Wednesday, Nov. 29 - Tuesday, Dec. 5, 2017 Weekly Print Edition
Vol. 104, Issue 16 www.thedailyaztec.com
San Diego State University’s Independent Student Newspaper Since 1913
Photo by Kelly Smiley
Foto por Kelly Smiley
A family separated by the U.S.-Mexico border embraces during a border opening event as agents and photographers look on.
Una familia separada por la frontera entre los Estados Unidos y México se abrazan mientras agentes de la patrulla fronteriza y fotógrafos miran.
Families share tears, Familias comparten hugs at Friendship Park lágrimas, abrazos en el border opening event Parque de la Amistad by Jocelyn Moran and Marcela Camargo
Tears were shared on both sides of the border as 12 families met and reunited with loved ones on Nov. 18 at Friendship Park in Border Angels’ “Opening the Door of Hope” event. Each family had three minutes to hug and speak with their relatives. One couple used their time to exchange wedding rings. Brian Houston walked in a gray suit toward the fence to meet with his bride
Evelia Reyes, who wore a long white dress and white veil on her head. Border Angels Director Enrique Morones said they were not expecting a wedding, but he is glad it could happen. “It’s the matrimony most short in history, I think, of three minutes, but it’s a matrimony,” Morones said. Morones said in order for families to have the opportunity to meet with their relatives, they must go through an SEE BORDER, PAGE 3
por Marcela ESCRITORA
Carmago
El 18 de noviembre, Ángeles de la Frontera en colaboración con agentes de la patrulla fronteriza hicieron posible la apertura de la Puerta de la Esperanza en el Parque de la Amistad que divide a los Estados Unidos y México. Un total de 12 familias tuvieron la oportunidad de reunirse con sus seres queridos quienes se encontraban al otro lado de la frontera. “Estamos muy contentos y agradecidos
que por la sexta vez, la patrulla fronteriza nos ha dado el derecho de abrir la Puerta de la Esperanza y que 12 familias pudieron cruzar y abrazarse”, dijo Enrique Morones, director ejecutivo de Ángeles de la Frontera. “Nunca hemos tenido tantas (familias)”. Morones comenzó el evento a las 12 del mediodía agradeciendo a todas las personas que lo hicieron posible. Después de sus palabras, las 12 familias comenzaron VE BORDER, PAGINA 10
Student killed on freeway had alcohol, THC in her system, report says by Lauren J. STAFF WRITER
Mapp
Newly released toxicology reports confirm Jasmine Madarang, who was struck and killed while apparently attempting to cross Interstate 8 in September, had a blood alcohol content level of .29 at the time of her death. According to the San Diego County
Medical Examiner’s Office report, alcohol and THC were in Madarang’s system before her death. Madarang, a San Diego State mechanical engineering student, suffered blunt trauma in the crash and was pronounced dead at the scene. She died on the night of the SDSU football game against Stanford University on Sept. 16, after being seen tailgating in the SDCCU
Stadium parking lot. The report said Madarang had been getting ready for the game with an unnamed friend and drank at least eight shots of rum. They went to the game, where she was drinking an unknown amount of beer before the friend left with her boyfriend. She was with her friend and former Delta Zeta sorority sister Leana Chan at the stadium when she got separated from the
group, according to the report. Madarang then requested and canceled several Uber and Lyft rides, according to screenshots from her accounts shared with The Daily Aztec by her aunt Rizza Madarang. Prior to the accident, the California Highway Patrol had received reports of a woman walking on or near the ramp for Waring Road.
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BREAK THE BAN
BARRIO LOGAN
SEASON IN REVIEW
CUFFING SEASON
Community members protest an El Cajon ordinance that some see as targeting the homeless.
Opinion: Residents were right to fight back against attempted gentrification.
Relive the top players, performances and moments of the 2017 SDSU football season.
Students show off their fall fashion — including cuffed pants — for Scene at State.
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News
The Daily Aztec
Nov. 29-Dec. 5, 2017 EDITOR: Will Fritz, news@thedailyaztec.com
‘Native American heritage month’ event held at basketball game amid Aztec mascot controversy by Bella Ross STAFF WRITER
Native American Heritage Month was honored at the Nov. 18 San Diego State men’s basketball game against McNeese State University, raising questions among some attendees about whether these types of recognition occur frequently enough. This came after the University Senate’s passage of a non-binding resolution to retire the use of the Aztec Warrior mascot amid concerns that it is disrespectful to students of Native American background. While opponents to the use of the Aztec Warrior argue the mascot is inherently racist and should be retired, some supporters say its use is appropriate as long as the university takes measures to raise awareness of indigenous cultures. SDSU 1987 alumnus Patrick Calvet said the university should consider other ways they could represent the Aztec name on campus. “Maybe they should show some more cultural things around campus,” Patrick Calvet said. “I know that the Spanish-style architecture is all around but I’m not sure how much of the Native American culture is represented on the campus itself.” David Duro Jr., secretary of the American Indian Veteran Association of Southern California, said he thinks SDSU should do more to represent indigenous communities. But Duro also said he has an issue with what he perceives as the school’s motives
Photo by Kelly Smiley
Students perform as part of a Native American Heritage Month event at San Diego State’s Nov. 18 basketball game.
for representing these communities. “Sometimes (SDSU) turns the event into just a PR event even though the tribes, they give millions of dollars to the school, my tribe included,” Duro said. The American Indian Veterans Association of Southern California, an organization whose mission is to give late Native American veterans their final military honors, was invited to do performances before and during the halftime show of the basketball game. Their performances included an honor guard and a dance.
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“We were called here in recognition of Native American Heritage Month,” Duro said. “Even though we are veterans as well, we still support our communities.” Terrie Lewis, a woman in attendance at the game on Nov. 17 who said she has Native American heritage, said she supports an increase in cultural events like what she saw at the basketball game. “It’s just like they do at Viejas Casino,” Lewis said. “They do outside dancing to help people more to understand. The more you know about it, the better.”
Lewis said despite the controversy, she believes the use of the Aztec mascot is a great way to greater represent indigenous cultures. “It’s tradition,” Lewis said. “I love the tradition. And, the fact that it’s Aztec? Why not have an Aztec person? The mascot is great the way it is and, for them to keep bringing it up, I think that’s disrespectful to me.” SDSU 2005 alumna Darla Vargas said she thinks the mascot is an important figure for students. “I think that it’s more of a symbol for the students and not necessarily just cultural,” Vargas said. “I guess, looking at it as just a mascot, I don’t find it really offensive. I can see both sides of it.” Vargas said she believes the voices of Native American students need to be listened to the most in the debate about the use of the Aztec Warrior mascot. “I think we should talk more to Native American people and see how they feel about it,” Vargas said. “I feel like there’s a lot of controversy between people discussing it but those people are not Native American so how can we value their opinion if they’re not being directly affected by it?” SDSU’s Native American Student Alliance has repeatedly pushed campaigns to retire the Aztec mascot. The university always has room to advance in being more respectful to Native American students, Vargas said. “Obviously, if we have a mascot that could be oppressing the people, I don’t think they’re doing enough,” she said.
News
Nov. 29-Dec. 5, 2017 EDITOR: Will Fritz, news@thedailyaztec.com
Photo by Alex Vasquez
Community member Nicole Dangelo protests El Cajon’s ordinance banning “food-sharing” in public spaces.
