11-23-2015 by The Daily Aztec

WEEKLY PRINT EDITION

MONDAY, NOVEMBER 23 – TUESDAY, DECEMBER 1, 2015 VOLUME 102, ISSUE 16

W W W . T H E D A I LYA Z T E C . C O M

SAN DIEGO STATE UNIVERSITY’S INDEPENDENT STUDENT NEWS SOURCE SINCE 1913

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NEWS

CSU faculty protest in Long Beach P2

Column: Football should be top 25 P5

OPINION

SDSU Dining uses community garden P8

ARTS & LIFESTYLE

MFA partners with La Jolla Playhouse P11 The Daily Aztec publishes its printed weekly edition on Wednesdays and serves the students, faculty and community of San Diego State University.

San Diego State won the West Division of the Mountain West with its win over UNLV on Saturday. CRISTIAN RANGEL, STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER

RYAN POSNER ASST. SPORTS EDITOR ____________________________ LAS VEGAS — UNLV’s mascot is dubbed the Runnin’ Rebel, but it’s been San Diego State that has stormed into opposing Mountain West cities like a bandit this season, blowing out opponents on their home turf. The Rebels were held to a mere jog Saturday night in Las Vegas as the Aztecs cruised to a 52-14 victory just a few hours after learning they had won the West Division of the MW. “It was nice coming over here as a coach knowing that we were already the West Division champs and we were going to get to play in a championship game,” head coach Rocky Long said. “But I had no concerns we weren’t going to play well because I believe Monday through Friday is when your team gets ready to play.” SDSU (8-3, 7-0 MW) will play Air Force Academy on Dec. 5 for the Mountain West Championship. The site of the game will be determined by a composite ranking system if neither team cracks the College Football Playoff Top 25. “A lot of the guys who were part of the 2012 team, they shared the conference championship. Now we

SNEAKPEEK

SPORTS

CHAMPIONS have the chance to win it by ourselves,” junior running back Donnel Pumphrey said. The Aztecs won every regular-season road conference game this season by at least 14 points and the 52 points marked a season-high for the team. On a landmark day for the program, Long’s defense put together one of its signature performances, holding UNLV scoreless through its first six possessions and forcing three turnovers in that span. The Aztecs turned two of the turnovers into touchdowns that helped them jump out to a 31-0 lead at halftime. “Once we make one big play our team gets so excited, especially the defense,” junior linebacker Randy Ricks said. It took the SDSU defense 37 minutes and 46 seconds to concede its first points on defense via a 14-yard touchdown pass from sophomore quarterback Kurt Palandech to sophomore wide receiver Kendal Keys. Junior defensive back Na’im McGee was disqualified from the game on the play for targeting, as he hit Keys above the shoulder on his way into the end zone. It was the first touchdown scored on the Aztecs’ defense in 107

minutes and 37 seconds, dating back to when the team played Colorado State on Oct. 31. Ricks, returning from a foot injury, started the party with a sack and forced fumble on UNLV’s second possession, which was scooped up by senior defensive lineman Jon Sanchez. Pumphrey then turned that into a 2-yard touchdown, putting the Aztecs up 14-0 while tailgaters were still filing into their seats. It was just another day at the office for Pumphrey, who racked up 139 yards and two touchdowns on 14 carries without touching the ball the entire fourth quarter. His seven straight games rushing for at least 100 yards is the second-longest active streak in the Football Bowl Subdivision. Four different Aztecs rushed Pumphrey, for touchdowns — senior quarterback Maxwell Smith, junior fullback Dakota Gordon and sophomore running back Rashaad Penny. “We all work hard and I see these guys working in practice and we all deserve (to score),” Pumphrey said. Senior running back Chase Price also found the end zone on a 17-yard screen pass, giving him his first career touchdown reception. By game’s end, the defense

had tallied four turnovers, seven sacks and 12 tackles for a loss. “Obviously, the players are executing much, much better than they did before,” Long said. “Second, they’re playing with a lot more confidence than they did early in the season. It shows on the field.” By game’s end, one could count the number of fans still left in Sam Boyd Stadium seemingly on one hand. Junior linebacker Calvin Munson and Sanchez each tallied 1.5 sacks and 1.5 tackles for a loss and junior defensive lineman Kyle Kelley added two sacks. Freshman safety Parker Baldwin grabbed his first career interception and sophomore defensive back Kameron Kelly netted his second interception of the season. SDSU comes home for its regular-season finale next Saturday against University of Nevada. There is still a lot on the line for the Aztecs in this game. “How we play next week and how Air Force plays next week will have a lot to do with who hosts the (championship game),” Long said. “So that makes the (Nevada) game important for them and important for us.”

P3 Aztec Shops employees attempt to unionize

JACOB SISNEROS, SENIOR STAFF WRITER

2 NEWS

#CSUPROTEST

NOV. 23 - DEC. 1, 2015 • THE DAILY AZTEC EDITOR: QUINN OWEN • NEWS@THEDAILYAZTEC.COM

Faculty and students marched near the California State University headquarters in Long Beach in a demonstration organized by the California Faculty Association. ADRIANA HELDIZ, STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER

Students join faculty to boost pay KAYL A JIMENEZ STAFF WRITER ____________________________ More than 1,000 faculty and students from the 23 California State University campuses marched near Chancellor Timothy White’s office in Long Beach on Tuesday, Nov. 17 to rally for a 5-percent wage increase. Rally demonstrators blocked off streets in downtown Long Beach near the CSU headquarters and congregated at a meeting site in front of the building. They sported red T-shirts that said, “I don’t want to strike, but I will” and carried picketing signs that read “Fight for Five.” “We’re fighting for 5 percent,” Donna Castaneda, SDSU psychology professor said. “I think that people

don’t realize, like students and the public, how few raises we get as faculty. I’ve had very few raises and it’s important to take seriously this opportunity to finally give us a decent living raise.” In a salary snapshot from April 2015, the reported average salary for a fulltime professor was more than $96,000, it was more than $86,000 for tenuretrack faculty and more than $59,000 for full-time lecturers, according to the CSU. The rally held outside of the Board of Trustees meeting was planned to stand against the current 2-percent wage increase proposal and to deter a possible strike in the spring, which was approved by 94 percent of CSU faculty when put to a vote earlier this month. “We’re standing up because

we know that faculty working conditions are student learning conditions,” said Melina Abdullah, chair of the Pan-African studies department at Cal State Los Angeles and emcee of the rally. “Our students and our faculty deserve fair wages and fair learning conditions. We deserve a public university system that really serves the public.” Faculty and students chanted in support as protesters continued to rally outside the building throughout the afternoon while Long Beach police officers surrounded the chancellor’s office doors. “Faculty working conditions are student learning conditions,” SDSU graduate student Ashley Wardle said. “So if they’re hungry and

not able to be good teachers, then our learning as students suffers. There’s an intersection where we have to support each other.” SDSU’s California Faculty Association arranged two busses to take supporting community to the rally. “I would tell Tim White that he needs to treat us fairly,” said Gene Lamke, hospitality and tourism management professor and CFA bus rider. “If we’re the heart of the university system, then pay us like we’re the heart.” The CSU’s labor negotiation process is now moving into fact-finding, a process by which a neutral party hears both sides of the settlement and presents a non-binding report for each side to review. Fact-finding dates are currently set for Nov. 23 and Dec. 7, CFA’s San Diego State

Chapter President Charles Toombs said. “If no settlement is reached, then the CSU can impose its last and best final offer, which is a 2-percent general salary increase, and CFA can take job-related actions, up to and including a strike,” Toombs said. According to the CSU, a 5-percent increase for all faculty would cost the CSU system about $107 million. “The bottom line is that a strike is not in the best interest for our students, and that’s why we’re committed to the bargaining process and hoping that we can reach a negotiated settlement,” said Toni Molle, CSU director of public affairs. If faculty do strike, Molle said the CSU has a plan to continue teaching students throughout.

