03-27-2019

Wednesday, March 27 - Tuesday, April 9, 2019 Weekly Print Edition

Vol. 105, Issue 28 www.thedailyaztec.com

A.S. executive candidate endorsements, Pg. 4

Wednesday, March 14 - Tuesday, March 20, 2018 Weekly Print Edition

San Diego State University’s Independent Student Newspaper Since 1913

WHAT’S INSIDE

ARSONIST ARRESTED

PSFA roof repair done, but building still closed

A former SDSU student was charged in court after setting four fires on campus.

by Bella Ross NEWS EDITOR

PAGE 3

LETTER TO THE EDITOR

The temporary closure of the Professional Studies and Fine Arts building over odor issues from a roof project remains in place even though the construction work has been completed, a university official said.

PSFA was closed on Wednesday, March 13, after faculty and students complained that ongoing work to repair the roof had created noxious odors that caused some people to experience sore throats, itchy eyes, nausea and headaches.

The building is not expected to reopen until Monday, April 8 — the first day of classes after spring break. That will give officials

time to ensure the odors are gone, university spokeswoman La Monica Everett-Haynes said.

“While the PSFA Building’s roof work is now complete, the temporary closure is being maintained to ensure the vapor odors have dissipated, and to

SEE NEW ZEALAND, PAGE 3

SEE SOPHOMORE SUCCESS, PAGE 2

SPRING GAME TAKEAWAYS Football held its annual spring game on March 23.

PAGE 7

FORO TRANSFRONTERIZO

Photo by Bella Ross

Temporary ducts have been placed on the south end of the PSFA building to pull fresh outside air into the building until the roofing materials have fully cured, university officials said.

Recycled clothes inspire friend duo to turn their love for fashion into a job.

PAGE 16

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Muslim students stand in solidarity with victims of New Zealand shooting

by Bella Ross NEWS EDITOR

In a display of solidarity following the shooting at a mosque in New Zealand, San Diego State’s Muslim Student Association took a few hours to honor those who lost their lives by praying and spreading notes of support.

What group members cited as an late-minute effort ended up being a huge success, as the event’s location in the middle of Conrad Prebys Aztec Student Union attracted many passersby.

The main attraction was three wooden boards in the middle of space, featuring post-its with words of support written by students as well as the faces of those who lost their lives in the New Zealand, Pittsburgh and Charleston shootings.

“I am not Muslim, but I have felt the pain of being hated for my religion,” one of the post-its read. “I stand with you.”

Muslim Student Association President Leena Elmaleh said part of the intent in including information about shootings other than just the one in New

Oribello

Zealand was to show the scope of the issue and how ensdangers those of many religions.

“Our members really just wanted to honor the New Zealand victims after the tragic events and just bring to light the bigger problem of attacks on places of worship,” Elmaleh said. “So, we decided to also incorporate other attacks on places of worship such as the Charleston church shooting and the Tree of Life synagogue shooting in Pittsburgh.”

PAGE 4

SCENE AT STATE

by Johann Derek STAFF WRITER

Students on Monday, March 18, staged a protest against the Sophomore Success Program, which will require non-local San Diego State students to live on campus for their second year beginning in the fall.

A petition being circulated online against the program has also gained significant traction, garnering more than 2,000 supporters as of March 22.

According to a statement on the petition, the program has forced certain sophomores to live in freshman dorms since there are not enough second-year housing options to accommodate the sophomore population.

“Due to the raffle, some Sophomore students will be stuck living in freshman dormitories,” the petition reads.

“There is no reason that certain sophomores should be forced to live in expensive, yet disgusting and small living conditions.”

Housing officials have said this is a misunderstanding. No sophomores have been assigned to live in Chapultepec, contrary to rumors, and buildings such as Cuicacalli and South Campus Plaza North that have previously housed freshmen were initially built for sophomores.

In an email statement, the university said the program was designed to foster academic growth for its students.

“The development of Sophomore Success Program was informed by a growing body of research indicating that students who live on campus are better prepared academically, enjoy an increased sense of community and campus connectedness, and graduate at faster rates than those who do not,” the statement said. “The program provides sophomores with tailored academic and community support.”

Despite the benefits proposed by the university, many students expressed their frustrations in a small protest on Mar. 18 in opposition to the program.

Undeclared freshman Malachai Bielecki, who attended the

SEE PSFA, PAGE 2

Opinion story claiming toxic masculinity doesn’t exist missed the mark.

LASSO Y TASO realizan una secuencia de paneles en SDSU con temas fronterizos.

PAGE 13

Sophomore Success Program attracts opposition

2

News

The Daily Aztec

Photo by Bella Ross

A group of freshmen protested the Sophomore Success Program outside Hepner Hall on March 18.

Sophomore Success:

continued from page 1 protest, said the decision of the university to use dorms that previously housed freshmen was unanticipated and concerning for those assigned to live in these locations.

PSFA:

continued from page 1 prevent further disruptions for students, faculty, staff and visitors who use the building,” Everett-Haynes said in a March 19 email.

The two roofing materials that university officials said created the odor, Tremfix and POWERply Standard Cold Adhesive, are designed to prevent water damage.

SDSU’s Environmental Health and Safety Team was notified of the odor issues in PSFA on Jan. 30, and the first gas and indoor air monitoring tests on the building were done that day, EverettHaynes said.

But, she said, “Test results indicated within-range, low-level amounts of vapor levels, indicating that they were not toxic.”

The official report of the team’s findings has not yet been finalized for release, Everett-Haynes said.

The university also hired Millennium Consulting to perform additional air monitoring in the building. The company’s first tests were on March 9 and will continue during the closure, Everett-Haynes said.

While full payment information is not yet available, she said “the university does not anticipate costs to exceed $10,000.”

The noxious odors persisted in PSFA

“Everyone’s really caught off guard with that and it seems like a big money grab for the school,” Bielecki said.

Biology freshman Cameryn Richardson said the use of freshman dorms for sophomores is unfair due to the expectations students have as second-year students.

“We were promised (Piedra del Sol), Montage and The Tecs,” Richardson said.

“Now, towards the end of the housing application process, people are (being

assigned to live in) Cuicacalli, but not everybody wants to live in (Cuicacalli).”

In response to how the university should tackle the housing issue, students said they have been most startled about the lack of transparency they’ve seen from San Diego State.

Marketing freshman Kylie Brown said the university first didn’t inform her and other rising sophomores of the decision to place them in buildings such as Cuicacalli, then was unhelpful in resolving the issue.

“I just want the university to listen to us and respond to us because right now they haven’t been giving us any real answers,” Brown said. “They should be trying to provide us with actual answers, listening to us and treating us like adults, and I think that they should be taking us seriously.”

University officials said in the email statement they have communicated the details of the program to the students through a lease agreement all non-local students were required to sign upon

March 27 - April 9, 2019 EDITOR: Bella Ross • news@thedailyaztec.com

admission.

“All current non-local SDSU students were informed of the program and the subsequent two-year live-on requirement prior to their application and admittance to the university as freshmen,” the statement said. “The same students also signed a twoyear license agreement.”

Although the petition directly concerns first-year students, its rapid rise in supporters has allowed other members of the SDSU community like parents to take notice and support the cause. Brown said she was surprised to see how fast and far the petition has reached.

“I signed it and posted it on my Snapchat story for everyone to sign it and it’s kind of crazy how fast it’s grown,” Brown said.

“Because the first day, the goal of the petition was only at 1,000 and now it’s over 2,000 and still gaining more signatures every day.

I scrolled down and I see parents, I see friends (that also signed).”

for weeks, and some faculty members were given the option to move their offices out of the building. That started happening on March 4. But no campuswide announcement about the odor problem was made until March 11.

Two days later, the building closed — six weeks after the first air monitoring began.

As of March 25, the university has received 22 “incident only” reports in relation to the odors in PSFA, according to a campus-wide email. This means these individuals did not pursue medical treatment as a result of the reported symptoms. The email offered no information on when these reports started to arise and how many are from students.

It’s not known how many faculty, staff and students used the building during that time, but 245 separate classes were relocated during the closure, a university document shows.

In an effort to address the concerns of students, the email invited the university community to attend an open forum on the issue on Wednesday, April 3 from 10 to 11:30 a.m. in Templo Mayor, over spring break. An outside individual with “medical expertise” will be available at the forum to answer questions, which must be submitted online before the event.

While an exact date was not identified, the email said a second forum would be held the following week, after the building’s reopening date.

Photo illustration by Katherine Cooke

COMPLETE YOUR M.S. IN ATHLETIC TRAINING WITHOUT LEAVING SAN DIEGO. Find out more at pointloma.edu/MSAT

March 27 - April 9, 2019 EDITOR: Bella Ross, news@thedailyaztec.com

News

New campus training aimed at tackling implicit bias at SDSU

by Aretha Matsushima STAFF WRITER

San Diego State administrators developed a new program this semester aimed at targeting implicit bias that will be offered to all faculty at San Diego State.

Provost Chair of Faculty Diversity and Inclusion Cristina Alfaro, along with the five Provost’s Professors of Equity in Education and Associate Vice President for Faculty Diversity and Inclusion J. Luke Wood, established the university inclusion program.

