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The Daily Aztec
Arts & Culture
April 13 - 19, 2022 EDITOR: Ryan Hardison • arts@thedailyaztec.com
‘Pushin P’ and going green? Gunna dominates GreenFest By Ryan Hardison ARTS & CULTURE EDITOR
To cap off an exciting week of eco-themed arts and wellness activities aimed at promoting sustainable learning, GreenFest hosted a free concert for students featuring rapper Gunna at the Cal Coast Credit Union Open Air Theatre on Friday, April 8. Usually an annual spring tradition at San Diego State, this was the first GreenFest Concert held since Daniel Caesar performed in Spring 2019. Alternative rock band Young the Giant was slated to perform at 2020’s GreenFest Concert before it was cancelled, due to the emergence of the COVID-19 pandemic. That being said, students were eager and ready for the night’s big show. Before the concert began, GreenFest held a concert kickoff event in the Aztec Student Union where student musicians set the tone for the rest of the evening. Starting off the festivities, a trio of SDSU student artists: alexandra!, Caleb Hampton and GONE performed at the kickoff. Before the artists graced the stage, students in the union spent their time playing air hockey, foosball and ping pong in the union while snacking on free Ike’s sandwiches and complimentary shaved ice and ice cream. Going first, alexandra! performed a dreamy cover of Stevie Wonder’s “My Cherie
Amour” along with her song “birthday! (I’ll be alright)” and two unreleased tracks, including “mystery machine,” which references the super corny scooby-doo quip delivered by Dr. Strange in “Spiderman: No Way Home” (you know the one). Her brief set was lovely and set the tone for the great live music to come. Hampton followed alexandra! with a performance of a few songs from his debut project “Atuk,” including “Wiseguy” and “Chains” along with several unreleased tracks, two of which he’d finished within 24 hours of his performance. He brought great intensity and passion to the stage, with his song “Pettigrew” being an instant highlight. Hampton steadily rapped his verse along with the guest verse from his friend Dre the Monarch, moving closer to the crowd and cementing himself as an engaging performer. Finishing off the three sets, GONE sang several songs from his new EP “444,” which was released on March 8. He also performed his single “Bang My Line” which is about being in pursuit of someone who he promises to treat right. GONE’s alternative R&B sound provided a soothing, laid-back atmosphere for students to sway and groove as the sun went down over the union roof. Following the performances in the union, the doors opened at
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 ASST. SPORTS EDITOR Andrew Finley SOCIAL MEDIA EDITOR Sara Rott PHOTO EDITOR Noelani Sapla MULTIMEDIA EDITOR Mackenzie Stafford ASST. MULTIMEDIA EDITOR Jayne Yutig GRAPHIC DESIGNER Emily Forschen
Photo by Ryan Hardison
Rap superstar Gunna performs “Poochie Gown” as fans frantically pull out their phones to take a video of his entrance at Cal Coast Credit Union Open Air Theatre on Friday, April 8.
the Cal Coast for the night’s main event. Beginning at 8 p.m., the concert began with opener Outside the Frame, an SDSU punk rock band and winners of GreenFest’s Battle of the Bands competition last November. The group performed a mix of original
material as well as popular covers like “Somebody Told Me” by The Killers and Kings of Leon’s “Sex on Fire” which got a lot of the crowd on their feet and singing along. Their set brought a lot of spirit and energy that got people hyped for the concert’s headliner. SEE ONLINE
By Maritza Camacho STAFF WRITER
Photo by Maritza Camacho
Partnering with GreenFest, the club F*** Fast Fashion helped spread awareness about the dangers of fast fashion at GreenFest’s Swap Shop in Montezuma Hall on Thursday, April 7.
To control the amount of clothes collected at the end of the night, students were instructed to take back all their original clothes that other attendees did not pick up. When it came to the amount of good finds allowed to take home, students were given the honor system to only take home the same amount of clothes they brought in to donate. The GreenFest committee partnered with the “F*** Fast Fashion” club on campus to spread awareness of the damaging effects in fast fashion. Large signs with facts on fast fashion lined up the back wall of Montezuma Hall, informing the public on
MANAGING EDITOR Trinity Bland NEWS EDITOR Katelynn Robinson
Students swap and shop to fight fast fashion Thrifting is like a treasure hunt, looking for that one rare piece of clothing at an affordable price. San Diego State brought that treasure hunt to campus with the third annual Swap Shop, an event presented by GreenFest. GreenFest is a sub-committee of the Aztec Student Union Board. Every year since 2008, GreenFest has put together a special week of programs and events that promote sustainability, diversity and SDSU Pride, ending with a carnival and a special free concert at the Cal Coast Credit Union Amphitheater. On April 7, SDSU students were invited to bring five gently used clothing items in exchange for five items they found at the Swap Shop in Montezuma Hall, all to promote slow fashion and reduce our environmental footprint. All kinds of clothes were available to attendees, with no restrictions on what students could bring in. This event was created after a donor requested for SDSU to begin an on-campus thrift store, with prices on items all under $5. Swap Shop then came to be, but after a large influx in donations leftover, the event became strictly donation-based.
EDITOR IN CHIEF Catlan Nguyen
how fast fashion is detrimental to the environment. Fast fashion has become one of the highest polluting industries, with the mass production of the latest styles made of cheap fabric that spread toxins into soils and waterways. But there are ways to avoid the fast fashion industry, like H&M and Zara, without breaking your bank account. Skylar Adair, an SDSU film studies junior and Aztec Student Union Board (ASUB) programming assistant, is not a fan of fast fashion and she shared the ways she combats the industry. “I really like thrift shops and
supporting resale businesses, like my aunt has a vintage resale business that I like to go to,” Adair said. For some students, fast fashion is more accessible and affordable than slow fashion. Annie Swierczek, an SDSU meetings and events senior and ASUB programming assistant, faces these conflicting thoughts and explained why she still participates in purchasing from fast fashion stores, despite her not agreeing with how they create their clothing. “It’s tough because I don’t want to engage in fast fashion, but it’s so much more affordable than the slow way. Making this event free for the students is a way to help that. We can make slow fashion more accessible and not having to go on Depop and waiting two weeks for it to come in,” Swierczek said. Thrifting and other pathways of slow fashion are not only more affordable at times than the original price, but also a chance to experiment with fashion and elevate your own style. The Swap Shop shows students the thrill behind thrifting and finding a unique piece to add to their closets. SDSU’s Associated Students and the GreenFest committee hope to continue the Swap Shop for future GreenFests to come.
STAFF WRITERS Christian Houser Sumaia Wegner Owen Pratt Maritza Camacho Nicholas Neikon Ebadat Adam Correa SENIOR STAFF WRITERS Eugènie Budnik CONTRIBUTORS John Paul Cavada Athena Jreji ________________________________ ADVERTISING DIRECTOR Brian Arnold GRAPHIC DESIGN SPECIALIST Luis Valenzuela EDITORIAL 619.594.4190 editor@thedailyaztec.com ADVERTISING 619.594.6977 advertising@thedailyaztec.com PRINT The Daily Aztec publishes 5,000 copies of its weekly print edition every Wednesday throughout the semester WEB Daily content is available at www.thedailyaztec.com QUESTIONS/COMMENTS letters@thedailyaztec.com The views and opinions expressed in this issue do not necessarily reflect those of The Daily Aztec.
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