Weds. March 9 - Tues. March 15, 2022 Weekly Print Edition
Vol. 108, Issue 20 www.thedailyaztec.com
San Diego State University’s Independent Student Newspaper Since 1913
SDSU declines donation of $1 million Black Music Archive WATCH OUR LIVE BROADCAST ON THURS. @ 12:30 PM INSIDE THIS ISSUE
OPINION Taking a language learning classes provides valuable life skills. PAGE 3
ARTS & CULTURE Arzu Ozkal is named the newest director of Arts Alive SDSU, beginning in July 2022.
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MUNDO AZTECA El senado de la univesidad vota por el reconocimeinto de tierra ser opcional. PAGE 6
SPORTS Men’s basketball finished their regular season, as they prepare for thed MWC tournament. PAGE 8
INDEX News............................... 1-2 Opinion..............................3 Art..................................4-5 Mundo .............................. 6 The Back Page, Sports..... 7-8
by Eugénie Budnik STAFF WRITER
The John Coltrane Memorial Black Music Archive consists of over 50,000 jazz, blues, gospel, and reggae albums and is valued at over $1 million. The collection was intended to be donated to the San Diego State Malcolm A. Love Library, but disagreements between SDSU and the donors have stalled the university’s acquisition of the collection. Bram and Sandra Dijkstra, long time Del Mar residents, are the owners of the collection which makes up the John Coltrane Memorial Black Music Archive. The gift was accepted in June 2020 by The Campanile Foundation, SDSU University Relations and Development (URAD) and the SDSU Library. At the time, Patrick McCarthy was serving as Interim Dean of the Library and was one of the key players in accepting the gift. “It [The John Coltrane Memorial Black Music Archive] will also be an integral part of our development of an unrivaled Social Justice collection and advances the university’s strategic goal to be a global leader in promoting and supporting diversity, equity, and inclusion,” McCarthy said in a statement published by the SDSU Alumni Foundation. However, the university withdrew from the agreement to accept the collection in June 2021. In an email sent to Bram and Sandra Dijkstra by Dean of the Library Scott Walters, library administrators told the Dijkstra’s the “core commitment to begin accepting the materials and to house them” was not currently possible. According to the Dijkstras, SDSU administration asked the couple for funding to cover the expenses to properly house the
collection in the Love Library. These expenses were not covered by the donors in the original agreement. “There is nothing in the agreement that obliged us to provide cash at all,” Sandra Dijkstra said. Dijkstra, who currently operates a literary agency, has ties to SDSU that go back all the way to the 1970s, where she taught in the university’s first women’s studies program. The school went back and forth with the Dijkstras around three or four times, each time coming up with a reason as to why the university would no longer be able to house the collection. Dijkstra claims she and her
husband had continuously abided by the agreement between them and the university. “We had not made any changes to the agreement, we were abiding by the agreement. They [SDSU] were the ones who made changes to the agreement,” Dijkstra said. When contacted regarding the John Coltrane Memorial Black Music Archive, SDSU released the following: “The SDSU Library was honored to accept Sandy and Bram Dijkstra’s offer in 2020 to bequeath their curated jazz collection to SDSU. The university remains happy to accept the collection under the terms of the agreement signed
by the Dijkstras in 2020. One year after agreeing to the terms of the signed agreement, the Dijkstras reached out to the university regarding collection-specific staffing and infrastructure they expected. These were not included in the signed agreement and the university’s library was not in a position to provide these highcost requests.” The donation was brought to the attention of the University Senate at their March 1 meeting this year, as senator Adisa A. Alkebulan drafted a resolution regarding the way in which
SEE BLACK MUSIC ARCHIVE, PAGE 2
Photo courtesy of Sandra Dijkstra
Bran Dijkstra with his collection of over 50,0000 albums titled the John Coltraned Memorial Black Music Archive .
President Biden’s first State of the Union Address by Eugénie Budnik STAFF WRITER
On March 1, President Joe Biden gave his first State of the Union Address of his presidency. The address was held in person and many attendees were maskless amid the CDC’s new COVID-19 masking guidelines. President Biden’s speech
focused on the Russian invasion of Ukraine, which has been ongoing and intensifying since Feb. 24. Biden condemned Russian President Vladimir Putin’s attack on Ukraine, calling it “premeditated” and “unprovoked”. President Biden highlighted the resiliency of the Ukrainian people, and commended the leadership of Ukrainian
President Volodymyr Zelensky. “We, the United States of America, stand with the Ukrainian people,” Biden said. Notably, this statement of support garnered bipartisan applause by multiple members of Congress in attendance. Since Ukraine is not a NATO ally, President Biden did not promise military assistance
to Ukraine, but instead made promises of monetary and humanitarian assistance. “Our forces are not engaged and will not engage in the conflict with Russian forces in Ukraine. As I’ve made crystal clear, the United States and our allies will SEE STATE OF THE UNION ADDRESS, PAGE 2
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News
The Daily Aztec
March 9 - 15, 2022 EDITOR: Katelynn Robinson • news@thedailyaztec.com
Kumeyaay Land Acknowledgement no
longer required in syllabi by Noé Sandoval MUNDO AZTECA EDITOR
President Biden gave his first State of the Union Address to address the ongoing war in Ukraine.
State of the Union Address continued from page 1
defend every inch of territory that is NATO territory with the full force of our collective power,” Biden said. President Biden also discussed domestic issues such as economic inflation due to the COVID-19 pandemic, police reform and gun control.
Graphic by Janye Yutig
Biden praised the passage of the bipartisan infrastructure bill as a driver for an increase in job gains and economic growth. On the topic of police reform, President Biden received bipartisan support by speaking in favor of funding the police. “We should all agree the answer is not to defund the police. It’s to fund the police. Fund them. Fund them with the resources and trainingresources and training they need to protect our communities,” Biden said.
Graphic courtesy of Adobe Stock
The debate for having the Kumeyaay Land Acknowledgement cited and stated as a requirement for syllabi at SDSU was discussed at the university senate meeting on March 1. Since 2019, it has been a requirement for SDSU professors to include the land acknowledgement in their course syllabi. This sparked concern in some professors this past couple of weeks as they said they didn’t want to feel imposed to follow through with language forced by the university. Steven Barbone, a SDSU professor from the philosophy department, was one of the proponents of this revision and expressed the acknowledgement infringed upon professors’ rights. “As a professor, we value academic freedom,” Steven Barbone said. “There is a clause from the acknowledgement too close to a prayer.” Barbone compared the clause for the acknowledgement, “We find inspiration in the Kumeyaay Spirit…,” to a symbol of worship exchanging the last words to “the Hail Mary” and “Satan.” This outraged many voters and
attendees. “It is inappropriate and extremely disrespectful to compare a section of the Land Acknowledgement to Satan,” Associated Students President Ashley Tejada said. During the meeting, this requirement was voted to be removed from the syllabus policy, making it optional for professors to require the acknowledgement. The senate voted for this revision during the meeting with 44 votes for the revision, 38 against and 7 abstained. This revision means that the acknowledgement clause will be removed from the syllabus requirements. “As a university located on the historic lands of the Kumeyaay Nations, faculty retain the option to include the SDSU Land Acknowledgement statement (the abbreviated or full version) in their syllabus as recognition that SDSU resides on the land of the Kumeyaay, and as an expression of the university’s commitment to advancing access, justice, equity, diversity, and inclusion,” according to the March 1 meeting agenda.
