Wednesday, Feb. 6 - Tuesday, Feb. 12, 2019 Weekly Print Edition
Vol. 105, Issue 21 www.thedailyaztec.com
Inside: A conversation with California’s lieutenant governor, Pg. 3
San Diego State University’s Independent Student Newspaper Since 1913
SDSU asks for public input on Mission Valley campus project by Daniel Guerrero STAFF WRITER
San Diego State’s Mission Valley Notice of Preparation and Initial Study Scoping (NOP/IS) meeting on Jan. 29 marked the public’s first chance get educated on the logistics of the SDSU Mission Valley project, featuring ample time for questions and comments. “This is a very important part,” SDSU alumnus Bill Hammett said. “This right here is living up to the campaign promise of this being an open and transparent process. I think this is the most critical step so that you get the buy-in from the community because we’re going to need everybody to build this.” The event, which took place at the Parma Payne Goodall Alumni Center, provided guests with a timeline of for the project’s early developments, which will include a public environmental impact report draft released in summer 2019. The draft will also have a 60-day public comment period, with suggestions said to be projected in the final draft, according to SDSU’s Director of Planning Laura Shinn. First on the agenda is the construction of the 35,000-seat stadium, future home to the Aztecs football team, Shinn said. One of the public’s largest concerns regarding the project during the campaign surrounds
the issue of traffic, as Mission Valley is already notorious for its congested roadways. Transportation engineer Cecily Taylor from Fehrs & Peers, the private firm that will serve as the project’s traffic consultant, said the firm will be able to analyze and suggest solutions for traffic problems that may arise throughout this project. “Seeing where there’s congestion, circulation issues and where it’s determined that there are impacts due to this project going in,” Taylor said. “We will be recommending mitigation for those impacts.” Taylor said the process will be will also incorporate public comments that relate to the firm’s assignment. “We’ll kind of do our analysis, incorporate any comments we get today and just do our analysis and that will be in the draft (environmental impact report),” Taylor said. “And, that draft (environmental impact report) will go out for public comment and when those comments come in we’ll kind of do the analysis again so this is a little bit iterative, but not necessarily ongoing.” For many attendees, statements like these reiterated the project’s emphasis on public input. After just this meeting, Hammett said SEE MISSION VALLEY, PAGE 2
Photo illustration by David Pradel and Katherine Cooke
Sophomore guard Téa Adams shoots over multiple SJSU defenders during the Aztecs’ 69-68 victory over the Spartans on Feb. 2 at Viejas Arena.
The Den, Culinary Kitchen shut down over winter break by Aretha Matsushima STAFF WRITER
Two San Diego State dining options – The Den by Denny’s and the East Commons Culinary Theatre – will no longer be operating as restaurant competition has stiffened elsewhere on campus. SDSU Dining Director Paul Melchior said The Den and Culinary Theatre are going
out of business primarily due to insufficient earnings, likely stemming from competition with South Campus Plaza restaurants. “When South Campus Plaza opened and we allowed meal plans to be accepted there, a lot of our sales went there because they were brand new and had good concepts,” Melchior said. Psychology freshman Daomi Pham said she is unhappy with The Den closing as she found it
Campus fraternities give back with Season of Giving by Brenden STAFF WRITER
Courtesy photo
IFC members donated 3,266 pounds fo food to Jacobs and Cushman San Diego Food Bank at the end of the fall semester.
Tuccinardi
At the close of the fall semester, the Interfraternity Council executive board and member fraternities came together during the holiday season to donate more than 3,200 pounds of food and around $500 to the Jacobs & Cushman San Diego Food Bank. The first-ever Season of Giving took place over five days beginning on Dec. 8 and concluding on Dec. 12. The event utilized some friendly competition among the fraternity chapters with the focus of giving back during the holiday season and strengthening ties among the council’s fraternities, IFC President Jacob Mahony said.
“We wanted to do something that would make a difference in our backyard,” Mahony said. “Especially around the holiday season, we didn’t want people to be going hungry.” San Diego Food Bank President James A. Floros thanked IFC for their donation in a letter. “On behalf of The Jacobs & Cushman San Diego Food Bank, but more importantly those we serve, I want to thank you and the rest of the supporters in SDSU’s Interfraternity Council for hosting a holiday food drive this year,” Floros wrote. At the end of the week, IFC collected 3,266 pounds of food, SEE FOOD DRIVE, PAGE 3
to be a valuable place to eat on campus. “It was convenient and near to campus,” Pham said. “The quality of it’s food was good for it’s price. It was the perfect spot for a college student.” Melchior said The Den’s old location is currently undergoing renovation to become Plant SEE DINING CLOSURES, PAGE 2
CORRECTION:
In the Jan. 30, 2019, edition of The Daily Aztec, the story titled “Sexual assault reporting spikes during fall semester” incorrectly referred to Title IX as Title IV, and did not accurately describe which departments don’t report sexual assaults to the Title IX office. Counseling and Psychological Services, Student Health Services and the university’s Sexual Assault Victim Advocate don’t report assaults to the Title IX office. However, Counseling and Psychological Services does provide anonymous statistics for the university’s annual security report, and Student Health Services reports assaults to the San Diego State University Police Department. The Daily Aztec regrets this errors.
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Mission Valley:
continued from page 1 his perception of this project has differed from the construction of Viejas Arena, which he said was largely planned behind closed doors. “When the arena was built over here, first it was Cox Arena and now it’s Viejas Arena, that was very much a forced decision,” Hammett said. “That was something that was decided on from the very top of the university and everybody had to comply and they just built the thing. The community
Feb. 6-12, 2019 EDITOR: Bella Ross • news@thedailyaztec.com
wasn’t as involved.” San Diego resident Mark Moss said he agrees that a forum like this gives everyone working on the project a chance to be transparent with the public about the impacts the project might have on the environment. “I think (these meetings are) very important because it’s a major piece of land in a growing area of the city and whether its private developers or city or the university, all should be transparent and open about what the impacts may be to the local environment,” Moss said. Public comments may also be submitted to mvcomments@ sdsu.edu by Feb. 19. Photo by Bella Ross
The Den closed over winter break and will soon undergo construction to become Plant Power, a vegan fast food restaurant.
Dining Closures:
continued from page 1
Photo by Daniel Guerrero
Director of Planning Laura Shinn addresses public at the first Mission Valley scoping meeting in the Parma Payne Goodall Alumni Center on Jan. 29.
Power, a fast food vegan option that will be on the meal plan. “It’s kind of like a hamburger and fries concept but everything is completely vegan,” Melchior said. “That’s why Plant Power is nice, because we don’t have a vegan-only restaurant anywhere on campus.” Sustainability freshman Anna Mangiameli said she approves of the new vegan-based restaurant
as it might push more people to experiment with veganism. “I’m really excited about Plant Power being on campus since it’ll introduce non-vegans to vegan foods,” Mangiameli said. “I’ve eaten at Plant Power before and I’m amazed at how similar it is to In-N-Out.” Melchior said, along with the Culinary Theatre, Dickies in East Commons has also closed down for similar reasons. “Dickies wasn’t meeting their sales goals, so they opted out of their agreement,” Melchior said. “It just didn’t work out in their operations.” Melchior also said Culinary
Theatre first opened to bring sales as a pay-point to East Commons and to feature its culinary-driven program with chefs. “The sales migrated towards South Campus Plaza, so we didn’t need the extra pay-point in East Commons anymore,” Melchior said. Melchior said dining services is open to feedback from students and hearing what options are desired. “We listen to students, we have focus groups to find out what students are looking for,” Melchior said.