#HACKED

Unknown hacker steals student’s info EMELY NAVARRO SENIOR STAFF WRITER ____________________________ Katie McClure, a hospitality and tourism management junior, was impersonated on Facebook for 12 hours by a hacker who took control of her account and personal email. She contacted San Diego State’s IT Security Office because she was afraid the hacker was targeting other students. Information Security Officer Felecia Vlahos called McClure into her office to help her get back her accounts. “We thought her Mac had been compromised and her email, because some of the information that the hacker had, had only appeared in print in Katie’s email,” Vlahos said. McClure noticed she could

not access her Facebook account on her phone on Sept. 30 around 4 p.m. after attempting to log in several times. She thought her phone wasn’t working properly because it was old. “About 30 minutes after that,

her friend it was not her. She then started getting text messages from her friends at other universities asking her why she was messaging them on Facebook to get their student account information. She then realized someone had hacked into her

“ IT WAS A HUMAN PRETENDING TO BE ME.”

- Katie McClure, hospitality and tourism management junior

I got a text from my friend, and she had screenshotted some Facebook messages and said, ‘Is this you?’ And it was the hacker asking her for her student account information in order to log onto the WiFi,” McClure said. McClure immediately told

Facebook account and was impersonating her. Throughout the night, McClure received screenshots of conversations the hacker had with her friends asking them for the same thing: their account information in order to gain access to their

university’s WiFi. “Each conversation I received was different,” McClure said. “It was not a robot. It was a human pretending to be me.” The hacker read McClure’s personal emails and Facebook messages to the point where he or she knew what was going on in her life and how to talk like her. When asking her friends from out of state for their account information, the hacker claimed McClure was in town and needed access to the WiFi to send a PDF of her passport to her mom. “The day before all of this happened I was trying to get my passport because I am studying abroad in the spring,” McClure said. “The hacker went through my emails and saw my emails from the study abroad office

and knew to ask my friends about it.” She tried to log onto her Facebook and emails to reset the password, but the hacker locked her out of her accounts. Finally, she was able to lock down her Facebook and block her account for 24 hours. Within those 24 hours, no one could log into her account or look her up on Facebook, it was as if she had never created an account. With the help of the Information Security Office, McClure was able to use a device that had not been attacked by the hacker to log onto her email, Apple ID and Facebook to take back her accounts. After a day, McClure was able to take back control of her accounts. The identity of the person who stole her account information is still unknown.

NEWS 3

NOV. 23 - DEC. 1, 2015 • THE DAILY AZTEC EDITOR: QUINN OWEN • NEWS@THEDAILYAZTEC.COM

#AZTECWORKERS

Aztec Shops attempts to stop union JACOB SISNEROS SENIOR STAFF WRITER ____________________________ A group of around 15 San Diego State students were turned away after marching to the office of Donna Tusack, CEO of Aztec Shops, to request a meeting and discuss the Aztec Shops workers’ right to form a union. The group, including members of activist group SDSU Forward and Aztec Workers United, were told by Edith Anaya, administrative support coordinator for Aztec Shops, that Tusack couldn’t meet with them because she was in and out of meetings. The march came after California State University Employees Union President Pat Gantt and University Employees Union and CSUEU San Diego Chapter President Robert Yslas sent a letter to Tusack and SDSU President Elliot Hirshman requesting to meet with Hirshman and Tusack regarding the Aztec Shops workers’ desire to organize and improve working conditions. Tusack sent a response back refusing the meeting request. “We provide a very fair and competitive wage and benefits program and an open and welcoming working environment where employees are free to share their voice and raise any

Students who work for Aztec Shops, the non-profit that runs campus markets and dining, are forming a union to improve working conditions. JACOB SISNEROS, SENIOR STAFF WRITER

concerns they may have,” Tusack wrote in her response. “Based on this, we do not believe a meeting is necessary or warranted at this time.” Denyse Martinez and Melanie Sandoval, both juniors double-majoring in psychology and Spanish, work on campus for Aztec Shops and spearheaded the students’ effort. Martinez and Sandoval tell a different story of the working environment, and they dropped off a typed statement claiming that managers have interrupted their talks about collective bargaining, discouraged employees from signing union cards or having

conversations about unions, and posted signs next to the employees’ time clocks with misleading information about unions. The students’ statement asked that these activities cease and the signs be removed. Sandoval said she decided to march to Tusack’s office because she wanted to voice the concerns of her coworkers regarding working conditions. “It was scary, but necessary,” she said. “I felt like if it wasn’t me then nothing would get done about (the issue).” Sandoval, who works at the Aztec Market in East

Commons, said she would come in to work some days and her manager would tell her they were full that day so she would be working at the Cuicacalli Dining Room or another Aztec Market on campus. Sandoval would have to walk over to the new location she would be working and wouldn’t be paid for the time it took to walk there. She said she would also like her work schedule to be more predictable and posted further in advance. Multiple times her schedule was posted Sunday night, and it informed her she had to come in Monday morning to work. Martinez said she wants a

more established schedule, especially during finals, so she doesn’t have to get called into work and stop studying. Graduate geography student Will Lapinal said he was there as part of SDSU Forward to support Sandoval and Martinez’s efforts. “Our job is to help them get a seat at the table,” he said. “The longer they delay, the more interest we will draw so it’s in their best interest to meet with them soon.” Sandoval said they chose to go as a group to show that it wasn’t just one worker who was raising concerns. “They have a wall up but we are pushing on the bricks,” Sandoval said.

#REFUGEES

International experts talk refugee crisis

Experts discussed the Syrian refugee crisis in a discussion on campus Thursday. ADRIANA MILLAR, SENIOR STAFF WRITER

ADRIANA MILLAR SENIOR STAFF WRITER ____________________________ Scholars Without Borders and the International Security and Conflict Resolution Student Society held a panel discussion about the global

refugee crisis Thursday. The panel featured Kathi Anderson, executive director of the Survivors of Torture International Organization, and Peggy Fleming, president of California’s German American Chamber of

Commerce. Planning for the crisis panel began in August, Scholars Without Borders President Jessica Williams said. The event organizers briefly considered canceling the event in light of the Paris attacks on Nov. 13, as well as other recent terrorist attacks in Lebanon, Kenya, Nigeria and Russia. “But I said no, this needs to happen, we need to talk about it,” Williams said. “I think that’s what you need to do in the wake of a tragedy like this. ... You need to talk about it to get through it.” Hundreds of thousands of refugees fleeing war and persecution are expected to have arrived in Europe by the end of 2015. The majority of refugees are Syrians fleeing civil war. “Sometimes people think because we’re so far away from this issue, geographically of course, that it doesn’t matter, but I think it really does impact America in a lot of ways,” Williams said. “I think it’s a really important thing to talk about, to continue this conversation that I know has been going on in Europe for a

long time now.” Having events like the European refugee crisis panel is crucial, Williams said. “Universities are a place of such free thought with people who really want to solve issues, so this is a good way to reach a lot of young minds that are very politically oriented and can do a lot of change in the world,” she said. Scholars Without Borders Vice President and political science junior Taylor Trummel said the event was created to create more awareness about the issue. “Especially since (Europe) is such a popular place to study abroad, (and) being an organization that works to encourage students to study abroad and become a more engaged global citizen,” she said. The guest speakers were able to add insight and context to the refugee crisis in Europe. Fleming spoke about the dangerous journey refugees take to get to safer countries, such as Sweden, London and Germany. Germany has agreed to take as many as 800,000 refugees, the highest amount of refugees out of all

European countries. She also explained that because of the sheer numbers of refugees in Germany, only about 10 percent of the refugees currently in Germany were registered. “They cannot be registered because the German government has run out of resources to register this large amount of applications,” she said at the event. “It is important to understand when we later talk about the political discussion, especially after what happened on Friday, we don’t know who 90 percent of these people are.” Anderson explained to the audience the extensive twoyear process it takes refugees to apply to come to the U.S. Earlier that day the House of Representatives voted on a bill that would create tougher refugee screening, despite President Obama’s promise to veto the bill. “Politicians are making decisions based on fear as a result of the tragedy, as opposed to based on facts, based on what I think constituents really want,” Anderson said.