Photo by Katelynn Robinson
In addition to addressing the war between Ukraine and Russia, Biden addressed COVID-19 and police reform.
The University Senate removed the policy requiring faculty members to include a land acknowledgement in their syllabi.
Black music archive:
President Adela de la Torre, Vice President of University Development Adrienne Vargas and Dean of the Library Scott Walter had made the decision to reject the gift of the John Coltrane Memorial Black Music Archive and did not consult with any Black resources or groups on campus. “Three white people who were not faculty made decisions on Black music which resulted in a huge loss for the SDSU community,” Dijkstra said. The resolution drafted by Alkebulan called on the university to “work with the University Library and Diversity Equity and Inclusion Committees” when making decisions regarding culturally significant donations. The resolution passed in the University Senate. Resolutions are only advisory documents and do not have the power to change or create new university policies without the approval
continued from page 1
SDSU admin handled the acceptance of this gift. Alkebulan, who is the chair of the Department of Africana Studies, presented the resolution in the hopes that it would establish a precedence of a broader range of voices when making decisions surrounding culturally impactful donations. “I had no choice but to bring the matter before the University Senate and raise the issues outlined in the resolution,” Alkebulan said. “Though not included in the resolution, there is
no doubt that this sordid affair is rooted in the lack of respect and appreciation the library and university leadership has for the Africana community and our culture.” Many faculty members were quick to point out that the exclusion of faculty, staff and student voice in this decision was hypocritical to the university’s fiveyear plan, in which one of the priorities is “equity and inclusion in everything we do.” Dijkstra commented on the lack of shared governance between SDSU admin, faculty, staff and students when it came to decision making. “It is an affront to SDSU students. Their mantra is ‘equity and inclusion in everything we do.’ How can they exclude students and faculty in that decision?” Dijkstra said. Dijkstra also commented on the fact that three non-Black SDSU admin,
from the university president. Alkebulan said he hopes the SDSU administration will take serious consideration into adopting his resolution. “I hope that shared governance be established in the consideration and deliberation of academic-related gifts by assuring faculty, staff and student voices in the form of expertise and senate committees are included,” Alkebulan said. Bram and Sandra Dijkstra said they hope this resolution will finally allow for the acceptance of the John Coltrane Memorial Black Music Archive for the SDSU community to be able to access. “The door is still open. The next John Coltrane could be sitting in one of your [SDSU’s] classrooms, and having access to the John Coltrane Memorial Black Music Archive could be what inspires them,” Dijkstra said.
March 9 - 15, 2022 EDITOR: Aaliyah Alexander • opinion@thedailyaztec.com
Opinion
The Daily Aztec
3
Taking language learning class can offer experience of lifetime By Maitland Klingberg CONTRIBUTOR
Growing up, kids often enjoy sleeping in and watching cartoons as part of their weekend morning routine. This was not a reality for me. Instead, my mother hauled me to Chinese school. At age five, I was enrolled in the Institute of Chinese Language and Culture based in Los Angeles, California. My class, section B, was held on Saturday mornings. For two hours, we worked closely with one another and our teacher, Lao Shi, to learn traditional Mandarin. This ranged from reading, writing and speaking. I struggled with all three of these categories, especially on our cumulative assessments. Trust me when I say there is no lost love between me and my former Lao Shi. We pushed each other to our own wits’ ends weekly. Her patience wore dangerously thin when I could not answer her questions or repeat a sentence without forgetting it halfway through. In the beginning, my face would turn red with frustration, but mainly embarrassament. I began to blame myself for the wrong reasons. I thought “well, maybe I really am dumb,” and used that to justify my failure in Saturday school. I stopped caring about success and embraced mediocrity with open arms. My teacher’s attempts to wring Chinese out of me were useless. When she
displayed our quizzes or tests, everyone saw my papers were drenched in red ink, indicating mistakes. Seeing them grew my hatred towards the language and my education. Nevertheless, my teacher reminded her students “if you like Chinese, Chinese will like you back.” Those words meant nothing to me until I grew tired of being the “dumb” kid. My experience with learning Mandarin changed completely once I applied myself. It felt amazing to answer questions briskly and have my tests return with a bright smiley face. Towards the end of my time with the institute, I realized I was never dumb, only lazy. If Chinese was a race, I treated it like a sprint rather than a marathon. My teacher, classmates, and family pushed me to see that in myself. I graduated from the Institute of Chinese Language and Culture in May 2021. Today, I am taking Chinese 102 with a new instructor and classmates who have different backgrounds in Mandarin. However, I will always respect and treasure my first Lao Shi and the Saturday Morning B class. I implore students to take a language course at San Diego State University. You will gain valuable life skills and, more importantly, an incredible community connected by language. Maitland Klingberg is a freshman studying finance. Follow her on Instagram @maitlland.
Hustle culture can become
toxic, practice slow living
Courtesy of Maitland Klingberg
Photo of Klingberg doing an arts and crafts activity during one of her Chinese Language and Culture courses.
Perspective: I still don’t know what my next steps are in life By Roxanna Boren
Graphic by Hemen Mesfin
Hustle culture can be valuable with balance and rest.
By Aaliyah Alexander OPINION EDITOR
Hard work is undeniably essential to achieving goals. If one puts in the effort, anything can manifest in his or her life. This truth carried me as I put my best foot forward in school, sports and personal goals; however, it’s easy to misinterpret this mindset for an “all or nothing” attitude which can be seen depicted in “hustle culture.” According to Oxford Languages, “hustle” means “to force (someone) to move hurriedly or unceremoniously in a specified direction,” so in the context of the hustle culture we are familiar with today, it can be said that society has convinced us to value output and has programmed us to aspire for a life of non-stop labor. I’m not opposed to productivity itself. I think it’s a necessary component of our economy. However, in terms of individual productivity, it can become toxic. Measuring a person’s worth based on how much they accomplish in a single day causes more problems than what meets the eye. The term “workaholic” didn’t just appear out of thin air, and “hustle culture” continues to produce them every day.