Community members defy controversial El Cajon ordinance by Bella Ross STAFF WRITER
Community members gathered in El Cajon’s Wells Park on Nov. 19 to feed the homeless, in direct defiance of a controversial new ordinance in the small city. “We call it ‘Break the Ban,’” said Mark Lane, a 1989 San Diego State alumnus and the primary organizer of the event. On Oct. 27, the city of El Cajon passed an ordinance prohibiting “food-sharing” events in public spaces, including city parks. Lane said members of anywhere between 30 and 40 organizations came out with the goal of standing against the ordinance. “The goal, number one, is to get them to overturn the ban because it’s a discriminatory ban and it’s a ridiculous ban,” he said. According to a news release from the city, the ban on food sharing was in response to the growing Hepatitis A outbreak — an outbreak that is concentrated among the homeless population. “With the trolley system, the homeless population is pretty transient, so it flows throughout the entire city area,” El Cajon Mayor Bill Wells said. “People that were homeless in San Diego today might be homeless in El Cajon tomorrow.” The mayor said there have been a concerning number of Hepatitis A cases in
Border:
continued from page 1 application process. The State Department ultimately chooses which ones will be able to participate. Brian Houston said he and Evelia Houston were together for almost two years before they were separated. “I think this is an unbelievable opportunity,” Brian Houston said. “I’m very grateful for everyone who made this possible.” This was the sixth time the fence has been opened since 2013 for families to meet. Morones said this event has grown from having one family meet for two minutes to 12 families meeting for three minutes each. “We like to promote the fact that love has no borders, and what better way than going and hugging your loved ones?” Morones said. “In many cases, children were meeting their grandparents for the first time. It’s such a moving event. There’s
El Cajon. “All we’re saying is, if you have a feeding program that’s going on in the parks, we’d rather you did that in a kitchen and not in the parks because the people that feed people in the parks don’t have food handlers permits and they’re putting boxes of food on the ground,” Wells said. “This is the same ground where the homeless people are urinating and defecating and the public health officials have told us this is definitely going to lead to the transmission of more Hepatitis A.” Abel Macias, a lecturer in the Department of Chicana and Chicano Studies at SDSU, said he believes the city is using Hepatitis A as an excuse to push their political interests. “They’re using the Hepatitis A outbreak as a pretext for their political agenda, which is ‘Hey, this is a really good reason to ban feeding homeless people. Let’s try to use that for our advantage,” Macias said. “However, folks that are unaware of the politics of this could easily buy-into the argument that it’s to fight the spread of Hepatitis A.” Wells said he thinks people who oppose the ordinance are attacking a non-issue. “I think it’s political opportunism,” he said. “It’s reasonable to not want to spread Hepatitis A. They’re taking that reasonable stance and trying to inflate it into a rallying cry, and I think they do that for their own
a lot of joy but a lot of sadness.” Rosa Mariscal reunited with her son, who was deported four years ago. “I cannot describe the emotions because I was so anxious to see him,” Mariscal said. Rocio Lopez, a student at San Diego City College, saw her grandfather for the first time in 12 years. “I told him I missed him, and that I love him a lot,” Lopez said. “We hugged, we cried, and he told me to take care of my parents and siblings.” Morones was at the fence as each family met, letting them know when their three minutes were up. “In a lot of ways, I had the hardest job,” he said. “They would tell each other things that would rip your heart like ‘mijita, I’ve been wanting to hug you.’” Morones said Nov. 18 was chosen because International Children’s Day is on Nov. 20 and Friendship Park is only open on weekends. Border Community Liaison Agent Saul Rocha said this was his third time partaking in the “Opening the Door of Hope” event. “Our chief, Rodney Scott, is very committed to enhancing our relationship
reasons.” According to a news release from the city, family reunions, birthday parties, baptisms and other such events that could involve food can continue in parks. “They’re saying the parks are all contaminated but, if that were true, then no one would be allowed to eat in the parks,”said Shane Parmley, a co-organizer of the event. “The way the ordinance is currently written, anyone who is not homeless can still come here and share food.” Parmley said this ordinance is part of what he perceives as a bigger mission by the city of El Cajon to impede upon the rights of the homeless. He said this began with bans on sleeping in campers on the street and camping in parks, then was followed by instances for police sweeping homeless people’s tents and a law banning panhandling. “People really need to email or call their elected officials,” Parmely said. “I get it that nobody wants to pick up a phone and call, but you can email. And, if you do call, it makes a bigger impact. Our silence when things like this happen is our complicity.” SDSU rhetoric and writing studies graduate student Bo Elder, an event volunteer, said he perceives the ordinance as clearly targeting the homeless population. “Something Councilman Ben Kalasho said when he was interviewed by (San Diego) CityBeat is the parks are there for ‘normal people,’ and now there are homeless people in the parks,” Elder said. “Well, the park’s there for everybody, regardless of whether Ben Kalasho thinks you’re normal or not.” Wells said he is not opposed to extending the ban to all park users, and this is being considered in the city council’s search for a long-term solution.
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“People are saying, ‘Well, you should ban the people who are having weddings and picnics too,’” he said. “Perhaps that’s the next step. I’m not opposed to that, but I feel like government should be as least restrictive as possible.” Wells said the intent of the ordinance is not to make food inaccessible to the homeless, but to put money and resources into established homeless shelters instead. “There’s over 25 different places right now that are giving away meals and we have a grid that shows that, every day of the week, there’s a place to get free meals,” he said. “These churches are not prevented from giving away meals, they’re just prevented from giving away meals in the park.” Elder said he believes this relocation of resources from public to private spaces is problematic. “I think it’s great that there are various shelters and institutions on private property that can be distributing food, but also I think one of the things that makes a public space a public space is that it can be used for socially beneficial things,” Elder said. “I think it’s important for the things people need to be available where people need them and with minimum barriers to accessing that.” Event volunteer and organizer from Food Not Bombs, Melanie Redden, said there is also the issue of many churches no longer being able to host food shares due to lack of permit. “A lot of El Cajon was served by churches sharing food and they’ve discontinued their food services due to the new ordinance,” Redden said. “Our position is kind of taking the legal heat for them so we can help to get this overturned so they can resume their local food service without threat of breaking the law.”
Photo by Alex Vasquez
Kathy Cline accepts food and water from a food-sharing event in El Cajon’s Wells Park.
Photo by Kelly Smiley
Families share a few brief moments with their relatives from across the border.
with the community, and this is one way to have the community gather and know a little bit more about the Border Patrol and actually approach the border,” Rocha said.
Morones said for next year, he hopes to hold the same event at the end of March, on April 30 because of Children’s Day in Mexico and again in November.