4 NEWS

NOV. 23 - DEC. 1, 2015 • THE DAILY AZTEC EDITOR: QUINN OWEN • NEWS@THEDAILYAZTEC.COM

Who’sWho? EDITOR IN CHIEF Kelly Hillock

#ASUPDATE

MANAGING EDITOR Matthew Bain NEWS EDITOR Quinn Owen ASST. NEWS EDITOR Torrey Bailey SPORTS EDITOR Patrick Carr

A.S. reviews employee rules

At the last meeting, Associated Students council members discussed requirements for hiring student workers and plans for empty space at the student union. FILE PHOTO

JACOB SISNEROS SENIOR STAFF WRITER ____________________________ In a joint meeting of the College Life Council and University Council, Associated Students members reflected on their work this semester and got a visit from a former A.S. president, who talked about life after college and his time with A.S. STUDENT WORKER REQUIREMENTS The councils discussed an issue with a recent California State University policy that requires background checks for all student employees, appointed two members to the elections and appointment committee, and examined their goals for this semester. Rhetoric and writing studies professor Cezar Ornatowski attended the meeting to update A.S. on the California Faculty Association strike for higher wages and voice his displeasure with the background checks required for student employees at all CSU campuses. Christina Brown, executive director of A.S., said background checks for new hires, rehires and student employees who haven’t had one in the past year can be an expensive and time-

consuming process. Student employees are also required to have at least three references when applying for a job on campus. “Some students haven’t had a job before and that’s not fair to them,” Brown said. Vice President of External Relations Tyler Aguilar said students support the CFA with both issues and A.S. members plan to attend the next CSU Board of Trustees meeting Jan. 27 and 28 to speak out against the proposed tuition raise. ELECTIONS COMMITTEE APPOINTMENTS The councils voted to appoint two members to the elections and appointments committee, one from the College Life Council and one from the University Council. Student Diversity Commissioner Arnelle Sambile was appointed from the CLC and College of Professional Studies and Fine Arts Representative Muriel Robotta was elected from the University Council. PETERSON GYM CONSTRUCTION Brown announced the construction project to turn the three racquetball courts located

on the west side of Peterson Gym into a weight room would be completed over winter break and be ready for use in Spring 2015. Recreation and Wellness Commissioner Chris Thomas said construction on a new field near the Exercise and Nutritional Sciences field is set to start soon and would be open for use by summer. Thomas said the field would help alleviate the wait list of students wanting to play intramural sports. STUDENT UNION UPDATE Brown said she is looking for A.S. members to serve on a committee to determine what to do with the final space in the Conrad Prebys Student Union. She said it could be turned into a student media center. Cody Barbo, who served as A.S. president in 2011-12, stopped by the meeting to reflect on his time leading A.S. Barbo said he didn’t originally plan to get involved when he first came to SDSU, but was inspired by the energy he felt when he was on campus. He decided to run for A.S. president because he had friends who had gone to SDSU for four years and didn’t know what A.S. was or who their student leaders were.

To help improve the presence of A.S. on campus, he pushed hard for the new student union to be built and he said it has been a huge success. “It’s not just that Chipotle is great,” Barbo said. “It’s that every room in (the student union) has had an impact on your life whether you know it or not.” To close the meeting, council members went around the table and said what they did to meet the A.S. vision for 2015. Each item fell under three categories, which were to increase connection and engagement of students, expand cross community collaboration, and enhance marketing and promotion efforts. A.S. Board of Directors member Trevor Yarnall said the student leaders should look at if they accomplished the goals, and if they didn’t, they should look into why they weren’t able to. A.S. has a number of events lined up after Thanksgiving break, including California Secretary of State Alex Padilla visiting on Wednesday Dec. 2 from 3:30 to 4:30 p.m. in the Council Chambers on the third floor of the student union, a Good Neighbor clean-up event Dec. 6 from 9 a.m. to noon and De-Stress Fest, which will run from Dec. 7 to 10.

#PRIVILEGE

Cultural center hosts privilege talk NATALIA XIBILLE CONTRIBUTOR ____________________________ The Center for Intercultural Relations hosted a discussion aimed at promoting selfawareness of privileges and to inspire unity within San Diego State’s student body on Thursday. The event, called “What is Privilege?” was held in the Legacy Suite of the Conrad Prebys Student Union. “It’s having people critically think about their privilege and realizing where they lie on the spectrum of privilege and using that privilege to help other people,” said Associated Students Diversity Commissioner Arnelle Sambile, who coordinated the event Privilege is an individual’s access to opportunity that is comprised of multiple aspects of identity, such as gender, race or socioeconomic status, and often

it is something determined at birth, Sambile said. At the beginning of the event, students formed a large circle and were asked to introduce themselves and to state their pronouns, indicating which gender they identify with. They set up community guidelines to establish the room as a safe space and encouraged people to speak. “What’s said here stays here, but what’s learned here leaves here,” political science sophomore Violet Friudenberg said. Students were divided into two groups to discuss what privilege meant to them and their personal experiences relating to it. Topics ranged from struggles obtaining access to education because of their race, freely expressing their sexual orientation, and fearing violence and judgment for simply being who they are. Issues surrounding privilege,

such as the Black Lives Matters movement and the University of Missouri protests, prompted students like biology senior Jeffrey Abrenica to come to the event. “I saw the word ‘privilege,’ and I noticed that had become a very trendy word in the last few months,” Abrenica said. “I feel like it is a very important thing, especially since I am a minority, and I should be more aware of it because I have been coming into contact with it a lot.” The event’s main feature was the privilege march. Participants walked to the Centennial Walkway near the student union. They stood in a line with their arms linked and were asked questions relating to different privileges. With every question, they either took a step forward, indicating they have that privilege, or back, indicating the opposite. In the end, they all stood in different places. Some were in the far

back and some in the front. Toward the back was public relations and communications junior Anthony Lee. “It’s eye-opening and kind of sad, but I think at the end of the day, we are all here,” Lee said. “We all made it here somehow and I’m glad we are able to share this experience at SDSU, even though some of us are more privileged than others.” Ahead of the group was business senior Paul Sullivan. “I’m very fortunate for the life I’ve been given, but it’s hard to turn around to see the majority of the people,” Sullivan said. “It puts things into perspective. You want to do so much, and change takes time.” The event concluded with a final discussion on the results of the privilege walk, stereotypes, ways to educate others about privilege and creating equality of privilege for everyone. “Be brave and don’t be afraid,” Dotimas said.

