03-04-2020

Wednesday, March 4 - Tuesday, March. 10, 2020 Weekly Print Edition

Vol. 106, Issue 25 www.thedailyaztec.com

San Diego State University’s Independent Student Newspaper Since 1913

Study abroad programs halted due to coronavirus

by Jadyn Brandt STAFF WRITER

Last month, San Diego State decided to suspend all study abroad programs in China and South Korea due to the coronavirus outbreak. Now, students studying abroad in Italy are also having their programs cut short due to the rapid spread of the virus.

SDSU has now suspended all Spring 2020 study abroad programs in Italy due to a level three warning issued by the Centers for Disease Control last week, according to the university.

A level three warning is issued when there is a widespread transmission of an illness within a community, according to the CDC website. It is recommended that travelers avoid all nonessential travel to Italy.

An email was sent out by Academic Programs International Associate VP of Student Health, Safety and Success Carolyn Lutes to SDSU students currently studying in Italy saying the program would

be suspended and that they would need to leave the country

by March 6.

The email said API will consider reopening Italian programs if the CDC’s warning level is downgraded.

“Specific academic concerns will be addressed next week,” the email said. “Financial considerations will be evaluated in the coming weeks, once we are able to determine if the program will resume and what API’s non-recoverable costs are.”

A March 2 blog post on the API website provided a safety update to students in all 23 countries included in the API program. The post laid out its current guidelines for canceling a study abroad program and alerted students of the CDC’s most recent public statement.

Associate Vice President and Chief Communications Officer La Monica Everett-Haynes said the university is in contact with all SDSU students who are abroad in Italy and will be offering support for their return.

Everett-Haynes added that

there will be no changes to class schedules at SDSU due to the coronavirus.

“With the exception of study abroad programs in China, South Korea and Italy, SDSU remains open and classes will continue as usual,” Everett-Haynes said in an email. “No plans currently exist to cancel classes, and SDSU will not plan to do so unless directed by the San Diego County Health and Human Services Agency.”

Students who need assistance in making plans for departure from Italy are encouraged to call On Call International, API’s insurance carrier, at (855) 2268490.

All members of the SDSU community are encouraged to follow the most current direction of the CDC which includes practicing healthy habits and good hygiene, washing hands often and/or using an alcoholbased hand sanitizer that contains a minimum of 60% alcohol and paying attention to one’s health during travel and for 14 days after leaving an area affected by the coronavirus.

Olympic medalist and most decorated track athlete visits campus

by Johann Derek Oribello SENIOR STAFF WRITER

With a growing need and recognition for gender equality in the workplace, San Diego State’s Women in Business organization invited ninetime Olympic medalist and the most decorated track and field athlete in history, Allyson Felix, to headline the fourth annual Women in Entrepreneurial and Leadership Forum.

The Feb. 27 event aimed to address gender inequality by providing women the skills and confidence necessary to navigate through the competitive workforce. Felix spoke at the engagement to share her journey and inspire future business leaders and entrepreneurs by sharing her experiences as a female athlete.

Some of the conversation centered on the intersection of work and motherhood.

At the event, Felix discussed her New York Times op-ed released last year regarding

Nike’s lack of paid maternity leave for its athletes. Her story prompted significant public outcry that resulted in the company changing their policies, ensuring maternity protections for all its female athletes around pregnancy period, according to an update from the op-ed.

Felix said her peers who shared similar experiences inspired her to write her op-ed, which was warmly received as many women in other industries also felt her story reflected theirs.

“Other friends of mine who were in the sport had their contracts paused and their likeness was still being used, they were still required to do appearances,” Felix said. “I’m glad that I decided to do that because I had a lot of other women reach out to me who’ve had similar experiences across different industries saying this is not okay. We really wanted to do something about it.

SEE MEDALIST, PAGE 3

Sophomore Success program affects Greek life housing

by Jadyn Brandt STAFF WRITER

As San Diego State approaches its second year implementing the Sophomore Success program, students in Greek life are having trouble finding eligible sophomores to fill beds in their respective houses.

Part of the Sophomore Success program, Sophomore QUEST, works to improve student retention and graduation rates by requiring all non-local sophomores to live on-campus for a second year. Previously, non-local students only had to live on campus during their freshman years.

Greek houses are not considered campus housing because they are not owned

by SDSU, which means not all sophomores who hope to live in their sorority or fraternity houses will be able to do so.

History sophomore Lindsey Cannon is a member of Gamma Phi Beta and said the limit placed on the number of

File Photo.

Since Greek houses aren’t campus housing, SDSU limits sophomores who can live in houses.

sophomores who can live in her sorority’s house means the cost unfilled bed spaces falls on the other members. “(Housing) gives us a quota which limits the amount of

sophomores who can live-in,” she said. “(The sophomores) are usually the majority of people who live-in so then we all have to split the cost of the empty beds.”

Business freshman Avalon Schenone is also a member of Gamma Phi Beta and planned on living in her sorority house next year. But it wasn’t the university that prevented her

from staying in the house, it was the sorority’s requirements that she was unable to meet.

“I was going to (live in the sorority house) but honestly I just didn’t have enough merit points so I couldn’t,” she said.

“Since so few sophomores can live-in because of sophomore success, it goes by who has the most points.”

Schenone said although her inability to live in the sorority house didn’t have much of an effect on her, she knows other members who, if unable to live in their sorority house, wouldn’t be able to afford other campus housing options.

She also said there could be potential issues with a lack of revenue for the sorority if bed spaces are unable to be filled.

According to Director of Student Life & Leadership, Caryl Montero-Adams, sophomore students were originally completely unable to live in Greek houses under the SEE GREEK LIFE, PAGE 2

2

The Daily Aztec

News

March 4 - 10, 2020 EDITOR: Kaitlyn Little • news@thedailyaztec.com

Sophomore housing process hampered by new roommate selection limitations

by Katelynn STAFF WRITER

Robinson

This semester the Office of Housing Administration implemented changes to the Sophomore QUEST program, which previously allowed for students to create roommate groups of up to four people.

Now the roommate groups have been limited to two people.

Director of Housing Cynthia Cervantes said roommate groups of more than two people had lower levels of success, and that the changes in the roommate selection groups were made to improve the process.

“In an effort to enhance the room selection experience and in response to our assessment of the prior year room selection process the Office of Housing Administration decided to move to roommate groups of up to two people,” Cervantes said. “Based on our assessment we concluded groups of larger than two people had a very low success rate of finding roommate assignments together in the prior year.”

Director of Residential Education Kara Bauer said the demand for larger roommate groups was usually very low, so it made sense to switch to roommate groups of two.

“We looked at our demand for triple rooms in the Sophomore year, and groups of triple folks who had matched up,” Bauer said. “The demand was very low in prior years, so we would anticipate and expect the same this year.”

File Photo.

Previously, sophomores were allowed to have groups of four people but are now limited to two.

Bauer also said if students were adamant about living with a group of three, accommodations could be made through the room switch process.

Additional changes to the overall Sophomore Success program include more variety in meal plan options, an open house for sophomore living and virtual housing tours.

This is also the first year all non-local sophomore students are required to live on campus, whereas last year only six specific groups of students were required

to live on campus as sophomores. This included out of state and international students, student athletes, weber honors students, guardian scholars and nursing majors, Bauer said.

“Of course, as we have room available we allow those local sophomores who wanted to live on campus to live on campus as well,” Bauer said.

Accounting sophomore Andew Kellerman said the requirements for sophomores living on campus present both pros and cons for students.

“The positives being that kids are living on campus which makes it easier to get to class and attend all your classes as well as get involved in extracurricular activities,” Kellerman said. “The negatives being the apartments are not the best of quality and the school is overcharging all the students.”

Psychology freshman Kathrine Rotenkobler, who will be living on campus next semester, said she likes the components of the Sophomore QUEST program.

“I actually think, even though it’s kind of inconvenient to live on campus for another year, it’s kind of nice because we have to establish ourselves in the community and really become acquainted with the area,” Rotenkobler said.

Bauer said it is too early to present data surrounding the success of the Sophomore QUEST program. However, she said she thinks they are moving in the right direction.

“From the summit of feedback that we have been getting from our students they’ve had a really positive experience in a variety of our areas,” Bauer said.

“They’ve really enjoyed some of the new spaces that we’ve opened and they seem to be doing really well.”

Bauer and Cervantes said the feedback they receive from students helps the Office of Housing Administration to improve and make changes to accommodate the students. They encourage residents to continue to give feedback about their experiences living on campus.

Proposed ‘Housing for All’ bill prioritizes students, sustainable development to address housing crisis

by Michael Cline ASST. NEWS EDITOR

A local city ordinance that incentivizes developers to build affordable housing units may soon affect students and transit users statewide.

Assembly Bill 2345, introduced late last month by Assemblymember Lorena Gonzalez-Fletcher (D, San Diego), would increase “density bonus” incentives for developers that set aside a percentage of their housing units for very-low and lowincome residents.