Alfaro said the program aspires to strengthen the sense of community on campus between those of all cultural backgrounds.

“Our goals are to create a heightened awareness about the institution that we are, an institution that values honors and builds on the strength and the wealth of all cultures,” Alfaro said. “Most importantly to create compassionate leaders whether you’re a student, professor or faculty member.”

Alfaro said these professional learning opportunities will be hosted in the form of group presentations with options for specific trainings on topics such as implicit biases and microaggressions, implicit biases in hiring practices, inclusive syllabi refreshes and inclusive teaching practices.

Alfaro said she believes everyone unknowingly have biases that are created through life experiences and in turn, can lead to certain beliefs or ideologies.

“Most of the time we don’t even realize it because we just have been socialized in society and we react to people in certain ways,” she said.

Provost Professor of Equity in Education Yea-Wen Chen said it is recommended for individuals to

New Zealand:

continued from page 1 While New Zealand is clearly nowhere near San Diego, interdisciplinary studies senior and member of the Muslim Student Association Subrein Damanhoury said one of the primary goals of the event was showing these kinds of issues are still close to home.

“A couple of weeks ago at the New Zealand attack that had happened,

participate in every available learning opportunity as a means of further developing the conversation around implicit biases.

“The nature of the conversation about diversity and inclusion deserves more time because we really need the space to think deeply about these issues, develop a sense of self awareness and a shared understanding,” Chen said.

To reserve a session, Alfaro said the courses must be requested through a professional learning request form found on the SDSU diversity website on the page titled “Professors of Equity.”

The presentations will have a heavy focus on dialogue so students, faculty and staff can best understand one another.

“We need to allow them to have a dialogue to come together and in the end we are hoping that everyone will have an action plan,” Alfaro said.

As a university located so close to the border with Mexico, Chen said the program has a specific focus on how to best serve SDSU’s Hispanic population.

“One of the goals of the program is to have a direct conversation of what it means to be a Hispanic-serving institution and to really embrace and enact that identity,” Chen said.

Associate Vice President for Faculty Diversity and Inclusion and Chief Diversity Officer Luke Wood said overall, the program is looking to promote a stronger environment of inclusion on campus through awareness.

“It demonstrates institutional responsibility and an opportunity for us to improve the ways that we engage our students and our faculty or colleagues,” Wood said. “This will allow us to create a more inclusive environment and the first step to that is awareness.”

The Daily Aztec

3

Former SDSU student charged with arson, burglary, vandalism

by Lauren J. Mapp SENIOR STAFF WRITER

The suspect in a series of four fires near San Diego State was charged with 12 felony counts for arson, burglary and vandalism on March 20 in the Superior Court of San Diego.

Former SDSU student Madelyn Delarosa pleaded not guilty to the charges. She faces up to 13 years in prison if convicted, said Tanya Sierra, public affairs officer for the San Diego County District Attorney.

Delarosa’s charges include two counts of arson on property, two counts of arson of an inhabited structure, four counts of possession of flammable material, two counts of vandalism over $400 and three counts of burglary.

The first of the burglaries took place on

March 13, when Delarosa allegedly entered the Piedra Del Sol Apartments illegally and “maliciously” damaged and destroyed property, according to the felony complaint.

The March 13 incident was allegedly followed by a series of two more burglaries and four fires between March 14 and 16.

The 19-year-old was arrested by university police on suspicion of arson March 16, said Raquel Herriott, spokeswoman for SDSUPD. A bail of $450,000 was set for Delarosa, who is currently in custody and has been assigned a public defender. She is set to appear in court for a readiness hearing March 29 and a preliminary hearing April 3, Sierra said No injuries resulted from the fires, Herriott said, and investigators have yet to determine a motive for the alleged crimes.

Courtesy photo

more than 51 people lost their lives,” Damanhoury said. “So, we didn’t really want to make the event just about us, about Muslims and how we were affected by it because we felt like this was much bigger than just us. This was not an isolated incident.”

Aside from the display, the event also featured a few speakers and a moment of prayer. As most students walked past the event without breaking their gazes from their phones, the speakers were quick to point out these people are part of the problem. SDSU freshman Mawadda Ismail

said she thinks the Muslim community deserves better.

“Not to be harsh, but silence is complacency,” Ismail said. “And at the end of the day, if something happens to another student on this campus, obviously everybody would want all of the students to show their support. I just feel like on this campus we lack unity.”

Aside from a March 15 campuswide email from Chief Diversity Officer Luke Wood announcing the university’s solidarity with the Muslim community in light of the shooting, the campus has

Students gathering in the student union on March 26 to stand in solidarity with the Muslim community after the New Zealand shooting.

been mostly silent on the issue.

Neuroscience senior Maryam Dakhil said this is an issue she sees not only on campus, but in the larger San Diego community.

“I just felt like this is the only outlet,” Dakhil said. “I live in San Diego. I’m a local. And this is an outlet where the students are involved, where we can talk about what happened with New Zealand and stuff and have it brought to our fellow students.”

Photo by Bella Ross

4

Opinion

The Daily Aztec

March 27 - April 9, 2019 EDITOR: Kemi Giwa • opinion@thedailyaztec.com

Editorial: A.S. elections ENDORSEMENTS

President: Christian Onwuka Executive VP: Christian Holt VP Financial Affairs: None

VP External Relations: None VP University Affairs: George Scott

EDITOR IN CHIEF Will Fritz MANAGING EDITOR Jocelyn Moran NEWS EDITOR Bella Ross

A year ago, in the midst of an Associated Students election season in which the majority of the executive officer seats only had one candidate, this editorial board called on students to step up and get involved in their student government. This year, it seems that call to action has been met to an extent, with competitive candidates running for executive vice president, vice president of external relations and vice president of university affairs. But there’s still only one candidate for vice president of financial affairs, and, crucially, the election for A.S. president seems far from competitive.

Even before stepping onto the debate stage last Wednesday, current A.S. Vice President of Financial Affairs Christian Onwuka was the clear favorite to win the A.S. presidency over Mariya Nadberezhna.

Why? Onwuka is already well-known in A.S. and on campus — as are the other members of his Vote SDSU slate — compared to Nadberezhna, who cited joining a student-run organization intent on saving the vaquita porpoise among her qualifications. Now, that’s not to say a candidate with no prior A.S. experience can’t or shouldn’t run for an A.S. office. But an inexperienced candidate who wants to win needs to have a clear, impactful vision to beat a candidate who does have experience. Based on her performance at last week’s debate and her answers to interview questions in her candidate profile, it would be difficult to argue Nadberezhna presents such a vision.

It’s unfortunate she’s Onwuka’s only opponent, because he is far from the only person in A.S. with enough experience to be president.

There are plenty of qualified people in student government who could have run — to name just one, Vice President of External Relations Michael Wiafe, who’s currently a junior, would have been an excellent candidate. Many of the candidates for lower positions are similarly well-qualified, and yet chose the positions they’re running for rather than the A.S. presidency.

It seems there is a culture in A.S. of even the most experienced, qualified officers clearing the way for a single person to be crowned, rather than elected, president. That has to change.

It’s entirely possible Onwuka would be the best candidate even if he were running against a field of candidates with more to offer.

He’s been an exemplary vice president of financial affairs and he’s a very visible leader on campus. But we’ll never be able to gauge how good he would have been were he running in a competitive election, because his opposition is in name only.

“I am running for president because I want to leave my own impact on San Diego State,” Nadberezhna said in her interview with The Daily Aztec. “I feel that, while it is a great school already, there are still a few things that can be improved. I also would like to give a voice to the people who don’t necessarily have the opportunity to give their own voice. So in a way, put them a little higher on a

pedestal since I myself will be in a position of power.”

That’s an answer someone gives when they don’t know why they’re running for president.

To be sure, a vote for Onwuka is definitely a vote for the status quo.

“When I joined A.S. as the VP of financial affairs it was more about just learning the system, not learning how to be the leader, and now that I have the opportunity to become president, I know the system, I know how to be a leader, I can just kind of do what I feel like is going to be best for our students,” Onwuka said in his interview.

Onwuka’s answer does lack specifics. What exactly is going to be best for students? However, we know he has enough experience to serve students well and he’s shown a willingness to represent everyone on campus, including working to support undocumented students and identity centers like the Black Resource Center.

Nadberezhna lacks the same level of experience.

In contrast to the presidential election, both candidates for executive vice president are extremely good contenders. Kyla Blaylock, a member of Onwuka’s Vote SDSU slate, has been in A.S. since her freshman year and is currently the Aztec Student Union Board commissioner. Christian Holt, who’s only served in one A.S. position — as a representative for the Afrikan Student Union on the Student Diversity Commission — but has been involved on campus in other ways, including as a community assistant, is a perfect example of how someone with limited A.S. experience can still be a great candidate. It’s a close call, but we will give Holt the edge because of his more unique qualifications.

While Dustin Adkins delivered a competent performance at what was meant to be his debate, the editorial board won’t endorse candidates who are running unopposed.

The editorial board also won’t endorse a candidate for vice president of external relations. Angelica Espinoza, the Vote SDSU candidate, looks good on paper, but Stephanie Estrada showed more humanity and empathy in her debate performance. Estrada would have been our pick, but her use of a racial slur in a social media post shortly after announcing her candidacy demonstrated very poor judgment, and we can’t support it.