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 PRODUCTION DESIGNERS Kaylee Andrews Hannah Lingle-Veale VOLUNTEER WRITERS Jacob Sisneros Emely Navarro Adriana Millar Natalia Xibile Nicole Sazegar Alissa Kasawdish Cami Buckman Jimmy Janszen A.G. Priest Shayne Zack Marissa Ochoa Zachary Engberg Brandon Truffa Kayla Jimenez VOLUNTEER PHOTOGRAPHERS Andy Farra Kalie Christiensen Cristian Rangel Kristian Carreon Adriana Heldiz VOLUNTEER CARTOONIST Annan Gaggi _____________________________ ADVERTISING DIRECTOR Radbeh Ravaz SALES MANAGER AJ Swamy 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.

SPORTS 5

NOV. 23 - DEC. 1, 2015 • THE DAILY AZTEC EDITOR: PATRICK CARR • SPORTS@THEDAILYAZTEC.COM

COMMENTARY

#AZTECFB

SDSU football should be in top 25 ZACHARY ENGBERG STAFF COLUMNIST ____________________________

San Diego State will play in the Mountain West Championship game on Dec. 5. CRISTIAN RANGEL, STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER

Junior cornerback Damontae Kazee strutted into the end zone, the culmination of his 63-yard punt return touchdown, and put an end to any rebellion brewing against his San Diego State football team, giving it a commanding 42-7 lead over UNLV. And with this, the party began. Well, more, it continued. Las Vegas, known primarily for its legendary strip and party mentality, played host to the Aztecs’ 52-14 trouncing of the Runnin’ Rebels, although the only running they did on this night was in pursuit of an Aztec football player. It was fitting that the Aztecs were able to celebrate their Mountain West Championship game berth, the first such appearance in program history, in Sin City. Sinful, an adjective applicable to the Aztecs’ Saturday night performance. Another word comes to mind after watching the contest: statement. Head coach Rocky Long and company made a statement on Saturday night that a Mountain West Championship appearance, and even a bowl game berth, are not enough for this Aztec team. They made a statement that the College Football Playoff

selection committee should not, and cannot, ignore the dominant Aztecs and their rightful place among the nation’s Top 25. All night, the appetite of the hungry SDSU team was never satiated. Even when it had a 28-0 lead with only 16 seconds remaining in the first half and the ball at the 13-yard line, the offense still ran two plays and sent in a field goal off the leg of senior kicker Donny Hageman. It was that aggressive attitude SDSU held all night that helped it put an exclamation point on its West Division-winning season with an amazing performance, one that would have been worthy of a primetime showing at the Bellagio hotel. It would be one thing if SDSU was only winning all of its conference games, which is a memorable feat itself, one that only six other Football Bowl Subdivision teams have accomplished thus far this season. But the Aztecs are demolishing their opposition. In the last four games, SDSU has outscored opponents 17948. The Aztecs’ red zone proficiency has been a big part of their high outpouring of points, scoring on 93.9 percent of red zone trips coming into their game on Saturday, which ranks sixth in the nation. Regardless of the record or talent level of the opposition,

this kind of domination has to be rewarded, especially considering how the Aztecs have avenged their early season woes by plowing through the MW. And along the way, silenced the myriad of skeptics that arose after their seemingly debilitating home loss to the University of South Alabama. But a team progresses as the season goes on, and this year the Aztecs have aged like fine wine. And with this development, it has become substantially harder to tell what aspect of the team is most impressive. Early on, it was the running game. Then, the defense got its teeth. But at this all-important juncture, all the pistons are pumping and SDSU has shown little signs of slowing down. It would have been easy for the Aztecs to turn off the engine for a night and stroll through a victory lap in Las Vegas against a weak 3-7 Rebels unit knowing they had already guaranteed their spot in the postseason. And it would be very easy for the Aztecs to do so again next week when they take on the University of Nevada on senior night. But that is not in the nature of this Rocky Long-led team. They recognize that this kind of success has not come to San Diego football in a long while (sorry, Chargers fans), and while they have already made history, why should that be enough?

#AZTECWSOCCER

2015 a good year for women’s soccer

San Diego State women’s soccer went 15-4-1 in 2015. KRISTIAN CARREON, SENIOR STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER

BRANDON TRUFFA STAFF WRITER ____________________________ A season which ended so devastatingly for the San Diego State women’s soccer team should be remembered as a season for the ages. Although the wound is still fresh for a team that saw its fourth-straight Mountain West tournament title slip away within a span of 45 seconds, defining the 2015 season based solely on the bitter ending would be a complete

crime. The pride far outweighs the melancholy. The Aztecs began the season with three straight shutouts, one of them being on the road against No. 17 University of Kentucky. From there, SDSU hit a rough patch, only going 2-4 in its next six games, which included a loss to MW rival Boise State. Following the Boise game, a switch flipped. The team loosened up and the Aztecs went on an absolute tear

through the MW. “We had a training (that) Saturday I thought was actually kind of fun,” SDSU head coach Mike Friesen said. “We had a good time doing some silly games at the start, then looked at the scouting report, and I thought we came out and played what wasn’t our best game, but we played with a lot of grit. I think that really started the momentum.” SDSU rattled off 10 consecutive wins against conference opponents, outscoring its opposition 24-5 and posting five shutouts, four of which came in consecutive games. Entering the tournament on their home turf as the No. 1 seed, SDSU’s bench players stepped up in the semifinal round against Colorado College after freshman forward and leading scorer Leah Pruitt and sophomore defender Jen Rupey suffered season-ending injuries in the previous game. The Aztecs defeated the Tigers 2-0 and went on to play San Jose State in the championship, where they eventually fell 4-2 in penalty kicks.

Individually, SDSU had a conference-record nine players named to the allMW teams — just two shy of fielding an entire, 11-person team. Due to not winning the conference tournament, the Aztecs were stymied from receiving an automatic bid to the NCAA tournament Their RPI was too low for an at-large bid. But better days lie ahead for this team. With time to recover, 2016 is looking like it will be a fun year to watch the Aztecs. SDSU will return nine of its 11 starters from this year and will only lose three graduating seniors: goalkeeper Melanie Vaughn and defenders Ashley Hauke and Tiffany Geer. For Hauke, it’s a bittersweet end. The thing she’ll miss most is the comradery of the team and friendships she has made. “I’ve made so many memories,” Hauke said. “A lot of these girls are going to end up in my wedding one day.” However, Hauke has not ruled out professional soccer in her future. “I’ve been talking to

(Friesen) and he’s been pushing me to go try out.” Hauke said. “I think I would be interested. I still feel like I have so much to prove.” Pruitt and Rupey underwent successful knee surgeries last week and will begin rehabbing to be back in time for next season. In addition, senior defender Meggie Gulczynski will be back after acquiring a medical redshirt resulting from the torn ACL she suffered in the first game of the season. With the returning talent, the Aztecs will welcome two freshman: Bailey Cook from Denver, Colorado, and Camryn Wendlandt from Couer D’alene, Idaho, who will both graduate early and begin training with the team in January. With so much to look forward to, and so much to be proud of, the future is bright for a young yet experienced squad who will be hungrier than ever heading into 2016. The last time the Aztecs failed to make the NCAA tournament back in 2011, they won 21 games in 2012 and made the third round of the 2013 NCAA tournament.

6 SPORTS

NOV. 23 - DEC. 1, 2015 • THE DAILY AZTEC EDITOR: PATRICK CARR • SPORTS@THEDAILYAZTEC.COM

#AZTECFB #AZTECMBB

Kell looking for shot amid struggles

Sophomore guard Trey Kell (middle) is averaging 4.5 points this season. MEGAN WOOD, PHOTO EDITOR

PATRICK CARR SPORTS EDITOR ____________________________ The thing about Trey Kell that most people heard about was his lethal touch from 3-point range. For the San Diego State

men’s basketball sophomore guard — the hometown kid from St. Augustine High where he won championship after championship and poured in dozens of points every night — his second year on the Mesa is starting off how his first ended. Questionably.