The bill also provides incentives to such developments within a half-mile radius of transit stations, such as a reduction in required parking spaces that often increase costs for developers.

The bill is inspired by a 2016 affordable housing ordinance unanimously approved by the San Diego City Council that provided similar incentives for developments within the city limits.

Under AB 2345, projects that set aside up to 15% of their units as affordable have

Greek Life:

continued from page 1 Sophomore QUEST program. However, a group of students, administrators and alumni came together to develop a proposal which would allow 30% of bed-spaces in Greek houses to be filled by sophomore students.

access to additional incentives that include allowing developers to construct more units on a parcel of land than local zoning laws would otherwise permit.

Students are specifically mentioned in Gonzalez-Fletcher’s bill.

Developers who build student housing also have access to incentives should they provide 20% of units for low-income students, as defined by students who are eligible for a Cal Grant A or Cal Grant B. The bill stipulates that developers must provide priority for lower-income students currently facing homelessness.

The Cal State Student Association, responsible for student advocacy for undergraduate and graduates at the CSU’s 23 campuses, lists “access to housing, food, and wellness resources that promote overall student health and safety” as its utmost priority.

“CSU students face many challenges outside of their academic courses, including food and housing insecurity, a lack of access to mental health resources, and physical dangers within the surrounding areas,” according to the CSSA website. “While

the effects of these issues are widely felt, the burdens are inequitably carried by underrepresented minority (URM) students and those from low-income backgrounds.”

San Diego State plans to construct 4,600 units as part of its Mission Valley campus expansion that will also see the construction of a 35,000-seat, multi-use stadium, recreation spaces, retail and university buildings.

Of these units, the university has pledged 10%, or 460 units, to be designated as affordable.

Proponents of density bonus legislation say the 2016 city ordinance that inspired the bill has thus far been successful.

Circulate San Diego, a nonprofit planning and land-use advocacy organization, led the coalition that lobbied the San Diego City Council to adopt the density bonus ordinance in 2016.

According to a report authored by Circulate a year after the ordinance was adopted, the program has produced a 900% increase per month for projects applying to use the program.

Circulate and another organization, Up

for Growth, have co-sponsored AB 2345.

But others aren’t as sold on the statewide process.

College Democrats of SDSU Vice President Armando Sepulveda said the state needs to rethink how developers construct new housing.

He also voiced concerns over GonzlezFletcher’s track record on student issues.

“Making housing and reevaluating our housing to be more dense is critical to a sustainable California, whether we are talking financially or environmentally,” Sepulveda said. “I think (AB 2345) is a good start, but her track record on student issues leads me to be weary of any initiative she puts forth.”

Gonzalez-Fletcher also introduced another bill as part of her “Housing for All” initiative, Assembly Bill 2344, which would ban developers from constructing “poor doors,” or a separate entrance for building residents of low-income status.

That bill would also ensure all tenants regardless of income level would have the same access to common areas and housing complex amenities.

“We started with no bed-space allocation and moved into a process where we identified 30%,” MonteroAdams said. “That was really a process that, when I think about our conversations around shared governance, was something that was a shared governance process.”

The sophomore students who fill the 30% of bed-spaces in each house are selected through standards set by

the university and by each individual Greek organization. So far, according to Residential Education Director Kara Bauer, the biggest cause for empty beds is the inability of students and their respective organizations to meet those requirements.

“The Greek houses and the individuals who are applying for an exemption to live-on campus have to meet certain requirements, GPA requirements,

judicial requirements, (the organization) has to have accreditation and a variety of other expectations that are very clearly laid out and have been since the inception of all of this,” Bauer said.

Montero-Adams said this year was the first year that organizations could request additional sophomores to fill empty spaces as long as the request came before the Feb. 15 deadline to apply for exemption from Sophomore QUEST.

3 News Mumps outbreak declared at SDSU, seven cases total March 4 - 10, 2020 EDITOR: Kaitlyn Little • news@thedailyaztec.com

by Kaitlyn Little NEWS EDITOR

An outbreak of mumps has been declared at San Diego State by San Diego County Health and Human Services, according to a Feb. 26 campus-wide email from Student Health Services.

Four university students are confirmed to have mumps along with two probable cases, officials said. All of the affected students live off campus in the BLVD63 Apartments, located on El Cajon Boulevard.

On March 3, SDSU sent out an email confirming another case of mumps —

The Daily Aztec

bringing the total to seven, with four confirmed and three probable.

SDSU is currently responding by working directly with the impacted students. All affected individuals are not attending classes or campus activities, according to the email. Student Health Services also set up a web page to provide more information about the outbreak.

“We appreciate the county’s coordination in quickly managing this small mumps outbreak,” the email said. “Our team will continue to share information and support as we work collaboratively to manage the situation.”

Currently, there are two measles,

mumps and rubella vaccination booster clinics planned at the BLVD63 community clubhouse from 3 to 6 p.m. on Feb. 27 and 28.

Mumps is a viral illness spread through saliva or mucus. Symptoms typically include a fever, headache, muscle aches, tiredness, loss of appetite and swelling of salivary glands, according to Student Health Services.

The most effective way to prevent mumps is through two doses of the MMR vaccine, the email said. The message also advised students to maintain good hygienic habits.

“The best way to keep yourself healthy

is to avoid sharing food and drinks with others, especially with those who have symptoms of mumps,” according to the statement. “Wash your hands frequently, and use hand sanitizer when unable to use soap and water.”

Any SDSU students who have questions or are exhibiting symptoms are encouraged to contact their personal healthcare provider or Student Health Services at (619) 594-4325 or shs@sdsu. edu.

Students may also call the nurse advice line at (858) 225-3105, which is available after 4:30 p.m. on Monday through Friday and on weekends.

Early grads, study abroad students struggle to find short-term housing

by Daniel Guerrero SENIOR STAFF WRITER

Students that find themselves looking to complete a semester’s worth of classes may look for housing that offers a six-month lease, but many say they have trouble finding a place to move in to due to limited options on and off campus.

Despite housing being available to upper division students on-campus, some students have looked for housing offcampus, but it can be challenging.

Melissa Santos graduated from San Diego State’s teaching credential program in December 2019 after graduating in May 2018 with her bachelor’s in liberal studies.

“Based on my experience, there was not a huge selection of housing that is available for six months and if there is, it gets rented pretty fast,” Santos said.

Santos said she first looked at the options SDSU had for temporary housing, but had difficulty with its process.

“Before I began my search, I tried to

Medalist:

continued from page 1 Those who attended the event hoped to gain insight and be inspired by Felix’s journey as a highly decorated Olympian.

Undeclared freshman Maya Ratliff said she wanted to hear how Felix tackled and overcome her struggles in hopes of sparking inspiration.

“I’m undeclared, (so) I’m not really sure what I’m leaning towards yet,”

sign up for on-campus housing, but I was told by the housing office that I had lower priority,” Santos said.

From there Santos took to Facebook housing groups such as the San Diego State University (SDSU) Housing, Sublets & Roommates page where students tend to post housing availability.

The search for housing outside of the options offered from the university began in March 2019 and ended in June 2019 for Santos. During the search, she had complications getting in contact with people about openings.

“I messaged as many people as I could, but I often was too late, ghosted at the last minute or people would rent to a close friend or someone they knew,” Santos said.

Santos eventually found an apartment, but had to settle for a 12-month lease and was able to sublet the space three months after she completed her credential program.

Justin Shump also graduated a semester early with a bachelor’s in business marketing in December 2019.

Because Shump was able to finish early, he found himself in a situation where he only needed housing for one semester.

“It was a bit stressful because I didn’t want to have to sign a year-long lease,” he said.

While Santos’ search was through Facebook, Shump turned to people he knew from his church, San Diego Church of Christ, where families offered to help him out.

“People were so generous,” he said. “I had a bunch of families who were willing to let me stay with them.”

Shump, who lived in the dorms during his freshman year, said he didn’t turn to SDSU because of the costs of campus housing.

“I knew SDSU was more expensive so it wasn’t ever an option,” he said.

Director of Housing Administration Cynthia Cervantes said the university provides options for students who are looking for short-term housing if they are enrolled in the fall, spring or summer.

Students who find housing on campus

for one semester can apply to be released if they provide proof of graduation. If a student also studies abroad and wants to opt-out of their lease, they can also provide proof that they are admitted to the program along with unofficial transcript proof that the program supports their field of study.

“As long as you get the documentation requested, then we send a letter of approval if they meet all criteria,” she said.

Cervantes said the fall semester process also includes a housing list and it is a firstcome-first-serve basis of applications for students looking for temporary housing, but the process is the same as it is for students looking for year-long housing.

“It’s based on space availability and that’s regardless if it’s one semester or an academic year,” Cervantes said. “Space is assigned based on what’s available.”

Cervantes said the process for students to be released from their lease is available online and is a simple process.

Upper division students who apply for housing will be notified by May, according to SDSU’s housing website.

Ratliff said. “I think coming here and hearing from Allyson Felix since I’m a fan of hers would help inspire me and be hopeful for the future.”

