Assistant Chief Paul Connelly wrote a letter to SDSU officials requesting they delay the school’s administrative investigation to make sure the criminal case remained
SDSU President Adela de la Torre (Center) and Dr. Salvador Ochoa (Left) answer questions surrounding rape allegations at the Associated Students all-council meeting led by A.S. President Shawki Moore (Right) on Aug. 31
“As a gang-rape survivor myself, the SDSU case is very triggering,” Tracy said. “As I read more and more the details of this case, it is becoming more obvious that SDSU did not do the right thing.”
PAGE 15-16
“I think that the university definitely should have let the students know about this assault,” he said. “Their excuse of ‘it happened off campus’ is “Asridiculous.”fortheSDPD, I do not know about how their investigations are done, I can only hope that the girl is able to find justice,” he Thesaid.football team’s involvement in the case had been unknown until a press conference hosted by Athletic Director John David Wicker and head football coach Brady Hoke was held on Aug. 29. Before walking out of the press conference due to persistence by the press, Hoke said he was unaware of any specific players involved until the civil suit was filed.
After telling Araiza she was a high school student, she was then taken to a room where Leonard, Ewaliko and at least one other man were waiting, according to the complaint.
While some critics claim the university has not done its part, de la Torre said to members of the all-council that the allegations are untrue.
HISPANIC HERITAGE MONTH Cover art inspired by Arturo Torres “Ni de aqui, ni de alla.” PAGE 5 OPINION A letter to the editor from admins of @changesdsu. PAGE 14
ARTS
Slightly Stoopid returns home to San Diego.
PAGE 3
If you or someone you know has experienced sex discrimination or sexual violence contact the Title IX Coordinator, Gail Mendez, at gmmendez@ sdsu.edu, for resources and Sumaiaassistance. Wegner, Melody Bathaee, Owen Pratt, Daesha Gear and Huy Huynh contributed to this story.
SDSU officials did not receive formal notification from San Diego police to move forward with their independent investigation until July 22, according to an email from the Office of the President.
uncovered the case on June 3. The article, which detailed some of the claims of Jane Doe, prompted some students to believe they should have been notified of the situation.
SanUnimpeded.”DiegoPolice Department
that is her right and we respect that Theseright.”comments follow a civil lawsuit filed Aug. 25 against three former SDSU football players alleging a gang-rape of a 17-year-old-girl at an offcampus party last October. The lawsuit named former Buffalo Bills punter Matt Araiza, Zavier Leonard and Nowlin “Pa’a” Ewaliko. Two days after the civil suit was filed, Araiza was released by the Buffalo Bills and Leonard was removed from the roster. Ewaliko was rostered through the summer but was not on the preseason lineup.
San Diego State University’s Independent Student Newspaper Since 1913
variety of emotions throughout the student body.
However, Brenda Tracy, a gangrape survivor who travels to universities to help combat gender-based violence. Tracy was asked to talk to the football team two and a half weeks after the alleged incident occurred. Mullins said this was proof SDSU officials knew something happened before the news was “Ifpublic.they knew exactly who did it, they should have been off
“There has never been a coverup and the implication is truly, in my mind, offensive,” she said.
Most students, faculty, and community members of SDSU were unaware of the case until an article by the LA Times
De la Torre said the university initially attempted twice to contact the alleged victim but was met without response.
Allegedly, Doe was then thrown on the bed and raped for 90 minutes leaving bloodied and Nowbruised.nearly a year later, the case has been handed over to the District Attorney’s office where it will be decided if there is enough evidence to proceed with criminal charges.
“The victim chose not to respond,” de la Torre said. “And
“I feel they could do more, but what they’ve done so far is just like — they’ve just done things to seem good to the public,” journalism junior Ashley Lizarraga said. “I haven’t seen much of what the police department has done because I thought it was a little bit handsoff ish. So I feel they could possibly do more.”
San Diego State University
Vol. 109, Issue www.thedailyaztec.com2Weds., Sept. 14 - Tues., Oct. 11, 2022 Monthly Print Edition
Media studies senior Yasmine Atta said she believes the handling of the case represents “an act of cowardice” by the “Theadministration.entire situation just reaffirmed to me—and many women around me that our problems on campus are not prioritized at this school. I’m uncomfortable, and can’t imagine how the victim feels,” Atta Englishsaid.junior Jolene Verdehyou said as a cop’s daughter, she has seen law enforcement ignore sexual assault victims until “a multitude of women” are “They’reimpacted.really shutting them out,” she said. “No one’s really listening to them.”
“I cannot say and I would not be honest with you to say I would change it just because of the media firestorm. One always has to do the right thing. In this case, it was the right thing to let the criminal investigation process to occur unimpeded.
DEAR PRESIDENT ADELA DE LA TORRE, An editorial message in response to the handling of the recent sexual assault allegations.
by Christian houser NEWS EDITOR the team immediately,” Mullins said. “Unfortunately I don’t think we’ll ever know who knew about it and when.”
“It is disgusting that SDSU would rather cover this up and ignore it than seek out justice.”
“Inuncompromised.thisspecific case, any administrative investigation such as conducting interviews, prior to the completion of the criminal investigation, such as conducting interviews, prior to the completion of the criminal investigation could compromise SDPD’s criminal case,” Connelly wrote.
Tracy released a statement on Twitter Aug. 28 that said she was told the day of her guest session “an incident had happened,” but no specific details were provided. She also said she was able to spend additional time with the team, coaches and other men’s teams. But she also criticized SDSU official’s handling of the case.
SDSU College Council voice their question on the handling of the case
SPORTS Aztec football team gets first win of the season.
& CULTURE
President Adela de la Torre said she supported the university’s decision to postpone an internal investigation into an alleged gang rape of a minor involving SDSU football players at an Associated Students all-council meeting on Aug. 31.
Computer Science senior Dustin Mullins is one of them.
SDSU President addresses student leaders in wake of rape allegations, supports university decision ‘unequivocally’
This decision to defer the investigation to the San Diego Police Department has been criticized by community members calling for accountability and clarity from the SDSU administration. De la Torre has faced the brunt of this “Whencriticism. I look at what I did, what my team did, our leadership team, our legal team, unequivocally it was the right decision. Unequivocally,” de la Torre said.
Photo by Brittany Cruz-Fejeran
PAGE 4
According to the lawsuit, the alleged victim, Jane Doe, arrived at an off-campus party last year on Oct. 17. She was already intoxicated and was given a drink by Araiza, which allegedly, contained intoxicating substances other than alcohol.
De la Torre has sent four emails to the community regarding the investigation since June. Students said they feel this response is not enough.
Each decision made by SDSU officials since June has invoked a
News2 September 14 - October 11, 2022 EDITOR: Christian Houser news@thedailyaztec.comThe Daily Aztec
Circulated on Sept. 6, the email says one case comes from an on-campus student, while the other is off-campus.
regularly and to keep food clean and untampered by pesticides, viruses and chemicals among many others. Keeping food separate from animals is highly recommended.AnneBarone, a barista at Big City Bagels Café (BCB), emphasized the food safety precautions her team takes to combat food-borne illness.
“The County of San Diego is a fantastic partner for us and had session after session,” Skiles said. “(They’ve made) sure we as a health care community had everything we needed to get our community members assessed, tested and to get those close contacts assessed, tested and Notificationtreated.”from Student Health Services of the positive test helped SDSU know that they needed to inform the Aztec community about the potential spread of the virus.
For Skiles, it comes back to the partnership within the community.
Calpulli Center, the home of Student Health Services
As of Sept. 9, there are no new updates on the infections. For more information on E. coli, visit the CDC website. This story will be updated.
“My freshman year was cut short due to COVID,” said senior computer sciences major Camden Powell. “I’m a bit worried, but also hopeful and optimistic that won’t happen again.”
The most recent national viral concern has reached the San Diego State University community, exactly 900 days since SDSU began to close campus due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Two SDSU students infected with E. ColiSDSUresponseMonkeypoxkeepssafe
On Sept. 1 Student Health Services sent out an email health advisory to the campus confirming the first known case of monkeypox in a non-residential SDSU student. According to the email, exposure risk on campus remained low and the student was isolating and recovering.“Wehave been preparing for our clinical team since we started seeing monkeypox present in the United States,” Director of Student Health Services Libby Skiles said.