So far, Kell’s performances through four games have been shaky at best. Against Illinois State in the opener, he fouled out. The next game against No. 16 University of Utah, he had 15 points and zero fouls, but on 5-of-15 shooting and with two critical late-game misses from the freethrow line. Against San Diego Christian College, he sat out the second half with a sore knee. Last Saturday against Little Rock, he was virtually anonymous. He spent the summer reworking his shot with assistant coach Dave Velasquez. One of the main problems with it, Kell said, was that his shot was too slow. It was clunky and hesitant. “When I shoot it faster it goes in a majority of the time, when I shoot it slower that’s when my percentage drops,” he said. Ideally, he would want to catch and shoot in one fluid motion, just like NBA MVP Stephen Curry. “There’s no one else in the world that can do that except him, it’s crazy,” Kell said. Kell is shy — very shy. The very thought of taking a speech class with 30 other students

terrified him. “I remember they told me on my visit here that I had to do a speech class freshman year and I was not happy about it, let’s just put it that way,” Kell said. “You’ve got to do what you’ve got to do.” It was a tedious process last year when Kell, a 2-guard in high school, was slotted in as SDSU’s starting point guard, a position he didn’t play in high school. It was very difficult to adjust to, not just because of Kell’s abilities from beyond the arc, but because of his personality. It’s not as if he has a crippling anxiety. He’s just quiet. A point guard has to be loud and commanding and be able to take charge. That was Kell’s biggest hurdle playing the point. Both he and Aqeel Quinn both spent time at the point last year. After three games in the Maui Invitational in November in which Kell took charge and showed off the skills that made him so highly touted, he essentially disappeared. His confidence fell. Instead of hearing a ‘swish,’ he heard a ‘clank.’ As for the current Aztecs, they’re 2-2 heading into a

Monday night matchup against East Carolina University. The 2-2 mark has been a bit disappointing to fans, who initially salivated at the thought of sophomore forward Malik Pope and his roommate redshirt-freshman forward Zylan Cheatham running up and down the court throwing down dunks like they were going out of style. Instead, the offense has been hesitant, but it’s still early in the season. “I just feel like it’s just getting to know each other, what everyone wants to do on the court,” Kell said about a possible weakness of the team back in October before the season. “Team chemistry. Every team goes through that the first couple games of the year.” As for the team’s current struggles, which have started to awaken a few frustrations from fans, Kell saw it coming, whether or not it was in the form of a 2-2 record. “There’s going to be some growing pains, obviously, like every team has and we’ll be able to work through that,” he said in October. “We’re going to make mistakes, we’re all human.”

GIVING THANKS 7

NOV. 23 - DEC. 1, 2015 • THE DAILY AZTEC EDITOR: OLIVIA LITSEY • FEATURES@THEDAILYAZTEC.COM

#AZTECFB #THANKSGIVING

What are you doing this holiday? ELIZABETH MUELLER SENIOR, STUDIO ARTS MAJOR “We normally have a potluck dinner with my mom’s side of the family. My grandma is from Japan, so we usually have sushi mixed with our dinner.”

MADELINE MCGOLDRICK FRESHMAN, UNDECLARED “My family has a typical American turkey dinner, and this year it’s going to be at my house.”

JAQUELIN GALINDO FRESHMAN, TELEVISION, FILM AND MEDIA MAJOR

CHRIS THOMAS SOPHOMORE, ATHLETIC TRAINING

“In Tijuana, the people there celebrate Thanksgiving for the sake of eating the food. This year, my family from Tijuana went pescatarian, so we’re all eating salmon for dinner. I think it’ll be the start of a new tradition. Also, I love to watch the ABC Family ‘Harry Potter’ movie marathon.”

“Usually I go to my aunt’s house and have dinner with the whole family. For the past three years, I’ve been going to work on Thanksgiving for Black Friday, so my family usually has a Thanksgiving lunch.”

MARJON SAULON FRESHMAN, MARKETING “I’m from the Philippines, so at the international school I went to, we celebrated Thanksgiving with a turkey lunch. I don’t really celebrate it now.”

MELISSA PATEL SOPHOMORE, CHILD DEVELOPMENT “My family never used to celebrate Thanksgiving, so we started a tradition about four years ago because my cousins and I were tired of eating pizza every year. Now my family attempts to eat traditional Thanksgiving food.”

YOU’RE NOT JUST PART OF A CLASS. YOU’RE PART OF A LEGACY. At the American School of Professional Psychology at Argosy University | Southern California (ASPP, Southern California), we have a proud history of diversity, academic excellence, and community engagement. Our clinical psychology leaders and distinguished faculty have a deep commitment to the education and training of the next generation of professional psychologists. With our integrated curriculum, you’ll go beyond books and classrooms and receive real-world clinical experience. This comprehensive approach reflects our commitment to prepare you to be an exceptional practitioner; ready to meet the challenges of the diverse people and communities you will serve. And that commitment to you is reflected in the profession’s commitment to us. We’re proud to say that we received a seven-year grant of accreditation for our Doctor of Psychology in Clinical Psychology (PsyD) program from the APA. That’s the maximum amount of time allowed by the Commission on Accreditation and certifies that our school meets their rigorous standards. At ASPP, Southern California, we offer the following degrees:

MASTER OF ARTS IN CLINICAL PSYCHOLOGY DOCTOR OF PSYCHOLOGY (PSYD) IN CLINICAL PSYCHOLOGY Argosy University, Orange County 601 South Lewis Street Orange, CA 92868 Let us help you practice what we teach. Learn more today at clinical.argosy.edu or call 714-620-3700.

The Doctor of Psychology in Clinical Psychology Program at the American School of Professional Psychology at Argosy University | Southern California is accredited by the Commission on Accreditation of the American Psychological Association (APA). Questions related to the program’s accredited status should be directed to the Commission on Accreditation: Oﬃce of Program Consultation and Accreditation, American Psychological Association, 750 1st Street, NE, Washington, DC 20002 Phone: (202) 336-5979 / E-mail: apaaccred@ apa.org Web: www.apa.org/ed/accreditation. Argosy University is accredited by the Senior College and University Commission of the Western Association of Schools and Colleges (985 Atlantic Ave., Suite 100, Alameda, CA 94501, wascsenior.org). Programs, credential levels, technology, and scheduling options vary by school and are subject to change. Credentials and experience levels vary by faculty and instructors. Not all online programs are available to residents of all U.S. states. Argosy University, Orange County, 601 South Lewis Street, Orange CA 92868 © 2015 Argosy University. All rights reserved. Our email address is materialsreview@argosy.edu.

PHOTOS BY CAMI BUCKMAN, STAFF WRITER DESIGNED BY HANNAH LINGLE-VEALE, PRODUCTION DESIGNER

See auprograms.info for program duration, tuition, fees and other costs, median debt, salary data, alumni success, and other important information.