Finally, Vote SDSU candidate George Scott is our pick for vice president of university affairs due to his broader experience and deeper understanding of his position.

There are qualified candidates for each A.S. executive officer position, and we’re confident next year’s student government will be in good hands. Still, our call to action is the same as last year — more students need to involve themselves in A.S., take risks and run for positions. Students need choices, and while this election is better than last, there’s still a lot of room to grow.

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SENIOR STAFF WRITERS Kyle Betz Lauren J. Mapp Tristi Rodriguez STAFF WRITERS Sydney Faulkner Daniel Guerrero Breven Honda Kelly Kerrigan Antonio Márquez Aretha Matsushima Dylan Meisner Johan Derek Oribello Madeline Schwarz Miles Streicek _________________________________ ADVERTISING DIRECTOR Josh Diaz SALES MANAGER Valerie Barrientos ACCOUNTING & CONTRACTS Samir Sandhu Meah Mapp SENIOR ACCOUNT EXECUTIVE Kaden Cowles

Letter: toxic masculinity does, in fact, exist by

Ruben Mendoza

You read that right!

Toxic masculinity does exist!

On March 14, I received a copy of The Daily Aztec from a classmate who felt uneasy about the claims made in regard to toxic masculinity.

Initially, I laughed and questioned the article.

However, as I read the article further, I knew that this was not a joking matter.

As I fixated on the article a bit more, I felt as if the critique on toxic masculinity derived from a place of criticism rather than actual substantiated facts.

To be transparent, toxic masculinity fits in a spectrum of behavior that affects women, men, trans and gender non-conforming individuals.

In the article “Who’s Afraid of ‘Toxic Masculinity?” Bryant W. Sculos situates toxic masculinity succinctly.

He states that toxic masculinity refers to a collection of norms, including beliefs and behaviors associated with masculinity, which is harmful to everyone.

In “No, ‘toxic masculinity’ does not

exist” Jermelle Macleod asserts that toxic masculinity does not exist in our society.

He argues that toxic masculinity is based on a subjective scale that contains no objective ground, used as a shaming tactic by modern feminists.

The author's argument that toxic masculinity is a shaming tactic establishes that his assertion derives from a place of obliviousness.

As an intersectional individual -- biological male, gender nonconforming, Hispanic and queer, I have experienced and dealt with my fair share of toxic masculinity in my life.

As a child, I received beatings from family members when I acted too gay or feminine.

As an educator, I received looks of disgust from students who felt appalled that a biological man would wear makeup and feminine clothing.

As a student, I have been taken less seriously because my thoughts and experiences did not align with eurocentric, white, heteronormative views.

Through my life experiences, I have been both literally and metaphorically

abused by toxic masculinity from others.

I have been personally attacked because my identity did not align with the cultural representations that are most prevalent in our society.

Sculos exemplifies once again how toxic masculinity fits into a spectrum that includes “hyper-competitiveness, individualistic self-sufficiency, tendency toward or glorification of violence, sexism, misogyny, rigid conceptions of sexual/gender identity and roles, heteronormativity, entitlement to (sexual) attention from women, (sexual) objectification of women.”

Toxic masculinity simply affects individuals through a range of situations, not only through a man appearing weak.

Macleod continues to say “I don’t believe in toxic masculinity or toxic femininity; but if you’re going to apply the ‘toxic’ label to men, why can’t I apply it to women?

“The double standard is disgusting and it needs to end now.”

His assertion is once again false.

Toxic femininity does exist.

Women of color are subjected to

behavior that ignores the voices that matter in various situations, including academic, beauty and violence.

Women of color have endured mistreatment within society and their voices have and continue to be ignored to this day.

Although I am responding to a “toxic article,” I want to be clear that I do believe that it is important to question and argue against toxic masculinity.

While I fully believe that toxic masculinity is prevalent within our society, individuals should have the freedom to question its existence.

However, with any response, there’s a method and decorum where an individual needs to rely on concrete and supportive factual information to argue against it and not personal thoughts or assumptions.

We need to begin to build a safe and healthy conversation about our beliefs We need to refrain from degrading and unsubstantiated ideas on people's lives and experiences.

Ruben Mendoza is a first-year grad student pursuing an RWS degree with a specialization in the teaching of writing.

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Opinion

March 27 - April 9, 2019 EDITOR: Bella Ross • news@thedailyaztec.com

The Daily Aztec

5

Democrats’ embrace of radicalism is dangerous

by Miles Streicek STAFF WRITER

Throughout the last twenty years, there has been a stark change in the U.S. Congress, — many more of its members stray significantly from the political mainstream.

This has been a long time in the making.

For years, such members have been elected steadily in highly polarized districts.

But in November of last year, several new members that epitomize this trend were elected.

Their names are Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez of the Bronx, Ayanna Pressley of Boston, Rashida Tlaib of Detroit and Ilhan Omar of Minneapolis.

These congresswomen have pushed the Overton window of Congress to new frontiers and that is a profoundly dangerous thing.

All of these new members were elected with the help of a Super PAC called Justice Democrats, which was founded and is controlled by Cenk Uygur, the host of the popular Youtube show “The Young Turks,” after coordinating with existing radical leftists in Congress such as Pramilla Jayapal and Ro Khanna.

They rely on an extremely innovative system of having

individuals recommend people they know to run.

For example, AOC was a bartender at the time when she was recommended by a friend, and the rest is history.

This organization, with Mr. Ugyur at the helm, is almost single-handedly driving this radical shift.

The ideology of these new congresswomen is almost identical to one another.

All of them are dead set on a number of individually

worst.

These reforms amount to a transition away from capitalism and toward socialism or even communism.

These together, on an essential level, erode the value of personal responsibility.

It would be an absolute paradigm shift between relying on yourself or your community to relying on a cold, impersonal government bureaucracy powered by truckloads of flaming tax dollars.

This would amount to absolutely no enforcement of immigration laws whatsoever The Democratic party has long been weak on immigration but their vision was never that of a complete lack of control concerning what comes in and out of the country.

This is a far left turn in policy that arose almost overnight.

In a world where Americans are statistically the most hated people on earth, does anyone actually think it is a good idea

“Their names are Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez of the Bronx, Ayanna Pressley of Boston, Rashida Tilab of Detroit and Ilhan Omar of Minneapolis. These congresswoman have pushed the Overton window of Congress to new frontiers and that is a profoundly dangerous thing. All these new members were elected with help of a Super Pac called Justice Democrats...They rely on an extremely innovative system of having individuals recommend people they know to run...”

outrageously expensive ideas such as Medicare For All, Universal Basic Income, Welfare expansion, the Green New Deal and a universal job guarantee.

But, if implemented as intended, all at once, it would without a doubt cause complete bankruptcy for America.

Even with the financial aspect aside, this is still a change for the

Aside from economic policy, the Justice Democrat-controlled congress members have also called for the destruction of the American immigration enforcement infrastructure.

They are calling for the abolition of Immigration and Customs Enforcement or I.C.E and the tearing down of existing border fences and walls.

to not even try to keep track of people coming in and out at all?

Do you think that’s safe or responsible?

What is most troubling about this is that these ideas have momentum, particularly within the Democratic party.

Because of the leftist populism being spouted from the likes of Rashida Tlaib and Ilhan Omar,

other Democrats have embraced their radical plans because they think they are popular.

It is to the point where nearly every single 2020 presidential candidate has supported or at least given lip service to the radicalism.

This is not difficult to understand, there are so many candidates running, all with almost the exact same platform, so it simply has become a popularity contest among Democrats, even featuring people who have no life accomplishments such as Robert Francis (Beto) O’Rourke.

They are embracing these radical ideas to get elected.

But, if elected, the candidate would be expected to at least attempt to deliver on some of those promises.

This is bad news because if the Democrats had control of both the House and Senate, the passage of a Green New Deal or the abolition of I.C.E. could become a reality.

That would mean the death of our American system and all of our bank accounts.

These people are bad news, and if we let them, they are going to do exactly what they say they’re going to do.

Miles Streicek is a sophomore studying economics.

Money in politics is a good thing for democracy

by Dylan Meisner STAFF WRITER

Very few issues are used to make as much undue political hay as our system of campaign finance.

Our system is constantly demonized as being corrupt and immoral by many on the political left, despite being one of the most liberal and just in the world.

It is a pluralistic system that leaves room for competing interests to compete for the evergrowing pie of government policy and resources.

The First Amendment clearly lays out that it is a fundamental right of American people to redress grievances with their government.

This is not my opinion, but rather legal fact, litigated and upheld by the Supreme Court on a multitude of occasions.

In our modern republic, contributing to interest groups or PACs (Political Action Committees) is just another facet of that fundamental right as guaranteed by the first amendment.

One of the most recent rulings affirming this right came in 2010 with Citizens United v.s.

FEC, when the Supreme Court correctly decided that free speech rights were necessary in order to have free and fair elections.

The case also extended that right to corporations and Super PACs, which makes sense given that both such groups are made up of and represent the interests of American citizens.