No food source has been identified for either case. The County of San Diego Health & Human Services Agency and the SDSU Environmental Health and Safety team are working to find the source of the infection.
As of Sept. 12 the single case remains the only one within the SDSU community. Currently available data from the San Diego County Health and Human Services Agency counts 334 cases within the county through Sept. 8.
“It’s a really important element to make sure that our team members who specialize in supporting these populations were able to give input and be part of response planning,” Skiles said.Though monkeypox is a virus like COVID-19, according to Skiles, SDSU has made sure to be as informative as possible at every step of the way. The first outbreak has helped the information effort and limit the spread.
“We wear gloves when we handle food here and we never touch our food with our bare hands,” Barone said. “We also wash our hands before and after we touch food. Our boss is really big on having a clean space to work in, so we make sure everything’s wiped down with bleach, and we have a rag at each station.”Barone also highlighted the importance of adhering to expiration dates, as consuming outdated food increases the likelihood of contamination.Thisisnotthe first infection SDSU has faced. On Sept. 1, an off-campus student tested positive for monkeypox, a viral disease that has infected 21,274 Americans as of August 2022. While that was happening, a new strain of E. coli infected 97 people.
Information about the monkeypox virus, preventative steps, testing information, resources and answers to frequently asked questions are available online through Student Health Services.
“There have been very few deaths of monkeypox, and the severity is also very much linked to age group and risk,” he said. “Severe disease in young adults, I’d say, is highly unlikely.”
One trend found in confirmed and probable monkeypox case data is that the highest percentage of cases have occured among individuals that self identify as gay, lesbian or same-gender loving. According to Ohren, this mirrors nationalStudenttrends.Health Services included the PRIDE Center as part of the response preparation, message planning process and more. Skiles said it is no different than many other communicable diseases where specific communities face greater impact.
Photo by Cristian Rangel
For SDSU students and faculty who might be experiencing symptoms, Student Health Services encourages people to email healthadvisory@sdsu. edu.To combat E. coli infections, the California Department of Public Health encourages people to wash their hands
Under a high magnification of 6836X, this digitally-colorized, scanning electron microscopic (SEM) image depicted a growing cluster of Gram-negative, rod-shaped, Escherichia coli bacteria, of the strain O157:H7, which is a pathogenic strain of E. coli.
One case of monkeypox has been confirmed on campus by Student Health Services.
associate professor for the division of epidemiology and biostatistics in the school of public health, said.
Photo by Catlan Nguyen
Two students contracted Shiga toxin-producing E. coli from an unknown source
E. coli are a type of bacteria commonly found in food and drinks. While some symptoms are harmless, others can be quite serious. Pneumonia, diarrhea, vomiting, respiratory issues and urinary tract infections are just some of the symptoms patients can experience, according to the Centers for Disease Control.Thestudents began feeling symptoms on Aug. 27 and 29, according to Student Health Services.
by eriC evelhoCh STAFF WRITER
Photo by Janice Haney Carr, CDC
“What’s concerning about monkeypox is we’ve known about it for so long, but these kinds of outbreaks have been rare in the past,” Dr. Eyal Ohren,
“We can send the guidance, and our community does pay good attention. They respond and they take the measures we ask them to take,” she said.“That care they exhibit for themselves and others is such an essential piece of this.”
In a campus-wide email, SDSU Student Health Services announced two SDSU students were infected with Shiga toxin-producing E. coli.
by owen Pratt STAFF WRITER
Common Kings’ lead singer, Sasualei “Jr. King” Maligra (Left) hits a range of notes while pumping up the crowd. Taumata “Mata” Grey (Right), lead guitar of Common Kings, blows kisses to the crowd as he shreds his guitar.
The attendees shifted into two groups: those who searched for refuge in the shade of the trees and others who rushed directly to the front of the stage. In the shade, blankets covered the grassy hill. The brave souls who clung to the barricades donned hats to block the sun. Water and ice cold beer flew off the shelves.
The crowd came alive during their cover of Dr. Dre’s “The Next Episode,” as fans throughout the venue raised their hands in the air and recited the iconic lyrics in nearperfectPepperunison.took the stage afterwards, giving the most eccentric performance of the night.“God, I forgot how good we are!” lead singer Brett Bollinger joked to the now-full general admission audience.
For the encore, they played their iconic track “Closer to the Sun.” Their set concluded with a performance of ‘Perfect Gentlemen’ and 50 Cent’s “P.I.M.P.”
in Paradise.” That record peaked at No. 1 on the reggae charts in the same year. Since then, they released an EP entitled “One Day” and recorded a live performance at San Diego’s Humphrey’s By the Bay. Their latest single, “Damn Good Time,” was a part of their setlist.
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Fortunate Youth, formed out of Hermosa Beach in California, mixed rock and reggae with touches of ska and blues rounding out their sound. They were one of the younger bands that was featured in the show, as they began making music in 2009.
Slightly Stoopid concert brings Rock and Reggae to San Diego
Fortunate Youth, led by the soulful lead vocals of Dan Kelly and smooth guitar licks of Travis Walpole, kicked things off. Their 2021 release “Good Times (Roll On)” and 2017’s “Friends and Family” were some of the highlights of the set, which featured a strong brass section.
Fortunate Youth, the opening band, took the stage and the diehard fans loudly cheered. Then they addressed the elephant in the “Thankroom.God that sun’s going down, am I right ladies and gentlemen?” Fortunate Youth’s vocalist, Dan Kelly, declared to the energized crowd.
Their setlist featured five songs from their 2003 album, “Everything You Need,” including the aforementioned “Collie Man.” Their set also included three tracks from their most recent full-length effort “Everyday Life, Everyday People.”
3The Daily Aztec September 14 - October 11, 2022 EDITOR: Sumaia Wegner arts@thedailyaztec.com
Common Kings, the youngest group of the night, followed Fortunate Youth up with a high energy set. The Orange County-natives brought in a groovier, funkier sound. Guitarist Taumata ‘Mata’ Grey fired up the crowd while bassist Ivan ‘Uncle Lui’ Kirimaua provided some subtle basslines that moved the songs along.
Fans stood shoulder-to-shoulder, from the barricades to the trees, in the back of the venue at this point in the show. The band has a long history with the headliner as the two groups met in Slightly Stoopid’s hometown of Ocean Beach early in their careers. They still perform together to this day.Slightly Stoopid wrapped up the epic concert with a slew of guests and some of the biggest ovations of the night. The band, who have been active since 1994, showed no signs of slowing down.
Slightly Stoopid returned to their hometown of San Diego Saturday night to conclude their 2022 Summer Traditions Tour
Fans begin a mosh pit as Slightly Stoopid continues to hype up the crowd.
Their set included appearances from Jamaican reggae artist Don Carlos, Scott Woodruff of the band Stick Figure, and rapper Chali 2na. Members of Common Kings and Pepper also joined the band throughout their set.
Photo by Gabriel Schneider
The first part of their set included some of their biggest hits, from “Collie Man” to “2am,” both of which are certified gold records by the Recording Industry Association of America. Like Common Kings, they paid homage to Dr. Dre – this time performing a cover of “Still D.R.E” to the audience’s delight.
Arts & Culture
After six hours of reggae and rock, fans got their money’s worth – even if they have some sunburns to show for it.
As showtime approached, the sun blazed down onto PETCO Park late Saturday afternoon. In the midst of the heat wave, temperatures reached a high of 96 degrees. As the crew tuned the instruments, the doors opened and people began filing in.
The band was nominated for a Grammy Award in 2017 for their debut record “Lost
by noah lyons STAFF WRITER
Photo by Gabriel Schneider
The tour, which started on July 7 in Montana, featured a slew of reggae bands fromThisCalifornia.wasn’tjust the last stop on an extensive tour, it was a homecoming show. Slightly Stoopid hails from Ocean Beach, San Diego. The band met there over twenty years ago and recorded their debut recordThroughoutthere. the night, SD received a big ovation from the bands and the fans alike. All in all, the nearly five-hour show was full of sun, smoke and smiles.
