW IT WORKS: 10 is good, 1 is bad. ARIES (March 21 - April 19) - Today is an 8 - News travels fast today. Long distance communications flow, with Mercury sextile Pluto. Group efforts bear fruit. Get your networks involved. Wheeling and dealing may be required. Put away provisions for the future. TAURUS (April 20 - May 20) - Today is an 8 - Work with a partner over the next few days. Conversation leads to powerful possibilities. Accept a generous offer. Investigate new sources of income. Inviting works better than demanding. Spend money to make money. GEMINI (May 21 - June 21) - Today is a 9 - Good news comes from far away. Profit from meticulous service. Consider an option that seems beyond reach. The workload could get intense. Form a creative partnership. A crazy idea works. More planning is a good idea. CANCER (June 22 - July 22) - Today is a 7 - Love is the prize today. Stick with what worked before. A small investment now produces high returns. Invest in your business, in a labor-saving tool. Practice your skills and talents. Sports, arts and games with friends and family delight. LEO (July 23 - Aug. 22) - Today is a 7 - Get into a domestic phase. Upgrade practical infrastructure. Plan well before spending. Make sure water systems are in good repair. Listen to someone you love. You may not agree on everything, but you can find common ground. Compromise. VIRGO (Aug. 23 - Sept. 22) - Today is an 8 - Imaginative work pays well. Study the situation before taking action. Look from a different perspective for an enlightening view. Communicate with team members and allies. Once you see what's underneath, you can build it stronger. LIBRA (Sept. 23 - Oct. 22) - Today is a 9 - Bring in the money. Be persuasive, not aggressive. Learn quickly. Discuss developments, and plan details. Consider all possibilities. The more projects you finish, the more new projects arrive. Spend time on or near the water. SCORPIO (Oct. 23 - Nov. 21) - Today is a 7 - Dreams reveal your true feelings. Meditation and prayer are useful, especially when pessimism seeps in. The divinity of forgiveness lies in the freedom it provides. Let go of a position that's been keeping you stuck. SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22 - Dec. 21) - Today is a 7 - Slow down and contemplate. Envision the future. Your interest is stimulated. Learning is tons of fun and cheap. Write or give a speech or presentation. You're quickly becoming the expert. CAPRICORN (Dec. 22 - Jan. 19) - Today is a 6 - Be careful what you say publicly. Leave nothing to chance. Reveal your ideas in private, and get feedback from your inner circle. They can see your blind spots. Take important news into consideration. Work together. AQUARIUS (Jan. 20 - Feb. 18) - Today is an 8 - Keep a dream alive by sharing it. Don't let anyone take the wind out of your sails. Imagine your vision realized. Take one step and then another. Invite participation, and make good use of the talent that shows up. PISCES (Feb. 19 - March 20) - Today is a 9 - Your experience leads to opportunities. Set long-range goals (including vacations). Finish an old job, and clean up afterwards. Consider a power play carefully before choosing your moves. Public recognition is possible. Seek answers in your dreams.