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Opinion
The Daily Aztec
Nov. 29-Dec. 5, 2017 EDITOR: Dana Tsuri-Etzioni, opinion@thedailyaztec.com
Barrio Logan residents were right to fight attempted gentrification
MANAGING EDITOR Lilly Glenister NEWS EDITOR Will Fritz
by Stacy Marquez STAFF WRITER
In early October, Jenny Niezgoda, a white travel blogger better known as The Barefoot Bohemian on Instagram, released a Kickstarter and video stating her mission for a “modern frutería” in historic Barrio Logan. Her video went viral in a matter of hours. However the virality was not in her favor. Within 48 hours, her Kickstarter was cancelled, but the video is still being viewed. “It was jaw dropping because of the way (the video) was portrayed — sunshines and rainbows from the woman who was trying to build her frutería,” said sociology senior David Santos. “One of the things that stood out to me was how she was portraying the community. As if that cafe was going to help the community — which it was not. It was going to kick small businesses out, raise the prices around and spread gentrification.” Barrio Logan has a long history of grassroots activism and fights against gentrification. Gentrification is altering urban neighborhoods for the profit of the upper or middle class, which often results in putting small businesses in jeopardy. La Gracia Frutería is a perfect example of what’s occurring in low-income communities of color throughout San Diego and the U.S. One of the main issues with people like Niezgoda coming to communities like Barrio Logan for business is that she is pushing out the opportunities for community members to create their own businesses. She is seeking profit and expecting the community to pay her for their culture. Some feel that people like her opening businesses in barrios are making it hard for Chicanos to financially prosper. “When we try to start a business, we may not always have the resources or the support, so seeing her trying to make money off what we usually do and doing it so easily is angering,” said public administration sophomore Eduardo Santiago. Niezgoda was able to easily start a project while street vendors constantly struggle. “There’s people who get in trouble for selling fruit on the street and in their carts and they are just trying to make money to feed their kids,” said social work junior Amaris Tenorio. Aside from the tacky guitar music and her vapid tone, Niezgoda’s language in the video is problematic, and a textbook example of “the white savior” coming into a community of color. In the video she calls Barrio Logan an “up and coming neighborhood,” which is another way of saying it is appealing to the middle and upper class. Although new businesses can improve the look of the community, they would do the opposite for the living conditions of current residents. If housing prices go up, many of the working families
EDITOR IN CHIEF Andrew Dyer
ASST. NEWS EDITOR Jasmine Bermudez OPINION EDITOR Dana Tsuri-Etzioni MUNDO AZTECA EDITOR Jocelyn Moran ARTS & CULTURE EDITOR Cami Buckman SPORTS EDITOR Zach Engberg ASST. SPORTS EDITOR Abraham Jewett DIGITAL SPORTS EDITOR Mary York ENGAGEMENT EDITOR Alex Piscatelli PHOTO EDITOR Kelly Smiley MULTIMEDIA EDITOR Mirella Lopez SOCIAL MEDIA EDITOR David Santillan VOLUNTEER EDITORS
Photos by Stacy Marquez
A kiosk in Chicano Park, Barrio Logan after danzantes performed and left offerings. will need to leave the place they’ve lived for generations. Niezgoda ended her video by saying, “Help improve San Diego, bring variety and a healthy option to the barrio.” “The way she was addressing her point of view made it sound like there is something wrong with Barrio Logan and that she’s going to be there to help,” said Santos. “Yes, improvements could be made, but the fact that she called the community out as if we need her help is condescending. We don’t need her help, we can have our own small businesses and keep the culture intact.” Many people expressed similar opinions online. Niezgoda took notice of the reactions and handled the situation poorly. The now deleted frutería
Instagram page previously disabled comments on photos and Niezgoda’s personal account was made private. If she really appreciated the culture like she said in her video, she should have given people the chance to voice their concerns to her on social media, so she could learn and understand why people were upset. Santos felt proud of the community’s quick action when they saw something threatening the barrio. “This is another example of why Barrio Logan has the history it has, in times like this people come together and say what they have to say. I give them props for that,” he said. However, gentrification is still a problem. People continue to invade communities of color
with negative consequences are intended or not. Rather than purchase a “Mexican” meal from Chipotle or other corporate chains, going to the family owned restaurants in Barrio Logan can ensure that money is directly going to the people whose culture one is consuming. The best ways to prevent communities from being displaced are by financially supporting small businesses, calling out those like Niezgoda who are ignorantly gentrifying neighborhoods and becoming educated on the systematic oppressions of communities of color. Stacy Marquez is a senior studying journalism and media studies. Connect with her on Instagram and Twitter @stercyy.
COPY EDITOR Brian del Carmen EDITOR-AT-LARGE Jacob Sisneros ART DIRECTOR Aiden Prehatny GRAPHICS ASSISTANT Noah Callahan LAYOUT & DESIGN Emely Navarro SENIOR STAFF WRITERS Julianna Ress Cassidy McCombs Sydney Sweeney STAFF WRITERS Marcela Camargo Bella Ross Lauren J. Mapp Josh Rogers Angelica Wallington Madeleine Schwarz Stacy Marquez Kyle Saunders Elizabeth Barboza STAFF PHOTOGRAPHERS Alex Vasquez ________________________________ ADVERTISING DIRECTOR Connor Brooke SALES MANAGER Peter Saridakis ACCOUNT EXECUTIVES George Saridakis John Weil Josh Diaz Rauda Valerie Barrientos Miguel Souza Kaden Cowles Garrett Munt ACCOUNTING & CONTRACTS Tyler Burnett Meah Mapp ________________________________ GENERAL MANAGER/ADVISER Jay Harn GRAPHICS SPECIALIST Christopher Blakemore ________________________________ EDITORIAL 619.594.4190 editor@thedailyaztec.com ADVERTISING 619.594.6977 advertising@thedailyaztec.com PRINT The Daily Aztec publishes 5,000 copies of its weekly print edition every Wednesday throughout the semester WEB Daily content is available at www.thedailyaztec.com QUESTIONS/COMMENTS letters@thedailyaztec.com ________________________________ The views and opinions expressed in this issue do not necessarily reflect those of The Daily Aztec.
Mural painted under the Coronado bridge that passes over Barrio Logan.
Nov. 29-Dec. 5, 2017 EDITOR: Zach Engberg, sports@thedailyaztec.com
Sports
The Daily Aztec
5
Hobbled Aztecs lose in Wooden Legacy Abraham jewett ASST. SPORTS EDITOR
San Diego State men’s basketball appeared on its way to becoming the first school to win two Wooden Legacy championships on Sunday night in Fullerton before senior guard Trey Kell crumpled to the court grabbing his right ankle with under seven minutes to play. SDSU was already missing senior forward Malik Pope, who hurt his ankle early in the game and sat out the entire second half, and saw its 75-70 lead quickly evaporate against Washington State University, which went on a 23-11 run to win the game, 93-86, and claim the school’s first ever Wooden Legacy Championship. “Congratulations to Washington State. They did what they came here to do,” head coach Brian Dutcher said “What we tried to do to disrupt them, didn’t disrupt them enough. They were very good and congratulations to them.” The Aztecs made only one of their final eight field goal attempts. Kell came back in the game following the under-four-minute media timeout, he was noticeably hobbled and missed all three shots he took upon his return. “College basketball is hard enough to win itself, you gotta have your players healthy,” Dutcher said. Kell finished the game with 19 points, 13 of which came in the first half while exchanging shots with Cougars sophomore guard Malachi Flynn, who led all scorers with 24 points to go along with seven rebounds and six assists.