Common Kings’ lead singer, Sasualei “Jr. King” Maligra, hits a range of notes while pumping up the crowd.
Photo by Gabriel Schneider
We’ve read the emails, we’ve spoken with students, and we came to the conclusion that you prioritized the “media firestorm” and donor out reach.But you forgot to prioritize the people you serve: the stu dents.We’ll leave the finger-point ing on who should have con ducted an investigation — and when — to the mainstream media outlets. Our concern for now is how San Diego State officials handled student out reach once you were notified of the alleged incident.
You said recently, allega tions of a cover up were “truly offensive.” Well, we find your blatant disregard for students to be truly offensive.
by Christian houser, Gabriel sChneider & Katy steGall EDITORIAL INVESTIGATIVE TEAM
The what they see events, social life, (no
WANTED
Students have said your responses are insufficient — and they are right.
GRAPHERS
We’ve followed your his tory at UC Davis, specifical ly how you withheld emails looking into your rapid salary increase at the university in 2017. While you were cleared of wrong-doing, your previous actions mirror the systemic is sues we see today at SDSU.
professional photo experience or cameras necessary).
PHOTO—
contact design@thedailyaztec.com
While waiting for records, we reached out multiple times requesting interviews with
SDSU officials top prior ity should not be the out side media organizations. It should not be the Aztec football fans. It should be the students.Yousaid yourself in 2019 that “SDSU’s students, fac ulty, and staff want to be in cluded in transparent, timely, and proactive communica tion about the challenges we face and the steps we are tak ing to solve them.”
That letter also said it was imperative to make “commu nication a Systemicpriority.”problems have gone unchanged. Until stu dents become your true pri ority, the issue you flagged three years ago will continue to plague San Diego State. We hope this serves as a re minder of where your focus needs to be. The students de mandAndit.so do we.
joining our team or featuring your work,
plan — and somehow, you were still ill-prepared.
on assignment. We're interested in working with you
Larger news outlets, both local and national, swept in and consumed your time and attention. All we as students saw were four measly emails that prioritized compliance with the San Diego police investigation in lieu of truly addressing student concerns.
cords request in June. Officials took more than two months to provide the requested emails.
4 The Daily Aztec Editorial September 14 - October 11, 2022 EDITOR: Gabriel Schneider editor@thedailyaztec.com EDITOR IN CHIEF Gabriel Schneider MANAGING EDITOR Xiomara Villarreal-Gerardo NEWS EDITOR Christian Houser OPINION EDITOR Katy Stegall MUNDO AZTECA EDITOR Xiomara Villarreal-Gerardo ARTS & CULTURE EDITOR Sumaia Wegner SPORTS EDITORS Justin Cox Morgan Prickett SOCIAL MEDIA EDITOR Melody Bathaee PHOTO EDITOR Brittany Cruz-Fejeran MULTIMEDIA EDITOR Mackenzie Stafford LIVE PRODUCER Flower Smith GRAPHICS EDITOR Emily Forschen STAFF WRITERS Marian Cuevas Maitland Klingberg Ariana RodneyDanielaMardaniRamirezJuanZubiaManford CONTRIBUTORS Owen Ekstrom ADVERTISING DIRECTOR Joshua Gong GRAPHIC DESIGN SPECIALIST Quentin Skaggs EDITORIAL editor@thedailyaztec.com ADVERTISING advertising@thedailyaztec.com619.594.7807 PRINT The Daily Aztec publishes 3,000 copies of its monthly print edition Wednesdays throughout the semester WEB Daily content is available at www.thedailyaztec.com QUESTIONS/COMMENTS letters@thedailyaztec.com The views and opinions expressed in this issue do not necessarily reflect those of The Daily Aztec. FOLLOW US /DailyAztecVideo@thedailyaztec@TheDailyAztec/dailyaztec The Hispanic Heritage Issue
media relations. We wanted to be fair. We wanted to pro vide an opportunity for you to address student concerns. We wanted any semblance of clar ity on questions students felt wereYourunanswered.teammissed the op portunity. The lack of trans parency has amplified the distrust students feel about administration.SDSUofficials, including yourself, knew of the alle gations long before the LA Times article published their story. We feel that is more than enough time to come up with a game plan that prioritized students, their wellbeing and safety. You had seven months to come up with an action
around campus. Sports games,
In an attempt to provide answers for the people you should have been serving, the students, we filed a public re
SDSU President Adela de la Torre answers questions at the Associated Students all-council meeting.
Daily Aztec photo team is looking for volunteer photographers to capture
GRAPHIC DESIGN SKILLS? ADOBE WIZARD? The Daily Aztec is looking for volunteer graphic designers to help make our newspaper pop. If you have interest in joining our team or featuring your work,
SDSU has a long and docu mented history of not provid ing The Daily Aztec records or significantly delaying re leasing them. This case was no different.Andit’s unacceptable.
While you were busy han dling the “media firestorm,” you, unsurprisingly, neglect ed the outlet in your back yard: the student newspaper. It’s another blatant example of how little attention was placed on students amidst the recent chaos.
Dear President de la Torre
If you have interest in please contact photo@thedailyaztec.com please
Photo by Brittan Cruz-Fejeran
The Daily Aztec 5September 14 - October 11, 2022
Hispanic heritage month BY XIOMARA VILLARREAL-GERARDO INSPIRED BY ARTURO TORRES’
“NI DE AQUI, NI DE ALLA.”
ILLUSTRATION
“Lo que yo quise hacer es darles a los estudiantes el poder de darle el nombre al grupo,” dijo Herrera. “En vez de llamarlos Ballet Folklórico de SDSU, yo les dije, ‘busquen un nombre’, y me salieron con Xochipilli y contentos de la vida con ese nombre.”Gabriela Hernandez, ex alumna de SDSU con doble licenciatura en psicología y español, y presidenta del Ballet Folklórico Xochipilli de SDSU en 2020, cree que el ballet folklórico es un medio para comunicar sus raíces a los demás.
La próxima presentación se llevará a cabo el 2 de noviembre en San Diego State University, en conmemoración del “Día de Muertos”.ElBallet Folklórico Xochipilli de SDSU está abierto a todos los niveles y personas.
Hay mucha gente que nos quiere encasillar o etiquetarnos con una sola característica, carrera o logro, pero la carrera de Blades me ayudó a comprender que las únicas limitaciones son las que nos ponemos nosotros mismos.
Opinión: Ruben Blades nunca olvidó su herencia ni yo tampoco
”
Es fácil estar envuelto en cosas materiales que no sean importantes realmente, y su canción “Plástico” siempre es un recordatorio de olvidar las cosas plásticas y las diferencias y prejuicios de nosotros porque todos somos humanos.
El nombre de “Xochipilli” es en honor al Dios Azteca de la danza y la música.
Para mí, Rubén Blades es más que un cantante. Es un icono, una representación de la cultura panameña y una gran influencia en mi vida.
Ballet Folklórico Xochipilli de SDSU promueve la cultura a través de la danza
otras canciones favoritas “Siembra” y “Plástico” tienen mensajes similares. Hoy, hay mucha negatividad en el mundo
“
El Ballet Folklórico Xochipilli de SDSU invita a todas las personas que quieran participar y buscan nuevos miembros que quieran unirse.
El grupo siente que el ballet folklórico es un medio para comunicar sus raíces a los demás por Chanel Yoguez
Sus canciones “Patria” y “Nacer De Ti,” que hablan de Panamá y el orgullo de su tierra, siempre me dan escalofríos. Es un sentimiento indescriptible cuando escucho a Blades cantando de nuestra tierra. Me ha inspirado mucho a continuar representando, aprendiendo y estudiando, no solamente a Panamá, sino a toda la raza latina.Mis
CONTRIBUYENTE
Gabriela Hernandez Presidenta del Ballet Folklórico Xochipilli de SDSU
Para más información acerca del Ballet Folklórico Xochipilli de SDSU pueden comunicarse por medio de xochipilli. sdsu@gmail.com o por su cuenta de Instagram @folklorico.xochipilli.