8 OPINION

NOV. 23 - DEC. 1, 2015 • THE DAILY AZTEC EDITOR: MATTHEW BAIN • ME@THEDAILYAZTEC.COM

#HEALTHIEROPTIONS

SDSU Dining: Home-grown Home grown eats SHAYNE ZACK, CONTRIBUTOR

SHAYNE ZACK CONTRIBUTOR ____________________________ Last year San Diego State Dining Executive Chef Ed Glebus invested in 10 plots at the community garden, with the idea that the crops could be incorporated into faculty and student dining options. The community garden cannot solely support student needs for healthier food choices, but this gradual incorporation of healthy options is a giant step in the right direction. They are currently growing radishes, black kale, cauliflower and snow peas. The charming community garden is tucked away behind Parking Structure 6. It was started by students, faculty and community members. The garden is

organic, pesticide-free and grown using ecologically friendly methods. One morning I visited the garden. Kat Hunter, a nutrition major, was checking on her

what I learn in class,” Woods said. “As students, we’re exposed to so many people and germs on campus. Eating organic vegetables and fruit is like a form of medicine, it

“THE EXISTENCE OF THE GARDEN IS A COMMON CENTRAL FOCAL POINT THAT ORGANIZES SOCIAL INTERACTION ...”

- Matthew Lauer, sustainability and environmental science professor

planter box. “The garden is important to me because it lets me get connected with the food I eat and see where it comes from,” Hunter said. Geology senior Alex Woods was in the garden testing soil for his geography class. “The garden serves as a applicable demonstration of

keeps my immune system strong.” The garden could be a way to bring more nutritious options to students and also educate them about where our food comes from and the impact it has on the earth. “The existence of the garden is a common central focal point that organizes social

interaction, learning about human health, sustainable food methods and positive resource consumption,” sustainabilty and enviromental science professor Matthew Lauer said. In addition to the obvious benefits of improved health and sustainability, the garden provides a location for social interactions between gardeners and community members that cultivate a positive relationship with the community. Many of the people who own plots in the garden are fairly new at the art of organic gardening and constantly learning what gardening techniques are successful. “Some of the frustrations with organic gardening are low crop yields, plants growing then quickly dying and high costs,” Glebus said. “It is a slow

process with an enormous learning curves. ... One of our recent successes in the garden was a high yield of basil at the end of the summer.” His colleagues turned the basil into pesto and used it in University Towers Kitchen for flatbreads, caprese salad and the Green Fork plant-based station. While the cost of crops from organic gardening cannot compare with low costs of processed, chemically altered food, the health benefits, initiation of educational social interactions and low impact on the earth are our social responsibility. The Dining Services collaboration with the community garden is one more example of excellent leadership innovation seen in students, employees and the surrounding community.

#PROFILEPIC

Pray for Paris, not your Facebook JIMMY JANSZEN STAFF COLUMNIST ____________________________ The tragedy that took place in Paris has overtaken social media. Some point out flaws with media focusing on a European massacre as opposed to a massacre in a less developed area, while others post about their support for the people of France. But the absolute worst thing you can do amid this calamity is to put the opaque French flag over your Facebook profile picture. You are exploiting the victims of Paris by focusing the attention on yourself. Facebook asks its user if he or she would like to “change their profile picture to support France and the people of Paris.” If you change it, it is

subsequently posted publically for all of your friends and friends of friends — to like, share and comment about how great of a person you are for putting effort on clicking a virtual button. What you are doing is following a trend and not showing any bit of effort in providing compassion for the victims and their families in the tragedy. Also, by placing the flag over your profile picture, you are not providing one bit of awareness for the events that unfolded in Paris. The catastrophe was ubiquitously seen, heard and read across news outlets all across the world. You showing “support” with a French flag is only bringing attention to you. Facebook went the wrong way with showing support for France. The company made the

“support” too public with no actual effort, benevolence or donation money on behalf of its 1.5 billion active users. When the earthquake and tsunami devastated Japan back in March of 2011, the Red Cross and Facebook used the fundraising project “help Japanese earthquake and tsunami victims” to provide relief efforts. Anyone who logged into Facebook could donate a sum of money that would go to the tsunami victims and their families. If you decided to donate, you did a moral act of kindness and generosity. Your donation was not publicly noted via Facebook because it didn’t need to be. If you actually care about the victims of Paris, donate to the French Red Cross, don’t just

put a French flag over a closeup of your face and pretend to show support for their country. San Diego State’s Facebook page did not change its profile picture to a French flag digitally placed over Hepner Hall, but it posted something that truly matters: an update that all 34 SDSU students studying abroad in France are safe and unharmed. This shows compassion without the vanity of putting oneself in the center of attention. So to everyone who decided to place the French flag over his or her profile picture, whether you’re an SDSU student or not, you can learn a little something from SDSU’s page. If you’re going to post something, post something that actually makes a difference. Donate to relief funds and share articles and

photos that spark thought. Don’t pretend to show empathy by clicking a button that shows your face to your friends’ Facebook feed. According to actor and comedian Anthony Jeselnik, posting your “thoughts and prayers” on social media about a tragedy is like a “wedding photographer who only takes selfies.” “All you are doing is saying, ‘Don’t forget about me today,’” Jeselnik said. By posting the French flag over your Facebook profile picture, you are acting like a wedding photographer who only takes selfies. Don’t succumb to this social trend — you seem narcissistic. Be proactive in actually making a difference if you want to show that you care.

OPINION 9

NOV. 23 - DEC. 1, 2015 • THE DAILY AZTEC EDITOR: JOSEPH CIOLINO • OPINION@THEDAILYAZTEC.COM

#TRANSGENDERACTORS

Transgender people should tell their tales A.G. PRIEST STAFF COLUMNIST ____________________________________ In a recent trailer, it was revealed that Eddie Redmayne will be playing a transgender woman in the upcoming movie “The Danish Girl”. Redmayne is cisgender, meaning he identifies with the gender he was assigned with at birth, yet he has been cast as a transgender character. In fact, in the past, there have been many transgender roles that cisgender actors have undertaken. Hilary Swank as Brandon Teena in “Boys Don’t Cry.” David Duchovny as Denise Bryson in “Twin Peaks.” Jared Leto as Rayon in “Dallas Buyers Club.” Jordan Todosey as Adam Torres in “Degrassi: The Next Generation.” All of these actors are cisgender and all of their adopted roles are transgender. There is something very wrong about this. Being transgender is not something you can act out, or portray in a film. Trans is an identity — something you are, not something you do. Being transgender is not a role a cisgender actor can play because cisgender people cannot act transgender. There is no way to act transgender. “Why are casting companies not

looking for trans people to play trans characters?” said political science sophomore Violet Friudenber, who identifies as non-binary. “Being trans is hard enough because job security is threatened just by being trans.” If a story calls for a transgender character, casting directors should only be offering the role to those who identify as transgender. There is no excuse if no transgender people auditioned. Instead of an excuse, it should be an indication that they are not looking hard enough. Additionally, the transgender community has an abnormally high unemployment rate. Respondents of the National Transgender Discrimination Survey experienced twice the rate of unemployment compared to the rest of the population. There should be more of an effort to employ transgender people in general, and transgender actors should be able to tell their story. “Cis people cannot tell a trans story because they do not understand the story,” Friudenberg said. “It’s really discouraging, and frankly it’s disgusting that they are not letting trans people be the tellers of their own story.” Most transgender characters have identities that are integral to the stories’ plots. This places importance on their transgender identities because the plot