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Feb. 6-12, 2019 EDITOR: Bella Ross, news@thedailyaztec.com
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California’s lieutenant governor visits SDSU as part of statewide listening tour by Daniel Guerrero STAFF WRITER
Lt. Gov. Eleni Kounalakis made her first official visit to San Diego State on Feb. 1 as part of her statewide “listening tour.” The visit marked the beginning of a dialogue between her office and public universities across the state. Kounalakis, the first female lieutenant governor in California history, embarked on her listening tour after her Jan. 7 inauguration. As lieutenant governor, she will sit on the CSU Board of Trustees and UC Board of Regents. Kounalakis said the discussions held on campuses would play a significant role in fostering a strong relationship. “The best way to learn is to talk to people and listen firsthand,” she said. Kounalakis cited Gov. Newsom’s tenure as lieutenant governor as a key component of building trust between the administration and higher education. “We now have a governor who sat on (university) boards for eight years,” she said. “He has clearly demonstrated a very strong faith with the investment of state dollars into the CSU system and what it would do for our state, both in educating more students and creating more opportunity, while also meeting the needs of the workforce of the future.” Newsom recently proposed the single largest annual increase
in financial support for the CSU system. Kounalakis declared her support for the governor’s budget and acknowledged the importance of keeping tuition down while increasing the availability of grants and scholarships. “I think it is critically important that public higher education be as accessible as possible,” Kounalakis said. She also underscored the pressing need for increasing capacity to accommodate demand. “Our system is bursting at the seems,” she said. “Tens of thousands of students last year who were qualified for admittance to the CSU system simply had no place.” Kounalakis further stressed the need for additional funding for higher education in the future. “I hope to look at different opportunities to increase funding into the system and to help support the innovative work being done on these campuses,” she said. Kounalakis witnessed the power of education in her own family. Her father, an immigrant to the United States who started as a farmworker, attended Sacramento State before starting his own business. “I’ve walked the pathway of the American dream,” Kounalakis said. “I know very well that it goes, for millions of families, through the halls of our colleges and universities.”
Courtesy photo
Lt. Gov. Eleni Kounalakis mets with members of A.S. during her statewide listening tour on Feb.1
Kounalakis previously worked in the private sector for her family’s housing and development firm. She hopes to rely on her housing experience to address the urgent need for more affordable homes statewide. “After the recession, housing production collapsed,” she said. “We lost expertise and trained workers who knew how to build housing. The need for more housing continued to go up while the delivery mechanism has not really recovered.” Today, California produces half of the housing it once built before the recession to keep pace
with a growing population. “Up until the recession, California delivered 200,000 new units per year,” she said. “Today, we produce about 100,000 units per year.” Paired with the catastrophic wildfires that have destroyed tens of thousands of homes, Kounalakis said she is pushing for the construction of new housing, including affordable homes and campus housing. Before entering politics, Kounalakis served as ambassador to Hungary during the Obama administration. She cited the 2016 election as a key factor in
her decision to run for public office. After working for the Clinton campaign, Kounalakis said she responded to Clinton’s call for anyone with something to offer – particularly women – to run for office. Inspired by her background in diplomacy, she also advised SDSU students to take advantage of living in a border city. “Go abroad, even if it is a day trip across the border,” she said. “Students have a window into a much bigger world which opens the mind and opens opportunities.”
Shake Smart moves toward environmentally friendly utensils by Chelsey Crowne STAFF WRITER
Starting at the end of the fall semester, both campus Shake Smart locations introduced ecofriendly utensils and will begin allowing customers to bring their own cups and bowls in an effort to reduce waste. Shake Smart San Diego Regional Manager Hilary Thielscher said the restaurant had been discussing the idea of using more environmentally friendly utensils options for some time. The spoons and straws, purchased from Greeno, were finally implemented after requests from students and management looking to introduce new ideas. “I 100 percent think every eatery on campus should have ecofriendly supplies,” business junior and Shake Smart employee Blake Nicholas said. “I think students are for sure more inclined to shop at Shake Smart when we have more environmentally friendly options.” Thielscher said she thinks Shake Smart will look to introduce even more eco-conscious plastics and supplies as the newly introduced straws and spoons become more readily available. The plastic cups
and bowls currently used by the company to package its smoothies and acai bowls are all already 100 percent recyclable. Shake Smart was founded by two SDSU students, Martin Reiman and Kevin Gelfand, in 2011. The chain has since expanded to 13 locations across six states, and there are plans to have 20 stores open by 2020, according to the a university press release. Reiman and Gelfand were also featured on the 2019 Forbes 30 Under 30 List in the Food & Drink category. “We are very excited about the new changes, it’s been a long time in the making,” Thielscher said. “We are just proud to be able to say that we are making changes in a more eco-friendly direction.” The global biodegradable plastics market is projected to reach $6.73 billion by 2025, according to a report by Grand View Research, Inc. published in July 2018. This industry owes its success to increasingly strict government regulations prohibiting conventional plastics as well as a growing consumer awareness regarding the ill-effects of plastic waste. SDSU students are also making changes to their lifestyles to help reduce plastic waste.
“Students always use the ecofriendly straws when they’re available,” Nicholas said. “They (now) even bring their own cups sometimes.” Shake Smart isn’t the only restaurant on campus to begin moving in a more eco-friendly direction when it comes to
conventional plastics. Energy and Sustainability Officer Tom Abram said SDSU has worked with eateries in East Commons to move straws and utensils behind the counter, where they will only be provided upon request. While restaurants carry the bulk of the burden when it comes
to reducing waste, Abram said students can make quick and easy lifestyle changes to aid the effort. “Bring reusable straws, silverware and bottles,” said Abram. “Sustainable SDSU has promotional silverware and straw pouches that we will be providing to students at various events.”
Food Drive:
health before final exams. IFC brought in therapy dogs and distributed school supplies such as scantrons, pencils and erasers to members. The next day, Dec. 11, IFC member fraternities came together to compete in a series of strength and agility events at an ENS Field Day, once again, earning points for attendance and participation. To conclude the campaign, IFC held an open forum in the Conrad Prebys Aztec Student Union Theater. Bryce Evans, a speech, language and hearing sciences sophomore, said the IFC executive board answered questions from members on a wide range of topics from the social moratorium to the relationship IFC has with the university. “The open dialogue shed light
on a lot of questions that I had about IFC,” Evans said. “It made is very easy for myself and other members to ask questions and learn how IFC works.” The IFC plans on hosting similar events in the spring 2019 semester, incorporating philanthropy with incentives in order to get members involved, IFC Vice President of Programming Kevin Fukushima said. “We are in this growing process as a community trying to create a culture change,” Mahony said. “Raising money and food for a good cause, we felt, was a really big step for our community and something we want to build off of in the future … But a culture change doesn’t just happen overnight.”
continued from page 1 which translated to 2,722 meals, the letter said. Each fraternity competed for points, which were awarded for attendance, participation and the amount donated at each of the five events. The week-long campaign kicked off with a fundraiser at Chipotle, which raised $288, according to IFC Secretary Sam Emami. The second day IFC hosted an Instagram battle, where member fraternities earned points by liking images on the IFC Instagram account. On Dec. 10, the event, titled Mental Health Monday, focused on promoting positive mental
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Feb. 6-12, 2019 EDITOR: Kemi Giwa • opinion@thedailyaztec.com
Sen. Harris is a strong candidate by Catherine STAFF WRITER
Van Weele
On Martin Luther King Jr. Day, Sen. Kamala Harris — one of the two Democrats representing California in the Senate — announced her candidacy for president in 2020. In 2016, Harris became the second African American woman and first South Asian American woman to be elected as a U.S senator. Before her time in Congress, she served two terms as District Attorney of San Francisco and then as California’s Attorney General. If she were to win the presidency, it would be quite a historic moment. To have a woman of color in the oval office would send an empowering message throughout the country and to the world. It tells young girls and people of color that they have the potential for greatness as well. There are 59 countries that have had a female leader. Electing the first black and female president would show the world that America is a powerful place of diversity and its democracy serves the people.