Burnout, depression and anxiety can all be caused by the obsession with work and productivity. As someone who has tried to emulate the grind and hustle lifestyle at a young age, I can attest to the feeling of unworthiness when I did not intentionally schedule my day to the minute with tasks or failed to complete a to-do list. This fast-paced mindset has sparked counter-cultural movements such as the slow living movement which promotes balance and emphasizes mindfulness. The slow living movement was inspired by the slow cooking movement — originated in Italy during the 1980s. It promoted quality ingredients, local production, sustainability and mindfulness. These values naturally seeped into the slow living movement as the world began to become more “fast” with restaurants, work and family life. Slow living intrigued me because it offered a healthy alternative to the hustle culture I desperately wanted to escape. I was tired of feeling like a robot whose only purpose was to wake up, work, eat (if I had the time) and repeat the process the next day. Embracing a slower lifestyle isn’t an excuse to dismiss hard work. Instead, it provides a more holistic way to live. It shifts the emphasis away from work and towards living. My work ethic is still intact and isn’t going anywhere but my mindset has shifted from rushing through life to slowing down, so I can take time to smell the roses and you should too. Aaliyah Alexander is a junior studying journalism and international studies.
CONTRIBUTOR
Every individual has their own perception of what their final loss of childhood and final fleeting moments of youth are. Some think it’s turning 18 or the loss of their virginity. For others, it’s moving out. For me, it was realizing that in approximately eight months I will be graduating college and, like many others, I have absolutely no clue what I want to do with my life. When we were young, we wanted to be princesses, rockstars, rocket scientists, the president and so on — my plan was to be all of the above — but fast forward a decade, I’m expected to limit myself to just one major. My requirements for a major were simple: no math and one that allowed me to travel. So what seemed like a random game of roulette, I landed on public relations, and off I went — leaving my home state with my clothes in a trash bag and a hopeful longing to find my passion. Guess what? I never did. I love college. I love my friends, classes and environment, but I never really found the one thing most students come here to find: to become properly equipped with the skills to succeed in the workforce and, most importantly, to find a way to support ourselves in one of the most expensive cities in the United States. For a lucky few, their path is set. Pre-med? Next step is medical school. Want to be a lawyer? Next step is law school. Chose a random major and got jipped out of a year and a half of school due to the pandemic? Well, now seems like a good time to panic. I know I shouldn’t panic. We are all
Graphic by Hemen Mesfin
Feeling lost is normal, we just don’t talk about it enough.
ambitious and passionate, longing to make something of ourselves, but there is something so intimidating about knowing I am just as lost about what I want to do with my life as I was the day I graduated high school. The difference is reality is flying at me fast. SEE ONLINE
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The Daily Aztec
Arts & Culture
March 9 - 15, 2022 EDITOR: Ryan Hardison • arts@thedailyaztec.com
SDSU bands Bach in action By Owen Pratt STAFF WRITER
On Friday, March 4, friends, family and music lovers alike gathered into the Smith Recital Hall to enjoy a night of beautiful music, resulting from months of diligent practicing and coordinated rehearsals. After a break from performing, the SDSU Symphonic Band and Wind Ensemble have returned with a new concert, striking a chord with audiences. The Symphonic Band started the night with a piece called “Africa: Ceremony, Song, and Ritual.” Conducted by graduate student Thomas Finch, the piece was filled with a loud, brassy sound along with a rhythmic percussion section, and soothing woodwinds. The musicians used a wide dynamic contrast, showing off their musical capabilities. The performance was met with a powerful cheer from the crowd. When the piece concluded, the Director of Bands, Dr. Shannon Kitelinger, entered the stage. Kitelinger thanked the audience for coming, boasting the impressive work his students put in this semester, given the twoweek switch to virtual learning. He then conducted the next two pieces: “Hymn to the Dawn” and “The Hounds of Spring.” “Hymn to the Dawn” took a different musical approach, with more simple rhythms
accompanied with beautiful woodwind and brass solos throughout. The ending had the whole ensemble singing a note in unison. Primarily, the percussion took a backseat while the wind instruments had the spotlight. “The Hounds of Spring” circled back thematically, with the winds going back and forth between loud and technical to slow and lyrical. For the most part, the tempo stayed at a moderate pace (or moderato for musicians). The woodwinds played some impressive musical licks as well. The piece ended with a loud applause from the audience, with people whispering their praises. After a 10-minute intermission, the Wind Ensemble took the stage and performed their repertoire. Beginning with “Ride,” the piece kept a rapid tempo with rhythmically intense music. Their loud dynamics filled the room with an intense energy, keeping the audience on their toes. The percussion played a prominent role, keeping the tempo at bay. Its ending had the winds playing a loud note with clashing cymbals fit the music’s theme. Next was “My Jesus, Oh What Anguish,” written by the famous Johann Sebastian Bach. This piece pumped the brakes quite a bit, offering a slow, beautiful sound with delicate rhythms. This music gave the woodwinds ample time to shine. Its subtle ending earned praise from the audience yet again.
EDITOR IN CHIEF Catlan Nguyen MANAGING EDITOR Trinity Bland NEWS EDITOR Katelynn Robinson OPINION EDITOR Aaliyah Alexander MUNDO AZTECA EDITOR Noé Sandoval ASST. MUNDO AZTECA EDITOR Karina Bazarte ARTS & CULTURE EDITOR Ryan Hardison ASST. ARTS & CULTURE EDITOR Cristina Lombardo SPORTS EDITOR Jason Freund Photo by Owen Pratt
The SDSU Wind Ensemble performs a mix of musical works, including the rhythmically intense “Ride” as well as Bach’s “My Jesus, Oh What Anguish,” a softly stunning piece.
The last piece performed was “Sonoran Desert Holiday.” Described by Kitelinger as a western movie throwback, this song did not disappoint. The tempo had a large variation, switching from very fast to incredibly slow. It felt very natural, rather than forced and abrupt. The goosebump-inducing chords kept the audience listening, with the ending getting the loudest applause of the night. Anand Larson, who performed with the Symphonic Band on baritone saxophone, says he enjoys the process of refining the pieces into a finished product. “I enjoy the satisfaction of seeing the whole process come
together from just sight-reading the piece, and seeing the bare bones of people struggling with everything to then the final concert and seeing everything fit together properly and sounding amazing,” Larson said. Saxophonist Savannah Frost, a first year studying music education, felt the groups delivered a good performance. “I feel like we did really well,” Frost said. “I didn’t really mess up, so that was great…we all listened to each other, we were all in sync and performed well.” To find upcoming performances, go to the SDSU School of Music and Dance website for more information.