El grupo de danza se presenta dentro y fuera de la escuela. Suelen presentarse en eventos y graduaciones de SDSU y también en eventos comunitarios.
Diseño por Giselle Morales
El baile es una forma de expresar diversas culturas, tradiciones y emociones a través de la danza y canciones.
Escuchar su música se ha convertido en una experiencia de unión para mi familia porque nos ha permitido compartir nuestro orgullo y herencia juntos.
El mes de la herencia hispana es anualmente celebrado del 15 de septiembre al 15 de octubre, para reconocer las contribuciones e influencia de los hispanoamericanos a la historia y cultura de los Estados Unidos.
Rubén Blades es un cantante, actor, activista y compositor que ha escrito canciones famosas de salsa.
Es una manera de comunicarles a todo mundo que eres mexicana y compartir la dicha de ser mexicano con todos.
Yo soy panameña y puertorriqueña pero nunca tuve problemas sintiéndome cerca de mi cultura boricua. Hay muchos ejemplos que me inspiran y que representan la raza puertorriqueña como Marc Anthony, Hector Lavoe, Daddy Yankee, Sonia Sotomayor, Bad Bunny y muchos más.
Pero, Rubén Blades es uno de los únicos representantes de la cultura panameña que yo he conocido en mi vida. Su música me ha inspirado mucho porque cada canción tiene mensajes sociales. En estos tiempos eso no se ve mucho en artistas que cantan palabras de sabiduría, como el.
“Siento que el grupo realmente me permite expresar más mi herencia,” dijo Gonzales. “Lo hago todo el año, pero especialmente hacerlo durante el mes de la herencia hispana, trae consigo una conciencia extra.”
El Ballet Folklórico Xochipilli de San Diego State University, es un grupo que a traves de su baile fomenta la cultura y raíces mexicanas.
Con su musicá y otros logros, me inspiró a tener cerca mis raíces panameñas y seguir soñando en grande
por giselle Morales CONTRIBUYENTE
y estas canciones pregonan la importancia de tener esperanza y fé en la vida.
Raquel Gonzales, una de las líderes del Ballet Folklórico Xochipilli de SDSU y bailarina de ballet folklorico por más de 16 años, mira a este grupo como una manera de conectar con su herencia cultural.
Ofrecen clases desde nivel básico hasta nivel avanzado. Realizan ensayos cada miércoles a las 6 p.m en Conrad Prebys Aztec Student Union (Salon Mata’yuum).
El grupo fue fundado por Nelida Herrera, actual maestra y directora del Ballet Folklórico Xochipilli de SDSU hace seis años con tan solo cuatro alumnos, los cuales le pidieron a Herrera iniciar un grupo Folklórico.
Los miembros de Ballet Folklórico Xochipilli de SDSU practicando en el Aztec Student Union.
“Siempre animo a cualquier persona independientemente de su herencia a venir. Todos son bienvenidos,” dijo Gonzales.
También, Blades es un inspiración para mí porque ha logrado mucho más allá de la música. Además de ser cantante, es actor, activista y figura política. En 1994, Blades se postuló para la presidencia de Panamá y sirvió cinco años como ministro del turismo.Nunca se metió en una caja. Para mi, como orgullosa mujer latina y estudiante de periodismo, es importante recordar que hay muchas posibilidades en la vida.
A pesar de todo su éxito; su amor y orgullo por Panamá nunca se desvaneció, y por eso Blades es un verdadero modelo para mí.
“Es una manera de comunicarles a todo mundo que eres mexicana y compartir la dicha de ser mexicano con todos,” dijo Hernandez. “En una escuela tan diversa, me ayudó a encontrar gente con la que me relacionaba más.”
Mundo AztecA6 September 14 - October 11, 2022 EDITOR: Xiomara Villarreal-Gerardo • mundoazteca@thedailyaztec.comThe Daily Aztec
Foto por Chanel Yoguez
by Natali GoNzalez CONTRIBUTOR
Hispanic student organizations guide students throughout college journey
They provide their members with support, resources, professional development and career opportunities throughout the academic year. Last year’s events included socials, workshops, professional panels, heritage celebrations, service projects, high school conferences and guest speakers.
They are part of communities that, historically, have been marginalized, invisibilized and underserved by local, state and federal governments.
Photo by Natali Gonzalez
helping them create new memories and grow as people.
Sharon Sabino Galicia, MEChA’s chairperson, knew she wanted to be a part of the group from the time she attended MEChA de SDSU’s 48th high school conference as a sophomore. She is excited about building an amazing high school conference this year and also hopes to foster a strong bond between members by
It is especially helpful for Hispanic students to connect with others going into the same field they are. Jaime Isaiah Cervantes, the President of the Society of Hispanic Professional Engineers (SHPE), thinks that while it is not impossible for Hispanic students to enter their desired field, it is still challenging as they are a minority in both their university classes and in the workforce.
Student leaders explained that students do not have to continue figuring things out on their own. By having others to rely on, the burden of these challenges can be eased.“One’s success is everyone’s success,” Robles
Another involvement opportunity for students is MEChA, which stands for Movimiento Estudiantil Chicanx de Aztlán (Chicanx Student Movement of Aztlán). This organization aims to support students in learning leadership skills, building community, and keeping their education at the focus of all they do.
Dr. Lourdes Cueva Chacon Advisor for the National Association of Hispanic Journalists (NAHJ)
Student leaders from Hispanic organizations on campus emphasized the importance of forming connections to help face the challenges that come with navigating college.
“
Theresaid.are a number of Hispanic, Latino, and Chicano student organizations on campus that provide opportunities for students to form connections.
San Diego State University hung up banners on campus in celebration of Hispanic Heritage Month.
7September 14 - October 11, 2022 EDITOR: Sumaia Wegner • arts@thedailyaztec.com The Daily AztecArts & Culture ADVERTISEMENT
“A lot of us came to college without the guidance of our parents, siblings, or friends,” said Joshua Vidal Robles, vice president of the Hispanic Business Student Association (HBSA). “We had to learn how to file our FAFSAs by ourselves, how to explore our college options, and how to take advantage of all the resources available on campus.”
For the SHPE, Cervantes is most excited for the upcoming SHPE Posada, the organization’s holiday celebration. Cueva Chacon most looks forward to the NAHJ conference, which was a great experience for last year’s students who participated in workshops and began building a professional network. HBSA will also have networking opportunities for students who plan on entering the business world in their United Latino Students Association Weekender with ten other group chapters from around Southern California.
Hispanic professional organizations on campus include groups for students in social work, engineering, finance, science, journalism and business. These groups aim to empower and promote Hispanic students in these areas.
On-campus Hispanic organizations allow students to build communities of support as they face challenges
”
“Being able to surround yourself with others that not only understand your background, but have the same goals and mindset as you is priceless,” Cervantes said.Dr. Lourdes Cueva Chacon, advisor for the National Association of Hispanic Journalists (NAHJ) and a professor of journalism, agreed, that Latinx students can help guide each other to success as they understand and share the same struggles.“Theyare part of communities that, historically, have been marginalized, invisibilized and underserved by local, state and federal governments,” Cueva ChaconThroughsaid.their shared backgrounds, Hispanic students can support each other in achieving their professional goals.
One is the Latinx Student Union, which aims to unite, educate, and empower Latinx students on campus. Athziri Flores, the President of the organization, originally got involved because she wanted to meet other Hispanic students, especially as she was experiencing culture shock after moving from her Los Angeles town.As president, her goal is to create a safe space for others. “I want us to be a familia,” she said.
For the upcoming year, Flores is looking forward to hosting another Latinx speaker series. Last year’s guests included Adriana Herrera, a best selling author, Karamo Brown, who stars on the Netflix Show Queer Eye, and Claudette Zepeda, a Top Chef contestant.
The heavy policing of the park speaks loudly — it reveals an agenda that does not care for the affected individuals.