Felix said embracing the journey and reflecting on mistakes is the most important step for young women to pursue their dreams.

“Embrace the journey,” Felix said. “Go for your dreams, however big they might be and understand that there’s gonna be ups and downs, but embrace those.

When you have moments of failure, look at it. What can you take away from

it? How can you do things differently?”

Business junior Domenique Sciuto — a member of Women in Business — said the large turnout of the event tells them it was a success.

She also recognized the diversity of the audience who came to hear from Felix.

“I think it’s great. It’s not just people who are into entrepreneurship,” Sciuto said. “There’s a lot of different majors who attended and a lot of men are here too.”

Felix said speaking up in spite of

the consequences is the best course of action for injustices in the workplace.

“I don’t think there’s always a right time (to speak out),” Felix said. “For me, I knew that there were going to be consequences that could come from it.

But I also knew I had a platform that I wanted to use.”

Women in Business is an on campus organization focused on providing women with engaging leadership, career and networking opportunities.

Meetings and events can be found on their website.

Opinion Indoor plants are perfect for dorm decor 4

March 4 - 10, 2020 EDITOR: Catherine Van Weele • opinion@thedailyaztec.com

The Daily Aztec

by Catherine OPINION EDITOR

Van Weele

An indoor plant is a must for home décor. As humans, we enjoy being out in nature, but as college students we may not always have time to get outdoors. The solution: get an indoor plant. This will brighten up your home and your mood.

The idea of being held responsible for another life form, even if it is just a little plant, can be daunting. But having indoor plants is valuable, and it is very much worth the few necessary minutes per week to water and tend to it.

Surrounding ourselves regularly with nature is important. We need to have time to decompress from the constant buzz of technology and get away from the urban bustle.

However, busy schedules during our college years can limit the amount of time we are able to spend outdoors. Indoor plants invite nature into our homes.

This can furnish our spaces

with a calming and peaceful atmosphere.

Because of the feeling of ease indoor plants give us, we can see a boost of productivity. Indoor plants allow us to focus better on the task at hand and it can also reduce our stress levels. It can even enhance our creativity levels. According to one study, participants with plants on their desks scored 15% higher than participants without plants.

Indoor plants have the potential to improve our physical health.

Plants, particularly the peace lily or the spider fern, can cleanse the air by absorbing carbon dioxide and then releasing oxygen into its atmosphere. It also removes other harmful toxins and pollutants from the air so each breath of air will be nice and fresh.

Plants produce water vapor which evaporates from its roots up through its leaves, therefore adding to the humidity of the room. This is great for dry skin, especially during the winter months. This also lowers the risk

of catching a cold. If you do get sick, it aids with soothing a sore throat and eases a dry cough.

Patients staying in hospitals where plants were placed in their rooms recovered faster, were less reliable on painkillers and staff reported they were in a friendlier mood.

Not only are there physical benefits to indoor plants, but they also lead to improved mental health outcomes. People with dementia saw it helped with their memory retention when they put plants into their homes. People with depression noticed an improvement with their well-being as well. People additionally felt overall less fatigued and their anxiety was reduced.

Not only do indoor plants have many benefits to our physical and mental health, they are a great way to decorate our homes. In spaces that can easily get claustrophobic, such as a dorm room, indoor plants are perfect for freshening up small spaces.

Succulents are one of the best

options for college students.

They come in big to tiny sizes so finding something that fits in a dorm room or in a shared bedroom is easy to find. Watering is only required a few times a week and it doesn’t need direct sunlight, making succulents the ideal low maintenance indoor plants.

So if you are thinking about sprucing up your living space, consider welcoming a green little friend in your home.

Catherine Van Weele is a sophomore studying political science. Follow her on Twitter @catievanweele.

Staying in a dorm freshman year is one of the most important decisions a new college student can make.

As a second semester freshman, I’ve been living in Zura Hall this academic year due to the university’s requirement that all non-local, first-year students live on campus. Initially, I somewhat resented this policy, as renting a small apartment with a few friends just outside of campus would have been much more affordable. I began to resent this even more once I found out about the new “Sophomore Success” policy requiring nonlocal students to live on campus during their second years as well.

But as I’ve progressed more into my first year of college, I have begun to realize how important living on campus has been for my academic and professional career so far. I realized that a lot of the activities and organizations I am involved in would be a lot more difficult to stay committed to had I not been required to live on campus.

For example, one of the ways I have been involved with the university is through the Community Service Commission, an Associated Students organization that gives back to everyone on and off campus through volunteer work. Because I live so close to the student union, I have been able to attend meetings and volunteer consistently and have made a lot of connections and friends I would never have made otherwise. Already in my first year, I have connections to this institution that will last me through my entire San Diego State experience.

Another way I’ve been involved is through the paper you’re

Photo by Patrick Doyle

Outside the entrance to Zura Hall, a freshman residence hall.

reading right now! As a journalism major, The Daily Aztec has allowed me to experience what a newsroom is like and what to expect from a career in this field.

I am much more prepared and excited for a future in journalism due to my involvement with this paper. Had I not lived on campus as a freshman, it would have been much harder for me to be motivated enough to stay involved through the early days, as attending meetings and production nights can be difficult to commute to and from.

And there are studies that show the benefits of living on campus, especially during one’s first year in college. The Iowa State University Department of Residence found that “living on campus during the first year resulted in a higher return rate to Iowa State and an increased improvement of academic performance ... along with a higher graduation rate.”

The university discovered it was

easier for campus residents to quickly become acclimated to the school and get more involved.

This study shows us that the closer one lives to the university they are attending, the easier it is to stay motivated in all aspects of college life. Because students on campus are constantly surrounded by other students who attend the same university, it encourages them to also stay involved with whatever is going on, and in many cases can improve academic performance as they can share their struggles with other students.

But even aside from location, I would argue dorm life is important for anyone starting at college to experience. Consider the fact that the majority of freshmen coming straight out of high school have little to no reallife experience under their belts.

Living in a dorm forces these students to get along and learn how to live with a roommate, or

MANAGING EDITOR Dana Tsuri-Etzioni NEWS EDITOR Kaitlyn Little ASST. NEWS EDITOR Michael Cline OPINION EDITOR Catherine Van Weele MUNDO AZTECA EDITOR Alejandra Luna ASST. MUNDO AZTECA EDITOR Diane Lopez ARTS & CULTURE EDITOR Ceighlee Fennel SPORTS EDITOR Aaron Tolentino ASST. SPORTS EDITOR Kyle Betz ENGAGEMENT EDITOR Roxana Becerril PHOTO EDITOR Alexa Oslowski MULTIMEDIA EDITOR Amal Younis ASST. MULTIMEDIA EDITOR Jack Molmud

Graphic by Emily Burgess

Living in dorms helps get freshmen involved on campus

by Patrick Doyle STAFF WRITER

EDITOR IN CHIEF Bella Ross

multiple roommates, who may be entirely different people from themselves.

I think living in such close proximity to others builds social skills and allows freshmen to learn how to get along with others in the adult world. If someone has an issue with their roommate, they are directed to first work it out themselves. In many cases this forces innately different people to try and get along better with those they otherwise would ignore.

There is one big issue with staying in a dorm, however, and that is the cost. Despite what it may seem, tuition is not anywhere close to the greatest expense of attending SDSU. The university estimates 2019-2020 tuition for California residents to be about $7,510, while yearly housing and food is estimated to cost $17,752. Evidently, room and board is significantly more expensive than the cost of actually attending the school.

Even if the tuition of SDSU were free, many students still wouldn’t be able to afford college.

Although there is something to be said for lowering housing costs, I am still glad tat SDSU has a requirement to stay on campus for students’ first year. It has allowed me to grow as a person and be involved on campus beyond just attending class. The introverted part of me likely would have gotten a small place off campus and been a commuter had I not been required to live in a dorm.

Living so close to the heart of campus has helped me come out of my shell and really immerse myself in this community of Aztecs.

Patrick Doyle is a freshman studying journalism and political science. Follow him @ PatrickDoyle100.

GRAPHIC DESIGNER Emily Burgess

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March 4 - 10, 2020 EDITOR: Catherine Van Weele • opinion@thedailyaztec.com

Opinion

The Daily Aztec

5

Journalists have a responsibility to vote

by Charlie Vargas STAFF WRITER

Objectivity and neutrality are concepts that have been debated amongst journalists and media scholars for decades, while audiences use those concepts to test for bias.

In “Elements of Journalism,” Bill Kovach and Tom Rosenstiel write about how the original meaning of objectivity did not call for neutrality, but instead was “merely a voice, or device, to persuade the audience of one’s accuracy or fairness.”

With terms such as “fake news,” media outlets are continuously being challenged on their practice of neutrality.

With the election year in full swing, discussions about whether journalists should vote and if it damages their credibility have resurfaced.

Dr. Arthur D. Santana, associate professor at the school of Journalism and Media Studies, said journalists should be able to express their right to vote, but in polarized political times that may make the reporter a target.