Harris would become a positive symbol of a progressive and inclusive future. To see her hold the most esteemed position in the United States would signify America working to overcome its history of racism that has been used as a divisive force. Harris would certainly be a powerful voice representing many communities that have been historically marginalized. She will prioritize their needs. She is already making criminal justice reform a prominent part of her platform, tackling an issue that disproportionately affects the black community. Harris has already acted upon this by requiring bias training for police during her time as attorney general. She is bold and ambitious and would undoubtedly continue working to provide equal opportunity for all people. The Trump administration has been unreceptive to the needs of many marginalized communities which has created tension and frustration throughout the country. Harris would be able to address these needs of the people and work to heal the deep divides
of political polarization making her an excellent candidate for presidency. Harris is more centrist than other potential Democratic candidates and she thinks objectivity with an open mind giving her a wider appeal. While Harris does not politicize her position as an African American and Indian woman, she would still certainly serve as an excellent role model to the future generations. While Harris’ name may not be widely recognized outside of California, she could be a unifying force for the country. Harris proposes preparing workers for the future workforce in which industries heavily rely on technology and automation and raising the minimum wage by binding it to the rate of inflation. By addressing this shift in the economy, Harris could win over many of the working class voters who had aligned themselves with Trump in 2016 in hopes of providing security in their jobs. People want someone who to will be an advocate for their needs and Harris is more than ready to fulfil that role. Harris was born and raised in
Oakland, Calif., to immigrant parents during the tail end of the Civil Rights Movement. A week after declaring her bid for presidency, Harris held a rally in her hometown to officially launch her campaign promoting herself as a champion of the people. In a message of unity, Harris encouraged her 20,000 supporters in attendance to not allow those in power now to turn the people against themselves. She talked about the need for the bigotry facing America today to be dealt with and to protect democracy and the American dream. In her time in Congress, Harris has aligned herself with Democratic ideology with a record of supporting legislation that protects the environment, raises wages, expands childcare, reforms the justice system and provides affordable healthcare. Harris wants to create a pathway to citizenship for Dreamers, cut taxes for the middle class and pass common sense gun laws. She pledges to continue working for these efforts if she were to be elected president. Catherine Van Weele is a freshman studying political science.
Dear California, stop electing Democrats by Miles Streicek STAFF WRITER
California’s leaders have failed this State. The evidence is all around us, from rampant homelessness to the ever-increasing cost of living and the fact that we have a net outmigration rate to other states. California is a great story with filled so many hardworking and determined people, yet we’re seeing a declining standard of living and shrinking economic growth relative to other states. This is because of incessant tax increases and a regulatory body expanding with no end in sight. This isn’t the fault of the common person. The blame rests squarely on our leaders, and make no mistake, we need new ones. Every year, far more people move out of California for other states, particularly Texas, Arizona and Nevada. It’s to the point where there’s a noticeable difference in moving prices from in and out of the state In fact, The San Diego UnionTribune reported “the cost to rent a 26-foot U-Haul truck — big enough to move a three- to fourbedroom home — out of San Francisco headed to Las Vegas reached as high as $2,085 for four days. “To rent the same truck going in the opposite direction is only a fraction of that cost — $132." This would surprise many since California still is considered a
destination of cultural significance. However, California is no longer the ideal state. People leaving the state almost universally cite an extremely high cost of living, driving even those with modest incomes into poverty. Many of California’s issues stem from the common source of overtaxation. California has the highest state income tax in the nation, the highest sales tax and recently became the state with the highest gas taxes. In addition, we have costly individual fees, permits for building or various business operations are costly and slow to process, storm drain fees are among the highest in the nation, despite many streets not even having them. The list goes on. Democrats are now even considering a vacancy tax for malls and apartments. At every turn, particularly in business, there is another tax. This makes everything more expensive and less competitive. People are moving out of the state because they can’t afford to live here. Taxation puts a deadweight loss on the economy, meaning that taxes reduce the overall productivity and prosperity of a society, it’s basic economics. Obviously taxation is necessary to run government services but the goal should be to provide those services while spending the
least amount of tax money. Another factor that raises costs and stifles progress in this state is the gigantic burden of over regulation. It has a similar effect on the prosperity of a society as too much taxation does. Each regulation requires attention to be paid to it, ensuring it’s followed. Many require extra expenses on the part of businesses to adhere to them, thus increasing their operating costs leading them to, in turn, raise prices on goods and services. Regulation is necessary, to a point, we need to make sure that oil refineries, for example, are taking the right environmental precautions. But when, in 2016, 1800 businesses had to relocate to other states, things have gone way too far. There needs to be a balance, and our leaders have either ignored or completely missed it. Needless to say, Gavin Newsom and the Democrats weren’t paying attention in econ. The Democratic party holds the governorship and has a supermajority in both the state senate and the assembly, meaning that they can pass any bill they want without a single vote from anyone else. So the bills that pass are solely a product of those Democrat politicians. Every year they pass more tax
increases and regulations, and like suckers, the people of California elect them over and over again, even in areas so devastated by their policies. San Francisco sends Democrats to Sacramento every year, including Governor Newson who used to be their mayor, while their city has been plagued with an insane cost of living leading to a homeless crisis. It’s time for people to wise up, vote for people who actually understand government and economics. I’m not telling you to become a Republican, but I am asking you to at least consider them, and independents for our state leadership. Their goals are to lower taxes and reduce our regulatory body, in other words the exact opposite of the policies that are sending our great state down the toilet Next time don’t vote for our local Democrats who vote for every tax increase or regulation proposed, like Toni Atkins, Ben Hueso or Shirley Weber. Try something new in 2020, and if you don’t like the results, go right back to voting for the people who are bleeding you and our entire state dry if you want. After all, the definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results. Miles Streicek is a sophomore studying economics
EDITOR IN CHIEF Will Fritz MANAGING EDITOR Jocelyn Moran NEWS EDITOR Bella Ross ASST. NEWS EDITOR David Santillan OPINION EDITOR Kemi Giwa MUNDO AZTECA EDITOR Alejandra Luna ARTS & CULTURE EDITOR Julianna Ress ASST. ARTS & CULTURE EDITOR Lexington Howe SPORTS EDITOR Abraham Jewett ASST. SPORTS EDITOR Aaron Tolentino ENGAGEMENT EDITOR Dana Tsuri-Etzioni PHOTO EDITOR Michael Abshear MULTIMEDIA EDITOR Amal Younis ASST. MULTIMEDIA EDITOR Mirella Lopez
VOLUNTEER COPY EDITOR Katherine Cooke SENIOR STAFF WRITER Michael Cline Lauren J. Mapp STAFF WRITERS Cristian Alvarez Chelsey Crowne Ceighlee Fennel Daniel Guerrero Sydney Karlos Kelly Kerrigan Antonio Márquez Aretha Matsushima Jasmine Mouzon Brett Pickler Tristi Rodriguez Miles Streicek Tayza Than Brenden Tuccinardi Catherine Van Weele ________________________________ ADVERTISING DIRECTOR Josh Diaz SALES MANAGER Valerie Barrientos ACCOUNTING & CONTRACTS Samir Sandhu Meah Mapp ________________________________ GENERAL MANAGER/ADVISER Jay Harn GRAPHIC DESIGN SPECIALIST Luis Valenzuela ________________________________ 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.
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Feb. 6-12, 2019 EDITOR: Kemi Giwa • opinion@thedailyaztec.com
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It’s time to finally hold R. Kelly accountable by Jasmine Mouzon STAFF WRITER
It has taken me awhile to muster up the courage to speak on this topic simply because I’m aware of the potential backlash I may receive. But it has to be said: R. Kelly needs to be canceled. As an artist, he is beyond talented and has served a huge role in the black community. His catchy songs have become traditional tunes for reunions, weddings and birthdays. Yet, aside from his music, it has been proven that Kelly has a very cynical side to him that continues to bring complete pandemonium. In a recent Lifetime documentary series called “Surviving R. Kelly,” several black women came forward to reveal the amount of pain Kelly has brought to them. From keeping them from seeing their families, to emotionally and physically abusing them, to even starving them at times for not complying with his orders. The documentary consists of women who had been romantically involved with Kelly, letting the world know how difficult it was to leave someone who had literally brainwashed them into believing there was no way out.