Flynn was named the tournament’s Most Outstanding Player, two nights after his 26 points led the Cougars to an 84-79 semifinal victory over Saint Mary’s. Playing without Pope, the Aztecs leading scorer (14) and rebounder (eight) coming into the game, SDSU junior guard Devin Watson took on a bigger role for the Aztecs, scoring 15 of his team-leading 23 points in the second half. “I feel like we fought hard,” Watson said. “We lost Trey Kell at the end and it caused us to speed up and play a little fast. It’s disappointing and we knew we should’ve won that game but things happen.” Watson pitched in six assists and four rebounds, and appeared to give the Aztecs momentum with his alley-oop assist on sophomore forward Nolan Narain’s dunk for a 67-59 lead with 9:31 to play. The game was back-and-forth from the very beginning, with 14 total lead changes as the team’s exchanged runs without being able to pull too far ahead. While the Aztecs struggled from longdistance, shooting only 27 percent, WSU shot lights-out from behind the arc, connecting on 13 of 28 three-point attempts, including six of 11 from Flynn. Flynn hit back-to-back three pointers to give WSU a 46-43 lead going into the half, and seven of the Cougars final 10 field goals going into the break were from three. WSU junior forward Robert Franks finished second on the team with 22 points and helped secure the victory from the free-throw line, where he went sevenfor-seven in the game. “When I saw him get up and limp off
I was hoping he would be back,” WSU head coach Ernie Kent said. “To get that tap on your shoulder a couple minutes later saying ‘coach I’m ready to go,’ it was really good because that’s a turning moment for him.” SDSU was the clear aggressor on the glass, and outrebounded the Cougars 44 to 35, including 18 to eight on the offensive end, resulting in a secondchance points advantage of 18 to seven. WSU came out cold in the second half, shooting just five of 18 to start, but caught fire and made nine of its final 14 shots. Following Kell’s injury, the Cougars tied the game at 75 on a three-pointer by junior guard Viont’e Daniels with 5:25 to play. Junior guard Jeremy Hemsley’s jump shot gave the team a 79-78 lead with 4:32 to play, before WSU finished off a 7-0 run with a three-pointer by Franks for a 8579 lead with 2:47 left. Late buckets by Watson and Narain kept the SDSU in it, and the team got to within 89-86 after a Mitchell free throw with 21 seconds to play, but free throws from Franks and sophomore guard Carter Skaggs sealed the win for the Cougars. The Aztecs were trying to come away with their third victory in four nights at the Titan Gym, after defeating Sacramento State University 89-52 in the quarterfinals on Thursday, and the University of Georgia by a score of 75-68 on Friday. Next up for SDSU is a Nov. 30 date with undefeated cross-city rival University of San Diego (5-0) at the Jenny Craig Pavilion.
Photo by Kelly Smiley
Junior guard Devin Watson converts a layup during SDSU’s win over McNeese State on Nov. 17.
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Sports
The Daily Aztec
Nov. 29-Dec. 5, 2017 EDITOR: Zach Engberg, sports@thedailyaztec.com
SDSU football: 2017 season in review After the Aztecs claimed their third straight 10-win season, we review the players and moments that got them there. by Zach Engberg and Abraham Jewett
Offense / Special Teams
Defense
Player photos by Kelly Smiley Graphic Design by Noah Callahan
Ground and pound is the name of the game for San Diego State football. Anchored by an offensive line with only one returning starter – who missed significant time with injuries this season – the Aztecs put together a season full of dominant running performances. Senior running back Rashaad Penny rushed for 2,027 yards and 19 touchdowns, marking the first time in FBS history that a team had a 2,000-yard rusher in two consecutive seasons. Redshirt junior quarterback Christian Chapman picked and chose his opporunities and showed up time and again in key situations, leading two gamewinning fourth quarter drives against Stanford University and Air Force Academy. MVP Penny by and far led the way for the Aztecs on offense this season. The Norwalk native finished the 2017 season with four consecutive 200-yard games, and shattered the program record of all-purpose yards in a season. With 2698 yards, he already has 298 yards more than Donnel Pumphrey’s mark from last season, and has 544 yards more than any other FBS player.
ROOKIE OF THE YEAR
Senior wide receiver Mikah Holder once again led the Aztecs in receptions (43) and yards (602) while playing the role of Chapman’s favorite target this season. Holder consistently caught passes to extend drives, often fearlessly cutting across the middle of the field and absorbing big hits.
The Aztecs finished with the top overall defense in the MW for the fourth straight season, allowing 303 yards per game. Bolstered by the top run defense in the conference, the defense made critical stops at key times to keep the Aztecs in games. The defense held opponents to 10 points or less on four occasions this season, holding the University of Hawaii and San Jose State University to seven points each, and New Mexico and University of Nevada, Las Vegas to 10 points. SDSU prides itself in creating turnovers on defense, and recorded atleast one takeaway in seven games this season. The Aztecs did go through a four game stretch where they went without recording a turnover, but followed that up with five takeways in the final three games. After losing seven starters, including three that are now playing in the NFL, the team saw several young stars emerge in the defensive backfield.
SPECIAL TEAMS MVP
MVP
Penny led the Mountain West Conference with two kickoff return touchdowns this season, and tied the FBS record with seven for his career. Penny also returned a punt for a touchdown on his first ever attempt against Nevada.
The most valuable on defense this season was senior cornerback Kam Kelly. While the defense struggled at times with giving up big pass plays, Kelly was a consistent force in the Aztecs secondary. He finished third on the team in tackles
Sophomore tight end Kahale Warring made a name for himself, finishing third on the team in receiving yards (248) and led all players with three touchdown receptions. Warring only played in four games during his freshman year before a foot injury sidelined him for the final eight games of the season. His 18 catches tied him with Penny for second most on the team, and he looks poised to takeover from senior David Wells as the Aztecs top tight end going into next season. UNDERRATED
Performances of the year OFFENSE On Nov. 18 against Nevada, Penny had the greatest statistical performance in San Diego State history. Penny finished the game with 429 all-purpose yards, while scoring four total touchdowns to lead the Aztecs to a 42-34 victory. The 429 yards were the ninth most ever recorded in the FBS, and were the most in SDSU history, eclipsing the record of 422 yards set in 1991 by Marshall Faulk. Penny returned both a kickoff and a punt for a touchdown, with his punt return coming on his first career attempt. Penny paced the Aztecs on the ground with 222 rushing yards and two touchdowns, and he would have had 70
more yards if not for a holding call which negated a third quarter touchdown run. DEFENSE Senior cornerback Kameron Kelly was a defensive force in the Aztecs 20-17 victory over Stanford on Aug. 16. Kelly had two sacks in the game, along with a forced fumble, interception, and six total tackles. Kelly’s interception came during the fourth quarter, and ended the Cardinal comeback hopes. Kelly earned the Bronko Nagurski National Player of the Week for his performance, becoming only the second player from SDSU to ever be chosen for the award.
with 50, and had three interceptions, including one which sealed the victory over Stanford. Kelly also had two sacks and a forced fumble against Stanford, and his performance earned him the Bronko Nagurski National Player of the Week. ROOKIE OF THE YEAR St. Augustine High product Tariq Thompson was a surprise breakout star in the Aztecs secondary this season. The true freshman led the team with five interceptions, including one he returned for touchdown in SDSU’s victory over NIU. Thompson also had a game sealing interception in the game, immediately making himself a household name on the Aztecs defense. UNDERRATED Juinor safety Parker Baldwin flew all over the field this season, finishing second on the team in tackles with 66. Baldwin followed up a 14-tackle performance against Air Force with 11 tackles against Northern Illinois University. Baldwin, who has matched his tackle total from last season, will look to set his new career high during the Aztecs bowl game.