“A reporter puts themselves in the public spotlight and what happens is that people will go

find the voting records of that reporter and publicize them to undermine (their) integrity, credibility and reporting,” Santana said.

There is currently no news organization that restricts reporters from voting, but there are other guidelines that aim to strengthen their will to remain unbiased. The New York Times, for example, does not allow reporters to donate or endorse campaigns or ballot box initiatives. In the newspaper’s editorial standards, it is written that political bumper stickers and buttons are not permitted to be displayed.

One of the most revered examples of a journalist withholding their vote for the sake of seeming unbiased is Leonard Downie Jr., an editor for The Washington Post from 1984 to 1991. In an interview with NPR, Downie explained the reasoning behind his decision was based on being the “final gatekeeper of fairness.”

In 2008 John F. Harris, a cofounder and editor of Politico, was part of an article that had differing viewpoints of three reporters on their voting practices. Harris said he avoids

voting, not because he has no opinions on candidates, but because voting records are public and can be weighed against a journalist.

“I don’t need the hassle of giving people reasons to question or make assumptions about my views or the motives informing

same themes of not voting out of “defensiveness” and preservation of credibility. He said voting itself does not display political affiliation, so it should not matter if reporters vote or not.

There is a problem, however, in Harris and Cillizza’s reasoning for choosing not to vote to

“Journalists should not feel like they have to withdraw from any of their rights or self-censor in fear that they may be singled out as biased.” my work,” Harris said in the article.

In this case, it leads the reporter to adhere to self-censorship in an attempt to protect the integrity of their work and the institution of journalism itself.

“It’s unfortunate and kind of ironic that these champions of the First Amendment are those that often have to self-censor,” Santana said.

CNN political commentator Christopher Cillizza wrote a blog post in The Washington Post where he expressed that he does not vote either. He mentioned the

withhold their opinions from audiences.

“If you wanted to throw people off the scent of a bias in your coverage, not voting would be a smart way to do it,” Cizzilla said.

I’m not suggesting either of them do that, but the perception can be seen as deceptive. That concept in itself is dangerous, particularly in a time where trust in the media is low. It hurts the process of journalism that seeks to be transparent and can introduce skepticism amongst audiences.

The best solution in these cases

is to be genuine about voting.

Journalists should not feel like they have to withdraw from any of their rights or self-censor in fear that they may be singled out as biased.

Being honest about how reporters are affected by laws and representatives is humanizing and may even lead to a better relationship between them and their audiences. It’s an acknowledgment that reporters and regular people face some of the same issues.

I wrote this piece to try and dissect motivations for why reporters would contemplate their right to vote. With this being my last semester and between a primary, it dawned on me that this was something I will have to ponder soon. If I have learned anything from my interactions with sources, it’s that being honest with my motivations and with who I am goes a long way.

Being honest in this capability is a step toward a path that rebuilds trust in the audiences we hope to serve.

Charlie Vargas is a senior studying journalism. Follow him on Twitter @CharlieVargas19.

Sprawl and lack of units are fueling the housing crisis

by Dylan Meisner STAFF WRITER

San Diego is currently in the midst of a housing situation that can only be described as a crisis.

This crisis is made up of two parts: the rise and continuation of sprawl, and a vast shortage of units.

The main problem is urban sprawl. It’s been detrimental to San Diego because it increases reliance upon cars in lieu of public transit and other sustainable forms of transportation, which conversely leads to public health concerns. One of these concerns is the lack of walkability, which leads to an increase in obesity

among the citizens of the city in question.

According to a 2004 study in the American Journal of Public Health, “for each 1-point rise in the urban sprawl index (0– 100 scale), the risk for being overweight increased by 0.2% and the risk for being obese increased by 0.5%.”

Another downside of urban sprawl is the increase in carbon emissions that results from the aforementioned increased reliance upon cars.

Urban sprawl is significantly more expensive to maintain compared to the denser counterparts. One 2018 study by the New Climate Economy

found that policies of in-fill and other methods of increasing city density could lead to a savings of $17 trillion. The same study found that the more people you have per square kilometer in an urban area, the more CO2 emissions go down on a per capita basis.

The second main problem contributing to San Diego’s ongoing housing crisis is the shortage of housing supply. As was recently pointed out in the Voice of San Diego, “Since 1950, new housing has represented an average of 3 percent of our region’s housing stock in a given year. That number has been in decline for years, but has since

Graphic by Emily Burgess

bottomed out at its current rate below 1 percent.”

In other words, we are short on housing because less housing is being built.

Other cities have experienced this issue, and it is one that is likely to become more universal in the coming years. The United Nations recently projected that by the year 2050, 68% of the world will be living in urban areas. For a solution on this problem, we should look to our allies across the Atlantic.

When the Japanese saw their own housing shortage in the early 2010s, they deregulated urban zoning requirements. This move resulted in a massive surge in housing permits issued in the city, as outlined in an illuminating piece in the Financial Times.

In 2014, Tokyo issued permits for 142,417 new housing units, nearly doubling the total of the entire state of California, with 83,657. It should also be noted that Tokyo doubled their housing output of California despite having only one third of California’s population.

To solve San Diego’s housing crisis, one must understand the simple rules of supply and demand because housing follows the same market incentivizations as any other good. If we want more housing, we must incentivize the creation of more housing. If we don’t want to have a massive, bloated city, then housing should be constructed as densely as possible, for both public health and environmental reasons.

Californians had an opportunity to take a small step in the pro-housing direction

with the recently failed Senate Bill 50. SB50 would have eased zoning regulations, particularly in a way that was less partial to the continued construction of single-family housing in lieu of apartments and duplexes.

The bill was defeated by state senate members who fell for the foolish and ill-informed premises of Not In My Backyard, or NIMBY, activists, who seek to selfishly stymy the development of multi-family housing. These grassroots actors claim to be motivated by an intent to “preserve the character” of the neighborhoods — a foolish premise based on the idea that more market-rate housing being available to working people and families should be prevented in the name of an outdated ideal of everyone living in singlefamily residencies surrounded by a white-picket fence and front yard.

The further liberalization of the San Diego housing market vis-a-vis deregulatory zoning reforms meant to incentivize the construction of more, denser and affordable housing would be a massive boon to students living off campus. If College Area and the communities surrounding San Diego State reformed zoning laws in a way that allowed for the construction of more apartments and multi-family dwelling, Aztecs would all be better off, less strapped for cash and able to live closer to school.

Dylan Meisner is a sophomore studying political science and international security and conflict resolutions. Follow him on Twitter @DylMeisner.

6

The Daily Aztec

Sports

March 4 - 10, 2020 EDITOR: Aaron Tolentino • sports@thedailyaztec.com

Aztecs seek redemption in MWC tournament After losing in conference title game last season, men’s basketball looks to win sixth Mountain West tournament title

by Kyle Betz ASST. SPORTS EDITOR

Following its best finish to a regular season in program history, No. 1 seed San Diego State men’s basketball will attempt to win its sixth Mountain West tournament championship this weekend at the Thomas and Mack Center in Las Vegas.

The last time the Aztecs (281, 17-1 MWC) won the Mountain West tournament was in 2018, when tournament MVP Trey Kell led the Aztecs to an 82-75 win over New Mexico and a berth to the first round of the NCAA tournament.

But after suffering a tough loss to Utah State in the tournament championship last year, the Scarlet and Black are looking for redemption.

With only one loss in conference play, SDSU enters the tournament as the No. 1 seed.

The regular season conference champions will take on the winner of the first round matchup: No. 8 Fresno State or No. 9 Air Force, which takes place Wednesday at noon.

SDSU defeated the Bulldogs by nine points in each of its contests in January.

The Aztecs played Air Force last month, scoring their second-highest total this season in a 89-74 win on the road.

If the Aztecs advance to the semifinal round Friday, they could potentially play No. 4 UNLV, who handed SDSU its only defeat of the season, 66-63, on Feb. 22 at Viejas Arena. SDSU pulled off a slim 4-point victory in Thomas and Mack against the Runnin’ Rebels a month prior.

But the Aztecs’ success this season was well recognized, as the team boasts several Mountain West All-Conference accolades heading into this weekend’s competition.

Junior guard Malachi Flynn was voted First Team All-Mountain West, Defensive

Team and Mountain West Player and Defensive Player of the Year. The Washington State transfer led the team by averaging 17.6 points, 4.4 rebounds, 5.1 assists and 1.8 steals per game. Aside from rebounds, Flynn led the Aztecs in all of those categories.

Flynn is the second player in conference history to win both Player and Defensive Player of the Year awards.

Head coach Brian Dutcher was voted Coach of the Year after leading the Aztecs to 26 straight wins to start the season, including seven straight weeks (and counting) as a top-five team in the AP Top 25 and Coaches Poll. ‘‘(Dutcher) brings it every day,” senior guard KJ Feagin said. ‘‘He’s very deserving of all of the recognition. I want to have a great relationship with my head coach, I want to feel like we are on the same team. I want to feel that he has my back just as much as I have his. He has made me feel that way, and he’s supported me throughout the entire process.”