8 The Daily Aztec OpiniOn September 14 - October 11, 2022 EDITOR: Katy Stegall opinion@thedailyaztec.com
The community at Playas de Tijuana has beautified the plain, salt-worn metal pillars by covering them with art. Faces of deported immigrants float from the
As a specialist in the U.S.-Mexico
The effort to fortify the wall under the guise of maintenance attempts to bandage the real problem. Hernández emphasized that this expensive development of infrastructure has become “politically expedient” for Biden, as his administration attempts to appease the “unfounded right-wing concerns that he is an open-border kind of guy.”
Although this community fights to keep this space active and culturally rich, the second wall in the U.S. has been a hindrance. Hernández said that the second wall with a gate has created “conditions similar to visitation hours” as if they are incarcerated.
By Marian Cuevas STAFF WRITER
Mexico’s side of Friendship Park immerses visitors in vibrant murals along an otherwise bleak border wall on July 18, 2022.
edge of the beach and into the ocean, where the fence marches into the waves. Another artist “erased” some of the pillars by painting them to blend into the sky, the ocean, and the sand.
PHOTO BY XIOMARA VILLARREAL GERARDO
The preservation of Friendship Park will only be addressed if people continue to advocate for its preservation. Organizations such as Friends of Friendship Park provide options for supporting the cause. Their continued efforts, alongside those of organizations like American Friends Service Committee and Border Angels, have protected the park, but it’s time more of us realize how important our participation is.
“What does it do to the sense of community,” he questioned.
Professor of Chicana and Chicano studies Roberto Hernández said the border divides a community that has stood together for ages.
The U.S. side shows a heartbreaking contrast. Due to accessibility impediments, including the construction of a second wall, it has become barren. In noticing this disparity, it becomes important to think of the kind of border that the community wants to try to create.Not long ago, the boundary was a single chain-link fence that inched into the ocean. Hernández remembered spending days during childhood along the border wall
border, Hernández said he is frustrated about current developments at the border.“The problem is not the border but economic policies that displace people internally within Mexico, Honduras, Guatemala, that put them in this position of having to migrate,” he said. “[These are] realities that cannot be solved by throwing money at a wall.”
Friendship Park: A Cultural Haven
“At low tide, you could walk around it and not get your feet wet,” Hernández said.When the park’s visitation hours weren’t so restricted, visitors would play volleyball using the fence as a net, defying the wall’s intent to limit their engagement.Today,the park remains closed most days. Over the course of this century, access has become more restricted. The Friends of Friendship Park’s website states it clearly: “The current restrictions on public access to the U.S. side of Friendship Park make a mockery of the notion of international friendship.”
From the beach, the ocean extends into the horizon towards the west. A narrow (yet seemingly endless) strip of sand stretches to the south. The boardwalk and heaps of local businesses crowd the east. To the north, a jarring, unsightly tall-and-thick rusty pillar fence covers theThehorizon.land on either side of the fence is known as Friendship Park. It’s a place that holds great historic and cultural significance for the polycultural community on both sides of the border. Its historical significance is particularly emphasized as it is the home of the monument that originally marked the border, which is on the National Register for historic Friendshipplaces.Park was recently threatened by President Biden’s continuation of a new border wall. Although construction has been paused due to the binational outcry, it remains to be seen whether Border Patrol will allow continued access to this public space.Customs and Border Protection announced Aug. 4 they are “committed to preserving access to Friendship Park.” Although a relief for border communities, recent decades show binational solidarity with Mexico is an afterthought for federal administration as their decisions pander to racist, antiimmigrant, bigoted groups. They fail to consider the needs of the binational community that uses this space.
The U.S. side of this rich, polycultural space can be revived. Perhaps, sometime in the future we can stand in Playas de Tijuana and find an open park when we look North—a renewed, caredfor meeting ground for families and loved ones, enriched by the art of the community it was always meant to serve.
When it comes to national politics, the border is a question of law and order. As a Democrat, Biden faces criticism for any open-border actions. Hernández said Biden’s administration is trying to compensate and challenge the perception that their opponents have advanced. Instead of challenging the claim that Biden’s administration has an open-border attitude, they have gotten more strict with border access.
According to Hernández, initiatives such as Operation Gatekeeper in 1994 are a “show force” as they are stationed in cities with larger populations. As a result, said forces are in the spotlight, creating an illusion the government is doingThissomething.optics-game feigns an attempt at reducing the influx of undocumented migrants and resulted in an uptake in deaths at the border as those that need to get accross were forced into more dangerous terrain. This fiscal year alone, a new record was set: nearly 750 migrants have died crossing the border.
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“I don’t have the words to describe what I feel,” said Bad Bunny on stage as his fans watched on the screen at the award show. Other artists nominated in this category included Harry Styles, Drake, Ed Sheeran, Lizzo, Lil Nas X and Jack Harlow.
“Hisfashion.controversial style and way of being is an idea I support and have started seeing more in different artists,” said Aguirre. “I like how he wears whatever he wants and makes statement looks proving style has noThegender.”first latina to win artist of the year was Camilla Cabello in 2018, but Bad Bunny is the first non-English act.
Luis Carillo, a transfer student going into his junior year at SDSU, lived in Mexico for over 20 years. He found solace in Bad Bunny’s music during the pandemic because it reminded him of clubbing.
Photo by @remezcla, Instagram
by Ashley OrtegA STAFF WRITER
September 14 - October 11, 2022 EDITOR: Sumaia Wegner • arts@thedailyaztec.com The Daily Aztec 9
After learning about his win over social media, Alyssa Aguirre, a San Diego State University sophomore majoring in Biology said, “His VMA artist of the year award was well earned, and I think it’s awesome how many people listen to his music even being non-Spanish speaking. His music has created diversity within different communities and has brought people together.”Hisalbum “Un Verano Sin Ti” was released
Arts & Culture
“I feel like it should have happened a long time ago,” sophomore Irene Valdivia said, about the first non-English performer winning Artist of the Year.
“I feel very proud of him for breaking all the barriers and making the way for all of the Latino’s to show them that they can succeed in their native language and how they should not be afraid to speak up in Spanish and to embrace it,” Carillo said.
Bad Bunny celebrates a monumental moment becoming the first nonEnglish performer to win MTV’s Artist of the Year
After a hectic year following his album release, Puerto Rican artist Bad Bunny, whose real name is Benito Antonio Martínez Ocasio, has just celebrated a big win.On Aug. 28 at the MTV Video Music Awards, Bad Bunny was awarded with Artist of the Year. This makes him the first ever non-English speaking artist to win the award.Since he is currently on tour, he accepted the award at the Yankee Stadium in New York during a show that same night.
Students react to the Puerto Rican artist’s historic accomplishment
With Hispanic Heritage Month beginning on Sept. 15, his win is well-fit to start the celebration.
Along with breaking barriers in music, Bad Bunny has made a name for himself using
Bad Bunny wins at the MTV Video Music Awards
in May of this year and became the second all-Spanish album to debut on top of the Billboard 200 charts in the United States.
Photo Courtesy of Aztec Baja Racing
Aztec Baja Racing team to rally their student-built off-road buggy at season finale
Aside from the enjoyment of Aztec Baja, the organization also offers students the opportunity to gain skills, knowledge and experience in hands-on mechanical engineering that can greatly extend their career opportunities. Aldana credits being a part of Aztec Baja
“Everybody just comes together for an off-road race where we watch each other’s cars compete, and it’s a big deal of fun for everybody,” Aldana said.
Abel Estrada, sophomore mechanical engineering major and lead of suspension at Aztec Baja SAE, depicted the story behind their recent races and expressed his feelings towards obtaining good positions at their first two competitions of the season.
the experiences he had with his family when he was younger.
The Mexican off-road motorsport originated in 1967 when Ed Pearlman founded the National Off-Road Racing Association and the first Baja 1000 was arranged to run in Baja California, Mexico from Tijuana to La Paz. From that moment on, the annual Baja 1000 has become one of the most prestigious and savage off-road races in the world.