That same case also held that one's ability to donate to political causes is legally indistinguishable from the right to free speech.

This logic is made abundantly clear when given the example of the news media.

Positive news coverage in an election cycle, particularly when a television network or a newspaper endorses a candidate.

Endorsements function as inkind contributions, and as such regulating how much money people donate would conversely open up the possibility of the government regulating the free press, which is strictly prohibited in the first amendment.

Many criticize this liberal policy that encourages more freedom as being detrimental to democracy, as it gives an appearance of bribery.

Legally speaking, bribery requires a quid pro quo or a clear relationship where two sides intentionally collude to exchange governmental favors for cash or any other material benefit.

Whenever there are cases of bribery most people of good faith agree that the guilty parties should be prosecuted. But lobbying, a

practice as old as institutional power itself is not bribery according to the traditional legal definition.

Furthermore, there are no good alternatives to our current practice.

Given that lobbying is protected under the first amendment, any attempts to limit it should be held unconstitutional on the basis of

“Regulating how much money people donate would conversely open up the possibility of the government regulating the free press, which is strictly prohibited...”

precedent.

Most who oppose our current system generally get the process of lobbying exactly backward.

They frame it as legalized bribery, that politicians lack principle and will only follow the positions dictated to them by donors, to get re-elected.

If this were the case, why wouldn’t Planned Parenthood or

NARAL just lobby the Republican caucus and we could have legal late-term abortions from here to eternity?

Why wouldn’t the NRA just lobby the Democrats and we could all have access to every single gun under the sun?

Politicians’ principles do not follow lobbyists’ money.

The relationship is exactly the opposite — lobbyists approach politicians that already hold principle and policy prescriptions that align with either the interests of the patrons, like a woman seeking an abortion from Planned Parenthood, or the public, like the NRA protecting the right of the citizenry to keep and bear arms.

Some have proposed publiclyfunded elections: a system in which taxpayers subsidize the campaigns.

These proposals have proven to be highly ineffective, and I cannot think of a worse system than having elected officials themselves dole out the money that will be used in their elections.

These sorts of ideas are the exact systems that run the risk of tyranny that our founders were so fearful of.

The founding fathers envisioned a system of pluralism as outlined in the Federalist Papers, and in Federalist Paper #10, Madison clearly outlines that in a free

society, various factions are bound to have conflicting interests, and we ought to construct a system where they are free to pursue their ends.

Their pursuance of said ends would be restricted by the checks and balances put on the federal government and If anything, limits on campaign contributions should be lifted, as there is no conceivable reason why there should be a limit on how much an American should be allowed to influence the leaders who make the laws that they themselves will have to live by.

When given an option of restricting freedom or expanding it, Americans ought to always choose to expand it.

If people want lobbying powers to have less interference in their lives, we ought to reduce the size and scope of the federal government.

This way we can prevent it from continuing to be a bloated bag of subsidy cash and favors.

Deregulation, freedom and smaller, more localized government will cut the amount of power corporations hold.

Restricting personal freedom will not.

Dylan Meisner is a freshman studying political science. You can follow him on Twitter @DylMeisner.

6

News

The Daily Aztec

March 27 - April 9, 2019 EDITOR: Bella Ross • news@thedailyaztec.com

San Diego State hosts 7th annual TEDx event

by Brenden STAFF WRITER

Tuccinardi

Hundreds of attendees filed into Montezuma Hall on March 24 for the seventh annual TEDx event hosted at San Diego State.

TEDxSDSU boasted a diverse seven-speaker lineup. Among them was third-year sociology major Jasmine Miles and journalism and economics senior Katherine Stanchis, along with numerous SDSU alumni and CEO of Feeding San Diego, Vince Hall.

Also on the program were UC Berkeley sophomore Anika Kumar and founder of the intergenerational nonprofit Forget Me Not, entrepreneur, magician and motivational speaker John Kippen, San Diego artist and activist Mario Torero and Lorie Hearn, founder of inewsource, an investigative journalism nonprofit in San Diego.

Reflecting on the theme of this year’s event, (MOMENT) UM, each of the speakers shared their stories, emphasizing how a single moment, or several, started them on the path to where they are today covering a wide range of topics from optimizing stubbornness to using magic to promote inclusivity.

Entrepreneur, entertainer and magician John Kippen started the

morning off with an inspirational talk about how performing closeup magic and mentalism helped him overcome health issues and deformities resulting from a brain tumor.

He shared with audiences his path to recovery after the right side of his face was paralyzed resulting from surgery to remove the tumor. Kippen challenged the audience to treat people who are different with the same compassion they would expect for themselves.

“Next time you see someone being disrespected, in need of a helping hand or just a friendly smile, let your compassion intervene,” he said. “Use your superpower of a simple hello to let them know you care and create momentum to make the world a slightly better place.”

Spoken word poet, Amen Ra, who spoke at last year’s event, served as the master of ceremonies throughout the morning and afternoon, introducing each speaker and energizing the audience.

Anika Kumar followed Kippen with a talk about ageism and the implications it has on the lives of older people. She ended her talk by sharing with the audience ways in which they can combat ageism and lift up older generations.

“Celebrate age,” Kumar said.

“Appreciate the elders in your life not just for their experiences and wisdom, not just because they may be several decades older than you, but because they are genuinely awesome people that have a lot to share.”

After Kumar, Feeding San Diego founder Vince Hall took to the stage to share how the momentum behind the food nonprofit focused on sustainably ending hunger in San Diego.

County has fueled a movement across the state and country, showing other organizations that the food-rescue approach is scalable and effective.

Several of the talks were punctuated by Jasmine Miles’ powerful poems inspired by her life and the moments that defined her experiences growing up.

Prepare for the business of

Katherine Stanchis ended TEDxSDSU on an inspirational note as she described how stubbornness, a trait that is often seen as negative, helped her overcome a devastating injury power through a tough recovery to achieve her goal of becoming a story producer at NBC 7.

She left audiences with a phrase that helped her stubbornly go after her dreams: “Every life has some sort of challenge,” Stanchis said. “This just so happens to be yours, but you are capable. Stay stubborn” Freshman political science major Natalie Johnson attended TEDxSDSU to hear Stanchis speak, and said she found the whole event very inspirational.

“I love TED talks in general,” Johnson said. “It was cool to

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come to see something that was at SDSU with speakers from SDSU and the community and having it closer to home.”

Computer science junior, Michael Hoang said he left Montezuma Hall feeling inspired, calling to mind the opening words of TEDxSDSU chief executive officer, and senior psychology major, Salwa Khan.

“The purpose of this event today is not only to get you to open your mind up and think critically about new ideas, but we’re hoping you’re here today because right now is your moment,” Khan told the audience in her introductory remarks. “Whether you need that momentum initiated, recharged or sustained, we hope you leave today inspired.”

Photo by Brenden Tuccinardi

March 27 - April 9, 2019 EDITOR: Abraham Jewett • sports@thedailyaztec.com

Sports

The Daily Aztec

7

Spring football game previews season

by Aaron Tolentino ASST. SPORTS EDITOR

Over 1,000 fans watched the White team defeat the Black team, 15-0, in San Diego State football’s annual spring game on March 23 at the SDSU Practice Field.

Senior quarterback Ryan Agnew and senior running back Juwan Washington did not play for precautionary reasons.

The search for Ryan Agnew’s backup Junior Jordon Brookshire, sophomore Mark Salazar and redshirt freshman Carson Baker all took snaps under center.

Brookshire went 4-for-6 on 22 yards passing, Salazar was 10-for-17 for 61 yards and Baker finished 8-for-15 for 96 yards, recording the game’s only touchdown pass on a pass to sophomore wide receiver Kobe Smith.

Long said he saw the quarterbacks progress from an anemic first half to improvement in the second half.

“I didn’t think we threw it worth a darn in the first half,” Long said. “The quarterbacks started to throw the ball a little

bit better in the first half.”

SDSU’s transition to the spread formation is an adjustment for its quarterbacks as they have gotten used to primarily lining up under center.

Brookshire is the exception because he played at Laney College last year, where he was primarily in shotgun formation.

Baker and Salazar, on the other hand, both practiced and played taking most snaps under center all of last year.

It showed early in the first quarter for Baker, who botched two snaps in shotgun formation.

That might not have helped Baker earn Long’s blessing to be Agnew’s backup.

“You’d like to go through a game or scrimmage without any turnovers,” Long said.

“Obviously, when a quarterback makes a mistake like that, it hurts his chances of playing.”

Long said all the quarterbacks showed promise, but Salazar impressed him the most.

“All of them did a little something good. I thought Mark Salazar threw the ball the best out of the three,” Long said. “I thought he moved the ball well.”

Uncertainty on who will be Juwan Washington’s backup Washington seemed to be ready to play since he was fully dressed and had his helmet on.

Instead, he watched Bell, junior Chase Jasmin, sophomore Jordan Byrd, sophomore Kaegun Williams and redshirt freshman Zidane Thomas all compete to be his backup in the fall.

Jasmin led the Aztecs with 16 attempts and 65 yards on the ground but did fumble. Bell had 38 yards on 13 carries. Byrd had eight yards on 10 carries.

Williams had five carries for five yards.

None stood out in the eyes of Long.