Alumni succeeds as business owner and singer By Niamh Moore STAFF WRITER
Ayesha Kosaka, also known as the ai.ko, is a former San Diego State student currently taking her creative journey to the next level. She is a singer-songwriter, the owner of a production company and a graduate student at UCLA. Kosaka graduated from SDSU in 2020, at the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic. She majored in interdisciplinary studies, which consisted of film production, marketing and event management, and minored in creative writing. While still a student at SDSU, Kosaka and two of her friends started Plugged Productions. It began as an organization with a solid clientele while still in college, but they decided to make the company official after graduating. Plugged Productions is a Black-owned “female artivist” production company that strives to give Black women and marginalized women of color a voice through film. “We really want to drive a conversation and have a deeper understanding of each other,” Kosaka said. “And just having the right representation that we don’t always feel like we see in mainstream media.” Another goal of Plugged Productions is to create a healing space for women of color. “We are actively conscious of what kind of material we want
Photo courtesy of Ayesha Kosaka
Kosaka is one of three friends leading Plugged Productions, a production company focusing on empowering women of color.
to represent,” Kosaka said. “And also allow people the space to heal and just create freely and just really push those boundaries.” Aside from the production company, Kosaka recently dropped her first single, “Circles,” with another artist, Isinome; together they are called Isinome & the ai.ko. They are collaborating on an EP set to release in May called “The Healing Project.” This project, much like Plugged Productions, is focused on healing and pushing to create a healing space. The single Kosaka recently released, “Circles,” is about getting through tough times. “It’s about overcoming the pain that you’ve had in the past, but you know, sometimes you have those pitfalls and
just understanding the roller coasters,” Kosaka said. Besides her EP and production company, Kosaka also has big plans for the future. “I am the type of person that is interested in so many different things, my end goal is to just really make an impact with any type of art that I do and just making sure that the story behind it is intentional and coming from my heart,” Kosaka said. “So. I hope that you know, whether it’s me making music, I also do poetry and have been in the process of writing an anthology of filming.” As well as creating art through various mediums, Kosaka is also a graduate student at UCLA pursuing her master’s degree in African American studies. Her thesis research focuses on the political and social impacts of film and music. “I’m using my time at UCLA as an opportunity to just collect as much from their database and just learn about the history that dives deeper beyond what they tell you,” Kosaka said. “And that’s just been a challenge, just really grasping all of that because it is hard truths that you don’t really hear. That is, you know, that’s not often talked about.” Kosaka grew up in Los Angeles in the neighborhood of Crenshaw. Since moving back to the city, she has been able to reconnect with many of the people she grew up with - leading to artistic collaborations and building a community.
ASST. SPORTS EDITOR Andrew Finley ENGAGEMENT EDITOR Sara Rott PHOTO EDITOR Noelani Sapla MULTIMEDIA EDITOR Mackenzie Stafford ASST. MULTIMEDIA EDITOR Jayne Yutig GRAPHIC DESIGNER Emily Forschen
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Photo courtesy of Ayesha Kosaka
The nature-infused cover art for Kosaka and Isinome’s recent single “Circles.”
“I think looking back and like seeing the community that I have built over the past few years growing up out here and seeing them come back together. It’s just been really special.” Kosaka said. “And yeah, just a joy ride. It’s been really nice being back home.” Kosaka’s art portrays her commitment to both healing and activism, her end goal is making the world a better place. “I hope that at the end of the day, people will take it and just want to leave being a better person and just being more compassionate and empathetic towards people because this world is crazy,” Kosaka said. “And I sometimes go crazy trying to feel like I’m saving the world, but I know that there’s a lot of people around me that want that same vision. Manifesting that and really seeing it come to life is my end goal.”
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Arts & Culture 5 Arzu Ozkal chosen ‘The Cuphead Show’ is pure cartoon lunacy, for as new director of better and for worse March 9 - 15, 2022 EDITOR: Ryan Hardison • arts@thedailyaztec.com
The Daily Aztec
Arts Alive SDSU By Samantha Muscio STAFF WRITER
San Diego State’s interim director and associate professor of graphic design, Arzu Ozkal, will succeed Eric Smigel as director of Arts Alive SDSU beginning on July 1. Ozkal is an internationally known creative practitioner and graphic designer whose research centers on collaboration and design’s capacity to search for forms of creative developments. Her contributions to Arts Alive SDSU began when she joined the program in the fall of 2014. Arts Alive SDSU aims to raise the visibility of art in the university’s curriculum by promoting innovative collaborations, creative research and encouraging exploratory conversations among students and faculty. Ozkal has facilitated projects within the program that gives the artistic community on campus an opportunity to integrate art within their education. Once director, her responsibilities will include raising awareness of the arts programs at SDSU and administrating collaborations among the campus community in all disciplines from arts to sciences. “To be honest, from the beginning I always thought of Arts Alive as a more underground entity in a very established academic system,” Ozkal said. “I love the experimental and collaborative spirit that is willing to support nontraditional programming and pedagogy.” One project she organized for Arts Alive SDSU was the Phage Infused Evening of Music, Poetry and Art Exhibition which recognized the 100th anniversary of the discovery of phage. She curated the art exhibition and encouraged students from various backgrounds in bioscience, creative writing, music and design to collectively work together to create art. Ozkal is also involved in other on campus organizations such as Weber Honors College and ZIP Idea Lab; however, her qualifications for the position as director go beyond her involvement with SDSU. Ozkal’s path as a graphic designer began when she was 13 years old living in her hometown of Ankara, Turkey. Her older sister was panicking to finish a design project for school on time, so she gave Ozkal Pantone markers, which were scarce and expensive for their time, and left her to finish coloring the project. “I was paralyzed for a minute,” Ozkal
Photo courtesy of Arts Alive SDSU
Arzu Ozkal has organized several projects for Arts Alive SDSU and hopes to take the program to new heights.
said. “I still remember vividly the moment I opened one [Pantone marker] and hesitantly started coloring… carefully. I finished the whole thing and I thought I did a phenomenal job. That day I decided to pursue design mainly because I thought it was all about coloring stuff.” She attended Bilkent University in Turkey where she earned a bachelor’s in fine arts degree for graphic design in 1998. She then moved to America in 2003 where she attended the University of Buffalo in New York and received her master’s degree in fine arts. Ozkal went on to participate in and establish various research projects such as Silk Road Songbook, which she cofounded alongside Millie Chen. This longterm art project focuses on the Silk Road: an ancient Eurasian trade route between Istanbul, West and Central Asia and Xi’an. Ozkal and Chen travel to countries along the Silk Road to collaborate with local artists and musicians to create original work that reflects their cultural identities. Silk Road Songbook gives the people of that landscape an outlet to voice their social concerns through art and song. According to their website, this project aims to answer the question: “Where there is limited freedom of expression, how can creative resiliency thrive?” “Typically, if the work solves other people’s problems or communicates their ideas, it is considered design; if it is self expression, it is considered art,” Ozkal said. “I think I operate in between. My research focuses on that in-between state and how artists and designers borrow methods and tools from each other.” Another project Ozkal has established that focuses on feminist issues is Home Affairs, a collective of artists from photographers to digital videographers who work together with art institutions on projects that communicate social issues impacting women. She founded Home Affairs with international artist and writer, Nanette Yannuzzi, who has known Ozkal for over 10 years. “Once she [Ozkal] has an idea or project in mind, she will work endlessly to manifest it,” Yannuzzi said. “She is kind, inclusive and has a wonderfully wry sense of humor. She thinks, breathes and lives in the world of design and sees its connections to a plethora of practices in art and in life. Ozkal’s work, which includes limitededition publications and video installations, is in collections across the country such as in Thomas J. Watson Library, The Met and School of the Art Institute of Chicago. Her work has also been shown internationally in venues such as Gallery Wallywoods in Berlin, Germany, Benaki Museum in Athens, Greece and Galeria Zero in Barcelona, Spain. To Ozkal, sharing her work and hearing feedback from audiences of different cultures and backgrounds is an honor. “Arzu is an artist, educator and intellectual with a strong international presence and brings that into whatever she is doing,” Yannuzzi said. “This alone is a wonderful quality to have in a director, especially at an institution like SDSU.” Before becoming director, Ozkal will speak with the campus community to assess the strengths and weaknesses of Arts Alive SDSU and create a plan that will further the success of the program. In the meantime, she plans to continue to encourage collaborations between artists on campus and raise awareness of art’s role in communication and initiating change.