Aztec Baja SAE at SDSU began in 2010 as a senior design project that was entirely funded by a San Diego based company named McMillin Racing, which is one of the top Trophy Truck racing teams in Baja California, Mexico and the United States. In 2014, the first Aztec Baja car was built on the SDSU campus, and the following year the team became an officially recognized club at the university. Yet, it was not until 2017 when the Aztecs first competed in all three SAE competitions.
One of the reasons Estrada joined the Aztec Baja SAE team was because of the culture behind Baja Racing and
“I think that is probably why it caught more of my attention, because culturally wise, I would go out into the desert and just go off-roading and stuff with my cousins and family members,” EstradaMexicosaid.has a great influence on student race teams in the United States and other nations through Baja Racing. The SAE competitions have teams from all across the nation, Brazil, Canada and Mexico racing throughout the season.
With encouragement, Estrada said students should join the Aztec Baja SAE team since it is a good challenge for those seeking to learn.
The Aztec Baja Racing team poses with their off-road vehicle following a race.
An in-depth look at SDSU’s Aztec Baja SAE who take part in the Mexican-originated motorsport
Manuel Aldana works on the Aztec Baja Racing team’s vehicle in preparation for this year’s race, Sep. 12, 2022.
Photo by Xiomara Villareal-Gerardo
Each year, San Diego State’s Aztec Baja Society of Automotive Engineers team initiates their plan to design, fabricate and race an off-road buggy. As the 2022 season comes to an end, the Aztecs will hit the road to the Baja SAE Arizona where they will take on national and international university teams from from Sept. 29 to Oct. 2.
“It was a really great feeling and especially after putting so much work into the car,” Estrada said. “We actually didn’t get to do much testing because we were very short on time so when we took it out in Tennessee, that was kind of like the first time we drove the car, but then in New York, we just redefined everything and did way better overall.”
on to achieve first place in suspension and traction placing 8th overall at the Rochester Institute of Technology competition in New York.
SAE for landing his dream internship this“Thissummer.past summer 2022, I got to intern for Solar Turbines here in San Diego which was really my dream internship,” Aldana said.
SportS10 The Daily Aztec September 14 - October 11, 2022 EDITORS: Justin Cox and Morgan Prickett sports@thedailyaztec.com
“If it wasn’t for Aztec Baja, I don’t think I would have been able to get this internship because I was able to bring in some past knowledge that I learned on this team and apply it to the task I was given at my internship.”
by Xiomara Villarreal-Gerardo MANAGING EDITOR & MUNDO AZTECA EDITOR
In 2020 and 2021, the team began designing and manufacturing their first ever four-wheel drive (4WD) Aztec Baja car. They were able to finish the design in 2022 and implement it in their car for competitions in the season. Using their new 4WD, the Aztec Baja team finished 15th place at the Baja SAE Tennessee Tech competition. They went
Aldana states that Aztec Baja SAE can be followed on social media (@ aztecbaja_sdsu) and is open to all majors, backgrounds and skill levels. The team is happy to help any student interested in expanding their skills outside the classroom and having fun in the meantime.
The Baja SAE competitions serve as a model for real-world engineering design projects where students are challenged with constructing an off-road vehicle that can endure the punishing effects of roughAztecterrain.Baja SAE president and mechanical engineering senior, Manuel Aldana, said the team is striving to build on their success from their most recent races and use it to position their car in the top places in Arizona. Aldana also underlined how meaningful it is for family members to come and support the team given Arizona is one of their local“Weraces.have a strong momentum pushing forward and we’re hoping to give it our all to get a podium finish or top place in Arizona,” Aldana said. “And Arizona really means a lot to us since some of our parents or siblings will be there.”
Pokez ofrece sabores auténticos y platillos únicos para carnívoros y
A pesar de haberme criado en México, nunca comprendí el profundo amor que le tenía a la comida casera, en especial al arroz y a los frijoles, al menos hasta que me vine a vivir a San Diego. Aunque es una ciudad fronteriza, me fue un poco difícil encontrar un lugar que, a través de olores y sabores, me trajera a la mente bellos recuerdos de mi hogar en Sonora.
Pokez se encuentra en 947 E Street, en el centro de San Diego, el cual es fácilmente accesible desde el campus de SDSU, solo con tomar el autobús 215 hasta la parada de City College.
por Juan Zubia CONTRIBUYENTE
Una gran atracción del restaurante siempre han sido sus opciones vegetarianas y veganas, especialmente entre los miembros de las escenas punk, hardcore, reggae, y muchas personas religiosas como budistas, hare-krishnas e incluso, católicos mexicanos durante la cuaresma.
Foto de cortesía Pokez Mexican Restaurant
Foto por Owen Ekstrom
”
“Parando a preguntar si necesitábamos ayuda, pero en verdad, la dinámica que tenían mi padre y mi hermano mayor causaba que otras personas sintieran nostalgia por sus propios hogares, por lo que en muchas ocasiones se ofrecían a trabajar lavando trastes por un burrito, solo para estar en compañía familiar”.
Llegué a Pokez por primera vez una tarde fría en febrero del 2008. Yo me había vuelto vegano unas semanas antes y pedí recomendaciones de restaurantes a otros compañeros veganos. Yo llevaba viviendo en San Diego desde agosto del año anterior, y hasta ese punto la buena comida mexicana en San Diego me había evadido.Pasando por Pokez, vi por las ventanas que estaba completamente lleno. Lo que me llamó la atención inmediatamente fue que a pesar de estar en una cuadra alejada de las áreas concurridas de Downtown, la clientela era una mezcla de personas, estilos y edades.
Opinión: La nostalgia que sentí al entrar al restaurante Pokez
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Un espacio mexicano en el corazón de la ciudad de San Diego
Uno de los sentimientos claves que la mayoría de migrantes comparten, es la nostalgia. No importa de donde vengamos, o hacia donde vayamos, siempre habrá algo en nuestro recuerdo que nos trae de vuelta a casa. Ya sea si lo hacemos al recordar los lugares donde crecimos y las experiencias que vivimos, extrañar nuestras raíces nos une aún más a otros con historias similares, especialmente en un país extranjero. Muchas veces, con solo probar un platillo de nuestra tierra, podemos viajar de vuelta a nuestro lugar de origen, aunque sea momentáneamente.
Una de las características más peculiares que encontré desde mi primera visita a Pokez, fue la atención de la familia Reyes quienes son dueños del restaurante. Hasta la fecha, no importa que día sea, siempre hay un miembro de la familia trabajando, listo para atenderte.
“El concepto de un restaurante mexicano, operado por una familia joven siempre causó un efecto de ‘paracaídas’ ya que en algún punto u otro, las personas terminaban cayendo aquí”, dijo Poki.
El ambiente aquí era diferente porque podías ver que a la gente que lo operaba le importaba su comunidad, y a la comunidad le agradaba reunirse en lugares donde otros formaban parte de su escena.
Mike Rancourt, profesor del
departamento de Retórica y Estudios de Escritura en San Diego State University, vivió una experiencia muy parecida en 1998. El se mudó a San Diego desde Massachusetts ese mismo año y se dio cuenta que este restaurante formaba parte especial en la comunidad de San Diego.
continúan el legado familiar diariamente, representando quienes son y de dónde vienen a través del trabajo que hacen.
Inmediatamente reconocí ese olor de hogar lo cual me sorprendió tras varios meses de añorar. La rocola en ese entonces tocaba canciones de Marco Antonio Solís, seguidas por Johnny Cash, David Bowie y Manu Chao, una mezcla muy peculiar de música con la que también había crecido escuchando en casa. Antes de saber que este restaurante era operado por una familia mexicana, logré sentir ahí una conexión a aquello que me traía nostalgia, y extrañaba de mi tierra: arroz y frijoles.
“Me sorprendió mucho ver que la comunidad vegana y straight-edge estaba tan conectada con este restaurante, y viceversa”, dijo Rancourt. “Había visitado otros restaurantes que trataban bien a los veganos, pero en este lugar siempre nos daban la bienvenida y estaban al tanto de lo que sucedía en nuestra escena (de hardcore). El ambiente aquí era diferente porque podías ver que a la gente que lo operaba le importaba su comunidad, y a la
Después de casi tres décadas de operación, Poki, Carlos y Chavo
Desde su primera apertura en 1994, Pokez ha sido un lugar exitoso de la escena de restaurantes en Downtown San Diego.