“I don’t know. They all looked about the same to me,” Long said.

The backup situation is similar to what SDSU went through during fall camp last year, specifically when no one stood out during last season’s Fan Fest scrimmage at SDCCU Stadium.

“I wouldn’t say that any of them looked like the backup running back to me,” Long said then.

Having a stout backup rusher would end up being

Photo by Kareem Jones

Sophomore running back Chance Bell carries the ball during the Aztecs’ spring football game on March 23 at the SDSU Practice Field.

vital for the Aztecs, especially after Washington broke his collarbone and missed four games.

Banged-up offensive line The Aztecs’ offensive line only had nine available players.

They were so depleted with injuries that the offensive linemen wore gray jerseys, apart from everyone else, so they can play for both the Black and White teams.

The big boys up front would often jump from one team to another, so both teams could have an offensive line.

Long said it was good the offensive line got plenty of

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practice, but that the extra workload for this unit is only temporary.

“It’s difficult on them,” Long said. “In the fall, we’ll have a lot more offensive linemen that are healthy, and they won’t have to do that in the fall.”

The Aztecs rushed for a total of 107 yards on 59 carries, averaging 1.81 yards per carry.

Despite those numbers, sophomore running back Chance Bell said he ran behind a tough offensive line. “(They showed) a lot of heart,” Bell said. “I know they were working hard and they got tired out there, but they kept pushing threw it and that’s what matters.”

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March 27 - April 9, 2019 EDITOR: Abraham Jewett • sports@thedailyaztec.com

The Daily Aztec

9

Aztecs split versus Arizona and Cal Baptist MARCH 25

SDSU - 6 Arizona - 4

by Daniel Guerrero STAFF WRITER

A three-run bottom of the eighth was the difference maker in San Diego State baseball’s 6-4 victory over Arizona on March 25 at Tony Gwynn Stadium.

The Aztecs (14-9, 4-3 MW) found themselves down 4-3 in the bottom of the eighth inning, but received a game tying RBI single from sophomore outfielder Matt Rudick and a go-ahead RBI single from senior shortstop Angelo Armenta.

Armenta said the come from behind victory showed the team’s resilience.

“It was a tough win,” he said.

“I think we showed that we’re tough and that we can come back and make plays and make big hits.”

SDSU trailed 4-3 at the start of the eighth inning after sophomore Jacob Flores walked sophomore center fielder Donta Williams with the bases loaded to bring home sophomore shortstop Jacob Bilas.

Head coach Mike Martinez said the team’s come from behind win didn’t come easy.

“We gutted out a victory today,” he said. “Our guys gutted it out on the mound and we found a way to win offensively.”

The first two Aztec runs of the game came off of a two-run

“He’s a guy we’re going to continue to increase his workload on the mound,” he said. “We’re short handed so it’s a great opportunity for him to start. I thought he responded very well.”

Flores and sophomore Casey O’Sullivan combined for 4.1 innings of relief work for the Aztecs, before sophomore

“We showed that we’re tough and that we can come back and make plays and make big hits.”

– Angelo Armenta, SDSU senior shortstop

Photo by Jocelyn Moran

Sophomore outfielder Matt Rudick scores the go-ahead run in the eighth inning during the Aztecs’ 6-4 victory over Arizona on March 25 at Tony Gwynn Stadium.

home run in the first inning by sophomore third baseman Casey Schmitt, who later added another RBI to his night in the eighth inning, following Armenta’s go-ahead hit.

Martinez said Schmitt has been maturing as a hitter.

“He’s starting to find a way to manage his at-bats and try not

MARCH 26

by Breven Honda STAFF WRITER

San Diego State baseball was defeated by California Baptist 5-2 on March 26 at Tony Gwynn Stadium.

The Aztecs (14-10, 4-3 MW) were tied 2-2 with the Lancers (17-8, 2-1 WAC) after four innings, but their offense mustered only four hits the rest of the way.

Head coach Mark Martinez said the game was not their best.

“We played a bad game, simple as it gets,” Martinez said.

“After a great game last night, we played a really bad game.”

The Aztecs could not get the opportunity to get on base and drive in runs.

“Offensively, we threw away half or more than half of our bats,” Martinez said. “We weren’t focused, we weren’t prepared to play tonight. That’s my fault.”

On the mound, freshman Michael Paredes got the weekday start–going six innings, giving up five hits on three earned runs and notched seven strikeouts.

Martinez said he was impressed

by Paredes’ start.

“He was outstanding,” Martinez said. “He kept us in the game and put us in a position to win, but the offensive performance is why we lost.”

to do too much,” he said. “That’s kind of where he gets himself in trouble when he tries to do too much. When he stays within himself he’s a really special player.”

Aztecs freshman pitcher Brian Leonhardt logged 3.1 innings and allowed just one run in his first career start on the mound.

The freshman, who has started 22 games at first base for the Aztecs, had previously been used exclusively out of the bullpen.

In three relief outings before his start, Leonhardt totaled 3.1 innings for the season.

Martinez said Leonhardt is someone who they hope to keep developing.

Daniel Ritcheson entered the ballgame.

Ritcheson, the game’s winning pitcher, said the pitching staff has had a next man up mentality during a stretch where SDSU’s pitching staff has lacked depth.

“Everyone is just ready to get in there and everyone’s doing their job and that’s just what we’re going to have to keep doing until we get all our guys back,” he said.

The Aztecs return to action against California Baptist on March 26 at Tony Gwynn Stadium.

Cal Baptist - 5 SDSU - 2

Paredes wanted to have a good first collegiate start.

“I was really hyped to hear I was getting the start today,” Paredes said. “I wanted to come out and pound the zone the best I could. (It) felt like it was pretty important to come out and throw strikes for our guys, (especially) for the great defense we have behind us.”

The freshman said when he is on the mound next time, he hopes to learn from this outing.

school,” Paredes said. “It’s pretty cool. It’s awesome to play in front of my family that’s lucky enough to come to every game.

It’s pretty cool to play in the city you were born and raised in.”

The local product hopes the team can turn things around heading into a conference series this weekend. “(On Wednesday) we need to take a moment to realize what we have coming up,” Paredes said. “We have a big conference

“We played a bad game, simple as it gets. After a great game last night, we played a really bad game.”

– Mark Martinez, SDSU head coach “(I) got to make the big pitches; there’s a lot of situations you need to focus up and really lock in,” Paredes said. “All of us here, we live and play by the two words of ‘toughen up’ and being able to make those big pitches.

Next time I go out there, (I want to) lock in and try my best to make those competitive pitches that we need to make.”

Paredes is one of 11 Aztecs to have played high school baseball in San Diego and said the opportunity to play with them is great.

“I love coming out here and seeing the guys I faced in high

series against Fresno. It’s going to be a tough one, so we need to lock in and pay attention to detail, something coach Martinez really preaches to us.”

The Aztecs will have a home weekend series with Fresno State on March 29-31.

Martinez said the team can turn things around, but it begins with him and his staff.

“Today was just a very poor offensive performance; our guys came to the yard with the wrong mindset and the coaching staff is the blame for that,” Martinez said. “We have to clean that up and get ready for Fresno State.”

Photo by Jocelyn Moran

Sophomore Christian Winston pitches during the Aztecs’ 5-2 loss to Cal Baptist on March 26 at Tony Gwynn Stadium.

10 / The Daily Aztec

March 27 - April 9, 2019

March 27 - April 9, 2019 EDITOR: Abraham Jewett • sports@thedailyaztec.com

Sports

The Daily Aztec

11

41st Annual Aztec Open & Invitational Triple Jump

Pole Vault

200 meter dash

Photos by Abraham Jewett

Discus

800 meter run

400 meter hurdles

4x400 meter relay

12

Sports

The Daily Aztec

March 27 - April 9, 2019 EDITOR: Abraham Jewett • sports@thedailyaztec.com

Track and Field hosts Aztec Invitational

by Gregory CONTRIBUTOR

Blackshear

San Diego State track and field wrapped up the 41st annual Aztec Open & Invitational at the Aztrack Sports Deck on March 23.

The three-day event marked the beginning of the outdoor season for the Aztecs and welcomed athletes from over 100 schools and teams; ranging from local high school teams to national teams such as Brazil, China and Qatar.

“The meet itself is a major attraction for elite athletes,” SDSU head coach Shelia Burrell said.

The Aztecs finished with 28 top-three placings, including 13 first place finishes. Many of the top finishes were achieved by underclassmen.

“We’ve got a good young team,” Burrell said. “There are a lot of freshmen and sophomores, but the girls, they work.”

SDSU freshman Nyjari McNeil placed first in the 400-meter dash with a time of 54.43 on Friday, and then made history on Saturday with a SDSU freshman record time of 2:07.20 in the 800-meter dash.

McNeil said setting a new personal-best came as a surprise.

“I wasn’t really expecting to run a (personal record) because this is just to get a feel for how I am right now,” McNeil said. “I’m really

Photo by Abraham Jewett

Sophomore pole vaulter Taylor Alexander competes during the Aztec Open & Invitational at the Aztrack Sports Deck on March 23.

optimistic. This gave me hope that I can run qualifying times for nationals this year.”