Screenshot courtesy of Netflix
The Netflix promotional poster for “The Cuphead Show,” based on Studio MDHR’s succesful indie game “Cuphead,” features The Devil, who plays a prominent role in the series’ shenanigans.
By Jason Freund SPORTS EDITOR
Many animated shows in the past few years have relied on intricate storytelling and deep yet flawed characters when presenting themselves on the small screen. Episodes in such shows follow a tight narrative construct while pushing the boundaries to tell sometimes philosophical tales and lessons for the delight of the audience. Then, there is Netlifx’s “The Cuphead Show,” created by brothers Chad and Jared Moldenhauser, which does… none of that. The show, based on Studio MDHR’s hit 2017 indie game “Cuphead,” presents itself as a love letter to animations of decades past such as Merrie Melodies and Fleisher Studios while telling simple stories spread out through a dozen 15-minute episodes. The story follows the titular Cuphead and his twin brother Mugman as they get into various hijinks. Cuphead is an optimistic daredevil that usually gets himself into trouble more often than not while Mugman is the more level-headed of the two, usually bailing his gullible brother out of trouble. The trouble begins when Cuphead, who is bored of doing the chores assigned to him, drags Mugman to the carnival for a much “deserved” break. Unbeknownst to the boys, the carnival is actually the
“carnevil,” a soul-gathering scam run by the Devil himself. After losing a game of skeeball, Cuphead nearly loses his soul until Mugman makes the last minute save, grabbing his ghostly spirit and shoving it back into his body (cartoon logic, don’t question it). This is all in the first episode, by the way. What comes in the following episodes range from a rampaging baby bottle to vegetables with thick New York accents to an invisible sweater that can electrocute the Devil through the power of brotherly love. The show plays to its strengths when it is wacky and wild, but this is also one of its greatest flaws. There is no real “narrative” amongst the course of the first season. The “you owe the Devil your soul” plot is dropped in the next three episodes, but will get picked up at random just for it to be immediately forgotten about again. These episodes are not perfect by any means. The writing is nothing special, the jokes — while creative and witty — don’t always hit their mark and Cuphead’s strong New York accent can get grating, especially when he is a heavy focus of the plot. Also, while the visual style replicated the video game well and the sound design fits the cartoony vibes, there is just no real substance. Even the characters — while matching the video game personas — can be chalked up to being “Cuphead is a gullible yet happy moron” and “Mugman is an easily frightened wimp.” But… it’s “The Cuphead Show.” It’s not meant to be taken seriously. Just saying the name out loud is like uttering a pun. “The Cuphead Show” is at its best when it fully embraces being a cartoon. The brothers will casually pop their heads off and put them back on again, lasso the moon while dressed as roosters and react accordingly when their caretaker Elder Kettle becomes the usual victim of their (literally) explosive antics. It’s a Saturday morning cartoon filled with slapstick humor, colorful animation and goofy characters who get annoyed when the Tim Curry-esque Devil pops in for a visit. Yes, there aren’t any real stakes or drama or character arcs but that’s because it doesn’t need those things. It is an animated video game adaptation through and through with Easter eggs aplenty. “The Cuphead Show” is exactly what it presents itself to be: a pure cartoon. And when it is viewed in that scope, it turns out to be a pretty good one.
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Mundo Azteca
March 9 - 15, 2022 EDITOR: Noé Sandoval • mundoazteca@thedailyaztec.com
Arquivo de musica afroamericana trae sus complicaciones para la universidad por Eugenie ESCRITORA
Budnik
Esta historia fue traduzida por Noé Sandoval, editor de Mundo Azteca. El archivo de música John Coltrane Memorial consta de más de 50,000 álbumes de jazz, blues, gospel y reggae y está valorado en más de $ 1 millón de dólares. La colección estaba destinada a ser donada a la Biblioteca Malcolm A. Love del estado de San Diego, pero los desacuerdos entre SDSU y los donantes han estancado la adquisición de la colección por parte de la universidad. Bram y Sandra Dijkstra, residentes de Del Mar desde hace mucho tiempo, son los propietarios de la colección que conforma el Archivo de musica John Coltrane Memorial. El regalo fue aceptado en junio de 2020 por The Campanile Foundation, SDSU University Relations and Development (URAD) y SDSU Library. En ese momento, Patrick McCarthy se desempeñaba como decano interino de la biblioteca y fue uno de los jugadores clave en la aceptación del regalo. “[El archivo de música en memoria de John Coltrane] también será una parte integral de nuestro desarrollo de una colección de justicia social inigualable y avanza en el objetivo estratégico de la universidad de ser un líder mundial en la promoción y el apoyo a la diversidad, la equidad y la inclusión”, McCarthy dijo en un comunicado publicado por SDSU Alumni Foundation. Sin embargo, la Universidad se retiró del acuerdo para aceptar la colección en junio de 2021. En un correo electrónico enviado a Bram y Sandra Dijkstra porel decano de la biblioteca Scott Walters, los administradores de la biblioteca dijeron a Dijkstra el “compromiso central de comenzar a aceptar los materiales y alojarlos” no era posible actualmente. Según Dijkstra, la administración de SDSU le pidió a la pareja fondos para cubrir los gastos para albergar adecuadamente la colección en Love Library. Estos gastos no