El restaurante fue abierto en marzo de 1994 por el padre de la familia, Don Alfonso, y el hijo mayor, Rafael. Actualmente, tres de los seis hermanos operan el restaurante: Alfonso “Poki”, Carlos, y Salvador “Chavo”, quienes hablan fluido el idioma de la cocina desde muy pequeños. Los tres están de acuerdo que el trabajo en familia es algo que les fue inculcado desde niños y que su ética de trabajo la aprendieron de sus padres, ambos originarios de Michoacán, la cual buscan heredar a las siguientes generaciones de la familia Reyes.
Poki explica que una parte muy singular del restaurante es la manera en que siempre ha reunido gente.
comunidad le agradaba reunirse en lugares donde otros formaban parte de su escena”.
September 14 - October 11, 2022 EDITOR: Xiomara Villarreal-Gerardo mundoazteca@thedailyaztec.com The Daily Aztec 11Mundo AztecA
vegetarianos.
Mike Rancourt, Profesor del departamento de Retórica y Estudios de Escritura
Hispanic Heritage month celebrates the accomplishments and contributions that Hispanic Americans have made in the United States. Afro-Latinos are amongst thisThecommunityAfro-Latin culture is diverse and unique. Derived from people of African descent who are from Latin America, anyone who is from a Latin country and has African ancestry can identify as AfroLatino.Columbia, The Caribbean and Brazil are a few countries with many people of these roots. Many people in the United States identify themselves as Afro-Latino, including some at San Diego State UniversityManuel Trinidad, a second year accounting student at Grossmont College who transferred from San Diego State University, was born to a Colombian mother and a Dominican father.
Hispanic Heritage month includes celebrating Afro-Latinos and their unique culture
Born in the United States, Trinidad had the opportunity to visit his family in Columbia for the first time. Through that experience, he had the opportunity to connect with his family and roots.
Manuel Trinidad on vacation with his family.
by Rodney ManfoRd STAFF WRITER
Students share their identity as being of African Descent from a Latin Country, also known as Afro-Latino
culture is way different out there than it is here”, he Trinidadsaid.described the culture as more family oriented, meaning that Columbia along with their Afro-Latinos are based more around a collective society compared to AliannaAmerica.McCoy, a second year student at SDSU majoring in Mechanical Engineering said her Afro-Latin culture is shown through her mom’s Dominican Republic side of the family.
When McCoy was younger, she would go to the Dominican Republic every year to visit her family. There, she was able to pick up Spanish from her grandmother and see how her family celebrated their culture.McCoy continues her traditions and customs both in and outside of the Dominican Republic, especially when she is around her family.
“I see a lot more Columbian representation out here in San Diego,” Trinidad said. “Being that the largest AfroLatino population is in Columbia, you can tell I get a lot of my Afro features from my mom’s side.”
“Being able to go back to Columbia and meet my family for the first time gave me a
Colombian heritage during his time there was what he enjoyed most “I had a lot of fun enjoying all the foods that are traditional and getting a different sense of the culture out there because the
sense of what I’ve been missing,” Trinidad said. “Having your real family was a really great experience.”
Aliana McCoy celebrates her Afro Latino heritage by embracing her Dominican culture. Not only does she do this by appreciating their authentic food, she does it by gathering with her family and listening to Bachata and Reggaeton.
Courtesy by Manuel Trinidad
He shared the importance of him being able to see his family in his native country for the first time. Celebrating his Afro
“We have a lot of family gatherings where everybody is always dancing for birthdays or barbecues,” McCoy said. “I love the food. I make empanadas, rice, beans, pork and chicken. There’s just so many good things that you can eat.”
“My mom is a first generation American. She was born in Washington Heights, New York,” McCoy said. “My grandma was born in The Dominican Republic.”
12 The Daily Aztec ADVERTISEMENT Arts & Culture September 14 - October 11, 2022 EDITOR: Sumaia Wegner arts@thedailyaztec.com
The Daily Aztec 13September 14 - October 11, 2022 amazon.com/joinstudent Start your 6-month trial. Students get: Fast, binge-worthydeliveryfreeand TV Students pay: $0 springuntilsemester ADVERTISEMENT
In a bid to increase campus revenues and inflate SDSU’s reputation on the national and global stage, fundraising and lobbying efforts have largely focused on new infrastructure projects. They chose to prioritize SDSU Mission Valley instead of funding improvements and repairs of existing structures. It seems as though there is a push to bring in as many students as possible instead of helping support the students who already are here.
File PhotoInstagram’s ChangeSDSU asks San Diego State University students to send in testimonials on how missteps by SDSU officials impact them.
Just as students were suddenly expected to handle a massive change to the way they pay for course materials, SDSU decided to move away from the time-tested and
By Sean Stouffer, tito Hernandez and alexander ingliS ADMINS OF @CHANGESDSU
It seems as though there is a push to bring in as many students as possible instead of helping support the students who already are here. “ ”
and donations from students and alumni. It is clear there is a ridiculous amount of misallocation of funds that could be used to actually achieve their goal.
Misallocation of funds caused SDSU to fall dangerously behind in everything from maintenance of facilities to securing the best pay and benefits for our faculty, staff, and — especially — student workers.
As passionately driven members of student leadership, we do our best everyday to work towards bettering student life. Unfortunately, we have found that everything we do is constantly limited and capped by the actions of higher administration.Ithascometo our attention that dealing with Equitable Access has been a struggle for many in our SDSU community. The unsteady transition to EA has proven to be a microcosm of the greater issues plaguing SDSU administration and its relations with students. From the outset, students were neither consulted nor given proper warning on the intent of making the switch from Immediate Access to Equitable Access. Many professors are struggling to navigate the switch for themselves, limiting support to students. For over two years before the announcement, the university had been in talks with publishers for the change, which is something we feel students should have known about and had an opportunity to voice their concerns.
Not only should students have been notified prior, but once the system was put into place, there should have been much better communication for student awareness. As an opt-out program, which most students aren’t even aware that they paid for, Equitable Access provides students with a choice between what feels like the lesser of “two evils.” Stay opted-in and pay an overpriced per-unit fee, or expend their time and energy, which students already lack, and find textbooks at full price. The students whose voices we are amplifying have also expressed concern of the financial burden the switch has put on them.
Although this alone has already impacted student success significantly, we wish that this was the only misstep that SDSU administration has taken.
A letter to the editor: here’s the gripe from the folks behind Instagram’s ChangeSDSU
@ChangeSDSU, The admins behind @ChangeSDSU
The state of the library exemplifies negligence like no other. There is no greater hypocritical action taken by the administration than to strive and claim to be a “Top Research University” while simultaneously disregarding maintenance on the library for over a decade.
All of these reasons and more is why our team created ChangeSDSU. We wanted to create a public platform that allowed students to have their voices be heard and reassure them there are many people experiencing the same issues with administration. We opened a survey to let students do just that. We have already received over 100 unique stories, some of which we have discussed in this OpEd, and more that we have highlighted on our page. We want to take the students’ voice and translate it into tangible action. But this movement is much bigger than just the people behind ChangeSDSU. Students have a collective disagreement on Admins actions. We want to establish a physical presence on campus to show that together, everyones has the power to make real change. But we are just a few students leading this campaign in our sparse spare time, and we need help. If you are interested in helping, please reach out to us on our Instagram, @ChangeSDSU.
OpiniOn14 The Daily Aztec September 14 - October 11, 2022 EDITOR: Katy Stegall opinion@thedailyaztec.com
la Torre’s inauguration and the “125th celebration” rebranding, over $330,000 was spent. Most students would agree that this is a poor allocation of funds.