Sophomore sprinter Callista Fletcher also had a successful weekend, finishing in the 100-meter dash and the 200-meter dash with times of 11.40w (+3.1) and 24.07 (-1.0).

NCAA runner-up Bonnie Draxler finished at the top of the pole vault pool after reaching a height of 4.32 meters on her second attempt.

Brazilian vaulter, Juliana

Campos, gave Draxler a run for her money, but fell just short on her final attempt.

The pressure was on SDSU to host a meet where athletes from across the globe were in attendance. Meet director Rick Reaser said he took it upon himself to provide a meet that reflects SDSU track & field.

“As a part of having a very good program, we need to have a very good meet to support that program,” Reaser said. “It’s a great place for people to come together.”

The overall feedback was positive from the athletes.

University of Oregon junior Dalen Hargett set personal records in almost all of his decathlon events, and said he enjoyed his time at the Aztrack.

“It’s pretty great, it’s laid back I think it’s ran well for the most part,” Hargett said.

“The officials have been great, everyone has been great.”

Paulo Camilo, a sprinter for the Brazil national team, returned for his second

outing at the Aztec Open & Invitational. He said, through a team translator, he was pleased with his experience at the event.

“It feels strong, strong competition, but I like the people and the energy of the track,” Camilo said. “In Brazil, only the athletes enter the stadium, here there are more people to watch and cheer.”

The Aztecs will continue their season next weekend at the UCLA Legends Invitational in Los Angeles on March 29.

Men’s tennis notches clean sweep of Eastern Washington

by Breven Honda STAFF WRITER

San Diego State men’s tennis shut out Eastern Washington 7-0 on March 26 at the Aztec Tennis Center.

Head coach Gene Carswell said how the win came from the mental toughness the players had during the matches.

“It’s never easy beating a Division I team 7-0, so I am really proud of the guys for the effort they put in,” Carswell said. “(We had) a couple of championship tiebreakers we had to play, and that shows you the strength and the level of these guys. They pushed us all the way to the end.”

Carswell said the win was good on both sides. “(I am) happy with the singles and happy with what we did in doubles,” he said. “We’re gaining momentum.”

In singles’ matches, SDSU senior Sander Gjoels-Andersen beat EWU senior Jeremy Field, 3-6, 6-3 and 10-0. Also, junior Fabian Rosendorf won 6-2, 5-7 and 10-7 over junior Mikayel Khachatryan.

In other singles’ action, sophomore Ignacio Martinez emerged victorious over freshman Manuel Brice, 6-4 and 6-2. Aztecs junior Arnaud Restifo outlasted

Photo by Aaron Tolentino

Senior Sander Gjoels-Anderson celebrates a point during the Aztecs’ 4-1 loss to Harvard on March 22 at the Aztec Tennis Center.

sophomore Martin Bats 6-0 and 6-1 in consecutive sets. Junior David Hough beat freshman Wout Doumen, 6-1 and 6-4.

On the doubles side, Andersen and Martinez beat Field and Khachatryan, 6-2, and Aztec juniors Rafael Gonzalez Almazan and Restifo pulled out the win over Bats and Balce, 6-1.

The Scarlet and Black have won

three consecutive games, dating back to the final two games they played in the San Diego Spring Invitational last weekend.

The tough scheduling did not stop them from pulling out the victory on Tuesday.

“Even though they had a lot of tennis from the (weekend), they came out with a very workmanlike mentality and got the job

done today,” Carswell said. “My hats off to them; they did a really great job.”

The three-game winning streak has given the team the opportunity to trust each other, especially entering the final portion of the year.

“They are starting to believe in themselves and a little bit of belief goes a long way; they’re

starting to see they can compete with anyone and confidence is a great thing to have,” Carswell said. “Winning starts becoming a habit–you start expecting to do it and that’s what we’re starting to feel right now.”

Despite playing four games in five days, Carswell attributes the success, regardless of the volume of games, to the team’s grit.

“It’s not easy to take on that much tennis,” Carswell said.

“We’re showing that we are pretty resilient; we’re a pretty tough team; we’re going to keep showing up in practice and continuing this ascent towards the top of the Mountain West, hopefully by the end of the year.”

Up next, the Aztecs travel to Logan, Utah to take on the Aggies on March 29.

Carwell said the team’s continue heading into Mountain West Conference play.

“Utah State would be a formidable opponent; they were last year’s conference champions,” he said. “Playing them on their home turf, and especially playing them indoors, we’re going to have our work cut out for us, we’re going to have to be mentally tough, but (our) guys are up to task, and hopefully I have some good news to report when we get back.”

March 27 - April 9, 2019 EDITOR: Alejandra Luna • mundoazteca@thedailyaztec.com

Mundo Azteca

The Daily Aztec

13

Estudiante de SDSU brinda apoyo a comunidades hispanas en San Diego por Alejandra EDITORA

Luna

Presidente de la Asociación de Estudiantes de Trabajadores Sociales Latinos de SDSU deja su huella en las comunidades hispanas.

Iván Daniel Noriega, estudiante de trabajo social en la Universidad Estatal de San Diego, brinda apoyo a las familias más necesitadas de la comunidad hispana en el Condado de San Diego y en la frontera de Tijuana.

Noriega antes de ser aceptado en SDSU, se graduó de los colegios comunitarios de Cuyamaca y Grossmont con el título de trabajo social y ciencias del comportamiento social.

Actualmente, es presidente de la Asociación de Estudiantes de Trabajadores Sociales Latinos de SDSU, la cual apoya la diversidad en la comunidad entre los estudiantes y promueve la ayuda en ambas fronteras.

“Una de las cosas que a mi se me hizo un poco difícil fue cuando me entregaron la posición, a mi no me entrenaron bien, no me dieron entrenamiento formal”, dijo Noriega. “A pesar de eso completamos mucho ese año”.

Red de Trabajo Social Latino es una asociación que ofrece

apoyo a las familias de escasos recursos como despensa de comida y donaciones de ropa.

“Nosotros recolectamos comida de tiendas y organizaciones y hacemos bolsas

y la lluvia que iba a venir”, dijo Noriega. “Entonces mi organización hizo una unidad de ropa financiera para recolectar ropa y entregarla a tres organizaciones, Jardín de

“Después de ayudar y escuchar historias de estas gentes, dije sabes que esta es mi carrera, yo me siento bien aquí, aquí es donde tengo que estar”.

– Iván Daniel Noriega, Estudiante de la Universidad Estatal de San Diego. de comida para las familias que están necesitadas en el tiempo de Acción de Gracias”, dijo Noriega. “Lo hacemos cada año porque estamos conectadas con una asociación un poco más grande”.

De acuerdo a Noriega, tuvo la oportunidad de ayudar a los inmigrantes que llegaron a la ciudad de Tijuana, gracias a una clase de intercambio que tomó con el profesor Víctor Clark-Alfaro, en donde visitó los albergues y las diferentes organizaciones que ayudan a estas personas.

“Una cosa que miré es que tenían mucha necesidad fue de ropa y chaquetas por el frío

Mariposa, Madres y Familias Deportadas Unidas en Acción y la tercera Misión de Migrantes”.

El 24 de diciembre del 2018, Noriega pudo llevar un auto lleno de ropa para regalar a las familias de escasos recurso y a migrantes.

Según Noriega, uno de sus logros más grandes ha sido la primer Conferencia Binacional Multidisciplinaria que se llevó a cabo el 8 de marzo.

“Cuando las primeras olas de migrantes empezaron a moverse a Tijuana ahí fue donde nuestra organización y con los que estaba colaborando hicimos el esfuerzo para empujar un financiamiento para esta

Cortesía de Iván Noriega

Noriega ayuda a familias de escasos recursos en ambos lados de la frontera.

conferencia”, dijo Noriega.

Una de las cosas que dice Noriega le satisface y motiva para seguir apoyando a las comunidades minoritarias es la sonrisa y la felicidad de la gente de todas las edades al ver que asociaciones como la de él los ayudan a seguir adelante.

“Después de ayudar y escuchar historias de estas gentes, dije sabes que esta es mi carrera, yo me siento bien aquí,

aquí es donde tengo que estar”, dijo Noriega.

Noriega agregó que en un futuro quiere ser profesor de trabajo social en SDSU para ayudar a la comunidad y enseñar a los estudiantes una perspectiva fresca y personal acerca de las carencias de la ciudad.

“Yo pienso que puedo hacer un mayor impacto aquí en San Diego”, dijo Noriega.

LASSO y TASO unen su fuernza para presentar una secuencia de temas transfronterizos a estudiantes por Antonio ESCRITOR

Márquez

El 25 de marzo, se llevó a cabo el segundo foro transfronterizo en el Scripp’s Cottage de la Universidad Estatal de San Diego.

Estudiantes de la Organización de Estudios Latinoamericanos (LASSO) y la Alianza Transfronteriza de la Organización Estudiantil (TASO)

“Tenemos que apoyar a nuestros hermanos y hermanas que cruzan la frontera porque estamos conectados, somos familia.”

– Ymoat Luna, Activista en Tijuana. fueron quienes propusieron realizar tres eventos donde buscan cambiar el estigma que los estudiantes de SDSU tienen sobre la frontera de Tijuana.

