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Opinion
The Daily Aztec
AAJA SDSU officers Hannah Ly (vice president), Petrina Tran (social media outreach officer), Sumaia Wegner (president) and Brittany CruzFejeran (secretary) pose for a photo before their trip to Lahaina, Maui. Photo by Christie Yeung
AAJA SDSU empowers student journalists to be fearless The organization’s officers gained irreplaceable skills through an opportunity of their own making
By Brittany Cruz-Fejeran SENIOR STAFF WRITER
At 10 p.m. on Oct. 5, I texted the group chat for the Asian American Journalists Association at San Diego State University (AAJA SDSU). I had a crazy idea. After a conversation with our San Diego chapter president, JoAnn Fields, I wanted to go to Lahaina, Maui, to write about residents affected by the August wildfires. Hannah Ly, AAJA vice president, immediately responded, “We are crazy!” Petrina Tran, social media outreach for AAJA, sent a GIF from the movie “Frozen” that said, “I love crazy!” Sumaia Wegner, AAJA president, said, “OH SNAP CRACKLE POP RICE KRISPIES,” which we took as a sign of approval. We later named this initiative “The Lahaina Project.”
This year’s leadership challenges every student journalist to be bold in their pursuit of field experience. Through our project, we proved that we can do whatever we set our minds to. My fear was leading the team into something that was a complete waste of time. If I gave in to those thoughts, we never would’ve learned all that we did. In just two months, we planned a week-long trip to Maui during finals through sheer determination and support from everyone around us. In preparation, we studied trauma-informed reporting, Lahaina’s history, its current events and historical misconceptions of Hawaiians and their culture to ensure we didn’t repeat those mistakes. During our stay, we conducted interviews with indigenous locals, tourists, activists and politicians. We
photographed and filmed as much of Lahaina as we could, including the “burn zone.” “Never before had I been challenged in so many ways,” Ly said. “Jumping at opportunities and adapting to plans on short notice became second nature.” Our team learned to plunge at chances without hesitation, such as a sudden invite to the “burn zone.” We were speechless to see the destruction with our own eyes. Hardened puddles of metal painted a small picture of the blaze that engulfed the city. We overcame challenges — a sudden invite to the “burn zone,” a historical tour we planned to attend that wasn’t happening anymore, a good source decided against being one out of their safety and some very hot sand. Tran said that this experience gave her confidence in her own abilities as a journalist. “One of my favorite parts __
What Black History Month means to me as Editor-in-chief By Daesha Gear EDITOR-IN-CHIEF
When I became The Daily Aztec’s editor-in-chief, I was notified by Lauren J. Mapp, San Diego Union-Tribune reporter, of a story about how I would be the first Black woman in 110 years to hold this important role. The last Black editor-in-chief for The Daily Aztec was Neil Kendricks (before Reggie Smith in ‘77) during the 1993-1994 year. I was excited to be featured in a professional paper and to make history at The Daily Aztec. However, it took me months to fully recognize the significance of Mapp’s article. As we produce our February issue, it’s a meaningful time for me to reflect on Black History Month. When I was encouraged by my colleagues in the spring of 2023 to apply to become the next editor-in-chief of The Daily Aztec,
Illustration by Renee Roldan I instantly got butterflies in my stomach. My own intersectional identity — being a young Black woman in a newsroom setting — served as an insecurity that worked hand-in-hand with my Imposter Syndrome. Twenty-year-old me at the time had many thoughts. How can someone so young run a large team and publication that is 110 years old? I’ve never seen someone who looks like me apply to this position… am I the first? To ignore those negative thoughts, I reminded myself that anything is possible and to not limit a worthwhile opportunity, especially with my peers rooting for me to apply. If they all had faith in me, why shouldn’t I? So I took the latter thought and I have not looked back since. Now, I embrace my intersectionalities and empower
February 7 - March 5, 2024 EDITOR: Noah Lyons • opinion@thedailyaztec.com
of the trip was when we’d come back to the apartment in the evening, make dinner, sit and debrief about the day, talk about journalism ethics and how to navigate things or ask professors and mentors for help,” she said. We challenged ourselves. For Wegner, that challenge was creating a feature story. “I stick to sports because it is light-hearted,” Wegner said. “However, after this trip, I learned that reporting on hard-hitting news, the things that make you question and wonder why things are the way they are, is needed to make any kind of change.” Ly, Wegner, Tran and I will make our own paths to being better journalists. Our new program, Students Traveling Across Regions to Empower, Represent and Serve (STARTERS), embodies that. Since starting AAJA with my peers in 2022, I wanted to do more than go to a convention and listen to lectures. Never did I think I would lead us to a trip across the ocean, let alone work with a team that helped me carry the burden of getting us there. As students witness the industry scramble for a sustainable business plan, we can’t help but wonder about its future. According to a report published by Northwestern Local News Initiative, in newspapers vanished at an average rate of more than two a week in 2023. Locally, we saw San Diego Union-Tribune journalists accept buyouts after it was sold to hedge fund Alden Global Capital. As the industry evolves in ways we cannot predict, it is essential to be bold in how we find our stories. AAJA didn’t go to “save” anyone. We acknowledge that our stay was for our own benefit regardless of the volunteer work we did. Trips into indigenous lands should be handled with respect and sensitivity. Informed consent was at the forefront of every conversation. Thank you to our mentors and advisors for guiding us. Our biggest thanks go to the people of Lahaina who shared their lives with us and treated us like family. This trip taught us to be fearless and crazy ideas can become a lifechanging adventure.
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others to become leaders, regardless of their identity. It may be easier said than done to overcome Imposter Syndrome, and it’s okay. It’s something that isn’t automatically resolved by holding a high position. What does matter, though, is having an optimistic mindset, taking risks and being patient. I am interested in what the future holds for Black leadership in The Daily Aztec’s newsroom since Kendricks’ tenure as EIC ended 30 years ago. However, I know that I will not be the last.
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DAILY AZTEC EDITOR IN CHIEF Daesha Gear MANAGING EDITOR Sumaia Wegner NEWS EDITORS Eugenie Budnik Hannah Ly OPINION EDITOR Noah Lyons MUNDO AZTECA EDITOR Jennifer Aguilar ARTS & CULTURE EDITORS Natali Gonzalez Sam Hockaday SPORTS EDITORS Roman Aguilar Eric Evelhoch SOCIAL MEDIA EDITORS Jazlyn Dieguez Serena Neumeyer PHOTO EDITOR Isabella Biunno MULTIMEDIA EDITOR Rosalie Burich LIVE PRODUCER Madison Cadena GRAPHICS EDITORS Emily Augustine Gabrielle Houser ________________________________ SENIOR STAFF WRITERS Brittany Cruz-Fejeran Ariana Mardani STAFF WRITER Hannah Ramirez PHOTOGRAPHERS Christie Yeung Olivia Vargo Monica Watson GRAPHICS Bella Hodges Daisy Garcia Emily Petsch Renee Roldan ________________________________ ADVERTISING DIRECTOR Sofia Gonzalez ACCOUNT EXECUTIVE Kendra Landi ________________________________ GRAPHIC DESIGN SPECIALIST Quentin Skaggs EDITORIAL editor@thedailyaztec.com ADVERTISING 619.594.7807 advertising@thedailyaztec.com PRINT The Daily Aztec publishes 2,000 copies of its monthly print edition Wednesdays 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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