Game of the year Before the season began all eyes were on the Aztecs game against Stanford University. The Sept. 16 matchup did not dissapoint, with SDSU pulling out a 20-17 victory following a 22-minute stadium power outage. It was a defining win for the program, and one that propelled the Aztecs into the AP and Amway Coaches Top 25. The matchup featured the top two running backs in the FBS in Penny and senior back Bryce Love. Love rushed for 184 yards on 13 carries, adding two 50-plus yard touchdown runs. Penny was bottled up by the big Stanford defensive front for most of the contest, but his 31 carries brought 175 yards and wore down the
Cardinal defense. Love opened the fourth quarter with a 53-yard touchdown to give Stanford a 17-13 lead. SDSU squandered a scoring opportunity after a sack pushed them out of field goal range, but got the ball back with over four minutes left. Then darkness filled the stadium. After the delay the Aztecs drove 42 yards down the field, finishing off their game-winning drive with an eight yard touchdown pass from Chapman to senior tight end David Wells. Delirium took over the stadium as the fans rushed the field. Wells said after the game that it was, “stuff you dream of as a kid.”
Nov. 29-Dec 5, 2017 EDITOR: Zach Engberg, sports@thedailyaztec.com
COLUMN
Sports
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7
Signs of bright future ahead for SDSU
by kyle saunders STAFF COLUMNIST
To call this season irrelevant is just flat out wrong. San Diego State football may not be playing for a Mountain West Conference title, but there’s a lot of promise shown from this young team. Players and fans alike will just need to trust the process. Two teams, now both ineligible for a Mountain West title game appearance, were chalked up to play a Friday afternoon matinee in front of what seemed to be 10,000 fans instead of the announced 28,978 at SDCCU stadium on Friday. To be fair, the lack of Scarlet and Black faithful can be attributed to the food coma most of the United States fell into after Thanksgiving. This game had no implications in regards to the Aztecs’ postseason, as they became bowl eligible weeks ago and the conference title game is already set for a Fresno State and Boise State showdown. It wouldn’t have been shocking to have seen SDSU come out lackluster as this rollercoaster of a season came to an end, but Rocky Long and his band of scrappy, relentless players refused to finish this season that way. They went out and embarrassed New Mexico, a perfect send off for the seniors. As disappointing as this season may seem, a lot of young players stepped up to the plate and earned their spot on this roster. We saw an offensive line with only one returning starter go head-to-head
with some of the best run defenses in the country and still propelling senior running back Rashaad Penny to over 2,000 yards. Freshman safety Tariq Thompson stole the spotlight on the defensive side of the ball all season and finished his rookie year with two interceptions against the Lobos. New Mexico was an opportunity for SDSU to take out its frustrations, a way to show the rest of the NCAA that even when written off it won’t give up. A win wouldn’t change the finalists for the Doak Walker Award or magically thrust senior running back Rashaad Penny into the Heisman Trophy conversation, but by the way they played it sure seemed like it did. It’s a tough idea to digest, no matter how well the Aztecs play this team will never get the credit they deserve. No Heisman voter was adamantly watching the game on Friday. Even though Penny rushed for over 200 yards for the fourth consecutive game, it won’t change their minds. That’s the bittersweet reality of being a star player in a Group of Five conference. As deflating as it sounds, the good news is that SDSU doesn’t care what the “experts” say. The Aztecs knew this season there was a small margin for error, and instead of giving up after the October losses, they decided to fight to the very end. “We had four games left in our schedule and we were just going to take them one week at a time. And it didn’t matter that we didn’t have any rest or anything,”
senior fullback Nick Bawden said. This mindset propelled SDSU to a high level of play that it remained at for the duration of the season. The Aztecs find strength within themselves, more specifically each other - just ask Rashaad Penny. “It’s just all about how you overcome adversity,” Penny said. “And that’s what I’ve been taught here with these guys. When I have these great teammates on the side, trust me, I’m always smiling.”
SDSU still has a bowl game to focus on, regardless of which game it is. To reach double digit wins three straight seasons is no easy feat in college football, and the Aztecs boast the only running back duo to rush for 2,000 yards in consecutive seasons. Although they will be missing Penny next season, most of the star players from this team will be back next year to try and reclaim the title of MW champion, they just have to trust the process.
Photo by Kelly Smiley
Senior running back Rashaad Penny paces the Wolf Pack defenses during his record-breaking performance on Nov. 18.
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Arts & Culture
The Daily Aztec
Scene at State: Cropped men’s pants
By Madeleine Schwarz STAFF WRITER
No longer a sign of ill-fitting clothing caused by a bad tailor, men’s cropped pants are popping up tastefully around campus this fall. A cropped pant leg stands out amid a sea of full-length pants, while adding subtle depth to any outfit. Anyone with either a pair of scissors or a pair of cuff-able jeans is able to try this raised-hem trend on for size. Whether you prefer them
paired with a bare ankle or some flashy socks, here are two ways to style this season’s easiest trend. Aerospace engineering senior Wade Lancaster took a tip from the ‘80s for his look, cuffing his light wash, vintage Calvin Klein jeans to rest carefully above the ankle and show off the logo on his Tommy Hilfiger socks. His jeans are fastened by a brown vintage belt, and to add color to his casual outfit, Lancaster chose a pair of green low-top Converse. How do you describe your style?
How do you describe your style?
My style is all about minimalism and simplicity. I like unisex options, which typically tend to be simple.
I like to wear simple, minimal things when it comes to tops and bottoms. I also really like flashy sneakers. I have a bunch of bright colored sneakers.
I bought my favorite pair of cropped pants at Goodwill. They’re Polo by Ralph Lauren, brown corduroy and they hit just perfectly above the ankle. What’s the perfect length of cropped pants for you? Lancaster enjoys cuffing his jeans right above the ankle.
have a logo on it, and I like that in cropped pants the logo can show on the sock. Advertising junior Nick Drammissi took a bare-ankled approach to the trend, styling his black, cropped ASOS trousers with a pair of mustard, low-top Nike SBs. He wore a long-sleeved, striped American Apparel tee, allowing the lengthiness of his top to contrast with his hemmed pants and give his outfit a skater vibe. To bring his look full-circle, Drammissi chose a pair of RAEN sunglasses of similar hue to his sneakers. His ankles showed off a dainty stick-and-poke tattoo which peeked out cheekily from its placement beneath the hemline.
Where is your favorite pair of cropped pants from?
I like them to be right above the ankle. I usually wear socks that
Nov. 29-Dec. 5, 2017 EDITOR: Cami Buckman, arts@thedailyaztec.com
What advice would you give for styling a pair of cropped pants? Start low and go higher I feel like when you wear high-tops your crop should cover the top of the shoe, whereas when you wear low-tops, however high or low your crop is just kind of depends on you. Cropped pants are weird because there are menswear cropped pants which seem to be lower, then there’s that current
Photos by Madeleine Schwarz
Drammissi’s cuffed look shows off his tattoo and bright sneakers.
skater/surfer cropped pant that can almost be considered capris. I guess the spectrum of croppiness just depends on the person’s specific style. Where is your favorite pair of cropped pants from? There’s a store down the street from my house that mainly sells gear for desert rats, like red
Dickies and SRH shirts. One of my friends discovered that they sell skinny Dickies there for 20 bucks and we all bought them. What’s the perfect length of cropped pants for you? I normally wear size 32/32 for uncropped pants or jeans. I would go 32/30 for cropped.