Led by Dutcher, the Aztecs were the final unbeaten team in Division I for five weeks and reached as high as No. 4 in the AP Poll.

Other honors include junior forward Matt Mitchell (First Team), senior forward Yanni Wetzell (Second Team) and Feagin (Defensive Team and Honorable Mention).

Sophomore forward Nathan Mensah will not be available to return for the conference tournament, but Dutcher is hopeful Mensah will return in time for the first round of the NCAA tournament, per a tweet by CBS college basketball insider Jon Rothstein.

AZTECS RECEIVE MOUNTAIN WEST HONORS Brian Dutcher

HOME

• Coach of the Year

14-1

14-0

PPG

APG

8.7

3.1

PPG • Player of the Year • First Team 17.6 • Defensive Player of the Year • Defensive Team

APG

KJ Feagin • Honorable Mention • Defensive Team

ROAD/NEUTRAL

Malachi Flynn

Matt Mitchell • First Team

Yanni Wetzell

5.1

PPG

RPG

12.4

4.8

PPG

RPG

11.6

6.4

Luis Lopez contributed to the reporting of this article.

• Second Team

Kyle Betz is a junior studying journalism.

Follow him on Twitter @KyleBBetz.

* awards based on the 11 head coaches in the Mountain West

March 4 - 10, 2020 EDITOR: Aaron Tolentino • sports@thedailyaztec.com

Sports

The Daily Aztec

7

San Diego State loses overtime heartbreaker to Utah State

by Cristian Alvarez SENIOR STAFF WRITER

LAS VEGAS — San Diego State women’s basketball fell 81-79 against the Utah State Aggies in the first round of the Mountain West Conference tournament on March 1 at the Thomas and Mack Center.

The Scarlet and Black showed some fight and propelled their way back after being down by as much as 15.

SDSU (14-17) forced the game into overtime, but the Aggies (8-22) pulled away after forward Hailey Bassett made a jumper from 10 feet out with two seconds left.

“This one really hurt,” head coach Stacie Terry-Hutson said. “I thought both teams played extremely hard, obviously wanting to get the victory, to survive and advance. It was a back and forth game, a good college basketball game. I thought our kids showed a lot of grit.”

It was the first overtime game of the tournament. The Aggies became the first No. 11 seed in MWC tournament history to win a game. Here are three observations from the game.

1. AZTECS START WITH POOR SHOOTING, BUT FREE THROWS KEEP THEM AFLOAT IN OPENING PERIOD The Aztecs started the game by missing 12 of their opening 14 attempts from the floor.

It wasn’t until the four-minute mark when SDSU sunk its first basket courtesy of a 3-pointer from sophomore guard Sophia Ramos.

The troubled start on offense wasn’t just limited to the Aztecs either. Utah State was only able to shoot 3-of-12 from the field.

“I think it might have been a little bit of nerves for both teams,” sophomore guard Sophia Ramos said. “We had the late game, so we’re staying in the hotel all day and were

anxious to just go out and play. It just looks like it hurt us a little more at the beginning than (Utah State).”

The free throw line is where most of the points came from.

Both teams combined for 15-18 from the line. The Aztecs made nine of their 10 attempts at the charity strike in the first quarter.

Despite the struggling offense displayed by both teams, the score managed to be tied at 14 after one period.

2. AZTECS HAVE TROUBLE CONTAINING AGGIES FROM DEEP Heading into this game, Terry-Hutson mentioned that the Aggies were a team to watch out for from 3-point range.

During the regular season, Utah State ranked eighth in the conference in perimeter shooting by averaging five makes per game.

On Sunday, Utah State was 11-for-26 (42%) from beyond the arc.

Terry-Hutson wasn’t wrong in her assessment in spite of what the statistics say.

“I didn’t think we did a good job of taking away the three-point line tonight,” TerryHutson said. “We did some uncharacteristic things tonight and when we go back and watch this, they’ll see we made too many errors to come out on top.”

By halftime, the Aggies had already made six of their 13 shots from beyond the arc.

The second half continued to see long range shots from Utah State.

Five of them came in the last two quarters, totaling 11 made 3s in the game for the Aggies.

3. SDSU OUTREBOUNDS AGGIES, GET CONTRIBUTIONS FROM THE BENCH The depth, size and length proved to be a viable asset for the Aztecs against the Aggies.

Courtesy of NCAA

Senior guard Taylor Kalmer looks to pull up for a jumper against Utah State on March 1 in the first round of the 2020 Mountain West Championships in Thomas and Mack Center. in Las Vegas.

The Aztecs outrebounded Utah State 4936 for the game.

“Rebounding has been an emphasis this whole season,” sophomore guard Kennedi Villa said. “We watch a lot of film on rebounding and when we see ourselves not rebounding, it’s pretty embarrassing.”

SDSU grabbed 16 of their rebounds off the offensive glass.

This was the third consecutive game where the Aztecs outrebounded their opponent.

“It’s been an emphasis this whole season, especially with teams who crash a little bit more,” senior guard Taylor Kalmer said.

“That’s something we worked on quite a bit and made sure that we had that nailed down.”

Production off the bench also pulled

through for the Aztecs with 21 points added from the non-starters.

Notably, it was Villa who sparked a light coming off her seat.

Villa scored nine points, nine rebounds and three steals. Both the points and rebounds were a new career high for Villa while she tied her high in steals.

“I think it goes back to what we were talking about, our culture. These kids have bought into what we’re trying to sell. (Villa) is just one of the pieces to this puzzle, they never complained,” Terry-Hutson said. “They always put their head down and work. It’s nice to see some of their hard work pay off.”

Cristian Alvarez is a senior studying interdisciplinary studies. Follow him on Twitter @AlvarezTheViper.

Baseball holds on for 12-11 win over Oregon State to split series

by Devin Whatley STAFF WRITER

San Diego State baseball beat Oregon State 12-11 after almost giving away a six-run lead on Mar. 1 at Tony Gwynn Stadium.

The Aztecs started the series losing the first two games to the Beavers by final scores of 13-1 and 4-1 on Thursday and Friday, respectively.

But they were able to earn a series split on with the Sunday victory and a 6-0 shutout Saturday.

Here are three observations from the Aztecs’ (8-4) win against the Beavers and this weekend’s series.

1. THE BATS COME ALIVE On Sunday afternoon as well as the latter part of the series, SDSU’s offense finally started to drive in runs.

A throwing error by Beavers pitcher Jake Mulholland led to a run scored by sophomore right fielder Jaden Fein in the third inning.

It all started to go in the Aztecs’ favor during the fourth inning, when sophomore first baseman Brian Leonhardt hit a grand slam, tying the game at 6-6. “(Martinez) told me to slow down and just trust your plan,” Leonhardt said. “I lost all my thoughts and just focused on seeing that slider up and I got it, I took my best swing off.”

In the fifth inning, junior center fielder Matt Rudick hit a leadoff triple and scored off a wild pitch. After a double from Schmitt and a single from senior left fielder Ryan Orr, the Aztecs plated another run via a sacrifice fly from junior shortstop Anthony Walters.

The Aztecs also plated four runs during

the sixth and seventh innings thanks to a solo home run from sophomore catcher Wyatt Hendrie, an RBI double from senior designated hitter Jacob Cruce and a two-run single from Fein.

Martinez said the goal for the team is to always try and score runs in every inning and put pressure on the opposing team.

“We told our guys that we want to score every inning,” Martinez said. “We wanted to keep the pressure on them and we knew they were a little depleted as well.

The score indicated that and with 23 runs it was a hard-fought deal.”

2. MORE GROWTH NEEDED FROM THE PITCHING STAFF Despite the shutout effort by sophomore pitcher Troy Melton Saturday, SDSU’s pitchers faced a rocky performance on the mound Sunday afternoon.

Sophomore pitcher Aaron Eden got the start and went 3.1 innings on 82 pitches, giving up four runs on seven hits with four strikeouts.

Junior pitcher Jacob Flores earned the victory despite only pitching 1.2 innings and giving up two runs on three hits.

Martinez thought the performance of the pitching staff was mainly due to playing the final game of a four-game series while having tired legs.

“I thought we struggled,” Martinez said. “Honestly, Aaron (Eden) didn’t pitch as well as he normally has and Flores is kind of on fumes right now. He’s a little tired.”

One caveat to the struggles was junior pitcher Tre Brown, who gave up zero hits and no earned runs on 25 pitches in two innings.

In the eighth inning, junior pitcher Casey O’Sullivan came in and gave up

three earned runs along with two hits, bringing the Beavers back into the game at 12-9.

Martinez said he should have left Brown in during the eighth.

“Tre (Brown) pitched good,” he said “We probably should’ve left him in for another inning.”

After O’Sullivan gave up three runs, Martinez made a double switch, putting sophomore infielder David Alamillo at third base and moving Schmitt to the mound.