fueron cubiertos por los donantes en el acuerdo original. “No hay nada en el acuerdo que obligue a proporcionar efectivo”, dijo Sandra Dijkstra. Dijkstra, que actualmente opera una agencia literaria, tiene vínculos con SDSU que se remontan a la década de 1970, cuando enseñó en el primer programa de estudios de la mujer de la universidad. La escuela va y viene con los Dijkstra alrededor de tres o cuatro veces, cada vez con una razón por la cual la universidad ya no podría albergar la colección. Dijkstra afirma que ella y su esposo habían respetado continuamente el acuerdo entre ellos y la universidad. “No habíamos hecho ningún cambio en el acuerdo, estábamos cumpliendo con el acuerdo. Ellos [SDSU] fueron los que hicieron cambios en el acuerdo”, dijo Dijkstra. Cuando se contactó con respecto al John Coltrane Memorial Black Music Archive, SDSU publicó lo siguiente: “La biblioteca de SDSU tuvo el honor de aceptar la oferta de Sandy y Bram Dijkstra en 2020 para legar su colección de jazz curada a SDSU. La universidad sigue feliz de aceptar la colección según los términos del acuerdo firmado por los Dijkstras en 2020. Un año después de aceptar los términos del acuerdo firmado, los Dijkstras se comunicaron con la universidad con respecto a la infraestructura y el personal específico de la colección que esperaban. Estos no estaban incluidos en el acuerdo firmado y la biblioteca de la universidad no estaba en condiciones de proporcionar estas solicitudes de alto costo”. La donación llamó la atención del Senado de la Universidad en su reunión del 1 de marzo de este año, cuando la senadora Adisa A. Alkebulan redactó una resolución sobre la forma en que el administrador de SDSU manejó la aceptación de este obsequio. Alkebulan, quien preside el Departamento de Estudios Africanos, presentó la resolución con la esperanza de que establecería un precedente de una gama más amplia de voces al tomar
decisiones sobre donaciones culturalmente impactantes. “No tuve más remedio que llevar el asunto ante el Senado de la Universidad y plantear las cuestiones descritas en la Resolución”, dijo Alkebulan. “Aunque no está incluido en la resolución, no hay duda de que este sórdido asunto tiene sus raíces en la falta de respeto y aprecio que el liderazgo de la biblioteca y la universidad tiene por la comunidad africana y nuestra cultura”. Muchos miembros de la facultad se apresuraron a señalar que la exclusión de la voz de la facultad, el personal y los estudiantes en esta decisión fue hipócrita para el plan de 5 años de la universidad, en el que una de las prioridades es “equidad e inclusión en todo lo que hacemos”. Dijkstra comentó sobre la falta de gobernanza compartida entre el administrador, la facultad, el personal y los estudiantes de SDSU en lo que respecta a la toma de decisiones. “Es una afrenta a los estudiantes de SDSU. Su mantra es ‘equidad e inclusión en todo lo que hacemos’. ¿Cómo pueden excluir a los estudiantes y profesores en esa decisión?, dijo Dijkstra. Dijkstra también comentó sobre el hecho de que tres administradores de SDSU no negros, la presidenta Adela de la Torre, la vicepresidenta de desarrollo universitario Adrienne Vargas y el decano de la biblioteca Scott Walter habían tomado la decisión de rechazar el regalo del John Coltrane Memorial Black Music Archive. y no consultó con ningún recurso o grupo negro en el campus. “Tres personas blancas que no eran profesores tomaron decisiones sobre la musica que resultaron en una gran pérdida para la comunidad SDSU”, dijo Dijkstra. La resolución redactada por Alkebulan instó a la universidad a “trabajar con la Biblioteca Universitaria y los Comités de Diversidad, Equidad e Inclusión” al tomar decisiones con respecto a donaciones culturalmente significativas. La resolución fue aprobada en el Senado Universitario. Las resoluciones son solo documentos consultivos y no tienen el poder de cambiar o crear nuevas políticas
Cortesia por Wikimedia
John Coltrane es un artista famoso por su música jazz.
universitarias sin la aprobación del rector de la universidad. Alkebulan dijo que espera la administración de SDSU considerará seriamente la adopción de su resolución. “Espero que se establezca un gobierno compartido en la consideración y deliberación de los obsequios relacionados con lo académico al garantizar que se incluyan las voces de los profesores, el personal y los estudiantes en forma de expertos y comités del senado”, dijo Alkebulan. Bram y Sandra Dijkstra dijeron que esperan esta resolución finalmente permita la aceptación del archivo de musica John Coltrane Memorial para que la comunidad SDSU pueda acceder. “La puerta sigue abierta. El próximo John Coltrane podría estar sentado en una de sus clases [de SDSU], y tener acceso al archivo de musica en memoria de John Coltrane podría ser lo que los inspire”, dijo Dijkstra.
Reconocimiento de tierra votado opcional para profesores por Noé Sandoval EDITOR DE MUNDO AZTECA
Foto de Archivos
La universidad ha pasado una política que pone el reconocimiento como opcional en su plan de estudio de clases.
El debate sobre la mención y declaración del Reconocimiento de tierras de Kumeyaay como un requisito para los programas de estudios en SDSU se discutió en la reunión del senado universitario el 1 de marzo. Desde 2019, ha sido un requisito para los profesores de SDSU incluir el reconocimiento de tierras en los programas de sus cursos. Esto generó preocupación en algunos profesores en las últimas semanas, ya que dijeron que no querían sentirse impuestos para seguir adelante con el lenguaje impuesto a la universidad. Steven Barbone, un profesor de SDSU del departamento de filosofía, fue uno de los defensores de esta revisión y expresó el reconocimiento infringido sobre los derechos de los profesores. “Como profesor, valoramos la libertad académica”, dijo Steven Barbone. “Hay una cláusula del reconocimiento demasiado cercana a una oración”. Barbone comparó la cláusula del reconocimiento, “Encontramos inspiración en el Espíritu Kumeyaay...”, con un símbolo de adoración que intercambia las últimas palabras con “el Ave María”, y “Satanás”. Esto indignó a muchos votantes y asistentes. “Es inapropiado y extremadamente
irrespetuoso comparar una sección del Reconocimiento de Tierras con Satanás”, dijo la presidenta de Associated Students, Ashley Tejada. Durante la reunión, se votó para eliminar este requisito de la política del plan de estudios, lo que hace que sea opcional para los profesores solicitar el reconocimiento. El Senado votó a favor de esta revisión durante la reunión con 44 votos a favor, 38 en contra y 7 abstenciones. Esta revisión significa que la cláusula de reconocimiento se eliminará de los requisitos del plan de estudios. “Como universidad ubicada en las tierras históricas de las Naciones Kumeyaay, los profesores conservan la opción de incluir la declaración de Reconocimiento de Tierras de SDSU (la versión abreviada o completa) en su plan de estudios como reconocimiento de que SDSU reside en la tierra de Kumeyaay, y como expresión del compromiso de la universidad con el avance del acceso, la justicia, la equidad, la diversidad y la inclusión”, según la agenda de la reunión del 1 de marzo. Esta decision no ha parado a estudiantes y otros profesores a opinar y hablar sobre el asunto. Todavía habrá muchos profesores que incluirá el reconociemiento en sus planes de estudios para sus clases. Muchas organizaciones de la universidad pretenden tomar acción para ver si puede a ver otra resolución.