Nov. 29-Dec. 5, 2017 EDITOR: Cami Buckman, arts@thedailyaztec.com
REVIEW
Arts & Culture
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9
‘Sonic Forces’ brings new twist to a classic by Angelica STAFF WRITER
Wallington
Following the events of the 16-bit masterpiece “Sonic Mania,” SEGA and Sonic Team have bounced back from a slew of epic 3D failures with “Sonic Forces,” a fun, action packed, multiconsole platformer that is one of the best Sonic the Hedgehog games that has been released in recent years. The plot of “Sonic Forces” sounds like it comes straight from a Sonic fanboy’s fanfiction. After a plethora of attempts the hilariously evil Dr. Eggman has finally taken over the world and it’s up to the resistance, led surprisingly by Knuckles, everyone’s favorite endangered echidna, to stop them and bring peace to the world. Sounds like a somewhat typical “Sonic” game right? Not necessarily. The one element “Forces” brings that is unlike other games in the franchise is that Sonic and pals are helped out by a very unusual and unexpected character–you. The introduction to the player’s custom character, aptly named the Rookie, is rather interesting. After playing through the first level of the game Sonic is captured by Dr. Eggman and his ruthless regime of antagonists from games past, along with new resident bad guy Infinite. Resident tech geek Miles “Tails” Prower tells the rest of the resistance that a new member is joining and that’s when the player is taken to the customization screen. Adding “you” as the third playable character was a bit of a hit-and-miss. While it’s great that SEGA added this element to the game, at times it feels as if it’s just playing as an off-brand thirdworld knockoff of Sonic blasting through stages with various accessories. The accessories, called “Wispons,” can make the original character overpowered, which takes the Rookie and turns them into the overpowered MVP of the entire game. Along with the same ragtag group of fan favorites of games past in the resistance, Classic Sonic comes from his dimension to aid them in their hour of need. For most of the game users play as Classic Sonic, Modern Sonic and the Rookie and face-off against villains that include Zavok from “Sonic Lost World,” masked newcomer Infinite, and perhaps the most unsuccessfully hilarious video game villain of all time, Dr. Eggman. Then we get to what was one of the biggest teases in the game that sort of delivers: Shadow the Hedgehog. What makes Shadow such a great character, especially in “Forces,” is that players actually get a backstory. The free downloadable content, titled “Episode Shadow,” acts as a prequel for “Forces,” letting the “you” play through three stages of storyline that adds some context to the game. Ironically, “Episode Shadow” actually provides players with more of a challenge than “Forces” does. Even though the downloadable content is somewhat harder to play than the main game, it’s really fun, especially since this is the first time in several years that the fan favorite has been a playable character in a “Sonic” game. A highlight of the game is that players get an introduction to “Forces” main antagonist, Infinite, and see what became of Shadow’s closest, albeit reluctant, comrades Rouge the Bat and robot E-123 Omega. One of the biggest flaws of “Forces” is that there is no epic Shadow vs. Sonic boss fight. Instead players get Shadow defeating a clone of himself that Dr. Eggman created
SEGA
The player’s custom character blasts through the Park Avenue level of “Sonic Forces.”
to aid in his world domination. It’s not the worst thing in the world but if SEGA and Sonic Team were going to tease this battle-for-the-ages boss fight then they should have delivered. The levels are gorgeous to look at. The vibrantly colored Green Hill Zone that was once filled with flora and fauna is now reduced to sand dunes and crumbling structures, which was a nice break from the norm. However, after playing title after title with Green Hill Zone as the first level, it’s time for a shake up from the usual nostalgia and have something a little different to kick off the game. Most of the stages, including the beautifully designed Metropolis, flow seamlessly from the standard Sonic 2D side scrolling to 3D without making the transition awkward. Initially, the gameplay is relatively short if players just doing the bare minimum of simply completing the game. However, the addition of SOS missions, daily missions and the thrill of getting trophies, or achievements on XBOX and PC, makes “Forces” prime for long-term replayability, especially after players complete the main storyline. Completing daily missions is also a great way to get more accessories to deck out one’s custom character to give them more power-ups and generally make them look as cool as possible. The mechanics of the games are straightforward: complete the stages, 37 total, as fast as one possibly can, pick up rings along the way and defeat the enemies. It’s that simple. Taking one’s time with stages is fine
if the player is new to the series or are obsessively trying to 100 percent the game, but it’s a Sonic the Hedgehog game—the objective is to complete the stage as fast as possible. His theme song has the lyrics “fastest thing alive” for a reason. An awesome bonus is that depending on how fast one completes a stage, they get ranked with players from all around the world to see how they stack up to other fans playing the game. Another difference from other titles in the series is that the rings, which are normally used to help players not die during stages, are used as a means to boost one’s score as well as serve the function of not losing a life. What that means is there is technically no system for how many lives you have with this game and that there is no “game over.” Players can technically can keep playing a stage until they beat it or gather all of the bonuses, although it will affect one’s ending score in a negative light and turn what would have been an S-rank to a C-rank in just a matter of seconds. Each level has recommended Wispons, items that correspond to various colorful alien power-up from “Sonic Colors,” to use for that particular stage. Its basic function is to help the player find an alternate route, collect rings and other non-essential items. However, even though the Wispons are there for the players use, they are not essential to complete the stage. Although the game is really fun, it can be heavily automated and repetitive at times. At its core “Sonic Forces” is just like any other “Sonic” game.
Players finish stages, beat down bad guys, collect rings and, spoiler alert, defeat the “A for effort” antagonist Dr. Eggman and Infinite to save what remains of the world from complete destruction. There is also the issue of the stages being really short. There are certain stages where players can really get sucked in, only for it to end a few short moments later. The boss fights are also hit and miss. With the exception of Zavok and Infinite boss fights the rest of them, particularly the ones with Dr. Eggman, feel somewhat repetitive and like players are rehashing a boss fight from a previous game rather than providing the gamers with a new experience. Then there’s also the issue of not fighting fan favorite villains like Chaos from “Sonic Adventure” or Shadow, which was heavily teased before the game’s release. Despite “Forces” being just another “Sonic” game, it’s a really entertaining and enjoyable experience that both hardcore Sonic fans and non-Sonic fans would appreciate. Is it perfect? No, far from it, but it does give players hours upon hours of mind numbing enjoyment that Sonic Team has been lacking with previous titles. The story, gameplay, soundtrack and characters provide gamers with a visually dynamic and amusing experience that can extend way beyond the main storyline and provide gamers with endless hours of fun.