Despite a shaky start in giving up two runs, Schmitt was able to earn his fifth save of the season to give SDSU the victory.

“My mentality was to just throw strikes,” he said. “I try to get everyone out, make quality pitches, and let the people behind me on defense go to work.”

Martinez said he wants the team to continue to prove its worth on the mound and the field.

“I think we have to continue to prove, pitching-wise and on defense,” he said.

3. A SUCCESSFUL SERIES SPLIT FOR SDSU Despite not getting a sweep against the Beavers, SDSU was able to win two games against a program that won the College World Series back in 2018.

Aztecs head coach Mark Martinez said taking a series split provides the program with two quality victories against a team that has been a good program for the past few years.

“It’s a good resume builder for us,” Martinez said. “With how we started, losing 13-1 on Thursday and then a tough night on Friday, coming back and winning the last two against a good program that has won a College World Series shows

how much of a quality program we are.”

Junior third baseman Casey Schmitt said getting the series split was important for the team.

“It’s huge,” he said. “We’ve been working hard. We were down a little bit in the game early on but we came back and it’s huge for us as a team.”

Editor’s note: The Aztecs played on March 3 and defeated No. 17 Long Beach State by a score of 7-2.

Devin Whatley is a sophomore studying journalism. Follow him on Twitter @devinwhatley.

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Mundo Azteca

The Daily Aztec

March 4 - 10, 2020 EDITOR: Alejandra Luna • mundoazteca@thedailyaztec.com

SDSU: Programa de Bienestar y Salud por Adriana ESCRITORA

Horne

Equipo de Respuesta a la Crisis Económica, también conocido como ECRT, es un programa en la universidad que apoya a los alumnos que están pasando algún problema económico.

En el 2018, ECRT ayudó a un estimado de 307 alumnos y este año se espera que sea cerca de 400 jóvenes.

De acuerdo con Chelsea Payne, coordinadora de ECRT, este programa

“Nuestro objetivo es ayudar a los estudiantes para que prosperen aquí en el campus”.

– Chelsea Payne, Coordinadora de ECRT.

brinda apoyo a los estudiantes de SDSU que experimentan falta de vivienda, alimentaria y otras crisis económicas identificadas por el estudiante.

La coordinadora trabaja con cada estudiante para entender su situación y les ayuda a abordar cualquier desafío que

Payne entrevistando a una estudiante para el Programa de Bienestar y Salud.

puedan enfrentar con una mentalidad holística e ingeniosa.

Payne se compromete con servir a los universitarios en el plantel, utilizando y aprovechando los recursos que pueden socorrer a cada joven para que prosperen.

“Nuestro objetivo es ayudar a los estudiantes para que prosperen aquí en el campus”, expresó Payne.

Además, ECRT se moviliza rápidamente

Cortesía de Chelsea Payne

para coordinar trabajo dentro y fuera del campus. Los recursos apoyan las necesidades básicas de los estudiantes.

Chelsea explicó que el programa inició informalmente en el 2015, ayudando a alumnos a través del proceso de admisión virtual en 2016.

Según Payne, en el 2018, con el apoyo del campus y el sistema CSU, ECT, se pudo obtener un coordinador de tiempo

completo para que trabajara en el Departamento de Bienestar y Promoción de la Salud ubicado en Calpulli.

Muchos de los estudiantes no saben cómo solicitar esta ayuda por lo que Payne mencionó como puedes adquirir la forma.

“Todos los estudiantes de SDSU pueden recibir apoyo”, dijo Payne. “La forma más fácil de recibir ayuda es a través de nuestro sistema de solicitud en línea”, comentó Chelsa Payne.

Después de que el estudiante haya mandado su solicitud, la coordinador del programa se comunicará directamente con los solicitantes.

Chelsea intenta comprender los desafíos únicos que enfrenta el estudiante y trabaja con el estudiante para desarrollar el curso de acción apropiado.

“Los estudiantes ahora también tienen la opción de ingresar al Programa de Bienestar y Salud para comenzar el proceso de admisión y aprovechar muchos otros recursos, como la inscripción de CalFresh, el seguro de salud, asistencia y educación en salud”, indicó Payne.

Para conocer más sobre el programa, puedes visitar el Departamento de Bienestar y Promoción de salud.

Asimismo, puedes llamar a las oficinas o mandar un correo a ecrt@sdsu.edu.

Solicitantes serán contactados dentro de las 24 horas.

“No hay crisis demasiado grande o demasiado pequeña”, finalizó Payne.

Opinión: La experiencia de una hispana emitiendo su voto por primera vez en las elecciones primarias por Lucelis ESCRITORA

Martínez

El cumplir los 18 años en EE.UU., marca el día en el que finalmente se puede votar legalmente, ya que es muy importante que todos los jóvenes emitan su voto.

Mi primera experiencia votando para las elecciones primarias fue única.

Para ser honesta, litigar y decidir entre los diferentes candidatos fue un poco difícil, especialmente siendo principiante.

Mi proceso comenzó hace unos meses cuando perdí mi licencia de conducir.

Como no la pude encontrar, fui al Departamento de Vehículos Motorizados

Le pregunté que en dónde tenía que dejar mi boleta y el me dijo que estaría más que feliz de ayudarme a llevarla.

Muchos estadounidenses apoyan que los jóvenes emitan su voto porque ven que muchos no lo hacen y debemos ser los primeros en votar.

Una de las tendencias más comunes es que la gente mayor de edad votan porque tiene más tiempo libre y porque conocen más del proceso.

Sin embargo, no es posible que estas personas de mayor edad sepan exactamente lo que necesitamos como colecta común. Una gráfica por Statistica, dicta que en cada categoría, la gente de edad que excede 55 años, cree menos en el impacto del clima. El grupo al que

Poniendo en perspectiva como antes ni las mujeres o minorías podían votar, es interesante ver cuánto se ha multiplicado su interés.

Hay personas que sí aprovechan la oportunidad por la que sus ancestros pelearon.

Puedes ir a marchas, puedes escribirles cartas al gobernador o al presidente y puedes investigar sobre lo que está pasando a tu alrededor cualquier dia del ano.

Pero, el voto es el mensaje más importante que puedes darle a tus candidatos.

Con tu voto decides no solo quien te representa, pero que representarán por ti.

Realmente los jóvenes somo el futuro del país por lo que es muy importante

que salgamos a alzar la voz y emitamos nuestro voto. Si buscas un cambio para tu comunidad comienza tu haciéndolo.

En esta época es cuando más se necesita que los jóvenes hispanos representen a esos que no tienen la oportunidad de votar.

Recuerda que es un derecho que todos tenemos y no podemos desperdiciarlo o tirarlo a la basura.

Si no pudiste la oportunidad de votar el día 3 de marzo, todavía tendrás otra oporunidad en unos meses.

No dejes que las personas te digan por quien votar o que no debes votar porque nunca mirarás algún cambio.

Si eres hispano y puedes emitir tu voto siéntete orgulloso de tener ese privilegio y pelea por tus ideales.

“La oficina del denso de EE.UU. ha publicado información que enseña que la participación electoral de las personas entre 18 y 29 años ha aumentado un 79% desde el 2014 al 2018”.

– Luceillis Martínez, Estudiante de periodismo.

(DMV) para recibir otra y terminé firmando para recibir mis formas para votar por correo.

Cuando recibí mi paquete de votación, me sentí orgullosa de poder decidir sobre lo que me importaba en mi condado y en esta nueva presidencia que se avecina.

Es crucial que quien pueda votar lo haga, y que no se deje vencer por los miedos de no saber exactamente qué hacer.

Si estás leyendo esto en SDSU, entonces hay muchos recursos que puedes utilizar para saber cómo votar.

Inclusive, para mandar mi boleta electoral oficial, simplemente se la entregué a un cartero que se estacionó en frente de un edificio por el que iba caminando a mi clase.

parece importarle más es a personas entre 18 y 24 años.

La oficina del censo de EE.UU. ha publicado información que enseña que la participación electoral de las personas entre los 18 y 29 años han aumentado un 79 % desde el 2014 al 2018.

Sin embargo, este incremento significa que solo el 38% de mujeres y el 33% de hombres entre estas edades están votando.

Hay muchas razones por las cuales una persona entre este grupo de edad no vote.

Una razón que debe eliminarse es que la gente no vote simplemente porque no quiere tomar el tiempo de investigar como hacerlo.

Más aún, en un tiempo donde las divisiones políticas están más prominentes, cada voto vale hasta más de lo que valía antes.

Estudiantes de SDSU no olvidaron emitir su voto el 3 de marzo.

Foto por Alejandra Luna

March 4 - 10, 2020 EDITOR: Alejandra Luna • mundo azteca@thedailyaztec.com

Mundo Azteca

The Daily Aztec

9

SDSU suspende el Programa de Estudios Internacionales en Corea del Sur para proteger a estudiantes del coronavirus del coronavirus y los avisos de viaje para los países a los tengan pensado viajar tales como México.