There are also accusations of Kelly being the leader of his own sex cult. Honestly, when I first began watching the series, I ignorantly said “why don’t these women just leave him and get back to their lives?” But after watching all six episodes, I realized it was much deeper than that. There’s a pattern of psychological torture behind all of Kelly’s tactics. One of them being that he manipulates his victims into believing he’s a great man at first and then he lures them in by promising them a better life. Even worse, his victims were/ are minors, or much younger than he is. The women who spoke out in the documentary are now older, which illustrate how long its been. Despite the R. Kelly track record, which includes a heinous pornographic video of him urinating on a 14-year-old girl and these recent testimonies, Kelly along with his fans continue to sweep accusations under the rug. When the documentary came out, many people on social media attacked the victims for being so “naive” “slutty” or “stupid” yet not many felt compelled to hold a grown man accountable for being
a predator. People were also suggesting that these young girls shouldn’t have been trying to have sexual relations with a grown man, but they didn’t point out how a grown man should know better than to hang around high schools and malls to prey on young girls. What was even more shocking was that a majority of the people supporting R. Kelly were members of the black community who claimed that this is just another instance of America trying to bring down a succesful black man. As a black woman, I understand it’s very common for black to be brought down than other ethnicities, however, there’s literally proof of R Kelly doing the things he’s been accused of, so where’s the confusion? Due to his large fanbase and presence in the black church, Kelly is once again capable of evading his charges and acting as if what he has done isn’t that big of a deal. Kelly has surrounded himself with “yes” men and a music industry that enables his behavior. For the past 25 years or so, he has been sexually exploiting young black girls and women, and he continues to get away with it. Not only does this say what he’s doing is okay, it sends a message
to victims that even if they step forward, their voice doesn’t matter. That also leads me to ask why is it that we always question victims more than we question the abuser? Yes, in some cases we question sides due to possible false accusations, however, according to BBC World News, over the past 20 years, only 2 to 10 percent of assaults are proven to be fake, so it’s not that common. With over 20 women stepping forward to speak against R. Kelly, I’m still mind boggled at how dense people are being toward the victims. The reason being that Kelly has done an exceptional job at maintaining two alter egos which consist of the sex symbol that pop culture loves and the “wholesome” man who is adored by the church. The documentary’s overall message the is that black girls/ women don’t matter to many. I hate to say it, but if it was a group of white girls saying an older black man had sexaully exploited them, R. Kelly would’ve been in jail 25 years ago. But, since women of color are already discredited due to their skin color, their voices are silenced and cries continue to be ignored. The justice system simply doesn’t work in the favor of those
who don’t have privilege, sorry not sorry. Nonetheless, it’s important we hold R. Kelly accountable for these horrific acts in order to bring justice to the people he has hurt and is still hurting til this day. It doesn’t matter how much money or how great someone’s music is, Kelly has abused dozens of young girls and women and needs to pay for his actions. Thankfully, there are people who realize how serious the accusations are such as Sony Records. Due to several protests and other signed artists threatening to leave the label unless Kelly was released. So, I end this by saying, we must cancel R. Kelly. He has brought pain, suffering and devastation to the lives of many and will continue to do so unless people stop enabling him. Black women matter and their voices need to be heard. As the great Malcolm X once said, “The most disrespected woman in America, is the black woman. The most unprotected person in America, is the black woman. The most neglected person in America, is the black woman.” Jasmine Mouzon is a senior studying Africana studies.
Hollywood needs to protect all victims by Syndey Karlos STAFF WRITER
For the last couple of years, the dark side of Hollywood has made front page news and opened the eyes of film lovers to what is really happening behind the scenes. The film garnering so much attention this award season is Bohemian Rhapsody. Once a song written by Queen, Bohemian Rhapsody was turned into a biopic about the life of Freddie Mercury and the beginning of the legendary band Queen. Problems arose though when the director of the film, Bryan Singer, was accused of sexually assaulting young boys. This did not seem to stop the movie from sweeping many of the awards during the 20182019 season and become a popular success. The reason why Fox hired Singer in the first place is still unclear. With a background of causing chaos on sets and the accusations against him, it does not seem clear to me why they would hire him to direct such an important movie. Complaints from actors on set of tardiness and altercations with set members seemed to have to do with why Singer was eventually “fired,” not the allegations against him. Even after firing Singer, he was still projected to make more than $40 million from Bohemian Rhapsody. In addition, the display of ignorance by the entire cast,
mostly Rami Malek, who plays Freddie Mercury in the film, makes this movie even more problematic. From ignoring questions about Singer’s accusations to actually saying that it was Freddie’s ghost that caused Malek not to look into Singer before signing onto the movie — nothing about the movie seems like it is something worth watching. At the Santa Barbara International Film Festival, Gina Carbone of Cinema Blend reports that Malek addresses Singer’s allegations by saying, “For anyone who is seeking any solace in all of this, Bryan Singer was fired.” How is a victim’s abuser supposedly being fired from one of the year’s biggest films supposed to help all the pain that the victim goes through? Malek’s disregard for the victims of Singer is unsettling and appalling. No matter how much Malek wants to blame Freddie Mercury’s ghost for why he decided to work on this movie, Malek was the one who chose to sign onto the film. According to Jenna Marotta and Dana Harris of IndieWire, “Singer has a series of reported incidents that have dogged his career, and the careers of associates, across two decades.” It is very hard to believe that Malek had no clue about the accusations against Singer since they have been around for 20 years An article from “The Atlantic” came out shortly after Bohemian
Rhapsody was nominated for the Oscars revealing stories of the boys that were seduced or raped by Singer. According to Alex French and Maximillian Potter of “The Atlantic,” “the victims we interviewed told us these experiences left them psychologically damaged, with substance-abuse problems, depression, and PTSD.” Many victims in the article want the writers to withhold their real names, probably because of the retaliation they would receive from accusing one of the most powerful directors in the industry of horrific abuse. According to the article, one of the victims, who goes by the name Ben in the article, recalls that Singer was “predatory in that he would ply people with alcohol and drugs and then have sex with them.” Many guests of parties that they went to at Singer’s Los Angeles home recalled noticing that “how young many of the guests looked…How did all these boys get here? Where are their parents?” The story that stuck out to me the most in the article was Sanchez-Guzman’s story of being raped by Singer. Sanchez-Guzman recalls being raped by Singer after meeting him on a yacht. When trying to tell others on the yacht about what happened, many, including Singer, told him “nobody is going to believe you.” With power and money, it is very easy in Hollywood to make an issue disappear.
Many other stories in the article detail how Singer took advantage of them when they were not of age. It is concerning that Singer was even allowed to direct a movie These stories seem to have no effect on the success of Bohemian Rhapsody. With 16 major award nominations in 2019, nobody in the industry seems fazed by the horrific allegations against Singer. The most major nominations include best picture and best actor at the Academy Awards and the Oscars. These nominations are quite ironic considering nearly a year ago Hollywood was pushing the #MeToo movement and spreading awareness of sexual assault by wearing all black at the Golden Globes. According to Deadline, actress Lena Waithe says, “they not only want to stop sexual harassment but racism, homophobia, transphobia—all those things. This is about making everyone being treated equally and having a happy and safe work environment—whether you work in Hollywood or are a farmer or a nurse. All of us wearing black is a small token of our solidarity.” This protest followed the Harvey Weinstein sexual assault cases and the end of Kevin Spacey’s career after allegations of sexual assault were revealed. Many in the industry called for those who abused their powers to be blacklisted out of
Hollywood and to make their names known. Now, a year later award shows are nominating a movie directed by an alleged rapist for best picture and raving about how amazing the movie is. Hollywood picks and chooses when it wants to raise awareness about a serious issue and chooses to ignore issues when they become an inconvenience. Some might say that Hollywood is better and they have grown to become more aware of the issues of the world, but this is false and the success of Bohemian Rhapsody proves it. This movie not only taints Freddie Mercury’s image but should be a disgrace to Hollywood. No man who has this many allegations against him should have the power of being one of the top directors in the industry. No man should have the power to ruin someone else’s life without having to face the consequences. If Hollywood cares about victims of sexual abuse, then they need to take a stand against Singer and stand in solidarity with all victims of sexual abuse. Singer is a disgrace to Hollywood. The cast of the movie and the band members of Queen should be ashamed of themselves for allowing a movie based around one of the most influential people in the music industry be tainted. Sydney Karlos is a freshman studying journalism.
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Sports
The Daily Aztec
Feb. 6-12, 2019 EDITOR: Abraham Jewett • sports@thedailyaztec.com
Women’s basketball defeats San José by Tristi Rodgriguez STAFF WRITER
In a team huddle with 14 seconds left and down by one, San Diego State women’s basketball head coach Stacie Terry prompted sophomore guard Téa Adams to do one thing. “Go get a bucket,” Terry said. Adams did just that. The clock was winding down and with 1.2 seconds left, the 5-foot-9 guard drove to the basket and knocked down the gamewinning layup. The layup set up the Aztecs to make a defensive stop and seal a narrow 69-68 victory over San José State on Feb. 2 at Viejas Arena. Adams said it was a thrilling experience. “It was exciting, we were all pumped up,” she said. “It wasn’t supposed to come down to the wire. We did what we had to do at the end.” Sophomore guard Najé Murray said despite nerves in the final seconds, the team knew the ball needed to be in Adams’ hands. “Personally, I was really nervous,” she said. “We know as a team, as a program, it’s in the right person’s hands. At that point, no one else should be shooting that shot but (Adams).”