We would be remiss if we did not mention the intersection of College football and the recent sexual assault case that was filed in the County of San Diego. For those who know anything about how the NCAA perates, college football is the cash cow of all athletics. The naming rights, sponsorships, and specifically the television rights are fought over by NBC, CBS, FOX, and ESPN every year to have coverage of hot ticket games. The Aztecs finished in the AP Top 25 for just the third time, and won their seventh bowl game out of fifteen appearances since 1969. So how can you expect not just students, but the general public, to believe that the administration did not protect the individuals of the team for the sake of its hot ticket football season? The protection of star players at other big name schools such as Notre Dame, LSU, and Penn State all come up in a simple internet search, what the SDSU administration did is unfortunately nothing new. At a time when our community should be able to turn to our University’s resources for help amid all the violence around us, it seems all the administration continues to care about is lining their pockets.
relatively user-friendly WebPortal to my.SDSU. It has an interface and usability taken straight from 1998. Many expressed their confusion, fear, and concerns of not being able to navigate or understand the new system in the understaffed student financial center’s “Understanding Student Billing and Disbursements” webinars this past summer.Wehave personally witnessed over one-hundred thousand dollars of approved funding be withheld from student organizations because of a lack of administrative structure with the Student Success Fee, resulting in a $500 per student fee getting tucked away for future use. We worry about the financial burden this can inflict on our futureBetweenstudents.de
All this while the university repeatedly asks for more fees
In regards to faculty and student workers, the former have witnessed their pay raises fail to catch up with inflation, and the latter have seen vast cuts to both hours and, in the case of Teacher’s Assistants, benefits. All the while, top level administration gets unprecedented raises and overall salaries.
We understand that it would be extremely difficult to fix the hundreds of problems that each student has, but it is unequivocally wrong for SDSU administration not to open their ears and listen. Not just to us, but to the needs of its ENTIRE community, from its students, to its faculty and staff.
To our knowledge, there is only one other school in the nation that has an Equitable Access program: UC Davis, the former employer of President de la Torre.
On the grand opening of Snapdragon Stadium, the student section’s most memorable noise was not the roar after the first touchdown. It was the booing of President de la Torre’s Studentsintroduction.havebecome increasingly frustrated with administration in recent years, and it is not without warrant. There have been numerous missteps taken that have negatively affected the experience of students.
Tritons, weather and delays are no match for Aztec swim
The San Diego State Aztecs win their first game of the season and their first game in Snapdragon Stadium after scoring 38 points on their home turf.
nerves low and spirits high.
Photo by Isabella Biunno
After a strong 2021 season that included a Mountain West Championship, the San Diego State women’s swim team battled both the conditions and the University of San Diego in their 33-19 pentathlon victory on Friday at a rainy Aztec Aquaplex.
Following a game where they gave up 38 points, the Aztecs’ defense was able to only give up one touchdown against the Bengals. The only points the Aztecs gave up was a touchdown on the second play of the game, after that. they stayed solid against the Bengals offense.
by Jayden Hanzy SENIOR STAFF WRITER
SportS
Aztecs fly high in their first win in the new Snapdragon Stadium
After losing the stadium opener against the Arizona Wildcats (1-1) on Sep. 3, the San Diego State Aztecs (1-1) beat the Idaho State Bengals (0-2) 38-7 to win their first-ever game in the new Snapdragon Stadium.
The Aztecs will compete again next month at Pepperdine on Oct. 6, so they have a couple weeks to continue to train and shave more seconds off their swims.
“It was nice to get out and race again,” Murphy said. “It’s just nice to be back with a new team, so it was a great start to the Whileseason.”theAztecs made it look easy in the pool, there were still some hiccups throughout the meet. Tropical Storm Kay brought wind and rain to San Diego on Friday and timing malfunctions led to multiple delays early in the meet. Despite the delays, the Aztecs kept energy high, dancing with teammates and listening to music to keep their
Aztec players celebrate their first win at Snapdragon stadium on the field following their 38-7 victory over Idaho State on Sept. 10, 2022.
“Punt return, it felt good. You know, we were working all week, we knew what we had to do,” Byrd said when asked about his punt return touchdown.
The win extends the Aztecs dual meet winning streak to 37, as the Aztecs have not lost a dual meet in more than four years.“Ithink the good lord’s blessed our team,” head coach Mike Shrader said with a smile. “We’ve got a bunch of young ladies that work really hard on the diving boards and in the pool. Our senior class this year and our captains have great leadership, so it makes my jobTheeasy.”Aztecs dominated the Tritons as SDSU finished with the top four finishers in every event. The teams swam 100m races in freestyle, butterfly, breaststroke, backstroke and an individual medley to go along with 50m races in free, fly, breast and back.
An Aztec swimmer completes a freestyle stroke during warm ups at the first swim event of the season. This meet took place on September 9, 2022, and was held at the Aztec Aquaplex.
Photo by Ethan Karlin
both sides of the ball,” Hoke said.
Despite only giving up a touchdown, Head Coach Brady Hoke still believes the Aztecs have some fine-tuning to do.
the night, the Aztecs’ rushing attack was the catalyst for success on offense. The Scarlet and Black finished with 380 rushing yards on the night with sophomore running back Jaylon Armstead and senior quarterback Braxton Burmeister leading the“Offensively,attack. we got some good rushing. We got a lot of guys back there
Along with the high powered rushing attack, the Aztecs special teams scored a touchdown for the second consecutive week. Last week, it was a punt block recovery by Armstead and this week it was a 66-yard punt return touchdown from senior running back Jordan Byrd.
“Everybody had their assignments, and I just ended up getting the credit for it. So I give all of the credit to the guys out there blocking for me.”
A standout swimmer was senior Kristina Murphy, who finished second in 100m free and 100m fly, first in 100m breaststroke and 100m medley, and seventh in 100m backstroke.
“We got a lot of work to do still on
by Justin Cox SPORTS EDITOR
who got their hands on the ball,” Hoke said when asked about his offense.
Moving forward, SDSU will be on the road for the first time this year against the Utah Utes. Last year, the Aztecs beat the Utes 33-31 in a game that went to three overtimes. The Aztecs are looking for the same outcome against a team who just beat their last opponent by 67 points, as they look to win their second game of the year and carry momentum.
Sophomore Jaylon Armstead hoists freshman Cam Davis after Davis scored a touchdown against Idaho State on Sept. 10, 2022.
Photo by Ethan Karlin
time.“We’ve been working really hard and the two things I look for, attitude and effort, have been phenomenal,” Coach Shrader said. “They’re really working on their consistency, which is the other part of that, so we’re really excited right now. It’s a very nice start for us.”
15The Daily Aztec September 14 - October 11, 2022 EDITORS: Justin Cox and Morgan Prickett sports@thedailyaztec.com
On the offensive side of the ball, the Aztecs played much better than they did in the season opener. Against Arizona, the Aztecs were only able to gain 232 total yards, as opposed to Idaho State who more than doubled their total to 488Throughoutyards.
“I think a lot of that is just like our team camaraderie,” Murphy said. “Outside of the pool we are all really great friends, so we are all there for each other no matter what.”After finishing first in the Mountain West in 2019, 2020 and 2022, the Aztecs hope to stand alone at the top of the conference. It’s a long road to the conference championships in February, but Shrader is confident his team will continue working and peak at the right
Season opening win over University of San Diego extends Aztec dual meet unbeaten streak to 37.
Photo by Parker St. Germaine
Senior Michael Shawcroft prepares for Arizona State’s play.
Aztecs set up for a kickoff.
SDSU students happy to be back at their home stadium.
Senior Jesse Matthews after another fourth down punt.
Photo by Parker St. Germaine
16 September 14 - October 11, 2022
Aztec players (in red and black) running down field to gain yardage versus the Wildcats (in white).
Senior Tyrell Shavers and senior Chance Bell celebrate the first touchdown at Snapdragon Stadium.
Photo by Parker St. Germaine
sports@thedailyaztec.comThe Daily Aztec Backpage
Photo by Parker St. Germaine
Photo Gallery: Snapdragon Stadium opening day
Photo by Parker St. Germaine
Photo by Parker St. Germaine
EDITORS: Justin Cox and Morgan Prickett