Ivette Lorona y Ricardo Betancourt, integrantes de LASSO y TASO, fueron los encargados de organizar este

Foto por Antonio Márquez.

Panelistas hablando sobre sus experiencias en la frontera de Tijuana.

evento.

"Para poder desestigmatizar lo que creen que es la frontera, hay muchos medios de comunicación que dicen cómo la violencia y Tijuana siempre se unen en una oración”, dijo Lorona. “Con estos eventos queremos mostrarles que hay más que eso, hay cultura y hay activistas allá afuera”.

Lorona dijo que quiere que los jóvenes conozcan el aspecto humano que tiene la ciudad de Tijuana.

Betancourt agregó que la frontera se encuentra a 20 millas

de la universidad, sin embargo, algunos estudiantes no la visitan por miedo.

El primer foro de panelistas se realizó en Tijuana donde 45 universitarios asistieron y tuvieron la oportunidad de conocer cómo se vive en el país vecino.

La fundadora de LASSO, Vanessa Falcón, señaló que más grupos de LASSO se crearán muy pronto en el colegio comunitario de San Diego y la Universidad de California Los Ángeles.

Además, Falcón creó un entrenamiento de aliados para

aprender sobre los estudiantes transfronterizos.

“Realmente fue para crear educación y concienciación sobre la población estudiantil transfronteriza, aquí en la Universidad Estatal de San Diego”, dijo Falcón. “Para educar a los docentes, el personal y los líderes estudiantiles sobre quiénes son transfronterizos, cuáles son los desafíos que enfrentan y crear una red visible de aliados”.

A su vez, Falcón compartió su experiencia personal con la audiencia.

“Por mucho tiempo mi experiencia era invisible y por eso vi que se necesitaba crear una visibilidad pero intencional, en donde podemos educar a catedráticos de esta experiencia”, dijo Falcón.

La panelista Ymoat Luna, quien es originaria de Zacatecas, se crió en San Diego y Tijuana y habló sobre lo que vive en la frontera siendo activista.

“No es una opción no involucrarme”, dijo Luna.

Luna dijo que para ella, es importante que la gente que se encuentra viviendo en la frontera se comprometa más en ayudar y ver como es la vida de un solicitante de asilo en Tijuana.

"Tenemos que apoyar a nuestros hermanos y hermanas que cruzan la frontera porque estamos conectados, somos familia”, dijo Luna.

“No debemos permitir que la política nos divida o que etiquetemos a las personas solo por sus nacionalidades o por sus características demográficas".

El último foro se realizará el viernes, 29 de marzo, en el en el teatro del Conrad Prebys Aztec Student Union de 4 p.m. a 6 p.m..

Este evento contará no solo con fotos de artistas fronterizos, pero también con el grupo de hip hop, Tulengua, quienes cuentan con un repertorio de canciones bilingüe.

14

Arts & Culture

The Daily Aztec

March 27 - April 9, 2019 EDITOR: Julianna Ress • arts@thedailyaztec.com

Slasher comedy ‘Hookman’ opens at SDSU

by Sydney Faulkner STAFF WRITER

“Hookman” debuted in the experimental theatre at San Diego State on March 15 to a completely sold-out crowd.

It was written by Lauren Yee, directed

by Jennifer Eve Thorn and produced in association with MOXIE theatre.

“Hookman” is an existential slasher comedy. Lexi, a college freshman at University of Connecticut, finds herself caught in an encounter with a hookhanded serial killer.

When back in her hometown in California, she is involved in a tragic and fatal accident with her best friend, Jess.

Over the course of time, Lexi finds herself struggling with herself and constantly trying to recall what exactly happened that night.

While “Hookman” is a slasher comedy, it explores deeper. Theatre arts senior Kennedy Jean Garcia, who portrayed Lexi, said “Hookman” actually speaks to some very large issues. “‘Hookman’ briefly discusses the casual nature rape has because part of everyday conversation because we have become so numb to it,” she said. “One in three women will be sexually assaulted in their life, and with those statistics, conversations like in ‘Hookman’ are stark, realistic and shocking.”

Garcia also said she could relate to the trauma her character endured.

“The show really speaks to what trauma and anxiety can do to your head,” she said. “Watching my character

devolve into a chaotic mind over the course of the show is close to what I have experienced in my own trauma. I think the playwright Lauren Yee does a great job capturing the realism through an unrealistic lens.”

Diana Ing, theatre arts senior, agreed “Hookman” dealt with some very important issues. “‘Hookman’ is funny and gory, but the main takeaway is how we deal with grief,” she said. “Lexi is dealing with her friends death and struggling with survivors guilt. ‘Hookman’ makes it unknown to the audience what is factual and what is in Lexi’s head. There were keylines in the show that would trigger her memory and make her think deeper about those moments. She continuously replays the accident in her head until the end when she finally accepts what she has done.”

Noah Leach, theatre performance sophomore, said the car accident scene was especially evocative and resonant for him. “‘Hookman’ has multiple heavy themes,” he said. “The first that hit me the hardest was the act of distracted driving.

There is a tragic accident that is very real and raw because of it. I think this message is important to bring awareness to students coming into college.”

For the guests in attendance, there were pre-show tours that started in the parking structures.

Designated tour guides then led each group along a path to the Experimental Theatre.

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Ryan Stubo (Hookman), Dominique Payne (Jess) and Kennedy Jean Garcia (Lexi) in “Hookman.”

On this tour, guests were taught about the urban legend of Hookman.

The students who were tour guides were also stagehands who guided Lexi through episodical moments in her life.

Leach said his favorite part of being in “Hookman” was experiencing a whole new form of theatre.

“Making the story immersive from the moment you get out of your car to the bows was very unique,” he said. “Being a guide was an eye-opening experience for me. I was not only an actor, but acting as a stagehand bringing the audience through the world, whilst also being an active audience member myself.”

Ing, who also played the role of guide, said she found this innovative aspect of the show rewarding.

“I loved being a guide in ‘Hookman,’”

she said. “The tour wasn’t actually part of the script, but something unique that director Jennifer Eve Thorn envisioned.

She really wanted to educate the audience on the legend of ‘Hookman’ before seeing the production.”

Theatre performance sophomore Annie Barrack said she truly enjoyed the process of working with the director and her professionalism was unmatched and added that she believes ‘Hookman” teaches the message of accepting who and everything one is.

“From all your successes to all your failures, all your pride and all of your guilt, everything that is you,” she said.

“Once you can accept that, you can live your life happily, instead of in a nightmare.”

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Courtesy of SDSU College of Professional Studies and Fine Arts

Dominique Payne (Jess) and Kennedy Jean Garcia (Lexi) in “Hookman.”

Arts & Culture

March 27 - April 9, 2019 EDITOR: Julianna Ress • arts@thedailyaztec.com

The Daily Aztec

15

Students compete in ‘Enviro-Fashion’ show

by Madeleine STAFF WRITER

Schwarz

Illusion jewelry, balaclavas and reconstructed suits were just some of the student-made pieces that strutted down a candle-lit Montezuma Hall runway Wednesday night. Part of GreenFest’s week-long festivities, the Enviro-Fashion Show featured student competitors across a range of categories, all with the same principle in mind: sustainable fashion.

“The fashion show is important to GreenFest because it is one of our few student competitions that really allow students to show their creativity,” said GreenFest Chair of Student Team Competitions Kaylah Abdullah. “We wanted to create the event so that students have free reign to come in and make it what they want.”

Both individual students and groups were allowed to participate in the midweek show — each competing in up to three of the event’s audience-judged categories for a $50 gift card to Buffalo Exchange.

As part of the “Anything But” category, students were asked to create ensembles made of non-traditional clothing items.

The first and only competitor to grace the runway in this category was the GreenFest Action Team, whose model donned a rainbow fringe skirt made of old tee shirts.

In the next category, “Reduce, Reuse, Restyle,” competitors showed off thrifted looks, presenting a colorful range of styles based solely on vintage finds.

Commencing the category once again was the GreenFest Action Team, walking a trio of re-worked suits down the candlelit path. Bringing new meaning to business casual, the suits extended across three styles—street, girly and ‘90s chic.

The looks, designed by first year marketing student Zoe Swift, showed firsthand that any trend can be found in a second hand store.

“I wanted to show people that you can buy clothes from thrift stores and still look professional, but not look stuffy,” Swift said.

Also featured in this category was Creative State, a student artist collective, which showcased three separate clothing and accessory lines.

Garde, a line designed by Khayri Carter, paraded a trinity of bold streetwear down the runway, featuring graphic hoodies, neon green prints, a balaclava and socks with sandals.

The collective’s next participant was Julia Altamirano’s Sinners’ Vault, an illusion jewelry line. Kaleidoscopic necklaces, sunglass chains and hair clips were paired with oriental-style brocade pieces that floated down the platform in a hallucinatory fog.

Moral motives, a graphic clothing line by Sam Beadle, closed out the group’s entry, showing off printed tees and jeans.

All three designers walked in the show.

Brian Cung, the show’s only solo participant, took home the winning title.

No stranger to vintage, the first year marketing student tucked an unbuttoned denim shirt and a white tee into black jeans, paired with a silver chain link belt.