Graphic by Aidan Prehatny
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Mundo Azteca
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Nov. 29-Dec. 5, 2017 EDITOR: Jocelyn Moran, mundoazteca@thedailyaztec.com
La puerta de la esperanza continuado de la página 1 a acercarse una a la vez para compartir palabras y muestras de afecto con sus seres queridos durante tres minutos. “En muchas partes, yo tuve el trabajo más difícil porque yo tuve que decirles que sus tres minutos se habían acabado”, dijo Morones. “Se decían cosas que te rompen el corazón como ‘mijita, te he querido abrazar’”. La organización Ángeles de la Frontera se encarga de lanzar la convocatoria a todas las familias interesadas en esta oportunidad. Sin embargo, el Departamento de Estado es el que finalmente elige a las familias que podrán formar parte del evento. “Gracias a Dios, nosotros fuimos aprobados para venir”, dijo Rosa Mariscal, quien tuvo la oportunidad de ver a su hijo después de haber sido deportado hace cuatro años. “No puedo describir la emoción porque tenía tantas ganas de verlo”. A pesar de ser la sexta vez que se lleva a cabo este evento, esta ocasión fue diferente a las otras ya que por primera vez, una pareja contrajo matrimonio delante de todos los presentes.
Brian Houston del lado estadounidense y Evelia Reyes del lado mexicano, unieron sus vidas en matrimonio después de dos años de noviazgo. Houston, con la ayuda de Morones, espera tramitar la ciudadanía de su esposa para que puedan volver a estar juntos. “Creo que esta es una oportunidad increíble, estoy muy agradecido con todas las personas que hicieron esto posible”, dijo Houston. Definitivamente aprecio a Enrique Morones y el gran mensaje que él manda”. Rocío López, estudiante de San Diego City College, tuvo la oportunidad de reunirse con su abuelo después de 12 años. “Nos abrazamos, lloramos y me dijo que cuidara a mis papás y a mis hermanos. Me preguntó si seguía en la escuela”, dijo López, quien está estudiando para ser abogada de inmigración. Morones dijo que espera poder llevar a cabo este evento con más frecuencia para que más personas tengan esta oportunidad. Saúl Rocha, agente de la patrulla fronteriza, dijo que esta
Rocio López se reúne con su abuelo después de 12 años de no verlo.
es su tercera vez participando en el evento de Abriendo la Puerta de la Esperanza. “El jefe de nosotros, Rodney Scott, aquí en el centro de San Diego, apoya mucho este tipo de eventos, porque una de nuestras
metas es enforzar la comunicación con la comunidad”, dijo Rocha. El próximo año, Morones dijo que Ángeles de la Frontera espera realizar el evento a finales de marzo, el 30 de abril, el cual es el día que se conmemora el día del
niño en México y en noviembre. “Algunas personas dicen que quieren construir más muros. En Ángeles de la Frontera, decimos que queremos abrir más puertas”, dijo Morones. “El amor no tiene fronteras”.
Foto por Kelly Smiley
Foto por Kelly Smiley
El Parque de la Amistad está abierto los domingos de las semanas.
Foto por Kelly Smiley
Un hombre ve a través de la cerca del lado de los EE.UU. hacia Tijuana, México.
COLUMNA
Reuniones dan una luz de esperanza por tres minutos
by Elizabeth ESCRITORA
Barboza
Algo así nunca olvidaré. Las caras, las voces, las historias. Era sábado y me encontraba entre un grupo de camarógrafos y periodistas. Sostenía un tripod, mi única misión: observar. Llegamos a un terreno plano y terroso entre los Estados Unidos y México, a pocas millas de la playa, donde se encuentra un lugar conocido como el Parque de la Amistad. Una puerta que mide poco más de dos metros fue abierta por segunda vez este año, y llegaron doce familias para reunirse con sus familiares que
se encontraban del otro lado de la frontera. Padres reuniéndose con sus hijos, nietos conociendo a sus abuelos, una pareja contrayendo matrimonio en la apertura del Parque de la Amistad. Antes del evento, no me imaginaba nada más que globos, cartelones, un banquete y a gente cortando un moño rojo, todo lo que uno se imagina en la apertura de un evento. Buscaba entre la gente a las familias felices pero sólo encontré a gente inclinando sus oídos hacia el muro de fierro tratando de comunicarse con los del otro lado. En ese parque, uno está más cerca que nunca al muro que separa a los países vecinos, los agujeros de aquella reja de fierro
son tan pequeños que es casi imposible ver o escuchar a la persona que está del otro lado. Sin embargo, ahí estaban personas susurrando entre ellas murmurando palabras de amor, de esperanza. Al llegar, habían agentes de la patrulla fronteriza y Enrique Morones, el director de Ángeles de la Frontera, la organización que organizó el evento, nos dio una lista de las familias que iban a estar participando. Para ese entonces, me sentía confundida, pensaba que a lo mejor una sorpresa surgiría después y que el ambiente que presenciaba se entornaría a uno de alegría. Cambió, poco después, en pautas de tres minutos. Una por una, doce familias
se abrazaron y besaron, compartieron risas y palabras por tres minutos. Yo nunca había experimentado el reencuentro de tantas familias, no sé lo que se siente no ver a un ser querido por cuatro años ni lo que es volver a ver a tu abuelo después de doce, pero cada vez que anunciaban a la familia que seguía, mi corazón se aceleraba y solamente podía imaginarme los miles de te quiero’s que intercambiaban. El Parque de la Amistad, aquella tarde, marcaría la vida de aquellas familias para siempre. Para algunos de ellos como Brian Houston, jóven que contrajo matrimonio ese día frente a la Puerta de la Esperanza, ya era su segundo hogar. Pude presenciar en
tres minutos la unión de dos personas y comprobar que sin duda, “el amor no tiene fronteras”. “El amor no tiene fronteras” eran las palabras que repetía Morones. No había globos, no había una celebración más que una interna en cada una de las familias. Al estar ahí, no podía dejar de pensar en la paradoja que es la Puerta de la Esperanza que tiene el poder de dividir familias, los sueños y los anhelos que comparten dos personas y a dos países pero que una vez abierta deja que esos sueños fluyan y que familias vuelvan a reencontrarse, dándole entrada a la esperanza aunque sea por sólo tres minutos.
Mundo Azteca
Nov. 29-Dec. 5, 2017 EDITOR: Jocelyn Moran, mundoazteca@thedailyaztec.com
The Daily Aztec
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Abriendo la puerta de la esperanza fotos por Kelly Smiley palabras por Jocelyn Moran
D
oce familias tuvieron la oportunidad de reunirse con sus seres queridos en el Parque de la Amistad el 18 de noviembre después de años de estar separados. Ángeles de la Frontera organizó el evento este día por el Día Universal del Niño. Nietos conocieron a abuelos, hijos se reunieron con padres y una pareja intercambiaron anillos.
U
na pareja tomó los tres minutos para casarse. Brian Houston se casó con Evelia Reyes después de estar separados por casi un año. La pareja se conoció en México, y después de estar juntos por dos años, fueron separados. Houston dijo que espera tramitar la ciudadanía de su esposa para que puedan estar juntos otra vez.