#SAFERCAMPUS

Heighten security MARISSA OCHOA STAFF COLUMNIST ____________________________________ The San Diego State Police Department never fails to deliver crime alerts every year, and most often these crimes involve petty theft and break-in alerts. Why does a four-year university have so much crime just within its campus walls? It’s not enough to simply report these crimes after the fact. SDSU needs to start looking into

focuses either on their transition or struggles as a transgender individual. Cisgender actors cannot relate to the trials and tribulations that transgender people go through on a daily basis, therefore it is unfair and disrespectful to assume a cisgender person can portray a transgender person better than a transgender person can. When a cisgender male steps into the role of a transgender woman, a dangerous assumption is perpetuated. In the world of TV and film, as suggested by movies like “The Danish Woman” and “Dallas Buyers Club,” a transgender woman is merely a man in makeup. In the world of television and film, a transgender man is merely confused, and non-binary people are a simple fantasy. These volatile notions are fallacious premises that erase transgender identities and create difficulties regarding the visibility and acceptance of these identities. In May 2014, the band Arcade Fire released a music video for their song “We Exist.” It features Andrew Garfield, cisgender star of “The Amazing SpiderMan,” as a transgender woman. “There is a prevalent idea that viable transgender actors and actresses simply do not exist,” said Kat Haché, transgender woman and writer at Bustle. “Naturally, this becomes a selffulfilling prophecy when they never

gain exposure, rendered invisible by the lack of acknowledgment on the part of directors. One can see how this is especially problematic in a video for a song entitled ‘We Exist,’ If so, where?” Eleven, transgender contributor at TransAdvocate, says when a cisgender person is cast as a trans character, “a chance for visibility is lost, and they make sure that their voice is louder than ours, and that trans folks will only exist as elaborate fictions, collections of artifice whose identities are as flimsy as a layer of makeup and a particular outfit.” However, certain media have taken steps to increase the visibility of the transgender community and their stories. Laverne Cox, a transgender woman, plays Sophia Burset in Netflix’s “Orange is the New Black.” Jamie Clayton, another transgender woman, plays Nomi Marks in Netflix’s “Sense8.” Although these have been fantastic leaps, there is still a long way to go in terms of visibility for the transgender community and transgender actors. As long as cisgender people are cast as transgender characters, the transgender community suffers losses of opportunities to tell their stories. Casting companies should hire transgender actors to play transgender characters and let transgender actors tell their own stories.

#DROWINGINDEBT

Chains of college

upon identification, according to NBC Los Angeles. The school will also be implementing guest registration where students must register any non-students for them to be allowed on campus. It sounds tedious, but is it that bad of an option if SDSU were to adapt these security measures? This will allow faculty and security to keep track of who is on campus and this may potentially decrease the amount of unwanted guests. USC may be a private school and funding an operation like this is

... SDSU HAD 31 ON-CAMPUS STUDENT HOUSING BURGLARIES IN 2014, AN INCREASE SINCE 2012. closing off easy access points on campus during evening hours. School shouldn’t be completely closed off, but it’s not a far-fetched idea to have certain areas of campus access closed off to ensure students are not at risk of encountering a group of burglars. According to the U.S. Department of Education, SDSU had 31 on-campus student housing burglaries in 2014, an increase since 2012. USC has already implemented similar types of changes and SDSU should consider following suit. USC will be installing chain-linked fences and security cameras and will deny anybody who is a non-resident access to campus after hours (between 9 p.m. and 6 a.m.) come winter break. Only a few entrances will be open after hours and can only be accessed by faculty and students

probably easier, but students at SDSU are no less important than those at USC and deserve a safer campus. I applaud the campus for at least having escorts, but what good are they during sudden encounters? According to NeighborhoodScout, La Mesa scores a 16 on the Crime Index, with 100 being the safest. SDSU is located in La Mesa. This is not to say that SDSU is in a completely inhabitable area, but it does suggest that beefing up security wouldn’t be such a bad idea. SDSU is a beautiful campus and students should feel free to roam during the day or night. Closing off the entire campus may be a bit daunting, but denying access from key points of entry on campus could be the ticket to decreasing the amount of crime on campus.

ANNAN GAGGI, STAFF CARTOONIST

10 ARTS & LIFESTYLE

NOV. 23 - DEC. 1, 2015 • THE DAILY AZTEC EDITOR: OLIVIA LITSEY • FEATURES@THEDAILYAZTEC.COM

#SDSUALUMNI

Alumni turn friendship into business ALISSA KASAWDISH STAFF WRITER ____________________________________

The Zaneta Owens Collection stemmed from a friendship between two San Diego State alumni. COURTESY OF CHARLES STONE

San Diego State alumni Zaneta Owens and Charles Stone turned their friendship at college into a fashionable business with their handbag line, the Zaneta Owens Collection. They met in the business fraternity Delta Sigma Pi while attending SDSU. Stone studied international business and Owens studied business management and entrepreneurship. They have been applying the skills they learned in their business majors since graduating in 2011 to their careers today. “If it weren’t for SDSU, none of this would have happened,” Stone said. “It fostered our growth and our friendship.” Owens started designing her own handbags in 2013, and Stone wanted to get the word out and help the business grow. “I feel like people really wanted to see something new and they are excited about a new African-American designer coming from San Diego, which is already kind of a rare thing,” Stone said. A unique touch to each handbag is the label that reads “Made in California” on the gold Zaneta Owens logo. “It seems like so many women are tired of seeing the same massproduced brand whether it is Coach or Michael Kors,” Stone said. “Everyone has the same things so (Owens) wanted to design a California classicstyled handbag for the person who wanted something different, to stand out in a different way and to have something that not every person has.” According to the Zaneta Owens Collection website, Owens’ “Made in California” label not only says the

handbags are made in the U.S., but it also symbolizes the inspirations and support she has received from her business partners, family and friends. The quality of the bag is another important feature of the collection. Owens carefully designs each handbag. She perfects every aspect from her sketchbook design to the final product. Owens works closely with manufacturers in Los Angeles and is present for the whole process. Stone said Owens has a very high standard for leather, stitching and color, and she ensures each bag is created up to her expectations. The 2015 collection has two styles of handbags, the Mary and the Victoria. The Mary tote is simple, elegant and a staple piece fit for any season. The bag has a leather exterior crafted to its classic loose, structured shape. The Victoria handbag is made with Italian leather. The interior is lined with a cotton-blend fabric and has an antique gold-zippered pocket. The exterior has the signature logo, a goldzippered closure and four metal black bag feet to help protect the bottom of the handbag. The handbag line is currently being sold online and at Finezza Fine Gifts, a store in Rancho Santa Fe. Stone and Owens created only a certain amount of each bag so they’re not massproduced. The two are currently focused on getting a strong base for their California-inspired line in San Diego, Los Angeles and San Francisco. In the future, Stone sees the brand branching out and eventually taking on men’s products, as well. “It’s been eye-opening for both of us to see if we just put ourselves out there and try, there is a good response and people seem to be really positive about the brand,” Stone said.

Alumna Zaneta Owens designs each handbag in the collection. COURTESY OF CHARLES STONE

ARTS & LIFESTYLE 11

NOV. 23 - DEC. 1, 2015• THE DAILY AZTEC EDITOR: OLIVIA LITSEY • FEATURES@THEDAILYAZTEC.COM

#MUSICALTHEATER

Campus hosts ‘On the Eve’ reading NICOLE SAZEGAR STAFF WRITER ____________________________________ “On the Eve” is an indie-rock metaplay that modernizes history. Seth Magill and Shawn Magill of the band, Home by Hovercraft, joined their lyrics and music with Michael Frederico’s book of the same name to create a tongue-incheek time-traveling experience. On Thursday, Nov. 19, La Jolla Playhouse collaborated with San Diego State’s master of fine arts musical theatre program to bring a developmental reading of “On the Eve” to campus. Set during an apocalypse, “On the Eve” centers on a theater company performing a sci-fi musical about Marie Antoinette’s ill-fated time-traveling hot air balloon. The antagonist of the story, the Talking Man, attempts to enforce stereotypes of history, but the actors fight to change the story for its last run. Protagonist Chase Spacegrove, inventor Joseph and statue Clio accompany Marie in her adventures. Eventually, the musical within the play spills into the actors’ reality while they attempt to perform their last play in the old, right way. Audience members are left using their imagination to find the reality within the play, which placed them in a trance-like wonder. The audience was left in a constant