Cung tied off his thrifted look with a subtle chain necklace that peeped out from beneath his chambre collar.

His confident strut was met with roarous cheers from the crowd.

According to Cung, his victory took him by surprise.

“I didn’t know I was going up against groups,” Cung said, “I thought it was going to be three other people, but when I saw

multiple groups I thought ‘oh no, I severely underestimated this.’”

Cung said the event pushed him out of his comfort zone, and prepared him for an upcoming student fashion show in April.

“Winning gives me the confidence to do it again in the future,” Cung said.

The last competition of the evening called for audience participation, pointing students to the Green Love vintage pop-up shop in the back of the hall. Competitors then had five minutes to create an outfit using pieces from the racks of donated items — leftover apparel and accessories from Green Love’s last clothing drive.

After the time was up, 10 contestants scrambled to the runway, each flouncing their thrifted finds. Swift’s winning ensemble was classically chic — a mid-

length blue dress matched with an oversized blazer and green satin pumps.

Each participant was allowed to bring home any clothing they fancied from the pop-up shop.

For event coordinator Abdullah, the Enviro-Fashion Show presented a unique platform within GreenFest for students to be environmentally sustainable in a creative way.

“I think it’s difficult on college campuses to think sustainably and always have sustainability on your mind, but we’re definitely a campus that does push for sustainability,” Abdullah said. “Greenfest to me is important because it really explains to students the importance of being sustainable and all the different ways you can live sustainably.”

Photo by Kiely Mizumoto

Marketing freshman Zoe Swift was victorious the “vintage pop-up shop” category.

Noname concludes her ‘Room 25’ tour in San Diego

by Julianna Ress ARTS & CULTURE EDITOR

Chicago rapper Noname concluded her “Room 25” tour at the Observatory in San Diego on March 16, showcasing her ability to create a community with her conversational songs and approachable

stage presence.

“Room 25,” Noname’s second fulllength project and an excellent followup to her equally great 2016 mixtape “Telefone,” was released in September 2018.

On the album, she provides a moving coming-of-age portrait of the years since

her first release, including the navigation of an impactful, though short-lived, relationship.

She first gained prominence when she appeared on Chance the Rapper’s beloved breakthrough mixtape “Acid Rap,” providing a gorgeous verse on the track “Lost.”

Once kindred spirits who provided warm vulnerability through detailed storytelling, Chance’s emotional complexity chipped away a bit on his last release, 2016’s “Coloring Book.”

Meanwhile, Noname has only explored

deeper, with her bars only becoming more succinct, poignant and clever.

It’s no surprise that the Observatory crowd was largely women, who likely relate to Noname’s distinctly feminine tales of love, loss and self-discovery.

She opened the show with “Self,” a highlight on “Room 25” which displays both her wit and humor.

“My p—y taught ninth grade English / My p—y wrote a thesis on colonialism,”

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The Daily Aztec

The Back Page

March 27 - April 9, 2019 Editor: Julianna Ress • arts@thedailyaztec.com

Scene at State: Vintage, recycled clothing

by Kelly Kerrigan STAFF WRITER

Vintage and recycled clothing is coming back into style more than ever. People are starting to make conscious efforts to find articles of environmentally-friendly clothing no one else could possibly have.

Thrift stores and retail shops are booming with business as people go to them to find small treasures to make their everyday style completely unique.

For interior architecture senior Shadi Karbasi and business management junior Delfina Glover, recycled clothing inspired the duo to take their artistic abilities to a new level. What started as a hobby has now grown into something bigger for the two.

Glover and Karbasi take clothing pieces and fabrics to hand make custom pieces for any occasion. A regular old sweatshirt can be turned into a fashion statement by the hands of these artists. The two have been selling these pieces at various art shows around San Diego and through Instagram.

Explain what you do.

DG: We thrift and up-cycled clothes while also focusing on custom orders.

Since Coachella is right around the corner, we are doing a lot of vibrant, flowy and festival-vibe pieces for people.

How did you decide to start working on this together?

SK: We decided on working together because of an opportunity that was given to us to be in an art show, so it started off more like art than selling clothing.

Delfina does a lot of re-work for clothing, and I like to make clothing from scratch.

So, one day we were talking about it in front of my boyfriend, who is in Family Reunion, and he was like, ‘Why don’t you guys show your stuff next week at our event?’ That’s where it all started. I usually

Noname:

continued from page 15 goes one of the best couplets, and elsewhere on the track she questions “Y’all really thought a b—h couldn’t rap, huh? / Maybe this your answer for that,” through an audible smirk.

Many Noname songs feel like brief, intimate streams of consciousness — “Self” clocks in at just over a minute and a half.

She provides details but never overexplains, offering quick bursts of her vibrant world.

Next up was “Blaxploitation,” on which Noname’s warm, comforting voice permeated the room the way it does on record.

Over thick bass, she explores black stereotypes in pop culture with a soft, fast-paced flow: “Keep the hot sauce in her purse and she be real, real blacky / Just like a Hillary Clinton, who masqueraded the system,” she raps, referencing Clinton’s 2016 appearance on hip-hop radio show The Breakfast Club.

She then went back to “Telefone” with a performance of “Diddy Bop,” one of the sweetest tracks in her catalog, which is an ode to her childhood in Chicago.

A favorite among Noname fans, the crowd rapped and danced along to her recollections of her neighborhood.

Periodically, she would pause throughout the night to express her gratitude and disbelief that the tour was ending, speaking to the crowd candidly and comfortably. Her affinity for conversation in her raps translated into her onstage banter.

Other standouts of the show included

sketch out designs and then make them.

DG: Both of us have always had a passion for clothes. While each of us are creative, I had the sewing experience and Shadi has an incredible, imaginative ability that brings a different creative aspect when we come together. One of our close friends was looking for extra vendors in a show coming up and we volunteered ourselves and everything started happening really quickly from there.

Where have you sold your pieces?

SK: We have sold pieces at Family Reunion events where we display our work or people message us personally and we design custom pieces for them.

What are your goals with this?

SK: My goal is to be able to create the best pieces that come to mind and to create the ideal pieces that people want but are not able to find. One fabric and style per piece and it is never repeated.

DG: I have always loved to sew and have been creating things since I was a little girl.

My passion for clothing and fashion kind of sprung this interest in thrifting and making old clothes into something better, whether it was old Levi jeans into shorts or a vintage dress into a new two-piece set.

Making items for myself then turned into me wanting to make them for others.

Courtesy of Shadi Karbasi and Delfina Glover

Interior architecture senior Shadi Karbasi and business management junior Delfina Glover sell pieces on their Instagram pages, @delfinaglover and @shadi.karbasi.

Who are your style inspirations?

SK: Dolce and Gabbana is my favorite

What do you think is special about handmade clothing?

SK: I think the best thing about

handmade clothing is all the details and personalized things you can do. Fitting it specifically to a person, adding the smallest details like stitching color, it is just so fun and I honestly look forward to designing new pieces.

DG: Knowing the time and effort that goes into each piece is something more special than just clicking the buy button on Forever 21. Especially since we are selling locally right now, it’s easier to put a face to a product and our buyers know that we worked really hard to make their piece extra special for them to fit them perfectly. Finding the correct fabrics and then cutting and sewing them together, some pieces take us over two days to complete.

“Room 25’s” “Regal,” which had the audience shouting the empowering hook, “I swear I look so regal,” the funky, lovestruck “Montego Bae” and her latest single, the reflective “Song 31.”

“I sell pain for profit, and I feel prophet watchin,’” goes one bar on “Song 31.”

“Everything is for everything, rhymin’ with causality.”

Near the end of the set, Noname performed two of her most beautiful songs back-to-back.

First was “Room 25’s” “Don’t Forget

About Me,” a moving meditation on mortality and legacy.

“I know everybody goes someday / I know my body’s fragile, know it’s made from clay,” she muses on the hook. “But if I have to go, I pray my soul is still eternal / And my mama don’t forget about me.”

She juxtaposed that track with a performance of “Forever” off “Telefone,” a life-affirming song in the face of opposition.

“They ain’t try’na see us shine, shine / Bullet on my time, time / But f–k it, we’ll

live forever,” she raps the quotable refrain on the chorus.

Life and death find themselves in Noname’s music in various ways, and placing these two tracks side-by-side in her setlist shows their prominence in her consciousness, both resonant with the young crowd questioning their own purpose.

Thoughts come and go, but to Noname, all are just valid as another, and in relating them to others she finds her community and herself.

How would you describe your style?

SK: I would describe my style as colorful, patterned, sometimes streetwear and out of the ordinary. Each individual is art, so dress yourself to be like the best art piece you can be.

DG: My personal style is mostly street style and vintage wear combined. Comfort is key while always keeping some class.

You have to bring your own spunk to the environment.

designer. For Love and Lemons is a huge inspiration to me because they were girls that started their company in college and it is super successful now. Random clothing websites and designers are my favorites.

I could spend hours on Instagram just looking at companies and designers, one of my favorites is Jadedldn.

DG: I take a lot of style inspiration from musical artists like Rihanna and Billie Eilish. I’m constantly saving things on my Instagram that come up and I think are great to use as inspiration for my next piece.

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