Photo by David Pradel
Redshirt junior Zayn Dornstauder takes a shot over the San José State defense during SDSU’s win over the Spartans on Feb. 2 at Viejas Arena.
Murray led the Aztecs with 16 points, seven rebounds and a career-high nine assists. Murray said she enjoyed getting others involved. “They were in the right spot and they were making shots (today),” she said. “It’s always achievable, but everyone was just on (today). You could feel it. It was fun passing for sure.” Murray said the performance was due to an extra level of
motivation against the Spartans. “Actually I do (have a vengeance),” she said. “I do in my heart. I feel deeply about them from years ago. A lot of girls on the team I played against in high school.” SDSU started off strong, and the momentum followed them as they led by as many as 17 in the first quarter. The Aztecs’ defense contributed to the lead. The pressure applied
by Murray and Adams led the two to pick up two steals that led to easy layups and a 16-2 lead, all within a matter of 10 seconds. The two guards combined to pick up five of SDSU’s eight steals. This led to a SJSU timeout with 5:46 left in the first quarter. The Spartans crept their way back and outscored the Aztecs in the second quarter 15-9. The score was 35-30 at halftime. The Spartans were gradually
cutting into the Aztecs’ lead in the second half . Aside from a banked in 3-pointer by SJSU junior guard Analyss Benally with 16 seconds left that gave the Spartans a 68-67 lead, the Aztecs led from start to finish. Freshman guards Mallory Adams and Sophia Ramos each scored in double figures. Adams recorded her seventh double-double with 14 points and 13 rebounds, while Ramos collected 13 points, five rebounds and five assists. Ramos got elbowed in the final moments of the game and was helped off the floor with blood coming down her eye. She took a short break, got bandaged up and returned for SDSU’s final offensive possession. Terry said the young players like Ramos are impacting the program and the culture at SDSU. “Right now, we are going through the growing pains of starting two freshmen and two sophomores,” Terry said. ‘‘(Ramos) is literally bleeding from her eye and they just bandaged her up and she’s like ‘I’m ready, I’m ready.’ That’s kind of the culture of this team — they’re just tough.”’ SDSU will host New Mexico on Wednesday, Feb. 6 at Viejas Arena.
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Feb. 6-12, 2019 EDITOR: Abraham Jewett • sports@thedailyaztec.com
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Lacrosse wins big in exhibition match by Cristian STAFF WRITER
Alvarez
San Diego State lacrosse started off their season with an exhibition victory against Claremont-Mudd-Scripps, 20-6, on Feb. 2 at the Aztec Lacrosse Field. SDSU never tailed and led by as many as 16 points while defensively forcing 12 turnovers during the regular season tuneup. Head coach Kylie White said she was pleased with how well the team defended. “All 12 players took part in getting the ball back,” White said. “I think that was the best thing of the whole game.” The Aztecs had a total of five players score multiple goals. Senior attacker Kirstie Greenlaw led the way for SDSU with four goals while redshirt sophomore Lexi Tan had three. Junior midfielder Taylor Sullivan, who scored twice, said she was happy to be back on the field. “It was nice to play an actual game again,” she said. Sullivan said the team did well on both sides of the field and properly executed White’s
gameplan. “I think we focused on getting the draw in the beginning,” Sullivan said. “We had to make sure we moved the ball quickly while looking for the cuts and drives.” Most of the game was played in wet and windy conditions. Senior midfielder Harlowe Steele said despite the weather it did not change the outcome and playing style for the Aztecs. “We can play in all types of weather,” Steele said. “We always say the clouds make us run faster.” Indeed, the weather appeared to be no issue for the Aztecs, who played their last game over nine months ago. Since their previous match only two players from the MPSF championship winning team graduated. Although much of the veteran presence remained in the locker room, a few new faces joined the squad. Both Cailin Young and Caitlin Jones made their collegiate debuts. White said she was pleased with the performance from both players. “I think they really played well for their first college game,” White said. “Just how they stepped up and finished was
Photo by Abraham Jewett
The Aztecs celebrate a goal by midfielder Arielle Shahrabani (33) during SDSU’s 20-6 victory over Claremont-Mudd-Scripps on Feb. 2 at the Aztec Lacrosse Field.
amazing.” The Aztecs ended up having a 42-to-13 advantage in shot counts against the Athenas. The away team appeared to constantly have their backs against the wall. White said how leading up to the match the team’s focus would be on gaining the ball back after every score. “I think we’ve been really
stressing that our defense starts as soon as we lose possession of the ball,” she said. Although the Athenas found themselves in an early deficit, they managed to score a few goals during the second period. White felt the team had plenty of room for improvement defensively. “I was a little disappointed with the transition goals that we allowed,” White said. “It’s just a
lot of the basics that could use some cleaning up.” The Aztecs will get their season officially underway when they travel to face both Oregon and UC Berkeley in Las Vegas, Nev. SDSU will be back at home on Feb. 22 when they will play against University of Southern California at the Aztec Lacrosse Field.
Good from Jan 18 - Feb 28, 2019
8
Sports
The Daily Aztec
Feb. 6-12, 2019 EDITOR: Abraham Jewett • sports@thedailyaztec.com
Men’s tennis earns victory over UCSD by Tayza Than STAFF WRITER
San Diego State men’s tennis defeated crosstown rivals UCSD by a score of 6-1 on a dark and gloomy Friday afternoon on Feb. 1 at the Aztec Tennis center. The game was originally scheduled for last Sunday, but due to bad weather conditions, the game was moved to Friday. “We adapted well,” head coach Gene Carswell said. “Credit to our guys, they didn’t use it as an excuse, they came out here, were ready to play and it led to us getting the victory.”
“It’s nice to get that first point under your belt going into a match, especially with a crosstown rival.” – Gene Carswell, SDSU head coach The Aztecs picked up the doubles point for the first time this season and started with a 1-0 advantage. Sophomores Jan Kirchhoff and Ignacio Martinez won their doubles match 6-4, which clinched the point. “It’s nice to get that first point under your belt going into a match, especially with a crosstown rival,” Carswell said. “It was nice to get that doubles point and get that head start.”
Photo by Abraham Jewett
Junior Fabian Roensdorf completes a serve during the Aztecs’ 5-2 loss against UC Santa Barbara on Jan. 20 at the Aztec Tennis Center.
As the singles matches started, the Aztecs appeared to have a fiery string of energy. On court three, senior captain Sander Gjoels-Andersen blazed by his opponent, winning both of his sets 6-1 just as the sky began to turn gloomy.
“I mean we’re not used to this kind of weather here,” GjoelsAndersen said. “I think we handled it well. It doesn’t really matter for us.” Meanwhile on court six, GjoelsAndersen’s doubles partner, junior Rafael Gonzalez Almazan,
swiftly took care of his opponent in two sets to make the score 3-0. To seal the win at 4-0, Martinez won his match in two sets, and the Aztecs officially improved their team record to 2-1. On court one, a highly skilled and exciting match was taking
place. Junior Fabian Reinsdorf found himself down 1-5 in the first set. Reinsdorf tried his hardest to rally back, but he ended up losing the first set 6-3. The next set was a different story. Reinsdorf rallied and fought hard to win 6-3 and had his eyes on the prize. In the third set, Reinsdorf found himself down 3-0 and really had to pull it out of his bag to rally back. Reinsdorf fought, and by the end of the set, he came out victorious by a score of 7-5. This is the second singles match in a row where Reinsdorf has come back from losing the first set. “In the third set, I got a bit tired, and I’m glad everything worked out in my way,” Reinsdorf said. “Pretty happy with my positive record.” “To his credit, he kept after it out there and found some solutions,” Carswell said. Junior Arnaud Restifo lost his match in two sets on court four while Kirchhoff won his match in two sets on court five to finalize the victory at 6-1. The Aztecs’ season record is now 2-1, and they will be preparing for a tough home matchup against Alabama next Friday. “Feels really good, got a good start now and I feel like the whole team is really motivated and ready for our next coming matches. We’re gonna have a tough weekend next weekend,” Gjoels-Andersen said.