March 9 - 15, 2022 EDITOR: Jason Freund • sports@thedailyaztec.com
Sports
The Daily Aztec
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Women’s basketball falls to New Mexico in conference tournament By Jayden Hanzy STAFF WRITER
In heartbreaking fashion, San Diego State women’s basketball (15-16, 8-10 Mountain West) lost to the second seed New Mexico (24-8, 14-4) on a last-second offensive foul call. Despite the loss, the Aztecs have a lot to be proud about after nearly upsetting the No. 2 seed. The 63-60 loss by the Aztecs marks the second time this year they lost to New Mexico by three points. The lead swayed back and forth from team to team throughout the game , resulting in neither team being able to gain complete control over the other. The lead changed nine times and the game was tied six different times. Down the stretch of the fourth quarter, the Aztecs were trailing, but they were holding on and making big shots so that the game would not get out of hand. In hindsight, the Aztecs missed some clutch free throws and shots that could have given them the advantage in the game. With 13 seconds left in the game, following a timeout, the Aztecs only trailed by one point, and senior Sophia Ramos had the ball. Following a good move to get her to the basket, Ramos used her shoulder to create separation and hit a floater to nearly win the game. However, the referees ruled
her push off an offensive foul and bailed out the Lobos who seemed as if they were going to lose the game. “To see that it could be over, you know there is a COVID year so there are a lot of decisions to be made,” Ramos emotionally said reflecting on her time spent with SDSU. “It’s been the best four years either of us could ask for, we have a great athletic director who puts a lot of support into us. It’s been a great four years.” On the night, Ramos scored 18 points alongside senior Mercedes Staples who scored 12 points and junior Mallory Adams who scored 11. Sophomore Kim Villalobos provided eight points coming off the bench and freshman starting point guard Asia Avinger scored seven points. Defensively, the Scarlet and Black played well, causing the No. 2 seed to be an inefficient 35.6% from the field. Despite their mistakes the Aztecs played an overall good game against a really good team but were just not able to finish the job. “This hurts because I thought we played a good defensive game,” head coach Stacie Terry-Hutson said when asked about her team’s efforts. “We got stops when we needed to, but I’m proud of our girls for putting us in a position to win the game. We had control of it, just didn’t bounce our way, but I was really proud of the fight.” Moving forward, the Aztecs’ potential
is through the roof for next season. Even though their tournament run was short, it was definitely impressive and will be interesting to see what they can accomplish next year. Due to COVID-19, it is not completely certain, but some of the Aztec seniors may gain another year of eligibility and be able to contribute to the team next year.
Nonetheless, the Aztecs’ future is in good hands with promising underclassmen like Avinger, Villalobos, and sophomore Meghan Fiso. As the weeks go by it will be interesting to see what will happen with this year’s seniors and it will be even more interesting to see how the Scarlet and Black will improve upon their shortcomings of this season.
Photo by Carson Cooks
Seniors Mercedes Staples and Sophia Ramos look to the future after a crushing loss to New Mexico in the MWC Tournament. Rising talent like freshman Asia Avinger gives SDSU Women’s baseketball hopes of a strong future.
Baseball avoids sweep against Arizona State
Photo by Jenna Meyer
The Aztecs were able to win their matinee matchup against Arizona State to avoid the weekend sweep at home.
By Jenna Meyer SENIOR STAFF WRITER
Game 1 Sun Devils light up Aztecs in dominating 13-5 win Arizona State (5-7) came into town ready to display dominance over the Aztecs (4-8) and end their five-game losing streak. They did just that in Friday’s series opener with a 13-5 victory. Sophomore left-handed pitcher TJ Fondtain was given the nod to start on the mound for the Aztecs. Four home runs, two from freshman Ivan Brethowr and a three-run bomb from Conor Davis in the ninth, made a sizeable difference in helping the Sundevils lead throughout the game and secure the first win of the series. Fondtain was stuck with the loss after giving up two runs, six hits, and three walks in his four innings pitched. Following Fondtain, sophomore righthanded pitcher Ricky Tibbett, junior RHP Robert Brodell, and freshman RHP Hunter Hargett all gave their best efforts on the mound but it was not enough to push the Aztecs toward a win. It served as a homecoming victory for
former Aztec pitching coach Sam Peraza who is now coaching with the Sundevils. Game 2 - Close but not close enough for the Aztecs in 6-4 loss to ASU Big bats from sophomores Caden Miller and Trevor Hazelhurst with their respective career-first home runs were not enough to bring the Aztecs a victory in the second of the weekend series. ASU’s redshirt-sophomore Joe Lampe, freshman Jacob Tobias, and freshman Will Rogers provided heavy contributions to the team’s success including home runs from both Lampe and Tobias and two doubles for Rogers. The Scarlet and Black’s scoring was restricted by ASU’s redshirt-junior Kyle Luckham until the fifth inning where Miller sent the first pitch flying, bringing in three runs to bring the Aztecs closer in reaching the Sun Devils 5-3. ASU tallied an additional run in the eighth, increasing their lead to 6-3. Redshirt-sophomore Trevor Hazelhurst sent a pinch-hit solo homer out of the park in an effort to save the game but the Aztecs could not capitalize on the situation. After giving up five runs on ten hits and with four strikeouts in 6.3 innings,
sophomore RHP Kelena Sauer was tagged with the loss. Game 3 - snapping the losing streak and avoiding the Sweep Looking to avoid the series sweep, the Aztecs geared up for the matinee matchup with senior LHP Jacob Flores on the mound. After giving up one run to the Sun Devils in the top of the first, the Aztecs took advantage of ASU’s errors and came roaring back in response with three runs on the board. Big contributions from sophomore Poncho Ruiz with a double, a single from redshirt-freshman Johnny Giannola, and aggressive base stealing throughout the game. The Sun Devils added another in the second after a triple from redshirtsophomore Kai Murphy, bringing them within one of the Aztecs. Both the Aztecs and Sun Devils scoring
halted until the fifth when ASU’s Lampe sent a solo homer barreling out of right field, tying up the contest. Flores was taken out of the game after six innings pitched with three allowed runs on seven hits, four walks, and five strikeouts. A single from freshman Tyler Glowacki advanced sophomore Caden Miller to second and plated Kenny Lebeau to give the Aztecs the go-ahead run to secure the 4-3 victory in the bottom of the 6th. Sophomore RHP Jonny Guzman took over for Flores and kept the Sun Devils scoreless throughout three innings. Flores secured his first win since March 2020 and Guzman was awarded his first career save. On deck… The Aztecs will be back in action, wrapping up their 12 game homestand with the first conference series against UNLV and a midweek matchup against Iowa on Tuesday.