state of shock and awe interrupted with moments of bursting laughter. “The audience can use their imagination to make up what (the play) will look like,” professor and the play’s musical director Robert Meffe said. “It’s a real fun experience and a unique one for an audience. It’s not what we see in a San Diego theater.” The reading was done by SDSU’s graduate musical theatre program, and the creators of the play were amazed by each actor’s take on the characters. “To see people who don’t know us and haven’t been with the show for a year that are just making their own choices with the characters, and it might be something totally different than I ever thought, but we love it,” Frederico said. “I never in a million years would have pictured (each) role played (in such a way) but I love it.” The Talking Man, played by Randall Eames, was the most vibrant character of the entire play. While the character was meant to be a dictator type, Eames’ exuberance added to the play’s overall humorous mood. The hero of the story, Chase Spacegrove, played by Kikau Alvaro, was the perfect comedic relief. In the middle of a revolution, rewriting history and powerful words, Chase was able to lighten a serious tone all while driving the plot. The actress who played both Simone and Caroline, Jessica Humphrey, did

CROSSWORDS

ACROSS 1 Popeye’s nemesis 6 Electrolux, briefly 9 Nos. on beach lotion labels 13 Pachelbel composition 14 Tel Aviv’s country: Abbr. 15 Opera highlight 16 Small thicket 17 Online matchmaker 19 “Look before you __” 21 School course with slides 22 = 25 Lawyer’s charge 26 Carry with effort 27 Partner of hither

28 For the lady 29 Inlaid designs 32 Apple music players 34 “U Can’t Touch This” rapper 36 Web destinations 38 Worded 42 They’re usually divided into scenes 43 Wisecracking West 44 MLB’s Indians, on scoreboards 45 __ Vegas 46 Looked ready to fight 50 Obscure from view, as in an eclipse 52 Continually 53 See 42-Down 55 Vacant

The San Diego State MFA musical theatre program and La Jolla Playhouse collaborated on the production. KALIE CHRISTENSEN, STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER

not only sing light and sweet but also strong enough to stand out from the voices of the rest. “I love watching how much fun they’re having with it,” Shawn Magill said. The indie-rock songs and ballads written by Shawn and Seth Magill were fun, catchy and powerful. Songs such as “What Is Most Real,” “Time To Dream” and “Waking Sleep”

emphasized the play’s wistful mood, while “Modernized” and “Rocket” aligned with the play’s modern rock vibe. The boisterous laughter and gasps of the audience revealed that the multilayered experience of “On the Eve” would be the best way to go out if they were to see one last play before the world ended. Keep an eye out for “On the Eve” as it continues to develop.

CLASSIFIEDS

58 San __: Riviera resort 59 Ambient music pioneer Brian 60 Bete __ 61 Tijuana three 62 Athletic center 63 Pig’s sniffer DOWN 1 Secretly keep in the email loop, for short 2 Philosopher __-tzu 3 Disconnects from the outlet 4 Where sailors go 5 Ryan or Tatum 6 Compete 7 Hearth receptacle 8 Online guy with a list

9 O.T. prophet 10 Reviewed for errors 11 Piano players? 12 Make a proposer smile 18 Director Howard 20 Gives a pep talk, with “up” 22 Stately tree 23 Status __ 24 Slugger Sammy 28 Bar mitzvah dance 30 Bill totals: Abbr. 31 Cocktail rocks 32 Announcement upon arrival 33 For each 35 Movie-rating org. 36 Like large reptiles, compared to smaller ones 37 “My treat” 39 Many a November birth, to astrologers 40 Helper for Santa 41 Dict. entry 42 With 53-Across, physics Nobelist who devised the formula that begins 17-, 22-, 34and 46-Across 43 Problem on the Caine 46 Drunkard 47 Captain of the Caine 48 Coin toss call 49 Exorcism target 51 General __ chicken 54 __ de plume 56 Capote nickname 57 To this point

Help Wanted Childcare needed for our happy/active 2 year old son in our home in Bay Park. Both parents work from home with occasional outside meetings. Seeking loving, reliable person with experience and references. Must have in-home child care experience with young children and be able to provide at least three non-family references. 2:15 - 5:15 Mon/Wed/Fri/Sat. Email arasdal@san.rr.com ________________________________

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PLEASE NOTE: The Daily Aztec does not endorse or support and has no affiliation with the products or services offered in the Classifieds section. To place an ad in the Classifieds section, please visit thedailyaztec.com/classifieds ______________________________ The views expressed in this issue do not necessarily reflect those of The Daily Aztec. Comments? Email us at letters@thedailyaztec.com

12 THE BACK PAGE

NOV. 23 - DEC. 1, 2015 • THE DAILY AZTEC EDITOR: OLIVIA LITSEY • FEATURES@THEDAILYAZTEC.COM

#THANKSGIVING

A turkey-hater's holiday CAMI BUCKMAN STAFF WRITER ____________________________________

‘T

is the season for family feasting and overeating. While we all prepare to stretch our stomachs for the many activities that Thanksgiving entails, I can’t help but loathe the pilgrims and their choice of food. To the pilgrims of our country’s first Thanksgiving, out of all the birds frolicking around in your Plymouth Rock fields, why did you decide turkey would be the best meat to feast on? I’m sure you pilgrims had some lovely chickens, piggies and cows to prepare for your feast, so why did you settle with the turkey? Thanks to you, I’m forced to pretend that for one day out of the year, I’m excited to eat turkey. If you couldn’t tell, I am not a fan of the gobbling bird. Look, I understand the pilgrims' options were limited in 1621, but I expected more from a group of people that fled English persecution and created a nation. In their defense, however, I do admit our settlers really nailed it on the side dishes. Buttery mashed potatoes, creamy corn on the cob and sweet pumpkin pie tie an American Thanksgiving together. The only thing that could possibly ruin America’s annual feast is a bland, dry and tasteless turkey. Way to go, pilgrims.

We all know the only thing makes turkey tolerable is the gravy. Anything can be delicious when you drown it in pools of gravy, right? Gravy is like the glue on a kindergartner’s art project: It holds the turkey together. However, imagine if the pilgrims had chosen a different dish. Picture pilgrims and Native Americans sitting side by side on a long table with plates of mashed potatoes, stuffing, green beans and corn being passed around. However, this time, barbecue sauce is smothered all over everyone’s faces and hands from the joy of eating barbecue ribs. Doesn’t that sound like an enjoyable holiday? Imagine how lovely it would be to see plates full of fried chicken being passed down from the eldest grandfather to the youngest grandchild during a family gathering. Imagine a Thanksgiving where a sizzling, juicy sirloin steak is the central component of every dinner in the United States of America. Gobble, gobble, goodbye, turkey and hello, pork chops. I appreciate the efforts of our early settlers to create a tradition that prides itself on camaraderie and gratitude. However, what I don’t appreciate is the fact that the central component of a Thanksgiving feast is a less-thanmediocre bird. Yes, I very much enjoy turkey meat on a sandwich. And yes, I am

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absolutely thrilled to eat a turkey leg at the county fair, but there’s just something about Thanksgiving turkey that really grinds my gears. Maybe I just haven’t experienced what a properly prepared turkey tastes like, or maybe I’m just the only American who’s not in denial about our feathered friends (I’ll choose the latter option). So this Thanksgiving, when my plate is piled high with wonderful side dishes, I might consider skipping the turkey. Give me a pulled pork sandwich and I’ll be happy.

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