Women’s tennis’ record blemished against CSULB by Brett Pickler STAFF WRITER
San Diego State women’s tennis fell short, 4-3, in a hard-fought match against Long Beach State on a cold and windy day on Feb. 1 at the Aztec Tennis Courts. This is the first loss for the Aztecs after a streak of winning all 21 points during their first three matches. “We knew it was going to be close,” head coach Peter Mattera said. “They are a very good and I think we are a very good team and it came down to the last set.” The match was a battle from the start as both teams were fighting for the early advantage in the doubles matches. After splitting two games, it came down to Mia Smith and Alicia Melosch to secure the point for the Aztecs. The pair powered back after a brief rally from Long Beach State and eventually won the game 7-5 and captured the lead. In singles action, Jenny Moinard appeared to avenge her doubles loss as she put on an impressive performance against CSULB’s Wiktoria Rutkowska. This seemed to be Moinard’s toughest opponent yet as her straight set victory was anything but easy. She eventually won the first set in a tiebreaker after rallying back to force the deciding game. Moinard won her sets 7-6 (7-2) and 6-3. Another standout in their
singles game was Nnena Nadozie, who was able to make quick work of her opponent. Nadozie won in straight sets, 6-3, 6-3, and looked as if she never had a worry as she cruised to the second singles point. CSULB would win three singles matches to tie the score at 3-3. The Aztecs were in an unfamiliar place as, so far this season, they had dominated their opponents. The last match followed the common dramatic theme as CSULB took the first set 6-2. Throughout the set, sophomore Abbie Mulbarger was not afraid to show her disappointment. However, in the second set, Mulbarger looked to even the score. She controlled the action for most of the second set and showed that the first set was not her best form. She eventually ended up winning the set 6-1. This led into the final set. At this point in the match, all of the other games had ended, so all eyes were on this contest. The action went back and forth between the two competitors, but eventually CSULB overcame Mulbarger to win the match 4-3. “We hope that they have even a bit more fire in their belly after this match,” Mattera said. “We’re all a little upset that we didn’t get that one.” The Aztecs’ next match is on Feb. 9 at Cal State Fullerton, followed by a home game against Cal Poly on Feb. 10.
Photo by Abraham Jewett
Sophomore Abbie Mulbarger hits the ball during the Aztecs’ 7-0 victory over Sacramento State at the Aztec Tennis Center on Jan. 20.
Feb 6-12,2019 EDITOR: Alejandra Luna • mundoazteca@thedailyaztec.com
Mundo Azteca
The Daily Aztec
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Estudiantes de SDSU presentan cartas de migrantes detenidos en Otay Mesa por Alejandra Luna EDITORA DE MUNDO AZTECA
El 1 de febrero, estudiantes de la Universidad Estatal de San Diego presentaron su investigación sobre la colección de cartas de inmigrantes y refugiados, recluidos en el Centro de Detención de Otay Mesa. Las cartas obtenidas han sido analizadas desde el verano del 2018, hasta la fecha. Durante la presentación, los universitarios leyeron historias de algunos de los detenidos, quienes son de diferentes países, como Honduras, El Salvador, Venezuela, Brasil y China. Además, estas personas comparten sus experiencias vividas, antes de ser detenidos y durante su proceso en el centro de Otay. “Huí de El Salvador por la violencia y la discriminación que se vive a diario y por la falta de apoyo a los jóvenes”, escribió un joven de 19 años, quien fue detenido en la garita de El Chaparral y llevado al Centro de Detención de Otay Mesa. “No somos lo que el presidente Trump cree”. Los estudiantes se han conmovido al conocer cómo las vidas de estas personas han sido difíciles desde el momento que dejaron sus países hasta que fueron separados de su familia. Hasta algunos de los migrantes dicen no poder tener comunicación con sus familias. “Es una injusticia que nadie merece” dijo Tori Mullenix, estudiante de seguridad internacional y resoluciones de conflictos de SDSU. “Veo como tratan a estos migrantes, y se me hace muy feo porque están viniendo a EEUU por la misma razón que mi mamá vino, por oportunidades”. Mullenix dijo que estas cartas nadie las conoce, es por eso que las noticias deben compartirlas para que la sociedad tenga conocimiento de lo que en verdad está sucediendo. Ninguno de los estudiantes que participaron en esta investigación conoce a
los detenidos, sin embargo, algunos de ellos han podido enviarles cartas brindándole su apoyo. “Yo intercambié una carta con un joven”, dijo Ivette Lorona, estudiante de la maestría en salud pública con estudios Latinoamericanos de SDSU. “Al final de la carta me dijo, ‘vive todos los días como si fuera tu último día’”. Lorona, quien trabaja para la biblioteca de la universidad, dijo que lee alrededor de 10 a 30 cartas al día. “Hay muchas personas que quieren que escuchen sus historias”, dijo Lorona. “Están desesperados que alguien los escuche, que reconozcan que están ahí y que los ayuden”. Sam Orndorff, estudiante de geografía de SDSU, dijo cree que es importante compartir estas historias donde la gente ha sido deshumanizada y criminalizada. Asimismo, no todas las cartas que Orndorff ha leído son experiencias buenas, sin embargo, dijo que la experiencia le ha ayudado ver el problema de una manera diferente. “Hay momentos felices en estas cartas”, dijo Orndorff. “Eso me da energía para continuar con este trabajo y difundir justicia”. Justicia e igualdad es lo que estos estudiantes universitarios quieren compartir alrededor de su comunidad. Estos detenidos han pasado meses y años en un lugar aislado de su familia donde no se les ha mostrado ninguna solución en concreto. “Yo vivo en Riverside y me vine a estudiar a San Diego, yo tengo el privilegio de ir a ver a mi familia cuando yo quiera”, dijo Martin Ibarra estudiante de la maestría de salud pública y estudios de Latinoamérica de SDSU. “Estas personas están en detención y van meses o años sin ver a su familia o estar en comunicación, eso me cambió mucho a mí”. Esta colección de cartas se encuentran en la biblioteca de la universidad, donde estudiantes pueden leer las cartas.
Foto por Alejandra Luna
Asistentes escuchan las cartas de migrantes detenidos, quienes relatan sus experiencias vividas tras su arresto.
Foto de Alejandra Luna
Estudiantes mandan cartas a los migrantes detenidos en el Centro de Detención de Otay Mesa.
La película ROMA y su protagonista, Yalitza Aparicio, rompen estereotipos de actuación a nivel internacional por Antonio ESCRITOR
Márquez
La nueva película de Alfonso Cuarón, ROMA, tiene a mucha gente hablando, especialmente sobre la protagonista indígena, Yalitza Aparicio, quien ha ganado numerosos premios y nominaciones. En total, la actriz de 25 años de edad ha sido nominada 141 veces, las cuales 10 son para los premios Óscar, una de ellas es a mejor actriz. La película relata la vida de una familia de clase media a principio de los 70’s, y brinda a los espectadores la nostalgia vida en México durante esa época. La cinta viene de las memorias de Cuarón quien fue el que escogió a Aparicio como protagonista del filme. Sin embargo, no ha sido fácil para la joven actriz después de haber sido nominada. Aparicio ha sufrido burlas en las redes sociales, particularmente por la audiencia en México donde unos la adoran y otros la hacen menos por no ser como las demás actrices de Hollywood. Aun con las fuertes críticas, la actriz apareció en la portada de Vogue México, luciendo lo más nuevo de la moda. En San Diego, a la audiencia estadounidense le encantó la película y
el Teatro Digital Gym Cinema fue uno de los primeros cines en estrenarla junto con Netflix. “La gente nunca ha visto algo así
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Arts & Culture
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Feb. 6-12, 2019 EDITOR: Julianna Ress • arts@thedailyaztec.com
The Brave Project returns to campus by Brenden STAFF WRITER
Tuccinardi
San Diego State’s Women’s Resource Center is at the forefront of combating sexual violence on campus through an array of educational and community programs. The Brave Project, now entering its third year, is one such program that aims to educate students, faculty and staff about sexual violence at SDSU, and help them become agents of change in the campus community. However, the training is not the same every semester. As the discussion surrounding sexual assault and violence evolves, so does the training, incorporating current events and global issues. “The Brave Project is updated every semester to address culturally relevant content like the Supreme Court confirmation hearings for Brett Kavanaugh and the abuse accusations involving R. Kelly,” Women’s Resource Coordinator Jessica Nare said. Hosted by the Women’s Resource Center, The Brave Project is a free, comprehensive four-part training on sexual violence open to all members of the SDSU community. “The Women’s Resource
Center decided to start The Brave Project to create a place where folks on campus could explore sexual violence through the lens of feminist thought and with the goal of creating structural change,” Nare said. Each of the four sessions has a distinct focus and is meant to encourage participants to engage in a constructive dialogue while at the same time providing them with essential knowledge on topics such as identity and power as well as the policies and procedures surrounding violence on campus. “Sexual violence can be challenging to discuss because it is a complicated and multilayered issue,” Nare said. “Violence is often connected to other systemic forms of marginalization like gender oppression, racism, disablism and homophobia.” The Brave Project brings students, faculty and staff a greater understanding of sexual violence in the SDSU community. It also provides participants with a safe and inclusive environment to connect with others who are passionate about the issue. “The training is dynamic, interactive and discussionbased,” Nare said. “Participants leave with knowledge and relevant skills to address this important topic.”