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The Back Page
March 9 - 15, 2022 Editor: Jason Freund • sports@thedailyaztec.com
Men’s basketball narrowly defeats Nevada, prepares for MWC Tourey By Jason Freund SPORTS EDITOR
San Diego State (21-7, 13-4 Mountain West Conference) is now on a three-game winning streak and has won nine of their past ten games. It almost didn’t happen. Heck, maybe it shouldn’t have happened. On Feb. 28, the Aztecs had played at 7,200 feet above elevation in front of thousands of volatile Wyoming fans. On Thursday, SDSU essentially ran a marathon on Senior Night during a onepoint double-overtime win against Fresno State. All of that takes a toll on the human body and — in the final eight minutes with a 17-point lead against a Nevada (12-17, 6-12 MWC) team waiting for the season to end — it happened. Slowly but steadily, the Wolf Pack began to chip away at the lead as the Aztecs’ stamina dropped and dropped. The breakdown was nearly complete after a Nevada 3-pointer but two clutch blocks prevented a collapse and SDSU escaped with a 79-78 win. “This is probably the hardest month we have ever played in Aztec Basketball. Game after game after game and we played Monday in Wyoming, played Thursday at home and Saturday in Reno. That is hard,” head coach Brian Dutcher said to goaztecs.com. “We found a way to gut out a win, against a team that had a couple days off and was waiting for us on Senior Night. They are never as pretty as
you want them but when you put the win at the end of the column, it’s everything you wanted.” The Aztecs started off slow, scoring just one bucket on their first six possessions, forcing Dutcher to call a timeout to reassess the troops. As both sides traded blows in the first half, Nevada junior Grant Sheffield made a grave mistake: he showed up on the SDSU bench. Sheffield shoved off senior Trey Pulliam with his right arm before stepping back and draining a 3-pointer. His reward was a shoulder block from Pulliam. SDSU proceeded to go on a 7-0 run to take a lead. In the second half, they ran rampant on the offensive front and raced out to a 17-point lead with eight minutes to go. Sounds about as safe a lead as ever, right? That was before senior Joshua Tomaic fouled out. Usually, that wouldn’t be a problem, but senior Aguek Arop was scratched before the game and fellow senior Tahirou Diabate suffered an injury in the second half. That left senior Nathan Mensah as the lone big man off of Dutcher’s bench. Mensah, however, struggles at altitude and Reno, Nevada just so happens to be over 4,000 feet in elevation. Then there were the turnovers. Facing the press, SDSU coughed up the ball six times in the final four minutes. The Scarlet and Black had 19 total turnovers in the game and Nevada took advantage, scoring 21 total points off of turnovers. As the lead slipped and slipped, fans
Photo by Jessica Parga
After narrowly defeating Nevada in the final game of the regular season, Lamont Butler and the Aztecs look up and forward to heading to Las Vegas as the three-seed in the Mountain West Conference tournament.
and players alike feared a collapse. Said fears were intensified when senior Desmond Cambridge Jr sank a 3-pointer with 15 seconds remaining. Senior Matt Bradley turned the ball over after getting the inbound and Nevada had two opportunities to tie the game. The first was swatted out of bounds by Mensah and the second was slapped away by junior Keshad Johnson… with .2 seconds remaining in the game. Lead intact. Game over, Aztecs win.
Unfortunately, the win had absolutely no bearing on SDSU’s standings in the upcoming Mountain West Tournament. Colorado State had another non-call go in their favor to beat Boise State 71-68 and secured the No. 2 seed, all while locking SDSU into the No. 3 seed. SDSU will be facing the winner between Fresno State and last-place San Jose State on March 10, but they will really be trying to improve their metrics for the upcoming NCAA Tournament.
Women’s rugby quietly kicks off season with a dub By Morgan Prickett STAFF WRITER
The San Diego State Women’s Rugby Team narrowly defeated Clairemont 1914 in their first game at home this season. The Aztecs are still working their way to becoming an official club at SDSU. But as they wait for approval from the school, they’re continuing to dominate out on the field, with or without approval. As a recently formed recreational team at SDSU, it’s been tough to maneuver through all the challenges of the pandemic, but head coach Tony Roulhac thinks it was all worth it in the end. “It felt fantastic (to be back playing), we were all really discouraged with the pandemic not being able to see people.” Roulhac said. “These types of activities are what keep a lot of players motivated to be successful in the classroom and losing that was a big mental burn for everybody. Having it back now you just see the spark, you see them ready to go again, they’re appreciative of it, and they’re succeeding more outside of rugby as well. So just having this back now I can’t even describe how much it means to the girls, myself, and everyone involved. The Aztecs are currently undefeated, winning their previous two games against the University of Las Vegas and UC Irvine. In Vegas, the Aztecs pulled off an impressive 42-0 shutout to open up their season. Clairemont College, which is widely recognized as one of the best teams in the Pacific Desert Rugby Conference, had never lost to the Aztecs. This win was huge for the Aztecs as Clairemont are normally the team to make regionals — which now stacks the odds in the favor of the Aztecs with one
Photo by Morgan Prickett
The Aztecs (Black) fight for the ball in a rugby ruck against Clairmont.
game left to go on their schedule. “This team is really good, its just our second year playing but especially after this I think we’re going to be unstoppable forsure.” senior flyhalf and captain Angel Sanchez-Fisak said. Clairemont was the first to score. An early breakaway down the left-wing combined with some fantastic close passing led to the try. The two-point conversion was also converted by the Foxes, giving them a 7-0 lead. Then after a series of penalties against the Foxes, freshman Alexa Carmosino broke through a gap in the backline. Breaking through multiple tackles, Carmosino finally was brought down, but not before she had passed the try line and placed the ball down. The Aztecs had the chance to tie the game after the try but missed their conversion. For much of the first half, the game was played near the 50-yard line, with neither
team really able to keep possession in the opposition’s 22. The Aztecs remained aggressive and the only way the Foxes were able to stop them, was illegally. Two yellow cards — which in rugby send the player who committed the foul into the “sin bin” for 10 minutes — and a ton of penalties later, and junior Anneliese Widmann looked like she had broken past the Foxes backline and scored a try. To the surprise of fans and some players, the sir — rugby lingo for the head referee — never blew the whistle for a try, so the game played on. About 20 more seconds of rugby were played until the sir jogged back to the spot where it looked the try had been scored and blew the whistle for a try. Everyone looked a little confused but nonetheless, the Aztecs went up 12-7 at halftime after junior Natalie Figueroa’s conversion. For much of the second half, it looked
as if no one would score. Both teams were executing their tackles but penalties were keeping either side from getting a hold on possession. After a series of knock-ons by the Foxes in their own 22, senior Alyssa Umemoto scored a try after a series of attempts to break the Foxes’ backline. Figueroa again converted the kick, and the Aztecs took a 12 point lead. Towards the end of the match, the Foxes’ Number 8 bulldozed her way from outside the 22 in for a try, breaking multiple tackles in the process. After a successful conversion, the score was 1914. Following the try, murmurs echoed around the match that there were five minutes remaining, which was later confirmed when Aztec players asked the sir how much time was left — to which she responded, “four.” “Everyone was telling themselves to keep it cool,” Sanchez-Fisak said. “Keep the ball in our hands and just keep playing our game the way we were the whole time.” Surely enough, the Aztecs would hold on to their lead until the final whistle. “We came up against a team who hasn’t lost in a very long time, they’ve put some blows to us early in the presesaon and the girls were really thinking that they weren’t sure they can do this,” Roulhac said. “But we just kept talking about it every week like they’re all here, they deserve to be here, they’re ready, this is their place and their time, and they came out and showed that they can believe in themselves.” The Aztecs will play the final match on their schedule at the ENS field at SDSU on Saturday, March 12 versus CSU Long Beach in hopes to go 2-0 and keep their undefeated season alive.