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Revisiting my hometown through the ‘Lady Bird’ by Julianna Ress SENIOR STAFF WRITER
In April 2013, the Sacramento Kings were preparing to pack up and permanently relocate to Seattle, after a prolonged combination of embarrassing seasons, disappointing draft picks and poor ownership, much to the frustration of its consistently dedicated fanbase. However, right when it seemed the papers were signed and Sacramentans would have to say goodbye to their one professional sports team, Sac-local business owners, fronted by their mayor, were inexplicably successful in persuading the NBA to force then-owners, the Maloof family, to sell the team, keeping the Kings in the City of Trees. Four years later, the Kings aren’t performing much better. Despite their fancy, ecofriendly new arena, they finished with the eighth-worst record in the NBA last season, and traded away their star center, DeMarcus Cousins. Yet somehow, they ranked 16th in attendance out of all 30 teams, steadily rising from the 2013 season when they ranked dead last. It doesn’t sound that impressive, but for a team with zero playoff chance in a city where pretty much every surrounding area is inhabited by Warriors fans, it is. This is how Sacramento works—it has little to offer outside of government buildings and railroad museums, but something about it keeps its natives fiercely loyal. One of these natives is “Lady Bird” writer and director Greta Gerwig. Somewhat of a critical darling after praised turns in “20th Century Women” and “Frances Ha,” co-writing the latter, she returns to Sacramento to make her directorial debut with a semiself portrait of her formative senior year in California’s capital
city. I grew up in a Sacramento suburb northeast of where “Lady Bird’s” titular character, portrayed by Saoirse Ronan, lives. In the film her and I still share a lot of similar reference points, like rich Granite Bay kids, elitism over UC Davis even though it’s a great school and trying to convince people you’re actually from the Bay Area. High school movies can be a lot like reading the characteristics of your Zodiac sign—aiming for relatability by being just vague enough to be all-encompassing, but with leaps of specificity that when landed, they’ll make you think they’re reading your mind. As a Sacramentan, “Lady Bird” was different—at age 20, seeing a vastly critically acclaimed coming-of-age film set in my hometown was not just surreal, it was relatable to the point of invasiveness. Other people know about this place? Sure, it’s naïve to think Sacramento is some neglected, undiscovered wasteland only few have dared to cross, but when people mention the ever-romanticized California, it can be assumed they’re referring to somewhere south of the Grapevine, or maybe San Francisco. Capital city or not, Sacramento can often feel like a different state. Lady Bird calls Sacramento “the Midwest of California.” She wants to go to college “where culture is”—ideally somewhere on the other side of the country. I am not well-travelled by any means, but in comparison to other metropolitan areas I’ve visited, I think it’s safe to say Sacramento is the single most stagnant city on Earth. If New York City is “The City that Never Sleeps,” Sacramento is “The City that Only Gets Up When it Has To.” It’s like training wheels to prepare you for living in a city
SNAPSHOTS
—even it’s “famed landmark” (other than the capitol building), the Tower Bridge, is pretty much just a small, hideous parody of the Golden Gate Bridge. So when Lady Bird finally gets to her sought-after “Big City,” N.Y.C., by the end of the film, she’s not as prepared as she thought she would be. So she calls her mom, of course, and gives somewhat of an overdue verbal love letter to her hometown over shots of its local businesses and sunlight shooting through its trees. It’s a feeling I’ve experienced since leaving home—missing the comfort and simplicity of “Big City Lite” while in an actual “Big City” far different from your long-conceptualized “Big City.” I could go on and Sac-splain all of “Lady Bird” shot-for-shot, pointing out the significance of all the locations and driving anyone I watch it with crazy. But “Lady Bird” wasn’t made for me, nor was it made for Sacramento. It’s too good of a movie to be simplified like that. More than the physical setting, it’s that feeling of unexplainable, retrospective admiration of home that’s so true to entering adulthood. I still rarely ever have a nice thing to say about Sacramento, but when someone laughs at my dismissiveness towards it, I can’t help but feel a little guilty. It’s that same allegiance that kept the Kings there and led Gerwig back there to tell her story. Sure, it’s an uncool city, but it’s my uncool city, and I sort of love it anyway. I still go back to Sacramento a few times a year, but a day will come when I’ll leave and not know when I’ll be back next, and those memories of parking lot-hopping, offensively hot summers and hoping to God to get the hell out that city will just grow more distant. I’m lucky I’ll always have “Lady Bird” as a memento.
CLASSIFIEDS HELP WANTED
Photo by Kelly Smiley
HOW BORDER-FUL The “Opening the Door of Hope” event on Nov. 18 took place at Friendship Park.
Swings n’ Things House of Hammocks Swings n’ Things is San Diego’s premier hammock shop located on the water front in Seaport Village. We carry hammocks and hammock chairs from around the world. We have a friendly interactive environment focused on fun and relaxation. We are seeking outgoing energetic staff to hang out and have fun with our customers. If you like hanging out in hammocks and talking with people while you enjoy the view and listen to Bob Marley, this may be the job for you. We offer flexible hours and great pay. We will thoroughly train you on store products and procedures so you’ll have all the tools you need to be successful. Internship credit is also available. Please contact us to arrange an interview. Thank you. Email kolenick@msn.com _____________________________
Nov. 29-Dec. 5, 2017 Editor: Cami Buckman • arts@thedailyaztec.com
SUDOKU HOW TO PLAY Complete the grid so each row, column and 3-by-3 box (in bold borders) contains every digit 1 to 9. LEVEL
1|2|3|4 SOLUTIONS Available online at www.thedailyaztec.com Tribune News Service / Sponsored by Aztec Recreation
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CROSSWORDS
Tribune News Service
ACROSS 1 Gospel truth 5 Previous time of life 9 Broadway bombs 14 Southwestern stewpot 15 Texter’s modest “I think ... “ 16 Choosing rhyme starter 17 Hand from the audience 20 Actor __ Ivory Wayans 21 Castle barrier 22 Con man’s sucker 23 Robert of “The Sopranos” 25 Is the right size 27 Group one likes to hang with 34 Prefix with logical 35 Shrunken Asian sea 36 Braid 37 Jump 39 Blue cartoon papa 42 “Zip-__-Doo-Dah” 43 Clear, as an argument 45 Holiday trees 47 “Hometown Proud” supermarket chain 48 Area in which one has power
52 Royal sari wearer 53 Indian nurse 54 Plugs for products 57 Swallow hard 59 Frightened, in dialect 63 1970 Temptations hit with the subtitle “That’s What the World Is Today” 66 Sing like Bing 67 Actress Jessica 68 Creative spark 69 Frets 70 Close at hand 71 Droops like an old sofa DOWN 1 Road split 2 Skin soother 3 Game with suspects 4 Kind of acid in red wine 5 First settlers 6 Big initials in bowling 7 Bedding accessory 8 Fill to the brim 9 Soft penpoint 10 Pasture 11 Responsibility 12 Italian tower town 13 Ooze 18 Singer Reese
19 Two of a kind 24 Wander 26 Actress Ward 27 Basic anatomy units 28 Freeze over 29 Insect trapped in a “motel” 30 Pillow down, say 31 Low point 32 San __ Padres 33 Take illegally 38 Jetty 40 Costa __ 41 How the wise men came 44 Fire-breathing beasts 46 Major mix-up 49 Sufficient, in texts 50 Tin Man’s need 51 Grad student’s paper 54 Grade school basics 55 Pointed pub flier 56 __ gin fizz 58 Flag holder 60 Verdi title princess 61 “Walkabout” director Nicolas 62 Genetic carriers 64 Weather map “L” 65 Org. with Lakers and Clippers