Photo by Lexington Howe
The Women’s Resource Center will host this year’s first Brave Project training session on Feb. 11.
Social work senior Marlene Martinez participated in The Brave Project fall 2017. She said the training was a great place to learn about sexual violence and the steps she can take to help solve the problem. “The Brave Project was a safe learning experience for me,” Martinez said. “I was able to engage in conversation with other members of the community about ways we can better assist survivors.” Although The Brave Project
is a free program, registration is required, and space is limited. To receive the certificate at the end of the program, participants must attend all four sessions. However, the Women’s Resource Center has made an effort to accommodate different schedules by offering each session twice over eight weeks. The first training begins on Monday, Feb. 11 with session one “Policies and Procedures” and continues every Monday until March 4.
The Monday sessions are from 3:30 p.m. to 5:30 p.m. in the Women’s Resource Center. The second training begins on Wednesday, March 6 and ends Wednesday, March 27. The Wednesday sessions are from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. also in the Women’s Resource Center. For more information on how to register for The Brave Project, in addition to a detailed list of all of the resources provided by the Women’s Resource Center, visit its website.
Three groups seek to grow SDSU’s a cappella community by Ceighlee STAFF WRITER
Fennel
A cappella performers make up a subculture at San Diego State represented by three groups of students, which came together for a mixer at Hepner Hall on Jan. 30 at 8 p.m. Each group showcased its talents, teasing what’s to come for the rest of the semester. Sirens of State is the only all-female group of a cappella singers on campus. It has 14 members who rehearse in the evenings and juggle work, school and other involvements along with the activities of being a Siren. Since all majors are welcome
to join the Sirens, rather than just music majors, a variety of studies are represented by the members. While the genres and artists the Sirens choose from to perform range from classic rock to Broadway to Lorde, their songs generally focus on women. “We sing a lot of women empowerment music,” public health senior Angela LaRue said. Thus, the Sirens have created a welcoming environment for women within the a cappella community. “It’s a relief from classes and work to come to a place where people care and support you,” LaRue said. Originally, the group went
by the name Vocal Vixens, but another women’s group with the same name reached out to ask the singers to change their name. The Sirens have an upcoming event called the Spring Showcase in April. This performance will include all three a cappella groups with the Sirens of State hosting the event. Preposterone is SDSU’s all-male a cappella group. It takes a different approach to its performances, focusing on different aspects of music and bringing energy to the stage. Preposterone has performed songs across the musical spectrum, from Frank Sinatra’s “My Way” to “My Shiny Teeth
Courtesy of Sirens of State
Sirens of State is the only all-female a capella group at SDSU.
and Me” of “Fairly Oddparents” fame. “We emphasize singing what you want to sing, instead of perfecting it,” financial services junior and Preposterone president Dustin Elliot said. “It’s important to me to do what you love because it’s worth your time.” The group’s goals this year center around preparing for shows. The members want to be able to host a show this year or next, and also want to start doing their own performances off campus. Preposterone has 11 active members and is currently looking for more people. Auditions for the group are on Feb. 11 and 13 at 7 p.m. in the second floor of the music building. There are no official requirements to join. According to Elliot, prior singing experience helps a lot, but the group will work with anyone who is willing to put in the time. Soundwave is the campus’s co-ed a cappella group. It has 13 members total, with five of them being beat boxers. Brad Bolton, a fifth-year environmental engineer and the president of the group, said the variety of the members allows the group to have a fuller sound. The members can sing in different octaves and have a wider range overall. The music genres for the group mainly consist of pop and R&B, but it has branched out before. On campus, Soundwave performs about once a week,
attending different campus events and often singing in the Conrad Prebys Aztec Student Union. Soundwave has experience performing off campus as well. The group used to perform at the Hillcrest farmers market until it was asked to leave due to the distraction it posed for business. UC San Diego and Point Loma Nazarene University have invited Soundwave to come to their events as well. The group travels frequently, going to Santa Cruz, Los Angeles and CSU Northridge for different concerts. To join, the auditions are Feb. 11 and 13 at 8 p.m. in the music building. The only requirements to become a member are being an SDSU student and a singer or beatboxer who blends well with the group’s sound. As for the overall a cappella culture on campus, members of all three groups agreed that the subculture is a niche music community with very little coverage, and they want more people to get involved. “What we have is great and we love everyone, but I wish it was better known,” Bolton said. “I want there to be more people and more groups.” However, this doesn’t impact the passion or enjoyment the group members feel about being involved in the a cappella scene at SDSU. “As soon as I walked into the audition, I had a whole room of friends,” Elliot said. “I found a place where I could hang out and jam with the boys.”
Feb. 6-12, 2019 EDITOR: Julianna Ress • arts@thedailyaztec.com
Arts & Culture
The Daily Aztec
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Rotaract Club to host ‘More Than Music’ Fest to support those affected by wildfires by Kelly Kerrigan STAFF WRITER
Rotaract Club has created a way to combine San Diego State’s passion for music and art while giving back to the community at its event “More Than Music” Fest, which will be held Feb. 8 in Montezuma Hall from 6 to 10 p.m. This is SDSU Rotaract’s first on-campus event creating on opportunity for the servicebased club to show students its mission. The event will feature seven musicians, eight artists, two poets and a dance crew, all of which are students or community members. Not only will the event provide students a chance to showcase their talents, but all proceeds of the event will benefit SDSU students and community members who have been affected by the recent California wildfires. Economics senior Cat Kricorian and political science and urban studies senior Kaila Cooper planned the fest in hopes that through including local artists and musicians, it will attract students to come support an important cause. “I was brainstorming an event that Rotaract could have on campus that students would be
willing to attend and support,” Kricorian said. I am passionate about music and art, and this seemed like the best of both worlds.” The donations will be made to the California Community Foundation Wildfire Relief Fund and the SDSU Economic Crisis Response Team, which aims to support those who have lost their homes from the traumatic Camp and Woosley fires. According to the “More Than Music” website, performers NateZ & Quiet Child are more than happy to help with the cause. “Anytime we get the opportunity to help out in a positive way, we are present,” they said in a joint statement. “Since both of us are from (California), these wildfires hit close to home, and it’s nice to help through music.” The other musicians that will be featured include D.Sel, Galactics, Lydon & HIFi, Charlie Rae and Band of Gringos. The artists include Ryah Massarweh, Uyen Tran, Aryn Paysse, Holly Baker, Jordin David and Cat Kricorian. The two poets are Poetic Solo and Ronald Williams, and the dance crew is Afrique Dance. To learn more about the artists, the event’s website
and Instagram page @ morethanmusicsdsu includes features on each of them. “More Than Music is an opportunity to help our community while also bringing together that same community for a night to celebrate the local arts,” Cooper said.
Tickets to the fest are $10 on the event’s website or through Venmo @morethanmusicsdsu, and will be available at the door for purchase for $15. “More Than Music allows a platform for local SDSU and community artists to showcase and perform their passions,”
Kricorian said. “It does all of this in the name of a great cause, raising money for those who truly need it. Several SDSU students lost their homes in the tragic California wildfires, and this event could help alleviate the hardships that they are experiencing.”
Courtesy of Band of Gringos
Local act Band of Gringos is one of the artists performing at “More Than Music” Fest, which will take place Feb. 8
San Diego Master Chorale to join high school students for free, one-day ensemble concert in Mission Valley by Lexington Howe ASSISTANT A&C EDITOR
Singers from all different backgrounds and ages will be gathering to participate in providing music for the surrounding communities of San Diego.