“Los estudiantes, profesores y el personal pueden estar planeando viajes internacionales a asia, Europa, México u otras partes del mundo en las próximas semanas, especialmente durante Semana Santa”, dijo el correo electrónico. “Los incitamos a estar atentos a los avisos de viaje, las regulaciones y a seguir las indicaciones proporcionadas por agencias, como los CDC y el Departamento de Estado de EE.UU.”.

CDC recomienda el lavado regular de manos, utilizar gel antibacterial 70% alcohol, cada que tosan o estornudar, cubrirse con el brazo y no con las manos, no tocarte la cara, ni frotarse los ojos.

“Los incitamos a estar atentos a los avisos de viaje, las regulaciones y a seguir las indicaciones proporcionadas por las agencias”.

– Mónica Everett -Hayenes Directora de Comunicaciones.

Foto de archivo

El Programa de Estudios Internacionales cancela viajes a Corea del Sur e Italia.

por Jadyn ESCRITORA

Brandt

La Universidad Estatal de San Diego (SDSU) ha decidido cancelar los Programas de Estudio Internacional en Corea del Sur durante el semestre de primavera debido al brote de coronavirus, según un correo electrónico enviado por la administración el 27 de febrero.

De acuerdo con el comunicado, la decisión fue tomada por la Universidad Estatal de California con la finalidad de proteger el bienestar de los estudiantes

del campus es por que decidieron traer de vuelta a los estudiantes que se encuentran en algún programa de de estudio en Seúl y Corea del Sur. Además, la universidad canceló el Programa de Estudios en el Extranjero en China luego de que los Centros para el Control y la Prevención de Enfermedades (CDC) emitieron serias advertencias tanto para China como para Corea del Sur. Actualmente, la vicepresidenta y la Directora de Comunicaciones Mónica Everett-Haynes dijeron que ya se encuentra contactando a estudiantes en Italia, Japón e Irán para proporcionar

apoyo directo cuando regresen a EE.UU. y si lo desean pueden regresar antes de que termine su curso.

CDC también emitió alerta de advertencia para Italia e Irán.

Everett-Haynes agregó que no habrá cambios en los horarios de clases en SDSU debido al coronavirus.

"Con la excepción de los programas de estudio en el extranjero en China, Corea del Sur e Italia, SDSU continuará dando clases como de costumbre", dijo EverettHaynes en un correo electrónico.

El correo electrónico exhorta a los universitarios a ser conscientes del estado

La administración de la universidad alienta a los estudiantes que practiquen hábitos saludables.

Si algún estudiante tiene alguna duda relacionada con el programa de estudios en el extranjero, puede contratar la oficina de Estudio SDSU en el extranjero al 619594-2475 o studyabroad@sdsu.edu.

Cabe mencionar que el campus ha lanzado una página web dedicada a las actualizaciones sobre el coronavirus.

Hasta el momento, las clases continuarán con normalidad a menos que la Agencia de Salud y Servicios Humanos del Condado de San Diego indique lo contrario.

Fotos: Elecciones primarias entre los universitarios

“En la comunidad de SDSU, nuestro voto es importante porque representamos a todos esos jóvenes que sus sueños han sido arrebatados por leyes de inmigración”.

– Sibelle Miranda, Estudiante de Psicología.

10

The Daily Aztec

Column: Living a minimalist life can be easy, healthier for you

Arts & Culture

Aztec Corner rent upsets students

by Johann Derek Oribello SENIOR STAFF WRITER

by Aaliyah Alexander STAFF WRITER

We probably hear the nifty saying “less is more” casually in conversations, but what does this actually mean when it comes to living in a material-driven society?

The minimalism movement has creeped its way into mainstream media in the past few years. A sudden spike in the popularity of minimalistic living was seen after Netflix released the series “Tidying Up” with Marie Kondo where the host, an organization expert, guides individuals and families through a decluttering process to organize their spaces.

Although the show highlights aspects of minimalistic values, it doesn’t quite hit all of the marks when it comes to minimalist living. So what is minimalist living?

Minimalist living is the pursuit of living with less in order to free up space and time to create a more meaningful life that’s not dictated by how many things you can aquire to maintain a certain image. It’s ridding yourself of the excess stuff and living only with the things that bring and offer value to your life. If that peaks your interest, then there are some ways you can begin living minimally.

First, begin by observing what outfits, products and essentials you use frequently.

Do you find yourself wearing the same pair of shoes with most of your outfits?

Do you generally wear the same shirts and pants in different combinations from week to week? Do you find that you can complete your makeup routine with three brushes instead of ten? By taking note of the things you frequently use, it will help in the next step.

Next, you want to block out time to do a deep declutter. Keep in mind that minimalist living is a continuous journey, so the goal of the first declutter is to get rid of the obvious excess. Block out one month to do a deep dive into each part of your home. One week, focus on removing everything from your closet, place them on a surface and go through each item one by one creating three piles — keep, donate, trash. Continue the same process through all areas of your home. After going through each area of your home, notice the new environment you have just created and keep that feeling in mind.

Now that there are less items in your home, the hardest part is maintaining this new simplified space.

When adopting a minimalist lifestyle, shopping habits are a killer of this new found joy, so one way to combat this habit is to adopt the “one in one out rule.”

For every new item you bring into your home, one item has to exit. This method maintains your new space, and it also helps when deciding if it’s really worth the sacrifice of one of your current items.

This will keep unneeded items out of your home.

A similar way to maintain this, is being intentional with the things you welcome into your life. Ask yourself if it serves a purpose. Is it going to be valuable? Can you live life without the item you’re thinking about purchasing? Pausing and asking yourself questions before bringing new items into your home is crucial when maintaining a simple space. Lasty, shift your mindset. Think about all the benefits of minimal living — you save money for more experiences, you unsubscribe yourself from the rat race of life and you clear time to pursue more meaningful things. You decide if it is worth it.

Aaliyah is a freshman studying journalism.

She writes a blog on minimalism at aalliyahinspired.com. Follow her on Twitter @aaliyahdanyell

March 4 - 10, 2020 EDITOR: Ceighlee Fennel • arts@thedailyaztec.com

Graphic by Emily Burgess

Ever since San Diego State and Aztec Corner settled on a master lease agreement giving the university rights over the property, residents have been feeling dissatisfied with the increase in rental costs. The apartment complex is now considered on campus property and rent prices raised significantly.

Director of Housing Administration Cynthia Cervantes said in an email the switch to being on campus property does not necessarily mean the university owns the complex, but rather, they own the right to control the building.

“This agreement means that SDSU retains the right to license the spaces within the building,” Cervantes said in an email response. “SDSU entered into a master lease agreement with Aztec Corner to support the university’s two-year residency requirement and in alignment with the Sophomore QUEST program offering.”

According to the Sophomore QUEST webpage, the educational program is designed to meet the needs of second-year students by providing a variety of campus resources and programs. Despite the efforts of fostering a community through the Sophomore QUEST program, many residents feel the higher rent prices of being on campus do not make living in the complex worth it.

According to a previous 2019 Daily Aztec article, residents currently pay $1,139 per month for a bedspace under SDSU housing. While the complex used to previously charged $825 per month for a single occupancy bedroom and $724 per month for a double occupancy bedroom when independently owned. The university attributed the increase in costs to minor renovations and access to campus programming and benefits. The rise in rental prices in conjunction with the conditions

of the complex and slow response times for maintenance requests prompted residents to create an online petition that outlined maintenance deficiencies. Biology sophomore Jacob Calaway said although the complex has improved its maintenance, it is still not worth the increased rent cost.

“They’ve improved their services, especially from last year. I feel like they’re a lot quicker on the uptake with everything,” Calaway said. “It’s not bad, but for what we’re paying, it’s not the best.”

Residents who lived in Aztec Corner prior to the switch agree that the current rent prices are too expensive, especially considering the building’s condition.Public health junior Alyssa Marie Adams who lived in the complex last year said past rental costs make the unit’s current prices a difficult sell.

“Last year the rent was about $700 (a month) for a double which wasn’t bad at all considering how close it was to campus,” Adams said. “I know people who live there now and they pay more than $1000 which I think is way too expensive.”

Kinesiology junior Cecilia Diaz, who also was a previous resident, said it is unfortunate students have to pay higher prices, especially with all the issues and complaints related to maintenance.

“I think it’s terrible that people who live in Aztec Corner now have to pay so much and go through all those issues last semester,” Diaz said. “I’ve heard of people in some of my classes who had pretty bad complaints about the place.”

Calaway said there are better housing options that are overall cheaper for students. “(I don’t feel it’s worth it) because of other options that are out there and are less expensive than this one,” Calaway said.

“The price is just a little more than I’d be paying.”

The three-year master lease began in fall 2019 and will continue until fall 2022.

SDSU will manage all leases and license agreements for the residents of the complex.

Student sells houses while others sign leases

by Devin Whatley STAFF WRITER

While most San Diego State students are scrambling to secure housing for the next school year, one student is busy selling homes, instead. Business sophomore Spencer Sundlie became a real estate agent for Coldwell Banker Royal Realty in December 2019, and sold his first house this past January.

Sundlie obtained his real estate license in June 2019 and chose to work for Coldwell Banker Royal Realty because of what he heard from one of his coworkers and close friends, business sophomore Miguel Aldrete.

Stepping into the real estate profession is not one Sundlie is entering into alone.

In fact, his family is involved as well.

“I’m a third generation of real estate,” he said. “My grandfather was a realtor up in Tracy and then my mom is currently a loan officer. She’s the one who does like the financing for people purchasing home.”

Because his family has been involved in real estate, he grew up around it.

“I’ve been around it my whole life,” Sundlie said. “I’d constantly go with my mom for the signing of the loan documents and other things. Like other realtors, I found a passion for it.”

Sundlie chased that passion all the way to selling his first house on Jan. 11 of this year.

“It’s an awesome feeling,” he said. “You put in months and months of work with no paycheck. Once you sell that home and the clients are happy and you give

them the keys, you share that moment with them starting their life in that home.

Then once you realize you sold a half of a million dollar home, it is crazy to think about.”

Balancing the job of being a part-time student and a realtor is not easy.

“You have to stay on top of yourself,” he said. “But the great thing about real estate is you can work whenever. If I ever feel I’m getting too stressed out with school I can kind of slow down on real estate, because I know I’m still there when I completed school work that was like a regular job.”

The real estate business also carries a personal touch for Sundlie. He lost his father at 17, and it affected how he works and who he is as a person immensely.

“His dad helped shape who he is,” Yumi Tan, Sundlie’s girlfriend said. “I think facing that obstacle and overcoming that is part of who he is.”

Sundlie used the obstacles in his life to fuel his drive for success. Aldrete remembers when Sundlie first met him in class in Fall 2018.

“We had a little writing assignment to introduce ourselves to the rest of our classmates,” he said. “I talked about how I was a real estate agent and Spencer chased me down after class asked how I got into it. From there, I told him my entire route of how to get a realtor license.”

Aldrete was not impressed Sundlie chased him down, he’s told hundreds of students the same spiel. He was impressed Sundlie called him three months later.

“Three months later, he called me up and was like, ‘Hey bro, I got my license.

Now what,’” Aldrete said. “I was impressed by that initiative and proof and excited

that someone actually took my advice and ran with it.”

From there, Aldrete got Sundlie an interview with Coldwell Banker. Aldrete takes pride in seeing Sundlie take his advice and become successful with it.

“I’m just like super proud of the action he’s taken,” he said. “His successes make me proud and it makes me feel like I’m doing the right thing.”

Aldrete says Sundlie’s story serves as a message all students can listen to.

“It shows you don’t have to wait until after college to make something happen,” he said. “Spencer’s story is an example where for whatever you want to do, go out and make it happen today. Don’t wait until after graduation or don’t wait until someone gives you permission to do it.

Go out and do it and there’s going to be failures along the way.”

Photo Courtesy of Spencer Sundlie.

Spencer Sundlie sells houses as a new realtor in 2019.

March 4 - 10, 2020

The Daily Aztec / 11

WEEK OF EVENTS • MARCH 9-13 MONDAY MARCH 9 V I VA L A TIE RRA • UNIO N CO UR T YARD • 10 AM – 2P M C A N D LE LIT YO G A • MO NTE Z UMA HALLL • 6 PM – 7P M T UESDAY M A RC H 10 E NV I RO J US TIC E FAIR • UNIO N CO UR T YARD • 10AM – 2P M G RE E N GAME NIG HT • UNIO N CO UR T YARD • 6 PM – 8P M W EDN ESDAY M A RC H 11 G R E E NL U NC H B AG S E RIE S • UNIO N THE ATE R • 12P M – 2P M G R E E NF E S T FAS HIO N S HO W • MO NTE Z UMA HALL • 6P M – 8P M T HURSDAY M ARC H 12 FA RM E RS ʼ MARKE T • N O R TH LIBRARY WALKWAY • 10AM – 2P M T HE RO O TE D • UNIO N CO UR T YARD • 4 PM – 7P M FRIDAY M A RC H 13 CO NC E R T KIC K O FF • UNIO N CO UR T YARD • 4 PM – 7P M CO NC E R T • C A L COAS T C RE D IT UNIO N O PE N AIR THE ATRE • 7P M – 11P M AS. SDSU. E DU / G RE E NF E S T

@ G RE E NF E S T S D S U

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The Back Page

March 4 - 10, 2020 Editor: Ceighlee Fennel • arts@thedailyaztec.com

love for it has grown tremendously over the years.

I spent my whole life as a football player, mainly, so once I stopped playing I needed another way of expressing myself and fashion has served as that medium since.”

Scene at State Alexis Camel

WHAT INSPIRED YOU TO GET INTO MAKEUP? “As a kid, both of my parents marveled about the legend Prince, the most beautiful man in the world who would share clothes and makeup with his supermodel partners.

I always loved that, but it wasn’t until I went to my second Coachella that I really felt compelled to step up my selfexpression and use makeup to make my looks even better. Shoutout to the intro of ‘Purple Rain,’ that opening montage alone has inspired many of my makeup looks.”

WHY IS STYLE IMPORTANT TO YOU? “Style is a window into the personality of the individual. I think you can learn a lot about a person just by analyzing their style. You see who is more laidback, who is more outgoing, what colors exemplify their character traits – I think you can learn a lot looking at someone’s style, not just their outfit.”

WHAT ARE THE TOP THREE STAPLE PIECES OF YOUR WARDROBE? “My Travis Scott half-skull head t-shirt is the best fitting t-shirt I’ve ever owned and is the go-to top whenever I don’t know what to wear. You’ll almost always catch me accessorizing with my star ring, butterfly ring, my Anarchy chain and a beaded bracelet that my niece Maliyah let me have.

My black combat boots are almost out of commission, but I’m still rockin’ them with any outfit I can until the soles fall off.”

Photo by Kelly Kerrigan

SDSU senior experiments with fashion and makeup to be whoever they want to be

by Kelly Kerrigan SENIOR STAFF WRITER

When you tie together the royalty of the late Prince and the boldness of modern fashion icon Travis Scott, somewhere in the middle you’ll find media studies senior Alexis Camel.

Prince once said, “Despite everything, no one can dictate who you are to other people.” The pop star’s message resonated with Camel, who draws from Prince’s nonbinary fashion that he brought into the public eye in the ’80s.

At 9 a.m. on a Wednesday morning, Camel struts into class with a leather trench coat, hoop earrings, pink nails, an eccentric white-and-blue, patterned shirt and shiny white eyeshadow highlighting his eyes. This is a regular day of class for Camel as he uses fashion to dictate his passion for creativity.

Camel describes his own style as, “a 1980s rockstar that has still managed to stay fly into the year 2020 while also picking up the best parts of trends up to 2020. Or the coolest Auntie in the family that you wonder what they do for a living and why they own that many fur coats.”

And his biggest inspirations? Prince, Travis Scott and old people.

“Prince for his gender fluidity and just how damn gorgeous he was. Travis Scott for tying together high fashion, vintage and the silhouettes that I grew up seeing my three older brothers wear,” Camel said.

Also, most importantly, “Older people, because they have their own distinct styles that they’ve developed throughout their long lives and they know what suits them best. Next time you’re out and about, check out what the grandmas and grandpas are wearing and tell me you don’t see it.”

Camel finds most of his pieces through recycled fashion at thrift stores, turning someone’s past into his future.

Some brands he find notable are Costco’s Signature Kirkland plain-white tees and Ed Hardy, but most importantly his own hand-crafted clothing brand Wannabe.

WHAT INSPIRED YOU TO GET INTO FASHION? “So I spent my first semester of college at Sterling College in Kansas where I had nothing to do most of the time.

So after spending my last two years of high school and first semester of college wearing nothing but shorts, sweats and t-shirts, I made the decision to make more of an effort because I was tired of

not looking my best.

That winter break coming back from Kansas, I started thrift shopping and the

INTRAMURAL SPORTS TOURNAMENTS SPRING 2020 An ARC Member Benefit Basketball Regional Qualifier Softball Spikeball 3v3 Speed Soccer Outdoor Dodgeball

arc.sdsu.edu/intramurals

HOW DOES BEING NON-BINARY AFFECT YOUR FASHION? “Being non-binary is somewhat ironic because it’s a label of one not wanting to be labeled. I’m both very masculine and feminine but the two really fluctuate depending on my mood.

Somedays I feel like being a man and wearing baggy pants and a t-shirt, sometimes I’m feeling real gorgeous and know the only way I can step out of the house is in my best blouse, some killer eyeliner and most likely some shiny or leather pants.

I just want everyone of all genders to feel comfortable expressing themselves in whatever way feels true to them, so I do my best to exemplify that.

Also, the women’s section has way better clothes and more options than the men’s section on any given day. Be who you wanna be!”