On Feb. 23, high school youth from San Diego and Riverside Counties will come together for one day to sing in a culminating concert, under the direction of the San Diego Master Chorale (SDMC) Music Director John Russell, who has previously worked on different orchestrative projects around
San Diego. This current concert will bring high school students and the SDMC together to experience a professional atmosphere of singing, while incorporating their own musical backgrounds into each piece. John Russell, music director at SDMC, explains that this
Courtesy of John Russell
San Diego Master Chorale Music Director John Russell has led the high school program since starting it three years ago.
program is a way to show high school students that singing doesn’t have to end after high school, even if it isn’t their career. “Many of them come in to have their eyes opened with this many people, at that level, to look into the future past their high school choir, regular, everyday experience, so that they see that even if their goal is to go into social work, the San Diego Master Chorale and other programs exist so that they can still keep performing arts in their life,” Russell said. The concert involves a oneday workshop, with a free concert performance that anyone can attend later that day. The workshop begins at 9 a.m., and it may range from 12 to 13 high schools represented, according to Russell. Each student has been picked by their music directors from each high school to be apart of the honor choir, and all of these students come together, having never sang with each other before. SDMC joins these students for the day, and they bring in a couple pieces of music to work on that they will be singing later for the performance. By the end of it, nearly 200 people will have been involved in the process.
No one is turned away. Russell said they leave it up to the high school directors to bring in the students they feel would do well in the ensemble, and benefit from it. “Some look at it as an opportunity for their juniors to come to this one-day workshop,” Russell said. “They may get confidence building, and go back charged up for their senior year in their home chorus.” Russell also said, “It’s particularly cool for the male voices to sing with the professional group,” as the male students realize this is what they’ll sound like once their voices have developed. For a lot of the high school students, singing with a professional group and with this many people is a first-time experience for them. Teachers from previous programs also said they were motivated and inspired from being in that big of a group, for attending, as well as past honor choir students who were motivated by the involvement of the program. “What we do in this room SEE HONOR CHOIR, PAGE 12
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Feb. 6-12, 2019 Editor: Julianna Ress • arts@thedailyaztec.com
My thoughts on graduating amid layoffs by Lauren J. Mapp SENIOR STAFF WRITER
Senior year was supposed to be an exciting time. Between sessions of working on my multimedia capstone project and practicing my photojournalism and video skills, I had grand ideas of hanging out with the friends that I had gained throughout my time at San Diego State. I expected to enjoy the last few, “carefree” months of my undergraduate journalism program prior to attending commencement, starting a full-time career and finally settling into the postcollege life. All of that changed over the past few weeks as news organizations across the globe began yet another series of layoffs. The Guardian recently reported that approximately 2,100 journalists were dismissed from their positions in
late January, leaving current journalism students and “almost graduates” with anxiety about what is to come next. As journalism has become increasingly digitized over the past two decades, the number of people subscribing to newspapers has decreased. The result has
“Now I am finally in my final year at SDSU, yet the goal I have been working toward for the past three decades seems painfully out of reach.” been a subsequent and drastic decrease in newsroom positions. Pew Research Center reported last year that between 2008 and 2017, 23
percent of newsroom positions had been eliminated — largely due to a 45 percent loss of newspaper positions. The recent layoffs are hitting an industry of thinlystretched newsrooms even further. Whether I knew it or not, I have been working to become a journalist throughout my entire life. My career as a writer started while I was on a school newspaper staff in the fourth grade. I had always loved writing, even before I could actually read and write (I used to scribble curlycue “paragraphs” in my diary as a precocious three-year-old). Joining the paper made me feel like less of a bullied outcast, and it gave me a greater sense of confidence and purpose. In high school, I extended my school day by an extra period to enroll in a journalism class in which we produced, edited and printed a newspaper each month. I served as the paper’s co-editor in
Illustration by Michael Abshear
More than 2,000 journalists were laid off last month.
Honor Choir:
continued from page 11 matters to our culture and the artistic ability of the human race,” Dylan Gebhardt, a past 2018 SDMC honor choir participant, said. “It is important to keep singing these songs because each is a story. Songs are an oral history and singing is a beautifully artful way to express stories and feelings and tragedy.” Another previous honor participant mentioned the aspect of community. “Often times, people get so stuck on what their individual choir is doing and it’s refreshing to be able to venture elsewhere and work with different singers, accompanists, and directors,” Kennedy Levinson, a Mt. Carmel High School student from the 2018 SDMC Honor Choir Festival, said. “Meeting new people and being able to connect through music is special. I love being able to refine my vocal technique and perform and practice with professional singers.” Russell said the program was in part inspired by the Los Angeles Master Chorale, as he was a part of its initial process. Right now, Russell expects four to 12 students to come from each high school to perform, while other larger chorales, like the Los Angeles Master Chorale, might get entire choruses of 20 to 30 singers. At the Los Angeles Master Chorale, these 20 to 30 singers gather together in Disney Hall, and Grant Gershon, the conductor, stands on the stage and works with them.
“This is what kind of inspired the program, and I wasn’t aware of anything quite like that in San Diego,” Russell said. “There are other chorale festivals, but not a one-day program where it occurred on the same day. The Los Angeles Master Chorale, which I sang in for a couple of seasons, (was a way) that I got to see first-hand how they put together that program. (Eventually,) I would love to have a thousand high school voices.” San Diego State also seeks to honor high school students through its Community Council for Music in the Schools program, which is aimed at supporting music education in public schools. It is a non-profit organization that is connected to SDSU’s School of Music and Dance. This program will also be honoring high school students involved in honor choirs from around San Diego at several free, public concerts in 2019. The 2019 Honor Choir Festival put on by SDMC will be held on Feb. 23 at the First United Methodist Church in Mission Valley. For Russell, it was the personalities— individuals—that caused him to get into music professionally. “I was at a point in my high school life where I wasn’t sure what college was going to be, then I had some summer singing experiences, and that sort of turned the tables,” he said. “It took me a few more years before I came to realize this—there was some people I met that were doing this at a really high level, and I had to do that.”
chief my senior year, and I felt particularly proud of the “Jock Like Me” article I wrote for the first edition of that year. All summer, I trained with the football team to see what it was like to be a player and how the team camaraderie and training differed from the cheerleading team I was the captain of. As luck would have it, the week of cheerleading camp coincided with football camp. Enduring the humid, 90-degree weather, I spent all morning
working on my basket tosses, stunts, chants and dance routines before running home to shower, eat, change and run off to the nighttime football practices. On the first day, my friend (and former New England Patriots nose tackle) Ron Brace picked me up by the shoulder pads to run across the field during drive back drills. By day two, I was crawling into bed and falling asleep before my head hit the pillow. On day four, I threw up as I was running laps around the track while wearing a helmet and shoulder pads. To say it was a physically exhausting week is an understatement, but the experience taught me about hard work, dedication to one’s craft and the power of journalism to build connections between communities. Post-high school, I focused my energy on pursuing a degree in theater at the University of Massachusetts at Amherst, but my passion for writing could not be muted for long. I spent the summer after my sophomore year reporting for Indian Time — an indigenous-owned newspaper on the Akwesasne Mohawk Territory in New York — before taking a break from college and moving to California. After becoming a San Diegan transplant, I earned degrees in culinary arts, journalism and political science at San Diego Mesa College with the hopes of becoming a food writer. While pursuing my associate degrees, I served as the editor in chief for The Mesa Press student publication on campus, where I learned to manage a team of news producers and heighten my time management skills. I went on to write for the North Coast Current, transfer to SDSU, become a staff member for The Daily Aztec, network with fellow news producers and learn as much as possible about the individual, niche aspects of the profession. Now I am finally in my final year at SDSU, yet the goal I have been working toward for the past three decades still seems to be painfully out of reach. Nightmares of being unemployed postgraduation plague me as I slumber, and I wake up in the middle of almost every night in a state of near-panic. With any luck, someone will come up with a perfect and miraculous solution to funding “accurate, fair and thorough” journalism, and the state of the industry will change drastically in the coming months. In the more than likely event that this doesn’t occur, I will just continue to seek the truth, report it and hope that someone somewhere will appreciate it.
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